NFL 2023 Week 3 results and Week 4 picks

 We had mostly close games in the first two weeks, but some teams really unleashed this week.  Tops on that list are the Miami Dolphins, who scored 70 points!  That game resembled a college game

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (3-0) [2]

2.  Miami Dolphins (3-0) [6]

3.  Buffalo Bills (2-1) [7]

4.  Dallas Cowboys (2-1) [1]

5.  Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) [8]

6.  Cleveland Browns (2-1) [10]

7.  Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) [14]

8.  Green Bay Packers (2-1) [11]

9.  Baltimore Ravens (2-1) [3]

10. Detroit Lions (2-1) [16]

11. Indianapolis Colts (2-1) [NR]

12. New Orleans Saints (2-1) [12]

13. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) [4]

14. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) [MR]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC West [3]

2.  AFC East [4]

3.  AFC North [5]

4.  NFC East [2]

5.  NFC South [1]

6.  NFC North [8]

7 (tie). AFC South [6]

7 (tie). AFC West [7]

Thursday night

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers : The Packers have lots of spunk, and I think they know they need to build wins before injuries hit them.  PACK, 24-23

Sunday morning

Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars : The NFL travels to London to start four weeks of European bouts.  The Falcons will showcase offense while the Jags showcase defense.  The Falcons do a better job with their offense than the Jags can withstand.  FALCONS, 23-17

Sunday early games

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns : The Browns finally got over the hurtle of beating the "old Browns", and they have power this season.  The Ravens are up and down, and Lamar Jackson hasn't found his rhythm.  If he does find it, the Ravens will win, but I have to give an edge to the Browns.  BROWNS, 23-20

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans : Joe Burrow has been a bit uneasy in his play.  I think he will get sharp, especially since the Titans pass rush isn't prominent.  BENGALS, 17-16

Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears : Two winless teams face off, and one will emerge victorious.  The Bears defense has evaporated, but so has the Broncos offense.  Justin Fields continues to be inconsistent, and they are still searching for a running game, so the winner of this game may come down to one impressive offensive play.  For that, I count on the home team.  BEARS, 16-13

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts : The Colts have quietly come up and become a real contender.  The Rams make some crucial mistakes.  If they can clean up their play, they will win.  RAMS, 23-20

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills : The Dolphins exploded this past week, but that was a fluke.  The Bills defense will bring them back to earth.  The Bills offense has rebooted well since Week 1, adn that will overwhelm the Dolphins defense.  BILLS, 37-27

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers : The Vikings are the best 0-3 team I have seen in a long time.  The Pantehrs are 0-3 for a reason.  The Vikings will finally crack that win column, and that begin a winning streak for them.  VIKINGS, 28-17

Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans : I have to admit, the Steelers offense is working better than I expected.  The Texans are struggling, and that I did expect.  STEELERS, 20-17

Tampa Bay Bucs at New Orleans Saints : The Saints offense has a large playbook, and the team is finally getting used to the diversity of plays.  The Bucs defense is good, but they try to anticipate what the opponent will do to get a headstart.  Predicting the Saints is hard.  SAINTS, 24-20

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles : Is there really anyone who believes the Commanders will win?  The Eagles don't win big, but they play consistently and smart.  EAGLES, 28-20

Sunday late games

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers : This is probably the most one-sided battle of the day.  49ERS,30-13

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers : Two good defenses and two under-performing offenses.  Which one excels?  Home team.  CHARGERS, 16-13

New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys : Dallas suffered a tough loss last week.  They want to make up for that.  COWBOYS, 30-16

Sunday night

 Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets : The Jets defense will get a score, but that still won't be enough for a win.  CHIEFS, 34-20

Monday Night Football

Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants : The Giants just can't seem to get things together, and the Seahawks thrive against that sort of chaos.  SEAHAWKS, 23-16

NCAA 2023 Week 5 picks

 It's a bit calmyer week, with only three contests between Top 25 teams.  One of those is on Friday night, so let's start there.

Friday Sept 29

#24 Louisville Cardinals at NC State Wolf Pack : This will be the first real test of the Cardinals strength.  The Wolf Pack is a good team, and usually even better at home, but that hasn't been the case this year so far.  If they find their home groove, they can win, but I'm sticking with the birds.  LOUISVILLE by eight

#15 Utah Utes at #22 Oregon State Beavers : Another team who plays better at home, the Beavers stumbled on the road last week.  They are looking to right the ship this week, but the Utes will make that very difficult.  UTAH by 13

Cincinnati Bearcats at BYU Cougars : Two newcomers to the Big XII play each other this week.  Both are not performing as expected, so which team will step it up this week?  I think the Cougars have a better chance.  BYU by six

Saturday Sept 30

Top 25

#1 USC Trojans at Colorado Buffaloes : The Buffaloes were buffaloed last week.  Expect a repeat.  USC by 26

#2 Michigan Wolverines at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska is a better team this year, but not good enough to slow the Wolverines.  MICHIGAN by 28

#3 Washington Huskies at Arizona Wildcats : All three of the top teams have very easy opponents.  WASHINGTON by 30

Iowa State Cyclones at #4 Oklahoma Sooners : Oklahoma has a tougher opponent, but their offense will overpower the Cyclones.  OKLAHOMA by 23

Kansas Jayhawks at #6 Texas Longhorns : Kansas has jumped out to a great start this season, but now they face a real challenge.  The longhorns will prove to ve too much of a challenge for the Jayhawks.  TEXAS by 24

#8 Georgia Bulldogs at #25 Auburn Tigers : It looks like this is the last week the Tigers will be in the Top 25.  GEORGIA by 16.

#9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #17 Duke Blue Devils : This will likely be the most exciting of the Top 25 matchups.  Duke has a good team, but they are not used to this position.  The last time they were in the Top 25 they couldn't sustain it.  NOTRE DAME by 16

#10 Oregon Ducks at Standford Cardinal : Stanford is no threat this season.  OREGON by lots

#12 Penn State Nittany Lions at Northwestern Wildcats : The Wildcats came back in the fourth quarter last week, but the Nittany Lions defense won't allow that this week.  PENN STATE by 22

Florida Gators at #14 Kentucky Wildcats : Florida beat Tennessee a couple of weeks ago, and are hoping for a similar success against a ranked opponent.  I';m not sure they will.  They beat Tennessee in the Swamp; it's a different story on the road.  KENTUCKY by four

San Diego State Aztecs at #19 Air Force Falcons : The Aztecs are a good team this year, but the Falcons have power.  Their ground game is punishing and they have enough air support to keep opposing defenses guessing.  AIR FORCE by ten

#20 Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs : Alabama is not happy that they were absent from the rankings, so they want to impress now that they have chosen a starting QB.  This game begins that streak.  ALABAMA by 13

Clemson Tigers at #21 Syracuse Orange : Clemson fought Florida State hard, but I don't think they'll take Syracuse seriously, and this is a serious threat this year.  SYRACUSE by six

