Houston retook their division lead, the Jets are in the midst of a winning streak, and Washington won their second game of the season. Cincy is now two games back from the next worst team and definitely seems destined to have the Number One pick in the draft.
I am picking nearly all the visiting teams this week. Normally that would concern me, but not in this season, where road teams have been doing very well. As an indication of this, Seattle has a perfect road record!
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (9-2) [3] : A couple of huge victories recently has boosted this team's position
2. San Francisco 49ers (10-1) [2]
3. New England Patriots (10-1) [1] : Recent close games have dropped the Patriots out of the top spot for the first time all season
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-3) [4]
5. Dallas Cowboys (6-5) [5] : They looked bad against the tough Patriots defense, but their defense held well, and there is a large gap to the next position
6. New Orleans Saints (9-2) [8]
7. Buffalo Bills (8-3) [9]
8. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) [7]
9. Seattle Seahawks (9-2) [10]
10. Green Bay Packers (8-3) [6]
11. Tennessee Titans (6-5) [14]
12. Houston Texans (7-4) [13]
Division Ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC North [2] : Despite losses by Green Bay and Detroit, the division crept back to the top spot
2. NFC West [1] : Big losses by the Rams and Cardinals slip them just below the NFC North
3. AFC South [3] : Now the only division with only one team that has a negative point differential, they spent this last week only playing each other, so they held firm
4. AFC East [5] : The Jets winning streak is boosting this division
5. AFC North [6] : Huge win by the Ravens, plus a Browns win, bolstered this division for a week
6. AFC West [4] : Half the division had a bye week and the others lost big
7. NFC South [8]
8. NFC East [7] : Washington had their second win, but the rest of the division lost, and Dallas lost big
Thanksgiving Day games
I'm picking all visitors today, which hasn't happened for a few years.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions : The Lions are starting a rookie QB today. To start on Thanksgiving Day is an honor, but to start your first game against the tough Bears secondary is asking too much. BEARS, 20-9
Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys : The Cowboys often play above themselves on Thanksgiving Day, and that's the only way they could upset the Bills, you are playing excellent ball. BILLS, 23-20
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons : Atlanta lost their first division game last week. Looks like this one will be their second. The Saints get to avenge the embarrassing "no touchdown" loss of a couple of weeks ago. SAINTS, 27-20
Sunday early games
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers : Quarterback issues are hurting the Steelers. Yes, they won last week, but sixteen points against the pathetic Bengals is nothing to be proud of, and Mason Rudolph was pulled in the middle of the game for poor play. Furthermore, Rudolph continues to try to deny any wrongdoing in the brawl from two weeks ago. The more he denies, the more evident that he actually did something wrong. If you are truly innocent, you don't need to keep denying it -- that's the sign of a guilty conscience. His constant denials will start to distance himself from his team, and that will affect the play on the field. We'll see that this week. BROWNS, 20-13
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants : At least the Pack get an easy opponent as they try to figure out what went wrong last week. PACKERS, 23-20
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals : The Jets extend their winning streak to four games as they trounce the increasingly pathetic Bengals. JETS, 23-13
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins : Speaking of another pathetic team, the Eagles get a breather against the struggling Dolphins. Good thing, as the Eagles need to figure out some things, too. EAGLES, 27-20
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens : Whoa, here's an exciting game! The Ravens just assumed the top spot on the Power Rankings. Can they keep it? Lamar Jackson and the amazing Ravens offense face off against the toughest defense in the league. In those battles, defense usually wins, so I'll pick the 49ers, but this game really could go either way. 49ERS, 27-24
Tampa Bay Bucs at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Bucs are inconsistent, but the Jags are in a slump right now and ripe for the picking. BUCS, 27-24
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts : Here I also defy Power Rankings a bit, as I favor #13 Colts over the #11 Titans. Why? This one is really more of a hunch, as the Titans are the better team on paper. Something tells me that the Colts want to bounce back from their loss to the Texans, and two consecutive division losses would be something they would avoid at all costs. COLTS, 23-21
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers : The Panthers are looking poorly right now, but I cannot pick the upset, as even in victory Dwayne Haskins struggled. PANTHERS, 24-20
Sunday late games
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos : The Chargers got a bye week to get themselves together to battle their divisional opponent. That will help. CHARGERS, 20-16
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals : Pity the Cardinals for poor timing. The face a Rams team desperate to erase an embarrassing loss last week. This won't go well. RAMS, 27-16
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs : The Raiders were smothered by the Jets last week, and now they face a rested Chiefs team fresh off a bye. Not a good combination. CHIEFS, 27-20
Sunday night game
New England Patriots at Houston Texans : The Patriots are slipping, which just means they aren't wiping away opponents. They still have a stiff defense that keeps them ahead of their opponents. PATRIOTS, 27-20
Monday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks : Both of these teams are unbeaten on the road, which gives the Vikings the edge. The Seahawks play well at home, though, so watch for the upset. VIKINGS, 24-20
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Sunday, November 24, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 14 picks
Tues Nov 26
Western Michigan Broncos at Northern Illinois Huskies : The Broncos need this game to win the division. The Huskies would love to play spoiler, and they might succeed, but I think the Broncos will keep their eye on the ball and capture the division. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Thurs Nov 28
Ole Miss Rebels at Mississippi State Bulldogs : Oh how I miss the old days when a great Big Eight rivalry game was played on Thanksgiving night. I suppose since the NFL has added a Thursday night game, the NCAA figures an SEC rivalry might draw enough fans to watch. Not me. Oh, and my pick for this game? MISSISSIPPI STATE
Fri Nov 29
Virginia Tech Hokies at Virginia Cavaliers : This game determines who gains the dubious honor of going to the ACC Championship Game to be slaughtered by Clemson. The Cavs have shown steadier play this season, and that will make the difference in a high-intensive rivalry game like this. VIRGINIA
Toledo Rockets at Central Michigan Chippewas : The Chippewas will know if they have a chance to capture the division. If, by chance, the Broncos lose on Tuesday, the Chippewas will have enough incentive to win this game. Truthfully, I think they'll win even without that incentive. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
#15 Iowa Hawkeyes at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska can be bowl eligible if they win this game. Unfortunately they have to face one of the toughest defenses in the conference to get there. I don't think so. IOWA
#16 Cincinnati Bearcats at #18 Memphis Tigers : The Bearcats have been coasting the past couple of weeks. That will not be sufficient to get past the surging Tigers. Upset time! MEMPHIS
#20 Boise State Broncos at Colorado State Rams : Easy pick. BOISE STATE
#21 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Troy Trojans : The Trojans need this win in order to be bowl eligible, but the Mountaineers will make that difficult. Troy has often been a spoiler at the end of the season, so they might pull off this upset, but I don't think so. APPALACHIAN STATE
South Florida Bulls at #25 UCF Golden Knights : If the Bulls had the type of defense they usually do, they might slow the intense Golden Knights offense. This year, no chance. UCF
Sat Nov 30
Top 25:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at #11 Michigan Wolverines : Yes, Michigan's offense has been greatly improved over the past four games. But really, this is Ohio State. They have been the best overall team all season, and no intense rivalry will upend that, especially since Jim Harbaugh hasn't been able to be "that team". OHIO STATE
Texas A&M Aggies at #2 LSU Tigers : The Aggies have been underachievers for much of this season. Not a great trait when you are facing the Tigers. LSU
#3 Clemson Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks : The battle for South Carolina goes to the forthcoming ACC Champion. CLEMSON
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide at #17 Auburn Tigers : Ok, the Tide did okay without Tua, but that was a pathetic FCS team. Now they face Auburn. Truthfully, I don't think the Tide's neophyte QB is ready for that. AUBURN in an upset
Colorado Buffaloes at #5 Utah Utes : Utah will clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship as they cruise past the rambling Buffaloes. UTAH
#6 Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : The battle of Georgia will be a one-sided affair. GEORGIA
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #7 Penn State Nittany Lions : Penn State gets an easy win to close their season. PENN STATE
#8 Wisconsin Badgers at #13 Minnesota Golden Gophers : This game could be very close. I expect this to be a tough defensive battle, with the ground game taking precedence. That gives an advantage to Wisconsin. WISCONSIN
#9 Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys : The Sooners capture the regular season Big XII title with a win over their in-state rival. OKLAHOMA
#10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Cardinal : Stanford will miss a bowl game, and they will get smashed by the Irish, who will finish with a double-digit win total for the second year in a row. NOTRE DAME
Oregon State Beavers at #12 Oregon Ducks : The Ducks want to wash away the sting of last week's loss before playing in the Pac-12 Championship, so they will really give it to their rivals in this game. OREGON
#14 Baylor Bears at Kansas Jayhawks : The Bears will do what they need to gain a rematch against Oklahoma in next week's Big XII pseudo-Championship Game. BAYLOR
Florida State Seminoles at #19 Florida Gators : The Battle for Florida should also be fairly one-sided. FLORIDA
#22 Navy Midshipmen at Houston Cougars : Houston has not been their usual competitive self this season, so Navy should have a strong game. NAVY
Wyoming Cowboys at #23 Air Force Falcons : This might be the most competitive game that featuring two ranked teams. Wyoming is a good team, and they will certainly test the Falcons. I think the cadets will pull it out. AIR FORCE
Tulane Green Wave at #24 SMU Mustangs : SMU has suffered two consecutive losses, so they are hoping they can stop that slide against Tulane. They should, although the Green Wave can surprise. SMU
Big Ten:
Northwestern Wildcats at Illinois Fighting Illini : The Illini are already bowl-bound, but they want a seven-win season. The Wildcats want to prevent going winless in the conference, but I don't think they'll accomplish that. ILLINOIS
Indiana Hoosiers at Purdue Boilermakers : Indiana will gain an 8-win season by pulverizing the struggling Boilermakers. INDIANA
Maryland Terrapins at Michigan State Spartans : The Spartans need a win in order to be bowl-eligible, and I think they will accomplish that. MICHIGAN STATE
Other Games of Interest:
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Florida Atlantic Owls : A Golden Eagles win would set up a rematch between these two in the Conference USA Championship. Southern Miss will battle hard, but I think the Owls will pull this one out. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
UTSA Roadrunners at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs : The Bulldogs will do their part to get to the Conference USA title game, and Florida Atlantic will help. Now they hope the next game seals the deal. LOUISIANA TECH
UAB Blazers at North Texas Mean Green : UAB has a shot at the title game if Florida Atlantic does their part. Even without a shot at the title game, I think UAB will beat them. UAB
UL Monroe Warhawks at Louisiana Ragin Cajuns : The Cajuns will smash their state rival in preparation for the Sun Belt Championship next week. LOUISIANA
BYU Cougars at San Diego State Aztecs : The Aztecs should close their season strongly with a win over the inconsistent Cougars. SAN DIEGO STATE
Western Michigan Broncos at Northern Illinois Huskies : The Broncos need this game to win the division. The Huskies would love to play spoiler, and they might succeed, but I think the Broncos will keep their eye on the ball and capture the division. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Thurs Nov 28
Ole Miss Rebels at Mississippi State Bulldogs : Oh how I miss the old days when a great Big Eight rivalry game was played on Thanksgiving night. I suppose since the NFL has added a Thursday night game, the NCAA figures an SEC rivalry might draw enough fans to watch. Not me. Oh, and my pick for this game? MISSISSIPPI STATE
Fri Nov 29
Virginia Tech Hokies at Virginia Cavaliers : This game determines who gains the dubious honor of going to the ACC Championship Game to be slaughtered by Clemson. The Cavs have shown steadier play this season, and that will make the difference in a high-intensive rivalry game like this. VIRGINIA
Toledo Rockets at Central Michigan Chippewas : The Chippewas will know if they have a chance to capture the division. If, by chance, the Broncos lose on Tuesday, the Chippewas will have enough incentive to win this game. Truthfully, I think they'll win even without that incentive. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
#15 Iowa Hawkeyes at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska can be bowl eligible if they win this game. Unfortunately they have to face one of the toughest defenses in the conference to get there. I don't think so. IOWA
#16 Cincinnati Bearcats at #18 Memphis Tigers : The Bearcats have been coasting the past couple of weeks. That will not be sufficient to get past the surging Tigers. Upset time! MEMPHIS
#20 Boise State Broncos at Colorado State Rams : Easy pick. BOISE STATE
#21 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Troy Trojans : The Trojans need this win in order to be bowl eligible, but the Mountaineers will make that difficult. Troy has often been a spoiler at the end of the season, so they might pull off this upset, but I don't think so. APPALACHIAN STATE
South Florida Bulls at #25 UCF Golden Knights : If the Bulls had the type of defense they usually do, they might slow the intense Golden Knights offense. This year, no chance. UCF
Sat Nov 30
Top 25:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at #11 Michigan Wolverines : Yes, Michigan's offense has been greatly improved over the past four games. But really, this is Ohio State. They have been the best overall team all season, and no intense rivalry will upend that, especially since Jim Harbaugh hasn't been able to be "that team". OHIO STATE
Texas A&M Aggies at #2 LSU Tigers : The Aggies have been underachievers for much of this season. Not a great trait when you are facing the Tigers. LSU
#3 Clemson Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks : The battle for South Carolina goes to the forthcoming ACC Champion. CLEMSON
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide at #17 Auburn Tigers : Ok, the Tide did okay without Tua, but that was a pathetic FCS team. Now they face Auburn. Truthfully, I don't think the Tide's neophyte QB is ready for that. AUBURN in an upset
Colorado Buffaloes at #5 Utah Utes : Utah will clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship as they cruise past the rambling Buffaloes. UTAH
#6 Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : The battle of Georgia will be a one-sided affair. GEORGIA
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #7 Penn State Nittany Lions : Penn State gets an easy win to close their season. PENN STATE
#8 Wisconsin Badgers at #13 Minnesota Golden Gophers : This game could be very close. I expect this to be a tough defensive battle, with the ground game taking precedence. That gives an advantage to Wisconsin. WISCONSIN
#9 Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys : The Sooners capture the regular season Big XII title with a win over their in-state rival. OKLAHOMA
#10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Cardinal : Stanford will miss a bowl game, and they will get smashed by the Irish, who will finish with a double-digit win total for the second year in a row. NOTRE DAME
Oregon State Beavers at #12 Oregon Ducks : The Ducks want to wash away the sting of last week's loss before playing in the Pac-12 Championship, so they will really give it to their rivals in this game. OREGON
#14 Baylor Bears at Kansas Jayhawks : The Bears will do what they need to gain a rematch against Oklahoma in next week's Big XII pseudo-Championship Game. BAYLOR
Florida State Seminoles at #19 Florida Gators : The Battle for Florida should also be fairly one-sided. FLORIDA
#22 Navy Midshipmen at Houston Cougars : Houston has not been their usual competitive self this season, so Navy should have a strong game. NAVY
Wyoming Cowboys at #23 Air Force Falcons : This might be the most competitive game that featuring two ranked teams. Wyoming is a good team, and they will certainly test the Falcons. I think the cadets will pull it out. AIR FORCE
Tulane Green Wave at #24 SMU Mustangs : SMU has suffered two consecutive losses, so they are hoping they can stop that slide against Tulane. They should, although the Green Wave can surprise. SMU
Big Ten:
Northwestern Wildcats at Illinois Fighting Illini : The Illini are already bowl-bound, but they want a seven-win season. The Wildcats want to prevent going winless in the conference, but I don't think they'll accomplish that. ILLINOIS
Indiana Hoosiers at Purdue Boilermakers : Indiana will gain an 8-win season by pulverizing the struggling Boilermakers. INDIANA
Maryland Terrapins at Michigan State Spartans : The Spartans need a win in order to be bowl-eligible, and I think they will accomplish that. MICHIGAN STATE
Other Games of Interest:
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Florida Atlantic Owls : A Golden Eagles win would set up a rematch between these two in the Conference USA Championship. Southern Miss will battle hard, but I think the Owls will pull this one out. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
UTSA Roadrunners at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs : The Bulldogs will do their part to get to the Conference USA title game, and Florida Atlantic will help. Now they hope the next game seals the deal. LOUISIANA TECH
UAB Blazers at North Texas Mean Green : UAB has a shot at the title game if Florida Atlantic does their part. Even without a shot at the title game, I think UAB will beat them. UAB
UL Monroe Warhawks at Louisiana Ragin Cajuns : The Cajuns will smash their state rival in preparation for the Sun Belt Championship next week. LOUISIANA
BYU Cougars at San Diego State Aztecs : The Aztecs should close their season strongly with a win over the inconsistent Cougars. SAN DIEGO STATE
NCAA Football 2019 Week 13 results
After a couple of weeks with few upsets, they returned last week. If you went to bed early on Saturday, we may not have noticed, as the early ones struck the MAC and Conference USA. However, the night brought attacks to ACC and Pac-12 teams.
