Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Vindy's Picks Week 11-2016


VARIANT-STATUE VANDALIZED LOCALLY…AGAIN
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (UPI)…Less than 24 hours following the election, a sequel to the original “Naked Trump” statue was intentionally-damaged again here in Sin City. Undeterred by the damage done to the initial sculpture, artist Joshua Monroe produced and displayed the new version. That piece of artwork, dubbed Naked-Bootleg Trump, featuring the former-candidate au natural and toting the rock in the opposite direction as his entire offensive-line in an attempted misdirection-play, was found covered in graffiti shortly after the polls closed on Tuesday night. While the unidentified tagger-in-question is still on the loose, a group of Democratic-voters dropped the faux Trump–representation behind the party-line-of-scrimmage for a loss, barely avoiding a flag for taunting.
Yeah, we reached double-digits in prognostication-wins for the third time this season and twice in three weeks, but with all but one of the ranked-teams (Utah) in action, kicking-off the fortnight at 2-0, and getting no love from the top seven teams in last week’s AP Poll, our faulty-forecaster went just 8-12 the rest of way, culminating in a 10-12 outing (84-88-3, .488). Wearing at least some pads, cleats and an athletic-supporter is…
THE WEBER KID’S 2016 WEEK 11 FORECAST
(Squatting in Les Miles’ Baton Rouge mansion until further notice)

TUES. NOV. 8
KENT STATE (+20) over #14 Western Michigan: Stayin’ with our first reaction to this and tryin’ not to over-think it. This time last week, we were extolling da’ Broncos road-prowess ATS, and they didn’t disappoint, routing Ball State. Golden Flashes made one previous cameo in da’ Picks this year. We backed State +44 in Week 4 at then-and-still #1 Alabama, but they were whitewashed 48-0. KSU’s other loss by more than 4 points this season came by 20 at the Alma Mater. Flashes have just a pair of FBS wins, though one came last week on da’ MAC road, knocking of the Central Michigan Chippies as two-TD underdogs. While being out-statted in all but yards-per-carry and FG% by opponents, Kent is still being outscored by just 4-points per contest.  The last meeting between these two was a 32-14 Flashes’ triumph in Kalamazoo in 2013, the year in which WMU’s lone victory came by one at UMass in the Minute Rice’s first official year as part of the conference. State entered the season with 18 returning starters and has been competitive in really all but the Crimson Tide game. Goin’ out on a limb and hopin’ Western Michigan gives a look to some of the reserves ahead of its bye week…WMU 34 Kent State 16 (This one’s already in da’ books as a forecast win given Broncos mere-16-point win of 37-21).

THURS. NOV. 10
#13 Utah (-5) over ARIZONA STATE: LOCK OF DA’ WEEK. Both took some time off last weekend. In fact, Utes were only AP ranked-squad not in action, off one-TD defeat by the Huskies. Visitors are on nice 5-2 spread-run and have taken 4 of 6 outright in 12-PACk play so far but have finished 4 contests this year with a margin of five or less. Sun Devils’ five-point demise to Wazzou before da’ bye was first home-loss of 2016 (ain’t bad considering just 10 starters back from 2015). State is one win short of bowl-eligibility. Given trek to Seattle next, they’ll probably need to beat rival Wildcats in finale to get it. Solar-Beezlebubs’ scoring-defense is unholy, yielding 37 or more six times already. Utes, ironically, have lit the board for more-than-36 once. We got duped into thinking Florida State -5 ½ looked too easy at Raleigh in Week 10, but…Utah 41 ASU 28

#15 North Carolina (-10 ½) over DUKE: Blue Devils got a bye half-way through four hotly-contested games, but not sure they have the depth to hold that pace vs. juggernaut ‘Heels…UNC 34 Duke 19
FRI. NOV. 11

Boston College (+21) over #20 FLORIDA STATE: We just cannot, in good conscience, lay three touchdowns with Tribe team showing three defeats already, barely-dodging a fourth last week when a Wolfpack defender bungled a gimme-pick  in the end zone just before the eventual deciding TD-pass for State. Gilded Iggles no-bargain at 4-5 SU/3-4-1 against the line (by our numbers), but again, sport a stellar stop-squad and lost to da’ Noles by 14 twice in past three years, sandwiching a 20-17 “L” last time here in 2014…FSU 24 BC 13
SAT. NOV. 12

Mississippi State (+29) over #1 ALABAMA: We’re ignoring Bulldogs’ upset of then-CFP #4 Texas A&M. Alabama has been the right side of the spread once in past five post-Weeziana State games…Tide 37 MSU 13
#2 Michigan (-22) over IOWA: Iowa fans will likely point to mere 17-9 defeat here by Wisconsin a couple Saturdays ago as reason to consider the cover, but Jim Harbaugh’s MO is piling-on, not tight defensive struggles. Big Blue still has awhile before trip to Columbus. Last meeting was here in 2013, won 24-21 by the Birds. Iowa’s covered just one of last five in Iowa City (albeit they were getting points only in previously-mentioned Badgers game)…UM 44 Iowa 13

Pittsburgh (+20 ½) over #3 CLEMSON: Panthers are better than 23-point loss to Miami suggests and look for their sixth-win overall. Pitt fares well ATS getting more than a touchdown on the road and off consecutive SU losses. Tigers closed out 2015 regular season with four straight spread-losses. The top six teams (and seven of the top 8) all won and covered last week. Not gonna’ happen back-to-back…Clemson 42 Pitt 28
#4 WASHINGTON (-8 ½) over Southern Cal: Trojans starting to resemble team predicted in the pre-season and smoked Oregon, but who doesn’t these days…Huskies 34 Troy 24

