Benster and D Pick Your Games----Don't Count Out Wisconsin Edition

I heard rumors that there was a boat crime at TCF Bank Stadium last weekend. A group of Badgers just sunk a boat carrying Gophers, and stole back an Axe. I also heard it was a performance that was #Elite. You really hate to see it.

Well, some people hated to see it. 

That performance was awesome. The odd thing is that the Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat won 10 games, but lost to Iowa and Wisconsin. That is a stinging feeling.

Well, yeah. No Axe, no Pig. P. J. wasn't too happy about it, but someone else was:

Got me an Axe back, Jack

And he does, Geritol Fan! Enough talk about the Gophers, it's time to feel the HYYYYYPPPEEE!, and watch me work.

A School In Columbus (-15.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers, in Indy The Badgers came through when it mattered last weekend, and get a second crack at A School in Columbus. But before we get there, it's time for another Very Special Comment.

:

Very, very special

Ahem. Obviously our graphics department coughed up another hairball.

Could have been worse:

Come on feel the Joey Lawrence

Would you stop that? Now, as I was saying, I wanted to say a lot of nice things about the Buckeyes, I really did.

I don't believe you.

No, old dude, I really did. Now go soak your dentures and let me continue. Yes, I wanted to say something nice about the Buckeyes. But, once again they find a way to get attention for all the wrong reasons. I don't blame Chase Young for taking money, because he's not the first player to ever take money when he's not supposed to. It sucks that he grew up poor, and I hope he lives a good life in the NFL with money he will have earned. On the other hand, where was the Ohio State compliance department and the coaching staff in avoiding this mess? I find it hard to believe that Ryan Day and Ohio State AD Gene Smith weren't on top of this. That mess impacts the program, and they know that the football team at Ohio State is the glamour program in the state of Ohio. Especially considering that Day is now the third straight head coach to be involved in a scandal, and that it's becoming a pattern that disturbs me. If I were the NCAA and/or the president of the university, I would have held Young out for the rest of the season, and Ryan Day would have been suspended the same length.  Ryan Day is the head coach, and it's his job to know what's going on with his team. This is the reason I hate Ohio State football right here. They keep getting involved in scandals, and the school and the Big Ten don't have the guts to clean up the mess.

Now that we got that out of the way, we can talk football. The Badgers are a better team then they were in the first meeting, and this time Ohio State won't get to play in front of a home crowd. We all know that the Buckeyes are very elite, even more elite than #Elite, and that the Badgers might get blown out. What history teaches us is that Wisconsin has won 2 Big Ten title games after losing the first time to their opponent. Upsets happen, and this will be the biggest upset since Kansas State beat Oklahoma in the 2003 Big XII title game. Badgers 31, Buckeyes 28.

Uh, no. The Badgers are an excellent college team. The Buckeyes are a malevolent force of nature. It won't be 59-0 ugly, or even 38-7 ugly, but it won't be pretty. Ohio State 35, Wisconsin 17.

Georgia Bulldogs (+7.5) vs. LSU Bayou Bengals, in Atlanta This game is a virtual quarterfinal for Georgia, and should be a fun game. One thing to remember is that the Georgia campus is very close to Atlanta, and the Bulldogs will be backed by a very partisan crowd. I'm not convinced that Joe Burrow is the Heisman favorite, and I would give it to the aforementioned Chase Young. LSU has looked very great on offense, and I love Coach O for keeping it real and changing the narrative around himself. I expect LSU to win a close game. Bayou Bengals 35, Hate Feeds the Dogs 30.

I want LSU to win for one reason only -- if they beat the Bulldogs, we won't have two SEC teams in the playoff. That needs to happen. And I think LSU is better anyway. LSU 31, UGA 27.

Detroit LOLions (+12.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings The Vikings no longer control their path to the NFC North after the Seahawks beat them. At least this time people can stop with the Kirk Cousins bashing. The bigger culprit is the Mike Zimmer defense, which has been a bit questionable at times. I honestly thing the one weakness that Zimmer has is that he created that defense, and he might not be willing to change it up. It's what ended up dooming Lovie Smith in Chicago. Smith helped invent the Tampa 2, and couldn't adapt to a changing league. Zimmer is still going to go down as a smart defensive mind and a respected Vikings head coach, but can he win a championship? It's a rhetorical question, not just an observation I made. The LOLions are beat up, and David Blough is just a backup. The Vikings should roll in this one. Vikings 42, LOLions 0.

I dunno about the shutout, but I agree the Vikings will win. Vikings 34, Lions 14.

Washington Gridlocks (+12.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers are back on track, and are in a great position. They have 3 easily winnable games left, and only need to win 3 of the next 4 games to get the NFC North title and a home playoff game. The defense looked great against the Giants, although I know that Daniel Jones is far from a finished project. Washington is a mess, and Dan Snyder makes James Dolan look like a competent owner. If you follow the Knicks, that is a strong statement. The worrying thing is that Adrian Peterson is still playing, and he runs over the Packers every single time. I think the Pack should be fine, and they can keep our eyes on the prize. Packers 31, Hail to the Deadskins 10.

The Redskins are playing better lately, but they aren't very good. And they won't have much fun in Lambeau, either. Should be an easy win for the Pack. Packers 38, Redskins 20.

If the Badgers win, you heard it here first. Ben out!