Super Bowl XLIII

That’s a lot of Roman numerals…

Picks for Championship Sunday: 1-1
Playoffs: 4-6
Overall: 169-96-1

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa hosts Sunday’s Super Bowl between the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers are contenders every year to appear in this game. The Cardinals had their second winning season since moving to Phoenix 20 years ago.

The Steelers have an efficient offense and a suffocating defense. The Cardinals have possible Hall of Famers on the offensive side of the ball in Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. This is going to be a fun game when the Cardinals have the ball.

I thought the Cardinals would lose their first playoff game, and have picked against them in every playoff game to date. Nothing changes here, though I would love to see the Cardinals close the deal and win a championship. The Steelers have a better defense and are more consistent. Defense wins championships. The Steelers earn a record 6th Super Bowl title. Pick: Pittsburgh

NFL Picks: Championship Sunday

Last Week: 2-2
Playoffs: 3-5
Overall: 168-95-1

And then there were four. These are especially heady times in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as the area’s three teams all have a chance to go to the Super Bowl, with the Steelers and Ravens playing each other and the Eagles traveling out to Arizona. Did you know that Harrisburg is closer to Baltimore than it is to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia? On to the picks…

NFC
Philadelphia at Arizona: Hell has definitely frozen over. The formerly sad-sack Cardinals find themselves hosting their second playoff game in three weeks, after not hosting one since the Truman administration when they played in Chicago. They find themselves hosting the Eagles, who were a mediocre team before coach Andy Reid briefly benched QB Donovan McNabb before putting him back in the starting lineup. The Cardinals have discovered defense in the playoffs, or at least enough to allow Kurt Warner and company to outscore opponents. I love Kurt Warner, and I’d love to see the Cardinals win, but I don’t see it happening. The Eagles are the hot team here. Pick: Philly

AFC
Baltimore at Pittsburgh: These two teams despise each other. The Steelers have won two close games over the Ravens this season. Normally, it’s really hard for a team to beat another good team three times in one season. But, the Ravens have been playing for 15 consecutive weeks, since their bye week was moved to Week 2 due to the rescheduling of their game in Houston due to Hurricane Ike. The Ravens should have enough in the tank to make this a good game. However, the Steelers will make one fewer mistake and win a trip to their seventh Super Bowl. Pick: Pittsburgh

NFL Picks, Divisional Round

NFL Picks, Divisional Playoff Round

Last Week: 1-3
Playoffs: 1-3
Overall: 166-93-1

Just like that, we’re down to eight teams in the NFL playoffs. That number will be cut in half after this weekend’s games. Here are yet more picks, for entertainment purposes only:

AFC:
Baltimore at Tennessee: The Titans are the top seed in the playoffs, but have the unenviable task of playing the stout Ravens. It is usually safe to pick one visiting team in this round of the playoffs, and the Ravens are the best road team this week. Pick: Baltimore

San Diego at Pittsburgh: Five weeks ago, the Chargers were 4-8. Now, they find themselves still alive in the playoffs after a stunning overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. When these teams met last, the Steelers won a tight 11-10 contest over the Chargers. Between nagging injuries, cold weather, and the Steelers’ bye last week, the Chargers don’t stand a chance. They’ve made a great run, though. Pick: Pittsburgh

NFC:
Arizona at Carolina: How did this become the Saturday night game? The Cardinals have had their best season in eons, but, like the Cardinals, their good fortune runs out this weekend. The trip is too far east, and the Panthers are too good. Pick: Carolina

Philadelphia at New York Giants: Once again, the service areas on the New Jersey Turnpike aren’t safe with these teams running loose. Philly has made a great run in the last month. The Giants appear to have peaked, but have a week’s rest and home field. Giants gain some energy back this week. Pick: New York

NFL Picks, Wild Card Weekend

Last Week: 13-3
Regular Season Total: 165-90-1

32 NFL teams have narrowed themselves down to 12. Eight teams play this weekend in the first round of the NFL playoffs. This means there are only four games to pick. Two of the last three Super Bowl winners came out of this round, so it is not a given that this week’s survivors will be plastered next week. This is the NFL, so anything can happen. The better games are definitely in the AFC. The NFC games will be good for naps or chores.

AFC
Indianapolis at San Diego: The two hottest teams in the league meet in a rematch of last year’s divisional round game won by the Chargers. The Colts have won eight in a row to finish 12-4. The Chargers were once 4-8, but got hot in December to finish 8-8 and win the AFC West. The way both teams have been playing, it’s too bad someone has to lose this game. The Colts are way too good. Pick: Colts

Baltimore at Miami: Last year, both teams stunk. Miami really stunk, going 1-15, with their only win coming over the Ravens in overtime. Turn the clock to this year, where both teams have impressed many by making the playoffs. The Dolphins were especially impressive, going from 1-15 to 11-5. The Ravens have already won once in Miami this season. The Dolphins have had a great run, but it ends Sunday in Miami. Pick: Baltimore

NFC
Atlanta at Arizona: The Falcons went from zeroes to heroes this season by going 11-5 behind rookie QB Matt Ryan. The Cardinals are hosting their first playoff game since they were known as the Chicago Cardinals. They won the awful NFC West almost by default. The Falcons are a better team than the Cardinals, especially after the Cardinals cruised after clinching the division early. Pick: Atlanta

Philadelphia at Minnesota: The Eagles embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys last week, bringing great joy to Cowboy haters everywhere by knocking them out of the playoffs in grand style. The Vikings are a dangerous team at home. Can they make the home dome advantage work for them? Sure. Pick: Minnesota

Bowl Picks, Part 3

Bowls To Date: 12-10
Season: 231-93

The bowl season drags on and on. Next up is New Year’s Day. Once upon a time, New Year’s Day was a celebration of college football. You had the Cotton Bowl when it was a big game. You had the Rose Bowl, when it was an excuse to prepare for the really important game that night. Then, you had the Orange Bowl, which usually featured a Big 8 team and/or Miami playing for a national championship. Ok, not every year, but it sure seemed like it. Now, there is a glut of meaningless games on New Year’s Day and spreading to the days after. There is only one game that counts, and it is on January 8.

Outback Bowl, January 1, Tampa: Iowa vs. South Carolina: Slow Big Ten team plays underachieving SEC team. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier was once quarterback for an NFL team in Tampa. They went 0-14. He’ll do better on New Year’s Day. Pick: SC

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, January 1, Jacksonville: Nebraska vs. Clemson: Middle of the road Big 12 team meets middle of the road ACC team. It won’t be great TV, but they’ll sell plenty of tickets and fill plenty of hotel rooms. Pick: Clemson

Capital One Bowl, January 1, Orlando: Georgia vs. Michigan State: See Outback Bowl-slow Big Ten team plays underachieving SEC team. That’s right, the Bulldogs underachieved, having lost to both rivals in Florida and Georgia Tech. Still, they should be able to handle the Spartans. Pick: Jawja

Rose Bowl presented by Citi, January 1, Pasadena, California: USC vs. Penn State: Once again, USC is in the Rose Bowl, and once again, a Big Ten team loses the Rose Bowl. Penn State should be able to keep it close, but SC’s defense should keep Penn State’s offense out of the end zone for most of the game. Pick: USC

FedEx Orange Bowl, January 1, Miami: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech: This really is a BCS bowl game. None of the other BCS bowls wanted either of these teams, but the Orange Bowl gets the national championship game this year, so they’re stuck with this matchup. VT came out of a gaggle of evenly balanced teams in the ACC. Cincinnati dominated the Big East this year. Pick: Cincy

AT&T Cotton Bowl, January 2, Dallas: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech: Ole Miss surprised the SEC and the world this season in their first year under Houston Nutt. Tech has won 11 games for the first time in the history of man. Make that 12. Pick: Tech

Liberty Bowl, January 2, Memphis: Kentucky vs. East Carolina: Zzzz. Did you know this is Kentucky’s third bowl in a row? So-so SEC team vs. champion of Conference USA. Give me the SEC. Pick: Kentucky

