Football Pick’Ems: A New Month

Here’s the current standings, before we get into the picks: 

J.T. Chadwell, 18-3 last week, 59-22 overall
Mike Cox, 14-7, 56-25
Jacob Townsend, 13-8, 56-25
El General Naranja, 16-5, 55-26
Steve Wilmoth, 15-6, 55-26
Scott Felts, 14-7, 55-26
Thomas Stokes, 14-7, 55-26
Mark Vicars, 15-6, 53-28
John Moorehouse, 13-8, 52-29
Mike Roberts, 10-11, 50-31

MARK VICARS (Owner, I-81 Sports)

• Chattanooga at ETSU: I was impressed with ETSU this past week, I hope they can keep the momentum going. Bucs win over what I consider their biggest rival. 
• Auburn at Tennessee: Tennessee’s defense impressed me this weekend, the offense not so much. I still think Tennessee gets things done against Auburn. 
• Pitt at Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech wins big.
• Alabama at Mississippi State: I want Alabama to lose, but I want it to be Tennessee that beats them. I will go with Mississippi State because I think their quarterback is the real deal.
• Notre Dame at North Carolina: Question, why is Notre Dame ranked 3rd? They’ve played nobody and have everything to show for it.. I think top 25 voters love having the Pope on their side or something. Notre Dame wins, but it will be messy to start. 
• Florida at Missouri: Florida is the surprise of the year.. Florida wins
• Ohio State at Iowa: Iowa bounces back and grinds out a win.. 
• Virginia at Florida State: For John, UVA wins
• Miami at Clemson: Is this even a game? I don’t see a way Clemson wins. Maybe Dabo will figure something out. Miami wins
• Cincinnati at Arizona: I love this game, I will go with the Bearcats.
• Kentucky at South Carolina: Kentucky.. The Wildcats may have found them a coach. 
• Marshall at James Madison: JMU wins huge
• Wofford at Furman: Wofford because dogs… 
• Youngstown State at Southern Illinois: Southern Illinois because dogs…
• Tennessee Tech at Western Carolina: Tennessee Tech, I think Western Carolina has some work to do. 
• Titans at Ravens: Ravens, Ward has been the worst QB in the league so far. 
• Rams at Eagles: The Eagles are falling apart. 
• Jaguars at Bengals: DUVAL, Jags win. 
• Broncos at 49ers: The Broncos cost me money by coming back last week. Give me the 49ers.
• Falcons at Saints: Saints win!! I love their QB. 

J.T. CHADWELL (Sports Betting Writer, I-81 Sports)

• Chattanooga @ ETSU – They’ll probably need a 50 burger again, but anything is possible with Mason Mims.  GO BUCS
• Auburn @ Tennessee – Cheat Sheet Feature.  Vols bounce back
• Pitt @ Virginia Tech – Pretty evenly matched game here, but Pittsburgh is just another run of the mill ACC team that is way worse on the road than they are at home.  Give me the Hokies.
• Alabama @ Mississippi State – Is Kamario Taylor ready for a step up in class?  You bet he is.  Mississippi State loves being in the underdog role and the dream season continues this week.  They have to cut the turnovers (79th in turnover margin) and penalties (126th in penalty yards per game).
• Notre Dame @ North Carolina – Another Cheat Sheet write up.  Take the Irish to win and cover the 20.5.
• Florida @ Missouri – Another one that could easily go either way.  Missouri’s home field advantage is always pretty stout, but Florida will be a stern test.  Gators probability to make the playoffs sky rockets with a win here.
• Ohio State @ Iowa – I thought this could potentially be a slippery spot for Ohio State before the season began.  After the crazy win for Iowa last week I think it will be hard for them to pull it off two weeks in a row.  
• Virginia @ Florida State – Virginia hasn’t lost as a road favorite in the last six years (4-0).  That’s enough for me against this Florida State team.
• Miami @ Clemson – I expect Clemson to put up a fight in this one, but in the end Miami just has too many bigger, faster, stronger players than Clemson can account for.
• Cincinnati @ Arizona – Big edge in the passing game for Arizona.  They beat the Bearcats through the air.
• Kentucky @ South Carolina – A lot at play in this game, and I’m not sold on South Carolina winning this one.  But they’re 20-4 straight up over the last six seasons when favored, and my read on Kentucky was they’re not very good prior to the season, and I am not letting one win at Texas A&M sway that when the Aggies might just not be any good either.  Let’s see how Shane Beamer does with his back completely against the wall.
• Marshall @ James Madison – SICKO Special in the Cheat Sheet.  Marshall isn’t scoring many points against this defense.  Dukes roll. 
• Wofford @ Furman – Terriers bark seems to be getting yippier and yippier instead of stronger.  Their bad season continues in Greenville.
• Youngstown State @ Southern Illinois – Apparently the best thing about Southern Illinois is hiking to see sandstone bluffs.  If that’s all they got, they can focus more on practicing football.  Give me Southern Illinois
• Tennessee Tech @ Western Carolina – Like their mascot would have a gorgeous view of the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Tech will have a great view of open receivers and gaps to run through against this WCU defense.
• Titans @ Ravens – Ravens could’ve used a bye week this week after the crazy win in Rio along with the travel to South America.  This is the next best thing they could’ve asked for.
• Rams @ Eagles – All of a sudden we have a pretty important matchup early in the season for two teams just beat in agonizing, but different ways in prime time.  The Rams offense just doesn’t do it for me.  Give me the Eagles with the Rams traveling to play in a 10 am west coast time game. 
• Jaguars @ Bengals – This game will likely come down to who has the ball last.  Bengals are seemingly the same team every year under Joe Burrow, and that team is 18-9 as a home favorite.
• Broncos @ 49ers – Hasn’t been pretty for the Broncos this year, but they only get better as the game goes on.  Last week the Niners did the opposite and the Cardinals almost came back to beat them.  Broncos in a slight upset on the road.
• Falcons @ Saints – Falcons are riding high after a win at Green Bay.  That win isn’t as pretty as it looked on paper.  Saints are better. 

