So if the College Football Playoff were to be played right now the four combatants would be Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, & Clemson, and if the Super Bowl was on the immediate horizon it looks like the Los Angeles Rams vs. the Kansas City Chiefs might be a likely matchup. Of course there is a lot of football left to be played and I expect some big changes along the way. I had a better week (3-2) than Zach (1-4) and have taken back the season lead, but that’ll probably change a lot in the next couple of months as well.

My Season:        16-20

Z’s Season:        15-21

 

 

 

 

 

Arizona               at                Utah (-13.5)

The PAC 12 title will probably come down to Washington or Stanford vs. USC or Colorado, but the 3-2 Utes and the 3-3 Wildcats are both dangerous enough to be spoilers. When Texas A&M canned Kevin Sumlin he landed on his feet at Arizona and I thought he’d do quite well there, but he’s off to a shaky start. Utah has clearly looked like the stronger team against better competition, which is reflected in the points. I am typically not comfortable with a two touchdown spread, but The Vibes are telling me to go big or go home for this game. Zach concurs because…in his words…”Arizona sucks man”.

My Pick:     Utah

Z’s Pick:     Utah

 

 

 

Tennessee                  at                Auburn (-15.5)

The War Eagles were getting a lot of pre-season love, but I knew they weren’t a Top Ten team, especially against a harsh schedule. Absolutely no one had any expectations for the Vols, and at 2-3 they’ve not altered that outlook. Auburn will win this game…the only question is by how much?? If it were being played on Knoxville I might give Tennessee a puncher’s chance of keeping things close, but that’s not going to happen at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Zach believes that Tennessee will keep things respectable for three quarters but Auburn will pull away and win big.

My Pick:     Auburn

Z’s Pick:     Auburn

 

 

 

Washington (-3)                   at                Oregon

I had the Huskies ranked as a playoff contender before the season started, but a loss to Auburn right out of the gate put a big dent in all of that unless a lot of other dominos fall. However, at 5-1 they are still in the driver’s seat to play for the conference championship. The 4-1 Ducks are still in that mix too, but this is probably a must-win game. Oregon QB Justin Herbert is beginning to get a bit of Heisman buzz, and he could really vault himself into the conversation with a big game at home against a Top Ten team. I don’t usually bail on teams that I heaped praise on in the pre-season, but in this case the home team underdogs are just too much of a temptation. Zach also likes the home field to make the difference for Oregon.

My Pick:     Oregon

Z’s Pick:     Oregon

 

 

 

Wisconsin                   at                Michigan (-7.5)

The Badgers were my pre-season #1, but a September loss to BYU is a real killer, plus they still have to go to Happy Valley to face Penn St. next month. So basically this is yet another must-win game. I urged the masses to pump the brakes on high expectations for the Wolverines, but at 5-1 they have looked pretty darn good after a season opening loss at Notre Dame. This game is in The Big House, which is certainly a challenge, but I’ve already abandoned one of my pre-season playoff teams today…I won’t do it again. Wisconsin’s size concerns Zach just a bit, as does Michigan’s offense. However, he likes the Wolverine’s stellar defense. But at the end of the day he feels like Coach Harbaugh still has some work to do and…much to my surprise…he just can’t go with the Maize & Blue in this one.

My Pick:     Wisconsin

Z’s Pick:     Wisconsin

 

 

Kansas City                 at                New England (-3.5)

This is the Sunday night game on NBC, and I’d definitely take the over…if you’re into that sort of thing. The 3-2 Pats seem to have found their footing after a shaky start to the season, which is bad news for the rest of the AFC. However, the Chiefs are undefeated and looked rather impressive defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. I’m sure the TV folks would love to see a track meet where both teams score 40+ points, and that may happen. The winner will likely be decided by turnovers, penalties, & atleast one big defensive stand. I try to put emotion aside when making these picks, but I can’t deny that I am rooting for KC…hard. Zach figures that Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes has to have a bad game at some point, so it may as well be this weekend.

My Pick:     Kansas City

Z’s Pick:     New England