Editor’s Note: Guest post by Hayden King
Welcome to Week 5!
After a 12-5 record last week, my total for the year is now at 58-30.
Wins for the week: Air Force, Cornell, Villanova, Lehigh, Yale, Boston, Harvard, Notre Dame, Hopkins, Virginia, Jacksonville, and Duke.
A few losses for the week are still bothering me. UNC falling to Denver was a huge shock on Saturday. I do think UNC is the better team, especially with Denver having a loss to Air Force. However, the Pioneers were able to pull out a win by one, making Tierney proud for his final season at the helm.
I took a shot on Delaware catching fire against Michigan. I also thought Robert Morris was a better team than Hobart. Hobart has some of the best ball movement in the nation.
Finally, I don’t know how the hell Penn lost to Penn State. I think Penn has a fantastic team, but the Penn State coaching scheme was too much for them to overcome. Penn State ran a zone defense for most of the game defusing any opportunities Penn had to score.
Games of the Week Review: Week 4
Week 4: 2-1
Total: 5-1
If you’re looking for bets, these are the ones to follow!
Last week, I took Cornell beating Ohio State. I said it would be a close game but that Cornell was a better all-around team. Cornell led in shots, ground balls, clears, and had fewer turnovers. I love Cornell this year and they’re one of my favorite dark horses to win it all.
I took Princeton over Georgetown. I did say I felt like it could be a “get right” game for the Hoyas, and I wish I would’ve stuck by that theory. I think Princeton is being severely overrated this year and they have a lot of holes they’ll need to fill if they hope to win the Ivy.
Finally, I picked Notre Dame over Maryland correctly. Notre Dame’s offense is insane, and so is Maryland’s defense. I think they showed Saturday which group will win come May.
I also mentioned that Notre Dame was one of the few teams to have a FO unit that can compete with Maryland and Luke Wierman. I’d say this premonition came true. Wierman had his lowest FO percentage of the season.
Games of the Week: Week 5
I’m picking Cornell for the third week in a row. They’re playing Penn State at home, which is going to be a very tough matchup for the Big Red. Penn State has shown they can compete with some of the top teams. Their zone does make me nervous for this matchup.
However, Cornell is on a tear and is still trying to make up for a Finals loss in 2022. I think they’ll come out hot at home and beat the Nittany Lions to keep their season undefeated.
My second Game of the Week will be Rutgers over Princeton. I’ve gotten screwed by Princeton too many times this year to trust them in a big matchup. I love Princeton’s offense, but I worry their group doesn’t have the tools to compete with more aggressive teams. I think Rutgers is going to wipe the floor with them.
For the final game of the week, I’m taking Notre Dame over Ohio State. Ohio State showed they can play with Top 5 teams last week by only losing by 3 to Cornell. Unfortunately for Ohio State, Cornell is not Notre Dame, and they’re going to have their hands full on Saturday. The game will also be at Notre Dame, and I expect their home crowd to be loud and in charge for this matchup.
I think it is important to mention that Ohio State beat Notre Dame last year 14-11. This is not the same team Notre Dame had last year. With Tevlin receiving team of the week honors in week 4, it’s clear their transfers have transformed this team into an absolute juggernaut.
Bet responsibly, but I will be betting heavily on this game.
Picks for the Weekend: GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
- Loyola @ Duke – Duke
- Denver @ Yale – Yale
- Penn State @ Cornell – Cornell
- Richmond @ Georgetown – Georgetown
- Michigan @ Harvard – Harvard
- Brown @ UNC – Brown
- Stony Brook @ Providence – Stony Brook
- Robert Morris @ High Point – Robert Morris
- Navy @ Colgate – Colgate
- Princeton @ Rutgers – Rutgers
- Boston U @ Bucknell – Boston
- Bryant @ Air Force – Air Force
- Ohio State @ ND – Notre Dame
- Villanova @ Penn – Penn
- Hopkins @ Syracuse – Hopkins
- Towson @ Virginia – Virginia
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