Thursday, October 4, 2018
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
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Picks Machine Has Massive Meltdown
Pride cometh before the fall. Sometimes you have to relearn a little life lesson. Get a little bit cocky and you get punched in the face.
Last week's record was the worst in the history of this blog -- 1-9. The only thing between me and a doughnut was Virginia's pounding of a hapless Louisville squad.
From this point, the only thing to do is get up off the turf and try again. So that's what we're going to do. The season record is now 16-22-1. The immediate goal is to get back to .500.
As always, picks are against the spread and for entertainment purposes only. Here are this week's selections.
Syracuse at Clemson -25.5 -- Interesting tidbit on this game. When Kelly Bryant decided to pick up his ball and go home, the line went up three points. Trevor Lawrence has demonstrated he can run the offense and distribute the ball. Syracuse dominated a listless Clemson team last year on a Friday night. The memory of that game still stings. Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungy runs an incredibly fast offense and is excellent on RPO plays. The Orange know they can beat Clemson because they did it last year. After an emotional week in Clemson, I think the Tigers will win, but I also think the line is too high. Pick -- Clemson
South Carolina at Kentucky -1.5 -- The Wildcats have won four in a row against the Gamecocks. Make it five. Pick -- Kentucky
Tennessee at Georgia -31.5 -- The Bulldogs will add several barrels of fuel to the Vol dumpster fire. Pick -- Georgia
West Virginia at Texas Tech +3.5 -- After dominating Oklahoma State in Stillwater last week, the Red Raiders return home face Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier and the high-flying Mountaineers. Any game involving Texas Tech means a lot of points. I smell an upset. Pick -- Texas Tech
Virginia at N.C. State -5.5 -- Improving Virginia gets a dose of reality in Raleigh. Pick -- N.C. State
Florida State at Louisville +6.5 -- Remember when this matchup was highly anticipated? It wasn't that long ago. Both of these programs are searching for something, anything, to give them a spark. Both offenses are a mess. It is difficult to pick the Seminoles and give the points, but the Cardinals are that bad. Pick -- Florida State
Michigan at Northwestern +14 -- Jeremy Larkin, Northwestern's leading rusher, had to retire this week because of a neck condition. Northwestern's offense was struggling with Larkin. It will really struggle now. The Wolverines should roll. Pick -- Michigan
Florida at Mississippi State -8.0 -- Interesting line considering Florida rolled Tennessee in Knoxville, while Mississippi State took a beating in Bluegrass Country. Florida head coach Dan Mullen returns to Stark-Vegas. They will be waiting on him. Pick -- Mississippi State
Virginia Tech at Duke -5.0 -- Coming off a shocking loss to Old Dominion, the Hokies travel to undefeated Duke. Both teams have had to adjust to losing their starting quarterbacks to injury. Duke has had more time to adjust. Pick -- Duke
Ohio State at Penn State +3.5 -- Winner of this game becomes the Big Ten favorite to make the College Football Playoff. White out conditions in Happy Valley, so the environment will be tough on the Buckeyes. Take the points. Pick -- Penn State
Last Week -- 1-9
Season To Date -- 16-22-1
Last week's record was the worst in the history of this blog -- 1-9. The only thing between me and a doughnut was Virginia's pounding of a hapless Louisville squad.
From this point, the only thing to do is get up off the turf and try again. So that's what we're going to do. The season record is now 16-22-1. The immediate goal is to get back to .500.
As always, picks are against the spread and for entertainment purposes only. Here are this week's selections.
