The Ole College Try

Rivalry week part 2, and oh what a week it was!.

Game of the Week

Auburn Tigers 48 - Alabama Crimson Tide 45.  a big rivalry game, between two Top 15 teams ends up being way more exciting than these games usually are. Ninety-three points scored, a controversy (the Auburn field goal at the end of the first half), trickery and the resulting whining (the punt line-up and the resulting 12 man on the field penalty), and a missed field goal knocking Alabama out of the playoffs!  Super, super exciting!

Best Team Performance

Ohio State Buckeyes.  Playing a supposedly resurgent rival (Michigan), and utterly destroying them 56-27.  A 300 yard passer (Justin Fields), a 200 yard rusher (J.K. Dobbins) and a 100 yard receiver (Garrett Wilson) virtually locks Ohio State into the number 1 seed (especially since the committee no longer has to worry about a 1-4 LSU-Alabama rematch in the semi-finals.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Miami Hurricanes.  Consecutive losses to Florida International and Duke are a horrendous way to finish the season.  Will probably lose to an inferior team in an inferior, irrelevant bowl.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

J.K. Dobbins, RB - Ohio State Buckeyes.  Dobbins finished with 211 yards rushing, 48 yards receiving and 4 TDs in Ohio State's rout of Michigan.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Jonathan Greenard, DE - Florida Gators.  Greenard had 3 sacks against Florida State, and probably would have had more if the rest of the defense also didn't dominate the Florida State offensive line (and playcalling).

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Jalen Reagor, KR - TCU Horned Frogs.  Reagor's return touchdown in the loss against West Virginia was his second of the year, the first person to do this for TCU since 2012.  This gives him the spots over Jaylen Waddle only because I like the way he spells "Jalen" better.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Elijah Moore, WR - Mississippi Runnin' Rebels.  Moore caught a 2 yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left in the game that brought the Rebels within an extra point of tying The Egg Bowl with Mississippi State at 21.  However, Moore decided to act like he was a dog (presumably a bulldog) and lifted his leg mimicking urination.  He received an unsportsmanlike conduct 15 yard penalty, and Luke Logan ultimately missed the longer extra point so Mississippi - and Moore - lost the game.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Nick Saban, Alabama.  He gets caught by a unique fake punt formation and has his team called for a 12 man on the field penalty that gives Auburn a first down late in the fourth quarter.  Without that penalty, a precious minute and a half do not run off the clock, giving Alabama at least a closer field goal to tie the game, if not a touchdown.

Breakthrough Performance

Kylin Hill, RB - Mississippi State Bulldogs.  Despite the above error on the part of Elijah Moore, Kylin Hill was a big part of why the Bulldogs won The Egg Bowl.  Hill rushed for 132 yards, setting up all of State's touchdowns.

Finally

We can stop discussing this Alabama team, as its defense was clearly not up to par this year, surrendering over 45 to LSU and Auburn.

Impact Injury

Tua Tagavailoa, QB - Alabama.  It is still Tua. Makes me wonder what this game would have looked like with Tagavailoa, although Mac Jones did play wonderfully.

Team Rising

Utah Utes.  After their 45-15 victory over Colorado guarantees them a spot in the Pac-12 championship game, their playoff destiny is mostly in the hands of the Utes.  Yes, they would have to beat Oregon, but that is up to them.  They are likely in the playoff ahead of the Oklahoma/Baylor winner (especially if it is Baylor, which would split the season series between the two).  Can the Utes take care of business and beat the Ducks?  We shall see.

Team Falling

Alabama Crimson Tide.  This is the first time that Alabama will miss the college football playoffs since its inception in 2014.

Player(s) to Watch

Jalen Hurts, QB - Oklahoma Sooners.  The Big 12 championship game all depends upon whether the second half against Baylor Jalen Hurts shows up, or the first half against Baylor Jalen Hurts shows up.  If it is the former, Baylor and Utah fight for the last playoff spot (assuming LSU defeats Georgia).  If it is the latter, Oklahoma lays its claim to the last playoff spot.

My New Favorite Player

Elijah Moore, WR - Mississippi Runnin' Rebels.  Despite the fact that his celebration cost his team the game, the manuever that started the "Piss Miss" was hysterical.

Players of the Week

5.  Jonathan Greenard, DE - Florida Gators.  See above.

4.  Jamale Carothers, RB - Navy Midshipmen.  Carothers gained 188 yards and scored 5 TDs in Navy's 56-41 defeat of Houston.

3.  Jaylen Waddle, WR - Alabama Crimson Tide.  Waddle caught 4 passes for 98 yards and 3 TDs, and also returned 3 kicks for 132 yards, including a 98 yard touchdown.

2.  Bryce Perkins, QB - Virginia Cavaliers.  In Virginia's 39-30 victory over in-state rival Virginia Tech, Perkins was 20-33 for 311 yards and 1 TD, ad also ran for 164 yards and 2 more TDs  His performance gets Virginia a date with Clemson in the ACC Championship game.

1.  J.K. Dobbins, RB - Ohio State Buckeyes.  See above.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

LSU Tigers (1) v. Utah Utes (4)/ (2) Ohio State Buckeyes v. (3) Clemson Tigers

Remaining Unbeatens

Clemson, LSU, Ohio State

Remaining Winless Team

Akron - Only winless team on the year, as Akron has finished its season.

Rant(s) of the Week

Why are we penalizes celebrations?  If someone scores and gets specifically in the other team's face, OK, that is unsportsmanlike.  But, other than that, it is just a celebration.  Sometimes they are great, sometimes they are funny, sometimes they are questionable, and sometimes they are just stupid.  But, let the kids celebrate.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

Last week's question was:

With two sacks against Penn State, Ohio State defensive end has set the school record for sacks in a season with 16 1/2 (despite being suspended for 2 games).  Whose record did he break?

