Football Pick’Ems: Ice Cold, Baby

The weather has turned downright cold here in East Tennessee, taking a hard left turn on fall and barreling right for winter.

Meanwhile, records last week were in the deep freeze. A 13-7 by Mike Cox was the best slate of the bunch, and half of our gaggle of guessers finished at or below .500.

Yeesh.

Perhaps better lies ahead this week. Mike’s panel-topping record draws him into a tie with El General Naranja for the top spot in the standings. They have a four-game lead over the closest competition as everyone pursues the coveted No-Prize going to the prognosticating champion.

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

Mike Cox, 13-7 last week, 131-69 overall
El General Naranja, 12-8, 131-69
Thomas Stokes, 10-10, 127-73
Steve Wilmoth, 10-10, 125-75
Mark Vicars, 9-11, 124-76
Scott Felts, 13-7, 123-77
John Moorehouse, 12-8, 120-80
J.T. Chadwell, 10-10, 120-80
Jacob Townsend, 9-11, 119-81
Mike Roberts, 12-8, 116-84

MARK VICARS (Owner, I-81 Sports)

•  Mercer at Tennessee Tech
• Tennessee at Texas A&M: This game scares me because I know how much talent A&M has, but has been vastly underperforming. Vols win a close one 
• ETSU at Wofford: Must win for ETSU. Let’s see what happens. 
• Stanford at Virginia Tech
• USC at Indiana
• Texas at LSU: Texas wins.. but it’s close. 
• Missouri at Georgia: Missouri upset? It could happen. UGA wins though.
• Utah at Arizona: Arizona.. Utah is due a loss. 
• Wake Forest at SMU: Wake Forest is my favorite team in the ACC right now. 
• Texas Tech at Oklahoma State
• Northwestern at Ohio State: What world is this… Well the directional school wins here.. 
• Florida at Kentucky
• Western Carolina at Samford
• Illinois State at Youngstown State: State wins… I don’t know which one, but I guess Illinois
• Weber State at Northern Arizona
• Jaguars at Titans: The Titans couldn’t get out of a wet paper bag. 
• Patriots vs Lions in Germany
• 49ers at Cowboys
• Vikings at Packers: Finally a game; Packers, though.. 
• Steelers at Bengals

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

•  Mercer @ Tennessee Tech –  Tech has been the best team in the SoCon all year, no reason to sway from that now.
• Tennessee @ Texas A&M – This line stinks to the high heavens.  Aggies trip up the Vols
• ETSU @ Wofford – GO Bucs!
• Stanford @ Virginia Tech – About the only thing that could’ve made the season easier after being drummed at SMU was a home game against Stanford.
• USC @ Indiana – Indiana’s defense gets the job done at home, and they punch their ticket to the CFB Playoff for the third year in a row under Curt Cignetti.
• Texas @ LSU – Vegas always gets it right.  LSU is a 3.5 point favorite after getting the belt in Baton Rouge from Alabama?  And Texas is just as good or better than Alabama?  Yeah Horns don’t get it done this week.
• Missouri @ Georgia – Tigers would be coming in on a high if not for the guys in black and white last week.  Bulldogs just too much 
• Utah @ Arizona – Dream season for the Utes continues
• Wake Forest @ SMU – This is where we find out how good Wake really is.  They have hammered the cupcakes of the ACC so far. I think they keep it rolling against an overrated SMU squad.
• Texas Tech @ Oklahoma State – Shootout that goes to the team that has the ball last.  That will be the Cowboys
• Northwestern @ Ohio State – Wow the season could really go sideways for the Buckeyes here.  If Chiles was playing for the Cats, Northwestern could be live underdog here.
• Florida @ Kentucky – I will keep picking against Kentucky and I will probably keep being wrong
• Western Carolina @ Samford – Let down week for Samford after a big road win
• Illinois State @ Youngstown State – Penguins roll at home
• Weber State @ Northern Arizona – ETSU basketball guard Trevor Hennig has had a nice start to the season and he came from Weber State.  
• Jaguars @Titans – LOL.  Cam Ward thrown to the wolves here.
• Patriots vs Lions – Patriots have serious issues right now on both sides of the ball and injuries just continue to pile up.  Lions are healthier and defense is playing better.
• 49ers @ Cowboys – One of the most consistent teams in late game situations against maybe the worst.
• Vikings @ Packers – Defense only carries you so far.  Jordan Love is playing at an MVP level right now and the Vikings don’t have an offensive player that would be MVP of the SoCon.
• Steelers @ Bengals – Joe Burrow is on the short list of MVP candidates

