NFL Picks-Week 10

Last Week: 6-8 Season: 81-47

Really bad week last week. Time to bounce back.

Dallas at Arizona: The Cowboys follow up last week’s brain fart with a trip to the desert to play the woeful Cardinals. The Cardinals are a bad team. But, the Cowboy circus is coming to town, so anything can happen. Give me the Rib Man and company. Pick: Dallas
Houston at Jacksonville: The Jaguars are really good at home, and are looking for revenge of an earlier loss in Houston. The Texans are woefully inconsistent, and should have beaten the Giants last week. I’m not picking against the Jags at home. Pick: Jacksonville
Baltimore at Tennessee: The Ravens are cruising along at 6-2. The Vince Youngs had a bad day last week in a thumping at the hands of Jacksonville. Steve McNair has a successful return to Tennessee. Pick: Baltimore
Buffalo at Indianapolis: The Colts went 14 games before losing last year. They go undefeated for at least 9 games this year. Pick: Indy
Cleveland at Atlanta: I’m glad we’re not getting this game sent to us. Great candidate for a Sunday afternoon nap. Pick: Atlanta
Green Bay at Minnesota: Rivals meet for the 856th time. Brett Favre has played in 800 of those games. Vikes coming off of anemic, embarrassing performance in San Francisco. They can’t have two dud games in a row. Pick: Minnesota.
Kansas City at Miami: The Dolphins woke up from the dead last week to shock the Bears in Chicago. The Chiefs have their offense rolling behind backup quarterback Damon Huard, and are a surprising 5-3. Pick: Kansas City
New York Jets at New England: Rematch of earlier game won by the Patriots. This one won’t be much different. Pick: Pats
San Diego at Cincinnati: The most memorable game between these teams was in 1981, when the Bengals braved subzero temperatures in Cincinnati to defeat the Chargers and advance to Super Bowl XVI. It’ll be a lot warmer in the ‘Nati on Sunday, and there won’t be quite as much on the line, but it’s still a big game for the Bengals, with the season on the line. Pick: Cincy
San Francisco at Detroit: Speaking of Super Bowls, the Niners beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, played in Detroit, or nearby at the Pontiac Silverdome. The 49ers are a long way from the Super Bowl these days, but they do have three ugly wins. The Lions hit the win column last week, as well. Make that two in a row for Motown. Pick: Detroit
Washington at Philadelphia: Redskins got a big win last week against the Cowboys. The Iggles have been very inconsistent, and need to get a streak going. Donovan McNabb comes up big this week. Pick: Philly
Denver at Oakland: The Raiders have two wins, which are two more than many expected early in the season. The Broncos got a big road last week against the struggling Steelers. Broncos continue to roll against the hated Raiders. Pick: Denver
New Orleans at Pittsburgh: When this game was scheduled, it would not have been a surprise for one team to be 6-2, and the other to be 2-6. The surprise is that the Saints are 6-2, and the defending champion Steelers are 2-6. This has ambush written all over it. But I’m not biting on that. Saints win. Pick: New Orleans
St. Louis at Seattle: Winner is in 1st place in the NFC West. Seahawk studs Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck are listed as doubtful. It then becomes a question of which Rams team shows up. I’m guessing that the Seahawks come through at home. Pick: Seattle
Chicago at New York Giants: Both teams were looking ahead last week, as the Bears lost, and the Giants should have lost. This will still be a good game. The Giants have been looking better against better competition, and are playing at home. Pick: G-Men
Tampa Bay at Carolina: The Bucs have two wins, and one of them is over the Panthers. Lightning won’t strike twice. Pick: Carolina

College Picks-Weekend of November 11

There’s another big Thursday night game, so it’s another week for early picks.

Last Week: 12-8 Season: 138-62

I missed on Colorado School of Mines vs. Mesa State. It gets worse, as I picked Republicans over Democrats in both houses last night. Two years until the mother of all elections….

Texas Tech at Oklahoma: The Sand Aggies make their first trip to Norman since last year’s Big XII officiating debacle on the Plains, where Tech scored the winning touchdown on a questionable series of calls/no calls/booth reviews. Sooners take no prisoners. Pick: OU
Baylor at Oklahoma State: The Bears’ season is in a tailspin. The Cowboys are back home after being thumped by Texas. OSU can score points on anyone, except Texas. Pick: OSU
Nebraska at Texas A&M: Nebraska, for all intents and purposes, won the North last week over Missouri. The Aggies lost a close one to OU at home. The Ags bounce back here for win #9 in Fran’s make-or-break season. Pick: A&M
Texas at Kansas State: Yeah, right. Pick: Texas
Iowa State at Colorado: Worst game of the year in the Big XII Conference. One coach on the way out, the other on the way in. Cyclones have tanked the season. Pick: CU
Louisville at Rutgers: One week after winning the biggest regular-season game in school history, the Ville travels to undefeated Rutgers. Can the Ville defeat undefeated teams two weeks in a row? Yes. Will they? No. Rutgers shuts the Louisville critics up. Pick: Rutgers
Tennessee at Arkansas: The Vols had a good thing going until last week, when QB Erik Ainge was injured and Phat Phil’s Big Orange lost to the LSU Tigers. Now, they head for the hills of Arkansas, where the Hogs are having a fine season of their own. The Razorbacks continue to roll, at least for one more week. Pick: Arkansas
Ohio State at Northwestern: Buckeyes had a close call last week at Illinois, while Northwestern got their biggest win of the season to date at Iowa. Buckeyes continue to look ahead to the showdown with Michigan, but have enough to get through this one. Pick: Ohio State
Miami at Maryland: The Canes have much more important things on their mind, such as the murder of a teammate this week. No matter what, this would be the year of the Terp in this one. Fear the Turtle. Pick: Maryland
South Carolina at Florida: The Ole Ball Coach returns to the Swamp for the first time with the Gamecocks. He doesn’t have half the team at SC that Urban Meyer does at Florida. Pick: Gators
Notre Dame at Air Force: Air Force is fresh off a 43-7 pasting of Army, which could have been a lot worse. This could be a dangerous trip for the Irish. Talent prevails, though. Pick: Notre Dame
Alabama at LSU: The natives are restless in Tuscaloosa, as the Tide lost to SEC bottom-feeder Mississippi State last week. LSU saved their season last week, with a big win over Tennessee in Knoxville. LSU is a better team this year. Pick: Tigers
Wake Forest at Florida State: This is where we find out if the Deacons are for real. The ‘Noles have their worst team in 30 years, but are still dangerous at home. By the way, Bobby Bowden is a deacon, also, in a Baptist church in Tallahassee. He’s not a demon Deacon, though. FSU comes up big for the second week in a row. Pick: Seminoles
Oregon at USC: Big game at the Coliseum, the first of three this month for the Trojans, in addition to a date at the Rose Bowl with UCLA. The Men of Troy have lost one game to a team from Oregon. They won’t let it happen again. Pick: USC
N.C. State at Clemson: Another stop on the Chuck Amato death watch for the Wolfpack. Clemson finds itself as another middle-of-the pack ACC team, in a year when it was all there for the taking. Clemson has a better team this week. Pick: Clemson
Georgia at Auburn: The oldest rivalry in the South resumes. Georgia has been very disappointing this year. Auburn has the one loss to Arkansas. This might get ugly. Pick: Auburn
Minnesota at Michigan State: Minnesota is coming off a surprising blowout win over Indiana. Michigan State is playing out the string under lame duck coach John L. Smith. Flip a coin on this one. Pick: MSU
Vanderbilt at Kentucky: Cats need this one to become bowl eligible. Vandy is competitive, and will keep it close. Kentucky wins, though. Pick: UK
Wisconsin at Iowa: Hawkeyes are melting down fast. Wiscy is rolling through every team not named Michigan. Pick: Wisconsin
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Pomona-Pitzer: Battle of the Claremont Colleges. C-M-S is shooting for a winning season, while P-P has won two games all season. Pick: C-M-S

NFL Week In Review-Week 9

My take on the Cowboys-Redskins game is found elsewhere on this blog.

