Derek Dooley enters his first year as Tennessee's coach.

It’s finally here. No, not the long-awaited college football season, but the always-yearned-for BHL College Pick ‘Em. Striker comes into this season as the defending champion, but the Blue House Lives and Hampton are ready for revenge. The new Plummer Prediction hopes to make an impact as well. For an opening weekend, there are an unusual amount of intriguing contests, and yet, the one that everyone is looking forward to is a battered Tennessee team limping in to Neyland to face UT-Martin. Will the Vols capture the victory or take the worst upset in school history anywhere and at any time.

Here’s the much-needed picks:

Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks at Tennessee Volunteers

I found myself asking this morning, “Will the Vols ever be ranking again?” The answer: not this year. Maybe not next year either. But the Derek Dooley administration should pick up an easy win today over of the UT’s farm teams, the UT-Martin Skyhawks. Vol fans better enjoy this one. It may be the only blowout this year to go Tennessee’s way.

The Blue House Lives:

Tennessee 38   Tennessee-Martin 3

Striker Report:

Tennessee 45   Tennessee-Martin 7

Hampton Forecast:

Tennessee 24   Tennessee-Martin 12

Trojan Horse Pick:

Tennessee 34   Tennessee-Martin 13

Washington Huskies at BYU Cougars

Unfortunately, the beginning of college football season also marks the reintroduction of the hated Washington Huskies. They open up today at BYU in a Cougar Stadium full of patriots loyally rooting against those creampuffs from Seattle. The world waits and watches and hopes the Cougars kill UW.

The Blue House Lives:

BYU 13,314   Washington -6.3

Striker Report:

BYU 1,000,000   Washington 0

Hampton Forecast:

Washington 33   BYU 30

Trojan Horse Pick:

Washington 35   BYU 24

#3 Boise State Broncos vs. #10 Virginia Tech Hokies

How neutral will Washington, D.C. be for the Boise State? Heisman hopeful quarterback Kellen Moore will have a tough time with that Frank Beamer defense from Blacksburg. Will the Broncos have enough magic left to beat the Hokies? Last year, they upset Oregon to start the season. Why not one more big victory?

The Blue House Lives:

Boise State 30   Virginia Tech 28

Striker Report:

Boise State 26   Virginia Tech 23

Hampton Forecast:

Boise State 35   Virginia Tech 27

Trojan Horse Pick:

Virginia Tech 23   Boise State 17

#18 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. #21 LSU Tigers

The Blue House Lives:

LSU 28   North Carolina 13

Striker Report:

LSU 24   North Carolina 19

Hampton Forecast:

LSU 24   North Carolina 13

Trojan Horse Pick:

LSU 27   North Carolina 13

#24 Oregon State Beavers vs. #6 TCU Horned Frogs

The Blue House Lives:

Oregon State 26   TCU 20

Striker Report:
TCU 31   Oregon State 18

Hampton Forecast:

TCU 28   Oregon State 17

Trojan Horse Pick:

Oregon State 34   TCU 21

Connecticut Huskies at Michigan Wolverines

The Blue House Lives:

Connecticut 35   Michigan 27

Striker Report:

Michigan 28   Connecticut 25

Hampton Forecast:

Connecticut 19   Michigan 17

Trojan Horse Pick:

Michigan 24   Connecticut 21

UCLA Bruins at Kansas State Wildcats

The Blue House Lives:

UCLA 24   Kansas State 22

Striker Report:

Kansas State 27   UCLA 17

Hampton Forecast:

UCLA 18   Kansas State 17

Trojan Horse Pick:

UCLA 35   Kansas State 13

Cincinnati Bearcats at Fresno State Bulldogs

The Blue House Lives:

Fresno State 31   Cincinnati 30

Striker Report:

Fresno State 30   Cincinnati 22

Hampton Forecast:

Cincinnati 33   Fresno State 28

Trojan Horse Pick:

Cincinnati 42   Fresno State 20

The Pope commands the Catholic world to focus on the Chik-Fil-A Bowl.

