NCAA 2024 Week 6 picks

 Thursday Oct 3

Sam Houston BearKats at UTEP Miners : Sam Houston is looking really good for their first full year of FBS (by the way, now that this level of competition has a playoff, can we go back to the old IA and IAA designation, as now BOTH are Football Championship Serries?).  SAM HOUSTON by 13

Friday Oct 4

Houston Cougars at TCU Horned Frogs : Houston is the worst team in the conference, so TCU has it easy this week.  TCU by 26

Michigan State Spartans at #10 Oregon Ducks : The Spartans will travel far for this game, but it will seem even longer as they fly home after a loss.  OREGON by 24

Syracuse Orange at #17 UNLV Running Rebels : Syracuse may play this game tough, but the Rebels will wear them down.  UNLV will own the fourth quarter.  UNLV by eight

Saturday Oct 5

Top 25

Iowa Hawkeyes at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes : Iowa had a bye week last week to help prepare for this game, but it won't help them.  Their offense still needs work, so the Buckeyes defense will be able to keep them down.  OHIO STATE by 26

#3 Alabama Crimson Tide at Vanderbilt Commodores : The Commodores opened their season with an upset win, but that won't happen here.  ALABAMA by lots

#4 Tennessee Volunteers at Arkansas Razorbacks : The Razorbacks can be tough and tricky, but the Vols have one of the hottest offenses in the country.  TENN by 23

Auburn Tigers at #7 Georgia Bulldogs : The Bulldogs will be hungry for a victory after falling just short of a colossal comeback last week.  GEORGIA by lots

UCLA Bruins at #8 Penn State Nittany Lions : Easy win for the Lions.  PENN STATE by lots

#9 Miami Hurricanes at Cal Golden Bears : Another easy game for the Top Ten teams.  No upset alerts this week.  MIAMI by lots

#11 Missouri Tigers at Texas A&M Aggies : This might be the most challenging game so far for the Top 25.  The Aggies may start strong, but they will fade as the Tigers pour it on the second half.  MISSOURI by 12

#12 Ole Miss Rebels at #14 South Carolina Gamecocks : After their shocking loss last week, Ole Miss wants the win.  South Carolina had an extra week to prepare for this, so they will make it tough.  Either team could win, but I think the Rebels will be hungrier.  OLE MISS by five

#13 USC Trojans at Minnesota Golden Gophers : Minnesota is a better team than their record shows.  They will break out at some point this season.  Will it be this game?  Maybe, but the Trojans are pretty strong, so if the Gophers reach their potential in this game, let it be an upset.  USC by 11

SMU Mustangs at $16 Louisville Cardinals : The Cards get a much easier opponent this week.  LOUISVILLE by lots

#18 Clemson Tigers at Florida State Seminoles : Florida State is struggling, but they can play teams close.  CLEMSON by ten

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #19 Nebraska Cornhuskers : Rutgers is perfect and looking to get national attention.  Nebraska has a good offense and tough defense, but the Knights will make this a close game, and might engineer the upset.  NEBRASKA by eight

Kansas Jayhawks at #20 Arizona State Sun Devils : Despite their preseason expectations, the Jayhawks have been a disappointment.  ARIZONA STATE by 23

#12 Indiana Hoosiers at Northwestern Wildcats : The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten, and they should hold that position this week.  INDIANA by 22

Baylor Bears at #22 Iowa State Cyclones : The Bears narely beat the Buffaloes, but that was their best performance of the season so far.  IOWA STATE by 18

#23 Michigan Wolverines at Washington Huskies : The Wolverines offense will continue to evolve this week.  The Huskies defense may slow the development, but the Wolverines defense will keep the Huskies off their back.  MICHIGAN by 12

#24 James Madison Dukes at UL Monroe Warhawks : The Dukes will dominate in this game.  JAMES MADISON by lots

Big Ten

Purdue Boilermakes at Wisconsin Badgers : Neither team has performed as expected, but the Badgers have the talent to reverse their fortunes.  WISCONSIN by nine

Other Games of Interest

Utah State Aggies at Boise State Broncos : The Broncos should roll on their blue turf.  BOISE STATE by 24

 

NCAA 2024 Week 5 results and Top 25

 This week's battles between ranked teams ended pretty much as expected (upsets were from teams OUTSIDE the Top 25), so most of the losers did not lose position.

Top 25  [Last week's rank]

1.  TEXAS LONGHORNS (5-0) [1]

2.  Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) [2]

3.  Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) [3]

4.  Tennessee Volunteers (4-0) [4]

5.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1) [8]

6.  Oklahoma Sooners (4-1) [6]

7.  Georgia Bulldogs (3-1) [7] : After a dismal first half, they recovered really well

8.  Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) [11]

9.  Miami Hurricanes (5-0) [9]

10. Oregon Ducks (4-0) [12]

11. Missouri Tigers (4-0) [10]

12. Ole Miss Rebels (4-1) [5]

13. USC Trojans (3-1) [14]

14. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1) [15]

15. BYU Cougars (5-0) [18]

16. Louisville Cardinals (3-1) [16]

17. UNLV Running Rebels (4-0) [21]

18. Clemson Tigers (3-1) [22]

19. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1) [23]

20. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1) [20]

21. Indiana Hoosiers (5-0) [NR]

22. Iowa State Cyclones (4-0) [NR]

23. Michigan Wolverines (4-1) [24]

24. James Madison Dukes (4-0) [25]

25. LSU Tigers (4-1) [34]

Dropped off: Utah Utes [#13], Oklahoma State Cowboys [#17], Illinois Fighting Illini [#19]

On the Edge: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0), Kentucky Wildcats (3-2), Boise State Broncos (4-1), Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1), Colorado Buffaloes (4-1), Kansas State Wildcats (4-1)

Upset Results

We had upsets, and we had surprise results.  Surprise results are games that were predicted to be close, where either team could win (so it would not technically be an upset), but the result was much more one-sided than expected.  We had several of those this week:  Kansas State over Oklahoma State, UConn over Buffalo, Colorado Buffaloes over UCF, and Boise State over Washington State.  The only real pure upset was Arizona over Utah.

Big Ten Report

Illinois lost their lead, but Indiana took over.  Both the Hossiers and Michigan have two conference wins each.  Four other teams follow in third place, with an unbeaten 4-0 record:  Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and Rutgers.  Maryland and Minnesota each suffered their second conference loss, but they have faced tough opponents.  They will both bounce back. UCLA, who also has two conference losses, may not.

NFL 2024 Week 3 Power rankings and Week 4 picks

 Lots of upsets this week, and it's reflected in the Power Rankings.

Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-0) [2] : Third top team in three weeks, but the Vikings have been the most consistently dominate

2.  Buffalo Bills (3-0) [4] : HUGELY dominant performance

3.  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) [7] : I'll bet the Bears are sorry they let Justin Fields go now

4.  Seattle Seahawks (3-0) [9]

5.  Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) [5] : The Chiefs have not been dominant, but they have been consistently good

'6.  New Orleans Saints (2-1) [1]

7.  Los Angeles Chargers (2-1) [3]

8.  Green Bay Packers (2-1) [15]

9.  Detroit Lions (2-1) [10]

10. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) [12]

11. New York Jets (2-1) [NR]

12. Tampa Bay Bucs (2-1) [6]

Divisional Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC North [1] : The Bears are falling, but the rest of the division is tough

2.  AFC West [3]

3.  NFC West [2]

4.  AFC East [3]

5.  NFC South [3]

6.  AFC North [6]

7.  NFC East [7]

8.  AFC South [8]

Thursday night

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants : The Cowboys have slid, but the Giants have never been there this season.  Bounce back time for the 'Boys!  COWBOYS, 27-13

Sunday early games

Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers : The Bengals are 0-3, but they are resourceful.  The Panthers pulled off a shocking upset this week, but they don't have the strength to do it two weeks in a row.  BENGALS, 23-20

Denver Broncos at New York Jets : Both teams came alive last week, but the Jets have been building to this point for two years.  They have the better platform.  JETS, 24-23

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans : Houston faced a dominant opponent last week, but this is still a strong team.  TEXANS, 24-10

Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears : After three preseason weeks and a shocking Week 1, the Bears defense is no longer surprising opponents.  RAMS, 27-13

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers : Being the top ranked team has been the kiss of death the following week, but I think the Vikings have the strength to break that curse.  VIKINGS, 27-17

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs can be tricky at home, and certainly have the potential to win, but the Eagles seem to have gained some consistency in their offense.  Their defense needs a bit of work, so this will be a close game.  EAGLES, 23-20

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts : The Steelers have the right balance to make life difficult for any opponent, and the Colts are no exception.  STEELERS, 20-10

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons : The Saints offense will light up the scoreboard.  SAINTS, 34-17

Sunday late games

Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders : The Browns are struggling.  RAIDERS, 23-13

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers : The Chargers defense will keep this a low-scoring game, but the ball-control Chiefs offense will be the edge.  CHIEFS, 17-16

New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers : The 49ers want a strong win to make up for the loss to the Rams last week.  Fortunately, they get the Patriots coming to town.  49ERS, 24-16

Washington Commanders at Arizona Cardinals : Both teams are improving well.  This game will be a real test of which one has progressed better.  Close games like this, I usually favor the home team.  CARDINALS, 24-23

Sunday night

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens : The Ravens won their first game last week, but the phenomenal Bills come to town.  I don't think the Ravens have completely righted their ship yet.  BILLS, 30-17

Monday Night Football

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins : Injuries have devastated the Dolphins already.  TITANS, 20-10

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions : The Seahawks are unbeaten, but I like the tenacity of the Lions.  Either team could really win this game, but I think the Lions will have a few tricks up their sleeves.  LIONS, 27-23

NCAA 2024 Week 5 picks

 Thursday Sept 26

Army Black Knights at Temple Owls : The Army attack is can be very exhausting to defenses, and the Owls don't seem to be able to finish games.  ARMY by ten

Friday Sept 27

Virginia Tech Hokies at #9 Miami Hurricanes : The Hokies lack the edge they have often had.  The Hurricanes offense is rolling.  MIAMI by 23

Washington Huskies at Rutgers Scarlet Knights : Rutgers had a good game on Saturday, but the Huskies have more talent.  WASHINGTON by 12

Saturday Setp 28

Top 25

Mississippi State Bulldogs at #1 Texas Longhorns : No contest.  TEXAS by lots

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan State Spartans : The Spartans played Boston College tough, but the Buckeyes are in a whole higher bracket.  OHIO STATE by lots

#7 Georgia Bulldogs at #3 Alabama Crimson Tide : This may be the most exciting game of the day!  Either team has the talent to win, but the Tide has been playing stronger.  ALABAMA by six

Kentucky Wildcats at #5 Ole Miss Rebels : Kentucky can be a tough team, but the Rebels are a real force this season.  OLE MISS by 18

#6 Oklahoma Sooners at Auburn Tigers : Easy win here.  OKLAHOMA by lots

#16 Louisville Cardinals at #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : The Cardinals have a good team, but the Irish have bounced back strongly after their shocking loss to the Huskies.  NOTRE DAME by nine

#19 Illinois Fighting Illini at #11 Penn State Nittany Lions : The Illini currently lead the Big Ten, but that won't last.  PENN STATE by 13

#12 Oregon Ducks at UCLA Bruins : The Bruins played well this past week, but the Ducks will just swarm them.  OREGON by lots

Arizona Wildcats at #13 Utah Utes : This one won't be tough for the Utes.  UTAH by 32

Wisconsin Badgers at #14 USC Trojans : The Badgers have not started out well this season.  If they cannot find themselves, they stand no chance here.  USC by 18

#17 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas State Wildcats : When the Wildcats start to slide, it usually lasts three games.  Here's game two, and they face a hard-fighting Cowboys team.  OKLAHOMA STATE by 20

#18 BYU Cougars at Baylor Bears : Easy win for the Cougars.  BYU by lots

Fresno State Bulldogs at #21 UNLV Running Rebels : This game could be very close.  Fresno State has a strong team, but the Rebels are fresh, having a bye week last week.  UNLV by eight

Stanford Cardinal at #22 Clemson Tigers : The Cardinal pulled off an upset this past week, but I don't think they'll do two in a row.  CLEMSON by 23

#23 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Purdue Boilermakers : Illinois exposed some vulnerabilities in Nebraska, but I don't think the Boilermakers defense will be able to exploit them.  NEBRASKA by 16

Minnesota Golden Gophers at #24 Michigan Wolverines : Prior to Saturday, I would have picked Minnesota.  But it now seems like the Wolverines restructured offense is starting to click.  MICHIGAN by nine

Ball State Cardinals at #25 James Madison Dukes : The Dukes are rolling.  JAMES MADISON by lots

Big Ten

Maryland Terrapins at Indiana Hoosiers : Both conference leaders seem poised to lose this week.  The Hoosiers have a chance to win, but the Terrapins seem a bit stronger.  MARYLAND by six

Other Games of Interest

Northern Illinois Huskies at NC State Wolf Pack : NC State was destroyed last week.  Can they bounce back, or they still a bit traumatized?  NORTHERN ILLINOIS by eight

Colorado Buffaloes at UCF Golden Knights : The Buffaloes may have pulled off an overtime miracle this past week, but UCF won't even give them a chance to reach overtime.  UCF by 24

Iowa State Cyclones at Houston Cougars : The Cyclones will blow over the Cougars.  IOWA STATE by 18

South Alabama Jaguars at LSU Tigers : LSU will finally get an impressive win, albeit against a weak opponent.  LSU by lots

Washington State Cougars at Boise State Broncos : This game could really go either way.  Boise State has better statistics, but I think the Cougars are hungrier for this win.  WASHINGTON STATE by six in an upset

NCAA 2024 Week 4 results and Top 25

 The start of conference play often sees some upsets, but we had a plethora of them this week!  It affected the Top 25, as we lost five teams.  Let's see how it played out...

