Bowl 11’

Let's be honest, no one cares about most of these bowl games. Think about it, the only games that are pre-determined are the BCS games. After those, every other game is chosen by the bowls themselves. So, let's evaluate the games that we'll be sitting down in front of the TV begging for some man time to watch.

Oregon vs Auburn…Two words for this game, Cam Newton! He's dynamic, he's versatile, and he's a winner. After Cam, there's Nick Farley and no one else. Auburn can't stop the run or the pass. They haven't stopped anyone with their defense all year unless you would like to count Louisiana –Monroe and Chattanooga who still put up 24pts. Fear the Duck. Oregon features an offense that runs each play in 23 seconds. This is as fast as the two minute offense teams run near the end of a half or game. Oregon is finding this much success on an offense run by their backup QB. Yep, Darren Thomas was Jeremiah Masoli's backup before the season started. All Thomas has done is become the 3^rd best player in the Pac 10 behind his teammate LaMichael James and Andrew Luck. James is lightning in a bottle but runs tougher and harder than he looks. Oregon will win, but if Auburn spot's the Duck 24 pts like they did Bama, this will be a blowout.

Bama vs. Michigan ST will be a tough fought game predicated on the big play. Who will make or miss them is the question. Bama has already lost to their rivals and will be looking to regain a swagger that seems to be leaving. Michigan State is trying to prove that this season wasn't a fluke. Cousins will lead a pass happy offense who has found nine receivers over a 100 yards. Bama features a Heisman winner and future All-Pros. But maybe, just maybe Bama has turned into Mike Tyson when Holyfield beat him. Maybe the plans have been drawn to Bama. Nick Saban will be prepared as ever to win but it probably time for Nick to stop turning athletes into safties and wideouts and allow them to play QB. Michigan St will win this game because no one is afraid of Alabama any more….roll tide.

Ohio St vs Arkansas… Okay, I got a free Buckeye tattoo as well but I still charged them for my autograph. Tattoo-Gate or the NCAA finding out that several Ohio State players trading autographs for tattoos has led to a 2011 five game suspension. None of this will have any effect on this bowl game. As a matter of fact, this game will have a higher viewership rating than the national championship game. This game will come down to balance. Arkansas has a high powered offense behind the big arm of Ryan Mallet. The Razorbacks defense has shown the ability to give up the big play. Ryan Mallet has made huge mistakes in their biggest games of the year. The Buckeyes are solid on offense, defense and special teams. Because of this, the Buckeyes will be victorious and finish ranked #3 in the country after this game.

 

Wisconsin vs. TCU… TCU has another chance to add to their undefeated season. The Badgers are ready to prove they aren't just the red headed step child to the usual Big 10 powerhouses. The Horn Frogs feature a high octane offense that can score with the best of them. Their defense is solid and dedicated to rushing the passer and stopping the run. The Badger offense will run, run, pass, and then run some more. Defensively, the Badgers are strong and feature NFL prospects at half of their starters. This will be a close game but Wisconsin will win.

And, the rest of them.. LSU vs Texas A&M… Name three players for either team in this game. Still waiting….. Now you see why this game isn't important. A&M wins.

UCONN vs. Oklahoma seems like a second round matchup in the NCAA tourney. It's not, it's football and that means the Sooners will put up a basketball score on the Huskies.

Stanford vs. VaTech should have been a huge game. The problem is that none believes the Pac 10 is any good. Stanford will blowout VaTech but it will go unnoticed because the Hookies also lost to James Madison.

 

 

It's Now or Never

The NFL regular season is winding down and the New Year is almost here. No not the welcoming of 2011, instead Happy New NFL playoffs. Unlike our New Year ’s Eve plans, the NFL playoffs are yet to be determined. With only two games left in the season, teams are still fighting for playoff berth and positioning. Last year the heavy frontrunners had already been decided, the Saints and Colts shut it down and played all backups to ensure the health of their starters. This year , The only clear cut #1 seed is the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan, Roddy Roddy White, Michael Turner and the crew have been solid. They’ve won games the old-fashioned way, good defense, good special teams and great offense. In the AFC the Steeler’s and New England will have a photo finish to capture their #1 seed. Regardless, both will get a buy and due to both teams playing outside in the elements, home field advantage throughout shouldn’t make that big of a difference. The Pats have won games with Tom Brady’s arm and a renewed spirit of takeaways displayed by a young defense. Pittsburgh on the other hand, has won games the same way they always have. Great D, Great D, and more Great D! Regardless of the late fall by the J-E-T-S, their early season success has ensured them of a playoff spot. Go Chargers go, may as well be the chant because they’re doing it again. They are making a late December push that will not only allow them to win a very weak division, but it will also secure them a slot in the playoffs. Baltimore has some work ahead of them. They have to get QB Joe Flacco up to speed about the urgency of now. He is the only thing that stands between them and a second Superbowl ring. The Ravens will show up in the playoffs. The only question is, will Flacco be joining them. The Indianapolis Colts “aint what they used to be…aint what they used to be…aint what they used to be.” They still have Peyton Manning and because of this and a furious pass rush, they’ll be in the playoffs. The Saints will earn a buy in week one, and seem to be getting into Superbowl form. The Packers will win the division, thanks to a late year skid by the Bears due to three or four more interceptions thrown by Jay Cutler. The Giants are playing well at the right time but there, league leading turnover problem will be their demise in round one. Philly and Mike Vick are very dangerous and will create plenty of problems for their opposition’s defense. But Eagles also have their own defensive issues and will probably end up winning one game and then losing because of it. The Rams are back! Just kidding, they are back in the playoffs, even though they’re in the worst division in football.

Urban did the right thing.

Coaching has long been a stressful job. Coaching has always been filled with the ideology that says, out work your opponents. In coaching,
that language means spend more hours in the office than your opponents and your coworkers. The idea that working long means working hard in the coaching ranks has been going on for years. Many have given this credit to long time NFL coaches George Allen and Sid Gillman who believed, "Every time you win, you're reborn; when you lose, you die a little." Like everything else in the NFL, this attitude filtered down to the college ranks. As college coaching salaries continue to increase, the time dedicated to these jobs multiplies. College coaches have a little more added pressure; they have to recruit talented players without paying them… College coaches first job is recruiting. If you can't recruit, you will find it hard being a collegiate coach. Collegiate players in any sport will tell you they each had a coach on their staff that couldn't coach. They always wondered how in the world he/she was able to have their job only to find out that most of their best players came to the University as a result of that particular coach. While coaches are game planning for an opponent, they're recruiting. When a coach is on a game trip, they're recruiting. When coaches are on vacation, they're recruiting. Coaches are always recruiting! Due to this 24 hour recruiting cycle, coaches families suffer. Some have even said, people who coach don't like they're families. Urban Meyer is trying to give the coaching profession a better name by giving up millions in order to be a better husband and father. Many believe that the 30 arrest during his tenure, or the fact that he can see looming disaster in the Gator program up ahead as factors in his resignation. But, you have to respect a man who believes that his family is much more important than winning another sears crystal football. I've had the opportunity to play with several coaches kids and a lot of times they are in the same position as kids from single parent households. They weren't able to see their dads in the stadium. They even found it hard at times to get help from them in the same sport they were coaching.
Coaches and their own personal health has suffered as a result of the job. Coaches have fainted during and after games and also have had heart attacks. The price paid by coaches families can be high. Coaches have dealt with suicides and seen kids going to prison right before their eyes and never knew what had happened. Urban Meyer doesn't want to fall into this statistic and would much rather be called dad right now. The hours that take coaches away from the home can sometimes blind them to the most important coaching job in their life, coaching their family.

Who watches the Heisman anyway?

“At its inception, the Heisman trophy was supposed to go to the best overall player in college football regardless of their position or rather or not their team was playing for a national title.” But we all know that isn’t the case. Somewhere the Heisman has lost its way. Was it when Jerry Rice finished 9^th in voting behind winner Doug Flutie. Or how about the multi positioned, most electrifying Deion Sanders finishing 8^th behind Barry Sanders. It just had to be when Gino Toretta beat out both Marshall Fualk and Garrison Hearst. The Heisman has been a joke for far too long as we pretend every year the voters got it right. This year the Heisman may go to Kellen Moore or Andrew Luck. Luck will be a prototypical NFL drop back QB, More on the other hand is a sympathetic pick by many because of Boise States alleged misfortunes of being a small guy playing in an automatic BCS bids world. Heck, why isn’t Denard Robinson in the Heisman race anymore. That’s a different conversation. Whether Cam Newton had lost 1 game or 2, it still wouldn’t change the fact that he’s the best player in college football. Cam Newton is 6’5 and 250 pounds of GROWN MAN. He looks as if he’s playing a video game while he’s playing. If he needs a first down he breaks a couple of tackles and gets it. If he needs a touchdown, he throws it down the field and nails it. Newton’s numbers are off the chart. He’s top ten in every offensive category except passing yards. Auburn is a five win team at best without Cam Newton being on the field. To hear voters publicly state they won’t vote for Cam Newton but will still vote for the Heisman is disgusting. At least he’s the best player on his team. The same voters voted for Matt Leinhart , when he might have been the 8^th best player on the USC roster. Cam Newton has been exceptional. For you Heisman voter’s, he’s shown Roger Staubach type accuracy, Archie Griffin like vision, Earl Campbell’s bruising power, Charlie Wards leadership, and yes by evidenced in the comeback victories over Clemson, South Carolina and especially Alabama he possesses Tim Tebows undeniable will to win. The Heisman has lost its luster under a regime of cynical agenda driven voters. In order for kids to start growing up dreaming to win the Heisman trophy again, voters need to go back to the Heisman’s intentions. Reward the best overall player in college football.