SCOTT FELTS, I-81 Sports Contributor

• Tennessee Tech 31, Mercer 24: Tennessee Tech is 9-1 and playing for the SoCon title at home on Senior Day. Mercer is solid at 8-2 but has been a step slower on both sides of the ball lately. Jax Leatherwood has the Golden Eagles humming, and their defense creates enough chaos to keep Mercer from controlling the game. Tech should grind this one out.
• Tennessee 31, Texas A&M 17: The Vols are rolling after that 34-6 beatdown of Kentucky and sit at 7-2 with real playoff momentum. Texas A&M is 4-5 and just lost to South Carolina. Kyle Field will be loud, but Heupel’s offense is coming around and should travel better than A&M’s defense can handle right now. This one shouldn’t be close after the first half. 
• ETSU 28, Wofford 21: ETSU is the better team at 6-4 and has more ways to move the ball. Wofford is 5-5 and has been stuck in low-scoring, ugly games. The Bucs should control the line of scrimmage and leave Spartanburg with a win. 
• Virginia Tech 34, Stanford 17: 

Virginia Tech is a clear favorite at home. Stanford is 4-5 with a long road losing streak and limited ways to score against a halfway-decent defense. The Hokies should put this away early and keep the Cardinal’s miserable away record intact.

• Indiana 27, USC 24: Indiana’s defense is legit (top-5 in scoring defense) and the Hoosiers are 8-1 at home. USC can score with anybody, but they’ve been uneven on the road. This feels like a physical, lower-scoring game that Indiana wins late with field position and a couple of timely stops.
• Texas 27, LSU 24: Texas is healthier and playing better football right now. LSU just got punched in the mouth by Alabama and is 6-3 with real defensive questions. Death Valley is never easy, but the Longhorns should have enough on both sides of the ball to leave Baton Rouge with a win.
• Georgia 38, Missouri 17: Georgia is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. The Bulldogs just destroyed Ole Miss 42-7 and the defense is stifling. Missouri is competent but simply doesn’t have the talent to hang with the Bulldogs in Athens. Expect a one-sided afternoon affair. 
• Utah 31, Arizona 24: Utah is 9-0 and the more complete team. Arizona is dangerous at home and will make it competitive, but the Utes’ balance on offense and ability to run the ball should be the difference in a solid but not blowout win.
• Wake Forest 28, SMU 24: Wake is 8-1 and more consistent. SMU can put up points but has secondary issues that Wake should exploit. The Demon Deacons take this one on the road with better execution in the second half.
• Texas Tech 35, Oklahoma State 28: Texas Tech’s offense is too explosive for Oklahoma State’s defense to slow down for four quarters. The Cowboys will hang around and make it interesting, but the Red Raiders should still leave Stillwater with the win in a high-scoring game.
• Ohio State 31, Northwestern 10: Ohio State is still significantly more talented even after recent uneven play. Northwestern doesn’t have the horses to keep this competitive for long. The Buckeyes get back on track at home.
• Kentucky 27, Florida 21: Kentucky is the more physical and consistent team right now. Florida has flashes but too many self-inflicted problems. The Wildcats should control the line and force enough mistakes to win a grinding SEC game.
• Samford 28, Western Carolina 24: Samford has been the slightly better team and has the home field. Western Carolina will hang around, but Samford should make enough plays in the second half to close it out.
• Illinois State 27,Youngstown State 21: Illinois State has more balance and has been playing better recently. Youngstown State will compete, but the Redbirds should control the tempo and leave with a solid road win.
• Weber State 24,  Northern Arizona 21: Close Big Sky game. Weber State is a bit more reliable on both sides of the ball and should edge a tight one in Flagstaff.
• Jaguars 27, Titans 13: Jacksonville is 6-2 and functional. Tennessee is 1-7 and a mess on both sides of the ball. This should be a straightforward win for the Jags in Nashville.
• Lions 31, Patriots 24: Detroit is the better team even in a neutral-site game in Germany. The Lions’ offense has more ways to hurt you, and New England doesn’t have the consistency to keep up for four quarters.
• 49ers 28, Cowboys 20: San Francisco is 7-1 and playing like one of the top teams in the NFC. Dallas is 4-5 and inconsistent. The 49ers should control this one from start to finish.
• Vikings 24, Packers 21: Tight NFC North game at Lambeau. Minnesota is a little more complete right now and should edge a defensive battle.
• Bengals 27, Steelers 23: Cincinnati at home with Joe Burrow is a tough out. Pittsburgh is solid but the Bengals’ offense should have enough to pull out a close one in a typical AFC North slugfest.

