WOOLARD'S WEEKEND WINNERS® FOR WEEK ONE.

If you're late to work today just tell the Boss Lady you stayed up till the wee hours to watch the back and forth tango that went down in the Music City with Ole Miss coming out on top in the last few seconds to pull out a win over Vandy. 

Then tell the Boss Lady that you're gonna get a jump on the weekend by heading out for a long liquid lunch. The kind that Don Draper often takes. You know what I'm talking about. A few martinis. Then a few more. And before you know it, it's time to catch the train out to the burbs. But I digress.

Anyway, the 2013 season has now officially started. Which means it's time for you to start making some money with our winning picks for the weekend.

We've selected a nice slate of games for your entertainment and investing, plus George the Cat makes his 2013 debut with his pick for the Georgia-Clemson game. So let's get right to it.

YOUR WINNING PICKS ARE.....

Saban eyes another

#1 Alabama vs Virginia Tech....Bama starts its quest for a 'three-peat' when it faces the Hokies in the Georgia Dome. While it's tempting to grab the 20 points and roll with the Blacksburg boys, Bama has way too many offensive weapons and a super tough defense. If you're a Hokie fan, you're just hoping that Va Tech keeps it respectable. Bama in a blow out.

Press conferences can be brutal.

Kentucky vs Western Kentucky....this is probably a 'who cares' kinda game but we're interested to see how the exiled Bobby Petrino handles his return to the sideline. While he won't be entering the stadium on a Harley, we think the Hilltoppers can stage an upset on the Wildcats and new Kentucky coach, Mark Stoops. So, in an upset, take Western Kentucky and the points.

Nevada @ #21 UCLA....I'm not a huge fan of Jim Mora (flashback to the Falcons) but I do respect him for making the Bruins relevant again. Should be a decent game between two pretty good QBs: Nevada's Cody Fajardo and UCLA's Brett Hundley. The spread is pretty large (21) but we think the Bruins cover.

He really needs more fiber

#12 LSU vs  #20 TCU....the Horned Frogs have a really good front line but LSU does too....on both sides of the ball. Plus LSU has all of the intangibles: big game experience and Les Miles' track record of coming out strong. And we hate to go against one of the best defensive coordinators in the business, John "Chief" Chavis. Bengal Tigers take care of business.

Toilet paper will be flying at Toomer's

Washington State @ Auburn...the Auburn faithful are anxious to see how their Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagle/Dying Oaks fare in their first game under new head coach Guz Malzahn. We are, too. Mike Leach's Cougars will make a game of it, but Auburn has a lot more size and a lot more athletes. The spread is tempting (18.5), but we're taking Auburn and so should you.

#22 Northwestern @ Cal...the Golden Bears run an up tempo offense that is capable of wearing down opponents. But we don't think the Berkeley crew can contain Venric Mark and Kain Colter. Plus, Pat Fitzgerald is undefeated in season openers. Wildcats win a close one.

They'll be happy waving goodbye to FSU

#11 Florida State @ Pittsburgh...this game serves as the Monday bookend of a great weekend of college football as the Noles welcome the Panthers to the ACC. While FSU is going with a freshman quarterback, he'll have plenty of support from a great offensive line as well as defensive line. It will be a fun game but the talent disparity is just too much to be overlooked. Take Jimbo and the Noles.


  GEORGE THE CAT makes his BIG PICK OF THE WEEK® featuring 
Georgia at Clemson....

Yesterday you heard from our experts, Megan and Evan, about the Top Five Things to Look For®, so you have a pretty good idea of what to expect when #5 Georgia visits #8 Clemson in Death Valley. But let's see who George the Cat likes. Roll the tape, please...

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CAN A CAT WIN A DAWG FIGHT? CAN A DAWG WIN A CAT FIGHT?

We're getting ever so closer to the big opening weekend of college football and the huge Clemson-Georgia showdown in Death Valley.  It's so close I'm already picking up whiffs of bourbon and coke, a favorite libation of Dawg and Tiger fans alike (although the ladies prefer Burnett's Vodka with Crystal Light. It's less calories, so I've heard).

To set the stage for the big game between Saint Mark and Dapper Dabo, we've invited two guest experts to provide their perspective on the matchup.

Evan versus Megan: battle of experts

Meet the Experts  

Megan is a proud graduate of that great academic institution in Athens also known as the University of Georgia. She spent most of her time working in the UGA athletic office and thus knows Coach Richt's secrets to success.

While not officially connected with Clemson, Evan is a Georgia Tech grad which pretty much qualifies him to comment with authority on any topic ranging from horseshoes to nano technology and ACC football. Plus his boss is a Clemson alum so this is pretty much a job security kind of thing. Get the picture?

Anyway, we asked our experts to share what they believe are the Five Top Things to Look For, which means we really have Ten Things to Look For.  In any case, read on and enjoy.

