Weekend Predictions: No sacrifices, but Falcons, LSU win
Welcome back to Weekend Predictions, where we may fool you into taking one of our Just Kidding Picks once a while — Georgia over South Carolina? Just kidding — but we would never pimp out our abused young pawns to the highest bidder for the sake of a case of footballs, new carpeting and a dozen legal pads. Because then, we would be no better than a financially desperate athletic director.
And speaking of Georgia State. What next? Maybe lease out 20 or 30 players to the Atlanta Police Department for Taser practice? That would clear $100,000.
In another attempt to provide a thoroughly enriching college football experience — go with it — Georgia State athletic director Cheryl Levick has brokered deals to throw her fledgling program’s abused slabs of meat into the center of the Roman Coliseum against Alabama and West Virginia next season and Oregon in 2015.
Wait, I thought Cheryl Levick had blonde hair?
For these three sacrifices, GSU will make $2.15 million, less medical expenses that the HMO won’t cover. Players will receive a free second trip to the soft-food bar in the cafeteria.
The Panthers are 0-6 this season. They’ve been outscored 236-71. Two more routs, and they qualify for FEMA funding. And yet, the school jumped from the Colonial to the Sun Belt for financial reasons, ensuring more dismemberings in 2013. Now there’s the non-conference schedule, direct from The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (circa 1967).
I don’t know. Maybe Levick is bucking for the Savannah State job (first two games this season: losses to Oklahoma State and Florida State by a combined 139-0). I’d be fine with these deals if the school president agreed to play left tackle and the athletic director played quarterback. But that would be too, oh, I don’t know, courageous?
Feh.
Meanwhile, back to real football:
South Carolina didn’t have to pay Georgia anything for last week’s body slam. Now it tries to keep it going against LSU. Bad timing. The Roosters are coming off an emotional high. The Tigers are coming off a loss to Florida. The game is in Baton Rouge (where LSU has won 21 straight).
Not overly confident about this pick (obviously). Just a feeling: LSU over South Carolina (and the 2½ is covered).
SCHOOL DAZE
Uga needed a week to sleep off last week's game.
Georgia: Off. Coaches searched for the idiots who egged players houses, but followed their game plan and ended up in Spartanburg.
Georgia Tech: Off. No, really this time.
Auburn at Mississippi: The Tigers are 6-point underdogs to Ole Miss, triggering a clause in Gene Chizik’s contract that reads, “The locksmith will be arriving on Tuesday.” Take Auburn and 6 (but Rebels win).
Florida at Vanderbilt: Great story from Will Muschamp about how when he got the job at Florida, “There were only three things left in a very barren office, and that was three national championship trophies. I think our athletic director left them on purpose.” Nothing like sending a message. Gators cover 8.
Missouri players break from a team meeting.
Alabama at Missouri: Five Mizzou players were suspended for marijuana last week. Gary Pinkel must be making recruiting in-roads in Georgia. Alabama covers 21½.
Kentucky at Arkansas: Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson was in an accident. But he was in a car, not on a motorcycle, and his sociology professor wasn’t a passenger — so when you think about, the program is making tremendous progress. Piggies cover 17.
Tennessee at Ms. State: The others Dogs are 5-0, but their wins have come over Jackson State, Auburn, Troy, South Alabama, Kentucky and … wait, did I leave out the Connecticut School of Broadcasting? Grab the 3, but Tennessee wins straight up.
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Weekend Predictions salutes “Mongo” (in memory of Alex Karras)
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NFL SIX PACK
It looks like "Fatbeard"and the Raiders are setting up the run.
Raiders at Falcons: The Falcons are 5-0, but there are two things they haven’t done well: 1) Run the ball (21st in NFL); 2) Stop the run (27th). But given that the Raiders rank 32nd in rushing, just ahead of UTEP and comatose, I don’t see this being an issue. Birds cover 9.
Vikings at Redskins: Robert Griffin III was fine after getting hit by Sean Weatherspoon last week, except for the fact he thought he was Thurston Howell III. Seriously, the dude had no idea where he was, but suddenly the Redskins claim he has been medically “cleared” to practice? By who, Dr. Seuss? I call Bolshoi. Take the Vikings straight up and the gift 2.
Lions at Eagles: Ndamukong Suh is upset that two unnamed NFL executives in a Pro Football Weekly story said the Lions are overrated and “Suh belongs on the All-Hype team.” Question: When you’re 1-3, shouldn’t you just shut up? Eagles cover 4½.