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

• •  Tennessee Tech over Mercer: The Golden Eagles have been the class of the conference. Bobby Wilder establishes himself as the heel of the SoCon coaching circuit. 
  • Texas A&M over Tennessee: A troublesome matchup for the Vols. Thought this was a potential loss when the schedule came out, even though A&M is a lot worse than anticipated. Factor in three significant injuries this week to key Vols? I’ll take the Aggies.
  • Wofford over ETSU: Kind of like the previous game on this list, this one said “trap game” to me since August. Wofford’s going to be playing with emotion for its soon-to-be-retired coach, and ETSU is not playing winning football right now. Shout out to Donal Logue and give me the Terriers.
  • Virginia Tech over Stanford
  • Indiana over USC: I’d be inclined to take the upset if this was being played in Los Angeles. 
  • LSU over Texas: When you’re not sold on the LSU defense, or Arch Manning. Home field makes the difference here.
  • Georgia over Missouri
  • Utah over Arizona: What is a Ute?
  • Wake Forest over SMU: Shout out to Big Ty Hayworth. 

• • Oklahoma State over Texas Tech: A last-second flip on this one for me, just because the Red Raiders are so unlikable.
  • Ohio State over Northwestern: Ryan Day might be jobless by Tuesday and on College GameDay as a guest analyst by Saturday if the Buckeyes lose this one. 
  • Kentucky over Florida 
  • Samford over Western Carolina: Samford is probably the most improved team in the SoCon over the course of the entire season.
  • Youngstown State over Illinois State: Beau Brungard at home? Yes please.
  • Northern Arizona over Weber State: These Lumberjacks are more than OK.
  • Jaguars over Titans: Jacksonville in the Super Bowl? Jason Mendoza would be over the moon.
  • Lions over Patriots. 
  • 49ers over Cowboys.
  • Packers over Vikings.
  • Bengals over Steelers. A friend of mine calls QAaron “Papaw Measles” and it’s burrowed into my brain like those worms in Wrath of Khan. 

MIKE COX, Voice of the Patriots on 93.7 The Fan

•  Tennessee Tech 27, Mercer 24. Love those Southern Conference title deciders. They’re very weird and a lot of fun. I’ve picked against Tennessee Tech and lost enough times this season, so they get my pick to be champs.

• Tennessee 31, Texas A&M 27. Vols will have a hard time getting a win on the road, but they should do it. If Heupel doesn’t find a way to stop the stupid penalties, this may get blown up.

• ETSU 35, Wofford 21. In the glorious world that is the SoCon, it’s tough to win at Wofford. Thankfully for the Bucs, heat won’t be a big deal in South Carolina this week and it really will make the difference.

• Virginia Tech 42, Stanford 17. Hokies need to get right after a bad trip to Dallas, and Stanford is… not great, and has a much longer road trip.

• Indiana 24, USC 19.

• Texas 24, LSU 21. Went with Kiffin’s crew last year and paid for it. So, naturally, I’m prepared for Texas to do the same to me this time.

• Georgia 40, Mizzou 20.

• Utah 27, Arizona 24.

• Wake Forest 17, SMU 16.

• Texas Tech 24, Oklahoma State 17.

• Ohio State 36, Northwestern 14.

• Kentucky 37, Florida 21.

• Samford 56, Western Carolina 52.

• Youngstown State 26, Illinois State 21.

• Northern Arizona 31, Weber State 28.

• Jaguars 44, Titans 17. People tend to be negative about the orange team from this state, so I’ll turn my own to the blue one.

