2017 College Football Picks Year In Review

Season Record: 72-58-7 (52.55%)

First winning season in 3 years. Of course, this year it was all Top 25 picks instead of random games.

Next year, I hope that someone wants to pick games with me or we have a group picking games. It is fun and interesting to see how other people see things differently than you.

As to the pick of Alabama being #4 and off to the playoffs, I think they got it wrong. I would have put Ohio State in (God how I dislike either team). But I don't have a voice in it. I think that the committee gave too much credence to what injuries meant to losing, and prejudices that are assigned to conferences both positive and negative. Also, they don't seem to mind how Alabama manipulates their schedule to basically have two byes before their LSU and Auburn games and how the SEC "second-tier" teams cannot stand up to challenge those programs that are at the top..

Here is my final Top 10:

1. Clemson
2. Oklahoma
3. Georgia
4. Ohio State
5. UCF
6. Alabama
7. Wisconsin
8. USC
9. Penn State
10. Washington

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 14 (Championship Week)

I went 4-1 in my 5 Big Ten Road picks last week (Ohio State fell short by 1 point, figures). I am assured of a winning record this year. Right now I have Wisconsin as my #1 team in the land and UCF is at #5 and could get into what would be my Top 4 if things fall right. I know my rankings don't mean anything. But let's get the final week of picks done and celebrate victory.

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 13 (Big 10 Road Favorites Heavy Edition)

13 Games above .500 with a couple of weeks left. I am starting to feel good about finishing with a winning record. Cupcake Saturday helped last week.

1. (16) Michigan State (-13)  at Rutgers - Where this line is, I would take Michigan State all day every day.

Michigan State 41, Rutgers 20
Actual Score: Michigan State 40, Rutgers 7

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 12

TCU -6
Wisconsin -7.5
Virginia +18.5
Illinois +41
Navy +17.5
Georgia -21.5
Tennessee+15.5
West Virginia-3
UCF -13.5
Virginia +18.5

Sorry about the lack of refinement for the picks. I was on the road and about an hour and a half before the games started and didn't anticipate that I would get to my home anytime soon. So let's do the usual format below the page break.

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 11

The season record is 50-45-5. Picking these games where two ranked teams are playing each other is tough. I like how the professional gamblers will pick a Western Michigan vs. UTEP game for their leadpipe lock of the week, but you have to pay for anything about games that you care about.

1. Arkansas at (24) LSU (-17) - This is probably a sucker bet. Arkansas isn't playing up to their potential, but LSU isn't a powerhouse offense either.

Arkansas 13, LSU 31
Actual Score: Arkansas 10, LSU 33

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 10

I am now 5 games above .500 after a 5-4-1 week. The first rankings are out for the playoffs and I can see 4 out of the Top 6 losing before the end of the season, and that doesn't take into account for games where an also ran comes up and takes a bite out of a favorite.

1. (6) Ohio State at Iowa (+18) - There should be a letdown from the Buckeyes after the comeback vs Penn State last week. The Iowa defense is tough and the Hawkeyes play ranked teams close at home.

Ohio State 27, Iowa 21
Actual Score: Ohio State 24, Iowa 55

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 9

Still 4 over .500. If you feel that I am wrong or just spewing nonsense, all comments are welcome.

1. (5) Wisconsin at Illinois (+27) - The Badgers will win this game. But on the road, it won't be a 4 touchdown win. Even though the opponent is Illinois.

Wisconsin 34, Illinois 20
Actual Score: Wisconsin 24, Illinois 10

Winning The American League Is Not Enough

Sorry Zeb. I had to put this on the blog. All of the fans of the non-legendary teams should be rooting for the Astros.

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 8

Went 5-5 last week. Still 4 games above .500. The Arkansas/Alabama game is why I don't bet real money on this. Lost by 1/2 a point. Lost Michigan/Indiana by 1 point.

1. (10) Oklahoma State (-7) at Texas - The Longhorns look better than they did at the start of the season, but the letdown from losing to Oklahoma will be seen this week.

Oklahoma State 38, Texas 24
Actual Score: Oklahoma State 13, Texas 10 (OT)

As Seen On TV

I don't know if any of you watched last night's Boise State - San Diego State game on CBS Sports Network, but I saw this Aztec Shops commercial for the first time. This 30-second promo is an excellent way to illustrate what has happened to San Diego since the Chargers left for Los Angeles.