Syracuse at Clemson -25.5 -- Interesting tidbit on this game. When Kelly Bryant decided to pick up his ball and go home, the line went up three points. Trevor Lawrence has demonstrated he can run the offense and distribute the ball. Syracuse dominated a listless Clemson team last year on a Friday night. The memory of that game still stings. Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungy runs an incredibly fast offense and is excellent on RPO plays. The Orange know they can beat Clemson because they did it last year. After an emotional week in Clemson, I think the Tigers will win, but I also think the line is too high. Pick -- Clemson
South Carolina at Kentucky -1.5 -- The Wildcats have won four in a row against the Gamecocks. Make it five. Pick -- Kentucky
Tennessee at Georgia -31.5 -- The Bulldogs will add several barrels of fuel to the Vol dumpster fire. Pick -- Georgia
West Virginia at Texas Tech +3.5 -- After dominating Oklahoma State in Stillwater last week, the Red Raiders return home face Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier and the high-flying Mountaineers. Any game involving Texas Tech means a lot of points. I smell an upset. Pick -- Texas Tech
Virginia at N.C. State -5.5 -- Improving Virginia gets a dose of reality in Raleigh. Pick -- N.C. State
Florida State at Louisville +6.5 -- Remember when this matchup was highly anticipated? It wasn't that long ago. Both of these programs are searching for something, anything, to give them a spark. Both offenses are a mess. It is difficult to pick the Seminoles and give the points, but the Cardinals are that bad. Pick -- Florida State
Michigan at Northwestern +14 -- Jeremy Larkin, Northwestern's leading rusher, had to retire this week because of a neck condition. Northwestern's offense was struggling with Larkin. It will really struggle now. The Wolverines should roll. Pick -- Michigan
Florida at Mississippi State -8.0 -- Interesting line considering Florida rolled Tennessee in Knoxville, while Mississippi State took a beating in Bluegrass Country. Florida head coach Dan Mullen returns to Stark-Vegas. They will be waiting on him. Pick -- Mississippi State
Virginia Tech at Duke -5.0 -- Coming off a shocking loss to Old Dominion, the Hokies travel to undefeated Duke. Both teams have had to adjust to losing their starting quarterbacks to injury. Duke has had more time to adjust. Pick -- Duke
Ohio State at Penn State +3.5 -- Winner of this game becomes the Big Ten favorite to make the College Football Playoff. White out conditions in Happy Valley, so the environment will be tough on the Buckeyes. Take the points. Pick -- Penn State
Last Week -- 1-9
Season To Date -- 16-22-1
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Sterling Week Pushes Record Above .500
It's time to brag. After two mediocre weeks, the Picks Machine heated up last week to produce a sterling 6-2-1 record. Georgia Tech and Houston provided the only blemishes on last week's picks. And one game -- Marshall at South Carolina -- was lost to Hurricane Florence.
I am calling this Road Warrior Saturday. Clemson, Georgia, and South Carolina all have interesting/scary road contests with point spreads that force you to take a second look. And a third look.
Any time Clemson is favored by more than two touchdowns it is difficult to take the Tigers because they rarely pull away and have a bad habit of letting the opposition hang around. Georgia has looked impressive early and is a two-touchdown favorite at Missouri. Mizzou, whose offensive coordinator is Derek Dooley, son of Georgia's legendary Vince Dooley, has a high-scoring offense. Question is can Mizzou score on the Junkyard Dawgs? South Carolina has won nine straight against Vandy. The Commodores gave Notre Dame all it wanted last Saturday in South Bend. Be extremely careful Gamecocks.
All picks are against the spread and are for entertainment purposes only.
Here are this week's selections.
Georgia at Missouri +14 -- This is an interesting trip for the Dawgs. Georgia has stomped the opposition so far this season. Missouri has scored 40 or more points in its three games. To date, the Dawgs have looked the part of a playoff team. I believe the Georgia defense will lock down the Missouri offense. Pick -- Georgia
Clemson at Georgia Tech +16.5 -- Clemson has yet to find its rhythm this season. Paul Johnson is crankier than usual because his football team is a three-alarm dumpster fire. Tech will be excited to be at home but that excitement will last for just a short period of time. Talent should take over. Strange things can happen at Grant Field. I think this spread is too high, but the Tigers will survive. Pick -- Georgia Tech.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt +2.0 -- South Carolina has owned Vandy. The Commodores can play defense. I expect a titanic struggle in Nashville. Pick -- Vanderbilt
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State +13.0 -- Buckle your seat belts for this one. Both of these teams can score. And score a lot. Texas Tech wiped out Houston last week. The Red Raiders have scored 140 points in the last two games. The Pokes have played well with senior quarterback Taylor "Corn Dog" Cornelius at the controls. Oklahoma State is 3-0 but has yet to play a Power Five team. With an over/under of 77.5, Vegas is expecting a shootout. Pick -- Oklahoma State
Notre Dame at Wake Forest +7.5 -- The Irish hit the road for the first time. The Domers have beaten three opponents by an average of 6.6 points per game. The Deacons dropped a narrow decision to Boston College last week. I expect an inspired effort from the Deacons. Pick -- Wake Forest
Boston College at Purdue +6.5 -- BC running back A.J. Dillon is the real deal. Purdue is 0-3 and has lost three games by an average of 2.6 points per game. Is this week the Boilermakers break through? Nope. Pick -- Boston College
Louisville at Virginia -5.0 -- Interesting matchup between two 2-1 teams. Louisville by beaten two cupcakes since getting blasted by Alabama in the opener. Virginia put in some extra effort -- at trip to Nashville -- to get last week's victory against Ohio. I think the point spread is for the home field. Pick -- Virginia
Texas A&M at Alabama -27.0 -- Alabama is showing no signs of letting up. It will take a perfect game by the opposition to have any chance against the Tide. The Aggies will get plowed. Pick -- Alabama
TCU at Texas +3.5 -- The No. 1 question surrounding this game -- After the physical battle with Ohio State, will the Frogs be able to pump up their emotional balloon for the Longhorns? I think the Frogs defense will be the difference. Pick -- TCU
Florida at Tennessee +4.5 -- The Rebuilding Bowl takes place this Saturday in Knoxville. A loss for the Gators would end any hope of the SEC East title before the end of September. That's tough to take. Tennessee has had a lot of bad luck against Florida. I think that changes Saturday. Pick -- Tennessee
Last Week -- 6-2-1
For The Season -- 15-13-1
I am calling this Road Warrior Saturday. Clemson, Georgia, and South Carolina all have interesting/scary road contests with point spreads that force you to take a second look. And a third look.