Bowl season, with regard to College Pick ‘Em, is like a second chance. If one did terrible during the regular season, one can easily make it up in the bowls. The games begin on December 19 and go all the way through January 7. Going into the bowls, the Striker Report has a slight advantage, but nothing is set in stone. The Hampton Forecast is attempting to rebound after a disappointing Championship Saturday. The Blue House Lives is still in a position to give Striker a run for his money, but Striker swears that he has it all wrapped up. As the games progress, the world will get a clear picture of who will prevail in The Blue House Lives’s prestigious College Football Pick ‘Em.

The glorious Bowl Pick ‘Em:

Bowl	Teams	BHL	Hampton	Striker	Winner
New Mexico	Fresno St. vs. Wyoming
St. Petersburg	UCF vs. Rutgers
New Orleans	Southern Miss. vs. Middle Tenn.
Maaco	Oregon St. vs. BYU
Poinsettia	Utah vs. California
Hawaii	Nevada vs. SMU
Little Caesars	Ohio vs. Marshall
Meineke Car Care	Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
Emerald	Boston College vs. USC
Music City	Kentucky vs. Clemson
Independence	Texas A&M vs. Georgia
EagleBank	UCLA vs. Temple
Champs Sports	Miami vs. Wisconsin
Humanitarian	Bowling  Green vs. Idaho
Holiday	Arizona vs. Nebraska
Armed Forces	Houston vs. Air Force
Sun	Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Texas	Navy vs. Missouri
Insight	Minnesota vs. Iowa St.
Chik-Fil-A	Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
Outback	Northwestern vs. Auburn
Capital One	Penn St. vs. LSU
Gator	West Virginia vs. Florida St.
Rose	Ohio St. vs. Oregon
Sugar	Florida vs. Cincinnati
International	South Florida vs. N. Illinois
Cotton	Oklahoma St. vs. Mississippi
Papajohns.com	South Carolina vs. Connecticut
Liberty	Arkansas vs. East Carolina
Alamo	Michigan St. vs. Texas Tech
Fiesta	Boise St. vs. TCU
Orange	Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
GMAC	Central Mich. vs. Troy
BCS Championship(with score)	Texas vs. Alabama	28-20	38-27	25-20	37-21

The Blue House Lives (78-54 0.591)

Hampton Forecast (66-47 0.584)

Striker Report (61-40 0.604)

The Heisman Trophy is up for grabs today.

Following a wild weekend of championship games, this year’s Heisman Trophy presentation promises to just be unpredictable. It may be one of the most open years for a candidate. After last week, the race is still surprisingly anybody’s game, and this fact is especially true after Ndamukong Suh’s dominating performance against Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game. Perhaps the one hurt by the championship games was Toby Gerhart, as he did not play. It is generally agreed, by most, however, that what was supposed to be the year of the quarterback has become anything but. Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy both played lackluster games last week. The speculation for the award will defiinitely go down to the wire.

Here are the five finalists for the 2009 Heisman Trophy:

Here is the predictions of our prestigious sports writers:

Everyone agrees that Tim Tebow is not of this world.

Championship Saturday is upon us. The pick ‘em remains remarkably close, as The Blue House Lives picked up a game on the Hampton Forecast thanks to BYU. Striker remains in the lead, but it has been reported that he is biting his nails profusely at the thought of the comprehensive bowl picks upcoming. 

The Vols finished out their season last week with a thrilling overtime victory over rival Kentucky. Tennessee has now clinched an appearance in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

McCoy takes the top spot this week.

The Game of the Year (a.k.a. SEC Championship):

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #1 Florida Gators

Finally, the holy day is here. This game is definitely more anticipated than the Second Coming of Christ. Speaking of Christ, it is also Tim Tebow’s last SEC game. Before everyone starts crying, let’s analyze the game. It’s Tebow vs. Ingram, Brandon James vs. Julio Jones, Brandon Spikes vs. Terrence Cody, and Urban vs. Saban. Everyone is talking about Tebow, however. It’s his last chance at an undefeated season. Alabama is sitting back and waiting patiently. Alabama is dissecting every part of Florida’s attack. And, finally, Alabama is about to knock off the number one team in the history of the world. Leigh Tiffin’s field goal kicking ability puts the Tide over the top.

