NFL 2021 Week 4 picks

 The latter games hold some of the more interesting matches this week, but we have to start at the beginning.

Thursday night

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals : This one is really a no-brainer.  The Jags slow defense makes them fragile, and rookie Trevor Lawrence still hasn't found his NFL legs yet.  BENGALS, 27-13

Sunday early games

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys : This could be an exciting game!  Two dynamic offenses square off.  The difference?  The Panthers defense.  PANTHERS, 31-27

Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings : The Browns get to spank their second NFC North team in a row, although Kurt Cousins and the Vikings won't make it as easy for them.  BROWNS, 23-16

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears : I think the Bears have found an opponent they can beat.  Neither offense is doing well, but at the Lions don't have much of a defense, either.  BEARS, 17-13

Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills : The Texans defense is definitely lacking something this year, which will give the pass-crazy Bills a real chance to score big.  BILLS, 30-17

Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins : With the injury to Tua, Dolphins backup QB Jacoby Brissett starts against his former team.  I'm not sure that gives Miami much of an advantage, though.  So much of the Colts' scheme has changed, I'm not sure he'll know what's coming.  The Colts defense, on the other hand, has an idea of what to expect from Brissett.  The Colts will also have some surprises in store for the Dolphins, as they change their playbook for backup Jacob Eason.  It'll be a bit chaotic for both team, but I think the Colts might squeeze this one out.  COLTS, 23-20

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles : The Chiefs are too talented a team to let a rough start slow them down.  That 1-2 record doesn't really mean anything to them, and they will come out swinging against an inconsistent Eagles team.  CHIEFS, 27-20

New York Giants at New Orleans Saints : Seriously, is anyone picking the Giants in this one?  SAINTS, 28-13

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets : The best thing I can say here is that I'm pretty sure the Jets won't get shut out again.  Both teams are having offensive problems, so this won't be a pretty contest.  TITANS, 23-10

Washington at Atlanta Falcons : Atlanta got their first win of the season against the Giants last week, and they should pick up their second against another NFC East opponent.  FALCONS, 20-17

Sunday late games

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams : This should be an exciting game!  Two top teams battle for divisional superiority.  Nobody has scored more than the Cardinals, while the Rams have a tough defense.  Defense often prevails in these battles, so that's where I'll make my pick, but this one could really be won by either team.  RAMS, 30-27

Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos : In previous years, I would definitely think that the Ravens would have the defensive edge in this game.  However, this year, I think that honor goes to the Broncos.  BRONCOS, 24-14

Pittsburgh Steelers at Green Bay Packers : Definitely two clubs going in different directions right now.  Green Bay has sharpened their offensive line since their Week 1 debacle (hint to Bears -- see if you can't do the same) while the Steelers are steadily declining since Week 1.  The outcome of this game will further cement the two teams' directions.  PACK, 23-13

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers : Seattle is a little unpredictable this season, but the 49ers are getting it together, so I'll give them the vote of confidence.  49ERS, 24-20

Sunday night

Tampa Bay Bucs at New England Patriots : Tom Brady returns to Foxborough, bringing with him some other former Patriots.  Throw in the problems that the Patriots are experiencing, and Brady and company get to "one up" their former coach.  BUCS, 27-16

Monday Night Football

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers : I don't think even the strong defense of the Chargers can slow the dynamic and diverse offense of the Raiders.  Plus, no team has a better historical record on Monday Night Football than the Raiders.  RAIDERS, 27-23

NFL 2021 Week 3 results

 We have some shocking results already.  Both Seattle and KC find themselves at 1-2, as does Pittsburgh.  The only totally expected unbeaten team is the Los Angeles Rams.  I don't think too many people thought that Arizona, Carolina, Las Vegas, or Denver would be so dominant.

Top Teams [Last week's position]

1.  Denver Broncos (3-0) [5] : Look at Teddy Bridgewater go!  Their rushing attack is slightly improving, but it is still the passing game and a VERY stingy defense making this team go.

2.  Los Angeles Rams (3-0) [2]

3.  Arizona Cardinals (3-0) [1]

4.  Carolina Panthers (3-0) [4] : Sam Darnold continues to show off his arm in Carolina.  It's amazing how great he can throw when his line gives him enough time!

5.  Buffalo Bills (2-1) [NR] : They put on quite an impressive offensive performance this past week!

6.  New Orleans Saints (2-1) [10] : Their defense is really getting scary!

7.  Las Vegas Raiders (3-0) [6]

8.  San Francisco 49ers (2-1) [7]

9.  Cleveland Browns (2-1) [13] : Any team that produces nine sacks in one game has a potent defensive front

10. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) [NR] : Steelers who?

11. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) [15] : Another dynamic offensive performance this week.  Defense still needs a bit of work

12. Tampa Bay Bucs (2-1) [3] : It wasn't even close against the Rams!  Too much dependence on Gronk; Brady needs to spread the ball around

Division Rankings [Last week's position]

1.  AFC West [1] : New top dog as both Denver and Las Vegas continue to roll

2.  NFC West [2] : Seattle's collapse is not good, but the other teams still rock

3.  NFC South [3]

4.  AFC North [4] : The balance of power is shifting from Baltimore and Pittsburgh to Cleveland and Cincinnati

5.  NFC East [5] : Philly is inconsistent, so only Dallas really stands out

6.  AFC East [6] : Wither New England, only Buffalo is really impressive

7.  NFC North [8] : Green Bay continues to improve after their Week 1 debacle, and now Minnesota is waking up.  Chicago seems DOA

8.  AFC South [7] : Despite a 2-1 record for Tennessee, nobody looks good here

NCAA Football 2021 Week 5 picks

 We have some interesting games, especially in the SEC.  Before we get to that, we'll look at games prior to Saturday.

Thurs Sept 30

Virginia Cavaliers at Miami Hurricanes : Neither team has been stellar, but Virginia has shown a bit more punch and drive than the Hurricanes.  VIRGINIA by eight

Fri Oct 1

#6 Iowa Hawkeyes at Maryland Terrapins : I thought this might be a competitive game when I wrote my preseason previews, but Maryland hasn't quite lived up to their potential.  Maybe this game will be a wake-up call.  IOWA by 16

BYU Cougars at Utah State Aggies : BYU should roll in this one.  BYU by 17

Sat Oct 2

Top 25

#15 Ole Miss Rebels at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide : The SEC gets some games matching ranked opponents this week.  As impressive as Ole Miss has been, and despite an extra week to prepare for this game, I don't think the Rebels really have a chance in this one, although they might make the first quarter competitive.  ALABAMA by 20

#10 Arkansas Razorbacks at #2 Georgia Bulldogs : Can the Razorbacks hold back the most dynamic offense in the country?  I don't think so.  They should be able to score well against Georgia, but the Bulldogs will simply score more.  GEORGIA by 14

Indiana Hoosiers at #3 Penn State Nittany Lions : Penn State faces an inconsistent Hoosier squad.  This is potentially a game where Indiana could get hot, but I still think the Nittany Lions will have it under control.  PENN STATE by 16

#4 Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats : I don't care that this is a rivalry game, I don't Kentucky doing much here.  FLORIDA by 23

#5 Michigan Wolverines at Wisconsin Badgers : Wisconsin has not started out very well.  This game will either start to turn them around or sink their season.  Unfortunately, I fear the latter.  MICHIGAN by 16

#7 Cincinnati Bearcats at #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : The Bearcats will likely be the toughest opponent the Irish face.  Cincy is not used to games like this, so I give the Irish a slight edge, but an upset is possible.  NOTRE DAME by three

#8 Oregon Ducks at Stanford Cardinal : Stanford is attempting to right their seasonal ship, but this is their greatest challenge yet.  I'm not sure they are prepared for a team of this quality yet.  OREGON by ten

#11 Ohio State Buckeyes at #13 Rutgers Scarlet Knights : The Knights offense will stretch the still-developing Buckeyes defense to the max.  If the Buckeyes want to prevent a second upset loss this season, they'll need to push back against Rutgers.  Their ball control can be slippery, so their defense needs to force a couple of turnovers.  OHIO STATE by nine

