The Last of Lee Corso 2013: Championship Weekend Picks

With the last college football Saturday upon us, it's time to relflect. No more College Gameday means no more Lee Corso for the year. I'm gonna miss this crazy bastard and his mascot heads (fast forward to around 2:45 on the video and watch, his coffee is clearly spiked). Corso...one of the beauties of college football. Till next year...



A lot still can happen in terms of the BCS picture so this weekend should go a long way in determining the bowl picture. Of the four championships, there's one rematch (ASU/STAN), one with two polar opposite teams (OSU/MSU), one battle of high-scoring offenses (AUB/MIZZOU) and one David vs. Goliath (Duke/FSU). It's certaintly not as exciting as BCS bowl week but its another college football Saturday and one of the last of the year. Here are some of my predictions for the weekend:

SEC Championship

#5 Missouri (11-1, 7-1) vs. #3 Auburn -1.5 (11-1, 7-1) 4:00 PM CBS

No Alabama, no Johnny Football, but two great offenses. Missouri has kind of manufactured their way to a relatively quiet 11-1 record and their first SEC championship birth. Auburn, on the other hand, is pretty much destiny's team as they've won on miracle plays in the final seconds in each of their past two games. Similar offenses that love to play fast and score a ton of points with Auburn ranking 5th in rushing offense. I've been wavering on who I think wins this game, but if anything I think the over is a good pick. I can't discredit anything Missouri has done, but Auburn is riding a serious wave of Jesus and God and all external forces right now. Auburn 42 Missouri 38.

Pac-12 Championship

#7 Stanford (10-2, 7-2) @ #11 Arizona State -3.5 (10-2, 8-1) 7:45 PM ESPN

Love what ASU has done this season. It's nice to see a different team other than USC, Stanford and Oregon relevant in the Pac-12 which seems to have the usual suspects playing for a title the past 5 to 7 years. Stanford loves the power game and ASU loves the spread/finesse so we have two conflicting styles on offense. Stanford covers but Arizona State wins on a late field goal, goes to the Rose Bowl and people go running everyone in their underwear in Tempe. ASU 28 Stanford 27

ACC Championship

#20 Duke (10-2, 6-2) vs. #1 Florida State -29 (12-0, 8-0) 8:00 PM ABC

Unfortunately for Duke, Jameis Winston actually DIDN'T rape anyone (as of now) so he will be playing on Saturday. Florida State is clearly the more talented team, probably the most talented team in the country. 7th ranked offense, 4th ranked defense and most likely the Heisman winner at quarterback. Duke is a nice story this year and I respect the hell out of their coach David Cutcliffe for how he's turned this sorry program around. However, Florida State is a different animal. I love fairytale endings; I often pray my life ends in one, with a gorgeous woman, a dog and beach, but that's besides the point. Point is, I don't see David taking down Goliath here. However, I AM gonna pick Duke to cover the big spread. Florida State 35 Duke 10

Big-10 Championship

#10 Michigan State (11-1, 8-0) vs. #2 Ohio State -6.5 (12-0, 9-0) (-6.5) 8:17 PM FOX

#1 ranked defense vs. #6 ranked offense. A battle of opposing strengths in the Big-10 chip at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy. Michigan State is going to have to protect the football and make timely plays on offense if they want to crush Ohio State's National Championship aspirations. I really think Michigan State's defense will slow down Ohio State a bit and keep this game close. Playing in a dome does favor the offense though so I think the Buckeyes make enough plays to avoid the small upset. Ohio State 24 Michigan State 20.

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Happy Birthday to the biggest fratstar/stud QB in college football history. You're 21 Johnny...you made it. Tribute to Johnny Football on his 21st. One more year!

Your 2013 Heisman Trophy Winner: Jameis Winston

According to ESPN, Jameis Winston, the star Florida State quarterback, will not be charged with any rape or sexual assault charges stemming from a December 2012 altercation. What does this mean? Winston pretty much wraps up the Heisman Trophy as the second red-shirt freshman in a row to win the award for Most Outstanding Player in College Football.

I still expect more to come on this story, but since he isn't being charged now, his Heisman trophy candidacy won't be affected. It was concluded that the woman accusing Winston had a BAC below the level of impairment in Florida and a second DNA sample other than Winston's was found from that night belonging to her boyfriend (which is really god damn strange to me). Anyways, Winston is 1/20 to win the Heisman so everyone throw $100 and go buy yourself a Big Mac.

