It’s November. So is that when picking college football winners finally becomes a more exact science? Or does the friendly neighborhood prognosticator simply look stupider?

This week’s slate of toss-ups won’t help. Four games with serious BCS ramifications top the schedule, including one in which the introduction of the coaches would be much more exciting if were played in Baton Rouge instead of Tuscaloosa.

Arizona State at Oregon – ASU just beat the only team to knock off the Ducks, but I’ve never bought into that common opponent stuff. I think there was one year in the 1990s when Maine could have won the NCAA basketball title with fewer than six degrees of separation if you played that game.

Football is even more of a slave to match-ups, and California is the only team in the Pac-10 that matches up with Oregon. The Sun Devils have enjoyed a nice run under a new coach, Dennis Erickson, who has a history of doing good work with other people’s recruited talent. Mike Bellotti simply has more of it to work with this week. Oregon, 41-38.

LSU at Alabama – Nick Saban Bowl I. Strangely enough, there will be more Saban recruits wearing purple than wearing maroon in this year’s confrontation. How badly do you think they want to whip his contract-voiding, bold-faced-lying butt? LSU, 24-14.

Wisconsin at Ohio State – At the beginning of the year, this looked a possible Changing of the Guard game, giving the Badgers an opportunity to smack the scourge of the Big Ten in its living room. Instead, the underachieving visitors would be better off staying on their own couch and mailing it in. Ohio State, 31-6.

Florida State at Boston College – Football is the ultimate team game, but here’s the difference one player can make. FSU would be a top-five team right now if Matt Ryan were its quarterback. The Eagles probably would be 5-3 with losses to Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech if Ryan didn’t call their signals. The second-best QB ever to sling leather at the Heights gets it done again. BC, 28-10.

Rutgers at Connecticut – The real Rutgers has shown up this year: Competitive, good enough to upset a slightly better Big East opponent at home, but not remotely ready for prime time. What the Huskies will become next year, in other words. But for now Connecticut, 27-21.

Missouri at Colorado – The Buffaloes have played a much tougher schedule. And a fat lot of good it did them against Kansas. Missouri, 48-27.

Michigan at Michigan State – The Wolverines are my favorite college football story of the year, bar none. The abuse Lloyd Carr and his program took after an essentially meaningless loss to Appalachian State was ridiculously excessive. Now they’re three tough wins away from a return to the Rose Bowl. One down, two to go. Michigan, 20-10.

Texas at Oklahoma State – For whatever reason, the Cowboys have played like a Top 25 team since their coach, Mike Gundy, made his hilarious, “Come after me! I’m a man! I’m 40!” post-game rant. Wonder what he’ll have to say to the blood-thirsty columnists after OSU has this one in hand and lets it slip away. Texas, 27-24.

South Carolina at Arkansas – This one looks easy. After sneaking into the Top 10, the Gamecocks have lost two straight games to seemingly inferior opponents. And the Razorbacks still have Darren McFadden, who would win the Heisman hands-down if it actually went to the best player in the country instead of the top quarterback whose team is on TV every week. All signs point to the ‘Hogs, which in this year’s SEC is a perfect reason to go with the road underdog. Upset special South Carolina, 24-21.

Cincinnati at South Florida – On the sole basis that they’re too good to lose three in a row … South Florida, 35-33.

Nebraska at Kansas – I’ve got this figured out. Bill Callahan went from a Super Bowl appearance to fired in his last two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. When he goes out, he goes all out. Kansas, 52-24.

Texas A&M at Oklahoma – Nothing makes me angrier than a team that has obviously, flagrantly quit on its coach. I watched as much of the Aggies as I could stomach between innings of World Series Game 3 last Saturday night, and it’s obvious that they waved the white flag behind Dennis Franchione’s back about three weeks ago. The Sooner Schooner couldn’t make enough celebratory appearances to satisfy me in this one. Oklahoma, 52-14.

Wake Forest at Virginia – Cavaliers coach Al Groh used to coach the Demon Deacons. Of course, he also used to coach the Jets. He’d probably have a better chance to beat the latter at the moment. Wake Forest, 31-10.

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech – How do the Hokies get to play two Thursday night games in a row? Better question: How is the Ramblin’ Wreck favored in this game? I love easy upset specials Virginia Tech, 21-10.

Last week: 9-6 (.600). Season: 82-48 (.631). Upset specials: 7-8 (.467)

Who beat Kalle? Deborah Blais, Lewiston (10-4)