Week 1 is officially in the books and wasn’t last week a blast?! Not so much for LSU, Clemson, or Texas Tech fans, but this blog isn’t about those LOSERS!! The Ole Miss Rebels handled their business and we are undefeated heading into the Big Easy to take on the Tulane Green Wave! We’re going to touch on college football as a whole, takeaways from Week 1, Week 2 predictions, and more. College football is officially back and our hopes and dreams remain unscathed as we go on the road for our first true test.
Let's dive in. Ole Miss beat Mercer 73-7 last Saturday. Jaxson Dart did whatever he wanted to and looked like the outright leader of this team. Tre Harris had a record breaking 4 touchdowns in the game with 3 of them coming in the first 4 minutes! Jordan Wilkins returned a punt to the house. The defense, while not overly challenged, got turnovers and showed sparks of real capability. Spencer Sanders got reps and looked impressive. Quinshon Judkins wasn’t asked to do much, but had a couple of scores and stayed fresh for the season to come. The wildcat formation with Judkins down near the goal line was exciting to see, and hopefully is a sign of more to come. We got to get our legs warm without getting too banged up, and we’re 1-0. We did everything we were supposed to do with a Week one inferior team coming to town. While that doesn’t mean everything, it does mean something. We saw the pieces in action and it allows your imagination to wonder… can we duplicate this against SEC competition? So far, I think the answer is yes. I believe we have the makeup to be a really good football team. We’ll find out, but through 4 quarters, I’m encouraged to say the least.
I have to admit, after last week, there’s a part of me wants to start planning my trip to Atlanta for the SEC championship game. Maybe go ahead and get a reservation on the books for Hal’s or Chops, you know, just to be safe. Get there a couple days early, get some good tickets, and wait on our inevitable rematch against Georgia. The other part of me says, it’s one win against Mercer, let's just relax and wait to see what happens at Tulane before we start getting crazy. The ladder logic is probably more sane, but I can't help but get excited. I’ve been waiting on that steak and bourbon at Chops my entire life! We would’ve had it in 2015 if not for the most ridiculous 4th and 25 in the history of football, but as my good friend Will Handy likes to say, “If my Aunt had balls, she’d be my Unlce.”
So what can we expect out of this Tulane team?? Well, the Green Wave opened the season last week with a 37-17 victory at home over South Alabama. While you may think that South Alabama is just a cake walk team, they won 10 games last year, and the spread on the game was only 6.5. Not saying they are great, but hey, that’s something. The 2022 Cotton Bowl champs return starting quarterback, Michael Pratt, and this kid can play some ball. He’s athletic, smart with the ball, and has a knack for making things happen. They seem to have real receiver threats and can be pretty dynamic as an offensive unit. They lose their best weapon from last year in running back, Tyjae Spears, to the NFL, as well as a couple of key pieces from last years team on the defensive side of the ball. The defense had a few interceptions last week, but I’m not overly sold on them just yet. The Tulane fan base is as energized as they have been in a really long time about their team, and they should be. They've won a lot of games in the past two seasons, and they would absolutely LOVE to ruin our day on Saturday. Do they have the horses to do it though? I don't think so. Yeah, yeah, yeah they beat USC in the Cotton Bowl LAST YEAR, but that is just that, LAST YEAR. I respect this team, but there is no reason why the Rebels should leave New Orleans with anything other than a win.
SCORE PREDICTION TIME:
I think Tulane finds the endzone a couple of times, but at the end of the day, our offense overwhelms them and is able to run up the score. I think defense puts pressure on the quarterback, forces some 3rd and long situations, and makes enough plays to win the game. It may be close for a quarter or so, but I don't think Tulane can keep up for 60 minutes.
OLE MISS 52
Tulane 20
PICK 5:
I'm going to start picking 5 games against the spread every week and see how we do. I want to start by saying that sports gambling is a financially irresponsible thing do, and I am certainly not a professional. However it is fun as hell and I’m going to give you my favorite picks for the weekend as the lines sit on Thursday. Gamble responsibly.
Ole Miss (-7.5) @ Tulane
It scares me how much I love this play. Head scratching this number isn't higher. Give me the REBS.
Texas @ Alabama (-7)
I think Texas is a very good team. I think Alabama is better, and Brant Denny is going to be SHAKING. I saw what I needed to see last week out of Jalen Milroe, and I think he gives them enough at quarterback to win this one and cover.
Oregon -(6.5) @ Texas Tech
Texas Tech lost to Wyoming last weekend, but I think they are a lot better than that. This game is no slam dunk, but I really like this Oregon team and I think Dan Lanning brings his team prepared. I'l take the Ducks.
Nebraska @ Colorado (-2.5)
Should I be weary of a let down game here? Am I drinking the Deion Sanders kool aide a little too much? Maybe so, but I’ll take another glass. Go Buffs!
Arizona @ Miss St (-10)
I don’t think Arizona is any good, and while it may not be a popular opinion amongst my many many readers, I think State is a pretty good football team. Give me the cowbells to cover at home.
FYI: The PICK 5 parlay pays at +2000
Really? 5 favorites to cover? What an amateur! Fade me then! (Probably a good idea)
We’ll check back in next Friday. GO REBS!!
Comments