NCAA 2023 Week 10 picks

Teams are really starting to be concerned about placement for conference title games, and the week starts with two important ones for the MAC

Tuesday Oct 31

I'm sure these teams are hoping for more treats than tricks, but maybe some trick plays may appear.

Northern Illinois Huskies at Central Michigan Chippewas : Losing this game will likely extinguish any title hopes for the Chippewas.  They will fight hard, but the Huskies tend to fight harder in championship-eligible games.  NORTHERN ILLINOIS by eight

Buffalo Bulls at Toledo Rockets : They may play in two different divisions, but a loos by Buffalo puts them in jeopardy in the East.  Toledo is strong, though, and I don't see them faltering on this, especially since they had an extra week to prepare.  TOLEDO by 12

Wednesday Nov 1

Ball State Cardinals at Bowling Green Falcons : Neither team is having the type of year they hoped, but al least the Falcons are less pathetic.  BOWLING GREEN by eight

Kent State Golden Flashes at Akron Zips : Well, one of these two teams will have their first conference win.  Since the Flashes have the worst offense in the conference, I'll pick Akron to gain that first win.  AKRON by seven

Thurs Nov 2

Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Duke Blue Devils : This game might have been better scheduled on Halloween night (demons versus devils?  How more appropriate could you get?), but here it is.  Duke suffered an embarrassing loss last week, so they want to right the ship.  Wake won't make it easy, but they should regain their winning ways.  DUKE by eight

Sat Nov 4

Purdue Boilermakers at #1 Michigan Wolverines : Michigan will pulverize the Boilermakers.  MICHIGAN by lots

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : Rutgers might start this game strongly, but the second half will belong to the Buckeyes.  OHIO STATE by 23

#3 Florida State Seminoles at Pitt Panthers:  One week after getting routed by Notre Dame, the Panthers face another blowout.  FLORIDA STATE by lots

#4 Washington Huskies at #17 USC Trojans : This might be last week in the Top 25 for the Trojans after starting the season at #1, as they have slid badly.  Washington will carve them up.  WASHINGTON by 20

#15 Missouri Tigers at #5 Georgia Bulldogs : This might be the best chance for the Bulldogs first loss.  Missouri has a tenacious defense.  If they force at least two turnovers, they might win the game.  Georgia rarely coughs up the ball, though.  GEORGIA by eight

Cal Golden Bears at #6 Oregon Ducks : Cal nearly beat USC last week.  Oregon won't have any problems.  OREGON by 24

#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Clemson Tigers : Can the Irish paste a second consecutive ACC opponent?  Maybe.  NOTRE DAME by 26

#8 Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys : I'll bet the Cowboys wanted to be the team to hand the Sooners their first loss.  Unfortunately, now that that first loss has happened, the Sooners will work extra hard to ensure it doesn't happen again so soon.  OKLAHOMA by 16

#20 Kansas State Wildcats at #9 Texas Longhorns : The Wildcats have now entered the toughest stretch of their schedule, and the Longhorns will start their decline.  TEXAS by 20

#10 Penn State Nittany Lions at Maryland Terrapins : After last week, I think Maryland and their fans have to be concerned that the Terrapins are facing at least two more big losses.  Here's one.  PENN STATE by 18

Army Black Knights at #11 Air Force Falcons : Why don't we just award the Commander-in-Chief's trophy to Air Force right now and spare the embarrassment?  AIR FORCE by lots

LSU Tigers at #12 Alabama Crimson Tide : LSU is knocking on the door to the Top 25, but the Tide have answered the door.  That's worse than seeing a shotgun or a big dog.  ALABAMA by 15

Boise State Broncos at #13 Fresno State Bulldogs : The Bulldogs will knock off another Mountain West contender, setting up a match-up with Air Force.  FRESNO STATE by 16

#24 Texas A&M Aggies at #14 Ole Miss Rebels : The Rebels are a tough team this year, and with losses by A^M and LSU this week will set them up to challenge Alabama for the West title.  OLE MISS by 20

Virginia Tech Hokies at #16 Louisville Cardinals : The Cardinals are proving to be a serious power in the ACC, and perhaps poised to challenge Florida State for the conference title.  The Hokies won't be too large an obstacle.  LOUISVILLE by 18

UConn Huskies at #18 Tennessee Volunteers : Easy pick.  TENNESSEE by lots

Campbell at #19 North Carolina Tar Heels : Even easier pick. NORTH CAROLINA by tons

#21 Miami Hurricanes at NC State Wolf Pack : This might be an interesting challenge for the Hurricanes, but their tenacious defense will see them through.  MIAMI by 13

#22 Kansas Jayhawks at Iowa State Cyclones : The Jayhawks have to keep their cool and get overly crazed over their upset of Oklahoma, as they will need to pay attention to the Cyclones.  A possible upset here.  KANSAS by six

Arizona State Sun Devils at #23 Utah Utes : Utah gets to bounce back from a bad loss, but they can't feel too comfortable.  UTAH by 16

#25 Oregon State Beavers at Colorado Buffaloes : Upset alert!  Away from home, the Beavers aren't quite so strong, and Colorado has been getting a bit better the past couple of weeks.  OREGON STATE by four

Big Ten

Wisconsin Badgers at Indiana Hoosiers : The Badgers prevent the Hoosiers from gaining their first conference win of the season while simultaneously holding their place in the West title race.  WISCONSIN by eight

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Michigan State Spartans : The other team looking for their first conference win will also fall, although not without some difficulty.  NEBRASKA by nine

Illinois Fighting Illini at Minnesota Golden Gophers : If the Illini learned what they screwed up on during the second half of the Wisconsin game, and can hold onto a lead, they might surprise Minnesota, as the defense is coming together.  I'm not sure they've fixed it, though.  MINNESOTA by nine

Iowa Hawkeyes at Northwestern Wildcats : Northwestern is coming on, but Iowa had an extra week to heal and work up new defensive strategies (as if they really needed any new ones!).  IOWA by ten

Other Games of Interest

Tulane Green Wave at East Carolina Pirates : The Pirates won't be able to steal a win from the surging Green Wave.  TULANE by 16

James Madison Dukes at Georgia State Panthers : This might be the last chance for someone to beat James Madison.  If they haven't fully recovered from the tight bout they fought with Old Dominion, they might fall.  I don't think so, but watch for a possible upset.  JAMES MADISON by six

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Liberty Flames : The Flames, on the other hand, don't really have nay stiff competition in the Conference USA this year.  LIBERTY by 24

Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs : This is an important game for Kentucky.  In recent years, the Wildcats start the season strong, and then slip when they start losing against tough SEC opponents.  They need a good SEC win to reverse that trend.  I think they'll pull out a win, but it'll be too close for comfort.  KENTUCKY by four

SMU Mustangs at Rice Owls : The Mustangs are running wild, and the Owls can only watch.  SMU by lots

UCLA Bruins at Arizona Wildcats : Arizona won't engineer two upsets in a row.  UCLA by 16

NCAA 2023 Week 9 results

 We lost Oklahoma from the ranks of the unbeatens, and upsets really through the middle of the rankings in chaos.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (8-0) [1]

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) [2]

3.  Florida State Seminoles (8-0) [5]

4.  Washington Huskies (8-0) [4]

5.  Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) [6]

6.  Oregon Ducks (7-1) [8]

7.  Notre Dam Fighting Irish (6-2) [7]

8.  Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) [3]

