The Big Four
#2 Alabama vs #1 Florida
The epic matchup that we've been anticipating for about 2 months is finally here! But if you come into the game thinking that the game will be taken over by the offensive stars by either team such as 'Bama running back Mark Ingram or Florida's media darling Tim Tebow, you're going to be disappointed. This is going to be a defensive struggle by the two best teams points per game wise in the country. I think the winner of this game will be the team that forces a big play on defense or special teams. Mark Ingram will play for Alabama despite the hip flexor but I expect the bulk of the carries to go to freshman sensation Trent Richardson as was the case in the 2nd half last week at Auburn. At the end of the day, I think it's going to be the same story as last year. Both teams are pretty evenly matched except at the most important position. Tim Tebow is arguably the best college quarterback of all time. Greg McElroy isn't the best quarterback in the SEC West. McElroy is forced into a key mistake or two and the Gator defense shuts down the Crimson Tide offense late and Florida wins 19-13 and goes to the national championship game.
#22 Nebraska vs #3 Texas
Nebraska's only chance to upset the heavily favored Longhorns is to hold Texas under 20 points. If the Huskers' two dominant defensive tackles, Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick, can shut down the run early, Texas can be prone to abandoning the ground attack almost completely. At that point, Nebraska must not allow Colt McCoy to go absolutely nuts and keep him in check. If they can do that, Big Red can keep Texas' offense in check. I actually think Nebraska's defense will keep Texas' offense in check, but I also think that Texas' defense is better than anything they've seen all year. Texas scores a TD late to put it out of reach and the Longhorns win 24-9.
#5 Cincinnati at #15 Pittsburgh
With all the talk going towards the SEC title game, this game has fallen a bit under the radar. This is probably the first time that a December Top-15 matchup for a conference title that involved an undefeated team that could possibly reach the national title game with a win and an upset has gone under the radar. Both teams boast excellent offenses with Cincinnati relying on what I consider the best passing game in America behind NFL prospects, QB Tony Pike and WR's Mardy Gilyard and DJ Woods. Pitt uses a more balanced attack behind freshman sensation RB Dion Lewis and vastly improved veteran QB Bill Stull. Pittsburgh leads the country in sacks behind DE Greg Romeus but Cincinnati's quick strike passing attack will help to nullify that outstanding pass rush. Cincinnati wins at Pitt, 45-37, and becomes the biggest Nebraska Cornhusker fans in the world.
Clemson vs. #10 Georgia Tech
It's like I've already seen this game. Oh wait, I have. Tech defeated Clemson 30-27 on a Thursday night in Atlanta early in the season after having to rally late despite a 24-0 first half lead. Clemson is a much better team now than they were then. Redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Parker had a 47% completion percentage over the first 4 games of the season for the Tigers but has had close to a 60% completion percentage and a 14-6 TD-INT ratio since. CJ Spiller has played in a somewhat limited role the past 2 weeks(he still had an 88 yard kickoff return TD last week) due to a turf toe but should be healthier and return to the form that got him into Heisman contention. One aspect of this game that has gone unlooked is that this is essentially going to be a Clemson home game in Tampa and I think that that will be the difference as Clemson fans scream "Yabo Dabo Doo" in a 34-27 win en route to the Tigers first ACC title since 1991.
Upset Pick of the Week
East Carolina over #21 Houston
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
College Football Game Picks 11/26-11/27
The Big Three
#2 Alabama at Auburn
Ah, the Iron Bowl. All the publicity goes to Ohio State-Michigan, Notre Dame-USC, and the Red River Shootout and some of that is deservedly so but I don't think any other rivalry in college football can match the hate that these two teams have for each other. Consider this. Tommy Tubberville beat Alabama 7 straight years and had a fantastic coaching career at Auburn but last year, he had ONE down year and he lost to 'Bama and for the first time in 8 years and he got the boot. If Auburn is to have any chance at pulling what would be a major upset, they can't afford to fall behind early. If they fall behind, 'Bama will be able to shorten the game by being able to expose Auburn's 88th ranked rush defense with Heisman candidate Mark Ingram. I think War Eagle will be able to score early because their inventive offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will have had an extra week to come up with a gameplan to probe that stingy Crimson Tide defense. However, at the end of the day, I don't think that War Eagle will be able to stop Alabama's great running backs, the aforementioned Mark Ingram and the freshman sensation Trent Richardson, and the Crimson Tide roll 27-20.
#8 Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Two years ago, West Virginia was one win away from reaching the national championship game. They only needed to beat their rival Pitt who had no chance at a bowl game. Pitt upset the Mountaineers in Morgantown and ruined their chances at a title. This year, the script has been flipped. Pitt's traveling to play a West Virginia team that they're clearly better than in a game that they must win to make next week's home date versus Cincinnati a de facto Big East championship game. And I think this time, it will be Pittsburgh that falls victim to the big upset. I don't think that West Virginia will be able to stop Pitt's potent offense led by QB Bill Stull, WR Jonathan Baldwin, and freshman sensation RB Dion Lewis but I think that the Mountaineer's unique 3-3-5 scheme will be able to slow down Pitt enough to let West Virginia's potent offense outscore them. QB Jarrett Brown and RB Noel Devine will each make many big plays and West Virginia wins the Backyard Brawl 45-37.
#12 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
We're used to the script of the Bedlam game. One team needs to win to help solidify a BCS berth and the other team just wants to win for bragging rights and a better bowl game. However, we're used to having Oklahoma being the one in contention for a BCS game, not OK State. And despite the fact that OK State's the one that is ranked and OU just got blown out in Lubbock to Texas Tech, the Sooners are 9 point favorites. Someone knows something that we don't know. The Pokes aren't sure as to whether or not star QB Zac Robinson will play and if he doesn't, I can't see them winning in Norman. With Robinson, though, they have an excellent offense that has great balance between Robinson and the 2 headed running attack of RB's Keith Toston and Kendall Hunter. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, I don't think that Oklahoma State will be able to penetrate the stout Sooner defense enough to beat the Sooners. QB Landry Jones is a different quarterback at home(18 TDs 4 INTs) than he is on the road(5 TDs 9 INTs) and he will direct the Oklahoma offense to score many points against a mediocre Oklahoma State defense. The Sooners win the Bedlam game, 38-24.
