JV NFL Saturday – Finally Meaning MOAR

Dunno if you were with us last weekend, but it was pretty dire from an entertainment perspective.  And Lesser Footy is on another interminable international break.  Thank fuck the footy g-ds have blessed us with some tasty matchups this 12 October.

Oklahoma (-10.5) v. Texas @ Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX (Noon, Fox)

Ah the good old Red River SHOOTOUT, where one can’t possibly ever set the o/u high enough.  Unless Hippo tries to bet it, which he ain’t.  Winner takes yuuuuuuuge lead in the Big Twaaaaalve race, and the spot for bitching about Notre Fucking Dame getting in the playoff ahead of ’em.  Boomer Sooner.

Mississippi State (-6.5) at Tennessee (Noon, SECN)

Man alive, my long ded granddaddy (that’s the nicest person I ever met, not the raycess one) would have hated to see his beloved Vols laid this low, where one watches much like how one watches a gruesome traffic accident.

Alabama (-17) at Texas A&M (3:30, CBS)

Finally, a team that MIGHT make Roll Damn Tide at least have to try.  But I still don’t expect much in terms of breaking a sweat.  The likes of Jimbo Fisher ain’t gonna beat Nick Saban, especially when he has lesser talent on hand.

Michigan State (+10.5) at Wisconsin (3:30, BTN)

God, I can’t even remember how long it has been since I previewed a BTN game.  The league generally sucks and/or is uncompetitive, but gets outsized teevee coverage.  Sparty has been iffy so far, but this seems like the kind of matchup that they win, and fall back into anonymity afterward.

Washington State (-1.0) at Arizona State (3:30, PAC-12)

0-2 Wazzu is favoured in the desert, against a ranked opponent.  Look, everybody knows Herm Edwards is eventually reverting to the mean.  Sooner rather than later.  Plus, I thought they avoided daytime games in AZ, due to not wanting folks to die out there?

Texas Tech (+11.0) at Baylor (4:00, FS1)

This line is ridiculous, unless BayBay really started to pay-pay again.  Heavily.  Or there was a massacre on the Guns Up!! campus.  I try not to watch the news that much.

Iowa State (-10.0) at West By God Virginia (4:00, ESPN)

Again, that spread.  On the road?  No.  Just no.  Maybe WCS will get happy daytime whiskey for a change?

Ole Miss (+12.5) at Missouri (7:00, ESPN2)

One of those quasi-random matchups that I have a funny feeling will entertain.  My track record ain’t great in this genre (as in most).

Florida (+13.5) at LSU (8:00, ESPN)

Finally, the good stuff.  I really like contests like this, under the lights in an insane place, with strength against strength.  In this instance, you are talking about LSU’s prolific passing game against Florida’s lockdown pass defense.  Methinks people are still lending too much weight to how bad UF looked in their opener, but it seems like every game with Miami turns into a mutual diarrhea fest.  This team can play, in that fundamentally sound Dan Mullen way.

Utah (-15.0) at Oregon State (8:00, PAC-12)

Will Team Secular Big Love be a little hard on the (Niiiiiiiiiice) Beavers?  Vegas sure thinks so.  I think I disagree.

Wyoming (+3.5) at San Diego State (10:30, CBSSN)

Coming down off the swamp-based sugar high, there is this little Mountain West tweaker matchup.  These teams both REALLY want to run, and control time of possession.  Each has a Power-5 scalp to their resume, so I think it merits one’s attention.