The Blue House Lives:

Alabama 28    Florida 27

Hampton Forecast:

Florida 38     Alabama 24

Striker Report:

Alabama 22     Florida 21

 #19 California Golden Bears at Washington Huskies 

Finally, the brutal season comes to a close for the Huskies. Sadly, they have to close the season by getting smacked around by California. The Bears are trying to improve their bowl standing. A meeting with Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl looks probable. That game could go either way. Cal destroys Washington, though.

The Blue House Lives:

California 41      Washington 21

Hampton Forecast:

California 49     Washington 3

Striker Report:

California 32     Washington 25

#20 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. #3 Texas Longhorns

TCU is rooting hard for the Cornhuskers, for if the Big Red pulls the upset, the Horned Frogs may get a shot at the BCS National Championship. Colt McCoy went absolutely crazy on Texas A&M last week, but the Longhorn defense looked vulnerable. Ndamukong Suh is going to be gunning for Mr. McCoy, but, all in all, the Longhorns reach the BCS title game in order to lose to the SEC Champion.

The Blue House Lives:

Texas 31     Nebraska 21

Hampton Forecast:

Texas 30     Nebraska 18

Striker Report:

Texas 33     Nebraska 16

#6 Cincinnati Bearcats at   #12 Pittsburgh Panthers

The Blue House Lives:

Cincinnati 24      Pittsburgh 20

Hampton Forecast:

Wanstache 41     Cincinnati 35

Striker Report:

Pittsburgh 30     Cincinnati 28

  Clemson Tigers vs.  #13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Blue House Lives:

Georgia Tech 30     Clemson 21

Hampton Forecast:

Clemson 34     Georgia Tech 31  (OT)

Striker Report:

Georgia Tech 29     Clemson 27

 #23 West Virginia Mountaineers at   #24 Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Blue House Lives:

Rutgers 37     West Virginia 28

Hampton Forecast:

Rutgers 31     West Virginia 23

Striker Report:

Rutgers 24     West Virginia 21

 Arizona Wildcats at #24 USC Trojans

The Blue House Lives:

USC 35     Arizona 30

Hampton Forecast:

USC 23     Arizona 19

Striker Report:

Arizona 31     USC 19 

The Blue House Lives (57-34   0.626)

Hampton Forecast (46-26   0.639)

Striker Report (40-20   0.667)

The Kentucky Wildcats once auditioned for a part in The Matrix. The role was titled "Thing that Sucks Almost as Much as Neo".

Sadly, it is finally upon us: The final full weekend of college football. While this fact may sadden many, it is helpful to look to the promise of championships and bowls games. Going into the final week, the pick-‘em is completely up for grabs. The Striker Report still holds a small lead, and The Blue House Lives’s strategy of difference was nearly devastating last week. It sits impatiently in last place. The Hampton Forecast hopes to make a solid move on Striker’s high standing. Only time will tell who will emerge victorious.

Mark Ingram holds a comfortable lead in our Heisman predictor.

The “Fight Vols Fight” Pick of the Week:

 Tennessee Volunteers at  Kentucky Wildcats 

The Vols have beaten the Wildcats twenty-four straight years. It is the longest active streak of one team beating another that play every year. Just like every season, Kentucky believes that this one will be the year that they break the streak. The Vols are ecstatic to return Janzen Jackson to a battered defense. Will it be enough to beat the Cats again? If not, Kentucky will sure help Tennessee extend the streak.

The Blue House Lives:

Tennessee 24    Kentucky 21

Hampton Forecast:

Tennessee 33     Kentucky 23

Striker Report:

Tennessee 26     Kentucky 24

 Washington State Cougars at Washington Huskies 

The Blue House Lives has finally found a team worse than the Washington Huskies. Strangely enough, this team also hails from The Evergreen State. So can Washington State make their season by winning the dismally boring Apple Cup? Who cares? It’s like two thirsty people fighting for a cup of saltwater.

