Week 14

Due to an unforeseen circumstance, Thursday didn't go according to plan, nor did most of the weekend. Believe me or don't, but I did make five picks . . . and went 2-3. I was correct about Alabama and GA Tech, but missed Cincinnati, Texas, and California.  I finished the season at a shockingly mediocre 31-37-2.  Now I have to sit and wait for the bowl lines to come out, though I might even break out the microphone and do a Super Special Bowl Podcast.

Week 13 Results - Slightly Better Than The One That Charlie Weis Had

With the season on the line, my picks went about as well as Elin Woods using her husband's cell phone to call the police after his car accident - surprisingly bad. Touting a 29-29-2 record, I dropped 5 of 5 games and dug myself a pretty large hole this week. I must have been drinking between picks or something.

Temple (-2.5) failed to show up against Ohio (and may have damaged their bowl chances in the process), Pitt (even) couldn't stop the running game of West Virginia, Clemson (-3) got doubled up by South Carolina, UNC (-5.5) remarkably lost outright, giving NC State their first (and only) non-Maryland ACC win of the season, and yes, Laura, the Sooners played spoiler against Oklahoma State (+8) and managed to show a little bit of pride late in the season.

Week 13: 0-5
Season: 29-34-2 (.462)

Stay tuned as I attempt to resurrect my season with the SEC, ACC, and Big East Championship games.

Week 13 - On Even Ground

With Thnksgiving upon us, I'm thankful that a 3-2 week put me back at .500 this late in the season.

Week 12: 3-2
Season: 29-29-2

Let's get right to the Week 13 Picks.

Pittsburgh   EVEN   West Virginia

I really don't know a heck of a lot of what has happened in the Big East this season, other than Cincinnati has managed to run the table in and out of conference, and is looking like a dark horse candidate for the BCS Championship should Texas, Florida and Arkansas lose games. After the Bearcats, however, Pitt has been racking up a pretty decent string of wins as well. The Panthers' only loss has come to North Carolina State, but their biggest test is yet to come (with the aforementioned Bearcats lined up for December 5th). Before they get to Cincy, the Panthers need to take care of this week's opponent - a formidable West Virginia squad that is looking to exact some revenge after Pitt's 2007 upset knocked the Mountaineers out of the National Title race. West Virginia played Cincy well last week - nearly eking out an upset win.  Though I don't think Pitt is better than Cincy, I do think they'll give West Virginia trouble - and with the Mountaineers' leading rusher Noel Devine nursing a bad ankle, I think Pitt will hold West Virginia in check. Don't believe me? Ask Charlie Weis and Notr Dame. I'm taking Pittsburgh straight up.


Temple  -2.5  Ohio

The train just keeps rolling. Riding a nine(!) game winning streak, the Owls look to capture their first MAC East title. A smart person would attribute Temple's turnaround to Freshman RB Bernard Pierce (who will not play this week due to an injured shoulder) or the fantastic job that Al Golden has done in his 4th year as head coach, but I'll give the credit to Jesse Martineau who is backing this team as if it came from Manch Vegas. Even if the Owls are missing Pierce (and his 15 TDs), I think Temple can win this one by 3 or more. I'll take the Owls giving the points.


Clemson  -3   South Carolina

The South Carolina State Championship Game. With Clemson heading to the ACC title game, this one really just comes down to pride. The Tigers have won the ten of the last twelve meetings between the schools, and are coming in with a six game winning streak. The Gamecocks and the Ol' Ball Coach have seen their season fall apart since losing to Alabama, having dropped 4 out of 5 games. I really don't think SC has enough motivation to win this one, and it looks like Steve Spurrier is destined for a .500 season - only the third non-winning season of his college coaching career. I'm taking Clemson giving three points.


North Carolina  -5.5  NC State

Sticking with the in-state rivals theme, we'll travel north for the North Carolina State Championship Not Involving Duke or Wake Forest. UNC demolished Boston College last week and I don't see the Wolfpack giving them much more trouble than the Eagles did. On a side note, my dad won two tickets to the BC game last week, and went with my uncle. I asked my dad - who is not a huge college football fan - what he thought of the game. "Well, we had to take a shuttle bus from satellite parking, and by the time we got there, BC was already losing by 14. We should have just got back on the bus and gone home." As usual, my story has no relevance to anything whatsoever. I'll take UNC giving 5.5.


