CigarSmokinFootball

Week 7 Preview

Hello, week 7, and hello, October! All Hail, October! Games galore! This is what Saturdays are meant to be. Even if your team isn’t still undefeated, there are plenty of games left to get excited about. It’s the month of October, Halloween, and College Football Games are getting tougher, time to separate the men from the boys. Some teams have already separated themselves from the pack, hello Tennessee, and others have had their separations performed upon them, say, Michigan State. These teams need to suck it up, Buttercups, and get back into the fray. Gladiators who quit after one disappointment are not remembered very long.

Oklahoma vs Texas – The Jalen Hurts -led Sooners get it on with the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry. It’s an every year affair, and it’s always exciting, even when the score’s a runaway.  According to Lincoln Riley, this is the Number One rivalry in all of footballdom. Horsefeathers! Has he never heard of the Army vs Navy game, or the SEC “where it just means more”, like, the Iron Bowl, or the Egg Bowl? But, let’s cut him some slack. This is the biggest game on OU extremely lackluster schedule. After five lopsided wins the Sooners have been awarded the number six slot in the nation. They have yet to face a team with a pulse, falling behind even Clemson’s Powder Puff schedule. Texas will be their biggest test, maybe of the year. Until they get to the Ohio States and Alabamas and LSU’s, possibly Wisconsins, in the Final Four. Texas played LSU’s Number One offense for sixty minutes, they lost, they didn’t stop Burrows and his Cajun buddies, but the Horns showed a defense. So far this year, QB Jalen Hurts, the high character lad, as been tearing up the opposition, and CSF, and the editor, have both been pulling for him, but, let’s be honest, he hasn’t faced anything like the defenses he was up against down South. A point of concern for the Sooners, their starting QB has more rushing yards than their leading running back. Here at CSF, we’re no offensive genii  but we are purtty smart, and when a team can’t run the ball effectively, they’ve got problems. Texas has defeated two teams with winning records, Oklahoma State and West “By Golly” Virginia. Last year the RR Rivalry game came down to a last minute field goal, which lifted UT to victory. In the conference championship game, they couldn’t repeat that miracle, but they do wear the rivalry trophy, the “Golden Cowboy Hat”. Everyone and their uncle is picking Oklahoma, but I’m a maverick. Texas is my pick. I dislike the University of Texas for any number of reasons, but their football team has played tougher games than OU’s, the Horns have been through the fire, they got branded by LSU, but they beat WVU in Morganton. This means Texas is more prepared for adversity than the Sooners. I hope Texas has been working to tighten up their pass coverage this week.

Alabama vs Texas A&M – somehow, this is a top 25 match up. It’s not a question of Alabama being ranked, it’s more a question of how are the Aggies still ranked? When they’ve played quality opponents, the Aggies have stumbled and bumbled their way along (Clemson, Auburn). When Florida beat the Plainsmen, it makes Auburn look less formidable, hence less rank for the Aggies. But, here they are. A&M has its work cut out for them. They are vulnerable to a quality passing game, and, wouldn’t you know it, Alabama is otherworldly in their Tua-to-the-Quartet connection. The Quartet are the best receivers in the nation, and Tua is arguably the most accurate QB in the solar system. The Crimson Tide has broken a big play, or two, or three, in every game this season. How the Corps is going to contain this Tide is a mystery. Bama has its own problems. Their secondary is just as vulnerable as A&M’s, but Kellen Mond ain’t Tua Tagovailoa. The Crimson Tide rolls over A&M, The Daughter will be mad, and I’m going to hear about it, but, too bad, facts are facts.

Washington State vs Arizona State – in a game that may only interest me and a few others, the Cougars of Washington State travel to the desert to chase the Sun Devils of Arizona State. WSU gave up a 30 plus point lead to UCLA, that’s right, they allowed the Bruins to come more than 30 down to beat them, in Pullman. Oregon State beat UCLA for the first time in…well…a very long time., and WSU lost to the Uclans. Then the Cougars lost to Utah, which isn’t that much of a surprise, but Mike Leach the Pirate’s minions didn’t play well, at all. ASU started off a little shaky but they seemed to have regained their feet. They’ve played three big games in a row and have won two. They tripped California when the Bears were the tearing up the West Coast and the Mid South (with some assistance from the PAC-12 officiating crew). WSU should win, but the defense is going to have to play a complete game, all four quarters, and they haven’t done it yet. ASU is going to win. Why? Because they have Herm Edwards coaching, and the Herm Train is rolling down the tracks.

