5-4 and 1 AT LEAST I STILL WON!

Last Week

The Tie came from the NFL, where Cleveland won by the exact point spread of 3 points. ( And here I am trying to pick against these guys who often hit the number right on the head. It is a miracle that I am still ahead for the year.) That game was almost impossible to watch. If every game were like that, American men would be spending more time with their families on Sundays.

I mentioned that I was hesitant to pick TCU as I had never picked a team that was a 40 point favorite. But they squeezed by and covered by 29 points. Yeah, they only won 69 to zip over the poor Lobos. Two other horrible teams I picked against also lost, Kansas and Indiana but the Hoissers didn’t lose by quite enough, just 21 points, not 23.5. Darn.

This Week…..Theme Week

And this week’s theme is… I pick bad teams to get beat badly. Apparently you can’t over estimate how bad some of them are.

NCAA

1. Northwestern -10 over and @ Indiana

This week all Indiana has to do is lose by 10. I am sure they are up for the challenge.

2. Marshall – 7 @ home over UAB

Marshall Bad…. UAB more Bad

3. Maryland -7.5 @ home over BC

Maryland is up and down, while BC is just down. So go with the hideous uniforms over the hideous team.

4. East Carolina -15 @home over Tulane

It seems that this year there is a wealth of poor teams. There are just so many bad ones that I don’t know where to start. And I haven’t even mentioned Tulane yet. They have lots of problems and here is their main one. They are an Ivy League caliber school where the Football team actually has to take time to study and they are located in New Orleans. Good luck with that.

5. Southern Miss -15 over and @UTEP

In all this discussion of bad teams, I plum forgot about UTEP. El Paso is still in the US, isn’t it? Last week Southern Miss ruined SMU’s season. That won’t happen this week as UTEP’s was ruined long ago

6. Texas Tech -15 @home over Iowa State

The Cyclones are not in the really bad category. More in the really not too bad category. But Tech is coming off a huge win and scores lots of points. (Doesn’t everyone in the Big 12?). Plus, the Red Raiders are playing at home and Lubbock is even more exciting than Ames, Iowa, if you can image?

7. Auburn -10 @ home over Mississippi

Ole Miss is also in the not too bad category, but Auburn is in the not bad at all category and playing at home. And their teams health is good, which is more than we can say for their trees.

8. Washington -7 @ home over Arizona

Both coming off losses. Washington lost its last game, Az its last coach. Arizona did win last week though. Washington is at home in Seattle and playing there in the coffee capital, they should reduce the Wildcats to decaffeinated kittens.

9. Wisconsin -7.5 over, and @ Ohio State

My guess is that the Badgers will bounce back, and beat the bungling Buckeyes. (Note the alliteration and they say we don’t have no good learning here in our Texas Schools.)

NFL

10. Buffalo -3.5 @ home over Washington

Buffalo is coming off a bye with nothing to do for 2 weeks but be in Buffalo. They are also coming off a loss. Washington is also coming off a loss, and about to be coming off another one. They kind of have QB issues though Beck looked pretty good in his first start.

11. Tenn -9 @ home over Indy

Both teams are coming off really embarrassing losses, but Indy’s is much worse. At least the Colts don’t have QB issues.. They just don’t have a QB.

Come on Bad Teams and don’t let me down by being good!

Happy viewing, Tony

6 AND 2 IT APPEARS I’M NOT THROUGH!

Last Week

After a temporary stay in the Valley of the Shadows, I am back to my winning ways. It didn’t look good to start this last weekend. I lost my first 2 college games right off the bat early saturday. But then i won my next 3 and my 3 NFL games for another excellent week. Ok, I did win one by one point but who’s counting? Oh yeah, I am counting.

Over View
The First BSC standings came out this week and surprised absolutely no one. So here is where we are at this point. It boils down to 4 teams and 2 games between them. The winner of LSU and Ala will play the winner of the OU, OSU game. Of course, these teams could lose another game, and then all bets are off.. (Assuming that you are making bets. ) And one or both of the Okla teams probably will lose one other game. Because the Big 12 or the Big Whatever Number it is this Week, is really tough. Ok, maybe tough is the wrong word, since only one team, OU, actually tackles people. But there are a lot of teams that can score in bunches. OSU is only a 7 point favorite this week over Mo and a loss in Columbia wouldn’t be any kind of surprise. OU still has to play K State in Manhattan. Manhattan, Kansas that is, where they have a mini Madi Gras every Saturday night. I know, I have been there and tried to walk down the street sober. Not an easy task. If both of them lose one game, that would open the door for Wisconsin which is a team no one should want to play. Stanford, needs help to get there and Boise can’t get there this year. In fact, a ALA/LSU rematch is not out of the question. Note to OU fans…. You should pull for ALA because playing LSU in NO for the national championship didn’t work out for you too well last time.

