LAST WEEKWinners: 22Saban coaching tree: 3Pasquali is now 120-30 overall (80.0 percent) this season.
OTHER PICKSUSC 34, California 25North Carolina 16, Miami 10Florida State 35, Duke 16Va. Tech 22, Wake Forest 21Clemson 28, Maryland 19Oklahoma 63, Kansas 24Boise St. 50, Colorado St. 23Wisconsin 49, Indiana 9Stanford 47, Wash. State 18Oregon 41, Arizona State 22Michigan 24, Mich. State 17Kansas St. 33, Texas Tech 30Ohio State 10, Illinois 7Texas A&M 48, Baylor 35Houston 31, Marshall 26Penn State 15, Purdue 12Washington 26, Colorado 13
Being the most exposed team in the Southeastern Conference this season has a notable drawback.
Top-ranked LSU is in the midst of playing four consecutive afternoon games on CBS, which has the first selection of league matchups each week, and two of the four are in Baton Rouge. LSU's first league home game against Kentucky was a lunchtime kick on the SEC Network, and its regular-season finale the day after Thanksgiving against visiting Arkansas also will be a CBS afternoon game.
That means LSU will go all season without playing a night game at Tiger Stadium against an SEC foe for the first time since 1935.
"We miss it," Tigers coach Les Miles said Wednesday. "There is a lot of magic in that stadium at night. It's a nighttime environment that's exciting and special, and not to experience it for the season is a little frustrating."
LSU's only league night game was on Thursday, Sept. 17, when the Tigers won 19-6 at Mississippi State.
When asked what he could do to ensure this not happening again, Miles said, "Our athletic director has tried to make that point. At least that's the scuttlebutt I get around the building. We certainly participate fully in the SEC share of royalties, and I'm certain that when we're supposed to play in the daytime that we need to play in the daytime."
The Tigers stepped outside the league to host Northwestern State at night, and they're expected to do the same next month against Western Kentucky.
Pasquali's Pix:
South Carolina at Mississippi State: The best players in this game -- Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Melvin Ingram, Jadeveon Clowney, Antonio Allen and Stephon Gilmore -- are all Gamecocks. 'Cocks 23, Bulldogs 16.
LSU at Tennessee: Need an example of past performances not guaranteeing future results? LSU has beaten the Vols eight times in 31 meetings. Tigers 29, Volunteers 10.
Georgia Tech at Virginia: Back in 1990, these two teams may have played the most exciting game in Atlantic Coast Conference football history. Yellow Jackets 28, Cavaliers 23.
Alabama at Ole Miss: Nothing like a matchup of the SEC's premier programs. Oh wait, that's still three weeks away. Crimson Tide 42, Rebels 7.
Western Carolina at UTC: Can we please take a break from games decided by two-point conversions? Mocs 31, Catamounts 14.
Florida at Auburn: The Gators haven't won at Jordan-Hare Stadium this century. Tigers 20, Gators 17.
Georgia at Vanderbilt: Of Mark Richt's 100 victories with the Bulldogs, nine have come against Vanderbilt and nine against Georgia Tech. Bulldogs 24, Commodores 9.
Oklahoma State at Texas: The Dec. 3 game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is shaping up as the Big 12's version of Bama-LSU. Cowboys 45, Longhorns 34.