#the old version was baddddd

[skyward-floored]

I was wondering… Do you know of any fics where Wind has to put on the fierce deity mask to defend Time and himself?? I just had a thought of this happening. The rest of the boys are separated from wind and time and say Time is knocked out. Wind has no choice but to use the mask. The angst would be superior.

The boys would finally locate Wind and Time only to find the fierce deity has replaced wind.

Huh, you know I don’t think I’ve ever actually read a fic like that. It’s a great idea though! I’m sure somebody has done it (anybody know of any fics like this?)

Oh... well hey I just remembered I actually did write a whumptober once that involves Wind and Time and the FD (here), but Wind doesn’t put on the mask. The original idea for it was Wind putting on the mask though, and I still have the draft of it floating around I think... *rifling noises* Ah-hah, here you go! I’ll just put it here in case you wanna read it.

I also couldn’t resist neatening it up a little because it’s old and I’m a way better writer now

————————————————————

...and items that can drive a man mad...

Wind stares down at the mask clutched tightly in his shaking hands, and looks up again at the scene around him.

There’s black blood and dead monsters everywhere, the result of Wind and Time’s teamwork. They’d managed to clear away what they thought was the last of them without a problem, and Wind had been proud they’d beaten them so soundly. Time had turned around to say something to him, a warm smile on his face, when a huge ball and chain crashed into his side, sending him flying and Wind shouting in panic.

Two of what Legend had once called ball and chain troopers had stalked out of the woods then, spinning those horrible weapons high.

Wind had narrowly managed to beat them, receiving a few injuries himself, but just as he was celebrating his victory and about to check on Time, he caught sight of a veritable horde of monsters charging toward him mounted on horses.

Wind’s heart had dropped straight to his shoes, and he panicked for a moment, unsure of what to do. Time hadn’t gotten up yet and he himself didn’t escape unscathed from the fight, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle another battle by himself, especially while protecting Time.

But then something caught his eye.

Time’s bag had been spilled onto the ground when he’d been hit, items littered all over the place that Wind had had to avoid while he fought the ball and chain troopers, but one item in particular was suddenly drawing his attention.

A mask, one that looks suspiciously like Time’s face stares up at him, blank wooden eyes feeling like they were drawing him in. Normally he wouldn’t dream of messing with Time’s stuff, but this was a bit of a special circumstance.

“Wind... Wind don’t...” a voice coughs behind him, and the sailor glances over at Time, a hand pressed to his side, blood running down a slice on his cheek. The old man’s face is pale, and he looks scared, in a way that’s so unlike him that Wind pauses.

“There’s got... there’s a better way...”

“No,” says Wind, a wave of determination going through him. “There isn’t another way. We’re alone and outmatched, and you can barely stand.”

He squares himself up and stares at the advancing horde, eyes firm.

“Sailor please... you don’t know... wh-what it does—”

“I do know actually,” Wind says with a hint of annoyance, “you’ve told me what it does: It grants the user power in battle, and we need that right now.” He flips the mask over, studying its lines. “I know it’s dangerous, but... but it’s a risk we have to take.”

If I don’t, we’re both dead.

Time says something else, but Wind ignores him, and quickly presses the mask to his face.

Pain explodes across his body, and Wind screams, dropping to his knees as something like a hurricane overtakes him. Time might yell, but his voice is lost in the storm crashing over Wind, changing his body, wrapping around him, warping him into something wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong it’s changing him it is him he’s—

Wind falls away and the Fierce Deity stands, pale eyes narrowed at the approaching horde.

They don’t stand a chance.

[leafytaffy]

can anyone recommend some affordable games with really good character customization, so much so I can make my blorbos, but also good gameplay too?

stuff I liked in the past for reference, and reasons I stopped playing as well:

Miitopia: ngl I wanna do another playthrough with an Everhood cast, but my main problem with this game is it loses replay value IMMEDIATELY after you beat it. The gameplay is pretty shallow aside from the customization aspect, and the story you already know so it won’t hit differently when you restart of course. Now onto the good: The customization in the switch version is god tier, the story with everyone being miis you cast in each role (excluding our best boy Dominic <3) is amazing, I love playing a fanfic basically!! The personality quirks and relationship aspects are also really fun!!

Cult of the Lamb: more focus on gameplay than customization, but in every damn save I GOTTA make my Everhood blorbos!! For now the little animal followers do well, but I wish modding becomes easier in the future for custom follower forms </3

Flight Rising: I REALLY REALLY want to play this again, but I can’t because the only legal way for me to play it is to use my shitty account I made when I was 16 which used up all username changes and has a TON of shitty cringeworthy forum posts attached to it because it was the pandemic and my social media was extremely restricted with parental controls……. I don’t feel comfortable enough with the moderators and their extremely strict attitudes and rules to just make a new account and not touch my old one.

