Brett Ludwiczak
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MC&J: Texas-Oklahoma headlines a stacked Week 7 national card
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Grant Wild/The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images
The Red River Rivalry, Ole Miss-LSU, and five other games outside the B1G made this week’s picks.
Last week ATS: 7-8 (3-4 National, 4-4 B1G)
Season ATS: 55-55 (18-21 National, 37-34 B1G)
Last week was one of those weeks where we just treaded water. Some good picks, some terrible picks (thanks South Carolina and Missouri), and one real close call that didn’t go our way when Rutgers missed pushing against Nebraska by half a point.
This week is going to be a blast. Not only are there a bunch of good games, I’ll be out in Oregon at The Mill Casino in Coos Bay camped out at the sportsbook. Hopefully I have a bunch of winners picked this week so I can break the bank.
No. 16 Utah (-6.5) v. Arizona State - Friday 10:30 p.m. ET - ESPN
The Cam Rising saga continues at Utah. The 24th year senior hasn’t played since he was injured against Baylor, leaving Issac Wilson to take the snaps for the Utes. While head coach Kyle Whittingham says Rising is trending in the right direction, I’ll believe it when I see it. Wilson hasn’t been good while Rising has been sidelined, tossing more interceptions than touchdowns.
Arizona State have certainly been interesting this year. After blowing out Wyoming to start the season, every game since for the Sun Devils has been decided by eight points or less. Last week running back Cam Skattebo ran for 185 yards against Kansas, and earlier this year rolled up over 250 yards against Mississippi State.
Utah’s season lost a lot of juice with the 23-10 loss to Arizona a couple weeks ago. Even if Rising comes back this week, how much rust will he have to knock off? Also how long before he is sidelined again since he is constantly injured. I am liking Arizona State straight up, so I’ll definitely take the unranked home dog to cover over the ranked road favorite.
Arizona State 27, Utah 23
No. 1 Texas (-14.5) v. No. 18 Oklahoma - 3:30 p.m. ET - ABC
This will always be the Red River Shootout to me. You can’t make me call it anything else. This year starts a new chapter of the rivalry game since the Longhorns and Sooners are both members of the SEC. Even though they have changed conferences, the hate between the schools is still the same.
It sounds like Quinn Ewers is going to play on Saturday. Some may argue that might not be a good thing after how Arch Manning has played since Ewers was injured. A big plus for Ewers over Manning here is he has plenty of experience playing in this game. Ewers has played the last two years, including the 49-0 win by Texas in 2022.
Aside from the blowout in 2022, these teams always seem to play each other tight. Of the last 11 meetings, 2022 was the only one decided by more than 12 points. Oklahoma could come in with a bit of juice after freshman Michael Hawkins Jr led the Sooners to a comeback win over Auburn. The Oklahoma defense will step up and find a way to slow down Ewers and keep this within two touchdowns.
Texas 34, Oklahoma 24
Arizona v. No. 14 BYU (-4.5) - 4:00 p.m. ET - FOX
I know Arizona lost a lot from last year’s squad, but I thought the Wildcats would be a little more explosive than what we’ve seen from them so far this. It just doesn’t seem like quarterback Noah Fifita is as confident this year without head coach Jedd Fisch. Fifita has just seven touchdowns so far this season to go along with six interceptions.
BYU just keeps trucking along. Jake Retzlaff gets all the publicity as the quarterback of the Cougars, but the defense deserves all the credit. Just look at what they did to Kansas State a few weeks ago in Provo. Arizona was smashed on the road against Kansas State last month, so I have no faith they’ll find their mojo against a tougher defense. The Cougars show they are for real for real in the Big 12.
BYU 28, Arizona 17
Florida v. No. 8 Tennessee (-14.5) - 7:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
What the hell was that, Tennessee? The Volunteers took a 14-3 lead in the third quarter last week against Arkansas after two Dylan Sampson touchdown runs. Tennessee couldn’t make the lead stick, as the Razorbacks added Josh Heupel’s team to the mass of top 10 teams that were upset on Saturday.
For as much talk as there has been about how hot Billy Napier’s seat is, at least Florida is playing hard. The Gators rebounded from the loss to Texas A&M with wins over Mississippi State and UCF. One thing the Gators do really well is complete passes. Over the last two games, Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway have combined to complete 49 of 55 passes attempted.
It feels like Florida is finding a rhythm, while Tennessee is regressing. The Volunteers are more talented, we just might have overrated how good they are because they decimated three awful teams to start the season. Like Texas/Oklahoma, this feels like a few too many points in a rivalry game.
Tennessee 31, Florida 24
No. 9 Ole Miss (-3.5) v. No. 13 LSU - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC
It’ll be interesting to see what Ole Miss we get here. Will we get the Rebels that lost to Kentucky, or the team that had no problem with South Carolina? I guess that’s what I’m supposed to try and figure out. I almost wonder if Ole Miss was looking ahead a bit to this matchup against Kentucky and the loss woke them up and made them focus against South Carolina.