Sugar Bowl, January 2, New Orleans: Alabama vs. Utah: Bama has to be disappointed after running the table in the regular season before losing to Florida in the SEC championship game. The Utes had an awesome year, going undefeated to represent the non-BCS world in one of the $17 million BCS bowl. This won’t be as bad as Hawaii’s game last year against Georgia, but don’t look for the ’06 Boise State team to show up, either. Pick: Alabama

International Bowl, January 3, Toronto: Buffalo vs. Connecticut: Somebody has to go to Toronto in January for a bowl game. It may as well be two snowbound schools. At least the game is indoors. Buffalo won the MAC in Turner Gill’s third year as coach. UConn is becoming a bowl regular. The Bulls have had a great run, but UConn knows what they’re doing here. Pick: UConn

Fiesta Bowl, January 5, Glendale, Arizona: Texas vs. Ohio State: The Longhorns are really, really mad that they came out on the wrong end of the Big 12’s three-way tiebreaker for the South division championship. They really do have a case to be in the national championship game. On the other side of this matchup is Ohio State, winners of 10 games and a regular to this game in the desert. The Buckeyes had a nice season in the Big Ten, but they’re no match for Texas. Pick: Texas

GMAC Bowl, January 6, Mobile, Alabama: Tulsa vs. Ball State: Ball State had a great season, going 12-0 before being upset by Buffalo in the MAC championship game. Since then, head coach Brady Hoke has flown the coop for the warmer climes at San Diego State. Tulsa had a great year, as well, winning 10 games. Tulsa has faded a bit at the end of the season, losing three of their last five games. Pick: Ball State

BCS National Championship Game, January 8, Miami: Oklahoma vs. Florida: Get ready to stay up all night for this one, as there will be lots of offense here. Both teams have Heisman trophy winners. Both teams won premier conferences. Bob Stoops has national championship rings from both schools. As a Sooner fan, I cannot review this game objectively. Sooners win national championship number 8. Pick: OU

Bowl Picks, Part 2

Bowls to date: 6-6
Season: 219-83

Papajohns.com Bowl at Birmingham, December 29: N.C. State vs. Rutgers. I think I’ll be doing other things Monday afternoon. Besides, I prefer Pizza Hut or Domino’s to Papa John’s. When we last saw Rutgers, they were hanging 63 on Louisville. Pick: Rutgers

Valero Alamo Bowl at San Antonio, December 29: Missouri vs. Northwestern. Tigers have to be disappointed with this season. They managed to win the Big 12 North, but that’s about like winning District 1-5A in Texas high school football. Missouri expected a lot more from this season. Northwestern rang up a lot of points in the Big Ten this year. Expect a lot of scoring in this one. Pick: Northwestern

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl at Boise, Idaho, December 30: Maryland vs. Nevada. Somebody has to go to this bowl, played on Boise State’s blue turf. Pick: Maryland

Texas Bowl at Houston, December 30: Rice vs. Western Michigan. Another bowl slot that the Big 12 could not fill due to lack of teams. Neither of these teams have a sexy name, but both are actually pretty good. Plenty of good seats available. Pick: Rice

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl at San Diego, December 30: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon. This bowl is known for high-scoring shootouts, and this promises to live up to that reputation. OSU has three losses, all to teams ranked in the top 8 in the nation. Oregon has already beaten one orange-clad OSU: their archrival Oregon State. Pick: OSU

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, December 31: Houston vs. Air Force. Rematch of a game played earlier this season, won by Air Force and played in Dallas due to Hurricane Ike. Cougars hope to have a less stressful trip to the Town of the Cow. It’s hard to beat a team twice. Pick: Houston

Brut Sun Bowl at El Paso, December 31: Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State. I wonder if my wife would like it if I bought some Brut? Oregon State had a great run in the Pac-10, including an upset win over USC. Pitt is coming around. Pick: Oregon State

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl at Nashville, December 31: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt. Vandy is in its first bowl game since the Reagan administration, and only has to travel across town to get to it. Boston College has made a living in minor bowl games, winning eight consecutive bowls while never making it to the BCS. Vandy better enjoy the trip to the Opryland hotel, because the game won’t be much fun for them. Pick: BC

Insight Bowl at Tempe, Arizona, December 31: Kansas vs. Minnesota. The Glen Mason Bowl. Mason formerly coached at both schools. This year, KU survived numerous injuries and a murderous Big 12 schedule to qualify for a bowl game. Minnesota won 7 of their first 8 games before collapsing down the stretch. Pick: KU

Chick-Fil-A Bowl at Atlanta, December 31: Georgia Tech vs. LSU: I like chicken. I like Chick-Fil-A. Tigers went 7-5 one year after winning a national championship. Yellow Jackets won 9 games in their first season under Paul Johnson, including a win over archrival Georgia. One team is headed up, the other is headed down. Pick: Ramblin’ Wreck

NFL Picks, Week 17

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 152-87-1

It’s the most fun week of the season. While a handful of teams know their post-season destiny and are resting starters accordingly, a whole bunch of teams are slugging it out for their playoff lives this week. It’s shape up or turn in the pads for a lot of NFL teams. Plus, a team has a date with infamy on Sunday unless something really strange and positive happens for them.

Dallas at Philadelphia: The Cowboys suffered a bone-headed loss last week to the Ravens, and find themselves going into a den of wolves as they play the Eagles in Philly. There is no bigger game in Philadelphia than the Cowboys’ yearly visit. Combine that with the Eagles’ slight playoff chances and the Cowboys’ must-win situation, and the Philly fans will be loaded for bear, especially with a late game. As inconsistent as the Cowboys have been this season, they have played their best with their backs against the wall. Pick: Dallas

St. Louis at Atlanta: The Falcons have been the surprise of the year. They still have a chance at a division title and a #2 seed in the NFC playoffs, with a win and a Carolina loss. They should have little problem against a putrid Rams team. Pick: Atlanta

New England at Buffalo: The Pats can win a division title with a win against Buffalo. The Bills had been in hibernation for several weeks before upsetting the Broncos in Denver last week. Can the Bills ruin another team’s season this week? No. Pick: New England

Kansas City at Cincinnati: The Mega Suck Bowl. The Bengals have shown signs of life in recent weeks, and play a bad Kansas City team to close out the season. Pick: Cincy

Detroit at Green Bay: The Lions, with a loss, will finish 0-16. A loss would make them one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in NFL history. The Packers let one slip away Monday night in Chicago. They won’t allow themselves to lose to the awful Lions. Pick: Green Bay

Chicago at Houston: The Bears have used defense and special teams to win the last three games in a row and to place themselves within spitting distance of a division title. The Texans laid an egg in Oakland last week, but have recovered well from an 0-4 start. Texans ruin the Bears’ playoff hopes. Pick: Houston

Tennessee at Indianapolis: This is a great matchup that will have the look and feel of a pre-season game. Neither team can improve their playoff position with a win. Which team has better scrubs? Pick: Tennessee

New York Giants at Minnesota: The Giants clinched home field advantage in the NFC playoffs last week with a comeback win over the Panthers. The Vikings need a win to clinch the NFC North division title. The Giants will play to win, but the Vikes need it more. Pick: Minnesota

Carolina at New Orleans: Panthers blew a big lead last week in New York, and need to come up big against the Saints in order to win the NFC South. Look for lots of points here. Pick: Carolina

Cleveland at Pittsburgh: Yuck. Browns have not scored a touchdown in over a month. Steelers should roll. Pick: Pittsburgh.

