Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 14 Smart Money Picks

 It all comes down to this. The Professor is engaged in a tight battle with The Cornerman for the 2012 Pick ‘Em Corner Regular Season Championship. Both panelists own identical 144-116-2 records, with The Cornerman holding a narrow two-point lead due to his one-game lead in locks.

The Professor, along with The Cornerman, The Former Host, Steve Stellar (aka The New Host), The Veteran and C-Noth, announced their picks to the live studio audience at The East Shop Kitchen & Bar last night in beautiful downtown Plymouth (wait, is there a downtown Plymouth?). If you weren't in attendance last night, shame on you.

As we close the regular season, The Professor would like to thank his sponsors for all of their support. In no particular order, a hearty thank you to Gasthof zur Gemutlichkeit, RO*TEL, National American University, Armed Forces Network and Mr. Heavyfoot.

Without further ado, sit up straight, sharpen your pencils and enjoy the lecture, for these are The Professor's Smart Money Picks, brought to you by The City of Chanhassen Hopkins Plymouth.

Northern Illinois -6.5 Kent State (MAC Champ - Detroit, Mich)

Husky women! [clap, clap, clap-clap-clap] Husky women! [clap, clap, clap-clap-clap] That is all.

STANFORD -8 UCLA (Pac-12 Champ - Stanford, Calif.)

Something smells fishy here. Last week, Stanford overwhelmed UCLA 35-17 in the inaccurately-named City of Angels. Now, this week, the Cardinal is favored by only eight … at home … in a game to determine the Pac-12’s Rose Bowl participant. Both teams have gotten better as the season has progressed, but it’s Stanford that has the more impressive ledger with wins over four then-top 10 teams. Yes, I know, one of those teams was USC. Moving on.

Oklahoma State -4 BAYLOR

Take the over.

Oklahoma -6.5 TCU

TCU may not win this game, but the Horned Frogs will keep it close, especially against a Sooner defense that has allowed an average 48.5 points in the last two weeks.

TULSA -2 UCF (Conf. USA Champ - Tulsa, Okla.)

The Fighting Seeleys put up a good fight, but the Golden Hurricane break a tie with a FG as time expires to win and cover. I guess.

WEST VIRGINIA -20 Kansas

West Virginia averages 40.0 points per game. Kansas averages 19.0 points per game. What’s 40 minus 19? That’s right. A Mountaineer cover.

ARKANSAS STATE -9.5 Middle Tennessee

Far too many points to give this MTSU team … I think.

Boise State -10 Nevada

The Wolf Pack is limping into this game with losses in three of its last four. And that’s my analysis.

Cincinnati -4.5 UCONN

UConn lost to Western Michigan and Syracuse, two of Minnesota’s six wins, by a combined score of 74-34. Need I say more?

Alabama -7 Georgia (SEC Championship – Atlanta, Ga.)

Chalk this one up to the “been here before” factor. There’s no doubt that Georgia has the talent to give Alabama a run for its money here, but beware the bright lights of the SEC Championship Game, a de facto national championship semifinal contest once again this season. Alabama will use that experience to jump out to a lead that it never relinquishes. As much as I’d like to see someone other than the Tide in the BCS title game, this isn’t the year.

Pittsburgh -6.5 SOUTH FLORIDA

The Professor is doing something in this game he’s never done before and probably will never do again: locking in a game he (nor the vast majority of the country) has absolutely no interest in. DO YOU HEAR THAT SOUND? EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR-PLUNK! EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR-PLUNK! EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR-PLUNK! It's The Professor's Statistically-Proven Lock of the Week, brought to you by National American University! It’s also The Does Anybody Outside the Locales of the Two Teams Involved Actually Care About This Game? Game, brought to you by RO*TEL! Take this for what it’s worth: The Professor is 9-4 in locks and 6-7 in RO*TEL games.

