Friday, September 28, 2012

WILD WEEK FIVE PICKS 

You win some; you lose some. That pretty much sums up last week's effort of 4-4. But we're still hitting over 70% of our picks and that's proof positive that we know what we are doing, which means you're making mo' money!

Again, if you took Florida Atlantic (plus points) over Bama pick last week, you're in high cotton with plenty of green to lay down on this Saturday's docket of great games. And bear in mind that we came awfully close on some other games like Clemson almost pulling the upset over FSU and Michigan getting pass Notre Dame. But, as I said in an earlier post, close only counts with horseshoes and grenades, so let's get cooking with a new line up of picks.
Trust me.

 Week Five Sure Fire Picks

South Carolina @ Kentucky...Stevie Wonder has the #6 Gamecocks on a roll while Kentucky continues to struggle, giving up 400+ yards and 29+ points a game. The Cocks are looking to go 5-0 for the first time in 11 seasons and win their ninth consecutive game. Marcus Lattimore will run big and QB Connor Shaw, who went an unbelievable 20/21 last week vs Mizzou, should have a big time in Lexington. Cat fans are no longer laughing with Joker Phillips.

MTSU @ Georgia Tech....I'm really not sure why the Bees keep diluting their schedule with directional schools and sub par opponents. But that's a story for another day. The Jackets will swarm all over the Blue Raiders as they try to regroup from their heartbreaking meltdown last Saturday in losing to Miami in overtime. If the Jackets defense ever plays consistently they'll be a force to reckon with (they gave up 609 yards to the Canes) but not this season. Anyway, this game will be over by halftime so get use to hearing the Tech Whistle blow non-stop. The real question is will there be any GT fans there to hear it.

Wisconsin @ Nebraska...two key stats are all you need to know to understand why we like the #20 Huskers: they average over 541 yards and 48 points per game. Still not convinced? How about QB Taylor Martinez's completion rate of 70.7%.  Oh, and this game is in Lincoln. 'Nuff said. Huskers shuck the Badgers. 

Indiana @ Northwestern...the undefeated Wildcats (4-0) host the Hoosiers, and their 12th ranked run defense should get the job done (they allow only 72 yds/game). The Evanston crowd is unranked in national polls but that should be changing soon.

Ohio State @ Michigan State...keep a close eye on this game as the #14 Buckeyes head to Lansing to take on the #20 Spartans. MSU's nationally ranked defense (#6) will try to slow down an Ohio State offense that is averaging almost 38 points per game. But the Spartan's Le'Veon Bell, the leading Big Ten rusher(117 carries for 610 yds), will be the difference. In a close one, we're going with Sparty.

Arkansas @ Texas A&M...history will be made Saturday as the Aggies log their first SEC win as they host the Piggies from Fayetteville. The Aggies (2-1) only loss was to the #11 Gators 20-17; a pretty respectful effort that had the lizards scrambling. But this is a must win for Arkansas who will lean pretty hard on WR Cobi Hamilton who set an SEC receiving record with 303 yards in last week's loss to Rutger. Won't be enough for the pigs.

Ole Miss @ Alabama...Bama has won 8 straight in this series, pounding the Rebs 52-7 last season. Meanwhile, Ole Miss has lost 10 in a row on the road to the Tide, last winning in Tuska-looser in 1988. But check out these stats: Ole Miss rushing - 488 yds/game compared to Bama's 425. Passing yards - Ole Miss 245; Bama 245. Rushing yards - Ole Miss 260; Bama 204. Points scored - Ole Miss 37; Bama 42. So....in an Upset Pick of the Week we're going with the Rebels plus points (32). You can thank me later.

 George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK

Tennessee @ Georgia...this matchup promises to be an offensive shoot out featuring the two top offenses in the SEC. The Vols are generating 514 yards of offense and scoring 38 points per game. The Dawgs are putting up 530 yards and 47+ points. They've scored 40+ points in each of their first four games setting a school record. So, the game will most likely hinge on which defense can string some stops together. And Georgia most likely will have two defensive starters returning from Richt's dog house. George the Cat is sitting at 2-1 in his picks so let's take a look at his BIG PICK of the WEEK video. Roll tape, please...


Make Mo' Money with Mark (and George the Cat)



Thursday, September 27, 2012

Kenny Clyde 'Bear' Yarbrough Picks the UT-UGA Winner.

