Hope you don't mind, but this blog has moved to a new location ... greatestprobowlsever.wordpress.com.
That link again ... http://greatestprobowlsever.wordpress.com/. For a good time, copy and paste that into your URL field on your Internets browser.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
NFL Week 10 picks
Due to weather constraints (it's freakin' nice outside and Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff wants to go outside and play), the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings will not take place and will return next ... we promise.
Here is this week's attempt to correctly predict the outcome of pro football games ...
Week 10 picks
Broncos over Browns (nailed it!)
Packers over Vikings
Patriots over Bills
Titans over Bears
Saints over Falcons
Jets over Rams
Jaguars over Lions
Dolphins over Seahawks
Ravens over Texans
Panthers over Raiders
Steelers over Colts
Chargers over Chiefs
Giants over Eagles
Cardinals over 49ers
Week 9 record: 7-7
Overall record: 79-53
Here is this week's attempt to correctly predict the outcome of pro football games ...
Week 10 picks
Broncos over Browns (nailed it!)
Packers over Vikings
Patriots over Bills
Titans over Bears
Saints over Falcons
Jets over Rams
Jaguars over Lions
Dolphins over Seahawks
Ravens over Texans
Panthers over Raiders
Steelers over Colts
Chargers over Chiefs
Giants over Eagles
Cardinals over 49ers
Week 9 record: 7-7
Overall record: 79-53
This week's college football picks: Another big one in the Big 12
"Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40!" -- Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's, during his rant for the ages after a win, yes a win, over Texas Tech last September.
Fresh off its scintillating, edge-of-your-seat 39-33 win over then-No. 1 Texas, Tech Tech gets another huge Big 12 showdown when the No. 8-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys come to Lubbock.
Now sitting at No. 2, Texas Tech is in position to reach the national championship game. Of course, the Red Raiders will have to circumnavigate (great word, eh?) a remaining schedule that also includes games against Oklahoma (in Norman) and a potential spot in the Big 12 title game.
That is just one of a handful of big games to look forward to this college football weekend. So, let's go ahead and pick some of those games ...
No. 2 Texas Tech over No. 8 Oklahoma State
No. 3 Penn State over Iowa
No. 5 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-Stout
No. 7 USC over No. 21 Cal
No. 22 Georgia Tech over No. 19 North Carolina
Upset pick of the week: No. 15 LSU over No. 1 Alabama. The Tigers would love to stick it to their old coach, Nick Saban, and ruin the Crimson Tide's national title hopes. Nobody gets through the SEC season undefeated, so Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff thinks this is an easy pick to make.
And our totally random college football pick of the week: No. 1 Mount Union faces No. 12 Otterbein in a huge D-III showdown with first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference on the line. Otterbein hasn't beaten Mount Union since 1977, and Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff doesn't anticipate that run coming to an end this year.
(For the record, last week Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff correctly predicted that Millsaps would get some amount of vengeance for last year's "Lateralpalooza" play against Trinity. And, they did! Millsaps pasted Trinity 56-27.)
Last week's record: 1-6 (only hit on the "Totally random" pick)
Overall record: 43-28
Fresh off its scintillating, edge-of-your-seat 39-33 win over then-No. 1 Texas, Tech Tech gets another huge Big 12 showdown when the No. 8-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys come to Lubbock.
Now sitting at No. 2, Texas Tech is in position to reach the national championship game. Of course, the Red Raiders will have to circumnavigate (great word, eh?) a remaining schedule that also includes games against Oklahoma (in Norman) and a potential spot in the Big 12 title game.
That is just one of a handful of big games to look forward to this college football weekend. So, let's go ahead and pick some of those games ...
No. 2 Texas Tech over No. 8 Oklahoma State
No. 3 Penn State over Iowa
No. 5 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-Stout
No. 7 USC over No. 21 Cal
No. 22 Georgia Tech over No. 19 North Carolina
Upset pick of the week: No. 15 LSU over No. 1 Alabama. The Tigers would love to stick it to their old coach, Nick Saban, and ruin the Crimson Tide's national title hopes. Nobody gets through the SEC season undefeated, so Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff thinks this is an easy pick to make.
And our totally random college football pick of the week: No. 1 Mount Union faces No. 12 Otterbein in a huge D-III showdown with first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference on the line. Otterbein hasn't beaten Mount Union since 1977, and Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff doesn't anticipate that run coming to an end this year.
(For the record, last week Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff correctly predicted that Millsaps would get some amount of vengeance for last year's "Lateralpalooza" play against Trinity. And, they did! Millsaps pasted Trinity 56-27.)
Last week's record: 1-6 (only hit on the "Totally random" pick)
Overall record: 43-28
Monday, November 3, 2008
Kevin Garnett plays soccer, and that's newsworthy because ...
"I don't have striker's skills. I just want the liberty of not only passing the ball but also the liberty of shooting the ball, or at least trying to be a striker." -- Kevin Garnett, on playing soccer.Two and one half years ago, a very fun What if our greatest athletes played soccer? piece was written for FOXSports.com ahead of World Cup 2006, an international sporting event of epic proportions.
Turns out, this very intelligent writer was ahead of the curve.
On a "Dream Team" comprised totally of star athletes outside soccer, Kevin Garnett manned the goalkeeper position.
That was in make-believe happyland. In the real world, Garnett plays hoops but has taken up soccer as a form of cross training to prepare for play in the lesser sport of basketball.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday Afternoon Pro Football Banter: Breaking news ... some big games this weekend
"They are still the Dallas Cowboys. Everybody hates everybody in this league. This rivalry has gotten even more intense. They have been titled America’s Team, and they are coming to the Big Apple. So it should be fun.” -- Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, on the Giants' opponent on Sunday.
The storyline is pretty simple here: Two losses in the last three games has the preseason Super Bowl favorite Cowboys at 5-3 and looking up at the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, who lead the NFC East at 6-1. Another loss for Dallas would be devastating for the team's division title hopes.
Yup, devastating. Especially considerin the relative strength of all the teams in the NFC East, the best division in professional football.
This isn't the only game America will be watching with great interest. Take, for instance, that big Monday night showdown in Landover, Md., where the Redskins hold the fate of America in their hands when they host the Steelers.
Before 2004, the Redskins had played a strange part in predicting the outcome of 15 straight U.S. presidential elections. When the Redskins lost their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party also lost the White House. That streak came to an end in 2004, when the Packers beat the Redskins and two days later incumbent George W. Bush beat John Kerry in the election. Still, 15 of 16 elections have been correctly predicted by Redskins games. Think Obama will be rooting for the Steelers on Monday night?
Speaking of the Redskins and Steelers, these two teams are among the biggest movers in this week's Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings.
Let's check 'em out!
1. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 1) -- Some are already trying to break down possible Giants-Titans matchups for Super Bowl XLIII.
2. New York Giants (Previously: 2) -- Could really bury a bitter division rival with a win at the Meadowlands on Sunday.
3. Washington Redskins (Previously: 6) -- May just have to take one for America on Monday night.
4. Carolina Panthers (Previously: 8) -- Come out of this week's bye with games against the Raiders and Lions.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 3) -- May have Obama in their corner on Monday night.
6. New England Patriots (Previously: 9) -- Still have that look of the team to beat in the AFC East.
7. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 4) -- Which is the real Bills team? The one that opened the season 4-0? Or, the one that has gone 1-2 in its last three games?
8. Arizona Cardinals (Previously: 5) -- Kurt Warner going back to where all the magic began back in 1999.
9. Dallas Cowboys (Previously: NR) -- Terrell Owens appears on the brink of an explosion. Stay tuned ...
10. Chicago Bears (Previously: 10) -- Really happy to have picked up Kyle Orton a few weeks ago for the fantasy team.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 7) -- Still not sure what to think of this team, especially after last week's disappointing showing in Dallas.
12. Green Bay Packers (Previously: 12) -- Will knock off undefeated Titans on Sunday (please see predictions below).
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Kansas City Chiefs -- Over there last 16 games, the Chiefs have lost 15.
31. Detroit Lions -- Over the last 15 games, the Lions have lost 14.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- Remember that time when the Bengals won the AFC North and made the playoffs? That wasn't really all that long ago.
Week 9 picks
Bills over Jets
Bears over Lions
Jaguars over Bengals
Browns over Ravens
Buccaneers over Chiefs
Vikings over Texans
Cardinals over Rams
Packers over Titans
Broncos over Dolphins
Giants over Cowboys
Falcons over Raiders
Eagles over Seahawks
Patriots over Colts
Redskins over Steelers
Week 8 record: 8-6
Overall record: 72-44
The storyline is pretty simple here: Two losses in the last three games has the preseason Super Bowl favorite Cowboys at 5-3 and looking up at the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, who lead the NFC East at 6-1. Another loss for Dallas would be devastating for the team's division title hopes.
Yup, devastating. Especially considerin the relative strength of all the teams in the NFC East, the best division in professional football.
This isn't the only game America will be watching with great interest. Take, for instance, that big Monday night showdown in Landover, Md., where the Redskins hold the fate of America in their hands when they host the Steelers.
Before 2004, the Redskins had played a strange part in predicting the outcome of 15 straight U.S. presidential elections. When the Redskins lost their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party also lost the White House. That streak came to an end in 2004, when the Packers beat the Redskins and two days later incumbent George W. Bush beat John Kerry in the election. Still, 15 of 16 elections have been correctly predicted by Redskins games. Think Obama will be rooting for the Steelers on Monday night?
Speaking of the Redskins and Steelers, these two teams are among the biggest movers in this week's Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings.
Let's check 'em out!
1. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 1) -- Some are already trying to break down possible Giants-Titans matchups for Super Bowl XLIII.
