We're Baaaacccckkkk!

After a 1 week hiatus ........

We are back.....

5 on Five took a much earned and much deserved vacation. We all went north....as in North Carolina.....for one of those "Norman Rockwell" styled family gathering which included a Thanksgiving dinner and all the things that come with it.

So..........there was no "Hump Day News & Views"..........no "Friday Picks"...........no nothing....

If I was on a computer this week...........it was not to blog.......

But now..........we're back!

Stay tuned........

Friday Picks

The year was 1977........

Thirty-one years to the day.....Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton ran for an NFL record 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings.

"Sweetness" as he was known to football fans will go down in history as on of the most prolific backs in the game.

Payton passed away in 1999 with complications of a rare liver disease at the age of 45.

His incredible stats, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Career highlights and awards

• 9x Pro Bowl selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986)
• 9x All-Pro selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986)
• 1977 NFL MVP
• 1977 PFWA NFL MVP
• 1977 NEA NFL MVP
• 1985 UPI NFC Player of the Year
• 1977 UPI NFC Player of the Year
• 1977 Bert Bell Award
• 1978 Pro Bowl MVP
• Super Bowl XX Champion
• 
  

Now........on with this weeks picks....

Last week's winners? Notre Dame and Clemson covered........Losers? Mississippi (+21 1/2) could not get close to Alabama... The St Louis Rams (+6) got blown out by San Francisco....and Carolina (-14) won the game, but failed to cover against Detroit.

We're still above water........still with a winning record.

Last Week: 2-3-0

Season: 29-25-1

Cincinnati (-5) over Pittsburgh .........

The Bear Cats of Cincinnati (8-2) have won all of their home games and the Pitt Panthers (7-2) have won all of their away games.....But Pitt has lost to Bowling Green and Rutgers....Lay the points.

LSU (-4) over Mississippi.....

The Tigers had a wake up call last week in their narrow escape against Troy..........while the Rebels enjoyed a 59-0 scrimmage against Louisiana-Monroe. The Rebs four losses have been by 2, 6, 7, and 4 points. In a close game.....LSU will win by a touchdown.


Texas Tech (+7) over Oklahoma....

In the biggest game of the week.......We ask, "When is the last time the Sooners won a "big" game?" Been a while.....Sure , Bob Stoops team can score.....but their defense has holes.....and this is arguably the best offense in the nation. Take the points.....in a high scoring thriller.

New England (+1) over Miami.......

Hard to beat a team twice in the same season. In week 3, Miami surprised the Patriots 38-13. These are not the same Pats.....New England wins straight up.

Dallas (-10) over San Francisco.......

Sure, the 49ners won last week, 35-16 against the 2-8 Rams....but.....this is on the road.....against a desperate Dallas team trying to keep pace in the NFC east. Lay the points.

So there........see you in a week.....or sooner...

Friday Picks

Bond........James Bond........

Yes........007 is back! "Quantum of Solace" opens this week-end in theaters all across the world as the British Secret Service agent embarks in yet another epic battle featuring good versus evil.

This is the 22nd Bond film.......Wow! Has it been that many?

Apparently........My favorite Bond was Roger Moore, followed closely by Sean Connery .....

The newest 007 is played by the British actor Daniel Craig......Maybe he'll grow on me...But for now, I'll just rely on the action scenes and special effects to get me through this one...

So........let's get to the picks.....

We had 3 winners last week in Alabama, FSU, and Carolina..... Vandy and Detroit let us down.

Here we go........

Last Week: 3-2-0

Season: 27-22-1


Notre Dame (-3 1/2 ) over Navy.....

It's put up or shut up for Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish....Where are all those 5 star recruits from the past few years? This game will still be close.....but the Irish will cover.

Mississippi State (+21 1/2 ) over Alabama...

Sylvester Croom is on the hot seat....His team is 3-6 and going nowhere........this is a pride game. State will still lose.......but not by 21 1/2.....Take the points.

Clemson (-10 1/2 ) over Duke........

Yes..........the Tigers are reeling..........No, they don't have a head coach........but........they are at home.....playing Duke........in November. Better athletes....period. Duke has been decent this year, but this late in the season, the Blue Devils just don't have the horses...Lay the points.

Saint Louis Rams (+6 ) over San Francisco........

Mike Singletary may be a hall of famer .....as a player..........but his coaching is unproven.....It will be just his 3rd game and he may eventually be a great coach.......but the game is this Sunday.......Take the points.

Carolina (-14 ) over Detroit.....

The Lions screwed us last week by failing to show up against Jacksonville.....at home no less. Now they go on the road .......in the deep south? Lay the points........this team is flat awful........

See you in a week.

Friday Picks

This is taking "car pooling" to a whole different level....

