This Week's Picks Week 9

Here's the answer to the question "What happened to This Week's Picks Week 8?"

Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State all were off in Week 8.


I made an executive decision.  Since Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State were off, I would be off too.  Some people say I'm off all the time.

Since the world headquarters of This Week's Picks is in Georgia, I have to pick the Georgia and Georgia Tech games.  In the South, you have to pledge an allegiance to a school when you are young. When I was a kid, I picked Georgia because my cousin went to Georgia and we watched "The Vince Dooley Show" on WSB-TV every Sunday after church.

I've never been too wild about Tech.  I mean, all of that math.  But as the years have gone by, I've known a ton of fine folks that are Tech graduates. I generally pull for Tech when they are not playing Georgia, which I think is very reasonable.

Kennesaw State is my alma-mater. I almost wear exclusively Owl spirit wear when I am spirit wearing. Ten years ago, I couldn't even imagine doing that. Back then, announcing you were a Kennesaw State graduate was done in a hushed whisper. Now I tell everyone I was in the FOURTH graduating class.

So yes, when the Dawgs, Jackets, and Owls are off, I am off too.

This Week's Picks!


Hurt Puppies vs New And Improved Lizards:  The World's Largest Drunkfest.  UGA vs Florida. A couple of weeks ago, UGA lost to LSU and really looked bad doing it. Meanwhile, Florida has been slowly improving. If I believed in the "Manis Jinx", I would pick Florida.  I really don't have a handle about how good/bad UGA is, but this game should give me a good indication.  UGA wins!

Wrecked vs Gobblers:  Well, I do have a handle about Georgia Tech this year. They are simply not very good.  The offense is just back yard football and I'm not sure what happens to the defense.I keep reading that it is not CPJ's fault. I'm not sure whose fault it would be then. Tech should win a couple of more games this year. This isn't one of them. Virginia Tech wins!

I Owe Ya  vs Lions of Nittany:  I'll be upfront. I don't know much about the state of Iowa.   I saw the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" which was about a tryst involving Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Before the magic moment Clint said, "Go ahead, make my day". <rimshot>  Look, you don't get that type of humor from Finebaum.  Iowa is one of those teams that looks like it could win a couple of big games but then they end up losing. They take on Penn State, which is not quite up to the glory days of when Joe Pa was hiding pedofiles, but the Nittany Lions are getting there.  It would be great if Iowa won. They won't.   Penn State wins!

Aggie A&M vs Messy State:  Jimbobbojerryjeff Fisher has done pretty good in his first year at Texas A&M (Notable alumni: Lyle Lovett. Really). The Aggies have lost two games:Alabama and Clemson.  Mississippi State has lost three SEC games, but they beat Auburn as the Lord commanded them.They are going to need the Lord's Army to defeat A&M.  Aggies win!

Appy State vs Jawja Suthern:  Just a publishing note. Sometimes college football schedule games on Thursday Night just to mess with This Week's Picks. This is one of those weeks. So, if you are reading this on Saturday, you'll know who won this game. Maybe. Anyway, as you all know, my son Ben Manis The Great Number 38, is a graduate from Georgia Southern University, which is located in Statesboro, Georiga, the home of Blind Willie McTell.  "Nobody could sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell" is what Bob Dylan said. If you have ever spent any amount of time in Statesboro, Georgia, you'll know why Blind Willie sang the blues.  To say Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are rivals is an understatement. These two schools alumni, faculty, staff, and teams hate each other.  Appalachian State is ranked. They've only lost one game this year-to Penn State in overtime. Georgia Southern only has one loss-to Clemson.  I would love to see Georgia Southern win. But, sorry son, this is business.  Appalachian State wins!

My Beloved Owls vs Charleston Southern:  After the UGA debacle in Baton Rouge and the weekly Tech dumpster fire, Kennesaw State was the highest ranked team in the state. They are ranked second in the FCS polls. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. Owls win!

