"Where do I begin?”
Written by Wendi
What a brutal week. I am glad that it is over but I know this week’s picks are looming and doubt they are any easier.
The first couple of games featured an undefeated team. Undefeated Miami travelled to Louisville, and it was a back-and-forth game until the last few minutes of the game. The Hurricanes escaped the upset, winning 52-45 and is on pace with an undefeated Pittsburgh in conference play to play for the ACC Championship if they continue to win out. FYI, Miami does not play Pitt.
In the Big Ten, did I think Indiana would win over Nebraska? Yes. Did I think it would be a blowout? No.
The Hoosiers beat the brakes off the Cornhuskers 56-7. Is Indiana really that good? Looking at their future schedule, the only ranked opponent left on their schedule is Ohio State which is the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Can they stay undefeated or will they trip up? They are also contending with undefeated Oregon and Penn State for the conference title.
Speaking of the Big Ten, Michigan is still proving they can really stink it up. Even though they were able to pass for a season high of 208 yards, Illinois was ready for the running game and forced three turnovers and won 21-7.
After a quick 24-7 lead at the half, Cincinnati was held scoreless in the second half by Arizona State. However, the Sun Devils were only able to score 7 more points ending the game 24-14 with a Bearcat win.
Colorado cruised passed Arizona on the road 34-7. Maybe this year, Colorado will make a bowl game. They need one more win. After looking at their schedule, it may not be easy. They have Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma State.
The SEC featured five of this week’s games. Not sure what happened in Norman, Oklahoma, but it was not pretty between Oklahoma and South Carolina. South Carolina scored 21 points within the first 5-6 minutes of the game. Two of those were pick six’s and the other was a fumble return for a touchdown. With four total turnovers, Oklahoma lost 35-9 and has already fired their offensive coordinator.
Alabama has proven once again this year that they have underlying issues in the locker room. Is it discipline problems? Is it the NIL and transfer portal issues? Yes, they have the talent to be a top ranked team but not sure if it is the decision making that is suffering? Either way, some adjustments need to be made. Tennessee wins again in Knoxville 24-17.
LSU travelled to Arkansas and the Tigers manhandled the hogs forcing three turnovers. The final score was 34-10.
#5 Georgia traveled to face #1 Texas. I think we all know how that game ended. Leading 23-0 at the half, the Bulldogs were outscored 15-7 but the damage had already been done. Texas realized, "Maybe our resume isn’t as good as we thought.” Georgia won 30-15.
Florida throttled Kentucky at the Swamp 48-20. Florida appears to be improving each week but has a tough schedule ahead in Georgia, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss. I will not add Florida State on there. However, those rivalry games can get interesting.
FUN FACT: I got nothing…only a headache!!
On to Pick’em’s…
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that David has not sniffed anything close to the top 3. As a matter of fact, he has not been any higher than 7th place, which was in week 2. For those of you who are new this year, David is typically in the top 3-year end and year out. So right now, he is in unchartered territory. And I just can’t’ help but giggle and chuckle.
Unlike the previous weeks, there was no nosedive from anyone at the top. Maybe this will be the new trend since I took first place. You have two girls and an 11-year-old in the top three spots. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. With that being said, it’s still anyones game. Yes, even you Rick. But you will need to have a few more good weeks while everyone else does terrible.
Kim and Megan decided that they didn’t want to win anything and took Adam’s place...second from last. Thanks to Adam finishing in the top four for the week, he was able to move up.
Looking at the graph, Mike M. has been consistently between the 6th and 8th spot. Maybe he is waiting for further on in the season to make his move up. Or maybe he is waiting on everyone ahead of him to fall? Either way, you may want to start getting aggressive in some of your picks to make a move up. [editor's note: This is not sound advice] By only snagging 30 points this week, you did yourself no favors. The further you get behind, the harder it is to move up. The other Mike in this group that had a great week jumped from 12th place to 5th place just as quick as he can say "Tiger Eagles” or is it "War Tiger”?
As far as Evelyn, Sean, Noah, and Marc – there’s still some hope. You are not out of it just yet. Between 1st and 13th place, there is only a 20-point difference. Some places are only a point difference.
Most points for the week: By putting only one point on Texas is what helped Mike H. snag 44 points as well as the weekly $10. Doubt it will happen again though.
Least points for the week: I believe David posted in last week’s article that Sean would fall. And that’s exactly what happened after 24 points – his ship sank and he fell from 5th place to 9th.
Best pick of the week: Rick, Wendi, and Mike M. picking South Carolina over Oklahoma. Rick and Adam picking Georgia to beat Texas. A lot of high points were lost on those games.
Worst pick of the week: For all of those (myself included) that bought into the Texas hype and went big and to those who went high on Michigan. In case you didn’t get the memo, Michigan is a hot mess.
Here are the rankings after Week 8:
1. Wendi – 295 points
2. Cindie – 294 points
3. Sam – 291 points
4. Marc – 290 points
5. Mike H. – 284 points
6. Evelyn – 280 points
7. Mike M. – 279 points
8. David – 278 points
9. Sean – 277 points
10. Noah – 277 points
11. Adam – 276 points
12. Megan – 275 points
13. Kim – 275 points
14. Rick – 265 points
There is a 30-point difference from first to last place.
