More undefeated teams go down…..Most are done with their BYE weeks and time to shift gears for the November run leading to more rivalry games, conference championships and ultimately the College Football Playoffs!
A few who picked up their first loss and what “Next Level Bowl” that may send them to:
San Diego State goes down, AT HOME, to an impressive Fresno State Bulldogs team. There are some really nice bowl games in early December that allow you to be home for Christmas like the L.A. Bowl which is now sponsored by Jimmy Kimmel in hopes to fill his studio audience for a full week.
SMU Shetland Ponies lose to a gritty Houston squad ( so much for Dallas folks looking down their noses at the oil patch kids! ). Frisco Texas is a nice place and who doesn’t want a box of Tropical Smoothie Swag for that projected game.
Michigan…..ok, one of them had to lose but when you blow a double-digit lead and lose to your in-state rival, that pain last all year long regardless of what bowl you may land in. At the moment, nothing says Michigan more than the Outback Bowl. Bloomin’ Onions for everyone!!
So we have 6 teams with NO blemishes on their record and only Oklahoma is off this week after playing 9 straight. A bit of a CFP snub but they have games at Baylor and Oklahoma State with a home game vs Iowa State. They run that table and they will be in the discussion. The rest to be addressed below…
ZT has been traveling but actually had a request from a reader, other than “find a real job”, “go suck an egg”, or worse…… The request was to post the game times with the prognostications. I told that individual that this was an entertainment site and not intended for sports wagering tips but was honored he would like this added info. He responded, ” I just like to bet against whomever you like ZT!”……..well, it would have cost him some Bitcoin last week but added it anyway..all times Central.
#6 THE Ohio State University vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers 11am
OSU HC Ryan Day says ” I have watched the film and they are good!”……turns out he was actually watching The Dirty Dozen not the 3-6 corn shuckers. In fairness, NE HC Frost has had them in every game ( FG losses to the Wolverines and Sparty! ) but just can’t get the win. Buckeyes need to keep QB Martinez under control and ZT says they will. Buckeyes 35 Niblet Corn 20
Missouri Tigers vs. # 1 Georgia Bulldogs 11am
ZT found some Mizzou fan gear in a Dirt Cheap store in S.E. Alabama in October……Not a good sign Bulldogs 52 90% off Tigers 10
#10 Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. UNC Tarheels 11am
Hmmm….ZT also found an UNC item at same Dirt Cheap store in early September..didn’t realize how prophetic this would be noting Coach Mack and the team have under achieved this year. Just .500 at this time but something about this game just seems odd noting WF is scoring over 43 PPG with almost 500 yds. of Offense BUT ZT notes the toughest part of their schedule starts this week. Was going to call it for UNC at home but 2 aisles over from the Mizzou pillow was the item below… Demon Deacons 41 Sacrificed Goats 35
Tulsa Golden Hurricanes vs #2 Cincinnati Bearcats 230pm
The Golden Hurricanes?? Strange name for a team in OK, right? Assume by the time the Hurricane made it to Tulsa it had soaked up a bunch of oil and some tumbleweeds to turn everything yellow. Official website ties it to Coach Archer in 1922 ( likely drinking at the time )……Like ZT’s explanation better so going with it. ESPN GameDay will be there. That’s big. Bearcats got the snub from CFP placing them at #6…..Pretty simple for Fickell and gang. Win..and win BIG!. They will this week Bearcats 41 Weather Channel Anomalies 17
#5 Michigan State Spartans vs Purdue Boilermakers 230pm
This has TRAP GAME written all over it!!! We will see what HC Mel Tucker can do to prevent his Spartans from being “caught in a trap!” ( Did ZT just go Elvis on us? Was it regular Elvis or Fat Elvis? Noting how much ZT talks about food, had to be Fat Elvis! ). Love how Mel has used the transfer portal to make Sparty a contender…….Purdue HC Jeff Brohm knows he must stop MSU RB Kenneth ” I don’t need no” Walker III who ran for 197 yds and 5 TDs vs. Michigan. TRAP GAME it is!!! Boilermakers 27 Spartans 24 UPSET SPECIAL
#12 Auburn Tigers vs. #13 Texas A & M Aggies 230pm
