Tag: big-12

Here we go….Great time of year as this ties in with Dirty Santa noting some teams are going to have their playoff hopes taken away this week!!

So much for ZT’s “Army should be in if they win” theory as Navy submarined the Army offense. Go Navy!

Congratulations to Michael Vick who was named HC at Norfolk State Spartans. Have it on inside information the new song when they run on the field will be “Who let the Dogs Out?” By the Baha Men.

Will note a few bowl games will be sprinkled in our prognostications. More challenging in the age of NIL, Transfer Portal active in Bowl Season, etc. Most recent example is Marshall ( ) pulling out of the Radiance Technology Bowl after the HC Charles “I’m leaving here in a” Huff took the Southern Miss job and then 25 players head to the transfer portal. Someone said as they were walking out of the athletic dorm in Huntington, WV they were chanting “We AREN’T Marshall!” Again, add this to the list of stuff either the NCAA cleans up or we just all convert to watching Arena Football.

Prognostication Accountability Padre 82 – 47 On the Naughty List ZT 78-46

Padre remains in the lead and was heard quoting a version of Ricky Bobby to ZT “If you ain’t first, your ZT!”

Padre is in the house on Friday AM as he is feeding chickens to his pet gator to get ready for today’s game!

Well, here we are. The playoffs are starting. Is it perfect? No. But it’s something new. I wish we had a 16 team playoff, but 12 is okay. I wish football people and not administrators decided the format, and seeded appropriately, but that would be expecting too much. Let’s not get carried away over here.

Instead, we got a system where the #1 team has a harder road than any other team. We got a system where the teams with a bye never get to host a game. We got a system that seems to punish playing a difficult schedule. Everybody say “Go Committees!”

Yet, we have meaningful football in December! So I will put that cynicism back in the box and open it in late January — or December 20th if Florida loses to Tulane.

Speaking of Florida…let’s pick that game first. Meaningless you say — yeah, so what? They are my team and you will suffer the prediction with me! What, you think you’re better than me?

Florida vs. Tulane (The Gasparilla Bowl — which I found out is about pirates or something): The Green Wave left the most humid city in America. They boarded a plane. They then went to the second most humid city in America (or something like that). Florida hopped on a bus and will probably be back by dinner time. The joys of bowl season! — My Gators ended the season with some big wins. We even planted a flag and started a fight. Evidently, this could become a felony in Ohio! You want to vote in America? Well, if you do, don’t plant a flag! (By the way, I am not a fan of flag planting, but I am also not a fan of stupid snowflake laws.) Not that it means much of anything for next season, but Florida will be playing football and I hate losing (and like winning). So Go Gators! Oh, and I think Florida wins 27-17.

Indiana vs. Notre Dame: As a pastor, I cannot tell if I am supposed to like Curt Cignetti’s confidence (arrogance?) or not. On one hand, he comes off a smug and snarky guy. On the other hand, he comes off as someone who wants Indiana to believe. I know they had a weak schedule, but Indiana is in the CFP — the Indiana Hoosiers! So I am siding with the positive here. Cignetti is simply a humble man helping the former little sisters of the poor believe they are winners. Meanwhile, their opponent is the team that is always hyped and never lives up to that hype. So who do I pick? My head says Notre Dame. My heart says Indiana. In those situations, I almost always trust my head. But like a kid on national signing day, I pick up that Notre Dame hat — and as I am putting it on my head I sling it! I am riding with the Hoosiers and their misunderstood/humble coach. 😏 Google this, Notre Dame! Indiana wins 26-23.

SMU vs. Penn St: The program formerly knows as “The Best Team Money Can Buy” vs. the team who has uniforms even the poorest rec league can afford to buy. I am actually a fan of tradition and simplicity, but at some point even vanilla ice cream needs some sprinkles or something. There is such a thing as too simple, Penn St! Anyway, SMU is a cool story. And yet, I still couldn’t name one player on their team. In fairness, I am not sure I could name a player for Penn St either. SEC Bias is a real diagnosable problem 😏. Penn St is simply better. Vanilla ice cream wins this round over Ewing Oil (1980s TV joke). Franklin’s boys roll 33-17.

Clemson vs. Texas: Clemson closed out their regular season (at home!) with a loss to the sixth highest rated SEC team. They then beat SMU for the ACC title. Clemson and SMU make the CFP over three SEC teams who, well, would all be favored over Clemson and SMU — including the team who JUST BEAT THEM ON THEIR OWN TURF! Once again, gotta love committees. Wait, wait. I said I would stop the cynicism. My apologies. Pretend I never said that — just like Texas will make it where we can pretend Clemson never got in. Texas wins big by a score 37-16. *** And for Clemson fans, I am actually pulling for Clemson! While Dabo comes off as a grumpy man, I am starting to think his grumpiness is justified. College football has become the Wild West. Maybe Dabo is our Wyatt Earp ***

Tennessee vs. Ohio St: Does it feel like one team is super hyped to be in the CFP while the other team is like the girl on Clueless — “Whatever”? I am so torn over this game. I think Ohio St is better, but I feel Tennessee wants it more. As an SEC guy, I am told that I am supposed to pull for Tennessee. However, let me make this clear — Unless the Vols are playing FSU or Georgia, it will be a literal cold day in Hell before I pull for Tennessee. And in those situations, I would just pray that Jesus returns and saves us from that ugly orange and/or fire engine red (Georgia) or fake gold (FSU). All of that has no influence on my pick for this game. While I am struggling, I am going to stick with the home team. The Buckeyes take down the Vols by a score of 26-20.