The New York Football Giants were nearly caught looking ahead to next week’s game with the Bears, as they scored a late touchdown to sneak past the Houston Texans, 14-10. Tiki Barber, the league’s leading rusher, finally scored his first touchdown of the season. David Carr bounced back for the Texans after last week’s benching, scoring a rushing touchdown. The Giants are in command of the NFC East with a record of 6-2.

Somewhere, Nick Buoniconti is smiling. The Miami Dolphins, winners of one previous game, defended the legacy of their 1972 undefeated team by defeating the previously undefeated Chicago Bears, 31-13. This is not the first time the Dolphins have beaten an undefeated Bears team, as they stopped the 1985 Bears juggernaut in a famous Monday Night game at the Orange Bowl. Joey Harrington is turning into a good NFL quarterback.

Harrington’s former team, the Lions, got a big win over the Atlanta Falcons, 30-14. Kevin Jones had two rushing touchdowns for Detroit. Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator, is a mad scientist, and has turned the Lions into an offensive machine. For one day, their defense cooperated, and they got their second win of the year.

The Buffalo Bills won the Snowplace Bowl, defeating the Green Bay Packers, 24-10. This game will prove to be totally irrelevant, as neither team is headed anywhere this year.

The Cincinnati Bengals are in big trouble. They are now 4-4, and trail the Baltimore Ravens by two games in the AFC North, after a 26-20 loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens are a force to be dealt with in the AFC.

Another AFC North team in even bigger trouble are the Pittsburgh Steelers. They fell to 2-6, with a 31-20 loss to the Denver Broncos. The Steelers are headed nowhere fast. The Broncos had a big day from Javon Walker, who had over 200 total yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. The Broncos are looking strong out West in the AFC.

Also looking good out West are the San Diego Chargers, who overcame a slow first half to defeat the Cleveland Browns, 32-25. The Chargers are now 6-2, as well.

Trent Green may not have a job when he comes back from injury. The Chiefs have now won 5 games with backup QB Damon Huard calling signals. The Chiefs won the Show Me Bowl yesterday over the St. Louis Rams, 31-17. Kansas City is in Missouri, while the Chiefs put the Rams into Misery.

Don’t you think the Jaguars would like to play all their games at home? Behind backup quarterback David Garrard, the Jags made the Titans look like a high school team, crushing them by a score of 37-7. The Jags are All-Pros at home, and dogs on the road.

Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, the New Orleans Saints won their sixth game of the year, as they thumped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-17. Marques Colston, the pride of Hofstra, caught another touchdown pass, and is the Rookie of the First Half of the Year, if there is such a thing. Sean Payton would qualify as Coach of the First Half of the Year.

Yesterday, in San Francisco, a snoozer of a game was staged. I don’t know if it was played, but there were two teams on the field doing something. The 49ers, as bad as they are, now have three wins, after defeating the Vikings 9-3 in a field goal festival. I am so glad our local Fox station decided to pick up the Cowboy game, as they were originally scheduled to show this barnburner at 3:00.

Finally, the Sunday Night game lived up to billing, as the Colts bumped their record up to 8-0, with a big win at New England. Peyton Manning had a couple of touchdown passes, and Tom Brady threw four interceptions. Most of the football world is now saying: “So what? Show me something in the playoffs.” That is where the Pats have the Colts: 3 rings to none. The Colts are the regular season’s team. It remains to be seen if it will transfer to the playoffs.

Big XII Rankings, BCS Projections, And Assorted Ramblings

It was an interesting weekend in college football. There were no major earth-shaking developments, unless you consider the money Las Vegas bookies made off of Ball State and Illinois as those squads fought hard against Michigan and Ohio State.

The Oklahoma Sooners went down to a hostile environment in College Station, and took care of business against the Aggies. Coach Bob Stoops returned to his riverboat gambling ways and made two dangerous play calls, showing confidence in his team. The first was after the Sooners had taken a 14-3 lead, and the Sooners attempted an onside kick. The Aggies recovered, but the message was sent. The second gutsy call occurred late in the game, with the Sooners trying to run out the clock in their own territory. On 4th and inches at their own 30 yard line, Stoops eschewed the punt, and called for a run. The Sooners converted the 1st down, and won the game 17-16.

A surprise is developing in Lexington, Kentucky. Fans and boosters have been calling for the head of coach Rich Brooks for, well, ever since he was hired. Brooks is best known for being the coach of the St. Louis Rams before Dick Vermeil won the Super Bowl, and for building the Oregon program before Mike Bellotti took it to another level. The Wildcats knocked off the reeling Georgia Bulldogs yesterday, giving the Wildcats their biggest win of the year, and putting them one step closer to a bowl. Brooks and staff appear to have saved their jobs, as well.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Sylvester Croom most likely saved his job as coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, with a stunning 24-16 upset over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Croom, one of the first African-Americans to play for Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Bama, was passed over for the Bama job in favor of Mike Shula. He has had a rough go of it at probation-riddled Mississippi State. In the meantime, the seat under coach Shula has become warm. Alabama should never lose to Mississippi State. But, USC should never lose to Oregon State, and they did. In these, the days of 85 scholarships, anything can happen, and usually does.

Discussion of the SEC would be incomplete without mentioning how LSU saved their season, as the Tigers of Less Smiles got out of Knoxville with a win over Phat Phil’s Big Orange of Tennessee. Tennessee lost quarterback Erik Ainge, which proved to be the slight difference in the game. The Vols still have games remaining against Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky, and their rebound season is far from complete. LSU is always dangerous.

The Louisville Cardinals made a statement on Thursday night at the Pizza Box with their win over West Virginia. They have an opportunity for an encore, as they visit undefeated Rutgers on Thursday night.

BCS Projections:

BCS NCG: Ohio State vs. Michigan (rematch)
Rose: Notre Dame vs. Cal
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Sugar: Florida vs. West Virginia (winner of three-way tie with Louisville and Rutgers)
Orange: Georgia Tech vs. Auburn

Big XII Rankings

1. Texas: No one in this conference can touch them.
2. Oklahoma: Have not missed a beat without Adrian Peterson.
3. Texas A&M: Following up OU loss with big home game with Nebraska.
4. Nebraska: Best of a bad bunch in the North.
5. Oklahoma State: Got spanked in Austin.
6. Missouri: Better than the dregs in the North, but not great.
7. Texas Tech: Hung half a hundred on Baylor.
8. Kansas State: Bowl eligible in Ron Prince’s first season.
9. Baylor: Struggling with injuries.
10. Kansas: A win over either of hated rivals KSU or Mizzou makes them bowl-eligible.
11. Iowa State: The death march for Dan McCarney is well underway.
12. Colorado: Dan Hawkins wishes he was still in Boise.

Don't Blame The Rib Man

I’ll review college football later, and the NFL tomorrow. This debacle in D.C. is too fresh not to address.

Tony Romo played a pretty good game. Terrell Owens cost the Rib Man a big play, though, in dropping a sure touchdown pass on what would have been a 70-yard bomb, and would have resulted in a 26-12 lead.

I’m really peeved at the Glorified Gym Teacher, or the New Jersey Con Man. That would be Bill Parcells. With a 6-5 lead in the second quarter (the most unstable of football scores), he decided to go for two, to create a three-point margin. Forget the “card”, or the tool that tells coaches to kick for one point or to go for a two-point conversion in certain situations, depending on the point spread. Don’t use the card in the first half! The Cowboys went for two, and missed. The Cowboys put themselves in a position where they were chasing those lost points for the rest of the game. Therefore, they were tied at the end of the game with a chance to win on a Mike Vanderjagt field goal. However, Vandy’s field goal was blocked by Sean Taylor, who promptly ran the ball back into Dallas territory. To add insult to injury, there was an incidental face mask penalty on the return, so Washington had an untimed down, and was in field goal range as a result of the return. Rookie kicker Nick Novak kicked a field goal, and the Redskins won the game.