Kenny Clyde calls the game
Okay football fans. The staff here at HQ has invited a special guest to stop by this week to render a pick for the Tennessee-Georgia game. Since we're all about being fair and balanced, we needed an impartial picker to call this game. Enter Kenny Clyde Yarbrough (aka the Bear).

I've known Kenny Clyde for 30+ years. He hails from Birmingham, the cradle of the SEC, where he grew up in the shadows of Legion Field. We've logged many a mile on our annual Third Saturday in October pilgrimages to either Knoxville or Birmingham. I've met his kin including all 49 cousins: Jim Bob Clyde, Forest Clyde, Billy Joe Clyde, Scooter Clyde, Danny Ray Clyde, Leon Clyde...you get the picture; all very nice and all very Crimson Tide. Denzil and Ann, Kenny Clyde's folks, welcomed me into their home, and over time I got use to the small cot in the garage. His dear aunt Maggie (former Homecoming Queen of Fort Deposit,AL) once told me to go to hell when she discovered I was a Vol. Fortunately I won her over by offering her some of my Black Jack and a can of snuff. 

Despite being an English major from Bama (I know that sounds crazy), Kenny Clyde can still structure a sentence or two. More importantly, he knows the passion of Southern football.

 Please welcome Kenny Clyde Yarbrough.

When Dr. Woolard asked me to do a guest host pick I was elated!  When he asked me to do it for UT/UGA, I kinda threw up a little in the back of my throat.  Of all the great teams to pick, why those two????

I'm from Alabama.  Besides the Cheatin' Fig Newtons on the Plains, there's no better rivalry for Bama than Tennessee.  UT is the Harvard of the Smokies.  You can get a degree in banjo.

That Third Saturday in October decided a ton of SEC and national champs over the years.  As Bear Bryant said, "you aren't a man till you've played in the Bama/UT rivalry."  (Perhaps that's why he always passed out victory cigars after a win in Knoxville.)  Dr. Woolard and myself had some good years during our youths in that series too, but that's a story for another day.  With whiskey.

Then one day I moved to Atlanta.  For you Texas A&M fans, that's in Georgia. 

Suddenly surrounded by barking grown men, wearing bulldog hats, bulldog shirts, driving bulldog cars, hitting bulldog golf clubs.....it was about 100x too much.  I mean, what's UGA got to crow about?  Two championships 40 years apart, with the last one led by freshman Herschel Walker?  Hell, Herschel is eligible to collect Social Security this year!

If the damn bulldogs are so good, why couldn't they win again with Herschel, or anybody else over the last 32 years?  Not that it bothers them.  Every year starts out "Georgia's Year."  Best recruiting class EVER!  Home field advantage "between the hedges".  And what happens?  They throw up on their shoes in a big game, or they choke their guts out to some underdog directional school.  And they want to fire everybody from the head coach to the coordinators to the guy that clips the bushes.

Oh, well.  I gotta pick one of 'em.

Realistically speaking you got UT who is still trying to find somebody to write up Coach Dooley's playbook (it's only been two years--hard to find a literate between Johnson City and Chattanooga).  Georgia is fresh out of a "play the coaches kids" whippin of poor old Vanderbilt.  Plus you got the mojo of the 3:30 national time slot on CBS, Dooley returning to the stadium where he learned to walk, and all of Georgia's delinquents finally off house arrest.

I'm thinking that this may be one of those games that Georgia loves to lose.  Big conference rival, big stage, coming in 4-0 and high on life.  Could be the day when Dooley's UT charges finally decide to play together for 60 minutes.  I'm going 17-16 banjo pickers.  It just isn't fall in Atlanta 'till you hear the "Fire Richt" chants... 

 
 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Winners or Whiners....Week Four Post-Mortem 

Close but no cigar.

And as my pappy used to say, "close only counts in horseshoes and nuclear warfare."

We look to rebound in Week Five
Needless to say, 'twas a tough weekend as we struggled to play .500 ball, going 4-4 overall.

Here's the Weekend Rewind....


George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK came within a whisker of pulling a major upset in Tallahassee, as Clemson lost 49-37 to FSU after heading into the fourth quarter, up 31-21. Next time Dabo needs to bring a defense as his tiggers gave up 667 total yards. Aint gonna win many games with stats like that.

Probably the biggest disappointment is with Georgia Tech. After showing their defense some love in our special Extra Points edition, Groh's bunch stunk up Bobby Dodd big time in their 42-36 overtime loss to Miami. Just when you think the Bees have something special brewing, they break your heart. And now, not even October yet, GT is out of the ACC race. Dare I say "typical Tech"?

