ON WRITER'S WHIM, TEAM RUN OUT OF TOWN, TEN
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (AP)...Last week, Gaming Today contributor Mark Mayer asserted that, "If the Fightin' Illini (-3) can't beat Rutgers by 4 or more at home, they should leave the conference.". In the aftermath of said home-squad's epic-failure 35-24 defeat by the Scarlet Kites, Coach Lovie Smith and his team were met with packed American Tourister luggage and one-way tickets beyond city-limits. Rumor has it the Sun Belt covets the exited-entity as a conference-member to replace departing Idaho for the 2018 season!
While we missed badly on our choice of KSU (+13) over TCU as our "upset pick of da' week #1", the Middies (+5) just missed toppling Memphis (our "upset pick #2"), helping us turn-in a decent 13-9 (72-59, .550). For purposes of showing appropriate ads on its video screens, the new MGM arena that debuted last year, includes components of “audience measurement”, ie. computer recording and analysis of fan demographics and facial responses to...
THE WEBER KID'S WEEK 8 FORECAST
(AKA da' spread-whisperer!)
THURS. OCT. 19
#25 Memphis (+3) over HOUSTON: MINOR UPSET PICK OF DA' WEEK...Tigers 38 Cougars 35
SAT. OCT. 21
Tennessee @ #1 ALABAMA ("under 50 ½"): Tide 34 Vols 6
#2 PENN STATE (-9 ½) over #19 Michigan: While non-conference defeat by Pitt, likely contributed, Lions missed-out on playoff berth due to lone-Big Testicle loss to Michigan was prolly determining-factor in that exclusion. Quoting multiple sources, including Star Trek II-antagonist Khan, "Conference-revenge is a dish best-served cold."...Alma Mater 20 Wolverines 7
#3 Georgia: IDLE (next vs. Florida)
Kansas @ #4 TCU ("under 59 ½"): Toadies 48 Blue Jays 0
Maryland @ #5 WISCONSIN ("over 50 ½"): Badgers 44 Terps 17
#6 Ohio State: IDLE (next @ Penn State)
#7 Clemson: IDLE (next vs. Ga Tech)
Syracuse (+15 ½) over #8 MIAMI: Pelicans 29 Orange is da' New in-da'-Black 24
KANSAS STATE (+13 ½) over #9 Oklahoma: Best guess for "wish we had it back". Sooners off much-tighter- than-it-started Red River Shoehorn victory over Texas and haven't shown recent-ability to put opponents away by double-digits. Oklahoma's won past two years by combined 93-17, but have been ugly road-chalk in this situation. Collectively, these two clubs are 1-7 in past 8 games. Purple Persians didn't show-up vs. TCU, we expect them to here... OK 34 KSU 27
#10 Oklahoma State (-7) over TEXAS: Second choice for "lock of da' week". We figure 'Horns left it all on the field in failed-rally from nearly-three-touchdown-hole vs. rival Oklahoma, while Cowboys have beaten Texas Tech and Baylor following bad home-defeat by TCU...OKSU 38 Steers 14
#11 Southern Cal (+4) over #13 NOTRE DAME: UPSET PICK OF DA' WEEK. Irish probably should've beaten now-#3 Joja' but otherwise, no significant wins appear on the record (unless ya consider victory over-then-floundering-now-Top 25 Michigan State). Trojans have certainly appeared vulnerable and were sloppy, but escaped Utah. Neither squad covers the line in close-games very well and Sudden Cal has not been a good-play as a road-dog nor vs. ranked-foes, but we like their strength-of-schedule at this juncture over that of the Leprechauns...Troy 24 Our Lady 21
#12 Washington: IDLE (next vs. Ucla)
North Carolina @ #14 VIRGINIA TECH ("under 51 ½"): UNC's loss of QB Mitch Trubisky to the Newly-allowed Fun League shows glaringly in the win-loss record (1-6 SU, 0-4 ACC). Heels have lost once this season by this many (26-point demise at Joja' Tech), but have recorded four consecutive "unders". Hokies have finished below da' total in their past three tilts...VT 24 Carolina 12
#15 WASHINGTON STATE (-10 ½) over Colorado: LOCK OF DA' WEEK. Coogs got an "F" in all three phases in 37-3 loss at Berkeley. Coach Leach rightfully-had some unflatteringly words for his team publicly and being a family-friendly site, we can't publish what he prolly-said behind closed locker-room-doors. Bison not-quite as good as last-year's version, edging a poor Beavers'-squad 36-33. Wazzou should be motivated and take advantage of home-confines after consecutive roadies. While we acknowledge Buffs (2-2 ATS in 12-PACK play) 17-3 win over pretty-solid in-state rival CSU Rams, outright triumphs over Texas State and Norton Collared-Otto, inspire no-confidence...WSU 34 Buffaloes 17
#16 NC State: IDLE (next @ Notre Dame)