9.  Texas Longhorns (7-1) [9]

10. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) [10]

11. Air Force Falcons (8-0) [11]

12. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) [12]

13. Fresno State Bulldogs (7-1) [15]

14. Ole Miss Rebels (7-1) [18]

15. Missouri Tigers (7-1) [17]

16. Louisville Cardinals (7-1) [22]

17. USC Trojans (7-2) [16]

18. Tennessee Volunteers (6-2) [20]

19. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-2) [14]

20. Kansas State Wildcats (6-2) [24]

21. Miami Hurricanes (6-2) [23]

22. Kansas Jayhawks (6-2) [NR]

23. Utah Utes (6-2) [13]

24. Texas A&M Aggies (5-3) [25]

25. Oregon State Beavers (6-2) [19]

 Dropped off: Duke Blue Devils [#21]

On the Cusp:  SMU Mustangs (6-2), LSU Tigers (6-2), James Madison Dukes (8-0), Liberty Flames (8-0), Toledo Rockets (7-1), Tulane Green Wave (7-1), Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2), UCLA Bruins (6-2)

Upset Alert

Kansas' victory over Oklahoma was the big one this week, but it wasn't the only one.  It started Friday night, as Virginia Tech completely blanked Syracuse.  Northwestern handed Maryland their third loss, Georgia Tech knocked off North Carolina, and the Pac-12 had a rough night:  both Arizona teams won, beating Washington State and Oregon State.

Big Ten Report

The East division continues to progress pretty much as expected, although Maryland is basically out of contention, unless they can surprise two of the division leaders.  Michigan State and Indiana are still seeking their first conference win, as both face bowl ineligibility with one more loss.

The West division got more interesting this week.  With Wisconsin's loss, it is really anybody's battle.  While Purdue and Illinois are two games behind, everyone else is easily within reach of the title.  

MAC Attack

Miami Ohio and Toldeo are pulling away from the rest of the packs,

NFL 2023 Week 7 results and Week 8 picks

 The top of the ranks really got screwy, as upsets continue in the league/.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-1) [3] : The defending Super Bowl Champs regain the top spot by surviving these two weeks of upsets.

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) [6]

3.  San Francisco 49ers (5-2) [1]

4.  Baltimore Ravens (5-2) [8]

5.  Miami Dolphins (5-2) [2]

6.  Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) [9] : I'll bet they are pleased they went to London, as they haven't stopped winning

7.  Buffalo Bills ((4-3) [5] : I see some issues brewing

8.  Dallas Cowboys (4-2) [7]

9.  Detroit Lions (5-2) [4] : Big losers against Baltimore

10. Seattle Seahawks (4-2) [12]

11. Cleveland Browns (4-2) [11]

12. Houston Texans (3-3) [10]

13. New Orleans Saints (3-4) [13]

14. Los Angeles Rams (3-4) [NR]

15. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-3) [14]

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) [NR]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC West [1]

2.  AFC North [4]

3.  AFC East [3]

4.  AFC South [2]

5.  NFC East [6]

6.  NFC North [5]

7 (tie). AFC West [7]

7 (tie). NFC South [8]

Thursday night

 Tampa Bay Bucs at Buffalo Bills : The Bills are struggling a bit right now, and might make then a target for a Bucs upset.  The Bucs aren't exactly flying high, either, so I think the Bills will squeak this one out.  BILLS, 24-20

Sunday early games

Still picking quite a few visitors, but it's not as bad as last week

Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans : The Falcons are starting to get a foothold and showing some promise.  The Titans have talent, they have just been underachieving.  If the Titans can get a foothold, they could win this game.  However, based upon how they have been playing, I'll go with the Falcons.  FALCONS, 23-20

Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers : Easy pick.  CJ Stroud is playing very well, and the Panthers are winless.  TEXANS, 17-6

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers : Kenny Pickett is starting to come along, but the Steelers still rely on the run.  The Jags have a tough run defense, so I don't think that attack will work.  Pickett isn't ready to carry the offense totally on his own yet.  JAGS, 24-16

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers : The Viking shave played well all season, they just couldn't get wins earlier.  Now they are getting those wins.  The Pack just seems lethargic.  VIKINGS, 27-17

Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys : The Rams seem to be righting themselves, but they go up against a tough Cowboys offense.  COWBOYS, 24-17

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins : The Patriots upset Buffalo last week, but Miami will be prepared.  DOLPHINS, 27-13

New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts : Here's one where I prefer the visitor, but I think the home team has enough to register the upset.  COLTS, 20-17

New York Jets at New York Giants : The return of Saquon Barkley to the Giants has spurred the team.  Despite a stiff Jets defense, I like their chances here.  GIANTS, 16-13

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders : The Eagles play well, and find ways to win.  They don't win big, but consistently winning close games is a sign of an excellent game plan.  EAGLES< 27-20

Sunday late games

Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals : The Ravens looked unbeatable last week.  While I don't think they'll be as dominant, they are also playing a weaker team.  RAVENS, 23-10

Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers : The 49ers want a big win to erase the sting of last week's loss.  I think they can get it.  49ERS, 31-16

Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks : This will be a very close game.  It'll be physical, which the Browns love but I'm not sure they have the stamina for.  SEAHAWKS, 17-16

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos : The Chiefs are dominating their division rivals, and have done so for the past few years.  CHIEFS, 34-13

Sunday night

Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers : The Bears are looking better, but they rather do well traveling to the LA area,  CHARGERS, 23-16

Monday Night Football

Las Vegas Raiders at Detroit Lions : If last week wasn't an indication of a slide in the Lion's performance, they should bounce back against the Raiders.  LIONS, 27-17

NCAA 2023 Week 9 picks

 Tues Oct 24

Liberty Flames at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers : The Flames are one of two unranked unbeaten teams. A win here won't help much, as the Hilltoppers are struggling, but they will remain unbeaten.  LIBERTY by 24

Thurs Oct 26

Syracuse Orange at Virginia Tech Hokies : The Orange are still looking for their first conference win, and this might be it.  The Hokies have improved, but the Orange have a good team -- they have not been blown out and remain competitive.  This game could go the other way, but I predict the Orange's fortunes will change.  SYRACUSE by eight

Sat Oct 28

Top 25

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers : The Badgers escaped Champaign with a win by scoring 25 fourth quarter points.  That won't happen with the Buckeyes defense, although they might allow them a "pity" TD late in the fourth.  OHIO STATE by 23

#3 Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas Jayhawks " Prior to last week, I would have picked the Sooners to win easily.  However, they exposed some vulnerabilities last week, and the Jayhawks are talented enough to exploit that.  I'll still favor Oklahoma, but watch for an upset.  OKLAHOMA by nine

#4 Washington Huskies at Stanford Cardinal : The Huskies faced a scare the last two weeks.  Stanford won't give them much trouble.  WASHINGTON by lots

#5 Florida State Seminoles at Wake Forest Demon Deacons : The Seminoles have proven to be the toughest ACC team this season, and Wake Forest isn't strong enough to knock them off.  FLORIDA STATE by 24

#6 Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators : Ooh, this should be a fun game!  Both teams took an extra week to prepare, and these two always come up with some tricky plays for this battle.  Florida is good, but not good enough to beat the Bulldogs.  This game will be close, though.  GEORGIA by eight

