The Picks: Running out of games
Seriously, it's a dilemma. Dr. Football worried this week about getting an early start to The Picks column because there's no telling what's next.
For example, I could write that 55 college football games have been canceled or postponed and by the time I sent this in it could be 60. We are all wondering more than anything if college football can get to the finish line.
Even a league smart enough to build in open dates so it could reschedule games is struggling to, well, reschedule games. Every solution is only as good as the next COVID-19 tests on the 14 campuses.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a conference call Wednesday he was "shaken, but not deterred." I think that's where all of us are right now.
It's making it difficult to come up with 10 quality games for The Picks. A variation of the Tom Petty song "Runnin' Down A Dream" keeps playing in my mind.
I'm runnin' out of games
I would have missed anyway
The schedules are a mystery
The virus goes wherever it pleases
Runnin' out of games.
Anyway, last week was another disaster, 6-4 and missing on Florida (when will I learn?) and FSU (where learning is optional). That's a smooth 50-20 for the season.
So we found 10 games worthy of picking, but if any of these games are canceled today I'm counting them as a forfeit win.
Arkansas at Florida: The biggest concern for Florida going into this game should be that the players have to understand that last week's game simply put them in position for something special. But it didn't win Florida any championships in Jacksonville. The team the Gators play is good enough to beat them unless they play another game at a high level. Seriously, I could be a coach with all of this rhetoric. Florida, 41-21.
Miami at Virginia Tech: There are two types of football hangovers. One is when you win a big game and don't get ready for the next one. The other is when you lose a heartbreaker and let it carry over to the next week. That's Virginia Tech. Miami, 34-23.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky: So depressing to get the news that Kentucky offensive line coach John Schlarman lost his battle with cancer. Picking a score seems kind of meaningless. Kentucky.
Notre Dame at Boston College: We all know the story of Notre Dame beating a No. 1 team and losing to BC the next week. It has been jammed down our throats all week. It won't matter this time. Notre Dame, 31-19.
USC at Arizona: I kind of was half-watching that Southern Cal game last week and I still don't know how they won a game that appeared to be lost. It's a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma. Yes, I am quoting the movie "JFK." USC, 30-24.
FSU at N.C. State: Another sinking ship in college football with players leaving as things get difficult. Look, N.C. State's secondary makes Florida's look like the 2013 Seahawks. But I'm not picking FSU again. I won't. I can't. N.C. State, 34-24.
South Carolina at Ole Miss: Oh boy, if Lane Kiffin puts a big number up on Will Muschamp's defense, there are going to be some big boosters getting out their checkbooks. Ole Miss, 44-24.
Wisconsin at Michigan: Is it possible that Michigan could be 1-3? Is it possible that Jim Harbaugh could coach the game in khaki culottes? Both things are possible. The first is more likely. Michigan, 28-21.
Northwestern at Purdue: I can't name a Northwestern player off the top of my head, but I did a little research and found that the Wildcats might have the best defense in the Big Ten-ish. I bet you also didn't know this is a battle of unbeatens. Dr. Football is here to help. Northwestern, 24-14.
Oregon at Washington State: So this one is on here because I was listening to Rick Neuheisel talk about how important it was and even though he's a Pac-12 homer. Hey, like I said before, I was running out of games. Oregon, 34-30.
Contact Pat Dooley at 352-374-5053 or at pat.dooley@gvillesun.com. And follow at Twitter.com/Pat_Dooley.