Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 2 Smart Money Picks

The Professor's Smart Money Picks admittedly struggled in week 1. Bettors deserve better and The Professor is going to prove just how savvy of a handicapper he is by spotting his fellow panelists a subpar week 1 before storming back to repeat as Pick 'Em Corner's champion.

I present to you The Professor's Smart Money Picks:

Favorite Spread Underdog (Home teams in ALL CAPS, The Professor's pick in bold)
MINNESOTA -2 Wisconsin

If you know anything about The Professor, you know that he can't ever (EVER!) pick the Badgers, no matter the matchup or the spread. This is going to be a wild one at TCF Bank Stadium, but I see the Gophers pulling away late after Bucky is exposed for the fraud that he is.

MICHIGAN STATE -2.5 Michigan

You hear that sound? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! It's the MasterLock Triple Strong Lock of the Week! Sparty's back is up against the wall and no coach can rally his troops better than Mark Dantonio. This week for MSU, it's the age-old "us against the world" routine, but it tends to work. Plus, with the decline of family values in Ann Arbor, it really is hard to pick in favor of the Wolverines.

PURDUE -7.5 Northwestern

The Professor is liking the chalk this week as you'll see and this game is no different. Purdue is really not as bad as their record and is only 12 points from being a 4-0 football team. Throw on top of that the tailspin that the loser of the Minnesota-Northwestern game usually goes in and you've got the Purdue Pete winning by 10 or more.

Alabama -16.5 KENTUCKY

It pains me to do it, but ROLL..............TIDE..................TURKEY!!!!!!!!!

Penn State -7 ILLINOIS

Never, ever rely on a Ron Zook-coached team to cover the spread.

GEORGIA -3 lsu

I've got nothing here.

NOTRE DAME -13.5 washington

It kills me to pick the Irish here as I really can't stand Notre Dame, but I trusted Washington last week and they screwed me, so I'm going with Charlie Weis' gut here.

NAVY -3.5 air force

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.
Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day, of day.
Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

Ohio State -17 INDIANA
If Ben Chappell throws the ball half as well as his coach Bill Lynch throws gum, the Hoosiers will stay within two touchdowns.

TEXAS A&M -1 Arkansas

Only because I yelled out Wooooo Pig Sooey last week and got beat by Roll Tide Turkey.

TENNESSEE -2 Auburn

This one's for Layla Kiffin (I implore you to Google her).

Oklahoma -7 MIAMI (FL)

This one's for Teeks.

usc -5 CALIFORNIA

Cal is a fraud and USC is motivated to further prove it.

IOWA -21 arkansas state

Doing the Chief Illiniwek dance for this one. Don't ask.

OREGON -32 washington state
I'm only picking the Ducks to try to close the gap with my fellow panelists.

Thus concludes The Professor's Smart Money Picks.

Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 1 Smart Money Picks

The Professor is back. Pick 'Em Corner is back. And most importantly, The Professor's Smart Money Picks are back.

You may remember The Professor's Pick 'Em Corner-best 29-14 record in picking Big Ten games against the spread in 2008. Well, this season, we're branching out beyond the Big Ten and picking a total of 15 games per week, including all Big Ten games, The Professor's Service Academy Game of the Week, all Alabama "Roll Tide Turkey" games and any games featuring Top 25 teams against each other. The remaining games will be filled out by quality storylines associated with the game.

To recap how this works, each game is worth one point and any "Lock of the Week" is worth three. All games are picked AGAINST THE SPREAD (not straight up winners). Standings will be posted on Mr. Heavyfoot after each week.

Don't be fooled by Pick 'Em Corner's other handicappers. The Host finished with an incredibly-awful 17-26 record last year. Cornerman, Coolies, Miss Money and Jimbo hovered around the .500 mark the entire season and never brought you, the bettor, the consistency needed to actually make some money picking college football. Slietes had a winning record in 2008, but even he chalks that up to pure luck. The Professor's most worthy competitor, KCKCKCK, has proven his chops at Pick 'Em Corner, but does he really have you in mind when he makes his picks? Methinks not. He's just fulfilling his sponsor obligations with Jimmy John's.

So, without further ado, I present to you The Professor's Smart Money Picks:

Favorite Spread Underdog (Home teams in ALL CAPS, The Professor's pick in bold)
GA TECH -2.5 North Carolina
Ramblin' Wreck coach Paul Johnson used to coach at Navy. If you know anything about The Professor, you're aware he's an Army guy. Go Heels.

NORTHWESTERN -1.5 Minnesota
Talked to former Gopher assistant Moe Ankeny this week. He still can't find Losli and is calling for the defense to be in Cobra. That's all the insight he gave me on this one. Minnesota may lose this game in a dramatic fashion for the third straight year, but it won't be by more than a point.

MICHIGAN -20.5 Indiana
Talked to disgraced former Michigan QB-turned-WR-turned drug dealer Justin Feagin this week. I don't have anything to add to that. I just wanted to drop his name. Indiana is not a good 3-0 football team (and as a Gopher fan, I know bad 3-0 football teams), but they're not three TDs worse than a young Michigan football team.

WISCONSIN -3 Michigan State
If you know anything about The Professor, you're aware that he never NEVER picks the BADgers, no matter the matchup or the spread. It's a tactic that has worked well in the past as evidenced by The Professor's Pick 'Em Corner-best 29-14 record in Big Ten games last season.

California -5.5 OREGON
Can't say I was overly-impressed with Cal last week, aside from the obvious accolades for Jahvid Best, but Cal is a much superior team to the Ducks. Oregon loves to run the ball, but the Bears thrive on stopping the run. Meanwhile, Cal will learn their lesson from last week and stick with Best, exploiting Oregon's average run defense. On top of all that, Cal QB Kevin Riley is miles ahead of former 5th-string Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli. This has all the makings of a Cal rout.

Miami (FL) -3 VIRGINIA TECH
I know The U is the trendy pick here and I fully expect Coolies to throw his lock of the week on this game, but really, this is almost a pick-em game, with Vegas giving the Hokies some points based on home field advantage. I talked to that thing on Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer's neck and it told me the Hokies are lucky to be 2-1. They'll be even luckier if they stay within 10 points of the Canes.

