NFL Week 8 Picks

ALL RIGHT!!!! I recovered nicely last week, posting a record of 10-4, leaving me at 57-47 for the season. Let's see what this week brings in the wild and wacky world of the NFL.

     DEN vs. SF

                                 After the beating that Oakland laid on the Broncos, I have a very hard time believing that Denver will recover and be able to compete with, well anybody this season. San Francisco has been horribly unlucky this season, but I like Troy Smith better than most and I think they’re less likely to fail miserably than the Broncos. 49ers win.

                 JAC vs. DAL  

                                  While I think Jon Kitna can lead the Cowboys to a win here, I’m just not going to call for it. I don’t think they will be able to rally around Jon Kitna with all of the other media attention surrounding them. Jacksonville wins.

               

                MIA vs. CIN

               

                                                 While both teams suffered tight losses last week, both teams also showed that they were able to compete with some of the strongest teams in the NFL. Miami has found a way to provide pass rush, in spite of not having a major name on the defensive line. Cincinnati, on the other hand, has been able to rank sixth in the NFL in passing offense by focusing on the offense through T.O. and Ochocinco. I think this will be pretty close, but I think the budding Dolphins defense will be able to pull this victory out.

                BUF vs. KC

                                 This could very well end in a huge upset. While Kansas City and Buffalo are at completely opposite ends of the winning scale; however Kansas City seems to pull out victories in tight games while Buffalo has shown the ability to out-tough their opponents, even if they can’t beat their opponents. I’m still picking Kansas City to win, mostly because they excel at running the ball and Buffalo is not particularly good at stopping the run. I wouldn’t be surprised if Buffalo pulled an upset though. (Watch they’ll be pathetic in this game, just because I said that.)

                WAS vs. DET

                                 Washington’s offense has been very up and down, while the defense is extremely good in the red zone. I am picking Washington to win this, just because this will be Matthew Stafford’s first game since he injured his shoulder in week 1. I think that lost time is going to hurt the chemistry between him and his receivers, at least during this game.

                CAR vs. STL

                                 I don’t think this will be a particularly good game, but St. Louis has surprised me in recent weeks and I am picking them to win, because their defense seems to have woken up.  

                GB vs. NYJ

                                 The Jets have Darrelle Revis back to full health and Green Bay has lost a lot of their best players to injuries. I’m picking the Jets on the basis of that.

                TEN vs. SD

                                 San Diego has just not been able to compete with any team that has experienced any amount of success. Tennessee has found ways to just overpower their opponents through a relentless pass rush, tough defensive secondary and surprisingly efficient offense. I have a very hard time thinking that the Chargers are going to be able to correct their mistakes in time to beat the Titans.

                MIN vs. NE

                                 Regardless of whether Brett Favre plays or not, the Vikings have been falling apart over the course of the season because they have focused on passing the ball more than their power running game. New England shouldn’t have a hard time taking advantage of the injured Favre and winning the battle of field positions. New England wins.

                TB vs. ARI  

                                For some reason I think this is the easiest game to pick. Arizona will be starting either an injured rookie quarterback or a bad gunslinging quarterback against one of the better cornerback tandems in the NFL right now. I just really don’t like their chances against that. Tampa Bay wins on the road.

                                             

  

                SEA vs. OAK

                                 I got nothing. After what Oakland pulled off last week and with Seattle being so up and down through the season, I truly have no clue what’s going on in this matchup. I’m going to say Seattle, just on a hunch that Oakland won’t be great two weeks in a row. It’s just a guess though.

                PIT vs. NO

                                 At the beginning of the season this could have been a great matchup; however as the season has progressed, I think it has become a pure mismatch. Drew Brees has seen better days and the defensive hasn’t been getting the turnovers that allowed them to reach and win the Super Bowl last year. Pittsburgh, on the other hand has looked like nothing less than the best team in the NFL through the first half of the season. The offense has shown balance and the defense has been as strong as ever with Troy Polamalu returned. The Steelers should win handily.

                HOU vs. IND *Game of the Week*

                                This game became the Game of the Week almost by default. I just couldn’t find any other games between two teams better than this. Houston shocked the football world with their upset of the Colts in Week 1 and now the Colts are coming back looking for revenge.  The Texans could very easily win again on the basis of their strong running game, but the Colts offense has woken up and is looking like the Colts offense we all know and love (or love to hate). It should be fun to watch and, ultimately I think the Texans have the Colts number this season. Indy wins. 

