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So is everyone finally done whining about the first college football playoff rankings? 

Good. Don't want to hear about how Cincinnati -- yawn --got screwed. Don't want a rational explanation for Oregon being No. 3 (ahead of two unbeaten Power 5 teams in Oklahoma and Wake Forest) because there is none. And I definitely have no patience for the complaints about losses never being held against Alabama.

It's the same thing every year, folks. This is not a true playoff. It's a Power 5 invitational. You should be used to it by now. The selection committee's evaluation process is fluid week to week with one constant: it always favors the fortunate few.

Michigan State, in a bit of a surprise, was properly rewarded for its 8-0 start, but can the Spartans keep it going? They're at Purdue on Saturday in what has the look and feel of a trap game, especially with Mel Tucker's team being just a 3 1/2-point favorite. If Sparty gets by this one, it's Maryland next and then Ohio State, probably for the Big Ten East title.

The Locksmith is in a mild slump --  5-7 the past two weeks, 3-3 last week -- but the overall record against the spread (35-19) remains solid. Going to take a stab at a few off-the-radar games this week too, just to shake things up.

On to the games:

TEXAS A&M over Auburn, giving 4 1/2 

You have to be impressed with the way Auburn and Bo Nix have performed the past two weeks, beating Arkansas and Ole Miss, but every time you think you can trust both of them they throw in a clunker. This Aggies defense could easily force Nix back into some bad habits, too. With Zach Calzado finally settling in at QB to give the Aggies some balance with RB Isiah Spiller, an at-times dominant defense and being back home with a three-game winning streak, A&M looks mighty solid in this spot.

Colorado State over WYOMING, giving 3 1/2

The warning was issued a few weeks ago here with Wyoming: Once the Cowboys got out of their high school schedule and into real games they would struggle. Four straight losses later, with the offense producing just 38 points over that span, the real Wyoming is surfacing. Quarterback play has been erratic -- and they have the ugliest uniforms in college football. Rams have been competitive all year with four of their losses by 2, 3, 9 and 10 points against solid competition, though they do need to overcome coaching at times to win. QB Todd Centerio has been solid and the defense should be good enough to keep reeling Wyoming in check.

NEVADA over San Jose State, giving 10 

One thing Nevada can do is score, and the main reason for that is the breakout year by QB Carson Strong (2,885 passing yards, 24 TD passes). Wolf Pack have won four of five with the only loss during that span by two to Fresno State and they've scored 34 or more seven straight games -- topping 41 points four of those times.  No way the Spartans, plagued by uneven QB play, can keep pace with Nevada's offense. San Jose has struggled to beat bad teams this year because the offense has a tendency to disappear. If that happens here the rout is on.

Baylor over TCU, giving 6 1/2

It's probably time to start taking Baylor seriously, with the 7-1 Bears having beaten Iowa State, West Virginia, BYU and Texas the past four games. Running back Abram Smith (30 yards rushing 11 TDs) has been a workhorse and QB Gerry Bohannon has had a solid season. But the Bears' strength is their defense, which has been suffocating against the run for three straight games while also producing 13 sacks over that time. That's a real problem for a TCU program in turmoil, with long-time coach Garry Patterson ousted and Jerry Kill scheduled to step in as interim coach. Horned Frogs have lost three  straight and their defense -- which had been the key to success under Patterson for years -- is allowing an average of 443.3 yards per game. TCU needs to get this season over with and re-group.

Michigan State over PURDUE, giving 3

Okay, so it's a trap game with a trap line with the Spartans due for a letdown after beating Michigan last week. It all sounds so reasonable, except ... what if Michigan State is really this good? If Purdue focuses on slowing down RB Kenneth Walker III -- no easy feat -- QB Payton Thorne has shown he can carry the offense. Stopping explosive WR David Bell is the key to beating Purdue, which often struggles to score on offense, lacks consistency at quarterback and is just as capable of losing to Minnesota and Wisconsin as it is capable of beating Iowa and Nebraska (Boilermakers have done both, by the way). Sorry, not buying a Michigan State letdown. Spartans have been too solid for too long this year.

Wisconsin over RUTGERS, giving 13

The worst power 5 quarterback matchup since ... well, last week, when Wisconsin's Graham Mertz squared off with Iowa's Spencer Petras. Mertz, as bad as he has been this year, still rates the advantage over Rutgers' run-first QB Noah Vedral. Badgers have recovered from a 1-3 start to win four straight, with three of those in dominant fashion. The reason is their defense and their running game (and, of course, limiting Mertz's opportunities to commit a turnover). Rutgers, which has no downfield passing game, has yet to score more than 20 points in a Big Ten game this year. Knights beat lowly Illinois last week to snap a four-game losing streak, but the reality is this is a team that only beats bad teams, Check the schedule. Bad timing for a limited Rutgers offense to catch a steamrolling Wisconsin.

Last week vs. spread: 3-3

Season to date vs. Spread: 35-19

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