#23 Texas A&M Aggies at Arkansas Razorbacks : Arkansas can be a shocker, but I don't think they'll do so here.  TEXAS A&M by 16

Big Ten

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at Minnesota Golden Gophers : The Gophers let a clear win get away from them last week.  They have something to prove, and they will take it out on the Cajuns.  MINNESOTA by lots

Indiana Hoosiers at Maryland Terrapins : The Terrapins are an unbeaten team that nobody is touting.  They have a chip on their shoulder with a desire for national attention, so they hope wiping out their opponents is a way to get it.  MARYLAND by 23

Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers : Both of these teams have a tendency to hurt themselves.  The winner will likely be the team who makes fewer mistakes.  I'll go for the home team for that.  PURDUE by four

Wagner at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : Easy win.  RUTGERS by lots

Michigan State Spartans at Iowa Hawkeyes : The Hawkeyes were completely shut down by Penn State, so they want a nice performance to wipe out that memory.  They'll get a chance, as the Spartans are the worst team in the conference.  IOWA by 23

MAC

Miami Ohio Redhawks at Kent State Golden Flashes : I don't think we have really seen what the Redhawks can do, so this should be an interesting game.  MIAMI OHIO by 11

Buffalo Bulls at Akron Zips : Buffalo is having a forgettable year.  AKRON by 13

Eastern Michigan Eagles at Central Michigan Chippewas : This will be an interesting game, with many lead changes.  This could be won by the last team to hold the ball.  I think the Chippewas have a little better ball control, so that's where I'll stake my pick.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by four

Bowling Green Falcons at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : Well, the good news is that the Falcons aren't likely to lose as badly as they did last week.  The bad news -- they'll still lose.  GEORGIA TECH by 12

Ball State Cardinals at Western Michigan Broncos : The Broncos moved the ball well last week, it's just that Toledo did better.  Ball State won't be a threat.  WESTERN MICHIGAN by 23

Northern Illinois Huskies at Toledo Rockets : The Huskies are struggling, so this will be a breeze.  TOLEDO by 28

Other Games of Interest

Missouri Tigers at Vanderbilt Commodores : Missouri has a nice game ahead of them.  Could a win here propel them into the Top 25?  MISSOURI by 26

Boise State Broncos at Memphis Tigers : The Broncos are not quite as strong as they usually are.  Memphis will have to play well, but they certainly have the talent to win this game.  MEMPHIS by 14

LSU Tigers at Ole Miss Rebels : This should be an interesting SEC matchup.  I like the Revs here, but LSU can always be a dangerous opponent.  OLE MISS by six

South Carolina Gamecocks at Tennessee Volunteers : Tennessee will have a fairly easy time of it.  TENN by 26

West Virginia Mountaineers at TCU Horned Frogs : The Mountaineers won their first conference game last week, but this one won't be so easy.  TCU by 21

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Fresno State Bulldogs : The Warriors have no defense, so the Bulldogs will light it up.  FRESNO STATE by lots

NCAA 2023 Week 4 Top 25

 We had a lot of movement on the ranking this week, with four new ranked teams.  We gained SEC and ACC teams.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  USC TROJANS (4-0) [1] : They struggled a bit in the first half, but the Trojans are still on top

2.  Michigan Wolverines (4-0) [2]

3.  Washington Huskies (4-0) [5] : They can score in many ways, and they demonstrated that this week

4.  Oklahoma Sooners (4-0) [4]

5.  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) [8] : Despite a mediocre QB performance, this team comes together

6.  Texas Longhorns (4-0) [6]

7.  Florida State Seminoles (4-0) [7] : Clemson gave them too much trouble, but they survived.  While Clemson is not having a good year, their five-year history made them a tough enough opponent to keep the Seminoles in the Top Ten, but they may have some vulnerabilities

8.  Georgia Bulldogs (4-0)

9.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) [3]

10. Oregon Ducks (4-0) [17] : They slaughtered the Buffaloes

11. Miami Hurricanes (4-0) [12]

12. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) [14]

13. Washington State Cougars (4-0) [13]

14. Kentucky Wildcats (4-0) [15]

15. Utah Utes (4-0) [18]

16. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-0) [19]

17. Duke Blue Devils (4-0) [21]

18. UCLA Bruins (3-1) [9]

19. Air Force Falcons (4-0) [25]

20. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1) [NR]

21. Syracuse Orange (4-0) [30]

22. Oregon State Beavers (3-1) [11]

23. Texas A&M Aggies (3-1) [26]

24. Louisville Cardinals (4-0) [27]

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

Dropped off: Colorado Buffaloes [#20], Ole Miss Rebels [#22], Iowa Hawkeyes [#23], Memphis Tigers [#24]

On the Cusp: Missouri Tigers (4-0), Tennessee Volunteers (3-1), Fresno State Bulldogs (4-0), Maryland Terrapins (4-0), Kansas Jayhawks (4-0), Kansas State Wildcats (3-1), TCU Horned Frogs (3-1)

Upset Alert

We had a few upsets, but surpisingly only one affected the Top 25.  We had plenty of Top 25 matchups, but they ended pretty much as expected, except for the Oregon blowout of Colorado.  The other Top 25 upset?  Auburn's loss to the Aggies.

The other three upsets highlighted massive performances by teams who had been performing sluggishly.  Georgia Tech perked up and beat Wake Forest, Wyoming beat Appalachian State, and Northwestern shocked Minnesota by scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Big Ten Report

Illinois and Purdue continued to make crucial mistakes, but they at least produced decent offensive performances.  Combined with a good defense, Illinois even mustered a win, although it was touch and go at times.  This week's big loser was Michigan State, who can't seem to get moving at all.Indiana also required four overtimes to beat weak Akron, which doesn't reflect well on them.

The West division has no unbeaten teams, which guarantees that at the end of the season the conference can have no more than one unbeaten team (as all of the East teams play each other).  Adding this week to their performances, here are the teams ranked:

1.  Michigan Wolverines

2.  Penn State Nittany Lions

3.  Ohio State Buckeyes

4.  Maryland Terrapins

5.  Wisconsin Badgers

6.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights

7.  Nebraska Cornhuskers

8.  Minnesota Golden Gophers

9.  Northwestern Wildcats

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

11. Indiana Hoosiers

12. Illinois Fighting Illini

13. Purdue Boilermakers

14. Michigan State Spartans

MAC Attack

Ohio may have engineered the best and most dominant performance of the season!  The lead their division, and may dominate it.  Akron played Illinois tough, so the Zip shave some zip, but I'm not sure about any of the other teams in the division, which includes the pathetic and winless Buffalo Bulls.

Toledo still leads the West with a strong win over the Broncos.  That just leaves Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan as serious contenders.  Ball State suffered perhaps the worst loss of the season in a 40-0 shutout at the hands of Georgia Southern.