LSU certainly has a home field advantage at Death Valley under the lights. But it’s not like Jaxson Dart hasn’t played in some tough environments around the SEC. The Tigers suffered a big loss on defense when linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. tore his ACL a couple weeks ago and is out the rest of the season. Aside from USC to start the season, the Tigers haven’t played anyone that will challenge their defense like Dart and the Rebels will. Ole Miss keeps their CFP hopes alive with a big win.
Ole Miss 38, LSU 27
No. 11 Iowa State (-2.5) v. West Virginia - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
I feel like I’ve seen this Matt Campbell movie before. The Cyclones are getting all kinds of shine since they are still undefeated. Who really has Iowa State beat? Iowa? We found the game humorous, we just don’t really respect the win. One thing the Cyclones can do is run the football, as they have three backs with at least 200 yards rushing this year.
If I was a player, going to Morgantown at night would terrify me. A bunch of West Virginians drinking Mountain Dew and bathtub liquor all day long while trying to resist the urge to burn couches. The Mountaineers two losses this year have come out of conference so they are still in the mix for the Big 12 crown. A win over Iowa State would be huge for Neal Brown, who needs to do something soon since West Virginia has been mediocre for most of his tenure. Brown gets a signature win, pulling the upset at home as the locals storm the field after.
West Virginia 27, Iowa State 20
No. 18 Kansas State (-4.5) v. Colorado - 10:15 p.m. ET - ESPN
Colorado has certainly made me look dumb a couple times this year. First I thought Colorado State would challenge them, then I had UCF running all over the Buffaloes. If Colorado keeps winning with Travis Hunter playing as much as he is on both sides of the football, it will be impossible to not vote for him to win the Heisman Trophy.
Kansas State not only restored some of their confidence after the loss to BYU by beating Oklahoma State, the Wildcats had a bye last week to put together a plan on how to slow down Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. If Kansas State can clamp down on the passing game, the Buffaloes are in trouble since they can’t run the football.
There’s no question Colorado has more star power in this game. I just think Kansas State is the more complete team. This feels like a game a Chris Klieman team was built for. The blue collar Wildcats taking down Deion Sanders and his son. Avery Johnson and D.J. Giddens wear down Colorado in the second half.
Kansas State 35, Colorado 23
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Grant Wild/The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images
The Red River Rivalry, Ole Miss-LSU, and five other games outside the B1G made this week’s picks.
Last week ATS: 7-8 (3-4 National, 4-4 B1G)
Season ATS: 55-55 (18-21 National, 37-34 B1G)
Last week was one of those weeks where we just treaded water. Some good picks, some terrible picks (thanks South Carolina and Missouri), and one real close call that didn’t go our way when Rutgers missed pushing against Nebraska by half a point.
This week is going to be a blast. Not only are there a bunch of good games, I’ll be out in Oregon at The Mill Casino in Coos Bay camped out at the sportsbook. Hopefully I have a bunch of winners picked this week so I can break the bank.
National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):
No. 16 Utah (-6.5) v. Arizona State - Friday 10:30 p.m. ET - ESPN
The Cam Rising saga continues at Utah. The 24th year senior hasn’t played since he was injured against Baylor, leaving Issac Wilson to take the snaps for the Utes. While head coach Kyle Whittingham says Rising is trending in the right direction, I’ll believe it when I see it. Wilson hasn’t been good while Rising has been sidelined, tossing more interceptions than touchdowns.
Arizona State have certainly been interesting this year. After blowing out Wyoming to start the season, every game since for the Sun Devils has been decided by eight points or less. Last week running back Cam Skattebo ran for 185 yards against Kansas, and earlier this year rolled up over 250 yards against Mississippi State.
Utah’s season lost a lot of juice with the 23-10 loss to Arizona a couple weeks ago. Even if Rising comes back this week, how much rust will he have to knock off? Also how long before he is sidelined again since he is constantly injured. I am liking Arizona State straight up, so I’ll definitely take the unranked home dog to cover over the ranked road favorite.
Arizona State 27, Utah 23
No. 1 Texas (-14.5) v. No. 18 Oklahoma - 3:30 p.m. ET - ABC
This will always be the Red River Shootout to me. You can’t make me call it anything else. This year starts a new chapter of the rivalry game since the Longhorns and Sooners are both members of the SEC. Even though they have changed conferences, the hate between the schools is still the same.
It sounds like Quinn Ewers is going to play on Saturday. Some may argue that might not be a good thing after how Arch Manning has played since Ewers was injured. A big plus for Ewers over Manning here is he has plenty of experience playing in this game. Ewers has played the last two years, including the 49-0 win by Texas in 2022.