Sims 3: I wanna play this again so baddddd… I stopped playing sims 2 tonight after a few minutes because tbh? Modern game customization (mainly sims 3 and miis) have absolutely spoiled me to death and I can’t stand having to download a mod for every. Single. Customization I want. It’s so painful.

Rain World: I wish I could play this, I have tons of skin mods including an Everhood one, but it’s too damn hard for me to play (yeah okay Leaf sucks at video games and just needs to git gud and stop whining). The hardest games I play admittedly are Monster Hunter and Everhood’s battle replay, and I absolutely cannot STAND video game time limits. They stress me the fuck out every time and I can’t deal with them at all (shoutout to Mix quitting the call with me fighting the splatoon 3 final boss because I was screaming my guts out and I ended up having to hand the controller to them for me to beat Grizz), and on top of it I have to use a map in order to beat the game, pre-planning my routes every time and not making a single mistake lest the rain get me. I hate it. I hate that I can’t be good at games for fucks sake ughhhhhhhhhhhHHH

Lobotomy Corporation: I like the customization and modding is rather easy but. Come on. It’s lobcorp no fan has beaten the game its even a fandom in joke LOL (though I’ve definitely gotten farther in it that Rain World. CURSE YOU, TIME LIMITS!!! The thing also keeping me from beating Wandersong….)

[eepygeto]

ooh babie have you kept up with the latest ep's in jjk s2? cos I'm dying to know your favorite parts in the episodes I literally have so many top suguru just looks so good and delicious I cannot I refuse too even !!! definitely mappa's favorite 😭😭💞

eighhhht ♥️ how are you bby?

i have been keeping up with jjk s2! you're so right dshsj mappa made sugu look so pretty 🥺 i'll forever be grateful 🙊 i'll put my favourite parts under the cut~ 💋

Episode 1 :

CHIBI GETOU!!! my adorable little munchkin 🥺

this shokohime moment was so cute! they're all babies and i just want to put them all in my pocket and keep them safe 🤕

TOJI!TOJI!TOJI!TOJI!!! the noises i made at my screen when he came on it fkjghdk 😩

Episode 2 :

this is the anime version of one of my favourite getou panels gfkjdk it was my icon on my old blog for SO LONG i was obsessed with it fdjghd but seeing it animated, with his cup of tea? PERFECTION!!!

TOJI BEAR 🧸 the way i wanted to kiss the pout of this man's face, he looks very cute when he's grumpy 🙊

i would have bumped into him on purpose if i knew he was gonna sit like that in front of me jghkdj

i was on the phone to him describing in detail, what i was gonna do with his pp 🙃

Episode 3 :

the way gojo kicked this man and continued to stomp on him sdfjksdk i replayed it so many times sdjkfdkg and then you have my angel baby just smiling 🥹 (i wuv hiiiiiiim)

i want to take him to the beach, put flowers in his hair and buy him ice cream 🥺 he's so pretty! 🌺

toji looked so handsome in traditional clothes!!!! this whole scene, in the snow, was BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Episode 4 :

MAPPA'S PRETTIEST!!! i love that they added this scene AND made him look so pretty and cute!

he had no business looking THIS FINE dfkjhjd i want to climb this man like a tree 👾

basically, this episode was just full of pretty men... that scene when toji was putting kuroi in the back seat and shiu was in the driver's seat gkjhfdkjd i wanted to be kuroi so baddddd and i wanted both of them to take me somewhere and fu- ahem, let me carry on with my answer...

Episode 5 :

YUKI!!! dfdkk her womansplaining to getou and then riding off on a motorbike jhfgkdh i wanted to ride with her 😭

i don't think i need to explain this image... 🙃

MY ANGELLLLL 🖤 he was so cute here, with his little wave 🥺

i included this image because the second i saw it, i was reminded of the time i went to japan ^_^ i didnt spent a lot of time there but for some reason, this image seemed very familiar

lq images of my hq man 🖤 i love what he's wearing, he looks so boyfriend <3

idk what this was but it was hot af kgjfddjkf

[skyburger]

the events are colored because i was using the wayback machine to look at the page. The page was colored like a month ago and recently changed, and I wanted the old version in the screencaps

ohymy god I NEVER SAW THIS ASK MY BADDDDD !!!! thank u for tyhwe answer tho o7

[dehydratedpercy]

Rating different versions of the SoN cover out of 10

A classic. Honestly gorgeous, some of John Rocco's finest work. The color scheme? Spectacular. The ice/water/glaciers? Incredible. Sopping wet and angsty Percy? Hell yeah. I also appreciate that you can't really see Percy's face, which is ideal because it means that the art really doesn't do much to influence a readers perception of what Percy looks like in their mind, which is actually really nice. 10/10.

