Tag Archives: CFB Playoffs

Week 11 – The Storm

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November in college football is like Saturday in a golf tournament. You sure can’t win it yet, but you can eliminate yourself from a championship. Despite what the average fan seems to think, there are more titles than the National Championship. When the Sun Belt Champ lifts the trophy they will be ecstatic.

The CFP Committee got it right. Every is overreacting to where teams are. Most seem to forget that there are four games left in the regular season on top of Championship Weekend. As Aaron Rodgers once said, “R-E-L-A-X.” This is money time for the nine or ten teams still hoping to make the playoffs. I still think Oregon is in a good spot. The Big 10 and SEC champs should be in. An undefeated Clemson goes, but a one-loss Clemson sweats it out. One-loss Oklahoma is already sweating.

I’ll be at the logistical nightmare that is LSU @ Alabama. Why can’t we just play football without all the nonsense? I wish GameDay would’ve chosen Penn St and Minnesota.

Last week my Vegas 5 continued to dip. 2-3 again brings me to 26-24. In Top 25/SEC I went 10-6, which takes me to 120-97. This week I like Kansas St (+7) at Texas. I’ll take the Over (47.5) for Penn St at Minnesota and the Under (43) for UTSA at Old Dominion. The Over (38) for Iowa at Wisconsin and Arizona St (-1.5) when the host USC.

Where’s your action?

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Week 10 – Cocktails Along the River

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One month remains in the march to championship weekend. Teams are beginning to feel the pressure and drop games they really shouldn’t.

Oklahoma has lost its safety net and Notre Dame is now playing for bowl positioning. Nebraska and Texas once again proved that the experts occasionally look at the name on the front instead of the facts when making their preseason picks.

The big boys are all off this weekend (except Clemson plays Wofford). The nation should turn its gaze to the Sunshine State. The game that used to mean something will be interesting as Miami visits Florida St. The Cocktail Party will decide the SEC East. I still like Florida, but I’ve been wrong this season before. And kudos to ABC/ESPN for properly making SMU at Memphis the prime-time game. Oregon lines up for its big test at USC. Should be a great day to watch college football.

Last week my Vegas 5 went 2-3 dropping me to 24-21. I need to get better if I want to stay above water. In Top 25/SEC, I went 9-9 putting me at 110-91 for the year.

This week I take Florida (+6.5) against Georgia. I like Utah (-3) at Washington and the Under (58.5) when Miss St goes to Arkansas. I want the Over (47) for Virginia at North Carolina and Hawaii (-2.5) against Fresno St.

Where’s your action?

Week 9 – Homecoming

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Officiating throughout the nation continues to be poor. And for that matter, so does commentary during games.

The big story involves Tua’s ankle, but the boys in the dessert don’t seem concerned for this weekend. LSU has the big matchup in the South. Can Auburn’s D hold up the dynamic and balanced Bengal Tigers O? Auburn is relegated to a Florida bowl game with a loss and with a win hope remains for bigger prizes. Wisconsin got the shocker last weekend. How much was looking ahead? I’ll let you know next week. Ohio State has looked solid, but here comes the beginning of their tests.

BYU seems to win the games they aren’t supposed to and drop the gimme games. Boise St received the latest upset in the Cougars rollercoaster of love. The Group of 5 rep for the New Year’s 6 may go down to the wire. Conference strength should be a factor and that gives the edge to the AAC and MWC. How much cannibalization occurs and does that open the door for App St? We shall see. I’m hoping for an Air Force v Washington St Vegas Bowl. That would be wild.

I rebounded slightly last week going 3-2 in the Vegas 5. Arizona let me down while the Tua injury may have cost me the Over. I now sit at 22-18. In Top 25/SEC action I went 15-7 which brings me to 101-82.

This week I start with TCU (+1.5) over Texas, Wisconsin (+14.5) against Ohio St, and the Under (59) with Syracuse v Florida St. I close with Temple (+10.5) against UCF and Oregon (-14) over Washington St.

Who do you have?

Week 8 – Third Saturday in October

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My favorite week is here again.

Sadly, I will not be in attendance at the Alabama/Tennessee game when Bama hosts. It’s the first Bama home game in this series I have missed since 1991. No team east of the Mississippi River should kickoff at 8pm CT. Like I predicted, now that the weather has cooled, the TV geniuses are handing out SEC night games.

This week, I’m interested to see how Penn St v Michigan turns out. I think that’s one that could go a lot of ways but will likely not be worth watching late if Michigan doesn’t play up to its potential. Oregon @ Washington may go a long way in deciding the PAC12 North. Meanwhile Arizona St @ Utah could do the same in the South. Any slip by Clemson at this point could be devastating. They play in a conference where Duke v Virginia is now a big game on grass and not hardwood. Oklahoma continues to roll, and LSU has the offense they’ve longed for. And as always, I’ll be monitoring the Mountain West.

My slide continues. The Vegas 5 went 2-3 last week dropping me to 19-16. Top 25/SEC has me suffering at 8-14 for the week and 86-75 for the year.