That's BCS

Now that we just about know who's playing for the BCS National Championship, is a playoff system better. Certainly not! The college playoff system will not bring a better ending to a year blitzed with huge games. The enthusiastic season, NFL comparisons, to many games, and lack of Bowl opportunities should be the reason why the BCS and the playoff system should remain at odds. The entire college football season will be affected by the playoff system. Teams will only schedule cupcakes and argue about how they should be in the playoffs because of their conference games. College basketball coaches make this same argument yearly when they don't make the NCAA Tourney. Just ask Seth Greenberg who plays in the one of the top two conferences in the country and missed the NCAA Tourney with a 25-9 record. The NFL comparisons should also be a reason to end college football playoff talk. College football fans really want a Superbowl Champ. College rules and structure needs to be different from the professional ranks. These collegiate players are amateurs and should be treated as such a 100% of the time. They should be allowed to be treated as student athletes and not be overly stressed because of the added pressure put on them by boosters and fans over a "one game" playoff season. We want them to perform like pros but only want to compensate them with a scholarship. The playoff system will give these players just too many games during a season. Conference title games and at least 2 more games would have to be eliminated in order to have a true playoff. Truly the most important reason to not have a playoff system is due to the elimination of bowl games. The bowl games are for the athletes. Bowl games don't mean anything only to the perennial top 30 teams in the FBS. The rest of us, celebrate like we are going to the Superbowl when our team makes a bowl game. The playoff talk should be squashed because of lack of student athlete support, but surely you realize they don't matter.

Heard it all before. Part 2

The 1987 strike set the tables for today's negotiations. The players went on strike due to the heavy restrictions of free agency. The NFLPA couldn't even get all of its players to strike as some of them crossed the picket lines daily to go to work. The owners were prepared for the strike and had replacement players ready to go. The owners also had the upper hand financially due to the lucrative television contracts and the lower replacement players salaries. The players weren't making any head way with owners so they took the fight to the court system. They were victorious in the courtroom, winning free agency in return for salary caps tied to a formula based on players share of total league revenues. Fast forward to now, what's really behind this proposed lockout. Owners are feeling the recession, corporate sponsorship and advertising is way down. Due to this fact, owners want the now 60-40%(players get 60%) split with a $1billion expense credit. The owners now want an additional 18% expense credit, to cover more expenses. The owners have already destroyed this happy balance because they receive the billion dollar exception. Last year players recieved 53.33%-46.67% split, the proposed 18% will completely turn the formula in the owners favor. Owners want to get paid more while restricting players salaries. This won't work and the NFLPA will not give in to this. The biggest problem looming is all of this is estimated numbers because the NFL owners won't allow the NFLPA into their financial records. Ponder that.....

NFL Sunday

B-MO@Carolina
The Ravens will have a week to rest some starters during the game and also rebound from a tough loss last week. The Panthers have now placed Deangelo Williams on IR as their prized running game continues to struggle. Ravens Win

BUF@CINCY
Buffalo finally got their 1st win and the Bungles need a win. Until they win a game, they shall be known as the Bungles....Again. That should only last until Sunday. Cincy Wins

Detroit@Dallas
The Lions are the best 1 win team in the league. Dallas has been inspired by a coaching change and finally playing up to their ability. Dallas wins

Cleveland@Jac
The Dog Pound has to be excited about the future of their team. The Browns with, McCoy, Cribs and Hillis on offense will create mismatches for defenses. The Jags on the other hand, have been sparked by last week impossible play . It's plays like this that change seasons for teams. Jags Win

Ari@KC
2 ships passing through the night. The Cardinals have quickly slipped back into the Cardinals of old. KC is on the rise and trying to compete for a division title. KC Wins

GB@Minn
As long as Bret Farve is the focal point of this team, the Vikes will struggle. GB will win because Aarron Rodgers is the 3rd best QB in the league behind Vick and Manning. GB Wins

Hou@NYJ
Houston is struggling and Gary Koubiak is starting to hear catcalls about is job. Meanwhile, Rex Ryan is dressing up like his twin for Halloween and winning games in OT. Houston will play for their coach and win a tough game in New Jersey. Texans Win

Oak@Pitt
Pitt finally played like the team that I thought they were in the beginning of the season. Now they're in trouble because they lose their true leader to a concussion, Hines Ward. Oakland has played well due to the play of Darren Mcfadden and Jason Campbell. They will continue in this shocking win over the Steeler's. Oakland Wins

Wash@Tenn
Vince Young nor Kerry Collins will be 100% during this game. This makes Randy Moss much tougher. The Skins were embarrassed Monday night and will bounce back this week against a confused Titan team. Skins Win

SEA@NO
Seattle is the leader of a garbage division. New Orleans is beginning to hit their stride. NO wins

TB@SF
Tampa Bay is for real, they're winners. Raheem Morris coach of the year now begins. Bucs Win

ATL@STL
Matt Ryan,Matt Ryan, that's what everyone is yelling after last weeks comeback victory. But the Rams are treating every game like a one game season. Sam Bradford is playing like a 3rd year vet already. Rams Win

Ind@NE
New England has hit their stride and are looking like the NE of old. Peyton Manning has put this years team together like McGuyver...He's taken 3 rubber bands and 2 straws and made an offense. What everyone is forgetting is that while they've struggled on offense, defensively Indy has been dominant. Indy Wins

NYG@Philly
The Giants have VICK issues, not e wide out issues. The Michael Jordan of football has entered the building....AGAIN. Like Jordan, no one has ever stopped Vick he can only stop his self. Philly needs to get better on D. They gave up 4 touchdowns in the blowout, normally if you give up this many TD's, you lose. Philly Wins

SD@Den
Phillip Rivers is quietly having an outstanding season but..... they're in 3rd place in an awful division. SD wins

Saturday Games

Nebraska@TexasA&M
Tannihill has taken over for preseason Heisman hopeful Jerrod Johnson. He then let his team know he was the man by throwing for 485 yards. Now he's facing the best defense and rushing attack in the Big 12. The Aggies will have a wonderful crowd and a very enthusiastic team. But, Martinez and the Cornhusker offense will be too much for them. 45-23 Nebraska

Wiscousin@Michigcan.
How'd this game make my list...2 words, Denard Robinson. Rich Rod put a huge talent a QB and brought back garbage on defense in the form of the 3-3-5. The Wolverines will perform well on offense but will be blown out because of the dumbest defense in the world. 45-28 Badgers

Stanford@CAL
Stanford and Andrew Luck continue to dominate in every facet of the game. They have a program and a team that other universities should emulate. CAL should be ashamed after it was leaked that their staff was unsportmanlike in making players fake injuries. They will pay this week against a well prepared Stanford. 50-23 Stanford

Ohio ST@Iowa
OhioST has been lights out on defense all season. They lead the nation in picks. Iowa just dropped a game to Northwestern and will be very hungry for a victory. QB Ricky Stanzi is known for throwing a picks and he will throw them against the Buckeyes.