Another interesting photograph that has absolutely nothing to do with the task at hand....The photo is courtesy of my Mother.....via an e-mail.

Let's hear it ......for their generation......

Well......about last week.... We were 2-2-1......as in 2 wins , 2 losses, and 1 tie (Vegas calls it a "push").

What ever......We lost with Notre Dame not being able to beat Pittsburgh....at home no less....and Auburn , continuing to make us look bad.

Winners? We pegged the NFL correctly with the N Y Giants covering and the Chicago Bears engaged in yet another close game....therefore not covering.

The "push" or tie was LSU and Tulane......We had picked LSU to win laying 25.....they won by ......25....thus the "push".

So....on with this weeks' picks:

Last Week: 2-2-1

Season: 24-20-1


Vanderbilt (+24 ) over Florida.....

Yes.....the Gators are ranked #4.......Yes....Vandy has lost its last 3.....and yes, this is a gutty call.....but.....this is a "tweener" game. Florida is fresh off the demolition derby win over Georgia.....with Steve Spurrier and South Carolina waiting in the wings. Vandy's biggest lost was at Georgia (24-14)......The other two? By 3 points. Take those 24....against Florida.


Alabama (-3) over LSU......

Yes.....the game is in Baton Rouge......But....it's a 3:30pm kick off time, and these Tigers are not last years' team. Alabama will cover.....with ease.


Florida State (-5 1/2) over Clemson....

Two teams going in opposite directions.....No Bowden Bowl here. FSU is still in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title in the ACC, while Clemson is playing for pride. The Tigers will keep it close....but lay the points.....FSU will cover.

Detroit (+6 1/2) over Jacksonville.....

At 0-8, the Lions are due....no NFL team has gone winless in a season. The Jaguars have their own problems. Take the points.....

Carolina (-9 1/2) over Oakland....

Yes.....this is a huge spread.....but we saw last week......in miss-matches.....it's possible. Oakland is a train wreck. The Panthers are so much better....Lay the points.

So there it is .....

See you in a week.

Friday Picks

Friday, the 13th....oops.....make that Friday, the 31st.....

So easy to switch around numbers.

On this the final day of October........let us once again share our knowledge of college and pro football. Last week, we won with Arkansas, Penn State, and Philadelphia covering, while losing with San Diego and Wake Forest.

This being Halloween weekend......today's picks may seem a little "haunted".....but.......

Here goes:

Last Week: 3-2

Season: 22-18


LSU (-25) over Tulane.....

The Tigers have been embarrassed 2 of the last 3 weeks by Florida and Georgia....However.....this week the step outside the rugged SEC to play a home game....at night.......against an awful Tulane team. Blow out city....lay the points.

Auburn (+6 1/2) over Mississippi.....

Auburn can't be this bad.......and Ole Miss is definitely not this good. Both teams are 4-4....Still Auburn has more talent and speed. They may not win the game.....but will cover....take the points.


Notre Dame (-4 1/2) over Pittsburgh........

Very simple.....Pittsburgh has 2 losses.....( Their first game, 27-17 to Bowling Green, and last weeks 54-34 loss to Rutgers.) Enough said....The Irish will roll .......lay the points.


Detroit (+12 1/2 ) over Chicago.......

This is a huge line.......Every game the Bears play is close...Detroit (0-7) will play for pride and keep it with in a touchdown. Take the points.

New York Giants ( -9) over Dallas........

Another huge spread.......but.....no Tony Romo for the Cowboys against the best team in the NFC. Lay the points.

And........have a happy Halloween.

Friday Picks

Wall Street....or Vegas?

We ask because......historically one could always depend on both of them. Lately though, Wall Street and the stock market have been taking a severe beating.

Not unlike the beating Vegas gave us last week.

The two are very similar .....Wall street has "bulls" and "bears".....Vegas has "favorites" and "underdogs".

It's.......where you put ..."your"..... money.......that counts.

Anyway..........another Friday is upon us......and with that.....our "Friday Picks":

Last Week: 1-4

Season: 19-16


Wake Forest (+2 1/2 ) over Miami......

The Demon Deacons were embarrassed by Maryland last week, 29-0. They will rebound this week against a Miami team that's still a year or two away from contending again in the ACC. Take the points....and Wake.

Arkansas (+ 5) over Mississippi....

Intriguing match-up featuring former Arkansas coach, Houston Nutt, returning to Fayetteville as the head coach of the Rebels. As much as I dislike Razorback coach Bobby Petrino.....facts are facts. Arkansas is due...... They are playing at home.....and Nutt's welcome back party will not be pleasant. Arkansas by a touchdown.....late.

Penn State (-2 1/2) over Ohio State....

So I sipped some of the Nittany Lion cool-aid....... Why not? This team has been dominating from the start of the season. Playing on the road? At night? No problem.....Penn State continues to roll.