2. New York Giants (Previously: 2) -- Could really bury a bitter division rival with a win at the Meadowlands on Sunday.
3. Washington Redskins (Previously: 6) -- May just have to take one for America on Monday night.
4. Carolina Panthers (Previously: 8) -- Come out of this week's bye with games against the Raiders and Lions.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 3) -- May have Obama in their corner on Monday night.
6. New England Patriots (Previously: 9) -- Still have that look of the team to beat in the AFC East.
7. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 4) -- Which is the real Bills team? The one that opened the season 4-0? Or, the one that has gone 1-2 in its last three games?
8. Arizona Cardinals (Previously: 5) -- Kurt Warner going back to where all the magic began back in 1999.
9. Dallas Cowboys (Previously: NR) -- Terrell Owens appears on the brink of an explosion. Stay tuned ...
10. Chicago Bears (Previously: 10) -- Really happy to have picked up Kyle Orton a few weeks ago for the fantasy team.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 7) -- Still not sure what to think of this team, especially after last week's disappointing showing in Dallas.
12. Green Bay Packers (Previously: 12) -- Will knock off undefeated Titans on Sunday (please see predictions below).
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Kansas City Chiefs -- Over there last 16 games, the Chiefs have lost 15.
31. Detroit Lions -- Over the last 15 games, the Lions have lost 14.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- Remember that time when the Bengals won the AFC North and made the playoffs? That wasn't really all that long ago.
Week 9 picks
Bills over Jets
Bears over Lions
Jaguars over Bengals
Browns over Ravens
Buccaneers over Chiefs
Vikings over Texans
Cardinals over Rams
Packers over Titans
Broncos over Dolphins
Giants over Cowboys
Falcons over Raiders
Eagles over Seahawks
Patriots over Colts
Redskins over Steelers
Week 8 record: 8-6
Overall record: 72-44
Friday, October 31, 2008
This week's college football picks: Another big game for the Longhorns
"The label of No. 1 is hard to get and it's really harder to keep." -- Texas coach Mack Brown, ahead of his team's huge colossus of a clash with Texas Tech.
For the fourth consecutive week, the Longhorns are taking on a top-10 ranked team. First, Texas beat then-No. 1 Oklahoma. The next week, Texas worked No. 11 Missouri. Last week, the Longhorns edged No. 7 Oklahoma State. This week, the 'Horns face No. 6 Texas Tech in the land of Friday Night Lights in West Texas. Texas Tech folks are calling this showdown "the biggest game in school history." That seems to be a phrase thrown around quite a bit these days.
Last year, Texas beat Texas Tech 59-43 in a shootout. Expect much the same this time around, too, which should be great fun for TV viewers who just happen to be dialed into ABC at 5 p.m. Santa Monica standard time (SMST).
Let's pick some games that will be taking place on the collegiate gridirons this Saturday ...
No. 1 Texas over No. 6 Texas Tech
No. 8 Georgia over No. 5 Florida
No. 16 Florida State over Georgia Tech (really wanted to pick an upset here, FYI, FWIW)
No. 20 Minnesota over Northwestern (yes, the Golden Gophers are ranked)
Wisconsin over No. 22 Michigan State
Upset pick of the week: UNLV over No. 12 TCU ... Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff would hate to see a potential BCS buster fall in an upset, but the very good possibility exists that TCU could be looking past the Runnin' Rebs to a showdown with No. 10-ranked Utah next week that will likely determine the Mountain West winner and send said winner to a BCS bowl game to be decided (but, most likely not the national title game).
And our totally random college football pick of the week: 7-0 Millsaps and 7-0 Trinity, No. 5 and No. 14 respectively, in D3football.com top 25, meet in a rematch of last year's miracle finish on a 15-lateral play that has been dubbed "the Lateralpalooza" and the "Mississippi Miracle". Millsaps will put its nine-game, conference road winning streak on the line against Trinity, and we reckon the Majors will be prepared for anything this time around and get some small amount of revenge for last year's debacle.
Last week's record: 2-5 (ouchy!)
Overall record: 42-22
For the fourth consecutive week, the Longhorns are taking on a top-10 ranked team. First, Texas beat then-No. 1 Oklahoma. The next week, Texas worked No. 11 Missouri. Last week, the Longhorns edged No. 7 Oklahoma State. This week, the 'Horns face No. 6 Texas Tech in the land of Friday Night Lights in West Texas. Texas Tech folks are calling this showdown "the biggest game in school history." That seems to be a phrase thrown around quite a bit these days.
Last year, Texas beat Texas Tech 59-43 in a shootout. Expect much the same this time around, too, which should be great fun for TV viewers who just happen to be dialed into ABC at 5 p.m. Santa Monica standard time (SMST).
Let's pick some games that will be taking place on the collegiate gridirons this Saturday ...
No. 1 Texas over No. 6 Texas Tech
No. 8 Georgia over No. 5 Florida
No. 16 Florida State over Georgia Tech (really wanted to pick an upset here, FYI, FWIW)
No. 20 Minnesota over Northwestern (yes, the Golden Gophers are ranked)
Wisconsin over No. 22 Michigan State
Upset pick of the week: UNLV over No. 12 TCU ... Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff would hate to see a potential BCS buster fall in an upset, but the very good possibility exists that TCU could be looking past the Runnin' Rebs to a showdown with No. 10-ranked Utah next week that will likely determine the Mountain West winner and send said winner to a BCS bowl game to be decided (but, most likely not the national title game).
And our totally random college football pick of the week: 7-0 Millsaps and 7-0 Trinity, No. 5 and No. 14 respectively, in D3football.com top 25, meet in a rematch of last year's miracle finish on a 15-lateral play that has been dubbed "the Lateralpalooza" and the "Mississippi Miracle". Millsaps will put its nine-game, conference road winning streak on the line against Trinity, and we reckon the Majors will be prepared for anything this time around and get some small amount of revenge for last year's debacle.
Last week's record: 2-5 (ouchy!)
Overall record: 42-22
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Move World Series Game 5 to Miller Park!
Rain, rain, go away,Come again some other day,
We want to go outside and play,
Come again some other day.
Game 5 of the World Series won't resume on Tuesday as planned, so be prepared to watch re-runs of the Simpsons, King of the Hill and Married with Children.
With rain still falling on peoples' heads in Philadelphia, and expected to do so for quite some time, here's a suggestion for Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig ...
Move the game to Miller Park!
No threat of a rainout there.
Of course, there's always the threat that the Astros could protest even though they're not playing.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday Afternoon Pregame Show: Chasing history, or infamy, you decide
"The Buccaneers resembled a fraternity football team well into their third keg of beer." -- NFL Films, on the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who finished 0-14.
Last season, the New England Patriots came within one loss in arguably the most exhilarating Super Bowl ever played from completing the greatest season in NFL history.
This season, there are two teams chasing NFL history.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions both promise to make a run at exceeding the '76 Buccaneers' 0-14 infamy.
And, before you all go, "but wait second here, Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff, it's just Week 8 and these two teams each have 10 more games to play," consider this ...
The Lions must play the rest of their season with a backup quarterback running the offense. The Lions have already traded away their most dangerous offensive threat, dealing WR Roy Williams to the Cowboys for a collection of draft picks and a bag of new footballs (not so much the balls, really, but that might as well have been a part of the deal).
The Bengals are dysfunctional, but what may be worse is news that quarterback Carson Palmer may be out for the season.
Let's check out the remaining schedules ...
For the Lions: vs. Redskins, at Bears, vs. Jaguars, at Panthers, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Titans, vs. Vikings, at Colts, vs. Saints, at Packers. At least eight of those teams figure to be in the playoff hunt for much of the duration of the season. Even NFL Network's Adam Schefter is getting discouraged by the Lions' chances.
For the Bengals: at Texans, vs. Jaguars, vs. Eagles, at Steelers, vs. Ravens, at Colts, vs. Redskins, at Browns, vs. Chiefs. The most winable games in that slate are this weekend in Houston, and the finale against Kansas City.
Astute football observers will remember 2001. That year, the Lions came dangerously close to 0-16 infamy, going 0-12 before beating the Vikings in Week 14 en route to a 2-14 record. The Bengals recently went 2-14 too, back in 2002. The next April, the Bengals would draft Palmer No. 1 overall and begin a slow trek back to respectibility, which has now quickly crumbled back to pre-Palmer era dispicability.
While the Bengals and Lions are secure in their spots in the "Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer" drop zone, let's check out how the the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings fill out.
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 1) -- Have put Colts -- their opponent this week -- in an unfamiliar spot ... looking up at another team in the AFC South standings.
2. New York Giants (Previously: 2) -- Face a Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM-busting matchup with the Steelers in a possible Super Bowl XLIII preview.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 3) -- An unstoppable force collides with an immovable object when the Giants' top-ranked rushing offense meets the NFL's top-ranked defense. Can't wait to see how this game is going to unfold!
4. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 5) -- Off to best start since 1995, but finally face a team in their own division this week.
5. Arizona Cardinals (Previously: 4) -- Came back down to earth during bye week, enter Sunday's game against the Panthers as underdogs.
6. Washington Redskins (Previously: 6) -- Redskins have won 18 of the past 20 against the Lions, their Week 8 opponent.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 9) -- Coach Jon Gruden took a break from preparing for the Cowboys by announcing the World Series Game 2 lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays.
8. Carolina Panthers (Previously: 10) -- Will try to prevent the Cardinals from getting off to their best start in 32 years.
9. New England Patriots (Previously: NR) -- Will Pats be the third consecutive upset victim of coach Jim Haslett's new-look, and suddenly competitive Rams?
10. Chicago Bears (Previously: NR) -- Probably didn't really need it, but Bears get an extra week to prepare for the Lions.
11. Atlanta Falcons (Previously: 11) -- Have been one of the NFL's most pleasant surprises in the early stages of this season, don't expect their Week 8 opponent -- the Eagles -- to have that warm and fuzzy feeling when they host the Falcons.