Oakland at Tampa Bay: A few years ago, these teams met in a Super Bowl. Not this year. The Raiders have a surprising four wins. The Bucs need a win plus some help to make the playoffs. The Bucs will do their part. Pick: Tampa Bay

Jacksonville at Baltimore: Ravens need a win to make the playoffs. Jaguars have their bags packed for the off-season. Pick: Baltimore

Miami at New York Jets: Big, big game in the AFC East. Depending on the Patriots’ result in the early game, this will either be for a division title or a mere wild-card berth. There is also a chance that neither team will make the playoffs. Can the Dolphins win a big game in cold weather? The trends favor them. Pick: Miami

Seattle at Arizona: Mike Holmgren’s last game as coach of the Seahawks. Cardinals play their third game in a row with nothing to gain. Ugly game in the making. Pick: Arizona

Washington at San Francisco: What was once a promising season for the Redskins has melted down. Still, the Redskins beat the Eagles last week and severely damaged their playoff chances. The 49ers have a chance to win their 7th game of the regular season. Pick: 49ers

Denver at San Diego: What goes around, comes around. Denver beat the Chargers in the first game of the season, with a questionable call enabling the Broncos to hold on for a victory. The Broncos have now lost two games in a row with a chance to clinch the AFC West title. Make that a third. The Chargers finish 8-8 and win the division in spite of themselves. Pick: San Diego

Bowl Picks, Part 1

Week of December 6: 5-5
Season: 213-77

There are 34 bowls this year. This means that every team in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a winning record made it to a bowl game. If rewarding excellence is the purpose of bowl games, then some of these games are an absolute joke. What these games provide are a way to fill some hotel rooms and to give some cities some publicity on national TV. And, they provide programming for ESPN. Some of these games are glorified exhibitions between mediocre teams. Others are great matchups.

The first of three installments of bowl picks:

EagleBank Bowl, Dec. 20, Washington, D.C. Navy vs. Wake Forest. This amounts to a home game for Navy against a team that the Midshipmen upset earlier in the year. My question is: who wants to go to a bowl game at RFK Stadium in D.C. in December? That’s not exactly a garden spot. Wake Forest gets revenge. Pick: Demon Deacons

New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 20, Albuquerque. Fresno State vs. Colorado State. The first edition of this bowl that does not feature the hometown Lobos. Fresno State has been to bowl games before, while the Rams have made a major improvement this year. Pick: Fresno State

magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl, Dec. 20, St. Petersburg. Memphis vs. South Florida. The latest bowl to be played in a baseball stadium, this new bowl is sponsored by a tool that allows you to plug your phone into a computer. Ok, at least it’s not sponsored by LoJack. Who wants to watch a bowl game between Memphis and USF? Ugh. Pick: USF

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 20, Las Vegas. Arizona vs. BYU. Did you know Las Vegas got three inches of snow yesterday? This is BYU’s fourth consecutive trip to this bowl. I wonder how this bowl would do without BYU in it. Zona finally gets to a bowl in Mike Stoops’ fifth year. The Mountain West has had its way against the Pac-10 this year. That won’t change in this game. Pick: BYU

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 21, New Orleans. Southern Miss vs. Troy. Southern Miss makes a bowl game in a rebuilding year. The men of Troy, Alabama once again won the Sun Belt conference. Troy is a little better than Southern Miss. Pick: Troy

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 23, San Diego. TCU vs. Boise State. There’s something wrong when a matchup between the 8th and 11th ranked teams in the nation occurs two days before Christmas in a bowl named for a credit union. At least it’s in San Diego. This game has greatness written all over it. Can the Broncos go 13-0? I don’t know. Pick: TCU

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24, Honolulu. Notre Dame vs. Hawaii. It’s pretty sad when Notre Dame can royally suck and still get a trip to Hawaii. Problem is, they’re playing Hawaii on their home field. It’ll feel just like a BCS bowl in one way for the Irish: they’ll lose. Pick: Hawaii.

Motor City Bowl, Dec. 26, Detroit. Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan. Yuck. There are some bad bowls out there, and this is one of them. Florida Atlantic went 6-6, played in the worst conference in college football, and still made it to a bowl. There’s something wrong with this picture. Central Michigan had it going this year in the MAC before losing to Ball State and Eastern Michigan. Pick: Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Dec. 27, Charlotte. West Virginia vs. North Carolina. Good matchup bound to sell lots of tickets in Charlotte. Tar Heels were one of the better teams in a dreadfully balanced ACC. West Virginia was favored to win the Big East, but ended up here. Pick: North Carolina

Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 27, Orlando. Wisconsin vs. Florida State. Badgers nearly lost their last game to Cal Poly. Seminoles showed signs of improvement this year, but aren’t quite where they want to be. Pick: FSU

Emerald Bowl, Dec. 27, San Francisco. Miami vs. California. Canes visit the City by the Bay. Hopefully, they’ll have a good sightseeing trip, because there’s no way they’ll beat Cal out there. Pick: Cal

Independence Bowl, Dec. 28, Shreveport. Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech. How did the 6-6 Huskies get into this bowl? The former executive director of the bowl now works for NIU. This is a really lame matchup, brought about because the Big 12 and SEC each sent two teams to the BCS and didn’t have enough teams left for the Indy Bowl to pick. Somebody has to win this game. Pick: Tech

NFL Picks, Week 16

Here are more picks from 30,000 feet. Once again, Thursday night’s game will start before I post. However, that game has an overwhelming favorite, so this week’s picks will not be adversely affected.

Last week: 9-7
Season: 142-81-1

Baltimore at Dallas (Saturday): The NFL Network brings us the last game ever at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys kissed and made up with each other, at least for one week, while beating the Giants in an ugly 20-8 game. The Ravens, on the other hand, lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers last week in Baltimore. The Cowboys have also lost a heartbreaker late in the game to Pittsburgh. The Ravens are good, but it would be totally wrong for the Cowboys to lose the last game at the Stadium With The Hole In The Roof. Pick: Dallas

Indianapolis at Jacksonville (Thursday): The Colts are the hottest team in the league. The Jaguars have given up the season. Irresistible force meets movable object. Gee, I wonder who’s going to win this game? Pick: Indy

Pittsburgh at Tennessee: Possible preview of the AFC championship game. The Titans were stunned last week by the Texans. The Steelers have pulled two exciting wins out the hat in recent weeks, over Dallas and Baltimore. Go with the home team. Pick: Titans

Miami at Kansas City: The Chiefs found another way to lose on Sunday, giving up two touchdowns to the Chargers in 82 seconds before missing a long desperation field goal try. Now, the Dolphins visit Kansas City with a chance to make the playoffs. Can the Chiefs finish someone off? Don’t bet on it. Pick: Miami

Arizona at New England: The Cardinals were atrocious last week in a 35-14 loss to Minnesota. They now face another week with nothing to gain. That’s the result of winning the awful NFC West by default. The Patriots keep plugging along and still have a chance to win the AFC East. This pick is so easy. Pick: New England

Cincinnati at Cleveland: The Mega Suck Bowl. The only way this game could be worse is if Detroit were involved. Both teams have stunk up the joint this year, though the Bengals got a win last week over the Redskins. The Browns haven’t scored a touchdown in a month, and have lost both parts of their two-headed quarterback monster. Does someone have to win this game? Do Browns’ season ticket holders have to sit in the cold to watch this game? Do they have to play this game? Do I have to pick a winner? The answer to those questions is yes. Pick: Cincy

Philadelphia at Washington: One team is going up, the other is going down. Pick: Philly

San Francisco at St. Louis: The Suck Bowl. This is not quite to the level of Mega Suck, but almost. The Rams lost last week at home to the Seattle Seabags. Ugh. The 49ers are headed nowhere as well. Pick: San Francisco

Atlanta at Minnesota: These teams could see each other again in two weeks in the first round of the playoffs. The injury bug is starting to hit the Vikings, but they’re at home. Pick: Minnesota

New Orleans at Detroit: The Saints are playing out the string, but face a test on Sunday: keeping from becoming the first team to lose to Detroit this season. The Lions are 0-14, but aren’t as bad as their record indicates. I’m going to go out on a limb here. There will be no 0-16 team in the NFL this year. Pick: Detroit

