Bedlam

2022 PIGSKIN PICKS OF PROFUNDITY…WEEK 13

Perhaps I shouldn’t have said “there’s too much at stake for Oregon to lay an egg on their home turf”, and I should’ve seen Philly screwing the pooch a mile away, but what I’m really ticked off about is San Francisco having the freakin’ ball inside the ten yard line & just sitting on it. Granted, they were up 6 points with only 15 seconds left, but come on guys…kick a damn field goal!! Help a brother out!! At any rate, with his 4-1 effort & my 2-3 disappointment Zach is again tied for the season lead. The NFL has rounded the curve into the second half of the season, while conference titles & playoff berths hang in the balance on Saturdays. It’s a great time to be a football fan. 

My Season: 38-31

Zach’s Season: 38-31

Tennessee at Green Bay (-3)

The Titans are right about where I expected them to be, while the Packers are struggling much more than anyone anticipated. Having said that, I get the sense that maybe a corner has been turned in Green Bay. If Aaron Rodgers finds a couple of receivers he trusts they could go on a second half run and still back into the playoffs. Tennessee’s hopes rest squarely on the legs of RB Derrick Henry & the health of QB Ryan Tannehill, neither of which I have confidence in to make it thru the rest of the slate unscathed. This is the time of year when The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field begins to be a difference maker, as I believe will be the case on Thursday night. Zach concurs.

My Pick: Green Bay 

Z’s Pick: Green Bay 

Virginia Tech at Liberty (-9.5)

Good Lord what has happened to the Hokies??  After firing head coach Justin Fuente following a couple of subpar seasons they brought in former Penn St. defensive coordinator Brent Pry, but thus far he’s led them to an abysmal 2-8 record. Conversely, the Flames have built upon three straight solid seasons to stand at 8-2. At this point they are playing for bowl position and to vault themselves into Boise St. territory where they are perceived as being capable of defeating well-regarded teams on a regular basis. Tech may be in a down period, but it would still be a big win for Liberty. It helps that the game is in Lynchburg instead of Blacksburg, but wow…the points. That spread makes me anxious. What the heck though…what have I got to lose?? Conversely, Zach isn’t comfortable with the numbers & believes the underdogs will stay close. 

My Pick: Liberty 

Z’s Pick: Virginia Tech 

Iowa at Minnesota (-2.5)

The West Division of the Big Ten is still up for grabs, with the winner earning the honor of getting beaten by Ohio St. or Michigan in the conference title game. Both teams  have won three straight, and I’m expecting this contest to be under-the-radar good. Probably low scoring, power football. I believe it will come down to penalties, special teams, & time of possession. The winner receives a bronze pig named Floyd, which seems appropriate. Minnesota hasn’t won Floyd since 2014, but I think that changes this year. Zach disagrees & thinks a slight upset is brewing. 

My Pick: Minnesota 

Z’s Pick: Iowa

USC (-3) at UCLA

The PAC 12 eliminated divisions, so the top two teams will play in the conference title game. Right now that’d be the Trojans vs. the winner of Utah-Oregon, but the Bruins have an opportunity to jump into the mix with a victory. There is no real home field advantage since the two campuses are less than a half hour apart. USC’s only loss was by one point at Utah, while UCLA lost on the road to Oregon & inexplicably stumbled at home against Arizona. I will probably regret this, but I’ll be pulling for the home team to pull off an upset. Zach thinks it’ll be a high scoring affair that will ultimately be won on the ground by the underdogs. 

