ESPN

College Pick 'em is a pick-the-winner game with a twist: players must rank their picks in order of confidence. It's not as easy as it looks, so I'll weigh in every Thursday to help you make those tough decisions. Be sure to log in to the College Pick 'em page on Mondays for the upcoming week's matchups and previews, and don't forget to check the message boards for plenty of chatter about all the week's action.

Another tough week, as the 22-point average was the second-lowest this year. The preceding Week 8 was the lowest, when the scoring average was just 13 points. With 367 points, nmariani holds a slim lead over chunkross (363) and christian1 (361). Congratulations to the leaders and good luck to all!

Be sure to look for updates to my rankings on the contest message board before making your final selections at locktime Saturday morning. Late-week information has led to some significant moves the past two weeks.

The 4-2 Irish are clearly improved from last year's sad-sack edition, though both offensive and defensive numbers mark Notre Dame as still just an average team. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen and a very talented group of young receivers have made strides each week. Now off a bye, Clausen gets to throw into a Washington secondary that ranks last in the nation in pass-efficiency defense. The Huskies' defense has faced a tough slate of opposing offenses, but that doesn't excuse the utterly miserable 7.6 yards per play allowed this season. The Notre Dame defense is far from impenetrable, but since star quarterback Jake Locker went down with a broken thumb against Stanford, the Washington offense hasn't been able to do much. New triggerman Ronnie Fouch showed considerable improvement last week against Oregon State, but the Dawgs still haven't managed to mount much of a rushing attack. That could change this Saturday, as the Huskies will eschew the deep shots that were commonplace against Oregon State in favor of a ball-control attack designed to exploit the spotty Irish rushing defense and keep Clausen on the sidelines. This is exactly the kind of situation that usually produces a superlative effort from Ty Willingham's Washington teams, but the host likely doesn't have the pass defense to come away with more than a moral victory.
Notre Dame 35-31

The Crimson Tide obliterated Tennessee last year in a 41-17 affair that wasn't even as close as the score. The struggling Vols are sure to be up for this one, as not only is it a revenge scenario against a hated rival, but Alabama represents the last remaining opportunity for a big-time win on Tennessee's schedule. For a beleaguered team seeking redemption, that's a powerful motivator. Even if the Vols bring their A-game, however, it likely won't be enough. The Tennessee defense is at least as good as Alabama's, especially since the Tide will be without disruptive nose tackle Terrence Cody. The offense, however, is another matter. Alabama's downhill running attack operates behind a top-notch offensive line, and the Tide has been able to produce balance in the passing game when needed. Quarterback John Parker Wilson hasn't become a superstar, but he's a seasoned senior leader who can make plays when necessary. The Volunteers feature a far more pedestrian attack and have already made a change at quarterback and running back this year. Last week's breakout against Mississippi State wasn't as impressive as it looked from an offensive perspective; the Vols managed just 275 yards, padding their point total with a pair of defensive scores. In fact, Tennessee hasn't managed more than 4.5 yards per play in a game since facing UAB. A youthful Alabama team has suffered some mental lapses after building big first-half leads this season, but those first halves have shown what Bama can do when properly focused. Both sides will be well-prepared for this rivalry tilt, and Tennessee just doesn't have the horses this year.
Alabama 31-14

Ohio State turned in one of the most eye-popping scores of last Saturday with a 45-7 road romp over a solid Michigan State team. Still, the "breakout" performance from the Buckeyes' offense netted just 332 yards, with only 116 through the air. Terrelle Pryor and Co. will need to do better this week to keep up with a Penn State attack that has steamrolled opponents to the tune of seven yards per play. The Lions' new Spread HD attack is operating as smoothly and efficiently as any offense in the country. Both defenses are worthy of the national leaderboard, but Penn State is stronger in the trenches and has an explosiveness on offense that the Pryor-led Buckeye attack lacks. Ohio State's formula of winning with defense, special teams and field position is a good one, but to come out on top against a squad that can play that game just as well, the Buckeyes will need to show some flash that's thus far been missing from the 2008 edition. Penn State has more weapons, more confidence and is overall the more complete team. The march toward Joe Paterno's sixth undefeated season continues.
Penn State 24-14

