NCAA Football 2022 Week 10 picks

 Well, we're at the time of the season when most MAC games get played before Saturday, and provide us with college football nearly every day of the week.

Tues Nov1

Ball State Cardinals at Kent State Golden Flashes : Ball State is chasing Toledo for a division title.  Amazingly, they are doing that on a points deficit, having scored fewer points than their opponents.  Fortunately for them, the Flashes are in a deeper deficit.  BALL STATE by six

Buffalo Bulls at Ohio Bobcats : A win here puts Buffalo in a very favorable position to win the East division.  BUFFALO  by ten

Wed Nov2

Central Michigan Chippewas at Northern Illinois Huskies : It's the battle for the bottom of the West division.  Central Michigan has at least had some strong moments this season.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by 13

Western Michigan Broncos at Bowling Green Falcons : This might be the most one-sided MAC game of the week.  BOWLING GREEN by 17

Thurs Nov 3

Appalachian State Mountaineers at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : The Mountaineers are always dangerous, although they have lost some power this season.  Coastal Carolina is cruising, and are playing for a New Years Day bowl.  COASTAL CAROLINA by eight

Fri Nov 4

Duke Blue Devils at Boston College Eagles : The Blue Devils had an extra week to prepare for this game, not that they needed it.  DUKE by 20

Oregon State Beavers at #23 Washington Huskies : Washington spent last week watching some great plays by Pac-12 teams.  They want to capture some of that attention.  They certainly have the offense that can those highlights, so long as they don't get careless.  WASHINGTON by 13

Sat Nov 5

Top 25

#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Northwestern Wildcats : Whoa, this could be the most one-sided game of the week!  OHIO STATE by lots

#4 Tennessee Volunteers at #2 Georgia Bulldogs : I predicted the Vols upset of Alabama, but Georgia is another matter.  Tennessee certainly has the talent, but I'm not sure the Bulldogs defense will allow it.  This will be a close game, though.  GEORGIA by six

#3 Michigan Wolverines at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : While not as one-sided as the Northwestern game, this is also a game whose result is not in doubt.  MICHIGAN by 23

#5 Alabama Crimson Tide at #20 LSU Tigers : Both teams took a bye week to prepare for this game.  Alabama has not looked as strong or as consistent as we are used to, and LSU can play hard, but I don't think the Tide are ready to let another team knock them off.  ALABAMA by eight

Cal Golden Bears at #6 USC Trojans : No contest.  USC by 28

#7 Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish : The Irish are starting to find themselves again, but are they ready to face the dynamic Tigers?  I don't think so.  CLEMSON by 16

Texas Tech Red Raiders at #8 TCU Horned Frogs : TCU is clearly the power team in the Big XII.  TCU by 20

Michigan State Spartans at #9 Illinois Fighting Illni : The Spartans didn't have a chance BEFORE some of their players were suspended for the post-game brawl against Wolverines.  Without them, they are too thin to succeed against the stincgy Illini defense.  ILLINOIS by 23

#11 UCLA Bruins at Arizona State Sun Devils : The Sun Devils don't present much of a challenge these days.  UCLA by 23

#12 Oregon Ducks at Colorado Buffaloes : Another easy Pac-12 win.  OREGON by 26

#13 Penn State Nittany Lions at Indiana Hoosiers : The Lions want to bounce back from the tough Ohio State loss.  They'll get that chance.  PENN STATE by 23

Arizona Wildcats at #14 Utah Utes : Wow, the Pac-12 really scheduled a lot of one-sided game this week!  UTAH by 24

#18 Texas Longhorns at #15 Kansas State Wildcats : The Wildcats are coming off a record-setting shutout.  I think their minds will still be on that game, and miss some moves by the Longhorns.  TEXAS by four

#16 Syracuse Orange at Pittsburgh Panthers : The Orange get a chance to recover from the Irish win, but Pitt may not make it easy.  SYRACUSE by ten

#17 Minnesota Golden Gophers at Nebraska Cornhuskers : The Gophers really don't have a chance at a division title, but they still want to have a strong season.  They have the tools for it.  Nebraska has the talent, but they keep screwing up.  Minnesota will make them pay for any screwup.  MINNESOTA by 15

Navy Midshipmen at #19 Cincinnati Bearcats : The Bearcats will run Navy aground.  CINCY by 16

#21 North Carolina Tar Heels at Virginia Cavaliers : The Heels will grind Virginia into the dirt.  NORTH CAROLINA by 23

Auburn Tigers at #22 Mississippi State Bulldogs : The Tigers don't have the same bite they've had in previous years.  The Bulldogs should prevail here, although the Tigers defense may not make it easy.  MISSISSIPPI STATE by 11

#24 UCF Golden Knights at Memphis Tigers : Another Tiger team that has lost their bite.  UCF by 16

#25 Tulane Green Wave at Tulsa Golden Hurricane : Tulane will continue to thrive in a rare season.  TULANE by 15

Other Games of Interest

Baylor Bears at Oklahoma Sooners : Wow, this game could really go either way.  I often pick the home team in these situations, but somehow I think the Bears have a bit more power.  BAYLOR by six

Liberty Flames at Arkansas Razorbacks : The phenomenal season for the Flames continue as they burn the Hogs.  Pork, anyone?  LIBERTY by 13

BYU Cougars at Boise State Broncos : The Cougars don't travel far to play in Boise, but it'll still be along trip home after this game.  BOISE STATE by 17

Florida State Seminoles at Miami Hurricanes : This is an intense rivalry game, but this year all of the advantages go to the Seminoles.  FLORIDA STATE by 23

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at NC State Wolfpack : This game can also go either way, and I again am picking the visiting team.  It's timing this time, as the Deacons need a bright spot after last week's game.  WAKE FOREST

Colorado State Rams San Jose State Spartans : San Jose State is running through the Mountain West.  SAN JOSE STATE by 18

NCAA Football 2022 Week 9 results

 We had some more Top 25 upsets.  One result of those?  My Fighting Illini reach the Top Ten for the first time in over 20 years!

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (8-0) [1]

2.  Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) [2]

3.  Michigan Wolverines (8-0) [3]

4.  Tennessee Volunteers (8-0) [4]

5.  Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) [5]

6.  USC Trojans (7-1) [6]

7.  Clemson Tigers (8-0) [7]

8.  TCU Horned Frogs (9-0) [8]

9.  Illinois Fighting Illini (7-1) [11]

10. Ole Miss Revels (8-1) [13]

11. UCLA Bruins (7-1) [15]

12. Oregon Ducks (8-1) [16]

13. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-2) [9] : They started off fine against the Buckeyes, but got worn down in the fourth quarter

14. Utah Utes (6-2) [14]

15. Kansas State Wildcats (6-2) [NR] : They engineered one of the biggest shutout blowouts in Big XII history!

16. Syracuse Orange (6-2) [10] : They were rolled by a revitalized Irish team

17. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3) [21] : They got back on treack with a strong win

18. Texas Longhorns (5-3) [18]

19. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-2) [19]

20. LSU Tigers (6-2) [20]

21. North Carolina Tar Heels (7-1) [28]

22. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-3) [22]

23. Washington Huskies (6-2) [23]

24. UCF Golden Knights (6-2) [NR]

25. Tulane Green Wave (7-1) [25]

On the Cusp: Maryland Terrapins (6-2), Liberty Flames (7-1), Boise State Broncos (6-2), Duke BLue Devils (5-3), Florida State Seminoles (5-3), Oklahoma Sooners (5-3), Baylor Bears (5-3), San Jose State Spartans (5-2)

Dropped off: Oklahoma State Cowboys [#12], Wake Forest Demon Deacons [#17], Kentucky Wildcats [#24]

Upsets and Surprises

The biggest upset was also the biggest blowout of the week -- Kansas State's demolition of Oklahoma State.  Louisville also manhandled Wake Forest to drop them from the rankings.  UCF squeaked past Cincinnati to return to the Tip 25.  

The Top 25 2wasn't the only source of upsets.  Charlotte, who had struggled all season, upended Rice.  Georgia State, who has languished near the bottom of the Sun Belt Conference, blew away Old Dominion,.

Big Ten Report

Ohio State and Michigan continued their winning ways, and have basically made it a two-way battle for the East title.  With four conference games still to play, it is still MATHEMATICALLY possible for either Penn State or Maryland to capture the title, I think we all realize that it isn't happening. 

On the other end of the division, both Indiana and Michigan State are struggling to be bowl eligible.  They both have to face Penn State and another ranked team (Ohio State for Indiana, Illinois for Michigan State), so it doesn't look likely.

