As the bowl season gets started, college football's last hurrah will echo for almost 3 weeks. Here are my picks, a little delayed by a hangover, with my wonderful fiance's predictions along side. Over the last three football seasons her knowledge and love of the game has grown by leaps and bounds. Her predictions will be in italics.
Eagle Bank Bowl - Navy over Wake Forest... a team that struggles in the ACC will have trouble with the triple option, plus Navy seniors are playing their last game before they go to serve our country.
New Mexico Bowl - Fresno St. over Colorado St.... Katie's going for the Rams for her maid of honor Erin, I like the Bulldogs toughness.
magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl - South Florida over Memphis... essentially a home game for a disappointing Bulls team.
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl - BYU over Arizona... BYU offense is pretty damn good. It says something about TCU and Utah that BYU finished in third in the Mountain West.
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl - Troy over Southern Miss... a little karma factor going against SoMiss plus you never go against the champions of the Sun Belt.
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl - TCU over Boise St.... Katie likes the Broncos because their like the Gonzaga of college football, I love TCU's defense.
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl - Hawaii over Notre Dame... how exactly does Notre Dame deserve a bowl game, let alone a holiday in Hawaii?
Motor City Bowl - Central Michigan over Florida Atlantic... another basic home game, plus the Chippewas have much more talent than the Owls.
Meinke Car Care Bowl - North Carolina over West Virginia... another home game, and I wasn't impressed by West Virginia's offense as much.
Champs Sports Bowl - Florida St. over Wisconsin... tough to tell if a disappointing Big Ten team was worse than a middle-of-the-road ACC team.
Emerald Bowl - California over Miami... a quick drive across the bay to attempt to prove that the Pac10 is pretty good.
Independence Bowl - Louisiana Tech over Northern Illinois... what's going on with all these de facto home games? Is it a conspiracy?
PapaJohns.com Bowl - Rutgers over NC St.... what's up with this bowl? Could Papa John's itself not afford to sponsor the bowl? Rutgers has risen from the dead by the way.
Valero Alamo Bowl - Missouri over Northwestern... battle of the journalists! I'm tired of people saying the Northwestern passing offense is going to have a field against the Tiger's pass defense. Anyone think the defense has given up high numbers because they played in the pass happy Big12?? Tigers big!
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - Nevada over Maryland... Nevada almost upset Boise St. on the same field and the ACC team has never done well in this game.
Texas Bowl - Rice over Western Michigan... another de facto home game, and I like the Rice offense a bit more than Western Michigan's.
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl - Oklahoma St. over Oregon... watch your eyes if you tune in for this game, the mixture of Oregon's uniforms and OSU's orange is scary, plus I'm not picking against the Big12, except once.
Bell Helicopters Armed Forced Bowl - Houston over Air Force... Houston puts up a lot of points and Air Force doesn't through the ball, win for the Cougars.
Brut Sun Bowl - Oregon St. over Pittsburgh... they did beat USC, and Pitt played in the Big East.
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl - Boston College over Vanderbilt... even though its a de facto home game and Vandy's first bowl appearance in a while, BC is pretty darn good defensively.
Insight Bowl - Kansas over Minnesota... not picking against the Big12 yet, Katie refuses to pick the Jayhawks.
Chick-fil-A Bowl - Georgia Tech over LSU... a defense that gave up 50+ twice facing the power triple option Tech offense, go with the Jackets.
Outback Bowl - Iowa over South Carolina... chance for an SEC defense to prove it can stop the best running back from the Big10, Katie and I lean towards the Hawkeyes.
Captial One Bowl - Georgia over Michigan St.... taking the dynamic offense from the SEC versus the one-dimensional one from the Big10.
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl - Nebraska over Clemson... Katie's going for the Tigers because of another bridesmaid, I like the Big12.
Rose Bowl present by Citi - USC over Penn St.... all USC needs to do is score 20 points, not sure they can do that.
FedEx Orange Bowl - Cincinnati over Virginia Tech... I just get the feeling that these Bearcats are pretty tough to beat.
AT&T Cotton Bowl - Texas Tech over Mississippi... sure they beat Florida, but Tech beat Texas, and Tech is getting the same treatment Mizzou got last year, top 10 in BCS but not going.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl - Kentucky over East Carolina... the early season sleepers fell off, but Katie still likes them, they did beat Tulsa.
Allstate Sugar Bowl - Alabama over Utah... I really want to pick Utah (since I have them ranked #1) but the Tide is probably pretty mad.
International Bowl - Buffalo over Connecticut... I like UConn's running game, but the Bulls played Mizzou hard and upset Ball St.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Texas over Ohio St.... talk about a pissed off team, the Buckeyes have no idea what about to hit them (especially since they don't belong over Boise St.).
GMAC Bowl - Tulsa over Ball St.... no that they've lost, I can pick against them all day long.
FedEx National Championship - Florida over Oklahoma... eventually Oklahoma's offense (minus DeMarco Murray) is going to run into a defense that can play football... I introduce Florida's defense, plus their power running offense.
Stay tuned for much more blogging, including the basketball predictions and college coaching moves.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
NFL Week 16 Picks
Hey look, I've got time to put up some serious picks. Simple answer, I'm done with my first semester of graduate scool. So expect blogs to come a bit more frequent. I'll have bowl game predictions up tomorrow, seriously delayed college basketball and NBA predictions, and other random crap over the holidays. Here we go...
- Colts over Jaguars... thank goodness for Peyton Manning, but seriously, these guys were dead in the water at 3-4 because it very easily could have been 1-6 at that point. I wouldn't want to face a team in the playoffs riding a 10-game win streak (see 2007 Giants).
- Ravens over Cowboys... I still haven't seen conclusive video evidence that Santonio Holmes scored last week, expect the Ravens to take out their frustrations on Dallas.
- Browns over Bengals... whoa, barn-burner alert.
- 49ers over Rams... the Niners really have separated themselves from the crap at the bottom of the NFC West, but there still not any good (see Chargers in the AFC West).
- Saints over Lions... if any team can end the Lions' streak its the Saints on the road, thank goodness this is an indoor game.
- Steelers over Titans... worked this one over in my head a few times this week, then I remembered how the Titans screwed me last week. They can talk all they want about how prepared they'll be for the playoffs because they had adversity during the season. Bull! You don't lose when you have a chance to solidify your playoff position 2 weeks early, you just don't.
- Dolphins over Chiefs... I received a comment last week about how I should have given the Chiefs more of a chance because they were playing on warm-weather team at home in December. Well, if you saw the game you'll notice half the fans left by the end of the third quarter when the team was still up, thus no typical Arrowhead noise while the Chargers mounted the comeback. So I'm not going against the warm-weather team in KC in December, plus I vowed to not pick the Chiefs ever again after their loss to Oakland at home.
- Patriots over Cardinals... I will take the cold-weather home team in this game, plus the Cardinals checked out 2 weeks ago when they punched their playoff ticket.
- Buccaneers over Chargers... totally unimpressed by the Chargers this year. You had to mount a furious comeback to beat the Chiefs?? What's wrong with you??
- Texans over Raiders... Quite impressed by the Texans, that early Colts game goes the other way and their in the playoffs.
- Broncos over Bills... too bad the Bills have no coaching, they'd be half-way decent with a monkey calling the plays.
- Jets over Seahawks... gee, you think Brett Favre may be considering retirement? Wouldn't be surprised if we have another off-season similar to last year. By the way, in a just world the Dolphins will take the division and the Jets are on the outside looking in. Not because of Favre himself, but because the way they gave Chad Pennington the shaft. That and this is the same team that beat the Titans and lost to the Raiders. Will the real Jets please stand up? For that matter, will the real Titans please stand up??
- Vikings over Falcons... NFC South on the road, only reason I'm picking against the Falcons.
- Eagles over Redskins... speaking of being half-way decent if a monkey was their coach, how 'bout them 'Skins?!?!
- Giants over Panthers... NFC Championship preview. Mark that down.
- Bears over Packers... I bet when this game gets slow in the 4th quarter, ESPN will show a montage of Brett Favre Monday Night Football moments. Mark that down.
Last week: 12-4
Season: 148-75-1
- Colts over Jaguars... thank goodness for Peyton Manning, but seriously, these guys were dead in the water at 3-4 because it very easily could have been 1-6 at that point. I wouldn't want to face a team in the playoffs riding a 10-game win streak (see 2007 Giants).
- Ravens over Cowboys... I still haven't seen conclusive video evidence that Santonio Holmes scored last week, expect the Ravens to take out their frustrations on Dallas.
- Browns over Bengals... whoa, barn-burner alert.
- 49ers over Rams... the Niners really have separated themselves from the crap at the bottom of the NFC West, but there still not any good (see Chargers in the AFC West).
- Saints over Lions... if any team can end the Lions' streak its the Saints on the road, thank goodness this is an indoor game.
- Steelers over Titans... worked this one over in my head a few times this week, then I remembered how the Titans screwed me last week. They can talk all they want about how prepared they'll be for the playoffs because they had adversity during the season. Bull! You don't lose when you have a chance to solidify your playoff position 2 weeks early, you just don't.
- Dolphins over Chiefs... I received a comment last week about how I should have given the Chiefs more of a chance because they were playing on warm-weather team at home in December. Well, if you saw the game you'll notice half the fans left by the end of the third quarter when the team was still up, thus no typical Arrowhead noise while the Chargers mounted the comeback. So I'm not going against the warm-weather team in KC in December, plus I vowed to not pick the Chiefs ever again after their loss to Oakland at home.
- Patriots over Cardinals... I will take the cold-weather home team in this game, plus the Cardinals checked out 2 weeks ago when they punched their playoff ticket.
- Buccaneers over Chargers... totally unimpressed by the Chargers this year. You had to mount a furious comeback to beat the Chiefs?? What's wrong with you??
- Texans over Raiders... Quite impressed by the Texans, that early Colts game goes the other way and their in the playoffs.
- Broncos over Bills... too bad the Bills have no coaching, they'd be half-way decent with a monkey calling the plays.
- Jets over Seahawks... gee, you think Brett Favre may be considering retirement? Wouldn't be surprised if we have another off-season similar to last year. By the way, in a just world the Dolphins will take the division and the Jets are on the outside looking in. Not because of Favre himself, but because the way they gave Chad Pennington the shaft. That and this is the same team that beat the Titans and lost to the Raiders. Will the real Jets please stand up? For that matter, will the real Titans please stand up??
- Vikings over Falcons... NFC South on the road, only reason I'm picking against the Falcons.
- Eagles over Redskins... speaking of being half-way decent if a monkey was their coach, how 'bout them 'Skins?!?!
