5-at-10: Fab 4 looks to stay hot, Russ cooked in Denver, NFL Hall finalists, Denzel’s birthday

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More Fab 4 picks

We announced it Wednesday. We continued it this morning. It’s official, I am the worst scorekeeper in the history of scoring.

(I would tell Spy to keep his mind out of the gutter, but that would be wasted breath.)

That said, we chose not to post the scores this morning because the Fab 4 picks/Jay’s Plays is riding a heater. And, while Rule 1 of Fight Club is we don’t talk about Fight Club, we also defer to Crash Davis whenever possible.

And a player on a streak has to respect the streak. Know why? Because they don’t come around that often.

So if we believe we’re playing well because were not posting Bowling for Bowls of Bowl Game Success (Bowler Optional) scores, then we are. And you should know that.

We landed three of our four picks posted here Wednesday. The lone setback was USC. So it goes.

SMU minus-10 over BC. SMU may be the hottest team in the country not in college football playoff. Winners of nine straight — including a housing of the Tulane Fightin’ Boogers (have you seen that logo?) in a conference title game — Rhett Lashlee’s bunch of portallers is balling. On both sides. BC gets the advantage of playing close to home, but not even momma can prevent the whipping the Mustangs are going to deliver today.

Rutgers minus-1.5 over Miami. Man, the cupboard is so barren in South Beach, you have to wonder if Crockett or Tubbs may make an appearance for the Hurricanes. Miami could be missing as many as 11 starters — including its QB1 and its best play-maker on the perimeter who have both portalled — from a team that has been less-than-interested for most of the year anyway.

Oklahoma plus-2.5 over Arizona. Yes, I would love for this number to get to 3. In fact, I would be OK with plus-odds on the moneyline if it stays under 3, and here’s why. Yes, Oklahoma saw QB1 Dillon Gabriel portal. It happens. But waiting in the wings is five-star freshman Jackson Arnold, and the Sooners have had all bowl prep to get this bona fide dude ready for his national introduction.

NC State plus-2 over Kansas State. Another game that could be a moneyline play depending on your preference and/or odds available. KSU QB1 Will Howard is portalling. Man, is there a non-playoff team that has not had serious portal issues this bowl season? Moreover KSU’s top two pass catchers have opted out too. And the biggest mismatch in this one is a Wolfpack rushing defense that is top-20 nationally against a K-State offense that depends on the run.

Bowl picks (in the 5-at-10) so far: 10-8 against the spread (55.5%)

Fab 4 picks this season: 60-42-2 against the spread (58.8%).

Worst trade ever?

There are bad trades. Who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas for goodness sakes.

But everything involved with the Russell Wilson experiment in Denver has been an unmitigated disaster.

Denver sent two 1s, two 2s, a 5, Drew Lock, Noah Fant and D-tackle to Seattle for Wilson, who has been bench and reportedly has been informed the Broncos will cut him during the offseason.

If/when Denver releases the former MVP candidate, it will cost the club close to $40 million dead cap money next season.

Wilson will finish his career in Denver with an 11-19 record as a starter, with 42 TDs and 19 interceptions.

Former Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham will get the first crack at replacing Wilson for Sean Payton’s Broncos.

I guess my biggest question starts with what happened and continues to what’s next for Wilson? Yes, Russ is 35 and may never cook the way he did in Seattle, but he certainly has a spot as a QB1 in a league in which roughly a third of the teams this week will start someone behind center who is inferior to Wilson.

Thoughts?

Hall ballots

The NFL released its 15 finalists for the 2024 Hall of Fame class. No more than five will be inducted.

There are two first-year candidates among the field as Antonio Gates and Julius Peppers are eligible.

It’s hard to see either of those cats not making it all things considered, which leaves just three spots for the other 13.

Here’s more, and the rest of the finalists are CB Eric Allen, DE Jared Allen, OT Willie Anderson, OG Jahri Evans, LB Dwight Freeney, S Rodney Harrison, KR Devin Hester, WR Torrey Holt, WR Andre Johnson, RB Fred Taylor, WR Reggie Wayne LB Patrick Willis, and S Darren Woodson.

Yikes that’s a deep collection of talent.

If I had a ballot and knowing you could not vote for more than five, I would start with Peppers and Gates since a) Peppers was on the 2000 all-decade team and the 2010 all-decade team and b) Gates is no worse than the third-most productive tight end statistically.

I would then add Andre Johnson, who unlike the other two WRs on the ballot was not only the primary target of opposing defenses, Johnson did not have a Peyton Manning or Kurt Warner delivering dimes.

I would continue with Darren Woodson, who was a linchpin for the Dallas dynasty and ranks as the Cowboys all-time leader in tackles.

Finally, I would vote for Devin Hester, who simply put was the best to ever return kicks in the history of the league.

Thoughts?

This and that

— Wow, so how did your stock portfolio shake out in 2023? Likely not as well as Steve Balmer’s. Balmer, the sixth richest person in the world and owner of the L.A. Clippers, is set to get a $3 dividend for each share of Microsoft stock he owns. For a lot of us that could be some extra pocket change. For Balmer, who owns more than 333 million shares of tech giant, that will be $1 billion.

— You know the rules. Here’s Paschall on much-ballyhooed UT freshman Nico Iamaleava getting set for his first start in the Vols’ bowl date with Iowa.

— Atlanta-based columnist Jeff Schultz of The Athletic announced earlier this week that he is retiring. He was very good at this.

— Lane Kiffin continues to win in the portal, as Ole Miss landed the top-ranked player in the transfer season with former Texas A&M stud DL Walter Nolen heading to Oxford.

— Man, cool to win a bowl game, but I gotta take a pass on getting a bucket of mayo dumped on my noggin, you know?

Today’s questions

AGT, so fire away.

And remember the mailbag.

Who you got on your NFL Hall ballot of the 15 finalists?

As for today, Dec. 28, let’s review.

Denzel Washington is 69 today.

What’s his Rushmore?

Go and remember the mailbag.