MLB Playoff Predictions

ALDS

Yankees over Tigers in 5

Rangers over Rays in 5

NLDS

Phillies over Cardinals in 4

Brewers over D'Backs in 5

ALCS

Yankees over Rangers in 6

NLCS

Brewers over Phillies in 7

World Series

Brewers over Yankees in 7

Brewers are gonna win it all! But Go Rangers...

NCAA Week 5 Preview and Predictions

WHAT TO WATCH 4

It should be a great week of football, as 1) Conference Play begins with 3 big early season matchups. Florida hosts Alabama, Wisconsin plays Nebraska and Clemson travels to Virginia Tech. All 3 of these matchups could wind up deciding the conference race, and more importantly, the national championship race as all 6 teams are undefeated. 2) Bounce-back Week is needed from Texas A&M and Arkansas. The two play each other, so the loser will immediately have suffered a 2-game losing streak and be completely knocked out of any National Title running, if they are not already. Next, the 3) Heisman Race heats up this week, as Robert Griffin faces a decent opponent finally, Marcus Lattimore faces the defending champs, Kellen Moore faces the team that beat him last year, and Andrew Luck faces a decent UCLA team. The 4) New Conference Alignment takes center stage this week as new Big Ten team Nebraska plays their first game in their new diggs, and Texas A&M plays former and future conference opponent Arkansas in Arlington.

PREDICTIONS

#25 Arizona State 34, Oregon State 21- The Devils host the Beavers in the desert coming off a big win over USC, and need the avoid the hangover defeat to the lowly visitors from Corvallis.

Northwestern 31, #24 Illinois 26- I am sticking with my beloved Wildcats this week as they take on the Illini. If Persa does not play, however, I pick Illinois to win in Champaign.

#23 Florida State is off this week (Next game is 10/8 @ Wake Forest)

#22 West Virginia 50, Bowling Green 17- Should be no problem at home for the Mountaineers.

#21 Georgia Tech 38, North Carolina State 28- NC State is struggling with turnovers, and with the way GT handles the Time of Possession, you will not get a whole lot of chances. If they can play smart ball, they have a chance.

#20 TCU 38, SMU 35- I think this will be a heck of a game in Fort Worth, but the Horned Frogs should be able to eek out the win at home with another solid offensive performance from their underrated QB Casey Pachall.

#19 Michigan 31, Minnesota 14- Minnesota may very well be the worst team in College Football, and Michigan is rolling at home right now.

#18 Arkansas 35, #14 Texas A&M 30- Should be a great game in Arlington, but if Brandon Weeden can rip up the Aggies like he did last week, there is no reason that Tyler Wilson can't do the same.

Iowa State 31, #17 Texas 30- This is my shocker! Iowa State is being overlooked by everyone, but after they stun the Horns in Ames this week, they will be a forced to be reckoned with.

#16 South Florida 26, Pitt 17- Pitt has an explosive offensive system, but they have not fully figured it out yet, and Skip Holtz has his Bulls playing as well as anybody right now.

#15 Baylor 41, Kansas State 28- It should be pretty close throughout, and the Wildcats should give the Bears all they can handle, but Griffin and the Bears will pull away in the end with their playmakers.

#14 Texas A&M- See #18 Arkansas

#13 Clemson- See #11 Virginia Tech

GAME OF THE WEEK: #12 Florida 23, #3 Alabama 20- It is McCarron's first road start against a decent team in a crazy environment beneath the lights in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field. What a game this should be as Saban squares off with his former protege in Will Muschamp. I think Muschamp's D comes out inspired and Brantley, Rainey, Demps and the gang get just enough offense for the Gators to pull out the win.

#11 Virginia Tech 27, #13 Clemson 25- Clemson may very well win this game, but with a freshman QB in his first big road start, I gotta go with the Hokies at home, even though they have been maybe the most erratic team in CFB thus far.

#10 South Carolina 31, Auburn 27- Watch, the one week I actually pick South Carolina, they will lose. Auburn could definitely win this, but I do not see it happening in Columbia.

#9 Oregon is off this week (Next game is 10/6 vs California)

#8 Nebraska- see #7 Wisconsin

#7 Wisconsin 38, #8 Nebraska 24- The Huskers first Big Ten game should be crazy inside Camp Randall with Gameday there. The Huskers have been solid on offense, but their offense, if defended the right way, is not that difficult to stop. Nebraska's defense has been awful, while Wisconsin's O has been second to none. The Badgers should run all over Nebraska as Russell Wilson carves them up in the passing game as well.

#6 Stanford 41, UCLA 17- UCLA may score some points due to the injury to Shane Scove for Stanford, but the Cardinal should have absolutely no problem winning this one in Palo Alto.

#5 Oklahoma State is off this week (Next game is 10/8 vs Kansas)

#4 Boise State 56, Nevada 31- Nevada can put up some points, but this is not the same Wolfpack team as last season. The Broncos should have no problem winning on the familiar blue turf.