My Pick: UCLA

Z’s Pick: UCLA 

Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (-6.5)

The term bedlam comes from the Saint Mary of Bethlehem Hospital in London, which treated mentally ill patients in the 15th century. Over time the pronunciation of Bethlehem somehow morphed into “bedlam”, and that evolved into meaning a place, scene, or state of uproar & confusion. As it applies to this particular rivalry, the name is said to have been born on the night of a particularly heated wrestling meet between the two renowned programs, during which a news reporter allegedly emerged from the building exclaiming to people outside, “It’s bedlam in there!”. On the gridiron it really hasn’t been much of a rivalry, with the Sooners winning 77% of the matchups since 1904. In recent years State has won only three games since 2011. The Sooners come into the weekend on a two game losing skid & in the midst of a decidedly down season. I had high hopes for the Cowboys, but other teams have emerged in the Big 12. Still, a victory could potentially propel them into the conference title game, so there is certainly motivation. I try to remain loyal to my preseason though process, so I’m sticking with the underdogs. Zach isn’t too excited by this one, believing it’ll be rather boring. He too thinks the visitors will steal a victory. 

My Pick: Oklahoma St. 

Z’s Pick: Oklahoma St.

2021 PIGSKIN PICKS OF PROFUNDITY…WEEK 13 

Happy Thanksgiving Manoverse!! I will spare you a long preamble today because we are closing in on the crescendo of the college football portion of our season with a super-sized, heaping helping of picks, mostly rivalry games that are a huge part of what makes collegiate sports special, and all of which could potentially be great games. Last week I (3-2) edged Zach (1-4) to extend the season lead, but with six weeks to go things can change quickly so I’m not going to get too cocky. I send all my friends out there in cyberspace the warmest of wishes as you sit down to break bread & spend time with loved ones this week. Don’t ever take those opportunities for granted. 

My Season: 37-40

Zach’s Season: 30-47

Ole Miss at Mississippi State (-1.5)

They call this the Egg Bowl because the winner receives a golden egg trophy. The idea to present a trophy was hatched after a post-game brawl in 1926, although I don’t know if the concept was poached from somewhere or if they were just scrambling for anything to prevent future hard boiled feelings. The 9-2 Rebels lead the all-time series 63-45-6, but the 7-4 Bulldogs have won two of the last three meetings. It is essentially a pick ‘em game, and I think the home team will get the job done. Zach is anticipating a shootout and likes Rebels’ QB & future NFL first round pick Matt Corral to lead his team to victory. 

My Pick: Mississippi State

Z’s Pick: Ole Miss 

Boise State (-2.5) at San Diego State

I’m a little bit surprised by the odds. Not only are the 10-1 Aztecs at home, but they’ve won three games in a row and locked up a berth in the Mountain West Championship. The 7-4 Broncos have won four straight, but I just don’t understand why they’d be favored on the road against a Top 25 team. I’m not buying it, so I will pick the “upset”. Zach foresees a low scoring defensive struggle and likes the visitors to get the win. 

My Pick: San Diego State 

Z’s Pick: Boise State 

Georgia Southern at Appalachian St. (-24.5)

I am excited because my Marshall Thundering Herd will be moving from Conference USA to the Sun Belt in the near future, enabling them to renew old rivalries against these & other schools. When I was in college all three teams were powerhouses in what was then known as Division 1-AA and have played several fun games thru the years. Anyway, the heavily favored Mountaineers are 9-2 and riding a five game winning streak, while the 3-8 Eagles are already looking ahead to 2022 after hiring former USC head coach Clay Helton. App. St. will win, but by how much?? This is a rivalry game, so I have to assume Southern will play with some level of pride & determination, and they may catch the home team looking past them to the conference title game. Therefore I am predicting that the margin of victory will not exceed three TDs. Zach is a little nervous about the points and the fact that App. St. really has nothing to play for since they’re already locked into the conference title game. However, he is a riverboat gambler and thinks the home team can win big & cover. 

