I know what you’re thinking…”He’s running late again”. But you’re wrong, because we were smart enough not to include Thursday games this week so I’ve got plenty of time to wow y’all with my brilliance. Or maybe it’d be more accurate to say that there weren’t any early games worthy of our attention. Actually both the college & NFL schedule is surprisingly unappealing this week, and I do my best not to bore The Manoverse with games involving the same teams over & over. At any rate, both Zach & I were both slightly above average in our last outing. I was 4-3, while Zach went 4-2. Looking back at my pre-season NCAA poll I think I may have underestimated Clemson’s ability to reload & the skill of Oklahoma’s new head coach, while I had far too much faith in Ohio St. & Florida St. I still stand by my thoughts on USC, Penn St., & Alabama.

My Season:        11-8

Z’s Season:        11-7

 

 

 

 

 

Texas A&M (-2.5)       vs.    Arkansas

Aggies’ head coach Kevin Sumlin seems like he might be on the verge of being fired even though his team comes into this game 2-1. Sometimes being backed into a corner brings out the best in people, and as long as A&M keeps winning Sumlin will stay employed. That’s going to be easier said than done though. The Razorbacks are 1-1 but the victory was against a 1-AA school and the loss was a three TD beatdown by TCU. In other words, Arkansas hasn’t indicated that it has any discernible talent to win an actual game thus far. This is a neutral site contest being played at The Palace in Dallas (the go to place for neutral site games it seems), and The Vibes and telling me that Sumlin will survive to fight another day. Zach concurs.

My Pick:     Texas A&M

Z’s Pick:     Texas A&M

 

 

 

TCU                     at      Oklahoma State (-11.5)

Speaking of the Horned Frogs, they enter this game 3-0 and are showing signs of being back to their 2014 & 15 glory after finishing last season at 6-7. The Cowboys were #3 in my pre-season poll and have gotten off to a fast 3-0 start while barely breaking a sweat. I’m confident that Ok. St. will win the game, although I must admit that the points scare me just a bit. This is one of those “no guts no glory” moments, and I’m going to go for the gusto. Zach has no issues with the spread and is predicting a blowout win for the favorites.

My Pick:     Oklahoma St.

Z’s Pick:     Oklahoma St.

 

 

UCLA                  at      Stanford (-7.5)

I am so glad a) that I have a job that allows me to watch football while I’m there Saturday nights, & b) that this game is on ESPN so I’ll be able to see it. The 2-1 Bruins have had quite the eventful season thus far, beating Texas A&M on a last second touchdown pass and suffering a shocking loss to Memphis after being unable to score in the last 10 minutes of the game. Stanford is an unimpressive 1-2, though I am guessing they’re better than the record shows. I’m a little surprised about the points, as home field is usually worth about a field goal, not slightly more than a touchdown. Both of these teams were in the lower echelon of my pre-season poll, but in this particular game I have more faith in QB Josh Rosen, who I still believe will be in the Heisman conversation at the end of the year. Zach thinks it’ll be close but likes UCLA to pull ahead in the 4^th quarter.

My Pick:     UCLA

Z’s Pick:     UCLA

 

 

Cleveland (-1)    at      Indianapolis

Hey, I can’t just focus on the good NFL teams!! I feel sorry for the Colts because injuries are something that no one can predict or control, and being without QB Andrew Luck leaves Indy dead in the water, as their 0-2 record clearly indicates. The Factory of Sadness known as the Browns are 0-2 as well, but they are actually favored on the road in this game, which makes me wonder exactly what the oddsmakers know. I have no idea what to think to be honest, but as a Steelers fan I cannot bring myself to cheer for Cleveland. Zach, on the other hand, is surprisingly enthusiastic about this game and thinks Cleveland is headed in the right direction.

My Pick:     Indianapolis

Z’s Pick:     Cleveland

 

 

Denver (-3)                   at      Buffalo

I told you the Broncos would beat the Dallas Cowboys!! QB Trevor Siemian & RB CJ Anderson have looked pretty decent in leading their team to a 2-0 record. The defense might not be quite as intimidating as they’ve been in recent years, but they’re still getting the job done. Conversely, the Bills are 1-1 and battling injuries. I’ve never been convinced that Tyrod Taylor is a good NFL quarterback, and I think Denver will have him for lunch. Zach humbly admits that the Broncos have proven him wrong and he now believes they might be a serious Super Bowl contender.

My Pick:     Denver

Z’s Pick:     Denver

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