So it's been awhile...BUT THAT'S OK!

Today is the first time in upwards of a week and a half that I have the time to update the ol’ blog. It’s been a busy few weeks, as we have had shows at my place of employment AS WELL AS a road trip to Starkville, MS. More on that later…

Is it just me or are you pissed that it’s already halfway through football season. I can’t believe that we already have Tennessee playing Alabama…and that Florida has lost three straight. Nothing makes me happier than this time of year! We haven’t run the air in what amounts to be about 2 weeks, and have had the windows open the entire time. I SAY I SAY…IT’S GOOD TO HAVE LAND.

Today marks my first day of moving into my own, brand new office. It’s not too bad, about 8 x 10, had a door and it’s my OWN personal space. Who would complain about that? Now, maybe I can get a few people to come say hello and “spend some time in my office”. MOVIN’ ON UP!

So that whole Starkville trip…

It started with a wakeup call about 5:30 and heading out the door at 6AM. It’s a relatively short 2.5 hour drive over to the promised land of Mississippi, and the Ms. Boss was more excited than I could believe. Once we finally got into town, traffic nonexistent for 3 HOURS PRIOR TO KICKOFF! I couldn’t believe it. The stadium/campus itself wasn’t too terrible. Very open, very green…just what you would expect from an agricultural school. Even the fans were friendly…and even joked about how annoying the “COWBELLS” are. (Again, more on this later). We finally get to park about 1/3 mile from the seats, and would you guess it? 2 MSU fans having a cup of coffee and reading The Wall Street Journal. BIZZARO WORLD. 

After doing due diligence on taking down a bottle of Piggly Wiggly’s finest champagne and OJ, we turned our attention to cold Natty Light around 10AM or so. It felt so right, so early…it was college all over again…with the exception of being in enemy territory. The walk to the stadium was very quiet, very low key. No partiers, no cheering…just waddling to the stadium. Now, I made the comment on the ol Facebook feed that “if you want an ACC experience and don’t want to leave the comfort of your SEC state…Davis-Wade stadium is for you!”. I couldn’t have been more right. This place was a joke. It was so bad, Clemson may (I REPEAT MAY) be better. 10 minutes before kickoff, you got the token, “WHO LET THE DOGS OUT” song. The Bulldogs come out to Will Farrell’s skit “WE NEED MORE COWBELL”. Then, you get techno music from some random European trash spinning in the background. Right before kickoff you get the “MAROON” and “WHITE” cheer, which…I’m all for fan support and cheers but 2 syllables makes it very difficult to keep up with. NEED I NOT FORGET TO MENTION that the East upper was white shirts, lower was maroon. West upper was maroon, lower was white. Carolina can’t even coordinate a shade of garnet…so for this, I give MSU and their fans an A+. They sure as hell can work up them tin cans and telegraph lines to make pretty things happen!

During the game, it was an unexpected back and forth battle. Normally, if this was an SEC stadium, you would have been able to cut the tension with a knife. You’d have fans cheering and going crazy at every opportunity. This wasn’t the case at ol’ Davis-Wade. I kid you not, Connor Shaw was taking snaps on the 25 and I could hear him. Just unreal. Maybe it was the fact that they wanted to play “guess which car wins the race” during timeouts. Or, it could be “pick the Bulldog who has a treat in his mouth”. Or, it could be the great in game advertisements about catfish ponds or Dan Mullen inviting you on down to Richard’s bar after the game. For 3.5 hours, I felt like I was at a hokey, wacky, jump the shark ACC game. It was like football wasn’t the reason why you were there. There was never a sense of urgency or “Get Loud!”. Even with the cowbells, I was expecting a little more intimidating atmosphere. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I guess it’s just how things are down on the farm, and I’m sure that the 11:22 kickoff had something to do with it too. It just didn’t have the feel of big time football. Maybe this is what it would have been like to go to school at UNC or NCSU…or (insert any other ACC school).

Now, on to the most important issue that has been bugging the t-total shit out of me since Saturday. I’m not going to bash Carolina fans..but either we have some of the DUMBEST fans in the world…or simply put 80% of people have little to no concept on how the game of football is played. Let me entertain you with some examples from Saturday:

A – Holding. As a former offensive lineman, holding happens on every play. 9 times out of 10, you don’t get caught. It’s also understood by the majority of people who understand football that it happens too. HOWEVER, many loud, obnoxious middle aged women have no idea what holding is, or how it should be called on the field. Just because an offensive lineman is doing is job and standing up a defensive player, keeping him from getting to the QB is NOT HOLDING. When an offensive lineman has a defensive player turned sideways when their QB takes off to scramble; THAT IS NOT HOLDING. STOP YELLING “HE’S HOLDING REF! HOLDING!” Ugh. Nothing makes me want to bang my head into the concrete faster than this. If you see Offensive linemen grabbing jersey, that’s a hold. If you see an offensive lineman’s hand’s outside of the other team’s shoulders while blocking…it’s usually holding. Remember, there is 2 refs looking at the line for holding, and I’m sorry…sometimes it doesn’t get called. It is subjective, but hopefully this post will educate you enough to not annoy the piss out of everyone at the game around you.

B- Running outside the tackles with a RB build for the inside zone. Now again, this post is not too relevant with Lattimore on the bench, but it could be enough to pull your head out of your ass and say “I can be smart and understand which running backs work…and where”. In this case, middle aged woman was going crazy because “WE CAN’T RUN IT UP THE MIDDLE” and “WE NEED TO RUN IT OUTSIDE NOW WITH LATTIMORE”. There are a few things wrong with this statement. First, if they are stacking the box (the area where the LB and DL play) with 7 or more players, you aren’t going to be able to successfully run it to the outside. Generally, this is accomplished with 4 down lineman, and 3 to 4 LB’s playing behind them securing the corner or dropping back into a read/zone. If you aren’t going to make it up the middle, off to the side is not easy either. Secondly, Lattimore…if you haven’t noticed…is not/was not an outside the tackle running back. Our offense is based off of a little thing called the INSIDE ZONE. We aren’t a team with tons of speed on the outside to run sweeps.  

