WEEK 11

Last week, I promised you the game of the week. Maybe the season. Possibly the decade. And while I had the game wrong, the college football gods still delivered. Holy. Freaking. Omar Cooper. 

If you’d have told me at the start of the season we’d all be talking about the IU v. Penn State game, I might have believed you. If you’d have told me at the start of the week, we’d all be talking about the IU v. Penn State game today, I’d have laughed you out of town. If you’d have told me we’d be talking about IU v. Penn State game today, halfway through yesterday’s 3rd quarter, Hoosiers up 20-7, I’d have told you to lay off the crack. And yet, here we are, talking about IU v. Penn State. With late second heroics, the Midwestern candy canes move to 10-0 and retain their #2 national ranking with 3-6 Wisconsin and 2-8 Purdue remaining. Absolutely bonkers. Cignetti’s guys have grit. If all stays on track, a LOT of eyes are going to be on Indianapolis on December 6.

Ok, now for games that were actually on the Pick ‘Em slate. 

Speaking of grit, after Herbstreit all but bet his career on Iowa knocking off the visiting Ducks this week, Oregon fought back from an Iowa-induced deficit with less than 2 minutes to play, driving through a walk off FG at Kinnick Stadium. Some teams just know how to get it done.

Let’s just rip the band-aid off. BYU crushed me again. The Cougars are dead to me once again after getting absolutely annihilated in Lubbock. College football is a real bitch, giving you storylines of hope, only to dash them week after week in the most unceremonious of fashions. 

Speaking of throttling, Texas A&M was all business at Missouri, jumping out to a 21-0 lead and never looking back against a Tigers team that might not be great, but is certainly not a walkover at home.

I missed yet another opportunity to retire early. You might recall me noting that UVA was fake; complete frauds that had lucked their way to 8-1. I KNEW Wake was going to knock them off. I felt it in my bones. And because I didn’t put a damn dollar on it, that’s exactly what happened, the Cavaliers putting up a meager 9 points against the visiting Deacs. KingBrutus claims the sole OTC points from that game. Of note, Nebraska as dogs also felt like a lock that I didn’t bet on, and should have, the Cornhuskers moving to 7-3 with a win in La La Land.

Iowa State upset TCU in Fort Worth (where I just so happened to be this weekend for a wedding - lots of sad folks in purple at the airport this morning). This Cyclones team is strange. They started 5-0, lost 4 straight, and then knocked off a dangerous Horned Frogs team on the road. Congrats to Clarkster for being the only one to solve that puzzle this week.

Dabo clings to life in Clemson, while Mike Norvell might want to put some ice on his ass because that seat it smoking hot. Southern Miss forces 6 – yes, SIX (I’ll spell it out here for emphasis) – turnovers enroute to holding off Arkansas State. Jacksonville State went back and forth with UTEP, taking their final lead with 53 seconds to play, earing the 30-27 win. And Arizona rallied against Kansas, scoring the go-ahead TD with a mere 39 seconds left.

Top score of the week goes to the Cyclones prophet: Clarkster with an impressive 44.

Dallas2697 retains the lead, but the margin has narrowed. With 407, he sits just 5 points ahead of PSU1996, who vaulted into sole 2nd with a solid 42 on the week. Sprint82 has evened things up with RecordSetter98, sharing the 3 spot at 390.

Next week’s big rumbles will be Texas @ Georgia and Oklahoma @ Bama. Have an idea what’s going to happen? Think you’re slick? Make those picks!

                    Vegas

#7 BYU @  #8 Texas Tech (-13.5)

Southern Miss (-6.5) @ Arkansas State

Jacksonville State (-1.5) @ UTEP

#3 Texas A&M (-6.5) @ #22 Missouri

Iowa State @ TCU (-7.5)

Kansas @ Arizona (-5.5)

#9 Oregon (-4.5) @ #20 Iowa

Wake Forest @ #14 Virginia (-6.5)

Florida State @ Clemson (-1.5)

Nebraska @ UCLA (-2.5)

OTC Tournament Challenge 2025

WEEK 10

Three minutes. That was the delta between when last week’s OTC recap was sent and when the push notification arrived announcing that LSU had parted ways with Brian Kelly.

