Week 9 Picks

Week #9 of the season is already underway, unfortunately the 3 of you who went with BOISE on Tuesday night are already 0-1...hopefully not the trend for the week ahead.

JR: VIR, PUR, SOMISS, UCLA, NEB, OREST, SMU, MISST, MN!, OK
JG: FSU, NW, OKST, TN, NEB, MSU, AUB, STAN, ORE, MN!
MR: BOISE, NW, LOU, OKST, MIZZ, IOWA, AUB, ARK, ORE, OHIOST
AW: FSU, NW, WKY, MIZZ, OREST, A&M, GEO, SJST, TEX, MICH
GR: FSU, NW, ND, NEB, MSU, AUB, STAN, ORE, OHIOST, UNLV
MH: NW, PUR, NEB, MSU, GEO, AUB, STAN, ORE, OHIOST, MICH
MC: BOISE, WMU, TEM, OHIO, WKY, UTEP, BUFF, CMU, TROY, EMU
SS: BOISE, WV, NW, MIA, UCLA, OREST, TEX, ORE, MICH, OK
RO: PUR, SOMISS, NILL, NEB, A&M, IOWA, AUB, TEX, USC, PSU

Consensus Picks NCAA
NW - 6
AUB - 5

I'm not in on either of these and honestly, I would probably go against them both if I had to pick these games. Both road favs against "Bad" teams...but I wouldn't underestimate Indiana or Ole Miss at home. Dangerous spots for both of these teams.

JR: BUF, STL, DEN, NYJ, NO
JG: BUF, JAC, NYJ, TEN, IND
MR: BUF, MIA, DET, MIN, PIT
AW: MIA, WAS, NE, OAK, IND
GR: BUF, MIA, NYJ, NE, PIT
MH: MIA, WAS, NYJ, NE, IND
MC: CIN, DET, SF, OAK, NO
SS: NYJ, SD, NE, PIT, IND
RO: CIN, WAS, DEN, OAK, IND

Consensus Picks
BUF - 4
NYJ - 5
IND - 5

I love all of these and picked 2 of the 3 myself. INDY on MNF was on my list, but I backed off just thinking that HOU might play them close as usual and make it a 3 pt game.

CONTROVERSIAL PICKS
- 3 guys on the NOLES tonight with nobody on Thursday Night home dog NCST...can you guess which way I'm leaning? But I don't think I've won a THUR game all year, so take it for what it's worth!

- MR takes LOU +11 at PITT...love it.

- Zooker still has no believers, 3 of us on PUR at +15 with nobody on the Illini

- Late line addition so nobody picked it, but how about KAN +19 at the Clones coming off the biggest win for them maybe ever?! Bet KAN heavy!!

- Another great home dog play, UCLA +10 hosting ARIZONA...2 teams coming off blowouts sets up perfect for the Bruins.

- MIZZ coming off their own program changing W going to Lincoln...uh-oh...NEB wins by 3 TD's!

- CAL is a flakey road team off a huge home win going to OREST...Beavers roll.

- Split on MSU-IOWA...you know who I'm pulling for, but I can't see the Sparty miracle getting past this one. IOWA wins, but I would bet nothing on this line.

- World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party means almost nothing this week, but I just can't go against FLA getting points.

- 3 on TEX to cover a TD vs. BAY at home...can you believe this is only 7? My how these programs have changed course this season. I still would pick the Horns to take this one with their D.

- 3 on STAN at WASH giving 7.5...scares the hell out of me. WASH has been a zig-zagger all year, and it's time for their zig being at home against a good team...this will be close.

- Nobody went on the UTAH at AF +7 game...I think I'd go AF, I just think UTAH is due for a let down (finally! they have covered every game this year!) and AF will play well at home and off the blowout against TCU.

- ORE-USC +6.5, RO likes the Trojans while 5 are on the Ducks. This will be another one to add to the upset Saturday list as I think the Trojans will be very very ready to play. They still have the athletes, just less depth. But I think they feel like they owe ORE a kick to the balls, so I look for a HUGE day from Barkley and a Trojan cover with the potential for a close outright win.

- COL at OK -24...I thought everyone would pick this one. OK off a bad loss, COL couldn't win on the road if they were playing at LeRoy-Ostrander, OK will score in the 60's and the Buffs might not break the 10's.