Aside from the blowout in 2022, these teams always seem to play each other tight. Of the last 11 meetings, 2022 was the only one decided by more than 12 points. Oklahoma could come in with a bit of juice after freshman Michael Hawkins Jr led the Sooners to a comeback win over Auburn. The Oklahoma defense will step up and find a way to slow down Ewers and keep this within two touchdowns.
Texas 34, Oklahoma 24
Arizona v. No. 14 BYU (-4.5) - 4:00 p.m. ET - FOX
I know Arizona lost a lot from last year’s squad, but I thought the Wildcats would be a little more explosive than what we’ve seen from them so far this. It just doesn’t seem like quarterback Noah Fifita is as confident this year without head coach Jedd Fisch. Fifita has just seven touchdowns so far this season to go along with six interceptions.
BYU just keeps trucking along. Jake Retzlaff gets all the publicity as the quarterback of the Cougars, but the defense deserves all the credit. Just look at what they did to Kansas State a few weeks ago in Provo. Arizona was smashed on the road against Kansas State last month, so I have no faith they’ll find their mojo against a tougher defense. The Cougars show they are for real for real in the Big 12.
BYU 28, Arizona 17
Florida v. No. 8 Tennessee (-14.5) - 7:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
What the hell was that, Tennessee? The Volunteers took a 14-3 lead in the third quarter last week against Arkansas after two Dylan Sampson touchdown runs. Tennessee couldn’t make the lead stick, as the Razorbacks added Josh Heupel’s team to the mass of top 10 teams that were upset on Saturday.
For as much talk as there has been about how hot Billy Napier’s seat is, at least Florida is playing hard. The Gators rebounded from the loss to Texas A&M with wins over Mississippi State and UCF. One thing the Gators do really well is complete passes. Over the last two games, Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway have combined to complete 49 of 55 passes attempted.
It feels like Florida is finding a rhythm, while Tennessee is regressing. The Volunteers are more talented, we just might have overrated how good they are because they decimated three awful teams to start the season. Like Texas/Oklahoma, this feels like a few too many points in a rivalry game.
Tennessee 31, Florida 24
No. 9 Ole Miss (-3.5) v. No. 13 LSU - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC
It’ll be interesting to see what Ole Miss we get here. Will we get the Rebels that lost to Kentucky, or the team that had no problem with South Carolina? I guess that’s what I’m supposed to try and figure out. I almost wonder if Ole Miss was looking ahead a bit to this matchup against Kentucky and the loss woke them up and made them focus against South Carolina.
LSU certainly has a home field advantage at Death Valley under the lights. But it’s not like Jaxson Dart hasn’t played in some tough environments around the SEC. The Tigers suffered a big loss on defense when linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. tore his ACL a couple weeks ago and is out the rest of the season. Aside from USC to start the season, the Tigers haven’t played anyone that will challenge their defense like Dart and the Rebels will. Ole Miss keeps their CFP hopes alive with a big win.
Ole Miss 38, LSU 27
No. 11 Iowa State (-2.5) v. West Virginia - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
I feel like I’ve seen this Matt Campbell movie before. The Cyclones are getting all kinds of shine since they are still undefeated. Who really has Iowa State beat? Iowa? We found the game humorous, we just don’t really respect the win. One thing the Cyclones can do is run the football, as they have three backs with at least 200 yards rushing this year.
If I was a player, going to Morgantown at night would terrify me. A bunch of West Virginians drinking Mountain Dew and bathtub liquor all day long while trying to resist the urge to burn couches. The Mountaineers two losses this year have come out of conference so they are still in the mix for the Big 12 crown. A win over Iowa State would be huge for Neal Brown, who needs to do something soon since West Virginia has been mediocre for most of his tenure. Brown gets a signature win, pulling the upset at home as the locals storm the field after.
West Virginia 27, Iowa State 20
No. 18 Kansas State (-4.5) v. Colorado - 10:15 p.m. ET - ESPN
Colorado has certainly made me look dumb a couple times this year. First I thought Colorado State would challenge them, then I had UCF running all over the Buffaloes. If Colorado keeps winning with Travis Hunter playing as much as he is on both sides of the football, it will be impossible to not vote for him to win the Heisman Trophy.
Kansas State not only restored some of their confidence after the loss to BYU by beating Oklahoma State, the Wildcats had a bye last week to put together a plan on how to slow down Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. If Kansas State can clamp down on the passing game, the Buffaloes are in trouble since they can’t run the football.
There’s no question Colorado has more star power in this game. I just think Kansas State is the more complete team. This feels like a game a Chris Klieman team was built for. The blue collar Wildcats taking down Deion Sanders and his son. Avery Johnson and D.J. Giddens wear down Colorado in the second half.
Kansas State 35, Colorado 23
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