KANSAS STATE -11.5 Texas

I’m taking Kansas State here solely for the reason that Wildcat QB Collin Klein says things like “Gosh,” “Golly,” “Jeepers,” “Oh, heck,” and ”Don't get bees in your bonnet.” From someone like The Professor who enjoys saying “Shoot” or “Son of a biscuit,” Klein is worth rooting for.

Florida State -14 Georgia Tech (ACC Champ - Charlotte, N.C.)

The Seminoles didn’t have the luxury of a game last week against a triple-option offense like Georgia did two weeks ago to prepare for the Ramblin’ Wreck. Florida’s ho-hum offense torched the Noles for 244 rushing yards, so why do we think they’ll do better against the nation’s third-ranked rushing offense. We don’t.

Nebraska -3 Wisconsin (Big Ten Champ - Indianapolis, Ind.)

Last week’s stinker of a win at Iowa notwithstanding, Nebraska has been pretty darn impressive the latter half of the season. They’ve learned what happens when they sleepwalk through the first half and they’ve learned what happen when they don’t take care of the ball. Wisconsin, meanwhile, is limping in>o the B1G title game losers of three of its last four. Sure, they were all in overtime, but they’re still losses. This game will come down to Nebraska’s excellent pass defense shutting down pedestrian Badger QB Curt Phillips and pulling away in the fourth quarter. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the schadenfreude angle, so here goes: DIE IN A FIRE, BUCKY!

HAWAI’I -6 South Alabama

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas day
That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you

Navy -10.5 Army

Not an Onion story: Bill the Goat, the Naval Academy Mascot, was stolen over the weekend and attached to a median near the Pentagon. He was recovered Saturday morning in good condition. The goatnapping was confirmed Thursday by John Jordan, manager of Maryland Sunrise Farm, the home of Bill XXXIII and Bill XXXIV. Jordan did not know which of the academy’s two mascots was stolen. Jordan suspects soldiers were behind it, but he had no knowledge of it. - http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/11/navy-bill-goat-stolen-mascot-naval-academy-112912w/

Thus concludes The Professor's Smart Money Picks, brought to you by The City of Chanhassen.

2012 Pick ‘Em Corner Standings (locks in parentheses)

1. The Cornerman – 144-116-2 (10-3) – 164 pts

2. The Professor – 144-116-2 (9-4) – 162 pts

3. KCKCKCK – 142-118-2 (8-5) – 158 pts

4. Lockrem’s Locks – 141-118-2 (8-4-1) - 157 pts

5. Steve Stellar – 135-125-2 (7-6) – 149 pts

6. The Host – 133-127-2 (5-8) – 143 pts

7. Jeff Leach – 134-124-2 (4-6) – 142 pts

7. C-Noth – 130-130-2 (6-7) – 142 pts

9. Wick to Click – 119-141-2 (7-5) – 133 pts

10. Special G – 118-122-2 (3-9) – 124 pts

10. Mrs. Money –114-124-2 (5-6) – 124 pts

12. Strickly Cash – 104-118 (3-8) – 110 pts

13. The Veteran – 105-113-2 (2-9) – 109 pts

14. Money Traen – 95-103-2 (4-6) – 103 pts

15. LFK – 6-12 (no lock ) 6 pts

16. autoMATTic – 0-0 (0-0) 0 pts

The Professor in 2012 Pick 'Em Corner

Overall record: 144-116-2 (.553)

Statistically-Proven Locks: 9-4 (.692)

Games involving Big Ten teams: 49-37 (.570)

Games not involving Big Ten teams: 95-79-2 (.545)

Minnesota games: 4-8 (.333)

Schadenfreude Games (Wisconsin, Iowa, Notre Dame): 20-16 (.556)

Service Academy Games: 4-11 (.267)

Does Anybody Outside the Locales of the Two Teams Involved Actually Care About This Game? Games: 6-7 (.462)

Roll Tide Turkey Games: 6-4 (.600)

Tim Brewster Theorem Games: 3-3 (.500)