Are you ready for some football?
After immersing ourselves in every preseason football guide and watching re-runs of the Paul Finebaum Show and Rolling with the Tide, we're more than ready for the start of the 2018 college football season, our seventh season of Woolard's Weekend Winners, home of Make Mo' Money with Mark.™If you've kept an eye on your sports feed then you know there are several great games on tap this first weekend of football, covering Thursday through Labor Day.
As we kick off a new season, we welcome several new subscribers to WWW. From our humble beginnings seven years ago we've grown into a robust community of folks that love college football and love making a few bucks with our game picks. It's all about having some fun, sharing our passion for the college game and, of course, Making Mo' Money with Mark™.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS
Our format remains the same. Each week we highlight 8 different college games. We call this the GREAT EIGHT in which we provide you insight on which teams will come out on top, sprinkled generously with a few Upset Specials in which you can win even bigger money should you wager a few bucks. We hit on 70% of our picks last season which translates to a whole lotta green. We also include insight and commentary from guest contributors.
OUR WINNING TEAM OF GUEST CONTRIBUTORS
Through the seasons we've been fortunate to have a great team of guest contributors. These gents and ladies know their football. They're passionate, insightful, and focused on giving you the real scoop on teams and conferences. We started in 2012 with just a couple of guys but now have a line-up of fifteen experts ready to kick off 2018 and to Make Mo' Money. If you'd like to join our team of contributors just drop us a line. It's all about a community and sharing our passion.
SHOW YOUR PASSION
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| Super swag looks swell |
EXTRA POINTS
• Over the next 48 hours, 1,184 NFL players will be fired as their respective teams make their final roster cuts. Some will return to practice squads; others will have no choice but to move on. Hopefully they have a Plan B. It's a tough business.
• Here's the perfect name for a football player...Steele Fortress. He's a freshman qb at Michigan Tech. Seems the name is better suited for a offensive lineman, but I ain't his daddy.
• Can a student at one college play football at another college? Apparently so. Starting qb at Furman is also a student at Clemson...some kind of dual enrollment program. Hmmm. Should be interesting this weekend as the Purple Paladins tango with the Tigers in Death Valley.
• Hot seat preview....we know it's early but here's a couple of names that could be feeling heat this season. Ohio State's Urban Meyer with his allegeded cover ups; Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson who's triple option may be wearing thin on the Flats; Jeremy Pruitt who needs to quickly show he's the future at Tennessee (calm down Vol fans. He ain't getting fired. Yet).
GUEST FEATURE FROM KENNY CLYDE
Alabama perpetually heads the Top Ten of any college football pollster and pundit. If your school faces the Tide on a regular basis (such as Tennessee and Auburn) then you’ve witnessed first hand the power and majesty of this program…the pride of the Southeastern Conference and frequent National Champion.
To
better understand what makes Alabama so special, we’ve asked our long time
Alabama contributor, Kenny Clyde, for his insight, and he didn’t
disappoint.
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| At home with Kenny Clyde |
For
those that have followed WWW then you know Kenny Clyde is a passionate Bama
fan, born and raised in the middle of Dixieland in the shadows of Legion Field
where most football Saturdays you could find him selling Cokes and old lottery
tickets in the stands of that hallowed place. I’ve met his kin including all 49
cousins: Jim Bob Clyde, Forest Joe Clyde, Billy Joe Clyde, Cooter Clyde, Danny
Rae Clyde, Leon Clyde….you get the picture; all very nice and all very Crimson
Tide. Their passion for Alabama football runs as deep as the pant legs of their
Crimson overalls.
So here’s the
question we posed to Kenny Clyde: What makes Alabama football so damn good?
Kenny
Clyde’s insight.
“Answering
that question is like opening one of those Russian nesting dolls...
The outside shell is raw talent.
They simply find the best kids. See Don Hutson, Bart Starr, Lee Roy Jordan, Joe Willie Namath, Kenny Stabler, and the seemingly endless parade of All-Everything players Saban has recruited to Bama over the past 11 years.
Now they are so selective they won't even look at tapes of kids who's physical measurements don't reach each position's criteria for length, size, and speed.
The next doll is Nick Saban.
There's nobody like him in college football. His only peer may be Bill Belichick, for whom Saban worked for in Cleveland.
