Gary “The Gut” Goombah – Week 19, 2025/’26

Gary “The Gut” Goombah – Week 19, 2025/’26

Happy New Year! We’re getting close to the finish line for the 2025 football season. As we head into 2026, we hope and pray that you’ve taken Gary’s good advice to heart, while you left his bad advice on the cutting room floor.

Now is when the real money is made, the CFP and the NFL Playoffs. Before we get to this week’s selections, let’s recap the last week of 2025. Spoiler alert: It didn’t go well for “The Gut”. In fact, it was an awful end to ’25. Let’s make ’26 a better year!

Week 18 Recap

NCAA Selections – all odds taken from Saturday’s Chicago Sun-Times (these spreads changed quite a bit in one day, in fact, Gary changed some picks based on line changes from Friday to Saturday)

CFP Playoffs (2nd Round: December 31-January 1)

Ohio State Buckeyes (-9.5) over Miami Hurricanes – Final Score: Miami upset Ohio St. 24-14. Result: Lost

Texas Tech Red Raiders (+1.5) over Oregon Ducks – Final Score: Oregon destroyed 23-0. Result: Lost

Indiana Hoosiers (-7) over Alabama Crimson Tide – Final Score: Indiana dominated Alabama, winning 38-3. Result: WON!

Georgia Bulldogs (-6.5) over Ole Miss Rebels – Final Score: Ole Miss upset the Bulldogs 39-34. Result: Lost

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Other Bowls (December 27-January 2)

East Carolina Pirates (+10.5) over Pitt Panthers – Final Score: East Carolina upset Pitt 23-17. Result: WON!

Clemson Tigers (-2.5) over Penn State Nittany Lions – Final Score: PSU beat Clemson 22-10. Result: Lost

UConn Huskies (+7.5) over Army Black Knights – Final Score: Army destroyed UConn 41-16. Result: Lost

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+4) over BYU Cougars – Final Score: BYU beat Georgia Tech by exactly four points, 25-21. Result: PUSH

Fresno State Bulldogs (-5.5) over Miami (OH) Redhawks – Final Score: Fresno St. won by 15 points, 18-3. Result: WON!

North Texas Mean Green (-6.5) over San Diego St. Aztecs – Final Score: North Texas won a close game by two points, 49-47, after blowing a huge 42-20 lead going into the 4th quarter. Kind of a bad beat. Result: Lost

Virginia Cavaliers (+4) over Missouri Tigers – Final Score: Virginia indeed upset Missouri, 13-7. Result: WON!

LSU Tigers (+1.5) over Houston Cougars – Final Score: Houston won by three points, 38-35. Result: Lost

Georgia Southern Eagles (-7) over Appalachian State Mountaineers – Final Score: Georgia Southern won by 19 points, 29-10. Result: WON!

Tennessee Volunteers (-2.5) over Illinois Fighting Illini – Final Score: Illinois beat Tennessee 30-28. Result: Lost

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (-9.5) over Coastal Carolina Chanticleers – Final Score: LA Tech won by nine points, 23-14. The hook got us. Result: Lost

USC Trojans (-6.5) over TCU Horned Frogs – Final Score: TCU upset Southern Cal 30-27 in OT. Result: Lost

Vanderbilt Commodores (-4.5) over Iowa Hawkeyes – Final Score: Iowa won 34-27. Result: Lost

Arizona State Sun Devils (+3) over Duke Blue Devils – Final Score: Duke was favored by three and they won by three, 42-39. Result: PUSH

Texas Longhorns (-7.5) over Michigan Wolverines – Final Score: Texas won by 14 points, 41-27. Result: WON!

Nebraska Cornhuskers (+14) over Utah Utes – Final Score: Utah crushed Nebraska by 22 points, 44-22. Result: Lost

Texas State Bobcats (-11.5) over Rice Owls – Final Score: Texas St. won 41-10. Result: WON!

Navy Midshipmen (-7) over Cincinnati Bearcats – Final Score: Navy won by 22 points, 35-13. Result: WON!

Mississippi St. Bulldogs (-3) over Wake Forest Demon Deacons – Wake Forest upset Miss. St. by 14 points, 43-29. Result: Lost

Arizona Wildcats (-3) over SMU Mustangs – SMU upset Arizona 24-19. Result: Lost

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Gary’s “Lucky Seven” NFL Selections

San Francisco 49ers (-3) over Chicago Bears – Final Score: San Francisco covered, barely, by four points, winning 42-38. Result: WON!

Carolina Panthers (+7) over Seattle Seahawks – Final Score: Seattle won by 17 points, 27-10. Result: Lost

Jacksonville Jaguars (-5.5) over Indianapolis Colts – Final Score: Jacksonville won by six points, just barely covering the 5.5. Result: WON!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5.5) over Miami Dolphins – Final Score: Miami upset TB 20-17. Result: Lost

New York Jets (+13.5) over New England Patriots – Final Score: New England dominated 42-10. Result: Lost

Tennessee Titans (+2.5) over New Orleans Saints – Final Score: New Orleans won and covered by eight points, 34-26. Result: Lost

Buffalo Bills (-1.5) over Philadelphia Eagles – Final Score: Philadelphia won a close game on the road at Buffalo, 13-12. Result: Lost

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Week 18 Results: 10-19-2 (34.5%) Overall; (8-14-2 NCAA, 2-5 NFL)
Season Results: 121-139-3 (46.5%) Overall; (66-78-2 NCAA, 55-61-1 NFL, with 2-0-1 on “Lock of the Week”)

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Gary “The Gut” Goombah’s Week 19 Selections

NCAA Selections – all odds taken from Saturday’s Chicago Sun-Times

CFP Playoffs (3rd Round: January 8-9)

Fiesta Bowl : Miami Hurricanes (-3.5) over Ole Miss Rebels

Peach Bowl : Oregon Ducks (+4) over Indiana Hoosiers

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Gary’s “Lucky Seven” NFL Selections – Gary is going strong on home-field advantage this week, as teams will likely play better at home in their home finales, especially in these games without much meaning as far as playoff implications. All picks are pro home teams except Pittsburgh.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) over Carolina Panthers – This is probably for the #4 seed in the NFC Playoffs. PICK: Tampa Bay

San Francisco (+2.5) over Seattle Seahawks – This is for the #1 seed in the NFC. PICK: San Francisco at home

Chicago Bears (-3) over Detroit Lions – The Bears are playing to win, and should rebound after last week’s awful defensive performance. PICK: Chicago

Minnesota Vikings (-9.5) over Green Bay Packers – Minny is starting J.J. McCarthy while Green Bay is going with third-string QB Clayton Tune. PICK: Minnesota

Houston Texans (-10) over Indianapolis Colts – Indy is starting someone other than Phil Rivers. I think it’s a prospect. Gary doesn’t care. Houston’s defense is dominant. PICK: Houston

Buffalo Bills (-7.5) over New York Jets – In the last ever game at “The Ralph” (formerly Ralph Wilson Stadium, now Highmark Stadium), we expect the Bills to win big. PICK: Buffalo

Baltimore Ravens (+4) over Pittsburgh Steelers at Pittsburgh – This is for the last playoff spot in the AFC, the #4 seed. Lamar Jackson is back! PICK: Baltimore

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That’s it for now. Let’s make ’26 a huge year! And remember….

“Whether rich or poor, thou shalt gamble more” – Gary “The Gut” Goombah’s mantra