Palm Trees by Flatbush Zombies was this Saturday's Sports song pick for Halloween weekend because it has a spooky sample in the background. Also, the zombie part of the name plays. They are a hip-hop group from Flatbush in Brooklyn. This song came out in January ‘13, we probably heard it on a Soundcloud or something. I don’t remember the lyrics to this one, just the chorus and instrumental of the song.
I always thought it was (haunt me). Damn, it would’ve fit better with Halloween weekend, oh well! The sample is why I went with it.
On to Week 9 of the College Football season…
The Florida-Georgia Game is known as the “World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” They have been playing this game in Jacksonville, Florida since 1933. The football programs can’t decide on when their first official game was played as Georgia claims the rivalry record is 55-44-2, while Florida does count their 1904 game because the school didn’t formally have a team then so it’s 54-44-2 for the Gators. Week to Week Notes will remain neutral on who is right amongst both parties.
The Bulldogs are ranked the #1 team in the nation and are on a 24-game winning streak. Georgia will be without their star TE Brock Bowers as he is dealing with a sprained ankle. Bowers has accounted for over 25% of the team’s pass game, so this is a big blow for the Bulldogs. Their QB Carson Beck is from Jacksonville, Florida so this will be a home cooking for the 1st year starter who will rely heavily on the ground game of Daijun Edwards and his 5.8 yards per carry. Senior CB Tykee Smith leads the team with 4 INTs and even picked up a sack from the nickel position he plays. He’ll likely be matched up with Florida’s Ricky Pearsall. Georgia is the best in the nation on third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert for a 1st down just 24% of the time.
The Gators split carries between RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (5.2 yards per carry) and Trevor Etienne (5.9 yards per carry). This will be former Wisconsin Badgers QB Graham Mertz’s first time in this rivalry. Mertz is currently throwing at a career-high 76% completion percentage and WR Ricky Pearsall is a large reason for this. Pearsall has 44 catches on the season for 619 yards and accounts for over 32% of the team’s passing game. He’ll be lined up in the slot at times and will need to get the best of Tykee Smith for the Gators to move the ball. I got Georgia winning their 25th game in a row, but without Bowers, the Gators will make this a bit of a game.
Prediction: 28-14 Georgia (+14.5 Florida & Under 49.5)
The Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes first played each other in 1933, so mid-Great Depression. Oregon currently leads the rivalry series 24 to 12, but Utah has won 3 of the last 5 meetings, including the ‘21 PAC-12 Championship Game. Both programs have 1 in the loss column but are highly ranked with Oregon at #8 and Utah at #13.
Oregon’s Bo Nix made college football history last week when he made his 54th career start, the most ever by a college football QB. He made his first college start as a true freshman at Auburn in August of ‘19 otherwise known as pre-pandemic. Nix has led the Oregon offense to score at least 33 points in every game this season. His top target has been WR Troy Franklin, who has caught 44 passes for 768 yards and 8 TDs. Nix also has the benefit of a great running game as RBs Bucky Irving and Jordan James have combined for 1,112 rushing yards with 15 TDs. Edge rusher Brandon Dorlus has had a sack in 4 straight games.
Utah is coming off a nice win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over the Trojans. Offensively, Ja'Quinden Jackson is their bell-cow back who just gashed USC for 117 yards on the ground. The Utes also feature a two-way in the making in safety/RB Sione Vaki. One week after Vaki led the Utes in rushing yards with 158 against California, Vaki led the team in receiving with his 5 catches for 149 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Vaki also chipped in with 9 carries for 68 yards and 2 tackles on defense but who’s keeping track? The Utes play a tough and smashmouth brand of college football that makes them easy to root for as underdogs. Utah will be the site of College Football Gameday today, in Salt Lake City.
Prediction: 20-17 Oregon (+6.5 Utah & Under 47.5)
Duke and Louisville have only played each other 3 times in the past with the Cardinals winning all 3 affairs. The Blue Devils are 5-2 this year and ranked #20 in the nation. The Cardinals are 6-1 and ranked #18. Both teams lost last weekend and are looking for a pick me up so they can stay in ACC Championship contention.
Duke’s QB Riley Leonard played injured last week against the Seminoles and reinjured himself, so he is doubtful to play. That would mean that QB Henry Belin would be making his first career college start. Belin is from the Bronx and played high school football at Cardinal Hayes. Expect the Blue Devils to rely heavily on their RBs with Jacquez Moore and Jordan Waters. Prior to last week’s loss to FSU, Duke’s defense had not allowed more than 2 TDs in a game all season. While the dam may have broken last week when they gave up 5 TDs, look for LB Tre Freeman to lead the efforts in picking up the pieces. I didn’t know where I was going with that. What I was trying to say is that Freeman leads Duke with 56 tackles and is 2 weeks removed from a game where he had 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an INT. He can do it all for this defense.
