Week 5 Picks
Baylor +17 over Texas A&M. Baylor is playing well this season and I look for Texas A&M to be down after last weeks Miami game. I’m not sure Baylor can win this game outright, but they’ll stay closer than 17 points.
Kansas State +15 over Texas. Kansas State is good enough to cover 15.
Louisville -8 over NC State – Louisville should get back on track this week, if they can’t score big on NC State, they shouldn’t even play the rest of their schedule.
Florida -17.5 over Auburn – Sorry, Auburn fans, I have my doubts about the Gators this year, but I have more doubts about your Tigers and the Gators are looking for revenge from last year/
Oregon -6.5 over California – should be one of the better games today, I think Oregon wins, mostly because its at home and that offense has looked really good.
TCU -10 over Colorado State – TCU should prove to be too much for the Rams today.
Maryland +17.5 over Rugters – I think the Scarlett Knights win the game, but barely. They could be a little shell shocked at first by playing a team that is actually well coached and knows at least a little about football. Hopefully, this game will prove to everyone that Rutgers is not that good.
Purdue -21.5 over Notre Dame – Purdue will treat this as their ‘statement’ game, too bad beating Notre Dame doesn’t make much of a statement this year.
Ohio State -23.5 over Minnesota – The Golden Gophers probably won’t win another game all year.
Arizona -3 over Washington - Another great matchup today. I look for Arizona to get by with a late touchdown.
As always, lines courtesy of www.nbx.com
West Virginia Football
Week 4 Picks
Wow, did I have a rough Week 3. I’ll try not to overthink it so much this week.
Illinois -2.5 over Indiana (preseason I said Illinois would be in a bowl game, if either of these teams want to be in one, they need to win this game today)
Georgia Tech -3.5 over Virginia (this game is talent vs. bad coaching)
South Florida -12.5 over North Carolina (USF if better than you think)
Mississippi +23 over Florida (So is UMiss, they probably won’t win outright, but I think they stay within 21)
Duke +13.5 over Navy
Wake Forest -3.5 over Maryland
Penn State -2.5 over Michigan (all they need is an early lead and then let the wolverines give up)
Baylor -3.0 over Buffalo
California -14 over Arizona
Wisconsin -7 over Iowa
Purdue -13.5 over Minnesota
Washington +5.5 over UCLA (upset special, Huskies could win outright).
Lines courtesy of http://www.nbx.com/
College Football Season so far…
Polls
Is it just me or have the polls fluxuated too much this season? I know its early and they change a little more rapidly, but it seems that they are a bit extreme so far this year. I mean, last week, Alabama jumps into the polls last week from unranked to #16 in one and #20 in another. Unranked to #16! South Carolina did the same thing last week, coming in at #17 and then jumping 5 spots to #12 for beating SC State, a team they should have beaten by 70, but they couldn’t even hang 40 points on them. UCLA was ranked #11 and dropped completely out. Georgia Tech, ranked #15, dropped completely out and they lost to a ranked team. These are just a few examples, but I think all the voters have lost their minds. I think they are intentially trying to sabotage the BCS standings with their bad rankings, which they can do because of the amount of weight put on the rankings. It frustrates me because I feel like however ESPN is touting or talking great about this week, it influences all the voters minds to they rank them higher or lower than they should. Aren’t the voters supposed to be people who can think for themselves and evaluate the teams fairly and accurately based on their play? When did the voters become as impressionable as the fans?
New proposal: The guys who make the lines in Vegas, they should have their own poll that has more weight in the BCS than the AP Poll and the USA Today poll. Over the last 3 seasons, those two polls have invalidated their credibility within my mind and those Vegas linesmakers know more about the game, teams, and matchups than anyone else. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to contribute? Why not let the most knowledgeable football minds have a say? Obviously, the AP voters have let us down.
LSU
I get so tired of hearing the comparisons of LSU to NFL Teams, how they are the best team in the state of Louisiana and how they would win the NFC South, etc. People did this with USC a couple years ago when no one in college football could touch them. I know some college teams get to a point that their talent is clearly better than anyone on their schedule and if they are well coached, they do look like they are in a league of their own. However, the NFL is a different ballgame. It is my contention that the worst NFL team, could beat the best college football team every year. Which, as a publicity stunt could be a good matchup, like the Friday before the Super Bowl or something, the last place NFL team has to play the college football champions. Anyway, if one team didn’t just mail it in because they didn’t want to play in the game (the NFL team probably would because they wouldn’t want to risk injury, players would be upset they had to play another game and demand more money, etc), the NFL team would slaughter they college champs. The NFL players are the best of the best of the best college players, under better conditioning (they get to workout and condition year round and don’t have to take classes), under better coaching, with more experience (not just in playing time, but NFL players practice more than college players by far because college players are also expected to be students). It wouldn’t even be close. Sure, a couple defensive players may equal their NFL counterpart in raw talent, but not in experience. Even if you look at said NFL teams quarterback or running back, etc and his numbers are bad, think about it, he was drafted and given an opportunity because his numbers and ability against college defenses looked pretty good. What I’m trying to say is, LSU would be 0-16 if they played in the NFL this season.
Rutgers
I’m tired of Rutgers already. I don’t think they are that good of team, this year or last. They are ranked #11 right now, but they have played Buffalo , Navy, and Norfolk St. Bye this week and then next week, they play a bad Maryland team that they will beat by 21 pts and be ranked in the top 10. But I still think they are about the 4th best team in the Big East behind West Virginia, South Florida, and Louisville (and possibly Cincinnati). I thought that going into the season and still do. Can we make them play some real opponents to start the season so we can go back to them winning 4 games a year please?