My Pick: Georgia Southern 

Z’s Pick: Appalachian State

Florida St. at Florida (-2)

Well, the Gators have already fired their coach, so there is that. At 5-6 they’ll need to win this game to become bowl eligible, which should provide ample motivation. Meanwhile, the rebuilding continues in Tallahassee, with the Seminoles also sitting at 5-6 and a victory away from bowl eligibility. This isn’t what we’re used to getting from this matchup, as both teams have typically been much more successful in the past. However, don’t underestimate the incentive of playing in a bowl game for two programs in what one might call a construction phase. The Swamp is notoriously hostile territory for opposing teams, but I’m going against conventional wisdom and picking the upset. Zach thinks it’ll be a close game but also thinks an upset could be on the horizon.

My Pick: Florida State 

Z’s Pick: Florida State 

Texas A&M (-6.5) at LSU

Aggies’ coach Jimbo Fisher may or may not be the future coach for the Bayou Bengals, but the storyline provides fascinating subtext heading into this game. At 8-3 A&M isn’t winning the conference, but they should land somewhere warm & fun for the post-season. Conversely, LSU is 5-6 and needs to win to get invited somewhere warm & fun themselves. We all know that head coach Ed Orgeron is gone after the season, but does his team have what it takes to extend his stay a little while longer?? I think maybe they do, especially with this game being played in Baton Rouge. Zach would like to see a happy ending for Orgeron (no…not that…get your mind out of the gutter), but at the end of the day he thinks A&M will do enough to win & cover. 

My Pick: LSU

Z’s Pick: Texas A&M

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (-4)

There is a real possibility that these teams could meet again in the Big 12 title game. Baylor has the tiebreaker over the Sooners, but the Cowboys defeated Baylor back in early October. So the Bears will be cheering for State to win and set up a rematch of the game they lost, while an Oklahoma victory would mean we get Bedlam Part 2 next week. I’d much rather see Baylor/OK St. for the conference championship, and I think we will. Conversely, Zach believes the Sooners have enough offensive firepower to score the low key upset. 

My Pick: Oklahoma State 

Z’s Pick: Oklahoma 

Oregon St. at Oregon (-7.5)

They refer to this as The Civil War, or atleast that’s what it used to be called. Because leftists ruin everything and there are a lot of those in the state of Oregon it was announced a year ago that they no longer wanted to use that terminology. Screw that. I’ll call it what I damn well please, and I’m not going to let a bunch of tree hugging assclowns water down a 127 year old rivalry. Anyway, the Ducks screwed themselves out of playoff contention with a loss to Utah last weekend, while the 7-4 Beavers still have an opportunity to surprise everyone by getting into the PAC 12 title game where they’d get a shot at the Utes. They’ll need to win this game and hope the Washington Huskies can upset the Washington St. Cougars in the Apple Cup. I’m disappointed that this is a 3:30pm kickoff on ESPN, because it would’ve been excellent late night viewing. Ah well…c’est la vie. I have to go with the favorites here, if only because it sets up a really interesting rematch for the conference championship. Zach won’t predict an outright upset, but he does think State will keep it close and stay within a touchdown. 

My Pick: Oregon 

Z’s Pick: Oregon State 

Ohio State (-8) at Michigan 

College football is always better when this game means something, and it potentially means a whole hell of a lot right now. The winner will earn a spot in the Big Ten title game, while the Buckeyes will certainly be in the playoff if they win out. Can #6 Michigan still get into the playoff?? It’s possible, although I’m not going to break down those scenarios here. Let’s just say several dominoes have to fall just right. But can we legitimately expect a competitive contest?? A week ago I confidently called Ohio St. being favored over Michigan St. by 19 & a half points crazy and Zach agreed. Then the Buckeyes went out and jumped to a 49-0 halftime lead before ultimately handing the Spartans a 56-7 beatdown. Can they go into The Big House and dominate the Wolverines in similar fashion?? I don’t know about that, but 8 points doesn’t seem so outlandish in comparison. At 10-1 Michigan has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, but I just feel like their opponents are on another level. Zach points out that Jim Harbaugh is 3-9 against Michigan’s two biggest rivals…the Buckeyes & the Spartans…but they would control their destiny by winning this game. As has become tradition he is utilizing the reverse psychology method to motivate his beloved Wolverines by predicting that the visitors will have backups playing in the second half, may score 70+ points, and could win by 5+ touchdowns. It’s a bold strategy Cotton…let’s see how it works out for ‘em. 