College Football Week 9 Preview

19-6 last week, 140-42 for the season. I'm starting to improve, but I'm still not satisfied. Let's  see what happens this week.

                                #1 Auburn @ Mississippi

                                                Well, I can safely say that I have never been as happy to be wrong about picks as I have been at this slot the past three weeks. Sadly though, Mississippi is nowhere near good enough to upset Auburn this week. Auburn wins.

                                #2 Oregon @ USC

                                                  I have never been in this situation before. I normally root against USC, but that’s because they’re normally playing very well. They aren’t likely to be able to beat Oregon; however, they should be able to score with Oregon’s offense. Oregon’s defense hasn’t been able to hold opposing offenses in check; however no one has been able to slow them down either. While I am rooting for USC to stick it to the BCS, I think Oregon will outscore them and pull out the victory.

                                #3 Boise State (Played Tuesday)

                                               

                     #4 TCU @ UNLV

                                   Yea, I’m not picking UNLV. TCU wins.

                                #5 Michigan State @ #18 Iowa *Game of the Week*  

                                                Another big matchup between Big Ten opponents, much like a few weeks ago, this matchup has a lot of meaning in its implication in both the BCS title race and the Big Ten title race. Both teams feature a strong running game and an efficient quarterback, oddly enough playing very similarly on offense. I think the real difference comes in the defenses. Iowa is more talented, but Michigan State has come together to pull out the bigger victories. Overall, while Michigan State could just as easily pull the victory out and Iowa is coming off a big loss against Wisconsin, I’m still picking Iowa to win, just on the talent of that defense.

                                #6 Missouri @ #14 Nebraska  

                                                 Another game that features matchups between two major offensive powers, this game will come down to which defense is better prepared for the opposing offense. Nebraska has been able to contain most opposing offenses, however when they lasted played a high flying offense (last week), they gave up 41 points. Missouri on the other hand, has not yet faced a team that uses the kind of option offense that Nebraska uses however; their defense (notable Aldon Smith) is athletic enough to be able to contain the dangerous Taylor Martinez. On the basis of this, I am picking Missouri to win.

                                #7 Alabama: Bye

                                #8 Utah @ Air Force 

                                                 Definitely the toughest test that Utah will face until they play TCU later in the year, Air Force’s dominant running game probably won’t be able to bypass the tough Utah defense. Utah should win.

                                Colorado @ #9 Oklahoma   

                                                 Someone explain to me why the Pac-10 wanted Colorado again? No, never mind, the answer is probably too stupid to be needed. Oklahoma wins.

                                #10 Wisconsin: Bye

                                #11 Ohio State @ Minnesota 

                                                  Minnesota fired their coach. Whether he deserved it or not doesn’t matter. Whenever you fire your head coach part way through the season, you have basically given up on your season; whether you know it or not. Even if they hadn’t, they’re just not at the point that they could beat Ohio State.

                                #12 LSU: Bye

                                #13 Stanford @ Washington     

                                                  While the Washington offense has improved, the defense just doesn’t seem to be at the level that would allow them contain Andrew Luck and the Stanford offense. Stanford should win.

                                #15 Arizona @ UCLA 

                                                 UCLA has pulled some good upsets this season; however they lost their starting quarterback and their defense hasn’t looked like they could stop an offense like Arizona’s. Arizona should win.

                   #16 Florida State @ North Carolina State

                                                This game was almost my game of the week, however with NC State not being ranked, I found myself unable to put it over the pivotal Big Ten and Big Twelve matchups. It’ll be interesting to see how this two offenses (both ranking in the top 25 in the country in points scored) well try to counteract own another. NC State is dominant in the passing game, while Florida State is great at running the ball. While I love NC State and Russell Wilson, I have to give the win to Florida State on the basis of their 13^th ranked defense.

                                #17 Oklahoma State @ Kansas State   

                                                 While I don’t think that Oklahoma State can really stop a dominant runner, they can force turnovers with the best teams in the country. It could be a shootout, but I think that Oklahoma State should be able to win.