#3 Alabama- see #12 Florida

#2 Oklahoma 63, Ball State 3- Come on...

#1 LSU 44, Kentucky 10- I give Kentucky 10 points out of generosity.

Current BCS Bowl Projections:

Rose: Nebraska vs Oregon

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs Stanford

Sugar: Oklahoma State vs Florida

Orange: Virginia Tech vs West Virginia

BCS Title: Wisconsin vs LSU

"I don't believe what I just saw!"

Ahh, those immortal words rang out from the microphone of Jack Buck after Kirk Gibson's pinch-hit, walk-off HR in Game 1 of the '88 World Series, but I think they can once again be applied, this time to tonight's baseball action.

For about 5 minutes after the last game ended, I simply sat here trying to comprehend exactly what it was that had just happened on the TV screens in front of me. In a 10 minute span, everything changed. The Yankees had runners at the corners with nobody out and it was almost certain that they would get a run.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, the Red Sox were headed to the bottom of the 9th with a one-run lead and the man they call "Pap" entering the game as one of the best closers in the majors, and probably the best closer in Red Sox history. It was obvious. The Red Sox were going to overcome their September choke and attend the party that is October baseball.

(Back in Tampa)

Greg Golson, on third base with nobody out, gets caught off third base by Evan Longoria after a ground ball, and leaves the Yankees with first and second and one out, not as ideal as runners on the corners, but still a good-looking opportunity to score at least a run. Just a single run, say Boston fans.

(Back in Baltimore)

The Red Sox had missed an opportunity in the top of the 9th with the bases loaded and one out. They had grounded into a double play and walked away with nothing. It was okay though, because Papelbon was not going to give up a run to the players due up for the Orioles. It was Adam Jones, a solid player but with a bad history against Pap, Mark Reynolds, who strikes out more than I would if I played, and Chris Davis, who has similar strikeout problems which is why he was traded midseason from Texas to the lowly Orioles. Nolan Reimold and Robert Andino would come up as the 4th and 5th guys, but that's doubtful. Surely, the Sox could not blow against THEM. Not these scrubs.

Pap quickly retired Jones and Reynolds on strikeouts and Chris Davis is coming up next, it's in the bag!

(Back in Tampa)

Somehow, some way, the resilient Rays got out of the jam they were facing against the mighty Yankees. a groundout to second with 2 outs got them out of it, and they headed to the bottom of the 12th in a 7-7 tie. And guess who was due up, their hero, Evan Longoria. You can see where this is headed...

(Back in Baltimore)

Chris Davis doubles down the line off Pap with 2 outs. Pinch-runner comes in. It's okay though, right? Because Nolan Reimold is up, and, even though he has been swinging a hot bat, he is only hitting .245 for the season and is facing a great closer trying to make up for a loss late last week.

2 strikes on Reimold, this one is over. Wait, he got smart, he took one the other way! It's in the gap! Here comes the tying run! It's 3-3 and Reimold is safe at second! O man, Pap is mad, he will get this guy, extra innings are on tap.

Robert Andino up. 1 strike, 2 outs, Reimold on second and... o my! Base hit to left! Wait! Did Carl Crawford just catch that? NO! Its in for a hit! Crawford throws to the plate! SAFE!!!!!! Orioles Win! The Red Sox are on the ropes! Alright, it's okay, Tampa has used all their good pitchers and pinch-hitters, they can't possibly beat the Yankees in the 12th.

(Back in Tampa)

It's tied still, 7-7, in the 12th inning. Evan Longoria comes up. He knew the Orioles had tied the game in Baltimore as he was stepping into the box. As the count went to 1-1 on him, he heard the cheers of the crowd, Boston had lost! If the Rays can win, they will go back to the postseason. Said Longoria after the game, "After the 2nd strike on me, the last thing on my mind was a walk-off homer." Well, it was 1-2... O my! Pitch in the dirt away, Longoria almost, ALMOST, chased it. 2-2 pitch, inside, liner down the line, could be a double, wait, it's staying up, its OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!!! RAYS WIN!!!!! Tampa Bay is going to the playoffs in the most extraordinary fashion that I have ever seen. 3 (THREE) minutes after Boston blew it, Tampa clinched it.

Tampa Bay trailed 7-0 early in the game. They trailed 7-6 with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the bottom of the 9th. Dan Johnson, who had not played all night, was pinch-hitting. He has not hit a homer since April, that's APRIL, 8th, so just get on base, Dan, and we will go from there. Down the line and it's a HR!!!!!!! I don't believe it. I really do not.

This was the most incredible night of baseball I have ever witnessed, and I cannot wait to watch some more as we head into October. No matter what, there is only one thing that is for sure...

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Week 5 NCAA and Week 4 NFL

I will attempt to make predictions for this week's games, and I should be able to, but attending my Rangers playoff game on Friday and possibly Saturday may prevent it, so, I apologize if I am not able to post anything.

