College Football Picks - 2017 Week Nine

Thank goodness I have oil money

Can you say perfection?  Bulldog Babe nailed 5-0 straight up AND 5-0 Against the Spread in Week 8.  She's on fire folks!  JR meanwhile may need to sell off some oil land to pay off his debts.  Not so good, Al.  Still a good chunk of season left and overall, our experts are well over .500 in all categories.  Bulldog Babe is an amazing 28-12 ATS.  28-12 people!!!!

So now our weekly take on last week and this week, in five bullets:

1) The Big 10 has all of one win against a currently ranked team.  One.  It was Iowa over Iowa State (H/T to Shehan Jeyarajh).  I still think the conference lacks depth and a mediocre team can go 10-2.
2) Let's not let the SEC off the hook.  Two really really good teams, then you have to go down to number 19.  Hard to see Georgia and Alabama not making the SEC title game.
3) Is Notre Dame football back? People are starting playoff talk (which I know Bulldog Babe notes that they shall always remain in line behind Georgia).
4) Iowa State's strong season may put Oklahoma back in the playoff conversation.  If they can win the Big 12 at 11-1, hard to see them out.
5) Ohio State and Penn State should be a great game.  Nice that it's mid-afternoon instead of night.  In fact all the games we pick this week are prior to prime time (might be some World Series avoidance).  I enjoy the mid-afternoon time slot for the best games.  Sun setting over the edge of the stadium in the second half, time to unwind after and not be up past midnight.

Call me Miss Perfection!

This blog will typically pick five games, including the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs by default (unless bad matchups).  We try and go for one game in each of the Power 5 conferences, sometimes skipping one that might not have a marquee.  For each week's games, we give you final scores, so you can do your own ATS and S/U comparison. This week Georgia has Florida in the World's Largest Cocktail Party while Texas plays winless, but dangerous, Baylor.

Our two analysts are J.R. Ewing, Texas Longhorns fan and general loud mouth.  And we feature big time Georgia Bulldog fan Bulldog Babe (BDB) (@bulldogbabexo).

Last week
JR: 1-3 S/U, 2-2 ATS
BDB: 5-0 S/U, 5-0 ATS

Season to date:
JR: 23-16 S/U, 22-17 ATS
BDB: 29-11 S/U, 28-12 ATS

Last week BDB had Louisville and Memphis upsets, then Oklahoma State, Penn State, and Notre Dame winning and covering.  JR just got an Oklahoma State win, and Louisville/Texas covers.

Spreads are from a great pick site, Capped Sports

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Game 1: Texas (-9) at Baylor (Noon EDT)

JR Ewing:
Baylor is winless this year, so it's easy to simply pencil in a tough Texas team and move on.  I think not so fast.  Baylor hung really tough against a ranked West Virginia team last week.  Texas took Oklahoma State to the end but lost (third loss against a Top 10 team).  I think Baylor make this their signature win.  Hard for me to gulp, but I see a Baylor win
Baylor 24, Texas 21

Bulldog Babe: 

Texas and Baylor is a battle of the Texas teams. Baylor is off to its worst start to date, 0-7 on the season. You think it’d be an easy win for the Longhorns and I will have to agree. Baylor has been very disappointing and they haven’t lived up to expectations. Texas wins it in a blowout.

Texas 44, Baylor 3

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Game 2: Oklahoma State (-7) at West Virginia (Noon EDT)

JR Ewing:
This line seems fishy. Oklahoma State had to pull out a win in overtime at Texas, now going to a better team in West Virginia late.  Meanwhile as mentioned before, West Virginia was tested by Baylor last week, but has a good team.  At home, I like West Virginia behind a good home crowd. 
West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 31

Bulldog Babe:
Oklahoma State and West Virginia is a Top 25 matchup, with both teams having their own strengths and impressive talent to show for their poll rankings. I think Oklahoma State is the stronger team, they have a strong offensive line and a stellar quarterback in Mason Rudolph. They will win in Morgantown this weekend.
Oklahoma State 33, West Virginia 19