Illinois has taken a strong lead in the West division, and beating Purdue will probably seal the deal.  It looks like Michigan is their only likely loss coming up, giving them a 10-2 record going into the Big Ten Championship Game.  Everyone has a MATHEMATICAL chance of competing for the title, only Purude has a serious chance, and they need to upset Illinois in two weeks to do it.

Northwestern, with only one win this season, will not be bowl eligible.

MAC Attack

Buffalo holds a one-game lead in the East, and a win over Ohio this week gives them tiebreaker credit over both of the other contenders.  Akron has lost bowl eligibility, and that fate seems destined for Kent State and Miami Ohio as well.

Toledo leads the West division, but it's a bit less comfortable than Buffalo's situation.  They still have to play all three of the other contenders, so they need to run the gamut to really seal the deal.  The Rockets don't have it easy.  Neither do Central Michigan and Northern Illinois, both of whom face bowl elimination this week.

NFL 2022 Week 8 picks

 I was a little better last week, but I'm having trouble nailing down some teams this season.  Let's see if I start to clear the picture on my crustal ball.

Thursday night

Ba;timore Ravens at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs offense is stumbling, as Tom Brady tries to work with a slew of new and inexperienced receivers.  The stiff Ravens defense won't make that process any easier.  RAVENS, 20-13

Sunday morning

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Broncos offense is still inconsistent.  The Jags offense is working, but their defense needs work.  Will their defense be porous enough for Denver to succeed, or will the Jags outscore them?  JAGS, 23-13

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings : The Cards have a decent defense, but I don't think it can stop the dynamic Vikings offense.  Worse, their offense is not working cleanly, and the Vikings defense can force offensive errors that lead to penalties.  VIKINGS, 27-13

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons : The Falcons offense is inconsistent, but when they face a weak defense, they really shine.  The Panthers defense fits that description.  FALCONS, 20-10

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys : The Bears pulled off an amazing upset on Monday night, but I don't expect another one here.  The Cowboys offense is rolling, and they rarely make mistakes.  The Bears thrived off Patriot errors, but they won't get those here.  COWBOYS, 24-16

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints : this is a game the Raiders certainly should win, but they have not come out in favorable situations this season. SAINTS, 16-13

Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions : The Lions can be somewaht competitive, but they can't finish games.  As Miami proved this past week, they can.  DOLPHINS, 23-13

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles : A change of quarterback created a change of luck for the Steelers, and their defense kept them alive.  However, once the Dolphins defense figured out the tendencies of Pickett, they held them back.  The Eagles will be able to do the same thing.  EAGLES, 31-16

Sunday late games

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks : Seattle can be tough at home, but can they slow down the powerful Giants offense?  GIANTS, 23-20

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams : Games between these two rivals are always unpredictable.  The 49ers have a strong offense, but that Rams defense could stymie them.  Who wins this one?  I think a dropped pass will prevent a Rams comeback.  49ERS, 24-20

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans : Houston might have the worst team of the league.  TITANS, 20-10

Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts : The Commanders offense has had ups and downs, but Taylor Heinicke is bringing a bit of stability to it.  Is he ready to face the Colts, though?  COLTS, 20-16

Sunday night

Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills : Aaron Rodgers may think that playing in Buffalo is exactly where the Pack should be.  Not the way they're playing.  The Bills offense will roll right over them, and the new receivers Rodgers has will not allow them to catch up from a large deficit.  BILLS, 31-13

Monday Night Football

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns : In a division known for their stiff defenses, the Bengals have a dynamic offense.  Will the Browns be able to slow that down?  I don't think so.  BENGALS, 27-16

NFL 2022 Week 7 results

 Some upsets threw the Power Rankings into a mess, but some strong teams are definitely emerging, even if some of them were not the teams I expected.

Power Rankings [Last week's ranking]

1.  BUFFALO BILLS (5-1)[1]

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) [2]

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) [4]

4.  Minnesota Vikings (5-1) [3]

5.  New York Giants (6-1) [5]

6.  Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) [8]

7.  New York Jets (5-2) [9]

8.  Dallas Cowboys (5-2) [10]

9.  Baltimore Ravens (4-3) [12]

10. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) [6]

11. New England Patriots (3-4) [7]

12. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) [NR]

13. Miami Dolphins (4-3) [NR]

14. Tennessee Titans (4-2) [NR]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's ranking]

1.  AFC East [1] :  EVERY SINGLE team is in the top half of the league

2.  NFC East [2] : Even Washington won this week.  This is a tough division.

3.  AFC West [3]

4.  AFC North [4]

5.  NFC West [7]

6.  AFC South [6]

7.  NFC South [5]

8.  NFC North [8] : Green Bay has collapsed, but the Bears may be on an upswing

NCAA Football 2022 Week 9 picks

 A slightly better week last week, but I'm still below normal in my predictions.  Let's see if this week can make up some ground.

Thurs Oct 27

Virginia Tech Hokies at NC State Wolfpack : As Halloween approaches, it's time for the woves to prowl.  NC STATE by 20

#14 Utah Utes at Washington State Cougars : The Cougars can be tough, but the Utes are proving to be a tough team this season.  UTAH by 13

Fri Oct 28

East Carolina Pirates at BYU Cougars : The Cougars fell to the Flames last week, so they want to bounce back.  The Pirates have found their defense again, so it may not be an easy task.  BYU by five

Sat Oct 29

Top 25

#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at #9 Penn State Nittany Lions : Welcome back to the Top Ten, Lions.  Too bad it won't last.  The Buckeyes are the toughest second half team in college football.  Even if the Lions prepare for the Buckeyes, and might keep it close going into the half, Ohio State will take command in the third.  OHIO STATE by 24

Florida Gators at #2 Georgia Bulldogs : The Gators come to Georgia, but Uga likes gator meat.  GEORGIA by 23

Michigan State Spartans at #3 Michigan Wolverines : This in-state rivalry can often be close, but I don't think we'll see that this year.  The Spartans offense is sputtering, and the Wolverine defense won't make it any easier.  MICHIGAN by 26

#24 Kentucky Wildcats at #4 Tennessee Volunteers : This is also an intense rivalry, and the Vols are powerful this year.  I think this will be an offensive showcase, which gives Tennessee the edge.  TENN by 13

#6 USC Trojans at Arizona Wildcats : The Wildcats are teme this seaosn.  USC by 27

#8 TCU Horned Frogs at West Virginia Mountaineers : The best team in the Big XII face the worst.  Er, do I really need to pick this one?  TCU by lots

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #10 Syracuse Orange : It isn't often that Syracuse is favored against the Irish.  The Orange will rejoice in that, and rejoice in the resulting victory.  SYRACUSE by 16

#11 Illinois Fighting Illini at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska has a decent offense, but that tight Illini defense will cause turnovers and penalties, problems already plaguing the Huskers.  ILLINOIS by 20

#12 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas State Wildcats : Kansas State is in the midst of some tough competition on their schedule, and that is where they often falter each year.  This year will be another example.  OKLAHOMA STATE by 18

#13 Ole Miss Rebels at Texas A&M Aggies : The Aggies aren't really much of a threat this season.  OLE MISS by 24

Stanford Cardinal at #15 UCLA Bruins : The Bruins need to bounce back from last week's loss.  Here's a good way.  UCLA by 20

#16 Oregon Ducks at Cal Golden Bears : Okay, the Ducks may be the hottest team in the conference right now.  OREGON by 24

#17 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Louisville Cardinals : Louisville looked hot last week, but Wake Forest has looked hot for most weeks.  WAKE FOREST by 16

#19 Cincinnati Bearcats at UCF Golden Knights : UCF fell last week, and I foresee a two-game slide.  Cincy doens't win pretty, but they do find ways to win.  CINCY by 13

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #21 Minnesota Golden Gophers : Illini seems to have knocked Minnesota off their game.  They need a good win to recover.  Rutgers doesn't have much of a defense, which will give the Gophers offense a chance to sine.  MINNESOTA by 18

Big Ten

Northwestern Wildcats at Iowa Hawkeyes : The stingy Hawkeyes defense still exists.  We saw it during the first half of their game against Ohio State.  It's just that no team can hold back the Buckeyes offense for long.  On the other hand, the Wildcats offense is already having troubles.  Iowa's defense will shut them down.  IOWA by ten