The Blue House Lives:

Washington 28      Washington State 7

Hampton Forecast:

Washington 17     Washington 6

Striker Report:

Washington 37     Washington State 11

Florida State Seminoles at #1 Florida Gators

This game is not even close. The only reason it is labeled the game of the week is because the quality of the other games this week is lacking. Tebow will try to strengthen his floundering Heisman campaign by padding the statistics against the overmatched Seminoles. Florida rolls into the SEC Championship where hungry Alabama awaits.

The Blue House Lives:

Florida 44     Florida State 10

Hampton Forecast:

Florida 42     Florida 20

Striker Report:

Florida 28     Florida State 18

#21 Utah Utes at   BYU Cougars 

The Blue House Lives:

BYU 30      Utah 28

Hampton Forecast:

Utah 28     BYU 24

Striker Report:

Utah 30     BYU 18

 #13 Clemson Tigers at  South Carolina Gamecocks

The Blue House Lives:

Clemson 31     South Carolina 21

Hampton Forecast:

Clemson 38     South Carolina 19

Striker Report:

South Carolina 28     Clemson 20

 Arkansas Razorbacks at  #16 LSU Tigers

The Blue House Lives:

LSU 23     Arkansas 21

Hampton Forecast:

LSU 31     Arkansas 28

Striker Report:

Arkansas 31     LSU 17

 UCLA Bruins at #23 USC Trojans

The Blue House Lives:

USC 27     UCLA 18

Hampton Forecast:

USC 29     UCLA 15

Striker Report:

USC 30     UCLA 15 

#22 North Carolina Tar Heels at  North Carolina St. Wolfpack

The Blue House Lives:

North Carolina 28     North Carolina State 23

Hampton Forecast:

North Carolina 24     North Carolina State 21

Striker Report:

North Carolina State 27     North Carolina 21 

The Blue House Lives (51-32   0.614)

Hampton Forecast (41-23   0.641)

Striker Report (34-18   0.653)

This team would dominate the college gridiron.

The season is slowly winding down, but The Blue House Lives is just getting going. After a feature article detailing Hampton Forecast’s comeback effort, The Blue House Lives furtively slipped back into second place. Will this stand? Who knows? The season is far from over, and the much-anticipated bowl pick ‘em will most likely decide the whole thing. Last week, no one gained any ground on anyone as everyone had strikingly similar picks. The Striker Report continues to lead the pack, but, as usual, it must be stated that no one really cares about Striker.

The “Fight Vols Fight” Pick of the Week:

  Vanderbilt Commodores at Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols were scorched on the ground last week by Ole Miss and Dexter McCluster. Luckily for the Vols, Vanderbilt is a cupcake. Following a dream season last year, the Commodores are having a very forgetful year. Hopefully, the Vols will have enough players out of jail to compete. The Blue House Lives predicts that this will happen, and the Vols will win.

The Blue House Lives:

Tennessee 41    Vanderbilt 20

Hampton Forecast:

Tennessee 39     Vanderbilt 16

Striker Report:

Tennessee 32     Vanderbilt 14

Washington Huskies at Bye Week

Here is the rematch for which Washington has been waiting. Bye Week bruised and battered the Huskies earlier in the year, but the purple and gold promise that this time will be different. Will Jake Locker avoid getting sacked by Bye Week’s lethargic defense?

The Blue House Lives:

Bye Week wins easily and parties with the Jonas Brothers in the Space Needle.

Hampton Forecast:

Washington 3     Bye Week 2

Striker Report:

No Pick. The Huskies aren’t worth his time.

#9 LSU Tigers at #23 Mississippi Rebels

Ole Miss is excited. Not only did they pulverize the Vols last week, but they instilled a whole heap of fear in the highly-touted Tigers. Les Miles has got to be worried about Dexter McCluster and his ability to zip through defenses. With the Magnolia Bowl trophy on the line for the second year, will Ole Miss remain the sole owner?