Oklahoma  -8  Oklahoma State

I'll bet no OU fan saw this one coming. The Cowboys are ranked and looking for a big bowl game. Oklahoma is just trying not to embarrass themselves too much. Even though OSU is ranked, the Sooners are favored. Sorry OU fans, I'm smelling upset here and taking OSU with the points. 

Week 12 - Video Links Galore

Going into the final 3 weeks of regular season play, I’m still 8 wins away from being bowl eligible. It’s a good thing I work for a PR agency, and can make a public push for a spot in the post-season. With six teams still undefeated – including Texas, Alabama and Florida – it looks like TCU and Boise State (who has hired a PR firm) will have to play in the Orange, Fiesta or Sugar Bowls, while two of the three schools mentioned above duke it out for the BCS Championship.


Bonehead of the Week

In lieu of a Bonehead of the Week, I want to give a shout out to my favorite newsman and Canadian, Pat Kiernan of NY1. Not only is today Pat’s birthday, but he offered a personal apology for his spotty attendance on NY1 and to top it off, Lauren ended up winning $25 to Amazon.com in Pat’s daily trivia contest. Pat, if I could, I’d buy you a “Happy Birthday” Molson or Labatt’s. Just when I thought I couldn’t like him any more, today’s double dose of the “Canadian Cronkite” moves him ahead of Bobby Orr, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Darrin O’Brien (a.k.a. Snow) on my list of favorite Canadians. Thanks again, Pat.

On to the Picks!



Ohio State -12 Michigan

Its time to play The Game. Time to play The Gaaaaaaaaaaame. Sorry – I got a bit carried away. If Michigan has shown one thing this year, it’s that they can beat their non-conference opponents (4-0) and lose to their Big Ten rivals (1-6). Ohio State has already locked up a trip to the Rose Bowl, but don’t think they aren’t going to take the opportunity to keep Michigan from becoming bowl-eligible. This season is turning into one to forget for Coach Rich Rodriguez, and it won’t get any easy this week in Ann Arbor. I’m taking The Ohio State University giving 12. No word on whether Lemmy Kilmister is a Buckeyes or Wolverines fan, but with those mutton chops, I’d guess Michigan.



UL Monroe -2½ UL Lafayette

The Battle of University of Louisianas! The Warhawks have strung together a decent 6-4 record, albeit against some pretty crappy teams. The Ragin’ Cajins on the other hand are 5-5 having beaten - you guessed it – some equally crappy teams. With a two teams so evenly matched, I’ll have to look at the deciding factor. Which team has the best named player? I was leaning towards the Warhawks’ wide receiver LaGregory Sapp (and that hard-hitting interview), but then was drawn to the running back tandem of the Cajins, Undrea Sails and Yobes Walker (and that gag reel). Congrats, ULL, you guys have the better names, so I’ll take the Ragin’ Cajins getting the points.



Florida -45 Florida Intl

These are the kinds of spreads that I hate. The ones that are so big that you can't even believe you're going for it. Sorry - this is one of those “we’ll have no trouble whupping you” games for Florida. With 5-5 FSU on the schedule next week, and then the SEC title game against unbeaten Alabama, I can’t imagine that the Gators will go all out against FIU. HOWEVER, I also can’t imagine that the Golden Panthers will fare much better than Troy (56-6) or Charleston Southern (62-3). Because of my lack of imagination, I’m going to take Florida giving an astounding 45 points here.



Colorado State -4 New Mexico

Due to mathematical reasons, both of these teams cannot end the game having zero conference losses. Colorado State started the season 3-0, and has since lost seven straight. The Lobos didn’t wait until week 4 to start losing, they’re a perfect 0-10, and have lost 14 in a row dating back to October of last year. Don’t let the records fool you though. New Mexico stuck with #22 BYU last week, despite gaining just 41 yards rushing. If the Lobos’ passing game can have another solid week, and given the fact that CSU is allowing nearly 250 yards passing per game, I think New Mexico has a shot to win. I’m going out on a limb, and taking the Lobos getting the points.



Stanford -7 California

While this doesn’t have the pizzazz of the USC-UCLA rivalry, it does carry the Big Game moniker (I guess OSU-Michigan isn’t as concerned with adjectives). Stanford has been scoring like John Mayer lately, with big wins over top-ten squads Oregon and USC. Cal managed to put up a combine six points against those two teams earlier in the season. This one seems to be an open and shut case, even with the crazy mascot of the Cardinal. On a side note – the GW women’s basketball team played Stanford in the NCAA Tournament one year while I was the mascot. The Stanford mascot could not have been more annoying if she was in that Pizzazz video. As much as I’d like to see him/her/it lose, I’m taking Stanford giving seven.

