Football Pick’Ems: November Reign

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

El General Naranja, 13-6 last week, 119-61 overall
Mike Cox, 14-5, 118-62
Thomas Stokes, 13-6, 117-63
Steve Wilmoth, 16-3, 115-65
Mark Vicars, 11-8, 115-65
Scott Felts, 12-7, 110-70
Jacob Townsend, 11-8, 110-70
J.T. Chadwell, 9-10, 110-70
John Moorehouse, 11-8, 108-72
Mike Roberts, 11-8, 104-76

MARK VICARS (Owner, I-81 Sports)

•  Kentucky at Tennessee: Sadly I cannot attend this game, but I will be watching from my work trip.. Neyland is a very tough place to win at, I think Tennessee wins. 
• Samford at ETSU: I think ETSU wins this after the huge let down last week. 
• Virginia Tech at SMU (Friday).
• Miami at Notre Dame: Miami and it won’t be close.. 
• BYU at Utah: I love this game every year. BYU wins. 
• Texas at Missouri: It would be fun if Missouri wins, but I think Texas pulls it out.
• Alabama at LSU
• Oregon at Ohio State: Ohio State wins, Oregon has fallen apart. 
• Georgia at Ole Miss: Georgia but it wouldn’t surprise me if Ole Miss pulled it out. 
• Oklahoma at Florida: Florida, Oklahoma can’t even kick a ball right now. 
• Arkansas at Auburn
• Texas A&M at South Carolina
• Iowa at Northwestern
• Mercer at Chattanooga
• Wofford at Western Carolina
• Furman at The Citadel
• Bengals at Falcons
• Giants at Eagles: Eagles starting Milton win.. 
• Raiders at 49ers. 
• Packers at Patriots
• Bills at Vikings

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

•  Kentucky @ Tennessee – Vols run game is just good enough to win this one.  Kentucky will keep it close, but their run defense isnt quite good enough to get the job done on the road.
• Samford @ ETSU – Bucs pick back up after a tough loss last week.
• Virginia Tech @ SMU – Virginia Tech has had 2 weeks to prepare for SMU.  Give me James Franklin to figure it out.
• Miami @ Notre Dame – Notre Dame doesn’t NEED it, but they’d really like to have it.  Can’t imagine Miami feels the same.  I could see the Hurricanes maybe scaling back and not using a lot of new plays and defensive looks to put on tape for future teams in the playoffs.
• BYU @ Utah – Utah feels a lot like Texas Tech last season.  It wasn’t a good experience for BYU@ Texas Tech last season, and it might not be a good experience @ Utah this season. 
• Texas @ Missouri –  I am still not convinced Texas is THAT team.  Missouri is really good at home and have been stuffing the run on their home turf.  If Texas becomes one dimensional, the scoreboard might as well.
• Alabama @ LSU – I don’t trust a freshman QB to waltz into this environment against this defense and come out with a win.
• Oregon @ Ohio State – Wow, we really expected this one to look different.  Oregon’s postseason hopes are over, and now Ohio State is probably fighting for it’s spot.  However, as bad as the season has been for Oregon, this would make Dan Lanning feel ALOT better.  Oregon is a live underdog here.
• Georgia @ Ole Miss – Georgia has REALLY struggled to stop playmaking quarterbacks who can move the pocket and make plays under Kirby Smart.  That is Trinidad Chambliss’ game and he’s the best in the nation at it.  Ole Miss wins a high scoring affair.
• Oklahoma @ Florida – Two blue bloods in a complete tail spin. Oklahoma fired it’s OC this week, so maybe Florida takes this one with a (very little) bit more stability.
• Arkansas @ Auburn – Have to pick someone to win here.  These are the 2 of the 4 worst teams in the SEC.  
• Texas A&M @ South Carolina – Hottest team in the SEC picks up another win.  Meanwhile, Texas A&M Message boards keep providing us with gold content.
• Iowa @ Northwestern – Northwestern has held serve pretty well at home this season.
• Mercer @ Chattanooga – Mercer is rolling and rolls right into Chatt town and gets the W.
• Wofford @ Western Carolina – Catamounts enjoy playing at home as they’re 3-1.  
• Furman @ Citadel – Loser should probably be relegated to Division 2.
• Bengals @ Falcons – Falcons just got embarrassed by Tampa, and no professional wants to get embarrassed 2 weeks in a row.  Falcons come with more motivation to knock off the Bengals
• Giants @ Eagles – What are the Eagles even playing for at this point? The higher the draft pick the better for them.
• Raiders @ 49ers – Kyle Shanahan off a bye week against a mediocre team at home is more automatic than picking against the Titans
• Packers @ Patriots – Both teams have major question marks running the ball.  Jordan Love makes plays late to win this one for the Pack.
• Bills @ Vikings – At some point the Vikings are going to have to score points to beat teams.  Bills will score enough of them this week to make it 2 straight L’s for Minnesota.

