RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – There was little fanfare, no congrats from the previous leader, and no special award, but this can be a thankless job, especially when you go 8-0 for the week. With his undefeated week, Robb Crocker jumped to the top of the pack. Sports anchors Chip Brierre and Mitch Carr also had strong weeks, each going 7-1.
Will we see more changes in the standings? As always, feel free to play along at home.
Robb Crocker, 8News Digital Content Manager (last week – 8-0, overall 39-17)
Manchester Lancers @ Monacan Chiefs
Pick: Monacan Chiefs
Home-field advantage for the Chiefs.
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles
Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies
I don’t like anything about this game. Total toss-up, but I’ll take Tech to squeak by.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Cavaliers
Pick: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Virginia does not have a chance. There I said it.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Temple Owls
Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Temple comes back to Earth. Notre Dame will come out on top by more than a touchdown.
James Madison Dukes @ William & Mary Tribe
Pick: William & Mary Tribe
JMU will play better than people think, but will still come up short.
Albany Great Danes @ Richmond Spiders
Pick: Richmond Spiders
Richmond is on a roll and looking better with every game.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals will stumble but stay undefeated.
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: San Diego Chargers
I think the Ravens will have a hard time winning another game this year.
Amanda Malkowski, 8News Good Morning Richmond Anchor (last week – 5-3, overall – 38-18)
Manchester Lancers @ Monacan Chiefs
Pick: Monacan Chiefs
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles
Pick: Boston College Eagles
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Cavaliers
Pick: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Temple Owls
Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
James Madison Dukes @ William & Mary Tribe
Pick: William & Mary Tribe
Albany Great Danes @ Richmond Spiders
Pick: Richmond Spiders
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
Will Armbruster, 8News Digital Content Producer (last week – 5-3, overall 36-20)
Manchester Lancers @ Monacan Chiefs
Pick: Monacan Chiefs
This one is being billed as a toss-up between two evenly-matched teams. It will surely be the biggest win of the season for whoever comes out on top. I’ve had success this year picking home teams at the high-school level, so we’ll keep that trend rolling here.
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles
Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies
As much as the Hokie hater in me would love to see Tech lose here, I just don’t see that happening. The Hokies’ offense is improving with the return of Michael Brewer, and their mediocre defense is good enough to keep B.C.’s less-than-mediocre offense from putting some, if any, points on the board.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Cavaliers
Pick: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Let’s be honest, UVA is bad. And even on a bad day, I think the Yellow Jackets are still better.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Temple Owls
Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Pretender or contender? Sure No. 21 ranked Temple is off to its best season in program history (7-0) but their strength of schedule (or lack thereof) will be exposed this week against a quality Notre Dame team. How often is an undefeated team tabbed as double-digit underdogs at home?
James Madison Dukes @ William & Mary Tribe
Pick: William & Mary Tribe
Perhaps I’m a biased Williamsburg native, but I LOVE the Tribe’s chances of getting their signature win of the season here. JMU is coming off a demoralizing loss on a national stage against Richmond and lost it’s star QB, Vad Lee, for the season in the process. Go Tribe!
Albany Great Danes @ Richmond Spiders
Pick: Richmond Spiders
Fresh off their marquee win at JMU last week, the Spiders will keep the momentum rolling this Saturday.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
The Steelers’ hopes of preventing Cincinnati from running away with the division title lie in the hands of Big Ben, who said he will return after missing several weeks with a sprained MCL. The Steelers could easily pull this one out, but since I know many of my colleagues will be picking them, I’m taking the Bengals.
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
I don’t want to pick either team. Both leave you scratching your head each week it seems. So let’s just go with the home team.
Mitch Carr, 8News Sports Director (last week – 7-1, overall – 35-21)
Manchester Lancers @ Monacan Chiefs
Pick: Monacan Chiefs
This one is such a toss-up. Monacan has played one good team all season, and the Chiefs lost to L.C. Bird by a lot. The second best team Monacan played is Cosby, and the Chiefs barely eked that one out. That was also the game in which QB Syour Fludd got hurt. Meanwhile, Manchester has been dominant while also playing a pretty weak schedule. I give the edge to the Chiefs because Manchester’s quarterbacks are two converted receivers who’ve been filling in since starter Brendan Clark injured his knee against James River. I think these teams are otherwise even, so I give the edge to the team with the better quarterback.