Packers at Texans: I’m not a big stats guy, but Aaron Rodgers already has been sacked 21 times this season. That’s a season pace of 67, give or take a spleen. But there’s a hole in Houston’s defense where Brian Cushing used to be. Take the 3½ and the Pack on the road.
Broncos at Chargers: Wonder if Peyton Manning (2-3) expected to have a worse record than Andrew Luck (2-2) at this point? Take the 2, but Denver wins straight up.
Cowboys at Ravens: Jerry Jones’ birth certificate says he turns 70 on Saturday, but of course he has grandkids older than his face. (I know. Cheap and easy.) Ravens cover 3½.
When I hear Ndamukong Suh, I think of Lesley Gore
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TIME TO SETTLE UP
Or, as my Russian friend from “Rounders” would say…
Last week: 7-4 straight up, 6-5 against the spread.
So far, so good: 50-16 straight up, 38-26-2 against the spread.
Sack Schultz update: Went 10-5 last week, not great. Our overall leader is still “KarlaMoshe” of Kansas with 73 wins.
Lilly’s pick of the week: She’s 3-3 and in danger of being placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. (See what I did there?) This week, she took the cheese: South Carolina over LSU.
Lilly is going against me this week. She is taking the Gamecocks over Tigers.
By Jeff Schultz
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146 comments Add your comment
GSU_MEX_ALUM
October 11th, 2012
3:41 pm
Kick us while we are down Schultz… You had nothing better to do?
Snake Doc
October 11th, 2012
3:58 pm
Everyone knows a dog is way smarter then schultz could ever hope to be.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 11th, 2012
4:06 pm
The Falcants 1st 6 opponents combined 2011 record (42-54).
I thought Cream Puffs was a snack food……
HA HA
charles
October 11th, 2012
4:12 pm
Does anyone else feel the college football is really topsy turvy this year? I mean Duke is 5-1,the USC with the best football team is in Carolina,a team gave up 63 points and WON-oh wait ok Alabama is still no.1 and Florida State still cant run the table!
SSIgator
October 11th, 2012
4:17 pm
Usually don’t bet on college football games, but I feel pretty sure that UGA will not lose this weekend. I see that Vegas has them at -28. Does that have anything to do with points scored in the game or is it their ranking at the end of the year?
Buckshot
October 11th, 2012
4:19 pm
Gamecocks looked pretty solid last week. Their defense will decide this game.
Answer This
October 11th, 2012
4:23 pm
The Mad Hater will not lose two in a row……good call. USC used all that hyped up energy last week to tame the puppies…….LSU rolls in a big one, will make people say that USC win over UGA was a fluke! Hard to beat LSU down in the Bayou especially when the Mad Hater has his back against the wall knowing he cant lose two and have even a shot to make the Alabama game relevant! Do they play Bama this year?
Delbert D.
October 11th, 2012
4:24 pm
Christopher Lee gave me nightmares when I was a kid. If LSU could get him to play QB, they might score on South Carolina.
dale in newnan
October 11th, 2012
4:25 pm
Nice Kenny KGB shout out.
SSIgator
October 11th, 2012
4:31 pm
“Coaches searched for the idiots who egged players houses but followed their game plan and ended up in Spartanburg.”
________________
That is not totally accurate Jeff. A witness reported it was actually Murray that threw some of the eggs, but the police that investigated the incident could not find any evidence of that being the case. The witness told the police that they were looking in the wrong place – Murray (as usual) had overthrown his own house and hit the one next door. The next door neighbor did not want to press charges, but did ask the police to call St. Markus Rectumus and request that he play a backup QB in the next game as Murray’s punishment.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet-USAF)
October 11th, 2012
4:38 pm
Jeff, I am a UGA fan, South Carolina is the real deal on both sides of the ball. They will spank LSU. Mettenberg(LSU QB is less mobile and does not throw as well as Murray), see what they did to us. Those two DE’s could be in the NFL right now, they are that good. Connor Shaw is as good a college QB is there is this year. I look for them to go undefeated and then the big game with ALABAMA. Who knows what will happen then?
Mike S.
October 11th, 2012
4:41 pm
@DawgNole – yeah I said they play UF after a bye week and Kentucky, meaning they are off this week, then Kentucky the next week, then UF the week after that.
