FTRS Picks, Week 4: “It just means more” edition

You know, sometimes you win a championship and then everything immediately goes to hell. As a Dallas Mavericks fan, I know all about this. So LSU, I understand how much it sucks to open the season as defending champions by losing to something called a Mike Leach. But as far as y’all are concerned, everything was worth it for the ring. Is there a statute of limitations on that? Sure. But for right now, after losing by 10 to Mississippi State? Got that ring, y’all. What do you have?

Y’alls picking prowess is starting to hit midseason form, and not a moment too soon. No 0s, finally, and congratulations to YankeeJacket for notching the week’s lone perfect score. My friend Lee, who, again, is not able to watch any college football, and might in fact have this as his only college football resource, is still holding on to the overall lead. If he wins this whole thing I think legally he has to be named king of Eswatini. That’s how important these picks are.

Baylor Bears (-3) @ West Virginia Mountaineers

Okay, so it’s clear to us now that after stumbling out of the gate, the Big 12 just needed that week off to get everything back to norm— ooooooh. Ooh. Okay. Well, uh, the good news is elsewhere in the Big 12 things are pretty normal: there are lots of points, and Kansas is bad. Well, actually, there was one place where there haven’t been a lot of points: Stillwater, Oklahoma. West Virginia was there just last week. They were on the losing end. Oh no, West Virginia is about to look like Kansas, aren’t they?

Pick: Baylor

#13 Texas A&M Aggies @ #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (-17.5)

We’re doing this again? Really?

//looks at schedule again

Okay, fine, this is the Texas A&M’s ninth year in the SEC, and once again they have received a lofty preseason expectation before facing the reality that is living in the SEC West now and coming back down to earth before losing to, like, Wake Forest in a bowl game. Not a life I’d prefer to live, to be honest, but neither would living in College Station. But different strokes for different folks, and clearly the Aggies are fine living that 8-5 life. They beat Alabama once, as you remember. Twice, actually, including a far less recent matchup. Every year we’re told this is a big matchup. This year I really think it’s just that way by default.

Pick: Alabama

#25 Memphis Tigers (-3) @ SMU Mustangs

What’s this? One of the bet G5 matchups of 2019? Hell yeah, let’s run it back. Last year SMU was well on its way to delivering Dallas something it has waited so long for: a football conference championship. Sadly, it was not to be, as in a climactic clash with Memphis, the Mustangs allowed the Tigers to run the opening kickoff of the second half back for a touchdown, putting the ‘Stangs down two scores, a deficit they simply could not make up in the Big 12 style shootout this game ended up being. But hey, that was last year. Shane Buechele is back for SMU, and.... uh, so is everyone for Memphis. So, that may not be good news for the Mustangs, but it is good news for us, the people watching at home. If you missed this game last year, maybe don’t make that mistake this time?

Pick: Memphis

Navy Midshipmen (-6.5) @ Air Force Falcons

Alright, it’s Commander in Chief’s trophy time!!! Just two teams made up of future troops playing option football — like it ought to be. Of note: Air Force has yet to play a single game this season. Not because they keep getting canceled on, like Houston, but because when the Mountain West opted out of football, AFA said, “yeah, okay. But we have to keep the academy games!” They were happy to play a two game season. Now the Mountain West is opting back in, which is 1) awkward, and 2) probably going to create some logistical issues for the Falcons. But this is a government run institution. We can count on them to figure it out.

Pick: Navy

#7 Auburn Tigers @ #4 Georgia Bulldogs (-6.5)

So I just found out — thanks to folks on the ole’ Reddit — Gus Malzahn has never won an away game against one of top rivals. Really. His three Iron Bowl wins were all in Auburn, and so were his two wins against Georgia. Which brings us to the big question of the week: Does a win at Georgia stand between Auburn and national relevance? On hand, beating a top 5 team on their own field would probably make anyone relevant if they weren’t already. On the other..... is Auburn not already nationally relevant? They’re number 7 right now. They won a championship exactly a decade ago and have another championship appearance this decade! They beat both championship game participants in the regular season just three years ago — sure, they totally blew it in the postseason, but they still finished 10-4. Are we getting headlines like this because we were busy writing other things during the early quarantine period?

Pick: Auburn

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