Vince Young is the real deal. Seriously.
At first, I didn't believe he could turn his career around. With the (reported) suicide talks, the death of his mentor Steve McNair, and the fact that Jeff Fisher wouldn't let him see the field even with a struggling Kerry Collins - there was no hope in my mind that Vince would amount to anything on the Titans.
And as a life-long Titans fan, I would have to say that I have NEVER been more proud of an individual player than I am right now of Vince Young.
Watching him in the two games (vs. IND, at NE) he replaced Collins left me with not much hope. It seemed like he didn't care out there and was just going through the motions. Fans were getting ruthless, thinking "when can we cut this dead weight?" I called for him to start after the bye week because we didn't have a chance at the playoffs and it would build trade value if he went out there and played half-decent.
And then what happens? He completes 83.3 percent of his passes and tosses a touchdown in a blowout win over division rival Jacksonville. Yes, Chris Johnson was the main story with over 200 rushing yards and two scores, but when the Titans were forced to throw, Vince didn't make any mistakes. That game restored a little faith in me, but I still didn't think he would pull the complete turn around.
Another win - this time against an underrated Niners team in my opinion - and suddenly the Titans have won two straight win Vince under center. He didn't look flashy, but didn't turn the ball over and even showed his Texas colors on a quarterback draw play that resulted in a touchdown.
And suddenly, Titans fans held their breath. One of Vince's passes against Buffalo sailed on him and was picked off by Jarius Byrd. I guarantee there were some doubters that thought that he was done, that the turnover was the first to come of Vince. As the saying goes - when it rains, it pours.
But then Vince came out the next drive and drove the Titans down the field to set up a field goal to end the half. Rob Bironas missed it, but it was nice to see that he didn't get fazed over the previous interception and went out there to lead his team. In the end, he had 210 yards passing and a touchdown, while completing 17-25 passes in another blowout win.
Riding a three-game winning streak, they had a Monday Night match-up against their rival Houston, in what was dubbed the "biggest game in team history" for the Texans. (I could talk about how the Houston Texans are a joke, but that's besides the point.) On the national stage, Vince was hyped and led the Titans down the field on a game-winning drive to put a huge damper in Houston's playoff hopes. Again, he turned the ball over once - via fumble - but came out the next drive and led the team to a score. His clutch third down runs with nothing open downfield kept drives alive and in turn, won the game and kept the Titans' slim playoff hopes alive.
And now, what can you say about yesterday's performance? Against a solid Arizona defense, Vince threw for a career-high 387 yards, but that wasn't the most impressive thing about his play.
Down by four with 2:51 left, the Cardinals were forced to punt. Instead of fair catching the ball around the 10 yard line, Kevin Kasviharn tried to block LaRod Stephens-Howling and failed; Stephens-Howling downed the punt at the one yard line with 2:37 on the clock. Vince and the Titans had 99 yards to go to pull off another win. Things looked very bleak.
And they continued to look bleak as the Titans faced a fourth and four. But Vince calmly dropped back and fired a strike to Kenny Britt to keep the drive alive. (To be fair, Britt made an incredible catch on the play and bailed out Vince in a way. He's going to be a special player.) He converted another fourth down and got the ball to the ten yard line with six seconds left. As he took the snap, instead of running and making a play with his legs like I thought he would, Vince threw a jump ball over the middle to Britt. Britt used his 6'3" frame to catch it and hung on after a tough hit, which won the game. Behind the Music City Miracle, that was probably the greatest finish to any Titans game I've watched. Rob Bironas' 60-yard field goal to beat the Colts ranks right behind this.
Surprisingly, for how inconsistent Vince's NFL career has been, this latest comeback was his ninth game-winning/tying drive in the fourth quarter/overtime. When you think of clutch quarterbacks, names that come to mind are: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, etc. Vince should be in the top 10 of that list, not necessarily top five. The stats don't lie; he's a very clutch player near the end of ball games.
He's still not there yet - as in the upper echelon in quarterbacks - but he's progressing every game and he has proven that he can become a good, if not great quarterback in this league.
I believe in Vince Young and you should too.
Home to your latest opinions about the Tennessee Titans, Penn State, Robert Morris, and music!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
BCS Dilemma.
The BCS is a business.
And that business might get Penn State into the Orange Bowl.
No, I'm joking one bit. Penn State has a legitimate chance at a BCS Bowl and in fact, will most likely be an at-large if they beat Michigan State next weekend.
It's hard to comprehend with their on-the-field success. The Nittany Lions have lost to the two best teams they've played all season and don't really have a statement win like a lot of other at-large candidates do. However, there is something they do have...more than a lot of other schools have.
Money. Penn State generates more revenue than most teams in the nation. This is a huge factor with the Orange Bowl selection committee, who has reportedly not been making enough money lately. And with the direction the college football season has been taking this year, there isn't really any other legit at-large bids out there. Hell, two mid-majors could possibly make the big bowls!
The BCS requires you to be in the top 14 of the rankings in order to be eligible for a BCS bowl. The conferences can not have more than two bids, which would leave out LSU, who would be the 3rd team after Florida and Alabama. After the weekend's games, Penn State will most likely move into the top 14.
Now the question is this: is there any team that could jump them as an at-large? Let's say Cincinnati wins the Big East, Oregon wins the Pac-10, Texas wins the Big 12, Georgia Tech wins the ACC, and Florida wins the SEC. Add mid-majors TCU and Boise State who will most likely go undefeated.
National Championship: Florida/Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State/Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Alabama/TCU
Fiesta Bowl: Cincinnati/Boise State
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech/?
The only conference that doesn't have an automatic slot in a certain BCS Bowl is the Big East. For example, the Rose Bowl takes the Big Ten and Pac-10 teams, Sugar Bowl takes a SEC team, Fiesta Bowl takes a Big 12, and the Orange Bowl takes an ACC team. The Big East is the "first at-large" team technically. With Texas in the national title game, Cincinnati would most likely take the Big 12's slot in the Fiesta Bowl.
So let's look deeper into this. Who could the Orange Bowl possibly take? LSU is out because of the two teams per conference rule. The Big 12 has been sub-par this year with Texas being the only legitimate team out of that conference. Therefore they will not get a second bid.
Same way with the ACC, since there is no way they will take two teams unless Georgia Tech loses in the conference championship game. Even then, they would have to compete with Penn State as an at-large and although they would have a better resume, it's that money factor that kicks in. Penn State would get the slot.
That also is the Big East's dilemma. Would they take two teams from that conference? Hell no. Cincinnati would be a possibly if Pitt would win over them, but even then as a (for the most part) start-up BCS school, the revenue factor would bump the Nittany Lions over the Bearcats.
Remember that Boise State is in my projections as a BCS team. They are a toss-up however because of a weak conference schedule and only one big win over the Oregon Ducks. Penn State brings in more fans and money than the Broncos so they would also get the nod if it came to those two.
It might not be fair, it might make the BCS look worse, but face the facts - if Penn State beats Michigan State, it's going to happen. Like I said, the BCS isn't just a ranking system but it's also a business.
And that business might get Penn State into the Orange Bowl.
No, I'm joking one bit. Penn State has a legitimate chance at a BCS Bowl and in fact, will most likely be an at-large if they beat Michigan State next weekend.
It's hard to comprehend with their on-the-field success. The Nittany Lions have lost to the two best teams they've played all season and don't really have a statement win like a lot of other at-large candidates do. However, there is something they do have...more than a lot of other schools have.
Money. Penn State generates more revenue than most teams in the nation. This is a huge factor with the Orange Bowl selection committee, who has reportedly not been making enough money lately. And with the direction the college football season has been taking this year, there isn't really any other legit at-large bids out there. Hell, two mid-majors could possibly make the big bowls!
The BCS requires you to be in the top 14 of the rankings in order to be eligible for a BCS bowl. The conferences can not have more than two bids, which would leave out LSU, who would be the 3rd team after Florida and Alabama. After the weekend's games, Penn State will most likely move into the top 14.
Now the question is this: is there any team that could jump them as an at-large? Let's say Cincinnati wins the Big East, Oregon wins the Pac-10, Texas wins the Big 12, Georgia Tech wins the ACC, and Florida wins the SEC. Add mid-majors TCU and Boise State who will most likely go undefeated.
National Championship: Florida/Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State/Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Alabama/TCU
Fiesta Bowl: Cincinnati/Boise State
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech/?
The only conference that doesn't have an automatic slot in a certain BCS Bowl is the Big East. For example, the Rose Bowl takes the Big Ten and Pac-10 teams, Sugar Bowl takes a SEC team, Fiesta Bowl takes a Big 12, and the Orange Bowl takes an ACC team. The Big East is the "first at-large" team technically. With Texas in the national title game, Cincinnati would most likely take the Big 12's slot in the Fiesta Bowl.
So let's look deeper into this. Who could the Orange Bowl possibly take? LSU is out because of the two teams per conference rule. The Big 12 has been sub-par this year with Texas being the only legitimate team out of that conference. Therefore they will not get a second bid.
Same way with the ACC, since there is no way they will take two teams unless Georgia Tech loses in the conference championship game. Even then, they would have to compete with Penn State as an at-large and although they would have a better resume, it's that money factor that kicks in. Penn State would get the slot.
That also is the Big East's dilemma. Would they take two teams from that conference? Hell no. Cincinnati would be a possibly if Pitt would win over them, but even then as a (for the most part) start-up BCS school, the revenue factor would bump the Nittany Lions over the Bearcats.
Remember that Boise State is in my projections as a BCS team. They are a toss-up however because of a weak conference schedule and only one big win over the Oregon Ducks. Penn State brings in more fans and money than the Broncos so they would also get the nod if it came to those two.
It might not be fair, it might make the BCS look worse, but face the facts - if Penn State beats Michigan State, it's going to happen. Like I said, the BCS isn't just a ranking system but it's also a business.
Friday, November 6, 2009
#17 Ohio State at #11 Penn State Preview
WE ARE...PENN STATE!
OH-IO!
Over the last decade, the conference showdown between Penn State and Ohio State has become one of the most anticipated matchups in the Big Ten every season. And although the budding rivalry between the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes will never be as famous as the one between the Buckeyes and Michigan, it still has diehard fans of each school growing some sort of hatred between one another.