This is the beginning of the end of the Big Bill era. Parcells has brought the Cowboys from the level of sucking to the level of mediocrity. However, the team does not appear to be ready to move to the level of greatness which Jerry Jones and Cowboy fans expect. I bet Jack Del Rio would leave Jacksonville to come back to the Cowboys. I wouldn’t mind seeing the return of Sean Payton, either, based on early returns from New Orleans. Heck, while talking about the Saints, let’s bring back Gary Gibbs. He can be the second ex-OU coach to be the head man in Dallas. This ship is in big trouble. Big Bill needs to go back to Jersey.

Week 9 NFL Picks

Last Week: 7-7 Season: 75-39

Dallas at Washington: Cowboys enter Game 2 of the Tony Romo era on a one-game winning streak, after pounding the Panthers in the second half for a 35-14 win. Bill Parcells did what Joe Gibbs has not done: replace his aging veteran quarterback, as Mark Brunell is still the quarterback in Washington. The Rib Man continues to grill, and the Cowboys sweep the hated Redskins. Pick: Dallas
Houston at New York Giants: David Carr is still the quarterback of the Texans, for now. He was benched last week, but has the dreaded vote of confidence and will be starting Sunday in the Jersey swamps. The Giants have won four games in a row by double-figure margins. This one should be no different. Pick: NYG
Kansas City at St. Louis: Winner gets to paint their team colors on the standing columns at the University of Missouri, located halfway between the two cities. Just kidding. The Chiefs have won four games with backup QB Damon Huard. The Rams were manhandled last week by the Chargers. This is the NFL, which means nothing is consistent. The Rams have home dome advantage. Pick: St. Louis
Atlanta at Detroit: The Lions have shown an ability to ring up yards and points, but only have one win to show for it. The Falcons are tied for first place in the NFC South. This is a potential shootout. The Lions can’t outscore the Falcons, though. Pick: Atlanta
Cincinnati at Baltimore: Huge game in the AFC North. Ocho Cinco needs to come up big for the Bengals. The Ravens would open up a two-game lead in the division with a win. The Ravens still have a strong defense, and have the home field. Pick: Baltimore
Green Bay at Buffalo: What are they playing for here, a golden snowball? The NFL would have done well to schedule this one in late December. The Packers are showing improvement. The Bills are just plain mediocre. Pick: Green Bay
Miami at Chicago: The Dolphins are the biggest disappointment in the league this year. The Bears are the most impressive team so far. This is a mismatch. Pick: Da Bears
New Orleans at Tampa Bay: Bucs return home to face the quick-starting Saints. The Saints suffered a crushing defeat last week at the hands of the Ravens. The Bucs have been strong at home, with wins over the Panthers and Eagles. Pick: Bucs
Tennessee at Jacksonville: David Garrard is back as starting QB in Jacksonville. The Titans have improved since Vince Young became their starting QB. The Jags need a win in the worst way. They get it here. Pick: Jacksonville
Minnesota at San Francisco: The Niners are awful. The Vikings are coming off a whipping by the Patriots. I know better than to pick San Francisco. Pick: Vikings
Cleveland at San Diego: The Browns won a game last week. I hope they enjoyed it, because San Diego is a step up in competition. The Chargers cruise. Pick: San Diego
Denver at Pittsburgh: This was supposed to be a marquee game. The Steelers have been a bad team recently, losing games like last week’s game against the Raiders. The Broncos have been stout on defense, until the Colts came to town last week. The Broncos have been better all year, and get revenge for last year’s AFC championship game. Pick: Denver
Indianapolis at New England: Regular season game of the year, to this date. The Colts are still unbeaten, and the Pats only have the hiccup loss to Denver. The Patriots keep replacing skill position players year after year, and continue winning. Bill Belichick is a mad scientist. Both teams leave Gillette Stadium with one loss. Pick: Pats
Oakland at Seattle: The Monday Night extravaganza brings a team known to some (Mike Rhyner) as the Greatness to the Northwest for a matchup with former division rival Seattle. The Seahawks are still missing QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Shaun Alexander in a huge way. The Raiders are still not very good, despite the two defensive touchdowns in last week’s win over the Steelers. Pick: Seattle

College Picks-Week of November 4

We’re in the homestretch, with conference championships, BCS bowls, and coaching jobs on the line. Two BCS conference jobs are already being vacated (North Carolina and Michigan State), with more on the way. We also have a de facto national championship semifinal this week, necessitating the early picks.

Who are these people out there already screaming that a team with one loss should be in the BCS national championship game over an undefeated team from the Big East? If a Big East team escapes undefeated, they will have most likely defeated two other teams with 10 wins, plus at least two other bowl teams. It’s a little early to have this argument, as I still think West Virginia, Louisville, and Rutgers will all defeat each other before it’s all said and done. Plus, Pittsburgh looms as a spoiler for either West Virginia or Louisville. The Big East has proven itself as a legitimate BCS conference. It has improved markedly, especially considering the losses of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College.

Last Week: 13-7 Season: 126-54

Picks for the week:

Oklahoma at Texas A&M: Saturday night at Kyle Field. A&M’s biggest game to date. OU got a huge road win last week at Missouri. The good fortune continues for the Sooners. Pick: OU
Oklahoma State at Texas: OSU came up huge last week at home against Nebraska. The past two years, they have rolled up big leads on Texas, only to lose. Saturday’s game in Austin shouldn’t lack for scoring, either. The Horns can outscore the Pokes, though. Pick: Texas
Missouri at Nebraska: Most likely for the championship of the Big XII North, which is similar to playing for the championship of District 20-5A. Winner has inside track to a game with Texas in Kansas City on the first weekend of December. Nebraska has shown more ineptitude, but has the home field. I can’t pick against the Huskers at home. Pick: NU
Baylor at Texas Tech: Baylor lost a game last week against A&M, and also lost QB Shawn Bell for the season due to injury. This hurts the Bears. Tech blew a lead against the hated Longhorns. Tech salvages some pride here. Pick: Tech
Kansas at Iowa State: KU bounced back with a win last week over the hapless Buffs. Iowa State was thumped by K-State, and coach Dan McCarney’s job is on the line after 12 years in Ames. The Jayhawks are a little better than the ‘Clones. Pick: KU
Kansas State at Colorado: K-State is inconsistent. The Buffs are improving, but competitive, especially for a team with one win. K-State needs one more win to become bowl eligible. They get it here. Pick: KSU
West Virginia at Louisville: The biggest game in the history of Thursday Night Football, as the Mountaineers visit the Pizza Box for a tilt with the undefeated Cardinals. The Cardinals definitely will miss star RB Michael Bush, who was injured in the first game of the year. WVU has rolled over opponents with their spread option attack, featuring RB Steve Slaton. WVU is the real deal. Pick: West Virginia
Maryland at Clemson: Clemson really shot themselves in the foot last week in Blacksburg. The Terps have bounced back from an early-season blowout at West Virginia and are now in contention for a division championship in the ACC. The Tigers bounce back here. Pick: Clemson
Penn State at Wisconsin: Don’t look now, but Wisconsin is a quiet 8-1. Orlando or Tampa will be a very nice trip for the Badgers on New Year’s Day. Badgers win again this week. Pick: Wisconsin
Virginia at Florida State: Florida State is reeling. The vultures are circling in Tallahassee, and are looking for someone’s head on a platter, preferably offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden. His father Bobby will protect him to the utter end, though, and may retire over the whole situation. Meanwhile, the ‘Noles struggle, and may not make a bowl. UVa got a win last week over N.C. State. FSU wakes up this week, and gets a win. Pick: Florida State.
TCU at UNLV: The Passin’ Rebels are in the tank, with no relief in sight, losers of seven in a row. TCU is looking for a late season spark, after a letdown in losses to BYU and Utah. Frogs win here, and it won’t be just Vegas luck. Pick: TCU
LSU at Tennessee: LSU got a raw deal from the SEC schedule makers, with road trips to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, and an improved Arkansas in the same season. This week, they get the Big Orange. Phat Phil’s team is two points away from an undefeated season and the national championship debate. LSU has run up big margins against lesser competition, but has come up short against quality teams. This game will retain that form. Pick: Tennessee
Georgia at Kentucky: The Bulldogs continue to struggle on the offensive side of the ball. Kentucky has a reasonable shot at a bowl game, with winnable games against Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe remaining. This will be closer than it ought to be, but Georgia has a bit more talent, and better coaching. Pick: Georgia
Washington at Oregon: The Huskies started well, but have now lost four in a row, including overtime losses to Cal and Arizona State. The Ducks are home, and will be more than up for their hated rival. Pick: Oregon
Tulsa at Houston: Big game in Western division of C-USA. Tulsa has been rolling through the conference for the second year in a row. There will be plenty of points scored in this one. Pick: Tulsa
Boston College at Wake Forest: Who would have thought that this game would have division, conference, and BCS implications? How much longer does the roll continue for Wake? We’ll soon find out. BC is just a little better. Pick: BC
Arkansas at South Carolina: The Hogs have rolled since their opening day blowout loss to the other USC. The Gamecocks have come up short in their big home games with Auburn and Tennessee. The third time is the charm for USC-East. Pick: Gamecocks
Arizona State at Oregon State: OSU-West got a huge, huge, huge win last week over USC. Arizona State escaped with an overtime win over Washington. The success continues for the Beavers. Pick: Oregon State
Purdue at Michigan State: How does Michigan State respond after the blowout loss to the Hoosiers and subsequent dismissal of its coaching staff? Good question. Pick: Purdue
Mesa State at Colorado School of Mines: Mesa has two wins, Mines has four. Mines is playing at home. Pick: Colorado School of Mines