This week give me the Over (61) when Tennessee visits Alabama. I’ll take Wake Forest (-1.5) when they host FSU. (did I just type that?) I’m going with Arizona (+10) against USC. The Over (63) for West Virginia v Oklahoma. And lastly, Oregon (-2.5) against Washington.

Who do you take?

Week 6 – Take a Breathe

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Another scorching hot afternoon in Tuscaloosa, but don’t worry, Bama should finally get a night game once the temperature drops. Ah, commercial television.

Things we learned over the last weekend included Maryland not being the same offense as the first two games, Miss St seems to always get smashed in Lee County, and Nebraska is more than a year away.

Finally, we get a full slate of big games this weekend. Auburn at Florida will be the most telling game in my opinion. The Tiger D Line is the best in college football. Can Michigan come through in a big game against Iowa? If their O doesn’t show, then no. The PAC 12 is loaded with great match ups that we brave few plan to fall asleep on the couch watching. TCU v Iowa St is the sneaky good game this go around. Air Force plays Navy as the Commander in Chief Trophy cranks up. Va Tech at Miami used to be a game. But the atmosphere I’d like to be at is Friday night when UCF travels to Cincinnati.

Another 4-1 effort in my Vegas 5 makes me feel better than my miserable 7-12 whiff in Top 25 and SEC games. For the season I sit at 16-9 and 70-53 respectively.

The Vegas 5 for this week starts with the Over (73) when Utah St travels to LSU. Kansas St (-1.5) covers against Baylor, but the Bears are playing well. Maryland (-12.5) gets healthy against Rutgers. Oklahoma at Kansas goes Over (67.5). Lastly, Oregon (-17.5) covers against Cal.

Who do you pick?

Week 5 – Rebounding

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What a brutal week for many.

Michigan faced a cold reality, Washington St blew an epic lead against a bad team, and UCF found out that playing Power 5 teams back to back is not as easy as they thought. Oh, and the poor Rutgers QB that was slapped upside the head by his own lineman got attention he didn’t want. Officiating continues to be dreadful throughout the nation. Auburn @ Texas A&M has both teams wondering what pass interference really is. The PAC 12 continues to amaze with their ineptitude and inability to get replay right. And the Oklahoma St @ Texas game witnessed Big12 officiating at is most mediocre.

Friday may have the sneaky good game of the week. Is the Maryland O the team from the first two weeks or the third? Penn St will find out soon. Arizona St @ Cal provides a nice dessert before the Saturday slate kicks off. There will be interesting match ups, but the marquee rank v rank finds two games. Virginia travels to Notre Dame and Washington hosts USC. Both games are important nationally and I see both as pick ems. For the nightcap, stay up to watch the Underachiever Bowl when UCLA goes to Arizona.

I lost me shirt last week with a 1-4 finish. That drops me to 12-8 on the year for the Vegas 5. Top 25 and SEC action was bad as well with a 9-13 week. That drops me for the season to 63-41.

This week Buffalo @ Miami (OH) goes Over (47). In a closer than it should be game, Miss St (+10.5) covers at Auburn. I’m going with Wyoming (-9.5) when they host UNLV. Ohio St (-17) should handle Nebraska. Lastly, Jalen Hurts carries Texas Tech @ Oklahoma game to the Over (70.5).

What’re your picks?

Week 4 – Let the Games Begin

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With the coming of mid-September, we finally begin to see the real slate of games shape up.

Conference play is more the norm than paycheck games, but of course there are still a few of those left. The top of the polls remained static in contrast to the fluidity of the bottom of the 25. It seems that teams like USC and Maryland don’t prefer to be ranked. Utah seems destined to rise to the top and UCF has one its annual big game against a marginal Power 5 school. And the Iowa v Iowa St game had almost as much delay as play as the state was pummeled by storms.

This week we find three rank v rank games. We will know the real Michigan Saturday night, Auburn must travel to Texas A&M, and Notre Dame goes to Georgia for the first time. That will guarantee more movement within the polls. I think the Wolverines, Aggies, and Bulldogs all prevail. BYU has looked pretty good so far with OT wins against big name programs. The season is shaping up to entertain. And what will the nation think if Auburn wins and we find 4 of the top 5 from the SEC on Sunday afternoon?

Last week was another decent wee in the Top 25 and SEC action for me. I went 19-9 bringing my season to 54-28.

In the Vegas 5, I went 4-1 to bring the season to 11-4.

This week I take Washington St (-18.5) over UCLA. I like Oregon (-10.5) at Stanford. Give me The Over (61.5) for Southern Miss @ Alabama and Utah (-4) at USC. Lastly, I take Miami-Ohio (+39.5) at Ohio State, cause that’s a lot of points.

Who’d you have?

Week 3 – Blah

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Hopefully this is the last of the blah weeks. Not many marquee matchups and blowouts should be plentiful.

It was hot in Tuscaloosa. I mean, hot. The Alabama O Line needs to gel if the Tide hope to achieve their goals. Clemson took care of aTm in what now looks like their toughest challenge of the regular season. Outside of that, the races are still too early to call due to lack of quality opponents. Ohio St and Oklahoma are yet to be challenged. Michigan did what the Sooners did last year and went to OT against Army. Let’s see if their season ends with a playoff run, too. Oregon found their offense and LSU found a QB. But the LSU D did not look like the LSU D we are accustomed to seeing.

