Week 4 of Gomer & Chiefs Picks

Gut check week... Records so far: Gomer (25-13) Chief (25-13)

Louisiana State Tigers vs. Auburn Tigers
Gomer: I'm picking the Tigers in this one... ha... ha ... ha. Okay really, we've all heard that the home team has won this match-up for a bazillion years in a row, and I don't expect that to change. Auburn has the defense that "wins championships" and I think that talk will get started this week. Their offense isn't overly potent, which is probably the only reason they aren't getting any talk, if Auburn is not careful LSU's attack could pull away late. LSU: 17 - AU: 23

Chief: The game of the week coming out of the SEC is at Jordan Hare stadium. The home team has won this game 8 years straight with most games being ‘defensive struggles’ (or maybe just crappy offense). Last year, Miles pulled his crap at home and got reeeeeeal lucky. Auburn will return the favor in another snoozer in which points will be at a premium. LSU: 6—UA: 7

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Gomer: Not no way, not no how, this upset will not happen. Knowshon Moreno will run all over the Sun Devils. ASU just lost to UNLV, the easy excuse is they were looking ahead, the real reason is they suck. I'm okay with a Georgia win here mostly because I don't want a 3rd Pac-10 team to become ranked. Moreno and Stafford will have a field day with the overmatched Sun Devils. UGA: 34 - ASU: 10

Chief: This looks to be a bounceback week for both teams as UGA struggled mightily against the offense challenged Spurriers (weird huh?) and ASU dropped an embarrassing one to UNLV. This is the first time the Bulldogs have headed west of the Mississippi since 1968 and they couldn’t have picked a better time/team to take on. Carpenter has the skills, but no talent around him. UGA will dominate this game leading to some more undeserved credit for the SEC as ASU just isn’t that good this year. UGA: 38—ASU: 17

Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Gomer: Unfortunately what I want to happen and what I think will happen are two completely different things. Tennessee struggled with and lost to a BAD UCLA team in an instant-classic. Meanwhile the Gators were facing a team with a pulse (Miami) and didn't look good themselves. It seems the Florida defense is improved significantly but most defenses have the Fightin' Tebow's figured out. UF: 14 - UT: 6

Chief: The Vols need this one bad for respectability, but UF is still an excellent team looking for another championship. After the debacle in LA and last weeks exposure of the Bruins’ mediocrity, Crompton and the Orange need more than hope to win this one. The Gators will expect to show the full offense and that they have moved to more than just Tebow and Harvin, but the offense will boil down to….Tebow and Harvin. It won’t matter as the Gators win in Knoxville again setting Fulmer’s seat on fire. UF: 41—UT: 24

Notre Dame Irish vs. Michigan State Spartans
Gomer: The Irish were able to capitalize on the mistakes of the Wolverines last week but the Spartans are of a different breed. Dantonio's system and philosophy are well in place and MSU will look to roll over a porous Irish defense and make the most out of mistakes by Jimmy Clausen. Javon Ringer should be getting Heisman talk and this game should help get that going. ND: 10 - MSU: 27

Chief: Wow…The Irish won. And it only took 6 turnovers in the mush to get it. No seriously, the Domers completely exposed Michigan last week and for that I give them credit. This week, they meet Javon Ringer. The Ohio native is slobbering at attacking this Irish team. Look for another 200 yards for Ringer on the ground. ND: 13—MSU:28

Wake Forest Deacons vs. Florida State Seminoles
Gomer: I expect this to be a classic showdown. FSU has not beaten the Demon Deacons since 2005 and have been embarrassed in two straight losses (home and away). FSU may be undefeated, but their wins have come against 2 I-AA opponents. Wake has looked good in the early stages of the season and should be firing on all cylinders. Look for the Noles to use emotion and brute strength to overpower Florida State in a classic. WF: 17 - FSU: 20

Chief: This will be the first real test for the new Noles after 2 tune-ups against FCS competition (sad I know). Wake snuck away with one 2 weeks ago vs. Ole Miss and would love nothing more than to embarrass the perennial power FSU 3 years straight as the Noles drubbed them for so many years. Not so fast my friend. Christian Ponder is the real deal and the return of Preston Paker will bring the Noles to the forefront of the ACC and out of the depths or mediocrity. The Noles haven’t forgotten the last few beatings and are out for revenge this year. WF: 17—FSU: 31