Any time Clemson is favored by more than two touchdowns it is difficult to take the Tigers because they rarely pull away and have a bad habit of letting the opposition hang around. Georgia has looked impressive early and is a two-touchdown favorite at Missouri. Mizzou, whose offensive coordinator is Derek Dooley, son of Georgia's legendary Vince Dooley, has a high-scoring offense. Question is can Mizzou score on the Junkyard Dawgs? South Carolina has won nine straight against Vandy. The Commodores gave Notre Dame all it wanted last Saturday in South Bend. Be extremely careful Gamecocks.
All picks are against the spread and are for entertainment purposes only.
Here are this week's selections.
Georgia at Missouri +14 -- This is an interesting trip for the Dawgs. Georgia has stomped the opposition so far this season. Missouri has scored 40 or more points in its three games. To date, the Dawgs have looked the part of a playoff team. I believe the Georgia defense will lock down the Missouri offense. Pick -- Georgia
Clemson at Georgia Tech +16.5 -- Clemson has yet to find its rhythm this season. Paul Johnson is crankier than usual because his football team is a three-alarm dumpster fire. Tech will be excited to be at home but that excitement will last for just a short period of time. Talent should take over. Strange things can happen at Grant Field. I think this spread is too high, but the Tigers will survive. Pick -- Georgia Tech.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt +2.0 -- South Carolina has owned Vandy. The Commodores can play defense. I expect a titanic struggle in Nashville. Pick -- Vanderbilt
Texas Tech at Oklahoma State +13.0 -- Buckle your seat belts for this one. Both of these teams can score. And score a lot. Texas Tech wiped out Houston last week. The Red Raiders have scored 140 points in the last two games. The Pokes have played well with senior quarterback Taylor "Corn Dog" Cornelius at the controls. Oklahoma State is 3-0 but has yet to play a Power Five team. With an over/under of 77.5, Vegas is expecting a shootout. Pick -- Oklahoma State
Notre Dame at Wake Forest +7.5 -- The Irish hit the road for the first time. The Domers have beaten three opponents by an average of 6.6 points per game. The Deacons dropped a narrow decision to Boston College last week. I expect an inspired effort from the Deacons. Pick -- Wake Forest
Boston College at Purdue +6.5 -- BC running back A.J. Dillon is the real deal. Purdue is 0-3 and has lost three games by an average of 2.6 points per game. Is this week the Boilermakers break through? Nope. Pick -- Boston College
Louisville at Virginia -5.0 -- Interesting matchup between two 2-1 teams. Louisville by beaten two cupcakes since getting blasted by Alabama in the opener. Virginia put in some extra effort -- at trip to Nashville -- to get last week's victory against Ohio. I think the point spread is for the home field. Pick -- Virginia
Texas A&M at Alabama -27.0 -- Alabama is showing no signs of letting up. It will take a perfect game by the opposition to have any chance against the Tide. The Aggies will get plowed. Pick -- Alabama
TCU at Texas +3.5 -- The No. 1 question surrounding this game -- After the physical battle with Ohio State, will the Frogs be able to pump up their emotional balloon for the Longhorns? I think the Frogs defense will be the difference. Pick -- TCU
Florida at Tennessee +4.5 -- The Rebuilding Bowl takes place this Saturday in Knoxville. A loss for the Gators would end any hope of the SEC East title before the end of September. That's tough to take. Tennessee has had a lot of bad luck against Florida. I think that changes Saturday. Pick -- Tennessee
Last Week -- 6-2-1
For The Season -- 15-13-1
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Mediocre Start Continues
Last week's picks featured the biggest bust to date when I picked Pittsburgh as an upset special. Nice pick. The Panthers got destroyed at home by Penn State and should be happy they only have one more game on the current contact with the Nittany Lions.
