Back for a big game
Week 10 saw Frodo Swagginz and Anuj Bhyravabhotla come out on top with 8 correct picks. mrbuzz1885 remains in the top spot with 68 correct picks and a few people chasing after him at the moment in 2nd.
Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images
GT didn’t play last week so there’s not much to discuss with the program. Outside of GT football the ACC championship picture is becoming more clear. With Clemson losing to Louisville and SMU beating Pitt it seems that the road is open for SMU and Miami to meet in the championship game. It is still the ACC though, so who knows what will happen between now and the end of the season and what other shifts we will see.
The SEC saw some more shakeups, and uga managed to survive a 3 turnover game against UF. The SEC race is wide open and there are more shakeups coming in the 12 team playoff so things are getting exciting at the top. This week in particular has multiple SEC matchups with big implications for what the playoffs will look like.
GT has homecoming this week and we are hoping to have Haynes King and Kyle Efford back for a huge matchup against Miami. Miami will be out for vengeance after how they lost last year at home and Cam Ward will be looking to put up big numbers in his chase for the Heisman. This will be a tough game and it is hard to see us winning on paper. Still, GT has a history of doing amazing things on Homecoming and Key has a history of pulling off some surprising upsets. Despite the early kickoff I’m hoping to see a turnout for fans, and a good fight from our team no matter how things playout.
picks:
#4 Miami Hurricanes (-11.0) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Logan: Still no news on the status of King going into this game. I expect Key to keep the status of our starters quiet going into the weekend. This game is ripe for an upset if all our starters are back. It’s Homecoming, GT has always played well against Miami, Miami has a tendency to choke once a year, the game is getting played at noon… ok maybe not that last part. GT should be able to cover if not straight up win this upset, pending the status of our starters.
Logan’s pick: Georgia Tech
South Carolina Gamecocks (-3.5) @ #24 Vanderbilt Commodores
Logan: The battle of the surprise teams in the SEC. South Carolina has pulled off some stunning wins this year, which have for the most part been ignored because of how crazy Vandy’s wins have been. This game will depend on whether Pavia can deal with a talented South Carolina defense. I will take Vandy to win, as they have been amazing against the spread all year.
Logan’s pick: Vandy
Florida Gators @ #5 Texas Longhorns (-21.5)
Logan: Florida got 3 interceptions last week against Carson Beck and uga. Do the gators have what it takes to cover on the road against Texas? I don’t see why not. My decision is more-so based on how big the spread is than the talent at UF, but I do think the gators are better than the credit they receive.
Logan’s pick: Gators
Duke Blue Devils @ NC State Wolfpack (-3.0)
Logan: NC State is starting to look like they know what they are doing, and that is terrifying given we really need to beat them next week. Duke played pretty well last week prior to the roaring comeback by Miami. Duke doesn’t have to go very far for this “road game” and the Duke run game is still strong. This game will be a good predictor of how things will go next week. I will take Duke to cover.
Logan’s pick: Duke
#21 Colorado Buffaloes (-3.5) @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Logan: Texas Tech is getting the Big Noon kickoff treatment in this game. Texas Tech pulled a shocking upset last week against Iowa State, and now is looking for another upset against a talented Colorado team. Colorado has been turning things around, and other than the O-line which still has its problems, the Buffaloe have looked great on offense and defense. I don’t think Texas Tech has the talent to take down the Buffaloes.
Logan’s pick: Colorado
The Holy War:
#9 BYU Cougars (-4.5) @ Utah Utes
Logan: We haven’t talked enough this year about how good BYU has looked. For an undefeated team the Cougars have mostly flown under the radar, but they are good on both sides of the ball and have won some impressive matchups because of it. I know this is a rivalry game, but I don’t see a way BYU doesn’t cover against a beat up Utah team.
Logan’s pick: BYU
#18 Army Black Knights (-6.0) @ North Texas Mean Green
Logan: The dreams of an American Conference Championship between Army and Navy are waning. Obviously Navy lost lasty week and Army is unsure if their starting QB will be back this week. Army did find a way to win last week and remains undefeated, so don’t let anyone tell you the veer option is outdated. I don’t really know much about North Texas, but I do know they tend to punch above their weight class. This might be where Army finally falls this season. I’m going to take the Mean Green, but I hope Army wins.
Logan’s pick: North Texas
Kennesaw State Owls @ UTEP Miners (-3.5)
Logan: Two one-win teams. I did want to check in with Kennesaw State after they knocked off Liberty. I think there are some things to like about the program for the Owls, and this will be another winnable game for them. If KSU is going to win they need to stop the UTEP run game. I’ll take Kennesaw State, because why not.
Logan’s pick: Kennesaw State
#19 Clemson Tigers (-6.5) @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Logan: Clemson lost and now SMU has a clear road to the ACC Championship. Clemson now goes on the road to face down a VT team that is better than their record indicates. I only caught the end of the Clemson game, but the problem the tigers seemed to have was with the Louisville pass rush and the defense containing the Louisville run game. Those are both things that VT is pretty good at, so make of that what you will. Clemson should still bounce back this game so I will take the tigers, but I don’t feel great about it.
Logan’s pick: Clemson
#11 Alabama Crimson Tide (-2.5) @ #14 LSU Tigers
Logan: As is often the case, this matchup has big implications for the SEC. Normally I would just go with Bama, but LSU has a better offense and defense statistically and get this game at home. I think Death Valley may give LSU the edge here, so I will pick LSU to win.
Logan’s pick: LSU
#2 uga interception squad (-2.5) @ #17 Ole Miss Rebels
Logan: Carson Beck has got problems. I’m not entirely sure why he is still in the Heisman race, but he is currently a turnover machine. Ole Miss gets this game at home and I think they should be able to pull off the upset.
Logan’s pick: Ole Miss