I only picked two non-SEC games in last week’s predictions, and I blew the call on both of them, stranding me at 12-7 for the fall in national games. That should be all the disclaimer you need, but, just to be on the safe side, I will run the risk of being redundant, and repetitive, and redundant, by reminding you: Don’t Bet On It!
The pickings were pretty slim for the national games of interest, all of which are set to be played on Saturday, October 1. These are they:
Texas Longhorns at Iowa St. Cyclones: Six of the twelve ten nine eight members of the Big 12 boast 3-0 records, and these are two of them. If anything, the movie "Twister" taught me that apparently a tornado can level half of Oklahoma without generating enough wind speed to get one lousy tank top off of Helen Hunt a battle between a bovine and a strong weather system does not favor the barnyard animal, but, just the same, I like the ’Horns to hook ‘em.
Baylor Bears at Kansas St. Wildcats: Believe it or not, these are two of the 3-0 teams in the Big 12, as well. The difference is that the Bears are 3-0 because they have a really good quarterback and the Wildcats are 3-0 because they have a really weak schedule. I’d pick against Baylor in a court of law, but I’m siding with Baylor on the gridiron.
Air Force Falcons at Navy Midshipmen: With the Black Knights of the Hudson languishing at 1-3 and Army’s fellow service academies standing at 2-1, this game likely will decide whether the Commander in Chief’s Trophy spends the offseason in Annapolis or in Colorado Springs. The Falcons have allowed 79 points in their first three games, and the Midshipmen are coming off a bye week after playing toe-to-toe with BlogPoll No. 9 South Carolina, so I’m taking Navy in a hard-fought ground-acquisition game.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Wisconsin Badgers: I’ve been looking forward to this game for a long time. No, not because it pits a pair of scarlet-clad squads made up of bruising behemoths in a clash of similar styles; because I’m hoping Bo Pelini finally snaps during the postgame handshake and wipes that smarmy smirk off the face of Bret Bielema, who managed to avoid locking down the title "least likable college football head coach" only because Lane Kiffin (however nominally and inexplicably) is a college football head coach. The Badgers and the ‘Huskers each come into this contest at 4-0, but Nebraska’s three Division I-A victims have gone 8-1 against teams not named Nebraska, whereas Wisconsin has feasted on Division I-AA South Dakota, winless Oregon State, one-win UNLV, and .500 Northern Illinois. Maybe the Badgers have just been easing into their season, but I don’t think that sad sack schedule has prepared Wiscy to get smashed in the mouth by the Cornhuskers in a game I expect will be the Big Ten equivalent of the Alabama-Arkansas game.
Clemson Tigers at Virginia Tech Hokies: Ordinarily, I’d think the Gobblers have been lying in wait in Blacksburg, biding their time and lulling the Jungaleers into a false sense of security, but VPI has turned in some lackluster efforts against some mediocre competition since throttling Appalachian State in the opener. I’ve picked against the Fort Hill Felines each of the last two weeks, and I’ve been wrong both times. Also, it would be foolish to choose a hokie to beat a tiger, because a hokie doesn’t actually exist. I’m taking the Tigers to keep the good times rolling against Virginia Tech.
Since I was mistaken about literally every national game I picked last week, surely you know better than to trust any predictions I have to offer in contests not involving SEC teams, but just in case you don’t, I will remind you once again. Whatever you do . . . Don’t Bet On It!
Coming Soon: National Game of Disinterest.
Go ‘Dawgs!