Hankie Aron
October 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
Tom- Past games aren’t always indications of future play. That was an emotional game for the Cocks and every game is different based on home field advantage, health, emotional highs and lows, gameplan. Those type things are consistent week to week.
Hankie Aron
October 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
It made sense to me Mike S.
Hankie Aron
October 11th, 2012
4:51 pm
Those type things are not always consistent week to week. Sorry
dawgfan
October 11th, 2012
4:55 pm
South Carolina v. LSU will be a wild one but I think South Carolina gets it done. Their game against us was not that “emotional” at all as far as I could tell. It was a pretty boring game. An emotional game is where you go in to overtime or the game comes down to a field goal or something like that. This was just a trouncing. They almost looked bored and far from emotional.
Thanks.
Mike S.
October 11th, 2012
4:57 pm
@USMC – McGarity may have put Richt on a bit of a notice, but he’s also not stupid. Unless you have an Urban Meyer or Nick Saban lined up, your odds of stepping up from a record like Mark Richt’s is pretty slim. Your far more likely to see the program backslide like in Tennessee or not really get any better like in Auburn (minus Cam Newton) or FSU.
Mike S.
October 11th, 2012
4:58 pm
For as long as Richt has been in the SEC, his record is fantastic. Yeah he has lost some games to ranked teams the last few years, but most of which are against SEC teams no one else is beating either. In fact, you put this UGA program anywhere else, and Richt likely would have the same type of resume Stoops, Carroll, Tressel, and Beamer have enjoyed. If you want to win the SEC, you have to beat the national champion. How do you hold that over Richt when Stoops, Tressel, and the rest cant beat these teams either?
Tom(Independent Viet Vet-USAF)
October 11th, 2012
5:04 pm
Hankie – We will see?
dawgfan
October 11th, 2012
5:04 pm
“In fact, you put this UGA program anywhere else, and Richt likely would have the same type of resume Stoops, Carroll, Tressel, and Beamer have enjoyed.”
LOL. And if a frog had wings it wouldn’t bump its azz when it hopped. Who gives a flying crap how UGA would do in other leagues? I don’t want to be in another league. The SEC rocks. Its the best of the best. What kind of weak crap is that? 4 seperate SEC teams have won national titles just in the past 5 years. There is absolutely no reason why we can’t be one of them. The only thing holding us back is fans like you and your acceptance of mediocrity.
DawgNole
October 11th, 2012
5:48 pm
Mike S.
October 11th, 2012
4:41 pm
@DawgNole – yeah I said they play UF after a bye week and Kentucky, meaning they are off this week, then Kentucky the next week, then UF the week after that.
____________________
Got it. Truth be told, Ky is about like a bye week–the way they’ve been playing. Of course, they usually give the Dawgs trouble up there.
Paul in NH
October 11th, 2012
6:05 pm
LSU over SC in a close one. It’s tough to beat the Tigers in a night game in BR. SC is good but not as good as they looked against UGA.
UF big over Vandy.
ALA big over Mizzou – Spicoli has pizza delivered to the bench before the half.to fight the munchies
Other Bulldogs win.
Argentina over Uruguay in Montivedeo as Messi runs rampant.
Magic City
October 11th, 2012
6:18 pm
If the Gamecocks lose to LSU and Florida,
can the Dawgs make a comeback?
Good Lord
October 11th, 2012
6:41 pm
SSIGator
All indications are your mother beats the sheet out of your daddy every time your name is mentioned
The One After 909
October 11th, 2012
6:49 pm
So who is going to be the next Tech head coach when Tech drops 4 of the next 6?
Will Tech drink the kool aid and go for Petrino?
We Run The East
October 11th, 2012
7:14 pm
909- Petrino at Tech? Sounds freaky and a bad fit. Petrino’s name is mud in Atlanta. What a snake but great college coach. Not in Atl, not anywhere in state, not Petrino. He will catch on over in the old SWC or a cotton bowl team, something like that. Or maybe tennessee…
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
October 11th, 2012
7:23 pm
Word on the street, Georgia State wouldn’t play UGA, they want some competition and will play Bama. Sad.
Dr. Phill
October 11th, 2012
7:42 pm
Thank the former president of GSU for football. Faculty and students were against it. It’s not working, and it won’t work, even if you hire Saban.
