WOOLARD'S WEEKEND WINNERS® FOR WEEK FOURTEEN.

Well, here we are at the tailend of another great season of college football. We've had a lot of highs and a lot of lows with plenty in the middle. Along the way we've made some serious money on our winning picks and, hopefully, you have too.

But today is a little different with conference championships, final BCS berths, and national championship matchups on the line. So with so much at stake, we've brought in our top gurus including George the Cat, his sister Elaine, Leonard the Neighborhood Cat, Father Ira O'Benowitz, and even Hammerin' Hank the rooster from his Coweta County retreat. We spared no expense in order to give you our best thinking for today's prognostications.

So, let's see what the gang has come up with.

Your Winning Picks are...

He would look damn sharp in Orange.

Georgia Tech vs Florida State...while several schools are searching for new head coaches, a few are looking for new defensive coordinators. And that's where 6-6 Georgia Tech finds itself. After today's beat down from the 10-2 Seminoles in the ACC Championship Game held in chilly Charlotte (a night game to boot), head Bee Paul Johnson best be burning up the phone lines to find his third DC in just five seasons on The Flats. Otherwise next season he'll be sharpening his resume because at some point, the dozen or so Jackets fans that actually show up at Historic Bobby Dodd are going to pull the plug. And to think that we published an Extra Point edition just a few weeks ago praising Al Groh for his stout Jacket defense. Shame on us for caving to reader feedback telling us we showed no love for the GT defensive unit. Anyway, tonite's game will have plenty of scoring from both teams. But once again the Jacket defense will give up tonnage as they have done all season long. After backing into the ACC title game thanks to Miami's self imposed penalty, GT will face an FSU offense that's averaged over 41 points a game (8th best in America). My only hope for the Swarm is that they don't quit early and make a game of it. But that ain't gonna happen. Jimbo's Noles will score early and often with plenty of time to spare to make their reservations for the Orange Bowl.

Bama stakes claim in the ATL.

Alabama vs Georgia...while most consider this a "pick 'em" game, we see Alabama rolling in the SEC Championship game. The only real question is how many different ways will Georgia fans trash poor Mark Richt. The red and black fan base has shown time and time again how fast they turn on their program when things go off the road. When the Dawgs win, everything is red and black. When they lose, players' homes get vandalized. If I were Coach Richt, I'd give the Athens crowd the middle paw and head somewhere else where I'd be appreciated...like Knoxville.  Having said this, we think this will be another "game for the ages." Both teams have explosive offenses and both teams play exceptional defense (with the edge to the Crimson Tide). But our key stat of the game is the low number of times the Bama qb McCarron has been sacked this season: only 13 times. The Elephant o-line has given McCarron exceptional protection which has allowed him to make plays. Yes, UGA has one of the best defenders in the league with Jarvis Jones but we see the Bama offense up to the tusk, er task. With one of the best passing efficiencies in the country, McCarron has his two strong running backs, Yeldon and Lacy, to make play-action passes so effective. On the defensive side, Alabama leads the country in scoring defense (only 9.3 points per game), and have allowed only 89 plays this season that have gained ten yards or more (the best in USA). But the big question still looms: can Aaron Murray win the big one. Not tonite, my friend, not tonite. Tide rolls.

Snyder and Company brand the Horns.

Texas vs Kansas State...call me a sap but you gotta love the storyline of a 73 year-old coach, Bill Snyder, returning to his former employer and making his team a national contender. If the Wildcats take care of business today, they wrap up the Big 12 Championship (why Big 12 when only ten teams??). After screwing the pooch in losing to Baylor two weeks ago, we see qb Collin Klein showing America once again why he is deserving of a trip to NYC for the Heisman proceedings. Both teams generate tons of offense (445 yds per game for Texas and 416 for KSU) but the Wildcat defense will be the difference as they have been pretty effective at shutting down potent offenses all season long on their way to a 10-1 campaign. We see the Wildcats winning in Manhattan. Our cat crew - George, Elaine, and Leonard - concur.

Nebraska vs Wisconsin....consider this a redemption game for the Badgers. The Big Ten Championship game is a rematch of a September 29 game in which Wisconsin led 27-10 in the third quarter only to see the Huskers rally for a 30-27 win. RB Burkhead is back for Nebraska while recording-breaking RB Montee Ball will lead the way for the Madison unit. While the Huskers have the edge on paper in all stat categories, we like Bucky Badger and the Jump Around Crew. So, take Wisconsin and the points (3.5).

Next Up...

We'll be back next week with a special wrap up of Winners or Whiners®.  Meanwhile, Fight, Drink, Win, Get Naked.

MAKE MO' MONEY WITH MARK!