SCOTT FELTS, I-81 Sports Contributor

• Tennessee 34, Kentucky 24: After that 27-24 gut-punch loss to South Carolina, Heupel probably needed this extra week more than the roster did. Kentucky’s 7-1 and riding a six-game win streak, but they’re 115th in third-down conversions, which is a fancy way of saying they stall like a lawnmower in wet grass. Tennessee’s defense is 15th overall and 12th against the pass, and the Vols have scored on 26 of 27 red-zone trips. The one wrinkle: Kentucky’s plus 13 turnover margin is fourth in the country, and Tennessee’s penalty yards are 93rd. If Kentucky covers, it’s because the Vols found four new ways to get flagged in one series. Wild Stat: For six straight weeks going into Tennessee’s bye week as the 16th ranked AP team, six straight 16 ranked teams have lost. (The longest losing streak for the AP 16 dating back to 1936.) No AP Poll position has ever lost seven straight games. The Vols stayed 16th and roll into the game with the 8th-ranked Wildcats (8th -ranked teams are 6-1 the last 7 weeks). 
• ETSU 38, Samford 14: ETSU’s 6-3 and averaging better than 31 points a game, while Samford’s 3-6 and scoring under 18. The Bucs put up 38 on these Bulldogs last year. This is less a football game and more a scheduled appointment. 
• SMU 30, Virginia Tech 24: Friday night in Dallas, both teams 6-2, and SMU’s still a 6.5 point favorite despite getting stunned by Syracuse on a last-second touchdown. The Mustangs’ offense is 14th in the country at 467 yards a game, led by Kevin Jennings throwing for over 2,400 yards. Virginia Tech’s more physical, controls the clock at 32 minutes a game.  Somebody’s defense has to show up eventually.
• Notre Dame 31, Miami 27: Miami owns the nation’s top scoring offense at 47.6 points per game and ranks second in total offense (534.9 yards per game). Quarterback Darian Mensah has been nearly perfect: 2,425 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just one interception while completing 80.7 percent of his passes. Notre Dame counters with the best defense in the country, allowing just 236.1 yards and 13.4 points per game. Expect a physical, somewhat lower-scoring game than Miami is used to.
• Utah 27,  BYU 21: Utah’s 8-0, ranked third, and 5 for 5 against the spread in its last five. BYU’s 7-1 and ranked eighth, but the Utes are the better team and the line’s been drifting Utah’s way all week. Last year BYU stole it 24-21 in Provo, so the Cougars have the blueprint, they just need Utah to forget it exists. Rice-Eccles in November is a cold, loud place to try that.
• Texas 27, Missouri 24: Texas is 6-2 after back-to-back wins, including a 31-3 thrashing of Mississippi State. Missouri is also 6-2 and ranked No. 19. The Longhorns have steadied the ship; Missouri will make them work for every yard.  Missouri’s unbeaten at home, just coasted past Arkansas by 24, and Simmons has thrown 13 touchdowns without an interception. I’ll say the Longhorns survive on the road, barely, because that’s what Texas does. 
• LSU 29, Alabama 23: LSU opened as a four-point favorite and the number’s climbed to a half point, which is rare air for a program that’s spent most of this century being Alabama’s little brother. Both teams are 6-2, both are coming off byes, and LSU’s fourth in SP+ with a defense ranked third in havoc and second in pass EPA allowed. Alabama’s offense is 113th in havoc allowed, which is a polite way of saying Keelon Russell gets sacked like it’s a subscription service. Death Valley on a Saturday in November is one of the worst places in America to be a visiting quarterback, and Alabama’s about to find out why.
• Ohio State 31, Oregon 20: The Buckeyes dropped to 6-2 after losing to USC. Both teams are rolling with backup quarterbacks, Luke Fahey in Columbus, Dylan Raiola in Eugene. Raiola just led a 20-point comeback against Northwestern, which is either inspiring or terrifying depending on which sideline you’re on. Ohio State wins at home because home field is the one thing that doesn’t need a backup.
• Georgia 31, Ole Miss 27: Georgia’s 7-1, averaging 41 points and giving up under 15, which sounds like a video game  cheat code. Ole Miss is 6-2 and just dropped 45 on Auburn, but also lost to Texas and got shut down by Florida. If this game hits the over, it’s because Ole Miss’s offense refuses to play small ball and Georgia’s secondary is still looking for its confidence.