- Giants over Panthers... NFC Championship preview. Mark that down.
- Bears over Packers... I bet when this game gets slow in the 4th quarter, ESPN will show a montage of Brett Favre Monday Night Football moments. Mark that down.
Last week: 12-4
Season: 148-75-1
Saturday, December 13, 2008
NFL Week 15 Picks
It's been a couple of weeks since I manage to actually have time to put these up in any way more than a description because I sort of have the time to do it. (Not really, I'm in a review session that is hard to contribute to when you aren't really prepared.)
- Bears over Saints... I really did pick this. Just think about it: Chicago, at night, in December. Does that sound like the environment a dome team can win in?? Remember the NFC Championship a few years ago? Was the Saints offense any more effective than the Bears offense then?
- Falcons over Buccaneers... I want to like this Tampa team, but if no NFC South team can win on the road, how are any of them going to stand out. First road to team to pull the upset gets the division by default.
- Redskins over Bengals... looking forward to that Bengals/Chiefs riveting season finale.
- Colts over Lions... if the Lions aren't tanking for the #1 pick, I don't know what tanking is.
- Chargers over Chiefs... REALLY looking forward to that Bengals/Chiefs finale.
- Seahawks over Rams... why wait for the excitement of that Bengals/Chiefs game when we've got the battle for the #3 pick right here and now?
- Dolphins over the 49ers... here's hoping the Wildcat formation can pull the wool over Mike Singletary's eyes... or just pull down his pants.
- Jets over Bills... since scoring 50+ points on the Chiefs, the Bills have 6 points in 2 games. You know things are going badly when Bills fans start wishing for Scott Norwood.
- Titans over Texans... for those who think the Titans are resting for the playoffs I have this: Win this week coupled with Steelers loss and the Titans lock up home field the week before the Steelers come to town when they can rest players and make game plans for a possible AFC Championship.
- Packers over Jaguars... has there been any bigger disappointments than these two??
- Vikings over Cardinals... I'm planning on the Cardinals preparing for the playoffs... by taking a week off. Sure they won't get a bye week, but I just can't trust a team that celebrates winning the NFC West with a chance to finish 8-8.
- Panthers over Broncos... NFC South at home versus a team that doesn't have a running back and lost to the Chiefs.
- Steelers over Ravens... Here's the chance for Pittsburgh to prove that defense wins championships by beating the most defensive defense.
- Patriots over Raiders... what do the Raiders have to go on at this point in the year??
- Giants over Cowboys... don't look now, T.O. is at it again. Simple math T.O. + press = loss.
- Eagles over Browns... you can always tell who the networks think the dark horse for the playoffs is every year. That team that plays a ton of national TV games after a breakthrough year. Usually they end up with a losing record and ratings are down... thanks, Browns.
Last Week: 11-5
Season 136-71-1
My uncle usually runs his and my picks against the picks of the KC Star sports staff. At this point he's in first and I'm in second. Those jerks at the Star gave themselves a win for the Eagles/Bengals tie. Go figure.
- Bears over Saints... I really did pick this. Just think about it: Chicago, at night, in December. Does that sound like the environment a dome team can win in?? Remember the NFC Championship a few years ago? Was the Saints offense any more effective than the Bears offense then?
- Falcons over Buccaneers... I want to like this Tampa team, but if no NFC South team can win on the road, how are any of them going to stand out. First road to team to pull the upset gets the division by default.
- Redskins over Bengals... looking forward to that Bengals/Chiefs riveting season finale.
- Colts over Lions... if the Lions aren't tanking for the #1 pick, I don't know what tanking is.
- Chargers over Chiefs... REALLY looking forward to that Bengals/Chiefs finale.
- Seahawks over Rams... why wait for the excitement of that Bengals/Chiefs game when we've got the battle for the #3 pick right here and now?
- Dolphins over the 49ers... here's hoping the Wildcat formation can pull the wool over Mike Singletary's eyes... or just pull down his pants.
- Jets over Bills... since scoring 50+ points on the Chiefs, the Bills have 6 points in 2 games. You know things are going badly when Bills fans start wishing for Scott Norwood.
- Titans over Texans... for those who think the Titans are resting for the playoffs I have this: Win this week coupled with Steelers loss and the Titans lock up home field the week before the Steelers come to town when they can rest players and make game plans for a possible AFC Championship.
- Packers over Jaguars... has there been any bigger disappointments than these two??
- Vikings over Cardinals... I'm planning on the Cardinals preparing for the playoffs... by taking a week off. Sure they won't get a bye week, but I just can't trust a team that celebrates winning the NFC West with a chance to finish 8-8.
- Panthers over Broncos... NFC South at home versus a team that doesn't have a running back and lost to the Chiefs.
- Steelers over Ravens... Here's the chance for Pittsburgh to prove that defense wins championships by beating the most defensive defense.
- Patriots over Raiders... what do the Raiders have to go on at this point in the year??
- Giants over Cowboys... don't look now, T.O. is at it again. Simple math T.O. + press = loss.
- Eagles over Browns... you can always tell who the networks think the dark horse for the playoffs is every year. That team that plays a ton of national TV games after a breakthrough year. Usually they end up with a losing record and ratings are down... thanks, Browns.
Last Week: 11-5
Season 136-71-1
My uncle usually runs his and my picks against the picks of the KC Star sports staff. At this point he's in first and I'm in second. Those jerks at the Star gave themselves a win for the Eagles/Bengals tie. Go figure.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Prebowl Rankings and Seriously Delayed NFL Week 14 Picks
Things got a little busy this weekend. Mostly because Katie and I received a surprise invitation to the Big12 Championship and since it was VIP treatment, I went along, even thought I knew the 62-21 thumping was inevitable.
Here are the picks I missed putting up for the NFL:
Chargers, Bears, Vikings, Packers, Titans, Colts, Falcons, Giants, Broncos, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Cardinals, Steelers, Ravens, Buccaneers.
Week 13: 9-7
Season: 125-66-1
Obviously, if you paid attention this week, you'd know how I did, otherwise, wait for Friday's blog.
College Rankings:
1. Utah (12-0)
2. Boise State (12-0)
3. Oklahoma (12-1)
4. Florida (12-1)
5. Alabama (12-1)
6. Ball State (12-1)
7. Texas (11-1)
8. Penn State (11-1)
9. Southern Cal (11-1)
10. Texas Tech (11-1)
11. Cincinnati (11-2)
12. Ohio State (10-2)
13. Texas Christian (10-2)
14. Brigham Young (10-2)
15. Pittsburgh (9-3)
16. Georgia Tech (9-3)
17. Michigan State (9-3)
18. Georgia (9-3)
19. Oregon (9-3)
20. Oklahoma State (9-3)
21. Northwestern (9-3)
22. Virginia Tech (9-4)
23. Boston College (9-4)
24. Missouri (9-4)
25. East Carolina (9-4)
26. Florida State (8-4)
27. Oregon State (8-4)
28. Iowa (8-4)
29. Mississippi (8-4)
30. Troy (8-4)
31. Buffalo (8-4)
(Note: Last two get ranked because all conference champs deserve to be ranked, and they're records would have them on the Honorable Mention anyway.)
Honorable Mention: Tulsa (10-3), Rice (9-3), Western Michigan (9-3), Central Michigan (8-4), Nebraska (8-4), North Carolina (8-4), Air Force (8-4), Navy (8-4), West Virginia (8-4).
Let's make note of who got screwed. First, Texas got royally screwed by bot getting to play in the Big12 Championship. Second, Boise State is only 1 spot lower then they were in '06 and yet they are not getting a BCS invite. TCU is also getting a bad rap, they are in the top 12, the goal the BCS sets for non-BCS schools, and they're not in. Especially considering their 2 loses are to Oklahoma and Utah.
Bowl previews will be up late next week.
Here are the picks I missed putting up for the NFL:
Chargers, Bears, Vikings, Packers, Titans, Colts, Falcons, Giants, Broncos, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Cardinals, Steelers, Ravens, Buccaneers.
Week 13: 9-7
Season: 125-66-1
Obviously, if you paid attention this week, you'd know how I did, otherwise, wait for Friday's blog.
College Rankings:
1. Utah (12-0)
2. Boise State (12-0)
3. Oklahoma (12-1)
4. Florida (12-1)
5. Alabama (12-1)
6. Ball State (12-1)
7. Texas (11-1)
8. Penn State (11-1)
9. Southern Cal (11-1)
10. Texas Tech (11-1)
11. Cincinnati (11-2)
12. Ohio State (10-2)
13. Texas Christian (10-2)
14. Brigham Young (10-2)
15. Pittsburgh (9-3)
16. Georgia Tech (9-3)
17. Michigan State (9-3)
18. Georgia (9-3)
19. Oregon (9-3)
20. Oklahoma State (9-3)
21. Northwestern (9-3)
22. Virginia Tech (9-4)
23. Boston College (9-4)
24. Missouri (9-4)
25. East Carolina (9-4)
26. Florida State (8-4)
27. Oregon State (8-4)
28. Iowa (8-4)
29. Mississippi (8-4)
30. Troy (8-4)
31. Buffalo (8-4)
(Note: Last two get ranked because all conference champs deserve to be ranked, and they're records would have them on the Honorable Mention anyway.)
Honorable Mention: Tulsa (10-3), Rice (9-3), Western Michigan (9-3), Central Michigan (8-4), Nebraska (8-4), North Carolina (8-4), Air Force (8-4), Navy (8-4), West Virginia (8-4).
Let's make note of who got screwed. First, Texas got royally screwed by bot getting to play in the Big12 Championship. Second, Boise State is only 1 spot lower then they were in '06 and yet they are not getting a BCS invite. TCU is also getting a bad rap, they are in the top 12, the goal the BCS sets for non-BCS schools, and they're not in. Especially considering their 2 loses are to Oklahoma and Utah.
Bowl previews will be up late next week.
Monday, December 1, 2008
College Week 15 Rankings and Picks
A clear cut Top 29 in the polls this week, also by stopping at 29 I didn't have to worry about including either Nebraska or Kansas. Weird coincidence, there are 2 ties in the polls, #18 and #28.