I also wiffed badly on Clemson and South Carolina. The Tigers went to College Station and used their same old tired script -- get a two-touchdown lead, sit on it, then cause great anxiety across the Upstate as the opposition takes a final stab at pulling out a victory. South Carolina held on in the first half then got steamrolled in the second half by a more talented Georgia team.
Three bad misses led to a 5-5 record and I remain two games under .500 after two weeks.
As always, all picks are against the spread and for entertainment purposes only.
Let's get to this week's selections.
Boston College at Wake Forest +7 (Thursday) -- I believe Thursday nights (now late afternoon because of Florence) should be for college football only. A college game on Thursday night gets the weekend off to a good start. BC generated a lot of buzz in the preseason. The Eagles have the pieces to be competitive. BC running back A.J. Dillon is considered the best in the ACC. The Deacons can be tough in their own pulpit. A nice early season test for the Eagles. Pick -- Boston College
Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh +5.0 -- Pitt is a major dumpster fire. Tech allowed South Florida to return two kickoff for touchdowns and the Bulls' offensive unit scored pretty much at will against Tech's revamped defense. I am guessing Pitt's offense is worse than Tech's defense. Pick -- Georgia Tech
Boise State at Oklahoma State -3.0 -- This is the most interesting game of the week. Boise State is looking like the Boise State of old. The Cowboys are 2-0 and are still scoring lots of points. Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin doesn't want to hear any talk about Power Five vs. Group of Five. Tough call, but I am going to take the home field. Pick -- Oklahoma State
Georgia Southern at Clemson -34.0 -- Rain and wind from Florence will be a major factor, which will make the +34 difficult to cover for the Tigers. Pick -- Georgia Southern
Marshall at South Carolina -13.5 -- Will the Gamecocks suffered a Dawg hangover? It has happened in the past. But I don't think it will happen this week. Pick -- South Carolina
Florida State at Syracuse +3.5 -- This might be the biggest gift of the weekend. Florida State is a mess. Did Jimbo leave the cupboard bare or is Willie Taggart totally lost? Syracuse is led by fiery quarterback Eric Dungey, who does an excellent job with run-pass options. I think the Noles are in serious trouble. Pick -- Syracuse
LSU at Auburn -9.5 -- This spread looks out of whack. An early SEC showdown on The Plains. I think the difference in the game will be the experience of Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham. But I still think the spread is too high -- LSU
Houston at Texas Tech -1.5 -- After blasting Arizona, Houston travels to Lubbock to face high-scoring Texas Tech in another Power Five vs. Group of Five matchup. The Red Raiders have five starters who are questionable because of injuries. And pressure is mounting on Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury. The Tech administration is expecting Kingsbury to show some improvement this season. Starting 1-2 means you better start working on your resume. Pick -- Houston
Alabama at Ole Miss +21.0 -- With Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback and Nick Saban's angry defense, why would you pick against Bama? Why? Pick -- Alabama
Ohio State vs. TCU +12.5 at Arlington, Texas -- This is the third and final game of Urban Meyer's suspension. The Buckeyes, who have plowed through two cupcakes, hit the road and make a step up in competition. TCU head coach Gary Patterson is known for his defensive units, but the Horned Frogs have slipped recently. I think the Frogs will find a way to inside the spread. Pick -- TCU
Last Week -- 5-5
For The Season -- 9-11
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Off To A Rocky Start, Tigers And Gamecock Face Challenges
After tripping coming out of the gate, let's see if Week Two brings any improvement.
A disappointing 4-6 record in the first week dug us a hole but not a deep hole.
Week Two promises to be more challenging. There are some double-digit spreads but no real layups.
By late Saturday night, we will know much more than we know right now about Clemson and South Carolina. The Tigers travel to Aggieland, while the Gamecocks welcome the SEC East favorite to Williams-Brice.
Here are this week's selections.