The answer is Vernan Gholston.

Match up(s) to Watch


5.  Cincinnati v. Memphis (American Conference Championship) - A rematch of last week's game in which Memphis prevailed.  Memphis, if it wins, will be the Group of 5's representative in the New Year's Day bowls.  A Cincinnati win opens the door for Boise State or Appalachian State.

4. Utah v. Oregon (Pac 12 Championship) - Utah has the opportunity to make the playoffs with a win, whereas Oregon has its sights set on the Rose Bowl.  Oregon should be favored, but Utah's defense is tough.

3. Ohio State v Wisconsin (Big 10 Championship) - A Wisconsin victory throws the entire playoff scenario into chaos, and possibly (but not likely) knocks Ohio State out of the playoff.  

2.  Baylor v. Oklahoma (Big 12 Championship) - Both teams have 1 loss, and the winner could be playoff bound if this win is convincing enough, and if LSU defeats Georgia.  Baylor looking for revenge after losing to Oklahoma just weeks ago.

1. Georgia v. LSU (SEC Championship) - Easily the best game on the books.  A Georgia win likely puts two SEC teams into the playoff.  An LSU win makes the fight for spot number 4 (assuming Ohio State and Clemson victories) incredibly interesting.

Trivia Question of the Week

Since the Iron Bowl was important this week, the question is how many consecutive times has Auburn won the Iron Bowl when the game was played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and both teams entered the game ranked in the AP Poll?

Picks of the Week

Happy Thanksgiving, and is there anything more Thanksgiving than NFL football?  Yes - the Spongebob Squarepants balloon at the Macy's!  Traveling this weekend some, so I am just going to go ahead and make my picks, which is dangerous as some game-time injury scratches could just change everything!

For those that are new to this site, I will select every game against the spread.  I will be selecting one big bet at $250 per, whereas everything else will be $100.  Winners count as winners, whereas losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.  On to the picks.

Chicago Bears -5 1/2 at Detroit Lions
I hate picking the road team on a short week, but if you thought I liked to make fun of Jeff Driskell, imagine how much I like to bet against a guy who could not even beat out Jeff Driskell for second string.

Buffalo Bills +7 at Dallas Cowboys
I still think that the Cowboys win this game - which would be their first win against a team with a winning record, but 7 seems really high.  Josh Allen's legs keeps the ball out of the hands of Rain Prescott and Ezekial Elliott, and their defense keeps it close anyway.

Atlanta Falcons +7 v. New Orleans Saints
Atlanta is not going to sneak up on New Orleans this time, but will still keep it close. Julio Jones is listed as questionable, but Devonta Freeman will be back, and ball-control is crucial when playing against Drew Brees.

Washington Racists +10 at Carolina Panthers
Dwayne Haskins coming of his first NFL win, which was basically a product of the teams defense, might be getting some confidence.  Plus, the Panthers with their 19th ranked offense isn't exactly lighting things up enough to outscore most teams by 10.

New York Jets -3 1/2 at Cincinnati Bengals
The New York Jets, especially on offense, are playing much, much better as of late winning 3 in a row after losing to the Miami Dolphins.  The number 1 ranked rush defense is going to put the onus on a recently promoted Andy Dalton.

Tennessee Titans +2 1/2 at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been solid all year, especially rushing the ball (3rd in the NFL) and against the rush (8th in the NFL), but this Ryan Tannehill phenomenon is really hard for me to explain.  So, I am just going to pick Tennessee when they should lose, and pick against them when they should win.

Baltimore Ravens -6 v. San Francisco 49ers
THE GAME OF THE WEEK TO WATCH; not the game of the week to bet.  We just don't know what is going to happen here.  When in doubt, follow the rules.  Bet against the west coast team travelling east and playing the early game.  Especially when that west coast team is missing players.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1 at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are reeling and are in serious trouble of losing not only games, but their coach, fan base, maybe even their team (London anyone?)  Tampa Bay is 4th in passing offense and 3rd in points, whereas Jacksonville - ordinarily good at 10th in passing defense - is missing 6 starters, including Calais Campbell and possibly Telvin Smith (Police activity at his house yesterday amid rumors or running a pot farm in Georgia).

Miami Dolphins +9 v. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles, which are 23rd in total offense, should not be favored by 9 points against any time when on the road.  Dolphins had been playing tough until last week's debacle against Cleveland, but the Browns might just be hitting their stride.

Green Bay Packers -6 1/2 at New York Giants
Green Bay has been struggling lately, but the Giants are the remedy for almost all that ails teams, as showcased last week in the Bears second-half performance against the Giants.

Cleveland Browns -1 1/2 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland is cruising, and Pittsburgh is playing Delvin Hodges.

Arizona Cardinals +3 v. Los Angeles Rams
There is just something about this Arizona team, especially in keeping games close.  The Rams are 18th in total offense, and 18th in total defense, not particularly great statistics.  The problem with this pick is that Arizona's defense is horrid, but the Rams offense has been struggling.  Give me the points.

Oakland Raiders +10 at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City is 30th in rush defense, and Josh Jacobs for Oakland is 5th in rushing yards.  As always, it is tough to be a double digit favorite, especially in an intra-divisional game, and if Jacobs can help keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes's hands, this game could be a 7-9 point victory for Kansas City.

Denver Broncos +2 1/2 v. Los Angeles Chargers
Honestly, I wanted to pick the Chargers here, but I have been picking way too m any road teams.  So, Broncos.  (How is that for scientific, mathematical and statistical analysis?)