OleMiss@LSUp
The Tigers will continue their winning ways against a bad Ole Miss team. Ole Miss has been very dissapointing this year especially after last weeks horrible loss to Tenn. LSU will win ugly as usual. 24-13 LSU

VTech@Miami
Jacory Harris been a bust this year after being a preseason Heisman candidate. Freshman Ryan Morris has taken over since Harris's concussion and has played almost mistake free football. VTech hasn't lost a game since losing 2 games in a row and should continue their winning ways at the U.35-20 VTECH

Arkansas@MissST
The Bulldogs have rushed their way into the top 25 all year long. They have played solid and are trying to rebuild a SEC powerhouse. Arkansas lead by Ryan Mallet will pose a huge problem for a defense that gives up yards in the passing game. Pig Souey!! 38-17 Razorbacks

FSU@Maryland
The Noles still have a chance to win the Atlantic and with a victory here or a NCST loss. Maryland has used a balanced attack and a opportunistic defense to obtain victories all year. Christian Ponder is back and will be in attack mode against Maryland. This should give the Noles the edge. 30-24 FSU

Get Crunked 4 Saturday

K.ST@Mizzou
K.ST has had a very good year that some thought could have been a special one. Now they can only play spoiler to a Mizzou team who is still trying to chase a Nebraska team to the Big 12 title game. A stout Mizzou defense will have to put the breaks on a powerful K.ST rushing attack led by D.Thomas. Mizzou will be to good at home with their passionate fans. 34-20 Mizzou

*****Upset Alert****
Iowa@NW
Iowa is traveling into dangerous territory in ChiTown. Northwestern has a high powered offense led by their passing game. They feature the most underrated QB in college football, Dan Persa. Iowa has a stingy defense, but has a QB who's known for giving away the football. I see an upset brewing. 48-45 NW
******Upset Alert*****
OKST@Texas
Usually when you say upset alert Texas is involved your speaking about the other team . But Texas will put together the 2nd best game of this season to beat OKST. Look out Mack, Will Muschamp will be Texas head coach at seasons end. 24-20 Texas

****Upset Alert*****
MissST@Bama

Miss ST is in the middle of the Cam Newton pay for play scandal. However they have quietly arose to the #19 team in the country. They've done this behind a strong running game. Bama's championship run was ruined last week after losing to LSU. The last time they were in this position, they laid an egg in the bowl game to Utah. 31-28 Bulldogs


Georgia@Auburn
Cam Newton is Auburn's entire team. Auburn isn't as sure anymore on Newton's eligibility. If doesn't he play, they'll lose. Auburn's undefeated National Championship season is on the line, Cam Newton will play. 34-27 Tigers


South Carolina@Florida

South Carolina blew their chances of winning the SEC outright when they were blown out by Arkansas. They have always struggled down the stretch during Spurier's tenure and this year is proving to be no different. Florida isn't the team of the past few years but they do have enough athletes on offense to make tons of plays. 38-27 Gators

Oregon@Cal
It will be a blowout. 61-24 Ducks

Utah@Notre Dame

ND defense will never be able to stop the Utes offense. Crist is out and ND starting a true freshman at QB. ND will be blown out again. 48-17 Utah

Clemson@FSU
The Tiger's have been an average team all year. Asking them to win a game to put them in the above average category is crazy. They won't do it. 28-17 FSU

Heard it all before...Part1

The NFL season is quickly entering a critical playoff push run, while at the same time, someone needs to use the defibrillator on the negotiations for the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) . In order to accurately explain today's CBA, we must first go back into the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) vs NFL archives. This isn't the 1st major squabble between the players and the owners. That happened in 1982 when the NFL players wanted a piece of the revenue the owners were making. One of the ways they sought to do this was through free agency. Owners wanted to ensure there players only played for their teams for the player entire career. So they made it extremely difficult for players to move around the league. The Owners would require cash, player compensation and draft picks in order to agree to trades. Due to this fact, players couldn't move around and thus played for the same teams for their entire careers. This was great for the Owners and fans but greatly crippled the players ability to have any leverage in negotiating a new contract. Also, Teams had revenue sharing, which meant whether you win the Superbowl or lose every game, the billion dollar TV deals were split evenly throughout all NFL teams. The Players on the other hand, didn't receive any portion of this money. All of this caused the 1982 strike. The looming lockout has some of the usual issues and suspects currently involved. This is Part 1 of a 3 part series, read next weeks issue for Part 2. Kevin Lewis is an retired NFL linebacker who now does motivational speaking, complete athletic training, coaching and football seminars. If you have comments or inquiries contact via his website www.klew59.com.

NFL Week 9

TB@ATL
The Bucs are for real and due to a very mediocre NFC, they're amongst the best 3 teams on that side of the league. Atlanta is amongst those same 3 teams as well. With the big play ability of Roddy White and the tough style of Michael Turner they will continue their winning ways. ATL Wins

MIA@BMO
Miami is a really good team that's playing a very tough schedule. The Ravens have one goal in place and that's to win a Superbowl. Miami will play tough, but they'll lose. BMO Wins

CHI@BUF
The Jury is out on Jay Cutler, he can't get it done. He and Lovie Smith will be run out of town at the end of the season. The Bills are bad but will win because of early Black Friday sales courtesy of "Jay's Picks". Bills Win

NO@CAR
The Panthers are a very bad team with know identity and zero leadership. They will be blown out today. Saints Win

NE@CLE
NE seems to be quietly putting together another championship run. Cleveland had a huge win last week but that's where the excitement will end. Pats Win

NYJ@DET
The Lions will play hard but will lose to much more balanced Jets team. Jets Win


SD@HOU
The Chargers might be minus their best player TE Antonio Gates. Without him they are very limited on offense. The Texans will will outscore an under manned Charger offense. Texans Win

ARI@MINN
What a week of turmoil for the Vikes. Childress has lost has team!!! Defined as...not responsive.lack of respect for.doesn't listen to him. Cards Win

NYG@SEA
The Giants get to take their dominant defense on the road to play "famed" backup Charlie Whitehurst. Giants should fluster the Seahawks offense early and often. NYG Wins

KC@OAK
Mcfadden is a grown man and will continue to be a beast in the running game. KC is starting to be found out, they'll lose. OAK Wins

INDY@PHILLY
The NFL is back because Mike Vick is back. I like Vick in a win doing it the old way, using his legs to terrorize the INDY defense. Philly Wins

Dallas@GB
Roy Williams said," we can win 9 straight." He should be held out of tonight's game because he's showing signs of a recent concussion. GB WINS

Pitt@CINCY
The Bengals season is on the line today. Because of that, they'll win. Cincy Wins

It's Saturday

TCU@Utah
2 undefeated teams enter...1 leaves. This yearly conference battle will be as fierce as usual with BCS implications hanging in the balance. TCU is again a very balanced squad who has replenished their dominant 2009 defense, with a take away big play D this season. Utah has an "Oregon Duck like" offense so getting points aren't a problem.Utah's biggest problem has been their schedule, this will be the only tough game on their schedule this year. TCU also needs a Baylor win to help move them up the BCS ladder. Hornfrogs Win 24-13

Bama @LSU

Bama and Saban make a trip to the Bayou to take on a crafty Tiger team. The Tigers still don't have an offense but continues to find a ways to put up enough points to win. It doesn't hurt to have one of the nastiest defenses in the country. Saban will have to rally has team to win in a very hostile Death Valley. He brings with him his usual stable of thoroughbreds led by Jones, Richardson, and Ingram. They'll win because anytime you can say 2009 Hiesman trophy winner is the 3rd best player on your team, you're loaded. Bama 38-17

Baylor@OKST

Baylor are for real and a program on the rise after their 7-2 start and a historical victory over Texas. They're lead by their offense and QB RG3 who who is a dual threat with a big arm. Baylor has struggled defensively, and will definitely have their hands full with an explosive Cowboy offense. OKST is lead by their explosive offense with Kendall and Blackman as the focal points. But the Cowboys are also bad on defense, so this game will be filled with offensive fireworks. Baylor will continue the revitalization of their football program with a win over OKST at home. 38-31 Baylor

Arkansas@SCarolina

The Razorbacks have underachieved this year and should've been the 1st team to end Bama's undefeated season. Ryan Mallet has slide way down the Heisman ballots however he still is the best pro ready QB in college. South Carolina has gotten to the stretch where they unpack their bags for the off season. I'm going with history and it says SCarloina will lose. 35-33 Ark

Arizona@Stanford
Stanford has one of the best coaching staffs in college football. I believe the'll only be able to keep them intact for one more year. They'll come up with a game plan to beat Arizona. Zona will keep it close but Luck and the crew will eventually run away with. Just too much offense. 48-24 Stanford

NCState@Clemson
****Upset Alert****

Clemson will convincingly beat NCST, if not, Dabo Sweeny will began to hear the cat calls from Clemson's faithful. 31-17 Tiger's

Wash@Oregon
Another Duck blowout. 61-20 Ducks

UNC@FSU
FSU gets back to their winning ways after a big loss last week. 28-21FSU

Randy.Randy.Randy!

Without question Randy Moss is the most decorated receiver in the NFL. There were only two guys that completely gave coordinators nightmares when I played, Marshall Faulk, and Randy Moss. But with a parade of negative press, why would Tennessee bring him into their harmonious locker room. They want to WIN! I cannot understand why the media feels it has the right to accept or banish players from their perspective leagues, and also why teams listen to them. There are 32 teams in the NFL which means there are teams with the personalities that can handle a Randy Moss. Furthermore, Moss problems are with the media and not with any teams , players, or coaches. Isn't it fair for a guy to have disdain for a group that has shined a magnifying glass on his every mistake. Don't you still have a problem with that guy who embarrassed you at school, in front of your family, or at that special event. But we expect Randy Moss to speak to the media freely... Moss understands that speaking with the media is part of his job. He's willing to take the fine, or fight it, through the normal hearing process. The Titans don't care about any of the media stuff. All they want is a receiver who can get eight and nine men out of the box. Moss will accomplish this by being a deep threat. Just because he's on the field, teams have to adjust for him. This opens up the other two receivers and also tight ends. Most importantly, this creates a three headed monster. Moss on the outside, Chris Johnson (Lil Mercy Dr.) on the outside, and Vince Young in the middle. Defensive coordinators have already began to take Nodoz trying to figure out how to stop the now, multifaceted Titan team.

