Annnnnnnnd we’re off. Here are games for the first week:
| Time | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 PM ET | Wake Forest (23) at Baylor | Wake Forest by 13 |
Saturday, Aug. 30
| Time | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM ET | Virginia Tech (15) vs East Carolina | Virginia Tech by 9.5 |
| 12:00 PM ET | Akron at Wisconsin (12) | Wisconsin by 26.5 |
| 12:30 PM ET | Hawaii at Florida (5) | Florida by 34 |
| 3:30 PM ET | Utah at Michigan (24) | Michigan by 3 |
| 3:30 PM ET | Southern California (2) at Virginia | Southern California by 19 |
| 7:00 PM ET | UL Monroe at Auburn (11) | Auburn by 27 |
| 7:00 PM ET | Florida Atlantic at Texas (10) | Texas by 23 |
| 7:00 PM ET | Florida International at Kansas (13) | Kansas by 37.5 |
| 8:00 PM ET | Alabama vs Clemson (9) | Clemson by 5 |
| 8:30 PM ET | Illinois (19) vs Missouri (7) | Missouri by 9 |
| 10:00 PM ET | Washington at Oregon (20) | Oregon by 14 |
Monday, Sept. 1
| Time | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|
| 4:30 PM ET | Fresno State (25) at Rutgers | Rutgers by 5.5 |
| 8:00 PM ET | Tennessee (18) at UCLA | Tennessee by 7.5 |
Game of the Week: Alabama vs. Clemson
I could do a write-up, but why bother when a picture will do?
This and other great SEC motivational posters can be found at Hey Jenny Slater.
How to enter your picks
You read the rules, right?
The short version:
- You’re picking which teams won’t cover their spread. You must choose at least one team not to cover unless there is only one game being played that week.
- You’re also entering a predicted score for the Game of the Week, which cannot be the same as a predicted score another player enters.
Example using this week’s schedule:
Florida and Clemson don’t cover. Alabama wins the GOTW 19-14.
If I entered that, that means I think Florida and Clemson either would lose or not cover their spreads, and you then wouldn’t be able to predict a 19-14 win for Alabama.
Trash talking
You’re encouraged to be as creative as possible with subsequent trash talking after you enter your picks. Example:
Your university’s “ball club” wears their pantaloons with their knickers showing. Those “lads” are just a marginal cadre of lilly-livered pantywaists. They may as well saunter past the middle merchant and wear evening gowns on the field of play. Duck your head in shame, sir.
How are you choosing which games to include, again?
August 24th, 2008 at 11:29 pmUSA Today Top 25. Games that are missing (Georgia vs. Georgia Southern for example) didn’t have betting lines. I’ve opted to not include them this year rather than making one up.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:32 pmHow did you guess that was why I asked?
That makes sense. And here I was hoping to blame it on bias. I had a really good zinger about pantaloons all teed up.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:38 pmI’m going to go ahead and enter my picks for the week to get things rolling:
Missouri doesn’t cover, Clemson wins the GOTW 27-17.
I was tempted to say Florida doesn’t cover against Hawaii since I think Florida’s D will need a few games to gel.
I was also tempted to say Tennessee doesn’t cover against UCLA for karma purposes. And, you know, since Norm Chow is the OC. But I’m not sure Jesus Christ could coach that O-line, and Chow offenses rely on the QB having time to throw.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:33 amMy picks:
UF doesn’t cover AND Rutgers doesn’t cover. GOTW: Clemson over Alabama, 34-21.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:39 amMichigan, VaTech, Clemson, and Texas won’t cover. GotW 20-10.
I figure I may as well start the season off right with a few interesting picks.
Oh, and thanks for putting this together. Should be fun.
August 25th, 2008 at 10:52 amThat is bold to pick Bama since they may start 10 true freshmen and Clemson usually waits five or six games before they implode.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:00 amFlorida and Kansas do not cover.
GotW: Clemson wins 21-17
Just realized that by picking Clemson to win 21-17, they wouldn’t cover the 5 point spread and I should add them to “do not cover”, but I won’t!
August 25th, 2008 at 11:56 amWon’t cover: Michigan, Clemson, Rutgers, Tennessee
GOTW: Clemson 21, Alabama 17
I can’t believe I think Utah will beat Michigan. Who has any clue what the new staff will be like? Not me. Also tempted to pick against Florida, but without June Jones and Colt Brennan, I see no reason to give Hawaii that much credit.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pmShit. I took too long to submit my pick for GOTW score. Make that Clemson 20, Bama 17.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:06 pmJen,
August 25th, 2008 at 12:07 pmWas wondering how long it would take for someone to take advantage of that loophole to hedge their bet. I’m going to allow it this year to see how it effects things.
I almost picked Clemson to win by 3 but thought better of it.
