Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears: The Bears offense is suffering, but so is the Browns. Despite injuries, the Bears defense is better than the Browns, which should be all the difference. BEARS, 24-9
Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens: Is this the time that Broncos' Cinderella ride turns into a pumpkin? The Ravens defense is stifling, and the offense is working, too. Kyle Orton is fitting into the Broncos' offensive scheme, so he'll keep Denver moving, but I think Baltimore hands them their first loss. RAVENS, 27-23
Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills: The Texans tend to play their tougher opponents harder and slack off against the weaker. That might give Buffalo an advantage, but I think the Texans will respect the "new look" Bills enough to play them tough. TEXANS, 23-17
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets: Miami gave New Orleans a run for their money, but they petered out. The Dolphins defense might frsutrate Sanchez early, but the Jets will hang in, and pull this one out in the fourth quarter. JETS, 24-21
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles: The Giants have lost two in a row, but it's been years since they lost three in a row. Against a divisional opponent, they will bear down and pull out this victory. The Eagles may end up with more yards, but the Giants defense will cause a couple of turnovers. GIANTS, 27-23
San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts: The 49ers defense is starting to fracture. Alex Smith had one good week, but Peyton Manning has had five of them this season. COLTS, 27-13
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are silencing their early critics with some strong victories. They'll add this one to that list. COWBOYS, 30-17
St Louis Rams at Detroit Lions: Can the Rams gain their first win against last season's winless team? I actually think not. Despite NONE of the Lions' three quarterbacks doing well, they are doing better than the hapless Rams. With the Rams defense still a wreck, the Lions will win again. LIONS, 28-20
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are looking good. Kurt Warner and company are wiping out the history of losing in the Cardinals organization. CARDS, 27-13
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans: I think this is the week Denver loses, and I also think this is the week that the Titans win. Switching the quarterback will confuse the Jaguars defense. As good as Jack Del Rio is, it's been nearly two years since Vince Young played, and that leaves plenty of question marks. The Jags don't adjust really well, which could give the Titans the edge in what will likely be a defensive battle. TITANS, 16-13
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre returns to Green Bay, this time as part of a visiting team. It's a switch for him, but will the switch include the result? Green Bay has looked strong the past couple of weeks, while the Vikings must recover from their first loss against that tough Steelers defense. The Packers defense isn't as tough, so the Vikings have a good chance. Aaron Rogers will be too excited to prove himself better than Favre - he did that in their earlier game this season and it cost them. I think it will again. VIKINGS, 31-24
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers: Oakland is still struggling, as JaMarcus Russell's status as starter is in doubt. CHARGERS, 27-16
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: The Saints showed weaknesses last week, but they poured it on in the fourth quarter to win. Atlanta's offense is better, but the Saints won't take them for granted so much. I like the Saints' chances, although they should be prepared for an upset. SAINTS, 27-24
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
NFL Power Rankings - Week 7
The Vikings' loss ties the number of unbeaten and winless teams. New Orleans nearly suffered their first loss, while we are all awaiting Tennessee's first win. The owner now wants Vince Young to start. How badly shaken is his confidence? Can he lead the team? Will his different style, and his lengthy absence from the league, confuse defenses? Let's see...
This week's ranking [Last week's ranking]
1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) [1] : They fought back from their first deficit of the season, combining offense and defense in a devastating one-two punch
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) [2]
3. New England Patriots (5-2) [6] : They're looking dangerous again
4. Denver Broncos (6-0) [4]
5. Green Bay Packers (4-2) [9] : Great game leading into hosting Brett Favre
6. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) [3] : Speaking of Favre, his team took a major blow; not just losing their first game, but losing by a lot. We'll have to see how they recover
7. New York Giants (5-2) [5] : Speaking of recovering, the Giants have now lost two in a row. This week is crucial, or they won't hold their Top Ten ranking
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) [8]
9. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) [10]
10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) [16] : HUGE victory over Chicago
11. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) [12] : This week silenced the Romo critics
12. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) [13]
13. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) [7]
14. New York Jets (4-3) [18] : Sanchez is still showing up as a rookie, but he keeps learning and persisting
15. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [14]
16. San Diego Chargers (3-3) [20] : Rivers is rising!
17. Houston Texans (4-3) [17]
18. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) [15]
19. Miami Dolphins (2-4) [19] : They put a scare into the Saints, but they only played three quarters
20. Chicago Bears (3-3) [11] : Jay Cutler is looking like the second coming of Rex Grossman. That contract extension was done too soon
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) [21]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) [22]
23. Buffalo Bills (3-4) [24]
24. Carolina Panthers (2-4) [23]
25. Oakland Raiders (25) [25]
26. Tennessee Titans (0-6) [28] : There best move was a bye, as sitting back allowed teams to fall below them.
27. Washington Redskins (2-5) [27] : The offense wasn't terrible, but we need more than one week to see if this play-caller experiment works
28. Detroit Lions (1-5) [30]
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) [29]
30. Cleveland Browns (2-5) [26]
31. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-7) [31]
32. St Louis Rams (0-7) [32] : They are last or nearly last in all major categories
This week's ranking [Last week's ranking]
1. New Orleans Saints (6-0) [1] : They fought back from their first deficit of the season, combining offense and defense in a devastating one-two punch
2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0) [2]
3. New England Patriots (5-2) [6] : They're looking dangerous again
4. Denver Broncos (6-0) [4]
5. Green Bay Packers (4-2) [9] : Great game leading into hosting Brett Favre
6. Minnesota Vikings (6-1) [3] : Speaking of Favre, his team took a major blow; not just losing their first game, but losing by a lot. We'll have to see how they recover
7. New York Giants (5-2) [5] : Speaking of recovering, the Giants have now lost two in a row. This week is crucial, or they won't hold their Top Ten ranking
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) [8]
9. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) [10]
10. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) [16] : HUGE victory over Chicago
11. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) [12] : This week silenced the Romo critics
12. Arizona Cardinals (4-2) [13]
13. Atlanta Falcons (4-2) [7]
14. New York Jets (4-3) [18] : Sanchez is still showing up as a rookie, but he keeps learning and persisting
15. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [14]
16. San Diego Chargers (3-3) [20] : Rivers is rising!
17. Houston Texans (4-3) [17]
18. San Francisco 49ers (3-3) [15]
19. Miami Dolphins (2-4) [19] : They put a scare into the Saints, but they only played three quarters
20. Chicago Bears (3-3) [11] : Jay Cutler is looking like the second coming of Rex Grossman. That contract extension was done too soon
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) [21]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) [22]
23. Buffalo Bills (3-4) [24]
24. Carolina Panthers (2-4) [23]
25. Oakland Raiders (25) [25]
26. Tennessee Titans (0-6) [28] : There best move was a bye, as sitting back allowed teams to fall below them.
27. Washington Redskins (2-5) [27] : The offense wasn't terrible, but we need more than one week to see if this play-caller experiment works
28. Detroit Lions (1-5) [30]
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) [29]
30. Cleveland Browns (2-5) [26]
31. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-7) [31]
32. St Louis Rams (0-7) [32] : They are last or nearly last in all major categories
Sunday, October 25, 2009
NCAA Week 9 picks
Do you want proof that the Mountain West Conference is strong? They have more Top 25 teams (three) than the ACC, and as many as the Big Ten, Big East, and Big XII. Maybe we should rename them the Big Mountain Conference.
Tuesday, Oct 27
East Carolina Pirates at Memphis Tigers: It hasn't been a good season for the Pirates, but the Tigers' woes will help them turn things around. EAST CAROLINA
Thurs Oct 29
North Carolina Tar Heels at #23 Virginia Tech Hokies: If the Hokies just play classic Beamer Ball, they should have no problem throwing the Tar Heels off their heels. VIRGINIA TECH
Fri Oct 30
#17 West Virginia Mountaineers at South Florida Bulls: The Bulls defense can still scare opponents, but I think the Mountaineers are just too strong for them. WEST VIRGINIA
Top 25
Georgia Bulldogs at #3 Florida Gators: The Gators should prevail, but the question remains, "When will Florida look like a National Champion contender?" FLORIDA
San Jose State Spartans at #4 Boise State Broncos: The Broncos will dominate in this game, too. They seem poised to run the table in the WAC. BOISE STATE
#5 Cincinnati Bearcats at Syracuse Orangemen: After last week, even their former detractors are believing in Cincy. Until they face Pitt, they have the clear edge in the Big East. CINCY
Indiana Hoosiers at #6 Iowa Hawkeyes: Indy won't push Iowa the way Michigan State did. With no Ohio State on their schedule and Penn State behind them, Iowa could run the Big Ten table. IOWA
#7 USC Trojans at #10 Oregon Ducks: The Trojans have struggled in the state of Oregon the past few years, and USC does not have the offensive firepower this year like they've had previously. The Ducks can put points on the scoreboard, and I'm not sure how well the Trojan defense will slow them. I have to pick the upset on this one. OREGON
#8 Penn State Nittany Lions at Northwestern Wildcats: Penn State should have no problem declawing the Wildcats. PENN STATE
UNLV Running Rebels at #9 TCU Horned Frogs: The Frogs have become the power in the stronger Mountain West. They humbled BYU, so the Rebels shouldn't be a challenge. TCU
Tulane Green Wave at #12 LSU Tigers: LSU goes out of conference after trouncing their SEC rival last week. Nice break for them. LSU
Wyoming Cowboys at #14 Utah Utes: The Utes want to return to the top of the Mountain West, but they have an uphill battle. They should have the talent to overcome Wyoming, but Utah is lacking the quick strike power they've had in the past. UTAH
New Mexico State Aggies at #15 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes face a winless team to give their offense time to regroup. OHIO STATE
#16 Central Michigan Chippewas at Boston College Eagles: Is it possible for a MAC team to beat a team from a BCS conference other than the Big Ten? I'd say, "Yes." The Chippewas have perhaps the most accurate quarterback in the FBS, and he's just as swift with his legs as with his arms. I have to acknowledge what this team has done, and go with... CENTRAL MICHIGAN
#18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Vanderbilt Commodores: Georgia Tech gets a non-conference breather as a reward for their victory on Saturday. GEORGIA TECH
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Houston Cougars: Houston took a little while to get going, but now they are living up to their preseason hype. Watch out for this team! HOUSTON
#21 Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Tech Red Raiders: This game could really go either way. The variable could be the Jayhawks' defense - can they slow the Red Raiders offense? If they can, they can win. If not, the Red Raiders score the upset. I think the Jayhawks will be extra motivated to win this game, but watch out for Tech! KANSAS
#22 Ole Miss Rebels at Auburn Tigers: Auburn's defense isn't as strong as we're used to seeing, and their offense is in chaos. That makes them ripe for a loss. However, if the defense happens to get themselves in shape, Ole Miss may have an uphill battle. OLE MISS
Washington State Cougars at #24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Perhaps the easiest game the Irish will play all season. NOTRE DAME
Kansas State Wildcats at #25 Oklahoma Sooners: Kansas State can surprise, but I think Oklahoma is still angry at the embarrassment handed them by Texas in the Red River Rivalry game. That type of anger converts to a very physical team, and that plays to Oklahoma's hand. OKLAHOMA
Big Ten
Purdue Boilermakers at Wisconsin Badgers: Purdue has won two in a row, but Wisconsin had an extra week to prepare for this game. WISCONSIN
Michigan Wolverines at Illinois Fighting Illini: The Illini defense started showing up during the Purdue game, and the offense had some flashes of their potential, but I still fear the Wolverines are too much for them. MICHIGAN
Michigan State Spartans at Minnesota Golden Gophers: Michigan State played Iowa tough to the last second. Although they lost that game, they'll use that as an energizing experience, boosting them for this game. MICHIGAN STATE
Game of the Week: #2 Texas Longhorns at #11 Oklahoma State Cowboys: The top two offenses in the Big XII square off, and the scoreboard lights will file for overtime! Texas has seemed a bit lethargic at times this season, but they've poured it on when they needed to. I think they'll do it again, but I wouldn't be surprised by a Cowboys upset. TEXAS
Other Games of Interest:
California Golden Bears at Arizona State Sun Devils: Cal isn't the offensive powerhouse we expected, and Jahvid Best is definitely below expectations, but the team is still dangerous. CAL
Temple Owls at Navy Midshipmen: No real contest here. NAVY
South Carolina Gamecocks at Tennessee Volunteers: Tennessee played Florida tough, but Steve Spurrier will find ways to contain Jonathan Crompton. SOUTH CAROLINA
Tuesday, Oct 27
East Carolina Pirates at Memphis Tigers: It hasn't been a good season for the Pirates, but the Tigers' woes will help them turn things around. EAST CAROLINA
Thurs Oct 29
North Carolina Tar Heels at #23 Virginia Tech Hokies: If the Hokies just play classic Beamer Ball, they should have no problem throwing the Tar Heels off their heels. VIRGINIA TECH
Fri Oct 30
#17 West Virginia Mountaineers at South Florida Bulls: The Bulls defense can still scare opponents, but I think the Mountaineers are just too strong for them. WEST VIRGINIA
Top 25
Georgia Bulldogs at #3 Florida Gators: The Gators should prevail, but the question remains, "When will Florida look like a National Champion contender?" FLORIDA
San Jose State Spartans at #4 Boise State Broncos: The Broncos will dominate in this game, too. They seem poised to run the table in the WAC. BOISE STATE
#5 Cincinnati Bearcats at Syracuse Orangemen: After last week, even their former detractors are believing in Cincy. Until they face Pitt, they have the clear edge in the Big East. CINCY
Indiana Hoosiers at #6 Iowa Hawkeyes: Indy won't push Iowa the way Michigan State did. With no Ohio State on their schedule and Penn State behind them, Iowa could run the Big Ten table. IOWA
#7 USC Trojans at #10 Oregon Ducks: The Trojans have struggled in the state of Oregon the past few years, and USC does not have the offensive firepower this year like they've had previously. The Ducks can put points on the scoreboard, and I'm not sure how well the Trojan defense will slow them. I have to pick the upset on this one. OREGON
#8 Penn State Nittany Lions at Northwestern Wildcats: Penn State should have no problem declawing the Wildcats. PENN STATE
