There's three games on TV today, including the PAPN Bowl!
7:00: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical vs. Jacksonville State (@Montgomery, AL; ESPN)
7:30: Hawaii @ Colorado State (CBSSN)
10:00: Wyoming @ New Mexico State (ESPN2)
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Hey gang. I’m not going to get around to writing this up until later today, so I’ll give you all a choice. I can post the link to pick’ems now and just do the write up later, or you guys can wait until tonight. Up to you.
Hey gang. I’m not going to get around to writing this up until later today, so I’ll give you all a choice. I can post the link to pick’ems now and just do the write up later, or you guys can wait until tonight. Up to you.
Can I still get in on the picks this year or am I too late?
Same question
Anyone can join any week by clicking the link and entering
I have to be honest though, I don’t trust myself to pick well without Nirya ‘s snark as a guide...
It's week one, prognosticating is like 20% recruiting rankings, 30% last year's performance, and 50% wild ass guesses.
So are you taking Michigan or ND?
Michigan, but I'm a homer.
Quick Michigan preview: loaded with talent except at the two offensive tackles. Lacks depth at WR and absolutely cannot absorb a second significant injury at that position. Should have excellent TEs, has two good to great running backs. Patterson should provide a major upgrade at QB if they can keep him upright. Interior of the line is second or third year guys who have seemed competent and should make the leap, they're all very highly regarded recruits. Running game will be strong (14th S&P last year despite no passing game at all, return most contributors). The two tackle spots are the glaring weak spot of the entire team. LT is Jon Runyan Jr., a 3* legacy recruit who is a little shorter than your prototypical LT. He has not had significant playing time in his career. Currently #1 RT who may or may be beat out by a RS FR this week for the actual job is Juwan Bushell Beatty. Who is a guard forced to play tackle. Good run blocker, atrocious at pass protection.
On defense, they're absurd everywhere. Lose two starters, one of whom was admittedly Maurice Hurst. Probably four really good corners, two solid safeties who are the relative weak link. LBs are really, really good. DL is probably top five nationally, though it's not on Clemson's level this year. And they're coached by Don Brown, mad genius.
Our punter probably sucks, which is bad when you're a defense first team.
Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
Hello everyone! Welcome to the SE++ (and also D&D and everyone else can jump in the pool too) College Football Pick'em, 2018 Edition! Let me explain the rules real fast.
1. Each week, ASimPerson and myself will come together and pick the 10 best/interesting/homer-biased games of the week. I'll provide you guys with a run-down of each game, including the Vegas spread and rankings for each team. All you have to do is click on the link at the bottom of the post to go to a special Google Form page, where you will enter your forum name and your picks. It really is that simple!
2. There are two variations for each game available: Straight-Up and Against the Spread. Straight-Up is pretty simple: you pick which team you think will win the game. Against the Spread is a little more complex. With these games, you're not picking whether a team will win a game or not, but rather if the team will cover the spread or not. For example, here's a game from this week:
Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5)
For this matchup, you're not picking whether Oklahoma will win or not. Rather, you're picking against that 20.5 spread. If you pick Oklahoma, you are saying they will win the game by more than 20.5 points (so essentially, 21 or more), while if you pick Florida Atlantic, you're betting the Fighting Kiffins will keep the score closer than 20.5 points. Makes sense, right? To be safe, we'll try and make sure the spreads are not full numbers and instead have .5s at the end.
3. You have some time to make these picks - don't feel the need to rush them! Just make sure that your picks are submitted to the Google Form before the kickoff of the first games on Saturday (though be safe and get them in by Friday). We should be putting out a Bat Signal after each post so that you know when the form is up, but try and check in by Wednesday at least.
That's all I can think of for now. Week 1 will be up within the hour. Good luck!