Five things to look for if Clemson is going to Win. (expert: Evan)

Evan with the legendary Danny Ford

• The Tiger front 7 - UGA will come out trying to grind it out with their rushing attack which features All-SEC running back Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. That combo can be lethal, and would allow the Dawgs to rule the clock and set-up the play-action, both staples of the Mike Bobo offense. If the Tigers are going to win this one, they'll need to at least slow down the Dawgs on the ground. Clemson finished 8th in the conference last year in rushing yards allowed, but return six players out of their entire starting front seven.
 
• Sammy Watkins - Clemson's star receiver had a tough go of it last season, dealing with suspension and injury. He has reportedly had a strong preseason so far and ready to prove that his sophomore slump was only just that. Watkins will have that chance in Week 1 when he squares up against a Georgia defense that features many new faces and only one returning starter in the secondary. To make matters worse for the Dawgs, several defensive backs have been plagued with injuries in the preseason and have hindered their preparation for their opener. The Boyd-Watkins connection could be lethal firepower for the Tigers.

• Emotion - I don't think I'm the only one to say the Clemson surprised everyone last year by not falling flat on their faces in a "sure win" game last year. There's a reason why it's called "Clemsoning"(inexplicably disappointing performance. Or, flopping big time on national TV). Dabo's teams have had a history of letting emotion get the better of them, and make no mistake, this game will be emotional. Season opener. Sell out in Death Valley. ACC reputation on the line. For better or worse, both of these teams will run out of their respective tunnels and ready to knock heads. In the Tigers case, hopefully that translates to a big night for Tajh & Co.

• The second half - The Tiger's took 4- and 7-point leads into the locker room at halftime in two of their biggest games last season, but ended up losing both (27-17 vs South Carolina, 49-37 vs Florida State). Opening up 2013 with the Game of the Week will be very telling for Tiger fans and whether or not their team can play for the full 60 minutes. Swinney hopefully will have a strong halftime speech orchestrated to keep his guys focused, or he may as well get a jump on traffic and head home early.

• This Guy:

 




 




Evan's Prediction:  Clemson 41 - Georgia 35

Five things to look for if Georgia is going to Win (expert: Megan)

Megan with Todd Gurley

• New Year. New Team. One Dream. Georgia is coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs “one dream” is to end the season in Pasadena playing for the BCS National Championship. Can Georgia make it through a tough month of September and brutal opening game against top-ten opponent Clemson? Emotion will be critical.


• After losing 12 starters from the defense, there's no hiding behind big names this season. The Dawgs young defense has to come out big against Clemson’s senior quarterback Tajh Boyd and sophomore receiver Sammy Watkins. Be on the lookout for outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins who is filling the shoes of Jarvis Jones and could be one of the top playmakers on defense. Can the young talent override the inexperience and come out on top? 


• Georgia needs to control the tempo of the game. Clemson averages 84 offensive plays per game, and this season they want to push that number to 90. That's a lot. Georgia needs to keep Boyd on the bench as long as possible and pound the rock with the big boys on the offense. Star running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall will be key in pacing the Georgia offense and sustaining long drives. Against Alabama Gurley led with 122 yards rushing, finishing his freshman campaign with 1,385 rushing yards. 


• Aaron Murray is coming into his senior season as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the league. Recently named 1st Team Preseason All-SEC quarterback, his performance in the opening game will set the tone for the rest of the season. Murray was 18 of 33 for 265 yards along with one touchdown and one interception against Alabama in the SEC Championship. 

• ESPN College Gameday Curse: Since 2008, Georgia has yet to win when the ESPN College Gameday and crew show up. Will Georgia face the same fate against Clemson? With more than 200,000 people expected to showup in Clemson, Georgia needs to bring the “w” home.

Megan's Prediction:  Georgia 35 - Clemson 32

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our winning weekend picks and George the Cat's Big Pick of The Week video.

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WOOLARD'S WEEKEND WINNERS. BACK FOR 2013!

The Best Time of the Year! 

Lordy, it’s almost time to kickoff the 2013 Season and fire up the second year of Woolard’s Weekend Winners.

If you followed us last year, we had a winning hit rate of 67% of our game picks along with a bushel of upset specials. So, we made some cash and hopefully you did too. And George the Cat hit on 74% of his video picks of the week.  All the more reason to make us a “must-read” every Friday morning this fall. Cha ching.

Back for More.

Like last season, we’ll have guest prognosticators drop by from time to time to provide their unique insights and opinions of top gridiron match ups. 

George the Cat will be back, as well as Elaine, George the Cat’s sister. 

George the Cat is back. He's a wiz.

Kenny Clyde will provide his thoughts about Alabama and its remedial reading program. 