Top 25 [Last week's rank]

1.  TEXAS LONGHORNS (4-0) [1] : Still on top

2.  Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) [2]

3.  Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) [3]

4.  Tennessee Volunteers (4-0) [4] : Very impressive win over Oklahoma

5.  Ole Miss Reels (4-0) [5]

6.  Oklahoma Sooners (3-1) [6] : They were engineering an interesting comeback, they just ran out of time

7.  Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) [7]

8.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-1) [11]

9.  Miami Hurricanes (4-0) [14]

10. Missouri Tigers (4-0) [9]

11. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) [19]

12. Oregon Ducks (3-0) [13]

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

14. USC Trojans (2-1) [8]

15. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1) [29]

16. Louisville Cardinals (3-0) [23]

17. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1) [17]

18. BYU Cougars (4-0) [33] : HUGE victory over Kansas State!

19. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-0) [NR]

20. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1) [10]

21. UNLV Running Rebels (3-0) [21]

22. Clemson Tigers (2-1) [25]

23. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) [12]

24. Michigan Wolverines (3-1) [NR]

25. James Madison Dukes (4-0) [NR]

Dropped off: Kansas State Wildcats [#16], Syracuse Orange [#18], Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets [#20], North Carolina Tar Heels [#22], Coastal Carolina Chanticleers [#24]

On the Edge: UCF Golden Knights (3-0), Maryland Terrapins (3-1), Fresno State Bulldogs (3-1), Boise State Broncos (3-1), Cincinnati Bearcats (3-1), Washington Huskies (3-1), Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1), Kentucky Wildcats (2-2), LSU Tigers (3-1)

Upset Watch

We had plenty of upsets this week, and it started on Friday night.  Stanford knocked off Syracuse to drop them from the ranks.  San Jose State almost beat Washington State that night. Missouri needed two overtimes to prevent its own upset.  Northern Illinois, who upset Notre Dame a couple of weeks ago, suffered their own upset to the Buffalo Bulls.  We had another FCS upset this week, as Monmouth beat Florida International.  

Our two biggest upsets also knocked off Top 25 teams.  BYU completely dominated Kansas State, and James Madison destroyed the Tar Heels defense.

Big Ten Report

I'm amazed to find that the two leaders of the conference right now are Illinois and Indiana.  Granted, the "real" top teams (Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon) have yet to play conference opponents,so that status won't last long, but it's still interesting to see. The conference has only six unbeaten teams at this time, and that won't last, as some of them play each other on Saturday.  Four teams have two losses, which shows weaknesses.

Michigan and Iowa are both teams on the rise.  Both already had strong defenses, and both are improving their offenses.  They will become forces in this conference.  On the other hand, Minnesota is fading, and Illinois may have exposed how to defeat the freshman phenom QB of Nebraska -- blitz him.  They blitzed three times in overtime, and sacked (or nearly so) him each time.  Nebraska may start to sink as they face other stiff defenses in the conference.

NFL 2024 Week 2 power rankings and Week 3 picks

 Whole lotta shakin' going on in the power rankings!  Definitely some strange goings-on this week.

Power Rankings [Last week's position]

1.     NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-0) [3] : Geez, I can't remember the last time the Saints were #1.  They have been dominant for both of these weeks, though.

2.  Minnesota Vikings (2-0) [2]

3.  Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) [4] : Perfect start for Jim Harbaugh

4.  Buffalo Bills (2-0) [15]

5.  Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) [5]

6.  Tampa Bay Bucs (2-0) [6]

7.  Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) [13]

8.  Houston Texans (2-0) [18]

9.  Seattle Seahawks (2-0) [16]

10. Detroit Lions (1-1) [8]

11. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)  [11]

12. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) [7]

Divisional Power Rankings [Last week's rank]

1.  NFC North [1]

2.  NFC West [2]

3 (tie). AFC West [3]

3 (tie). NFC South [4]

3 (tie). AFC East [5]

6.  AFC North [8]

7.  NFC East [7]

8.  AFC South [6]

Thursday night game

New England Patriots at New York Jets : They Jets had a fine performance last week, but I think the Patriots will bring them back down to Earth.  Let's face it, Aaron Rodgers doesn't he same quality of talent around him that he had in Green Bay.  PATS, 26-20

 Sunday early games

Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts : The Colts are already struggling offensively.  Having to face the tough Bears defense just makes it worse.  BEARS, 16-10

Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Broncos really don't have much to work with.  BUCS, 24-13

Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans : The Titans have struggled early, but they have the talent to break through at some point.  This might be the week, but I'll still pick the Packers.  PACK, 20-13

Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings : The Texans looked good, and could move the ball against that stiff Bears defense, but they still made too many mistakes on offense.  The Vikings are sharp on both sides of the ball.  VIKINGS, 27-24

Los Angeles Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers : The Steelers have started out well, but those Chargers are just too good!  CHARGERS, 24-20

New York Giants at Cleveland Browns : Wither Giants, they are like pygmies.  BROWNS, 16-13

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints : The Saints are the hottest team in football right now.  Very bad time for the Eagles to come to town.  SAINTS, 30-20

Sunday late games

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys : It seems inconceivable that the Ravens could go 0-3, but that seems to be the way their schedule is driving.  The Cowboys faded last week, so they want to bounce back.  COWBOYS, 27-17

Carolina Panthers at Las Vegas Raiders : The Panthers are undeniably the worst team right now.  RAIDERS, 20-10

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals : The Cards went on an offensive whirl last week.  I'm chalking that up to a fluke.  If I'm wrong, the Lions could lose.  LIONS, 27-23

Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks : Tua's out, and the Fins travel to one of the toughest places to play.  SEAHAWKS, 23-16

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams : The contests between these two teams are often unpredictable, so I'll stay with a conservative pick.  49ERS, 20-17

Sunday night game

Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons : They don't win big, but the Chiefs find ways to win this season.  That three-peat might be possible.  CHIEFS, 24-13

Monday Night Football

We get an unusual double-heard this week.  Actually, it is not technically a double-header, as the two games are not back-to-back.  You'll have to pick your preferred game.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills : The Bills should control this game fairly easily.  BILLS, 27-17