The Tim Tebow Saga...The Legend Continues

So news broke yesterday that there is an apparent bidding war going on between ESPN, CBS, and Fox to hire Tim Tebow as a college football analyst for 2014. That's right. Just when you thought Tebow had fallen off the face of the Earth -- and not been debated on ESPN First Take every single day-- he's about to be back in the spotlight. I hope he gives speeches like this on the tube: 

Here’s the deal is with Tim becoming the face of television. ESPN SEC is a new channel that’s going to be airing next year at some point and will feature its own College Gameday. It is hosted by Rece Davis and Paul Finebaum being cast as the “Lee Corso” of the show (Except Finebaum is annoying, nerdy, and would get wrecked in a steel cage match against John Clayton). ESPN wants Tebow to hop on the set as the “Kirk Herbstreit” of the show. CBS on the other hand is basically the home of the SEC game of the week every Saturday. Everything is going swell for CBS, and they’ve said they would “blow up their pregame show” to get a spot for Tebow. Fox has said they would consider Tebow for both NCAA and NFL shows. I can only imagine all the former NFL greats loving Tebow giving insight of the NFL.

In case you were wondering, Tim Tebow graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences. Like, are you shitting me with that degree Tim? Are the finals for those classes like being a camp counselor for two days? What is a family and youth science? Thank God he thanks God so much because without him he might be unemployed and homeless with that degree.

Switching Gears.

How is Tim Tebow not in the NFL?

I get it, the guy can’t really throw the football too well which is a huge issue at quarterback. But do you know how many bad backup quarterbacks there are in the league??? If Kellen Clemens and Scott Tolzien were running teams in the NFL for a couple weeks, Tim Tebow could. I’m not saying Tebow should be starting for any of the 32 teams. But the fact he’s not even on a roster blows my mind. I mean the guy put Denver on his back and got a playoff win under his belt. Granted it was ugly most of the time, but you can’t deny he won games for Denver. Look at the Cleveland Browns. Hoyer is legless, Weeden is hurt, Campbell is hurt, and I honestly have no idea who is playing quarterback for them this week. I’m not even going to bother looking it up. Signing Tebow would’ve made sense and put some asses in the seats. Have you seen how AWFUL Brandon Weeden is?

Why wouldn’t he change positions?

I guess I would probably rather play Tight End in the NFL rather than be a college football analyst. Yeah, being a college football analyst would be sick and basically you can be wrong about every prediction and nobody gives a shit. It’s an amazing job and he’s going to make millions doing it. I just feel like if this dude loves football that much, why not just give it a go at Tight End for a year or two. It’s that or retire at the age of 26. He has time to be an analyst in a couple years, why not give a position change a shot?

What should he do?

I guess if he’s not going to get signed, switch positions, or play USA Rugby, he should take the millions he’s going to get from one of these networks. I would honestly consider CBS the most. From the sounds of it, ESPN is kind of worried about the SEC network they’re going to have and they’re hoping Tebow can build the hype for it. Quite frankly I see why ESPN is worried. I get enough SEC coverage to the point where I don’t like any teams in there -- besides A&M now solely because Johnny Football. The last thing I want on my TV is more Saban, South Carolina spring football games, and reasons why “This is the year for Georgia”. I’m so sick of the SEC. PAC-12 football is where it’s at. Go Arizona State.

I think CBS would be a sweet move for him just because it’s going to be the SEC foundation for a long time and will give Tebow national exposure. One thing is for certain. Tebow was one of the greatest/most unique quarterbacks in college football history. He’s in the Heisman frat and nobody can ever take that from him. He’s got a pair of National Championships and is a Florida Hall of Famer. Despite his failure to make it in the NFL, the dude will be set for the rest of his life and make an interesting analyst. I would tune in. Despite his degree in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences.

