This week the plan was to go see UTEP play Liberty but then I got a call from my cousin asking if I wanted to go to the Backyard Brawl. Living in northwest PA, I grew up with the WVU – Pitt game. I know all the history and traditions. For those unfamiliar, WVU and Pitt are only slightly more than an hour apart and the Mountaineers pull a lot of kids from the Pittsburgh area. As is usually the case, this proximity makes for a long and rich rivalry. The Panthers lead the rivalry, but the Mountaineers have been more dominant in the last twenty years. It was awfully easy to make the switch from a solo trip to Liberty to going to Pitt to see a classic rivalry game. This weekend there will be no Flames unless, of course, the Mountaineers win and start burning couches back in Morgantown.
Last Week: Big Red does not disappoint
Last week we were in Lincoln, Nebraska watching the Cornhuskers stomp all over the Colorado Buffaloes. The review will be out in a week or two, but suffice it to say, all expectations were exceeded. It was the consensus of the Nine O’clock Club that the tailgating was some of, if not the best, we have ever had. There were a couple of hiccups over the weekend, but none that diminished the experience. Nebraska Nice is everything it was supposed to be. We even managed to catch some of the early games in between cornhole, walking tacos and beers.
- I am not saying Jim Harbaugh left the cupboard bare at Michigan, but the Wolverines didn’t have enough in the kitchen to make macaroni and cheese, let alone beat Texas.
- Iowa State got a nice last second win over their rival Iowa. At Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, they had the game on the big video board, and since the Cornhuskers hate the Hawkeyes almost as much as the Cyclones do, the Nebraska fans let out a huge cheer when Iowa State hit the winning field goal.
- I have a feeling the UMass and Kent State will vying all year for the top of the Bottom Ten. They are a couple of bad teams.
- Penn State and Oregon eked out some close wins, but Notre Dame did not. I shared a parking shuttle with an NIU family Sunday night. They may have been they only fans that had a better weekend than I did.
The Picks
Week 2 Results
- I lost the Colorado bet, but that was an emotional hedge. Having Nebraska win made for a great end to the weekend.
- Northwestern lost in double overtime. That’s just the way it goes. Sigh.
- WSU took care of business against Texas Tech. I only had to check on the game a couple of times.
- Boise State gave Oregon everything they could handle. It was easy money last week.
Week 3 Picks
- I am going to take WVU over Pitt – again as an emotional hedge more than anything else. I think Pitt has a got shot in this one.
- Buffalo might not be great, but I have to believe they are more than 3.5 points better than UMass.
- Nevada has been plucky in their losses. Hopefully they can keep that up and cover against the Gophers of Minnesota.
- Taking Oregon State against Oregon feels particularly risky, but I am hoping home field and some serious anger at the Ducks destroying the PAC 12 will get the Beavers fired up enough to cover.
It feels like it may be get right week for Florida State (0-2) against Memphis (2-0) and Colorado (1-1) against Colorado State (1-1). If they don’t win now, it feels like they will both be on a real slide. Alabama at Wisconsin is an intriguing game. It would certainly help the Big 10 if the Badgers can represent. The same could be said for the ACC if Boston College plays well against Missouri. Five bucks will get you into the Toledo – Mississippi State game. Sad truth is they should be paying you for that game.
Lastly, you may have noticed that I have dropped Kansas and Kansas State off the schedule this year. I am afraid that may mean two trips to Kansas in the future. They seem to have some sort of strange pact to schedule their games right next to each other. Like tomorrow when Kansas State plays at seven and Kansas kicks off at eight. I may never get that double to line up.
That’s all I got. Enjoy the games.
Tree