NFL 2023 Week 2 results and Week 3 picks

 Things are starting to solidify, but some teams are yet to really strength themselves.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  DALLAS COWBOYS (2-0) [1] : They are just chewing through their opponents

2.  San Francisco 49ers (2-0) [2]

3.  Baltimore Ravens (2-0) [6]

4.  Atlanta Falcons (2-0) [10] : The Falcons are starting out hot!

5.  Tampa Bay Bucs (2-0) [11]

6.  Miami Dolphins (2-0) [13]

7.  Buffalo Bills (1-1) [NR]

8.  Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) [8]

9.  Washington Commanders (2-0) [12]

10. Cleveland Browns (1-1) [5]

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

12. New Orleans Saints (2-0) [16]

13. Los Angeles Rams (1-1) [4]

14. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) [20]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC South [6]

2.  NFC East [3]

3.  NFC West [1]

4.  AFC East [5]

5.  AFC North [2]

6.  AFC South [7]

7.  AFC West [4]

8.  NFC North [8]

Thursday night

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers : The 49ers are loaded this season, while the Giants seem under-armed.  49ERS, 30-13

Sunday early games

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions : The Falcons are the surprise team of this season, and I think that surprise will continue.  The Lions won't make it easy for them, though.  FALCONS, 28-27

Buffalo Bills at Washington Commanders : The Bills found their footing again last week, and that bodes ill for the Commanders.  They've had a nice season so far, but they've hit a speed bump.  BILLS, 34-23

Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins : The Dolphins are a potent team.  They seem likely to make the playoffs again this year.  DOLPHINS, 27-13

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Texans are a bit of a disappointment so far.  Their defense is evaporating, but the Jags offense plays slower, so this won't be a blowout.  That won't make the Houston fans feel any better.  JAGS, 21-13

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens: On the opposite end of the defensive spectrum is Baltimore, who is stiff.  RAVENS, 28-10

LA Chargers at Minnesota Vikings : It has been a disappointing season so far for the Vikings, but they have the talent to turn it around.  This seems like a good game to do that.  VIKINGS, 23-17

New England Patriots at New York Jets : The Jets have a stiff defense, which will make this a much lower-scoring game than these two teams usually play.  JETS, 16-13

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers : The Saints are doing well, while the Pack came back to earth after their scrubbing of a weak Bears team.  The Saints wear down defenses with their run-oriented game, and the Pack's bench is thin.  SAINTS, 34-28

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns : If the Browns can prevent screwing themselves, they have the skill to win this one, although the Titans defense won't make it easy.  If that defense forces a turnover or two, the Titans will win this game.  BROWNS, 20-17

Sunday late games

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks : Carolina is struggling, and the Seahawks can be dangerous at home.  SEAHAWKS, 28-20

Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs : The defending Super Bowl Champs host the worst team of the league.  I don't think I want to witness the carnage.  CHIEFS, 38-13

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals : The Cowboys are the most dominant team in the league right now.  COWBOYS, 40-20

Sunday night

Pittsburgh Steelerrs at Las Vegas Raiders : Despite a victory over Cleveland, the Steelers are struggling, and the Raiders can be a tricky opponent.  RAIDERS, 17-13

Monday Night Football

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Eagles are flying high.  The Bucs can be a tough opponent, especially at home, so they might surprise, but I'm sticking with the skill team.  EAGLES, 27-24

Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Benglas : The Bengals are stumbling.  Despite the big contract, Joe Burrow is not helping them enough.  RAMS, 20-16

NCAA 2023 Week 4 picks

 Full-time conference play begins for most teams this week.  Things can get fierce as rivalries surface.

Friday Sept 22

Wisconsin Badgers at Purdue Boilermakers : Both teams have struggled with turnovers this season, but the Badgers seem to have gotten it together.  Their pounding ground game will exhaust a thin Purdue bench.  WISCONSIN by eight

Boise State Broncos at San Diego State Aztecs : The Aztecs have a good team this year, and the home crowd will give them a boost.  This game will be a tough one for the Broncos.  BOISE STATE by four

#25 Air Force Falcons at San Jose State Spartans : The other Mountain West game on Friday will not be so close.  The Falcons have a strong defense and a bounding ground game.  They might look like Wisconsin, except they hold onto the ball better.  AIR FORCE by 13

 Saturday Sept 23

Top 25

#1 USC Trojans at Arizona State Sun Devils : Best of the conference against one of the worst.  Easy pick.  USC by lots

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #2 Michigan Wolverines : Rutgers looks pretty good this year, but this is no contest.  MICHIGAN by 26

#8 Ohio State Buckeyes at #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : If this game were last week, I'd pick the home team with no hesitation.  However, the Buckeyes got their offense straightened out last week, and they have a slightly better defense than the Irish.  The real contest here will be how the young players on Ohio State's squad handles a close game, as this one will be.  If they step up, this will be an upset.  OHIO STATE by three

#4 Oklahoma Sooners at Cincinnati Bearcats : Cincy's defense won't be able to hold back this potent offense.  OKLAHOMA by lots

Cal Golden Bears at #5 Washington Huskies : Another one-sided battle in the Pac-12.  WASHINGTON by 28

#6 Texas Longhorns at Baylor Bears : Tough year for Baylor, and a tough schedule.  TEXAS by 24

#7 Florida State Seminoles at Clemson Tigers : Clemson fans are excited for an upset, but I don't think it'll happen.  The Tigers still seem to have some problems finding a stable lineup, while the Seminoles are riding high.  FLORIDA STATE by 18

#9 UCLA Bruins at #18 Utah Utes : Utah has a history of upsetting higher-ranked teams who come into their stadium, and they have the tools to do it again this year.  The Bruins are a good team, and the embarrassed San Diego State, but I think the Utes might surprise.  UTAH by three

UAB Blazers at #10 Georgia Bulldogs :This will be an easier game than the Bulldogs faced last week.  GEORGIA by 24

#11 Oregon State Beavers at #13 Washington State Cougars : Another close Top 25 matchup in the Pac-23 this week.  This time, I favor the tricks of the visiting team to overcome the lower ranked home team.  OREGON STATE by six

#12 Miami Hurricanes at Temple Owls : Easy contest.  MIAMI by lots

#23 Iowa Hawkeyes at #14 Penn State Nittany Lions : The only Top 25 matchup in the Big Ten will likely result in the Hawkeyes losing their Top 25 ranking.  PENN STATE by 18

#15 Kentucky Wildcats at Vanderbilt Commodores : Smooth contest for the Wildcats.  KENTUCKY by 24

#16 Auburn Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies : Auburn has been rather wuiet in the SEC, but don't discount them.  This game will show what they are capable of producing.  AUBURN by 13

#20 Colorado Buffaloes at #17 Oregon Ducks : The Buffaloes rolled their first two weeks, but the surprise is over.  The Rams played them tough, and the Ducks will wake them up.  OREGON by 16

 #19 North Carolina Tar Heels at Pitt Panthers : Pitt is struggling, so the Tar Heels will roll.  NORTH CAROLINA by 23

#21 Duke Blue Devils at UCOnn Huskies : This will be an even bigger win.  DUKE by lots

