College Football: Week 12

Welcome back to the college football weekly preview post. While some have been full of great games to be watched and somewhat knowledgeable analysis and predictions, this one is not. That;s because this week's slate of game is well, pathetic. It's odd to see a mid-November be so full of games that just aren't appealing.

Of course, the possibilities for upsets are there but they are some huge reaches. Hence, making the week that much more disappointing. But we must trudge on. Hey, at least we have Lou Holtz to be excited for?

As far as my picks, I went 11-4 last week, incorrectly calling the upsets of Bama and Texas Tech. Eh well, there's still time. Onward!

TOP 15 GAMES (Last week: 11-4, Season 92-58)

GAME OF THE WEEK
1. #24 South Carolina @ #3 Florida - Yeah, that's how bad this weekend's games are. USC comes into this one with the top defense in the SEC. But Florida has the top offense and have scored 102 points in the last two games. Right now, USC is a 21-point underdog but I got a feeling it's gonna be close. Gamecocks are 2-1 on the road and they (especially former Coach Spurrier) want this one BAD. FLORIDA wins but again, it will be close. Florida 31-27

REST OF THE BEST
2. #4 Texas @ Kansas - Hard to believe that KU is not ranked. Yeah, they are 6-4 but their 4 losses are very quality losses (USF when good, OKST, TTU, and Nebraska in Lincoln). Todd Reising is still a great QB and this team still has plenty of talent. If Texas is smart, they'll look past the 4 losses and treat KU as a Top 25 team because if they don't, they can kiss their title shot goodbye. I'll pick TEXAS but that is with some reservation.

3. #22 Cincinnati @ Louisville - Getting down to the nitty gritty in the Big East and right now, Cincy is tied at the top. But this weekend's trip to Louisville is nothing to sneeze at. The Cardinals have beaten UC 9 of 10 times, including the past 5. But I have faith in my former middle school classmates Torry and DeAngelo to lead CINCINNATI to a big win on the road.

4. Boston College @ #20 Florida State - Yeah, this is where Gameday is going live from. Again, a sign of a bad weekend of games. But this one is big for the ACC. Both teams can't afford another loss in this mediocre conference. Both teams are coming off a win so I can;t go with momentum. So in this case, I'll go with the home team. FLORIDA STATE wins, but really, who cares?

5. #10 Ohio State @ Illinois - This starts a series of games where one team is looking for redemption from an embarrassing loss. Last season, OSU looked to be well on its way to an undefeated season. But instead, Illinois spoiled Senior Day at the Show, beating the Bucks 28-21. I still remember that last drive by Illinois.

This season, the teams are completely different as is the locale. What else will be different? The result of the game. OHIO STATE is too good. Buckeyes 38-17

6. #6 USC @ Stanford - It may have been the upset of the year if not for Appalachian State. The Cardinal upsetting the mighty Trojans in SoCal. And the way they did it was that much better. You can relive it below:

Oh, I was screaming about that game all night, though I think my beverages may have played a part in that. But anyways, I hope Stanford can do it again. But I don't see lightning striking twice. USC redeems last year's loss.

7. Notre Dame @ Navy - It had been 44 years since the Irish had lost to Navy. But now, it's been less than a year. That's because last year Navy pulled off the upset, winning 46-44 in a game for the ages. Here's my fellow Gray TV station WNDU with your recap!

Poor sports guy. Not his best effort. Still won't forget watching ND right behind the Naval Academy as they sang with their band. Just amazing stuff. As for this year, no Paul Johnson for Navy at coach and for Notre Dame, Weis calling plays. I'll take NOTRE DAME.

8. California @ #23 Oregon State - Well Cal gave it their best shot against USC, keeping the game tight. Now, they get to face the one team to beat USC. Oregon State has quietly had a good season and has made its way into the Top 25. And don't forget, if Oregon State wins out, they win the Pac-10. With that in mind plus the fact that Cal is prolly a bit beat up from USC, I will go with OREGON STATE to keep BCS dreams alive.