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at #12 Michigan State Spartans : Western Kentucky gave Indiana fits last week, and challenged Army the week before.  The Spartans haven't been sharp, so this will likely be another close game, but they should emerge victorious.  MICHIGAN STATE by four

Louisville Cardinals at #14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons : Louisville is having a tough season.  This should be a breeze.  WAKE FOREST by 17

Mississippi State Bulldogs at #16 Texas A&M Aggies : The Bulldogs gave LSU everything they could handle, but the Aggies so far have been a more impressive team.  Still, if they aren't careful, an upset could be brewing.  TEXAS A&M by five

#17 Texas Longhorns at TCU Horned Frogs : Texas faces perhaps their toughest challenge of the season so far.  TCU has a strong defense, but they haven't faced a team with the power of Texas.  This will be an important game for both teams.  TEXAS by four

UL Monroe Indians at #18 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : This should be an easy victory for the Sun Belt leader.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 17

#19 Auburn Tigers at LSU Tigers : The Battle of the Tigers favors Auburn this year, but with these two teams, records go out the window.  LSU might press their opponent, so this could be either team's year.  AUBURN by six

#20 Baylor Bears at Oklahoma State Cowboys : A battle of two unbeaten teams in the Big XII could go either way, but Baylor has shown a quicker and sturdier offense, so the scales seem to lean in their favor.  BAYLOR by six

Washington Huskies at #21 Oregon State Beavers : The Beavers gave USC a hard time last week.  Washington doesn't seem to have the same strength, so it should be an easier battle, although it still remains to see if the Beavers' easy victory last week was a fluke.  OREGON STATE by 13

Arizona State Sun Devils at #22 UCLA Bruins : The leaders of the Pac-12 South division face off, and it can be anyone's ball game.  UCLA has a stronger offense and a more stable game plan.  The Sun Devils have a tough defense, but their offense can be a bit sporadic.  UCLA should be able to succeed due to that, but if Arizona State has an excellent day, they can win.  UCLA by six

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at #23 NC State Wolfpack : The Wolfpack didn't really need an extra week to prepare for the Bulldogs, but I'm sure they're happy to be back in action.  NC STATE by 16

#24 Fresno State Bulldogs at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors : The Bulldogs have one of the most potent offenses in the land, and will be able to run circles around the Warriors.  FRESNO STATE by 17

#25 Boston College Eagles at Clemson Tigers : This is Boston College's ACC opener, as they face the stiffest defense in the conference.  Fortunately for the Eagles, the Tigers also have the worst offense in the conference, and the Eagles defense is no slough, either.  BOSTON COLLEGE by eleven

Big Ten

Charlotte 49ers at Illinois Fighting Illini : Illini QB Brandon Peters seems to be getting worse instead of better.  His consecutive overthrows cost them a potential victory against Purdue last week.  Fortunately Charlotte is a fairly weak team, but I would use the opportunity to play backup QB Artur Sitkowski.  Although the Illini lost to UTSA with Sitkowski under center, that was more due to defensive mistakes, mistakes the Illini seem to have fixed in their last two games, both of which have been close games.  ILLINOIS by ten

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Purdue Boilermakers : Purdue struggled offensively last week, and needed a backup QB to score their only touchdown.  Minnesota struggled last week, too.  This is an important momentum and morale booster for someone.  I think Minnesota has the talent, but if Purdue gets on track first it might be an upset win for the Boilermakers.  MINNESOTA by six

Northwestern Wildcats at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska played Oklahoma tough (that rivalry remains intact no matter how many years have elapsed since their last game!), but I think that was more an emotional boost than a talent boost.  While Northwestern has not done as well as I expected, I think they can prevail here.  NORTHWESTERN by eight

Other Games of Interest

Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas State Wildcats : Interesting game.  The Sooners had their hands full with Nebraska last week, and I don't think they expected to have such a tough time.  Meanwhile, K State lost their first game.  This could get really interesting, while the lead switching back and forth.  I think K State has the better team, but this could come down to who has the final drive.  KANSAS STATE by two

South Florida Bulls at SMU Mustangs : Nice easy game for SMU, since South Florida is really in the midst of a rebuilding year.  Could this catapault them into the Top 25?  I don't know, there are plenty of other teams to consider.  SMU by 18

NCAA Football 2021 Week 4 results

 Fewer upsets this week, but that doesn't mean things are getting easier for the teams!

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) [1]

2.  Georgia Bulldogs (4-0) [2]

3.  Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) [4]

4.  Florida Gators (3-1) [7] : They almost beat Alabama!  Wow!

5.  Michigan Wolverines (4-0) [5]

6.  Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0) [3]

7.  Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) [6]

8.  Oregon Ducks (4-0) [8]

9.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0) [11]

10. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-0) [14]

11. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1) [12]

12. Michigan State Spartans (4-0) [9]

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1) [13] : Impressive job!  They've earned this position

14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-0) [NR] : Are we seeing the best team in the ACC here?

15. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) [15]

16. Texas A&M Aggies (3-1) [10]

17. Texas Longhorns (3-1) [22]

18. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (4-0) [18]

19. Auburn Tigers (3-1) [16]

20. Baylor Bears (4-0) [24]

21. Oregon State Beavers (3-1) [NR]

22. UCLA Bruins (3-1) [20]

23. NC State Wolfpack (3-1) [23]

24  Fresno State Bulldogs (4-1) [19]

25. Boston College Eagles (4-0) [NR]

On the Edge:  BYU Cougars (4-0), Kansas State Wildcats (3-1), Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1), SMU Mustangs (4-0), UTSA Roadrunners (3-0), Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-0), Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-1), Boise State Broncos (2-2)

Dropped off: Kansas State Wildcats [#17], Tennessee Volunteers [#21], USC Trojans [#25]

Big Ten Report

Minnesota was upset, which was a surprise.  This team cannot seem to be consistent.  They play tough opponents hard, but relax too much against weaker opponents.  Notre Dame had a much easier time against Wisconsin than I expected, so we have to wonder about the Badgers.  Iowa's offense floundered a bit against Colorado State, but their defense stiffened and dominated the second half.  Nebraska pushed Michigan State into overtime, which dropped the Spartans in the rankings.  Western Kentucky stretched the Hoosiers' defense, which makes them looker weaker than they already were.

Upset Report

Not much to report here.  Basically, aside from the aforementioned Minnesota loss, they happened at night.  First Georgia Tech knocked off North Carolina, completely embarrassing them in a one-sided win.  That may finish any chance North Carolina has to see the Top 25 this season, and it also shines a light on the Yellow Jackets.  Let's see if they can build on that.

The late-night games saw the Oregon State Beavers completely dominate USC.  That hurts the Trojans, but we don't know if it puts the Beavers into Top 25 territory.  They have a history of outplaying one more dominant Pac-12 opponent each year -- this year, it might be USC.  We will have to see if this game was a fluke or if the Beavers are truly a force in the conference.

NFL 2021 Week 3 picks

 We have some interesting match-ups this week.

