Red River Shootout

2022 PIGSKIN PICKS OF PROFUNDITY…WEEK 7

Good news!! We’re both above .500!! After we each went 3-2 in our fun little experiment a week ago it’s back to business as usual. Your Godfather of Cyberspace turns 50 this week, but I don’t have anything too wild planned, and honestly I can’t think of a much better way to celebrate than watching hours & hours of awesome football action. 

My Season: 18-16

Zach’s Season: 20-14

TCU (-6.5) at Kansas 

I almost feel bad for the 5-0 Jayhawks. They’re having their best season in years yet find themselves underdogs at home simply because the 4-0 Horned Frogs beat the snot out of Oklahoma last week. I think that’ll be motivation for Kansas to win comfortably. Zach expects a shootout. He thinks TCU is probably the better team, but believes Kansas will atleast cover the points & may win outright.

My Pick: Kansas 

Z’s Pick: Kansas

Tennessee (-2.5) at LSU

The Vols are 4-0, with wins over Pitt & Florida, while LSU is 4-1, with only a one point loss in their season opener as a blemish on their record. I really like Tennessee, but Death Valley is a tough place for visitors. If this game were in prime time (it should’ve been) I’d really be tempted to pick the underdogs simply because of the atmosphere, but I think the light of day makes it a little less intimidating. Zach views this as Tennessee’s offense vs. LSU’s defense, but, though he has observed improvement, doesn’t think the Bayou Bengals are quite thru taking their lumps just yet. 

My Pick: Tennessee 

Z’s Pick: Tennessee 

Texas (-7) vs. Oklahoma 

The Red River Shootout feels like its being played with cap guns. The Sooners are reeling after two straight losses, while the Longhorns are having a roller coaster 3-2 season themselves. This is a neutral site game at the Palace in Dallas, and I’d really like to pick the upset. However, Oklahoma’s starting QB may or may not play, which is significant. They do have a backup quarterback named General Booty, which is hilarious but not really a factor. Zach thinks Texas is probably the better team, but believes Oklahoma will atleast keep it close. 

My Pick: Texas 

Z’s Pick: Oklahoma 

Texas A&M at Alabama (-24)

Nick Saban & Jimbo Fisher grew up about a half hour away from one another here in northcentral West Virginia, although Saban is about 15 years older. I’m fascinated by this matchup mainly due to the heated words the two exchanged this past offseason and would love to hear what is said during the postgame handshake Saturday night. Unfortunately I don’t think it’ll be much of a contest, as the 3-2 Aggies haven’t found the right combination yet while the 5-0 Tide is rolling, as they tend to do more often than not. The only wild card is the points, and I believe Saban will be particularly invested in embarrassing his old buddy Jimbo. Zach is also looking forward to the postgame handshake, but the points are too scary for his taste. He thinks A&M will keep it respectable. 

My Pick: Alabama 

Z’s Pick: Texas A&M

Cincinnati at Baltimore (-3)

Thankfully for our Steelers the AFC North has gotten off to a pretty bad start as a whole, with the winner of this game taking control of first place with just a 3-2 record. The Ravens lost a heartbreaker to Buffalo last weekend, while the Bengals are on a two game winning streak after losing a couple of close ones out of the gate. I feel like momentum has shifted toward the visitors for the moment, although I expect the division to be competitive throughout the season. Zach really likes Lamar Jackson and foresees him leading his team to a two TD victory. 

My Pick: Cincinnati 

Z’s Pick: Baltimore 

2021 PIGSKIN PICKS OF PROFUNDITY…WEEK 6

Frustrating. That’s the word I’d use to describe the football season thus far. Both my WV Mountaineers and alma mater’s Marshall Thundering Herd have struggled. My five fantasy teams are a combined 4-16. In hindsight both my NFL Preview & preseason poll were way off base. My picks here haven’t gone well at all. Obviously in the grand scheme of life none of it is important, but as a lifelong football fan I pride myself on a certain level of insight about the game, and not knowing diddly squat this year is…unpleasant. At any rate, both myself & Zach were 3-5 last week, so we’ll try to do better. I suppose we can’t do much worse. 