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has followed former boss Jim Tressel's lead in embracing the rivalry with Michigan instead of downplaying it. It's already apparent that the Michigan matchup will be the circled game on the Spartans' calendar as long as Dantonio is in East Lansing. The school that former Wolverines running back Mike Hart called Michigan's "little brother" hasn't won this contest since 2001, but this year the visitor comes to the Big House in the unexpected role of favorite. That's mainly because the rebuilding Wolverines have been helpless offensively while breaking in an entirely new cast of characters in Rich Rodriguez's spread schemes. However, the two teams are more evenly matched than their records might indicate. Michigan averages fewer than 300 yards per game, but the Spartans have also failed to top that number for three straight weeks. The Wolverines' defense is at least as good as MSU's, and the maize and blue certainly isn't disadvantaged in the trenches. Spartans star Javon Ringer is the nation's leading rusher, but Michigan freshman Sam McGuffie is a budding All-Big Ten performer as well. In fact, both teams rush for 4.4 yards per carry. The Wolverines however, sport the far better rushing defense. Spartans quarterback Brian Hoyer is expected to be 100 percent after suffering hand and head injures last week, and he'll need to outduel Michigan quarterback Steven Threet through the air for the visitor to leave the Big House with a victory. These offenses are not as far apart as Michigan's highly publicized struggles make them appear, and the Wolverines have better talent on defense. Michigan State has the critical edge, though. This game means more to the Spartans, who are building a reputation as a tough, physical team. Michigan's own coach called his troops soft a few weeks ago, and the Wolves will be hard-pressed to match the intensity of a hungry favorite with an underdog's mentality. It won't be easy, but this year Sparty will close the deal.
Michigan State 28-21

Oklahoma State has absolutely dominated Texas in recent years -- in the first half, that is. In 2004, the Cowboys led 35-7, only to surrender 49 unanswered points in a 56-35 loss. The following year, the Pokes were up 28-9 before allowing 38 unanswered in a 47-28 defeat. Last year may have been the worst collapse of all. Oklahoma State was up 35-14 in the fourth quarter before coughing up 24 more unanswered points in a 38-35 stunner. This year might be different; the way Texas is playing, the Cowboys may be fortunate to even have a lead. Colt McCoy is completing an amazing 81 percent of his passes, leading the offense to 48 points per game. The defense is turning in 3.3 sacks per game. Still, for all of the Longhorns' accomplishments, it's not hard to see how Oklahoma State can match up here. The Cowboys have put up even better overall numbers than Texas, and while they haven't played a team like Oklahoma yet on their slightly softer schedule, it's probably true that if a team with more tradition sported OSU's résumé, it would be ranked first or second rather than sixth. Oklahoma State has been impressive in every game this year, and the way the team handled a difficult sandwich game against an upstart Baylor team suggests that this squad has matured enough mentally to put together a special season -- and a four-quarter effort against the Longhorns. McCoy and Texas are playing lights-out, but it's nearly impossible to imagine that the Horns will execute as well as last week's near-perfect outing. They'll need another escape in order to stay undefeated.
Texas 38-33

Cincinnati has taken all three games in this series since joining the Big East, and the Cats match up well enough to make it four straight. Both teams have quarterback issues. Connecticut's offense is naturally run-oriented, but the Huskies have been leaning on Donald Brown even more heavily than usual since triggerman Tyler Lorenzen broke his foot against Louisville. Now Zach Frazer, who has started the past two games, is questionable after suffering a head injury last week. Frazer's availability will probably be a game-time decision. As for the Bearcats, junior Tony Pike will be back under center this week, though his broken non-throwing arm is still healing. Cincinnati's balanced offense has been solid even with redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson at quarterback, but the strong-armed Pike's return should allow the Bearcats' stable of athletic receivers more big-play opportunities. Connecticut, meanwhile, will rely on Brown to move the chains. The Huskies' one-dimensional attack is unlikely to produce much against a very stout run defense that's allowing just 3.7 true yards per rush. Connecticut has replaced its kicker after three misses in last week's 12-10 loss at Rutgers. Meanwhile, Cincinnati sports excellent special teams and has another significant edge there. The rested Bearcats have quietly become a serious contender in the wide-open Big East, and should be able to fend off a beat-up Huskies squad on the road.
Cincinnati 24-10