MAC

Toledo Rockets at Eastern Michigan Eagles : Despite a strong victory last week, the Eagles aren't ready to threaten the Rockets.  TOLEDO by 20

Miami Ohio RedHawks at Akron Zips : The Zips have none.  MIAMI OHIO by 16

Other Games of Interest

Oklahoma Sooners ar Iowa State Cyclones : The Cyclones are looking for their first conference victory, ans the Sooners suffered three straight losses before their bye.  Are the Sooners ripe for a fourth loss, securing the Cyclones first conference win?  Perhaps, but I think the bye week was a chance for Oklahoma to right themselves.  OKLAHOMA by 21

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Florida State Seminoles : The Yellow Jackets have a decent defense, but they don't have much to offer on the other side of the ball.  Florida State has both a working offense and working defense.  FLORIDA STATE by 16

NCAA Football 2022 Week 8 results

 Not much changed in the top of the Top 25, but the rankings themselves saw lots of change.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (7-0) [1]

2.  Georgia Bulldogs (7-0) [2]

3.  Michigan Wolverines (7-0) [3]

4.  Tennessee Volunteers (7-0) [4]

5.  Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [5]

6.  USC Trojans (6-1) [6]

7.  Clemson Tigers (8-0) [7]

8.  TCU horned Frogs (8-0) [10]

9.  Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) [13] : Huge win leading into your hosting of the Buckeyes

10. Syracuse Orange (6-1) [9] : They led for much of that game, and played very well

11. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) [12]

12. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) [15]

13. Ole Miss Rebels (7-1) [8] : LSU embarrassed them

14. Utah Utes (5-2) [14]

15. UCLA Bruins (6-1) [11]

16. Oregon Ducks (7-1) [21] : They beat UCLA handily and proved that they have recovered from their embarrassing Week 0 beatdown

17. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1) [19]

18. Texas Longhorns (5-3) [16] Played Oklahoma State tough

19. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1) [20]

20. LSU Tigers (6-2) [NR]

21. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3) [18] : Another tough loss

22. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-3) [17]

23. Washington Huskies (6-2) [23]

24. Kentucky Wildcats (5-2) [24]

25. Tulane Green Wave (7-1) [27]

On the Cusp: Maryland Terrapins (6-2), Librerty Flames (7-1), North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1), Duke Blue Devils (5-3), Florida State Seminoles (4-3), Oklahoma Sooners (4-3)

Dropped off: Kansas State Wildcats [#22], UCF Golden Knights [#25]

Upsets and Surprises

there weren't too many upsets this week, but many affected the rankings, or teams just outside the rankings.  Ole Miss was clobbered by LSU, ruining their perfect season and dropping them in the rankings.  UCF lost their ranking after a loss to East Carolina.  James Madison lost any chance at the rankings by losing to Marshall

Big Ten Report

 Many key teams had a bye this week, but Ohio State continued their dominance.  Penn State bounced back, and Rutgers found their offense.  So did Wisconsin in a winning effort, and Northwestern found theirs, even in a loss.  Indiana is out of contention, but Maryland continues to hang below the three leaders in the East.  Purdue failed to gain a lead in the West by losing to Wisconsin, so Illinois continues to lead.  Purdue is second, and Nebraska is third.  Both of these teams still need to play Illinois, so the Illini really control their own destiny in this division.

MAC Attack

Buffalo came from way back to beat Toledo.  Despite that, the Rockets still lead their division.  Both Eastern and Western Michigan won, causing a massive jam for second place in the division. Ohio and Bowling Green trail Buffalo, but after this week's performance, they seem a solid lock to win the division.

  

Big Ten focus #7 - Indiana

 This week I examine Indiana University.  They were not a founding member of the conference, joining with Iowa in 1899.  Indiana is of course better known as a basketball power; in fact, has the best record among all member schools in basketball.  As a football team, they are not a "power".  They have the worst bowl record of all Big Ten teams (23%) and has won the conference only twice: an outright title in 1945 and a share with Minnesota and Purdue in 1967.

Their current football stadium, Memorial Stadium, is actually the second facility to have that name on their campus.  The first Memorial Stadium was established in 1925.  It featured some of the better years of the Hoosiers football history, but was confined in its location and could not be expanded when college football was gaining popularity in the 1960s.  Thus, a secondary stadium on the campus was expanded and became the new Memorial Stadium.  The old stadium served one final purpose before it was demolished in 1981 -- serving as the site for the bicycle racing scenes in the film Breaking Away.

Indiana did not produce too many players who make significant impact in the pros, but there are a few.  Most played in the late 1940s and 1950s, but the more modern age has seen some prominent Hoosiers.  Dominant defender Adewale Ogunleye was a Hooier, as was long-time All-Pro guard Kris Dielman.  Journeyman QB Trent Green was a two-year starter for the Hoosiers, and former Hoosier QB Antwaan Randle-El was a key player for the Pittsburgh Steelers when he switched to wide receiver.

For ESPN fans, perhaps the greatest legacy of Indiana is the tenure of their own Coach Lee Corso, who coached the Hoosiers from 1973 through 1982.  Corso did not find the same level of success he had as Louisville's head coach, but he did lead the Hoosiers to a winning season in 1979.  They played unbeaten BYU in the Holiday Bowl and pulled off the surprise upset, destroying the Cougars chances for a national championship and propelling the Hoosiers to their first AP Top 25 ranking since 1967.

Ironically, another iconic coach took over the Hoosiers right after Lee Corso.  In 1983, Indiana was coached by a person who came from an assistant coaching position under San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh.  Sam Wyche only coached the Hoosiers that one year, as he jumped ship when he was offered the head coaching position for the Cincinnati Bengals, who he successfully coached for eight years, taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1989.

NFL 2022 Week 7 picks

 Two poor weeks in a row.  I hope I'm not losing my touch.

Thursday night

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals : Neither team is setting the world on fire.  The Cardinals lean heavily on their defense, and that hasn't been consistently showing up.  The Saints offense is lacking rhythm, but they've come up with some clever trick plays that have kept them in games.  Those trick plays may confuse the struggling Cardinals defense.  SAINTS, 24-20

Sunday early games

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals : Marcus Mariota is starting to connect with the Falcons, and the team is improving.  The Bengals already have a smooth running offense, though, and their defense is stronger than the Falcons.  BENGALS, 20-17

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens : It's time for one of the "old Browns v new Browns" games.  In the past, those have usually favored the Ravens.  I thought this year would be different, but the Browns have faded after an early run of success.  RAVENS, 16-13

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys : Dak Prescott will be out at least one more week, but they won't need him to overwhelm the Lions.  COWBOYS, 24-17

Green Bay Packers at Washington Commanders : The Packers stumbled again, looking as bad as they did in the first week.  They bounced back from that, and I think they will again.  PACK, 20-16

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans : Both teams started the season poorly, but have improved.  The Colts are really on fire right now, and that momentum should propel them to another victory.  COLTS, 23-17

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Colts have improved from a poor start, while the Jags are falling after a strong start.  The Giants are running their offense through Saquon Barkley.  That has not often worked in previous years, but they seem to figured out the best ways to use him now.  GIANTS, 23-16

Tampa Bay Bucs at Carolina Panthers :The Bucs haven't b een consistent, but they've been better than the Pantehrs.  BUCS, 34-17

Sunday late games

Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders : Neither team has done well this season.  This game may come down to which team plays less poorly.  Given how strange things cna happen in Vegas, I'll favor the home team.  RAIDERS, 17-13

Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers : Idon't think the 49ers defense is good enough to stop the Chiefs.  CHIEFS, 39029

New York Hets at Denver Broncos : The Jets are playing very impressively, while the Broncos are still finding themselves.  JETS, 24-16

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers : The Seahawks often struggle on the road, and the Chargers defense won't make it any easier.  CHARGERS, 20-16

Sunday night

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miamii  Dolphins : Despite this past week, the Steelers offense is still struggling, while Miami can generate offense quickly.  DOLPHINS, 24-16

Monday Night Football

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots : Not only are the Patriots playing well, but the Bears rather play well on Monday Night.  They don't have a chance!  PATRIOTS, 24-13

NFL 2022 Week 6 results

 We really shook up the Power Rankings this week!