Pitt Panthers at #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : The Irish took a bye week to get themselves together, so this should be a schmear.  NOTRE DAME by 24

#8 Oregon Ducks at #13 Utah Utes : A last second field goal preserved a win for Utah last week against USC, and now they face another tip team in the conference.  Utah can surprise, but I think the Ducks will work to prevent another road loss to a ranked opponent, redeeming themselves from the Washington loss.  OREGON by four

BYU Cougars at #9 Texas Longhorns : BYU is not having an easy time in this first season as a Big XII team.  Texas will feed Cougar meat to their cattle.  TEXAS by 21

Indiana Hoosiers at #10 Penn State Nittany Lions : Ohio State kept the Lions from succeeding on third down.  I don't see the Hoosiers being so successful.  The Nittany Lions will run up the score to wash away the offensive disaster of last week.  PENN STATE by lots

#11 Air Force Falcons at Colorado State Rams : The Falcons are one of only three FBS teams who have not thrown an interception.  One reason?  If their running game is working, they don't pass.  They've already had one game where they threw less than five passes in the game.  Given the poor D-line of the Rams, this might be another.  AIR FORCE by 24

#14 North Carolina Tar Heels at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : Although the Yellow Jackets won last week, the Tar Heels want a strong victory to bounce back from the Virginia upset.  They should get it.  NORTH CAROLINA by lots

UNLV Running Rebels at #15 Fresno State Bulldogs : The Rebles are a strong contender in the Mountain West, but they haven't yet faced the upper teams.  Here's one, and the Bulldogs have the stiffest defense in the conference.  FRESNO STATE by 16

#16 USC Trojans at Cal Golden Bears : After some tough weeks, the Trojans get an easy game.  USC by lots

Vanderbilt Commodores at #18 Ole Miss Rebels : Possibly the easiest conference game on the Rebs schedule.  OLE MISS by lots

#19 Oregon State Beavers at Arizona Wildcats : The Wildcats won't really be a roadblock for the Beavers.  OREGON STATE by 26

#20 Tennessee Volunteers at Kentucky Wildcats : Don't discount the Wildcats!  Kentucky has a good team.  This will be a real scrapper.  I'm tempted to pick the home team, but I think Tennessee wants to show that struggles they suffered last week are not an indication of weaknesses.  TENN by three

#21 Duke Blue Devils at #22 Louisville Cardinals : Duke got pulverized last week.  I'm not sure they've recovered enough to hold back the Cardinals.  LOUISVILLE by six

Virginia Cavaliers at #23 Miami Hurricanes : I don't think the Cavs will have two consecutive upsets.  MIAMI by 23

Houston Cougars at #24 Kansas State Wildcats : Houston can perform, but the Wildcats defense will wear them down.  This will be a dominant second half by Kansas State.  KANSAS STATE by 18

South Carolina Gamecocks at #25 Texas A&M Aggies : The Aggies will push the Gamecocks around.  TEXAS A^M by 20

Big Ten

Maryland Terrapins at Northwestern Wildcats : Maryland is still a potent and dangerous team.  Northwestern continues to look for conference win #2.  MARYLAND by 23

Purdue Boilermakers at Nebraska Cormhuskers : Nebraska has a good offense.  Their weakness is defense.  Purdue can move the ball, but then they make mistakes.  If that continues, Nebraska should do well.  NEBRASKA by nine

MAC

Western Michigan Broncos at Eastern Michigan Eagles : The Eagles are having a good season, but the Broncos can always be dangerous.  This won't be easy for the home team, but I still favor them.  EASTERN MICHIGAN by four

Miami Ohio Redhawks at Ohio Bobcats : Two division contenders face off.  Ohio started the season strong, but they've faltered a bit recently.  They could get it up for this game, but I think I'll favor the consistency of the Redhawks.  MIAMI OHIO by nine

Other Games of Interest

West Virginia Mountaineers at UCF Golden Knights : UCF finally threatened a Big XII opponent last week, but they may have exhausted themselves.  If it was an indication that they are adapting to this conference, they might win this game, but I'll stick with the Mountaineers.  WEST VIRGINIA by eight

Clemson Tigers at NC State Wolf Pack : Clemson may be having a down year, but they showed power last week.  I think that will continue.  CLEMSON by nine

Tulane Green Wave at Rice Owls : Easy win for the Wave.  TULANE by lots

Colorado Buffaloes at UCLA Bruins : The Bruins have tumbled after a stellar start to the season.  Will they bounce back this week, or will the Coach Prime train roll over them?  I think the luster of the the Prime Buffaloes has reduced.  UCLA by six

Old Dominion Monarchs at James Madison Dukes : The Dukes are possibly the most impressive Gang of Four team playing.  It's even more impressive when you realize that this is just their second year at this lee3l of competition.  JAMES MADISON by 24

NCAA 2023 Week 8 results

 Almost no upsets, but there was lots of movement in the rankings.  We did lose two more unbeaten teams, leaving only seven.  Three of those are in the Gang of Four:  Air Force, Liberty, and James Madison (in only their second year in FBS).

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (8-0) [1] : Second shutout of the season.  Strong defense

2.  Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0) [3] : Dominant victory over Penn State.  The Lions completed only one third down attempt!

3.  Oklahoma Sooners (7-0) [2] : Barely escapted UCF

4.  Washington Huskies (7-0) [4] : The Huskies had a scare, too

5.  Florida State Seminoles (7-0) [5]

6.  Georgia Bulldogs (7-0) [6]

7.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-2) [7]

8.  Oregon Ducks (6-1) [8] : Strong bounce back from their tough loss to Washington

9.  Texas Longhorns (6-1) [9] : They survived an upset scare

10. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) [10] : Their offense was shut down by the Buckeyes, but their defnse still dominates

11. Air Force Falcons (7-0) [13] : Knocking on the door of the Top Ten

12. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) [14]

13. Utah Utes (6-1) [16]

14. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1) [11]

15. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-1) [15]

16. USC Trojans (6-2) [12]

17. Missouri Tigers (7-1) [20]

18. Ole Miss Rebels (6-1) [21] : There may be a power shift in the SEC West

19. Oregon State Beavers (6-1) [19]

20. Tennessee Volunteers (5-2) [18]

21. Duke Blue Devils (5-2) [17]

22. Louisville Cardinals (6-1) [22]

23. Miami Hurricanes (5-2) [23]

24. Kansas State Wildcats (5-2) [27]

25. Texas A&M Aggies (4-3) [25]

Dropped off: Iowa Hawkeyes [#24]

On the Cusp: LSU Tigers (6-2), Kentucky Wildcats (5-2), SMU Mustangs (5-2), Toledo Rockets (7-1), Tulane Green Wave (6-1), Maryland Terrapins (5-2), UCLA Bruibs (5-2)

Upset alert

There were only two games that were truly upsets, as some unexpected results occurred, but either the teo teams were fairly even or the favorites ended up winning in a close game.  However, North Carolina suffered perhaps the worst upset of the season, as they fell from the ranks of the unbeatens with a loss to one-win Virginia.  The other upset occurred in the Big Ten, so I'll discuss it in that section.