Despite the upsets, no teams fell from the Top 25, a rare occurrence at this point in the season, when we get long-simmering rivalries. We get even more this weekend, so enjoy!
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (11-0) [2]
3. Clemson Tigers (11-0) [3]
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1) [4]
5. Utah Utes (10-1) [8]
6. Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) [6]
7. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2) [5]
8. Wisconsin Badgers (9-2) [10]
9. Oklahoma Sooners (10-1) [9]
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2) [12]
11. Michigan Wolverines (9-2) [11]
12. Oregon Ducks (9-2) [7]
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-1) [13]
14. Baylor Bears (10-1) [15]
15. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-3) [14]
16. Cincinnati Bearcats (10-1) [16]
17. Auburn Tigers (8-3) [17]
18. Memphis Tigers (10-1) [20]
19. Florida Gators (9-2) [18]
20. Boise State Broncos (10-1) [22]
21. Appalachian State Mountaineers (10-1) [21]
22. Navy Midshipmen (8-2) [23]
23. Air Force Falcons (9-2) [24]
24. SMU Mustangs (9-2) [19]
25. UCF Golden Knights (8-3) [25]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (9-2), Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-3), Wyoming Cowboys (8-3), Texas A&M Aggies (7-4), San Diego State Aztecs (8-3), Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-3), Kansas State Wildcats (7-4)
Big Ten Report
Things went pretty much as expected. Close games with Ohio State and Iowa, Minnesota scores a lot against the Wildcats defense, and Purdue collapses again. I did not expect Northwestern to score so much against the Gophers defense (now I'm a little concerned about their game against Illinois this weekend) and I certainly did not expect Nebraska to shut out Maryland so thoroughly.
Upset Report
Eastern Michigan and Kent State both found their offense this week and surprised their opponents. Marshall fell to Charlotte, losing their chance at the division title, and North Texas gave Rice just their second conference win. Then, at night, Miami fell to the Golden Panthers of Florida International, Oregon lost their chance at the playoffs by losing to Arizona State, and Colorado knocked off Washington.
Division Races
American Athletic East : CINCINNATI clinched
American Athletic West : If Memphis wins or Navy loses, the Tigers clinch. If Memphis loses AND Navy wins, the Midshipmen capture the title
ACC Atlantic : CLEMSON
ACC Coastal : The winner of this weekend's Virginia - Virginia Tech bout captures the crown
Big XII : If the Sooners win or Baylor loses, Oklahoma clinches. Baylor gets it if they win AND Oklahoma loses
Big Ten East : OHIO STATE
Big Ten West : The winner of the Minnesota v Wisconsin bout clinches
Conference USA East : FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Conference USA West : If Southern Miss wins, they capture the division. If the Golden Eagles lose and UAB wins, the Blazers are champs. If both of those teams lose and Louisiana Tech wins, the Bulldogs can still clinch.
MAC East : MIAMI OHIO
MAC West : If Western Michigan wins or Central Michigan loses, the Broncos play the Redhawks. If Central Michigan wins AND Western Michigan loses, the Chippewas clinch.
Mountain West : BOISE STATE v HAWAII
Pac-12 North : OREGON
Pac-12 South : If Utah wins or USC loses, the Utes play the Ducks. If Utah loses AND USC wins, the Trojans clinch
SEC : GEORGIA v LSU
Sun Belt : APPALACHIAN STATE v LOUISIANA
Despite the upsets, no teams fell from the Top 25, a rare occurrence at this point in the season, when we get long-simmering rivalries. We get even more this weekend, so enjoy!
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (11-0) [2]
3. Clemson Tigers (11-0) [3]
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-1) [4]
5. Utah Utes (10-1) [8]
6. Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) [6]
7. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2) [5]
8. Wisconsin Badgers (9-2) [10]
9. Oklahoma Sooners (10-1) [9]
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-2) [12]
11. Michigan Wolverines (9-2) [11]
12. Oregon Ducks (9-2) [7]
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-1) [13]
14. Baylor Bears (10-1) [15]
15. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-3) [14]
16. Cincinnati Bearcats (10-1) [16]
17. Auburn Tigers (8-3) [17]
18. Memphis Tigers (10-1) [20]
19. Florida Gators (9-2) [18]
20. Boise State Broncos (10-1) [22]
21. Appalachian State Mountaineers (10-1) [21]
22. Navy Midshipmen (8-2) [23]
23. Air Force Falcons (9-2) [24]
24. SMU Mustangs (9-2) [19]
25. UCF Golden Knights (8-3) [25]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (9-2), Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-3), Wyoming Cowboys (8-3), Texas A&M Aggies (7-4), San Diego State Aztecs (8-3), Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-3), Kansas State Wildcats (7-4)
Big Ten Report
Things went pretty much as expected. Close games with Ohio State and Iowa, Minnesota scores a lot against the Wildcats defense, and Purdue collapses again. I did not expect Northwestern to score so much against the Gophers defense (now I'm a little concerned about their game against Illinois this weekend) and I certainly did not expect Nebraska to shut out Maryland so thoroughly.
Upset Report
Eastern Michigan and Kent State both found their offense this week and surprised their opponents. Marshall fell to Charlotte, losing their chance at the division title, and North Texas gave Rice just their second conference win. Then, at night, Miami fell to the Golden Panthers of Florida International, Oregon lost their chance at the playoffs by losing to Arizona State, and Colorado knocked off Washington.
Division Races
American Athletic East : CINCINNATI clinched
American Athletic West : If Memphis wins or Navy loses, the Tigers clinch. If Memphis loses AND Navy wins, the Midshipmen capture the title
ACC Atlantic : CLEMSON
ACC Coastal : The winner of this weekend's Virginia - Virginia Tech bout captures the crown
Big XII : If the Sooners win or Baylor loses, Oklahoma clinches. Baylor gets it if they win AND Oklahoma loses
Big Ten East : OHIO STATE
Big Ten West : The winner of the Minnesota v Wisconsin bout clinches
Conference USA East : FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Conference USA West : If Southern Miss wins, they capture the division. If the Golden Eagles lose and UAB wins, the Blazers are champs. If both of those teams lose and Louisiana Tech wins, the Bulldogs can still clinch.
MAC East : MIAMI OHIO
MAC West : If Western Michigan wins or Central Michigan loses, the Broncos play the Redhawks. If Central Michigan wins AND Western Michigan loses, the Chippewas clinch.
Mountain West : BOISE STATE v HAWAII
Pac-12 North : OREGON
Pac-12 South : If Utah wins or USC loses, the Utes play the Ducks. If Utah loses AND USC wins, the Trojans clinch
SEC : GEORGIA v LSU
Sun Belt : APPALACHIAN STATE v LOUISIANA
NFL 2019 Week 11 results and Week 12 picks
Family business kept me from getting this done in time for Thursday's game, but I can still provide everything else. I had a fabulous week of picks after two poor weeks, but Carolina's collapse still surprises me (surprises them, too, I bet!).
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (9-1) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (9-1) [2]
3. Baltimore Ravens (8-2) [3] : If the Ravens keep improving, this team might challenge the Patriots for the AFC crown
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-3) [4]
5. Dallas Cowboys (6-4) [5]
6. Green Bay Packers (8-2) [6]
7. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) [8]
8. New Orleans Saints (8-2) [10]
9. Buffalo Bills (7-3) [11]
10. Seattle Seahawks (8-2) [9]
11. Los Angeles Rams (6-4) [12]
12. Indianapolis Colts (6-4) [17]
Division Ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : Two teams in the Top Ten and only one team with a losing record keeps this division on top
2. NFC North [2] : Also has two teams in the Top Ten, but Chicago and Detroit drag them down a bit
3. AFC South [3] : Like NFC West, only one team with a losing record
4. AFC West [4] : could be #3 if the Chargers would play more consistently
5. AFC East [6] : The Jets are winning, but they still have poor stats
6. AFC North [5] : only Baltimore has a positive points differential
7. NFC East [8] : out of the cellar, but barely
8. NFC South [7] : Carolina's collapse is pulling down the division
Sunday early games
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints: I would have picked the Saints anyway, but the recent skid by Carolina makes the pick even more obvious. SAINTS, 27-23
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills: Buffalo continues their impressive season. BILLS, 21-17
Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins: The Lions haven't looked too good recently, but the Redskins have looked much worse. LIONS, 24-20
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns: Now I understand why the Browns were picked to do well this season! They play so many weak teams. BROWNS, 23-20
New York Giants at Chicago Bears: The Bears offense has been struggling badly, but so has the Giants. The Bears definitely have the better defense, and that will give them the advantage in this game. BEARS, 20-13
Oakland Raiders at New York Jets: The Jets have won a couple of games recently, but the Raiders have gotten themselves together. The Jets will make this competitive, but not quite enough. RAIDERS, 24-20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals: Cincy is still winless, and I think that will continue, although the chaotic Steelers could lose this game in spite of themselves. STEELERS, 23-17
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles can't quite muster enough strength to win these days, although they will make it competitive. SEAHAWKS, 27-24
Tampa Bay Bucs at Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons stink, but not against divisional opponents. While the Bucs might win this one, I think the Falcons will surprise them. FALCONS, 30-27
Sunday late games
Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots: The Cowboys offense may be one of the toughest the Pats defense has faced, which will help keep this game close, but the Pats' talent will prove just a bit too much for the Boys. PATRIOTS, 24-20
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans: The Titans continue to be one of the best mediocre teams, who lose close games but win big ones. This will be a rare close win. TITANS, 20-17
Sunday night
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers: The Pack had an extra week to prepare for this game, and they needed it. The 49ers defense is extremely tough, and will give the Pack fits. I'll pick the home team, but watch out for some of that Aaron Rodgers magic pulling it out in the fourth quarter! 49ERS, 24-23
Monday Night Football
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Rams: The Ravens are the hottest scoring team right now. Watch Lamar Jackson continue to heat up the scoreboard. RAVENS, 34-20
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (9-1) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (9-1) [2]
3. Baltimore Ravens (8-2) [3] : If the Ravens keep improving, this team might challenge the Patriots for the AFC crown
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-3) [4]
5. Dallas Cowboys (6-4) [5]
6. Green Bay Packers (8-2) [6]
7. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) [8]
8. New Orleans Saints (8-2) [10]
9. Buffalo Bills (7-3) [11]
10. Seattle Seahawks (8-2) [9]
11. Los Angeles Rams (6-4) [12]
12. Indianapolis Colts (6-4) [17]
Division Ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : Two teams in the Top Ten and only one team with a losing record keeps this division on top
2. NFC North [2] : Also has two teams in the Top Ten, but Chicago and Detroit drag them down a bit
3. AFC South [3] : Like NFC West, only one team with a losing record
4. AFC West [4] : could be #3 if the Chargers would play more consistently
5. AFC East [6] : The Jets are winning, but they still have poor stats
6. AFC North [5] : only Baltimore has a positive points differential
7. NFC East [8] : out of the cellar, but barely
8. NFC South [7] : Carolina's collapse is pulling down the division
Sunday early games
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints: I would have picked the Saints anyway, but the recent skid by Carolina makes the pick even more obvious. SAINTS, 27-23
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills: Buffalo continues their impressive season. BILLS, 21-17
Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins: The Lions haven't looked too good recently, but the Redskins have looked much worse. LIONS, 24-20
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns: Now I understand why the Browns were picked to do well this season! They play so many weak teams. BROWNS, 23-20
New York Giants at Chicago Bears: The Bears offense has been struggling badly, but so has the Giants. The Bears definitely have the better defense, and that will give them the advantage in this game. BEARS, 20-13
Oakland Raiders at New York Jets: The Jets have won a couple of games recently, but the Raiders have gotten themselves together. The Jets will make this competitive, but not quite enough. RAIDERS, 24-20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals: Cincy is still winless, and I think that will continue, although the chaotic Steelers could lose this game in spite of themselves. STEELERS, 23-17
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles can't quite muster enough strength to win these days, although they will make it competitive. SEAHAWKS, 27-24
Tampa Bay Bucs at Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons stink, but not against divisional opponents. While the Bucs might win this one, I think the Falcons will surprise them. FALCONS, 30-27
Sunday late games
Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots: The Cowboys offense may be one of the toughest the Pats defense has faced, which will help keep this game close, but the Pats' talent will prove just a bit too much for the Boys. PATRIOTS, 24-20
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans: The Titans continue to be one of the best mediocre teams, who lose close games but win big ones. This will be a rare close win. TITANS, 20-17
Sunday night
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers: The Pack had an extra week to prepare for this game, and they needed it. The 49ers defense is extremely tough, and will give the Pack fits. I'll pick the home team, but watch out for some of that Aaron Rodgers magic pulling it out in the fourth quarter! 49ERS, 24-23
Monday Night Football
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Rams: The Ravens are the hottest scoring team right now. Watch Lamar Jackson continue to heat up the scoreboard. RAVENS, 34-20
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 13 picks
Wed Nov 20
Akron Zips at Miami Ohio Redhawks: The Redhawks may have clinched their division, but they won't slow down. Although, even slowed, they'd get past the struggling Zips. MIAMI OHIO
Thurs Nov 21
NC State Wolf Pack at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The worst offense in the conference faces the worst defense in the conference. Here, I think that bad defense will give the Wolf Pack offense a chance to finally shine. NC STATE
Fri Nov 22
Colorado State Rams at Wyoming Cowboys: Would you believe that the Cowboys have the best defense in the Mountain West? It's true, and that defense will make life hard for the Rams. WYOMING
Sat Nov 23
Top 25:
#5 Penn State Nittany Lions at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes: Prior to last week, I would have thought this game would be a lot closer than it will be now. Penn State has lost one key defender to injury and lost another for the first half of this game. Indiana almost engineered a comeback against this defense; the Buckeyes will establish a lead that the Nittany Lions won't bridge in the second half. OHIO STATE
Arkansas Razorbacks at #2 LSU Tigers: Easy win for the Tigers. LSU
Western Carolina Catamounts (FCS) at #4 Alabama Crimson Tide: The Catamounts aren't doing well against FCS opponents. This will be easy, even without Tua. ALABAMA
Texas A&M Aggies at #6 Georgia Bulldogs: The Aggies have some strength, but they just don't have the strength to cut it between the hedges. GEORGIA
#7 Oregon Ducks at Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils can be a tricky team, but the Ducks are just too strong to be stopped for long. OREGON