12. Green Bay Packers (Previously: NR) -- Just thoroughly dominated the team formerly known as the best in the AFC South.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Kansas City Chiefs -- So desperate for help at quarterback that they've placed a call to the retired Daunte Culpepper.
31. Detroit Lions -- Once went 34 years without winning a game against the Redskins, their Week 8 opponent.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- Here's hope for Cincy: The Texans, the Bengals' Week 8 opponent, have never beaten the Bengals. Of course, the two teams have only played each other three times.
Week 8 picks
Ravens over Raiders
Bills over Dolphins
Panthers over Cardinals
Buccaneers over Cowboys
Chargers over Saints
Eagles over Falcons
Jets over Chiefs
Patriots over Rams
Redskins over Lions
Texans over Bengals
Jaguars over Browns
Steelers over Giants
49ers over Seahawks
Titans over Colts
Week 7 record: 10-4 (best week yet!)
Overall record: 64-38
Last season, the New England Patriots came within one loss in arguably the most exhilarating Super Bowl ever played from completing the greatest season in NFL history.
This season, there are two teams chasing NFL history.
The Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions both promise to make a run at exceeding the '76 Buccaneers' 0-14 infamy.
And, before you all go, "but wait second here, Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff, it's just Week 8 and these two teams each have 10 more games to play," consider this ...
The Lions must play the rest of their season with a backup quarterback running the offense. The Lions have already traded away their most dangerous offensive threat, dealing WR Roy Williams to the Cowboys for a collection of draft picks and a bag of new footballs (not so much the balls, really, but that might as well have been a part of the deal).
The Bengals are dysfunctional, but what may be worse is news that quarterback Carson Palmer may be out for the season.
Let's check out the remaining schedules ...
For the Lions: vs. Redskins, at Bears, vs. Jaguars, at Panthers, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Titans, vs. Vikings, at Colts, vs. Saints, at Packers. At least eight of those teams figure to be in the playoff hunt for much of the duration of the season. Even NFL Network's Adam Schefter is getting discouraged by the Lions' chances.
For the Bengals: at Texans, vs. Jaguars, vs. Eagles, at Steelers, vs. Ravens, at Colts, vs. Redskins, at Browns, vs. Chiefs. The most winable games in that slate are this weekend in Houston, and the finale against Kansas City.
Astute football observers will remember 2001. That year, the Lions came dangerously close to 0-16 infamy, going 0-12 before beating the Vikings in Week 14 en route to a 2-14 record. The Bengals recently went 2-14 too, back in 2002. The next April, the Bengals would draft Palmer No. 1 overall and begin a slow trek back to respectibility, which has now quickly crumbled back to pre-Palmer era dispicability.
While the Bengals and Lions are secure in their spots in the "Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer" drop zone, let's check out how the the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings fill out.
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 1) -- Have put Colts -- their opponent this week -- in an unfamiliar spot ... looking up at another team in the AFC South standings.
2. New York Giants (Previously: 2) -- Face a Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM-busting matchup with the Steelers in a possible Super Bowl XLIII preview.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 3) -- An unstoppable force collides with an immovable object when the Giants' top-ranked rushing offense meets the NFL's top-ranked defense. Can't wait to see how this game is going to unfold!
4. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 5) -- Off to best start since 1995, but finally face a team in their own division this week.
5. Arizona Cardinals (Previously: 4) -- Came back down to earth during bye week, enter Sunday's game against the Panthers as underdogs.
6. Washington Redskins (Previously: 6) -- Redskins have won 18 of the past 20 against the Lions, their Week 8 opponent.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 9) -- Coach Jon Gruden took a break from preparing for the Cowboys by announcing the World Series Game 2 lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays.
8. Carolina Panthers (Previously: 10) -- Will try to prevent the Cardinals from getting off to their best start in 32 years.
9. New England Patriots (Previously: NR) -- Will Pats be the third consecutive upset victim of coach Jim Haslett's new-look, and suddenly competitive Rams?
10. Chicago Bears (Previously: NR) -- Probably didn't really need it, but Bears get an extra week to prepare for the Lions.
11. Atlanta Falcons (Previously: 11) -- Have been one of the NFL's most pleasant surprises in the early stages of this season, don't expect their Week 8 opponent -- the Eagles -- to have that warm and fuzzy feeling when they host the Falcons.
12. Green Bay Packers (Previously: NR) -- Just thoroughly dominated the team formerly known as the best in the AFC South.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Kansas City Chiefs -- So desperate for help at quarterback that they've placed a call to the retired Daunte Culpepper.
31. Detroit Lions -- Once went 34 years without winning a game against the Redskins, their Week 8 opponent.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- Here's hope for Cincy: The Texans, the Bengals' Week 8 opponent, have never beaten the Bengals. Of course, the two teams have only played each other three times.
Week 8 picks
Ravens over Raiders
Bills over Dolphins
Panthers over Cardinals
Buccaneers over Cowboys
Chargers over Saints
Eagles over Falcons
Jets over Chiefs
Patriots over Rams
Redskins over Lions
Texans over Bengals
Jaguars over Browns
Steelers over Giants
49ers over Seahawks
Titans over Colts
Week 7 record: 10-4 (best week yet!)
Overall record: 64-38
This week's college football picks: Big Ten showdown in 'The Horseshoe'
"The minute you think you've got it made, disaster is just around the corner." -- Joe Paterno.The 81-year-old living legend has the Nittany Lions playing at an extremely high level and facing Ohio State in the game of the day.
The winner is in the driver's seat toward the Big Ten title and an automatic place in a Bowl Championship Series game.
The loser likely loses out on a BCS bowl bid.
The stakes are high, and so is the hype. As our friends at CollegeFootballNews.com write, "the world revolves around Penn State and Ohio State, and for the BCS and the national title chase, this will be a key piece of the puzzle."
Ohio State has dominated this series of late -- winning five of the last six showdowns -- and with this game being played in the "old horseshoe," it's hard to imagine that trend changing, regardless of Penn State's start this season.
Let's get on with it and pick some college football winners ...
No. 1 Texas over No. 7 Oklahoma State
No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-Stevens Point
No. 9 Georgia over No. 11 LSU
No. 10 Ohio State over No. 3 Penn State
No. 19 Kansas over No. 8 Texas Tech
Upset pick of the week: Arizona over No. 6 USC. The Trojans opened at No. 5 in the first BCS standings, and could very easily be playing in the national title game as a one-loss team by default because the competition in the Pac-10 is so weak and teams from much stronger conferences -- Big 12, SEC -- face much tougher competition, thus opening those teams up more for defeat. Arizona poses as one of the most serious threats to that goal for Troy, and we're rooting for them to pull off that upset simply because a Pac-10 team doesn't deserve to be playing for the national title.
And our totally random college football pick of the week: When in doubt, go see who the Colorado School of Mines -- one of our favorite small-college teams -- has this weekend, and they have a doozy against Chadron State. We have the host -- Chadron State -- sitting at 6-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Orediggers sitting at 5-1 in the RMAC. Still, for sentimental reasons, we have to go with the Colorado School of Mines in a slight upset.
Last week's record: 5-2
Overall record: 40-17
Friday, October 17, 2008
This week's college football picks: Simply can't wait to watch this game!
Missouri hasn't won at the University of Texas since 1896.That was before the advent of the forward pass ... and the huddle ... and Joe Paterno ... and Army-Navy games on black-and-white TV ... and quarterbacks with radios in their helmets ... and, well, you get it!
Missouri is 0-10 all-time against No. 1 teams.
Still, we just have a feeling about those Tigers coming off a painful loss to Oklahoma State.
With that in mind, let's pick some college football winners ...
No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-Oshkosh
No. 4 Oklahoma over No. 16 Kansas
No. 10 Georgia over No. 22 Vanderbilt
No. 20 Michigan State over No. 12 Ohio State
Arizona over No. 25 California
Upset pick of the week: We're picking a lot of upsets this week, but none will be more BCS-busting than No. 11 Missouri over No. 1 Texas. Simply cannot wait to watch this game.
And our totally random college football pick of the week: It's homecoming week for the Fighting Souix, so it's a no-brainer to pick North Dakota to beat the visitors from Western Washington.
Last week's record: 4-3
Overall record: 35-14
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday Early Evening Cliboard-holding Quarterback: One crazy autumn Sunday
"I'm kind of, like, blank. I don't know if I want to cry or laugh." -- Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, after the Rams got their first win of the season by beating the Redskins.
During a manic 15 minutes or so, four of eight 1 p.m. ET Week 6 games were decided in the final 10 seconds. NFL.com veteran Gil Brandt said that was the first time since the merger in 1970 that as many as four games have been decided in that fashion. Brandt's been in the game for a long time, so we'll take his word for it.
In all, there have been 27 fourth-quarter comebacks this season in 81 games, an impressive 33 percent of the matchups.
That's a good percentage of games that go down to the wire.
Let's recap the mayhem of Week 6 ...
The Falcons gave up what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds remaining, only to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.
In snapping an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season with a last-second field goal by Josh Brown, the Rams won despite being held to eight first downs and 200 total yards of offense.
Matt Schaub's game-winning touchdown with three seconds remaining gave the quarterback his second career fourth-quarter comeback victory. Both of those comeback wins have come against the Dolphins.
Sure, the Vikings won with a field goal with nine seconds remaining, but much of what transpired in the previous 59-plus minutes wasn't as appealing. Both teams combined for 11 sacks, 17 punts and just a 5-for-28 conversion rate on third downs.
Later, the Cardinals beat the Cowboys in an overtime thriller.
Those results profoundly affect this week's Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings. Let's take a look ...
1. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 2) -- Manhandled bye week, overtook Giants for top spot.
