We were 4-5 against the number last week and are a positively pedestrian 21-20 this year. Gross.
Each of the three previous years we hit at better than 60 percent, so this has been a grind that has included sub-.500 weeks in three of the last four weekends. Grosser.
Now we have to rally, and a couple of our cupcakes have bye weeks and two of the three teams that have been covering machines - Baylor and TCU - are facing each other. Grossest.
Still, let's get this done. And if you feel the need to pick opposite of these Fab 4-plus-1 picks, well, there are no hard feelings. As always, these picks are for entertainment only.
Last week: 4-5 against the spread.
Season: 21-20 against the spread.
LSU wide receiver Malachi Dupre (15) reaches for a pass against Auburn defensive back Jonathon Mincy (6) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, in Auburn, Ala. The pass fell incomplete.LSU-Florida under the 47: This game may be completed in like an hour and 35 minutes. LSU's quarterback situation is garbage. Anthony Jennings and true freshman Brandon Harris are completing roughly 50 percent of throws. The Florida quarterback situation is worse. Treon Harris, who rallied the Gators to an improbable 10-9 win over Tennessee, is facing potential jail time and is suspended. WIll Grier is battling back spasms. Skyler Mornhinweg got into a fight with a defensive lineman over shoes and went to the hospital. (Side question: Which is more puzzling from 30,000 feet, a QB named Skyler being dumb enough to fight over a pair of cleats or that a five-star defensive lineman got popped by a back-up QB named Skyler?) That leaves Jeff Driskel as Florida's only answer, and if Jeff Driskel is the only answer, then the question is no how many but how few.
Georgia Southern minus-21 over Idaho: We believe Georgia Southern is good - and Willie Fritz is legit. and may be a hot name for a slew of job opening sooner rather than later. But we are happy to give the weight here because, well, Georgia Southern is decidedly better. In fact, this one screams 56-14 because in addition to the talent divide, consider this: The Vandals - great nickname - call Moscow home. Georgia Southern is nestled in the quaint burg known as Stateboro. It's 2,097 miles between the locales, and we're pretty sure there are zero direct flights between the two. There's a real chance that on Friday, the Vandals - still a great nickname - will either ride or fly the 330 miles by plane or 561 miles by car to Idaho Falls and take a six-hour flight to Atlanta to then take the absolute awful ride from the ATL to Macon and down I-16. That could be 18 hours of travel. Before trying to stop a Georgia Southern bunch that is clicking.
Auburn minus-3 at Mississippi State: Buy the half, of course. We believe Mississippi State is physical and Dak Prescott has been awesome in his awesomeness. We believe Dan Mullen will be mentioned for every big opening in the next six weeks, be it Michigan, Florida or even an NFL gig. That said, we believe Auburn is the best team in the SEC West with a defense that statistically has been one of the best in the country.
Georgia Tech minus-3 vs. Duke: Yes, buy the half here, too. Georgia Tech has been good to us, covering consistently during its 5-0 start. Duke is 4-1 and this game is for first in the ACC Coastal. Anyone else think "Naming the teams in the ACC Coastal" is akin to an SAT question for smart kids. Speaking of smart kids
Fresno State minus-10 at UNLV: After an 0-3 start, the other FSU has won three straight. While we do not have SMU or USM or any other variation of the letters M-S-U to pick on this week, well, UNLV will have to do. UNLV is 1-5 overall with a one-point win over Northern Colorado and 1-5 against the spread. Got to love a team in Vegas that knows its market.
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SEC items of interest
Davis TullI-75 showdown
We'll admit it - we are excited to see UTC defensive linemen Derrick Lott and Davis Tull (as well as Keonte Davis) against a Tennessee offensive line that has struggled. This may be the only time for there set of the year Tull doesn't see a double team on every snap, and we think both of those guys - Tull the Knoxville native and Lott, the UGA transfer - will be supremely motivated.
GameDay spends second week in Mississippi
After last week's overwhelming party in Oxford, the ESPN GameDay gang has moved to Starkville this weekend. What's next, Hattiesburg? Still, Auburn's visit to Mississippi State will decide a leader in the chase for the SEC West. The teams are similar, but the Bulldogs may be the most physical bunch in the entire conference.
SEC East title match?
The winner of Saturday's Georgia-at-Missouri game will have the inside track for the East title. Sure, there will be work to do to hold on two the lead, but the Bulldogs and the Tigers appear to be the frontrunners in a division that may not be as good as the West, but is every bit as unpredictable. We all know that the key to Georgia is Todd Gurley, and dude is the league's foremost difference-maker. That said, watch Missouri defensive ends Shane Ray and Marcus Golden, because as good as Gurley is - and he's the best college running back since Adrian Peterson - Georgia will need quarterback Hutson Mason at some point. And the Golden-Ray tandem feasts on making plays behind the line.
Ole Miss encore
One of the biggest pratfalls of being a college football coach and having 18-to-23 year-old guys determine whether you are a genius or a failure is managing the peaks and valleys. Ole Miss is riding the peak of the biggest win in program history. They have been the lead story on SportsCenter and, heck, Katy Perry was involved. (Ask your kids; they know who she is.) How they handle the hangover of a week's worth of back-slapping and celebrating after beating Alabama will determine whether the tenor of the trip to Texas A&M.
Alabama rebound
The same can be said for an Alabama team dealing with the ripple-effects of a loss that put the Tide in an awkward spot. In fact, the stars have aligned in arguably the worst possible way for the Tide. Consider the following: Physical and heart-breaking loss at Ole Miss that included a few key injuries; midweek distraction involving former quarterback A.J. McCarron's quotes about the Tide lacking leadership; a trip to Arkansas, which apparently runs this fancy, rarely seen formation that includes two backs in the backfield and the quarterback under center. Crazy. It's games like these that have proven Alabama's championship mettle in recent years. Let's see how it handles this one.
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History lesson
Baseball tileToday is the 95th anniversary of the Reds winning the World Series to complete the Black Sox scandal.
Wow, it's amazing how much things have changed.
Today, AJ McCarron's comments make ticker-worthy news.
How much would social media have exploded if Twitter was around during the Black Sox scandal?
In the history of sports, would anyone have been better on Twitter than Ali?
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This and that
Actress Melissa McCarthy arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)- The NHL started Wednesday. Yeah, who knew, right?
- The LCSes in baseball start tomorrow. We're not super intrigued by this - especially with the Dodgers no longer involved - to tell you the truth.
- Emmitt Smith's daughter is a cheerleader at Duke, and the NFL's all-time leading rusher has warned the guys to stay away from his girl. Emmitt, as a dad of a daughter, we feel you bro.
- John Rocker snapped on Survivor and had a meltdown on a female contestant on the show who called him a racist. In other news, the sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning.
- Reports have an all-female cast being assembled for a "Ghostbusters" remake. OK, Melissa McCarthy has to be involved, right?
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Today's question
Gang, remember the mailbag.
Happy birthday Scott Bakula, who is 60 today and was QB Paul Blake in Necessary Roughness. Rushmore of movie QBs. Go.
Happy birthday Annika Sorenstam, who is 44 today. Rushmore of best female athletes since 1980. Go again.