Until next week . . .

Week 11 Results - Sub .500 . . . again

As it turns out, my double duty week was all over the place. Most of the games with blown out spreads ended up covering (to my chagrin) and I went a less-than-stellar 4-6. Without going into a game-by-game breakdown, Boises State, TCU and Oklahoma made repeated trips behind the woodshed, Florida didn't, and the upstart Temple Owls are bowl eligible and staring at a post-Thanksgiving matchup with Ohio for a spot in the MAC Championship game.

A quick Bonehead of the Week mention as well. Since I've missed about three of these, I feel comfortable singling out a few players on the Tennessee Volunteers. Redshirt Freshman Oliver was cited for allegedly stealing a brown Polo shirt valued at approximately $110 five and a half hours before kickoff (maybe he had nothing to wear to the field?), and three other players - Janzen Jackson, Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards - were arrested early Thursday morning on charges of attempted armed robbery.

From ESPN.com: According to the police report, the victims of the robbery were in their car outside a Pilot convenience store, parked next to a Toyota Prius, when a black male approached wearing a hooded sweatshirt, brandishing what appeared to be a handgun, opened the driver's side door and said "Give me everything you have." A second black male also wearing a hooded sweatshirt then came around to the passenger side of the victims' car, opened it and said, "Give us everything you've got." But when the victims opened their wallets and showed they had no money, a third black male approached the other two and said "we've got to go," and all three got into the Prius and drove away, according to the police report.
As bad as all of this looks, it gets even worse when we learn that the night before, coach Lane Kiffin praised his team for not having any off-the-field issues. Well, besides the curfew violations from Jackson and Edwards in August or the supposed failed drug test by Jackson last week. But other than those minor things, life is good over in the Smokey Mountains, huh Lane?
 
As of 3PM, Edwards was still a member of the team, while Jackson and Richardson have been dismissed from the team. I have to hand it to Kiffin - just the threat of being named Bonehead of the Week was enough to act.

Week 11: 4-6

Season: 26-27-2

Week 11 - Oops

Since I never got a chance to post last week, I'm doing double duty this week. Without any further ado, here are the picks:

Boise State -31.5 Idaho

Boise State has a huge chip on their shoulder –and that wasn’t just a potato joke. This is a team that has a PR firm working for them to show just how deserving they are of going to a BCS bowl game this year. The Broncos are going to have a tough time arguing that point as long as TCU stays unbeaten as well, so they’ll have to make some noise on the field as well. For a team that routinely puts up 41+ points a game, that would seem like an easy task against the Vandals, who are 7-3 despite allowing an average of 31 points per game (including giving up 70 in their loss to Nevada). However, the Vandals are having one of their best seasons in quite some time, rattling off a string of five straight wins. The key to keeping this game close will be Idaho’s ability to keep pace with the Boise State offense. Unless starting QB Nate Enderle has fully healed from his rotator cuff injury, it is going to be a long day for Idaho. I’m not so sure he’ll be back or at 100%, but 31.5 points is an awful lot to win by. I’ll take the Vandals getting the points.


Temple -4 Akron

Temple is 7-2, has a very good shot of winning the MAC East division, and could very well wind up playing in *gasp* a bowl game this year. At 2-7, the Zips really shouldn’t pose much of a problem for the Owls, and I see Temple cruising to their first 8-win season since 1979. Gas up the RV, Jesse – it looks like Temple is heading to the post-season. I’ll take the Owls giving 4 points.

Miami -3 UNC

What a weird season the Hurricanes have been having. At 7-2, they still have one of the better records in the ACC, but despite beating GA Tech, they have almost no shot at making it to the ACC title game. In fact, the Hurricanes – who navigated a very top-heavy schedule – may find themselves on the outside looking in at the BCS. On paper UNC shouldn’t be a tough foe for Miami. But, as we know, games aren’t played on paper. They’re played on television. The Tarheels have a 3-0 record in Chapel Hill against the Hurricanes, and despite a 2-3 ACC record, have a 3 point upset win against VA Tech (who beat Miami) to brag about. This game should be closer than most people think, but I see the Hurricanes covering the spread. I’ll take Miami giving 3.