SCOTT FELTS, I-81 Sports Contributor

• ETSU 28, Chattanooga 21: Both 3-2 SoCon squads; ETSU’s home field and improving offense give them the edge over Chattanooga’s solid defense. In the SoCon, “blowout” is just a polite way of saying “someone forgot to bring their secondary.” Weather may play a factor. 
• Tennessee 31, Auburn 23: The No. 17 Vols (3-1) host the 3-1 Tigers after a great defensive performance  in a loss vs. Texas while Auburn’s recent grind it out Vandy win doesn’t scream “road warriors.” Tennessee’s home edge and defense make them  70% favorites.  Will Brandon get to “let er rip” or will weather dictate a pound it out old school SEC slugfest? 
• Virginia Tech 27, Pirr 23: Battle of the 4-0 unranked ACC teams; VT home under the lights, Pitt’s elite defense vs. Hokies’ run game. Slight home lean.  Someone’s perfect season is about to get “Enter Sandman’d.” Pitt’s defense is so good it could stop a clock, unfortunately VT’s Overton runs like he stole one. 
• Alabama 34, Mississippi State 27: No. 7 Tide (4-0) at No. 16 Bulldogs (4-0); Bama’s defense and historical dominance (16-game streak) outweigh Starkville noise and Kamario Taylor’s arm. Mississippi State’s “this is the year” energy has more false starts than their offensive line. 
• Notre Dame 35, North Carolina 14: No. 3 Irish (4-0) at 2-1 Tar Heels; ND’s defense and margin of victory make this a mismatch. UNC under Belichick trying to slow the Irish is like asking a traffic cone to stop a freight train.  Notre Dame 35, North Carolina 14.
• Florida 35, Missouri 24: No. 8 Gators (4-0) at No. 25 Tigers (3-1); Florida’s momentum under Sumrall travels better than Mizzou’s homecoming vibes after a close loss last week.  Homecoming underdogs? Cute. The Gators are here to chomp, not take selfies. 
• Ohio State 24, Iowa 13: No. 5 Buckeyes (3-1) at No. 14 Hawkeyes (4-0); Kinnick is ugly by design, but OSU talent should grind it out. Iowa’s defense makes every game a dental appointment—slow, painful, and you leave with less than you arrived with. 
• Virginia 27, Florida State 23: Cavs slightly favored on the road after FSU’s inconsistency. FSU’s “almost” vs. Alabama energy meets Virginia’s steadiness. Mockery: The Seminoles are so streaky they run more “compost routes” than post routes. 
• Miami 31, Clemson 17: No. 4 Hurricanes (4-0) at 3-1 Tigers; Miami’s talent gap is real. Death Valley under the lights? Nice try, Miami’s bringing the hurricane while Clemson’s season is currently “Tigers, but make it mid.” 
• Arizona 28, Cincinnati 21: Limited high-level data, but Arizona’s home edge in a cross-conference spot leans Wildcats. Bearcats traveling west is like packing a picnic for a desert—optimistic and slightly delusional.
• Kentucky 27, South Carolina 20: No. 24 Cats (3-1) at 2-2 Gamecocks; Kentucky’s slight edge in the SEC East mid-tier scrap. Multiple Vols coaches have been fired after loses to SC, could Beamer get the boot after a loss to the Cats? 
• James Madison 31, Marshall 24: JMU’s home FCS/Sun Belt continuity favors the Dukes. Marshall’s road trip slogan to Harrisonburg: “We came, we saw, we almost.” 
• Furman 24, Wofford 17: Furman gets the slight home nod. Classic Southern Conference: points optional, pride mandatory. 
• Southern Illinois 28, Youngstown State 21: SIU home lean in the MVFC. Penguins in Carbondale means someone’s cold streak continues. 
• Tennessee Tech 31, Western Carolina 17: Tech’s perfect start (4-0) travels. Golden Eagles soaring while Catamounts are still finding the litter box.  
• Ravens 30, Titans 13: 0-3 Titans visit 2-1 Ravens; Baltimore -11.5 and Lamar/Henry make this a mismatch. Titans offense averaging 12 PPG is less “football” and more “participation trophy.” Tennessee’s playbook is so short it fits on a sticky note.  
• Eagles 24, Rams 20: Rams slight favorites after Philly’s MNF flop; but Birds rebound. Philly’s secondary is currently available for rent, dirt cheap. 
• Bengals 28, Jaguars 24: Bengals slight home edge. Two 2-1 teams who both think they’re better than they are. Classic.  
• 49ers 27, Broncos 23: 3-0 Niners home vs. 2-1 Broncos. Levi’s Stadium in October? Bring a jacket and low expectations for Denver’s secondary. 
• Saints 27, Falcons 23: Monday Night NFC South Battle. Saints slight home favorites. Rivalry game where both sides specialize in finding new ways to disappoint their fanbases. 