                                Vanderbilt @ #19 Arkansas     

                                                 Vanderbilt is in no way able to challenge the best teams in the SEC. Arkansas wins.

                               

                                Tennessee @ #20 South Carolina  

                                                 While Tennessee has shown the ability to pull major upsets, however they haven’t shown that they are able to compete with teams like South Carolina. Gamecocks win.

                                Kentucky @ #21 Mississippi State   

                                                 Mississippi State has been performing extremely well this season and Kentucky has had their major upset this season. The Bulldogs should win.

                                #22 Miami (Fl.) @ Virginia   

                                                 Virginia is winless in conference play. I don’t think that distinction will change in this game. Miami (Fl.) wins this game.

                                #23 Virginia Tech: Bye

                                                 

                                Utah State @ #24 Nevada  

                                                 Utah State has never recovered from their loss Oklahoma. Nevada should steam roll in this game.

                                 #25 Baylor @ Texas     

                                                 Wow. Who would have guessed that the ranked team in this matchup wouldn’t be Texas? I love Baylor and I want them to win, but I think that the pressure will get to them in this game. Texas wins.

                Other Games of Note

                                 East Carolina @ UCF

                                                This is game of complete opposites in Conference USA. East Carolina has been winning through high scoring shootouts. UCF has been winning through a strong defense and a strong running game.  While East Carolina has been one of the high scoring teams in the country, their defense has been terrible. UCF has a top ten defense in the country and they should be able to at least contain the East Carolina passing attack long enough to win this game.

Top 10 Heisman Candidates

1.       Kellen Moore – While he didn’t have his best game, throwing his second interception of the season, he is still the best player in the country right now.

2.       Cameron Newton – Big game against LSU boosts him up to this spot.

3.       John Clay – Mediocre week, but still had two touchdowns and helped the Badgers to a big win.

4.       Andrew Luck – Good game, but that’s standard for playing Washington State.

5.       Terrelle Pryor – Was only OK against a bad Purdue team.

6.       Justin Blackmon – He won’t be at this spot next week since he’s suspended for the upcoming game, however he is still the most dangerous receiver in college football right now.

7.       Matt Barkley – Bye Week last week. Beating Oregon will really help his cause.

8.       LaMichael James – Continues to be a dominant force on the ground. A Big game against USC would go a long way to helping his cause in my eyes.

9.       Robert Griffin III – Had a huge game against Kansas State and has Baylor ranked in the BCS for the first time ever. I wasn’t insane bringing his name up. Another huge game against Texas will shoot him up the charts.

10.   Colin Kaepernick – Bye week. Looking for another big game to regain momentum. 

NFL Week 7 Picks.

Alright 8-6 last week, leaving me at 47-43 for the season. A bit of my sanity is returned and I'm very pleased to have that back. Let's hop into this week, though it isn't a very interesting week.

CIN vs. ATL *Game of the Week*

                                 Both teams are coming off of disappointing losses and both need wins to try and regain the momentum they had going into last week. While Atlanta has been playing well this season, they just don’t seem to match up well defensively against the Bengals passing game. I don’t believe that their defensive backfield will be able to contain TO and Chad Ochocinco. I’m picking the Bengals for the win.

                PIT vs. MIA 

                                  Miami hasn’t been the most impressive team this season, while Pittsburgh looks like one of the best teams in the league. I doubt the Dolphins will be able to compete with the Steelers defense. Steelers win.

               

                BUF vs. BAL

               

                                                 Buffalo has not been able to get all three parts of their team going at the same time and it has destroyed their chances at having a good season. They aren’t going to be able to compete with the Ravens. Nice note for Ravens fans is that Ed Reed has returned to practice and could be seen in the course of this game.

                JAC vs. KC

                                 Jacksonville will be without David Garrard in this game. Regardless of how good or bad you think he is, He’s still better prepared to lead this Jacksonville team than Trent Edwards or Todd Bouman. Kansas City should win with ease.

                CLE vs. NO

                                 As bad as New Orleans has looked at times, I don’t think they should have a difficult time against a team lead by a rookie quarterback. Though the last time I said that, they lost the Cardinals so. I’m still picking them to win.

                WAS vs. CHI

                                 This could be an interesting matchup. Chicago has been able to hold teams down defensively well putting up points offensively. However, Jay Cutler is still coming off a concussion and I doubt that he’ll be able to out think the redskins defense. I’m going with the Redskins on that, but I’ll probably be wrong considering how the rest of my picks have panned out.