WEEK 1: URBAN MEYER'S PUBLICIST IS GOING TO APOLOGIZE FOR THIS POST IN A FEW DAYS
Straight-Up (spread in parenthesis courtesy of ESPN)
#22 Boise State (-10) @ Troy - Ahh, the return of college football, and our first matchup is a doozy, featuring last year's Mountain West Champion against last year's Fun Belt co-champion. These two teams faced off last year in Boise, a 24-13 victory for the Broncos en route to an 11-win season. Yet Troy arguably had the better season, tying for the Sun Belt championship and claiming one of the biggest scalps for the G5 when they went into Death Valley and knocked off LSU. Don't let that spread fool you: this game will own bones and you should watch it.
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame (-1) - Do you like tradition? Do you like spectacle? Do you like your football matchups to feature two schools that love the smell of their own farts and haven't been truly relevant since the early 90s? Then have I got a game for you! This historic matchup was actually put on hold for a bit for Reasons(tm), but unlike Texas/Texas A&M, these two schools realized that they really are better together than apart (and they realized how much money they could earn by playing this game again). Both teams also have a ton to prove: Michigan needs to prove to the nation that Harbaugh truly has them back, while Notre Dame needs to prove that they truly are relevant in the 21st century, rather than a program that can get fluky seasons here and there. Plus, this is a non-conference game at the start of the year, so no one really has any idea how this will turn out! Should be great!
#8 Miami (-3.5) vs. #25 Louisiana State - LIVE FROM JERRY'S WORLD IN ARLINGTON TEXAS! The fun thing is this feels like one of the few neutral site games that will actually draw a reasonable crowd, as LSU fans are close enough to come while Miami fans have a ton of disposable income thanks to all the cocaine they sell. Miami was one of the fun breakout teams of last year, what with their turnover chains and capability to self-immolate at a moment's notice, while LSU has DACOACHO, which means they're always ready to combust at a moment's notice.
#20 Virginia Tech @ #19 Florida State (-7) - Welcome to the Willie Taggart Era at Florida State! Taggart executed turnarounds at South Florida and (for one year) Oregon, and now looks to do the same at Florida State, which had an uncharacteristic 6-loss season before Jimbo Fisher left for a 10 year, $75 million contract at Texas A&M (p.s. I'm sure that will work out great for you Aggies lol). Virginia Tech is now in its 3rd year of Justin Fuente's tenure, and Fuente has gotten the Hokies back to peak-Beamer levels of competence. This line feels like a lot of bullish beliefs for how much Taggart (and returning QB Deondre Francois, who was lost in last season's opener against Alabama, proving once again that there is no good reason to play the Crimson Tide) will fix things, but again, this is the first game of the season so who really knows.
Against the Spread (spread in parenthesis courtesy of Yahoo?)
Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma (-20.5) - No Baker, no problems for Oklahoma? That remains to be seen - this team lost a ton more than just Mayfield, and what was already an average to bad defense could get worse this year. Meanwhile, the Fighting Kiffins are one of the most fun and under-the-radar teams in college football (the Owls were 11th in overall S&P+ last year), and their offense pulled in a ranking of 6th in offensive S&P+ last year, which could give the Sooners fits. This line feels waaaaaaaay too high, but that's just me.
THE Oregon State @ #5 A School Full of Cowards (-38.5) - Look, I want the Beavers to win as much as the next guy, but this team has no talent and has a new coach that I can't even be bothered to remember (seriously, I know every other coach in this stupid conference except Johnathan Smith, who's name I just looked up). Taking away Urban Meyer doesn't suddenly remove the fact that this Ohio State team is insanely talented, and should win this game on talent alone.
#23 Texas (-13.5) vs. Seriously How Shitty Were These Football Programs This Offseason? - The less said about Maryland, the better, but I'm also still not sure how Durkin is still employed. Anyway TEXAS IS BACK! DEFINITELY THIS TIME! I hope some Longhorn lineman just rolls into Durkin's knees at some point.