Thursday night

Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans : Carolina' offense gets to face off against the Texans defense.  That defense is a bit down this year.  In fact, Carolina seems to have the better defense this year.  PANTHERS, 24-17

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars : This should be an pick and an easy game for the Cards.  CARDINALS, 31-13

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants : The only contest of 0-2 teams, I have to think the Giants and Saquon Barkley will prevail in this one.  GIANTS, 20-17

Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions : The Lions are feisty, but they can't close.  RAVENS, 24-23

Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns : Justin Fields starts, but thrusting him in against the tough Browns defense may not work out.  BROWNS, 26-20

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers just seem to have more firepower than the Bengals.  STEELERS, 23-20

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans : The overtime game was a scare to the Titans, so they'll prepare extra hard this week.  TITANS, 24-23

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs : The worst thing for the Chargers is the fact that the Chiefs lost last week.  They have something to prove, so they'll come up with some interesting twists in their game plan.  CHIEFS, 31-26

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots : The Saints showed that they need to shore up their offensive line.  While doing that, the defense will rush Mac Jones.  He's still new enough that such a strategy should work.  SAINTS, 27-24

Washington at Buffalo Bills : Easy pick.  Washington just doesn't have much going for them.  BILLS, 27-16

Sunday late games

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders : Miami's offense is struggling, which will be made worse by a tough Raiders defense.  RAIDERS, 26-13

New York Jets at Denver Broncos : The Jets are another team struggling on offense.  Denver doesn't have that problem.  BRONCOS, 24-13

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings : Seattle can struggle on the road, but the Vikings tend to self-destruct against aggressive opponents.  The Seahawks are certainly aggressive.  SEAHAWKS, 23-20

Tampa Bay Bucs at Los Angeles Rams : Ooh, this might be the best and closest game of the week.  Truthfully, this one could go either way.  It's really the Bucs dynamic offense against the Rams defense.  Defense often wins those battles, so I'll favor the Rams.  RAMS, 30-27

Sunday night

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers : The Packers fixed some problems, but that offensive line still seems vulnerable, and the 49ers defensive line will certainly stretch it.  49ERS, 24-17

Monday Night Football

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys : The Cowboys offense is good, and these NFC East divisional games can always get scrappy.  The Eagles just seem like the stronger team, but don't count out Dallas.  EAGLES, 27-23

NFL 2021 Week 2 results

 We have some interesting 2-0 teams this year.  Both Arizona and Las Vegas have been dominant teams.  Denver and Carolina have started strongly, too.  Can these teams maintain that, or will things start to shake out as the season progresses?  We shall see.

Top Teams [Last week's position]

1.  Arizona Cardinals (2-0) [2] : Their offense is on fire, but their defense showed a bit of weakness this week.  They held on to win, but cracks are forming.

2.  Los Angeles Rams (2-0) [3]

3.  Tampa Bay Bucs (2-0) [14] : The Super Bowl Champs seem primed to defend their title

4.  Carolina Panthers (2-0) [13] : Sam Darnold seems to have found new life in Carolina, although a stiff defense is the really benefit of this team

5.  Denver Broncos (2-0) [7] : The third life (or is it the fourth?) of Teddy Bridgewater looks good, especially since Denver continues to struggle finding a ground game

6.  Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) [9] : Watch out for these Raiders! Derek Carr is looking good, and their defense just runs guys down

7.  San Francisco 49ers (2-0) [10]

8.  Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) [4] : A tough loss to the 49ers, but their defense kept this game close.  Never count out this team!

9.  New England Patriots (1-1) [NR] : They regained their winning ways, but it was only against the Jets.

10. New Orleans Saints (1-1) [1] : Their line couldn't protect Jameis Winston.  Maybe it's time to use the more mobile Taysom Hill?

11. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) [5] : Tough loss in overtime.  Their defense needs to stiffen

12. Houston Texans (1-1) [6]

Division Rankings [Last week's position]

1.  NFC West [1] : Not everyone won this week, but all teams are still in the top twelve.

2.  AFC West [2] : No teams with losing records, and all teams are in the upper half of the league.  Strong division

3.  NFC South [3] : Other than Atlanta, all very strong teams

4.  AFC North [4] : Everybody is even at 1-1, but every team has had at least one stellar performance

5 (tie).  NFC East [4] : The Eagles still look good, and Dallas is improving, but we have to wonder about the rest

5 (tie). AFC East [6] : With New England's improvement and Buffalo going strong, there is hope for this division, but the Jets already look tired and Miami was destroyed

7.  AFC South [7] : Tennessee won an overtime squeaker, but Houston is the only consistent team here

8.  NFC North [8] : Green Bay improved, but not much can be said about anybody else

NCAA Football 2021 Week 4 picks

 We have three games pairing ranked teams, and some other interesting match-ups, including some potential upsets.  Let's start with Thursday...

Thurs Sept 23

Marshall Thundering Herd at Appalachian State Mountaineers : Two teams just outside the Top 25 square off, and it should be an interesting encounter.  Expect lots of scoring, as both of these teams like to strike fast and often.  I'll favor the home team, but these two are so evenly matched that it could be anybody's game.  APPALACHIAN STATE by three

Fri Sept 24

UNLV Running Rebels at #19 Fresno State Bulldogs : The Rebels are looking for their first win of the season.  They'll have to keep searching.  FRESNO STATE by 16

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Cavaliers : Nobody paid much attention to either of these teams in preseason, yet they have performed well.  Wake beat Florida State last week (or course, everyone has beaten Florida State this season) while Virginia had been doing well until traveling to North Carolina last week.  I'll give Wake the benefit of momentum, but Virginia might sharpen their game after last week's loss.  WAKE FOREST by eight

Sat Sept 25

Top 25

Southern Miss Golden Eagles at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide : Bama will have a much easier time than against Florida.  ALABAMA by 23

#2 Georgia Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores : Both leaders of the SEC get easy opponents this week.  GEORGIA by 27

Colorado State Rams at #3 Iowa Hawkeyes : Speaking of easy opponents, the Hawkeyes lost a floundering Rams team.  IOWA by 23

Villanova (FCS) Wildcats at #4 Penn State Nittany Lions : And the Lions finish the slate of easy opponents for our top teams.  PENN STATE by 27

#13 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #5 Michigan Wolverines : Well, Rutgers enjoyed a great run, but I think it's over.  In preseason I figured this might be a close game, but Michigan has really stepped it up this season, so they should be able to win here, and win decisively.  MICHIGAN by 16

#21 Tennessee Volunteers at #7 Florida Gators : Tennessee usually does well in non-conference play, and then has trouble against conference opponents.  This year, they start conference play against a team that gave Alabama everything they could handle.  Oops.  FLORIDA by 16

Arizona Wildcats at #8 Oregon Ducks : It's an 0-3 start for Arizona.  Er, make that 0-4.  OREGON by 20

Nebraska Cornhuskers at #9 Michigan State Spartans : Nebraska gave Oklahoma troubles last week, but don't expect them to excel this week.  MICHIGAN STATE by 15

#10 Texas A&M Aggies at #14 Arkansas Razorbacks : Our last contest of Top 25 teams should be the most competitive.  Arkansas has certainly been very impressive to start the season, even more than the Aggies.  They are scrappers who you can never consider beaten until the very end.  If it is a close game at the end, I favor Arkansas.  However, the Aggies like to score early, so I think they'll establish (and keep) an early lead, despite a fourth quarter comeback by the Razorbacks.  TEXAS A&M by four

#11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wisconsin Badgers : The only game at a neutral site, Chicago's Soldier Field hosts two teams who are playing better than the Bears!  Big Ten teams often play the Irish tough, and the Badgers will be no exception!  Remember, they had an extra week to prepare for this game, which might give them time to devise an interesting game plan.  I think the Irish has enough talent to win this game, but their early struggles against Purdue last week makes them ripe for an upset.  NOTRE DAME by six

Akron Zips at #12 Ohio State Buckeyes : Easy win for the Buckeyes, as they continue to seal their defensive holes.  OHIO STATE by 21

Georgia State Panthers at #16 Auburn Tigers : After a tough battle against Penn State, the Tigers get an easy game as a breather.  AUBURN by 23

#17 Kansas State Wildcats at Oklahoma State Cowboys : Another upset potential, the Wildcats move into conference play.  They did pick some tougher opponents this year, so they might be better prepared.  They'd better hope so, as the Cowboys are no pushovers.  Their offense is a bit off this season, so the Wildcats have a chance.  KANSAS STATE by six

UMass Minutemen at #18 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : UMass doesn't have much mass behind them, so the Chanticleers continue their sensational season.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 23

#20 UCLA Bruins at Stanford Cardinal : Another upset watch, the Cardinal have improved since a poor early showing.  UCLA stumbled last week, falling to Fresno State after allowing them to score in the last minute.  This could be a fun game to watch.  UCLA by two

Texas Tech Red Raiders at #22 Texas Longhorns : These Texas battles can always get intense, but the Longhorns have had Tech's number for years, and that will continue.  TEXAS by 16

Clemson Tigers at #23 NC State Wolfpack : And here's where I truly go against the national analysts, who have basically ignored NC State.  That's a mistake, as they are a good team.  Their offense is certainly doing better than Clemson, who still do not seem to have figured out who is going to do what on offense.  NC STATE by eight

