Getting close to Thanksgiving including in-laws you love and those you are glad it’s only once per year you see them. It’s also getting close to big rivalry games but that is where Week 12 can produce some “looking ahead upsets” and that’s another reason to love college football.
One side note…. ZT has been a Dolphins fan all his life. While he likes this version of the Philadelphia Eagles, enjoyed an annual toast for the 1972 Dolphins team who are the only team to go undefeated wire to wire in the NFL.
Ok…check the box for the 72 Dolphins and ZT is ready to consume more food involving pumpkin and prognosticate so here we go..
Illinois Fighting Illini @ #3 Michigan Wolverines 11am cst
Illini took a hit last week losing to Purdue all but killing their chance to win the weak Big 10 West. A W over the Wolverines would make anyone’s season this year. Coach Khaki can NOT look ahead to the Buckeyes. Michigan likes to run and this is the strength of the Illini. Bret Bielema’s team has only allowed 2 teams to rush for over 100 yds. this year. The way to beat Illinois is to throw the ball and Wolverine QB JJ “I’m not related to Kevin” McCarthy has not been the most accurate passer in November with only 47% of his passes completed. Add in a date with those worthless nuts from Columbus next week and the recipe for an upset is right next to momma’s secret cornbread dressing instructions!! Ok…not going to happen but will be a closer game than Vegas expects (and ZT just left Vegas so he knows what they expect!) Hungry Wolves 28 Waving the White Flag Illini 10
#4 TCU Horned Frogs @ Baylor Bears 11am cst
Horned Frogs continue to look for the “Snow White Kiss” to land them in the prince’s spot (#4) in the CFP. (ZT, you really going children’s story reference with a football prognostication?) Just win and you get that kiss Sonny Dykes! Injured bears are dangerous and while this group was almost mortally wounded by K. State last week, but have enough offense and the #2 defense in the Big 12. They were on a 3 game win streak prior to the K State loss. Love how TCU OC Garrett Riley is running a modified Air Raid with QB Max “I like my pancakes in a double stack” Duggan ( 25 TDs and only 2 INTs) & RB Kendre “I drink Bud not” Miller with over 1100 yds and 13 TDs. TCU has beaten 5 ranked teams while Baylor is 0-3. It will be “Sonny” for another week in TX. Texas Reptiles 31 Goldilock’s Baptist Animal Friends 28
#1 Georgia Bulldogs @ Kentucky Wildcats 230pm cst
Dawgs keep burying teams while the Wildcats got caught looking past a gritty Vandy squad who broke a 26 game SEC football losing streak in Lexington! Dawgs have an explosive offense and very physical defense. Ok, everyone knows that but add in that about 15 of these guys were NOT starters on last years National Championship team with something to prove and you got a bad combo for any foe. Kentucky appears to have gotten hold of a bad batch of Charred Keg Bourbon ( was there actually ever a good batch of that? ) as they are now 2-4 in their last 6 after being considered competition in the SEC East at the end of September. QB Levis has thrown for over 2000 yds. with 16 TDs but also has 9 INTs…..expect he will add to all those totals on Saturday. Dogs just don’t like cats and the GA Dawgs don’t like anybody. Dawgs 38 Whipped Cats 13
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes @ Maryland Terrapins 230pm cst
Maryland are not that good but are just dangerous enough that the worthless nuts cannot afford to look ahead to Michigan, particularly on the road. Buckeye’s QB C J ” ” Stroud lit up the Hoosiers last week but their RBs are pretty banged up. Sure HC Ryan ” ” Day would love to leave the top 3 on the bench and let the freshman handle the workload. For the turtles, last home game and already bowl eligible so ZT says let Baby Tua loose as this win would be bigger than any bowl they will play in. Sound good Terps? Well, that is a fictional scenario so…. Worthless Nuts 41 Vegan Turtles 20
#10 Utah Utes @ #12 Oregon Ducks 930 pm cst
Duck Season was open last week!! They were shot down for the CFP by a pack of Huskies. Utah chopped down another tree at Stanford and are in the thick of the Punk 12 race with USC & Oregon. Utes have a win over USC so win this one with only Colora’duh’ remaining and looking good. Utes beat the Ducks twice in 2021 so Oregon would love to end that streak in Eugene on Saturday Night. Ducks QB Bo Nix can get a ticket to NYC with 2 more big games but Utah QB Cam Rising is no slouch. ( slouch? really ZT? ). Some unsubstantiated buzz about Bo Nix not playing…Rumor only at this point. This one is worth having a triple expresso to stay up and watch if you live on the east coast. Upset Special UTES 35 Turducken 34
ZT’s Pre-Thanksgiving quick snack selections
#19 Kansas State Wildcats @ West Virginia Mountaineers 1pm cst
Purple Power Cats crushed Baylor last week while the Mountaineers, with embattle HC Neal Brown, outlasted the Boomer Schooner to end a 3 game losing streak. Sen Joe Machin rumored to be calling plays for both teams this week. Wildcats 31 Most Boring State in America 28
