As I type this, my Alma Mater the University of Illinois is leading Cal in the Redbox Bowl, but Cal is driving.
I wanted to write this column after the semi-finals were done, so I can include the National Championship Game in this series of predictions. Right now, in the chase for the best bowl record, the two best conferences are the SEC (2-0) and the Big Ten (3-1). The worst is the Big XII (0-3). All conferences could finish with non-losing records, but some conferences are on the edge. One more loss by the Big XII, American Athletic, Conference USA, and MAC will guarantee a losing record. The conference in the greatest jeopardy is the Big XII, who could end winless. Their best bet remaining would be Texas, as Kansas State has an atrocious bowl record.
Tues Dec 31
Belk Bowl : Virginia Tech Hokies (8-4) v Kentucky Wildcats (7-5) - Kentucky had a rough time in conference play, but they played well against non-conference opponents. I have to think they have the advantage here, despite the worse record. KENTUCKY
Sun Bowl : Florida State Seminoles (6-6) v Arizona State Sun Devils (7-5) - When in doubt, go with Herm Edwards. ARIZONA STATE
Liberty Bowl : #18 Navy Midshipmen (10-2) v Kansas State Wildcats (8-4) - Navy has a tough "pound it out" ground game that can exhaust opponents. The Wildcats have enough people to rotate in to the defense to keep people fresh, but the depth of talent might be a bit lacking. Furthermore, they will do something to hurt themselves, as they frequently do in bowl games. Navy wins as the only Group of Five representative among the New Years Six. NAVY
Arizona Bowl : Wyoming Cowboys (7-5) v Georgia State Panthers (7-5) - Georgia State racked up a good enough record to reach a bowl, but they have a negative point differential. Wyoming is just the better team. WYOMING
Alamo Bowl : #7 Utah Utes (11-2) v Texas Longhorns (7-5) - When it comes to records in bowl games, it almost doesn't matter to Texas. They can win when they are a big underdog or slip up and lose when they are favored. However, they have a MASSIVE uphill battle against the Pac-12 runner-up. UTAH
Wed Jan 1
Citrus Bowl : #14 Michigan Wolverines (9-3) v #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) - Michigan has an abysmal bowl record, and they have to face a highly talented Alabama squad. This doesn't look good for Jim Harbaugh's squad. ALABAMA
Outback Bowl : #16 Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2) v #20 Auburn Tigers (9-3) - Many national analysts are favoring Auburn, but Minnesota has been underestimated all season. It won't faze them at all, and might even motivate them. It's the Gophers offense against the Tigers defense. The Gophers overcame the stiff Penn State defense on their home field but fell (barely) to the Hawkeyes defense in Iowa. How will they do on a neutral field? Good enough, I think. MINNESOTA
Rose Bowl : #6 Oregon Ducks (11-2) v Wisconsin Badgers (10-3) - The Pac-12 frequently does well in the Rose Bowl, but can Oregon and their "hot and cold" QB beat Wisconsin? The Badgers could have won the Big Ten, except Ryan Day makes excellent halftime adjustments. I think Wisconsin will lead at halftime and carry that to the end. WISCONSIN
Sugar Bowl : #11 Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) v #12 Baylor Bears (11-2) - On paper, this looks like a close contest, and the Big XII may need a great Baylor performance to prevent a winless bowl season. However, the SEC is deadly in the Sugar Bowl, and I don't think Baylor's defense can contain the Georgia offense. Can Baylor match Georgia score for score? At first, perhaps, but I think the Bulldogs will exhaust them. GEORGIA
Thurs Jan 2
Birmingham Bowl : Boston College Eagles (6-6) v Cincinnati Bearcats (10-3) - Boston College had to pull off a couple of surprise wins to get to this bowl game, but the Bearcats defense will prevent them from gaining this upset. CINCINNATI
Gator Bowl : Indiana Hoosiers (8-4) v Tennessee Volunteers (7-5) : The last bowl game featuring Power Five teams finishes the Big Ten v SEC showdowns. The Vols had a good defense this year, but is it good enough to slow the quick-strike Hoosiers offense? Perhaps at first, but Indiana will surge. Worse, the Vols mediocre offense won't be able to come back if they fall behind. INDIANA
Fri Jan 3
Idaho Potato Bowl : Ohio Bobcats (6-6) v Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5) - Whoa, here's a hard game to pick. I saw Ohio only once this season, and I don't think I saw Nevada at all. Nevada has a negative point differential, so I would expect Ohio to win, but that crazy blue turf can confuse teams who aren't used to it. Nevada's been there. NEVADA
San Jan 4
Armed Forces Bowl : Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (7-5) v Tulane Green Wave (6-6) - Southern Miss is a good team whose defense, their typical strength, started poorly but improved as the season progressed. I'd pick them, expect surprising Tulane could really get it up for particular games this year, and be a real force when they do. A bowl game is one they are likely to get up for. TULANE in an upset
Mon Jan 6
Mobile Bowl : Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (10-3) v Miami Ohio Redhawks (8-5) - Louisiana won their first four bowl games, but have gone 0-2 since. The Redhawks have had a 7-4 bowl record, so they have been better. Sounds good for them, right? Except the Redhawks have not been very consistent this season, while Louisiana has been a competitive force throughout. LOUISIANA
Mon Jan 13
National Championship Game : #2 Clemson Tigers (14-0) v #1 LSU Tigers (14-0) - Let's face it, there were only two teams that could be called truly "complete" teams this season: Ohio State and LSU. We won't get to see those two battle, so anything other matchup is anticlimactic. No matter how advanced Clemson thinks they are, their defense can't stop LSU, and Ohio State already showed how a defense can slow the Clemson offense. LSU
Monday, December 30, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
NFL 2019 Week 16 results and Week 17 picks
The playoff picture got clearer in some areas and murkier in others after last week's games. All AFC divisions have been decided, as are the Number One (Baltimore) and Number Five (Buffalo) seeds. A shocking loss by Pittsburgh keeps them on the outside, and gives Oakland an outside chance at the playoffs. Over in the NFC, the Packers clinched the NFC North, the Eagles become the frontrunner in the NFC East, and Minnesota falls to the sixth seed.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-2) [1]
2. New England Patriots (12-3) [2]
3. San Francisco 49ers (12-3) [3]
4. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) [5]
5. Green Bay Packers (12-3) [8]
6. New Orleans Saints (12-3) [6]
7. Minnesota Vikings (10-5) [4]
8. Buffalo Bills (10-5) [7]
9. Seattle Seahawks (11-4) [9]
10. Houston Texans (10-5) [12]
11. Dallas Cowboys (7-8) [10]
12. Tennessee Titans (8-7) [11]
Division Ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : With two teams still vying for top seed in the NFC, this division has what it takes
2. NFC North [2] : Showing the gap between 2nd and 3rd, this division lost steam and still leads #3 by a significant margin
3. AFC East [5] : The only division in the AFC with two confirmed playoff teams
4. NFC South [4] : Atlanta's late rise is helping this division a bit, but the Saints still keep them afloat
5 (tie). AFC South [6] : Three teams with positive point differentials and a second possible playoff contender
5 (tie). AFC West [7] : Chiefs carry the load here
7. AFC North [3] : Trailing #4 NFC South by only 3/4 of a point, the Steelers loss dropped them down here
8. NFC East [8] : It's still possible the division winner will not break 50%
Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs : Atlanta has been improving as late, and they want to quiet critics about their early season collapse (1-7 in the first half of the season!). QB Dan Quinn is on the hot seat and they want to finish with four wins. That said, I think the Bucs will surprise and play excellent ball. They are also dodging bad press in regards to Jameis Winston's reckless play, and I think someone on the coaching staff (perhaps MORE than one person) will sit him down and refocus him. The Bucs have a solid defense, Winston doesn't have to feel that he has to win all by himself. That focus should get them past the Falcons in a squeaker that will see at least three lead changes. BUCS, 23-20
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings : With the Vikings firmly entrenched as the sixth seed, I see them sitting some key players. They don't want to risk them getting hurt before the playoffs, a likely scenario giving the intense physical style of defense played by the Bears. The Vikings starting defense will likely play, though, so the Bears offense won't move much. This will be defensive battle, and I think a late Pick 6 will win the game. BEARS, 17-13
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals : The Bengals want more than one win this season, but I think the Browns will prevent that. The Browns have had to explain themselves too much this season, and they hope a strong finishing victory will reduce the turbulence for a few months. If Odell Beckham can keep his cool, they should perform well. Of course, asking Beckham to keep his head is like asking Donald Trump to admit his wall was a dumb idea. Never happening. BROWNS, 27-20
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions : The Pack clinched the division, but they need this win. If the Seahawks beat the 49ers on Monday night, the Pack nail the top seed in the NFC. On the other hand, a loss and a Saints win drags them to third seed and the loss of a first-week bye. Although banged up, the Pack will play for this win. PACKERS, 20-13
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chiefs can still get the Number Two seed and a first-round bye if the Patriots lose, so they will play everyone so that they win this game. CHIEFS, 31-23
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots : The Pats want to get a first-round bye, so they will play their starters early. Their intention is to score enough so that some of them can rest in the second half, which might happen. PATS, 27-16
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers : Here's another new bunch of Seahawks fans, as the Saints have a chance for a first-round bye with a 49ers loss. In fact, if the Lions can beat the Pack, the Saints have an outside chance at the top seed. Incentive for Drew Brees to have another stellar day. SAINTS, 34-20
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills : This is a hard game to pick, because I'm not sure if the Bills will rest some of their starters. They cannot improve nor lose their Number Five seed, so it doesn't matter whether they win or lose. Coach Sean McDermott has stated that all starters will play at some point of this game, but he stressed that not all of them will start. That sounds like second and third team players will be rotated in and out. Could that allow the Jets to win this game? Hard to say, because we don't know how much juggling will be done. However, since players will be shifted in and out of the lineup, I think those frequent substitutions will be distracting enough to allow the Jets to squeak by. JETS, 17-13
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams : Rams need a strong finish to quiet criticism regarding their collapse this year. I would not be so critical. After all, the NFL has a history of Super Bowl losers struggling to reach the playoffs the following season.. Still, the Rams will play hard in this game. RAMS, 27-16
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars : There are murmurings that the Colts should consider drafting a quarterback. Hey, Jacoby Brissett played very well. Okay, he was no Andrew Luck, but few people are. Still, this means Jacoby wants to have a good game to convince fans and administration alike that he deserves his position. COLTS, 23-16