Georgia at South Carolina +10 -- South Carolina always seems to play Georgia to the wall. Most everyone expected a blowout in Athens last season, but the Gamecocks hung around all day. The Gamecocks have got some early confidence. Gamecock wide receiver Deebo Samuel made a highlight catch in the first game and there are many more to come. Georgia better bring it. I am expecting a real fistfight. The Gamecocks can't match Georgia's talent, but I do think they will cover. Pick -- South Carolina
Clemson at Texas A&M -12.5 -- The Tigers go on the road for a major challenge. Jimbo Fisher, who knows the Tigers well, is in his first season at A&M and Aggie fans have high expectations. The quotes coming out of College Station this week have been full of confidence. Reading between the lines, there is SEC arrogance in the air. This will be the largest crowd ever to see the Tigers play a game -- more than 102,000. But the Tigers have been in many big-time environments the last five years. The Tigers know when they take the field they are going to get everybody's best shot. I have been nervous about this one the entire off-season. But I am going to trust Clemson's defense lives up to its pre-season billing. Pick -- Clemson
Arizona at Houston -4.5 -- The Kevin Sumlin era in the desert started with a dud as the Wildcats lost to BYU. Sumlin returns to Houston where he used to coach to face a solid Cougar squad. Houston beat crosstown rival Rice in the opener. Houston defensive end Ed Oliver is considered one of the best in the country. Arizona will have to keep Oliver from creating total havoc to have a chance. Pick -- Houston
Colorado at Nebraska -5.0 -- College football needs to give us more games like this. Back in the days of the Big 8, these two schools played on Thanksgiving weekend. Colorado comes to Lincoln after routing Colorado State. Nebraska, thoroughly juiced about new head coach Scott Frost, is still waiting on the Huskers' season to start. Lightning forced the Huskers to cancel their opener against Akron. Colorado is somewhat known. Nebraska is still an unknown. But I expect the emotion of the home crowd to carry the Huskers. Pick -- Nebraska
Iowa State at Iowa -3.5 -- This will be Iowa State's first game. Lightning forced the Cyclones to postpone last week's game against South Dakota State. Iowa recorded a solid victory against Northern Illinois in its opener. Seems strange to play a rivalry this early. Again, I think home field will make the difference. Pick -- Iowa
Wyoming at Missouri -17.5 -- Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl has an impressive record of success against Missouri. As a player, grad assistant and assistant coach at Nebraska, Bohl was 13-1 against the Tigers. But the high-scoring Tigers will hand him an "L" Saturday. Pick -- Missouri
Arkansas at Colorado State +13.0 -- Colorado State is off to an 0-2 start after getting hammered by Colorado last Saturday. The Rams are allowing an average of 44.0 points per game. The last thing a struggling defense needs is to face a fast-paced Chad Morris offense. Pick -- Arkansas
Georgia Tech at South Florida +3.0 -- Is Paul Johnson ever happy? Nope. He is always complaining about something. There is positive talk about Tech's new 3-4 defense and new defensive coordinator Nate Woody. But Tech's offense continues to battle inconsistency. Offensive shootouts are not good for the Jackets. Pick -- South Florida
Penn State at Pittsburgh -8.5 -- There is some good old fashioned hate in this one. Penn State head coach James Franklin has let it be known he thinks the Panthers are not worthy of future games with the high and mighty Nittany Lions. In the history of Penn State football, the Nittany Lions have played more games against Pitt than any other opponent -- 98. Pitt has played just one opponent -- West Virginia -- more than it has Penn State. Penn State almost got "App-ed" last week at home. And angry Pitt team waits for them at Heinz Field. Upset special. -- Pittsburgh
Southern Cal at Stanford -4.5 -- One of the biggest games of the season in the Pac 12 in Week Two. I am a big fan of Stanford head coach David Shaw. I like the way his teams play -- tough and physical. Take the Cardinal at home. Pick -- Stanford
Last Week -- 4-6-0
For The Season -- 4-6-0
A disappointing 4-6 record in the first week dug us a hole but not a deep hole.
Week Two promises to be more challenging. There are some double-digit spreads but no real layups.
By late Saturday night, we will know much more than we know right now about Clemson and South Carolina. The Tigers travel to Aggieland, while the Gamecocks welcome the SEC East favorite to Williams-Brice.
Here are this week's selections.