#8 Utah Utes at Arizona Wildcats: Utah should make short work of the other Arizona team in the Pac-12. UTAH
TCU Horned Frogs at #9 Oklahoma Sooners: TCU was hoping that would be a good year for them. It hasn't been. OKLAHOMA
Purdue Boilermakers at #10 Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin did not get their fifth shutout of the year against Nebraska. While they might get it here, I think the Badgers will rest some of their defense in preparation for the end of the season. They'll still win. WISCONSIN
#11 Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers: Since Indiana played Penn State so closely last week, should Michigan be scared? Especially since they might be looking forward to Ohio State next week. This might be another close game, but I think Michigan has found their groove. MICHIGAN
Boston College Eagles at #12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish wipe out the Eagles to continue their pursuit of a 10-win season. NOTRE DAME
#13 Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats: The Gophers lost their first game of the season last week, but they'll bounce back strongly against the struggling Wildcats. MINNESOTA
Illinois Fighting Illini at #14 Iowa Hawkeyes: I would love the Illini to win, but Iowa has just shown how tough they are at home. IOWA
Texas Longhorns at #15 Baylor Bears: Just how much did Oklahoma exhaust the Bears last week? Texas might pull off the upset and beat them, but I'll give Baylor one final drive to get it together. BAYLOR
Temple Owls at #16 Cincinnati Bearcats: This should be an easy win for the Bearcats, but Temple has shown the ability to shock stronger team. Cincy should watch out for an upset. CINCINNATI
Samford Bulldogs (FCS) at #17 Auburn Tigers: Another weak FCS team plays the SEC. Easy win for Auburn in preparation for their showdown with the Tide. AUBURN
#19 SMU Mustangs at #23 Navy Midshipmen: Wow, oh wow, this should be an exciting game. SMU's dynamic offense against Navy's stingy defense. Navy pits their unbeaten home record against a team that had an extra week to prepare for this game. SMU seems best set up to win this, but I'll give a slight nod to Navy in the upset. NAVY
#20 Memphis Tigers at South Florida Bulls: South Florida's defense has toughened, but their offense still stinks. Memphis' offense will be slowed, but not stopped by the Bulls defense. MEMPHIS
Texas State Bobcats at #21 Appalachian State Mountaineers: The Bobcats offense won't keep up. This game should be over by halftime. APPALACHIAN STATE
#22 Boise State Broncos at Utah State Aggies: The Aggies hold the last chance to prevent Boise State from winning the division. They have been a powerful team at home this season, That certainly makes them a potential for the upset, but I feat the Broncos offense is just too strong. BOISE STATE
#24 Air Force Falcons at New Mexico Lobos: The Lobos haven't won a single Mountain West game. AIR FORCE
#25 UCF Golden Knights at Tulane Green Wave: UCF really did not need an extra week to prepare for this game. UCF
Big Ten:
Michigan State Spartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers will still be looking for their first conference win. MICHIGAN STATE
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Maryland Terrapins: This will be a very close game. I'd like to pick the home team, but Nebraska has shown some strength recently, while Maryland has dwindled. Nebraska needs to win out in order to be bowl eligible, and this game will help get them there. NEBRASKA
Other Games of Interest:
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at UAB Blazers: This is a crucual game for the Bulldogs. A loss would severely hamper their hopes at winning the division, while a win gives UAB a chance to capture it. Worse, the Blazers are a potent home team. Since the Bulldogs lost last week, I think they will practice extra hard this week to prevent a second consecutive loss, so I'll give them an edge, but this game will likely be close, whose lead changes several times. LOUISIANA TECH
Troy Trojans at Louisiana Ragin Cajuns: On the other hand, this Louisiana team should have a fairly easy time winning. LOUISIANA
Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Tech Red Raiders: This game could be closer than Wildcat fans would like, as the Red Raiders are not incompetent. Kansas State should get themselves together to win, but they might be behind at halftime. KANSAS STATE
Miami Hurricanes at Florida International Golden Panthers: This should be a one-sided game. MIAMI
Washington Huskies at Colorado Buffaloes: While Washington is not going as well as they hoped this season, Colorado is having a worse season. This should be Washington's game. WASHINGTON
San Diego State Aztecs at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Playing in Hawaii is always tough, and the Warriors have a good team this year. However, the Aztecs have been a devastatingly effective road team, and their defense is potent. I have found stronger defenses tend to prevail, so the Aztecs have my vote. SAN DIEGO STATE
Akron Zips at Miami Ohio Redhawks: The Redhawks may have clinched their division, but they won't slow down. Although, even slowed, they'd get past the struggling Zips. MIAMI OHIO
Thurs Nov 21
NC State Wolf Pack at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The worst offense in the conference faces the worst defense in the conference. Here, I think that bad defense will give the Wolf Pack offense a chance to finally shine. NC STATE
Fri Nov 22
Colorado State Rams at Wyoming Cowboys: Would you believe that the Cowboys have the best defense in the Mountain West? It's true, and that defense will make life hard for the Rams. WYOMING
Sat Nov 23
Top 25:
#5 Penn State Nittany Lions at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes: Prior to last week, I would have thought this game would be a lot closer than it will be now. Penn State has lost one key defender to injury and lost another for the first half of this game. Indiana almost engineered a comeback against this defense; the Buckeyes will establish a lead that the Nittany Lions won't bridge in the second half. OHIO STATE
Arkansas Razorbacks at #2 LSU Tigers: Easy win for the Tigers. LSU
Western Carolina Catamounts (FCS) at #4 Alabama Crimson Tide: The Catamounts aren't doing well against FCS opponents. This will be easy, even without Tua. ALABAMA
Texas A&M Aggies at #6 Georgia Bulldogs: The Aggies have some strength, but they just don't have the strength to cut it between the hedges. GEORGIA
#7 Oregon Ducks at Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils can be a tricky team, but the Ducks are just too strong to be stopped for long. OREGON
#8 Utah Utes at Arizona Wildcats: Utah should make short work of the other Arizona team in the Pac-12. UTAH
TCU Horned Frogs at #9 Oklahoma Sooners: TCU was hoping that would be a good year for them. It hasn't been. OKLAHOMA
Purdue Boilermakers at #10 Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin did not get their fifth shutout of the year against Nebraska. While they might get it here, I think the Badgers will rest some of their defense in preparation for the end of the season. They'll still win. WISCONSIN
#11 Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers: Since Indiana played Penn State so closely last week, should Michigan be scared? Especially since they might be looking forward to Ohio State next week. This might be another close game, but I think Michigan has found their groove. MICHIGAN
Boston College Eagles at #12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Irish wipe out the Eagles to continue their pursuit of a 10-win season. NOTRE DAME
#13 Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats: The Gophers lost their first game of the season last week, but they'll bounce back strongly against the struggling Wildcats. MINNESOTA
Illinois Fighting Illini at #14 Iowa Hawkeyes: I would love the Illini to win, but Iowa has just shown how tough they are at home. IOWA
Texas Longhorns at #15 Baylor Bears: Just how much did Oklahoma exhaust the Bears last week? Texas might pull off the upset and beat them, but I'll give Baylor one final drive to get it together. BAYLOR
Temple Owls at #16 Cincinnati Bearcats: This should be an easy win for the Bearcats, but Temple has shown the ability to shock stronger team. Cincy should watch out for an upset. CINCINNATI
Samford Bulldogs (FCS) at #17 Auburn Tigers: Another weak FCS team plays the SEC. Easy win for Auburn in preparation for their showdown with the Tide. AUBURN
#19 SMU Mustangs at #23 Navy Midshipmen: Wow, oh wow, this should be an exciting game. SMU's dynamic offense against Navy's stingy defense. Navy pits their unbeaten home record against a team that had an extra week to prepare for this game. SMU seems best set up to win this, but I'll give a slight nod to Navy in the upset. NAVY
#20 Memphis Tigers at South Florida Bulls: South Florida's defense has toughened, but their offense still stinks. Memphis' offense will be slowed, but not stopped by the Bulls defense. MEMPHIS
Texas State Bobcats at #21 Appalachian State Mountaineers: The Bobcats offense won't keep up. This game should be over by halftime. APPALACHIAN STATE
#22 Boise State Broncos at Utah State Aggies: The Aggies hold the last chance to prevent Boise State from winning the division. They have been a powerful team at home this season, That certainly makes them a potential for the upset, but I feat the Broncos offense is just too strong. BOISE STATE
#24 Air Force Falcons at New Mexico Lobos: The Lobos haven't won a single Mountain West game. AIR FORCE
#25 UCF Golden Knights at Tulane Green Wave: UCF really did not need an extra week to prepare for this game. UCF
Big Ten:
Michigan State Spartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers will still be looking for their first conference win. MICHIGAN STATE
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Maryland Terrapins: This will be a very close game. I'd like to pick the home team, but Nebraska has shown some strength recently, while Maryland has dwindled. Nebraska needs to win out in order to be bowl eligible, and this game will help get them there. NEBRASKA
Other Games of Interest:
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at UAB Blazers: This is a crucual game for the Bulldogs. A loss would severely hamper their hopes at winning the division, while a win gives UAB a chance to capture it. Worse, the Blazers are a potent home team. Since the Bulldogs lost last week, I think they will practice extra hard this week to prevent a second consecutive loss, so I'll give them an edge, but this game will likely be close, whose lead changes several times. LOUISIANA TECH
Troy Trojans at Louisiana Ragin Cajuns: On the other hand, this Louisiana team should have a fairly easy time winning. LOUISIANA
Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Tech Red Raiders: This game could be closer than Wildcat fans would like, as the Red Raiders are not incompetent. Kansas State should get themselves together to win, but they might be behind at halftime. KANSAS STATE
Miami Hurricanes at Florida International Golden Panthers: This should be a one-sided game. MIAMI
Washington Huskies at Colorado Buffaloes: While Washington is not going as well as they hoped this season, Colorado is having a worse season. This should be Washington's game. WASHINGTON
San Diego State Aztecs at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Playing in Hawaii is always tough, and the Warriors have a good team this year. However, the Aztecs have been a devastatingly effective road team, and their defense is potent. I have found stronger defenses tend to prevail, so the Aztecs have my vote. SAN DIEGO STATE
Sunday, November 17, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 12 results
We lost two more unbeaten teams this week, reducing the total to three. Some division titles were clinched. Only one real upset, as West Virginia shocked Kansas State. Although it might be a little easy for a realistic conversation, I have added a section where I discuss the likelihood of certain teams making the College Football Playoffs, and what they would have to do.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (10-0) [2]
3. Clemson Tigers (11-0) [3]
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1) [4]
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-1) [5]
6. Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) [6]
7. Oregon Ducks (9-1) [7]
8. Utah Utes (9-1) [9]
9. Oklahoma Sooners (9-1) [10]
10. Wisconsin Badgers (8-2) [12]
11. Michigan Wolverines (8-2) [13]
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-2) [14]
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-1) [8]
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-3) [16]
15. Baylor Bears (9-1) [11]
16. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-1) [18]
17. Auburn Tigers (7-3) [15]
18. Florida Gators (9-2) [23]
19. SMU Mustangs (9-1) [19]
20. Memphis Tigers (9-1) [20]
21. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-1) [22]
22. Boise State Broncos (9-1) [24]
23. Navy Midshipmen (7-2) [17]
24. Air Force Falcons (8-2) [NR]
25. UCF Golden Knights (7-3) [25]
Dropped off: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs [#21]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (8-2), San Diego State Aztecs (8-2), Indiana Hoosiers (7-3), Washington Huskies (6-4), Wyoming Cowboys (6-4), Texas Longhorns (6-4), Kansas State Wildcats (6-4), Miami Hurricanes (6-4)
Big Ten Report
No surprises, other than the fact that Nebraska got it together and scored some points against Wisconsin. Iowa's defense held firm, which it often does at home, and ended Minnesota's winning streak. Indiana did put a bit of a scare into the Nittany Lions, showing that Penn State seems to be slipping. That's not a good place to be in when facing Ohio State next week.
Playoff Race
The injury to Tua has basically sealed Alabama's fate. I don't think they will beat Auburn now, and a two-loss SEC team will not be in the playoffs. The SEC could still have two teams in there, if Georgia upsets LSU in the Championship Game and both of them are one-loss teams. Since it appears Wisconsin has the best chance to face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, the Buckeyes are the only Big Ten team going. Clemson really has no competition remaining, so they will be unbeaten and go in.
The question is whether a one-loss Oklahoma or Pac-12 champion (either Oregon or Utah) can leap over a second SEC team. I'd say Yes, if LSU wins the conference. In that case, Oregon or Oklahoma will surpass a two-loss SEC runner-up. Who has the edge? Oregon's only loss was to Auburn, whose stock will go up with a victory over Alabama. Almost sending their game against Georgia into overtime helps, too. That would make a more impressive resume than Oklahoma, who nearly lost to Baylor (did anyone else get deja vu from the Illinois-Michigan State game at the end, there?) and whose loss to Kansas State isn't as impressive if the Wildcats keep losing.
Title Races
American Athletic East : If Cincy beats Temple this week they clinch. Temple needs to win out AND have Cincy lose BOTH of their remaining games.
American Athletic West : Memphis controls their destiny, as they beat both Temple and Navy. If the Tigers win out, they clinch. SMU and Navy play this week, and the loser is out of the race. The winner would need to win out AND have Memphis lose a game.
ACC Atlantic : CLEMSON
ACC Coastal : This one won't be decided until Virginia plays Virginia Tech on Thanksgiving weekend
Big XII : Oklahoma clinches if they win out. Baylor can clinch by winning out AND a Sooner loss. Nobody else has a chance.
Big Ten East : If Penn State wins out, they clinch. If Ohio State beats Penn State this week, the Buckeyes clinch. Nobody else has a chance, since Penn State beat Michigan.
Big Ten West : Iowa has no chance, as they'd need BOTH Minnesota and Wisconsin to lose their remaining games. Since the two play each other over Thanksgiving weekend. In fact, if Wisconsin beats Purdue this week (highly likely!), that game determines the team to face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
Conference USA East : Marshall clinches by winning out. Florida Atlantic clinches if they win out AND Marshall loses to either of their upcoming opponents (not likely).
Conference USA West : Louisiana Tech clinches if they win out. If UAB beats Tech this week, and Southern Miss wins out, the Golden Eagles clinch. If UAB wins out AND the Golden Eagles lose BOTH of their remaining games, the Blazers capture the title.
