Welcome to week 4 and it's loaded with quality games from Thursday and all day Saturday. I am proclaiming this week to be MANBALL Week. Almost EVERY game chosen this week will reflect my love for physical ugly football.
Don't look now but the BIG 10 East is right there with the SEC West ... sure the middle and lower teams are worse, but 1-3, give me the B1G 10 E! The West while not nearly as good, isn't trash either, though Iowa, come on Iowa.
Saturday, September 24th
Wisconsin at Michigan State -5.5
12:00 pm BTN
- Could Sparty be on let down alert after last week's big win? Playing at home will help, though then 11am (CST) kick brings the excitement down some. Why is it on the BTN, are you kidding me?
- Wiskey couldn't have had a better prep for this game in beating LSU in week one. This style of play, 3 yards and a clould of dust, is what the Badgers live for, it's in their comfort zone
Pick: Sparty laying the points, Mark Dantonio is a G, so much MANBALL on MANBALL action here, it should be rated NC-17.
***
Pittsburgh at North Carolina -7.5
3:30 pm ESPNU
- Do you even defense UNC? Shame on me for thinking Gene Chizik could get more out of their defense. The shootouts will continue for as long as Larry Fedora is head coach
- I am hoping Pitt's defense had a trap weekend vs Okie State last weekend, cause if they do that two weeks in a row ... they are in trouble. The offense, however looks very stout on the ground
Pick: Pitt getting the points for no other reason than I am 100% smash face football for this colum.
***
Florida at Tennessee -6.5
3:30 pm CBS
- Try as I might, I can't get excited about this game. Where have you gone the Ole Ball Coach and Phat Phil? Sure the Vawls are a one dimensional offense with a QB who can barely pass, but he can at least run the hell out of it, when neededl
- UT's QB situation is WAY better than Florida's. The Gators will start a grad transfer from Purdue. Yes, Purdue. Do I really need to say more?.
Pick: UT by a TD. Sorry Gators, Drew Brees isn't walking through those doors. This will be a low scoring open handed slapfest or as SEC folks like to call it, a defensive struggle.
***
Penn State at Michigan -19.5
3:30 pm ABC
- No one, NO ONE plays a caricature of himself without breaking character, better than Jim Harbaugh. That's the epitome of manliness, being too grown up for humor and taking pride in it. A Michigan man is serious and a jerk
- James Franklin is also a jerk, and like Harbaugh, he's easy to root against, he just isn't near as good a coach. Side note, the face and the heel are needed in CFB, though it makes games like this, hard to choose who you'd like to win
Pick: Michigan laying the points, I am going to ride them until they don't cover.
***
Stanford -3.5 at UCLA
8:00 pm ABC
- Stanford keeps truck sticking the PAC 12 with physical offenses and defenses, deflating the football and wearing them down, and finally out. It's been almost a decade of this and the rest of the league still hasn't figured it out
- Nobody does pretty like UCLA. The script, colors, the stadium, the scenic views, the coeds. Wait, this week is about MANBALL ... I think we all know how this is going to end.
Pick: Stanford laying the points, 4 to 60 hard and easy fought yards at a time. UCLA is going to get smacked up.
***
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M -5.5 (Jerrah World)
9:00 pm ESPN
- What a weird couple of years in College Station: QB and assistant coaching issues had the program looking in total disarray. Then BOOM the program flipped the switch as those highly rated defensive recruits matured and capable QB took the helm
- No MANBALL Week can be complete without an appearance by our good friend Bert. If Arkansas wants to stake his claim as the second best team in the SEC West, then they had better win this one
Pick: Arkansas winning outright, mashing face against that fancy spread offense.
***
And yes, I went MANBALL with every single pick.
Beer of the Week:
The Burlington Beer Co has some of the best artwork and branding by any brewery. Clean, unique and recognizable ... good thing they make some tasty beer too. A friend muled this back for me, so I'll pop this weekend. Yes, it's another IPA ... if you expected an Oktoberfest or Pumpkin beer you haven't been paying attention.
Picks are against the spread.
Review:
Wisconsin at Michigan State -5.5
Pittsburgh at North Carolina -7.5
Florida at Tennessee -6.5
Penn State at Michigan -19.5
Stanford -3.5 at UCLA
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M -5.5
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