UNLV Running Rebels at #9 TCU Horned Frogs: The Frogs have become the power in the stronger Mountain West. They humbled BYU, so the Rebels shouldn't be a challenge. TCU
Tulane Green Wave at #12 LSU Tigers: LSU goes out of conference after trouncing their SEC rival last week. Nice break for them. LSU
Wyoming Cowboys at #14 Utah Utes: The Utes want to return to the top of the Mountain West, but they have an uphill battle. They should have the talent to overcome Wyoming, but Utah is lacking the quick strike power they've had in the past. UTAH
New Mexico State Aggies at #15 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes face a winless team to give their offense time to regroup. OHIO STATE
#16 Central Michigan Chippewas at Boston College Eagles: Is it possible for a MAC team to beat a team from a BCS conference other than the Big Ten? I'd say, "Yes." The Chippewas have perhaps the most accurate quarterback in the FBS, and he's just as swift with his legs as with his arms. I have to acknowledge what this team has done, and go with... CENTRAL MICHIGAN
#18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Vanderbilt Commodores: Georgia Tech gets a non-conference breather as a reward for their victory on Saturday. GEORGIA TECH
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Houston Cougars: Houston took a little while to get going, but now they are living up to their preseason hype. Watch out for this team! HOUSTON
#21 Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Tech Red Raiders: This game could really go either way. The variable could be the Jayhawks' defense - can they slow the Red Raiders offense? If they can, they can win. If not, the Red Raiders score the upset. I think the Jayhawks will be extra motivated to win this game, but watch out for Tech! KANSAS
#22 Ole Miss Rebels at Auburn Tigers: Auburn's defense isn't as strong as we're used to seeing, and their offense is in chaos. That makes them ripe for a loss. However, if the defense happens to get themselves in shape, Ole Miss may have an uphill battle. OLE MISS
Washington State Cougars at #24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Perhaps the easiest game the Irish will play all season. NOTRE DAME
Kansas State Wildcats at #25 Oklahoma Sooners: Kansas State can surprise, but I think Oklahoma is still angry at the embarrassment handed them by Texas in the Red River Rivalry game. That type of anger converts to a very physical team, and that plays to Oklahoma's hand. OKLAHOMA
Big Ten
Purdue Boilermakers at Wisconsin Badgers: Purdue has won two in a row, but Wisconsin had an extra week to prepare for this game. WISCONSIN
Michigan Wolverines at Illinois Fighting Illini: The Illini defense started showing up during the Purdue game, and the offense had some flashes of their potential, but I still fear the Wolverines are too much for them. MICHIGAN
Michigan State Spartans at Minnesota Golden Gophers: Michigan State played Iowa tough to the last second. Although they lost that game, they'll use that as an energizing experience, boosting them for this game. MICHIGAN STATE
Game of the Week: #2 Texas Longhorns at #11 Oklahoma State Cowboys: The top two offenses in the Big XII square off, and the scoreboard lights will file for overtime! Texas has seemed a bit lethargic at times this season, but they've poured it on when they needed to. I think they'll do it again, but I wouldn't be surprised by a Cowboys upset. TEXAS
Other Games of Interest:
California Golden Bears at Arizona State Sun Devils: Cal isn't the offensive powerhouse we expected, and Jahvid Best is definitely below expectations, but the team is still dangerous. CAL
Temple Owls at Navy Midshipmen: No real contest here. NAVY
South Carolina Gamecocks at Tennessee Volunteers: Tennessee played Florida tough, but Steve Spurrier will find ways to contain Jonathan Crompton. SOUTH CAROLINA
NCAA Top 25 - Week 8
Upset of the Week: There were a few upsets this week, but almost none of them affected Top 25 teams. Nationally, the Clemson defeat of Miami will draw plenty of attention, but I thought they might do that, as I am not as infatuated about Miami as many of my compatriots. I also gave Stanford a good chance to beat Arizona State, so that didn't really qualify as an upset. Iowa State took me by surprise, solidifying Nebraska's fall from the Top 25. Texas A&M did quite a number on Texas Tech, proving that the Aggies offense can compete with the best of them in the Big XII. However, perhaps the biggest upset was in a different part of that conference. Oklahoma, who has looked choppy much of the season, got everything together for a massive upset of the Kansas Jayhawks, jeopardizing their BCS chances.
This week's rankings [Last week's]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [1] : They survived a scare from Tennessee
2. Texas Longhorns (7-0) [3] : Now THIS is the Texas team we all expected to see this year!
3. Florida Gators (7-0) [2] : Tim Tebow threw two interceptions and looked confused for three quarters.
4. Boise State Broncos (7-0) [4]
5. Cincinnati Bearcats (7-0) [6] : This team is definitely for real!
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0) [5] : They nearly lost to Michigan State, but they remain unbeaten
7. USC Trojans (6-1) [7] : They took a strong lead against Oregon State but nearly lost it again in the fourth quarter!
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) [8] : They shut down Rich Rodriquez's spread offense
9. TCU Horned Frogs (7-0) [10] : A dominating victory against BYU confirms them as the favorite in the ever-strengthening Mountain West
10. Oregon Ducks (6-1) [9] : They had an impressive win, but TCU's was better
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) [13]
12. LSU Tigers (6-1) [12]
13. Pittsburgh Panthers (7-1) [15]
14. Utah Utes (6-1) [16]
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-2) [18]
16. Central Michigan Chippewas (7-1) [25]
17. West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1) [19]
18. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-1) [22]
19. Houston Cougars (6-1) [NP]
20. BYU Cougars (6-2) [14]
21. Kansas Jayhawks (5-2) [11]
22. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2) [NP] : They return to the Top 25 as they continue to be a threat to SEC opponents
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) [23]
24. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-2) [24] : They finally beat Boston College, but it was nearly a loss
25. Oklahoma Sooners (4-3) [NP]
On the Edge:
+1 Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-3)
+2 Stanford Cardinal (5-3)
+3 Clemson Tigers (4-3)
+4 California Golden Bears (5-2)
+5 South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2)
+6 Navy Midshipmen (6-2)
Dropped: Texas Tech Red Raiders [#17], Michigan Wolverines [#20], Nebraska Cornhuskers [#21]
This week's rankings [Last week's]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [1] : They survived a scare from Tennessee
2. Texas Longhorns (7-0) [3] : Now THIS is the Texas team we all expected to see this year!
3. Florida Gators (7-0) [2] : Tim Tebow threw two interceptions and looked confused for three quarters.
4. Boise State Broncos (7-0) [4]
5. Cincinnati Bearcats (7-0) [6] : This team is definitely for real!
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0) [5] : They nearly lost to Michigan State, but they remain unbeaten
7. USC Trojans (6-1) [7] : They took a strong lead against Oregon State but nearly lost it again in the fourth quarter!
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) [8] : They shut down Rich Rodriquez's spread offense
9. TCU Horned Frogs (7-0) [10] : A dominating victory against BYU confirms them as the favorite in the ever-strengthening Mountain West
10. Oregon Ducks (6-1) [9] : They had an impressive win, but TCU's was better
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) [13]
12. LSU Tigers (6-1) [12]
13. Pittsburgh Panthers (7-1) [15]
14. Utah Utes (6-1) [16]
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-2) [18]
16. Central Michigan Chippewas (7-1) [25]
17. West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1) [19]
18. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-1) [22]
19. Houston Cougars (6-1) [NP]
20. BYU Cougars (6-2) [14]
21. Kansas Jayhawks (5-2) [11]
22. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2) [NP] : They return to the Top 25 as they continue to be a threat to SEC opponents
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) [23]
24. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-2) [24] : They finally beat Boston College, but it was nearly a loss
25. Oklahoma Sooners (4-3) [NP]
On the Edge:
+1 Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-3)
+2 Stanford Cardinal (5-3)
+3 Clemson Tigers (4-3)
+4 California Golden Bears (5-2)
+5 South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2)
+6 Navy Midshipmen (6-2)
Dropped: Texas Tech Red Raiders [#17], Michigan Wolverines [#20], Nebraska Cornhuskers [#21]
Saturday, October 24, 2009
NFL Week 7 picks
Many of my home picks last week didn't pan out. This week I'm picking too many road teams. I have some upsets coming; I'm just not sure which ones.
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers: Two teams whose season is, for all practical purposes, basically over. Jake Delhomme has had an atrocious season, but he's capable of bouncing back. I'm not sure Buffalo can bounce back from the friction TO is causing. PANTHERS, 17-13
Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns: The Browns are having a terrible season, and this game won't make it any better. PACK, 27-16
Indianapolis Colts at St Louis Rams: The Colts get a great boost from the Rams' pathetic defense. Peyton Manning was already the top QB of the season so far; this game should raise him higher. COLTS, 34-13
Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers: Here's one upset I will call. Pittsburgh is starting to look like the defensive force they were last season, and it can be tough to come into their stadium. The Vikings are good, but the Steelers defensive front might be the one team who can slow down Adrian Peterson, and they're fast enough to rush Brett Favre. I think the Steelers will upset the Vikings. STEELERS, 27-24
New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Bucs are looking for their first victory of the season. Keep looking, guys. PATS, 23-10
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs: The Chargers have sputtered, but they have the talent to prevail. The Chiefs are sputtering worse, and there are question marks regarding their talent. CHARGERS, 23-16
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans: A rare home pick this week, as I think the sporadic Texans will find some motivation this week in comments made by national analysts. TEXANS, 23-17
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys: The Falcons survived the Bears last week, so defeating the downtrodden Cowboys won't be too much of a challenge. The Cowboys have the talent to pull this one out, so this is a possible upset, but I like what the Falcons are doing this season. FALCONS, 27-23
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are capable of beating the injured Bears defense, but I like the possibility of the Bears pulling this one out. Here's another home team who could win, but I have to give the nod to my Bears. BEARS, 24-17
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins: The Saints are succeeding this season, primarily because they found a defense. They'll give Chad Henne and the Dolphins fits. SAINTS, 31-16
New York Jets at Oakland Raiders: Marc Sanchez is showing his rookie side, but the Raiders aren't strong this season. They may have surprised the Eagles, and Richard Seymour may be crowing about their playoff chances, but I don't see it. JETS, 17-10
Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants: Here would be a game where picking the visiting team would be justified, but I'll take the home team on this one. The Giants will look to recover from their loss to the Saints last week, and their defense is capable of pestering the Cards. GIANTS, 24-21
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins: The Redskins are in turmoil, and their new play-caller is horribly rusty. EAGLES, 20-10
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers: Two teams whose season is, for all practical purposes, basically over. Jake Delhomme has had an atrocious season, but he's capable of bouncing back. I'm not sure Buffalo can bounce back from the friction TO is causing. PANTHERS, 17-13
Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns: The Browns are having a terrible season, and this game won't make it any better. PACK, 27-16
Indianapolis Colts at St Louis Rams: The Colts get a great boost from the Rams' pathetic defense. Peyton Manning was already the top QB of the season so far; this game should raise him higher. COLTS, 34-13
Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers: Here's one upset I will call. Pittsburgh is starting to look like the defensive force they were last season, and it can be tough to come into their stadium. The Vikings are good, but the Steelers defensive front might be the one team who can slow down Adrian Peterson, and they're fast enough to rush Brett Favre. I think the Steelers will upset the Vikings. STEELERS, 27-24
New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Bucs are looking for their first victory of the season. Keep looking, guys. PATS, 23-10
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs: The Chargers have sputtered, but they have the talent to prevail. The Chiefs are sputtering worse, and there are question marks regarding their talent. CHARGERS, 23-16
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans: A rare home pick this week, as I think the sporadic Texans will find some motivation this week in comments made by national analysts. TEXANS, 23-17
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys: The Falcons survived the Bears last week, so defeating the downtrodden Cowboys won't be too much of a challenge. The Cowboys have the talent to pull this one out, so this is a possible upset, but I like what the Falcons are doing this season. FALCONS, 27-23
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are capable of beating the injured Bears defense, but I like the possibility of the Bears pulling this one out. Here's another home team who could win, but I have to give the nod to my Bears. BEARS, 24-17
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins: The Saints are succeeding this season, primarily because they found a defense. They'll give Chad Henne and the Dolphins fits. SAINTS, 31-16
New York Jets at Oakland Raiders: Marc Sanchez is showing his rookie side, but the Raiders aren't strong this season. They may have surprised the Eagles, and Richard Seymour may be crowing about their playoff chances, but I don't see it. JETS, 17-10
Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants: Here would be a game where picking the visiting team would be justified, but I'll take the home team on this one. The Giants will look to recover from their loss to the Saints last week, and their defense is capable of pestering the Cards. GIANTS, 24-21
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins: The Redskins are in turmoil, and their new play-caller is horribly rusty. EAGLES, 20-10
Thursday, October 22, 2009
NFL Power Rankings - Week 6
We now have fewer unbeaten teams than winless teams, although KC departed from the ranks of the winless, again thanks to Washington. The Redskins have faced nothing but winless teams all season, and squeaked out only two victories - one against the hapless Rams, and another against Tampa Bay that the Bucs nearly won. I'll bet Tennessee would love to have Washington on their schedule!
This week's ranking [Last week's ranking]
1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) [3] : The Saints' defense proved tougher than the Giants, and spurred their amazing victory.
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) [2]
3. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) [4] : The Vikings offense continues to impress, but they have a tough challenge this week
4. Denver Broncos (6-0) [8] : Orton and the offense are improving
5. New York Giants (5-1) [1] : The Giants lost to the Saints, but they're still dangerous
6. New England Patriots (4-2) [14] : Best cold weather team in the East!
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) [6]
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) [10] : Pulverized Cleveland as a warm-up to the Vikings!