OHIO STATE -14 Illinois
You hear that sound? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! It's the MasterLock Triple Strong Lock of the Week! I know. I know. The Illini gets Juice and Benn back and the Buckeye offense has been streaky at best under Terelle Pryor. I DON'T CARE. Need I remind you Illinois is a Ron Zook-coached team?!? What else needs to be said? Ohio State. Big. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk!

ALABAMA -17.5 Arkansas
The Professor absolutely hates when the entire Pick 'Em Corner panel yells ROLL! TIDE! TURKEY! So I'll counter with WOO! PIG! SOOIE!

Florida -21.5 KENTUCKY
Talked to Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and she told me the H1N1 flu virus that hit the Gators last week will have some carryover effects to this game. There's not a chance that Florida loses, but the swine flu will keep this game closer than the experts thing (copyright Lee Corso).

IOWA STATE -10 Army
You know how The Host gets to sing that stupid Ramblin' Wreck song every time a Georgia Tech game is among the picks? Well, now it's The Professor's turn in this week's Service Academy Game of the Week. Ready?

On, brave old Army team,
On to the fray:
Fight on to victory,
For that's the fearless Army way.

Thank you.

PENN STATE -9.5 Iowa
Who hates Iowa? The Professor hates Iowa. The Professor is also aware that Ricky Stanzi is nothing special, not to mention the Hawks' committee of no-name running backs. That's enough for 10 points in my book.

Notre Dame -7 PURDUE
The gut beats the mustache.

STANFORD -7.5 Washington
Otherwise known as the Ty Willingham Bowl, I'm drinking the purple kool-aid in this one and predicting a Huskies win.

HOUSTON -1 Texas Tech
Easily the toughest game of the week to pick, but I'll call Houston's win over Okie State a mirage and Texas Tech's strong showing against Texas a trend. This is going to be a major shootout with the Red Raiders winning on the final drive of the contest.

USC -45 Washington State
45 points?!? HA! I know USC is pissed and Wazzu is awful, but 45 points? No way.

Thus concludes The Professor's Smart Money Picks.

No Beer Here - TCF Bank Stadium to be Dry Thanks to Misguided Law

(Note: Despite the above banner calling this site a source of fake news, this is an all-too-real opinion column. That being said, this topic sure is ripe for some satire. Stay tuned.)

The relatively big news out of Dinkytown this week is centered on U of M President Bob Bruininks' decision to make the new TCF Bank Stadium a dry venue for all fans during football games. In addition, Bruininks is pulling alcohol from the club rooms/suites at Mariucci Arena and Williams Arena.

Fans, donors and many others are rightfully fired up over this decision, but the vitriol aimed at Bruininks and Athletic Director Joel Maturi is misguided. Anyone who knows the facts about Bruininks' decision knows that this was the only path he could take once the legislature/governor passed this misguided law.

Beer was never going to be served in the cheap seats, regardless of this law being passed or not. The original plan was for alcohol to be sold only in the premium seating areas of the stadium (suites, loges, club seats). Then the Minnesota legislature, in all its wisdom (sarcasm anyone?), decided to pass a law saying that if alcohol was sold/served in one part of the stadium, it had to be sold/served in the entire stadium (this law also now applies to other U venues that serve booze).

So in response to this law, Bruininks issued a press release yesterday afternoon that told of his recommendation "to make TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena alcohol-free during athletic events as a result of recent legislation enacted by the Minnesota legislature and signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty."

Many critics of the U are now calling Bruininks "out of touch" for making this decision, saying he's naïve to think that banning alcohol at athletic events is going to prevent underage drinking and/or alcohol-related problems in the stands. They're partly correct in that students and fans are going to find a way to drink whether or not alcohol is sold in the stadium, but they're missing the point and their criticism is aimed at the wrong institution/person.

It was the legislature and Pawlenty, not the U and Bruininks, that brought about this turn of events. Sure, Bruininks made the final decision, but the legislature forced the U's hand on this and now the athletic department is losing a significant revenue source that has been in the department's budget plans for some time.

While using a lame "it's only fair" logic (more on that later) to pass this law, our lawmakers undercut the University and its athletic department. And what do we have to show for it? A dry stadium (that's not the end of the world), a loss of alcohol revenue and a possible loss in premium seating sales - all helping to hinder the athletic department's ability to be self-sufficient and bringing about the very real possibility of the cutting of a sport or sports in the near future. Nice work, St. Paul.

Not that we should expect it out of our lawmakers in this state, but was there any forethought put into this law before it got passed? Did the legislature really think the U was going to become the first Big Ten school (and one of the few in the entire country) to sell alcohol to the entire stadium?

What was St. Paul's objective in passing this legislation? The answer is simple, really: pandering and populism. Our lawmakers decided to cave in to a handful of whiners who complained that they wouldn't be able to have a drink during a football game, while the "pretty people" were offered beer and wine in the premium seats. Our wise public servants decided to pander to voters in a purely political effort.

And their logic? Well, let's go right to the words of Pawlenty:
"My view is we don't have a two-class society, so you can't just have a situation where you have a beer up in the skyboxes and then nobody else gets the beer."

And Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, who wrote the preliminary legislation that became the omnibus liquor bill:
“There was an overwhelming feeling in the Legislature that what the Board of Regents did was elitist. If you can afford to sit in the premium seats, you can drink chardonnay, and if you sit in the cheap seats, you get water or pop … We didn’t think that was right.”

So there you have it. The legislature passed this law on the logic of "fairness." Pawlenty, Rukavina and the others who voted for this law used the ridiculous notion that "it's only fair" that if the suite-holders get beer, then all should get beer. As long as we're using that logic, we should to demand wider, cushioned seats, better sightlines from our bleacher seats, access to the DQ Club Room, an expanded food menu, HDTVs at our seats and all the other amenities that premium seat-holders are getting.

No one has been able to explain to me how the notion of "fairness" applies to beer, but not to padded seats or better sightlines.