C – Running the Option inside of the 10 yard line on your game winning drive: This was unacceptable. A grown ass man yelled out no 1^st and Goal from the 8 to “RUN THE OPTION”. Let’s look at the situation. First, we had a freshman at RB. Secondly, why would we pitch the ball and run the risk of a fumble? (See Georgia/Andrew Pinnock) Third, we aren’t even an option team. All of this made zero sense.

D – Taking an intentional safety to win the game: My goodness…you would have thought that we were going to be solving all of the world’s problems during the final 4 seconds. I heard everything from “run around and don’t get tackled” to punting the ball. Yea, let’s punt the ball out of our end zone and run the risk of a block recovered for a TD…or even a kick returned! It was simple…take the safety and end the game. Get out of Starkville with the W. (Editor’s note: I understand those that yelled anything other than SAFTEY likely had Carolina -3.5 or -4…resulting in a loss)

Again, I’m not saying that I am not everything in the game of football…but just please pay attention in the future.

 -Gamblin Boss

YOUR WEEK 4 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS & STIMULUS PACKAGE!

You want to make more money? SURE WE ALL DO!

So the economy is in the tank right now. You've downgraded from Crown Royal to Canadian Hunter. You’ve gone from Fat Tire, down to Sierra Nevada, down to Miller Lite…and now chugging 30 packs of Schlitz because that’s all you can afford. Now, I’m not here to say that I’m advocating something as “legal” as gambling…because this information is SOLELY for entertainment purposes. If you happen to bet the farm on something and it doesn’t work out…well…blame it on the refs/weather/fans/hungover players/coaches/ but just not me. I’m going to give you my best 5 picks of the week…do with it what you will. Good luck, God speed, and always remember that “scared money doesn’t make money!”.

Someone pooped the bed and rolled around in it last week. That was me. It was an awful week. 1-4, down 16 units…and below 50% in winners. Let’s hope this week is better!

Last Week: 1-4

Overall: 7-6-2 (46% winning)

Units +/-: -5

WEEK 4 RELEASES

LSU -6 (4 units)

Vandy +15.5 (3 units)

ND -7 (3 units)

Auburn/Florida Atlantic UNDER 58 (2 units)

Florida State +3 (2 units)


GL,
-Gamblin Boss

Conference Realignment & How the PAC-12 Saved the Day

 This has been the most upside down week in college football due to realignment talks. Everyone has been living in fear due to what may happen, in which our beloved conferences are/were on the brink of turning into 16 team Super Conferences.  I’ve had many discussions with people who firmly believe that we are on the brink of Armageddon in College Football. In light of this past week’s events I’d like to believe that we have stepped it back from DEFCON 2 to DEFCON 3. Below I’d like to take you on a journey…and finish up with why the PAC-12 saved the day.

ACC:

Well, I’ve got to just go ahead and get this out there…Everyone be afraid. John Swofford has really done it this time by creating one of the strongest football conferences ever assembled by adding Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Wait, what’s that Chancellor Nancy Cantor of Syracuse? This is all about Olympic sports? 

"I would say that our concerns are really forward looking with respect to the ACC. The issues for us is that we have increasingly strong Olympic sports across the board, women sports -- the ACC is a wonderful match for that for us. And we really are obviously very excited about that." 

I won’t go into the sheer comedic value of this statement, as Gene Wojciechowski covers this in his article on ESPN. What I will get into is just how awful of a move this is. What do you gain by adding either? If you wanted to be ballsy, go after West Virginia. That would have at least added SOME credibility to your conference quality wise. UGH – It’s hard enough already talking about how easy it is for the ACC on the gridiron, and how they get an automatic BCS game, I’ll never know. But again, it doesn’t help your case when you take 2 from a conference that has long had a question mark about their quality as well. Hey Cincy and Uconn, you guys want to buy some BCS tickets? 

I rank this move about a 6 out of 10, and I’ll give them credit where it’s due by bumping up current ACC team’s buyouts to leave the conference, and a preemptive move to 14 teams. In basketball, this will be great. But if you are trying to pack the stands and drive attendance to your games…it’s a fail. How many road trips will the SC/NC/GA/FL schools take to Pittsburg and Syracuse? Not many….

Big East-

Oh John Marinatto, it’s time for you to make yourself a history. You are now Davy Crockett defending the Alamo. I know you had a conference last night in NYC, and I know that you’ve been given the thumbs up from all remaining conferences about their commitment to you and the Big East. I do want to this down in a football/basketball sense, because we all know the Georgetown/Providence/.etc schools don’t field a football team. 

Football: OK, so you have been depleted by 2 schools that have had better days, but with the schools that you are talking about adding…you could make the Big East a better conference. By looking at Army and Navy, you would have 2 of the 3 service academies, and keep things for the most part regional. This would guarantee you a national game on CBS at the end of the year, and bring their tradition and pageantry to your conference. Many have thought about bringing East Carolina up from C-USA, and this could be a great move as well. They have shown they can compete with the big boys (see Virginia Tech / South Carolina from this year), and have a loyal fan base that will travel. (Due to the fact there aint shit to do in Greenville, NC…but I digress).

Basketball: It’s hard to imagine the Big East being void of Syracuse and Pitt…but more so Syracuse.  The ‘Cuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim will feel right at home in the ACC and their exposure. BUT COME ON. Syracuse/Uconn is a hell of a rivalry. Not to mention ALL OF THE OTHER BASKETBALL SCHOOLS! The Big East in basketball is the SEC in football…and to an extent the ACC in basketball. Quick, SEC football - what comes to mind? Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Georgia. ACC basketball? North Carolina and Duke. Big East basketball? Georgetown, Syracuse, Villanova, Uconn. It’s all about recognition, and unfortunately the Big East has lost one of their greats. This will be the hardest spot to fill, as you won’t find any school with this much tradition sitting around and waiting.

