Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week IX

endimagesWell now. In my mind I already had my lede written. Reiterating lines uttered often before by myself as well as others, it would have been . . .

. . . Kentucky yet again did what Kentucky does. Up ten with a half a quarter to play, they fumbled in the Red Zone, and Mississippi State ran it the length of the field for a TD. Then the visitors scored again with a minute or so on the clock to take the advantage. Cats lose.

But noooooooooooooo, the Kentucky Wildcats hung tough and more, taking the ball down the field and getting into FG territory despite horrid clock management. And put it through the uprights for the W, and a spot on the cusp of bowl eligibility. Bewildered as ever, Coach Mark Stoops looked like a man who’d been saved from the gallows.

By the by, the kid predicted the UK win, along with those of the Cards and Auburn, who respectively eviscerated NC State and Arkansas. Unfortunately South Florida isn’t as quite over the hump as I suspected. And Stanford is trending southward as quickly as Colorado is heading up.

3 up. 2 down. For the season, 28-12.

I shall persevere.

This week’s winners:

Michigan @ Michigan State. A year ago, the Maize & Blue had this intrastate rivalry won. All they had to do was successfully punt the ball and prevent a return with but ten seconds on the clock. Instead Michigan’s punter, reared on footy (Aussie Rules Football) reverted to his Down Under instincts when bobbling the low snap. He batted the ball with his hand as if he were playing on a semicircular field in Melbourne not Ann Arbor. It landed in the maw of a Sparty rusher. TD Green. Ball game. Neither the nation’s largest alumni base nor Coach Khaki Pants was pleased. Coach Khaki Pants does not forget a slight. Meanwhile Sparty, the nation’s most disappointing team, has taken a nose dive, losing five in a row after a W over Notre Dame, the nation’s second most disappointing team. Can a home field advantage and the energy that comes with playing a fierce rival overcome the Wolverine’s resurgence and need for revenge? No.

Miami @ Notre Dame. Speaking of Notre Dame, and don’t we love to chat about them when they’re down and out. As they are this beleaguered campaign. 2-5. With three Ls in South Bend, under the disapproving stare of TDJ. Now a withering Hurricane blows into town. The U has lost three ACC games in a row after starting the year with four Ws. Which is to say this is not quite up to the standard of Catholics vs. Convicts. Oh for the days/daze of those battles. The Canes are a wobbly favorite. I’m not buying it. Despite the “confidence” of ND’s people in charge, my guess is Brian Kelly is standing on shaky ground. It’s gonna firm up a bit after a win this Saturday.

Washington @ Utah. The one loss Utes get the surging undefeated Huskies at home in Salt Lake City, in what has to be the weekend’s premier game. UDub’s inserted themselves into the Final Four conversation. Buuuuut, Ws over Stanford (44-6) and the Quack (70-21), as resounding as they were, don’t seem quite as impressive as those two formerly imposing foes are trending seriously downward. Though Chris Peterson seems to be working his magic after two six loss seasons in Seattle. Utah’s only loss was in a close one to a tough Cal squad in Berserkley. This one’s in that prime 3:30 spot Saturday afternoon (12:30 PDT), and hopefully Gus Johnson, the most exciting voice in college sports, will be in the house for the call. I like Utah.

Kentucky @ Missouri. The Tigers are ofer the SEC, and have dropped three in a row. Including last week’s 51-45 defeat at the hands of Middle Tennessee State. At home, in Columbia. Mizzou’s consecutive appearances in the SEC title game — Ls to Auburn and Alabama  — seem so long ago far away. Actually they came in ’13 and ’14. 5-7 last year, the Tigers appear headed in the wrong direction. While it might be premature to say the Cats have turned the corner, they have won four of their last five, including three in the SEC. South Carolina, Vandy and Cowbell State were in Lexington. Can Kentucky, sitting second in the SEC East, use those victories as a springboard for victory on the road in the league? Yes, meaning the Cats would be but a win over Fly’s Open Let’s Go Peay away from bowl eligibility.

Louisville @ Virginia. The Cardinals it seems are the nation’s most intriguing team. QB Lamar Jackson still has all the country’s wags dazzled. At the moment, he’s separated himself from the Heisman field. And U of L’s close L at Clemson is considered by many as a positive, when considered along with its manhandling of everybody else on the schedule except Duke. One group of Vegas oddsmakers has the Cards with the third lowest odds to win the national title. While others currently have Louisville with its face against the window looking in at #5. The Cards were trapped last time they visited Charlottesville, losing by a deuce. It won’t happen again. The Cavaliers are decidedly mediocre. The noon game could get ugly early. Cardinal fans certainly hope so.

— Seedy K

One thought on “Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week IX

  1. You riding your hot wildcats all the way to the SEC c’ship? They certainly should beat a pitiful Mizzou team that just lost its 2 best defenders….but why is the line shifting in the home team’s favor? Inquiring minds want to know….???

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