#17 West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - LIVE FROM CHARLOTTE FOR SOME REASON! First, a word of caution: yes Tennessee has a new coach, and yes he appears to be, at a base level, competent, but this is Tennessee we're talking about, and the hiring process that led to Jeremy Pruitt's hiring was the stuff of legends, so we should maybe slow down on any positive Tennessee thoughts for the foreseeable future. West Virginia, meanwhile, is a dark horse in the Big 12, which feels like something that could have been said every year since they joined the conference. At some point Holgo may have to back that belief up.
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - Hey, umm, ASP? Why did we pick this one again? Did you just want me to talk about how Larry Fedora doesn't seem to understand how concussions work? Because that was literally the only-interesting thing from this offseason for either team. California is in year two of Justin Wilcox's rebuilding efforts, and though he had the Golden Bears actually looking better, they're still a few years away from contending in what is turning out to be a strong Pac-12 North. North Carolina.....boy that program just seems to be spinning their wheels at the moment, especially with Miami and Virginia Tech ascendant in the division.
GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK (spread in parenthesis courtesy of ESPN) (STRAIGHT UP)
#6 Washington vs. #9 Auburn (-2) - IT'S THE CHICK-FIL-A KICKOFF GAME FROM HOTLANTA! And we got ourselves two actual national title contenders here. In one corner, we have Washington, who are the clear frontrunners in the Pac-12 and boast one of the best defenses in the nation, along with a QB who is the definition of quiet competence. And in the other corner, we have Auburn, the only team to beat the Crimson Tide last year, with a ton of offensive firepower and a defense that is better than you'd think. With it's location, this is essentially a home game for Auburn, and expect one of the best matchups we'll see all of September.
whatup assholes footbawl is back baby and it's time for my favorite weekend of the year
Straight-Up Boise State @ Troy - Let me remind everyone that Troy beat LSU last year. In Baton Rouge. Which reflects more on LSU than anything else. Michigan @ Notre Dame - I am not on the Noter Dame hype train that everyone else seems to be. Lest you forget, They were #11 two years ago and ended 4-7 or something stupid. Miami vs. Louisiana State - As above, LSU sucks. Virginia Tech @ Florida State
Against the Spread Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5) - Lol Oregon State @ Ohio State (-38.5) - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Texas (-13.5) vs. Maryland -
West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee
North Carolina @ California (-7.5)
Game of the Week Washington vs. Auburn - Washington is better for sure.
Oghulk on
+1
Options
Raijin QuickfootI'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPAregular
The ConFLiCT is not on this pick 'em, I am preemptively declaring this pick 'em a fraud.
Thursday games are almost never in the pick'em.
This is fair, but how are you going to neglect the greatest modern rivalry in college football?
(I swear to Christ, if this game actually ends up being competitive because of some weird karmic blowback that only occurred because I had to crack jokes about it, I will be very mad.)
Straight Up #22 Boise State (-10) @ Troy - My lack of knowledge about Mountain West/FunBelt football will probably bite me in the ass at some point.
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame (-1) - I hate myself for doing this, but the back half of this pick 'em involves a lot of spite picks, and Notre Dame was pretty good last year. Though if I turn out to be wrong, I'll be a lot happier. #8 Miami (-3.5) vs. #25 Louisiana State - Miami played really well last year. LSU got caught in a dogfight with Troy, fired Les Miles, and hired Ed Orgeron. Miami seems like the smart pick. #20 Virginia Tech @ #19 Florida State (-7) - This one's kind of tough? Home field advantage counts for a lot, but FSU's got a new coach following a rough year, and while VPI's schedule last year was kind of forgettable, it seems like they ended in a good spot. Also; intense pathological dislike for Willie Taggart. Against the Spread Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma (-20.5) - Not gonna lie, I'm feeling pretty nervous about the UCF/FAU game in Week 4, more so than any other team on our schedule. I'm tempted to pick against the Fighting Kiffins as a kind of reassurance that it won't be that bad, but that spread is ridiculous and Oklahoma doesn't have Mayfield anymore. Oregon State @ #5 School That Should've Fired Urban Meyer (-38.5) - However improbable it may be, I hope the Beavers run up the fucking score. #23 Texas (-13.5) vs. School That Should've Fired DJ Durkin - "The less said about Maryland, the better." #17 West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - Why Charlotte though?