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos : The Raiders have a shot at the playoffs. If Houston beats Tennessee and the Ravens beat Pittsburgh, the Raiders can get in with a win. They want that win, and they'll fight for it. RAIDERS, 24-20
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants : Okay, the Eagles did their part last week and beat the Cowboys. Now they need to beat the Giants in order to clinch the NFC East and reach the playoffs. The Giants offense has improved recently, but I don't think it has improved enough to beat the determined Eagles. EAGLES, 23-20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens : The Ravens plan to rest most of their starters, which would normally mean that the Steelers should win easily. However, with Mason Rudolph injured and low confidence in Merrill Hodge among his teammates, I'm not sure how the offense will perform on the field. I'll pick the Steelers, mainly because they are playing for a playoff spot, but they could seriously lose this game. STEELERS, 16-13
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans : Houston cannot make the second seed, so they will not have a first week bye. Will it matter whether they are third or fourth seed? In other words, will they rest players? They are being quiet on that matter, because their big news has been that JJ Watt will return for the playoffs. Truthfully, I think the Texans would love to spoil the Titans chances for the playoffs, so I see them playing just enough to beat them. TEXANS, 27-23
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys : The Cowboys still have a shot at making the playoffs, if they think the Giants can pull off the upset. So they'll be pulling hard to win this game. The Redskins have a disadvantage with Case Keenum under center, so I think the Cowboys will do it. COWBOYS, 20-16
Sunday night
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks : Okay, here's what's at stake. The winner is the NFC West champ. If San Fran wins, they also lock in the Number One seed. If Seattle wins, they gain whatever seed is next after the Packers and Saints win. In other words, if both of those teams lose, Seattle is Number One. If both teams win, Seattle would be third seed. If only one team wins, Seattle gains a first-round bye. The loser of this game is the fifth seed. Both teams have played better on the road, so I'm not sure home field advantage really matters. No, this one is a grudge match, as the last time they played (and Seattle won), the 49ers were replaced at the top team in the NFC by those same Seahawks. You can be sure they don't want that happening again. Seattle has to be rattled by last week's home loss, and now they face an even tougher defense. This game will be close, but I see the road team pulling it out. 49ERS, 24-20
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (13-2) [1]
2. New England Patriots (12-3) [2]
3. San Francisco 49ers (12-3) [3]
4. Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) [5]
5. Green Bay Packers (12-3) [8]
6. New Orleans Saints (12-3) [6]
7. Minnesota Vikings (10-5) [4]
8. Buffalo Bills (10-5) [7]
9. Seattle Seahawks (11-4) [9]
10. Houston Texans (10-5) [12]
11. Dallas Cowboys (7-8) [10]
12. Tennessee Titans (8-7) [11]
Division Ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : With two teams still vying for top seed in the NFC, this division has what it takes
2. NFC North [2] : Showing the gap between 2nd and 3rd, this division lost steam and still leads #3 by a significant margin
3. AFC East [5] : The only division in the AFC with two confirmed playoff teams
4. NFC South [4] : Atlanta's late rise is helping this division a bit, but the Saints still keep them afloat
5 (tie). AFC South [6] : Three teams with positive point differentials and a second possible playoff contender
5 (tie). AFC West [7] : Chiefs carry the load here
7. AFC North [3] : Trailing #4 NFC South by only 3/4 of a point, the Steelers loss dropped them down here
8. NFC East [8] : It's still possible the division winner will not break 50%
Sunday early games
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs : Atlanta has been improving as late, and they want to quiet critics about their early season collapse (1-7 in the first half of the season!). QB Dan Quinn is on the hot seat and they want to finish with four wins. That said, I think the Bucs will surprise and play excellent ball. They are also dodging bad press in regards to Jameis Winston's reckless play, and I think someone on the coaching staff (perhaps MORE than one person) will sit him down and refocus him. The Bucs have a solid defense, Winston doesn't have to feel that he has to win all by himself. That focus should get them past the Falcons in a squeaker that will see at least three lead changes. BUCS, 23-20
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings : With the Vikings firmly entrenched as the sixth seed, I see them sitting some key players. They don't want to risk them getting hurt before the playoffs, a likely scenario giving the intense physical style of defense played by the Bears. The Vikings starting defense will likely play, though, so the Bears offense won't move much. This will be defensive battle, and I think a late Pick 6 will win the game. BEARS, 17-13
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals : The Bengals want more than one win this season, but I think the Browns will prevent that. The Browns have had to explain themselves too much this season, and they hope a strong finishing victory will reduce the turbulence for a few months. If Odell Beckham can keep his cool, they should perform well. Of course, asking Beckham to keep his head is like asking Donald Trump to admit his wall was a dumb idea. Never happening. BROWNS, 27-20
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions : The Pack clinched the division, but they need this win. If the Seahawks beat the 49ers on Monday night, the Pack nail the top seed in the NFC. On the other hand, a loss and a Saints win drags them to third seed and the loss of a first-week bye. Although banged up, the Pack will play for this win. PACKERS, 20-13
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chiefs can still get the Number Two seed and a first-round bye if the Patriots lose, so they will play everyone so that they win this game. CHIEFS, 31-23
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots : The Pats want to get a first-round bye, so they will play their starters early. Their intention is to score enough so that some of them can rest in the second half, which might happen. PATS, 27-16
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers : Here's another new bunch of Seahawks fans, as the Saints have a chance for a first-round bye with a 49ers loss. In fact, if the Lions can beat the Pack, the Saints have an outside chance at the top seed. Incentive for Drew Brees to have another stellar day. SAINTS, 34-20
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills : This is a hard game to pick, because I'm not sure if the Bills will rest some of their starters. They cannot improve nor lose their Number Five seed, so it doesn't matter whether they win or lose. Coach Sean McDermott has stated that all starters will play at some point of this game, but he stressed that not all of them will start. That sounds like second and third team players will be rotated in and out. Could that allow the Jets to win this game? Hard to say, because we don't know how much juggling will be done. However, since players will be shifted in and out of the lineup, I think those frequent substitutions will be distracting enough to allow the Jets to squeak by. JETS, 17-13
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams : Rams need a strong finish to quiet criticism regarding their collapse this year. I would not be so critical. After all, the NFL has a history of Super Bowl losers struggling to reach the playoffs the following season.. Still, the Rams will play hard in this game. RAMS, 27-16
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars : There are murmurings that the Colts should consider drafting a quarterback. Hey, Jacoby Brissett played very well. Okay, he was no Andrew Luck, but few people are. Still, this means Jacoby wants to have a good game to convince fans and administration alike that he deserves his position. COLTS, 23-16
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos : The Raiders have a shot at the playoffs. If Houston beats Tennessee and the Ravens beat Pittsburgh, the Raiders can get in with a win. They want that win, and they'll fight for it. RAIDERS, 24-20
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants : Okay, the Eagles did their part last week and beat the Cowboys. Now they need to beat the Giants in order to clinch the NFC East and reach the playoffs. The Giants offense has improved recently, but I don't think it has improved enough to beat the determined Eagles. EAGLES, 23-20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens : The Ravens plan to rest most of their starters, which would normally mean that the Steelers should win easily. However, with Mason Rudolph injured and low confidence in Merrill Hodge among his teammates, I'm not sure how the offense will perform on the field. I'll pick the Steelers, mainly because they are playing for a playoff spot, but they could seriously lose this game. STEELERS, 16-13
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans : Houston cannot make the second seed, so they will not have a first week bye. Will it matter whether they are third or fourth seed? In other words, will they rest players? They are being quiet on that matter, because their big news has been that JJ Watt will return for the playoffs. Truthfully, I think the Texans would love to spoil the Titans chances for the playoffs, so I see them playing just enough to beat them. TEXANS, 27-23
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys : The Cowboys still have a shot at making the playoffs, if they think the Giants can pull off the upset. So they'll be pulling hard to win this game. The Redskins have a disadvantage with Case Keenum under center, so I think the Cowboys will do it. COWBOYS, 20-16
Sunday night
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks : Okay, here's what's at stake. The winner is the NFC West champ. If San Fran wins, they also lock in the Number One seed. If Seattle wins, they gain whatever seed is next after the Packers and Saints win. In other words, if both of those teams lose, Seattle is Number One. If both teams win, Seattle would be third seed. If only one team wins, Seattle gains a first-round bye. The loser of this game is the fifth seed. Both teams have played better on the road, so I'm not sure home field advantage really matters. No, this one is a grudge match, as the last time they played (and Seattle won), the 49ers were replaced at the top team in the NFC by those same Seahawks. You can be sure they don't want that happening again. Seattle has to be rattled by last week's home loss, and now they face an even tougher defense. This game will be close, but I see the road team pulling it out. 49ERS, 24-20
Monday, December 23, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Bowl picks part II
Most of the games have been one-sided so far, but we've had some surprises. The MAC, who has struggled in bowl games over the past few years, started 2-0. That already beat the total number of bowl victories they had in the past two years. Boise State was completely demolished by Washington. Kent State won their first bowl game after losing their first three, and Liberty won their first ever bowl game.
Continuing with our picks, where we are getting mostly Power Five teams now...