The NFL is less clear, of course. GB and NE are really good. Several teams are pretty good, and someone will get hot down the stretch. Stay tuned.

NCAA

( This is a theme week in College.. And the theme is.. I pick teams that I have recently lost with, to win and /or cover this time.)

1. Georgia Tech + 3 over Miami

Georgia Tech is fading a bit and not the team I thought they were. Miami is.. well no one knows what kind of team they are, but they can be beat at home. Just ask K State. So I am going with Tech over Miami, not to be confused with Moon over Miami..

2. Clemson -10 @home over NC

The tar heels lost at home to Miami last week and now have to go on the road to Death Valley. This Death Valley is in SC and not as hot as the one in Calif. But it still is a hostile environment to visitors.

3. Illinois -6 over and @ Purdue

The Illinois lost last week and are mad. I picked them and am also mad. But they don’t have to be that mad to beat Purdue. They are the second worse team in the Big 10 and also the second worse Big 10 team in their own state. Which brings us to:

4. Iowa -23.5 over Indiana

Yes, Indiana is the worse team in the big 10 which is really the Big 12 but with the the 2 Indiana teams playing so badly really is the Big 10 again. Got that?

5 K State – 11.5 over and @ KU

Indiana is the 2 worst team in the Big 12 but Kansas is the second worst team in the Country. Which brings us to:

6. TCU -40.5 @ home over New Mexico.

Yes, NM is the worse team in the country. But still, 40 points is a lot. I am not too sure about this pick but am thinking that you can’t go wrong underestimating how bad the Lobos are.

7. Utah State – 6 over La Tech

I know, I know. Utah State, you are thinking? But actually they are pretty good having narrowly lost to 2 good teams on the road, including Auburn. La Tech Ain’t bad either. But Cajuns like alcohol and alcohol is hard to find in Utah.

NFL

8. Cleveland – 3 @ home over Seattle

Last Week the Browns had to go from the East Coast to the West. This week Seattle has to go from the West Coast to the East. OK, I know that Cleveland is not on the Coast.. Let’s say Lake Shore East. And Cleveland isn’t that bad. As a team I mean, not as a city.

9. Houston + 3.5 @ home over Tenn

Houston was my surprise team of the year, and Tenn is now the League’s surprise team so far.. But I can’t figure them out. Are they good, and if so, why? Who do they have? They lost most of their best players to free agency the last few years. So must be doing it with Mirrors. Houston is injured but dangerous, like a wounded Bear, or a wounded Texan for that matter. So I am going with the New Houston Oilers to beat the old Houston Oilers.

10. Pittsburgh -4 over and @ Arizona

Pittsburgh is getting old and we old people don’t like to travel. But some of us can still dance. Like Hines Ward. And the Cardinals? They are home and rested and young. They also suck…. go with the old guys.

Happy Viewing, Tony

4 OUT OF 6, CAN MAKE YOU SICK ( I Go Down in Flames and We Burn the Tape)

Last Week

It had to happen right? I couldn’t keep beating the odds, now could I? Each week the coaches review the tape of the last week’s game with the team to correct errors and see what they can learn. But some weeks, the team was so bad, that they just throw the game tape away and try to pretend that that week never happened. Kansas hasn’t seen a tape all year. For New Mexico, it has been 2 years. That’s what we will do with last week’s picks. It could have been worse as i had the 2 NFL games right. Meaning that my college score was 2 of 8! That isn’t a passing grade in College…. even at Miami. I am still ahead for the year, but have lost my cushion.

This Week

NCAA

1. Georgia Tech + 7.5 over and @ Virginia

Yes, I know Tech let me down last week. But they have a new strategy. Which is to score more points than their opponents. And yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and no, Virginia, there isn’t much of a team at your University.

2. Illinois + 5.5 @ home and over Ohio State

The Illni are having their best season in years and the Buckeyes are having their worst. Plus, they just lost of couple of more players to Tatoo Gate.

3. Clemson -7 over and @ Maryland

Clemson is also having their best season in years and Maryland is wearing their worst uniforms in years. And yes, I picked against the Tigers last week and yes, I lost.

4. Missouri-13 @ home and over Iowa State

Missouri lost a couple of close games in a row to undefeated teams and are due. Note to Missouri officials….Stay in the Big “Whatever” and don’t go to the SEC. Because you can handle Iowa State but not Louisiana State.

5. SMU +3.5 @home over UCF

SMU is also having its best season in years and are at home in Dallas. In fact, they are have their best team since the good old days when they paid their players a little better than the Cowboys.