MAC East : Miami Ohio has clinched
MAC West : A loss by anyone other than Western Michigan removes title hopes. The Broncos clinch by beating Northern Illinois in their final game. Central Michigan wins by winning their last game AND the Broncos lose.
Mountain West Mountain : If Boise State beats Utah State this week, they clinch. Air Force clinches by winning out AND Boise losing twice. Utah State needs to win out AND have Air Force lose once.
Mountain West West : The winner of the San Diego - Hawaii game this week determines the winner.
Pac-12 North : OREGON
Pac-12 South : Utah clinches with a win AND USC loss or by winning out. USC needs to win out AND have Utah suffer a loss.
SEC East : GEORGIA
SEC West : LSU clinches with another win. Alabama needs LSU to lose BOTH of their games and win out, an unlikely scenario.
Sun Belt East : Appalachian State clinches by winning out. Georgia Southern can clinch by winning out AND an App State loss.
Sun Belt West : Louisiana clinches by winning out OR an Arkansas State loss. UL Monroe has a slim chance. They'd need to win out, Louisiana lose their next game, AND Arkansas State lose out.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (10-0) [2]
3. Clemson Tigers (11-0) [3]
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1) [4]
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-1) [5]
6. Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) [6]
7. Oregon Ducks (9-1) [7]
8. Utah Utes (9-1) [9]
9. Oklahoma Sooners (9-1) [10]
10. Wisconsin Badgers (8-2) [12]
11. Michigan Wolverines (8-2) [13]
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-2) [14]
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-1) [8]
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-3) [16]
15. Baylor Bears (9-1) [11]
16. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-1) [18]
17. Auburn Tigers (7-3) [15]
18. Florida Gators (9-2) [23]
19. SMU Mustangs (9-1) [19]
20. Memphis Tigers (9-1) [20]
21. Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-1) [22]
22. Boise State Broncos (9-1) [24]
23. Navy Midshipmen (7-2) [17]
24. Air Force Falcons (8-2) [NR]
25. UCF Golden Knights (7-3) [25]
Dropped off: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs [#21]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (8-2), San Diego State Aztecs (8-2), Indiana Hoosiers (7-3), Washington Huskies (6-4), Wyoming Cowboys (6-4), Texas Longhorns (6-4), Kansas State Wildcats (6-4), Miami Hurricanes (6-4)
Big Ten Report
No surprises, other than the fact that Nebraska got it together and scored some points against Wisconsin. Iowa's defense held firm, which it often does at home, and ended Minnesota's winning streak. Indiana did put a bit of a scare into the Nittany Lions, showing that Penn State seems to be slipping. That's not a good place to be in when facing Ohio State next week.
Playoff Race
The injury to Tua has basically sealed Alabama's fate. I don't think they will beat Auburn now, and a two-loss SEC team will not be in the playoffs. The SEC could still have two teams in there, if Georgia upsets LSU in the Championship Game and both of them are one-loss teams. Since it appears Wisconsin has the best chance to face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, the Buckeyes are the only Big Ten team going. Clemson really has no competition remaining, so they will be unbeaten and go in.
The question is whether a one-loss Oklahoma or Pac-12 champion (either Oregon or Utah) can leap over a second SEC team. I'd say Yes, if LSU wins the conference. In that case, Oregon or Oklahoma will surpass a two-loss SEC runner-up. Who has the edge? Oregon's only loss was to Auburn, whose stock will go up with a victory over Alabama. Almost sending their game against Georgia into overtime helps, too. That would make a more impressive resume than Oklahoma, who nearly lost to Baylor (did anyone else get deja vu from the Illinois-Michigan State game at the end, there?) and whose loss to Kansas State isn't as impressive if the Wildcats keep losing.
Title Races
American Athletic East : If Cincy beats Temple this week they clinch. Temple needs to win out AND have Cincy lose BOTH of their remaining games.
American Athletic West : Memphis controls their destiny, as they beat both Temple and Navy. If the Tigers win out, they clinch. SMU and Navy play this week, and the loser is out of the race. The winner would need to win out AND have Memphis lose a game.
ACC Atlantic : CLEMSON
ACC Coastal : This one won't be decided until Virginia plays Virginia Tech on Thanksgiving weekend
Big XII : Oklahoma clinches if they win out. Baylor can clinch by winning out AND a Sooner loss. Nobody else has a chance.
Big Ten East : If Penn State wins out, they clinch. If Ohio State beats Penn State this week, the Buckeyes clinch. Nobody else has a chance, since Penn State beat Michigan.
Big Ten West : Iowa has no chance, as they'd need BOTH Minnesota and Wisconsin to lose their remaining games. Since the two play each other over Thanksgiving weekend. In fact, if Wisconsin beats Purdue this week (highly likely!), that game determines the team to face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
Conference USA East : Marshall clinches by winning out. Florida Atlantic clinches if they win out AND Marshall loses to either of their upcoming opponents (not likely).
Conference USA West : Louisiana Tech clinches if they win out. If UAB beats Tech this week, and Southern Miss wins out, the Golden Eagles clinch. If UAB wins out AND the Golden Eagles lose BOTH of their remaining games, the Blazers capture the title.
MAC East : Miami Ohio has clinched
MAC West : A loss by anyone other than Western Michigan removes title hopes. The Broncos clinch by beating Northern Illinois in their final game. Central Michigan wins by winning their last game AND the Broncos lose.
Mountain West Mountain : If Boise State beats Utah State this week, they clinch. Air Force clinches by winning out AND Boise losing twice. Utah State needs to win out AND have Air Force lose once.
Mountain West West : The winner of the San Diego - Hawaii game this week determines the winner.
Pac-12 North : OREGON
Pac-12 South : Utah clinches with a win AND USC loss or by winning out. USC needs to win out AND have Utah suffer a loss.
SEC East : GEORGIA
SEC West : LSU clinches with another win. Alabama needs LSU to lose BOTH of their games and win out, an unlikely scenario.
Sun Belt East : Appalachian State clinches by winning out. Georgia Southern can clinch by winning out AND an App State loss.
Sun Belt West : Louisiana clinches by winning out OR an Arkansas State loss. UL Monroe has a slim chance. They'd need to win out, Louisiana lose their next game, AND Arkansas State lose out.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
NFL Week 10 results and Week 11 picks
It was a strange week. Teams mostly given up for dead beat stronger opponents. Our final unbeaten team went down in overtime. 5-4 has become the popular record among the NFL. Kudos to Atlanta, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Miami for stellar victories.
***** BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN ********
We interrupt this column for a news update. The NFL has scheduled a special one-man combine for washed-out hyperbolic former QB Colin Kaepernick. No teams are required to send representatives, but the league is encouraging it in order to quiet the NFLPA claims of discrimination.
Let's face it, this should never be. Just because some sympathetic judge in today's "Black Power" environment was suckered into believing Kaepernick's laughable assertion, the league was under no obligation to arrange this. I hope no team is stupid enough to actually hire him. In fact, the funniest and most ironic conclusion would be that every single team sends a representative, watch him play, and nobody offers a starting position. Maybe two or three teams offer him a second or third string slot. Colin's ego would go through the roof, he'd refuse out of spite, sue the league again, and this time lose since it was HIS choice not to accept any offers. Then, he'll go away and we never have to hear from him again.
After all, let's remember why this loser lost his starting job in San Francisco -- HE WOULDN'T PRACTICE! Once this Prima Donna gained the starting job (which he arrogantly believed he deserved from Day One), he stopped attending practices. That meant he lost rhythm with his receivers and linemen, his proficiency went down, and his sacks went up. He is a LAZY, ARROGANT, SELF-CENTERED jerk who will only cause conflict in the locker room. Actually, thinking about it, that description makes him perfect for the Raiders, a bunch of "holier than thou" roughnecks that wear black because villians always wear black. Of course, with Jon Gruden, QB Guru, as Raiders coach, he wouldn't want Kaepernick around, so the only team where he'd fit wouldn't want him.
*** WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COLUMN, already in progress
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (8-1) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1) [2]
3. Baltimore Ravens (7-2) [3]
4. Minnesota Vikings (7-3) [7]
5. Dallas Cowboys (5-4) [4]
6. Green Bay Packers (8-2) [9]
7. Houston Texans (6-3) [8]
8. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) [5]
9. Seattle Seahawks (8-2) [11]
10. New Orleans Saints (7-2) [6]
11. Buffalo Bills (6-3) [12]
12. Los Angeles Rams (5-4) [10]
Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : With teams with the two best records in the NFC this division escalates the NFC
2. NFC North [2] : They all won this week (except Detroit, who was playing in division), but still trail the West in their quest to regain the top spot
3. AFC South [3] : Half of the division was on bye, but Tennessee's win over KC boosts their status
4. AFC West [4] : A large gap between the AFC South and this division, losses by the Chiefs and Chargers did not help them
5. AFC North [7]: Baltimore's big win, plus victories by Pittsburgh and Cleveland, boosts this division up
6. AFC East [5] : The worst teams won, the best was on bye, and Buffalo lost, so it was a weird weekend for them
7. NFC South [5] : Carolina fell into negative point differential, leaving the Saints as the only positive team in the division
8. NFC East [7] : The Giants and Cowboys fell. The Eagles and Redskins should be happy they have bye weeks
Thursday night
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns: The Browns upset over Buffalo was a fluke. Pittsburgh will carve them up. STEELERS, 24-17
Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers get a chance to swing back to the positive side of things by grounding the floundering Falcons. The Falcons defense showed up against the Saints, but we won't see it again. PANTHERS, 28-23
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins won their second game of the season. It may be a while until they get their third. BILLS, 23-16
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions: Dallas gets an easier NFC North opponent, and should get a different result. COWBOYS, 27-20
Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings: Speaking of Dallas' previous opponent, they come home to face a teetering Broncos offenses. Their defense is good, but they are having trouble moving the ball. Fortunately the Vikings don't suffer from the same problem. VIKINGS, 27-17
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens: The Texans offense will get some points scored, but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will continue to post excellent numbers. RAVENS, 30-23
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts: This game could go either way. We have two teams whose defenses are suspect and their offenses are inconsistent. Except a low-scoring game that may come down to the final drive. COLTS, 19-17
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Saints offense was atrocious last week, and it wasn't due to injuries. I suspect it was just a fluke, because this team usually plays very well on offense. We'll see the return of the usual efficient Drew Brees-led offense this week. SAINTS, 30-23
New York Jets at Washington Redskins: The Jets gained their second win last week by beating the Giants. I now expect them to beat the other pathetic NFC East team to score their second consecutive victory this year. JETS, 17-13
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers roared back in the second half last week, so they have the momentum. Expect that to continue. 49ERS, 31-13
Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders: The Bengals are still searching for that elusive first win. RAIDERS, 26-20
New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles: Both teams had byes, so they should be well-prepared for this bout. That bodes better for Bill Belichick and his Patriots. PATRIOTS, 27-13
Sunday night
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams: The Bears hate Monday Night Football, but they play better on Sunday night. Jared Goff crumbled against the Steelers, and the Bears certainly have a better defense. So I'd pick the Bears, right? Although somehow that Bears offense finds a way to lose games they should win. If the offense plays well, they'll win, but I'm not counting on that, especially given the strength of the Rams defense. RAMS, 23-17
Monday Night Football
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers: Two home games in two consecutive days? The scheduling gods smiled on LA. Both teams need to bounce back from mediocre performances last week, and the Chiefs are better at that. CHIEFS, 24-20
***** BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN ********
We interrupt this column for a news update. The NFL has scheduled a special one-man combine for washed-out hyperbolic former QB Colin Kaepernick. No teams are required to send representatives, but the league is encouraging it in order to quiet the NFLPA claims of discrimination.
Let's face it, this should never be. Just because some sympathetic judge in today's "Black Power" environment was suckered into believing Kaepernick's laughable assertion, the league was under no obligation to arrange this. I hope no team is stupid enough to actually hire him. In fact, the funniest and most ironic conclusion would be that every single team sends a representative, watch him play, and nobody offers a starting position. Maybe two or three teams offer him a second or third string slot. Colin's ego would go through the roof, he'd refuse out of spite, sue the league again, and this time lose since it was HIS choice not to accept any offers. Then, he'll go away and we never have to hear from him again.
After all, let's remember why this loser lost his starting job in San Francisco -- HE WOULDN'T PRACTICE! Once this Prima Donna gained the starting job (which he arrogantly believed he deserved from Day One), he stopped attending practices. That meant he lost rhythm with his receivers and linemen, his proficiency went down, and his sacks went up. He is a LAZY, ARROGANT, SELF-CENTERED jerk who will only cause conflict in the locker room. Actually, thinking about it, that description makes him perfect for the Raiders, a bunch of "holier than thou" roughnecks that wear black because villians always wear black. Of course, with Jon Gruden, QB Guru, as Raiders coach, he wouldn't want Kaepernick around, so the only team where he'd fit wouldn't want him.
*** WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COLUMN, already in progress
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (8-1) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-1) [2]
3. Baltimore Ravens (7-2) [3]
4. Minnesota Vikings (7-3) [7]
5. Dallas Cowboys (5-4) [4]
6. Green Bay Packers (8-2) [9]
7. Houston Texans (6-3) [8]
8. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) [5]
9. Seattle Seahawks (8-2) [11]
10. New Orleans Saints (7-2) [6]
11. Buffalo Bills (6-3) [12]
12. Los Angeles Rams (5-4) [10]
Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : With teams with the two best records in the NFC this division escalates the NFC
2. NFC North [2] : They all won this week (except Detroit, who was playing in division), but still trail the West in their quest to regain the top spot
3. AFC South [3] : Half of the division was on bye, but Tennessee's win over KC boosts their status
4. AFC West [4] : A large gap between the AFC South and this division, losses by the Chiefs and Chargers did not help them
5. AFC North [7]: Baltimore's big win, plus victories by Pittsburgh and Cleveland, boosts this division up
6. AFC East [5] : The worst teams won, the best was on bye, and Buffalo lost, so it was a weird weekend for them
7. NFC South [5] : Carolina fell into negative point differential, leaving the Saints as the only positive team in the division
8. NFC East [7] : The Giants and Cowboys fell. The Eagles and Redskins should be happy they have bye weeks
Thursday night
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns: The Browns upset over Buffalo was a fluke. Pittsburgh will carve them up. STEELERS, 24-17
Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers get a chance to swing back to the positive side of things by grounding the floundering Falcons. The Falcons defense showed up against the Saints, but we won't see it again. PANTHERS, 28-23
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins won their second game of the season. It may be a while until they get their third. BILLS, 23-16
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions: Dallas gets an easier NFC North opponent, and should get a different result. COWBOYS, 27-20
Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings: Speaking of Dallas' previous opponent, they come home to face a teetering Broncos offenses. Their defense is good, but they are having trouble moving the ball. Fortunately the Vikings don't suffer from the same problem. VIKINGS, 27-17
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens: The Texans offense will get some points scored, but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will continue to post excellent numbers. RAVENS, 30-23
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts: This game could go either way. We have two teams whose defenses are suspect and their offenses are inconsistent. Except a low-scoring game that may come down to the final drive. COLTS, 19-17
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Saints offense was atrocious last week, and it wasn't due to injuries. I suspect it was just a fluke, because this team usually plays very well on offense. We'll see the return of the usual efficient Drew Brees-led offense this week. SAINTS, 30-23
New York Jets at Washington Redskins: The Jets gained their second win last week by beating the Giants. I now expect them to beat the other pathetic NFC East team to score their second consecutive victory this year. JETS, 17-13
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers roared back in the second half last week, so they have the momentum. Expect that to continue. 49ERS, 31-13
Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders: The Bengals are still searching for that elusive first win. RAIDERS, 26-20
New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles: Both teams had byes, so they should be well-prepared for this bout. That bodes better for Bill Belichick and his Patriots. PATRIOTS, 27-13
Sunday night
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams: The Bears hate Monday Night Football, but they play better on Sunday night. Jared Goff crumbled against the Steelers, and the Bears certainly have a better defense. So I'd pick the Bears, right? Although somehow that Bears offense finds a way to lose games they should win. If the offense plays well, they'll win, but I'm not counting on that, especially given the strength of the Rams defense. RAMS, 23-17
Monday Night Football
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers: Two home games in two consecutive days? The scheduling gods smiled on LA. Both teams need to bounce back from mediocre performances last week, and the Chiefs are better at that. CHIEFS, 24-20
Monday, November 11, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 12 picks
The MAC kicks off the week as we reach the point of the season when we have football every night.