JOHN MOOREHOUSE (Editor in Chief, I-81 Sports)

• Chattanooga at ETSU: The Bucs should have won this game last year. ETSU has been pretty good against the run this season, so the Mocs are going to have to throw it, which hasn’t been their forte. . 
• Auburn at Tennessee: I’m sorely tempted to take Auburn because of all the injuries for the Vols right now. 
• Pitt at Virginia Tech: The Hokies won’t face a real challenge until their Nov. 6 trip to SMU.
• Alabama at Mississippi State: It’s the Kamario Taylor Show, starring Kamario Taylor. Special guest Kamario Taylor. Musical guest, actually, it’s Coldplay. Hmm.
• Notre Dame at North Carolina: Irish all the way here. 
• Florida at Missouri: Sumrall has the Gators looking very good right now.
• Ohio State at Iowa: A ballyhooed Big Ten game that I don’t think meets the hype. Buckeyes roll.
• Virginia at Florida State: Go Hoos Go
• Miami at Clemson: Maybe Dabo can tell everyone again how good Clemson was a decade ago.
• Cincinnati at Arizona: I’ll take the home team in this battle of the ’cats.
• Kentucky at South Carolina: The Gamecocks badly need a win and won’t have many chances better than this in SEC play.
• Marshall at James Madison
• Wofford at Furman: Furman is reeling with a change at coordinator.
• Youngstown State at Southern Illinois: My fellow prognosticators are sleeping on the Penguins.
• Tennessee Tech at Western Carolina: A crazy pick on paper. But the Golden Eagles should have lost to Wofford last week and I think the Southern Conference is just not very good. This result would prove it.
• Titans at Ravens: That Titans offense is rough.
• Rams at Eagles: The West Coast teams playing at 1 Eastern factor isn’t as big a deal as it used to be.
• Jaguars at Bengals: Win it for Tony Khan, fellas.
• Broncos at 49ers
• Falcons at Saints: Saints run on emotion in the anniversary of the Superdome reopening.