9. Green Bay Packers (3-2) [17] : Just when Detroit had been showing some life the past couple of weeks, the Pack shut them down
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) [5] : McNabb is back, but maybe they'd prefer Kolb?
11. Chicago Bears (3-2) [7] : Another poor performance for Cutler on Sunday night
12. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [12]
13. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) [19] : Huge win for them in Seattle!
14. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [9] : Kept it close against the Vikings
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [15]
16. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) [11]
17. Houston Texans (3-3) [18]
18. New York Jets (3-3) [13] : Another poor outing for Sanchez. His rookie-ness is showing
19. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [20]
20. San Diego Chargers (2-3) [21]
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) [16]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [22] : Only beating the Rams by 3? This team is in trouble
23. Carolina Panthers (2-3) [28] : They're showing some signs of life
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) [23] : TO's starting to boil, and that bodes ill
25. Oakland Raiders (2-4) [29] : Richard Seymour wants to see them in the playoffs. After the win against Philadelphia, it might be possible
26. Cleveland Browns (2-4) [24]
27. Washington Redskins (2-4) [26]
28. Tennessee Titans (0-6) [25] : They just can't play in snow, can they?
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) [30] : They scored their first win, but it was only against Washington. It did cost Coach Jim Zorn his play-calling duties, though.
30. Detroit Lions (1-5) [27]
31. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-6) [31] : Suffering the indignity of being one of Washington's victories
32. St Louis Rams (0-6) [32]
This week's ranking [Last week's ranking]
1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) [3] : The Saints' defense proved tougher than the Giants, and spurred their amazing victory.
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) [2]
3. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) [4] : The Vikings offense continues to impress, but they have a tough challenge this week
4. Denver Broncos (6-0) [8] : Orton and the offense are improving
5. New York Giants (5-1) [1] : The Giants lost to the Saints, but they're still dangerous
6. New England Patriots (4-2) [14] : Best cold weather team in the East!
7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) [6]
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) [10] : Pulverized Cleveland as a warm-up to the Vikings!
9. Green Bay Packers (3-2) [17] : Just when Detroit had been showing some life the past couple of weeks, the Pack shut them down
10. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) [5] : McNabb is back, but maybe they'd prefer Kolb?
11. Chicago Bears (3-2) [7] : Another poor performance for Cutler on Sunday night
12. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [12]
13. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) [19] : Huge win for them in Seattle!
14. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [9] : Kept it close against the Vikings
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [15]
16. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) [11]
17. Houston Texans (3-3) [18]
18. New York Jets (3-3) [13] : Another poor outing for Sanchez. His rookie-ness is showing
19. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [20]
20. San Diego Chargers (2-3) [21]
21. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) [16]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [22] : Only beating the Rams by 3? This team is in trouble
23. Carolina Panthers (2-3) [28] : They're showing some signs of life
24. Buffalo Bills (2-4) [23] : TO's starting to boil, and that bodes ill
25. Oakland Raiders (2-4) [29] : Richard Seymour wants to see them in the playoffs. After the win against Philadelphia, it might be possible
26. Cleveland Browns (2-4) [24]
27. Washington Redskins (2-4) [26]
28. Tennessee Titans (0-6) [25] : They just can't play in snow, can they?
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) [30] : They scored their first win, but it was only against Washington. It did cost Coach Jim Zorn his play-calling duties, though.
30. Detroit Lions (1-5) [27]
31. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-6) [31] : Suffering the indignity of being one of Washington's victories
32. St Louis Rams (0-6) [32]
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
NCAA Week 8 picks
Whew! I can't believe we're to mid-October alreay! Classic rivalries will start popping on a weekly basis soon!
Wednesday Oct 21
Tulsa Golden Hurricane at UTEP Miners: Tulsa is having a tremendous year. They may not have been able to pull off the upset last week, but they made it interesting. This game won't be so interesting - Tulsa will own it from the beginning. TULSA
Thurs Oct 22
Florida State Seminoles at North Carolina Tar Heels: Everyone is still raving about Florida State, despite a losing record right now. Go figure. North Carolina was a preseason favorite, and then they stumbled. They won't stumble here, and should quiet all of the Seminole supporters. NORTH CAROLINA
Friday Oct 23
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Army Black Knights: Battle of the Knights! This game could be closer than people expect, as Army doesn't exactly suck this year. I think Rutgers will edge them out, but don't discount those hard-battling cadets! RUTGERS
Top 25
Tennessee Volunteers at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide: Last week proved who the real powerhouse team in the SEC is -- ALABAMA
#2 Florida Gators at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Florida should have a much easier time of it this week, preventing Alabama from leap-frogging over them on the national rankings. FLORIDA
#3 Texas Longhorns at Missouri Tigers: This is a must-win situation for Missouri if they want any chance at the Big XII title game, but I fear the Longhorns will crush them. TEXAS
#4 Boise State Broncos at Hawaii Warriors: Hawaii can be tough at home, but the Broncos have been here before, and don't fear them. The Warriors aren't the offensive machine this season like they've been in the past, and their defense hasn't improved any. BOISE STATE
#5 Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State Spartans: Sparty can be tricky, but I think the Hawkeyes are a force too great for most of the Big Ten. Iowa may have a pretty easy time of it until their showdown with Ohio State next month. IOWA
Louisville Cardinals at #6 Cincinnati Bearcats: Cincinnati leads the Big East while Louisville is yet to win a conference game. That losing streak should continue for the Cardinals, as Cincy simply has too many tools in their arsenal this season. CINCINNATI
Oregon State Beavers at #7 USC Trojans: The Trojans are happy this contest is in LA. They've lost the last two times they've travelled to Corvallis, and they don't need a loss right now. The Beavers will still play them tough, as USC is lacking the consistent tools they've had in the past. USC
#8 Penn State Nittany Lions at #20 Michigan Wolverines: Michigan needs this game to have any chance at the Big Ten title, but I don't think they'll get it. Rich Rodriguez's spread offense is working this year, but Penn State has too many speedy linebackers for the spread to be effective. Michigan's defense is good, but the Penn State offensive line is big, and they'll just wear them down. PENN STATE
#9 Oregon Ducks at Washington Huskies: Washington has had a good run this year, already exceeding their total wins over the past two seasons, but they enter a tough run on their schedule. They host Oregon, then have two road games against tough home opponents. Midnight may be striking on Washington's Cinderella season. OREGON
#10 TCU Horned Frogs at #14 BYU Cougars: This could decide the Mountain West winner, although Utah still weighs in. BYU has scored more points, but TCU's defense is evident. I often like the defense in these matters, but the home field and late start time might help the Cougars. BYU in a very close game
Oklahoma Sooners at #11 Kansas Jayhawks: The Sooners tumbled from the Top 25 after two losses in the past three weeks. They're hoping to reverse their fortunes against the Jayhawks, but I think not. Kansas may not be blowing out their opponents, but they are consistently winning, a feat Oklahoma cannot seem to do. With Sam Bradford's health an issue, I like Kansas' rush defense to pester the Sooners. KANSAS
Auburn Tigers at #12 LSU Tigers: This game doesn't look as appealing as it did two weeks ago, when both teams were in the Top Ten. Auburn's two-game losing streak makes them desperate, and desperate teams make stupid mistakes. LSU has the type of defense to make you pay for such mistakes. LSU
#13 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Baylor Bears: Baylor is capable of surprising opponents this season, but not the Cowboys. Baylor's defense won't slow them down enough, and the Cowboys put up big numbers. OKLAHOMA STATE
South Florida Bulls at #15 Pittsburgh Panthers: This sould be a close game! South Florida suffered their first loss last week, while Pitt remains unbeaten in the Big East. The Bulls won't want to lose two games in a row, so they'll knock the Panthers around fiercely. I think Pitt will prevail, but it'll be a rough battle. PITT
Air Force Falcons at #16 Utah Utes: The Utes need a good win to get back into BCS contention. The Falcons won't make it easy, but they aren't flying as high as they used to. UTAH
Texas A&M Aggies at #17 Texas Tech Red Raiders: Can the Aggies' defense slow the Raiders? Unfortunately not, as the Aggies will continue to look for their first conference victory. TEXAS TECH
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #18 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes wish to atone for their embarrassing offensive performance last week. Preventing turnovers will be the disciplinary work of the offense during practice this week, while the defense works on pass coverage drills. Jim Tressell knows how to recover from losses, although he hasn't seen one in conference for a while. OHIO STATE
UConn Huskies at #19 West Virginia Mountaineers: If UConn hopes to regain some swagger and stake a claim for the Big East title, they must post the upset here. They have to tools to do so, but their exection has been off. The Mountaineers frequently throw off team's performances, so that execution will continue to lack results this week. WEST VIRGINIA
Iowa State Cyclones at #21 Nebraska Cornhuskers: While Nebraska was pleased with their victory over Missouri, they can't be happy about how they struggled against Texas Tech last week. The Cyclones defense is better than that of the Raiders, but Nebraska has the home crowd and a week of practice to help restore their offense. I think they can do it, although this will be a closer game than the team and fans would like. NEBRASKA
#22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Cavaliers: After an atrocious start to the season, which included a loss to FCS William and Mary, the Cavs have won their last three games and lead the Coastal division. Virginia's early ACC success has come at the hands of Maryland and North Carolina, however, two teams with two conference losses each. Now the Cavs start to get tougher competition, and I think the tide will turn. GEORGIA TECH
#25 Central Michigan Chippewas at Bowling Green Falcons: Central Michigan needs just two conference victories to capture the MAC West title. Although Bowling Green can be tough, I think the Chippewas move one step closer to that title. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers: The Illini offense has great talent, but lousy play calling. While there could be a letdown after Purdue's shocking upset of Ohio State last week, I think they'll wake up over halftime and trounce my Illini. PURDUE
Indiana Hoosiers at Northwestern Wildcats: Here's two teams fairly evenly matched. I usually go for the home team in those situations. NORTHWESTERN
Other Games of Interest:
Clemson Tigers at Miami Hurricane: Nationally, everyone is touting Miami (they're even in the Top Ten of the first BCS rankings, for heaven's sake!), yet they just pulled out of a negative difference between points scored and points allowed against FBS teams. They really aren't that good, and Clemson will prove that. Clemson had a great game against Wake Forest, but they still remember the tough loss against Maryland the week before that, and still feel they have something to prove. Beating Miami will help prove that. CLEMSON
Arkansas Razorbacks at Ole Miss Rebels: The Rebs haven't quite lived up to preseason and early season promises, and they know it. Arkansas has shown power, but the Rebels want to regain some respect. OLE MISS
Idaho Vandals at Nevada Wolf Pack: Idaho battled to a 6-0 record, their first in decades, before stumbling last week. The mark of a good team is how they handle adversity. Will they further collapse, or will they regain their form? Idaho is used to losing, so I think they'll buckle down and come back from that loss. IDAHO
Arizona State Sun Devils at Stanford Cardinal: Watch out, as the Sun Devils are regaining their winning form. This is the perfect point in the season to do that, too. ARIZONA STATE
Game of the Week: Boston College Eagles at #24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish to need to regain their stride after their rough outing last week. The Eagles are aglow atop the Atlantic division, but they still remember the Virginia Tech debacle. Both teams are fighting for respect and Top 25 position. Expect the lead to change several times in this game, but I think the Irish will hold it when the dust settles. NOTRE DAME
Wednesday Oct 21
Tulsa Golden Hurricane at UTEP Miners: Tulsa is having a tremendous year. They may not have been able to pull off the upset last week, but they made it interesting. This game won't be so interesting - Tulsa will own it from the beginning. TULSA
Thurs Oct 22
Florida State Seminoles at North Carolina Tar Heels: Everyone is still raving about Florida State, despite a losing record right now. Go figure. North Carolina was a preseason favorite, and then they stumbled. They won't stumble here, and should quiet all of the Seminole supporters. NORTH CAROLINA
Friday Oct 23
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Army Black Knights: Battle of the Knights! This game could be closer than people expect, as Army doesn't exactly suck this year. I think Rutgers will edge them out, but don't discount those hard-battling cadets! RUTGERS
Top 25
Tennessee Volunteers at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide: Last week proved who the real powerhouse team in the SEC is -- ALABAMA
#2 Florida Gators at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Florida should have a much easier time of it this week, preventing Alabama from leap-frogging over them on the national rankings. FLORIDA
#3 Texas Longhorns at Missouri Tigers: This is a must-win situation for Missouri if they want any chance at the Big XII title game, but I fear the Longhorns will crush them. TEXAS
#4 Boise State Broncos at Hawaii Warriors: Hawaii can be tough at home, but the Broncos have been here before, and don't fear them. The Warriors aren't the offensive machine this season like they've been in the past, and their defense hasn't improved any. BOISE STATE
#5 Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State Spartans: Sparty can be tricky, but I think the Hawkeyes are a force too great for most of the Big Ten. Iowa may have a pretty easy time of it until their showdown with Ohio State next month. IOWA
Louisville Cardinals at #6 Cincinnati Bearcats: Cincinnati leads the Big East while Louisville is yet to win a conference game. That losing streak should continue for the Cardinals, as Cincy simply has too many tools in their arsenal this season. CINCINNATI
Oregon State Beavers at #7 USC Trojans: The Trojans are happy this contest is in LA. They've lost the last two times they've travelled to Corvallis, and they don't need a loss right now. The Beavers will still play them tough, as USC is lacking the consistent tools they've had in the past. USC
#8 Penn State Nittany Lions at #20 Michigan Wolverines: Michigan needs this game to have any chance at the Big Ten title, but I don't think they'll get it. Rich Rodriguez's spread offense is working this year, but Penn State has too many speedy linebackers for the spread to be effective. Michigan's defense is good, but the Penn State offensive line is big, and they'll just wear them down. PENN STATE
#9 Oregon Ducks at Washington Huskies: Washington has had a good run this year, already exceeding their total wins over the past two seasons, but they enter a tough run on their schedule. They host Oregon, then have two road games against tough home opponents. Midnight may be striking on Washington's Cinderella season. OREGON
#10 TCU Horned Frogs at #14 BYU Cougars: This could decide the Mountain West winner, although Utah still weighs in. BYU has scored more points, but TCU's defense is evident. I often like the defense in these matters, but the home field and late start time might help the Cougars. BYU in a very close game
