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

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

College Football Picks 11/13-11/14

#25 West Virginia at #5 Cincinnati
QB Zach Collaros is going to get the start for Cincinnati, although Tony Pike is expected to get some playing time against the Mountaineers. Collaros gives the Bearcats' offense another dimension with his ability to run the ball but don't mistake him to be a running quarterback. In fact, if he had the appropriate number of attempts, Collaros would be leading the country in pass efficiency by a wide margin. That trend should continue against a West Virginia pass defense ranked 60th in the country. Noel Devine and Jarrett Brown should help the Mountaineers keep it close for a little while but I expect Cincinnati to win this game handily 45-28.

#16 Utah at #4TCU
I think this is the week that Utah is finally exposed as the biggest fraud in America. They've gotten this far in the season with just 1 loss because they've only played two teams with winning records, Oregon and Air Force. They're playing a freshman QB and while Jordan Wynn is going to be a very good quarterback for the Utes, he's not going to perform well against DE Jerry Hughes and the rest of TCU's top 5 defense. TCU is the most complete team in the country and will show it on Satuday night as they house Utah 41-10.

#15 Iowa at #10 Ohio State
Iowa is going to feel the loss of QB Ricky Stanzi big time in the Horshoe against the Buckeyes. He wasn't great, but he was extremely clutch and made big plays when he needed to. Terrelle Pryor played well last week as Ohio State got the win in Happy Valley but Iowa's defense is better than Penn State's. The Hawkeye defense will have to score if Iowa plans to win this game and I think that they will. I think that Iowa's defense plays out of their minds and shuts down the Ohio State offense and returns a turnover for a TD. However, I don't think that the Hawkeye offense will do anything either. This game will be tied at 10 at the end of regulation and the Buckeyes will score a touchdown in OT to win 16-13.

Stanford at #11 USC
Stanford sure looked good last week in beating the same Oregon team that throttled USC the week prior. And USC sure looked unimpressive in barely escaping Tempe with a 14-9 victory over 4-5 Arizona State. That means Stanford's gonna go down to Pasadena and beat the Trojans, right? Wrong. Stanford beat Oregon at home, where the Cardinal are 5-0. However, despite how impressive John Harbaugh's team has been at home, they haven't been good on the road going 1-3 so far. It's going to be 1-4 after this weekend. Stanford will give USC everything they can handle and more but the Trojans will pull this one out late 38-35.

Quick Picks
#1 Florida 23 South Carolina 12
#2 Alabama 20 Mississippi State 6
#3 Texas 41 Baylor 17
#6 Boise State 45 Idaho 14
#7 Georgia Tech 38 Duke 20
#13 Oregon 27 Arizona State 17
#17 Arizona 28 California 14
#19 Oklahoma State 42 Texas Tech 38
North Carolina 24 #12 Miami(Fl) 20
Clemson 38 NC State 24

Upset Picks
Notre Dame over #12 Pittsburgh
Michigan over #20 Wisconsin
Illinois over Northwestern
Colorado over Iowa State
East Carolina over Tulsa

2nd Half NFL Predictions Team by Team NFC

We've reached the halfway point in the NFL season and this is where teams either make a run to the playoffs or coaches make a run to the hot seat. I'm going to tell you what I think will happen.



NFC East


Dallas Cowboys: 6-2 1st Place NFC East; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place NFC East
The Cowboys have a very favorable schedule down the stretch and have been the best team in the NFL since losing at Denver. They flattened escaped Kansas City in OT, flattened Atlanta 37-21 and Seattle 38-17, and most recently beat a good Eagles team at the Linc. Tony Romo is playing as well as he has every played and their running game continues to be one of the best in the league with the 3 headed attack of Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, and Felix Jones. Miles Austin's development has been a key part in their current run as has their continually stout pass rush led by DE/LB Demarcus Ware.
Key Games: @Green Bay Nov. 15, @Giants Dec. 6, San Diego Dec. 13, @New Orleans Dec. 19


Philadelphia Eagles: 5-3 2nd Place NFC East; End of the Year: 8-8 3rd Place NFC East
Philadelphia has just a brutal schedule down the stretch. The only gimme game they have is Nov. 29th at home against the Redskins and Philly has proven that they can drop gimme games(see 13-9 loss at Oakland). Not to mention that all division games are dangerous. Every other team they play is still currently in playoff contention and they have 5 games left against teams with winning records(4 on the road!). I don't love this team because they rely way too much on the big play to score points and can't seem to produce methodical drives down the field.
Key Games: @Chicago Nov. 22, @Atlanta Dec. 6, @Giants Dec. 13, @Dallas Jan. 3


