Week 9 Picks
Week 9 is shaping up to be an exciting week! First, my oldest son got us tickets for the Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville! It will be my first time at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party as a fan! Last time I attended was as a member of the UGA Redcoat Band my senior year:1985. During my four years in the band, Georgia went 3-1 against Florida. My freshman year, Herschel Walker ran for 289 yards in just under 3 quarters in the 44-0 victory. Many said this was the game that clinched the Heisman Trophy for him. My sophomore year, we won 10-9 with John Lastinger under center and Terry Hoage leading the defense. My junior year was the only loss, 27-0. (I had to look it up because I had blocked that game out of my mind.) My senior year, Florida had just been ranked #1 for the first time in their history. Their reign at the top lasted all of one week as the Dawgs crushed them 24-3 behind the running of Tim Worley and Keith Henderson. Great times!
There are also several other top games, so without further ado, let's get to my picks!
Last week was another mediocre week of picking as I finished 41-16, for only 71.9%. Overall, I dropped to 393-121, or 76.5%. Hopefully, I'll do much better this week...
Thursday
N Illinois over E Mich- Though the Eagles tend to play everyone tough, the Huskies are just too good.
Toledo over Ball St- The Rockets are the cream of the MAC, and won't lose to the Cardinals on the road.
S Alabama over Ga State- While I would love for the Panthers to get a victory at home, the Jaguars are the better team.
Stanford over Oregon St- The Cardinal has hit their stride and are really rolling after stumbling early in the season; the Beavers are just stumbling.
Friday
Memphis over Tulane- The Tigers are a pretty good team, but the Green Wave could pull the upset. This is a strange Tulane team...
Boston College over FSU- The Eagles have really improved, while the Seminoles seem to have fallen apart. Can they right the ship and make it to a bowl game? They need to win this one if that is to happen.
SMU over Tulsa- The Golden Hurricanes are another weird team, winning when they shouldn't, and losing when they shouldn't. I don't think I've been right on Tulsa all year...
Saturday
Akron over Buffalo- The Zips are a good MAC team, capable of beating any team in the conference. The Bulls are mediocre at best, and I don't see them winning on the road.
Wisconsin over Illinois- The Badgers continue their easy schedule with a win over the Illini.
Miami over UNC- One of these days, the Tar Heels are going to win again, and when they do, it will be a big upset. The Hurricanes better guard against a letdown, as I see this as a possible trap game. One of the knocks against Coach Mark Richt at Georgia was that his teams always lost one game a year they shouldn't (you could also say that about Nick Saban, because his team is always favored). Could this be that game this year?
Okla St over W Va- This is an elimination game in the conference, with the loser dropping 2 games behind TCU, and both having already lost to the Horned Frogs. The winner is still technically alive in the race, but must keep winning and hope the Frogs lose 2 (or hope for a 3-or-more-way-tie at the top).
Michigan over Rutgers- These teams are tied for 4th place in the division, and I'm tempted to pick the Scarlet Knights, as they have surprised me the last two weeks, but the Wolverine defense is too strong. If Rutgers wins this..
Ole Miss over Arkansas- Even with Shea Patterson's injury, the Rebels are the better team.
Texas over Baylor- The Bears are going to finish a game one of these days and wind up with a win. But not against the Longhorns.
Louisville over Wake Forest- Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals are just too good for the Demon Deacons to keep up with. Should be a blowout.
Virginia over Pitt- Despite the Panthers' win last week, I still believe in this Cavaliers team. Should be a close one, though.
Cal over Colorado- I'm done with picking the Buffalos...
Marshall over FIU- The Thundering Herd is one of the surprise teams in all of CFB. They should be able to handle a mediocre Panthers team at home.
Kansas St over Kansas- The Jayhawks are just plain awful. The Wildcats are better, which isn't saying much...
Colo St over Air Force- The Rams better be careful as this Falcons team is battle tested. I predict a close game that could go either way at the end.