NFL

6. Atlanta -5.5 @home and over Carolina

Both Cam Newton and the Panthers are playing better every week. But the Falcons play very well at home and are coming off a loss. I won because I picked them to lose last week and hope I don’t lose by picking them to win this week. Got it?

7. Oakland -6 @home and over Cleveland

After the death of AL Davis, the Raiders are coming off an emotional week and emotional high with the last minute victory over Houston. The Browns are a young and upcoming team, but you don’t have many emotional highs if you live in Cleveland.

8. Jets -7.5 @ home over Miami

The Jets aren’t as good as we thought they were and aren’t nearly as good as they thought they were. But the Dolphins have lost their Tail And I don’t think this will have a happy ending like the Dolphin Tale.

Happy Ending for you all, Tony

5-5 and 2 Breaking Even Will Have to Do.

Ok gang, I had to come back down to earth sometime didnt I? What did we learn this week Boys and Girls? That these Wise Guys in Vegas are really Wise. They nailed 2 of my 12 games right on the nose. Take the Bear game for example. They were a 5.5 favorite over the Panthers and they won by 5. Tampa was a 7 point favorite or Indy and won by.. yes.. exactly 7. So to review what have learned? 1. Colts should have had a plan to replace Peyton. 2. Don’t ever kick to Devin Hester. 3.. You cant beat the House. Even if you are playing with House money like me, since I have hard such a great start. (Hypothetical money, since i only pick, not bet the games of course.) And by the way, I lost 2 other games by 2 points. These guys are good!
I should have stuck with my surprise college team of the year, Wisconsin over my old alma mater, Nebraska, but as i said, I thought 10 points was too much. Turns out 30 points wouldn’t have been too much.. So my pre season picks are looking pretty good at this point. And just to remind you, and to gloat just a little, here they are again.. My 2 favorites to win it all, Oklahoma in College and Green Bay in the Pros.. My 2 surprise teams of the year.. Wisconsin in College and the Houston Texans in the big leagues. So far so good.

This Week

1. North Carolina -12.5 @home over Louisville Louisville wants to join the Big 12 (currently 9 members and dont ask). But if you struggle to beat Marshall as they did, then that doesn’t help your resume.. NC is pretty good, and they didn’t even cheat this year… much.

2. BYU -11.5 over San Jose State SJS is playing a little better than usual. BYU is playing a little worse than usual. But this is the time of the year that BYU is starts to play better as their testosterone starts to kick in. As all that pent up repressed Mormon sexual energy is ready to explode.

3. Georgia Tech -15 @ home over Maryland These Option teams are always hard to prepare for in a week. And Tech is always good at it. And now they can pass too. Also they are fast, where as a Terrapin is slow.

4. Air Force + 17 over and @ ND These Option teams are hard to.. sound familiar? Of course the Irish are better this year with a great Wide Reciever and a good QB and are playing at home with a great crowd of drunk Irish Catholics. But Air Force has actually beat them out right at home in recent years, so the 17 points should be good.

5. Va Tech -7.5 @ home over Miami It must be disappointing for the Hurricanes. They payed all this money for these players and they still aren’t playing well. They should ask for a refund. The Hokies disappointed their fans last week. And me too. So they should be good and mad. Mad as a Castrated Turkey should be.

6. Baylor -16.5 @ home over Iowa State These teams have been Historically really bad. But both have improved. From really bad, to bad, to not bad. But Baylor is more not bad than the Cyclones. And they have a lot of repressed, built up, repressed Baptist sexual energy. They also have a QB who has more TDs than in completions, a freakish stat that probably cant last. And he can run too.

7.Fla State – 1 over and @ Wake Forest Wake is better than people thought and FSU is worse. And the Demon Deacons are playing at home. So why go with the Seminoles? Because they are much better and much madder. Ps as a nickname I am not sure about Demon Deacons. It is like.. go Deacons of a Satanic Church.

8. Neb -9.5 over Ohio State Both disappointing teams coming off embarrassing losses. But the Huskers were more embarrassed and playing in Lincoln. And they can score which is more than Buckeyes can say. OSU should ask for a refund too. But it is hard to give back cars and Tattoos’.

NFL

9. Pittsburgh -4.5 @ over Tenn The Steelers have some injuries to deal with and may be without Big Ben. The Titans are better than advertised. Plus the Steelers are aging right before our very eyes. Even Hines Ward is not dancing as well this year. But maybe this week, they get rejuvenated against a mediocre Titan team playing way above thier heads.

10. GB -4 over and @ Atlanta The pack can’t win every game and this would be a good one for them to lose. It is not in their Division, the Falcons are playing at home and more desperate, and aren’t bad. My hope is that GB waits another week or 2 to have an off week. Just for my sake.

Happy Football for All and to all a good night