New York Giants: 5-4 3rd Place NFC East; End of the Year: 10-6 2nd Place NFC East
The Giants started hot, going 5-0 right out of the gate but they've now dropped 4 straight and have looked terrible at times in doing so. The BYE week couldn't have come at a more perfect time for the G-Men and I think that they'll use it to re-establish the physical style that they've become known for and to help Eli Manning rest that bum ankle that he's been playing on. If he can't get healthy, the Giants will be in major trouble. Their 2nd half schedule isn't easy by any means. They have a similar schedule to the Eagles, however I like there's much better because they get most of their difficult games at home.
Key Games: Atlanta Nov. 22, Dec. 6 Dallas, Dec. 13 Philadelphia, Dec. 27 Carolina,


Washington Redskins: 2-6 4th Place NFC East; End of the Year: 3-13 4th Place NFC East
This has been an ugly season in the nation's capital for the 'Skins and Jim Zorn. He's going to be fired at the end of the year and there's no way around that. They have a monstrous 2nd half schedule and quite frankly, I'm not even sure why I picked them to get one more win this season because their easiest game(@Oakland) is on the road. They have a good defense but that offense is just anemic and one of the worst that I've ever seen. Because of that defense, I think that they'll shock a division opponent(*cough*Philadelphia*cough*) and ruin their season for the Redskins' lone 2nd half win.
Key Games: This only applies to teams with remote playoff chances.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints: 8-0 1st Place NFC South; End of the Year: 14-2 1st Place NFC South
The Saints are good. I mean really good. Everything has seemed to go right for them this year in their run towards an undefeated start. Their offense has become balanced with a 3 headed running attack(Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, Reggie Bush) and their defense is forcing turnovers and scoring(7 TDs, 2 more than the Browns offense). Looking at their schedule, they have a legitimate shot at an undefeated season but I don't think that they'll get it. One of these weeks, they're going to have a bad week or simply get outplayed. My prediction: They will continue to be undefeated until Week 15 where they will lose at home against the Dallas Cowboys for their first loss and then they will drop a meaningless game in Week 17 at Carolina. that could mean everything for the Panthers
Key Games: Nov. 30 New England, Dec. 13 @Atlanta, Dec. 19 Dallas, Jan. 3 @Carolina

Atlanta Falcons: 5-3 2nd Place NFC South; End of the Year: 9-7 2nd Place NFC South
Matt Ryan has seemed to hit a bit of a sophomore slump. Last year, he threw just 11 picks as a rookie and this year, he has already thrown 10. The good news for the Dirty Birds is that Michael Turner has really turned it on over the past two weeks(38 carries for 317 yards!) and was the main reason why the Falcons snapped a 2 game losing streak last week against the Redskins. He's going to need to play a big role in the offense going forward if Atlanta is to expect to make the playoffs because that defense has become very suspect(22nd in the NFL). They have a difficult but manageable schedule down the stretch.
Key Games: Nov. 15 @Carolina, Nov. 22 @Giants, Dec. 6 Philadelphia, Dec. 13 New Orleans

Carolina Panthers: 3-5 3rd Place NFC South; End of the Year: 8-8 3rd Place NFC South
Carolina should be 5-3 or at least 4-4 but they've blown 3 games that they should've won(@Atlanta, @Dallas, Buffalo). Their loss at home against Buffalo, in particular(a game that they absolutely dominated the Bills), will continue to sting if they miss the playoffs by a small margin. They've played well as of late, re-establishing the dominant running game that they produced last year with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to go with a defense that has played very well this year. That defense, however, took a huge blow when they lost Thomas Davis for the year last week in New Orleans. Davis had developed into the best weakside linebacker in the league to combine with Mike linebacker Jon Beason for arguably the best linebacking corp. in the NFL. The main reason that they're 3-5 has been turnovers. They are -9 in turnover differential which is the worst in the NFC(13 of their league leading 24 giveaways have been Jake Delhomme interceptions). They have a difficult schedule down the stretch, but if they can put it together, this is one of the most talented teams in the league and they could make a run.
Key Games: Nov. 15 Atlanta, Nov. 19 Miami, Dec. 20 Minnesota, Dec. 27 @Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1-7 4th Place NFC South; End of the Year: 2-14 4th Place NFC South
The Bucs are awful. They got their first win of the season last year against Green Bay and Josh Freeman looked good in the process, but let's not kid ourselves. This team has one win for a reason. They have a difficult schedule going forward and I only see one more win for this team(Dec. 13 vs. Jets) going forward. But there is good news Bucs fans. The NFL Draft is only 6 months away and you should have the #1 overall pick!
Key Games: None

