Friday Football Picks

Posted 11/13/2009 9:41:00 AM

I've always said that Detroit is a football town. Sure it's been called "Hockeytown" and TigerTown - but nothing compares to football. If the Red Wings or the Tigers ever put up a decade like the Lions have put up (and the Tigers did!), there would be zero passion for the teams. But only this year are the Lions starting to deal with consistent blackouts. And even then, people still fiercely debate Matthew Stafford v. Daunte Culpepper or this years team v. last years team or Kevin Smith v. Barry Sanders. (Well...not really).

So isn't it utterly pathetic that it's come to this in Detroit. We're desperately searching for one more win for both Michigan and Michigan State just so they can get bowl eligible. And we're agonizing over whether the Lions just might catch lightning in a bottle....and stay within seventeen points of the Vikings. Is this the worst year of football that Detroit has EVER seen? And in some ways - isn't this the most pathetic weekend of football that we've ever had?

I'm not overly confident in any of the three games - nor are any of you. Even you Spartan fans. You're so nervous about the Purdue game that it drives you nuts. And it's driving me nuts too....

MSU (-3) at Purdue - As weirdly frenetic as this football season has been, has any team been more Cybil-like than Purdue. They beat Ohio State at home and almost beat Oregon on the road. They lost at home to Northern Illinois and were shut out by Wisconsin 37-0. They obviously have some firepower on offense like we saw last week against Michigan. But then again, the Lions offense would show firepower against the UM defense. Purdue getting points at home is awfully enticing to me, in fact its too enticing. Pick - Purdue

Deminksi - MSU
Doyle - MSU
O'Brien - MSU

Michigan (+8 1/2) at Wisconsin - I chuckle sometimes at some of the sports debates I've had over the years. They just seem so silly. Is Millen a good hire? Should the Pistons fire Larry Brown? Will Tom Izzo work as a head coach? They all just seem so silly and pointless now. Add this one to that list - Is Michigan a good team. Just two weeks ago, I posed that exact question in this space. Well, we have our answer. And not only are they a bad team, they look like a soft team. In fact the only member of the UM atheltic department who believes in making contact on a Saturday is Bill Martin. That's a bad sign. Pick - Wisconsin.

Deminski - UM
Doyle - Wisconsin
O'Brien - Wisconsin

Upset Pick of the Week - I nailed this one last week by taking Ohio State to win at Penn State. Hope you made some money on that one. And made some money by going the opposite on most of my other picks. This week, I'm making a political stand. There is no reason whatsover that Northwestern should be a five point dog at Illinois. The Illini have "rebounded" from a horrid season by winning home against Michigan and barely beating Minnesota on the road. Not exactly marquee wins. The Cats won AT Iowa last week. And they're five point dogs! This is a reputation line. Northwestern used to be awful - like twenty years ago. Now they're good. Not a power. But good. (and yes, I went there, so I'm a total homer). Upset pick -Northwestern.

Lions (+17) at Minnesota - Yes my friends - THIS is Lions football. We had a debate off the air this morning that if everything went right and the Lions played a perfect game - maybe, just maybe they could cover the seventeen under the dome. The Lions have already been double-digit underdogs against the spread FIVE times this year - and are 0-5. So that's not a good sign. But remember, the Vikings won the North last year and the Lions were 0-16 and if not for a horrid pass interference call against Leigh Bodden, the Lions would have won the game. Adrian Peterson hasn't had huge games against this defense. Brett Favre is dinged up. And seventeen is a lot of points. Call me crazy. Call me insane. Call me wrong...but Pick - LIONS.

Deminksi - Vikings
Doyle - Lions
O'Brien - Lions

Record so far - 5-9

Deminksi - 3-2
Doyle - 2-6
O'Brien - 2-6

Posted By: Jamie Samuelsen