                SF vs. CAR

                                 Carolina is playing musical chairs with their quarterbacks, which usually leads to a team not being able to win. The 49ers are coming off of their first win and should be able to build on that success in this game. 49ers win.

                STL vs. TB

                                 At the beginning of the season I would have said that Tampa Bay wins solely on the fact that St. Louis is starting an overrated rookie quarterback. Well, it seems that rookie quarterback is not as overrated as I thought he was. I’m still picking Tampa Bay to win on the strength of their corners, but this game could easily go either way.

                PHI vs. TEN

                                 Philadelphia surprised me with their big win last week. However with Tennessee’s defense playing so well, I still have a hard time picking against Tennessee. I’m going with the Titans, mostly on a gut feeling that Philly is in for a letdown, though the potential for Vince Young to not play hurts my confidence in this pick.

                ARI vs. SEA

                                 This game, ugh I really can’t tell you what to think about this game. I keep thinking that I understand these teams, only for both of them to surprise me. I have nothing profound to say because I am so baffled by these teams. I’ll say Seattle wins, just on the toss of a coin.

                                               

                NE vs. SD

                                 In other years this could have been a close game. However, San Diego just lost to St. Louis. Any chance they had of me taking them seriously has just flown clean out the window. New England wins.

                OAK vs. DEN

                                 I’ll be damned if I can figure these teams out either. Denver has somehow found a way to be competitive while Oakland has found a way to win a few games. I’ll pick Denver because I trust Oakland’s success less, but I don’t think these teams are very good.

                MIN vs. GB

                                 I was going to say this will be an interesting game, but then the Vikings decided to not play well. Green Bay should take care of business in this game, though the injuries are starting to mount.

                NYG vs. DAL

                                 This would have been my game of the week had the Cowboys won last week. But they didn’t so they’re not going to win this week. Look, the Cowboys have a lot of talent, but they are so undisciplined and can’t help but turn the ball over at the worst times. No, I don’t think they need to immediately fire Wade Phillips, because it would accomplish nothing. Changing coaching staffs midseason never does anything in the NFL. At the end of the season, ok I can get behind that, but right now? No. So, yea Giants win. 

College Football Week 8 Preview

15-8 last week, taking me to 121-36 for the season. God, I need to get back on track. Sadly for my picks, we have ton of really great games coming up this week. Two match-ups of undefeated teams and at least three other games that will go along way to determining conference champions. Well without further ado, lets do this thing. Quick Note: We will now being using the official BCS rankings instead of the AP rankings we were using previously.

                               #1 Oklahoma @ #11 Missouri

                                                One of the major matchups that will determine the fate of the Big 12, as well as having a major impact on the BCS title picture, this game should be a high scoring affair. I know I say that a lot, however that is the way that the majority of teams have been setting up their offenses. Most teams now use some variation of a spread offense, much like both of these teams, and as such, there are more points scored. Either way, I think this game will come down to the defense that will step up and I am of the opinion that the Oklahoma defense is more talented. I’m picking them for the win.

                                UCLA @ #2 Oregon

                                                  Tonight’s game, the game only big college and draft fans will watch. While UCLA was able to pull a massive upset when they defeated Texas, I think it is highly unlikely that they will be able to score with Oregon. Oregon’s offense is far more explosive than Texas’ was and I doubt UCLA will keep up. Oregon rolls.

                                Louisiana Tech @ #3 Boise State (Note: October 26^th game)

                                                Ahh, the elusive Tuesday night game. Any fan of both college and Pro Football loves this because it means football every night of the week.  Sadly this game really shouldn’t be close. Boise Rolls.

                                #6 LSU @ #4 Auburn 

                                                 Ahh, the battle to decide the best team in the SEC. LSU has a major problem since they can’t seem to settle on a quarterback for either this upcoming game or for the season going forward. It seems to hardly matter since LSU has always been built on its dominating defense, however, I will not simply sit here and say that it doesn’t matter when there is the potential for this defense to get gashed by Cam Newton. Newton himself has been clutch and, like I said last week, this defense is better than its statistics would indicate. I think Auburn will win this one, solely on the fact that they do not have any question as to who their leader is.