Iowa State Cyclones at #24 Baylor Bears : Another game where I defy the national pundits, who refuse to let go of the fact that they were wrong in picking Iowa State as a favorite in the Big XII.  Perhaps losing this game will finally convince them.  BAYLOR by ten

Oregon State Beavers at #25 USC Trojans : The Beavers can be tough on their own turf, but they don't tend to travel well. USC by 13

Big Ten

Bowling Green Falcons at Minnesota Golden Gophers : Minnesota's offense is hot, and that should propel them over the Falcons.  MINNESOTA by 14

Ohio Bobcats at Northwestern Wildcats : Ohio is struggling, even more so than Northwestern.  NORTHWESTERN by eight

Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers : Preseason, I figured this would be an easy game for the Illini.  Since then, injuries (especially to running back) and a faltering defense has made Illinois' chances smaller, especially given how tough Purdue played against Notre Dame for three quarters.  Of course, Purdue often challenges Notre Dame, so I'll still give the Illini a chance.  ILLINOIS by six

Kent State Golden Flashes at Maryland Terrapins : The MAC is basically down this season.  Even though they often challenge their Big Ten opponents, I don't see Kent State really pushing Maryland.  MARYLAND by 16

Indiana Hoosiers at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers : Indiana's offense has not been as effective as expected, and the Hilltoppers defense looks good.  Indiana has been slowly improving from their disappointing opening weekend, so I think they might squeak this out, but the Hilltoppers could win here.  INDIANA by three

Other Games of Interest

SMU Mustangs at TCU Horned Frogs : This is an interesting battle of unbeaten teams.  TCU looks good, but not so strong as they often have been.  SMU, on the other hand, is impressive.  Granted, SMU has not faced really challenging opponents, but they certainly seem to have the talent and drive to compete.  This could be a close game, and SMU might win.  TCU by six

Boise State Broncos at Utah State Aggies : Utah State is also looking very good, while Boise continues to struggle.  In the past this would be an easy win for Boise, but they are almost an underdog in this game, and an upset would not be surprising.  BOISE STATE by four

UTSA Roadrunners at Memphis Tigers : The Roadrunners have a strong team this year, while Memphis is inconsistent.  I like UTSA's chances here.  UTSA by six

South Florida Bulls at BYU Cougars : The Bulls are having a hard year, so BYU should roll.  BYU by 17

NCAA Football 2021 Week 3 results

 More Top 25 teams suffered upsets, and two contenders did not perform well enough to reach there:  Oklahoma and Clemson.  It appears those two teams may not be nearly as strong as we thought.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) [1]
2. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) [2]
3. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) [3]
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) [11]
5. Michigan Wolverines (3-0) [10]
6. Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) [4]
7. Florida Gators (2-1) [7]
8. Oregon Ducks (3-0) [8] : Third week of the season and Oregon is the only unbeaten Pac-12 team.  That's not good for the conference.
9. Michigan State Spartans (3-0) [9]
10. Texas A&M Aggies (3-0) [20]
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0) [16]
12. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) [12]
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-0) [13]
14. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0) [14]
15. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) [NR]
16. Auburn Tigers (2-1) [6]
17. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0) [17]
18. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (3-0) [19]
19. Fresno State Bulldogs (3-1) [26]
20. UCLA Bruins (2-1) [5]
21. Tennessee Volunteers (2-1) [21]
22. Texas Longhorns (2-1) [NR]
23. NC State Wolfpack (2-1) [23]
24. Baylor Bears (3-0) [NR]
25. USC Trojans (2-1) [NR]

On the Edge: BYU Cougars (3-0), Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-1), Wisconsin Badgers (1-1), Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1), UTSA Roadrunners (3-0), Appalachian State Mountaineers (2-1)

Dropped off: Virginia Tech Hokies [#15], Arizona State Sun Devils [#18], UCF Golden Knights [#22], Pittsburgh Panthers [#24], Marshall Thundering Herd [#25]

Big Ten Report

Most of the teams performed as expected.  Ohio State's defense still sputters, but they seem to be starting to address it.  Indiana's defense faltered in the fourth quarter, but it is hard to suppress Cincinnati for a full sixty minutes.  The Gophers showed defense, shutting out Colorado.

The only shock this week was Northwestern, who lost to Duke.  They couldn't get going at all in the first half, and an attempted second half comeback fell short.

Upset Report

My Top 25 suffered some upsets this week.  It started on Friday, as Louisville woke up and knocked off UCF.  West Virginia was the next upset (although many national analysts had favored West Virginia), beating Virginia Tech.  Pitt fell to Western Michigan.

FCS teams still held sway over some FBS opponents.  Incarnate Word, a team that was Division II only three years ago, knocked off Texas State, and Northern Arizona beat their in-state opponent, leaving Arizona to start the season 0-3.

NFL 2021 Week 2 picks

 The first week is never sufficient to get a good picture of how many teams will perform, so this week has some picks that can really go either way.

Thursday night

New York Giants at Washington : Washington's offense definitely stood up better against the Chargers than the Giants did against a weaker Denver defense.  Advantage:  Washington.  WASHINGTON, 23-16

Sunday early games

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins : Miami's defense did a good job of holding back the Patriots last week, but the Bills have more firepower.  At some point, they need to outplay Buffalo on offense, and I don't think Miami is quite there yet.  BILLS, 24-20

Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears : When I planning my preview columns, I figured this would be a Bears victory.  But after the floundering offensive performance last week, and the amazing performance by the Bengals, I have to flip this one.  BENGALS, 27-17

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars : Despite the lack of a consistent running game, the Broncos offense is clicking.  Not so with the Jags, as Trevor Lawrence is still getting used to how the NFL differs from the college game.  BRONCOS, 28-16

Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns : Another game whose outcome I am flipping from my previews.  The Browns went toe-to-toe against the powerful Chiefs last week, so I think they'll outplay the Texans.  BROWNS, 27-23

Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers have it working.  The Raiders benefited from sloppy play by the Ravens.  They won't get that benefit this week.  STEELERS, 31-27

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts : Seeing the offensive attack of the Rams against the Bears, they look even stronger than the height of Jared Goff's tenure.  Watch out for them this season.  RAMS, 24-13

New England Patriots at New York Jets : The Jets struggled last week, and I don't see that they have it all figured out yet.  The Jets don't have the same quality on defense as the Dolphins, so this time the Pats will prevail.  PATRIOTS, 20-13

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers : The Panthers defense won't be able to stop this offensive express.  SAINTS, 34-13

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles : Both teams showed explosive offenses last week.  The 49ers defense sputtered late and gave Detroit a chance to come back.  I think they will fix that this week, and toughen that defense enough to keep a score ahead of the Eagles.  49ERS, 34-30

Sunday late games

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Falcons offense couldn't do much last week.  Now, the Bucs showed a vulnerability for the type of pass-heavy attack of the Falcons, but I don't think their offense has the steam of Dallas, who couldn't quite keep pace with the Bucs.  BUCS, 27-17

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers : This game could be a lot closer than people think.  The Cowboys impressed everyone against the Bucs, but the Chargers have a better defense.  However, the Cowboys are still a potent team who will stretch the home team as far as they can go.  CHARGERS, 27-23

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals : Minnesota's defense showed some holes last week, things that the Cardinals excellent offense will certainly exploit.  CARDS, 31-23

Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks : Safe in the confines of home, the Seahawks will roll.  SEAHAWKS, 28-17

Sunday night

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens : The Ravens get a night game for the second week in a row, and unfortunately I don't think the outcome will be any different.  The Raiders, whose offense can be tricky but not fast, gave the Ravens defense some problems.  Watch what the speed of the Chiefs offense will do.  The Ravens only saving grace?  There seems to be something missing from the Chiefs defense, too.  CHIEFS, 30-24

Monday Night Football

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers : With the collapse of the Packers line and the offensive explosion of the Lions in the second half last week, I definitely need to flip this game.  LIONS, 24-14

NCAA Football 2021 Week 3 picks

 We have an interesting batch of matchups this week, including a rare Friday Big Ten contest.

