This week's upsets were all ones where I thought an upset was possible; what I didn't expect was the large margin of victories. Nebraska knocked off formerly-unbeaten Missouri by 14 points, Oregon State bumped off Cal by 28 points, and Iowa skunked Michigan State by 31 points! It was a tough week for those teams. In fact, most of the unbeatens were challenged; only Utah and TCU blew away their opponents. We are down to only five unbeaten teams, and twelve teams with only one loss. We have a new Numnber One, thanks to Oregon's defeat of a strongly-rated USC Trojans team.
This week's rank [Last week's position]
1. Oregon Ducks (8-0) [2]
2. Boise State Broncos (7-0) [3]
3. Utah Utes (8-0) [1]
4. TCU Horned Frogs (9-0) [4]
5. Auburn Tigers (9-0) [6]
6. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-1) [7]
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) [8]
8. Stanford Cardinal (7-1) [10]
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1) [11]
10. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) [13]
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-1) [12]
12. Nevada Wolf Pack (7-1) [15]
13. Missouri Tigers (7-1) [5]
14. Wisconsin Badgers (7-1) [14]
15. Michigan State Spartans (8-1) [9]
16. Arizona Wildcats (7-1) [18]
17. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2) [16]
18. LSU Tigers (7-1) [17]
19. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2) [20]
20. Florida State Seminoles (6-2) [19]
21. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2) [22]
22. Baylor Bears (7-2) [24]
23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-2) [NR]
24. Northern Illinois Huskies (7-2) [NR]
25. Temple Owls (7-2) [NR]
On the Edge: Hawaii Warriors (7-2), Arkansas Razorbacks (6-2), NC State Wolfpack (6-2), Central Florida Golden Knights (6-2), Fresno State Bulldogs (5-2), Syracuse Orangemen (6-2), USC Trojans (5-3), Florida Gators (5-3), West Virginia Mountaineers (5-3)
Dropped: USC Trojans [#21], Michigan Wolverines [#23], West Virginia Mountaineers [#25]
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
NCAA Week 9 picks
Whoa, last week was the halfway point of college football's regular season and I missed noticing that! This season is moving along fast!
We have ranked teams in all three games before Saturday, although one is barely holding on. Any upsets among those? Possibly...
Tues Oct 26
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at #3 Boise State Broncos: Boise State should have no trouble with this game, continuing their march to an unbeaten season and a chance at the National Championship. BOISE STATE
Thurs Oct 28
#19 Florida State Seminoles at NC State Wolf Pack: The Wolf Pack are hungry, and they have the power to give the Seminoles fits. The Florida State defense is strong enough to hold back NC State for a while, but we will emerge victorious in this game? I'll give Florida State's defense the edge, but watch for the upset here. FLORIDA STATE
Fri Oct 29
#25 West Virginia Mountaineers at UConn Huskies: The Mountaineers are hoping to hold onto the Top 25, but even if they win, they have to hope some of the teams behind don't do well. UConn is down this year, but could they give West Virginia just enough of a hard time to jeaopardize their ranking? Maybe. WEST VIRGINIA
Top 25
#1 Utah Utes at Air Force Falcons: Don't count out the Falcons! Yes, they've lost a couple of games, but they are fiesty. Utah has blown away their opponents this season. We're not really sure how they'll react in a close game. Air Force might keep this one close enough to make it interesting. UTAH
#2 Oregon Ducks at #21 USC Trojans: Oregon is looking to win out and guarantee a spot in the National Championship Game. They have three major hurdles to overcome in order to get there, and this is the first one. Will another top team suffer an upset? USC doesn't get a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions, so this might be their best shot to prove themselves this year. Oregon has a powerful offense, and USC's isn't strong enough to keep up, so the question is whether their defense can slow them down. I don't think the Trojan defense, as it has been shown so far this season, can do that, but could they have a few tricks up their sleeve? It's possible. OREGON
#4 TCU Horned Frogs at UNLV Running Rebels: I don't expect the Rebels to be a major obstacle for the Frogs here. TCU
#5 Missouri Tigers at #12 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Missouri faces their second ranked team in a row. If they don't get overconfident after last week's upset of Oklahoma, and don't suffer a letdown, they should prevail here, too, setting themselves up for a potential National Championship bid, as their opponents get easier after this. The Cornhuskers are scrappers, though, and won't give up without a fight. This game could go to either team. MISSOURI
#6 Auburn Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels: Auburn should maintain their lead in the SEC West, setting up for that bout against Alabama later this season. AUBURN
#7 Ohio State Buckeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers: Minnesota has their hands full with the Buckeyes coming to town. The Gophers are looking for their first conference win. They'll still be looking for it after this game. OHIO STATE
#9 Michigan State Spartans at #20 Iowa Hawkeyes: Iowa mismanaged the clock in their game against Wisconsin, and they know it. They'll want to redeem themselves this week, so they'll be even more determined. Watch for the upset! It's hard for a Big Ten team to run the table, and this will be Michigan State's last real challenge. An upset is likely here, but I'll pick Michigan State anyway - Iowa would definitely deserve the upset label if they win. MICHIGAN STATE
#10 Stanford Cardinal at Washington Huskies: Jake Locker is starting to look like the QB everyone hyped at the start of the season, but Stanford's stifling defense will make it hard for him. STANFORD
#11 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas State Wildcats: K State has an impressive record, but what is more impressive is that they have allowed more points against FBS teams than they've scored. Hosting the hot offense of Oklahoma State? That negative margin will become even larger. OKLAHOMA STATE
Colorado Buffaloes at #13 Oklahoma Sooners: Oklahoma will get back on the winning track, as Colorado is suffering intensely this season. OKLAHOMA
Utah State Aggies at #15 Nevada Wolfpack: Nevada didn't need an extra week of practice to be able to beat the struggling Aggies. NEVADA
#18 Arizona Wildcats at UCLA Bruins: UCLA is capable of an upset, but Arizona is playing well, so I have to give the nod to them. ARIZONA
Tennessee Volunteers at #22 South Carolina Gamecocks: Tennessee woke up last week. Can they continue that effort? South Carolina's defense has a habit of confusing opposing offenses, and I think they'll do that again. SOUTH CAROLINA
#23 Michigan Wolverines at Penn State Nittany Lions: The Wolverines come off a bye week, so you know Rich Rodriquez tweaked his playbook to confuse Penn State. I think it'll prove successful. MICHIGAN
#24 Baylor Bears at Texas Longhorns: Texas is having a poor year, while Baylor is having a season for the ages. Baylor has been demolished by Texas in recent history. How much do you think they want this win? More than Texas does, I guarantee you, and Texas wants to remain on the winning side. Texas will keep it close, and could cause the upset, but I like Baylor's chances to break the draught against Texas. BAYLOR
Big Ten
Purdue Boilermakers at Illinois Fighting Illini: Purdue has a better record, but they've played easier teams than Illinois. Illinois' defense dominated the game against Indiana. The offense sputtered, but that might be good. The team can see where they faltered and fix that, so that they'll be sharper against Purdue. ILLINOIS
Northwestern Wildcats at Indiana Hoosiers: Indiana hasn't won a conference game yet. They still won't. NORTHWESTERN
Game of the Week: Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas A&M Aggies: These two team are fairly evenly matched. Tech's offense isn't producing the awesome numbers that have been typical for them in recent years, but their defense has improved. A&M's defense is sharp, but the offense has been inconsistent. For this game, though, I think the Aggies WILL get it going this week. TEXAS A&M
Other Games of Interest:
Miami Hurricanes at Virginia Cavaliers: The Cavs have been sporadic this year, more often bad than good. Miami will blow through and blow them away. MIAMI
Northern Illinois Huskies at Western Michigan Broncos: Northen Illinois has quietly taken charge of the MAC. They will continue to dominate in this game. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators: Georgia has rebounded from a terrible start, but Florida has power. With an extra week to rest up and prepare, I don't think Georgia will win in the Swamp. FLORIDA
Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Mississippi State is having a colossal season. Kentucky isn't, but they are always dangerous. Can the Bulldogs continue their phenomenal run? MISS STATE
Idaho Vandals at Hawaii Warriors: Hawaii is tough at home, and they're even tougher this season. HAWAII
We have ranked teams in all three games before Saturday, although one is barely holding on. Any upsets among those? Possibly...
Tues Oct 26
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at #3 Boise State Broncos: Boise State should have no trouble with this game, continuing their march to an unbeaten season and a chance at the National Championship. BOISE STATE
Thurs Oct 28
#19 Florida State Seminoles at NC State Wolf Pack: The Wolf Pack are hungry, and they have the power to give the Seminoles fits. The Florida State defense is strong enough to hold back NC State for a while, but we will emerge victorious in this game? I'll give Florida State's defense the edge, but watch for the upset here. FLORIDA STATE
Fri Oct 29
#25 West Virginia Mountaineers at UConn Huskies: The Mountaineers are hoping to hold onto the Top 25, but even if they win, they have to hope some of the teams behind don't do well. UConn is down this year, but could they give West Virginia just enough of a hard time to jeaopardize their ranking? Maybe. WEST VIRGINIA
Top 25
#1 Utah Utes at Air Force Falcons: Don't count out the Falcons! Yes, they've lost a couple of games, but they are fiesty. Utah has blown away their opponents this season. We're not really sure how they'll react in a close game. Air Force might keep this one close enough to make it interesting. UTAH
#2 Oregon Ducks at #21 USC Trojans: Oregon is looking to win out and guarantee a spot in the National Championship Game. They have three major hurdles to overcome in order to get there, and this is the first one. Will another top team suffer an upset? USC doesn't get a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions, so this might be their best shot to prove themselves this year. Oregon has a powerful offense, and USC's isn't strong enough to keep up, so the question is whether their defense can slow them down. I don't think the Trojan defense, as it has been shown so far this season, can do that, but could they have a few tricks up their sleeve? It's possible. OREGON
#4 TCU Horned Frogs at UNLV Running Rebels: I don't expect the Rebels to be a major obstacle for the Frogs here. TCU
#5 Missouri Tigers at #12 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Missouri faces their second ranked team in a row. If they don't get overconfident after last week's upset of Oklahoma, and don't suffer a letdown, they should prevail here, too, setting themselves up for a potential National Championship bid, as their opponents get easier after this. The Cornhuskers are scrappers, though, and won't give up without a fight. This game could go to either team. MISSOURI
#6 Auburn Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels: Auburn should maintain their lead in the SEC West, setting up for that bout against Alabama later this season. AUBURN
#7 Ohio State Buckeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers: Minnesota has their hands full with the Buckeyes coming to town. The Gophers are looking for their first conference win. They'll still be looking for it after this game. OHIO STATE
#9 Michigan State Spartans at #20 Iowa Hawkeyes: Iowa mismanaged the clock in their game against Wisconsin, and they know it. They'll want to redeem themselves this week, so they'll be even more determined. Watch for the upset! It's hard for a Big Ten team to run the table, and this will be Michigan State's last real challenge. An upset is likely here, but I'll pick Michigan State anyway - Iowa would definitely deserve the upset label if they win. MICHIGAN STATE
#10 Stanford Cardinal at Washington Huskies: Jake Locker is starting to look like the QB everyone hyped at the start of the season, but Stanford's stifling defense will make it hard for him. STANFORD
#11 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas State Wildcats: K State has an impressive record, but what is more impressive is that they have allowed more points against FBS teams than they've scored. Hosting the hot offense of Oklahoma State? That negative margin will become even larger. OKLAHOMA STATE
Colorado Buffaloes at #13 Oklahoma Sooners: Oklahoma will get back on the winning track, as Colorado is suffering intensely this season. OKLAHOMA
Utah State Aggies at #15 Nevada Wolfpack: Nevada didn't need an extra week of practice to be able to beat the struggling Aggies. NEVADA
#18 Arizona Wildcats at UCLA Bruins: UCLA is capable of an upset, but Arizona is playing well, so I have to give the nod to them. ARIZONA
Tennessee Volunteers at #22 South Carolina Gamecocks: Tennessee woke up last week. Can they continue that effort? South Carolina's defense has a habit of confusing opposing offenses, and I think they'll do that again. SOUTH CAROLINA
#23 Michigan Wolverines at Penn State Nittany Lions: The Wolverines come off a bye week, so you know Rich Rodriquez tweaked his playbook to confuse Penn State. I think it'll prove successful. MICHIGAN
#24 Baylor Bears at Texas Longhorns: Texas is having a poor year, while Baylor is having a season for the ages. Baylor has been demolished by Texas in recent history. How much do you think they want this win? More than Texas does, I guarantee you, and Texas wants to remain on the winning side. Texas will keep it close, and could cause the upset, but I like Baylor's chances to break the draught against Texas. BAYLOR
Big Ten
Purdue Boilermakers at Illinois Fighting Illini: Purdue has a better record, but they've played easier teams than Illinois. Illinois' defense dominated the game against Indiana. The offense sputtered, but that might be good. The team can see where they faltered and fix that, so that they'll be sharper against Purdue. ILLINOIS
Northwestern Wildcats at Indiana Hoosiers: Indiana hasn't won a conference game yet. They still won't. NORTHWESTERN
Game of the Week: Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas A&M Aggies: These two team are fairly evenly matched. Tech's offense isn't producing the awesome numbers that have been typical for them in recent years, but their defense has improved. A&M's defense is sharp, but the offense has been inconsistent. For this game, though, I think the Aggies WILL get it going this week. TEXAS A&M
Other Games of Interest:
Miami Hurricanes at Virginia Cavaliers: The Cavs have been sporadic this year, more often bad than good. Miami will blow through and blow them away. MIAMI
Northern Illinois Huskies at Western Michigan Broncos: Northen Illinois has quietly taken charge of the MAC. They will continue to dominate in this game. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators: Georgia has rebounded from a terrible start, but Florida has power. With an extra week to rest up and prepare, I don't think Georgia will win in the Swamp. FLORIDA
Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Mississippi State is having a colossal season. Kentucky isn't, but they are always dangerous. Can the Bulldogs continue their phenomenal run? MISS STATE
Idaho Vandals at Hawaii Warriors: Hawaii is tough at home, and they're even tougher this season. HAWAII
NCAA Week 8 Top 25
Upsets continue to plague the top of the rankings. Two of them were located in the midwest, but the east had one. The Syracuse Orangemen, who have been having a season comparable to their basketball team, upset West Virginia, the top team in the Big East. Pitt now takes the lead, with Syracuse biting at their heels, and West Virginia barely holds on to the Top 25, the lone Big East representative in the rankings.
