FEELING LIKE A WINNER? YOU BET!

If you followed our picks last weekend then you made a nice chunk of change as we went 6-2, bumping our season average of on-target picks to 69%. Cha ching, baby.

So, you can buy momma some bling...or, better yet, re-invest your winnings into this week's picks. I know what I'm doing!

We have to admit Oklahoma surprised us with their upset of the Buckeyes in Columbus, leaving some Sooner fans to ask, "Stoops Who?" And Southern Cal looked a lot better than expected with their 42-24 beat down of Stanford. They could be the team to beat in the Pac-12.

Cha Ching

We hit double pay dirt in our UPSET SPECIAL pick of Georgia over the Irish. The Dawg's defense came to play and little Rodrigo Blankenship (Sprayberry High School) paid it off with a game winning field goal. I guess he's finally earned that scholly that Kirby "Not So" Smart begrudgingly gave the kid just last week. What took you so long? And kudos to the Georgia faithful that made the long trek to South Bend. A ton of red and black amongst the Irish green.

Nebraska came up short again as predicted and Royce Freeman showed he was back full strength for the Ducks. Our Jumping Jeff made the trip west to see his Huskers in action. The only thing bigger than the score was his bar tab.

On The Road to South Bend
It's not too often that you get to visit two iconic sports venues in the same weekend. But that's exactly what Gary Winthrope did this past weekend when he attended the Georgia-Notre Dame game in South Bend, followed on Sunday with a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. When we got wind that Winthrope was headed north we asked him to share his thoughts on this really cool experience. So please welcome our newest junior correspondent, Gary Winthrope.

First, Some Q&A Banter with Mister Winthrope
WWW:  So it appears that the Georgia Bulldogs are your favorite college team. What's up with that?
GW:  Yeah, the Dawgs are my team. My dad went to UGA and I've grown up supporting them. So I'm red and black!

WWW:  So do you do that barking thing that Dawg fans always do?
GW:  Only when there's a full moon.

WWW: Georgia ended up beating Notre Dame. Did you have any doubts?
GW: I actually had no doubts because Georgia's defense was too good and the offense outworked the Irish defense. So no doubts, here.
WWW: For real?
GW:  Absolutely. For real.

WWW:  Any advice to folks when their favorite team tanks?
GW:  Try to forget about it because there's always next week and a chance for redemption. Easier said than done, however.

WWW:  So you followed your visit to Notre Dame with a visit to Wrigley Field. How was it? Score any swag or autographs?
GW:  Wrigley was absolutely breathtaking. I ended up getting a good deal from a dude who caught a home run ball so now I have a game-used ball from Wrigley. Nice!

WWW: Did you run into Rudy while you were in South Bend?
GW: I wish. I think, however, i saw the Falcon Desmond Trufant at a restaurant in Chicago.

WWW:  Besides college football what else are you up to?
GW:  I enjoy golf and rooting for the Falcons and Braves. I'm also a huge Disney fan so if anyone ever wants to take me to Disney World, I'm all in.

In His Own Words....Gary Winthrope

Winthrope. Is that you?

The drive was absolutely absurd because of the traffic from people desperately trying to escape the wrath of Irma. Fifteen hours later, we finally pulled into South Bend. I was underwhelmed, wondering, is this really what Notre Dame looks like? We drove farther and farther back and saw the College of the Holy Cross and saw a few tailgaters. I learned later that Notre Dame is actually not in South Bend.

We met up with some of my dad’s friends and watched North Carolina score a touchdown on Louisville. We later headed out to explore the campus so we hopped on the bus to take us to see the man himself, Touchdown Jesus. I didn't really know what he looked like until I saw his 62 foot self towering over the campus. That was only one of the many sights to see on the seemingly small, yet beautiful campus. We saw the Golden Dome, we wandered around the bookstore, buying the usual fan items, and eventually it was time to enter the stadium.

My dad and I knew we had pretty decent seats going in, but little did we know the usher was going to guide us into the very front row! I had never in my life sat in the front row for a game (except maybe if I snuck in at the Braves game), and it was incredible! The Georgia Bulldogs warmed up about 20 feet in front of me and I could finally see how big the guys were. The kickers were making field goals and the balls would fly into the stands, I even got to pick one up and throw it back! The game was still 45 minutes from starting and I was already having the time of my life. About 30 minutes passed and I saw the Notre Dame band high knee out on the field playing their famous fight song, Victory March. They lined up and the commentator announced the iconic line, “And Here Come the Irish!”  They stormed out of the tunnel to the other end zone for a quick prayer before the big game.

On top of the action

Hairy Dawg and the rest of the Bulldogs were greeted with a bunch of woofs that ended up sounding like a bunch of boos. The opening kickoff was caught right in front of us, only being returned a few yards. The game started to drag on, field goal after field goal and then a touchdown here and there, even a one handed grab in the end zone by Terry Godwin for the Bulldogs. 