Georgia at South Carolina +10 -- South Carolina always seems to play Georgia to the wall. Most everyone expected a blowout in Athens last season, but the Gamecocks hung around all day. The Gamecocks have got some early confidence. Gamecock wide receiver Deebo Samuel made a highlight catch in the first game and there are many more to come. Georgia better bring it. I am expecting a real fistfight. The Gamecocks can't match Georgia's talent, but I do think they will cover. Pick -- South Carolina
Clemson at Texas A&M -12.5 -- The Tigers go on the road for a major challenge. Jimbo Fisher, who knows the Tigers well, is in his first season at A&M and Aggie fans have high expectations. The quotes coming out of College Station this week have been full of confidence. Reading between the lines, there is SEC arrogance in the air. This will be the largest crowd ever to see the Tigers play a game -- more than 102,000. But the Tigers have been in many big-time environments the last five years. The Tigers know when they take the field they are going to get everybody's best shot. I have been nervous about this one the entire off-season. But I am going to trust Clemson's defense lives up to its pre-season billing. Pick -- Clemson
Arizona at Houston -4.5 -- The Kevin Sumlin era in the desert started with a dud as the Wildcats lost to BYU. Sumlin returns to Houston where he used to coach to face a solid Cougar squad. Houston beat crosstown rival Rice in the opener. Houston defensive end Ed Oliver is considered one of the best in the country. Arizona will have to keep Oliver from creating total havoc to have a chance. Pick -- Houston
Colorado at Nebraska -5.0 -- College football needs to give us more games like this. Back in the days of the Big 8, these two schools played on Thanksgiving weekend. Colorado comes to Lincoln after routing Colorado State. Nebraska, thoroughly juiced about new head coach Scott Frost, is still waiting on the Huskers' season to start. Lightning forced the Huskers to cancel their opener against Akron. Colorado is somewhat known. Nebraska is still an unknown. But I expect the emotion of the home crowd to carry the Huskers. Pick -- Nebraska
Iowa State at Iowa -3.5 -- This will be Iowa State's first game. Lightning forced the Cyclones to postpone last week's game against South Dakota State. Iowa recorded a solid victory against Northern Illinois in its opener. Seems strange to play a rivalry this early. Again, I think home field will make the difference. Pick -- Iowa
Wyoming at Missouri -17.5 -- Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl has an impressive record of success against Missouri. As a player, grad assistant and assistant coach at Nebraska, Bohl was 13-1 against the Tigers. But the high-scoring Tigers will hand him an "L" Saturday. Pick -- Missouri
Arkansas at Colorado State +13.0 -- Colorado State is off to an 0-2 start after getting hammered by Colorado last Saturday. The Rams are allowing an average of 44.0 points per game. The last thing a struggling defense needs is to face a fast-paced Chad Morris offense. Pick -- Arkansas
Georgia Tech at South Florida +3.0 -- Is Paul Johnson ever happy? Nope. He is always complaining about something. There is positive talk about Tech's new 3-4 defense and new defensive coordinator Nate Woody. But Tech's offense continues to battle inconsistency. Offensive shootouts are not good for the Jackets. Pick -- South Florida
Penn State at Pittsburgh -8.5 -- There is some good old fashioned hate in this one. Penn State head coach James Franklin has let it be known he thinks the Panthers are not worthy of future games with the high and mighty Nittany Lions. In the history of Penn State football, the Nittany Lions have played more games against Pitt than any other opponent -- 98. Pitt has played just one opponent -- West Virginia -- more than it has Penn State. Penn State almost got "App-ed" last week at home. And angry Pitt team waits for them at Heinz Field. Upset special. -- Pittsburgh
Southern Cal at Stanford -4.5 -- One of the biggest games of the season in the Pac 12 in Week Two. I am a big fan of Stanford head coach David Shaw. I like the way his teams play -- tough and physical. Take the Cardinal at home. Pick -- Stanford
Last Week -- 4-6-0
For The Season -- 4-6-0
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
It's Time To Kick It Off
After an August filled with scandal and controversy in college football, it is finally time to get to games. Thank goodness.
Alabama and Clemson both are favorites to reach the College Football Playoff again. Others near the top of the list include Georgia, Ohio State, Washington, and Oklahoma. In other words, the usual suspects. Will there be a surprise this season to shake up the CFP?
In the new world of college football, we don't have to wait until late September until the schedule give us some interesting games. Week One has several awesome match ups.
So, let's get to it.