9. Virginia Tech @ Miami (FL) (THU) - Another clunker of a Thursday night game. Thankfully, there is an NFL game on and I have the NFL Network. So while I would love to act like I care about this game, I won't waste your time. I'm picking VIRGINIA TECH.

10. #17 North Carolina @ Maryland - UNC may be 7-2 and coming off a very impressive 28-7 win over GT. But here are the stats that matter. MD is 5-0 at home and 3-0 against the Top 25. I'm gonna go with those stats and in my APPY pick, take MARYLAND to take down the Tar Heels.

11. #11 Oklahoma State @ Colorado - Been an up and down year for the Buffs. At times, they look like they would make noise in the Big 12. At other times, they just roll over and get run over. Something tells me OKST is coming into this game angry after their beatdown by TTU. So the Buffs better beware. OKLAHOMA STATE takes out their frustration and wins big.

12. Mississippi State @ #1 Alabama - The past two season, Sylvester Croom's kids have beaten the Crimson Tide. If his team does it again this season, it may just save his job (though I can't envision another black coach being fired this season). The Tide have looked sketchy at times but even I know that Bama is much better and should roll. ALABAMA wins in a rout.

13. Indiana @ #7 Penn State - Now is not the time for a letdown for PSU. Yeah, the loss to Iowa hurts a lot but there is still hope for the title game. More realistically, a shot to play USC in the Rose Bowl. But that all goes bye bye with one more loss. We'll see just how mentally tough this team is this week. I'll go with PENN STATE in a blowout.

14. Wake Forest @ NC State - Wake is right in the thick of the ACC race...somehow. They have been horrendous this season. But the last two games have been a promising sign. The team has put some actual points on the board after being shutout two weeks in a row before that. NC State is 1-4 in the ACC and out of the hunt so they are just hoping to play spoiler. I see them being able to do it. NC STATE wins in a mini-upset.

15. Minnesota @ Wisconsin - The mighty Golden Gophers have fallen from the Top 25 fast. Kind of like how 'Sconsin did in October. Now, it's a battle of two teams that hope to redeem themselves from a midseason slump. 'Sconsin still isn't bowl-eligible so this game is really big for them. And since it is Senior Day at Camp Randall, I'll going with WISCONSIN.

TEAMS I LOVE (OR ACT LIKE I LOVE)

#13 Georgia @ Auburn - The fact that UK scored 38 points on UGA's defense should scare Bulldog fans going into Auburn. But then we all remember how incredibly bad Auburn's offense is. GEORGIA wins big and goes into the second bye week happy. Bulldogs 45-10

NFL Week 10 Power Rankings

So what did we learn this week in the NFL? Well, Daunte Culpepper may be an upgrade at QB for the Lions but he's no savior. The Browns defense doesn't believe in bend but don't break (it just breaks). The Titans and Giants know how to win the tough games. And that the Atlanta Falcons are for real.

The playoff picture is still wide open, considering that teams like Indianapolis and Minnesota are starting to make their charge while teams like Buffalo and Dallas are falling apart week by week. Should make for some fun games in the weeks ahead. And no more bye weeks!