Pittsburgh -6.5 Notre Dame

I know it’s a tough economy, and Notre Dame is all about Catholic values and charity, but enough is enough with this Charlie Weis business. After last week’s embarrassing loss to Navy, Charlie is about as popular with Notre Dame leadership as the Trojan Man. On the field, the Bill Stull/Dion Lewis combo of Pittsburgh is just too much for the Irish, and I think this game is the one that might have resumes coming in to the AD’s office in South Bend. I’m taking the Panthers to cover.

Florida -15.5 South Carolina

The Gators ripped apart the Old Ball Coach last season – drubbing the Gamecocks by 50. As much as I’d love to see SC exact some revenge and throw the BCS into a tizzy, there isn’t much of a chance for the Gamecocks to knock off Florida. While the Old Ball Coach probably has a few tricks up his sleeve, they won’t be enough to end the Gators’ streak of 19-straight wins. Even with Tim Tebow poised to have his worst statistical season as a starter, I see the Gators winning this one and covering the spread. I’ll take Florida giving 15.5.

BONUS PICKS

Since I missed last week, here are five additional picks to bring me back to where I need to be:

Penn State -25.5 Indiana

That seems like a lot of points for the Nittany Lions to beat a team like Indiana (who only lost by 3 to both Michigan and Wisconsin). I’ll take the Hoosiers getting 25.5.

Cincinnati -9 West Virginia

I smell upset. I’ll take the Mountaineers getting 9.

TCU -19.5 Utah

See explanation of Boise State-Idaho. I’m taking Utah with the points.

Oklahoma -20 Texas A&M

Do the Zambutos even care at this point? I think the Aggies getting the points is a safe bet.

Western Michigan -12 Eastern Michigan

The battle of Directional Michigan Schools! I’ll take WMU to roll over the winless EMU Eagles and cover the spread.

Until next week . . .

Week 9 Results

After hastily picking five games for Week 9, I wound up going 2-3.

Washington State (+27.5) managed to lose by a mere 26 points to Notre Dame, Cincinnati (-15) covered against Syracuse, USC (-3) was blown out by a surging Oregon squad, Navy (-7) was upset by Temple, and Miami (-7) couldn't cover against Wake Forest.

Week 9: 2-3
Season: 22-21-2

Week 9 - Falling off the Wagon

After another 3-2 week (20-18-2 on the season), I totally neglected another week's worth of picks. With 7 minutes until Saturday, here is another abbreviated set coming to you live from Peabody, MA - home of the Tanners!

Washington State +27.5
USC -3
Navy -7
Miami -7
Cincinnati -15

The good news is, I'm starting a new job in a week, so life should be less hectic. Until then . . .

Week 8 - Going to the Dogs

MARSHALL -7 Uab

How have I missed talking about this? Marshall’s RB, ranked #7 in the nation in rushing IS MARSHALL. Literally. I think UAB is no match for either Marshall, and I'm taking the Herd to cover.

PITTSBURGH -6½ South Florida

TOLEDO -2½ Temple

Florida -22½ MISSISSIPPI STATE

ARIZONA -7½ Ucla

What to these other games have in common (besides that I didn't have time to do write-ups of them)? They all feature underdogs beating the spread. I'm in one of those "Let's Go Underdogs" moods this week, and I'm passing on the love to you. I'll take USF, Temple, Mississippi State and UCLA all getting the points.

On an unrelated note - and I know you've been wondering why you're all getting two crappy columns in a row - I was offered a new job this week. So, yay for me and next week's column will be better. I promise.

Week 7 Results

A quick note up-front. I always try to take a light-hearted approach to writing about college football (I happen to be a big Joe Paterno fan, and don't actually mean all - okay most of the jokes I make at his expense). However, sometimes you have to take a step back and appreciate the game - and all team sports - for being something more than a vehicle via which you can gamble. Though I never played football (I was a track geek in high school), I do know the value of being part of a team. The guys (or ladies) you spend a season with - winning, losing, and growing - become a second (and in some cases first) family.

The loss of a family member is always difficult, and I want to take the opportunity - through my modestly-read outlet - to offer my condolences to the friends and families of UConn CB Jasper Howard, who was killed in an on-campus altercation last weekend. I'm not going to wax poetic about this any more than I already have, but it was encouraging to see Howard's football family rally around the tragedy. Most touching was this quote from UConn co-captain Desi Cullen. “To hear the news he is a father … and that (the child) will grow up without a father tears me apart. As Jazz looks down on us, I can promise his son or daughter will have 105 uncles. We will be better men because of Jazz.”