Mid-Major Report #1

It’s no secret that I am obsessed with mid major college hoops teams, so all season long I will bring you various mid major reports to keep you up to date on how to spot the potential Cinderella teams before the guys in your office pool do. A few things about this report:

It’s getting harder and harder to classify what a “Mid-Major” is now. The little guys in college basketball are getting better and better. Gonzaga is becoming a national powerhouse but I would still consider them a mid-major because of the conference they play in.  So on this list there will be no power 6 conferences (SEC, Pac-12, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and Big East) and no American Athletic Conference teams because they have too many good teams. They also have the worst new conference name any asshole could’ve come up with. Last, the more threes a team shoots, the more I’m attracted to them (In case you didn’t know)

Here we go with the countdown:

10. Belmont (8-2)

Ok this is probably one of my favorite teams in the country. I’ve always had a crush on Belmont since they almost beat Duke with stupid Gerald F*ckin Henderson and I love the way they play. They probably have the most amount of white guys on a team in the country, they chuck 3’s, and they move the ball insanely well. They run a Princeton style offense AKA backdoors and 3’s. JJ Mann has that senior leadership I love in a mid-major. He’s shot like dogshit so for but it’s just a matter of time before it clicks for him. That win over UNC put them on the map, but it was no fluke. They’re a fun team to watch and average the 34^th most PPG, 22^nd most ASG, and 19^th best FG Percentage. Mark the December 21^st game at Kentucky on your calendar, these guys could be the top Cinderella suitor come March.

Look at how many white guys they have...and they're good

9. Harvard (7-1)

These guys will be a big Cinderella pick after their win last tourney against New Mexico and it’s with good reason. Unfortunately they lost to Colorado which would’ve been a nice win, but they’ll have one more shot to prove themselves to the world (@UConn Jan. 8^th). I don’t see many chances for Harvard to mess up the rest of the way – it’s a cakewalk. They just have to win the regular season Ivy title because everyone in the conference is too smart to play in a conference tournament.

8. New Mexico (5-1)

Something about New Mexico is still sketchy to me. Umass put the beatdown on them after they squeaked by UAB. It could be that the Harvard loss in the NCAA tournament still sticks in my head but they’re just not a team that I love. I should because they have a ton of white guys and Senior Cameron Bairstow is Austrailian (plus looks like Dennis Oralls). They score a lot of points but I just haven’t fallen in love with them yet. I’m excited to see them play Kansas December 14^th and Marquette December 21^st to get a good look at them.

7. VCU (6-2)

These guys are kind of puzzling. They got a big win at UVA, but their tournament in Puerto Rico was a damn disaster. Florida State, who is no joke, wiped the floor with them by 18. Then the Rams only knock off Long Beach State by 6 and close the tourney losing to unranked Georgetown by 4. They went from being ranked 10 to being unranked in a matter of one week. The A-10 is pretty decent so we’ll get a better look at VCU in those games, but besides the conference games VCU doesn’t have a stand out game that you really have to mark on the calendar. They’re sketchy. Athletic as Hell -- I would never want play for them because they run so much -- but sketchy.

6. Boise State (7-0)

I wrote one of these Mid-Major reports last week, but it was never published on Tailgate Talk because I was lazy and didn’t post it. When I wrote it, I was learning all this stuff about Boise State and was like “Oh shit. I gotta watch these guys.” So I found them on one of the thousands of fox sports channels we get and they were playing Idaho. What’s crazy about this team is how much they like to run. They score 97.7 PPG which is good enough to lead the country. What’s even crazier about this team is that they are almost entirely white guys. This is not the UNLV where they became the Runnin’ Rebels or Loyola Marymount in their heyday. However this might be the best attempt for an almost entirely white team to try and run like those teams. They have five guys averaging double figures and are extremely entertaining to watch. We’ll see if they can keep it when they actually play a real team. 12/10 At Kentucky is one to make sure you tune in to.

5. San Diego State

Like I said, I wrote one of these last week and didn’t put it on the site. When I wrote it, I did not even have San Diego State in the Top 10. Well the Aztecs put together a hell of a run knocking off College of Charleston, Creighton, and Marquette on their way to winning the Wooden Legacy Tournament. Xavier Thames leads the team in scoring (17.2 PPG) and had a huge tourney with 11, 26, and 29 respectively in those games. It’s a young team with Thames and Josh Davis being the only two seniors on the squad. This is an interesting squad to keep an eye on.

4. Dayton (6-1)

The A-10 might be one of the more surprising conferences in the country. Dayton is off to a better start than VCU and Saint Louis whom were two of the favorites in this conference to start the season. After knocking off then #11 Gonzaga, the Flyers lost to #18 Baylor by 1. A late shot almost had Dayton in the Maui Invitational championship. I’m sure a third place finish was a pretty good feeling for the now #25 ranked Dayton Flyers.

3. UMass (7-0)

THE BOYS ARE BACK. Marcus Camby has to be proud because the Minutemen are ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 1998. I said last year that I thought UMass could make a run at the A-10 chip but they didn’t have it all together and finished 21-12. This year they look good and a big reason is the duo of Chaz Williams (16.0 PPG, 6.2 APG) and Cady Lalanne (17.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG). A huge win over New Mexico in the Charleston Classic has to have them feeling even better.

