Week 8 - Watch Out

+ Week 8 Plays --
Rutgers (+2)
UTEP (-7)
Miami (-2.5)
SMU (+3) (-105)
Utah (+3) (-105)
Indiana (+23.5)
Notre Dame (-8.5)
Boston College (+21.5)
Stanford (-20.5)

Arizona sat at (-3.5) yesterday and if it dropped to (-3), I would have played it. Instead it swung north and is now (-4.5).

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.

Last week: 6-7-1
Season: 53-29-2

+ Gut Plays of the Week –-
TBD (7-game heater)

Week 7 - Wait..... We Lost???

After six weeks in the black, this was my first losing weekend, albeit my record was 6-7-1. And I actually never bet on Michigan (for or against) so my personal bets went 6-6-1, but I digress.

+ Week 7 Winners --
Miami (+3) Jacory Harris is playing well and not turning the ball over. Outright win.
Missouri (-14)
Virginia (+9) Strong contrarian play. Everyone loved Georgia Tech last week.
Boise State (-33.5) Boise will roll through their new conference.
Nevada (-30)
Fresno State (+4.5) Last game on the schedule was a winner. Just realized that I didn’t have one close win. All of these were easy covers.

+ Week 7 Losers --
Cal (+4.5) QB play was heinous, especially with Cal’s talent at WR.
Michigan (+2.5) State is the better team this year and was at home. Line should have been higher.
Indiana (+40) Russell Wilson has thrown four passes in the 4th quarter…for the entire year.
Cincinnati (-16.5) 9-point victory not enough.
Rutgers (-5) 1-point victory not enough.
Central Michigan (-12.5)
Idaho (pk)

Marshall (-4) was a wash.

Last Week: 6-7-1
Season: 53-29-2

+ Gut Plays of the Week --
N/A. Still riding a juicy 7-game winning streak.

Week 7 - Battle in East Lansing

+ Week 7 Plays --
Cal (+4) (-105)
Michigan (+2.5)
Missouri (-14)
Indiana (+40)
Cincinnati (-16.5)
Marshall (-4)
Virginia (+9)
Nevada (-30)
Boise State (-33.5)
Fresno State (+4.5)
Central Michigan (-12.5)
Rutgers (-5)
Miami (+3)
Idaho (pk)

Last Week: 7-3
Season: 47-22-1

//

+ Gut Plays of the Week --
N/A. Traveled to Boston this week and didn’t have time to research any specific games. If Hugh DeVor makes a play, I might will ride.

Over the last three weeks, we have a 7-0 record on gut plays.
Georgia – Tennessee
Purdue – Minnesota
Michigan – Minnesota
Auburn – South Carolina
Washington – Dallas (NFL)
Oklahoma State – Texas A&M
Cincinnati – NC State (Truck Plant Worker special)


In East Lansing, can anyone confirm if The Situation and Izzo will be on the sideline again?

Week 6 Recap

Before Week 7 (UM-MSU), let’s recap last Saturday…

+ Week 6 Winners --

Tulane (+11)
Michigan (-7)
Ohio State (+12)
North Texas (-3)
BC (+23) Caught a good line here.
Nevada (-21)
Houston (-10) Nice 43-point cover.

+ Week 6 Losers --
Utah (+6) My fault with the recent Utah plays. They are not performing like the model says they should because their starting QB is hurt. I will make adjustments.
UConn (+21) This was a 1-point game in the late-3Q. Ew.
Arizona (-3)

Last Week: 7-3
Season: 47-22-1

//

+ Gut Plays of the Week --

Georgia (-1.5) Love me some Uga.
Purdue (-10) Minny is heinous.

Over the last three weeks, we have a 7-0 record on gut plays.
Purdue – Minnesota
Georgia – Tennessee
Michigan – Minnesota
Auburn – South Carolina
Washington – Dallas (NFL)
Oklahoma State – Texas A&M
Cincinnati – NC State (Truck Plant Worker special)

//

Chris Rainey (Florida) on LSU & Alabama: "I felt we was better than them."

Florida lost by a combined score of 79-21.

"G"i Men

Friday October 7 and The Weekend

Going to Ryan Field in Evanston on Saturday. Michigan-Northwestern. Expecting 75% of the stadium to be maize and blue.

+ Week 6 Plays --
Tulane (+11)
Michigan (-7)
Ohio State (+12)
Utah (+6)
North Texas (-3)
BC (+23)
Nevada (-21)
Houston (-10)
UConn (+21)
Arizona (-3)

Last Week: 8-4
Season: 40-19-1

//

+ Gut Plays of the Week --
Georgia (-1.5)
Purdue (-10)

Over the last two weeks, we have a 5-0 record on gut plays.
Michigan – Minnesota
Auburn – South Carolina
Washington – Dallas (NFL)
Oklahoma State – Texas A&M
Cincinnati – NC State (Truck Plant Worker special)

Pitt Fans

That's Old Hone

GIFSoup

The Big House

Bresnahan

Kevbro

Vantasy

Vantasy

Squirrel

It Looks Like The Vick Jerseys Are On Back Order

Oops.

Best Uniforms...Ever?

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs just became my "Team B" in minor league baseball, obv. behind the Mud Hens. Choice?

