HlastraCostanza: Avoiding instincts, Hawkeyes

Hlastradamus is well-steeped in centuries of history, and that includes popular sitcoms of the 1990s.

After a week in which he can't even bear to go back and look at his wretched predictions, the prophet has decided it's time to go all George Costanza of 'Seinfeld.”

'If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right,” Jerry told George, and George heeded the suggestion and made everything good for himself. For a little while, anyway.

All Hlastradamus wants is one week of good. So he is going against his instinct on every pick this week.

Northwestern +2.5

vs. Iowa

The seer doesn't think Northwestern has enough offense to fire very many shots at the Hawkeyes and thinks Iowa can sneak this out by a field goal as long as the kick is long enough.

Marshall Koehn has missed two PATs and a 27-yard field goal try. But he is 5-of-5 from field goals that are 40 yards out.

In the swirling wind of Ryan Field, Koehn should be able to hammer home a 50-yarder for a 3-point win. So the swami is taking the Wildcats and 2.5.

Iowa State +21

vs. TCU

Let's see if we have this right: The Cyclones allowed 66 points and 776 yards at Texas Tech last week and TCU has a better offense than the Red Raiders.

So naturally, the Horned Frogs should score every time they get the ball in Ames, something Hlastradamus doesn't recall Iowa State doing.

Twenty-one points is nothing. TCU scores 21 points falling out of bed in the morning.

The prophet dismisses his instinct and picks the Clones to cover.

Purdue -23

at Wisconsin

Minnesota scored 28 points in one quarter against Purdue last week at Purdue. The Gophers, up to that point, had the next-to-worst scoring team in major-college football.

So Purdue is going to come within 23 at Wisconsin? Of course not.

Thus, Hlastradamus takes the Boilermakers.

Michigan State +7

at Michigan

Michigan is allowing zero points. Zero. Three straight games, three shutouts. No major-college team had done that in the last 20 years. No Big Ten team had done it in 35 years.

A beat-up MSU offense is going to put up a double-digit number in Ann Arbor? Not bloody likely.

The seer takes the Spartans and the points all the same.

Texas A&M +4

vs. Alabama

In the last five years, Alabama has won road games against Top 15 teams. It's a great road team, perhaps the best.

‘Bama humbled Georgia on the road two weeks ago. It may be the best team in the nation right now, never mind the rankings and such.

Hlastradamus' instinct is to ride the Tide. But instinct has been replaced by HlastraCostanza.

Serenity now!