Paul Prattles On

Welcome Back! What an exciting 9th weekend of college football! We had exciting finishes, big games, and everything else that makes CFB so great! In the lone FBS vs FCS game, UMass got their 2nd win of the season. Here are my thoughts on the FBS vs FBS games. Sam Houston  started the week off by eking by FIU 10-7. The Bearkats got back on the winning side while the Panthers fell to their 3rd straight loss. SHS can make the CUSA CG by winning the rest of their games. La Tech defeated UTEP 14-10, as apparently the CUSA has turned into a defensive league. Neither team will make the CG, but the Bulldogs could have a say in who does, as they still have to play 3 of the 4 contenders. Winless Kennesaw State shocked everyone when they upended undefeated Liberty 27-24. The Owls earned their 1st win as an FBS team, their 1st win over an FBS opponent as an FBS team, and their 1st CUSA win. The Flames had won 18 of their previous 19 games. Liberty still in the CUSA chase, and still contro...

Welcome Back! I had another mediocre week, going 42-17, a winning percentage of 71.2%. There are 57 games this week, just a few less than last week, so I sure hope I do a lot better. Games are much harder to predict now that we have moved into conference play, where there are all these rivalries. Overall, I am 396-124, a percentage of 76.2%, and a decrease of 0.6% from last week. I'm below 80% overall, and won't get back there, but I can still reach my "realistic" goal of 75%. So far, I am 2-2 after the early games, but in my defense, I would have had to have traveled back in time from the future to have foreseen Kennesaw State beating Liberty.  So... on with the picks! Thursday, October 24 Georgia Southern @ ODU - The Eagles lead the series 3-1, but the Monarchs won 20-17 last year, and all the games have been relatively close (biggest MOV is 14 points). GS is 3-0 in the SBC, and 2 of the 3 wins were of the convincing variety. ODU has won 2 straight by a combined 17 ...

Welcome Back! Before I get to this week's interesting tidbits, there are some games being played tonight. Wednesday, October 23 Liberty @ Kennesaw State - The Flames lead the series 2-1, with the Owls winning the most recent matchup in 2017. Much has changed since they last met, as KSU is 0-6/0-2 in their 1st year at the FBS level, and LU is 5-0/3-0. The Flames have 2 wins by 7 points or less, while the Owls had their closest loss last week, by 9 points to MTSU. Like Sam Houston last year, KSU has done OK on defense for the most part, but have only scored more than 16 points in a game once (24 vs Jax St). Liberty wins big. Middle Tennessee @ Jacksonville State - These teams 1st met in 1927, and they played 12 times through 1960. They next played 5 times from 1984-1997, until JSU won last year by a score of 45-30. Overall, the Blue Raiders lead the series 14-2-2, with JSU getting their other win in 1960. This year, the Gamecocks had a rough start, but are on a 3-game winning streak,...

Welcome Back! Before I present my Power Rankings, this week continues those maddening mid-week games. Here are my picks for tonight's games. Tuesday, October 22 Sam Houston @ FIU - The Panthers won the only previous meeting between these 2 teams, 33-27 in 2 OTs. This year, FIU is only 2-5 and 1-2 in CUSA, as they have lost 2 in a row. Meanwhile, the Bearkats are 5-2/2-1, but lost by 17 last week to WKU at home. SHS wins this cat fight. Or should I say Kat fight? UTEP @ La Tech - The Bulldogs lead this series 16-3-1, winning the last 2, and they are 8-1 in games played in Louisiana. The series began in 1939, and they played each year through 1942, then play agian until 1991, and then again until 2001. LT is 2-4/1-2, but have lost 4 of their last 5. The Miners are 1-6/1-3, and they are coming off of a 9-point win against FIU. UTEP has lost 5 road games in a row. The Bulldogs have had 1 less day to prepare than the Miners, and they lost to FIU by 7 in their CUSA opener. UTEP wins in a...