NFL GAMES

Denver@SF(n London)
The Niner's Win because of Troy Smith at QB.

Dallas@JAC
The Cowboys have lost the most productive player on their team (Romo), and they're not a good team. Jags Win

Miami@Cincy
Fantasy player's look for a huge game out of Brandon Marshall against a feast or famine type of secondary.Mia Wins

Buf@KC
Buffalo is awful, KC wins.

Was@Det
The Skins had a big week last week. Okay...Deangelo Hall had a huge game last week. Stafford's back but the Sins are too strong. Skins Win

Carolina@St.Louis
St.Louis has improved greatly this year. The Panthers are a bad team that will find a way to lose. Rams Win

GB@NYJ
The Jets may be the best team in the NFL. The Packers need to make the statement, "we are a Superbowl contender." They will, GB wins.

Ten@SD
Vince Young is back and of course CJ's in the backfield. SD is a team in disarray. Titans win

Min@NE
Minnesota desperately needs a win but NE is playing well. Brett Farve will start just to keep his streak alive. The Tavarus Jackson will finish and give the Vike's the Win.

TB@Arizona
TB is won of the hottest teams in the league. We will now all start feeling sorry
that Larry Fitzgerald is out in the desert. Bucs win

Pitt@NO
The Saints dropped an ugly one last week. This will motivate them to beat a really good Steeler team. Saints Win

You Are the weakest link...Goodbye.

These coaches need to win or else...
#1 Brad Childress/Farve... You tell me a Coach that has to make a "decision" if his player will playing with a broken ankle. This is football not the Chess club, you need two functioning ankles. This tells me it's not his decision, Bret Farve's the associate head coach. Farve and Childress should also be on the hot seat because there's just to much talent for them not be leading their division.

#2 Wade Phillips... I know, I know, Jerry Jones is really the coach. But, somebody has to take the fall and that's Wade Phillips. Dallas has been atrocious. In a year that Jerry Jones thought he'd be hosting and playing in the Superbowl, he'll only be involved in hosting Superbowl parties.

#3 Josh McDaniels.... A young Billichek he was said to be. He even sported the sweatshirt and all. That's where the comparisons end. In his first two years as head coach, he ran off his best two players. One of which is one of the best wide-outs in the game. Then he brings in Brady Quinn, and drafts Tim Tebow in the first round when Kyle Orton is the top three players on your team. ????

#4 Mike Singletary... He has completely destroyed the lines of comunication with his team. Instead of leading by motivation, he leads by fear. In a league where the guys no they can play elsewhere, this just never works. I was with Mike until he dropped his pants during a halftime rant against Seattle. After that he was on his own. Unless he was trying to teach a pole dancing class to aspiring dancers or practicing to reduce stage fright for his next career, either way, his team didn't get the point.

#5Marvin Lewis...How has Marvin dodged the bullet for so long? Maybe the organization realizes that Carson Palmer is overrated. Maybe Cincy organization and it's fans are just so happy they' aren't cellar dwellers anymore. Lewis just can't find a way to keep his team focused long enough to make a run.

#6 John Fox....John Fox made the Panthers relevant contenders during his tenure. But management just wasn't on the same page. They gave Jake Delhomme a new lucrative deal after leading the NFL in interceptions. They have been wrong on every Steve Smith replacement. Then they go to Matt Moore to lead their team this year. Fox is a good coach that needs a better situation.

#7 Norv Turner... San Diego knew what they were getting from a coach like Turner. A team manager. Now they don't have much talent to manage anymore. I blame the Chargers, not Norv Turner.

#Jack Delrio...Your Not Winning. Games are being blacked out. Time for a change.

Everyday Should be Saturday

FSU@NCST

FSU has crept their way back into the national conversation because of an impressive beating of the Hurricanes. Surprisingly this team has been lead by a much improved defense offensive ground attack. Christian Ponder hasn't been bad but he has let down the ones of us that thought he would have Heisman like passing numbers. FSU has a chance to win out the rest of the season and create more BCS fodder.

Russell Wilson runs the show for this Wolfpack team. This team will go as far as Wilson will take them. Wilson has 18 TD's this year and his mobility will present constant pressure on game FSU's defense. NCST will need a 100yd day from RB Mustafa Greene in order to win. FSU 35-17

Oregon@USC

Darren Thomas and LaMichael James have had a Matt Lienhart/Reggie Bush national championship type year. James is flat out lightning in a bottle. Thomas has pleasantly shocked the Duck's faithful who thought they were in serious trouble after losing Jeremiah Masoli before the season. Thomas has not only made the nation forget Masoli ever played at Oregon by running the Ducks offense flawlessly.

USC's Matt Barkley has been very good all year. The defense on the other hand has performed poorly. I guess losing about 7 linebackers to the NFL the last 3 years eventually catches up to you. USC has NO chance of winning this game because it's the #1 scoring offense versus the #60 (points against) defense. 62-17 Oregon

Mizzou@Nebraska

Mizzou shocked the college football nation with their dominant performance against Oklahoma. Now they get to take their act on the road to Nebraska. The Corn Huskers were eaten up by an confused Texas team.

Taylor Martinez will be able to make some plays. But this Mizzou defense is for real. This is an upset alert in the making. I like Nebraska. Nebraska 48-45 Nebraska

Michigan ST @Iowa

Iowa loss of defensive players to the NFL has been detrimental to their lack of success this year. Stanzi has done a tremendous job of taking care of the ball this year, he's only thrown 2 picks this year. He must continue to play mistake free football in order to beat the Spartans.

Michigan ST is asking, "Are you not entertained?(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsqJFIJ5lLs)" They have played tough and beat everyone on their schedule, but still lack national attention even as the #5 team in the country. The Spartans run the ball and play good D. If they can beat Iowa they should go undefeated and play for the National Championship. 31-28 Michigan St

Auburn@OleMiss

Came Newton's show is rolling into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. What can you do with 6'5, 250 coming at you with the athletic ability of a receiver. Newton is a coaches nightmare and I know defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix didn't want to see the big fella for Halloween.

OleMiss and Jeremiah Masoli seem to be finally getting comfortable with each other. Last week against a good Arkansas team, Masoli had a 300 yard passing and 100 yard rushing day. He will be able to score some points against a mediocre Tiger defense, but it won't be enough. Tigers 51-20

Florida@Georgia
A Florida - Georgia game that doesn't mean anything......WoW!! The SEC-East is abysmal and know team on that side should get an opportunity to play for the conference title. But the game still comes with all the bells and whistled and the hatred hasn't subsided just because the game doesn't mean much in the national picture.Mark Riecht is on the hot seat and it'll get when they pull their usual and lose to Florida. UF 27-17

Bring the Noise

The AP...The BCS...it's what makes College football what we know and love/hate.

Oklahoma @Mizzou

Mizzou's offense isn't the same as it was under the direction of Chase Daniels but the still can put up big numbers. The Tiger's don't put all of their eggs in one basket though, they use their dominate defense to shut their opponents down.

Oklahoma has gotten back to Sooner winning football. They have a pass happy offense that has a RB that can rush for 200 yards at anytime. Demarcus Murray will have to have a big day against a punishing Tiger defense, in order for the Sooners to win. 38-28 OK

LSU@Auburn

Cameran Newton is a game changer, breaker, and dominator. He does it all with the #2 QB rating in the country, Newton seems to make all the right decisions. Auburns defense hasn't been good, but they're playing against a weak LSU offense.

LSU is a gritty team that has been a winner because of big defensive and special team plays. LSU's offense is just plain awful. This will be why the won't win SEC and they'll win this game. 20-9 AUBURN
Nebraska@OKST

Nebraska has tried to everything to try to forget last weeks farewell to the party giving to them by Texas. State will try to do the same thing to Nebraska. You have to be weary of both squads because they have built a reputation built on playing bad teams. Nebraska, you have been exposed. 48-41 OKST

Wisc@Iowa

The Badgers running game vs the Hawk eyes stingy D. This should be one of those old school rockem sockem match ups that will be won or lost on the last possession.

Ga.TECH@Clemson

Clemson has underachieved all season long. Their defense normally a staple for the Tigers has been a huge disappointment. Offensively they have struggled where everyone thought they would, the passing game. But the anger of Clemson's players having loss 2 games to Tech last year should give them the edge.

Tech hasn't been close to the same team they've been the past 2 years. Paul Johnson has struggled in recruiting and the familiarization of his option attack in the ACC.Yes Tech is top 15 in rushing again this year, but so is Army, Navy, Navy and Air Force. Tech' s improving defense and Clemson's inability to score big points will be there demise. 27-23 Tech

Alabama@Tenn

This will be a one-sided affair. The Crimson Tide is on a mission to destroy who ever is left in their path. Bama will use this game to work on a offense that has faded since the South Carolina game. 51-17 BAMA

This is the NFL..... isn't it ?