• Florida 24, Oklahoma 17: Florida’s 5-3 and just managed 246 yards against Georgia. Oklahoma’s 4-4, scoring 22 game, but its defense is seventh in points allowed. This is a game where the better team might lose because the other team is slightly less bad. I’ll take Florida at home in The Swamp, where the crowd does half the tackling.
• Auburn 31, Arkansas 20: Auburn’s a 10.5 point favorite, which is bold for a team that’s 1-4 against the spread and just got run off the field by Ole Miss. Arkansas is 3-5 and 1-4 as a double-digit dog. Auburn’s defense is the story here, it held Mississippi State to nothing and LSU to 17. If Arkansas keeps it within 10, it’s a moral victory. 
• South Carolina 29, Texas A&M 22: The Gamecocks are seven-point favorites after beating Oklahoma 42-25 and knocking off Tennessee 27-24. Texas A&M is 4-4 and got shut down by LSU, 35-6, which is the kind of loss that echoes. South Carolina’s 3-3 against the spread in its last three and the line’s been steady all week. Williams-Brice on a Saturday night is a hostile environment, and the Aggies’ offense has shown it can be spooked, even after Halloween.
• Northwestern 24, Iowa 22: A close game between two 6-2 teams, is what happens when both defenses show up and both offenses file for unemployment. Northwestern’s plus-10 turnover margin is fifth in the country; Iowa’s is plus-one, which is 60th. This is a game decided by a fumble, a penalty, or a kicker with something to prove. Ryan Field in November is cold enough that the ball might just refuse to move.
• Mercer 22, Chattanooga 21: Mercer leads the all-time series 6-5 and won last year’s meeting 63-17, but that was a different era. The Bears are 7-2 and ranked 21st in FCS with a defense ranked 14th. Chattanooga’s 6-3 with a defense-first identity that ranks ninth among FCS teams while the offense sits 51st. This is a coin flip with a SoCon logo on it. Finley Stadium on a Saturday is where these games go to be decided by one field goal and a prayer.
• Western Carolina 32, Wofford 25: WCU’s 4-5 but just beat Furman on the road, and is averaging nearly 30 points a game while allowing almost 32. Wofford’s 5-4 and just lost to Samford. Wofford’s rushing is 112th in FCS. The score will make it look closer than it will actually be. 
• Furman 26, The Citadel 23: Both teams are 2-7. Furman averages about 16 and gives up 22; Citadel averages about 19 and gives up 33. Kalshi’s market gives Furman about a 57% chance of winning. Citadel lost to Texas A&M 41-0, which is the kind of number that follows you around. Furman’s the lesser evil here, which in this league is basically a compliment. Johnson Hagood in Charleston on a fall evening is a nice place to watch two teams that peaked in September.
• Bengals 27, Falcons 22: Cincinnati’s 5-2, coming off a 43-36 win over Tennessee and a 35-13 dismantling of Baltimore. Atlanta’s 3-5 with Bijan Robinson out, and this one’s at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, which is either the coolest neutral-site game ever or the most confusing thing to happen to NFL football since the tuck rule. Joe Burrow’s been the difference, and the Falcons’ defense has been the problem. This is a road game for both teams in the best possible way.
• Giants 21, Eagles 18:  The Giants are 4-2-1 and 5-2 against the spread, while Philadelphia is 2-6 and have lost six in a row. The Eagles have lost to the Jaguars, Panthers, Cowboys and Commanders in that stretch, which is a schedule that reads like a cry for help. New York’s passing game is averaging 243 yards a game to Philly’s 194. I’ll take the Giants because the Eagles have been playing like a team that forgot why it  even showed up.
• 49ers 31, Raiders 17: San Francisco’s a 10 point favorite, which is the kind of number that usually means one team’s playing for pride and the other’s playing for a playoff seed. The Niners have covered in 14 of their last 21. Las Vegas just beat the Jets 38-33 in a game that felt like a car crash you couldn’t look away from.
• Patriots 24, Packers 22: New England’s 5-3, at home, and favored by three, but will be missing A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Mack Hollins, which is like showing up to a knife fight with a spork. Green Bay’s 5-3 against the spread. This is a game where the first score might be the last one that matters.
• Vikings 27, Bills 24: Buffalo’s 6-1, first in the AFC East, and 4-2 against the spread. Minnesota’s 6-1, first in the NFC North, but 1-5 on the over-under. Josh Allen’s averaging nearly 24 fantasy points a game, James Cook’s at 15. This is the kind of game that gets decided in the fourth quarter when a third-team receiver has to play hero. I’ll say the Vikings win it at home. 