So like... the questers go to Alaska on their quest, so I don't really get why the artist of this decided that the coolest setting for this cover would be the golden gate Bridge?? Like yeah, sure. They technically are near there. But it's a weird vibe anyways. Also, I don't love seeing the characters faces, especially when they aren't portrayed as super intense powerful demigods... so yeah, not a great vibe. Everything else is pretty, tho. 7/10.

If I could find an HD version of this I think it'd be super cool. Right now my biggest issue is with the image quality, so I'm trying to ignore that and pass judgement. The font feels weird, and the border is kinda strange, plus the colors are mehhhhh, but it is kinda neat. I like that it takes place in Alaska, and has Percy's silhouette with the eagle. 7/10.

No offense but where the fuck did this come from??? This one loses a point because the scene depicted never actually happened in the books (unless I'm hallucinating and forgot), but otherwise, it's super cool, super sexy cover design. 9/10

Im sure it'd look better with better image quality. But like... not that much better. 3/10

Percy and Frank look like twins, and I don't love any depiction of Hazel that has her be super skinny with wavy hair instead of curly/kinky. Also, I'm pretty sure Arion is a different color?? But aside from that, its really cool. I like the mix of colors with the blues/reds/purples (though I don't love the mix of yellow/white text, and would prefer them being traded for a gold), I like the dynamic pose, I like the semi-accurste scene from the book (some artistic liberty is never a bad thing). Overall, really not all that bad. 8/10

Again with seeing Percy's face. At least he's better than the original character design, but still. I would've liked if this was a little less realistic bc it gets into uncanny valley territory for me, and I'd like more vibrant colors and maybe a different font/color pallette for the text. But I do love seeing Percy with the eagle, and it's really really cool to see the undead warriors bc I never really got a good impression of what they looked like/how scary they were/how many their were. This really gives some good imagery. I don't like a lot of the other choices about color/realism stuff, but the portrayal of this scene is really cool. 8/10

Ahhhh, i am a slut for high quality images. Mmmmmmmmm. Give me a moment.

Okay, anyways. This is a little weird bc why is Percy standing in the middle of the ocean while he punches some gorgons? I'm cool with some artistic interpretation, but this just doesn't make a ton of sense. I do like seeing the water fists though (there something for you to think about-- water fisting. I'll wait for the fic), and I like that you can't see Percy's face, and I like the armor. It's weird that the title is so small when the series title is so big. It also looks like the cover of a book that was turned into a movie, which I personally find triggering, so that lost it a point. 6/10

1) what's wrong with his arms

2) what's wrong with his shirt

3) why is he ten years old

4) why does he have that haircut

5) thats... so much green

6) is he hugging the gorgons?

7) is he... HALLUCINATING the gorgons??

8) omg look at the difference between the gorgons hair and their skin TAKE IT BACK

I don't mean to be rude or anything. But

-2/10. I would not read this book and I'm upset i had to look at this cover.

Portraying Daddy Thanatos on the cover feels like false advertising. Its not baddddd... but it is weird. I'll give it a confused 5/10 with room to grow.

[crossinggalaxies]

Why That Episode was AWFUL

Okay here we go. There’s going to be a lot of things you don’t agree with probably in this post. So let me preface this by saying I don’t intend to argue. I’m also very well aware that this is my opinion and not fact. I also would like to warn you, as you can probably tell by the title that this is going to be INCREDIBLY NEGATIVE. So if you are easily affected by negative talk, enjoyed the episode, or want to debate; don’t read the post.

So let me start off by saying that when I say that the episode was AWFUL I mean the writing. It’s sooo hard to critique AOS and say anything that they create is bad because the ACTORS are so good that they make everything seem GOOD even when it’s not.

Even now my brain, on some level, is trying to convince me that it wasn’t that bad of an episode because the ACTORS (especially Iain tonight -HOLY SHIT) were soooo fucking good that it almost doesn’t compute with the shitty storytelling it was attached to.

I want to also mention that the first 40 minutes of the show seemed good, but ultimately forgettable due to how BADDD the last 20 were and that is when you know you DONE FUCKED UP.

But at the end of it all when I look at the script, ignoring the excellent, performances, I see that the writing was absolutely horrible. And below I will explain why.

I also want to preface this by also saying as a writer myself there is a few things that make a story/writing (whether it’s for a book, show, movie, or what have you) good in my eyes. 1. I absolutely believe you need to tell a story for yourself. You should write something you needed growing up (you probably still need it now). You should write something you find important. And in return you should hardly ever write for your audience. (Side note this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say for instance include gay characters. You should always try to write inclusively but not because it’s what your audience needs or wants but because it’s what ACTUAL life and humanity looks like. AKA representation matters). What I do mean when I say that you shouldn’t write for your audience is that you should write an authentic story that resonates with you and stems from a place that means something.

Btw writing for your audience doesn’t just mean writing happy/good things (IE FAN SERVICE) I also mean writing things for your audience like that purely for shock value because you know it’s what is going to get at your viewers (which is what they did, ie emotional manipulation) and cause a reaction. Ultimately you should never write just to cause a reaction. It should mean more.

