TCU Horned Frogs

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 1

ncaa-football-betting-sitesGreetings sports fans!! We’re back with a 4th season of scintillating football insight and weekly game picks. My nephew Zach joins me for the third time. In 2014 I finished with a pretty decent record of 52-44, while Zach crashed & burned in the final weekend to go 46-50 for the year. As usual the NCAA gets started before the NFL, and also as usual the schedule is filled with unappetizing matchups of powerhouse teams facing Little Sisters of the Poor. That is par for the course in the first couple weeks of college football. However, I was able to find a handful of intriguing games, a couple of which might even play a key role in which teams end up in the four team national title playoff in January. We’ll see. Remember the ground rules. We don’t get paid for this. We’re just football fans having some fun. Point spreads are included only to add a layer of intrigue & strategery. The Manofesto doesn’t encourage gambling for a few reasons, one of which being the fact that we’re really not very good at this. Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 
TCU (-14) at Minnesota
minnesotaThe Horned Frogs finished 12-1 last season and many thought that they deserved a spot in the inaugural championship TCU_Horned_Frogsplayoff. Unfortunately they play in the Big 12 (which has ten teams), a conference that seems destined to be left in the dust until they expand and add a title game. Senior QB Trevone Boykin is an early Heisman favorite. The Gophers went 8-5 in 2014 and kept getting incomprehensible respect from the playoff committee (who ranks 25 teams even though only 4 are in the playoff). Pundits seem to think TCU has another solid chance to be a playoff team this go round, while yours truly has them ranked 7th. Minnesota has the home field advantage in this one, which is why I’m going to be a rebel and pick them to cover the points but not actually win the game. Conversely, Zach likes TCU’s powerful offense and thinks they’ll win easily.

My Pick – Minnesota
Z’s Pick – TCU

 

 

 

Louisville vs. Auburn (-10.5)
The national sports media seems to like both of these teams more than I do. The Tigers are predicted to be a Top 10 team in other polls, while mine auburnhas them nowhere in sight. The Cardinals are “receiving votes” in other rankings, but not mine. This is a neutral site game in Atlanta, although Auburn should have a strong “home field” advantage. I’m not buying the Louisville hype at all, and while I think Auburn will struggle against SEC foes I don’t believe they’ll have any problems winning their opener. Zach concurs, opining that it’ll be a blowout by halftime allowing Auburn to get their bench some playing time in the second half.

My Pick – Auburn
Z’s Pick – Auburn

 

 

 

Arizona St. vs. Texas A&M (-3)
aggiesThis might be the best game of the opening weekend. It is another neutral site game, this time in Houston, which gives the Arizona_State_logo_blanketAggies the clear “home field” advantage. The Sun Devils are also getting a lot of love from the talking heads while getting none from me, with most “experts” showing them nestled safely in the Top 20. Conversely, A&M is in the “receiving votes” category in most other polls, while I have them ranked 15th. The point spread isn’t really a factor, as the 3 points are a function of A&M’s likely crowd support. On paper it really does look like a tossup, and I’ve got to lean toward the nominal favorite. Zach is going with the majority and against the spread. He likes Arizona St.’s defense to make the difference.

My Pick – Texas A&M
Z’s Pick – Arizona St.

 

 

 

Texas at Notre Dame (-9.5)
NotreDameFightingIrishOnce upon a time this would have been a big time, overhyped matchup of college football royalty, but the Longhorns have TEXAS LONGHORNS.1271817676fallen on tough times the past few years and aren’t anywhere near most rankings…except mine, where they sneak in at #25. Meanwhile, the Irish are hovering near the Top 10 in most polls and I have them ranked 3rd…solidly in the playoff conversation. The game is at South Bend and an upset seems highly unlikely. So the question is will Notre Dame cover the points?? I believe so. Zach is employing a “go big or go home” strategery and is picking the huge upset.

My Pick – Notre Dame
Z’s Pick – Texas

 

 

 

Wisconsin vs. Alabama (-11)
This is also a neutral site game at The Palace in Dallas, and a year ago it might have been a really interesting game. However the Badgers not only lost AlabamaCrimsonTide2record setting RB Melvin Gordon to the NFL, they are also welcoming their third head coach in four years. I think they’ll be alright in the long run, but there couldn’t possibly be a bigger challenge out of the gate than ‘Bama. I see no reason to believe that the Tide won’t be in the thick of the playoff conversation all season long, and that will start with them steamrolling Wisconsin. Zach has a huge mancrush on Nick Saban and thinks Alabama will win by 17 points. He believes that Wisconsin will hang tight for the first 3 quarters but get blown away late.

My Pick – Alabama
Z’s Pick – Alabama

2014 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 11

5-0 baby!! I’m almost positive I’ve never done that before.