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

•  Kentucky over Tennessee: Will Stein and the Wildcats are legit.
• ETSU over Samford: The Bucs avoid the potential trap, but the real trap is next week at Wofford. Insert your Admiral Akbar meme with caution.
• SMU over Virginia Tech: Still not sold on the Hokies.
• Notre Dame over Miami: Reversing course here with Toney out.
• Utah over BYU: Utes are for real.
• Missouri over Texas: Another late switch with Hollywood Smothers done for the season.
• LSU over Alabama: Would not have expected one of these teams to have three losses through the first 10 weeks.
• Ohio State over Oregon: Re-asserting my comparison between these Ducks and the 2025 Vols.
• Florida over Oklahoma: Speaking of teams falling apart …
• Auburn over Arkansas
• South Carolina over Texas A&M
• Iowa over Northwestern
• Chattanooga over Mercer
• Western Carolina over Wofford
• Furman over The Citadel
• Bengals over Falcons
• Giants over Eagles
• 49ers over Raiders
• Patriots over Packers
• Bills over Vikings

MIKE COX, Voice of the Patriots on 93.7 The Fan

•  Tennessee 33, Kentucky 31. Vols should never lose to UK in November. Despite the lunacy of the South Carolina game, I think the Big Orange gets up for this one and wins. But it won’t be easy. We’ll have the broadcast on 93.7 The Fan Saturday evening after App State is done!
• ETSU 26, Samford 17.
• SMU 24, Virginia Tech 20. Hokies still have the knack for getting field goals when they should get touchdowns. Until that changes, I don’t have full confidence just yet. The team my niece calls “Smoo” should win, but I’d be glad to take an L if Tech wins.
• Miami 28, Notre Dame 24. This game is a reason there should be ties in college football… so both teams don’t win.
• Utah 35, BYU 33. This may be the best game of the weekend.
• Texas 37, Missouri 27. 
• LSU 19, Alabama 17. Another game I’d call a tie if it was possible.
• Ohio State 40, Oregon 30.
• Georgia 28, Ole Miss 14.
• Florida 19, Oklahoma 14. There should be a lot of ties this weekend if I’m honest.
• Auburn 30, Arkansas 10.
• South Carolina 23, Texas A&M 10.
• Iowa 17, Northwestern 14.
• Chattanooga 19, Mercer 13.
• Wofford 23, Western Carolina 3.
• Furman 17, The Citadel 10. 
• Bengals 24, Falcons 19.
• Giants 18, Eagles 16.
• 49ers 26, Raiders 17. Should be an interesting one…live on 93.7 The Fan Sunday afternoon…after the Cowboys lose again, probably.
• Patriots 33, Packers 28.
• Bills 28, Vikings 27.