NFL Week In Review-Week 8

Wow. It’s midseason, and quarterback issues are making their annual trip to the forefront, due to both injuries and poor play. 10 of the 32 teams have already started multiple quarterbacks this season. It is definitely the impact position in the National Football League.

The most high-profile quarterback change has occurred in Dallas, as Drew Bledsoe was benched in favor of the Rib Man, Tony Romo. Romo struggled in the first half, before directing the Cowboys to a second-half blowout, as Dallas defeated the Carolina Panthers 35-14. This was a season-saving win for the Cowboys. It remains to be seen if this is the beginning of great things for the Rib Man, or if it is a blip on the radar in the tradition of Cowboy backups such as Clint Longley and Jason Garrett. I picked against the Cows at my peril. I played with fire and got burned.

Another quarterback controversy is flaring in Houston, as David Carr was benched after an awful first half against the Titans, throwing an interception, taking four sacks, and losing two fumbles, including one returned for a touchdown. Sage Rosenfels threw three touchdown passes, but it was not enough, as the Texans lost to Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans, 28-22.

From first to worst? Ben Roethlisberger is having an awful season, and the Steelers are right there with him. Big Ben was sacked five times, threw four interceptions, and had two of them returned for touchdowns, as the sorry Oakland Raiders defeated the Steelers, 20-13. The Steelers have joined the race for the #1 pick in the draft. Could Ben be benched in favor of Charlie Batch?

The leader for the #1 pick in the draft is the Arizona Cardinals, who have already changed quarterbacks, and are playing rookie 1st round pick Matt Leinart. The Cardinals’ defense allowed not one, but two 100-yard rushing days, as the Green Bay Packers rode Ahman Green and Vernand Morency to a 31-14 win. I hope Edgerrin James likes all that money he’s making in Arizona, because he left a Super Bowl contender to go to the worst organization in football. They have a nice new stadium, which amounts to putting lipstick on a pig.

The Baltimore Ravens came up big, as they went down to the Big Easy and whipped the Saints, 35-22. The Saints came up with some garbage time points to make it respectable. Steve McNair is still a quality quarterback, something that has been lacking in B-more.

The Atlanta Falcons went to Cincinnati and pulled out a 29-27 win over the Bengals. Michael Vick threw for three touchdown passes, as he comes into his own as a passing quarterback. Chad Johnson had a touchdown catch, after taking the field for warm-ups with “Ocho Cinco” as the nameplate on the back of his jersey. Highlights showed an upset Carson Palmer ripping the patch off, to reveal the normal “C. Johnson” above the number 85. Is he trying out for a gig on ESPN8-The Ocho?

The Philadelphia Eagles laid the biggest egg. Their high-powered offense could only manage six points at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags were missing QB Byron Leftwich, and won with backup David Garrard. Garrard was last seen directing the Jags into the playoffs last season, as Leftwich was injured.

Don’t look now, but Damon Huard has won four games as the starter in Kansas City. The banged-up Seahawks went into Arrowhead without their two main offensive weapons, and lost to the Chiefs, 35-28. Larry Johnson scored three touchdowns for the Chiefs.

The 49ers are awful. The Bears are good. The expected rout occurred yesterday in Chicago, as the Bears crushed the Niners, 41-10. A once-proud franchise in San Francisco has gone to the dogs. This Cowboy fan doesn't mind that, at all.

Tiki Barber and the Giants won the Barber Bowl, defeating Ronde and the Bucs, 17-3. Just another day at the office for the Giants, as Tiki Barber ran between the 10 yard lines, and Brandon Jacobs scored from the goal line. The Giants lead the NFC East.

The Chargers took care of business against the Rams, winning 38-24 in San Diego. LaDainian Tomlinson had a normal day, with two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown catch.

Prior to Sunday’s game with the Colts, the Broncos had given up two touchdowns all season. The Colts went to Denver and scored 34 points, defeating the Broncos, 34-31. Peyton Manning had three touchdown passes for Indianapolis. This goes a long way toward the Colts attaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, and avoiding a trip back to Denver and a possible snow storm in January.

The sad-sack Browns got their second win of the season, defeating the Jets, 20-13. The Jets’ offense was pretty non-existent, as their lone touchdown came on a kickoff return.

A Good Day To Be OSU, A Bad Day To Be USC

Schools with the initials OSU went 3-0 yesterday.

The #1-ranked Buckeyes from The Ohio State University rolled over hapless Minnesota, 44-0. Another day at the office in Columbus.

Oklahoma State knocked off Big XII North leader Nebraska 41-29. The Oklahoma Aggies are a force to be reckoned with, especially in Stillwater. Nebraska, once again, is not quite ready for prime time. The Big XII North is awful, again.

And, in the upset of the day, and possibly the season, Oregon State defeated USC, 33-31. The Beavers led by as much as 33-10, before the Trojans rallied to close to within two points. USC scored in the last 10 seconds of the game, but the Beavers denied the two-point conversion to save the win. It was definitely a goalpost game in Corvallis. Definition of goalpost game: a big win in which the home team’s fans have reason to swarm the field to tear down the goalposts.

In Columbia, the other USC also lost to an orange-clad team, as Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks lost to Phat Phil’s Big Orange of Tennessee, 31-24. Tennessee continues their rebound season.

The SEC, at the moment, is staring at a championship game between Arkansas and Florida. This year, a 3rd place game between Auburn and Tennessee would be well worth a doubleheader. Both are top ten teams, and have a chance to make a BCS bowl without making it to the championship game.

