WINNERS OR WHINERS®....WEEK NINE WRAP UP.

Yes, I'd like a little cheese with my whine, thank you.

We took some hits this past Saturday, going 4-4. While George the Cat was dead on with his upset special BIG PICK of the WEEK, we were especially bummed to come up short on two other upset specials: Mississippi State over Alabama, and Michigan over Nebraska. Didn't happen. But as George the Cat says, no sense crying over spilled milk when we can get some more out of the fridge. So we move on.

THE WEEKEND REWIND®...

The Irish run game shined in Norman.

George the Cat was right again with his pick of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they controlled Oklahoma 30-13. Seems the Irish have the Sooner's number, which is now exactly 9 wins out of 10. This pick is especially sweet since it was an Upset Special which pays big bucks on the Vegas board. Stat of the game was OU being held to just 15 yards on 24 carries....0.6 average yards per carry!! Whoa, that's not good!!

Took a hit but still strong.  

In our other winning picks, Kansas State whipped Texas Tech 55-24. Wildcat Collin Klein rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two more, finishing with 316 total yards. K-State is 8-0 for the first time since 1999 and will definitely make BCS voting interesting for the next few weeks, especially since #2 Florida loss.

Johnny Manziel (aka Johnny Football) and his Texas A&M Aggies didn't disappoint as they stampeded 63-21 over an anemic Auburn team which is having its worst season in over 60 years. Manziel ran for three TDs and passed for two more. On eight possessions led by Manziel, the Aggies scored seven touchdowns. That's efficiency.

You're doing a helluva job, Sal Sunseri.

Tennessee made it interesting but fell 38-35 to South Carolina.  If Tennessee could muster a defense it would be experiencing a totally different season. But as it stands, this UT defense is on course to being the worst defense in Tennessee history, and is ranked 99th nationally - 103rd against the pass and 85th against the rush. Tell me again why UT switched to a 3-4 defense? Gamecock QB Connor Shaw passed for a career high 356 yards and three touchdowns while running for another. The Vol defense continues to make opposing quarterbacks look like Heisman winners.

On the losing pick front, Michigan failed to get the job done as they lost 23-9 to Nebraska. The Wolverines generated a season-low 188 yards during its first visit to Memorial Stadium since 1911 and the second straight game Michigan failed to score a touchdown.

This is what 6 turnovers will do to you.

In what turned out to be the World's Largest Outdoor Turnover Party, the Gators flopped in its loss 17-9 to the bullpuppies who forced six turnovers. The victory, just the fifth in the last 23 meetings for Georgia, gives them a chance to clinch the SEC East with wins over Ole Miss and Auburn.

The biggest disappointment was undefeated Mississippi State losing 38-7 to Alabama despite laying 24 points. Bama jumped out to a super quick lead scoring in its first three possessions. No looking head for the Tide which travels to Baton Rouge in a national game rematch this Saturday.

Georgia Tech continued to flounder as it lost 41-17 to BrighamYoung, showing zero improvement with the Yellow Jacket defense. But more concerning was the inability to score. Is Paul Johnson's tenure coming to an end? With AD Dan Radakovich's move to Clemson, the days may be numbered for Johnson.

THE WEEK AHEAD
Elaine, George the Cat's sister, will be manning the BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring #1 Alabama Crimson Tide visiting the Tigers of LSU. This game is pretty much for all the marbles in the SEC West as well as having BCS ranking ramifications, so it's sure to have a ton of interest.

Other big games we'll be prognosticating include Oregon @ Southern Cal, Penn State @ Purdue, and Ole Miss @ Georgia. Stay tuned.

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WOOLARD'S WEEKEND WINNERS® FOR WEEK NINE.

We have a pretty entertaining slate of games this weekend including the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville along with a rematch of two of the most historic football programs in America, Notre Dame and Oklahoma in Norman.

We've got another line-up of money winners including two upset specials so let's get crackin'...

Here are your winning picks:

No under-age drinking allowed.

#2 Florida vs #10 Georgia...it's the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party version 2012 featuring two teams seeking control of the SEC East. If the favored Gators win, book em for Atlanta in December. UGA beat the Gators last season 24-20, only the Bulldogs' third win in the last 14 meetings. The talk around Atlanta has been that Coach Richt really needs this win to validate this year's team. A loss just reinforces the thought that this team is a lot of talk at the beginning of each season only to fizzle when they face tough competition (see the South Carolina meltdown). We see Mushchamp's Gators grinding out a pretty exciting win with their strong running game and QB Driskell's steady hand in Jacksonville. It could be a wet one thanks to Hurricane Sandy.

Dead man walking?

Tennessee vs #13 South Carolina...I'm afraid that this could be Coach Orange Pant's swan song as the struggling Volunteers head to Columbia for a high noon showdown. A loss pretty much seals the deal for Dooley who is still looking for his team to play a solid 60 minutes...and still looking for a conference win. They've lost 11 of their last 12 SEC games going back to last season. Meanwhile the Gamecocks are ready to rinse the bad taste of the past two weeks out of their beaks after being plucked by LSU and Florida. On paper, Tennessee has superior numbers in terms of total offense, rushing yards, passing yards, and scoring. Too bad this game is not being played on paper. Cocks spur-kill the Vols.

#11 Mississippi State vs #1 Alabama...this game features two of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, Tyler Wilson and AJ McCarron who has the nation's highest  passer rating with 16 touchdowns and no INTs in his last 239 attempts. Wilson has 15 TDs against only one INT. MSU is off to its best start since 1999, and has the third longest winning streak (9) in the nation.  UPSET Special: we like Mullen's Mutts and the points (24) over Bama.

#20 Texas A&M vs Auburn...I kinda feel sorry for the tiger/war eagles/plainsmen/dying oaks but not really since I'm really looking forward to seeing what Aggie Johnny Football can do against a rather soft Auburn defense. Auburn fans are clamoring for Chizik's scalp but he's going no where at least for the foreseeable future. That's what winning a national championship gets you (see Phillip Fulmer). Auburn is off to its worst start in 60 years and things aint gonna get better for them. We like the Aggies in this one.