Carolina at New York Giants: The Giants have been hammered hard by injury and have lost their last two games. The Panthers have played as well as anyone in the league. This game is for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Giants get well at home on a cold December Sunday night. Pick: Giants

New York Jets at Seattle: The Jets face a classic trap game as they go to the Northwest to play a bad team with nothing to lose. New York is 0-3 this year in previous trips to the West Coast, including losses to the putrid 49ers and Raiders. The Jets have everything to lose, as the AFC East division title is in sight. The Jets revert to form this week and become the same old Jets. They’ll find a way to lose this game. Pick: Seattle

Houston at Oakland: The Texans have come out of nowhere to win four in a row. They now head to Oakland to play the sad-sack Raiders. Make that five in a row. Pick: Houston

Buffalo at Denver: It would be fitting if Denver got a snowstorm this weekend with the Bills in town. The Bills threw a game away last week, and can’t wait for this season to be over. The Broncos have another chance to clinch the AFC West this week. They get the job done. Pick: Denver

Tampa Bay at San Diego: The Bucs lost a heartbreaking overtime game last week in Atlanta, severely impairing their playoff chances. They now have to head to the West Coast to play a mercurial Chargers team. Will the men in pewter have anything left? Who knows? Pick: San Diego

Green Bay at Chicago (Monday): Monday Night Football returns to the shore of Lake Michigan for the resumption of one of the league’s great rivalries. The Packers have nothing left to play for but pride. The Bears are trying to keep pace with the Vikings for the NFC North crown. It’ll be really cold in Chicago on Monday night. Pick: Bears

NFL Picks, Week 15

These picks are being made at 30,000 feet somewhere over the southern United States before Thursday night’s game, so I have no idea of the outcome before I make this post.

Last week: 11-5
Season: 133-74-1

New York Giants at Dallas: Giants return to the scene of last year’s upset playoff win at Texas Stadium. This year, the Giants have rolled through the regular season to win the NFC East. The Cowboys have been hit with injuries and inconsistency. The Cowboys are also coming off a heartbreaking loss in Pittsburgh, when the Steelers returned a Tony Romo interception for a touchdown with two minutes left in the game. Dallas needs this one a lot worse. Pick: Dallas

New Orleans at Chicago (Thursday): Southern team (and dome team) goes north for a frigid Thursday night game on the shores of Lake Michigan. Good luck. Pick: Chicago

Buffalo at New York Jets: Freefalling Bills visit the Jets, who are looking to end a two-game skid of their own. Pick: Jets

Tennessee at Houston: It’s been 10 years since the Titans were the Oilers. The NFL’s best team returns to the city of its origin. Texans are looking to play spoiler. Tough pick. Pick: Tennessee

Seattle at St. Louis: The Suck Bowl. Two awful teams slug it out to stay out of the cellar of the NFC West. Pick: St. Louis

Tampa Bay at Atlanta: One of the better games of the week. Winner will look good for a wildcard playoff berth, while the other will be in danger of missing the playoffs. Pick: Atlanta

San Francisco at Miami: The 49ers are getting a little better, but so are the Dolphins. Pick: Miami

Detroit at Indianapolis: Puhleeze. The awful Lions are on a collision course with infamy and 0-16. The Colts are one of the hottest teams in football. Pick: Colts

San Diego at Kansas City: The disappointing Chargers visit the young Chiefs. The Chiefs are better than 2-11, but not by much. The Chargers are playing for coach Norv Turner’s job. Go with the Fighting Tyler Thigpens. Pick: Chiefs

Washington at Cincinnati: The Redskins visit the second-worst team in the league. The Redskins have problems of their own, but should be able to handle the Bengals. Pick: Washington

Green Bay at Jacksonville: At least this game isn’t in Green Bay. Two teams with nothing to play for. Pick: Green Bay

Minnesota at Arizona: NFC North leader visits NFC West champion. That’s right, the Cardinals are champions of something for the first time since 1975. Cardinals continue to roll. Pick: Arizona

Denver at Carolina: Denver is in first place in the AFC West despite a lack of defense. The Panthers can actually clinch home field throughout the playoffs by winning the rest of their games. Pick: Carolina

New England at Oakland: Yuck. Any game involving the Raiders should be called Yuck. The Pats should win this one. Pick: New England

Pittsburgh at Baltimore: The Steelers stole one last week at home against Dallas, while the Ravens owned their backyard rival Redskins. Pick the home team here. Pick: Ravens

Cleveland at Philadelphia (Monday): Donovan McNabb now knows that there are ties in the NFL, but this one shouldn’t need overtime. The Browns have been a major disappointment this year. Pick: Philly

NFL Picks, Week 14

Last Week: 10-6 (.625)
Season: 122-69-1 (.712)

Dallas at Pittsburgh: The Cowboys have rescued their season with three consecutive wins following the pinkie injury to Tony Romo. Now they head into the Steel City for a matchup with the Super Bowl contender Steelers. Tough matchup for Dallas. However, this is a Cowboys homer blog. Pick: Dallas

Oakland at San Diego (Thursday): The NFL Network got a dud game this week. It’s a good thing it’s only available to about 30% of the United States. Pick: San Diego

Jacksonville at Chicago: Struggling warm-weather team goes to the Great White North of Chicago in December. Good luck with all that. Pick: Chicago

Minnesota at Detroit: Could this be the week the Lions get a W? Don’t count on it. Pick: Minnesota

Houston at Green Bay: Mediocre warm-weather team goes to the Great White North of Green Bay in December. Good luck with all that. See Jacksonville vs. Chicago. Pick: Green Bay

Cincinnati at Indianapolis: The Colts have righted the ship, and now host the woeful Bengals. Pick: Indy

Atlanta at New Orleans: The Falcons are the surprise of the year in the NFL. They continue to roll in a shootout. Pick: Atlanta

Philadelphia at New York Giants: The Giants’ star receiver literally shoots himself in the foot, but they roll right along. Pick: Giants

Cleveland at Tennessee: The Browns are another disappointing team, and lost their second quarterback of the season last week due to injury. The Titans have a good chance to go to the Super Bowl. Pick: Titans

Miami vs. Buffalo at Toronto: The Bills play the first of a series of regular season home games in Toronto over the next five years. They’ve struggled so much in recent weeks that they had to leave the country. The Dolphins are a pleasant surprise this year. Pick: Miami

Kansas City at Denver: Will there be any defense in this game? Pick: Denver

New York Jets at San Francisco: The 49ers look for their second consecutive win. The Jets are trying to reassume control of the AFC East. The Jets are a better team. Pick: Jets

New England at Seattle: Patriots should roll over this shell of a once-excellent team. Pick: New England

St. Louis at Arizona: Cardinals return home where they are a much better team. Pick: Arizona

Washington at Baltimore: Winner gets bragging rights to the entire state of Maryland. Redskins are walking into a lions’ den. Pick: Baltimore

Tampa Bay at Carolina (Monday): Great game for Monday Night Football. Both teams are tied for the NFC South division lead. Winner will be in good position to win the division. Pick: Carolina

NFL Picks, Week 13

Last week: 7-9 (first losing week of the year..yuck!)
Season: 112-63-1 (.639)

Seattle at Dallas (Thursday): The Cowboys have won two in a row since the return of Tony Romo. Make that three, as the Seahawks make a nice addition to Thanksgiving dinner for Dallas. Pick: Dallas

Tennessee at Detroit (Thursday): The Titans suffered their first loss on Sunday at the hands of the Jets. No worries, as they follow that up with a game against the dreadful Lions. There is no way the Lions are as bad as the worst team in NFL history, the ’76 Buccaneers. They’re getting close, though. Pick: Tennessee

Arizona at Philadelphia (Thursday): Kurt Warner and the boys head East for Thanksgiving to face a team in turmoil. Eagles coach Andy Reid benched QB Donovan McNabb during Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, only to re-insert him as the starter for this game. Home teams have an advantage in a short week, as do East Coast teams hosting teams from the West. Pick: Philly