2. A good writer in my book is someone who can write something that generates a response in their audience BUT NOT because it was their single goal to do so but because they authentically wrote something that meant something to them in a way that worked and their audience could feel it because of this authenticity. And tonight that wasn’t there.

To me this episode 100 percent was about writing to create shock value and showcased so little care for the actual story that they for the longest time seemed to be excellently and authentically writing. (They botched this last small half of the season and here’s why)

Deke’s Speech on Fixing the Team:

I was super conflicted about Deke’s speech to Daisy on needing to mend the team. On one hand I loved it because FUCKING FINALLY and also I 100 percent agree. But on the other hand looking at it now that the episode is done I think it was all about generating a reaction and not about story telling. For the longest time now I've been wondering why they haven't started this process of healing an episode or two earlier. And now I understand that they put it off until the last moment to increase the overall tension and reaction from the audience. It has felt incredibly out of character for the team not to be concerned about fixing things a little earlier (ie getting their shit together) than just the last episode. So while I am glad that they started the mending process it annoys me that they held it off until the last moment just to raise the stakes and make the audience feel more. Ultimately I think waiting until the last moment to raise such stakes made the pacing of the story a little off in the last section, which happens when you (in my opinion don’t write from an authentic place.)

Deke

I don’t even know where to start so lets just start with our old pal Deke. Deke became an amazing character because at first most of us really didn’t like him. However he became so important and integral to the story. And in my eyes he became a large voice of reason. The thing I loved most about him this season was watching him and his relationship with Jemma grow. It was so emotional and well done and I connected so deeply with it.

So you can imagine how LIVID I am with how he disappeared and literally no one says anything. It was completely OOC for the group but mostly for Jemma to not even acknowledge his absence and here to me is one of the largest sightings of shock value writing in this episode.

YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY NO ONE MENTIONED HIM?

Because the writers wanted you to feel the shock of his absence and in having someone speak of him it would have taken away from that.

Had someone mentioned him, or the potential for search for him... that could have possibly stripped away from the emotion/shock you were feeling for his absence. So despite the fact that it didn’t serve the story, it created what felt like a strange and OOC reaction from the group and namely Jemma, they went with it anyways because they were more concerned with the shock value. This to me served as one of the larger indicators that they were writing for shock over story telling and it damaged the episode in the process.

Phil

Oh okay. So he’s dying. But they’re just gonna chill on a beach, all smiles all is good. Man Idk I just felt like Phalinda as a couple and individuals deserved more. Also as much as I love this couple. Can I just say I’m a bit bitter. That they’ve been together for .3 seconds and would have still had a better happier ending to the entirety of the show, than a couple who’s literally suffered for 5 years. Like how the hell does that make any storytelling sense? Anyway.

Fitz

There's a lot of reasons for why I hated everything regarding his story in this last episode. Here is the most important though.

His death was bullshit: literally dude just got crushed by rocks. (Shock value much??) You know I've mentioned numerous times before that on a large level I thought that they might kill him. But even in that pit of despair centered thought I believed they would at least give him a hero's death. Believe me I know he is a hero. But that death was nowhere near what he deserved story wise. I thought that if he died he would at least have a speech/line that resonated with his death and life/purpose. Where his death would somehow have something good involved, like a sacrifice for something greater. You know a through and through heroes death? But no they didn't do anything for him. Like we have to authentically acknowledge as an audience and fan base that he's dead.

100 PERCENT DEAD.

I don't care if there is a frozen version of him floating around in space. The Fitz that we know, the Fitz that we saw grow this season is gone and dead. All those milestones - erased. (Which side note it pisses me off how much they hyped up how much the wedding meant and how excited Clarke was to get to produce it to literally just scrub it away for shock value).

Trauma: Let’s not also forget how not only did they not heal the framework Trauma but they exacerbated it and he died with those traumas unresolved and in my opinion worsened. His death ensures that that version of him that we knew and loved will never find resolution for such traumas. We have been waiting and begging for them to touch on and began to heal the trauma. But they LITERALLY brought it back and made it worse and then killed him with it unresolved.

SOOO ultimately, I was really SHOCKED that they didn’t give him the death that he deserved. Instead they had him die in some shocking random twist with unresolved trauma, the erasure of some of the HUGEST milestones of his life, no scene with the person he loved or moments of purpose just to get a rise from the audience. He didn’t get to say anything of value when he died. He didn’t get to see Jemma when he died. We have to acknowledge that all this is gone.

Let me just reiterate that again. HE HAD TO DIE WITH UNRESOLVED TRAUMA. (Also I bet your ass that CryoFitz for some reason doesn’t have any issues with the Doctor/Split and they will just use this earlier version of him to sweep away their lack of trauma mending under the rug.) Concerned about loopholes much?