#14 Texas Tech vs #3 Kansas State...this is another game that features two of America's top quarterbacks and probable Heisman finalists, KSU's Collin Klein and Red Raider Seth Doege. Last week on the road at West Virginia, Klein put up a career high 323 passing yards in a 19 of 21 effort, and adding 4 rushing TDs to boot. On a side note, KSU is tied for the FBS lead in fewest penalties per game. That's discipline; that's Coach Bill Snyder. We see Klein having another big game as the Wildcats go 8-0 in 13 seasons.

Brigham Young vs Georgia Tech...the question is not which team will win but if anyone shows up.  I can't imagine too many BYU fans being there unless they decide to sit with the greeks after a big kegger party. Anyway, there is hope for Johnson's Jackets as they rebounded nicely against Boston College last week. BYU is ranked 100th in turn-overs so look for the Bees to swarm the ball, especially as they try to contain QB Riley Nelson who is just as dangerous running the ball. If GT executes their triple option like they know how, we see the Engineers winning on the Flats.

#22 Michigan @ Nebraska...the Wolverines invade Lincoln looking to extend their Big Ten record to 4-0. In their three conference wins they have given up only 23 combined points. This much improved defense will have its hands full trying to contain dual-threat Husker QB Taylor Martinez and running backs, Burkhead and Abdullah. UPSET Special: Maize and Blue over Big Red.

And GEORGE THE CAT'S BIG PICK of the WEEK® featuring Notre Dame @ Oklahoma...

The Irish have won 8 of 9 all-time meetings with Oklahoma and have not lost to the Sooners since 1953. Their last visit to Norman was a 38-0 rout on its way to a national title in 1966. The Sooners are 79-4 at home under Bob Stoops, who has led Oklahoma to 13 straight bowl games, including 8 BCS contests and one national title. This game has national championship ramifications written all over it.  Let's see who George the Cat likes in this game.  Roll tape please...

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WHAT EXACTLY IS A BOOMER SOONER?

The terms "boomer" and "sooner" have a lot to do with the early days of Oklahoma when it was first being settled back in the late 1800's. I won't go into a history lesson but will say that Boomer and Sooner today are the cute little ponies that drag the old conestoga wagon across the field at each Oklahoma game.

Boomer on the left; Sooner on the right. Or maybe it's the reverse.

Not long after Oklahoma was admitted to statehood, a great football conference called the Southwest Conference was formed and became home to some of America's greatest teams including Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Southern Methodist, and Texas A+M.

Growing up on the East Coast and then living in the Southeast for the past 30+ years, I've never experienced first hand the excitement of the SWC or Oklahoma football but would occasionally catch a game or two, especially during bowl season. I clearly remember the 1968 Orange Bowl in which Oklahoma knocked off #2 ranked Tennessee, 26-24.

Through the years Oklahoma has produced legions of top players including five Heisman winners and six runner-ups along with 152 All Americas. Great names like Billy Sims, Spencer Tillman, Joe Washington, Marcus Dupree, and Adrian Peterson all wore the Crimson and Creme.

With this weekend's Notre Dame - Oklahoma game I thought it appropriate to bring in the perspective of someone that has witnessed Oklahoma football firsthand.

Boomhauer Chapman, a true Sooner.

So allow me to introduce Gene 'Boomhauer' Chapman.

Boomhauer grew up on the hard scrabble plains of Oklahoma and was destined to be either an oil rig roughneck or interior designer until he decided to head east to attend law school at the University of Georgia.

He grew up during the Chuck Fairbanks-Barry Switzer era, saw the Red River Rivalry, worshipped the wishbone offense, and often told people he was the fourth Selmon brother to Lee Roy, Lucious, and Dewey.

In Boomhauer's own words....

"Sooner born, Sooner bred, when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead"

I remember the first beating I received as a child.   

OU was the first to experience the SI cover jinx.

November 16, 1957.  I was four months old.  Notre Dame's Dick Lynch raced into the north end zone of Owen Field in the final minutes without a Sooner laying a hand on him.  You can’t spell ouch without OU.  The Fighting Irish's 7-0 win ended Oklahoma's incredible 47 game winning streak that day.

Even though Notre Dame and The University of Oklahoma have two of the richest traditions in all of sports, the two football teams have met on the field only nine times.  Notre Dame has a slight edge in the series, having won eight of the nine games.

 

Growing up in Oklahoma in the 60s and 70s, we had two constants: wind and college football.   

 

George Cross, OU's president from 1943 to 1968, once told the Oklahoma State Senate, "I want a university the football team can be proud of.”  College football was the center of a young boy’s existence in Oklahoma.  People took the measure of another not by the content of one’s character but by whether you wore red or orange (Oklahoma State).

 

My parents took me to the First Baptist Church on Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon and evening, and Wednesday night for prayer meeting or business meeting.  They tried to instill the fear of God in me, but in my young mind, the kingdom of heaven was Memorial Stadium filled with Crimson and Cream, God’s chariot was the Sooner Schooner whipping around the field after every score, the Holy Spirit took the form of Chuck Fairbanks, and the angels had numbers on their backs: Steve Owens, Granville Liggins, Jack Mildren, Greg Pruitt, the Selmon brothers, and on and on and on.  

 

Notre Dame not only defeated OU to snap its win streak, the Irish was the last team to defeat the Sooners before the incredible 47 game run started in 1953.  The Sooners’ one victory over Notre Dame happened in 1956.  The Sooners destroyed Heisman winner Paul Hornung and the Irish 45-0.  I wasn’t born just yet.  The first OU-Notre Dame game I saw was on the old black and white Motorola as the Irish squeaked by 13-7 in 1962.  I couldn’t eat the rest of the day without throwing up.