Have NFL players forgotten how to tackle? The Helmet to Helmet rule is an old rule that is now being intensely enforced because of player safety (concussions).Now, the NFL has placed the referees into an impossible situation.They are asking fifty plus year old men to make split second decisions without the ability of replay. This rule violation automatically comes with a league fine that starts at a hefty fifty-thousand dollars for a first offense. This may not be a big deal as a fan because it's not coming out of our pockets. However, these penalties will keep drives alive and change momentum of games and most importantly, change the physicality of a defender. There will definitely be more missed tackles, more pass-interference calls and more broken tackles as a result. The NFL normally does things the right way so it's baffling why they would make such a dramatic change in the middle of the season. Professional players spend the entire off-season and training camps preparing to perform at a high level. The NFL is now asking them to make a major adjustment when they are now just really getting into full form as a player. It's not shocking however that this rule affects the defense the most. The other problem is offensive players don't just stay in the same position while they are running or falling. They are asking the defense to make a millimeter adjustment on the fly. It' just not that easy! The NFL is making a overzealous reaction to a concussion issue. This isn't the way to fix it. We all want the game to be safe. But unless we just play two hand touch, injuries are going to happen. The NFL is a violent, fast paced and skilled game, the risk of serious injury comes with the territory.

Show me the Money!!!

Agents have paid prospective NFL collegiate athletes since being a NFL player became lucrative. Agents have a vested interest in gaining employment from NFL player's. Why? Agents usually get 3% of whatever they help negotiate, contract and/or endorsements. For example, Chad Speck, the agent of Albert Haynesworth, who received a monumental $100 million contract, will get $3 million for his services. This makes the agent recruiting job ultra competitive. To gain the upper hand agents make promises and pay athletes. They use runners (paid staff), coaches, parents, teammates and anyone else close to the athlete they want. Athlete's learn this game quickly from past teammates and the agents themselves. These athletes are vulnerable because they're young and they need and want the money to expedite the process of providing for their families. They have Pell Grants and a NCAA Special assistance program. A lot of upper poor and lower middle class(if you will) students do not qualify. Regardless, if this was the answer, you couldn't google," college student athlete robbery,"and get page after page of hits. So what's the answer? Show them the Money! Pay these college football players. They make the money for the schools and deserve some of it back.

Welll.... Crown'em!!!

SuperBowl XLIII race is under way. With the first quarter of the season already in the books, there are only a few teams that look like they are serious about the Lombardi Trophy. In the AFC, the NY Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens. The Jets came out of training camp as the AFC favorite. With the reermergence of LaDainian Tomlinson, they haven't slipped that far from the top. Even through the most tumultuous off-season in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steeler's have shown resilience. They have been dominate without two-time Superbowl winning QB Ben Rothlisberger. After completing his NFL four game suspension for multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, Big Ben should make his team even better. The new front runner of the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, they still have the #1 defense in the NFL, but that's not what's so impressive about this team. The Ravens are star studded and loaded in the passing game. Bolden, Heap, Mason and newly acquired TJ Houshmandzadeh give the Ravens the best receiving corp in the NFL. The NFC contenders are led by Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins. The Skins are the biggest surprise because they were absolutely horrible last year. Now, with the genius of head coach Mike Shanahan and future Hall of Fame QB Donavan McNabb, they instantly become part of the race. The Green Bay Packers a shot at the title as well. They have the most dangerous passing attack in the league led by their ace Aaron Rodgers. Rounding off this esteemed list is know other than the Minnesota Vikings. Bret Farve had been reduced to any guy that could hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson until the arrival of Randy Moss. Not only does this make the Vikes instantly a contender, but this move bolts them into the lead as the favorite to win Superbowl XLIII.

1st Quarter NFL Grades

NFL games aren't the only things broken into four quarters. NFL coaches also break up their seasons into four quarters. So let's grade them:
AFC East
NYJ:3-1 The Jets have done a tremendous job of coddling Mark Sanchez while giving the offensive driving seat to LT, who ranks 7th in the league in rushing. A-
NE: 3-1 The Brady bunch have had to find other ways to win because of a horrible defense. The special teams unit will have to continue their exceptional play to keep NE in the hunt. B-
MIA:2-2 The no-name crew has played very hard every game. Brandon Marshall will make sure the Dolphins are a factor in this playoff push.B-
BUF:0-4 Hope you chopped plenty of wood for the fireplace, it's going to be a long winter. F-
AFC-North
B-MO: 3-1 The Ravens have shown they are ready for a Superbowl run. Continued improvement from Joe Flacco is the key. A
PITT: 3-1 The Steeler's have taken an embarrassing off-season and had a great early start. Rashard Mendenhall is really coming of age. A
CINCY:2-2 Bengals have the weapons. Carson Palmer needs to step up his game. C-
CLE:1-3 Say it ' so...Lebron is really gone!!!! F-
AFC -SOUTH
HOUSTON-3-1 Texans have shocked of the NFL. Not because they're winning, but because of how they win.They lead the league in rushing yards per game. A
JAC- 2-2 So long Jags...The city won't support you, and your just plain BORING. C-
INDY 2-2 Say it ain't so. Indy's not 4-0. Manning will work his magic and get them back on track. D
TENN - 2-2 Leave Vince Young alone. Either let him be the QB or trade him. C-
AFC-WEST
KC- 3-0 The Chiefs have truly been the surprise of the league. The have won with defense and discipline football. B
SAN DIEGO-2-2 Rivers complete to Antonio Gates is redundant. Rivers needs another weapon. C
DENVER-2-2 Kyle Orton has thrown Denver into the race with the #1 passing attack in the NFL. C
OAKLAND-1 -3 Yes...Al Davis is still in charge. Darren McFadden has become a factor back in the NFL. D
NFC- EAST
Washington- 2-2 Shanahan's doing it again. Took over an awful team, made one trade and has his team in position for a division title. Defense needs to improve. B-
NYG- 2-2 The Giants are playing bad. They can't get both all three phases offense, defense and special teams to play together. C-
PHILLY- 2-2 They get two grades.. With Vick B+ Without Vick C-
DALLAS- 1-2 You made a decision, Romo's your guy. Quit blaming everyone else. Deal with it! D
NFC-NORTH
CHICAGO 3-1 We all thought they were real until Monday night against the Giants. They're frauds. B-
GREEN BAY -3-1 The Packers are for real and are finally keeping Aaron Rodgers upright. Here comes the Superbowl run. B+
MINNESOTA - Theerree Baaaaccckkk...Randy Moss catapults them back into the Superbowl race. C
DETROIT- 0-4 Bless they heart.... C- (They are improving)
NFC-SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons-3-1 The Falcons have played lights out football. They have a very solid football team. B+
New Orleans- 3-1 The Saints haven't shown the same offensive dominance that led their team last season. Also the defense hasn't created enough turnovers to give the offense more opportunities to score. B-
Tampa Bay - 2-1 Tampa is rebuilding and doing a good job at it. Look for them to start to slide as their schedule begins to toughen. C-
Carolina Panthers 0-4 Head Coach John Fox may not make it through the season. D-
NFC-WEST
ARIZONA-2-2 Not the same team without Kurt Warner. C
ST. LOUIS-2-2 Sam Bradford and Stephen Jackson Rams back to respectability. C+
SEATTLE-2-2 If Pete Carroll is able to create a running game behind newly acquired Marshawn Lynch, he may be able to win this division. C+
SAN FRANCISCO-0-4 Mike Singletary needs to learn how to relate to his new school players. Old school doesn't work anymore. F

NFL Week 4 Picks!!

