Saturday Seven: LSU, Tulane look to survive road tests

It’s time for the “Saturday Seven” in its new home.

Here is the drill: I pick seven college football games. You read analysis in amazement, and then sit back and watch it unfold before your very eyes.

Even though you might not have seen it since the Seven is appearing at CCS for the time, I was 6-1 in these picks last week. New place, same success.

No. 14 LSU 23, Mississippi State 17. Are the Tigers back on track now, fully bouncing back after the season-opening loss to Florida State? I don’t think so. But I also don’t think an upset loss awaits them in Stark Vegas. This game will be close, but that’s expected when playing in an SEC opener on the road.

Southern Miss 30, Tulane 24. There is some intrigue about the health of Tulane QB Michael Pratt for this game, but I don’t think it matters even if he plays. Southern Miss is playing at home and that advantage should be able to get the Golden Eagles over the top in a close game.

Missouri 27, No. 15 Kansas State 24. Upset Special. Kansas State is good, but I find it hard to believe that it is as good as its ranking suggests. Missouri will be playing at home in front of a rocking crowd in Columbia. This is an upset worth taking a chance on.

No. 18 Colorado 27, Colorado State 20. When was the last time this rivalry garnered this much attention? How about never? It will be a “personal” win for the Buffaloes, but this Colorado bandwagon could be derailed after this week with consecutive games against No. 13 Oregon and No. 5 USC.

Georgia Tech 24, No. 17 Ole Miss 20. Another Upset Special. The Yellow Jackets are due to have a big win, and today could be the day against Rebels team that struggled in New Orleans last week. I see a little Tulane hangover in this game against a foe Ole Miss clobbered last year.

No. 1 Georgia 45, South Carolina 17. Ok, I admit it. I need a gimme pick. The only thing intriguing in this game will be the number of sacks the defending champion Bulldogs get on their home field.

Minnesota 23, No. 20 North Carolina 20. The last Upset Special. The Golden Gophers are a confident bunch at 2-0 thanks to a solid defense. North Carolina barely survived against Appalachian State. Some Tar Heel flaws might have been exposed. Look for North Carolina to come out sluggish and struggle to recover.