Quick Picks
#2 Alabama at Auburn
Ah, the Iron Bowl. All the publicity goes to Ohio State-Michigan, Notre Dame-USC, and the Red River Shootout and some of that is deservedly so but I don't think any other rivalry in college football can match the hate that these two teams have for each other. Consider this. Tommy Tubberville beat Alabama 7 straight years and had a fantastic coaching career at Auburn but last year, he had ONE down year and he lost to 'Bama and for the first time in 8 years and he got the boot. If Auburn is to have any chance at pulling what would be a major upset, they can't afford to fall behind early. If they fall behind, 'Bama will be able to shorten the game by being able to expose Auburn's 88th ranked rush defense with Heisman candidate Mark Ingram. I think War Eagle will be able to score early because their inventive offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will have had an extra week to come up with a gameplan to probe that stingy Crimson Tide defense. However, at the end of the day, I don't think that War Eagle will be able to stop Alabama's great running backs, the aforementioned Mark Ingram and the freshman sensation Trent Richardson, and the Crimson Tide roll 27-20.
#8 Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Two years ago, West Virginia was one win away from reaching the national championship game. They only needed to beat their rival Pitt who had no chance at a bowl game. Pitt upset the Mountaineers in Morgantown and ruined their chances at a title. This year, the script has been flipped. Pitt's traveling to play a West Virginia team that they're clearly better than in a game that they must win to make next week's home date versus Cincinnati a de facto Big East championship game. And I think this time, it will be Pittsburgh that falls victim to the big upset. I don't think that West Virginia will be able to stop Pitt's potent offense led by QB Bill Stull, WR Jonathan Baldwin, and freshman sensation RB Dion Lewis but I think that the Mountaineer's unique 3-3-5 scheme will be able to slow down Pitt enough to let West Virginia's potent offense outscore them. QB Jarrett Brown and RB Noel Devine will each make many big plays and West Virginia wins the Backyard Brawl 45-37.
#12 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
We're used to the script of the Bedlam game. One team needs to win to help solidify a BCS berth and the other team just wants to win for bragging rights and a better bowl game. However, we're used to having Oklahoma being the one in contention for a BCS game, not OK State. And despite the fact that OK State's the one that is ranked and OU just got blown out in Lubbock to Texas Tech, the Sooners are 9 point favorites. Someone knows something that we don't know. The Pokes aren't sure as to whether or not star QB Zac Robinson will play and if he doesn't, I can't see them winning in Norman. With Robinson, though, they have an excellent offense that has great balance between Robinson and the 2 headed running attack of RB's Keith Toston and Kendall Hunter. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, I don't think that Oklahoma State will be able to penetrate the stout Sooner defense enough to beat the Sooners. QB Landry Jones is a different quarterback at home(18 TDs 4 INTs) than he is on the road(5 TDs 9 INTs) and he will direct the Oklahoma offense to score many points against a mediocre Oklahoma State defense. The Sooners win the Bedlam game, 38-24.
Quick Picks
Florida State 20 at #1 Florida 38-I'd like the 'Noles chances a hell of a lot more if QB Christian Ponder was healthy, but without him the Gators will take advantage of Florida State's porous defense and their freshman QB EJ Manuel.
#22 Utah 24 at #18 BYU 28-The Cougars win the Holy War behind QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga who will go out winners on Senior Day.
#19 Miami(Fl) 34 at South Florida 23-South Florida continues its annual late season slide and Miami QB Jacory Harris has a big day for the 'Canes.
#23 North Carolina 23 at NC State 12-The Heels defense clamps down on Wolfpack QB Russell Wilson and North Carolina completes the Triangle sweep.
#18 Clemson 31 at South Carolina 18-South Carolina is in the triple digits as far as ranking in terms of sacks allowed and Clemson is one of the best in the country at getting to the QB. Gamecock QB Stephen Garcia gets many dirt stains and Tiger RB CJ Spiller boosts his Heisman resume.
Georgia at #7 Georgia Tech-The Wreck rambles over the Dawgs for the 2nd straight year on the strength of their running game behind QB Josh Nesbitt and RB Jonathan Dwyer. Joe Cox will be abused by Yellow Jacket DE Derrick Morgan.
Upset Picks
Arkansas over #17 LSU
Arizona State over Arizona
Notre Dame over Stanford
Kentucky over Tennessee
UTEP over Marshall
Hawaii over Navy
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
College Football Conference Power Rankings
I base my conference power rankings off these factors:
1.) Quality Depth-How many GOOD teams does the conference have?
2.) Quality Strength-How do their best teams stack up with the best teams from the other conferences?
3.) Overall Depth-How many teams do they have that are at least mediocre?
With all that said, let's get to it.
1.) ACC-What?!?!?!The ACC is the best football conference in America? The answer is: in 2009, absolutely yes! The ACC has the most teams in the current Top 25 with 5(Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami(Fl), and North Carolina). They are strong at the top with 3 top 15 teams which is tied with the Big Ten for the most in the country. They also have good depth with 7 bowl teams which is only trumped by the Big 12 and SEC. Even their bad teams have won big nonconference games. NC State(1-6 in the ACC)handed #9 Pitt their only loss. Wake Forest(2-5 in the ACC)beat Stanford, who drummed Oregon and USC this year. Florida State(4-4 in the ACC)beat the living snot out of #19 BYU in Provo.
2.) Pac-10-The Pac-10 only trails the ACC with 4 teams in the Top 25. The Pac-10 would also argue that they should have a 5th ranked team as Stanford dropped out of the polls after losing to ranked Cal this past weekend, despite hammering #9 Oregon and #20 USC in consecutive weeks previously. The Pac-10 boasts good depth with 7 bowl teams, which is tied with the ACC for 3rd most of any conference. The Pac-10 is very similar in its resume to the ACC in its argument to be the best conference in the land. However, there are 2 reasons why I give the ACC the edge. The ACC is stronger at the very top with 2 or 3 top 15 teams based on what poll you're looking at while the Pac-10 has just one top 15 team in both polls. Also, ACC bottom dweller Wake Forest defeated Stanford, one of the best in the Pac-10.
3.) SEC-Most would argue that the SEC deserves to be number 1. However, those people base their opinion based more off of reputation more than what's actually happening on the field. Reputation has even earned the SEC a 4th ranked team that doesn't deserve to be ranked. The team that I'm talking about is the LSU Tigers. LSU is ranked #17 despite not having any top 25 wins. The Bayou Bengals' best two wins have come at UGA(with the help of the referees who were later suspended for poor officiating)who is mediocre at best and at home against Auburn who is just slightly better than mediocre. They barely beat Louisiana Tech at home(in fact, they trailed at halftime)and this team just doesn't deserve to be ranked. So the way I see it, the SEC has 3 ranked teams(Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss). And that lack of quality depth is the reason why the conference with the teams ranked #1 and #2 and the conference that has the most bowl eligible teams(9) of any conference is the only the 3rd best conference in America.