Houston Texans +3 v. New England Patriots
Both teams have been struggling to play up to their usual expected selves lately, and this game could come down to field goals.  In that case, I want the points at home and I hope that the Texans win 9-6.  Plus, New England is having flu problems this week (8 players right now), so I will take Houston.

Minnesota Vikings +3 Seattle Seahawks
My rooting interests lies with the Seahawks, as I desperately need Minnesota and Green Bay to lose my games in preparation for my Bears being 6-6 after defeating Detroit this week (hopefully).  But, the Seahawks defense is 23rd in total defense and 21st in scoring defense, and they are giving points to Minnesota, so I will take them.

Big Bet I
Chicago Bears -5 1/2 at Detroit Lions
I hate picking the road team on a short week, but if you thought I liked to make fun of Jeff Driskell, imagine how much I like to bet against a guy who could not even beat out Jeff Driskell for second string.

What is a David Blough?  Although the fear of the unknown actually scares me when wagering, I am hoping Matt Nagy has learned that Mitchell Trubisky is better in a no huddle, and keeps that going for the rest of the season.

Big Bet II
Because I want to have something big at stake on Thanksgiving, and on Sunday, I am selecting two Big Bets this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1 at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are reeling and are in serious trouble of losing not only games, but their coach, fan base, maybe even their team (London anyone?)  Tampa Bay is 4th in passing offense and 3rd in points, whereas Jacksonville - ordinarily good at 10th in passing defense - is missing 6 starters, including Calais Campbell and possibly Telvin Smith (Police activity at his house yesterday amid rumors or running a pot farm in Georgia).

Since Tampa is going to be throwing the ball all over the field (Jameis Winston is second in passing yards - 32 behind Rain Prescot; Chris Godwin is second in receiving yards; and Mike Evans is third in receiving yards), I'll bet Jacksonville wishes they still had Jalen Ramsey.


Last Week's Record:  5-9
Last Week's Big Bet:  0-1
Year-to-Date Record:  83-94
Year-to-Date Big Bet:  7-5
Last Week's Winnings (Losses):  ($655)
Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses):  ($1,825)

The Ole College Try

This was week 13, or more importantly, the first of two consecutive weeks of rivalry games.  Who knows what can happen in a rivalry game?  Well, almost everyone as most games played out according to form.  Which ones did and didn't - stay tuned.

Game of the Week

Yale Bulldogs 50 - Harvard Crimson 43.  Now, for those of you that think that i am biased for picking a game with my alma mater, this is NOT a biased selection.  This truly was the game of the week.  It was tremendous.  And, the bad guys won, so you know it had to be good for me to select this game.  Harvard jumped out to a lead, was up 17 with like 6 minutes left, and up 14 with just over a minute left.  A touchdown, recovered onside kick, and a touchdown sent the game to overtime - IN THE DARK.  Let me emphasize this - THE YALE BOWL DOES NOT HAVE LIGHTS.  Now, why was the game scheduled to end in the dark if there are no lights?  It wasn't.  Students protesting and demanding for divestment from fossil fuel and climate change causing companies did a sit-in at halftime, causing a 48 minute delay.  43 people arrested.  In overtime, Harvard scores on the first play.  Yale scores to tie the game, and then scores again in the second overtime to go up 7.  Harvard gets into a 4th and 5, where coach Tim Murphy calls a bubble screen, which gains 4 1/2 yards to come up just short.  Yale secures a share of the Ivy League title, despite fumbling into the end zone on the first drive, but somehow replay gave the ball back to Yale, which eventually scored a field goal.   Yale quarterback Kurt Rawlings can play on Sunday.

Best Team Performance

Utah Utes.  Other teams had bigger wins, and still other teams had more impressive wins, but Utah, with an opportunity to clinch their division with only one loss (which Oregon failed to do on the other side of the conference), Utah defeated Arizona 35-7, giving up only a meaningless fourth quarter touchdown.  If Utah can win the Pac-12, they would be in contention for the last playoff spot with LSU (if Georgia wins the SEC), or with Alabama and Oklahoma (if LSU wins the SEC). Solidly doing what they had to do, can bring Utah into the playoff discussion.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Oregon Ducks.  The exact converse of Utah, the Ducks laid an egg when given the opportunity to stay in the playoff discussion, falling 31-28 to the Arizona State Sun Devils, helped at least in part by 2 consecutive fourth quarter interceptions by Justin Herbert.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Kedon Slovis, QB - USC Trojans.  The freshman QB, paying in his first rivalry game, was 37-47 for 515 yards and 4 TDs.  He spread the ball around well, as four different receivers gained at least 100 yards in the game as USC outdistanced UCLA 52-35.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Xavier McKinney, DB - Alabama Crimson Tide. McKinney had only 3 tackles, but 2 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, as Alabama destroyed Western Carolina 66-3.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Coby Bryant, CB - Cincinnati Bearcats.  Temple scores a touchdown to cut Cincinnati's lead to 13-6 in the fourth quarter, where Bryan returns the extra point for a 2 point defensive conversion to put the Bearcats up 15-6.  A later touchdown by Temple brings Cincinnati's lead down to the 2 point conversion, keeping the 10-1 Bearcats in the conversation for Group of 5 New Year's Bowl game.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Every Harvard student that protested at halftime of the Harvard-Yale game.  You made the game finish in the dark, where Harvard could only try short passes and runs to try to tie the game.  You suck!

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Tim Murphy - Harvard Crimson.  I get why you called the screen on 4th and 5 in double overtime, nobody could see if the pass was much longer, and, a first down was only a half a block away.  But, why did you try on onside kick in the fourth quarter up 17, giving Yale good field position to get that first score needed to start a comeback?  Don't you know Yale invented the onside kick?

