Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Concrete Block Party Edition

Old dude, are you getting tired yet?

I'm past tired. Is this Eagle Scout project of yours ever going to end?

Either it will or I'll turn 18. One way or another, it will get done. But you know what? Lugging about 300 concrete blocks is good for an old dude like yourself. You need to carry your weight around here, since you never do with the picks.

Excuse me? Are you sure about that?

Well, I haven't kept a tally, but I'm pretty sure I'm on top by sheer force of HYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPE! Now simmer down and watch me work!

Minnesota Golden Gophers (+12.5) vs. Northwestern Wildcats. Did Northwestern get the license plate number of that truck that hit them last week in Madison? I think it said MGIII 25. But we'll get to Melvin Gordon later. Now we must talk about the pesky Gophers, who are coming off a bye week and are still trying to figure out if Jerry Kill can ever coach again. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys is at the controls and he's sending out Mitch Leidner, one of the 2-3 Gopher quarterbacks who don't quite seem prepared to run a Big Ten team. Meanwhile, Northwestern has two quarterbacks as well; Kain Colter, who's not really a quarterback, and Trevor Simien, who is an actual quarterback. Sometimes they play at the same time. The problem is, you never know which one will be your leader. So are you confused? Well, join the club! Northwestern 24, Minnesota 0.

I don't see another victory for the Gophers this season. It's tough, since they don't get the pleasure of playing Purdue this season. Northwestern's season hangs in the balance following losses to the Badgers and Ohio State. If the Wildcats want to play on New Year's Day, they need to start winning. It starts here. Sorry, Gophs. Northwestern 34, Minnesota 14.

Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-14) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini. This game makes me nervous. Illinois has been a little schizo this year -- they drilled a very good Cincinnati team but got drilled by Nebraska and Washington, two schools that are similar in talent to the Badgers. The Badgers always have trouble in Champaign, and had to work pretty hard last year to beat the Illini in Madison. Having said that, the Badgers look like the team that won't go away and Melvin Gordon looks like the next person to get a trip to New York as a Badger Heisman candidate. Considering that Ohio State will slip up eventually, the Badgers are not out of the BCS yet. Wisconsin 17, Illinois 14.

I don't see where OSU is going to slip up, but we'll leave that aside. The problem for Illinois is that they can't stop the run -- Bishop Sankey of Washington and a parade of Nebraska runners turned the Illini defense into a turnstile. How do you think Melvin Gordon will like that? Just fine, I'd imagine. At least 150 for Melvin, another 125 for James White and maybe Corey Clement gets some in garbage time. And there will be garbage time. Badgers 42, Illinois 17.

Everton FC vs. Hull City. That's right, people -- Premier League action! My team is Everton, the Oakland A's of the Premier League, except that they wear blue uniforms with a beer company's logo on the front, so the weasels at my high school won't let me wear their jersey to class! Like anyone knows that Chang is a beer company in the U.S., anyway! I should tell them that Chang sells mutual funds. But that's not why you're here. My Everton squad sits seventh in the Premier League table, which is not bad, but they need to get moving a little bit. Hull City is back in the Premier League after a few years in the lower levels of English soccer. It has nothing to do with former hockey great Bobby Hull, or Brett Hull, or former Beloit College president Roger Hull. But Everton doesn't lose to Beloit College presidents, especially in Fortress Goodison. Everton 3, Hull 0.

Whatever you say, pal. Everton 1, Hull 1.

Minnesota Vikings (+3.5) vs. New York Football Giants. So let me get this straight -- the Giants haven't won a game all season, but they're favored to win? And more importantly, why is this game on national television? I expect it to lose in the ratings to a rerun of "Chopped" or maybe "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." To my knowledge, there's no Kardashian involvement with either of these two teams, but the Vikings are always a bit of a soap opera anyway. Now comes Josh Freeman, savior from the Tampa Bay scrap heap, where he escapes the wrath of Greg Schiano only to find himself in a warm, cuddly clubhouse full of underachieving players. Can he solve this problem? Of course not -- he's only been a Viking a week and he's going up against the always-popular desperate team at home. Frosty Face Coughlin gets off the schneid, but if he loses, he's gone. Popular replacement suggestion? Greg Schiano, of course. Giants 3, Vikings 0.

Uh, no. In ESPN's defense, the game looked pretty good when the schedule came out. No one expected either team to have such a tough year. The Vikings have had a lot of misfortune. I don't know what the problem with the Giants is. Guess we'll find out. Giants 24, Vikings 21.

Cleveland Browns (+10) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. The Packers are winning games even though they barely have enough players to put on the field. They are pretty much out of linebackers and wide receivers, and apparently are going to play about 14 tight ends on offense this week. That's a good trick, since you're only allowed to have 11 players on the field, but it seems that way. Of course, the difference this year is the Packers can finally run the football. Eddie Lacy is coming on and Johnathan Franklin is getting there. Aaron Rodgers might only have one good receiver left, but all those tight ends might be able to do something. Packers 31, Browns 21.

I'd be nervous about this game except that the Browns can't score and Brandon Weeden, their quarterback, is erratic. The Packers will do enough to win this game and even cover the spread. Packers 21, Browns 10.

Bear Down Chicago da Bearz (Even) vs. Washington Professional Football Team. I know, I know, they're called the Redskins, but I'm really frightened by Bob Costas. Not really, but a little false moral outrage is always called for. Which brings us to da Bearz, who are a perpetual moral outrage. Gino has been telling me that this is da Bearz year. I'm not feeling it. Jay Cutler is playing well enough, but the defense is starting to show its age. I'll be curious to see how young Jonathan Bostic, the rookie middle linebacker, does trying to chase down RGIII. North Dakota 27, da Bearz 14.

Oh, I get it -- North Dakota had to change their nickname. That's a good one! Okay, since I have to disagree with you once during the week, I'll choose this game. I think the Bears aren't great, either, but the Redskins are a mess right now. Bears 28, Redskins 24.

My Eagle Scout project is taking shape now. We're going to be placing about 300 concrete blocks tomorrow and just like the Monday Night game, it's going to be great. No, really. Ben out!