San Diego State at Stanford +14 -- Interesting California battle to get things started. Under head coach David Shaw, Stanford annually has one of the most physical teams in the Pac 12. The Cardinal are led by Heisman Trophy favorite Bryce Love, a native of North Carolina. How did he get all the way out to Palo Alto? I think Love will make the difference. But doesn't it always? Pick -- Stanford
Texas at Maryland +13.5 -- Maryland was one of the schools rocked by scandal in the off-season. In June, Maryland player Jordan McNair died from a heat stroke. Allegations of player mistreatment started to surface. Maryland head coach D.J. Durkin is on administrative leave while an investigation continues into his program. How will the Terps respond? The Terps surprised the Longhorns last season. Won't happen this time. Pick -- Texas
Oregon State at Ohio State -38.5 -- Speaking of scandal, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has been in the center of a storm for the past month. Weak apologies have not helped his cause. Meyer is serving a three-game suspension. But with three layups on the schedule, the Buckeyes will be 3-0 when he returns to the sideline. Pick -- Ohio State
Furman at Clemson No Line (+29.5) -- There is no line on this one. There are two interesting story lines. How much will the chosen one Trevor Lawrence play? Will Furman quarterback Harris Roberts, an engineering student at Clemson, be able to walk to class under his own power on Monday? I put up a line of +29.5. The Tigers will cover that spread before Dabo reels them in. Pick -- Clemson
Washington vs. Auburn -1.5 at Atlanta, Ga. -- This is a game both teams need for their playoff resumes. Even though this is a "neutral" site, it will be a home game for Auburn. This game features two experienced quarterbacks -- Jake Browning of Washington and Jarrett Stidham of Auburn -- and both teams have stout defenses. The line is based on the location of the game and doesn't mean a whole lot. I'm going to give the points and take the Tigers. Pick -- Auburn
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina -29.5 -- The sidebar to this game is the turf at Williams-Brice. A concert damaged the turf and the entire field was replaced this week. Carolina fans are excited about the return of Deebo Samuel, one of the most dynamic receivers in the country. The Gamecocks will not have a problem with their little brothers from Conway. Pick -- South Carolina
Michigan at Notre Dame -1.0 -- Another Week One slobber knocker. Jim Harbaugh is still trying to live up the hype and noise in Ann Arbor. The independent Irish really need this game for their resume. Two great defenses. Two questionable offenses. Give me the Irish at home. Pick -- Notre Dame
Louisville vs. Alabama -24.5 at Orlando, Fla. -- Looking at that line, somebody in the desert must know something. I know Lamar Jackson is gone, but the Cardinals didn't discontinue the program. Bama is Bama, but I'm going to give Louisville some credit. I think the Cardinals will stay within the spread. Pick -- Louisville
Miami (Fla.) vs. LSU +3.5 at Arlington, Texas -- There are rumblings LSU head coach Ed "Cookie Monster" Orgeron is sitting on a hot seat. Does anyone understand a word Orgeron says? Mark Richt has proven is great college football coach. He got the Hurricanes to 10-0 and a divisional title last season before they hit the wall. His rebuilding project in Coral Gables remains well ahead of schedule. Miami's defense lives off of turnovers. LSU's offense is questionable. Take the Canes. Pick -- Miami.
Virginia Tech at Florida State -7.5 -- The Willie Taggart era begins in Tallahassee with an interesting ACC game on Labor Day night. It was a rough off season in Blacksburg -- departures, suspensions, and dismissals thinned out and already thin roster. Tech head coach Justin Fuente challenged his team to be tougher and more committed. So he dialed it up in the off-season. After tearing up a knee is last season's opener against Alabama, Deondre Francois returns as FSU's starting quarterback. Taggart has brought tempo to the Seminoles' offense. I believe the pace will be too much for the Hokies. Pick -- Florida State
Last Week -- 0-0
For The Season -- 0-0
You want to play along and have some friendly competition? Send your picks before the first game of the week is played to cobbox@aol.com.
Alabama and Clemson both are favorites to reach the College Football Playoff again. Others near the top of the list include Georgia, Ohio State, Washington, and Oklahoma. In other words, the usual suspects. Will there be a surprise this season to shake up the CFP?
In the new world of college football, we don't have to wait until late September until the schedule give us some interesting games. Week One has several awesome match ups.
So, let's get to it.