MIKE ROBERTS (Contributor, I-81 Sports)

Tennessee over Kentucky
ETSU over Samford
Virginia Tech over SMU
Miami over Notre Dame
BYU over Utah
Texas over Missouri
Alabama over LSU
Oregon over Ohio State
Georgia over Ole Miss
Florida over Oklahoma
Auburn over Arkansas
Texas A&M over South Carolina
Iowa over Northwestern
Mercer over Chattanooga
Wofford over Western Carolina
Furman over The Citadel
Bengals over Falcons
Giants over Eagles
49ers over Raiders
Patriots over Packers
Bills over Vikings

THOMAS STOKES (FCS Writer, I-81 Sports)

•  Kentucky over Tennessee 
• ETSU over Samford I can honestly see the Bucs losing this game by Tennessee Tech beating them twice. It is win out or the season is done mentality for the Bucs as the bubble looks to be growing and can grow depending on results the next few weeks. 
• Virginia Tech over SMU 
• Miami over Notre Dame 
• Utah over BYU 
• Missouri over Texas 
• LSU over Alabama 
• Ohio State over Oregon 
• Georgia over Ole Miss 
• Florida over Oklahoma 
• Auburn over Arkansas 
• South Carolina over Texas A&M 
• Iowa over Northwestern 
• Mercer over Chattanooga The Bears start the late season grind towards a conference championship all but eliminates Chattanooga from the running in this one. 
• Wofford over Western Carolina The bad loss against Samford last week dashed the life support hope the Terriers had. Both teams just playing for pride I think the Terriers as WCU seems to have gone backwards on offense after barely beating Furman. 
• Furman over The Citadel I can really see either team winning this game. Furman made a quarterback change last week and almost beat Western Carolina. But The Citadel has not been able to finish games as they held leads against Tech and Mercer to have those games get away from them. If they finish a game this week could see me being wrong about this one. 
• Bengals over Falcons 
• Giants over Eagles 
• 49ers over Raiders 
• Patriots over Packers 
• Vikings over Bills 

JACOB TOWNSEND (Host of the Morning Monster, WXSM)

•  Tennessee

• ETSU

• SMU

• Notre Dame

• BYU

• Missouri

• Alabama

• Ohio State

• Ole Miss

• Florida

• Auburn

• South Carolina

• Northwestern

• Chattanooga

• Western Carolina

• The Citadel

• Falcons

• Giants

• 49ers

• Patriots

• Bills

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

Tennessee
ETSU
SMU
Notre Dame
Utah
Texas
LSU
Ohio State
Ole Miss
Florida
Auburn
South Carolina
Northwestern
Mercer
Western Carolina
The Citadel
Falcons
Eagles – Joe Milton is the difference
49ers
Patriots
Bills

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. 

Greeting you Egg Sucking Dogs , people have ask if I win that title (which I will), will I unmask and reveal my true identity? Why should I? Down in Mexico, only LOSERS lose their masks. I’m the General , highly educated and tough as nails , been known to hand out a few East Tennessee Dog Whippings in my time from the JC Rec center to Bucksnort. On with the picks.

Tenn
ETSU
SMU
Miami
BYU
TX
LSU
OHIO ST
GA
Florida
Auburn
SC
NW
Chattanooga
WC
Furman
Bengals
Giants
49ers
Patriots
Bills