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings: 7-1 1st Place NFC North; End of the Year: 13-3 1st Place NFC North
Brad Childress looks like a genius right about now after convincing Brett Favre to come back and play for the Vikings. Favre has played fantastically this season throwing 16 TDs to just 3 INTs. Combine that with a 68% completion percentage and some late game heroics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgxSzxIxPrY&feature=related. That play still gives me chills whenever I see it! This season just feels special from a distance and would be a punch in the gut of Packers' fans(my dad included) if Favre is able to win a Super Bowl this season with Minnesota. Their schedule isn't overly difficult down the stretch and sets up nicely for the Vikings to possibly get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Key Games: Nov. 29 Chicago, Dec. 6 @Arizona, Dec. 28 @Chicago, Jan. 3 Giants

Green Bay Packers: 4-4 2nd Place NFC North; End of the Year: 7-9 2nd Place NFC North
The Packers O-line is the worst in the NFL. It is just absolutely awful. The Vikings have gotten 14 of their 31 sacks against the Pack. Jared Allen has 7.5 of his sacks against Green Bay. In fact, the two biggest individual sack performances of the season have come against Green Bay(5 for Cincy's Antwon Odom and 4.5 for Jared Allen). Pressure has been a problem for Green Bay's defense as well. The switch to Dom Capers' 3-4 hasn't helped create the type of pressure that was anticipated(just 13 sacks this season which is 28th in the league). They're 4-4 but it's a very suspect 4-4. 3 of their wins have come against Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis who are arguably the 3 worst teams in the league(they lost to the other team in that category of awful, Tampa Bay). The other win the Pack possess was an escape at home against a mediocre Bears team. The difficult part of the schedule was loaded up in the 2nd half of the year and I can't see this team making the playoffs.
Key Games: Nov. 15 Dallas, Nov. 22 San Francisco, Dec. 7 Baltimore, Dec. 13 @Chicago

Chicago Bears: 4-5 3rd Place NFC North; End of the Year: 6-10 3rd Place NFC North
The Bears have been struggling lately, losing 4 out of their last 5 games since the BYE week. Their one win over that stretch: the Cleveland Browns. Let's look closely at those 4 losses: 21-14 @Atlanta(Not a bad loss, but they turned the ball over in the red zone constantly), 45-10 @Cincinnati, 41-21 Arizona, 10-6 @San Francisco(5 Jay Cutler INTs in a game that they needed). Over this 1-4 stretch, Jay Cutler has thrown 6 TDs and 12 INTs and 3 of those TDs came in garbage time against the Cardinals. The Bears are self-imploding. The only reason that I see 2 more wins for this team is because they have games left against the Rams and Lions.
Key Games: Nov. 22 Philadelphia, Nov. 29 @Minnesota, Dec. 13 Green Bay, Dec. 28 Minnesota

Detroit Lions: 1-7 4th Place NFC North; End of the Year: 2-14 4th Place NFC North
I've always been told that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. So I'll just tell you the nice things about Detroit. The Lions won't repeat their 0-16 performance. They get to play Cleveland at home on Nov. 22 so they should get another win. They have Calvin Johnson. Matt Stafford looks like he might be good if he can cut down on all those INTs(Damnit, I said something not nice! Sorry, it slipped out).
Key Games: None

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: 5-3 1st Place NFC West; End of the Year: 12-4 1st Place NFC West
The defending NFC champions have looked very good this year, especially on the road where they are 4-0. That bodes well for them going forward because they're going to have to win on the road if they plan to make repeat appearance in the Super Bowl. The offense continues score a lot of points despite not producing many big plays like they have in previous seasons. However, their continued lack of a running game(31st in the league) could come back to bite them in the butt although it didn't seem to last year in the playoffs. They have a very favorable schedule down the stretch and I think that they tear it up and go 7-1 over their last 8 games.
Key Games: Dec. 6 Minnesota, Dec. 14 @San Francisco

