Last Week: 12-2 Season: 52-22
Last week was a good week for me on picks, making me look like a genius. Let’s see how this week unfolds.
Houston at Dallas: This is a big game for people in Houston. Sports radio in Houston still talks about the 19-10 victory by the Texans over Dallas in their first regular season game four years ago. In Dallas, that was two coaches and almost an entire roster ago, or ancient history. The Texans got a win before their bye week, but they’re not as good as the Cowboys. The Cowboys aren’t as good as the Eagles, but they’re good enough to win this week. Pick: Dallas
Buffalo at Detroit: A mediocre team against a bad team. DET is a hopping place this weekend, with this game, and the American League Championship Series across the street. Some of that Tigers’ mojo spreads over to Ford Field for the Lions. Pick: Detroit
Carolina at Baltimore: The Panthers are winners of three in a row. The Ravens lost their first game in Denver on Monday night. Both teams should be in the playoffs. The Ravens still have that stout defense, and are the home team. Pick: Baltimore
Cincinnati at Tampa Bay: Just a few short years ago, the Bengals were terrible, and the Bucs were good. Now, the tide has turned. The Bucs have to beat somebody. This isn’t the week. Pick: Cincinnati
New York Giants at Atlanta: This one is worthy of a coin flip. Pick: Atlanta
Philadelphia at New Orleans: The Eagles fly into the Superdome coming off a big win over hated rival Dallas. The Saints are off to a nice start, at 4-1. My gut says Saints. Pick: New Orleans
Seattle at St. Louis: Big game in the NFC West. Shaun Alexander is still out for the Seahawks. That and the St. Louis home field advantage could be the difference. Pick: St. Louis
Tennessee at Washington: The Vince Young Show continues, this time in D.C. Clinton Portis runs all day on the Titans’ D, and the Titans remain winless. Pick: Washington
Kansas City at Pittsburgh. Kansas City has won two in a row with backqup quarterback Damon Huard. The Steelers have struggled out of the gate. That can’t last long. Pick: Pittsburgh
Miami at New York Jets: Yuck. Miami is terrible, and the Jets lost 41-0 to Jacksonville last week. Gee, who do I pick? Pick: Jets
San Diego at San Francisco: The Niners got a win last week against Oakland. San Diego is a lot better than Oakland. Pick: San Diego
Oakland at Denver: Yuck, part 2. The Raiders are the worst team in the league. Denver is a tough place, especially since they hate the Raiders. Mike Shanahan beats Al Davis’ team again. Pick: Denver
Chicago at Arizona: Monday Night Football comes to the new stadium in the desert, along with the most impressive team to date, da Bears. The Cardinals have struggled, as usual. Pick: Chicago
Friday, October 13, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
College Picks-Week of October 15
Long time, no blog…
Last Week: 10-10 Overall: 87-33
Bad week on the picks, as I picked 1 out of 6 winners in the Big XII. This will be a better week.
Iowa State at Oklahoma: The Cyclones appear to have slipped a notch, but are also in the middle of a brutal stretch of schedule. They have suffered losses to Iowa, Texas, and Nebraska, and visit Oklahoma next. The Sooners laid a big egg in the second half last Saturday at the Cotton Bowl. They get enough fixed to get a win this Saturday. Pick: OU
Baylor at Texas: The last time these teams met, Texas won 62-0 in Waco. It’ll be closer this time, but the better team will still win. Pick: Texas
Missouri at Texas A&M: Mizzou is still unbeaten, and coming off of a big win last week in Lubbock. A&M saved their season with a comeback win at Kansas. I’m still not impressed with A&M, though. Pick: Missouri
Nebraska at Kansas State: K-State has 4 wins, and is coming off of a comeback win over Oklahoma State. Nebraska looks like the best team in the North. Pick: Nebraska