The Big XII saw the other two upsets, and both were losses by unbeaten teams. Nebraska shocked Oklahoma State, knocking them from the Top Ten as well as from the ranks of the unbeaten. It was a tough day for Oklahoma football, as the Sooners also suffered their first loss. That leaves only seven unbeaten teams. The only conference with more than one unbeaten team is the Mountain West, as both TCU and the top-ranked Utah (who stayed there despite a colossal victory by Oregon) remain unbeaten. The ACC, Big East, Conference USA, and MAC have no unbeaten teams, although each has at least one team unbeaten in conference play.
This week's rank [Last week's position]
1. Utah Utes (7-0) [1]
2. Oregon Ducks (7-0) [2]
3. Boise State Broncos (6-0) [3]
4. TCU Horned Frogs (8-0) [6]
5. Missouri Tigers (7-0) [12]
6. Auburn Tigers (8-0) [11]
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1) [7]
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) [8]
9. Michigan State Spartans (8-0) [9]
10. Stanford Cardinal (6-1) [10]
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) [4]
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1) [16]
13. Oklahoma Sooners (6-1) [5]
14. Wisconsin Badgers (7-1) [17]
15. Nevada Wolfpack (6-1) [15]
16. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2) [21]
17. LSU Tigers (7-1) [13]
18. Arizona Wildcats (6-1) [20]
19. Florida State Seminoles (6-1) [19]
20. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) [14]
21. USC Trojans (5-2) [22]
22. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-2) [24]
23. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) [23]
24. Baylor Bears (6-2) [NR]
25. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) [18]
On the Edge: Mississppi State Bulldogs (6-2), Hawaii Warriors (6-2), NC State Wolf Pack (5-2), Northern Illinois Huskies (6-2), Fresno State Bulldogs (5-2), Miami Hurricanes (5-2), Florida Gators (4-3)
Dropped: Texas Longhorns [#25]
The Big XII saw the other two upsets, and both were losses by unbeaten teams. Nebraska shocked Oklahoma State, knocking them from the Top Ten as well as from the ranks of the unbeaten. It was a tough day for Oklahoma football, as the Sooners also suffered their first loss. That leaves only seven unbeaten teams. The only conference with more than one unbeaten team is the Mountain West, as both TCU and the top-ranked Utah (who stayed there despite a colossal victory by Oregon) remain unbeaten. The ACC, Big East, Conference USA, and MAC have no unbeaten teams, although each has at least one team unbeaten in conference play.
This week's rank [Last week's position]
1. Utah Utes (7-0) [1]
2. Oregon Ducks (7-0) [2]
3. Boise State Broncos (6-0) [3]
4. TCU Horned Frogs (8-0) [6]
5. Missouri Tigers (7-0) [12]
6. Auburn Tigers (8-0) [11]
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1) [7]
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) [8]
9. Michigan State Spartans (8-0) [9]
10. Stanford Cardinal (6-1) [10]
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) [4]
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1) [16]
13. Oklahoma Sooners (6-1) [5]
14. Wisconsin Badgers (7-1) [17]
15. Nevada Wolfpack (6-1) [15]
16. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2) [21]
17. LSU Tigers (7-1) [13]
18. Arizona Wildcats (6-1) [20]
19. Florida State Seminoles (6-1) [19]
20. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) [14]
21. USC Trojans (5-2) [22]
22. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-2) [24]
23. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) [23]
24. Baylor Bears (6-2) [NR]
25. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) [18]
On the Edge: Mississppi State Bulldogs (6-2), Hawaii Warriors (6-2), NC State Wolf Pack (5-2), Northern Illinois Huskies (6-2), Fresno State Bulldogs (5-2), Miami Hurricanes (5-2), Florida Gators (4-3)
Dropped: Texas Longhorns [#25]
Sunday, October 24, 2010
NFL Week 7 picks
Whew! Homecoming at the University of Illinois kept me hopping, but I have time to post this before I fly home. I'm hoping to watch most of the Bears game in the airport!
What an odd NFL season we are experiencing! Only seven weeks in and there are no unbeaten teams. Stranger, the best NFC record is 4-2, thanks to losses by all three one-loss NFC teams last week.
San Francisco won their first game last week, leaving just two winless teams. Buffalo faces the tough Baltimore Ravens, but Carolina hosts the one-win 49ers. Can the winless teams find their first win? Let's see...
Sunday early games:
Buffalo Bills (0-5) at Baltimore Ravens (4-2): Buffalo will remain winless. Many people believe Baltimore might be the best team in the AFC. With three teams in the conference with better records, and two of them having beaten Baltimore, I'd say that claim is inflated. However, there is no doubt that their defense is still tough, and that'll rattle the Bills. RAVENS, 20-16
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-2): Speaking of claims of the best team in their conference, many people have anointed Atlanta the best team in the NFC. They match the best record, and the Falcons certainly have shown themselves to be capable of that title. While it's too early to tell who will continue to shine in the NFC, the Falcons are more than capable of overshadowing the Bengals. FALCONS, 27-20
Cleveland Browns (1-5) at New Orleans Saints (4-2): The Saints offense is finally coming together, and that will make life tough for the Browns. What will make it tougher? The Saints defense has been strong this season. SAINTS, 26-16
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-2): Kansas City's Cinderella season may be eclipsing, and their defense is the culprit. Fortunately, they host the Jaguars, whose offense has been self-imploding for most of the season. If this isn't a chance for the Chiefs' defense to get ironed out, they won't get another one. CHIEFS, 24-13
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) at Tennessee Titans (4-2): The game of the former starter backup QBs as Kevin Kolb leads the Eagles into Tennessee to face Kerry Collins. Collins rejuvenated the Titans offense last week on Monday Night, just as Vince Young did last year when he come in. Maybe rotating QBs is what Tennessee needs. The Eagles seem to have revolving QBs, despite what Andy Reid says. So, which one will do better? Defense could be the difference, and that tilts slightly in the Eagles direction. However, if special teams step up, the Titans could win. EAGLES, 23-20
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) at Miami Dolphins (3-2): Big Ben is back, and he had a huge week last week. Of course, that was against the Browns. The DOlphins have a better defense, but somehow I think Ben will still want to perform. Combine that with the Steelers own tough defense, and that makes a long day for Miami. STEELERS, 27-13
San Francisco 49ers (1-5) at Carolina Panthers (0-5): Carolina has looked pretty pathetic. They got a bye last week, so they might have taken a look and figured out a way to fix some of those problems. Also, the 49ers game last week may have been an aberration, and they'll fall back to their losing ways. However, I think the 49ers may be coming together, and I'm not sure Carolina knew what their problem was. Until I see otherwise, I still have to favor San Francisco. 49ERS, 20-13
St Louis Rams (3-3) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2): It's not a rerun of the "Greatest Show on Turf", but the Rams are definitely moving the ball. Can they hold up against the tough Bucs defense? Perhaps, but the Rams have to prove it to me. BUCS, 23-20
Washington Redskins (3-3) at Chicago Bears (3-2): The Bears offensive line is pathetic, but the Redskins offense stinks pretty badly, too. The Bears defense is the better one, as is their special teams, so I have to favor them in this game. BEARS, 17-13
Sunday late games:
Arizona Cardinals (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (3-2): As their records indicate, this could be a close game. Seattle started the season strongly, but was declining until their defeat of Chicago last week. Arizona has been sporadic, but they seem to be improving. Having a bye last week will benefit Arizona, too. CARDS, 20-16
New England Patriots (4-1) at San Diego Chargers (2-4): What has happened to the Chargers offense? This team is in dire need of a strong victory. Unfortunately, that won't come this week. They face a Patriots team that is back in a groove. Even if the offense comes alive, which I think could happen, the Patriots defense will stuff it enough. PATS, 24-20
Oakland Raiders (2-4) at Denver Broncos (2-4): Despite the records, I don't think these teams are evenly matched. The Broncos don't have much of a running game, and that one-sidedness makes them vulnerable. The Raiders, though, make way too many mistakes. Given a strong passing team a short field to work, and you can't stop them. BRONCOS, 23-16
Sunday night: Minnesota Vikings (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (3-3): Minnesota played a close game against the Cowboys, but they don't have the steam for a battle with the Packers. PACK, 27-20
Monday Night Football:
New York Giants (4-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-4): This is a crucial game for the Cowboys. The NFC may be down, so an 8-8 team might make the playoffs, but the Cowboys need to get onto the winning track soon. Unfortunately, that won't be this week. Their offense is still struggling, and the Giants defense is stingy. GIANTS, 23-13
What an odd NFL season we are experiencing! Only seven weeks in and there are no unbeaten teams. Stranger, the best NFC record is 4-2, thanks to losses by all three one-loss NFC teams last week.
San Francisco won their first game last week, leaving just two winless teams. Buffalo faces the tough Baltimore Ravens, but Carolina hosts the one-win 49ers. Can the winless teams find their first win? Let's see...
