After a modest 4-3 effort in Week 4, we put our noses back to the grindstone. Which is not a metaphor, I have instructed the dungeon’s Grindstone Institute to do precisely this.
The Obligatory Bet Against
UNC Of The Week delivered nicely last week but is idle along with the Tar Heels in Week 5. Hey, have you guys seen how funny this is getting now that it’s clear that UNC is bad and Bill Belichick looks like a hostage held at gunpoint on the sidelines? Man, this is funny.
Are We Betting NC State This Week?
Actually almost talked myself into NC State at -10.5 after getting a better feel for the nature of Tech’s problems defensively, but State’s defense gives me too much pause, and who knows what dumb shit the special teams will get into this week. And if the rain is going to be a factor…
Around The Country
FSU vs. UVA +7: It became evident very quickly that Gus Malzahn was going to be an impactful hire for FSU—just look at Thomas Castellanos now. Virginia’s offense is legit as well, and I’ll take the Hoos to keep this one close, if not outright win, at home.
Notre Dame vs. Arkansas over 63.5: Speaking of offense, I love the potential for zaniness in this game given what we’ve seen from both teams to this point. This should be lots of fun, and both teams are desperate to win.
Duke -4 vs. Syracuse: Why, yes, I did watch Duke’s secondary last week and I’m still going to do this, mostly because Syracuse just lost its starting quarterback for the season. Duke needs to avoid that worrying tendency it has to shoot itself in the foot and it should be fine. Last week was progress on that front.
Ohio State vs. Washington +8.5: Ohio State’s hittin’ the road for the first time, and I’m betting the hostile crowd and Washington’s offense will keep the Huskies within a score, at least.
BYU -6.5 vs. Colorado: CU has not looked good against teams with a pulse, and I think BYU’s rushing attack is going to ground the Buffs to dust. BYU’s offense is effective if not so much flashy, and the Cougars’ defense has been excellent.
Oregon +3.5 vs. Penn State: Neither of these teams has had to exert much effort to this point of the season, to put it mildly. While I love Penn State’s defense as much as the next guy, I also have no confidence in either James Franklin or Drew Allar to deliver in big games. Perhaps things really will be different for them in 2025, but I’m gonna need them to prove it first.
Alabama vs. UGA -3: I can’t get that FSU game out of my head when I think about Bama, and if last week was evidence of Georgia’s offense waking up, I expect the Tide’s in some trouble.
Arizona +6 vs. Iowa State: It’s easy to forget about Arizona, all tucked away down there. I was impressed by how thoroughly they outplayed K-State last week and if they carry that effort over they’re going to have a chance to win outright at Iowa State.
