FTRS Picks, Week 13: SEC-SoCon challenge week!

These are trying times, friends. And in times like these, I suggest you all do what I did last weekend: ignore football, go to New Orleans, and spend the entire weekend drinking. Will it fix your problems? Probably not, but you'll be too drunk and well fed to care.

Last week was mega bad. Nearly half of everyone scored scored a 2/6, and only a third scored better than that. Three very sad people got the big zero. Try to do better this week so you have something to be thankful for. Congrats(?) to thebugman10, who notched this week’s best score with the lone 5. Everything remains the same at the top, as........ wait a minute, we have a new leader in the standings! KENNY B has broken through and now lays sole clam to first place! But there are still three weeks left, and that’s plenty of time to shake things up.

#8 Penn State Nittany Lions @ #2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-18)

This was setting up to be the Big Ten matchup of the year, and then Penn State had to go and lose to Minnesota a couple weeks ago. It’s still the game that’ll decide the Big Ten East, because Penn State is absolutely not losing to Rutgers next week, and despite the large spread, you all may remember it was only a couple years ago the Nittany Lions scored a dramatic win over Ohio State that catapulted them all the way to the Rose Bowl. (Ohio State made the playoff over them, though. Weird!) The Buckeyes have ground everyone else on their schedule into mulch, so really, keeping it within 20 might actually be seen as a victory.

Pick: Ohio State

Texas Longhorns @ #14 Baylor Bears (-5)

Imagine waking up Sunday morning to see Baylor had blown a 28-3 lead to Oklahoma. Surely that’s never happened before in the history of football, at any level. Anyway, I really thought last week would be it, would finally be the week Baylor got exposed by a far superior team. And.... they lost by a field goal. Which means we’re doing this again in Dallas in two weeks, aren’t we? It’s all but decided, but there is that ‘but’, and Texas — yes, 6-4 Texas, that was back until they lost all their important games and to Iowa State — can still sneak back in, if they can beat the Bears Saturday. And if the Bears lose to Kansas next week. One step at a time, Longhorns.

Pick: Baylor

UCLA Bruins @ #23 USC Trojans (-14)

Remember how USC’s season was supposed to be a complete failure that ended in Clay Helton’s firing? I mean, by USC standards it still probably is, and Helton probably hasn’t saved his job just yet. But going into their last game (because they’re off next weekend, for some reason), the Trojans are actually mathematically still alive in the Pac-12 South race. Yes, they need help from Utah, who would need to lose to either Arizona or Colorado. But that’s, you know, very possible, which would set up the following scenario: the Trojans win 8 games and the division, seemingly saving Helton’s job, then get their doors blown off by Oregon, again, getting him fired before their bowl game. No pressure, Clay.

Pick: USC

#25 SMU Mustangs @ Navy Midshipmen (-3.5)

Y’all didn’t forget about the ‘Stangs just because they lost to Memphis a few weeks ago, did you? They used ECU like Mario uses Yoshi to spring themselves back to the top of the AAC West, where they sit in a three way tie with Memphis and this week’s opponent, Navy, who was perhaps unfairly dropped from the rankings after getting dragged by Notre Dame. Memphis holds a tiebreaker over both schools.... but they also end the season by playing Cincinnati, which means this is... actually pretty important? Maybe ends up deciding the G5 New Year’s Six bowl bid? Man, imagine SMU playing in their first Cotton Bowl since 1983. If only Craig James were alive to see it.

Pick: Navy

#20 Boise State Broncos (-8) @ Utah State Aggies

You know, I feel we all just kind of forgot about Boise State this year. It’s as Stephen Godfrey himself said, they lose once and they’re out of mind. Which is a shame, because they’re still good! Sure, they have that bizarre loss to BYU, but a mystifying loss to a vastly inferior team is the sign of a truly great team, or at least that’s what Georgia fans keep telling me. The Broncos are about to cruise to their third straight MWC championship game..... but if they mess around and lose to Utah State, they’ll probably actually lose their spot to the Aggies. Unless Utah State were to lose next week to New Mexico, which.... no, we’re not entertaining that. But yeah, this is basically the division championship, and this can be your excuse to stay up late. Getting ready for Thanksgiving can wait.

Pick: Boise

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