Friday, October 24, 2014

Week 9- It Just Keeps Getting Worse

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, last Saturday happened. I could be talking about my official wagers or the Florida-Mizzou game. Take your pick. Both were abject disasters. I'm not quite the Jeff Driskel of College Football wagering in 2014 but things are certainly trending in that direction. Thankfully, mercifully the Gators have a bye this week. All the better to rest up for the wood shedding that awaits them in Jacksonville on November 1st. Sadly, for me, I don't get a bye this week. So make some money and go against me.
Rutgers +20 at Nebraska- TR was a week earlier with his 'take Rutgers and all those points on the road' advice. Ohio State has turned into a wrecking ball over the last month. Nebraska is still the Nebraska that we've come to know under Bo Pelini. Good, not great. Near the top of the sorry Big Ten but not at the top or elite. Rutgers bounces back and covers.

Mississippi -3 at LSU- The Tigers are a very popular pick to pull the upset this weekend. This is a by product of (a) this game being played at night in Tiger Stadium and (b) a general skepticism that still exists toward Ole Miss. Both of these a fine reasons. I'm not buying either of them. I'm a believer in the Ole Miss defense and I still think LSU is a below average SEC team this year. A night game in Baton Rouge helps keep things close before the Rebels pull away in the second half.

Texas +10 at Kansas State- Kansas State is coming off a win at Oklahoma. A win that included a pick six from mediocre Sooner QB Trevor Knight, a missed OU extra point and a missed 19 yard Oklahoma FG late in the 4th quarter. Kansas State's defense is legit as they've shown against Auburn and last week against Oklahoma. The Wildcat offense, on the other hand, is average and now QB Jake Waters is banged up. Texas has quietly come together in recent weeks. They followed up a gutsy game against Oklahoma with a last minute victory on the road at Iowa State last week. Charlie Strong knows what he's doing. If only Florida had a guy like Strong on their staff before they chose Will Muschamp to succeed Urban Meyer...(siiiiiigh). Hook Em.

Mark has been good to me this year but I expect him to turn it around. Looks like he has a good opportunity here with a head-to-head matchup at LSU. To the picks of Danimal!

Mississippi Rebels -3 at LSU Tigers
Mississippi heads to Baton Rouge unbeaten against the spread at 6-0-1, and….unbeaten. They’re quite good on both sides of the ball and more accurately they have an exceptional defense, #1 in the SEC West. Average yards per carry for the Vols last week? 0.0 Another factoid – they are undefeated against the Spread this year at 6-0-1.

LSU kicked the poop out of Kentucky last weekend 41-3. Many thought Kentucky had a chance after LSU’s season to date. They were mistaken. Though in their last 4 contests they’ve dropped games to Auburn where they were demolished and Mississippi State which we all know now was the Bulldogs’ coming out party (and Florida almost beat them, sadly) LSU believes they are still in the mix and they certainly will be with a win here. Baton Rouge is going to be cray cray on Saturday. If LSU ties or wins the turnover battle, I think they win the game.
Tigers. Hear them roar.


Oregon -17.5 at Cal
Ranked #6th are the Ducks, bright-eyed and bushy tailed as they head toward the finish knowing they are so very much in the thick of things with what has and will continue to happen in the SEC, ND’s loss (with likely another one to come imo), and their reasonably easy schedule the remainder of the year. This year’s slip-up, to their fortune, came early against Arizona. With the Bears’ D 120th in the land, Oregon’s Offense 6th, I look for Oregon to put a ginormous beat down on Cal. I’ll go ahead and give the rare score prediction here – Oregon 55 Cal 24
Quack
Michigan +17 at Michigan State
It has likely been a decade, maybe two? since either in this game were favored by more than two touchdowns. There is no reason Michigan State won’t win this by 4 or more touchdowns. None I say!
Well, maybe there is. This is it for Michigan. This and the Ohio State game. Their season is over and for the seniors their careers. For many, how they play in this one will define them as players. As a team. And as men! They have been humiliated, the butt of many a joke. I expect the Spartans to be a little lackadaisical here, a little overconfident with their success and their rival’s lack thereof. I think something nutty is going to happen here. I’ve gotta feelin about this. Michigan State wins by 16 and the UM covers. And the Predator pic is a shout out to Buckles.  
Wolverines

66 comments:

TR said...