1. Alabama (12-0)
2. Utah (12-0)
3. Boise State (12-0)
4. Ball State (12-0)
5. Florida (11-1)
6. Texas (11-1)
7. Oklahoma (11-1)
8. Penn State (11-1)
9. Texas Tech (11-1)
10. Southern Cal (10-1)
11. Ohio State (10-2)
12. Cincinnati (10-2)
13. Texas Christian (10-2)
14. Brigham Young (10-2)
15. Tulsa (10-2)
16. Georgia Tech (9-3)
17. Boston College (9-3)
18. Michigan State (9-3)
18. Georgia (9-3)
20. Oklahoma State (9-3)
21. Missouri (9-3)
22. Oregon (9-3)
23. Northwestern (9-3)
24. Pittsburgh (8-3)
25. Florida State (8-4)
26. Virginia Tech (8-4)
27. Oregon State (8-4)
28. Iowa (8-4)
28. Mississippi (8-4)
Honorable Mention: Western Michigan (9-3), Rice (9-3), North Carolina (8-4), Nebraska (8-4), East Carolina (8-4), Air Force (8-4), Central Michigan (8-4).
This Week's Picks:
- #17 Boston College over #26 Virginia Tech... ACC title game rematch goes to BC and it's strong defense.
- #5 Florida over #1 Alabama... throwing some wood on the anti-BCS fire. Let's see how good 'Bama's defense is against a balanced and dynamic offense.
- #7 Oklahoma over #21 Missouri... still waiting for Oklahoma to play like the Oklahoma of the last two Fiesta Bowls.
Also calling the MAC Championship for #4 Ball State, the C-USA Championship for #15 Tulsa, and Navy over Army.
On the BCS debate... Texas needs to relax. Sure, they are right, they should be in the title game not Oklahoma, but look at it this way... all they need is an upset. I'd be willing to wager that the winner of the SEC title game will be in the BCS Championship; so if Oklahoma were to lose to Mizzou, guess who slides into that other spot? That's right, the idle third-ranked team. Of course, another dominant performance by USC could move them ahead of Texas, but that would be a surprise. My advice to Texas: send all the gameplans and tapes you've got to the Mizzou coaching staff. Do everything short of playing the game for them.
1. Alabama (12-0)
2. Utah (12-0)
3. Boise State (12-0)
4. Ball State (12-0)
5. Florida (11-1)
6. Texas (11-1)
7. Oklahoma (11-1)
8. Penn State (11-1)
9. Texas Tech (11-1)
10. Southern Cal (10-1)
11. Ohio State (10-2)
12. Cincinnati (10-2)
13. Texas Christian (10-2)
14. Brigham Young (10-2)
15. Tulsa (10-2)
16. Georgia Tech (9-3)
17. Boston College (9-3)
18. Michigan State (9-3)
18. Georgia (9-3)
20. Oklahoma State (9-3)
21. Missouri (9-3)
22. Oregon (9-3)
23. Northwestern (9-3)
24. Pittsburgh (8-3)
25. Florida State (8-4)
26. Virginia Tech (8-4)
27. Oregon State (8-4)
28. Iowa (8-4)
28. Mississippi (8-4)
Honorable Mention: Western Michigan (9-3), Rice (9-3), North Carolina (8-4), Nebraska (8-4), East Carolina (8-4), Air Force (8-4), Central Michigan (8-4).
This Week's Picks:
- #17 Boston College over #26 Virginia Tech... ACC title game rematch goes to BC and it's strong defense.
- #5 Florida over #1 Alabama... throwing some wood on the anti-BCS fire. Let's see how good 'Bama's defense is against a balanced and dynamic offense.
- #7 Oklahoma over #21 Missouri... still waiting for Oklahoma to play like the Oklahoma of the last two Fiesta Bowls.
Also calling the MAC Championship for #4 Ball State, the C-USA Championship for #15 Tulsa, and Navy over Army.
On the BCS debate... Texas needs to relax. Sure, they are right, they should be in the title game not Oklahoma, but look at it this way... all they need is an upset. I'd be willing to wager that the winner of the SEC title game will be in the BCS Championship; so if Oklahoma were to lose to Mizzou, guess who slides into that other spot? That's right, the idle third-ranked team. Of course, another dominant performance by USC could move them ahead of Texas, but that would be a surprise. My advice to Texas: send all the gameplans and tapes you've got to the Mizzou coaching staff. Do everything short of playing the game for them.
Belated NFL Week 13 Picks
You'll just have to believe me (because it was hard to blog over the Thanksgiving Holiday), but I picked these teams:
Titans, Cowboys, Cardinals, Bills, Packers, Buccaneers, Giants, Colts, Ravens, Dolphins, Chargers, Steelers, Raiders, Jets, Vikings, and Jaguars.
Last Week: 11-5
Season: 116-59-1
Note from a reader:
connq (Chicago): "This just in .... The new head coach of Kansas State - Bill Snyder. So I want to know, does this mean a return to the old, good Kansas State. Or is KSU so "bad" and game so "different" that no amount of recruiting JUCO transfers will right the ship?"
Technically, the old Kansas State sucks, look at their record. But I know he meant the K-State of 1995-2005. Personally, I always liked what Bill Snyder had done there, and I can't really say it's too late for him to right the ship. One thing I'm sure of, it'll help recruiting... which will probably mean less Texas recruits to spread around... which means more difficult recruiting for everyone else... which means a more competitive North division (good for image, bad for Mizzou). I never liked that Snyder built his dynasty on JUCO players, they always had a poor academic record. I guess you could say I don't like the hire, mostly because it may make Mizzou's job harder every year.
Titans, Cowboys, Cardinals, Bills, Packers, Buccaneers, Giants, Colts, Ravens, Dolphins, Chargers, Steelers, Raiders, Jets, Vikings, and Jaguars.
Last Week: 11-5
Season: 116-59-1
Note from a reader:
connq (Chicago): "This just in .... The new head coach of Kansas State - Bill Snyder. So I want to know, does this mean a return to the old, good Kansas State. Or is KSU so "bad" and game so "different" that no amount of recruiting JUCO transfers will right the ship?"
Technically, the old Kansas State sucks, look at their record. But I know he meant the K-State of 1995-2005. Personally, I always liked what Bill Snyder had done there, and I can't really say it's too late for him to right the ship. One thing I'm sure of, it'll help recruiting... which will probably mean less Texas recruits to spread around... which means more difficult recruiting for everyone else... which means a more competitive North division (good for image, bad for Mizzou). I never liked that Snyder built his dynasty on JUCO players, they always had a poor academic record. I guess you could say I don't like the hire, mostly because it may make Mizzou's job harder every year.
Monday, November 24, 2008
College Week 14 Rankings and Picks
Well, I predicted the three unbeatens' games exactly. Now we're down to 1 BCS undefeated team, Alabama, but they aren't my #1. By virtue of a bye week, the Tide are second banana to a team that has already won their conference and didn't lose a regular season game...
1. Utah (12-0)
2. Alabama (11-0)
3. Boise State (11-0)
4. Ball State (11-0)
5. Penn State (11-1)
6. Texas (10-1)
7. Florida (10-1)
8. Oklahoma (10-1)
9. Texas Tech (10-1)
10. Southern Cal (9-1)
11. Ohio State (10-2)
12. Texas Christian (10-2)
13. Brigham Young (10-2)
14. Georgia (9-2)
15. Oklahoma State (9-2)
16. Missouri (9-2)
17. Cincinnati (9-2)
18. Western Michigan (9-2)
19. Michigan State (9-3)
20. Northwestern (9-3)
21. Georgia Tech (8-3)
22. Oregon State (8-3)
23. Boston College (8-3)
24. Florida State (8-3)
25. Oregon (8-3)
26. Pittsburgh (7-3)
27. West Virginia (7-3)
28. Iowa (8-4)
29. Mississippi (7-4)
30. California (7-4)
31. Louisiana State (7-4)
Honorable Mention: Rice (8-3), Central Michigan (8-3), Air Force (8-4)
Funny how hard it's been to remove LSU from the list. That's what happens when you're the defending champ. Tons of 7-4 teams might deserve mention, but it would take up lots of room. I could tell the Oklahoma defense was just as tired as I was of hearing about the spectacular Texas Tech offense. If there is one thing to be learned from this, it's that you should never let your opponent get annoyed with your press.
- #4 Ball State over #18 Western Michigan (Tues)... a lot of talk about how the Big 12 South could come down to BCS ranking, if the Broncos pull off the upset, the MAC West will end in the same 3-way tie.
- #27 West Virginia over #26 Pittsburgh (Fri)... Pat White wiped Brad Smith out of the record books, becoming the all-time leading rushing quarterback. Good news for Smith (besides the fat NFL paycheck), one record he won't lose to that chubby-faced Daniel.
- #7 Florida over #24 Florida State... Maryland got 3 points last week, yet had the leading passer and leading rusher. How does Florida State keep winning??? (Oh yea, defense)
- #14 Georgia over #21 Georgia Tech... I really don't know if the Bulldogs will show up for this one. Then again it is casually referred to as the "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" game.
- #8 Oklahoma over #15 Oklahoma State... hmmm, the Bedlam Game. I'm torn between Oklahoma's capacity to have let-downs and their capacity to beat the ever-living snot out of teams that think they're unstoppable. (See Texas Tech, and Missouri last year)
- #25 Oregon over #22 Oregon State... the Civil War is always ugly, and I'm not talking about the weather or Oregon's uniforms. The Ducks do USC and the rest of the world a favor by keeping the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl.
1. Utah (12-0)
2. Alabama (11-0)
3. Boise State (11-0)
4. Ball State (11-0)
5. Penn State (11-1)
6. Texas (10-1)
7. Florida (10-1)
8. Oklahoma (10-1)
9. Texas Tech (10-1)
10. Southern Cal (9-1)
11. Ohio State (10-2)
12. Texas Christian (10-2)
13. Brigham Young (10-2)
14. Georgia (9-2)
15. Oklahoma State (9-2)
16. Missouri (9-2)
17. Cincinnati (9-2)
18. Western Michigan (9-2)
19. Michigan State (9-3)
20. Northwestern (9-3)
21. Georgia Tech (8-3)
22. Oregon State (8-3)
23. Boston College (8-3)
24. Florida State (8-3)
25. Oregon (8-3)
26. Pittsburgh (7-3)
27. West Virginia (7-3)
28. Iowa (8-4)
29. Mississippi (7-4)
30. California (7-4)
31. Louisiana State (7-4)
Honorable Mention: Rice (8-3), Central Michigan (8-3), Air Force (8-4)
Funny how hard it's been to remove LSU from the list. That's what happens when you're the defending champ. Tons of 7-4 teams might deserve mention, but it would take up lots of room. I could tell the Oklahoma defense was just as tired as I was of hearing about the spectacular Texas Tech offense. If there is one thing to be learned from this, it's that you should never let your opponent get annoyed with your press.
- #4 Ball State over #18 Western Michigan (Tues)... a lot of talk about how the Big 12 South could come down to BCS ranking, if the Broncos pull off the upset, the MAC West will end in the same 3-way tie.