1. Tennessee (9-0) - When the rushing attack could only muster up, Kerry Collins stepped up with 289 yards through the air. Good sign. (Next @ JAX)
2. Pittsburgh (6-3) - Tough loss to IND but even with injuries, they almost won. Mewelde Moore has come up big for them. (Next vs. SD)
3. Baltimore (6-3) - They've won 4 in a row. And forced 4 INT from Houston. Schedule is tough rest of the way though. (Next @ NYG)
4. New England (6-3) - Defending conference champs are looking like it. Defense really playing well despite Rodney Harrison on IR. (Next Thurs vs. NYJ)
5. Indianapolis (5-4) - Uh oh, this team may have awaken. Another Manning comeback and a defense that thrives on the turnovers. (Next vs. HOU)
6. NY Jets (6-3) - Yeah, they only beat the Rams but the way they dominated from start to finish had to scare their future opponents. (Next Thurs @ NE)
7. Miami (5-4) - 3 wins in a row but only beating the hapless Seahawks by 2 points cannot please the Big Tuna and company. (Next vs. OAK)
8. Denver (5-4) - The Cleveland defense was bad but Jay Cutler and the offense was also that good. Now if they could play defense. (Next @ ATL)
9. San Diego (4-5) - Didn't look impressive vs. KC but a win is a win. And with Denver just one game ahead, look for a charge - pun intended. (Next @ PIT)
10. Jacksonville (4-5) - Playing the Lions had to help with confidence. But playoffs look bleak for them unless they run the table. (Next vs. TEN)
11. Buffalo (5-4) - They've lost 3 in a row and looked bad doing it. And in the AFC East, they can't afford to fall any further behind. (Next Mon vs. CLE)
12. Cleveland (3-6) - The Brady Quinn era has begun. Meanwhile, there's a feeling the Romeo Crennel era is coming to an end. (Next Mon @ BUF)
13. Kansas City (1-8) - They stood toe to toe with SD until the end and Tyler Thigpen is turning into a solid QB before our eyes. (Next vs. NO)
14. Cincinnati (1-8) - Something tells me that the bye week did them some good. Chance for them to right this ship in final 7 games. (Next vs. PHI)
15. Houston (3-6) - As long as Sage Rosenfels is the QB here, it spells trouble. He makes David Carr look like Dan Marino. (Next @ IND)
16. Oakland (2-7) - There are no words to describe just how bad the situation is here. "The doormat" of the AFC comes close. (Next @ MIA)


1. NY Giants (8-1) - The Super Bowl champs are playing like it. Still hard to believe the only loss is to Cleveland of all teams. (Next vs. BAL)
2. Tampa Bay (6-3) - Had the bye week to rest up. And for an aging but amazing defense, that means they'll be ready to go. (Next vs. MIN)
3. Atlanta (6-3) - You have to be impressed with this team. Shut down the Saints offense while their offense scored at will. (Next vs. DEN)
4. Carolina (7-2) - May have taken a step back on offense. Delhomme's 4 INT and 77 yds passing can't happen again. (Next vs. DET)
5. Arizona (6-3) - The Kurt Warner rebirth continues. They still need a running game but I'm just being picky. (Next @ SEA)
6. Washington (6-3) - Had the hot 4-1 start but 2-2 since. We'll see if the bye week helped them regain that magic. (Next vs. DAL)
7. Chicago (4-5) - Almost beat TEN even with Grossman at QB. They can shut down the run. The pass is a different story. (Next @ GB)
8. Minnesota (5-4) - They did not move up because of Gus Frerotte. They moved up because of Adrian Peterson. (Next @ TB)
9. Philadelphia (5-4) - Watching Donovan McNabb is fun again. But this team is now 0-3 in the NFC East. Forget the playoffs. (Next @ CIN)
10. Green Bay (4-5) - They probably should have beaten MIN. But again, the problem for this team is lack of a running game. (Next vs. CHI)
11. Dallas (5-4) - Romo is coming back which is good. But taking on WAS off the bye week won't be an easy first game back. (Next @ WAS)
12. New Orleans (4-5) - The offense needs some help from its defense. Forcing Brees to score 35 each game just isn't fair. (Next @ KC)
13. San Francisco (2-7) - Loved the fight they showed vs. Arizona. And Shaun Hill is a huge upgrade from O'Sullivan. (Next vs. STL)
14. Seattle (2-7) - Seneca Wallaca played admirably in relief. But Hasselback is coming back, and that means hopes for a win are too. (Next vs. AZ)
15. St. Louis (2-7) - Right when it looked like they were gonna turn the season around, Steven Jackson goes down to injury. Ouch. (Next @ SF)
16. Detroit (0-9) - Daunte Culpepper tried but even he can't turn around this team in one game. They aren't gonna win this season. (Next @ CAR)

CFB Week 11 Recap

Going into this past Saturday, I felt there was a good possibility that the three remaining undefeated BCS conference teams could all lose. All 3 had games that weren't going to be easy (or supposed to be). But instead of 3 losses, only one lost and unfortunately, it was the one that I figured would run the table. Eh well...

All in all, another good week of football. Some conference pictures are clearing up while others all just getting more and more complex. Oh, and there's that whole BCS picture that isn't exactly clear.