BYU over San Jose St- Two terrible teams, but the Cougars should prevail at home over the Spartans.
Georgia over Florida- This game would make Florida's season if they won, and ruin Georgia's. I don't see that happening. Florida may keep it close for a while, but I expect the score to be closer to 1985 than to 1983.
Ohio St over Penn St- Penn State has had a slightly more difficult schedule than Ohio State, who has feasted on patsies since losing to Oklahoma. If there were any way they could both lose...
TCU over Iowa State- I would love to see a Cyclone victory here, but I don't think that will happen. The Horned Frogs are used to big games while the Cyclones are new to them.
Notre Dame over NC St- This should be a fantastic game, but the Irish prevail at home over the Wolfpack.
Washington over UCLA- The Huskies should crush the Bruins at home, which means it will probably be close (or an upset!).
Mich St over Northwestern- The Spartans are fighting to stay alive in the division race, and may be caught looking ahead to their games against Ohio St and Penn St. The Wildcats are fighting to be bowl eligible. Should be a tough, hard fought contest.
Troy over Ga Sou- I see the Eagles coming out fired up, but the Trojans are the much better team, and will win going away.
App St over UMass- The Minutemen finally got a victory, but the Mountaineers should win easily.
La Tech over Rice- Neither team is particularly good, but the Bulldogs should roll over the Owls.
Maryland over Indiana- The Terrapins should prevail at home in this contest of mediocre teams, but it will be close.
USF over Houston- The Bulls continue to roll toward their showdown with UCF, but the Cougars will give them a fight!
S Carolina over Vandy- Will Muschamp has quietly put together a decent team. Frankly, the Gamecocks concern me more than the Gators do...
WKU over FAU- The Hilltoppers will face a stern test from the Owls, but the better team should win at home.
UCF over Austin Peay- The Knights will roll in this replacement game due to Hurricane Irma.
La-Monroe over Idaho- Another game that could go either way.
Oregon over Utah- I have no idea who will win this, so I'm going with the home team. Besides, the Utes have burned me too often in the past.
Texas St over C Carolina- When the Sun Belt gets into conference play, anyone can win.
Missouri over UConn- A bad Tigers team should have no problems with a worse Huskies team.
N Texas over ODU- The Mean Green should roll over the Monarchs.
Iowa over Minn- The Hawkeyes should win this game at home between 2 evenly matched teams.
S Miss over UAB- The Golden Eagles should have no problems with the Blazers. UAB is not quite ready to challenge the top teams in Conference USA.
Texas A&M over Miss St- The Aggies have the better overall team, but this will be a close, hard fought game for the chance to challenge for second in the SEC West.
Va Tech over Duke- The Blue Devils are a decent team, but not on the level of the Hokies.
Wyoming over New Mexico- The Cowboys get it done at home against the Lobos.
Tennessee over Kentucky- The Wildcats are the popular pick, but I'm not falling for that again (see the Florida game). Besides, The Volunteers have won 31 of the last 32 meetings (real research!). The Wildcats could pull it out, but I see them finding a way to lose at the end.
Nebraska over Purdue- Let's be honest: neither team is good, but Nebraska will win on the road.
Clemson over Ga Tech- If the Tigers are going to stumble again it will be against the Yellow Jackets, especially with the injury problems at QB. But Clemson has had 2 weeks to prepare for the Jacket offense, and should be ready to win a low scoring game.
Oklahoma over Texas Tech- If this game is close, I'll really be surprised.
UTSA over UTEP- The Miners may get their first win here, especially at home, but I believe the Roadrunners are just a little better.
Ark St over N Mex St- The Red Wolves are the class of the SBC, but I bet the Aggies will keep it close. Through the first quarter...
Arizona over Wash St- The Wildcats have found their QB, and I don't think anyone can stop him. The question is whether the Arizona defense can stop Luke Falk and the Cougar offense. I foresee a shootout.