Breakthrough Performance

Aiden Borguet, RB - Havard Crimson.  The first-year running back gained 269 on 11 carries, but he had 243 on his first 6 carries, with 4 TDs, to single-legedly push Harvard into its lead against Yale in his first ever appearance in THE GAME.

Finally

Bud Foster, DC - Virginia Tech Hokies.  Finally his last home game.  After coaching at Virginia Tech for 12,749 years, Bud Foster is finally retiring, and his last home game is a 28-0 shutout. Can coordinators make the College Football Hall of Fame?

Impact Injury

Tua Tagavailoa, QB - Alabama.  It is still Tua.

Team Rising

Oklahoma Sooners.  I know that it is hard to say that a team ranked 9th in the country is rising, but after defeating TCU 28-24, and with Ohio State's victory over Penn State, the Sooners are back in playoff contention.  Should LSU defeat Georgia in the SEC championship game (and Clemson and Ohio State take care of business), there will be only a few teams left for the last playoff spot, and that includes Alabama (if they defeat Auburn), Utah (if it wins the Pac-12), and Oklahoma - which has Oklahoma State and Baylor (for the second time) remaining. Given a possible conference championship for Oklahoma, it should have the advantage over Alabama.

Team Falling

SMU Mustangs.  One of the last 7 undefeateds after starting 8-0, SMU lost to Navy 35-28, its second loss of its last 3 games.  Once a contender for the Group of 5 spot in the New Year's Day Bowl game, SMU has slipped to also-ran status, as Cincinnati, Memphis, Boise State and Appalachian State remain at 1 loss.

Player(s) to Watch

Kurt Rawlings, QB - Yale Bulldogs.  Although he has played his last collegiate game since the Ivy League prohibits its football teams from playing in the I-AA, I mean FCS, playoffs (because the schedule interferes with finals for most of the schools), Rawlings went out with a bang in The Game, going 33-53 for 417 yards and 3 TDs, while gaining another 62 yards and an additional TD on the ground.  I HATE HIM!   

My New Favorite Player

Aiden Borguet, RB - Harvard Crimson.  He has SPEED.  Not Ivy League speed, but real speed.  His 4 touchdowns came on runs of 47, 59, 60, and and 67 yards.  I cannot wait to watch him run rampant through the Ivy League the next three years, despite starter Devin Darrington returning for his senior year.

Players of the Week

5.  Zack Moss, RB - Utah Utes.  Moss gained 203 yards on 26 carries, and scored 1 TD in Utah's 35-7 win over Arizona.

4.  Jonathan Taylor, RB - Wisconsin Badgers.  He gained 222 yards on 28 carries, with 1 TD as Wisconsin defeated Purdue 45-24, and putting Wisconsin in a must-win against Minnesota for the division championship.

3.  Jayden Daniels, QB - Arizona State Sun Devils.  The freshman QB threw for 408 yards and 3 TDs as Arizona State dashed Oregon'a playoff hopes 31-28.

2.  Kurt Rawlings, QB - Yale Bulldogs.  See above.

1.  Kedon Slovis, QB - USC Trojans.  See above.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

LSU Tigers (1) v. Oregon Ducks (4)/ (2) Ohio State Buckeyes v. (3) Clemson Tigers

Remaining Unbeatens

Clemson, LSU, Ohio State

Remaining Winless Team

Akron

Rant(s) of the Week

I understand the students felt like they were doing a good deed in protesting in favor of climate change, and asking for the divestment of school monies from companies that contribute to climate change, but boy was that the worst protest ever - and in contributed to Harvard losing the game.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

Last week's question was:

Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor eclipsed the NCAA record for most rushing yards through a junior season.  Whose record did he break?

The answer is Herschel Walker.

Match up(s) to Watch

5. Virginia Tech v. Virginia - The intrastate rivalry is increasingly important as the winner claims the ACC Coastal title and the opportunity to upset Clemson in the ACC Championship game.

4.  Cincinnati v. Memphis - In what could be the most exciting game of the weekend, Cincinnati has already clinched its division, whereas Memphis is tied with Navy.  A Memphis win sets up a re-match next week.

3.  Wisconsin v. Minnesota - The winner of this game wins the division, and the opportunity to play Ohio State for the Big 10 Championship.  If that winner is Minnesota, they would remain in playoff contention.  If it is Wisconsin, just the chance they could beat Ohio State could bring chaos to the playoffs.  

2.  Ohio State v. Michigan - Michigan has been playing incredibly well as of late, and if there was ever an interesting time for the underdog in this rivalry to pull out an upset - this would be it.

1.  Alabama v. Auburn - Last week was not much of a challenge for Mac Jones, or shall we say, Tua's replacement.  This game will show whether Alabama can play without Tua Tagavailoa, as Auburn's defense is outstanding and the Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen are at home. Although Auburn's offense has been stymied by exceptional defenses (Florida/LSU), Alabama's defense this year is not exceptional.  Does that increase Auburn's chances to win?  You bet.  Will they?  We shall see..

Trivia Question of the Week

With two sacks against Penn State, Ohio State defensive end has set the school record for sacks in a season with 16 1/2 (despite being suspended for 2 games).  Whose record did he break?

Picks of the Week

Coming to the conclusion of fantasy football seasons, as this and next week end most normal leagues.  Good think that I have a few more weeks to continue building out of the hole in which I placed myself.

For those that are new to this site, I will select every game against the spread.  I will be selecting one big bet at $250 per, whereas everything else will be $100.  Winners count as winners, whereas losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.  On to the picks.