The Irish doused our hopes of another upset by beating Michigan 13-6, thanks to Wolverine QB Denard Robinson having a big case of the oopsies by throwing to the wrong team. He was picked 4 times which sealed the deal in South Bend.

LSU squeaked past the Dying Oaks, 12-10, which pretty much wiped the smile off of one Leslie Edwin Miles' mug, at least for the time being. But we did get this pick right.

Georgia took care of business as predicted by dumping Vandy 48-3, which is what a top ranked team needs to do. I guess you call that a statement win.

Spurrier's Cocks rolled out the welcome wagon for SEC newbie Mizzou as QB Connor Shaw (Flowery Branch boy) put on a clinic with 20 of 21/249 yds passing in a 31-10 beat down.

And why didn't I stick with my original projection of Rutgers beating Arkansas?  I can honestly tell you that I felt sorry for Coach John L. Smith and caved by switching to the Hogs. My bad, so sad.  

But please stop your whining because....

....if you took my FAU pick (plus the 50 points) over Alabama you made some serious jack. Bama failed to cover the spread in their 40-7 win and that, my friends, works well in Vegas.

Week Five will feature another great slate of games including George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring Tennessee-Georgia.









Friday, September 21, 2012

Extra Points from Woolard's Weekend Winners

Show me the love.

While Georgia Tech's offense garners a lot of attention the much improved defense under third-year coordinator Al Groh deserves some extra hugs. The Jackets rank 18th nationally in total defense, 14th in red zone defense, and has not allowed a rushing touchdown while giving up only 43 total points in three games. The Bee's defense will, no doubt, be tested by Miami's freshman RB Duke Johnson (gotta love that name) who is averaging 9.4 yards per carry and 10.6 yards per catch.
Al Groh putting sting into Jacket defense.

Another overlooked reason why GT continues to do well on the ground is the fact that four of the five starting linemen from 2011 are back and they are bigger, stronger, and smarter. They represent some of Johnson's earlier recruiting classes and it's starting to pay off. The success of the triple option begins and ends with the big boys up front.


Woolard's Weekend Winners....Week Four

We're hitting on 79% of our picks and this Saturday we look to improve that number big time. We didn't disappoint last week so hopefully you're flush with lots of cash to lay down on a few games.

 

Our fearless forecast for Saturday includes....


Michigan @ Notre Dame....this is one of the most promising games Saturday at the #18 Wolverines visit the #11 Irish. The key for Notre Dame is containing Denard Robinson who has schooled them the last two seasons. And the Irish should run well against Michigan's 80th ranked rush defense (allows 4.3 yds per carry).  But in another Upset of the Week, we're going with the Maize and Blue. Father O'Benowitz is not a happy camper.

Mizzou @ South Carolina...Both QB's are nursing shoulder injuries but that will not slow the #7 Cocks as they turn to RB Marcus Lattimore who's averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Meanwhile Spurrier has the 4th ranked rushing defense (only 1.6 yds per carry). Long night at Williams-Brice for Mizzou.

Rutgers @ Arkansas...I can't help but chuckle in knowing that the Razorbacks could have hired Philip Fulmer if they had only offered at least a two-year deal. But they went the cheap route and now the once #8 ranked team is in the basement looking up. The head Pig, John L. Smith, is a bit bizarre but look for Arky to win...BUT only if QB Tyler Wilson returns.
  
LSU @ Auburn...there's no Cam to help the Dying Oaks as Auburn is saddled with a quarterback (Kiehl Frazier) that isn't rated among the nation's top 100 passers. #2 LSU's Mettenberger makes his first SEC start but the Bayou Boys will pound the ball with one of the deepest backfields in the conference (they average 45+ carries per game). Mike the Tiger eats well Saturday night.
  
Miami @ Georgia Tech...Miami has won the last 3 games, outscoring the Bees 92-34, but this changes Saturday when the Canes venture into Historic Bobby Dodd with the Jackets averaging 374 rushing yards per game. Look for another solid outing from QB Tevin Washington and keep your fingers crossed with GT's special teams. It worked last week.

Vanderbilt @ Georgia...The Commodores may be shuffling quarterbacks but that's akin to shuffling chairs on the Titanic when they visit the #5 Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. I'm not envious of the Vandy QB having to face the one-man wrecking crew, LB Jarvis Jones. And if safety Rambo and LB Ogletree emerge from the jailhouse, look out Commode-doors. Pups win big.