2. New York Giants (Previously: 1) -- Sure didn't look like a defending Super Bowl champion while getting roughed up by the Browns.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 5) -- Bye week made Steelers look much better than they looked a week ago.
4. Arizona Cardinals (Previously: NR) -- Became first team ever to win in overtime on a touchdown scored on a blocked punt. More importantly, Cardinals did it against the Cowboys, which would explain this rapid rise up the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings.
5. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 8) -- Move up significantly without playing ... are you beginning to sense a trend?
6. Washington Redskins (Previously: 3) -- Tough to pick winner in Redskins' next game, at home versus the Browns, who are coming off an impressive win against the team that sent the 18-0 Patriots to the abyss of Super Bowl losers. The Redskins, on the other hand, lost to the previously winless Rams at home after beating three tough division opponents on the road.
7. Dallas Cowboys (Previously: 6) -- Pulled off something football fans don't see too often. No, we're not talking about that loss to the Cardinals, silly. Dallas pulled off the rarely seen blockbuster deal at the NFL's trading deadline by acquiring Roy Williams from the Lions.
8. Denver Broncos (Previously: 4) -- How much longer can the Broncos hold off the Chargers for that top spot in the AFC West?
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 11) -- Pushed around the Panthers, a team not known as being pushovers. They might not be really grumpy about that ... watch out Saints!
10. Carolina Panthers (Previously: 7) -- Could have made a real statement last week against the Buccaneers. Instead, the Panthers made the wrong kind of one, scoring their fewest amount of points since a 37-3 loss to the Steelers on Dec. 7, 2006.
11. Atlanta Falcons (Previously: 12) -- Yogi Berra used to say, "It ain't over till it's over," and the Falcons put that expression to good use Sunday in an alarming turnaround of epic proportions. You can watch highlights here of the absolute madness that took place in Atlanta.
12. Indianapolis Colts (Previously: NR) -- Were rude hosts of the Ravens on Sunday, racking up 334 total net yards against a supposedly great Ravens defense.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Kansas City Chiefs -- Didn't give up on season by trading Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez.
31. Detroit Lions -- Totally just gave up by dealing Pro Bowl receiver Roy Williams to the Cowboys. Thankfully for my fantasy team, that can only mean more balls being thrown in the general direction of Calvin Johnson.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- Play Chiefs in Week 17 for what could be a showdown for the No. 1 overall pick.
Week 7 picks
Ravens over Dolphins
Chargers over Bills
Panthers over Saints
Steelers over Bengals
Bears over Vikings
Giants over 49ers
Cowboys over Rams
Titans over Chiefs
Texans over Lions
Jets over Raiders
Redskins over Browns
Colts over Packers
Buccaneers over Seahawks
Patriots over Broncos
Week 6 record: 7-7
Overall record: 54-34
During a manic 15 minutes or so, four of eight 1 p.m. ET Week 6 games were decided in the final 10 seconds. NFL.com veteran Gil Brandt said that was the first time since the merger in 1970 that as many as four games have been decided in that fashion. Brandt's been in the game for a long time, so we'll take his word for it.
In all, there have been 27 fourth-quarter comebacks this season in 81 games, an impressive 33 percent of the matchups.
That's a good percentage of games that go down to the wire.
Let's recap the mayhem of Week 6 ...
The Falcons gave up what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds remaining, only to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.
In snapping an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season with a last-second field goal by Josh Brown, the Rams won despite being held to eight first downs and 200 total yards of offense.
Matt Schaub's game-winning touchdown with three seconds remaining gave the quarterback his second career fourth-quarter comeback victory. Both of those comeback wins have come against the Dolphins.
Sure, the Vikings won with a field goal with nine seconds remaining, but much of what transpired in the previous 59-plus minutes wasn't as appealing. Both teams combined for 11 sacks, 17 punts and just a 5-for-28 conversion rate on third downs.
Later, the Cardinals beat the Cowboys in an overtime thriller.
Those results profoundly affect this week's Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings. Let's take a look ...
1. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 2) -- Manhandled bye week, overtook Giants for top spot.
2. New York Giants (Previously: 1) -- Sure didn't look like a defending Super Bowl champion while getting roughed up by the Browns.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 5) -- Bye week made Steelers look much better than they looked a week ago.
4. Arizona Cardinals (Previously: NR) -- Became first team ever to win in overtime on a touchdown scored on a blocked punt. More importantly, Cardinals did it against the Cowboys, which would explain this rapid rise up the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings.
5. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 8) -- Move up significantly without playing ... are you beginning to sense a trend?
6. Washington Redskins (Previously: 3) -- Tough to pick winner in Redskins' next game, at home versus the Browns, who are coming off an impressive win against the team that sent the 18-0 Patriots to the abyss of Super Bowl losers. The Redskins, on the other hand, lost to the previously winless Rams at home after beating three tough division opponents on the road.
7. Dallas Cowboys (Previously: 6) -- Pulled off something football fans don't see too often. No, we're not talking about that loss to the Cardinals, silly. Dallas pulled off the rarely seen blockbuster deal at the NFL's trading deadline by acquiring Roy Williams from the Lions.
8. Denver Broncos (Previously: 4) -- How much longer can the Broncos hold off the Chargers for that top spot in the AFC West?
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 11) -- Pushed around the Panthers, a team not known as being pushovers. They might not be really grumpy about that ... watch out Saints!
10. Carolina Panthers (Previously: 7) -- Could have made a real statement last week against the Buccaneers. Instead, the Panthers made the wrong kind of one, scoring their fewest amount of points since a 37-3 loss to the Steelers on Dec. 7, 2006.
11. Atlanta Falcons (Previously: 12) -- Yogi Berra used to say, "It ain't over till it's over," and the Falcons put that expression to good use Sunday in an alarming turnaround of epic proportions. You can watch highlights here of the absolute madness that took place in Atlanta.
12. Indianapolis Colts (Previously: NR) -- Were rude hosts of the Ravens on Sunday, racking up 334 total net yards against a supposedly great Ravens defense.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Kansas City Chiefs -- Didn't give up on season by trading Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez.
31. Detroit Lions -- Totally just gave up by dealing Pro Bowl receiver Roy Williams to the Cowboys. Thankfully for my fantasy team, that can only mean more balls being thrown in the general direction of Calvin Johnson.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- Play Chiefs in Week 17 for what could be a showdown for the No. 1 overall pick.
Week 7 picks
Ravens over Dolphins
Chargers over Bills
Panthers over Saints
Steelers over Bengals
Bears over Vikings
Giants over 49ers
Cowboys over Rams
Titans over Chiefs
Texans over Lions
Jets over Raiders
Redskins over Browns
Colts over Packers
Buccaneers over Seahawks
Patriots over Broncos
Week 6 record: 7-7
Overall record: 54-34
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Saturday Afternoon NFL Pregame Show: What's old is new again
"What would happen if someone came out with a single-wing offense? It would embarrass the hell out of us." -- Vince Lombardi.
The forward pass is so 2007.
The NFL’s latest craze is a twist on an offense used back when players wore helmets without facemasks.
With the Dolphins running a variation of the single-wing offense, teams will be forced to prepare for the ghosts of Jim Thorpe, Red Grange. Johnny "Blood" McNally and Bronko Nagurski. The Dolphins’ two-week “Wildcat” odyssey has pulled the sophisticated and calculated NFL back to its muddy roots.
Many have pinpointed that the Dolphins got the inspiration for the "Wildcat" offense from Arkansas, which used it successfully with running back Darren McFadden lining up at quarterback and throwing opposing defenses off guard.
Perhaps.
We here think new Dolphins GM/Grand Master Bill Parcells was watching some youth football games in his free time before returning to the NFL.
Many pee wee football teams run the single-wing offense, and perhaps a Saturday afternoon at the local park gave the Dolphins enough inspiraton. See for yourself ...
Or, perhaps the Dolphins watched this football instructional film ...
Whatever the case may be, it's great to see the modern game digging into its glorious past for inspiration.
Let's take this week's gander at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less computer-generated controversy).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. New York Giants (Previously: 1) -- Have not lost to the Browns in Cleveland since 1973.
2. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 6) -- There are no style points in the NFL, and no team is making this point clearer than the Titans, who are off to their first 5-0 start in franchise history (which dates back to 1960, when the Houston Oilers debuted in the old American Football League).
3. Washington Redskins (Previously: 11) -- Jim Zorn's "hip, hip, hooray" cheer may be corny, but winning is totally cool.
4. Denver Broncos (Previously: 5) -- Already two games up on second-place San Diego, which is struggling to string together wins.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 7) -- Get a much-needed bye week after slugging out a win over the Jaguars.
6. Dallas Cowboys (Previously: 2) -- Barely beat the Bengals (see No. 32 below), and that's not going over very well in Big D.
7. Carolina Panthers (Previously: NR) -- Have a Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM-buster game against the Buccaneers this weekend.
8. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 4) -- Really need Trent Edwards to recover from his concussion suffered early in last week's 41-17 debacle at University of Phoenix Stadium.
9. New England Patriots (Previously: NR) -- Came off a bye week strong against San Francisco.
10. Chicago Bears (Previously: NR) -- Kyle Orton has Da Bears sitting atop the NFC North and looking more like the Bears team of 2006 that advanced to the Super Bowl than the 2007 team that finished a disappointing 7-9.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 10) -- Facing a colossus of a showdown against the Panthers.
12. Atlanta Falcons (Previously: NR) -- Grew up in a hurry with a tough win on the road at legendary Lambeau Field.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Detroit Lions -- Things have gotten so bad that Detroit fans are longing for the days of Wayne Fontes.
31. St. Louis Rams -- Jim Haslett replaces Scott Linehan, but has a brutal stretch ahead ... at Washington, vs. Dallas, at New England.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- There's something chicken-soup-for-the-soul heartwarming and refreshing about the Bengals being back among the NFL's doormats.