Penn State vs Iowa – the Hawkeyes disappointed me last week, they flopped like a soccer player getting brushed on the shoulder. Against Michigan, they turned in their sorriest performance of the year, they couldn’t hold on the pigskin to save their lives. They couldn’t catch, couldn’t secure it when they ran with it, and, if there was another way to transport it, they would have fumbled that, too. The Hawkeyes let Michigan beat them, for no good reason. Penn State has been quietly going undefeated. It’s been quiet because, well, they haven’t played any noisy competition. They’ve been beating everybody and they’ve piled on the points. If this method works for Oklahoma, and gets them noticed, why isn’t it doing the same thing for the Nittany Lions? Hard to say, but CSF has noticed, and I think these Lions have been playing pretty well. Purtty well. They didn’t do all that great against Pitt, but they won. Most likely, PSU will crush the Hawkeyes. Losing to Michigan like that is just too hard to overlook.

Army vs Western Kentucky – Army is upset, as well they should be. They fell to Tulane last week. Tulane is a good school my Granddaddy went there, but they should not have beaten Army. Now the Black Knights are imitating the Roman legions. It wasn’t that the Romans never lost a battle, they did, but what mattered is what they did after they were defeated. They didn’t sit around sucking their thumbs, and feeling offended. No! they girded up their loins, sharpened their swords, buffed their shields and went out and kicked the hell out of whomever they found. The Hilltoppers are that next opponent, GO ARMY!

Short Smokes

Virginia vs Miami – UVA will weather the Hurricanes and win the game. One of these days, the Canes will win again.

Colorado believes they’ll give Oregon a good game, but they won’t. Ducks waddle.

Georgia has come from behind in their last two games, that won’t happen against South Carolina. Gamecocks won’t be ahead.

Michigan will beat Illinois, but we’re pulling for the Illini. I don’t like Harbaugh.

IF Tennessee can play the entire game like they did in the first half against UGA, they could actually beat Mississippi State. Doubtful the Volunteers have the stamina.

Duke swats Georgia Tech

Florida State vs Clemson- once upon a time this was the game of the season within the ACC. Not now. FSU isn’t even a shell of what they were. Strange things happen around Halloween, and it could happen. No, really, it could.

Michigan State is in a lot of trouble against Wisconsin

Cincinnati beats Houston, yeah, sure. Would help the Bearcats’ Bowl chances.

Baylor is undefeated and ranked. Texas Tech shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Hmmm.

Iowa State vs West Virginia – oohhh, this could be a good game, Cyclones win

Virginia Tech will win against Rhode Island,  if they don’t fire everyone, no, I mean it, fire them all.

Fresno State vs Air Force – picking Fresno State, because, why not? Air Force is stepbrother to Army, and I always pick Army. Air Force is red-headed stepbrother.

Ole Miss visits Missouri –going to pick the Rebels in honor of my brother and that’s the only reason. That, and John Rhys Plumlee.

If USC wants to be taken seriously, they have to beat Notre Dame, and they will.

Wake Forest is undefeated and Louisville isn’t, Demon Deacons stay undefeated.

Minnesota will beat Nebraska, cause the game isn’t in Lincoln.  

Arkansas gets whipped by Kentucky

Florida and LSU –the Gators had a great game against Auburn, but this is being played in Baton Rouge at night and that’s not fair. As a Bama fan, it would be hysterical if UF pulled the upset

Utah skins the Beavers of Oregon State

Boise State will not give Hawai’i an Island welcome Aloha, and aloha.

Washington couldn’t overcome the Stanford curse, but there’s no curse in Arizona. Not one that I know of. If there’s an ancient curse, we’ll have to consult the editor, who can’t invoke the Anasazi Curse since they weren’t in Arizona.

North Alabama has the week off, and, boy, do they need it. Roar Lions!