Georgia Looks To Put Coach O Into The Dawg House
They are toasting the team in Texas, feeling pretty sold in South Bend and cracking up in Columbus (hey, we kept our coach and look at our team!) but also starting to feel bad in Baton Rouge while its near anguish in Auburn.
College football has reached its midseason moments and for some fans it’s excitement and anticipation while for others it’s time to finally accept that friend’s wedding invitation who was foolish enough to have scheduled it on a fall Saturday. There has also been one coaching casualty this year, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops at Oklahoma after the Sooners put 11 men on the field for no apparent reason when their offense did not have the ball against Texas.
Here’s this week’s key games. All times Pacific because the Prognosticator lives on the West Coast.
Minnesota at Ohio State (9 a.m., FS1)
It’s fall, but the Acorns are not falling yet, certainly not to the not-so-golden Gophers. Minn-e-sooo-ta is sooo ordinary it will offer little more than token resistance to the hosts and the best battle here might be that of Brutus against Goldy Gopher, the 2018 Mascot National Champion. Yes, there is such a thing. Winner: Ohio State
Tennessee at Auburn (9 a.m., SEC Network)
Things are very plain on the Plains these days. If this keeps up, it won’t be toilet paper the Auburn people will be rolling in the Toomer’s Corner trees but the head coach. The Gus Bus has a broken driveshaft and the garage mechanics for coaches have no idea how to fix it. Ol’ Smoky doesn’t exactly come into town smokin’ hot so the War Birds may limp out of Jordan Hare by a hair, but they certainly won’t be doing any soaring. Winner: Auburn
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (11:30 a.m., NBC)
If the Irish have not exactly awaken any echoes they have stirred those on the College Football Playoff watch. With the Pac-12 struggling, the Big-12 being – well the Big 12 – and the ACC clinging exclusively to a Clemson team that’s had to hang on by its fingernails twice already this season, the Irish are fighting for a place in the post-season. Pitt could once provide a challenge but the Panthers are in the pits this year. Winner: Notre Dame.
Georgia at LSU (12:30 p.m., CBS)
Well so much for the Coach O lovefest. And the emergence of an LSU passing game. The Bengal Tigers nearly had their stripes bit off last week and the Bulldogs will pick up where the Gators left off in the Swamp. It’s going to be a Dawg day afternoon in the Red Baton, where Coach O will be fighting to stay out of the doghouse with LSU fans. Winner: Georgia
Washington at Oregon (12:30 p.m., ABC)
Things were looking just ducky for the Ducks against Stanford but then the hosts started stumbling over their own webbed feet and The Prognosticator feels more of the same awaits them when the U-Dubbers come to town. The Huskies are not as husky as their ranking indicates, but they have a defense that can give a Duck fits and keep them from running wild in the pond. Winner: Washington
Michigan State at Penn State (12:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Sparty is in bad need of a spark and going into Happy Valley isn’t exactly the place for the Michigan Staters to get going in the right direction. The Nittany Lions have had a week to lick their mental wounds after blowing a ballgame to Ohio State and could be taking out their anger on the outmanned Lug Nuts from Lansing. Winner: Penn State
Baylor at Texas (12:30 p.m., ESPN)
Congratulations Steers, you’ve earned your way into The Pigskin Prognosticator for a game not involving Oklahoma. Now don’t get too carried away with reading your press clippings tho, because Texas is not back yet. Instead of “Remember the Alamo,” your battle cry should be “Remember the Terps,” the first-game beatdown against Maryland. Baylor’s defense can’t stop a hot dog wrapper but if the Horns are pointed in the wrong direction, the Bears may briefly act as if they’ve stumbled upon a bee hive full of honey. Winner: Texas
Missouri at Alabama (4 p.m., ESPN)
The Pachyderms come back to Tuscaloosa stomping mad for give up 31 to Arkansas and could be in for more of the same against the prolific point-producers from Columbia. Now, Drew is no Lock to pile up points against the Tide, but he could cause whatever students are in the stands to rise out of their seats a few times. They need not to worry, tho, for the Tua Tsunami can swamp any defense in his path and by the time he recedes back to the bench – usually shortly after halftime – the damage is already done to the other team. Winner: Alabama
UCLA at Cal (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network)
The Baby Bears began to stir a bit last week from their season-long hibernation and now head to the home of Papa Bear, which itself fell asleep in a loss to Arizona. But don’t think this will be a snoozer; the Trampolines may be on the verge of bouncing back up for the first time this year. Winner: UCLA
Wisconsin at Michigan (4:30 p.m., ABC)
A battered Bucky and a bunch of wounded Wolverines battle it out in the Big House with the loser losing its last breath of hope of making the College Football Playoff. The visitors are hoping to Badger the hosts with running back Jonathon Taylor while UM will try and leave a few marks with its defense. The Fighting Harbaughs offense was not exactly “saved” by the arrival of Shea Patterson and it continues to hold back the boys in blue. Winner: Wisconsin
Colorado at USC (7:30 p.m., FS1)
After casual a week off – the penalty-prone team only practiced twice – Troy returns to the turf to try and lasso a bunch of Buffalos that have quietly stampeded to a 5-0 record. The Buffs are not exactly going against the Roman Empire of the John McKay, John Robinson (I, not II) and Pete Carroll areas. Instead, the Trojans are the Helton Skelter crew, a poorly-disciplined group that keeps fans reaching for their flasks. Still, they have the talent to hold on if they can keep from holding, and the Buffs won’t be as buff as the Trojans on this night. Winner: USC
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