On to last week's results . . .

GA Tech upset VA Tech (-3), The Longhorns (-3.5) won by a field goal and pretty much ruined Sam Bradford and the Sooners' season, Alabama rolled, but not by enough over South Carolina (+17), FIU (+10) just managed to beat the spread against Troy State, and Ohio (-13.5) played like Ohio State, dismantling Miami, OH by 21.

Week 7: 3-2
This Season: 17-16-2

Stay tuned for this week's pick either today or tomorrow. It has been a very long and nerve-wracking two weeks, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Full disclosure soon - I promise.

Week 7 - Quick Picks

Week 7 is upon us! Big match ups this weekend. USC-ND. OU-Texas. I may even pick some of them.

Bonehead of the Week

I'm nominating myself. Not so much for being a bonehead, but mostly I've been so busy that I haven't been able to craft a proper column this week. Hopefully I'll be able to explain more next week. Until then you'll have to deal with the abbreviated picks.

On to the picks

Texas -3.5 Oklahoma

I'm getting this one out of the way. In this year's Red River Shootout, the Sooner come limping (or whatever you do with a bum shoulder) into the Cotton Bowl. Texas' Colt McCoy hasn't fared much better, but at least he's playing. I'm sorry, OU fans, but Texas should run away with this one. I'm taking the Longhorns giving the points, and I'll also be watching my mail for suspicious packages from the Atlanta area.


VA Tech -3 GA Tech

Both teams have shown flashes of excellencethis season, though the Yellowjackets haven't beaten a ranked team yet. With the strength of the VA Tech defense, I don't see that trens changing this week. I'm taking the Hokies giving three.


Ohio -13.5 Miami, OH

The battle of Ohio Teams Not Named the Buckeyes! I'll take the Bobcats giving 13.5



Alabama -17 South Carolina

Last week the Tide showed everyone (myself included) that they deserve to be included in the National Championship discussion. I think the Gamecocks make a game of it. I'll take South Carolina getting the points.


Troy -10 Florida International

Both of these teams are awful. However, I think FIU is less than 10 points as awful as the Trojans. I'll take the Golden Panthers getting ten points.

Until next week . . .

Week 6 Results - Back to .500

Yup - I got exactly what I needed last week - a perfect 5-0 week to counteract the wonderful results I got from the Red Sox (a sweep) and the Texans (A Schaub interception returned for a game winning TD). I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't surprised by the Red Sox meltdown, but the Texans game - that was a crushing defeat. When you're the only Texans fan in the Tri-State area (possibly even on the East Coast) - and yes, I do in fact own an authentic Demeco Ryans jersey - you take these things to heart. With the complete parity of the AFC this year outside of Denver, Indy and Cinci(?), a wild card spot for my Texans isn't entirely out of the question - though they could easily lose their next 7 straight and guarantee another sub .500 season.

On a random side note, I ran into Joey Simmons a.k.a. Rev. Run (of Run DMC fame) [and someone who looked an awful lot like his slightly more famous brother Russell] this afternoon at Subway on 56th Street of all places. I guess God is Love, as is a foot long meatball marinara sub.

Since it is already Wednesday, I'll make it an easy recap. I picked every game correctly. Navy (-11.5) destroyed Rice, UConn (+7.5) kept it close, Alabama (-4.5) showed that they are a BCS Championship contender, Kent State (+3) lost by one in heartbreaking fashion on Homecoming Weekend, and Michigan State (-4) covered against the Illini. Like Ashton Kutcher, I'm awesome!!





Week 6: 5-0
This season: 14-14-2


Anyhow - for those of you also keeping track, Jeff limped to 1-3-1 this week.

Week 6 - Big Conference Matchups . . . and Navy!

I always felt badly for the D1A "Independent Schools." Well, at least not those that have a national TV contract. Though Temple, Western Kentucky and UConn have all fallen under this moniker, and Army spent an unsuccessful 7 years in Conference USA, I'm talking specifically about the Middies at Navy. Here is a better than average team that never gets to beat up on weak conference opponents. They never play the Mississippi States or Dukes or Washington States that Florida, VA Tech and USC have on their in-conference schedules. Navy has to settle for a five year rivalry with Temple. The Midshipmen won't play in a BCS game either, unless Notre Dame is putrid and Navy manages to have an undefeated season that would warrant even consideration of an invite. What is my point? As usual, I don't have one - I'm just ranting. However, I will make it a point to pick Navy games more often, since they always manage to keep the score close and are a pretty good team against the spread.