2. Gonzaga (7-1)

It pains me to have these guys at 2 because they’re probably my second favorite team in the country and I think they're better than Wichita State. But I have to have them at 2. The Zags lost Kelly Olynyk to the NBA draft but they’re back. Sure, they didn’t have an ideal Maui Invitational run losing to Dayton early, but they rebounded to get a solid W over Arkansas. These guys might be the most fun team to watch in the country. They rank 5^th in the country in PPG, 15^th in APG, and 1^st in FG PCT. These guys CHUCK--They shoot over 22 3’s per game. As a team they are shooting 48.1% from 3, led by my favorite player in the country Kevin Pangos (20.4 PPG, 48.3% 3PT) and Gary Bell Jr. (15.0 PPG, 54.2% 3PT). Replacing Olynyk inside is the big polish 7 footer Przemek Karnowski and Sam Dower. It’s a balanced attack with a lot of depth. This team might be as good as last year’s squad. They’re a little 3-Ball crazy but that’s why I LOVE this team. Get Cash Zags. Get Cash.

1. Wichita State (8-0)

These guys along with Gonzaga are borderline mid-majors because they’ve become household names. But because they play in the MVC these guys take the top spot on the list. The shockers had two huge early season wins over Saint Louis and BYU in the CBE Hall of Fame Tournament en route to winning the chip. Cleanthony Early (14.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG) is one of the best players in the country that a lot of people don’t talk about. He’s a senior and that’s huge to have on these mid major squads. They also have a gunner with Ron Baker (16.1 PPG, 42.5% 3pt) who’s becoming one of my favorite players in the country. Look for Wichita to get a comfy seed around 3-4 this season and make a run in March again.

SHOCKERS.

On The Rader: Charlotte, Louisiana Tech, St. Mary’s, BYU, Kent St, Toledo, Saint Louis and basically the entire Atlantic 10 Conference

Cheers to the little guys

Why You Should Love College Sports (AKA "Why I Started This Meaningless Blog")

So I've gotten a few questions lately regarding Tailgate Talk:

1. "Why did you start this blog?" (which to me is loosely translated as: "You seem incredibly bored and pathetic, immediately delete this bullcrap".

AND

2. Something along the lines of "What do you want to accomplish with this blog?" (which, again, translates to me as something like: "I'm tired of seeing you post random picks and opinionated posts that are usually wrong".

Giving credit where credit is do, these questions do hold some weight and are mostly true. I really have no intention of promoting myself as a sportswriter or to make this thing anything like Barstool or any well-established location. I've also accepted the fact that no women are going to read this thing, so there's that. It's pretty much a meaningless blog at the core, but if these questions can be answered in any way, I'll say from a young age I became obsessed with college sports, college athletes and the college atmosphere probably more than a normal, healthy young kid should be. I fell in love with teams like Notre Dame football and Kevin Pittsnogle and West Virginia basketball back in like '05. I rode the emotional waves of Davidson and their magical run with Steph Curry and Boise State football and the famous Statue of Liberty play in '06 followed by the marriage proposal from Ian Johnson. I knew at worst case someday I would end up like these fans I saw on TV making a fool out of myself cheering for kids my own age and partying like every game is the Super Bowl. Even though I'm in college now and a (borderline) college athlete myself, I still find myself following these big-time college athletes like I'm still an awestruck 10 year-old. If I could say anything about why I started this meaningless blog (besides boredom) I would like to rattle off some reasons to love college sports:

The Upset

Probably the undisputed #1 reason to love college sports is the possibility of an upset. Whether, this be in the NCAA Tournament in basketball where a small school from Toadsuck, New Hampshire takes down Kentucky in the first round or a Division 1-AA school from Montana (formally known now as the FCS) goes on the road and beats Alabama. In pro sports most teams are the same. Yea, there can be minor upsets in the playoffs but in college these kids can make history and potentially their entire lives with one game or one play. In college there is always an opportunity for fans to get behind an underdog, something a lot of people love to support.

March Madness



Hands down, no better time of the year than March Madness. From filling out brackets that usually are eliminated from office pools after Day 1 to crying during One Shining Moment cause the tournament is over (that could be just me...), March Madness in College Basketball is in a league of its own in terms of sports traditions. I find myself getting more upset as the tournament goes on, not because my teams usually get eliminated (which they usually do), but mostly because with every game the tournament is nearing the end. There are upsets, there are blowouts. Tears and cheers. Oh, and this crazy drunk bastard named Gus Johnson who has the voice of an angel...



