College Football Week 9 Picks

4-2 vs the spread last week, 30-16 for the season. Nick Saban punished Texas A&M 59-0 for all the shit the Tide took for their one point win over Arkansas.  First time all year Alabama has looked like a Playoff Team.  A&M's Negro wonder coach Kevin Sumlin has fallen on hard times since the surprise opening week beat-down of South Carolina.  His defense-lite system once again looks SEC suspect. Baylor lost to West Virginia. . .didn't see the game, and I'm glad I didn't: 18 penalties for 215 yards for the Bears, 14 penalties for 138 yards for WVU?!?!?  Ridiculous!  The game must have taken 4 1/2 hours to play.  Anyway, now Kansas State is on top of the Big 12, which means: no Playoff spot for the Big 12.  Oklahoma has two losses, Baylor flopped, so a one-loss Notre Dame will get a playoff spot over Baylor, TCU or Kansas State.  The only way the Big 12 gets a team in the playoffs is if the Michigan State - Ohio State winner gets upset in the Big 10 title game. . .and that ain't gonna happen.  Speaking of Notre Dame, Irish head coach Brian Kelly was big-time red-assed after an offensive pass interference penalty wiped out would have been a game-winning td against Florida State.  As much as I hated to see the corrupt *Semen*oles celebrating a win, I have to say the officials made the correct call on that play, the Notre Dame players were clearly blocking down field.  If they had run the play the way most teams do, with the receivers splitting off after a slight bump, they would have scored anyway, FSU's coverage was dust, but instead, for some reason, the Irish receivers lowered their heads and bull-rushed downfield.  Too bad for college football.

Lousy schedule this week. . .

Texas +10 at Kansas State: Do you think Nick Saban or Pete Carroll could do what Bill Snyder does at K-State?  With flea market talent win a better-than-fair-share of games against NAME schools?  Hell, Saban wasn't ALL THAT at Michigan State, which is a helluva lot easier place to win than Kansas State.  Snyder just beat Oklahoma, has KSU in first place in the Big 12, and theoretically in the hunt for a Playoff spot.  Snyder gets one or two of these David vs Goliath wins every year--but with his thin roster it's tough to beat the BIGS week-after-week all season. And make no mistake, despite the Longhorns 3-4 record, Texas is still a BIG, talent-wise.  They got a ton more NFL prospects than Kansas State. We have to wonder if Charlie *Doing It The Right Way* Strong will crow about another moral victory if he loses by 3.  Texas pushed Oklahoma all over the field two weeks ago, and lost.  Texas should have beat Oklahoma, but didn't.  Kansas State shouldn't have beat Oklahoma, but did.  Despite the phony rankings and point spreads, it will be no shame if Kansas State loses this game.  But they will only lose if Texas manages to play to their ability for the first time this season.  Texas.

Michigan +17 at Michigan State: Let's hope dopey-looking Michigan coach Brady Hoke watched the Rams - Seahawks game, and took note of Jeff Fisher, who coached TRUTHFULLY for sixty full minutes. . .meaning he coached like he had a team WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE.  That's how you can call for a fake punt from your own 18 yard line, up by 2, with 3 minutes to go.  Michigan has nothing left to lose, they've had two weeks to prepare, so there's no excuse not to PLAY TO WIN.  There's no reason to play pussy, by-the-book football.  Hoke, you dumb fuck, please don't try any 50 yd FGs with your horseshit kicker, and please don't try any 4-and-1 quarterback sneaks with your tissue paper o-line--in other words, please, no more of the hopeless football you've shamed Michigan with for the last 2 1/2 years.  The Spartans have played one good team this year, Oregon, and they lost.  How good are they, really?  The defense is good, but not last year's great.  But the offense is more explosive. For Michigan to win, they'd have to play far better than they've played in any game this season. . .they need an anomaly game.  Doubt it'll happen.  But 17 points, damn, can't they at least cover?  Probably not, because senior QB Devin Gardner still wets himself during road games.  Michigan State.

Mississippi State -14 at Kentucky: Kentucky played their first decent team last week, LSU, and they got clocked.  Now they get Mississippi State?  And they're getting less points than Michigan against Michigan State?  Kentucky couldn't stop LSU's mediocre offense, now they face a Bulldog team that destroyed LSU?  Only 14 points?  I'll be shocked if Mississippi State doesn't win by double that.  Mississippi State.  

Mississippi -3.5 at LSU: Ole Miss plays defense the way LSU used to.  You got to have a QB who can pass the fucking ball to have any chance to beat the  Rebels.  You ain't gonna beat Mississippi running the ball.  Unfortunately, LSU don't have a QB who can pass the fucking ball.  In fact, there may not be a single QB anywhere in the SEC who can pass the fucking ball.  Did you see last week's Missouri - Florida game?  The two teams COMBINED only had 208 passing yards.  Anyway, this is LSU's last chance to make any meaningful noise this season in the SEC, and I expect Les Miles will try anything and everything to save his team from also-ran status. . .but in the end, the Rebels ought to be able to grind out a 7 point win.  Mississippi.