- #27 West Virginia over #26 Pittsburgh (Fri)... Pat White wiped Brad Smith out of the record books, becoming the all-time leading rushing quarterback. Good news for Smith (besides the fat NFL paycheck), one record he won't lose to that chubby-faced Daniel.
- #7 Florida over #24 Florida State... Maryland got 3 points last week, yet had the leading passer and leading rusher. How does Florida State keep winning??? (Oh yea, defense)
- #14 Georgia over #21 Georgia Tech... I really don't know if the Bulldogs will show up for this one. Then again it is casually referred to as the "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" game.
- #8 Oklahoma over #15 Oklahoma State... hmmm, the Bedlam Game. I'm torn between Oklahoma's capacity to have let-downs and their capacity to beat the ever-living snot out of teams that think they're unstoppable. (See Texas Tech, and Missouri last year)
- #25 Oregon over #22 Oregon State... the Civil War is always ugly, and I'm not talking about the weather or Oregon's uniforms. The Ducks do USC and the rest of the world a favor by keeping the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
NFL Week 12 Picks
- Steelers over Bengals... I saw a graphic on ESPN about how the Bengals are 1-1-1 since their loss to the Steelers in week 7. If that's the best thing going for you, maybe you shouldn't announce it to the world.
- Browns over Texans... Remember when Notre Dame was good? Remember who their quarterback was? Remember how much hype Brady Quinn got? I hope he remembers, because it's "Welcome to the NFL" time.
- Bills over Chiefs... Someone please get Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson out of there. It's one thing to be in the middle of a "3-year rebuilding process;" it's another thing to be in the middle of the worst stretch in franchise history.
- Patriots over Dolphins... Perfect example of how hard it is to beat someone twice in the same season, especially the way New England cheats.
- Titans over Jets... I hear the Jets will be wearing their throwback New York Titans uniforms. Anything to make you feel successful, I guess.
- Ravens over Eagles... I'm pretty sure Donovan McNabb's alma mater, Syracuse, could've not tied the Bengals last week (win or lose... either one could have been better).
- Cowboys over 49ers... Since she already did that remake of "These Boots are Made for Walkin'", would it be to much of a stretch to ask Jessica Simpson to redo "My Boyfriend's Back"? If she can read the lines.
- Buccaneers over Lions... Picking the Lions is like trying to pick-up that extraordinarily drunk girl at the bar. It's soooo tempting and easy to be like "Maybe just this one time," but everyone knows that no good can come of it.
- Vikings over Jaguars... Where did the Jaguars go this year? Aren't they a playoff team? They've been so off-the-radar, I didn't even bother to look to see who Adrian Peterson was going to run all over this week.
- Bears over Rams... Jim Hasslett to himself this week: "Maybe if I had another natural disaster wreck the town I'm coaching in so everyone will feel sorry for us and we can rally together and make the playoffs." Well, Jim, everyone already does feel sorry for the Rams. Their offense is the real natural disaster.
- Broncos over Raiders... Only time I ever root for the Broncos.
- Panthers over Falcons... The Falcons have been so good to me this year. Only twice have they not done what I've asked, and one of those times was in week 1 when they started the train wreck that is the 2008 Detroit Lions.
- Giants over Cardinals... Note to the Cardinals: If you don't win this game, making the playoffs means nothing other than you were the least-crappy team in the NFC West.
- Redskins over Seahawks... Speaking of crappy NFC West teams, the 2008 Seattle Seahawks!! Hey, at least the Apple Cup is this weekend. Wait, Washington and Washington State are a combined 1-20?? Oh damn. I'm sorry.
- Colts over Chargers... That old menacing creature in the dark back there? Yea, that's the Colts. They ain't done yet.
- Packers over the Saints... In order to be called a "division leader" shouldn't you need to have won more games than you've lost and not be tied with 2 other teams?
Last Week: 12-3-1
Season: 105-54-1
- Browns over Texans... Remember when Notre Dame was good? Remember who their quarterback was? Remember how much hype Brady Quinn got? I hope he remembers, because it's "Welcome to the NFL" time.
- Bills over Chiefs... Someone please get Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson out of there. It's one thing to be in the middle of a "3-year rebuilding process;" it's another thing to be in the middle of the worst stretch in franchise history.
- Patriots over Dolphins... Perfect example of how hard it is to beat someone twice in the same season, especially the way New England cheats.
- Titans over Jets... I hear the Jets will be wearing their throwback New York Titans uniforms. Anything to make you feel successful, I guess.
- Ravens over Eagles... I'm pretty sure Donovan McNabb's alma mater, Syracuse, could've not tied the Bengals last week (win or lose... either one could have been better).
- Cowboys over 49ers... Since she already did that remake of "These Boots are Made for Walkin'", would it be to much of a stretch to ask Jessica Simpson to redo "My Boyfriend's Back"? If she can read the lines.
- Buccaneers over Lions... Picking the Lions is like trying to pick-up that extraordinarily drunk girl at the bar. It's soooo tempting and easy to be like "Maybe just this one time," but everyone knows that no good can come of it.
- Vikings over Jaguars... Where did the Jaguars go this year? Aren't they a playoff team? They've been so off-the-radar, I didn't even bother to look to see who Adrian Peterson was going to run all over this week.
- Bears over Rams... Jim Hasslett to himself this week: "Maybe if I had another natural disaster wreck the town I'm coaching in so everyone will feel sorry for us and we can rally together and make the playoffs." Well, Jim, everyone already does feel sorry for the Rams. Their offense is the real natural disaster.
- Broncos over Raiders... Only time I ever root for the Broncos.
- Panthers over Falcons... The Falcons have been so good to me this year. Only twice have they not done what I've asked, and one of those times was in week 1 when they started the train wreck that is the 2008 Detroit Lions.
- Giants over Cardinals... Note to the Cardinals: If you don't win this game, making the playoffs means nothing other than you were the least-crappy team in the NFC West.
- Redskins over Seahawks... Speaking of crappy NFC West teams, the 2008 Seattle Seahawks!! Hey, at least the Apple Cup is this weekend. Wait, Washington and Washington State are a combined 1-20?? Oh damn. I'm sorry.
- Colts over Chargers... That old menacing creature in the dark back there? Yea, that's the Colts. They ain't done yet.
- Packers over the Saints... In order to be called a "division leader" shouldn't you need to have won more games than you've lost and not be tied with 2 other teams?
Last Week: 12-3-1
Season: 105-54-1
Monday, November 17, 2008
College Week 13 Rankings and Picks
This week it's a Top 33. I got tired of including Central and Western Michigan in the Honorable Mention part, and since they both received votes in both polls it worked itself out this way.
1. Alabama (11-0)
2. Utah (11-0)
3. Texas Tech (10-0)
4. Boise State (10-0)
5. Ball State (10-0)
6. Texas (10-1)
7. Penn State (10-1)
8. Brigham Young (10-1)
9. Florida (9-1)
10. Oklahoma (9-1)
11. Southern Cal (9-1)
12. Ohio State (9-2)
13. Georgia (9-2)
14. Michigan State (9-2)
15. Oklahoma State (9-2)
16. Missouri (9-2)
17. Texas Christian (9-2)
18. Western Michigan (9-2)
19. Cincinnati (8-2)
20. Central Michigan (8-2)
21. Pittsburgh (7-2)
22. Oregon (8-3)
23. Northwestern (8-3)
24. North Carolina (7-3)
25. Georgia Tech (7-3)
26. Miami (FL) (7-3)
27. Oregon State (7-3)
28. Maryland (7-3)
29. Florida State (7-3)
30. Boston College (7-3)
31. Louisiana State (7-3)
32. West Virginia (6-3)
33. Iowa (7-4)
(Note: Missouri scored better than Oklahoma State, but since I watched that game, I can tell you the Cowboys are better. All the 7-3 ACC teams between 24 and 30 are placed in order of score. I know many of them have settled things on the field but it was too confusing to switch them around, especially with Oregon State in there.)
Honorable Mention: Air Force (8-3), Connecticut (7-3), Rice (7-3), Minnesota (7-4), South Carolina (7-4)
Picks:
- #5 Ball State over #20 Central Michigan... if there is one thing I've learned about picking games, it's never trying to "guess" when an undefeated team will lose (see Patriots last year).
- #26 Miami (Fl) over #25 Georgia Tech... earlier this year I told Katie to watch out for Miami in the next 2 years, well watch out for them now!
- #7 Penn State over #14 Michigan State... the Nittany Lions will send JoePa out in fashion at the Rose Bowl.
- #2 Utah over #10 Brigham Young... see Ball State pick.
- #21 Pittsburgh over #19 Cincinnati... Pitt's running game will be the difference maker.
- #29 Florida State over #28 Maryland... wasn't this Maryland team supposed to be one of the ACC's worst?
- #10 Oklahoma over #3 Texas Tech... okay, I'm going against my rule here, but it's in Norman. It's too ridiculous to see Tech winning out.
Some of you made a point to mock me for my Patriots pick after they had already lost this weekend. In all honesty I made that pick Thursday afternoon, but I made the rest Saturday and that's when I published the blog. I wasn't trying to take a win away from Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre. So note, I'm picking the Steelers this Thursday night, in case I don't get the blog up in time.
1. Alabama (11-0)
2. Utah (11-0)
3. Texas Tech (10-0)
4. Boise State (10-0)
5. Ball State (10-0)
6. Texas (10-1)
7. Penn State (10-1)
8. Brigham Young (10-1)
9. Florida (9-1)
10. Oklahoma (9-1)
11. Southern Cal (9-1)
12. Ohio State (9-2)
13. Georgia (9-2)
14. Michigan State (9-2)
15. Oklahoma State (9-2)
16. Missouri (9-2)
17. Texas Christian (9-2)
18. Western Michigan (9-2)
19. Cincinnati (8-2)
20. Central Michigan (8-2)
21. Pittsburgh (7-2)
22. Oregon (8-3)
23. Northwestern (8-3)
24. North Carolina (7-3)
25. Georgia Tech (7-3)
26. Miami (FL) (7-3)
27. Oregon State (7-3)
28. Maryland (7-3)
29. Florida State (7-3)
30. Boston College (7-3)
31. Louisiana State (7-3)
32. West Virginia (6-3)
33. Iowa (7-4)
(Note: Missouri scored better than Oklahoma State, but since I watched that game, I can tell you the Cowboys are better. All the 7-3 ACC teams between 24 and 30 are placed in order of score. I know many of them have settled things on the field but it was too confusing to switch them around, especially with Oregon State in there.)
