T1B

So do we have a sig bet? I'll include the avatar bet if you're willing to let me wait until I can shed the Badger lid before I wear the MSU av of your choosing.

I've got a bad feeling about this game....probably because of last week's loss....and I don't know how Iowa will respond or the attitude of the players right now. I think this one will be just like last week, a down dirty in the trenches dogfight that could, once again, come down to special teams play and a score in the waning seconds. I can only hope that Iowa does the scoring. As I said earlier in the week, Iowa's defense is being killed with their lack of quality LB play, and I don't see that improving in a week's time. Norm Parker is returning to the team today in a non-coaching capacity, but I suspect he'll have some words of wisdom for the D in pre-game and halftime. Looking forward to a great game...and a Hawkeye win, but I'm not extremely confident it will happen.

Then we're both weenies today because I'm not too confident in an MSU win. I really, really hope Keshawn Martin can go. Nothing will really surprise me except for a blowout one way or the other.

Let's just stick with the sig bet. One week.

edit: prediction

Iowa 27
MSU 24

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:Then we're both weenies today because I'm not too confident in an MSU win. I really, really hope Keshawn Martin can go. Nothing will really surprise me except for a blowout one way or the other.

Let's just stick with the sig bet. One week.

I'm just glad that the game is not in East Lansing, after coming off the tough loss to Wisconsin. I watched Gameday this morning and find it funny that they kept saying that a MSU win would be an upset. I know that Iowa is somehow a 6.5 favorite but, my god, MSU is the #5 ranked team and undefeated, and Iowa just lost a home game to Wisky and now has 2 losses.

My thoughts on my Pick'em selection, which was Iowa:

-Iowa doesn't lose at home much

-Wasn't too impressed with MSU's first foray over state lines

-Iowa will be angry after losing a close one last time out


If it wasn't the must-play game, I wouldn't have touched it. I like Iowa here, but the 6.5 is too many -- but I balance this out with the chance that MSU might start believing their own hype and take a whoopin'.

No confidence in this one really, but when I look at those factors, the scales tip a little to Iowa covering.

Dinsdale wrote:My thoughts on my Pick'em

I've got you in my sights, buddy. Can't you just bomb ONE week? For the love of god...

I thought my Western Kentucky and Navy picks were pure freaking genius... until I took a quick skim through other peoples' picks, and found out about 80% of everyone else had those two as well.


Although nobody else that I saw took the Colorado State freebie.

I took New Mexico. That seemed like a huge spread for two teams that are god awful.

Dude, I don't care if it's Trev's son's freshman buddy or Trev herself slinging today -- it's against an all-time shitty team, at home, by two tuddies and a figgy...


All day long, and twice on saturday.

Dinsdale wrote:Dude, I don't care if it's Trev's son's freshman buddy or Trev herself slinging today -- it's against an all-time shitty team, at home, by two tuddies and a figgy...


All day long, and twice on saturday.

How many teams have not covered the spread against New Mexico this season? I'd give 17 points if New Mexico was playing Toejam's Pop Warner team.

Mace wrote: How many teams have not covered the spread against New Mexico this season?

A quick google, the first site that came up...

NMU is 1-5-1 ATS... if it's against "no-tie" lines, that's either 1-6 or 2-5.

CSU is 4-4.


Seemed like the no-brainer freebie of the week to me... which means NMU gets the W.

i'm no spread genius but i'd stay well away from Colorado State.

as a local, they are schizo and bad. not the combo you want. there are better plays.

King Crimson wrote:as a local, they are schizo and bad. not the combo you want. there are better plays.

General rule of thumb for me: when you've got two horrific teams, and one is a heavy favorite, play the dog. Dins could be onto something...I don't get much NMU coverage 'round these parts, and pick mostly on impulse. We'll see.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

King Crimson wrote:as a local, they are schizo and bad. not the combo you want. there are better plays.

General rule of thumb for me: when you've got two horrific teams, and one is a heavy favorite, play the dog. Dins could be onto something...I don't get much NMU coverage 'round these parts, and pick mostly on impulse. We'll see.