Houston Texans -3 1/2 v. Indianapolis Colts
Damn Hook got me.

New York Giants +6 at Chicago Bears
There is no way that I am giving up almost a touchdown with Mitchell Trubisky right now.

Atlanta Falcons -4 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We are looking at a shootout here.  The Falcons are riding a two game winning streak over divisional foes, beating New Orleans and Carolina by a combined score of 55-12.

Denver Broncos +4 at Buffalo Bills
Denver played the Minnesota Vikings tough last week on the road, losing only by four.  I know that each week is different in the  NFL, but I have to give some credence to the Broncos showing and take the points.

Cincinnati Bengals +6 1/2 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
This is an intradivisional rivalry game, in which Pittsburgh is playing roughly zero of its starters.  OK, so not true on defense, but this game could end 6-0.

Miami Dolphins +10 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
Miami has been playing tough.  I don't think Miami has a chance to win this game, but I could see it being 30-20.

New Orleans Saints -9 1/2 v. Carolina Panthers
New Orleans has the third best rush defense, and given that Christian McCaffrey as a runner is one of the two offense weapons Carolina possesses - the other being Christian McCaffrey the receiver - New Orleans should beat Carolina handily.

New York Jets +3 v. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are a much better team, but the Jets are coming off two consecutive wins (albeit against the Washington Racists and New York Giants), and they are hosting a team travelling east and playing in the early game.

Seattle Seahawks +1 at Philadelphia Eagles
Despite the fact/betting rule that I just wrote about west coast teams travelling east and playing in the early game, Russell Wilson has been phenomenal in his career playing in the early game on the east coast, winning approximately 75% of the games.  Since Seattle is the betting underdog, I will take them to win.

Detroit Lions -3 1/2 at Washington Racists
Jeff Driskel has been able to move the ball in the past two games, albeit mostly with his feet.  Given that Washington is 28th in the NFL against the run, Detroit should control the ball and win this game.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 at Tennessee Titans
Just give me the points in this game.  I don't care which team is favored and why - just give me the points.

New England Patriots -5 1/2 v Dallas Cowboys
Yes, something is amiss with this Patriots team, but the Cowboys have serious flaws also.  This game will be played in some serious weather conditions, which favors New England, and, the flu is rumored to be going through the Cowboys this week.  You know what else favors New England?  Bell Belichick over Jason Garrett.

Green Bay Packers +3 at San Francisco 49ers
Aaron Rodgers often plays big in prime time games.  And, despite the expected return of George Kittle, San Francisco is missing a tone of players in this game.

Los Angeles Rams +3 1/2 v. Baltimore Ravens
Nobody loves Lamar Jackson as much as I, but Jalen Ramsey practically eliminates the deep passing game to receivers (M. Brown), and the defensive line eliminates the running backs.  That leaves Lamar's running, and short/intermediate passing to Mark Andrews.  That could win them the game, but this should be close..

Byes:  Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings

Big Bet
Atlanta Falcons -4 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We are looking at a shootout here.  The Falcons are riding a two game winning streak over divisional foes, beating New Orleans and Carolina by a combined score of 55-12.
I really wanted to select the Jets here, but the Falcons have been playing great football since their coaching shakeup.

Last Week's Record:  6-8
Last Week's Big Bet:  1-0
Year-to-Date Record:  78-85
Year-to-Date Big Bet:  7-4
Last Week's Winnings (Losses):  ($130)
Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses):  ($1,170)

Professional Football Wrap-Up

Here are my thoughts from Week 11 of the NFL season.

Game of the Week

Cleveland Browns 21 Pittsburgh Steelers 7,  This game earns this award for everything except the actual play on the feel. Cleveland sent 2 Pittsburgh receivers - JuJu Smith-Schuster and Dionte Johnson - to the locker room because of helmet-to-helmet hits, -including one ejection.  Then, with time almost out, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett hits Mason Rudolph way late, holds him up for a couple of seconds and then slams him to the ground with his entire body weight.  Interestingly, this results in none of the actual 3 penalties that Garrett committed.  Rudolph reacts by trying to rip Garrett's helmet off, and when that doesn't work, but kicking Garrett in the nether regions trying to get Garrett's body weight off of him.  Garrett responds by actually ripping Rudolph's helmet off, and then swinging, and connecting, with the now helmetless noggin of Rudolph.  Markice Pouncey then comes him, hits Garrett a couple of times, shoves him to the ground, and with another Steeler on top of Garrett, kicks Garrett.  Rudolph - at this time yelling and screaming behind Pouncey, Cleveland Browns lineman Larry Ogunboji comes running in and shoves Rudolph to the ground from the back.  Garrett suspended indefinitely, but no shorter than the rest of the season, Pouncey for 3 games and Ogunboji for 1.  Pouncey likely would not have been suspended until he started kicking.  These teams play in two weeks. 

Best Team Performance

Baltimore Ravens.  For the second consecutive entry (the last one was week 9), the Ravens gave the best team performance, pummeling the Houston Texans 41-7 as Lamar Jackson cemented his place in the MVP race by throwing for 222 yards and 4 scores, and rushing for 86 more yards, as Houston had no answer for the mercurial Jackson.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Carolina Panthers.  The Panthers were absolutely obliterated by the now-resurgent Atlanta Falcons 29-3.  Christian McCaffrey showed some fight with 191 total yards, but this game was never close, not even at 0-0.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Dak Prescott, QB - Dallas Cowboys.  Trying to ensure that Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson do not run away with the MVP race, Prescott threw for 444 yards and 3 TDs, as the Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions 35-27.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Maxx Crosby, DE, Oakland Raiders.  Crosby had 4 - YES 4 - sacks against the Cincinnati Bengals as the Raiders defeated the winless Bengals 17-10.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Jason Sanders, K - Miami Dolphins.  Only because he recovered only the second successful onside kick in the NFL this year.  Yes, HE recovered it.  Sanders kicked the ball along the ground before him in the second quarter with the Dolphins trailing the Buffalo Bills 16-7, and jumped on it as soon as the ball traveled 10 yards.