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - My life was better before I knew who Larry Fedora was. Game of the Century (of the Week)
#6 Washington vs. #9 Auburn (-2) - Thought about this one for a bit, decided to embrace chaos. Because that's never worked out badly for me in these things.
Straight-Up
Boise State @ Troy - Troy's our Boy! Michigan @ Notre Dame - Michigan is going to force ND until a lot of clear passing situations that they won't be able to execute on well enough to put up the 21-24 they'll need to win. Miami vs. Louisiana State - I trust neither of these teams, but LSU is slowly sliding while Miami is slowly improving.
Virginia Tech @ Florida State - Tech has too many injuries to take a game like this on the road.
Against the Spread Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5) - I don't even believe in this pick, but I'm gonna pick FAU any time I see them regardless
Oregon State @ Ohio State (-38.5) - The talent difference here is absolutely insane. Texas (-13.5) vs. Maryland - Maryland is in shambles and Texas should be at least decent. West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - WVU is a better story than real contender, but Tennessee is still bad. North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - I'll take the touchdown+ for UNC despite being a trainwreck.
Game of the Week
Washington vs. Auburn - Don't think Washington travels quite as well as it wants, and I'm always wary of any non-hyped lines going against Auburn's.
Straight-Up Boise State (-10) @ Troy
Michigan @ Notre Dame (-1) - Gotta hope Wimbush is accurate enough to hit the broad side of a barn. Miami (-3.5) vs. Louisiana State
Virginia Tech @ Florida State (-7)
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5) THE Oregon State @ A School Full of Cowards (-38.5) - That's a lot of points! Texas (-13.5) vs. Seriously How Shitty Were These Football Programs This Offseason? West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee
North Carolina @ California (-7.5)
GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK (STRAIGHT UP)
Washington vs. Auburn (-2) - Don't care how many times I see it, I just don't believe the Huskies are real.
Straight-Up
Boise State @ Troy - Troy, Troy, the wonder boy. Michigan @ Notre Dame - Look, just... look it's Notre Dame. It's a university who I grew up seeing references to it being the be-all-end-all for CFB, only for it to become a laughinstock by the time I was, you know, a person. I don't want that to change.
Miami vs. Louisiana State - I got nothing Virginia Tech @ Florida State - Virginia Tech's initials are VPI and I don't understand that and also love it.
Against the Spread Oklahoma (-20.5) - My picks of "The one with a song from a musical about it" didn't fail last year, and it surely won't fail this year. Oregon State @ Ohio State (-38.5) - Fuck off, shitty OSU Texas (-13.5) vs. Maryland - @Oghulk we got this! Let's do it! It can't be as comically bad as last year! Whoo!
West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - UT is also University of Texas and WHOO WE GOT THIS OGHULK
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - Man, I don't know.
Game of the Week
Washington vs. Auburn - Wait how did PSU stomp UW into the ground and ended up ranked lower? We have players other than Barkley, you know.
0
Options
ani_game_bumOptimistic, Rule-Breaking Nice GuyThe Final World/DestinationRegistered Userregular
WOOOOOOOOO!!! Great to be back pickin' all the college footballs! Best of luck to everyone this season!
Straight-Up
#22 Boise State (-10) @ Troy
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame (-1) - GO IRISH!!!
#8 Miami (-3.5) vs. #25 Louisiana State #20 Virginia Tech @ #19 Florida State (-7)
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma (-20.5) THE Oregon State @ A School Full of Cowards (aka Ohio State...seriously, fuck this program, and I'm not including your ranking, you POS) (-38.5) #23 Texas (-13.5) vs. Seriously How Shitty Were These Football Programs This Offseason? (aka Maryland, and fuck this program, too, and ditto if you were anywhere good enough to be ranked) #17 West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee
North Carolina @ California (-7.5)
Posts
And he knows what the extreme fringe of the fan base is like.