Honorable Mention: Air Force (8-3), Connecticut (7-3), Rice (7-3), Minnesota (7-4), South Carolina (7-4)
Picks:
- #5 Ball State over #20 Central Michigan... if there is one thing I've learned about picking games, it's never trying to "guess" when an undefeated team will lose (see Patriots last year).
- #26 Miami (Fl) over #25 Georgia Tech... earlier this year I told Katie to watch out for Miami in the next 2 years, well watch out for them now!
- #7 Penn State over #14 Michigan State... the Nittany Lions will send JoePa out in fashion at the Rose Bowl.
- #2 Utah over #10 Brigham Young... see Ball State pick.
- #21 Pittsburgh over #19 Cincinnati... Pitt's running game will be the difference maker.
- #29 Florida State over #28 Maryland... wasn't this Maryland team supposed to be one of the ACC's worst?
- #10 Oklahoma over #3 Texas Tech... okay, I'm going against my rule here, but it's in Norman. It's too ridiculous to see Tech winning out.
Some of you made a point to mock me for my Patriots pick after they had already lost this weekend. In all honesty I made that pick Thursday afternoon, but I made the rest Saturday and that's when I published the blog. I wasn't trying to take a win away from Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre. So note, I'm picking the Steelers this Thursday night, in case I don't get the blog up in time.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
NFL Week 11 Picks
- Patriots over Jets
- Saints over Chiefs
- Falcons over Broncos
- Colts over Texans
- Dolphins over Raiders
- Ravens over Giants
- Panthers over Lions
- Eagles over Bengals
- Packers over Bears
- Vikings over Buccaneers
- 49ers over Rams
- Cardinals over Seahawks
- Titans over Jaguars
- Steelers over Chargers
- Cowboys over Redskins
- Browns over Bills
That's all, really bogged down on school work right now.
- Saints over Chiefs
- Falcons over Broncos
- Colts over Texans
- Dolphins over Raiders
- Ravens over Giants
- Panthers over Lions
- Eagles over Bengals
- Packers over Bears
- Vikings over Buccaneers
- 49ers over Rams
- Cardinals over Seahawks
- Titans over Jaguars
- Steelers over Chargers
- Cowboys over Redskins
- Browns over Bills
That's all, really bogged down on school work right now.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
College Week 12 Rankings and Picks
As promised, worthy comments will receive attention in the blog itself. Here's one from this weekend:
connq (Chicago): "All I have to say about the first place Cardinals (Arizona) is this: When I heard that I was confused, but when I heard Kurt Warner for MVP - I thought it was 2001."
Boy, are those Arizona fans diluted or what? There like Royals fans, as soon as there is something to cheer about they get delirious and make wild claims and come up with insane stats. I should know.
On to the College Rankings:
1. Texas Tech (10-0)
2. Alabama (10-0)
3. Utah (10-0)
4. Boise State (9-0)
5. Ball State (9-0)
6. Texas (9-1)
7. Oklahoma (9-1)
8. Penn State (9-1)
9. Brigham Young (9-1)
10. Florida (8-1)
11. Southern Cal (8-1)
12. Tulsa (8-1)
13. Michigan State (9-2)
14. Texas Christian (9-2)
15. Ohio State (8-2)
16. Georgia (8-2)
17. Missouri (8-2)
18. Oklahoma State (8-2)
19. Air Force (8-2)
20. Pittsburgh (7-2)
21. North Carolina (7-2)
22. Florida State (7-2)
23. Cincinnati (7-2)
24. Georgia Tech (7-3)
25. South Carolina (7-3)
26. Oregon (7-3) (Note: #31 in AP)
27. Virginia Tech (6-3)
28. Oregon State (6-3)
29. Louisiana State (6-3)
30. California (6-3)
Honorable Mention: Western Michigan (8-2), Central Michigan (7-2), Minnesota (7-3), Northwestern (7-3), Rice (7-3), Arizona (6-3, #30 in AP).
connq (Chicago): "All I have to say about the first place Cardinals (Arizona) is this: When I heard that I was confused, but when I heard Kurt Warner for MVP - I thought it was 2001."
Boy, are those Arizona fans diluted or what? There like Royals fans, as soon as there is something to cheer about they get delirious and make wild claims and come up with insane stats. I should know.
On to the College Rankings:
1. Texas Tech (10-0)
2. Alabama (10-0)
3. Utah (10-0)
4. Boise State (9-0)
5. Ball State (9-0)
6. Texas (9-1)
7. Oklahoma (9-1)
8. Penn State (9-1)
9. Brigham Young (9-1)
10. Florida (8-1)
11. Southern Cal (8-1)
12. Tulsa (8-1)
13. Michigan State (9-2)
14. Texas Christian (9-2)
15. Ohio State (8-2)
16. Georgia (8-2)
17. Missouri (8-2)
18. Oklahoma State (8-2)
19. Air Force (8-2)
20. Pittsburgh (7-2)
21. North Carolina (7-2)
22. Florida State (7-2)
23. Cincinnati (7-2)
24. Georgia Tech (7-3)
25. South Carolina (7-3)
26. Oregon (7-3) (Note: #31 in AP)
27. Virginia Tech (6-3)
28. Oregon State (6-3)
29. Louisiana State (6-3)
30. California (6-3)
Honorable Mention: Western Michigan (8-2), Central Michigan (7-2), Minnesota (7-3), Northwestern (7-3), Rice (7-3), Arizona (6-3, #30 in AP).
Sunday, November 9, 2008
NFL Week 10 Picks and Weekend Thoughts
- Browns over Broncos... Yes, I made this pick before the game Thursday night, and yes I thought "Golden Boy" Quinn would pull it out. Didn't expect the defense to blow it like they did.
- Falcons over Saints... Can someone in the NFC South please take control?
- Titans over Bears... One thing I learned last year, never try to predict win the last undefeated team will lose its first game.
- Jaguars over Lions... One thing I learned last year, never try to predict win the last winless team will win its first game.
- Dolphins over Seahawks... So I hear Mike Holmgren has picked his replacement, but at this point, who would want to coach this team?
- Vikings over Packers... Tradition would tell me to pick against Brett Favre in a dome... wait, he's not playing for a mediocre Packers team? Really?
- Patriots over Bills... People keep saying the AFC East is wide open, what they mean to say is, without Tom Brady the Patriots are dominant force they should have been and they have fallen back to the pack and it's an average division that probably won't produce a wild card team.
- Jets over Rams... See above, but add in how absolutely terrible the NFC West is.
- Ravens over Texans... Did they really need to reschedule this game?
- Panthers over Raiders... I saw what the Panthers did to the Chiefs, expect more of the same.
- Steelers over Colts... Despite last week's win over the Patriots, I don't think the Colts are "back," they're definitely still human.
- Chargers over Chiefs... I shouldn't have to say it again, nothing will make me pick the Chiefs ever again this season.
- Giants over Eagles... Can't stop the Giants. Titans vs. Giants Super Bowl would be nice.
- Cardinals over 49ers... I can sum up the NFC West with one story... While watching ESPN yesterday morning, they ran a promo for this Monday night game that included the words "first place Cardinals" and wasn't talking about baseball. Katie looked at me with one of those "are they kidding?" looks and I had to nod my head and say "that's how bad the NFC West is."
Last Week: 10-4
Season: 81-49
Couple of thoughts:
- Anyone else REALLY glad the elections are over? I don't care who you voted for, it gets worse and worse every year.
- Was I right about Kansas or was I right about Kansas?
- College picks were a bit off, Texas Tech managed to get through round 2, Oklahoma is still waiting in the wings, Missouri calmly taking care of business, The MAC West still looks ridiculous with 9-0 Ball State, 7-2 Central Michigan, and 8-2 Western Michigan.
- Falcons over Saints... Can someone in the NFC South please take control?
- Titans over Bears... One thing I learned last year, never try to predict win the last undefeated team will lose its first game.
- Jaguars over Lions... One thing I learned last year, never try to predict win the last winless team will win its first game.
- Dolphins over Seahawks... So I hear Mike Holmgren has picked his replacement, but at this point, who would want to coach this team?
- Vikings over Packers... Tradition would tell me to pick against Brett Favre in a dome... wait, he's not playing for a mediocre Packers team? Really?
- Patriots over Bills... People keep saying the AFC East is wide open, what they mean to say is, without Tom Brady the Patriots are dominant force they should have been and they have fallen back to the pack and it's an average division that probably won't produce a wild card team.
- Jets over Rams... See above, but add in how absolutely terrible the NFC West is.
- Ravens over Texans... Did they really need to reschedule this game?
- Panthers over Raiders... I saw what the Panthers did to the Chiefs, expect more of the same.
- Steelers over Colts... Despite last week's win over the Patriots, I don't think the Colts are "back," they're definitely still human.
- Chargers over Chiefs... I shouldn't have to say it again, nothing will make me pick the Chiefs ever again this season.
- Giants over Eagles... Can't stop the Giants. Titans vs. Giants Super Bowl would be nice.
- Cardinals over 49ers... I can sum up the NFC West with one story... While watching ESPN yesterday morning, they ran a promo for this Monday night game that included the words "first place Cardinals" and wasn't talking about baseball. Katie looked at me with one of those "are they kidding?" looks and I had to nod my head and say "that's how bad the NFC West is."
Last Week: 10-4
Season: 81-49
Couple of thoughts:
- Anyone else REALLY glad the elections are over? I don't care who you voted for, it gets worse and worse every year.
- Was I right about Kansas or was I right about Kansas?
- College picks were a bit off, Texas Tech managed to get through round 2, Oklahoma is still waiting in the wings, Missouri calmly taking care of business, The MAC West still looks ridiculous with 9-0 Ball State, 7-2 Central Michigan, and 8-2 Western Michigan.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
College Week 11 Rankings and Picks
Here are the week's rankings, delayed a day by a case of Palin Fever. Only 29 teams this week because while there was a clear Top 29 in both polls, there was not a clear 30-35. Kansas is unfortunately sticking around as "the best 3-loss team." The Honorable Mention list can now be exclusive to those with records that would have put them in the Top 29 if they'd have been ranked higher.
1. Penn State (9-0)
2. Texas Tech (9-0)
3. Alabama (9-0)
4. Utah (9-0)
5. Boise State (8-0)
6. Ball State (8-0)
7. Texas Christian (9-1)
8. Texas (8-1)
9. Oklahoma (8-1)
10. Oklahoma State (8-1)
11. Brigham Young (8-1)
12. Tulsa (8-1)
13. Florida (7-1)
14. Southern Cal (7-1)
15. Michigan State (8-2)
16. Ohio State (7-2)
17. Georgia (7-2)
18. Georgia Tech (7-2)
19. Missouri (7-2)
20. Northwestern (7-2)
21. Minnesota (7-2)
22. North Carolina (6-2)
23. Pittsburgh (6-2)
24. Florida State (6-2)
25. California (6-2)
26. Louisiana State (6-2)
27. Maryland (6-2)
28. West Virginia (6-2)
29. Kansas (6-3)
Honorable Mention: Air Force (7-2), Central Michigan (7-2), Western Michigan (7-2), Cincinnati (6-2).
