Last week was the kind of week I’ve been waiting for.
Domination is an understatement. I went 6-0 straight up, and NAILED the score of the Wisconsin-BYU game. Not to mention I called Stanford’s upset of Oregon like a champ.
I also had a solid day against the spreads, finishing 4-2.
My only whiffs came from two teams who beat spreads I thought they’d miss: Georgia and Alabama.
That brings my totals to 48-18 straight up and 26-40 against the spread.
Now I’m hoping to ride that momentum towards a strong finish to the season.
1) #25 Georgia @ #7 Auburn (Aub -3.5): Ordinarily, Bulldog fans would be upset about playing a team on the road two years in a row, but this series is a little different. The road team has had an astonishingly good record in the series . The team in white has a 33-22-2 record (via Georgia media guide). This match-up reminds of the 2006 meeting. Auburn has one loss. Georgia enters with a rough season (with a loss to Vanderbilt). The Tigers are gunning for a shot at the SEC West and a possible BCS birth. The Bulldogs are trying to stay afloat. In ’06, behind Tre Battle’s three interceptions, Georgia won 37-15 in an earthquake upset. It won’t be that ground-shaking this time around, but I expect the Dogs will surprise the rest of the SEC with a win. UPSET ALERT: Georgia 38, Auburn 35
2) #12 Oklahoma State @ #24 Texas (OSU -3): The Longhorns have been a mystery this year. For a team that got absolutely manhandled by BYU, fired its defensive coordinator, and squeaked by lowly Iowa State on a controversial call…Texas actually doesn’t look too bad now. They’ve won six-in-a-row, and are fresh off a 47-40 overtime win over West Virginia. Unfortunately, that’s going to be their downfall. The Longhorns just slogged through a brutal game, and the Cowboys got a tune up by drilling Kansas 42-6. Texas sticks around for awhile, but Okie State out-muscles them down the stretch. Oklahoma State 34, Texas 27
3) Florida @ #10 South Carolina (USC -13.5): Gator quarterback Tyler Murphy is still a question mark going into this game. I’m not sure his appearance (or lack thereof) is going to matter much. This South Carolina team has gotten into a groove since its foot-in-mouth loss at Tennessee, and the Gainesville hospitals are about to form their own team of injured Florida players. The last time the Gators came to Columbia, the Gamecocks won 17-12. It’s only going to get worse this time around, and Connor Shaw might have a field day. Spurrier’s regime covers. South Carolina 31, Florida 7
4) Georgia Tech @ #8 Clemson (Clem -11): We’ve got another Thursday night special on the docket. Both teams are fresh off a bye week (since it’s a short week), which generally favors teams not named Georgia Tech. Not to knock the Jackets, but their offense works best in a week-to-week rhythm. Compound that with the extra time Clemson has had to prepare for it, and the only advantage for Tech is that Ted Roof has some extra time to draw up a few schemes to stop Tajh Boyd. It won’t matter. Give me the Tigers and lay the points. Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 24
5) #16 Michigan State @ Nebraska (MSU -6.5): The Spartans possess as dominant of a defense as you’ll find anywhere in the country. In their last outing, they blasted their in-state rival Michigan 29-6. Coincidentally, Nebraska is ALSO fresh off a win over the Wolverines. Theirs was a bit more thrilling, scoring late to take a 17-13 victory. The difference? Michigan State was off last week while Nebraska dealt with that slugfest. Cornhusker quarterback Taylor Martinez is out for the year, which will severely limit Nebraska’s already struggling offense. The Spartans will get after backup Tommy Armstrong Jr. early and often. Once again, lay the points. Michigan State 23, Nebraska 6
6) #4 Stanford @ USC (Stan -4.5): Boy, for a team that is ranked No. 4 in the nation coming off a win over the No. 2 team, you’d think they’d be favored by more than one possession against an unranked opponent. The Cardinal are strong on defense, and absolutely fit the definition of “smash mouth” to a T on offense. The Trojans, meanwhile, have quietly improved under interim coach Ed Orgeron. They’ve won three-in-a-row, including a 62-28 thumping of one of their other in-state rivals, Cal last week. I’m guessing Stanford will experience a bit of a let-down, but not enough to lose this tiny spread. Stanford 31, USC 21
Apparently this week was one where I felt like every spread was going to be covered (save for Georgia).
Perhaps I’m finally hitting that elusive hot streak.
Or maybe we’ll find out that it’s pure dumb luck.
I’m starting to think you should probably just flip a coin.