Dec 27
Military Bowl : North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) v Temple Owls (8-4) - North Carolina can be unpredictable at times, but Temple has shown great power during the season. Traveling from Philadelphia to Annapolis makes this a regional game for them, too. Statistically they are fairly similar, although the Owls have proven a little more tenacious on defense, and that often makes the difference in close games, which I think this will be. TEMPLE
Pinstripe Bowl : Michigan State Spartans (6-6) v Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4) - The Spartans have a good defense, but their offense was woefully inconsistent. They can shoot themselves in the foot and cough up the ball at the most inconvenient times. The special teams on the Spartans weren't great, either. For those reasons, I think the first Big Ten team to play in the bowls will not win. WAKE FOREST
Texas Bowl : Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-4) v Texas A&M Aggies (7-5) - There will be plenty of fans of each team, so the Texas location won't give much of a "home state" advantage to the Aggies. The Aggies had a decent defense this season, but I don't think that defense can hold back the dynamic offense of the Cowboys. OKLAHOMA STATE
Holiday Bowl : USC Trojans (8-4) v #21 Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3) - It's Big Ten v Pac-12 in California, where the Pac-12 tend to win. However, the Trojans have not had to face a defense as tough as Iowa's this season, and I don't think they will be able to take it. The Hawkeyes will wear away at them until advancing the ball is like carrying a ball and chain. IOWA
Cheez-It Bowl : #22 Air Force Falcons (10-2) v Washington State Cougars (6-6) - The Huskies have already pulled off one upset, but they were the stronger team from Washington this year. The Cougars won't manage the same trick, especially since they won't be on the field as long, since Air Force commands the time of possession. AIR FORCE
Dec 28
Camping World Bowl : #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) v Iowa State Cyclones (7-5) - Iowa State played some strong games this season, and was a sentimental favorite of the ESPN analysts. However, sentimentality will not get them past the powerful Irish squad. NOTRE DAME
Cotton Bowl Classic : #5 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) v #13 Memphis Tigers (12-1) - This is the first battle between Top 25 teams since the Boca Raton Bowl. It's a great prelude to the two semifinal playoff games that follow. That said, poor Memphis will have their hands full against the powerful Nittany Lions defense. It may be close at halftime, but Penn State will crush them in the second half. PENN STATE
PLAYOFF - Peach Bowl : #2 LSU Tigers (13-0) v #8 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) - The Sooners come into this game without some key players, but they weren't going to win this game even with those players. LSU has just too strong an offense, and the Sooners won't be able to keep up. LSU
PLAYOFF - Fiesta Bowl : #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) v #3 Clemson Tigers (13-0) - Many national analysts are favoring Clemson, mainly because their offense woke up in the last four weeks of the season. However, the ACC does not have the quality defense that Clemson will face. The Buckeyes secondary will pressure the receivers, and Trevor Lawrence will need to get rid of the ball much faster than he is used to. His rhythm will be off, and that will kill them. Clemson may score first, because they'll come up with some "quick strike" schemes, but the Buckeyes will adjust at halftime and shut them down. OHIO STATE
Dec 30
First Responder Bowl : Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-4) v Western Michigan Broncos (7-5) - The Broncos started the season slowly but caught fire at the end of the season. That momentum will make them dangerous, but it may have cooled enough by Dec 30th. The Hilltoppers have a killer defense, and they will frustrate the Broncos. WESTERN KENTUCKY
Music City Bowl : Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-6) v Louisville Cardinals (7-5) - In an SEC v ACC like this one, the SEC usually comes out on top. This time, though, I'm picking the ACC. The Bulldogs were chronic underachievers this season. While Louisville wasn't spectacular, they basically played up to expectations. LOUISVILLE
Santa Clara Bowl : Cal Golden Bears (7-5) v Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) - The Illini have a very opportunistic defense that forced the second most turnovers of the conference. Their offense can go cold, though, so I'm afraid the Illini, who have waited a decade to return to a bowl game, will not succeed. CAL
Orange Bowl : #19 Florida Gators (10-2) v Virginia Cavaliers (9-3) - Another SEC v ACC matchup, and this one should end fairly typically. Virginia may keep it close for nearly three quarters, but Florida will end up surging late and running away with it. FLORIDA
Continuing with our picks, where we are getting mostly Power Five teams now...
Dec 27
Military Bowl : North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) v Temple Owls (8-4) - North Carolina can be unpredictable at times, but Temple has shown great power during the season. Traveling from Philadelphia to Annapolis makes this a regional game for them, too. Statistically they are fairly similar, although the Owls have proven a little more tenacious on defense, and that often makes the difference in close games, which I think this will be. TEMPLE
Pinstripe Bowl : Michigan State Spartans (6-6) v Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4) - The Spartans have a good defense, but their offense was woefully inconsistent. They can shoot themselves in the foot and cough up the ball at the most inconvenient times. The special teams on the Spartans weren't great, either. For those reasons, I think the first Big Ten team to play in the bowls will not win. WAKE FOREST
Texas Bowl : Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-4) v Texas A&M Aggies (7-5) - There will be plenty of fans of each team, so the Texas location won't give much of a "home state" advantage to the Aggies. The Aggies had a decent defense this season, but I don't think that defense can hold back the dynamic offense of the Cowboys. OKLAHOMA STATE
Holiday Bowl : USC Trojans (8-4) v #21 Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3) - It's Big Ten v Pac-12 in California, where the Pac-12 tend to win. However, the Trojans have not had to face a defense as tough as Iowa's this season, and I don't think they will be able to take it. The Hawkeyes will wear away at them until advancing the ball is like carrying a ball and chain. IOWA
Cheez-It Bowl : #22 Air Force Falcons (10-2) v Washington State Cougars (6-6) - The Huskies have already pulled off one upset, but they were the stronger team from Washington this year. The Cougars won't manage the same trick, especially since they won't be on the field as long, since Air Force commands the time of possession. AIR FORCE
Dec 28
Camping World Bowl : #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) v Iowa State Cyclones (7-5) - Iowa State played some strong games this season, and was a sentimental favorite of the ESPN analysts. However, sentimentality will not get them past the powerful Irish squad. NOTRE DAME
Cotton Bowl Classic : #5 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) v #13 Memphis Tigers (12-1) - This is the first battle between Top 25 teams since the Boca Raton Bowl. It's a great prelude to the two semifinal playoff games that follow. That said, poor Memphis will have their hands full against the powerful Nittany Lions defense. It may be close at halftime, but Penn State will crush them in the second half. PENN STATE
PLAYOFF - Peach Bowl : #2 LSU Tigers (13-0) v #8 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) - The Sooners come into this game without some key players, but they weren't going to win this game even with those players. LSU has just too strong an offense, and the Sooners won't be able to keep up. LSU
PLAYOFF - Fiesta Bowl : #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) v #3 Clemson Tigers (13-0) - Many national analysts are favoring Clemson, mainly because their offense woke up in the last four weeks of the season. However, the ACC does not have the quality defense that Clemson will face. The Buckeyes secondary will pressure the receivers, and Trevor Lawrence will need to get rid of the ball much faster than he is used to. His rhythm will be off, and that will kill them. Clemson may score first, because they'll come up with some "quick strike" schemes, but the Buckeyes will adjust at halftime and shut them down. OHIO STATE
Dec 30
First Responder Bowl : Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-4) v Western Michigan Broncos (7-5) - The Broncos started the season slowly but caught fire at the end of the season. That momentum will make them dangerous, but it may have cooled enough by Dec 30th. The Hilltoppers have a killer defense, and they will frustrate the Broncos. WESTERN KENTUCKY
Music City Bowl : Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-6) v Louisville Cardinals (7-5) - In an SEC v ACC like this one, the SEC usually comes out on top. This time, though, I'm picking the ACC. The Bulldogs were chronic underachievers this season. While Louisville wasn't spectacular, they basically played up to expectations. LOUISVILLE
Santa Clara Bowl : Cal Golden Bears (7-5) v Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) - The Illini have a very opportunistic defense that forced the second most turnovers of the conference. Their offense can go cold, though, so I'm afraid the Illini, who have waited a decade to return to a bowl game, will not succeed. CAL
Orange Bowl : #19 Florida Gators (10-2) v Virginia Cavaliers (9-3) - Another SEC v ACC matchup, and this one should end fairly typically. Virginia may keep it close for nearly three quarters, but Florida will end up surging late and running away with it. FLORIDA
Friday, December 20, 2019
NFL 2019 Week 15 results and Week 16 picks
The 49ers faltered again, their second time in three weeks. However, after three lackluster weeks, the Cowboys flared to life. It was an interesting Sunday afternoon.
The playoff picture is becoming clearer. In the NFC, we know five of the six playoff teams, including both wildcards. The mystery team will be the winner of the NFC East, who will be the fourth seed. Other seedings are still a mystery.
Over in the AFC there is a little more mystery. Only four of six playoff teams are known, and the fifth seed of the AFC East runner-up is set. The two open slots will belong to the AFC South winner, and the sixth seed is a contest between the AFC South runner-up and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (12-2) [1]
2. New England Patriots (11-3) [4]
3. San Francisco 49ers (11-3) [2]
4. Minnesota Vikings (10-4) [5]
5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) [3]
6. New Orleans Saints (11-3) [7]
7. Buffalo Bills (10-4) [6]
8. Green Bay Packers (11-3) [8]
9. Seattle Seahawks (11-3) [10]
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-7) [12]
11. Tennessee Titans (8-6) [9]
12. Houston Texans (9-5) [14]
Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : With two of the best teams in the conference and the Rams, who were in the playoff hunt until this past week, this division has proven themselves the best
2. NFC North [2] : Not far behind is another division with two strong teams, plus the stiff defense of the Bears
3. AFC North [5] : With the top team in the league and a potential playoff-bound Steelers, this division has some punch
4. NFC South [7] : Tremendous games by the Saints and Bucs, plus a surprise win by the Falcons, pulls this division out of the pits
5. AFC East [4] : The Pats found their footing, but the Jets fell hard against the Ravens and Buffalo's offense was a bit off-track
6. AFC South [3] : Indy lost big and their leaders are chewing themselves up
7. AFC West [6] : Oakland lost to the Jags and their lower teams lost big
8. NFC East [8] : Still no team with a winning record, although this week's Philly v Dallas showdown should restore that
Divisional Races
We could actually settle a lot this week, as divisional leaders square off. The Patriots and Packers could both win their divisions this week. The NFC East will have a team with a one-game lead. Also, as a result of last week's AFC South bout, Houston could capture the title with a win, combined with a Titans loss.
