Let’s all say a little prayer for
Mexico and Puerto Rico….
And 1/4 of the season is under
our belt.
3 games of 12 have been completed (for
most teams, anyway) and it’s on to conference play. The 10 biggest surprises to date:
1.
Oklahoma/Okie State. Can’t say enough about these two teams
and the appearance they have right now regarding “turning the Big iiX around.” It can easily be argued that either or both of
these teams could make the CFP and legitimately have a shot. Both are ranked in the top 5 on offense. That’s just impressive.
2.
Nebraska:
I really didn’t see Nebraska starting out 1-2. In fact, I was giving Riley a “Year
3 Surprise Factor” that year 3 coaches usually get now that some of
their recruits are playing. I remember Riley
was king of the Pac 12 for a while in the mid 2000’s, but his slide at Oregon
State may have already started there before he got to Nebraska. I hate to see the cornsuckers start over, but
when you’ve got a coach in his 60’s and it appears the game is passing him by (See:
FLECK, PJ & Herman, Tom), well, sometimes it’s better to cut bait….
3.
LSU getting pantsed in Starkville. MSU is good and they will give Bama a fight,
but I cannot remember the last time LSU was BEAT by 30 points. I don’t think Les Miles ever lost a game by
that much. That one’s gonna’ leave a mark…
4.
Michigan’s Offense. I believe the MMQ stated in the Pre-Season Spectacular
that
I thought the D would be good, but I remember stating that the Offense might be
better with Speight coming back and, Harbaugh. I am nervously regretting that prediction and
hoping that some of the things that are causing problems get fixed. And soon.
Because This: https://sports.yahoo.com/ready-big-stage-purdue-offensive-002822952.html
5.
Clemson not missing a beat. I thought there would be National Title
hangover in Clemson. I was wrong, and I
don’t mind admitting it. I
just don’t LIKE HAVING TO admit it.
6.
The suckeyes getting pantsed at HOME and losing in disturbing
fashion to a QB that was surgical and a FB that was always open, cause Defense
Sucks and you gotta cover somebody….
7.
Texas A&M losing a 34 point lead to UCLA who then
lost to Memphis at Memphis.
8.
Minnesota (3-0) and Purdue (2-1) each on the
up-swing and getting better…
9.
Rutgers on the down-swing and
getting worse…
10. How dysfunctional/irrational
fan bases can get when things go against their team…oh wait, that one doesn’t
surprise me. Still, apathy is
looming large for once mighty programs that can’t seem to put it together and
make a Championship run. LSU, Texas
A&M, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Nebraska, etc…
Well THAT Escalated Quickly
Right after the MMQ
identified Nebraska as one of, if not THEE, Top Hot Mess in CFB on Monday,
Nebraska’s
Chancellor fired Eichorst, the un-popular and not very well liked AD. You can bet this won’t bode well for Riley,
the coach that everyone likes (think Hoke) but can’t get squat done on the
field. Thamel writes a pretty good
article on the state of Nebraska and who they were, are and who they
want to be…
I guess Karma
is still haunting the Huskers for firing 9-3 coaches. I’m not sure who’s going to want that gig,
but I doubt and big name (Kelly) is going to jump at it. The Best Bet, per the FMQ?
Yep – I’m going there: Les Miles. Turnaround man with 4-5 good years left in
him.
Anyone wanna’ bet?
Is Quinn Nordin From This
Planet???
Kickers are by nature a quirky
breed. There are plenty of
examples out there and the Mighty Quinn appears to be “RIGHT THERE”
on the quirkiness scale. But then there’s this:
.@QuinnNordin did this 4 times in a row. pic.twitter.com/ygmtKT2ZsO— Eric Upchurch (@EUpchurchPhoto) September 16, 2017
In warm-ups before Saturday's game, he took aim at the
near goal post directly in front of him and on four consecutive attempts
clanged it right off the metal. Kornblue said most of his kickers start every
practice with this drill, focusing on the smallest target they can find so that
putting it through the uprights instead of hitting one
of them seems a lot easier when the game gets started. The idea is to put the
ball as close to the goal post as possible; not many guys can hit it,
especially four times in a row.
"That's not very
common," he said. "That's not common at all."
Then again, neither is
Nordin.
Truly Sick Hazing Incident
I glanced at this article
and was stunned to read that one of the accused is the son of former Lion and suckeye football
player Chris Spielman:
The alleged victim suffered shoulder injuries in the
incident and has had two surgeries. He’s no longer a student at the school and
told police the incident has been “devastating.”