Oklahoma Sooners at #11 Kansas Jayhawks: The Sooners tumbled from the Top 25 after two losses in the past three weeks. They're hoping to reverse their fortunes against the Jayhawks, but I think not. Kansas may not be blowing out their opponents, but they are consistently winning, a feat Oklahoma cannot seem to do. With Sam Bradford's health an issue, I like Kansas' rush defense to pester the Sooners. KANSAS
Auburn Tigers at #12 LSU Tigers: This game doesn't look as appealing as it did two weeks ago, when both teams were in the Top Ten. Auburn's two-game losing streak makes them desperate, and desperate teams make stupid mistakes. LSU has the type of defense to make you pay for such mistakes. LSU
#13 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Baylor Bears: Baylor is capable of surprising opponents this season, but not the Cowboys. Baylor's defense won't slow them down enough, and the Cowboys put up big numbers. OKLAHOMA STATE
South Florida Bulls at #15 Pittsburgh Panthers: This sould be a close game! South Florida suffered their first loss last week, while Pitt remains unbeaten in the Big East. The Bulls won't want to lose two games in a row, so they'll knock the Panthers around fiercely. I think Pitt will prevail, but it'll be a rough battle. PITT
Air Force Falcons at #16 Utah Utes: The Utes need a good win to get back into BCS contention. The Falcons won't make it easy, but they aren't flying as high as they used to. UTAH
Texas A&M Aggies at #17 Texas Tech Red Raiders: Can the Aggies' defense slow the Raiders? Unfortunately not, as the Aggies will continue to look for their first conference victory. TEXAS TECH
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #18 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes wish to atone for their embarrassing offensive performance last week. Preventing turnovers will be the disciplinary work of the offense during practice this week, while the defense works on pass coverage drills. Jim Tressell knows how to recover from losses, although he hasn't seen one in conference for a while. OHIO STATE
UConn Huskies at #19 West Virginia Mountaineers: If UConn hopes to regain some swagger and stake a claim for the Big East title, they must post the upset here. They have to tools to do so, but their exection has been off. The Mountaineers frequently throw off team's performances, so that execution will continue to lack results this week. WEST VIRGINIA
Iowa State Cyclones at #21 Nebraska Cornhuskers: While Nebraska was pleased with their victory over Missouri, they can't be happy about how they struggled against Texas Tech last week. The Cyclones defense is better than that of the Raiders, but Nebraska has the home crowd and a week of practice to help restore their offense. I think they can do it, although this will be a closer game than the team and fans would like. NEBRASKA
#22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Cavaliers: After an atrocious start to the season, which included a loss to FCS William and Mary, the Cavs have won their last three games and lead the Coastal division. Virginia's early ACC success has come at the hands of Maryland and North Carolina, however, two teams with two conference losses each. Now the Cavs start to get tougher competition, and I think the tide will turn. GEORGIA TECH
#25 Central Michigan Chippewas at Bowling Green Falcons: Central Michigan needs just two conference victories to capture the MAC West title. Although Bowling Green can be tough, I think the Chippewas move one step closer to that title. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers: The Illini offense has great talent, but lousy play calling. While there could be a letdown after Purdue's shocking upset of Ohio State last week, I think they'll wake up over halftime and trounce my Illini. PURDUE
Indiana Hoosiers at Northwestern Wildcats: Here's two teams fairly evenly matched. I usually go for the home team in those situations. NORTHWESTERN
Other Games of Interest:
Clemson Tigers at Miami Hurricane: Nationally, everyone is touting Miami (they're even in the Top Ten of the first BCS rankings, for heaven's sake!), yet they just pulled out of a negative difference between points scored and points allowed against FBS teams. They really aren't that good, and Clemson will prove that. Clemson had a great game against Wake Forest, but they still remember the tough loss against Maryland the week before that, and still feel they have something to prove. Beating Miami will help prove that. CLEMSON
Arkansas Razorbacks at Ole Miss Rebels: The Rebs haven't quite lived up to preseason and early season promises, and they know it. Arkansas has shown power, but the Rebels want to regain some respect. OLE MISS
Idaho Vandals at Nevada Wolf Pack: Idaho battled to a 6-0 record, their first in decades, before stumbling last week. The mark of a good team is how they handle adversity. Will they further collapse, or will they regain their form? Idaho is used to losing, so I think they'll buckle down and come back from that loss. IDAHO
Arizona State Sun Devils at Stanford Cardinal: Watch out, as the Sun Devils are regaining their winning form. This is the perfect point in the season to do that, too. ARIZONA STATE
Game of the Week: Boston College Eagles at #24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish to need to regain their stride after their rough outing last week. The Eagles are aglow atop the Atlantic division, but they still remember the Virginia Tech debacle. Both teams are fighting for respect and Top 25 position. Expect the lead to change several times in this game, but I think the Irish will hold it when the dust settles. NOTRE DAME
Sunday, October 18, 2009
NCAA Top 25 - Week 7
Upset of the Week: There were several upsets this week, so we had no shortage of candidates. Auburn suffered their second consecutive loss as Kentucky surprised their second potent SEC foe of the season. Kansas' perfect record dissolved at the hands of Colorado. It was only the second victory this season for the Buffaloes. However, the biggest shocker had to be Ohio State's loss to Purdue. Purdue had the worst record in the Big Ten prior to that, and Ohio State's defense had looked excellent. The offense had been passable, but they fell apart in this game, committing four turnovers. Worse, the Boilermakers could move against the Buckeye defense, definitely a surprising situation.
This week's rating [Last week's position]:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [1] : Most impressive win among last week's Top 5
2. Florida Gators (6-0) [2] : Another near loss. Florida is itching for an upset
3. Texas Longhorns (6-0) [3] : A rather pedestrian effort by the Longhorns against their bitter rival
4. Boise State Broncos (6-0) [4] : Broncos survive a scare
5. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-0) [6] : Now the clear front-runner in the Big Ten
6. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-0) [7] : Quality win in prime time
7. USC Trojans (5-1) [9] : It took a defensive stand to hold back the Irish
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) [13]
9. Oregon Ducks (5-1) [10]
10. TCU Horned Frogs (6-0) [16] : A leap into the Top Ten on the eve of their showdown with BYU
11. Kansas Jayhawks (5-1 [5]
12. LSU Tigers (5-1) [12]
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) [16] : Challenging Texas for the best team in the Big XII. They're certainly the most productive
14. BYU Cougars (6-1) [18]
15. Pittsburgh Panthers (6-1) [19] : Another Big East beneficiary of a prime time game this week
16. Utah Utes (5-1) [NP] : An impressive win returns the Utes to the Top 25
17. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2) [NP] : Watch out, the Raiders are coming back!
18. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-2) [8]
19. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) [NP]
20. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) [21]
21. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-2) [11]
22. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1) [NP] : New frontrunner in the ACC
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) [14]
24. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2) [20]
25. Central Michigan Chippewas (6-1) [NP]
On the Edge:
+1 Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2)
+2 Idaho Vandals (6-1)
+3 Ole Miss Rebels (4-2)
+4 Miami Hurricanes (5-1)
+5 Houston Cougars (5-1)
+6 South Florida Bulls (5-1)
+7 Clemson Tigers (3-3)
Dropped: Auburn Tigers [#17], Missouri Tigers [22], Stanford Cardinal [23], South Carolina Gamecocks [25]
This week's rating [Last week's position]:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [1] : Most impressive win among last week's Top 5
2. Florida Gators (6-0) [2] : Another near loss. Florida is itching for an upset
3. Texas Longhorns (6-0) [3] : A rather pedestrian effort by the Longhorns against their bitter rival
4. Boise State Broncos (6-0) [4] : Broncos survive a scare
5. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-0) [6] : Now the clear front-runner in the Big Ten
6. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-0) [7] : Quality win in prime time
7. USC Trojans (5-1) [9] : It took a defensive stand to hold back the Irish
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) [13]
9. Oregon Ducks (5-1) [10]
10. TCU Horned Frogs (6-0) [16] : A leap into the Top Ten on the eve of their showdown with BYU
11. Kansas Jayhawks (5-1 [5]
12. LSU Tigers (5-1) [12]
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) [16] : Challenging Texas for the best team in the Big XII. They're certainly the most productive
14. BYU Cougars (6-1) [18]
15. Pittsburgh Panthers (6-1) [19] : Another Big East beneficiary of a prime time game this week
16. Utah Utes (5-1) [NP] : An impressive win returns the Utes to the Top 25
17. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2) [NP] : Watch out, the Raiders are coming back!
18. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-2) [8]
19. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) [NP]
20. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) [21]
21. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-2) [11]
22. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1) [NP] : New frontrunner in the ACC
23. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) [14]
24. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2) [20]
25. Central Michigan Chippewas (6-1) [NP]
On the Edge:
+1 Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2)
+2 Idaho Vandals (6-1)
+3 Ole Miss Rebels (4-2)
+4 Miami Hurricanes (5-1)
+5 Houston Cougars (5-1)
+6 South Florida Bulls (5-1)
+7 Clemson Tigers (3-3)
Dropped: Auburn Tigers [#17], Missouri Tigers [22], Stanford Cardinal [23], South Carolina Gamecocks [25]
NFL Wek 6 picks
This week I pick mostly home teams. That's more comfortable, but there seems to be too many of them. That concerns me.
Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings: Baltimore's defense can be tough, but this is one team that I think will crack it. VIKES, 24-17
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs: I thnk Tampa gets their first win, as their defense should stuff the confused Panthers offense. BUCS, 13-10
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers: Steelers continue to roll as they manhandle the Browns. Even with Braylon Edwards, this won't go Cleveland's way. STEELERS, 23-10
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: Detroit obtained their first win in 20 games earlier, but their divisional losing streak will continue. PACK, 24-17
Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are a real force this year. Houston has flashes of brilliance, but they can't sustain them. Cincy sustains their achievements. BENGALS, 16-13
Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Redskins: Could KC be the next winless team to gain their first victory against Washington? It's possible, but I think the scrutiny faced by Jim Zorn and the Redskins this past week will inspire them a bit. REDSKINS, 17-13
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints: This game could go either way. I usually favor the home team in cases like that, but this time I'll favor the team with the better defense. GIANTS, 23-20
St Louis Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars: I don't usually pick shutouts, but the Rams have already suffered two of them this year, and with the Jags defense working, I think it'll happen again. JAGS, 13-0
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle is capable of knocking off Arizona, but I think I'll give the edge to the Cards. Warner and company have proven tenacious this year, and Seattle hasn't shown the ability to last all four quarters. CARDINALS, 28-21
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: For the second week, I don' think the Bills will score a touchdown. Rex Ryan's defense is tough, and the Bills are a bit soft this season. JETS, 23-6
Philadelphia Eagles at Oakland Raiders: Oakland is struggling, while the Eagles are soaring on the arm of their backup QB. EAGLES, 24-13
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots: Tennessee is bound to win their first game soon, but I don't think this is it. The Patriots seem to have worked out the kinks they were experiencing earlier in the season, and are now the same threat they were in 2007. PATS, 24-10
Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons: I'd love to say that the Bears will gain revenge for last season's final-minute loss, but I'm afraid that the Falcons will likely execute another come from behind fourth quarter victory. FALCONS, 27-24
Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers: The Broncos are ripe for a loss, and if any team can push that defense, it would be the Chargers. Monday Night is a strange stage, though, one that the Chargers haven't always used effectively. I'll go with Denver, but watch for the upset! BRONCOS, 27-24
Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings: Baltimore's defense can be tough, but this is one team that I think will crack it. VIKES, 24-17
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs: I thnk Tampa gets their first win, as their defense should stuff the confused Panthers offense. BUCS, 13-10
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers: Steelers continue to roll as they manhandle the Browns. Even with Braylon Edwards, this won't go Cleveland's way. STEELERS, 23-10
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: Detroit obtained their first win in 20 games earlier, but their divisional losing streak will continue. PACK, 24-17
Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are a real force this year. Houston has flashes of brilliance, but they can't sustain them. Cincy sustains their achievements. BENGALS, 16-13
Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Redskins: Could KC be the next winless team to gain their first victory against Washington? It's possible, but I think the scrutiny faced by Jim Zorn and the Redskins this past week will inspire them a bit. REDSKINS, 17-13
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints: This game could go either way. I usually favor the home team in cases like that, but this time I'll favor the team with the better defense. GIANTS, 23-20
St Louis Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars: I don't usually pick shutouts, but the Rams have already suffered two of them this year, and with the Jags defense working, I think it'll happen again. JAGS, 13-0
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle is capable of knocking off Arizona, but I think I'll give the edge to the Cards. Warner and company have proven tenacious this year, and Seattle hasn't shown the ability to last all four quarters. CARDINALS, 28-21
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: For the second week, I don' think the Bills will score a touchdown. Rex Ryan's defense is tough, and the Bills are a bit soft this season. JETS, 23-6
Philadelphia Eagles at Oakland Raiders: Oakland is struggling, while the Eagles are soaring on the arm of their backup QB. EAGLES, 24-13
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots: Tennessee is bound to win their first game soon, but I don't think this is it. The Patriots seem to have worked out the kinks they were experiencing earlier in the season, and are now the same threat they were in 2007. PATS, 24-10
Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons: I'd love to say that the Bears will gain revenge for last season's final-minute loss, but I'm afraid that the Falcons will likely execute another come from behind fourth quarter victory. FALCONS, 27-24
Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers: The Broncos are ripe for a loss, and if any team can push that defense, it would be the Chargers. Monday Night is a strange stage, though, one that the Chargers haven't always used effectively. I'll go with Denver, but watch for the upset! BRONCOS, 27-24
Saturday, October 17, 2009
NFL Power Rankings - Week 5
Washington once again allows a previously unbeaten team to gain its first victory. In fact, of their five opponents this season, four of them didn't have a win when they faced the Redskins. This doesn't look for them, and their power ranking reflects that.