Oklahoma State at Kansas: The Fighting Manginos could very well be 6-0. Instead, they’re 3-3. OSU is having problems on defense, and blew a big lead in their last trip to the Sunflower State. When in doubt, pick the home team. Pick: KU
Texas Tech at Colorado: The Buffs have still not won a game, losing in overtime to Baylor last week. The Red Raiders are smarting from last week’s loss to Missouri. Tech has more talent, and will bounce back. However, it won’t be a blowout. Pick: Tech
Florida at Auburn: Did Auburn fall apart last week, or what? Arkansas owned them. Meanwhile, Florida put a beating on LSU last week in the Swamp. ESPN is all over this one, as they are putting this one on most of their networks as ESPN Full Circle. ESPN2 will have a different camera view, there will be something on ESPN360 and ESPNU, and the original game will be on the Mother Ship. The game will not be on ESPN8, The Ocho, however. I look for War Eagle to bounce back here. Pick: Auburn
Michigan at Penn State: Star WR Mario Manningham is out for the Wolverines. The whole world is waiting for a showdown between undefeated Michigan and undefeated Ohio State. Not going to happen. It’s Saturday night in Happy Valley, and the Lions are up for the upset. Pick: Penn State
Virginia Tech at Boston College: Old Big East matchup, transported to the ACC. The Hokies are still stinging from that loss to the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. BC turned into powder at N.C. State, before handling the Maine Black Bears. This is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. Pick: Virginia Tech
California at Washington State: When we last left the Palouse, USC barely escaped with a win. Now, it’s the Bears’ turn. Cal has been on a roll since losing their first game at Tennessee. This will be a good game. However, Cal is just a little better. Pick: Cal
Ole Miss at Alabama: Bama is struggling, having lost two conference games. Mike Shula is under fire, but the Auburn folks want him to stay, and even have a website to prove it: www.keepmikeshula.com. Ole Miss is not one of the better teams in the SEC. Pick: Alabama
Rutgers at Navy: Rutgers is undefeated at this point in the season for the first time in 30 years. Florida State and Miami are unranked, and Rutgers is ranked-go figure. Great turnaround. The Midshipmen aren’t so bad, themselves. The game is in Annapolis, and Navy is good enough to win on their home field. Pick: Navy
Syracuse at West Virginia: The Mountaineers march on. Pick: West Virginia
Wake Forest at N.C. State: The Deacons were undefeated, and had a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter last week against Clemson. They lost. N.C. State has bounced back since losing to Akron. Winner remains in contention for a trip to the ACC championship game. Pick: N.C. State
Tulsa at East Carolina: Staying in the Tar Heel State, the Pirates are improving, and host defending conference champion Tulsa. ECU stayed on the field earlier in the year against West Virginia. Tulsa is getting stronger every year. Pick: ECU
Arizona State at USC: The Trojans just keep rolling along. They’re young, but still plenty good enough to win. This might not be close. Pick: USC
Minnesota at Wisconsin: This is for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Wisky currently has the axe, and looks to hold on to it at home. I look for that to happen. Pick: Wisconsin
UCLA at Oregon: Oregon got spanked last week at Cal. They’re back home this week for some home cooking. Bruins are for dinner this week. Pick: Oregon
Maryland at Virginia: Both teams are slipping fast. I better draw straws on this one. Pick: Maryland
Bryant at Stonehill: It’s homecoming for the Skyhawks. Bryant is 4-2, and Stonehill is 1-5. Pick: Bryant
Last Week: 10-10 Overall: 87-33
Bad week on the picks, as I picked 1 out of 6 winners in the Big XII. This will be a better week.