Dog Island Gator
October 11th, 2012
8:19 pm
Enter your comments here
Dog Island Gator
October 11th, 2012
8:22 pm
Maybe UGA should play the all girls school from Savannah. Wait, they do. Every year…twice
William
October 11th, 2012
8:51 pm
Let’s let the season play out before we pass judgement on CMR. Give him a chance to right the ship. One loss does not a bad season make. This weak schedule has turned into a tough one. Kentucky at night. Let’s not forget the 17-7 lead at the half on SC. Florida is tough, Ole Miss is tough, Auburn will be looking for redemption and GT is always tough on Georgia. I don’t think LSU can beat SC even at night in the Tiger’s lair. The Falcons will probably be flat this Sunday after a superb start. Take Oakland and the points.
GFY
October 11th, 2012
9:06 pm
Gamechickens have no offense…..just because you put 35 on UGA does not mean you will against LSU…..LSU is going to show you some big boy offense and defensive lines and not let you run wild. Lock of the year for LSU to beat down the fowl low country bumpkins…..
Flo-Ri-Duh
October 11th, 2012
9:15 pm
Stoned Badger was much better on kick returns than on pass coverage. LSU has better CBs now than Stoned Badger. Mettenbubba is the weak link. If he can just complete 50% of his passes with no picks LSU will win.
JSS
October 11th, 2012
9:16 pm
Wake us up when all of the crazy D-1 football talk ends…
Lilly, demand more food and better hardwood conditions…
Beast from the East
October 11th, 2012
9:53 pm
Gotta go with LSU in a close one. Tough place to play…especially at night. It wil be LOUD!
Gators over Vandy 31-13. Close until the 4th quarter. My Gators own the 4th quarter!
Ole Miss over the Barn. What a dumpster fire they are this year.
Bama by 21+ over Mizzou “why I’d we come here?” Tigers
Arky wins easily over the Mildcats
Dooley and Bray manage to throw away yet another game at the end to the only undefeated Bulldogs in the SEC…Mississippi State.
GarnetMoonshine
October 11th, 2012
9:54 pm
That dog(Lilly), is on to something………
JSS
October 12th, 2012
12:59 am
That horse should have gotten an Oscar! Still not the best part of ‘Blazin Saddles’ but close! Finally Alex Karras can get some peace…
Thomas Brown
October 12th, 2012
1:49 am
Georgia State University’s football program’s abused slabs of meat are being thrown into the center of the Roman Coliseum ?
Mark Richt has played 10 straight games against SEC teams who put-up a winning SEC record that season, and lost all 10 including Saturday South Carolina you mention, Jeff.
Mark Richt has played 8 straight games against teams who made the Top 10, and lost all 8 including Saturday South Carolina you mention, Jeff.
Mark Richt has played 17 straight games against teams who made the Top 10 in his entire 12-year Mark Richt era, and won only 3, which did not include winning Saturday against South Carolina you mention, Jeff.
Mark Richt has played 18 straight games against teams who made the AP Poll Top 25 – the most respected poll by far, so much so, that they quit allowing their poll to be associated with the old 2-team Play-Off BCS National Championship series. Of those 18 games, Mark Richt only won in that horrible season 2008 for us 5 seasons ago in a bowl game against Michigan State 2008 who by the way barely made the AP Poll Top 25 and did so beating not 1 team themselves who made Top 25. The only other win this current 5-Year Period starting 2008 over a team who made the AP Poll Top 25 is that horrid season 2009 where we did not even get ranked ourselves but beat-up on that perennial door-mat ACC, a Georgie tek team who had to VACATE their lone title because of NCAA PROBATION back-to-back Repeat Offenders of the NCAA Major Infractions Database. In other words, if we had not of beat them, they would have had to VACATE that win anyway.
Eric C.
October 12th, 2012
2:17 am
I’m really disappointed in the SC fans…they accuse the Dawg fans of being delusional and now look at them.
Let’s not forget the shoddy road efforts by the Gamecocks…nearly losing at Vandy and trailing Kentucky by 10 pts at half time (????). As good as they looked at home against Mizzou and UGA, they looked as bad on the road. I know LSU’s offense is anemic, but they just do not lose consecutive games…especially when the second game is at night in Baton Rouge.
I’m predicting that LSU’s defense will outscore SC’s defense 14-7 and that LSU scores a TD on a fake FG. Final score LSU 21 SC 16.