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Game 3: Georgia (-13.5) vs Florida (3:30 EDT) - Jacksonville

JR Ewing:
I've been on a "always pick Georgia" kick all season, but backed off a couple of weeks ago in a trap game against Missouri.  Florida will have all their attention, and after a bye week, Georgia has all it's weapons.  Florida is in a tail spin.  No way this is close.
Georgia 34, Florida 13

Bulldog Babe:
Georgia and Florida will be the best matchup of the weekend, by far. One nasty bitter rivalry that has shown its fair share of twists and turns. Florida is on a three game win steak against Georgia, but I think that will be broken this weekend. I know what Florida players have said already, but that trash talk will come back to bite them on Saturday. Georgia will come out and completely dominate Florida and wear them down.
Georgia 33, Florida 20

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Game 4: Penn State (+6.5) at Ohio State (3:30 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
A rare Big 10 elite team matchup.  Only about 3 or 4 this year.  Ohio State is out for revenge against the Big 10 Champions.  Penn State wants to know why they were left out of the playoff despite having beat Ohio State last year.  I've been impressed with Nittany, and they win on the road.
Penn State 27, Ohio State 24

Bulldog Babe:
Penn State and Ohio State is the one game Georgia fans like me will be watching this weekend, considering Penn State is ranked #2 and the CFB Media has Georgia matched up with Ohio State in the CFB playoff. I think Ohio State has proven they’re legitimate playoff contenders and they will beat Penn State this weekend, in a close game. 
Ohio State 30, Penn State 27

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Game 5: North Carolina State (+7) at Notre Dame (3:30 p.m. EDT) 

JR Ewing:
North Carolina State has come out of nowhere to be in the ACC title race.  As mentioned earlier, Notre Dame is on a roll since the razor thin Georgia loss (which looks good the way Georgia has played).  I think the Irish win, and they do it by 7 points.  So this is a no-play on the spread.
Notre Dame 27, North Carolina State 20

Bulldog Babe:
NC State and Notre Dame, I predict, will be another blowout. NC State isn’t a strong enough team to compete with Notre Dame’s mobility and strength. Easy win for the Irish.
Notre Dame 44, North Carolina State 17

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Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

- JR and BDB

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/22/2017

With MLB Baseball postseason entering it's climax, it's easy to forget that NFL Football is in full swing.  We're only in Week 7, but it seems as if all teams have been written off, or considered favorites for the Super Bowl.  Parity.  The Oakland Raiders appear to be bouncing back after a rough start to the season.  Partially due to the injury to Derek Carr.  Nobody is more happy he's back than Amari Cooper.  In what could be a season-saving game, Cooper had a huge day, with 11 catches for 210 yards and two TD.  The best part, the Raiders won 31-30 over the rival and first place Kansas City Chiefs with a TD on the final play and the PAT to follow.  Cooper was a man who could not be contained, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Note, this is Cooper's second nod, and he's the second player to get this honor in both college and pro (Le'Veon Bell)

College Football Picks - 2017 Week Eight

I love October Saturdays

With some bigger spreads last week, it wasn't too hard to hit 80% of the straight winners action (as both of our pickers did).  ATS there were some close calls, but overall our pickers went 5-5.  On to the next, we're still hitting winners at a pretty good rate.  This week we have some much tighter spreads and spoiler alert, we will have some disagreement!

So now our weekly take on last week and this week, in five bullets:

1) It's always way too early to talk playoff teams, especially seeding, in October. Evidence Clemson, two Washington schools, and Auburn going down. None of these teams are out of it BTW (except maybe Auburn).
2) Michigan took a big step back last week, looking like a two horse race in the Big 10 East to play Wisconsin.  That being said, I feel a few more upsets are in the cards in the top heavy Big 10
3) I believe the Pac 12 and Big 12 are the deepest conferences with fewer soft teams.  It might result in both missing the college football playoff, but strong Bowl game performances
4) It's nice to have USC and Notre Dame be a big national game again. One of the great rivalries in college football.  Two national brands and there will be a lot of NFL talent on the field in South Bend this Saturday.
5) Is this the swan song for Butch Jones? I have trouble believing he'll do anything but get destroyed by Alabama, and I can't see how he can be kept much longer.  If nothing else, Tennessee gets a jump on the hot candidates. And they might as well, this season is a dumpster fire.