#22 Ole Miss Rebels at Alabama Crimson Tide : The Tide still has QB questions, which will impact them.  The Rebs have a tough defense, and they should frustrate whoever Coach Saban puts out there. OLE MISS by 13

#24 Memphis Tigers at Missouri Tigers : What I can say for certain is that the Tigers will win.  Which Tigers team is more interesting.  Missouri proved that they are a strong team last week, while Memphis has lived off close games this season.  This game could go either way.  MEMPHIS by four

Big Ten

Florida Atlantic Owls at Illinois Fighting Illini : A nice easy opponent.  Maybe the Illini can use this game to figure how to reduce their offensive penalties.  ILLINOIS by 18

Maryland Terrapins at Michigan State Spartans : Maryland has a recent history of struggling when they hit conference play, but struggles are the basis of the Spartans play this season.  MARYLAND by 16

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska has stepped up their game this season, and this game will really demonstrate that.  NEBRASKA by 23

Akron Zups at Indiana Hoosiers : Akron hasn't started out well, and Indiana has shown power, even in losses.  INDIANA by 16

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats : Northwestern is struggling, while Minnesota looks strong.  MINNESOTA by 23

MAC

Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Northern Illinois Huskies : It's a tough year for the Huskies, and a loss to Tulsa will not help.  TULSA by 14

Western Michigan Broncos at Toledo Rockets : Talk about tough seasons, that describes the Broncos' situation as well.  TOLEDO by 24

Georgia Southern Eagles at Ball State Cardinals : Battle of the birds and the little red guy wins.  BALL STATE by 16

Ohio Bobcats at Bowling Green Falcons : The Bobcats find themselves atop their division, and they will do everything to stay there.  They're well-equipped to do that.  OHIO by 17

Kent State Golden Flashes at Fresno State Bulldogs : The Bulldogs will rule in this one.  FRESNO STATE by 23

Other Games of Interest

Army Black Knights at Syracuse Orange : Despite forcing six turnovers, the Orange had trouble putting away the Boilermakers last week.  Army's pounding ground game will not be so forgiving.  ARMY by six

SMU Mustangs at TCU Horned Frogs : The Mustangs are a pretty good team, while TCU is getting their feet under them.  This will be a close game, but TCU's experience should help boost them.  TCU by six

Boston College Eagles at Louisville Cardinals : Louisville has a chance to enter the Top 25 with this win.  LOUISVILLE by 23

BYU Cougars at Kansas Jayhawks : Kansas has started 3-0.  This game will really prove if the Jayhawks are for real this season.  I don't think they'll do it, but this will be a very close game.  BYU by eight

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Iowa State Cyclones : Both Teams were surprised last week.  At least the Cyclones lost to a more prominent team, and that's why I favor them in this match-up.  IOWA STATE by six

Arkansas Razorbacks at LSU Tigers : This could be a close game.  LSU isn't quite as strong as usual, and Arkansas is a good team this year, but the difference will be the Tigers defense.  LSU by eight

UCF Golden Knights at Kansas State Wildcats : UCF is enjoying their first year in the Big XII, and they face their first conference game.  The Wildcats are good, but I don't think they have faced tough enough opposition to prepare for this game.  UCF by nine

NCAA 2023 Week 3 Top 25

 Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  USC TROJANS (3-0) [1]

2.  Michigan Wolverines (3-0) [2]

3.  Notre Dame Fightin Irish (4-0) [3]

4.  Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) [4] : The hottest offense lives in Norman

5.  Washington Huskies (3-0) [7]

6.  Texas Longhorns (3-0) [6]

7.  Florida State Seminoles (3-0) [5] : Barely squeaked out a victory

8.  Ohio State Buckeyes (3-) [11] : I don't think there's any more concern about their offense

9.  UCLA Burins (3-0) [9]

10. Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) [8] : The Bulldogs struggled a bit

11. Oregon State Beavers (3-0) [10]

12. Miami Hurricanes (3-0) [12]

13. Washington State Cougars (3-0) [13]

14. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) [14]

15. Kentucky Wildcats (3-0) [17]

16.Auburn Tigers (3-0) [16]

17. Oregon Ducks (3-0) [24] : Big improvement this week!

18. Utah Utes (3-0) [19]

19. North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) [20]

20. Colorado Buffaloes (3-0) [18] : The win over Colorado State was too tight

21. Duke Blue Devils (3-0) [21]

22. Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) [23]

23. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) [27]

24. Memphis Tigers (3-0) [24]

25. Air Force Falcons (3-0) [25]

Dropped off: Tennessee Volunteers [#15]

On the Edge: Texas A&M Aggies (2-1), Louisville Cardinals (3-0), Missouri Tigers (3-0), Appalachian State Mountaineers (2-1), Kansas State Wildcats (2-1), TCU Horned Frogs (2-1)

Upset Alert

We had some close calls in the Top 25, but most teams prevailed.  Tennessee did not.UTSA, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State may have lost any chance of making the Top 25, as they all lost this wee.

How tough is Stanford's season?  They lost to Sacramento State.  Finally, the MAC had a good week, as both Ohio and Miami Ohio beat tougher opponents.

Big Ten Report

Aside from Illinois, Michigan State,  and Northwestern, the conference looked good.  Even in losses, Indiana and Prudue remained tough.  In Purdue's case, they committed six turnovers and still stayed within sights of Syracuse.  

This week's top performers:  Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa  Total performance rankings for this week:

1.  Ohio State

2.  Michigan

3.  Wisconsin

4.  Iowa

5.  Maryland

6.  Rutgers

7.  Nebraska

8.  Penn State

9.  Purdue

10. Indiana

11. Minnesota

12. Illinois

13. Northwestern

14. Michigan State

MAC attack

Very good week for the conference.  They engineered two upsets and won all of the games they were supposed to win.  Even Central Michigan played Notre Dame tough.  Toledo's close win was a disappointment, as was the Eastern Michigan two-point win over UMass.

NFL 2023 Week 1 results and Week 2 picks

 There were some surprises this week.  The two best teams in the AFC, Buffalo and Kansas City, self-destructed.  We were excited to see Aaron Rodgers in New York, and now he is out for the season.  I don't know who was wearing the uniforms of the Bears and Giants, but I'm not sure they are professional caliber players.