Troy Trojans vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gomer: I don't know what to say after last week's embarrassment in California. Since the Bucks seem to do the exact opposite of whatever I predict I think the real score of this game is gonna be 38-13, but since we struggled last week with 6th year senior and "captain" Todd Boeckman throwing to wide open USC defenders, our defense cannot generate pressure, and when they do, they usually whiff on the tackle, and Troy runs a spread offense (they passed to 15 different players last week), and Troy's QB is mobile. Wow, I honestly want to pick the Bucks to implode on this one, but I cannot do that in good conscience being an alum and bleeding scarlet and gray, and all that jazz. Pryor will rush for at least 50, and throw for at least 100, count it. Troy: 20 - OSU: 24

Chief: Alright Bucks…put up or shut up. I’ve had enough of this crap. Being one of the few in scarlet in gray who traveled to the Crushing in the Coliseum, I was amazed at the pure ineptitude of the play calling. No passes further than 10 yards when the coverage was soft? Stopping the platooning QBs when it was working? Pryor isn’t the complete answer until he can throw decently. We’ll see him play, but hopefully the O-Line will realize that blocking is a benefit. I think the Bucks grow a pair this week and take it out on these Trojans. No Beanie means no blowout, but the Bucks win handily here to remind the nation that it’s still The Ohio State University and we won’t tolerate second best. Troy: 13—OSU: 31


Other Games:
East Carolina @ NC State Gomer: NCST Chief: ECU
Ohio @ Northwestern Gomer: NW Chief: NW
FAU @ Minnesota Gomer: UM Chief: UM
Iowa @ Pittsburgh Gomer: Iowa Chief: Iowa
Boise State @ Oregon Gomer: Oregon Chief: Oregon
Virginia Tech @ North Carolina Gomer: VT Chief: VT
Miami @ Texas A&M Gomer: TAMU Chief: UM

Well it is the day after the loss to USC and I slept on it and I think I know what is the problem. The one thing that I noticed last night during the game is that our team has no swagger, no attitude, and no desire. This is a team that should dominate everyone on paper but that is not the case when we play. It all starts up front with our offensive line. On the second drive where we went 17 plays our offensive line was giving Boeckman just enough time to complete passes and our running backs were gaining positive yards. We were moving the chains and that is exactly what we needed to do. We maybe only got a field goal but it was a good series to build on. Then USC went down and scored easily and it seemed that as soon as our offense saw that they lost the fight and just decided to bend over and take it in the butt. We are a extremely physically talented team but it seems that our own players sometimes don't believe that they are.

I also noticed that while we have a ton of seniors on this team there are not a lot of leaders among that group. JL is not among this group, he was trying to get his teammates into this game but it never took. I think on offense we missed Beanie in the fact that I now think he is the vocal leader and he plays with the most attitude on offense and without him on the field they played without confidence.

I am not one of the many people that are calling for Tressel's job because while he lost the NC the last two years he also got us there and not every coach can do that. I do think that something needs to change among the staff. I partially think the attitude problem with the team leads back to Tressel's stoic and calm persona. I agree with Gomer now that Dantonio brought a intensity to our defense that we just don't have now. I think this off-season JT needs to look at his staff and possibly consider bringing in an actual offensive coordinator and have him call plays. This way the play calling will be better and more creative.

There was some good that I found out of this game. Pryor looked good. I still don't think he should start mostly because I doubt he knows more then 20% of the playbook because he still is a true freshman. I do think he needs to be used more and I think that is something we will see. I also noticed that when Pryor was on the sideline he never sat down, he was always cheering and trying to get people into the game. This is the kind of attitude that Boeckman doesn't have. After one play he got tackled and got into the face of one of the USC players and it wasn't a fighting kind of talk but it was the kind of situation where he showed he has the swagger and the attitude on the field. This bodes well for his future.

I also noticed that USC is damn deep with talent. They recruit the hell out of 5 star players and to an extent it shows. The senior class we have now is good but it is not flashy. Most of these players are more lighly recruited players but still good players. I think that looking into the future and as of right now we have a better recruiting class then USC this past year and in 09 we right now have the best in the country. I think the future in that regard looks bright and we still have a chance to have a good season. I am hopeful that the team will come our next week pissed off and destroy Troy and hopefully carry that anger the rest of the season.