On Saturday, the two teams march into Beaver Stadium each with BCS and Big Ten championship hopes. With Penn State's loss to Iowa earlier in the year, they will need to win out and have the Hawkeyes lose twice to claim an outright Big Ten title. Ohio State comes in controlling their own destiny. Despite a loss to Purdue a few weeks back, if the Buckeyes win out, they will win the conference outright.
With the two schools winning the last four Big Ten championships, there is obviously some pride on the line. It's easy to say that the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes have had the best teams in the conference over the last few seasons and neither of them would want to see Iowa spoil their streak this year.
Whenever you think about the Big Ten, you think about low-scoring, defensive battles that usually end up coming down to the last few possessions. This game shouldn't be any surprise then. Both of these teams match up just about evenly with one another with no clear advantages favoring either side. This has all the makings to be one of the best games all year.
PENN STATE STRENGTHS
- Quarterback, running game, defensive line, linebackers
Daryll Clark is the unquestioned offensive leader of this team. Ever since he became the starter last year, he has made fans forget Anthony Morelli (even though in reality, that's not difficult) and has led Penn State to a 19-3 record coming into this game. His ability to both look downfield to find an open receiver and to escape the pocket really puts more pressure on the opposing defense. He's the main reason why the Nittany Lions' receiving corps (who everyone put down at the beginning of the season) is still one of the best units in the Big Ten.
After the first two OOC games, Penn State went back to their roots and established the running game again. And why not? Evan Royster is one of the best runningbacks in the conference. He's not the fastest nor the slowest of backs, but he runs hard and breaks a good bit of tackles. If Stephon Green is back from injury, it will really add another speed element to the offense. His 4.3 speed really has opposing defenses on their heels.
For the most part, the defensive line has been very solid throughout the year. Jared Odrick might have put himself as the third defensive tackle on the board for next year's NFL Draft. He's got a great motor and can both disrupt the run and pass. Jack Crawford and Eric Lattimore have been good replacements for Aaron Maybin and Josh Gaines, and Ollie Ogbu is a capable defensive tackle. This group might not win you ball games, but they won't lose them either.
There's a reason why they call Penn State "Linebacker U." Again, this unit is one of the best units in the country. Unlike the Iowa game, where third-stringer Bani Gbadyu was forced into action and was exposed in the run game, Sean Lee has returned from injury and will be starting once again. This is bad news for Ohio State, because with Lee and Navarro Bowman, Penn State possesses two of the best linebackers in the conference. Josh Hull is a former walk-on who rounds out the third slot, and leads the team in tackles.
PENN STATE WEAKNESSES
- Offensive line, safeties, special teams
I know that the Penn State offensive line has improved tremendously since the debacle against Iowa. However, they face a really good Ohio State defensive line that will have the o-line on their heels. Will they respond like they have the last few weeks? Or will they let them get pressure on Clark?
The two starting cornerbacks - D'Anton Lynn and Stefan Morris - are very young but are ahead of their learning curve. They haven't made a big mistake all year and held All-American receiver Eric Decker to only one catch in their matchup against Minnesota. However, behind them is where it starts to get shaky. Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay have been slow at times which really opens up the middle of the field. They have to play to the top of their game.
The special teams for Penn State are one of the worst in the Big Ten and in the nation. They were one of the main reasons why the Nittany Lions lost to Iowa. Along with a few blocked punts, the kick coverage unit has been shaky as well. Add that to an ineffective returning game and you have yourself the biggest weakness on this ball club.
OHIO STATE STRENGTHS
- Defensive line, defensive backs
Despite having star linebacker Brian Rolle, who has made clutch play after clutch play this season, Ohio State's defense is led by their line and secondary. The Buckeyes' defensive line is led by ends Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward, who make up the best group of ends in the Big Ten. Both are juniors are could be first day picks in next year's NFL Draft if they decide to come out.
Kurt Coleman will be the leader of the Ohio State defensive backfield. The senior was the team's returning leader in tackles and interceptions and has made just as many big plays this year. He's an absolute ballhawk and will make Clark think twice before throwing his way. The rest of the secondary is solid and with an improving Penn State receiving corps, it'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
OHIO STATE WEAKNESSES
- Quarterback, Offensive Line, Kicker
Terrelle Pryor returns to Pennsylvania for the first time in his career. He'll face a hostile crowd who still have the bitter taste in their mouths after the former state champion from Jeanette chose the Buckeyes over the Nittany Lions two year ago. Although Pryor has shown some flashes this year, critics have really been on his case for his inconsistent play. If he comes out with confidence, then the Penn State secondary will be on their heels the entire game. However, if he plays like he did against Purdue, this might be a blowout in favor of the home team.
The offensive line isn't the greatest group in the Big Ten and is suspect to giving up big games to good defensive linemen. Crawford and/or Odrick could be really dominate and disrupt Pryor's progressions in the passing game. With Aaron Pettrey out for the rest of the season, the Buckeyes will break in a brand new kicker and Jim Tressel might a tough decision during the game. Will he trust his new guy in field goal situations?
PENN STATE X-FACTOR
- LB Sean Lee
Lee is mainly a sigh of relief for the Penn State faithful. Finally healthy again, he is a major upgrade over Gbadyu, who started against Iowa and was horrible. Lee had a very nice game back last week at Northwestern and he's licking his chops for his first shot at Boom Herron or Brandon Saine.
OHIO STATE X-FACTOR
- QB Terrelle Pryor
Yes, he's been inconsistent. However, you can't deny the young sophomore's athletism. He can take off at any time and beat most defensive backs in a footrace, but he also can be very hesitant and will take the sack. There's a chip on his shoulder since he's returning to PA and I could see him playing very well...or very terrible.
PREDICTION
These two teams are very close to one another in talent. Penn State has had to live with the critics who say that they haven't beaten a good team yet and Ohio State lives with the fact that they haven't defeated a team with a higher ranking than them in the last six matchups. The Nittany Lions come in with a higher ranking and the backing of a loud and fired up home crowd. This will be a great one and Penn State will make it two in a row against the Buckeyes.
Penn State 21, Ohio State 17
OH-IO!
Over the last decade, the conference showdown between Penn State and Ohio State has become one of the most anticipated matchups in the Big Ten every season. And although the budding rivalry between the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes will never be as famous as the one between the Buckeyes and Michigan, it still has diehard fans of each school growing some sort of hatred between one another.
On Saturday, the two teams march into Beaver Stadium each with BCS and Big Ten championship hopes. With Penn State's loss to Iowa earlier in the year, they will need to win out and have the Hawkeyes lose twice to claim an outright Big Ten title. Ohio State comes in controlling their own destiny. Despite a loss to Purdue a few weeks back, if the Buckeyes win out, they will win the conference outright.
With the two schools winning the last four Big Ten championships, there is obviously some pride on the line. It's easy to say that the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes have had the best teams in the conference over the last few seasons and neither of them would want to see Iowa spoil their streak this year.
Whenever you think about the Big Ten, you think about low-scoring, defensive battles that usually end up coming down to the last few possessions. This game shouldn't be any surprise then. Both of these teams match up just about evenly with one another with no clear advantages favoring either side. This has all the makings to be one of the best games all year.
PENN STATE STRENGTHS
- Quarterback, running game, defensive line, linebackers
Daryll Clark is the unquestioned offensive leader of this team. Ever since he became the starter last year, he has made fans forget Anthony Morelli (even though in reality, that's not difficult) and has led Penn State to a 19-3 record coming into this game. His ability to both look downfield to find an open receiver and to escape the pocket really puts more pressure on the opposing defense. He's the main reason why the Nittany Lions' receiving corps (who everyone put down at the beginning of the season) is still one of the best units in the Big Ten.
After the first two OOC games, Penn State went back to their roots and established the running game again. And why not? Evan Royster is one of the best runningbacks in the conference. He's not the fastest nor the slowest of backs, but he runs hard and breaks a good bit of tackles. If Stephon Green is back from injury, it will really add another speed element to the offense. His 4.3 speed really has opposing defenses on their heels.
For the most part, the defensive line has been very solid throughout the year. Jared Odrick might have put himself as the third defensive tackle on the board for next year's NFL Draft. He's got a great motor and can both disrupt the run and pass. Jack Crawford and Eric Lattimore have been good replacements for Aaron Maybin and Josh Gaines, and Ollie Ogbu is a capable defensive tackle. This group might not win you ball games, but they won't lose them either.
There's a reason why they call Penn State "Linebacker U." Again, this unit is one of the best units in the country. Unlike the Iowa game, where third-stringer Bani Gbadyu was forced into action and was exposed in the run game, Sean Lee has returned from injury and will be starting once again. This is bad news for Ohio State, because with Lee and Navarro Bowman, Penn State possesses two of the best linebackers in the conference. Josh Hull is a former walk-on who rounds out the third slot, and leads the team in tackles.
PENN STATE WEAKNESSES
- Offensive line, safeties, special teams
I know that the Penn State offensive line has improved tremendously since the debacle against Iowa. However, they face a really good Ohio State defensive line that will have the o-line on their heels. Will they respond like they have the last few weeks? Or will they let them get pressure on Clark?
The two starting cornerbacks - D'Anton Lynn and Stefan Morris - are very young but are ahead of their learning curve. They haven't made a big mistake all year and held All-American receiver Eric Decker to only one catch in their matchup against Minnesota. However, behind them is where it starts to get shaky. Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay have been slow at times which really opens up the middle of the field. They have to play to the top of their game.
The special teams for Penn State are one of the worst in the Big Ten and in the nation. They were one of the main reasons why the Nittany Lions lost to Iowa. Along with a few blocked punts, the kick coverage unit has been shaky as well. Add that to an ineffective returning game and you have yourself the biggest weakness on this ball club.
OHIO STATE STRENGTHS
- Defensive line, defensive backs
Despite having star linebacker Brian Rolle, who has made clutch play after clutch play this season, Ohio State's defense is led by their line and secondary. The Buckeyes' defensive line is led by ends Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward, who make up the best group of ends in the Big Ten. Both are juniors are could be first day picks in next year's NFL Draft if they decide to come out.
