The Smoking Musket College Pick 'Em Gauntlet Week 9 Results, Plus Staff Predictions For WVU vs TCU

WV Moonshiner retakes the lead with a strong week. This should be fun coming down the stretch.

Because it's a cumulative score game, you can miss a week or two and catch up. Here are the top eleven (with ties):

Here is the Week 9 breakdown:

Official Rules (PDF document link)

Our game, as in the past, will be hosted by Yahoo! Fantasy. GAME LINK

Group Name: The Smoking Musket

Group ID: 10575

Group password: westbygod

We have 22 games to pick this week, starting with Friday at 8 pm ET. Make sure you at least have your tie breakers in by then. Deadline for each game pick is 5 minutes before kickoff.

Also, as a way to change things up a bit this year, we will also be featuring staff predictions for the weekly WVU game (or game of interest on the off-weeks). Here are the staff predictions for the WVU/Oklahoma State game (in Gauntlet ranking order with total score in parentheses):

JPFanshawe (104)

WVU 38 TCU 34

JohnRadcliff (99)

WVU 21 TCU 13

All the emphasis on running the ball pays off on a nasty weather day.

SmithFire13 (97)

WVUIE97 (97)

WVU 22 TCU 20

WVU 33 TCU 30

Have I ever told you guys that I hate making predictions like this? 22-20 is my fallback number that I've usually used in the past, but with the offenses in this league, I have to extrapolate a bit higher. Much like OSU last season, good mojo and good chaos.

D White (97)

WVU 45, TCU 38

I'm now all-in on this season being a special one. The Eers will be solid on all three sides of the ball and put themselves in the driver's seat for the Big 12 title.

whirsch_wvu2014 (96)

WVU 14 TCU 13

In what everyone thinks will be a battle of the offenses, it's the defenses that come up big. The offenses aren't totally shutout but they will be conservative and it will make for a dogfight. A Mario Alford big play lifts WVU to ultimate national glory. I'm excited to be going to the Texas game :)

sbwvu1 (93)

WVU 38 TCU 31

TCU's offense has popped the trunk on every conference opponent this year averaging a whopping 52 points per game in the Big 12. That won't happen this Saturday as WVU's defense comes up big again, the Mountaineers control the tempo of the game, and Kevin White wins the match ups of Kevin White's.

MKirchner12 (89)

WVU 38 TCU 35

WVU is 6-0 in games in which I picked WVU.

WVU is 0-2 in games in which I picked against WVU.

Let's do this.

WVUfanMG (84)

WVU 35 TCU 17

The Horned Frogs will get more than they can handle as they enter a rowdy Mountaineer field Saturday. The second ever appearance of Gameday coupled with a 3:30 start will give WVU faithful plenty of time to get lubricated for yet another top 10 team. WVU's defense again rises to the challenge and will get an assist from the weather gods. Kevin White will continue to be a man amongst boys and the deep backfield of the Mountaineer offense will wear down the TCU defense.

Abpriddy (49)

WVU 37 TCU 31

Mountaineer fans treat GameDay guest Rakeem Cato with the utmost hospitality, politely clapping when he is introduced and standing respectfully silent as the dulcet tones of Tom Rinaldi and piano accompaniment tell the story (again). Rakeem is presented with gourmet pepperoni rolls and artisan moonshine as he leaves the stage. WVU is rewarded for the good mojo as they finally recover their first fumble of the season, win the turnover battle 3-1 and magnificently fair catch 6 punts cleanly. It's a great day to be a Mountaineer, it's a great day to be a GAM and #TeamChaos is off and running for the season's final month.

Caleb Wygal (16)

TCU 24 - WVU 38

The recipe for a WVU win on Saturday: An adaptable Mountaineer offense, a much improved, deeper, WVU defense, ESPN Gameday in town all week to get the students and crowd hyped and mix in some potentially foul weather. TCU will face much of what Baylor had to (minus the weather), and the Mounties will find a way to slow Boykin and score enough to come out on top. This victory should taste delicious.