Sunday early games:
Buffalo Bills (0-5) at Baltimore Ravens (4-2): Buffalo will remain winless. Many people believe Baltimore might be the best team in the AFC. With three teams in the conference with better records, and two of them having beaten Baltimore, I'd say that claim is inflated. However, there is no doubt that their defense is still tough, and that'll rattle the Bills. RAVENS, 20-16
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-2): Speaking of claims of the best team in their conference, many people have anointed Atlanta the best team in the NFC. They match the best record, and the Falcons certainly have shown themselves to be capable of that title. While it's too early to tell who will continue to shine in the NFC, the Falcons are more than capable of overshadowing the Bengals. FALCONS, 27-20
Cleveland Browns (1-5) at New Orleans Saints (4-2): The Saints offense is finally coming together, and that will make life tough for the Browns. What will make it tougher? The Saints defense has been strong this season. SAINTS, 26-16
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-2): Kansas City's Cinderella season may be eclipsing, and their defense is the culprit. Fortunately, they host the Jaguars, whose offense has been self-imploding for most of the season. If this isn't a chance for the Chiefs' defense to get ironed out, they won't get another one. CHIEFS, 24-13
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) at Tennessee Titans (4-2): The game of the former starter backup QBs as Kevin Kolb leads the Eagles into Tennessee to face Kerry Collins. Collins rejuvenated the Titans offense last week on Monday Night, just as Vince Young did last year when he come in. Maybe rotating QBs is what Tennessee needs. The Eagles seem to have revolving QBs, despite what Andy Reid says. So, which one will do better? Defense could be the difference, and that tilts slightly in the Eagles direction. However, if special teams step up, the Titans could win. EAGLES, 23-20
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) at Miami Dolphins (3-2): Big Ben is back, and he had a huge week last week. Of course, that was against the Browns. The DOlphins have a better defense, but somehow I think Ben will still want to perform. Combine that with the Steelers own tough defense, and that makes a long day for Miami. STEELERS, 27-13
San Francisco 49ers (1-5) at Carolina Panthers (0-5): Carolina has looked pretty pathetic. They got a bye last week, so they might have taken a look and figured out a way to fix some of those problems. Also, the 49ers game last week may have been an aberration, and they'll fall back to their losing ways. However, I think the 49ers may be coming together, and I'm not sure Carolina knew what their problem was. Until I see otherwise, I still have to favor San Francisco. 49ERS, 20-13
St Louis Rams (3-3) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2): It's not a rerun of the "Greatest Show on Turf", but the Rams are definitely moving the ball. Can they hold up against the tough Bucs defense? Perhaps, but the Rams have to prove it to me. BUCS, 23-20
Washington Redskins (3-3) at Chicago Bears (3-2): The Bears offensive line is pathetic, but the Redskins offense stinks pretty badly, too. The Bears defense is the better one, as is their special teams, so I have to favor them in this game. BEARS, 17-13
Sunday late games:
Arizona Cardinals (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (3-2): As their records indicate, this could be a close game. Seattle started the season strongly, but was declining until their defeat of Chicago last week. Arizona has been sporadic, but they seem to be improving. Having a bye last week will benefit Arizona, too. CARDS, 20-16
New England Patriots (4-1) at San Diego Chargers (2-4): What has happened to the Chargers offense? This team is in dire need of a strong victory. Unfortunately, that won't come this week. They face a Patriots team that is back in a groove. Even if the offense comes alive, which I think could happen, the Patriots defense will stuff it enough. PATS, 24-20
Oakland Raiders (2-4) at Denver Broncos (2-4): Despite the records, I don't think these teams are evenly matched. The Broncos don't have much of a running game, and that one-sidedness makes them vulnerable. The Raiders, though, make way too many mistakes. Given a strong passing team a short field to work, and you can't stop them. BRONCOS, 23-16
Sunday night: Minnesota Vikings (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (3-3): Minnesota played a close game against the Cowboys, but they don't have the steam for a battle with the Packers. PACK, 27-20
Monday Night Football:
New York Giants (4-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-4): This is a crucial game for the Cowboys. The NFC may be down, so an 8-8 team might make the playoffs, but the Cowboys need to get onto the winning track soon. Unfortunately, that won't be this week. Their offense is still struggling, and the Giants defense is stingy. GIANTS, 23-13
Thursday, October 21, 2010
NCAA Week 8 picks
It's an interesting weekend, and I'll spend it on campus at the University of Illinois, for the 100th Anniversary of Homecoming. The very first Homecoming ANYWHERE was celebrated on Illinois' campus in October 1910, and I'm proud to say that my great-uncle, W. Elmer Ekblaw, was one of the organizers. This weekend will be a huge celebration, chock full of special events, many of them revolving around my famous and influential ancestor.
Thursday Oct 21
UCLA Bruins at #2 Oregon Ducks: I'll be watching this game from my hotel room, as the Ducks hope to remain unbeaten and overtake Utah for the top spot. The Bruins can be a tough team, but they're not playing up to par so far this season. However, their youngsters could come alive, so the worst thing Oregon could do would be to take them granted. With consecutive losses to Alabama and Ohio State, though, I don't think the Ducks will slack off. OREGON
Friday Oct 22nd
South Florida Bulls at Cincinnati Bearcats: I'll likely miss the first half for a banquet honoring my great-uncle, but I should catch the exciting finish of this close game, with Cincy edging out South Florida for the win. CINCINNATI
Top 25:
Colorado State Rams at #1 Utah Utes: The consecutive upsets to Number Ones should end here, as the Rams have been downright atrocious this season. The question is whether Utah will win impressively enough to hold onto the top spot, since Oregon is active this week. UTAH
#16 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #4 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Nebraska knows that a second conference loss basically removes them from title contention. They'll fight hard, but I think the Cowboys offense is just too strong and quick for the Cornhuskers. OKLAHOMA STATE
#5 Oklahoma Sooners at #12 Missouri Tigers: Mizzou has quietly become a contender this season, but now they hit the meat of their schedule. Oklahoma just completed a huge blowout against Iowa State. As much as it would be nice to see Missouri win, since Illinois played them so closely and thus it would improve their image, I think Oklahoma will rout another opponent. OKLAHOMA
Air Force Falcons at #6 TCU Horned Frogs: Air Force has a good running game, but the TCU defense will smother them. TCU wants a shot at another BCS game, perhaps even the Championship Game, and they won't let anyone stand in their way. TCU
Purdue Boilermakers at #7 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes get back on track with a huge defeat of weak (albeit suddenly interesting) Purdue. OHIO STATE
#8 Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers: In the past this has been a great rivalry game, but Tennessee's decline has made it much less interesting. ALABAMA
#9 Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats: The Spartans are on a great roll, but the Wildcats have a good team this year. Watch out for Northwestern, they could pull off the upset, but I'll pick Sparty to keep the party rolling in East Lansing. MICHIGAN STATE
Washington State Cougars at #10 Stanford Cardinal: The Cardinal needed an extra week for prepare for THESE guys? I hope Coach Harbaugh was already planning for their next opponent. STANFORD
#17 Wisconsin Badgers at #14 Iowa Hawkeyes: Oh, this should be a great game! Wisconsin's ground attack against Iowa's line, and Iowa's aerial assault against the Badgers secondary. I think both offenses have the respective edges, but Iowa's ability to score quickly will end up helping them. Besides, I think Wisconsin will still be hung over after their defeat of Ohio State. IOWA
Syracuse Orangemen at #18 West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers fought hard to get back to the Top 25, and you can bet they won't let a resurgent Syracuse team roll over them! The Orange should make it interesting, and closer than the Mountaineers fans will like, but I think the home team prevails in the end. WEST VIRGINIA
Washington Huskies at #20 Arizona Wildcats: Jake Locker is finally looking like the quarterback everyone hailed in the preseason, but Arizona's defense is still tough as nails. This should be a close battle, but the Wildcats will score another victory. ARIZONA
Duke Blue Devils at #21 Virginia Tech Hokies: This ain't basketball, folks! VIRGINIA TECH
#24 South Carolina Gamecocks at Vanderbilt Commodores: Vandy is capable of surprises, but so are the Gamecocks. South Carolina's surprises tend to lead to scores. SOUTH CAROLINA
Iowa State Cyclones at #25 Texas Longhorns: The good news for Iowa State? They'll score some points this week. The bad news? They won't score enough of them. TEXAS
Big Ten:
Penn State Nittany Lions at Minnesota Golden Gophers: The Nittany Lions get back to their winning ways as they pulverize the pathetic Gophers. PENN STATE
Indiana Hoosiers at Illinois Fighting Illini: Think I'd forget about this game? Not a chance! I'll be there, folks, to watch the Illini climb back above 50% and get closer to that precious bowl eligibility. ILLINOIS
Game of the Week: #13 LSU Tigers at #11 Auburn Tigers: These tiger matches are always intense, but this year should be even more so, as these two teams are ranked so closely. The rankings may be deceiving, though, as Auburn has been the much more consistent team. That stability should help them in a game where turnovers have often meant the difference between a win and a loss. AUBURN
Other Games of Interest:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Clemson Tigers: Clemson started the year well, but now they face tougher opponents. Like Tech, for instance. GEORGIA TECH
Kansas State Wildcats at Baylor Bears: This has been a great year for the Baylor Bears. What could make it better? How about another victory, as the Wildcats might not take the Bears seriously enough. BAYLOR
Hawaii Warriors at Utah State Aggies: The Warriors often struggle at home, but this should be a fairly easy road victory. HAWAII
UAB Blazers at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Normally the doormat of the SEC, the Bulldogs are coming on strong this season. UAB is not doing so well. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Thursday Oct 21
UCLA Bruins at #2 Oregon Ducks: I'll be watching this game from my hotel room, as the Ducks hope to remain unbeaten and overtake Utah for the top spot. The Bruins can be a tough team, but they're not playing up to par so far this season. However, their youngsters could come alive, so the worst thing Oregon could do would be to take them granted. With consecutive losses to Alabama and Ohio State, though, I don't think the Ducks will slack off. OREGON
Friday Oct 22nd
South Florida Bulls at Cincinnati Bearcats: I'll likely miss the first half for a banquet honoring my great-uncle, but I should catch the exciting finish of this close game, with Cincy edging out South Florida for the win. CINCINNATI
Top 25:
Colorado State Rams at #1 Utah Utes: The consecutive upsets to Number Ones should end here, as the Rams have been downright atrocious this season. The question is whether Utah will win impressively enough to hold onto the top spot, since Oregon is active this week. UTAH
#16 Nebraska Cornhuskers at #4 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Nebraska knows that a second conference loss basically removes them from title contention. They'll fight hard, but I think the Cowboys offense is just too strong and quick for the Cornhuskers. OKLAHOMA STATE
#5 Oklahoma Sooners at #12 Missouri Tigers: Mizzou has quietly become a contender this season, but now they hit the meat of their schedule. Oklahoma just completed a huge blowout against Iowa State. As much as it would be nice to see Missouri win, since Illinois played them so closely and thus it would improve their image, I think Oklahoma will rout another opponent. OKLAHOMA
Air Force Falcons at #6 TCU Horned Frogs: Air Force has a good running game, but the TCU defense will smother them. TCU wants a shot at another BCS game, perhaps even the Championship Game, and they won't let anyone stand in their way. TCU
Purdue Boilermakers at #7 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes get back on track with a huge defeat of weak (albeit suddenly interesting) Purdue. OHIO STATE
#8 Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers: In the past this has been a great rivalry game, but Tennessee's decline has made it much less interesting. ALABAMA
#9 Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats: The Spartans are on a great roll, but the Wildcats have a good team this year. Watch out for Northwestern, they could pull off the upset, but I'll pick Sparty to keep the party rolling in East Lansing. MICHIGAN STATE
Washington State Cougars at #10 Stanford Cardinal: The Cardinal needed an extra week for prepare for THESE guys? I hope Coach Harbaugh was already planning for their next opponent. STANFORD
#17 Wisconsin Badgers at #14 Iowa Hawkeyes: Oh, this should be a great game! Wisconsin's ground attack against Iowa's line, and Iowa's aerial assault against the Badgers secondary. I think both offenses have the respective edges, but Iowa's ability to score quickly will end up helping them. Besides, I think Wisconsin will still be hung over after their defeat of Ohio State. IOWA
Syracuse Orangemen at #18 West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers fought hard to get back to the Top 25, and you can bet they won't let a resurgent Syracuse team roll over them! The Orange should make it interesting, and closer than the Mountaineers fans will like, but I think the home team prevails in the end. WEST VIRGINIA
Washington Huskies at #20 Arizona Wildcats: Jake Locker is finally looking like the quarterback everyone hailed in the preseason, but Arizona's defense is still tough as nails. This should be a close battle, but the Wildcats will score another victory. ARIZONA
Duke Blue Devils at #21 Virginia Tech Hokies: This ain't basketball, folks! VIRGINIA TECH
#24 South Carolina Gamecocks at Vanderbilt Commodores: Vandy is capable of surprises, but so are the Gamecocks. South Carolina's surprises tend to lead to scores. SOUTH CAROLINA
Iowa State Cyclones at #25 Texas Longhorns: The good news for Iowa State? They'll score some points this week. The bad news? They won't score enough of them. TEXAS
Big Ten:
Penn State Nittany Lions at Minnesota Golden Gophers: The Nittany Lions get back to their winning ways as they pulverize the pathetic Gophers. PENN STATE
Indiana Hoosiers at Illinois Fighting Illini: Think I'd forget about this game? Not a chance! I'll be there, folks, to watch the Illini climb back above 50% and get closer to that precious bowl eligibility. ILLINOIS
Game of the Week: #13 LSU Tigers at #11 Auburn Tigers: These tiger matches are always intense, but this year should be even more so, as these two teams are ranked so closely. The rankings may be deceiving, though, as Auburn has been the much more consistent team. That stability should help them in a game where turnovers have often meant the difference between a win and a loss. AUBURN
Other Games of Interest:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Clemson Tigers: Clemson started the year well, but now they face tougher opponents. Like Tech, for instance. GEORGIA TECH
Kansas State Wildcats at Baylor Bears: This has been a great year for the Baylor Bears. What could make it better? How about another victory, as the Wildcats might not take the Bears seriously enough. BAYLOR
Hawaii Warriors at Utah State Aggies: The Warriors often struggle at home, but this should be a fairly easy road victory. HAWAII
UAB Blazers at Mississippi State Bulldogs: Normally the doormat of the SEC, the Bulldogs are coming on strong this season. UAB is not doing so well. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
NCAA Week 7 Top 25
We had some interesting upsets this week, and many were centered in the Carolina area. The East Carolina Pirates knocked NC State out of the Top 25 by upsetting them in overtime. Kentucky shocked South Carolina, although the Gamecocks were able to remain in the Top 25 due to poor performances of the "cusp" teams.