The top of the rankings remain stable, showing that the strongest teams are retaining that power.
Current Rank [Last week's rank]
1. New York Giants (5-0) [1]
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0 [2]
3. New Orleans Saints (4-0) [3]
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) [4]
5. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) [11] - this team just gets better, even without McNabb!
6. Atlanta Falcons (3-1) [14]
7. Chicago Bears (3-1) [7] - Great season; their only blemish was a tight contest against Green Bay in Week 1, when Jay Cutler was just getting used to his new receiving corps.
8. Denver Broncos (5-0) [8] - the weakest unbeaten team BY FAR, this team is ripe for a loss
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [6]
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) [15]
11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) [13] - Yikes! Three AFC North teams in a row! This is a tough division!
12. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [12] - Romo may be looking raw, but the team keeps rolling along
13. New York Jets (3-2) [10] - Sanchez's bubble finally burst! Let's see how he handles adversity
14. New England Patriots (3-2) [9] - Whoops, they should have beaten Denver in regulation!
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [5] - The defense faltered
16. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) [23] - Their incredible shutout of Jacksonville makes this team the best team with a losing record
17. Green Bay Packers (2-2) [17]
18. Houston Texans (2-3) [21] - Best team with a losing record, they keep it close
19. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) [20]
20. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [22]
21. San Diego Chargers (2-2) [19]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [16] - What happened against Seattle?
23. Buffalo Bills (1-4) [25]
24. Cleveland Browns (2-3) [31] - Hmm, a game with no touchdowns is the only type Cleveland can win
25. Tennessee Titans (0-5) [26] - They HAVE to win one soon!
26. Washington Redskins (2-3) [18] - Attention all winless teams! Come to Washington to get your win!
27. Detroit Lions (1-4) [24]
28. Carolina Panthers (1-3) [28]
29. Oakland Raiders (1-4) [27]
30. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) [29]
31. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-5) [30]
32. St Louis Rams (0-5) [32] - Best news of the season for the Rams - they won't have to suffer the indignity of having Rush Limbaugh as co-owner
The top of the rankings remain stable, showing that the strongest teams are retaining that power.
Current Rank [Last week's rank]
1. New York Giants (5-0) [1]
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0 [2]
3. New Orleans Saints (4-0) [3]
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) [4]
5. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) [11] - this team just gets better, even without McNabb!
6. Atlanta Falcons (3-1) [14]
7. Chicago Bears (3-1) [7] - Great season; their only blemish was a tight contest against Green Bay in Week 1, when Jay Cutler was just getting used to his new receiving corps.
8. Denver Broncos (5-0) [8] - the weakest unbeaten team BY FAR, this team is ripe for a loss
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [6]
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) [15]
11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) [13] - Yikes! Three AFC North teams in a row! This is a tough division!
12. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [12] - Romo may be looking raw, but the team keeps rolling along
13. New York Jets (3-2) [10] - Sanchez's bubble finally burst! Let's see how he handles adversity
14. New England Patriots (3-2) [9] - Whoops, they should have beaten Denver in regulation!
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [5] - The defense faltered
16. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) [23] - Their incredible shutout of Jacksonville makes this team the best team with a losing record
17. Green Bay Packers (2-2) [17]
18. Houston Texans (2-3) [21] - Best team with a losing record, they keep it close
19. Arizona Cardinals (2-2) [20]
20. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [22]
21. San Diego Chargers (2-2) [19]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [16] - What happened against Seattle?
23. Buffalo Bills (1-4) [25]
24. Cleveland Browns (2-3) [31] - Hmm, a game with no touchdowns is the only type Cleveland can win
25. Tennessee Titans (0-5) [26] - They HAVE to win one soon!
26. Washington Redskins (2-3) [18] - Attention all winless teams! Come to Washington to get your win!
27. Detroit Lions (1-4) [24]
28. Carolina Panthers (1-3) [28]
29. Oakland Raiders (1-4) [27]
30. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) [29]
31. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-5) [30]
32. St Louis Rams (0-5) [32] - Best news of the season for the Rams - they won't have to suffer the indignity of having Rush Limbaugh as co-owner
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
NCAA Week 7 picks
It's been a hectic week and this post is a bit late. Fortunately, tonight's game is between two Sun Belt teams, so it won't really affect anything on the national scale.
Wed Oct 14
#4 Boise State Broncos at Tulsa Golden Hurricane: Tulsa can be a tough team, but Boise is poised to run the table now. BOISE STATE
Thurs Oct 15
#7 Cincinnati Bearcats at South Florida Bulls: This battle between unbeatens will determine the front-runner in the Big East race. I would have made this my Game of the Week, but not everyone pays attention to the Big East anymore. Perhaps this game will garner some attention. South Florida's defense is tough, but they haven't been playing with the same fire we've seen from them the past two seasons. Perhaps this game will spark it, but until I see it, I'll go with the Bearcats. CINCINNATI
Fri Oct 16
#19 Pittsburgh Panthers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: The Knights aren't the force they've been, so Pitt shouldn't have too much difficulty here. PITT
Top 25
#25 South Carolina Gamecocks at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide: The Gamecocks and Coach Spurrier can be unpredictable, but I don't think even the brilliant Steve Spurrier can come up with a plan to consistently outsmart the tough Tide defense. Despite what most of the country thinks, Alabama is clearly the best team in the SEC. Florida should be thankful they don't play 'Bama, at least not until the SEC Championship Game. ALABAMA
Arkansas Razorbacks at #2 Florida Gators: Florida has looked anemic even before Tebow's concussion. Arkansas has already surprised one SEC team. I'm not sure they can do it again, but they'll shock Florida. Arkansas will lead at one point in the second half, and Florida will win by less than seven. FLORIDA
#24 Oklahoma Sooners at #3 Texas Longhorns: Despite both teams being ranked, I don't think this year's Red River Rivalry will be as exciting. Oklahoma seems a bit lethargic, and Sam Bradford's injured arm adds to their woes. Texas ought to give the Dallas fans plenty to cheer. TEXAS
#5 Kansas Jayhawks at Colorado Buffaloes: Colorado is looking better than their atrocious start to the season, but they still have a long way to go to battle Top Ten teams like Kansas and Texas. KANSAS
#6 Iowa Hawkeyes at Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin seems to have lost some of their rhythm, but they can still be dangerous. Iowa is more dangerous this season, and remains the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten. IOWA
#8 Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers: Ohio State hasn't lost a Big Ten game yet, and Purdue doesn't have enough offense to give them their first. OHIO STATE
#9 USC Trojans at #20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: USC doesn't have the power we're used to, but Notre Dame isn't quite up to their historical power level, either. However, with an extra week to prepare for the Trojans, and clips of the Washington upset to review, the Irish could scare them. USC
Texas Tech Red Raiders at #11 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Tech is dangerous, and has generated lots of offense this season, but Nebraska has generated more, and the Raiders don't have much of a defense. NEBRASKA
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #13 Penn State Nittany Lions: Penn State has a tough defense this year, and Clark is running the offense well, too. PENN STATE
Colorado State Rams at #15 TCU Horned Frogs: Colorado State can be dangerous, but TCU is loaded nicely this year. I like the home team here, but it may be closer than they'd like.
#22 Missouri Tigers at #16 Oklahoma State Cowboys: This is where the Tigers must really step up. They lost last week, and it was an ugly game. The Cowboys have rebounded nicely from their early troubles, and they're ready to compete with the "big boys" in the Big XII. OKLAHOMA STATE
Kentucky Wildcats at #17 Auburn Tigers: Kentucky can do some interesting things, but Auburn will want a good showing after their embarrassing loss last week. AUBURN
#18 BYU Cougars at San Diego State Aztecs: The Cougars are a force in the Mountain West, with only TCU their serious competitor. BYU
Delaware State at #21 Michigan Wolverines: Michigan's turn to beat up on an FCS team. MICHIGAN
#23 Stanford Cardinal at Arizona Wildcats: The Wildcats can be tricky, and Stanford can completely collapse at least once a year, but I'm not sure this will be the game for either one. STANFORD
Big Ten
Northwestern Wildcats at Michigan State Spartans: Northwestern is having a decent year, but the Spartans can be dangerous, especially at home (just ask the Wolverines). MICHIGAN STATE
Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers: As much as I'd like to pick my Alma Mater, they're a team in disarray this season. Indiana has some tools, and that should be enough to propel them past the hapless Illini. INDIANA
Other Games of Interest
Central Michigan Chippewas at Western Michigan Broncos: Central Michigan owns the MAC, and should stand for the rest of the season. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Marshall Thundering Herd at West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers are marching on, even if they don't dominate the Big East this year. Marshall is struggling, so the Mountaineers will keep marching. WEST VIRGINIA
Hawaii Warriors at Idaho Vandals: Who would have thunk it, but Idaho is competing with Boise State for the WAC lead. THAT is a once in a lifetime experience, and the Vandals will stretch it out as long as they can. IDAHO
Utah Utes at UNLV Running Rebels: Utah needs to regain some ground in the Mountain West. This game will be a good start. UTAH
Game of the Week: #14 Virginia Tech Hokies at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Virginia Tech may be the favorite currently in the ACC, but they need to get past the ever-tough Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. I think they will, but the Jackets will make it extremely tough. VIRGINIA TECH
Wed Oct 14
#4 Boise State Broncos at Tulsa Golden Hurricane: Tulsa can be a tough team, but Boise is poised to run the table now. BOISE STATE
Thurs Oct 15
#7 Cincinnati Bearcats at South Florida Bulls: This battle between unbeatens will determine the front-runner in the Big East race. I would have made this my Game of the Week, but not everyone pays attention to the Big East anymore. Perhaps this game will garner some attention. South Florida's defense is tough, but they haven't been playing with the same fire we've seen from them the past two seasons. Perhaps this game will spark it, but until I see it, I'll go with the Bearcats. CINCINNATI
Fri Oct 16
#19 Pittsburgh Panthers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: The Knights aren't the force they've been, so Pitt shouldn't have too much difficulty here. PITT
Top 25
#25 South Carolina Gamecocks at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide: The Gamecocks and Coach Spurrier can be unpredictable, but I don't think even the brilliant Steve Spurrier can come up with a plan to consistently outsmart the tough Tide defense. Despite what most of the country thinks, Alabama is clearly the best team in the SEC. Florida should be thankful they don't play 'Bama, at least not until the SEC Championship Game. ALABAMA
Arkansas Razorbacks at #2 Florida Gators: Florida has looked anemic even before Tebow's concussion. Arkansas has already surprised one SEC team. I'm not sure they can do it again, but they'll shock Florida. Arkansas will lead at one point in the second half, and Florida will win by less than seven. FLORIDA
#24 Oklahoma Sooners at #3 Texas Longhorns: Despite both teams being ranked, I don't think this year's Red River Rivalry will be as exciting. Oklahoma seems a bit lethargic, and Sam Bradford's injured arm adds to their woes. Texas ought to give the Dallas fans plenty to cheer. TEXAS
#5 Kansas Jayhawks at Colorado Buffaloes: Colorado is looking better than their atrocious start to the season, but they still have a long way to go to battle Top Ten teams like Kansas and Texas. KANSAS
#6 Iowa Hawkeyes at Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin seems to have lost some of their rhythm, but they can still be dangerous. Iowa is more dangerous this season, and remains the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten. IOWA
#8 Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers: Ohio State hasn't lost a Big Ten game yet, and Purdue doesn't have enough offense to give them their first. OHIO STATE
#9 USC Trojans at #20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: USC doesn't have the power we're used to, but Notre Dame isn't quite up to their historical power level, either. However, with an extra week to prepare for the Trojans, and clips of the Washington upset to review, the Irish could scare them. USC
Texas Tech Red Raiders at #11 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Tech is dangerous, and has generated lots of offense this season, but Nebraska has generated more, and the Raiders don't have much of a defense. NEBRASKA
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #13 Penn State Nittany Lions: Penn State has a tough defense this year, and Clark is running the offense well, too. PENN STATE
Colorado State Rams at #15 TCU Horned Frogs: Colorado State can be dangerous, but TCU is loaded nicely this year. I like the home team here, but it may be closer than they'd like.