Big Ten Report

Despite the score, Ohio State thoroughly dominated Penn State.  The Nittany Lions late touchdown was a "pity" score, as the Buckeyes defense took a breather.  Michigan shut out their state rivals, and llinois nearly took out Wisconsin (and would have, if the defense hadn't given up when Newton was ejected for targeting). Iowa's defense, however, couldn't completely slow down the Gophers offense, and they lost their second conference game.  I bet Iowa hopes Illinois HAD beaten Wisconsin!

By the way, hat's off to Illinois' JaiZhan Newton.  Most players try to argue with the referres when they are accussed of targeting.  Not only did Newton admit it, he was so mad at himself immediately after the play that he drew the flag by his own reaction.  Newton took responsibility for his error.  That is a level of maturity that you rarely see in the college game, and is even hard to find in the pros.

MAC Attack

Buffalo continues to win.  Despite losing ALL of their non-conference games, the Bulls are a contender to win their division.  That's amazing.  On the other hand, Toledo has upper hand in their division.

NFL 2023 Week 6 results and Week 7 picks

 We have no more unbeaten teams, as both San Francisco and Philadelphia lost stunning upsets!  Buffalo struggled again, but the losses at the top helped them.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-1) [1] : They remain on top despite the loss.  That shows how much stronger they had been than the rest of the league.

2.  Miami Dolphins (5-1) [4] : Another dominating offensive showing!

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) [3]

4.  Detroit Lions (5-1) [5]

5.  Buffalo Bills (4-2) [6]

6.  Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) [2]

7.  Dallas Cowboys (4-2) [7]

8.  Baltimore Ravens (4-2) [8]

9.  Cleveland Browns (3-2) [9]

10.  Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) [15] : They must have carried a piece of London home in their luggage

11. Houston Texans (3-3) [16]

12. Seattle Seahawks (3-2) [11]

13. New Orleans Saints (3-3) [12]

14. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2) [10]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

 1  NFC West [1]

2.  AFC South [3]

3.  AFC East [2]

4.  AFC North [4] : Only division with no losing records, but no outstanding records, either

5.  NFC North [8]

6.  NFC East [6]

7.  AFC West [7]

8.  NFC South [4] : Nobody won this week

Thursday night

Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints : London has seemed to revitalize the Jags.  The Saints might beat them, but the Jags are on a roll,  JAGS, 17-13

Sunday early games

I'm picking lots of visiting teams here.  I hope that's not a bad sign.

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs are sometimes they own worst enemy.  Fortunately for them, the Falcons screw up more often.  BUCS, 17-13

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots : Buffalo is a bit inconsistent recently, but the Patriots are very consistent -- consistently bad.  BILLS, 27-13

Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts : The Colts can play well, they just can't seem to sustain that pace.  If they are up, they will win.  I'll stick with the consistent pressure of the Browns.  BROWNS, 20-16

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens : A couple of years ago, I would consider the Ravens defense strong enough to slow a team like the Lions.  Now, I'm not so sure.  Their offense sputters a bit, too, which could open the door for a nice Lions win.  LIONS, 27-23

Las Vegas Raiders at Chicago Bears : The Bears are struggling again.  The Raiders thrive when they can confuse their opponents.  RAIDERS, 20-13

Washington Commanders at New York Giants : Saquon Barkeley is back, so the Giants are hoping to get back on track.  They didn't his past week, but it might just be a matter of time.  For now, we'll have to wait and see.  COMMANDERS, 17-10

Sunday late games

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks : A win just isn't in the cards for the Cards.  SEAHAWKS, 20-13

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos : The Pack get a nice easy game after their bye week.  Good way to build up some momentum.  PACK, 24-10

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chargers defense can distract some teams, but Mahomes is starting to connect with his new receivers.  That might make it difficult.  CHIEFS, 24-16

Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams : Pittsburgh's offense is still not to the level that makes them consistently competitive.  The Rams should exploit that.  RAMS, 20-13

Sunday night

Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles : The Eagles lost their first game last week.  They don't win big, but they find ways to win.  They might do that here, but if the Dolphins are able to score, the Eagles are not equipped to come back from a deficit like that.  DOLPHINS, 27-20

Monday Night Football

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings have a decent offense, but their defense has trouble.  That opens the door to the 49ers.  49ERS, 27-17

NCAA 2023 Week 8 picks

 Not much of interest in the early part of the week.  Let's start with Friday...

Friday Oct 20

SMU Mustangs at Temple Owls : SMU is having a good season.  They are currently in second place in the American, behind Tulane.  This is strong team.  SMU by 23

Sat Oct 21

Top 25

#1 Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans This in-state rivalry is often intense, but this one won't be close.  MICHIGAN by lots

UCF Golden Kngihts at #2 Oklahoma Sooners : Easy win for the Sooners.  OKLAHOMA by lots

#10 Penn State Nittany Lions at #3 Ohio State Buckeyes : Now we will see if the Buckeyes have worked out all of their defensive woes from earlier in the season, as the Lions will stretch that defense.  I think the Buckeyes have their team clicking, but this will be a close game.  OHIO STATE by six

Arizona State Sun Devils at #4 Washington Huskies : Will the Huskies suffer a letdown after the tool and nail battle against the Ducks?  I don't think so.  WASHINGTON by 26

#17 Duke Blue Devils at #5 Florida State Seminoles : Florida State will be an even tougher opponent than Notre Dame, and we know how that game ended.  FLORIDA STATE by 16

Washington State Cougars at #8 Oregon Ducks : Both teams lost last week, so each want a win to right themselves.  Only one will be successful, and I think the better weapons are held by the home team.  OREGON by 14

#9 Texas Longhorns at Houston Cougars : Did the Longhorns really need an extra week to prepare for this one?  TEXAS by lots

Virginia Cabaliers at #11 North Carolina Tar Heels : The Heels have a nice easy game.  NORTH CAROLINA by lots

#16 Utah Utes at #12 USC Trojans : Notre Dame woke up the Trojans, who had been playing a bit lethargic.  They realized they have to wake up and think about what they are doing.  They will definitely need to play that way to beat Utah.  I think the Trojans got their wake-up call, but if they missed any of it, Utah has the talent to upset them.  USC by six

#13 Air Force Falcons at Navy Midshipmen : This battle of the service academies goes to the airmen.  AIR FORCE by 20

#18 Tennessee Volunteers at #14 Alabama Crimson Tide : The Vols will push them, but I think this game will come down to the last possession, and the Tide can make magic in those situations.  ALABAMA by four

South Carolina Gamecocks at #20 Missouri Tigers : The Gamecocks won't give them too much trouble.  MISSOURI by 23

#21 Ole Miss Rebels at Auburn Tigers : The Tigers defense will be fierce.  They are little beaten up, though, so the Rebs will likely wear them down enough to charge in the fourth quarter.  OLE MISS by six

Clemson Tigers at #23 Miami Hurricanes : Miami will want to bounce back from last week.  Clemson isn't as strong as they have been, and ball control is iffy.  Great opportunity for the Miami defense to foce a couple of turnovers.  MIAMI by 14

Minnesota Golden Gophers at #24 Iowa Hawkeyes : The stiff Iowa defense is working, and  that will wear down the Gophers.  IOWA by eight

Big Ten

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Indiana Hoosiers : At the beginning of the season, I thought Indiana would have a good season.  It hasn't turned out that way, as the Hoosiers are still in search of their first conference win.  Rutgers is actually a good team this year, so I don't think the Hoosiers will find that win this week.  RUTGERS by 11

Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini : The Badgers crumbled under a stiff defense.  Illinois had such a defense last season, but lost plenty of players to the NFL.  Last week seemed to show that the Illini restructured defense was coming on.  If that's really true, they could beat Wisconsin.  I'm not sure if one game is proof enough, so I'll pick the Badgers.  WISCONSIN by eight

Northwestern Wildcats at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Northwestern is having a terrible year.  NEBRASKA by 20

MAC

Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Bobcats : Ohio lost last week, but they get to rebound this week.  OHIO by 20

Akron Zips at Bowling Green Falcons : The Falcons found their footing last week, and should breeze past the struggling Zips.  BOWLING GREEN by 26

Central Michigan Chippewas at Ball State Cardinals : Ball State is looking for their first conference win.  Not here.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by lots

Eastern Michigan Eagles at Northern Illinois Huskies : The Huskies are on an upswing, and theat's when they are most dangerous.  NORTHERN ILLINOIS by 16

Buffalo Bulls at Kent State Golden Flashes : Kent State has the worst offense and second-worst defense in the conference,  Not much hope here. BUFFALO by 24

Toledo Rockets at Miami Ohio Redhawks : The two division leaders, and the only teams without a conference loss, face off.  Toledo has the best offense while the Redhawks have the best defense.  Normally in those circumstances I pick the defense, but Toledo finds ways to win.  TOLEDO by four

Other Games of Interest

Memphis Tigers at UAB Blazers : The Blazers are struggling, which is all the Tigers need to advance their hopes to the American Athletic Conference title game.  MEMPHIS by 24

North Texas Mean Green at Tulane Green Wave : Tulane leads the American and really controls the pace of all of their games.  TULANE by 23

TCU Horned Frogs at Kansas State Wildcats : Whoa, this is an interesting game!  Thee two games are very evenly matched.  This is the toughest game to pick, as it really is anyone's game.  i'll give the edge to the home team.  KANSAS STATE by two

Army Black Knights at LSU Tigers : This one isn't hard to pick.  LSU by 18

UCLA Bruins at Stanford Cardinal : Stanford came back from behind to shock the Buffaloes, but I don't see them repeating that feat.  UCLA by 20

NCAA 2023 Week 7 results

 We had fewer games that I would label as upsets, but the Top 25 contests we had caused massive shakeups.  We have six new teams in the Top25. The most stable part of the rankings was the top.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (7-0) [1]

2.  Oklahoma Sooners (6-0) [2]

3.  Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) [3]

4.  Washington Huskies (6-0) [4]

5.  Florida State Seminoles (6-0) [7]

6.  Georgia Bulldogs (7-0) [6]

7.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-2) [16]

8.  Oregon Ducks (5-1) [8]

9.  Texas Longhorns (5-1) [9]

10. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0) [10]

11. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-0) [11]

12. USC Trojans (6-1) [5]

13. Air Force Falcons (6-0) [12]

14. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1) [14]

15. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-1) [30]

16. Utah Utes (5-1) [NR]

17. Duke Blue Devils (5-1) [17]

18. Tennessee Volunteers (5-1) [21]

19. Oregon State Beavers (6-1) [22]

20. Missouri Tigers (6-1) [NR]

21. Ole Miss Rebels (5-1) [26]

22. Louisville Cardinals (6-1) [13]

23. Miami Hurricanes (4-2) [19]

24. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1) [NR]

25. Texas A&M Aggies (4-2) [23]

Dropped off: UCLA Bruins [#15], Washington State Cougars [#18], Maryland Terrapins [#20], Kentucky Wildcats [#24], Auburn Tigers [#25]

On the Cusp: Kansas State Wildcats (4-2), LSU Tigers (5-2), Toledo Rockets (6-1), TCU Horned Frogs (4-3), Tulane Green Wave (5-1)

Upset Alert

Friday night had the first one, and it switched a result that looked obvious when I went to bed.  The Stanford Cardinal engineered an amazing second half comeback to beat Colorado, basically destroying any Pac-12 Championship hopes of Coach Prime.  

The remaining upsets cost three teams their Top 25 rankings and another team nearly lost theirs.  Pitt beat Louisville, deflating them after their amazing victory over Notre Dame.  Arizona shocked Washington State, and LSU completely destroyed Auburn.  The biggest shocker will be discussed in the next section.

Big Ten Report

 Games went pretty much as expected.  The Iowa v Wisconsin game was expected to be a grinding, defensive battle, only the victor was a bit of a surprise.  The biggest shocker was engineered by the team I gave up on -- Illinois.  Their defense stepped up, and their offense stopped making yard-costly mistakes, and they upset Maryland.  If this was not a fluke, the Illini might be finding themselves, and they can once again become a force.

MAC attack

There was a little more surprises here.  Northern Illinois showed why they are always a threat in conference games, as they handed Ohio a tough loss.  Bowling Green brought some sanity back to the crazed Bulls, knocking them off and bringing Buffalo back down to Earth.

NFL 2023 Week 5 results and Week 6 picks

 Buffalo lost their second game,  They seemed lethargic in London (must have been jet-lagged) while the Jags might want to move to London, as they have won their last three games there.  Certainly Roger Goodell might like a team over there permanently.

San Francisco and Philadelphia remain unbeaten.  Chicago won their first game, leaving Carolina s the only winless tean.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-0) [1]

2.  Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) [5]

3.  Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) [4]

4.  Miami Dolphins (4-1) [7]

5.  Detroit Lions (4-1) [8]

6.  Buffalo Bills (3-2) [2]

7.  Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [3]

8.  Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [6]

9.  Cleveland Browns (2-2) [9]

10. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-1) [10]

11. Seattle Seahawks (3-1) [11]

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

13. Indianapolis Colts (3-2) [17]

14. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) [14]

15. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) [18]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC West [1]

2.  AFC East [4]

3.  AFC South [2]

4 (tie). AFC North [5]

4 (tie). NFC South [7]

6.  NFC East [2]

7.  AFC West [6]

8.  NFC North [7]

Thursday night

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chiefs have a nice easy game to start the week.  CHIEFS, 34-17

Sunday morning

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans : Defense will rule this game, and the winner may be one whose endurance succeeds.  RAVENS, 17-13

Sunday early games

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins : The Panthers are looking for their first victory.  Keep searching.  DOLPHINS, 34-13

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Jags are back home, and hoping to stretch their winning streak.  They might, as these two teams seem pretty evenly-matched.  The confidence the Jags are riding after beating the Bills may propel them to a victory, as Trevor Lawrence still needs that kind of momentum to feel comfortable.  JAGS, 17-13

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears : The Bears offense finally got moving, but their defense reamins weak.  The Vikings offense has been working, so they should register their second win.  VIKES, 24-20

New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans : CJ Stroud is looking good, but the Saints defense can really frustrate new play-callers.  SAINTS, 24-17

San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns : Even with an extra week to prepare for this game, the Browns aren't really a threat to end the 49ers winning streak.  49ERS, 31-17

Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals : Coming out of a bye, the Seahawks will be fresh and hungry.  The Bengals won last week, but they are still not consistent, and I cannot expect them to step it up here.  SEAHAWKS, 20-13

Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons : The Commanders defense was shredded last week, and the Falcons were taking notes.  They will find success against them, too.  FALCONS, 30-17