If the Big East gets their act together, I see it helping out in football, and irreplaceable talent in basketball. 5 out of 10

SEC – Hold it right there Texas A&M. I know that we said we were all about having you, but now that your brothers and sisters are apologizing, we may not want you to join our family just yet. I’m not fully convinced that Mike Slive wants TAMU in the SEC just yet. To be honest, I’m not sure he knows what he wants in general. If the Big 12 makes it with no teams jet setting to other conferences, then does he want to be the one to pull the lynchpin? We all know the ACC is up to 14 teams, but come on. 12 SEC schools are better than 14 ACC schools. The SEC has always been on the forefront of Conference development, by adding South Carolina and Arkansas in 1992, and being the first conference to have a 12 team, 2 division leagues with a championship game. Look for these guys to jump to 14 teams…but there is always the chance TAMU stays put in the Big 12. However, if they do make the move…and the SEC goes after Missouri (as indicated), one report has Auburn making the move to the East. Chaos.

PAC 12: Well wouldn’t you look at that. Commissioner Larry Scott has proven that he has quite the brain on his shoulders, and that more is not always best. Finally, someone has some sense and says no to expansion. It’s not that Oklahoma wouldn’t have been a good fit out west; it’s more about what makes sense at the time. These guys just expanded, so why do it again. Also, why would you want to be the bad guy who makes the monumental shift to stealing big names from other top conferences? I applaud his hands off approach when it comes to adding in existing Big 12 members. Let those idiots fight it out amongst themselves…and then go from there. Patience is a virtue, and I firmly believe this is what gives Larry Scott a bump to being one of the top Commissioners in big time college athletics today. 

Big 12 – LIVE AT 6, ...We have a hostage situation in Las Colinas! Commissioner Beebe has a gun held to his head by what appears to be a horse mascot by the name of Boomer or Sooner. We can’t get an official ID; stay tuned to NEWS 5 ALIVE 5 SUPERDOPPLER 4000X!!! What balls Oklahoma has. They pretty much are standing up to Beebe and demanding that he be fired, and Texas give up a chunk of their objectives with the Longhorn Network. (No high school games, no Big 12 conference games) If these are not met, they may jet off to another conference. I firmly believe that OK has been bluffing the entire time to just stick it to the Big 12’s darling Longhorns. Of course, many see Nebraska’s move as the initial F YOU to the conference…and setting the dominoes to fall one way or the other. Many, many people in Alabama could see TAMU staying put (as well as other Big 12 schools) if their demands are met.

 In times like these, it’s best to exercise caution, and if we follow Larry Scott’s method…college football remain safe and viable for years to come.

-Gamblin Boss

Week 3 SEC Picks!! (aaaand FIU and Army)

(See what I did there??)

Auburn @ The Other School in South Carolina:  Boy I hate everything about this game.  The generic nicknames, the stadium, the colors, the teams, everything.  This is what it must have been like for Jets fans 4 years ago when the Patriots and Giants played in the Super Bowl.  Just an absolute no win situation.  And they can't tie cause we all know ties are for sissys and communists.  Flat out, I just don't think Auburn is as good as advertised (for the record I don't think tOSiSC is as good as advertised but they might be slightly better) and I think it FINALLY catches up to them.  tOSiSC has all the tools to be an explosive offense and they could round into form this week.  OUR PICK:  tOSiSC will win the second generic nickname game of the week.  God it sucked to type that.

Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt:  This is the game Commissioner Mike Slive dreads every year.  It's like the wedding of relatives with whom you are only kinda close.  You have to go even though you don't want to.  You have to do the fake smile/hug/kiss thing.  You're standing there and there are so many awkward pauses in conversation.  You're wondering, 'This is family, not Frank from accounting, why do we only have boring elevator small talk to discuss??'  Even the relatives (Vandy and Ole Miss) know you don't want to be there, and the only reason you're there is cause your Mom (Mike Slive) made you go.  If you followed all that, then here it is.  OUR PICK:  Uncle Ned (Vandy) over Aunt Kathy (Ole Miss).  Mom (Slive) is gone by mid-2nd quarter (right after the first dance).

Coastal Carolina @ Georgia:  A lot of people think this is gonna be a cakewalk for Georgia.  But those people are underestimating one thing: Coastal has David Bennett as their coach....