FAU @ Alabama...this will be another lopsided win for the #1 Tide but I'm taking FAU and the points (50). I'm counting on the Tide's first teamers wearing baseball caps by the second quarter so the damage to FAU might be restrained. Yes, Bama can score as evidenced by their 52 points against Arkansas, 41 against Michigan, and 35 versus Western Kentucky. But I'm one of the few that thinks Saban actually has a heart and will call off his Red Elephants early. Pretty please?

 George the Cat Returns....

After missing last week's BIG PICK of the WEEK, Elaine is taking some time off to re-calibrate her whiskers. She was last seen leaving the premises with the delivery boy from China Dragon. Meanwhile, George the Cat is back with this week's video pick and he could not have picked a more intriguing game than Clemson visiting FSU.

Here's the setup.

#9 Clemson @ #4 Florida State....this game has upset written all over it as Dabo's underdog Tigers roll into Tally Town to face Jimbo's Noles. Clemson packs some offensive heat with QB Tajh Boyd, WR Sammy Watkins, and RB Andre Ellington. This is the first real test for FSU and George the Cat puts his purrfect record on the line with this call. Will George favor his feline friends? Let's roll tape.

 

Make Mo' Money with Mark (and George the Cat)

Drop us a line and let us know what you think. And be sure to look for daily updates.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Father O'Benowitz joins Woolard's Weekend Winners.

Father O adds devine insight.
They say it takes a village. So with that in mind we are delighted to report the addition of Father Ira O'Benowitz as an adjunct game picker.

From time to time, Father O'Benowitz will be stopping by HQ to help out with select game picks. His first game will be this Saturday's Michigan - Notre Dame game in South Bend. It may appear that Father O' might be a wee bit biased with this particular game but he's promised not to let that interfere with giving sound, strategic game advice.

Please join the staff in welcoming Father O'Benowitz to Woolard's Weekend Winners. Can I have an "AMEN?"

Winners or Whiners...Week Three Wrap Up  

If you ran with my Upset Pick of the Week - Pitt over Virginia Tech - then no doubt you've been busy shopping this week for some major bling because the Panthers embarrassed the Hokies 35-17. Pitt faithful have not been this happy since Johnny Majors led them to the promiseland in 1976 (undefeated season capped with a big Sugar Bowl win over UGA Dooley's Dawgs).

Majors led Pitt to '76 Nat. Championship
Overall, we went 6-2 again and our Season to Date tally sits at 79%. Still very very respectful, so no whining.
The weekend rewind includes Georgia Tech opening up a major can of whoop ass on the UVa Cavs, 56-20...the Longhorns making Rebel fans long for the return of David Cutcliffe...the Noles staking their claim to the ACC Atlantic division...Urban's chestnuts squeezing by Cal 35-28...and Bama making Arkansas regret not hiring Philip Fulmer (he was 11-6 over the Tide).

Making mo' money
Clunkers included Michigan State losing to the Irish and, not surprising, Tennessee choking once again on national TV to the Gators in our BIG PICK of the WEEK. Coach Orange Pants best be wearing some asbestos boxers because we see the Vols winning only two SEC games this season (KY and Vandy), and that, my friends, warrants a phone call to the Mayflower Moving people.
Milk, bread, cereal. What else do we need?


Week Four will feature some big match-ups including the BIG PICK of the WEEK (Clemson at Florida State), along with some other great contests like Michigan-Notre Dame, LSU-Auburn, and Mizzou-South Carolina. Be looking for more news as it develops.







Thursday, September 13, 2012

Woolard’s Weekend Winners….Week Three

Week Two Wrap Up….we went 6-2 with a couple of clunkers keeping us from being perfect. The Corn Boys from Nebraska couldn’t get it done with the Westwood wizards, and Vandy came up short against Northwestern. So much for believing in the commode-doors.

Our picking performance after two weeks
George the Cat continued his winning streak with the BIG PICK of the WEEK video as he picked the Florida Gators to beat SEC newbie, Texas A&M. I had my own doubts but George made the purrfect pick.

George the Cat will be taking this weekend off with his sister, Lady Elaine, stepping in with the BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring #23 Tennessee-#18 Florida. Knoxville hasn’t been this geeked up since Trevor Bayne spun figure eights on Cumberland Avenue.

Week Three Winners…..

