Seedy K’s Pigskin Prognostications for Week VIII come with the kind of swagger that only a wild college football Saturday can earn. Last weekend had everything: upsets, beatdowns, brilliant plays, ugly plays, blown calls, blown assignments, coaches raging, coaches celebrating.
NIL and the race for the playdowns faded into the background. It was all about the games.
In the end, that was the point.
The picks weren’t too shabby either. The Fighting Irish got “hosed in Provo,” Oklahoma reverted to “their Veneblesier norm,” and the rest of the card produced four correct calls: Beavers, the other Cougars, Buckeyes and Cardinals. That left the season mark at 33-21.
This week’s CoachSpeak of the Week came from Alabama’s Gene Stallings after his kicker told him he made him nervous while watching kicks in practice. Stallings responded, “Well, son, I plan on being at all the games.”
The first call on the board is Texas Tech at Cincinnati. The Red Raiders aren’t “the Best Team Money Can Buy,” but they are unbeaten, with wins over Houston and surprising Oregon State.
Cincinnati opened well, then dropped two straight on the road. A third loss would come at Nippert, and the pick here is Texas Tech.
Next up is Iowa at Minnesota, with the Floyd of Rosedale on the line. The source traces that pig trophy back to a mid-30s flare-up involving governors, threats, and a real live pig offered as part of the peace offering.
However the details shook out, it remains one of the great old-school rivalry trophies. Iowa enters 6-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while Minnesota took a pounding at Purdue last week.
Even so, this one gets tagged as an upset alert, and PJ Fleck’s appetite for the post-whistle fight is part of the read. Minnesota gets the nod.
Southern California’s trip to Wisconsin brings its own pressure. Lincoln Riley’s seat is hot despite the Trojans’ 6-1 record, and Luke Fickell has felt similar heat, just with more polka in the background.
Still, Wisconsin is described as calmer and playing better inside Camp Randall. That pushes the pick toward the Badgers.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky follows, and the tone shifts from the old “Sissy Cake” language to something more complimentary. Will Stein’s debut has been strong enough that there are even steaks named after him in Lexington.
The Wildcats have looked composed since Alabama, while Vanderbilt is missing departed quarterback Diego. Kentucky is the selection.
Indiana at Michigan is framed as a test for a Hoosiers team that was living on the edge against Ohio State. They didn’t really deserve to win that game, though they nearly pulled it off.
Now they head to the Big House, where Michigan may have a boost from a quarterback change. Even with a temptation to chase another upset, the pick stays with Indiana.
Louisville lands on the page as Louisville vs. Bye, with the note that they’re “working on things” and “trying to get better,” which is said to be BrohmSpeak for exactly that.
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The bigger concern is on the other side of the ball, where opponents have found too much room to operate and too much yardage to pile up. For a team trying to prove it belongs in the leagues top tier, that kind of inconsistency makes the ceiling hard to pin down, and it leaves the bigger championship question hanging as the season keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Made Its Pitch To A Top Prospect Very Clear
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Rosser is in no hurry to make the call, with a decision expected around January or February as he weighs coaching and player development. For Louisville, the visit was an important step in making sure its message landed, and the next few months will tell whether that approach is enough to separate the Cardinals from the rest of his list. [Read more 🡒]