Wheaton players James
Cooksey, Kyler Kregel, Benjamin Pettway, Noah Spielman and Samuel TeBos had
arrest warrants signed in their names on Monday. The five players are facing
charges of aggravated battery, mob action and unlawful restraint.
Spielman is the son of
former Ohio State linebacker and current Fox Sports broadcaster Chris Spielman
I didn’t copy what the players
actually did as this is a family friendly blog for the most part, but
if you want details of the stomach turning, heinous crime, here’s the link:
Sick….
Wiscy Fans Pull Off The Near
Impossible!
In somewhat stunning news
and due to the fact that Provo only has two bars, Wisconsin fans filled them
both up and while not quite emptying the coolers and refrigerators of all
alcohol, they did finish off all the Pabst Blue Ribbon in one joint:
Whiting
said ABG’s capacity is 128 people and that the bar was “packed” for three hours
with patrons who were “a little loud,” but otherwise were the best group of
traveling fans he’s seen in 27 years of ownership.
“It
was a wonderful thing,” he said. “The people from Wisconsin are fabulous.
They’re the nicest, funnest people we’ve ever had here.”
Added
ABG bartender Bryttan Johnson to the Deseret News:
“We
didn’t run out of (anything but Pabst beer), but they did drink a lot. It was
way fun. They were all very nice.”
THE FMQ
Because someone asked
me: I use www.oddshark.com for my
lines. I think it has a pretty
good format, they post lines very quickly (usually Sunday/Monday) and they
provide a history of the moves, which is nice.
Once Again, winning a little is better
than losing…A Win is A Win.
I love it
when the MONEYLINE UPSET and the 3-Team Parlay Pays OFF!!!!
You know, if I could just
lay off betting Michigan and against the schools I hate, I’d have done really
well last week. Instead, the suckeyes,
Michigan, Texas and the expectation that Michigan’s offense was going to
magically show up screwed me.
Otherwise, I made money..
On to this week’s picks:
Historically, Week #4 has been
Feast or Famine for the FMQ.
I guess it’s due to the fact that Conference Play is beginning and there’s
no more screwing around. This week, there’s just so many games where I like spreads. I’m going to spread it around!!!
PSU @ Iowa (+14 MONEYLINE
$600): For a team that’s
undefeated and the favorite to win the conference, this seems like a slightly
tight spread. Ah, I see that PSU has had three scrimmages against
teams that ALL HAVE LOSING RECORDS after three games…Of course, Iowa is also undefeated and at HOME,
and if you’re a B1G fan, well…you know what THAT can mean. I hate the fact that the only real reference
for Iowa is the Iowa State game. Iowa’s
defense is suspect, but this is a conference game. Kinnick WILL BE LOUD at 7:30 at night….We
know those Hawkeye fans distill their own corn-liquor and will have imbibed all day which
only makes the situation louder.
Iowa’s troubles last week might have been due to looking ahead…Those
two factors might be enough for Iowa to cover.
And maybe I’ll add some juice on a MONEYLINE Bet. I like Ferentz to school Franklin in
a coach’s war…
Take Iowa and the 14 for $30
MONEYLINE: $20
BC @ Clemson (-32.5):
No hangover here this week.
Clemson is going to throttle a very weak BC Eagles team in front of a
hyped-up Death Valley crowd that will welcome home the victors over Louisville. The Tigers continue to roll….
Take Clemson and lay the 32.5 for $40
Rutgers @ Nebraska (-10):
Nebraska is reeling. Rutgers is
a mess…Do I have to bet this game? No, I do not!
Sometimes the only winning move is not to play!
Seeing as how we can’t do
that…Two
weeks-ago I would have laid 21 points and taken the Cornsuckers…Now, I’m
nervous.
Take Nebraska and lay the 10 for $20
Syracuse @ LSU (-22):
HMMMMMMM…The ‘Cuse isn’t playing bad football right now. In fact, they’re playing okay for
Syracuse. I know wins over CMU and
Central Connecticut aren’t much, but they do move the ball. Is LSU a wounded dog ready to drub someone or
have they thrown the towel in on the season? I don’t think it’s the
latter… And I know the Tigers lost their leading rusher, but I’m not sure it
matters. Tigers may make Syracuse pay for
MSU last week.
Take LSU and lay the 22 for $25
Florida @ Kentucky (+3):
Don’t look now…But Kentucky is undefeated. And Florida by all accounts
should really be reeling at 0-2.
The sludge fart game that Florida and Tennessee displayed for 3 quarter
last week only worsened when desperation set in on both sides. Gatorland has no offense and while their
defense might hold Kentucky, I expect another close game. And Kentucky might end the 30-game losing
streak....