Loop holes: Speaking of loopholes they totally used his death so they don’t have to go into detail on fixing his relationships with the other characters because the version of him they may find in space will have done nothing ‘wrong’ yet. (baddddd writing)

Also just another example of the shock value writing is the entirety of his death scene. Let me explain just how much they wrote these scenes just to fuck with us. So when stuff starts going haywire and the rocks fall the audience is in shock because clearly Fitz might be hurt or even worse dead. So you're brought into this feeling of intense shock as a viewer but then soon after that scene you see his hand come up through the rubble and you experience relief. You calm. Things seem okay. Until the soundtrack creeps in and he says he thinks he broke his leg, and the music deepens and you realize something is wrong. And you see the wound. And you are brought back to SHOCK. And its rising and rising. And he dies. But you look at your clock and you see there's 15 minutes left. There is time to fix it. So you relax a little. But then the show comes back on and you realize he's dead when you see Jemma’s reaction. And you feel SHOCK again. And you're crying and crying. And you see somebody wiping a plaque that says in memory (remembrance?) of but they're not showing the whole thing and then Jemma makes a comment about Fitz being interested in hearing the story that time can indeed be changed (or something along those lines) and for a second again you think he's alive and the shock dissipates. Maybe he faked his death. Maybe this is the plan. Why? Who knows. But then you realize she’s talking about CRYOFitz and the shock comes back.

THEY WERE EMOTIONALLY FUCKING WITH US for so long. I am honestly infuriated at this fact and it deepens every time I realize they thought this would be okay as a show ender. But mostly I’m infuriated over the fact that just they seemed to care so little about leaving us with a story that mattered and instead how much they valued leaving us with a story that left us shocked. Here’s a note to all writers. You may think shock value is more memorable. It’s not. It’s tiring and overused. And just leaves people bitter.

So if they were writing for shock value, they hit the nail on the head and knocked it out of the park. But shock value doesn’t resonate with me. At the end of the day. They killed a character off in a half assed way, erased his milestones, left him with unresolved trauma, allowed him no scenes with his wife, all to get a reaction out of an audience that could have had this as the last thing they ever saw of the show and ultimately they hella butchered the story in the process. (They should honestly thank they're lucky stars they got another season and can fix this.)

ALSO FRIENDLY REMINDER AGAIN THIS WAS ALL A POSSIBLE SHOW FINALE! THE FUCK??

Bruised Friendship: Also can we have knowledge that this Fitz that we know and loved who 100% died in this episode also did so being still at odds ends with his family/friends. Like the last things said between him and Mack in their one on one, or him and Daisy, never got resolved. Fitz died not knowing if Jemma was okay. He died not getting one more minute with her. He died not knowing if the rest of the team who wasn’t there in his last moments was alive. He died not knowing if Earth and humanity was going to be okay. But he also died not being on the best terms with his family/friends (at least not in the ways he has been throughout the show). He literally got SOOOO FUCKING JIPPED. Like YOU GAVE HIM NOTHING. YOU KILLED HIM BUT YOU EVEN HALF ASSED THAT.

Separation: I want to say that while I was shocked I was not surprised that they FS separated. But there is one main difference I want to point out. While I never liked any of the separations they went through you could always count on and believe that we would then see (VISUALLY SEE) Fitzsimmons overcome it and come out of it better, closer, and stronger. So a large part of my brain and I think mostly everybody else’s brains knew on some level they would be separated again. But they separated them again, this time, in the most final way possible. With death. Like honestly they have done this so much it shouldn’t have shocked us that they did it again only in a way more permanent fashion. And in a way that had no visual payment.

Reaction: What the fuck was that reaction from everyone. They seemed to basically be like. Yeah it’s sad but there’s frozen Fitz somewhere, so oh well.

BUT THIS EPISODE. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A SHOW FINALE ended with him dying and a 2 minute speech at the end promising to try to find him. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUR ENDING. A SPEECH?????? And just a bunch of shock. Like what a horrible ending that would have been. I’m tired of speeches. The poetic promise of trying to do something pales in comparison to seeing people outlive their trauma and survive. Stop telling me things might be okay. Show me for once, and mean it. Honestly such heartless and lazy writing.

Ultimately i’m just astounded that they knew this could’ve been the end and they thought it was still satisfying. And not because it was a story that mattered but because you would remember it, because you were shocked. All in all (might as well use an essay transition sense this is long AF) I don’t like shows that write for shock value. I have an issue with it because it makes everything lose meaning and authenticity. And that’s what this was. I mean I cant tell if I’m happy about the year wait or not. On one hand I can distance myself from it, and learn to care less so next time they fuck it up, it hurts less. But also a year with the imagery of him senselessly dying and the knowledge that everything good this season has disappeared with it just to close some fucking loopholes has me feeling some kind of anger I haven’t felt in a long ass time.