Tues Nov 12
Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Bobcats: The Bobcats lost last week, dropping from the East division lead. The Broncos, on the strength of a two-game winning streak, are tied atop the West division. By numbers, the Broncos look to be the favorite. However, they have not won a game on the road all season, and the Bobcats want to keep their title hopes alive. OHIO
Wed Nov 13
Bowling Green Falcons at Miami Ohio Redhawks: If Ohio wins on Tues, the Redhawks know they have to win to stay ahead. Given the problems experienced by the Falcons this season, that shouldn't be hard. MIAMI OHIO
Thurs Nov 14
Buffalo Bulls at Kent State Golden Flashes: Buffalo still has an outside chance of winning the East division, but they need to win out. They can start that here. BUFFALO
Fri Nov 15
#21 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Marshall Thundering Herd: A Bulldogs win here helps both them and the Florida Atlantic Owls. Marshall will fight hard, but I think the strong Bulldogs offense will prove just a bit too much for them. LOUISIANA TECH
Fresno State Bulldogs at San Diego State Aztecs: These Bulldogs, on the other hand, don't have quite as good an offense, and they face a stingy defense. Worse, the Bulldogs defense isn't great, which should give the Aztecs a chance to improve their offensive numbers. SAN DIEGO STATE
Sat Nov 16
Top 25:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Easy pick. OHIO STATE
#2 LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels: Another very easy pick. LSU
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at #3 Clemson Tigers: Wake was lining up to be the toughest foe Clemson would face, until they lost last week. That label still applies, but the Tiger win won't be as impressive now. CLEMSON
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs: The Tide will roll over struggling Miss St. ALABAMA
Indiana Hoosiers at #5 Penn State Nittany Lions: This game could be closer than people expect! The Hoosiers have a good offense, and they will watch film of the Minnesota game and see how they shredded the Penn State secondary. Unfortunately, Indiana doesn't have as good a defense as Minnesota, but the Hoosiers should beat the spread. PENN STATE
#6 Georgia Bulldogs at #15 Auburn Tigers: This could be an interesting game. A Georgia loss puts Florida back into solid contention for the East title. Auburn is basically out of the division title picture, but they love to play spoiler. They have a good defense, and could frustrate Georgia. Georgia's defense is better, so this will be a low-scoring affair. Those games could hinge on special teams and a turnover, two things Auburn is good at. I'll pick Georgia, but watch for the upset in this one. GEORGIA
Arizona Wildcats at #7 Oregon Ducks: The Ducks think they still might have a shot at the playoffs. I'm not so sure, but another loss to both Georgia and Penn State would place them in good position. They need to impress, and a strong win here will help. OREGON
#8 Minnesota Golden Gophers at #16 Iowa Hawkeyes: Would you believe it, the Gophers are underdogs AGAIN? They like it that way, and that alone might be enough incentive for them to beat Iowa. Both have strong defenses, but Minnesota has the better offense and special teams. MINNESOTA
UCLA Bruins at #9 Utah Utes: UCLA still has a chance to win the division title, and nothing would please them more than to beat the Utes. Utah is unbeaten at home, though, and I think that'll continue. UTAH
#10 Oklahoma Sooners at #11 Baylor Bears: Oklahoma needed a tipped two-point conversion to win last week, but Baylor didn't fare much better in a three-overtime thriller. I think Baylor will be the next team to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. OKLAHOMA
#12 Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers: Nebraska's offense is struggling right now, and making too many mistakes. Wisconsin looks to win out to keep pace with Minnesota. The Badgers have caused four shutouts this season, and this game might be the fifth. WISCONSIN
Michigan State Spartans at #13 Michigan Wolverines: With Michigan's improved offense, the Spartans don't stand a chance. MICHIGAN
#17 Navy Midshipmen at #14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Ooh, this should be exciting! Navy has the better defense, and might give Ian Book and company problems. Moreover, the Navy offense is fast, perhaps faster than some of the Irish secondary. I predict Navy will lead late, but the luck of the Irish may get them into range for a winning field goal. NOTRE DAME by one
#18 Cincinnati Bearcats at South Florida Bulls: The Bulls are one of a minority of teams who have played worse at home than on the road. Add to that an offense struggling to find themselves and a diminished defense (Cincy actually comes in with the better defense) and the Bearcats could clinch their division. CINCINNATI
#20 Memphis Tigers at Houston Cougars: Not a good year for Houston. MEMPHIS
#22 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Georgia State Panthers: Crucial game for both teams. The Panthers are perfect at home, but the Mountaineers haven't lost a road game. Something has to give. Games like this I tend to favor the better defense, and that's easily Appalachian State. APPALACHIAN STATE
#23 Florida Gators at Missouri Tigers: Florida continues to keep pace with Georgia by declawing the Tigers. FLORIDA
New Mexico Lobos at #24 Boise State Broncos: Boise gets an easy win to stay atop their division. BOISE STATE
Big Ten:
UMass Minutemen at Northwestern Wildcats: The Wildcats haven't been able to beat a Big Ten opponent, but they split their non-conference opponents, so they have the power to beat UMass. NORTHWESTERN
Other Games of Interest:
Tulane Green Wave at Temple Owls: Tulane has better numbers than Temple except for one -- the Green Wave can't win on the road. Still, this one smells ripe for an upset. TEMPLE
Wyoming Cowboys at Utah State Aggies: One of these teams will lose any shot at the Mountain West championship game. Wyoming was strong earlier in the season, but momentum and improvement are on the side of the Aggies. UTAH STATE
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at South Alabama Jaguars: The Jaguars are tame this season. LOUISIANA
Air Force Falcons at Colorado State Rams: If the Aggies win, Air Force knows they need to win to keep pace. Fortunately the Rams won't present much of a challenge. AIR FORCE
Tues Nov 12
Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Bobcats: The Bobcats lost last week, dropping from the East division lead. The Broncos, on the strength of a two-game winning streak, are tied atop the West division. By numbers, the Broncos look to be the favorite. However, they have not won a game on the road all season, and the Bobcats want to keep their title hopes alive. OHIO
Wed Nov 13
Bowling Green Falcons at Miami Ohio Redhawks: If Ohio wins on Tues, the Redhawks know they have to win to stay ahead. Given the problems experienced by the Falcons this season, that shouldn't be hard. MIAMI OHIO
Thurs Nov 14
Buffalo Bulls at Kent State Golden Flashes: Buffalo still has an outside chance of winning the East division, but they need to win out. They can start that here. BUFFALO
Fri Nov 15
#21 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Marshall Thundering Herd: A Bulldogs win here helps both them and the Florida Atlantic Owls. Marshall will fight hard, but I think the strong Bulldogs offense will prove just a bit too much for them. LOUISIANA TECH
Fresno State Bulldogs at San Diego State Aztecs: These Bulldogs, on the other hand, don't have quite as good an offense, and they face a stingy defense. Worse, the Bulldogs defense isn't great, which should give the Aztecs a chance to improve their offensive numbers. SAN DIEGO STATE
Sat Nov 16
Top 25:
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Easy pick. OHIO STATE
#2 LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels: Another very easy pick. LSU
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at #3 Clemson Tigers: Wake was lining up to be the toughest foe Clemson would face, until they lost last week. That label still applies, but the Tiger win won't be as impressive now. CLEMSON
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs: The Tide will roll over struggling Miss St. ALABAMA
Indiana Hoosiers at #5 Penn State Nittany Lions: This game could be closer than people expect! The Hoosiers have a good offense, and they will watch film of the Minnesota game and see how they shredded the Penn State secondary. Unfortunately, Indiana doesn't have as good a defense as Minnesota, but the Hoosiers should beat the spread. PENN STATE
#6 Georgia Bulldogs at #15 Auburn Tigers: This could be an interesting game. A Georgia loss puts Florida back into solid contention for the East title. Auburn is basically out of the division title picture, but they love to play spoiler. They have a good defense, and could frustrate Georgia. Georgia's defense is better, so this will be a low-scoring affair. Those games could hinge on special teams and a turnover, two things Auburn is good at. I'll pick Georgia, but watch for the upset in this one. GEORGIA
Arizona Wildcats at #7 Oregon Ducks: The Ducks think they still might have a shot at the playoffs. I'm not so sure, but another loss to both Georgia and Penn State would place them in good position. They need to impress, and a strong win here will help. OREGON
#8 Minnesota Golden Gophers at #16 Iowa Hawkeyes: Would you believe it, the Gophers are underdogs AGAIN? They like it that way, and that alone might be enough incentive for them to beat Iowa. Both have strong defenses, but Minnesota has the better offense and special teams. MINNESOTA
UCLA Bruins at #9 Utah Utes: UCLA still has a chance to win the division title, and nothing would please them more than to beat the Utes. Utah is unbeaten at home, though, and I think that'll continue. UTAH
#10 Oklahoma Sooners at #11 Baylor Bears: Oklahoma needed a tipped two-point conversion to win last week, but Baylor didn't fare much better in a three-overtime thriller. I think Baylor will be the next team to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. OKLAHOMA
#12 Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers: Nebraska's offense is struggling right now, and making too many mistakes. Wisconsin looks to win out to keep pace with Minnesota. The Badgers have caused four shutouts this season, and this game might be the fifth. WISCONSIN
Michigan State Spartans at #13 Michigan Wolverines: With Michigan's improved offense, the Spartans don't stand a chance. MICHIGAN
#17 Navy Midshipmen at #14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Ooh, this should be exciting! Navy has the better defense, and might give Ian Book and company problems. Moreover, the Navy offense is fast, perhaps faster than some of the Irish secondary. I predict Navy will lead late, but the luck of the Irish may get them into range for a winning field goal. NOTRE DAME by one
#18 Cincinnati Bearcats at South Florida Bulls: The Bulls are one of a minority of teams who have played worse at home than on the road. Add to that an offense struggling to find themselves and a diminished defense (Cincy actually comes in with the better defense) and the Bearcats could clinch their division. CINCINNATI
#20 Memphis Tigers at Houston Cougars: Not a good year for Houston. MEMPHIS
#22 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Georgia State Panthers: Crucial game for both teams. The Panthers are perfect at home, but the Mountaineers haven't lost a road game. Something has to give. Games like this I tend to favor the better defense, and that's easily Appalachian State. APPALACHIAN STATE
#23 Florida Gators at Missouri Tigers: Florida continues to keep pace with Georgia by declawing the Tigers. FLORIDA
New Mexico Lobos at #24 Boise State Broncos: Boise gets an easy win to stay atop their division. BOISE STATE
Big Ten:
UMass Minutemen at Northwestern Wildcats: The Wildcats haven't been able to beat a Big Ten opponent, but they split their non-conference opponents, so they have the power to beat UMass. NORTHWESTERN
Other Games of Interest:
Tulane Green Wave at Temple Owls: Tulane has better numbers than Temple except for one -- the Green Wave can't win on the road. Still, this one smells ripe for an upset. TEMPLE
Wyoming Cowboys at Utah State Aggies: One of these teams will lose any shot at the Mountain West championship game. Wyoming was strong earlier in the season, but momentum and improvement are on the side of the Aggies. UTAH STATE
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at South Alabama Jaguars: The Jaguars are tame this season. LOUISIANA
Air Force Falcons at Colorado State Rams: If the Aggies win, Air Force knows they need to win to keep pace. Fortunately the Rams won't present much of a challenge. AIR FORCE
Sunday, November 10, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 11 results
We had two battles of unbeatens, and the results of them may have surprised some people. Ironically, although the positions of the Top 5 teams have altered, the same teams remain in the Top 5, showing how much stronger those teams are than the rest of the subdivision.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (9-0) [4]
3. Clemson Tigers (10-0) [5]
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1) [2]
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1) [3]
6. Georgia Bulldogs (8-1) [10]
7. Oregon Ducks (8-1) [7]
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-0) [12]
9. Utah Utes (8-1) [8]
10. Oklahoma Sooners (8-1) [6]
11. Baylor Bears (9-0) [9]
12. Wisconsin Badgers (7-2) [11]
13. Michigan Wolverines (7-2) [13]
14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2) [17]
15. Auburn Tigers (7-2) [14]
16. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3) [15]
17. Navy Midshipmen (7-1) [18]
18. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-1) [26]
19. SMU Mustangs (7-2) [19]
20. Memphis Tigers (8-1) [20]
21. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-1) [23]
22. Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-1) [22]
23. Florida Gators (8-2) [25]
24. Boise State Broncos (8-1) [24]
25. UCF Golden Knights (7-3) [16]
Dropped off: Wake Forest Demon Deacons [#21]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (7-2), Air Force Falcons (7-2), Indiana Hoosiers (7-2), Wyoming Cowboys (6-3), Texas Longhorns (6-3), Kansas State Wildcats (6-3), San Diego State Aztecs (7-2), Miami Hurricanes (6-4)
Big Ten Report
Ohio State proved they didn't need Chase Young to clobber Maryland. Minnesota proved tougher than I realized, as their offense figured out a way to get past the Nittany Lions defense. Illinois staged a comeback for the history books and scored their fourth straight conference win. Both the Wisconsin-Iowa and Purdue-Northwestern games were close. I expected the bout between the Badgers and Hawkeyes to be a close defensive battle, but the fact that the Wildcats led most of the game, and gave a real scare to the Boilermakers, was a bit of a shock, especially considering that the Wildcats haven't won a conference game.
Upset Watch
While many games did not finish as I expected, there were really few upsets. Certainly Tulsa handing UCF their third loss (which nearly cost them their Top 25 ranking) was an upset, and most people would concede that Minnesota's victory was one, too. Virginia Tech knocking off Wake Forest has to qualify, and while UAB losing wasn't a major surprise, the margin of victory certainly was.
Title Races
No locks. Some races have gotten clearer while some got murkier, especially in the MAC.
American Athletic East: If Cincy beats Temple in two weeks, they lock it up. The Bearcats could capture the title this week, if they beat South Florida and Temple loses to Tulane.