That’s if for me this week. “Go Florida. Beat Tulane.” Now, I know some of my SEC peers are mocking the fact that we are even playing Tulane. “What has happened to the mighty Gators?”, they may say. My response: “What, you think you’re better than me?”

ZT has used Boost Oxygen this week as he noted the cannister says “quick recovery time” ( you need it ZT after that Army pick! ).

Friday Dec 20

Tulane Green Wave vs Florida Gators Gasporilla Bowl Tampa 230pm

Last time these 2 played? Same year Apple released the Macintosh and Ghostbusters, Beverly Hills Cop, The Terminator and ( noting the recent drone sighting issue ) Red Dawn were top movies at the Box Office…….It was 1984 ( thanks ZT for the stroll down memory lane ). QB DJ Lagway is the real deal and, with the Gator Defense, got this team to a bowl game with 3 straight wins to finish the regular season. Green Wave did just the opposite dropping last 2 to Army and Memphis ( both going bowling ) to keep it out of the CFP picture. QB portal issues but Tulane must run to win. Thats’s an issue as expect the Gator D to handle anything Tulane can dish out. Gators 34 Green Ripple 17

#10 Indiana Hoosiers vs #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish South Bend 7pm

ZT jacked up about this game. Love Marcus Freeman ( you tell us that every time you talk about Notre Dame ZT…we get it! ) and great to see he was extended for 4 additional years and he will be one of the highest paid coaches. Assume the Pope will press people to load up the collection plate worldwide. That said, how about those Hoosiers!! HC Curt Cignetti will need to break a spell….Indiana’s last win over ND was ( pic…1898 )

That was 1898 but so what if you skipped a century, it is 2024!!!
For some reason, ZT just sees the Hoosiers extending their football season a few weeks even though basketball has started. ZT went to see Santa and asked him about this game.. Upset of the Century Hoosiers 24 Home Alone in South Bend 23

Saturday Dec 21

#11 SMU Mustangs vs #6 Penn State Nittany Lions Happy Valley 11am

Mustangs will travel to Happy Valley where the weather will be partly cloudy but a game-time forecast 27degrees. That’s why horses like to be in heated stalls in the winter. Word is in the pregame speech HC Rhett Lashlee will advise the team “ its only cold if you think it is” while he stands there in an Iditarod suit. They said they were cold in Charlotte. SMU fans hear the band will play the Michael Murphy song “Wildfire” (Ok ZT…enough is enough….that song was released in 1975 and 49 years later still sucks, just not as bad as Paul Anka’s “Having My Baby” , but close! ). PSU HC James Franklin just maintains that evil grin that would make the Grinch look like a Salvation Army kettle ringer. Nittany Lions 31 Shetland Ponies of Dallas 24

#12 Clemson Tigers vs #5 Texas Longhorns Austin 3pm

Trying to be objective on the analysis of this one…..Nevermind, Longhorns will gorge the Tigers. Clemson in the CFP is like having the #6 Flute player in the high school band trying to play with the NY Symphony Orchestra. After the game, 3rd string Texas Defensive Tackle offers to give Dabo a ride back to the hotel in his Lamborghini and says we will ask the 2nd string DT if he will fly him back to Clemson in his G5 he got in the portal. Longhorns 35 Dabo’s Kazoo Band 17

#9 Tennessee Volunteers vs #8 Ohio State Buckeyes Columbus 7pm

This should be the best contest of the opening 4 games. Love that bars in Columbus OH are being bombarded with Rocky Top playing on TouchTunes. Issue is thats the only song available on TouchTunes if in a Knoxville area code other than that Fancy Like Applebees on a Date night song.
Vols have taken care of business…only a November loss at Athens and October loss at Fayetteville AR blemish their record. QB Nico I & RB Dylan Sampson keep this offense humming. Buckeyes had the hiccup at home and a tough road loss in Eugene. Lots of folks, including those in OH, wanted to throw out the HC Ryan Day but here they are hosting a CFP game in Columbus. The winner here gets a game in Eugene. Will be closer than Vegas sees it but Ryan Day gets it done at home. Buckeyes 27 Wearing My Orange to Deer Hunt at Christmas 24