The 150th Edition of College Football - Discussion and Pick 'Em Thread

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Arizona State @ Cal
Texas Tech @ Oklahoma
Northwestern @ Wisconsin
Rutgers @ Michigan
Texas A&M @ Arkansas
Kansas @ TCU
Central Michigan @ Western Michigan
Clemson @ UNC
Ole Miss @ Alabama
UVA @ Notre Dame
USC @ Washington
Indiana @ Michigan State
Wake Forest @ Boston College - This is going to end up badly, isn't it?
Iowa State @ Baylor
Minnesota @ Purdue
Mississippi State @ Auburn
Kansas State @ Oklahoma State
Stanford @ Oregon State
NC State @ Florida State
Kentucky @ South Carolina
Washington State @ Utah - I said two weeks ago that I had no hope here, but what I saw in a UCLA loss was actually dynamic. Hope a fire was lit.
UCLA @ Arizona
Hawai’i @ Nevada
Montana @ UC Davis
Northern Iowa @ Weber State

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Nice knowing you, Justin Fuente. Move over Coach Pruitt. There's a new #1 on the hot seat.

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I will never understand the Pac 12....

I mean, Arizona State was already ranked higher before the game in just about every ranking system, and Cal was completely unable to operate without their QB. Pretty straightforward. The reason I picked Cal was because they were home which made them a field goal favourite rather than a field goal underdog in a game expected to be a defensive struggle. Think they could have fulfilled that with Garbers in the second half, but I was impressed with how Arizona State's speed exposed the Cal defense, and even more impressed with the escapability in the power running game. Cal does not usually miss those tackles.

Glad my only bet was the Under, but that was entirely luck with how that game was going.

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UCF @ Cincinnati
New Mexico @ San Jose State Rooting hard for the Lobos tonight
Iowa @ Michigan
Tulane @ Army Home prayers answered
Maryland @ Rutgers
TCU @ Iowa State
South Florida @ UConn hmmmm
Boston College @ Louisville
Eastern Michigan @ Central Michigan
Auburn @ Florida
Baylor @ Kansas State
Western Michigan @ Toledo
Ball State @ Northern Illinois
Arkansas State @ Georgia State
Air Force @ Navy - urgh, down a FB
Virginia Tech @ Miami (FL)
Northwestern @ Nebraska
Arizona @ Colorado
Michigan State @ Ohio State
Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss
California @ Oregon
Pittsburgh @ Duke
Oregon State @ UCLA
Furman @ Samford
Youngstown State @ Northern Iowa

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I have little doubt this has been one of my worst pick 'ems ever even if I feel on top of the world with my sports teams now.

You can't predict football, Suzyn!

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Colorado @ Oregon
Oklahoma vs Texas
Memphis @ Temple - Temple seems like a different team at home
Alabama @ Texas A&M
Michigan State @ Wisconsin
Washington State @ Arizona State
BYU @ South Florida - ugh another cross country noon game
San Jose State @ Nevada
Texas Tech @ Baylor
Iowa State @ West Virginia
Middle Tennessee @ Florida Atlantic
Georgia State @ Coastal Carolina
North Texas @ Southern Mississippi
Fresno State @ Air Force
Ole Miss @ Missouri
USC @ Notre Dame
Penn State @ Iowa
Louisville @ Wake Forest
Nebraska @ Minnesota
Arkansas @ Kentucky
Florida @ LSU
Hawaii @ Boise State
Wyoming @ San Diego State
Villanova @ James Madison
Yale @ Dartmouth

Sinking feeling watching the lines shift 2-3 points against my picks, but I think that should still result in outright wins.

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I know SC is technically predictively top 25 or at least near it, but Will Muschamp against this Georgia team in Sanford Stadium with so many mental errors. LOL!

How do you kick a 57 yard field goal with 40 seconds left in a tied game? Completely mental!!

So happy!!

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Interesting week for the ACC Coastal. I am afraid that is going to be more fun than my picks want to make it.

Pittsburgh @ Syracuse

Florida @ South Carolina
Iowa State @ Texas Tech
NC State @ Boston College
Toledo @ Ball State
Northern Illinois @ Miami (OH)
TCU @ Kansas State
Oregon @ Washington
Temple @ SMU
Indiana @ Maryland
Duke @ Virginia
North Carolina @ Virginia Tech
Southern Mississippi @ Louisiana Tech
Baylor @ Oklahoma State
Middle Tennessee @ North Texas
Arizona State @ Utah
Colorado @ Washington State
Tulane @ Memphis
Michigan @ Penn State
Texas A&M @ Ole Miss
Arizona @ USC
Nevada @ Utah State
Air Force @ Hawai’i
Nicholls @ Sam Houston State
Montana @ Sacramento State

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I am so excited for $1 million to be transferred from the coffers of the New Jersey taxpayers to the hands of Jerry Falwell, Jr. this week for the pleasure of beating a "P5" team #FlameOnGameOn

Re: MINN - I would give them a fighting chance of winning the division if the Iowa game were at home. Iowa is just an offensively mediocre team. Clearly not top 3 in the conference, but I think most people saw the 8-0 start coming, especially once they escaped the Jackrabbits and Nebraska was completely exposed.