Kurt Coleman will be the leader of the Ohio State defensive backfield. The senior was the team's returning leader in tackles and interceptions and has made just as many big plays this year. He's an absolute ballhawk and will make Clark think twice before throwing his way. The rest of the secondary is solid and with an improving Penn State receiving corps, it'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
OHIO STATE WEAKNESSES
- Quarterback, Offensive Line, Kicker
Terrelle Pryor returns to Pennsylvania for the first time in his career. He'll face a hostile crowd who still have the bitter taste in their mouths after the former state champion from Jeanette chose the Buckeyes over the Nittany Lions two year ago. Although Pryor has shown some flashes this year, critics have really been on his case for his inconsistent play. If he comes out with confidence, then the Penn State secondary will be on their heels the entire game. However, if he plays like he did against Purdue, this might be a blowout in favor of the home team.
The offensive line isn't the greatest group in the Big Ten and is suspect to giving up big games to good defensive linemen. Crawford and/or Odrick could be really dominate and disrupt Pryor's progressions in the passing game. With Aaron Pettrey out for the rest of the season, the Buckeyes will break in a brand new kicker and Jim Tressel might a tough decision during the game. Will he trust his new guy in field goal situations?
PENN STATE X-FACTOR
- LB Sean Lee
Lee is mainly a sigh of relief for the Penn State faithful. Finally healthy again, he is a major upgrade over Gbadyu, who started against Iowa and was horrible. Lee had a very nice game back last week at Northwestern and he's licking his chops for his first shot at Boom Herron or Brandon Saine.
OHIO STATE X-FACTOR
- QB Terrelle Pryor
Yes, he's been inconsistent. However, you can't deny the young sophomore's athletism. He can take off at any time and beat most defensive backs in a footrace, but he also can be very hesitant and will take the sack. There's a chip on his shoulder since he's returning to PA and I could see him playing very well...or very terrible.
PREDICTION
These two teams are very close to one another in talent. Penn State has had to live with the critics who say that they haven't beaten a good team yet and Ohio State lives with the fact that they haven't defeated a team with a higher ranking than them in the last six matchups. The Nittany Lions come in with a higher ranking and the backing of a loud and fired up home crowd. This will be a great one and Penn State will make it two in a row against the Buckeyes.
Penn State 21, Ohio State 17
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Picking USC/ND at 2:37 AM.
#6 USC at #25 Notre Dame
This is the year. We have a chance. Jimmy to Golden all day. Those are thoughts of most Notre Dame fans who are desperately wanting an Irish win over the rival Trojans.
Guess what? This isn't the year.
I applaud Notre Dame for their nice run so far this season, but let's look at who they played, shall we?
They opened up with Nevada, who statistically had one of the worst pass defenses in the nation last year. From there, they took on rival Michigan in Ann Arbor. Another horrible defense, Notre Dame's experience didn't prevail against the Wolverines and they have been the only team to defeat the Irish so far. And yes, this is the same Michigan team that lost to Michigan State and Iowa recently. Speaking of the Spartans, they were one overthrow away from losing to one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Same with Purdue, who possibly IS the worst team in the Big Ten. A controversial and eventually game costing timeout call helped the Irish out. Washington might have defeated USC, but their defense is still bad. I think this game was the most impressive on the Irish's part, because that horrible defense made an incredible goal line stand that saved the game. The Huskies could have had some better play calling, but that's besides the point.
Now rolling in are the Trojans from Los Angeles. USC has gotten better after the loss to Washington, and Joe McKnight is finally looking like "the next Reggie Bush" as he was dubbed coming out of high school. This USC defense is the 4th ranked unit in the nation, a far cry from past defenses the Irish have faced. The Michigan State Spartans possess the toughest defense Notre Dame has faced this year - the 49th ranked unit. Their 22.8 PPG is a joke compared to the Trojans defense, who only allow 8.6 PPG and 238.6 YPG.
Now I'm going to be honest here: if Michael Floyd would play, I would give Notre Dame a chance. Floyd, in my opinion, is probably a top five receiver in the nation...when healthy. Unfortunately for the Irish and their fans, they will have to wait till possibly the Navy game for him to come back. That leaves Golden Tate as Jimmy Clausen's number one target, who is a mighty fine receiver himself. He's no Floyd, but he's really explosive and can make something out of nothing. However, he hasn't really faced a legit corner this season.
Matt Barkley will have to step up against an Irish defense who is ranked in the bottom half of yards allowed per game. If he can make a few big passes, it will really take the pressure of the running game. There are reports that Ronald Johnson will play in the showdown, a huge boost for the freshman quarterback. Johnson gives Barkley a deep threat - something that has killed the Notre Dame defense all year.
I expect the crowd to be rocking; I mean it's the USC game for crying out loud. But Pete Carroll will have his troops ready. Unless they haven't mowed the grass (2005 game reference), I expect the Trojans to come up victorious...by a huge margin. This Irish team is a lot better than last year's, that's a fact. However, they aren't good enough to beat a USC team yet, even one that I don't think will win the Pac-10. Weather might or might not be a factor, we will see.
USC 44, Notre Dame 20
Other Predictions
#2 Alabama 31, #22 South Carolina 17
#3 Texas 41, Oklahoma 30
#4 Virginia Tech 27, #19 Georgia Tech 17
#14 Penn State 24, Minnesota 10
Monday, October 5, 2009
No secondary, no quarterback, no coaching, and most importantly, no heart.
"No secondary, no quarterback, no coaching, and most importantly, no heart. This team is absolutely awful and major changes are needed." This was my Facebook status after Tennessee's implosion against division rival Jacksonville. I thought this team would put it all together this game. I thought David Garrard couldn't possibly tear us up through the air. Well I thought wrong.
No secondary. Last year we were ranked 9th in the league in passing yards allowed. This year we have fallen to 29th. What's the problem? I've already mentioned Nick Harper in my last post, but it's time to add another player into the ring. I loved the pick of third-rounder Ryan Mouton out of Hawaii. He had a similar build to Cortland Finnegan and I figured they found the same player. Well today, Mike Sims-Walker made him look worse than Harper, which is really saying something. He didn't have 100 yards receiving - a first this year - but he continuously got open and made two fine touchdown catches. Add on his fumbling problems on kickoffs and punts, and we might be looking at someone who could be cut at the end of the year. He might possibly be up there with 2007 second-rounder Chris Henry, who was drafted based on his combine workout and not his production on the field. Henry was awful and couldn't get going for the Titans and finally he was deservingly cut last week.
No quarterback. The last point and this point will provide a lead into the next point. I hate to say it but...it might be time to put in Vince. With the additions of Kenny Britt and Nate Washington to pair up with holdover Justin Gage, Kerry Collins has better receivers than last year's group of Brandon Jones and Justin McCareins. There shouldn't be excuse to have a worse year, but that is what's happening. He's thrown six picks to his five touchdowns and the touchdown he threw today was by the time the game was decided. The receivers have dropped some passes, but Collins has thrown bad passes at the worst times. At 0-4, the push for the playoffs is just about over, and putting in Vince might spark some life into this team. Either that or they'll go 0-16 with him - hopefully it's not the latter. However, I don't see him going in unless Kerry gets injured - mainly cause of the way Vince quit on his team against the Jaguars last year in the opener.
No coaching. We know my thoughts about new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil and how I wish Jim Schwartz was still calling plays. However, I'm going to bash Mike Heimerdinger here. First of all, why the hell is Kerry Collins throwing the ball 30+ times a game. Is that a new approach to win ball games? 35 attempts in week one, 33 in week two, 37 in week three, and 48 in week four - I'm surprised Kerry's arm hasn't fallen off after all those throws. I don't care if we're winning or losing at the time; you don't abandon what you're known for. These throws are eating at Chris Johnson's carries and someone else's. You might love LenDale White, most of you hate him, but this stat I'm about to provide you shows his importance to the team. Last year when White got 10 or more carries, the Titans record was 11-0. Whenever he got nine carries or less, the Titans record was 2-4 (including playoffs). What does that bring up? Eight carries in week one, six carries in week two, seven carries in week three and two carries last week = an 0-4 record. He's not the most explosive back by any means, but the more carries he gets, the more he wears down defenses and it opens up holes in the secondary for Kerry to exploit.
No heart. The first three weeks weren't bad for the most part - the team seems fired up and wanting to win. I did not see that at all against the Jaguars. As soon as the Jags jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, mostly everyone dropped their heads and gave up. I honestly saw four guys - Chris Johnson, Kenny Britt, Keith Bulluck, and newly acquired Mark Jones - that were giving it all out there and never quit.
Defensive captain Keith Bulluck needs to light a fire under his corps at practice this week. Chris Johnson should become a leader and get in his teammate's faces at practice. Both of them need to tell the team to cut the bullshit and just play football. Keith needs to remind them of 2006. We started off 0-5, but rallied the troops and ended up finishing 8-8; salvaging our season. Divisional rival Indianapolis comes in Sunday night and this team should want nothing more than to knock them off.
It's going to take heart to do it.
No secondary. Last year we were ranked 9th in the league in passing yards allowed. This year we have fallen to 29th. What's the problem? I've already mentioned Nick Harper in my last post, but it's time to add another player into the ring. I loved the pick of third-rounder Ryan Mouton out of Hawaii. He had a similar build to Cortland Finnegan and I figured they found the same player. Well today, Mike Sims-Walker made him look worse than Harper, which is really saying something. He didn't have 100 yards receiving - a first this year - but he continuously got open and made two fine touchdown catches. Add on his fumbling problems on kickoffs and punts, and we might be looking at someone who could be cut at the end of the year. He might possibly be up there with 2007 second-rounder Chris Henry, who was drafted based on his combine workout and not his production on the field. Henry was awful and couldn't get going for the Titans and finally he was deservingly cut last week.
