Thanksgiving Holidays' College Football Picks featuring Miranda & Blake, Flo Rida, Skynyrd and more

Last Saturday’s record: 5-3; for the season: 67-20.

The College Football Playoff rankings link: http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/view-rankings

Thursday:

The Eyes of Texas are upon them.  Texas Tech @ Texas. 

Gone are the days when college fans in Texas went to the Texas-Texas A&M game or watched it on TV on Thanksgiving day/night, Friday or Saturday of the holiday weekend.  Now, with the Aggies in their fourth SEC season, fans have to settle for the Longhorns and the Red Raiders.

Minus the upset over OU in the Red River Rivalry, UT fans have not had a lot to cheer about in HBC Charlie Strong’s second year in Austin.  The Horns are 4-6 and even with a win Thursday night may finish with a losing season (they still have to play Baylor) and no bowl game.

Meanwhile, Tech HBC---and reigning champion of the Ryan Gosling lookalike contest---Kliff Kingsbury brings his Air Raid disciples to DKR-Memorial Stadium for a showdown as most of the nation settles in after the first two NFL games for a third helping of T-Day cuisine.

After the Raiders fire up their very potent offense, Texas fans will likely depart the game early and head down to Sholz’s Beer Garden or 6^th Street to wash away their sadness.

Projected winner:  Texas Tech 

Friday:

Anchors Away.   #15 Navy @ Houston. 

Everything was going just swell for the Cougars until they were upset last weekend.  The Midshipmen, behind record-setting TD rushing QB Keenan Reynolds have one loss, and that, to Notre Dame.  And, the Middies are having their best season in 110 years.

But, oh, that Tom Herman Cougar offense can rack up some points---and they have a FBS top 15 D, too.

Projected winner:  Houston.

 

Children of the Corn.  #4 Iowa @ Nebraska.

 

Plotline to the 1984 horror movie, from geeksofdoom.com: While driving through Nebraska, Linda Hamilton and the guy from 30 Something have a run-in with the murderous children who sacrifice adults to the evil corn god.

 

In the breadbasket of the U.S., the undefeated---and currently in the Final Four---Hawkeyes will circle the Lincoln skies looking for something on which to feast.  The 5-6 Cornhuskers could prove to be mighty tasty.  Of course, that’s what Sparty, thought, too, a couple of weeks ago.

 

Projected winner… in an upset:  Nebraska.

  

“Ward, I’m worried about the Beaver.”—June Evelyn Bronson Cleaver.  Oregon St. @ #17 Oregon. 

 

Decisions, decisions.  Which one of the gazillion uni combinations will the Ducks wear at Autzen Stadium against the Beavers?  Because with the PAC 12’s #1 offense, the Ducks are pretty likely to outscore the Beavs’ FBS 121^st ranked offense and the Ducks uni scheme may be the most interesting aspect of the game.

 

Projected winner:  Oregon.

 

Thy Kingdom Come.  #7 Baylor @ # 19 TCU. 

When these two Texas church school scoring machines meet in Ft. Worth, you can count on one thing:  The heavens will open and points will rain down.

They combined for 119 last year in Waco.

Bring your calculators to the game.  You’ll need them.

Projected winner:  Baylor.

  

Saturday:

Just A Little Bit South Of North Carolina-Dean Martin.  #1 Clemson @ South Carolina.

There will be no visor throwing in Columbia on Saturday now that the original HBC is gone.

The Fightin’ Dabos need to preserve their top spot in the CFP—and behind Heisman contending QB Deshaun Watson, so they shall.

Projected winner: Clemson.

 

"Ya’ll get into the truck, we goin’ up to the big house."—Jeff Foxworthy.  #8 Ohio State @ #10 Michigan.

The spirits of Woody and Bo will linger over the Big House when the Buckeyes come to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines.

A chance for Ohio State to get into the Big 10 championship game (if there’s losing help from Mich. St. and Iowa) is on the line.

This year's stats for both teams indicate that whoever wins the ground game is likely to prevail.

Projected winner: Michigan.

“Big wheels keep on turnin,’ takin’ me home to see my kin.”-Lynyrd Skynyrd.  #2 Alabama @ Auburn

Intrastate country cousins the Tide and Tigers meet at Jordan-Hare Stadium on what is considered New Year’s Day in Alabama. That’s because whichever team wins, the other team and their fans have to live with it—HARD--for the next 365 days.