Power Rankings [Last week's ranking]

1.  BUFFALO BILLS (5-1) [1]

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) [2]

3.  Minnesota Vikings (5-1) [8]

4.  Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) [3]

5.  New York Giants (5-1) [9]

6.  San Francisco 49ers (3-3) [4]

7.  New England Patriots (3-3) [14]

8.  Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) [NR]

9.  New York Jets (4-2) [11]

10. Dallas Cowboys (4-2) [5]

11. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-3) [7]

12. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) [6]

13. Atlanta Falcons (3-3) [NR]

14. Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1) [NR]

Divisional Rankings [Lat week's rank]

1.  AFC East [1]

2.  NFC East [2]

3.  AFC West [3]

4.  AFC North [4]

5.  NFC South [5]

6. AFC South [7]

7.  NFC West [8]

8. NFC North [6]

NCAA Football 2022 Week 8 picks

 I had another tough week last week,but I refuse to question my process.  I did, after all, call the Tennessee victory.

Wed Oct 19

Georgia State Panthers at Appalachian State Mountaineers : The Mountaineers have not had a good season so far, but this is an excellent game to help get them back on track.  APPALACHIAN STATE by ten

Thus Oct 20

Virginia Cavaliers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : The Yellow Jackets struggle on offense, but they have a stiff defense.  Another stiff defense gave Virginia fits earlier this season (I am referring, of course, to Illinois), so Tech stands a good chance to win this game.  GEORGIA TECH by 12

Fri Oct 21

Tulane Green Wave at Temple Owls : Easy pick.  TULANE by 18

Sat Oct 22

Top 25

Iowa Hawkeyes at #1 Ohio State Buckeyes : The Hawkeyes defense will make things a bit tough for the Buckeyes offense in the first half, but this team adjusts well at halftime.  The Buckeyes defense may keep Iowa practically scoreless.  OHIO STATE by 28

UT Martin Skyhawks at #4 Tennessee Volunteers : Very one-sided game.  TENN by lots

#17 Mississippi State Bulldogs at #5 Alabama Crimson Tide : Alabama rarely loses two games in a row, so I'm picking them just for that reason.  The Bulldogs might make it tough for them, though.  ALABAMA by eight

#9 Syracuse Orange at #7 Clemson Tigers : Syracuse is playing well, but Clemson is more used to these type of hyped battles.  CLEMSON by six

#8 Ole Miss Rebels at LSU Tigers : The Tigers defense will slow down Ole Miss, but unless the Rebs get sloppy and provide a couple of turnovers for LSU to exploit, Miss should still win.  OLE MISS by eleven

#22 Kansas State Wildcats at #10 TCU Horned Frogs : The Frogs are the quality team of the Big XII.  TCU by 13

#11 UCLA Bruins at #21 Oregon Ducks : Oregon can score a lot of points, but their defense gets scored upon, too.  This will be a high-scoring game, and I think the Bruins defense may cause a couple of costly turnovers.  UCLA by six

#18 Minnesota Golden Gophers at #13 Penn State Nittany Lions : Both teams lost last week, so who will bounce back better>  Both teams have good players, but Penn State has been playing together a bit longer.  PENN STATE by ten

#16 Texas Longhorns at #15 Oklahoma State Cowboys : Both of these teams have strong teams.  Texas has been a bit sporadic, sometimes being highly impressive and sometimes looking anemic. If Texas calms down, they can win this game.  I favor the Cowboys consistency, however.  OKLAHOMA STATE by four

Boston College Eagles at #19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons : Wake rested last week, so they'll be ready to explode.  WAKE FOREST by 23

#20 Cincinnati Bearcats at SMU Mustangs : SMU can be a tough team to beat at home, but Cincy has the tools to get the job done.  CINCINNATI by ten

#23 Washington Huskies at Cal Golden Bears : Washington has struggled a bit, and Cal is a very opportunisitic team, but the Huskies should seal the deal.  WASHINGTON by 13

#25 UCF Golden Knights at East Carolina Pirates : The Pirates are finding their defense again, but I don't think it'll be enough.  UCF by 20

Big Ten

Indiana Hoosiers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : After this game, Rutgers will remain the only Big Ten team without a conference win.  INDIANA by 16

Purdue Boilermakers at Wisconsin Badgers : The Boilermakers are in a unique position.  With Illinois in a bye, Purdue can take sole possession of the division lead if they win.  They have a fierce offense, but their defense is lacking.  That gives Wisconsin a chance to ge their offense going, which is always dangerous.  This game will change leads several times, and could come down to which team finishes with the ball.  PURDUE by three

Northwestern Wildcats at Maryland Terrapins : Northwestern is just pathetic this season.  MARYLAND by 20

MAC

Toledo Rockets at Buffalo Bulls : This is likely a prefiew of the conference championship game.  Buffalo has been strong in conference games, but Toledo has looked good for most of the season.  I'll give them an edge, but either team could win this game.  TOLEDO by five

Bowling Green Falcons at Central Michigan Chippewas : Despite a decent start to the season, the Chippewas are fading.  The Falcons have momentum.  BOWLING GREEN by eight

Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ball State Cardinals : After a rough start, the Cardinals have really found their groove.  BALL STATE by 13

Northern Illinois Huskies at Ohio Bobcats : The Huskies have simply collapsed this season.  OHIO by 11

Western Michigan Broncos at Miami Ohio RedHawks : The Broncos just cna't seem to get on track.  If they come together for this game, they can win, but I think they'll need the friendly confines of their home field to do that.  MIAMI OHIO by six

Other Games of Interest

Kansas Jayhakws at  Byalor Bears : Both of these teams suffered tough losses last week.  Baylor is certainly more used to overcoming such adversity, but the Jayhawks are in the midst of a charmed season.  I'm not sure the magic is completely gone yet.  KANSAS by four

Duke Blue Devils at Miami Hurricanes : Duke has lost two games in a row, so they are hungry for a win.  Miami can be a thorn to teams, and their defense can be fierce.  But Miami's offense can't do much with the ball after they get it.  DUKE by nine

BYU Cougars at Liberty Flames : The Flames are red hot!  BYU stumbles, and I'm not sure how much they will prepare for this team.  LIBERTY by eight

Marshall Thundering Herd at James Madison Dukes : The Dukes are no longer unbeaten, but they are still marching through their first full FBS season.  JAMES MADISON by 13

NCAA Football 2022 Week 7 results

 Some shuffling in the Top Ten.

Top 25 [ Last week's position]

1.  OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (6-0) [1]

2.  Georgia Bulldogs (7-0) [3]

3.  Michigan Wolverines (7-0) [4] : They just utterly manhandled Penn State

4.  Tennessee Volunteers (6-0) [5] : Great win over Bama!

5.  Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1) [2]

6.  USC Trojans (6-1) [6] 

7.  Clemson Tigers (7-0) [8]

8.  Ole Miss Rebels (7-0) [9]

9.  Syracuse Orange (6-0) [10]

10. TCU Horned Frogs (7-0) [12]

11. UCLA Bruins (6-0) [11]

12. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) [16] : Dominant win over the Gophers

13. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1) [7]

14. Utah Utes (5-2) [18] : Big win over the Trojans

15. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) [13]

16. Texas Longhorns (5-2) [17]

17. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2) [14]

18. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2) [15]

19. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1) [20]

20. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1) [21]

21. Oregon Ducks (6-1) [22]

22. Kansas State Wildcats (5-1) [23]

23. Washington Huskies (5-2) [24]

24. Kentucky Wildcats (5-2) [NR]

25. UCF Golden Knights (5-1) [NR]

On the Cusp: Maryland Terrapins (5-2), Tulane Green Wave (6-1), North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1), Liberty Flames (6-1), Duke Blue Devils (4-3), Florida State Seminoles (4-3), Oklahoma Sooners (4-3)

Dropped off: Kansas [#19], NC State Wolfpack [#25]

Upsets and Surprises

 The biggest upset was Kentucky's victory over ranked Mississippi State.  Two other upsets knocked down teams who were knocking on the door of the Top 25:  Baylor and James Madison.  Hawaii also pulled off an upset over visiting Nevada.

Big Ten Report

Both Penn State and Minnesota were made to look weak by the strong defenses of their opponents.  On the other hand, both Purdue and Nebraska showed their don't have much of a defense.  The Spartans upset the Badgers to halt a four-game losing streak.That leaves Rutgers as the only team without a conference win, while the Badgers have fallen to the bottom of the West division.

MAC Attack

Buffalo continues to establish themselves as the East division leader, although both Ohio and Bowling Green pulled off surprise wins to keep pace with the Bulls.  Central Michigan and Western Michigan have fallen in the West, as Ball State pursues Toledo for the division title.

14.

NFL 2022 Week 6 picks

 The start of last week was rough, but it ended well.  Hopefully I can start this one strongly.