No quarterback. The last point and this point will provide a lead into the next point. I hate to say it but...it might be time to put in Vince. With the additions of Kenny Britt and Nate Washington to pair up with holdover Justin Gage, Kerry Collins has better receivers than last year's group of Brandon Jones and Justin McCareins. There shouldn't be excuse to have a worse year, but that is what's happening. He's thrown six picks to his five touchdowns and the touchdown he threw today was by the time the game was decided. The receivers have dropped some passes, but Collins has thrown bad passes at the worst times. At 0-4, the push for the playoffs is just about over, and putting in Vince might spark some life into this team. Either that or they'll go 0-16 with him - hopefully it's not the latter. However, I don't see him going in unless Kerry gets injured - mainly cause of the way Vince quit on his team against the Jaguars last year in the opener.
No coaching. We know my thoughts about new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil and how I wish Jim Schwartz was still calling plays. However, I'm going to bash Mike Heimerdinger here. First of all, why the hell is Kerry Collins throwing the ball 30+ times a game. Is that a new approach to win ball games? 35 attempts in week one, 33 in week two, 37 in week three, and 48 in week four - I'm surprised Kerry's arm hasn't fallen off after all those throws. I don't care if we're winning or losing at the time; you don't abandon what you're known for. These throws are eating at Chris Johnson's carries and someone else's. You might love LenDale White, most of you hate him, but this stat I'm about to provide you shows his importance to the team. Last year when White got 10 or more carries, the Titans record was 11-0. Whenever he got nine carries or less, the Titans record was 2-4 (including playoffs). What does that bring up? Eight carries in week one, six carries in week two, seven carries in week three and two carries last week = an 0-4 record. He's not the most explosive back by any means, but the more carries he gets, the more he wears down defenses and it opens up holes in the secondary for Kerry to exploit.
No heart. The first three weeks weren't bad for the most part - the team seems fired up and wanting to win. I did not see that at all against the Jaguars. As soon as the Jags jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, mostly everyone dropped their heads and gave up. I honestly saw four guys - Chris Johnson, Kenny Britt, Keith Bulluck, and newly acquired Mark Jones - that were giving it all out there and never quit.
Defensive captain Keith Bulluck needs to light a fire under his corps at practice this week. Chris Johnson should become a leader and get in his teammate's faces at practice. Both of them need to tell the team to cut the bullshit and just play football. Keith needs to remind them of 2006. We started off 0-5, but rallied the troops and ended up finishing 8-8; salvaging our season. Divisional rival Indianapolis comes in Sunday night and this team should want nothing more than to knock them off.
It's going to take heart to do it.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Titans thoughts and predictions.
Tennessee Titans (0-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
I'm really hoping this is just a dream. The AFC's best regular season team last year, the Tennessee Titans, are now sitting at the bottom of the AFC South with an 0-3 record. Yes, they have same number of losses as last year's squad already.
Unfortunately, this is not a dream and that's the beauty of the NFL - a team can fall so fast within a year's span and vice versa. I mean, look at some of the surprising teams this year. The Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at 1-2 and third in their division. Credit the fact that All-Everything safety Troy Polamalu is out, but still it is surprising nonetheless. AFC East champion Miami are with the Titans in the ranks of the winless. With the announcement that Chad Pennington is out for the year, it looks like with one more loss, they will be in rebuild mode for the rest of the year. Jake Delhomme has carried his horrific play from the playoffs into the regular season, as his countless mistakes have made the Panthers another one of the winless squads.
However, despite the Titans' 0-3 record, you can look deeper into the games and see some positives. First of all, the offense is better than last year's. Kerry Collins makes his one to two mistakes every game, but what middle of the pack quarterback doesn't? The explosive Chris Johnson is second in the league in rushing yards and a slimmed down LenDale White looked pretty good in limited carries against the Jets. The receiver corps is leaps and bounds better than last year, when Justin McCareins had to be in during meaningful snaps. The acquistion from Pittsburgh, Nate Washington, looked like a nice signing over the last two games; despite a few drops last week. Justin Gage is looking more and more like a number one target, minus a few drops from him as well. And the rookie from Rutgers, Kenny Britt, looks like he'll be an absolute stud. The former Scarlet Knight has brought down multiple clutch catches and should expand his role with offense as the season goes on.
The run defense has been stout as well. Right now they are allowing 60.7 yards per game, good enough for 2nd in the league. They held Willie Parker, Steve Slaton and Leon Washington to 19, 34, and 46 yards respectively. However, there is a reason that the Titans are 0-3.
Santonio Holmes, Andre Johnson, Jerricho Cotchery...what do these names have in common? They are all their respective team's number one receiver and they all have had a 100+ yard receiving day against the Tennessee secondary. Holmes duplicated his Super Bowl stats in week one, with nine catches, 131 yards and a score. Andre Johnson proved why he might be the best receiver in the league with a 10 catch and two touchdown performance. And despite the rain, Mark Sanchez found Jerricho Cotchery with most of his throws, evidenced by the eight catches for 108 yards and a trip to paydirt. There's one more thing that at least Johnson and Cotchery had in common.
Nick Harper. The new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil has played Harper on both Johnson and Cotchery for at least 75% of the game and that very controversial plan has backfired in a big way. Harper is too slow to be a strictly man corner and he's better fitted in a cover two scheme. Add to the fact that he's getting up there in years and might have two or three tops left in his career, that should give enough reason to put him on the opponent's second receiver.
And then there's the special teams play, which has hurt and cost us in all three of our games this year. Opening night at Pittsburgh - Rob Bironas misses a field goal and has another one blocked. The Steelers win the game in overtime by three. If Bironas makes just one of those kicks, Tennessee could have easily been starting 1-0. Ryan Mouton fumbles a punt and Houston proceeds to score off of it. Another three point loss that could have easily been a win. Then last week against the Jets, the rookie out of Hawaii muffs up again. He fumbles a kick and a punt, and New York captializes on both of them for touchdowns. That's 14 points there and with the final being 24-17, taking away those turnovers could have gave Tennessee the win.
I think Tennessee gets back on track here. David Garrard is the worst quarterback we've faced all year and his receivers aren't exactly the greatest either. Cortland Finnegan is doubtful and probably won't play, so rookies Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty will start. This worries me a little, but I still believe. This team is far too talented to be 0-4.
Tennessee Titans 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
I'm really hoping this is just a dream. The AFC's best regular season team last year, the Tennessee Titans, are now sitting at the bottom of the AFC South with an 0-3 record. Yes, they have same number of losses as last year's squad already.
Unfortunately, this is not a dream and that's the beauty of the NFL - a team can fall so fast within a year's span and vice versa. I mean, look at some of the surprising teams this year. The Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at 1-2 and third in their division. Credit the fact that All-Everything safety Troy Polamalu is out, but still it is surprising nonetheless. AFC East champion Miami are with the Titans in the ranks of the winless. With the announcement that Chad Pennington is out for the year, it looks like with one more loss, they will be in rebuild mode for the rest of the year. Jake Delhomme has carried his horrific play from the playoffs into the regular season, as his countless mistakes have made the Panthers another one of the winless squads.
However, despite the Titans' 0-3 record, you can look deeper into the games and see some positives. First of all, the offense is better than last year's. Kerry Collins makes his one to two mistakes every game, but what middle of the pack quarterback doesn't? The explosive Chris Johnson is second in the league in rushing yards and a slimmed down LenDale White looked pretty good in limited carries against the Jets. The receiver corps is leaps and bounds better than last year, when Justin McCareins had to be in during meaningful snaps. The acquistion from Pittsburgh, Nate Washington, looked like a nice signing over the last two games; despite a few drops last week. Justin Gage is looking more and more like a number one target, minus a few drops from him as well. And the rookie from Rutgers, Kenny Britt, looks like he'll be an absolute stud. The former Scarlet Knight has brought down multiple clutch catches and should expand his role with offense as the season goes on.
The run defense has been stout as well. Right now they are allowing 60.7 yards per game, good enough for 2nd in the league. They held Willie Parker, Steve Slaton and Leon Washington to 19, 34, and 46 yards respectively. However, there is a reason that the Titans are 0-3.
Santonio Holmes, Andre Johnson, Jerricho Cotchery...what do these names have in common? They are all their respective team's number one receiver and they all have had a 100+ yard receiving day against the Tennessee secondary. Holmes duplicated his Super Bowl stats in week one, with nine catches, 131 yards and a score. Andre Johnson proved why he might be the best receiver in the league with a 10 catch and two touchdown performance. And despite the rain, Mark Sanchez found Jerricho Cotchery with most of his throws, evidenced by the eight catches for 108 yards and a trip to paydirt. There's one more thing that at least Johnson and Cotchery had in common.
Nick Harper. The new defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil has played Harper on both Johnson and Cotchery for at least 75% of the game and that very controversial plan has backfired in a big way. Harper is too slow to be a strictly man corner and he's better fitted in a cover two scheme. Add to the fact that he's getting up there in years and might have two or three tops left in his career, that should give enough reason to put him on the opponent's second receiver.
And then there's the special teams play, which has hurt and cost us in all three of our games this year. Opening night at Pittsburgh - Rob Bironas misses a field goal and has another one blocked. The Steelers win the game in overtime by three. If Bironas makes just one of those kicks, Tennessee could have easily been starting 1-0. Ryan Mouton fumbles a punt and Houston proceeds to score off of it. Another three point loss that could have easily been a win. Then last week against the Jets, the rookie out of Hawaii muffs up again. He fumbles a kick and a punt, and New York captializes on both of them for touchdowns. That's 14 points there and with the final being 24-17, taking away those turnovers could have gave Tennessee the win.
I think Tennessee gets back on track here. David Garrard is the worst quarterback we've faced all year and his receivers aren't exactly the greatest either. Cortland Finnegan is doubtful and probably won't play, so rookies Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty will start. This worries me a little, but I still believe. This team is far too talented to be 0-4.
Tennessee Titans 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Penn State/Illinois prediction.
#15 Penn State at Illinois
Does this sound familiar? Think back to two years ago. The Penn State Nittany Lions were coming off a three game winning streak to start the year against three mediocre teams, and were getting a lot of buzz in the national landscape. On the other side, a Michigan Wolverines squad was finally in the win column after opening off the season with a shocking loss against FCS champion Appalachian State. Everyone picked Penn State to win the game against Michigan. And then to prove everyone wrong, Michigan came out ready to play and beat the Nittany Lions, 14-9.