Philadelphia (-9 ) over Atlanta.......

Not a good match-up for the Falcons...... The last two truly physical defenses they faced ....destroyed them (Tampa Bay and Carolina, by the identical score, 24-9). Both teams had a bye week last Sunday and the Eagles are now getting healthy. This could get ugly.

San Diego (-3 ) over New Orleans.....

This game is unfair to both teams....This is the annual "London" game.....played across the pond known as the Atlantic Ocean. Both teams are 3-4....and have been disappointing. The Saints, however, lost a huge chuck of their offense when Reggie Bush injured a knee last week and is out for at least 4 weeks. The Charger defense will carry them enough to lay the points and cover.

So there..........another vain attempt to beat the boys in Vegas........

You think it would be easier on Wall Street?

Friday Picks

The Cell Phone is 25 years old today.......


Look at that thing.......Try putting that.....in your pocket.

25 years ago.......only the CIA and the FBI.......and the rich and famous had cell phones...

Wow......technology is great!

Anyway.......our weekly Friday Picks.......3 college, 2 pro.......


Last Week: 4-1

Season: 18-12





Clemson (+2 1/2) over Georgia Tech.....Historically, these are the kind of games Clemson wins....New coach.......underdog......backs against the wall. The Tigers win this one straight up.


Kentucky (-7 1/2) over Arkansas.......Kentucky had its bell rung against South Carolina last week, while Arkansas beat an absolutely bad Auburn team. The Razorbacks aren't that good. The Cats will roll. Lay the points.


Oklahoma (-19 1/2) over Kansas....The Sooners are mad.......still smarting from that loss to Texas. They will pile it on the over matched Jay Hawks.


Indianapolis (-1) over Green Bay......I think we've picked Indy every week. And for good reason. The Colts started looking like themselves of old last week and don't look for them to slow down in the cheese head state. Indy by at least a touchdown.


Chicago (-3) over Minnesota.......The Bears are due.......Last weeks final second loss against the Falcons was mind boggling .......but.....it was just one game. I think they will not only win.....but dominate.

Take it to ..........the bank........or Vegas.......or..........

buy a new cell phone.

Friday Picks

Last week: 4-1

Season: 14-11

Alright, already ........so that picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post. Just Tyra Banks and a bunch of females.....burning their bras? Works for me.

Anyway........on with this weeks picks.



Oklahoma (-6 1/2) over Texas.....

Texas has been under the radar......but.......this series history has taught us it's almost never a close game. Most have been blow outs. And the higher ranked team has won 9 out of 10.......Oklahoma covers.

Mississippi State (+2 1/2) over Vanderbilt.......Last week Vandy killed us. I'm still not a believer. At home, these bulldogs of Mississippi will prevail.


Penn State (-6) over Wisconsin.......Joe Paterno has a good team. Wisconsin showed they are over rated. The Nittany Lions win ........on the road.....and cover.


New York Jets (-5 1/2) over Cincinnati..........Brett Favre threw 6 TD's in his last game. The Bengals are pathetic. If they get down early........this could get ugly.


New Orleans (-6) over Oakland..........The Saints should have beaten Minnesota on Monday Night Football. The team is mad.......and desperate. Oakland is a train wreck with a new coaching staff........etc.

So there.......take it to the bank!

Or .....to Vegas.

Friday Picks

Last Week 3-2

Season 10-10

At least we are not losing.......Having a .500 record......against the spread....ain't so bad. It's easy to pick winners and losers straight up.......but against the spread? Tough!

So here goes for this week.........

Penn State (-13) over Purdue.....Last week, Purdue lost to Notre Dame by 17.......The Nittany Lions are for real and will cover.

Ohio State (-1 1/2) over Wisconsin......The Buckeyes are getting healthy.....Wisconsin is over-rated.....

Auburn (-4) over Vanderbilt ........Sure, the Commodores are 4-0..........one of their best starts ever..........but........ESPN's Game Day will be in Nashville.......So Vandy is doomed....Plus, this is an excellent Auburn defense. In this game they will also find a little offense.

Indianapolis (-3) over Houston......The Texans (0-3) are not that bad....But Indy is due. With key players coming back from injuries and coming off a bye week, the Colts should roll.


Cincinnati (+17) over Dallas........17 points in the NFL is huge........Yes, the game is in Dallas... Yes, the Bengals are 0-4........Yes, the Cowboys are angry after losing to the Redskins.......but....Cincinnati is better than 0-4......and Coach Marvin Lewis is coaching for his job.....Take the 17 and the Bengals....

See you on Monday..........with the results.

