Black Shoe Degenerates, Week 13: Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It’s hard to believe this is the last weekend of the season. There have been some highs and lows this season, both for Penn State and myself, but with one week left, both are hoping everything ends exactly where we want.

Last week was perfect, which once again put me above .500 for the season. Let’s hope the streak stays on this week.

The Picks

Penn State -12 vs Michigan State - I haven’t picked the Nittany Lions since the Ohio State game, as I didn’t really want to make this feature a “weekly Penn State pick,” but this line seems to be giving Michigan State way more respect than I think they should be getting. This could be a combination of last week’s Michigan State game against Ohio State and Penn State’s slow start against Rutgers, but I really don’t think this will be a close game (especially if the Lions happen to get some good news right before the game).

Minnesota +14.5 @ Wisconsin - Minnesota has yet to lose a game by more than seven points this season. Wisconsin is a pretty good team, but unlike Purdue and Illinois, Minnesota actually has a defense than can slow down the Badgers. I don’t even need to buy the half-point here, as the largest margin of victory I can see Wisconsin winning by is exactly 14 points.

Oregon -3 @ Oregon State - Oregon hasn’t been much this season, but they’ve certainly been more than Oregon State. In fairness to the Beavers, they have been getting better as the season’s progressed. So has Oregon, however. This will probably be a shootout that will come down to one or two possessions, and I see Oregon edging State out by a touchdown.

Ohio State -6.5 vs Michigan - I feel like Vegas is tempting me with this line, and I’m going to fall to temptation. Michigan is likely to play without its starting quarterback (or a quarterback who’s not exactly 100%, if Wilton Speight does come back), and Ohio State is getting back Dontre Wilson (and likely Corey Smith as well). While I don’t expect it to be as lopsided as last year, I wouldn’t be surprised with a multiple score win for the Buckeyes.

Fun Props

As always, last week’s results first.

Trace McSorley passing attempts: 20.5 - OVER (33)
Rutgers touchdowns + first downs: 1.5 - OVER (5 first downs)
Rutgers tackles for loss: 2.5 - UNDER (1)
Rutgers punts from inside the Penn State 30: .5 - UNDER (0)

And this week:

LJ Scott rushing yards: 99.5
Tyler O’Connor completions: 19.5
Penn State tackles for loss: 4.5
Penn State FU touchdowns: 1.5

Record

Last Week: 4-0
Season: 22-20-1