San Francisco at Buffalo: The Niners are pretty awful, and now get to experience Western New York in November. What a lovely time for the guys from the City By The Bay. The Bills hung half a hundred on Kansas City last week. Pick: Buffalo

Carolina at Green Bay: The Packers were at the wrong end of a blowout on Monday night in New Orleans. Nonetheless, this is a tough trip for the Panthers. If Carolina can win this one, they’re the real deal. Pick: Green Bay

New Orleans at Tampa Bay: Break up the Saints! They’ve won two in a row! The Bucs are still very much in the playoff chase, and should be able to handle the Saints at home. Pick: Tampa Bay

Miami at St. Louis: The Dolphins came down to earth last week as they were plastered by the Patriots, 48-28. No need for the Dolphins to worry, because the Rams are one of the worst teams in football. Pick: Miami

New York Giants at Washington: Another big rivalry from the greatest division in football, the NFC East. The Redskins just keep plugging along. The Giants are much better than they were last year, when they won the Super Bowl. However, even good teams lose once in a while. Pick: Redskins

Indianapolis at Cleveland: Don’t look now, but that’s the Colts you see in the rear view mirror chasing down the rest of the NFL elite after a slow start. The Browns have been nothing short of a disappointment this year. Pick: Indy

Baltimore at Cincinnati: Chalk this one up as a W for the visitors. Pick: Baltimore

Atlanta at San Diego: The Chargers lost yet another close game Sunday night to the Colts, and now must face the turnaround team of the season, the Falcons. The Chargers’ misery continues. Pick: Atlanta

Pittsburgh at New England: The Patriots are in a desperate position as they try to keep up with the Jets in the AFC East. Meanwhile, the Steelers are tough to beat anywhere. Pick: New England

Kansas City at Oakland: Yuck. Perhaps the biggest rivalry in the old AFL now matches two of the worst teams in the league. With that being said, the Raiders surprised the Broncos with a whipping last week. Can they win two in a row? Yes. Pick: Oakland

Denver at New York Jets: The Broncos have an awful defense, and now must visit the Meadowlands, where the ageless gunslinger, Brett Favre, resides. Favre played in a Super Bowl against the Broncos during the Clinton administration. Pick: Jets

Chicago at Minnesota: Battle for first place in the mediocre NFC North. Vikings find a way to win at home. Pick: Minnesota

Jacksonville at Houston (Monday): Another disappointing team is the Jaguars. The Texans won last week, and usually do well at home against the Jags, even when the Jags are good and the Texans are bad. Pick: Houston

College Picks, Week 14

Last Week: 12-8 (.600)
Season: 192-68 (.738)

In many ways, this is the biggest weekend of the college football season. Big rivalries are being played this weekend. Bowl bids are on the line. Spots in the BCS National Championship Game are at stake. The only guarantee is that something really strange will happen.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State: The Sooners, fresh off a 65-21 beatdown of Texas Tech, visit Stillwater to take on the Cowboys. As always, this is OSU’s Super Bowl, but the Cowboys actually have a pretty good team this year. This is a dangerous game. A win gives OU strength of schedule points in the BCS computers, possibly enough to pass Texas in the standings for a trip to the Big XII championship game. This will be quality television on Saturday night. That’s good, because you can’t buy a ticket to this one unless you buy OSU season tickets. It’s a lot cheaper to stay home and watch and listen to Brent and Kirk. Pick: OU

Texas A&M at Texas (Thursday): Poor Aggies. The worst A&M team in a quarter-century has to visit Austin when the Longhorns need BCS style points. If you don’t get enough turkey at dinner on Thanksgiving, you’ll get more of it from this game. Pick: Texas

Baylor at Texas Tech: The Red Raiders went home with their heads between their legs after the butt-kicking they took in Norman last week for their first loss. Baylor will show up and represent themselves. Tech will be on the rebound, though, and should be dangerous. Pick: Tech

Colorado at Nebraska (Friday): Believe it or not, the Huskers can win their eighth game of the season by beating the Buffs. They should be able to do so with relatively little problem. Pick: Nebraska

Kansas vs. Missouri at Kansas City: A disappointing season ends for the Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium. After losing two mid-season games to Texas and Oklahoma State, the Tigers have feasted on Big 12 North opposition. They’ll do so again while awaiting their chance to mess up the BCS next week in the Big 12 championship game. Pick: Mizzou

Auburn at Alabama: The Iron Bowl. Tommy Tuberville better have an iron posterior, because his seat is hot after this debacle of a season. All will be well on the Plains if War Eagle can upset the hated Tide. Auburn has won five in a row in this series. Bama looks to erase that record of futility while they keep their undefeated season alive. There is way too much going Bama’s way. Pick: Alabama

Florida at Florida State: The Seminoles finally had a great game last week as they plastered Maryland on the road. They’ll need another one this week at home if they want to beat the Fighting Tim Tebows and truly mess up the BCS. At least a couple of Big 12 teams will be rooting for them. Even in Tallahassee, though, the Gators are too good. At least this year, they are. Pick: Florida

Oregon at Oregon State: With a win, Oregon State can go to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the days of leather helmets. It hasn’t been quite that long, but it’s been long enough for the Beavers. As far as the Ducks are concerned, which set of ugly uniforms will they wear this week? Pick: Oregon State

Georgia Tech at Georgia: This game is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. Both teams have looked awesome at times. At other times, they’ve been pretty mediocre. Go with the home team here. Pick: Georgia

South Carolina at Clemson: No matter how much Clemson seems to disappoint on a yearly basis, they usually seem to find a way to beat the Gamecocks. USC-East ought to be able to win this game. They’ll find a way not to. Pick: Clemson

Virginia at Virginia Tech: The Hokies actually have a chance to come out of the scrum in the ACC to advance to the ACC championship game. All they need to do is beat the Cavaliers. Virginia has looked really good at times, and really awful at times. Pick: Hokies

Maryland at Boston College: The Eagles have a chance to survive the other half of the ACC to make the championship game with a win. They got a big road win last week at Wake Forest, while the Terps laid a big egg at home in being squashed by Florida State. It’s really cold in Boston at this time of year. Pick: BC

West Virginia at Pittsburgh: The Backyard Brawl. Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance. Both teams have also shown flashes of inconsistency. The Mountaineers will be looking for revenge, after the Panthers knocked them out of a shot at last year’s national championship. Pick: Pittsburgh

Western Michigan at Ball State (Tuesday): Ball State is still undefeated, but must face a strong and dangerous Western Michigan team. The Cardinals are kings of the mid-week MAC games. Give them another one. Pick: Ball State

Houston at Rice: The battle for the Bayou Bucket is also a battle for the Conference USA West division championship. If you like offense, this is your game. Pick: Rice

LSU at Arkansas (Friday): These teams play for a trophy that looks like a golden boot, but is really the states of Arkansas and Louisiana on top of each other. Both teams will be glad to end this season. LSU has more talent, though they have struggled of late. Pick: LSU

Notre Dame at USC: Yawn. When Notre Dame loses this game, they’ll be 6-6. What bowl will pick them in spite of that record? Some bowl will, and that game will be ugly. Not as ugly as this will be, though. Pick: SC

Kentucky at Tennessee: Phil Fulmer’s farewell as coach of the Vols. Rocky Top bounced back last week to beat Vanderbilt. Kentucky is bowl eligible, but still hasn’t beaten the Vols in a coon’s age. They won’t win this year, either. Pick: Tennessee

North Carolina at Duke: Blue Devils have won four games this year, and have a chance to spoil the Tar Heels’ season. Carolina was embarrassed last week by rival N.C. State, 41-10. The Heels won’t let that happen two years in a row. Pick: UNC

Vanderbilt at Wake Forest: Both teams are looking for more respect and a better bowl. Vandy has been slipping in the second half of the season, while Wake lost a nail-biter at home last week to Boston College, most likely costing themselves an appearance in the ACC championship game. The Deacons are a little better than Vandy. Pick: Wake Forest