Why do I bring this up? It's worth noting that even though the Aztecs played their worst game of the season last night, the attendance for the game was 49,053. Or as I cracked on Twitter last night, two StubHubs.The best part? Unlike Chargers home games in the soccer stadium up the road, most of the fans in attendance for the Aztecs game at SDCCU Stadium were wearing red for the home team.

I hope this game is a wake up call for the City Council. We don't need the NFL here in San Diego. We're just fine being a college football city. Renovate SDCCU Stadium for our team, or build a smaller one and kiss the NFL and their greed goodbye.

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 7

Coming off a 4-6 record last week, we have a week where there is no ranked teams facing each other. Where are the upsets coming from? I have three.

1. (6) TCU at Kansas State (+6.5) - The Horned Frogs can take control of the Big 12 if they can get past the Wildcats. I don't expect them to.

TCU 31, Kansas State 34
Actual Score: TCU 26, Kansas State 6

Will the Red Sox adapt or be content

We all watched as the Boston Red Sox fell to the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series 3-1. And as an Astros fan, it would be fun putting over the Astros as this team that will be on top for the next 5 years. Just look at the roster. Two position players are over the age of 30. That is it. Our pitching is starting to show up in the minors so there are some prospects that will start showing up in the rotation in the next couple of years. We look like we could be a power for the foreseeable future.

But that isn't what I am going to do. Instead this post will look at the Red Sox. I am impressed with the outfield, not so much with the infield. I am interested in how the Front Office comes up with solutions to the problems with the lineup and pitching staff. Also, what are they looking for in terms of Manager.

The outfield should be around for a while. Jackie Bradley Jr. in Center Field is good. He needs to figure out how to bring the batting average up a bit. And while I understand that he isn't the prototypical CF, some more stolen bases would be nice.  Mookie Betts seems to have taken a step back in 2017, but at age 25, that is to be expected the first time that you are talked to be a great player. Andrew Benintendi looks like he could also be a stud. A great first year for the kid, he might be the future CF and shift Bradley to left. However you put these three in the outfield, you have a foundation that you can rely on as the infield gets it makeover.

The infield will go through some personnel changes. I don't believe that Eduardo Nunez is an answer for third base. Rafael Devers is a prospect, but I think he needs a couple more years of seasoning to be a piece to help push towards a pennant. At shortstop, Xander Bogaerts is an upper echelon player. The defense is good, but the offensive production has gone down two straight years. He will still put up good numbers but not be the breakout star that he was projected to be a couple of years ago.

On the right side of the infield, Dustin Pedroia is starting to show his age. He is a great player that has the playing style of take no prisoners at all times. The body wears out quicker doing that and I believe that is what is starting to show. He might have one more great year in him, but I think that the decline will start to show fairly quickly. Maybe you put Brock Holt here instead of the DH or as the fourth outfielder. At 1B, Moreland and Ramierez are OK for now, but there needs to be a guy that can hit for power and have a decent average. 25 HR, 70 RBI, and a .250 average isn't what is needed.

At catcher, Christian Vazquez is growing. The offensive stats are increasing, he is a good defensive catcher and seems like the calling of the game is improving as well. And at age 27, he has time to grow into that veteran catcher who can call the game to give his team the best chance to win.

Now let's get to the achilles heel of the Red Sox, the pitching staff. Chris Sale and David Price are making lots of money. They need to be those workhorses that win 20 games and are the steady influences in the playoffs. For Price, that means you have to be a starter, not a reliever. For a guy who excelled in Tampa, it is like he is a different pitcher now who doesn't know exactly what he needs to do. For Sale, it is figuring out that the postseason is totally different than the regular season. With the White Sox, Sale did not pitch in the postseason. He will make the adjustments. Craig Kimbrel is a great save guy. But after that the pitching staff is in need of a shakeup. The starting staff has an ERA about 4.50. That isn't going to help the Sox in the postseason. You need two dominant starters. Sale is one of those, but you need to find a number 2. Price if he can come back to prior form should be that number 2. And you need a third guy who is dependable. I don't see that in the current pitching staff. The bullpen is dependable enough to get to Kimbrel.