Sunday late games

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams : The Cards can't seem to find their footing.  The Rams are their own worst enemy sometimes, but I think they'll keep it cool this game.  RAMS, 20-16

Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs had a bye week to prepare some new moves against the Lions, so they may get an early lead.  The key will be if their defense can hold that lead.  I'm not sure.  LIONS, 23-17

New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders : While the Patriots will not likely be shut out again this week, their offense can't get it together.  The Raiders defense can be hard on organized teams; against the Pats, it will be brutal.  RAIDERS, 20-10

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets : Speaking of defenses, can the Jets' hand the Eagles their first loss?  Nah.  EAGLES, 27-17

Sunday night

 New York Giants at Buffalo Bills : The Bills will snap back and destroy the Giants.  BILLS, 34-16

Monday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers : The Cowboys also need to shake off a tough loss, and they travel to a well-rested and well-prepared Chargers team.  This one won't be easy, but the Boys have something to prove.  COWBOYS, 24-17

NCAA 2023 Week 7

 Tuesday Oct 10

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Appalachian State Mountaineers : Neither team is having the type of year they expect, but the Mountaineers are starting to find themselves.  APPALACHIAN STATE by six

Thurs Oct 12

SMU Mustangs at East Carolina Pirates : Each team is coming off a bye.  Going into the bye, East Carolina had a lot of questions.  If they couldn't solve all of them, which would be a tall order, this will be a Mustangs victory.  SMU by nine

Friday Oct 13

Tulane Green Wave at Memphis Tigers : This one won't be close.  MEMPHIS by 23

Fresno State Bulldogs at Utah State Aggies : The Bulldogs will be hungry to wipe out that tough loss to Wyoming.  The Aggies are the entree!  FRESNO STATE by 20

Stanford Cardinal at Colorado Buffaloes : The Cardinal is struggling this week, and Coach Prime wants a strong victory to make the team feel better after the near loss last week.  This is the opportunity.  COLORADO by 18

Sat Oct 14

Top 25

Indiana Hoosiers at #1 Michigan Wolverines : Between the offense and defense, the Wolverines will control this game.  MICHIGAN by 28

#3 Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers : Once again the Buckeyes will start slowly, but they will control the game in the second half.  OHIO STATE by 26

#8 Oregon Ducks at #4 Washington Huskies : This may be the most exciting and offensive game of the day!  Both of these teams can light up the scoreboard, so it may get down to which team makes the most of their drives.  Oregon has a better TD percentage, but the Huskies have the better results in the red zone.  I'll pick the home team, but watch this one carefully!  WASHINGTON by four

#5 USC Trojans at #16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : I watched both teams last week.  USC's offense was sluggish, but Caleb Williams kept finiding ways to move the ball.  The Irish were making stupid mistakes.  I'm beginning to believe that "10 men on the filed" goal line stand that cost them the game against Ohio State was not an aberration.  USC by ten

#6 Georgia Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores : Whether the Bulldogs have fully regained their composure, against a weak opponent like Vandy, it will look like it.  GEORGIA by lots

Syracuse Orange at #7 Florida State Seminoles : Syracuse started strongly, but they haven't been able to stay with the stronger ACC teams.  This is one of the best.  FLORIDA STATE by 20

UMass Minutemen at #10 Penn State Nittany Lions : No contest.  PENN STATE by lots

#19 Miami Hurricanes at #11 North Carolina Tar Heels : The pre-hype last week was looking forward to a battle of unbeatens.  Georgia Tech ruined that.  Miami wants to rebound, but the Tar Heels will make that very difficult.  The renowned Hurricane turnover squad will have difficulty hassling the well-controlled Heels squad, which will make their efforts harder.  NORTH CAROLINA by 12

Wyoming Cowboys at #12 Air Force Falcons : Can Wyoming pull off two upsets in a row?  That has rarely happened in NCAA history, so I'm betting not.  AIR FORCE by 15

#13 Louisville Cardinals at Pitt Panthers : Often, teams let down after a huge emotional victory like the one the Cardinals engineered against Notre Dame.  However, the Cardinals won with the type of discipline that has represented them this season, so it wasn't such a strange thing.  They won't let down against Pitt.  LOUISVILLE by 23

Arkansas Razorbacks at #14 Alabama Crimson Tide : This will be an interesting test for the recently stitched together Bama offense, as Arkansas can really pester young teams.  This won't be an easy win.  BAMA by eleven

#15 UCLA Bruins at #22 Oregon State Beavers : It can always be tricky to travel to Oregon State to play, as the Beavers play above themselves at home.  UCLA rally battled Washington State last week.  How well they do here will depend upon how well they recover from that game.  UCLA by six

NC State Wolf Pack at #17 Duke Blue Devils : Duke had an extra week to prepare for this game, and you know they have prepared a couple of new plays.  DUKE by 12

Arizona Wildcats at #18 Washington State Cougars : The Cougars lost to UCLA last week, and now have to host the Wildcats, who pushed the Trojans to the limit.  I think the Wildcats may have exhausted themselves against USC, so they won't have quite so much to offer.  They'll still slow down the Cougars.  WASHINGTON STATE by 14

Illinois Fighting Illini at #20 Maryland Terrapins : Easy win for the Terrapins.  MARYLAND by 26

#23 Texas A&M Aggies at #21 Tennessee Volunteers : These two teams are very well-balanced and close in talent, so I expect this to be a close game with several lead changes.  The team with the lead at the end can hold it with good clock management, and that gives the edge to the Vols.  TENNESSEE by three

Missouri Tigers at #24 Kentucky Wildcats : Kentucky suffered a huge loss last week.  In previous years, that has deflated them, and they never recover.  I think that era is over, but if not, Missouri has the power to win.  KENTUCKY by six

#25 Auburn Tigers at LSU Tigers : The battle of the Tigers is often a defensive bout.  Auburn has a slight advantage in that they had a bye week to get healthy.  Other than that, these two are pretty close.  AUBURN by four

Big Ten

Michigan State Spartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : The Spartans had an extra week to prepare for this game, but I don't think it will help them much.  Rutgers has a good team, while the Spartans seem to be missing something this year.  RUTGERS by 16

Iowa Hawkeyes at Wisconsin Badgers : The winner of this game leads the West.  Iowa has a stiff defense, but is their defensive line strong enough to push back the Badgers punishing ground game?  I'm not sure, but if the Hawkeyes control the point of contact, they could win.  WISCONSIN by eight

MAC

Kent State Golden Flashes at Eastern Michigan Eagles : The Eagles are a decent team this year, while Kent State is missing their flash.  EASTERN MICHIGAN by 13

Akron Zips at Central Michigan Chippewas : Akron just doesn't have it this season.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by lots

Bowling Green Falcons at Buffalo Bulls : I don't think the Falcons will be shut out again, but this will be the Bulls third straight conference win.  BUFFALO by 16

Miami Ohio Readhawks at Western Michigan Broncos : The Redhawks are a good team this year.  The Broncos can always surprise, so they should not take them for granted, but the Broncos are definitely in a rebuilding year.  MIAMI OHIO by 13

Ohio Bobcats at Northern Illinois Huskies : Northern Illinois has started slowly before, and then come on strong to conclude the season.  However, Ohio has demonstrated real strength, so even if the Huskies start to find their power, Ohio's should be greater.  OHIO by 16

Other Games of Interest

Iowa State Cyclones at Cincinnati Bearcats : Cincy is finding it hard to be part of the Big XII.  Iowa State also struggled their first couple of years, but they have become a strong component of the conference.  Cincy will get to that point, too, but not now.  IOWA STATE by 16

Cal Golden Bears at Utah Utes : Utah had an extra week, but I don't think they would have needed it against Cal.  UTAH by 23

Kansas Jayhawks at Oklahoma State Cowboys : The Cowboys can be dangerous, but the Jayhawks just have it all together this season.  KANSAS by 16

NCAA 2023 Week 6 results

 Seven teams lost their unbeaten status this week.  Some were upsets, others the result of two unbeaten teams playing each other.  Strangely, so many losses did not remove anyone from the Top 25, although teams shuffled within the ranks tremendously.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (6-0) [1] : One of the few teams who really shined this weekend.