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Wisconsin @ Ohio State
Miami (FL) @ Pittsburgh
San Jose State @ Army
Mississippi State @ Texas A&M
Illinois @ Purdue
Nevada @ Wyoming
Western Kentucky @ Marshall
Auburn @ LSU
Penn State @ Michigan State
Texas @ TCU
Maryland @ Minnesota
Oklahoma State @ Iowa State
UConn @ UMass
Syracuse @ Florida State
Virginia @ Louisville
Arizona @ Stanford
Indiana @ Nebraska
Tulane @ Navy
Eastern Michigan @ Toledo
Duke @ North Carolina
UCF @ Temple
Notre Dame @ Michigan
Utah State @ Air Force
North Dakota State @ South Dakota State
Sam Houston State @ Central Arkansas

Reserving the right to change Purdue and Stanford once we get a better injury update. Such a difficult slate this week.

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Northern Illinois

I like the way you think

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NC State @ Wake Forest
Nebraska @ Purdue
Boston College @ Syracuse
Buffalo @ Eastern Michigan
Virginia Tech @ Notre Dame
Troy @ Coastal Carolina
Georgia vs. Florida
Miami (FL) @ Florida State
Kansas State @ Kansas
TCU @ Oklahoma State
Army @ Air Force
Middle Tennessee @ Charlotte
Utah @ Washington
Florida Atlantic @ Western Kentucky
Oregon State @ Arizona :/
UAB @ Tennessee
SMU @ Memphis
Virginia @ North Carolina
Oregon @ USC
Colorado @ UCLA
BYU @ Utah State
Boise State @ San Jose State
Fresno State @ Hawai’i
Northern Iowa @ Illinois State
Weber State @ Sacramento State

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So A Georgia team who lost to a worse team than Oregon gets ranked higher . That’s is 100% BS

At the end of the day, Georgia will have to prove it by beating Auburn. Technically, Georgia > Florida > Auburn > Oregon in my book, but the Auburn loss was in the swamp, and I have mad respect for the talent on Oregon. SP+ basically agrees with that assessment including the fact that Florida got lucky by not playing in Alabama. FPI only agrees with Georgia, but I believe has been much less reliable. You can still count it as a win, but Wazzu had Oregon beat. This sport is not just wins and losses but how you win and lose.

Perhaps the part of the rankings that I find most confounding is Michigan over a Wisconsin team that murdered them. Give me a break with Illinois. Going to OT with The Army is worse than losing to Illinois while trailing for zero seconds.

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I am so excited to be going to the Game of the Century this weekend, which will certainly determine this year's champion. In fact, it may be one of the most important football games ever played between unblemished teams, at least in my lifetime. I am very dismayed by ESPN's decision not to join us for the pregame festivities (perhaps they forgot their origins as Eastern Sports Programming). Not even as a dual site GameDay to quell Dixie's rabble-rousers should they become outraged -- Phooey! One of the most classic of all rivalries in such an iconic and historically significant locale put aside for...*shivers*. It should be front and center on every television across our nation.

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If Oregon beats Utah that will beat any win by Georgia by the way because Florida Hasn’t beaten anyone as good as Utah .

Florida has beaten Auburn. What is Utah's case for being a good team? Narrowly beating unranked Washington? They are 1-1 against the top 40. Yet we agree they probably are better than Florida because of how we judge teams.

This debate is never about quality of wins. You can't track quality wins over the course of a 12 games schedule. For over a century, this sport has subjectively and objectively used metrics like like Strength of Victory (and more recently yards-based and turnover-based measures) to award national championships or rank the best teams. Without that support, Clemson would be nowhere near consideration.

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Trump is going to attend the LSU-Alabama game.

Freaking traitor. Maybe the second deck of Franklin Field will finally crumble.

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Seems like a pretty straightforward week except for a couple 50-50s. Which probably means upsets galore.