                                Air Force @ #5 TCU 

                                                 Another game that will basically determine the winner of a conference, this game will be interesting to watch. History would suggest that TCU has the advantage, since their usually undersized and highly athletic defense will be able to match the speed of the Air force offense. However, Air Force has been clicking this year and presents a real threat to TCU’s dominance in conference. I’m still going with TCU for the win, but I won’t be surprised if Air Force pulls the upset.

                                #7 Michigan State @ Northwestern

                                                 As odd as this sounds, I am going to mark this as a trap game for Michigan State. They’re going on the road to face a team with a very good record and little to lose, all before perhaps their biggest game of the season. Northwestern has been good defensively and is difficult to match-up against offensively. Michigan State needs to be careful or they could find themselves out of the BCS title hunt. I’m still picking Michigan State to win, but another game that could easily become an upset.

                                #8 Alabama @ Tennessee  

                                                 This game shouldn’t be very close. Tennessee has not been having a good season and Alabama is good enough to run through that Vols defense. Alabama wins.

                                Colorado State @ #9 Utah 

                                                 Colorado State has been lackluster at best this season. I highly doubt they’ll be able to keep pace with Utah. Utes win.

                                Purdue @ #10 Ohio State    

                                                  While Purdue has been holding it together well this season, they still lost to Toledo. Losing to Toledo makes it very unlikely that they’ll be able to keep up with Ohio State, on either side of the ball. Buckeyes wins.

                                Washington State @ #12 Stanford  

                                                 Easy win for Stanford. Sorry to Washington State fans, but your team is still not very good.

                                #13 Wisconsin @ #15 Iowa *Game of the Week*

                                                 Coming off a giant win over Ohio State, I am going to say the same thing about them that I said about South Carolina last week. There is a good chance for a letdown in this game, however there is one major distinction that I want to make between this game and last week’s game between South Carolina and Kentucky. Iowa is ranked. That may seem like a little thing, if not work against Wisconsin’s because, however, it also means that the players and coaches of Wisconsin are not underestimating Iowa. In the case of the South Carolina game, it was easy for Kentucky to be underestimated because they weren’t ranked and had a mediocre record. Iowa has lost only one game and lost that game only by a last second touchdown pass. I’m calling for Wisconsin to win this game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost.

                                #16 Nebraska @ #14 Oklahoma State     

                 

                                                 This game is really difficult for me to pick. Both teams have the ability to be major offensive forces, but also have defenses that can keep their teams in the game. I’m going to select Nebraska to win, because their offense is based around the option running game. Oklahoma State’s defense has proven that they have the ability to cause turnovers, especially in the passing game however that doesn’t help them against someone of Taylor Martinez’s talents. Cornhuskers win.

                   #17 Florida State: Bye

                                               

                                Washington @ #18 Arizona   

                                                 Washington pulled a big upset against Oregon State last week, but I am not of the belief that they will pull their third straight big upset against a ranked opponent. I’m calling for Arizona to win this game, though it will be close with Nick Foles likely missing the game.

                                Iowa State @ #19 Texas    

                                                 Texas should win this game. No offense to Iowa State, but they just aren’t ready to compete with the powerhouse teams in the Big 12. Texas should win.

                               

                                Syracuse @ #20 West Virginia   

                                                 I guess all that momentum that Syracuse was building up was just to get their name back into the mainstream. The Orangemen looked absolutely pathetic against Pittsburgh last week. They aren’t going to be able to match pace with West Virginia.

                                #21 South Carolina @ Vanderbilt  

                                                 Even though South Carolina suffered a major defeat at the hands of Kentucky, South Carolina is still a better team than the hapless Vanderbilt.

                                #22 Kansas State @ Baylor  

                                                 Kansas State has been experiencing resurgence this year and, while they aren’t really competing for the Big 12 title, they are still a dangerous team. Baylor has been very good this year and stands a good chance to pull the upset here. I’m going to call for that upset, mostly because we’ve seen the continued decline of Daniel Thomas and I don’t think K-State can contain Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

                                Mississippi @ #23 Arkansas  

                                                 Mississippi has been having a rough time getting their season going and they need a win like this to get momentum on their side. With Ryan Mallett suffering from a concussion, I’m very tempted to select Mississippi to pull the upset. However Mallett’s backup, Tyler Wilson played very well in his absence. I actually think Arkansas would be better of starting Wilson than playing Mallett, as I have seen quarterbacks coming off concussions play very poorly. Either way I am picking Arkansas to win.