Oh sure, you say, there are other rivalries as bitter as this one.  Yeah, like the Israelis and the Palestinians.  However, if they fielded FBS teams, Israel-PLO would probably still come in second to Bama-Auburn in rivalry status .  Maybe third.  Or, fourth.  Or….

Bama has to win to stay alive for an SEC championship game berth and preserve its spot in the Final Four.  Auburn…is just playing for pride after a dismal year when at the start of the season many prognosticators had them winning the SEC West.

Now…when we last left our heroes Gus and Nick on the Pat Dye Field turf two years ago with :01 to play…….nah, nothing like that would ever happen again, would it???

Hey, c'mon, it’s the Iron Bowl.

Projected winner…in possibly a close one: Bama.

 

“Rock, sometime when the team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper.”—Ronald Reagan in Knute Rockne, All American.  #6 Notre Dame @ # 9 Stanford.

SAT scores and athleticism meet in Palo Alto.  The Irish, after a CFP drop due to the sluggish win in Boston last week, face the two-loss Cardinal in what very much still has CFP implications for the Leprechauns.

If there’s a team this year that’s been more injury-bitten than the Irish and has still found a way to win, Coach Jim Bob would like to see it.

The Cardinal boasts a Heisman-contending runner in Christian McCaffrey and three-year starter Kevin Hogan behind center.

The Irish will need all the luck they can get to go the distance with Stanford.

Projected winner:  Stanford.

 

“You’re the reason God made Oklahoma.”—Shelly West and David Frizzell.  #3 Oklahoma @ #11 Oklahoma State.

Not since Miranda and Blake (who, BTW, did a duet of the 1981 hit, as well) split earlier this year has there been a family feud in Oklahoma that’s drawn as much attention as when the Sooners meet the Cowboys in Stillwater.

And, not since the great Oklahoma land rush of 1889 has there been the possibility of an offensive stampede like there might be in Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday night.

With OU’s Bob Stoops and State’s Mike Gundy prowling the sidelines, there could possibly be some uproariously funny HBC antics based on what the Generation Z/Boomlets do on the field.

CFP possibilities abound in what could be a track meet with a football thrown in for good measure. 

Hey, they don’t call it “Bedlam” for nuthin’.

Projected winner:  OU.

 

Now, some Quick Headlines…

 

“Abe said, ‘Where you want this killin’ done?’  God said, ‘Out on highway 61.”-Bob Dylan.  #18 Ole Miss at #21 Miss. State.

As sure as U.S. 61, aka the Blues Highway, winds its way up the west side of the Magnolia State, the Egg Bowl in Starkville will be a raucously entertaining evening affair featuring two very good QBs in Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly and State’s Dak Prescott.

But, the ‘Dog D may prove the difference.

Projected winner:  Miss. State.

 

“We already won, we already won, And ain't no need to play no more games.”—Flo Rida.  # 13 Florida State @ #12 Florida.

The Gators have a SEC East slot in the conference championship game sewn up already.  The two-loss Seminoles are now playing to try to get a really good bowl bid somewhere south of the CFP.

Saban acolytes Jimbo Fisher and Jim McElwain will have their charges keyed up and playing hard long after the home crowd sings “We Are The Boys,” just before the fourth quarter begins.

Projected winner:  Florida.

 

“Such a strange situation stoppin’ every hundred miles…callin’ Baton Rouge”—Garth Brooks.  Texas A&M @ LSU.

Oops.  I left out their rankings.  Oh.  Wait.  No, I didn’t. 

In just 28 days, the Tigers and the Aggies have completely dropped out of the AP Top 25 due to a brutal November.

Now, in his 11^th season, after a BCS National Championship—but, now facing the possibility of back-to back 4-4 SEC seasons--LSU HBC and HGE (Head Grass Eater) Les Miles may be out of Baton Rouge in mere days. 

WHAAAATTTT!?!?!?!?!

Gee, I faintly remember when Bama ran off Gene Stallings, UT ran off Mack Brown and Texas A&M ran off R.C. Slocum.  As Dr. Phil would say, how’s that working out for ya???

Careful, now LSU admin. and fans.  As Emmylou Harris would say, "the thing they don't tell you about the blues when you got 'em, you keep on fallin' 'cause here ain't no bottom."

Now…stay tuned for the return of the Leonard Fournette Show.

Projected winner:  LSU

 

Sources: ncaa.com; IMBD.com; Associated Press; geeksofdoom.com; A-Z Lyrics.

 

 

For your CFB TV watching pleasure, the quintessential, easy-to-read guide: http://www.lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm