Week 11 Big Sky Predictions (And a Couple of Oddballs)

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Griz 42-3 vs. UNC

Barbecues 21-17 vs. NAU

Sacred City 38-31 @ Kitties

EWU 56-9 @ SUU

PSU 31-6 @ Bungles

Bonus Picks

Navy 31-13 vs. Delaware

South Florida 45-21 @ Rutgers

Liberty 31-10 @ Gardner-Webb

I don't get the "Barbecues" reference. I must be missing something.

It's an attempt at humor that is extremely hack and unimaginative. Barbecue U. refers to Weber. It falls so far short of being clever that I can see why you didn't make the connection. SuperHornet is a big offender in this category but he is not alone. Ignore it and hope that it finds it's way out of the vernacular.

[SuperHornet]

I didn't come up with the Barbecue thing. I just picked it up from other sites (probably eGriz) as I do other things like the MSU Kitties.

I DID, however, make up the Manure Pile reference for Davis, JRCC (Jim Rome Community College) for UC Santa Barbara, the Warners for UNI, the Keiblers for Towson State, and I usually call Weber the Fassels in honor of the Oakland Raiders' Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel, who was a teammate of mine at UOP.

[JALMOND]

To get back on topic, I'll throw out a few "oddball" picks, being that SH did also...Note to Scream, I am shooting from the hip on these and will not include the results in my overall total.

Two former Big Sky teams on the national stage...

Boise State 56
Idaho 42

Another FBS game receiving national attention...

Wasatch Rangers 28
Lone Star Christians 21

Others...

Beavs 38,
U of Dubya 20

Cardinal 31
Condoms 28

Rubber Duckies 35
Saguaros 17

That is Boise over Idaho, Utah over TCU, Oregon State over Washington, Stanford over USC and Oregon over Arizona State.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

You forgot "Mannings" or "Manning U." or whatever you call it. That's another of the pure gold plethora from which you lay down the silliness.

oof.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

To get back on topic, I'll throw out a few "oddball" picks, being that SH did also...Note to Scream, I am shooting from the hip on these and will not include the results in my overall total.

Two former Big Sky teams on the national stage...

Boise State 56
Idaho 42

Another FBS game receiving national attention...

Wasatch Rangers 28
Lone Star Christians 21

Others...

Beavs 38,
U of Dubya 20

Cardinal 31
Condoms 28

Rubber Duckies 35
Saguaros 17

That is Boise over Idaho, Utah over TCU, Oregon State over Washington, Stanford over USC and Oregon over Arizona State.

I'll give ya this J, at least I haven't seen those ones a couple of dozen times.

[UNHWildCats]

Griz 42-3 vs. UNC

Barbecues 21-17 vs. NAU

Sacred City 38-31 @ Kitties

EWU 56-9 @ SUU

PSU 31-6 @ Bungles

Bonus Picks

Navy 31-13 vs. Delaware

South Florida 45-21 @ Rutgers

Liberty 31-10 @ Gardner-Webb

I don't get the "Barbecues" reference. I must be missing something.

[dbackjon]

Griz 42-3 vs. UNC

Barbecues 21-17 vs. NAU

Sacred City 38-31 @ Kitties

EWU 56-9 @ SUU

PSU 31-6 @ Bungles

Bonus Picks

Navy 31-13 vs. Delaware

South Florida 45-21 @ Rutgers

Liberty 31-10 @ Gardner-Webb

I don't get the "Barbecues" reference. I must be missing something.

Weber BBQ Grills...Weber State

[EWURanger]

I don't get the "Barbecues" reference. I must be missing something.

Weber BBQ Grills...Weber State

Right.

[kalm]

I remember a headline from an osu - uw game a number of years ago that I think was from the spokesman review and read: "huskies punish sloppy beavers."

I know, not very original but fairly gutsy to use it in the paper.

[JALMOND]

I remember a headline from an osu - uw game a number of years ago that I think was from the spokesman review and read: "huskies punish sloppy beavers."

I know, not very original but fairly gutsy to use it in the paper.

Always gutsy I feel when I hear on local sports networks and newspapers referring to the Oregon State women's basketball team as the "Lady Beavers". Much disrespect, I believe.

[EWURanger]

EWU 38 @ Southern Utah 28 - Both teams have capable offenses, but SUU's defense seems slightly more suspect, especially against the run. Look for Jones to have a big day.

NAU 28 @ WSU 24 - Will be a close one, but NAU seems to be playing slightly better at this point in the season.

UNC 14 @ UM 35 - UM will wake up from last week's slumber to crush hapless UNC.

PSU 17 @ ISU 21 - Um, hmmmmm......this one could go either way. However, I'll go with ISU in this one as it may be their last chance to grab a "w" this year.

Sac State 28 @ MSU 24 - Another close one, however, I will pick the upset and go with Sac - they're better than their record indicates, and have the ability to beat MSU.

5-0 last week, with two upsets picked!

So I go 3-2 this week. I honestly thought Sac would pull it off....close, but no joy. And then I was just way off on the NAU score. Looks like the bye week paid off for Weber.

[JALMOND]

Thank you, SH, for getting this started. I will refrain from the oddballs and concentrate just on the conference matchups. Currently sitting at 45-9 as we head to the home stretch. This is the last weekend that all teams are in action as three teams play their last games of the year. Anyway, here are my picks for this weekend. All are my opinion and all are open for discussion. Here they are.

EWU @ Southern Utah---After finding out that they are playoff eligible, and after destroying Portland State two weeks ago, the Eagles head on the road to Great West's Southern Utah, a team that all of a sudden finds itself in the middle of their conference race. Still, the Eagles probably have the most to lose as they would miss the playoffs without a win. The Great West does not have an auto bid to the playoffs so Southern Utah is playing for pride. Still, should be close...EWU 31, Southern Utah 28.

NAU @ WSU---The game of the week in the conference as the winner keeps their slim playoff hopes alive and the loser is definitely out. The Jacks are back from a good performance at Mississippi last week and the Wildcats are back in action after taking last week off. Questions abound on both side as the Jacks try to erase the ghosts of the swoon last year from taking hold this year and the Wildcats are trying to shake off the disappointment at Montana two weeks ago...WSU 35, NAU 27.

UNC @ UM---Both teams come in after a couple of head scratchers last week. The Bears were riding high and hoping to derail Sacramento State's dream season, yet could not overcome the 35 points they gave up in the first half. The Grizzlies thought they could just walk in to Idaho State and get the win. Well, the Grizzlies did get the win, but it was far from easy. So, does that change this game? Probably not...UM 38, UNC 21.

PSU @ ISU---Hope and confidence for the Bengals after last week's near upset of Montana. They stood toe to toe with the mighty Grizzlies only to lose it at the end. This game may be easier as the struggling Portland State team comes to town. Maybe, or the Bengals may be suffering from a Grizzly hangover. Could they go through the season 0-fer?...PSU 9, ISU 7 (as if anyone cares).

Sac State @ MSU---Interesting matchup. The Hornets started strong against Northern Colorado and then coasted to what turned out to be a rather scary win. The Bobcats started strong against Portland State and then held on to win. The Hornets may be the best team playing that is not in the playoff picture. The Bobcats are believed to have an easy trek to a possible playoff spot. The Bobcats need this game, though. Can they get it?...MSU 24, Sac State 21.

4-1 this week due to PSU's failure to get the win. Puts me at 49-10 for the year.

[Mike Johnson]

Weber BBQ Grills...Weber State

Thanks to both of you. I didn't get that and was thinking it was a reference to WSU getting burned at Montana State.

[JALMOND]

I'm at 44-10 and still a game back from Jalmond, which hopefully I can come back from on Saturday. These last two weeks feature some key matchups that will go far in deciding which Sky team will have their playoff hopes titillated and the remaining three looking forward to next year.

EWU 42 @ 34 Southern Utah--- One game at a time. This is our first round playoff game. A matchup between two of the highest potency aerial attacks in FCS, with EWU ranked slightly higher (7th) than SUU (12th) in passing offense, passing efficiency (10th, 27th), and total offense (9th, 23rd). It should be a high scoring affair as EWU comes in with the 90th ranked total defense and SUU with the 110th. The tie breaker will be the FCS's 11th ranked rusher in Taiwan Jones pitted up against SUU's 109th ranked rushing D that has allowed 24 TDs and an average of 207 yards per game. Both teams will need to protect the ball, as each has a history of losing games if committing 4 or more turnovers. Will my Eagles keep their post-season hopes alive? Or will SUU prove that they're a team to be reckoned with in coming years?

NAU 35 @ 31 WSU--- The second biggest game of the week from an EWU perspective. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond to a resound beating. Weber will be a week fresher, but could that time off taken away some of their focus? Is this the same NAU team from years past that starts strong and finishes failing? Time will tell.