Top 3 underrated teams
Missouri
South Florida
Boston College (I was wrong about these guys in my preseason picks)
Top 3 overrated teams
Rutgers
Wisconsin
Ohio State (Yes, I’m down on the Big 10 this year too, ACC and Big 10 have both looked way down in talent and coaching this year).
Week 3 picks
Penn State -32 over Buffalo
Texas -17 over Central Florida
Ohio State -3.5 over Washington
Tennessee +7.5 over Florida
East Carolina +1 over Southern Miss
California -33.5 over Louisiana Tech
Arkansas +3 over Alabama
Vanderbilt -6 over Mississippi
Nebraska +9.5 over USC
Georgia Tech -6.5 over Boston College
Another interesting site
Wanna know the results of every NFL game over the last 7 years against the spread?
http://www.sundaystrategy.com/
I know I do.
Helmet Page
Check out this cool page featuring tons of NCAA and NFL helmets and concept helmets.
I particularly like the 2007 NCAA helmet schedule as well.
http://www.mghelmets.com/index.html
New England Patriots – Cheaters?
According to a report at espn.com, the NFL is investigating a claim that the New England Patriots used video equipment on the sideline to record the New York Jets’ signals.
NFL security confiscated a video camera and its tape from a New England Patriots employee on the team’s sideline during Sunday’s game against the Jets in a suspected spying incident, sources said.
Here is what the rule says:
“The rule is that no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches’ booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game,” the league said in a statement from spokesman Greg Aiello. “Clubs have specifically been reminded in the past that the videotaping of an opponent’s offensive or defensive signals on the sidelines is prohibited.“We are looking into whether the Patriots violated this rule.”
No big deal, right. They just were taping for analysis after the game. This hasn’t happened before. But wait…
“It’s not their first time,” a member of the [league's competition] committee, who did not wish to be identified, said.
In fact, Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan confirmed a similar incident that occurred when the Patriots played at Lambeau Field last Nov. 19. The same cameraman who was questioned by NFL security on Sunday was also the one whom the Packers removed from the sideline and escorted from the field during their 2006 game, according to Packers security official Doug Collins.
This is a very interesting development. I don’t know what the penalty could be. Perhaps a loss of the game. We will monitor this development.
New Era of College Football (Week 2 Reflection)
Notre Dame/ Michigan
We are now living in a new era of college football. No one has lived in a era like ours. Its one where Michigan and Notre Dame are both 0-2. It’s never happened before. And it’s a good thing they play next weekend, or they both might be 0-3.
I’ll admit, I thought Michigan was overrated as a Top 5 team, but I didn’t foresee them starting 0-2. The Big 10 is so weak, I really thought they wouldn’t get creamed until they play Ohio State or a decent team in a bowl game. Although, their rough start has brought me to the realization that if Michigan started every season with a loss, I’d be a much happier person overall.
This weeks matchup should be a good one. Michigan can’t stop anybody and Notre Dame can’t find the endzone. I can’t decide if the final score will be 3-2 or 74-63. Leaning toward the 3-2 side.
Virginia Tech
So, my prediction that they’d beat LSU and have an extremely good shot at undefeated this year so not only wrong, it wasn’t even close. Where is that dominating, game changing VT defense at? They are still probably the best team in the Coastal by far, but this is a team that needs to get something going quickly if they want a chance at going 11-1 and contending.
Weakness of ACC
I have been shocked at how weak the ACC is this year. And its not just the bottom feeder teams that every conference has that are struggling either, its everyone. VT gets creamed by LSU 48-7, and MIA isn’t even competitive against Oklahoma. Miami was not going to beat Oklahoma, but I certainly didn’t expect that score. It seems like no ACC team has been able to win out of conference. Virginia gets waxed by Wyoming, NC State got beat by Central Florida, and North Carolina goes down to East Carolina, Wake Forest loses to Nebraska. I few years ago, the results of all these games would have been different. I criticized the talking heads and media outlets for saying the ACC was down last year, but this year, I have to agree. I am going to go ahead and make a prediction. West Virginia is going to mop the floor with Maryland Thursday night. The bad thing about this, all day Friday and Saturday morning, all you’ll hear about is how good the Big East is and how bad the ACC is. Even though the ACC supposedly took all the good Big East teams and left it for dead just a few short years ago. I guess its true what they say, what comes around goes around.
South Carolina and Steve Spurrier
Well, South Carolina finally did it, they got to .500. That’s right, with their win over UGA on Saturday night, their all-time record is back to even. 517-517-44. What gripes me is that South Carolina fans act like this team has been great for a long time and that they have a winning tradition. You only have to look at their 30% winning percentage all time in the SEC to know that is a lie. They didn’t even win their first bowl game until the 21st century. Now, with Spurrier as coach, they are looked upon with garnett colored glasses by the media and you’d think they were a top tier SEC team. I think that is still a couple years away. And I disagree with everyone praising Spurrier for winning with defense. He is only winning with defense because he has to, there is very little talent to work with on offense. And I guess no one remembers that Florida in the 90′s had a pretty stout defense.
Top 5 Teams:
1. USC
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. West Virginia
5. California
Week 2 Picks
West Virgina -24 over Marshall
Duke +17 over Virginia
Oklahoma -10.5 over Miami (FL)
California -13.5 over Colorado State
Michigan -7 over Oregon
Florida State -35 over UAB
Missouri -5.5 over Mississippi
Kentucky -12.5 over Kent State
Penn State -17.5 over Notre Dame
Baylor -7 over Rice
Virginia Tech +11 over LSU