Dins is winning the rig around here, so i ain't gonna argue. CSU is iffy to me. take a loser and hope they cover....?

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:I don't get much NMU coverage 'round these parts

I've seen one NMU game in its entirety...

Sure, Oregon is an order of magnitude better than CSU, but NMU barely cracked freaking midfield against the scrubs.

I've seen a few other tidbits, because Versus is the MWC network (don't know how much it's shown outside of the West), and when I switch over during a break in a real game, all I ever see is NMU getting schooled.

They've scored 85 points in 7 games, some of which were against really bad teams.


I'll take the home team in this and similar stinkfests.

Just sitting in the basement watching our local pre-game show, which today includes clips from previous games. Last year's last second finish was, of course, the first one they showed, but they just ran the final play of the '85 game where Chuck Long ran a naked bootleg for a TD that gave Iowa a come from behind win. Long scored that one right in front of our seats that year that set up the #1 vs #2 matchup with Michigan the following week....which Iowa also won with a last second field goal. Hope the Hawks can once again find the magic this afternoon.

The last three games have been tight battles with Iowa winning the '07 game by 7, I think, losing the '08 game by 3 when MSU stuffed Shonn Greene on 4th & 1 on the MSU 21 yard line, and Iowa coming from behind last year to win on a last second Stanzi TD pass to Marvin McNutt.

No reason to think that today's game will be anything but one of those type of games.

The midday TV coverage here sucks, not sure why.

Usually have about 6-7 games this time of day, right now, I think there's 3... and I'm not sure if Iowa/MSU is on the slate. WTF?

Cocktail party is on, and Mizzou/Corn.

And the big WTF... no Beavs/Kal.

Iowa making it look easy...so far...and Adam Robinson is showing his stuff as a tough, tough RB right now. Stanzi has picked apart the defense, again, SO FAR, in their first possession. Hope this shit continues all afternoon and that the defense will finally step up and live up to their hype because, unfortunately, Michigan State will eventually get the ball on offense. If Iowa gets the early lead, I hope that they'll keep the pedal to the metal for 4 quarters and not try to sit on the lead, as they so often do.

Touchdown IOWA!!! Touchdown IOWA!!! Touchdown IOWA!!! (doing my Gary Dolphin, Iowa radio guy) impersonation.

Now, don't miss the PAT today...or get it blocked.

7-0

Horrible throw by Cousins and one great fucking play by Sash to lateral the ball to Hyde, and a great run by Hyde for a TD. Damn, 17-0. I can't believe it. The Hawks have strapped it on today. Wow. Long ways from being over but they've certainly set the tone early. Of course, MSU came from 17-0 to win last week but, unfortunately for the Spartans, they aren't playing Northwestern today. Still can't believe that Iowa has built such a big early lead. Not what I was expecting at all. Keep putting points on the board, Hawkeyes.

Another bad throw by Cousins for the INT. The Gameday honks all picked MSU in this game while the guys on the Big 10 Network all picked Iowa, saying that MSU would not be able to run the ball and it would be on Cousins to win the game with his arm....and that he wouldn't be able to do that. So far, it seems like the Big 10 Network guys were spot on.

Oh my. Stanzi to Robinson for ANOTHER TD!!!! Hawkeyes are definitely making a statement today.

Dinsdale wrote:I thought my Western Kentucky and Navy picks were pure freaking genius... until I took a quick skim through other peoples' picks, and found out about 80% of everyone else had those two as well.

Pure freaking genius, alright.

At least I've got 80% of you going down with me.

Last week, Wisconsin beat Iowa at their own game but, this week, Iowa is doing the same to MSU and doing it in a very big way. I'm shocked at the first half performance by Iowa, but I suspect MGO is shell shocked. Tough first half for you, MGO, and I know it wasn't what either of us were expecting. If Iowa comes out the second half and plays with the same intensity, which I think they will, it's only going to get worse. I DO NOT want to see a comeback win for the Spartans today. If that happens, I'll be looking for a shower rod.