Couldn't have said it better myself.  I'm not even sure what the original rant was about, I think golf maybe.  But who cares, I almost wanna pick Coastal just to see what he says next week.  OUR PICK:  I said almost wanna pick Coastal.  Come on now, Georgia wins it big.
Tennessee @ Florida:  I thought this was only a slightly big rivalry.  But according to one of the experts (don't know his name and never heard of him when they said it, evidently he was on the 1996 Florida National Title team) on something called "The New College Football Show," this is the best rivalry in all of college football.  He also said he would "fight anyone who says different."  I guess we're ignoring Ohio State/Michigan, Florida/Florida State (see that, it's not even Florida's biggest rivalry), Auburn/Alabama, Akron/Kent State.  Ok, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.  I guess this should be expected when the show is on Fox Sports regional and the other "expert" is former Tulane coaching great Tommy Bowden.  Anyway, this is a big game for both team.  UT could tell everyone they're further along than people think.  Florida could win a game that many think they shouldn't lose.  OUR PICK:  UPSET SPECIAL DOG!!!  Tennessee to shock the SEC world and take this from the Gators.  The Vols have a QB, two WO, a RB, and a very good offensive line.  They have enough to get it done and they will.
Navy @ South Carolina:  In 1984, the highly ranked Gamecocks won a big game and the next week had a road game against a supposedly inferior Naval Academy team.  The result?  Due to joe Morrison deciding to go up on a Thursday and do some sightseeing of the Smithsonian, Carolina pooped the bed. An upset victory, a season derailed and another year of heartbroken Carolina fans.  This ain't 1984 though baby.  Navy has my favorite offense in football, they run it to precision and it is almost impossible to prepare for in a week's time.  Howeva, this Gamecock team has superior talent, and, more importantly, better focus than the Midshipmen.  OUR PICK:  Gamecocks win it, move to 3-0.
Louisville @ Kentucky:  The 'Ville is coming off of a loss some are calling "embarrassing."  Ok, everyone is calling it embarrassing.  I mean I love Sun Belt football as much as the next guy, but you can't lose to FIU...at home, if you are a big kid football team.  Don't laugh too loud Big Blue Herp Derps.  That's only slightly worse than barely beating an over matched Western Kentucky on a neutral field, and following that up by letting the  Directional Michigan Chippewas hang around entirely too long.  Yeah you're 2-0, but even the tallest midget is making fun of you.  All kidding aside, these teams usually have a pretty good game and I think this year will be the same.  OUR PICK:  The 'Ville gets back on the horse (get it, cause it's in Kentucky??  If you don't get that email the Gamblin Boss, he will splain you).
Troy @ Arkansas:  I feel like I could write the same thing every week for Arkansas.  It will be some variation of "I don't think the Hogs are that good, but Petrino's offense is always legit.  The (insert whatever bad team is playing Arkansas) will be overwhelmed here."  So there you have it, the same thing again.  Don't get mad at me, get mad at the Razorbacks.  I will write something more when Arkansas actually freakin plays someone.  OUR PICK:  Arkansas...again.
North Texas @ Alabama:  This might actually have been a game in the early 2000's when former Dolphin great Patrick Cobbs was running the Mean Green to four straight Sun Belt titles and current Texas State coaching great Dennis Franchione was roaming the sidelines for the Tide.  Quick side note, remember how pissed Bama fans were when Coach Fran left for Texas A&M??  MAN they were livid haha.  The audacity of someone actually leaving Alabama to go to Texas A&M!!!  The horror!!!  Seems that the Aggies got the worst of that situation.  Oops, got sidetracked.  OUR PICK:  Roll Tide.
Sun Belt Conference Game of the Week Presented by Rold Gold Pretzels, Central Florida @ FIU:  Can FIU do it again?  I mean it's not a high and mighty Big East team (I use that term loosely) but I think this would still count as a big win for the Golden Panthers if they could beat the Golden Knights.  Editor's Note:  I feel like Al Golden should be involved in this game, just to complete the Florida, Golden trifecta.  Sadly, he is stuck at The U.  At any rate, this should actually be a pretty good game.  Mario Cristobal will have his FIU squad ready to play and compete.  TY Hilton probably won't go off as big as he did last week, but he is an NFL caliber player and should still show up big.  OUR PICK:  Golden Panthers over Golden Knights...with a side of Golden Crisps.
Service Academy Game of the Week Presented by WhoLovesABargain.blogspot.com, Northwestern @ Army:
I wanted to feature Air Force this week but they have a bye week (boy that sucks to have a week 3 bye...what's the point?  I mean Honestly you aren't even tired enough to need a bye in week 3...but I digress) so I went with the Black Knights of the Hudson River instead.  I really want Ellerson's boys to get a victory.  They played well enough to win last week and QB Trent Steelman is an underrated player (and one of the nation's better names.  Perfect name for a service academy player too) but I think Dan Persa and they boys from Evanston will be too much.  Hopefully Army can get it going against Ball State next week.  Although the Indiana Hoosiers say that's not as easy as it sounds.  OUR PICK:  Northwestern

SEC Week 2 Recap

Had an undefeated week 1, let's see how we did week 2:


CMU @ Kentucky:  Well despite their best efforts in the first half, the Wildcats, aka "Herp Derp Nation," pulled this one out (that's what she said).  After stumbling through the first half in what can only be described as some sort of Hilltopper Blues (get it?  like the old show), Kentucky turned it on and really showed the Chippewas who was boss.  Well done fellas, somethin to be proud of. OUR PICK:  Kentucky
Mississippi State @ Auburn:  I mean honestly, can someone please beat Auburn's ass.  Seriously, I've heard of being lucky but this is getting insane.  Look America, I'll make you a deal.  If someone will beat this horribly overrated, cheating, finesse team, I won't be quite so loud in demanding their National Title be taken away immediately.  That being said, Auburn, I will take some of this back if you take the other school in South Carolina behind the woodshed.  Tiger on Tiger crime baby!!!  Mississippi State...well I've enjoyed paying attention to you for two weeks.  Talk to you next year when Dan Mullen is at another school.  OUR PICK:  Mississippi State
Alabama @ Penn State:  Well I guess someone finally decided to play Quarterback for each team.  Unfortunately for Penn State, they didn't play the position very well.  The Tide rolled to victory 27-11 and it really wasn't that close.  The Tide look to be rolling (see what I did there)?  OUR PICK:  Alabama
Cincinnati @ Tennessee:  Oh Big East, y'all are silly.  Now there are rumors that if (when) the Big 12 folds, the Big East is ready to pounce and scoop up such football powers as (drum roll) Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State.  Yeah that should help.  Sure they're adding TCU, but I feel like TCU is prolly paraphrasing Ron Burgundy right about now, 'The Big East was a bad choice.'  Anyway, Tyler Bray threw for 4 TD's and the Vols rolled by 22.  OUR PICK:  Tennessee
South Carolina @ Georgia:  Whew, I am exhausted for the second straight week by the Gamecocks.  Would it kill anyone, for Carolina to win a blowout??  And before you start, I'm not counting Week 1...we were down at the half.  But alas, they squeaked it out.  And as Auburn can attest, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.  A three point win, would qualify as that.  OUR PICK: South Carolina
Southern Illinois @ Ole Miss:  I have nothing good to say about this game.  Ole Miss won by 18.  Congrats guys, seriously way to feel good about yourself.  OUR PICK:  Ole Miss
New Mexico @ Arkansas:  For like the 30th time in 36 games under Mike Locksley, the Lobos failed to score a touchdown.  This time managing to lose 52-3, seriously his time has to be up right?  I mean no one cares about New Mexico football but he's gotta be done right?  OUR PICK:  Arkansas
UAB @ Florida:  My parents watched this game with out neighbors...in Delaware of all places.  Apparently my boy got in, in the 4th quarter.  When I asked him, how did playing college football compare to high school (Delaware high school football of all places) his response was, "It was basically like playing high school.  They weren't very, ya know, fast."  Sorry to the Gamblin Boss family, but don't let this extinguish your spark! Be the spark!!!  OUR PICK:  Florida
UConn @ Vanderbilt:  Honestly Big East, you missed two opportunities to beat an average SEC team and a bottom feeder and, to quote Billy Madison, "YOU BLEW IT!!!!"  And to add salt to the wound, the Huskies blew a 4th quarter lead.  Fun fact of the day though, Vandy is 2-0...who knew?!?  OUR PICK:  UConn
N'Western State @ LSU:  Again, nothing to write about this game, other than LSU won 49-3.  Could be a good game next week vs the loser from the Miss. State/Auburn game.  OUR PICK:  LSU
Memphis @ Arkansas State:  Arkansas State absolutely crushed Memphis 47-3.  Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State QB, threw for 274 yards and 3 TD's and Frankie Jackson added 101 yards and a TD.  I'm thinking this is gonna be a long year for Memphis.  That sounds redundant. OUR PICK:  Arkansas State
San Diego State @ Army:  Well I guess you can just waltz into Mitchie Stadium and get a victory.  Not a very impressive game for the Aztecs, but a field goal with 9 minutes to go was the difference as the Aztecs won 23-20.  I now hate San Diego State.  OUR PICK: Army.