Three more unbeatens lost this week. The biggest upset was posted by Wisconsin, who beat Number One Ohio State handily. It was the second consecutive week that a Number One lost, so Utah might be watching their backs. Nebraska, a top contender in the Big XII, had their fortunes reversed by Texas, who re-entered the Top 25 with a commanding defensive performance. Nevada entered Hawaii, always a difficult place to visit, and lost their perfect season.
This week's ranking [Last week's position]
1. Utah Utes (6-0) [3]
2. Oregon Ducks (6-0) [2] : Sorry, Oregon, but a you have to EARN the top spot. You can't slide in during a bye week
3. Boise State Broncos (6-0) [5]
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0) [4]
5. Oklahoma Sooners (6-0) [7]
6. TCU Horned Frogs (7-0) [6]
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) [1]
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1) [8]
9. Michigan State Spartans (7-0) [11]
10. Stanford Cardinal (5-1) [10]
11. Auburn Tigers (7-0) [14]
12. Missouri Tigers (6-0) [15]
13. LSU Tigers (7-0) [13]
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1) [18]
15. Nevada Wolfpack (6-1) [9]
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) [12]
17. Wisconsin Badgers (6-1) [22]
18. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) [NR]
19. Florida State Seminoles (6-1) [19]
20. Arizona Wildcats (5-1) [21]
21. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) [NR]
22. USC Trojans (5-2) [25]
23. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) [15]
24. Sourh Carolina Gamecocks (4-2) [16]
25. Texas Longhorns (5-2) [NR]
On the Edge: NC State Wolf Pack (5-2), Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2), Baylor Bears (4-2), Air Force Falcons (5-2), Hawaii Warriors (5-2), Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2), Florida Gators (4-3)
Dropped: NC State Wolf Pack [#20], Arkansas Razorbacks [#23], Florida Gators [#24]
Three more unbeatens lost this week. The biggest upset was posted by Wisconsin, who beat Number One Ohio State handily. It was the second consecutive week that a Number One lost, so Utah might be watching their backs. Nebraska, a top contender in the Big XII, had their fortunes reversed by Texas, who re-entered the Top 25 with a commanding defensive performance. Nevada entered Hawaii, always a difficult place to visit, and lost their perfect season.
This week's ranking [Last week's position]
1. Utah Utes (6-0) [3]
2. Oregon Ducks (6-0) [2] : Sorry, Oregon, but a you have to EARN the top spot. You can't slide in during a bye week
3. Boise State Broncos (6-0) [5]
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0) [4]
5. Oklahoma Sooners (6-0) [7]
6. TCU Horned Frogs (7-0) [6]
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) [1]
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1) [8]
9. Michigan State Spartans (7-0) [11]
10. Stanford Cardinal (5-1) [10]
11. Auburn Tigers (7-0) [14]
12. Missouri Tigers (6-0) [15]
13. LSU Tigers (7-0) [13]
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1) [18]
15. Nevada Wolfpack (6-1) [9]
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) [12]
17. Wisconsin Badgers (6-1) [22]
18. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1) [NR]
19. Florida State Seminoles (6-1) [19]
20. Arizona Wildcats (5-1) [21]
21. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-2) [NR]
22. USC Trojans (5-2) [25]
23. Michigan Wolverines (5-2) [15]
24. Sourh Carolina Gamecocks (4-2) [16]
25. Texas Longhorns (5-2) [NR]
On the Edge: NC State Wolf Pack (5-2), Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2), Baylor Bears (4-2), Air Force Falcons (5-2), Hawaii Warriors (5-2), Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2), Florida Gators (4-3)
Dropped: NC State Wolf Pack [#20], Arkansas Razorbacks [#23], Florida Gators [#24]
Saturday, October 16, 2010
NFL Week 6 picks
Kansas City lost to eliminate all unbeaten teams. After several close games, Detroit won their first game, and it was a HUGE one-sided victory. Two of the winless teams take a bye week, but San Francisco faces Oakland in an attempt to win their first game of the season. Do I think they'll make it? Let's see...
Sunday early games:
Atlanta Falcons (4-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-2): NFL.com places the Falcons as the top team in the NFC. If Michael Vick were starting for the Eagles, that spot might be tested. Kolb is slower and more methodical, which the Falcons might exploit. Certainly Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense will move the ball faster. FALCONS, 24-14
Baltimore Ravens (4-1) at New England Patriots (3-1): Here's NFL.com's top AFC team, but it's not the Patriots -- it's the Ravens. The Ravens defense is tough, but the Patriots are getting better. They're coming off a bye week, which should help them, too. I'm picking the upset, and watching Baltimore fall from that top spot. PATRIOTS, 21-16
Cleveland Browns (1-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1): The Steelers come off bye, Big Ben is back, and he has something to prove! The Browns will get toasted here as Big Ben tosses for three touchdowns. STEELERS, 31-13
Detroit Lions (1-4) at New York Giants (3-2): Detroit hasn't won two in a row in years. The Giants aren't having a stellar year, but they know how to fight when their back is against the wall. With Dallas struggling and Vick out, the Giants see their chance to take control of the division. The Lions will fight, perhaps harder than the Giants expect, but the Giants should pull this one out. GIANTS, 24-20
Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) at Houston Texans (3-2): The Texans look good, but they have struggled at home. The Chiefs have been doing well, led by former Patriot QB Matt Cassell. The Chiefs look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, and they should do it well. CHIEFS, 20-13
Miami Dolphins (2-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-2): Aaron Rodgers is ready to play. The Dolphins' defense knows he's susceptible to another concussion, so look for plenty of rushes. That might open coverage down field, so Rodgers should have a nice passing day. PACK, 27-16
New Orleans Saints (3-2) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-1): Josh Freeman has been terrific for the Bucs, and the Bucs defense has been outstanding. Statistically, the Bucs should win this game. However, I never count the Saints offense out. Their run game is devastated without Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, and Tracy Porter's absence affects the defense. Still, I think the Saints will make this a close game. The Bucs have the advantage due to Saints' injuries, but if they have a late game turnover, this game could go to the Saints. BUCS, 17-16
San Diego Chargers (2-3) at St Louis Rams (2-3): The Rams were just getting momentum when Detroit destroyed them last week. The Rams want a strong victory to restore their momentum. I think they can get it. San Diego has been atrocious on the road this season, and I see nothing that would make them better this week. RAMS, 24-23
Seattle Seahawks (2-2) at Chicago Bears (3-1): Both Cutler and Urlacher are likely to play, which gives the advantage to Chicago, even with Lance Briggs out. BEARS, 20-13
Sunday late games:
Dallas Cowboys (1-3) at Minnesota Vikings (1-3): This is a "must win" game for both teams. Brett Favre has many distractions, including a sore elbow and a league investigation. He may like having Randy Moss available, but I don't think Favre will be in form. His arm may even force him to leave the game, which will be the kiss of death to the Vikings. COWBOYS, 20-13
New York Jets (4-1) at Denver Broncos (2-3): Orton is having a good year, but the lack of a running game makes them vulnerable, especially with the speed of the Jets' defensive backfield. JETS, 26-17
Oakland Raiders (2-3) at San Francisco 49ers (0-5): It's time to pull the plug on Alex Smith. This is his third career opportunity to be a starter, and he has failed in each. He is the main reason the 49ers are winless. If Coach Singletary is smart, he'll pull him early and let David Carr get comfortable with the system. Carr at least has shown that he can be successful as a starting QB, even if he's been inconsistent in that role. However, I'm afraid the 49ers are still sticking with Smith, or will stick with him too long. RAIDERS, 17-13
Sunday Night game:
Indianapolis Colts (3-2) at Washington Redskins (3-2): The Colts offense is starting to gain momentum, despite a crippled wide receivers corps. Washington's defense is good, but the Colts have too large a playbook for the Redskins defense to adjust. COLTS, 27-20
Monday Night Football: Tennessee Titans (3-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2): Both teams have been inconsistent this season. The Titans can move the ball, especially on the road. They have been much better away from home, and that should continue this game. TITANS, 23-20
Sunday early games:
Atlanta Falcons (4-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-2): NFL.com places the Falcons as the top team in the NFC. If Michael Vick were starting for the Eagles, that spot might be tested. Kolb is slower and more methodical, which the Falcons might exploit. Certainly Matt Ryan and the Falcons' offense will move the ball faster. FALCONS, 24-14
Baltimore Ravens (4-1) at New England Patriots (3-1): Here's NFL.com's top AFC team, but it's not the Patriots -- it's the Ravens. The Ravens defense is tough, but the Patriots are getting better. They're coming off a bye week, which should help them, too. I'm picking the upset, and watching Baltimore fall from that top spot. PATRIOTS, 21-16
Cleveland Browns (1-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1): The Steelers come off bye, Big Ben is back, and he has something to prove! The Browns will get toasted here as Big Ben tosses for three touchdowns. STEELERS, 31-13
Detroit Lions (1-4) at New York Giants (3-2): Detroit hasn't won two in a row in years. The Giants aren't having a stellar year, but they know how to fight when their back is against the wall. With Dallas struggling and Vick out, the Giants see their chance to take control of the division. The Lions will fight, perhaps harder than the Giants expect, but the Giants should pull this one out. GIANTS, 24-20
Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) at Houston Texans (3-2): The Texans look good, but they have struggled at home. The Chiefs have been doing well, led by former Patriot QB Matt Cassell. The Chiefs look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, and they should do it well. CHIEFS, 20-13
Miami Dolphins (2-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-2): Aaron Rodgers is ready to play. The Dolphins' defense knows he's susceptible to another concussion, so look for plenty of rushes. That might open coverage down field, so Rodgers should have a nice passing day. PACK, 27-16
New Orleans Saints (3-2) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-1): Josh Freeman has been terrific for the Bucs, and the Bucs defense has been outstanding. Statistically, the Bucs should win this game. However, I never count the Saints offense out. Their run game is devastated without Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, and Tracy Porter's absence affects the defense. Still, I think the Saints will make this a close game. The Bucs have the advantage due to Saints' injuries, but if they have a late game turnover, this game could go to the Saints. BUCS, 17-16
San Diego Chargers (2-3) at St Louis Rams (2-3): The Rams were just getting momentum when Detroit destroyed them last week. The Rams want a strong victory to restore their momentum. I think they can get it. San Diego has been atrocious on the road this season, and I see nothing that would make them better this week. RAMS, 24-23
Seattle Seahawks (2-2) at Chicago Bears (3-1): Both Cutler and Urlacher are likely to play, which gives the advantage to Chicago, even with Lance Briggs out. BEARS, 20-13
Sunday late games:
Dallas Cowboys (1-3) at Minnesota Vikings (1-3): This is a "must win" game for both teams. Brett Favre has many distractions, including a sore elbow and a league investigation. He may like having Randy Moss available, but I don't think Favre will be in form. His arm may even force him to leave the game, which will be the kiss of death to the Vikings. COWBOYS, 20-13
New York Jets (4-1) at Denver Broncos (2-3): Orton is having a good year, but the lack of a running game makes them vulnerable, especially with the speed of the Jets' defensive backfield. JETS, 26-17
Oakland Raiders (2-3) at San Francisco 49ers (0-5): It's time to pull the plug on Alex Smith. This is his third career opportunity to be a starter, and he has failed in each. He is the main reason the 49ers are winless. If Coach Singletary is smart, he'll pull him early and let David Carr get comfortable with the system. Carr at least has shown that he can be successful as a starting QB, even if he's been inconsistent in that role. However, I'm afraid the 49ers are still sticking with Smith, or will stick with him too long. RAIDERS, 17-13
Sunday Night game:
Indianapolis Colts (3-2) at Washington Redskins (3-2): The Colts offense is starting to gain momentum, despite a crippled wide receivers corps. Washington's defense is good, but the Colts have too large a playbook for the Redskins defense to adjust. COLTS, 27-20
Monday Night Football: Tennessee Titans (3-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2): Both teams have been inconsistent this season. The Titans can move the ball, especially on the road. They have been much better away from home, and that should continue this game. TITANS, 23-20
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
NCAA Week 7 picks
This week has a Wednesday game, but it won't be all that interesting. Let's look at more interesting games.