THE BIG 10 THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. Losses motivate Terrelle Pryor - I was wondering how the freshman QB could come back after a tough loss in which he fumbled the win to his opponent. Well, question answered. Pryor played possibly his best game yet, especially through the air. He made plays with his legs to make plays with his arm. And despite his numerous scrambles backwards, he didn't lose yards. Instead, he got positive yardage out of almost every play. This OSU offense with him unde center will be fun to watch the next two seasons.

2. PSU needs a 2007 OSU miracle - Last season, OSU lost to Illinois in their second to last game and fell from #1 to #7 in the BCS standings. Many left them for dead and said they needed a miracle. Well, they got it and OSU jumped right back to the #1 spot somehow. Well, PSU needs the same to happen. Good thing is that a lot of the teams in front of them will have one loss and all will be Big 12 or SEC (besides USC) meaning the list is actually much smaller cause you have to win your own conference to make the BCS title game I think. I think it can happen again. A Bama loss to Auburn or Miss. St and Florida loss to South Carolina or FSU, and then Florida beating Bama in the SEC Championship may be the easiest road. But plenty of football to be played.

3. Red Raiders are for real - If you didn't believe it then, you have to believe it now. They may have beaten Texas on a last minute TD but they dominated an OKST team that Texas only beat by 4. Not only that, but they did it after that emotionally charged tussle with Texas. Graham Harrell may have taken the Heisman Trophy lead as well. But it's the defense that's really been impressive. And they'll need to be in two weeks against Oklahoma.

4. Bama vs. Florida for BCS Title Game berth? - Well, both have clinched their spot in the SEC Title game with wins this past Saturday. Of course, both still have some big games left. Bama vs. rival Auburn and Florida against a good South Carolina defense and rival FSU. But if both run the table, no doubt that the SEC title game might as well be a national semifinal with the winner heading to the BCS Title game. If that's the case, talk about exciting football to come.

5. USC's defense is BCS title-game worthy - Still don't like Pete Carroll or USC but man oh man, that defense is just unreal. In 9 games, it has given up just 60 points! And considering 27 of them came against Oregon State in their lone loss, it's given up just 33 in 8 games. Yea, thats a bit more than 4 points per game. Pretty darn good.

6. Brian Kelly is a great coach - I knew this before this game but what Kelly is doing with the Cincinnati Bearcats this season is just amazing. After getting smacked by Oklahoma in Week 2 and losing two quarterbacks, the Bearcats have bounced back nicely. Now, they are 7-2 and tied at the top of the Big East after a huge road win in OT over West Virginia. Cincy fans may not wanna hear this but Kelly is just padding that resume. Look for him to jump to a place like Tennessee or Clemson after this great coaching job.

7. Utah and Boise State in BCS? - Could that really happen? Two non-BCS schools jumping into the BCS? Well, it just might happen. Utah beat a ranked TCU team and Boise State is well, Boise State and have built a reputation now like Gonzaga has in college bball. And with the restrictions in no more than 2 per conference in BCS games, plus the fact that the SEC and Big 12 are the only two truly deserving conferences for that, it might happen. The sad thing is that Ball State is not getting any of this BCS love. But it's all good. They still have David Letterman.

8. Steve Spurrier is impossible to figure out - I hate to argue with a coach that has won a national title and has a lot of success in his career BUT alternating quarterbacks every other snap is just dumb. It leads to a lack of rhythm on offense for everyone. But the team won and scored 34 points so I don't wanna argue too much. But my advice to him to beat Florida next week is to just stick with one guy. And I choose Stephen Garcia.

9. The ACC saga continues... - I mention this pathetic conference every week because it just is. Everyone in the conference has at least 2 conference losses. In fact, there is a 3-way tie in each division. UNC is the highest ranked team in the conference at #17, lower than 4 non-BCS schools. I don't know the conference tiebreakers nor do I care but needless to say, ACC country can't wait for basketball to begin already.