NFL Picks, Week 12

Last Week: 12-3-1
Season: 105-54-1

San Francisco at Dallas: The Fighting Mike Singletarys visit the Stadium With The Hole in the Roof. Dallas saved their season last week in Washington. Marion Barber runs all over the 49ers. Pick: Dallas

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (Thursday): The Bengals are coming off of a rare tie. They’re still awful. Steelers roll. Pick: Pittsburgh

Houston at Cleveland: This game brought to you by Continental Airlines. The Texans aren’t very good. I’m picking against them until they win. Pick: Cleveland

Buffalo at Kansas City: The Chiefs are getting close, but just aren’t closing the deal. The Bills lost another tight game last week against Cleveland, and are fading. Pick: Kansas City

New England at Miami: A suddenly huge game in the AFC East. The Dolphins have already multiplied last year’s win total by six. Make that seven. Pick: Miami

New York Jets at Tennessee: Big, big game between two first-place teams. Titans remain undefeated for another week. Pick: Tennessee

Philadelphia at Baltimore: Winner gets bragging rights to the huge state of Delaware. Pick: Ravens

Tampa Bay at Detroit: The Lions are going to beat someone, sometime. I don’t know if it’ll be this week, though. Pick: Tampa Bay

Minnesota at Jacksonville: The Jags are one of the season’s biggest disappointments. The Vikings return to Florida after losing last week in Tampa. Pick: Jacksonville

Chicago at St. Louis: The Rams are awful. Bears get a road win. Pick: Chicago

Oakland at Denver: Raiders are absolutely pathetic. Pick: Denver

Carolina at Atlanta: Battle for first place in the NFC South. The Falcons are one of the better stories in the NFL this year. Pick: Atlanta

New York Giants at Arizona: Another battle between two first-place teams. Can the Cardinals win a big game at home? Against my better judgment, yes. Pick: Arizona

Washington at Seattle: The Seahawks have gone to the birds this year. Make that dogs. Pick: Washington

Indianapolis at San Diego: Must-win game for both teams. Both teams have slipped this season, though the Colts have looked better in recent weeks. Chargers come through, at least this week. Pick: San Diego

Green Bay at New Orleans: Whatever the over-under is in this game, take the over. Look for lots of points in this one. Pick: Green Bay

College Picks, Week 13

Now is the time when all of this starts to get good. Conference championships, bowl bids, national championship game appearances, and pure bragging rights will be decided over the next three weeks. Here is this week’s 20 fearless picks:

Last week: 13-7
Season: 180-60

Texas Tech at Oklahoma: The latest and possibly greatest of a series of gargantuan matchups in the Big 12 South. A Tech win would send them to the Big 12 championship game and a possible trip to the national championship game. An OU win would create a possible three-way tie for the Big 12 South title, sending the team with the highest BCS ranking to Kansas City to play Missouri. OU has lost two, count ‘em, two home games in the 10 years of the Bob Stoops era. Pick: OU

Iowa State at Kansas State: Plenty of good seats are available as the Cyclones and Wildcats battle for the Big 12 North cellar. K-State is in the market for a new coach, as well. Which team will get up for this stinker of a game? Pick: Iowa State

Miami at Georgia Tech (Thursday): The Canes suddenly have control of their own destiny in the ACC Coastal division. Which means, they’ll lose, as all the other teams have done in that league when faced with a similar situation. It is forecast to be cold in Atlanta on Thursday night. Pick: Tech

Michigan at Ohio State: Michigan is having its worst season since Henry Ford started building cars. The Buckeyes are out for blood, and won’t feel sorry for the mediocre Wolverines. This is a no-brainer. Pick: TOSU

Michigan State at Penn State: This is the Big Ten championship game. Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl with a win. Michigan State needs help. The Spartans would most likely be co-champions of the Big Ten with a win, but would lose a tiebreaker to Ohio State. That is, if they don’t get unlikely help from Michigan. The Lions can start booking trips to California. Pick: Penn State

Indiana at Purdue: The only thing on the line in this game is the Old Oaken Bucket. Indiana has been awful this year. Purdue has only been mediocre. Pick: Purdue

N.C. State at North Carolina: This is the ACC, which means anyone can win, and usually does. Carolina is just a little better, and is playing at home. Pick: UNC

Tennessee at Vanderbilt: Tennessee lost to Wyoming. How in the world are they going to beat Vanderbilt in the Commodores’ best season in 25 years? Pick: Vandy

Air Force at TCU: A TCU win gives the Frogs yet another 10 win season. Pick: TCU

Ole Miss at LSU: Ole Miss has improved this year. LSU pulled the biggest comeback in school history last week to beat Troy. Pick: LSU

Boston College at Wake Forest: Huge matchup in the ACC Atlantic division. BC won last week in Tallahassee, where the Deacons also beat Florida State earlier in the year. Can the Eagles win two road games in a row? No. Pick: Wake

Stanford at California: The Big Game. In High School Musical 3, Gabriella accepted an academic scholarship to Stanford. Her boyfriend Troy, on the other hand, accepted a basketball/music scholarship to Cal. Pick: Cal

Illinois at Northwestern: The Illini have been disappointing this season, while the Wildcats have had a great year, and could be playing somewhere on New Year’s Day. Pick: Northwestern

BYU at Utah: The Holy War. BYU can still get a share of the conference title, while Utah can go to a BCS bowl with a win, capping an undefeated season. Pick: Utah

Oregon State at Arizona: Last season, Oregon traveled down to Tucson with a chance for a national championship. They lost. Now, Oregon State goes down to the desert with a chance to go to the Rose Bowl. Tucson is where dreams go to die. Pick: Arizona

Iowa at Minnesota: Two weeks ago, the Gophers lost the Little Brown Jug to Michigan. Last week, the Gophers lost Paul Bunyan’s Axe to Wisconsin. This week, they play Iowa for Floyd of Rosedale, a bronze pig. The pig goes back to Iowa City. Pick: Iowa

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: The Bearcats are staring a BCS bowl in the face, while coach Brian Kelly is flirting with the Tennessee job. Still, the Bearcats have been impressive this year while rotating quarterbacks due to injury. Pick: Cincy

Florida State at Maryland: The Terps kept their conference title hopes alive last week with a game-winning field goal to beat North Carolina. The Seminoles are still just one of many ACC teams with approximately the same record, a far cry from the decade of the 90’s in Tallahassee. Pick: Maryland

Washington at Washington State: The Apple Cup. This year, it would be more accurately known as the Rotten Apple Cup. U-Dub is 0-10, while Wazzu is 1-10 with only a win over Portland State. Wazzu has allowed less than 50 points to only two Pac-10 opponents. UW hasn't been quite as bad, but the Huskies have only been competitive in one game, a 28-27 loss to BYU. If you want to see some bad football, tune in to Fox Sports Net at 12 PM Pacific. Pick: U-Dub

Yale at Harvard: In the Ivy League, this is simply called, “The Game”. Harvard can win the Ivy League with a win. Pick: Harvard

NFL Picks, Week 11

Bye weeks are history, and every team is playing every week from now until the end of the season. Here are 16 big ones:

Dallas at Washington: The Cowboys come off a much-needed bye week, but are thrown directly into the fire as they travel to D.C. to play the Redskins. Washington shocked the Cowboys in Irving in September. Dallas gets QB Tony Romo back from injury. Or, they hope so. Pick: Dallas

New England at New York Jets: The NFL Network gets a great matchup for Thursday night. Both teams are 6-3. This is where the Jets’ acquisition of Brett Favre pays off. Pick: Jets

New Orleans at Kansas City: Yuck. The Chiefs are improving, but don’t have anything to show for it in the win column, especially after losing a heartbreaker last week in San Diego. RB Larry Johnson returns this week after sitting out due to a plethora of personal issues. Chiefs get win #2 this week. Pick: KC