#18 Texas Longhorns @ Kansas Jayhawks 230pm cst
Both teams lost winnable games last week. Both are bowl eligible at 6-4 but need a win to avoid the SPAM Bowl in Duluth MN. TX QB Ewers and RB Robinson shut down last week vs. TCU. Will not happen again as Jayhawks have K State next week and basketball season has started. Longhorns 38 KO’d Hawks 28
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers @ Auburn Tigers 3pm cst
Hilltoppers bring in a potent offense to the loveliest village on the plains this weekend to face an inspired group of tigers who are riding in better style with Cadillac. Even with one of the weirdest mascots around, WKU, led by QB Austin “Yeah Baby, Yeah!” Reed has thrown for over 3500 yds and 31 TDs!! For Auburn, Bo Nix….oops, nevermind. Tough game with Bama up next but ZT staying on the ride with Cadillac. In the words of Tin Cup: “You ride her till she bucks you or you don’t ride at all!!” Tigers 28 Hill People 27
Stanford Cardinal @ California Golden Bears 430 pm cst
OK….a pair of 3-7 teams but it is the 40th anniversary of “The Play”. Love it as being played at FTX Field, assuming it is not repossessed prior to game time. Cal ain’t good but the Trees are worse. Even the band can’t help Stanford… Golden Bears 34 Broken Trombones 17
#5 Tennessee Volunteers @ South Carolina Gamecocks 6pm cst
Hillbillies piled on style points last week to make their football version of their Velvet Elvis look better to the committee. South Carolina is not good and were devoured by the Gators in Gainesville last week. Hillbillies like fried chicken and cockfighting so this is right up their alley. Hillbillies 49 Dead Roosters 16
Ole Miss Rebels @ Arkansas Razorbacks 630pm cst
Arkansas needs a win to get bowl eligible…..good news is they play Missouri next week so they still have a chance to get there. Rebels focused on 3 things: 1) Win this week 2) Win the Egg Bowl for a 10 win season 3) Keep Lane Kiffin from going anywhere ( and not necessarily in that order!! ) Word is Kiffin has been promised some Taylor Swift concert tickets if he stays in Oxford..Hmm. UPSET SPECIAL Beer Drinking Hogs 35 Oxford Swifty Lovers 31
#8 USC Trojans @ #12 UCLA Bruins 7pm cst
Trojans made Bison Burgers in the land of gummies and mushrooms last Friday ( yes, that means Colorado). What did the Bruins do? Chip & his boys only lost to a 3 win AZ Wildcat team…AT HOME. Looking ahead? Maybe but pushes them to a Punk 12 spoiler role. That is just perfect for LA. Should be a good one but got to go with USC and QB Caleb Williams to get them past their crosstown nemesis! Trojans 41 Bruised Bruins 38
ZT still logged into Ticket Master attempting to secure Taylor Swift tickets for a Christmas gift…Thank goodness for Door Dash!
Padre getting the word out to everyone that Adam & Eve were the first people NOT to read the Apple terms & conditions….hopefully he can prognosticate today!
Saturday 904am Update – Padre finished getting the message about by posting on Twitter……Prognostication Time!!!!
Florida 30 Vandy 20
Florida should win today, but for some reason I think they are flat – and injured – so it is closer than expected. But we get our 7th win and move on up to the 2nd Tier Tampa or Orlando bowl…. “We’re movin’ on up ……”
TCU 27 Baylor 26
I will never doubt TCU again……until they meet Georgia or Ohio State ( Padre talking non-SEC champs? ) in the Playoffs. Then I will doubt them like I doubt Bigfoot and that God created Broccoli to be eaten.
Georgia 44 Kentucky 13
Georgia is red, Kentucky is blue. The Dawgs are elite, Kentucky lost to Vandy..no rhyme when you lose to Vandy.
Tennessee 51 South Carolina 16
The Vols are wearing cool orange helmets. All these cool unis for Tennessee are making me dislike them more. Envy is often associated with the green. For me, it is becoming pumpkin orange.
Oklahoma State 20 Oklahoma 17
The Pokes find a way in Norman. Boy, I bet all those Sooners trash talking Lincoln Riley after he left are silent now….
UCLA 34 USC 30
Speaking of Lincoln Riley, I think the Bruins find a way to upset the Trojans in front of a whopping 247 fans in the Rose Bowl.
Arkansas 31 Ole Miss 30
Lane lost to his Daddy last week. Lane may leave for Auburn. Lane loses a close one in WalMartLand.
Oregon 27 Utah 23
Bo Nix said the Ducks could now beat the Dawgs. then they lost to another kind of puppy in Eugene. Well, lucky for the Ducks, they aren’t playing a dog this week. Oregon pulls off the very mild upset.
Upset of the Week
Going to see The Chosen with the wife at 630, so I will miss Saturday football for 2 plus hours. Jesus with the win over my idolatrous love of football!!! You then ask: “Why didn’t you go to the Noon showing of the The Chosen today? Florida plays at Noon. Is that why?” Me: ” You need to mind your own business!”
Padre out to go pop his own popcorn to sneak into the movie tonight.
Pigskin Prognostications by the Piedmont Padre and Zimmern's Twin 