10. The title chase is down to 6 - OKST is out after their 2nd loss of the year, leaving Bama, Tech, FLA, Texas, Okla and PSU. USC is not in the mix yet for me because the Pac-10 is weak and if the season ended today, would not even win the conference. Oregon State would. Tech-Okla have to face off as well as Bama-FLA so plenty to be decided still.

11. Michael Phelps seems to be a nice guy - I got to see the American "hero" at the South Carolina game and from all signs, seems like a nice guy. He stopped for pictures, signed some autographs, and really only stopped doing that until someone told him he had to. Of course, I got nothing but hey, he was 10 feet from me and that's closer than most of you ever will be. So take that.

BEST GAME - Penn State @ Iowa
I hated the fact that Penn State lost this game but I loved the scene of watching the Hawkeye fans have something to cheer about again. They've endured a lot since the Brad Banks days. And this game had all the twists and turns you want in a game. And that final drive was one that may have saved Kirk Ferentz's job.

WORST GAME - Bowling Green vs. Ohio
If you haven't noticed, I keep forgetting to pick the OU game. And while this is an honest mistake, I think it's also the case that I've just given up on this year's edition of the 'Cats. And after a 28-3 loss this past Saturday, I don't think I will be gaining any confidence. I'm just glad I couldn't see this game in person or on TV.

OVER/UNDER
After thinking long and hard, I think the team that was OVERRATED was MINNESOTA. I was just singing their praises a few weeks ago. But after two straight losses, including this week's lopsided loss to Michigan, maybe I jumped on the bandwagon too early.
And as far as the UNDERRATED team of the week, I'm going with UTAH. Why? Because despite being undefeated and playing at home, they were the underdog vs. TCU. And all they did was win 13-10 and keep their BCS game hopes alive.

HE/SHE SAID WHAT?
"He is like a mean brother on Thanksgiving day. He gives him a little leg and he takes it back away". - Brad Nessler

"Who are the people that run college football? Fifty-and-older white, Southern men. Those are the people who run college football, and so to expect progress from them is a tough battle. They want someone who looks like them." - Spencer Tillman, while CBS holds a discussion on 4 black coaches in all of I-A college football.

"If you want to get to the championship game stay in the ACC and dominate." - Lou Holtz
"If you want to get to the championship game, go to the Big Ten and not play anybody and win." - Mark May after the discussion began with whether UNC coach would leave for somewhere else.

3 QUESTIONS
1. I mean, I know Tennessee is having a tough year but really, how do they lose to Wyoming at home?

2. Now the national title looks to be a distant memory, is JoePa gonna retire after the season?

3. Why doesn't Boise State just become a member of the Pac-10 now? Because the WAC is becoming way too easy for them and I'm pretty sure they'd be able to finish in the Top 3 every season

Week 10 NFL Picks

Well, Week 10 began a bit early on Thursday night, instead of doing a whole post, I will continue to post this before gametime and just give you my pick of who I thought would win. I'm an honest guy when it comes to sports and such, so no worries.

Jake has had it rough these past few weeks, giving me a sizeable lead as we move into the last 8 weeks. He sits at 68-62 for the season while I stand at 76-54. But there's plenty of time for me to blow this lead. I've done it before.

Jake's picks are in his blog right here. And if you like country music, then you'll enjoy it. If you don't like me, you'll just be confused with the reasoning for his picks.

THURSDAY
Denver @ Cleveland - DEN
--Something just told me that Denver wants this win more. Good luck to Brady Quinn though. I like the guy

