Bob's Picks - Look out for Ohio State, Oregon, Boise and yes, Mighty Army

USC and Washington square off in the Disappointment Bowl

So, let's say you're a University of Washington football fan.

Your Huskies have just come off a 2023 season when they went 14-1, beat Oregon twice and battled Michigan for three quarters before falling, 34-13, in the national championship game.

And the Football Gods come down and tell you about a surprise gift you will receive as you start play in your new conference, the Big Ten, that you joined because you were just too darn good for the 108-year-old Pac-12 of which you were a founding member. Yes, in the 2024 season you will have a great win over that same Michigan team you lost to last season.

You'd jump for joy, right?

Well, that did happen, but what the Football Gods didn't tell you is that in 2024 you will already have lost to arch-rival Wazzu of the old Pac-12, plus Rutgers, Iowa and Indiana from your new league.

Scarier yet is that in the weeks ahead you still must face USC, No. 3 Penn State and No. 1 Oregon.

You see, the artificial turf is not always greener on the other side of the chain link fence.

This week's picks are as follows:

(All of last week’s picks are available here)

USC over WASHINGTON ... A couple of 4-4 teams who thought they'd be playing for the national championship square off in Seattle with the guarantee that one one of them will finish the day with a losing record. Wow, how the mighty have fallen.

OREGON over MICHIGAN ... When's the last time Mighty Michigan was a two touchdown underdog in the Big House? How about never.

OHIO STATE over PENN STATE ... The Nittany Lions finally meet their match.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE over STANFORD ... Yet another ACC loss that will make the folks on The Farm wonder why the Cardinal brass ever agreed to swap one ocean for another.

GEORGIA over FLORIDA ... The World's Largest Cocktail Party ran out of juice long ago. This one won't be close.

NEBRASKA over UCLA ... The Lament Bowl, featuring two teams that lament leaving their old familiar hunting grounds.

UPSET OF THE WEEK: Michigan State over Indiana ... The Hoosiers are good, but not great. (Upset record: 4-5).

ROUT OF THE WEEK: Boise State over San Diego State ... The Blue Turf Boys continue their march toward a playoff berth. (Rout record: 9-0).

DON'T BET ON IT, BUT: Clemson over Louisville ... The Tigers are rolling along, but ripe for a picking. (Don't bet record: 5-4).

FIVE EASY PICKS: You can bet the rent on Miami, Fla. (over Duke), Army (over Air Force), Navy (over Rice), Oklahoma (over Maine) and North Dakota State (over Northern Iowa). (FEP record: 44-1).

AGGIES over NORTHERN COLORADO ... The Bears are capable of pulling an upset - ask Weber State - but the Aggies are focused on an important stretch run. Take the Ags by 24.

OTHER GAMES: Texas A&M over South Carolina, Ole Miss over Arkansas, Iowa State over Texas Tech, Kansas State over Houston, Mississippi State over Massachusetts, Tennessee over Kentucky, Incarnate Word over Houston Christian, South Dakota State over Murray State, Montana State over Eastern Washington, Montana over Cal Poly, Fresno State over Hawaii, and Sacramento State over Portland State.

Last week: 24-5, season: 331-61, percentage: .844.

Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com