1) That is a ginormous gator
2) I get a shout-out! (for being wrong, but who cares)
3) I like that Oregon pick. Oregon's gonna make some noise before all is said and done.
4) In college, that could've been me in any of those costumes.
5) I'm in a good mood b/c my order of ice ball makers just came in. No more tiny ice cubes in my scotch. Big balls (of ice)!

#scotch

Danimal said...

Tr....that gator was caught here in St Johns county just the other day by those 2 chaps in the pic.

Shlara said...

Alright, alright, alright
Thanks for the McConaughey photo!

Mark said...

The wife is at Epcot for the Food & Wine Fest this weekend with some friends (if you ever travel to Disney in Sept/Oct find a way to ditch the kids and hit the Epcot Food & Wine Fest for the day. It''' be worth it. And I'll meet you!). Anywho, I took the little one to the zoo for Boo at the Zoo. Then to Chik-Fil-A for late dinner and playground time. Dad. Of. The. Year.

Time for some bourbon.

#bourbon

Mark said...

I hadn't had Chik-Fil-A in about a year. Still as a delicious as ever. I'm a fool for not buying some nuggets to take home.

rob said...

ditto on the food/wine fest at epcot. that's some good gluttony.

zman said...

zfamily went to FL a few years ago and hit Gatorland. They have a 15 foot or so gator named something like Chester. He's frighteningly huge. I can't believe they get bigger than that.

Mark said...

We saw quite a few gators tonight. Even the small ones are still so damn big overall.

My kid pet a snake tonight like it was nothing. She's a G.

TR said...

This made me laugh for a minute:

http://fatvalkilmer.com

Mark said...

This Foo Fighters:Sonic Highways doc is good.

Shlara said...

I loved tonight's Sonic Highways in DC--so many familiar sounds & places. And that recording studio is literally at the bottom of the hill from my house--it's along my running path (which you see towards the end of the doc when Taylor is walking across a bridge.) The band was at our diner this winter when they recorded this show...and Dave and his kids were at our FroYo shop. I still CANNOT believe I missed running into them.

Marls said...

FOGTB mentioned the Sonic Highways series during our conversation last week. Need to check that out.

Sat next to Lang Campbell's parents at the bar at the Fat Canary last night. Lots of Winchester stories flowing. Then met up with DLC at College Delly. Good times.

rob said...

is there any way to watch sonic highways if you're not an hbo subscriber?

TR said...

My 7 y/o asked me last night why the Browns lost to the Jags. I told him I didn't know. He wrote the question down on paper and said he wanted to send the question to somebody who could tell him. So we wrote a letter to Ron Jaworski and we will mail it to Bristol today. Good learning experience and all it cost was a stamp and an envelope.

I wonder how much fan mail Jaws gets these days.

rob said...

that's awesome, tr. you should post the letter here.

zman said...

TR wrote a letter to Erin Andrews. He should not post it here.

rob said...

at least he shouldn't post the picture he included

Danimal said...

I look forward to hearing the winc stories. Many moons ago, 20+ years in fact, I bartended at the nice restaurant in town at the time. Shep consumed several of my specialty cocktails as did many. They came from far and wide.

rob said...

anyone gonna help with with my sonic highways question, or nah?

Donna said...

Hey y'all know the tribe game is on t.v. today? Is it lame I'm watching instead of there live even tho residence is only 25 min away now?

rob said...

no offense, but that is pretty lame. where were you last weekend when we were all there?

Mark said...

When I took Texas +10 I didn't anticipate three red zone trips resulting in zero points.

zman said...

Shonn Greene is a jackass, at least because he uses handicapped parking spots.

Donna said...

No offense taken!! Just too many things goin on...Last weekend, too. But we are going to the game on Nov. 8th! Hope it's as nice a day as today!

Shlara said...

