Benster and D Pick Your Games----Badgers Got It Done Edition

 That was a pretty solid win for the Badgers earlier this morning. Thanks for scheduling a game at 9:30 at night local time, ESPN. 

What happens in Vegas should be broadcast very late at night, if at all. But a W is a W.

Oh well, at least it was only one game. The Packers game also got more interesting in the process of writing this post. 

It did, now didn't it? You can't spell COVID without Cousins, apparently.

I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYPPEEEE, and it is time to watch me work.

Cincinnati Bearcats (+13.5) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide, in JerryWorld The committee did the proper thing and gave the Bearcats a well-earned slot in the playoff. I personally think they should be ranked as the top seed, as they have been the only team in FBS to not slip up in a game. When I saw them against Notre Dame and in the AAC title game against Houston, they really impressed me. Desmond Ridder is a really good quarterback, and they are well-coached. But they are getting no love from the folks in the desert. We all know how good Alabama is, and Nick Saban won't be overlooking Cincy. No matter what happens, this Cincinnati team has changed the narratives in college football surrounding underdogs in a way that no team since Urban Liar's 2004 Utah team with Alex Smith did. Bearcats 35, Tide 34.

I would love to see Cincinnati pull this off, but I don't think they will. Alabama really should join the NFL and be done with it. Tide 42, Bearcats 24.

Georgia Bulldogs (-7.5) vs. Michigan Wolverines, in Miami Oddly, Georgia and Michigan have only met twice. You'd think that they would have played in a bowl game or something, but they haven't crossed paths that much. Georgia is coming off a bad performance in the SEC title game. Now, I don't think Georgia belongs in the playoff. Quite simply, if you aren't the best team in your conference, then you can't be the best team in the country. Nothing against Georgia, but I have to be consistent. Michigan is a team that is peaking at the right time, as their two best performances have been against Iowa and A School In Columbus in their last two games. And don't forget that Georgia does have a tendency to choke in big games, which is damning for Kirby Smart. Michigan 50, Georgia 10.

This game should be quite interesting, actually. Michigan has really surprised me this year; there was no indication coming into this season that they could get so much better. It's worth remembering where the Wolverines were last season:

That 2020 Michigan team was, well, inept. This year, things changed completely. It's been an amazing transformation. Can they beat Georgia? Yes. Will they? Georgia 28, Michigan 23.

Minnesota Vikings (+7) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers I am pretty sure that this line will change, because Kirk did test positive for the virus this morning. This is bad news for the Vikings, as that means that the Packers are going to probably put a bunch of guys in the box to slow down Dalvin. It wasn't a pretty game on Christmas for the Pack, but a win is always appreciated. Unlike the last meeting, this time the Packers will be a lot more healthy. While I do think the Vikings will keep it close as they are fighting for their collective lives, the Packers should pull away late. Packers 31, Vikings 14.

Dalvin is going to see 8 in the box for sure. All day long. Sean Mannion is not going to beat the Packers on a historically cold day in Lambeau. Packers 24, Vikings 10.

Arizona Cardinals (+6) vs. Dallas How Bout Them Cowboahs? Because the Cowboys are the main competition for the Packers in the race for the 1 seed in the NFC, it makes sense to pick this game. Now, I am a huge Cowboys hater. I really dislike Jerry Jones, hate the media cheerleaders like Skip Bayless who always overhype the Cowboys every single year, and find that the Cowboys fanbase has a lot in common with the Lakers fanbase in terms of the number of bandwagon jumpers. At least the Cowboys don't have Lebron, so they don't get the Lebron bandwagon fans. That being said, the Cowboys looked really good against the Gridlocks last week. Arizona is a team that is just tough to figure. They look great for a bit, and then they look just horrible the next week. Maybe call it an overreaction on my part, but after the Packers beat them in Arizona against all odds, how are the Cardinals real contenders? But they have a chance to redeem themselves. Please shut Skip up for a week. That's all I ask. Cardinals 21, The Accident Waiting To Happen 0.

It appears the Cowboys are on the upswing and the Cardinals are collapsing. But the NFL is all about odd narratives, so. . . Cardinals 24, Cowboys 21.

Enjoy the New Year this weekend, and enjoy your football. Ben out.