The next week, Penn State traveled to Champaign to face the Illinois Fighting Illini. Feeling somewhat of a hangover after the loss to Michigan, they came out and struggled against the Illini squad and ended up dropping their second Big Ten game in a row. That first conference loss set the mood for the rest of the year, and ended up taking a possible Rose Bowl season to a disappointing Alamo Bowl berth.
So let's compare here. Penn State blows out three mediocre teams to start the season. They start receiving national championship game buzz before their Big Ten opener against Iowa. Iowa didn't quite pull a Michigan, as they barely beat the FCS squad they opened up with; Northern Iowa. Unlike that Wolverines squad, they continued to win and came into the matchup against the Nittany Lions, 3-0.
Everyone picked Penn State to win. Do I have to tell you what happened? Penn State fell flat on their faces and lost to the Hawkeyes. Once was one of the nation's sweethearts before the game, turned into one of the goats after the loss. And guess where they play at today? Champaign.
However, unlike the Illinois squad of 2007, this one is awful. They once were considered a contender in the Big Ten, but have played down to the amount of talent they possess. If Penn State loses here, I believe it will be 2007 all over again where they had the talent to win the conference but ended up playing in a bowl like the Alamo.
I feel Penn State will come out slow, but eventually get it turned around. This team is still far too talented to lose two conference games in a row, especially to one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Although they didn't show it against Iowa - who has Penn State's number - they still have one of the best teams in the Big Ten and in fact might be 1b with Ohio State. That Nittany Lions/Buckeyes matchup later in the year will decide the Big Ten title.
Daryl Clark will get much better protection from his line (unlike last week) and have a great game against that Illini secondary. This will get them back on track and they'll win out going into their showdown against the surprising Michigan Wolverines in a few week.
Penn State 27, Illinois 10
Does this sound familiar? Think back to two years ago. The Penn State Nittany Lions were coming off a three game winning streak to start the year against three mediocre teams, and were getting a lot of buzz in the national landscape. On the other side, a Michigan Wolverines squad was finally in the win column after opening off the season with a shocking loss against FCS champion Appalachian State. Everyone picked Penn State to win the game against Michigan. And then to prove everyone wrong, Michigan came out ready to play and beat the Nittany Lions, 14-9.
The next week, Penn State traveled to Champaign to face the Illinois Fighting Illini. Feeling somewhat of a hangover after the loss to Michigan, they came out and struggled against the Illini squad and ended up dropping their second Big Ten game in a row. That first conference loss set the mood for the rest of the year, and ended up taking a possible Rose Bowl season to a disappointing Alamo Bowl berth.
So let's compare here. Penn State blows out three mediocre teams to start the season. They start receiving national championship game buzz before their Big Ten opener against Iowa. Iowa didn't quite pull a Michigan, as they barely beat the FCS squad they opened up with; Northern Iowa. Unlike that Wolverines squad, they continued to win and came into the matchup against the Nittany Lions, 3-0.
Everyone picked Penn State to win. Do I have to tell you what happened? Penn State fell flat on their faces and lost to the Hawkeyes. Once was one of the nation's sweethearts before the game, turned into one of the goats after the loss. And guess where they play at today? Champaign.
However, unlike the Illinois squad of 2007, this one is awful. They once were considered a contender in the Big Ten, but have played down to the amount of talent they possess. If Penn State loses here, I believe it will be 2007 all over again where they had the talent to win the conference but ended up playing in a bowl like the Alamo.
I feel Penn State will come out slow, but eventually get it turned around. This team is still far too talented to lose two conference games in a row, especially to one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Although they didn't show it against Iowa - who has Penn State's number - they still have one of the best teams in the Big Ten and in fact might be 1b with Ohio State. That Nittany Lions/Buckeyes matchup later in the year will decide the Big Ten title.
Daryl Clark will get much better protection from his line (unlike last week) and have a great game against that Illini secondary. This will get them back on track and they'll win out going into their showdown against the surprising Michigan Wolverines in a few week.
Penn State 27, Illinois 10
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Penn State/Iowa thoughts.
I'm not going to even worry about the NFL games on slate today, but rather look into Penn State's disappointing loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
- The offensive line was horrible. Guys slipped through and pressured Clark all night. They'll get better in time though, and four of them will return next season. Other than Ohio State, Iowa has the best defensive line in the Big Ten, so there shouldn't be a defensive line in the conference that gives Penn State's offensive line trouble.
- Big props to Iowa. It's really hard to come into Beaver Stadium on a Saturday night and come out with a win. Forget that near loss to Northern Iowa, Iowa is a good football team, and is probably in the top three of the conference. However, in Iowa-esque fashion, they'll find a way to lose games they aren't supposed to and will end up probably with two or three losses in conference.
- Iowa must have something on Daryl Clark. Despite the first pass to Chaz Powell, Clark for the most part looked awful once again against the Hawkeyes. And this time, we couldn't say it was the after-effects of a concussion. He was overthrowing receivers left and right and even threw a pick right into the defender's hands. Kirk Ferentz did a great job disguising his defenses and confusing the fifth-year senior.
- Sean Lee was definitely missed in that game. The man that replaced him, Bani Gdabyu, couldn't shed blocks at all and took terrible pursuit angles. It really hurt that Lee's normal backup, Nathan Stupar, was also out. Although I give credit to Iowa's runningbacks for finding holes and running hard, no one wants to realize that they were consistently running towards the side of a special team player playing in his first high pressure situation.
- Once again Tom Bradley calls too conversative of a game. He had the defensive backs play too deep in coverage and the underneath routes were open all night. He just seems too scared to take any chances in a big game. You are allowed to call some man coverage every now and then, Mr. Bradley. Now you understand why I don't want him as the succeeding head coach to JoePa.
- Welcome back, Navarro Bowman. One of the few players on defense that played pretty well for the Nittany Lions. Iowa did a nice job though limiting his tackles, with runs to Gdabyu's side instead of Bowman's.
- Switching back to the offensive side of the ball, where the hell did the Spread HD go? For the most part it looked like Clark was under center most of the game, and even had a full-house backfield behind him for a few plays. Maybe it's because the receivers this year lack the speed of last year's; I don't know. Derek Moye looked pretty good again and established himself as the number one receiver. The Zuggernaut was MIA basically. Andrew Quarless did some nice things as well.
- I never have Penn State going to the national title game cause they always lose that one game to an inferior team. This year, I thought it would be Minnesota, but obviously I was wrong. If they can bounce back after this - instead of dwelling on it like the 2007 team when they lost to Michigan - the only team that should beat them is Ohio State. I still like their chances of capturing another Big Ten title, only if they shrug this one off.
- The offensive line was horrible. Guys slipped through and pressured Clark all night. They'll get better in time though, and four of them will return next season. Other than Ohio State, Iowa has the best defensive line in the Big Ten, so there shouldn't be a defensive line in the conference that gives Penn State's offensive line trouble.
- Big props to Iowa. It's really hard to come into Beaver Stadium on a Saturday night and come out with a win. Forget that near loss to Northern Iowa, Iowa is a good football team, and is probably in the top three of the conference. However, in Iowa-esque fashion, they'll find a way to lose games they aren't supposed to and will end up probably with two or three losses in conference.
- Iowa must have something on Daryl Clark. Despite the first pass to Chaz Powell, Clark for the most part looked awful once again against the Hawkeyes. And this time, we couldn't say it was the after-effects of a concussion. He was overthrowing receivers left and right and even threw a pick right into the defender's hands. Kirk Ferentz did a great job disguising his defenses and confusing the fifth-year senior.
- Sean Lee was definitely missed in that game. The man that replaced him, Bani Gdabyu, couldn't shed blocks at all and took terrible pursuit angles. It really hurt that Lee's normal backup, Nathan Stupar, was also out. Although I give credit to Iowa's runningbacks for finding holes and running hard, no one wants to realize that they were consistently running towards the side of a special team player playing in his first high pressure situation.
- Once again Tom Bradley calls too conversative of a game. He had the defensive backs play too deep in coverage and the underneath routes were open all night. He just seems too scared to take any chances in a big game. You are allowed to call some man coverage every now and then, Mr. Bradley. Now you understand why I don't want him as the succeeding head coach to JoePa.
- Welcome back, Navarro Bowman. One of the few players on defense that played pretty well for the Nittany Lions. Iowa did a nice job though limiting his tackles, with runs to Gdabyu's side instead of Bowman's.
- Switching back to the offensive side of the ball, where the hell did the Spread HD go? For the most part it looked like Clark was under center most of the game, and even had a full-house backfield behind him for a few plays. Maybe it's because the receivers this year lack the speed of last year's; I don't know. Derek Moye looked pretty good again and established himself as the number one receiver. The Zuggernaut was MIA basically. Andrew Quarless did some nice things as well.
- I never have Penn State going to the national title game cause they always lose that one game to an inferior team. This year, I thought it would be Minnesota, but obviously I was wrong. If they can bounce back after this - instead of dwelling on it like the 2007 team when they lost to Michigan - the only team that should beat them is Ohio State. I still like their chances of capturing another Big Ten title, only if they shrug this one off.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Quick Hits #4 - Saturday Predictions.
Sorry about not being able to update throughout the week, I was actually quite busy. That being said, here's my predictions for today's games.
Italics indicate my pick.
Italics indicate my pick.
(7) LSU at Mississippi State
Fresno State at (14) Cincinnati
(22) North Carolina at Georgia Tech
Michigan State at Wisconsin
Arkansas at (3) Alabama
(6) Cal at Oregon
Wake Forest at Boston College
Rutgers at Maryland
Pitt at NC State
Toledo at Florida International
(15) TCU at Clemson
Texas Tech at (17) Houston
New Mexico State at New Mexico
Iowa at (5) Penn State
Last year left a real sour taste in Penn State fans' mouths. Riding high off an emotional win at Ohio State, the Nittany Lions headed to Kinnick Stadium with a chance to jump into one of the two slots for the National Championship. Starting quarterback Daryl Clark was knocked out late of the showdown against the Buckeyes and was not 100 percent in this one. All-American tailback Shonn Greene ran for triple digits and after a controversial pass interference call on safety Anthony Scirrotto, the Hawkeyes' back-up kicker knocked in a field goal with one second remaining and knocked Penn State out of the National Championship picture.