Overall, the Red Sox have enough currently to do what they did this past year. Win the AL East and make the playoffs. That should not be acceptable for what the Red Sox are paying for their players. The team needs to get back to the Epstein theory of building a team instead of acting like the Yankees little brother. Until that happens, be happy with winning AL East pennants.

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 6

Still 6 games above .500 after treading water the past 2 weeks. Need to get more of a cushion before the big boys play each other later this season.

1. Wake Forest at (2) Clemson (-21.5) - The Demon Deacons might be able to cover if this were basketball. Not on the football field.

Wake Forest 13, Clemson 48
Actual Score: Wake Forest 14, Clemson 28

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 5

Still 6 games above .500. The picks rallied late last week after staring 0-4.

1. Vanderbilt (+9) at (21) Florida - Not sold on the Gators after escaping Kentucky and the Commodores are better than what they showed against Alabama last week.

Vanderbilt 24, Florida 27
Actual Score: Vanderbilt 24, Florida 38

2017 College Football Picks vs The Spread - Week 4

6 Games above .500 for the first 3 weeks is making me feel good.

1. (1) Alabama vs Vanderbilt (+18) - There isn't an upset here. But I believe that the Vandy defense can keep it closer than many people think.

Alabama 27, Vanderbilt 16
Actual Score: Alabama 59, Vanderbilt 0

The Weasel has Gone

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan passed away today at age 73 from cancer. Most people consider him the best manager of all time for professional wrestling. He fought the disease for a long while. I got to shake the man's hand back in 80's after attending a wrestling show. Thank You for all the enjoyment you brought to me watching pro wrestling and the humor you brought with it. You will be missed, weasel.

Here are just a couple of The Brain's quotes from the past.

Last time I saw Tugboat... Typhoon... Buffoon, whatever he is, run that fast is when they opened up a lunch line at the free buffet

He hit him so hard he knocked three zits off his cheek!

"A friend in need is a pest."

"You know they say money can't buy happiness. Give me 50 bucks and watch me smile"

"Its the women in Cleveland, they all look like the Undertaker"

The Fight For LA(st)

Hey @agspanos ... look up 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/aWF0bQFg1t

— SD Sign Guy (@jmt619) September 17, 2017

I'm currently camping out on Twitter to see how bad the attendance is for today's Dolphins - Chargers game at StubHub Center. During the preseason, a stadium that holds roughly 27,000 for soccer was literally half full at best. I heard that a lot of tickets were on sale on the secondary market as of yesterday, so there's a chance this could be a very embarrassing day for the NFL when it's time for kickoff. The Fight For LA is literally a fight for who gives a damn... even the Rams aren't packing them in at the ol' Mausoleum near the USC campus.

It doesn't matter if the Chargers manage to get more than 15,000 warm bodies sitting in the stands today. This flyover before the game will probably get more press locally later tonight.

2017 College Football Picks vs. The Spread - Week 3

A 3-7 week showed me that I just can't go with the big spreads for the favorites.

Week 3 Games:

1. (19) Stanford at San Diego State (+8.5) - The Aztecs have looked good so far. Stepping up in weight class, I think that they will keep it close.

Stanford 28, San Diego State 24
Actual Score: Stanford 17, San Diego State 20

2017 College Football Picks vs. The Spread - Week 2

Week 1 was OK. A 7-2-1 week would have made me money. Let's see if I can continue the good picks.

1. (11) Oklahoma State (-29) at South Alabama - It is unusual that a program like Oklahoma State would go into South Alabama. I don't expect that the Cowboys will have problems with going on the road here.

Oklahoma State 62, South Alabama 14
Actual Score: Oklahoma State 44, South Alabama 7

2017 College Football Picks vs. the Spread - Week 1

I didn't do this last year and I rocked the picks. The blog has been a little thin, so I decided to take the initiative and start doing the picks for college football again. So let's see if I can do better than I have before on the blog.

WEEK 1

1. UTEP at (7) Oklahoma (-43) - Bob Stoops is no longer the head coach at Oklahoma. Means that the program has something to prove. Don't see the Miners scoring more than 10 points while the Sooners look like the Sooners of yesteryear.