 

Oklahoma State and the University of Texas are the primary targets of OUr jokes.  For instance, what do you get when you cross an OSU cheerleader with a pig?  Nothing. There's some things a pig's just not gonna do.  What are the seven words guaranteed to break an OSU cheerleader's heart?  "Sorry miss, this is not a buffet."  How can you tell if a Texas football player has a girlfriend?  Tobacco juice on both sides of the pickup truck.

Boomhauer's mentor, the Son of a Bootlegger.

I don’t joke about Notre Dame.  I don’t think you get to joke about somebody until you’ve won a few games.  Notre Dame is #5 in the BCS. The team is talented. It has one of the best uniforms in college football. It has the one of the best fight songs ever.  The Pope cheers for Notre Dame.

The Sooners have not won a game against Notre Dame in my lifetime. The spread on this game notwithstanding, I think it will be an upset if OU beats Notre Dame. I’ll go with the upset. Oklahoma wins.

George the Cat makes his BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring Notre Dame-Oklahoma. Be sure to check back Friday morning to see who George the Cat likes in this historic match-up.

WINNERS OR WHINERS®....Week Eight Wrap Up.

We came pretty darn close to being perfect with SEVEN out of EIGHT picks. That's an 88% hit rate. And if you followed our leads - especially our upset picks - you're probably heading to Best Buy right now to load up on another high def flat screen. Or, maybe, beefing up your depleted 401(k)...whatever rocks your boat, baby.

Dumb and dumber?

Speaking of rocking the boat, George the Cat hit big on his BIG PICK of the WEEK taking Bama over Tennessee, even laying the points. It wasn't a pretty sight in Knoxville as Alabama opened up a can of Crimson Tide whoopass in another prime time beat down of the Big Orange, and another example of Tyler "Pouty" Bray's lack of leadership and class. Coach Orange Pants is now something like 0-14 against ranked teams and it's not gonna get any better for the Vols as they head to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks. And you can bet that Spurrier the Evil Genius is licking his chops to get his team back in the win column after losing the past two weekends to Florida and LSU. I hate to say it, but Dooley's only chance of surviving the moving van is to bring home the W. How much you wanna bet that Mayflower Van Line is on AD Dave Hart's speed dial?

Numbers never lie.

In addition to the Bama pick, we had several more money makers. So let's do our weekly Weekend Rewind.

The Weekend Rewind®..... 

Let's start with the only pick that came up short. Texas A&M came within one of Reveille's whiskers of upsetting the Bengal Tigers 24-19. Johnny Football had a case of the oopsies and threw 3 interceptions. But Johnny Manzeil, just a redshirt freshman, is going places so get use to hearing his name. Heisman 2014, perhaps?

In another upset pick, the Wildcats of Kansas State chewed up the Mountaineers in Morgantown, 55-17.  Collin Klein was an amazing 19-21 for 323 passing yards, a career high, plus added 43 rushing yards. I'm thinking he's a lock for the Heisman, something that Kansas State has never experienced.

We predicted undefeated Notre Dame to win but it was a lot closer than expected with their 17-14 win over BYU. While the Irish passing game struggled, their rushing effort stepped up with 270 yards. And now they head to Norman, Oklahoma to face the Sooners.

Clemson took care of business with the Hokies, winning their third straight over Virginia Tech, 38-17. Remember those names I mentioned last week? Well, Ellington had 96 rushing yards and Boyd ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. Thanks fellas.

The Gators won big over the Gamecocks 44-11 which will put them in a really snarly mood when they host Tennessee this Saturday in Columbia.

Probably the most entertaining game of Saturday was the Nebraska-Northwestern match in Evanston. The Wildcats led for most of the game with the Cornhuskers coming back late to win 29-28. Being 12 points down in the fourth, Nebraska's Martinez led the way with two touchdowns to edge out Northwestern. For the day, Nebraska rack up 543 yards of total offense.

The Red Raiders took out the Horned Frogs of TCU, 56-53, in three overtime periods. QB Seth Doege tossed a TD pass in each of the overtimes, giving him 7 for the game.

The Week Ahead... 

Be sure to check back later in the week for our next group of winning picks. And George the Cat will be making his BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring Notre Dame at Oklahoma.

I wish I had a little wagon like this one.

Make Mo' Money With Mark !!

WOOLARD'S WEEKEND WINNERS® FOR WEEK EIGHT.

A great line-up of games is on tap for Saturday including George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK GAME, #1 Alabama at Tennessee.

Here's your great eight with a couple of upset specials sprinkled in.

#17 Texas Tech @ #23 TCU...the Red Raiders of Lubbock looked pretty good last Saturday at they dismantled West Virginia 49-14. The key will be Seth Doege's consistency at quarterback. Last week he rang up a career best 499 passing yards and six touchdowns. Texas Tech welcomes TCU to the Big 12 with a sound spanking of the Frogs (can you really spank a frog?).

BYU @ #5 Notre Dame...the Mormons versus the Catholics. Nothing like a good ol religious war. But that will not be the case on Saturday as the Irish have their way over 4-3 BYU. Having already beaten three top 20 teams so far (Michigan, Michigan State, and Stanford), Brian Kelly's biggest challenge is making sure his Golden Domers are not looking ahead to next week's showdown with Oklahoma. Irish win big.

#4 Kansas State @ #13 West Virginia...we love dual threat quarterbacks which is why we are taking the Wildcats in an upset win over the Mountaineers. Collin Klein (Calvin's brother) has rushed for 510 yards and 10 TDs so far this season in addition to passing for 1,074 yards and 7 TDs. And the WVU secondary is giving up nearly 400 yards passing making them the third worst pass defense in America.

Virginia Tech @ #19 Clemson...for those that watch the ACC leaderboard, this game is a no brainer with the Tigers beating the Hokies in Death Valley. Clemson's Hopkins leads the league with 49 catches and 777 yards. TB Ellington is number 1 in rushing average per game, just under 100. And QB Tajh Boyd is tops with 291 passing yards per game. You can't go wrong with the Tigers.