Now the Nittany Lions can get revenge. The offense has been shaky - in my opinion - and would really benefit from a hot start here. The defense looks like one of the top crews in the country; even though they have faced Akron, Syracuse and Temple so far. Junior tailback Evan Royster finally got going last week against the Owls and another triple digit game could really put the pressure on the Iowa offense. Iowa comes in a lot better than they were in week one, when they had to block two field goals just to preserve a win against FCS squad Northern Iowa. Ricky Stanzi is looking like one of the top five quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and right now the Nittany Lions haven't faced a good quarterback. Yes, Greg Paulus hasn't reached "good" yet. If Stanzi can make some plays with his arm against this inexperienced secondary, Iowa might be looking at another game like that October night in 2008.
The fans will be riled up for this one. College Gameday will be in State College and ABC has the game slotted for their prime-time broadcast. Rain is expected in the forecast, but no matter - the student section will be ready. Oh, did I mention that there might be some white in the crowd? Yes, Penn State is bringing out the "whiteout" t-shirts, in hopes of putting added pressure on Iowa. Penn State opens up the offense in this one and gets 200+ yards and two touchdowns from Clark, while Royster adds 100+ and a score on the ground.
Penn State 27, Iowa 14
(22) North Carolina at Georgia Tech
If it wasn't for that "other" game, this would be the premier matchup this week in the ACC. North Carolina comes off of a nice win over the Pirates of East Carolina, while the Yellow Jackets are coming off a bad loss against the Miami Hurricanes in which they were dominated for most of the game. TJ Yates found a new favorite receiver last week in freshman Erik Highsmith, who had over 100 yards and a touchdown receiving. Georgia Tech bases their offense around that elusive option attack, led by junior quarterback Josh Nesbitt and junior runningback Jonathan Dwyer. With this one being in Atlanta, I give a very slight edge to the Yellow Jackets. Dwyer and Roddy Jones both have nice games on the ground as Tech jumps back into the Top 25.
Georgia Tech 21, North Carolina 20
(9) Miami, FL at (11) Virginia Tech
Here's that "other" game. Quick, raise your hand if you had Miami playing like a top 10 team this season. Am I the only one with my hand raised? I love this Miami squad and predicted them to do big things in the ACC this year. Jacory Harris is the conference's best quarterback and he's only a sophomore. The running game has two starting capiable runningbacks in junior Graig Cooper and senior Javarris James. The receiver core is very, very deep and don't even get me started on that defense.
On the other side is the Virginia Tech Hokies. They were predicted by many publications to win the ACC, and I thought they would take down an - still in my eyes - overrated Alabama team. However, that game didn't go the Hokies' way and also raised some concerns about the secondary.
I bet Harris is licking his chops right now.
A big win over the Marshall Thundering Herd sent VT into Lincoln to face the Cornhuskers. Down 15-10 with seconds remaining, junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor scrambled for an extended period of time and found an open Dyrell Roberts in the endzone to keep the Hokies in the top 15. Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams has stepped in just fine for last year's leading rusher Darren Evans, who was lost in the pre-season with a torn ACL. Other than some shaky secondary play (which has improved during the last few games), the defense looks like a Frank Beamer coached squad; good.
This one is in Lane Stadium, a place that is always tough for opponents. However, like I said before, I love this Miami squad. I don't expect them to go undefeated, but I am a believer in their chances to win the ACC. Harris puts his name officially for the Heisman and Miami marches on.
Miami 24, Virginia Tech 20
Enjoy your Saturday folks.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Quick Hits #3 - Saturday Predictions.
What's good everybody? Let's hope this week in college football can live up to the last week's great games. Last night provided the nation with an ACC showdown between an up and coming Miami squad and the triple option attack from Georgia Tech. Miami continues to prove me right - I had them as the second best team in the ACC behind Virginia Tech - beating up on the Yellow Jackets, 33-20. The way Jacory Harris is playing right now, I could easily seeing them beating the Hokies for the chance to play for the ACC title.
Italics indicate my pick.
Boston College at Clemson
(18) Utah at Oregon
Wyoming at Colorado
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Arizona at Iowa
(17) Cincinnati at Oregon State
Florida State at (7) BYU
(23) Georgia at Arkansas
West Virginia at Auburn
Air Force at New Mexico
UTEP at New Mexico State
Hawaii at UNLV
And here's four games to watch this week.
Temple at (5) Penn State
Penn State looked good at times against an improving Syracuse squad last week, but their running game continues to struggle. I'd like them to establish the run early with Royster, and then go to the air with Clark, instead of the other way around. This should be another yawner, seeing the Nittany Lions play a joke of a out-of-conference schedule this year. Are you thinking about picking the upset in this PA showdown? Temple lost to Villanova. 'Nuff said.
Penn State 45, Temple 3
(3) USC at Washington
Honestly, I'm tempted to pick the Huskies. They played well against a good LSU squad two weeks back and look like a better team overall. Aaron Corp - who I believe is not a good quarterback at all - will start for the Trojans, replacing freshman Matt Barkley who injured his shoulder against Ohio State. Jake Locker commands the Washington offense and they are hoping that he doesn't suffer another season-ending injury like he did around this time last year. He'll keep them close, but I see the USC running game taking over late and keeping their national title hopes alive.
USC 21, Washington 17
Texas Tech at (2) Texas
These two teams produced possibly the greatest game of the year last season. The crowd in Lubbock was electric and after a Blake Gideon drop of an interception, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree connected on the play of the year. Crabtree caught the ball between two Texas defensive backs and after breaking a tackle, the Biletnikoff winner dashed into the endzone with one second left, giving the Red Raiders a 38-33 lead. After the extra point and multiple penalties by the crowd for storming onto the field, Texas couldn't do anything on the kickoff return and Texas Tech won the biggest game in their school's history. This year? No Harrell and Crabtree for the Red Raiders. Colt McCoy and crew are back for the Longhorns. Uh-oh.
Texas 45, Texas Tech 14
(19) Nebraska at (13) VA Tech
Virginia Tech plays another good non-conference foe in Big 12 North favorite Nebraska. The Blackshirt defense is back led by the head coach Bo Pelini and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is considered a top 5 pick for next year's NFL draft. The Hokies will have to have a better performance in this game than they did in the last big non-conference matchup, when they lost in the Georgia Dome to SEC power Alabama. Nebraska is getting better, yes. However, I just feel like the Virginia Tech running game is too strong. Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams has a big game in this one.
Virginia Tech 27, Nebraska 17
Italics indicate my pick.
Boston College at Clemson
(18) Utah at Oregon
Wyoming at Colorado
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Arizona at Iowa
(17) Cincinnati at Oregon State
Florida State at (7) BYU
(23) Georgia at Arkansas
West Virginia at Auburn
Air Force at New Mexico
UTEP at New Mexico State
Hawaii at UNLV
And here's four games to watch this week.
Temple at (5) Penn State
Penn State looked good at times against an improving Syracuse squad last week, but their running game continues to struggle. I'd like them to establish the run early with Royster, and then go to the air with Clark, instead of the other way around. This should be another yawner, seeing the Nittany Lions play a joke of a out-of-conference schedule this year. Are you thinking about picking the upset in this PA showdown? Temple lost to Villanova. 'Nuff said.
Penn State 45, Temple 3
(3) USC at Washington
Honestly, I'm tempted to pick the Huskies. They played well against a good LSU squad two weeks back and look like a better team overall. Aaron Corp - who I believe is not a good quarterback at all - will start for the Trojans, replacing freshman Matt Barkley who injured his shoulder against Ohio State. Jake Locker commands the Washington offense and they are hoping that he doesn't suffer another season-ending injury like he did around this time last year. He'll keep them close, but I see the USC running game taking over late and keeping their national title hopes alive.
USC 21, Washington 17
Texas Tech at (2) Texas
These two teams produced possibly the greatest game of the year last season. The crowd in Lubbock was electric and after a Blake Gideon drop of an interception, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree connected on the play of the year. Crabtree caught the ball between two Texas defensive backs and after breaking a tackle, the Biletnikoff winner dashed into the endzone with one second left, giving the Red Raiders a 38-33 lead. After the extra point and multiple penalties by the crowd for storming onto the field, Texas couldn't do anything on the kickoff return and Texas Tech won the biggest game in their school's history. This year? No Harrell and Crabtree for the Red Raiders. Colt McCoy and crew are back for the Longhorns. Uh-oh.
Texas 45, Texas Tech 14
(19) Nebraska at (13) VA Tech
Virginia Tech plays another good non-conference foe in Big 12 North favorite Nebraska. The Blackshirt defense is back led by the head coach Bo Pelini and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is considered a top 5 pick for next year's NFL draft. The Hokies will have to have a better performance in this game than they did in the last big non-conference matchup, when they lost in the Georgia Dome to SEC power Alabama. Nebraska is getting better, yes. However, I just feel like the Virginia Tech running game is too strong. Redshirt freshman Ryan Williams has a big game in this one.
Virginia Tech 27, Nebraska 17
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Quick Hits #2 - Views on College Football and NFL Predictions.
Another Saturday down, and it brought us some very enjoyable games. I went 2-1 with my picks, missing on the Notre Dame/Michigan game.
Some thoughts from around the nation:
- Dan LeFevour is a top five quarterback in my book. He was really clutch in CMU's improbable win over the Spartans today.
- Way to fall to the SI cover jinx, Oklahoma State. You still have no defense.
- Looks like Steve Spurrier might have himself a quarterback this year. Stephen Garcia looked very nice in the loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.
- The ACC is an absolute joke. Florida State was so close to losing to Jacksonville State led by LSU refugee Ryan Perilloux. Maryland barely defeated James Madison in overtime. Why does this conference have a BCS bid again?
- Army lost to Duke. I thought this would be the year the Black Knights got back to a bowl. Unfortunately, that probably won't be the case.
- And nice job Minnesota, the new stadium looks really nice.
Penn State/Syracuse thoughts:
- What was that rotation of quarterbacks Coach Marrone? You don't sub in and out Greg Paulus and Ryan Nassib every other play. Maybe if one was a pocket passer and the other was a scrambler, but that isn't the case. Greg only thinks he's a scrambler.
