Greetings, gridiron fans! It is your Pugnacious Pigskin Prognosticator, Major Amos B. Hoople, here with my Peerless Picks for Week 2 of the Big 10 football season.
Last week there was an omission in my post. I indicated Michigan State would sweat the game until the second half, but failed to post the score. Might need to have the spectacles examined, since my normally sharp eagle eye missed it on proofreading. As such, the only honorable thing to do would be to throw that one out. I had a sparkling 15-2 record (Michigan-Western Michigan notwithstanding), once again proving the old Major hasn’t lost a step! <um-kumph>
So without further ado, let’s get on with it!
Rutgers at Boston College. The Red Knights took it on the chin last week, falling in a huge upset. BC is favored here, but the ‘ol proboscis is getting a whiff of an upset. Look for Ozzie Nelson’s alma matter to shock the world.
Rutgers 23 Boston College 21
Oregon at Oklahoma State. The duckies struggled a bit in Week 1, but they were just getting the kinks out of their feathers. The Cowpokes 6 guns will be empty by the second half.
Oregon 41 Oklahoma State 17
Howard at Indiana. Howard will need Emmett and Goober’s help to have any hope of slowing the Hoosier’s quest for a repeat national championship. Unfortunately they are on vacation this week. <kaff kaff>
Indiana 52 Howard 3
Penn State at Temple. The Lions are on the hunt, on Temple’s home turf. It will be Owl stew on Saturday.
Penn State 45 Temple 10
Wake Forest at Purdue. A closely matched battle between two teams not expected to do much. Wake is favored, but it’s at Purdue. Look for the Choo-choo to sqeak this one out.
Purdue 28 Wake Forest 24
Oklahoma at Michigan. Quarterback controversy in Ann Arbor? After Bryce Underwood’s lackluster performance in the *win against Western Michigan, some Wolverine fans are demanding their money back for the hefty NIL payment. Michigan’s Hail Mary will come up short, not matter how much time is put back on the clock.
Oklahoma 31 Michigan 27
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State. I won’t miss posting the score this week.
Michigan State 33 Eastern Michigan 9
Maryland at UConn. The Turtles will bust out of the gate and won’t look back. <hep-kemph>
Maryland 35 UConn 20
Mississippi State at Minnesota. The Dogs have high hopes of upsetting Minnesota’s canoe. Somehow the boat rowing Gophers will manage to hang on in a nail-biter.
Minnesota 24 Mississippi State 21
Duke at Illinois. The Devil’s travel west into Indian country, where Big Chief Bret’s Illinois tribe will put a few more notches on their coup stick.
Illinois 30 Duke 20
Utah State at Washington. The Sled-Dog’s apple cart was almost upended by their cross-state rivals last week. Methinks it was just a case of shaking the rust off.
Washington 36 Utah State 17
Bowling Green at Nebraska. The balloons will fill the sky as the Huskers score early and often. Fans shouldn’t take too long to get their Runza’s, as the game might be out of hand before they take their seats. <hack-kaff>
Nebraska 48 Bowling Green 7
San Diego State at UCLA. This will be a deceptively close match-up. You never know which Bruin team will show up...a might grizzly or the Berenstain’s. It will be neither this week, but UCLA should have enough of a growl to come out on top.
UCLA 20 San Diego State 17
Western Illinois at Wisconsin. Bucky gave the Golden Domers all they could handle in the first half last week, before being out-talented. Talent will win out again, only this time in Wisconsin’s favor.
Wisconsin 35 Western Illinois 13
Ohio State at Texas. This week’s marquee match-up. Projected to be a coin flip, I flipped a coin and it came up Horns. <har-rumph>
Texas 28 Ohio State 27
Louisiana at USC. The country will be asleep before this one is over.
USC 38 Louisiana 16
Iowa State at Iowa. The annual battle for the Cy-Hawk trophy features an ISU team with an all-new coaching staff and almost entirely all-new players invading Historic Kinnick Stadium for a night game. The Fighting Herkies appear to have a bit more offensive firepower than in recent years. Still, question marks remain. The Cyclones will likely rely on their defense this season, and they appear to be stout up front. Despite a serviceable passing attack in Week 1, should the running game get shut down it may not be enough to overcome what will certainly be a fired-up Cyclone squad. Kirk has struggled over the years against the team that has been his kryptonite, and will struggle again this week. My arthritic knee is telling me to go with the upset, but in the end I believe the Kinnick Krowd will “will” their beloved Hawkeyes to victory.
Iowa 24 Iowa State 23
The more astute among you may notice this is being posted on Tuesday, instead of the normal Wednesday or Thursday. That is because the old Major is taking a much needed respite this week, in search of the elusive bass and catfish, armed only will a bamboo pole. But rest assured, I will be back next week to regale you once again with my prognosticating acumen!