#22 Missouri Tigers at #16 Oklahoma State Cowboys: This is where the Tigers must really step up. They lost last week, and it was an ugly game. The Cowboys have rebounded nicely from their early troubles, and they're ready to compete with the "big boys" in the Big XII. OKLAHOMA STATE
Kentucky Wildcats at #17 Auburn Tigers: Kentucky can do some interesting things, but Auburn will want a good showing after their embarrassing loss last week. AUBURN
#18 BYU Cougars at San Diego State Aztecs: The Cougars are a force in the Mountain West, with only TCU their serious competitor. BYU
Delaware State at #21 Michigan Wolverines: Michigan's turn to beat up on an FCS team. MICHIGAN
#23 Stanford Cardinal at Arizona Wildcats: The Wildcats can be tricky, and Stanford can completely collapse at least once a year, but I'm not sure this will be the game for either one. STANFORD
Big Ten
Northwestern Wildcats at Michigan State Spartans: Northwestern is having a decent year, but the Spartans can be dangerous, especially at home (just ask the Wolverines). MICHIGAN STATE
Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers: As much as I'd like to pick my Alma Mater, they're a team in disarray this season. Indiana has some tools, and that should be enough to propel them past the hapless Illini. INDIANA
Other Games of Interest
Central Michigan Chippewas at Western Michigan Broncos: Central Michigan owns the MAC, and should stand for the rest of the season. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Marshall Thundering Herd at West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers are marching on, even if they don't dominate the Big East this year. Marshall is struggling, so the Mountaineers will keep marching. WEST VIRGINIA
Hawaii Warriors at Idaho Vandals: Who would have thunk it, but Idaho is competing with Boise State for the WAC lead. THAT is a once in a lifetime experience, and the Vandals will stretch it out as long as they can. IDAHO
Utah Utes at UNLV Running Rebels: Utah needs to regain some ground in the Mountain West. This game will be a good start. UTAH
Game of the Week: #14 Virginia Tech Hokies at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Virginia Tech may be the favorite currently in the ACC, but they need to get past the ever-tough Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. I think they will, but the Jackets will make it extremely tough. VIRGINIA TECH
Sunday, October 11, 2009
NCAA Top 25 - Week 6
Upset of the Week: There weren't many upsets affecting Top 25 teams this week. Oklahoma State knocked off A&M, but nationally that wasn't a surprise. The only real candidate was Arkansas' defeat of Auburn. Ryan Mallet has been steadily improving each week, which makes Arkansas dangerous. Auburn was the first to see that, but I don't think they'll be the last SEC team to see the power of the Razorbacks.
This week's ratings [Last week's position]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) [1] : Definitely the best defense in the conference!
2. Florida Gators (5-0) [2]: Tebow is back, but the offense isn't as potent. They're relying too heavily on their defense
3. Texas Longhorns (5-0) [3]: Nice come from behind victory this week
4. Boise State Broncos (5-0) [4]
5. Kansas Jayhawks (5-0) [6]
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0) [8]: A close game against Michigan, but they're the only unbeaten in the Big Ten now
7. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-0) [9]
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) [12]: The Buckeyes continue to improve since their close loss to USC
9. USC Trojans (4-1) [11]
10. Oregon Ducks (5-1) [13]: Another team that has wonderfully improved after an early season embarrassment
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) [15]: What a dominant performance on Thursday night! This team is proving to be a force in the Big XII
12. LSU Tigers (5-1) [7]: They slowed down the Gators offense, but their offense dried up
13. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1) [14]
14. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-1) [17]
15. TCU Horned Frogs (5-0) [NP] : Back in the Top 25!
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1) [NP] : Returns to the Top 25 with an impressive win against A&M
17. Auburn Tigers (5-1) [5]: Stunning loss against Arkansas. Can they recover?
18. BYU Cougars (5-1) [21]
19. Pitt Panthers (5-1) [24]
20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) [20]
21. Michigan Wolverines (4-2) [19]
22. Missouri Tigers (4-1) [10]
23. Stanford Cardinal (4-2) [16]
24. Oklahoma Sooners (3-2) [NP] : Impressive warm-up for the Red River Rivalry
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-1) [25]
On the Edge:
+1 South Florida Bulls (5-0)
+2 Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2)
+3 Central Michigan Chippewas (5-1)
+4 Utah Utes (4-1)
+5 Miami Hurricanes (4-1)
+6 Idaho Vandals (5-1)
+7 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-1)
+8 West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1)
Dropped: Texas A&M Aggies [#18], Wisconsin Badgers [22], Ole Miss Rebels [23]
This week's ratings [Last week's position]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) [1] : Definitely the best defense in the conference!
2. Florida Gators (5-0) [2]: Tebow is back, but the offense isn't as potent. They're relying too heavily on their defense
3. Texas Longhorns (5-0) [3]: Nice come from behind victory this week
4. Boise State Broncos (5-0) [4]
5. Kansas Jayhawks (5-0) [6]
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0) [8]: A close game against Michigan, but they're the only unbeaten in the Big Ten now
7. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-0) [9]
8. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) [12]: The Buckeyes continue to improve since their close loss to USC
9. USC Trojans (4-1) [11]
10. Oregon Ducks (5-1) [13]: Another team that has wonderfully improved after an early season embarrassment
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) [15]: What a dominant performance on Thursday night! This team is proving to be a force in the Big XII
12. LSU Tigers (5-1) [7]: They slowed down the Gators offense, but their offense dried up
13. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1) [14]
14. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-1) [17]
15. TCU Horned Frogs (5-0) [NP] : Back in the Top 25!
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-1) [NP] : Returns to the Top 25 with an impressive win against A&M
17. Auburn Tigers (5-1) [5]: Stunning loss against Arkansas. Can they recover?
18. BYU Cougars (5-1) [21]
19. Pitt Panthers (5-1) [24]
20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) [20]
21. Michigan Wolverines (4-2) [19]
22. Missouri Tigers (4-1) [10]
23. Stanford Cardinal (4-2) [16]
24. Oklahoma Sooners (3-2) [NP] : Impressive warm-up for the Red River Rivalry
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-1) [25]
On the Edge:
+1 South Florida Bulls (5-0)
+2 Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2)
+3 Central Michigan Chippewas (5-1)
+4 Utah Utes (4-1)
+5 Miami Hurricanes (4-1)
+6 Idaho Vandals (5-1)
+7 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-1)
+8 West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1)
Dropped: Texas A&M Aggies [#18], Wisconsin Badgers [22], Ole Miss Rebels [23]
NFL Week 5 picks
Sorry this is so late; I've had a very busy end of the week. Fortunately, this is the magic of the Internet. I don't have a deadline, and can post my picks anytime before the games begin!
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are a balanced team this season, with an offense to match their defense. That makes them dangerous. RAVENS, 20-13
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills: The Browns offense is struggling, and juggling quarterbacks won't help much. Derek Anderson has steered this team well in the past, but they've stripped his best supporting cast. I don't think Anderson knows this cast of receivers as well. Buffalo should eat them up. BILLS, 19-13
Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs: The 'Boys pass rush will take the Chiefs offense out of the game, and the defense will tire for being on the field so much. COWBOYS, 28-13
Minnesota Vikings at St Louis Rams: The Vikes face a team with a weak defense. They should run all over the field. VIKES, 37-17
Oakland Raiders at New York Giants: The Giants defense has sharpened, which won't be good news for the Raiders. This team has struggled mightily this season, and the Giants will give them fits. GIANTS, 24-10
Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions: The Lions showed offense last week, but I'm not convinced. That was one game, and it was against a divisional opponent. If they can show up against Pittsburgh, I'll be convinced then. Since I'm not... STEELERS, 23-16
Tampa Bay Bucs at Philadelphia Eagles: The Bucs seem confused, while the Eagles have been soaring with Kolb under center. I've heard McNabb may be back for this game, but they won't need him against the Bucs if he wants to take an extra week to rest. EAGLES, 24-13
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have suffered from turnovers, and Washington is very opportunistic. I think this will be another frustrating game for Carolina fans. REDSKINS, 20-10
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree has finally reported for the 49ers, but he's inactive today. He has much to learn about the offense, so I don't think he'd help much against the Falcons. The 49er defense will be the more important squad; can they stop Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense? If they can, the 49ers will win, but I'm not so sure. FALCONS, 21-17
Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals: If the Cardinals play to their potential, they'll win this game. However, the Cards always have a couple of games each year when they make mistakes and lose a game they should win. The Texans' defense might heckle them enough to make this game one of those. I'll pick the Cards, but watch what Houston does. CARDS, 31-23
Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle Seahawks: What has happened to Seattle? A usually reliable offense has collapsed. Throw the Jags D into the mix, and it doesn't look good for this game. JAGS, 20-13
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos: I think this is the week that the Broncos' win streak ends. Now that the Pats offense has gotten on track, I don't think the Broncos defense can stop them. If the Pats stumble like they did early in the season, though, Denver might continue their streak, since Orton and company have shown they can move the ball. PATS, 27-23
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: Tennessee would love to snag their first win of the season in front of a national audience against the Colts. While I think the Titans will play them hard, I'm afraid they'll fall just a little short. COLTS, 20-16
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are starting Chad Henne, who has to face the tough Jets defense. That doesn't sound too promising. JETS, 27-17
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens are a balanced team this season, with an offense to match their defense. That makes them dangerous. RAVENS, 20-13
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills: The Browns offense is struggling, and juggling quarterbacks won't help much. Derek Anderson has steered this team well in the past, but they've stripped his best supporting cast. I don't think Anderson knows this cast of receivers as well. Buffalo should eat them up. BILLS, 19-13
Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs: The 'Boys pass rush will take the Chiefs offense out of the game, and the defense will tire for being on the field so much. COWBOYS, 28-13
Minnesota Vikings at St Louis Rams: The Vikes face a team with a weak defense. They should run all over the field. VIKES, 37-17
Oakland Raiders at New York Giants: The Giants defense has sharpened, which won't be good news for the Raiders. This team has struggled mightily this season, and the Giants will give them fits. GIANTS, 24-10
Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions: The Lions showed offense last week, but I'm not convinced. That was one game, and it was against a divisional opponent. If they can show up against Pittsburgh, I'll be convinced then. Since I'm not... STEELERS, 23-16
Tampa Bay Bucs at Philadelphia Eagles: The Bucs seem confused, while the Eagles have been soaring with Kolb under center. I've heard McNabb may be back for this game, but they won't need him against the Bucs if he wants to take an extra week to rest. EAGLES, 24-13
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have suffered from turnovers, and Washington is very opportunistic. I think this will be another frustrating game for Carolina fans. REDSKINS, 20-10
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree has finally reported for the 49ers, but he's inactive today. He has much to learn about the offense, so I don't think he'd help much against the Falcons. The 49er defense will be the more important squad; can they stop Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense? If they can, the 49ers will win, but I'm not so sure. FALCONS, 21-17
Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals: If the Cardinals play to their potential, they'll win this game. However, the Cards always have a couple of games each year when they make mistakes and lose a game they should win. The Texans' defense might heckle them enough to make this game one of those. I'll pick the Cards, but watch what Houston does. CARDS, 31-23
Jacksonville Jaguars at Seattle Seahawks: What has happened to Seattle? A usually reliable offense has collapsed. Throw the Jags D into the mix, and it doesn't look good for this game. JAGS, 20-13
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos: I think this is the week that the Broncos' win streak ends. Now that the Pats offense has gotten on track, I don't think the Broncos defense can stop them. If the Pats stumble like they did early in the season, though, Denver might continue their streak, since Orton and company have shown they can move the ball. PATS, 27-23
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: Tennessee would love to snag their first win of the season in front of a national audience against the Colts. While I think the Titans will play them hard, I'm afraid they'll fall just a little short. COLTS, 20-16
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are starting Chad Henne, who has to face the tough Jets defense. That doesn't sound too promising. JETS, 27-17
Thursday, October 8, 2009
NFL Power Rankings - Week 4
We continue to lose teams among the ranks of the unbeaten. Miami pulled out of the winless category, but the rest are still waiting for that big break.
Current Week Rankings [Last week's position]
1. New York Giants (4-0) [2]
2. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) [3] - Now these look like the Colts we know!
3. New Orleans Saints (4-0) [7] - The defense showed up
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) [6] - The defense took another step backwards this week, but the team still soars
5. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) [13] - Mike Singletary has a scary team here!
6. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) [1]
7. Chicago Bears (3-1) [16] - They may have had trouble slowing Detroit's offense, but their offense really took off!
8. Denver Broncos (4-0) [5]
9. New England Patriots (3-1) [8]
10. New York Jets (3-1) [4] - It took the Saints defense to show how to slow Marc Sanchez!
11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) [11]
12. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) [10] - The cries are starting for Romo's head, but the defense keeps them in games
13. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) [14]
14. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) [15]
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) [17]
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) [19]
17. Green Bay Packers (2-2) [9]
18. Washington Redskins (2-2) [20]
19. San Diego Chargers (2-2) [12]
20. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) [22]
21. Houston Texans (2-2) [23]
22. Miami Dolphins (1-3) [27]
23. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) [18]
24. Detroit Lions (1-3) [26] - Best offensive performance of the season!
25. Buffalo Bills (1-3) [21]
26. Tennessee Titans (0-4) [24]
27. Oakland Raiders (1-3) [25]
28. Carolina Panthers (0-3) [31] - moves up without playing after some terrible performances by other teams
29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) [28]
30. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-4) [29]
31. Cleveland Browns (0-4) [32]
32. St Louis Rams (0-4) [30] - A return to the cellar after their second shutout of the season
Current Week Rankings [Last week's position]
1. New York Giants (4-0) [2]
2. Indianapolis Colts (4-0) [3] - Now these look like the Colts we know!
3. New Orleans Saints (4-0) [7] - The defense showed up
4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0) [6] - The defense took another step backwards this week, but the team still soars
5. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) [13] - Mike Singletary has a scary team here!
6. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) [1]
7. Chicago Bears (3-1) [16] - They may have had trouble slowing Detroit's offense, but their offense really took off!
8. Denver Broncos (4-0) [5]
9. New England Patriots (3-1) [8]
10. New York Jets (3-1) [4] - It took the Saints defense to show how to slow Marc Sanchez!
11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) [11]
12. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) [10] - The cries are starting for Romo's head, but the defense keeps them in games
13. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) [14]
14. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) [15]
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) [17]
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) [19]
17. Green Bay Packers (2-2) [9]
18. Washington Redskins (2-2) [20]
19. San Diego Chargers (2-2) [12]
20. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) [22]
21. Houston Texans (2-2) [23]
22. Miami Dolphins (1-3) [27]
23. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) [18]
24. Detroit Lions (1-3) [26] - Best offensive performance of the season!
25. Buffalo Bills (1-3) [21]
26. Tennessee Titans (0-4) [24]
27. Oakland Raiders (1-3) [25]
28. Carolina Panthers (0-3) [31] - moves up without playing after some terrible performances by other teams
29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) [28]
30. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-4) [29]
31. Cleveland Browns (0-4) [32]
32. St Louis Rams (0-4) [30] - A return to the cellar after their second shutout of the season
Monday, October 5, 2009
NCAA Week 6 picks
Not as many marque match-ups this week, and seemingly fewer opportunities for upsets. Of course, the upsets are NEVER predicted!