Philadelphia at Cincinnati: The Bengals are awful. Enough said. Pick: Philly

Baltimore at NY Giants: The Ravens will see how they stack up against a good team. The Giants keep rolling on. Pick: Giants

Minnesota at Tampa Bay: Both of these teams are bad on the road and good at home. The Bucs are at home. Pick: Tampa Bay

Chicago at Green Bay: Both teams are fighting for a playoff spot from the NFC North. This matchup is pretty even, so give the edge to the home team. Pick: Packers

Oakland at Miami: Senile owner Al Davis took play-calling responsibilities away from offensive coordinator Greg Knapp this week. Is Al going to call plays himself? Will the Raiders make the trip to South Florida? Pick: Miami

Detroit at Carolina: Daunte Culpepper makes his first start for the Lions. The Panthers are a good team. This might be ugly, but the Panthers will win. Pick: Carolina

Denver at Atlanta: Look out for the Falcons. They’re for real. Pick: Atlanta

Houston at Indianapolis: Last time these teams met, the Texans blew an 18 point lead in the last six minutes of the game. Indy is a lot better now. Pick: Colts

Arizona at Seattle: The Cardinals won a wild one on Monday night, and now travel to the Great Northwest. The Cardinals can’t let success go to their head. Pick: Arizona

St. Louis at San Francisco: The Suck Bowl. Both teams are bad. The Rams gave up 47 to the Jets last week, and it could have been worse. San Francisco should have won Monday night in Arizona. They win this week. Pick: 49ers

San Diego at Pittsburgh: The Chargers are underachieving in a big way. They now have to go to Pittsburgh, where the Steelers were upset last week by the Colts. Pittsburgh bounces back. Pick: Pittsburgh

Tennessee at Jacksonville: Titans roll on. Pick: Tennessee

Cleveland at Buffalo: Bragging rights to Erie, Pennsylvania are on the line here. Shoot, bragging rights to all of Lake Erie are on the line in this game. Pick: Buffalo

College Picks, Week 12

Last Week: 16-4
Season: 167-43

This week is a relative breather in college football, as we await the next titanic Big 12 South matchup between Oklahoma and Texas Tech. This week’s picks:

Texas at Kansas: The last time Texas visited Larryville, the Longhorns needed some last-minute heroics from Vince Young and some questionable officiating to win. After the game, KU coach Mark Mangino accused the Big 12 officials of conspiring to allow Texas to win in order to keep their national championship hopes and Big 12 payday alive. KU lost last week to Nebraska, and probably won’t be able to keep up with the Horns. Pick: UT

Oklahoma State at Colorado: Saturday Night Football moves this week to Boulder, where OSU will be looking to rebound from the butt-kicking they took last week in Lubbock. CU will be jacked for this one, but the Buffs aren’t as good as OSU. Pick: OSU

Nebraska at Kansas State: Two teams headed in opposite directions. The Huskers are trying to squeeze out a bowl bid in Bo Pelini’s first year. K-State is playing out the string as the Ron Prince era comes to an end. Pick: Nebraska

Texas A&M at Baylor: The Suck Bowl. The two Big 12 South teams that are unranked and headed nowhere. Both teams will be glad to play someone the other can beat. Pick: Baylor

Missouri at Iowa State: Missouri dominates the Big 12 North. Pick: Mizzou

Virginia Tech at Miami (Thursday): ESPN is showing some good games on Thursday nights. This is another one of them. Tech is coming around, evidenced by their convincing win over Maryland last week. Miami is no pushover, but VT is better. Pick: Tech

Cincinnati at Louisville (Friday): Winner gets a barge on the Ohio River. Cincinnati can win out and go to a BCS bowl. The Bearcats should be able to win this one against a rival on the road. Pick: Cincy

Notre Dame vs. Navy at Baltimore: Last year, Navy finally beat the Irish in triple overtime, winning this game for the first time since Roger Staubach was their quarterback. Can they make it two in a row? Yes. Pick: Navy

Ohio State at Illinois: The Buckeyes can still win the Big Ten, but they need some more help. Meanwhile, they should get revenge for last year’s loss in Columbus. Pick: TOSU

Georgia at Auburn: Yes, that was Auburn that was tied with Tennessee-Martin in the third quarter last week. The Tigers went on to beat UTM 37-20, but looked awful doing it. Georgia is trying to salvage a season in which they were ranked #1 in pre-season. Pick: Georgia

South Carolina at Florida: Steve Spurrier returns to the Swamp once again. The Gators, however, are on a mission in the second half of the season, and are destroying all comers. How did this team ever lose to Ole Miss? Pick: Gators

California at Oregon State: The Beavers are in control of their own destiny. All they need to do is win out, and they are going to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. They win this one. Pick: OSU-West

Minnesota at Wisconsin: The Gophers are slipping back to becoming the same old Gophers, after winning 7 of their first 8 games. Wiscy has been injury-plagued and inconsistent. This one is in Madison, so go with the home team. Pick: Badgers

North Carolina at Maryland: The Tar Heels are one of the better teams in a balanced ACC. But, they’re not that much better than Maryland. The Terps come through at home. Fear the turtle. Pick: Maryland

Boston College at Florida State: In Massachusetts, BC is a well-respected university. In the South, BC is a headache powder. It’ll be a tough trip to Tallahassee for the Eagles. Pick: FSU

Vanderbilt at Kentucky: Two teams headed in opposite directions. Pick: Kentucky

BYU at Air Force: The two best teams in the Mountain West conference not named Utah or TCU. Pick: BYU

Northwestern at Michigan: Northwestern is having a better season than Michigan. But, this is in the Big House, and the Wolverines haven’t given up on the season just yet. Pick: Michigan

Tulsa at Houston: The Hurricane have been rolling through Conference USA. The Cougars should make it tough for Tulsa, but TU is playing too well this season. Pick: Tulsa

DePauw at Wabash: The 115th Battle for the Monon Bell. Both teams are good this year, but Wabash is undefeated and ranked #3 in the nation in Division III. Pick: Wabash

NFL Picks, Week 10

Last Week: 8-6
Season: 83-46

So glad the Cowboys have a bye this week…so is Tony Romo’s pinky.

Denver at Cleveland: I totally didn’t realize that the Thursday night NFL Network games started this week. That is, until after this game started. In the interest of honesty, I would have picked Cleveland. Denver won the game. That’s minus 1 for the week. Pick: Cleveland

New Orleans at Atlanta: The Falcons are this year’s surprise team. The surprise continues. Pick: Atlanta

Tennessee at Chicago: The Titans have been the best team in the league for the first half of the year. The Bears are back to starting Rex Grossman at quarterback. Pick: Tennessee

Jacksonville at Detroit: The Lions have been competitive recently, but still haven’t won a game. Enter Daunte Culpepper, signed off the street in mid-season to a two-year contract to play quarterback for this facsimile of a team. Good luck with all that. Pick: Jacksonville

Baltimore at Houston: The Texans play a pretty good team this week. That doesn’t bode well for the guys down on Loop 610. Pick: Baltimore

Seattle at Miami: The Seahawks make the longest possible road trip in the NFL. The Emerald City is closer to Russia than it is to Miami, or so it seems. At least you can’t see Russia from Seattle. West Coast to East Coast=loss, especially with a team still missing their quarterback. Pick: Miami

Green Bay at Minnesota: The ultimate dead-even matchup, with both teams at .500. The Vikings are at home, indoors. Pick: Minnesota

Buffalo at New England: Very important game in a suddenly competitive AFC East. This game has ugly written all over it. The margin won’t be ugly, but there’ll be lots of ball control in this one. Pick: Pats

St. Louis at New York Jets: The Rams have improved from their awful start, but still aren’t that good. Jets are in the middle of that scrum in the AFC East. Pick: Jets

Carolina at Oakland: Yuck. It’s nasty any time the Raiders play, and it was never worse than that piece of dung they laid last week against the Falcons. Al Davis needs to sell the team, fast. Pick: Carolina

