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Listen, I wish I had the answer for my struggles in Pick Six this season, but I don't. I'm not following any different process in my picks this year than I did last season when I had a much better record.

I'm trusting the process, but the process just isn't working to my benefit. I mean, I don't care what anybody says to me about it, taking Notre Dame (+2.5) as my Lock of the Week last week was the right call. If not for that damn Hurricane Matthew, it would have come through, but sometimes hurricanes happen and they screw up your pick.

Of the people affected by the hurricane, I'm at the bottom of the list, though I guess I could argue I'm one spot ahead of the guy whose Etsy order was delayed by the weather.

Anyway, while I'm frustrated, I'm not giving in. I'm not going to panic, or do something drastic to try and change my fortune. I'm going to continue trusting the process and hope I'm eventually rewarded for it.

Games of the Week

No.9 Tennessee (+12.5) vs. No. 1 Alabama: Here's the thing, I really wanted to take Alabama and lay the points in this game when I first saw the line. Tennessee has just been through the wringer over the past month with comebacks against Florida and Georgia and one that fell short in overtime against Texas A&M last week. This is a team that has to be emotionally drained, and you sure as hell couldn't blame them for it. They're also physically beat up, as injuries have struck all over the place.

So, logically, you see the Death Machine that is Alabama coming to town, and you have to think the Tide will finish the Vols off. And they probably will, because I fully expect Alabama to win and extend its winning streak over the Vols to 10 games.

The problem is I just can't pick against Tennessee right now when it comes to the spread. I've been burned too many times, and this is a team that just refuses to die. So I fully expect Alabama to have this game in hand after three quarters, but Tennessee will mount a late comeback for that backdoor cover. Alabama 27, Tennessee 20

Twitter Pick: Alabama -12.5 (61 percent)

No. 2 Ohio State (-10.5) at No. 8 Wisconsin: The hook here is a bit scary, but I still feel pretty confident in the Buckeyes either way. As good as Wisconsin's defense is this season, the truth is it hasn't faced an offense with the kind of talent that Ohio State possesses. That's not a shot at Michigan, it's just the reality of the situation. J.T. Barrett is better than Wilton Speight, and on the whole, Ohio State's offense is a bit more dynamic.

Plus, Wisconsin is still quarterbacked by Alex Hornibrook, who was not good against Michigan last time out, and Ohio State's defense is just as good as Michigan's. This is still the same Wisconsin team that struggled against Georgia State the last time it was at home, after all, and that win over Michigan State doesn't seem nearly as impressive anymore considering the Spartans have also lost to Indiana and BYU.

Wisconsin is a top-10 team right now, but it's not going to finish there. There's always a chance the Badgers pull off an upset here -- they are at home after all -- but the odds aren't good. Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 10

Twitter Pick: Ohio State -10.5 (61 percent)

Lock of the Week

Rutgers (+6) vs. Illinois: This line is a huge overreaction by the gambling public. It originally opened with Illinois as a 2.5-point favorite, and has since moved to six points. Honestly, the 2.5 points were too many. This is just a reaction to Rutgers getting its butt whooped so many times this season, but let's take a closer look at the situation. These are the three teams Rutgers has been blown out by this season: Ohio State, Michigan and Washington. What do these three teams have in common? Why they're all currently ranked in the top five! Rutgers' fourth loss was a 14-7 loss to Iowa at home. An Iowa team that is not nearly as good as Ohio State, Michigan or Washington, but is worlds better than Illinois. You know, the same Illinois team that has lost to North Carolina by 25, Western Michigan by 24, Nebraska by 15 and Purdue by only three, but it was Purdue, and it was in Champaign. The same Illinois that has one win this season, and it's against Murray State. That Illinois. That's the Illinois that is currently a six-point favorite on the road. Rutgers 24, Illinois 17

Underdog of the Week

Georgia Southern (+11.5) at Georgia Tech: Facing an option team when you aren't used to them can be a problem for some teams. Just ask Houston. For Georgia Southern, however, it's just another day at the office. So they'll head to Atlanta more than prepared, and given the performance we've seen from Georgia Tech's defense this season, I have no doubt that the Eagles will be able to hang with the Jackets. This is a Tech team that's lost three straight and has to be a bit down right now, and you know Georgia Southern will be amped up to play this game. I'm not going to call the Southern win outright, but I think it's possible. Georgia Tech 30, Georgia Southern 28

Over/Under of the Week

Central Michigan at Northern Illinois (Under 65): I'm following the trends here because all my old reliables when it comes to overs and unders have been letting me down this season. The under has come through in five of Central Michigan's last seven MAC games, and it's come through in four of Northern Illinois' last five. I'm banking on those trends to continue this week. Northern Illinois 27, Central Michigan 24

Hail Mary Parlay of the Week

Friday night: San Diego State (-17) at Fresno State

Saturday morning: NC State at No. 3 Clemson (Under 60)

Saturday evening: Arizona State (+13) at Colorado

Last Week 2016 Overall
Games of the Week 1-1 7-5
Lock of the Week 0-1 3-3
Underdog of the Week 1-0 4-2
Over/Under of the Week 1-0 3-3
Hail Mary Parlay 0-1 1-5
Overall 3-3 18-18
Twitter Picks 1-1 6-6