Thurs Oct 14
South Florida Bulls at West Virginia Mountaineers: The Bulls defense isn't as strong as it has been in years past, and the Mountaineers are fighting for redemption in what has become more of a rebuilding year. I like the Mountaineers chances, as the Bulls don't have much of an offense. WEST VIRGINIA
Kansas State Wildcats at Kansas Jayhawks: The Jayhawks have owned this state rivalry recently, but the Jayhawks have slid horribly this season. K State may not be ready for the Top 25, but they're ready for this game. KANSAS STATE
Fri Oct 15
Cincinnati Bearcats at Louisville Cardinals: The Bearcats are having a tough year, but those youngsters could come along soon. I'll give Louisville the edge, but watch for Cincy's awakening. LOUISVILLE
Top Ten:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at #22 Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin finds ways to win, but I think the swarming Buckeye defense will be too tough for them. OHIO STATE
#3 Utah Utes at Wyoming Cowboys: Utah shouldn't have much trouble against the Cowboys, even if Wyoming is improving this season. UTAH
#4 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Texas Tech Red Raiders: Texas Tech is down this year, but they're always capable of surprising opponents. Being the top team in the competitive Big XII is a strange place for the Cowboys, so are they ripe for an upset? Perhaps, but I'll still pick them to get past the Raiders. OKLAHOMA STATE
#5 Boise State Broncos at San Jose State Spartans: Boise State should get their sixth win. Once again, the Broncos are looking to bust into a BCS bowl game. BOISE STATE
BYU Cougars at #6 TCU Horned Frogs: At the beginning of the season, we thought this might be an exciting game. With BYU's collapse, this should be a breeze for TCU. TCU
Iowa State Cyclones at #7 Oklahoma Sooners: Iowa State has played some of their opponents tough, but Oklahoma will prove too difficult. Their defense is solid. If their offense isn't putting up as many points as expected, it's because they have boosted their ground game, giving them control of the ball for more of the game. OKLAHOMA
Ole Miss Rebels at #8 Alabama Crimson Tide: Alabama needs a strong victory to redeem themselve after their shocking loss to South Carolina. With the struggles that Ole Miss has had this season, this seems to be the perfect game. Ole Miss has already pulled off one upset, though, so the Tide can't get overconfident. I don't think they will, but Ole Miss may score more than the Tide would like. ALABAMA
#9 Nevada Wolfpack at Hawaii Warriors: Hawaii is often tough at home, but they've been less so this season. Nevada is the WAC team kicking butt and taking names, and they'll have the Warriors' butts at the end of this game. NEVADA
Illinois Fighting Illini at #11 Michigan State Spartans: Illinois is better than most people (including myself!) thought they'd be, but beating the high-powered Spartans offense is asking too much from this young team. MICHIGAN STATE
Texas Longhorns at #12 Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Longhorns are struggling this season. They had an extra week to prepare for this game, and I'm sure most of the time was spent working with quarterback Garrett Gilbert. I'm not sure that'll help. The bigger problem is the porous defensive line that allowed Oklahoma to rush for more than 115 yards. Nebraska should gain that much or more. NEBRASKA
McNeese State at #13 LSU Tigers: An FBS v FCS matchup this late in the season? Strange, but with LSU's defense, the result isn't in doubt. LSU
#23 Arkansas Razorbacks at #14 Auburn Tigers: This should be an interesting matchup, especially Ryan Mallet against the Auburn pass rush. I think Mallet will figure it out and move Arkansas; the question is how far behind will Arkansas be when that happens? Mallet also has a habit of forcing things, which the Auburn defense will exploit. I think Mallet will suffer two interceptions and a loss. AUBURN
#15 Missouri Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies are hoping to turn their season around. Missouri has not won by huge margins, but they have founds way to win. I think they'll do that against the Aggies, too. MISSOURI
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes at #16 Michigan Wolverines: The Big House can be a tough place to win, as Iowa well knows. Iowa has had an extra week to prepare, and I'm sure they've watched how Michigan State beat them. Iowa has a good offense, but not quite on par with Michigan State. Moreover, the Wolverines will do whatever it takes to prevent losing two conference games in a row. Iowa has a strong chance to win this game, but I'll give an edge to the Michigan defense. MICHIGAN
#17 South Carolina Gamecocks at Kentucky Wildcats: The Gamecocks are still on the emotional high from beating Alabama last week. If they don't let that interfere with their on-field performance, they shouldn't have any problem against Kentucky. Fortunately they have Coach Spurrier, who will keep their eye on the game. SOUTH CAROLINA
Boston College Eagles at #19 Florida State Seminoles: Boston College is having a down season, while the Seminoles are starting to resemble to ranked teams of the past. FLORIDA STATE
#20 NC State Wolf Pack at East Carolina Pirates: East Carolina has good games and bad games. If they play well, and find their defense, they can upset the Wolf Pack. NC State seems to falter as soon as they enter the Top 25, so an upset wouldn't surprise me. Still, since East Carolina is too unpredictable, I'll go with NC STATE.
#21 Arizona Wildcats at Washington State Cougars: Washington State hasn't beaten an FBS opponent yet this season, and I don't see that happening now. ARIZONA
Mississippi State Bulldogs at #24 Florida Gators: The Bulldogs have already pulled off one conference upset. That may be their quota for the season. Florida certainly hopes so, as they try to salvage this season. FLORIDA
Big Ten:
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Purdue Boilermakers: Purdue upset Northwestern last week, which may be the start of a turnaround. Regardless, it solidified Minnesota's position as the worst team in the conference. PURDUE
Game of the Week: California Golden Bears at #25 USC Trojans: Both teams need a win to stay competitive in the Pac-10. Either team is capable of winning this game, so I favor the home team. USC
Other Games of Interest:
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Tech Hokies: Wake Forest is capable of surprising opponents, but the Hokies are too determined to salvage the poor start to the season. VIRGINIA TECH
Air Force Falcons at San Diego State Aztecs: Air Force is a good team this year, and they are trying to keep pace with Utah. Rolling over San Diego State will help. AIR FORCE
Thurs Oct 14
South Florida Bulls at West Virginia Mountaineers: The Bulls defense isn't as strong as it has been in years past, and the Mountaineers are fighting for redemption in what has become more of a rebuilding year. I like the Mountaineers chances, as the Bulls don't have much of an offense. WEST VIRGINIA
Kansas State Wildcats at Kansas Jayhawks: The Jayhawks have owned this state rivalry recently, but the Jayhawks have slid horribly this season. K State may not be ready for the Top 25, but they're ready for this game. KANSAS STATE
Fri Oct 15
Cincinnati Bearcats at Louisville Cardinals: The Bearcats are having a tough year, but those youngsters could come along soon. I'll give Louisville the edge, but watch for Cincy's awakening. LOUISVILLE
Top Ten:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at #22 Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin finds ways to win, but I think the swarming Buckeye defense will be too tough for them. OHIO STATE
#3 Utah Utes at Wyoming Cowboys: Utah shouldn't have much trouble against the Cowboys, even if Wyoming is improving this season. UTAH
#4 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Texas Tech Red Raiders: Texas Tech is down this year, but they're always capable of surprising opponents. Being the top team in the competitive Big XII is a strange place for the Cowboys, so are they ripe for an upset? Perhaps, but I'll still pick them to get past the Raiders. OKLAHOMA STATE
#5 Boise State Broncos at San Jose State Spartans: Boise State should get their sixth win. Once again, the Broncos are looking to bust into a BCS bowl game. BOISE STATE
BYU Cougars at #6 TCU Horned Frogs: At the beginning of the season, we thought this might be an exciting game. With BYU's collapse, this should be a breeze for TCU. TCU
Iowa State Cyclones at #7 Oklahoma Sooners: Iowa State has played some of their opponents tough, but Oklahoma will prove too difficult. Their defense is solid. If their offense isn't putting up as many points as expected, it's because they have boosted their ground game, giving them control of the ball for more of the game. OKLAHOMA
Ole Miss Rebels at #8 Alabama Crimson Tide: Alabama needs a strong victory to redeem themselve after their shocking loss to South Carolina. With the struggles that Ole Miss has had this season, this seems to be the perfect game. Ole Miss has already pulled off one upset, though, so the Tide can't get overconfident. I don't think they will, but Ole Miss may score more than the Tide would like. ALABAMA
#9 Nevada Wolfpack at Hawaii Warriors: Hawaii is often tough at home, but they've been less so this season. Nevada is the WAC team kicking butt and taking names, and they'll have the Warriors' butts at the end of this game. NEVADA
Illinois Fighting Illini at #11 Michigan State Spartans: Illinois is better than most people (including myself!) thought they'd be, but beating the high-powered Spartans offense is asking too much from this young team. MICHIGAN STATE
Texas Longhorns at #12 Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Longhorns are struggling this season. They had an extra week to prepare for this game, and I'm sure most of the time was spent working with quarterback Garrett Gilbert. I'm not sure that'll help. The bigger problem is the porous defensive line that allowed Oklahoma to rush for more than 115 yards. Nebraska should gain that much or more. NEBRASKA
McNeese State at #13 LSU Tigers: An FBS v FCS matchup this late in the season? Strange, but with LSU's defense, the result isn't in doubt. LSU
#23 Arkansas Razorbacks at #14 Auburn Tigers: This should be an interesting matchup, especially Ryan Mallet against the Auburn pass rush. I think Mallet will figure it out and move Arkansas; the question is how far behind will Arkansas be when that happens? Mallet also has a habit of forcing things, which the Auburn defense will exploit. I think Mallet will suffer two interceptions and a loss. AUBURN
#15 Missouri Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies are hoping to turn their season around. Missouri has not won by huge margins, but they have founds way to win. I think they'll do that against the Aggies, too. MISSOURI
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes at #16 Michigan Wolverines: The Big House can be a tough place to win, as Iowa well knows. Iowa has had an extra week to prepare, and I'm sure they've watched how Michigan State beat them. Iowa has a good offense, but not quite on par with Michigan State. Moreover, the Wolverines will do whatever it takes to prevent losing two conference games in a row. Iowa has a strong chance to win this game, but I'll give an edge to the Michigan defense. MICHIGAN
#17 South Carolina Gamecocks at Kentucky Wildcats: The Gamecocks are still on the emotional high from beating Alabama last week. If they don't let that interfere with their on-field performance, they shouldn't have any problem against Kentucky. Fortunately they have Coach Spurrier, who will keep their eye on the game. SOUTH CAROLINA
Boston College Eagles at #19 Florida State Seminoles: Boston College is having a down season, while the Seminoles are starting to resemble to ranked teams of the past. FLORIDA STATE
#20 NC State Wolf Pack at East Carolina Pirates: East Carolina has good games and bad games. If they play well, and find their defense, they can upset the Wolf Pack. NC State seems to falter as soon as they enter the Top 25, so an upset wouldn't surprise me. Still, since East Carolina is too unpredictable, I'll go with NC STATE.