Pens 4 - Wings 3... Damn

// Going into the series, I thought that Anaheim was better than Pittsburgh. Not by a huge margin, because I thought Pittsburgh would be tough, but thought the Ducks were better. After the first two games, even though Detroit won both by a couple goals, I changed my mind on that.

// Anaheim was the more physical team, but throughout this series, I was really impressed with the defense of Pittsburgh. They played the passing lanes incredibly well, played the puck great along the boards and won a lot of the little stick-battles for the puck, and blocked a ton of shots. I think they forced Detroit into more offsides in this one series than they had in the previous three combined. They pressured on the other end very hard, but did it without being reckless the way that Chicago was.

// Just to sort of demonstrate the point on their defense - I think that Fleury started looking shaky a couple minutes before Detroit scored their first goal, misplaying a couple pucks and giving up big rebounds. And Ericsson’s goal was a bad, bad goal to give up. Then he got beat on Kronwall’s shot that hit the crossbar. But after the goal, how many saves did he actually have to make in the final six minutes, prior to the final five seconds? Virtually none. And that was with Detroit pressuring a lot. The shots just weren't getting through to him.

// Don't get me wrong, I think for all their talent that Malkin played like a punk at times and Cindy Crosby is a little girl, but the team as a whole deserves credit for what they accomplished.

// And not saying that Pittsburgh was necessarily more deserving than Detroit. The Wings had opportunities that they didn't capitalize on in Game 7 and the previous game. And maybe having Datsyuk could have tipped game three or four in their favor. Still, I just think it was a series where they were very evenly matched, but only one team can win it...

// Still don’t like Pittsburgh. No choice.

Oh Detroit... The Lions 2009 NFL Draft

// The Lions did have a lot of needs. QB, OL, DL, LB, S...essentially every position on the team save WR. In that respect, people were correct in saying that Detroit could take almost anyone and it would fill a hole. However, good teams--teams that win consistently--start from the trenches. This is as true on the college level as it is in the NFL. There is a reason why Michigan went 40 years without a losing season and why the Lions have gone 50 without winning a title, and generally being uncompetitive throughout most of that span; the disparity in the quality of their lines. UofM always had good lines, while the Lions had poor to merely average.

// The closest the Lions ever came to having a great line that I can remember was with the Eric Andolsek-Mike Utley-Lomas Brown core. When we were kids in the early 90s, that was a promising line. But then Utley was crippled in a game and Andolsek was killed by a semi in his yard. The Lions haven't come close to fielding a good line since. I admit that the comparison is flawed. The differences in competition at the college level can be wide ranging. But there is no doubt what the recipe for success was in Ann Arbor--a strong, powerful run attack based on superior OL play along with a fierce, technically sound and physically punishing defense. Not coincidentally, the Steelers of the 70s won with the same formula. The best teams still win with that formula.

// We were lead to believe, first under Rod Marinelli and now Jim Schwartz, that the Lions were going to "pound the rock". Well, in order to pound the rock you need the road graters to punish the defense. The Lions did nothing to address that. The one OT they took is considered a "finesse" tackle. The Lions had guys within their reach who could have made this team better now. Specifically, Michael Oher at 20. They could have found a quality guard in the third round to pair with the OT and thus solidified their line.

// Despite my feelings on Curry’s future, they could have taken Stafford, drafted Oher, and taken Duke Robinson in the 4th round. They would have been far better off doing that than taking a TE at 20, an OLB who had a 5th-round-grade in the 3rd and who will have to be converted to MLB, as well as a WR in the 3rd. The Lions should have said "we cannot fill all the holes now, so let's follow a proven formula and build our lines." That at least is understandable. We know that it’s not realistic for them to become a solid team in one draft. Alas, what we got was the same nonsensical approach to drafting that we have seen from the Lions for ages.

// With that said, I’ll leave you with some Banks to get ready for a strong Saturday night.

If Tyler Hansbrough was a Cat, He'd Look Like This...

// Does Tyler Hansbrough always look confused?

// Two teams left in college basketball. Michigan State and North Carolina. Well it’s halftime and it’s not looking good for Sparty. But there’s no way Carolina can keep shooting like this…right? We’ll find out.

// Two things:

1) I swear that the bookies always know what they are doing. I found out that the line was inflated despite a lot of people betting on the crew from East Lansing. Even I fell for the trick. A -7.5 spread seemed way too large for a championship game in the underdog’s backyard. But here’s what I’m thinking. State’s going to make a game out of this in the second half. No choice.

2) Sure the true Big Ten fans are pulling for MSU. But I feel that a lot of the country wants Michigan State to win this one. The state of Michigan deserves some good news. The state unemployment rate is 12%. The city of Detroit is 22%. 65% of Detroit retailers don’t think any of the bailout money will even matter. The Lions are the worst NFL team. The Pistons suddenly stink. The city and state are reeling. It was another harsh winter. Season ticket sales for the Tigers plunged 44%. The president essentially fired the head of GM. The auto industry is toast. Chrysler could print money in their basement and they would still be broke for the next 20 years. Ethically and morally, we have to root for Michigan State.

// So here comes the final 20 minutes. Do work Sparty.