ON WE DRIVE IN WEEK FIVE.

Last weekend we went a perfect 8 and 0.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Close your eyes and envision that huge stack of cash you made. Cha ching, baby.

That puts us at a 78% winning clip!! Hard to beat that.

So let’s keep the party rolling with another great slate of games, starting with tonight’s Penn State v Maryland game.

[note: beach time calls so this weekend’s edition is pithy and to the point…but still full of winning nuggets].

Opening later this year, the Official Beer Garden of Woolard's Weekend Winners. Stay tuned for updates and get ready to spend some of your winnings on cold beer and delectable snacks. Special discount for fans of losing teams. Mention WWW.

THE GREAT EIGHT™ FOR WEEK FIVE

  

MISSISSIPPI STATE @ #7 AUBURN…the Tigers have yet to hit full stride with their offense but yet has come away with two huge road wins over Oregon and Texas A&M. Their lines have been exceptional, and do a great job of controlling the game. The Bulldogs are a scrappy bunch and will make this a close game, but not good enough to win. Fly with the War Eagles over Missy State.

#5 OHIO STATE @ NEBRASKA…the Buckeyes finally face an offense that can put up points as the Cornhuskers have their run game hitting on all pistons. Last week against Illinois, the Bug Eaters racked up 346 rushing yards. Unfortunately they have no defense, especially in the secondary. QB Adrian Martinez will make things interesting in the first half but then look for the acorns to pull away as Justin Fields fires up the OSU offense. Put your bucks on the Buckeyes.

NORTHWESTERN  @ #8 WISCONSIN…the Wildcat passing game is the least efficient in college football, hitting only 48% of its throws with only 1 TD pass and 6 picks. Meanwhile the Badgers are #1 in pass efficiency defense. Add in rb Jonathan Taylor and his physical running and the Badgers will walk out with a win. Go big on this one. Badgers bite the Wildcats.

WASHINGTON STATE @ #19 UTAH…both teams are licking their wounds from big losses last week. The Cougars lost a big time shootout with UCLA and the Utes were stung by Southern Cal. So both teams are looking to get back to winning. Keep an eye on Cougar qb Anthony Gordon. He passed for 570 yards and 9 touchdowns last week, and is averaging ten yards per pass with 21 scores and just 4 picks. This will be a close one. In an UPSET SPECIAL, the Cougars chew the Utes.

#12 PENN STATE @ MARYLAND…this is a Friday night game so don’t let this slip by. If the Terps can shake off their melt down versus Temple and crank up their offense, they can pull off a huge win in College Park. The Nittany Lions might not be able to keep pace. They are last in the Big Ten and 127^th in the country in 3^rd down conversions, and they do very little to control the clock. In an UPSET SPECIAL, Terps snap the blue and white.

TEXAS TECH @ #6 OKLAHOMA…qb Jalen Hurts is all you need to know about the Sooners. He’s proven to be a winner and can kill you with his arm or his feet. The Sooners are 2^nd in the nation in rushing, 2^nd in 3^rd down converiosn, 2^nd in scoring offense. The Red Raider offense will not be able to keep pace. BUT…the 27 point line is just too tempting to ignore. So take Texas Tech and the points. Sooners will not cover.

#21 SOUTHERN CAL @ #17 WASHINGTON…Jacob Eason, the Huskie qb, is playing really, really well, and will be the difference maker in this game. Plus the Washington defense doesn’t have to worry about a Trojan run game. So the table is set for a big conference win at home. Huskies bark Saturday night.

#18 VIRGINIA @ #10 NOTRE DAME…surely the Cavs have studied film from last week’s ND-UGA game and know that the Irish lack a run game which will face a pretty strong defensive front. The Irish passing game will have to make up for weak running and they have the horses to do it. Virginia will be looking for a huge road win, and there’s no better place than South Bend to pull the upset. But not this Saturday. In a close one, Irish spank the Cavs.

MAKE MO’ MONEY with MARK™

GO FOURTH AND WIN.

Wow!  We had an awesome Week Three, going 7-1 for the weekend.

That translates into a nice pile of cash, which we’ll gladly re-invest on this week’s picks.

