CigarSmokinFootball

Week 13 – Hate Week

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, where we give thanks for all the blessings in our life. It’s also the week where our hatred toward our rival schools is not only evident but in some cases it’s encouraged, like, not letting a car with an Auburn bumper sticker merge in front of you, and other little things like that.

Ole Miss vs Mississippi State – The Rebels are not doing well. They don’t know who they are, they can’t go bowling, even if they beat Miss State, they are facing NCAA sanctions, they lost their starting QB and have Junior transfer Jordan Ta’amu filling in. They couldn’t hold a 24-21 lead against Texas A&M and that broke the Rebs’ (Black Bears, Land Sharks) two game winning streak. Their only shot at redemption is to play spoiler for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have better more talent, they have a more experienced QB in Fitzgerald and they’re playing far better football. Should the Bulldogs win this game it will be another nine-win season. The game is in Starkville, which gives State the home field advantage, 3-30 points, depending upon whom you ask. My Brother, the Ole Miss graduate, will be upset, but MSU wins the Egg Bowl.

Georgia vs Georgia Tech – One just has to love a game with the name, “Clean Old Fashion Hate”. The Bulldogs come in as the clear favorite. Their only loss was to Auburn and the Tigers were able to pressure the Georgia freshman QB all game long while the Auburn front seven dominated the line of scrimmage. Other than that anomaly, UGA has had a great season and will be in the SEC championship game. Georgia Tech wants this game to become bowl eligible. The Paul Johnson Triple option causes some teams fits of frustration, other teams have figured out how to stop it. The Yellow Jackets don’t have the D-Line Auburn does and the Dawg Defense just might the best GT faces. Not picking the Home team, Georgia Wins.

Ohio State vs Michigan – They call this “The Game”. It’s a little self-centered of them, but, whatever. Michigan Coach Harbaugh has a terrible record against rival schools, he has only beaten Michigan State once, lost all the rest. His first two years the Wolverines won at least ten games, but this year, even if they beat OSU, they’ll have only nine wins. Things appear to be sliding downward. Ohio State already has two losses, but they still have a window of opportunity to make it into the playoffs. All they have to do is beat Michigan, and then beat Wisconsin in the Great White North Conference Championship game. If they lose, it’s all up in smoke. This game shouldn’t be a problem, UM is playing their fourth or fifth string QB, – heck they may switch and run the single wing offense with three running backs – the way they are going through Quarterbacks. Buckeyes win and it might get ugly.

Alabama vs Auburn – “The Iron Bowl!” Of all the rival games this weekend, this one might have the most riding on it. Alabama has to win this game to make it to the SEC Championship game. Auburn also has to win this game to make it to the SEC Championship game. There is no room for error for either team, none what- so-ever. The Tigers just got done beating the stew out of Georgia and Alabama escaped the spirited desperation of Mississippi State. The key for each team is to pressure the QB as neither one throws very well when they are hurried. This might be the best time for Alabama’s Hurts to prove he can run, but he has to be smart about it. This can’t turn this into the Running Jalen Hurts show. For AU to win Tiger QB and Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham, who is not the fleetest of foot, as the Clemson and LSU games proved, may have to depend on his feet, too. Both teams have stellar defenses but Bama has been bitten by the injury bug and it has taken its toll. The game will be close, but The Crimson Tide will prevail. Roll Tide!

North Carolina vs NC State – Otherwise known as the “Carolina –State Game”, real original name there guys (sarcasm), it hasn’t been newsworthy lately. UNC seemed to fall off the face of the earth this season. They were expected to have a bit of a down year but nothing like this. The Wolfpack have had a much better year than they envisioned, even looking like they might make it to the ACC championship game at one point, but that’s not going to happen. They still have a ways to go before they make it, but they are getting better. The Tar Heels have only won three games this year, while NCSU, most of the time, runs over other teams. This outcome shouldn’t be in question, the Wolves howl all the way to Victory.

Clemson vs South Carolina –  “The Palmetto Bowl”. This is the longest rivalry game in the south, and the third longest in the nation. The Gamecocks have played much better this year than last, so much so that they are looking, “looking”, like they might become a force in the SEC East, but that’ll be next year. Clemson, for most of the season, have looked like they were playing on a different level, – and then they lost to Syracuse. Even though they’ve won since then, most of the teams they’ve played have had losing records and the strength of schedule hasn’t been enough to overlook that Big Orange blemish. They have to beat USC-South and then take down Miami to win everyone’s love again. The fighting chickens would love nothing more than to upset the entire apple cart for their ACC rival and there is a good chance they might pull it off;- after all how many people picked Syracuse? We’re still going with Clemson but it won’t be a blow out.