The lawmakers and those who support this law who say we don't live in a "two-class society" certainly don't get out much, and must never have stepped foot in the Xcel Energy Center or Target Center. You pay more, you get more services (i.e., alcohol). Is that such a foreign concept here?

As a regular season ticket holder, I don’t expect to get the same services that a premium season ticket holder (who is paying a lot more for his/her seat) gets. If a ticket holder in the premium seats get access to a free DQ Blizzard machine in the DQ Club Room, does that mean all should get access to a free DQ Blizzard machine in the DQ Club Room? Fairness, schmairness. Life isn’t fair. The rich get richer. That’s just the way it is. It sucks, sure, that the rich get more, but again, is that such a foreign concept?

Nevertheless, I don’t really care if I’ll have the opportunity to buy a beer or not. If it’s there, I may have a beer during the game. If it's not there, I'll enjoy the game just as much. And if it’s only in the premium areas, it won’t bother me one bit.

A bar in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium

Roses Have Thorns, Eh?

With Guy LaFleur and his kid in jackass kid in some trouble with the law in Canada, we thought it was time to revisit one of the greatest hockey/beer commercials of all time.

Report: Tim Brewster Will Not Tolerate Obesity

According to reports out of the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex on the campus of the University of Minnesota, head football coach Tim Brewster (Phillipsburg, N.J.) has no tolerance for the obese and will not tolerate fat people in his midst.

Brewster's distaste for the overweight came to light last week when the Gopher gridiron boss used his account on the social networking site Twitter (Play4Brew) to insult portly Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse. The Twitter post, below, was quickly deleted after Brewster's bosses deemed the "tweet" inappropriate, immature and unbecoming of a Gopher, but Brewster has vowed to continue his fight against fat people.

"On the record, I did not post that comment on Twitter and I don't know how it got on there. Might have been my boy Berezowitz," Brewster said over a bowl of hot chili. "Off the record, you're damn right I wrote that and it would still be up there if it wasn't for my panty waisted bosses in the administration. I'll tell you what, buddy, it's time Gopher Nation stands up to Reusse and all of his fat friends."

Apparently, Brewster's distaste for the overweight began after the reputed super-recruiter lost a heated battle for blue chip Cretin-Derham Hall wide receiver Michael Floyd to Notre Dame, a program led by the beefy Charlie Weis. Brewster took the loss hard, and chose to vent his disappointment by insulting the weight and appearance of the Irish head coach.

"Weis is a slob, a disgrace to Notre Dame, with his dirty mouth and appearance," Brewster said, according to a report on the now-defunct blog Paging Jim Shikenjanski. "Notre Dame will never recruit another Minnesota player until Weis is under 350 pounds."

Since making that statement, Brewster has proved prophetic as the 2009 and 2010 Fighting Irish recruiting classes have, so far, been absent of any Minnesotans. According to rumors out of Gibson-Nagurski, Brewster has chalked up that success to his crusade against the porcine and plump.

Brewster's aversion for the obese went to another level during halftime of Minnesota's 42-21 loss to Kansas in the 2008 Insight Bowl. The Jayhawks, led by the ample-sized Mark Mangino, owned a 28-14 lead at the break that they would not relinquish. Incensed by his team giving up a lead midway through the second quarter, Brewster, once again, chose to roast his coaching opponent.

"Coach Brew was his usual optimistic and positive self before the game and during the first half," former student manager Dominic Lade said. "But at halftime, out came a side of Brewster I had never seen before. He was ranting and raving about how much of a 'fat slob that Mangino is,' and how 'that Syracuse Orange lookalike had no business being on the same field as the Golden Gophers.' Coach Brew had no interest in making halftime adjustments. He just wanted to insult Coach Mangino."

Brewster's dislike of the overweight has several members of the Golden Gopher offensive and defensive lines worried for their future with the program. Minnesota's seven 300-pound linemen - Matt Carufel, Garrett Brown, Chris Bunders, Ned Tavale, Jewhan Edwards, Dom Alford and Jeff Wills - have enlisted the help of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance in a preemptive strike against any tactics Brewster may use in his war against the overweight.

"Coach Brew has always told us, that if you're going bear hunting, you better be prepared to go get the bear," sophomore defensive tackle Jewhan Edwards (6-2, 324) said. "The bear for us is coach's alleged dislike of the hefty and husky set. Well, we're not going to slay the bear without the help of NAAFA. We're just making sure Coach Brew keeps true to his word when he says this is a big man's game."

According to documents obtained by Mr. Heavyfoot, NAAFA will provide legal counsel to the stout septet should Brewster decide to take his anti-fat people crusade to his own players.

"Mr. Brewster's apparent campaign against the fat is just another in a long line of actions taken against the big, brawny, bulky, burly and even the big-boned in recent years," NAAFA founder and president William Fabrey said. "His level of vitriol and maliciousness toward the roly-poly is troubling to all of us at NAAFA."

Despite the negative publicity received from local and national media and bloggers, Brewster has been unapologetic toward his distaste for the corpulent.

"Hey, buddy, I'll tell you what. I think it's very, very, very tremendous how this nation has turned its attention away from defeating Big Tobacco in favoring of defeating fatsos. Even Fat Pat is noticing the impact he's having on the environment (link). It just goes to show you that ol' Coach Brewster knows what he's talking about.

"I'm real. I'm raw. At times, I'm real raw. I don't care if I offend people when I say I'm against all things fat, overweight and obese. I'm also against the way the words your and you're sound alike but are spelled differently and mean completely different things. Stupid spellcheck."

Wild Fan Taunted for Tucking in Jersey

This article appears in the Feb. 19, 2009, edition of Let's Play Hockey.

SAINT PAUL – As a group, fans of the Minnesota Wild take their hockey seriously. They’re a knowledgeable and passionate bunch. It appears, however, that some followers of the NHL franchise have taken their love for the Wild and the game of hockey a bit too far.

According to reports out of the Xcel Energy Center, fan Kris Lagasse (Crookston, Minn.) received a healthy dose of verbal harassment from a sizable group of die-hard Wild fans at a recent game at the St. Paul arena. Reportedly, Lagasse had to ask for security assistance from ushers in the second period of the Valentine’s Day game vs. Ottawa when a group of fans heckled the 24-year-old graphic designer for tucking in his replica Derek Boogaard jersey.