NYJ @ Buf

The Jets finally gets a "gimmie game". This is when the maturity of a team is shown. We will find out more about the Jets in a game like this than a tougher one. LT continues to provide much needed leadership to an identity-less offense. But the team maturity level just doesn't seem to be in order. They are more concerned with how the project themselves being a big tough team than actually being one. Buffalo gave a valiant effort against the Pats sparked by a CJ Spiller sighting in the return game. Buffalo wins

Cincy@Cleveland

The double O project as in Ochocinco and Owens continues to throw tomatoes in the face of all the haters that didn't think they could get it done. They are 2nd in arguably the toughest division in football. They will continue hold on the their #2 spot in the division. Cleveland...Bless their heart..Cincy Wins

B-Mo@Pitt
The defenses are a wash. This game boils down to Batch vs Flacco...You have to give the old fella the nod. Charlie batch has played out of his mind and he doesn't even have to. The Steeler's offense has been as strong as there D and that spells disaster for all of their opponents. To bad RayRay didn't get the memo in B-MO. Joe Flacco will have a outstanding game because he's finally figured out he needs to throw the ball to Anquan Boldin. B-Mo wins

Den@Tenn

Brandon Lloyd's an absolute beast, and ...and...and....Okay, Okay that's where it ends. You cannot get rid of one of the best players in the NFL and still win. Tenn needs to leave Vince Young alone if he's going to ever be their future. Jeff, if you haven't noticed the future is now. Between not handing over the team to Young and not signing Chris Johnson to the most lucrative RB deal in the league is preposterous. Tenn Wins

Det@GB

Detroit 's still Detroit. I don't care that they're playing better. They are still losing. GB if you want to make a Superbowl run, you have to protect Rodgers. GB Wins

SF@ATL

After a huge win for the Falcons last week, which team will show up now. Matt Ryan is back in the saddle as the QB of the future. Atlanta has played well every week even in week 1 9-15 loss to Pittsburgh. SF is in turmoil and Singletary seems to be a bit too militant. Today's players don't respond well to this attitude ask Tom Coughlin. ATL wins

Carolina@NO

The Panthers are trying to get John Fox fired as head coach. It's not his fault though. He's playing without a solid QB or a group of receivers. Not one single big name on defense and know real veteran leadership. New Orleans will role. NO wins

Sea@Rams
Seattle and the Rams are trying to separate themselves as viable playoff teams. There not, but someone has to win this game. I like the Rams behind an efficient Sam Bradford and a gritty Stephen Jackson. Rams Win

Indy@Jac

18 is back to his winning ways. He keeps showing the league that he can put me and you at receiver and still win games as long as we can catch. He took a practice squad guy last week and made him look like an all-pro. The Jags have too many issues. Indy wins this easily.

Houston@Oakland
Darren Mcfadden has been the offense of the Raiders. Houston is better than the Raiders at just about every single category. This is why they should win. Houston Wins

Wash@Philly

The Vick experience performs for the first time at home. He has been electrifying on a team that wasn't a good ball club. He has risen them from the cellar of their division into the drivers seat. #5 in Washington usually performs very well when the spotlight is on him and it will definitely be there because of the storyline involved. I like 5...Washington Wins

Ari@SD

Both of these teams have looked bad during this early season. Both both still have a chance to win there division and make a playoff run. SD has a better nucleus so I'll give them the nod. SD wins

CHI@NYG

The Giants look bad everywhere except int he passing game. The Bears are beginning to believe in themselves. One team moving up and another team slowly beginning to spin out of control. Bears Win

NE@Mia

By virtue of playing in a very tough division the dolphins will be on a 2 game skid. This division may get 3 teams into the playoffs. Pats Win

Hit or Be Hit Saturday!!!

Florida @ Bama

Bama showed the nation last week why they are the #1 team in the country. After being down the entire game. The made a play on defense and marched the ball methodically down the field for the game winning touchdown. Yes, their weakness "WAS" on the defense in their secondary. Not anymore, this was a unit that made play after play against Ryan Mallet and Arkansas powerful offense.

The Gators have been a team that has had to train new stars while collectively winning as a team. In a supposedly down year, they have yet to have a close game. Bama will be their first test this season. The Gators will lose a close one because of the "Hit or be Hit" nature of Bama's offense. The Gators won't be able to stop the run. 20-13 Bama

Stanford @ Oregon

One must marvel at the great job Stanford coaching staff is doing. They are a very good team that just goes out every Saturday and never beats themselves. They are led by a high powered offense with Andrew Luck in the drivers seat, but their o-line and wide-outs are overlooked. 9 guys have at least 3 receptions. Defensively they have been lights out and have made play after play.

Oregon has had the most explosive offense in college football. If you blink your eye, they've scored 6 on you. This is a team that's averaging 60pts per game. They have weapons all over the field on offense and Chip Kelly uses them with great skill. Defensively there 4th in the country in points allowed. Not because they're so dominante. But they force you to have to run every play trying to score because of they're potent offense. This plays right into they're blitzing packages.Oregon wins behind a high powered offense. 52-42 Ducks

Penn St @ Iowa

These are two evenly matched teams. Neither as good as they were last year. Iowa hasn't really played anyone and lost one of those games to Arizona. Penn St hasn't played well on offense but they did keep #1 Alabama to 24 pts on the road. Because their is still so much that we don't know about either team. I'll have to give the edge to Penn St because of the tougher schedule. 17-13 Penn St

Texas @ Oklahoma

Oklahoma has played 3 out of their first 4 games very very close. Texas loss to UCLA was awful. They loss to a team who is mediocre Pac-10 ball club. These are not our fathers Oklohoma vs Texas matchups with National Championship ramifications at the end of the contest. This game will be ugly on both sides but will be won by an undefeated Oklahoma team that has learned how to win close ball games. 45-38 Sooners

Miami @Clemson

Can Clemson avoid the normal seasonal lapse. Kyle Parker has played much better than expected and will have to have a good performance against the canes. The receiver situation has been settled....Clemson doesn't have any. They have a good tight end. The problem with this is you don't score points when your TE is your leading receiver.

The Canes have been good except for the Ohio State game. They are still one of the best teams in the country. They have finally got there defense together and have played well all year. Jacory Harris will have a huge game this week. 48-17 Canes

NFL Picks!!

Dallas@Houston
The Dysfunctional Cowboys take their team on the road to Houston. The Texans are feeling and doing good after an 3-0 start.This will improve to 4-0 behind RB Arian Foster and the continued disintegration of the Cowboys will continue.Texans Win

NYJ@Miami
This Game won't come down to B.Marsh vs Cromartie, it will be starred by a reassured LT who has been getting it in.NYJ Win

Ten@NYG
The Titans have the best defense in football. The Giants have given up too much on D. Translation...Titans Win

Cincy@Car
It's time for Foxy to go back to NYG and Coach the Giants, the Panthers front office just don't make the right decisions. Cincy Wins

Pitt@TB
Tampa has played well, but now the real games began. Pitt Wins

Cleve@B-MO
This one won't be close. Old dogs are still better than the new one's. B-Mo Wins

49ers@KC
SanFransico's on an upswing, KC continues their downward plummet. 49ers WIN

Det@Minn
Detroit will find a way to lose. Minn Wins

Buf@NewEngland
Gailey won't even put Spiller on kick-off return. WHy did you draft him again??? Pats Win

Atl@NewOrleans
Saints just to explosive on offense. Should be a blowout. Saints Win

Wash@St.Louis
The Skins will use this as a tuneup game for next week's tough match up against Philly. Skins Win

Philly@Jac
The Michael Vick experience will continue to amaze against a struggling Jaguar group. Philly Wins

Oak@Arizona
I like Coach (Al) Davis in this one. McFadden's beginning to finally play like we all thought he could. We all really need to respect the HOF ability of Kurt Warner now. This team is bad. Oak Wins

SanDiego@Seattle
The Chargers will simply bash the Sea Hawks. Chargers Win


Indy@Denver
Peyton manning will continue his dominance over an outmatched and saddened Denver Bronco team. Indy Wins

Big Saturday

****Upset Alert****
Bama at Arkansas

Arkansas had a huge let down last week at Georgia. They were dominating the football game and then in the 3rd quarter they completely left the building. This team was thought to have gotten over the hump last year after having a really good season. Their running game has to be exceptional in order for the Razorbacks to have a chance to win.

Right when the whole college football nation was ready to crown Trent Richardson Heisman, Mark Ingram showed us all why he has it already. 9 carries for 151 yards. I don't care if he was playing 3 year old's, he should have at least tripped over a toy or something. Ingram ran wild and will continue has reign of terror against the Razorbacks.The Tide are great in every area on the field except special teams and their secondary. If Mallet is the QB I think he is, this is a game the Razorbacks can win. The big ability of Julio Jones hasn't been realized. He is the x factor. If he can play well, Arkansas doesn't have a chance. This will be an instant classic. 42-38 Arkansas Pig Souey!!!!!!

Stanford @ Notre Dame

Jim Harbaugh Has done a remarkable job at Stanford. With the academic demands placed on these true student athlete's, this is short of amazing. Harbaugh should be sought after by huge college football programs and even the professional ranks. Stanford plays the game the way it should be. They are very disciplined and don't beat themselves. Having Andrew Luck as your QB doesn't hurt them either.

Notre Dame has a productive offense behind Crist and Allen. Defensively, they give up plenty of points and this will be their demise. Stanford will end this one early...45-20 Stanford


South Carolina @ Auburn

Auburn got off to a miserable start last week against Clemson. Clemson controlled the ball game until the 3rd quater. The Tigers cannot afford a start like this against one of the best teams in the SEC conference. Auburn will need much better play on offense earlier in the game. They also need to use their 12th ranked rushing attack to control the game.