Power Rankings

1.  DALLAS COWBOYS (1-0) : They thoroughly demolished the Giants

2.  San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

3.  Green Bay Packers (1-0)

4.  LA Rams (1-0)

5.  Cleveland Browns (1-0)

6.  Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

7.  NY Jets (1-0)

8.  Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

9.  Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

10. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

11. Tampa Bay Bucs (1-0)

12. Washington Commanders (1-0)

Divisional Rankings

1.  NFC West

2.  AFC North

3.  NFC East

4.  NFC North

5.  AFC East

6.  NFC South

7.  AFC South

8.  AFC West

Thursday night

Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles : The Vikings struggled last week, but they are capable of bouncing back.  The Eagles are a strong team, though, who may not make that easy.  Jalen Hurts is in rhythm, and that's when he is most dangerous.  For the Vikings to win, their defense has to throw him off-balance.  EAGLES, 28-23

Sunday early games

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals : To be honest, it did not look like Joe Burrows deserved that record-setting contract extension.  I wonder if the money is going to his head.  The heat is going to start among the Bengals fans, and the stiff Ravens defense won't make things easier for him.  RAVENS, 24-16

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bears are their own worst enemy at this point, given the number of mistakes they made.  They started to come back in the fourth quarter.  Can they continue that march this week?  Certainly the Bucs will make that difficult.  BUCS, 24-16

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons : Jordan Love is for real.  With their thin bench, this team needs to make the most of their starters while they are healthy, and you know that they know that.  PACK, 34-17

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans : Neither team has an offense that is working well, so this game won't have many highlights.  TEXANS, 13-6

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Chiefs will bounce back from their opener, but they really need to find a "got to" receiver if they want to succeed this season.  CHIEFS, 30-23

Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills : Another team who needs to bounce back.  Their offense made lots of mistakes, completely inconsistent with their talent.  That shows a lack of concentration.  If they acknowledge that, they should reverse it this game.  If they want to blame other people, the Raiders will pummel them.  This game is a character test for the Bills.  Let's see if they pass.  BILLS, 17-13

Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans : This game could be very close.  Defense favors the Chargers, but ball control favors the Titans.  I'll go there.  TITANS, 20-17

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions : Let's face it, beating the Chiefs was the coming out party for the Lions.  LIONS, 31-16

Sunday late games

NY Giants at Arizona Cardinals : I Giants will get moving this week -- just a bit.  CARDS, 17-3

NY Jets at Dallas Cowboys : The Jets defense gave the Bills fits last week, but they will need more than a stout defense to beat the Cowboys, and Zach Wilson isn't quite ready to put up the numbers needed.  COWBOYS, 24-13

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams : These games are always intense, and this one won't be any different.  Brock Purdy is an excellent QB, and the 49ers defense is tough.  The Rams have a strong offense, too, so this will be an interesting battle.  49ERS, 31-28

Washington Commanders at Denver Broncos: The Commanders have a great defense, and their offense is coming together.  The Broncos still seem to be missing some pieces.  COMMANDERS, 27-13

Sunday night

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots : These contests are often offensive showcases, but the Patriots are somewhat lacking in firepower this season.  They have a decent defense, which may score or give short field to the offense to easily score, but I don't think it will enough.  DOLPHINS, 31-23

Monday Night Football

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers : Carolina couldn't keep up with the Falcons.  The Saints should roll.  SAINTS, 27-17

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers offense is lacking something -- like offense.  BROWNS, 28-10

NCAA 2023 Week 3 picks

 Thursday Sept 14

Bethune-Cookman at #12 Miami Hurricanes : We have a few FBS v FCS matchups left.  This is one of them. MIAMI by lots

Navy Midshipmen at #22 Memphis Tigers : Navy will grind out the game with their ground game, but the Tigers defense is tough, so it won't help them too much.  MEMPHIS by ten

Friday, Sept 15

Virginia Cavaliers at Maryland Terrapins : The Cabs make a short road trip to Maryland, but it may be a long ride home.  MARYLAND by 13

Army Black Knights at UTSA Roadrunners : The Roadrunners really pound the ball, and they move fast.  Army's defense will likely be confused by the myriad of UTSA formations.  UTSA by 18

Utah State Aggies at #25 Air Force Falcons :  Hmm, I wonder when was the last time that all military academies played BEFORE Saturday?  At least this one should lead to a win for the academy.  AIR FORCE by 11

Saturday, Sept 16

Top 25

Bowling Green Falcons at #2 Michigan Wolverines : Easy victory for the Wolverines.  MICHIGAN by lots

Central Michigan Chippewas at #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : The scheduling gods are being cruel to the MAC this week.  NOTRE DAME by lots

#4 Oklahoma Sooners at Tulsa Golden Hurricane : Another easy battle for a Top Five team.  OKLAHOMA by lots

#5 Florida State Seminoles at Boston College Eagles : A conference match-up doesn't make it more difficult for the Seminoles, as BC is struggling.  A fourth easy pick in a row.  FLORIDA STATE by 34

Wyoming Cowboys at #6 Texas Longhorns : Wyoming is no longer the pathetic performer they used to be, but after beating Alabama, this is a relaxing game for Texas.  TEXAS by 30

#7 Washington Huskies at Michigan State Spartans : The Spartans defense is good, but are they good enough to slow down the Huskies?  I don't think so.  WASHINGTON by 16

South Carolina Gamecocks at #8 Georgia Bulldogs : The Bulldogs enter conference play, but they face a stiff opponent.  GEORGIA by 31

NC Central at #9 UCLA Bruins : Easy FCS v FBS game.  UCLA by lots

San Diego State Aztecs at #10 Oregon State Beavers : The Aztecs can be tough, but the Beavers are extra tough at home.I don't think an upset is too likely.  OREGON STATE by 21

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at #11 Ohio State Buckeyes : The Hilltoppers have a bit of a defense, but I don't think the still-developing Buckeyes offense will have much of a challenge.  OHIO STATE by 24

Northern Colorado at #13 Washington State Cougars : Another easy win.  WASHINGTON STATE

#14 Penn State Nittany Lions at Illinois Fighting Illini : For an alumnus like myself, this won't be pretty.  PENN STATE by lots

#15 Tennessee Volunteers at Florida Gators : The Vols have a potent team this year, while Florida would be considered "rebuilding".  TENN by 24

Samford at #16 Auburn Tigers : I only list this because it features a Top 25 team.  AUBURN by lots

Akron Zips at #17 Kentucky Wildcats : Another massive loss by the MAC.  KENTUCKY by 32

Colorado State Rams at #18 Colorado Buffaloes : Prime Time Part III will likely be a more commanding performance than either of their previous two games.  COLORADO by 16

Weber State at #19 Utah Utes : No upset concerns here.  UTAH by lots

Minnesota Golden Gophers at #20 North Carolina Tar Heels : Now HERE is an upset possibility.  The Tar Heels are a good team, but Minnesota has an interesting history of playing above themselves against ranked non-conference opponents.  Watch out, Heels!  NORTH CAROLINA by six

Northwestern Wildcats at #21 Duke Blue Devils : Northwestern bounced back last week, but that may have been assisted by a weak UTEP team.  Duke, on the other hand, will prove too much for the rebuilding Wildcats.  DUKE by 23

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at #23 Ole Miss Rebels : The Rebs face a tough defense, but there isn't much offense in the Yellow Jackets.  OLE MISS by 16

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at #24 Oregon Ducks : The sun has set on Hawaii.  OREGON by lots

Big Ten

Louisville Cardinals at Indiana Hoosiers : This might be the tightest contest of the day!  On paper, Louisville seems the better team, but the Hoosiers can be tricky with an arsenal of strange plays, and their defense shows up against tough opponents.  If the Cards are not careful, they will lose this game.  LOUISVILLE by four

