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.
Home to your latest opinions about the Tennessee Titans, Penn State, Robert Morris, and music!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
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.
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