The place really started to come alive at the start of the 4th quarter. The score was 17-16 Bulldogs and I was super nervous about the fate of the game. The Irish kicked a field goal with about 8:00 left on the clock to take the lead 19-17. The Dawgs drove down the field on their next possession and kicked one through the uprights to reclaim the lead. A few quick drives occurred shortly after, only eating one or two minutes off the clock. The score was 20-19 going into what was presumed to be the last drive of the game. Notre Dame had the ball with 3 minutes left and it looked like the typical Georgia game where the other team drives down the field and wins it with little to no time left. It was 3rd down for the Irish and it was an obvious passing situation. The two outside linebackers for Georgia, Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter, were already working on big games, and to top it all off, Bellamy comes around the edge and pokes the ball loose and Carter falls on it to seal the deal for the Dawgs. Final Score: 20-19.  

The experience is going to be something that I will never forget as long as I live and it will be a story to share forever. Oh, and remember, Go Dawgs!

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The GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK THREE

Ready to go ape with Vol win

#23 Tennessee @ #21 Florida...the Vols might have broken the Gators 11 game win streak last season but there's still one more monkey to get off their backs: winning at The Swamp. It hasn't happened since 2003 when a Fulmer-led team beat the Gators 24-10 (thank you, Ron Zook). Florida will still be without 9 suspended players including their #1 receiver Antonio Callaway and #1 tailback Jordan Scarlett. That should favor the Vols since the defense is still suspect after getting gashed for 655 offensive yards by Georgia Tech. If Butch Jones wants to win over Vol fans then he needs to win this game badly; something we seem to be saying every Saturday. It will be another long ride home for the Vols because the lizards always find a way to win, especially at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Take the Gators in The Swamp.

#3 Clemson @ #12 Louisville...if there's one bit of advise we'd give Cardinal qb Lamar Jackson, it would be to wear extra padding on his rear end. Because last Saturday Clemson's defense sacked the Auburn qb 11 times! Ouch. These two teams have faced off with each other three times since Louisville joined the ACC and all three games came down to the Cardinal's final possession, with all three resulting in Clemson wins. For certain, Lamar Jackson will be productive but in the end we think Clemson's d-line will make the difference. Tigers claw the Red Birds and stake their claim as the best in the ACC.

Kentucky @ South Carolina...so what am i missing here? Both teams are sporting 2-0 records and the winner of this game will feel justified in grabbing the bragging rights as the early SEC East leader. For sure the Gamecocks are feeling pretty cocky after their win over Mizzou, and Deebo Samuels has emerged as an outstanding running back. Throw in dual threat qb Jake Bentley and the Cocks are going to be way too much the Wildcats. Cocks spur the Cats.

Notre Dame @ Boston College...the Irish are still smarting after getting nipped 20-19 by Georgia. So they'll be plenty hungry when they arrive in Chestnut Hills to take on the Eagles. The BC defense is looking good but their offense not so much, especially with a freshman quarterback. BC hasn't knocked off Notre Dame since 2008, and they won't this Saturday. Irish down the Eagles.

Men of Troy are back?

Texas @ #4 Southern Cal...we underestimated the Trojans last Saturday as they man handled the Stanford Cardinal, 42-24. They looked strong, gaining over 600 yards in total offense.  Meanwhile new coach Tom Herman's Longhorns were  surprised 51-41 by the mighty turtles of Maryland, a school better known for its basketball prowess. Unlike previous seasons, the Men of Troy have adopted a run-first offensive philosophy that yielded 307 rushing yards against a capable Stanford defense. Texas is going to have a long afternoon in the Coliseum. Trojans over the 'Horns.

#12 LSU @ Mississippi State...the Tigers control this series winning 16 of the last 17 games. But the last 3 games have been decided by a total of 10 points. Nick Fitzgerald has impressed as the Dog's qb.  But MSU has not defeated an LSU team in Starkville since 1999. That's a long time. And it's going to get longer as the Bengal Tigers hang another "L" on Mullen's Mutts. LSU wins this one.

Bucky be biting!

#10 Wisconsin @ BYU...the Badgers are 2-0 but let's face it; they've played two very light-weight teams in Florida Atlantic and Utah State. Nevertheless, they may have found their next great running back in Jonathon Taylor who ran for over 200 yards over FAU. This is a big road game for the Badgers and should be on upset alert because the BYU defense is pretty stout. But the Cougar offense is struggling and their qb is nursing a bum ankle. Badgers handle the Mormons in Provo.

Air Force @ #7 Michigan...we always get a kick out of watching a traditional defense go up against a triple option offense. A defense can practice all summer long against the option (see Tennessee) and still get popped for big yards (see Tennessee again). The Falcons currently have the number one offense and number one defense in America after a 62-0 opening win over lowly VMI.  But that all changes Saturday in the Big House in Ann Arbor. No doubt the Wolverines will give up some yards but in the end Michigan has too many weapons to lose this one. But not so fast. The line on this game (27 points) is just too tempting to ignore.  So take the Fly Boys and the points.

Good luck this Saturday with your picks. Happy hunting.

MAKE MO' MONEY with MARK™