Record
Week 1…..8-1
Week 2…..5-0
Week 3…..2-3
Week 4…..5-0
Week 5…..4-1
Overall..…24-5
Review/Preview:
Let’s see, 8-1, 5-0, 2-3, 5-0…if my pattern holds then I’m going to fail miserably at my picks this week. Things went well last week, as evidenced by a 5-0 record. Apparently a lot of people were shocked that Kansas State beat Oklahoma, but I called that one and I feel good about it. This week there are two Top 25 match-ups on our slate, as well as the obligatory UGA pick. We have two SEC conference games, two Big Ten games, and a Big XII match-up. Don’t worry PAC-12, we still know you’re there. But we are deliberately ignoring the ACC this week.
Let’s see, 8-1, 5-0, 2-3, 5-0…if my pattern holds then I’m going to fail miserably at my picks this week. Things went well last week, as evidenced by a 5-0 record. Apparently a lot of people were shocked that Kansas State beat Oklahoma, but I called that one and I feel good about it. This week there are two Top 25 match-ups on our slate, as well as the obligatory UGA pick. We have two SEC conference games, two Big Ten games, and a Big XII match-up. Don’t worry PAC-12, we still know you’re there. But we are deliberately ignoring the ACC this week.
The Games:
14 Ohio State at 20 Michigan State .....INCORRECT
Quick, name the teams in the Big Ten Leaders division. If you are like me and trying to remember things off the top of your head, you might’ve thought that Michigan State and Ohio State were in the same division. But the Big Ten eschewed geographic divisions for the sake of naming themselves Leaders and Legends (because when I think about the legends of football, I think Northwestern and Minnesota). The Buckeyes have a solid QB threat in Braxton Miller. Head coach Urban Meyer has Ohio State believing that they can play with any team in the country. But they’re at Michigan State, and Sparty is not happy. The 20-3 loss to Notre Dame still smarts, and a 23-7 victory over Eastern Michigan did not salve the wounds. Look for MSU to come out strong. Ohio State hangs with them, but I think Sparty gets the win.
FINAL SCORE: Michigan State 28, Ohio State 26
Quick, name the teams in the Big Ten Leaders division. If you are like me and trying to remember things off the top of your head, you might’ve thought that Michigan State and Ohio State were in the same division. But the Big Ten eschewed geographic divisions for the sake of naming themselves Leaders and Legends (because when I think about the legends of football, I think Northwestern and Minnesota). The Buckeyes have a solid QB threat in Braxton Miller. Head coach Urban Meyer has Ohio State believing that they can play with any team in the country. But they’re at Michigan State, and Sparty is not happy. The 20-3 loss to Notre Dame still smarts, and a 23-7 victory over Eastern Michigan did not salve the wounds. Look for MSU to come out strong. Ohio State hangs with them, but I think Sparty gets the win.
FINAL SCORE: Michigan State 28, Ohio State 26
Arkansas at Texas A&M .....CORRECT
Does the freefall continue for Arkansas? The Razorbacks haven’t so much fallen from grace as face-planted on asphalt from it. John L. Smith is becoming a laughingstock for his weekly pressers, and Tyler Wilson is almost a non-factor in games. Losing to Alabama is understandable. Losing to Rutgers is questionable. Losing to Louisiana-Monroe is inexcusable. Losing those three games by a combined score of 121-57 is not even recognizable as SEC football, especially for a team with the expectations Arkansas carried in the preseason. On the other side of the ball, Texas A&M came off the loss to Florida as a better team, having outscored their last two opponents by 101 points. Arkansas may make this one respectable, but I think A&M picks up their first SEC victory.FINAL SCORE: Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 28
Tennessee at 5 Georgia .....CORRECT
Georgia is on a roll. Saturday night against Vanderbilt they played like one of the five best teams in the country. In Vanderbilt’s five previous SEC games, the Commodores had been within a touchdown of their opponents. (We know Vandy isn’t a powerhouse, but James Franklin is slowly turning the program around.) Then Georgia beat them 48-3. Georgia’s offense is electric. The Dawgs have score 40+ points in their first four games for the first time in school history and carry an average margin of victory of 31 points. QB Aaron Murray has a plethora of weapons and the freshman running back tandem of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall is developing into one of the best backfields in the nation. And the defense has been playing shorthanded all season. Until now, that is. If reports are to be believed, this weekend’s match-up with the Vols will see Georgia’s defense back at full strength, as Bacarri Rambo and Alec Ogletree come off suspension. You just thought Georgia’s defense was scary before. Starting Saturday, the Dawgs will have everyone back, and will have everyone in the natural positions. I would not want to be Tennessee right now.FINAL SCORE: Georgia 41, Tennessee 14
Wisconsin at 22 Nebraska .....CORRECT
Can things get worse for Wisconsin? Of course they can, just ask Arkansas. Wisconsin’s biggest margin of victory is 11 points. Much was expected of Wisconsin and while the Badgers are 3-1, they’ve been far from impressive. The loss to Oregon State is what stands out in most people’s mind. (Oregon State recently beat UCLA, who recently beat Nebraska.) The Cornhuskers, on the other hand, are also 3-1, but they are averaging winning by just over 41 points (Wisconsin’s average margin of victory is 6). QB Taylor Martinez is completing over 70% of his passes with 9 touchdowns to only 1 interception. As a team, Nebraska has rushed for 1270 yards in four games (average of 317.5 per game). Nebraska goes to 4-1 on the season.
FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 27, Wisconsin 14
Can things get worse for Wisconsin? Of course they can, just ask Arkansas. Wisconsin’s biggest margin of victory is 11 points. Much was expected of Wisconsin and while the Badgers are 3-1, they’ve been far from impressive. The loss to Oregon State is what stands out in most people’s mind. (Oregon State recently beat UCLA, who recently beat Nebraska.) The Cornhuskers, on the other hand, are also 3-1, but they are averaging winning by just over 41 points (Wisconsin’s average margin of victory is 6). QB Taylor Martinez is completing over 70% of his passes with 9 touchdowns to only 1 interception. As a team, Nebraska has rushed for 1270 yards in four games (average of 317.5 per game). Nebraska goes to 4-1 on the season.
FINAL SCORE: Nebraska 27, Wisconsin 14
25 Baylor at 9 West Virginia .....CORRECT
West Virginia should’ve rolled Maryland last week, but only escaped with a ten-point victory. The Mountaineers were supposed to be the offensive class of the Big XII (or the Texas Ten, however you prefer to reference the conference). It looks more and more like Kansas State is the team to beat, though. West Virginia has a chance to make a statement this weekend against Baylor. The Bears are in the Top 25, but not for long. I still think the Big XII comes down to an October 20 meeting in Morgantown between WVU and K-State. Baylor is just in the wrong place at the wrong time.FINAL SCORE: West Virginia 38, Baylor 20
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