OK, last week was a waste of a great start for our picks (for entertainment purposes only, of course).
And a 1-4 mark was far from entertaining.
But who can expect a starting quarterback to break an ankle, the national champion front-runner to play flat and a team generate more than 500 yards but score 12 points. Twelve.
At least we had Clemson. Yes Clemson, a team that took its show on the road Thursday night at Louisville, laying less than a touchdown. (Yes, I liked the Tigers a lot, for whatever that's worth. Unless a random hot dog-eating contest decided it, in which case we are all in with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. War All-Beef Franks.)
When faced with a rough picking patch, remember your keys.
Find the things you truly believe and work from there. Also, as Coach Finstock told us, never date a woman with a tattoo of a dagger and remember to get 12 hours of sleep, and everything else is cream cheese.
Georgia Tech minus-2.5 at Notre Dame. The Irish are salty and athletic defensively, but this is a Georgia Tech offense unlike almost any other. Tech is averaging 67 points per game and has thrown a total of 15 passes. That's scary. We'd lean toward Tech winning a close one if each team was at full strength. Add in that Notre Dame is without its starting quarterback, tailback and tight end, and this one looks even better.
Auburn plus-7.5 at LSU. Each Tigers team has a quarterback with the confidence of a middle schooler asking a cheerleader to the dance. Each Tigers team has a plethora of future NFL stars. If Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson, who is day-to-day with a hip injury, plays the whole game, we think Auburn wins outright. Yes, I went to Auburn and rank among the most optimistic Auburn followers around. Still, without or without Lawson, this feels like a one-score game, and even my Auburn math tells me getting 7.5 points in a one-score game is pretty sweet.
Wake Forest minus-3 at Army. It's important to remember that picking games is not picking games you are interested in watching; it's picking games you are interested in winning. It's also important to remember that picking winners can be achieved by picking losers. Buy the half here, of course, and enjoy. How much is Army struggling? The Cadets lost to Fordham. Yes, Fordham.
Duke-Northwestern under the 50. What do these schools have in common? They are each well-coached. They each feature a level of intelligence on both sides of the ball. We trust these teams to make the right play and be in the right position. To recap: Smart guys who play tough, know their assignments and stay under control. Here's saying this is 21-17 either way.
Colorado State plus-3.5 against Colorado. Maybe sitting next to David Paschall on Press Row has made me a Mike Bobo believer, but something doesn't add up here. Colorado State should have beaten a sneaky good Minnesota team a week ago, and Colorado opened its season by losing to a Hawaii team that's less than average. Either way, we'll ride with the Rams and one of the five worst uniforms in college football.
(Bonus pick) Miami minus-3 over Nebraska. Yes, buy the half - and the line on this one is dropping as the week goes on, so you may get an even better price. The first road game for the Cornhuskers comes against a Miami team that is a) desperate and b) fully healthy. Yes, please.
Last week against the spread: A woeful 1-4 ( 20 percent).
Season against the spread: A pedestrian 5-5 (50 percent).
*****
SEC items of interest
Face it. For the Southeastern Conference, it's a monster week that features a national playoff springboard game, a potential Southeastern Conference eliminator and a statement game.
Giddy-up.
1. Ole Miss at Alabama. The winner of this one takes a firm spot right behind THE Ohio State among those considered front-runners for the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss is in a rare spot in that it may have more players on the field who will be first-rounders in the next NFL draft than Alabama does. That doesn't happen often. It also doesn't happen too frequently that a quarterback making his first road start - like the Rebels' Chad Kelly will this weekend - comes to Tuscaloosa and finds a lot of success. The only bad thing about this one is the time - a church-threatening 9:15 p.m. Eastern kickoff.
2. Tigers on Tigers. Auburn goes to LSU for a rare day game in Baton Rouge. We have covered the quarterback situation - Auburn's Jeremy Johnson and LSU's Brandon Harris - and it's a concern for each team in each direction. Defensively, which team can coerce the other into turnovers will go a long way to deciding which set of Tigers still has championship dreams.
3. Spurrier getting 17 against Georgia. Yes, Steve Spurrier, the Ol' Ball Coach, the Evil Genius, Darth Visor, you name it, is a 17-point underdog against Georgia. Yes, that Georgia, a team that Spurrier has delighted in tormenting throughout his entire Hall of Fame career. Yes, we are all surprised, but even with all of Spurrier's gifts, it's hard to have a lot of faith in some guy named Perry Orth making his first start at quarterback at Sanford Stadium.
4. Kentucky-Florida. The last time Kentucky beat Florida was in November 1986. That was so long ago, that year was when Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champ ever, smoking was banned from public transportation and the original Nintendo game system could be purchased for less than $90. Is this the year the Wildcats topple the streak? It's very possible.
5. Tennessee, Arkansas hope to get back the swagger. Painful losses for coaches trying to rebuild proud programs last week. Now, where do the Vols and Hogs go moving forward? Tennessee faces an overmatched Western Carolina bunch that may get a lot of wrath Saturday. Arkansas welcomes a Texas Tech team that has put up a ton of points this season - 64 per game and more than 640 yards per contest - but was crushed by the Hogs a year ago. Championships and/or program turnarounds can't be completed in September, but they can be derailed.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him at Twitter.com/jgreesontfp.