It’s that time!!! With the exception of a make up game between a pair of Punk-12 4-win teams ( USC vs. Cal ) and Army-Navy, this is the last week before conference championship games are played. Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night ( after the traditional Cowboys and Lions playing in the pros ) and a full slate on Friday and Saturday!! All this after the consumption of 10,000+ calories and changing into a pair of sweat pants until the distended bellies reduce back to just hanging over one’s belt. Does it get much better than this??
PP will come in 2 parts this week with Thursday/Friday in Part 1 and the traditional Saturday AM release of wisdom from ZT and the Padre.
ZT been out west in AZ. Can attest planes more packed than Vienna Sausages in those little cans! ZT will sprinkle in some Turkey Day humor for this prognostication. Did narrowly avoid this “pink asteroid” when they thought they were in the seat next to ZT but ended up 1 row in front with a seat belt extender!! WHEW!!!
“Archeologists 10,000 years from now will believe Thanksgiving was a sacred feast where gravy boats were worshipped!” courtesy of Just Bill
Thursday – Thanksgiving Day
#12 Ole Miss Rebels vs #25 Mississippi State Bulldogs – The Egg Bowl 630pm ( while you are eating the 3rd piece of pecan pie or a pizza from Dominos )
This game is a psychiatrist’s dream!! Trying to figure out Kiffin or Leach would take years of study to just peal back the 1st layer!!! This game is bigger than the Iron Bowl for 2021. Pains ZT to say it but….Love the QB match up between Matt Corral and Will Rogers Leach’s pooches have scored an average of 37 PPG in the last 4 weeks. QB Rogers has been hotter than asphalt in Mississippi in July. Completion rate of almost 80% and 20 TDs in last 5 games!! Corral been banged up but will be ready to play for this one. ZT sees the Ole Miss running game as the difference maker IF they can get any help from their Defense who has given up 400 yds+ in 5 of 7 SEC games. More like beached jellyfish than landsharks! Likely to see more “unusual plays/occurrences” in this game than in a Sci-Fi channel movie at 2am. Bulldogs favored at home but……. Rebels 38 Bulldogs 34
“Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants!” – courtesy of Kevin James
Friday – Football for dads, fistfights for mom’s trying to get “that item”
“I simulated the Black Friday experience at home by hurling myself into a wall 47 times, scratching all 4 of my car doors, yelling at myself in a mirror and then ordering on line.”……. anonymous
#5 Cincinnati Bearcats vs East Carolina Pirates 230pm – Capt. Morgan Cup??
One more team looking to end the Bearcats undefeated season and a trip to the CFP. SMU was destroyed by Cincy last week ( nice “upset” call ZT….you also trying out for the Community Theater lead in “Dumb and Dumber”? ) but will note the Pirates are on a 4-game win streak and very capable of an upset at home. ZT likes Pirate QB Holton “I don’t hug sailors” Ahlers who had a solid game against Navy last week with over 400 yds. and 3 TDs. One problem, Cincy ain’t Navy. Bearcat QB Desmond Ridder continues to show NFL scouts that he should be on the top of their draft lists! ZT been wanting the Pirates but Cincy smells it and knows they can’t look ahead to Houston next week. This one will be close and so don’t be surprised if Pirates do it but…. Bearcats 41 Pirates 38
“You can tell you ate too much for Thanksgiving when you have to let your bathrobe out!” – courtesy of Jay Leno
UNC Tar Heels vs #20 N C State Wolfpack 6pm – No Trophy or Name
Interesting ACC match up…..Tar Heels expect to have star QB Sam ” I won’t throw in the towel” Howell back from injury. UNC OC Phil “we like to throw it” Longo notes Sam has looked solid in practice this week. That is good because the Wolfpack defense is much better than many they have played and only yields an average of 18.7 PPG. NC State can have their 1st undefeated home season since 1986 with a win!! ( ZT actually wanted NC State in the SEC vs. Mizzou although now that Mizzou HC Drinkwitz brought out “the force” on Mullen, glad we got him/them ). UNC was ranked in some preseason polls as Top 10 ( not in the Orlando Sentinel who is known to randomly crown champions ) but has under performed and sits at 6-5. One other issue…no trophy for this rivalry. Maybe it should be the “Battle for the Oblong Ball” noting they typically only talk about hoops? Wolfpack 38 Tarred Heels 31
“Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often!” – courtesy of Johnny Carson
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Utah Utes 4pm – Rumble in the Rockies
No way the Buffaloes really care and UTAH has locked up a visit to the Punk-12 championship game so…….Utes win but don’t cover the Vegas line. Buffaloes eat gummies at halftime but their play is no different. Honestly, you may just go to Home Depot to see what is left in the store or watch a National Geographic film on earthquakes vs. watching this one. Utes 38 Buffaloes 21
Washington State Cougars vs. Washington State Huskies – The Apple Cup 7pm
Due to supply chain shortages, the trophy this year will be a stuffed Rock Fish from Puget Sound. Cougars are 6-5 and can get a nicer bowl game with a W under interim HC Jake “the snake” Dickert. Huskie under interim HC Bob Gregory ( so generic ZT can’t even come up with a comical reference…..) who is also covering as DC, inside linebackers coach and in charge of concessions in the North End Zone?!?? Good news he is 0-2 since taking over. ZT ok if they just play this one on EA Sports, any edition!! Cougars 27 Huskies 21
ZT out until Saturday…may take that long to awake from the impending food coma expected later today after the feast and trying to watch the Bears/Lions play with backup QBs….
Padre has set up a place to feed the unemployed in Gainesville…so far Mullen, Grantham, and Hevesy have stopped by….
AM UPDATE: Padre is letting Mullen finish eating his “crow souffle” and ready to prognosticate with food on his mind:
Ole Miss 34 Miss. St 30
This rivalry is like Deviled Eggs. Some people seem to like the game a lot and some people won’t go near it (I personally hate Deviled Eggs )! In the battle of the Pirate Wannabe vs. the Hugh Hefner Wannabe, “Freshwater” is mightier than the saltwater on Thanksgiving night.
Arkansas 34 Mizzou 26
This “rivalry” is like when Grandma makes ham the main meat and not turkey. I mean, for some, it’s okay- but really?? Is ham the real deal for Thanksgiving?? NO!! And likewise, this isn’t a real rivalry. Hogs win, but closer than people expect.
Cincy 31 ECU 17
This game is like the non-Thanksgiving food you have in the pantry when you go back for seconds. It’s not really Thanksgiving leftovers, but hey, “Look, it’s Doritos!! Okay, I can eat a few!” And a few people will pay attention to this game because Cincy is #4. ECU puts up a fight, but Cincy is just too much.
Now, go put on the sweatpants, eat like a pig, watch some football, and hope that Steve Spurrier 2.0 ( a perfect clone ) comes to save Florida Football!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
You know that just before the 1st Thanksgiving there was one wise old Native American woman saying. “Don’t feed them. If you do, they’ll never leave!!”
Pigskin Prognostications by the Piedmont Padre and Zimmern's Twin 