San Francisco: 4-5 2nd Place NFC West; End of the Year: 7-9 2nd Place NFC West
The 49ers seemed to turn the corner under 1st year coach Mike Singletary(he was their interim coach last year) with a 3-0 start that included an opening weekend win at Arizona. They were on pace to go 4-0 but lost in the last second on the miracle TD pass from Brett Favre to Greg Lewis. That seemed to derail the Niners as that loss snowballed into 5 straight losses athat really killed their playoff chances. Going forward, they have a decent schedule that could be used to propel San Francisco to 9-7 and playoff contention. However, I don't think that the 49ers are good enough to take advantage of the schedule and they end up 7-9.
Key Games: Nov. 22 @Green Bay, Dec. 14 Arizona, Dec. 20 @Philadelphia

Seattle Seahawks: 3-5 3rd Place NFC West; End of the Year: 6-10 3rd Place NFC West
Injuries have just decimated this team. Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck have shown throughout the past 2 seasons that they simply can't be relied on going forward. I think that Seattle needs to just blow up the whole operation and start anew. I think they have some good pieces to build a defense around in Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry, Deon Grant, and Lawrence Jackson and the right coach in place with Jim Mora Jr. This team is just too old and it's really shown this year.
Key Games: Nov. 15 @Arizona, Dec. 6 San Francisco, Dec. 27 @Green Bay

St. Louis Rams: 1-7 4th Place NFC West; End of the Year: 1-15 4th Place NFC West
I'll take the same approach that I did with the Lions and tell you all the good things about this team. Steven Jackson is a monster.
Key Games: None


Projected NFC Playoff Teams
Division Winners
1. New Orleans(14-2)
2. Minnesota(13-3)
3. Dallas(12-4)
4. Arizona(12-4)
Wild Cards
5. New York Giants(10-6)
6. Atlanta (9-7)
Just Out
Philadelphia(8-8)
Carolina(8-8)

Final Four Predictions

Obviously, making Final Four predictions in the preseason is a little silly because of all it entails. In making that prediction, you're predicting that the tournament field sets up favorably for your 4 predicted Final Four participants. However, I will be one of the many making the silly prediction. I think that the Final Four will be Kansas, Villanova, Michigan State, and Texas. Obviously, that seems too easy as I'm picking 2 teams that made it last year along with the consensus favorite Kansas Jayhawks. And I'm also going to pick Michigan State to win the 2010 National Championship. Why? Because they're the hungriest. They are mad after last years national title game demolition against Carolina. And because Tom Izzo is the 2nd best coach in America behind Roy Williams and 'Ol Roy's squad is a little too young to win it all for my liking this year. As I said in a previous post, Kansas SHOULD win the National Championship by most accounts, but Michigan State will cut down the nets.

Best Places for Larry Johnson

Pittsburgh-Would fit in nicely to complement budding star Rashard Mendenhall as Willie Parker has been injury ridden. They have the type of locker room that would be able to handle his baggage.
Green Bay-The Packers' running game has been so awful that they've looked to Ahman Green for help. While that's mostly due to the O-line, it's also due to the fact that they have weak running backs. Larry Johnson trying to resurrect his career might be a nice fit for the Pack.
New England-The type of locker room that could handle his baggage and he would be similar to Corey Dillon. The Patriots love to take talented players with a little baggage and give them a home(see Randy Moss, Rodney Harrison, and the aforementioned Corey Dillon)
New York Jets-The Jets could use some depth at RB since Leon Washington went out for the year. They have enough veteran leadership to be able to handle his baggage. Consider it a big longshot since they already have a good backfield with Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene but considering how much they run, bringing in another player to help absorb some of the hits might be a smart idea.
San Francisco-Mike Singletary loves an I-formation power running game and reclaimation projects. Enter Larry Johnson. Part of the reason for Johnson's decline in production is the removal of an I-formation running game. He is exponentially better when running behind a fullback. Like the Jets, the 49ers have a good backfield with Frank Gore and Glenn Coffee, but with all the running that they like to do, another player to take some of the pounding would be smart.

College Basketball Season Preview

Alright, I know I'm a little late on this one as college basketball started on Monday night but we still haven't seen any marquee matchups so it might as well be preseason.