Thurs Sept 16

Ohio Bobcats at Louisiana Ragin Cajuns : While Louisiana has not proven to be quite as good as the preseason hype, this game shouldn't challenge them much.  My God, Ohio lost to Duquesne, for heaven's sake!  LOUISIANA by 16

Fri Sept 17

#22 UCF Golden Knights at Louisville Cardinals :  It's been a rough start for the Cardinals, and unfortunately this game won't improve things any.  UCF by 20

Maryland Terrapins at Illinois Fighting Illini :  Illinois hasn't been hurt too bad by the injury to their starting quarterback.  No, they've been hurt by a lack of defense, which just opens the door to dynamic Maryland to light up the scoreboard.  MARYLAND by 17

Sat Sept 18

Top 25

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #7 Florida Gators : One of only two contests featuring ranked teams, this one should be interesting.  Florida will likely challenge early, and keep it close for nearly three quarters.  Alabama will wear them down, however, and stretch their lead in the fourth.  ALABAMA by 13

South Carolina Gamecocks at #2 Georgia Bulldogs : Easy game for the Dawgs.  GEORGIA by 20

Kent State Golden Flashes at #3 Iowa Hawkeyes : Kent State is probably hoping that Iowa will be so hyped from their defeat of Iowa State last week that they are ripe for a letdown.  Their coach won't allow that.  IOWA by 23

#4 Cincinnati Bearcats at Indiana Hoosiers : What happened to Indiana's vaulted offense in Week 1?  Yes, they scored a lot last week, but ANYONE can against Idaho.  Cincy's defense might be even tougher than Iowa's, which will make this a tough game for Indy.  CINCINNATI by 20

Fresno State Bulldogs at #5 UCLA Bruins : Fresno State has been punishing in their two home games, but they aren't so sharp away from home.  Throw in UCLA's extra week of preparation, and this one doesn't look good for the Bulldogs.  UCLA by 17

#6 Auburn Tigers at #11 Penn State Nittany Lions : Here's our other battle of ranked teams, and this one should be even more exciting than Alabama's.  Most of the national analysts, with their bias against the Big Ten and favoritism of the SEC, don't give Penn State a chance.  While I am picking Auburn, this one is an Upset Alert.  Auburn is used to being the defensive bully in the room, as they usually have one of the toughest defenses in the SEC.  However, on the defensive side of the ball, Penn State is the better team.  The Lions offense this year is very good, too, so they have the tools to have the White Out wash over the Tigers.  AUBURN by three

Stony Brook (FCS) Seawolves at #8 Oregon Ducks : Long Island-based Stony Brook travels all the way across the country to play the Ducks.  Enjoy the trips, guys, because you'll get killed on the field.  OREGON by 31

#9 Michigan State Spartans at Miami Hurricanes : How the hell is Miami ranked in the national polls?  They were thoroughly embarrassed by Alabama and nearly lost to Appalachian State.  Well, this loss should wipe them off the rankings.  MICHIGAN STATE by 16

Northern Illinois Huskies at #10 Michigan Wolverines : Washington proved easy for Michigan last week.  Northern Illinois won't be too much of a threat.  MICHIGAN by 17

Tulsa Golden Hurricane at #12 Ohio State Buckeyes : The Buckeyes get an easy opponent to work out their defensive woes.  OHIO STATE by 26

Delaware (FCS) Blue Hens at #13 Rutgers Scarlet Knights : Delaware is actually a good FCS team, so in previous years this might be prone for an upset.  This year, however, Rutgers has one of the oldest and most experienced teams in the conference, and has their talent firing on all cylinders.  No upset here.  RUTGERS by 23

Georgia Southern Eagles at #14 Arkansas Razorbacks : Easy win for the Razorbacks, so long as they don't get overconfident and look past them.  ARKANSAS by 23

#15 Virginia Tech Hokies at West Virginia Mountaineers : The Mountaineers tend to play the Hokies tough, but they are just overmatched this season.  VIRGINIA TECH by 14

Purdue Boilermakers at #16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : Purdue can sometimes challenge the Irish, but not this year.  Purdue has looked good so far, but they seem to lack that spark.  Of course, nothing can fire up a team more than facing the Irish.  This game might push Purdue to the next level, which could make this an interesting game.  NOTRE DAME by13

Nevada Wolf Pack by #17 Kansas State Wildcats : The Wildcats get a fairly easy opponent this week.  They need a great game to eliminate the near FCS upset they faced last week.  KANSAS STATE by 21

#18 Arizona State Sun Devils at BYU Cougars : BYU hasn't looked as sharp as I thought they might, while the Sun Devils have certainly shown the talent we saw developing back in 2019.  Arizona State can sometimes be their own worst enemy.  If they can avoid mistakes, they should take this game.  ARIZONA STATE by 16

#19 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Buffalo Bulls : The Bulls have faltered this season, while Coastal is showing the power of the Sun Belt, and ensuring that everyone in America knows who the Chanticleers are.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 16

New Mexico Lobos at #20 Texas A&M Aggies : The Aggies get an easy opponent.  TEXAS A&M by 23

Tennessee Tech (FCS) Golden Eagles at #21 Tennessee Volunteers : Don't expect an upset in this cross-state battle.  TENN by 26

Furman (FCS) Paladins at #23 NC State Wolfpack : Another easy FCS v FBS matchup this week.  NC STATE by 26

Western Michigan Broncos at #24 Pittsburgh Panthers : If Pitt can prevent a letdown after their fabulous upset last week, they should send the Broncos packing.  PITT by 20

East Carolina Pirates at #25 Marshall Thundering Herd :  The Pirates are suffering from a down year, which makes life easier for Marshall.  MARSHALL by 18

Big Ten

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Oklahoma Sooners : The old Southwest and Big XII rivalry gets renewed!  This used to be a thrilling game, but Nebraska has really slid since those days.  OKLAHOMA by 17

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Colorado Buffaloes : Ooh, this might be an exciting game!  Minnesota certainly proved they have the offensive chops, but their defense has holes.  That might open the door for Colorado to engineer an upset.  MINNESOTA by six

Northwestern Wildcats at Duke Blue Devils : Neither team has looked stellar so far this season, but Duke lost to Charlotte, so I really have to give the edge to the Wildcats.  NORTHWESTERN by three

Other Games of Interest

Mississippi State Bulldogs at Memphis Tigers : The Bulldogs get to improve their standing with a nice win over the normally-competitive Tigers.  MISSISSIPPI STATE by 13

Florida International Panthers at Texas Tech Red Raiders : The Red Raiders prevented a shocking upset last week, but it must have given them a scare.  That should inspire them to be better this week, so I expect the Panthers won't be able to pull off an upset.  TEXAS TECH by eight

Virginia Cavaliers at North Carolina Tar Heels : The Cavs have shown that the Illinois defeat was not a fluke, and a defeat of highly-touted (but underachieving) Tar Heels team.  VIRGINIA by 11

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boise State Broncos : The Cowboys have been unimpressive.  While Boise hasn't exactly been their usually strong self, they have enough talent to beat the Cowboys.  BOISE STATE by 13

NFL 2021 Week 1 results

 Even though it was only the first week of the season, so we really didn't know how some rookies and free agents would work out, there were a few real surprises.  Dallas' offense was amazing, and hung in strong against the Bucs.  Green Bay's collapse, especially on the offensive line, was a shocker, and ill-portends a long hard season for the Pack.  Cleveland's offense kept pace with the Chiefs, and the Lions engineered an amazing offensive run in the fourth quarter, meaning you can never count that team out.

Top Teams

1. New Orleans Saints (1-0) : Although assisted by a fragile Packers offensive line, the Saints were totally dominant
2. Arizona Cardinals (1-0) : Where the hell did this offensive explosion come from?
3. Los Angeles Rams (1-0) : They may have found the right offense-defense mix
4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) : What a crushing defense
5. Seattle Seahawks (1-0) : No "on the road" blues for them
6. Houston Texans (1-0) : Admittedly, the Jags don't have much of a defense, but the Texans looked real good
7. Denver Broncos (1-0) : Even without a running game the Broncos consistently moved the ball
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) : Even spotted with a ten-point deficit, the Steelers owned the second half
9. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) : This team never gives up, and they forced a turnover in overtime when they really needed one
10. San Francisco 49ers (1-0) : What a terrific offense.  That defense needs to work an entire game, though.
11. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) : Their defense needs work, but the offense is still sharp
12. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) : Good ball control and play diversity.  They will keep opponents guessing.