Bonehead of the Week

I'm going with the chair of the FSU trustee board Jim Smith and head coach Bobby Bowden. After the Seminoles lost again, Smith said that Bowden's days at FSU were numbered. Bowden's response?:

The moral of the story - don't get into a pissing match with a 79 year old man. Their bladders are unpredictable.

On to the picks.

Navy -11.5 Rice

Navy's first game in the battle to be the best four letter team in the nation! Watch out, Troy, Army and Duke - this could be Navy's year. Navy is coming off a morale-boosting OT win against Air Force, and I think they'll use the momentum to roll over Rice this week. Granted, Rice is just awful, allowing an average of 40+ points per game. The Midshipmen should have no trouble covering against Rice, and I'm taking them giving the points.

Pitt -7.5 UConn

From a pure gambling point of view, this is an intriguing matchup. My friend (okay, we've never actually met) Danny Sheridan lists this one as a 7.5 point spread, whereas most other "for entertainment purposes only" sites have it at 6.5. Here's a free tip - when there is a full point difference between the recognized spread and the one you're using, someone either is A) adamant that they are correct, or B) not watching the way people are betting. Either way, I like UConn's chances here - mostly because they are 4-0 against the spread this season, and while I think Pitt is a good team, I don't see them emerging as the Big East contender this season. However, they do have a QB named Bill Stull who has already tossed 11 TDs and has a strong, Big XII-esque sounding name (like Colt McCoy, Taylor Potts or Robert Griffin III). He also has the 4th best passer rating, which I guess is also a sign of success. He'll be up against a UConn defense that is 5th in the nation in sacks, and pretty effective against the pass. I'm taking UConn getting 7.5 here, from the "they're getting too many points" standpoint.


Alabama -4.5 Ole Miss

Roll Tide! This Alabama offense scores so frequently and so easily, you'd think they were slipping their opponents roofies. [NOTE: Neither Lee, nor Lee's Picks of the Week endorse or advocate the use of Rohypnol in any way shape or form. In fact, if you knew Lee in college you'd know he was more like Western Kentucky than Alabama.] The Tide starts a string of games against three tough opponents (and an underrated Tennessee team) with the trip to Oxford this week. The Rebels will look to capitalize (no, that is not a "people from Mississippi have difficulty with grammar" joke) on lat week's drubbing of Vandy. They will be up for a big challenge as Alabama brings the 2nd ranked defense along with their high-powered offense. I think Alabama wins this one and covers the spread, and with the status of Florida QB Tim Tebow in question, there is a good chance that Alabama could springboard into the top 2 by Halloween.


Bowling Green -3 Kent State

Whoooooooo! MAC Football - Feel the excitement!

Bowling Green will look to stop a four game losing streak against a Golden Flashes squad that is going with a quarterback by committee strategy. However, the key to the Kent State offense has been converted-wide-receiver-to-tailback Jacquise Terry. If Terry can carry the offense for Kent State, the Falcons will have a tough time avoiding a 5th straight loss. If you've managed to stay awake through this paragraph, congrats! I had as much trouble finding a hook as you did reading it. I'm taking Kent State getting the points. Here's a video to wake you up.




Michigan State -4 Illinois

Last week Michigan State pulled off an overtime upset against rival Michgan. The Illini countered with their 3rd loss - a trampling by Penn State and Grandpa Joe. The Spartans are one of those middle-of-the-road Big Ten teams that ends up going .500 and playing in the Little Ceasars Pizza Bowl. They win the games they're supposed to win, lose the ones they're supposed to lose, and pull off an upset in the middle. Well, with the upset accomplished, I say they move on to Illinois and scratch out a win against a vastly inferior team. They only thing I can see that Illinois brings to the table is some wisdom on the bench. I'm taking MSU giving the points.


Jeff's Picks of the Weak

Iowa -8

Virginia -6.5

Mississippi +4.5

LSU +8

Oklahoma +26

Until next time . . .

Week 5 Results and Thank Yous

Not bad for a bounce back week. If I wasn't so afraid of Sooners fans from New Jersey, I would have gone 4-1.

