Week TA- WELVE!!! Whaaaa?

Hello Friends.

What would the sports talk radio douche nozzles discuss if the CFB Playoff didn't exist? Any idea?
We enter into the 12th week and Danimal still holds a pretty comfortable lead over Bad News Hughes. I was able to significantly diminish the pain of my 2nd half bad beat in the ND/ASU game last week by getting a little aggressive with the Buckeyes. But still, bad beats linger.

Okay, this week we're starting with...

Nebraska +6.5 at Wiscaaansin
Sorry. This is my lazy pick of the week. I'll try and make it up to you.
Nebraska

Virginia Tech +4 at Duke
Maybe a predictable pick here I admit. Mark & I have a tendency, understandably so, to pick teams we have an interest in, or have success with from a betting perspective. It's a combination here. Betting against VaTech usually means a W with a 3-6 ATS record. Duke, conversely, is 7-2 and 5-0 at home. I believe my old h.s. pal and AD in Blacksburg is going to sooner than later be in the uncomfortable spot of having to shitcan Frank Beamer. Few if any coaches in the land deserve more credit than he for what he has done with that program. But his time is done. My prediction is they go into Durham as a listless bunch due to his inability to get them motivated when things aren't going their way. And should I be wrong, Duke is an exceptionally coached, 7-1 team. Their schedule leaves a bit to be desired but they've beaten who they were supposed to beat and few they were underdogs to. Tech doesn't do that.
Duke

South Carolina +7 at Florida
Who's 2-5 in the conference you ask? It's the Cawwwcks! No kidding. The Gators are 4-3! Mark has to be prettttty pleased with that considering where things were leading a short while ago. Okay, "pleased" might be too strong of a word. These two are almost mirror images of each other imo. SC has lost a few very close ones including an OT loss to UT, a 1-score loss to AUB, a 1-score loss to UK, and a 1-point loss to the SEC East winner, Missouri. On the flip side, UF has won the their close ones, 2 of the 3 anyway (losing to LSU by a Figgie). What we've got is two underperforming teams here, the difference being one has a better coach and a 7-point head start.
Gamecocks (I think they win too for what that is worth)

Mark

This is a sad time of year. The Oktoberfest beers are becoming harder to find on tap at our local pub. The leaves are beginning to fall from the trees (at least that's what I told happens up north) and you realize we don't have much time left in the College Football season. It's a sad time. But it's not time to sit around and cry into your beer. Make the most of it and wager recklessly. That's what I do. Actually that's what I do all season long but it fit well with the intro.

Auburn +2.5 at Georgia- Auburn's season blew up on them at home last week. They let an average Texas A&M team come into their place and jump all over them early. Then they fumbled away their chance at redemption (twice) near the end to seal a defeat to the Aggies. Auburn could come into this game downtrodden and unfocused. I doubt it. Not when they're taking on their second biggest rival. Furthermore, despite the return of Todd Gurley, I believe Auburn is a much better team than UGA. Gus Malzahn and the Tigers run the ball as well as any team in America and Florida showed us that the Bulldogs struggle badly to stop the run, especially on the perimeter. 2.5 points is gift. Take the gift, Clark. War Eagle.

Arizona State at Oregon State +10.5- Arizona State is coming off a woodshedding of Notre Dame and has unexpectedly pushed their name into the College Football Playoff discussion. That ends tonight in the snake pit that is Corvallis. The Sun Devils thrive on forcing turnovers and the Beavers are tight (with the ball). Further, ASU has lost on 4 of their last 6 trips to the house that Mike Riley Built. ASU wins a close one. Beavers cover.

Mississippi State +10 at Alabama- This line was one of the week's biggest movers. It opened at MSU+6 and reached 10 yesterday and has since held steady. Both the public and the sharps seem to believe in Alabama. I don't blame them. The Bulldogs haven't been especially impressive in their last few wins and the Tide have rounded into form since their loss to Ole Miss. I'm playing the emotions card here and guessing that Alabama will have trouble getting themselves all the way up for this game after a physically and emotionally draining win in Baton Rouge last Saturday night. The Tide starts slow and the Bulldogs don't. Mississippi State and the points.