4.) Big Ten-The Big Ten(though Big Eleven would be more accurate)is once again solid, but not good enough to be the best. It has 3 ranked teams(Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State)that are all in the top 15. It also has 7 bowl eligible teams. Their resume puts them in at 4th in the conference rankings which isn't bad at all but still isn't the best.
5.) Big 12-The Big 12 has the team that I consider the best in the country in the Texas Longhorns, along with another top 15 team in Oklahoma State. However, those are the only 2 ranked teams in the conference and in fact, the only win against a ranked opponent for the conference this season was when the Longhorns clobbered the Cowboys in Stillwater. The Big 12 also has Nebraska whose defense, led by darkhorse Heisman candidate DT Ndamukong Suh and fellow DT Jared Crick(who had 5 sacks in one game!), has allowed more than 17 points just once this season. This conference has 8 bowl teams(2nd only to the SEC) and the best team in the country, but lack of quality depth relegates the Big 12 to the 5th spot in the rankings.
6.) Big East-Obviously, this isn't a fair comparison as the Big East has a mere 8 teams which is 2 fewer than any other conference(isn't it ironic that the conference with by far the most teams in basketball has by far the least in football?)but the Big East is going to finish with the fewest bowl teams of any BCS conference(6). The Big East does have 2 ranked teams(Cincinnati and Pittsburgh) and in fact, both teams are in the top 10 but the conference lacks quality depth and depth overall which is why they're number six.
7.) Mountain West
8.) Conference-USA
9.) MAC
10.) WAC
11.) Sun Belt
1.) Quality Depth-How many GOOD teams does the conference have?
2.) Quality Strength-How do their best teams stack up with the best teams from the other conferences?
3.) Overall Depth-How many teams do they have that are at least mediocre?
With all that said, let's get to it.
1.) ACC-What?!?!?!The ACC is the best football conference in America? The answer is: in 2009, absolutely yes! The ACC has the most teams in the current Top 25 with 5(Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami(Fl), and North Carolina). They are strong at the top with 3 top 15 teams which is tied with the Big Ten for the most in the country. They also have good depth with 7 bowl teams which is only trumped by the Big 12 and SEC. Even their bad teams have won big nonconference games. NC State(1-6 in the ACC)handed #9 Pitt their only loss. Wake Forest(2-5 in the ACC)beat Stanford, who drummed Oregon and USC this year. Florida State(4-4 in the ACC)beat the living snot out of #19 BYU in Provo.
2.) Pac-10-The Pac-10 only trails the ACC with 4 teams in the Top 25. The Pac-10 would also argue that they should have a 5th ranked team as Stanford dropped out of the polls after losing to ranked Cal this past weekend, despite hammering #9 Oregon and #20 USC in consecutive weeks previously. The Pac-10 boasts good depth with 7 bowl teams, which is tied with the ACC for 3rd most of any conference. The Pac-10 is very similar in its resume to the ACC in its argument to be the best conference in the land. However, there are 2 reasons why I give the ACC the edge. The ACC is stronger at the very top with 2 or 3 top 15 teams based on what poll you're looking at while the Pac-10 has just one top 15 team in both polls. Also, ACC bottom dweller Wake Forest defeated Stanford, one of the best in the Pac-10.
3.) SEC-Most would argue that the SEC deserves to be number 1. However, those people base their opinion based more off of reputation more than what's actually happening on the field. Reputation has even earned the SEC a 4th ranked team that doesn't deserve to be ranked. The team that I'm talking about is the LSU Tigers. LSU is ranked #17 despite not having any top 25 wins. The Bayou Bengals' best two wins have come at UGA(with the help of the referees who were later suspended for poor officiating)who is mediocre at best and at home against Auburn who is just slightly better than mediocre. They barely beat Louisiana Tech at home(in fact, they trailed at halftime)and this team just doesn't deserve to be ranked. So the way I see it, the SEC has 3 ranked teams(Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss). And that lack of quality depth is the reason why the conference with the teams ranked #1 and #2 and the conference that has the most bowl eligible teams(9) of any conference is the only the 3rd best conference in America.
4.) Big Ten-The Big Ten(though Big Eleven would be more accurate)is once again solid, but not good enough to be the best. It has 3 ranked teams(Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State)that are all in the top 15. It also has 7 bowl eligible teams. Their resume puts them in at 4th in the conference rankings which isn't bad at all but still isn't the best.
5.) Big 12-The Big 12 has the team that I consider the best in the country in the Texas Longhorns, along with another top 15 team in Oklahoma State. However, those are the only 2 ranked teams in the conference and in fact, the only win against a ranked opponent for the conference this season was when the Longhorns clobbered the Cowboys in Stillwater. The Big 12 also has Nebraska whose defense, led by darkhorse Heisman candidate DT Ndamukong Suh and fellow DT Jared Crick(who had 5 sacks in one game!), has allowed more than 17 points just once this season. This conference has 8 bowl teams(2nd only to the SEC) and the best team in the country, but lack of quality depth relegates the Big 12 to the 5th spot in the rankings.
6.) Big East-Obviously, this isn't a fair comparison as the Big East has a mere 8 teams which is 2 fewer than any other conference(isn't it ironic that the conference with by far the most teams in basketball has by far the least in football?)but the Big East is going to finish with the fewest bowl teams of any BCS conference(6). The Big East does have 2 ranked teams(Cincinnati and Pittsburgh) and in fact, both teams are in the top 10 but the conference lacks quality depth and depth overall which is why they're number six.