So now we’re sporting an overall winning pick percentage of 71%. Which is exactly where we want to be, especially as we make the turn into the thick of conference schedules and key marquee matches. 

So go fourth in Week Four and Make Mo' Money.™

WEEKEND REWIND

We be winning

• Willie Taggart of FSU finds himself on the hot seat as his Noles are 1-2 and not showing any signs of improvement. Folks in Tally Town are not use to losing.

• Alabama’s Tua Tagovailao continues to show why he is the best quarterback in America. He threw for 444 yards and 5 TDs to lead the Tide over South Carolina. Nick Saban is now 12-1 in SEC season openers at Alabama.

• Shout out to Georgia fans for wearing pink last Saturday to honor Arkansas State’s head coach Blake Anderson who just lost his wife to cancer a few weeks ago. Classy act by the Red & Black.

• 27 point favorite Georgia Tech lost to Citadel at home. And you thought Tennessee losing to Georgia State was bad. Jackets are going to have a long long season as they transition from the triple option. But the Citadel?

Opening later this year, the Official Beer Garden of Woolard's Weekend Winners. Stay tuned for updates and get your thirst ready. Special discount for fans of losing teams. Mention WWW.

THE GREAT EIGHT™ FOR WEEK FOUR

Dear Diary...another loss to Florida

TENNESSEE @ #9 FLORIDA…the Vols could right the ship if they could walk out of the Swamp with a W over the Gators. In order for that to happen they need to control the tempo and move the chains. Florida’s Kyle Trask will be under center and will face a decent UT secondary. Florida has won 13 of the last 14 in this series and hasn’t lost to the Vols in Gainesville since 2003. The Vols need to hang for 4 quarters in order to win. But, sadly for Big Orange fans, that will not happen. In a close game, Gators chomp the Vols in the Swamp.

#11 MICHIGAN @ #13 WISCONSIN…this is a great early season matchup of two Big Ten heavyweights and should not disappoint. While the Badgers are playing more as a complete team, rb Jonathan Taylor loves running against the Wolverine defense. As a frosh, Taylor ran for 132 yards and last season posted 101 yards. The key will be his ability to keep running, and score some TDs in the process. It’s going to be a grind but Wisconsin’s defense will be the factor that wins in Madison. Badgers bite the Wolverines.

MICHIGAN STATE  @ NORTHWESTERN…the Sparty defense has been awesome against the run, allowing only 23 rushing yards per game. Which means the Wildcats will rely on qb Hunter Johnson to get things moving. One huge problem though…he’s only completing 46% of his passes, has thrown for only one TD, and has thrown 3 picks. This ain’t the game where he will get better. Northwestern has won the last 3 games against MSU but will not make it four on Saturday. Take Sparty over the ‘Cats.

Bring on Bama

#8 AUBURN @ #17 TEXAS A&M…if you like a ground game then you don’t want to miss this 3:30 pm tango. The Auburn o-line has pounded away for 845 rushing yards and close to 6 yards per carry, and has only allowed 3 sack so far. Add to that the play of the defensive front - - just 3 yards per carry – and you have a formula for an Auburn win. But the Aggies will have a say in this, especially after limiting Clemson to 121 rush yards. In a low scoring game, Aubbie eeks out a win in College Station.

#16 OREGON @ STANFORD…the Ducks loss to Auburn really overshadows the success of their qb, Justin Herbert. He’s completed 73% of his passes, 868 passing yards with 11 touchdowns, and zero picks. The Oregon offense is working….Stanford’s not too much. The Cardinanl run game is flat and the passing game has yet to materialize. Although Stanford has won the last three straight in the series, we think the Duck will be quaking in joy Saturday night. Fly with the Ducks.

OKLAHOMA STATE @ #12 TEXAS…both teams have offenses that will make this a whacky shoot out and show, once again, that the Big 12 schools are not great at pass defense. Given the big game experience that Texas has from the LSU game, we think the Longhorns will have the edge. Run with the ‘Horns in Austin.

Is my breath offensive?