No Georgia game this week makes me sad

This blog will typically pick five games, including the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs by default (unless bad matchups).  We try and go for one game in each of the Power 5 conferences, sometimes skipping one that might not have a marquee.  For each week's games, we give you final scores, so you can do your own ATS and S/U comparison. This week Georgia has a Bye (sad face for Bulldog Babe) while Texas plays their third Top 10 opponent in five games.  We had one snafu, because of personal commitments the blog was not released prior to the Memphis vs. Houston matchup.  Bulldog Babe got her pick in so we'll give her credit for that winner!.

Our two analysts are J.R. Ewing, Texas Longhorns fan and general loud mouth.  And we feature big time Georgia Bulldog fan Bulldog Babe (BDB) (@bulldogbabexo) as a guest expert.

Last week
JR: 4-1 S/U, 3-2 ATS
BDB: 4-1 S/U, 2-3 ATS

Season to date:
JR: 22-13 S/U, 20-15 ATS
BDB: 24-11 S/U, 23-12 ATS

Both of us missed Auburn winning and covering; BDB went on to miss both Georgia covering and Oregon beating the spread, while JR foolishly underestimated the Longhorns.

Spreads are from a great pick site, Capped Sports

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Game 1: Memphis (+3) at Houston (8:00 p.m. EDT, Thursday)

JR Ewing:
Missed pick window

Bulldog Babe: 

Memphis is the final team inside of the AP Top 25. They face off against Houston this weekend and I think they can keep their winning ways going. They’re 5-1 on the season and they have the talent to show for it. Memphis wins.

Memphis 20, Houston 14

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Game 2: Louisville (+7) at Florida State (Noon EDT)

JR Ewing:
Here we have two teams that have been nothing short of disappointment.  A returning Heisman winner for the Cardinals and Florida State with a Heisman contender hurt the first game.  The teams are a combined 3-5 in the ACC so far and are reduced to spoiler.  Both teams will fight hard, and Florida State wins by a FG late. 
Florida State 24, Louisville 21

Bulldog Babe:
 I love this matchup! Two very talented football teams with their own storylines on the season. They both have three losses on the season, but Florida State just hasn’t lived up to any expectations this season. Louisville wins.
Louisville 34, Florida State 20

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Game 3: Oklahoma State (-7) at Texas (Noon EDT)

JR Ewing:
I will not pick against Texas again.  At least against the spread. They are now 5-1 against the spread and really are playing up to their competition; noting that this week will be their third Top 10 matchup in five games.  They fight hard at home with emerging freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger, but fall short in a shootout.
Oklahoma State 38, Texas 35

Bulldog Babe:
This is an interesting matchup, which will hopefully be fun to watch. Oklahoma State is ranked #10 in the country, so they will bring their best game against Texas. I think they will pull off the win
Oklahoma State 30, Texas 24

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Game 4: Michigan (+9.5) at Penn State (7:30 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Finally the Big 10 has a matchup of their best four teams.  That being said, Michigan has slipped with a loss and overtime win that should have been bigger.  But Michigan is talented and I'm not sold on Penn State, who hasn't played a team currently ranked yet.  This will be tight, Michigan escapes with a win.
Michigan 21, Penn State 20

Bulldog Babe:
This is one matchup where I cannot decide between, two very talented teams with a lot of strengths. Michigan is ranked #19 and Penn State is ranked #2, but the difference is one team is undefeated. Penn State hasn’t had impressive wins up until this point, but I think they will change that this weekend against Michigan. 
Penn State 34, Michigan 21

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Game 5: Southern California (+3.5) at Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. EDT) 

JR Ewing:
It's great for college football when these teams are good.  And good they are.  Notre Dame has bounced back from a really bad 2016 while Southern Cal lost a heartbreaker to Washington State.  Both teams have been tested, but I think the Trojans get the victory in South Bend.  More talent.
Southern California 27, Notre Dame 24

Bulldog Babe:
Another AP Top 15 matchup, there’s been a good bit of those matchups already and they have been exciting. I think Notre Dame is the stronger team on both sides of the ball, they showed that against most of the teams they played & I think they’ll win. 30-17 .
Notre Dame 30, Southern California 17

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Have a great college football Saturday, American!