Saturday games
Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Bucs: As I stated above, the AFC South crown is within their reach. The Texans want it, and the up-and-down Bucs are not a stable enough opponent for me to confidently believe the Texans won't do their part, and gain a win. TEXANS, 27-20
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: As much as I would love to see the Bills pull off the upset, the Patriots have history behind them on this game. They frequently trounce their divisional opponents, they often win division-clinching games, and they play well at home at the end of the season. The Pats are primed to knotch another division crown. PATS, 28-20
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers faltered last week, which means they will right themselves for this week. 49ERS, 27-17
Sunday early games
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns: Ignore that the Ravens are far and away the best and most exciting team of the league this season. They OWN this rivalry! RAVENS, 31-16
Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts: Okay, the Colts were spanked badly last week. That should get them worked out. The "Trade Cam" talks did not inspire team spirit like they may have hoped. COLTS, 23-20
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins: Somehow I think this might be Cincy's second victory, but since the game in in Miami, I can't quite be so definite about the upset. Watch this one, though. DOLPHINS, 20-17
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta found some life last week, and I think their offense will continue that for this week. The Jags defense is faltering, and their offense just can't generate much. FALCONS, 24-17
New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans: Houston is counting on the Saints to do their part and trounce the Titans. I doubt it will be as one-sided as the Saints game last week, but Drew Brees will be inspired to remain ahead of Tom Brady after a likely impressive performance the previous day. SAINTS, 31-23
New York Giants at Washington Redskins: The Redskins offense is starting to get it together, but Eli Manning wants to retire on a high-note, so he will shine in the next two weeks. GIANTS, 20-17
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets: Knowing the Titans are playing the Saints, and facing a likely loss, Pittsburgh will be inspired to go out and beat the Jets to help secure that sixth playoff seed. STEELERS, 23-17
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: Let's see, how many divisional games has Arizona won this season? None? Guess that will continue, as the Seahawks chase the top seed in the conference. SEAHAWKS, 30-20
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles: The Cowboys found their offense again, just in time to battle the Eagles for the lead in the NFC East. The Eagles need this win or they won't take the division. It's be a tough battle, but I think the Cowboys will prevail. COWBOYS, 28-20
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos: The Broncos scored only a field goal last week, so the Lions are gaining favor in this game. I don't think so. Detroit has crumbled at awkward times this season, and the Broncos are determining what their future looks like, which means players want to impress. BRONCOS, 27-23
Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: Okay, now I step out on the skinny branches. The Chargers haven't won a single divisional contest this season, and lost most of them by quite a bit, but I think this one goes their way. The Raiders need to win out to prevent a losing season, but I think the players are starting to fold early, a not-so-uncommon problem in Oakland. CHARGERS, 27-20
Sunday night
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears: Sorry, my Bears, but you face an offense too strong for you to suppress enough for Trubisky and company to surpass. CHIEFS, 24-13
Monday Night Football
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings: With projected losses by Chicago and Detroit, who will be the only winner to emerge from the NFC North this week? How about the surging Vikings? Yes, I think they'll win this game and tie things up atop the NFC North. Given the Packers' unbeaten divisional record, this is a bit of an upset pick, but I think the Vikings can do this. VIKINGS, 27-24
The playoff picture is becoming clearer. In the NFC, we know five of the six playoff teams, including both wildcards. The mystery team will be the winner of the NFC East, who will be the fourth seed. Other seedings are still a mystery.
Over in the AFC there is a little more mystery. Only four of six playoff teams are known, and the fifth seed of the AFC East runner-up is set. The two open slots will belong to the AFC South winner, and the sixth seed is a contest between the AFC South runner-up and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (12-2) [1]
2. New England Patriots (11-3) [4]
3. San Francisco 49ers (11-3) [2]
4. Minnesota Vikings (10-4) [5]
5. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) [3]
6. New Orleans Saints (11-3) [7]
7. Buffalo Bills (10-4) [6]
8. Green Bay Packers (11-3) [8]
9. Seattle Seahawks (11-3) [10]
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-7) [12]
11. Tennessee Titans (8-6) [9]
12. Houston Texans (9-5) [14]
Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : With two of the best teams in the conference and the Rams, who were in the playoff hunt until this past week, this division has proven themselves the best
2. NFC North [2] : Not far behind is another division with two strong teams, plus the stiff defense of the Bears
3. AFC North [5] : With the top team in the league and a potential playoff-bound Steelers, this division has some punch
4. NFC South [7] : Tremendous games by the Saints and Bucs, plus a surprise win by the Falcons, pulls this division out of the pits
5. AFC East [4] : The Pats found their footing, but the Jets fell hard against the Ravens and Buffalo's offense was a bit off-track
6. AFC South [3] : Indy lost big and their leaders are chewing themselves up
7. AFC West [6] : Oakland lost to the Jags and their lower teams lost big
8. NFC East [8] : Still no team with a winning record, although this week's Philly v Dallas showdown should restore that
Divisional Races
We could actually settle a lot this week, as divisional leaders square off. The Patriots and Packers could both win their divisions this week. The NFC East will have a team with a one-game lead. Also, as a result of last week's AFC South bout, Houston could capture the title with a win, combined with a Titans loss.
Saturday games
Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Bucs: As I stated above, the AFC South crown is within their reach. The Texans want it, and the up-and-down Bucs are not a stable enough opponent for me to confidently believe the Texans won't do their part, and gain a win. TEXANS, 27-20
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: As much as I would love to see the Bills pull off the upset, the Patriots have history behind them on this game. They frequently trounce their divisional opponents, they often win division-clinching games, and they play well at home at the end of the season. The Pats are primed to knotch another division crown. PATS, 28-20
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers faltered last week, which means they will right themselves for this week. 49ERS, 27-17
Sunday early games
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns: Ignore that the Ravens are far and away the best and most exciting team of the league this season. They OWN this rivalry! RAVENS, 31-16
Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts: Okay, the Colts were spanked badly last week. That should get them worked out. The "Trade Cam" talks did not inspire team spirit like they may have hoped. COLTS, 23-20
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins: Somehow I think this might be Cincy's second victory, but since the game in in Miami, I can't quite be so definite about the upset. Watch this one, though. DOLPHINS, 20-17
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta found some life last week, and I think their offense will continue that for this week. The Jags defense is faltering, and their offense just can't generate much. FALCONS, 24-17
New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans: Houston is counting on the Saints to do their part and trounce the Titans. I doubt it will be as one-sided as the Saints game last week, but Drew Brees will be inspired to remain ahead of Tom Brady after a likely impressive performance the previous day. SAINTS, 31-23
New York Giants at Washington Redskins: The Redskins offense is starting to get it together, but Eli Manning wants to retire on a high-note, so he will shine in the next two weeks. GIANTS, 20-17
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets: Knowing the Titans are playing the Saints, and facing a likely loss, Pittsburgh will be inspired to go out and beat the Jets to help secure that sixth playoff seed. STEELERS, 23-17
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: Let's see, how many divisional games has Arizona won this season? None? Guess that will continue, as the Seahawks chase the top seed in the conference. SEAHAWKS, 30-20
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles: The Cowboys found their offense again, just in time to battle the Eagles for the lead in the NFC East. The Eagles need this win or they won't take the division. It's be a tough battle, but I think the Cowboys will prevail. COWBOYS, 28-20
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos: The Broncos scored only a field goal last week, so the Lions are gaining favor in this game. I don't think so. Detroit has crumbled at awkward times this season, and the Broncos are determining what their future looks like, which means players want to impress. BRONCOS, 27-23
Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: Okay, now I step out on the skinny branches. The Chargers haven't won a single divisional contest this season, and lost most of them by quite a bit, but I think this one goes their way. The Raiders need to win out to prevent a losing season, but I think the players are starting to fold early, a not-so-uncommon problem in Oakland. CHARGERS, 27-20
Sunday night
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears: Sorry, my Bears, but you face an offense too strong for you to suppress enough for Trubisky and company to surpass. CHIEFS, 24-13
Monday Night Football
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings: With projected losses by Chicago and Detroit, who will be the only winner to emerge from the NFC North this week? How about the surging Vikings? Yes, I think they'll win this game and tie things up atop the NFC North. Given the Packers' unbeaten divisional record, this is a bit of an upset pick, but I think the Vikings can do this. VIKINGS, 27-24
Monday, December 16, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Bowl predictions part I
Once again I split my bowl predictions across three columns. With 39 bowl games this year, it would seem to perfectly split three ways. However, since I don't like to split days across columns, this column will predict 12 games, the next one 13, and the final column finishes with 14 games.