Iowa State at Oklahoma: The Cyclones appear to have slipped a notch, but are also in the middle of a brutal stretch of schedule. They have suffered losses to Iowa, Texas, and Nebraska, and visit Oklahoma next. The Sooners laid a big egg in the second half last Saturday at the Cotton Bowl. They get enough fixed to get a win this Saturday. Pick: OU
Baylor at Texas: The last time these teams met, Texas won 62-0 in Waco. It’ll be closer this time, but the better team will still win. Pick: Texas
Missouri at Texas A&M: Mizzou is still unbeaten, and coming off of a big win last week in Lubbock. A&M saved their season with a comeback win at Kansas. I’m still not impressed with A&M, though. Pick: Missouri
Nebraska at Kansas State: K-State has 4 wins, and is coming off of a comeback win over Oklahoma State. Nebraska looks like the best team in the North. Pick: Nebraska
Oklahoma State at Kansas: The Fighting Manginos could very well be 6-0. Instead, they’re 3-3. OSU is having problems on defense, and blew a big lead in their last trip to the Sunflower State. When in doubt, pick the home team. Pick: KU
Texas Tech at Colorado: The Buffs have still not won a game, losing in overtime to Baylor last week. The Red Raiders are smarting from last week’s loss to Missouri. Tech has more talent, and will bounce back. However, it won’t be a blowout. Pick: Tech
Florida at Auburn: Did Auburn fall apart last week, or what? Arkansas owned them. Meanwhile, Florida put a beating on LSU last week in the Swamp. ESPN is all over this one, as they are putting this one on most of their networks as ESPN Full Circle. ESPN2 will have a different camera view, there will be something on ESPN360 and ESPNU, and the original game will be on the Mother Ship. The game will not be on ESPN8, The Ocho, however. I look for War Eagle to bounce back here. Pick: Auburn
Michigan at Penn State: Star WR Mario Manningham is out for the Wolverines. The whole world is waiting for a showdown between undefeated Michigan and undefeated Ohio State. Not going to happen. It’s Saturday night in Happy Valley, and the Lions are up for the upset. Pick: Penn State
Virginia Tech at Boston College: Old Big East matchup, transported to the ACC. The Hokies are still stinging from that loss to the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. BC turned into powder at N.C. State, before handling the Maine Black Bears. This is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. Pick: Virginia Tech
California at Washington State: When we last left the Palouse, USC barely escaped with a win. Now, it’s the Bears’ turn. Cal has been on a roll since losing their first game at Tennessee. This will be a good game. However, Cal is just a little better. Pick: Cal
Ole Miss at Alabama: Bama is struggling, having lost two conference games. Mike Shula is under fire, but the Auburn folks want him to stay, and even have a website to prove it: www.keepmikeshula.com. Ole Miss is not one of the better teams in the SEC. Pick: Alabama
Rutgers at Navy: Rutgers is undefeated at this point in the season for the first time in 30 years. Florida State and Miami are unranked, and Rutgers is ranked-go figure. Great turnaround. The Midshipmen aren’t so bad, themselves. The game is in Annapolis, and Navy is good enough to win on their home field. Pick: Navy
Syracuse at West Virginia: The Mountaineers march on. Pick: West Virginia
Wake Forest at N.C. State: The Deacons were undefeated, and had a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter last week against Clemson. They lost. N.C. State has bounced back since losing to Akron. Winner remains in contention for a trip to the ACC championship game. Pick: N.C. State
Tulsa at East Carolina: Staying in the Tar Heel State, the Pirates are improving, and host defending conference champion Tulsa. ECU stayed on the field earlier in the year against West Virginia. Tulsa is getting stronger every year. Pick: ECU
Arizona State at USC: The Trojans just keep rolling along. They’re young, but still plenty good enough to win. This might not be close. Pick: USC
Minnesota at Wisconsin: This is for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Wisky currently has the axe, and looks to hold on to it at home. I look for that to happen. Pick: Wisconsin
UCLA at Oregon: Oregon got spanked last week at Cal. They’re back home this week for some home cooking. Bruins are for dinner this week. Pick: Oregon
Maryland at Virginia: Both teams are slipping fast. I better draw straws on this one. Pick: Maryland
Bryant at Stonehill: It’s homecoming for the Skyhawks. Bryant is 4-2, and Stonehill is 1-5. Pick: Bryant
Monday, October 09, 2006
NFL In Review: Week 5
Cue the music, it’s time for another review of the weekend in the NFL….
The Terrell Owens road show returned to Philadelphia yesterday, and the Eagles were more than ready. T.O. played, and didn’t contribute much, but there were a lot of big plays on defense, especially for such a high-scoring game. The last series was particularly bizarre, as Drew Bledsoe threw a 50-yard pass on 4th and 14, and the Eagles were called for pass interference on Terry Glenn. This gave Dallas 1st and goal at the 6, down 31-24 with :34 to go. Two plays later, the Eagles’ Lito Sheppard intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back 102 yards for an Eagles touchdown, turning a potential tie game into a 38-24 Eagles victory. Bad for the Cowboys, good for my fantasy team.
The Colts nearly lost to the lowly Titans. Vince Young had a pretty good game, and the Colts needed two second half touchdowns to win, 14-13. Watching this, you’d never know one team was 5-0 and the other was 0-5.
The Washington Redskins went into the New Jersey Meadowlands, and played an ugly game against the New York Football Giants, losing 19-3. There’s not a whole lot notable about this game. I was more interested in the Colts game on CBS.
