LUCKY SEVEN IN WEEK SEVEN

What a difference a week makes!

We rebounded very nicely last Saturday as we posted a 6-2 finish that included an UPSET SPECIAL, Oklahoma State over West Virginia. If you followed our predictions then you made some decent cash, or at least enough to cover your bar tab.

We have another great slate of games for this Saturday and have, of course, sprinkled in some UPSET SPECIALS (FOUR!) to make things interesting. Since this is Week Seven, we're shooting for seven solid winning picks. You can bet on it.

SIDELINES

More wins than Saint Tom

• Tennessee finally pulled out of its tailspin last Saturday by beating Georgia, 38-31, in a game that was nothing short of being devine.  Seems coming from behind suits the Orange quite well. As I sat at my favorite drinking hole nursing a celebratory Chivas & soda I overheard a couple of Nebraska fans muttering about yet another last gasp lost in which their beloved Huskers choked on a big corn cob. All of their four losses have come on opposing team's final possessions...only a handful of seconds separates Nebraska from being 6-0....

And then the "Bring Back Bo" conversation started.

Not surprising since Bo Pelini posted almost identical records during his 7 years in Lincoln as Saint Tom (cue the angelic harps) did in his first seven seasons.

Let's compare: Osborne 65-18-2, no titles, 4-3 in bowls...Pelini 67-27, no titles, 4-3 in bowls.

He may have been a pinch prickly but he certainly posted a won-lost record that would make most schools green with envy....seven consecutive seasons with 9+ wins.

So the Nebraska brain trust brings in Mike Riley from Oregon State where he posted a lackluster record over 14 seasons as the Beavers' head coach.

And what's happened since? Nebraska has lost four games by a combined 11 points in the last 30 seconds in Riley's first season. That's enough to make any preacher hit the bottle.

Is it time for Husker fans to panic? No. Is it time for Riley to be canned? Of course not. But it is interesting to note that a petition on change.org is making its rounds. Not a healthy sign especially when it comes to recruiting and it's sad to see a once proud program mismanage its future.

But take heart Husker fans. It could be worse. Like Auburn, that was a preseason favorite to compete for the National Championship. Or, Georgia that crashes and burns with back to back losses. Or Tennessee that successfully snatched three defeats from the jaws of victory.

Incidentally, Bo is 3-1 as the head coach of the Youngstown State Penguins. He may not know how to win the PR battle, but Bo knows how to coach.

• Hey bartender, I'll have another. Famous last words for Steve Sarkisian who was cut loose as Southern Cal's head coach after allegedly reporting to work Sunday morning totally ripped and exhibiting strange behavior. It was also reported that Sark was more than tipsy during the Arizona State game, which they won. The sad thing is that Sark apparently displayed similar behavior while at Washington and he was able to successfully skate around the demons. Seems AD Pat Haden needs to seriously sharpen his background checks if he desires to remain at So Cal.

Happens every season

• If it's October then it's time to cue the "Fire Mark Richt" chants. Sure enough, within minutes of the mutts losing in Knoxville, the Atlanta airwaves and internet chatrooms were lit up with frustrated doggie fans calling for the immediate beheading of Coach Richt. This is not unusual. It seems to happen every year and doggie fans have only themselves to blame. They spend 9 months jazzing themselves up about their team, its phenomenal recruiting haul, and loaded teams...only to see UGA fail to live up to their inflated expectations. Frustrating for sure. But if the UGA faithful want to suffer the same fate as Tennessee then go ahead and run off Richt. Because Tennessee has been lost in the wilderness ever since they fired Hall of Fame coach Phillip Fulmer.

Visors can breathe easier now

• Say so long to the Head Ball Coach. We knew it was coming but were sort of caught off guard at the timing. Steve Spurrier resigned this past Monday and is heading off to the fairways. You may or may not like Spurrier but you have to respect what he brought to college football and to the SEC. His "fun & gun" offense revolutionized the conference and forced all others to adopt a creative passing attack. Wherever he went, Spurrier transformed trash heaps into winning programs (Duke, Florida, South Carolina). As a Tennessee fan I saw first hand his ability to humble defenses regardless of down and distance. He will be missed as well as his visor throwing antics.