- Once again, the Penn State running game completely disappoints me. I don't know if it's the offensive line not getting a good enough push or if it's Royster and Green, but it needs to be shored up by conference play.
- Clark looked impressive again, besides about three passes. I think he's starting to like throwing to his big receivers. Graham Zug did a nice job getting open on the Orange secondary.
- Hey second-string offensive line: block for your future starting quarterback and don't get him killed. Newsome had to run for his life.
- It's official: Sean Lee is back. Big second half for the captain, including some clutch tackles and a nice sack of "Teabag."
- Brett Brackett, I will send you stick 'em. You need it after dropping another pass.
- Drew Astorino was the best player in the secondary today. Took some good pursuit angles, and made nice hits - something we'll need from our inexperienced defensive backfield.
Michigan/Notre Dame thoughts:
- Please, Michigan fans, don't think that you're getting nine wins after this performance. Notre Dame's defense was awful and so was yours.
- Tate Forcier, you earned yourself a gold star. Very nice game and a clutch last minute drive. And don't lie, you do get nervous.
- Michael Floyd, request a transfer out of Notre Dame right away. You are way too good of a receiver to be playing for a team like the Fighting Irish. Plus, with a good quarterback, I could see a Biletnikoff award in your future.
- Unfortunately, Lee Corso probably feels like there's a way Notre Dame can win the national championship.
- Probably product of the lack of defensive talent out there today, but I was also impressed with the backs. Armando Allen and Brandon Minor looked really good with the rock.
- Michigan's "maize-out" is nothing like the Penn State "white-out." Just saying.
- Notre Dame has some really hot blondes. That is all.
And finally Ohio State/USC thoughts:
- Some block O they got there - it was a U by the second quarter.
- Ohio State defense really stepped up tonight. The defensive line, especially this one kid (can't remember the number or name) really stood out to me.
- Matt Barkley looked okay out there, better than your typical freshman going into a loud environment. He didn't carry the team on that winning drive because it was mostly...
- Joe McKnight. I was wondering why recruiting analysts called you the second coming of Reggie Bush, but now I know. This is actually going to get me started off on a little rant, so here we go. You know how reporters just love USC's depth at runningback? "Oh my God, they go six deep! They're the greatest!" In my opinion, that hurts them so much. McKnight looks like the best back for them...when he gets his carries. However, since they go "six-deep" - which I only saw McKnight, Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, and Allen Bradford - he doesn't get enough carries, which limits his productivity. If they would stop worrying about spreading the ball around to all their backs and instead made McKnight and Johnson the main backs, it would help their offense so much. Bradford should have stayed as a linebacker; he doesn't impress me at all carrying the ball.
- Although they won, I can seriously see USC losing two games this year. And no, Notre Dame does not beat them.
- Congrats Terrelle Pryor, you don't know how to handle the pressure. Shut your mouth about defending Michael Vick, bashing Navy, and focus on giving your team a chance to win instead of choking it away. That last minute drive had to be one of the worst I've ever seen.
- Oh wait, TP had another interesting quote after this one: "I mean, we should have beat them, point blank. We should have beat them by two or three touchdowns, easy. The ball was falling the wrong way." I really hope Penn State lays a beatdown on them now.
And now to my NFL predictions. Italics indicates my pick.
JAC @ IND
DET @ NO
DAL @ TB
NYJ @ HOU
KC @ BAL
DEN @ CIN
MIN @ CLE
WAS @ NYG
SF @ ARI
STL @ SEA
BUF @ NE
SD @ OAK
And here are the three games to watch today:
PHI @ CAR
Honestly, I am not high on the Panthers...at all. After the Jake Delhomme meltdown against Arizona last year in the playoffs, I don't think they have the leadership on offense to contend. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be the main focus of their offense this year, but I don't see them having the same amount of success as last year. On the other side, Philly is my pick for the NFC Super Bowl representative, so I expect them to win this game. Only two more games till Michael Vick is eligible.
Eagles 27, Panthers 17
MIA @ ATL
Another nice game here between America's cinderellas last season. Miami improved from 1-15 to win the AFC East and Atlanta went through the enitre Bobby Petrino debacle to make the playoffs. Atlanta is led by their second-year quarterback Matt Ryan, who has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Michael Turner, Roddy White and newly acquired Tony Gonzalez are Pro Bowlers that can break one for six at any time. The defense is pretty shaky, which concerns me. If they are fighting for a playoff spot come December and miss it, the defense will be the reason why. Miami retains basically the same team that they did last year, but New England got better so the Dolphins will be fighting for a wild card spot.
Dolphins 21, Falcons 20
CHI @ GB
An old-school rivalry to finish off the night - Bears/Packers. Chicago's fan base is estatic this year with the arrival of former Vanderbilt Commodore Jay Cutler. The pain and suffering of watching former starting quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton is finally gone, which has fans believing like I said. The receiver core is still extremely weak, as they are depending on an all-world returner in Devin Hester to be their number one guy. On the other side, you have a sleeper pick for the Super Bowl in the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers proved to me that he is the real deal, and he's got capable receivers in Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Ryan Grant is in a make-or-break year, as he couldn't build on his breakout 2007 season. The defense adds USC rookie Clay Matthews to an already good linebacker core, and the team has switched to a 3-4 look. Look for a lot of big plays in this one.
Bears 24, Packers 20
Enjoy your Sunday everyone.
Some thoughts from around the nation:
- Dan LeFevour is a top five quarterback in my book. He was really clutch in CMU's improbable win over the Spartans today.
- Way to fall to the SI cover jinx, Oklahoma State. You still have no defense.
- Looks like Steve Spurrier might have himself a quarterback this year. Stephen Garcia looked very nice in the loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.
- The ACC is an absolute joke. Florida State was so close to losing to Jacksonville State led by LSU refugee Ryan Perilloux. Maryland barely defeated James Madison in overtime. Why does this conference have a BCS bid again?
- Army lost to Duke. I thought this would be the year the Black Knights got back to a bowl. Unfortunately, that probably won't be the case.
- And nice job Minnesota, the new stadium looks really nice.
Penn State/Syracuse thoughts:
- What was that rotation of quarterbacks Coach Marrone? You don't sub in and out Greg Paulus and Ryan Nassib every other play. Maybe if one was a pocket passer and the other was a scrambler, but that isn't the case. Greg only thinks he's a scrambler.
- Once again, the Penn State running game completely disappoints me. I don't know if it's the offensive line not getting a good enough push or if it's Royster and Green, but it needs to be shored up by conference play.
- Clark looked impressive again, besides about three passes. I think he's starting to like throwing to his big receivers. Graham Zug did a nice job getting open on the Orange secondary.
- Hey second-string offensive line: block for your future starting quarterback and don't get him killed. Newsome had to run for his life.
- It's official: Sean Lee is back. Big second half for the captain, including some clutch tackles and a nice sack of "Teabag."
- Brett Brackett, I will send you stick 'em. You need it after dropping another pass.
- Drew Astorino was the best player in the secondary today. Took some good pursuit angles, and made nice hits - something we'll need from our inexperienced defensive backfield.
Michigan/Notre Dame thoughts:
- Please, Michigan fans, don't think that you're getting nine wins after this performance. Notre Dame's defense was awful and so was yours.
- Tate Forcier, you earned yourself a gold star. Very nice game and a clutch last minute drive. And don't lie, you do get nervous.
- Michael Floyd, request a transfer out of Notre Dame right away. You are way too good of a receiver to be playing for a team like the Fighting Irish. Plus, with a good quarterback, I could see a Biletnikoff award in your future.
- Unfortunately, Lee Corso probably feels like there's a way Notre Dame can win the national championship.
- Probably product of the lack of defensive talent out there today, but I was also impressed with the backs. Armando Allen and Brandon Minor looked really good with the rock.
- Michigan's "maize-out" is nothing like the Penn State "white-out." Just saying.
- Notre Dame has some really hot blondes. That is all.
And finally Ohio State/USC thoughts:
- Some block O they got there - it was a U by the second quarter.
- Ohio State defense really stepped up tonight. The defensive line, especially this one kid (can't remember the number or name) really stood out to me.
- Matt Barkley looked okay out there, better than your typical freshman going into a loud environment. He didn't carry the team on that winning drive because it was mostly...
- Joe McKnight. I was wondering why recruiting analysts called you the second coming of Reggie Bush, but now I know. This is actually going to get me started off on a little rant, so here we go. You know how reporters just love USC's depth at runningback? "Oh my God, they go six deep! They're the greatest!" In my opinion, that hurts them so much. McKnight looks like the best back for them...when he gets his carries. However, since they go "six-deep" - which I only saw McKnight, Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, and Allen Bradford - he doesn't get enough carries, which limits his productivity. If they would stop worrying about spreading the ball around to all their backs and instead made McKnight and Johnson the main backs, it would help their offense so much. Bradford should have stayed as a linebacker; he doesn't impress me at all carrying the ball.
- Although they won, I can seriously see USC losing two games this year. And no, Notre Dame does not beat them.
- Congrats Terrelle Pryor, you don't know how to handle the pressure. Shut your mouth about defending Michael Vick, bashing Navy, and focus on giving your team a chance to win instead of choking it away. That last minute drive had to be one of the worst I've ever seen.
- Oh wait, TP had another interesting quote after this one: "I mean, we should have beat them, point blank. We should have beat them by two or three touchdowns, easy. The ball was falling the wrong way." I really hope Penn State lays a beatdown on them now.
And now to my NFL predictions. Italics indicates my pick.
JAC @ IND
DET @ NO
DAL @ TB
NYJ @ HOU
KC @ BAL
DEN @ CIN
MIN @ CLE
WAS @ NYG
SF @ ARI
STL @ SEA
BUF @ NE
SD @ OAK
And here are the three games to watch today:
PHI @ CAR
Honestly, I am not high on the Panthers...at all. After the Jake Delhomme meltdown against Arizona last year in the playoffs, I don't think they have the leadership on offense to contend. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be the main focus of their offense this year, but I don't see them having the same amount of success as last year. On the other side, Philly is my pick for the NFC Super Bowl representative, so I expect them to win this game. Only two more games till Michael Vick is eligible.