7.) Mountain West
8.) Conference-USA
9.) MAC
10.) WAC
11.) Sun Belt
Football on Thanksgiving
Ah, Thanksgiving. The food, the family, and of course, the football! Sounds awesome doesn't it? There's just a few tiny problems with this. One, I can't stand turkey because whenever I eat it, I just want to be eating chicken and the truth is, turkey is just dry, nasty chicken(there's a reason there's "Kentucky Fried Chicken" and not a "Tennessee Fried Turkey"). I don't like my family, and while not everyone hates their family, there's almost always at least one member of your family that you don't really like or is just plain annoying. Well, at least there's great football...NOPE! If the NFL and Roger Goodell would do it right, Thanksgiving day could be to the NFL what New Year's Day is to college football. Right now, we're stuck with the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys every year with one additional night game on the NFL Network being added very recently. Why do the Lions and Cowboys get the Thanksgiving games every year? Because the Lions started it and the Cowboys were the only ones that would do it 30 years ago. But in today's game, should that really matter? Why is it that they get to have the exposure every year? Why must we be subjected to bad football? The Lions have always sucked, so why must we be exposed to their futility? They flat out don't deserve to play on Thanksgiving. And the Cowboys are good, so what does the NFL do? They ruin the game and force us to watch the Oakland Raiders. Why Roger Goodell? Why?!?!?!The NFL is really missing out on a fantastic opportunity to make Thanksgiving to the NFL what New Year's Day is to college football. Give us the best games of the week and some of the best games of the year. Don't give us 3 crap games such as Packers-Lions, Raiders-Cowboys, and Giants-Broncos. The NFL is giving us bologna when it should be giving us filet. Give us a 3 game stretch of Bears-Vikings, Steelers-Ravens, and Patriots-Saints. Take the last game off of NFL Network and put it on NBC so more people watch it. Roger Goodell, the ball is in your court. Fix this problem now!
Friday, November 20, 2009
College Game Picks 11/21
The Big Three
#9 Ohio State @ Michigan
I don't care that Ohio State's already clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl. I don't care that Michigan is following up last year's 3-9 record with a 5-5 record this year. This game matters. It's Ohio State and Michigan in the Big House. It matters. Ohio State is clearly the better team but don't count out the Wolverines in this one. I think that they'll give the Buckeyes all that they can handle but at the end of the day, Ohio State is just too good. Terrelle Pryor is playing well as of late and should continue to make plays against RichRod's porous defense. Tate Forcier better get used to DE Cameron Heyward because he'll be in the backfield an awful lot on Saturday. The Buckeyes win 34-21.
#10 LSU @ Ole Miss
Ole Miss has been playing very well as of late and most of the credit has gone to RB/WR/Playmaker Dexter McCluster and rightfully so. The Rebels really don't have any true gamebreakers outside of Rebel DMC and they've finally begun to feed him the ball(15 touches, all rushes, for 87 yds 0 TDs vs South Carolina in a 16-10 loss; 29 touches, 25 rushes, for 324 yds 4 TDs vs Tennessee in a 42-17 win). Rebel DMC with run all over the Bayou Bengals who struggled last week against Louisiana Tech. Ole Miss makes the Tigers geaux home losers, 33-20.
#11 Oregon at Arizona
Raise your hand if you predicted that the biggest game in the Pac-10 this season would be played in Tuscon. Don't get too excited though, Wildcats fans. Oregon is just flat out better than Arizona. The Wildcats do boast an excellent QB, sophomore Nick Foles, and an excellent RB, Nic Grigsby but the Ducks boast a better QB, senior dual-threat Jeremiah Masoli, and a better RB, LaMichael James. Oregon and Arizona both have fantastic TE's but as the theme has been, Oregon's Ed Dickson is better than Arizona's Rob Gronokowski. Both teams field solid, if unspectacular defenses, so I don't expect that to be the difference. Oregon averages 36.1 points per game and Arizona averages 30.4 points per game so I'll predict Oregon wins 36-30.
Quick Picks
#14 Stanford 45 California 17-Cal's been exposed against good teams, losing by a total of 72-6 in consecutive blowout losses against Oregon and USC.
#3 Texas 38 Kansas 35-All the talk about Mangino getting the can, the players will play their hearts out for him but it will fall short.
#16 Wisconsin 34 Northwestern 21-Wisconsin's power running game will wear Northwestern down.
#23 Clemson 38 Virginia 6-Clemson blows away Virginia en route to their first ACC Title Game.
Nebraska 22 Kansas State 10-Big 12 leading rusher Daniel Thomas won't be able to get past Nebraska's DT's Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick and K-State doesn't go to a bowl
North Carolina 23 Boston College 15-UNC's defense has been fantastic during their 3 game win streak that includes wins against Miami, rival Duke, and at Virginia Tech
Notre Dame 38 Connecticut 33-Notre Dame's won the most close games in the country and UConn's lost the most close games in the country. I'll follow that formula.
Upset Picks
Michigan State over #14 Penn State-Sparty's D behind LB Greg Jones shuts down Penn State's running game
Ole Miss over #8 LSU-See reasons stated above
Indiana over Purdue-Indiana's lost the most close games in the Big Ten this season. They finally get one in the one that really matters in the Hoosier State
Arizona State over UCLA-Arizona State has the best defense in the Pac-10 and UCLA has one of the worst offenses in the Pac-10. Arizona State wins a game that will look like a baseball score.
Texas Tech over Oklahoma-Red Raiders get revenge from last year's drubbing at the hands of the Sooners in Lubbock with their always potent air attack.
#9 Ohio State @ Michigan
I don't care that Ohio State's already clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl. I don't care that Michigan is following up last year's 3-9 record with a 5-5 record this year. This game matters. It's Ohio State and Michigan in the Big House. It matters. Ohio State is clearly the better team but don't count out the Wolverines in this one. I think that they'll give the Buckeyes all that they can handle but at the end of the day, Ohio State is just too good. Terrelle Pryor is playing well as of late and should continue to make plays against RichRod's porous defense. Tate Forcier better get used to DE Cameron Heyward because he'll be in the backfield an awful lot on Saturday. The Buckeyes win 34-21.
#10 LSU @ Ole Miss
Ole Miss has been playing very well as of late and most of the credit has gone to RB/WR/Playmaker Dexter McCluster and rightfully so. The Rebels really don't have any true gamebreakers outside of Rebel DMC and they've finally begun to feed him the ball(15 touches, all rushes, for 87 yds 0 TDs vs South Carolina in a 16-10 loss; 29 touches, 25 rushes, for 324 yds 4 TDs vs Tennessee in a 42-17 win). Rebel DMC with run all over the Bayou Bengals who struggled last week against Louisiana Tech. Ole Miss makes the Tigers geaux home losers, 33-20.
#11 Oregon at Arizona
Raise your hand if you predicted that the biggest game in the Pac-10 this season would be played in Tuscon. Don't get too excited though, Wildcats fans. Oregon is just flat out better than Arizona. The Wildcats do boast an excellent QB, sophomore Nick Foles, and an excellent RB, Nic Grigsby but the Ducks boast a better QB, senior dual-threat Jeremiah Masoli, and a better RB, LaMichael James. Oregon and Arizona both have fantastic TE's but as the theme has been, Oregon's Ed Dickson is better than Arizona's Rob Gronokowski. Both teams field solid, if unspectacular defenses, so I don't expect that to be the difference. Oregon averages 36.1 points per game and Arizona averages 30.4 points per game so I'll predict Oregon wins 36-30.