Dec 20
Bahamas Bowl : Buffalo Bulls (7-5) v Charlotte 49ers (7-5) - Let's give Charlotte it's due. In only their 7th year with a football program, they make it to their first ever bowl game. Unfortunately, bowl novices have a lousy record, and they face a strong Buffalo program. Hey, Charlotte fans, look at the bright side -- you get a nice Bahamas vacation! BUFFALO
Frisco Bowl : Utah State Aggies (7-5) v Kent State Golden Flashes (6-6) - Sometimes the MAC just gets a bad break in the bowl matchups, and here's one of those. Utah State has faced down some tough competition this year. They haven't always won, but they've often held their own. Kent State has shown flashes of talent, but they haven't lasted. Any won't last against the Aggies, either. UTAH STATE
Dec 21
New Mexico Bowl : Central Michigan Chippewas (8-5) v San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) - The Chippewas made it to the MAC Championship, so this might look like a nice matchup. On paper. Unfortunately the game isn't played on paper. The Aztecs have quietly proven to have one of the best defenses outside the Big Ten all season, and that defense will make life too difficult for the Chippewas offense. SAN DIEGO STATE
Cure Bowl : Liberty Flames (7-5) v Georgia Southern Eagles (7-5) - Liberty had a great year, only their second in FBS. Unfortunately they didn't fare well against tough competition. Perhaps their best victory was against Buffalo. Georgia Southern, on the other hand, hung in with Minnesota and beat Appalachian State. Add to that the fact that Sun Belt teams do remarkably well in bowl games and the Eagles should soar. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Boca Raton Bowl : #23 SMU Mustangs (10-2) v #25 Florida Atlantic Owls (10-3) - We get our first game pitting Top 25 teams, my first toss-up game, and my first upset pick. SMU has been impressive all season long, and competed well in the American Athletic, who generated five Top 25 teams during the season. However, momentum can be a powerful force, and the Owls were one of the hottest teams in the last month of the season. If they long delay for a bowl game doesn't cool that momentum, they could surprise the Mustangs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Camellia Bowl : Florida International Golden Panthers (6-6) v Arkansas State Red Wolves (7-5) - I just stated that Sun Belt teams do well in bowl games, and here I am picking an upset against them. Arkansas State sputtered to the end of the season, and they just weren't performing at the level we've come to expect them. While they might win this game, I certainly don't think they SHOULD, and so I'm rooting for the Panthers to wake up the Red Wolves. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Las Vegas Bowl : #15 Boise State Broncos (12-1) v Washington Huskies (7-5) - Washington is the first Power 5 team to play a bowl, and they will face an enraged Boise State team. Do you think the Mountain West champions, and first Group of 5 team to beat a Power 5 team in a bowl game, expected a better bowl than this one? You bet. You think they want to take that frustration out on whomever they play. You betcha. BOISE STATE in what could be the most one-sided game of the bowls
New Orleans Bowl : #17 Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-1) v UAB Blazers (9-4) : The Mountaineers are another team who fell slighted, and expected a better bowl. UAB, a Top 25 team earlier in the season, didn't end well, and that will extend into this game. APPALACHIAN STATE
Dec 23
Gasparilla Bowl : #24 UCF Golden Knights (9-3) v Marshall Thundering Herd (8-4) - This matchup is also a bit of a slap in the face, but UCF has been facing that ever since their second loss this season. Despite being a hugely dominant team the past two seasons, they faced cries of "Fluke" and "Fake" when they doubled their regular season losses over the past two seasons combined. Never one to get discouraged, the team still amassed one of the best offensive squads of the FBS, and that offense will overrun Marshall. UCF
Dec 24
Hawaii Bowl : Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (9-5) v BYU Cougars (7-5) - Despite the billing, this is a home game for the Rainbow Warriors. They play very tough at home. BYU has been here (especially back when they played Hawaii each year when BYU was in the Mountain West), but this year's Cougars squad isn't as strong as what BYU typically puts out. HAWAII
Dec 26
Independence Bowl : Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3) v Miami Hurricanes (6-6) - In case you have forgotten, this game is played in Shreveport, Louisiana, so it's practically a home game for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defense has played like the Hurricanes did over the previous two seasons -- chaos bringers who love to cause turnovers. The turnover chain didn't see much life this season in Miami, but this game will be won Miami-style -- by the other team. LOUISIANA TECH
Quick Lane Detroit Bowl : Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) v Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-6) - The Power 5 is finally able to notch their first win as the Panthers, a quality yet inconsistent team, face the Eagles, a lucky and inconsistent team. The Eagles could impress early, but the Panthers will come back in the second half. PITT
Dec 20
Bahamas Bowl : Buffalo Bulls (7-5) v Charlotte 49ers (7-5) - Let's give Charlotte it's due. In only their 7th year with a football program, they make it to their first ever bowl game. Unfortunately, bowl novices have a lousy record, and they face a strong Buffalo program. Hey, Charlotte fans, look at the bright side -- you get a nice Bahamas vacation! BUFFALO
Frisco Bowl : Utah State Aggies (7-5) v Kent State Golden Flashes (6-6) - Sometimes the MAC just gets a bad break in the bowl matchups, and here's one of those. Utah State has faced down some tough competition this year. They haven't always won, but they've often held their own. Kent State has shown flashes of talent, but they haven't lasted. Any won't last against the Aggies, either. UTAH STATE
Dec 21
New Mexico Bowl : Central Michigan Chippewas (8-5) v San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) - The Chippewas made it to the MAC Championship, so this might look like a nice matchup. On paper. Unfortunately the game isn't played on paper. The Aztecs have quietly proven to have one of the best defenses outside the Big Ten all season, and that defense will make life too difficult for the Chippewas offense. SAN DIEGO STATE
Cure Bowl : Liberty Flames (7-5) v Georgia Southern Eagles (7-5) - Liberty had a great year, only their second in FBS. Unfortunately they didn't fare well against tough competition. Perhaps their best victory was against Buffalo. Georgia Southern, on the other hand, hung in with Minnesota and beat Appalachian State. Add to that the fact that Sun Belt teams do remarkably well in bowl games and the Eagles should soar. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Boca Raton Bowl : #23 SMU Mustangs (10-2) v #25 Florida Atlantic Owls (10-3) - We get our first game pitting Top 25 teams, my first toss-up game, and my first upset pick. SMU has been impressive all season long, and competed well in the American Athletic, who generated five Top 25 teams during the season. However, momentum can be a powerful force, and the Owls were one of the hottest teams in the last month of the season. If they long delay for a bowl game doesn't cool that momentum, they could surprise the Mustangs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Camellia Bowl : Florida International Golden Panthers (6-6) v Arkansas State Red Wolves (7-5) - I just stated that Sun Belt teams do well in bowl games, and here I am picking an upset against them. Arkansas State sputtered to the end of the season, and they just weren't performing at the level we've come to expect them. While they might win this game, I certainly don't think they SHOULD, and so I'm rooting for the Panthers to wake up the Red Wolves. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Las Vegas Bowl : #15 Boise State Broncos (12-1) v Washington Huskies (7-5) - Washington is the first Power 5 team to play a bowl, and they will face an enraged Boise State team. Do you think the Mountain West champions, and first Group of 5 team to beat a Power 5 team in a bowl game, expected a better bowl than this one? You bet. You think they want to take that frustration out on whomever they play. You betcha. BOISE STATE in what could be the most one-sided game of the bowls
New Orleans Bowl : #17 Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-1) v UAB Blazers (9-4) : The Mountaineers are another team who fell slighted, and expected a better bowl. UAB, a Top 25 team earlier in the season, didn't end well, and that will extend into this game. APPALACHIAN STATE
Dec 23
Gasparilla Bowl : #24 UCF Golden Knights (9-3) v Marshall Thundering Herd (8-4) - This matchup is also a bit of a slap in the face, but UCF has been facing that ever since their second loss this season. Despite being a hugely dominant team the past two seasons, they faced cries of "Fluke" and "Fake" when they doubled their regular season losses over the past two seasons combined. Never one to get discouraged, the team still amassed one of the best offensive squads of the FBS, and that offense will overrun Marshall. UCF
Dec 24
Hawaii Bowl : Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (9-5) v BYU Cougars (7-5) - Despite the billing, this is a home game for the Rainbow Warriors. They play very tough at home. BYU has been here (especially back when they played Hawaii each year when BYU was in the Mountain West), but this year's Cougars squad isn't as strong as what BYU typically puts out. HAWAII
Dec 26
Independence Bowl : Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3) v Miami Hurricanes (6-6) - In case you have forgotten, this game is played in Shreveport, Louisiana, so it's practically a home game for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defense has played like the Hurricanes did over the previous two seasons -- chaos bringers who love to cause turnovers. The turnover chain didn't see much life this season in Miami, but this game will be won Miami-style -- by the other team. LOUISIANA TECH
Quick Lane Detroit Bowl : Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) v Eastern Michigan Eagles (6-6) - The Power 5 is finally able to notch their first win as the Panthers, a quality yet inconsistent team, face the Eagles, a lucky and inconsistent team. The Eagles could impress early, but the Panthers will come back in the second half. PITT
Thursday, December 12, 2019
NFL 2019 Week 14 results and Week 15 picks
There were a few interesting results from last week. The slides by Carolina and Dallas continue to confound their coaching staffs. New England lost again, their second consecutive loss and third in four weeks. The fall of the Patriots is even more interesting than those of Carolina and Dallas. Also, the Rams handed Seattle their first road loss of the season.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-2) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-2) [2]
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) [4]
4. New England Patriots (10-3) [3]
5. Minnesota Vikings (9-4) [5]
6. Buffalo Bills (9-4) [7]
7. New Orleans Saints (10-3) [6]
8. Green Bay Packers (10-3) [9]
9. Tennessee Titans (8-5) [11]
10. Seattle Seahawks (10-3) [8]
11. Los Angeles Rams (8-5) [13]
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-7) [12]
Division Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : The power of the 49ers and Seahawks is starting to separate them from the NFC North
2. NFC North [2] : Aside from the NFC West, the only division with three teams with winning records
3. AFC South [3] : The only AFC division where three teams have positive point differentials
4. AFC East [4] : Two top ten teams keep this division afloat, but the gap is nearly gone
5. AFC North [4] : Pittsburgh is okay, but this division is mostly held up by Baltimore
6. AFC West [6]
7. NFC South [7] : The Bucs cannot be counted on, so the Saints ARE this division
8. NFC East [8] : Not a single winning team in the division. Nuff said.
Divisional Races
The Chiefs have basically clinched, but this week can close the book on that. Also, a Ravens win OR a Steelers loss will give the AFC North to Baltimore. Two divisions, AFC South and NFC East, are now locked up with a tie at their tops.