Virginia at Georgia Tech...with a loss to Virginia Tech in its season opener, this is a must-win for Johnson’s Jackets. These two teams have split the last four games with the Cavs winning 24-21 in Charlottesville last season. The boys from the Flats are averaging 330 yards rushing per game while Virginia is giving up only 74 yards per game. But special team play and turnovers will decide this outcome. For the money, go with the Jackets.
 
Va Tech at Pitt.... the Hokies are ranked 80th nationally against the run having given up 192 yds to Georgia Tech and 159 yards to FCS opponent Austin Peay. So with the best stable of running backs in the Big East, the Panthers will run right at Beamer’s gobblers. For the upset, I like Pitt.

Texas at Ole Miss…if you’re a Rebel fan, I suggest you stay in the Grove enjoying hoddy toddys because this game could be ugly; real u-g-l-y. #12 Texas has one of the best running games and the Horns will punish an undersized Ole Miss d-line (average advantage of 305 lbs vs 260).  Look for this game to be over by mid-3rd quarter. Welcome to big boy football, Mister Freeze.

Wake Forest at Florida State…Upset Alert! The Deacs always find a way to beat the Noles, having won four of the last six games. Coming off a big upset of North Carolina, Wake could turn the league on its ear by beating #5 FSU. It will be entertaining but my money is on the Seminoles.

Notre Dame at Michigan State…this game features two of the best front-sevens in football and the game will be decided by which first-year starter QB plays best: MSU’s Andrew Maxwell or Notre Dame’s Everett Golson. No luck for the Irish in this one. Sparty reigns in Lansing.

Cal at Ohio State…the Buckeyes are ranked 96th nationally against the pass (281 yds per game), so look for the Golden Bears to air it out with the arm of QB Zach Maynard. He has one of the best trios of receivers in the Pac12 so this could be a close game, but not close enough. Urban’s Buckeyes win.

Alabama at Arkansas….healthy or not, Tyler Wilson and the Hogs don’t have enough firepower to keep pace with the Tide who will be cruising by halftime, and showing the pollsters why they are number one.

Florida at Tennessee…I’ve been down this road before with Tennessee having the better team only to lose to the Gators. QB Tyler Bray has looked great being on target with his receivers, and the running game is greatly improved averaging 187 yards per game. This is one of three key games that the Vols must win. But despite having better numbers, I’m not ready to jump on the Coach Orange Pants bandwagon. He has yet to beat a ranked opponent and I’m still not convinced he’s an effective game-day coach. So, I’m sitting this one out while Lady Elaine makes her BIG PICK of The WEEK. Roll the tape, please.


 Make Mo Money with Mark

p.s. drop us line and maybe we'll feature your comments in our next edition.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Breaking news from Woolard's Weekend Winners....

                     You asked for it. You got it.

Elaine ponders her picks for her upcoming video.
Elaine, George the Cat's sister, will be making her debut this week as she makes the video BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring the #18 Florida Gators versus the #23 Tennessee Vols.

Once she got wind of ESPN's College GameDay setting up shop for the game on the Big Orange campus (first time in Knoxville since 2004), Elaine came to us and insisted that she get her chance to make the pick. This was not an easy decision given that George the Cat is a purrfect 2-0 in his BIG PICK of the WEEK videos. But, we are an equal opportunity college pick organization and we welcome Elaine to the brotherhood...er, hood.

So be looking for her BIG PICK of the WEEK later this week at Woolard's Weekend Winners.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Welcome to Woolard's Weekend Winners.....week two

We have a great slate of games for the second weekend of college football but let's first recap the action from last week.

Week One Wrap Up….not bad… not bad at all.

Woolard’s Weekend Winners went 7 and 1. So no doubt you made mo’ money with Mark…and George the Cat.

We came up short in only one game (hey, no one can be perfect, right?).

Although I hate to pick against Tennessee, my reverse motivation strategy paid off perfectly as the Vols took care of business and got the Georgia Dome monkey off its back. And, their solid performance gave Coach Orange Pants his first quality win. ESPNU actually recorded its largest viewing audience for a college game with over 1.4 million viewers. The only bad news is that viewership by college prospects was limited given that the game was played on a Friday night. And I know Dooley and staff were not fond of that so don’t expect to see too many non-Saturday games for the Big Orange.

George the Cat hit it big in his first video BIG PICK of the WEEK with the Tide trouncing the Wolverines of Ann Arbor. It was several days before George wiped the grin off his furry face because he knows anything crimson gives me nightmares.