Wake Forest (+35) over #5 LOUISVILLE: This got a look for “lock”…Cardinals 31 Deacs 23
MARYLAND (+29) over #6 Ohio State: Buckeyes 38 Box Turtles 13

Illinois (+26 ½) over #7 WISCONSIN: Frankly, there might not be 27 total points scored in this one. Varmints are in three-way tie at 4-2 SU in conference in West division with Nebraska (who’ve they already bested) and Northwestern (season-finale foe). Badgers have missed just a pair of games ATS on the campaign, but are averaging paltry 18 ppg in last five games in Big Tenure play. It’s all fun-n-games ‘til someone loses an Illini-formation… Wisky 29 Illinois 10
#8 Auburn (-10) over GEORGIA: Tigers 28 Joja’ 10

#25 Baylor @ #9 OKLAHOMA (“over 80”): Sooners loss of second-leading rusher Shock Linwood, who will ride da’ pine for “attitude issues”, won’t be much of a factor given just two touchdowns from said-RB, while leading rusher Terrence Williams and third-leading rusher QB Seth Russell have recorded 8 scores each. Bears validated our “upset pick of da’ week” at the hands of the Horny Toads last week and we didn’t miss Oklahoma’s 34-24 final-score over the Dust Devils by much, predicting 38-28. Despite ongoing “under” trend for both sides, this series has resulted in high-scoring outcomes in four of past five…Sooners 51 Bares 38
Mississippi @ #10 TEXAS A&M: OFF

#11 West Virginia (+2) over TEXAS: Mounties 35 Steers 32
#12 Penn State (-7) over INDIANA: Lions are tied with Ohio State at 5-1 in the Big Tempura, one game behind Michigan. Should PSU win-out and the Buckeyes take-out Michigan, things get real interesting in the East division of the conference. Hoosiers still need a dubya to make the post-season, but best effort in Bloomington to-date was either 6-point victory over now 5-4 Maryland or 27-22 loss to the Huskers. Alma Mater looks energized since breaking into the Top 25…Nifty Lions 30 Indy 20

#16 Colorado (-15) over ARIZONA: Bison 30 ‘Cats 10
Texas Tech @ #17 OKLAHOMA STATE (“under 90”): State 42 Tech 34

Georgia Tech (+14) over #18 VIRGINIA TECH: VT 34 Bees 30
#19 Louisiana State (-7) over ARKANSAS: Best guess for “wish we had it back”… LSU 27 Arkansas 17

Minnesota @ #21 NEBRASKA: OFF
South Carolina (+12) over #22 FLORIDA: Gators 19 Fightin’ Fowl 14

California (+14 ½) over #23 WASHINGTON STATE: Coogs 48 Berkeley Bears 35
#24 Boise State (-17 ½) over HAWAII: Boise 42 ‘Bows 20

BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS
With the Republican candidate being voted into office, the winner of the NCAA pigskin crown next January raises da’ Trump National Championship Trophy, while da’ loser gets “fired” from the FBS!

Rejoice, football fans! We forgot to mention in Weeks 9 and 10 that we’re in the midst of a 27-day stretch in which at least one NCAA or NFL game has been/is being/will be played, having started Thursday October 27 and ending (barely) on Tuesday, November 22!
In a rare occurrence, there were no new teams admitted to the AP Top 25 this week!

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego last week rebuffed a local parish fer asserting that voting Democrat was a” mortal sin” leading to eternal damnation in Hell. The ruling-authority however, did not deny that wagering with Vindy’s Picks would result in a similar fate!
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson recently went on record as sayin’ “If I didn’t want to get hit, I’d be playing tennis.” To which we respond, “Mr. McEnroe….Mr. John McEnroe….to da’ white courtesy-phone, please.”

Off a record-setting 23 penalty flags last week, da’ Oakland-Soon-to-Be-Las Vegas Raiders will add yellow to their team-colors!
As da’ college hoops regular-season tips-off on Friday, we’re just wonderin’…does a team facing an opponent who has the possession-arrow have the ability to request an exorcism???!!!

On a related topic, we’re reminiscing about Charles Barkley and Samuel L. Jackson crooning the “Pina Colada Song”. Sing it with us… “If you like settin’ picks at midnight…with some dudes from the Cape…”
 “Wish We Had It Back”: So many to choose from, but we identified Maryland +30 ½ over Michigan in our Week 10 forecast as being most-likely for this category!

“Locked in a Box?”:  Boise State (-29) could manage just a two-score victory over San Josie, completing the anti-hat-trick of “lock”-losses and lowering our record, once 5-2, to 5-5 (.500).     
Black Shirt: Goes to Cowboys safety Jordan Sterns for picking-off K-State QB Jesse Ertz in the end zone as the clock hit zeroes, preserving our “minor upset pick of da’ week” in Okie State’s 43-37 win.

Shoppe Talk: Florida was defeated by the Sooooeeeey Pigs to fall to 1-6 (.142). Clemson deceived us again to go to 2-6 (.250) and apparently, the bAggies spent too much time readin’ their own press-clippin’s (as we feared), losing outright to Mississippi State, also falling to 2-6 (.250) for da’ Picks! Baylor sees daylight after suffering the predicted “upset pick of da’ week” as we noted above.
Vindy’s Week 11 Best Bets:       Last Week: 4-1   Season: 29-25 (.537)

AIR FORCE -6 over Colorado State, Wyoming -7 ½ over UNLV, Army +13 over NOTRE DAME, Rutgers-MICHIGAN STATE “under 56”

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