Thursday night game
New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens: The top team in the AFC should make mincemeat out of the struggling (albeit improving) Jets. RAVENS, 34-16
Sunday early games
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers: The Packers are starting to show wear, which makes them susceptible to strong defenses, like the one Chicago has. I'd love to pick the upset, but Chicago often struggles against divisional opponents. This one should be close, though, and perhaps swing the other way if the Bears' offense gets rolling. PACKERS, 23-17
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: Denver pulled off a great win last week, but their streak ends here. Their defense isn't strong enough to hold back KC, and their offense can't keep pace. CHIEFS, 31-17
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans: Houston faltered last week. If that's an indication of the future, the Titans will win this game easily. I think it was a fluke, and Houston will make it competitive. The Texans might win, but the Titans are rolling nicely and I think they will score last. TITANS, 27-23
Miami Dolphins at New York Giants: Eli is back, and while the Giants did not win last week, it was not due to his play. Against the pathetic Dolphins, the Giants should do well. GIANTS, 23-16
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals: The Patriots are having real problems right now, but they should easily wipe out the pathetic Bengals. PATRIOTS, 34-20
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins: Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins hasn't quite figured out NFL defenses yet. Once he does, he might be tough. Right now, Wentz and the Eagles are still the better team. EAGLES, 24-20
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are marketing Cam Newton for a trade. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the Panthers plan to end this season. The Seahawks want to end as the NFC top seed, so they will see this as an opportunity to snatch an easy win. SEAHAWKS, 24-10
Tampa Bay Bucs at Detroit Lions: Detroit is suffering some real problems. Bucs QB Jameis Winston is not playing consistently well, but he has the talent to get around the struggling Lions defense. BUCS, 27-20
Sunday late games
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers got ahead of Seattle last week but beating New Orleans in the waning seconds, but they want a larger buffer than that, especially with a likely Seahawks win earlier in the day. They want an impressive win here. Given the current state of affairs with the Falcons offense, they will get it. 49ERS, 31-17
Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, after early season success, hasn't been doing much for the Cards. Baker Mayfield has been up and down, but at least he has a better supporting cast around him. BROWNS, 26-16
Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders: Oakland can be a tough team to figure out. Sometimes they look sharp, and sometimes they foul up royally. Given the Jags poor performances, though, they'd have to really foul up to lose this one. RAIDERS, 20-13
Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys: Okay, time to acknowledge that the Cowboys offense is really falling apart. That bodes ill as they play a team that can have a dynamic offense, and are chasing a possible playoff berth. RAMS, 27-20
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers: The Vikings want to to stay ahead of the Rams, and a win here will go far to keep them in the playoff picture. VIKINGS, 30-20
Sunday night game
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers: Both teams are chasing a playoff spot, although Buffalo is doing a better job of it. They battled Baltimore quite closely last week, and Pittsburgh isn't as challenging. BILLS, 27-17
Monday Night Football
Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints: The Saints came within seconds, and one missed tackle, of beating the 49ers last week. They want an impressive performance to erase the memory of that one. The Colts offense might surprise, but the Saints offense wants to shine after failing to reach the end zone three times in the red zone last week. SAINTS, 31-23
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (11-2) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-2) [2]
3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) [4]
4. New England Patriots (10-3) [3]
5. Minnesota Vikings (9-4) [5]
6. Buffalo Bills (9-4) [7]
7. New Orleans Saints (10-3) [6]
8. Green Bay Packers (10-3) [9]
9. Tennessee Titans (8-5) [11]
10. Seattle Seahawks (10-3) [8]
11. Los Angeles Rams (8-5) [13]
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-7) [12]
Division Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [1] : The power of the 49ers and Seahawks is starting to separate them from the NFC North
2. NFC North [2] : Aside from the NFC West, the only division with three teams with winning records
3. AFC South [3] : The only AFC division where three teams have positive point differentials
4. AFC East [4] : Two top ten teams keep this division afloat, but the gap is nearly gone
5. AFC North [4] : Pittsburgh is okay, but this division is mostly held up by Baltimore
6. AFC West [6]
7. NFC South [7] : The Bucs cannot be counted on, so the Saints ARE this division
8. NFC East [8] : Not a single winning team in the division. Nuff said.
Divisional Races
The Chiefs have basically clinched, but this week can close the book on that. Also, a Ravens win OR a Steelers loss will give the AFC North to Baltimore. Two divisions, AFC South and NFC East, are now locked up with a tie at their tops.
Thursday night game
New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens: The top team in the AFC should make mincemeat out of the struggling (albeit improving) Jets. RAVENS, 34-16
Sunday early games
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers: The Packers are starting to show wear, which makes them susceptible to strong defenses, like the one Chicago has. I'd love to pick the upset, but Chicago often struggles against divisional opponents. This one should be close, though, and perhaps swing the other way if the Bears' offense gets rolling. PACKERS, 23-17
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: Denver pulled off a great win last week, but their streak ends here. Their defense isn't strong enough to hold back KC, and their offense can't keep pace. CHIEFS, 31-17
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans: Houston faltered last week. If that's an indication of the future, the Titans will win this game easily. I think it was a fluke, and Houston will make it competitive. The Texans might win, but the Titans are rolling nicely and I think they will score last. TITANS, 27-23
Miami Dolphins at New York Giants: Eli is back, and while the Giants did not win last week, it was not due to his play. Against the pathetic Dolphins, the Giants should do well. GIANTS, 23-16
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals: The Patriots are having real problems right now, but they should easily wipe out the pathetic Bengals. PATRIOTS, 34-20
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins: Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins hasn't quite figured out NFL defenses yet. Once he does, he might be tough. Right now, Wentz and the Eagles are still the better team. EAGLES, 24-20
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are marketing Cam Newton for a trade. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the Panthers plan to end this season. The Seahawks want to end as the NFC top seed, so they will see this as an opportunity to snatch an easy win. SEAHAWKS, 24-10
Tampa Bay Bucs at Detroit Lions: Detroit is suffering some real problems. Bucs QB Jameis Winston is not playing consistently well, but he has the talent to get around the struggling Lions defense. BUCS, 27-20
Sunday late games
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers got ahead of Seattle last week but beating New Orleans in the waning seconds, but they want a larger buffer than that, especially with a likely Seahawks win earlier in the day. They want an impressive win here. Given the current state of affairs with the Falcons offense, they will get it. 49ERS, 31-17
Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, after early season success, hasn't been doing much for the Cards. Baker Mayfield has been up and down, but at least he has a better supporting cast around him. BROWNS, 26-16
Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders: Oakland can be a tough team to figure out. Sometimes they look sharp, and sometimes they foul up royally. Given the Jags poor performances, though, they'd have to really foul up to lose this one. RAIDERS, 20-13
Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys: Okay, time to acknowledge that the Cowboys offense is really falling apart. That bodes ill as they play a team that can have a dynamic offense, and are chasing a possible playoff berth. RAMS, 27-20
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers: The Vikings want to to stay ahead of the Rams, and a win here will go far to keep them in the playoff picture. VIKINGS, 30-20
Sunday night game
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers: Both teams are chasing a playoff spot, although Buffalo is doing a better job of it. They battled Baltimore quite closely last week, and Pittsburgh isn't as challenging. BILLS, 27-17
Monday Night Football
Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints: The Saints came within seconds, and one missed tackle, of beating the 49ers last week. They want an impressive performance to erase the memory of that one. The Colts offense might surprise, but the Saints offense wants to shine after failing to reach the end zone three times in the red zone last week. SAINTS, 31-23
Sunday, December 8, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 pre-bowls Top 25
This is the final Top 25 rankings before the bowls, including the results of the championships. We had one loser fall from the Top 25, and of course movement within the rankings was prominent. Just for fun, I thought I would include their overall computerized rank (out of 100) to show their relative strength.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) [1] - 97.2. This is one of the highest values a team has gained since I modified my computerized system in 2011.
2. LSU Tigers (13-0) [2] - 95.4
3. Clemson Tigers (13-0) [3] - 92.6
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) [6] - 90.3
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) [8] - 89.4
6. Oregon Ducks (11-2) [11] - 88.7
7. Utah Utes (11-2) [4] - 88.5
8. Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) [9] - 88.4
9. Wisconsin Badgers (10-3) [7] - 87.5
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) [10] - 86.6
11. Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) [5] - 85.9
12. Baylor Bears (11-2) [12] - 84.4
13. Memphis Tigers (12-1) [14] - 84.2
14. Michigan Wolverines (9-3) [13] - 83.7
15. Boise State Broncos (12-1) [18] - 83.4
16. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2) [15] - 82.9
17. Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-1) [20] - 82.4
18. Florida Gators (10-2) [16] - 82.0
19. Auburn Tigers (9-3) [17] - 81.7
20. Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3) [19] - 81.4
21. Navy Midshipmen (9-2) [22] - 79.9
22. Air Force Falcons (10-2) [23] - 79.6
23. SMU Mustangs (10-2) [24] - 79.7
24. UCF Golden Knights (9-3) [25] - 79.4
25. Florida Atlantic Owls (10-3) [NR] - 78.7
Dropped off: Cincinnati Bearcats [#21] - 78.4
On the Edge: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3) - 77.9, Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (10-3) - 77.6, Washington Huskies (7-5) - 74.9, San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) - 74.6, Kansas State Wildcats (8-4) - 74.4
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) [1] - 97.2. This is one of the highest values a team has gained since I modified my computerized system in 2011.