 Curious About George?

Speaking of George the Cat, several folks have asked me about my partner in picks, who handles our video BIG PICK of the WEEK. Well, here’s some catnip.

George and his sister, Elaine, were found abandoned at Tanger Outlet Mall in Bluffton, SC near Hilton Head Island. George never knew his father, and his mother struggled to make ends meet. He missed out on a lot in those early days: no peewee ball, no ESPN, no prom dates. But George the Cat is a survivor and he promised his sister that better days were ahead. Fast forward to two kind souls, Sarah and Roland, adopting both George and Elaine. He now has access to DISH satellite and NetFlix, hotlines to Vegas and Atlantic City, and an unlimited supply of treats and afternoon catnaps. He quickly went to work learning the game of football and sharpening his game-picking skills.

He’s honored to be a part of Woolard’s Weekend Winners, although he is pushing to rename it George the Cat’s Weekend Whiskers.

When not chasing a red laser dot, you can find George the Cat at the local dog track where he and Elaine find it absolutely hilarious that the mutts can never quite catch the rabbit.

Week Two Winners.....

Georgia vs Mizzou…the SEC East race starts to take shape in Missouri’s SEC debut. Of all the Saturday’s matchups, this game poses to be the best in what some consider to be a coin toss. As the line has tightened throughout the week, I really think Richt’s pups will put an “old man’s” sock in Sheldon Richardson’s mouth and show the Show Me State tiggers what big boy football is all about. Welcome to the SEC.

LSU vs Washington…this is a night game in the Bayou and anything could happen, except the Huskies pulling an upset. LSU is 28-0 against non-conference foes under The Hat, Les Miles. If you’ve never been to Death Valley in Red Stick, add it to your bucket list. And tag it on to a side trip to Bourbon Street where Tiger fans will be celebrating a 20+ point victory Saturday night.

Mississippi State vs Auburn…nothing sounds worse than 55,000 clamoring cowbells (unless you’re a visitor to Neyland Stadium and hear Rocky Top played 189 times in just the first quarter), and the Auburn Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen are going to hate them too before the final gun. Mullen’s mutts will be ready despite never beating any SEC West team other than Ole Miss. By the way, Chizik is 16-11 W.C. (Without Cam).

Vanderbilt vs Northwestern…I normally never care about the Commode-doors but something is happening in the Music City and I’m not talking about Minnie Pearl’s hat. Vandy dandy James Franklin actually has Commodore fans feeling good about their team despite starting the season with a 17-13 loss to South Carolina. And their trip to the Windy City should be a good one as they cruise past the Wildcats. Don’t be shocked to see Franklin split for greener pastures at season end.

Nebraska vs UCLA…..the Huskers, ranked #16, hope to make this the first of two trips to Pasadena. Nebraska is led by the much improved California native Taylor Martinez who threw for 354 yards and 5 TDs last week against Southern Miss. He’ll post similar numbers as the boys from Lincoln skin the Bruins despite a good effort by tailback Johnathan Franklin who racked up 214 yds last week against Rice.

Stanford vs Duke…you won’t meet a nicer guy then Coach David Cutcliffe. At Tennessee, he was the hammer for Phillip Fulmer, and his resume of developing outstanding quarterbacks is without peer having developed talent like the Manning brothers, Heath Shuler, Tee Martin, etc. And, before Ole Miss had a brain fart and ran off Cutcliffe, he was the SEC Coach of the Year while in Oxford. Duke’s 9-3 victory at Stanford in 1971 remains its last road win against a ranked opponent, and Cutcliffe is hoping this will motivate the Dookies. Not gonna happen against the #25 Cardinal.

Notre Dame vs Purdue…no Dublin hangover here as the #22 Irish host the cross-state rival Boilermakers at another great venue and a must-see for any real college football fan. The Boilers have not won at Notre Dame Stadium since 2004. And that streak continues as the Golden Domers beat the Boilermakers, the first of three straight Big Ten opponents for Notre Dame in September.

Florida vs Texas A+M…there’s a lot of “newness” with this game for the Aggies: new head coach, new quarterback, new conference, first time ever hosting the Gators in College Station. The Aggies are favored by 1 but here again, this could be a coin toss. 

George the Cat and I don’t see eye-to-eye on this game, but I’ll respectfully defer to his judgment since he’s 1-0 in his picks. So, with that in mind, let’s roll the video of George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK....


 Make Mo Money with Mark (and George the Cat).


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