UCLA, Tennessee, and Miami are 0-2. Florida St probably should be as well. Throw in the recent dip in performance at USC (until last week) and it’s easy to find why the attendance numbers are down in college football. When five of the top programs with massive stadiums can’t fill seats, it skews the numbers.

This week sees Alabama attempting to own an active win streak against every SEC opponent if they beat South Carolina. The teams have not met since Stephen Garcia had his best day ever in 2010. Clemson going to Syracuse no longer looks like a prime-time game after the Orange were routed by a surprisingly good Maryland team. Nebraska looks to rebound after falling to another surprising team in Colorado. The CyHawk will be decided when Iowa travels to Iowa St. Should be one of the better matchups on the day. And stay up late to track Hawaii at Washington. Do the Huskies bounce back or do the Rainbow Warriors shock the West?

Last week I went 3-2 in the Vegas 5 taking the season total to 7-3. In Top 25 and SEC action I went 19-9 (there was a push in the Auburn game) which takes me to 35-19 on the year.

This week the Vegas 5 give me the Over (59.5) for Ohio St @ Indiana. I like Oklahoma (-23.5) against UCLA. I’ll grab the Under (64) for Colorado St @ Arkansas. Give me Georgia Southern (+16.5) at Minnesota. And lastly, I want BYU (+4.5) against USC.

Who are you taking?

Week 2 – The Overreaction

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Every major conference suffered perception setbacks in Week 1. The SEC East provided the biggest face plant moments.

There were not a lot of crisp, complete performances by teams. It truly looked like the first week of action. I expect there will be squads looking to make statements this coming weekend. No Thursday games this week as the incorrect assumption that everyone would rather watch the only NFL game instead of three or four different options at the college level. Jalen Hurts looked solid in the Oklahoma opener, but that defense really needs to play Sooner than later (sorry). While I’m not ready to eliminate any of the big boys from contention just yet, FSU and Va Tech both squandered opportunities.

This weekend has two marquee matchups. Texas A&M travels to Clemson for the return game of last year’s classic. I expect aTm to give the Tigers all they want. LSU takes their newly discovered offense to Austin to battle the Texas Longhorns. The SEC (West) could make quite a statement winning both games. I like LSU in this one, but the spread has already moved 3.5 points since opening. Tells me I’m not the only one who likes them Saturday.

Last week was a good start to my Vegas 5. I went 4-1 and the only setback was due to a UGA FG. In Top 25 and SEC action, I went 16-10. I wonder what it could’ve been if the SEC East had shown up. This week I’ll start by taking LSU (-6.5) over Texas. Based on what I saw last week, give me BYU (+4) against Tennessee. Syracuse at Maryland is surprisingly a good matchup. I’ll take the Over (57.5). Hawaii (-6.5) over Oregon St. Lastly, I like the Over (62.5) when WVU travels to Missouri.

Who’d you take?

Week 1 – The Calm

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Week 1 opens with hope for all teams. The harsh reality is that after this weekend, nearly half the teams will be unofficially eliminated from playoff contention. A path exists for Group of 5 to make the playoffs, but it is highly unlikely. Any Power 5 school that runs the table would be in the conversation, but let’s face it, we all know that there are really about a dozen worth considering as toe finally meets leather.

Last year was good to me at the book, but unfortunately my school did not finish the season with a win. Each season witnesses its own questions and injury issues. All teams must find their answers and hopefully dodge the injury bug. The pre-season podcasts are posted on The Football page. This year we went with a condensed format that we feel worked. Let us know what you think.

Thursday kicks us off. Clemson will venture into the great unknown that will be Georgia Tech’s offense. It’ll be interesting to see what the Jackets run this season. My sneaky good game that night is UCLA travelling to Cincinnati (a great place to watch a game). The Holy War between Utah and BYU closes the night. I’ve been to one of those and believe me, they don’t particularly care for each other. Friday gives us the Colorado v Colorado St game and a Power 5 match up of Oregon St v Oklahoma St, but I’m more interested in Utah St @ Wake Forest.

The Saturday slate, to me at least, lacks the oomph that some of the more recent season openers had. Granted the sloppiness of Miami v Florida and Arizona @ Hawaii did entertain, but that’s what Week 0 is for. Oregon v Auburn has to be the highlight and I for one think it’ll be a great game. Sunday has Houston @ Oklahoma while Monday is ND @ Louisville. The former should be good while the latter a snooze fest.

Let’s start the season with a solid Vegas 5. For those of you who are new to my Vegas 5, it’s the five games I would take in Vegas this week. I expect Alabama (-33.5) to cover. I’m taking Vandy (+22) and the points. I like the Over (51.5) when Boise St travels to Florida St. I’ll take Cincinnati (-3) to cover over UCLA. And finally, Utah St (+5.5) over Wake Forest.

Who’d you have?