2015 Six Pick - Week Eleven

Let me first say, sorry guys, couldn't let the season go without at least one more VT game in the 6 Pick. This is likely to be a gut wrenching game. Peak sports. Frank helped make Thursday Night and college football. It had to be included. Other than this game for VT fans, the OU at Baylor and Bama at Miss State games are the playoff influencing games.

Thursday, November 12th
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech -3.5
7:30 pm ESPN

• Ride or Die. Much like the 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coach Paul Johnson only knows one way to go, the flexbone option and that. It's been stopped a few times this year, but you know with the extra week, that wreck is going to sing on Thursday
• Outside of beating uva, knocking off GiT is the next must win games for Hokie fans. This is riding on one man, Bud Foster. Bud has had a subpar season, he can't have one this week. The team will need to play focused, maintain gap assignment, play aggressive and tackle. God, I'm nervous already

Pick: Virginia Tech getting the points. I don't know if the good guys win, but I like it under a FG in slugfest.
***

Saturday, November 14th
North Carolina State at Florida State -9.5
12:30 pm ACC Network

• Lose the season defining game last week with Fowler and Herbstreit announcing only to be shuffled off the ACC Network the following week. #NCStateShiiiiiiiiiiiit happens
• Troy, Eastern Kentucky, ODU, South Alabama, Wake Forest, BC ... that my friends is how you get bowl eligible and not have 1 ok win. How can I really think NC State can beat FSU?

Pick: FSU playing angry, fast and better, by two touchdowns.
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Alabama -7.5 at Mississippi State
3:30 pm CBS

• Career Dak Prescott: 10K+ yards thru air/ground while scoring 100 touchdowns air/ground/receiving, he's seventh all time in total touchdowns and one of three QB's to throw for 50 and rush for 30 TD's. Hail Dak.
• Zombie Bama is suffocating, efficient, unrelenting and BORING AS HELL to watch when they own their oponent. uva basketball thinks it's beautiful. Props to Saban, but by God keep this eye sore in the SEC, will ya

Pick: Hail State getting the points, keeping it within a touchdown. A natural slight let down spot for Bama.
***

Memphis at Houston -6.5
7:00 pm ESPN2

• Houston first year coach Tom Herman has moved to the top of my personal, and inconsequential short list of guys I want to replace Frank. Will be interesting to see if he feels the VT or any other job that would hire him is good enough or if he really is going to hold out for a better gig
• Damnit, Fuente you had one job and you failed, and the indignity of dropping to my no. 2. How can I trust you to coach against GT, if you can't figure out how to stop Navy? I'm going to chalk that up to a look ahead game. Win and you're back in everyone's good graces, but with Temple looming

Pick: Houston covering the spread. Memphis will play focused, but until they can consistently defense, I'll go with the more balanced team.
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Oklahoma at Baylor -2.5
8:00 pm ABC

• This guy, he can truly say he was a super fan before Baylor became good. If I had my guess, he does ad nauseam. I get conferences backloading the schedule to have end of the season, highly rated matchups, but Baylor is home vs OU, then on the road vs Okie St and lastly at TCU. Good luck with that.
• I almost forgot the Sooners were still relevant. That's not good for Bob Stoops that I am grouping OU with Texas, is it? With their also backloaded schedule, they could still end up there. Why does it feel Stoops is just a few steps behind Mark Richt?

Pick: Baylor laying the points. Baylor Fr QB Jarrett Stidham will have an uneven game, but will play big when it matters.
***

Washington State at UCLA -9.5
10:45 pm ESPN

• Injuries and an inconsistent QB derailed UCLA's playoff push, but at just 2 losses, Jim Mora is proving to be a very good coach. With the returning talent and another good recruiting class, UCLA has to be eyeballing a run in 2016
• You know the saying, football is better when team X is good. I'd like to think football is better when certain coaches, like Mike Leach have a good squads, as well. Long live the Pirate. Speaking of next year, the Cougs can make a run at the Pac 12 North if things fall right

Pick: Wazzou getting the points. I think it will be close and will see quite a few points scored by both teams.
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Beer of the Week:
Lawson's Finest Liquids Super Session #2

From time to time, friends and friends of friends give me me beer, unsolicited ... this is one of those times. Super Session #2 is a light, smooth, refreshing and of course full hop character Vermont Session IPA. Cheers.

Picks are against the spread.

Review:
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech -3.5
North Carolina State at Florida State -9.5
Alabama -7.5 at Mississippi State
Memphis at Houston -6.5
Oklahoma at Baylor -2.5
Washington State at UCLA -9.5