The Gamecocks will be ready to enter Auburn with plenty of confidence. The secondary of the Gamecocks is more than capable of making plays well against the Tigers passing attack. Spurrier has had great play calling selection all year. He has rellied heavely on a Marcus Lattimore driven running game. Garcia has managed ball games well and as long as he continues this, South Carolina should defeat the Tigers convincingly. They will win this game for Kenny Mckinnley (Denver Broncos reciever who comitted suicide earlier this week). 27-17 SC

Oregon St @ Boise St

Oregon St painted its practice field blue. Whe has the color of the foeld or anything else trivial won or lost a ball game. This is crazy and Oregon will lose because of this...Just kidding, Boise St is just much better than the Beavers. 42-13 Boise St

Giant Turmoil 4 Big Blue!!!

After an embarrassing performance against the Colts, the chinks in the Giants armor are beginning to rip fast. Brandon Jacobs has began to stress his grievances in the media. He doesn't feel like he's being used effectively. Brandon should be one of the leaders on this club and should know better than to express himself in this manner. Let's look at who the leaders of this ball club are....Why? Because Antrelle Role told us to. Eli Manning offensive captain; A very steady influence and never to high or to low. Justin Tuck defensive captain; A very confident guy who exudes power and skill in his conversation and play. Chase Blackburn speacial teams captain; a tough guy who will put his body on the line to make a play. Tom Coughlin head coach; we all know about this guy. He will beat the same nail into an iron wall until it goes end. When you put these 4 guys together you end up with a unemotional team who will consistently play hard.
Role is concerned as well he should be. This is an organization that has always been lead by very strong defensive personalities. Lawrence Taylor,Harry Carson, Pepper Johnson, Jesse Armstead, Michael Barrow, Keith Hamilton, and Michael Strahan. These guys sweated determination, fight, want to, confidence, fiery emotion and yes arrogance. Because to be special you had to have this. Look at any Superbowl team and tell me they didn't display these characteristics week in and week out.
So Antrelle, if you want to see things get better in the locker room and on the field....You do it!!!You take on the leadership role!!! A captain is just a title and sometimes just a popularity contest. True leadership is proven with your daily walk, with or without a vote.

p.s. your 1-1...the sky isn't falling.

More College Football Preseason in week 3

Alabama at Duke

Ingram's back but Bama won't need him against the Blue Devils. Duke's D is terrible right now. They gave up 54 points against a suspect and young Wake Forest offense. Bama will roll. 48-24 Bama

Arkansas at Georgia

Mark Reicht won't beat Florida again this year. His job is on the line, not because of that but because the lower of the SEC has began to catch up with them. The Bulldogs lost to South Carolina last week and will struggle against a better Arkansas. This won't bode well for the Bulldog faithful.

Arkansas has the best QB in college football, Ryan Mallet. He reminds me of a bigger Tom Brady with a stronger arm. He's not on anyone picks of best QB's but he will after he throws for over 350 yds against the Bulldogs. After this week everyone will know the Razorbacks are for real. 45-17 Ark

GaTech at UNC

2 ranked teams coming into this year have been quickly dropped. UNC has fought threw a pending NCAA while playing shorthanded. Had it not been for a sloppy start to a game against LSU, they may have won. Yates still remains the key to UNC's success. If he plays well, they can beat almost anyone in the country.

I told you...I told you....Paul Johnson has been exposed. It's not his brilliant offense. It's still about the players. He was only able to win with superior offensive talent. Talent that he didn't and won't be able to recruit. GaTech can't throw and won't throw. Their defense is still very suspect. Yes they'll be able to run the ball, but it won't matter. 24-10 UNC


Nebraka at Washington

Locker will have big yardage but the Cornhusker rushing attack will be too much. 38-31 Neb

Clemson at Auburn

Clemson's finally out of their preseason schedule and I think it will hurt them. Auburn fought off a tough minded Bulldog team last week. This will be the reason they will outlast Clemson. 23-15 Auburn

Reggie Bush, U gave back WHAT!!!!!

And so the saga continues.... Athlete punished;School punished;Agent gets away free, AND SUES!!!!Aren't we all tired of painting athletes that get into to trouble for excepting agent benefits as bad guys. Aren't we all tired of this huge money making machine that we all call college football getting revenge against the wrong people.
Reggie Bush was a high-powered USC football player who accepted money or benefits of some kind prior to leaving USC. Should he get into trouble for that? Is it the schools fault? Why do is we spend the time ridiculing and berating the athlete and the school. Okay... maybe the school should be held somewhat responsible, but at what cost. USC is suffering scholarship losses and the inability to play for a BCS championship. Does this hurt the school? Sure for the short term, but it really affects the student athlete that would have received those scholarships. This also doesn't hurt Reggie Bush. He turned in the Heisman of his own free will. The next time he's questioned about it, he'll say, what's done is done...let's talk about the Packers(or whoever else he's playing).
We all know who it didn't hurt.... The agent , who none of us even bother to care who he is or even his name.. But, this is the guy who started the ball to rolling. This is the guy who sent runners on campus to befriend Bush and to set up the improper benefits. The guy that conspired, the guy who paid the cash, the guy who will continue this behavior....Mr. Super Agent!!
Since the NCAA won't ban the bad agents. The NFL needs to step up and set severe penalties against dream crushers like this.

NCAAFB Preseason is over. Let's Play some Ball!!!

Miami vs The Ohio State University

Terell Pryor will be the focal point of Miami's defense and every other defense on OState's schedule. The running game of OState will be the key to this game. If they can win the ground game they will win. Pryor is included in this ground attack because he is a nightmare win he gets out of the pocket.

A thicker built Jacory Hariss will be more than ready to take on this challenge. This game will tell the rest of the country if the U is truly back or not. Miami will win this game because of the maturity and health of a now older team. Randy Shannon's 2009 schedule will be the reason why the U dominates this 2010 college football season. 27-16 Miami

Penn State vs Bama

The Big-10 has long felt like the little brother of SEC. Pen St has the opportunity to change this way of thinking by beating Bama in Tuscaloosa. Bolden fared well in his first start as a freshman. He will need major help from Brackett and Moye in the passing game. Penn St doesn't have the dominant o-line that they normally have and this will hurt them in the running game against Bama.

The Crimson Tide limps in after the knee scope of their Heisman Mark Ingram. Yeah Right!!!! Richardson may be better than Mark Ingram and the longer Ingram is out the more the rest of the country will see it. Upchurch, the 3rd string tailback for Bama will be a starter almost anywhere else in the country. In the passing game Julio Jones is simply the best receiver in the country. Bama is toooo strong on offense and to solid on D to lose this game. 38-17 BAMA

FSU vs Oklahoma

The game names peeks everyone's interest but these are not the Seminoles or Sooner's of old. Oklahoma luckily got out of a scare last week to Utah St. The Sooner's pass defense was atrocious, giving up 341 yards in the air. They'll really have to ride the back of Heisman hopeful Demarco Murray to even have a chance this year.


Christian Ponder has picked up where he left off last year throwing 4 touchdowns in his first game back since his injury.Defensively , FSU still looks undisciplined and out of position. They gave up 300 yards of total offense to Samford. This will not be enough to have a comeback year but it will beat the Sooner's. 48-23 FSU

USF @ Florida

******Upset Alert******

It's funny how teams without a strong seem to minimize the importance of that position. Well Gators, the Tebow era has officially ended. The offense is sputtering and the lack of a true RB will continue to expose their offensive deficiencies in the passing game.

USF has a gritty new coach who knows how to win. Skip Holtz has built his offense around the highly talented BJ Daniels. After this game, BJ will have the Gator fans wishing they had offered this florida bred young men. BJ Daniels is the QB that, as a true freshman, went into Doak Walker Stadium and beat FSU decisively. 17-10 USF

Michigan @ Notre Dame

Rich Rod and the wolverines are back. Led this year by Denard Robinson who almost had 200 yards in the air and on the ground. This truly makes him a true duel threat. Rich Rod has also implemented the 3-3-5 defense from his West Virginia days. This will be the reasoon that every Michigan opponent will have a chance to beat them. Let's remember under Rich Rod, WVU was potent on offense and purely stunk on D.

