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Fab 4 picks
Welp, among all the surreal things in college football, the simple fact that the best weekend of the bowl season happening more than a week before New Year’s is not even a blip on the radar of surrealness.
Is “surrealness” a word? Could it be “surreality” both that feels aged and kinda forgettable, to be honest?
Moving along.
Hey, the original “Muppet Movie” is sur-really underrated.
And who can forget the classic duet between Kermit and Fozzy of “Moving Right Along,” right?
“Moving right along in search of good times and good news,
“With good friends you can’t lose,
“This could become a habit.
“Opportunity knocks once, so reach out and grab it,
“Together we’ll nab it,
“We’ll hitchhike, bus, or Yellow Cab-it.”
Wow, I am not complete clear on whether to be amazingly proud or publicly admonished for remembering all of that without the Google machine. And yes, I can continue to the chorus, Spy.
Thoughts?
As for underrated, well, last year’s first round of the expanded playoffs were the exact opposite.
Each game was a blowout, at least in game script. This year feels a wee bit different.
Let’s make like Joe Walsh and do a little pickin’ — and hopefully more than a little grinnin’ — because after all, life’s been good.
› Missouri State plus-1 over Arkansas State. Forget the perils of betting against what certainly is a collection of ASU Champions For Life, what are the three words of real estate? Location, location, location. And the three words for non-playoff bowl picks should be motivation, motivation, motivation. And Missouri State’s players get a chance to record the program’s first bowl win. That’s more than enough against Butch Jones.
› Western Michigan minus-3 over Kennesaw State. Love the KSU story. And you have to believe an FBS conference title in its relative infancy as a program on that level is a major feather for the entire athletic department. Both teams are top 40 nationally in most rushing metrics offensively, but WMU is a much tougher run defense considering the Owls have allowed at least 191 rushing yards in each of their last four.
› NC State minus-5.5 over Memphis. The Tigers have interim coaches and players with an eye on the portal, an eye on personal promotion and an eye on possibility landing spots. Other than the clear advantage of Memphis players having three eyes, let’s lean with a close to the fully loaded Pack, who won three of its last four to make the postseason.
› Oklahoma pick ’em over Alabama. This line has moved from each side being a 2-point favorite all week. It’s settled where it should. OU has the best single position group on the field with one of the best defensive fronts in the sport. It has the huge edge in special teams with a second-team All-American kicker. And in a game with a minuscule over/under of 40.5, that feels like an even bigger deal. And OU is at home. Of all the craziness of the last month of college football, one solace has to be that head-to-head assuredly mattered to the scatter-brained committee with Miami in over Notre Dame and OU getting the carrot of playing in Norman after beating the Tide a month ago.
› Texas A&M minus-2.5 over Miami. This is becoming a trendy “upset” pick for a lot of folks backing Miami. Not me. Not after watching A&M find a multitude of ways to victory. And the biggest edge factors here could very well be off the field, since A&M has a huge in-game coaching edge with Mike Elko >>>> Mario Cristobal, and this game being in front of more than 100,000 frenzied folks at Kyle Field.
As for the other two lopsided lines, well, my Fab 4 picks on those are less traditional, but for transparency in the contest — results to come Monday, gang — I’m on Ole Miss laying the points and James Madison plus the points.
But in terms of betting needs and hunches, I will ride with Ole Miss over its team total of 37.5 and the game total under 50.5 for Oregon and James Madison, in what is projected to be played in wet and windy conditions in Eugene.
Thoughts?
Last week 3-2 against the spread (60%)
This season: 39-44 against the spread (47%)
NFL prime time
It’s easy to complain about the Thursday night product most weeks from the NFL.
Other than the delicious throwback uniforms and the rare appearance of “Hey, I knew he was this good coming out of Florida” moment for Kyle Pitts, Falcons-Bucs was rather puzzling.
Tonight, we get the exact opposite as the Rams go to the Seahawks in a meeting of division rivals with double-digit wins who are each fighting for the inside track to the 1 seed in the NFC.
Each is coached by a savant: L.A.’s offensive mastermind is Sean McVay; Seattle’s defensive Einstein is Mike McDonald. (No Spy, not the guy from the Doobie Brothers. Side question: Would the current version of the former clever “Doobie Brothers” band name be the Cannabis Cousins? Asking for a friend.)
Lots to unpack here.
This is the first of many chances for Seattle QB1 to start to exorcise those famed ghosts of his and win a monster game.
This is the next chance for Matt Stafford to cement his place as the MVP front runner, which would make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
(Side note: The list of guys with both honors is relatively short and all-time impressive. It’s Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, John Elway, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.)
So sign me up and give me the road team, which has the better QB (by a lot) and the best WR1 (Puka Nacua) no one really discusses.
Request for the group
OK, the above — especially the picks — got a little wordy. Zip it, Spy.
Side note: Speaking of the Muppets, Ms. Piggy was extremely overrated.
Ah yes, a request for the group. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re looking for tangential topics and superlatives from each sport.
What would you want to see us cover since this space is as much about the community as it is whatever’s on my “Moving Right Along,” ever-shrinking attention span.
Thinking something along these lines, if we did 2025 in golf today.
> Best story: Rory completing the Grand Slam, which was way cooler when he did it at Augusta before he decided to go all-prima donna through most of the rest of 2025.
> Best player: After the Masters win, I would have bet heavily on McIlroy, but it’s clearly Scottie Scheffler, and I don’t see that changing for a hot minute.
> Worst story: America’s choke-fest at the Ryder Cup and the intolerable behavior from the U.S. fans. What a clown show.
> Biggest local angle: The Baylor School quartet had a mixed year, relatively speaking. Harris English won Tour, made the Ryder Cup team and collected $8.8 million last season to rank 11th on the money list; conversely, it looks like Luke List is headed back to the Korn Ferry Tour. Other Baylor School alums Stephan Jaeger and Keith Mitchell finished inside the top 100 in the points race and will be on Tour next season.
Thoughts, tweaks, ideas, input are always welcome.
This and that
> Every next story about the Michigan mess makes it look worse and worse. Now come reports that former Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore had a history of domestic violence against the female football staffer he was having relations with. Yikes.
> In addition to his great cameos in the Dr Pepper “Fansville” commercials last year while at Texas, now Quinn Ewers can add NFL QB1 to the resumé. Ewers, who inked a seven-figure NIL deal coming out of high school when he signed with THE Ohio State, will replace embattled Miami QB2ish Tea Tagovailoa.
> Rules, friends. Here’s Paschall with some UT football goodness as we speed into the teeth of bowl season.
Today’s questions
It’s the ol’ AGT, and we’re taking all questions from all angles. Be it for the comments or for Friday’s mailbag.
Side note: You guys and gals have crushed the mailbag in recent weeks. Keep it up, everyone.
“Avatar” was released on this day in 2009. We are eagerly awaiting Fat Vader’s family review of the latest from the Avatar series that hits theaters this weekend.
Some Hollywood heavy hitters celebrate birthday days today like Steven Spielberg (79) and Brad Pitt (62). Pretty sure we’ve covered Rushmores of each.
Keith Richards is 82. Science should study that body and how it’s been here this long, you know?
Ty Cobb would have been 139 today.
Jayden Daniels is 25 today. Get well, sir. The sport is better with you involved.
Ray Liotta would have been 71 today.
What a sneaky fantastic Rushmore, right?
But let’s spin it to this all-timer and name the Rushmore of best lines from “Goodfellas.”
And yes, it was outta respect that we picked this one.