Break up da Bears! They’re 5-0, after whipping Buffalo, 40-7. They had the Bills skunked before a late-game touchdown by Buffalo. The NFC road to the Super Bowl leads through Chicago.
Don’t look now, but the Carolina Panthers have now won 3 in a row, after defeating the Cleveland Browns. The Panthers were helped by an interception return for a touchdown. Cleveland is looking competitive, but coming up just short on the scoreboard.
The Detroit Lions only gave up 26 points to Minnesota, after giving up 40+ points to the Packers and Rams. Problem is, they only scored 17. Word to the Lions: You’re supposed to break 30 when your defense improves its performance like it did.
Reggie Bush has been a factor for the Saints all year. Yesterday, he scored his first touchdown, on what proved to be a game-winning punt return against Tampa Bay. The Bucs have still not won a game. Maybe they should go back to the Creamsicle orange jerseys.
As I expected, the Packers had a little bit of a shootout with the Rams, but lost, 23-20. The Rams are 4-1. I’m not sure how legit that is, but you have to beat the teams you play, and the Rams are doing that.
The Patriots took care of business against Miami. The Dolphins are not a good team. They’re not as bad as the Raiders, but they’re not very good. The Pats will win the AFC East in a walk.
The Matt Leinart era has begun in Arizona. Unfortunately for him and the Cardinals, they continue their losing ways. Kansas City won its second game with backup QB Damon Huard, 23-20. The Cardinals were losers in Chicago, losers in St. Louis, and are losers in Phoenix. Maybe they should move to Bakersfield.
I thought the Jaguars would beat the Jets, but who expected 41-0? No NFL team should lose to another one by a score of 41-0. 41-0 in an NFL game is like 70-0 in college. The talent is supposed to be more spread out, and the coaches have an unwritten agreement to not run up the score. So, this wasn’t a matter of Jacksonville running up the score, but of the Jets being just plain awful yesterday. Yuck.
Speaking of yuck, the 49ers and the Raiders battled it out to see who sucked the most. The 49ers won the game, and the Raiders won the suck contest. The Raiders will win a game sometime this year, but they won’t be favored in any of them. The Niners would like to play the Raiders every week.
The Chargers broke out the AFL-era powder blue uniforms last night. The Steeler Nation invaded Qualcomm Stadium, with upwards of 25,000 Steeler fans in the house. Are there that many Pittsburgh fans in SoCal? Or, were all the flights from Pittsburgh to San Diego full? Those folks left disappointed, though, as the Chargers came up big for the win.
Tonight’s Monday Night extravaganza brings us the Ravens and the Broncos. The Ravens have been living large, winning their first 4 games, including comebacks against the Browns and Chargers. The Broncos are at home in the mountains, though. Who knows what we’ll get..
The Terrell Owens road show returned to Philadelphia yesterday, and the Eagles were more than ready. T.O. played, and didn’t contribute much, but there were a lot of big plays on defense, especially for such a high-scoring game. The last series was particularly bizarre, as Drew Bledsoe threw a 50-yard pass on 4th and 14, and the Eagles were called for pass interference on Terry Glenn. This gave Dallas 1st and goal at the 6, down 31-24 with :34 to go. Two plays later, the Eagles’ Lito Sheppard intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back 102 yards for an Eagles touchdown, turning a potential tie game into a 38-24 Eagles victory. Bad for the Cowboys, good for my fantasy team.
The Colts nearly lost to the lowly Titans. Vince Young had a pretty good game, and the Colts needed two second half touchdowns to win, 14-13. Watching this, you’d never know one team was 5-0 and the other was 0-5.
The Washington Redskins went into the New Jersey Meadowlands, and played an ugly game against the New York Football Giants, losing 19-3. There’s not a whole lot notable about this game. I was more interested in the Colts game on CBS.
Break up da Bears! They’re 5-0, after whipping Buffalo, 40-7. They had the Bills skunked before a late-game touchdown by Buffalo. The NFC road to the Super Bowl leads through Chicago.
Don’t look now, but the Carolina Panthers have now won 3 in a row, after defeating the Cleveland Browns. The Panthers were helped by an interception return for a touchdown. Cleveland is looking competitive, but coming up just short on the scoreboard.
The Detroit Lions only gave up 26 points to Minnesota, after giving up 40+ points to the Packers and Rams. Problem is, they only scored 17. Word to the Lions: You’re supposed to break 30 when your defense improves its performance like it did.