MIKE COX, Voice of the Patriots on 93.7 The Fan

• Chattanooga at ETSU

• Auburn at Tennessee

• Pitt at Virginia Tech

• Alabama at Mississippi State

• Notre Dame at North Carolina

• Florida at Missouri

• Ohio State at Iowa

• Virginia at Florida State

• Miami at Clemson

• Cincinnati at Arizona

• Kentucky at South Carolina

• Marshall at James Madison

• Wofford at Furman

• Youngstown State at Southern Illinois

• Tennessee Tech at Western Carolina

• Titans at Ravens

• Rams at Eagles

• Jaguars at Bengals

• Broncos at 49ers

• Falcons at Saints

MIKE ROBERTS (Contributor, I-81 Sports)

• ETSU over Chattanooga
• Tennessee over Auburn
• Virginia Tech over Pitt 
• Alabama over Mississippi State 
• Notre Dame over North Carolina 
• Florida over Missouri
• Ohio State over Iowa
• Virginia over Florida State 
• Miami over Clemson
• Cincinnati over Arizona
• South Carolina over Kentucky
• Marshall over James Madison
• Wofford over Furman
• Southern Illinois over Youngstown State 
• Tennessee Tech over Western Carolina
• Ravens over Titans
• Eagles over Rams
• Bengals over Jaguars
• 49ers over Broncos
• Saints over Falcons

THOMAS STOKES (FCS Writer, I-81 Sports)

• ETSU over Chattanooga : ETSU hasn’t had issues with rushing defense and that’s going to be put to the test. If the Bucs can hold the Mocs to 150-180 yards they’ll win. 
• Tennessee over Auburn 
• Pitt over Virginia Tech 
• Alabama over Mississippi State 
• Notre Dame over North Carolina 
• Florida over Missouri 
• Ohio State over Iowa 
• Florida State over Virginia 
• Miami over Clemson 
• Arizona over Cincinnati 
• Kentucky over South Carolina 
• James Madison over Marshall 
• Wofford over Furman: Wofford wins in the 100th meeting making it four in a row for them.  
• Youngstown State over Southern Illinois: SIU needs this game for playoff hopes but won’t get it done on Saturday. 
• Tennessee Tech over Western Carolina: Golden Eagles lose if they commit the amount of penalty yards they did on Saturday. 
• Ravens over Titans 
• Eagles over Rams 
• Jaguars over Bengals 
• 49ers over Broncos 
• Saints over Falcons 

JACOB TOWNSEND (Host of the Morning Monster, WXSM)

• Chattanooga

• Tennessee

• Virginia Tech

• Alabama

• Notre Dame

• Missouri

• Ohio State

• Florida State

• Miami

• Arizona

• South Carolina 

• James Madison

• Furman

• Southern Illinois

• Tennessee Tech

• Ravens

• Rams

• Bengals

• 49ers

• Saints

STEVE WILMOTH (TriCitiesSports.com Vice President Publishing & Technology)

Chattanooga

Tennessee

Virginia Tech

Mississippi State

Notre Dame

Florida

Iowa

Florida State

Miami

Cincinnati

Kentucky

james Madison

Wofford

SIU 

Tennessee Tech

Ravens

Eagles 

Bengals

49ers

Saints

El General Naranja, Man of Mystery

Editor’s Note: El General Naranja is our Mystery Predictor, a man weathered and hardened from battles from the gridiron and the squared circle. 

UTC is the pick over ETSU, they have the Bucs’ number.    

Tennessee is the pick over Auburn. The defense will keep Tenn in all games this year.

VT is the pick over Pitt

Bama is the pick over Mississippi State 

ND is the pick over UNC

Florida is the pick over Mizzoy. Florida is for real.  Not that much excitement down there since Kevin Sullivan was kicking Dusty Rhodes’ butt all over the Sunshine State!

Ohio St is the pick over Iowa. Buckeyes are the best team in Big Ten

Florida St is the pick over UVA. A slight upset 

Miami is the pick over Clemson

Arizona is the pick over Cincy

SC is the pick over Kentucky. This line is fishy, something’s not right.

JMU is the pick over Marshall

Furman is the pick over Wofford. Both teams SUCK 

Youngstown St is the pick over Southern Illinois

Tenn Tech is the pick over Western Carolina

Ravens over Titans. Ravens will roll, and the Titans will wish they had given King Henry the money he deserved.

Rams over Eagles

Bengals over Jaguars

49ers over Broncos, they play harder than other pro team 

Falcons over Saints, Atlanta may have turned the corner

All you Egg Sucking Dogs take notice I’m moving toward the top …