In 2020, the new normal just feels weird.
It’s the end of October and only one major sport is playing…football. Baseball, basketball, and hockey just finished up their shortened seasons and we have no clear idea when we’ll see each professional sport next. College basketball is nearly a month away, which is exciting in itself, but college and pro football will officially dominate the sports headlines even more so over the next month or more.
Ohio State just played their first game. Wisconsin did too…but now we have no idea when we’ll see them next (sorry JB…). Still waiting for the Pac-12 and MAC to get involved within the next week.
Instead of a Halloween night trip to Tucson for Oregon-Arizona as originally scheduled, I’ll be watching Ohio State-Penn State elsewhere. Depressing yet satisfying in that it’s better than no college football at all.
This is the first week I’m combining both the CFB & NFL picks…instead of two columns, it’s a super-sized one! I’m making progress vs. the ‘experts’ straight up though JB is crushing all of us ATS. Small slate of games this week…blame COVID and Wisconsin…
Week 9 CFB BOLD Predictions:
EC: Sadly the Big 10 is robbing college football fans of one of the coolest new fan support traditions in the sport, Penn State’s White Out. With no crowd noise to deter them in an empty Beaver Stadium, Ohio State rolls to its second win of the season and essentially puts the nail in the coffin to Penn State’s New Year’s Six hopes. Maybe Justin Fields’ Heisman aspirations aren’t as dead as I thought last week?
AL: With a win vs. Texas this week, Oklahoma State gives the Big 12 a hope for the CFP , a slim one as I don’t buy the Pokes in Stillwater and think they trip up later in the season or in the Big 12 title game
JB: Game of the week belongs to the SEC where the surprisingly competitive Razorbacks have the Aggies on the ropes in College Station. Ultimately a Kellen Mond touchdown in the final minute pushes A&M over the top, but Sam Pittman is easily the early candidate for hire of the year for resurrecting life in this previously woeful program.
SM: Rutgers proves they are actually for real and that Greg Schiano is a very good head coach by beating Indiana who comes into the game riding too high and reading their own press clippings. The race for the third best team in the Big Ten East gets very interesting after the 2-0 start by the Scarlet Knights.
(NFL picks, Best Bets, & my Pick 5 selections on the next page)
Cohen's Corner 
I’m not seeing much difference in the college picks this week. one crazy person (Eric) is picking Auburn over LSU; he’ll be behind one more game in the SU picks this week. Like most of the experts, I do not believe Texas A&M will cover the -11.5 points.
As for the NFL, oh boy, I’m already one more came up on you Eric, I picked the Falcons. The other games I have opposite of your picks are:
1. Browns over Raiders (I watch the Raiders every week and cheer for them), penalties will beat the Raiders.
2. Steelers over Ravens (Big Ben is due to rebound and this division game will motivate him)
3. Broncos over Chargers (Broncos won my coin flip), how’s that for a reason?
As for your “quick thoughts on week 8”:
1, Browns, without certain weapons, will function more like a football team this week.
3. I hope you and everybody that follows your “Bet Your House play” have strong cardboard boxes you can move into after the Steelers win this week.
Good stuff as always. Even when I go against a few things each week, I still enjoy the read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the picks as always, Papa Mike…I’m confident I’ll go at least 2-1 in the NFL picks we differed on. And Auburn needs this game more than LSU…and I think they’ll get it at home!
LikeLike