He out-hires, out-recruits, out-teaches, and out-works everybody. He is possessed, relentless, creative and brave (see halftime of the Georgia game last year).
That "out-hires" note is special. Saban finds and develops excellence in his staffs. Right now, "SEC" stands for "Saban's Ex Coaches". Currently, there are four SEC head coaches from Saban’s coaching tree — Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, South Carolina’s Will Muschamp and Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt (the third Saban disciple to have the UT job, following Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley).
The next doll is statewide "stakeholder" support.
First, they graduated from there. The biggest landowners in Alabama went to Auburn; the deepest pockets went to Bama (undergrad, grad, medical and law school).
Second, there's no other competition for entertainment dollars.
Third, there are some rich damn jock sniffers, who love having their name on facilities and programs, and will join any version of a Booster Club if it gets them access to the program.
The last doll--the innermost--is going to sound corny to anyone that isn't an Alabama alumnus or lifelong fan: it's tradition.
Nationally, Alabama is known for police hoses and the Selma Bridge. But if you're a sports fan, then you know them as the Yankees of college football.
How'd they get there? By being a winner when the rest of the state looked poor and stupid.
Alabama's 1926 team was laughed at as the shoe-less yokels by the national press as they rode the train across America to play mighty Washington in the Rose Bowl. Then they beat 'em. (And by the way, Coach Wade did it again in '27 and '31. And then Frank Thomas took over and won in '35,'38, and '46).
In the 60's, Alabama was seen as the hotbed of George Wallace segregation. But Bear Bryant wins in '61, '64, '65 and a "should have" in '66 changed the subject.
When you are a poor state who has one sterling attribute, you hold tight to that attribute all your life.
Will Alabama's dominance continue?
Probably not. We had dips in the 50's, 80's and 90's, and Saban isn't immortal. But we won't be down long when it happens.
And man oh man, is it fun to experience now!”
The outside shell is raw talent.
They simply find the best kids. See Don Hutson, Bart Starr, Lee Roy Jordan, Joe Willie Namath, Kenny Stabler, and the seemingly endless parade of All-Everything players Saban has recruited to Bama over the past 11 years.
Now they are so selective they won't even look at tapes of kids who's physical measurements don't reach each position's criteria for length, size, and speed.
The next doll is Nick Saban.
There's nobody like him in college football. His only peer may be Bill Belichick, for whom Saban worked for in Cleveland.
He out-hires, out-recruits, out-teaches, and out-works everybody. He is possessed, relentless, creative and brave (see halftime of the Georgia game last year).
That "out-hires" note is special. Saban finds and develops excellence in his staffs. Right now, "SEC" stands for "Saban's Ex Coaches". Currently, there are four SEC head coaches from Saban’s coaching tree — Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, South Carolina’s Will Muschamp and Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt (the third Saban disciple to have the UT job, following Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley).
The next doll is statewide "stakeholder" support.
First, they graduated from there. The biggest landowners in Alabama went to Auburn; the deepest pockets went to Bama (undergrad, grad, medical and law school).
Second, there's no other competition for entertainment dollars.
Third, there are some rich damn jock sniffers, who love having their name on facilities and programs, and will join any version of a Booster Club if it gets them access to the program.
The last doll--the innermost--is going to sound corny to anyone that isn't an Alabama alumnus or lifelong fan: it's tradition.
Nationally, Alabama is known for police hoses and the Selma Bridge. But if you're a sports fan, then you know them as the Yankees of college football.
How'd they get there? By being a winner when the rest of the state looked poor and stupid.
Alabama's 1926 team was laughed at as the shoe-less yokels by the national press as they rode the train across America to play mighty Washington in the Rose Bowl. Then they beat 'em. (And by the way, Coach Wade did it again in '27 and '31. And then Frank Thomas took over and won in '35,'38, and '46).
In the 60's, Alabama was seen as the hotbed of George Wallace segregation. But Bear Bryant wins in '61, '64, '65 and a "should have" in '66 changed the subject.
When you are a poor state who has one sterling attribute, you hold tight to that attribute all your life.
Will Alabama's dominance continue?
Probably not. We had dips in the 50's, 80's and 90's, and Saban isn't immortal. But we won't be down long when it happens.
And man oh man, is it fun to experience now!”