American Athletic West: The winner of this week's battle between SMU and Navy holds the lead, but that team has to hope Memphis loses, as the Tigers hold the tiebreaker against both of them. Memphis closes the season against Cincinnati, so we may not know until then.
ACC Atlantic: Thanks to Virginia Tech beating Wake Forest, CLEMSON has clinched
ACC Coastal: If the Hokies win their next two games, this one will be decided by the Virginia-Virginia Tech bout on Thanksgiving weekend. If the Hokies lose before then, Virginia gets the division title.
Big XII: Baylor was hoping Iowa State could beat Oklahoma, as that would have given them a two-game lead. Baylor can still capture that lead if they beat Oklahoma this week. In fact, beating Oklahoma and then beating Texas gives them the title. If Baylor loses both, Oklahoma is in the driver's seat.
Big Ten East: Ohio State wins if they win out. Penn State can capture the title by winning out, as one of those wins would be against Ohio State. Both Indiana and Michigan to win all of their remaining (one of which is against each other) and get some assistance.
Big Ten West: Minnesota has a two-game lead over Wisconsin. If they beat both Iowa and Northwestern, they capture the title even before they close the season against Wisconsin. Wisconsin would need Iowa to beat Minnesota and the Badgers win out. Iowa is, pretty much, out of the race.
Conference USA East: Marshall wins the title by winning out. Florida Atlantic gains the title by winning out AND a Marshall loss. Western Kentucky needs both of the aforementioned teams to lose twice, which isn't likely to happen.
Conference USA West: Louisiana Tech wins the division with two more victories OR one win and a Southern Miss loss.
MAC East: Miami Ohio holds the lead and the tiebreaker against both Ohio and Buffalo, the two teams trailing them. The Redhawks just need two wins out of their next three games. Since they play Bowling Green and Akron, those two wins seem highly likely.
MAC West: Ugh! Aside from Eastern Michigan, everyone still has a chance for this one. I'll pass for a week.
Mountain West Mountain: Boise wins by winning their next two games. Utah State needs to win out, one of those wins would be against Boise. Air Force can capture the title by winning out and hoping someone other than Utah State beats Boise, as Air Force beat Utah State but lost to Boise, so a three-way tie would not be good.
Mountain West West: San Diego State simply needs to win their next two games. If they lose to both Fresno State and Hawaii, and Hawaii wins out, then the Rainbow Warriors capture their first divisional title.
Pac-12 North: OREGON has won it
Pac-12 South: Utah captures the title by winning out OR winning two games and USC losing one (since USC beat Utah). USC wins by winning out and someone beating Utah.
SEC East: Beating EITHER Auburn or Texas A&M gives the title to Georgia. Florida needs to beat all of their remaining conference opponents AND hope Georgia loses to BOTH Auburn and Texas A&M. That scenario is not likely.
SEC West: Two more wins awards the division to LSU. Alabama needs to win out and have LSU lose twice. Auburn would have to beat both Georgia and Alabama and hope LSU loses ALL of their remaining games. No chance of that.
Sun Belt East: Appalachian State wins the title by winning out OR beating Georgia State and one other opponent while Georgia Southern loses twice. Georgia Southern wins by winning out and someone beating Appalachian State. Georgia State needs to win out, since two of those games are against Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.
Sun Belt West: Louisiana wins by beating either Southern Alabama or Troy AND beating UL Monroe to close the season. UL Monroe needs to win out. Arkansas State would need to win out AND hope Appalachian State loses twice.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (9-0) [4]
3. Clemson Tigers (10-0) [5]
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1) [2]
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1) [3]
6. Georgia Bulldogs (8-1) [10]
7. Oregon Ducks (8-1) [7]
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-0) [12]
9. Utah Utes (8-1) [8]
10. Oklahoma Sooners (8-1) [6]
11. Baylor Bears (9-0) [9]
12. Wisconsin Badgers (7-2) [11]
13. Michigan Wolverines (7-2) [13]
14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2) [17]
15. Auburn Tigers (7-2) [14]
16. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3) [15]
17. Navy Midshipmen (7-1) [18]
18. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-1) [26]
19. SMU Mustangs (7-2) [19]
20. Memphis Tigers (8-1) [20]
21. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-1) [23]
22. Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-1) [22]
23. Florida Gators (8-2) [25]
24. Boise State Broncos (8-1) [24]
25. UCF Golden Knights (7-3) [16]
Dropped off: Wake Forest Demon Deacons [#21]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (7-2), Air Force Falcons (7-2), Indiana Hoosiers (7-2), Wyoming Cowboys (6-3), Texas Longhorns (6-3), Kansas State Wildcats (6-3), San Diego State Aztecs (7-2), Miami Hurricanes (6-4)
Big Ten Report
Ohio State proved they didn't need Chase Young to clobber Maryland. Minnesota proved tougher than I realized, as their offense figured out a way to get past the Nittany Lions defense. Illinois staged a comeback for the history books and scored their fourth straight conference win. Both the Wisconsin-Iowa and Purdue-Northwestern games were close. I expected the bout between the Badgers and Hawkeyes to be a close defensive battle, but the fact that the Wildcats led most of the game, and gave a real scare to the Boilermakers, was a bit of a shock, especially considering that the Wildcats haven't won a conference game.
Upset Watch
While many games did not finish as I expected, there were really few upsets. Certainly Tulsa handing UCF their third loss (which nearly cost them their Top 25 ranking) was an upset, and most people would concede that Minnesota's victory was one, too. Virginia Tech knocking off Wake Forest has to qualify, and while UAB losing wasn't a major surprise, the margin of victory certainly was.
Title Races
No locks. Some races have gotten clearer while some got murkier, especially in the MAC.
American Athletic East: If Cincy beats Temple in two weeks, they lock it up. The Bearcats could capture the title this week, if they beat South Florida and Temple loses to Tulane.
American Athletic West: The winner of this week's battle between SMU and Navy holds the lead, but that team has to hope Memphis loses, as the Tigers hold the tiebreaker against both of them. Memphis closes the season against Cincinnati, so we may not know until then.
ACC Atlantic: Thanks to Virginia Tech beating Wake Forest, CLEMSON has clinched
ACC Coastal: If the Hokies win their next two games, this one will be decided by the Virginia-Virginia Tech bout on Thanksgiving weekend. If the Hokies lose before then, Virginia gets the division title.
Big XII: Baylor was hoping Iowa State could beat Oklahoma, as that would have given them a two-game lead. Baylor can still capture that lead if they beat Oklahoma this week. In fact, beating Oklahoma and then beating Texas gives them the title. If Baylor loses both, Oklahoma is in the driver's seat.
Big Ten East: Ohio State wins if they win out. Penn State can capture the title by winning out, as one of those wins would be against Ohio State. Both Indiana and Michigan to win all of their remaining (one of which is against each other) and get some assistance.
Big Ten West: Minnesota has a two-game lead over Wisconsin. If they beat both Iowa and Northwestern, they capture the title even before they close the season against Wisconsin. Wisconsin would need Iowa to beat Minnesota and the Badgers win out. Iowa is, pretty much, out of the race.
Conference USA East: Marshall wins the title by winning out. Florida Atlantic gains the title by winning out AND a Marshall loss. Western Kentucky needs both of the aforementioned teams to lose twice, which isn't likely to happen.
Conference USA West: Louisiana Tech wins the division with two more victories OR one win and a Southern Miss loss.
MAC East: Miami Ohio holds the lead and the tiebreaker against both Ohio and Buffalo, the two teams trailing them. The Redhawks just need two wins out of their next three games. Since they play Bowling Green and Akron, those two wins seem highly likely.
MAC West: Ugh! Aside from Eastern Michigan, everyone still has a chance for this one. I'll pass for a week.
Mountain West Mountain: Boise wins by winning their next two games. Utah State needs to win out, one of those wins would be against Boise. Air Force can capture the title by winning out and hoping someone other than Utah State beats Boise, as Air Force beat Utah State but lost to Boise, so a three-way tie would not be good.
Mountain West West: San Diego State simply needs to win their next two games. If they lose to both Fresno State and Hawaii, and Hawaii wins out, then the Rainbow Warriors capture their first divisional title.
Pac-12 North: OREGON has won it
Pac-12 South: Utah captures the title by winning out OR winning two games and USC losing one (since USC beat Utah). USC wins by winning out and someone beating Utah.
SEC East: Beating EITHER Auburn or Texas A&M gives the title to Georgia. Florida needs to beat all of their remaining conference opponents AND hope Georgia loses to BOTH Auburn and Texas A&M. That scenario is not likely.
SEC West: Two more wins awards the division to LSU. Alabama needs to win out and have LSU lose twice. Auburn would have to beat both Georgia and Alabama and hope LSU loses ALL of their remaining games. No chance of that.
Sun Belt East: Appalachian State wins the title by winning out OR beating Georgia State and one other opponent while Georgia Southern loses twice. Georgia Southern wins by winning out and someone beating Appalachian State. Georgia State needs to win out, since two of those games are against Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.
Sun Belt West: Louisiana wins by beating either Southern Alabama or Troy AND beating UL Monroe to close the season. UL Monroe needs to win out. Arkansas State would need to win out AND hope Appalachian State loses twice.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
NFL 2019 Week 9 results and Week 10 picks
An unbeaten fell and one team won their first game, leaving the league with just one team in each category. Can the 49ers go unbeaten? Will the Bengals win a game? Interesting questions.
This week looked much more normal, as most of the home teams won. We'll see if that starts a trend, although I'm hoping not so soon, as I am picking several visiting teams this week. I'm also stepping out on a limb and picking a couple of upsets.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (8-1) [1] : The Pats remain on top despite their loss, but San Fran is bridging the gap
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-0) [2]
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2) [5] : Being the first to beat the Pats jump them two spots
4. Dallas Cowboys (5-3) [7]
5. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3) [8] : They beat Minnesota and get to leap over them
6. New Orleans Saints (7-1) [6]
7. Minnesota Vikings (6-3) [4]
8. Houston Texans (6-3) [10]
9. Green Bay Packers (7-2) [3] : A poor showing dropped them, and it could be an indication of things to come
10. Los Angeles Rams (5-3) [9]
11. Seattle Seahawks (7-2) [11]
12. Buffalo Bills (6-2) [12]
Division Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [2] : They finally leaped over the NFC North after the North failed to win a game last week
2. NFC North [1]
3. AFC South [3] : The Jags are the only team with a negative point differential, and it's not much
4. AFC West [4] : The Chargers are on a roll, every team won, and they swept the NFC North
5 (tie). AFC East [5] : At least they don't have a winless team anymore
5 (tie). NFC South [6] : Carolina dug out of a negative point differential, and Tampa is showing improvement
7 (tie). AFC North [6] : Definitely being dragged down by Cleveland and Cincy
7 (tie). NFC East [8]
Thursday night
Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders: As I write this, Oakland leads 3-0, but that won't last. The Chargers have won their last games, and they have been getting stronger as the weeks have progressed. While I do not think the Chargers will outpace the Chiefs for the division title, this game will leapfrog them over the Raiders. CHARGERS, 27-20
Sunday early games
Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Bucs have a better point differential, but I have to pick the upset here. The Cards have actually played non-divisional opponents tough, and I think they'll do that again here. CARDINALS, 23-20
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: The Saints didn't need an extra week of practice, as the Falcons are falling apart. SAINTS, 34-20
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: The Ravens move from an unbeaten team to a winless team. This should be a breeze. RAVENS, 30-16
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns: The Browns may fight and scratch in desperation, but the Bills just have too much talent to let this game slip away. BILLS, 23-16
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: The Bears offense has been atrocious, and I don't think the key to turning it around is shutting off all sports coverage on the televisions in the training rooms. However, I still think they will win this game, because Matt Stafford folds under tough defenses, and that's what the Bears have. A couple of interceptions, one a pick-six, will turn Stafford's brain to mush and allow the Bears to control the game. BEARS, 20-17
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans: What do the Chiefs do for an encore after knocking off the Vikings? Tame the chaotic Titans, who can flip from wildly successfully to dangerously foolish in an instant. CHIEFS, 27-20
New York Giants at New York Jets: Explain to me how the team for whom this stadium was built, and was named for many years, can be the VISITING team? No matter, they'll still win. GIANTS, 23-16
Sunday late games
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers: The Packers will attempt to bounce back from last week's debacle, but the Panthers won't make it easy. PACK, 24-23
Los Angeles Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Rams defense gets to intimidate Hodge, just as he was starting to look good. RAMS, 24-16
Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts: Can the Fins make it two wins in a row? Nope. COLTS, 23-17
Sunday night
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys: The Vikings want to bounce back from their loss to the Chiefs, but the Cowboys will certainly make that tough. Whoever has the ball last might win this, and for ball control, I favor the Vikings. VIKINGS, 23-20
Monday Night Football
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers will keep their unbeaten record, even though the Seahawks have been unbeaten on the road so far this season. I just don't see that streak lasting. 49ERS, 27-17
This week looked much more normal, as most of the home teams won. We'll see if that starts a trend, although I'm hoping not so soon, as I am picking several visiting teams this week. I'm also stepping out on a limb and picking a couple of upsets.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (8-1) [1] : The Pats remain on top despite their loss, but San Fran is bridging the gap
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-0) [2]
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2) [5] : Being the first to beat the Pats jump them two spots
4. Dallas Cowboys (5-3) [7]
5. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3) [8] : They beat Minnesota and get to leap over them
6. New Orleans Saints (7-1) [6]
7. Minnesota Vikings (6-3) [4]
8. Houston Texans (6-3) [10]
9. Green Bay Packers (7-2) [3] : A poor showing dropped them, and it could be an indication of things to come
10. Los Angeles Rams (5-3) [9]
11. Seattle Seahawks (7-2) [11]
12. Buffalo Bills (6-2) [12]
Division Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [2] : They finally leaped over the NFC North after the North failed to win a game last week
2. NFC North [1]
3. AFC South [3] : The Jags are the only team with a negative point differential, and it's not much
4. AFC West [4] : The Chargers are on a roll, every team won, and they swept the NFC North
5 (tie). AFC East [5] : At least they don't have a winless team anymore
5 (tie). NFC South [6] : Carolina dug out of a negative point differential, and Tampa is showing improvement
7 (tie). AFC North [6] : Definitely being dragged down by Cleveland and Cincy
7 (tie). NFC East [8]
Thursday night
Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders: As I write this, Oakland leads 3-0, but that won't last. The Chargers have won their last games, and they have been getting stronger as the weeks have progressed. While I do not think the Chargers will outpace the Chiefs for the division title, this game will leapfrog them over the Raiders. CHARGERS, 27-20
Sunday early games
Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Bucs have a better point differential, but I have to pick the upset here. The Cards have actually played non-divisional opponents tough, and I think they'll do that again here. CARDINALS, 23-20
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: The Saints didn't need an extra week of practice, as the Falcons are falling apart. SAINTS, 34-20
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: The Ravens move from an unbeaten team to a winless team. This should be a breeze. RAVENS, 30-16
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns: The Browns may fight and scratch in desperation, but the Bills just have too much talent to let this game slip away. BILLS, 23-16
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: The Bears offense has been atrocious, and I don't think the key to turning it around is shutting off all sports coverage on the televisions in the training rooms. However, I still think they will win this game, because Matt Stafford folds under tough defenses, and that's what the Bears have. A couple of interceptions, one a pick-six, will turn Stafford's brain to mush and allow the Bears to control the game. BEARS, 20-17
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans: What do the Chiefs do for an encore after knocking off the Vikings? Tame the chaotic Titans, who can flip from wildly successfully to dangerously foolish in an instant. CHIEFS, 27-20
New York Giants at New York Jets: Explain to me how the team for whom this stadium was built, and was named for many years, can be the VISITING team? No matter, they'll still win. GIANTS, 23-16
Sunday late games
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers: The Packers will attempt to bounce back from last week's debacle, but the Panthers won't make it easy. PACK, 24-23
Los Angeles Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Rams defense gets to intimidate Hodge, just as he was starting to look good. RAMS, 24-16
Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts: Can the Fins make it two wins in a row? Nope. COLTS, 23-17
Sunday night
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys: The Vikings want to bounce back from their loss to the Chiefs, but the Cowboys will certainly make that tough. Whoever has the ball last might win this, and for ball control, I favor the Vikings. VIKINGS, 23-20
Monday Night Football
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers will keep their unbeaten record, even though the Seahawks have been unbeaten on the road so far this season. I just don't see that streak lasting. 49ERS, 27-17
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 11 picks
Like last week, we have fewer games as several teams are on byes. Combine last week with this week and it would be close to a normal week.