“My wife and I were enjoying the game when out of nowhere this group of fans in our section started yelling at me to untuck my jersey,” Lagasse said. “They were merciless. They had half the upper deck chanting, ‘Untuck your jersey,’ followed by the familiar ‘clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.’”

Witnesses report that Lagasse was standing more often than most fans during the game, apparently trying to fire up the Wild with motivational cheers after the team’s three-goal lead started fading in the second period.

“In the first period, I hardly noticed the tucked-in jersey guy,” Section 210 fan Bryan Maus said. “But then, the Wild started going in the tank in the second and he was constantly on his feet, trying to get the fans to cheer ‘Let’s go, Wild’ and stuff like that. Nobody paid much attention to him until they noticed he had his jersey tucked into his Dockers.

“Then the proverbial gloves came off. It started with just a couple of guys yelling at him to untuck his jersey. By the end of the second period, almost half the section was hurling insults and the occasional box of popcorn at the guy. I can’t say he deserved it, but c’mon, who in their right mind thinks a tucked-in hockey jersey looks good?”

Though he received a healthy dose of grief from fellow Wild fans, Lagasse was unapologetic for his wardrobe choice.

“I was taking my wife out to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a little dinner at Fuji Ya followed by the game. I wanted to class up my look a little bit, so I tucked in my jersey. She’s always bothering me to tuck my shirt in and brush my teeth before I go to work, so I just thought she’d be happy with me if I tucked in the jersey for a night out on the town. Boy, did that backfire.”

According to the incident report filed at the arena, ushers were called to Section 210 for fan assistance during the second period. Usher Rob Swoverland was the first on the scene.

“It was an ugly situation. Mr. Lagasse looked like a complete idiot, and if I wasn’t working at the time, I would have probably taunted him, too. After a few near-misses by thrown cups of beer, I finally convinced him to untuck his jersey. But he wasn’t happy about it. His wife, however, was relieved.”

According to Lagasse’s wife, Megan, the tucked-in jersey fiasco wasn’t the first time that Lagasse has been the subject of teasing from fans at a sporting event.

“We go to a lot of Twins games in the summer and, despite the fact that he’s 24 years old, Chris insists on bringing his glove to every game. I understand catching a foul ball is a thrill, but we have season tickets in the upper deck above the left field foul pole. That’s an area no foul ball has ever, or will ever, reach. I love Chris with all of my heart, but what guy over the age of 12 brings his glove to a baseball game?”

Colorblind Hockey Player Keeps Going Offsides

This article appears in the Dec. 11, 2008, edition of Let's Play Hockey.

BLAINE, MINN. – Area hockey player Geoff Kaiser picked up the sport a mere three months ago, but the Plymouth, Minn., native is already considering hanging up the skates for good due to his rare red-blue colorblindness. A forward for the Elsinore Brewery team in the Norris Division of the SuperRink D League, Kaiser has gone offsides a league record 114 times in 16 games this season, apparently because of his inability to discern the difference between the red and blue lines.

Even though Kaiser, 32, wholly understands the rules of hockey, he routinely gets confused as to which lines are which colors, leading to multiple whistles for offsides during nearly every one of Kaiser’s shifts. Just last weekend in a league game against the rival Bourque Chops, Kaiser skated offsides an astonishing six times in one shift.

"Being colorblind has certainly taken a toll on my development as a hockey player," Kaiser said after a game which featured 29 whistles attributed solely to the hapless forward. "It’s just so darn confusing out there on the ice. I mean, what’s red to you is blue to me and vice versa. It’s like bizarro world. How can I be expected to stay onsides when I can’t tell if the line I just crossed was really red or blue?"

In an effort to combat the obvious conflict of Kaiser’s visual disability with the rules of hockey, Elsinore Brewery teammates have gone to great lengths to solve the maddening problem. Team captain Mike Lunderbergh thought he found the solution upon finishing his box of Fruity Pebbles late last month.

"I’m just polishing off a box of my favorite cereal when I notice something amid the crumbs," Lunderbergh said. "There it was. The solution to all of our problems – 3-D glasses. It seemed like a great idea and it was to a certain extent. The glasses solved the red line-blue line problem, but it sure did a number of Geoff’s depth perception. He wasn’t going offsides anymore, but he was constantly running into the boards. Back to the drawing boards, I guess."

When the 3-D glasses experiment failed, the Elsinore Brewery squad tried several other tactics to handle the issue, including hypnosis, behavior modification, looking into retinal transplants and playing Geoff only when they had a faceoff in the offensive zone. When all those strategies failed, the team turned to league director Sam Lombardo.

"The Elsinore Brewery team came to me with a drastic suggestion to help rid the league of the offsides epidemic that has plagued it since Kaiser started playing hockey," Lombardo said. "Lunderbergh asked the rink manager to re-paint our lines in more Kaiser-friendly colors like green and orange. That just wasn’t going to happen. We’d be the laughingstock of the ice arena world."

The majority of Kaiser’s teammates have been nothing but supportive as Kaiser has battled his colorblindness on the ice. Some Elsinore Brewery players, however, seem to be losing patience.

"Listen, I like Geoff. I respect Geoff. I just don’t understand Geoff," veteran defenseman Karl Coughlin said. "How hard is it to figure out that the center line is red and the other two lines are blue? Seriously, I’ve had just about enough of this. If he doesn’t quit, I quit."

Other team members have taken a more pragmatic, look-on-the-bright-side approach to the problems that Kaiser has brought to the ice.

"I’m as annoyed by all the whistles as the next guy, but I’ll tell you this, I’m getting really good at taking faceoffs," center Stefan Gellar said.

Kaiser claims he didn’t anticipate the impact his visual disability would have on the Elsinore Brewery team and the SuperRink D League.