- JR and BDB

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/15/2017

A thrilling MLB postseason so far, and a new hero has emerged on the only team west of the Pecos still alive.  The Los Angeles Dodgers Justin Turner has rekindled the momentum that the team had during their stretch of 56 wins in 67 games over the summer (56-11).  But for the postseason, the Dodgers are up to 5-0 overall record through Sunday and marching toward the Fall Classic.  Turner has done his part, going 9-21 with 2 HR, and 10 RBI, the biggest of which was a walk off 3 run HR to win Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS.  He's become the man in LA, and is hoping to deliver the first Dodgers title in nearly 30 years for Tinsel Town. Meanwhile Turner is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

College Football Picks - 2017 Week Seven

Yessir, Texas football is back!

Well yeeeeee hawwww.  About time the two experts on this Blog had a rampage.  Both Bulldog Babe and me, JR Ewing, would have taken Vega$ to the cleaners last week.  Something like 11-1 ATS.  More on that in a minute.  But we now enter the meat of the regular season.  Hard to believe some teams are half way through their schedule and already bowl eligible.  Meanwhile Baylor, no wins.

So now our weekly take on last week and this week, in five bullets:

1) Clemson and Georgia continue to assault Vegas and the rankings. They do nothing but win by a lot of points.
2) The Big 12 never gets national respect, because when a team like Iowa State beats Oklahoma, nobody considers it something like a Michigan State over Michigan where both teams are good.  Let me tell you, the Big 12 is a deep conference.
3) The Pac 12 continues to play their biggest marquee games really late and the feeling that they may be passed over for a second team east of the Mississippi is palpable. Meanwhile the Apple Cup is shaping up to be huge.
4) Not seeing a lot of upset potential this week.  Which pretty much means it will be Upset Saturday.
5) I get the fun of talking about the college football playoff and potential seeding, slights, conference representation, etc. because it's fun.  But really, it's so meaningless at this point.  Nobody in the NFL is sitting there saying "well Kansas City will be the 1 seed and Jacksonville the 2, so they'll probably play New England, etc."  Because really, so much football left.  Sit back and enjoy!

Take me to Vegas, baby,  I'm red hot!

This blog will typically pick five games, including the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs by default (unless bad matchups).  We try and go for one game in each of the Power 5 conferences, sometimes skipping one that might not have a marquee.  For each week's games, we give you final scores, so you can do your own ATS and S/U comparison. We go three games before Saturday, and all road favorites.

Our two analysts are J.R. Ewing, Texas Longhorns fan and general loud mouth.  And we feature big time Georgia Bulldog fan Bulldog Babe (BDB) (@bulldogbabexo) as a guest expert.

Last week
JR: 4-2 S/U, 5-1 ATS
BDB: 5-1 S/U, 6-0 ATS

Season to date:
JR: 18-12 S/U, 17-13 ATS
BDB: 20-10 S/U, 21-9 ATS

Easier to say games missed.  Both JR and BDB had Michigan State covering but not winning.  BDB had Washington State plus cover, JR had an Oregon upset.  On this alone, once again she schools the master.

Spreads are from a great pick site, Capped Sports

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Game 1: Auburn (-6.5) at Louisiana State (3:30 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Auburn's only blemish is a loss to top ranked Clemson.  LSU is still finding their identity.  Even though this game is at the Swamp, Auburn wins a back yard brawl.  Better coached and more confident.
Auburn 24, LSU 17

Bulldog Babe: 

Last year’s matchup between these two teams came with a lot of drama. This year won’t be any different, considering the SEC West competition this season. Auburn is a favorite at the midway point of the season, and LSU has had an up and down year. I think Auburn continues their momentum and they win this weekend.

