Chapter One

2025 NCAA 0-2
2025 NFL 0-0
2018-2025 NCAA 117-122-6
2018-2025 NFL 158-132-11

Baylor +2.5 – Miss.
Notre Dame -2.5 – Miss.

OOOOOOF! 0-2 out the gate! I did not watch enough football this weekend which is a bummer, but really it wasn’t because I was down at LBI! Jackson Arnold kept the chains moving and Miami out physicalled Notre Dame. Two things I felt strongly against, so it was a wiff of a weekend. All I can do is to keep choppin and get ready for NFL’s week 1!

Rutgers looked GREAT Thursday … for one half. This is their second game in a row their OC turtled up. Last year Rutgers built a lead in their bowl game vs Kansas State just for them to run the most vanilla, run on 1st and 2nd down up the middle, kind of offense. When you build a lead you don’t want to spread it out and throw it every play, but Thursday night 2nd half was frustrating. It pains me to type this but Rutgers isn’t physical enough on offense to bleed out a clock. Their Quarterback is good, not great, and he has a plethora of receivers to spin it to. I’m very bullish on the passing attack, but the run game will need to block better for our good running backs. This is even more painful to type, but man Rutgers was SOFT on defense Thursday night. Ohio won the MAC last year, they are a good team, but they bullied Rutgers almost every time they had the ball, and that is unacceptable for a Big Ten team. Their push in the middle wasn’t there, they didn’t get after Navarro often, and their coverage was too far off at times. The defense is a major concern.

Rutgers will get a chance vs Miami Ohio Saturday. I will not be in attendance but I will constantly check my phone for updates. Miami lost in the MAC championship to Ohio last year and lost basically their whole offense to graduation. 7th year QB Dequan Finn will start for Miami OH, and I thought Rutgers historically played well vs dual threat quarterbacks, but Navarro had his way last week. Miami OH scored a whopping zero points vs Wisconsin last week but I’m expecting them to get on the board multiple times Saturday. Athan and the offense will have to win this one for us again, and I think it’ll be no problem for the O. Expect another 30+ outing out of them, especially if we don’t go in bleed the clock mode. I came into the season thinking this would be a Rutgers smash spot, winning 38-10, but now I’m thinking more 35-21. Still a relatively comfortable win, but Finn will make Rutgers play a 4 quarter game keeping the door open to make things interesting.

Going to recalibrate in college this weekend. That Duke +3.5 and Kansas +6.5 are staring at me like the Green Goblin mask though!

Jaguars -3.5 v Panthers
Homer pick alert! Ugh. NFL Week 1 is harddddd. Things change so much every year. I do think the Panthers could be a playoff team this year, but out the gate they have some potential key injuries. Their wide receiver core is interesting for week 1. McMillan will start his first game and he looked like a stud in preseason. But, they traded away Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker is on the IR. On the OLine their Left tackle is doubtful after an emergency appendectomy, and both their high paid guards are limited. I expect the Jaguars defensive line to get after Young. New DC Anthony Campanile got more aggressive as each preseason game went on for the Jaguars. Look for the blitzes to dial up, and Tyson Campbell will have to do his best to limit McMillan.
The key to the Jaguars season, and this week, will be offensive line play. What was a bottom 5 unit last year, should be improved with floor signings. The Panthers have a pro bowl defensive tackle in the middle, Derrick Brown, but will rely on their 2nd and 3rd round draft picks on the edge. I am more comfortable as a Jaguar fan with their middle of the line than their edges. If they neutralize Brown, this will get their run game going which in turn will get Trevor Lawrence going. This next line might be a hot take but the head coaching upgrade looks like it could mean the world for the Jaguars. Sure, Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, and sure, Liam Coen is a rookie head coach. But with this offensive scheme, Trevor Lawrence should return to his near MVP form. Look for an exotic run game and screen game from the Jaguars. This will keep Lawrence comfortable, and the shots to Brian Thomas Jr will be the final blow to get the Jaguars over the top.
The Panthers will flirt with the playoffs, but so will the Jaguars.
Jacksonville 27 Carolina 20

Thank you,
Goose