"I really didn’t expect my colorblindness to be a problem in hockey," Kaiser said. "I mean, it’s never really been an issue before...aside from my short-lived career as a high school quarterback when I passed to the wrong team because I thought they’re wearing blue when they were really wearing red. Oh, and every four years during election time, the whole red state-blue state thing gets really confusing. Come to think of it, maybe the reason I get pulled over all the time for running red lights has something to do with me having trouble seeing red. I guess I should have seen this coming."

Lunderbergh has called a team meeting to address the future of Kaiser on the Elsinore Brewery team. League officials are anxiously awaiting the team’s decision.

"As officials, we need to stay as impartial as possible," linesman Jim Backlin said. "But the sooner Kaiser is done as a hockey player, the better. I’ve gone through 14 whistles this season. My whistle budget is through the roof."

Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 9 Picks

The Professor is done. Done gloating. Done ripping on his fellow Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner participants. Done trying to convince you, the bettor, that you should follow The Professor.

As a wise man once said, "The proof is in the picks." Well, like a mathematical theorem, The Professor has the proof and the proof is The Professor's Smart Money Picks:


In honor of the final week of the Big Ten regular season, The Professor is throwing a bit of a curveball to his followers. This week, I'm giving you actual quotes from the Big Ten community in defense of my picks. We start off with "The Game," except this year, it's just "A Game." A spread of 20.5 points is an awful lot in a rivalry that hasn't seen a victory margin of 20 or more since a 28-0 Michigan win in 1993, but 2008 is not like the past 14 meetings between these two schools. ESPN analyst and former Buckeye knows this:

"[The Wolverines] stink, they're not very good. They don't play offense ... they can't run it consistently, they can't throw it consistently, they can't stop the run, they're not very good defending the pass, they're not very good covering kicks, they're not very good returning kicks."

Even Wolverine great Desmond Howard admits his team sucks.

"...the way they've lost some of those games...it's not like they were trying to learn a spread offense (as much as) like they were trying to learn how to play football in some of those games, they looked so bad. This isn't Michigan, this is like Michigan Tech. Now, there's a way to lose, and there's a way to look embarrassing....As a player, you have to have some pride to go out on the field and do certain things that show you're a football player."

I don't know about you, but if Spielman and Howard both are saying essentially the same thing, that means the Winged Helmets are primed for a bloodbath. Take the Bucks and the points. Final Score: Ohio State 42, Michigan 13 (OHIO STATE -20.5 vs. Michigan).

In the Old Oaken Bucket game, it's Tiller Time's farewell vs. the merciful end of Indiana's season. I'll be the first to say that I just don't understand this spread. Eleven points?!? The Boilers hav won three games this season and only one was by more than a touchdown. Now, granted, Indiana is dreadful, but their losses by 10 points or more have come to decent teams (Ball State, MSU, Iowa, Illinois, UW, PSU). Purdue is not a decent team. To verify my suspicion with this spread, we turn to Tiller Time. He's sure to have put a lot of thought into his game plan, especially in regards to his quarterback situation.

"We'll probably start Curtis just out of courtesy to Curtis, as a senior."

Okayyyy. So, what Joe's telling us here is that he's pretty much mailed it in. On the other sideline, Bill Lynch certainly will have an insightful thing to say about this passionate rivalry.

"Having this game at the end is better than having this in the middle of the season."

Okayyyy. So, what Bill's telling us here is it's nice the end of the season is near and it's nice they actually have a chance to win against a bad Purdue team. You won't win, Bill, but you will cover. Final Score: Purdue 22, Indiana 20 (Indiana +11 vs. PURDUE).


Now it's time for the real "The Game" of the weekend. Penn State is going for its second league crown in four years, while Michigan State silently cheering for Michigan to pull off the upset in the 'Shoe, setting the table for a Sparty win over the Nits to vault into the Rose Bowl. You'd think with all that on the line, the talk in Happy Valley would be on the big tilt. Instead, the Penn Staters are talking about JoePa's arthritic hip. Numerous column inches in Pennsylvania newspapers have been devoted, not to Nits vs. Spartans, but to a near-82-year-old man's right leg.

"The hip is not a difficult thing for an 80-year-old man to return from," said Easwaran Balasubramanian (I'm not making up that name), chief of orthopedic surgery at Northeastern Hospital. "Complications are always there. Among them are infection and blood clots. But an infection occurs only 0.5 percent of the time. Blood clots are more common, but the significance isn't major. He'll be on a walker for about three weeks and then a cane for a couple of weeks."

When Happy Valley isn't worrying about JoePa's hip, they're worrying about QB Daryll Clark's sudden loss of ability to play football. David Jones of The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News:

"He's rushing every movement, all jerks and abrupt stops. Nothing is smooth or relaxed. Worse, he's begun throwing either off his back foot or with no stride at all, feet flat as if entombed in set cement.

Worse yet, it seems Clark's teammates are a tad worried about their quarterback's confidence level. I give you Deon Butler:

"Guys just need to relax and calm down and we need to get back to our old ways when we played with a lot more confidence, a lot more swagger. Now it's like, 'I hope we get the first down.'"

All of this is adding up to at best, a narrow Penn State win, or at worst a Michigan State upset. But does Sparty have what it takes to pull off the huge win in State College? The stats show that MSU has four victories against teams with winning records, but none against ranked opponents. In their last chance to make a statement, the Fighting Dantonios fell flat on their face in Columbus. Predictably, Dantonio is playing the respect card this week.

"That's a continuous thing that you fight, that respect factor. This is a world of instant gratification. People want it and want it now. We are truly a work in progress, but we come to play. And as long as you come to play and we play with confidence and we know what we're doing on that end, we'll always have a chance."

I know all the talking heads say when they hear Brewster's pre-game braggadocio, they want to strap on the pads and get out there, but for The Professor's smart money, no one says it as well as Mark Dantonio. It is for that reason, and the fact that JoePa's hip is a major news story, that The Professor is predicting a Michigan State upset this weekend. Sorry, Keisers. Final Score: Michigan State 31, Penn State 28 (Michigan State +14 vs. PENN STATE).


