O5 conference play in week 9

 AAC:  Cincy deserve all the press it can get , however SMU(7-0, 3-0 ) /Houston(6-1, 4-0)  matchup this week should be a good one. I don't think Houston's D can slow down SMU's QB T. Mordecai(187-263, 2320 YDS, 29 TD, 7 INT)  SMU 34 Hou 29

CUSA: UTEP's only loss is to Boise St and FAU looked like a new team in a blowout W over Charlotte last week. I'll take Taggart's kids at home . FAU 26 UTEP 22

MAC: Only one MAC game slated and it's in Buffalo this week. Bowling Green has disintegrated since beating Minnesota last month and Buffalo has been doing ok. Buffalo 17 BG 16

MWC: Fresno St QB Haener will toss a few TD passes and help the Bulldogs give San Diego St its first loss. Fres 24 SDST 19

Sunbelt: Is App St back after beating CCU? Can Bowden keep ULM on a roll after wins against Liberty and South Bama? I'll roll Charles Rodgers throwing two TD passes in a ULM win. ULM 23 App St 20

Oct 31

I was wrong on SMU who couldn't contain Tune(HOU), and Buffalo  who couldn't stop Matt MacDonald(BG).

I was correct on  FAU who held back a late UTEP rally, Fresno who handed SDST its first loss, and Appy who rolled ULM .

Nov 3, 2021

Ex USC coach Clay Helton was hired to helm Georgia Southern(Sunbelt) .  Undefeated Cincy(AAC) got F'D in the polls for no valid reasons. 

O5 Conference play in week 8

 A late start this week spared me from picking Coastal Carolina, who was upset 30-27 in SunBelt play   last night by App St.. Appy made some corrections after being crushed by ULL last week.

Sunbelt: So, I'll roll with ULL  to remain undefeated in conference play with a 34 -20 win over Ark St.

MAC:  Jay Ducker won't repeat  go for 210 yards like he did last week for NIU but he'll get over a 100 to keep NIU undefeated in MAC play. NIU 26 CMU 23

MWC: The undefeated SDST Aztecs are coming off a shaky win over SJST and should slow down Air Force RB Brad Roberts enough for a 20-16 win.

CUSA: C. Reynolds,  who has passed for 1314 YDS and 15 TD, will lead Charlotte a 34 29 win over FAU.

AAC: The "Tuned" up Cougars will handle the  Pirates this week.  HOU 37 ECU 31 Clayton Tune will toss a few TD passes for Houston.

Oct 22, 2021

Off to a rocky start 1-1. Charlotte was outplayed by FAU who was too fast for them everywhere  in a 38-9 win. I was right on ULL but it took a he!! of a rushing performance from these two Cajuns: C. Smith 24 carries 238yards 2 TDs . M. Johnson 17 carries 150 yards 2 TDs. ULL 28 Ark St 27

Oct 24, 2021

I finished 4-1. NIU get a last minute FG to get by CMU  39-38. Houston need a defensive TO to survive ECU 31-24 in OT. SDST held off AFA 20-14.

O5 conference play in week 7

Sunbelt:  If I had completed this blog earlier in the week, I would 've picked App St to beat ULL and been wrong.    Texas St Bobcats(2-3, 1-0 Sunbelt) 23  Troy Trojans(3-3, 1-1 Sunbelt) 20.Troy has played  better in OOC games but I'm sniffing upset here.

AAC: Cincinnati (5-0, 1-0 AAC)  30  UCF(3-2, 1-1 AAC) 19  Ridder rides on and won't be slowed down by Gus' Knights

CUSA: UTEP (5-1, 2-0 C-USA) 27 Louisiana Tech(2-3, 1-0 C-USA) 20. I'll take UTEP at home despite LA Tech hanging close in its three losses to Miss St, SMU, and NC St

MAC: Kent State(3-3, 2-0 MAC) 30 Western Michigan(4-2, 1-1 MAC) 27. In the QB battle, Crum will have a slightly better game than Eleby and get the W.

MWC: Nevada(4-1, 1-0 MWC) 39  Hawai'i (3-3, 1-1 MWC) 38 . Hawaii  will roll into Reno, NV feeling great after its upset of Fresno St but will lose a nailbiter in aerial duel  in which Strong edges Cordeiro.

Oct 17, 2021

Picks' review: Correct on Cincy, UTEP, and Nevada   Wrong on TX St, WMU

Sunbelt- K. Vidal (25 CAR, 162 YDS, 2 TD) was a big key for Troy plus the Trojans intercepted three of McBride's passes, one a pick 6 in the 4Q.

AAC- Cincy outplayed  UCF in every facet of the game for a 56-21 W

CUSA: Deion Hankins ran for two first-quarter touchdowns for UTEP earned in a 19-3 win

MAC: Eleby's passing and Tyler's rushing(169 yards) were major factors in the WMU's 64-31 blowout of Kent St.

MWC: Big game for Carson Strong NEV(34-54, 395 YDS, 2 TD) in a 34-17 win but quite a stat line Dae Dae Hunter HAW(8 CAR, 174 YDS, 2 TD), too.

I'm going to keep my eye on UL-Monroe of the SunBelt after they hung on to beat Liberty 31-28

Oct 18, 2021

AAC is raiding the CUSA as it moves away from the northeast to the southeast and southwest continues. AAC has plans to invite: Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB. Temple remain the most northern AAC city, 

These six teams won't improve the level of hoops play. I like the Charlotte/ECU  potential AAC rivalry.

Oct 23, 2021

 Sunbelt claims they have USM for 2023 and they're coming for Marshall, ODU, and James Madison (1AA)

O5 Mixed Bag in week 6

 I'm focusing more on conference games this week but there remains some intriguing OOC games this week, too.

CUSA: UTSA (5-0, 1-0 CUSA) has impressive win over Illinois and Memphis and will squeak by Western Kentucky(1-3, 0-0 CUSA) led by B. Zappe (133-183, 1712 YDS, 16 TD, 2 INT). UTSA 36 WKU 32

CUSA: North Texas (1-3, 0-2 CUSA) has played poorly, but they 'll put a scare in Missouri(2-3, 0-2 SEC) who has stumbled in the past two weeks. Missouri 22 NT 19

MAC: Western Michigan (4-1, 1-0 MAC) has won four straight since losing to Michigan(B10) and will hold off Ball St(2-3, 0-1 MAC)    by a score of 24-22

AAC: East Carolina (3-2, 1-0 AAC) has surprised a few folks this season and QB Holton Ahlers 

(101-170, 1266 YDS, 7 TD) has been a major reason.  UCF(2-2, 0-1 AAC) has lost two in a row and Coach Gus will pull out some new tricks to get back on track at home . UCF 37 ECU 27

Oct 10, 2021

CUSA: Harris(6 TD passes) and Zappe(5 TD passes) put on a show as  expected. UTSA got by WKU 52-46. Austin Aune (16-26, 305 YDS, 4 TD) did his best for UNT, but their slow start hurt them in a 48-35 loss to Missouri. (2-0) for me

MAC: Wrong on WMU. Plitt threw four TD passes for Ball St in a 45-20 win over WMU.

AAC: Johnny Richardson (16 CAR, 104 YDS, 1 TD) had a solid day for UCF in a 20-16 win over ECU. Right on this one so 3-1 for the weekend.

O5 Side notes -Surprised that: Marshall needed OT to beat ODU. Boise St handled BYU.  Memphis lost again , this time to Tulsa.