Top 25
This is what I think the best 25 teams in the country will be at the END of the season.
1. Kansas-Easily the best team in the country led by 2008 title game hero Sherron Collins and Tyshawn Taylor in the backcourt and Cole Aldrich in the frontcourt. Freshman Xavier Henry is going to be a superstar and a lottery pick and other top recruit CJ Henry will have an instant impact as well. This team reminds me of last year's North Carolina team in how they're everyone's favorite to win it all. While I don't think this team is as good as UNC was last year, this is clearly the best combination of talent and experience in the country and they should cut the down the nets in Indianapolis for the 2nd time in 3 years.
2. North Carolina-The defending national champions lost 4 starters from last years team who were all drafted to go to the NBA(3 in the first round) but they are still loaded, especially in the low post. Forward Ed Davis is the best power forward in the country, 7 footer Tyler Zeller is going to get drafted, and Deon Thompson provides some veteran stability. Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves return after being out for most of the season due to injury and suspension, respectively, to provide veteran leadership to a very young but extremely talented backcourt. Sophomore Larry Drew II takes over the point for the now Denver Nugget Ty Lawson. Splitting time with him will be talented freshman Dexter Strickland and also getting time at guard will be freshman Leslie McDonald. 6' 10'' string bean freshman small forward John Henson is going to be a flat out superstar along while the Wear twins, freshmen David and Travis will contribute this season as well. In 2006, after their last national title, UNC lost their top 7 and still beat Duke at Cameron Indoor and received a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. This team is exponentially better than that team and they have the best coach in the country, Roy Williams. They may be young but will grow up fast so don't be surprised to see the Tar Heels in Indianapolis or even cutting down the nets once again.
3. Villanova-Jay Wright's team returns almost everyone from last year's Final Four team save forward Dante Cunningham. 6' 10'' freshman Mouphtaou Yarou should alleviate the loss of Cunningham and 'Nova returns the best backcourt in the country led by Elite Eight hero Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, and Corey Stokes. Everyone says "guards win in March" and while I think you also need a strong low post presence to win a title(find me a team in the last 25 years that's won a title without a great player down low), elite guards can help you reach the Final Four as Reynolds did last year. Expect to see the boys from Philly contend for a repeat appearance in the Final Four but don't expect to see them cutting down the nets unless Yarou can become a force down low.
4. Michigan State-Tom Izzo showed everyone last year why he is the best coach in the country other than Roy Williams in getting Michigan State back to the Final Four for 4th time this decade. The Spartans return Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas to go along with Chris Allen and Durell Summers to create a formidable backcourt. Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe form a solid frontcourt but the loss of C Goran Suton will be felt. Michigan State has a lot of experience, which combined with the talent they have creates a national title contender. I think Kansas is better but Tom Izzo should get his 6th Final Four appearance this season.
5. Texas-The Longhorns return all major contributors from last year's squad and add freshman wing player Jordan Hamilton and Florida transfer Jai Lucas who will play a big role in helping replace star shooting guard AJ Abrams. The man who ultimately will replace him though will be monster recruit Avery Bradley. They have one of the best centers in the country in Dexter Pittman who teams up with PF Gary Johnson to form maybe the best frontcourt in the country. Lucas and Hamilton along with star wingman Damion James and guard Justin Mason help create a very strong backcourt to go along with the strong frontcourt. The question for me, though, is how much better has Texas really gotten from last season. The Longhorns struggled against good opponents last year, with their only really good wins coming at home against Villanova and UCLA in December(and UCLA wasn't that great of a win)and at home against an Oklahoma team playing without Blake Griffin. That resulted in them only getting a 7 seed in the tournament and not making it to the second weekend. This team is loaded and if they put it all together could make a run at the national title, but I just don't feel it with this team. Texas will contend for a Final Four appearance.
6. Kentucky-Maybe the most talented team in the country with freshmen PG John Wall and C Demarcus Cousins teaming up with PF Patrick Patterson. Experience will be the issue but the Wildcats should grow up quickly and be the best team in the SEC behind new coach John Calipari and be in the mix for a 1 or 2 seed.
7. Duke-Kyle Singler is a fantastic player but will be forced to play some in the backcourt due to the fact that the Dukies only have 2 true guards. That will definitely hold them back but they are still Duke and Mike Kryzewski is still their coach so they will be in contention for an ACC title and a high tournament seed.
8. West Virginia-Freshman sensation Devin Ebanks returns for an ever improving team under Bob Huggins, who has recruited well. They will fight hard with Villanova for the Big East title and for a good NCAA Tournament seed.
9. Butler-This mid-major is for real. Guards Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley form a solid backcourt to team up with a good frontcourt led by Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard. This team's resume won't be good enough to get a high seed but they are one of the best in the entire country.
10. Purdue-Robbie Hummel will win Big Ten POY and they have a lot of solid players to combine with Hummel to create the strongest Boilermaker squad in years. While they lack the talent to go to the Final Four, this team should be in the mix for a Big Ten title and a high tournament seed.
11. Tennessee
12. Washington
13. Mississippi State(this hinges on the eligibility of Renardo Sidney)
14. Ohio State
15. UConn
16. Oklahoma
17. Georgetown
18. Clemson
19. Georgia Tech
20. Minnesota
21. California
22. Michigan
23. Maryland
24. Dayton
25. Missouri