Remember this? I intentionally delayed writing this week’s recap in hopes LSU would kneejerk react and fire Brian Kelly today, but alas, my wait was for nothing.

It’s a reminder that life is all about timing. And speaking about timing, I owe you all a mea culpa. After weeks of hyping the Billy Napier watch, hand to God, it wasn’t until last Sunday night that I realized ole Billy had been let go the prior weekend. In fairness to me, my brother, who got engaged in January, and then got his fiancée pregnant shortly thereafter was having a joint courthouse wedding / baby shower in Chicago that weekend (lots of sad USC fans, if you were wondering). But, no excuse, I need to do better. If it happens again, you can Napier/Kelly me from the weekly recap role.

I’d also like to make another commitment to this group. In an effort tobe more self-aware, I sometimes run things through ChatGPT and ask it to shred me. Turns out, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about coaches this season. Can you blame me? The college football coaching carousel should have its own popcorn brand it’s so entertaining. Nonetheless, this is supposed to be about the young (and getting older) men on the football field each week. I hereby promise to still talk about coaches, but do a little less of it. 

Ok, some Week Ten headlines: Vandy is better, but still fake. Indiana is… a legit contender? Miami (FL) easily the weakest hurricane of last week (all seriousness, prayers to Jamaica). Utah is maybe really good(remember their only losses of the season are to undefeated BYU and one-loss Texas Tech). In short, this season is a complete crapshoot.

Even though Texas ultimately didn’t cover (by a half point), don’t be fooled. They dominated this game, with Vandy getting some garbage scores late to make the box score look far closer than it was on the field.

The aforementioned Utes decimated the visiting 17th ranked Bearcats 45-14. The spread was 11.5. Mama mia. Texas Tech dominated Kansas State in similar fashion, launching themselves into the top 10 as we head to Week 11. UVA remains a one-loss team, but peep those earlier results – they’ve had some REALLY close calls with some trash teams. The other shoe is going to drop there. Mark my words.

Arizona State somehow bested the Cyclones in Iowa. Chalk it up to things I don’t understand this season. The Trojans gritted one out against an always-formidable Cornhuskers team in Lincoln. Oklahoma was equally gritty in Knoxville, coming off losses in 2 of the last 3 weeks (to Ole Miss and Texas, to be fair). Clarkster and Lee Corso’s Diaper get credit for being the only two with faith in the Sooners.

North Texas had a clear land advantage against Navy, shipwrecking the poor Midshipmen. Duke and Clemson went for nearly a hundred combined, with Duke getting the final strike with 40 seconds to play. And last, and definitely least, I’ve saved Georgia Tech, those loser bumblebees who stumped all of OTC, with 14 of us ranking them at 8, 9, or 10 confidence points. OVERRATED LOSERS!

Thanks to his Oklahoma clairvoyance, Lee Corso’s Diaper landed the week’s top score of 40 (remember all those 8s, 9s, and 10s on GA Tech – hence the low high total).

We’ve had a change on the podium – not in terms of who’s on it, but in order. Dallas2697 retains gold, with an eight-point lead overall. He is now followed by… BOTH RecordSetter 98 and PSU 1996 who are all squared up at 360. Sprint82 with the honorable mention just two behind at 358.

First CFP rankings come out Tuesday, right before a CLASH OF THE TITANS. Tune in to ABC (if you don’t have YouTube TV and now can’t watch any ABC/ESPN games) at 12pm next Saturday for UNDEFEATED BYU vs. soon-to-be-two-loss Texas Tech. Game of the week. Maybe the season. Possibly the decade. Outside of that, only one other top-25 matchup. And you know what that means… ESPN (corporate greedy f***s that they are) will throw some real curve balls at us with the Pick ‘Em slate. 

So, read up, and… think you’re slick? Make that pick!