Tues Nov 5
Ball State Cardinals at Western Michigan Broncos: This is one of two games Ball State needs to win to control their own destiny in the MAC West. Since the Cardinals have actually been a better road team than home team this season, I foresee them achieving that. BALL STATE
Thurs Nov 7
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Another team better on the road than at home, Louisiana gets one step closer to locking up their division title. LOUISIANA
Temple Owls at South Florida Bulls: The loser here is out of the division race, so these two teams will battle hard. While Temple is a good team, their road record this season isn't so hot, and I think the Bulls will get the last possession and score the winning field goal. SOUTH FLORIDA in an upset
Fri Nov 8
#16 UCF Golden Knights at Tulsa Golden Hurricane: It's raining gold in Tulsa, and the Knights will emerge victorious. UCF
Washington Huskies at Oregon State Beavers: It's been a strange season for the Beavers, who have been literally atrocious at home! Normally they'd win one surprise game at home each season. While that might be this one, I cannot count on it. WASHINGTON
Sat Nov 9
Top 25:
Maryland Terrapins at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes: No real difficulty for the Bucks here. OHIO STATE
#4 LSU Tigers at #2 Alabama Crimson Tide: This will be a close and hard-fought game, but the Tide defense should prove a little too much for Tigers QB Joe Burrow. ALABAMA
#3 Penn State Nittany Lions at #12 Minnesota Golden Gophers: Well, we'll definitely lose two unbeaten teams this week, and it looks like Minnesota will be the other one. I'd love to see them push past the Nittany Lions, but that stiff Penn State defense is just too quick for the Gophers to counter. PENN STATE
#5 Clemson Tigers at NC State Wolf Pack: The Wolf Pack have struggled in conference play, and this may end up being their worst performance of the season. CLEMSON
Iowa State Cyclones at #6 Oklahoma Sooners: The Cyclones are hoping to upset the Sooners like Kansas State did, but I'm not sure their defense is up to the task. OKLAHOMA
#9 Baylor Bears at TCU Horned Frogs: Baylor barely prevented being upset last week. This week just might end their winning streak. TCU definitely has the capability, and their offense is compatible with Baylor's. I'll pick the Bears, but watch out for the upset. BAYLOR
Missouri Tigers at #10 Georgia Bulldogs: Looks like a fairly easy win for the Bulldogs. GEORGIA
#15 Iowa Hawkeyes at #11 Wisconsin Badgers: Whoa, here's a thriller! If this game were played in Iowa City I would pick the Hawkeyes, but they struggle a bit on the road. Iowa will keep this close, though, and put a scare into the Badgers. WISCONSIN
#17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Duke Blue Devils: If this were basketball, I'd pick Duke. It's not, so I pick the Irish. NOTRE DAME
East Carolina Pirates at #19 SMU Mustangs: The Mustangs lost last week, but I don't see two in a row. The Pirates haven't won a conference game, and the main problem is their defense. Usually their strong suit, this year their defense stinks. Expect the offensive-minded Mustangs to capitalize. SMU
#21 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Tech Hokies: Wake should continue to keep pace with Clemson, setting up for a great matchup in a couple of weeks. WAKE FOREST
#22 Appalachian State Mountaineers at South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks can be tricky, but I expect the Mountaineers to bounce back from their close loss last week. APPALACHIAN STATE
North Texas Mean Green at #23 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: Tech continues to keep their division lead intact with a mauling of the Green. LOUISIANA TECH
Wyoming Cowboys at #24 Boise State Broncos: Boise State is a force at home, but Wyoming is playing very well. This game will be close. I give an edge to the Broncos, but this is another potential upset to watch. BOISE STATE
Vanderbilt Commodores at #25 Florida Gators: The Gators get to bounce back from the Georgia game with a fine victory at home. FLORIDA
Big Ten:
Purdue Boilermakers at Northwestern Wildcats: Northwestern is looking for their first conference win. I don't think they'll find it here. Purdue, although inconsistent, isn't playing terribly, while the Wildcats offense is just atrocious. PURDUE
Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan State Spartans: The Illini have been improving the past three weeks. Despite the extra week of prep for the Spartans, I have to give Illinois the nod in this one. ILLINOIS
Other Games of Interest:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Cavaliers: The Cavs should have an easy time against Georgia Tech and continue their run to the ACC Coastal title. VIRGINIA
Air Force Falcons at New Mexico Lobos: The Lobos won't be an obstacle to Air Force keeping pace with Boise State. AIR FORCE
UConn Huskies at Cincinnati Bearcats: Easy win for the division-leading Bearcats. CINCINNATI
Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Longhorns: Watch out for Texas! When they get riled, they get nasty, and they are worked up for this game. Despite the recent output from Kansas State, they still have some flaws, and I think the Longhorns will expose that. TEXAS
UAB Blazers at Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles: This game will determine who truly remains to challenge Louisiana Tech for the division title. I like the Blazers' chances here. Southern Miss, normally a tough team, has not been reliable enough for me to believe they can pull this out. UAB
Nevada Wolf Pack at San Diego State Aztecs: The Aztecs will really establish themselves as likely candidates for the division title with this win. SAN DIEGO STATE
Tues Nov 5
Ball State Cardinals at Western Michigan Broncos: This is one of two games Ball State needs to win to control their own destiny in the MAC West. Since the Cardinals have actually been a better road team than home team this season, I foresee them achieving that. BALL STATE
Thurs Nov 7
Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Another team better on the road than at home, Louisiana gets one step closer to locking up their division title. LOUISIANA
Temple Owls at South Florida Bulls: The loser here is out of the division race, so these two teams will battle hard. While Temple is a good team, their road record this season isn't so hot, and I think the Bulls will get the last possession and score the winning field goal. SOUTH FLORIDA in an upset
Fri Nov 8
#16 UCF Golden Knights at Tulsa Golden Hurricane: It's raining gold in Tulsa, and the Knights will emerge victorious. UCF
Washington Huskies at Oregon State Beavers: It's been a strange season for the Beavers, who have been literally atrocious at home! Normally they'd win one surprise game at home each season. While that might be this one, I cannot count on it. WASHINGTON
Sat Nov 9
Top 25:
Maryland Terrapins at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes: No real difficulty for the Bucks here. OHIO STATE
#4 LSU Tigers at #2 Alabama Crimson Tide: This will be a close and hard-fought game, but the Tide defense should prove a little too much for Tigers QB Joe Burrow. ALABAMA
#3 Penn State Nittany Lions at #12 Minnesota Golden Gophers: Well, we'll definitely lose two unbeaten teams this week, and it looks like Minnesota will be the other one. I'd love to see them push past the Nittany Lions, but that stiff Penn State defense is just too quick for the Gophers to counter. PENN STATE
#5 Clemson Tigers at NC State Wolf Pack: The Wolf Pack have struggled in conference play, and this may end up being their worst performance of the season. CLEMSON
Iowa State Cyclones at #6 Oklahoma Sooners: The Cyclones are hoping to upset the Sooners like Kansas State did, but I'm not sure their defense is up to the task. OKLAHOMA
#9 Baylor Bears at TCU Horned Frogs: Baylor barely prevented being upset last week. This week just might end their winning streak. TCU definitely has the capability, and their offense is compatible with Baylor's. I'll pick the Bears, but watch out for the upset. BAYLOR
Missouri Tigers at #10 Georgia Bulldogs: Looks like a fairly easy win for the Bulldogs. GEORGIA
#15 Iowa Hawkeyes at #11 Wisconsin Badgers: Whoa, here's a thriller! If this game were played in Iowa City I would pick the Hawkeyes, but they struggle a bit on the road. Iowa will keep this close, though, and put a scare into the Badgers. WISCONSIN
#17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Duke Blue Devils: If this were basketball, I'd pick Duke. It's not, so I pick the Irish. NOTRE DAME
East Carolina Pirates at #19 SMU Mustangs: The Mustangs lost last week, but I don't see two in a row. The Pirates haven't won a conference game, and the main problem is their defense. Usually their strong suit, this year their defense stinks. Expect the offensive-minded Mustangs to capitalize. SMU
#21 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Tech Hokies: Wake should continue to keep pace with Clemson, setting up for a great matchup in a couple of weeks. WAKE FOREST
#22 Appalachian State Mountaineers at South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks can be tricky, but I expect the Mountaineers to bounce back from their close loss last week. APPALACHIAN STATE
North Texas Mean Green at #23 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: Tech continues to keep their division lead intact with a mauling of the Green. LOUISIANA TECH
Wyoming Cowboys at #24 Boise State Broncos: Boise State is a force at home, but Wyoming is playing very well. This game will be close. I give an edge to the Broncos, but this is another potential upset to watch. BOISE STATE
Vanderbilt Commodores at #25 Florida Gators: The Gators get to bounce back from the Georgia game with a fine victory at home. FLORIDA
Big Ten:
Purdue Boilermakers at Northwestern Wildcats: Northwestern is looking for their first conference win. I don't think they'll find it here. Purdue, although inconsistent, isn't playing terribly, while the Wildcats offense is just atrocious. PURDUE
Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan State Spartans: The Illini have been improving the past three weeks. Despite the extra week of prep for the Spartans, I have to give Illinois the nod in this one. ILLINOIS
Other Games of Interest:
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Cavaliers: The Cavs should have an easy time against Georgia Tech and continue their run to the ACC Coastal title. VIRGINIA
Air Force Falcons at New Mexico Lobos: The Lobos won't be an obstacle to Air Force keeping pace with Boise State. AIR FORCE
UConn Huskies at Cincinnati Bearcats: Easy win for the division-leading Bearcats. CINCINNATI
Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Longhorns: Watch out for Texas! When they get riled, they get nasty, and they are worked up for this game. Despite the recent output from Kansas State, they still have some flaws, and I think the Longhorns will expose that. TEXAS
UAB Blazers at Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles: This game will determine who truly remains to challenge Louisiana Tech for the division title. I like the Blazers' chances here. Southern Miss, normally a tough team, has not been reliable enough for me to believe they can pull this out. UAB
Nevada Wolf Pack at San Diego State Aztecs: The Aztecs will really establish themselves as likely candidates for the division title with this win. SAN DIEGO STATE
NCAA Football 2019 Week 10 results
Not as many upsets this week, possibly due to so few Top 25 teams playing. Appalachian State and SMU were upset and fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, and Baylor barely survived. Tennessee shocked UAB, costing them their Top 25 ranking.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) [1]
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) [2]
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0) [3]
4. LSU Tigers (8-0) [4]
5. Clemson Tigers (9-0) [5]
6. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) [6]
7. Oregon Ducks (8-1) [7]
8. Utah Utes (8-1) [8]
9. Baylor Bears (8-0) [9]
10. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) [10]
11. Wisconsin Badgers (6-2) [11]
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-0) [12]
13. Michigan Wolverines (7-2) [13]
14. Auburn Tigers (7-2) [15]
15. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2) [16]
16. UCF Golden Knights (7-2) [18]
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2) [17]
18. Navy Midshipmen (7-1) [24]
19. SMU Mustangs (8-1) [14]
20. Memphis Tigers (8-1) [26]
21. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-1) [NR]
22. Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-1) [19]
23. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-1) [23]
24. Boise State Broncos (7-1) [25]
25. Florida Gators (7-2) [20]
Dropped off: UAB Blazers [#21], Washington Huskies [#22]
On the Edge: Cincinnati Bearcats (7-1), San Diego State Aztecs (7-1), Wyoming Cowboys (6-2), Air Force Falcons (7-2), Indiana Hoosiers (7-2), Kansas State Wildcats (6-2), Texas Longhorns (5-3), Missouri Tigers (5-3), Iowa State Cyclones (5-3)
Big Ten Report
Michigan was the only ranked team who played, and they were impressive again. Since their attempted fourth quarter comeback against Penn State, their offense has been playing much better, making fewer mistakes and showing real power and talent. At this rate, they might truly compete against Ohio State at the end of the season.
Indiana and Illinois impressed, and both have sealed (or nearly so) bowl bids. Illinois needs one more victory, but that should come against Northwestern, if they don't beat Michigan State and seal it sooner. Purdue upset Nebraska, proving that the Cornhuskers are in a major downwards spiral.
Title Races
These didn't clear up much, with so many teams on a bye week.
American Athletic East: Cincy barely escaped against hapless East Carolina, which did not look good. However, the Bearcats still lead the division and a tiebreaker over UCF. Cincy should beat UConn and South Florida, meaning they will be 6-0 in the conference when they face Temple. Temple's only chance is to win out and hope Memphis beats Cincinnati. All Cincy has to do is beat one of those teams, as well as win the two games they should win, to capture the title.
American Athletic West: Navy leads, but they lost to Memphis, so if Memphis wins out the Tigers get the crown. Navy still has to face SMU. The Mustangs also lost to Memphis, so they need to win out and hope Memphis loses a conference game sometime.
ACC Atlantic: Let's face it, this one will be decided by the Clemson-Wake Forest contest in two weeks.
ACC Coastal: If Virginia beats Georgia Tech this weekend, they almost lock it up. A Virginia Tech victory at the end of the season could open the door to other teams (including the Hokies themselves), but it looks to be Virginia's division if they beat the Yellow Jackets.
Big XII: Baylor still leads, but they have games against Oklahoma and Texas remaining, as well as a bout against TCU. Baylor could lose two games and fall from the title. Oklahoma might stand the best chance, although all four of their upcoming opponents could be tough games.
Big Ten East: This one really won't be decided for a while. Ohio State should easily beat their next two opponents, setting up for their season-ending bouts against Penn State and an improved Michigan squad. Penn State faces unbeaten Minnesota this week. That game is crucial for the Nittany Lions. A loss there means they must beat Ohio State.
