Unfortunately for me, I failed on the “upset special” last week, though I came within the “Prayer at Jordan-Hare” of getting it.
Still, my week wasn’t terrible. I went 4-2 straight up and 3-3 against the line. That brings my totals for the year to 52-20 straight up and 29-43 against the spreads.
I feel somewhat proud that I’ve made it this far into the season without any 0-6’s to report.
Aaaaaand, I probably just jinxed it.
1) Kentucky @ Georgia (UGA -23): It’s going to be Aaron Murray’s last game in a Georgia uniform. Sadly, it won’t be black, but I suspect a large portion of the crowd will take a trip to the Dark Side just for Murray (and the rest of the seniors). I also suspect the Bulldogs will be a bit let down after last week’s heart-breaker at Auburn–not to mention they’re tired of seeing that play over and over again on ESPN. Then again, Kentucky’s pretty bad, and their fans have already checked out because basketball season started. Not to mention they haven’t beaten another SEC school (or any major conference foe, for that matter) since their thrilling, unbelievable, out-of-this-world…10-7 upset of Tennessee in 2011. Plus, dogs are just better than cats. Georgia 38, Kentucky 10
2) #12 Texas A&M @ #22 LSU (LSU -4.5): Both teams had an off week to rest up and prepare for this showdown under the lights in Baton Rouge. The Tigers’ defense has been spotty at times, but the Aggies’ defense has been downright terrible. My crystal ball (which is struggling on this weak wi-fi signal) predicts a shootout between future NFL quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Zach Mettenberger, and LSU edges out behind their rowdy home crowd. LSU 45, Texas A&M 38
3) #17 Arizona State @ #14 UCLA (ASU -2): It’s scary to think that the Sun Devils are only seven total points away from being 10-0. Chances are, they’d be ranked ahead of Ohio State, which would cause Urban Cryer Meyer to get all in a tizzy. UCLA is also 8-2, but their losses were beatdowns from Stanford and Oregon. The Bruins played last Friday, so they had an extra day to prepare. Not to mention they have the home crowd behind them, so… UPSET ALERT: UCLA 34, Arizona State 31
4) #4 Baylor @ #10 Oklahoma State (Bay. -9): The Bears are 9-0 thanks to their light-speed offense, which averages 61 points per game. That’s pretty good, I guess. Pair that with a defense that’s only giving up a stingy 17 points per contest, and you get a juggernaut. The only problem? Baylor’s pretty untested; their win over Oklahoma is their only win over a ranked opponent so far this year. The Cowboys have won six in a row, but that streak ends here. Baylor 48, Oklahoma St. 35
5) #8 Missouri @ #24 Ole Miss (Mizz -2.5): Raise your hand if you circled this game before the season as one that could have serious implications on the SEC Championship. If your hand is up, chances are your pants are on fire. Word on the street is that James Franklin should be back for this game. The Tigers had the week off, and Ole Miss coasted in a 51-21 win over Troy. Missouri’s defense is deceptively good. They’ll get after Bo Wallace and take one more step towards the SEC East crown. Missouri 41, Ole Miss 31
6) Duke @ Wake Forest (Duke -5): Speaking of games with title implications…the Blue Devils control their own destiny in the ACC Coastal division. No, seriously, I’m not making this up. They’re 8-2 (5-2), but they’re skating on extremely thin ice. Georgia Tech is right behind them at 6-4 (5-3), and so is Virginia Tech 7-4 (4-3), North Carolina 5-5 (4-3), and Miami 7-3 (3-3). It seems like the Yellow Jackets will be Duke’s biggest contender, especially since Georgia Tech owns the tie-breaker with a head-to-head victory back in September. The Blue Devils already beat Virginia Tech and Miami, and they will close the season against North Carolina. Wake Forest is struggling for bowl eligibility, and the Dukies are about to end those dreams by delivering loss number seven for the Demon Deacons. Duke 31, Wake Forest 13
We’re starting to get into crunch time. Conference titles are on the line, BCS dreams will be crushed, and in-state bragging rights are about to be up for grabs.
Not to mention we’ll be devouring endless amounts of food next week for Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, some teams are starting to the hear I’ll Be Home For Christmas as their bowl eligibility comes up short.
Until then, happy picking, and let’s savor the last week glorious weeks of college football!