UTEP 7, Oklahoma 66
Actual Score: UTEP 7, Oklahoma 56

2. (11) Michigan (-3.5) vs. (17) Florida - If Alabama vs. FSU wasn't this weekend, this would be the marquee game. I would have picked Michigan to win even without multiple Gator starters suspended for their roles in the Student store fraud scandal. Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines looking good.

Michigan 27, Florida 20
Actual Score: Michigan 33, Florida 17

3. Western Michigan at (4) USC (-27.5) - Another one of the opening game creampuffs that major programs like to schedule. Watch USC score 50 and roll over the Broncos which get a payday.

Western Michigan 14, USC 55
Actual Score: Western Michigan 31, USC 49

4. Appalachian State (+14) at (15) Georgia - Classic game where I believe that the Bulldogs are looking at next week's game against Notre Dame and not taking App St. as seriously as they should. Georgia will win, but not by the margin they should.

App St. 24, Georgia 34
Actual Score: App St. 10, Georgia 31

5. Georgia Southern at (12) Auburn (-34) - Georgia Southern is not going to like this trip to Auburn. I think that the Tigers are the biggest threat to Alabama this season. Auburn shows why in this game.

Georgia Southern 10, Auburn 52
Actual Score: Georgia Southern 7, Auburn 41

6. (16) Louisville at Purdue (+26.5) - There is no upset here, but with the Boilermakers bringing back the Big 10 passing leader from last year in David Blough, I expect the game to be closer than what many think.

Louisville 45, Purdue 31
Actual Score: Louisville 35, Purdue 28

7. (3) Florida State vs. (1) Alabama (-7) - Even though I believe that both of these teams could be good enough to make the playoffs, you don't pick against Nick Saban in the regular season and a big game.

Florida State 21, Alabama 34
Actual Score: Florida State 7, Alabama 24

8. BYU at (13) LSU (-14.5) - LSU is the better team, but BYU already had their first game which helps. Give me the Tigers just squeaking by on the point spread.

BYU 20, LSU 35
Actual Score: BYU 0, LSU 27

9. (22) West Virginia at (21) Virginia Tech (-4) - Both teams have new starting QB's and both believe that they can win their respective leagues. Let's go with the home team and the fact that there is something about Dana Holgorsen that I don't trust in pressure games.

West Virginia 24, Virginia Tech 31
Actual Score: West Virginia 24, Virginia Tech 31

10. (25) Tennessee at Georgia Tech (+3) - I fully expect the Yellow Jackets to beat the Volunteers outright. I think that Butch Jones has the foundation of the Tennessee program build on sand, not concrete.

Tennessee 21, Georgia Tech 31
Actual Score: Tennessee 42, Georgia Tech 41 2OT

Week 1 Record: 7-2-1
Overall Record: 7-2-1

The Truth and the tooth

A precursor, test post, for when the Celtics finish off George's Wiz in the second round of this year's NBA playoffs, a series we have a friendly blog challenge regarding. Remember those? So a little practice for my fait accompli brag post. So did you see Isaiah Thomas (Jr) have a tooth knocked out and make like a hockey player and keep playing? That's a brag. Did you see the Celts let the Wiz start out with a 16-0 lead before beating them? Brag again. And Paul Pierce retired. He played 19 seasons in the NBA. Doesn't that make you feel old? Not a brag. The Truth is not one of the all-time greats but he is a Hall of Famer and one of the great finishers all time. Brag! I will try to get back in circulation. It's pretty said when I didn't even blog about a Super Bowl win in the greatest comeback of all time. And I must owe you at least one attending games blog. I can't even follow my own rules. I'll post about seeing the Bruins in Dallas and look to see where else I've been negligent.

Bye, Felicia!

The scene here in San Diego where protestors are taking to the streets because the Chargers are moving to Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/KC8tw3p0qk

— Eric Rosenthal (@ericsports) January 12, 2017

The real interesting part? This is true. Even though news broke about two hours ago on ESPN, the Chargers are NOT trending on Twitter here in San Diego.

I was resigned to the fact they were moving to Los Angeles in 2002. I guess the rest of the city's finally catching up to me.