Divisional Rankings

1.  NFC West : As Hot Chocolate sang, "Every1's a Winner, Baby" and they all made the Top Ten
2.  AFC West : Another quartet of winners as the West sweeped the rest of the country
3.  NFC South : Except for Atlanta, strong showings this week
4 (tie). NFC East : The doormat of the league over the past two seasons showed life this week
4 (tie). AFC North : Pittsburgh rolled, Cincy won in overtime, and the Browns impressed

6.  AFC East : Only Miami won, but nobody embarrased (not even the Jets)

7.  AFC South

8.  NFC North : Poor performances by Green Bay and Chicago, and Minnesota couldn't prevail in overtime despite advancing to the opponent's red zone, made this a poor week for the Black and Blue division

NCAA Football 2021 Week 2 results

 Well, as expected, the Top 25 has shaken up. Some of the shakeups were due to upsets, and others due to teams playing FBS teams for the first time.  Let's see how it shapes up this week, before it finally settles down a bit after next week's results:

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) [1]
2. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) [2]
3. Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0) [6]
4. Cincinnati Bearcats (2-0) [4]
5. UCLA Bruins (2-0) [5]
6. Auburn Tigers (2-0) [8]
7. Florida Gators (2-0) [10]
8. Oregon Ducks (2-0) [19]
9. Michigan State Spartans (2-0) [17]
10. Michigan Wolverines (2-0) [18]
11. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) [20]
12. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-1) [3]
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-0) [23]
14. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0) [NR] : They dominated Texas.  Maybe the Longhorns don't want to move to the SEC now?
15. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-0) [21]
16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0) [13] : They nearly lost to an unranked Toledo team.  Where was their defense?
17. Kansas State Wildcats (2-0) [14] : Like the Irish, they squeaked by in a game they should have easily won
18. Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0) [NR]
19. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (2-0) [NR]
20. Texas A&M Aggies (2-0) [11] : Their defense kept them in the game until their backup QB found his footing, but things don't look too good so long as he's under center
21. Tennessee Volunteers (1-1) [7]
22. UCF Golden Knights (2-0) [22]
23. NC State Wolfpack (1-1) [9]
24. Pittsburgh Panthers (2-0) [NR]
25. Marshall Thundering Herd (2-0) [26]

On the Edge: Fresno State Bulldogs (1-1), Virginia Cavaliers (2-0), Wisconsin Badgers (1-1), Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-0), Boise State Broncos (1-1), Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-1), Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-1)

Big Ten Report

Obviously the biggest surprise was Ohio State's loss, mainly because the unit that collapsed was their defense.  Their run defense has been dwindling the past couple of years, but halftime adjustments have propelled them.  They didn't seem to adjust at all during halftime, and that squad seemed lackluster.  Let's see if they get it together.

The other surprise was Nebraska, who thoroughly dominated Buffalo.  The Bulls were supposed to be a good team this season, and the Cornhusker defense seemed completely lacking after their game against Illinois.  Apparently they got their defense worked out (say, maybe someone from Ohio State should spy on their practices and get some pointers!).

Upset Report

Most people are taking about the Ohio State loss, but that just goes to show how much the national media wants to criticize the Big Ten above all other conferences.  What makes me say that?  Ohio State lost to a ranked team.  How about the teams who LOST to UNRANKED teams, like USC, Texas, and Utah.  All of those losses were by a larger margin than Ohio State, too.  Let's not forgot the two teams who NEARLY LOST (and probably should have lost) to unranked teams:  Notre Dame and Texas A&M.  However, not a peep about those once an hour had elapsed after those losses.

But that's why my Upset Report exists, and let's start with the darling of the national media -- the SEC.  Tennessee lost to Pittsburgh and South Carolina almost lost to East Carolina, Now, to be fair, SEC teams also ENGINEERED upsets.  Arkansas humbled Texas, Mississippi State crushed NC State, and Vanderbilt beat Colorado State.

Let's not forgot our stalwart FCS teams.  They had two more upsets against FBS teams, as Duquesne beat Ohio and Jacksonville State knocked off Florida State, further spiraling their standing.  Two other teams nearly pulled off upsets:  Southern Illinois against Kansas State and Stephen F Austin against Texas Tech.

NCAA Football 2021 Week 2 picks

 On to the second week...

Fri Sept 10

Kansas Jayhawks at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : Kansas is one of those teams that struggled against FCS teams.  Coastal Carolina is no longer in the FCS, but this game will be highly reminiscent of those.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 13

UTEP Miners at Boise State Broncos : Boise lost a squeaker last week.  They need a big win to boost themselves, and this should be an excellent candidate.  BOISE STATE by 14

Sat Sept 11

Top 25:

Mercer (FCS) Bears at #1 Alabama Crimson Tide : I hope Mercer is getting paid handsomely for this opportunity, but this is possibly the most one-sided match-up in college football history.  ALABAMA by an embarrassing large margin

UAB Blazers at #2 Georgia Bulldogs : Georgia will certainly have an easier time this game than their battle against Clemson last week.  GEORGIA by 23

#19 Oregon Ducks at #3 Ohio State Buckeyes : Oregon had a tough time last week against Fresno State.  That convinces me that they aren't ready to face the Buckeyes.  They have the talent to score in the fourth quarter to cover the national spread, but a loss is imminent.  OHIO STATE by eleven

Murray State (FCS) Racers at #4 Cincinnati Bearcats : A nice easy win for the Bearcats.  CINCY by 21

#6 Iowa Hawkeyes at Iowa State Cyclones : Iowa often has trouble against their in-state rival, but after the overwhelmingly dominant performance last week, while the Cyclones struggled, I don't think they'll have a problem this year.  IOWA by 13

Pittsburgh Panthers at #7 Tennessee Volunteers : Tennessee is looking at a pretty good year, if their first week is any indication.  Pitt, on the other hand...  TENN by 16

Alabama State (FCS) Hornets at #8 Auburn Tigers : This will be easier than facing the University of Alabama, but I don't think it'll be as satisfying.  AUBURN by 20

#9 NC State Wolfpack at Mississippi State Bulldogs : The Wolfpack swept South Florida last week, but it was thought that this would be a down year for the Bulls.  They get a stronger opponent in the Bulldogs.  I think they will win, but it will definitely be more of a battle.  NC STATE by seven

#10 Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls : Speaking of those Bulls, they don't get an easier opponent this week.  FLORIDA by 20

#11 Texas A&M Aggies at Colorado Buffaloes : Two former Southwest Conference teams face each other, and it won't go well for the home team.  TEXAS A&M by 16

#12 Texas Longhorns at Arkansas Razorbacks : Another Texas team who should have a smooth victory over a former frequent opponent.  TEXAS by 17

Toledo Rockets at #13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : The Irish required overtime to pull out a victory over Florida State, but they won't need extra time this week.  IRISH by 20

Southern Illinois (FCS) Salukis at #14 Kansas State Wildcats : Now this is the typical sort of non-conference opponent for the Wildcats.  K STATE by 24

Stanford Cardinal at #15 USC Trojans : Prior to last week, I would have picked Stanford for this game.  After the collapse of the Cardinal last week, I can't do that.  If Stanford has identified and worked out some of their problems, this might be close, but I think it'll take a few weeks for Stanford to iron out all of their issues.  USC by eleven

Stephen F Austin (FCS) Lumberjacks at #16 Texas Tech Red Raiders : Another easy win for a Top 25 Texas school.  TEXAS TECH by 24

Youngstown State (FCS) Penguins at #17 Michigan State Spartans : The Penguins will get a chilling reception at East Lansing.  MICHIGAN STATE by 20

Washington Huskies at #18 Michigan Wolverines : Washington fell apart last week, while Michigan really showed spark.  Can Coach Harbaugh keep that up this week?  MICHIGAN by eight