Auburn 37, LSU 20

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Game 2: Oklahoma (-7.5) vs Texas (3:30 p.m. EDT) - Dallas

JR Ewing:
Tough game to pick, Texas has played a lot better since an initial loss to Maryland.  Oklahoma coming off a shocking home loss.  They just didn't look like themselves.  The game features two first year coaches in what could be a decade or more rivalry between the two. Oklahoma gets round one, they have more polished talent.  Texas takes over the series in a couple of years, just not yet.
Oklahoma 35, Texas 24

Bulldog Babe:
Texas and Oklahoma is a great matchup, with both teams having their own strengths. Oklahoma was upset by Iowa State last week and Texas had a crazy win in double overtime against Kansas State, so they have their own storylines from the previous week. I think Oklahoma will take this practice week to recover and fix their problems. They will bounce back and take the win this weekend, but it will be close.
Oklahoma 30, Texas 24

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Game 3: Missouri (+30) at Georgia (7:30 p.m. EDT) 

JR Ewing:
Yes, this is a lopsided matchup.  I've been riding Georgia and the cover all year, but this is just so many points.  Georgia wins it easily, but they probably ease off the gas enough to let Missouri cover.
Georgia 35, Missouri 10

Bulldog Babe:
Another year, another late October matchup for the two SEC East teams. Georgia is playing lights out right now, starting out 6-0 for the first time since 2005 and Missouri having a not so great fun so far this season and in SEC East competition. I don’t think this will be much of a competition, but as Coach Kirby says, humility is a week away so anything can happen. I think Georgia will have another dominating win and go into the bye week with a lot of momentum
Georgia 45, Missouri 7

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Game 4: Ohio State (-24) at Nebraska (7:30 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
This is the dream matchup that the Big 10 envisioned when they pilfered Nebraska from the Big 10.  But this ain't your old Big 12 Nebraska.  Coach on the hot seat and Ohio State is in the mode of impressing pollsters. This is a romp in Lincoln for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State 49, Nebraska 10


Bulldog Babe:
I think this is a great matchup. Nebraska is coming off a bad loss to Wisconsin and Ohio State had a blowout win against Maryland. Looking at last week’s game for Nebraska, I don’t think they have the mojo to keep up with Ohio State. Ohio State wins in dominating fashion. 
Ohio State 52, Nebraska 21

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Game 5: Oregon (+11) at Stanford (11:00 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Fool me once, shame on me.  Fool me twice?  Not so Oregon.  Still trying to rebuild, they're not there yet.  Stanford usually wins this matchup physically and that continues in Palo Alto.  They outman the Ducks and take this one easily.
Stanford 31, Oregon 14

Bulldog Babe:
Oregon vs. Stanford is a great matchup. While both teams are great, one has more strengths than the other. Stanford so far has had a great year and I think they continue that.
Stanford 30, Oregon 20

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Enjoy fall and enjoy your football weekend America!

- JR and BDB

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/8/2017

The Major League Baseball playoffs kicked off this week with loaded teams (3 teams with 100 wins; not to mention the Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees stocked with talent).  One diminutive player stood above the rest.  The Houston Astros Jose Altuve made a statement against the Boston Red Sox in three amazing, if not historic games.  In his first playoff game, he tied a postseason record with three HR (including the likes of Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and yes, Sportsman of the Week winner Pablo Sandoval.).  But it wasn't just those HR, he got on base, got hits, and led his Astros to a 2-1 series lead by the end of the week.  Within 20 hours after the week ended, the Astros were the first MLB team to advance to the League Championship Series.  Stats to end the week, 8-11, .727 average, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, .787 OBP, 1.545 SLG, 2.332 OPS.  Can you say MVP? Probably. But certainly the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

College Football Picks - 2017 Week Six

Finally, a decent week!