#7 NOTRE DAME @ #3 GEORGIA…if you can only watch one game on Saturday, this is it. UGA hasn’t faced any killers yet and has not seen an offensive line like Notre Dame’s, but it will ramp up the pressure. The defense logged 24 total sacks in 2018 and it already has 12 so far this season with big plays coming from the linebackers. Add to that the flawless play of qb Jake Fromm and the Red & Black will be partying in the Classic City. Dawgs bark at midnight.

LOUISVILLE @ FLORIDA STATE…if there is a coach who really needs a win, it’s FSU’s Willie Taggart. And we think he gets one on Saturday. The Nole defense has plenty of talent but needs to step up on scoring defense - -  dead last in scoring defense in the ACC, and the worst in America in first downs allowed. If the d can step up, the offense should be able to muster enough with Cam Akers running and James Blackman hitting on key long passes…enough to keep the chains moving and a huge Seminole win. FSU in a close one.

MAKE MO’ MONEY with MARK™

THIRD WEEK’S A CHARM.

 

Wow! Last weekend was pretty pretty pretty exciting. And rewarding!

We hit on three of four UPSET SPECIALS, which translates to some serious change if you called your sports book in time.

Overall we went 4-4, and are 63% for the season. Not too shabby, especially when you factor in multipliers for the upset specials. Cha ching, baby.

• Alabama clobbered New Mexico State but failed to cover their 55.5 point spread. Cha ching!

• Same thing with Clemson. They won but did not cover. Cha ching!

• BYU used the power of prayer in their overtime win in Knoxville. Cha ching!!

• Colorado Buffs stormed back to beat the Cornhuskers and the Big Red Nation that flooded into Boulder. Cha ching!

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Vol head coach Jeremy Pruitt endures another week of hate speech as foolish fans call for his head. He’s two games into his second season and you want to boot him? Seriously? He inherited a ton of untalented ingrates from Butch Jones and you already want to kick him to the curb? Check back in two years, please. Hopefully Tennessee rights the ship soon as they head into a buzz saw of a schedule featuring Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

Our Top 12 College Mascots. Whose your Favorite?

Mascots add a lot of fun, color and craziness to college football.  It all began in 1898 with Yale’s Handsome Dan, a bulldog that brought a lot of bite and charm to east coast football. Since then, every college has added it’s own mascot from animals, insects and reptiles to people, trees and colors.

As with anything associated with the sport, we felt compelled to produce our own ranking of America’s favorite mascots.

WWW’s Top 12 Mascots…Who made the list?

Bevo from Texas…badass longhorn that almost ate UGA last season.  Too bad it didn’t happen.

Ralphie from Colorado…another four hoofed badass with horns. Ate some Huskers last week.

Notre Dame’s Leprechaun…a little creepy but at least he’s not a priest.

Sparty…Michigan State’s guy that you don't want to meet in a dark alley. Sports very cool head gear.

UGA….no mascot drools more then this little mutt. He seriously needs a bib.

Traveler….Southern Cal’s white steed. Very LA.

Mike the Tiger…do NOT go near his cage, especially if you’ve been drinking all day in the Red Stick.

Chief Osceola…pride of the Seminole casinos.

Smokey the Blue Tick Hound…regal on Rocky Top. Sets a high bar for canine mascots.

The Duck…from Oregon…flies while high.

Bucky the Badger…this dude knows how to party down in Madison...brats, beer, and babes.

Sooner Schooner…reminds me so much Ralston Purina’s dog chow commercial from 1972 (google it).

What’s your favorite mascot?  Let us know. We promise not to laugh.

Opening later this year, the Official Beer Garden of Woolard's Weekend Winners. Stay tuned for updates and get your thirst ready. The place for Winners like you to mingle and mix.

THE GREAT EIGHT™ FOR WEEK THREE

We’re a week away from hitting some key marquee games but we still have an intriguing line up that promises to make us some serious cash. So let’s take a quick look.

#11 FLORIDA @ KENTUCKY…this game appeared earlier to be a pretty good matchup. But then Wildcat qb Terry Wilson injured his knee. So tomorrow a backup transfer from Troy, Sawyer Smith, gets his chance against the Gator D. Ain’t going to be pretty. And along comes Feleipe Franks and the Gator offense. It will click but it will be the Florida defense that makes the difference in this game, especially with a strong pass rush. This will be a close game but the Gators will growl in Lexington.

