After last week’s great matchups, I can only hope rivalry week will give us some thrilling games like Florida’s last-second 62-3 victory over FIU, Alabama’s narrow 45-0 escape of Chattanooga or Texas’ 51-20 tough win over Kansas. This week’s slate has games with great history such as Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina and UCLA-USC.
But as usual at the alligatorSports Brand Picks Column, we love doing the unexpected.
So of course we will be arguing Stanford vs. Notre Dame.
ND will cover the +8.5 spread because… I’m not sure why, actually. I love Toby Gerhart.
I think Jim Harbaugh has done an amazing job with Stanford in a short time period. And I definitely think the Cardinal are the better team.
Then, there is Notre Dame. Charlie Weis is likely to be fired. Starting quarterback Jimmy Clausen was sucker punched coming out of a restaurant earlier in the week. The Fighting Irish have lost three games in a row, and everything seems to be falling apart. And that’s why they are my pick this week.
Sure, the team is in complete disarray and nothing is looking good, but they have no where to go but up.
At least, I hope.
And if they don’t improve any this week, then the past shows they won’t lose by much. In its five losses this season, Notre Dame has not lost by more than 7 points.
— BOBBY CALLOVI
Stanford will cover the -8.5 spread because … this is a story of betrayal. All season long, Bobby has gushed about Toby Gerhart and how he should be considered for the Heisman Trophy. How the tailback is the great white hope for little unathletic white kids everywhere who want to believe that one day they too can tote the rock like Toby and not get stereotyped as a fullback.
Then, just when Toby needs him the most, Bobby jumps off the bandwagon and picks Jimmy Clausen and Notre Dame.
I don’t know how he gets on the step stool to look himself in the mirror every morning. I haven’t been enamored with Gerhart or Stanford the way Bobby has this year, but I can tell you one thing I know to be true: Notre Dame sucks.
Yea, we thought for a while the Fighting Irish might not actually suck, but they most certainly do.
Their star quarterback got stuck in the face in front of his girl after a loss to UConn. That’s right, they lost to UConn in football and all Clausen has to show for it is an embarrassing shiner. The Fighting Irish are losers on and off the field, just like Bobby.
— KYLE MAISTRI
Now on to the picks!
Back in first place with a 63-56 record is Kyle “Buy it now” Maistri, who spends all his time searching for deals on eBay. He just put in a bid for used socks, and we’re getting concerned.
Just behind him in second at 62-57 is Bobby “D comes before C, right?” Callovi, who put himself behind DiFer in this picks column even though we break ties by alphabetical order. Next week, he learns primary colors and times tables.
Tied with Bobby is the Tampa Tribune’s Mike “Perception is reality” DiFerdinando, who learned a valuable truth Tuesday: There is no way it should be, just the way it is.
Sitting at fourth with a 59-60 record is the Gainesville Sun’s Ed “And I was just getting my hat,” Aschoff, who was upset to miss out on the KKK rally that took place outside the LSU-Ole Miss game back in his home state of Mississippi. Don’t worry Ed I’m sure you can make the next one.
Comfortably in fifth with 56-63 record is Mike “I am MLS” McCall, who insulted DiFer for thinking Saturday’s MLS final was on Sunday. …Oh wait, it was Sunday. We hope MLS’s No. 1 fan didn’t miss it, we know everyone else in the world did.
In sixth place, jumping up from ninth, with a 53-66 record is the Miami Herald’s Joe “Good job” Goodman, who we refuse to say anything negative about. Keep up the great work, Joe. Oh, and he is moving to a farm. Not to say that’s a bad thing. We’re sure plenty of people dream of owning a farm in Newberry one day.
Please give a warm welcome to our resident of seventh place with a 51-68 the Palm Beach Post’s Ben “Give me that” Volin, who has finally made it out of last place after what seemed like an eternity. He celebrated it with the fans in Ben Hill Griffin, giving out a high-five to one lucky Gators fan. Too bad he had no idea who you are Ben.
Tied with Volin is Phil “What’s wrong with me” Kegler, who is starting to get concerned that his neverending hunger and his daily intake of 4,000 calories, almost double the recommended amount, is not healthy. What could have every made you think that?
In ninth place at 50-67 is the Florida Times-Union’s Mike “Just the two of us” DiRocco, who doesn’t go anywhere without AP writer Mark Long. We’re telling your wife.
Our new occupant in dead-last with a 48-69 record is the Orlando Sentinel’s Jeremy “What’s up, Bobby?”Fowler, who finds himself lonely enough to call his corrospondent “just because.” He just needs a little affection.
| KM | BC | MDF | EA | MM | |
| Pitt (-1.5)-WVU | Pitt | Pitt | Pitt | Pitt | Pitt |
| Bama (-10.5)-Aub | Bama | Bama | Bama | Aub | Aub |
| Clem (-3.5)-SC | Clem | SC | Clem | Clem | SC |
| UGA (+7.5)-GT | GT | GT | GT | UGA | GT |
| Utah (+7.5)-BYU | Utah | BYU | Utah | Utah | Utah |
| Ark (+4)-LSU | Ark | Ark | LSU | LSU | Ark |
| ND (+8.5)-Stan | Stan | ND | Stan | Stan | ND |
| OKSt (+8.5)-OU | OKSt | OKSt | OKSt | OKSt | OU |
| UCLA (+13)-USC | USC | USC | USC | USC | UCLA |
| FSU (+24.5)-UF | UF | UF | FSU | UF | UF |
| JG | BV | PK | MDR | JF | |
| Pitt (-1.5)-WVU | Pitt | WVU | Pitt | Pitt | WVU |
| Bama (-10.5)-Aub | Bama | Aub | Bama | Aub | Bama |
| Clem (-3.5)-SC | SC | Clem | Clem | Clem | SC |
| UGA (+7.5)-GT | GT | GT | GT | GT | GT |
| Utah (+7.5)-BYU | Utah | BYU | Utah | Utah | Utah |
| Ark (+4)-LSU | Ark | Ark | LSU | Ark | LSU |
| ND (+8.5)-Stan | Stan | ND | Stan | ND | ND |
| OKSt (+8.5)-OU | OU | OKSt | OKSt | OKSt | OKSt |
| UCLA (+13)-USC | UCLA | UCLA | USC | USC | USC |
| FSU (+24.5)-UF | FSU | FSU | FSU | UF | UF |