#6 LSU @ #18 Texas A&M...we like the Aggies. And we really like Johnny Football (aka Johnny Manziel) the quarterback for the Aggies who does everything. He's second nationally in total offense with 2,356 yards and has two games this season in which he's surpassed 500 yards in total offense, making him the first player in SEC history to do that. Not bad for a redshirt freshman. This game will come down to Johnny versus DE Barkevious Mingo and the LSU defense, but we like the Aggies in an upset at Kyle Field.

#7 South Carolina @ #2 Florida...We really like what the Ol Ball Coach is doing in Columbia but after playing a huge road game just last week, the Gamecocks have to do it again in Gainesville. Much like last week in Baton Rouge, this game should remain close into the late stages of the game but the Gators will hold on for a huge conference win. Muschamp is sitting pretty.

Nebraska @ Northwestern...It's getting colder in Evanston which means fans better be packing an extra flask to stay warm. But if you're a Husker fan you'll feel plenty warm as QB Taylor Martinez has a big day by The Lake. Nebraska wins on the road.

And GEORGE the CAT's BIG PICK of the WEEK®...

I'd like to think that this Third Saturday in October will have a different outcome than the previous five. But the only hope for Tennessee to win is if Bama's big backs Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon miss the team bus to the stadium. Tennessee will put up a few points with Tyler Bray's arm but the Vols defense leaks really really bad. BUT don't take my word for it. Let's see what George the Cat has to say in his BIG PICK of the WEEK video.  Roll tape please.

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Why the Third Saturday in October is Still Special.

A whole lotta hittin' happens in this rivalry.

If you're a Tennessee or Alabama fan there are two rules to live by: don't get married on the Third Saturday in October, and try not to die. Because in either case, the preacher might not show.

 The Aabama-Tennessee series began in 1901 and beginning in 1928 the game has been played on the third Saturday in October (with a few exceptions). Each team has won its share of games, with Alabama leading the series 48-38-7 which has seen both teams putting together impressive winning streaks. The Vols have had three streaks of three wins, two four-win streaks, and a seven-win streak. The Tide have won seven in a row twice with their longest streak being eleven wins.

This is one of the greatest rivalries in college football, mostly because of the great coaches and players that have taken part in it. Wallace Wade, Paul "Bear" Bryant, General Robert Neyland, Doug Dickey, and dozens of All-Americans - - such as Namath, Musso, Bennett, Humphrey, Hannah, Manning, Holloway, Kiner, Gault, Cafego, Majors and Dodd - - have contributed to the greatness of the game, several with national title ramifications.

A whole lotta memories.

This rivalry has special meaning to me. My first personal exposure to big time Southern football dates back to 1973 and Legion Field where the Vols were taking on another top ranked Bama team. The game was back and forth with UT's Condredge Holloway scrambling for yards and Bama's Wilbur Jackson slamming for first downs and touchdowns. He's still one of the largest running backs I've ever seen; no wonder he wore #80. Since then I've witnessed some great wins along with some agonizing losses in Knoxville, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. But the magic of this series has never been lost.

Through the years, Kenny Clyde "Bear" Yarbrough (Birmingham native and Tide alum) has been at my side (and throat) at several of these affairs. Our Third Saturday in October road trips typically kick off on Fridays with a round of contact-golf, followed by Friday night entertainment in either KnoxVegas or B'Ham. Saturday mornings are welcomed with the General's Hooch, a special bloody mary concoction that has been perfected through the years. Each game is followed by a traditional cigar, some brown whisky, a Saturday night banquet with the loser picking up the tab, and a Sunday morning round of golf before returning home. Needless to say I've paid a fair price through the years (including the bus rides out of Legion Field surrounded by 349 sloppy drunk crimson-necks reminding you of the score) but the memories and laughs are priceless.

This Saturday the magic returns to Neyland Stadium. You can throw out the records because this game takes on a totally different demeanor and never fails to disappoint (okay, when the Vols lose, it does sting a little). The #1 ranked Crimson Tide arrives in Big Orange Country with the best defense in America but Tennessee's passing offense will certainly make some big plays against an untested Alabama secondary. And it always seems that some little known player on either team steps up to make a winning difference so I'm anxious to see what Vol becomes the next hero in this great rivalry.

Given our history, it's only fitting that Kenny Clyde returns this week to give his unbiased and unvarnished take on the game.

Let Kenny Clyde 'Bear' Yarbrough speak... 

Kenny Clyde looks for another Tide win

Whoa Nellie! It's the Third Saddity in October! 
Alabama's coming to town and it’s really Football Time in Tennessee.  
Somethings gotta give. 

 Bama leads the nation in 7 defensive categories, including points allowed (7.5) and yards allowed (181).  The Tick Hounds offense is ranked 3^rd in the SEC and in the top 25 nationally with 38 points and 482 yards per game. 
 

They gave UGA and the Starkvillians a run for their money.  They played tough with the Lizards early.  But my Bama team isn't UGA.  We'll hit the Road Cone Orange Warriors in the mouth in the first quarter AND the last one.  After Lacy creates a few deep thigh bruises, Yeldon will demonstrate just how fast someone can run checkerboard to checkerboard.
 

So what am I worried about? 

• Overlooking the VoleWeevils:  We face three ranked teams - No. 15 Mississippi State, No. 6 LSU and No. 20 Texas A&M - after traveling to Knoxville. 

• Tyler Bray:  the skinny kid's thrown an SEC best 16 touchdowns in his 1,730 yards so far. 

• History:  Alabama's win streak in the series is its longest (5) since a seven-game run Oct. 18, 1986-Oct. 17, 1992. I remember them well, as Mr. Weekend Winners and our wives traveled to all but one (imagine getting pregnant with the chance of delivering in mid October!  What were they thinking?! Hello Sarah!).

Yessiree, this storied contest has had its moments.  The General.  The Bear.  Fat Phil.  Hell, CBS even bought a permanent condo for K'ville weekends.

