NWC Pick 'em: Week 1

Oh Yeah! It's time for Northwest Conference Pick 'em! No more messing around this season as I’m in it to win it! My faithful dogs, Mack and Maddy, will not be making picks this season. The 11’s are in the midst of getting ready for Baby 14 and so our crazy dogs are on the shelf this season. Enough of the talk, let’s get to Wildcat11’s week 1 picks!

Wildcat 11's week 1 picks:

Northwest Conference:

Willamette over UW-Stevens Point: This is a tough one to call as I went back and forth for a few minutes. Stevens Point is considered the 2nd best team in the WIAC behind UWW and have a huge offensive line and a pair of 6’4” WR’s (one of them a pro prospect). Also, getting to Stevens Point is a pain in the backside and makes for a long road trip. A case against Willamette starts building up pretty fast but I think facing the Fly offense for the first time is going to cause pains for Stevens Point and Willamette will pull out a huge early season win.

Hardin-Simmons over Whitworth: The Cowboys are 0-2 in games out in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, both of those losses came at the ‘Catdome so it’s pretty understandable. HSU All-American candidate (who Linfield blasted last year) Justin Feasters is back along with a fast pace offense. The Rats have 2x NWC Offensive POY, Adam Anderson (RB), back running Whitworth’s ball control offense. I’m not convinced Anderson’s ankle is 100% and if he’s not anything but 100% then I’ll take the Cowboys on the road.

Puget Sound over Pacific: A lot of new smells in this rare NWC non-conference tilt. UPS has a new coach, former Redlands assistant Jeff Thomas, who’s bring “EXTREAM DESIRE” to the loggers, along with new all-white lids (*eye roll*), a new spread and a new attacking 3-4 defense. Pacific….they are just new….again. I like MEANTLY TOUGH UPS to edge out Pacific mainly on the back that the Loggers have a lot of guys with game experience and Pacific doesn’t. I think talent wise it’ll be a level playing field.

West Region Game of the Week:

Wartburg over Monmouth: Yeah, I know Monmouth is ranked and Wartburg isn’t but I usually stick to the rule that top ½ of the IIAC, MIAC, WIAC, NWC over the number 1 of the MWC 10 out of 10 times. This one might come back to bite me but I’ll still take the Knights.

National Game of the Week:

Miss College over Millsaps: Most people are taking Millsaps here but I like the ASC school on the road.