Tuesday Oct 6
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Troy Trojans: Troy doesn't stink by as much as I thought they would this season, but they are still in rebuilding phase. Middle Tennessee has had some rough games, but they get up for conference play. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Thurs Oct 8
#15 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #10 Missouri Tigers: Both teams had extra time to prepare for this game, but I think Missouri might be a little tougher. In this conference, though, this game could go either way. MISSOURI
Fri Oct 9
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Nevada Wolfpack: Nevada was a dark horse favorite for BCS busting in the preseason, but they've mainly been a bust. Their decline should continue. LOUISIANA TECH
Top 25
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #23 Ole Miss Rebels: The Tide's defense should crush Ole Miss, but this team might get up for the game. Ole Miss beat them last year, so they have an idea what to do. Of course, you have to consider that revenge factor... ALABAMA
Colorado Buffaloes at #3 Texas Longhorns: Given the season the Buffs are having, this should be a blow-out. TEXAS
#5 Auburn Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks: Arkansas fights hard, but Auburn seems to have things in control this season. They haven't been overly impressive the last couple of weeks, though. If the Tigers think this will be an easy game, the Razorbacks might surprise them. AUBURN
Iowa State Cyclones at #6 Kansas Jayhawks: Iowa State isn't bad this year, but their defense can't slow down Kansas, and their offense can't keep pace. KANSAS
#19 Michigan Wolverines at #8 Iowa Hawkeyes: Rich Rodriquez rarely allows one of his teams to lose two in a row, but I have to go there. Iowa has proven to be a force in the conference this year, and they have the tools to pester freshman QB Todd Forcier. IOWA
#22 Wisconsin Badgers at #12 Ohio State Buckeyes: Wisconsin has won a couple of games on luck this year. I think they're luck will run out against the Buckeyes. The defense is sharp again, and the offense is moving, so Ohio State should easily prevail. OHIO STATE
#13 Oregon Ducks at UCLA Bruins: Will UCLA fight back after their first loss of the season? Yes, but Oregon will be fiestier. The Ducks have played with a chip on their shoulders since their embarrassing opening weekend loss, and they get stronger each week. OREGON
Eastern Illinois at #14 Penn State Nittany Lions: Pie of cake against an FCS opponent. PENN STATE
#16 Stanford Cardinal at Oregon State Beavers: The Beavers tend to engineer one upset game a year (twice against USC); could this week be the one? Maybe, but Jim Harbaugh seems to have this team on the right track this year. STANFORD
Boston College Eagles at #17 Virginia Tech Hokies: BC is always capable of surprises, but it seems as though Virginia Tech has better control than they started the season. VIRGINA TECH
Oklahoma State Cowboys at #18 Texas A&M Aggies: This game will truly demonstrate whether A&M has what it takes to compete in the Big XII this season. The Cowboys looked confused earlier in the season, but are catching fire. If the Aggies want to remain contenders, this is a crucial game. I think they're up to it, but watch out for the Cowboys! TEXAS A&M
#21 BYU Cougars at UNLV Running Rebels: BYU has some nice warmup games before their match against TCU. BYU
UConn Huskies at #24 Pitt Panthers: Connecticut is no pushover, and this is their conference opener. Pitt needs to avoid a letdown. They have the tools to win this game, if they don't make stupid mistakes, a flaw they've suffered the past few seasons. PITT
Kentucky Wildcats at #25 South Carolina Gamecocks: South Carolina should have the upper hand here, but these SEC rivalry battles can always get tough. SOUTH CAROLINA
Big Ten
Miami Ohio RedHawks at Northwestern Wildcats: Northwestern is posting a pretty good season, while Miami Ohio finds themselves near the cellar. The MAC has had a good season against the Big Ten; the Wildcats get to swing one the other way. NORTHWESTERN
Michigan State Spartans at Illinois Fighting Illini: Illinois needs to fire their offensive coordinator! They have a lot of talent on this team, but it's wasted. Confused signals, poor choices on downs, and lack of offensive line protection has given Illinois fits, and State's powerful front four will only make matters worse. MICHIGAN STATE
Purdue Boilermakers at Minnesota Golden Gophers: Minnesota is a good team, they've just had some trouble finishing in the fourth quarter. Purdue has suffered that problem, too, so I think Minnesota will get this one. MINNESOTA
Indiana Hoosiers at Virginia Cavaliers: Pity Virginia fans. This has been a tough year for the faithful. Playing a deceptively strong Indiana team won't help, either. INDIANA
Other games of Interest
Baylor Bears at Oklahoma Sooners: It is clearly a sign of respect that I think the Bears have a chance to win this game. They are a much-improved team this year, while the Sooners are a bit "off". Oklahoma has shown they can win with or without Sam Bradford, so his health will be less of an issue than the Sooners' own preparation. If they think they're facing the Baylor of old, they'll lose. If they take this game seriously, they should win, although it'll be a dangerously close game. OKLAHOMA
Utah Utes at Colorado State Rams: It's been a while since the Utes were unranked at this point in the season. Colorado State has been playing well, and would love to return to the Top 25 after so many years. A win over the Utes might do that, but I'm sure the Rams are quite capable of that yet. UTAH
Florida A&M at Miami Hurricanes: Another "cheap" victory against an FCS team. Since the point spread won't count in my system, the Hurricanes will remain with a NEGATIVE score on points scored v points allowed against FBS opponents. MIAMI
TCU Horned Frogs at Air Force Falcons: TCU's first real challenge, this starts a tough three-week stretch (they next have Colorado State and then BYU). I think the Frogs will win this one, but I don't think they'll emerge unscathed from the three-game stretch. TCU
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Florida State Seminoles: Florida State is the media's darling, but they haven't been living up to expectations. Georgia Tech's defense is still capable of terrorizing foes, and their offense gets the job done. That's more than I can say for Florida State. GEORGIA TECH
Idaho Vandals at San Jose State Spartans: After years of being the dregs of the WAC, the Vandals are showing power. On the other hand, San Jose is slipping badly. IDAHO
Georgia Bulldogs at Tennessee Volunteers: Georgia has not lived up to the preseason hype, but Lane Kiffin can't seem to finish games for the Vols, either. Georgia will succeed merely by continuing to play in the fourth quarter. GEORGIA
Game of the Week: #2 Florida Gators at #7 LSU Tigers: With the extra week, Tim Tebow should return from his concussion. His practice time will be limited, though, and the speed will be reduced. The Tigers are also very capable of giving opponents headaches. Now that Tebow has shown himself to be human and fragile, expect lots of pressure and hits from the Tigers. That might just throw off the Gators' game plan enough for an upset. LSU in a shocker!
Tuesday Oct 6
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Troy Trojans: Troy doesn't stink by as much as I thought they would this season, but they are still in rebuilding phase. Middle Tennessee has had some rough games, but they get up for conference play. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Thurs Oct 8
#15 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #10 Missouri Tigers: Both teams had extra time to prepare for this game, but I think Missouri might be a little tougher. In this conference, though, this game could go either way. MISSOURI
Fri Oct 9
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Nevada Wolfpack: Nevada was a dark horse favorite for BCS busting in the preseason, but they've mainly been a bust. Their decline should continue. LOUISIANA TECH
Top 25
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #23 Ole Miss Rebels: The Tide's defense should crush Ole Miss, but this team might get up for the game. Ole Miss beat them last year, so they have an idea what to do. Of course, you have to consider that revenge factor... ALABAMA
Colorado Buffaloes at #3 Texas Longhorns: Given the season the Buffs are having, this should be a blow-out. TEXAS
#5 Auburn Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks: Arkansas fights hard, but Auburn seems to have things in control this season. They haven't been overly impressive the last couple of weeks, though. If the Tigers think this will be an easy game, the Razorbacks might surprise them. AUBURN
Iowa State Cyclones at #6 Kansas Jayhawks: Iowa State isn't bad this year, but their defense can't slow down Kansas, and their offense can't keep pace. KANSAS
#19 Michigan Wolverines at #8 Iowa Hawkeyes: Rich Rodriquez rarely allows one of his teams to lose two in a row, but I have to go there. Iowa has proven to be a force in the conference this year, and they have the tools to pester freshman QB Todd Forcier. IOWA
#22 Wisconsin Badgers at #12 Ohio State Buckeyes: Wisconsin has won a couple of games on luck this year. I think they're luck will run out against the Buckeyes. The defense is sharp again, and the offense is moving, so Ohio State should easily prevail. OHIO STATE
#13 Oregon Ducks at UCLA Bruins: Will UCLA fight back after their first loss of the season? Yes, but Oregon will be fiestier. The Ducks have played with a chip on their shoulders since their embarrassing opening weekend loss, and they get stronger each week. OREGON
Eastern Illinois at #14 Penn State Nittany Lions: Pie of cake against an FCS opponent. PENN STATE
#16 Stanford Cardinal at Oregon State Beavers: The Beavers tend to engineer one upset game a year (twice against USC); could this week be the one? Maybe, but Jim Harbaugh seems to have this team on the right track this year. STANFORD
Boston College Eagles at #17 Virginia Tech Hokies: BC is always capable of surprises, but it seems as though Virginia Tech has better control than they started the season. VIRGINA TECH
Oklahoma State Cowboys at #18 Texas A&M Aggies: This game will truly demonstrate whether A&M has what it takes to compete in the Big XII this season. The Cowboys looked confused earlier in the season, but are catching fire. If the Aggies want to remain contenders, this is a crucial game. I think they're up to it, but watch out for the Cowboys! TEXAS A&M
#21 BYU Cougars at UNLV Running Rebels: BYU has some nice warmup games before their match against TCU. BYU
UConn Huskies at #24 Pitt Panthers: Connecticut is no pushover, and this is their conference opener. Pitt needs to avoid a letdown. They have the tools to win this game, if they don't make stupid mistakes, a flaw they've suffered the past few seasons. PITT
Kentucky Wildcats at #25 South Carolina Gamecocks: South Carolina should have the upper hand here, but these SEC rivalry battles can always get tough. SOUTH CAROLINA
Big Ten
Miami Ohio RedHawks at Northwestern Wildcats: Northwestern is posting a pretty good season, while Miami Ohio finds themselves near the cellar. The MAC has had a good season against the Big Ten; the Wildcats get to swing one the other way. NORTHWESTERN
Michigan State Spartans at Illinois Fighting Illini: Illinois needs to fire their offensive coordinator! They have a lot of talent on this team, but it's wasted. Confused signals, poor choices on downs, and lack of offensive line protection has given Illinois fits, and State's powerful front four will only make matters worse. MICHIGAN STATE
Purdue Boilermakers at Minnesota Golden Gophers: Minnesota is a good team, they've just had some trouble finishing in the fourth quarter. Purdue has suffered that problem, too, so I think Minnesota will get this one. MINNESOTA
Indiana Hoosiers at Virginia Cavaliers: Pity Virginia fans. This has been a tough year for the faithful. Playing a deceptively strong Indiana team won't help, either. INDIANA
Other games of Interest
Baylor Bears at Oklahoma Sooners: It is clearly a sign of respect that I think the Bears have a chance to win this game. They are a much-improved team this year, while the Sooners are a bit "off". Oklahoma has shown they can win with or without Sam Bradford, so his health will be less of an issue than the Sooners' own preparation. If they think they're facing the Baylor of old, they'll lose. If they take this game seriously, they should win, although it'll be a dangerously close game. OKLAHOMA
Utah Utes at Colorado State Rams: It's been a while since the Utes were unranked at this point in the season. Colorado State has been playing well, and would love to return to the Top 25 after so many years. A win over the Utes might do that, but I'm sure the Rams are quite capable of that yet. UTAH
Florida A&M at Miami Hurricanes: Another "cheap" victory against an FCS team. Since the point spread won't count in my system, the Hurricanes will remain with a NEGATIVE score on points scored v points allowed against FBS opponents. MIAMI
TCU Horned Frogs at Air Force Falcons: TCU's first real challenge, this starts a tough three-week stretch (they next have Colorado State and then BYU). I think the Frogs will win this one, but I don't think they'll emerge unscathed from the three-game stretch. TCU
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Florida State Seminoles: Florida State is the media's darling, but they haven't been living up to expectations. Georgia Tech's defense is still capable of terrorizing foes, and their offense gets the job done. That's more than I can say for Florida State. GEORGIA TECH
Idaho Vandals at San Jose State Spartans: After years of being the dregs of the WAC, the Vandals are showing power. On the other hand, San Jose is slipping badly. IDAHO
Georgia Bulldogs at Tennessee Volunteers: Georgia has not lived up to the preseason hype, but Lane Kiffin can't seem to finish games for the Vols, either. Georgia will succeed merely by continuing to play in the fourth quarter. GEORGIA
Game of the Week: #2 Florida Gators at #7 LSU Tigers: With the extra week, Tim Tebow should return from his concussion. His practice time will be limited, though, and the speed will be reduced. The Tigers are also very capable of giving opponents headaches. Now that Tebow has shown himself to be human and fragile, expect lots of pressure and hits from the Tigers. That might just throw off the Gators' game plan enough for an upset. LSU in a shocker!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
NCAA Top 25 - Week 5
Upset of the Week: The last unbeaten Pac-10 team fell, but it wasn't an upset for me - I picked Stanford. Iowa nearly qualified for this title, but they squeezed out a victory. Many analysts across the nation were surprised by Houston's loss, but I hadn't been impressed by them yet. Texas A&M hadn't had a major test yet, so I can accept their loss. No, this week the dubious honor lives in Ann Arbor, as the Michigan Wolverines were beaten by cross-state rival Michigan State. The Wolverines fought hard, coming back from a 14-point deficit to take the game into overtime, but an interception on their overtime possession basically sealed their doom.