UNC 14 @ 31 UM--- The Griz already have their playoff ticket punched, but this home game against the lowly bears will not be treated lightly as they did the Bengals. Idaho State made some noise in the FCS and put a scare into a Griz team that would like to stay home up until the Championship game by keeping their record perfect. The other Bears team suffered yet another hard-fought battle only to come up just short in the end. Will they pull it all together and step up from the bottom tier with a signature win? Possible, but not likely.

PSU 14 @ 17 ISU--- Seemingly the battle for the Cellar in the Sky this year. If ISU wins, there will likely be a 3-way tie amongst PSU, ISU, and UNC with each having one win and one loss between the other two. Will the Bengals repeat history and end the season with a win to keep a doughnut out of their record? Will PSU finish a disappointing season on a positive note?

Sac State 35 @ 34 MSU--- I don't know what to make of this game. The Hornets are getting hot, but need to play a complete game if they want to finish their season with a winning record. That starts this week by playing defense for four quarters rather than two. The Bobcats are warming up as well, after cruising past Idaho State and Portland State. This week will be their final tune-up before taking on their bitter rivals in the Brawl of the Wild. Will they be ready?


Three "upsets" this week? Hail Mary baby.

Scream must have thrown in the towel, or is extremely hungover. 3-2 puts him at 47-12 for the year. 2 games behind the master with 4 games left. When he wakes up, I'll let him do the scores.

[SDHornet]

Well so much for the Sac State upset. I didn’t get to see any of the game but it sounded like a hard fought game with turnovers making up the difference. I’ll take a 4-4 Big Sky record as it’s improvement from last years 3-5 record.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I'm at 44-10 and still a game back from Jalmond, which hopefully I can come back from on Saturday. These last two weeks feature some key matchups that will go far in deciding which Sky team will have their playoff hopes titillated and the remaining three looking forward to next year.

EWU 42 @ 34 Southern Utah--- One game at a time. This is our first round playoff game. A matchup between two of the highest potency aerial attacks in FCS, with EWU ranked slightly higher (7th) than SUU (12th) in passing offense, passing efficiency (10th, 27th), and total offense (9th, 23rd). It should be a high scoring affair as EWU comes in with the 90th ranked total defense and SUU with the 110th. The tie breaker will be the FCS's 11th ranked rusher in Taiwan Jones pitted up against SUU's 109th ranked rushing D that has allowed 24 TDs and an average of 207 yards per game. Both teams will need to protect the ball, as each has a history of losing games if committing 4 or more turnovers. Will my Eagles keep their post-season hopes alive? Or will SUU prove that they're a team to be reckoned with in coming years?

NAU 35 @ 31 WSU--- The second biggest game of the week from an EWU perspective. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond to a resound beating. Weber will be a week fresher, but could that time off taken away some of their focus? Is this the same NAU team from years past that starts strong and finishes failing? Time will tell.

UNC 14 @ 31 UM--- The Griz already have their playoff ticket punched, but this home game against the lowly bears will not be treated lightly as they did the Bengals. Idaho State made some noise in the FCS and put a scare into a Griz team that would like to stay home up until the Championship game by keeping their record perfect. The other Bears team suffered yet another hard-fought battle only to come up just short in the end. Will they pull it all together and step up from the bottom tier with a signature win? Possible, but not likely.

PSU 14 @ 17 ISU--- Seemingly the battle for the Cellar in the Sky this year. If ISU wins, there will likely be a 3-way tie amongst PSU, ISU, and UNC with each having one win and one loss between the other two. Will the Bengals repeat history and end the season with a win to keep a doughnut out of their record? Will PSU finish a disappointing season on a positive note?

Sac State 35 @ 34 MSU--- I don't know what to make of this game. The Hornets are getting hot, but need to play a complete game if they want to finish their season with a winning record. That starts this week by playing defense for four quarters rather than two. The Bobcats are warming up as well, after cruising past Idaho State and Portland State. This week will be their final tune-up before taking on their bitter rivals in the Brawl of the Wild. Will they be ready?


Three "upsets" this week? Hail Mary baby.

Scream must have thrown in the towel, or is extremely hungover. 3-2 puts him at 47-12 for the year. 2 games behind the master with 4 games left. When he wakes up, I'll let him do the scores.

