TRYKA'S TASTIES

Stain’s Lock of the Week

Squig has asked me to post some picks for the blog. Each week throughout the season, I will bring you one college and one NFL winner.

So, all aboard the Stain Train:

Texas -2.5 vs. Ohio State

This is unquestionably the game of the week and perhaps the game of the year as No 1 Ohio State travels to No. 2 Texas. Last year the two teams played a low scoring game at Ohio State and Texas came out a narrow winner 25-22. For Ohio State to win this year, they will need to keep the score low. The problem is that OSU lost a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball. Northern Illinois was able to move the ball against them last week. I don’t see Texas having any problems scoring on Ohio St. OSU cannot get into a shootout with Texas on the road. Texas giving less than a field goal is too hard to pass up.

San Diego -3 at Oakland

This is the 2nd half of a rare MNF double-header. What makes anybody think Oakland will essentially win this game? Oakland ended last year with 6 straight losses. Did I miss something? Is Art Shell a great coach and everybody is expecting a big turnaround? Is Aaron Brooks, coming off his worst season in which he was benched for the hapless Saints, supposed to be the difference maker? Oakland is a horrible team. San Diego has been a playoff-type contender that usually starts out strong and tails off down the stretch. San Diego has won 5 straight in this series by a commanding 147-67 margin. The only thing keeping this line low is that it is the debut of the Phillip Rivers show. Yes, I had some pause going with an inexperience QB on the road, but he is going to be able to hand off the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the most dominant runners in the NFL.

Season Record: 0-0