WINNING AGAIN FEELS SO GOOD.

 

We almost ran the table last week, going 7-1 in our picks .

The only misfire was Wisconsin dropping our UPSET SPECIAL 22-10 to #14 Penn State.

That puts us at 60% which means we made mo’ money, and hopefully you did, too. Right? You followed our picks, didn’t you?

SIDELINES…

• Check this out. Northwestern sold out its ticket allotment to the Big Ten Championship within 48 hours. And an anonymous donor picked up the tab for student tickets and transportation to Indianapolis. These ‘Cats are hungry for a title shot.

• When Mizzou visits Rocky Top on Saturday, ex head coach Derek “Do Little” Dooley will be attending as the offensive coordinator for the Tigers. Hard to believe he’s qualified as an OC let alone being a coach of a D1 program. Would be pretty nice payback if the Vols can flatline the Mizzou offense.

• We know we’re nearing the end of the season but some of Saturday’s games are down right embarrassing. Alabama v Citadel, Auburn v Liberty, South Carolina v Chattanooga, Georgia v UMass, Florida v Idaho. Fans, especially season ticket holders, deserve better. So do the players. They better hope strength of schedule doesn’t become an issue.

• Is Kentucky overrated? Or is Tennessee getting better? Because the Vols took a paddle to the Cats hindside last Saturday in Knoxville, dominating Kentucky 24-7. The second time this season the Vols have knocked off a ranked opponent.

The GREAT EIGHT™ for WEEK TWELVE

VIRGINIA @ GEORGIA TECH…a lot of us wrote off the Jackets earlier in the season after they dropped 3 of their first 4 games. But lookie here! Tech is 6-5, bowl eligible, and the future for Paul Johnson looks a lot brighter. But the Bees will have their hands full with the Cavs who are 7-3. Both teams still have a shot at the Coastal Division title, and the winner will need help from someone to beat Pitt. The Jackets triple option will rack up yardage with their triple headed monster of Marshall, Oliver, and Mason. But can they count on another big day from their defense? They can. Jackets sting the Cavs.

DUKE @ #2 CLEMSON…the Tigers are flying high at the moment and licking their chops for a CFP berth. But along comes pesky Duke with their own ideas of upsetting Dabo’s boys. But the Blue Devils have lost 27 of the last 32 games with Clemson and haven’t won since 2004. With Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence it’s not going to happen soon. The 28 point line is tempting but we ain’t biting. Tigers bite the Devils.

#12  SYRACUSE @ #3 NOTRE DAME…Yankee Stadium in the Bronx will be the scene for this game tomorrow. The 8-2 Cuse face the 10-0 Irish, currently ranked #3 in the CFP scenario. Qb Ian Book returns for the Irish with a nation leading 75% completion rate, which should help Notre Dame’s on again/off again run offense. This will be a close one. Irish nip Syracuse.

INDIANA @ #4 MICHIGAN…it’s been 31 years since the Hoosiers have beaten the Wolverines who are in the midst of a 22 game win streak over Indiana that dates back to 1987.  Indiana brings a fairly balanced offense to Ann Arbor and should keep the game close for a half until Michigan flexes their muscles and puts the game away in the second half….setting up a killer game next week versus arch enemy, Ohio State. Take the Wolverines over the Hoosier

MISSOURI @ TENNESSEE…we have been reluctant to bet on the Vols this season due to their disappointing track record. But Tennessee has shown sparks of life that bodes well for a brighter future on Rocky Top. No other SEC coach has knocked off two ranked teams in their first year of coaching. But here comes Mizzou; a team that has also shown some promise as they have won back to back SEC games, improving to a 6-4 record. But the Tigers will be facing an improving Jarrett Guarantano who has completed a school record 146 passes without an INT. Overlay his performance with another strong run game and Tennessee should be able to pull off the W. In an UPSET SPECIAL, Vols clip the Tigers.

#10 OHIO STATE @ MARYLAND…the 5-5 Terps desperately need to win to become bowl-eligible but are staring at a stout Ohio State team that still has a shot at the Big Ten East title. The Terps have lost their starting qb while the Buckeye run game has ramped up the last two games, rushing for 229 yards over Nebraska and 120 versus Michigan State.  Look for more of the same tomorrow at College Park. Buckeyes flip the Turtles.

#16 IOWA STATE @ #15 TEXAS…this is basically an elimination game for a chance to play for the Big 12 Championship. Tom Herman has his Texas squad trending up after a big win over Oklahoma but the ‘Horns need a win to keep their title hopes alive. Meanwhile the Cyclones are playing much improved football with a tough defense and a rising star at qb with Brock Purdy. This is a must-see game on Saturday. Texas weathers the Cyclones; Horns win.

#24 CINNCINNATI @ #11 CENTRAL FLORIDA…the Knights finally hit WWW as a featured game, and why not? Tomorrow ESPN’s CollegeGameDay will broadcast from Orlando as the Knights put the longest winning streak in FBS (27) on the line. The Bearcats will come to play but in the end UCF can score in bunches. Look for McKenzie Milton to have a big day. Knights crown the Cats.

MAKE MO’ MONEY with MARK™