2009 College Football - Week 3

After a weak slate of games in Week 2, this week brings plenty of good matchups in college football. The potential for upsets is there as well as chances to grab early leads in the conference standings. Picking the top 15 games wasn't easy with so many to choose from but it has been done.

I fared better in Week 2 than in Week 1, correctly picking 10 out of 15 games. That moves my overall record to 18-12 on the year. Not great but not awful. Let's see if I can make it a perfect 15-0 this week.

GAME OF THE WEEK
1. Tennessee @ #1 Florida - This game will probably be a huge blowout but that's what will make this game so much fun. All the offseason chatter from Lane Kiffin comes down to this game in Gainesville. Tennessee is coming off an awful loss to UCLA while Florida is fresh off a big beatdown of Troy. I hope that this game is close just to make Gator fans squirm a bit. FLORIDA wins easily.

BEST OF THE REST
2. #17 Cincinnati @ Oregon State - Cincy is slowly moving up the top 25 ranks, thanks to big offensive performances by Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard. But this week is their first real test, taking on the Beavers in Corvallis. Jacquizz Rodgers will be key if ORST wants to pull off the upset. But the biggest key will be their defense, which isn't the strongest. Last week, the Beavers barely escaped with a 23-21 over UNLV. That performance convinces me they don't have what it takes right now to beat CINCINNATI.

3. #14 Georgia Tech @ #20 Miami (FL) - This is a big one for both teams. GT got their first conference win last week in a thriller against Clemson. Miami (FL) won their first and only game at FSU in what was the coming out party for QB Jacory Harris. Last year, this was a fairly easy 41-23 win for the Yellow Jackets. And after a scare with Clemson, don't expect GT to come out or finish slow. GEORGIA TECH wins by double digits.

4. #3 USC @ Washington - On paper, there really isn't a reason this game should be close. Washington won their first game in 14 tries last week while USC is 3rd-ranked team in the nation and the Pac-10 powerhouse. But here are some things to look at. USC QB Matt Barkley may not play and if he does, will not be 100%. Washington is led by junior QB Jake Locker, probably the best QB in the Pac-10. The Huskies are coached by former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who no doubt will want to take down his former boss. And lastly, the game is being played in Seattle, a tough place to play no matter how good the Huskies are. Last year, USC tripped up against Oregon State. Don't be surprised if the Huskies pull off this upset. With all that said, I don't have the guts to pick Washington so I'll pick USC.

5. #19 Nebraska @ #13 Virginia Tech - Before the season started, I called this one of the better non-conference matchups of the year. I stand by that statement. Nebraska has jumped out of the gate 2-0, racking up 984 yds in the process. Meanwhile, VT took one on the chin to Alabama and now sit at 1-1. VT hasn't loss a non-conference game at home in their past 31 tries. Count on that streak top stop there. I'll go with NEBRASKA in a slight upset, thanks to their defense and costly turnovers from the VT offense.

6. Texas Tech @ #2 Texas - I'm surprised Gameday went to Austin this week for this game. While the rivalry has grown and last year, was an instant classic with the Michael Crabtree catch at the end, this game doesn't deserve its top billing. Texas has rolled in their first two games and are pretty much unbeatable at home. Texas Tech is without Graham Harrell and Crabtree and still have a defense that is prone to giving up tons of points. The bright spot for the Red Raiders is that the new QB, Taylor Potts has thrown 9 TD in two games. But he hasn't played in a big game like this before. On the other hand, Colt McCoy has been in a ton of them. TEXAS gets revenge, big time.

7. Florida State @ #7 BYU - FSU is coming into this game on shaky ground. The loss to Miami (FL) hurt but then, having to struggle against Jacksonville State had to hurt more. It doesn't get any easier for the 'Noles who now have to travel to BYU and face QB Max Hall and the Cougars. This is a huge game for BYU, who find themselves in the top 10 in just Week 3 of the season. There's a real possibility this team could be in the top 5 by the mid-October. A convincing win here would help voters feel okay with doing that. BYU wins with ease.

8. #18 Utah @ Oregon - Oregon fans had to know this would be a tough September just by looking at their schedule. But I doubt that they thought it would be this tough. A loss to Boise State, an escape from Purdue, and their star RB suspended for the season. Now, they have to face a talented Utah team, who is known to pull off the upset. These are critical times in Oregon, who have Cal next week at home. A win here will go a long way in getting some confidence into this team. Too bad UTAH is gonna keep that from happening.

