Men's College Preview & Picks: Tough Decisions For Top 10 Matchups In D1A
Men's College Preview & Picks: Tough Decisions For Top 10 Matchups In D1A
FloRugby looks at the college games this weekend and makes some picks.
Last week we made predictions on 18 games that actually produced a result and were correct in 16.
That's a pretty good percentage, but we also got a number of winning margins horribly wrong. Mostly, we have been wrong in the dichotomy of strength in the Gold Coast, where the "haves" are way stronger than the "have-nots."
We also got our Red River predictions quite wrong, especially the rebound of Texas Tech.
This week? Lots of games to look at. Here are the best matchups.
No. 4 BYU at No. 1 Saint Mary's
Obviously, this is the top matchup in terms of rankings, in terms of rivalry, and in terms of how close the BYU and Saint Mary's games are year to year.
Saturday's game is streaming LIVE on FloRugby, and it is worth the subscription rate just for this top five clash. It's going to be a classic.
We have Saint Mary's winning it just because the Gaels have had more time playing together. But if you ask the experts, it's a split decision.
No. 6 Lindenwood at No. 2 Life
Also obviously, this game is streaming live on FloRugby on Saturday and is about as compelling a matchup as you could want. Control of the Mid-South Conference is up for grabs, and if someone can take down Life, it is Lindenwood.
We pick Life for this one, but it's going to be close.
No. 19 Texas A&M at No. 27 LSU
Texas A&M could slip up in Baton Rouge, but we like the Aggies on the road for this one. And if that's the case, A&M will control its destiny in the Red River.
No. 3 Cal at No. 9 Arizona and Arizona State
We have Cal winning these games, and certainly the Bears are favored. But win or lose, it's a big weekend for Arizona. The playoffs and the rankings are coming to a crucial time, and so a competitive result from the Wildcats will go a long way toward securing the right ranking.
No. 2 (D1AA) Dartmouth at No. 5 Navy
The Naval Academy needs more games to secure a ranking to get into the D1A playoffs. Dartmouth needs games to prepare for the D1AA spring final eight. Navy's coach used to coach Dartmouth. It's a match made in... well, somewhere. Navy should win, but it will be hugely valuable for Dartmouth either way.
PICKS
| Sacramento State | at | Fresno State | Sac State by 11 |
| Nevada | at | UC Santa Cruz | UCSC by 5 |
| San Francisco State | at | Chico State | Chico State by 22 |
| Missouri | v | Washington (MO) | Heart of America |
| Grand Canyon | at | Utah | GCU by 6 |
| BYU | at | Saint Mary's | St. Mary's by 4 |
| Colorado | at | Utah Valley | Utah Valley by 9 |
| Texas A&M | at | LSU | A&M by 12 |
| Houston | at | Texas | Texas by 20 |
| Texas Tech | at | Arkansas | Arkansas by 11 |
| Oklahoma | at | Baylor | Bayor by 15 |
| UCLA | at | San Diego State | SD State by 8 |
| Dartmouth | at | Navy | Navy by 24 |
| California | at | Arizona | Cal by 30 |
| USC | at | Cal Poly | Cal Poly by 25 |
| Arkansas State | at | Clemson | ASU by 17 |
| Lindenwood | at | Life | Life by 15 |
| Oregon | at | Western Washington | WWU by 21 |
| Washington State | at | Boise State | WSU by 6 |
| Idaho | at | Eastern Washington | NCRC |
| Oregon State | at | Western Oregon | OSU by 28 |
| San Diego | at | Cal State Northridge | Gold Coast |
| UCF | at | FAU | UCF by 40 |
| USF | at | FIU | FIU by 25 |
| Kennesaw State | at | Georgia Tech | KSY by 22 |
| MTSU | at | Memphis | MTSU by 20 |
| Central Washington | at | Valley RFC | CWU by 41 |
| California | at | Arizona State | Cal by 50 |