Quick Picks
#14 Stanford 45 California 17-Cal's been exposed against good teams, losing by a total of 72-6 in consecutive blowout losses against Oregon and USC.
#3 Texas 38 Kansas 35-All the talk about Mangino getting the can, the players will play their hearts out for him but it will fall short.
#16 Wisconsin 34 Northwestern 21-Wisconsin's power running game will wear Northwestern down.
#23 Clemson 38 Virginia 6-Clemson blows away Virginia en route to their first ACC Title Game.
Nebraska 22 Kansas State 10-Big 12 leading rusher Daniel Thomas won't be able to get past Nebraska's DT's Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick and K-State doesn't go to a bowl
North Carolina 23 Boston College 15-UNC's defense has been fantastic during their 3 game win streak that includes wins against Miami, rival Duke, and at Virginia Tech
Notre Dame 38 Connecticut 33-Notre Dame's won the most close games in the country and UConn's lost the most close games in the country. I'll follow that formula.
Upset Picks
Michigan State over #14 Penn State-Sparty's D behind LB Greg Jones shuts down Penn State's running game
Ole Miss over #8 LSU-See reasons stated above
Indiana over Purdue-Indiana's lost the most close games in the Big Ten this season. They finally get one in the one that really matters in the Hoosier State
Arizona State over UCLA-Arizona State has the best defense in the Pac-10 and UCLA has one of the worst offenses in the Pac-10. Arizona State wins a game that will look like a baseball score.
Texas Tech over Oklahoma-Red Raiders get revenge from last year's drubbing at the hands of the Sooners in Lubbock with their always potent air attack.
Monday, November 16, 2009
NFL Playoff Predictions
Wild Card Round
AFC
4 Patriots over 5 Steelers
3 Bengals over 6 Texans
NFC
5 Giants over 4 Cardinals
3 Cowboys over 6 Falcons
Divisional Round
AFC
4 Patriots over 1 Colts
2 Chargers over 3 Bengals
NFC
5 Giants over 1 Saints
2 Vikings over 3 Cowboys
Championship Round
2 Chargers over 4 Patriots
2 Vikings over 5 Giants
Super Bowl
Chargers over Vikings
AFC
4 Patriots over 5 Steelers
3 Bengals over 6 Texans
NFC
5 Giants over 4 Cardinals
3 Cowboys over 6 Falcons
Divisional Round
AFC
4 Patriots over 1 Colts
2 Chargers over 3 Bengals
NFC
5 Giants over 1 Saints
2 Vikings over 3 Cowboys
Championship Round
2 Chargers over 4 Patriots
2 Vikings over 5 Giants
Super Bowl
Chargers over Vikings
Sunday, November 15, 2009
2nd Half NFL Predictions Team by Team AFC
AFC East
New England Patriots: 6-3 1st Place AFC East; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place AFC East
The Pats are back. The offense is finally back in sync which means one thing for the rest of the NFL: Look out! The defense is slightly above average and makes plays when they need to. They've lost twice on the road against two defenses that were playing out of their minds at the time that they played them back when the offense wasn't quite back in full sync after Tom Brady's return from the devastating knee injury. Looking at their schedule, they could very realistically not lose a game the rest of the year. However, I don't think that'll be the case as the NFL is just so difficult that I imagine they'll drop one somewhere down the road.
Key Games: Nov. 30 @New Orleans, Dec. 6 @Miami, Dec. 27 Jacksonville
Miami Dolphins: 4-5 T-2nd Place AFC East; End of the Year: 7-9 2nd Place AFC East
It looks like Miami should've made the switch to Chad Henne before the season started and not have waited for Chad Pennington to make his seemingly biannual trip to the IR. The 'Fins started out 0-3, but have gone 4-2 since Chad Henne became the starting quarterback. He's helped them develop more of a passing threat than when Old Chad was the starter. As was the case last year, the Dolphins are one of the most physical teams in the league and their ability to run the ball keeps them in every game. Now they have the quarterback going forward to win some of the games they couldn't with Chad Pennington as the starter. While I think this is going to be one of the contending teams in the NFL going forward, the Dolphins schedule going forward is just too brutal for me to see them making the type of run needed to make a playoff run.
Key Games: Nov. 19 @Carolina, Dec. 6 New England, Dec. 13 @Jacksonville, Dec. 27 Houston
New York Jets: 4-5 T-2nd Place AFC East; End of the Year: 4-12 4th Place AFC East
It's amazing how quickly things can change in the NFL. 3 weeks in, the J-E-T-S Jets were 3-0 and coming off of two huge wins against New England and Tennessee with their suffocating defense. Rookie Mark Sanchez was the best quarterback for the Jets since Broadway Joe and Rex Ryan was Coach of the Year. Now Gang Green is 4-5, Mark Sanchez has clearly hit a wall and the defense is just slightly above average and doesn't have nearly the same swagger as it once did. Looking at the way their schedule sets up, I don't think that they get another win this year and Rex Ryan is going to learn that the New York media isn't as kind when you aren't winning.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @New England, Dec. 3 @Buffalo, Dec. 27 @Indy
Buffalo Bills: 3-6 4th Place AFC East; End of the Year: 5-11 3rd Place AFC East
There is going to be lots of change in western New York this offseason. QB Trent Edwards hasn't made the type of progress that you would like to see if you're Ralph Wilson and the same can be said about head coach Dick Jauron. Of course, not all the problems on offense can be attributed to Edwards as this team is extremely young on the offensive line and the line has struggled as you might expect. But he still does not look like the type of quarterback that you'd want to build your franchise around going forward. And the fact that the team is in the exact same place as it was when Jauron got here 4 years ago can be put on Jauron. On a positive note, it looks like rookie safety Jairus Byrd is the real deal as he's gotten an INT in 5 straight games and is tied for the league lead.