Poor guy literally got hounded out of Columbus by crazy Buckeye fans
"I'm sorry we're in this situation"
Motherfucker doesn't think he did anything wrong
And he also deleted texts before handing over his phone so that's great
7:00: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical vs. Jacksonville State (@Montgomery, AL; ESPN)
7:30: Hawaii @ Colorado State (CBSSN)
10:00: Wyoming @ New Mexico State (ESPN2)
I won't spoil it, other than how tempted I was to just put OSU in the form twice for Oregon State @ Ohio State.
You monster.
You should have called one THE OSU and have it be Oregon State.
And then running off to Nebraska because WSU balked at his spendthrift ways
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
You mean PAPN pick ems
Same question
Magic Online - Bertro
I’m ok waiting for your excellent write-ups.
Anyone can join any week by clicking the link and entering
I have to be honest though, I don’t trust myself to pick well without @Nirya ‘s snark as a guide...
It's week one, prognosticating is like 20% recruiting rankings, 30% last year's performance, and 50% wild ass guesses.
Am I a dum dum for not finding the link?
Magic Online - Bertro
Hasn’t been posted yet
So are you taking Michigan or ND?
Michigan, but I'm a homer.
Quick Michigan preview: loaded with talent except at the two offensive tackles. Lacks depth at WR and absolutely cannot absorb a second significant injury at that position. Should have excellent TEs, has two good to great running backs. Patterson should provide a major upgrade at QB if they can keep him upright. Interior of the line is second or third year guys who have seemed competent and should make the leap, they're all very highly regarded recruits. Running game will be strong (14th S&P last year despite no passing game at all, return most contributors). The two tackle spots are the glaring weak spot of the entire team. LT is Jon Runyan Jr., a 3* legacy recruit who is a little shorter than your prototypical LT. He has not had significant playing time in his career. Currently #1 RT who may or may be beat out by a RS FR this week for the actual job is Juwan Bushell Beatty. Who is a guard forced to play tackle. Good run blocker, atrocious at pass protection.
On defense, they're absurd everywhere. Lose two starters, one of whom was admittedly Maurice Hurst. Probably four really good corners, two solid safeties who are the relative weak link. LBs are really, really good. DL is probably top five nationally, though it's not on Clemson's level this year. And they're coached by Don Brown, mad genius.
Our punter probably sucks, which is bad when you're a defense first team.
1. Each week, ASimPerson and myself will come together and pick the 10 best/interesting/homer-biased games of the week. I'll provide you guys with a run-down of each game, including the Vegas spread and rankings for each team. All you have to do is click on the link at the bottom of the post to go to a special Google Form page, where you will enter your forum name and your picks. It really is that simple!
2. There are two variations for each game available: Straight-Up and Against the Spread. Straight-Up is pretty simple: you pick which team you think will win the game. Against the Spread is a little more complex. With these games, you're not picking whether a team will win a game or not, but rather if the team will cover the spread or not. For example, here's a game from this week:
Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5)
For this matchup, you're not picking whether Oklahoma will win or not. Rather, you're picking against that 20.5 spread. If you pick Oklahoma, you are saying they will win the game by more than 20.5 points (so essentially, 21 or more), while if you pick Florida Atlantic, you're betting the Fighting Kiffins will keep the score closer than 20.5 points. Makes sense, right? To be safe, we'll try and make sure the spreads are not full numbers and instead have .5s at the end.
3. You have some time to make these picks - don't feel the need to rush them! Just make sure that your picks are submitted to the Google Form before the kickoff of the first games on Saturday (though be safe and get them in by Friday). We should be putting out a Bat Signal after each post so that you know when the form is up, but try and check in by Wednesday at least.
That's all I can think of for now. Week 1 will be up within the hour. Good luck!