Rob--you can subscribe to HBO GO to watch Sonic Highways...but it will cost $$

And PLAYBOOK tells me its Geoff's birthday--so HBD Geoff!

rob said...

just sprung for a sixer of sculpin. because i deserve it.

rob said...

suck it, blue hens

rob said...

doesn't appear that i can subscribe to hbo go w/o subscribing via fios. not cool, hbo.

zman said...

It's like $10/month through fios for hbo and you get hbo go for free. And hbo on demand too.

TR said...

Rutgers and Oregon picks BARELY came through.

Shlara said...

Rob--you can get HBO GO thru appleTV too, I think

Danimal said...

My little one just pooped her pants immediately after giving her a bath. Not it.

Am drinking a vod and orange creamsicle diet soda.

Mark said...

They don't penalize you for barely covering, TR.

I may or may not have just thrown together a five team second half parlay.

Danimal said...

Michigan's Gardner....what happened to this guy?

T.J. said...

Kliff Kingsbury's squad getting woodshed'd

Marls said...

Thanks Bill Buckner.

Mark said...

Decided against actually wagering on LSU-Ole Miss. Took the points with both South Cack and Tennessee.

rob said...

they're gonna start talking about koach kliff's job soon. woodshedded doesn't begin to kover what happened today.

zman said...

TCU scored 82 points including 4 FG AND they punted twice? That's some uptempo football.

TR said...

Barcelona's starting front line was Messi, Neymar and Suarez. Will take some time for them to mesh (and may never happen), but that's an all-time trio.

Danimal said...

A missed chip shot fg and a lost fumble at the 1....gonna be that much tougher to win this one.

Mark said...

Not to too my own horn but I've been talking about Coach Kliff possibly being a bad head coach for a bit now. I'm not smart, I've just a witness to Ron Zook and Will Muschamp as head coaches. I can usually spot the bad ones as a result.

Mark said...

The power of the hook: I had Kentucky +14.5. Without that half point I'm breaking shit when Mississippi State returns the onside kick for a TD. As it was, I barely cared. Now THAT is barely covering, TR.

Barn burner in progress in Jordan-Hare.

Mark said...

First play of the Utah-USC game was a fumble return TD, unlike any I've ever seen.

rob said...

i know nobody's watching it, but the last two games of this world series have been dramatic as all hell.

Mark said...

Spurrier is in full don't give a fuck mode. It's glorious.

Mark said...

I watched last night. Not one second tonight.

T.J. said...

LSU about to re-enter the playoff conversation?

rob said...

the playoff is going to be the top four teams in the sec west, so, sure.

T.J. said...

Cute, but false. Three of four, though? Possibly.

rob said...

if alabama/auburn, ole miss, and miss state all finish with <2 losses, it's hard to see how three don't get in. lsu's a real longshot with two losses.

Mark said...

What the fuck, Hugh Freeze?

rob said...

what did freeze do? i'm watching the series.

mr kq said...

He shit himself on national tv.

mr kq said...

It really was on Wallace though, not to mention missing open receivers all night.

Mark said...

The delay of game was the beginning of the end. That's ultimately on Freeze.

I don't like the decision to send your offense back out. Try the 47 yarder but whatever. If it works for a 5-10 yard game he looks smart. The throw is on Wallace. Just an awful, terrible, despicable decision

There's a reason the internet talks about Bad Bo Wallace.

Danimal said...

Lsu bitches

rob said...

in other news, how will penn state fuck this up?

Danimal said...

My prediction....they don't. Hackenberg is nice.

zman said...

I don't understand the Helvis pecan pie sketch.

Danimal said...

Barrett is somewhat improved from since the va tech game. Kudos to urban and his staff. It hurts to say that.

Danimal said...

From since. You heard it here first.

zman said...

Iggy Azalea is so bad that her act could be an SNL spoof.

TR said...

Freeze spit the bit for sure. Waiting until 15 secs left on the clock to send out the true frosh kicker, then sending the offense back out, is a recipe for disaster.

He was gonna lose either way. Like my battle against a hangover after three scotches.

TR said...

And Iggy Azalea was turrible. Almost as bad as Drake.

Mark said...

Geno Smith already has 3 ints? AHL.