**SEASON RECORD: 51-46-4** **[LAST WEEK][1]: 5-5-1**All right, so I’m not getting ready to change my name to [John Anthony][2] just yet, but we’re in the stretch run, and I have one goal left – stay above .500.With that said, I’m putting up a bit more of a challenge towards my prognostication skills this week.A lot has been made of KU being the only team in Division-I left who is undefeated against the spread this season, covering the Vegas odds in all eight contests against FBS foes.Sure, I’ll pick the Big 12 games this week as usual. But instead of going for the glitzy and glamorous national tilts, I’ve found the eight _worst_ teams against the spread this year outside of the conference. I’ll give those games a shot (except for Western Michigan, who played Tuesday and lost to Central Michigan). Either I’m going to blow my barely-above-.500 distinction, or I’ll show up to work Monday morning with a message waiting from Walter Abrams, with an offer far too sweet to possibly resist. We’ll see. Here we go…**WEEK 10** **_Big 12 Tilts_** **Kansas (-5.5) at Oklahoma State** I’ve gone against KU twice this season, and both times it has obviously backfired. A lot of my co-workers seem to think this game will be a high-scoring shootout, and I wouldn’t be surprised. This OK State team reminds me of KU a year ago, with its repeated inability to play the role of ‘closer’ late in games. With that said, if this were KU a year ago, I wouldn’t have taken them as the underdogs. So I certainly won’t do the same when the tables are turned 12 months later. **My pick: Kansas -5.5****Colorado (-5) at Iowa State** These are two teams which have repeatedly made me look stupid this year. I’m going with Iowa State here. In the Cyclones’ last two home games, they beat Kansas State and played Oklahoma within 10 points. This is Senior Day, too, for Bret Meyer and Todd Blythe. I say they go out surprising the Big 12 folks for the second week in a row. **My pick: Iowa State +5****Kansas State (-7.5) at Nebraska** Nebraska’s offense was not bad last week at KU. Sure, the Huskers turned it over a zillion times, but Joe Ganz was effective in running the show. As far as the defense, well, it’d be hard for them to show their faces on the Memorial Stadium turf in Lincoln this Saturday. Yet, if there’s any source of inspiration, it’d be taking out some revenge on Josh Freeman, who two years ago dumped his pledge to Bill Callahan and at the last second signed with K-State. Or they could just not care. I’m torn, so I’m picking the more logical approach…then going with the opposite. Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning that Nebraska is the nation’s second-worst team in the nation against the spread at 2-8. Eesh. **My pick: Nebraska +7.5****Missouri (-19) vs. Texas A&M** As long as Missouri’s VCR’s weren’t busted and the Tigers were able to see the rather simple approaches KU and Oklahoma used in embarassing the Aggies in back-to-back weeks, this one seems pretty simple. ** My pick: Missouri -19****Texas (-6.5) vs. Texas Tech** Sorry, not buying the whole ‘Texas is back’ thing just because they snuck by two middle-of-the-pack Big 12 opponents in back-to-back weeks. **My pick: Texas Tech +6.5****Oklahoma (-38) vs. Baylor** A friend and I were talking earlier this week about who we thought was the best in the nation when throwing out records and just looking at overall talent and balance. I went with Oklahoma, and a lame duck like Baylor is the type of team the OUs of the world easily flex their muscles against. **My pick: Oklahoma -38****_Around the Nation_** **Alabama (-4.5) at Mississippi State** (Alabama is 2-5-1 ATS) Of the nine teams that are worst in the nation against the odds, Nebraska and Alabama are the biggest names by far. But while Nebraska’s season’s ending is already set in stone in terms of date and place, Alabama is bowl-bound more than likely at 6-3 with a non-con left against Louisiana-Monroe. So obviously the fear of Nick Saban has Vegas giving the Crimson Tide probably more respect in the spreads than they may deserve. But in its two home SEC games this year, the Bulldogs have lost by a combined score of 78-21. I like Saban’s chances. **My pick: Alabama -4.5****Utah (-14) vs. Wyoming** (Wyoming is 2-6-1 ATS) In its last three games, Wyoming is 1-2, with the two losses coming by a combined total of 11 points. Utah is 6-3, has won five straight and is killin’ people. I remember the drubbing the Utes laid on UCLA, and that’s more than anyone knows about Wyoming, other than that the Cowboys have the ugliest school colors in the world. **My pick: Utah -14****Kent State (-3.5) at Northern Illinois** (Both Kent State and NIU are 2-6 ATS) Considering the fact that they’re a combined 4-12 ATS, this is considered probably Vegas’ version of the Toilet Bowl. These two together have lost nine straight, but Northern Illinois has looked much messier in doing so, scoreboard-wise. Kent State also has a win over a BCS conference team, knocking off Iowa State on the road to start the year. **My pick: Kent State -3.5****Middle Tennessee State (-14) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette** (ULL is 2-6 ATS) While ULL is horrendous in terms of going against the spread, MTSU is one of the nation’s more efficient ballclubs, with a mark of 7-2. The most famous effort was scoring 42 and losing by just 16 as heavy underdogs early in the year at Louisville. Plus, the Blue Raiders are playing for a bowl game, at just 5-5 with this game and a showdown with Troy left on the slate. **My pick: Middle Tennessee State -14****Iowa (-14.5) vs. Minnesota** (Minnesota is 2-6-1 ATS) Like MTSU, Iowa is 5-5 with two games left to earn a certain bowl bid. The Hawkeyes have an advantage, as 1-9 Minnesota is 2-6-1 ATS and the aforementioned Western Michigan Broncos (1-7 ATS). On top of that, Minnesota is 0-6 in Big Ten play, and has lost the six games by an average margin of 18.2. I’d feel a lot more comfortable picking Iowa if the line was 14 instead of 14.5, but I can live with it. **My pick: Iowa -14.5****Boston College (-6) at Maryland** (Maryland is 2-6 ATS) I like BC coming off the loss, especially when Matt Ryan has had two sub-par games in a row. That can’t last – the Eagles are too talented. **My pick: Boston College -6**Let us see how those hold up. I’ll see you this weekend for three straight days of The Greene Room Live. I’ll be coming to you from Allen Fieldhouse both Friday and Sunday night, sandwiching a stop down in Stillwater for the KU-OSU game Saturday. Should be a fun three-day stretch. Hopefully you’ll stop in and join me for a bit……and I’m glad you like the new logo, Mom. [1]: http://www2.kusports.com/blogs/greene_room/2007/oct/31/picks_17/ [2]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duyx_FkJ8sY