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I have to be honest. I was really really down last weekend. My WV Mountaineers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory due to the poor decision making of their drunken head coach, and my undefeated Marshall Thundering Herd were being totally disrespected by the talking heads. I was so bummed after the WVU loss that I just turned my TV off and went to sleep at 7:30pm. The last time I went to bed that early I was in trouble with my parents. I had pretty much made up my mind to break up with sports altogether. After church Sunday I didn’t watch a minute of the NFL on Redzone, and I didn’t even watch my beloved Steelers defeat the hated Ravens on Sunday Night Football. I was prepared to end these picks as well. You see, I am a firm believer in a kind of male menstrual cycle, and as I emailed my friend The Owl Sunday evening, I was “in a very dark place” and felt “as if I could mow thru a crowded room with a machete and laugh like a giddy child.” Thankfully when the gloom overtakes me I know that if I just disengage for a day or two factory settings will be restored and I regain my emotional equilibrium. Not that I’d ever actually hurt anyone anyway. I am far too delicate for prison. I am much more likely, to paraphrase a line from the 2004 rom-com Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, to tear someone to pieces with vicious rhetoric.

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At any rate, I couldn’t abandon these picks, especially after my brilliant prognosticatory ability led me to a perfect record. I can’t let down my nephew Zach or the citizens of The Manoverse. While I was going 5-0 Zach was going 3-2, so for the season I am 30-25 and he is 28-27. There are several great college games this week that…theoretically…should add clarity to this 4 team playoff deal. Or maybe it’ll just become a bigger mess than it already is. For God’s sake I am actually starting to miss the BCS.

 

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Baylor at Oklahoma (-5.5)
oklahomaThe Big 12 doesn’t have a title game (or 12 teams), but the regular season conference champion might have a decent shot at being one of thebaylor chosen four playoff teams. The Sooners are probably on the outside looking in at a three team race between TCU, Baylor, & Kansas St., but they can certainly play the role of spoiler. This is a must win for the Bears and I am a little surprised that they aren’t favored even though they are the visiting team. Oklahoma’s two losses…to the aforementioned TCU & Kansas St…were by a total of 5 points. I’d be surprised if this game is much different, but I’ll roll the dice. Zach doesn’t think Oklahoma has a chance and predicts the game will be over by halftime with Baylor winning by atleast 4 TDs.

My Pick = Oklahoma
Z’s Pick = Baylor

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Notre Dame at Arizona St. (-2.5)
Arizona_State_logo_blanketThe Sun Devils would need a lot of things to go right for them to make the playoff, but an appearance in the Pac 12 title game certainly NotreDameFightingIrishseems feasible. Meanwhile, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see the Irish jump back into the national championship picture if their only loss is to an overrated Florida St. team that they clearly outplayed on a call that was dubious to say the least. Unfortunately for Notre Dame I think they receive the death blow in this game and will be eliminated from playoff contention. Zach notes that Notre Dame is “good at beating small conference schools”, which I think may be a big ol’ flip of the bird to the Pac 12.

My Pick = Arizona St.
Z’s Pick = Notre Dame

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Kansas St. at TCU (-5.5)
kansas-state-dmThis essentially is a de facto Big 12 championship contest. The winner would almost certainly leap into atleast being on the cusp of the TCU_Horned_Frogsplayoff. I have watched both teams play this season, and in my opinion it all comes down to coaching. Kansas St.’s Bill Snyder won’t be outcoached the way that West Virginia’s head lush was last weekend. Zach believes that Horned Frogs’ QB Trevone Boykin will win the game with his legs.

My Pick = Kansas St.
Z’s Pick = TCU

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Ohio St. at Michigan St. (-3.5)
Ohio_State_BuckeyesThe Buckeyes are too far down on the totem pole to snag a playoff spot, but they can be spoilers while also securing a spot in the Big Ten Michigan_State_Spartans(which has 12 teams) title game. Meanwhile, the Spartans are in a dog fight for one of those four playoff spots. A win in this game would certainly help, while a loss would likely be the knockout punch. This is one upset that no one seems to be predicting, so I suppose I will be a trailblazer. Zach has a robust disdain for Ohio St. (no one knows why) and is going with Michigan St. all the way.

My Pick = Ohio St.
Z’s Pick = Michigan St.

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Alabama (-6.5) at LSU
Can the Bayou Bengals do it again?? A couple of weeks ago Zach & I correctly predicted the LSU upset of then #3 Ole Miss. LSU is coming into this game well lsu_logorested after a bye week. The Tide are also coming off a bye, so neither team has the advantage there. ‘Bama just hasn’t seemed to be firing on all cylinders this season yet they are a Top 5 team as usual and have won the last three meetings in this series rather handily. I think the momentum shifts back to the underdogs in 2014 and the game will be decided…one way or another…by 3 points or less. Zach concurs.

My Pick = LSU
Z’s Pick = LSU