2. LSU Tigers (13-0) [2] - 95.4
3. Clemson Tigers (13-0) [3] - 92.6
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) [6] - 90.3
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) [8] - 89.4
6. Oregon Ducks (11-2) [11] - 88.7
7. Utah Utes (11-2) [4] - 88.5
8. Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) [9] - 88.4
9. Wisconsin Badgers (10-3) [7] - 87.5
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) [10] - 86.6
11. Georgia Bulldogs (11-2) [5] - 85.9
12. Baylor Bears (11-2) [12] - 84.4
13. Memphis Tigers (12-1) [14] - 84.2
14. Michigan Wolverines (9-3) [13] - 83.7
15. Boise State Broncos (12-1) [18] - 83.4
16. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2) [15] - 82.9
17. Appalachian State Mountaineers (12-1) [20] - 82.4
18. Florida Gators (10-2) [16] - 82.0
19. Auburn Tigers (9-3) [17] - 81.7
20. Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3) [19] - 81.4
21. Navy Midshipmen (9-2) [22] - 79.9
22. Air Force Falcons (10-2) [23] - 79.6
23. SMU Mustangs (10-2) [24] - 79.7
24. UCF Golden Knights (9-3) [25] - 79.4
25. Florida Atlantic Owls (10-3) [NR] - 78.7
Dropped off: Cincinnati Bearcats [#21] - 78.4
On the Edge: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3) - 77.9, Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (10-3) - 77.6, Washington Huskies (7-5) - 74.9, San Diego State Aztecs (9-3) - 74.6, Kansas State Wildcats (8-4) - 74.4
Thursday, December 5, 2019
NFL 2019 Week 13 results and Week 14 picks
Home teams showed up better than I expected, and mangled my "mostly road team" week of picks. Second worst week of picks in the season. Oh well.
New Orleans became the first team to clinch their division, and the current top seeds in each conference changed - New Orleans for San Francisco in the NFC and Baltimore for New England in the AFC. Things are getting interesting at the top. The bottom is now tightening up as Cincinnati won their first game of the season.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (10-2) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (10-2) [2]
3. New England Patriots (10-2) [3]
4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) [8]
5. Minnesota Vikings (8-4) [4]
6. New Orleans Saints (10-2) [6]
7. Buffalo Bills (9-3) [7]
8. Seattle Seahawks (10-2) [9]
9. Green Bay Packers (9-3) [10]
10. Houston Texans (8-4) [12]
11. Tennessee Titans (7-5) [11]
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-6) [5]
Divisional ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [2] : They recapture the lead with both the Rams and Seahawks gaining big wins
2. NFC North [1] : Green Bay's struggles, and a Vikings loss, hurt them, although they don't trail by much
3. AFC South [3] : Despite a large gap between #2 and #3, Houston and Tennessee keep this division competitive
4 (tie). AFC East [4] : The Patriots are showing vulnerabilities that could pull down this division, although Miami's win this week gives them some new life
4 (tie). AFC North [4] : Mostly helped by Cincy's first (and quite impressive) win
6. AFC West [6] : KC is really the only bright spot
7. NFC South [7] : The fact that New Orleans has already won the division shows how weak the rest of the division is
8. NFC East [8] : With Dallas' fall, there really isn't any team outstanding here
Division races
New Orleans' clinch made me add this section, but we still have four weeks, so it's a bit early. I will discuss a couple close enough to clinch:
AFC North : Baltimore can capture the crown this week with a win over Buffalo combined with a Steelers loss
AFC West : KC is only two games ahead of Oakland, but a Chiefs win this week and Raiders loss puts them one week away from clinching
Thursday night
Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears : Two weeks ago I would have picked the Cowboys immediately. Now, their offense is floundering, and the Bears tough defense will just make the situation worse. The Bears offense isn't much better, so it comes down to which defense and/or special teams squad can make a score that the offense can't. Believe it or not, that sounds like Chicago. BEARS, 17-13
Sunday early games
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills : The Ravens are on a hot streak right now. The Bills are finally starting to make believers out of people, and a loss here will hurt that, but I think the Ravens are just too tough for them. RAVENS, 30-20
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons : In a case of "too little, too late", the Panthers should get up the strength to beat the Falcons. PANTHERS, 26-24
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns : The Bengals won their first game last week, but they will have to wait for their second. The Browns have not been pretty, but their offense is definitely working better than the Bengals' has. They have the edge in defense, too, which be important in the fourth quarter to hold back a Bengals surge. BROWNS, 23-17
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans : If the Texans can avoid an emotional letdown after beating the Patriots last week, they should win this game fairly easily. TEXANS, 27-17
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings have not played well against NFC North teams, but the Lions have been dismal. VIKINGS, 28-20
Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Bucs : Wow, this should be a close game! Statistically very even, we have a stronger defense on the Colts side against a wide-open Bucs offense. Defense often wins in these bouts, so I'll pick the Colts, but it really could go the other way. COLTS, 26-24
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets : These battles are always interesting, moreso this year for the lackluster performances of both teams in the early part of the season, and recent spurts by each. The Jets, despite a loss to Cincy last week, has certainly shown that they have gotten themselves together better, so I like their chances in this one. JETS, 30-27
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints : The 49ers are out for blood! They lost their division leader last week to Seattle, and lost the top seed in the conference to these same Saints. They want a chance to reclaim both. While they may have to wait for the Seahawks, their defense gets a shot to slow down the Saints. 49ERS, 30-27
Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers : Dwayne Haskins is too inconsistent to count on, although recent performances by the Packers offense haven't instilled a great deal of confidence, either. However, the Packers are used to having late season problems (usually due to injuries), so I think they'll have the difficulties better. PACKERS, 24-20
Sunday late games
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots : Here's another game that is likely to be close, and could go either way. Truthfully, given how the Patriots have played over the past three weeks, I'd like to pick the Chiefs, but the Pats at home have a definite advantage. Still, the Chiefs could give the Patriots a second consecutive loss. PATS, 27-24
Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Jags have to be the worst 4-8 team of the bunch, and they can't seem to settle on a QB. That's not good. CHARGERS, 26-20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals : Baltimore would love the Cards to beat Pittsburgh, but I don't think that's going to happen. STEELERS, 24-20
Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders : Win or lose, the Chiefs get a break as the offensively tricky Titans play the slightly bewildered Raiders. TITANS, 27-20
Sunday night
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams : Seattle gets to maintain their lead over the 49ers, and their unbeaten divisional record, by giving the Rams fits. The Rams would like nothing more than an upset, so their offense will make it interesting, but in the end the Seahawks will prevail. SEAHAWKS, 27-24
Monday Night Football
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles : Neither team is doing great, but the Eagles defense should give the struggling Giants offense enough problems for them to prevail. EAGLES, 24-17
New Orleans became the first team to clinch their division, and the current top seeds in each conference changed - New Orleans for San Francisco in the NFC and Baltimore for New England in the AFC. Things are getting interesting at the top. The bottom is now tightening up as Cincinnati won their first game of the season.
Power Rankings [Last week's rank]
1. Baltimore Ravens (10-2) [1]
2. San Francisco 49ers (10-2) [2]
3. New England Patriots (10-2) [3]
4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) [8]
5. Minnesota Vikings (8-4) [4]
6. New Orleans Saints (10-2) [6]
7. Buffalo Bills (9-3) [7]
8. Seattle Seahawks (10-2) [9]
9. Green Bay Packers (9-3) [10]
10. Houston Texans (8-4) [12]
11. Tennessee Titans (7-5) [11]
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-6) [5]
Divisional ranks [Last week's rank]
1. NFC West [2] : They recapture the lead with both the Rams and Seahawks gaining big wins
2. NFC North [1] : Green Bay's struggles, and a Vikings loss, hurt them, although they don't trail by much
3. AFC South [3] : Despite a large gap between #2 and #3, Houston and Tennessee keep this division competitive
4 (tie). AFC East [4] : The Patriots are showing vulnerabilities that could pull down this division, although Miami's win this week gives them some new life
4 (tie). AFC North [4] : Mostly helped by Cincy's first (and quite impressive) win
6. AFC West [6] : KC is really the only bright spot
7. NFC South [7] : The fact that New Orleans has already won the division shows how weak the rest of the division is
8. NFC East [8] : With Dallas' fall, there really isn't any team outstanding here
Division races
New Orleans' clinch made me add this section, but we still have four weeks, so it's a bit early. I will discuss a couple close enough to clinch:
AFC North : Baltimore can capture the crown this week with a win over Buffalo combined with a Steelers loss
AFC West : KC is only two games ahead of Oakland, but a Chiefs win this week and Raiders loss puts them one week away from clinching
Thursday night
Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears : Two weeks ago I would have picked the Cowboys immediately. Now, their offense is floundering, and the Bears tough defense will just make the situation worse. The Bears offense isn't much better, so it comes down to which defense and/or special teams squad can make a score that the offense can't. Believe it or not, that sounds like Chicago. BEARS, 17-13
Sunday early games
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills : The Ravens are on a hot streak right now. The Bills are finally starting to make believers out of people, and a loss here will hurt that, but I think the Ravens are just too tough for them. RAVENS, 30-20
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons : In a case of "too little, too late", the Panthers should get up the strength to beat the Falcons. PANTHERS, 26-24
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns : The Bengals won their first game last week, but they will have to wait for their second. The Browns have not been pretty, but their offense is definitely working better than the Bengals' has. They have the edge in defense, too, which be important in the fourth quarter to hold back a Bengals surge. BROWNS, 23-17
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans : If the Texans can avoid an emotional letdown after beating the Patriots last week, they should win this game fairly easily. TEXANS, 27-17
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings have not played well against NFC North teams, but the Lions have been dismal. VIKINGS, 28-20
Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Bucs : Wow, this should be a close game! Statistically very even, we have a stronger defense on the Colts side against a wide-open Bucs offense. Defense often wins in these bouts, so I'll pick the Colts, but it really could go the other way. COLTS, 26-24
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets : These battles are always interesting, moreso this year for the lackluster performances of both teams in the early part of the season, and recent spurts by each. The Jets, despite a loss to Cincy last week, has certainly shown that they have gotten themselves together better, so I like their chances in this one. JETS, 30-27
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints : The 49ers are out for blood! They lost their division leader last week to Seattle, and lost the top seed in the conference to these same Saints. They want a chance to reclaim both. While they may have to wait for the Seahawks, their defense gets a shot to slow down the Saints. 49ERS, 30-27
Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers : Dwayne Haskins is too inconsistent to count on, although recent performances by the Packers offense haven't instilled a great deal of confidence, either. However, the Packers are used to having late season problems (usually due to injuries), so I think they'll have the difficulties better. PACKERS, 24-20
Sunday late games
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots : Here's another game that is likely to be close, and could go either way. Truthfully, given how the Patriots have played over the past three weeks, I'd like to pick the Chiefs, but the Pats at home have a definite advantage. Still, the Chiefs could give the Patriots a second consecutive loss. PATS, 27-24
Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Jags have to be the worst 4-8 team of the bunch, and they can't seem to settle on a QB. That's not good. CHARGERS, 26-20
Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals : Baltimore would love the Cards to beat Pittsburgh, but I don't think that's going to happen. STEELERS, 24-20
Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders : Win or lose, the Chiefs get a break as the offensively tricky Titans play the slightly bewildered Raiders. TITANS, 27-20
Sunday night
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams : Seattle gets to maintain their lead over the 49ers, and their unbeaten divisional record, by giving the Rams fits. The Rams would like nothing more than an upset, so their offense will make it interesting, but in the end the Seahawks will prevail. SEAHAWKS, 27-24
Monday Night Football
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles : Neither team is doing great, but the Eagles defense should give the struggling Giants offense enough problems for them to prevail. EAGLES, 24-17
Sunday, December 1, 2019
NCAA Football 2019 Week 14 results and Conference picks
Well, not too many surprises this week. Aside from Illinois' loss, the Big Ten finished about as I expected. Only one other real upset among the games this week, as Tulsa fulled out a rare win against East Carolina.