Undefeated Texas Tech is now the eighth-ranked team in the land, but the best win on the Red Raiders' résumé is an overtime escape at home against a rebuilding Nebraska squad. Kansas presents an opportunity for Tech to prove that this is indeed the best Raiders team in Mike Leach's nine-year tenure. However, the biggest game of the year (against Texas) is on deck, and Leach's squads have been prone to bizarre midseason collapses on the road. Tech hasn't played Kansas since 2005, so the Raiders didn't get a personal look at Todd Reesing and the Cinderella Jayhawks last season. The Kansas defense is weaker than last year's fine unit, as the loss of an All-American (DL James McClinton) and a first-round draft choice (DB Aqib Talib) have outweighed the return of nine starters. Kansas allowed an incredible 674 yards to Oklahoma last week, but the fact that the Jayhawks gained 491 of their own shouldn't be overlooked. These teams are more closely matched than the rankings suggest, especially in Lawrence. The Jayhawks will play all-out to convert here after dropping their only two chances against ranked teams this year. The defense will be seeking atonement for the Oklahoma debacle, and Tech will be hard-pressed to match the home team's intensity.
Kansas 42-35

The Hokies are in the same situation they were last year after facing Boston College: hitting the road fresh off the season's first conference loss. This Hokies offense is a younger edition, though, gaining just 4.5 yards per play while struggling for answers at running back and receiver. It's hard to see this group moving the chains much against a Florida State defense that's allowing fewer than 250 yards per game. Still, Virginia Tech is a proven performer when it comes to scoring without actually gaining yards from scrimmage, and Florida State's talented but dysfunctional offense has a pronounced tendency to stop itself. The Seminoles look like the better team overall, but such an easy mark for Virginia Tech's big-play shenanigans can't be trusted to deliver a win without a struggle.
Florida State 19-13

The luck finally ran out for a North Carolina team that's been outgained in each of its five wins this year, as the Heels led Virginia for nearly the entire game only to lose in overtime. The demoralizing loss may be tough to overcome in time to face a confident Boston College team that got by Virginia Tech despite falling prey to Beamerball with five turnovers, including two going for Hokie touchdowns. Butch Davis thinks his team has moved on, however, and while Carolina has been a little fortunate this year, this is still a quality team. Unfortunately, the Heels must now add fullback Anthony Elzy to a list of injured offensive starters that already includes quarterback T.J. Yates and all-purpose star Brandon Tate. If North Carolina isn't hungover, it won't go quietly, but denting the end zone while shorthanded is a tall order against a Boston College front seven that Davis only half-jokingly compared with that of the Chicago Bears. These squads' offensive production is similar, but the Eagles sport the better defense by a margin sufficient enough to snare a road win in a typically defensive ACC struggle.
Boston College 20-17

LSU rebounded from its beating in the Swamp with a hard-fought victory in Columbia last week. Georgia, meanwhile, completely controlled its game for a second straight week, yet posted another unimpressive margin due to red-zone difficulties. The perception is that while Georgia has the better skill players on offense, LSU is stronger in the trenches. It's true that Georgia's makeshift offensive line hasn't met expectations, and there's no doubt that whatever holes Knowshon Moreno can find will close up quickly against the tough LSU defensive front. On the other side of the ball, though, the Bulldogs might not be receiving their due. Georgia has played better run defense than LSU this year, despite facing a somewhat tougher schedule. Both sides have gamebreakers at wide receiver, but Georgia's Matthew Stafford provides the Dawgs with a significant quarterback edge over the Tigers' rookie duo. Home field cannot be discounted here, but the game is at least a daytime affair and Mark Richt's road record is an impressive 27-4. Another defense-oriented SEC struggle is in store, but if Georgia's offensive line can even hold its own, this is the more experienced Bulldogs' game to lose.
Georgia 17-12

Will Harris is a college football and fantasy baseball analyst for ESPN.com.