9. Michigan State @ Notre Dame - A battle of unranked 1-1 teams who lost to inferior teams from Michigan. Couple weeks ago, this looked like a matchup of top-25 teams but now, the loser falls to 1-2 in September. MSU should have won their game with CMU, if not for the perfectly executed onside kick. But a loss is a loss, and a bad one considering it was in East Lansing. Notre Dame never was in real control of their game with Michigan and in the end, couldn't stop Tate Forcier and the Michigan offense. This week's matchup is in South Bend, which should provide a lift to a Notre Dame team that really needs one. That's enough for me to choose NOTRE DAME in a close game.

10. #10 Boise State @ Fresno State - For the first time this season, the Broncos leave the blue field. So far, it's been all good, with wins over Oregon and Miami (OH). But playing at Fresno State may be their toughest game yet. The Bulldogs usually play Boise State tough, though last year the Broncos won 61-10 in a rare blowout. The Bulldogs are fresh off a close loss at Wisconsin so they come in with some confidence. But BOISE STATE is too talented to lose their WAC opener.

11. #8 California @ Minnesota - Cal couldn't be playing any better right now. Jahvid Best is running wild and QB Kevin Riley is playing mistake-free football. The Golden Bears better do the same if they want to escape Minnesota with a win. The Gophers aren't the best team but they are good enough to pull off this upset at their new shindig. Plus, with it being a noon game, expect Cal to start slow. But look for Cal to control this game with their running attack. Minnesota keeps it close but CAL comes away with the win.

12. Tulsa @ #12 Oklahoma - Oklahoma QB Landry Jones played well against Idaho State, but who wouldn't. Now, Jones has to score with Tulsa, who has led the nation in total offense the past two years and is 10th in points scored right now. Tulsa's defense isn't overly amazing but if their offense can keep up with Sooners offense, this one could stay close for 3 quarters. But OKLAHOMA should come away with the victory.

13. Navy @ Pittsburgh - Navy came into Columbus and showed no fear in a near-upset of Ohio State. Expect that same Navy team to invade Pittsburgh. Pitt is coming off a dominating win over Buffalo and on a mission to get into the national spotlight. Dave Wannstedt has recruited well and this team is his best chance yet in winning the Big East. Navy should keep this one close, just as they did against OSU, but I'll go with PITTSBURGH to avoid the upset bid.

14. West Virginia @ Auburn - Remember when this game would be a matchup of top 15 teams? Now, it's a game between two teams trying to become household names again. WV is the better team but don't ever count out a team like Auburn who knows a win like this would get them some attention. Not to mention with new coach Gene Chizik, they're hoping for a substantial boost this season. I'm torn on who will win but since I have to choose, I'll pick AUBURN at home.

15. #23 Georgia @ Arkansas - UGA has to feel better about their offense after last week's 41-37 win over South Carolina. But they can't feel good about their defense. It gave up 37 points and pretty much let South Carolina drive up and down the field. Arkansas has only played one game so they've had two weeks to prepare for this game. QB Ryan Mallett has a strong arm and this is an Arkansas team that like to sling it. I don't expect the UGA offense to score as easily as last week but I do expect the defense to struggle. So in my APPY of the week, I'm taking ARKANSAS at home.

OTHER GAMES
#11 Ohio State vs. Toledo (in Cleveland) - An important bounce back game for Ohio State after the heartbreaking loss to USC. Playing a MAC team like Toledo should be just what the doctor ordered. If this game were in the Glass Bowl, I'd give Toledo a fighting chance. But with it at a neutral site, the chances of an upset are even worse now. Look for Jim Tressel to run up the score this week too, to quiet critics from last week. OHIO STATE 41, Toledo 13

Cal-Poly @ Ohio - I don't know anything about Cal-Poly besides the fact they are not an FBS team. What I know about OU though is that they are coming off a huge win at North Texas. It's not huge because of the opponent, but because of confidence. Last year, the Bobcats lost close game after close game. So to win one in dramatic fashion in overtime should be a big confidence boost. Now with a home game against a truly inferior team should add to that confidence before traveling to Knoxville to face the Vols. OHIO 34, Cal-Poly 10

NFL Week 1 Power Rankings

It's always hard to judge an NFL team from the first game. You don't want to be too impressed with victories but also not too tough on teams who lost. But that's no reason not to put some power rankings for Week 1. Like last year, I will split them up by AFC and NFC, because in my mind, that's all that matters. I try my best not to just rank them by record because many times, the schedule influences a team's record early on.