Ball State Cardinals at #20 Penn State Nittany Lions : We might see as many offensive miscues by the Cardinals this week, but these are likely to be caused, at least in part, but the Nittany Lions defense.  PENN STATE by 17

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at #21 Virginia Tech Hokies : Never underestimate Middle Tennessee's tenaciousness on the field, but I don't think they really have a chance here.  VIRGINIA TECH by 18

Bethune-Cookman (FCS) Wildcats at #22 UCF Golden Knights : The Knights struggled a bit last week, but this game should be a breeze.  UCF by 20

#23 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Syracuse Orange : It's going to be a long season for Syracuse, and the Knights get to start their season strong.  RUTGERS by 21

Western Carolina (FCS) Catamounts at #24 Oklahoma Sooners : The Sooners struggled to win last week.  This week will be much easier.  OKLAHOMA by 23

#25 Appalachian State Mountaineers at Miami Hurricanes : How pathetic did Miami look last week?  How about the fact that I consider them an underdog here?  APPALACHIAN STATE by seven

Big Ten:

Illinois Fighting Illini at Virginia Cavaliers : Virginia had a good game last week, while Illinois got beat by UTSA.  That doesn't bode well for the Illini here.  VIRGINIA by 11

Miami Ohio RedHawks at Minnesota Golden Gophers : Minnesota showed their offensive firepower last week against the Buckeyes, and it will be on display this week.  MINNESOTA by 16

Indiana State (FCS) Sycamores at Northwestern Wildcats : Northwestern looked absolutely atrocious last week, but at least they have an easy opponent this week as they try to fix their problems.  NORTHWESTERN by 13

Purdue Boilermakers at UConn Huskies : The Huskies lost their coach after last week's loss.  What could happen when they lose this week?  PURDUE by 16

Buffalo Bulls at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska continues to struggle, while Buffalo is challenging for the MAC title.  This will definitely not play out like it might have five or six years ago.  BUFFALO by 12

Eastern Michigan Broncos at Wisconsin Badgers : The Badgers can return to their winning ways, so long as they can hold onto the ball.  WISCONSIN by 13

Idaho Vandals at Indiana Hoosiers : Indiana's offense was very subdued last week.  It should be more active, as Idaho doesn't have much of a defense.  INDIANA by 20

Howard (FCS) Bison at Maryland Terrapins : Easy win for the Terps.  MARYLAND by 23

Other Games of Interest

Air Force Falcons at Navy Midshipmen : An early game to determine the winner of the Commander-in-Chief's trophy, the Falcons should prevail over a Navy team that seemed stuck in port last week.  AIR FORCE by 14

NFL 2021 Week 1 picks

 It's the start of new NFL season and we have some interesting match-ups.

Thurs Sept 9

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs likely will have the easiest time of it this week.  BUCS, 27-13

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans : Neither team has a stellar offense, so this will be a defensive battle.  In that case, I think Tennessee is a little better equipped.  TITANS, 13-10

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans : Houston starts with a fairly easy game, and Trevor Lawrence will face a defense not unlike the Ohio State Buckeyes, and we remember how THAT game ended!  TEXANS, 21-10

Los Angeles Chargers at Washington : The Chargers defense will keep Washington at bay while the offense gets some field time to get in sync.  CHARGERS, 20-10

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals : The Vikings could romp offensively here, but they will likely make a couple of mistakes that cost them scores.  Even so, this will be pretty easy for them.  VIKINGS, 24-13

New York Jets at Carolina Panthers : Sam Darnold faces his old team, so there is some incentive there.  The weak Jets defensive line will be an excellent boost to Christian McCaffrey, so expect lots of ground yardage.  PANTHERS, 17-13

Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons : QBs Jalen Hurts and Matt Ryan line up for a shoot-out.  I think the Eagles have the better support staff, so I give them the edge.  EAGLES, 27-24

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills : The Bills have the better offense, but the Steelers have the better defense.  In such a battle, I usually benefit the defense, and I was tempted to pick Pittsburgh.  However, something tells me that the Bills will surprise, but this one really could go either way.  BILLS, 27-23

San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions : The Lions will have a long season this year, and it starts here.  49ERS, 24-16

Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts : Carson Wentz starts healthy, so he will work some magic with the quality offense of the Colts.  However, he can't help the other side, and the defense will allow Seattle too much room to move.  SEAHAWKS, 20-17

Sunday late games

Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chiefs get an easy game to start their 2021 campaign.  CHIEFS, 31-16

Denver  Broncos at New York Giants : I think the Giants defense know how to beat Teddy Bridgewater, and he doesn't have much help from a running game.  GIANTS, 16-13

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints : Ooh, this should be an exciting game!  This could come down to who has the ball last.  The Saints seem to have the edge in ball control and clock management, so I have to give them the edge, but either team could win this one.  SAINTS, 30-27

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots : Mac Jones opens against a Florida-style defense.  I think he knows how to overcome that.  PATS, 20-16

Sunday night

Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams : The Bears do not have a good record on evening games, so I am concerned.  I think they could win, but the defense of the Rams will really stretch them.  BEARS, 23-20

Monday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders : The Ravens defense will frustrate the Raiders all night.  RAVENS, 24-16

NCAA Football 2021 Week 1 results

 Well, enough teams played FBS teams that I can produce a Top 25 list.  This will look different, and will likely change drastically in the next two weeks.  I will remind readers of some of my restrictions.  In order to be placed in my Top 25, teams must:  have a winning record (so this week's losing teams are not eligible yet), must have beaten ANY and ALL FCS opponents they met, and have a positive point differential (and remember, the point differentials of games against FCS opponents DO NOT COUNT).

Top 25

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
2. Georgia Bulldogs (1-0)
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
4. Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0)
5. UCLA Bruins (2-0)
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0)
7. Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
8. Auburn Tigers (1-0)
9. NC State Wolfpack (1-0)
10. Florida Gators (1-0)
11. Texas A&M Aggies (1-0)
12. Texas Longhorns (1-0)
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0)
14. Kansas State Wildcats (1-0)
15. USC Trojans (1-0)
16. Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0)
17. Michigan State Spartans (1-0)
18. Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
19. Oregon Ducks (1-0)
20. Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0) : they would be ranked higher, but they only won because Wisconsin's offense could not hand off the ball well
21. Virginia Tech Hokies (1-0)
22. UCF Golden Knights (1-0)
23. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-0)
24. Oklahoma Sooners (1-0)
25. Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-0)

Big Ten report

Ohio State didn't really get going until midway through the second quarter, but that is not surprising for them.  I was surprised at how effective the Minnesota Golden Gophers offense was -- they will be a force to deal with in this conference. Northwestern's defense collapsed, while Michigan's offense shined.  The Badgers need to spend a full day's practice on the handoff of the ball between quarterback and running back -- come on, guys, three missed handoffs in one game!  That's atrocious!

Purdue surprised Oregon State and UTSA surprised Illinois.  Lastly, the Hoosiers dynamic offense did a disappearing act.  Let's see if it reappears for next week.

Upsets and surprises

FCS teams spanked several FBS teams.  Eastern Washington shocked UNLV, UC Davis knocked off Tulsa, South Dakota State upended Colorado State, East Tennessee State beat Vanderbilt, and Montana stopped Washington.  The most impactful FCS upset, though, was that by Holy Cross.  They beat UConn, and caused Coach Edsall to retire immediately, instead of at the conclusion of the season.

There were other surprises and upsets, including in the "early week" of Saturday, August 28th.  UTEP completely dominated New Mexico State, perhaps representing a resurgence of the program.  The state of Florida had a surprisingly good performance in UCF, and a completely pathetic performance in South Florida.  Wyoming barely held off Montana State, and Kansas State manhandled Stanford.