Washington Commanders at Cincinnati Bengals : Washington's tools are limited.  BENGALS, 24-13

NCAA 2024 Week 4 picks

 Thursday Sept 19

South Alabama Jaguars at Appalachian State Mountaineers : App State is not as strong as they have been in recent years, but they should still prevail against the weak Jaguars.  APPALACHIAN STATE by 13

Friday Sept 20

Stanford Cardinal at #18 Syracuse Orange : Stanford was still finding themselves when they went into their bye week.  Unless they worked out all of the kinks, Syracuse should not have a difficult time winning this game.  SYRACUSE by 18

Illinois Fighting Illini at #12 Nebraska Cornhuskers : The Illini have a crushing defense, but their offense can sputter.  I think the Conrnhuskers will push through the defense in the second half.  If they cannot overcome that stifling defense, the Illini have a chance at an upset.  NEBRASKA by eight

San Jose State Spartans at Washington State Cougars : Easy game for the Cougars.  WASHINGTON STATE by 26

Saturday Sept 21

Top 25

UL Monroe Warhawks at #1 Texas Longhorns : Easy win.  TEXAS by lots

Marshall Thundering Herd at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes : Another easy win.  OHIO STATE by lots

#4  Tennessee Volunteers at #6 Oklahoma Sooners : An early season Top Ten battle, this one should be exciting!  Tennessee has sported the most explosive offense so far this season, but the Sooners have a fast defense.  I think the Vols will find ways around that defense, but this game will be close, and could go the other way.  TENN by eight

 Georgia Southern Eagles at #5 Ole Miss Rebels : Another easy win for a Top Five team.  OLE MISS by lots

#8 USC Trojans at Michigan Wolverines : The Wolverines are still working out all of their new starters.  USC by 26

Vanderbilt Commodores at #9 Missouri Tigers : Lots of easy games this weekend.  MISSOURI by lots

#10 Arizona State Sun Devils at Texas Tech Red Raiders : If the Sun Devils don't hurt themselves, they should win this one fairly easily.  ARIZONA STATE by 24

Miami Ohio Redhawks at #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : Hmm, another MAC team comes to town.  Are Irish fans having nightmare flashbacks to the Huskies, or are they anxious for a strong revenge?  Won't matter, as the Redhawks don't have nearly the power of the Huskies.  NOTRE DAME by lots

#14 Miami Hurricanes at South Florida Bulls : The Battle of Southern Florida will be won easily by the Hurricanes.  MIAMI by 26

#15 Utah Utes at #17 Oklahoma State Cowboys : This fascinating match-up is now a conference game.  The Utes have gotten off to some slow starts this season, and I'm not sure they are equipped to come from behind.  Still, this game is likely to be close, and the Utes usually prevail in close games.  UTAH by four

#16 Kansas State Wildcats at BYU Cougars : Okay, the Wildcats proved that they might be for real.  A win here will ice that.  KANSAS STATE by 18

Kent State Golden Flashes at #19 Penn State Nittany Lions : Easy win.  PENN STATE by lots

#20 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at #23 Louisville Cardinals : The third matchup of ranked teams will again see the higher ranked team win, but, like the other two games, the lower rank could pull off the upset.  Louisville has some tricky plays in their playbook, and they might have to pull some of those out of the bag to stand a chance.  GEORGIA TECH by ten

James Madison Dukes at #22 North Carolina Tar Heels : The Heels get another easy opponent to loosen up for conference play.  NORTH CAROLINA by lots

Virginia Cavaliers at #24 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : The Cavs have lot to fix on offense after their struggles against Maryland.  I don't think they'll get them fixed before the Chanticleers pulverize them.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 23

NC State Wolfpack at #25 Clemson Tigers : Did Clemson really need an extra to prepare for thsi?  NC State has some problems this season.  CLEMSON by 16

Big Ten

Charlotte 49ers at Indiana Hoosiers : After what the Hoosiers did to UCLA last week, this should be a breeze.  INDIANA by lots

UCLA Bruins at LSU Tigers : Speaking of those Bruins, there they are!  LSU may not be as sharp this year, but they don't need to be to smother the struggling Bruins.  LSU by lots

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Virginia Tech Hokies : On paper, the Hokies look like an easy pick.  Rutgers can be tough, though, so it won't be so easy.  VIRGINIA TECH by nine

Northwestern Wildcats at Washington Huskies : The Huskies want a strong win to erase the Apple Bowl loss.  And the Wildcats come to town.  WASHINGTON by 23

Iowa Hawkeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers : Iowa's defense is good, but they showed some cracks last week.  Minnesota may have lost to North Carolina, but the Gophers are a strong team this season.  I'll pick the home team, but watch out for the Hawkeyes defense.  MINNESOTA by six

Michigan State Spartans at Boston College Eagles : Michigan State has proven to be a much better team this year, but so has BC.  Both teams could win, but I have to favor the Eagles.  Not a good week for Big Ten teams.  BOSTON COLLEGE by eight

Purdue Boilermakers at Oregon State Beavers : It's a toos-up between UCLA and Purdue for worst team in the conference.  This game might break the tie.  OREGON STATE by lots

Other Games of Interest

Ohio Bobcats at Kentucky Wildcats : This cat fight will be won by the home team.  KENTUCKY by lots

Toledo Rockets at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers : Another strong victory for the Rockets.  They might be Top 25 bound.  TOLEDO by 24

NCAA 2024 Week 3 results and Top 25

 Not as much movement on the rankings as I typically get in the second week.  Must have something to do with the shortage of upsets this year.

Top 25 [Last week's rank]

 1.  TEXAS LONGHORNS (3-0) [1]

2.  Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) [2]

3.  Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0) [3]

4.  Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) [10]

5.  Ole Miss Rebels (3-0) [5]

6.  Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) [6]

7.  Georgia Bulldogs (3-0) [4] : A one-point win does not represent a Top Five team!

8.  USC Trojans (2-0) [7]

9.  Missouri Tigers (3-0) [8/]

10. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0) [9]

11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-1) [NR] : Totally dominant performance

12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0) [13]

13. Oregon Ducks (3-0) [14]

14. Miami Hurricanes (3-0) [15]

15. Utah Utes (3-0) [NR]

16. Kansas State Wildcats (3-0) [NR]

17. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-0) [NR]

18. Syracuse Orange (2-0) [18]

19. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) [19]

20. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-1) [20]

21. UNLV Running Rebels (3-0) [22]

22. North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) [21]

23. Louisville Cardinals (2-0) [23]

24. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (3-0) [25]

25. Clemson Tigers (1-1) [24]

Dropped off: South Carolina Gamecocks [#11], Washington Huskies [#12], Wisconsin Badgers [#16], Arizona Wildcats [#17]

On the Edge: UCF Golden Knights (3-0), Maryland Terrapins (2-1), Boise State Broncos (1-1), Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1), Washington State Cougars (3-0), Toledo Rockets (3-0), Kentucky Wildcats (2-1)

Upset Report

We nearly had another FCS win, but Charlotte prevailed over Gardner-Webb by scoring a late touchdown.  So we only ended up with three upsets.  The first one was the Apple Bowl, where the Cougars mauled the Huskies.  Later in the day Vanderbilt stumbled against Georgia State, and then Toledo stunned Mississippi State.