It was merciful indeed not to include FSU’s game vs. whatever cupcake we scheduled first…particularly since we are in grave danger of not covering since half our team is on suspension. Thank you for sparing me from having to make a decision on that one. (Though probably USA Today didn’t have a line for it, either.)
August 25th, 2008 at 12:46 pmRusty,
Clemson will probably win by that score and yet, I will not be in the tie-breaker. A hedge bet indeed!
August 25th, 2008 at 2:23 pmMichigan, Kansas, Southern Cali, Clemson and Missouri wont cover, GOTW Bama 28 and Clemson 14
August 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pmTrash talking you say? Garrett is a daft prick for asking such a positively silly question. It does not matter how games are chosen, only that they are.
USC, Clemson, Missouri, Oregon, and Rutgers will not cover.
Alabama 27, Clemson 24
August 25th, 2008 at 10:14 pmFlorida and Clemson won’t cover; GOTW Bama 24, Clemson 17
Gotta root against Florida right out of the gate, though I don’t have a huge amount of confidence in this pick.
Week one upsets are always exciting, as long as it isn’t Georgia
August 26th, 2008 at 11:34 amDamn! I see where it can be beneficial to make your GOTW prediction early.
Virginia Tech, Utah, Texas, Alabama and Illinois all fail.
Clemson 27, Alabama 17.
Is the trash talking obligatory? If that is the case, then don’t take it personally if I target your team every week, Rusty. I just can’t take FSU seriously as a football program in this decade and, well, Michigan is in the Big 10 . . . which is all that really needs to be said. Maybe I’ll just critisize the pantaloons of the team playing Georgia each week, starting in Week 4 when we play a real team.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:22 pmOr, I can criticize myself for misspelling criticize.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:24 pmLeave it to a UGA grad to heap on the first load of FAIL. I already took Clemson 27-17. Try again.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:28 pmApparently, I don’t read or write too good.
Clemson 24, Alabama 17
August 26th, 2008 at 2:30 pmFlorida, Wake, Clemson, and Missouri don’t cover.
Bama 20-Clemson 10, hell really I don’t know. I picked FSU to be pre-season number one.
August 26th, 2008 at 4:22 pmMy Selections Week #1: Teams that will NOT cover: Wake Forest; Michigan; USC; Auburn; Texas; Kansas; Missouri; Tennessee. GOTW winner: Clemson 37-13
August 27th, 2008 at 2:23 pmCarl is gay and so are his picks. Tony smells like goat cheese. RF clearly is retarded. Rusty has large nipples.
By the way UGA fans…expect at least 2 losses this year with Florida being a guaranteed loss.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:11 pmHate to disappoint you Archibald, but I am not Gay. And let me ask you this…Have you ever been a champion of this game like me….? Beat me if ya can!
August 28th, 2008 at 6:56 amArchibald: I don’t refute your allegations.
What is the one redeeming quality of UT? Good question (other than producing the estimable Radical Georgia Moderate, of course).
August 28th, 2008 at 10:08 am[...] a two-touchdown favorite and predict an ugly Tech win at 38-24. Speaking of lines, you’ve submitted your NCAA Picks, [...]
August 28th, 2008 at 11:06 amArchibald’s comment clearly demonstrates that he has no judgment whatsoever. Florida being a guaranteed loss? Seriously? Guaranteed? That is a winnable game for UGA. Me smelling like goat cheese? That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Carl being gay? Well . . . okay, you may be on to something there. I don’t know, and I’m not here to judge him. I’m here to win (and to talk trash).
Archibald’s comment plainly shows that his judgment is beyond poor. So, I am going to go for the guaranteed win. Rusty, can you just change my picks for this week to be the opposite of Archibald’s picks?
August 28th, 2008 at 11:35 amFail: Florida, USC, Kansas, Rutgers, Tennessee
GOTW: Clemson 27-21
August 28th, 2008 at 11:39 amTony #1,
August 28th, 2008 at 11:42 amWorks for me. So, if I’ve got this right, you want to say that Wake Forest, Va. Tech, Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan, Auburn, Texas, Kansas and Tennessee don’t cover?
Rusty, that looks like a guaranteed winner to me. Thanks.
Tony, I will change my name later on to avoid any confusion and to avoid one of us having to be “#2″.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:47 amWon’t cover = Clemson and Tennessee
GOTW
Clemson 24
August 28th, 2008 at 12:49 pmAlabama 23
Ugh. I went 7-7.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:25 amWhen will Week #2 Games be posted?
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 pmThey’re the top post on the homepage. Here is a link.
When I sent out the group email yesterday, your address bounced. Do you have an alternate email? If so, send it to rusty.tanton@gmail.com.
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:45 pmI got the message but only after I came here to seeif there was a reply to my question. I do not understand why my email came back as bounced. I did add you as a contact. perhaps you entered the capital letter OO where is should be the number 00. let me know if this helps.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:42 pmCarl