Reggie Bush has been a factor for the Saints all year. Yesterday, he scored his first touchdown, on what proved to be a game-winning punt return against Tampa Bay. The Bucs have still not won a game. Maybe they should go back to the Creamsicle orange jerseys.
As I expected, the Packers had a little bit of a shootout with the Rams, but lost, 23-20. The Rams are 4-1. I’m not sure how legit that is, but you have to beat the teams you play, and the Rams are doing that.
The Patriots took care of business against Miami. The Dolphins are not a good team. They’re not as bad as the Raiders, but they’re not very good. The Pats will win the AFC East in a walk.
The Matt Leinart era has begun in Arizona. Unfortunately for him and the Cardinals, they continue their losing ways. Kansas City won its second game with backup QB Damon Huard, 23-20. The Cardinals were losers in Chicago, losers in St. Louis, and are losers in Phoenix. Maybe they should move to Bakersfield.
I thought the Jaguars would beat the Jets, but who expected 41-0? No NFL team should lose to another one by a score of 41-0. 41-0 in an NFL game is like 70-0 in college. The talent is supposed to be more spread out, and the coaches have an unwritten agreement to not run up the score. So, this wasn’t a matter of Jacksonville running up the score, but of the Jets being just plain awful yesterday. Yuck.
Speaking of yuck, the 49ers and the Raiders battled it out to see who sucked the most. The 49ers won the game, and the Raiders won the suck contest. The Raiders will win a game sometime this year, but they won’t be favored in any of them. The Niners would like to play the Raiders every week.
The Chargers broke out the AFL-era powder blue uniforms last night. The Steeler Nation invaded Qualcomm Stadium, with upwards of 25,000 Steeler fans in the house. Are there that many Pittsburgh fans in SoCal? Or, were all the flights from Pittsburgh to San Diego full? Those folks left disappointed, though, as the Chargers came up big for the win.
Tonight’s Monday Night extravaganza brings us the Ravens and the Broncos. The Ravens have been living large, winning their first 4 games, including comebacks against the Browns and Chargers. The Broncos are at home in the mountains, though. Who knows what we’ll get..
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Big XII Rankings-October 8
1. Texas. Still here until someone beats them.
2. Nebraska. Looks to be the best team in the North, but Missouri will have something to say about that.
3. Missouri. They keep Showing Me. Big win on the South Plains. Need to follow it up with a win in Aggieland.
4. Oklahoma. Seriously disappointed with two losses, including one to hated archrival Texas.
5. Texas Tech. Follow up a win against the Aggies with a bad loss to Mizzou.
6. Texas A&M. Turned their season and perhaps Fran’s career around with a last-minute win at Kansas.
7. Kansas. Could very well be 6-0. Instead, with two overtime losses and the last-minute loss to A&M, they are 3-3.
8. Baylor. Learning how to win, have started 2-0 in the conference.
9. Iowa State. 3 losses to good teams in Texas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Have a lot to prove in the second half of the season.
10. Kansas State. Saved their season with a comeback against OSU.
11. Oklahoma State. There’s a big difference between Missouri State, Arkansas State, and Kansas State.
12. Colorado. Just missed on best chance to date for a win. Once again, close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades.
2. Nebraska. Looks to be the best team in the North, but Missouri will have something to say about that.
3. Missouri. They keep Showing Me. Big win on the South Plains. Need to follow it up with a win in Aggieland.
4. Oklahoma. Seriously disappointed with two losses, including one to hated archrival Texas.
5. Texas Tech. Follow up a win against the Aggies with a bad loss to Mizzou.
6. Texas A&M. Turned their season and perhaps Fran’s career around with a last-minute win at Kansas.
7. Kansas. Could very well be 6-0. Instead, with two overtime losses and the last-minute loss to A&M, they are 3-3.
8. Baylor. Learning how to win, have started 2-0 in the conference.
9. Iowa State. 3 losses to good teams in Texas, Nebraska, and Iowa. Have a lot to prove in the second half of the season.
10. Kansas State. Saved their season with a comeback against OSU.
11. Oklahoma State. There’s a big difference between Missouri State, Arkansas State, and Kansas State.
12. Colorado. Just missed on best chance to date for a win. Once again, close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades.
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