This Week's Picks-Week 7

To me, the story, so far, of the 2018 College Football season has been Alabama.

If you haven't been keeping up, Alabama has won the last four hundred or so National Championships.  Last year, they won it and they didn't even win their division or their conference. It was the second time this decade that has happened.

This year, Alabama has been killing their opponents. Just wiping them out.

First game:  Louisville.  Bama won by 37 points.

Second game: Arkansas State.  Bama won by 50 points

Third game:  Ole Miss. Bame won by 55 points

Fourth game: Texas A&M.  Bama won by a mere 22 points

Fifth game:  Lousiana-Layfette. Bama won by 42 points

Sixth game:  Arkansas.  Bama won by 34 points.

There has been some complaints about the Bama schedule.

Okay, Bama should never play Arkansas State or Louisiana-Layfette.  Bama is Bama and they should play schools in the another Power Five Conference like The Big Ten and not The Sun Belt. I know all about the paychecks it brings to the smaller schools, but it is just wrong.

However, it isnt' Bama's fault that Louisville, Arkansas, and Ole Miss suck this year.  When they made the schedule, Louisville looked like a monster.   Bama just happen to catch all of these teams during an off year that's all.

But, Bama still has LSU, Missisippi State, and Auburn remaining. They could beat Bama.

Nah.

This Week's Picks!



Dawgs vs Ellesewe:   Back in the old days, Georgia fans used to listen to "The Larry Munson Show" and hear something like this:  "I'm worried about Saturday's game. We've been playing well, but, we just don't have the certain something. I'm reading reports that the Loyola Mount Mary's  Fighting Nuns is one of the best teams in the very small college football rankings and they could surprise us. And then where will we be?  Where will we be?  Meanwhile, yesterday I went with the movie group to catch the latest Barbara Streisand movie, "Yentl" in which she plays a girl with a big schnozzola that wants to be a rabbi so she pretends to be a boy with a big schnozzola."  The point is (yes, I have one) that Georgia fans are used to being worried. This game is one to be worried about.  Baton Rouge is not exactly the nicest place in the world. Add four billion Cajuns that started drinking Tuesday, well, you do the math.  Speaking of math, I think Georgia will score more points than LSU. Georgia wins!

Buzzy vs  Dook:  The Flying Bumble Bees got their mojo back against Louisville. I was all prepared to pick Tech, but I did a little research and Duke has a better record playing against some better teams. Yeah, I know, sometimes that happens. I'm not quite sold that Tech has turned a corner, but they are playing at home. Something about playing in front of a frantic crowd of 500 can turn a team around. I kid, I kid. I don't trust Tech, but I don't trust Duke away from the basketball court. What the heck: Tech wins!
 

Lizards vs The Commode-Doors: That sound you heard last week was all of the Florida fans jumping back on the bandwagon. Great.   I must admit, they handled LSU really well. They should do the same thing against Vanderbilt.  Florida wins!

My Favorite Florida Meme

Meeshegan vs Wesconsun:  I just watched something on the internet which says this is "The Game Of The Week". Okay, sure.   I think UGA-LSU is the game of the week, but I don't have my own internet show.   This is a BIG game for both teams.  Wisconsin has been just okay this year. Jim Harbaugh hasn't won a big game at Michigan. Michigan is the better team and they are playing in Ann Arbor. Michigan wins!

My Beloved Owls vs My Niece's School:  The big news around here is Kennesaw State is ranked number 2 in the FCS rankings. Which is super cool. I'm already checking out restaurants in Frisco, Texas where The FCS championship takes place. I found a place called Hutchins BBQ, which serves BBQ. I can't wait....oh wait a second, I've got the rest of the season. The Owls travel to Boling Springs, North Carolina to play Gardner-Webb University, Gardner-Webb  is where my niece goes to school and she plays on the women's LaCrosse team. She is the first one from the family to play sports at a Division One school. We are all so proud of her and pray that one day she buys her favorite uncle a Gardner-Webb t-shirt.  However, business is business.   Sorry kid, Owls win!