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh: Colts are beginning to show a pulse, but they’ll need more than that to handle the Steelers. Pick: Pittsburgh

Kansas City at San Diego: Chiefs blew a big lead last week against the Bucs, but appear to have found a quarterback in Tyler Thigpen. Chargers are good enough to beat anybody when they feel like it. Problem is, they haven’t felt like it much this season. It comes together for the Bolts this week. Pick: San Diego

New York Giants at Philadelphia: It doesn’t get much better than an NFC East game on a chilly November night on the East coast. Winner gets bragging rights to a service area of their choice on the New Jersey Turnpike. Pick: Iggles

San Francisco at Arizona: Dud of a Monday night matchup. The 49ers aren’t very good, but Mike Singletary is good for a halftime speech or a post-game press conference. Cardinals are coming into their own, especially at home, and especially with Kurt Warner at quarterback. Pick: Arizona

College Picks, Week 11

Last Week: 16-4
Season: 151-39

Another set of picks, just in the nick of time before Thursday night’s games…

Oklahoma at Texas A&M: Aggies are riding high after winning two in a row. Sooners are still on a redemption tour. No one has come close to them except Texas. Look for more of the same here. Pick: OU

Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: The next in a series of titanic Big 12 South matchups. ABC’s cameras return to Lubbock for the second Saturday night in a row. Tech finds themselves ranked #2 in the latest BCS rankings. This will be yet another Big 12 game where offense will rule and defenses will be outmatched. Pick: Tech

Baylor at Texas: The Bears are improving, but will be no match for the Longhorns. Pick: UT

Iowa State at Colorado: Battle for last place in the Big 12 North. Colorado is a better team, especially at home. Pick: CU

Kansas at Nebraska: The Huskers have some problems, but get the Jayhawks at home. The last time these teams met, KU broke 70. They won’t score that many points this time, but they should be good enough to win in Lincoln. Pick: KU

Kansas State at Missouri: Kansas State fired coach Ron Prince this week, meaning there wasn’t enough Purple Reign in Manhattan. K-State would really like to win like it was 1999. The Wildcats now travel to Columbia, where Mizzou takes no prisoners. Pick: Missouri

TCU at Utah (Thursday): This game has Mountain West and BCS implications. A TCU win gives them at least a share of the conference title and a shot at a BCS bowl. A Utah win keeps the Utes’ unbeaten season alive, and keeps them in prime contention for the BCS. As much as I’d like to see the Frogs win, the Utes are at home on a Thursday night. Pick: Utah

Maryland at Virginia Tech (Thursday): The ACC is nothing if not balanced. Maryland is the only team left in the conference with less than 2 losses. That will change Thursday night. It’s hard to win in Blacksburg on a Thursday night. Pick: VT

Alabama at LSU: Nick Saban returns to Baton Rouge, home of the national championship trophy he won with the Tigers in 2003. Tiger fans will be waiting for him, loud and drunk. Bama is now #1 in the nation, but not for long. Pick: LSU

Michigan at Minnesota: This battle for the Little Brown Jug will be nothing if not interesting. Michigan comes into this game at 2-7 and headed nowhere. Minnesota is 6-2 and coming off a heartbreaking loss at home to Northwestern, in which the Wildcats returned an interception for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the game for the game-winner. Can the Gophers recover? Good question. Pick: Michigan

Ohio State at Northwestern: This will not be a pushover for the Buckeyes. Still, TOSU should have enough to win. Pick: TOSU

Penn State at Iowa: Lions are three wins away from an undefeated season, while rooting for Alabama and Texas Tech to lose. This won’t be an easy road trip, but these guys won in Columbus. Of course they’ll win in Iowa City. Pick: Penn State

Clemson at Florida State: This was scheduled to be another Bowden Bowl, but Clemson fired Tommy Bowden last month. Seminoles fumbled a win away in the final minute at Georgia Tech last week. Still, these Seminoles are better than they have been in recent years. Pick: FSU

Oregon State at UCLA: Beavers can still win the Pac-10 if they win out. They’ll outscore the Bruins this week. Pick: OSU-West

California at USC: The Bears should be able to hang with USC. They won’t win, though. Pick: SC

Notre Dame at Boston College: Who does the Pope root for? Or, does he care about American football? The Irish return to Boston for a tough matchup with a feisty Eagles team. Pick: BC

Florida at Vanderbilt: Vandy is looking to make some more noise and to become eligible for its first bowl since the Reagan administration. Gators beat Georgia like a drum last week. Nashville will be rocking Saturday night. However, Florida is better. Pick: UF

Stanford at Oregon: Quack, quack, quack. Pick: Oregon

Wyoming at Tennessee: The Vols put coach Philip Fulmer out to pasture this week. Fulmer only won 75 percent of his games and a national championship as head man of the Vols. But, it’s “what have you done lately?”, and the Vols aren’t doing much these days. Wyoming will be a much weaker opponent than what Tennessee is finding in the SEC. Pick: Vols

Fordham at Holy Cross: Once again, who does the Pope root for? Holy Cross, Batman! Pick: Crusaders

NFL Picks, Week 9

Last Week: 9-5
Season: 75-40

Dallas at New York Giants: The Cowboys, in spite of all their issues, out-uglied the Bucs last week. They now have one more game without the injured Tony Romo before their bye week. Problem is, it’s on the road against the best team in the league. The Cowboys desperately need a win, or else they’re looking at a wildcard playoff spot at best. Tough spot for the ‘Boys. I picked them last week against my better judgment, and they won. I’ll stick with that for another week. Pick: Dallas

New York Jets at Buffalo: The Bills dropped down to earth a bit with a loss to the Dolphins, making the AFC East wide open. Don’t look for that to happen two weeks in a row. Pick: Buffalo

Jacksonville at Cincinnati: The Jags have been disappointing this season. But, they haven’t played a team as bad as the Bengals. Pick: Jaguars

Baltimore at Cleveland: The Browns are struggling to get out of their funk, but did get a big win last week at Jacksonville. You never know which Ravens team will show up. Pick: Cleveland

Houston at Minnesota: The Texans are once again respectable, aided by home wins over the two worst teams in the league. They now take their show on the road to meet an underachieving Vikings team. Pick: Vikes

Detroit at Chicago: Mismatch. Pick: Chicago

Tampa Bay at Kansas City: The sad-sack Chiefs were competitive in a loss last week to the Jets. The Bucs were ugly in a loss to the Cowboys. The Chiefs are a lot worse than the Cowboys. Pick: Tampa Bay

Arizona at St. Louis: The Cardinals return to St. Louis, where the Rams have bounced back under interim coach Jim Haslett. The Cardinals are an awful road team. Pick: St. Louis

Green Bay at Tennessee: The league’s best team in the first half of the year resides in Nashville. Pick: Titans

Miami at Denver: The Dolphins have improved a ton over the season, and face an injury-riddled Denver team. Still, this is a home game for the Broncos. Pick: Denver

Philadelphia at Seattle: An East Coast team makes the toughest road trip in the NFL to the Pacific Northwest. However, the Seahawks are not as good as they have been in the past, especially with QB Matt Hasselbeck still out due to injury. Pick: Philly

Atlanta at Oakland: Yuck. The Falcons have been a pleasant surprise this year. They’ll get a road win in the Black Hole. Pick: Atlanta

New England at Indianapolis: This was once a matchup for the ages. Now, both teams have seen better days, especially the Colts. Pick: New England

Pittsburgh at Washington: The Redskins get a home game on Election Eve. D.C. will be hopping, especially because their team will get a win on Monday night. Pick: Redskins

Bonus Pick: John McCain vs. Barack Obama: Obama has had the flash and dash, and the air game and media love to match. McCain has been vastly outspent, but has a ground game flying under the radar to pull the upset. Ground will beat air in this one. Look for a surprise in Pennsylvania. And, as Pennsylvania goes, so goes the nation. Pick: McCain