Most Impressive Team Performance (Premier League)

Off for international duty.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Premier League)

Off for international duty.

Goat of the Week

Myles Garrett, DE - Cleveland Browns.  You can't swing a helmet at another player, especially if that player is already helmetless and you swing at his head.  A long suspension is warranted.

Goat of the Week (Premier League)

Off for international duty.

Hit of the Week

Myles Garrett, DE - Cleveland Browns.  See above.

Breakthrough Performance

Bo Scarborough, RB - Detroit Lions.  The humongous running back out of Alabama finally got the opportunity to play after being re-called from the practice squad, and he gained 55 yards on only 4 carries and 1 TD, as the Lions lost to the Cowboys 35-27.  Taking advantage of the injury to Kerryon Johnson, and despite rumblings to the fact that two separate other backs were going to be featured by the Lions, Scarborough came in and showed why he was such a force for the Crimson Tide.

Finally

Deebo Samuel, WR - San Francisco 49ers.  Taking advantage of injuries in the receiving corps, Samuel caught 8 balls for 134 yards, showcasing his speed along the way.

Impact Injury

James Conner, RB - Pittsburgh Steelers.  Conner, who was supposed to be healthy for the Browns game after coming off a previous shoulder injury, was not and he was pulled early by Mike Tomlin and the rest of the coaching staff.  The Steelers are going to need Conner to advance to the playoffs. 

Team Rising

Atlanta Falcons.  Listen, I know that the Falcons are a long, long way off.  But, we cannot overlook two straight intra-divisional trouncings that they have put on rivals New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers in consecutive weeks, including their 29-3 win at Carolina this week.  .

Team Falling

Jacksonville Jaguars. After some intriguing performances by Gardner Minshew II in relief of Nick Foles, the Jaguars have proven only that they are not very good no matter who is behind center right now, after falling to 4-6 after a 33-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.  More indicative of the Jaguars value is that they have not beaten a team with an over .500 record this season.

Best Teams

(All teams will be ranked by record, even if teams with more losses may be better than a team with fewer losses, since Bill Parcells always said that you are what your record says.  The inverse is true for the Worst Teams rankings.) (Yes, I know that you could have a worse record and be better, see e.g., Baltimore Ravens, but we are working off record.)

1. San Francisco 49ers

2. New England Patriots

3. Baltimore Ravens 

4. Green Bay Packers

5. Seattle Seahawks

Worst Teams

(All winless teams will be ranked here until all teams have at least 1 win, then I will rank them based upon which teams I think are the worst, regardless of record.)

32. Cincinnati Bengals

31. Washington Racists

30. New York Giants

29. Miami Dolphins

28. Denver Broncos

Middle Teams

15. Pittsburgh Steelers
16. Philadelphia Eagles
17. Tennessee Titans

18. Carolina Panthers

Last Week's Trivia Question/Answer

Last Entry's Trivia Questions were:

In Week 7, Aaron Rodgers passed for 400 yards and 5 TDs, while also rushing for a TD.  What other quarterbacks (2) have done that in the history of the NFL?

Answer:  Norm van Brocklin and Mark Rypien.

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. Atlanta Falcons.  Not because this game is important or has playoff implications, but the Buccaneers offense is prolific (2 of the top 3 receivers right now in the NFL), and the fact that the Falcons have been playing great makes this a must-watch.  

5. Dallas Cowboys v. New England Patriots.  Two playoff-contenders with serious flaws, but huge fanbases.  Both will likely learn what their respective teams really are.  Would be ranked higher if it wasn't cross-conference.

4. Seattle Seahawks v. Philadelphia Eagles.  We know the Eagles are not what they have been the past couple of years, but a win against the Seahawks could very likely change the course of their season.  Seattle - especially Russell Wilson - is playing great right now, so this game should be really good.

3. Manchester City v. Chelsea.  Two of the four teams at the top of the table battle at the Etihad.  The fourth and third ranked teams respectively seem to be going in opposite directions as City have a loss and a draw in their past two matches across all competitions (albeit the loss was to table-leading Liverpool), and Chelsea have won 2 and drew one across all competitions.  Manchester City is riding old favorites Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne, while Chelsea has been relying on newcomers Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic.  This battle should be great - if everyone is healthy.

2. Baltimore Ravens v. Los Angeles Rams.  This Monday night matchup is fantastic as Lamar Jackson is a much watch.  Not ranked number this week simply because the Rams' offense has been stagnant.  

1. Green Bay Packers v. San Francisco 49ers.  With a combined record of 17-3, this is easily the best matchup of the weekend, and could be a battle for home-field advantage.

Trivia

As the lone remaining winless team, the Cincinnati Bengals have the inside track to selecting first in the 2020 NFL Draft. Name the three players in Bengals history that were selected with the number 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.  (Hint:  There were 3).

Sports Bar Review of the Week

Nectar
Seminole Casino - Coconut Creek
5550 NW 40th Street
Coconut Creek, FL  33073

I did not watch the games in a sports bar this week because I was attending the Third Eye Blind concert in the Seminole Casino - Coconut Creek in Coconut Creek, Florida.  We did, however, go to one of the bars in the casino to watch part of the night game.  This is a review of that bar - Nectar.