My Pick: Ohio State 

Z’s Pick: Ohio State

Alabama (-19.5) at Auburn 

The Iron Bowl is always entertaining, right?? ‘Bama comes into the game 10-1 and in solid playoff contention, while Auburn is in the midst of a underwhelmingly prosaic campaign. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that the 6-5 Tigers will be invited to a pleasant enough post-season affair, THIS is their true bowl game. Discussion in the next couple of weeks may focus on whether or not the Tide deserves to be in the playoff. If they lose to Georgia in the SEC title game but keep it respectable does a two loss Alabama get in over one loss teams that might be in the mix?? Auburn can put an end to the debate with an upset, but clearly it’s a challenging task. The good news is the game is at Jordan–Hare Stadium, the bad news is I don’t think that means diddly squat. As much as I hate to admit it, ‘Bama, like Ohio St., is simply on another level. They aren’t losing this game. However, I do believe the home team will muster enough gumption to not lose by more than a couple of TDs. Zach thinks Alabama is overrated and may be caught looking ahead to their showdown with Georgia. He’s not going so far out on a limb as to predict an Auburn win, but he does think they’ll keep it close. 

My Pick: Auburn 

Z’s Pick: Auburn 

2019 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…Week 13

It’s Rivalry Week in college football, and while conference realignment has obliterated too much of that sacred tradition there are a few tasty morsels remaining. One game we will not be picking though is Ohio St./Michigan. Y’all know we don’t pick Steelers, WV Mountaineers, or Marshall Thundering Herd games specifically because Zach & I both love the Steelers, I’m a Marshall alum, & we’ve both grown up as Mountaineer fans. So it dawned on me that perhaps it is a bit unfair to make Zach pick games involving his beloved Wolverines, atleast when the game is as important as this one. Fortunately there are enough interesting options that we have a full slate+ even without that game. Some of these occur on Black Friday, most are on Saturday. I won’t remember exactly which is which, but The Manoverse is smart enough to figure it out. Best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving.

My Season:        42-33

Zach’s Season:  37-38

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cincinnati                             at                Memphis (-10.5)

We don’t pick a lot of “Group of Five” games, but this one is kind of important. The best team from the “other” five conferences gets an opportunity to face one of the big boys in a New Year’s bowl game, and right now it looks like the winner of this game will have a leg up on the competition, although Boise St. is in the mix as well. On top of all that, Cincinnati has already clinched a spot in the AAC title game, and Memphis could do the same with a victory, so there could be a rematch next week. Actually a rematch is pretty much a done deal because Memphis would hold tiebreakers over both Navy & SMU. At any rate, the Tigers have the home field and are riding a five game win streak, while the only blemish for the Bearcats is an early September loss to Ohio St., which is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m not sure why Memphis is a double digit favorite even playing at home. The points are enough to scare me off and choose Cincinnati. Zach concurs and thinks it’ll be a high scoring affair decided by single digits.

My Pick:     Cincinnati

Z’s Pick:     Cincinnati

 

 

 

 

Oregon State               at                Oregon (-19.5)

They call this game The Civil War and it goes back 125 years. The Ducks were in the playoff hunt but got upset last week. They’ve already sewn up a spot in the Pac 12 title game though, so they can focus their attention on battling Utah for a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Beavers are 5-6 and need a victory to achieve bowl eligibility. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but what about the points?? 19 & a half is a lot…but I’m rolling the dice and taking the home favorites to cover. Zach agrees. He likes the Ducks to rebound from that heartbreaking loss and win this one in a blowout.

