(To officially recap - Cover Two went 1-3 picking winners and 3-4 against spreads and other bets; Season totals are now 24-8 and 18-14 respectively)
Shame on me for not growing a pair and picking South Carolina. As our one loyal follower pointed out, I did everything but actually go with my gut and pick the Gamecocks. Why? Because, as much as my Butler-built heart wants to see Boise State or TCU win the whole thing, the best team in the SEC deserves a title shot, given how talented that conference is.
Shame on Florida for scoring 29 against LSU's vaunted defense, but being unable to stop a team that has looked more disoriented than a Joaquin Phoenix con-job on offense. AT HOME
Shame on most of the country for believing Michigan was back and could play with anybody. I didn't write it, but I thought that Michigan State (+4.5) was easy money last week. If I actually knew how to pull it off, I would have sold the points, given some and made a fortune. Again, if I actually did that (which I don't - and neither should you [wink])
Shame on me for not paying attention to what I felt about Michigan and allowing me to think Indiana actually had a team that could compete
Shame on Arizona and Stanford for watering down the Pac-10's elite and making life more difficult for Oregon
Shame on the BCS system for giving us a system whereby Boise State, TCU and Utah had to humiliate and decimate Toledo, Wyoming and Iowa State just to earn style points. (By the way, the whole "we need a playoff" argument has been cute and fun for the past few years. But, I feel an epic storm brewing at the end of this season)
Shame on Penn State for tricking their fans into thinking there would be hope this season. 33-13 at home to the Zooker and Illinois?!?!
Okay, enough shame. This week is a new week! And, with only two matchups between top 25 teams, we can focus on some storylines and games of note, like...
Texas @ #5 Nebraska -10
Where the hell did Taylor Martinez come from?! He is Denard Robinson with his shoelaces tied. And the same age! There are guys playing high school football in Nebraska that are older than Taylor Martinez (I don't have exact proof of that, but odds tell me it's true). And, I know the Huskers have amazing history, but no freshman has ever started under center for them to open a season until him. And, what have we established about Texas this year? They are too young, but will be good. My only concern right now is how has Nebraska been tested this season. The defining moments are the road slaughters of Washington and Kansas State, but how about that home sleeper against FCS South Dakota State? Good team, with disciplined, albeit inferior, talent and Martinez struggled, mightily. The Longhorns and Huskers have experienced complete role reversal. Nothing to lose for Texas; everything to lose for Nebraska. I don't think they can go undefeated, but I don't think Texas has enough to take them down this weekend. 10 points is too much to give in what I expect to be a sloppy, defensive game. BOB
Nebraska 21, Texas 16
#10 South Carolina @ Kentucky +5
Apologies to all Gamecock fans for not recognizing the obvious: that your team could get a bye week, play the #1 team at home and get super-human performances from your QB (I think Garcia reached his peak in that game; retire) and NFL-bound RB and WR. [How about this stat: Alabama will play 5 teams coming off bye weeks this season] Kentucky played Florida tough, Auburn tougher and now have home-field in this clash. I didn't trust South Carolina at the beginning of the season, or even enough last week. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me...
Kentucky 31, South Carolina 30
#15 Iowa @ Michigan +3.5
I have reached a point in this blog entry where I realize that I may have totally screwed up the first two picks. My palms are sweating a little bit, and I am seriously questioning if my zero-credibility in writing this blog could actually turn to negative credibility (it's like dividing by zero) if I put an 0-fer up on the scoreboard this week. Michigan was outed last week at home. Sparty may be a top 2 team in the Big Ten. Iowa, meanwhile, took last week off (bonus), watched their home win over Penn State mean absolutely nothing (deduction) and saw Arizona get punked at home by Oregon State (deduction). Does Iowa still have one of, if not the, best front 7's in college football? If they do, Denard Robinson isn't a problem. Sparty proved that. This entire football season has been chaotic and unpredictable (I'm not even going to touch the NFL madness), but something has to work out the way it should. Given the home-field advantage, Vegas is essentially calling this game a push. I don't see it that way...
Iowa 20, Michigan 13
#1 Ohio State @ #18 Wisconsin +4
The Buckeyes remaining schedule has become remarkably easier thanks to the humbling of Wolverines and Nittany Lions. That leaves Wisconsin and Iowa (both road tests) as the only hurdles. [Iowa really messed up losing at Arizona. They could play for a title with OSU and Wiscy at home this season.] I just have faith in Ohio State losing one game before the end of the season. I think it is only fair when there are better number-one stories out there. But, does it start here, or do they become 2009 Penn State and lose at Iowa in a few weeks? Can the Badgers run effectively at home. I think this game is close, so I really like getting points at home, and I'll go ahead and take the home team...
Wisconsin 24, Ohio State 23
#12 Arkansas @ #7 Auburn -3.5
Well, it's official, we are going 0-for-4 with those first picks. Nothing feels right this week. Must be the moon cycling through. So, in order to spare Hogs and Tiger fans the curse of my picking the winner in this game, I will pull the double curse. I am obviously cursing whoever is the winner, but having had two nice conversations with Terry Bowden before, he informed me of the (how shall I put it) "delicate" relationship coaches have with the administration and trustees of the school. It burned Bowden and it burned Tubberville. So, I think the program is mildly cursed for how it forced out coaches. So, if Auburn is already cursed, and whoever I pick to win is cursed, if I pick Auburn to win, the curses cancel out and they WILL win. But, if I pick Arkansas, they will play to an eight-overtime tie due to lightning and exhaustion and knee replacements. Ah, who am I kidding. I like Auburn at home almost every time, and they will continue to sneak out wins until getting massacred in Tuscaloosa the day after Thanksgiving.
Auburn 38, Arkansas 27
Next season, I am picking golf winners...
Your loyal reader gives a nod to the bold pick of Kentucky over the Fighting Spurriers
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