My Season: 14-20

Zach’s Season: 13-21

Oklahoma (-3.5) vs. Texas

The talking heads won’t call it the Red River Shootout anymore, but I still do. The Sooners are 5-0, but haven’t really been blowing anyone away. QB Spencer Rattler is no longer a Heisman favorite, although the team is still in playoff contention. The Longhorns are 4-1 and no one is really talking about them. Can they change that?? As always this is a neutral site game being played in Dallas, and ESPN College Gameday will be on the scene. The Vibes are speaking to me, so I’m picking an upset that shouldn’t surprise anyone who has really been paying attention. The SEC would then have a clear path to putting two teams in the playoff. Zach isn’t sold on Oklahoma and likes new Texas QB Casey Thompson, so he too is thinking upset. 

My Pick: Texas 

Z’s Pick: Texas

Utah at USC (-3.5)

I’m going to give y’all a little inside information. I don’t have much of a life. No wife or girlfriend. No kids. Not much money. I haven’t been a party animal for many years. So on crisp autumn Saturday nights, while others may be doing cool stuff like bonfires or something involving flannel & pumpkin spice, I’m curled up in front of the TV watching college football. And since I’m a night owl I love it when there are compelling west coast games. It’s even better when I have a stake in the outcome, which is why you oftentimes see such matchups here. The Utes are 2-2, and most probably expected better. That triple OT loss to San Diego St. had to sting. Meanwhile, the Trojans are 3-2 and already made a coaching change. This game will set the tone for both teams for the remainder of the season, so it’s pretty big. I know the favorites have the home field, but I smell an upset brewing. Zach believes both clubs are mediocre at best, but he likes the home team to win a close one.

My Pick: Utah 

Z’s Pick: USC

UCLA (-16) at Arizona

College football is just better when the PAC 12 is deep & competitive, and as much as I love underdogs I must admit it’s also more interesting when traditional powers like UCLA are winning games. The Bruins are 3-2 and look like they’re going to have an up & down, inconsistent season. Conversely, the Wildcats are quite consistent. At 0-4 they have been consistently bad. There’s no doubt that the favorites will win the game, but can Arizona muster enough moxy to not get blown out on their home field?? I think maybe they can. Zach really likes Bruins’ RB Zach Charbonnet, a Michigan transfer. He’s a little concerned about the points, but all in on UCLA winning big.

My Pick: Arizona 

Z’s Pick: UCLA

Penn St. at Iowa (-2)

I’m not sure anyone would have predicted a month ago that this would be a battle of two undefeated Top 5 teams, but that’s how things have shaken out. The winner isn’t guaranteed anything since Ohio St. & Michigan are still in the picture, but a victory sure wouldn’t hurt. This is a 4pm start on Fox, which means Gus Johnson will probably be doing play-by-play, and that dude could make paint drying or ice melting into an event. The Hawkeyes get the requisite home field bump, but essentially it’s a pick ‘em, and I think the Nittany Lions have more big play potential. Conversely, Zach believes the home field advantage at Kinnick Stadium is among the best in the nation and will contribute to the Hawkeyes grabbing a thrilling victory. 

My Pick: Penn St. 

Z’s Pick: Iowa 

Cleveland at LA Chargers (even)

As much as I hate to admit it the Browns look like they might live up to the hype. Maybe. At 3-1 they are in a logjam atop the AFC North, so this could be a rather important contest when it comes to playoffs, wild cards, and such. The 3-1 Chargers also find themselves tied for the lead in their division, though they’ve already beaten both the Chiefs & the Raiders. I haven’t gotten a lot right so far when it comes to my preseason prognostications, but the Chargers winning the AFC West is starting to look legit. I have to go with the home team in this one, because I just think Justin Herbert is a better quarterback than Baker Mayfield. Zach concurs. 

My Pick: Los Angeles 

Z’s Pick: Los Angeles 

Buffalo at Kansas City (-3)

It’s going down at Arrowhead!! Look, KC hasn’t been as elite as usual in losses to Baltimore & the LA Chargers, but they’re still a dangerous playoff contender that absolutely no one wants to play. Having said that, Buffalo is the better team right now, with an inexplicable season opening loss to my fading Steelers being the only blemish on their record. This is the Sunday night game, and I know I’ll be glued to the television. I think the home field is huge in this one, so I have to believe the Chiefs will win by a touchdown. Zach, on the other hand, is boldly predicting a huge statement win for the Bills. 

My Pick: Kansas City 

Z’s Pick: Buffalo 

Indianapolis at Baltimore (-7)

Full disclosure…this game is on the docket because WWE wrasslin’ has been a real snoozefest lately and I like to have a reason to be invested in Monday Night Football. On paper Baltimore looks like the clear cut superior team. Injuries have torpedoed Indy’s season, although there is still time to rebound. If QB Carson Wentz can remain healthy 😬 he atleast gives his team a fighting chance, which is what I’m counting on. I’m not sure if the Colts can pull off the outright upset, but I think they can keep it close. Zach is a little concerned about the points so he’s on the same page. 

