Rare is the occasion when my recap of the previous weekend’s picks is presented in detail.

But today, for the Pigskin Planet”s preeminent seer got ’em all right last week — Hold your applause — plus the manner in which it evolved was fraught with peril.

It’s why we watch, right? For the adrenaline rush.

Louisiana State University was behind the entire game. At the end of 1st. Again at halftime. With but 15 left to play. I found myself wondering why I’d pick a Brian Kelly coached team to best South Carolina? But having made the choice, hoped they’d somehow, some way survive.

Which, as I trust you are aware, football fanatic James Carville’s favorite team did. Scoring with 2:34 remaining. Then holding up on D during the Gamecock’s last drive. 36-33.

I was feelin’ good.

Then sundown approached, and I saw darkness ensuing. Washington State was up less than a TD in the Apple Cup. The arch rival Huskies, who seemed to be the superior team despite being behind, were driving as the clock ticked down. Had 1st & Goal, then 4th & Goal at the two. Yes, then the Cougs stuffed an option right sweep to the short side of the field. Victory was secured.

That late game magic brightened up the SeedyDome.

In the Backyard Brawl, Pitt, as they had been the weekend before to the Satterfields, was behind the entire game to West Virginia. After the Mountaineers hit paydirt with only 4:55 left, they were up two scores at 34-24.

But, the ACC Panthers showed their mettle. Touchdown with 3:36 left on a 40 yard pass play. Stop. Touchdown with :32 on the clock. Ball game. 34-24.

In the Rose Bowl — stadium not NY day game — new IU coach Curt Cignetti remained true to his words. At his introduction he advised the assembled, “I win. Google me.” So he has in his first three battles roaming the Crimson & Cream sideline.

This one against inexplicably hapless UCLA was never doubt.

With Georgia’s walkover in Kroger the only pick left on the board, I was feelin’ pretty pretty pretty full of myself.

Then, I could hear icon Lee Corso’s voice in my head, “Not so fast my friend.”

Victory was in reach as UK drove late, needing only a FG to upend the #1 team in the land.

But Kentucky kentuckied. Mark Stoops, near midfield, passed the ball on 2d and 3d downs, when his runners had been averaging five yards a carry all night. Then punted at his own 48.

I actually stayed up way past my bedtime, and was able to savor.

Which too much info verbosity leads as it inevitably would to this: 5-0 for the weekend, 16-5 on the year.

This weekend’s winners:

California @ Florida State. Nothing says welcome to the new if not improved yet arguably resilient Great Atlantic & Pacific Coasts Conference than a league battle between California Berserkeley and Florida State Tallahassee. (Unless it’s Stanford vs. Syracuse, which I chat about a couple of paragraphs hence.) The travails of Mike Norvell’s Seminoles are well documented. The pre-campaign league fave, considered a CFP sure thing, stands 0-3 (0-2). Think of what a fun place that football complex is these days. Is there a Tallahassee Bridge they can jump off? A considerable bit less noticed is the Golden Bears are 3-0. With a somewhat energizing W at Auburn. My nascent schadenfreude hopes I’m wrong, but I feel the ‘Noles finally get off the schneid. If not Saturday, when?

Southern California @ Michigan. Nothing says welcome to the new — improved??? — Big Eighteen Conference than a league game betwixt and between the Trojans and Wolverines not contested on NY day in Pasadena but in the Big House in September. Have you noticed, the plates have shifted under the landscape of college athletics? Have you noticed that Southern Cal may have a legitimate defense? Have you noticed that Sherrone Moore in early panic mode has benched his starting QB (6 picks in three games) in favor of his journeyman backup Alex Orjii? It won’t be enough. Left coasters prevail. Panic ensues for Go Blue Nation.

Stanford @ Syracuse. Nothing says . . . OK you get today’s thematic schematic. The query here is however did new Orange coach Fran Brown get Kyle McCord to portal to the Carrier Dome? The QB threw for 3170 on 65% completions for The Ohio State Buckeyes. NIL maybe? Plus, turns out coach’s wife worked with QB’s dad. And NIL maybe probably of course for sure, I surmise. Anyhow, McCord has thrown for 8 TDs and 735 yards in ‘Cuse’s two Ws. Good get, coach, thank the wife. The Orange appear(s) for real. The Cardinal (Singular), not so much. Syracuse.

Charlotte @ Indiana. Speaking of looking like they may also be for real, how ’bout them Hoosiers? As a U of L fan, I’m thinking, while it may have been a better game than beating up on Jax State, maybe in retrospect it wasn’t such a bad thing that IU opted out of this year’s tussle. (At least Jeff Brohm didn’t go Lane Kiffin who dissed Wake Forest for a similar contractual opt out move next season.) No let down for Crimson & Cream. Charlotte takes the money and gets out of Bloomington.

Ohio @ Kentucky. September most always is the time when we notice the MAC. Until of course they start giving us those Tuesday and Wednesday night fixes we really don’t need but tune into anyway to feed a need anyway. Northern Illinois. Toledo. Headline grabbers already. Are the Bobcats ready to join their brethren while Krogering against the down and somewhat up Wildcats? No.

Georgia Tech @ Louisville. It is well documented that we don’t do point spreads here at Seedy K Plaza. But we oft take notice, because, well, it’s not on impossible for a sports buff to avoid ’em these days. The Cards are a double digit favorite over the Ramblin’ Wreck. Which seems to this non wagerer a bit out of kilter. Tech’s beaten some real teams. (At least Georgia State if not Florida State.) The Cards are untested. And never have an easy one against the Yellow Jackets. Which they won’t have Saturday. But which the Cards shall pull out for a W.

— c d kaplan