                                UAB @ #24 Mississippi State  

                                                Mississippi State wins. UAB is not very good this season and other than an upset of Troy, I see nothing on their record that gives me faith that they can compete with the suddenly surging Mississippi State Bulldogs.  

                                Duke @ #25 Virginia Tech    

                                                 Traditional ACC powerhouse facing traditional hapless ACC doormat. Tech wins.

                Other Games of Note

                               

                                 Rutgers @ Pittsburgh

                                                Two teams that are fighting for positioning in the Big East, both of which are coming off big wins, face off this weekend. Pittsburgh has been very disappointing this season, not only not competing for BCS title as some had predicted, but also failing to even so enough competence to fight for a Big East crown. Rutgers has had issues at quarterback with Tom Savage being injured and his backup Chas Dodd playing very well. The confusion that can cause in terms of leadership could be a major distraction in a game like this. I’m with Rutgers for the win, totally on gut.

                                Indiana @ Illinois

                                                      I know I am going to get some flak for this, but honestly when you look at this game and compare it to a lot of other games between near .500 teams; it does actually seem like the better match up. Both teams, while not able to compete with the elite of the Big Ten, are definitely abke to put on an interesting show against lower completion, like against each other. Ultimately though I am going to go with Indian for the win, mostly because Ben Chappell has been playing very well and should be able to overcome the Illinois defense.

                                Ohio @ Miami (Ohio)

                                                Another game I may catch some flak for, this game could very easily determine who will be facing Temple for the MAC title. Miami of Ohio have shown themselves to be far better than most would have expected, not only pushing Florida to the limit, but also going undefeated in conference play. While Ohio does have one loss in conference play, they have also shown themselves to be capable of competing with anyone in conference. I am going to go with Miami (Ohio) here, again on a gut feeling.

                                Fresno State @ San Jose State

                                                This game is interesting if for no other reason than the fact that San Jose State can’t catch a freaking break. Fresno State should win,  but again consider what it would have meant if San Jose State went undefeated this season. The number of games that they were completely overmatched in is simple astounding. I’ll give them a lot of credit for guts though.

                                North Carolina @ Miami (Fl.)

                                                There’s an interesting matchup going on here. It pits the ACC’s third most prolific passer in North Carolina’s T.J. Yates against the nation’s fourth ranked pass defense in Miami. That matchup alone will be interesting to watch, while Jacory Harris will need to stop throwing the ball to defenders as opposed to his own receivers. I think this is the game where all the suspensions that North Carolina has been piling up over the season will start to come back and haunt them. I’m picking Miami to win and dig themselves out of the ditch of mediocrity before it becomes a true hole.

 Top 10 Heisman Candidates

1.       Kellen Moore – Yawn. 16 Touchdowns versus one pick all year. Try and argue against those numbers.

2.       John Clay – Dominant performance against a dominant team gets you many points in my Heisman scale.    

3.       Cameron Newton – Why’d he jump so far up, because he’s accounted for 26 total touchdowns and just beat a tough Arkansas team that’s why. He’s also a clutch player. Continuing to win may even force me to put him over Kellen Moore.

4.       Andrew Luck – Did well for himself coming off a loss.   

5.       Terrelle Pryor – Played badly, leading to Ohio State losing. He can still recover, but he needs to play great right now to stay on this list.   

6.       Justin Blackmon – Continues to be a big play threat. Seriously how can he not be in contention after averaging 20 yards a catch in his last game? Big test this week against Prince Amakamura.  

7.       Matt Barkley – Throwing five Touchdown passes keeps you alive on this list.    

8.       Colin Kaepernick – Played poorly, but still had a three touchdown performance.   

9.       LaMichael James – Continued to play well, just getting passed by better performances.

10.   Robert Griffin III – What!? I’m putting the Baylor quarterback on a Heisman list. Look, he has thrown only three picks against 14 touchdowns and rushed for another 6 touchdowns. He’s the only reason that Baylor is in contention for a bowl game. He deserves some freaking recognition.