Picks for this week:
- #6 Ball State over Northern Illinois (Wed)... notice how we've got Ball State at 8-0 and Central and Western Michigan both at 7-2, and those teams are in the same division of the MAC. They haven't played each other yet! Is the Big 12 South the best division in football?? We'll find out soon.
- #7 Texas Christian over #4 Utah (Thurs)... the Mountain West officials have to be on their toes for this one, if the conference's remaining unbeaten stays that way, they better have called a perfect game. TCU is the best team in the conference (because they have a defense) and if they don't win I hope it's not because the conference wanted to keep Utah in the national championship race.
- #16 Ohio State over #20 Northwestern... if the Wildcats are for real they'll pull this one off, so I'm taking the Buckeyes.
- #18 Georgia Tech over #22 North Carolina... will someone in the ACC please take charge and dominate.
- #26 Louisiana State over #3 Alabama... upset of the week, if for no other reason then Nick Saban not getting it done.
- #14 Southern Cal over #25 California... it's been several weeks since USC was in an important game, here's hoping they remember how to play one.
- #10 Oklahoma State over #2 Texas Tech... the BCS isn't the only thing about to get hit by chaos, the Big 12 South is in for a rough November. Tech is in the driver seat but still has this game and then Oklahoma, and there's still the Bedlam game. Too many scenarios, especially because Texas is still alive. Here's my prediction, Tech loses both the next 2 games, Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, Texas wins the division and both them and the Sooners go to BCS games.
Have fun with all that.
1. Penn State (9-0)
2. Texas Tech (9-0)
3. Alabama (9-0)
4. Utah (9-0)
5. Boise State (8-0)
6. Ball State (8-0)
7. Texas Christian (9-1)
8. Texas (8-1)
9. Oklahoma (8-1)
10. Oklahoma State (8-1)
11. Brigham Young (8-1)
12. Tulsa (8-1)
13. Florida (7-1)
14. Southern Cal (7-1)
15. Michigan State (8-2)
16. Ohio State (7-2)
17. Georgia (7-2)
18. Georgia Tech (7-2)
19. Missouri (7-2)
20. Northwestern (7-2)
21. Minnesota (7-2)
22. North Carolina (6-2)
23. Pittsburgh (6-2)
24. Florida State (6-2)
25. California (6-2)
26. Louisiana State (6-2)
27. Maryland (6-2)
28. West Virginia (6-2)
29. Kansas (6-3)
Honorable Mention: Air Force (7-2), Central Michigan (7-2), Western Michigan (7-2), Cincinnati (6-2).
Picks for this week:
- #6 Ball State over Northern Illinois (Wed)... notice how we've got Ball State at 8-0 and Central and Western Michigan both at 7-2, and those teams are in the same division of the MAC. They haven't played each other yet! Is the Big 12 South the best division in football?? We'll find out soon.
- #7 Texas Christian over #4 Utah (Thurs)... the Mountain West officials have to be on their toes for this one, if the conference's remaining unbeaten stays that way, they better have called a perfect game. TCU is the best team in the conference (because they have a defense) and if they don't win I hope it's not because the conference wanted to keep Utah in the national championship race.
- #16 Ohio State over #20 Northwestern... if the Wildcats are for real they'll pull this one off, so I'm taking the Buckeyes.
- #18 Georgia Tech over #22 North Carolina... will someone in the ACC please take charge and dominate.
- #26 Louisiana State over #3 Alabama... upset of the week, if for no other reason then Nick Saban not getting it done.
- #14 Southern Cal over #25 California... it's been several weeks since USC was in an important game, here's hoping they remember how to play one.
- #10 Oklahoma State over #2 Texas Tech... the BCS isn't the only thing about to get hit by chaos, the Big 12 South is in for a rough November. Tech is in the driver seat but still has this game and then Oklahoma, and there's still the Bedlam game. Too many scenarios, especially because Texas is still alive. Here's my prediction, Tech loses both the next 2 games, Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, Texas wins the division and both them and the Sooners go to BCS games.
Have fun with all that.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Weekend Picks (NFL Wk 9, College Wk 10)
Bills over Jets
Bears over Lions
Jaguars over Bengals
Browns over Ravens
Titans over Packers
Buccaneers over Chiefs
Cardinals over Rams
Vikings over Texans
Broncos over Dolphins
Falcons over Raiders
Giants over Cowboys
Eagles over Seahawks
Colts over Patriots
Steelers over Redskins
#31 West Virginia over #24 Connecticut
#25 Oregon over #29 California
#17 Florida State over #22 Georgia Tech
#15 Florida over #11 Georgia
#2 Texas over #3 Texas Tech
That's it, not jokes, just picks. If I don't get to watch the Tigers on TV, you don't get to read any wit.
Bears over Lions
Jaguars over Bengals
Browns over Ravens
Titans over Packers
Buccaneers over Chiefs
Cardinals over Rams
Vikings over Texans
Broncos over Dolphins
Falcons over Raiders
Giants over Cowboys
Eagles over Seahawks
Colts over Patriots
Steelers over Redskins
#31 West Virginia over #24 Connecticut
#25 Oregon over #29 California
#17 Florida State over #22 Georgia Tech
#15 Florida over #11 Georgia
#2 Texas over #3 Texas Tech
That's it, not jokes, just picks. If I don't get to watch the Tigers on TV, you don't get to read any wit.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
College Week 10 Rankings and Weekend Thoughts
First, I incorrectly ranked Penn State last weekend. I had them at #4 with a 7-0 record. Their record was 8-0 and they should have been #1, with Utah #2, Texas #3, Oklahoma State #4. I won't make that mistake this time, as they are a nation-best 9-0.
So I promised I'd make fun of Kansas for taking advantage of their weak schedule last year and proving they aren't that good this year. Thanks to Texas Tech tripling them up 63-21, I am offered that opportunity. Here's some food for thought: Kansas beat a FCS team this year, so in order to truly qualify for a bowl game, they must win 7 games. (Each FBS team is allowed to use 1 victory over an FCS as a sixth win to qualify for a bowl every 4 years... Kansas did that in 2003 and 2005, both years they finished with 6 wins, one over an FCS school.) Since they are 5-3, and have Texas and Missouri left, they must beat Kansas State and Nebraska to ideally have 7 wins, not easy they way they are playing defense.
As for Missouri, it's not a guarantee they'll beat Kansas, but they sure looked pissed off on Saturday. That 58-0 win over Colorado was a spanking. At no point did I think Colorado had a chance. Watch out for them to sneak up and be the best 2 loss team in the country.
Here are the rankings:
1. Penn State (9-0)
2. Texas (8-0)
3. Texas Tech (8-0)
4. Alabama (8-0)
5. Utah (8-0)
6. Ball State (8-0)
7. Tulsa (8-0)
8. Boise State (7-0)
9. Texas Christian (8-1)
10. Oklahoma (7-1)
11. Georgia (7-1)
12. Oklahoma State (7-1)
13. Minnesota (7-1)
14. Brigham Young (7-1)
15. Florida (6-1)
16. Southern Cal (6-1)
17. Florida State (6-1)
18. Ohio State (7-2)
19. Michigan State (7-2)
20. North Carolina (6-2)
21. Missouri (6-2)
22. Georgia Tech (6-2) (#26 in USA Today, #32 in AP)
23. Maryland (6-2)
24. Connecticut (6-2) (#31 USA Today, #30 AP)
25. Oregon (6-2)
26. South Florida (6-2)
27. Pittsburgh (5-2)
28. Louisiana State (5-2)
29. California (5-2)
30. Notre Dame (5-2) (#30 USA Today, #34 AP)
31. West Virginia (5-2)
32. Kansas (5-3)
Honorable Mention: Air Force (6-2), Central Michigan (6-2), Western Michigan (6-2), Louisville (5-2), Cincinnati (5-2), Troy (5-2), Virginia (5-3), Rice (5-3)
So I promised I'd make fun of Kansas for taking advantage of their weak schedule last year and proving they aren't that good this year. Thanks to Texas Tech tripling them up 63-21, I am offered that opportunity. Here's some food for thought: Kansas beat a FCS team this year, so in order to truly qualify for a bowl game, they must win 7 games. (Each FBS team is allowed to use 1 victory over an FCS as a sixth win to qualify for a bowl every 4 years... Kansas did that in 2003 and 2005, both years they finished with 6 wins, one over an FCS school.) Since they are 5-3, and have Texas and Missouri left, they must beat Kansas State and Nebraska to ideally have 7 wins, not easy they way they are playing defense.
As for Missouri, it's not a guarantee they'll beat Kansas, but they sure looked pissed off on Saturday. That 58-0 win over Colorado was a spanking. At no point did I think Colorado had a chance. Watch out for them to sneak up and be the best 2 loss team in the country.
Here are the rankings:
1. Penn State (9-0)
2. Texas (8-0)
3. Texas Tech (8-0)
4. Alabama (8-0)
5. Utah (8-0)
6. Ball State (8-0)
7. Tulsa (8-0)
8. Boise State (7-0)
9. Texas Christian (8-1)
10. Oklahoma (7-1)
11. Georgia (7-1)
12. Oklahoma State (7-1)
13. Minnesota (7-1)
14. Brigham Young (7-1)
15. Florida (6-1)
16. Southern Cal (6-1)
17. Florida State (6-1)
18. Ohio State (7-2)
19. Michigan State (7-2)
20. North Carolina (6-2)
21. Missouri (6-2)
22. Georgia Tech (6-2) (#26 in USA Today, #32 in AP)
23. Maryland (6-2)
24. Connecticut (6-2) (#31 USA Today, #30 AP)
25. Oregon (6-2)
26. South Florida (6-2)
27. Pittsburgh (5-2)
28. Louisiana State (5-2)
29. California (5-2)
30. Notre Dame (5-2) (#30 USA Today, #34 AP)
31. West Virginia (5-2)
32. Kansas (5-3)
Honorable Mention: Air Force (6-2), Central Michigan (6-2), Western Michigan (6-2), Louisville (5-2), Cincinnati (5-2), Troy (5-2), Virginia (5-3), Rice (5-3)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Football Picks (NFL week 8, NCAA week 9)
Let's hit the ground runnin' this mornin'...