2.  Oklahoma Sooners (6-0) [2] : They won the Red River Rivalry

3.  Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) [5] : They started slowly, but this has been a better second half throughout Ryan Day's tenure

4.  Washington Huskies (5-0) [4] : Maybe having a bye week was the best thing for them

5.  USC Trojans (6-0) [3] : Arizona sent them to three overtimes, and the team played really sloppily

6.  Georgia Bulldogs (6-0) [9] : They finally looked like a returning National Champion

7.  Florida State Seminoles (5-0) [7]

8.  Oregon Ducks (5-0) [8]

9.  Texas Longhorns (5-1) [6]

10. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0) [11]

11. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-0) [16] : They proved themselves this week

12. Air Force Falcons (5-0) [15]

13. Louisville Cardinals (6-0) [24] : They gave the Irish their worst loss of the season

14. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) [19] : Still sluggish, but they find ways to win

15. UCLA Bruins (4-1) [18]

16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2) [10]

17. Duke Blue Devils (4-1) [17]

18. Washington State Cougars (5-1) [13]

19. Miami Hurricanes (4-1) [12]

20. Maryland Terrapins (5-1) [20]

21. Tennessee Volunteers (4-1) [21]

22. Oregon State Beavers (5-1) [22]

23. Texas A&M Aggies (4-2) [23]

24. Kentucky Wildcats (5-1) [14]

25. Auburn Tigers (3-2) [25]

On the Cusp: Ole Miss Rebels (5-1), Wisconsin Badgers (4-1), Memphis Tigers (4-1), Kansas Jayhawks (5-1), Fresno State Bulldogs (5-1)

Upset Alert

Not all upsets affected unbeaten teams.  Saturday started with Buffalo winning their second consecutive game, showing that they may have been waiting for conference play to show their strength.  On the other hand, Coach Prime almost suffered a shocking loss to Arizona State, pulling off a quick field-goal-winning drive in the final minutes.

At night, the prominent upsets happened.  Louisville started it, but thoroughly dominating the Irish in the second half.  Then Georgia Tech came back in the second half to beat Miami, followed by Fresno State falling to Wyoming.  To top the night, USC required three overtimes to beat lowly Arizona.

Big Ten Report

The games went pretty much as expected, although I thought Illinois might give Nebraska a bit more trouble than they did.  Michigan and Ohio State dominated, Wisconsin and Iowa won in typical fashion (the Badgers on the ground, Iowa with a punishing defense).  The biggest shock ws the fact that Northwestern almost lost to lowly I-AA Howard.  That did them no good.

MAC Attack

Here, too, things went pretty much as expected.  The only upset was by Buffalo, and the Miami Ohio shut out of Bowling Green was a surprise.Toledo controls the West division while Miami Ohio and Ohio lead the East/

NFL 2023 Week 4 results and Week 5 picks

 We have one less unbeaten team, and there was plenty of shakeups in the Power Rankings.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-0) [1]

2.  Buffalo Bills (3-1) [3]

3.  Dallas Cowboys (3-1) [4]

4.  Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) [7]

5.  Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) [5] : They are becoming the Kings of the Close Game

6.  Baltimore Ravens (3-1) [9]

7.  Miami Dolphins (3-1) [2]

8.  Detroit Lions (3-1) [10]

9. Cleveland Browns (2-2) [6]

10. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-1) [15]

11. Seattle Seahawks (3-1) [14]

12. Houston Texans (2-2) [NR]

13. Los Angeles Rams (2-2) [17]

14. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) [18]

Divisional Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC West [1]

2 (tie). NFC East [4]

2 (tie). AFC South [7]

4,  AFC East [2]

5.  AFC North [3]

6.  AFC West [7]

7 (tie). NFC South [5]

7 (tie). NFC North [6]

Thursday night

Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders : I'm just going to pick against the Bears this year.  Their defense, normally a strength of this team, has completely evaporated, and they didn't improve their offensive line at all -- that's three years in a row that their O line is insufficient.  COMMANDERS, 27-17

Sunday morning

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills : The Jags stayed in London over the week, but the extra practice won't help.  Not against the Bills.  BILLS, 34-20

Sunday early games

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers : Baltimore still rules in this division, and their defense is tops.  That's a good thing, as Lamar Jackson is still inconsistent.  RAVENS, 20-10

Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions : This year, Jared Goff is showing why the Lions traded for him.  He is finding his rhythm with this slate of receivers, and the Lions are soaring.  LIONS, 28-13

Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons : This will be close game.  CJ Stroud is showing up, much better than his Ohio State predecessor.  The Falcons have tons of spunk, and find ways to advance the ball.  This will be fun battle.  TEXANS, 20-17

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots : There is something missing with the Patriots this season.  The Saints offense is missing some spark, but they won't get much resistance from the Patriots D.  SAINTS, 30-16

New York Giants at Miami Dolphins : While I don't think the Dolphins will score 70 points, this one won't be close.  DOLPHINS, 13-34

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts : Another close game.  These two teams are very well-matched.  Close games like this one often comes down to who manages the ball and clock better, and I think that's Tennessee.  TITANS, 20-19

Sunday late games

Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals : The Bengals are the picture of underachievers.  The Cards havne't beeen tremendously successful, but they have the defense to keep them competitive.  CARDS, 20-17

Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings : Mahomes is discovering what his new receivers can do.  The more in sync they get, the better this team will perform.  CHIEFS, 31-23

New York Jets at Denver Broncos : Denver may have won their first game last week, but it was against the Bears.  Now they face a strong defense.  JETS, 17-6

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Chargers : The Charges will keep this game close.  Exactly the kind of game where the Eagles excel.  EAGLES, 28-24

Sunday night

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers : This may be it for Dallas.  The tough 49ers defense may hurt some starters, and their bench isn't thick.  It would be nice for Dallas to win a game like this, but I don't think so.  49ERS, 27-23

Monday Night Football

Green Bay Packers at Las Vegas Raiders : The Pack invade Las Vegas.  The Raiders might have more success on the slots.  PACK, 24-17

NCAA 2023 Week 6 picks

We have a Wednesday game this week, but the teams are not interesting.  Let's fast forward to Friday.