San Diego State at Stanford +14 -- Interesting California battle to get things started. Under head coach David Shaw, Stanford annually has one of the most physical teams in the Pac 12. The Cardinal are led by Heisman Trophy favorite Bryce Love, a native of North Carolina. How did he get all the way out to Palo Alto? I think Love will make the difference. But doesn't it always? Pick -- Stanford
Texas at Maryland +13.5 -- Maryland was one of the schools rocked by scandal in the off-season. In June, Maryland player Jordan McNair died from a heat stroke. Allegations of player mistreatment started to surface. Maryland head coach D.J. Durkin is on administrative leave while an investigation continues into his program. How will the Terps respond? The Terps surprised the Longhorns last season. Won't happen this time. Pick -- Texas
Oregon State at Ohio State -38.5 -- Speaking of scandal, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has been in the center of a storm for the past month. Weak apologies have not helped his cause. Meyer is serving a three-game suspension. But with three layups on the schedule, the Buckeyes will be 3-0 when he returns to the sideline. Pick -- Ohio State
Furman at Clemson No Line (+29.5) -- There is no line on this one. There are two interesting story lines. How much will the chosen one Trevor Lawrence play? Will Furman quarterback Harris Roberts, an engineering student at Clemson, be able to walk to class under his own power on Monday? I put up a line of +29.5. The Tigers will cover that spread before Dabo reels them in. Pick -- Clemson
Washington vs. Auburn -1.5 at Atlanta, Ga. -- This is a game both teams need for their playoff resumes. Even though this is a "neutral" site, it will be a home game for Auburn. This game features two experienced quarterbacks -- Jake Browning of Washington and Jarrett Stidham of Auburn -- and both teams have stout defenses. The line is based on the location of the game and doesn't mean a whole lot. I'm going to give the points and take the Tigers. Pick -- Auburn
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina -29.5 -- The sidebar to this game is the turf at Williams-Brice. A concert damaged the turf and the entire field was replaced this week. Carolina fans are excited about the return of Deebo Samuel, one of the most dynamic receivers in the country. The Gamecocks will not have a problem with their little brothers from Conway. Pick -- South Carolina
Michigan at Notre Dame -1.0 -- Another Week One slobber knocker. Jim Harbaugh is still trying to live up the hype and noise in Ann Arbor. The independent Irish really need this game for their resume. Two great defenses. Two questionable offenses. Give me the Irish at home. Pick -- Notre Dame
Louisville vs. Alabama -24.5 at Orlando, Fla. -- Looking at that line, somebody in the desert must know something. I know Lamar Jackson is gone, but the Cardinals didn't discontinue the program. Bama is Bama, but I'm going to give Louisville some credit. I think the Cardinals will stay within the spread. Pick -- Louisville
Miami (Fla.) vs. LSU +3.5 at Arlington, Texas -- There are rumblings LSU head coach Ed "Cookie Monster" Orgeron is sitting on a hot seat. Does anyone understand a word Orgeron says? Mark Richt has proven is great college football coach. He got the Hurricanes to 10-0 and a divisional title last season before they hit the wall. His rebuilding project in Coral Gables remains well ahead of schedule. Miami's defense lives off of turnovers. LSU's offense is questionable. Take the Canes. Pick -- Miami.
Virginia Tech at Florida State -7.5 -- The Willie Taggart era begins in Tallahassee with an interesting ACC game on Labor Day night. It was a rough off season in Blacksburg -- departures, suspensions, and dismissals thinned out and already thin roster. Tech head coach Justin Fuente challenged his team to be tougher and more committed. So he dialed it up in the off-season. After tearing up a knee is last season's opener against Alabama, Deondre Francois returns as FSU's starting quarterback. Taggart has brought tempo to the Seminoles' offense. I believe the pace will be too much for the Hokies. Pick -- Florida State
Last Week -- 0-0
For The Season -- 0-0
You want to play along and have some friendly competition? Send your picks before the first game of the week is played to cobbox@aol.com.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Update And A Final Prediction
Bowl season did serious damage to the Cobb Blog.
I picked the last 18 bowl games and had a "sterling" record of 5-12-1. That leaves the Blog at 74-80-2 for the season and no way of getting to the .500 mark for the season with just one game remaining.
Tonight's game features something most people in the country don't want -- two teams from the same conference playing for the College Football Playoff title. The SEC will claim its ninth national title in the last 12 years.
I still believe the College Football Playoff committee should put more value in winning conference championships or at least winning a conference division championship. The Tide didn't win anything prior to getting invited to the tournament. Alabama got to sit at home the first Saturday of December while everybody else was butting heads and battling for survival for another week. If the Tide wins, I hope debate to get to eight teams becomes a raging fire. In my humble opinion, the tournament needs to be the five conference champions, one from the Group of Five, and two at-large teams. The debate would be about the two at-large teams and seeding for the tournament. But at least a conference title would mean something.
Georgia pulled off a remarkable comeback in the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma to reach the title game in Atlanta. The Bulldogs, led by running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, ran all over Oklahoma. That will not be the case tonight at the Mercedes-Benz Dome against the Tide.
I saw Alabama's defense up close and personal last Monday night in New Orleans. It was an angry, physical unit on a mission. It is a defense built to stop the run. The Tide suffocated Clemson's offense. Nick Saban, seeking his fifth national title in nine years, is a perfect 11-0 against his ex-assistants. That streak has to end some time. It will not end tonight.
I admire Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts. Nobody gives the guy any credit. Even the Tide fans continue to lobby for the backup. But Hurts is tough and he is a winner.
The only place Alabama is lacking is at placekicker. For some reason, Saban has never been able to get a decent kicker to come to Tuscaloosa. But I don't think it is going to be close enough Monday night for a missed field goal to matter.
I expect the Tide to roll to a resounding victory.
Take the Crimson Tide and give the 3.5 points.
Pick -- Alabama
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