Boola Boola!
Last week there was an omission in my post. I indicated Michigan State would sweat the game until the second half, but failed to post the score. Might need to have the spectacles examined, since my normally sharp eagle eye missed it on proofreading. As such, the only honorable thing to do would be to throw that one out. I had a sparkling 15-2 record (Michigan-Western Michigan notwithstanding), once again proving the old Major hasn’t lost a step! <um-kumph>
So without further ado, let’s get on with it!
Rutgers at Boston College. The Red Knights took it on the chin last week, falling in a huge upset. BC is favored here, but the ‘ol proboscis is getting a whiff of an upset. Look for Ozzie Nelson’s alma matter to shock the world.
Rutgers 23 Boston College 21
Oregon at Oklahoma State. The duckies struggled a bit in Week 1, but they were just getting the kinks out of their feathers. The Cowpokes 6 guns will be empty by the second half.
Oregon 41 Oklahoma State 17
Howard at Indiana. Howard will need Emmett and Goober’s help to have any hope of slowing the Hoosier’s quest for a repeat national championship. Unfortunately they are on vacation this week. <kaff kaff>
Indiana 52 Howard 3
Penn State at Temple. The Lions are on the hunt, on Temple’s home turf. It will be Owl stew on Saturday.
Penn State 45 Temple 10
Wake Forest at Purdue. A closely matched battle between two teams not expected to do much. Wake is favored, but it’s at Purdue. Look for the Choo-choo to sqeak this one out.
Purdue 28 Wake Forest 24
Oklahoma at Michigan. Quarterback controversy in Ann Arbor? After Bryce Underwood’s lackluster performance in the *win against Western Michigan, some Wolverine fans are demanding their money back for the hefty NIL payment. Michigan’s Hail Mary will come up short, not matter how much time is put back on the clock.
Oklahoma 31 Michigan 27
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State. I won’t miss posting the score this week.
Michigan State 33 Eastern Michigan 9
Maryland at UConn. The Turtles will bust out of the gate and won’t look back. <hep-kemph>
Maryland 35 UConn 20
Mississippi State at Minnesota. The Dogs have high hopes of upsetting Minnesota’s canoe. Somehow the boat rowing Gophers will manage to hang on in a nail-biter.
Minnesota 24 Mississippi State 21
Duke at Illinois. The Devil’s travel west into Indian country, where Big Chief Bret’s Illinois tribe will put a few more notches on their coup stick.
Illinois 30 Duke 20
Utah State at Washington. The Sled-Dog’s apple cart was almost upended by their cross-state rivals last week. Methinks it was just a case of shaking the rust off.
Washington 36 Utah State 17
Bowling Green at Nebraska. The balloons will fill the sky as the Huskers score early and often. Fans shouldn’t take too long to get their Runza’s, as the game might be out of hand before they take their seats. <hack-kaff>
Nebraska 48 Bowling Green 7
San Diego State at UCLA. This will be a deceptively close match-up. You never know which Bruin team will show up...a might grizzly or the Berenstain’s. It will be neither this week, but UCLA should have enough of a growl to come out on top.
UCLA 20 San Diego State 17
Western Illinois at Wisconsin. Bucky gave the Golden Domers all they could handle in the first half last week, before being out-talented. Talent will win out again, only this time in Wisconsin’s favor.
Wisconsin 35 Western Illinois 13
Ohio State at Texas. This week’s marquee match-up. Projected to be a coin flip, I flipped a coin and it came up Horns. <har-rumph>
Texas 28 Ohio State 27
Louisiana at USC. The country will be asleep before this one is over.
USC 38 Louisiana 16
Iowa State at Iowa. The annual battle for the Cy-Hawk trophy features an ISU team with an all-new coaching staff and almost entirely all-new players invading Historic Kinnick Stadium for a night game. The Fighting Herkies appear to have a bit more offensive firepower than in recent years. Still, question marks remain. The Cyclones will likely rely on their defense this season, and they appear to be stout up front. Despite a serviceable passing attack in Week 1, should the running game get shut down it may not be enough to overcome what will certainly be a fired-up Cyclone squad. Kirk has struggled over the years against the team that has been his kryptonite, and will struggle again this week. My arthritic knee is telling me to go with the upset, but in the end I believe the Kinnick Krowd will “will” their beloved Hawkeyes to victory.
Iowa 24 Iowa State 23
The more astute among you may notice this is being posted on Tuesday, instead of the normal Wednesday or Thursday. That is because the old Major is taking a much needed respite this week, in search of the elusive bass and catfish, armed only will a bamboo pole. But rest assured, I will be back next week to regale you once again with my prognosticating acumen!
Boola Boola!