SUNDAY
New Orleans @ Atlanta - NO
--Toss-up game for me. Love what the Falcons are doing but their defense has not played well against potent offenses. Plus, NO should be refreshed from their overseas trip.
Tennessee @ Chicago - TEN
--I learned from NE last year. Don't pick against an undefeated team until they give you a reason to.
Jacksonville @ Detroit - JAX
--Culpepper gotta work some real magic to get the win here for DET
Baltimore @ Houston - BALT
--Ravens defense vs. Sage Rosenfels. 'Nuff said.
Seattle @ Miami - MIA
--Miami is fighting to stay in the AFC East race. Seattle is fighting for....respect?
Green Bay @ Minnesota - GB
--I just don't think Minnesota is ready to beat a good team yet. Packers almost beat Titans so you know they are.
Buffalo @ New England - NE
--Really no good reason here. I just know that when it's a toss-up between NE and any team, I take NE.
St. Louis @ New York Jets - STL
--Favre and the Jets looked great last week. And that's the exact reason why I think the Rams will win this week.
Carolina @ Oakland - CAR
--If the Panthers lose this game, they don't deserve a playoff spot in the NFC, despite their regular season record.
Indianapolis @ Pittsburgh - INDY
--Slight upset pick here but with injuries ravaging the Steelers and the Colts needing wins, I think Peyton and crew pull this one out
Kansas City @ San Diego - SD
--Wouldn't be surprised to see KC win honestly. They played TB tough and SD has looked awful so far.
New York Giants @ Philadelphia - PHI
--Quite frankly, I don't like betting against McNabb at home.

MONDAY
San Francisco @ Arizona - AZ
--What a terrible Monday Night matchup. Kurt Warner prolly throws for 400+ in this game.


Enjoy the games! Look for Power Rankings after the Monday night game.

Brady Quinn's First Start

Well, it's been a long time coming. 24 games in fact. Ever since the Browns drafted Brady Quinn with the 23rd pick, he has been the quarterback most Browns fans wanted to see start under center. And after a 10-win 2007 and a Pro-Bowl season from Derek Anderson, it didn't look like the heralded QB from Notre Dame would ever play. But after a 3-5 start to the 2008 season, Romeo made his move.

So how did he do tonight against the Broncos? Or should I say, how do I think he did against the Broncos?

Well, all in all, I thought he did quite well. Considering this was his first start, Quinn looked calm from the get go. His first pass was iffy but by his second pass to Steptoe, you could see he had plenty of zip on the ball. And the 3-and-out to begin the game is tough to blame on him. Steptoe has got to get past the chains before he catches it.

His touchdown pass to Winslow was a thing of beauty. He ad-libbed nicely with a jump throw i some pretty good pressure and fired the ball into a small window for a score. Well done for his first career TD pass.

The second TD pass was nice as well. Again, pretty good pressure on Quinn and he finds Winslow, who did the rest to get the points. During that short drive, Quinn's quick decision-making was a good sign for the future. Not to mention the chemistry between him and Winslow in the first half.

In the third quarter, weren't really any highlights as the entire quarter just seemed to drag along. So I got nothing.

But in the 4th quarter, I think you really got to see the bright future Quinn has. He found the right receivers in the right spots. Sitting down in zones, coming across the middle, dropping it off in the flats, etc... Many of his 3-5 yd throws went for 10-20 yards because he threw the ball on the money so the receivers could stay on the run. Plus, Quinn's mobility began to shine. He was able to escape sacks and dump the ball off as well as buy some time to find a receiver downfield or just simply throw the ball away.

He seemed calm in the pocket and in the huddle all game, including on the final drive. I didn't like the play-calling on the final drive. 3rd and 1 and not running is okay. But 4th and 1, putting that kind of pressure on your quarterback instead of the running game that had been so dominant all game just seems dumb.

And I'd be wrong to say that the 4th down pass that was dropped by Winslow was a perfect throw by Quinn. In fact, Winslow said after the game that "legends catch that ball and that's where I wanna be. I thought I looked it in but...I let my team down". Hopefully, Winslow doesn't get fined for talking bad about himself.

But yeah, good game for Quinn. Not sacked at all. No turnovers. Led the team to 30 points on offense. And a darn good stat line of 23/25, 223 yds and 2 TD. Yeah, the Browns lost but tough to blame that on the new guy. At some point, the defense has to step up and make some plays. (But I don't really care. I had Jay Cutler on my fantasy team)

Browns fans, I think there's nothing but good news for this offense though. The combination of Quinn-Winslow is promising. Quinn-Edwards and Quinn-Stallworth will probably catch on. And whenever Jamal Lewis' legs fall off, you have to like the performance Jerome Harrison put on. All playoff hope is probably gone for 2008 but 2009 looks better already even after this loss.