Well well well, Bulldog Babe had an off day (well, we can consider 3-2 off for her.  Although the 1-4 against the spread will dent her unbelievable streak.  The most important thing is that both my Longhorns, and her Bulldogs won conference road games.  On to the next.

So now our weekly take on last week and this week, in five bullets:

1) It's time we realize USC was never that good to begin with.  Scuffled with Western Michigan and Texas at home.  Washington State is dangerous, but also not world beaters.  We'll see as they're on the card again this week.
2) Clemson hasn't missed a beat.  This years team may be better than last years because of their winning mentality.  Remember they almost lost 3 times last year (last second wins vs. Alabama and NC State).  I have them at number 1.
3) Tennessee and LSU may be looking for new coaches soon.  Wow on LSU.  Literally a third of the way into a new season.
4) I'm calling it now on the Big 10 being overrated.  There's four good teams in the Top 10. None of the other ten teams are getting votes except a couple for Michigan State (which lost by 20 at home to Notre Dame).  Most only have two games against the others so 10-2 is worst case scenario. Until they all lose their bowl games.  Again.
5) Baylor is the only winless FBS team at 0-5 and is now 1-11 in their last 12 games.  Their only win was against Boise State in the Cactus Bowl. Go figure.

I always get the Georgia game right

This blog will typically pick five games, including the Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs by default (unless bad matchups).  This week we pick six games because of the Miami at Florida State Hurricane Irma makeup game.  For each week's games, we give you final scores, so you can do your own ATS and S/U comparison. We go three games before Saturday, and all road favorites.

Our two analysts are J.R. Ewing, Texas Longhorns fan and general loud mouth.  And we feature big time Georgia Bulldog fan Bulldog Babe (BDB) (@bulldogbabexo) as a guest expert.

Last week
JR: 5-0 S/U, 3-2 ATS
BDB: 3-2 S/U, 1-4 ATS

Season to date:
JR: 14-10 S/U, 12-12 ATS
BDB: 15-9 S/U, 15-9 ATS

Both JR and BDB nailed Georgia, Clemson, and Miami winning.  BDB upset of Texas didn't come to fruition (ha ha) and JR correctly picked the Washington State upset (I've seen Mike Leach win too many games like that.  Overall we're pretty close, BDB has the distinct edge when looking against the spread as she is hitting 62.5%

Spreads are from a great pick site, Capped Sports

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Game 1: Georgia (-17.5) at Vanderbilt (12:00 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Georgia has been a covering machine.  I'm tempted to think "they're due for an off day" but until I see it, I won't believe it.  They're balanced, with good running backs to provide stability to a precocious quarterback.  Their defense is ball hawks and they have an amazing killer instinct.  Another easy win.
Georgia 37, Vanderbilt 10

Bulldog Babe: 

Georgia at Vanderbilt, another SEC matchup this week. Georgia is off to their best start in a long time while Vanderbilt has had only one impressive win and that was the upset against Kansas State. After getting completely mauled by Alabama a few weeks ago, they’re mentally not ready for the rest of the year. Georgia is coming off a dominating win, shutting out Tennessee in Knoxville for the first time since 1994. That’s very impressive and i’m not only saying that because i’m a dawg ;) if Georgia keeps their winning ways up, I think they’ll be the biggest threat for Alabama and the CFB playoff. Georgia wins this one.

Georgia 37, Vanderbilt 7

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Game 2: Miami (-3.5) at Florida State (3:30 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Mark Richt has Miami looking like the dominant team of the 80s and 90s.  The win at Duke was impressive.  Florida State was a last second drive from being 0-3.  I just don't see how the 'Noles hang close.  Miami has lost seven straight in this matchup, but that ends now.  They come out and make a statement.
Miami 31, Florida State 17

Bulldog Babe:
Miami at Florida State this is an in state rivalry going back a long time, it's always a great showing. Rivalry games have a lot more intensity than other games and this Saturday won't be any different. Florida State losing their quarterback in week 1 has hurt them a lot and it’s kinda surprising to see considering how well they’ve done over the last few seasons. After seeing how they’ve done since losing their starting QB, I think Miami wins this one.
Miami 30, Florida State 17