 
But now we're stuck in a 7:00 pm time slot on a cable station; the Vomiteers have a lawyer coaching from the pressbox; and the damn NCAA ruled against Victory Cigars.

Making the road trip to the Great State of Tennessee used to be exciting.  Now?  Might as well be playing the Dores.

WINNERS OR WHINERS®...WEEK SEVEN REVIEW

Oh what a difference a week makes!
Despite a couple of late night losses (thank you Tennessee) we did very nicely, posting a 6-2 record this past weekend (that's a 75% winning ratio for you bean counters).

Roadtrippin' to Vegas.

As the Scoreboard sez, we're now sitting at a cumulative 68% which means the boys in Atlantic City and Vegas are actually paying us now. Speaking of Vegas, I'm headed there this weekend to personally meet with Mister Bigs. I'm being comped a room along with some "starter" chips so it'll be interesting. Might even take in a few shows and, of course, hit the floor for some blackjack and craps, all the while keeping an eye on the college game scene.

So, let's do a quick recap of the past weekend.

WEEKEND REWIND®

Ole Miss delivered the goods when they delivered a big "L" to the Auburn Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen/Dying Oaks/Ag Schoolers. Things seems to be jelling for Mister Freeze in Oxford and this just might be the season that the Rebs finally move out of the SEC West basement where they've been residing for the last dozen years or so (or ever since they ran good guy David Cutcliffe off the campus). We had this as a W for the Rebs.

Speaking of Coach Cut, the luck of the Dookies ran out in Blacksburg as Virginia Tech rebounded with a 41-20 win. We hated to pick against Cutcliffe but business is business, and we sho do like to win.

Muschamp's undefeated Gators took care of business beating Vandy 31-17 and now sit at a #2 ranking, right behind the Tide. It was a good game until Vandy remembered it was Vandy. And Tebow who? QB Jeff Driskell set a new Florida record for rushing yards by a quarterback breaking Timmy Tebow's 166 yards with his 177. Funny how a head coach can do great things in just his second year (are you listening David Hart??).

Irish eyes were smiling as were we as Notre Dame survived a close one in South Bend by beating Stanford 20-13. The Irish are enjoying a #5 ranking at the mid-season mark.

Bama played some "old man" football and spanked the Mizzou Tiggers 42-10. The Crimson Tide rolled up 362 rushing yards to Mizzou's meager 3. Bet Coach Pinkey wishes his ding dong players had never opened their pie holes and provided the entire SEC with great bulletin board material. I even think Tennessee might beat Missouri (I said "might").

Making mo' money.

The Red River Rivalry was anything but as the Oklahoma Sooners made shish kabobs of the Texas cows, 63-21, and returned to Norman with the Golden Hat. Just when some were questioning Landry Jones' effectiveness the boy rings up 321 passing yards as he becomes just the fourth Sooner quarterback to beat Texas three times. I love it when I'm right!

Coach can't catch a break.

We guessed wrong on our Upset Special as once again Tennessee failed to finish strong in their 41-31 loss to the Mutts of Starkville. Earlier in the week Coach Orange Pants had surgery for a fractured hip which we believe resulted from repeated stamping of his leg in frustration. Nevertheless, the hiney heat is ramping up big time on Rocky Top as the football program in teetering on the verge of collapse with zero conference wins and Alabama and South Carolina on deck.

George the Cat was tripped up by his fellow felines in his BIG PICK of the WEEK as the LSU Tigers squeaked out a two point victory. It's tough to win a night game in the Red Stick and Les Miles knows how to win close ones.

Looking Ahead. 

A great slate of games are coming this weekend with #7 South Carolina-#2 Florida, Virginia Tech-#19 Clemson, #4 Kansas State-#13 West Virginia and the Third Saturday in October with the #1 Crimson Tide visiting Knoxville. The Bama-Vol game will be George the Cat's featured BIG PICK of the Week so be sure to check back for Friday's posting.

Woolard's Weekend Winners® for Week Seven.

Another great weekend; another great slate of games. George the Cat returns with his BIG PICK of the WEEK. He's 3-1 and puts his whiskers on the line with the South Carolina - LSU game.

Here are your winning picks.

 #15 Texas @ #13 Oklahoma...the Red River Rivalry is a classic and one that's on my personal bucket list. The fanfare and the passion of the fans ranks right up there. Both teams need this win badly in order to keep pace with West Virginia and Kansas State.  Texas is 13-13 in its last 26 games but the Longhorns rank 6th in the nation with 48.6 points per game led by QB David Ash. But Oklahoma has a stingy defense allowing only 16 points per game. It will be the best defense the 'Horns have faced thus far. Stoop's Sooners win in Dallas.

#17 Stanford @ #7 Notre Dame...Brian Kelly's Irish have been oneof the real surprises this season, jumping out to a 5-0 start including impressive wins over Michigan and Michigan State. And last weekend they added a 41-3 beat down of the Miami Hurricanes. Even more impressive, the Golden Domers have not allowed a touchdown since their September 8th game with Purdue. The Irish own a 17-9 series advantage and are 10-3 against Stanford in Notre Dame Stadium. Not to be confused with the Four Horsemen but Notre Dame has a potent stable of runners including Atkinson, Riddick, and Wood. They racked up 376 rushing yards last week, the most since 2000. We see Touchdown Jesus raising his hands after this game. And the Irish will be smiling.

Duke @ Virginia Tech...the Hokies have their hands full with Duke, which has the number 4 scoring offense in the ACC and leads the league with fewest sacks allowed. The Tar Heels torched Va Tech last week with 48 points, the most points the Hokies have ever given up to an ACC foe. But this Saturday defensive coordinator Bud Ford rights the ship and denies the Blue Devils their 6th win. Bowl eligibility will have to wait for Cutcliffe's crew. Beamer ball returns in Blacksburg.