Now it's time for Wickstrom vs. Coughlin. Let's go right to the quotes. Illinois defensive end Will Davis doesn't sound too confident in his schizophrenic team's ability to take home the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk:

"We're all competitors and we lost some games we shouldn't have lost. We lost to teams we felt we could beat, so that hurt. The hardest part is getting it out of your head and getting ready for the next team."

For Northwestern's part, I turned to former 'Cat head coach Denny Green for one of his pearls of football wisdom:

"Northwestern has a place in the Big Ten. Northwestern has a place in major college athletics."

Sounds good on paper, right? Well, not exactly. Denny said that with a look that says he's not entirely convinced by his own statement. Not to be outdone, Illinois assistant coach had this to say, channeling his inner Denny:

"We have to find a way to come out every week and play (hard) because when we play we can play with anybody. And when we don't, we can lose to anybody.''

Clearly, these quotes aren't helping me pick this game, so we'll go with a very telling stat: since 1993, the team with the better record has won 14 out of 15 times. That's enough for me. Take the Cats. Final Score: Northwestern 24, Illinois 20 (NORTHWESTERN +3 vs. Illinois).


Time for the game to determine who takes home a bronze pig. Joel Maturi sounds as if he's predicting a loss this week:

"Going into this season, most people would have been ecstatic with a 7-5 record going into a bowl game. The bigger picture is that we've made great strides here no matter what happens. You either win two more or you win one more or you lose two. We will deal with whatever happens."

Looks like the Athletic Communications office still can't stop Joel from saying stupid things. It also looks like the long-standing head-butting between the AD and football coach is still going strong. The Brew Crew says:

"To me, it's such a bad way to end the year if you lose. You have a double deal, if you lose to Iowa and lose the bowl game. What type of momentum do you have then off of a season when you had a lot of momentum?"

For Iowa blogger "Nefarious," the result of this game has already been decided:

"Go back and look at last year's Iowa schedule. Now look at this year's schedule. Notice anything bizarre? That's right. This year, we've beaten every team we lost to last year, and lost to every team we beat last year. Now, at first I was willing to chalk this up to coincidence. Then, after the Illinois game, it was a legitimate theory, but after the Penn State game. This is clear demonstrable evidence of a very real curse."

Thanks for that analysis, Nefarious, but The Professor doesn't go with trends. I'm not trendy. Instead, I'll go with a true curse - that of Gopher Football and the Metrodome. We all know what's going to happen on Saturday in the Dome, don't we. First quarter: close game, Minnesota ahead by a field goal. Second quarter: Gophers get hot and build a 17-point lead. Third quarter: Goof Troop goes completely off their game plan from the first half and just goes into a shell, hoping to hold the lead. Iowa closes the gap to six. Fourth quarter: Hawks build momentum and make a field goal to trail by three. Gophers respond with about two and a half minutes to go with a field goal of their own to lead by six. Thirteen seconds to go and Iowa is on the Minnesota 25. Everyone is covered deep, so Stanzi tries a mid-zone pass to Johnson-Koulianos. In a fitting end to the Dome era, Stanzi's poorly-thrown pass deflects off the umpire's head and falls into the hands of Andy Brodell who scampers into the end zone. Iowa makes the extra point and wins by one. Minnesota still covers. Mark it down. This will happen. Final Score: Iowa 27, Minnesota 26 (MINNESOTA +6 vs. Iowa).


Finally, we get to the game everyone is talking about: Cal Poly at Wisconsin. Wait, everyone isn't talking about it? And it's deer opener in Wisconsin?

"I don't know what to anticipate; it is kind of an unusual situation," said Vince Sweeney, senior associate athletic director. "The thing we could compare it to is when we played Buffalo two years ago and we had a pretty good turnout that day."

Seeing that the spread was set by Gellersfeld, there's no way it's an accurate representation of the matchup. Nevertheless, Wisconsin will take Cal Poly lightly and the deer hunter-sparse crowd will take some juice out of the Camp Randall vibe. Bucky wins, but closer than the "experts" think. Take the Mustangs. Final Score: Wisconsin 37, Cal Poly 30 (Cal Poly +25 vs. WISCONSIN).


Thus concludes The Professor's Picks of the Week. Remember, "The 'Smart' Money is Always on THE PROFESSOR."

Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner Current Standings (week 8)
The Professor – 29-14 (4-1)
KCKCKCK – 26-17 (3-2)
Wick – 20-17 (2-3)
The Intern – 20-17 (4-1)
Slietes – 23-20 (2-3)
Mighty – 22-21(4-1)
Coolies – 22-21(1-4)
Jimbo – 22-21(2-3)
Cornerman – 21-22 (4-1)
Traeny – 18-20 (2-3)
The Host – 17-26 (3-2)
The Veteran – 12-20 (0-0)

Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 8 Picks

Some have said The Host's lenghthy gambling history makes him the strongest handicapper in Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner. A 14-24 season record says otherwise. Would he lead you astray? Yes. Yes he would.

Others say The Cornerman's experience working for two Big Ten universities on opposite ends of the "strength of football program" spectrum gives him invaluable insight into the conference. A 17-21 record says he has learned nothing in his travels around the league. If you've gone with his picks, he's put you in the corner.

Still others say with a name like The Veteran, he must know what he's doing. A 12-20 record says he does not.

Only a fool would follow the picks of someone we refer to as The Intern. A .500 record confirms this.

Coolies gets a little credit for resurrecting Pick 'Em Corner, but he's really only good at picking Purdue games.

Then there are the upstarts. Wick, Slietes, Jimbo, Traeny and Mighty are all over the map on their picks, but they don't back up their predictions with solid analysis in the form of a time-wasting e-mail. They cannot be trusted.