Western Michigan Broncos at Iowa Hawkeyes : The Broncos falter against stiff defenses like the one possessed by Iowa. The interesting part of this game will be how much Iowa's offense improves.  IOWA by ten

Virginia Tech Hokies at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : The Hokies will lose to their second consecutive Big Ten opponent.  RUTGERS by 16

Northern Illinois Huskies at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Nebraska may be winless, but they were competitive in both of those games.  Northern Illinois collapsed last week, so I like the Cornhuskers to get their first win of the seaosn.  NEBRASKA by 13

Syracuse Orange at Purdue Boilermakers : Another Big Ten upset could be brewing.  The Orange are still a bit inconsistent, and Purdue bounced back well last week.  Purdue's defense will keep this close, and they might take the game-winning lead late in the fourth.  SYRACUSE by three

MAC

Liberty Flames at Buffalo Bulls : Buffalo may be the worst team in the conference.  LIBERTY by 16

Iowa State Cyclones at Ohio Bobcats : Believe it or not, Ohio has the best record in the conference.  That won't last.  IOWA STATE by 20

UMass Minutemen at Eastern Michigan Eagles : The Eagles are one of the better teams in the conference, and UMass doesn't have much.  Aside from a game against FCS, this might be the only MAC victory of the day.  EASTERN MICHIGAN by 11

Miami Ohio Redhawks at Cincinnati Bearcats : Nice easy game for the Bearcats.  CINCY" by 24

San Jose State Spartans at Toledo Rockets : And now we get to the BEST team in the conference.  This will be the best performance by a MAC team, and a rare win.  TOLEDO by 18

Other Games of Interest

LSU Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs : LSU has shown fragility, which could be exploited by the Bulldogs.  This is an upset spotter.  LSU by six

Kansas State Wildcats at Missouri Tigers : The Wildcats played easy opponents, so their strength is really unknown.  Missouri is a surprisingly effective team, and could give the Wildcats a hard time.  KANSAS STATE by eight

Idaho Vandals at Cal Golden Bears : Can Idaho generate two upsets in a row?  Maybe this is a good year for Idaho?  This game could tell the tale.  CAL by 12

BYU Cougars at Arkansas Razorbacks : BYU has been underachieving, which gives Arkansas a nice chance.  However, if the Cougars find themselves, they could win.  ARKANSAS by eight

TCU Horned Frogs at Houston Cougars : Coach Prime exposed some vulnerabilities in the Horned Frogs, and you bet Houston was watching.  They have enough skill to duplicate some of those moves, so I have my Upset Alert on this one -- and make the pick.  HOUSTON by four

Kansas Jayhawks at Nevada Wolfpack : Kansas won big last week.  Although they were supported by Illinois penalties, that game could boost their confidence going into this game.  KANSAS by 12

NCAA 2023 Week 2 Top 25

 Top 25

We, we have enough FBS data to produce a Top 25.  To remind longtime followers (and inform new ones), a team is ineligible to appear on my Top 25 if they have a negative point differential (given up more points than scored) against FBS opponents.  That prevents teams like Alabama, Clemson, TCU, and LSU from being in the rankings.  They all have a chance to rise into the Top25 if they do well, but they cannot appear yet.

For the first time that I can remember, the Pac-12 has the most teams than any other conference, with eight teams in the rankings.  They are followed by  SEC (5), ACC (4), Big Ten (3), and Big XII (2)

1.  USC TROJANS (3-0) : No team has been so consistently dominant and successful than the Trojans

2.  Michigan Wolverines (2-0)

3.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)

4.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)

5.  Florida State Seminoles (2-0)

6. Texas Longhorns (2-0) : They beat Alabama again.  No surprise element this time, it was all talent

7.  Washington Huskies (2-0)

8  Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) .

9.  UCLA Bruins (2-0)

10. Oregon State Beavers (2-0)

11. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0)

12. Miami Hurricanes (2-0) : Bring back the turnover chain, this defense is ball hungry

13. Washington State Cougars (2-0)

14. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)

15. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)

16. Auburn Tigers (2-0)

17. Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)

18. Colorado Buffaloes (2-0)

19. Utah Utes (2-0)

20. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0)

21. Duke Blue Devils (2-0)

22. Memphis Tigers (2-0)

23. Ole Miss Rebels (2-0)

24, Oregon Ducks (2-0)

25. Air Force Falcons (2-0)

On the Edge: Kansas State Wildcats (2-0), Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0), Texas A&M Aggies (2-0), Louisville CArdinals (2-0), Cincinnati Bearcats (2-0)

Upset Alert

We had several upsets this week, and it started on Friday night by the utter dominance of Illinois by traditional Big XX doormat Kansas.    The state of Illinois continued the upset trend, as Northwestern, who completely sucked last week, turned completely around and thoroughly dominated UTEP.  Then Northern Illinois lost to FCS Southern Illinois.

The FCS v MAC upsets would continue.  Buffalo lost to Fordham, and Akron nearly lost to Morgan State.  The evening had our last upset, as traditional loser Idaho blew away Nevada.

Big Ten Report

Some teams seemed to improve greatly from Week 1.  Northwestern is the best example, but Iowa's offense jumped as well.  Ohio State's offense also looked much better, but they were facing a FCS team, so we may not really know until next week.

On the other hand, Illinois made even more costly mistakes and penalties than they did last week.  That sends them down to the bottom of the conference.  In fact, that inspires my new feature -- a Big Ten ranking.  This uses a different measuring system than the computerized points system I use for the Top 25.  This is based solely on how the team operates on the field, given their opponents and halftime adjustments:

1. Michigan Wolverines -- they have it all together

2.  Penn State Nittany Lions -- also dominant and effective

3.  Maryland Terrapins

4.  Minnesota Golden Gophers

5.  Ohio State Buckeyes

6.  Michigan State Spartans

7.  Rutgers Scarlet Knights

8.  Iowa Hawkeyes

9.  Indiana Hoosiers

10.  Nebraska Cornhuskers -- they may be winless, but they have looked impressive in those two losses

11.  Purdue Boilermakers

12.  Wisconsin Badgers

13. Northwestern Wildcats

14. Illinois Fighting Illini

MAC Attack

Clearly a poor week for the conference.  The two most impressive teams from last week, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois, both lost big.  Three teams suffered upsets or near upsets at the hands of FBS teams.  The only team who looked good was Toledo, who bounced back nicely from their near loss to Illinois last week.