Take Kentucky and the 3 for $20
USC @ CAL (+16 MONEYLINE:
$600): Don’t Look Now – Part 2. Cal is also undefeated and is
3-0. USC has beaten some tough and not
so tough competition (Texas and Stanford – I’ll let
you decide which is which). I know that USC can explode for points, but Cal’s defense has been the deciding factor in the games its won. Will the ghost of Alum Aaron Rodgers(QB the last time Cal beat USC) be roaming the sidelines? I like Cal getting points at home.
you decide which is which). I know that USC can explode for points, but Cal’s defense has been the deciding factor in the games its won. Will the ghost of Alum Aaron Rodgers(QB the last time Cal beat USC) be roaming the sidelines? I like Cal getting points at home.
Take Cal and the 16 for $20
Oklahoma @ Baylor (+27): This
one seems too easy…Oklahoma has revenge for some Baylor defeats some years back
that they want to make up for. Rule
of Thumb: you should never play the
Sooners when they are rolling… I
foresee an 0-4 start for Ruhle’s season.
Take the Laters and lay the 27 for $50
TCU @ Okie State (-11.5 O/U: 71): While I don’t mind laying points with Okie
State, 11.5 is a tricky number that a field goal either way could make the
difference. Still, Okie State at home
should be too much for Patterson’s Horned Frogs…But I do guarantee that
both these teams will score. A lot. I MEAN A WHOLE LOT!
Take Okie State and lay the 11.5 for $40
Take the OVER for $30
Domers @ Sparty (+4):
So two teams that finished 4-8 and 3-9 last season square off
again for the
“Baby,
We’re Back Bowl!”
until one of them loses
this game. Wait – The Domers already lost a game! But, that might make them a little more
battle tested. This was the game last
season where they both went off the rails and each team spiraled into oblivion. HOWEVA’, Dantonio is usually at his
finest in spots like this: Home Dog, no
respect, Big Chip…But the problems from last season may still linger. Sparty beat the Domers last year…Do the
Domers get their revenge? I’m leaning
yes…with a cover.
Take the Domers and lay the 4 for $20
Bama @ Vandy (+18 MONEYLINE:
$750): Vandy is 3-0 and playing
with house money, looking for a big upset at HOME with a defense that has
been solid. Vandy has not beaten Bama
since 1984. Hmmm. I like the 20 here with Vandy at home. Is this a good money-line game? I love the 7.5 to one, but….nooooooooo. Which means I’ll look really stupid if the
Commodores pull of the upset of the century version whatever…Flip-Flop. I don’t trust myself.
Take Bama and lay the 18 for $20
MSU @ Georgia (opened: -7 Current: -3.5 MONEYLINE
Open: $240 Today: $170):
I think I did a double take when I saw that spread on Monday as I figured
after
the pasting that Mississippi State put on LSU, MSU would be favored in this
game. Not so. Then I read that LSU had defensive players
banged up and other issues on offense. But I
jumped on the 7 early none the less.
Glad I did. This line has moved A LOT
and I think the 7 here on the road is a gift.
I might be knee-jerking a little, but the MSU Dawgs might just be the real
deal.
Take MSU and the 7 for $50
MONEYLINE (+240) for $50
Texas A&M vs Arkansas (+3 In Arlington): In a game played at Jerry’s World, the “U-Haul
Bowl – Cuz the losing coach is packing his bags!”, Arkansas
is a road dog getting 3 points. The same
Arkansas that just lost to TCU by 3 scores and a Texas A&M team that is still
reeling from losing to UCLA after giving up 34 in the last 17 minutes of the
game. I like Arkansas getting points here. They’re both desperate, but Arkansas can play
defense.
Take the Hawgs and the 3 for $20
Michigan @ Purdue (+8):
Nobody Panic! Remain calm! All Is Well!!!
Ohhhhhh, boy-o-boy-o-boy-o-boy. I knew this day was coming and I don’t like
it. Amazing
how teams that Michigan hasn’t played for 4 seasons suddenly GET BETTER when
Michigan is on the schedule…Sheesh. Can we all agree that Michigan’s D should neutralize
the Purdue Offense, for the most part.
The question is, can Michigan win a double-digit game on the road and can
the offense PLEASE SHOW UP? We’re all
tired of waiting. Purdue
believes they can win. And Brohm has
given them that unlikeable thing that some opponents get: Swagger.
I have been lousy the last two games picking Michigan ATS (1-2 on the
season) but I have a strangely confident feeling about this one…
Take Michigan and lay the 8 for $30
PARLAY!
3 Bet/Team Parlay: 6-1
Mississippi State – Oklahoma - Clemson : $50
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