#9 Vanderbilt @ #20 Texas (-3.5)

Navy @ North Texas (-6.5)

Duke @ Clemson (-4)

Arizona State @ Iowa State (-7.5)

#13 Texas Tech (-7.5) @ Kansas State

#15 Virginia (-5.5) @ California

#8 Georgia Tech (-4.5) @ NC State

#18 Oklahoma @ #14 Tennessee (-3)

#23 USC (-4.5) @ Nebraska

#17 Cincinnati @ #24 Utah (-11.5)

WEEK 9

I intentionally delayed writing this week’s recap in hopes LSU would kneejerk react and fire Brian Kelly today, but alas, my wait was for nothing.

That said, the Tigers, suffered their third loss of the season. It’s dismal times for the Bayou Bengals. In fairness, each of those losses has come at the hands of a top 20 opponent, but for a team that many felt had a chance at hoisting a trophy this year to fall 49-25 AT HOME AT NIGHT in Death Valley, adding a three in the L column before November even rolls around… not great my friends. And with Alabama and Oklahoma still ahead, we could be talking about a 5-loss LSU team come season’s end.

On the other sideline stood a scary (now) 8-0 Aggies group. Texas A&M all but stamped this playoff passport with Saturday night’s win, leading what could be an historic number of first-time playoff teams.

More entertaining than Brian Kelly’s demise? Lane Kiffin’s ascent. The dude was built for viral moments, and lately, those have been coming on the field as much as off the field. The Rebels bounced back from a brutal Q4 against Georgia last week to outscore the Sooners 10-0 in the 4th en route to a 34-26 win. With South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida, and Mississippi State remaining (best record amongst those is 4-4), Lane’s social media team better get ready for Prime Time, unless Ole Miss does Ole Miss things in these final four weeks.

Next up, the fairytale that may just be becoming reality. Folks, Vanderbilt is 7-1 and there is no more football to be played in the month of October. Think about that. They even survived the famed Gameday distraction, outdueling a top 20 Missouri team with a go-ahead TD with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game. Texas, Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee still await, but… and I really can’t believe I’m typing this at all, let alone October 26… Vanderbilt has a path to the CFP!

BYU put another massive dent in my aforementioned lock betting system, and I’m happy as shit to be wrong. My Brigham Boys are 8-0 after downing Iowa State on the road, and a TOP 10 team in the country. After a much-deserved week off, the Cougars have a MASSIVE clash with #13 Texas Tech. Game of the season – I’m calling it now.

Elsewhere, South (or is it Southern?) Florida blew it late to Memphis (one of those teams also has a real shot of being a playoff squad mind you). Washington moved to 6-2 after dismantling an Illinois team that I simply have not been able to get a read on all season. Iowa scored more points than in the prior 4 seasons combined, punishing the Gophers 41-3. The Aztecs blanked Fresno State 23-0. Cincinnati became a 7-1 dark horse while rolling over Baylor. And ESPN decided to go FCS on us, trying to convince us that anyone was actually going to beat North Dakota State (sorry Dodge#1 and Trojan317 for taking that bait).

In OTC, 404PointsNotFound came up two points short of a SECOND STRAIGHT PERFECT WEEK – and that one loss was South Florida, which could have easily gone the other way. Congrats on the 53, good sir. Care to share that crystal ball of yours with us bottom dwellers? Amazingly though, with top score two straight weeks, he still sits in 7th place overall. Top honors remain with dallas2697. RecordSetter 98 is a single point behind. And PSU 1996 remains the best thing happening for the Nittany Lions this season, four points further back in third. Sprint82, I see you lurking there ready to make a move…

We are a mere 10 days away from the first college football playoff rankings, and one thing is for damn sure: a LOT can still happen these final six weeks. Don’t miss the action. Think you’re slick? Make that pick!

                  VEGAS

#8 Ole Miss v. #13 Oklahoma (-4.5)

#18 USF (-3.5) v. Memphis

#15 Missouri v. #10 Vanderbilt (-3)

#11 BYU v. Iowa State (-2.5)

#23 Illinois v. Washington (-3.5)

Minnesota v. Iowa (-7.5)

San Diego State (-3.5) v. Fresno State

Baylor v. #21 Cincinnati (-3.5)

#3 Texas A&M (-1.5) v. #20 LSU

North Dakota State (-8.5) v. South Dakota State