Key Games: None
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts: 9-0 1st Place AFC South; End of the Year: 14-2 1st Place AFC South
There's not a whole lot that can be said here that hasn't been said about the Colts in the past 8 years or so. Peyton Manning is amazing and is carrying the team. The defense isn't great but makes plays when it needs to and has the best pair of pass rushing bookends in the league with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. And Bob Sanders is out for the year. Same old story with the Colts. The only difference is that Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy are gone.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @Baltimore, Nov. 29 @Houston, Dec. 13 Denver, Dec. 17 @Jacksonville
Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-4 T-2nd Place AFC South; End of the Year: 10-6 T-2nd Place AFC South
These aren't the Jaguars in the mold that we've come to know them. These Jags are built on offense, not defense. This team is built on Maurice Jones-Drew pounding the rock 20-25 times a game and David Garrard throwing for big numbers(he's a top 10 fantasty qb for the 2nd straight year for those who weren't aware). Do I think this team is really as good as I think that their record will be at the end of the year? No. But the fact is that they have the type of schedule that they should win 5 of their last 7 games. This team reminds me a lot of the 2007 Browns that went 10-6 behind Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson(yes, Derek Anderson was a Pro Bowl quarterback)(No, I'm not kidding!)(Seriously, I'm not kidding!).
Key Games: Nov. 29 @San Francisco, Dec. 6 Houston, Dec. 13 Miami, Jan. 3 @Cleveland
Houston Texans: 5-4 T-2nd Place AFC South; End of the Year: 10-6 T-2nd Place AFC South
Could this finally be the year the Texans break through and make it to the playoffs? This is clearly the best team they've ever had but at times it seems like the same old Texans. At Arizona, down 21-0, Houston comes back to tie the game and has the ball. Matt Schaub throws a pick six. They show resiliancy and drive the ball to the Arizona 1 yard line. They get stuffed. At Indy, they got absolutely dominated in the first half. They came back and actually had a 43 yard field goal to tie the game. Kris Brown missed it as time expired and Houston loses again. At what point does this team's resiliancy either come through and help them win? At some point I have to imagine that this team's gonna stop believing that they can win if they can't pull those type of games out. I think they learn to win and they have the type of schedule that sets up nicely for a playoff run.
Key Games: Nov. 23 Tennessee, Nov. 29 Indy, Dec. 6 @Jacksonville, Jan. 3 New England
Tennessee: 3-6 4th Place AFC South; End of the Year: 7-9 4th Place AFC South
It's too late for a playoff run this year but this is the type of team that can ruin someone else's season. Chris Johnson is the best running back in the league right now and I don't think that can be argued. Vince Young doesn't kill the stat sheet but he's a winner. The secondary has begun to play better after being absolutely awful in the earlier stages of the year and the rest of the defense is good. Unfortunately, this is going to be a team that's theme of the year will be too little too late after losing their first 6.
Key Games: None
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals: 7-2 1st Place AFC North; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place AFC North
Think about this: If not for a miracle play and what some consider the worst call of the year, the Bengals would be tied with the Colts for having the best record in the AFC. This team is for real. They swept Pittsburgh and Baltimore, widely considered the two favorites in that division. They have an agressive, attacking style defense to go along with an offense built around a power running game behind Cedric Benson along with Bernard Scott and now Larry Johnson to compliment him. Carson Palmer has returned to form as has the ever quirky but also ever talented Chad Ochocinco. We need to start talking about this team as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. If they can take advantage of the schedule that they have down the stretch, this is a team that can earn a first round bye.
Key Games: Nov. 29 Cleveland, Dec. 13 @Minnesota, Dec. 20 @San Diego
Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-3 2nd Place AFC North; End of the Year: 11-5 2nd Place AFC North
This team isn't going to win the division. The Cincinnati Bengals are but let's not get crazy. This is still clearly one of the main contenders to win the Super Bowl. And it should be noted that the last time the Bengals won the division, 2005, Pittsburgh went into Cincinnati and won a playoff game en route to a magical run to a Super Bowl title. This team has found a running game behind Rashard Mendenhall and Big Ben has never been better in part because he's never had a better receiving corp. Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and now Mike Wallace are all dangerous wide receivers and Heath Miller is one of the better tight ends in the league. The defense is still very stout behind Dick LeBeau especially now that Troy Polamalu is back. They don't have an insanely difficult schedule the rest of the way but they should drop one before they more than likely rest all of their starters in what should be a meaningless game at Miami in Week 17.
Key Games: Nov. 29 @Baltimore, Dec. 10 @Cleveland, Dec. 20 Green Bay, Dec. 27 Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens: 4-4 3rd Place AFC North; End of the Year: 7-9 3rd Place AFC North
These aren't the Ravens that we've come to know and love. These Ravens aren't built on defense and power running. These Ravens are built off of the strong arm of Joe Flacco and the playmaking ability of Ray Rice. Last year, they were the most run oriented team in the NFL and this year they are the 9th most pass oriented team in the league. That's part of what's wrong with the defense. They aren't burning enough clock and the D is getting tired. Also, the defense clearly misses departed defensive coordinator Rex Ryan because they simply aren't the same defense. Ray Lewis still talks a big game but he hasn't really played a big game this year other than on a key tackle on 4th and 2 at San Diego. They aren't getting the same type of pressure as they did last year and it shows(they are allowing 4 more points a game than they did last year). The schedule down the stretch is brutal and I expect the team that played in the AFC championship game last year to have a losing season.
Key Games: Nov. 22 Indy, Nov. 29 Pittsburgh, Dec. 7 @Green Bay, Dec. 27 @Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns: 1-7 4th Place AFC North; End of the Year: 2-14 4th Place AFC North
The Browns are awful. I'll take the same approach as I did with all of the horrible teams in the NFL. Josh Cribbs is the best special teamer in the NFL. Shaun Rogers is one of the best kick blockers in the league.
Key Games: None
AFC West
Denver Broncos: 6-3 T-1st Place AFC West; End of the Year: 9-7 2nd Place AFC West
I can't say that I'm surprised that the Broncos' defense has fallen back to earth. It simply was playing way too far over it's head to continue to play as fantastic as it had. However, to see the defense fall this hard has been a surprise. The same defense that was literally impregnable in the 2nd half of games for the first 6 weeks of the season now has allowed 58 2nd half points over the past 3 games. I still believe that Josh McDaniels made a huge mistake when he traded away Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton and draft picks. Orton has been solid, but Jay Cutler is a playmaker and can stretch the field. Now, Orton's going to be out with next week's HUGE game against the Chargers. All of that and a difficult schedule down the stretch and that leads me to believe that the team that started 6-0 will end up watching the playoffs on TV.