Thursday night

Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears : Chicago has slipped since starting off strongly, but their defense is still fierce, and intimidation is a major factor.  that sort of intimidation will throw off Commanders QB Carson Wentz.  BEARS, 17-13

Sunday early games

Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants : The Giants have started strongly, but they have yet to encounter a stiff defense like that of the Ravens.  RAVENS, 20-17

Cincinnati Bengals at New Orleans Saints : The Saints are starting to get back on track, but the Bengals are sneaky enough to get past the Saints defense.  BENGALS, 23-21

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts : The Jags are falling, and the Colts are rising.  That would seem to indicate the Colts have the advantage.  However, the Colts have a history of struggling in division games, so I'll give the Jags the edge.  JAGUARS, 23-20

Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins : The Dolphins are doing well, but the Vikings have a strong offense based on the ground, that wears down defenses.  That will hurt Miami.  VIKINGS, 27-23

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns : The Patriots are finding themselves again.  This will likely be a close game, as both teams are very similar.  The Browns tend to do well in close games, so I'll pick them.  BROWNS, 24-23

New York Jets at Green Bay Packers : The Jets have had a couple of good games, but the Packers will overwhelm them.  PACK, 27-13

San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons : Jimmy G has revitalized this team, while the Falcons are still looking for a spark.  49ERS, 26-16

Tampa Bay Bucs at Pittsburgh Steelers : Trubiksy has shown that he is not the QB Pittsburgh needs.  BUCS, 31-13

Sunday late games

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks : The Seahawks play very well at home, and the Cards are not doing well.  SEAHAWKS, 23-16

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs : Nobody has a hotter offense right now than Buffalo, so they can survive an offensive game.  Their defense will apply just enough pressure to Patrick Mahomes to solidify the lead.  BILLS, 34-27

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams : The defending Super Bowl Champs have struggled, but they are starting to right themselves.  With Carolina, you never know what type of team is taking the field.  RAMS, 20-16

Sunday night

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles : The Eagles have the hottest offense in the NFC, and the Cowboys won't be able to keep up.  EAGLES, 31-23

Monday Night Football

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers : Monday Night brings us an interesting game.  Two teams with potentially strong but functionally struggling offenses step into the national spotlight.  If both offenses sputter, it's up to the defenses to make plays.  That sounds like the potential for a Chargers forced turnover.  CHARGERS, 16-13

NFL 2022 Week 5 results

 A tough week.  All teams have now won at least one game, only the Eagles remain unbeaten, and we have only five teams with a 4-1 record.  Strange year.

Power Rankings [Last week's ranking]

1.  BUFFALO BILLS    (4-1) [2] : A huge one-sided victory returns them to the top

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) [1]

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) [3]

4.  San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [5]

5.  Dallas Cowboys (4-1)  [9]

6.  Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [7]

7.  Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2) [8]

8.  Minnesota Vikings (4-1) [11] : The Vikings lead the division

9.  New York Giants (4-1) [12]

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [4] : Three consecutive losses, though all close, is restoring the Jags to normal.  They are still dangerous, though.

11. New York Jets (2-3) [NR] : One the other hand, two strong consecutive wins brings up the Jets

12. New Orleans Saints (2-3) [NR]

13. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [6]

14. New England Patriots (2-3) [NR]

Division Rankings [Last week's ranking]

 1.  AFC East [5]

2.  NFC East [1]

3.  AFC West [4]

4.  AFC North [3]

5.  NFC South [7]

6.  NFC North [2]

7.   AFC South [8]

8.  NFC West [6]

 

Big Ten Focus #6 - Iowa

 Quick, what Big Ten team had the best overall record for the years 1981-1990?  Michigan?  Ohio State? Wisconsin?  Nope, it was Iowa.  The picture of consistency, they had only one losing record in that ten-year period, was nationally ranked eight times, and won at least a share of the conference title three times.

Iowa was not a founding member of the conference.  They and Indiana joined in 1898, two years after the creation of the conference.  It only took two years for them to win their first conference title, sharing it with Minnesota in 1900,  They won their first outright title in 1920.  In total, they have won at least a share of the conference title eleven times, four of those outright, making them the sixth most proficient conference winner.  

Iowa has the ignoble distinction of being the first team to be expelled by the conference.  It happened in 1929, when rumors of player payouts spawned concern among the member schools.  The suspected students were expelled, several coaches and athletic department officials were fired, and the conference committee re-admitted them the following year.

Iowa has had only seven head coaches who were there more than five years.  All five of those amassed records greater than .500, and those coaches account for eight of their 11 conference titles.  Their longest-tenure coach is their current coach, former Marist Red Wolves coach Kirk Ferentz.  He surpassed hos predecessor, previous longest-tenured coach Hayden Fry, in 2020.  Although Ferenctz has experienced much success, he has not yet surpassed the number of conference titles achieved by his predecessor.  Hayden Fry earned three conference titles, the same number of Forest Evashevski in the 1950s and 1960s, while Ferentz has only mustered two (2002 and 2004).

The Hawkeyes play in Kinnick Stadium, named after their only Heisman Trophy winner, Nile Kinnick.  Kinnick won the award in 1939.  The stadium actually opened in 1929, and wasn't renamed in Kinnick's honor until 1972.  Previously it was just called Iowa Stadium.  

For the last five years, fans attending games at Kinnick Stadium have engaged in what has been called the greatest humanitarian gesture of any college football game.  In February 2017, a new children's hospital was built across the street from Kinnick Stadium.  The top 12 floors have windows with an unobstructed view of the stadium's field.  To take advantage of the viewpoint, the top floor of the Children's Hospital has the Press Box Cafe, an eatery with tables all along a 120-degree view of the field.  In July of that year, fan Krista Young suggested on her Facebook that it might be nice for fans to fave at the children in the hospital.  The idea was brought to the athletic department, who decided that it indeed might be a nice gesture.  On September 23, 2017, their first night game of the season, just after the conclusion of the first quarter, over 60,000 fans turned towards the hospital, turned on the lights of their cell phones, and waved at the children, their parents, and staff at the hospital.  Amazingly, even fans of their opponent, Penn State, joined in.  The following game, the band joined in by marching in a wave pattern on the field, and thus the tradition has been born.

Aside from Kinnick, there haven't been too many highly prominent Iowa football players, but they've had a few make tremendous impact in the pros, including Alex Karras, Chuck Long, Paul Krause, Andre Tippet, Ronnie Harmon, and Dallas Clark.

Big Ten Focus #5: Wisconsin

 This time I focus on the final founding conference member still playing college football (except Illinois, which I am saving for the end.  University of Chicago, the final founding member of the conference, no longer fields a football team) -- Wisconsin.

Wisconsin was the most successful school in the earliest years.  The Badgers won the first two conference titles, in 1896 and 1897.  They were successful before that, though.  The team started play in 1889, and the following year they registered what is still the largest margin of victory in Division IA football history -- a 106-0 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  Surprisingly, they suffered their worst loss in school THE VERY NEXT WEEK, losing to Minnesota 63-0.  That ignited what is the second longest football rivalry in college football, and the longest in Division IA, what is now called the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

Wisconsin won two more conference titles in the first ten years of the conference, then captured the 1912 title.  After that, it was forty years until their next title, a share of the 1952 title with Purdue.  Their next outright title was 1959.

The Badgers play in Camp Randall Stadium, which is the oldest continuous-use stadium in the conference.  Camp Randall hosted its first football game in 1895.  While it has been remodeled and expanded several times, the stadium's foundation and location has remained intact.

Camp Randall is the originating institution of one of the most popular "fan participation" traditions in college sports -- the "Jump Around".  It officially began at the Homecoming Game in 1998.  After a scoreless third quarter, with opponent Purdue starting to come back, an assistant coach had the idea to pipe the song through the stadium loudspeakers.  It was not a completely original idea.  The Wisconsin swim team had been playing the song over a CD "boom box" at games since 1992, but this was the first time it was officially played over the stadium sound system.  The song sparked the team to score twice in the fourth, sealing their sixth win of the season.  Since then, "Jump Around" has become the tradition between the third and fourth quarters at home games.