I've got more important things to be concerned with... like EWU making the playoffs.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Correct Pick
Incorrect Pick
Actual Score
(-123) = Difference between predicted and actual point spread
APSE = Average Point Spread Error
_________________________________________________

EWU 42 @ 34 SUU
EWU 41 @ 28 SUU (-5)

NAU 35 @ 31 WSU
NAU 9 @ 27 WSU (-22)

UNC 14 @ 31 UM
UNC 10 @ 38 UM (-11)

PSU 14 @ 17 ISU
PSU 34 @ 41 ISU (-4)

Sac State 35 @ 34 MSU
Sac State 17 @ 27 MSU (-11)


_________________________________________________

This week: 3-2
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 47-12
APSE this week: 10.6 pts
APSE last week: 12.75 pts
APSE overall: 11.45 pts


I don't feel bad with my pics this week. Called ISU to beat Jalmonds' homerism. Sac and NAU were both tied with their opponents going into halftime. NAU had no answer for Trevyn Smith or the snow. Sac still hasn't played 2 complete halves. Oh well. As long as we beat NAU next week, and UM takes care of MSU, all is well with me.

[BlueHen86]

I remember a headline from an osu - uw game a number of years ago that I think was from the spokesman review and read: "huskies punish sloppy beavers."

I know, not very original but fairly gutsy to use it in the paper.

Good thing it was UW and not USC...

[kalm]

I remember a headline from an osu - uw game a number of years ago that I think was from the spokesman review and read: "huskies punish sloppy beavers."

I know, not very original but fairly gutsy to use it in the paper.

Good thing it was UW and not USC...

Which USC?

[weberwildcat]

.

[weberwildcat]

I don't get the "Barbecues" reference. I must be missing something.

Weber BBQ Grills...Weber State

EWU, don't worry, I went to WSU and didn't get it til just now either. Colorado State called us the Grills which was a little easier to interpret. I guess I can call the Griz the "49er Quarterbacks".

[JALMOND]

Correct Pick
Incorrect Pick
Actual Score
(-123) = Difference between predicted and actual point spread
APSE = Average Point Spread Error
_________________________________________________

EWU 42 @ 34 SUU
EWU 41 @ 28 SUU (-5)

NAU 35 @ 31 WSU
NAU 9 @ 27 WSU (-22)

UNC 14 @ 31 UM
UNC 10 @ 38 UM (-11)

PSU 14 @ 17 ISU
PSU 34 @ 41 ISU (-4)

Sac State 35 @ 34 MSU
Sac State 17 @ 27 MSU (-11)


_________________________________________________

This week: 3-2
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 47-12
APSE this week: 10.6 pts
APSE last week: 12.75 pts
APSE overall: 11.45 pts


I don't feel bad with my pics this week. Called ISU to beat Jalmonds' homerism. Sac and NAU were both tied with their opponents going into halftime. NAU had no answer for Trevyn Smith or the snow. Sac still hasn't played 2 complete halves. Oh well. As long as we beat NAU next week, and UM takes care of MSU, all is well with me.

I actually felt pretty good about PSU. I thought ISU's game against Montana was their only good game of the year, so I was wrong. I think both of us having a chance to get to or above 50 good picks is pretty darn good pickin'.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Correct Pick
Incorrect Pick
Actual Score
(-123) = Difference between predicted and actual point spread
APSE = Average Point Spread Error
_________________________________________________

EWU 42 @ 34 SUU
EWU 41 @ 28 SUU (-5)

NAU 35 @ 31 WSU
NAU 9 @ 27 WSU (-22)

UNC 14 @ 31 UM
UNC 10 @ 38 UM (-11)

PSU 14 @ 17 ISU
PSU 34 @ 41 ISU (-4)

Sac State 35 @ 34 MSU
Sac State 17 @ 27 MSU (-11)


_________________________________________________

This week: 3-2
Last week: 4-0
Overall: 47-12
APSE this week: 10.6 pts
APSE last week: 12.75 pts
APSE overall: 11.45 pts


I don't feel bad with my pics this week. Called ISU to beat Jalmonds' homerism. Sac and NAU were both tied with their opponents going into halftime. NAU had no answer for Trevyn Smith or the snow. Sac still hasn't played 2 complete halves. Oh well. As long as we beat NAU next week, and UM takes care of MSU, all is well with me.

I actually felt pretty good about PSU. I thought ISU's game against Montana was their only good game of the year, so I was wrong. I think both of us having a chance to get to or above 50 good picks is pretty darn good pickin'.

Never underestimate a win-less team trying to erase that. They've managed to get rid of that 0 two years straight now.

[JALMOND]

I actually felt pretty good about PSU. I thought ISU's game against Montana was their only good game of the year, so I was wrong. I think both of us having a chance to get to or above 50 good picks is pretty darn good pickin'.

Never underestimate a win-less team trying to erase that. They've managed to get rid of that 0 two years straight now.

The thing is, from our perspective, this game was actually one of our better efforts of the year. Engstrom threw 4 picks, but he looked much better than Kavanaugh, my opinion of course.