To pick or not to pick

GEORGE: Was there any nostril penetration?

JERRY: There may have been some incidental penetration. But from her angle she was in no position to make the call.

GEORGE: So let's say in her mind she witnessed a pick. Okay, so then what?

JERRY: Is that so unforgivable? Is that like breaking a commandment? Did God say to Moses thou shalt not pick?

GEORGE: I guarantee you that Moses was a picker. You wander throughh the desert for forty years with that dry air. ... You telling me you're not going to have occasion to clean house a little bit.

JERRY: Let me ask you something. If you were going out with somebody and if she did that what would, would you do? Would you continue going out with her?

GEORGE: No. That's disgusting!

Went on record last season as saying I don't enjoy picking ...

... games.

Number one, what do I know? Of course, my job is to be informed about what I cover. And I think we at TI do a good job of that.

But when it comes to picking, it's a crap shoot. We don't know any more than you folks.

It makes me kind of uncomfortable because it sort of diminishes the clean-slate mentality I prefer taking into games. Everyone likes to be right, and thus if you pick games there's a small part of you that roots for the final score that confirms your projection.

One moment of picking glory came in 2008, when I was probably the only person in Clemson who didn't see greatness coming. There were plenty of bells and whistles in the form of C.J. Spiller, James Davis and others, but there were also big problems on the offensive line.

But I've probably been wrong more often than not. Was way off in 2006 when I picked Clemson to win the Atlantic Division. Was way off last year, when I forecast eight wins (and leaned strongly toward nine). Was off in 2009, when I didn't forecast the Atlantic Division title.

Cris is getting started on his comprehensive preview of the Auburn-Clemson game that'll run Friday, and at some point in the near future he's going to text me asking for my pick.

I'm conflicted. Spent a while thinking Clemson wins, perhaps even by double digits. But the issues on the offensive line (sound familiar?) have me concerned, particularly given the loss of starter David Smith. And after watching a replay of Auburn's game against Mississippi State, I don't think they're nearly as bad up front as people think.

So I'm leaning toward Auburn in a close one. Given my record, that's great news for Clemson fans.



LW