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Straight-Up (spread in parenthesis courtesy of ESPN)
#22 Boise State (-10) @ Troy - Ahh, the return of college football, and our first matchup is a doozy, featuring last year's Mountain West Champion against last year's Fun Belt co-champion. These two teams faced off last year in Boise, a 24-13 victory for the Broncos en route to an 11-win season. Yet Troy arguably had the better season, tying for the Sun Belt championship and claiming one of the biggest scalps for the G5 when they went into Death Valley and knocked off LSU. Don't let that spread fool you: this game will own bones and you should watch it.
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame (-1) - Do you like tradition? Do you like spectacle? Do you like your football matchups to feature two schools that love the smell of their own farts and haven't been truly relevant since the early 90s? Then have I got a game for you! This historic matchup was actually put on hold for a bit for Reasons(tm), but unlike Texas/Texas A&M, these two schools realized that they really are better together than apart (and they realized how much money they could earn by playing this game again). Both teams also have a ton to prove: Michigan needs to prove to the nation that Harbaugh truly has them back, while Notre Dame needs to prove that they truly are relevant in the 21st century, rather than a program that can get fluky seasons here and there. Plus, this is a non-conference game at the start of the year, so no one really has any idea how this will turn out! Should be great!
#8 Miami (-3.5) vs. #25 Louisiana State - LIVE FROM JERRY'S WORLD IN ARLINGTON TEXAS! The fun thing is this feels like one of the few neutral site games that will actually draw a reasonable crowd, as LSU fans are close enough to come while Miami fans have a ton of disposable income thanks to all the cocaine they sell. Miami was one of the fun breakout teams of last year, what with their turnover chains and capability to self-immolate at a moment's notice, while LSU has DACOACHO, which means they're always ready to combust at a moment's notice.
#20 Virginia Tech @ #19 Florida State (-7) - Welcome to the Willie Taggart Era at Florida State! Taggart executed turnarounds at South Florida and (for one year) Oregon, and now looks to do the same at Florida State, which had an uncharacteristic 6-loss season before Jimbo Fisher left for a 10 year, $75 million contract at Texas A&M (p.s. I'm sure that will work out great for you Aggies lol). Virginia Tech is now in its 3rd year of Justin Fuente's tenure, and Fuente has gotten the Hokies back to peak-Beamer levels of competence. This line feels like a lot of bullish beliefs for how much Taggart (and returning QB Deondre Francois, who was lost in last season's opener against Alabama, proving once again that there is no good reason to play the Crimson Tide) will fix things, but again, this is the first game of the season so who really knows.
Against the Spread (spread in parenthesis courtesy of Yahoo?)
Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma (-20.5) - No Baker, no problems for Oklahoma? That remains to be seen - this team lost a ton more than just Mayfield, and what was already an average to bad defense could get worse this year. Meanwhile, the Fighting Kiffins are one of the most fun and under-the-radar teams in college football (the Owls were 11th in overall S&P+ last year), and their offense pulled in a ranking of 6th in offensive S&P+ last year, which could give the Sooners fits. This line feels waaaaaaaay too high, but that's just me.
THE Oregon State @ #5 A School Full of Cowards (-38.5) - Look, I want the Beavers to win as much as the next guy, but this team has no talent and has a new coach that I can't even be bothered to remember (seriously, I know every other coach in this stupid conference except Johnathan Smith, who's name I just looked up). Taking away Urban Meyer doesn't suddenly remove the fact that this Ohio State team is insanely talented, and should win this game on talent alone.
#23 Texas (-13.5) vs. Seriously How Shitty Were These Football Programs This Offseason? - The less said about Maryland, the better, but I'm also still not sure how Durkin is still employed. Anyway TEXAS IS BACK! DEFINITELY THIS TIME! I hope some Longhorn lineman just rolls into Durkin's knees at some point.
#17 West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - LIVE FROM CHARLOTTE FOR SOME REASON! First, a word of caution: yes Tennessee has a new coach, and yes he appears to be, at a base level, competent, but this is Tennessee we're talking about, and the hiring process that led to Jeremy Pruitt's hiring was the stuff of legends, so we should maybe slow down on any positive Tennessee thoughts for the foreseeable future. West Virginia, meanwhile, is a dark horse in the Big 12, which feels like something that could have been said every year since they joined the conference. At some point Holgo may have to back that belief up.