Friday Picks

Last week: 3-2

Season: 7-8


So close.....we could easily be 15-0........but that is why Vegas provides the point spreads....Make no mistake about it ..........the "house" .......always wins. So...here's another week, another sucker.......and hopefully some winners.


Ohio State (-18) over Minnesota......Look for the Buckeyes to make a statement in their Big 10 opener....this could get ugly.


Tennessee (+6 1/2) over Auburn.....The tigers are still smarting from the loss to LSU.....Tennessee is backed into a corner.....a must win. Phil Fulmer is fighting to save his job....

Florida State (-5 1/2) over Colorado.......The Seminoles are due for an offensive explosion. Where is all that talent they recruited? It's now.....or never.

Arizona (+1 1/2) over N Y Jets........Arizona is a decent team....and I am not yet sold on these Brett Favre led Jets.

Chicago (+3) over Philadelphia..........Just when you think the Bears are toast.....they tend to win a game like this.....especially at home.

So there..........take it to the bank!

On second thought.....just put it under your mattress......

Friday Picks

Last week: 1-4

Season: 4-6

Gotta real good feeling about this weeks games.......

North Carolina (-3) over Virginia Tech......UNC is playing perhaps the best football in the ACC. Take the heels to win by at least a touchdown over an underachieving Hokie team.


Florida (-7 1/2) over Tennessee..........The gaters have too much offense, defense, and speed.....The Vols lost to UCLA.......who lost to BYU 59-0. 'nough said. Florida wins.....going away.

Troy (+20 1/2) over Ohio State.....Yes , my upset special.......The Buck-eyes are still without running back Beanie Wells......and......This is not your ordinary "mid-major" school. Troy has a lot of athletes. Ohio State will win the game..........but won't come close to covering.

Tennessee (-5) over Houston........The Texans will be over matched.....the Titans play a physical defense. With or without Mr. Young, they will more than cover this spread.


Indianapolis (-5) over Jacksonville.......The Colts are getting some key members of their offensive line back from injuries.....just what Peyton Manning needs.....more time to throw....and a decent running game. Poor Jacksonville.......these guys....so far this season.......can't get out of their own way.

Vegas odds.....notes.....

* All NFL home teams are favorites this week.......except Green Bay.....which plays the Dallas Cowboys.

* The largest spread in the NFL is the N Y Giants laying 13 1/2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

* The largest in college is Missouri laying 34........against the University of Buffalo.

Friday Picks.........The Recap

As if we needed further proof.......

Vegas knows what it's doing. This week , we went 1-4.......against the spreads in our weekly football picks.

And the multi-million dollar hotels and casinos continue to prosper in the desert.

Here's a quick recap :

We picked Ohio State (+11 1/2)........Southern Cal had other ideas.....not only did the cover....they destroyed the #5 team.......35-3. Ouch!

We had Virginia Tech covering 6 1/2........They won .....but did not cover against Georgia Tech, 20-17........But we did have a winner in Notre Dame putting the beat down on Michigan.

In the pros, we missed badly. Denver won but did not cover a measly 1 1/2 points in beating San Diego, 39-38.

And ........if the Oakland Raiders are a train wreck..........where does this leave Kansas City? Whom they smacked around, 23-8.

Oh well.......there's always next week.

Friday Picks

Last week.....

We went 3-2..........Here goes...

Ohio State (+11) over Southern Cal.......For 2 weeks the Buckeyes have been listening to the sports talking heads saying they will be handed their heads in So-cal.......Look for Ohio State to play the game of their lives........keep it close....USC will not cover.

Virginia Tech (-6 1/2) over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets win at Boston College was impressive....but.....when is the last time Tech has put together 2 meaningful victories in a row?

Notre Dame (-1 1/2) over Michigan.....It's put up or shut up for the Irish.......At home, they will roll over the Wolverines.

Denver (+1 1/2) over San Diego........Denver is for real.......playing at home against an underachieving Charger team? Take the Broncos and the points.

Kansas City (-3 1/2) over Oakland.......The Raiders are a train wreck......the Chiefs played New England tough last week.......This is a "gimme" ........

Friday Picks

By now......

You have noticed we here at 5 on Five are not big on predicting outcomes of pro and college football games versus the spreads Vegas lays out weekly.

With that said......here are our...........5 "sure" winners for Saturday and Sunday:

1. Tulane (+30) over Alabama.....The Tide will win ...but won't cover.

2. Georgia (-23) over Central Michigan......The Dawgs now realize the meaning of "Style Points".

3. Detroit (-3) over Atlanta.......No rookie QB (not named Manning or Vick) can come in and transform a sub .500 team.

4. Miami (+3) over New York Jets........Miami's Chad Pennington has a bone to pick with that Favre guy.

5. Pittsburgh (-6) over Houston..........The Steelers had an awfully quiet off-season....That's a good thing.