Saturdays in the Fall



Not that my days are so spectacular in their own right, but College Football Saturdays get me through my weeks during the fall. If your a fan at a huge school, good for you. You get to tailgate all day (and sometimes night) with your friends and thousands of other shitfaced random people in preparation for your school's football game. With pep rallys, the tailgate, the game and the after-party, the college football tradition is unique on college campuses around the country. It's awesome I envy it. But even for people like myself, at a school that has no football team and bars with 12-inch TV's, Saturdays in the fall are equally as enjoyable. They usually consist of maybe the mid-day workout (probably not, no one likes a hero) followed by an all-day event of college football games, beers, stupid drinking games made up during the games, good music and nice weather.



They're College Kids Just Like Me and You

(For those of you that don't know, the pictures above are of JJ Redick, quite possibly the greatest white college basketball player ever, crushing a Natty on the right and holding up the shocker on the left).

Anyways, the universal reason to love college sports is because of the amateurism. Sure there is a lot of sketchy shit going on in the NCAA these days, that can't be overlooked. However, at the end of the day, these kids are 18-22 years old. They go to class like the normal college kid, they eat at the dining halls like the normal college kid, and believe it or not, most of them party like the normal NARP. Yea, they might live a different lifestyle in many other ways, but college athletics are based around pride and passion. Most of these kids aren't going pro after four years and have to get a real job like the rest of us. And for us as fans it gives us something to relate to and players to fall in love with who could be in the cubicle next to us in a couple years.

So, yes this mostly is a place for me to write meaningless things about college sports, but there's my shot at explaining why I'm such a god damn loser about it.

College Hoops During Finals Week

It's finals week (or close to it) for most college students, which blows. However, its Challenge Week for college basketball which presents two options. At best, it could be a nice study break. At worst? It could pose as a reason to go to a bar, watch the games, get too intoxicated and fail 3 out of 4 finals. Do as you please. Here are some of my picks and thoughts on this weeks games...

Shabazz Napier kicked off the week with a bang last night in #12 UConn's 65-64 win over #15 Florida.



Tuesday:

Indiana (6-1) @ #4 Syracuse (7-0) 7:15 PM ESPN

- I was down on 'Cuse at the beginning of the season, and I'm looking pretty shitty with that prediction right now. 'Cuse ran through the Maui Invitational capping it off with an impressive win over #20 Baylor in the championship. A nice surprise for the Orange this season has been Trevor Cooney (14 ppg) who is slowly turning me into a fan and CJ Fair (18 ppg, 6 rpg) is looking like he could be an ACC POTY candidate. Indiana's lone loss came a few weeks ago to UConn at MSG. Unfortunately, for the Hoosiers, UConn is the only respectable team they've played so far. Indiana does lead the nation in rebounds per game (50.3) led by freshman Noah Vonleh's 10 per game (Vonleh is also averaging 13 ppg). Their leading scorer is PG Yogi Ferrell (18 ppg) who at times has been erratic with his shooting. I like Syracuse in the Dome in this game. Syracuse 65 Indiana 57

#22 Michigan (5-2) @ #10 Duke (6-2)  9:00 PM ESPN

- Both teams have gone through pretty difficult schedules so far, especially Duke. Duke is coming off a loss in the Preseason NIT Championship to Arizona in a game I watched firsthand. Duke has its struggles against teams that have good size and a good point guard, two things Arizona had. Michigan struggles at PG, really missing Trey Burke. They've gotten limited production from the PG spot but, fortunately for them, Nik Stauskas has emerged as a consistent scorer from the 2 spot. Michigan's size will pose problems for Duke with Little Big Dog and Big Mitch , but Robinson III is likely to be canceled out by Jabari Parker. Parker and Rodney Hood (23 ppg and 20 ppg respectively) are arguably the best one-two punch in the country, but Duke will need production from others if they want to win against upper-echelon  teams. I really like Michigan, but I think Duke responds after the loss to Arizona in a close one against the Wolverines. Big bucket from Parker late in a game that could replay in March. Duke 84 Mitch-igan 83