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (12-0) [2]
3. Clemson Tigers (12-0) [3]
4. Utah Utes (11-1) [5]
5. Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) [6]
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) [4]
7. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) [8]
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) [7]
9. Oklahoma Sooners (11-1) [9]
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) [10]
11. Oregon Ducks (10-2) [12]
12. Baylor Bears (11-1) [14]
13. Michigan Wolverines (9-3) [11]
14. Memphis Tigers (11-1) [18]
15. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2) [13]
16. Florida Gators (10-2) [19]
17. Auburn Tigers (9-3) [17]
18. Boise State Broncos (11-1) [20]
19. Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3) [15]
20. Appalachian State Mountaineers (11-1) [21]
21. Cincinnati Bearcats (10-2) [16]
22. Navy Midshipmen (9-2) [22]
23. Air Force Falcons (10-2) [23]
24. SMU Mustangs (10-2) [24]
25. UCF Golden Knights (9-3) [25]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (10-2), Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3), San Diego State Aztecs (9-3), Kansas State Wildcats (8-4), Wyoming Cowboys (7-5)
Pac-12 Championship: #4 Utah Utes v #11 Oregon Ducks : Utah has certainly been the more intense team recently. They also have the best defense in the conference, and a strong defense often leads to a title. You need a good offense to match, and Utah has that. This game will be close, but I like the Utes chances to win, and perhaps advance to the playoffs. UTAH
MAC Championship: Miami Ohio Redhawks v Central Michigan Chippewas : Congratulations to the Chippewas! Thought to be a mediocre team at the beginning of the season, and struggling in non-conference play, they got it together and won their division (although they did get a little help). They concluded with a three-game winning streak, and I think that will propel them to the conference title. The Redhawks have looked lethargic in the past two weeks, as if they didn't really care how they finished. The Chippewas want this title more, and they face the firepower to back up that desire. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Sun Belt Championship: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at #20 Appalachian State Mountaineers: The Ragin Cajuns have had a great season, and nearly made the Top 25, but the Mountaineers have been here before. Their experience, and sheer offensive power, will propel them to victory. APPALACHIAN STATE
Big XII "Championship": #12 Baylor Bears v #9 Oklahoma Sooners : This game will progress differently from the earlier bout between these two. Then, Oklahoma didn't take Baylor seriously, and let them establish what seemed to be an insurmountable lead. But the Sooners proved to have the power to come back, engineering a record-setting comeback victory. This time they won't give Baylor such a cushion. OKLAHOMA
Conference USA Championship: UAB Blazers at Florida Atlantic Owls : UAB was impressive earlier in the season, but then they faltered. The Owls quietly kept on winning, and outlasted surges by Marshall and Western Kentucky. They'll outlast the Blazers, too. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
American Athletic Championship: #21 Cincinnati Bearcats at #14 Memphis Tigers : A rerun of this past weekend's game, Memphis will prove why Cincinnati didn't want to play them in the first place. While Cincy has the defense, their offense faltered last week, and I'm not sure they will get it together to outpace the dynamic Tigers offense. MEMPHIS
Mountain West Championship: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at #18 Boise State Broncos : While the Warriors have been a better road team this year than usual, they have to travel to the blue turf of Boise to beat the Broncos, who have a tremendous home record. Chalk up another conference win for the Broncos! BOISE STATE
SEC Championship: #5 Georgia Bulldogs v #2 LSU Tigers : The Tigers are so powerful this game seems over already. However, the SEC can surprise, and Georgia certainly has the talent to pressure Tigers QB Joe Burrows and company. This game might be closer than some think, but I think LSU will pull it out in the end. LSU
ACC Championship: Virginia Cavaliers v #3 Clemson Tigers : You have to pity Virginia. They had a good year, and what's their prize? Playing Clemson. Let's face it, there just isn't any team in the ACC capable of challenging Clemson. It's not that Clemson is that good (as I suspect the playoffs will reveal), but rather that the ACC, talentwise, is down this year. CLEMSON
Big Ten Championship: Even since Rutgers and Maryland joined the Big Ten, and the current East and West divisions were formed, what two teams have dominated? This is the fourth division title in six years for both Ohio State and Wisconsin, and the third time the two teams face each other in the conference title in that period (they faced each other once when the divisions were Legends and Leaders). This one will end the same way the previous two meetings have -- with a Buckeyes victory. OHIO STATE
Top 25 [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) [1]
2. LSU Tigers (12-0) [2]
3. Clemson Tigers (12-0) [3]
4. Utah Utes (11-1) [5]
5. Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) [6]
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) [4]
7. Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) [8]
8. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) [7]
9. Oklahoma Sooners (11-1) [9]
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) [10]
11. Oregon Ducks (10-2) [12]
12. Baylor Bears (11-1) [14]
13. Michigan Wolverines (9-3) [11]
14. Memphis Tigers (11-1) [18]
15. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2) [13]
16. Florida Gators (10-2) [19]
17. Auburn Tigers (9-3) [17]
18. Boise State Broncos (11-1) [20]
19. Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3) [15]
20. Appalachian State Mountaineers (11-1) [21]
21. Cincinnati Bearcats (10-2) [16]
22. Navy Midshipmen (9-2) [22]
23. Air Force Falcons (10-2) [23]
24. SMU Mustangs (10-2) [24]
25. UCF Golden Knights (9-3) [25]
On the Edge: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (10-2), Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3), San Diego State Aztecs (9-3), Kansas State Wildcats (8-4), Wyoming Cowboys (7-5)
Pac-12 Championship: #4 Utah Utes v #11 Oregon Ducks : Utah has certainly been the more intense team recently. They also have the best defense in the conference, and a strong defense often leads to a title. You need a good offense to match, and Utah has that. This game will be close, but I like the Utes chances to win, and perhaps advance to the playoffs. UTAH
MAC Championship: Miami Ohio Redhawks v Central Michigan Chippewas : Congratulations to the Chippewas! Thought to be a mediocre team at the beginning of the season, and struggling in non-conference play, they got it together and won their division (although they did get a little help). They concluded with a three-game winning streak, and I think that will propel them to the conference title. The Redhawks have looked lethargic in the past two weeks, as if they didn't really care how they finished. The Chippewas want this title more, and they face the firepower to back up that desire. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Sun Belt Championship: Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at #20 Appalachian State Mountaineers: The Ragin Cajuns have had a great season, and nearly made the Top 25, but the Mountaineers have been here before. Their experience, and sheer offensive power, will propel them to victory. APPALACHIAN STATE
Big XII "Championship": #12 Baylor Bears v #9 Oklahoma Sooners : This game will progress differently from the earlier bout between these two. Then, Oklahoma didn't take Baylor seriously, and let them establish what seemed to be an insurmountable lead. But the Sooners proved to have the power to come back, engineering a record-setting comeback victory. This time they won't give Baylor such a cushion. OKLAHOMA
Conference USA Championship: UAB Blazers at Florida Atlantic Owls : UAB was impressive earlier in the season, but then they faltered. The Owls quietly kept on winning, and outlasted surges by Marshall and Western Kentucky. They'll outlast the Blazers, too. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
American Athletic Championship: #21 Cincinnati Bearcats at #14 Memphis Tigers : A rerun of this past weekend's game, Memphis will prove why Cincinnati didn't want to play them in the first place. While Cincy has the defense, their offense faltered last week, and I'm not sure they will get it together to outpace the dynamic Tigers offense. MEMPHIS
Mountain West Championship: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at #18 Boise State Broncos : While the Warriors have been a better road team this year than usual, they have to travel to the blue turf of Boise to beat the Broncos, who have a tremendous home record. Chalk up another conference win for the Broncos! BOISE STATE
SEC Championship: #5 Georgia Bulldogs v #2 LSU Tigers : The Tigers are so powerful this game seems over already. However, the SEC can surprise, and Georgia certainly has the talent to pressure Tigers QB Joe Burrows and company. This game might be closer than some think, but I think LSU will pull it out in the end. LSU
ACC Championship: Virginia Cavaliers v #3 Clemson Tigers : You have to pity Virginia. They had a good year, and what's their prize? Playing Clemson. Let's face it, there just isn't any team in the ACC capable of challenging Clemson. It's not that Clemson is that good (as I suspect the playoffs will reveal), but rather that the ACC, talentwise, is down this year. CLEMSON
Big Ten Championship: Even since Rutgers and Maryland joined the Big Ten, and the current East and West divisions were formed, what two teams have dominated? This is the fourth division title in six years for both Ohio State and Wisconsin, and the third time the two teams face each other in the conference title in that period (they faced each other once when the divisions were Legends and Leaders). This one will end the same way the previous two meetings have -- with a Buckeyes victory. OHIO STATE
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