Washington @ Oregon State
Penn State @ Minnesota
Baylor @ TCU
Western Kentucky @ Arkansas
Texas Tech @ West Virginia
Purdue @ Northwestern
Florida State @ Boston College
Stanford @ Colorado
LSU @ Alabama
Kansas State @ Texas
Wake Forest @ Virginia Tech - I have a bad feeling, but why would I pick against my faves!
Louisville @ Miami (FL)
USC @ Arizona State - honestly no idea
UAB @ Southern Mississippi
Illinois @ Michigan State - soooo tempted
Iowa @ Wisconsin
Florida International @ Florida Atlantic
Missouri @ Georgia
Appalachian State @ South Carolina
Washington State @ California
Tennessee @ Kentucky
Iowa State @ Oklahoma
Wyoming @ Boise State
Towson @ Stony Brook
Dartmouth vs Princeton (Bronx, NY) - all season I planned on Dartmouth but Princeton has finally looked better

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Wisconsin @ Nebraska
Indiana @ Penn State
Michigan State @ Michigan
TCU @ Texas Tech
Tulane @ Temple
Navy @ Notre Dame
Coastal Carolina @ Arkansas State
UL Monroe @ Georgia Southern
Troy @ Texas State
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
Wake Forest @ Clemson
Georgia @ Auburn
Texas @ Iowa State
Minnesota @ Iowa
Syracuse @ Duke
Wyoming @ Utah State
Stanford @ Washington State
Oklahoma @ Baylor
Louisville @ NC State
Arizona State @ Oregon State
Appalachian State @ Georgia State
Arizona @ Oregon
USC @ California
Northern Iowa @ South Dakota State
Weber State @ Montana

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Penn State @ Ohio State I just can't
Illinois @ Iowa
Oklahoma State @ West Virginia
Michigan State @ Rutgers
UCF @ Tulane
Ball State @ Kent State
East Carolina @ UConn
Georgia Southern @ Arkansas State
Texas A&M @ Georgia
Texas @ Baylor
Michigan @ Indiana
SMU @ Navy
Nebraska @ Maryland
Pittsburgh @ Virginia Tech
UCLA @ USC
Louisiana Tech @ UAB
Western Kentucky @ Southern Mississippi
California @ Stanford
Syracuse @ Louisville
Coastal Carolina @ UL Monroe
Temple @ Cincinnati
Tennessee @ Missouri
Oregon State @ Washington State
Maine @ New Hampshire
Montana @ Montana State

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Texas Tech at Texas
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Toledo at Central Michigan
Iowa at Nebraska
Cincinnati at Memphis
Washington State at Washington
West Virginia at TCU
South Florida at UCF

Ohio State at Michigan
FIU at Marshall
Louisville at Kentucky
Indiana at Purdue
Wyoming at Air Force
Alabama at Auburn
Wisconsin at Minnesota - feeeels like a game Wisco should win but ehhhhhhhhh
Southern Miss at FAU
Oregon State at Oregon
Georgia State at Georgia Southern
Iowa State at Kansas State
North Carolina at NC State
Florida State at Florida
Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
Arizona at Arizona State

Furman at Austin Peay
Kennesaw State at Wofford

Also as a bonus - sinking feeling that Ole Miss will take the Egg Bowl.

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Alabama is still the #2 team on SP+. They are miles ahead of the field. But I understand why the playoff committee ranks teams the way they do, and it is a fair process. You have to win games not just be better than teams that win games.

The longer this season goes on, the more resigned I am to the fact that I might have to cheer for Clemson in the championship over the vastly underrated Ohio State. It makes me very sick. LSU is just not good enough to compete with that pair.

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It's just like the ACC in basketball most years- an under .500 team from the best conference is probably better than teams with good records from most major conferences.

The ACC has not been the top rated basketball conference in over a decade in spite of having four - perhaps five - absolutely powerhouse teams. There are so many cupcakes that you better have a winning record. The Big 12 is consistently better with no weak teams, and the Big East and Big Ten rank higher in most years too. That divide is strongly holding up this year as the ACC is unlikely to have more than six teams in the tournament and one of those is very very bubbly.

I am with you on computer rankings agreeing with the SEC, but FPI is just about the worst one out there. It really struggles to get away from preseason biases. South Carolina at #48 in SP+ is much more reasonable, flawed as that may be with injuries, the anti-Clemson bias, etc.

Most football computer rankings are also biased by not having more than one meaningful interconference game per season which is not a good sample size and it takes years to see changes. The bowl season is useless.

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Utah vs. Oregon

Baylor vs. Oklahoma
Louisiana vs. Appalachian State
Miami (OH) vs. Central Michigan
UAB at FAU ugh, painful
Cincinnati at Memphis
Georgia vs. LSU
Hawaii at Boise State
Virginia vs. Clemson
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin

Nicholls State at North Dakota State
Illinois State at Central Arkansas
Albany at Montana State
Austin Peay at Sacramento State
Kennesaw State at Weber State
Southeastern Louisiana at Montana
Northern Iowa at South Dakota State - the iffiest game! Go UNI
Monmouth at James Madison

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The Navy

Madison
Montana State
Montana
The Bison

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North Dakota State
James Madison