ABC

CK: I may lose some respect for saying this, but I must admit – I’m a huge fan of Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Not because of his California boy aura, but because he exudes confidence, which is something you need in order to succeed at this level. Even with that confidence, the Golden Domers will fall short Saturday. We all know Javon Ringer is MSU’s most dynamic player, but I’m taking the following Brian Hoyer stat-line to be the difference – 17-for-23, 241 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions.

MSU 35, Notre Dame 24

JC: I’m more lost than Jack, Sawyer and Hurley when trying to pick this game. We don’t know how good MSU is because they played Florida Atlantic in the rain and lost to California – and I don’t know how good Cal is because they lost to Maryland. Notre Dame barely beat San Diego State and slaughtered Michigan, so I don’t know how good they are. Here’s hoping this pick rescues my view on MSU.

MSU 31, Notre Dame 17

AA: With the 2006 “Monsoon Game” disaster still festering in Javon Ringer’s mind, Ringer runs angrily past Notre Dame defenders for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Still, Brian Hoyer is charged with the responsibility of leading MSU back from a slim fourth-quarter deficit. A heroic Hoyer caps a 70-yard touchdown drive with less than a minute remaining when he hits Mark Dell in the corner of the end zone.

MSU 24, Notre Dame 21

DS: The defense will cause fits for Jimmy Clausen and company all day long, while Brian Hoyer has the best game of his career to date and the pride of Harrison, Mark Dell, continues to make plays to take pressure off of Javon Ringer just in time for the Big Ten season to begin.

MSU 28, Notre Dame 10

No. 6 LSU vs. No. 10 Auburn

7:45 p.m. Saturday

ESPN

CK: Call me crazy, but I’m going out on a limb and picking the Tigers to win. God, that was awful. Anyway, LSU hasn’t beaten Auburn on the road in a decade. Then again, I don’t know the last time an Auburn team was coming off a game in which it only scored three points. Auburn is struggling on offense, while LSU’s strength lies on the defensive side of the ball. I’m going with LSU.

LSU 31, Auburn 10

JC: Has there ever been a matchup of two teams so undeserving of their rankings than this game? Auburn would have struggled to score a touchdown against a Pop Warner team last week and LSU’s quarterback situation is more questionable than a Salisbury steak from the Akers Hall cafeteria. I’ll go with the less putrid offensive team.

LSU 20, Auburn 10

AA: Come Saturday night, Auburn quarterback Chris Todd will be having nightmares of LSU defensive linemen Ricky Jean-Francois and Tyson Jackson. Todd will spend half the game on his back and the other half scrambling to find his overmatched wide receivers. LSU running back Charles Scott provides the offensive punch, as the better Tigers prevail.

LSU 10, Auburn 6

DS: I think this will be a defensive battle, with LSU ultimately winning because they have a better offense. Auburn pulled out what looked more like a baseball score (last week) and has an offense that looks to be as productive as Michigan’s new one. The athleticism on the field is immense, but Auburn’s defense allows them to keep it close and have a shot.

LSU 17, Auburn 10