NFL 2023 Week 1 picks

 Thursday night

Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs : The Lions have improved, but they bite off a bit more than they can handle to open the season.  The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl Champs and they look like it.  This offense will be too much for the Lions.  CHIEFS, 34-23

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at Washington Commanders: Arizona would seem to have the edge, but Washington has been improving.  Certainly the Cardinals defense is better, and at this point in the season defense often makes the difference, as new key players on offense learn to work together.  CARDINALS, 17-13

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons : Neither team will be particular strong this season, so it should be interesting to see which one starts well.  The Falcons seem to have a bit more talent, and that should help them in their opener.  FALCONS, 13-10

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns : The Browns are looking like a hot team this year.  A lack of confidence has been a problem for this team for years, but they have a new sense of accomplishment and ability.  BROWNS, 23-17

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens : The Texans are excited about their offense this year, but their defense may be a stumbling block.  The Ravens have a great offense to start, so this game should be an offensive highlight show.  RAVENS, 33-24

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts : It may be early to call, but the Colts are likely to be one of the worst teams in the league this season.  Watch the Jags exploit that.  JAGS, 16-3

San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers are likely to also be a weak team, although that might show up more as the season progresses.  Doesn't matter this week, as the 49ers are tough opponents anyway.  49ERS, 23-10: 

Tampa Bay Bucs at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings offense gets an early test, as the Bu8cs are a tough defense.  Their offense, though, is less certain, so the stiff Vikings defense will make the difference in this game.  If the Bucs offense is better than I expect, they could win this game, but I favor the home team.  VIKINGS, 24-20

Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints : It may take the Saints offense a little time to get rolling, allowing the Titans to lead at the half, but they should prevail in the end.  If it takes a bit too long for them to perk, the Titans might win, but the Saints should come back to win.  SAINTS, 20-17

Sunday late games

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears : How's this for a switch?  I think the Bears are better warmed up than the Pack, and should score first.  The Bears defense leaves something to be desired, but the offense should keep them ahead.  BEARS, 27-24

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos : The storming Raiders defense will stymie the struggling Broncos offense.  RAIDERS, 16-3

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks : Although the Seahawks can be tricky at home, the Rams are a strong team, and are ready to roll.  RAMS, 31-20

Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers : Both teams are well balanced and strong.  I think the difference will be the Chargers defense.  CHARGERS, 20-16

Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots : While healthy, the Eagles will fly high, so they will (and need to) start strong.  EAGLES, 24-13

Sunday night

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants : We kick off Sunday night with a divisional rivalry game that always excites!  The Giants are high on Daniel Jones this season, but his development has been slow.  On the other had, the Cowboys have a strong team.  COWBOYS, 28-17

Monday Night Football

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets : The New Jersey Meadowlands hosts two games in two consecutive nights.  The fans will be excited, but they will leave disappointed each time.  BILLS, 34-20

NCAA 2023 Week 1 results and Week 2 picks

 Top 25

As regular readers of my blog know, I do not count the statistics of FCS v FBS contests, so I wait until most teams have played their FCS opponents (after Week 2) to tabulate my Top 25.  This year, with the success of Notre Dame and USC, who played in Week 0, I might have two teams with 3-0 records in my first tanking next week.

Upset Alerts

Of course, the big upset was Colorado's victory over TCU. The Horned Frogs play Nicholls State this week, so they will bounce back, but they certainly took a big hit.  It was also quite an auspicious FCS beginning for Coach Prime.  Watch out, folks!  Colorado has some real talent, and tons of heart and spunk.

Another Texas team suffered an upset, as Baylor fell to Texas State.  Rutgers and Florida State completely blew away their opponents.  Northern Illinois and Duke round out the upsets for the weekend.

Big Ten Report

Most of the teams did very well.  Ohio State's offense looked a little weak, but they have often started slow in the first week the past few weeks.  Purdue lost to Fresno State, but that's a good team.  Minnesota struggled a bit against Nebraska, but they ended up winning.Iowa had their game end closer than it should have.

Some teams did much better than expected.  Michigan State really shined, and Maryland was outstanding.  The only real disappointment was Northwestern, who couldn't do ANYTHING right.  Let's hope they can turn it around.

MAC Attack

Not so good a week for the MAC, although Northern Illinois and Western Michigan engineered wins.  Akron and Bowling Green kept things close.  Toledo was close, but they had help by three silly Illinois penalties.  That game shouldn't have been that close.

Picks

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at NC State Wolf Pack : The Irish are having a strong season.  The Wolf Pack can be tricky, but the Irish are tough.  NOTRE DAME by 26

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Colorado Buffaloes : Time for Coach Prime, Part II.The Cornhusker defense will be tougher than what they faced from TCU last week, but that offense is quite impressive.  COLORADO by 23

Purdue Boilermakers at Virginia Tech Hokies : Neither have been especially impressive so far, but I think Purdue has a bit more spunk.  This game could go either way, though.  PURDUE by six

Ole Miss Rebels at Tulane Green Wave : Tulane has built themselves up to be a force, but the Revels will test that.  Both teams are offensive forces, so this will be a high-scoring affair.  The winner might be the last team to hold the ball.  OLE MISS by four

Texas A&M Aggies at Miami Hurricanes : Nobody is giving Miami much of a chance, which is exactly when they are dangerous.  A&M isn't as strong as people think, and the Miami defense will control things.  MIAMI by eight

Iowa Hawkeyes at Iowa State Cyclones : The Cyclones play Iowa tough, and both teams have strong defense.  It'll be a tough battle, but I give the Hawkeyes the edge.  IOWA by three

UTEP Miners at Northwestern Wildcats : After the travesty we witnessed last week, UTEP has to be the favorite in this game.  UTEP by 13

Western Michigan Broncos at Syracuse Orange : It would be quite a coup for the MAC if the Broncos could win this game, but I doubt it.  That doesn't mean that Syracuse will run away with it.  SYRACUSE by 12

Texas State Bobcats at UTSA Roadrunners : The Roadrunners disappeared in the second half last week.  Given the powerful performance given by the Bobcats in their defeat of Baylor, I have to favor them here, too.  TEXAS STATE by eight

Marshall Thundering Herd at East Carolina Pirates : East Carolina's defense showed some teeth last week, they just couldn't get their offense moving.  Marshall is not as tough an opponent, but I still wonder if that offense will show up.  MARSHALL by 15

Cincinnati Bearcats at Pitt Panthers : I don't care how one-sided Pitt beat Wofford, this battle of Ohio goes to the Bearcats.  CINCY by 18

Texas Longhorns at Alabama Crimson Tide : Texas surprised the Tide last year, so they won't get surprised again.  However, the Tide also lost some key players, and a one-sided victory over a weak FCS team last week is no preparation for a well-stocked Longhorns team.  TEXAS by three

Memphis Tigers at Arkansas State Red Wolves : The Red Wolves got slaughtered last week.  While the Red Wolves will bounce back, they won't bounce back all the way.  MEMPHIS by 20

UCLA Bruins at San Diego State Aztecs : The Aztecs have won two games, but that streak ends here.  UCLA is a strong team, and they have the defense to stall the Aztecs.  UCLA by 18

Auburn Tigers at Cal Golden Bears : On the other hand, Cal is a California school that still need sto work on their squad.  Auburn is down this year, but they should get past the Bears.  AUBURN by 14

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Arizona State Sun Devils : This would seem like an easy game for the Cowboys, but something tells me that the Sun Devils won't make it so simple.  OKLAHOMA STATE by 16

NFL 2023 AFC Preview

 AFC East

Buffalo Bills (13-4/6-0 division): A slew of talented receivers to catch for Josh Allen makes this team an offensive powerhouse.  I'm not sure if their defense has improved, but not a lot of teams can keep pace with this offense.

