We are back in the saddle again this week. I lived in Northern Virginia for a number of years, and between supporting my sales district and driving one kid back and forth to Virginia Tech, I passed the JMU Dukes stadium all the time. It is an impressive view from I-81. I always knew that JMU would eventually jump to the FBS, but I never seemed to be able to fit in a game in Harrisonburg despite its proximity to my home. This weekend though, we hit the Dukes in earnest with a few of the “9 O’Clock” club in tow.
Last Week: A little couch time
The week off from traveling was a welcome respite. The headline above is a bit misleading – I spent most of Saturday watching games. It was one of those weekends where it seemed every team I was pulling for ended up losing. Some of the games were particularly tough to watch.
Observations from last week.
- It was hard to see Penn State lose to Ohio State because I do like their coach James Franklin. Obviously, players have to execute, but the play calling on their final endzone drive was frustrating to watch. It feels like Franklin really needs to finish the season strong or his job may be lost.
- Watching Virginia Tech play so well without their starting QB and star running back and then lose in OT was heartbreaking. It is a year of what could have been for the Hokies.
- It looked like the Miami Hurricanes luck might run out, but they handled Dukes brief upset challenge easily. It was not the same for Clemson. Apparently, playing a team with a winning record does make a difference.
- Not that I am proud of it, but I did say that Iowa State was likely to lose against Texas Tech. If I only I was more consistent with my picks.
The Picks
Week 10 Results
Another 3 -1 weekend, one more week it won’t be a coincidence, but a real live streak.
- I only glanced at the Buffalo game. It was on a multi-view over my mancave bar, but their lead over the Zips was never in question.
- Indiana did scare me briefly when they went down by 10 against MSU. Worse, the game was on Peacock(?!?) so I had to follow up by updates. The Hoosiers scored the next 47 points so it was all good.
- Likewise Vanderbilt played Auburn tough the whole game. The fact that they ultimately won the game was icing on the cake.
- Saturday night I was relying on Pitt for not only a 4-0 week but also a four game parlay, and it made me eager to watch them play SMU. Unfortunately, the Panthers forgot they actually had to play to win the game. That game was over early, very early.
Week 11 Picks
Coming later this week.