Overall it was not a bad week for us.  Combine our 10-0 week last week, with 9-3 this week and I'd say we're off to a good start. - Major Munnerlyn (formerly 63 sports)

Week 2 Games THAT YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS

Week 2 – It felt good didn’t it? Being able to dust yourself off and put on that coach’s polo that’s been in the closet all spring and summer. What a week that was! DAMN YOU UTAH STATE!  NFL is starting and the mornings are getting cooler. Everything seems to be normal too…especially with Notre Dame losing and Dook losing again to Richmond.

So, here are this week’s recommendations. Granted there are more duds than winners this early; but if you look hard enough, you’ll see there are some gems coming up. (Editor’s note: There were more than enough games that could have fit in the -1 category. You couldn’t sell advertising for these games….TERRIBLE) I’ve got to go the route of the Wu Tang here, because this week its more about “Dolla dolla bills, ya’ll” instead of being “it’s all about the Benjamin’s”.  

All times are in EST 

5 MONEY STACKS –YOU CAN'T PAY ME ENOUGH TO MISS THESE GAMES!

#2 Alabama @ #23 Penn State 3:30 ABC – The Nittany Lions welcome the Crimson Tide to Happy Valley, to what will soon become known as the “Battle of the Most Classic Badass Uniforms”.  I’d like to think that Penn State could keep it close, but when you boil it down to SEC vs. Big 10ish it could get out of hand early. Also, did you know that when Joe Pa sits down, he is just as tall as Nick Saban?

#12 South Carolina @ Georgia 4:30 ESPN – There are several reasons why this game is a must watch. Can South Carolina take down UGA for the first time in back to back seasons since the early 2000’s? Is Richt coaching for his job or his team? Unfortunately there is one glaring issue with this game that can take away the legs of Marcus Lattimore and hands of Alshon Jeffery…the voice of Matt Millen in the press box. Complete fail. 

4 MONEY STACKS – PRICED ABOVE FACE VALUE 

Notre Dame @ Michigan 8:00 ESPN – I’m going to go ahead and say that this game won’t be shown on time because of the offensive power that will be shown in the ESPN game before this one. (see above). How bad is Notre Dame? How good (if that is even relative) is Michigan? I believe this is the first time that Michigan has played a night game, so I guess those kids will be jacked up to play. I really have a tough time understanding this is the first night game. Maybe that’s why all the good players want to come to the SEC and get their talents showcased during…I don’t know…PRIME TIME? Full disclosure: I’m watching this to see how big of a trainwreck this becomes for ND. 

#16 Mississippi State @ Auburn 12:21 SEC Network – I commend Mike Slive and the SEC office on a 12:21 kickoff. This is perfect because the 20 minutes spent between GameDay and kickoff now serve as a chance to get last minute things adjusted….and not watching ACC / Big 10ish football. THANK YOU! With the egg that the defending national champs dropped last week, look for more of the same. Living here in Alabama, you hear just how bad Auburn is…and the lack of confidence their fans have. MSU has had this game circled ever since fingers from Auburn have been pointing accusations up the road to Starkville about Cam Newton and his “shopping around”. I for one think that they are still trying to redeem themselves after this blunder in 2008.

3 MONEY STACKS – YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR / PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET

Cincinnati @ Tennessee 3:30 ESPN – IT’S FOOTBAWW TIME IN TENNERRSEE! Derek Dooley has a very young team and is using Jedi mind tricks via orange colored slacks to distract the opposing team. The Bearcats are not exactly the most formidable opponent, but hanging 70+ and taking care of a team you should whip is not the most easy thing to do (I’M LOOKING AT YOU AUBURN). I think this game could go either way, but regardless of who wins it will be looked at as a springboard for the season. 

NC State @ Wake Forest 3:30 Raycom – I’m not thrilled with any team in this game, but it is quite a measuring stick for the ACC. Wake dropped one in OT to the mighty Syracuse Orange last week, which is still no excuse for a team that recently won the ACC. (Let that sink in…Wake went to the Orange Bowl) Again, this is ranked so highly just from a voyeuristic perspective. I want to watch this game from the bushes and peaking in through the blinds. The Sad thing is…it won’t be as hot as the scene from Animal House with Belushi on the ladder, but will be twice as funny.