Fresno St over UNLV- The Bulldogs have been the surprise team of the MWC. It would be a surprise if the Rebels pull the upset.
Boise St over Utah St- Like Stanford, the Broncos are back.
Ariz St over USC- The Sun Devils surprise the Trojans at home.
San Diego St over Hawaii- While the Rainbow Warriors are tough at home, I don't see the Aztecs losing 2 in a row.
There you have it! Until next time, may your day and your loved ones be blessed!
There are also several other top games, so without further ado, let's get to my picks!
Last week was another mediocre week of picking as I finished 41-16, for only 71.9%. Overall, I dropped to 393-121, or 76.5%. Hopefully, I'll do much better this week...
Thursday
N Illinois over E Mich- Though the Eagles tend to play everyone tough, the Huskies are just too good.
Toledo over Ball St- The Rockets are the cream of the MAC, and won't lose to the Cardinals on the road.
S Alabama over Ga State- While I would love for the Panthers to get a victory at home, the Jaguars are the better team.
Stanford over Oregon St- The Cardinal has hit their stride and are really rolling after stumbling early in the season; the Beavers are just stumbling.
Friday
Memphis over Tulane- The Tigers are a pretty good team, but the Green Wave could pull the upset. This is a strange Tulane team...
Boston College over FSU- The Eagles have really improved, while the Seminoles seem to have fallen apart. Can they right the ship and make it to a bowl game? They need to win this one if that is to happen.
SMU over Tulsa- The Golden Hurricanes are another weird team, winning when they shouldn't, and losing when they shouldn't. I don't think I've been right on Tulsa all year...
Saturday
Akron over Buffalo- The Zips are a good MAC team, capable of beating any team in the conference. The Bulls are mediocre at best, and I don't see them winning on the road.
Wisconsin over Illinois- The Badgers continue their easy schedule with a win over the Illini.
Miami over UNC- One of these days, the Tar Heels are going to win again, and when they do, it will be a big upset. The Hurricanes better guard against a letdown, as I see this as a possible trap game. One of the knocks against Coach Mark Richt at Georgia was that his teams always lost one game a year they shouldn't (you could also say that about Nick Saban, because his team is always favored). Could this be that game this year?
Okla St over W Va- This is an elimination game in the conference, with the loser dropping 2 games behind TCU, and both having already lost to the Horned Frogs. The winner is still technically alive in the race, but must keep winning and hope the Frogs lose 2 (or hope for a 3-or-more-way-tie at the top).
Michigan over Rutgers- These teams are tied for 4th place in the division, and I'm tempted to pick the Scarlet Knights, as they have surprised me the last two weeks, but the Wolverine defense is too strong. If Rutgers wins this..
Ole Miss over Arkansas- Even with Shea Patterson's injury, the Rebels are the better team.
Texas over Baylor- The Bears are going to finish a game one of these days and wind up with a win. But not against the Longhorns.
Louisville over Wake Forest- Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals are just too good for the Demon Deacons to keep up with. Should be a blowout.
Virginia over Pitt- Despite the Panthers' win last week, I still believe in this Cavaliers team. Should be a close one, though.
Cal over Colorado- I'm done with picking the Buffalos...
Marshall over FIU- The Thundering Herd is one of the surprise teams in all of CFB. They should be able to handle a mediocre Panthers team at home.
Kansas St over Kansas- The Jayhawks are just plain awful. The Wildcats are better, which isn't saying much...
Colo St over Air Force- The Rams better be careful as this Falcons team is battle tested. I predict a close game that could go either way at the end.
BYU over San Jose St- Two terrible teams, but the Cougars should prevail at home over the Spartans.
Georgia over Florida- This game would make Florida's season if they won, and ruin Georgia's. I don't see that happening. Florida may keep it close for a while, but I expect the score to be closer to 1985 than to 1983.
Ohio St over Penn St- Penn State has had a slightly more difficult schedule than Ohio State, who has feasted on patsies since losing to Oklahoma. If there were any way they could both lose...