SWEATER VEST at HORTON 2.0
Game 2 of 5 in the Horton regime ranks up there as #2 on the importance list (after the hated Hogeyes of course). But this is an ABC Regional Night game and could be a BIG BIG BIG deal if the squad can pull off a miracle. Can it be done? Well, I wouldn't count on it...but I'm thinking it is possible. OHIOST is missing 3 starters from their secondary and their Top LB/leading tackler...these are good things for Horton. Pryor is lethal and has torched us the last couple of years, but they have 3 tough games left after this that could still make or break their season so I'm playing on the hope that they'll be overlooking the little rebuilding club that plays at the Bank. I have no doubt that the Buckeyes will score plenty of points, although they aren't a real explosive team that can score in a hurry without the benefit of turnovers and short fields. So our plan need to be to take advantage of our new found aggressive play calling and their depleted defense and try to get a spark early. Have we ever played with a lead? Not that I can remember. But it might be a good time to start. How about AWEB over the top to our tall WR's for about 3 TD's and a little trickeration for another one.

OHIOST 34 MN 28 - easiest cover ever...and we'll score last!!

NFL PICKS
Here's where the money is made...take these to the bank:

BUF +10 at KC - Chiefs on letdown, Bills hungry for a W and I get 10 points. Yep.

JAC +7.5 at DAL - Kitna sucks, Cowboys are tanking, Jags might have a real QB back and I think they could win this thing outright after getting routed last Sunday.

STL -3 vs. CAR - CAR got their W, they can exhale...STL lost a tough one, but they play really well at home, and Bradford is already 10x the QB that Moore is. Go RAMS

MIA +1 at CIN - Bungals might be toast. Fins are very tough on the road and I think they'll be uber motivated after the robbery last week. Fins win in a tough-guy town like CIN with their running game and defense.

DET -0 vs. WAS - Stafford back? WAS overrated? I think yes on both of these. Plus DET off a bye and they are not that bad. Give me Lions to win.

DEN -0 vs. SF - in London, Troy Smith is the 49ers QB, DEN just lost a rivalry game by 50 points...need anything else? Broncos big.

NYJ -5.5 vs. GB - emotional bullshit win for the Pack, JETS off a bye. GB can't run or pass block (against real DE's at least) and Rodgers might die this week. I think GB gets behind and basically just punts this week to try and heal up. The least important games for all NFL teams is the cross division road games, especially off a tough W and looking forward to ending the 'Boys season next week and then getting a much needed bye. The JETS are healthy, refreshed off a bye, and ready to steam roll this poor one-dimensional offense.

TEN +3 at SD - Chargers have gone in the tank. TEN looking forward to a bye, won 3 in a row all in impressive fashion...that trend will continue. SD is 2-5 and need to get one before the bye in 2 weeks (at HOU next week), but I think that close call last week sealed the deal on this team. And I'm pissed at them. Go TITANS!

TB +3 at ARI - Morris thinks TB is the best team in the NFC, while I won't go that far, I think they are superior to a shitty Cardinals team. TB has played great on the road, ARI has surprisingly won both of their home games...but I think they fold.
Scratch that pick - I'll take ARI...don't bet on this game.

OAK -0 vs. SEA - another pick'em. SEA sucks on the road, unless Cutler gives them 4 turnovers and don't look now but the Raiders are playing some good football. I think it continues.

NO -0 vs. PIT - I'm taking the Aints here. Ben and company have not had it together since his return, and NO will be the more desperate team here by far. Playing at home off a bad blowout loss and need to keep pace under the light on Sunday Night...Saints have to be the right side here.

IND -5.5 vs. HOU - touched on this one earlier, but I can't possibly bet against Peyton in the evening...he just doesn't lose folks. HOU still looks like a fraud, but they play INDY tight so it might be closer...but I'll go INDY on this one.

DUMB COACH at BRILLIANT COACH
Well, I definitely think we're starting at a disadvantage before this thing even kicks off because our coach is a tard and Belichick is the best in the business. NE is in position for a letdown coming off 2 big wins over major AFC competition, so they might have their guard down a bit. But with Moss coming back, and with Chilly's apparent trash talking, I think Bill will be up for embarassing our squad this week. The Favre question is a tough one - I have to go with the thought that he'll be playing unless his foot actually falls off...so we'll say he plays. The whole world think/knows we are a trainwreck right now, so pretty much everyone is betting against us. Even though the Pats have a weak pass D and our passing offense can be the best in the biz when it's clicking. The consensus pick in our pool is the Pats, the whole world likes the Pats...

MN 23 NE 24

Another close loss, and this season appears to be over...until #7 comes off the bench next week to spark 9 wins in a row and get this team into the playoffs. Maybe this whole Favre thing is all just motivation to get T-Jack jump started and allow him to be our leader. Maybe. If it gets ugly this week, I think the old man will sit down and maybe stay down...but he hasn't helped us a whole lot so far this year so it might not be the worst thing that could happen.

Enjoy the weekend Guys - it start tonight!!