College football

[billy.pilgrim]

Anybody else watch that WV near comeback and amazing UCLA comeback?

Turned it off at halftime. Figured it was a blowout

[Vrede too]

Anybody else watch that ... amazing UCLA comeback?

Turned it off at halftime. Figured it was a blowout

Same here, even sooner, but happened to surf back after the first 2 of 5 unanswered comeback TDs. Epic TAMU collapse.

[billy.pilgrim]

Anybody else watch that ... amazing UCLA comeback?

Turned it off at halftime. Figured it was a blowout

Same here, even sooner, but happened to surf back after the first 2 of 5 unanswered comeback TDs. Epic TAMU collapse.

we call them the ATMs

[Vrede too]

WDE (this week)!

[billy.pilgrim]

WDE (this week)!

We lost Kerryon on Saturday (hamstring), but Bubba will be back this week (he had to sit out a game because of the evil weed).

[Vrede too]

I should have posted: #13 WDE + 5.5 vs. National Champs #3 Clemson.

I'm also betting on:
#17 Louisville -10 vs. N. Carolina
Charlotte +36.5 vs. #19 Kansas St.
#2 Ohio St. -7.5 vs. #5 Oklahoma
#14 Stanford +7 vs. #6 USC
Fresno St +43.5 vs. #1 Alabama

[Vrede too]

I should have posted: #13 WDE + 5.5 vs. National Champs #3 Clemson.
Defense! Lost and missed the spread by 2.5.

I'm also betting on:
#17 Louisville -10 vs. N. Carolina
Louis beats the spread by 2, nice.
Charlotte +36.5 vs. #19 Kansas St.
Nope.
#2 Ohio St. -7.5 vs. #5 Oklahoma
Nope, but OH St getting knocked out to the top 10 doesn’t ruin my day.
#14 Stanford +7 vs. #6 USC
Nope, darn.
Fresno St +43.5 vs. #1 Alabama
Yep, but I still really suck this week.

[billy.pilgrim]

Oh well, another year with Gus.

[Vrede too]

#15 Auburn vs FCS Mercer this week. Offline (no spread), so I'm betting on Auburn again. Yahoo! includes every game in which a top 25 team is playing, that's why we still bet on offline games. Sometimes, we gain a cheap point when a player flubs and bets on the offline underdog, as one did Saturday by betting on FCS unranked Montana vs FBS #7 WA at WA. WA 63-7.

Also:
#14 Louisville +2.5 vs #3 Clemson. Repeat Heisman for Lamar Jackson?
#24 Florida -5 vs #23 Tennessee.

Not many competitive games this week. There should be a rule that any game with more than a 21 point spread can’t have a whole number spread. There’s nothing worse than watching a blowout only to have it end up be a push, too, like with then #12 Auburn over Georgia Southern by 34 the week before last.

[Vrede too]

#15 Auburn vs FCS Mercer this week. Offline (no spread), so I'm betting on Auburn again....

Mercer was within 7 of Auburn with 5 left to go! One of our players accidentally picked it, he was thaaat close to being a genius.

Also:
... #24 Florida -5 vs #23 Tennessee....

TN beats the spread over FL by 2 with 4:43 left, ut-oh. After a TN INT my only hope is for a TN FG and the OT spread win, made. Still gonna be a long shot for a >5 point FL win, though. OMFG! Poor FL clock management then a 63 yard Hail Mary to beat the spread by 1 in regular time. Yippee!

When Texas Christians fight everyone smiles, but some more than others, sigh. SMU +19 was 31 ahead of the spread vs. #20 TCU in the 2nd quarter, then fell apart. SMU got back within 1 of the spread with 6:50 left, got the ball back with 4:02 to go, threw an INT, crap.

#8 Ohio St. beat the 30 point spread vs Army by 1, whew.

[O Really]

So it's a sad day in Rocky Top (as usual)
But why do the articles call the final pass a "Hail Mary"? A Hail Mary is all eligible receivers in the end zone and the ball thrown up for grabs. That was just one heckuva pass and catch.

[Vrede too]

Good point.

... #14 Louisville +2.5 vs #3 Clemson....

Crap.

Nice to see Vanderbilt knock #18 Kansas St. out of the top 25. I've been out of the money since there were 6 games left to go.

TX wins with 45 seconds left, it’s defense was solid all game but lapses, 31 yard USC FG to force OT, TX has beaten the 15 point spread but knocking USC out of the top 10 would be nice - Nope.