Week 6 picks
Bears over Falcons
Dolphins over Texans
Colts over Ravens
Vikings over Lions
Saints over Raiders
Jets over Bengals
Panthers over Buccaneers
Redskins over Rams
Broncos over Jaguars
Cowboys over Cardinals
Eagles over 49ers
Packers over Seahawks
Chargers over Patriots
Giants over Browns
Week 5 record: 8-6
Overall record: 47-27
The forward pass is so 2007.
The NFL’s latest craze is a twist on an offense used back when players wore helmets without facemasks.
With the Dolphins running a variation of the single-wing offense, teams will be forced to prepare for the ghosts of Jim Thorpe, Red Grange. Johnny "Blood" McNally and Bronko Nagurski. The Dolphins’ two-week “Wildcat” odyssey has pulled the sophisticated and calculated NFL back to its muddy roots.
Many have pinpointed that the Dolphins got the inspiration for the "Wildcat" offense from Arkansas, which used it successfully with running back Darren McFadden lining up at quarterback and throwing opposing defenses off guard.
Perhaps.
We here think new Dolphins GM/Grand Master Bill Parcells was watching some youth football games in his free time before returning to the NFL.
Many pee wee football teams run the single-wing offense, and perhaps a Saturday afternoon at the local park gave the Dolphins enough inspiraton. See for yourself ...
Or, perhaps the Dolphins watched this football instructional film ...
Whatever the case may be, it's great to see the modern game digging into its glorious past for inspiration.
Let's take this week's gander at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less computer-generated controversy).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. New York Giants (Previously: 1) -- Have not lost to the Browns in Cleveland since 1973.
2. Tennessee Titans (Previously: 6) -- There are no style points in the NFL, and no team is making this point clearer than the Titans, who are off to their first 5-0 start in franchise history (which dates back to 1960, when the Houston Oilers debuted in the old American Football League).
3. Washington Redskins (Previously: 11) -- Jim Zorn's "hip, hip, hooray" cheer may be corny, but winning is totally cool.
4. Denver Broncos (Previously: 5) -- Already two games up on second-place San Diego, which is struggling to string together wins.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previously: 7) -- Get a much-needed bye week after slugging out a win over the Jaguars.
6. Dallas Cowboys (Previously: 2) -- Barely beat the Bengals (see No. 32 below), and that's not going over very well in Big D.
7. Carolina Panthers (Previously: NR) -- Have a Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM-buster game against the Buccaneers this weekend.
8. Buffalo Bills (Previously: 4) -- Really need Trent Edwards to recover from his concussion suffered early in last week's 41-17 debacle at University of Phoenix Stadium.
9. New England Patriots (Previously: NR) -- Came off a bye week strong against San Francisco.
10. Chicago Bears (Previously: NR) -- Kyle Orton has Da Bears sitting atop the NFC North and looking more like the Bears team of 2006 that advanced to the Super Bowl than the 2007 team that finished a disappointing 7-9.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previously: 10) -- Facing a colossus of a showdown against the Panthers.
12. Atlanta Falcons (Previously: NR) -- Grew up in a hurry with a tough win on the road at legendary Lambeau Field.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Detroit Lions -- Things have gotten so bad that Detroit fans are longing for the days of Wayne Fontes.
31. St. Louis Rams -- Jim Haslett replaces Scott Linehan, but has a brutal stretch ahead ... at Washington, vs. Dallas, at New England.
32. Cincinnati Bengals -- There's something chicken-soup-for-the-soul heartwarming and refreshing about the Bengals being back among the NFL's doormats.
Week 6 picks
Bears over Falcons
Dolphins over Texans
Colts over Ravens
Vikings over Lions
Saints over Raiders
Jets over Bengals
Panthers over Buccaneers
Redskins over Rams
Broncos over Jaguars
Cowboys over Cardinals
Eagles over 49ers
Packers over Seahawks
Chargers over Patriots
Giants over Browns
Week 5 record: 8-6
Overall record: 47-27
This week's college football picks: Gotta watch this OU-Texas game!
We're one hour and 10 minutes from kickoff at the Cotton Bowl for the biggest game of the year so far ... the annual renewal of the "Red River Rivalry," Oklahoma vs. Texas.Can't wait to watch this showdown.
So, going to make this quick so we can make a good, hearty breakfast before this game kicks off.
Let's pick some college football winners ...
No. 1 Oklahoma over No. 5 Texas
No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-River Falls
No. 3 Missouri over No. 17 Oklahoma State
No. 11 Florida over No. 4 LSU
No. 22 North Carolina over Notre Dame
Upset pick of the week: Wisconsin over No. 6 Penn State. The Nittany Lions' roaring "Spread HD" offense could have a hard time against the Badgers' stingy defense at Camp Randall Stadium.
And our totally random college football pick of the week: Bridgewater State over Framingham State ... just dig the schools with "State" in the title which you can't figure out which state the school actually resides in. In the eight-team Northeast Football Conference Bogan Division, five have "State" in the title ... Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Westfield State, Worcester State. Can you name which state(s) these schools call home? Well, all five of these schools reside in the state of Massachusetts. Fascinating! We'll likely revisit this topic in the future.
Last week's record: 6-1
Overall record: 31-11 (doing a far better job picking college football games this season than NFL games)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
NFL Week 5 picks: Place recreational bets accordingly
Due to time constraints, the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings will not take place and will return next ... we promise.
It's a whole lotta fun to make some football picks, and here are this week's attempt at pigskin prognostication ...
Week 5 picks
Titans over Ravens
Panthers over Chiefs
Bears over Lions
Falcons over Packers
Colts over Texans
Chargers over Dolphins
Giants over Seahawks
Redskins over Eagles
Buccaneers over Broncos
Bills over Cardinals
Cowboys over Bengals
49ers over Patriots
Jaguars over Steelers
Saints over Vikings
Week 4 record: 7-6 (ouch! Losing credibility fast here)
Overall record: 39-21
It's a whole lotta fun to make some football picks, and here are this week's attempt at pigskin prognostication ...
Week 5 picks
Titans over Ravens
Panthers over Chiefs
Bears over Lions
Falcons over Packers
Colts over Texans
Chargers over Dolphins
Giants over Seahawks
Redskins over Eagles
Buccaneers over Broncos
Bills over Cardinals
Cowboys over Bengals
49ers over Patriots
Jaguars over Steelers
Saints over Vikings
Week 4 record: 7-6 (ouch! Losing credibility fast here)
Overall record: 39-21
This week's college football picks: First Annual Football Conference Rankings
Year in, and year out, sports fans like to debate.This can happen at the local sports bar, or during dinner, or while around the ol' watercooler.
This debate will take place on an award-winning sports blog.
This one comes up every autumn, and can be debated weekly.
This week, as a public service to all, Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuffTM sets the record straight.
Here are the First Annual Football Conference Rankings:
1. National Football Conference
2. American Football Conference
3. SEC
4. Big 12
5. Big Ten
6. Mountain West
7. Pac-10
6. Big East
7. ACC
8. WAC
9. Conference USA
10. MAC
11. Sun Belt
You may notice that the Mountain West is ranked pretty high. Respect.
Let's pick some college football winners ...
No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-La Crosse
No. 4 Missouri over Nebraska
No. 9 USC over No. 23 Oregon
No. 19 Vanderbilt over No. 13 Auburn
No. 14 Ohio State over No. 18 Wisconsin
Upset pick of the week: Well, Vandy over Auburn would count as an upset, but let's go with ... North Carolina over No. 24 Connecticut
And our totally random college football pick of the week: MIT over UMass-Dartmouth in a big one in the Northeast Football Conference Boyd Division. This would be an upset of sorts, since the Cosairs have won eight consecutive games in this series. Just a hunch here that the Engineers pull this one off. Just a hunch.
Last week's record: 5-2 (nailed both the upset and totally-random picks of the week! That's huge!)
Overall record: 25-10
Friday, September 26, 2008
This week's college football picks: Hurray for the underdog!
Oregon State got this week's slate of college gridiron action off to a rousing start with a 27-21 shocker over what will be previously No. 1 USC.This is the same Oregon State team that lost by 31 to Penn State one week after a mild upset at the hands of Stanford.
America likes an underdog, especially one that can pull off a monumental, poll-shattering, seismatic upset. Hopefully, the fun will continue throughout the weekend (but, not so much in games involving teams we root for here).
Let's pick some college football winners ...
No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Puget Sound (in this week's "Bad Idea of the Week," the Loggers scheduled the defending Division III champions as their "Homecoming" game)
No. 9 Wisconsin over Michigan
No. 12 Penn State over No. 22 Illinois
No. 25 Fresno State over UCLA
Purdue over Notre Dame
Upset pick of the week: Oregon State over No. 1 USC (nailed it!). Just kidding ... LOL! LOLOLOL! Just got a hunch on this one ... No. 8 Alabama over No. 3 Georgia. It would be sweet to see another BCS favorite fall.
And our totally random college football pick of the week: Colorado School of Mines over Colorado State University-Pueblo. It's the Orediggers versus the ThunderWolves. Can you guess which school has what nickname?
Last week's record: 3-3 (missing on upset pick, and totally random pick, really hurts)
Overall record: 20-8
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday Night Nose Tackle: Patriots get dose of comeuppence
"Karma is a funny thing." -- Earl Hickey, My Name is Earl.
A funny thing happened Sunday.
The Miami Dolphins administered a shocking, yet very satisfying, pants-down spanking of the New England Patriots. A team that won one game in 2007 whipped the team that had won an NFL-record 21 consecutive regular-season games.
For the record, the Patriots outscored the Dolphins 77-35 in their two meetings last season, including a 28-point second quarter in a 49-28 Week 7 win in Miami. Many accused the Patriots of running up the score.