Gene will step away from his burgeoning law practice long enough to give his run down on the Big 12 and particularly his beloved Boomer Sooners.

Evan will keep us updated with insights on the ACC and Johnson's Jackets on the Flats.

As you know, Hammerin’ Hank, our team rooster, met with an untimely death late last fall at his Coweta County farm bungalow (note to self: always sleep with one eye open).  We’ll miss Hank but hopefully we’ll be announcing some new 'experts' in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

A Look Ahead:  SEC dominates Polls Once Again

We’re starting to feel bad for the other conferences because once again the Southeastern Conference dominates all of the pre-season polls. 

Case in point:  five SEC teams are in the AP’s Top Ten with one more team (LSU) ranked 12^th.  

SEC continues to recruit top talent.

And is it any wonder? The SEC invariably posts the top recruiting classes each February, has the biggest football operation budgets in the land, the largest arenas with the loudest fan bases, the best paid coaching staffs, and the prettiest coeds around. Sort of hard to compete with that. Just ask the ACC or the Big 12.

The Master.

So the question of the hour is this: can the SEC win their eighth consecutive National Championship? All eyes are looking at Alabama (they’ve won three of the last four Championships) to repeat but I can assure you some other schools such as Oregon, Stanford, and Ohio State will have something to say about it. For sure, it will be an exciting season.

The Ten Most Intriguing Games of the Season

There are tons of great games coming up this season but we think the following are among the most interesting matchups that make for "must see TV".  A few of them are this weekend, so start stocking up now with plenty of brew and good eats. I may stop by.

Georgia @ Clemson, Aug. 31: This is a marquee season opener between neighbors with national title implications. The Tigers took a big step forward in respectability by beating LSU in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl last year, and a second straight win over an SEC power would be huge. For the pups, this begins an incredible opening month, with South Carolina and LSU both to come in September. Ouch.

Virginia Tech vs Alabama, Aug. 31: First look at the potential three-peaters and possibly the last stand of Frank Beamer. The Hokies don't have to win but they do need to be competitive in order to restore some fan faith in their 27 year head coach, especially heading into a cupcake schedule.

Western Kentucky vs Kentucky, Aug 31: Why do I care? This game has zero national implications but its the return from exile of new Hilltoppers coach Bobby Petrino sans motorcycle. If he can beat a bad Kentucky team then take down a shaky Vol squad - two schools by the way that had no interest in hiring him last offseason - how many athletic directors pondering a coaching change will forget all about the mashup in 2012?  Funny how that works.

South Carolina @ Georgia, Sept. 7: How will QB Murray deal with Carolina's Clowney? We'll find out in an early game that should heavily influence the outcome of the SEC East. Another good one in Athens.

Alabama @ Texas A&M, Sept. 14: We'll be most interested to see how Johnny Football fares after all of his off-season shenanigans. I for one am ready to see him get knocked down a few pegs after his foolishness. But this will be a game of  two-time defending champs versus defending Heisman Trophy winner, who pretty much won the award last season in a shocking upset in Tuscaloosa.

Wisconsin @ Ohio State,Sept. 28: This has been the marquee Big Ten matchup in recent years with the last four Rose Bowl reps being either the Badgers or the Buckeyes. If new Badger coach Gary Andersen wants to impress, then knocking off Urban Meyer in Columbus will do the trick.

Oklahoma vs Texas, October 12: Three of the last four winners of the Red River Shootout have gone on to win a share of the Big 12. The Horns have lost three straight and the last two by a combined score of 118-38.

Oregon @ Stanford, Nov. 7: This will be a huge game. A division, league and potential national championship could be on the line in what should be the best non-SEC game of the year.

Ohio State @ Michigan, Nov. 30:  "Ohio" versus "That School Up North" is a reinvigorated rivalry with Brady Hoke and Urban Meyer in charge. Again, this year the Buckeyes has the schedule to go undefeated -- but no postseason ban to limit the prize. The final season roadblock would be in the Big House against the hated Wolverines. It doesn't get any better than this with a national title hanging in the balance.

Louisville @ Cincinnati, Dec. 5: This game could mean a whole lot: American Athletic Conference title, undefeated season for the Cardinals, Heisman candidacy for Teddy Bridgewater. Tommy Tuberville can be real tough in end-of-season rivalry games. Just ask Alabama. What else are you doing on December 5?

That's it for today. Be sure to check back soon for our featurette on the Georgia-Clemson game. And of course look for us on Friday morning with our money making picks for the first weekend of college football.

As we embark on a new season, let's all take a knee and recite our prayer:  

May our picks be on the money.

May we make enough to at least break even.

May we have enough brew for late in the evening.

Come rain or shine, ahead or behind,

May our picks beat the Vegas line.

Amen.

Until then, Make Mo Money with Mark®