Nectar is technically classified as a lounge, and serves sushi and pizza.  We, however, had food before we went to the concert so we did not eat.

We ordered some drinks, which were mostly subpar.  Three of us ordered dirty martinis, which had absolutely NO dirtiness to them at all.  The double Patron on the rocks, however, was exactly as ordered (which should always be the case).

The atmosphere was really cool.  Loungy, but not douchy.  It had some couches around the edges, but had some booths and high top tables that made it look less bougie and more like an upscale bar.  Not a lot of televisions, but enough were you could see the game from anywhere (since there was only 1 game on at the time - and yes I know the goal of Nectar is not to be a sportsbar).  But, it worked.

Now, all of the minuses listed above (or N/As as to the food) are well limited by the AWESOME music played by the DJ.  She concentrated strictly on 80s and 90s R&B and hip-hop.  Yes, it had songs like the predictable but always enjoyable Jump Around, but it also played lesser-played (at clubs that is) songs like Too Close by Next and what I call the 90s ladies, Jade, SWV, and the like.  There was a small dance floor off to one side of Nectar, but that did not matter as everyone was out of their respective seats and just danced in all of the aisles.  This place was BUMPIN'.

Given that we were not expecting this lively atmosphere since we just wanted a couple of last drinks and a view of the game, this place was awesome.  Drinks and the fact we did not want food keep it from being rated a Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson, so Nectar's rating is:

DAK PRESCOTT.

The Ole College Try

I usually try to use this write-up as an analysis of this week's games, however, since I missed last week's write-up, and since last week included Alabama-LSU, I am certainly going to be dropping in references to both of the last two weeks.

Game of the Week

(Week 11) - LSU Tigers 46 - Alabama Crimson Tide 41.  LSU jumps out to a big lead, but Alabama claws its way back in the second half until an LSU touchdown puts the game out of reach, except for the bomb Alabama throws on the next play to make it 46-41 with just enough time left to make it interesting.  LSU cements the win with a couple of first downs and stakes its claim to the number 1 ranking.  Great play from all the great players, exciting scoring opportunities, controversial plays (Moss's first down catch).  This game had it all.

(Week 12) - Oklahoma Sooners 34 - Baylor Bears 31.  Baylor jumped out to a 28-3 halftime score, only for Oklahoma to come storming back behind Jalen Hurts, without star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.  Oklahoma puts itself into the conversation for the final playoff spot with Georgia, Oregon, Utah and Penn State.

Best Team Performance

LSU Tigers.  They scored 46 on Alabama, enough said.  Yes, they gave up 41, but in such a slugfest that can sometimes be expected.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Maryland Terrapins.  The Terps lost 73-14 to Ohio State in Week 11.  There is no shame in losing to the Buckeyes this year, but the fact that the score was so lopsided, especially after scoring 79 and 63 in its first two games this year, is especially disappointing.  On this particular day, Maryland's football team gave up more points that Maryland's basketball team.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB - LSU Tigers.  Yes Joe Burrow was great, but LSU does not defeat Alabama without the exploits of Edwards-Helaire.  He gained 103 yards rushing and scored 3 TDs, and added 77 more yards receiving, on 9 receptions, and another touchdown.  He was the best player on the field.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Terrel Bernard, LB - Baylor Bears.  In week 11, Bernard was a monster.  He totaled 19 tackles, including 1 sack and 3 for losses in Baylor's 29-23 victory over TCU to stay undefeated.  He followed that up with a 15 tackle performance against Oklahoma, which included 8 solo tackles, a sack, and 1 1/2 tackles for loss in Baylor's narrow 34-31 loss to the Sooners.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Matthew Trickett, K - Kent State Golden Flashes.  Trickett went 3-3 on field goals, including a 44 yard game winner, and 3-3 of extra points as Kent State defeated Buffalo 30-27 in week 12.  But, Trickett also set up his own game-winner by recovering his own perfectly executed onside kick.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Offensive Line - Texas Longhorns.  If you can remember back to the beginning of the season, and one of the storylines was "Is Texas Back?"  That answer is a resounding "NO", and the offensive line is a major reason why.  Offering no holes for the Longhorn backfield, Texas amassed only 54 rushing yards in a 23-21 loss to Iowa State.  Out of those 54 yards, 27 were gained by quarterback Sam Ehlinger, but it took him 12 carries to even accomplish that.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

P.J. Fleck - Minnesota Golden Gophers.  I do not want to place Fleck here, and in a large measure he does not deserve it, but, sometimes that is the position of the coach.  Fleck ran onto the field after an Iowa defender decked a Minnesota receiver.  Iowa drew a critical 4th down personal foul penalty, but then so did Fleck as he ran onto the field immediately after the play.  In Fleck's defense, he was not jawing with Iowa, or picking a fight with any of the players; it looked as if he was just trying to check on his downed-player, but, he was so fast and was on the field before any other coaches and trainers, that the officials had no choice but to flag him.  I still support what he did, but it helped cost the team in a 23-19 loss to the Hawkeyes, Minnesota's first.

Please note - I am not going to pile on Nick Saban for still having Tua Tagavailoa in the game when he dislocated his hip, as it was still the first half.

Breakthrough Performance

Brock Purdy, QB - Iowa State Cyclones.  Iowa State has had a nice season, going 6-4 after beating Texas 23-21.  But, after playing several close matches, Purdy broke out statistically with a monster against the Longhorns, going 30-48 for 354 yards and 2 TDs, in a game that was supposed to feature the quarterback on the other sideline Sam Ehlinger.