Before I get to the results, I'd like to thank Devin Heritage, Laura Zambuto, and TA & Cheeques for donating and helping the JDRF over the weekend. The walk was a big success, and all told I managed to raise $87. Thanks again for your support, and it still isn't too late to contribute.

One side note. As you may know, tonight is Game One of the ALDS, and I thought I'd pass along the following email exchange between a co-worker and myself:

If I told you that the Twins had a guy going in Game One who had never pitched for them in the postseason, you would feel confident.

If I told you that the Twins had a guy going for them in Game One who had a career losing record in postseason play and never had pitched past the 6th inning, you would probably pencil in a “W” for the Yankees.

If I told you that the Twins had a guy going for them in Game One who had a 9.47 postseason ERA since 2007, coupled with a WHIP of 2.32, you would ask me why the Twins were putting that guy in the rotation, let alone starting Game One.

Those are statistics, and you cannot argue with them.

Now were the Yankees to put that guy on the mound, you’d tell me that he is going to without a doubt get the win, he’d likely give up 2 runs or fewer, and that he’d work well into the 7th inning or beyond. That guy is CC Sabathia.

None of this matters, because Josh Beckett (he of a 7-2 record, 2.90 ERA, less than 1 walk or hit per inning in the postseason and 2 World Series titles) sucks.

My co-worker's response:

In 1997, a nobody named Scott Brosius batted a cool .203 for a marginal Oakland Athletics squad. In 1998, he came to the Yankees, bat .300, hit 19 homeruns, and drove in a career-high 98 RBI. In his first taste of the postseason, he went 20 for 47 with 4 homeruns and 15 RBI.

In 1992, mild-mannered right fielder Paul O’Neill was treading water in Cincinnati, batting .246 in the soft underbelly of the NL Central. Things changed in 1993 when O’Neill joined the New York Yankees, where he threw off the Clark Kent-guise and exploded into the spotlight, batting .311 with 20 homeruns, leaving opponents and dozens of Gatorade coolers reduced to rubble in his wake.

The lesson here, of course, is that it’s a complete waste of time to use what someone did before joining the Yankees as a predictive tool for how they might perform once a member of the greatest team in the history of sports. The Yankees are magic.

And for the record, over the past month CC has an ERA more than a run lower than Beckett, as well as a lower WHIP and more strikeouts.

I notice the Red Sox aren’t playing tonight – is today one of the big holidays on the Douchebag calendar?

Feeling the need to counter, I replied:

Congrats on being the first person ever to use the words “Paul O’Neill” and “mild-mannered” in the same sentence.

To your point, yes, past non-Yankee performances are not always indicative of Yankee playoff performances.

• The great Carl Pavano went 18-8 and a WS title for Florida in 2004, and then proceeded to amass a stellar 4-6 record in his 2005 campaign with the Yankees, making 0 postseason appearances with the Yankees;
• Future Hall of Famer Kevin Brown went 58-32 with the Dodgers before coming to the Yankees and putting up a Steinbrenner-pleasing 14-13 regular-season record, and managed a Game 7 loss to Boston in the 2004 ALCS (a.k.a. The Greatest Comeback in the History of Sports™;
• Mr. Reliable Alex Rodriguez hit a torrid .421 in his first playoff series with the Yankees (2004 ALDS) and has since hit a cool Mendoza Line (15 for 75).

Please don’t engage me in any more of this conversation. Let’s agree to disagree, being it such a big holiday on the Douchebag calendar - the Celtics kick off their pre-season with a game against Houston.

Best regards,

Lee

I'll update this if/when it continues. For now, the results of last week's picks.

I managed to go 3-2 including:

• Penn State (-7) taking Illinois behind the woodshed and winning 35-17
• Wyoming (+3.5) became the latest team to beat the Worst Team in Florida - Florida Atlantic, 30-28
• B.C. (+4) beat ACC rival Florida State at home 28-21
• Notre Dame (-13) managed to beat Washington, but did so by a margin so thin . . . come back to me, I have a Charlie Weis joke in here somewhere.
• The aforementioned Oklahoma Sooners (-7) lost the game - and their BCS title chances - to Miami 21-20.

Meanwhile, the Guru himself, Jeff Lerner went 1-3-1 on the week, forcing him to remember what happens when you mess with the (guy who is full of) Bull. You're gonna get (an opportunity to pick OU against) the Horns.

Week 5: 3-2
Season: 9-14-2