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles
Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies
Boston College has a great defense and a pretty bad offense. Virginia Tech’s offense has improved greatly with the return of Michael Brewer, and the defense is solid. This one could be a repeat of last year’s 0-0 in regulation debacle with Wake Forest. Please, no!
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Cavaliers
Pick: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets finally played like the team most folks who watch the sport for a living expected them to be in upsetting FSU last week. The only way UVA wins this game is if they get up three touchdowns in the first half, and I just haven’t seen enough fire power from UVA to believe that would happen.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Temple Owls
Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Temple is a paper tiger. The Owls are this year’s Marshall (from 2014).
James Madison Dukes @ William & Mary Tribe
Pick: William & Mary Tribe
Talk about being deflated. The Dukes lost when hosting College GameDay; they lost on Homecoming; they lost their quarterback Vad Lee for the season. I think they’ve been knocked on their butt literally and figuratively, and I can’t see them getting up in time to beat a really good, upperclassman-heavy Tribe team on the road.
Albany Great Danes @ Richmond Spiders
Pick: Richmond Spiders
Richmond “found its identity” as a downhill running team a few weeks into the season, and then the Spiders just threw the ball around the yard on #3 JMU. Turns out Richmond’s offensive identity is just “good.” Albany’s formula is to play defense and run the ball, but the Spiders do both of those things better. I’ll take UR.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben returns from a sprained MCL and returns the Steelers’ offense to full function. Le’Veon Bell has a huge game both running and catching the ball, and Heath Miller returns to fantasy relevance.
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
I feel the exact same way about these two teams. They both have enough talent to win but consistently underachieve. I’m just picking the East Coast home team against the West Coast team traveling east and playing at what feels like 10 a.m.
Chip Brierre, 8News Weekend Sports Anchor (last week – 7-1, overall – 35-21)
Manchester Lancers @ Monacan Chiefs
Pick: Monacan Chiefs
Monacan is playing really well and healthy, its senior night and they’re going for home-field advantage in the postseason. Chiefs.
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles
Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies
Hokies have a chance against a team that also is underachieving. Brewer looks good and is due for a win.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Cavaliers
Pick: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Ga. Tech is fresh off a huge upset on the best play from college football, and UVA is hapless at this point.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Temple Owls
Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Petersburg native CJ Prosise is going to run all over Temple in this matchup. He’s having an incredible season.
James Madison Dukes @ William & Mary Tribe
Pick: William & Mary Tribe
The loss of Vad Lee will be too much for the Dukes to overcome and William & Mary is gaining traction behind Kendall Anderson. Like the Tribe at home.
Albany Great Danes @ Richmond Spiders
Pick: Richmond Spiders
Richmond cannot be stopped and they are in first place of the CAA. Every facet of their game is clicking, plus it is homecoming. Albany going home with a loss.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
First game back for Ben Roethlisberger won’t be enough for the Steelers even at home. The Red Rocket, Andy Dalton keeps his team unbeaten.
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: San Diego Chargers
I picked the Chargers to win the AFC West, one of many preseason picks I regret, but Ravens are in shambles. At least Chargers can say they’ve been able to find some good in their losses.
Kerri O’Brien, 8News Investigative Reporter (last week – 4-4, overall – 30-26)
Manchester Lancers @ Monacan Chiefs
Pick: Monacan Chiefs
I think this is a close one. I am going with home team advantage.
Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles
Pick: Boston College Eagles
Tech keeps hurting me — I constantly get my picks with them wrong. I am bitter about last week so I am not giving it to Tech. I am going BC, plus they got a fantastic defense.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Cavaliers
Pick: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
UVA has not looked strong to me and Ga. Tech beat FSU last week. UVA doesn’t have a chance.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Temple Owls
Pick: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This is another tough one. Temple has been a surprise, but I have to go with my Irish. I think it will be close.
James Madison Dukes @ William & Mary Tribe
Pick: William & Mary Tribe
After that crushing defeat at Homecoming part of me says JMU will be fired up to win. Unfortunately, I don’t think the talent is there against a tough Tribe.
Albany Great Danes @ Richmond Spiders
Pick: Richmond Spiders
Not making this mistake again. UR showed they have skills in their matchup against JMU, taking them down at their Homecoming! I go Spiders!
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
I know Big Ben is returning, but I think he will be a little timid after the injury. And the Bengals are having a spectacular season. They rested this past week. Bengals!
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
Both teams are struggling this year, but the Chargers go out of their way to find ways to lose.