Record
Week
|
Straight Up
|
Against the Spread
|
1
|
92.3% (12-1)
|
42.3% (5-7-1)
|
2
|
78.6% (12-3)
|
53.3% (8-7)
|
3
|
72.7% (8-3)
|
72.7% (8-3)
|
4
|
70.6% (12-5)
|
50% (8-8-1)
|
Season
|
78.6% (44-12)
|
54.5% (29-25-2)
|
Thursday,
October 1st, 2015
Miami
(FL) (-6.5) at Cincinnati, 6:30 pm ESPN
A
game being overlooked by some, this matchup between the Bearcats and Hurricanes
should at the very worst be an entertaining back and forth game, with high
stakes for the coach in the overly baggy shirt. Cincinnati is down Gunner Kiel
its multi-transfer QB, but redshirt freshmen Hayden Moore was great in fill-in duty
against Memphis last week and should be to move the ball against a secondary
that had troubles in the second half against Tommy Armstrong III. Miami for
their part has Kaaya, a struggling running game, and a defense that needs to
break a little less and stick bending a little more. I think Cincy wins a shootout, 48-38, and the Tubberville to Miami
rumors start immediately (h/t to the Shutdown Fullcast for calling this this
summer.).
Friday,
October 2nd, 2015
Memphis
(-8) at USF, 6:00 pm ESPN2
Memphis
is coming off the exciting finish against Cincinnati last week in which they
pulled out a shootout win, making it back to back high scoring affairs. This
week should be a return to normalcy a bit against the Bulls of USF. I don’t
think this is particularly close I think Memphis
keeps the Bulls offense in check and the offense puts up enough not to worry, 31-13.
Saturday,
October 3rd, 2015
Purdue
at #2 Michigan State (-21.5), 11:00 am ESPN2
Iowa
at #19 Wisconsin (-6.5), 11:00 ESPN
#23
West Virginia at #15 Oklahoma (-7), 11:00 FS1
Texas
at #4 TCU (-14.5), 11:00 ABC
The morning
slate is a combination of well that’s interesting, and they’re in the top five
I should totally watch them. Yes, that means I’m grouping Texas in with Purdue.
Michigan State wins without
much worry, but at some point they’re going to have to perform like a top five team
against weaker competition at some point this season, 31-13. TCU welcomes Texas this week and I expect a sluggish start
for both teams after emotional finishes. TCU had the last second tipped
touchdown and Texas suffered the wrath of bad Big XII refereeing for the first
time since the Great Khan ruled. I think TCU
runs away late, but it’ll be ugly early, 38-20.
That leaves two conference match-ups that will give us a clearer picture of
where the B1G and Big XII sit. Iowa visits Madison for the first Triangle of
Hate game of the year. Wisconsin has struggled at times on the ground and has
had to rely on Stave much more than expected. Iowa, for their part, has played
well and has also had more success than expected through the air. This one puts
the winner at an early advantage in the Big Ten West, Wisconsin 27-24.
Lastly, one of the better games of the week and a game with major shootout
implications WVU-Oklahoma. West Virginia has looked surprisingly potent on
defense and on the ground, while still working the passing game into form. Oklahoma
has been inconsistent at times but Baker Mayfield has shown strides and the
Sooners are looking to build off the road win at Rocky Top. Oklahoma in a squeaker, 31-30.
#13
Alabama at #8 Georgia (-2), 2:30 pm CBS
Texas
Tech at #5 Baylor (-17), 2:30 pm ABC/ESPN2
#1
Ohio State at Indiana (-21), 2:30 pm ABC/ESPN2
East
Carolina (-5.5) at SMU, 3:00 pm ESPNNEWS
The
afternoon slate involves the most anticipated game of the year, two top five
teams with stiff conference tests, and a fun group of five game. Let’s tackle
the two top five games first, Ohio State heads to Bloomington where they’ve
struggled in recent seasons. Combine that with the Buckeyes inability to put
away their recent MAC opponents and you have a recipe for one of two things. 1)
an Ohio State blowout 2) an Indiana win. I will continue to bet on an extremely
talented team, Ohio State 48-17.
Baylor welcomes Texas Tech
after a thrilling loss to TCU and I think Tech will carry that loss with them
to Waco, 45-27. Bama-Georgia is a
game that I’m not sure what will happen. I think Bama is more talented, I think
Georgia (Gasp!) is the better coached team, and I’m not sure about the Bama
pass or Georgia run defense. I’m leaning Bama
on nothing but gut, 30-28. The last
game of the afternoon slate is pure #ShootoutAlert as SMU straight off a loss
to James Madison faces off against East Carolina straight off a victory over
Virginia Tech and I’m taking the points, 48-45
ECU.
#3
Ole Miss (-7) at #25 Florida, 6:00 pm ESPN
Arkansas
at Tennessee (-6.5), 6:00 pm ESPN2
Eastern
Michigan at #9 LSU (-44.5), 6:00 pm ESPNU
Arizona
State at #7 UCLA (-14), 6:30 pm FOX
#21
Mississippi State at #14 Texas A&M (-6.5), 6:30 pm SEC Network
#6
Notre Dame at #12 Clemson (-1.5), 7:00 pm ABC
The
night time, is the right time, for SEC football. This week. Let’s start with
the cake walks, LSU over Eastern Michigan and UCLA over Arizona State. I don’t
think either is close and both coast to victories, 31-13 LSU and 38-17 UCLA.
Arkansas-Tennessee is that moment in a horror movie when you think everything
is over for the wounded character you really like then the villain shows up and
you can’t look away. Both teams are a mess in the fourth quarter and have
seasons that will assuredly be disappointments so now it’s time to find out who
can salvage something and say they weren’t they weren’t the most disappointing.
I want to go with the home team, but give me the Fighting Berts, 24-23.
Now to the big three, we’ll start in The Swamp where Florida gets an Ole Miss
team off of a flat performance against Vanderbilt. This game is a match-up of
strengths Chad Kelly and the passing game against VH3 and the Florida back 7. Look
for a slow start as they feel each other out, and Ole Miss to pull away late, 31-20. Mississippi State-Texas A&M, I don’t think this is going
to be close. I think Miss State is fine but, A&M has more talent, and I
think the Miss State defense is the worst uint on the field. Give me A&M 41-27. Lastly, is a very
faithful game between two teams lead by the lord, Clemson-Notre Dame. I think
Notre Dame is too talented. Much like the Georgia Tech game, I think the
Clemson offense is its strength, but the Notre Dame defense is going to be too
much for an offense that is still just Deshaun Watson, Notre Dame 34-28.
Arizona
at #18 Stanford (-14.5), 9:30 pm Pac-12 Network
Adding
to a disappointing year for Arizona Pac-12 teams this week is Arizona minus Anu
Solomon. I don’t trust Stanford
completely yet, but Arizona is down Scooby as well and this just doesn’t strike
me as the fall game. Arizona makes it interesting at half on pure adrenaline
then falls off, 30-17.
There
we are, enjoy week five, tell me where I’m wrong and don’t take the crazy of
college football for granted.
