Bowl update
Well, we discussed the intricacies of picking college bowl games we covered the importance and difficulty of pegging the motivated side.
If you feel strongly about motivation, you can forget lines and spreads, because Vegas doesn't have a finger on motivation either. (Vegas has a feeling of the collective direction, and that is the most inaccurate during bowl season.)
To point, we got this unnamed email last night not long after Minnesota wrapped a 17-12 win over Washington State.
Subject: Soft Brown Diaper
Message: u must have a magnetic relationship with unfortunate predictions
To that point, we did have the over-61 in Minnesota-Washington State and missed it by a ton. We also said on Press Row that Washington State was poised to rolled the Gophers, and the Cougars got played like Carl Spackler. (Side note: This does not bode well for the rest of the Pac-12 by comparison, since no defense in the league handled WSU like that, and Minnesota is a middle of the pack Big Ten team without two of its top four corners.)
So there's that.
Last night was the pinnacle of the motivation conundrum.
North Texas was a double-digit underdog and covered. Minnesota was close to a double-digit underdog and won outright. Baylor was more than a touchdown underdog and punished Boise State.
Crazy indeed.
To update our second round of Fab 4 picks, we are 3-2 in round two and 5-5 overall in the postseason with two games going today. We have Utah minus-6.5 over Indiana tonight and Pitt minus-5.5 over Northwestern this afternoon. (And yes, we are a touch concerned after watching Minnesota play last night. Maybe they were just wait for it one more second. really motivated not to look like a soft brown diaper.)
Army freshman linebacker and former Baylor School standout Ryan Parker has played in seven straight games entering Tuesday's Heart of Dallas Bowl against North Texas.---
Updates
With that knowledge, let's go to the scoreboard.
Here are the Bowling for Bowls of Bowl Game Success (Bowler Optional) scores, with the most points available to this point per round being 7-16-9-8:
Scole023 - 5-10-6-8 -29
Jason T - 4-10-3-8 - 25
Mark S - 5-10-6-4 - 25
Sportsfan - 4-10-6-4 - 24
Tex - 6-8-6-4 - 24
Ted P - 5-8-6-4 - 23
Money - 4-8-6-4 - 22
Jomo - 3-12-3-4 - 22
5-at-10 - 4-10-3-4 - 21
Shelly - 3-4-6-8 - 21
TFP transplant in Maine (Mark N) - 1-6-9-4 - 20
Tom P - 3-8-8-0 - 19
Lefty - 1-8-6-4 - 19
Skipper - 3-6-6-4 - 19
War Eagle - 4-8-3-4 - 19
Terry - 3-8-3-4 - 18
Ryan C - 3-8-3-4 -18
Norman R - 5-6-3-4 - 18
JBell - 5-6-3-4 -18
Runner-up of Life - 2-8-3-4 - 17
Bo G. - 3-8-6-0 - 17
Frank C - 3-8-6-0 - 17
Michael P - 6-4-3-4 - 17
Patty H - 6-8-3-0 - 17
VFL - 3-10-3-0 - 16
Mrs. 5-at-10 - 2-8-6-0 - 16
JonMac - 2-10-0-4 -16
Fat Vader - 4-8-3-0 - 15
Brandon E - 5-6-0-4 -15
Billy Ho - 2-6-3-4 - 15
Justin C - 3-6-6-0 - 15
Chris J - 2-6-3-4 - 15
Ronnie H - 1-8-6-0 - 15
Kyle O - 3-6-6-0 - 15
Hal M - 6-8-0-0- 14
Mark P - 4-6-0-4 - 14
Dawg 747 - 3-6-0-4 - 13
DC22 - 3-2-0-8 - 13
Todd G - 1-6-6-0 - 13
Butter - 2-8-3-0 - 13
Alabama Mike - 3-4-6-0 - 13
Scott H - 4-6-3-0 - 13
Jack D - 4-4-0-4 - 12
Jefe - 5-4-3-0 -12
Chris B - 3-6-6-0 - 12
Uch - 6-2-0-4 - 12
Mark W - 2-10-0-0 - 12
Todd C - 3-6-3-0 - 12
Titanic - 4-6-0-0 - 10
Charles G - 2-4-3-0 - 9
Andrew O - 2-6-0-0 - 8
Buzz B - 3-4-0-0 - 7
Minnesota Vikings' Adam Thielen catches a touchdown pass in front of Green Bay Packers' Damarious Randall (23) during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 38-25. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke) ---
Frisky 4 picks
OK, the 'soft brown diaper' comparison can work for bowl games, because we are exactly 50 percent right now and that is on the negative entertainment side.
