The B1G-MAC Fantasy Football Challenge: Week 2

Ahoy again everybody. This is the B1G-MAC Fantasy Football Challenge, where I compete against Jesse Collins from Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire in a little bit of fantasy football. I'm picking players from the MAC while he's taking care of the Big Ten representatives. We're re-picking basically our entire roster each week with limitations on who we can and can't bring back again.

Last week, two of my Toledo players were unable to record a damn point because Mother Nature had to screw things up for everybody else. No matter, #TeamEmpire still went ape **** on #TeamHustle and basically pantsed me in front of the rest of the sixth grade class.

	#TeamEmpire	Pts.		#TeamHustle	Pts.
QB	Nate Sudfeld	23	QB	Jack Milas	21
RB	Paul James	8	RB	Terry Swanson	0
RB	DJ Knox	22	RB	Anthone Taylor	22
WR	Jordan Westerkamp	19.5	WR	KeVonn Mabon	8.5
WR	Simmie Cobbs	7.5	WR	Alonzo Russell	0
WR	Aaron Burbridge	13	WR	Ryan Burbrink	15
TE	Nick Vannett	1.5	TE	Cody Tuttle	3
FLEX	Connor Cook	22	FLEX	AJ Ouellette	4.5
K	Jack Mitchell	10	K	Dylan Mulder	8
D/ST	Rutgers	34	D/ST	Miami	8
MAC Loser	Akron	5	B1G Loser	Northwestern	0
	OVERALL	165.5		OVERALL	90

Jesse, don't do that again, okay?

Jesse: Look, how was I to know that my bellweather was going to be the Rutgers defense? They literally had their secondary arrested last week and absolutely went off. Between them and my penchant for a two QB system, you'd practically think I was the MACtion team. Then again, just like our conference powerhouse, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Did you notice I didn't have a lot of Buckeyes? That's because there's plenty of time for that noise.

Sadly, despite all the good things for #TeamEmpire, I had to endure BYU breaking my Cornhusker heart. College football is mean sometimes. Speaking of mean, I feel like you should have told me Kent State was that bad? I could have prepared myself for a world where the Illinois Fighting Illini look - dare I say - good? Strange week 1 my friend. Strange. Week. 1.

That said, I guess it's time we give you a chance for redemption. I highly recommend taking Buffalo's defense. You know, because Penn State can't stop two man rushes these days...

Alex: That Kent State performance was really, really bad. That's fourth grade band concert bad. That's season 7 of How I Met Your Mother bad. That's bunting on a 3-1 count bad. That's paid broadcasters saying "MAC Conference" bad. That was not good, to say the least.

Onward Week 2 where I take the 165.5-90 ass whoopin' and move on. But imma coming for you. And on a scale of Justin Appleby to Tanner Mangum, how upset do you want to be this week?

Jesse: Calling the early Hail Mary, erm, Joseph? I don't know if that works twice in one season, but I'm a good Nebraska boy. I'm going to start strong, peak somewhere around Week 6, lose a tight one, and then crater. Of course, cratering will be nothing more than a 8-4 season and Off Tackle Empire fans will demand my ouster. Wait, isn't that how this works? No? Yes?

I should move on.

So, tell me Alex. Who is helming QB for #TeamHustle this week? It's not like Jack Milas did poorly last week, but he wasn't enough to carry everyone. Do you have a secret weapon for week two?

Alex: Under center for me is going to be Drew Hare. His performance against UNLV was awesome, and he made sweet, passionate, football love with wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who I've also picked to be a part of #TeamHustle this week. The Huskies have Murray State at home. They let up 261 passing yards to Kentucky Weslyan: a team that, I'm just going to guess and say, doesn't have this type of talent. I'm also going to use Daniel Braverman on the road against Georgia Southern for the Broncos. He led the MAC in total receptions last year, had a good game against MSU (minus a dropped pass early in the second quarter for what should've been a TD), so I'll go with him this week.

I'll tell you one of my running backs later, but who are some offensive pieces to your squad this week?