Finally, that brings us to the cream of the crop, KCKCKCK and yours truly, The Professor. KCKCKCK and his second-place record is only out to make money for his sponsor, Erberts & Gerberts, so why not turn to the first-place handicapper who has you, the bettor, in mind? I'm just here to educate, so students, sit down, be quiet and prepare to learn. These are The Professor's Smart Money Picks:

In a battle between the last two Goof Troop opponents, we have the Mildcats visiting Meeeeeeeeeeechigan. You'd think seeing these two teams play the Gophs would help in picking this game, but the Brew Crew was dreadful in both contests, so they're of no help. To figure this game out, I talked to all-time great UM basketball coach Tommy Amaker. Given his history with smart-guy schools Duke, Seton Hall and Harvard, Amaker was enamored with Northwestern and begged me to pick the 'Cats. I would, Tommy, but you're just not a reliable Big Ten mind. I mean, you never made it to the NCAA Tournament and you have a reputation of underacheiving and falling apart in pressure situations. Your word just cannot be trusted. Instead, we look to the history books. Michigan has won 33 of the 40 contests in Ann Arbor in this series and is on a five-game win streak vs. NU. True, this ain't your typical Wolverine squad, but they're still Michigan and Northwestern is still Northwestern. Take the Winged Helmets at the points. Final Score: Michigan 29, Northwestern 21 (MICHIGAN -3.5 over Northwestern).

You hear that sound? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr-plunk! It's the MasterLock Triple Strong Lock of the Week! It's been awhile since I've given you a lock, but that's because it should be assumed that all my picks are locks. Anyway, in Happy Valley, the Nits are favored by an astounding 35.5 points over the woeful Hoosiers. The Fighting Keisers are fuming over their loss last week to the Fighting S'felds and ready to take out their frustrations on IU. If we were picking straight up, this would be the easiest game to pick all season, but instead we have 35.5 points staring us in the face. To find out if Indiana is really 35.5 points worse than Popcorn Paterno, I spoke with the Indiana student who held up the bedsheet with the words "Fire Bill Lynch" written on it at the last Hoosier home game. He told me the Hoosier players didn't take his editorial on the IU head coach too well and he's now in Steve Bartman-like hiding somewhere on the Bloomington campus. That says a lot, because if there's one thing I know about Indiana Football, it's that that team can get fired up for their coach...whether he's living or not. Penn State runs away with this game, but Indiana plays hard for Lynch. That's good enough for a 35-point deficit, enough to cover. Final Score: Penn State 38, Indiana 3 (Indiana +35.5 vs. PENN STATE).

Remember last week when I told you about Ohio State watching video of Northwestern's 2004 win, inspiring them to a convincing win over the 'Cats to cover the 10.5 points last weekend? Well, the Fighting Waleriuses just might be inspired to the tune of 10 points or more this week after Head Sweater Vest showed his squad video of last season's loss to the Fighting Wickstroms. On the other hand, remember last week when I enlightened you on the Illini's trend of alternating wins and losses? Well, schizophrenia reigned again last week as the Zooksters dropped a 23-17 Motor City Bowl preview to Western Michigan. So, what trend do I go with? This one is easy. When in doubt, never side with a Ron Zook-coached team and never count on a mentally ill team to stick with a trend. Instead, go with a Buckeye squad hitting their stride on both sides of the ball. Final Score: Ohio State 35, Illinois 23 (Ohio State -9.5 over ILLINOIS).

Our next game has trap written all over it. For the underdog Boilers, the quarterback situation is still a mess in the 12th week of the season; the squad is playing for little more than pride and the Tiller Time Farewell Tour; and Purdue is mired in last place with one league win. For the favored Hawkeyes, confidence is high after the big win over the Fighting Keisers; they're on the verge of a top four bowl with two more wins; and it's Senior Day in Iowa City. Here's the problem, 1) Although Purdue has seven losses, only one has been by more than 17 points, 2) Ricky Stanzi is still Ricky Stanzi, 3) an emotional letdown can be expected by the S'felds after last week's big win, and 4) Purdue's defense has been good against traditional offenses. I'm really debating this pick after seeing The Host agreeing with me, but 17.5 points are just too much for Purdue to lose by. Tiller Time loses, but only by 14. Final Score: Iowa 21, Purdue 14 (Purdue +17.5 vs. IOWA).

I think it's time for me to renegotiate my contract with Pick 'Em Corner. The contract I signed a few years back precludes me from ever picking Bucky, even if every fiber of my being is saying, "Pick Bucky." That was the case last week with Wisco vs. IU, but I am contractually obligated to go against the Evil Red Empire. As much as I don't want to this week, I'll stick with this practice even though I'm convinced the Goof Troop is going to get thoroughly embarrassed in Madison. Remember last week when I told you Minnesota was a fraud? Was I right or was I right? Don't get me wrong, I love picking against Bielema's Boys and rooting for their opponent week in and week out is one of the few pure joys in life, but there is no way the Brew Crew stays close in this game. In fact, I'm making this my first-ever Bizarro World Reverse Lock of the Week. Click-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrr! Click-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrr! Click-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrr! I'm going to pick Minnesota to cover the 13.5, but you should not. Final Bizarro Score: Wisconsin 33, Minnesota 20 (Minnesota -13.5 vs. WISCONSIN). Remember, this is my Bizarro pick. If you want to win, do the complete opposite.

Thus concludes The Professor's Picks of the Week. Remember, "The 'Smart' Money is Always on THE PROFESSOR."

Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner Current Standings (week 7)
The Professor – 25-13 (5-1)
KCKCKCK – 23-15 (4-2)
Wick – 18-14 (3-3)
Slietes – 21-17 (4-2)
Coolies – 21-17 (4-2)
Jimbo – 20-18 (4-2)
The Intern – 16-16 (0-0)
Traeny – 16-17 (3-3)
Cornerman – 17-21 (2-4)
Mighty – 18-20 (3-3)
The Host – 14-24 (2-4)
The Veteran – 12-20 (4-2)

Big Ten Pick 'Em Corner - The Professor's Week 7 Picks

A tough week for everyone but Slietes and Jimbo last week. Even The Professor suffered his first sub-.500 week. I guess that's what I get for jumping on the Brew Crew bandwagon.

Another tough week of picks in the Big Ten this week as no spread is set at less than a touchdown. Better have some conviction in your handicapping this week.

The Professor stands at 20-12 on the season. Now students, sit down, be quiet and prepare to learn. It's time for The Professor's Smart Money Picks.