The way the Dolphins -- 0-2 going into Sunday -- worked the Patriots in a 38-13 win Sunday was the clearest evidence yet that the Patriots' problems go deeper than at quarterback.
Let's go inside the numbers ...
» In ending the Patriots' 21-game regular-season win streak, the Dolphins ended their own 11-game road losing streak.
» The Patriots' 22-point loss was the second-largest under coach Bill Belichick at home (Patriots lost by 24 to the Chargers on Oct. 2, 2005).
» The Patriots allowed 461 yards, the fourth-highest total under Belichick (highest since allowing 478 yards in a 35-28 win over the Bengals on Dec. 12, 2004).
» Sunday marked the first time since 1993 that the Patriots allowed four rushing touchdowns in a game. The Patriots allowed five against the Jets on Sept. 26, 1993.
» The Patriots were outgained by 245 yards -- 461 to 216 -- and the defense allowed 8.1 yards per play.
» The Dolphins ran six direct snap plays to Ronnie Brown at QB, and those plays resulted in four touchdowns and 119 yards.
It was written in this spot just two weeks ago that Tom Brady's season-ending injury may also mean the end of the Patriots as we've known them for the past few years.
"They outplayed us. They outcoached us. They obviously deserved to win. They were the better team," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game.
While the Dolphins move out of the "Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer" drop zone, the Patriots fall out of the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings.
With that in mind, let's take this week's gander at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less computer-generated controversy).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. New York Giants (Last week: 1) -- Worked overtime to beat the hapless Bengals. But this isn't like the college football polls, there are no style points in the NFL. Just get the win.
2. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 2) -- Collected their first-ever win at Lambeau Field (1-5 all-time, including playoffs).
3. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 4) -- One series of plays in the second quarter was indicative of the frustrations experienced by the Steelers against the stingy Eagles defense. In an eight-play stretch, the Steelers gave up five sacks, committed a false start penalty and threw an interception.
4. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 7) -- Up next: The 0-3 Rams.
5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 8) -- This week's "Thank You!" card goes to Martin Gramatica, who missed a potential go-ahead field goal with just under two minutes left in the game. In all, Gramatica missed two field goal attempts for the Saints.
6. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 12) -- Kerry Collins' play may give Vince Young a permanent spot on the bench.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 3) -- Were humbled by the Eagles, and subsequently dropped in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM accordingly.
8. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: NR) -- Dropped rival Browns to second 0-3 start in two seasons.
9. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 6) -- Have a lot of work to do before they can compete with the NFC's best.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: NR) -- When did the Buccaneers install the run-and-shoot offense? Brian Griese attempted 67 passes against the Bears.
11. Washington Redskins (Last week: NR) -- In beating the Cardinals for the seventh consecutive time, the Redskins halted the Cardinals' NFL-best streak of scoring 20-plus points at 10 games.
12. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: NR) -- The "Greatest Show on Turf" has hit the West Coast. Faced with a fourth-and-goal situation at the Lions' 1-yard line, 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz called for an end around that Allen Rossum took in for a score that gave the 49ers a pivotal late-game score.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Detroit Lions -- This may and/or may not be news, but Matt Millen's job appears in jeopardy.
31. St. Louis Rams -- Have been outscored by opponents 116-29 this season.
32. Kansas City Chiefs -- Continuing with the pro football misery in Missouri, the Chiefs have lost 12 consecutive games, extending their franchise worst streak.
Week 4 picks:
Panthers over Falcons
Bengals over Browns
Jaguars over Texans
Titans over Vikings
Broncos over Chiefs
Saints over 49ers
Packers over Buccaneers
Cardinals over Jets
Chargers over Raiders
Bills over Rams
Cowboys over Redskins
Eagles over Bears
Steelers over Ravens
Week 3 record: 12-4
Overall record: 32-15
A funny thing happened Sunday.
The Miami Dolphins administered a shocking, yet very satisfying, pants-down spanking of the New England Patriots. A team that won one game in 2007 whipped the team that had won an NFL-record 21 consecutive regular-season games.
For the record, the Patriots outscored the Dolphins 77-35 in their two meetings last season, including a 28-point second quarter in a 49-28 Week 7 win in Miami. Many accused the Patriots of running up the score.
The way the Dolphins -- 0-2 going into Sunday -- worked the Patriots in a 38-13 win Sunday was the clearest evidence yet that the Patriots' problems go deeper than at quarterback.
Let's go inside the numbers ...
» In ending the Patriots' 21-game regular-season win streak, the Dolphins ended their own 11-game road losing streak.
» The Patriots' 22-point loss was the second-largest under coach Bill Belichick at home (Patriots lost by 24 to the Chargers on Oct. 2, 2005).
» The Patriots allowed 461 yards, the fourth-highest total under Belichick (highest since allowing 478 yards in a 35-28 win over the Bengals on Dec. 12, 2004).
» Sunday marked the first time since 1993 that the Patriots allowed four rushing touchdowns in a game. The Patriots allowed five against the Jets on Sept. 26, 1993.
» The Patriots were outgained by 245 yards -- 461 to 216 -- and the defense allowed 8.1 yards per play.
» The Dolphins ran six direct snap plays to Ronnie Brown at QB, and those plays resulted in four touchdowns and 119 yards.
It was written in this spot just two weeks ago that Tom Brady's season-ending injury may also mean the end of the Patriots as we've known them for the past few years.
"They outplayed us. They outcoached us. They obviously deserved to win. They were the better team," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game.
While the Dolphins move out of the "Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer" drop zone, the Patriots fall out of the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings.
With that in mind, let's take this week's gander at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less computer-generated controversy).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. New York Giants (Last week: 1) -- Worked overtime to beat the hapless Bengals. But this isn't like the college football polls, there are no style points in the NFL. Just get the win.
2. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 2) -- Collected their first-ever win at Lambeau Field (1-5 all-time, including playoffs).
3. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 4) -- One series of plays in the second quarter was indicative of the frustrations experienced by the Steelers against the stingy Eagles defense. In an eight-play stretch, the Steelers gave up five sacks, committed a false start penalty and threw an interception.
4. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 7) -- Up next: The 0-3 Rams.
5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 8) -- This week's "Thank You!" card goes to Martin Gramatica, who missed a potential go-ahead field goal with just under two minutes left in the game. In all, Gramatica missed two field goal attempts for the Saints.
6. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 12) -- Kerry Collins' play may give Vince Young a permanent spot on the bench.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 3) -- Were humbled by the Eagles, and subsequently dropped in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM accordingly.
8. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: NR) -- Dropped rival Browns to second 0-3 start in two seasons.
9. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 6) -- Have a lot of work to do before they can compete with the NFC's best.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: NR) -- When did the Buccaneers install the run-and-shoot offense? Brian Griese attempted 67 passes against the Bears.
11. Washington Redskins (Last week: NR) -- In beating the Cardinals for the seventh consecutive time, the Redskins halted the Cardinals' NFL-best streak of scoring 20-plus points at 10 games.
12. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: NR) -- The "Greatest Show on Turf" has hit the West Coast. Faced with a fourth-and-goal situation at the Lions' 1-yard line, 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz called for an end around that Allen Rossum took in for a score that gave the 49ers a pivotal late-game score.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Detroit Lions -- This may and/or may not be news, but Matt Millen's job appears in jeopardy.
31. St. Louis Rams -- Have been outscored by opponents 116-29 this season.
32. Kansas City Chiefs -- Continuing with the pro football misery in Missouri, the Chiefs have lost 12 consecutive games, extending their franchise worst streak.
Week 4 picks:
Panthers over Falcons
Bengals over Browns
Jaguars over Texans
Titans over Vikings
Broncos over Chiefs
Saints over 49ers
Packers over Buccaneers
Cardinals over Jets
Chargers over Raiders
Bills over Rams
Cowboys over Redskins
Eagles over Bears
Steelers over Ravens
Week 3 record: 12-4
Overall record: 32-15
Saturday, September 20, 2008
1908
"Whoever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -- Chicago Cubs first baseman/manager Frank Chance, 1908.
The Chicago Cubs clinched the NL Central title Saturday, and currently sport the National League's best record.
Many figure the Cubs to be the favorite out of the NL to reach the World Series, if not win it.
Unless you're new to this whole baseball thing and haven't quite grasped its extravagant history, the Cubs winning the World Series would be an epic occasion (sorta-kinda like when the Boston Red Sox won it four years ago and exorcised a certain "curse").
One hundred years ago, in front of the smallest crowd in World Series history (6,210 fans were at Detroit's Bennett Park that day), the Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 in Game 5 of the 1908 World Series. It was the team's second consecutive World Series win, and many figured that the Cubs -- who had lost the Series in 1906 -- would win many more.
Years passed ...
Many more years passed ...
Somewhere along the line, the Cubs acquired the "Curse of the Billy Goat".
We're not here to rub salt in the wounds of Cubs fans who have endured this anguish. We're here to put this into proper historical perspective. What was life like the last time the Cubs won the World Series?
HDTV? In 1908, fans couldn't even catch their favorite team on the radio.
Got a boo-boo? You're out of luck. There were no Band-Aids in 1908.
In 1908, baseball players didn't wear numbers of the backs of their jerseys, or anywhere else for that matter.
In 1908, the National Football League wasn't even a figment of somebody's imagination.
In 1908, the cost of a gallon of gas was two cents. A first-class stamp also cost just two cents.
In 1908, Henry Ford developed the first Model T automobile, which then sold for $850 (on a side note, the Model T went 25 miles per gallon of gasoline, which is more fuel efficient than the current Ford Explorer, which manages just 16 miles per gallon).
In 1908, you could buy a handy, and, get this, electrically powered invention called a "toaster" for $1.45. Sure, that's a great price, but unfortunately only 10 percent of America had power in 1908.
In 1908, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" made its debut after being written by a man who had never before even been to a game.