#17 South Florida (-12 ½) over TULANE: Only reservation here is Wave's 62-28 victory over Tulsa, but followed that with 13-point loss at Florida International. Tulane has been bet-against home-puppy previous two years and wallet-emptying home-dog...USF 41 Olive Water-Crest 24
#18 MICHIGAN STATE (-6 ½) over Indiana: Hoosiers have been blown-out by the Lions and Buckeyes. We're only askin' for an 8-point margin-of-victory here by the home-team...Spartacus 27 Indy 13
NAVY (+7 ½) over #20 Central Florida: UCF followed up 0-fer-2015 season with 6-7 SU record and bowl-berth in 2016 and are already 5-0 outright to-date. Traditionally one of the ball-security clubs nationwide, Sailors were uncharacteristically-careless, coughing it up five (count 'em, five!) times in loss-but-cover at Memphis. Won't call a consecutive-upset by the Swabbies here, but won't be flabbergasted should it occur given more-shocking things that have already been put in the books this year! A post-poned game vs. Georgia Tech would' given us a ber for this one, so we hope lack of experience vs. Middies' triple-option is fruitful for the Armada...Not Da' Vegas Hockey Team 34 Salty-Doggage 32
#21 Auburn (-15 ½) over ARKANSAS: Tigers 34 Bacon Bits 17
#22 Stanford: IDLE (next 10/26 @ Oregon State)
#23 West Virginia (-9 ½) over BAYLOR: Mounties 49 Bares 33 (Second-best guess for "
Wish We Had It Back" on basis that we passed on the "over 71 ½")
#24 Louisiana State (-7) over MISSISSIPPI: Ole Missed donned a tourniquet last week by beating Vandy after three consecutive defeats. Bengals crawl back into the poll with back-to-back big wins and close-victories in three of last four, seemingly turning the corner, and get bowl-eligible with win here. Host is allowing north of 48 ppg over past three contests this season, which made us abandon initial "under 59 ½" choice in favor of laying the touchdown. On a serious note, ex-Rebels coach Houston Nutt reached a compromise with the school this week on his defamation suit since nine of a Baker's Dozen guffaws happened while Hugh Freeze was at the helm of the team...LSU 41 Mississippi 17
BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS
BTW, coaches and players were individually-loaded onto rails and run by student-body volunteers across Champaign city-borders
BTW, as a follow-up to last week's story about superheroes, we just want the readership to know that Vindy attended Xavier's School fer Gifted Forecasters! (Or maybe that was Gift-Wrapped Forecasters)
The new season of The Walking Dead premiered Sunday night (with its landmark 100th-episode), leading us to ponder...during a zombie-apocalypse, does the coin-toss determine whether we shoot them in the “heads” or “tails”?!
Back in April, the NFL eliminated "under the hood" reviews...so hoodies for game-officials have been banned by the new referee dress-code?!
Bizarre random-thought...if an official doffs his cap three-times in a football game for "illegal touching", is it a "hat-trick"???!!!!
Last Saturday, courtesy of the Vegas Golden Knights, fans at the Fremont Street Experience were treated to, among other things, the virtual-opportunity to groom the ice on a Zamboni-machine. Can't wait fer da' next such-event, allowing team-faithful to faux-scoop-up hats and octopi off the illusionary-rink!
The NBA regular-season tipped-off yesterday. That brings to mind the September Brick Fest Live! event here in Sin City. Ironically, it was about Legos rather than a free-throw-shooting demo by Shaquille O'Neal!
"Wish We Had It Back": While our "second-best" guess Clemson thankfully went down in flames, our "second-best-guess (tie) Baylor got Hulk-smashed by the Cowpokes!
"Locked in a Box": The Stanford Trees fell en masse on the Oregon Ducks, lifting da' "lock"-record to 6-1 (.857).
Black Shirt: Indy K Griffin Oakes for 46-yarder FG that sent game into OT and allowed Michigan to score a TD and XP to cover –6 ½! And taking advantage of our group-discount, we're supplyin' the ebony tee to every member of the Syracuse roster for knocking-off Clemson!
Shoppe Talk: Clemson grabs a weekend-furlough (though still at 2-5, .400), while Ye Olde Taxidermy Shoppe opens its "loving-arms" for those other Tigers of Auburn, Joja' Bulldogs and Oklahoma Spooners, all at 2-4 (.333)!
Vindy's Week 8 Best Bets: Last Week: 1-2 (Akron @ WMU was postponed) Season: 16-10-1 (.615)
Tulsa –6 over UCONN, Buffalo +3 over MIAMI-OHIO, Central Michigan @ BALL STATE "under 48", Idaho +14 over MISSOURI, UTAH –8 ½ over Arizona State
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