Big Ten Report

The Apple Bowl was the only upset, but some teams definitely did not perform as expected.  Wisconsin collapsed against Alabama and Purdue was completely ineffective against Notre Dame.  Perhaps the most surprising collapse was in Pasadena, as UCLA completely crumbled.

The UCLA debacle showcased one of the great results of the day, as Indiana was truly dominant.  If that results was not mostly due to UCLA's collapse, the Hoosiers might be a force in the conference this year.  Maryland bounced back nicely from their loss to Michigan State, but Oregon certainly had the most impressive game against their in-state rival.

NCAA 2024 Week 1 power rankings and Week 2 picks

 Some interesting results this week.  New England may have started a new chapter in their effectiveness.  The Jets were no better offensively with a healthy Aaron Rodgers, so the problem may be the rest of the players.  The Saints provided one of the most dominant performances of the week!

The Chicago Bears gave me flashbacks to the 1985 team and that record-setting defense.  Despite offensive struggles and an inability to score, defense and special teams provided 24 points and won the game, shutting down the Titans for the entire second half.

Power 12

1.  DALLAS COWBOYS (1-0) : Dominant performance with shades of the past, with Zeke back running the ball.  

2.  Minnesota Vikings (1-0) : OK, so they were playing the Giants.  Still, they manhandled them.

3.  New Orleans Saints (1-0) : They looked like a top college Power 5 team playing an FCS team

4.  Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) : The Jim Harbaugh era started a little shaky offensively, but the defense is stout.

5.  Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) : Yes, their win was helped by a close call, but you also have to realize that most years the offense is slow in the first week, yet they overcame everything the Ravens defense threw at them.  If they improve on the same arc as they have in previous years, a three-peat is possible.

6.  Tampa Bay Bucs (1-0) : What a performance!

7.  Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) : A little closer than it should have been, but they definitely looked strong

8.  Detroit Lions (1-0)

9.  Baltimore Ravens (0-1) : Yes, they lost, but they also nearly sent that game into overtime.

10. Los Angeles Rams (0-1) : Speaking of overtime, that's what the Rams forced.  Yes, their defense went to sleep in overtime, not offering any resistance to the Lions, but they showed real ability in the first sixty minutes.

11. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

12. New England Patriots (1-0) : Impressive start for their new coach

Divisional Power Rankings

1.  NFC North : It's been a while since this team was on top, but three impressive wins, and even a fairly decent loss by the Pack, showed great skill.

2.  NFC West : Strength on strength in this division.  Even the Cardinals looked decent!

3.  AFC West

4.  NFC South

5.  AFC East : The growth of the Patriots could boost this division, but the Jets will drag them down

6.  AFC South

7.  NFC East

8.  AFC North

Week 2 picks

Thursday night

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins : These two usually produce high-scoring affairs. The Bills have basically dominated this division in recent years, and I see no reason for that to change, but the Dolphins might pull this one out.  BILLS, 30-27

Sunday early games

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars : The Jags seem to have some real power in the passing game.  The Browns seem to still be finding themselves, especially on defense.  JAGS, 20-10

Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers : The Pack should bounce back with a strong performance at home.  PACK, 23-16

Las Vegas Raiders at Baltimore Ravens : Potentially our first shutout of the season, but I won't pick it that way.  RAVENS, 30-10

Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers : Win #2 for Harbaugh.  CHARGERS, 23-13

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys : Whoa!  This should be a thrilling game, with lots of points scored.  While the Saints might have a slight edge on the defensive end of the ball, I have to favor home field advantage on this one.  COWBOYS, 34-33

New York Giants at Washington Commanders : Neither team is exceptionally strong.  This one will likely be won by the team that makes the fewest mistakes.  COMMANDERS, 16-13

New York Jets at Tennessee Titans : Nice easy game for the Titans defense.  TITANS, 21-13

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings : Ooh, if this was played last year, I'd pick the other way.  However, given their respective Week 1 performances, I have to give a slight nod to the Vikings.  This one is almost even, though, so it's really anyone's game.  VIKINGS, 24-23

Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots : Last week may have been a fluke, as nobody knew what to expect from the Patriots' new coach.  If they win this week, I'll consider it the start of a trend.  They have to prove it first.  SEAHAWKS, 19-16

Tampa Bay Bucs at Detroit Lions : Another potential overtime game, I think the Lions will prevail again.  LIONS, 29-23

Sunday late games

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs : The Bengals have been a thorn in Mahomes' side, but I think this year they may have them beat.  CHIEFS, 24-20

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals : The Rams won't need overtime this week, although the Cards aren't likely to make this easy.  RAMS, 20-16

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos : Okay, Justin Fields played pretty well last week.  I don't hink it'll matter how quickly Russell Wilson gets back into the lineup.  STEELERS, 23-16

Sunday night

Chicago Bears at Houston Texans : If this were earlier in the day, I'd automatically pick the Bears.  However, the Bears have a lousy history on Sunday and Monday nights.  They might win, but I'm afraid they won't, especially if the offense continues to sputter.  TEXANS, 23-16

Monday Night Football

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles : Eagles all the way.  EAGLES, 27-16

NCAA 2024 Week 3 picks

 Thursday Sept 12

#9 Arizona State Sun Devils at Texas State Bobcats : The Bobcats showed lots of power and talent this weekend, but they can't compare to the Sun Devils.  ARIZONA STATE by lots

Friday Sept 13

#22 UNLV Running Rebels at Kansas Jayhawks : The Kansas QB showed some carelessness in the game against Illinois.  UNLV doesn't have that level of defense, but that carelessness, if repeated, could still be detrimental to the Jayhawks.  UNLV by four

#17 Arizona Wildcats at Kansas State Wildcats : Both Kansas teams host Friday night games, and this one is a cat fight!  Of course, I pick the Wildcats; the VISITING Wildcats.  Kansas State should not have won their game last week (thus they were not allowed on my rankings).  They were the beneficiaries of a highly questionable (and possibly inspired by something NOT on the filed) call, and Arizona will prove that K State doesn't belong.  ARIZONA by 12