NFL 2021 Preview - AFC

 AFC East

1. Buffalo Bills (5-1/10-7) : Former Bears QB Mitch Trubisky backs up Josh Allen, so the Bills are set no matter who lines up under center.  They have a great bunch of first string receivers to throw to, but the quality gets thin after that.  The defense is good, but their linebacking corps leaves a bit to be desired.
2. New England Patriots (4-2/5-12) : Mac Jones takes over for Cam Newton, who was cut.  Officially, the Patriots have no other quarterback on the depth chart, so this does not bode well if Jones gets injured.  Of course, they could promote Garrett Gilbert or Brian Hoyer from the practice squad, but it still looks like they are banking their entire season on Jones.  Not a smart move.
3. Miami Dolphins (2-4/3-14) : Jacoby Brissett backs up Tua, so they have decent quarterbacks.  The offensive line and tight ends look good, but they are weak are receivers and runners.  The first string defense looks good, but they lack quality depth.
4. New York Jets (1-5/2-15) : QB Zach Wilson is decent but no great.  With a weak offensive line and so-so receiving corps, they will be asking much from their running backs.  The defense could use some work, too.

AFC North

1.  Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1/13-4) : Dwayne Haskins joins the quarterback corps, so the team has three sturdy quarterbacks.  Their running back corps isn't great, but the rest of the offense is solid.  As always, their strength is their defense, especially at linebacker.
2. Baltimore Ravens (4-2/10-7) : The Ravens have a strong offense, but a shuffling in their defense leaves some question marks.  If those moves were good, they could compete for the division title.
3. Cleveland Browns (3-3/6-11) : Their offensive line is not the greatest, so Baker Mayfield may be running for his life.  If he goes down, can Case Keenum be consistent enough to keep the team going?  The defense has some strong areas and some weak areas, so the squad certainly won't be a major help.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (0-6/2-15) : Joe Burrow is a strong and stable quarterback, but the team just didn't give him much support.  The defense needs work, too.

AFC South

1.  Houston Texans (4-2/10-7) : Tyrod Taylor dethroned Deshaun Watson, who falls to the third string.  Taylor has quality receivers and running backs, but a weak line and thin tight end squad means that the offense will be stretched.
2. Indianapolis Colts (4-2/9-8) : Jacob Eason won the second string QB spot behind Carson Wentz.  Given Wentz's injury history, Eason will likely play before the season is half over.  We might even see Sam Ehlinger or Brett Hundley.  No matter who plays quarterback, the team has given them a quality offense to work with.  The defense, however, could use some help, so the offense will have to score lots of points.  They do seem equipped to do that.
3. Tennessee Titans (3-3/7-10) : Ryan Tannehill leads a capable but often underachieving bunch of receivers.  Worse, the offense line is not as strong as last year, so Tannehill will be on the run.  The defense is decent, but not outstanding.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5/5-12) : Trevor Lawrence looked okay in preseason, but he made mistakes.  His inexperience will show up.  Backup QB CJ Beathard is not capable of consistently leading a team, so Lawrence has to develop.  This is definitely a building year for the Jags.

AFC West

1.  Kansas City Chiefs (5-1/13-4) : The offense is as strong as ever.  The defense isn't quite as strong, but this is still a powerful team, and one of the favorites to win the conference.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (2-4/9-8) : Justin Herbert needs to step up his quarterback performance this year.  The team has a strong defense to help them, but they need more consistent offensive output.
3. Las Vegas Raiders (4-2/8-7) : Derek Carr leads a very thin slate of receivers.  Injuries could kill this team's chances.  The defense is good, but also thin on talent at key positions.
4. Denver Broncos (1-5/6-11) : I predict QB problems for the Broncos, as injury-prone Teddy Bridgewater is the starter, followed by inconsistent and error-prone Drew Lock.  The receivers are capable but need a decent quarterback throwing to them.  The running corps is good, and the offense may lean on those guys.

 

NFL 2021 Preview - NFC

 It's time for me to shift my crystal ball to the NFL, and determine just how good my powers of precognition are for the pros.  As always, I will break it down by division, starting with the one closest to me.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2/8-9) : With one more regular season game, injuries become more of a concern.  The Eagles provided QB Jalen Hurts with two capable backups in case he goes down.  Most of the rest of the offense is equally stocked, except they are thin on experienced wide receivers.  That might hurt them as the season progresses.
2. Dallas Cowboys (4-2/8-9) : The offense is more of a concern here.  The Boys need Dak Prescott to remain healthy, and some new offensive linemen make that a question.  They also have new receivers, so it will take Prescott some time to get in synch with them.  This team, if injuries do not derail them, should improve as the season progresses.
3. New York Giants (3-3/8-9) : I think everyone in the organization, and all of their fans, are hoping for more consistency from both starting QB Daniel Jones and his backup Mike Glennon. Glennon looked good in preseason, but he made some serious mistakes, too.  Will he need to play?  Maybe not, as they Giants have improved their offensive line (of course, given how lousy it has been the past few years, they could only go up!).  The defense needs some shoring up, so getting outscored is a likely scenario.
4. Washington (1-5/2-15) : Since they utterly refuse to name themselves, I won't name them (I had enough fun with meaningless names last season).  NFL Journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting QB, and he has an interesting backup in Taylor Heinicke.  However, does this team has the receiving corps to help these quarterbacks?  The jury is still out on that question.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (4-2/11-6) : Injuries have frequently been a concern for this team, but they have spent the past couple of off-seasons shoring up positions.  The left side of the offensive line is still thin, though, which could force Aaron Rodgers to run more.  The defensive secondary is also a bit slow, so Rodgers may find himself having to come from behind more often than he is used to doing.
2. Minnesota Vikings (4-2/9-8) : QB Kirk Cousins needs to stay upright and healthy, as inconsistent Kellen Monds is his backup.  That means the team has to watch the left side of the offensive line very carefully, as they have some weaknesses there, and few capable backups.  They are also thin in the wide receivers, so injuries could wipe out this team's season.
3. Chicago Bears (3-3/8-9) : Justin Fields looked good in preseason, but he needs to improve his consistency and his field sense.  That is more important because Andy Dalton seems to have lost zip on his throws, so it is likely that Fields will see more action as the season progresses.  Clearly Nick Foles is just there to tutor Justin Fields, as he is officially listed as the Number 4 QB (and there is NO third string QB listed!).  Fields might get in there sooner than expected, as the offensive line has some holes.
4. Detroit Lions (1-5/2-15) : QB Jared Goff has few really talented receivers to throw to, but young runners makes a run-based system questionable.  That will also be made difficult because the offensive line needs work, which could also result in Goff getting injured.  That just makes things worse, as the Lions don't really have a capable backup.

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Bucs (4-2/14-3) : The defending Super Bowl Champs look well-stocked to repeat as champions.  They are a strong team on all squads, including special teams.
2. New Orleans Saints (5-1/12-5) : The post-Brees era begins with a two-QB system, as both Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill are listed as starters.  Can a modern NFL team really work effectively with a two-QB system?  We shall see.  They have a great offense to support them, so that will at least help.
3. Atlanta Falcons (2-4/8-9) : QB Matt Ryan has Josh Rosen for backup, but a thin tight end corps puts more emphasis on the wide receivers.  The defensive line isn't great, so they may be having to come back from a points deficit for much of the season.
4. Carolina Panthers (1-5/3-14) : Jets washout Sam Darnold starts at quarterback, and the offensive line has some questions about protection.  Truthfully, their best offensive player is running back Christian McCaffrey, so they will be running often.

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks (5-1/9-8) : Russell Wilson has steady Geno Smith for backup, but a strong offensive line should keep Wilson in the game.  They have a good receiving corps, but their runners aren't quick.  The defensive has some issues at linebacker and on the line, so a quick-strike high-scoring offense seems in line.
2. San Francisco 49ers (4-2/9-8) : Garoppolo has a solid offensive line to protect him and a great batch of tight ends and runners to support him.  What is lacking are breakout wide receivers, making this a more short-yardage offense.  Their defense is good, but it's only the third best in the division.
3. Los Angeles Rams (2-4/6-11) : Matt Stafford has very little help around him, neither on the line nor in the backfield.  Despite a strong defense, this will be a long and hard season for the Rams.
4. Arizona Cardinals (1-5/5-12) : Kyler Murray and backup Colt McCoy have a great offense built around them.  If this team falters, it is clearly their fault.  However, not all losses may be their fault, as the defense is definitely lacking.