1. Pittsburgh (1-0) - A good quality win against a tough TEN team. Lack of a running game is a bit of a concern but seeing Roethlisberger sling it was fun. Polamalu's injury hurts the defense but 3-6 weeks is better than season-ending. NEXT: at Chicago

2. San Diego (1-0) - Beating a motivated OAK team on the road in Week 1 is a quality win. Besides the long pass play, the defense looked pretty stout. But why was LT on the sideline on the game-winning drive? NEXT: vs. Baltimore

3. Indianapolis (1-0) - Despite losing Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, some thing just don't change. A close game with JAX and a Manning-Wayne TD pass. Injury to Anthony Gonzalez is not good for an already-thin WR corps. NEXT: at Miami

4. New England (1-0) - The last 5 minutes, they looked the best team in the AFC. But for the first 55 minutes, they looked the 8th best. A timely fumble by BUF is the only thing keeping them a bad home loss. Defense was just decent too. NEXT: at NY Jets

5. Tennessee (0-1) - Gotta give them credit for going to PIT and nearly pulling off the upset. The defense is going to keep them in just about every game. Justin Gage also was a pleasant surprise. The run game should improve too. NEXT: vs. Houston

6. Baltimore (1-0) - Giving up 24 points on defense to a team like KC is a bit scary. But seeing Flacco throw for 300+ yards and Rice run for 100+ yards is a good sign. Next week, the offense may have to duplicate that against SD. NEXT: @ San Diego

7. NY Jets (1-0) - While most of the attention has been paid to Mark Sanchez and his solid debut, give some props to the defense. Gave up less than 200 total yards to a HOU offense that was ranked in the top 5 last year. NEXT: vs. New England

8. Buffalo (0-1) - They fired their offensive coordinator 2 weeks before the season began but it didn't look like it. The Bills no-huddle offense played well pretty much all night. The secondary looks to be the weak spot on defense though. NEXT: vs. Tampa Bay

9. Jacksonville (0-1) - They scored just 12 points but showed that Jaguar intensity that was missing the second half of 2009. The WR corps still worries me. The defense looked great but they did lose Reggie Hayward for the season. NEXT: vs. Arizona

10. Denver (1-0) - If not for the "Mile High Miracle", this ends up being an awful debut for new head coach Josh McDaniels. Kyle Orton is not the answer at QB and the defense won't give up just 7 points all season. NEXT: vs. Cleveland

11. Oakland (0-1) - Have to be impressed with how tough the Raiders played. It's obvious though that they will not compete for a division title this year. Russell is making strides at QB but at the same time, a lot of costly mistakes. NEXT: at Kansas City

12. Houston (0-1) - The offense looked inept and head coach Gary Kubiak said the O-Line looked confused. Maybe that's why Matt Schaub played so poorly. For this team to win, the offense must score cause the defense isn't strong. NEXT: at Tennessee

13. Cincinnati (0-1) - It's never good when people around the league aren't surprised at the way the Bengals lost. Now, it's up to this team to either let that loss define their season or simply let that loss go. Time will tell which happens. NEXT: at Green Bay

14. Miami (0-1) - This may be a bit low but 4 turnovers and an ineffective offense doesn't scream impressive. The wildcat that worked so well last year was slowed by ATL while the defense couldn't stop the ATL pass attack. NEXT: vs. Indianapolis

15. Cleveland (0-1) - It's not easy having to open up the year with Adrian Peterson and a good defense. Quinn didn't look particularly well at QB but the running game didn't help too much. Josh Cribbs though is already in midseason form. NEXT: at Denver

16. Kansas City (0-1) - For playing without Matt Cassel and against a defense like BALT, scoring 24 points is good. Getting Cassel back should do wonders for the passing game though. But this defense struggled mightily. NEXT: at San Diego

1. Philadelphia (1-0) - All-out team effort. The offense moved the ball down the field with ease. The defense had 4 INT and a fumble recovery for a TD. Plus, a punt return for a TD and a FG. Now, how long will McNabb be out? NEXT: at New Orleans

2. New Orleans (1-0) - We all know Drew Brees is good. But throwing for 6 TD in the first game is scary good. The only concern is the defense. Giving up 27 points to the Lions offense isn't anyone's idea of improvement. NEXT: vs. Philadelphia

3. Atlanta (1-0) - May not have to worry about a sophomore slump for Matt Ryan. 2 TD passes, including one to Tony Gonzalez. The defense looked impressive too, shutting down anything Miami threw or ran at them. NEXT: vs. Carolina