#21 Arizona Wildcats at Washington State Cougars: Washington State hasn't beaten an FBS opponent yet this season, and I don't see that happening now. ARIZONA
Mississippi State Bulldogs at #24 Florida Gators: The Bulldogs have already pulled off one conference upset. That may be their quota for the season. Florida certainly hopes so, as they try to salvage this season. FLORIDA
Big Ten:
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Purdue Boilermakers: Purdue upset Northwestern last week, which may be the start of a turnaround. Regardless, it solidified Minnesota's position as the worst team in the conference. PURDUE
Game of the Week: California Golden Bears at #25 USC Trojans: Both teams need a win to stay competitive in the Pac-10. Either team is capable of winning this game, so I favor the home team. USC
Other Games of Interest:
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Tech Hokies: Wake Forest is capable of surprising opponents, but the Hokies are too determined to salvage the poor start to the season. VIRGINIA TECH
Air Force Falcons at San Diego State Aztecs: Air Force is a good team this year, and they are trying to keep pace with Utah. Rolling over San Diego State will help. AIR FORCE
NCAA Week 6 Top 25
There were plenty of upsets last week. While most involved SEC teams, not all of them did. My own Big Ten saw the fall of an unbeaten, as Northwestern was beaten by previously wimpy Purdue. Oregon State, a team with a negative points scored v points allowed margin, beat previously unbeaten Arizona.
Still, the SEC saw the most upsets. One did not involve an SEC match-up, as the Mississippu State Bulldogs shocked Houston 47-24. It was one of the largest margins of victory against a ranked team in Bulldogs history! Tennessee suffered one of their worst losses in years, too, as Georgia skunked them 41-14. But the biggest upset of the week was the manhandling given to previous Number One Alabama by the South Carolina Gamecocks. Steve Spurrier and crew doubled up on the normally stingy Alabama defense, pounding them 34-17 and dropping the Tide seven places.
That leads excellently into...
This week's rankings [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) [2]
2. Oregon Ducks (6-0) [3]
3. Utah Utes (5-0) [4]
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0) [5]
5. Boise State Broncos (5-0) [6]
6. TCU Horned Frogs (6-0) [7]
7. Oklahaoma Sooners (5-0) [8]
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) [1]
9. Nevada Wolfpack (6-0) [10]
10. Stanford Cardinal (5-1) [12]
11. Michigan State Spartans (6-0) [15]
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-0) [17]
13. LSU Tigers (6-0) [13]
14. Auburn Tigers (6-0) [14]
15. Missouri Tigers (5-0) [19]
16. Michigan Wolverines (5-1) [9]
17. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-1) [25]
18. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1) [18]
19. Florida State Seminoles (5-1) [21]
20. North Carolina State Wolf Pack (5-1) [NR]
21. Arizona Wildcats (4-1) [11]
22. Wisconsin Badgers (5-1) [22]
23. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) [23]
24. Florida Gators (4-2) [16]
25. USC Trojans (4-2) [20]
On the Edge: Air Force Falcons (5-1), West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1), California Golden Bears (3-2), Virginia Tech Hokies (4-2)
Dropped: Baylor Bears [#24]
Still, the SEC saw the most upsets. One did not involve an SEC match-up, as the Mississippu State Bulldogs shocked Houston 47-24. It was one of the largest margins of victory against a ranked team in Bulldogs history! Tennessee suffered one of their worst losses in years, too, as Georgia skunked them 41-14. But the biggest upset of the week was the manhandling given to previous Number One Alabama by the South Carolina Gamecocks. Steve Spurrier and crew doubled up on the normally stingy Alabama defense, pounding them 34-17 and dropping the Tide seven places.
That leads excellently into...
This week's rankings [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) [2]
2. Oregon Ducks (6-0) [3]
3. Utah Utes (5-0) [4]
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0) [5]
5. Boise State Broncos (5-0) [6]
6. TCU Horned Frogs (6-0) [7]
7. Oklahaoma Sooners (5-0) [8]
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) [1]
9. Nevada Wolfpack (6-0) [10]
10. Stanford Cardinal (5-1) [12]
11. Michigan State Spartans (6-0) [15]
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-0) [17]
13. LSU Tigers (6-0) [13]
14. Auburn Tigers (6-0) [14]
15. Missouri Tigers (5-0) [19]
16. Michigan Wolverines (5-1) [9]
17. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-1) [25]
18. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1) [18]
19. Florida State Seminoles (5-1) [21]
20. North Carolina State Wolf Pack (5-1) [NR]
21. Arizona Wildcats (4-1) [11]
22. Wisconsin Badgers (5-1) [22]
23. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) [23]
24. Florida Gators (4-2) [16]
25. USC Trojans (4-2) [20]
On the Edge: Air Force Falcons (5-1), West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1), California Golden Bears (3-2), Virginia Tech Hokies (4-2)
Dropped: Baylor Bears [#24]
Saturday, October 9, 2010
NFL Week 5 picks
The last unbeaten team in the NFC toppled last week, and the Cleveland Browns gained their first win. That leaves the league with only one unbeaten team, the surprising Kansas City Chiefs, and four winless teams. I'm picking one of those to upset their opponent, and two others have a good chance to win. Who are they? Let's see...
Sunday early games:
Atlanta Falcons (3-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-3): The Browns beat their hated rival Cincinnati last week. Can the Browns win two in a row? Their defense is good, and the offense is improving, but Matt Ryan and company are getting their mojo back. That spells trouble for opponents. FALCONS, 27-17
Chicago Bears (3-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-4): The Bears are atop the NFC North, but they need to win this one to stay there. The Panthers offense has been totally confused this season. The Bears defense is healthy enough to keep them confused. BEARS, 24-10
Denver Broncos (2-2) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1): Orton looked good last week, but the Ravens defense can be crushing. The Broncos don't have a running game to back up Orton, so all the Ravens have to do is upset the passing game. RAVENS, 17-13
Green Bay Packers (3-1) at Washington Redskins (2-2): Aaron Rodgers is the most productive QB so far this season, even more than Drew Brees or Peyton Manning. The Redskins defense is good, but not good enough to slow that down. PACK, 31-20
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) at Buffalo Bills (0-4): The Jaguars are a true Jekyll-Hyde entity this season. When they are doing well, they look great. That was last week, when they upset Indy. When they're bad, they look pathetic. The Bills have lost all of their games, but they've played hard in most of them. If the Jgs go Hyde, the Bills will register their first win. They could do that, still high on the Indy upset, but I think that Colts game will boost their intensity and keep them playing well. JAGS, 16-13
Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2): Indy doesn't want a losing record, and they want to redeem themselves after the Jags loss. The Chiefs have been having a Cinderella season, but the clock is about to strike midnight, although it'll happen on a late drive. COLTS, 24-23
New York Giants (2-2) at Houston Texans (3-1): Houston has been having a charmed season. Matt Schaub is running this team with precision. While the Giants improved last week to beat Chicago, that precision has been missing for them this season. TEXANS, 21-16
St Louis Rams (2-2) at Detroit Lions (0-4): Top draft pick Sam Bradford has the Rams clicking. Could he lead them to a winning record? The Lions have played most of their opponents close, losing three games by less than six points each. Could this be the week they finally emerge victorious? I know it'll happen, but the Rams seem to have things together right now. Watch out for Detroit, though. RAMS, 26-23
Tampa Bay Bucs (2-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-2): This game could go either way. The Dynamic Duo in Cincy haven't been producing, and both defenses are tight. Which team will emerge victorious? I think it'll be the one who wins the turnover battle, so I have to pick the Bucs. BUCS, 20-17
Sunday late games:
New Orleans Saints (3-1) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2): The Saints haven't been winning big, bnt they've been winning. Arizona's offense isn't consistent, so I have to pick the defending Super Bowl Champs. SAINTS, 23-16
San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Oakland Raiders (1-3): Since being beaten to death by Tennessee in Week One, the Raiders have played their opponents close. I don't think they'll do that here. After a rough start, the offense in San Diego is clicking again. When that's happening, they're almost unstoppable. CHARGERS, 34-20
Tennessee Titans (2-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-2): The Cowboys took the week to heal up and get into sync, while Chris Johnson's numbers are down from last year. Can the Titans get it together to win? With Vince Young under center, he's always dangerous, but I have to think the Cowboys will have taken the extra week to prepare for this. COWBOYS, 20-13
Sunday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) at San Francisco 49ers (0-4): We're down to our last winless team, so this is obviously my pick (remember how this column started?). Michael Vick is injured, so Kevin Kolb returns under center. I don't think he'll feel the same, though. His starting job was yanked from him, the team and coach don't have as much faith in him, and the 49ers are hungry for a victory. The 49ers will rush Kolb and throw off his timing. I also think they'll pick him off at least twice, one returned for a touchdown. 49ERS, 17-13
Monday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings (1-2) at New York Jets (3-1): So the Patriots let Randy Moss return to Minnesota just as they are about to face the Jets, a team who beat New England earlier this season? Does anyone else smell a vengeance plot? Brett Favre has been horribly off, but Moss has already sparked new life in the Vikings locker room. I think the Vikings will keep the game close, and Moss will score a late fourth quarter touchdown on a jumping grab. VIKINGS, 23-20
Sunday early games:
Atlanta Falcons (3-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-3): The Browns beat their hated rival Cincinnati last week. Can the Browns win two in a row? Their defense is good, and the offense is improving, but Matt Ryan and company are getting their mojo back. That spells trouble for opponents. FALCONS, 27-17
Chicago Bears (3-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-4): The Bears are atop the NFC North, but they need to win this one to stay there. The Panthers offense has been totally confused this season. The Bears defense is healthy enough to keep them confused. BEARS, 24-10
Denver Broncos (2-2) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1): Orton looked good last week, but the Ravens defense can be crushing. The Broncos don't have a running game to back up Orton, so all the Ravens have to do is upset the passing game. RAVENS, 17-13
Green Bay Packers (3-1) at Washington Redskins (2-2): Aaron Rodgers is the most productive QB so far this season, even more than Drew Brees or Peyton Manning. The Redskins defense is good, but not good enough to slow that down. PACK, 31-20
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) at Buffalo Bills (0-4): The Jaguars are a true Jekyll-Hyde entity this season. When they are doing well, they look great. That was last week, when they upset Indy. When they're bad, they look pathetic. The Bills have lost all of their games, but they've played hard in most of them. If the Jgs go Hyde, the Bills will register their first win. They could do that, still high on the Indy upset, but I think that Colts game will boost their intensity and keep them playing well. JAGS, 16-13
Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2): Indy doesn't want a losing record, and they want to redeem themselves after the Jags loss. The Chiefs have been having a Cinderella season, but the clock is about to strike midnight, although it'll happen on a late drive. COLTS, 24-23
New York Giants (2-2) at Houston Texans (3-1): Houston has been having a charmed season. Matt Schaub is running this team with precision. While the Giants improved last week to beat Chicago, that precision has been missing for them this season. TEXANS, 21-16
St Louis Rams (2-2) at Detroit Lions (0-4): Top draft pick Sam Bradford has the Rams clicking. Could he lead them to a winning record? The Lions have played most of their opponents close, losing three games by less than six points each. Could this be the week they finally emerge victorious? I know it'll happen, but the Rams seem to have things together right now. Watch out for Detroit, though. RAMS, 26-23
Tampa Bay Bucs (2-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-2): This game could go either way. The Dynamic Duo in Cincy haven't been producing, and both defenses are tight. Which team will emerge victorious? I think it'll be the one who wins the turnover battle, so I have to pick the Bucs. BUCS, 20-17
Sunday late games:
New Orleans Saints (3-1) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2): The Saints haven't been winning big, bnt they've been winning. Arizona's offense isn't consistent, so I have to pick the defending Super Bowl Champs. SAINTS, 23-16
San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Oakland Raiders (1-3): Since being beaten to death by Tennessee in Week One, the Raiders have played their opponents close. I don't think they'll do that here. After a rough start, the offense in San Diego is clicking again. When that's happening, they're almost unstoppable. CHARGERS, 34-20
Tennessee Titans (2-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-2): The Cowboys took the week to heal up and get into sync, while Chris Johnson's numbers are down from last year. Can the Titans get it together to win? With Vince Young under center, he's always dangerous, but I have to think the Cowboys will have taken the extra week to prepare for this. COWBOYS, 20-13
Sunday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) at San Francisco 49ers (0-4): We're down to our last winless team, so this is obviously my pick (remember how this column started?). Michael Vick is injured, so Kevin Kolb returns under center. I don't think he'll feel the same, though. His starting job was yanked from him, the team and coach don't have as much faith in him, and the 49ers are hungry for a victory. The 49ers will rush Kolb and throw off his timing. I also think they'll pick him off at least twice, one returned for a touchdown. 49ERS, 17-13
Monday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings (1-2) at New York Jets (3-1): So the Patriots let Randy Moss return to Minnesota just as they are about to face the Jets, a team who beat New England earlier this season? Does anyone else smell a vengeance plot? Brett Favre has been horribly off, but Moss has already sparked new life in the Vikings locker room. I think the Vikings will keep the game close, and Moss will score a late fourth quarter touchdown on a jumping grab. VIKINGS, 23-20
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
NCAA Week 6 picks
There's a Tues evening game involving Sun Belt teams, but I'll ignore it. I will admit that I don't pay enough attention to the Sun Belt to make an educated pick.