In 1908, Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and Tweety Bird, was born.
So was actor Jimmy Stewart, President Lyndon B. Johnson and legendary NFL coach Paul Brown.
In 1908, Henry Chadwick, often referred to as "the father of baseball" and inventor of the box score, passed away.
And last, but certainly not least ...
In 1908, Ottoman Empire still existed. We just don't have empires anymore, having seen the last of their kind thanks to the results of two World Wars. Speaking of World Wars, it was just after the second one when the Cubs made their last World Series appearance. It was 1945, and the Cubs lost in seven games to the Tigers.
Friday, September 19, 2008
This week's college football picks: Do we really have to watch LSU-Auburn?
Thanks for nothing, Ohio State.
And, now this week's big matchup includes a team that managed to win its last game 3-2.
3-2!
In football!
That's Auburn's "War Eagle" defense at work. This week, Auburn hosts LSU, which hasn't beaten the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium since 1998. That's an eternity in college football. Back in 1998, "Notre Dame football" and "national powerhouse" could be said without being following by laughter.
Let's pick some college football winners ...
No. 4 Florida over Tennessee
No. 6 LSU over No. 10 Auburn
No. 15 East Carolina over N.C. State
No. 18 Wake Forest over No. 24 Florida State
Upset pick of the week: Air Force over No. 20 Utah
And our totally random college football pick of the week: Lakeland College over Carthage College. Sure, the Muskies are 0-2 and Carthage may have administered a 70-46 whipping on Hope College last week, but it's hard to pick against the defending Illini-Badger Football Conference champions playing at home at venerable John Taylor Field in Howards Grove, Wis.
Last week's record: 5-2
Overall record: 17-5
And, now this week's big matchup includes a team that managed to win its last game 3-2.
3-2!
In football!
That's Auburn's "War Eagle" defense at work. This week, Auburn hosts LSU, which hasn't beaten the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium since 1998. That's an eternity in college football. Back in 1998, "Notre Dame football" and "national powerhouse" could be said without being following by laughter.
Let's pick some college football winners ...
No. 4 Florida over Tennessee
No. 6 LSU over No. 10 Auburn
No. 15 East Carolina over N.C. State
No. 18 Wake Forest over No. 24 Florida State
Upset pick of the week: Air Force over No. 20 Utah
And our totally random college football pick of the week: Lakeland College over Carthage College. Sure, the Muskies are 0-2 and Carthage may have administered a 70-46 whipping on Hope College last week, but it's hard to pick against the defending Illini-Badger Football Conference champions playing at home at venerable John Taylor Field in Howards Grove, Wis.
Last week's record: 5-2
Overall record: 17-5
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday Afternoon WILL Linebacker: Some intelligent commentary on pro football
"This was the best crew that we have had in the last 20 crews I have graded." -- Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who showed his sarcastic side when commenting on the referees whose botched calls gave Denver a controversial victory over San Diego.
... And we thought Week 1 was totally nuts.
Sure, there were some great fourth-quarter comebacks, but what will stick out from Week 2 -- and be its everlasting legacy (like that?) -- will be Ed Hochuli's botched call that gave the Broncos another shot at scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Chargers, who open this season with two heartbreaking, last-minute defeats.
Thattainted win helps the Broncos vault up into the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings. With that in mind, let's take this week's gander at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less computer-generated controversy, only a couple user errors here or there).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. New York Giants (Trend: -) -- Now riding a 12-game winning streak in non-home games (including three playoff wins, and that win in Super Bowl XLII).
2. Dallas Cowboys (Trend: +) -- Aaron Rodgers' next test: Facing the talented Cowboys in front of another national TV prime-time audience.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Trend: +) -- Proved on Sunday that they are still the class of the AFC North.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (Trend: +) -- Big game for the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings on Sunday ... Pittsburgh at Philadelphia. Or, just a big game period. You decide.
5. New England Patriots (Trend: +) -- How demoralizing is Sunday's loss against the Patriots for the Jets? They spent a small nation's gross national product on high-priced free agents this offseason, trade for future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, then see their principal rival's super-duper star quarterback go down to a season-ending injury, only to go on to lose to his replacement, who just happened to be making his first start since high school.
6. Green Bay Packers (Trend: +) -- It appears Packers management knew exactly what it was doing when it told Favre "thanks, but no thanks, we're cool with Aaron Rodgers" when the all-time passing leader opted to unretire just ahead of training camp.
7. Buffalo Bills (Trend: +) -- Beat two 2007 playoff teams to open this season. Unfortunately, they can't make it three straight, since the Raiders come to town in Week 3.
8. Denver Broncos (Trend: +) -- Referee Ed Hochuli to Chargers coach Norv Turner on Sunday, "Umm coach, uh, oopsy daisy?"
9. Indianapolis Colts (Trend: +) -- It took approximately six quarters, but it appears that potent Colts passing game is back on track. Here's some visual evidence.
10. Carolina Panthers (Trend: +) -- Carolina is now 2-for-2 on fourth-quarter comebacks.
11. Arizona Cardinals (Trend: +) -- Not long ago, this perennial doormat was a regular in the category below.
12. Tennessee Titans (Trend: +) -- Started a season 2-0 for the first time since 1999, which, just happens to be the last -- and only -- time the Titans advanced to the Super Bowl.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Miami Dolphins -- Made the Arizona Cardinals look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders on Sunday.
31. St. Louis Rams -- At least they still have Torry Holt.
32. Kansas City Chiefs -- Got blown out by the Raiders. Let's repeat this for effect: Got blown out by the Raiders. Again: Got blown out by the Raiders.
Week 3 predictions
Falcons over Chiefs
Bills over Raiders
Bears over Buccaneers
Vikings over Panthers
Patriots over Dolphins
Giants over Bengals
Titans over Texans
Redskins over Cardinals
Broncos over Saints
49ers over Lions
Seahawks over Rams
Browns over Ravens
Colts over Jaguars
Eagles over Steelers
Cowboys over Packers
Chargers over Jets
Week 2 record: 11-4
Overall record: 20-11
... And we thought Week 1 was totally nuts.
Sure, there were some great fourth-quarter comebacks, but what will stick out from Week 2 -- and be its everlasting legacy (like that?) -- will be Ed Hochuli's botched call that gave the Broncos another shot at scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Chargers, who open this season with two heartbreaking, last-minute defeats.That
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all because we're not that good at math and don't trust a computer with a sketchy Firewall) ...
1. New York Giants (Trend: -) -- Now riding a 12-game winning streak in non-home games (including three playoff wins, and that win in Super Bowl XLII).
2. Dallas Cowboys (Trend: +) -- Aaron Rodgers' next test: Facing the talented Cowboys in front of another national TV prime-time audience.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Trend: +) -- Proved on Sunday that they are still the class of the AFC North.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (Trend: +) -- Big game for the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings on Sunday ... Pittsburgh at Philadelphia. Or, just a big game period. You decide.
5. New England Patriots (Trend: +) -- How demoralizing is Sunday's loss against the Patriots for the Jets? They spent a small nation's gross national product on high-priced free agents this offseason, trade for future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, then see their principal rival's super-duper star quarterback go down to a season-ending injury, only to go on to lose to his replacement, who just happened to be making his first start since high school.
6. Green Bay Packers (Trend: +) -- It appears Packers management knew exactly what it was doing when it told Favre "thanks, but no thanks, we're cool with Aaron Rodgers" when the all-time passing leader opted to unretire just ahead of training camp.
7. Buffalo Bills (Trend: +) -- Beat two 2007 playoff teams to open this season. Unfortunately, they can't make it three straight, since the Raiders come to town in Week 3.
8. Denver Broncos (Trend: +) -- Referee Ed Hochuli to Chargers coach Norv Turner on Sunday, "Umm coach, uh, oopsy daisy?"
9. Indianapolis Colts (Trend: +) -- It took approximately six quarters, but it appears that potent Colts passing game is back on track. Here's some visual evidence.
10. Carolina Panthers (Trend: +) -- Carolina is now 2-for-2 on fourth-quarter comebacks.
11. Arizona Cardinals (Trend: +) -- Not long ago, this perennial doormat was a regular in the category below.
12. Tennessee Titans (Trend: +) -- Started a season 2-0 for the first time since 1999, which, just happens to be the last -- and only -- time the Titans advanced to the Super Bowl.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Miami Dolphins -- Made the Arizona Cardinals look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders on Sunday.
31. St. Louis Rams -- At least they still have Torry Holt.
32. Kansas City Chiefs -- Got blown out by the Raiders. Let's repeat this for effect: Got blown out by the Raiders. Again: Got blown out by the Raiders.
Week 3 predictions
Falcons over Chiefs
Bills over Raiders
Bears over Buccaneers
Vikings over Panthers
Patriots over Dolphins
Giants over Bengals
Titans over Texans
Redskins over Cardinals
Broncos over Saints
49ers over Lions
Seahawks over Rams
Browns over Ravens
Colts over Jaguars
Eagles over Steelers
Cowboys over Packers
Chargers over Jets
Week 2 record: 11-4
Overall record: 20-11
Saturday, September 13, 2008
UCLA is probably feeling some shame right now
"Adversity builds character." -- Message written on a board in UCLA's locker room after the school's worst loss in a game of football since 1929. No. 18 BYU gave UCLA a 59-0 pants-down spanking on Saturday.
It was the Bruins' worst loss since a 76-0 defeat at the hands of hated rival USC in 1929, back when the forward pass was a new, revolutionary strategy in the game and players played both ways.
It's a shameful result for a Bruins team that upset then 18th-ranked Tennessee at the Rose Bowl just two weeks ago.
To make the Bruins feel better -- and a little less shame than they already must be feeling -- here are the top 10 other pants-down spankings administered in the college football world this weekend ...
