With holiday games and a smaller season-ending schedule, I'm picking a few less college games this weeks. Here we go:

COLLEGE PICKS

1. NOTRE DAME at Stanford (+16 1/2): Notre Dame failed to cover last week against Syracuse. Because of that, the Irish are being bet down a point travelling to Stanford this week. Stanford is coming off a 27-3 loss in a rout to crosstown rival, California, last week. I’m wagering that the Irish beat the staggering Cardinal team by 17 points or more.

2. IOWA STATE at Kansas (+2 1/2): After Colorado lost to Nebraska yesterday, Iowa State has plenty to play for. A win today gives the Cyclones it’s first trip to the Big 12 championship game next week. Kansas can secure a bowl bid with a win today, but Bret Meyer and the ‘Clones are on a four game winning streak where they are thumping their combined opponents 154-57.

3. GEORGIA at Georgia Tech (+3 1/2): 7-3 Georgia Tech is coming off a huge upset of Miami last week. 8-2 Georgia is beginning to roll with DJ Shockley back in the lineup. This is a classic letdown game for the Techsters, while Georgia shows what might have been had Shockley been healthy all year. Take the Bulldogs to win by a touchdown or more.

4. OKLAHOMA (-19 1/2) at home against Oklahoma State: The OSU Cowboys fell behind by 38 last week against Baylor. Good for them, they roared back to lose by 44-34. The Sooners, on the other hand, lost in Lubbuck to Texas Tech on a late touchdown aided by several awful calls by the officials. It’s time for OU to take out some frustration on its in-state rivals.

2-and-2 on the college weekend. That Iowa State game is the kind to give sports betters a hole in the stomach. They gave up the late lead, only to miss a field goal in overtime. Argh! I was that close to staring a 3-1 day in the face.

Notre Dame was 7-1 against the line at one point this season. Their close victory over Stanford drops them to 7-4 against Vegas. I still think Notre Dame will be a good line pick in its bowl game, since Charlie Wies will have a month to prepare a game plan.

I had a pretty good idea that O.U. was going to thump Okie State. When I saw the brawl in the pregame warmups, I knew I'd won that bet and the Sooners were going to romp.

Georgia had me nervous for a time in their 14-7 win, but this was the pick I was most certain about going into Saturday. They are simply better than Georgia Tech, though Chan Gailey's squad gave a game effort at home.

On to the pros...