This week's rankings [Last week's position]:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) [1]: A truly dominating performance this week!
2. Florida Gators (4-0) [2]
3. Texas Longhorns (4-0) [3]
4. Boise State Broncos (5-0) [4]
5. Auburn Tigers (5-0) [5] : They got a scare this week. Can they continue to win in the tough SEC?
6. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0) [7]
7. LSU Tigers (5-0) [9] : Not typical LSU performance. They've looked fragile the past two weeks. Are they ready for a collapse?
8. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0) [10] : Not an impressive win, but nobody above them (except Alabama) were outstanding, either.
9. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-0) [11] : Definitely the Beasts of the East
10. Missouri Tigers (4-0) [12]
11. USC Trojans (4-1) [14]: No fear from Cal, as the Golden Bears were pounded for the second week
12. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1) [13] : Good win, but their defense got a little careless in the fourth quarter.
13. Oregon Ducks (4-1) [17] : Apparently they want to wipe out their opening week loss. They're succeeding.
14. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1) [15]
15. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) [16]
16. Stanford Cardinal (4-1) [18] : Could they be the best team in the Pac-10?
17. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1) [21]: Defintely the best team in the ACC
18. Texas A&M Aggies (3-1) [6]
19. Michigan Wolverines (4-1) [8]
20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) [20]: Another near loss
21. BYU Cougars (4-1) [22]
22. Wisconsin Badgers (5-0) [NP]: Not a pretty win, but being unbeaten is a rarity already this season
23. Ole Miss Rebels (3-1) [24]
24. Pittsburgh Panthers (4-1) [NP]
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-1) [25]
On the Edge:
+1 TCU Horned Frogs (4-0)
+2 South Florida Bulls (5-0)
+3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1)
+4 Utah Utes (3-1)
+5 Miami Hurricanes (3-1)
+6 Idaho Vandals (4-1)
+7 Boston College Eagles (4-1)
Dropped: Oklahoma Sooners [#19], Houston Cougars [#23]
This week's rankings [Last week's position]:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) [1]: A truly dominating performance this week!
2. Florida Gators (4-0) [2]
3. Texas Longhorns (4-0) [3]
4. Boise State Broncos (5-0) [4]
5. Auburn Tigers (5-0) [5] : They got a scare this week. Can they continue to win in the tough SEC?
6. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0) [7]
7. LSU Tigers (5-0) [9] : Not typical LSU performance. They've looked fragile the past two weeks. Are they ready for a collapse?
8. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0) [10] : Not an impressive win, but nobody above them (except Alabama) were outstanding, either.
9. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-0) [11] : Definitely the Beasts of the East
10. Missouri Tigers (4-0) [12]
11. USC Trojans (4-1) [14]: No fear from Cal, as the Golden Bears were pounded for the second week
12. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1) [13] : Good win, but their defense got a little careless in the fourth quarter.
13. Oregon Ducks (4-1) [17] : Apparently they want to wipe out their opening week loss. They're succeeding.
14. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1) [15]
15. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) [16]
16. Stanford Cardinal (4-1) [18] : Could they be the best team in the Pac-10?
17. Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1) [21]: Defintely the best team in the ACC
18. Texas A&M Aggies (3-1) [6]
19. Michigan Wolverines (4-1) [8]
20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) [20]: Another near loss
21. BYU Cougars (4-1) [22]
22. Wisconsin Badgers (5-0) [NP]: Not a pretty win, but being unbeaten is a rarity already this season
23. Ole Miss Rebels (3-1) [24]
24. Pittsburgh Panthers (4-1) [NP]
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-1) [25]
On the Edge:
+1 TCU Horned Frogs (4-0)
+2 South Florida Bulls (5-0)
+3 Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1)
+4 Utah Utes (3-1)
+5 Miami Hurricanes (3-1)
+6 Idaho Vandals (4-1)
+7 Boston College Eagles (4-1)
Dropped: Oklahoma Sooners [#19], Houston Cougars [#23]
Friday, October 2, 2009
NFL Week 4 picks
This week looks a little more normal, with fewer road picks than home.
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots: This could be an interesting game. The question mark is whether the Pats offense, newly restored last week, can produce against the Ravens defense. If not, they stand no chance, since the Ravens have an offense now. I'm not sure the Patriots are fully restored at offense yet. RAVENS, 24-24
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns: The Bengals just beat the Super Bowl champs, for crying out loud! Even if they get overconfident, they can't fail to beat the weakest team in the league. BENGALS, 23-9
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: Detroit's losing streak is over, so it's time to start a new one. BEARS, 24-10
New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs: The Giants' D is back, so the Chiefs don't stand much of a chance. GIANTS, 28-6
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans: This could be an interesting game, but I like what the Texans are doing. Oakland couldn't get up against hated rival Denver - that should tell you something. TEXANS, 24-20
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts: Colts are finally getting adjusted to their new receiving corps. Seattle still seems confused. COLTS, 27-17
Tampa Bay Bucs at Washington Redskins: The Redskins need an impressive win to help their coach's job. They'll win this one, but the Bucs defense will keep it from being impressive. REDSKINS, 17-13
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars: Two former stellar teams in disarray, someone has to come out of this one with a win. I'd really love to see Tennessee do it, but I think the Jags defense will delay that for a week. JAGS, 13-10
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins: Upset time! I like the Dolphins to finally win a game this season against the suddenly floundering Bills. DOLPHINS, 20-10
Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos: I don't care that Denver is unbeaten, they haven't looked that good. While their defense may rush Romo, I think the 'Boys will pull off the upset with some fourth quarter heroics. COWBOYS, 27-20
New York Jets at New Orleans Saints: Would I dare pick three upsets in a row? With both teams undefeated, is there an upset in this game? Since most people are picking the Jets and their Ryan-vitalized defense, I'd say a pick for the Saints IS an upset, and I'm going for Number Three. Call me crazy, but I think the Saints' offense is diverse enough to confuse the Jets, who are still new with this defense thing. The Saints are one team that could frustrate the old Ravens defense, and Rexy-boy has built the Jets from that model. Once the Saints start showing up the defense, they'll expose their true colors, and get plenty of unsportsmanlike penalties against themselves, further assisting the Saints offense. SAINTS, 31-24
St Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers: No, I won't go for four upsets in a row. The Rams just aren't that good this year, and the 49ers are proving that they don't need whiney Michael Crabtree after all. 49ERS, 21-13
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings: Both the Packers and Brett Favre have something to prove in this game, but the pivotal players will be Adrian Peterson and the Vikings defense. VIKES, 30-23
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots: This could be an interesting game. The question mark is whether the Pats offense, newly restored last week, can produce against the Ravens defense. If not, they stand no chance, since the Ravens have an offense now. I'm not sure the Patriots are fully restored at offense yet. RAVENS, 24-24
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns: The Bengals just beat the Super Bowl champs, for crying out loud! Even if they get overconfident, they can't fail to beat the weakest team in the league. BENGALS, 23-9
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: Detroit's losing streak is over, so it's time to start a new one. BEARS, 24-10
New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs: The Giants' D is back, so the Chiefs don't stand much of a chance. GIANTS, 28-6
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans: This could be an interesting game, but I like what the Texans are doing. Oakland couldn't get up against hated rival Denver - that should tell you something. TEXANS, 24-20
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts: Colts are finally getting adjusted to their new receiving corps. Seattle still seems confused. COLTS, 27-17
Tampa Bay Bucs at Washington Redskins: The Redskins need an impressive win to help their coach's job. They'll win this one, but the Bucs defense will keep it from being impressive. REDSKINS, 17-13
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars: Two former stellar teams in disarray, someone has to come out of this one with a win. I'd really love to see Tennessee do it, but I think the Jags defense will delay that for a week. JAGS, 13-10
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins: Upset time! I like the Dolphins to finally win a game this season against the suddenly floundering Bills. DOLPHINS, 20-10
Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos: I don't care that Denver is unbeaten, they haven't looked that good. While their defense may rush Romo, I think the 'Boys will pull off the upset with some fourth quarter heroics. COWBOYS, 27-20
New York Jets at New Orleans Saints: Would I dare pick three upsets in a row? With both teams undefeated, is there an upset in this game? Since most people are picking the Jets and their Ryan-vitalized defense, I'd say a pick for the Saints IS an upset, and I'm going for Number Three. Call me crazy, but I think the Saints' offense is diverse enough to confuse the Jets, who are still new with this defense thing. The Saints are one team that could frustrate the old Ravens defense, and Rexy-boy has built the Jets from that model. Once the Saints start showing up the defense, they'll expose their true colors, and get plenty of unsportsmanlike penalties against themselves, further assisting the Saints offense. SAINTS, 31-24
St Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers: No, I won't go for four upsets in a row. The Rams just aren't that good this year, and the 49ers are proving that they don't need whiney Michael Crabtree after all. 49ERS, 21-13
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings: Both the Packers and Brett Favre have something to prove in this game, but the pivotal players will be Adrian Peterson and the Vikings defense. VIKES, 30-23
NFL Power Rankings - Week 3
With a couple of winless teams winning and unbeatens losing, the rankings get shaken up a bit. Expect some interesting results after this week's match-ups, as well.
Rankings [last week's position]
1. Baltimore Ravens (3-0) [2] - Consistent Top 5 team, they have an offense to go with their dominating defense
2. New York Giants (3-0) [9] - Their defense is showing up
3. Indianapolis Colts (3-0) [7] - It may not always be pretty, but this team knows what to do to win games
4. New York Jets (3-0) [4] - Top defense right now, and Marc Sanchez still looks good
5. Denver Broncos (3-0) [8] - Where's they still this defense from? The D is helping the offense, which hasn't been smooth
6. Minnesota Vikings (3-0) [3] - Still strong, but defense took a step back this week
7. New Orleans Saints (3-0) [5] - Still one-sided, as the defense needs work
8. New England Patriots (2-1) [22] - Welcome back to the offense!
9. Green Bay Packers (2-1) [16] - Good game leading into their encounter with Brett Favre this week
10. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) [10] - Analysts are questioning Romo, but he's getting the job done
11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) [17] - Couldn't rely on Michael Vick, but look at Kevin Kolb go!
12. San Diego Chargers (2-1) [15]
13. San Francisco 49ers (2-1) [6] - Suffered their first loss, but still a good team
14. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) [18]
15. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) [1] - Patriots defense really shut them down
16. Chicago Bears (2-1) [14] - Still playing close games
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) [21] - Not looking good for the defending Super Bowl champs
18. Seattle Seahawks (1-2) [12] - Definitely looking like Week 1 was a fluke
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) [26] - They secured their first win, and may be turning the tide
20. Washington Redskins (1-2) [20]
21. Buffalo Bills (1-2) [11] - How could they score only seven points against that weak New Orleans defense?
22. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) [13] - Poor offensive showing against the Colts
23. Houston Texans (1-2) [24]
24. Tennessee Titans (0-3) [23] - Best winless team in a long time
25. Oakland Raiders (1-2) [19]
26. Detroit Lions (1-2) [29] - The losing streak is over!
27. Miami Dolphins (0-3) [27]
28. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3) [28]
29. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-3) [25]
30. St Louis Rams (0-3) [32] - They're out of the cellar
31. Carolina Panthers (0-3) [30] - Jake Delhomme is looking terrible!
32. Cleveland Browns (0-3) [31]
Rankings [last week's position]
1. Baltimore Ravens (3-0) [2] - Consistent Top 5 team, they have an offense to go with their dominating defense
2. New York Giants (3-0) [9] - Their defense is showing up
3. Indianapolis Colts (3-0) [7] - It may not always be pretty, but this team knows what to do to win games
4. New York Jets (3-0) [4] - Top defense right now, and Marc Sanchez still looks good
5. Denver Broncos (3-0) [8] - Where's they still this defense from? The D is helping the offense, which hasn't been smooth
6. Minnesota Vikings (3-0) [3] - Still strong, but defense took a step back this week
7. New Orleans Saints (3-0) [5] - Still one-sided, as the defense needs work
8. New England Patriots (2-1) [22] - Welcome back to the offense!
9. Green Bay Packers (2-1) [16] - Good game leading into their encounter with Brett Favre this week
10. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) [10] - Analysts are questioning Romo, but he's getting the job done
11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) [17] - Couldn't rely on Michael Vick, but look at Kevin Kolb go!
12. San Diego Chargers (2-1) [15]
13. San Francisco 49ers (2-1) [6] - Suffered their first loss, but still a good team
14. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) [18]
15. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) [1] - Patriots defense really shut them down
16. Chicago Bears (2-1) [14] - Still playing close games
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) [21] - Not looking good for the defending Super Bowl champs
18. Seattle Seahawks (1-2) [12] - Definitely looking like Week 1 was a fluke
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) [26] - They secured their first win, and may be turning the tide
20. Washington Redskins (1-2) [20]
21. Buffalo Bills (1-2) [11] - How could they score only seven points against that weak New Orleans defense?
22. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) [13] - Poor offensive showing against the Colts
23. Houston Texans (1-2) [24]
24. Tennessee Titans (0-3) [23] - Best winless team in a long time
25. Oakland Raiders (1-2) [19]
26. Detroit Lions (1-2) [29] - The losing streak is over!
27. Miami Dolphins (0-3) [27]
28. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3) [28]
29. Tampa Bay Bucs (0-3) [25]
30. St Louis Rams (0-3) [32] - They're out of the cellar
31. Carolina Panthers (0-3) [30] - Jake Delhomme is looking terrible!
32. Cleveland Browns (0-3) [31]
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