4. Minnesota (1-0) - Winning on the road is easy but winning at Cleveland isn't that hard right now. Peterson racked up 180 yards and 3 TD. Favre played mistake-free, which is all he'll need to do if AP runs wild like that in any game. NEXT: at Detroit

5. NY Giants (1-0) - For all the talk about Eli Manning's contract and lack of WR, the Giants offense played well. The defense had Jason Campbell guessing pretty much all game and held Portis to 62 rushing yards. NEXT: at Dallas

6. Green Bay (1-0) - Aaron Rodgers is doing his best to make Packers fans forget about Favre. With Jennings and Driver, he could throw for a ton of TD this season. The new 3-4 defense played well in its debut but Cutler made it look amazing. NEXT: vs. Cincinnati

7. Dallas (1-0) - Tony Romo had a career day and receivers other than Jason Witten were scoring the TDs. The defense wasn't pushed too hard but they will be in their next game, when they get division rival NYG. NEXT: vs. NY Giants

8. Seattle (1-0) - Matt Hasselbeck started with 2 INT but bounced back with 3 TD and Julius Jones added 117 yds on the ground. But the star of the game for the Seahawks was the defense, completely shutting down STL. NEXT: at San Francisco

9. San Francisco (1-0) - Shaun Hill played solid football but Frank Gore did not, running for just 30 yds. But the defense made up for it, keeping the AZ offense to 16 points. But are they for real or was that a one-time inspired performance? NEXT: vs. Seattle

10. Arizona (0-1) - The defending NFC champs looked like anything but that. Warner struggled all game, unable to find Fitzgerald or Boldin. The defense did fine, keeping SF to 20 points, which is normally enough for this offense. NEXT: at Jacksonville

11. Washington (0-1) - Albert Haynesworth played big in his debut, keeping the Giants run attack fairly quiet. But the pass defense wasn't good. Neither was Jason Campbell, who was hoping to make a statement to head coach Jim Zorn. NEXT: vs. St. Louis

12. Chicago (0-1) - They played better than 12th in the NFC but Cutler's mistakes coupled with Urlacher's season-ending injury are big blows. Cutler won't get it any easier next week when he faces the PIT defense, one of the best in the NFL. NEXT: at Pittsburgh

13. Tampa Bay (0-1) - It's going to be a long season for the Bucs. The defense is without an identity with Monte Kiffin and Derrick Brooks gone. And the offense, while capable of moving the ball, struggles to score points. NEXT: at Buffalo

14. Carolina (0-1) - The Week 1 game is just the start of what will be a difficult season for the Panthers. The defense is thin at every position and leaning on the passing game will not be an option, especially with Delhomme at QB. NEXT: at Atlanta

15. Detroit (0-1) - All in all, the Lions didn't look that bad. Yes, the defense gave up 6 TD to Brees but a lot of teams may do that. Stafford led the Lions to 27 points on offense, which is good. Now, he just needs to lead them to a win. NEXT: vs. Minnesota

16. St. Louis (0-1) - Losing to Seattle isn't embarassing but being shutout 28-0 is. The offense mustered up just 270 yards, including just 67 yds on the ground from Steven Jackson. Things should improve, but when? NEXT: at Washington

2009 College Football - Week 2 Recap

What a week it was, complete with stunning upsets, dominating performances, and absolute heartbreaks. And it's only Week 2! That is the beauty of college football, where every week is as important as every other. As usual, there are some things to learned from this weekend's games.

The BIG 10 things I learned this week
1. Ohio State heartache continues - Right when it seemed like Ohio State had gotten the "big game" monkey off its back, USC drives down the field and scores a game-winning touchdown with about a minute left. For what seems like the 100th consecutive 'big game", the Buckeyes fell short. The margins are getting smaller (losses by 3 to Texas in Fiesta Bowl and 3 to USC) but the heartache continues to grow for OSU fans. This is a critical point in the Jim Tressel tenure. He needs to figure this out soon, because once Michigan gets better, that rivalry game will be a "big game". Oh, and it's just fitting that the Browns lose and Bengals lose on a ridiculous play, to cap off a depressing football weekend for many fans in Ohio.

2. Queen taking over the King? - Cincinnati is known as the queen city but their college football team may be king in Ohio. Seriously, this Cincinnati team could give OSU a run for their money right now. In two games, QB Tony Pike has thrown for 591 yds and 6 TD. The team has scored 117 pts in 2 games. Yes, the opponents haven't been the toughest but this no-huddle offense is clicking and this team is growing in confidence. This week's trip to Oregon State will truly show just how good this Cincinnati team is but as of now, I'm impressed.