#2 ALABAMA @ SOUTH CAROLINA…here comes the Tide so buckle up Cock fans. Bama will roll in this one but it may be closer than expected. South Carolina has just enough talent to give Bama a fight. They have athletes and SEC skill but they lack depth to keep up the pace. Saban has the Tide revved up. QB Tua looks stronger, his receivers are doing a better job of taking short passes a long way, and the running game is poised to take off. The last time these two teams met was in 2010 and the Cocks pulled off a 35-21 win. Can it happen again? Not tomorrow. Take the Tide, leave the canoli.

#15 PENN STATE  @ PITT…the key to this game is if the Panthers can keep the chains moving and keep the Penn State offense off the field. Sadly – for Pitt fans – that won’t happen. Nittany Lion qb Sean Clifford has been great from the start, even overcoming lackluster output by his running backs. The line of 16.5 is tempting but we won’t bite.  Penn State over Pitt.

SOUTHERN CAL @ BYU…the Trojans are looking mighty strong after their shocking performance against Stanford. QB Kedon Slovis was deadly accurate, completing 28 of 33 passes for 377 yards. The USC run defense locked up the Cardinal ground game, yielding only 98 rushing yards. BYU got lucky against an inept Tennessee team but this week is going to be a lot different. This is only the third time these two have played…USC won both games in 2003 and 2004. Tomorrow they make it three. Trojans pound the Mormons.

FLORIDA STATE @ VIRGINIA…when was the last time the Cavs were favored over the Noles? It’s been a long long time. Let’s be honest. FSU is a hot mess right now. The defense can’t stop third downs, the secondary is getting lit up like a Christmas tree, and they look really out of shape. It’s going to be in the high 80’s in Charlottesville so the Noles better hydrate because Virginia is going to wear them out in dominating time of possession. UVA wins.

#20 IOWA @ #25 IOWA STATE…these two teams will battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy and a ton of in-state pride. Iowa is a one point favorite but you can throw that out the window. The key will be the Hawkeyes ability – or lack thereof – to put pressure on the Cyclone’s qb. They’ve been effective against the run; not so much with pass pressure. Like 6 of the last 8 matches, this will be another close fist fight for four quarters. Iowa State will hang around, but in the end, Iowa wins with a strong effort from qb Nate Stanley. Hawkeyes fly in this one.

#4 OKLAHOMA @ UCLA…poor Chip Kelly. His offense ranks 126^th in the nation in total offense. They can’t move the chains, there’s no running game, and the team is dead last in time of possession. Ouch. Meanwhile Sooner qb Jalen Hurts leads an offense that can score from anywhere on the field at any time. They lead the nation averaging 710 yards per game. Okay…it was against Houston and South Dakota, but still!  The Sooners will hit a few speed bumps with the Bruins but will blow this game open in the second half. Put your money on the Sooners and get ready to sing….Oklahoma where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain….

NORTH CAROLINA @ WAKE FOREST…this is a Friday night game with a 6pm kick so don’t sit on your thumbs too long. Dial up your sports book because this game has a lot of promise as Mack Brown continues his comeback tour with the Heels. QB Sam Howell has shown a lot of potential with his arm and big veteran receivers. But the real story for tonight is Wake’s qb Jamie Newman. He’s a playmaker and he’ll pick the Tar Heel secondary clean. In a tight game, Demon Deacons pull off a thriller.

MAKE MO’ MONEY™ with MARK

I’M READY FOR WEEK TWO. ARE YOU?

We started off the 2019 season with a bang, going 6-2 with our picks. 

That’s a 75% hit rate which translates into some serious change. The two games we missed out on were decided by an average difference of 4.5 points. 

Close but no cigar, but that’s football. This ain’t horseshoes. Most importantly, we MADE MO’ MONEY.

WEEKEND REWIND

So, what did we learn last weekend?

Some teams were ready to play and make a statement (see Alabama). Other teams embarrassed themselves by failing to show up (see Tennessee).

