Picks for Nov. 19

Rolled on the MAC games but the others didn't go as well and finished up 2-3 last week to fall to 26-23-1 for the year.  This week's picks shine the light on teams who have a chance to make a statement after Oklahoma State's upset loss to Iowa State last night.

at Oregon -15 USC - Oregon has one blemish on their record, the opening game loss to LSU.  Since then, they've been rolling and with Oklahoma State's loss, they have the chance to jump up and try to set up a rematch with LSU in the Championship Game.  Autzen Stadium has been tough on the Trojans the last few years and their lack of depth will leave them gassed as the game goes on.  The Ducks will keep the pedal down and run it up on USC.

at Stanford -17.5 Cal - The Big Game.  Stanford suffered a huge blow to their national title hopes, but with Oklahoma State losing, they still have a shot if they can get some help.  And they can start off by helping themselves and throttling Cal.  Cal's wins have all come against inferior opponents and when they've played the good teams in the Pac-12, they've gotten torched.  Stanford is one of the best teams in the Pac-12, it's a rivalry game and it's at home.  The Cardinal big.

Oklahoma -16 at Baylor - Thanks to the Cowboys loss, the Sooners have a shot to play for the national title.  It would have been better for them if Oklahoma State went into Bedlam unbeaten, but now Oklahoma knows they have to roll Baylor and OSU.  Baylor can score some points, but they don't play any semblance of defense and they haven't faced a defense like the Sooners.  If Oklahoma is focused, they get up early and they pull away by the third quarter.

Kansas State +9.5 at Texas - I still don't see what people see in Texas this year.  They've been mediocre at best and against good teams, they've faded.  The Wildcats were a tad overrated when they were unbeaten, but they're still better than the Longhorns at this point.  I look for Kansas State to not only cover, but to win this game outright.

at Houston -19.5 SMU - Houston has the opportunity to bust the BCS this year and a big win over the Mustangs will help their cause.  SMU has struggled the last few weeks and Cougars' QB Case Keenum will continue to add to his NCAA records as Houston moves to 11-0.