3. Houston, I have a problem - It is a real shame that I overlooked the Houston-OKST game as one of the top 15 games of the week. Considering the Cougars returned one of the best senior QBs in the nation in Case Keenum, the game should have at least made the list. I still would have picked OKST but it's the principle. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. What Houston did was expose an OKST team that is still struggling to find a defensive identity. Giving up 45 points at home is not a good sign for a team that thinks they have a real shot at beating Oklahoma or Texas. Kudos to Keenum (725 yds, 7 TD in 2 games) and company for the upset. Keep an eye on them: they may be the BCS buster of 2009.

4. The MAC attack - Toledo crushed Colorado 54-38 at home on Friday in front of a national TV audience. Don't look now though but playing a MAC team even at home may not be as easy as you think. Ohio took down North Texas in 2OT, but that's not saying much. 2 more gave Big Ten teams a run for their money. Eastern Michigan came back from a 24-10 deficit to tie it at 24, forcing NW to kick a game-winning 49-yd FG with 8 seconds left. Western Michigan pushed Indy before falling 23-19. Bowling Green led Missouri 20-6 before the Tigers scores 21 unanswered to avoid the upset. But the same couldn't be said for Michigan State at home, who lost to Central Michigan 29-27 after what may have been the best executed onside kick in college football history. Lesson learned here is don't sleep on a MAC team, at home or on the road.

5. Wins aren't always wins - Just ask Florida State a d Maryland. Both teams won but they had to fight for them against FCS teams. FSU was down 9-7 to Jacksonville State before finally scoring a touchdown with 35 seconds left to take the lead. This game was in Tallahassee too, in front of 90,000 fans. Wasn't much better for Maryland, who needed overtime to defeat James Madison at home. Again, both teams won but for the fans, those are the kinds of wins that have you shaking your head, wondering if that was a fluke or if that's how the team will play come conference play.

6. Michigan is (almost) back - With a 38-34 win over Notre Dame, Michigan proved that they are a better team. While I'm not sold that they will stay in the top 25 all season, I think it's safe to say Rich Rodriguez has this team going in the right direction. QB Tate Forcier is the real deal and should be a quality QB for them the next 2-3 years. The defense still needs some work but if the offense can outscore teams, then they may get bailed out every week.

7. Rocky Top still a bit rocky - After completely destroying Western Kentucky 63-7, the people in Tennessee had to feel like the game against UCLA would just be another big step forward for the Vols. Instead, it was a step back as the Vols fumbled and threw away their chance to win. Tennessee committed 4 turnovers and lost 19-15. QB Johnathan Crompton followed his 233 yd, 5 TD performance against WKU with a 93 yd, 3 INT outing. Next week, the Vols have the Gators in Rocky Top. They better hope the Week 1 team shows up because if the Week 2 team shows up, it'll be over before it even starts.

8. Offense can win games - That is, for Georgia and South Carolina. The two teams are rivals and in the past, it's been defense that has reigned supreme. In fact, neither team had hit the 21-point mark in 7 games. But this year, the first team hit 21 points in the 2nd quarter. UGA won 41-37 but the big lesson learned here is that these teams do have offenses. In Week 1, the two combined for 17 points. Now, they go into their Week 3 matchups with tons of confidence on offense. Neither team should be a team like Florida down the road but at least they may be able to score a few points now.

9. Coaches on the hot seat - It's only been 2 weeks but for some coaches, now may be the time to get things going if they want to be employed come 2010. Al Groh at Virginia needs a good win streak. Same goes for Mark Snyder at Marshall who hasn't done much since taking that job. Even new head coach Chip Kelly better be careful. Though he was hand-picked by Oregon AD/former head coach Mike Bellotti, almost losing to Purdue at home would have been devastating to a team that was picked in the top 15 to begin the season. Also, Paul Wulff needs to win soon at Washington State. He's now 2-13 in 2 years and with Washington looking to be better under Steve Sarkisian, the pressure will be on.

10. Heisman Watch - FLA QB Tim Tebow had a big day, gaining more than 300 total yards and 5 TD against Troy. Texas QBColt McCoy started slow but finished with 381 total yards and 4 TD against Wyoming. Cal RB Jahvid Best rushed for 144 yds but just one TD. ORST RB Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 166 yds and a TD. Cincy QB Tony Pike had another solid week as did Clemson RB CJ Spiller. And despite the loss, ND QB Jimmy Clausen threw for 336 yds and 3 TD, definitely keeping him in the mix early.