No, it's not "Disorderlies" with the Fat Boys or "Caddyshack 2" but it is a negative, like say "Indiana Jones 2" or maybe "Mannequin" (shut up, you've seen it too).
Now the 5-at-10 Frisky 4 NFL picks over the last three weeks have been exceedingly entertaining. We are 9-3 after three consecutive 3-1 weeks, meaning that's more of the freshly washed and warm white linen diaper, sir.
So what do we do on a hot streak? We push our chips in and ride that sucker until it's gone.
Now that said, the word of the day appears to be motivation. How do you gauge NFL teams with nothing to play for and to that measure, how do you gauge teams that could very well rest a chunk of their starters to rest and/or avoid injury?
With that, let's roll the dice and ride the streak (and hope to avoid that soft brown diaper thing; as always spreads are from Vegasinsider.com as of Wednesday morning):
Green Bay minus-3 over Detroit. The Packers, simply put are the team no one wants to face. Aaron Rodgers has the chance to punctuate his MVP candidacy with the Sunday night game that features the win-and-you-are-in scenario.
Arizona minus-6 over L.A. Each team has disappointed, but the Cardinals - with David Johnson, Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald - are way more than a touchdown better than the dysfunctional Rams. If neither team is motivated by a playoff chase you have to roll the dice on other factors. The Cardinals check too many boxes not to believe they are a great value.
New York-Washington over 44. Washington has lit up scoreboard all season. In fact, the Skins have passed the total 12 times in 15 games. So in theory, the Skins are almost the Patriots against the total. Yes please.
Denver minus-1.5 over Oakland. You have to feel for the Raiders, who were poised to make a run and have to swap out MVP contending QB Derek Carr for Mr. Matt McGloin. McGloin is 1-5 as a starter, and all of that action came in 2013 under a previous regime. Yes, the Broncos have been eliminated, but in a bitter rivalry like this - and with the game in Denver - you have to believe the defending Super Bowl champs will play hard.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) passes the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Tenally) ---
This and that
- There are lots of folks who have lost to say about Cam Newton, and you know what, that's fair. On each side. But we do know this: Cam is a good dude when it comes to kids. His involvement in a slew of charitable events is underreported (and he was all over the place in his short time at Auburn, and did most of it on the down low). Here's another one that makes you realize how blessed those of us with healthy kids are, no matter the other stresses and such of life.
- Huge get for FSU on the recruiting trail as running back Cam Akers picked the Seminoles. With Dalvin Cook likely gone, that's a monster commitment from arguably the best running back in this cycle.
- Jonathan Taylor, the former highly touted defensive lineman recruit who has been dismissed from Georgia and Alabama, plead guilty to assault and battery of a female Tuesday. The incident happened in July 2014. Here's more.
- The UTC women's basketball team fought and fell against No. 2-ranked Notre Dame on Tuesday. Man, the teams UTC coach Jim Foster gets to come calling to Chattanooga is a testament for dude's connections and respect in women's hoops.
- We missed this over the Christmas weekend, but here's a story of Tiger Woods and Donald Trump playing a round of golf last Friday. Hope that duo could afford the greens fees. Seriously, for those guys to have a little side action on a few holes, you have to wonder, a) how many shots would Tiger give Donald (at least 1.5 a hole at least) and b) how much would they have to have on the line for either of them to feel any type of juice?
- This from the Twitter feed of Jeremy Crabtree, one of the long recruiting gurus: Recruits surveyed at the Under Armour All-America Game were asked what words came to mind when you think of Alabama coach Nick Saban. Some of the responses: "GOAT, legend, old school, strict, mastermind, class and literally the best ever." And, oh, one respondent said "cheater." (Wonder which Auburn commitment offered that last response?)
Indianapolis Colts' Adam Vinatieri kicks a field goal during the first half of the NFL Football Pro Bowl Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) ---
Today's question
We're running a touch late today, and that's OK.
First, if you have a question about your score in the contest - and gang, we had the wrong side winning in the Southern Miss game in the first version of this, so there's that - please let us know.
Second, if you need a Rushmore, well, we will offer two:
First, Adam Vinatieri is 44 today. Rushmore of all-time NFL kickers.
Second, Denzel Washington is 62 today. Rushmore of Denzel movies. (Our personal fav is "Glory" so that's a starting point.)
Go, and remember the mailbag.