Playin' the hits!
Fickell has no idea how to handle the Hawkeyes and is too stubborn to admit that. At this point, both Fickell and LaFleur might be both back on the hot seat.
Maybe they could hire Talarico?
It is no secret that I am concerned about the coaching with my two favorite football teams. Thankfully for the Badgers, I am in a better mood because Everton and the Packers have been winning and Micah is practicing.
Maybe they should hire Jack Grealish?
Now you're just being silly. That's okay, though - silly is kinda your thing. My thing? I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
UCLA Bruins (-4) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat So the Gophers deserve a lot of credit for going to Bloomington and almost pulling a stunner. In all honesty, the Hoosier players bailed out Cignetti's coaching at the end of regulation. UCLA is going to be tough because they are a very well coached team and are also fundamentally sound as heck. What is going to against them is that this game is an early start for them across the country. Can the Gophers win this game? Yes, they can. However this UCLA team is not a paper tiger team like Michigan and while the Gophers fans will be game and PJ will give his guys a chance, this might not end well. Bruins 17, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 15.
The Gophers are kinda schizo. They beat Iowa and Michigan and get rolled by Purdue. If you can make sense of them, you're a better man than I. If UCLA is actually a fraud, we'll find out this week. I don't think they are. UCLA 23, Minnesota 16.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+18) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers Needless to say the Badgers did not make me happy last weekend. We have lost control against Iowa, and as you can probably tell I am not happy about how Fickell doesn't know how to figure that out. The good news is that Rutgers is terrible, and this game is at home. Even though the Badgers are starting a backup, he can't be as bad as Joseph was last week. The frustrating thing is that this team looked so great against the Trojans, but that team didn't show up last week. Hopefully this isn't an embarrassing home loss that causes me to rage. I just want to go bowling and figure out the rest later. Wisconsin 35, Rutgers 10.
Take the Badgers bowling, take them bowling.
Last night there was Rutgers on my lawn. Camper Van Randall should prevail in this one. Wisconsin 31, Rutgers 3.
Buffalo Bills (-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings Boy the knives came out for KOC and the Vikings offense last week! It was almost like I was actually paying attention to how relying on the defense, special teams, playing bad teams, and 4th quarter Matt LaFleur isn't sustainable. Buffalo is a very good team, and Josh Allen is going to be an interesting challenge for Brian Flores. Allen can get out of trouble and when Flores runs his blitz heavy scheme, that isn't going to work on a QB who thrives on getting out of trouble. If I were the Vikings, I would seriously consider handing the start to Carson Wentz beyond this week. Wentz is a better fit for the Vikings offense at this point from a style perspective, and he would actually let the Vikings playmakers go and get it. KOC's seeming refusal to let the brakes off his offense is bizarre to me. I am sorry to say this, but this game could get ugly if the Vikings don't make the needed changes. Nobody Circles The Wagons Like the Buffalo Bills 49, Vikings 7.
This is going to be interesting. Allen is unique and I bet Flores has been having all manner of fun figuring out how to handle him. Having the game in U.S. Bank Stadium will definitely help, because it will be noisy and the Vikings tend to be even more berserk at home. I am going to say this game is when Flores gets his star turn. Minnesota 24, Buffalo 16.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3) vs. New England Patriots New England is similar to the Packers --while the record is good, there is some grumbling among the fanbase. The Patriots have struggled at times and Drake Maye has been good and bad in almost equal measure. As for the Packers, the fact that they are 5-3 and in last place in the division is insane. Obviously LaFleur is going against his former boss in Mike Vrabel. Vrabel also ended up not having a good offseason because as it turns out those photos that came out didn't paint him in a good light in terms of, ahem, media relations. The Packers are playing well and are coming off a mini bye. The key is going to be getting off to another fast start and playing a complete game, because the Packers haven't won in New England since 2002. Packers 35, Patriots 21.
I am not sold on the Patriots, either. I don't see any obvious advantages they hold and while Foxborough is a tough place to play, the Packers have actually been pretty good on the road this season. Pass the Kool-Aid there, young fella. Green Bay 28, New England 20.
Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.