The ACC, on the other hand, is looking at either Boston College, Wake Forest, or Maryland on one side of their championship game, to play Georgia Tech. Good luck selling tickets in Jacksonville for that. Wasn’t this expansion intended to put Florida State and Miami together for a championship game every year?

BCS Bowl Projections
BCS NCG: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Rose: USC vs. Michigan
Sugar: Florida vs. Notre Dame
Orange: Boston College vs. Auburn

Big XII Rankings
1. Texas: Escaped with a win at Tech. Should talk with travel agent about reservations for Kansas City in the first weekend in November.
2. Oklahoma: Big win at Missouri. Even without Adrian Peterson, the best team outside of Texas.
3. Texas A&M: Saturday night at Kyle Field against OU should be quite the spectacle.
4. Oklahoma State: Big jump after big win over Nebraska.
5. Nebraska: Took two steps backward yesterday in Stillwater.
6. Missouri: Maybe they’re not all that after all.
7. Texas Tech: Just missed big upset over Texas. Have slipped a tiny bit from past years.
8. Baylor: They would own the North division.
9. Kansas State: One more win puts them into a bowl.
10. Kansas: Back in the win column after some rotten luck.
11. Iowa State: Looking more like some of the pre-McCarney teams.
12. Colorado: Long year in Boulder.

NFL Picks-Week 8

Last Week: 8-5 Season: 68-32

Dallas at Carolina: The Cowboys are mired in yet another quarterback controversy. Drew Bledsoe has been benched in favor of Tony Romo. I like some of what I see in him, but ultimately, I'm afraid this is another in a long line of spare quarterbacks for the Cowboys. Meanwhile, the Panthers are a pretty decent team. It's easy to forget that the Cowboys are 5-0 in the regular season against Carolina. That's because they are 0-2 in the playoffs against them. I have a bad feeling about this one. Pick: Carolina
Houston at Tennessee: What was once a candidate for the Suck Bowl is turning into a decent (not great) matchup. The Texans now have two wins. The Titans have one win, and have shown marked improvement with Vince Young at quarterback. The Titans break out the Oilers' Columbia blue and win this one in Music City. Pick: Titans
Atlanta at Cincinnati: There should be some fireworks here. Michael Vick comes off his first four-touchdown performance. The Bengals got a big win last week against Carolina. The home field is safe here. Pick: Cincy
Arizona at Green Bay: The Packers are starting three rookies on the offensive line. They got a win last week in Miami. The Cardinals are one of the great disappointments so far this year. Birds do not fly north for the winter, nor do they belong in Green Bay. Pick: Green Bay
Baltimore at New Orleans: Irresistible force (Saints' offense) vs. immovable object (Ravens' D)? Almost. The Saints have so much going for them so far this year. The roll lasts at least one more week. Pick: New Orleans
Seattle at Kansas City: The AFC West Reunion tour continues for the Seahawks. Seattle is in big trouble, as Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander are still injured. There is a big difference between them and their replacements, Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris. Speaking of backups, the Chiefs have won three games with Damon Huard at quarterback following the injury to Trent Green. Seahawks are in big trouble. Pick: Kansas City
Jacksonville at Philadelphia: The Jaguars are coming off an embarrasing loss to the Texans, while Philly was beaten on a 62 yard field goal last week. The Jags continue to struggle on the road. Philly bounces back. Pick: Eagles
San Francisco at Chicago: The 49ers are the worst two-win team out there. Those wins are against the sorry Cardinals and the sorry Raiders. Da Bears are having one of those seasons where everything goes right. Chicago moves one step closer to destiny. Pick: Chicago
Tampa Bay at New York Giants: The Bucs have new life with new rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski. The Giants mangled the Cowboys last week. In the last Barber Bowl, Tiki gets the win over brother Ronde. Pick: G-Men
St. Louis at San Diego: This is not a baseball game. It's a good football game. The Rams have been a surprise up to this point. The Chargers are strong, but were shocked last week in Kansas City. The Bolts bounce back this week. Pick: San Diego
Indianapolis at Denver: One of the best games of the year. The Broncos have given up two touchdowns all season. The Colts are still unbeaten. What gives? Outdoors, on grass, in the mountains-don't doubt the Broncos. Pick: Denver
New York Jets at Cleveland: The Jets aren't the greatest team out there. But, they have been winning games against teams they are supposed to beat. The Browns are yet another one of those. The misery continues in Cleveland. Pick: Jets
Pittsburgh at Oakland: Ugh. The Steelers are struggling. But, they get some medicine in the sorry Raiders. I'm glad I won't be watching this one. Pick: Oakland
New England at Minnesota: Good Monday Night game. The Pats continue to win. The Vikes have been a nice surprise. This one's in the dome. Pick: Minnesota

College Picks-Weekend of October 28

A little late on the picks this week, as I was out of town yesterday. For the record, I was in Las Vegas interviewing for a job. I didn’t get the job, but I won $70 on slots in the airport, so it wasn’t all for naught. I caught a red-eye back to Texas, so I am running on airport and airplane sleep. Bed will be good tonight.

It’s tough to find 20 games worthy of picks this week.

Last Week: 14-6 Season: 113-47

Oklahoma at Missouri: Missouri is a solid team, but this is their toughest test to date, even as OU is without Adrian Peterson. The Sooners desperately need for something good to happen for them. This is the week it does. Pick: OU
Texas at Texas Tech: Texas loses every four years in Lubbock, losing out there in 2002, 1998, and 1994. This isn’t one of the better Tech teams, though. The pattern ends here. Pick: Texas
Texas A&M at Baylor: Both teams are 3-1 in the Big XII. A&M was the beneficiary of a bad snap last week in Stillwater, as the Texas Aggies won in overtime, 35-34. Baylor is vastly improved. The Bears win this week, and it won’t be an upset. Pick: Baylor
Nebraska at Oklahoma State: OSU lost a heartbreaker in OT last week against A&M. Nebraska had their hearts broken by the Longhorns. Nebraska is a little better than OSU, though the game is in Stillwater. Pick: Nebraska
Iowa State at Kansas State: These second-division games in the Big XII North all look alike now. Iowa State is banged up after a brutal stretch of schedule. K-State is at home, and has shown signs of improvement at times this season. Pick: K-State
Colorado at Kansas: KU is reeling, after losing a rash of close games. Colorado is improving, ever so slightly. KU gets things right this week. Pick: KU
Georgia vs. Florida at Jacksonville: No matter what CBS, ESPN, the SEC, or the universities say, this is still the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Georgia is struggling as the worst 6-2 team in America. Florida is shaping up as the best team in the best conference in the nation. Pick: Florida
USC at Oregon State: Is this an ambush waiting to happen in Corvallis? Almost, but not quite. OSU-West will give SC a battle, but SC will squeak by, as has become normal this year. Pick: USC
Tennessee at South Carolina: The Vols have bounced back in a big way this season. However, this game has one X-factor: Phil Fulmer is the coach for Tennessee, while his nemesis Steve Spurrier is the coach for the Gamecocks. Spurrier owns Fulmer. Spurrier doesn’t have half the team Fulmer does this year, but his magic continues. Spurrier is a mad scientist, and the ‘Cocks are at home. Pick: USC-East
Wyoming at TCU: Cowboy Joe comes to Texas to play the Frogs. Wyoming has won 3 conference games, while the Frogs are 0-2 in the Mountain West. The Frogs get back on track this week against a conference opponent. Pick: TCU
Miami at Georgia Tech: The Larry Coker death watch continues. Miami is in a tough spot this week, as Georgia Tech is having a good season, and stands a great chance of being in Jacksonville for the ACC championship game. Pick: Georgia Tech
Kentucky at Mississippi State: Not the best game in the SEC this week. Both teams stand a good chance of finishing last in their respective divisions. But, this shapes up to be a competitive game. Pick: Kentucky
Wake Forest at North Carolina: Wake Forest is ranked 22nd, North Carolina fired their coach this week. Wake is a team of destiny. Pick: Wake Forest
Ohio at Kent State: Battle for 1st place in the MAC Eastern Division. Kent State has come out of nowhere this season to roll through their MAC schedule. Pick: Kent State
BYU at Air Force: The Y is undefeated in conference play. Classic matchup between passing team and running team. The Falcons last week gave up the first win to San Diego State, and now head to Provo. Pick: BYU
Washington State at UCLA: Bruins had their hearts broken last week at Notre Dame. Now, the Bruins attempt to bounce back. They’ll do so. Pik: UCLA
Illinois at Wisconsin: The Fighting Ron Zooks take their show on the road to Madison. The Badgers have only one loss. They’ll still have one loss after Saturday. Pick: Wisconsin
Syracuse at Cincinnati: Cuse hits the road, and goes to Cincinnati. No, the university’s football games are not on WKRP. Pick: the ‘Nati
N.C. State at Virginia: A coach on the hot seat (Amato, NC State) vs. one that should be (Groh, UVa). The Wolfpack come out and play well this week. Pick: NC State
Upper Iowa at University of Mary (N.D.):They play football in Bismarck, North Dakota. The thought of being at this game makes me cold. Besides, how can I pick against the mother of Jesus? Pick: Mary