The Blue House Lives:

LSU 28     Mississippi 27

Hampton Forecast:

Mississippi 31     LSU 20

Striker Report:

Mississippi 25     LSU 19

#10 Ohio State Buckeyes at   Michigan Wolverines 

The Blue House Lives:

Ohio State 34      Michigan 10

Hampton Forecast:

Ohio State 33     Michigan 20

Striker Report:

Ohio State 31     Michigan 17

 California Golden Bears at  #15 Stanford Cardinal

The Blue House Lives:

Stanford 44     California 31

Hampton Forecast:

Stanford 35     California 22

Striker Report:

Stanford 35     California 27

 Oklahoma Sooners at Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Blue House Lives:

Oklahoma 32     Texas Tech 30

Hampton Forecast:

Texas Tech 28     Oklahoma 22

Striker Report:

Texas Tech 23     Oklahoma 22

Kansas State Wildcats at Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Blue House Lives:

Nebraska 30     Kansas State 27

Hampton Forecast:

Nebraska 27     Kansas State 18

Striker Report:

Nebraska 33     Kansas State 15 

#11 Oregon Ducks at  Arizona Wildcats

The Blue House Lives:

Oregon 27     Arizona 24

Hampton Forecast:

Oregon 33     Arizona 21

Striker Report:

Arizona 42     Oregon 30 

The Blue House Lives (47-29   0.618)

Hampton Forecast (35-22   0.614)

Striker Report (29-16   0.644)

Four score and seven years ago, the Vols were a championship team.

Finally, there are some good games. After last week’s less than intriguing matchups, this week brings rejuvenation. There are various top 25 games to pick from, and The Blue House Lives is more than excited. The Striker Report’s “go for broke” strategy paid off last week, as Striker came out looking good by picking Oregon State and Nebraska in big upsets. The Blue House Lives tied the Striker Report. The Hampton Forecast, although surging the past couple of weeks, was a game back.

Here are this week’s squirreliest picks:

Tennessee Volunteers at  Mississippi Rebels

The Vols stumble into Oxford missing three players lost due to attempted robbery. Does the fact that Tennessee’s players rob people with pellet guns frighten Ole Miss at all? Who cares? What should terrify the Rebs is the Tennessee defense. They have been playing lights-out lately. Ole Miss struggled in Week 1 with Memphis, and the Vols crushed the Tigers last Saturday. This tidbit puts Tennessee over the top.

The Blue House Lives:

Tennessee 31    Mississippi 27

Hampton Forecast:

Tennessee 33     Mississippi 24

Striker Report:

Tennessee 24     Mississippi 23

Washington Huskies at Oregon State Beavers

The Huskies continue to slip, and The Blue House Lives continues to enjoy it. This week, Washington limps into Oregon State, who is still celebrating their beat-down of California. With the Jonas Brothers buying the Space Needle, the Huskies are going to be way too distracted to win in Corvallis. Another week, another loss.

The Blue House Lives:

Oregon State 38     Washington 16

Hampton Forecast:

Oregon State 37     Washington 15

Striker Report:

Oregon State 36     Washington 22

#11 Utah Utes at #4 TCU Horned Frogs

What a strange season. This week marks the second week this season that the Mountain West Conference takes precedence over the more powerful and glamorous SEC and Big 12. There is one question that inhabits the mind of every college football critic: Is TCU good enough to play for the BCS championship? The Blue House Lives sees possibility, although we think that there is another non-BCS team that is just as good. This game should bolster TCU’s resume.

The Blue House Lives:

TCU 31     Utah 21

Hampton Forecast:

TCU 33     Utah 21

Striker Report:

TCU 35     Utah 12

 #13 Iowa Hawkeyes at  #16 Ohio State Buckeyes

The Blue House Lives:

Ohio State 30      Iowa 24

Hampton Forecast:

Ohio State 22     Iowa 17

Striker Report:

Ohio State 37     Iowa 18

 #25 Stanford Cardinal vs. #13 USC Trojans

The Blue House Lives:

USC 33     Stanford 20

Hampton Forecast:

USC 35     Stanford 28

Striker Report:

USC 34     Stanford 21

 #19 Arizona Wildcats at California Golden Bears

The Blue House Lives:

California 31     Arizona 30

Hampton Forecast:

Arizona 32     California 17

Striker Report:

Arizona 25     California 20

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #8 Pittsburgh Panthers

The Blue House Lives:

Notre Dame 28     Pittsburgh 27

Hampton Forecast:

Wanstache 37     Notre Dame 23

Striker Report:

Pittsburgh 27     Notre Dame 17 

The Blue House Lives (43-26   0.623)

Hampton Forecast (31-19   0.620)

Striker Report (25-13   0.673)

The conversation was sent to this publication following Week 9. Here is the text as The Blue House Lives received it:

Favre obviously uses Jacob Hampton as inspiration.