#4 Florida @ Vanderbilt...Gone are the days of the "sun and gun" offense with five wide outs and finesse schemes. Muschamp has the Gators playing his kind of game: grind it out on the ground and smash mouth defense. And it will be no different as Florida goes for its 22nd consecutive win over Vandy. Look for Florida RB Mike Gillislee to exceed his 109 yards/game average as the Gators chomp the Commodores.

#1 Alabama @ Missouri...let's see how Mizzou likes "old man football" after Bama gets done beating them like a red headed step child (no offense intended to any one that happens to be red headed and a step-child). Alabama leads the country in total defense and scoring defense (7 ppg), allowing a meager 3.3 yards per play. The only guys smiling besides Alabama fans will be the scalpers in Columbia as the Tide drowns the "show me" staters and shows the pundits why they deserve to stay Numero Uno.

Tennessee @ #19 Mississippi State...I hate to say this but I think this is a do or die game for Coach Orange Pants as most consider this to be a pivotal game for the Vols. After losing conference games to Florida and Georgia, Tennessee tangles with MSU, Alabama, and South Carolina. So the best chance for logging an SEC win during this run is with the Starkvillians. And we see it happening as the cowbells struggle to keep up with Tyler Bray and his talented receivers, Hunter, Patterson, and Rogers. Vols win in StarkVegas in an upset.

Auburn @ Ole Miss...The Rebels haven't won an SEC game in 16 tries and are fresh off a loss to the Aggies who scored late in the game to beat Ole Miss. But they host a struggling Auburn team that is giving up 409 yards per game while being last in the SEC in total offense. Not a winning combination. We like the Rebels in this one. Hotty toddy in the Grove.

George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK

#3 South Carolina @ # 9 LSU...this will be the second straight Top Ten team the Gamecocks will face as they head into Death Valley to take on the LSU Tigers who are reeling from a 14-6 defeat in Gainesville (Mettenberger completed just 44% of his passes). The Tigers have dominated this series 16-2-1, and are 10-1 in Baton Rouge. Based on what I've seen to date I like Spurrier's squad in an upset but let's see what George the Cat has to say. Roll tape por favor.

Make Mo Money with Mark !!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @BigBlueCaddy

What's in a name? The most unique names in the SEC.

As part of our commitment to bringing you the best in college football insight, our crack(ed) research team has undertaken the task of analyzing which SEC players have the most unusual and unique first names. We call it the SEC All-Name Team.

Some of these names you're familiar with such as Jadeveon Clowney, Kadetrix Marcus, and Rantavious Wooten. Some others less so.

I have a few favorites like Martavius Neloms of Kentucky, Rolandis Woodland of Mizzou, and Cassanova McKinzie of Auburn.

I'm so inspired by this list that I'm actually thinking about changing my own first name. 

I kinda like Martavius, LaMarcus, or maybe something like DaMarco. But I'd like to get your input so do drop me a line (see bottom of page where you can write back in the nifty little comment section). But as my pappy use to say, "you can call me anything, just don't call me late for supper."

SEC leader in funky names.

Based on our research it appears that Auburn leads the way with the most unique and unusual first names. Which makes sense since Auburn has the most team names itself: Tigers, Plainsmen, War Eagles, Dying Oaks, Chiziks Cheaters, Cam's Scam, etc. You get the picture.

Here's our 2012 SEC All-Name Team. Let us know if we missed anything.

Alabama

Xzavier Dickson

LaMichael Fanning

Auburn

LeDarius Owens

Demetruce McNeal

JaViere Mitchell

T’Sharvan Bell

Cassanova McKinzy

Octavious Andrews

Gimel President (does he have a brother, Vice?)

Delondre DeJarnett

Travante Stallworth

JaBrian Niles

Devaunte Sigler

Arkansas

D’Arthur Cowan

DeQuinta Jones

DeMarcus Hodge

Levunce Askew

Ole Miss

Quintavius Burdette

Dehendret Collins

Serderius Bryant

LaKedrick King

I’Tavius Mathers

Philander Moore

Miss State

Qaudry Antoine

Rishunn McCaleb

LaDarius Perkins

Arceto Clark

Taveze Calhoun

Beniquez Brown

Benardrick McKinney

Templeton Hardy

LSU

Jerqwinick Sandolph

Jermauria Rasco

A’Trey-U Jones

La’el Collins
Barkevius Mingo
Ego Ferguson

Texas A&M

DeVante Harris

Devonta Burns

Johntel Franklin

D’Cardio Cottonham

Shayvion Hatten

Florida

Lerentee McCray

Quinteze Williams

Georgia

Kwame Geathers

Kenarious Gates

Quayvon Hicks

Rantavious Wooten
Bacarri Rambo

Kentucky

Martavius Neloms

Demarco Robinson

La’Rod King

TraVaughn Paschal
Mister Cobble
Bookie Cobbins

Missouri

Kenronte Walker

Ka’Ra Stewart

Rolandis Woodland

South Carolina

Jadeveon Clowney

Devonte Holloman

Shamier Jeffrey

Kadetrix Marcus

Tennessee

Deanthonie Summerhill

Quenshaun Watson

LaDarrell McNeil

Vanderbilt

Ladarius Banks

Ja’karri Thomas

Winners or Whiners®....Week Six Review

Top pup not feeling so well.

With a 3-5 posting only UGA'a Mark Richt feels worse than me. Okay, maybe  Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator, Al Groh, who was finally shown the door earlier today after another in a string of defensive melt downs for the Jackets. So there's plenty of whining to go around.

This past Saturday had some really terrific games with several having "upset" written all over them. So let's start with the good news.

In their first trip ever to Texas, West Virginia upset the Longhorns, 48-45, with QB Geno Smith going 25 of 35 passing with 4 TDs. He has now thrown 24 passing TDs without an interception through five games this season. No wonder this kid is a leading Heisman candidate.

The much hated #10 Gators turned the tables on #4 LSU and upset the Tigers 14-6 in the Swamp. We had a feeling that the Hat could be tripped up and the undefeated lizards did just that. It was Muschamp's first win over a ranked team since beating Georgia in 2010, and he did it with a grind it out ground game and super stingy defense. So, are the Gators back for real??