Notre Dame and Brian Kelly have gotten off to a good start. Armando Allen has stepped up as the go to guy on offense and the defense was solid. The true test will come from a Wolverine team that features a QB that can rush for over 200 yards. The Irish defense will struggle against
Robinson. But their offense should kill the 3-3-5. The Irish will lose in a close game. 36-31 Michigan

2010 NFL Preview

AFC-North

B-MO
PLEASE FLACCO, DON'T MESS IT UP!!!For the first time ever, the Ravens won't be lead by RAYRAY and them. The acquisition of Anquan Boldin has inspired the very productive veteran Derrick Mason to ditch retirement. Now that TJ Houshmandzadeh was just picked up in a steal, they have just moved into 1st place with the best wide reciever group in the NFL. PLEASE FLACCO, DON'T MESS IT UP!!! The 4th wideout spot now belongs to a #1 caliber receiver Donte Stallworth. Saying all this, this team will still be lead be a very strong running game with Ray Rice / McGahee/MClain carrying the load. The only concern for the offense is making sure 3rd year QB Joe Flacco plays better than he did last year. Another Raven Superbowl run depends on Joe Flacco NOT MESSING IT UP!!! 12-4 Superbowl contender

Cincy

This sure aint your daddy BUNGLES!!! This team is balanced offensive and defensively. This is the most talented group in the division. Defensively look for Roy Williams and the linebacker corp to create turnovers and deliver lots of punishment. Carson Palmer will lead a group of reality show wideouts that will have their share of meltdowns. TO and Ochocinco will give this division more than it can chew. If you think they're washed up and to old..Think back to the Raiders and their superbowl run with Jerry Rice and Tim Brown... Marvin Lewis is under the gun again so he's banking on a superbowl run to save the day. They'll at least win the division. 11-5


Steeler's

Defensively, we will still get a nasty dose of 3-4 zone blitzing schemes that will knock your head off. But offensively, they've struggled to find an identity. Are they gunslingers or rockem-sockem ground attackers? With big Ben missing the first 6 games, this puts the offense in more trouble. Look for a year of struggling and a 1st round pick used on a QB in the next draft. 9-7

Browns

When Jake Delhomme is your QB, you have to be concerned. RB Jerome Harrison and multifaceted Josh Cribs are the brightest spots on this team. Good Luck Dog Pound..... 4-12



INDY -AFC South

Indy
Until anyone else can come close to beating them, the new name for this division should be called Indy-South...None of us know how they do it other than having Mr. MVP Peyton Manning. As long as he stays healthy they'll win at least 13 games... 14-2

Texans

Were all starting to feel sorry for the best wide out in football, Andre Johnson....Really, you don't agree...Check the numbers, this guys a HOF wide-out. He punishes teams every week with no help. Start up a campaign to please trade Johnson so that he can win... No playoffs again this year. 8-8

Titans

This team will probably lead the NFL in rushing because of a dynamic duo in Vince Young and Grilled up Chris Johnson. Besides that, there's not much else to them. They'll be decent but they really need big plays on D to make a run for the playoff's. 7-9

Jaguars

Tickets 4 for 1 anyone. The Jaguars will struggle again to sell tickets. MJD is the only player I would go to the game to watch. Their team reflects their QB...BOOOOORRRRIIIINNNGGGG!!! This is exactly opposite of what a struggling franchise needs to get fans in the stands. Jack Delrio is officially in the hot seat. 7-9

AFC-East

J-E-T-S

Ahhhh you know the rest. I don't believe, I'm sorry.I know this was a team one game away from the Superbowl, but they went 9-7 and got into the playoffs with a prayer. Their tough hard nosed coach conceded they wouldn't make the playoffs. They have the same team ... A team that loss to the Bills last year...LT's a backup and Cromartie was a cast off. Mark Sanchez.....Matt Leinhart, you tell me the difference. 10-6 Superbowl or Bust......BUST!!!!!!

New England

Patriots have their nucleus on offense, but that's not their problem. The Patriots have been abysmal on D for a Belichick coached squad. He's transformed his group from a stingy D, to a push over. Offensively, getting Welker back will clean it up for a motivated Randy Moss. But it won't be enough. 10-6


Miami

Miami is in a good position right now. The Dolphins will play the spoiler role this year. They'll beat teams they shouldn't and lose to teams they shouldn't. They are missing a clear cut leader, but they do have a ton of guys that play with a chip on their shoulder, including the 2nd best receiver in the NFL Brandon Marshall. 8-8


Bills

The Bills just named another 1st round pick the starter....CJ Spiller...Lightning will strike in Buffalo, I just don't know for how long. Spiller is a very crafty runner with home run capabilities any time he touches the ball. His only problem is he always banged up. In college he nver went 3 weeks without having an issue. By the way, who plays QB for the Bills any way??? that's right Trent Edwards 2-14

AFC WEST

Chargers

The Chargers are going through a change in personnel with the departing of LT. This won't deter Rivers and Gates from continuing their dominance in the weakest division in football. They'll be playoff bound because of this and a continued improving defense. 11-5

Broncos

Josh Daniels gets another crack at this NFL coaching thing. All he's done in less than a year is get rid of the two best players on the team and not signed his best defensive player to a long term deal. He got lucky last year in the beginning of the season. That won't happen this year. Daniels hasn't realized that players win games. 6-11

Oakland

At some point they have to get better. They won't. 3-13

KC

The word is, Cassell still doesn't have enough weapons around him. Who said he's a weapon..... 2-14

NFC-North

Minnesota

Farve is back.... Is this the year for the Superbowl. Is Bret Farve the answer. His coming back brought up more questions than answers. Can he still take a hit at fifty something...Is his ankle better...What's his motivation....How many games can he play???? Defensively they'll still be stingy but with the loss of Sidney Rice and headache ridden Percy Harvin, they'll need to get better in the passing game quickly. Sorry Vikes, no Superbowl. 13-3

Greenbay

Rodgers has quickly thrown himself into being one of the best QB's in the NFL. His upside is limitless and there's not a play on the field that's beyond him. He has a very good group of recievers that lay it all on the lin. His offensive line though, needs major improvement from last year. Defensively, they get the heart and soul back in LB Nick Barnett. He rejoins the fold with the best secondary in football. Collins and reigning defensive MVP Woodson are back with an attitude. 11-5



Chicago

Wow...They finally get the answer they were looking for at the QB position. But, somehow Lovie Smith and the Bears turned a promising Jay Cutler into one of the worst QB's in the league. He either made bad throws or threw it to the other team most of the time. I don't know how the defense went into the ball game believing they could win , while knowing they would be on the field all game. The running gameidn't help at all. And why wasn't the Bears involved in any of the wide reciver sweepstakes.....Mike Martz is here now but who's Jay going to throw to. This will probably be the end of the Lovie Smith reign. 7-9

Detroit

Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson, would be beasts on anyone's squad. But, this is where it ends in Detroit. Staffords not the answer. If they couldn't block for a very physical Kevin Smith, what makes you think they can block for a very finesse Pac-10 runner, Jhavid Best. 3-13

NFC-South

Saints

Who Dat nation is ready to roll. They have everyone coming back. The have the most dominate offense in football. Reggie Bush makes there special teams one of the most dangerous in football. Their defense makes more plays than any other D in football. They have everything it takes to repeat as Superbowl Champs.....But will they? 12-4


Panthers

The Panthers have the best 1-2 RB punch in football. Stewart and Williams will have to carry the entire offense with unproven Matt Moore at QB. Fox has kept Carolina with a good defense during his tenure. This year won't be the same. They'll struggle on D and will not be able to do anything in the passing game. 9-7


Atlanta

Matt Ryan and the Falcons have a long year awaiting. Ryan didn't improve last year. This including a under performing Michael Turner spelled disaster for Atlanta. Don't think they'll make much noise at all this year. 6-10


Bucs

Good Luck on the season Josh Freeman......it's going to be a long one. 1980's Buccaneers, here they come.. 2-14

NFC-East

Redskins

The DC area has a lot to be excited about. #5 has made it to the Nations Capital. McNabb instantly catapults a playoff team under new head coach Mike Shanahan into an instant Superbowl contender. The running game is lead by 2 perennial pro bowlers Portis and Johnson. Defensively they are a solid bunch with or without the services of Albert Haynesworth. Philly how crazy can you be. Losing McNabb is one thing but to lose him in your division is pure foolishness. 12-4

Cowboys

Dallas considers its trio of RB's as the most dangerous in the league...What does this say about your QB and receivers....Not much!!! Romo needs to make plays in order for Dallas to make a Superbowl run. I think they have a defense that can get it done but they still lack a true leader on offense. 10-6

Giants

Ely has been very reliable throughout his Giants career. He will continue this with the nice young group of wideouts he has. The Giants won't be great, but the will be a tough team every Sunday.
7-9

Philly

Deshawn Jackson has said that the Eagles are better without McNabb. We will see about that. Philly is bad on D and are missing Westbrook and #5 now. I don't think life without those two guys will be that great for the Eagles.. Kolb get used to hearing this chant.....We Want Vick!!!! 5-11

NFC-West

49er's
The 49er's are back to being the Kings of the NFC West. The loss of Kurt Warner has shifted the power structure of this division. Singletary's formula is working perfectly as San Fransicos will be playoff bound this season.Divsion champs 12-4

Arizona
Right when Ken Wisenhunt felt like he was building something, the bottom fall out. Warners gone, Linehart's cut, and in comes Derek Anderson. With the lack of a running game and the amazing improvement of the 49er's. The Cardinals are in big trouble. 8-8

Seattle
Pete Caroll must think he's at USC letting go of Pro Bowl players like Housmanzadah.. Pete you don't have a lot of talent on your roster. He'll wake up quickly after this season. 3-13
St.Louis

I'm starting to feel sorry for Stephen Jackson like we all did for Corey Dillon when he was in Cincinnati. 2-14