A rejuvenated, albeit still banged-up Northwestern squad gets the pleasure of welcoming the surly and well-rested Sweater Vests this week. Bye weeks have meant trouble in the Big Ten this season - the Goof Troop being the exception. Under Coach Sweater Vest, the Bucks are 1-4 after bye weeks, but in those previous post-bye games, the Buckeyes had gone into their off week on the heels of a victory. So what's this mean for OSU and the 10.5 points they need to cover? Well, to find out, I talked with fellow handicapper Steve Geller. Take it away, Coolies. "Let me take you back to 2004 when Glen Mason was doing his best to get us back to Nashville. The 'Cats had just come off a 43-17 loss to the 19th-ranked Gophers, while OSU was 3-0 and coming off a bye. What happened? A 33-27 overtime win for Northwestern. Need I say more?" No, Steve, you don't. I'll take it from here. The Bucks won't be caught sleeping in 2008. They're pissed off, thanks to the Fighting Keisers, and they just got done watching a video clip of NU fans celebrating after that 2004 win. The 'Cats QB situation is still a mess - Kafka's performance was against a Gopher defense playing in its 2007-style - and OSU is looking for a big rebound from their last game. Take the Vests and the points. Final Score: Ohio State 34, Northwestern 17 (Ohio State -10.5 over NORTHWESTERN).

It truly is time for Tiller Time to end. The Boilers inexplicably score 48 points with Justin Siller at the helm and Tiller is still planning on running Curtis Painter out there to take on Sparty? What gives? Why the love affair with the vastly overrated Painter? I just don't get it. So, I asked Tiller himself. In reference to why he might start Painter over Siller, he actually said, "Well, you haven't been on the practice field with us, so you really don't know." Wow, just wow. Are we talking practice field here? (http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/11/ai-revists-his-famous-practice-speech.html) Practice field? Tiller has gone off the deep end and it's time to bring in Mustache #2 now. Brian Hoyer is getting going, Javon Ringer is still a stud, it's Senior Day in East Lansing, Purdue only beat Michigan by six points last week (and allowed 42) and Tiller is starting Painter. That adds up to more than 10 points to me. Take Sparty and the points. Final Score: Michigan State 27, Purdue 13 (MICHIGAN STATE -10 over Purdue).

We wrap up the non-conference slate in the Big Ten with a real barn-burner - Illinois vs. Western Michigan in Ford Field...wait, Ford Field? Huh? Is this like a Motor City Bowl Preview or something? Why Ford Field? Color me confused. Anyway, Illinois is the definition of a schizophrenic team. To wit: the Fighting Wickstroms have alternated wins and losses for each of the last six games. In the business, that's called a trend. To take this game's pulse, I spoke with someone who knows schizophrenia quite well, my good friend Tyler Hirsch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCgqLXc8ZUQ). All I got out of him was something about him being the Messiah or something, so I turned to the numbers. Here we go: Western Michigan beat Northern Illinois who lost to Minnesota who beat Illinois, while Illinois has Ron Zook as a head coach, players breaking each others' jaws and a nasty case of the aforementioned schizophrenia. I'm not sure Illinois will lose this game, but the Broncos' offense keeps this one close. Final Score: Illinois 42, Western Michigan 40 (WESTERN MICHIGAN +7 over Illinois).

Now it's time for my weekly justification of why I'm picking against Bucky. It's an easy one this week: Bret Bielema is (take your pick) immature/insane/arrogant/assholeish/a bad coach/just plain stupid/a perfect fit for the state of Wisconsin. Bielema blew Bucky's chance at a win over Michigan State by being a childish jerk to the sideline officials, resulting in a 15-yard penatly which led to a MSU comeback. He's apologized to everyone, but even his players sound a little miffed at their coach's immaturity. I give you Wisco safety Chris Maragos: "Obviously, he feels horrible about the penalty. But at the same time, we're out on the field. It should never come down to any penalties, whether it's pass interference, coaches or whatever it might be. We need to do our job." Great timing on Bielema's reverting back to 3rd grade, too. The BADgers were just starting to look somewhat respectable again. Wisconsin wins, but they don't cover. Final Score: Wisconsin 23, Indiana 17 (INDIANA +9.5 over Wisconsin).

Time for the Goof Troop in the Jug Game. I'm sorry to say it, but I'm off the bandwagon (until next week). Fans can argue all they want, but Brewster's Boys were exposed for the fraud that they are last week against Northwestern. The offense is anemic. Exhibit A: Weber to Decker can only take you so far. Exhibit B: The running game is as bad as we expected it would be without Duane Bennett. Exhibit C: This ain't a Mason-era offensive line. On the other side of the ball, we've just been plain lucky. Winning the turnover battle is important, but it's not exactly something you can count on being there game in and game out...especially with a sputtering offense. Lucky for the Goof Troop they have Michigan and their case of fumblitis coming into the Dome this week. That being said, as bad as Michigan has been this year, they've got some things going for them in this game. 1) They've never lost in the Dome. 2) Their offense has been decent in recent weeks. And 3) They're still Michigan (though they're masquerading as the 2007 Gophers). Make me regret this pick, Goof Troop. Final Score: Michigan 27, Minnesota 26 (Michigan +8 over MINNESOTA).

I'm getting bored with my own analysis at this point, so I'll go with the tried and true method of picking the opposite of what The Host picked. It's worked before and it'll work again. The Nits win, but don't cover. Final Score: Penn State 27, Iowa 20 (IOWA +7.5 over Penn State).

Thus concludes The Professor's Picks of the Week. Remember, "The 'Smart' Money is Always on THE PROFESSOR."

Big Ten Pick’em Corner Current Standings (week 6)
The Professor – 20-12 (2-3)
KCKCKCK – 19-13 (2-3)
Wick – 15-11 (1-4)
Slietes – 17-15 (3-2)
Coolies – 17-15 (1-4)
Jimbo – 16-16 (3-2)
The Intern – 16-16 (2-3)
Traeny – 13-14 (1-4)
Cornerman – 15-17 (2-3)
Mighty – 15-17 (1-4)
The Host – 12-20 (1-4)
The Veteran – 8-18 (2-3)