Key Games: Nov. 22 San Diego, Nov. 26 Giants, Dec. 13 @Indy
San Diego Chargers: 6-3 T-1st Place AFC West; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place AFC West
This team is finally beginning to turn it on. LT is showing shades of the LT of old, Shawne Merriman looks like he has finally returned to full health, and Vincent Jackson has emerged as a legitimate top 15 wide receiver. There's a reason that this team is considered one of the most talented in the league and they are beginning to show it. Once center Nick Hardwick returns to the lineup, the offense is only going to get that much better. The schedule down the stretch is not brutal by any means and could make their game on December 20th against Cincinnati extremely crucial towards determining which team gets a first round bye in the AFC playoffs.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @Denver, Dec. 13 @Dallas, Dec. 20 Cincinnati
Kansas City Chiefs: 2-7 T-3rd Place AFC West; 3-13 T-3rd Place AFC West
I'll be taking the same approach that I took with all the awful teams. Jamaal Charles had a nice game against the Raiders so it looks like the combination of Charles and Kolby Smith forms a solid backfield.
Key Games: None
Oakland Raiders: 2-7 T-3rd Place AFC West; 3-13 T-3rd Place AFC West
The Raiders have an excellent backfield with Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, and Justin Fargas. They also have the best corner in the league with Nnamdi Asomuagh.
Key Games: None
AFC Playoff Predicted Standings:
Division Winners
1. Indianapolis Colts(14-2)
2. San Diego Chargers(12-4)
3. Cincinnati Bengals(12-4)
4. New England Patriots(12-4)
Wild Cards
5. Pittsburgh Steelers(11-5)
6. Houston Texans(10-6)*
Just Out
7. Jacksonville Jaguars(10-6)
8. Denver Broncos(9-7)
*Texans reach playoffs based off of tiebreaker
New England Patriots: 6-3 1st Place AFC East; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place AFC East
The Pats are back. The offense is finally back in sync which means one thing for the rest of the NFL: Look out! The defense is slightly above average and makes plays when they need to. They've lost twice on the road against two defenses that were playing out of their minds at the time that they played them back when the offense wasn't quite back in full sync after Tom Brady's return from the devastating knee injury. Looking at their schedule, they could very realistically not lose a game the rest of the year. However, I don't think that'll be the case as the NFL is just so difficult that I imagine they'll drop one somewhere down the road.
Key Games: Nov. 30 @New Orleans, Dec. 6 @Miami, Dec. 27 Jacksonville
Miami Dolphins: 4-5 T-2nd Place AFC East; End of the Year: 7-9 2nd Place AFC East
It looks like Miami should've made the switch to Chad Henne before the season started and not have waited for Chad Pennington to make his seemingly biannual trip to the IR. The 'Fins started out 0-3, but have gone 4-2 since Chad Henne became the starting quarterback. He's helped them develop more of a passing threat than when Old Chad was the starter. As was the case last year, the Dolphins are one of the most physical teams in the league and their ability to run the ball keeps them in every game. Now they have the quarterback going forward to win some of the games they couldn't with Chad Pennington as the starter. While I think this is going to be one of the contending teams in the NFL going forward, the Dolphins schedule going forward is just too brutal for me to see them making the type of run needed to make a playoff run.
Key Games: Nov. 19 @Carolina, Dec. 6 New England, Dec. 13 @Jacksonville, Dec. 27 Houston
New York Jets: 4-5 T-2nd Place AFC East; End of the Year: 4-12 4th Place AFC East
It's amazing how quickly things can change in the NFL. 3 weeks in, the J-E-T-S Jets were 3-0 and coming off of two huge wins against New England and Tennessee with their suffocating defense. Rookie Mark Sanchez was the best quarterback for the Jets since Broadway Joe and Rex Ryan was Coach of the Year. Now Gang Green is 4-5, Mark Sanchez has clearly hit a wall and the defense is just slightly above average and doesn't have nearly the same swagger as it once did. Looking at the way their schedule sets up, I don't think that they get another win this year and Rex Ryan is going to learn that the New York media isn't as kind when you aren't winning.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @New England, Dec. 3 @Buffalo, Dec. 27 @Indy
Buffalo Bills: 3-6 4th Place AFC East; End of the Year: 5-11 3rd Place AFC East
There is going to be lots of change in western New York this offseason. QB Trent Edwards hasn't made the type of progress that you would like to see if you're Ralph Wilson and the same can be said about head coach Dick Jauron. Of course, not all the problems on offense can be attributed to Edwards as this team is extremely young on the offensive line and the line has struggled as you might expect. But he still does not look like the type of quarterback that you'd want to build your franchise around going forward. And the fact that the team is in the exact same place as it was when Jauron got here 4 years ago can be put on Jauron. On a positive note, it looks like rookie safety Jairus Byrd is the real deal as he's gotten an INT in 5 straight games and is tied for the league lead.
Key Games: None
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts: 9-0 1st Place AFC South; End of the Year: 14-2 1st Place AFC South
There's not a whole lot that can be said here that hasn't been said about the Colts in the past 8 years or so. Peyton Manning is amazing and is carrying the team. The defense isn't great but makes plays when it needs to and has the best pair of pass rushing bookends in the league with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. And Bob Sanders is out for the year. Same old story with the Colts. The only difference is that Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy are gone.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @Baltimore, Nov. 29 @Houston, Dec. 13 Denver, Dec. 17 @Jacksonville
Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-4 T-2nd Place AFC South; End of the Year: 10-6 T-2nd Place AFC South
These aren't the Jaguars in the mold that we've come to know them. These Jags are built on offense, not defense. This team is built on Maurice Jones-Drew pounding the rock 20-25 times a game and David Garrard throwing for big numbers(he's a top 10 fantasty qb for the 2nd straight year for those who weren't aware). Do I think this team is really as good as I think that their record will be at the end of the year? No. But the fact is that they have the type of schedule that they should win 5 of their last 7 games. This team reminds me a lot of the 2007 Browns that went 10-6 behind Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson(yes, Derek Anderson was a Pro Bowl quarterback)(No, I'm not kidding!)(Seriously, I'm not kidding!).
Key Games: Nov. 29 @San Francisco, Dec. 6 Houston, Dec. 13 Miami, Jan. 3 @Cleveland
Houston Texans: 5-4 T-2nd Place AFC South; End of the Year: 10-6 T-2nd Place AFC South
Could this finally be the year the Texans break through and make it to the playoffs? This is clearly the best team they've ever had but at times it seems like the same old Texans. At Arizona, down 21-0, Houston comes back to tie the game and has the ball. Matt Schaub throws a pick six. They show resiliancy and drive the ball to the Arizona 1 yard line. They get stuffed. At Indy, they got absolutely dominated in the first half. They came back and actually had a 43 yard field goal to tie the game. Kris Brown missed it as time expired and Houston loses again. At what point does this team's resiliancy either come through and help them win? At some point I have to imagine that this team's gonna stop believing that they can win if they can't pull those type of games out. I think they learn to win and they have the type of schedule that sets up nicely for a playoff run.
