This starts the time when most teams begin ” the grind” ( not like Urban last week ) of Conference play, a few road trips and looking forward to a late October week off. Got to stay focused and keep pushing ahead. Expect to see some upsets! ZT notes this is more dangerous than telling a group of Sumo wrestlers you just ran out of noodles.
Speaking of eating, ZT found a new “ES” ( ES = Emergency Sandwich ) recommended by a retired Army Ranger when ZT’s favorite ES/Brain Food Bologna Sandwich was not available in his favorite vending machine.
ZT did consult his personal trainer who flipped over the package and advised that while it may temporarily boost brain function, that would be quickly countered by the reduced blood flow from clogged arteries. Will keep you posted but prognosticating NOW while the blood is still flowing!!!!
#13 Arkansas Razorbacks vs #17 Ole Miss Rebels
Well……Hogs were the main course for a Bar B Q between The Hedges last week. Good game this week for a bounce back with no love lost for the Rebels. Ole Miss got throttled by Bama. No popcorn for HC Kiffin but did have a nice bowl of crow after his snarky on-field interview. Game is in Oxford but ARK has won 3 of last 5 there with generally worse teams. ZT expects the Hogs to run and Rebels to air it out with QB Corrall and get him back in the Heisman race. Can Hogs keep up with air attack? No, but they won’t try either.. Hogs will do what Hogs do and RUN THE BALL!!! Razorbacks 28 Rebels 24
#2 Georgia Bulldogs vs. #18 Auburn Tigers
Bulldogs continue to run roughshod over everyone in their path. Defense is just stupid good and has actually scored more points than it has allowed (currently allowing only 4.6 points average per game! ). Expecting QB Stetson Bennett to start so look for RBs Zamir”This Dog Bites” White and James “I love to” Cook to grind it out vs. a stiff Tiger run defense. This should open up some passing lanes vs. AU secondary. Tigers got a gutsy win in Baton Rouge. Love the moxie of QB Bo Nix coming back nicely after being benched a week earlier. Bulldogs front 7 are rabid and will rattle whoever is under center. One nice advantage? Playing this one in Jordan-Hare and this is really Georgia’s first true road test. Love to see Tigers get the W, but not this year… Bulldogs 24 Tigers 20
#4 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. #3 Iowa Hawkeyes
ZT loving a Top 5 match-up that he would not have seen 5 weeks ago ( mainly because he had not found all those brain foods he has recently shared with all of you at NO CHARGE ). Hawkeyes have loved taking advantage of takeaways and are +14 through 5 games!! HC Kirk Ferentz does nothing fancy but so far, just wins. QB Spencer”Tetris” Petras is going to throw for about 200 yds and 2 TDs and hand the ball off to RB Tyler Goodson…….but is that enough???? Nittany Lions will let QB Sean Clifford throw AND run with several RBs to tote the pigskin. PSU run game hasn’t been productive enough to make a difference against good teams. This one is played in Iowa City and will be good to watch if you like traditional, hard-hitting football. Hawkeyes 20 Nittany Lions 17
#9 Michigan Wolverines vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Night game in Lincoln…..OK……Men of the Corn destroyed Northwestern last week with a clean game by QB Martinez and just pounding the ball on the ground ( 427 rushing yards ). Reminded ZT of the Big Red Thrashing Machine of old!! Thinking Harbaugh likes corn better than boogers so his 5-0 Wolverines, fresh off a big win at Camp Randall, are ready. Need QB McNamara to be more productive in the pass game if they are going to get the W. ZT also loves Corn so going with the upset!! Men of the Corn 27 Wolverines 24
#1 Bama vs. Texas A & M Aggies
Bama flushed the commode and sent Kiffin back to Mississippi last Saturday. At the same time, Aggies dropped one to Pirate Mike Leach and the Bulldogs just 7 days after being smoked by the Bacon Boys from ARK. This is a perfect game for some redemption with Bama showing up in College Station for a night game. No doubt HC Jimbo is spending more time in the restroom worrying about his QB situation and O-Line than the protesters chasing Senator Sinema. Bama lost another starter for the season with RB Jase McClellan suffering a knee injury & down to # 3 at one LB position. What does Bama do? NEXT MAN UP!!! Will be a good game and Yeah, we will have to listen to Brad and Gary D but….. Bama 38 Aggies 24
SEC FUTURE WATCH
#6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. #21 Texas Longhorns
Ok…in the first few years in the SEC, unlikely these teams would be ranked as high and probably have a loss or 2 extra if they had engaged in conference play. ZT likes this one!!! Riley vs. Sark…..Sooners vs. Longhorns….. a note to both: Enjoy your day in the limelight as this match up may not be the SEC Game of the Week down the road but let’s not worry about that today!!! Longhorns 38 Sooners 35
ZT Quick Snacks
Vanderbilt Commodores vs. #20 Florida Gators
Gators can only lose if they go to the wrong stadium and forfeit. Vandy can’t stop the run and Gators love to run. Also, Gators eat people and the Commodore is a dude. ZT still says take the points… Gators 45 Vandy 9
Maryland Terrapins vs. #7 THE Ohio State University
May be closer than Vegas thinks if Urban opens up his bar to his old team before the game. Both teams are 4-1. Maryland was mistake-ridden vs. Iowa and will be better this week…..Just not better enough! Buckeyes 48 Maryland 27
#14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Irish looking for a bounce back after being attacked by some bearcats. ND keeping the starting QB secret. Va Tech QB Burmeister has been stable and proved ZT wrong earlier this season. Low scoring affair and since not Thanksgiving yet, giving the nod to the Gobblers. Hokies 21 Irish 20
LSU TIGAHS vs. #16 Kentucky Wildcats
Kentuckians say Louisiana is full of swamps and believe they know how to handle people that hang out in swamps. Wildcats better get it this week since they got a date with some Bulldogs from Georgia next week. TIGAHS got Gators next week…ZT sees double trap game…. Wildcats 28 TIGAHS 21
Padre is back from his latest pilgrimage and ready to prognosticate…sort of!