Texas Lutheran kicker makes field goal immediately after original try was blocked



"... After officials conferred, Hopkins’ kick was declared good and officially recorded as an 18-yard attempt."

Fwiw, Texas Lutheran won 37-0, something the article could have mentioned.

Found: "Each of the referees were like, um, I'm going to act like I'm checking the official time and let the other guy signal this one."

[Vrede too]

There are a lot of large spread games again this week.

Go:
N.C. State +11 vs #12 Florida St.
#22 San Diego St. - 5 vs Air Force
Missouri +18.5 vs #15 Auburn, sorry billy.pilgrim.
#7 Washington -10 vs Colorado
#24 Oregon (back in it!) -14.5 vs Arizona St.

[billy.pilgrim]

So it's a sad day in Rocky Top (as usual)
But why do the articles call the final pass a "Hail Mary"? A Hail Mary is all eligible receivers in the end zone and the ball thrown up for grabs. That was just one heckuva pass and catch.

Because words don't really mean specific things anymore.

[Vrede too]

Apparently, the phrase is less narrowly defined than I thought.

Hail Mary pass

"The term became widespread after a December 28, 1975 NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, when Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (a Roman Catholic) said about his game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson, 'I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.'"

Skip to 1:40 -


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEZKpY8t4EQ

Not as pretty as FL's, but still a desperation pass to a single receiver. Once again, religion can be interpreted any way one wants.

[Vrede too]

Weird to have Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech, Arkansas vs. Texas A&M, Duke at North Carolina, UCLA at Stanford, Massachusetts at Tennessee, West Virginia at Kansas, and Notre Dame at Michigan State all on TV but with NONE of them ranked.

There are a lot of large spread games again this week.

Go:
N.C. State +11 +13 vs #12 Florida St. Yes! It’s a great day.
#22 San Diego St. - 5 -3 vs Air Force. SDSU barely hangs on for the win and 1 point spread win, sweet. Good thing the spread changed.
Missouri +18.5 +19.5 vs #15 Auburn, sorry billy.pilgrim. Opps. Congrats.
#7 Washington -10 -11 vs Colorado. Nice.
#24 Oregon (back in it!) -14.5 -15 vs Arizona St. Opps, back out of it.

Unranked BC kept it tied with #2 Clemson into the 4th, looked like it could win, fell apart, darn.
#6 Oklahoma St. got knocked out of the top ten at home. Excellent, even if it’s by TCU.
Iowa beat #4 PSU with 1:42 left, gave away a walkoff TD, arrgh.

No money for me this week, but I did better than I have been doing, tied for 3rd.

[Vrede too]

Go:

Duke +7 vs #14 Miami (FL)
#16 Washington St. +3.5 vs #5 USC
Tennessee +7.5 vs #7 Georgia
#24 Mississippi St. +10 @ #13 Auburn
#12 Virginia Tech + 7.5 vs #2 Clemson
#6 Washington -26.5 @Oregon St.

Lotta underdogs in the games I care extra about this week. Let's see USC, Georgia and Clemson all get knocked out of the top 10.

[Vrede too]

Go:

Duke +6.5 vs #14 Miami (FL)
#16 Washington St. +4 vs #5 USC
Tennessee +7.5 vs #7 Georgia
#24 Mississippi St. +9 @ #13 Auburn
#12 Virginia Tech + 7.5 vs #2 Clemson
#6 Washington -26.5 @Oregon St.

Lotta underdogs in the games I care extra about this week. Let's see USC, Georgia and Clemson all get knocked out of the top 10.

[billy.pilgrim]

Go:

Duke +7 vs #14 Miami (FL)
#16 Washington St. +3.5 vs #5 USC
Tennessee +7.5 vs #7 Georgia
#24 Mississippi St. +10 @ #13 Auburn
#12 Virginia Tech + 7.5 vs #2 Clemson
#6 Washington -26.5 @Oregon St.

Lotta underdogs in the games I care extra about this week. Let's see USC, Georgia and Clemson all get knocked out of the top 10.

Right now it's tough to imagine AU beating a 10 point spread. Historically the games are close no matter the rankings and spread.

The 2008 game says a lot. AU was a nine point favourite in that game. Final score - 3 to 2.

[Vrede too]

Go:

Duke +6.5 vs #14 Miami (FL) Drat
#16 Washington St. +4 vs #5 USC Sweet, won it with 1:40 left, top ten?

Let's see USC ... get knocked out of the top 10.