ZT says this should be the best game of the week. Tigers coming off a solid win over Lane ” I thought I had 5 downs” Kiffin and Ole Miss while Aggies had a Bye week after playing SEC punks Missouri and South Carolina. ZT likes what HC Harsin has done to help QB Bo Nix. True story is Bo said he “could get by with a little help from his friends” aka receivers ( really? ZT with 2nd music reference and its from a band that thinks football is soccer? Is it because ZT thought Sgt. Peppers was a restaurant cadets frequent at College Station? ). AU has to pound it with RBs Tank Billingsly and Jarquez Hunter to win this one. Aggies getting better each week with QB Calzada and RBs Spiller and Achane. ZT riding the Tigers, AGAIN, this week! Tigers 27 Aggies 24 UPSET SPECIAL
LSU TIGAHS vs. #3 Bama 6PM
Next stop on the Coach O farewell tour? T-Town at night! He won’t like it and there are no swampy fishin holes to “deposit” angry radio show callers into either. He also won’t like the thumping he will get from a rested pack of Elephants ready for the 1st of 3 straight home games. Bama 48 TIGAHS 24
#16 UTSA Roadrunners vs UTEP Miners 915pm
Beep Beep had a week off and the Miners got distracted by FAU but still almost won despite 2 INTs after dominating all areas but the score ( ZT hates even saying that….like saying you can eat a 69oz. steak but leaving the fat….YOU DIDN’T EAT IT ALL!!! ). UTSA HC Jeff “Now I can buy a house and move out of my” Traylor got a new $28 million – 10 year contact. Said he was finally going to buy a boat to “do that Riverwalk thing”. ZT likes the story! Tight game but…. Roadrunners 31 Miners 28
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats 7pm
ZT only noting this game for the unique tailgating with these 2 hillbilly schools. Bourbon Boys 31 Jack Daniels Cousins 28
ZT is off to go watch some WWE Friday Night SmackDown before he travels to watch LSU vs. BAMA and have a major Saturday Snack Down at a tailgate on the Quad in Tuscaloosa.
Padre, in his own words:
I have reached the phase of fandom where you start to laugh at all of the bad news found around your team’s program- because… why, not? Getting furious does no good. Just accept it and laugh at yourself. Soon, The Swamp will use the moniker “Welcome to the friendly confines of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.” Maybe my great, great- grandchildren will one day sit around and celebrate Florida’s first title in 100+ years. Until then, instead of a goat as our curse, it can be a shoe!! Go Gators!
Georgia – Drago Mizzou – Apollo Creed
“Throw the ‘darn’ towel!!!”
Bama – Clubber Lang LSU – Rocky (1st Match)
*My prediction for the game? PAIN!!!
Arkansas 30 Mississippi State 20
The Pirate and his K-9 Raiders have beaten both A & M and Kentucky this season. This is the perfect time for Arkansas to ruin party boat fun. Angry Pigs win by 10.
Tennessee 31 Kentucky 27
This seems like an upset, but the Vols are FAVORED–over a ranked team–on the road. Yes, you read that correctly. Ad no, you did not take a ride in a DeLorean back to 1998!
UNC 41 Wake Forest 40
Nothing against Mack ( I like him a lot ), but i am actually pulling for Wake. Yet, nothing against Wake, but they are – well, how does one say this? – they are still Wake!!! Go Deacs- but Heels win this might non-conference battle ( yup, look it up! ).
South Carolina 33 Florida 31 IS IT AN UPSET???
Yes, I KNOW South Carolina is terrible. I know, I know. And then you say to me, ” No way Florida loses to LSU – I mean South Carolina. Oh. Hmmmmm.” See. Yeah. I am not sure Florida has the desire to win anymore. I hope I am wrong, but as Florida fans know by now, “Dan Mullen is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Outside of terrible recruiting – yeah, you know what you get there!
West Virginia 27 Okie State 23 Mild Sauce Upset of the Week
Mullets will be on the sidelines and in the stands. Mountain-Mullets win over Prairie-Mullets.
Auburn 31 Texas A & M 30 Medium Sauce Upset of the Week
I did not grow up with A & M in the SEC. Like Auburn is often called by the Bammers, is A & M called the Cow College of Texas? Well, either way, my Dad used to call Auburn the “War Chickens” when Pat Dye went for a tie one game. This reminds me of Chick-fil-A. I once had a perfectly cooked/crispy 8-count nugget meal with fries at a Chick-fil-A in Auburn, Alabama. So, because of that, I am going with the Cow College of Alabama over the Southwest Conference Lassies.
Purdue 30 Michigan State 26 Hot Sauce Upset of the Week
Little Brother took down Big Brother last week. Too bad the third cousin, twice removed, likes to take down overconfident teams. Purdue gets the big upset!!
Padre returns to watch his Rocky Marathon on Netflix followed by 24 hours of Spurrier press conferences.
Until next week..…
Pigskin Prognostications by the Piedmont Padre and Zimmern's Twin 