The Bulldogs of Mississippi State added to the misery of Joker Phillips with a 27-14 win in Lexington. The Starkvegas crew outgained Kentucky 427 yards to 228, so we racked up another winning pick.

We missed out on some close ones including Penn State over Northwestern, 39-28. The Wildcats were looking to go 6-0 for the first time since JFK was in office but instead lost its sixth straight to the Nittany Lions.

Ohio State crushed Nebraska 63-38 in Happy Valley. And Buckeye QB Braxton Miller is still learning the offense! We thought the Black Shirts would show up but I guess they missed that memo.

Pleading for another Cam!

In another surprise, the Razorbacks beat Chizik's tigers/war eagles/plainsmen 24-7, snapping a four game losing streak. The Arkansas defense, ranked 116th, forced five turnovers and held Auburn to 40 yards rushing. Maybe Auburn is really worse than we first thought. Ain't looking good for Chizik.

You can't win games lying down.

But the most surprising outcome was the merciless 35-7 beatdown of the #5 Uga pups at the hands (or talons) of the #6 Gamecocks. Before I could pour my second cup of cocoa, Spurrier's squad had hung 21 points on Georgia. And the South Carolina goal line drive stop only punctuated another embarrassing moment on a national television platform for Mark's mutts. The Cocks limited QB Murray to just 11 of 31 passes and a paltry 109 yards. Yes, I lost money on this game but it was almost worth it, especially since I was in South Carolina enjoying the moment with a hundred or so of my closest Gamecock friends.

Dumfounded again, the Jackets deserve better.

Good bye Groh. The Clemson Tigers ran an incredible 93 offensive plays and racked up 601 yards of offense in another embarrassing effort by the GT defense. The Jackets have yielded over 40 points in each of their last three games and rank 90th in overall defense and 89th in scoring defense. This is Tech's worst start since 1994 when it started 1-5 in route to a 1-10 season. Needless to say, George the Cat's sister, Elaine, was off on her BIG PICK of the WEEK.

It was a tough weekend but we look to rebound next Saturday. Look for more updates throughout the week.

Woolard's Weekend Winners® for Week Six....

 There are so many close games this Saturday you could literally flip a coin in making a pick. But that's the lazy way out. So we forged ahead with our indepth game study in an attempt to make somewhat reasonably intelligent, informed picks. We avoided the "favorite color" or "cute mascot" techniques although those approaches aren't all that bad. But this Saturday could also be known as Upset Weekend.

So, after posting a 6-2 record of Winners last Weekend, here's our prognosticating forecast for Saturday, including the BIG PICK of the WEEK, which Elaine, George the Cat's sister, will be handling (we decided to give her another chance).

 Week Six Winners...

Darth Rooster greets the Head Dawg.

 #5 Georgia @ #6 South Carolina.....about this time every season, the bloom on the UGA flower begins to fade. So here we are again.This is the season's first Eastern Division showdown in the SEC with the winner of this contest sitting in the divisional driver's seat, at least until the next big SEC showdown. Georgia has never lost 3 in a row to South Carolina since this series started in 1894. While UGA touts two outstanding tailbacks in Gurley and Marshall, they will be without the services of one of their best offensive weapons, WR Michael Bennett (torn ACL). And, even with the return of exiles Rambo and Ogletree, the pup defense could barely contain Tennessee's comeback efforts last Saturday. Despite all of that, we think Georgia has too many weapons for Spurrier's Cocks to overcome. So we're going with Coach Mark's Mutts in a mild upset in Columbia.

#4 LSU @ #10 Florida...this game will separate the contenders from the pretenders. We'll see if the Bengal Tigers are for real, especially after their poor showings against lowly Auburn and Towson State. In an upset, we're picking the Gators to win in the Swamp, with QB Jeff Driskel having a great game with his arm and his feet. In each game to date, Driskel has had at least one rush of 20+ yards and is averaging 11.1 yards per carry on designed run plays and 9.4 yards on scrambles. Gators get er done in Gainesville.

Geno the Great leads the Heisman list.

#8 West Virginia @ #11Texas...the question here is will any defense show up?  Last week, the Mountaineers racked up a school single game record of  807 yards in their 70-63 win over Baylor. QB Geno Smith is posting some unbelievable numbers: 1728 passing yards, a blistering 84% completion rate,  20 TDs without an INT. No wonder he's the leading Heisman Trophy candidate. But, the Longhorns can put up some big offensive numbers as well with QB David Ash. He carded over 300 passing yards in last week's win over Okie State. We like the Mountaineers, especially when you factor in their two outstanding receivers, Austin and Bailey. So, if want to win mo' money, put your green on the Morgantown mountain boys in an upset.

#24 Northwestern @ Penn State...the undefeated Wildcats (5-0) look to record their best start in 50 years in Happy Valley against a Penn State team that is starting to come around. Northwestern's QB Kain Kolter is the real deal with a great arm and fantastic running ability (he ran for 161 yds against Indiana plus had 9 receptions for 131 yards). Look for the Nittany Lions to hit the showers early in this one (too soon?). Wildcats win in another upset.

#21 Nebraska @ #12 Ohio State...the Huskers invade the Horseshoe for the very first time as a Big Ten member and there's plenty of storylines to go around.  Nebraska coach Bo Pelini played at Ohio State and was there at the same time that Urban Meyer was an assistant coach. But this game will come down to quarterback play featuring Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and the Buckeye's dangerous Braxton Miller who had 179 passing yards and ran for 23 times/136 yards in their win over Michigan State last week. Something tells me that this will be won by the defense. If the Black Shirt defense shows up, we have an upset win by the Huskers.