BYU @ #24 Texas 7:00 ESPN – It’s great to see Texas being ranked (sarcasm) and on ESPN/The Longhorn Network! BYU won last week courtesy of Houston Nutt trying to think, and on a botched fumble. Texas is not a team many people see as “great” but could still get to 8 wins. While that would be a great year for some, it’s not in Austin. This will be somewhat of an entertaining game, and if the Mormons didn’t see many distractions in Oxford last week, I assure you there will be plenty in Austin.

2 MONEY STACKS – I FEEL LIKE I’M GETTING RIPPED OFF

Rutgers @ UNC 12:30PM ACC Tarheels. Will you put the pedal down and be an ACC contender (see: tallest midget), or one of the several pretenders that never get the ball rolling. (insert: Any ACC Team)

Stanford @ Duke 3:30 ESPNU  - Why in the hell is the game on TV? You’ve got to love the ACC’s new contract with ESPN. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET! TWO SMART SCHOOLS PLAYING EACH OTHER! The only reason to watch this is to see just how many yards Andrew Luck puts up on the Blue Devils. Over/Under is 310. If a tree falls in Durham, does it make a sound?

1 MONEY STACK – CAN I GET A REFUND?

Central Michigan @ Kentucky ESPNU 12:00 – Kentucky gets to open the gates of Commonwealth Stadium for the first time this year to Directional Michigan. I’d like to think this would be an easy win for the Wild Kittens, but last week against Directional Kentucky was worse than staring into the sun for 3 and a half hours. Look for more of the same this week.

Virginia @ Indiana Big Ten Network 7:00 – CALL YOUR CABLE PROVIDERS AND REQUEST THE BIG TEN NETWORK NOW! This game has everything you could want….except quality football. I’m sure the contingent of 300 UVA fans who make the trip over will be in shock that they can’t find their 2006 Pinot Noir in stock, or that the only cheese around is Cheddar or American. Flash forward Sunday when angry mobs are chasing the ‘Hoos out of town screaming “WE DON’T TAKE KINDLY TO YOUR TYPE AROUND HERE”!!

-Gamblin Boss

Your College Football Picks & Stimulus Package for Week 1

You want to make more money? SURE WE ALL DO!

So the economy is in the tank right now. You've downgraded from Crown Royal to Canadian Hunter. You’ve gone from Fat Tire, down to Sierra Nevada, down to Miller Lite…and now chugging 30 packs of Busch Light because that’s all you can afford. Now, I’m not here to say that I’m advocating something as “legal” as gambling…because this information is SOLELY for entertainment purposes. If you happen to bet the farm on something and it doesn’t work out…well…blame it on the refs/weather/fans/hungover players/coaches/ but just not me. I’m going to give you the best 5 picks of the week…do with it what you will. Good luck,  God speed, and always remember that “scared money doesn’t make money!”.

-Gamblin’ Boss

Record: 0-0         Units Won: 0     Units Lost: 0

• Alabama / Kent State – OVER 47.5 (4 units)
• Michigan/W. Michigan – UNDER 61.5 (3 units)
• Maryland +5.5 vs. Miami (3 units)
• LSU / Oregon – UNDER 54.5 (2 units)
• WVU -23 vs. Marshall (2 units)

Your Week 1 SEC/BIG10/BIG12/ACC/PAC12/BIG EAST College Football Picks Surely To Go Wrong (and don’t call me Shirley)

Every week, we here at SECBagmen would like to give back to the community that raised us. What better way to do this than to propagate some mostly true (and some likely false) information out to the masses. Be sure to check back here every Friday morning for our straight up picks of the week. All 6 Major conferences are represented by each of our contributors, who spend countless hours crunching stats and running the numbers. Feel free to call us out if you see a “glaring error” in our submnissions. Also, this is for SATURDAY ONLY. We’re sorry if your MAC team plays on Thursday night. 

–The Bagmen

Fuzzy Dunlop & The PAC 12

• Arizona St. vs. UC Davis - UC Davis lost 52-3 on opening weekend last season to Cal and this game should go about the same way.  It honestly feels like the NCAA should step in and cancel this one, they don't have linebackers like Vontaze Burfict in the FCS.  My Pick: Arizona State

• Southern Cal vs. Minnesota - Minnesota managed to keep it fairly close at home last year, but this year should be a different story.  The Gophers are breaking in a new coach on the road and the Trojans return a very potent offense led by QB Matt Barkley.  As long as Marc Tyler manages to stay sober and keeps his mouth shut about how much USC players get paid the Trojans should come away with an easy W.  My Pick: Southern Cal

• Oregon State vs. Sacramento St. - Sac St. got whipped 52-17 on opening weekend last year vs. Stanford; this year might not be quite as bad.  The Beavers return a good QB in Ryan Katz and it should be interesting to see how James Rodgers has recovered from his injury.  My Pick: Oregon St.

• Washington vs. East Washington - This game has all the ingredients for an epic game; East vs. West, in state rivals, BCS conference school vs. wait, another FCS school?  To give Eastern Washington credit they did go 11-2 last season, but this is another one that won't be close.  My Pick: Washington

• UCLA @ Houston - Finally!  Way to step up Rick Neuheisel and not be a pussy like most of your conference.  Even though you will probably lose this game because your team has been terrible since you took over, I like that you are at least going down with a fight.  Case Keenum is back at the helm for the Cougars and UCLA's offense won't be able to keep up.  My Pick: Houston

• Stanford vs. San Jose St. - A nice stat padder to kick off Andrew Luck's Heisman campaign.  My Pick: Stanford

• Arizona vs. Northern Arizona - Similar to the Washington game this one has all the makings for a classic minus two equally matched teams.  My Pick: Arizona

• California vs. Fresno St. - Fresno St. is no stranger to knocking off BCS conference teams, but I think Jeff Tedford will have a good offensive game plan to exploit the lesser talented Bulldogs.  My Pick: Cal