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Game 3: West Virginia (+14) at Texas Christian (Saturday 3:30 p.m. EDT) 

JR Ewing:
This is a matchup of two solid Big 12 teams.  West Virginia lost to a solid Virginia Tech team as an opener, but has since scored 56 or more points in three straight.  TCU had the big upset of Oklahoma State, but I think we're putting a bit too much faith in that result.  TCU wins, but it's much closer than two TD.
TCU 38, West Virginia 35

Bulldog Babe:
West Virginia at TCU will be another interesting game. TCU has been strong and West Virginia has been promising, it’s a perfect AP Top 25 matchup. TCU is undefeated and they have worked hard to be undefeated, I think they continue their winning ways and they have a great game this weekend. TCU wins,
TCU 27, West Virginia 14

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Game 4: Kansas State (+4) at Texas (7:00 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
So for the record I'm 3-1 picking Texas ATS so listen closely.  These are two lower tier bowl teams.  Texas defense is solid, offense not so much.  But at home they can get it going (43.5 PPG).  Kansas State is your typical Kansas State team.  Fundamentally sound. well coached if not undetalented players.  They fight you every game.  This series has been won by the home team for six straight years.  
Texas 21, Kansas State 13


Bulldog Babe:
Kansas State at Texas will be interesting, I think. Texas is coming off a dominating win against Iowa State and I think they keep up their winning ways. Kansas State is 3-1, but looking at their stats from the season, I’m not impressed with how Jesse Ertz has only completed half of his passes as to where Shane Buechele has completed over half of his passes. Texas wins this one
Texas 24, Kansas State 17

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Game 5: Michigan State (+13.5) at Michigan (7:30 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Rivalry.  And one that Michigan State usually plays pretty well (7-2 in the last 9). Michigan is the better team and at home, so I can't pick a straight up upset.  I do think that this will be a very competitive game.  Michigan runs away at the end a bit, but not by as many points as you might think.
Michigan 28, Michigan State 21

Bulldog Babe:
Michigan State at Michigan is one classic rivalry that I think everyone secretly enjoys a little bit. Michigan is ranked #7 on the AP poll and they always look to beat their little brother in something, so I think that happens again this time. Michigan wins.
Michigan 20, Michigan State 14

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Game 6: Washington State (+2) at Oregon (8:00 p.m. EDT)

JR Ewing:
Oregon hasn't looked like world beaters, which makes this line look puzzling.  But Mike Leach led teams typically go see saw, so experts are predicting a down week (in Autzen stadium, a tough place).  I'm tempted to go Washington State again, but like I just said, I see Leach lay duds after a big win.  Oregon wins this one by a FG.
Oregon 31, Washington State 28

Bulldog Babe:
Washington State at Oregon will be interesting considering the way the media is pursuing this game. Oregon is a 1.5 point favorite, but Washington State is ranked #11 and undefeated. I’m not buying that Oregon is a favorite, mainly because I don’t really think they’ve done a lot this year. Washington State wins.
Washington State 27, Oregon 17

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More tragic news this week for the massacre in Las Vegas.  Unbelievable in every aspect.  Prayers to the victims, their families, and America. Hopefully college football provides a day of respite from a society that is tough to bear sometimes.

- JR and BDB

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/1/2017

One of the emerging stars in the NFL led his team to a big road win, positioning his team for a potential division title.  Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams is off to a start that many forecasted when he came out of Georgia.  But it's taken him a couple of years, an ACL recovery, and maybe a maturing QB to make the leap.  This week, he went into north Texas to take on America's team.  But it was Gurley who came out opening eyes.  He ended his day as the player with the most rushing yards, most catches, and only four yards from being the highest receiving yards.  On either team.  That's 23 carries for 121 yards, 7 catches for 94 yards and a TD.  So over 300 yards on just 30 touches.  Pretty good.  The Rams are 3-1 and in front in the NFC West.  They might stay there with the efforts of our Sportsman of the Week!