Saturday Sept 14

Top 25

UTSA Roadrunners at #1 Texas Longhorns : This battle of Texas won't be competitive for too long.  TEXAS by lots

#3 Alabama Crimson Tide at #16 Wisconsin Badgers : The Badgers defense will keep this close, but then the Tide will find themselves again in the fourth quarter.  ALABAMA by 20

#4 Georgia Bulldogs at Kentucky Wildcats : Hmm, doesn't look like its a good weekend for home team Wildcats.  GEORGIA by 24

#5 Ole Miss Rebels at Wake Forest Demon Deacons : Wake Forest has a good team this year, but they face one of the fastest offenses in the league.  OLE MISS by 23

Tulane Green Wave at #6 Oklahoma Sooners : Tulane wants to make up for the conspiratorial call, but they face too strong an opponent.  Maybe next week.  OKLAHOMA by lots

Boston College Eagles at #8 Missouri Tigers : The Eagles are a good squad, but the Tigers are just too strong.  MISSOURI by 23

Kent State Golden Flashes at #10 Tennessee Volunteers : No contest.  TENN by lots

LSU Tigers at #11 South Carolina Gamevocks : The Tigers have started slow.  If they find their rhythm, they could win this game.  I'll reserve my judgement, though, and stay with the proven power.  SOUTH CAROLINA by ten

Washington State Cougars at #12 Washington Huskies : A little early in the year for the Apple Cup, isn't it?  Wont' make a difference to the Huskies, who should win fairly easily.  WASHINGTON by 24

Northern Iowa Panthers at #13 Nebraska Cornhuskers : Easy win.  NEBRASKA by lots

#14 Oregon Ducks at Oregon State Beavers : The Beavers can be tricky, and play their in-state rival especially hard, but the Ducks survived a threat from Boise State, and the Beavers aren't that good.  DUCKS by 16

Ball State Cardinals at #15 Miami Hurricanes : Another easy pick.  MIAMI by lots

VMI Keydets at #20 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets : What's a "keydet"/  Maybe someone couldn't spell "cadet".  Won't matter, they don't stand a chance.  GEORGIA TECH by lots

North Carolina Central Eagles at #21 North Carolina Tar Heels : This in-state battle will be over easy.  NORTH CAROLINA by lots

#25 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Temple Owls : The Chanticleers defend their early entry on the rankings with a good scrubbing of Owls.  COASTAL CAROLINA by 26

Big Ten

Arkansas State Red Wolves at Michigan Wolverines : The Texas game exposed some vulnerabilities for the Wolverines to work on.  They'd better work fast, as the Red Wolves are good at exploiting opponents' vulnerabilities.  This game could be an upset.  MICHIGAN by six

Central Michigan Chippewas at Illinois Fighting Illini : After Kansas, this game will be a breeze.  ILLINOIS by lots

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purdue Boilermakers : Fresh off an upset, the Irish will fight to prevent another one.  Purdue often plays them tough, so that might be a tough result, but I think they'll prevail, although not as easily as they might hope.  NOTRE DAME by eight

Prairie View A&M Panthers at Michigan State Spartans : Great game for the Spartans to hone their improving offense.  MICHIGAN STATE by lots

Nevada Wolfpack at Minnesota Golden Gophers : Minnesota gave North Carolina all they could handle.  Nevada won't be a challenge.  MINNESOTA by 26

Troy Trojans at Iowa Hawkeyes : Iowa's defense will keep them in the game, and this will be a good chance to improve that offense.  IOWA by 16

Indiana Hoosiers at UCLA Bruins : Both teams rested last week to prepare for this game.  Based on Week 1 performances, Indiana looks better packed for the season.  INDIANA by eight

Eastern Illinois Panthers at Northwestern Wildcats : After getting trounced by Illinois two weeks ago, the Panthers travel to Evanston for another shot at a Big Ten team.  This game will likely be closer, but still no win for Eastern.  NORTHWESTERN by 24

Maryland Terrapins at Virginia Cavaliers : Maryland should bounce back from their loss to the Spartans.  MARYLAND by 18

Other Games of Interest

Memphis Tigers at Florida State Seminoles : Florida State is really having a tough season.  If they can't right their ship, they'll struggle.  I'm not sure they have it figured out yet.  MEMPHIS in an upset

UAB Blazers at Arkansas Razorbacks : Arkansas is a strong team this year.  They could be Top 25 material.  ARKANSAS by lots

UCF Golden Knights at TCU Horned Frogs : This game features two other teams who are potential for the Top 25.  The loser may find that a very difficult goal, so this will be a very hard-fought battle.  Defense often makes a difference in those, and that gives the advantage to UCF.  UCF by four

NCAA 2024 Week 2 results and Top 25

 It took until the second week, but we finally had our first FCS team beat a FBS team.  In fact, we had two!  I'll discuss those in the "Upset Report" section.  We also had several other upsets; in fact, I can't remember the last time I had so many upsets in the second week!  Some of those affected teams who were potential for the Top 25.  Some of those don't make it, but they have the talent to make it in a few weeks.  That's the disadvantage of a ranking that is based SOLELY on on-field performance -- if you start the season slowly, you miss out on the early rankings.

Top 25

1.  TEXAS LONGHORNS (2-0) : One of only three teams who showed consistent power across these two weeks, and certainly the one with the best results.  They will chase for the SEC title, that's for sure.

2.  Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) : Okay, no doubt about their offense!

3.  Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) : They were sluggish, but their performance in the fourth quarter shows their talent.  I think that will springboard them to finer results.

4.  Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) : Decent, but remember only the Clemson game counts

5.  Ole Miss Rebels (2-0) : To be honest, this team has been the most consistent among the SEC teams not including the Big XII immigrants

6.  Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)

7.  USC Trojans (2-0)

8.  Missouri Tigers (2-0)

9.  Arizona State Sun Devils (2-0)

10. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)

11. South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0)

12. Washington Huskies (2-0)

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0)

14. Oregon Ducks (2-0)

15. Miami Hurricanes (2-0)

16. Wisconsin Badgers (2-0)

17. Arizona Wildcats (2-0)

18. Syracuse Orange (2-0)

19. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)

20. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2-1)

21. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) 

22. UNLV Running Rebels (2-0)

23. Louisville Cardinals (2-0)

24. Clemson Tigers (1-1)

25. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (2-0)

On the Edge:  UCF Golden Knights (2-0), Boston College Eagles (2-0), Boise State Broncos (1-1), Maryland Terrapins (1-1), Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1), Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-1)

Upset Report

We had two FCS teams win this week:  St Francis beat Kent State, and Southern Utah beat UTEP in overtime.  But those weren't the most interesting upsets.  Iowa State kncoked off Iowa by shutting them out in the second half, and Cal celebrated their first year in the ACC by beating an SEC opponent in Auburn.  But the big upset of the day was, of course, the fall of the Irish.  Northern Illinois beat a Top Ten opponent for the first time in school history, and they did it on the Irish's home turf!

