Well the Locks are in pure fade mode after another 0-3 week (2-10 ATS for the year). It has gotten so bad that earlier this week I tried to “pick” my nose, but missed and jabbed myself in the eye. Just terrible calls last week on Mia (F) and Cal and another bad beat with TTech deciding to go for it on 4th and goal instead of kicking a FG to go up 8. Well that is what you get when you back a team coached by a Pirate. I really thought about renaming the e-mail to Lou’s Losers and going the route of the famous Leonard Postosties who had a radio broadcast (mainly in the South) in the 1970′s-80s where he would give his humorous take on each week’s games and predict the loser of the match-up. I can remember as a child waiting each week to hear his predictions. However, I decided to fight through this cold streak by sticking with the fundamentals and grinding out some winner for a change.

This has already been a whacky year in CFB as 10 top 10 teams have already lost. I expect this trend to continue, and it looks like LSU is next as they travel to Athens as the #4 team and a 4 point underdog to the Bulldogs. Some of the one loss teams are vying to get back in the BCS NC mix as things have opened up. As you all probably know by now I hate the BCS system and have continuously called for a playoff system which seems more and more like a pipe dream. however, if somehow Boise and Cincy end up as the only undefeated teams at the end of the year and face off in the BCS NC game, then ESPN and CBS will be crying to the top of the mountains for a playoff due to their cash cows being left on the sidelines. This may be a very unlikely scenario, but I am really hoping for something like this to put the BCS out of its own misery. It still appears that there are 3 teams that have separated themselves as the elite teams in CFB this year and they remain at the top of the Lock’s Lucky 7 Poll …… 1. Fla., 2. Bama (could easily be #1), 3. Texas, 4. Boise, 5. Cincy, 6. VT and 7. LSU. I realize that now most fans are checking the Locks to make sure your favorite team is not one of my picks, so as to avoid the kiss of death. I thought long and hard about making Bama -16 at Ky as one of the Locks as the numbers favor the Tide in a big way. But my Bama brethren begged me to keep them off the list and the fact that the line has moved from 17 to 16 seems a bit fishy. I still really like Bama to hammer the Wildcats here, but I left them off the list as a courtesy. Now on to this week’s Locks……

1. WISKY +2.5 @ MINN This is the game for Paul Bunyon’s Axe, but more importantly it will determine who is a player in the Big 10 race. The Badgers have won some impressive games against Fresno, Mich St and N. Ill. and feature a balanced offense (#27 in total offense in NCAA) led by QB S. Tolzien and RB J. Clay. Wisconsin will get back some of their OL who have been banged up so I expect the offense to be in better shape. The Golden Gophers have a suspect D and cannot really stop the run or the pass. N’western lit them up for 309 yds. passing last week and Javid Best of Cal ran wild on them 2 weeks ago. Minny is led on O by QB A. Weber and WR E. Decker. Weber has not run the ball as much this year (led team in rushing last year) and as a result has thrown 5 INTs. Wisconsin does not have a rock of a defense, but they are efficient enough on offense to get the W here. Minny has 2 players out due to a suspension and one other that may not play due to a possible suspension. All 3 play on defense. Wrong team favored in this one. Remember to buy the half point here to make Wisky +3. WISC 30 MINNY 24

2. WASH +13 @ ND Fat Charlie is holding on by the skin of his teeth this year narrowly escaping with victories over Mich St and Purdue the past 2 weeks. The Fighting Irish are really banged up with QB J. Clausen suffering with a turf toe, WR M Floyd out with a knee injury and RB A. Allen battling a bad ankle. The Huskies come in after a letdown loss to Stanford after having pulled the shocker of the year in beating U$C. HC S. Sarkisian has done a remarkable job with a team that did not win a game last year. Washington features QB J. Locher and Wrs J. Johnson, J. Kearse and D. Goodwin. They should find life through the air easy as the ND secondary is woeful and they have no real pass rushing threat. ND is ranked #94 in total D and has given up 7 TD passes over the past 3 games against inexperienced QBs. The Huskies should be able to exploit the weakness and bounce back with a good game.

I can see the Irish winning a close hard fought game here. ND 33 WASH 28

3. TULSA -16 @ RICE The Rice Owls are just a pathetic team this year ranking #115 in total defense, #120 9last) in scoring defense and #104 in total offense. Last week an anemic Vandy offense put up 38 points on Rice. Tulsa can put some points on the board (#27 in scoring offense) and are led by QB G.J. Kinne and a trio of Wrs D. Johnson, S. Shelley and T. Johnson. Since this is a conference game, I really doubt Tulsa will be looking ahead here. To add to the Owls misery they have injury issues at QB resulting in a controversy on who to play. N. Fanuzzi (Bama transfer) has been sidelined and now the back-up R. Lewis is questionable. The line in this game came out at -15 and is rising. This looks like a blow out to me. TULSA 48 RICE 20

4. OBSCURE GAME DEGENRATE SPECIAL Take La. Monroe -5 over Fla. International. FIU is horrid and La. Monroe (same team that came in to Tuscaloosa a few year back in yellow school buses and won) is a good Sunbelt team. I will count this on my record.

La Monroe 31 FIU 17

Good luck!