Having said all of that, if SC can actually pull it out at Baton Rouge and then win at UF, I’d say that they should be #1.
Thomas Brown
October 12th, 2012
2:39 am
Which is it ? South Carolina isn’t a good team, or they beat us 35 to nothing before Steve Spurrier needed a lesson from Mark Richt and emptied his bench at the 10:45 mark, still requiring only Aaron Murray at QB which took until then the 1:55 mark before we got a meaningless score handed to us on a silver-platter ?
Stinger2
October 12th, 2012
2:59 am
Thomas Brown: Your comments @2:17 are pitiful and not worth any response.
Go back to bed.
Thomas Brown
October 12th, 2012
3:42 am
Maybe a more appropriate comment would be since Georgie tek has beat our current coach only 1-time in 11-years and counting, that Georgie tek throws your sorry NCAA PROBATION 2012 in FOOTBALL program’s abused slabs of meat out there into the center of the Roman Coliseum against us.
Are your posts any good, this one you just posted or any other post such as :
Stinger2 March 2nd, 2012 4:37 am
“UGA fans continue to gloat over their dominace of GT in football. Then a few say they want to continue the series so that they are assured of a win. o.k. with me as a GT fan. The good news for us is there will be another win at some point. Since its now 10 of 11 for UGA its got to be soner than later. Until when it happens, relax GT fans, the sun will continue to rise in the east.”
Thomas Brown
October 12th, 2012
3:59 am
Are you a Georgie tek student or grad, who doesn’t even know twice so it’s not a typo, that it is is a contraction it’s.
Cortez"
October 12th, 2012
6:09 am
Bama is young and I keep looking for them to slip up, but they haven’t I would like to see them play the Gamecocks in Atlanta not the DAWGS eventhough I am a die heart DAWGS fan we;re not ready and as bad as I hate to say it if you don’t beat Bama this year you have no shot the next couple of years. Its scary what Nick has built and still building. GO DAWGS!!!!!
Thomas Brown
October 12th, 2012
6:39 am
Alabama might be young 2012, but Mark Richt’s team certainly is not. We lose our entire defense after this season and both of our wide receivers, while many of our fans wished we were losing our quarterback too. And of course, Mark Richt faces Alabama 2013 – although just who Mark Richt plays who makes any Top 25 doesn’t even matter anymore – losing to all of them everytime for 5 seasons in a row now and counting.
Thomas Brown
October 12th, 2012
7:24 am
If ever there was a chance for Mark Richt to beat a team the current 5-year period who did make the Top 25, this was the 1-year window 2012. There is no measure of the amount of heat Mark Richt in his 13th season here 2013 will get having to play a team who’s any good at all. And, if he has 66 scholarship recruits 2013 like he has had both of the current 2-year periods, again 2013, we can expect the Richt-0-Philes to come out in Force telling us how they are a better fan of him than we are. Then, we will go look-up some of their own quotes on the subject here, and find they the very ones to be the ones who all everyone of them have said every word we have.
Cortez” I wouldn’t worry too much about saying you, as a Ardent Bulldogs’ Fan, want to see South Carolina face Alabama, rather than us again – as Out-Of-Control in All Phases of our Top 10 All-Time Football Program as we have been this current 5-year period. The only game we played well in all season long, is Vandie for Heavens’ Sake.
___________________________________________________
Back to running up the stats vs cupcakes a week from Saturday
___________________________________________________
5 Seasons in a Row not beating Top 25 teams at all, losing them all.
Bobby
October 12th, 2012
7:45 am
I suspect Schultz picked LSU more because of his UGA bias than sports analysis. I’m sure he is praying for an LSU victory as are all other UGA fans.
Thomas Brown 5 yrs of losing every ranked team 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
October 12th, 2012
8:08 am
Why is it please that all other UGA fans are praying for an LSU victory against Florida ? So that LSU can do this season that which we cannot do for ourselves, again ?
Thomas Brown 5 yrs of losing every ranked team 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
October 12th, 2012
8:10 am
Why is it please that all other UGA fans are praying for an LSU victory over South Carolina this weekend, either ? So that LSU can do this season that which we cannot do for ourselves, again ?
I’d just as soon admit we haven’t beat ranked teams 5 years in a Row Currently and stay out of the conversation.
We’re not involved.
Rodster
October 12th, 2012
8:46 am
Hilarious stuff Jeff. Loved the Thurston Howell III reference!