- #5 Texas Tech over #26 Kansas... I'll leave the Jayhawks alone if they win this game, if they don't it will be nothing but "haven't proved anything, the 12-1 season was a fluke because you played no one" for the rest of the season.
- #22 LSU over #13 Georgia... I just don't think Georgia has enough in the tank to pull this out.
- #2 Texas over #3 Oklahoma State... I'd love to pick the upset here, but I watched the Slaughter in Austin last week, and this Texas team scares me.
- #10 Ohio State over #4 Penn State... because the Buckeyes are at home, I don't see Terrell Pryor's youth being an issue.
On to the pros...
- Ravens over Raiders... west coast teams are not doing well playing early games on the east coast. The Raiders internal clock will read 10 am when this game kicks off.
- Panthers over Cardinals... wasn't sure how to pick this game. Panthers are okay at home, Cardinals have a chance to stake their claim in the NFC West. We'll see.
- Buccaneers over Cowboys... Cowboys don't wait for the playoffs to fall apart this year.
- Redskins over Lions... please, the Lions defense against the Redskins running game? No chance.
- Bills over Dolphins... nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!
- Patriots over Rams... did the Rams win again last week? What the hell is going on?
- Saints over Chargers... if west coast teams are losing east coast trips, what does a team fro So Cal do playing half way across the world.
- Jets over Chiefs... there is nothing that could make me pick the Chiefs at all this season... nothing.
- Eagles over Falcons... Eagles really need this, keep pace in the NFC East.
- Texans over Bengals... seriously, the Texans really want that Colts game back, they'd be above .500 if they'd held on.
- Jaguars over Browns... brown is the color of poo!!
- Steelers over Giants... how much marijuana would you have to smoke to consider beating the defending champs possible? I don't know, but apparently Santonio Holmes was going to find out.
- 49ers over Seahawks... some please tell Seattle sports fans it could be worse. They could be in Alaska.
- Titans over Colts... did Copper Manning switch places with his brother after the knee surgery? Is Peyton hiding out in a mountain cabin, only emerging to do more commercials?
Last week: 10-4
Season: 62-40
- #5 Texas Tech over #26 Kansas... I'll leave the Jayhawks alone if they win this game, if they don't it will be nothing but "haven't proved anything, the 12-1 season was a fluke because you played no one" for the rest of the season.
- #22 LSU over #13 Georgia... I just don't think Georgia has enough in the tank to pull this out.
- #2 Texas over #3 Oklahoma State... I'd love to pick the upset here, but I watched the Slaughter in Austin last week, and this Texas team scares me.
- #10 Ohio State over #4 Penn State... because the Buckeyes are at home, I don't see Terrell Pryor's youth being an issue.
On to the pros...
- Ravens over Raiders... west coast teams are not doing well playing early games on the east coast. The Raiders internal clock will read 10 am when this game kicks off.
- Panthers over Cardinals... wasn't sure how to pick this game. Panthers are okay at home, Cardinals have a chance to stake their claim in the NFC West. We'll see.
- Buccaneers over Cowboys... Cowboys don't wait for the playoffs to fall apart this year.
- Redskins over Lions... please, the Lions defense against the Redskins running game? No chance.
- Bills over Dolphins... nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!
- Patriots over Rams... did the Rams win again last week? What the hell is going on?
- Saints over Chargers... if west coast teams are losing east coast trips, what does a team fro So Cal do playing half way across the world.
- Jets over Chiefs... there is nothing that could make me pick the Chiefs at all this season... nothing.
- Eagles over Falcons... Eagles really need this, keep pace in the NFC East.
- Texans over Bengals... seriously, the Texans really want that Colts game back, they'd be above .500 if they'd held on.
- Jaguars over Browns... brown is the color of poo!!
- Steelers over Giants... how much marijuana would you have to smoke to consider beating the defending champs possible? I don't know, but apparently Santonio Holmes was going to find out.
- 49ers over Seahawks... some please tell Seattle sports fans it could be worse. They could be in Alaska.
- Titans over Colts... did Copper Manning switch places with his brother after the knee surgery? Is Peyton hiding out in a mountain cabin, only emerging to do more commercials?
Last week: 10-4
Season: 62-40
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Grinds My Gears 10/22
You know what really grinds my gears?
People who listen to their mp3 players and don't pay attention. I can't count how many times I've almost run over some student crossing the street with their head down and their iPod in their ears. The worst part is I'd probably get thrown in jail for hitting some kid, pay for his tuition and lose my license, just because he wasn't paying attention when he stepped off the sidewalk 50 yards from the nearest crosswalk in front of a moving vehicle he failed to notice.
Earlier in the school year, I intentionally bumped some guy because he wasn't paying attention. He had his iPod in his ears, his hood pulled over his head, and his stare glued to the sidewalk. The sidewalk was at least 10-feet wide and no one else was nearby. He had at least a minute or two to look up, see he was walking directly towards me, take one step to the right, and continue unimpeded to his destination. But no, he failed to do that. So I stood my ground, on the edge of the sidewalk, hands in my pockets, and let him run into me. You know what happened?? Nothing. He didn't even look back. Asshole.
I'd have to say the biggest thing that is different from when I was an undergrad is the prevelance of people listening to mp3 players wherever they go on campus. It's frustrating. Even those people that do a decent job paying attention are missing out on the wonderful sounds nature has to offer. What if you drop your wallet and you can't hear the calls of someone trying to notify you of your loss?
The only thing that frustrates me more is the explosion of girls wearing Uggz boots, but that's fashion and I have no ground to stand on in that department. I just don't get what's so fashionable about snow boots with shorts.
People who listen to their mp3 players and don't pay attention. I can't count how many times I've almost run over some student crossing the street with their head down and their iPod in their ears. The worst part is I'd probably get thrown in jail for hitting some kid, pay for his tuition and lose my license, just because he wasn't paying attention when he stepped off the sidewalk 50 yards from the nearest crosswalk in front of a moving vehicle he failed to notice.
Earlier in the school year, I intentionally bumped some guy because he wasn't paying attention. He had his iPod in his ears, his hood pulled over his head, and his stare glued to the sidewalk. The sidewalk was at least 10-feet wide and no one else was nearby. He had at least a minute or two to look up, see he was walking directly towards me, take one step to the right, and continue unimpeded to his destination. But no, he failed to do that. So I stood my ground, on the edge of the sidewalk, hands in my pockets, and let him run into me. You know what happened?? Nothing. He didn't even look back. Asshole.
I'd have to say the biggest thing that is different from when I was an undergrad is the prevelance of people listening to mp3 players wherever they go on campus. It's frustrating. Even those people that do a decent job paying attention are missing out on the wonderful sounds nature has to offer. What if you drop your wallet and you can't hear the calls of someone trying to notify you of your loss?
The only thing that frustrates me more is the explosion of girls wearing Uggz boots, but that's fashion and I have no ground to stand on in that department. I just don't get what's so fashionable about snow boots with shorts.
Monday, October 20, 2008
College Week 9 Rankings
Did I call the TCU win our what?
As for Mizzou, I wish the casual Tigers fan would get it together. They have one awesome season and suddenly nothing is good enough. At the beginning of the season I predicted 12-2 again, but with a BCS appearance and either the Big 12 title or a win in the BCS game. That's still a possibility. I knew they would lose to Texas even before Texas beat Oklahoma. Bitch and moan, bitch and moan. "What's wrong with Chase Daniel?" "Why didn't we beat Oklahoma State?"
Theres one thing you must remember about the Tigers. This coaching staff does 1 thing well, it can recruit. It's the reason we have guys like Chase Daniel, Sean Weatherspoon, and Jeremy Machlin. It's how we pulled Blaine Gabbert, Adam Jones, and Elvis Fisher away from Nebraska. Gary Pinkell and the rest of the staff have continuity and we're all of a sudden a relevant program. That's what attracts good players. But this staff cannot coach. They force an offensive script on the beginning of each half. They are terrible at making adjustments. They insist on keeping Daniel in the shotgun. They continue to blitz 7 guys and get burned down field.
All of the little problems can be traced to bad coaching. Last year each time they lost to Oklahoma they were riding high off big win against a major rival. They thought they could cruise to another big win. They were wrong.
As you read that remember that I stick by my 12-2 prediction. Just think, the next 4 games are Colorado, Baylor, Kansas State, and Iowa State. Win those and you've got a division championship with kansas in KC again. Win that and you're right back in the Big 12 title game the next week in the same stadium. Win that and you're going to the Fiesta Bowl. Tah Dah!
On to the rankings:
1. Utah (8-0)
2. Texas (7-0)
3. Oklahoma State (7-0)
4. Penn State (7-0)
5. Texas Tech (7-0)
6. Alabama (7-0)
7. Ball State (7-0)
8. Tulsa (7-0)
9. Boise State (6-0)
10. Ohio State (7-1)
11. Texas Christian (7-1)
12. Oklahoma (6-1)
13. Georgia (6-1)
14. Georgia Tech (6-1)
15. South Florida (6-1)
16. Minnesota (6-1)
17. Northwestern (6-1)
18. Brigham Young (6-1)
19. Florida (5-1)
20. Southern Cal (5-1)
21. Pittsburgh (5-1)
22. Louisiana State (5-1)
23. Florida State (5-1)
24. Boston College (5-1)
25. Michigan State (6-2)
26. Kansas (5-2)
27. Missouri (5-2)
28. Virginia Tech (5-2)
29. Vanderbilt (5-2) (Note: Outside of USA Today top 30)
30. North Carolina (5-2)
Honorable Mention: Cincinnati (5-1), Western Michigan (6-2), Kentucky (5-2), Oregon (5-2) (Note: In USA Today top 30), Arizona (5-2), Air Force (5-2), Maryland (5-2), Connecticut (5-2), San Jose State (5-2), Central Michigan (5-2).
Dropped From Rankings: Wake Forest (4-2), California (4-2)
As for Mizzou, I wish the casual Tigers fan would get it together. They have one awesome season and suddenly nothing is good enough. At the beginning of the season I predicted 12-2 again, but with a BCS appearance and either the Big 12 title or a win in the BCS game. That's still a possibility. I knew they would lose to Texas even before Texas beat Oklahoma. Bitch and moan, bitch and moan. "What's wrong with Chase Daniel?" "Why didn't we beat Oklahoma State?"
Theres one thing you must remember about the Tigers. This coaching staff does 1 thing well, it can recruit. It's the reason we have guys like Chase Daniel, Sean Weatherspoon, and Jeremy Machlin. It's how we pulled Blaine Gabbert, Adam Jones, and Elvis Fisher away from Nebraska. Gary Pinkell and the rest of the staff have continuity and we're all of a sudden a relevant program. That's what attracts good players. But this staff cannot coach. They force an offensive script on the beginning of each half. They are terrible at making adjustments. They insist on keeping Daniel in the shotgun. They continue to blitz 7 guys and get burned down field.
