Everything I thought I knew about football is apparently wrong, indicated by my 1-6 mark last weekend. And in the interest of total honesty, the one positive result came on a technicality. My thoughts on the game were completely off base. I’d like to blame my ineptitude on the fact that I spent Saturday night in the ER at a local medical facility, but that only affected my viewing pleasure. Our picks were made a few days before that. Anyway, Zach has seized the season lead after a solid 5-2 outing. 

My Season: 7-15

Zach’s Season: 10-12

Houston at Texas Tech (-7.5)

The 2-0 Cougars were a preseason Top Ten team in my eyes, and thus far they’ve not disappointed. The Red Raiders were #16 in that poll, and have also gotten out of the gate 2-0. It’s a matter of standing behind my convictions for me, so I’m pulling for the upset. Conversely, Zach likes the Red Raiders defense to get the job done late, following three quarters of a high scoring shootout.

My Pick: Houston

Zach’s Pick: Texas Tech

SMU at Louisville (-1.5)

The 1-1 Cardinals could’ve been 2-0 were it not for a walk-off field goal by Ole Miss in the season opener. The unbeaten Mustangs are right where I expected them to be. I understand the home field bump for the favorites, but I’m not buying it. SMU is clearly the better team, and I think they’ll prove it in convincing fashion. Zach believes it’ll be a bit tighter, but he also sees SMU as a legit playoff sleeper.

My Pick: SMU

Zach’s Pick: SMU

LSU (-2.5) at Ole Miss

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Gameday will be on the scene in Oxford to hype The Kiffin Bowl, featuring head coach Lane Kiffin’s current team vs. his old team in a battle of two undefeated Top Ten programs. Unfortunately, LSU starting QB Sam Leavitt is most likely not going to play due to a vague “upper body injury”. That, combined with the home field and the revenge factor, are enough to tip the scales in favor of the underdogs. Zach sees the Bayou Bengals as a more complete team and foresees a dominant victory.

My Pick: Ole Miss

Zach’s Pick: LSU

Las Vegas at LA Chargers (-7)

The Raiders beat Miami last weekend, which proves absolutely nothing. I do like the fact that they went against the prevailing “wisdom” of the day by NOT throwing rookie QB Fernando Mendoza to the wolves, instead choosing to start veteran Kirk Cousins under center. That’s how it used to be done, and it’s a wise decision in the long run. The Chargers lost to Arizona in the season opener, and now there are lots of questions. They’ll need to take care of business in convincing fashion to quell the noise, and I believe they’ll do that. Zach concurs.

My Pick: LA Chargers

Zach’s Pick: LA Chargers

Washington at Dallas (-3.5)

Once upon a time it was a fun rivalry replete with Cowboys vs. Indians imagery & references, but we can’t have nice things in America anymore, so we have to force ourselves to get pumped up based on the fact that they’re division foes and (allegedly) two good teams. Dallas fell to the Giants last weekend, and the old familiar questions about their defense (ranked 26th in the NFL last season) are being asked, despite significant offseason changes. The Commanders offseason was dominated by QB Jayden Daniels being a whiny little bitch, more concerned about his old college jersey # than being a leader for his current team. They also lost a divisional game last week, which means the loser of this one will begin the season 0-2. Since 1970, only 10% of teams that were 0-2 have made the playoffs. Conversely, the odds for 1-1 teams increase to 42%. Calling this a pivotal game isn’t an understatement. My respect for Daniels has plummeted, but my disdain for the Cowboys is much deeper & more established. I think Washington wins by double digits. Zach believes in Washington’s long term potential, but he’s riding with Dak Prescott to ball out and lead his Cowboys to an important win.

My Pick: Washington

Zach’s Pick: Dallas