Benster And D Pick Your Games -- Razor's Edge Edition

Old dude, seems to me that a lot of our football teams are needing to get a victory to stay the course, or bad things could happen.

Yes. It's been somewhat of a disappointing season on a number of fronts, but nothing is decided yet.

Agreed. The Packers, Vikings, Gophers, and Badgers are all facing games that are going to be tough to overcome, but all are games that should make a difference.

At least on some of the college campuses, the fields will be wet from all of the tears.

We need a cleanup on aisle academia! And that is why football is still a lot more fun than politics, because at the very least there is a clear winner and loser, and you do not have to be a Republican or Democrat to enjoy a game. But enough about politics, it is time to unleash the HYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPE! Watch me work!

Minnesota Golden Gophers (+7) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Gophers have quietly moved into a tie for the lead in the Big Ten West, and if they win out are looking forward to a trip to Indy to play either Michigan or A School in Columbus. If Nebraska loses again, they are pretty much done, since they do not have the head to head tiebreaker already over Wisconsin, and will not have it against Minnesota if they lose. As of this writing, Tommy Armstrong might not be ready to go after his scary injury last week, and the Nebraska offense looked bad without him. Gophers 31, Cornhuskers 24.

This one is interesting. The Gophers have, for the most part, taken care of business. Tommy Armstrong makes the Nebraska offense go. The Gophers tend to be "bend, but don't break" on defense, so it will be interesting to see if they can keep the score low.  That's the formula for success in this game. Nebraska 20, Minnesota 17.

Illinois Fighting Illini (+22.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers. I have to be honest with you, this game just makes me a little nervous. Wisconsin has the inside track in the West, and have a very winnable game against Purdue next week, and get Minnesota at home. Illinois is a team that always plays Wisconsin very close, and the Old Dude and I both have a lot of respect for Lovie Smith and the job he did with the Bears. Illinois is a team that struggles a lot, but the Badgers need to worry about looking ahead, and I wonder if the offense will improve. Wisconsin 20, Illinois 17.

The point spread seems a bit high for the Badgers, who are offensively challenged. Illinois will get better under Lovie, but they aren't there yet. Check back in two years on the Illini. Badgers 28, Illinois 14.

The 128th Bronze Turkey Game: Monmouth College Fighting Scots (NL) vs. Knox College Prairie Fire. This game is one of the most heated games that most college football fans are unaware, but for me as a Knox student, this game is the one I want to win every single year. These schools do not like each other, and are separated by 10 miles. As a former AD of Knox once said, Knox and Monmouth could be playing each other in tiddly winks and people would watch. Monmouth had dominated this series for well over a decade, but I have a feeling that this time the Bronze Turkey will finally leave Monmouth and return home. Knox 27, Monmouth 7.

Uh, no. Monmouth is clearly the class of the league and while your Prairie Fire squad is plucky, they are gonna get crushed. Sorry, young fella. Monmouth 59, Knox 14.

Minnesota Vikings (+1) vs. Washington Gridlocks. The Vikings are suddenly in trouble, and quite frankly I do not understand why. Yes, they have had injuries, but you can say that about every team in the league at this point. Remember, 13 years ago the Vikings got off to a hot start, and then the bottom fell out. Washington is a solid team, and the Vikings should be able to win this game even though they have to go on the road. But I said that last week, and the Vikings lost. If the Vikings somehow lose this game, then Mike Zimmer will start to feel his seat warm up a little. Redskins 31, Vikings 10.

This game will tell us a lot about the Vikings. The Redskins are okay at best and a beatable opponent, but you have to wonder if the offensive line can hold up. Sam Bradford has been under siege and I don't think that changes this week. Redskins 24, Vikings 16.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-2.5) vs. Tennessee Tuxedos. The Packers are also in trouble, and are facing a road game stretch that they need to have a winning record on. Tennessee has been a very improved team, and the Packers do tend to struggle playing outdoors in the South, though the temp will not be as high as it was in Jacksonville. All the Packers need is to just have a complete game on offense and defense, and avoid putting themselves into an early hole. I think the Packers are going to win, they just have to play well enough and do enough to win. This game is going to be not as pretty as other games, but at this point, we need a win. Packers 17, Tuxedos 7.

Can the Packers stop an elite running back? The Titans have one. If DeMarco Murray goes for 150 yards or more, it's a long day for the Pack. In either event, this one is a shootout. Packers 38, Titans 27.
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope everyone has a good weekend. Enjoy the football, I know I will. Ben out!