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GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK ONE
Tennessee vs #17 West Virginia...Vol fans are dying for something positive to happen for their beleaguered program. After a chaotic coach search they finally landed on Jeremy Pruitt who appears to be a solid choice. But he has so many holes to fill, especially on offense at qb and rb. And opening up against West Virginia is a harsh wake up call. Heisman hopeful qb Will Grier has a loaded Mountaineer offense that will challenge the UT defense all afternoon. Ain’t gonna be pretty. ‘Neers win big in Charlotte.
Louisville @ #1 Alabama...so the only mystery about this game is which Alabama quarterback starts, Jalen Hurts or Tua Tagovailoa. We’re guessing both will play, and you could see Hurts line up at rb or flanker; he’s that talented. Also interesting to watch will be the Bama defense with at least 14 new starters, especially all newbies in the secondary. The Cardinals no longer have stellar qb Lamar Jackson but look for offensive mastermind, Bobby Petrino, to cook up some new wrinkles. This game will be over by the half as Saban plants his flag for another championship run. Bama big over Louisville.
North Carolina @ California...UNC’s Larry Fedora has to be feeling a bit nauseous as his Tar Heels travel to Berkeley without 13 of his players (all suspended) including his starting qb. Ouch. Meanwhile the Golden Bears are hoping to build on their 2017 success with qb Ross Bowers. Look for Cal to exploit UNC’s terrible defense….the ACC’s worst rush defense…with rb Patrick Laird stepping up with big yardage for Cal. Take the Golden Bears over the Heels.
#14 Michigan @ #12 Notre Dame...two of the top-six winningest programs in college football takes center stage in South Bend as Michigan and Notre Dame renew their rivalry. This is another game for those that love defense as both schools are predicted to have two of the nation’s top defenses in 2018. The Wolverines return 10 starters on defense which was 13th in the nation last season in scoring defense. They are loaded with future NFL picks at DE, LB and CB. Notre Dame is not far behind with nine defensive starters returning. The wild card is each team’s quarterback play. Michigan will feature Shea Patterson, Ole Miss transfer, while Notre Dame will go with Brandon Wimbush, a running qb. Although this game is being played in South Bend, we’re going with the underdogs. In an Upset Special, Wolverines bite the Irish.
Virginia Tech @ Florida State...this game is the coming out party for new FSU coach Willie Taggart, fresh from Oregon, only the third head coach in 42 years in Tallahassee. He faces a tough job rebuilding the 7-6 Noles with 8 starters on offense, and only 4 returning on defense. One of the few bright spots is Deondre Francois (2016 ACC offensive rookie of the year) at quarterback who missed most of last season with a knee injury. He can take comfort in having a robust backfield with Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick. They will make the difference. Noles scalp the Gobblers.
#8 Miami vs #25 LSU...Mark Richt-led Miami is anxious for redemption after fading late last season, losing the ACC crown to Pitt, then getting beat by Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl. Both teams have a lot of questions but the Canes do have a returning qb, Malik Rosier. He’s a difference maker. LSU counters with the Ohio State transfer, Joe Burrow, who makes his first collegiate start. He’ll be backed by an aggressive Tiger defense. In another Upset Special, go with Orgeron’s crazy Cajuns.
#9 Auburn vs #6 Washington...this matchup at Mercedes Benz Stadium is the game of the day, so grab a cold one and settle in for some excitement, especially if you like defense. The Tiger/War Eagle/Plainsman defense is pretty stout, giving up just 18.3 points per game last season along with yards per carry of just 3.6. Look for their returning LBs Deshaun Davis and Darrell Williams to wreak havoc on the Huskie offense. But the Washington defense is equally loaded. All of this seems a bit odd since both coaches, Petersen and Malzahn, are offensive gurus. But who knows. The winner gets the inside track to the CFP sweepstakes. In a super close game, take Auburn.
Florida Atlantic @ #7 Oklahoma...Baker Mayfield is gone. But the Sooners have plenty of firepower returning at running back and wide receiver, and they are anxious for a fast start in 2018 after falling short in last season's playoff. The qb starter is most likely Kyler Murray, Mayfield’s understudy last season. He possesses a strong arm but can kill you with his legs. Kiffin’s defensive crew will have their work cut out for them. Look for FAU to offer up a steady diet of Devin Singletary who rushed for almost 2000 yards last year with 32 touchdowns. We think the Sooners will win but NOT cover the 24 point spread. So take the Owls and the points.
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