• Löwen fünf­und­zwanzig,  Patrioten neunzehn. Translating from German, Lions 25, Patriots 19. NFL games in Germany are fun since I get to stretch the knowledge a little. Hope the ref does the same!

• 49ers 31, Cowboys 26. I’d love to see Dak and the ‘Boys win this…but the Niners are too good. This one is game 2 of a three-game Sunday on 93.7 The Fan…ending with hockey at 9. Go Preds!

• That Team Up North 18, That Team Out West 16. Translating from Chicagoan, Packers 18, Vikings 16. It’s the only thing that helps the Bears stay on top of the North this week.

• Steelers 29, Bengals 25. I can totally see the Bengals winning this, especially if Rodgers has a game where he’s not getting the passing game going.

MIKE ROBERTS (Contributor, I-81 Sports)

• Mercer over Tennessee Tech
• Texas A&M over Tennessee
• ETSU over Wofford
• Virginia Tech over Stanford
• Indiana over USC
• Texas over LSU
• Georgia over Missouri
• Arizona over Utah
• Wake Forest over SMU
• Texas Tech over Oklahoma State
• Ohio State over Northwestern
• Kentucky over Florida
• Western Carolina over Samford
• Illinois State over Youngstown State
• Weber State over Northern Arizona
• Jaguars over Titans
• Patriots over Lions
• 49ers over Cowboys
• Packers over Vikings
• Bengals over Steelers

THOMAS STOKES (FCS Writer, I-81 Sports)

•  Tennessee Tech over Mercer I think the Golden Eagles if Bobby Wilder is at that school will be the class of the conference. Fitting that they will beat two-time conference champions Mercer to clinch their first.
• Tennessee over Texas A&M 
• ETSU over Wofford ETSU rights the ship completes the winning season but that’s about it. Even if they beat Mercer and finish second unless major bubble shakeup happens no playoffs again for the Bucs.
• Virginia Tech over Stanford 
• Indiana over USC
• LSU over Texas 
• Georgia over Missouri
• Utah over Arizona 
• Wake Forest over SMU 
• Texas Tech over Oklahoma State 
• Ohio State over Northwestern 
• Kentucky over Florida 
• Samford over Western Carolina I think the Bulldogs have turned the ship around and will bring in some momentum to end the conference slate this year. Will they be someone to watch in 2027 and return to playoff form? 
• Youngstown State over Illinois State YSU needs this game for the auto bid but ISU needs this to get into the playoffs at all. The runner ups last year has no signature win and that could hurt them on the bubble. 
• Northern Arizona over Weber State Another game where one team is hunting the auto bid and the other is trying to get a win to help their playoff resume. Weber State overall has a better win than ISU in the previous game (Idaho State) but a win against NAU who sits second in the conference will go a long way for Weber. I don’t think they will get it done as I think NAU wins out and wins the Big Sky auto bid. 
• Jaguars over Titans I hope to catch this one to see former ETSU Buc Alijah Huzzie with Jacksonville 
• Lions over Patriots 
• Cowboys over 49ers 
• Vikings over Packers 
• Bengals over Steelers 

JACOB TOWNSEND (Host of the Morning Monster, WXSM)

• Tennessee Tech
• Tennessee
• ETSU
• Virginia Tech
• Indiana
• LSU
• Georgia
• Arizona
• SMU
• Oklahoma State
• Ohio State
• Kentucky
• Western Carolina
• Youngstown State
• Northern Arizona
• Jaguars
• Lions
• 49ers
• Packers
• Bengals

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

• Tennessee Tech
• Tennessee
• Wofford
• Virginia Tech
• Indiana
• LSU
• Georgia
• Utah
• SMU
• Texas Tech
• Ohio State
• Florida
• Samford
• Illinois State
• Northern Arizona
• Jags
• Lions
• 49ers
• Packers
• Bengals

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. 

El General is on a bus tour of the Pacific coast of Mexico and “didn’t have time to jibber jabber” this week.

• Tenn Tech
• Tenn
• ETSU
• VT
• Indiana 
• LSU
• Ga
• Ariz
• SMU
• Tx Tech
• Ohio St
• Ky
• Samford
•  Youngstown St
•  Northern Ariz
• Jaqs
• Lions
• 49ers
• Packers
• Steelers