11. Worthless Reviews - I can't remember any other week having more worthless reviews than this week. I love the college replay system but reviewing plays that were already called correctly on the field needs to stop. I know sometimes they don't get much time to look at the play before the next one but a couple times this week, there were some clear calls that for some reason, were reviewed. Let's hope future weeks see less pointless reviews because it really kills the flow of a game.

OVER/UNDER
- After laying an egg against Houston, it's safe to say OKLAHOMA STATE is the OVERRATED team of the week. They looked good, but not great against Georgia. But who knew it would take an unranked, non-BCS team in Houston to expose just how awful this Cowboy defense really is. OKST is still a good team but it's fair to say they sure weren't the 5th ranked team in the nation.
- For the UNDERRATED team of the week, I'm going to have to choose MICHIGAN. Not many people were giving them a chance against Notre Dame. But the Wolverines showed up to play and their freshman QB Tate Forcier came through in the clutch. That's not a good sign for the rest of the Big Ten, who may have been hoping that the team was still a year or two away from really being competitive under Rich Rodriguez.

HE/SHE SAID WHAT?
"Drops it right over the pocket. If you had a pencil in your pocket, he puts it right in the pocket."- Doc Walker

For a list of other great comments, check out this website

3 QUESTIONS
1. Which team will fall to 1-2? Michigan State or Notre Dame?

2. When is the next time a Big Ten team will win a big game against a non-conference foe?

3. With so many great games next week, what will be my Game of the Week?

Week 1 NFL Picks

Alright, here we go. The start of what will no doubt be another awful season of predicting games. My goal every year is to get 75% of the games right. I don't think that's asking too much, considering half of the games are pretty easy to predict. That means as long I get half of the tough-to-guess games, then I'm in great shape. But every year, I let myself down. But hey, it's the end of a decade. Maybe, THIS is the year (God, I sound like a Browns fan).

Anyways, here are my picks for Week 1. Criticize and enjoy.

Thursday, September 10th
Tennessee @ Pittsburgh: PITTSBURGH - Between the Steelers having not lost an opener is so long and the emotion is bringing the Lombardi trophy to Pittsburgh, there's no way Pittsburgh loses this game

Sunday, September 13th
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis: INDIANAPOLIS - While I think this will be a closer game than many may expect, the Colts prevail with yet another Peyton Manning game-winning drive
Detroit @ New Orleans: NEW ORLEANS - You might as well call this preseason game #5 for the Saints. Welcome to the NFL Matthew Stafford.
Dallas @ Tampa Bay: TAMPA BAY - The Cowboys may be the better team but there's something about this game that screams letdown for them.
Philadelphia @ Carolina: PHILADELPHIA - The Panthers are in trouble. Their rush defense is in shambles and the offense struggled during the preseason. I just don't see any way they can win this game.
Kansas City @ Baltimore: BALTIMORE - The Chiefs will get better as the season goes on. But in game one against a Ravens defense at home, forget about it.
New York Jets @ Houston: NY JETS - I'm a big Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson fan. And I think Mark Sanchez will get sacked by Mario Williams 3 times. But until the rest of the Houston defense decides to show up, I'll take the Jets in a close one.
Miami @ Atlanta: ATLANTA - The Falcons pass defense is not good but the Miami pass offense isn't good either. Expect the Falcons to come out firing on all cylinders on offense though.
Denver @ Cincinnati: CINCINNATI - This will be Carson Palmer's coming out party. Kyle Orton and Knowshon Moreno are banged up too.
Minnesota @ Cleveland: MINNESOTA - You couldn't ask for a better first game for the ageless Brett Favre. On the other hand, tough first game for Brady Quinn, playing one of the league's best defenses.
Washington @ New York Giants: NY GIANTS - Eli is out to prove that the huge contract he just got was worth it. Oh, and the whole team is out to prove that they can win without Plaxico.
San Francisco @ Arizona: ARIZONA - The Cardinals offense will score, but it won't be easy against an improved 49ers defense under Mike Singletary
St. Louis @ Seattle: SEATTLE - The Seahawks are going to be one of the most improved teams this season. Not to mention Seattle is one of the toughest places to play, especially in an opener.
Chicago @ Green Bay: GREEN BAY - Aaron Rodgers + Jay Cutler = plenty of passing and maybe touchdowns. But with no real wideouts for Cutler, Rodgers has the advantage.