Virginia Tech vs Virginia – “The Commonwealth Cup”. It has been 14 years since UVA defeated Tech and last year they got creamed, 52-10. This year, however, is a completely different team, they are already  bowl eligible and just last week they gave Miami all the Canes could handle – for three quarters. If only that game had ended midway through the third quarter. VA Tech isn’t having a bad year either, but they’re no Miami. The Hokies are winning their games with defense, just this past week they had to make a goal line stand to defeat Pitt, 20-14. They have one of the better defenses in the nation and they’ll have to lean heavily upon them to make it 15 years in a row over Virginia. However, this is the game of the weekend that will end in an upset, the Cavaliers are at home, they have confidence after standing toe to toe with the Hurricanes, and that is going to pay off for them.

Texas A&M vs LSU – I have said this every year and I’m going to keep saying. Texas A&M vs Texas is supposed to happen on Thanksgiving! These two schools need to get over whatever burr is under their saddleblanket and make this happen. Instead, the Aggies will be facing the Tigers, Louisiana variety, and, don’t misunderstand, these two schools don’t like each other. A&M needs to conjure up whatever hate they can spare cause they are going to need it. The defensive line got gashed by a subpar Ole Miss rushing attack. Against LSU, it’s going to be a bit tougher. The Bayou Bengals still can’t pass  very well but they do have a pretty good running game. That, and a defensive line that can disrupt the backfield, will be all they need to win this game. The Daughter will not be happy, as a matter of fact she’ll be downright mad about it.

Washington State vs Washington –  “The Apple Cup”. The math eggheads who think math and football somehow go together say that WSU has only a 15% chance of winning this game. I have no idea how in the world they came up with that, None! If there is one thing I know about a Mike Leach team, it’s don’t ever take them lightly. The Cougars, for most of the season, have been fantastic, but when they don’t have it all together, the wheels fall off completely. Washington  have been very good, also, but, in their two losses, they didn’t completely fall apart, they mostly hung in there all the way to the end. This will be a battle of two quarterbacks, Falk (WSU), and Browning, (UW). Whichever one is the most tuned in will win it. U-Dub has the homefield, and it will help, but there is a very strong chance that Wazzu pulls the upset, as in, it’s a very, very good chance. Going to go with the Huskies, but it’s by a slim margin.

Arizona vs Arizona State- “The Duel in the Desert” The Wildcats have been riding the legs of their quarterback Khalil Tate, as they darn sure haven’t been relying on his passing. 9 TD’s with 8 INTS, not top notch passing. When they have lost it’s because the opposing defense has been able to shut down the lanes and force ‘Zona to pass. All of their games, except the Houston game, have been high scoring by both teams, which doesn’t say much for the defense of the Cats. Side Bar! Arizona has never been to the Rose Bowl…not once! ASU has had an up and down season, they won against teams they should have and lost to the ones they were expected too. The only upset they pulled off was against Washington, and that was a close, low -scoring affair. There has been nothing noteworthy or that even  has been strong for them. They have been in every game they’ve played well, except the USC game, – that one got away. All the others the Sun Devils have been right there scrapping it out.  This game is in Tempe which should be enough to lend ASU the edge.

Short Smokes

Miami chains down Pitt

TCU knocks down Baylor

Central Florida hurts South Florida

Oklahoma State will not lose to another Kansas school.

Memphis sails over East Carolina

Wisconsin beats Minnesota, but the Gophers could pull the upset.

Penn State will have no trouble with Maryland

Boise State vs Fresno State – going to be a good game, taking the Bulldogs

West Virginia falls to Oklahoma, Mayfield or not

Michigan State stomps Rutgers

Northwestern will not trip up against Illinois

Stanford will run over Notre Dame

Arkansas could lose to Missouri, but they won’t. It’s Hogs or hogwash time

Iowa will destroy Nebraska

Texas plays Texas Tech, they need to stop being scared of A&M

UCLA lost their coach so California will win

Louisville gets shut down by Kentucky

Purdue boils Indiana

Duke will fall to Wake Forest

Oregon State vs Oregon in what is called, ‘The Civil War’, Ducks win

Colorado against Utah, going to take the Buffs.