Big Ten Report

Well, the conference couldn't sustain their opening weekend performance, as we had some disappointing results.  We didn't expect Michigan to win, but they floundered during most of that game.  Penn State's defense had trouble against Bowling Green, and Iowa's offense evaporated in the second half.  Top performers of the weekend were Illinois and Michigan State.  The Spartans showed offense, and showed great promise for the season.  Illinois' defense frustrated Kansas, and even scored a touchdown, until the Illini offense found its footing.

 

NCAA 2024 Week 1 results and Week 2 picks

 It was a tough weekend for the ACC.  Florida State has apparently lost any chance at the playoffs, and Virginia Tech suffered the first upset of the weekend (see the UPSETS section).  Meanwhile, the Big Ten was the most successful, with only one team suffering a loss, and that team, Minnesota, well exceeded the predicted line.

Big Ten Report

Many of the teams started slowly, but that's not uncommon for this conference.  Michigan and Michigan State struggled, but overcame their opponents.  Oregon and UCLA were the two teams who struggled the most, but they still won.  Minnesota lost, but they lost to a much stronger North Carolina team by only two points.  USC surprisingly beat LSU, which further reinforced the conference's strength.

Upsets

Most years we have at least one FCS team beat their FBS opponent.  We did not have any of those this year, but three teams came close.  Central Arkansas nearly beat Arkansas State, and in fact led late in the fourth quarter.  Tennessee Tech did the same thing to Middle Tennessee.  Abilene Christian took Texas Tech to overtime.

One actual upset did involved a team who played in FCS up to last year.  Sam Houston moved up to FBS this year, and they celebrated their first game at the higher level by beating Rice Owls.  The first upset of the weekend involved Virginia Tech, who lost to perennial SEC doormat Vanderbilt.  UNLV shocked Houston later.

Friday Sept 6

Big Ten

Duke Blue Devils at Northwestern Wildcats : Northwestern can be fiesty, but Duke was one of the few shining stars of the ACC last week.  DUKE by ten

Other Games of Interest

BYU Cougars at SMU Mustangs : The Mustangs had a great game last week, but the Cougars are a strong team.  I have to favor them, although it will be close.  BYU by six

Saturday Sept 7

Big Ten

Texas Longhorns at Michigan Wolverines : The defending champions started slowly last week.  That won't work against the powerful offense of Texas.  TEXAS by 16

Bowling Green Falcons at Penn State Nittany Lions : Sure enough, a MAC team played a Big Ten tough last week.  This one won't be so close.  PENN STATE by lots

Iowa State Cyclones at Iowa Hawkeyes : This in-state rivalry is often hard-fought.  I don't think that will be the case this year.  Both played well last week, but Iowa showed more power.  Like last year, Iowa's defense was strong, and their offense shined last week, too.  They will overwhelm the Cyclones.  IOWA by 20

Michigan State Spartans at Maryland Terrapins : The first Big Ten conference game of the season matches strength against strength -- the Spartans defense against the Maryland offense.  I think the Terps will find ways to move against that defense.  The Spartans offense, on the other hand, may find the going tough against the Terps defense.  MARYLAND by 12

Kansas Jayhawks at Illinois Fighting Illini : Kansas is favored, but Illinois looked fabulous last week.  We weren't sure how their offense would look, but it was sharp.  The defense remains tough.  Kansas may win, but I favor Illinois.  ILLINOIS by three

Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio State Buckeyes : Perhaps the best team in the Big Ten plays a decent MAC team.  No real threat here.  OHIO STATE by lots

Colorado Buffaloes at Nebraska Cornhuskers : The Buffaloes struggled last week, while the Cornhuskers sailed.  This was a bitter rivalry when both played in the Southwest and Big Eight conferences, but none of the members of these teams remember those.  NEBRASKA by 11

Boise State Broncos at Oregon Ducks : Oregon struggled last week, but so did Boise State.  Oregon's offense should improve faster than the Broncos.  OREGON by ten

Other Games of Interest

Arkansas Razorbacks at Oklahoma State Cowboys : The Cowboys looked good last week, and they could put themselves in Top 25 consideration with a strong win.  OKLAHOMA STATE by 16

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Syracuse Orange : Both teams had great games.  Georgia Tech got more attention, beating pre-season ranked Florida State, but Syracuse was quite impressive.  This will be a close game, and I usually favor the home team in those circumstances.  SYRACUSE by four

Pitt Panthers at Cincinnati Bearcats : The Battle of the Ohio Cats will see Cincy victorious.  CINCY by 16

Army Black Knights at Florida Atlantic Owls : The Owls defense was tough last week, but the Black Knights have a "grind 'em down" rushing attack that will wear them down.  ARMY by 14

Baylor Bears at Utah Utes : Baylor had an impressive victory last week, but their opponent wasn't really tough.  Utah is a strong team, and they should prevail.  UTAH by 17

South Carolina Gamecocks at Kentucky Wildcats : Kentucky gets their first conference challenge earlier than usual, when the Wildcats are still fresh and strong.  That should help get them started in conference play on the plus side.  KENTUCKY by 16

Marshall Thundering Herd at Virginia Tech Hokies : Maybe Vandy is a strong team this season, but until I know that for sure, I have to consider the Hokies a weak team.  This game might be telling.  MARSHALL by eight

Houston Cougars at Oklahoma Sooners : Currently the front-runner for my Number One team, the Sooners victory won't quite be as impressive thanks to the Cougars loss last week.  OKLAHOMA by lots

Mississippi State Bulldogs at Arizona State Sun Devils : The Sun Devils were a strong team last week.  They looked more impressive, although the Bulldogs are no slouch.  This could be a very close game.  ARIZONA STATE by six

NFL 2024 Week 1 picks

 Thursday night

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs : The Chiefs start the season with one of their biggest challenges.  I give them the edge, but this game could go the other way.  CHIEFS, 24-20

Friday night

Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles : The Pack needs to build wins early in the season, before injuries limit their productivity.  Unfortunately, the strength of the Eagles offense will prevent that this week.  EAGLES, 28-20

Sunday early games

Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills : This should be an offensive explosion for the Bills to start the season.  BILLS, 31-13

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints : The Saints come out of the gate hot, and burn the limited Panthers defense.  SAINTS, 24-10

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts : The Texans may get off to a slow start, but the second half will be theirs.  TEXANS, 20-13

Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins : Jacksonville's defense will make this game a challenge, but the Dolphins have enough strength to close it out.  DOLPHINS, 20-16

Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants : Giants won't be able to stop the Vikings offense.  VIKINGS, 31-16