Big Ten West: Minnesota has three tough games remaining. If they can beat both Iowa and Wisconsin, they win the division, despite their result against Penn State. A Penn State loss means both Iowa and Wisconsin realize they could gain a tiebreaker against Minnesota, opening the door for the winner of the Iowa-Wisconsin bout this weekend.
Conference USA East: Marshall faces Louisiana Tech in a crucial game. A Marshall loss opens the door for Florida Atlantic, who has an easier schedule. The Owls only tough contest remaining is the game against Southern Mississippi at the end of the season. Fortunately Marshall owns the tiebreaker, so if the Owls lose that contest, Marshall could gain the title in the final week.
Conference USA West: Obviously, if Louisiana Tech wins out, they gain the title. Even a loss to Marshall will gain them the division if they follow that with a win over UAB.
MAC East: For all practical purposes, the winner of this week's Ohio-Miami Ohio game decides the division.
MAC West: If Ball State wins their next two games it doesn't matter how they end the season. Western Michigan and Central Michigan obviously need to beat Ball State to have a chance.
Mountain West Mountain: Boise still plays Wyoming and Utah State. If the Broncos win those two, they capture the division. Obviously the Cowboys or Aggies need a win against the Broncos. Wyoming has it tougher, as they travel to Boise to play. At least the Aggies face them on a friendly field.
Mountain West West: Basically, San Diego State simply needs to beat Fresno State in two weeks.
Pac-12 North: Two more victories by Oregon seals it. Oregon State is the only team with a shot, and they need either Arizona or Arizona State to beat the Ducks before the Beavers would.
Pac-12 South: Utah needs to win out or, if they lose to UCLA, hope both USC and UCLA lose again.
SEC East: Two more wins for Georgia seals it. If one of those victories is this week against Missouri, only Florida would have a chance, and they would need Georgia to lose twice.
SEC West: This week's Alabama-LSU bout will essentially determine the division winner. An LSU win almost guarantees it for the Tigers, as they have three easy games remaining. Alabama would still need to beat Auburn to remain unbeaten, but since they'd hold the tiebreaker over LSU, even a loss to Auburn would still give them the division title.
Sun Belt East: Appalachian State's loss to Georgia Southern actually puts the Eagles in the driver's seat. Their only tough opponent remaining is Georgia State. Appalachian State needs to win out and have the Panthers beat the Eagles.
Sun Belt West: Louisiana has basically won this. They have four easy games remaining and hold the tiebreaker against Arkansas State. If Louisiana wins out it won't matter what happens against UL Monroe in the last week.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) [1]
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) [2]
3. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0) [3]
4. LSU Tigers (8-0) [4]
5. Clemson Tigers (9-0) [5]
6. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) [6]
7. Oregon Ducks (8-1) [7]
8. Utah Utes (8-1) [8]
9. Baylor Bears (8-0) [9]
10. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) [10]
11. Wisconsin Badgers (6-2) [11]
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-0) [12]
13. Michigan Wolverines (7-2) [13]
14. Auburn Tigers (7-2) [15]
15. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2) [16]
16. UCF Golden Knights (7-2) [18]
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2) [17]
18. Navy Midshipmen (7-1) [24]
19. SMU Mustangs (8-1) [14]
20. Memphis Tigers (8-1) [26]
21. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-1) [NR]
22. Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-1) [19]
23. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-1) [23]
24. Boise State Broncos (7-1) [25]
25. Florida Gators (7-2) [20]
Dropped off: UAB Blazers [#21], Washington Huskies [#22]
On the Edge: Cincinnati Bearcats (7-1), San Diego State Aztecs (7-1), Wyoming Cowboys (6-2), Air Force Falcons (7-2), Indiana Hoosiers (7-2), Kansas State Wildcats (6-2), Texas Longhorns (5-3), Missouri Tigers (5-3), Iowa State Cyclones (5-3)
Big Ten Report
Michigan was the only ranked team who played, and they were impressive again. Since their attempted fourth quarter comeback against Penn State, their offense has been playing much better, making fewer mistakes and showing real power and talent. At this rate, they might truly compete against Ohio State at the end of the season.
Indiana and Illinois impressed, and both have sealed (or nearly so) bowl bids. Illinois needs one more victory, but that should come against Northwestern, if they don't beat Michigan State and seal it sooner. Purdue upset Nebraska, proving that the Cornhuskers are in a major downwards spiral.
Title Races
These didn't clear up much, with so many teams on a bye week.
American Athletic East: Cincy barely escaped against hapless East Carolina, which did not look good. However, the Bearcats still lead the division and a tiebreaker over UCF. Cincy should beat UConn and South Florida, meaning they will be 6-0 in the conference when they face Temple. Temple's only chance is to win out and hope Memphis beats Cincinnati. All Cincy has to do is beat one of those teams, as well as win the two games they should win, to capture the title.
American Athletic West: Navy leads, but they lost to Memphis, so if Memphis wins out the Tigers get the crown. Navy still has to face SMU. The Mustangs also lost to Memphis, so they need to win out and hope Memphis loses a conference game sometime.
ACC Atlantic: Let's face it, this one will be decided by the Clemson-Wake Forest contest in two weeks.
ACC Coastal: If Virginia beats Georgia Tech this weekend, they almost lock it up. A Virginia Tech victory at the end of the season could open the door to other teams (including the Hokies themselves), but it looks to be Virginia's division if they beat the Yellow Jackets.
Big XII: Baylor still leads, but they have games against Oklahoma and Texas remaining, as well as a bout against TCU. Baylor could lose two games and fall from the title. Oklahoma might stand the best chance, although all four of their upcoming opponents could be tough games.
Big Ten East: This one really won't be decided for a while. Ohio State should easily beat their next two opponents, setting up for their season-ending bouts against Penn State and an improved Michigan squad. Penn State faces unbeaten Minnesota this week. That game is crucial for the Nittany Lions. A loss there means they must beat Ohio State.
Big Ten West: Minnesota has three tough games remaining. If they can beat both Iowa and Wisconsin, they win the division, despite their result against Penn State. A Penn State loss means both Iowa and Wisconsin realize they could gain a tiebreaker against Minnesota, opening the door for the winner of the Iowa-Wisconsin bout this weekend.
Conference USA East: Marshall faces Louisiana Tech in a crucial game. A Marshall loss opens the door for Florida Atlantic, who has an easier schedule. The Owls only tough contest remaining is the game against Southern Mississippi at the end of the season. Fortunately Marshall owns the tiebreaker, so if the Owls lose that contest, Marshall could gain the title in the final week.
Conference USA West: Obviously, if Louisiana Tech wins out, they gain the title. Even a loss to Marshall will gain them the division if they follow that with a win over UAB.
MAC East: For all practical purposes, the winner of this week's Ohio-Miami Ohio game decides the division.
MAC West: If Ball State wins their next two games it doesn't matter how they end the season. Western Michigan and Central Michigan obviously need to beat Ball State to have a chance.
Mountain West Mountain: Boise still plays Wyoming and Utah State. If the Broncos win those two, they capture the division. Obviously the Cowboys or Aggies need a win against the Broncos. Wyoming has it tougher, as they travel to Boise to play. At least the Aggies face them on a friendly field.
Mountain West West: Basically, San Diego State simply needs to beat Fresno State in two weeks.
Pac-12 North: Two more victories by Oregon seals it. Oregon State is the only team with a shot, and they need either Arizona or Arizona State to beat the Ducks before the Beavers would.
Pac-12 South: Utah needs to win out or, if they lose to UCLA, hope both USC and UCLA lose again.
SEC East: Two more wins for Georgia seals it. If one of those victories is this week against Missouri, only Florida would have a chance, and they would need Georgia to lose twice.
SEC West: This week's Alabama-LSU bout will essentially determine the division winner. An LSU win almost guarantees it for the Tigers, as they have three easy games remaining. Alabama would still need to beat Auburn to remain unbeaten, but since they'd hold the tiebreaker over LSU, even a loss to Auburn would still give them the division title.
Sun Belt East: Appalachian State's loss to Georgia Southern actually puts the Eagles in the driver's seat. Their only tough opponent remaining is Georgia State. Appalachian State needs to win out and have the Panthers beat the Eagles.
Sun Belt West: Louisiana has basically won this. They have four easy games remaining and hold the tiebreaker against Arkansas State. If Louisiana wins out it won't matter what happens against UL Monroe in the last week.
Friday, November 1, 2019
NFL 2019 Week 8 results and Week 9 picks
Our status of winless and unbeaten teams remains at two each. In most divisions, the teams' placements remained the same. Very few surprise results. Basically, it was mostly an uneventful week, except for surprisingly dominant performances by New Orleans and San Francisco.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (8-0) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-0) [2]
3. Green Bay Packers (7-1) [3]
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-2) [4]
5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) [5]
6. New Orleans Saints (7-1) [10]
7. Dallas Cowboys (4-3) [9]
8. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) [6]
9. Los Angeles Rams (5-3) [11]
10. Houston Texans (5-3) [12]
11. Seattle Seahawks (6-2) [13]
12. Buffalo Bills (5-2) [7]
Divisional Rankings [Last week's ranks]
1. NFC North [1] : Two teams in the Top 5 and nobody lower than 20th helps a lot
2. NFC West [2] : Three teams among the Top 12? That's power, dude!
3. AFC South [3] : Nobody outstanding, but nobody losing, either
4. AFC West [6] : Big gap between the AFC South and here, KC's continued success plus an upset victory by the Chargers helps this division
5. AFC East [5]
6 (tie). AFC North [7] : Trailing the AFC East by the slightest of margins, there is hope for this division yet
6 (tie). NFC South [4] : New Orleans is the only team with a positive points margin. That's not good.
8. NFC East [8] : Although Philly is improving, this division still falls short
Thursday night
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals: This will be a scary Halloween for the home team, as the tricky defense of San Francisco will give no treats to the Cards. 49ERS, 31-13
Sunday morning
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars: London has been unpredictable for some teams, but unpredictable defines Texans QB Deshaun Watson. The Texans' defense isn't quite as strong as it has been, so the Jags will get to score, but the evasiveness and cleverness of Watson will prevail. TEXANS, 27-23
Sunday early games
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles: The Bears defense is fierce, but their offense struggles mightily. Outside of the AFC East, they may have the worst offense in the league. The Eagles can't quite get coordinated, though, and the pressure from the Bears defense will further throw them into chaos. Add a defensive score, and that's the difference in the game. BEARS, 23-20
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers QBs are getting better, but they still don't match Jacoby Brissett, who has catapaulted the Colts to the division lead. COLTS, 23-20
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs: Two strong offenses face off, but defense might make the difference in this game. VIKINGS, 27-23
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins: The two worst offenses in the league face off. Does anyone really care who wins this game, outside of New York City? Historically these two face off in offensive showdowns, but I don't expect that this year. JETS, 17-13
Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers: This game will be really close, and either team could win, but I'll give a slight nod to the home team, who had a bye week to help prepare. PANTHERS, 27-26
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills: Buffalo has already lost one game this year against a much weaker opponent. They won't let that happen again. BILLS, 20-13
Sunday late games
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos: If this were truly the highly-touted Browns team that began the season, I'd pick them with no hesitation. However, the Browns have not lived up to that hype, and playing at Mile High is always tough. BRONCOS, 24-17
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders: The Lions should overpower the inconsistent Raiders. LIONS, 24-20
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers: And the Pack should conclude the NFC North sweep of the AFC West. PACKERS, 27-20
Tampa Bay Bucs at Seatle Seahawks: Seattle is tough at home, too tough for the Bucs. SEAHAWKS, 27-20
Sunday night
New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens is one team who might be able to beat the seemingly-unbeatable Patriots. Still, if it happens, it deserves to be an upset. PATRIOTS, 27-20
Monday Night Football
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants: The Giants have seen some new life with Daniel Jones under center, but he still needs work, as does the entire Giants offense. COWBOYS, 27-17
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. New England Patriots (8-0) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-0) [2]
3. Green Bay Packers (7-1) [3]
4. Minnesota Vikings (6-2) [4]
5. Baltimore Ravens (5-2) [5]
6. New Orleans Saints (7-1) [10]
7. Dallas Cowboys (4-3) [9]
8. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) [6]
9. Los Angeles Rams (5-3) [11]
10. Houston Texans (5-3) [12]
11. Seattle Seahawks (6-2) [13]
12. Buffalo Bills (5-2) [7]
Divisional Rankings [Last week's ranks]
1. NFC North [1] : Two teams in the Top 5 and nobody lower than 20th helps a lot
2. NFC West [2] : Three teams among the Top 12? That's power, dude!
3. AFC South [3] : Nobody outstanding, but nobody losing, either
4. AFC West [6] : Big gap between the AFC South and here, KC's continued success plus an upset victory by the Chargers helps this division
5. AFC East [5]
6 (tie). AFC North [7] : Trailing the AFC East by the slightest of margins, there is hope for this division yet
6 (tie). NFC South [4] : New Orleans is the only team with a positive points margin. That's not good.
8. NFC East [8] : Although Philly is improving, this division still falls short
Thursday night
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals: This will be a scary Halloween for the home team, as the tricky defense of San Francisco will give no treats to the Cards. 49ERS, 31-13
Sunday morning
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars: London has been unpredictable for some teams, but unpredictable defines Texans QB Deshaun Watson. The Texans' defense isn't quite as strong as it has been, so the Jags will get to score, but the evasiveness and cleverness of Watson will prevail. TEXANS, 27-23
Sunday early games
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles: The Bears defense is fierce, but their offense struggles mightily. Outside of the AFC East, they may have the worst offense in the league. The Eagles can't quite get coordinated, though, and the pressure from the Bears defense will further throw them into chaos. Add a defensive score, and that's the difference in the game. BEARS, 23-20
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers QBs are getting better, but they still don't match Jacoby Brissett, who has catapaulted the Colts to the division lead. COLTS, 23-20
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs: Two strong offenses face off, but defense might make the difference in this game. VIKINGS, 27-23
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins: The two worst offenses in the league face off. Does anyone really care who wins this game, outside of New York City? Historically these two face off in offensive showdowns, but I don't expect that this year. JETS, 17-13
Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers: This game will be really close, and either team could win, but I'll give a slight nod to the home team, who had a bye week to help prepare. PANTHERS, 27-26
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills: Buffalo has already lost one game this year against a much weaker opponent. They won't let that happen again. BILLS, 20-13
Sunday late games
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos: If this were truly the highly-touted Browns team that began the season, I'd pick them with no hesitation. However, the Browns have not lived up to that hype, and playing at Mile High is always tough. BRONCOS, 24-17
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders: The Lions should overpower the inconsistent Raiders. LIONS, 24-20
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers: And the Pack should conclude the NFC North sweep of the AFC West. PACKERS, 27-20
Tampa Bay Bucs at Seatle Seahawks: Seattle is tough at home, too tough for the Bucs. SEAHAWKS, 27-20
Sunday night
New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens is one team who might be able to beat the seemingly-unbeatable Patriots. Still, if it happens, it deserves to be an upset. PATRIOTS, 27-20
Monday Night Football
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants: The Giants have seen some new life with Daniel Jones under center, but he still needs work, as does the entire Giants offense. COWBOYS, 27-17
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)