• Colorado @ Hawaii - Colorado is looking for a fresh start under new coach Jon Embree, but Bryant Moniz and the Hawaii passing attack should be too much for a low scoring Buffaloes team that lost shutdown corner Jimmy Smith to the NFL.  My Pick: Hawaii

• Oregon vs. LSU (in Dallas) - This is the dandy of opening weekend and the Ducks are looking for redemption after falling to Auburn in the championship game.  Before all of LSU's suspensions I would've gone with the Tigers, but switching QBs this close to such a big game will prove to be too much to overcome.  Darron Thomas will shine being close to home in Texas and the Ducks pull out a humungous W.  My Pick: Oregon

Patrick Esquire & The Big 12(ish)

• TCU vs. Baylor – The Bears don’t stand a chance…not even close. My Pick: TCU

• Missouri vs. Miami (OH) – This game will be much closer than you think, but Missouri wins. My Pick: Missouri

• Northern Iowa vs. Iowa State – Northern Iowa pulls a shocker, somewhat. My Pick: Northern Iowa

• Oklahoma State vs. LA Lafayette – The Fighting Jake Delhomme’s will be looking for an upset when they travel to Stillwater.  Could be the first step towards bowl eligibility for the Ragin Cajuns (Top 3 best nicknames in college football).  Could also be the first of many whoopins on the Cajuns this year.  Sorry Jake, don’t think the upset happens.  Too much offense for the boys from the Bayou.   Look for the Cowboys to put up 60 on the Cajuns. Maybe 62. My Pick: OSU

• Kansas vs. McNeese St. – What’s a McNeese? Kansas crushes…. My Pick: Kansas

• Kansas State vs. EKU – ECO CAT AINT GOT SHIT ON ME! My Pick: Kansas State

• Texas Tech vs. Texas State – Technical schools are not always better than state schools…however this is one of those times they are exponentially better. Maybe 100 points better. My Pick: Texas Tech

• Oklahoma vs. Tulsa – Golden Hurricane against the #1 team in the nation/Fightin’ Barry Switzers. This won’t even be close…unless you lay the points. My Pick: Oklahoma

• Texas vs. Rice – YAY! Texas gets its first win on the Longhorn Network. ESPN rejoices! Mac Brown is BACK! My Pick: Texas

Gamblin’ Boss & The ACC

• Northwestern vs. Boston College – This game will likely be the #2 best game for the ACC this week, right behind Miami/Maryland…which just beats out Richmond/Duke. I’d hate to say that I’m pulling for the team in purple and black...but I still whole heartedly believe that any school that uses Groupon to sell tickets for football will never be successful or taken seriously. My Pick: Northwestern

• App State vs. Virginia Tech – Every single D1 school gets scared shitless when App State shows up on their schedule Week 1 courtesy of their performance against Michigan a few years back. While this scrappy team from Boone, NC does have a kick…it’s won’t be enough to take down the ACC’s version of the fighting chicken. My Pick: Virginia Tech

• James Madison vs. UNC – Last year’s week one darlings find themselves amongst the tall pines in Chapel Hill week one. I don’t see this being much of a dogfight, and UNC wins this one for Butch. My Pick: UNC

• Louisiana-Monroe vs. FSU – Any team that hails from the land of Brittney Spears isn’t worth a damn. Plain and simple, this is nothing more than an ego boost for the followers of Jimbo in Tallahassee. My Pick: FSU

• Troy vs. Clemson – Clemson is coming off of its first losing season in almost a decade. Spirits are low in Tiger Town, SC…but for one day they will be able to know what it feels like to get a quality win. (And I say “quality” because I see this being a pretty close game potentially). My Pick: Clemson

• William & Mary vs. Virginia – The real story within the story is just how well those white wines and Brie cheese will hold up at tailgate. Have you ever tried drinking a Pinot Grigio in 90+ degree weather? Of course you could put ice in your wine, but then you’d be Virginia Tech trashy.  My Pick: Virginia

• Liberty vs. NCSU – I really don’t see this being a very fun game…for anyone involved. The thought of trying to write even 2 or 3 sentences about Liberty or NC State would make my head explode. My Pick: NC State

• Richmond vs. Dook – THE #3 BEST ACC GAME OF THE WEEK! Richmond is a very good team. Dook is not a very good team. Dook is playing at home. Dook is a smart school. Dook has a track around its football field. Dook may lose this game. My Pick:: Dook

• Miami vs. Maryland – This should somewhat be entertaining to see how Miami handles all of the “adversity” thrown their way from Yahoo Sports over the past few weeks. We here at SECBagmen don’t condone their behavior…but being able to party on a yacht and crash jet skis with little to no consequences sounds cool to me.  My Pick: Maryland

Da U & The Big East

• Norte Dame vs. South Florida - Wow right off the bat a tough opponent for the Irish. Norte Dame's season is like a long road trip; starts out great then you just get bored as shit. So obviously Vegas likes them against a South Florida program that's beaten FSU in Tally and Miami in Miami. So if Syracuse could upset in South Bend, why not the Bulls? This is a bigger game for Skip Holtz than it is for the Irish. A Holtz returns to South Bend! My Pick: South Florida

• Marshall vs. West Virginia - WVU ushers in a new head coach this weekend, Dana Holgorsen. The same guy who literally threw out his boss to take over his office. Dude's known to put up HUGE numbers by his skill players. New Head Coach. Red-Headed Stepchild. Blowout City. Get your couches ready Morgantown; it's a BET THE FARM pick! My Pick: WVU

• Pitt vs. Buffalo – Dave Winestead moustaches for EVERYBODY if Pittsburg wins! Pick: Pitt

• Louisville vs. Murray State – I don’t like this game partly because I don't know what state Murray State plays their home games in. Also, Louisville has a reoccurring role on the first 48. I say they put up just as many points this week. My Pick: Louisville

• Connecticut vs. Fordham – You just have to ask how much does UCONN value their football program. They placed hurricane supplies on their football field and said "to hell with the football game". Groupon tickets will be honored for another game…and I take Gamblin’ Boss’ opinion about that. (See: Boston College) My Pick: UConn.