A lot of our readers probably thought I should just throw in the towel after another losing effort Week Five.  I tried to walk away, but I couldn’t.  I just love playing the game too much.  I knew I had to go to my hero for inspiration, and tracked down Brett Favre.  The questions I asked him are solely responsible for my comback:

Jeff Goldblum knows that it's not chaos if the Vols win today.

How about the Hampton Forecast? After another brilliant week, it continues its upward surge. Whatever pep talk Jacob Hampton gave himself at the midpoint in the season, it has definitely paid off. As for The Blue House Lives, last week was nothing but atrocious. This week, however, the scent of rebound is in the air, and The House is extremely confident. Once again, as for the Striker Report, it must be stated that, as usual, no one cares about Striker. Good luck to him nonetheless.

Here is this week’s BHCS poll. As expected, Florida maintains the top spot after demolishing Georgia last week.

Here are this week’s randiest picks:

Memphis Tigers at Tennessee Volunteers

Lane Kiffin is definitely a stride. Last week, the Vols, outfitted with black jerseys, crushed South Carolina. The Vols are looking like one of the top rising programs in college football. Memphis rolls into Knoxville this week for homecoming. Memphis upset the Manning-led Vols in 1996, and the Tigers look to do the same this year. Their strategy: make Tennessee kick field goals. The Vols will presumably allow Chad Cunningham to continue handling all kicking duties with “Blockable” Daniel Lincoln on the sidelines. With or without field goals, Tennessee takes this one easily.

The Blue House Lives:

Tennessee 37    Memphis 9

Hampton Forecast:

Tennessee 33     Memphis 19

Striker Report:

Tennessee 39     Memphis 13

Washington Huskies at UCLA Bruins

After getting mauled by Bye Week, Washington goes to the Rose Bowl to take on the Bruins. The Bruins are the most inconsistent team in the Pac-10, and Washington is the most consistent. Luckily for UCLA, Washington is consistently bad. The Huskies will be extra distracted thinking about what it would take for them to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. UCLA adds to Seattle’s woes.

The Blue House Lives:

UCLA 24     Washington 19

Hampton Forecast:

UCLA 15     Washington 14

Striker Report:

UCLA 27     Washington 25

#9 LSU Tigers at #3 Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama spent the entire bye week trying to figure out how Tennessee outplayed them two weeks ago. In 1993, an unranked LSU Tiger team knocked off #5 Alabama 17-13. LSU would love nothing more than to spoil Alabama national championship aspirations. The Tigers’ defense, behind John Chavis, is intense and unrelenting. Mark Ingram, however, is the best running back in college football. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Alabama wins.

The Blue House Lives:

Alabama 19     LSU 14

Hampton Forecast:

Alabama 27     LSU 18

Striker Report:

Alabama 28     LSU 24

#17 Ohio State Buckeyes at  #10 Penn State Nittany Lions

The Blue House Lives:

Penn State 22      Ohio State 21

Hampton Forecast:

Penn State 29     Ohio State 17

Striker Report:

Penn State 29     Ohio State 23

#14 USC Trojans vs. Arizona State Sun Devils

The Blue House Lives:

USC 37     Arizona State 29

Hampton Forecast:

USC 24     Arizona State 17

Striker Report:

USC 30     Arizona State 16

Oregon State Beavers at #19 California Golden Bears

The Blue House Lives:

California 33     Oregon State 24

Hampton Forecast:

California 31     Oregon State 24

Striker Report:

Oregon State 34     California 26

#23 Oklahoma Sooners at Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Blue House Lives:

Nebraska 28     Oklahoma 27

Hampton Forecast:

Oklahoma 41     Nebraska 25

Striker Report:

Nebraska 45     Oklahoma 37

South Carolina Gamecocks at Arkansas Razorbacks

The Blue House Lives:

Arkansas 28     South Carolina 21

Hampton Forecast:

Arkansas 35     South Carolina 23

Striker Report:

South Carolina 32     Arkansas 22

The Blue House Lives (37-24   0.607)

Hampton Forecast (31-19   0.620)

Striker Report (25-13   0.658)

Bill Paxton knows which team to support on Saturday.