Monday, September 14th
Buffalo @ New England: NEW ENGLAND - No one in their right mind can think the Bills, who just fired their offensive coordinator, can possibly score with the likes of Brady and the Pats. This one will be close...at the opening kickoff.
San Diego @ Oakland: SAN DIEGO - The Monday night doubleheader ends with another bloodbath as the Chargers offense run up and down the field and the defense shuts down a Raiders offense that will be eventually get better.

So there they are. Now, let's see how good or bad I do. Bring on NFL Sunday!

2009 College Football - Week 2

It was a pretty exciting start to the college football season. But as The Carpenters would say, "We've only just begun".

It was a slow start for me in the picking department. I went 8-7 in my top 15 picks and did not correctly predict my APPY. Here's hoping for a better week of predictions this weekend. The slate of games isn't overly impressive this weekend but one game is so big (especially for me), that this is a big weekend for college football no matter what.

GAME OF THE WEEK
1. #3 USC @ #8 Ohio State - They don't get much bigger than this in college football. Two teams with good chances of running through their conference undefeated and with national title game hopes. Last year, this was a 35-3 Trojan beatdown of the Buckeyes. This year, it should be closer. Matt Barkley played well in his debut, but that was against San Jose St in Los Angeles. With nerves playing a part, expect him to huge heavily on RB Joe McKnight, who rushed for 145 yds last week. For OSU, the offense has to move the ball. Terrelle Pryor showed the capability to throw the ball outside of the pocket and run the option with great success. The defense is hard to judge, considering they are going from a triple-option attack to a more traditional attack. For 3 years now, OSU has been awful in big games like this. But the mix of a freshman QB on the road at USC coupled with the playmaking QB of OSU who has shown flashes of playing big when it matters (Wisconsin and Texas), I think this is the time OSU wins a big one. OHIO STATE 27, USC 17

BEST OF THE REST
2. #18 Notre Dame @ Michigan - I was impressed with both team's performances in their openers. But are they for real? This is the time for one of them to show that they are. QB Jimmy Clausen played amazing against Nevada but now he is faring against a bigger and faster defense. The same can be said for Michigan frosh QB Tate Forcier though. I know the game is at the Big House but it's hard to bet against a junior QB and a team that truly dismantled Nevada from start to finish. It may be close in the first half but expect NOTRE DAME to take control in the second half and win easily.

3. Clemson @ #15 Georgia Tech (Thurs) - A good ACC matchup on this Thursday night and unlike last Thursday's matchups, this one should see plenty of offense. Clemson is led by a frosh QB in Kyle Parker so expect some mistakes from him in his first conference road game. But he has RB C.J. Spiller to lean on, who can pull off a big run or return just about anytime. GT has a playmaker of their own in RB Johnathan Dwyer, who scored on the first play of their game last week. While Clemson is a quality opponent, GT has a huge advantage because the triple-option offense is hard to prepare for, but even harder when you have just 4 days of practice to do so. GEORGIA TECH wins by a healthy margin.

4. South Carolina @ #21 Georgia - This border war pits two teams who had unimpressive offensive outputs in their first game. South Carolina scored just 7 points and amassed just 256 yds of offense in a win over NCST. Georgia wasn't much better, scoring 10 points and amassing 257 yds of offense in a 24-10 loss to OKST. While both teams hope their offense improve, this rivalry has been about the defense. In the past three games between the teams, the Gamecocks and Bulldogs each have just two touchdowns. With offenses that will probably sputter again, I'd expect that once again. For a winner, I'll go with GEORGIA with it being at home but wouldn't be surprised at all if I'm wrong.

5. UCLA @ Tennessee - It is a battle of unranked teams but this one should be fun. UCLA took down Tennessee last year in Los Angeles. But this is the Lane Kiffin era now. QB Johnathan Crompton and the Vols looked great on offense but they were playing Western Kentucky. UCLA beat SDSU 33-14 but still have a young team. I don't think that young team will perform well in a road environment like Neyland Stadium. TENNESSEE wins and Lane Kiffin begins his career 2-0.

6. #19 North Carolina @ UConn - This isn't the easiest road game for North Carolina. UConn boasts a quality defense, that gave OU fits all game in a 23-16 win. UNC also has to play a Huskies team that wants to exact revenge after being beaten 38-12 in Chapel Hill last season. UNC racked up 261 yds on the ground last week but to win this week, the passing game will have to have more than 114 yds. While I am tempted to take UConn at home, I'll pick NORTH CAROLINA to take care of business on the road.