My Pick: Indianapolis 

Z’s Pick: Indianapolis 

2018 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 6

It’s my birthday y’all!! However, the difference between 23 and 46 is that doing these picks will be the highlight of my day, sandwiched between doing laundry and going to work later tonight. Adulting really isn’t much fun sometimes. And speaking of no fun…last week was pretty brutal. Zach (4-4) bested me (3-5) and has now taken the season lead. Both of us are still below .500, but for now we’re not going to chase wins with bonus picks.

My Season:     13-18

Z’s Season:     14-17

 

 

 

 

Texas                  vs.              Oklahoma (-7.5)

The Red River Shootout. I know the talking heads don’t use that moniker anymore because of misguided social engineering, but I don’t follow their rules. The 5-0 Sooners have steamrolled thru a fairly mundane schedule and haven’t missed former QB Baker Mayfield at all. The Longhorns are 4-1, but wins over USC & TCU have created a ripple of excitement in Austin, TX that’s been missing for several years. This is a neutral site game being played at the old Cotton Bowl in Dallas, which means no discernible home field advantage for either team. Oklahoma has looked unstoppable thus far, but this will be their first legit test. Texas has shown a spark here & there the past few seasons, but it never amounts to anything. So this appears to be a crossroads for both teams. I don’t know who will come out on top, but I believe that the victor will win by less than a touchdown. Zach concurs. He believes this game will be a high scoring affair with very little defense.

My Pick:     Texas

Z’s Pick:     Texas

 

 

 

LSU (-2.5)           at                Florida

The Bayou Bengals have been en fuego!! At 5-0 they have victories over Auburn, Miami (FL), & Ole Miss, which has them in the playoff conversation. The 4-1 Gators have looked pretty solid and The Swamp is one of the best home fields in college football. I think this will be a fun game, but at the end of the day LSU is clearly the better team. Zach thinks this game will be a lot better than most expect, but his concern is Florida’s inconsistency on both sides of the ball.

My Pick:     LSU

Z’s Pick:     LSU

 

 

 

Kentucky           at                Texas A&M (-6)

Kentucky is good…at football?? We have to go all the way back to 1984 for the last 9 win season for the Wildcats, but at 5-0 it looks like that is a reasonable goal. And with wins over Florida & Mississippi St. we can’t say their schedule has been soft. A&M is 3-2 under new $75 million head coach Jimbo Fisher, which probably has the folks in College Station dissatisfied, but they need to be patient. I’m a little surprised by the points. I know all about The Twelfth Man at A&M, and it’s no shock that folks are a bit hesitant to buy into Kentucky just yet, but a six point spread seems a bit disrespectful. Having said that, I have to go with the favorites. Zach is looking forward to a close game but believes Kentucky is legit.

My Pick:     Texas A&M

Z’s Pick:     Kentucky

 

 

Notre Dame (-6)           at                Virginia Tech

This is probably the best matchup of the weekend, with Notre Dame in the playoff conversation and Tech one baffling loss to Old Dominion away from being a Top Ten team. Of course it’s that inexplicable misstep that has everyone perplexed. If this game were being played in South Bend the Irish would be a double digit favorite, no one would bat an eye, and we probably wouldn’t even be discussing it. But strange things happen in Blacksburg on Saturday nights. I anticipate a really fun & close game, and I’m going to pull the trigger on picking the upset cause that’s how I roll. Zach agrees.

My Pick:     Virginia Tech

Z’s Pick:     Virginia Tech

 

 

Jacksonville                at                Kansas City (-3)

These are probably the two best teams in the AFC right now given New England’s shaky start and Pittsburgh’s dysfunction. I’m not sure that’ll be the case by season’s end, but we’ll deal with that when the time comes. Essentially what we’re all looking forward to seeing is the Chiefs’ high flying offense versus the Jags’ impermeable defense. In my season preview I called Jacksonville RB Leonard Fournette “an injury waiting to happen”, and sure enough he is missing games with a hamstring issue. Is that enough to cost his team this game?? I think it might be. Conversely, Zach likes the Jags’ defense to finally get KC quarterback Pat Mahomes to come crashing back down to Earth.

My Pick:     Kansas City

Z’s Pick:     Jacksonville