Another awful week. I only picked five right. It was a rough week for just about everyone. Hell, Mom was the winner, and she only had nine. She is now three ahead of Jon. I moved up to third (yeah, that is how bad this week was for everyone). Then it goes Scott, Sean, Offord, Ryan, and Adam.
Underdog Special: New York Giants (+3.0)
I thought for sure I was going to get the win last week from the Chiefs, but then Mahomes threw that interception. What a bum! Anyways, I am taking the Giants this week. Why are they underdogs in this one? Not sure, but I will take the easy money.
Underdog Record: 4-2 (+$27.15)
Steelers Prediction: Pittsburgh shocked us with a win against Tom Brady and the Bucs. I think they are going to beat the Dolphins. I have a feeling Tua is going to be a little rusty and maybe a little gun shy. I bet the Steelers put a ton of pressure on him and walk away with a low-scoring win.
Steelers Prediction Record: 2-4
This week my rant is about Penn State fans. Coming into the season, most fans were convinced that Penn State was a 7-5 or 8-4 team. They start off 5-0 and climb up the rankings to 10th and then get blown out by #5 Michigan. And just like that, fans are ready to jump off a cliff. It was a bad loss, but the season is not over. Even if they lose to Ohio State and win the rest, which is very doable, they will be 10-2 and most likely ranked in the top ten.
For some reason, our fans think it is NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OR BUST every season. We have won four National Championships: 1911, 1912–do those really count? 1982 and 1986. We have not won a Championship in 36 years. Can we stop acting like we are Alabama or something? Obviously I want Penn State to win it all every year, but I try to be a little realistic. I came into the season thinking 10-2, so things are right on track for me.
The big thing I keep hearing this week is that Penn State has not beat a top ten team since 2016 when they upset #2 Ohio State and defeated #6 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. They are 0-10 against top ten teams in that time. I do not find that to be all that crazy. That is with five losses to Ohio State, three to Michigan, one to Iowa, and one to USC. Losing to teams that are ranked higher than you is kind of the expected outcome. Yes, it sucks to keep losing to Ohio State, but they are consistently one of the top teams in the country. The goal is to get to their level, not hope for an upset every once in awhile.
I like to think Tennessee and Penn State are very similar. The Volunteers have two National Championships. They have a passionate fanbase, and they are one of the few schools with a similar sized stadium to Penn State. The Vols beat Alabama this past week. Do you know how long it had been since they beat a top ten team? Since 2006! That is 16 years. Their last win against a top ten team came on October 7th, 2006 against Georgia, who was ranked tenth. They went 0-39 against top ten teams until last week.
As college football continues to change, particularly with the super conferences forming and the playoffs expanding, I believe the Nittany Lions are in a good position. Is James Franklin a perfect coach? Nope, not at all. But I think he is good enough to have us at double-digit wins each year and hopefully in the expanded playoffs. Once you are in a playoff format…well anything can happen, right?
So relax fellow Penn State fans. We need to beat Minnesota this week. Then we have Ohio State. After that we have Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, and Michigan State. 10-2 is very doable. I would love to see 11-1. But no matter what happens, I will love this team because…
WE ARE!!!