Wed Oct 6
UAB Blazers at Central Florida Golden Knights: UAB has the ability to surprise, but Central Florida isn't as down as people thought they might be. CENTRAL FLORIDA
Thurs Oct 7
#17 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kansas State Wildcats: Kansas State has been playing tougher non-conference opponents to better prepare themselves, but I don't think they can be prepared enough for the Cornhuskers. NEBRASKA
Fri Oct 8
UConn Huskies at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: UConn may be down this season, but still think they have some life in their tank. It also appears that they may have been saving themselves for conference play. If that's the case, they'll roll over Rutgers. As it is, I think it'll be a close game, but I still like the Huskies to prevail. UCONN
#5 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns: With all due respect to the Cajuns, this game will be a blowout. OKLAHOMA STATE
Top 25
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #25 South Carolina Gamecocks: The Tide defense will be too tough for the Gamecocks, and the Gamecocks' D isn't strong enough to hold back Alabama. The only real question will be whether South Carolina will lose badly enough to fall from the rankings. ALABAMA
Indiana Hoosiers at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes had their hands full against Illinois last week, but the Illini have always played Jim Tressel's Buckeyes tough. This game won't be as close. OHIO STATE
#3 Oregon Ducks at Washington State Cougars: The top team in the Pac-10 plays the bottom team in the Pac-10. This outcome shouldn't be tough to predict. OREGON
#4 Utah Utes at Iowa State Cyclones: The Cyclones shocked Texas Tech last week, but Utah doesn't surprise so easily. Being the underdog for so many years means that Utah prepares for EVERY game. UTAH
Toledo Rockets at #6 Boise State Broncos: The blue field doesn't confuse teams so much anymore, but the Broncos no longer need that advantage. The Broncos are scoring at will, accumulating the third most points in four games among all FBS teams. Toledo's defense won't last. BOISE STATE
Wyoming Cowboys at #7 TCU Horned Frogs: Most of the Top Ten have easy games this week, compared to two tough contests last week. This is one of those easy games. TCU
#15 Michigan State Spartans at #9 Michigan Wolverines: This is one of those tough contests. The Spartans have a good team this year. Throw in the in-state rivalry, and this game will be a tough one for the Wolverines. I have to favor Michigan in the Big House, but don't be surprised if Mark Dantonio's team pulls off the upset. MICHIGAN
San Jose State Spartans at #10 Nevada Wolfpack: Another easy game for a Top Ten opponent. Nevada has one of the best offenses in FBS; the Spartans don't stand a chance! NEVADA
Oregon State Beavers at #11 Arizona Wildcats: Arizona has a tough opponent! The Beavers have played tough in a couple of games. If they can avoid making mistakes, they can make it difficult for Arizona. Unfortunately, mistakes have plagued the Beavers this year, so I think Arizona will close this one out. ARIZONA
#20 USC Trojans at #12 Stanford Cardinal: This is a crucial game for both teams. Both are coming off disappointing losses last week. Two conference losses in a row will spell doom for the loser. The Trojans are a decent team, but I don't think Lane Kiffin is quite ready to coach at this level, while Jim Harbaugh has been troubling Pac-10 teams before he had Andrew Luck. STANFORD
#14 Auburn Tigers at Kentucky Wildcats: Kentucky can be tough, but the Auburn defense is pretty tough. AUBURN
Colorado Buffaloes at #19 Missouri Tigers: Colorado actually has a decent team this year. If Missouri hadn't had their bye last week, giving them extra time to prepare, I'd give the Buffs a chance for an upset. At this point, though, I have to pick Missouri. MISSOURI
#21 Florida State Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes: Expect another defensive battle, as many of these contests have been recently. Both teams are improved, but I think Florida State has come further in their rebuilding. These teams always play each other tough, though, so previous performances don't matter much. Miami is the home team, which gives them a slight edge, but I think the Seminoles offense is just a bit better than Miami's. FLORIDA STATE
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #22 Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers lost last week, so they have something to prove. Minnesota has been a disappointment. An upset can help restore their season, but I don't see it happening here. WISCONSIN
#23 Arkansas Razorbacks at Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies can be a tough opponent. This is definitely their toughest non-conference challenge. Ryan Mallet will be challenged in this game, but I don't think the Aggies can keep up with the speed of Arkansas. ARKANSAS
#24 Baylor Bears at Texas Tech Red Raiders: Tech wants redemption for the collapse last week, but two conference losses makes them vulnerable. Baylor faces their first real challenge of the season, and I think they'll be up to the challenge, although Tech should keep it close. BAYLOR
Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini at Penn State Nittany Lions: The Lions offense is off their game. These past weeks they've seemed confused and out of sync. Illinois is playing much better than I expected, and both of their losses (to Missouri and Ohio State) have been close games. I'm going for the upset here, and picking the Illini. ILLINOIS
Purdue Boilermakers at Northwestern Wildcats: The Wildcats are 5-0 and off to their best start in years. A win here will boost their conference stock, and potential Top 25 stock, sky high. NORTHWESTERN
Game of the Week: #13 LSU Tigers at #16 Florida Gators: LSU has a tough defense, and that should give Brantley and the Gators fits, but their offense is inconsistent. The Gators have not lost two consecutive conference games under Urban Meyer, and I don't expect that to happen now. FLORIDA
Other Games of Interest:
Central Michigan Chippewas at Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies are hoping to climb back into the Top 25, but the Chippewas aren't as strong as they have been the past couple of years, so a victory here won't impress enough people. VIRGINIA TECH
Colorado State Rams at Air Force Falcons: The Falcons are soaring, and should have an easy time bombarding the Rams. AIR FORCE
UNLV Running Rebels at West Virginia Mountaineers: Another team hoping to return to the Top 25, they need an outstanding win here to boost their ranking. Somehow, I'm not sure this year's Mountaineers team is capable, although they'll still get the win. WEST VIRGINIA
UCLA Bruins at Cal Golden Bears: This should be a close game, as both teams have talent and something to prove in the conference. UCLA has played opponents tough, but Cal had a week to prepare for them. I think that'll make a difference. CAL
Mississippi State Bulldogs at Houston Cougars: Houston shouldn't have much trouble in this contest. HOUSTON
Wed Oct 6
UAB Blazers at Central Florida Golden Knights: UAB has the ability to surprise, but Central Florida isn't as down as people thought they might be. CENTRAL FLORIDA
Thurs Oct 7
#17 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kansas State Wildcats: Kansas State has been playing tougher non-conference opponents to better prepare themselves, but I don't think they can be prepared enough for the Cornhuskers. NEBRASKA
Fri Oct 8
UConn Huskies at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: UConn may be down this season, but still think they have some life in their tank. It also appears that they may have been saving themselves for conference play. If that's the case, they'll roll over Rutgers. As it is, I think it'll be a close game, but I still like the Huskies to prevail. UCONN
#5 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns: With all due respect to the Cajuns, this game will be a blowout. OKLAHOMA STATE
Top 25
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #25 South Carolina Gamecocks: The Tide defense will be too tough for the Gamecocks, and the Gamecocks' D isn't strong enough to hold back Alabama. The only real question will be whether South Carolina will lose badly enough to fall from the rankings. ALABAMA
Indiana Hoosiers at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes had their hands full against Illinois last week, but the Illini have always played Jim Tressel's Buckeyes tough. This game won't be as close. OHIO STATE
#3 Oregon Ducks at Washington State Cougars: The top team in the Pac-10 plays the bottom team in the Pac-10. This outcome shouldn't be tough to predict. OREGON
#4 Utah Utes at Iowa State Cyclones: The Cyclones shocked Texas Tech last week, but Utah doesn't surprise so easily. Being the underdog for so many years means that Utah prepares for EVERY game. UTAH
Toledo Rockets at #6 Boise State Broncos: The blue field doesn't confuse teams so much anymore, but the Broncos no longer need that advantage. The Broncos are scoring at will, accumulating the third most points in four games among all FBS teams. Toledo's defense won't last. BOISE STATE
Wyoming Cowboys at #7 TCU Horned Frogs: Most of the Top Ten have easy games this week, compared to two tough contests last week. This is one of those easy games. TCU
#15 Michigan State Spartans at #9 Michigan Wolverines: This is one of those tough contests. The Spartans have a good team this year. Throw in the in-state rivalry, and this game will be a tough one for the Wolverines. I have to favor Michigan in the Big House, but don't be surprised if Mark Dantonio's team pulls off the upset. MICHIGAN
San Jose State Spartans at #10 Nevada Wolfpack: Another easy game for a Top Ten opponent. Nevada has one of the best offenses in FBS; the Spartans don't stand a chance! NEVADA
Oregon State Beavers at #11 Arizona Wildcats: Arizona has a tough opponent! The Beavers have played tough in a couple of games. If they can avoid making mistakes, they can make it difficult for Arizona. Unfortunately, mistakes have plagued the Beavers this year, so I think Arizona will close this one out. ARIZONA
#20 USC Trojans at #12 Stanford Cardinal: This is a crucial game for both teams. Both are coming off disappointing losses last week. Two conference losses in a row will spell doom for the loser. The Trojans are a decent team, but I don't think Lane Kiffin is quite ready to coach at this level, while Jim Harbaugh has been troubling Pac-10 teams before he had Andrew Luck. STANFORD
#14 Auburn Tigers at Kentucky Wildcats: Kentucky can be tough, but the Auburn defense is pretty tough. AUBURN
Colorado Buffaloes at #19 Missouri Tigers: Colorado actually has a decent team this year. If Missouri hadn't had their bye last week, giving them extra time to prepare, I'd give the Buffs a chance for an upset. At this point, though, I have to pick Missouri. MISSOURI
#21 Florida State Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes: Expect another defensive battle, as many of these contests have been recently. Both teams are improved, but I think Florida State has come further in their rebuilding. These teams always play each other tough, though, so previous performances don't matter much. Miami is the home team, which gives them a slight edge, but I think the Seminoles offense is just a bit better than Miami's. FLORIDA STATE
Minnesota Golden Gophers at #22 Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers lost last week, so they have something to prove. Minnesota has been a disappointment. An upset can help restore their season, but I don't see it happening here. WISCONSIN
#23 Arkansas Razorbacks at Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies can be a tough opponent. This is definitely their toughest non-conference challenge. Ryan Mallet will be challenged in this game, but I don't think the Aggies can keep up with the speed of Arkansas. ARKANSAS
#24 Baylor Bears at Texas Tech Red Raiders: Tech wants redemption for the collapse last week, but two conference losses makes them vulnerable. Baylor faces their first real challenge of the season, and I think they'll be up to the challenge, although Tech should keep it close. BAYLOR
Big Ten
Illinois Fighting Illini at Penn State Nittany Lions: The Lions offense is off their game. These past weeks they've seemed confused and out of sync. Illinois is playing much better than I expected, and both of their losses (to Missouri and Ohio State) have been close games. I'm going for the upset here, and picking the Illini. ILLINOIS
Purdue Boilermakers at Northwestern Wildcats: The Wildcats are 5-0 and off to their best start in years. A win here will boost their conference stock, and potential Top 25 stock, sky high. NORTHWESTERN
Game of the Week: #13 LSU Tigers at #16 Florida Gators: LSU has a tough defense, and that should give Brantley and the Gators fits, but their offense is inconsistent. The Gators have not lost two consecutive conference games under Urban Meyer, and I don't expect that to happen now. FLORIDA
Other Games of Interest:
Central Michigan Chippewas at Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies are hoping to climb back into the Top 25, but the Chippewas aren't as strong as they have been the past couple of years, so a victory here won't impress enough people. VIRGINIA TECH
Colorado State Rams at Air Force Falcons: The Falcons are soaring, and should have an easy time bombarding the Rams. AIR FORCE
UNLV Running Rebels at West Virginia Mountaineers: Another team hoping to return to the Top 25, they need an outstanding win here to boost their ranking. Somehow, I'm not sure this year's Mountaineers team is capable, although they'll still get the win. WEST VIRGINIA
UCLA Bruins at Cal Golden Bears: This should be a close game, as both teams have talent and something to prove in the conference. UCLA has played opponents tough, but Cal had a week to prepare for them. I think that'll make a difference. CAL
Mississippi State Bulldogs at Houston Cougars: Houston shouldn't have much trouble in this contest. HOUSTON
Monday, October 4, 2010
NCAA Week 5 Top 25
We' re in the countdown of unbeaten teams. We're down to 17, and that number will shrink this week.With multiple unbeaten teams from various conferences, we know it's just a matter of time.