Despite their early success, and later conference titles in 1952, 1959, and 1962. Wisconsin had fallen to a "also ran" team by 1990.  Enter Barry Alvarez, a Wisconsin alum who replaced disappointing head coach Don Morton, who had gone a dismal 6-27 in three seasons.  Alvarez had been the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, and realized the importance of controlling the pace of the game.  He designed a ground-based time-consuming offense.  At first, it was not successful.  The team went 1-10 in his first season.  However, it began to take root.  The team improved steadily each season, until they cruised through their 1993 schedule to finish 10-2 and capture their first Big Ten title in thirty years.  Later Alvarez would capture the school's first consecutive titles since the first two, winning a share of both the 1998 and 1999 titles.  Alvarez quit coaching and became the Athletic Director in 2005.  He finished as the team's longest-tenured coach and most successful coach, winning over 71% of his games.

Bret Bielema followed Barry Alvarez.  In his first season, the Badgers went 11-1, but lost the conference title to unbeaten Ohio State.  Bielema did lead the Badgers to three consecutive conference titles from 2010-2012.  Most significantly, the Badgers won the first ever Big Ten Championship Game in 2011, defeating Michigan State from the Legends division (at that time, the two divisions were called "Leaders" and "Legends").  Wisconsin won the second Big Ten Championship Game the following year.  That was their last conference title, despite winning the West division four times in the past eight years.  In fact, since the divisions were realigned into West and East, the East division has won every single conference title.

NCAA Football Week 7 picks

 Wed Oct 12

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Marshall Thundering Herd : The Herd marches on.  MARSHALL by ten

Thurs Oct 13

Baylor Bears at West Virginia Mountaineers : Baylor will dominate this game.  BAYLOR by 20

Temple Owls at UCF Golden Knights : UCF started the season slowly, but they are gaining speed.  UCF by 17

Fri Oct 14

Navy Midshipmen at SMU Mustangs : Navy seemed to find their feet last week.  Let's see if they can continue that.  NAVY by six

UTSA Roadrunners at Florida International Golden Panthers : This one won't be close.  UTSA by 23

Sat Oct 15

Top 25

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide at #5 Tennessee Volunteers : After their second near-loss, I've found the opponent that can beat Alabama.  The Tide haven't had to face fast-paced offenses yet, and that's what the Vols have.  I think Bama will fall too far behind to comeback in the fourth quarter.  TENN by six in an upset

Vanderbilt Commodores at #3 Georgia Bulldogs : No upset here.  GEORGIA by lots

#7 Penn State Nittany Lions at #4 Michigan Wolverines : Penn State took their bye week at the right time, so they had an extra week to prepare for this game.  That makes them more dangerous, but I think the Michigan D will throw off Sean Clifford enough.  MICHIGAN by four

#6 USC Trojans at #18 Utah Utes : Utah kept it close against UCLA, but USC is a different animal.  I think the Trojans will be too much for them.  USC by ten

#8 Clemson Tigers at Florida State Seminoles : Clemson depends upon big plays, while Florida State has a defense to limit those.  This could be an interesting game, but the Seminoles have a penalty problem.  CLEMSON by eight

Auburn Tigers at #9 Ole Miss Rebels : This should be a fairly easy win for the Rebs.  OLE MISS by 20

#25 NC State Wolfpack at #10 Syracuse Orange : Syracuse got an extra week to prepare, while the Wolfpack were pushed to exhaustion last week.  That could be the edge.  SYRACUSE by 12

#13 Oklahoma State Cowboys at #12 TCU Horned Frogs : Whoa, this should be quite a game!  Both teams won close battles last week.  Both teams have strong offenses who needed their defenses to win last week.  That situation could occur again.  When you have a "trading scores" game, the home team typically has the advantage.  TCU by three

#14 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kentucky Wildcats : The Wildcats are looking to return to the Top 25, but the Bulldogs are a mighty strong barrier.  Kentucky will fight hard, but the Bulldogs defense will prevent a late score.  MISSISSIPPI STATE by four

#15 Minnesota Golden Gophers at #16 Illinois Fighting Illini : Minnesota had an extra week to plan for the Illini defense.  Giving that time to the offense to create new plays will be a tough situation for the Illini.  At least they get QB Tommy Devito and playmaker Isiah Williams back.  I think Minnesota will take a lead into the locker room, but the Illini defense will stiffen in the second half.  ILLINOIS by two

Iowa State Cyclones at #17 Texas Longhorns : After what they did to Oklahoma, I think Texas will be favored in all of their remaining games.  However, that was a bitter rivalry, so we'll have to see how it translates.  For this game, however the outcome isn't in doubt.  TEXAS by 18

#19 Kansas Jayhawks at Oklahoma Sooners : Speaking of those aforementioned Sooners, they are in the midst of a three-game slide that just gets worse.  They have a winless conference record, and that is likely to continue.  KANSAS by 13

Arizona Wildcats at #24 Washington Huskies : Washington gets an easy game after their challenge from last week.  WASHINGTON by 22

Big Ten

Maryland Terrapins at Indiana Hoosiers : Indiana will make this a close game, but the Terrapins should right themselves after their tough loss last week.  MARYLAND by five

Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan State Spartans : Are the Spartans the worst team in the conference?  Wisconsin will want to make them look that way.  WISCONSIN by 18

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Purdue Boilermakers : Both teams had surprise wins last week, so which one will perpetuate it?  Nebraska makes too many mistakes, and Purdue will exploit that.  PURDUE by six

MAC

Central Michigan Chipewas at Akron Zips : Central Michigan has started the season in rather disappointing fashion, but they get a chance to really impress against perhaps the worst team in the conference.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by 18

Miami Ohio RedHawks at Bowling Green Falcons : The RedHawks are coming alive, and may threaten for the division title.  That's a bit much for the Falcons to take.  MIAMI OHIO by 13

Buffalo Bulls at UMass Minutemen : Big win for the Bulls.  BUFFALO by 24

UConn Huskies at Ball State Cardinals : UConn won big last week, but they won't here.  BALL STATE by 18

Northern Illinois Huskies at Eastern Michigan Eagles : The Huskies are the biggest disappointment this season, and the Eagles are the biggest surprise.  EASTERN MICHIGAN by 14

Kent State Golden Flashes at Toledo Rockets : The Rockets are flying high.  TOLEDO by 18

Ohio Bobcats at Western Michigan Broncos : Both teams have had their ups and downs this season.  At some point, Western Michigan has to find their footing.  Perhaps this is the week.  WESTERN MICHIGAN by six

Other Games of Interest

Old Dominion Monarchs at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : The Chaniticleers are a force this season, and Old Dominion will face the truth.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 20

Arkansas Razorbacks at BYU Cougars : The Cougars lost to Notre Dame last week, so they want a nice game to regain stride.  This one should do it, although Arkansas will not make it easy.  BYU by 17

Tulane Green Wave at South Florida Bulls : The Green Wave have quietly racked up some spectacular wins.  This will be another one.  TULANE by 16

North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils : These two basketball rivals face off on the football field.  Duke slipped from the Top 25 last week, and North Carolina wants their shot at the rankings.  I think they'll get it, as the Tar Heels are playing great ball.  NORTH CAROLINA by eight

San Jose State Spartans at Fresno State Bulldogs : I don't think anyone expected the Spartans to be the best team in the Mountain West, but that's what has happened.  They will show why they deserve that standing in this game with a strong offensive performance.  SAN JOSE STATE by 18

NCAA Football 2022 Week 6 results

 Alabama almost lost again.  That Number Two spot is looking shaky, but most of the Top 25 are solid, and remained in place.  It was one of the most stable weeks I've ever seen.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (6-0) [1]

2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) [2]

3.  Georgia Bulldogs (6-0) [3]

4.  Michigan Wolverines (6-0) [4]

5.  Tennessee Volunteers (5-0) [5]

6.  USC Trojans (6-0) [6]

7.  Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0) [7]

8.  Clemson Tigers (6-0) [8]

9.  Ole Miss Rebels (6-0) [9]

10. Syracuse Orange (5-0) [10]

11. UCLA Bruins (6-0) [11]

12. TCU Horned Frogs (6-0) [12]

13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0) [13] : They had a tough time, but they survived

14. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-1) [14]

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-1) [15]

16. Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1) [16]

17. Texas Longhorns (4-2) [20] : They shut out Oklahoma in the most one-sided Red River Rivalry game ever!

18. Utah Utes (4-2) [17]

19. Kansas Jayhawks (5-1) [19] : They almost beat TCU with a backup quarterback!  This team is for real.

20. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1) [26]

21. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1) [23]

22. Oregon Ducks (5-1) [NR]

23. Kansas State Wildcats (5-1) [25]

24. Washington Huskies (4-2) [18]

25. NC State Wolfpack (5-1) [29]

On the Cusp: Florida State Seminoles (4-2), UCF Golden Knights (4-1), Tulane Green Wave (5-1), North Carolina Tar Heels (5-1), San Jose State Spartans (4-1)

Dropped off: Maryland Terrapins [#21], Duke Blue Devils [#22], Kentucky Wildcats [#24]

Upsets and Surprises

Half of our upsets struck Top 25 teams.  All of them were lower in rank, but it was still a shock to the team and their fans.  Perhaps the biggest was the shock administered to Washington by Arizaon State, who led early and never fell behind.  South Carolina beat Kentucky in a similar fashion.  Georgia Tech required overtime to beat Duke.