Happy Halloween! After another courageous weekend of college football, the Hampton Forecast seemed to rebound a bit from its previous failures. The Blue House Lives, on the other hand, is falling faster than Sam Bradford’s draft value. As for the Striker Report, well, who really cares about Striker anyway? With that out of the way, we arrive at yet another weekend, and the slate is set for excitement. This week also marks the first week that The Blue House Lives implements its own ranking system, The Blue House Championship Series (BHCS). For the rest of the season, all of the ranking used in our predictions will be from our own poll.

Here is the first publication of this poll. The positions are decided by taking the designated ranking from The Blue House Lives, the Hampton Forecast and the Striker Report. The three rankings are then averaged together to reach the overall ranking. As expected, the Florida Gators unamiously hold the top spot.

Here are this week’s scariest picks:

#21 South Carolina Gamecocks at Tennessee Volunteers

South Carolina is dying to come to Knoxville and show first-year head coach Lane Kiffin how they pump gas in the Palmetto State. This statement all stemmed from Kiffin’s comments about South Carolina during on the recruiting trail. Both teams bring very talented pass defenses, and the Vols are led by All-American Eric Berry. How will Jonathan Crompton perform this week? Hopefully well enough to keep Daniel Lincoln on the sidelines.

The Blue House Lives:

Tennessee 31    South Carolina 21

Hampton Forecast:

Tennessee 29     South Carolina 25

Striker Report:

Tennessee 20     South Carolina 12

Washington Huskies at Bye Week

It is tough to be a Husky right now. With the team in the pits, a landslide on Highway 401, and Mount Rainier on drugs, the state is in an eternal low point. A big win over Bye Week would clear up the Huskies woes. Yet, as is the tradition, we see Washington getting trounced.

The Blue House Lives:

Bye Week cruises over the Huskies and then topples the Space Needle.

Hampton Forecast:

Bye Week shows up dressed as Frankenstein, and the Huskies hide under the couch.

Striker Report:

Bye Week 100     Washington -5

#8 USC Trojans at #9 Oregon Ducks

Most likely, the Pac-10 championship rides on this game (seriously, does anyone really expect Arizona to win it?). Oregon has played lights-out since their opening-game loss to Boise State. USC is simply playing like USC. The deciding factor? The Washington Huskies. USC got beat by the floundering Huskies, and Oregon crushed them. Yet, USC didn’t have Matt Barkley against UW. We are so torn (like Natalie Imbruglia).

The Blue House Lives:

USC 30     Oregon 28

Hampton Forecast:

Oregon 29     USC 21

Striker Report:

USC 27     Oregon 22

#3 Texas Longhorns at  #13 Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Blue House Lives:

Texas 24      Oklahoma State 17

Hampton Forecast:

Texas 32     Oklahoma State 23

Striker Report:

Texas 31     Oklahoma State 21

#1 Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs

The Blue House Lives:

Florida 31     Georgia 17

Hampton Forecast:

Florida 37     Georgia 13

Striker Report:

Florida 33     Georgia 16

#22 Mississippi Rebels at Auburn Tigers

The Blue House Lives:

Mississippi 22     Auburn 20

Hampton Forecast:

Mississippi 23     Auburn 17

Striker Report:

Auburn 26     Mississippi 24

Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Blue House Lives:

Kansas 37     Texas Tech 31

Hampton Forecast:

Texas Tech 24     Kansas 23

Striker Report:

Kansas 35     Texas Tech 32

The Blue House Lives (34-21   0.618)

Hampton Forecast (26-18   0.591)

Striker Report (21-11   0.656)