 

This Week's Picks Week Six

For those of you that don't know, The World Headquarters of This Week's Picks is located in Marietta, Georgia, which is a Northwest suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, the home of the freakiest traffic in the world.

You may remember a few years ago, we had a sudden ice storm hit the area.  I live about 15 minutes from my office.  It took me eight hours to get home. And boy did I have to tee-tee.

Then last year, a part of Interstate 85, caught fire and collapsed. I have never seen an Interstate catch on fire. It was amazing. After the fire was put out, there was a big hole in the Interstate. However the most amazing thing about it was it was fixed in six weeks.

This week, we had cows.

That's right, cows. A truck carrying 89 cows flipped on the cloverleaf of I-75 and I-285, which if you know anything about North Metro Atlanta, is the center of the blessed universe.

Important note: this was the second time it has happened in Atlanta this year.

No bull.

Associated Press called it an "Udder Disaster".

At the end of the day, 87 of the cows had been accounted for.   Ten of the cows were killed in either the initial wreck or they were hit by people who didn't expect to see a cow running around the Interstate.

Two cows are missing.  I suggest they check at Chick-Fil-A.

We all have a stake in finding these two cows

This Week's Picks.


Bullydogs vs The Commode Doors:  Georgia is playing another team located in Tennessee this weekend. This time it is Vanderbilt. It is one of those hoity-toity private universities that somehow is in the SEC and not in a lesser conference like the ACC. (I kid, I kid). Just so you know, the cost of going to Vanderbilt this year is $44,712.00 according to reliable sources (Google). By the way, at one time Vandy was going to change its team name from the  Commodores to the Possums because they always play dead at home and get killed on the road! You've been great, be sure to try the veal and tip the wait staff.  UGA wins!

 

Buzzed vs Lousyville:  Our favorite Bumble Bee team won last week. For real. They scored more points than the other team and everything! They have a real good shot on getting their first conference win of the season against Louisville. In case you didn't hear, Louisville got beat by Florida State last week. That's not good.  In case you don't have a life, this is the ESPN Friday Night Game.  Tech wins!
 

Texsass vs Oooooooooooooooklahoma:  Howdy, partner!  It is time for the Red River Classic It is a big game because it is in Texas, etc. Oklahoma has a very, very good quarterback like last year, except this guy isn't a jerk.  Texas started slow but looks like they are getting back to their same old annoying selves, which is good for college football. I think.  I just don't think Texas is back yet. Oklahoma wins!

War Tigers vs Other Bulldogs:   What do a tornado and a divorce in Auburn have in common? Answer: no matter what happens, someone is losing a trailer.  Ha, that is just an example of the good humor Auburn has to put up with every year.  This year, they've lost to LSU, which was probably like Armageddon Two Electric Boogaloo on the Plains. They can't afford to lose another SEC game.  Meanwhile, Mississippi State. Lord. They already have two losses.  Make it three. Auburn wins!

Ellesewe vs Reptiles:  Hey Beaudreux! Les tigres sont plutot beaux. Ils sont classes 5 dans les derniers sondages. Au revoir Joe je dois y aller oh mon oh.  Laissez le bon temp rouler!  LSU wins!

Bammy vs Pigs:  I just threw in this one because I needed another major college game. The question in this game: when does Jalen Hurts come into the game.  My bet: midway through the first quarter. Bama wins!



My Beloved Owls vs Calvinist South Carolina College:  The irresistible grace of Kennesaw, Georiga on a Saturday brings Presyberterian College to The Fifth Third and Half Metric Liter Quart Bank Stadium.  Not tooting my alma mater's horn, but Kennesaw State is ranked number three in the FCS polls, right after North Dakota State and James Madison.  All of this means it is predestined: Owls win!