My Pick:     Oregon

Z’s Pick:     Oregon

 

 

 

 

Clemson (-27)             at                South Carolina

Has Clemson actually played anyone other than Texas A&M?? Why are they in the playoff conversation?? I was under the impression that what happened last year isn’t supposed to matter, but clearly the committee takes reputation into account. Having said that, I don’t think South Carolina can pull off another upset like they did against Georgia back in October, but can they stay within four TDs?? The Gamecocks have the home field, and if they have a shred of pride & an ounce of fight left in them I surely hope they can atleast keep it respectable. Zach thinks Clemson is overrated but concedes that they will be in the playoff. With that in mind he foresees Dabo Swinney calling off the dogs and playing conservatively in the second half.

My Pick:     South Carolina

Z’s Pick:     South Carolina

 

 

 

 

Arizona               at                Arizona State (-13.5)

We were all over our pal Herm Edwards and his early season success with the Sun Devils, but they’ve kind of fallen off a bit in the past couple of months…until last week’s huge upset of Oregon. At 6-5 State has already achieved bowl eligibility, while the 4-7 Wildcats aren’t going anywhere but home after this game. They call this the Duel in the Desert, but I don’t anticipate much of a contest. It might be fairly close for 2 or 3 quarters, but I think State is clearly the superior team and will win easily. Zach concurs.

My Pick:     Arizona State

Z’s Pick:     Arizona State

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin (-2.5)                            at                         Minnesota

There are games that will get more attention, but we shouldn’t overlook the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe, a rivalry that goes back 128 years. On top of the long history this year’s contest features two teams hoping for a Top Ten finish, even if it is likely they’ll both miss the playoff. The winner will receive the opportunity to get beaten by Ohio St. in the Big Ten title game, but both teams will land in very nice bowl locations. The Badgers are 9-2 and have to be kicking themselves for that close October loss to Illinois. The 9-2 Gophers were an early playoff contender, but losing at Iowa a couple of weeks ago killed that dream. I’m predicting a good old-fashioned slugfest…classic smashmouth football. In that case I like Wisconsin’s offensive line to wear down the opposition and snag a win in the 4th quarter. Zach agrees and thinks Wisconsin will ride Heisman Trophy candidate & the nation’s second leading rusher Jonathan Taylor to victory.

My Pick:     Wisconsin

Z’s Pick:     Wisconsin

 

 

 

Oklahoma (-13)           at                Oklahoma State

They call this game Bedlam, and that could be the case if the Cowboys pull off the upset at home. For some reason there are still a few talking heads who seem to believe that the Sooners have a shot to make the playoff. Anything is possible, but they’d need to have three teams currently ranked above them fall. One definitely will (the loser of the SEC title game). Two is possible. Three is probably asking too much. Nevertheless, they do have a date with Baylor in the Big 12 title game, and finishing the season with two big wins could impress the committee. State has shown me no reason to believe that they can hang with their in-state rival, so I think this is going to be a rather easy win for the road favorites. Zach agrees.

My Pick:     Oklahoma

Z’s Pick:     Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

Alabama (-3.5)             at                Auburn

The Iron Bowl is always entertaining, but when there is something on the line besides bragging rights it’s even more fun. I’ve always thought that the playoff committee would do everything they possibly could to get the Tide into the playoff no matter what, and this season is no exception. Georgia will meet LSU in the SEC title game, but since ‘Bama is currently ranked fifth it feels like that fourth spot will come down to Utah (if they win the Pac 12 championship), maybe Oklahoma, possibly the loser of the SEC championship (especially if that is LSU)…and Alabama. In that scenario don’t be surprised if Nick Saban gets an early Christmas gift. But…but…they have to take care of business this week first and that’s easier said than done. Auburn is 8-3 but all three losses have come in the past six weeks. I really don’t know what to expect, but I think it’ll come down to the final five minutes and be decided by less than a field goal. Conversely, Zach thinks ‘Bama will be able to run the ball and get a decisive win.

My Pick:     Auburn

Z’s Pick:     Alabama