• Cincinnati over Austin Peay - Believe me or not, the Governors are a couple years away from knocking off a BCS power. This year, however, is not going to be that year. Again, I’m taking the first 48 theory, and going to assume that because of their reoccurring role, they’ll throw up 48 points. My Pick: Cincy

63 Sports & The SEC

• Utah State vs. Auburn - Chris Cooley wouldn’t even be enough for his Aggies in this one.  Auburn is trying to replace Cam Newton, they could play with Wayne Newton under center and still win big. My Pick: AUBURN

• Kent State vs. Alabama - Only two real questions in this one: 1) Which Alabama quarterback, Sims or McCarron, will separate themselves?  2) Does Nick Saban allow his Crimson Tide defense to give up more than 10 points to his alma mater?  My Pick: ALABAMA

• BYU vs. Ole Miss - Could be a long year in Oxford.  Jake Heaps and the Cougars should win this one on the road.  So wait, why did Ole Miss fire David Cutcliffe again? My Pick: BYU

• Montana vs.  Tennessee - The talent level at Tennessee is not quite there yet (Bold Prediction: Volunteers use a dominate O-Line to win the East in 2012) but should me more than enough to beat the Fightin’ Lex Hilliards.  My Pick: TENNESSEE

• Missouri State vs.  Arkansas - Not sure why the Arkansas band wagon has filled up so quickly, but if the hype is accurate this game won’t be more than an exhibition.  Our Pick: ARKANSAS

• Florida Atlantic vs.  Florida - New offense won’t change John Brantley’s inaccuracy and less than stellar arm.  Should be a good game for Brantley to work on things however.  Only reason The Bagmen will be watching is to see if true freshman OL Trip Thurman gets in the game.  My Pick:  FLORIDA

• ECU vs.  South Carolina - Connor Shaw will start against the 120th-ranked defense from last year.  Shouldn’t matter.  Gamecocks should dominate if they want to be considered one of the big boys.  My Pick: SOUTH CAROLINA

• Boise State vs.  Georgia - Georgia will be a good team, hopefully good enough to keep Mark Richt’s job, but not good enough in this one.  Boise State will use experience and, frankly, better talent, to win this game.  Should NOT be considered an upset.  My Pick: BOISE STATE

• Oregon vs. LSU - One of college football’s traditional trophy games, the Tigers and Ducks will battle for the historic “Will Lyles Cup.”  All that 2009 recruiting information should help both of these teams in the contest.  Tigers D-Line should be the difference.  My Pick: LSU

Service Academy Game of the Week Presented by Palmetto Roofing:

Delaware vs. Navy The last time these two teams got together Super Joe Flacco lead the Blue Hens to an upset.  Don’t think it will happen this time.  UD is breaking in a new Quarterback and the Middie’s triple option offense is always tough to defend.  Midshipmen should defend their home turf and win this one.  My Pick: NAVY

Fishsticks & The Big 10

The Big 10 is a joke.  I know this is the first season of the expanded conference, but be thankful if you don’t get the Big Ten network this weekend because there’s not much to see:

• Michigan State vs. Youngstown St.  – Can Michigan State shake off their terrible loss to Alabama in last year’s Capital One Bowl?  Yes.  Sparty wins big against Eric Wolford and Youngstown St.  My Pick: Michigan State.

• Northwestern @ Boston College – This one really depends on Dan Persa’s status.  If he can play I really like Northwestern’s chances, if not this matchup could go either way.  Boston College has a great running back in Montel Harris, but their lack of a passing game makes them extremely one dimensional.  I’m counting on Persa playing.  My Pick: Northwestern

• Penn St. vs. Indiana St. – In last year’s opener Indiana St. lost to a school called St. Joseph’s (IN) 57-7.  I’ve never heard of that school.  This year their AD thought it was a good idea to step it up a notch and go to Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions?  That seems like an odd if not irresponsible decision.  My Pick: Penn St.

• Purdue vs. Mid Tennessee – Mid Tennessee runs the ball well and Purdue is a notorious underachiever.  Look for this one to be pretty close.  Should be interesting to see how Robert Marve does after his failed stint in Miami. My Pick: Purdue

• Michigan vs. Western Michigan – The Brady Hoke era begins.  How will Shoelace perform in a pro style offense?  I think pretty well, especially against this level of opponent. My Pick: Michigan

• Illinois vs. Arkansas St. – Another horrible game.  I like Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase a lot and think he has a big game.  My Pick: Illinois

• Ohio St. vs. Arkon – The Luke Fickell era begins.  How will the Buckeyes team play with half of their starters suspended?  Will Braxton Miller get the nod at QB?  Either way Ohio St wins big.  Their scout team is more talented than Akron’s starting lineup.  My Pick: Ohio St.

• Iowa vs. Tennessee Tech – No more Ricky Stanzi.  A lot of guys kicked off the team.  Some staph infection type outbreak.  It was a rough offseason for the Hawkeyes, but this should be an easy win.  My Pick: Iowa

• Minnesota vs. Southern Cal – The Jerry Kill era begins.  Tough first test for Kill as he takes his team to LA while the rest of the conference plays scrimmages.  Unfortunately the Gophers won’t be able to stop Matt Barkley and Robert Woods.  My Pick: Southern Cal

• Nebraska vs. Chattanooga – Nebraska eases into their first season in the Big 10 with this cupcake matchup.  My Pick: Nebraska

• Indiana vs.  Ball St.  The Kevin Wilson era begins.  Indiana is looking good for the future locking up 5* QB Gunner Kiel, unfortunately he’s still in high school.  This year should be another rough season for Indiana but I think the Hoosiers pull out a W on the road against Ball St. My Pick: Indiana