Finally

Shea Patterson, QB - Michigan Wolverines.  It seems like Patterson has been here before, having one good game after failing to live up to expectations all through college.  But, his 24-33 for 384 yards and 4 TDs performance in Michigan's 44-10 trouncing of Michigan State shows that perhaps, just perhaps, Michigan can finally compete with Ohio State this year.  (Doubtful, but perhaps.)

Impact Injury

Tua Tagavailoa, QB - Alabama.  It is still Tua.  This time the question is not whether Tua can be dangerous or close to 100%, but rather how good can Alabama be without Tua, as he will miss the rest of the season (and likely his Alabama career) after dislocating his him and the posterior fracture.

Team Rising

Utah Utes.  Utah, having defeated UCLA 49-3, and covering a 45 1/2 points spread, sit atop the Pac-12 South with a 6-1 record, 9-1 overall.  They have two remaining conference games against bottom-dwellers Arizona and Colorado. Two wins there, and they should face the expected Pac-12 North champion Oregon Ducks.  Both sit at 6 and 7 in playoff rankings, but would likely jump Alabama into 5th, and likely make the playoffs if LSU defeats Georgia in the SEC Championship game (and likely not if Georgia defeats LSU).  Also, can you imagine Utah being favored by 45 1/2 over UCLA?  Amazing job with the program.

Team Falling

Alabama Crimson Tide.  First there was the devastating loss to LSU in week 11, and now the devastating loss of Tua Tagavailoa in week 12.  Will likely still be ranked number 5 in the playoff rankings (or at least should) after this week's 38-7 drubbing of Mississippi State, but Oregon, Utah, Oklahoma and Penn State are all nipping at their heels.

Player(s) to Watch

John Rhys Plumlee, RB - Mississippi Running Rebels.  Playing the LSU Tigers the week after LSU defeated Alabama could be a great time to take advantage of the Tigers overlooking an opponent.  That did not happen this week as LSU defeated Mississippi 58-37.  Despite the lopsided score, Mississippi running back Plumlee ran for 212 yards on just 20 carries, and scored 4 TDs.   

My New Favorite Player

Dameon Pierce, RB - Florida Gators.  Tom Petty, who is from the Gainesville, Florida area and who used to work for the University athletic department, died on October 2, 2017.  Ever since then, starting with the first home game after his death on October 7, 2017, the University of Florida has played I Won't Back Down for the crowd to sing just after the traditional playing of the alma mater, We Are the  Boys, between the third and fourth quarters.  (I know, it is know Jump Around at Wisconsin).  This past week, Pierce was on the field for I Won't Back Down, and after air guitaring and air drumming portions of the song, began to do the Stanky Leg.  To Tom Petty.  Definitely my new favorite player.

Players of the Week (Just Week 12)

It is a shame that I skipped week 11 as there were a ton of great performances See Ewards-Helaire, Clyde.

6.  Jalen Hurts, QB - Oklahoma Sooners.  Hurts led Oklahoma's incredible comeback win over Baylor by throwing for 297 yards and 4 TDs, while also rushing for 114 yards.

5.  Jonathan Taylor, RB - Wisconsin Badgers.  Taylor ran for 204 yards and 2 TDs in Wisconsin's 37-21 victory over Nebraska, setting the NCAA record for most rushing yards through a junior season.

4.  Tyler Huntley, QB - Utah Utes.  Huntley threw for 335 yards and 2 TDs in Utah's 49-3 thrashing of UCLA.  Amazingly, he did it on only 14-18 completions/attempts.

3.  John Rhys Plumlee, RB - Mississippi Running Rebels.  See above.  Would ordinarily be ranked higher, except Mississippi lost to LSU.

2.  Ja'Marr Chase, WR - LSU Tigers.  Chase hauled in 8 catches, for 227 yards and 3 scores as LSU defeated Mississippi 58-37.

1.  Joe Burrow, QB - LSU Tigers.  Three star performances in the same game, topped by Burrow's 32-42 for 489 yards and 5 TDs.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

LSU Tigers (1) v. Oregon Ducks (4)/ (2) Ohio State Buckeyes v. (3) Clemson Tigers

Remaining Unbeatens

Clemson, LSU, Ohio State

Remaining Winless Team

Akron

Rant(s) of the Week

Fans that do not understand the rules.  Yes, I realize that it looked like Moss was out-of-bounds before he caught the pass against Alabama.  But, he was ruled pushed out-of-bounds, and in that circumstance he is allowed to re-establish himself inbounds and be the first player to touch the ball on a pass.  You can disagree that he was pushed out-of-bounds, but please at least understand what the call is, and the rules pertaining to that call - before griping.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

Last week's question was:

President Donald Trump is expected to attend the Alabama-LSU matchup.  When was the last time a sitting President attended s regular season college game between the top 2 ranked teams, who played, and who was the President?

The answer is 1969, Texas and Arkansas, and Richard Nixon.

Match up(s) to Watch

5. Akron v. Miami (Oh) - The Zips are running out of opportunities to win a game this season, (plus it is a generally uninteresting week)..

4.  SMU v. Navy - This should actually be an incredibly exciting game.

3.  Pittsburgh v. Virginia Tech - This is one of the four games in the next two weeks that will determine whether Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, or Miami is slaughtered by Clemson in the ACC Championship game.  

2.  Harvard v.  Yale - The Game!  Enough said.

1.  Penn State v. Ohio State - The winner of this game wins the Big 10 East, and will earn the right to play in the conference championship game.  Winner is likely still in the playoff chase, while the loser is all but out (yes, even if it is Ohio State).

Trivia Question of the Week

This should be pretty easy, but, Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor eclipsed the NCAA record for most rushing yards through a junior season.  Whose record did he break?