What the Colts Should Do With Bob Sanders

Colts all-pro safety Bob Sanders will be out for the remainder of the season. At the start of next season, he will have played in only 47 out of 96 possible games since being drafted out of Iowa. For those who thought he was too small for the NFL, you were right. His body(5' 8'' 206 lbs.) simply can't handle his physical style. When he's healthy, he's arguably the best safety in the NFL along with Troy Polomalu and Ed Reed. The problem is that he isn't healthy enough. Indianapolis needs to draft a safety next April in one of the early rounds to be the viable long term option that Bob Sanders simply isn't. Bill Polian, the Colts GM, will have 3 options as to what to do with Sanders himself:
1. Trade him before the draft next year-This would be a smart decision if he wanted to have any chance at the two top safeties in the draft this year, Tennessee's Eric Berry(the Ed Reed clone) and USC's Taylor Mays(the Steve Atwater clone), because the Colts' record will be too good for either of them to be available anywhere near where they're drafting. This is the choice I would make and I would attempt to package Sanders with the Colts' first round pick to get into the top ten to snag Berry or Mays.
2. Keep him for the next year or two and use him to mentor the safety they draft-This option would be the most desirable in my opinion but also the most difficult to pull off. While they would have to form some other sort of package to get into the top ten to pluck Berry or Mays, this would be the most beneficial for both the long term and short term. This would give Berry/Mays time to develop(and while still probably giving them the ability to get their feet wet due to Bob Sanders' lack of ability to stay healthy) while still keeping Sanders available during the Colt's window of opportunity to win another Super Bowl with Peyton Manning in his prime.
3. Keep him and hope that he can stay healthy-This would be the most high risk/high reward option. However, it would also be the dumbest option because Bob Sanders has shown nothing that would make anyone believe that he can stay healthy enough to be a legitimate long term option. However, if the move did work out, it would allow the Colts to use their high draft picks on players that can bring immediate impact for their quest to claim another Super Bowl title during their fictitious "window of opportunity".

Game Picks 11/7

#9 LSU at #3 Alabama
I've said it before and I'll say it again: LSU has been the most overrated team in the country over the past two years. They finished the regular season last year at 7-5 and yet were still ranked up until two weeks before the season ended. This year, their best win came in Athens against a mediocre-at-best Georgia team and that only happened because of a BS celebration penalty on UGA receiver AJ Green. In their only game against a good opponent this year, LSU got demolished at home against Florida, 13-3, and it wasn't even that close. Alabama's defense is better than Florida's and unlike that game, this one's not in Baton Rouge. 'Bama's defense will dominate LSU's weak offense and while the Tide's offense won't roll(pun intended), it will make enough plays behind Heisman candidate, RB Mark Ingram, and they will beat LSU 23-3.

#15 Ohio State at #11 Penn State
Terrelle Pryor returns to western Pennsylvania where he grew up and was a high school star. Last year the Nittany Lions forced a key 4th quarter Terrelle Pryor fumble that led to a game winning touchdown that kept Penn State undefeated. This game will be a defensive struggle as it features two of the stoutest D's in the country against two quarterbacks that have struggled in games against good defenses. The difference for these two talented QB's will be the their receiving corps and I believe that Pryor has a better one than Clark with Small, Posey, Sanzanbacher, and Carter. I think the Buckeye's defense will force a couple turnovers off of Daryll Clark and Terrelle Pryor will make enough plays to his including some with his legs to be the difference in a 15-10 Ohio State win.

QUICK PICKS
Clemson 28 Florida State 20
Oregon 26 Stanford 18
North Carolina 27 Duke 13
#22 Notre Dame 45 Navy 20
#24 Oklahoma 20 Nebraska 6
#5 Cincinnati 38 Connecticut 17
#1 Florida 41 Vanderbilt 10
#12 USC 27 Arizona State 14
#13 Houston 50 Tulsa 42
#10 Georgia Tech 28 Wake Forest 17

UPSET PICKS
Oregon State over #20 California
Maryland over NC State
Washington over UCLA
Hawaii over Utah State
Iowa State over Oklahoma State
Colorado over Texas A&M