7. Central Michigan @ Michigan State - It was an awful first game for CMU and QB Dan LeFevour. The Chippewas only gained 182 yds on offense, with LeFevour accounting for 126 yds of that total. Expect a better offensive performance from CMU as they take on a intrastate rival in MSU. The Spartans played great in their opener, trouncing Montana State 44-6. This game will be a warmup before their big road matchup at Notre Dame next week. MICHIGAN STATE wins by 14 or more.

8. Purdue @ Oregon - Last week, Oregon was ranked and respected. But after an embarrassing and ugly loss to Boise State (and a certain postgame incident), things aren't looking so great in Eugene. The Ducks are now without their best tailback, putting more pressure on QB Jeremiah Masoli. Purdue comes in coming off a 52-31 win over Toledo that saw the Boilers put up 535 yds of offense. While I think Purdue has a better chance of winning with LeGarrette Blount out, OREGON won't use this game at home.

9. Fresno State @ Wisconsin - This was a great game two seasons ago, putting FSU RB Ryan Matthews on the map. But last year, defense was the name of the game, as Wisconsin won 13-10. This year, expect more offense. The Bulldogs put up 51 pts on UC Davis. The Badgers though struggled with Northern Illinois in a 28-20 win. For both teams, getting to 2-0 would be some nice momentum for their season. It's not easy playing a noon game for any West Coast team so I'm choosing WISCONSIN to win.

10. Iowa @ Iowa State - This game would not have even been on my radar last week but after Iowa's struggle to beat Northern Iowa, one has to wonder if the Hawkeyes will even win this game. The Cyclones are not a good team. They went 2-10 last season, including losing their 10 in a row. But they are 1-0 now and probably feeling confident that they can play with their state rival. With a new head coach and experienced QB, the Cyclones will have a chance. But IOWA had their wake-up call already so I'm expecting them to win this one with ease.

11. #16 TCU @ Virginia - This is one of those games that just intrigues me. TCU is by far the better team and will probably blow out Virginia. In fact, UVA lost to William and Mary last week! But I can't help but remember how UVA beat teams like UNC and GT last year when they had no business doing that. So which Virginia team will show up is the question. I don't think it matters which one does in the end, so I'll take TCU.

12. #24 Kansas @ UTEP - Kansas is still a team I think people should keep an eye on all season. QB Todd Reesing may be short but he's got an accurate arm and is a gamer. He may have to be against this UTEP team that has shown flashes of being good. They did lose their opener to Buffalo but having a ranked team like Kansas in El Paso may be enough to get this team energized. It'll come down to their defense though, which gave up 40 pts or more 7 times last season. KANSAS is my pick.

13. Stanford @ Wake Forest - It was a disappointing start to 2009 for Wake Forest. Thanks to 3 INT from QB Riley Skinner, the Demon Deacons fell 24-21 to Baylor. They get a chance to redeem themselves against another up-and-coming team in Stanford. The Cardinal won their opener against Washington State 39-13 but now must play a noon game on the East coast. While I think the Cardinal are the better team overall, they won't win this win. WAKE FOREST makes up for last week's loss with a good win this week.

14. Idaho State @ #13 Oklahoma - We all know who will win this game. This game only makes the list because it's one more game for redshirt freshman Landry Jones to get comfortable at the QB position. Though Sam Bradford is supposed to be back in 2-4 weeks, having a confident Jones for the Tulsa and possibly the Miami (FL) games is critical. But as for this one, OKLAHOMA wins in a blowout.

15. Pittsburgh @ Buffalo - Pittsburgh may have their best group yet in terms of talent. Dave Wannstedt now has to translate that talent into victories, especially against MAC schools. But that hasn't happened. So far in his tenure, Pitt has fallen to Ohio and Bowling Green. Meanwhile in Buffalo, things are looking up, thanks to Turner Gill. He's got this team believing they can win and that's dangerous for teams like Pitt who are coming into Buffalo to play. In my APPY of the week, I'm picking BUFFALO to keep the MAC "dominance" over Pittsburgh alive.

GAMES CLOSE TO ME
Ohio @ North Texas - It was a tough loss for the Bobcats to UConn but I think some positives came out of that game. The Cats showed the ability to come back and stick with a superior team. Now, they get to play an inferior team in North Texas. The Cats haven't been known to be the best road team but North Texas probably isn't the craziest road atmosphere. If OU can win the turnover battle, they should win this game. OHIO 31, NORTH TEXAS 20

There ya go. Let's see if I can do better this week. Enjoy the games everyone!