All That, For This?

As I write, the Cowboys are losing to the Giants, 26-7, at the end of the third quarter. Barring a Staubachesque comeback, the Cowboys are on the receiving end of a butt kicking.

Was tonight the end of the Drew Bledsoe era? He really stunk in the first half, doing his best imitation of the Statue of Liberty, taking sack after sack while throwing more picks than a frustrated guitarist. Bill Parcells replaced Bledsoe with the Rib Man, Tony Romo, for the second half. Romo promptly threw an interception (off a tipped ball) deep inside Dallas territory, to set up a touchdown for the G-men. Since then, he is making some things happen with his mobility. On both sides of the ball, though, the Cowboys look a day late and a dollar short. Bill Parcells didn't sign up for this. He is in danger of living up to his nickname of the Glorified Gym Teacher.

Terrell Owens just caught a touchdown pass to narrow the deficit. He has been a pretty good receiver, but his value really comes by providing opportunities for Terry Glenn to come up big. That does not totally justify the money Jerry Jones is paying him. But, Jerry is all about the buzz, and T.O. brings plenty of buzz. Something is missing here, especially with the investment Jerry has made in Big Bill and T.O.

It looks like Tony Romo is the quarterback of the near future at Valley Ranch. The alternatives can't be worse. Good luck to Tony. By the way: the ribs are good!

NFL Week 7 In Review

Another trip around the NFL….

The Pirate Ship in Tampa was the scene of a bizarre game yesterday. Donovan McNabb threw 5 touchdown passes. Three of them were to Eagles. The other two were to Ronde Barber of the Bucs, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns. The Bucs won on a 62-yard field goal by Matt Bryant, the third longest in NFL history. With that kick went my chances in survival football, as I’m done in week 7.

Pittsburgh and Atlanta have wild games whenever they get together. In their last meeting four years ago, they played to the last regular season tie in an NFL game. Yesterday, they lit up the scoreboard, and 46 year old Morten Andersen hit the game winner for the Falcons in overtime, 41-38. Hines Ward caught three touchdown passes for the Steelers in his return to Georgia. Michael Vick accounted for three touchdowns for the Falcons. The Falcons also knocked out Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The defending world champions are now 2-4.

Another team that is now 2-4 is the Houston Texans. The Jacksonville Jaguars really stunk yesterday, and made the Texans look like the ’72 Dolphins. The Texans won going away, 27-7. Maybe they should wear red more often.

Speaking of the Dolphins, the ’06 edition is not nearly as good as they were expected to be. Brett Favre and the Packers went down to Miami and outscored the Dolphins, 34-24. The Dolphins have won one game all year. They are in contention for the top pick in the draft.

Another wild game occurred in the Jersey swamps, as the Jets moved to 4-3, with a 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions. The Jets are taking care of business against the teams that they are supposed to beat.

The Cincinnati Bengals perhaps saved their season, with a comeback win over the Carolina Panthers, 17-14. The Bengals needed it desperately to keep up with the Ravens in the AFC North. The Panthers end a four game winning streak.

The New England Patriots continue to do what they are supposed to do. They were able to handle the Buffalo Bills, 28-6. Buffalo is pretty mediocre. The Patriots are winning their games in a weak division.

Kansas City was host to a thriller, as they were able to hold off the Chargers, 30-27. LaDainian Tomlinson threw a touchdown pass for the Chargers. However, Lawrence Tynes made up for a missed extra point with a game-winning field goal.

The Denver Broncos did their job, going to Cleveland and winning, 17-7. The Broncos gave up only their second touchdown of the season. However, they were able to score two touchdowns, as their offense begins to wake up.

The Indianapolis Colts stayed undefeated, with a 36-21 whipping of the Washington Redskins. Two of the Redskins’ touchdowns were on kickoff returns. Peyton Manning threw four touchdown passes. I was a happy camper, as he is quarterback of my fantasy team.

The Seattle Seahawks are hurting. Already missing star RB Shaun Alexander, they lost QB Matt Hasselbeck to a sprained knee. The Minnesota Vikings took advantage of the circumstances, and beat the Seahawks, 31-13. Chester Taylor set a Vikings record with a 95 yard run for a touchdown.

The Suck Bowl took place in Oakland yesterday, as the Raiders escaped the winless column with a 22-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are reeling, and now are on track for another high draft pick, to go along with their talented skill position players. Same old Cardinals. A skunk by any other name still stinks.

More Rumblings

This weekend could be described as the week of the near miss. Oklahoma State, UCLA, Washington, and Nebraska all barely missed upsets over ranked opponents. Texas A&M beat OSU in overtime, as the Cowboys had a botched snap on an extra point in overtime to lose 34-33. Notre Dame came back to beat UCLA on the last play of the game, 20-17. Washington forced overtime with Cal on a catch of a Hail Mary pass, but could not get past the Bears in overtime, and lost 31-24. Nebraska had Texas beaten, but fumbled with two minutes to go in their own territory, allowing Texas to score at the end of the game to win, 22-20.

Duke barely missed winning their first game, losing to suspension-riddled Miami, 20-15. The Blue Devils had the ball on the Miami 5 yard line at the end of the game, but threw an interception to give the ‘Canes the victory.

The Bowl Championship Series picture is shaking out slowly, but surely. There are 7 undefeated teams: Ohio State, Michigan, USC, West Virginia, Louisville, Rutgers, and Boise State. Boise, if they finish undefeated, will most likely be in a BCS bowl. Ohio State and Michigan are on a collision course with each other for the biggest game in the history of their historic rivalry. USC is mortal, but has managed to beat every team they have played to date. West Virginia and Louisville play next Thursday night at the Pizza Box in Louisville. Both teams still have to play Rutgers.

Big XII Rankings for this week:

1. Texas: Escaped Lincoln with a win. Can begin making hotel reservations for Kansas City in first weekend of December.
2. Nebraska: Had their chances to beat Texas, but still a tad bit better than the rest of the league.
3. Oklahoma: AD-less Sooners have their biggest test Saturday in Columbia.
4. Texas A&M: Lucky to escape Stillwater with a win.
5. Missouri: Chance for their biggest win to date with Sooners coming to town.
6. Texas Tech: Not as good as in previous years, but got road win at Iowa State.
7. Baylor: Last time the Bears had 3 conference wins, they were in the Southwest Conference.
8. Oklahoma State: Outplayed A&M, only to lose heartbreaker.
9. Iowa State: Beaten up by tough schedule: Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Tech.
10. Kansas: Blew big lead at Baylor. 3-5 could very easily be 7-1. Snakebitten.
11. Colorado: Anemic offense did very little in Norman.
12. Kansas State: New coach, growing pains, long season.