All of the little problems can be traced to bad coaching. Last year each time they lost to Oklahoma they were riding high off big win against a major rival. They thought they could cruise to another big win. They were wrong.
As you read that remember that I stick by my 12-2 prediction. Just think, the next 4 games are Colorado, Baylor, Kansas State, and Iowa State. Win those and you've got a division championship with kansas in KC again. Win that and you're right back in the Big 12 title game the next week in the same stadium. Win that and you're going to the Fiesta Bowl. Tah Dah!
On to the rankings:
1. Utah (8-0)
2. Texas (7-0)
3. Oklahoma State (7-0)
4. Penn State (7-0)
5. Texas Tech (7-0)
6. Alabama (7-0)
7. Ball State (7-0)
8. Tulsa (7-0)
9. Boise State (6-0)
10. Ohio State (7-1)
11. Texas Christian (7-1)
12. Oklahoma (6-1)
13. Georgia (6-1)
14. Georgia Tech (6-1)
15. South Florida (6-1)
16. Minnesota (6-1)
17. Northwestern (6-1)
18. Brigham Young (6-1)
19. Florida (5-1)
20. Southern Cal (5-1)
21. Pittsburgh (5-1)
22. Louisiana State (5-1)
23. Florida State (5-1)
24. Boston College (5-1)
25. Michigan State (6-2)
26. Kansas (5-2)
27. Missouri (5-2)
28. Virginia Tech (5-2)
29. Vanderbilt (5-2) (Note: Outside of USA Today top 30)
30. North Carolina (5-2)
Honorable Mention: Cincinnati (5-1), Western Michigan (6-2), Kentucky (5-2), Oregon (5-2) (Note: In USA Today top 30), Arizona (5-2), Air Force (5-2), Maryland (5-2), Connecticut (5-2), San Jose State (5-2), Central Michigan (5-2).
Dropped From Rankings: Wake Forest (4-2), California (4-2)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Week 7 NFL Picks
Just to knock them out (note: picks officially made during half-time of the spanking in Austin last night) here they are...
Chargers over Bills... if the Bills move to Toronto will all their home games have crazy Canadian rules will they lead the league in number of penalties for high sticking?
Saints over Panthers... the draftability of guys like Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing is entirely dependent on the success of six-foot-nothing Drew Brees.
Bears over Vikings... the Vikings only beat the Lions by 2 points... 2 points!!
Steelers over Bengals... it's sad when your teams roster has more arrests than touchdowns.
Titans over Chiefs... someone please put Herm Edwards out of his misery, please.
Ravens over Dolphins... I made the mistake of picking the Dolphins last week on the basis of their unconventional offense, thanks to them the spread attack will stay stuck in pergetory (ridiculously over-used in college and an NFL pipe-dream).
Giants over 49ers... did the 49ers really challenge a field goal last week???
Cowboys over Rams... did the Rams really win last week???
Texans over Lions... imagine if the Texans hadn't had that meltdown against the Colts, they could be 3-3 after this week.
Packers over Colts... just can't trust the Colts like you're used to.
Jets over Raiders... if the Jets make the playoffs (highly likely) is Brett Favre going to play for ever??
Redskins over Browns... would it be possible to just send the winner of the NFC East to the Super Bowl, instead of fooling around with the playoffs?
Buccaneers over Seahawks... case in point: somehow the Seahawks are still alive in their division and the Bucs have a shot at a first round bye.
Patriots over Broncos... will the real Denver Broncos please stand up?
Last week: 7-7
Season: 52-36
Chargers over Bills... if the Bills move to Toronto will all their home games have crazy Canadian rules will they lead the league in number of penalties for high sticking?
Saints over Panthers... the draftability of guys like Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing is entirely dependent on the success of six-foot-nothing Drew Brees.
Bears over Vikings... the Vikings only beat the Lions by 2 points... 2 points!!
Steelers over Bengals... it's sad when your teams roster has more arrests than touchdowns.
Titans over Chiefs... someone please put Herm Edwards out of his misery, please.
Ravens over Dolphins... I made the mistake of picking the Dolphins last week on the basis of their unconventional offense, thanks to them the spread attack will stay stuck in pergetory (ridiculously over-used in college and an NFL pipe-dream).
Giants over 49ers... did the 49ers really challenge a field goal last week???
Cowboys over Rams... did the Rams really win last week???
Texans over Lions... imagine if the Texans hadn't had that meltdown against the Colts, they could be 3-3 after this week.
Packers over Colts... just can't trust the Colts like you're used to.
Jets over Raiders... if the Jets make the playoffs (highly likely) is Brett Favre going to play for ever??
Redskins over Browns... would it be possible to just send the winner of the NFC East to the Super Bowl, instead of fooling around with the playoffs?
Buccaneers over Seahawks... case in point: somehow the Seahawks are still alive in their division and the Bucs have a shot at a first round bye.
Patriots over Broncos... will the real Denver Broncos please stand up?
Last week: 7-7
Season: 52-36
Thursday, October 16, 2008
College Football Week 8
Usually I'll post the rankings earlier in the week and then my picks on Thursdays. NFL picks are Fridays, random posts whenever.
For my ranking system I believe in records. I hate seeing a 4-2 team ranked ahead of a 6-0 team no matter what team we are talking about. Also, pre-season polls irritate me, they cause unfair expectations (see Clemson). So I won't start until week 7.
I begin with the 30 teams ranked in the AP and USA Today polls, I rank based on record and settle ties by averaging the AP rank, the USA Today rank and the Strength of Schedule rank. Here are the week 7 rankings:
1. Penn State (7-0)
2. Utah (7-0)
3. Ball State (7-0)
4. Texas (6-0)
5. Alabama (6-0)
6. Texas Tech (6-0)
7. Oklahoma State (6-0)
8. Brigham Young (6-0)
9. Tulsa (6-0)
10. Boise State (5-0)
11. Ohio State (6-1)
12. Michigan State (6-1)
13. Texas Christian (6-1)
14. Minnesota (6-1)
15. Oklahoma (5-1)
16. Georgia (5-1)
17. Florida (5-1)
18. Missouri (5-1)
19. Kansas (5-1)
20. Virginia Tech (5-1)
21. Vanderbilt (5-1)
22. North Carolina (5-1)
23. South Florida (5-1)
24. Georgia Tech (5-1)
25. Southern California (4-1)
26. Louisiana State (4-1)
27. Wake Forest (4-1)
28. Pittsburgh (4-1)
29. California (4-1)
30. Florida State (4-1)
Honorable Mention (good record but outside the major polls' top 30): Western Michigan (6-1), Connecticut (5-1), Cincinnati (5-1), Northwestern (5-1), Boston College (4-1)
Game Picks:
- #13 TCU over #8 BYU... simple rules of football apply: home-field advantage, defense wins championships, and anything that can go wrong, will.
- #16 Georgia over #21 Vanderbilt... the inevitable decline of the Vanderbilt football season started last week.
- #12 Michigan State over #11 Ohio State... Javon Ringer makes a Heisman push.
- #15 Oklahoma over #19 Kansas... I'd hate to be Todd Reesing right now, having to face a pissed off OU team... plus I'd be like 4 inches shorter.
- #4 Texas over #18 Missouri... I'm torn between two logical forces here: (my favorite team - being on the road - last week's terrible performance) and (let-down game + weak pass defense + Texas' inability to be consistent since Vince Young left). I'll go with Texas.
Feel free to comment, just remember my requirements. Ranking shouldn't mean much until you settle it on the field.
For my ranking system I believe in records. I hate seeing a 4-2 team ranked ahead of a 6-0 team no matter what team we are talking about. Also, pre-season polls irritate me, they cause unfair expectations (see Clemson). So I won't start until week 7.
I begin with the 30 teams ranked in the AP and USA Today polls, I rank based on record and settle ties by averaging the AP rank, the USA Today rank and the Strength of Schedule rank. Here are the week 7 rankings:
1. Penn State (7-0)
2. Utah (7-0)
3. Ball State (7-0)
4. Texas (6-0)
5. Alabama (6-0)
6. Texas Tech (6-0)
7. Oklahoma State (6-0)
8. Brigham Young (6-0)
9. Tulsa (6-0)
10. Boise State (5-0)
11. Ohio State (6-1)
12. Michigan State (6-1)
13. Texas Christian (6-1)
14. Minnesota (6-1)
15. Oklahoma (5-1)
16. Georgia (5-1)
17. Florida (5-1)
18. Missouri (5-1)
19. Kansas (5-1)
20. Virginia Tech (5-1)
21. Vanderbilt (5-1)
22. North Carolina (5-1)
23. South Florida (5-1)
24. Georgia Tech (5-1)
25. Southern California (4-1)
26. Louisiana State (4-1)
27. Wake Forest (4-1)
28. Pittsburgh (4-1)
29. California (4-1)
30. Florida State (4-1)
Honorable Mention (good record but outside the major polls' top 30): Western Michigan (6-1), Connecticut (5-1), Cincinnati (5-1), Northwestern (5-1), Boston College (4-1)
Game Picks:
- #13 TCU over #8 BYU... simple rules of football apply: home-field advantage, defense wins championships, and anything that can go wrong, will.
- #16 Georgia over #21 Vanderbilt... the inevitable decline of the Vanderbilt football season started last week.
- #12 Michigan State over #11 Ohio State... Javon Ringer makes a Heisman push.
- #15 Oklahoma over #19 Kansas... I'd hate to be Todd Reesing right now, having to face a pissed off OU team... plus I'd be like 4 inches shorter.
- #4 Texas over #18 Missouri... I'm torn between two logical forces here: (my favorite team - being on the road - last week's terrible performance) and (let-down game + weak pass defense + Texas' inability to be consistent since Vince Young left). I'll go with Texas.
Feel free to comment, just remember my requirements. Ranking shouldn't mean much until you settle it on the field.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The First
It's not really the first posting, as I've done a few blogs before, but since MySpace is a seemingly dead medium, I've started one here.
Basically, I was just looking for a break from studying for my Geographic Thought mid-term.
Things to look forward too...
- Weekly football picks/rankings
- Other sports topics
- Things that Grind my Gears
- Bitching about graduate school
- And MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
Enjoy
Basically, I was just looking for a break from studying for my Geographic Thought mid-term.
Things to look forward too...
- Weekly football picks/rankings
- Other sports topics
- Things that Grind my Gears
- Bitching about graduate school
- And MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
Enjoy
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