2024 Week 9 Results
Perfect Yet Again
History does indeed repeat itself. In Year 7 we had zero 10-0 entries ever and after one hit we had a 2nd the week after and a 3rd two weeks later giving us our only 3 10-0 entries ever submitted. We went silent for 2.5 years until Week 8 of Year 10 when Alex W. broke the streak, and just like Year 7 the very next week we are perfect again! Jarrod P. with our 2nd 10-0 entry in two weeks, becoming the 5th ever. Unlike last week where we had nine 9-1 entries we only had one other 9-1 entry for the week as well. A hell of a week and an cementing in Pick Em lore for Jarrod. But that isn’t even all, this is also Jarrod’s 2nd weekly top 2 of the season! He is now our first person of the year to have two top twos. And with that, let’s recap the week!
Week 9 got rolling with what likely turned into a playoff elimination game in many ways. Notre Dame (-12.5) cant afford another loss this season and Navy was coming in having their most exciting season in decades. They have played for 80+ straight years and every time it seems like Navy is ready to stand up to Notre Dame those are the games that Notre Dame rolls in while Navy likes to keep the sleepy games close with the Irish. And this game sadly to 70 of our Pick Em entries was no different in that trend. The Irish rolled the troops from the start and took a big step forward moving up to #8 in the country in this week’s rankings. The Irish offense exploded in a way that MetLife hasn’t seen in ages.
The Irish still have another Troops battle upcoming and ending the season with USC as well. They are fully in playoff mode the rest of the season.
Indiana (-6.5) got to showcase their breakout season on College Gameday this week. And it did NOT get off to a good start for the fans who most certainly had not been there before.
The starting Quarterback was ruled out early in the week keeping the spread close at 6.5, and whether or not it was ignorance or indifference our public still hammered Indiana as our 2nd most picked team of the week at 75 selections. Curt Cignetti is starting to own anyone he plays lately and the fan towels at Indiana may have been one of the best ones ever given out.
And the Hoosiers continued to just roll forward winning by 14 to easily cover the spread. Indiana has now won every game by double digits this season and has also looked the part. Cignetti rolls another.
Four stacked games filled the afternoon slot and not a single one was close for the spread.
Oregon at this point is just cruising through games and has established themselves as the new top duck in the country moon.
Oregon covers their -21.5 point spread by more than a touchdown over an Illinois team looking to put themselves on the map in the Big Ten this season.
Our Big 12 matchup of the week gave us an undefeated #11 ranked BYU traveling to a 3-4 UCF and gave us one of the more precarious lines of the season with UCF being favored by 2.5. Another game where the winning team was just doing tricks on their opponent.
BYU wins outright by 13 and never once let the game even get close. The Big 12 is getting spicy with BYU, K State, and Iowa State. Who knocks the Mormons out before them?
Another team in full playoff mode the rest of the season is Alabama. They hosted a ranked 6-1 Missouri team in their first spot needing to win out and let’s just say that this video really demonstrates the submission that Mizzou was beat into. Even the mascot was cheering with Bama. Tide rolls 34-0. The Pick Em Public win big as 72 entries had the Tide.
Texas went into a newly minted RANKED Vanderbilt team looking to shake their demons off from the Georgia game the week before with a massive 18.5 point spread attached to them. But for the first time since the Franklin era at Vandy it was actually a home field advantage for the commodores.
While the spread was never in question as Vandy kept this a real game just about the entire way, Diego Pavia slipped up for the first time this season and Texas just about secured the game late in the 4th.
The night slate brought a bit more intrigue in the spread but quite frankly not as much as the pool desires for maximum sweat. The first night game gave us a big rivalry coming back together for what has historically been a close game with 7 of the prior 10 being one score games even in years Miami was down bad. But Cam Ward has never played in this series and he is a man on a mission. Miami at -20.5 was the most selected spread with 76 selections, and if it wasn’t for absolute hatred in this game it was looking like that number may be in jeopardy. But Miami wanted to really kick FSU while they were down and never let off the gas. Miami covers ultimately by 22 to help the Public.
Wisconsin hosted Penn State (-6.5) in a big game for both programs this season. Wisconsin had been playing hot and similar to a few other teams this week, had a chance to cement themselves within the conference. And Penn State looked to keep their unbeaten season one week longer before they host Ohio State in a monumental matchup. Wisconsin started off hot but may have been a classic case of emptying the bag a bit early as this was early in the 1st quarter.
It only got worse for Penn State as Drew Allar got injured early and was big mad running off the field.
Wisconsin was leading late into the 2nd half and then all of a sudden, it all unravels.
Penn State turned it on and never looked back from that moment. A season defining win and they have a head full of steam going into next week. But will they finally be able to conquer Ohio State?
LSU took their #8 ranking into #14 Texasm A&M and spent a little too long poking the bear this week. Comments of lack of crowd noise and bad fans is always a tough thing to have on paper when Brian Kelly is your coach. The Aggie clan was out in full and rocking all night in College Station.
A&M stays undefeated in the SEC after a 15 point win pulling ahead late. We are now living in the universe where the SEC has the chance to do the funniest thing imaginable to the Big 12 in their conference game.
Our final game had two ACC teams still looking to get their recognition. #22 SMU had a big -11.5 spread going into a 6-1 Duke. SMU is yet another team in full playoff mode for the rest of the season and while the spread was never close to being in question, SMU in the quiet night had one of the best plays of the season to save their own season. Tied with seconds to go Duke has a chip shot to win in regulation and spoil the Mustangs first ACC year.
SMU showing some of the most heart ever displayed and blocking the field goal to force OT where they would eventually win by 1 as Duke opted to go for 2 in the first OT to get a walk off win. SMU/Pitt next week in another ACC surprise but awesome battle.
And that will conclude our Week 9 slate. Jarrod P. takes the 1st place win for the week going 10-0 as we covered earlier and in 2nd place we have Scott N. with the lone 9-1 record for 51 points. Jarrod was already locked into the Wild Card but Scott N. secures his spot with just 1 week to go.
We are onto Week 10! A poll will be put up on Tuesday as needed.
Check out the latest full standings here.