Kream Keegan: Picking contests futile

View these picks as an anti-gambling public service. Watching me fall so far off the lead in the weekly picks standings that appear in Saturday’s GameDay section and watching me try to make up ground with wild upset picks should drive home a point everybody needs to take to heart. Football: Good. Forecasting football outcomes: Bad.

Fortunately, these picks are for recreational purposes only. Nevertheless, my complete failure as a football forecaster and futile attempts to get back in the black illustrate what a foolish endeavor it is to chance anything valuable on football outcomes.

Just enjoy the games and send the money you otherwise might have wasted on football wagers to the American Cancer Society and tell them KU basketball coaches Bonnie Henrickson and Bill Self sent you. Both gave great talks at a Coaches Vs. Cancer luncheon Thursday at the Lawrence Holidome.

This week’s picks:

Texas 34, Kansas 10: You didn’t have to be a Texan to recognize the tune blasting loudly enough to be heard clearly at dinner time Wednesday night on Mass. Street. It was the University of Texas fight song and a simulation of the crowd noise that Kansas University football players will hear Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

Everything about KU’s preparation suggests the Jayhawks are having a blast preparing for Saturday’s game, and why not? Facing the second-ranked team in the nation is a rare opportunity for any college athlete.

It beats sitting around fretting over the enormity of the task. Texas supplies plenty of fodder for self-pitying opponents, and it’s nice the Jayhawks aren’t looking at it that way.

Check out these wild numbers produced by two stars of the Texas offense:

Vince Young has completed 10 passes of 40 or more yards, including four that went for more than 60 yards, and Billy Pitman was on the receiving end of all four. Young has 11 runs of 40 or more yards.

For more on this matchup and on the KU basketball exhibition victory over mighty Fort Hays State, log onto KUSports.com and listen to the inaugural “Spodscasters,” hosted by online sports editor Andy Samuelson, and starring Channel 6 sports anchor Kevin Romary, and the world’s worst college football forecaster.

Oklahoma 24, Texas A&M 20: Even the dreadful Oklahoma offense, with tailback Adrian Peterson banged up and quarterback Rhett Bomar making Sooner Nation miss Jason White more and more by the week, should be able to score against a lame Aggies defense that has surrendered 29.7 points and 448.6 yards per week.

Kansas State 20, Nebraska 17: If the loser of the Oklahoma-Texas A&M game isn’t the most disappointing team in the conference, then the loser of this game is.

Texas Tech 48, Oklahoma State 14: This one pits two of the nation’s winningest coaches in Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton. What? Oh, that’s right, it’s still football season.

Missouri 28, Baylor 14: Bears are coming off a pride-wounding 62-0 loss to Texas. They’ll be at their best, which still won’t be good enough.

Iowa State 31, Colorado 28: The Cyclones win here and defeat KU next week and they are Big 12 North champs.