Key Games: Nov. 23 Tennessee, Nov. 29 Indy, Dec. 6 @Jacksonville, Jan. 3 New England
Tennessee: 3-6 4th Place AFC South; End of the Year: 7-9 4th Place AFC South
It's too late for a playoff run this year but this is the type of team that can ruin someone else's season. Chris Johnson is the best running back in the league right now and I don't think that can be argued. Vince Young doesn't kill the stat sheet but he's a winner. The secondary has begun to play better after being absolutely awful in the earlier stages of the year and the rest of the defense is good. Unfortunately, this is going to be a team that's theme of the year will be too little too late after losing their first 6.
Key Games: None
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals: 7-2 1st Place AFC North; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place AFC North
Think about this: If not for a miracle play and what some consider the worst call of the year, the Bengals would be tied with the Colts for having the best record in the AFC. This team is for real. They swept Pittsburgh and Baltimore, widely considered the two favorites in that division. They have an agressive, attacking style defense to go along with an offense built around a power running game behind Cedric Benson along with Bernard Scott and now Larry Johnson to compliment him. Carson Palmer has returned to form as has the ever quirky but also ever talented Chad Ochocinco. We need to start talking about this team as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. If they can take advantage of the schedule that they have down the stretch, this is a team that can earn a first round bye.
Key Games: Nov. 29 Cleveland, Dec. 13 @Minnesota, Dec. 20 @San Diego
Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-3 2nd Place AFC North; End of the Year: 11-5 2nd Place AFC North
This team isn't going to win the division. The Cincinnati Bengals are but let's not get crazy. This is still clearly one of the main contenders to win the Super Bowl. And it should be noted that the last time the Bengals won the division, 2005, Pittsburgh went into Cincinnati and won a playoff game en route to a magical run to a Super Bowl title. This team has found a running game behind Rashard Mendenhall and Big Ben has never been better in part because he's never had a better receiving corp. Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and now Mike Wallace are all dangerous wide receivers and Heath Miller is one of the better tight ends in the league. The defense is still very stout behind Dick LeBeau especially now that Troy Polamalu is back. They don't have an insanely difficult schedule the rest of the way but they should drop one before they more than likely rest all of their starters in what should be a meaningless game at Miami in Week 17.
Key Games: Nov. 29 @Baltimore, Dec. 10 @Cleveland, Dec. 20 Green Bay, Dec. 27 Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens: 4-4 3rd Place AFC North; End of the Year: 7-9 3rd Place AFC North
These aren't the Ravens that we've come to know and love. These Ravens aren't built on defense and power running. These Ravens are built off of the strong arm of Joe Flacco and the playmaking ability of Ray Rice. Last year, they were the most run oriented team in the NFL and this year they are the 9th most pass oriented team in the league. That's part of what's wrong with the defense. They aren't burning enough clock and the D is getting tired. Also, the defense clearly misses departed defensive coordinator Rex Ryan because they simply aren't the same defense. Ray Lewis still talks a big game but he hasn't really played a big game this year other than on a key tackle on 4th and 2 at San Diego. They aren't getting the same type of pressure as they did last year and it shows(they are allowing 4 more points a game than they did last year). The schedule down the stretch is brutal and I expect the team that played in the AFC championship game last year to have a losing season.
Key Games: Nov. 22 Indy, Nov. 29 Pittsburgh, Dec. 7 @Green Bay, Dec. 27 @Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns: 1-7 4th Place AFC North; End of the Year: 2-14 4th Place AFC North
The Browns are awful. I'll take the same approach as I did with all of the horrible teams in the NFL. Josh Cribbs is the best special teamer in the NFL. Shaun Rogers is one of the best kick blockers in the league.
Key Games: None
AFC West
Denver Broncos: 6-3 T-1st Place AFC West; End of the Year: 9-7 2nd Place AFC West
I can't say that I'm surprised that the Broncos' defense has fallen back to earth. It simply was playing way too far over it's head to continue to play as fantastic as it had. However, to see the defense fall this hard has been a surprise. The same defense that was literally impregnable in the 2nd half of games for the first 6 weeks of the season now has allowed 58 2nd half points over the past 3 games. I still believe that Josh McDaniels made a huge mistake when he traded away Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton and draft picks. Orton has been solid, but Jay Cutler is a playmaker and can stretch the field. Now, Orton's going to be out with next week's HUGE game against the Chargers. All of that and a difficult schedule down the stretch and that leads me to believe that the team that started 6-0 will end up watching the playoffs on TV.
Key Games: Nov. 22 San Diego, Nov. 26 Giants, Dec. 13 @Indy
San Diego Chargers: 6-3 T-1st Place AFC West; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place AFC West
This team is finally beginning to turn it on. LT is showing shades of the LT of old, Shawne Merriman looks like he has finally returned to full health, and Vincent Jackson has emerged as a legitimate top 15 wide receiver. There's a reason that this team is considered one of the most talented in the league and they are beginning to show it. Once center Nick Hardwick returns to the lineup, the offense is only going to get that much better. The schedule down the stretch is not brutal by any means and could make their game on December 20th against Cincinnati extremely crucial towards determining which team gets a first round bye in the AFC playoffs.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @Denver, Dec. 13 @Dallas, Dec. 20 Cincinnati
Kansas City Chiefs: 2-7 T-3rd Place AFC West; 3-13 T-3rd Place AFC West
I'll be taking the same approach that I took with all the awful teams. Jamaal Charles had a nice game against the Raiders so it looks like the combination of Charles and Kolby Smith forms a solid backfield.
Key Games: None
Oakland Raiders: 2-7 T-3rd Place AFC West; 3-13 T-3rd Place AFC West
The Raiders have an excellent backfield with Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, and Justin Fargas. They also have the best corner in the league with Nnamdi Asomuagh.
Key Games: None
AFC Playoff Predicted Standings:
Division Winners
1. Indianapolis Colts(14-2)
2. San Diego Chargers(12-4)
3. Cincinnati Bengals(12-4)
4. New England Patriots(12-4)
Wild Cards
5. Pittsburgh Steelers(11-5)
6. Houston Texans(10-6)*
Just Out
7. Jacksonville Jaguars(10-6)
8. Denver Broncos(9-7)
*Texans reach playoffs based off of tiebreaker
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)