[auburnfamilynews]

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

What do we really know about non-Auburn football?

We’re already a third of the way through the regular season, and soon it’ll be slipping into November (and the weather will still be hot). Which among us will also be hot? Who knows!

***IF YOU’D LIKE TO ADD YOUR OWN PICKS, COMMENT BELOW WITH YOUR SCORE PREDICTIONS FOR EACH GAME AND RYAN STERRITT WILL TRACK THEM***

Notre Dame (-13) vs Virginia (O/U 48)

Notre Dame is going to take out some frustration on a good(?) Virginia team, but I’m not sure that necessarily means an offensive explosion. Virginia’s offense is baddddd though, so this may be more of a “smother you with a pillow” style win for the Irish. 27-7 Domers. - Ryan Sterritt

Virginia never deserves success in anything ever again, including against Notre Dame, who I think may have won a moral victory last weekend by possibly exposing a coach in Athens who might just have an issue or two with executing at a high level in big games. Notre Dame 27 Virginia 21 - Josh Black

Well Notre Dame, you ALMOST made me look like a genius last week. The Irish come home and face an undefeated Virginia team. The Cavaliers have narrow wins over the likes of Florida State and Old Dominion as they head to South Bend. I think the Irish will bounce back at home Saturday. Notre Dame 28 Virginia 20 - Will McLaughlin

Notre Dame now has something to prove to the world. I don’t think they’ll take the foot off the gas in this one, or any of their remaining games. They need to put themselves back in the conversation. Notre Dame 38, Virginia 14 - Josh Dub

If Notre Dame wins, maybe jack won’t make us pick any more of their stupid games im not going to watch. Our Lady of Embarrassing Irish Losses, pray for us. Hoos 21 Irish 20. - Son of Crow

Notre Dame played MUCH better than I was expecting and I think are a legitimate top 10 team. But how funny would it be if after that big time matchup where UGA had to begrudgingly admit that maybe ND wasn’t such a pushover if they then got beat by UVA? But UVA doesn’t deserve nice things due to their phony bball title. The Fighting Irish bounce back big. ND 35 UVA 17 - AU Nerd

The Golden Domers showed me something last week. They kept it close against Georgia...that is pretty much it. What I got on offense, I expected, but the defense really impressed me. Either that or Georgia had and off night. The Hoos on the other hand have beaten FSU...so they beat a JV squad. I am pretty sure ND will win but that’s a large cover against a good? team on the road. Virginia and the points and the under. ND 23-14 - Drew Mac

Notre Dame had a solid gameplan against Georgia’s offense, but they couldn’t get anything consistent on offense except for going to their TE. I think UVa got caught eating a LetDown Lookahead sandwich last week against Old Dominion. ND does enough to win at home, but I think UVA keeps it close. Irish 24, School for which Ty Jerome double dribbled 17 (ND wins, UVA covers, UNDER) - James Jones

I know there’s nothing connecting the two, but I really hope that Kyle Guy and his long gums/tiny teeth get to enjoy an epic whipping at the hands of Notre Dame. He apparently writes for the UVA SB Nation site, so write about this one, and tell your double dribble buddy Ty Jerome all about it. Irish 35, Cavaliers 10 - Jack Condon

Washington (-9.5) vs USC (O/U 59)

Washington is a lot better team than they’re going to get credit for after that dumb Cal loss, and despite beating Utah last week, I can’t get on board with the third string quarterback leading the Trojans to another win over a ranked team on the road. It’ll be up to the USC ground game to take advantage of a weaker-than-usual Washington defensive line, but I’m going to take the Huskies here. 30-20 UW. - Ryan Sterritt

Jacob Eason wanted a more refined version of a dog. One who wasn’t bred down to sitting on top of ice as “work”. No he realized he needed to associate himself with a breed that was tough, graceful, and reliable. Shoutout to Jacob Eason, for without him, Georgia may never have gotten their hopes up only to be ripped out against Tennessee in 2016. Without him transferring, maybe Justin Fields doesn’t come to Georgia. Without Justin Fields coming to Georgia, maybe Kirby decides to recruit another star quarterback before and during the 2018 season. And because of neglecting to do so, because you know, Justin Fields is a generational talent, Georgia now has no backup quarterback if Jake Fromm were to catch a horrible case of diarrhea. Also Washington is much better than USC and should win this game. Washington 38 USC 28 - Josh Black

Both of these teams played in Provo against BYU the last 2 weekends. The Huskies rolled while the Trojans lost in Overtime. I think Washington would be undefeated if it weren’t the bizarreness of Pac-12 WAYYYYY After Dark against Cal. I like the Huskies in this one. Washington 31 USC 23 - Will McLaughlin

The PAC-12 is a mystery. Chris Peterson is reliable, though. Well, more reliable than anyone else over there. Washington 42, USC 21 - Josh Dub

