College Football Week Seven Picks

De'Anthony Thomas

2 Oregon vs. 16 Washington
For any college team that ever complains about their records, they better look at what Washington has had to do these last two weeks. The Huskies, who lost last week to No. 5 Stanford, now have to face the speedy Oregon Ducks and their high-powered attack. Containing Marcus Mariota, De'Anthony Thomas and Byron Marshall is definitely not a small task, but the Washington defense has been solid this year. It held Arizona and Boise State down and played very well against a tough Stanford attack. For Oregon, it is really the first test of the year as the Ducks have been feasting on average opponents. Their offense can put up 50 without too much issues and their defense has been underrated this year, it has a lot of playmakers. Though, Washington has the offense to match the Ducks' up-tempo scheme. It contains senior QB Keith Price and back Bishop Sankey, both who have been great this year. Both these defenses have been playing well, but stopping each other is a tough task and this could well be a shootout. Oregon is the better team but the Huskies are talented and could well pull an upset at home.
Oregon, 55 Washington, 45

7 Georgia vs. 25 Missouri
In the midst of all the other great teams in the SEC, the Missouri Tigers are quietly 5-0 and looking to pull off a big upset against Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs. For Georgia, it is yet another big test, and they barely managed to fend off Tennessee in overtime. This past week the Bulldogs learned they lost back Keith Marshall and receiver Justin Scott-Wesley to go with injuries to Malcolm Mitchell and Todd Gurley. It appears Gurley may be ready to go this week and that would be huge with Marshall out. When healthy, Gurley is a dominant runner who can burst in between the tackles but also has the speed to bust a big run. Missouri's defense has been decent this year but is has to have a huge game to stop Gurley, who has already run all over Clemson, South Carolina and LSU. The key to success for Missouri will be getting pressure on Murray and moving the ball through the air. Senior QB James Franklin has had a good year, passing for 1,407 yards and 13 touchdowns while distributing the ball to sophomore Dorial Green-Beckham. Georgia's defense has had issues against the pass this year, they are young in the secondary. If Franklin can perform the way he did in their dominant win over Vanderbilt, the Tigers have a real shot. If Gurley is healthy, Georgia should win and even if he isn't they are going to be favored. Plus, talk about a team stretch for Missouri as they get Georgia this week, Florida the next and then South Carolina after that.
Georgia, 34 Missouri, 21

10 LSU vs. 17 Florida
The Missouri-Georgia game should be good but the real good one in the SEC this week is the battle between LSU and Florida. Last year, Florida stunned the Tigers in low-scoring affair but the Gators are without Jeff Driskel and their offense was struggling anyways. Junior Tyler Murphy has played pretty well in Driskel's absence and LSU's defense is not as dominant as it has been in years past but it is still a tough order. Back Matt Jones has been the star of this offense, leading the way for a strong rushing attack. But, in their loss to Miami, Jones could never find his groove. Florida likely won't put up 30+, meaning there is a lot of pressure on their defense. LSU's Zach Mettenberger has been great this season and is executing very well on third downs. Along with Jeremy Hill fully back in the backfield and explosive receiver Jarvis Landry, the Tigers should put up points. Florida needs to get pressure on Mettenberger, who still will struggle when defenders get in his face. Though, in order to win, Florida must not turn the ball over and Murphy has to have a strong showing. With the 96th passing offense in the nation, that might just not happen.
LSU, 31 Florida, 16

Other Picks
19 Northwestern, 42 Wisconsin, 34
9 Texas A&M, 38 Ole Miss, 28
12 Oklahoma, 27 Texas, 13
1 Alabama, 35 Kentucky, 10
Current Picks Record: 37-11