Oklahoma got a helluva quarterback in Alabama transfer, Jalen Hurts. He went 20 of 23 for 332 yards, 3 TDs plus 3 more rushing TDs with 176 yards on the ground in the Sooners big win over Houston. Does Saban miss him yet? Time will tell. And interesting to see Jalen top Tua in early Heisman polling FWIW.

Clemson hasn’t missed a beat but it was a newly packaged Georgia Tech the Tigers whipped, 52-14. So don’t get too crazy.

Notre Dame looked really strong in their 35-17 win over Louisville. But the Cardinals showed a lotta spunk. They’ll make some noise this season for sure.

FROM THE MAILROOM

BIG RED BUGEATER: “so turns out Tennessee IS an embarrassment. Told you so, butthead.” (WWW: let’s revisit this later, okay?)

MACKDADDY: “so glad WWW is back this season and hitting on picks. I need the cash since my divorce.”  (WWW: anything we can do to help a bro)

HARVARD YARD: “I’m giving up on you including an Ivy League game.”  (WWW: patience, my dear.  It’s coming}

‘CUSE ME PLEASE: “are you ever going to feature Syracuse? We play football, too.” (WWW: what conference are you in again?)

Opening later this year, the Official Beer Garden of Woolard's Weekend Winners. Stay tuned for updates and get your thirst ready. The place for Winners like you to mingle and mix.

THE GREAT EIGHT™ FOR WEEK TWO

#12 TEXAS A&M @ #1 CLEMSON…this game will feature a pretty potent Aggie ground game that will go against a brand new, rebuilt Clemson front four. Add to that Jimbo’s stud receivers that can score quick and often.  Tigers may win but NOT cover (17.5). Put your dollars on the Aggies.

#6 LSU @ #9 TEXAS…qb Joe Burrow set a LSU school record with 5 passing TDs as the Tigers up ended Georgia Southern, 55-3 But Longhorn qb Sam Ehlinger looked equally good with 4 TDs in their win over Louisiana Tech. The Bengal Tigers best be ready as they roll into Austin as Texas HC Tom Herman is 8-2-1 as an underdog. In an UPSET SPECIAL, Longhorns upset the Cajun Crazies.

BYU @ TENNESSEE…to say this is a “must win” for Pruitt’s Vols is an understatement. Given the heat that radiated from Rocky Top after their embarrassing loss to Sunbelt Georgia State, Tennessee needs to come out and redeem themselves quickly. In another UPSET SPECIAL, put your money on the Mormons. BYU over UT.

MIAMI @ NORTH CAROLINA…Miami looked confused in their season opener versus Florida. Meanwhile there is a lot of enthusiasm in Chapel Hill after the Tar Heels beat rival South Carolina. But qbs will struggles in their conference opener so defense will be the name of the game. Go with the Canes over the Tar Heels in a close one.

#23 STANFORD @ SOUTHERN CAL…the Trojans have lost their starting qb, JT Daniels, for the season. But the Stanford qb is questionable after getting his bell rung last Saturday against Northwestern. In the end, it’s going to be the Stanford defense that wins this game. In an UPSET SPECIAL, take Stanford over USC.

CAL @ WASHINGTON…if you like defense, this game might be for you. The Bear defense might have one of the very best front seven in the country against the run and they’ll bring a lot of pressure on Huskie qb Jacob Easom. The ex-UGA qb will start slow but put enough points on the board to grab a win. Huskies bite the Bears.

NEW MEXICO STATE @ #2 ALABAMA…whether or not Bama covers the 55.5 point spread depends on what mood Nick Saban is in. Given the Tide plays an SEC opponent next weekend, we think Saban will let up on the gas and put the Tide in cruise control earlier than normal. That spread is just too tasty to ignore. Tide will win but not cover. Take New Mexico State and the points. Cha ching.

NEBRASKA @ COLORADO…the Huskers will be banking on qb Adrian Martinez to continue to improve. He was the first true freshman ever to start a season-openeer for Nebraska. But don’t look past the Buff’s offense which features qb Steven Montez and soph running back, Alex Fontenot. He’s a beast. In a tight game…and another UPSET SPECIAL, the Buffs shuck the Huskers.

MAKE MO’ MONEY™ with MARK