NFL Picks-Week 7

Last Week: 8-5 Season: 60-27

New York Giants at Dallas: This week’s Monday Night extravaganza comes from the future site of the Irving Industrial Park, at the corner of highways 114, 183, and Loop 12, also known as Texas Stadium. Both teams need this one bad. Both are 3-2, and are trying to keep up with the Iggles. Can Drew Bledsoe stave off a quarterback controversy, with the Rib man waiting in the wings? Will T.O. show up? Or, will Tiki Barber torch the Cowboys on their home field? Pick: Dallas, of course.
Jacksonville at Houston: They’re calling it Battle Red Day in Houston. It’s the day the Texans wear red jerseys, and the fans are asked to wear red. They need a gimmick, because they’re still a bad team. The Jaguars have shown signs of greatness, but have still not won a road game. That changes this week. Pick: Jacksonville
Carolina at Cincinnati: The Panthers are hot, having won four in a row after losing their first two games. The Bengals come off a loss at Tampa Bay. The Bengals need this one desperately. Pick: Cincinnati
Detroit at New York Jets: The Lions won their first game last week, while the Jets beat the sorry Dolphins. The Jets continue to beat up on weak sisters. Pick: Jets
Green Bay at Miami: This smells like week-old cheese. Both teams are bad. Miami has switched to Joey Harrington at quarterback. I don’t know if that will help them. Brett Favre can still sling it. Green Bay will outscore the Dolphins. Pick: Green Bay
New England at Buffalo: The Patriots are head and shoulders above the rest of their division, again. The Bills are pretty mediocre. The Patriots go for the sweep. Pick: New England
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay: The Bucs got their first win last week, behind rookie quarterback and ex-Toledo Rocket Bruce Gradkowski (How’d the MAC become the cradle of quarterbacks?). Philly keeps finding ways to win. Pick: Philly
Pittsburgh at Atlanta: The Steelers got a big win last week. The Falcons lost a lead and the game to the Giants. The Steelers are too inconsistent. The Falcons are at home. Pick: Atlanta
San Diego at Kansas City: The Chargers have been impressive with new QB Phillip Rivers and all-world RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Trent Green is still out for the Chiefs, leaving Damon Huard at QB. The Chargers are on a roll. Pick: San Diego
Denver at Cleveland: The Broncos have a great defense, and are struggling on offense. The Browns are struggling, period. As the Broncos return to Cleveland 20 years after “The Drive”, they won’t need magic. They’ll just win. Pick: Denver
Arizona at Oakland: McAfee Coliseum will need a post-game check for toxic waste, due not to a bomb threat, but to the suckiness of the teams involved. Arizona has more talent than the Raiders, but they are snakebitten after the events of the last two weeks. Oakland is a bad team, but this is one of their best chances for a win this year. Pick: Oakland
Minnesota at Seattle: Seattle got a big win in St. Louis last week. The Vikings aren’t bad, but won’t be able to pull this one off in Starbucksville. Pick: Seattle
Washington at Indianapolis: The Redskins are fresh off giving the Titans their first win of the year. Their fortunes won’t change this week. The Colts are rested and ready to go. Pick: Indy

Baseball: It's Not What It Used To Be

Last night, the St. Louis Cardinals used a 9th inning home run from Yadier Molina to defeat the New York Mets in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. The Cardinals now hop on a plane to Detroit, to meet the Tigers in game 1 of the World Series.

This series illustrates how much baseball has changed in my lifetime. When these two teams last met in the World Series, it was 1968, and I was in diapers. Both teams won their leagues in the last year before divisional play. There were no division series or league championship series, but the best team over 162 games won the pennant and went to the World Series.

Turn the clock to 2006. The Tigers led the American League Central Division for almost the entire season, until the final weekend. They had a series at home against the Kansas City Royals, the team with the worst record in baseball. Detroit needed to win only one game to clinch the division. The Royals swept three games from the Tigers, including a comeback from a 6-0 deficit in the final game. What did it cost the Tigers? They got to be the wild card team, and had to play the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs, instead of hosting Oakland. In the old days, they would have stayed home, with 95 wins. Instead, they got hot, winning the last three games against the Yankees, and sweeping four games from the Athletics.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, led the weak National League Central division for the entire season. With two weeks to play, they had an 8 ½ game lead over the Houston Astros. They lost 8 games in a row, and the lead shrunk to ½ game, before they split a four-game series with Milwaukee to salvage a division championship. They advanced to the post-season with a record of 83-78. They would have finished 13 1/2 games out of first place in their old division, the National League East. They were given up for dead in the post-season, but beat San Diego 3 games to 1, then beat the Mets in a 7 game series to advance to the World Series.

What does this prove? Baseball has changed, especially with the addition of the extra division and the wild card. The best team in the regular season does not always win at the end, especially in the convoluted post-season. Anything can happen in a best-of-5 or best-of-7 series, and usually does. It’s all about timely hitting and pitching.

I’ve bombed one prediction already, as I picked the Yankees to beat San Diego in the World Series. I’ll take a do-over on that one. Detroit in 5.

College Picks-Weekend of October 22

College Picks-Weekend of October 22

Last Week: 12-8 Season: 99-41

Improved a little on the picks, but there is still room for improvement…

Here it goes for this week:

Colorado at Oklahoma: Colorado is coming off of their first win. Oklahoma is missing franchise RB Adrian Peterson. This won’t be a total blowout, but OU wins.
Texas at Nebraska: The Huskers are not quite ready for prime time. Texas has won in their two previous trips to Lincoln in Big XII play. Make this a third. Pick: Texas
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State: Ag Bowl II. OSU is probably more of an agricultural school than Texas A&M these days. However, this isn’t fertilizer science or agronomy, it’s football. Both teams won last week. It comes down to the A&M offense vs. the OSU defense. A&M milks the clock and wins the game. Pick: A&M
Texas Tech at Iowa State: Last week, Tech became the first team to lose to Colorado. Iowa State has gotten through a murderer’s row of a schedule, with Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma in consecutive weeks. They obviously do not have friends in the conference office. Tech continues to struggle. Pick: Iowa State
Kansas State at Missouri: Missouri returns home after suffering their first loss. Tigers bounce back here. Pick: Mizzou
Kansas at Baylor: KU is now in a free fall, having lost their first three conference games. Baylor improves every week. I hate Dr. Pepper, but I think Baylor will win this week. Pick: Baylor
UCLA at Notre Dame: Notre Dame gets the other guys from Los Angeles. UCLA can’t keep up with the Irish. Pick: Notre Dame
Alabama at Tennessee: No longer played on the Third Saturday in October, but a huge game, no matter the records. Tennessee is very good this year. Bama is a disappointment. Pick: Tennessee
Georgia Tech at Clemson: Possible preview of ACC championship game. Ramblin’ Wreck have not lost since opening game against Notre Dame. Clemson has not lost since a week 2 hiccup to Boston College. The game is in Death Valley, giving Clemson the advantage in a close one. Pick: Climpson
Rutgers at Pittsburgh: Scarlet Knights take their unbeaten record to the Ketchup Bowl to take on once-beaten Pittsburgh. Pitt is the best team Rutgers has faced to date. Both teams leave this one with one loss. Pick: Pittsburgh
West Virginia at Connecticut: Mountaineers on a collision course with Louisville. They should handle UConn. Pick: West Virginia
Wisconsin at Purdue: Wisconsin only has one loss. Purdue will wind up in a bowl somewhere. Wiscy is a little better than the Boilermakers. Pick: Wisconsin
TCU at Army: TCU has been beaten up bad the last two games by the two teams from Utah. After the week off, they venture to the banks of the Hudson River. Army will give TCU all they want, but TCU has too much talent. Pick: TCU
Washington at California: Washington is much improved. Cal has bounced back well after their opening loss to the Vols. Pick: Cal
Boston College at Florida State: The Eagles are ranked 22nd, and the Seminoles are not ranked. How the mighty have fallen. FSU has pride, and pride will carry them this week. Speaking of pride, the Seminoles will be wearing black uniforms, in honor of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Pick: FSU
UTEP at Houston: Speaking of free fall, that describes the Cougars. After barely losing to the U in Miami, Houston has since lost to Louisiana-Lafayette and Southern Miss. UTEP is talented and well-coached. The game is in Houston, but that won’t matter. Pick: UTEP
South Carolina at Vanderbilt: Vandy is coming off an upset of Georgia, the first time they have defeated a ranked opponent in 58 games. The ‘Cocks aren’t as good as Georgia. The ‘Dores continue to improve. Pick: Vandy
Louisville at Syracuse: Louisville is rolling along, and has a big game next week at the Pizza Box against West Virginia. The ‘Cuse has improved a lot as they have changed to the old-school uniforms. This one is in the dome, and the Ville better be ready. Pick: Syracuse
Miami (or what’s left of them) vs. Duke: Not quite half of Miami’s team were suspended as a result of last week’s fight with Florida International. Duke hasn’t won a game all year. Miami is down, but their mix of starters and reserves should still be able to handle the Dukies. Pick: Miami
Blackburn (Ill.) at Maranatha Baptist Bible College (Wis.): Maranatha has won three games, and Blackburn has won two. Maranatha has the home-field advantage. Pick: Maranatha

