The Ugly Slide Continues

     I'm going to go old school on you.
     Many years ago in a galaxy far far away, there was a radio show on fall Saturday mornings called Leonard's Losers. Leonard was a Georgia guy and his method of operation was to use colorful language to pick losers, not winners. Clemson was the Pickens County Felines. Georgia was the Red Clay Hounds. South Carolina was the Columbia Poultry House. Georgia Tech was the 10th Avenue Bees. And Leonard was pretty good at picking losers.
     My point is this. I am following in Leonard's foot steps by successfully picking losers. I have picked just four winners in the past two weeks. The season record now stands at 10 games under .500. There is serious work to do.
     As always, the picks are against the spread and for entertainment purposes only. Because the Clemson line was late being posted, there are 11 games on the slate this week.
     And away we go.

     Friday
     Georgia Tech at Louisville +4.5 -- Two teams whose seasons are on the brink hook up on a Friday night in the former Pizza Stadium. (I think Friday night should be for preps, but ESPN thinks differently). Louisville flat blew a game against Florida State by throwing a late interception. Georgia Tech hasn't won a road game since its trip to Georgia in 2016. Something has to give. I like Tech's rushing attack against Louisville's questionable defense. Pick -- Georgia Tech

     Saturday
     Missouri at South Carolina -1.0 -- South Carolina has issues at quarterback. Heck, after last week's fifth straight loss to Kentucky, the Gamecocks just have issues. Missouri quarterback Drew Lock is being touted as a future NFL quarterback. I know Missouri can score. Can South Carolina score? Pick -- Missouri
     Vanderbilt at Georgia -26.5 -- Georgia has been in cruise control the last two weeks, but there is some pressure on the Bulldogs. The media and the fans want more. Much more. They want to see the Dawgs step up and play like a playoff team. Vandy will serve as a good warm up for what lies ahead -- a trip to the Bayou next week. Pick -- Georgia
     Clemson at Wake Forest -19.0 -- Last Saturday at Death Valley will live in Clemson lore forever. The Tigers stared a massive amount of adversity in the face and survived against a solid Syracuse team. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence returns after getting knocked out of last week's game with what turned out to be a strained neck. Wake's extremely fast offense will give Clemson trouble for a quarter or two, but I think the Tigers will get a handle on it. I am picking the Tigers to cover, but I am not real confident. Pick -- Clemson
     Texas vs. Oklahoma -8.0 at Dallas -- A college football classic. The Red River Showdown. The Texas State Fair, where they fry everything. The Cotton Bowl. Texas fell flat in week one against Maryland, but the Longhorns have been making steady improvement. To this point, I don't think we know a whole lot about Oklahoma. Pick -- Texas
     Boston College at N.C. State -4.5 -- N.C. State quarterback Ryan Finley is the best quarterback in the ACC. Boston College running back AJ Dillon, who is No. 3 in FBS in rushing, is struggling with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. I think home field will be the difference in this one. Pick -- N.C. State
     Florida State at Miami -13.0 -- The Seminoles got extremely lucky last week at Louisville. They won't be so lucky this week. Pick -- Miami
     LSU at Florida +2.5 -- Florida can't score. LSU has an excellent defense. Take the Bayou Bengals. Pick -- LSU
     Kentucky at Texas A&M -5.5 -- Kentucky's feel-good story will hit a big pot hole in College Station. Pick -- Texas A&M
     Notre Dame at Virginia Tech +6.0 -- The Irish are starting to talk about the College Football Playoffs, which means it is about time for them to lay an egg. Say hello to Blacksburg, Va., on a Saturday night. Enter Sandman. Pick -- Virginia Tech
     Syracuse at Pittsburgh +3.5 -- The main question here is will Syracuse have any hang over from last week's tough loss at Clemson. It may take the Orange a quarter or two, but I think they can handle the woeful Panthers. Pick -- Syracuse

     Last Week -- 3-7
     For The Season -- 19-29-1