The Louisville Cardinals officially entered my radar this season when they beat Notre Dame in Week 6. They have a QB named Jack Plummer who is in no way related to former NFL QB Jake Plummer, in case you’re wondering. Plummer’s top target on offense is speedster WR Jamari Thrash, who has caught 39 balls for 639 yards and 6 TDs. A big part of why Louisville lost last weekend was their RB Jawhar Jordan went down with a hamstring injury. Jordan has averaged 7.4 yards per carry this season but was only able to carry the rock twice last week and is doubtful for tomorrow. Defensively the Cardinals are led by DT Ashton Gillotte. Beware of the Hair as Gillotte sports some flow and a beard. The junior defensive lineman already has 6.5 sacks this season and is half a sack away from his career-high of 7 last year. With this game being in Louisville and Duke’s Riley Leonard likely out, I’m glad I saw the Cardinals at -4.5 earlier this week as the line is now at -6.
Prediction: 24-16 Louisville (-4.5 Louisville & Under 46)
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Wisconsin Badgers have been playing football against each other since 1913. Despite this fact, this is really not a rivalry because Ohio State has won this series 62 times to Wisconsin’s 18. Ohio State is undefeated at 7-0 and is ranked #3 in the country. They head to Madison, Wisconsin, where the Badgers are 5-2 and unranked.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will be getting some reinforcements back with RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Emeka Egbuka, and CB Denzel Burke. Henderson has not played since Ohio State played Notre Dame and he had 104 rushing yards with a score. Egbuka will be back as Marvin Harrison Jr.’s sidekick and Denzel Burke will fill the role CB1. MHJ was the main factor in the Buckeye win over Penn State last week as he caught 11 passes for 162 yards and the game-winning TD. His 11 catches are a new career-high and he has now scored in 3 straight games. Through 7 games this season, Ohio State’s defense has only allowed a total of 70 points. Amazingly, the Buckeyes last week were able to hold Penn State from converting a 3rd or 4th down until the 58-minute mark as the Nittany Lions failed to convert on their first 15 third-down attempts. Edge rusher JT Tuimoloau has now had at least 1 sack in the past 3 weeks.
Wisconsin hasn’t beaten Ohio State since ‘10. Their new starting QB Braedyn Locke got his first career start out of the way in last week's Wisconsin win over Illinois as he rallied the Badgers back from a 21-7 4th Quarter deficit. Locke’s #1 target will be WR Will Pauling, who has come on of late with at least 7 catches in the past 3 games. Make no mistake though, RB Braelon Allen is the motor of the team as he has now rushed for over 700 yards on the season. Allen has rushed for over 87+ yards in 6 of Wisconsin’s 7 games this year. Last year when Wisconsin played Ohio State, the Buckeyes destroyed the Badgers 52-21, but Allen did rush for 165 yards. I got the Buckeyes winning, just not more than 2 TDs.
Prediction: 27-13 Ohio State (+14.5 Wisconsin & Under 45.5)
Colorado and UCLA have played each other 18 times since 1980 with the Bruins winning 13 times. Colorado is now 4-3 with their 3 losses coming in the Pac-12 and they will face a 2-loss UCLA team ranked #23. The coaching matchup for this one is what catches my eye in Coach Prime vs. Chip Kelly.
Colorado has not played a game since they got embarrassed by Stanford. QB Shedeur Sanders still put up a crazy stat line that week of 400 yards passing with 5 TDs. WR/CB Travis Hunter made his way back onto the field, catching 13 passes for 140 yards and 2 scores. Hunter wasn’t great defensively as he allowed Stanford’s WR Elic Ayomanor to moss him in OT touchdown. This week Sanders and Hunter were seen courtside at a Laker game. Sanders is 2nd in the country in passing yards per game with 346, but he’s also 2nd in the country in times getting sacked (35).
Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins are coming off Week 8 where they destroyed Stanford 42-7. UCLA has not yet announced who will start tonight as QB Ethan Garbers and Dante Moore are the candidates. Garbers came into the year as the starter before losing his job after Week 1. Garbers was reinserted into the starting lineup last week as it was presumed that Moore was injured, however, it seems that Chip Kelly was just playing coy and didn’t want it to seem as though Moore, a true freshman, got benched. Coach Prime when asked how he’ll prepare for this situation said, “Well, you prepare for the team. You’re not preparing for the individual…With them, you prepare more for their coach. I’m a Chip Kelly fan. I really am. I love what he’s brought to college football. I love what he’s brought to football period.” It may not matter who lines up behind the center for the Bruins as their defense is ranked 10th in the country in sacks with 24. Their edge rusher Lauatu Latu leads the team with 6.5 sacks and has had 2.5 sacks in the past 3 games. I haven’t picked against Coach Prime’s Colorado once this year, so if all they gotta do is not lose by 2 TDs and a field goal…
Prediction: 31-30 UCLA (+16.5 Colorado & Under 61.5)