POST-KENTUCKY LOSS MELTDOWN PREDICTIONS ( Not that funny because I am still in GRUMP MODE—-SORRY! )
Just because I predicted a Florida loss doesn’t actually mean I expected it. Kentucky completed six ( SIX!!! ) total passes and beat us with 220 yards of offense. I usually blame DC Todd Grantham for our losses -but not this time! He did his job. The blame goes elsewhere. But at least “3 -Star U” is still the pride of the state of Florida with Miami and FSU being so bad. Gonna put that made-up state title aluminum foil trophy on my shelf this week. Oh, and Florida beats Vandy 41-16. But at the half it’s like 13-10 Florida because–well, yeah. I have to stop now because I am a Pastor. Go GATA!! Translation: Hell hath no fury like a modern Gator fan who grew up with Steve Spurrier as the HBC!!!
Texas 30 Oklahoma 24
ONE OF THESE DAYS I WILL GET AN OUTRIGHT OU LOSS RIGHT!! It’s coming! Just watch. So, here I am again. I say Texas takes down the Sooners in the bowl made of cotton. Translation: OU has got to lose “sooner than later” # BadDadJoke
Arkansas 31 Ole Miss 30 Mild Upset
Boy, these two programs were like gods in the clouds a week ago ( it’s Friday night! ). Then a week ago ( Saturday ) they were like Loki after the Hulk smashed him. Both are bruised. Both will get back up. And yet, while the logical pick is Ole Miss, I say the angry pigs find a way. Translation: Arkansas by a “razor thin margin.” #IAmTheDadJokeExtraordinare
Georgia 37 Auburn 13
Auburn will play hard, but “5-Star U” is a machine– a big, ugly cherry red machine that reminds me of a fallen angel. But now this fallen angel’s army has a general that can recruit and coach. I’ll be yelling “War Eagle!”, but I am certain that by the half I will be watching Iowa and Penn State fight for 3-yards on dive plays and off tackle runs. Translation: I think Georgia is like Lucifer. Yes, I went there. #PastorDadJokes
Penn State 23 Iowa 20
Okay, I was wrong about Iowa and Maryland. I was the name Tagovalioa and assumed magic was about to happen. My apologies. Well, I am going against Iowa again. I say Penn State wins on a late FG. Translation: I still don’t trust Iowa in big games.
Kentucky 26 LSU 24
Kentucky lost 31 straight to Florida. Yes, you read that correctly. That means Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain were undefeated against the Cats. Last 4 years? Oh, they would be 2-2 against my “Mighty Gators.” So, I think Kentucky keeps riding out this thing and gets another big win over the Tigahs. Translation: I can’t make myself say LSU will win because it will only infuriate me more about last week’s loss! #BeatingThatDeadHorse
Bama 51 Texas A & M 13
Fisher evidently told a booster club that A & M would beat Saban’s well….backside ( insert the word you choose ). Saban recently said that this game is a “trap game.” If by a mangled puppy trapped in a bear trap in the woods is what he meant to say–then yeah, it’s a “trap game.” Translation: Bama is really good (shocker!) and A & M is overrated ( shocker!).
No Major Upset this week. My final thoughts:
-Bama & Georgia are great. The rest of college football is “meh”
-Ohio State will probably still make the playoff. Yup.
-I didn’t pick Notre Dame vs. Va Tech because, really, does anybody care? You do?? Okay – Hokies Win
-I do not think Notre Dame can make the Playoff -so there is that.
– This week, Coach O threatened to kill a man cajun-style after a childish radio call. I don’t know if I am impressed or scared. Coaches are allow to threaten us crazy fans too???? When did this happen??!!?
– Beno Cook once said something like , “College Fans hang their coaches in effigy. In the SEC they hang them literally.” Beno, God rest his soul, wasn’t that far off!! Maybe we all need to take a step back and gain some perspective…….Hahahahahahaha. Yes, I laugh out loud too!!!
– Lastly, Florida is the highest rated 3-2 team in the country. Hey, we have had better statistics in every game this season!! Just ask our coach. Thank God that it’s just a game ( what every disappointed fanbase says when the season is over – but that doesn’t make it any less true! ) GO GATA!!!
ZT and the Padre out….go watch some football!!
Pigskin Prognostications by the Piedmont Padre and Zimmern's Twin 