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - Hey, umm, ASP? Why did we pick this one again? Did you just want me to talk about how Larry Fedora doesn't seem to understand how concussions work? Because that was literally the only-interesting thing from this offseason for either team. California is in year two of Justin Wilcox's rebuilding efforts, and though he had the Golden Bears actually looking better, they're still a few years away from contending in what is turning out to be a strong Pac-12 North. North Carolina.....boy that program just seems to be spinning their wheels at the moment, especially with Miami and Virginia Tech ascendant in the division.
GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK (spread in parenthesis courtesy of ESPN) (STRAIGHT UP)
#6 Washington vs. #9 Auburn (-2) - IT'S THE CHICK-FIL-A KICKOFF GAME FROM HOTLANTA! And we got ourselves two actual national title contenders here. In one corner, we have Washington, who are the clear frontrunners in the Pac-12 and boast one of the best defenses in the nation, along with a QB who is the definition of quiet competence. And in the other corner, we have Auburn, the only team to beat the Crimson Tide last year, with a ton of offensive firepower and a defense that is better than you'd think. With it's location, this is essentially a home game for Auburn, and expect one of the best matchups we'll see all of September.
Go here to enter your choices: https://goo.gl/forms/YeZZ20U59UBdLjua2
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
Straight-Up
Boise State @ Troy - Let me remind everyone that Troy beat LSU last year. In Baton Rouge. Which reflects more on LSU than anything else.
Michigan @ Notre Dame - I am not on the Noter Dame hype train that everyone else seems to be. Lest you forget, They were #11 two years ago and ended 4-7 or something stupid.
Miami vs. Louisiana State - As above, LSU sucks.
Virginia Tech @ Florida State
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5) - Lol
Oregon State @ Ohio State (-38.5) - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Texas (-13.5) vs. Maryland -
West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee
North Carolina @ California (-7.5)
Game of the Week
Washington vs. Auburn - Washington is better for sure.
{Twitter, Everybody's doing it. }{Writing and Story Blog}
Thursday games are almost never in the pick'em.
This is fair, but how are you going to neglect the greatest modern rivalry in college football?
(I swear to Christ, if this game actually ends up being competitive because of some weird karmic blowback that only occurred because I had to crack jokes about it, I will be very mad.)
Tell the ConFLiCT to schedule itself on a Saturday like any self-respecting rivalry does.
3DS: 2981-5304-3227
It is indeed a fraud. Just the like ConFLiCT.
#22 Boise State (-10) @ Troy - My lack of knowledge about Mountain West/FunBelt football will probably bite me in the ass at some point.
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame (-1) - I hate myself for doing this, but the back half of this pick 'em involves a lot of spite picks, and Notre Dame was pretty good last year. Though if I turn out to be wrong, I'll be a lot happier.
#8 Miami (-3.5) vs. #25 Louisiana State - Miami played really well last year. LSU got caught in a dogfight with Troy, fired Les Miles, and hired Ed Orgeron. Miami seems like the smart pick.
#20 Virginia Tech @ #19 Florida State (-7) - This one's kind of tough? Home field advantage counts for a lot, but FSU's got a new coach following a rough year, and while VPI's schedule last year was kind of forgettable, it seems like they ended in a good spot. Also; intense pathological dislike for Willie Taggart.
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma (-20.5) - Not gonna lie, I'm feeling pretty nervous about the UCF/FAU game in Week 4, more so than any other team on our schedule. I'm tempted to pick against the Fighting Kiffins as a kind of reassurance that it won't be that bad, but that spread is ridiculous and Oklahoma doesn't have Mayfield anymore.
Oregon State @ #5 School That Should've Fired Urban Meyer (-38.5) - However improbable it may be, I hope the Beavers run up the fucking score.
#23 Texas (-13.5) vs. School That Should've Fired DJ Durkin - "The less said about Maryland, the better."