There were other upsets.  Colorado State broke a losing streak against Nevada, Navy found firm ground and strategized a win, UConn had a strong win, and Texas State overturned the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Big Ten Report

The biggest shocks here were inter-divisional games, where West division teams beat East division teams.  Both Rutgers and Maryland fell to weaker teams from the other division.  The other games progressed as expected, although Illinois had a tougher time than I expected and Wisconsin had an easier time.  Illinois had to deal with injuries to two key offensive players, while Wisconsin simply looked like they used to.

The West division is getting a bit more clear, although the easy early schedule puts Nebraska higher than they will end up.  Three teams have 2-1 conference records, and Illinois leads those with the best overall record.  Purdue and Nebraska follow, although both are yet to face their toughest competition.  Illinois' only remaining challenges are Minnesota and Michigan.  The Illini could win this division (especially if they beat Minnesota) and vie for a New Years Day bowl.

MAC Attack

Buffalo has taken a two-game lead in the East, and looking very strong.  Ball State won again, and are chasing Toledo in the West.  It definitely looks like Northern Illinois is dead this season, and Central Michigan is starting well behind.

NFL 2022 Week 5 picks

 I took a hit last week by picking so many visiting teams.  Not making that mistake this week.

Thursday night

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos : The Colts are still floundering, while the Broncos have found some strength.  Their offense is still not consistent, but their defense should shut down the Colts.  BRONCOS, 20-13

Sunday morning

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers : The Giants have played well in London, but the Pack are really pouring it on since their loss to the Vikings.  PACKERS, 24-17

Sunday early games

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs offense is operating with a little confusion, but they get the job done.  Atlanta is not so consistent about that.  BUCS, 31-20

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings have some momentum.  They seem to need to fall behind a bit, but so far no team is more dangerous in the fourth quarter than the Vikings.  VIKINGS, 20-13

Detroit Lions at New England Patriots : The Pats are having trouble finidng themselves, and now they have a problem fielding a quarterback.  Not a good start to the season.  LIONS, 24-13

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Jags may be falling back to their old losing ways, but the Texans are REALLY struggling.  JAGS, 24-13

Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns : Two strong defenses make this a low-scoring affair.  In a game like this one, special teams may be the difference, which puts the edge on the side of the Browns.  BROWNS, 16-13

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets : The battles between these two teams are often intense.  The Jets are having some struggles, so it might not be as close as they often are, but it should have its fair share of excitement.  DOLPHINS, 27-13

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills : I wondered how long it would be until the Steelers benched Mitch Trubisky.  I can stop waiting.  BILLS, 34-16

Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints : The Saints offense is struggling, and the Seahawks often struggle away from home.  Neither team seems an obvious pick.  This one might go either way, and I think the Saints might be due.  SAINTS, 16-13

Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders : The Titans seemed to worked out their issues and are picking up steam.  That's mot good news to Washington.  TITANS, 22-16

Sunday late games

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams :Cooper Rush seems to have a good handle on the offense, so the Cowboys haven't lost a beat.  COWBOYS, 28-17

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals : The Eagles are really flying!  EAGLES, 27-17

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers : Jimmy G is really taking advantage of the injury to Trey Lange to convince the 49ers that he should be restored as starting QB.  I'm not sure if it will work, but his play is keeping the 49ers atop the NFC West.  49ERS, 24-10

Sunday night

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens : The Ravens offense can be up and down, but the defense is stiff.  The Bengals have often struggled against that defense, but they found some holes last season.  Can they repeat that?  I'm not so sure.  RAVENS, 20-17

Monday Night Football

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs : The Raiders are struggling, even on defense.  Not that many defenses can slow down the Chiefs anyway.  CHIEFS, 34-16

NFL 2022 Week 4 results

We had some upsets, and that is reflecting in the changes on the Power Rankings.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4-0) [1] : The only unbeaten team left

2.  Buffalo Bills (3-1) [3]

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) [7] : Another huge win

4.  Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) [4] : Second loss in a row.  Are they falling back to normal?

5. San Francisco 49ers (2-2) [12] : Powerful divisional win

6.  Miami Dolphins (3-1) [2]

7.  Baltimore Ravens (2-2) [5]

8.  Tampa Bay Bucs (2-2) [6]

9.  Dallas Cowboys (3-1) [15]

10. Green Bay Packers (3-1) [10]

11. Minnesota Vikings (3-1) [11]

12. Mew York Giants (3-1) [14]

13. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) [13]

14. Cleveland Browns (2-2) [8]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC East [4]

2.  NFC North [1]

3.  AFC North [2]

4.  AFC West [6]

5.  AFC East [3]

6.  NFC West [8]

8.  AFC West [7]

Big Ten Focus #4 : Michigan

The previous focus was on Minnesota, so this time I focus on the opposing team in one o fthe oldest rivalries in college football -- the Battle of the Little Brown Jug.  That would be the University of Michigan.

Like Minnesota, Michigan was one of the seven founding member institutions of the Big Ten.  They found early success, winning or sharing six of the first ten conference titles.  They have been the most prolific conference leader, winning outright or sharing a part of 43 conference titles, including last year's.  Michigan also played in the very first Rose Bowl game.

Despite their long history, Michigan has had only 13 football coaches.  Most people remember Bo Schembechler, and his run was very successful in many ways.  He won more Big Ten titles than any other coach, but one coach was even more successful.  The school's second coach, Fielding Yost, was there for five more years than Bo, and began a tremendous string of national championships.  In Yost's 26 years, he led the Wolverines to eight national titles, half of their current total.  Yost also is one of the few Michigan coaches who won more bowl games than he lost.  A strange twist in Michigan's history is that fact that, for all of their success, they have lost more bowl appearances than they have won.

Michigan plays their home games in the Big House.  It is an aptly named stadium.  It is the largest capacity stadium in the country, and that is intentional.  Every time another school adds to their stadium, and makes theirs larger than the Big House, Michigan expands theirs to maintain their lead.

There have been way too many prominent players to emerge from Michigan's program, including the current undisputed greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.  There are a few important ones, including Michigan's first Heisman Trophy winner, Tom Harmon.  The halfback broke Red Grange's touchdown record, both on the ground and in the air.  Michigan's other two Heisman Trophy winners were significant.  WR Desmond Howard had one of the highest yards after catch at the time, and set history by posing in Heisman form.  The final Heisman Trophy winner from Michigan was the first mostly defensive player to win the Heisman -- Charles Woodson.

NCAA Football 2022 Week 6 picks

 Wed Oct 5

SMU Mustnags at UCF Golden Knights : Postponed due to Hurricane Ian, these two teams are still finding themselves.  UCF's defense is going to make the difference here.  UCF by ten

Fri Oct 7

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : These two teams had different results last week, as Rutgers was demolished while Nebraska overcame a massive number of penalties to prevail against Indiana.  Rutgers offense is more stable, and I think their defense is a little better, too.  RUTGERS by eight

Houston Cougars at Memphis Tigers : Houston is having a very disappointing season,  They seem to hurt themselves during a game, and the Tigers make a point of taking advantage of any miscues by the opposing team.  MEMPHIS by eleven

Colorado State Rams at Nevada Wolf Pack : The Rams are struggling, while Nevada has shown some good signs.  NEVADA by 12

Sat Oct 8

Top 25

#1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan State Spartans : The Spartans are just self-destructing.  Facing the Buckeyes will just exasterbate the situation.  OHIO STATE by lots

Texas A&M Aggies at #2 Alabama Crimson Tide : The national analysts finally agree with me -- the Aggies just don't have it this season.  ALABAMA by 24

Auburn Tigers at #3 Georgia Bulldogs : Georgia will want to destroy the Tigers to make up for last week.  GEORGIA by 21

#4 Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers : How many mistakes will the Wolverines cause by Indiana?  Probably not as many as they committed this past week, but the flags will come out.  MICHIGAN by 23