Eagles 27, Panthers 17
MIA @ ATL
Another nice game here between America's cinderellas last season. Miami improved from 1-15 to win the AFC East and Atlanta went through the enitre Bobby Petrino debacle to make the playoffs. Atlanta is led by their second-year quarterback Matt Ryan, who has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Michael Turner, Roddy White and newly acquired Tony Gonzalez are Pro Bowlers that can break one for six at any time. The defense is pretty shaky, which concerns me. If they are fighting for a playoff spot come December and miss it, the defense will be the reason why. Miami retains basically the same team that they did last year, but New England got better so the Dolphins will be fighting for a wild card spot.
Dolphins 21, Falcons 20
CHI @ GB
An old-school rivalry to finish off the night - Bears/Packers. Chicago's fan base is estatic this year with the arrival of former Vanderbilt Commodore Jay Cutler. The pain and suffering of watching former starting quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton is finally gone, which has fans believing like I said. The receiver core is still extremely weak, as they are depending on an all-world returner in Devin Hester to be their number one guy. On the other side, you have a sleeper pick for the Super Bowl in the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers proved to me that he is the real deal, and he's got capable receivers in Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Ryan Grant is in a make-or-break year, as he couldn't build on his breakout 2007 season. The defense adds USC rookie Clay Matthews to an already good linebacker core, and the team has switched to a 3-4 look. Look for a lot of big plays in this one.
Bears 24, Packers 20
Enjoy your Sunday everyone.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Quick Hits #1 - Saturday Predictions.
Italics indicate my pick.
Stanford at Wake Forest
(19)North Carolina at UConn
Duke at Army
(16)TCU at Virginia
UCLA at Tennessee
(24)Kansas at UTEP
South Carolina at (21)Georgia
Mississippi State at Auburn
Rice at Texas Tech
Purdue at Oregon
Hawaii at Washington State
Oregon State at UNLV
And now here's my three games to watch this week.
Syracuse at (7) Penn State
Not a really fun game to watch, but I put it in here since I'm a Nittany Lion fan. Despite hating his guts, I was very surprised with Greg Paulus's performance against Minnesota last week. For being out of football for four years, he looked confident, poised, and accurate. Well...other than that last pass, but don't all Dukies choke in the clutch? That's besides the point. Another yawner for Penn State here. I'd like to see the freshman Kevin Newsome get some time with the first team in the second half to build on his experience.
Penn State 48, Syracuse 7
(18)Notre Dame at Michigan
Hot damn, the rivalry is back! Both teams are now legit because they blew out their opening day opponents! Tate Forcier for Heisman! No, it's Jimmy Clausen! Congrats, you defeated Nevada and Western Michigan. Nevada had the 91st ranked pass defense last year and Western Michigan had the 75th ranked scoring defense in the country. One team continues to think they are legit after this one, and one licks the wounds in hopes of winning next year.
Notre Dame 31, Michigan 20
(3) USC at (8) Ohio State
Here's your Game of the Week. I was really looking forward to this game, until Ohio State almost lost to the Midshipmen of Navy. I saw a lot of flaws in the Buckeyes, especially in the secondary. If this was in LA, I'd predict a Trojans blowout. If they weren't starting a true freshman quarterback in Matt Barkley, I'd predict a Trojans blowout. Terrelle Pryor has a lot to prove to me tonight, cause I didn't see much from him last Saturday. I hate both teams (just like the Michigan/ND game if you didn't notice) and I'm not rooting for either. I'd like to see the Buckeyes win for the Big Ten's sake, to give them some credibility...but I don't see it happening. USC's stable of runningbacks carry the load, Barkley doesn't look too fazed in the 'Shoe and finds Arkansas transfer Damian Williams for a couple touchdowns. Once again critics will speak of the Big Ten not being able to win a big game after this one.
USC 21, Ohio State 13
Stanford at Wake Forest
(19)North Carolina at UConn
Duke at Army
(16)TCU at Virginia
UCLA at Tennessee
(24)Kansas at UTEP
South Carolina at (21)Georgia
Mississippi State at Auburn
Rice at Texas Tech
Purdue at Oregon
Hawaii at Washington State
Oregon State at UNLV
And now here's my three games to watch this week.
Syracuse at (7) Penn State
Not a really fun game to watch, but I put it in here since I'm a Nittany Lion fan. Despite hating his guts, I was very surprised with Greg Paulus's performance against Minnesota last week. For being out of football for four years, he looked confident, poised, and accurate. Well...other than that last pass, but don't all Dukies choke in the clutch? That's besides the point. Another yawner for Penn State here. I'd like to see the freshman Kevin Newsome get some time with the first team in the second half to build on his experience.
Penn State 48, Syracuse 7
(18)Notre Dame at Michigan
Hot damn, the rivalry is back! Both teams are now legit because they blew out their opening day opponents! Tate Forcier for Heisman! No, it's Jimmy Clausen! Congrats, you defeated Nevada and Western Michigan. Nevada had the 91st ranked pass defense last year and Western Michigan had the 75th ranked scoring defense in the country. One team continues to think they are legit after this one, and one licks the wounds in hopes of winning next year.
Notre Dame 31, Michigan 20
(3) USC at (8) Ohio State
Here's your Game of the Week. I was really looking forward to this game, until Ohio State almost lost to the Midshipmen of Navy. I saw a lot of flaws in the Buckeyes, especially in the secondary. If this was in LA, I'd predict a Trojans blowout. If they weren't starting a true freshman quarterback in Matt Barkley, I'd predict a Trojans blowout. Terrelle Pryor has a lot to prove to me tonight, cause I didn't see much from him last Saturday. I hate both teams (just like the Michigan/ND game if you didn't notice) and I'm not rooting for either. I'd like to see the Buckeyes win for the Big Ten's sake, to give them some credibility...but I don't see it happening. USC's stable of runningbacks carry the load, Barkley doesn't look too fazed in the 'Shoe and finds Arkansas transfer Damian Williams for a couple touchdowns. Once again critics will speak of the Big Ten not being able to win a big game after this one.
USC 21, Ohio State 13
Friday, September 11, 2009
NFL Opening Night Thoughts.
Damn, it is tough to be a Titans fan living in the middle of Steelers country. Constantly (but playfully, not serious) heckled during all my classes yesterday, I was hoping Tennessee would put on a show and repeat on last year's performance - a 31-14 win. I planned on going to this game, but unfortunately when my schedule came out, I had a Journalism class from 6-8:30 on Thursday nights - right when the game started. Bummer.
My pre-game prediction: Titans 20, Steelers 14. I had a lot of faith in the Titans D, even without Albert Haynesworth. I thought that Roethlisberger would throw some interceptions and the Tennessee defensive line would dominate Pittsburgh's o-line. It would be a tough, physical game throughout the night, but I figured the men in blue would pull it out.
Here were my thoughts on the Titans performance:
- Vince Young looked good...sitting on the bench.
- Defensive line will be just fine, they looked pretty good.
- Kenny Britt is going to be a stud. Made some clutch catches.
- I can't stand Justin Gage still, drops too many passes.
- Besides the pick by Troy, Collins threw the ball well.
- CJ had some good runs, Slimdale maybe had one 5+ yarder.
- Hey Chuck Cecil, you don't have to run a prevent defense the entire second half and overtime.
- I know Heinz Field is a tough place to kick at, but seriously Rob? You're a top notch kicker, but that was awful.
- And finally, if Cecil gets his act together with his play schemes, I see another AFC South title.
And some thoughts about the Steelers as well:
- Hines Ward is thankful he can sleep tonight.
- Ben is, in my opinion, a top five quarterback in this league. Although he doesn't put up the best stats, he still makes the plays when it counts.
- Mendenhall and Moore looked a lot more impressive than Parker. Willie might be on his way out in the near future.
- The Madden curse strikes again! Sucks for Troy though, he was playing beastly before the injury. The one handed pick was incredible.
- Even without Polamalu for a few weeks, I still see Pittsburgh winning the AFC North.
So there you have it! A great game to watch and even though Tennessee lost, I enjoyed it. Both teams are top tier in the AFC and I see both winning playoff games this year.
If you want, leave a comment below and I'll try to respond to it. Until then, I will hopefully see you again after Saturday with thoughts from the Penn State/Syracuse and other games.
My pre-game prediction: Titans 20, Steelers 14. I had a lot of faith in the Titans D, even without Albert Haynesworth. I thought that Roethlisberger would throw some interceptions and the Tennessee defensive line would dominate Pittsburgh's o-line. It would be a tough, physical game throughout the night, but I figured the men in blue would pull it out.
Here were my thoughts on the Titans performance:
- Vince Young looked good...sitting on the bench.
- Defensive line will be just fine, they looked pretty good.
- Kenny Britt is going to be a stud. Made some clutch catches.
- I can't stand Justin Gage still, drops too many passes.
- Besides the pick by Troy, Collins threw the ball well.
- CJ had some good runs, Slimdale maybe had one 5+ yarder.
- Hey Chuck Cecil, you don't have to run a prevent defense the entire second half and overtime.
- I know Heinz Field is a tough place to kick at, but seriously Rob? You're a top notch kicker, but that was awful.
- And finally, if Cecil gets his act together with his play schemes, I see another AFC South title.
And some thoughts about the Steelers as well:
- Hines Ward is thankful he can sleep tonight.
- Ben is, in my opinion, a top five quarterback in this league. Although he doesn't put up the best stats, he still makes the plays when it counts.
- Mendenhall and Moore looked a lot more impressive than Parker. Willie might be on his way out in the near future.
- The Madden curse strikes again! Sucks for Troy though, he was playing beastly before the injury. The one handed pick was incredible.
- Even without Polamalu for a few weeks, I still see Pittsburgh winning the AFC North.
So there you have it! A great game to watch and even though Tennessee lost, I enjoyed it. Both teams are top tier in the AFC and I see both winning playoff games this year.
If you want, leave a comment below and I'll try to respond to it. Until then, I will hopefully see you again after Saturday with thoughts from the Penn State/Syracuse and other games.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)