Auburn @ Arkansas.....this game features Dying Oaks versus a dying coach, and we see Auburn rebounding from a really close loss to LSU to clobber a struggling Razorback team (1-4). Chizik knows he needs to have a win to stay alive for a bowl bid come December and he'll have his tiger/war eagles/plainsmen ready to go. He showed us a lot last week in that near upset of LSU. Meanwhile, Arky coach John L. Smith continues to be mired in personal problems with  his recent upping of bankruptsy debt now at $40 million. Kinda hard to focus with that hanging over your head. Aubbies win big.

#20 Mississippi State @ Kentucky....there's a good reason Joker Phillips ain't laughing this week. He's lost his starting quarterback (Maxwell Smith, torn ankle ligament) and will rotate two unknowns at QB, the KY run game is ranked 109th with just 119 yards per game, and Kentucky remains a basketball school. Look for the Wildcats to drop to 1-5 as Mullen's Bulldogs win in Lexington.


George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK® 
Georgia Tech @ Clemson...actually Elaine, George the Cat's sister returns this week with her BIG PICK of the WEEK.  Here's what you need to know. First, the Rambling Wreck is really a train wreck (see what I did there) having dropped last week's game to lowly Middle Tennessee State, that Sun Belt powerhouse from the North. Second, Paul Johnson has a knack for rallying his Jackets after embarrassing losses. Third, GT has given Clemson fits, having won 4 of the last 5 games coached by Dabo Swinney. Meanwhile, the Tigers just survived a scare at Boston College and are still reeling from their 49-37 loss to Florida State.

So, can the Jackets rebound? Can Clemson go to 5-1? Let's see what Elaine has to say.  Roll da tape please.

Make Mo Money with Mark(and George the Cat)

p.s. if there is a big game coming up that you want to have included in our weekly prognostications, drop us a note.

Extra Points® from Woolard's Weekend Winners

Move over Coach K: Make room for Coach Cut.

The head Devil making things happen.

Something good is happening in Durham and it doesn't involve roundball or hardwoods. It's Duke Blue Devil football. That's right! Duke is off to its best start at 4-1 since 1994 when the Blue Devils were 5-0 and went to a bowl game for the last time.

On Saturday, Duke snapped a 12 game losing streak to Wake Forest and moved one step closer to bowl eligibility. That's a big deal for Duke. Their offense is starting to roll, having scored 185 points in its first five games, the highest five game total to open a season in school history. And guess what? Duke now has the same record as Clemson and Miami.

The Quarterback Whisperer.

So what's behind the resurgence in Durham? It starts with the quiet, unassuming leadership of Head Coach David Cutcliffe who has an enviable track record of developing young talent especially quarterbacks. His resume includes the Manning boys, Peyton and Eli, Heath Shuler, Andy Kelly, Eric Ainge, and Tee Martin, among others.

And, for the first time since opening in 1929, Wallace Wade Stadium is getting a major face-lift with seating expansion and other major renovations including a new press box and luxury suites.

Winners or Whiners®....Week Five Review...

Wow! We saw some great games this past Saturday from shootouts to comebacks to ugly wipeouts. And, most importantly, we made out rather well with our picks, thank you very much. Which means you made Mo' Money!

Show me the money.

George the Cat® Hits Again with his BIG PICK of the WEEK®.

George the Cat is the big feline on campus this week as he hit big on his video pick 'em of the Mutts of Athens over the Tennessee Vols. He knows how I feel about this rivalry but business is business, and now George the Cat is 3-1 for the season.

The 51-44 loss to Georgia marked the first time in Tennessee's history (dating back to 1897) that the Vols lost when scoring over 40 points. Not the type the history you wish to make if you're a Big Orange fan. But major kudos to Tennessee for battling back not once, not twice, but several times. They could easily have rolled over and I applaud the coaches and players for fighting back. This should give UT fans some hope for the future.

Be sure to be looking for his next BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring the Clemson Tigers hosting the Jackets of Georgia Tech.

Texas A&M made history by winning their very first SEC game, 58-10 over Arkansas. Aggie QB Johnny Manzeil threw for a school record 453 yards and 3 touchdowns plus ran for another. Hey! He just scored again!

A sloppy start turned into a beautiful finish for #22 Nebraska as the Cornhuskers staged a 17 point comeback to beat the Wisconsin Badgers. Taylor Martinez orchestrated four straight scoring drives to seal the deal in Lincoln and make mo' money for us.

We came up short as Urban Meyer's #14 Ohio State Buckeyes won a bruising game to edge out #20 Michigan State 17-16.   Key stat of the game: the Buckeyes averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 44 rushes compared to Michigan State's paltry average of 1.5 yards per carry. Too bad the Buckeyes aren't eligible to win the Big Ten title because they have it going on with a 5-0 record.

If you took Ole Miss and the points as we recommended, you have a nice pile of jack to take on your next trip to Tunica - not that we advocate gambling! The Rebels kept the game somewhat close (relatively speaking) as Alabama won 33-14 in Tuscaloosa. In fact, the Rebs led the Tide for a whopping 15 seconds before the Tide started to roll.

The South Carolina Gamecocks rebounded from a 17-7 halftime deficit to man-handle the Kentucky Wildcats 38-17. The Cocks scored 31 unanswered points and outrushed Joker's Cats 174 yards to 7 yards in the second half. There's a ticking noise in Lexington and it ain't a clock.

Northwestern set a school record with 704 yards of offense in their 44-29 victory over Indiana in their Big Ten opener. The Evanston crew is giddy with a 5-0 record heading into week six.

Another bust on the Flats as Georgia Tech forgot to tell its defense what time the game started. Middle Tennesse State University from Murfreesboro upset the Jackets 49-28 in what must be considered the biggest GT flop in recent memory...even bigger than last week's cave to the Canes. GT's defense picked up where they left off the week prior when they allowed 609 yards in their collapse to Miami. And to think we were just singing the praises of Al Groh's defense just two weeks ago.  But enough whining. It's time for winning.

 The week ahead.

Week Six features another great line up of games including George the Cat's BIG PICK of the WEEK featuring Georgia Tech-Clemson.  Time to Make Mo' Money.