Miami Dolphins (11-6/4-2): Tua has plenty of talent around him, except on the offensive line.  There are still issues there, so you have to be concerned about his health.  This team takes a significant drop without him there, so they need a great start, as he may not be there for much of the latter half of the season.

New York Jets (5-12/1-5): Aaron Rodgers is enjoying his attention in New York, much better than his Packer emigre predecessor Brett Favre (anybody noticing how the Jets like to recycle former Packer QBs)?  However, he must stay healthy,as his backups are lacking.  The team has good receivers, but the running game seems weak.  That makes a more one-sided offense, which makes them an easier target for opposing defenses.

New England Patriots (4-13/1-5): Can Zeke Elliot take some pressure off of QB Mac Jones?  Maybe, but the offensive line will make Zeek work for every yard.  This team has too much youth to be truly threatening.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens (12-5/4-2): The offense has a slew of talented receivers for Lamar Jackson to work his magic.  Decent running game, too.  Interestingly, the defense is not quite up to Ravens standards.

Cleveland Browns (9-8/4-2-4): This team believes in themselves again, as do their fans.  That's quite a chance from just a couple of years ago.  They can also be comfortable with their offensive field general.  If Deshaun goes down, DTR has proven to be a capable backup.

Cincinnati Bengals (6-11/3-3): The Bengals haven't announced a starting QB.  That makes it hard to prepare game schemes.  as each QB plays things a bit differently.I'm sure they will eventually choose one, but they will have lost a lot of prep time.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-11/3-3):  All three quarterbacks are inconsistent.  The best one might be third stringer Mason Rudolph.  At least the wide receiving corps matches the QBs, as they are also inconsistent.

AFC South

Tennessee Titans (12-5/5-1):  This is a well-balanced and talented offense.  Defense is strong, too.  They don't produce many big plays, but they are consistent.  Excellent ball control epitomizes this team.

Houston Texans (9-8/3-3): The Texans have built a decent offense around new QB CJ Stroud, but the defense is lacking.  Stroud's good, but he wasn't as good as Justin Fields, and he has taken time to develop.  Without a defense to slow down opponents, Stroud and company are going to be coming from behind often.  Their only advantage is a weak division and a favorable schedule.

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-10/2-4): They have not released any depth chart, so I have no idea how they are arranging their talent.  They have some reasonable talent, but how they will work together is unknown.

Indianapolis Colts (4-13/0-6): This team has holes on both sides of the ball.  QB Anthony Richardson looks good, but will his offensive line keep him upright?  The odds don't look too good.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (14-3/6-0): This is still a strong team, and still the team to beat.

Los Angeles Chargers (11-6/4-2): QB Justin Hebert has some new faces, but the offense still looks strong.  The defense is solid, too.  Definitely a tough competitor.

Las Vegas Raiders (9-8/1-5): Jimmy G has some talent around him, but the bench is thin.  Injuries will drop this team by midseason.

Denver Broncos (4-13/1-5):Russell Wilson looks good, but he needs to stay in the game, as there aren't good backups.  With the thin offensive line the team has, his chances don't look good.

NFL 2023 - NFC preview

 NFC East

Dallas Cowboys (11-6/ 5-1 in division): They have their team the way they want it, although their running game is fragile.  Team health is important, as most positions (except QB) take a significant step down with the second string.

Washington Commanders (5-12/3-3):  Lots of new players to break in, including a new starting QB.  At least, as shown during preseason, they have a simple playbook to help them learn.  That makes it easy for opposing defenses to figure out, but this team will get better as the season progresses.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-12/2-4): Jalen Hurts needs to stay healthy, as they don't have much talent in the way of backup.  A slightly porous offensive line makes that questionable.  I also don't like the "running back by committee" that they are starting the season with.

New York Giants (5-12/2-4):  Tommy DeVito should be the backup QB, not third string.  He performed much better than Tyrod Tayler during preseason.  It shows that the coaching staff automatically favors the older veterans, despite performance.  That will affect the effort of the younger players, which they will need to count on as the veterans get injured.  This team will fade in the second half of the season.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings (12-5/4-2): In this era of free agency, the Vikings did something amazing -- they remained mostly intact.  That cohesion will be a great advantage.  If anything, the offense should be better than last year, which makes them a tougher opponent.

Detroit Lions (9-8/2-4): Teddy Bridgewater looked good during preseason, but the Lions really should have a third QB on the roster.  If Goff does down, Teddy may not stand for long, as he has a history of injuries.  They have good depth at other offensive positions.  The backup defense is young, but hungry.

Chicago Bears (8-9/3-3):  Justin Fields looks better this year, but the defense, normally a Bears stable, seems weak.  Hopefully some of the new guys will sharpen as the season progresses.

Green Bay Packers (7-10/3-3): Jordan Love needs to stay healthy, as he doesn't really have decent backups.  In fact, most positions are highly fragile, with a benchful of questionable backup talent.  In other years when this has been an issue, injuries have sidelined their seasons, and I see that happening again.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints (11-6/6-0): Derek Carr looked rejuvenated, and he has a good running game to support him.  The offensive line looks solid, which is something Carr needs.  The defense is good but not consistent, so the Saints offense will have to outscore opponents.

Tampa Bay Bucs (7-10/5-1):  Baker Mayfield has great receivers, but he's the only decent QB the team has.  The offensive line is decent but not overly strong, so if Baker goes out with injury, this team stalls.  At least their defense will prevent them from getting blown out.

Atlanta Falcons (5-12/1-5):  This team is hard to predict.  Their depth chart is still up in the air.  It does not appear that they used the preseason to really measure which player to place where, and that confusion may carry into the season.  Players may still feel like their position is not secure.  You can't have players looking over their shoulders at the coaching staff and team administration as well as their opponents.

Carolina Panthers (4-13/0-6): Bryce Young had ups and downs in the preseason.  I'm not sure if he's really ready.  This team is nearly completely restructured.  It's be a learning year.

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (13-4/4-2):  Like the Vikings, another solid team.  They;ve had to replace a bit more, but the newcomers are fitting in nicely.  Definitely the team to beat in the division, and the conference.

San Francisco 49ers (12-5/4-2):  Brocfk Purdy has great support around him, and a stiff defense, too.  This team is a force.

Arizona Cardinals (8-9/2-4):  The offense will be relying ontheir tight ends, that's for sure.  They have a strong defense, but the offense will be pretty predictable.

Seattle Seahawks (6-11/2-4) : Perhaps the team in the conference that has fallen the most in one off-season.  Geno Smith has never been successful as a starting QB.  Clearly they thought Drew Lock needed more time to learn, but he should be on the field within five or six weeks; I don't expect the Seahawks to tolerate Smith's poor performance longer than that.