Guys I think USC might have it figured out, or at least well enough for the lousy pac 12. That said, Washington is looking better than the Trojans by a wide margin and the dream of Dwag transfers making the playoffs without the Dwags hinges on this game. Washington 35 SC 24 - Son of Crow

It would be a very on brand thing for the PAC-12 if USC were to win this game. They’ve performed better than anyone thought especially given injuries at QB position. But the Huskies first loss came under some wild circumstances so unless the Trojans can get some weather delays I think Eason and company get it done. Huskies 31 Trojans 23 - AU Nerd

Now this is an interesting matchup, and sadly it won’t be on Pac-12 After Dark. Both teams are 3-1 and coming off of nice road wins last week. USC is much better than people want to give them credit for while Washington always seems to have one or two ‘huh’ losses in them. They already got one out of the way a few weeks back to Cal and they play Stanford next week on Pac-12 After Dark. There’s your other loss so they win this one but won’t cover. USC and the points, take the under. Washington 27-21 - Drew Mac

Graham Harrell deserves a lot of credit for keeping the offensive game plan the same with Fink after Slovis went down. What I don’t like is a QB that made some really poor decisions in the second half making his first road start. Washington will be ready for this one. I think you almost have to throw the Cal game completely out for betting purposes. There were so many obstacles in that game that I’m not taking it into account. I think Eason is coming into his own. I may have to create a vested interest in this one. Washington 38, USC 17 (UW covers, UNDER) - James Jones

It’s fun when national powers turn back into pedestrian clubs. People would have killed to see USC end up as a struggling mid-level program a decade ago, and most never thought the Trojans would fall to that point. People now think that Bama won’t ever drop to mediocrity again. It’ll happen. USC, however, is on the way back up, and I don’t have anything to base this on except that I don’t really think Washington is all that tough. Trojans 33, Washington 30 - Jack Condon

Nebraska vs Ohio State (-17.5) (O/U 66.5)

Let’s see... Nebraska struggled with USA, lost to Colorado, and barely beat Illinois despite nearly doubling them up in yards. Meanwhile, Ohio State has been murdering bad teams by an average of 54-9. Nebraska will be the best team the Buckeyes will have faced, and it *might* be the first time the starters play the fourth quarter. Buckeyes 48-20. - Ryan Sterritt

Justin Fields just wanted to be at a program that’s won a national title in the past 38 years. Shoutout to Justin Fields. No shame in wanting to be involved with a winner who knows how to finish. You know what’s impressed me most about Ohio State? They’ve managed to find ways to use Justin Fields to their advantage beyond fake punts. I mean, that’s really hard to do. Finding a role for a guy who was considered neck and neck with Trevor Lawrence for the best HS QB in a decade by doing more than running out with the punt team is really a testament to the creativity of the Ohio State coaching staff. Ohio State 48 Nebraska 17 - Josh Black

All you need to know about how bleh this weekend of games is that College Gameday picked THIS game to go to this week. Buckeyes roll. Ohio State 48 Nebraska 14 - Will McLaughlin

Ohio State cruises towards a big October 26 matchup against Wisconsin. (related – the gameday slate of Ohio State/Wisconsin at 11 AM followed by Auburn/LSU at 2:30 may have some serious playoff implications). Ohio State 52, Nebraska 17 - Josh Dub

I don’t think Ohio state feels a speed bump during this game. The Buckeye offense is dynamic and Justin Fields is a generational talent who was called racial slurs by Georgia fans. While he was on their team. Because Georgia. During this game look for there to be more shots of Scott Frost looking completely lost than shots of Nebraska celebrating first downs. Bucks 48 N 20 - Son of Crow

You know who I think is the scariest team in the country right now? It’s not Dabo’s Tigers, it’s not Ed O’s Tigers, it’s not Saban’s high flying offense, it’s not UGA’s boring ass team & it’s not Hurts’ led Oklahoma. It’s the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Justin Fields was a legitimate challenger for the top spot in the same class as Trevor Lawrence. The fact he decided to go to UGA is still one of the more bizarre decisions I’ve seen but now he’s at a program that will make full use of his skillset. This team also has a ferocious defense lead by arguably the best pass rusher in the country. They are flying under the radar right now due to an unimpressive schedule and the jaw dropping offensive numbers Bama, LSU & OK are putting up right now. But for my pretend expert opinion, Buckeyes are the team to be feared the most right now. There may be some hiccups early but OSU rolls. OSU 45 NEB 20 - AU Nerd

One of my favorite, personal things is to watch Nebraska and wonder when the realization that the Scott Frost system isn’t going to work at Nebraska and then the second realization that they are just an average program in today’s college football will truly set in. It obviously hasn’t yet but I think Ohio State will do all they can to bash them over the head with it this week as they welcome the Huskers to the Shoe. Ohio State and the over. OSU 52-17 - Drew Mac