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals : The Patriots will take some time to develop.  BENGALS, 17-6

Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons : The stingy Steel Curtain defense will devastate the Falcons.  STEELERS, 20-6

Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears : Speaking of defenses, we get the regular season debut of the crushing Beats defense, the defense that did not give up a touchdown at all during preseason.  BEARS, 23-6

Sunday late games

Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns : The Cowboys come out fresh and eager.  COWBOYS, 24-13

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks : The start of a long season for the Broncos.  SEAHAWKS, 19-13

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers : The Raiders will find it challenging to advance against the stiff defense of the Chargers.  CHARGERS, 27-13

Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Bucs : The Bucs will control the tempo for much of this game, frustrating the Commanders.  BUCS, 24-16

Sunday night

Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions : Both of these teams are strong, and either team could easily win this game.  While I often prefer the home team in these circumstances, but in this case I like the team that seems to have a more firm control over the tempo of the game.  That's the Rams.  RAMS, 27-24

Monday Night Football

New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers : The 49ers will dominate this game.  49ERS, 20-9

NFL 2024 Preseason Analysis

 Well, with most teams having confirmed their 53-man roster, it's time for me to take a serious look at the teams and predict how they will perform.

AFC East

 1.  Buffalo Bills (5-1 in division, 13-4 overall):  Josh Allen had better stay healthy, as inconsistent Mitch Trubisky is the only other QB on the roster.  Other than that, the Bills are loaded with talent, so they will compete for the conference once again.

2.  Miami Dolphins (4-2, 9-8) : The team has a strong receiving corps to continue the development of Tua.  They still have some holes on the offensive line, so his health is still an issue.  Their defense has some weaknesses, too.

3.  New York Jets (2-4, 6-11) : The fans have great hopes, but it depends upon Aaron Rodgers staying healthy.  Even healthy, it may not be so favorable, as the Jets have a weak and thin receiving corps.  He doesn't have the tools he had in Green Bay.

4.  New England Patriots (1-5, 3-14) : The team is still building on both sides of the ball.

AFC North

1.  Baltimore Ravens (5-1, 13-4) : This team remains dangerous.  Like Buffalo and KC, they are establishing a dynasty in the AFC.  

2.  Cincinnati Bengals (3-3, 11-6) : The team has shored up their offensive line to help protect Joe Burrow, and they retain a stiff defense.  Definitely a force in the conference.

3.  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3, 9-8) : Russell Wilson still looks rusty.  While the Steelers weakened their defense as a result of their trade with the Bears, they may be happy to have Justin Fields.  When Wilson goes cold, they stays cold in a game, so expect to see Fields play a few times this season.

4.  Cleveland Browns (1-5, 6-11) : They have a good defense (although all of the teams in this division do) and have accumulated some great offensive talent, but they need to reduce the mental mistakes that dogged them the past two years.

AFC South

1.  Houston Texans (4-2, 9-8) : CJ Stroud won't surprise any teams this season, but the team still has the talent around him to make them succeed.

2.  Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2, 8-9) : Trevor Lawrence has a thin slate of support around him.  Injuries will severely impact this team.  The defense has some holes, too, so they need to outscore opponents.

3.  Tennessee Titans (3-3, 8-9) : Will Levis takes over the quarterback reins, but his receiving corps is not strong.  The offensive line will keep him upright, and a strong defense will help prevent him from having to overcome large deficits.

4.  Indianapolis Colts (0-6, 4-13) : The offense was shored up, but the defense is too weak.

AFC West

1.  Kansas City Chiefs (6-0, 14-3) : Once again a big favorite to win the conference, and they could set a record for divisional victories in a five-year period.

2.  Los Angeles Chargers (3-3, 12-5) : QB Justin Herbert needs to stay healthy, as the team does not have a decent backup.  A good offense and strong defense supports this team very well.

3.  Las Vegas Raiders (3-3, 6-11) : They have a slim receiving corps for Gardner Minshew, but this team remains tricky and unpredictable.

4.  Denver Broncos (0-6, 3-14) : Potentially the worst team in the league this season

NFC East

1.  Philadelphia Eagles (4-2, 12-5) : Great offense, but the defense has some issues.  The Eagles have a favorable schedule, however, which should keep them ahead of Dallas.

2.  Dallas Cowboys (4-2, 10-7) : The team is strill strong, but their key players are starting to show their age.  Could injuries hurt them this season?

3.  New York Giants (2-4, 5-11) : Their is plenty of talent around QB Daniel Jones, but a weak offensive line will keep him scrambling.

4.  Washington Commanders (2-4, 5-12) : A new QB, many new key players.  This is officially a rebuilding year.

NFC North

1.  Minnesota Vikings (4-2, 11-6) : Still a strong team.  If there is a weakness, it's the defensive secondary.

2.  Detroit Lions (2-4, 10-7) : Great team, but they seem to falter a bit against divisional opponents.  A strong defense throws them off, too, and this division has a couple of those.

3.  Chicago Bears (3-3, 9-8) " The trade with Pittsburgh really improved their defense.  I see similarities with the dominant squad of 1982.  Caleb Williams is improving, but I think the Bears should have kept their third-string QB.

4.  Green Bay Packers (2-4, 7-10) : Once gain, their bench is thin.  Injuries will hamper them in the latter half of the season.

NFC South

1.  New Orleans Saints (5-1, 10-7) : Great receiving corps, but a weak line will keep the QB moving.  That might be why the Saints are the ONLY team with 4 QBs on the roster.

2.  Tampa Bay Bucs (4-2, 9-8) : They have a killer passing game, but not much of a running game.  Opposing defenses will take advantage of a one-note offense.

3.  Atlanta Falcons (2-4, 6-11) : QB Kurt Cousins has a limited slate of talented receivers to throw to.  They have plenty of running backs, so it appears that they will be using a run-based offense, but they don't have any real workhorses among the runners.

4.  Carolina Panthers (1-5, 5-12) : Their offense is improving, but a weak offensive line still limits their effectiveness.  They have talented defenders, but they seem to have trouble coordinating their efforts.

NFC West

1.  Los Angeles Rams (4-2, 10-7) : Lots of receivers for Stafford to use.  It seems like a reincarnation of Kurt Warner's "Greatest Show on Turf".

2.  San Francisco 49ers (4-2, 9-8) : Strong offense led by sure-fire Brock Purdy.  They have another strong defense, too.  Their only issue is that their best receiver and best tight end are aging out.

3.  Seattle Seahawks (3-3, 5-12) : Geno Smith has limited weapons.  The defense has some holes, too.

4.  Arizona Cardinals (1-5, 4-13) : They have good safeties, but the rest of the defense has weaknesses.  The offense still has a talent limit on the tools available to Kyler Murray.