1. Tennessee-Martin 87, Concordia College (Ala.) 21
2. Troy 65, Alcorn State 0
3. Fayetteville State 63, Lincoln (Pa.) 0
4. IUP 63, Millersville 3
5. Augustana 59, Minnesota-Crookston 0
6. Jacksonville 52, Campbell 0
7t. Utah 58, Utah State 10
7t. St. Norbert 55, Grinnell 7
9. Monmouth 47, Lawrence 2
10. Oklahoma State 57, Missouri State 13
So, there you have it UCLA, Minnesota-Crookston took just as bad a beating.
Friday, September 12, 2008
This week's college football picks: The other big game
"When you go on the road, it's an opportunity for you to define yourself, what you are when no one else is around." -- Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, on Saturday's showdown with Fresno State.
All week, the sporting public has been very interested in that "Collision in the Coliseum" Ohio State-Southern California matchup on Saturday, but the more compelling game may be taking place more than 200 miles north in Fresno, where the 10th-ranked Badgers visit 21st-ranked Fresno State.
Getting a Big Ten to come to the Bulldog Stadium is a big deal for Fresno State, which could use a win Saturday as a springboard to a BCS bowl game. You have to give Fresno State all kinds of credit for its we'll-play-anybody-anywhere philosophy, and it appears the Badgers are adopting that same sort of mantra walking into this potential pitfall. Still, it's hard to pick against the Badgers.Check out this week's picks ...
No. 1 USC over No. 5 Ohio State
No. 2 Wisconsin-Whitewater over Wisconsin-Eau Claire
No. 10 Wisconsin over No. 21 Fresno State
No. 18 Brigham Young over UCLA
Michigan over Notre Dame
Upset pick of the week: Purdue over No. 16 Oregon
And our totally random college football pick of the week: North Dakota over Wisconsin-La Crosse in the annual Potato Bowl, which includes a French Fry Feed on Friday night.
Last week's record: 5-2
Overall record: 12-3
Monday, September 8, 2008
Late Monday Night Backup Quarterback: Week 1 was just plain nuts
"This is the year you will see a shift from the AFC to the NFC as the dominant conference." -- Me, to the girl I'm sorta-kinda seeing after a couple or so or more beers at the Saloon on Saturday night.
Sorry ... gotta pat myself on the back for saying that -- with a mildly sober witness on hand -- now that Week 1 is in the books and, well, it was unpredictably nuts.
The AFC's big three -- Patriots, Colts and Chargers -- either lost to decidedly inferior opponents, or lost their two-time Super Bowl MVP and 2007 season MVP quarterback.
Enter the NFC East, which now houses three of the best teams in the NFL ... at least for the time being (like, if the Giants somehow manage to lose to the Rams in Week 2).
While the Cowboys and Eagles were supremely impressive on Sunday, the defending Super Bowl champion Giants managed a rather boring win over the Redskins (but, that's kinda how the Giants won it all last year, and it should be noted that there are no style points in the NFL). This triumvirate should make the NFC East competition very, very interesting.
For the time being, let's have a little bit of fun here and take a look at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less controversy).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all) ...
1. New York Giants (Trend: -) -- Eli Manning orchestrated an impressive opening drive, Brandon Jacobs made LaRon Landry feel some serious shame, but their win over the Redskins was sorta-kinda
meh!"
2. Dallas Cowboys (Trend: +) -- It pains me say that this team is probably pretty good.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Trend: +) -- The series of unfortunate events to befell the aforementioned big three of the AFC suddenly makes Pittsburgh look like the team to beat in the conference.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (Trend: +) -- Pennsylvania pro football teams outscored their opponents 76-20 on Sunday.
5. New England Patriots (Trend: -) -- Does Tom Brady's injury also mean the end of the Patriots as we've known them for the past few years? Tune in next season.
6. Chicago Bears (Trend: +) -- Kyle Orton could be the 2008 version of Trent Dilfer, circa 2000 ... just don't do anything silly and let that amazing defense do its thing.
7. New Orleans Saints (Trend: +) -- Getting a game up on an opponent expected to compete for the title in the same division as you play in is a big deal.
8. Green Bay Packers (Trend: +) -- Rooting for Aaron Rodgers to have a good game Monday night was an easy thing to do.
9. Buffalo Bills (Trend: +) -- Team management sent an email to the other 31 teams following Sunday's rout of the Seahawks asking, "So, who wants to play us?" Nobody replied.
10. San Diego Chargers (Trend: -) -- This is a big drop from last week (No. 3), but they lost to a Panthers team that was a double-digit 'dog going in. Also, throw in this fun fact ... the Chargers had lost only one of their previous 16 home regular-season games. Not a good start to 2008.
11. Indianapolis Colts (Trend: -) -- This is another big drop (No. 4 last week), but the Colts were expected to beat da Bears. There's still hope, as Peyton Manning was just a bit off on a few key passes and he will theoretically get it straightened out.
12. New York Jets (Trend: +) -- Jets fans got their first good glimpse of Brett Favre's on-the-field magic on Sunday.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Oakland Raiders -- Remember the 1970s when the Raiders were really, really good? Oh wait, the '70s are ancient history in the wide world of sports. "Raiders" and "among NFL's elite" is so "plaid suit" and "great thing to wear to a wedding."
31. Kansas City Chiefs -- Blew a chance to beat the Matt Cassel-led Patriots.
32. St. Louis Rams -- Is it too early to put the Rams on 0-16 watch?
Week 2 predictions:
Panthers over Bears
Titans over Bengals
Packers over Lions
Bills over Jaguars
Chiefs over Raiders
Colts over Vikings
Giants over Rams
Saints over Redskins
Seahawks over 49ers
Buccaneers over Falcons
Cardinals over Dolphins
Broncos over Chargers
Texans over Ravens
Jets over Patriots
Steelers over Browns
Cowboys over Eagles
Week 1 record: 9-7 (sure, Week 1 was a big nuts, but this is really bad and we promise to do better the rest of the way)
Sorry ... gotta pat myself on the back for saying that -- with a mildly sober witness on hand -- now that Week 1 is in the books and, well, it was unpredictably nuts.
The AFC's big three -- Patriots, Colts and Chargers -- either lost to decidedly inferior opponents, or lost their two-time Super Bowl MVP and 2007 season MVP quarterback.Enter the NFC East, which now houses three of the best teams in the NFL ... at least for the time being (like, if the Giants somehow manage to lose to the Rams in Week 2).
While the Cowboys and Eagles were supremely impressive on Sunday, the defending Super Bowl champion Giants managed a rather boring win over the Redskins (but, that's kinda how the Giants won it all last year, and it should be noted that there are no style points in the NFL). This triumvirate should make the NFC East competition very, very interesting.
For the time being, let's have a little bit of fun here and take a look at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less controversy).
Important note!: The Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings include three very basic components: overall win-loss record, how good teams did against other good teams, and my own profound opinion. Each component will count one-third (more or less or so) of a team's overall Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM score in the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM standings.
Here are the latest Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all) ...
1. New York Giants (Trend: -) -- Eli Manning orchestrated an impressive opening drive, Brandon Jacobs made LaRon Landry feel some serious shame, but their win over the Redskins was sorta-kinda
meh!"
2. Dallas Cowboys (Trend: +) -- It pains me say that this team is probably pretty good.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Trend: +) -- The series of unfortunate events to befell the aforementioned big three of the AFC suddenly makes Pittsburgh look like the team to beat in the conference.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (Trend: +) -- Pennsylvania pro football teams outscored their opponents 76-20 on Sunday.
5. New England Patriots (Trend: -) -- Does Tom Brady's injury also mean the end of the Patriots as we've known them for the past few years? Tune in next season.
6. Chicago Bears (Trend: +) -- Kyle Orton could be the 2008 version of Trent Dilfer, circa 2000 ... just don't do anything silly and let that amazing defense do its thing.
7. New Orleans Saints (Trend: +) -- Getting a game up on an opponent expected to compete for the title in the same division as you play in is a big deal.
8. Green Bay Packers (Trend: +) -- Rooting for Aaron Rodgers to have a good game Monday night was an easy thing to do.
9. Buffalo Bills (Trend: +) -- Team management sent an email to the other 31 teams following Sunday's rout of the Seahawks asking, "So, who wants to play us?" Nobody replied.
10. San Diego Chargers (Trend: -) -- This is a big drop from last week (No. 3), but they lost to a Panthers team that was a double-digit 'dog going in. Also, throw in this fun fact ... the Chargers had lost only one of their previous 16 home regular-season games. Not a good start to 2008.
11. Indianapolis Colts (Trend: -) -- This is another big drop (No. 4 last week), but the Colts were expected to beat da Bears. There's still hope, as Peyton Manning was just a bit off on a few key passes and he will theoretically get it straightened out.
12. New York Jets (Trend: +) -- Jets fans got their first good glimpse of Brett Favre's on-the-field magic on Sunday.
Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Oakland Raiders -- Remember the 1970s when the Raiders were really, really good? Oh wait, the '70s are ancient history in the wide world of sports. "Raiders" and "among NFL's elite" is so "plaid suit" and "great thing to wear to a wedding."
31. Kansas City Chiefs -- Blew a chance to beat the Matt Cassel-led Patriots.
32. St. Louis Rams -- Is it too early to put the Rams on 0-16 watch?
Week 2 predictions:
Panthers over BearsTitans over Bengals
Packers over Lions
Bills over Jaguars
Chiefs over Raiders
Colts over Vikings
Giants over Rams
Saints over Redskins
Seahawks over 49ers
Buccaneers over Falcons
Cardinals over Dolphins
Broncos over Chargers
Texans over Ravens
Jets over Patriots
Steelers over Browns
Cowboys over Eagles
Week 1 record: 9-7 (sure, Week 1 was a big nuts, but this is really bad and we promise to do better the rest of the way)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