Jesse: In looking for Week 2 of #TeamEmpire dominating, I'm gonna start Northwestern's Justin Jackson. While he couldn't put it in the endzone for the Wildcats last week against Stanford, he still definitely put up the yards and Northwestern has a much easier opponent coming to town this week in /looks it up/ uh, Eastern Illinois? So yeah, Ohio Valley Conference Football, FEEL THE EXCITEMENT.

I expect him to do well, though. Oh, and just for good measure, I'm going to use my Leonte Caroo card early. He's a WR from Rutgers, and is arguably their best player. On top of that, he gets to face a Washington State team that is horribad. The B1G may end up having mediocre stats come conference time, but I'm going to go ahead and feast while I can. Also, if this is anything like my usual fantasy football experience, I'm totally losing down the stretch.

So, you know one of my WRs and RBs, we have your QB and two WRs, and so I guess it's time to see half of the running battery for #TeamHustle. Perhaps someone mother nature doesn't want to smite?

Alex: Those are fairly decent picks. Caroo might end up being a first round draft pick once that time rolls around too, based on the little bit that I've read.

Hopefully there's no lightning to worry about this week because that was stupid annoying. What a complete waste of a drive to Toledo for me! Anyways, Damion Jones-Moore had a pair of scores against Stony Brook in the second quarter last week before the stats went buh-bye, so I'm banking on him to come back with at least a 90-yard, 1-score game against the Razorbacks.

I changed my flex up this week too, hopefully Colin Reardon doesn't have the same performance against Delaware State than he did against Illinois last week. He's got the ability to spread the ball around and, well, he's facing an FCS squad that lost an ugly game last week. And if the defense can just do me a favor and not suck again, that'd help out a lot.

Jesse, you've got a tight end and a kicker to mention, no?

Jesse: Like we said before, Kent State cannot be that bad, right? It was just a terrible week... Anyhow, yeah, my TE. I'm banking on the Connor Cook to Josiah Price pipeline. I feel really good about the big TE in the red zone, and I have this feeling that there are going to be a lot of points scored. Western Michigan and Eastern Washington showed there are a few week spots in the secondary for both Michigan State and Oregon, and I think both of those offenses are going to exploit the hell out of it. I just hope I get enough yards to make it matter.

As for my kicker, I'm going with Ryan Santoso because he's amazing and ridiculous and huge. Oh, and because he's kicking in that thin Fort Collins,Colorado air. That's bound to lead to big things.

And my last pick over here is going to be my MAC Loser of the Week. As an aside, I still can't believe your Northwestern pick didn't work out, but I guess we all should have seen the Stanford offense coming? Sure. I'm going with Ball State. I just really don't like the odds of them not getting obliterated by the Aggies. I'd love for them to prove me wrong here, but that just seems like a bad thing.

And I think that about wraps it up. Wait, I forgot. Who will be manning the great #TeamHustle defense?

Alex: No, no, you should be rooting for the Cardinals! Imagine them beating Texas A&M. Now imagine Danny DeVito being 5'4". Things would get weird if either happened. And as for Stanford's offense, I guess you'd be better off saying that we should have seen them not* coming. Ugh!

My defense is going to be represented by Central Michigan. I thought Oklahoma State was going to rip them apart last week, or at least make it a game where they'd come out on top by three or four scores, but holding them to a 24-13 contest tells me that they can limit Monmouth's offense to less than the 419 yards that the Cowboys had last week.

Jesse: Hmmmm... I can't say that any of that is bad logic. And trust me, I'm rooting for Ball State and their Robo-Cardinal over the Aggies all day, but I don't see that working out for you. That College Station vibe is just going to be too much for Ball State, and the narrative says the SEC needs to look great in the non-con, so sorry about that.

***

Hey kids. Remember, you'll have to check OTE to see the other half of our picks! And when in doubt, root against the Big Ten. They're evil people, especially the ones that Jesse picks.

Go #TeamHustle!