TCU over Iowa State- I would love to see a Cyclone victory here, but I don't think that will happen. The Horned Frogs are used to big games while the Cyclones are new to them.
Notre Dame over NC St- This should be a fantastic game, but the Irish prevail at home over the Wolfpack.
Washington over UCLA- The Huskies should crush the Bruins at home, which means it will probably be close (or an upset!).
Mich St over Northwestern- The Spartans are fighting to stay alive in the division race, and may be caught looking ahead to their games against Ohio St and Penn St. The Wildcats are fighting to be bowl eligible. Should be a tough, hard fought contest.
Troy over Ga Sou- I see the Eagles coming out fired up, but the Trojans are the much better team, and will win going away.
App St over UMass- The Minutemen finally got a victory, but the Mountaineers should win easily.
La Tech over Rice- Neither team is particularly good, but the Bulldogs should roll over the Owls.
Maryland over Indiana- The Terrapins should prevail at home in this contest of mediocre teams, but it will be close.
USF over Houston- The Bulls continue to roll toward their showdown with UCF, but the Cougars will give them a fight!
S Carolina over Vandy- Will Muschamp has quietly put together a decent team. Frankly, the Gamecocks concern me more than the Gators do...
WKU over FAU- The Hilltoppers will face a stern test from the Owls, but the better team should win at home.
UCF over Austin Peay- The Knights will roll in this replacement game due to Hurricane Irma.
La-Monroe over Idaho- Another game that could go either way.
Oregon over Utah- I have no idea who will win this, so I'm going with the home team. Besides, the Utes have burned me too often in the past.
Texas St over C Carolina- When the Sun Belt gets into conference play, anyone can win.
Missouri over UConn- A bad Tigers team should have no problems with a worse Huskies team.
N Texas over ODU- The Mean Green should roll over the Monarchs.
Iowa over Minn- The Hawkeyes should win this game at home between 2 evenly matched teams.
S Miss over UAB- The Golden Eagles should have no problems with the Blazers. UAB is not quite ready to challenge the top teams in Conference USA.
Texas A&M over Miss St- The Aggies have the better overall team, but this will be a close, hard fought game for the chance to challenge for second in the SEC West.
Va Tech over Duke- The Blue Devils are a decent team, but not on the level of the Hokies.
Wyoming over New Mexico- The Cowboys get it done at home against the Lobos.
Tennessee over Kentucky- The Wildcats are the popular pick, but I'm not falling for that again (see the Florida game). Besides, The Volunteers have won 31 of the last 32 meetings (real research!). The Wildcats could pull it out, but I see them finding a way to lose at the end.
Nebraska over Purdue- Let's be honest: neither team is good, but Nebraska will win on the road.
Clemson over Ga Tech- If the Tigers are going to stumble again it will be against the Yellow Jackets, especially with the injury problems at QB. But Clemson has had 2 weeks to prepare for the Jacket offense, and should be ready to win a low scoring game.
Oklahoma over Texas Tech- If this game is close, I'll really be surprised.
UTSA over UTEP- The Miners may get their first win here, especially at home, but I believe the Roadrunners are just a little better.
Ark St over N Mex St- The Red Wolves are the class of the SBC, but I bet the Aggies will keep it close. Through the first quarter...
Arizona over Wash St- The Wildcats have found their QB, and I don't think anyone can stop him. The question is whether the Arizona defense can stop Luke Falk and the Cougar offense. I foresee a shootout.
Fresno St over UNLV- The Bulldogs have been the surprise team of the MWC. It would be a surprise if the Rebels pull the upset.
Boise St over Utah St- Like Stanford, the Broncos are back.
Ariz St over USC- The Sun Devils surprise the Trojans at home.
San Diego St over Hawaii- While the Rainbow Warriors are tough at home, I don't see the Aztecs losing 2 in a row.
There you have it! Until next time, may your day and your loved ones be blessed!
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