Fri Oct 6

Kansas State Wildcats at Oklahoma State Cowboys : Both teams had a bye week last week, so they had an extra week to prepare.  I'm not sure that will make a difference for the Cowboys.  Kansas State, though, gets a chance to fix some flaws in their execution.  KANSAS STATE by four

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Illinois Fighting Illini : Okay, I accept it -- the Illini are the dregs of the conference this year.  NEBRASKA by 15

Sat Oct 7

Top 25

#1 Michigan Wolverines at Minnesota Golden Gophers : The Gophers are good, but not good enough to keep pace with the Wolverines.  MICHIGAN by 23

#2 Oklahoma Sooners at #6 Texas Longhorns : Well, the Big XII will have one less unbeaten team after this game.  The Sooners offense is potent, perhaps too potent for the Longhorns defense.  OKLAHOMA by nine

Arizona Wildcats at #4 USC Trojans : Arizona doesn't have the explosive offense that the Colorado does, so USC should escape embarrassment this week.  USC by 20

#20 Maryland Terrapins at #5 Ohio State Buckeyes : Another machup of unbeatens, this one should also end with the higher-ranked team emerging victorious.  If the Notre Dame proved anything, this Buckeyes team may not be overly dominant, but they are tenacious and never give up.  OHIO STATE by eight

Virginia Tech Hokies at #7 Florida State Seminoles : Florida State didn't really need a bye week to prepare for this game.  FLORIDA STATE by 20

#14 Kentucky Wildcats at #9 Georgia Bulldogs : The Big XII and Big Ten have games featuring two unbeatens, and this is SEC's.  Georgia escaped with a scare last week, and that's not a good thing for Kentucky.  They need a strong performance to impress the committee next week, and this is it.  GEORGIA by 13

#10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #24 Louisville Cardinals : Duke gave the Irish everything they could handle.  What we did learn was a glaring weakness of the Irish defense - goal line defense.  That final Buckeye drive was not a fluke, and Duke almost exploited the same flaw.  If Louisville can push drives to the line, they might be able to exploit it, too, but I'm not sure they're that good at ball control.  NOTRE DAME by eight

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at #12 Miami Hurricanes : Miami takes a bye week and then faces a team trying to erase the stink of a MAC upset.  Tech will be playing above themselves, which might make them careless enough for the Hurricanes turnover causers to take control.  MIAMI by 18

#13 Washington State Cougars at #18 UCLA Bruins : Another matchup of two teams who had bye weeks, Washington State seems to have things more together on their team.  Unless the Bruins sharpened their scheme during bye week, this should be a victory for the visiting team.  WASHINGTON STATE by ten

Syracuse Orange at #16 North Carolina Tar Heels : The Tar Heels had a bye last week.  The Orange wish they had.  That loss seemed to have taken the wind out of their sails.  NORTH CAROLINA by 15

#19 Alabama Crimson Tide at #23 Texas A&M Aggies : Bama has a history of beating A&M, although the Aggies have beaten them.  Alabama is not the strong team that they have been, but A&M isn't either.  ALABAMA by 11

#22 Oregon State Beavers at Cal Golden Bears : The Beavers upset Utah to stay in the Top 25, adn this win should keep them there.  OREGON STATE by 24

Big Ten

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Wisconsin Badgers : Rutgers has a strong offense, but the Badgers had an extra week to prepare, and they are masters at ball control.  WISCONSIN by ten

Howard at Northwestern Wildcats : The Wildcats will get a nice easy game before they enter the toughest part of their conference schedule.  NORTHWESTERN by lots

Purdue Boilermakers at Iowa Hawkeyes : Iowa's offense continues to struggle, although they found some footing at the end of the game last week.  Purdue's offense works, but they keep committing costly penalties and turnovers.  The Hawkeyes defense will take advantage of those errors.  IOWA by nine

MAC

Western Michigan Broncos at Mississippi State Bulldogs : Bowling Green may have pulled off a Power Five upset last week, but I don't see Western Michigan repeating that.  MISSISSIPPI STATE by 18

Toledo Rockets at UMass Minutemen : Easy win for the Roclets.  TOLEDO by 26

Central Michigan Chippewas at Buffalo Bulls : Buffalo found their first win last week, but they won't make it two in a row.  CENTRAL MICHIGAN by 24

Ball State Cardinals at Eastern Michigan Eagles : Neither team is doing well, but Ball State is really struggling.  EASTERN MICHIGAN by 14

Bowling Green Falcons at Miami Ohio Redhawks : After what they did last week, I'd love to pick the Falcons.  However, the Redhawks are one of the top teams in the conference, and  they know how to handle teams like Bowling Green.  MIAMI OHIO by 13

Northern Illinois Huskies at Akron Zips : Akron couldn't get past Buffalo and the Huskies nearly won last week.  I think they have found their rhythm, and that will extend into this week.  NORTHERN ILLINOIS by eight

Other Games of Interest

LSU Tigers at Missouri Tigers : LSU is a bit inconsistent this season, while Missouri is showing some strength.  I think this battle of Tigers goes to the home team.  MISSOURI by nine

Fresno State Bulldogs at Wyoming Cowboys : The Bulldogs are the power of the Mountain West this season.  FRESNO STATE by 20

NCAA 2023 Week 5 resutls

 We had fewer Top 25 matchups, but the top of the rankings got shook up.  Top teams were not performing like top teams, and since that affects my computerized process, we had teams drop a position or two despite winning.

Top 25 [Last week's position]

1.  MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (5-0) [2] : Here was a top winning performance

2.  Oklahoma Sooners (5-0) [4]

3.  Washington Huskies (5-0) [3] : Arizona kept it close

4.  USC Trojans (5-0) [1] : Colorado scored 41 points and scored quickly.  Their defense needs work.

5.  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) [5]

6.  Texas Longhorns (5-0) [6]

7.  Florida State Seminoles (4-0) [7]

8. Oregon Ducks (5-0) [10]

9. Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) [8]

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) [9]

11. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0) [12]

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

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

14. Kentucky Wildcats (5-0) [14] : Wildcats are 5-0 are a hot commodity

15. Air Force Falcons (5-0) [19]

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

17. Duke Blue Devils (4-1) [17] : Great job against Notre Dame!

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

19. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1) [20]

20. Maryland Terrapins (5-0) [NR]

21. Tennessee Volunteers (4-1) [30]

22. Oregon State Beavers (4-1) [22]

23. Texas A&M Aggies (4-1) [23]

24. Louisville Cardinals (5-0) [24]

25. Auburn Tigers (3-2) [25]

Dropped off: Utah Utes [#15], Syracuse Orange [#21]

On the Cusp: Missouri Tigers (5-0), Fresno State Bulldgos (5-0), Memphis Tigers (4-1), Kansas State Wildcats (3-1), Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-1)

Upset Alerts

Utah lost their Top 25 ranking after a very one-sided loss to Oregon State, which is why the Beaver remain in the Top 25.  Baylor's win wasn't exactly an upset, but the way they won ws -- they scored 26 points in the fourth quarter.  Talk about a collapse of UCF's defense!

The MAC gained an upset when Bowling Green knocked off Georgia Tech.  The lat two upsets waited until late night, as both TCU and Appalachian State were defeated.

Big Ten Report

Many teams had bye weeks, so it's hard to make a reasonable conference ranking.  The three unbeaten teams dominated, as did Rutgers.  Iowa struggled against weak Michigan State, while Illinois failed big in a game that shoul dhave been close.  There isn't any questions about which is the worst team in the league.  In fact, the poor performances of Illinois and Indiana were the only surprises this week.

MAC Attack

Buffalo finally won a game and Bowling Green upset Georgia Tech.  Other than that, the games progressed fairly expectedly.