Notre Dame (5-1) @ #23 Iowa (7-1) 9:15 PM ESPN2

- Going with the upset in this one. Notre Dame is unranked after a home loss to Larry Legend's Indiana State a few weeks ago. However, this is a veteran team led by guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant who have been starters and contributors ever since they arrived 3 and 4 years ago. Iowa has had a nice start, suffering their only loss in overtime to Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship last week. Both teams' strengths are the other team's weakness so this should be an interesting match-up. Iowa is led by forward Roy Devyn Marble (17 ppg). Iowa is a good team, don't get me wrong, I think they'll make the tournament this year for the first time in a while, I just think the Irish steal one on the road tonight. Notre Dame 77 Iowa 75

Wednesday:

#8 Wisconsin (8-0) @ Virginia (7-1) 7:00 PM ESPN2

The Badgers are off to their best start in a while ranked #8. The fellas are following the typical Wisconsin blueprint of defense, three point shooting and grind-it-out wins. The Badgers are really balanced on offense with sophomore forward Sam Dekker probably their most talented player. Virginia suffered its only loss on the season a few weeks back at home to VCU on a late three. The Cavs have rattled off six straight since then. This won't be the most entertaining game to watch, but it will probably be close. I'm big on the Badgers this year so lets hope the boozebags keep it rolling. Wisconsin 67 Virginia 62

Maryland (5-2) @ #5 Ohio State (6-0) 7:00 PM ESPN

I don't really feel like writing about this game and not many people read this blog anyway so I'm gonna keep it short and sweet here. Ohio State 66 Maryland 58

North Carolina (4-2) @ #1 Michigan State (7-0) 9:00 PM ESPN

Both teams are really sketchy in their own ways. North Carolina: First they lose to Belmont; I say "fire Roy Williams". Then they beat then #1 ranked Lousiville; "they're going to the Final Four". THEN, they lose to UAB; "what the f**k?". It's just hard to figure this team out right now, let alone put any blind faith in them. James Michael McAdoo has gotten exponentially worse since two years ago and they don't know when they'll get PJ Hairston and/or Leslie McDonald back from suspension. The lone bright spot has been PG Marcus Paige who is averaging 21 ppg. Michigan State, although #1 in the country, has its own issues. Coach Tom Izzo recently benched starters Brandon Dawson, Adreian Payne and Keith Appling for the start of their last game for "skipping a class" (which I think is a little loosely worded). Also, their best player, guard Gary Harris sat out the same game for a sore right ankle. In the end, UNC issues > Michigan State issues. Izzo will have the boys playing good ball on their home court. Michigan State 78 North Carolina 63

Friday:

#3 Kentucky (7-1) @ #20 Baylor (7-1) 10 PM ET ESPN

A real hood match-up in Texas on Friday. Kentucky is arguably the most entertaining team to watch and Baylor straight raw talent. Baylor just lost to 'Cuse in the Maui chip and Kentucky beat an underrated Providence team at Barclays. Baylor is real balanced in scoring led by Cory Jefferson's 14 ppg and 9 rpg. Brady Heslip, who does not belong AT ALL on this team is averaging 13 ppg and shooting 52% from deep. He also averages an outstanding 0.5 assists per game. Julius Randle leads Kentucky (who's 4th in the country in rebounding) at 19 ppg and 11 rpg. The other freshmen are starting to contribute alongside Randle, which will help Kentucky down the road. Something tells me to take Baylor at home against an inexperienced, yet talented, Kentucky team but I'm gonna go with the youth. Kentucky 76 Baylor 70

Saturday:

BYU (6-2) @ #21 UMass (6-0) 1:30 PM CBSSN

Not really sure why I included this game, other than the fact that Chaz Williams pretty much single-handedly ruined my junior year of high school basketball. UMass, led by Williams (16 ppg, 6 apg), is relevant in the Top-25 for the first time since the Marcus Camby and John Calipari days. Cady Lalanne has been a force inside for the Minutemen averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game and could be an issue for a undersized BYU team. BYU is a team I love to watch. Filled with bonafide gunners, similar to when Jimmer was there, BYU is a team I would love to play for if I had a lot more talent and no desire to party or have any fun outside of basketball. Tyler Haws is one of the top scorers in the country (24 ppg, 5 rpg) and one that no one really knows about. Matt Carlino (19 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg) and Austin Collinsworth (11, 9 and 6 per game) both do a little bit of everything for the Mormons. I'm gonna take BYU in a high-scoring upset. Probably gonna be wrong on this one, but I gotta go with the fellas. BYU 86 UMass 82