#17 West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - Why Charlotte though?
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - My life was better before I knew who Larry Fedora was.
Game of the Century (of the Week)
#6 Washington vs. #9 Auburn (-2) - Thought about this one for a bit, decided to embrace chaos. Because that's never worked out badly for me in these things.
The fact that Bob Diaco no longer wishes to acknowledge that the ConFLiCT was his idea is reason enough to legitimize it.
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
3ds: 3282-2248-0453
Boise State @ Troy - Troy's our Boy!
Michigan @ Notre Dame - Michigan is going to force ND until a lot of clear passing situations that they won't be able to execute on well enough to put up the 21-24 they'll need to win.
Miami vs. Louisiana State - I trust neither of these teams, but LSU is slowly sliding while Miami is slowly improving.
Virginia Tech @ Florida State - Tech has too many injuries to take a game like this on the road.
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5) - I don't even believe in this pick, but I'm gonna pick FAU any time I see them regardless
Oregon State @ Ohio State (-38.5) - The talent difference here is absolutely insane.
Texas (-13.5) vs. Maryland - Maryland is in shambles and Texas should be at least decent.
West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - WVU is a better story than real contender, but Tennessee is still bad.
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - I'll take the touchdown+ for UNC despite being a trainwreck.
Game of the Week
Washington vs. Auburn - Don't think Washington travels quite as well as it wants, and I'm always wary of any non-hyped lines going against Auburn's.
Boise State (-10) @ Troy
Michigan @ Notre Dame (-1) - Gotta hope Wimbush is accurate enough to hit the broad side of a barn.
Miami (-3.5) vs. Louisiana State
Virginia Tech @ Florida State (-7)
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma (-20.5)
THE Oregon State @ A School Full of Cowards (-38.5) - That's a lot of points!
Texas (-13.5) vs. Seriously How Shitty Were These Football Programs This Offseason?
West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee
North Carolina @ California (-7.5)
GAME OF THE CENTURY OF THE WEEK (STRAIGHT UP)
Washington vs. Auburn (-2) - Don't care how many times I see it, I just don't believe the Huskies are real.
Boise State @ Troy - Troy, Troy, the wonder boy.
Michigan @ Notre Dame - Look, just... look it's Notre Dame. It's a university who I grew up seeing references to it being the be-all-end-all for CFB, only for it to become a laughinstock by the time I was, you know, a person. I don't want that to change.
Miami vs. Louisiana State - I got nothing
Virginia Tech @ Florida State - Virginia Tech's initials are VPI and I don't understand that and also love it.
Against the Spread
Oklahoma (-20.5) - My picks of "The one with a song from a musical about it" didn't fail last year, and it surely won't fail this year.
Oregon State @ Ohio State (-38.5) - Fuck off, shitty OSU
Texas (-13.5) vs. Maryland - @Oghulk we got this! Let's do it! It can't be as comically bad as last year! Whoo!
West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee - UT is also University of Texas and WHOO WE GOT THIS OGHULK
North Carolina @ California (-7.5) - Man, I don't know.
Game of the Week
Washington vs. Auburn - Wait how did PSU stomp UW into the ground and ended up ranked lower? We have players other than Barkley, you know.
Straight-Up
#22 Boise State (-10) @ Troy
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame (-1) - GO IRISH!!!
#8 Miami (-3.5) vs. #25 Louisiana State
#20 Virginia Tech @ #19 Florida State (-7)
Against the Spread
Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma (-20.5)
THE Oregon State @ A School Full of Cowards (aka Ohio State...seriously, fuck this program, and I'm not including your ranking, you POS) (-38.5)
#23 Texas (-13.5) vs. Seriously How Shitty Were These Football Programs This Offseason? (aka Maryland, and fuck this program, too, and ditto if you were anywhere good enough to be ranked)
#17 West Virginia (-9.5) vs. Tennessee
North Carolina @ California (-7.5)
GotCotW (Straight)
#6 Washington vs. #9 Auburn (-2)