Charlie survives Blazing Saddles

• Strong survives Red River Shootout. Just when Charlie Strong really needed a win, his Longhorns delivered with a 24-17 win over the Sooners. Much like the frontier town of Rock Ridge in which a black sheriff is assigned to combat the corrupt bad guys, we were beginning to think that the town of Austin was just having issues with a black head coach. If Sheriff Strong can keep winning, I'm sure the good folk of Austin will care less what their head coach looks like. We can only hope.

Here's Your Weekend Winners for Week #7...The Great Eight™...

#7 Michigan State @ #12 Michigan...the Wolverines have pitched three straight shutouts and look to continue its impressive run when Sparty rolls into the Big House. Michigan is 2nd in total defense allowing just 181 yards per game. But Michigan State is led by QB Connor Cook who is 18-1 versus Big Ten schools. It will be tough for the Spartans to win in Ann Arbor but we're going with Michigan State and the points (7.5 as of Friday morning) in an UPSET SPECIAL.

#10 Alabama @ #9 Texas A&M...the Aggies are hoping to secure their first 6-0 start since 1994 but they'll have their hands full with a very physical Alabama team. If successful, the Aggies place themselves in a great position in the SEC West and will leave the Tide on the outside looking in. Bama tends to have trouble with up tempo teams so look for Sumlin to keep his offense moving quickly. This will be a pretty close game but Ride the Tide in College Station. Bama rolls.

#8 Florida @ #6 LSU...the Gators have surprised us all this season with a 6-0 record (many thanks to Botch Jones at Tennessee) but they enter Death Valley without their PED-enhanced QB Will Grier who will be sitting out the next 12 months for drug violations per the NCAA. Treon Harris is a capable QB but there will be a drop off. The key to this game is LSU's Leonard Fournette who averages 8.6 yards per carry and leads the third best rushing attack in the nation. This will be too much for Florida to handle especially if their defense gets little support from the offense. Tigers bite the Gators in Baton Rouge.

Southern Cal @ #14 Notre Dame...the Trojans head to South Bend with a new head coach so it will be interesting to see how they respond to the off the field issues swirling around Troy. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is on the verge of averaging over 500 yards of total offense for the first time since 1970. The Irish are tough and So Cal will be no match for the Golden Domers. Irish beat the Trojans in a close one.

Lousiville @ #11 Florida State...winning in Tally Town is tough as the Seminoles have won 17 consecutive home games and their 27th ACC win in a row. Key fact: FSU is the ONLY team in the nation without an offensive turnover! And in 151 pass attempts, QB Everett Golson has 8 TDs and zero INTs. And that my friends will be the difference. Noles win a close one over the Cards.

Pittsburgh @ Georgia Tech...ordinarily this is a game that we would ignore but we're anxious to see if the Jackets can snap their four game losing skid. Their losses have come from teams with a combined 19-3 record so it's not like they are playing the Little Sisters of the Poor. It's no secret that Johnson is upset with his team, calling them "inept." Harsh words but well earned. The misery continues as the Panthers bite Buzz in an UPSET SPECIAL.

#17 Iowa @ #20 Northwestern...these teams are meeting as ranked teams for the first time since 1996. Key fact is Iowa is one of only 3 FBS schools that has allowed only one rushing touchdown this season which will be tested as the Wildcats have the second best ground game in the Big Ten. This should be a close one in Evanston. In an UPSET SPECIAL, Wildcats ground the Hawkeyes.

Georgia @ Missouri...after losing to Tennessee the Dawgs dropped out of the Top 25 and are looking to find life after Nick Chubb. While Mizzou is 4-2, they're struggling offensively while their defense has been pretty respectable. Key guy to watch is Tiger LB Kentrell Brothers who leads the nations with 74 tackles and ranks second with 12.3 per game. Georgia should rebound but the 17 point spread is just too tasty to leave on the table. In an UPSET SPECIAL, take the Tigers and the points. You'll thank me later.

Good luck this week. And have some fun!

MAKE MO' MONEY WITH MARK™