#5 Tennessee Volunteers at LSU Tigers : The Tigers defense will make things a bit difficult for Tennessee, but the Vols still have enough power to emerge victorious.  TENN by 16

Washington State Cougars at #6 USC Trojans : USC continues their dominance of the conference.  USC by 13

#8 Clemson Tigers at Boston College Eagles : No problem for the Tigers.  CLEMSON by 26

#9 Ole Miss Rebels at Vanderbilt Commodores : Easy game for the Rebs.  OLE MISS by 26

#17 Utah Utes at #11 UCLA Bruins : This could be a close game!  both teams are talented, and both have tough squads.  I'll favor the home team here, but truly this one is anyone's ball game.  UCLA by three

#12 TCU Horned Frogs at #19 Kansas Jayhawks : It shoudl be here that the amazing Cinderella season of Kansas hits its first snag -- their first loss.  TCU by 12

Texas Tech Red Raiders at #13 Oklahoma State Cowboys : I don't expect the Red Raiders to upset a second Top 25 team.  The Cowboys offense is just too good.  OKLAHOMA STATE by 18

Arkansas Razorbacks at #14 Mississippi State Bulldogs : The Bulldogs will eat Hog meat.  MISSISSIPPI STATE by 16

Iowa Hawkeyes at #16 Illinois Fighting Illini : Two strong defenses face each other, so this will be a low-scoring game.  It's Homecoming weekend at the school where the practice started, so there is incentive to win.  Also, the Hawkeyes offense is pretty poor, so a shutout is possible.  ILLINOIS by 13

#18 Washington Huskies at Arizona State Sun Devils : Washington gets a chance to recover from their loss.  WASHINGTON by 23

#20 Texas Longhorns v Oklahoma Sooners : The Red River Rivalry is always intense, and this year makes it more so.  Oklahoma comes in with two consecutive losses while Texas has been unimpressive since nearly upsetting Alabama early in the season.  Each team hopes this game will turn around their season.  Oklahoma is reeling, and I'm not sure that they know where their problems are, but their two previous losses adds an extra level of intensity to an already intense rivalry.  OKLAHOMA by four

Purdue Boilermakers at #21 Maryland Terrapins : Purdue's defense surprised Minnesota, but Maryland will be more prepared.  Also, I'm not sure that defense will completely hold back Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa.  MARYLAND by 13

#22 Duke Blue Devils at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : Tech' defense isn't as strong as it usually is, and their offense is lacking.  DUKE by 20

South Florida Bulls at #23 Cincinnati Bearcats : The same description of Georgia Tech above can apply to South Florida.  CINCY by 18

South Carolina Gamecocks at #24 Kentucky Wildcats : South Carolina fits that description, too.  KENTUCKY by 16

#25 Kansas State Wikldcats at Iowa State Cyclones : The Cyclones could win here, but their seem to be lacking something this season.  KANSAS STATE by ten

Big Ten

Wisconsin Badgers at Northwestern Wildcats : The two most disappointing teams in the conference face off.  Northwestern has looked terrible since their opening weekend win over Nebraska.  Wisconsin's offense is sputtering, but they should get it together a bit, as the Wildcat defense has holes.  WISCONSIN by 12

MAC

Eastern Michigan Eagles at Western Michigan Broncos : The Broncos have shown flashes of their strength, but they can't seem to completely get it together.  The Eagles are making the most of their limited talent pool.  I think the result of this game will surprise some people.  EASTERN MICHIGAN by six

Buffalo Bulls at Bowling Green Falcons : Buffalo is atop the division, and they have the strength to stay there.  BUFFALO by 12

 Akron Zips at Ohio Bobcats : Two of the worst teams in the conference face off.  Both have looked poor this season, but I think Ohio has a few more tools.  OHIO by eight

Ball State Cardinals at Central Michigan Chippewas : I think the Chippewas have the stronger team, but Ball State has the capability of surprising opponents.  Watch out for a possible upset.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by eight

Toledo Rockets at Northern Illinois Huskies : I thought these two teams might play for the conference title, but the Huskies have stumbled badly this season.  TOLEDO by 16

Kent State Golden Flashes at Miami Ohio RedHawks : Kent State seems to be stronger than I though, so I'll see if they can sustain that when they are the favorite.  KENT STATE by six

Other Games of Interest

Missouri Tigers at Florida Gators : After what they did to Georgia last week, the Tigers are definitely a team to fear.  MISSOURI by eight

Army Black Knights at Wake Forest Demon Deacons : Easy game for Wake, as Army is struggling.  WAKE FOREST by 24

BYU Cougars at Notre Dame Fighting Irish : This is not the season that Notre Dame counted on, while this is a good year for BYU.  BYU by 13

Florida State Seminoles at NC State Wolfpack :  NC State played Clemson hard.  Both teams have stiff defenses, but the offense is working a bit better for NC State,.  Florida State is still making some costly mistakes on offense.  NC STATE by 11

NCAA Football 2022 Week 5 results

 Hurricane Ian pushed one game into Week 6 and postponed another to Sunday, but that game won't affect the Top 25, so here we go...

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (5-0) [1] : The only dominant performance among the Top 5

2.  Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) [2]

3.  Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) [3] : They needed a late fourth quarter comeback to overcome Missouri

4.  Michigan Wolverines (5-0) [4]

5.  Tennessee Volunteers (4-0) [5]

6.  USC Trojans (5-0) [6]

7.  Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0) [8]

8.  Clemson Tigers (5-0) [11]

9. Ole Miss Rebels (5-0) [17]

10. Syracuse Orange (5-0) [10]

11. UCLA Bruins (5-0) [16]

12. TCU Jorned Froigs (5-0) [18] : They took down Oklahoma in style

13. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-0) [13]

14. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-1) [15]

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-1) [7] 

16. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1) [19] : They wiped out Wisconsin with the best defensive effort in the conference

17. Utah Utes (4-1) [24]

18. Washington Huskies (4-1) [9] : They become Bruins chow

19. Kansas Jayhawks (5-0) [23] : The Jayhawks continue their tremendous season

20. Texas Longhorns (3-2) [21]

21. Maryland Terrapins (4-1) [22]

22. Duke Blue Devils (4-1) [29]

23. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-1) [NR] : They've bounced back well from their early season loss

24. Kentucky Wildcats (4-1) [12] : A close loss to Ole Miss

25. Kansas State Wildcats (4-1) [25] : Good performance, but they aren't the best college team in the state right now

Om the Cusp: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-1), LSU Tigers (4-1), NC State Wolfpack (4-1), BYU Cougars (4-1)

Dropped off: Oklahoma Sooners [#14], Florida State Seminoles [#20]

Upsets and Surprises

Most of our occurrences centered around the state of Georgia.  Georgia struggled against Missouri, but won the game with two strong drives in the second half of the last quarter.  Georgia Tech, who had been struggling so far this season, stepped up and beat Pitt.  Little Georgia State defeated our nation's Army cadets. Our last upset saw struggling UConn shock the visiting Fresno State Bulldogs.

Big Ten Report

Ohio State performed as expected.  Michigan had some trouble against the tough Iowa defense, but prevailed.  Penn State's offense sputtered, but they succeeded.  However, the other top team, Minnesota, suffered their first loss of the season against the Purdue Boilermakers.  That wasn't the only surprise, as Nebraska's penalty problems spread to their opponent, costing Indiana a victory.

As expected, the top of the East division is stacked with unbeaten teams:  Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State.  They have two teams with 1-1 conference records, but Indiana's non-conference losses hurt their position.  That just leaves Maryland in fourth place.  Rutgers and the surprising poor Michigan Sate Spartans are in the bottom of the diviison.

The West division has gotten interesting.  Minnesota's loss leaves no unbeaten teams in the division.  Surprisingly, Wisconsin finds themselves in the basement, thanks to Nebraska's win.  Six of the seven teams in this division have 1-1 conference records.  With unbeaten non-conference records, Minnesota and Illinois lead the division.  Purdue and Iowa follow with 3-2 overall records, and Northwestern's pathetic performances land them in the bottom of the 1-1 teams.

MAC attack

Aside from Kent State showing life, all of these games ended mostly as expected.  Buffalo has taken their expected position atop the West division.  Bowling Green and Kent State won their first conference games to sit in a tie for second place.  Toledo and Western Michigan each have a 1-0 conference record, but Toledo's better non-conference record puts them atop the division.  Toledo is also the only MAC team currently with a positive point differential.