Ohio State has been in the old “Bama minus anything” zone so far this year. Which of course means that I’m finally looking at making an investment in them, and therefore they’ll struggle with the Huskers. Nebraska rolled up a ton of yards on Illinois last week, but they made too many mistakes. I’m wary of the yearly “Ohio State craps its pants on the road on national TV” game, but I don’t think it’s this week. Ohio State 45, Nebraska 21 (OSU covers, UNDER by the hook) - James Jones

Ever since Scott Frost shot that kid in Breaking Bad, he’s had it coming. Justin Fields is about to Jesse Pinkman this dude and roll up about 400 yards and 5 touchdowns. Buckeyes 40, Huskers 17 - Jack Condon

South Carolina (-2.5) vs Kentucky (O/U 50.5)

Do we have an Anxiety Bowl here? If the Gamecocks drop this one, they’ll fall to 1-4, and will be lucky to get to 3-9 after that. Muschamp is gone in that scenario. Meanwhile, if the underdog Wildcats lose, Mark Stoops will have lost all good will from last season as Kentucky will be sitting at 2-3. Luckily, Kentucky still has likely wins over Arkansas, Tennessee, Vandy, UT Martin, and Louisville on the schedule, but losing to South Carolina would not be a good sign that Kentucky could handle those other games without faltering either. I don’t know, I guess I’m picking Kentucky? No way they hit that over. 23-15 blue team. - Ryan Sterritt

Neither one of these programs have much in the way of success in football historically. Take South Carolina for example. The last major thing South Carolina did was produce a Heisman Trophy winner in 1980. NINETEEN EIGHTY! That was THIRTY-NINE years ago. Most of you reading this probably weren’t even alive back in those days! How could any program that had their last major national success happen during the waning days of the Carter administration ever take themselves seriously? Can’t relate, but man that must be tough. 1980. 39 years ago. And maybe, just maybe, the best a program residing in the SEC East may have just peaked in 1980. You hate to see it. Kentucky 21 South Carolina 20 - Josh Black

I’m not really sure what to think of this game. It looks like Sawyer Smith will play for Kentucky and the Gamecocks have GOT to win this game or things could get really ugly. I don’t trust picking South Carolina since they screwed me in the Survivor Pool Week 1 so give the Wildcats! Kentucky 24 South Carolina 21 - Will McLaughlin

Talk about two schools needing a win. Both of these programs are desperate for some kind of success right about now. South Carolina and Will Muschamp are sitting at 1-3 and folks, the future does not look bright. They need a win or two to help justify a crazy buyout situation for Muschamp. I’m looking at their schedule…welp, Will Muschamp is going to get retained after going 2-10 because they don’t want to fork out $22 Million. Meanwhile, Kentucky nearly beats Florida then gets destroyed by Mississippi State? I think Kentucky is the only one of these programs that can put together a winning gameplan. Kentucky 28, South Carolina 17 - Josh Dub

I need Kentucky to win and I’ll tell you why: we need SCAR to look so bad that no one could possibly think they could upset one of the better teams left on their schedule. That’s when muschamp strikes and keeps his crummy job. This game is going to stink. Kentucky 21 Scar 13 - Son of Crow

The desperation bowl. Both of these programs needs this win in the worst way. Both are dealing with injuries at the QB position. I honestly thought the Kats would put up a bigger fight on the road against State. SCAR was pretty sad themselves in Columbia, MO. Winner of this game might be able to get off the mat and have an ok season with the terribleness of the East. Loser is fighting for bowl eligibility. Think it’s an ugly one but with it being at home the Cocks’ freshman QB does enough. Muschamp 23 UK 16 - AU Nerd

Woof. I went out on a limb for you last week Kentucky and you give me nothing! Frustrating. Oh well. Now the TurfCats return home to take on a reeling Carolina team in the battle of the second string QBs. No true breakdown here as this will not be a pretty ballgame but since the Cats are at home, as I guess they will be the least loser. Kentucky on the ML and the under. Cats 24-20 - Drew Mac

Gross. If Kentucky was at home, they’d be a no-brainer. To be honest, having the line here means Vegas thinks it’s a toss-up on a neutral field. I don’t know that I agree with that. I think Helinski plays well enough to keep SC in it, but I’m going to lean towards UK getting it done. Holding my nose either way. Gambling wise this is a total stay-away. Kentucky 24, South Carolina 21 (Kentucky wins outright, UNDER) - James Jones

FEEL OLD YET? pic.twitter.com/KIenYSLTte

— Karen Howell (@karenehowell) September 27, 2019

Muschamp’s gonna have plenty of time to open up the budding singing career when he ends up getting canned after this season. Boom will be Summertime Lover when he gets to chill on his boat for a season. Then he’ll return to Auburn for round three running the defense once Kevin Steele finally retires. Kentucky 23, Gamecocks 21 - Jack Condon

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