Don't Count Your Cardinals Before They Hatch

As I wrote last night, the Arizona Cardinals had a 23-3 lead over the Bears in the 3rd quarter. The Bears made a rendezvous with destiny, as they scored two defensive touchdowns, then went ahead on a Devin Hester punt return. The Cardinals gave Neil Rackers a chance to win the game with a 40-yard field goal, but he missed.

That game defined the term "finding a way to lose". This is the second week in a row the Cardinals have blown a 14-0 lead to lose a game. The Curse of Bidwill lives on. No matter the city: Chicago, St. Louis, Tempe, or Glendale, the Cardinals still stink.

The Bears are pretty good, though. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Chicago.

NFL Week In Review-Week 6

Another trip down the road known as the National Football League…

The first half of yesterday’s Cowboys-Texans game was one of the ugliest displays of football I’ve seen in a while. The Cowboys played to the Texans’ level and trailed 6-3 at the half. Big Bill must have said something at halftime, because the Cowboys crushed them in the second half to win 34-6. Terrell Owens caught three touchdown passes, including the first TD pass by Tony “Ribs” Romo. Texas Stadium-A Place For Ribs?

The Tennessee Titans got their first win of the season, going into Washington and defeating the Redskins. What is up with the Redskins? The Titans are improving in a hurry, with Vince Young at QB.

There was a barn-burner in St. Louis yesterday, as the Seattle Seahawks kicked a field goal at the end of the game to defeat the Rams. Torry Holt made an awesome juggling catch at full speed for the go-ahead TD, but the Seahawks had the ball last and won the game on an FG.

How about the Saints!?! Break them up! They’re 5-1. They have a very good QB in Drew Brees, a healthy Deuce McAllister, and two good rookies on offense in Reggie Bush and Marques Colston. They’re the real deal. Big win over the Eagles on Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers won their fourth game in a row, over the Ravens in Baltimore. They are starting to live up to pre-season hype.

Congrats to the Detroit Lions, on their first win of the season. The Tigers’ mojo did make it across the street to Ford Field for yesterday’s game.

Congrats also to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also won their first game, over the tiger-striped guys from Cincinnati.

The New York Football Giants saved their season yesterday, with a comeback win over the Atlanta Michael Vicks.

The Jets sucked less than the Dolphins yesterday. Enough said.

Speaking of suck, the 49ers continue to define the word. No NFL team should give up 48 points to anybody, though the Chargers are a good team.

Any discussion of 40+ point games this week is incomplete without mention of Pittsburgh’s 45-7 rout of Kansas City. I don’t know if the Steelers will be back in the Super Bowl, but I know the Chiefs won’t be there.

The worst team in the league continues to be the Oakland Raiders, 13-3 losers to Denver. Al Davis needs to have mercy on all of us and sell the team. Commitment to Excellence? Just Win, Baby? Puhleeze. This is a joke.

The sorry Cardinals are taking the undefeated Bears to the woodshed as I write. There is hope in the desert. Isn’t it unstable, though, that they play in a stadium named for a university without a football team (University of Phoenix Stadium)?

Rumblings

Rumblings from the weekend in college football…

As I expected, Auburn bounced back from their unexpected loss to Arkansas to take care of business against the Florida Gators. This leaves one unbeaten team in SEC play: the Arkansas Razorbacks. It also leaves five undefeated teams in BCS conferences: Ohio State, Michigan, USC, West Virginia, and Louisville. USC has two tough games remaining, against Cal and Oregon. Ohio State and Michigan play each other at the end of the season, and West Virginia and Louisville play each other next Thursday night.

There were two upsets of significance in the Top 25 yesterday. The Vanderbilt Commodores went between the hedges and defeated the 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, 24-22. Vandy had lost 58 games in a row to ranked opponents before yesterday. The Bulldogs are struggling in a huge way. In Bloomington, Indiana, the Indiana Hoosiers shocked the #15 Iowa Hawkeyes, 31-28. Indiana is now 4-3. There are two non-conference losses the Hoosiers would like to have back, as they lost consecutive games to Connecticut and Southern Illinois while coach Terry Hoeppner was absent due to emergency brain surgery. If the Hoosiers can win two of their three games with Michigan State, Minnesota, or Purdue, they can make it to a bowl game for the first time since the Lincoln administration.

Down in Little Havana, there was a fight at the Orange Bowl, during last night’s game between Miami and Florida International. The video is here. The fight was instigated by a FIU player when he tackled the holder after an extra point was made. Chaos ensued. On the video, former Cane and color analyst Lamar Thomas represents The U with class, stating on the air that he’d like to get on the elevator, go down on the field, and take care of business, and that they ought to continue this in the tunnel after the game. Same old Miami we all know and love. Word for FIU: If you can’t beat them on the field, beat them off of it.

My Sooners beat Iowa State, 34-9, but it felt like a loss, as Adrian Peterson suffered a broken collarbone as a result of diving into the end zone, and is out for the season. If he is smart, he will declare for the NFL draft, and become an instant millionaire. The Sooners now have four dangerous road games in the Big XII, with trips to Missouri, Baylor, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State. At this point, an 8-4 finish and trip to the Alamo Bowl looks like a successful season. What was once a successful 2003 recruiting class, featuring Peterson and Rhett Bomar, has disintegrated. These are not the best of times in Norman, Oklahoma.

Big XII rankings for this week:

1. Texas: Bevo rolls on. Next stop: Nebraska
2. Nebraska: Are they ready for Bevo?
3. Oklahoma: Currently here by default. Their season is radically changed with AD’s injury.
4. Texas A&M: What a difference two weeks make. Strong win to knock Mizzou from the ranks of the unbeaten.
5. Missouri: All good things must come to an end.
6. Baylor: Yes, they gave up 63 to Texas. However, they are better than the teams below them this week.
7. Iowa State: Has completed the toughest part of their schedule.
8. Texas Tech: Lost to Colorado. Enough said.
9. Oklahoma State: Big win at KU. Need two more wins for a bowl.
10. Kansas: Slipping fast at 3-4. Didn’t need yesterday’s loss.
11. Colorado: Finally gets a win. Will be hard to deal with the rest of the way.
12. Kansas State: Someone has to be in the basement, and this week is their turn.