We had some interesting upsets this week. A couple of them didn't affect Top 25 teams, but they were interesting nevertheless. The East Carolina Pirates suffered a huge loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels, a team who had been struggling this season. On Friday, the BYU Cougars officially suffered their most embarrasing loss in years. The Utah State Aggies, a frequent bottom-feeder in the WAC, defeated BYU 31-16. The Cougars are yet to have a victory against a FBS team.
The Top 25 faced a couple of interesting upsets, too. The Texas Tech Red Raiders' defense proved extremely porous, as the Iowa State Cyclones rolled to 52 points. A much closer game was played in the Pac-10. Lane Kiffin suffered his first loss as Trojans coach, when Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies finally looked liek the team hyped in the preseason. It was only a one-point loss, but it knocked the Trojans down.
This week's ranking [Last week's rank]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) [2]
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) [1]
3. Oregon Ducks (5-0) [3]
4. Utah Utes (4-0) [5]
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-0) [4]
6. Boise State Broncos (4-0) [6]
7. TCU Horned Frogs (5-0) [10]
8. Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) [8]
9. Michigan Wolverines (5-0) [12]
10. Nevada Wolfpack (5-0) [13]
11. Arizona Wildcats (4-0) [11]
12. Stanford Cardinal (4-1) [9]
13. LSU Tigers (5-0) [14]
14. Auburn Tigers (5-0) [17]
15. Michigan State Spartans (5-0) [16]
16. Florida Gators (4-1) [7]
17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0) [18]
18. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1) [21]
19. Missouri Tigers (4-0) [NR]
20. USC Trojans (4-1) [16]
21. Florida State Seminoles (4-1) [NR]
22. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1) [20]
23. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-1) [23]
24. Baylor Bears (3-1) [NR]
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1) [25]
On the Edge: Texas A&M Aggies (3-1), Kansas State Wildcats (4-0), Air Force Falcons (4-1), Houston Cougars (3-1), Northwestern Wildcats (5-0), West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1), Miami Hurricanes (3-1), Virginia Tech Hokies (3-2), California Golden Bears (2-2), UCLA Bruins (3-2)
Dropped: Texas Tech Red Raiders [#19], North Carolina State Wolf Pack [#22], Texas Longhorns [#24]
We had some interesting upsets this week. A couple of them didn't affect Top 25 teams, but they were interesting nevertheless. The East Carolina Pirates suffered a huge loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels, a team who had been struggling this season. On Friday, the BYU Cougars officially suffered their most embarrasing loss in years. The Utah State Aggies, a frequent bottom-feeder in the WAC, defeated BYU 31-16. The Cougars are yet to have a victory against a FBS team.
The Top 25 faced a couple of interesting upsets, too. The Texas Tech Red Raiders' defense proved extremely porous, as the Iowa State Cyclones rolled to 52 points. A much closer game was played in the Pac-10. Lane Kiffin suffered his first loss as Trojans coach, when Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies finally looked liek the team hyped in the preseason. It was only a one-point loss, but it knocked the Trojans down.
This week's ranking [Last week's rank]
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) [2]
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) [1]
3. Oregon Ducks (5-0) [3]
4. Utah Utes (4-0) [5]
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-0) [4]
6. Boise State Broncos (4-0) [6]
7. TCU Horned Frogs (5-0) [10]
8. Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) [8]
9. Michigan Wolverines (5-0) [12]
10. Nevada Wolfpack (5-0) [13]
11. Arizona Wildcats (4-0) [11]
12. Stanford Cardinal (4-1) [9]
13. LSU Tigers (5-0) [14]
14. Auburn Tigers (5-0) [17]
15. Michigan State Spartans (5-0) [16]
16. Florida Gators (4-1) [7]
17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0) [18]
18. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1) [21]
19. Missouri Tigers (4-0) [NR]
20. USC Trojans (4-1) [16]
21. Florida State Seminoles (4-1) [NR]
22. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1) [20]
23. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-1) [23]
24. Baylor Bears (3-1) [NR]
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1) [25]
On the Edge: Texas A&M Aggies (3-1), Kansas State Wildcats (4-0), Air Force Falcons (4-1), Houston Cougars (3-1), Northwestern Wildcats (5-0), West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1), Miami Hurricanes (3-1), Virginia Tech Hokies (3-2), California Golden Bears (2-2), UCLA Bruins (3-2)
Dropped: Texas Tech Red Raiders [#19], North Carolina State Wolf Pack [#22], Texas Longhorns [#24]
Friday, October 1, 2010
NFL 2010 Week 4 picks
Who would have thought that the only NFC team with an unbeaten record at this point would be the Chicago Bears? In my wildest dreams, I wouldn't have predicted that. The Kansas City Chiefs continue their amazing streak, and the Steelers are the only other unbeaten team. There are five winless teams at this point, and this week could end that way, too.
Sunday early games:
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): This will likely be a defensive battle, and that plays right in the Steelers hands. They're surviving Roethlisberger's banishment, and could turn over an unbeaten team to him. STEELERS, 16-13
Carolina Panthers (0-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-1): The Panthers are struggling, and facing the defending Super Bowl champ is now way to get out of it. SAINTS, 28-13
Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Cleveland Browns (0-3): Another match-up of 2-1 v 0-3, and I foresee a similar result. Cleveland just hasn't done much against the Bengals in years. BENGALS, 17-10
Denver Broncos (1-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-2): This should be an interesting battle! This one could come down to a clutch field goal, and I like the Titans' kicker. TITANS, 20-17
Detroit Lions (0-3) at Green Bay Packers (2-1): All 0-3 teams play 2-1 teams this week. Someone doesn't like them, it appears! For the Lions, they face a Green Bay team who knows they would have won on Monday if they didn't make so many mistakes. They won't do that again, sealing the victory. PACK, 24-10
New York Jets (2-1) at Buffalo Bills (0-3): The Jets are getting back on track, and that will give the Bills headaches! JETS, 17-6
Seattle Seahawks (2-1) at St Louis Rams (1-2): Bradford and the Rams won their first game last week, an upset against Washington. Can they make it two in a row? I don't think so. The Seahawks outplayed the dynamic San Diego Chargers, so I have to like the Seahawks here. SEAHAWKS, 27-13
San Francisco 49ers (0-3) at Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Every single winless team plays in the early afternoon; that doesn't happen always. While I'm sure the 49ers will get it together at some point, the Falcons are showing some power. That can expire quickly, and it might be this week, but I'll still with the dirty birds for a while. FALCONS, 31-16
Sunday late games:
Arizona Cardinals (2-1) at San Diego Chargers (1-2): The Chargers are better than 1-2; they will be after this game. CHARGERS, 34-24
Houston Texans (2-1) at Oakland Raiders (1-2): Houston lost the battle for Texas, but that may just make them more motivated. The Raiders are better this year, but the Texans are expecting to make the playoffs. They just might do that. TEXANS, 21-13
Indianapolis Colts (2-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): The Colts have completely reversed their poor opening weekend performance. That should continue for a while. COLTS, 27-13
Washington Redskins (1-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): Michael Vick has been given a huge vote of confidence from his coach, and he plans to prove he's worth it. I'll admit, he's mostly kept his nose clean (his only flub was being seen in public with a former dog-fighting companion, someone he was ordered to stay away from). He wants to prove himself a starting QB, so he'll make the most of this situation. EAGLES, 23-13
Sunday Night game: Chicago Bears (3-0) at New York Giants (1-2): Can the Bears win TWO prime time games back to back? I'd like to say "No," but the Giants have struggled since getting scrubbed by the Colts. If they can't reverse that, the Bears have a chance. They are mostly healthy, and that's the time for them to strike. BEARS, 24-20
Monday Night Football: New England Patriots (2-1) at Miami Dolphins (2-1): This game could go either way. The Dolphins defense has been working pretty well this season, although it took a back step last week against the Jets. The Patriots are capable of pushing that defense. PATS, 24-20
Sunday early games:
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0): This will likely be a defensive battle, and that plays right in the Steelers hands. They're surviving Roethlisberger's banishment, and could turn over an unbeaten team to him. STEELERS, 16-13
Carolina Panthers (0-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-1): The Panthers are struggling, and facing the defending Super Bowl champ is now way to get out of it. SAINTS, 28-13
Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Cleveland Browns (0-3): Another match-up of 2-1 v 0-3, and I foresee a similar result. Cleveland just hasn't done much against the Bengals in years. BENGALS, 17-10
Denver Broncos (1-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-2): This should be an interesting battle! This one could come down to a clutch field goal, and I like the Titans' kicker. TITANS, 20-17
Detroit Lions (0-3) at Green Bay Packers (2-1): All 0-3 teams play 2-1 teams this week. Someone doesn't like them, it appears! For the Lions, they face a Green Bay team who knows they would have won on Monday if they didn't make so many mistakes. They won't do that again, sealing the victory. PACK, 24-10
New York Jets (2-1) at Buffalo Bills (0-3): The Jets are getting back on track, and that will give the Bills headaches! JETS, 17-6
Seattle Seahawks (2-1) at St Louis Rams (1-2): Bradford and the Rams won their first game last week, an upset against Washington. Can they make it two in a row? I don't think so. The Seahawks outplayed the dynamic San Diego Chargers, so I have to like the Seahawks here. SEAHAWKS, 27-13
San Francisco 49ers (0-3) at Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Every single winless team plays in the early afternoon; that doesn't happen always. While I'm sure the 49ers will get it together at some point, the Falcons are showing some power. That can expire quickly, and it might be this week, but I'll still with the dirty birds for a while. FALCONS, 31-16
Sunday late games:
Arizona Cardinals (2-1) at San Diego Chargers (1-2): The Chargers are better than 1-2; they will be after this game. CHARGERS, 34-24
Houston Texans (2-1) at Oakland Raiders (1-2): Houston lost the battle for Texas, but that may just make them more motivated. The Raiders are better this year, but the Texans are expecting to make the playoffs. They just might do that. TEXANS, 21-13
Indianapolis Colts (2-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2): The Colts have completely reversed their poor opening weekend performance. That should continue for a while. COLTS, 27-13
Washington Redskins (1-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1): Michael Vick has been given a huge vote of confidence from his coach, and he plans to prove he's worth it. I'll admit, he's mostly kept his nose clean (his only flub was being seen in public with a former dog-fighting companion, someone he was ordered to stay away from). He wants to prove himself a starting QB, so he'll make the most of this situation. EAGLES, 23-13
Sunday Night game: Chicago Bears (3-0) at New York Giants (1-2): Can the Bears win TWO prime time games back to back? I'd like to say "No," but the Giants have struggled since getting scrubbed by the Colts. If they can't reverse that, the Bears have a chance. They are mostly healthy, and that's the time for them to strike. BEARS, 24-20
Monday Night Football: New England Patriots (2-1) at Miami Dolphins (2-1): This game could go either way. The Dolphins defense has been working pretty well this season, although it took a back step last week against the Jets. The Patriots are capable of pushing that defense. PATS, 24-20
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