ZT has a LOCK prediction for this week…. GEORGIA BULLDOGS will still be #1 when the polls are released on Sunday Afternoon!! How does he know? Ok, they are on a Bye Week but plenty of great games this week with some solid conference match ups.
ZT continued heavy work travel so no real opportunities to enjoy a Food Truck delicacy but did see this sign in his travels home. Do note this is a “recycled” sign so this festival is at least 2 years old (check the date) !!!!
PADRE in the House early this week! Feeling good as his Gators on a 2-game win streak. Bye week schedule is focused on getting their reptile blood temp down back to cold blooded killer mode!
Feeling nostalgic, so these are my 1980’s TV Sitcom Edition Picks!
FSU 41 Duke 13
Duke is a HUGE surprise! But FSU (vomit in my mouth) is a national title contender (vomit again), and this game is in Doak. Duke is about to find out that winning on the road against a top team is “A Different World”. FSU rolls (I have nothing left to vomit). For the ACC, FSU is just “The Head of the Class”. Twofer to start!
USC 30 Utah 23
Two teams who hoped to be undefeated at this point. Two teams with rather ugly losses. But 6-1 and 5-1 ain’t that bad. Kind of how “Night Court” wasn’t that bad of a show – but the remake was atrocious!!! The Trojans find a way in LA.
Bama 30 Tennessee 16
With revenge on their minds after last year’s amazing and historic loss in Neyland, the Tide will remind the Vols “Who’s the Boss”! Bama by two scores. Those are just “The Facts of Life” Vols fans. Another Twofer!!!!
Clemson 26 Miami 23
Both programs had decent hype coming into the season, but maybe both teams were simply living in their “Wonder Years.” Clemson pulls out a close one!
Minor Upset/Game of the Week
Penn State 26 Ohio State 24
I always seem to pick Ohio State. And I am usually right! In all honesty, it’s easy to be right when the Buckeyes have all 4 and 5 Stars and Indiana and Akron have 2 Stars. In this case they aren’t playing Miami of Ohio, and I have a gut feeling Penn State pulls off the upset on the road. Late in the game, while Ohio State is driving for the win, I think they find that time is just too short, and the men wearing the boring uniforms on the other side are “Saved By the Bell.” Side note: If you can find them, there is a thing called “Zach Morris is Trash.” It breaks down episodes to show how Zach was an absolutely horrible person. Anyway, back to the picks…..
Upset of the Week #1
Auburn 27 Ole Miss 24
No way Ole Miss should lose this game. But there was no way “ALF” could have been real – and yet there he was on TV each week making bad Dad jokes like me. Therefore, Auburn finds a way at home with a late FG. And that is solid logic, my friends!
Upset of the Week #2
South Carolina 31 Mizzou 30
My Gators somehow won in Columbia. My son & I were there, and it was a very special and much-needed moment for us. Now, back to reality!! South Carolina isn’t very good, while Mizzou looks like a good team. Nobody really thinks South Carolina can win this game. This is exactly where Beamer is best. People are calling him crazy and childish for breaking his foot after the Florida loss, but when I told my wife that story she said, ” You like him better now, don’t you?” I responded: “Yes, Yes I do.” In spite of the Gamecocks “Growing Pains” this year, Beamer Ball rises up for the win – broken foot and all!
Those are my picks for this week. Now go watch your secret guilty pleasure: ” The Golden Girls” before this weekend’s game. Thank you for being a football friend, and “Cheers”!!!
ZT noted the Padre was living hard on 1980’s YouTube TV this week while ZT was mostly in Convention Dinners and using his “Oregon Rain Shower” App to sleep at night. Fortunately, able to get out of the travel fog in time to prognosticate….
#7 Penn State Nittany Lions @ #3 THE Ohio State Buckeyes 11am
Game of the week for sure!!! Nittany Lions have not been pushed hard this season, winning all games by at least 3 scores, but that changes this week. Add in the last PSU win in Columbus was in 2011 so the pressure is clearly heavier on HC James “A muffin is a bald cupcake” Franklin. THE Buckeyes will count on QB Kyle McCord to find WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. ( and MH, Sr. if he found any covid eligibility ) vs a defense that hasn’t allowed more than 13 points in any game this season. HC Ryan “have a nice” Day will take his more battle-tested Buckeyes to victory this week but it will be closer than Vegas sees it. Buckeyes 24 Frankin’s Felines 23
#17 Tennessee Volunteers @ #11 Bama 230pm
It may only be 10 days till Halloween but most Bama fans take down anything orange on the 3rd Saturday in October. 2022 was an epic battle in Knoxville with the Vols winning 52-49 on a 40 Yd FG as time expired. Well it’s not 2022 nor will this one be played in Scruffy City. Which Bama team will show up is the big question. Hopefully not anything close to those that played against Texas. The Arkansas game worried more Bammers than the Longhorn game as they had been playing well with solid defense ( even though still too many penalties ) and almost let the Hogs win this one. Vols QB Bazooka Joe Milton will hit some big plays and the mood in this game will have more swings than a public school playground. Bama wins it late. Bama 31 Vawls 27
Washington State Cougars @ # 9 Oregon Ducks 230pm
Both squads lost last week…..Wazzou on a 2 game slide after losing a close one to UCLA then getting beat like a rented mule by Arizona last week. HC Jake Dickert needs to get their run game going as QB Cameron Ward can’t do it all. Ducks have to rebound from a tough loss at Washington missing a 43 yd FG that could have sent this one to OT. Difference in this one is Ducks QB BO Nix is tougher than a woodpecker’s lips. Ducks 41 3-loss Cats 20
#2 Michigan Wolverines @ Michigan State Spartans 630pm
Wolverines will be on the Spartans like thigh fat on a Dixie Chick. They have been very consistent and nothing tells ZT they will be any different this week. Ok, it is a big rivalry game and ZT witness this a few years ago in a Texas bar where lifelong buddies wouldn’t speak till it was over. Also, Harbaugh’s Hoodlums have already stolen every sign for this game anyway. Spartans on a 4-game losing streak and this will be 5th even if they played on their practice field in East Lansing. Wolverines 38 Spartan Spirit 10
#16 Duke Blue Devils @ #4 FSU Seminoles 630pm
Let me tell you about the 2023 edition of the 16th ranked Blue Devils and what they are going to do in Tallahassee on Saturday………Hold ON!!, just took a Gummy to break out of the jetlag fog….. What was I thinking? Seminoles destroy Duke!! Seminoles 38 Blue Pukes 17
#14 Utah Utes @ #18 USC Trojans 700pm
Trojans were bullied by the Fighting Irish. They score points with QB Caleb Williams at the helm but their defense has more holes in it than a Hunter Biden explanation. Utes HC Kyle Whittingham has been beefing up his offense as QB Cam Rising is still recovering from his knee injury and ran some wildcat last week. ZT wants to go with the UTES but thinks the Trojan Offense & QB Caleb Williams will score enough to outlast the UTES. Trojans 38 Youts 24
Clemson Tigers @ Miami Hurricanes 700pm
Dabo headed to Miami with 2 things on his mind…. “Chew bubblegum and kick some Hurricane Butt….but I left my bubblegum at home so its all about kicking Cristobal’s butt!” Both teams are 4-2 and a loss likely means they are headed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Dabo getting too old to kick butt! Upset Special Hurricanes 27 Dabo Bubble 24
ZT says check out gatorandthejudge.com if you have an adjustable rate mortgage and a student loan to payback! Until next week, enjoy CFB and some MLB!!
Pigskin Prognostications by the Piedmont Padre and Zimmern's Twin 