If you’re not fading my ass by now, then there’s something definitely wrong with your think tank.
Over the past three weeks I’ve gone 0-4, 1-3 and then 0-4 again last week. The worst of it is, I wasn’t even close last Saturday. I said the five points that you had to lay with Utah was a gift against Notre Dame and the only gift was my pick of the Utes (who laid down nicely against the Irish). Georgia hung with Auburn for most of the game but then went quietly into the night. Florida and Texas were jokes, as were my picks of them to cover.
Whatever. I’m now 14-22 on the year with little hope of turning this thing around. If you don’t fade me now, then forever hold your peace.
No. 13 Arkansas @ No. 21 Mississippi State, 7:00PM ET
If the Bulldogs can’t get their 18th-ranked running game going then they’ll have a tough time keeping up with Ryan Mallett and Arkansas’ high-powered offense. Mississippi State’s defense has played well this season but its offense lacks that big-play potential. I think the Bulldogs will make a game of it early but eventually the Razorbacks will be too much for MSU to handle. The Hogs are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall and 8-1 ATS in their last eight conference games.
THE PICK: ARKANSAS –3
Purdue @ No. 12 Michigan State, 12:00PM ET
The Spartans are probably overdue for a slip up but with a Big Ten title in their sights, I don’t think they fall this weekend against a punchless Boilermaker team. The home team is 9-2-1 against the number in the last 12 meetings between these two programs and Purdue is just 1-5 ATS in its last six trips to East Lansing. The Boilermakers might have a tough time slowing down MSU’s explosive running game and don’t expect Sparty to let up in the fourth quarter when they’re up big. There’s no time for them to take their foot off the gas when they need two victories to secure a Big Ten crown.
THE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE –20
No. 10 Oklahoma State @ Kansas, 12:00PM ET
Kansas’ wins this season were against the following: Georgia Tech, New Mexico State and Colorado (which they trailed by 28 in the fourth quarter and need a miracle comeback to win). Their victory over the Yellow Jackets was impressive, but this is a team that has largely been blown out against good and even average teams. They lost 55-7 at Baylor, 59-7 against Kansas State and 45-10 against Texas A&M. I know they somewhat held Nebraska in check last week but Oklahoma State’s offense is too explosive for the Jayhawks to keep things close this Saturday. The Cowboys roll.
THE PICK: OKLAHOMA STATE –24
Ole Miss @ No. 5 LSU, 3:30PM ET
I have a buddy who always picks the No. 16 seeds against the No. 1 seeds in the March Madness tournament every year so that if one day it happens, he can claim that he “called the upset.” I feel like him right now when it comes to LSU. For weeks I’ve been saying that LSU will fall to a suspect opponent but every time I pick against them, they win and cover easily. The one time I picked them to cover was against Auburn and – surprise! – that was the Tigers’ only loss of the year. But I’m going back to the well at least one more time: Ole Miss plus the points.
THE PICK: OLE MISS +16.5
Season Record: 14-22. I don’t know what to say, so I think it’s best if I don’t say anything and just bow my head in shame.