NCAA Week 4 Preview and Predictions

I take my 59-9 record into week 4, with some outstanding games on the menu, here's what to watch for...

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Should be an outstanding week, but here are the 4 things to look for, 1)Florida State, can they bounce back from an emotional home loss and, despite all of their injuries, beat a solid Clemson team in Death Valley, a place where they haven't won since 2001? 2)Defense, the team that wins the #7 Oklahoma State @ #8 Texas A&M matchup will be the team that can muster the most defensive stops. Also, in Tuscaloosa, can the Hogs solve the Tide's #1 ranked defense? 3)SEC Dominance has once again been displayed through 3 weeks of the season, but West Virginia has a chance to change everything this weekend. I do not think they will win, but with a crazy crowd in Morgantown, with Gameday there and a solid offense, the Mountaineers just might give LSU a run for their money and shake things up going into conference play. 4)Pac-12, they just announced that they are sticking with 12 teams, and they have a chance to flex their muscles late night on national TV this week. They need to make a statement that says to their fans, "look, we have enough good teams here to have a nationally competitive conference for the foreseeable future".

PREDICTIONS

#25 Georgia Tech 31, North Carolina 28- The Heels should be able to handle the Tech run game better than Kansas did (604 yards!), but their first true test of the season in Atlanta should be tough for the interim head coach. The Jackets win a close one and continue their solid play.

#24 Illinois 34, Western Michigan 20- This would be a game that the typical Illini might lose, but Im going to give Zook the benefit of the doubt that he has turned a corner in Champaign and the Illini are actually a good team.

#23 USC 30, Arizona State 28- This should be a heck of a game late night in the desert, and could very well decide the Pac-12 South early in the year. I think Barkley and the solid Monte Kiffin-led D handle Osweiler and the Devils, but don't be shocked if ASU beats the Trojans in their first road game.

San Diego State 31, #22 Michigan 28- I believe that the Aztecs will come into the Big House and get the win over the Wolverines. Look, Michigan is an average team benefitting greatly from a miracle win over Notre Dame. SDSU will stick it to their old coach.

#21 Clemson- See #11 Florida State

#20 TCU 56, Portland State 10- No problem for the Frogs in Fort Worth.

#19 Texas is off this week (Next game is 10/1 @ Iowa State)

#18 USF 41, UTEP 16- UTEP may hang around for awhile, but USFs undefeated season should continue in Tampa this weekend.

#17 Baylor 52, Rice 14- Robert Griffin has been stellar thus far and I don't see a whole lot changing against the Owls, as he continues his Heisman campaign.

#16 West Virginia- see #2 LSU

#15 Florida 30, Kentucky 21- Don't sleep on this one, as a young Florida team coming off a big, emotional win at home traveling to Lexington to play a feisty Wildcat team. I would not put it past Kentucky to beat Florida in a "hangover" game for the Gators, but still, the Gators talent should prevail.

#14 Arkansas- see #3 Alabama

#13 Virginia Tech 28, Marshall 20- Virginia Tech is an enigma wrapped in a riddle right now. They come out and kill a team, then score only 17 against ECU, only 26 against Arkansas State. This is a pick for the sake of picks because I have no idea where V Tech is right now.

Vanderbilt 28, #12 South Carolina 27- That's right, I'm calling it! Much improved Vandy travels to Columbia and shocks the nation and the Gamecocks. Marcus Lattimore can only carry the team for so long before they falter.

#11 Florida State 27, #21 Clemson 21- It should be a heck of a game in Death Valley, but Florida State's defense is just that much better than Clemson's. If EJ Manuel winds up not playing, however, make the final score: Clemson 24, Florida State 16.

#10 Oregon 52, Arizona 17- Arizona is having a rough go of it early in the year, and don't look for their skid to end against the high-flying Ducks. Arizona is ravaged by injuries and that does not bode well.

#9 Nebraska 42, Wyoming 16- Interesting road game for the Huskers, but it should not be a problem, as I believe they will win easily in Laramie.

GAME OF THE WEEK: #7 Oklahoma State 38, #8 Texas A&M 34- Ok, look, I want A&M to win, I'm going to be there screaming my head off for them, but I know that if I pick them, they will lose. I'm not being a hater, just saying. This should be an incredible game. The atmosphere at Kyle should be as good as we have seen in the past 15 years. The defenses need to step up and I truly believe that the team that turns the ball over more will lose this game. Book it. Also, the nation's best kept secret, Cyrus Gray, goes for 150 and a couple scores.

#6 Wisconsin 63, South Dakota State 3- No contest.

#5 Stanford is off this week (Next game is 10/1 vs UCLA)

#4 Boise State 51, Tulsa 20- Boise is a real good team at this point in the year, and I do not see any real threat until they play TCU in November, and that game is at home so there is hardly a threat there.

#3 Alabama 27, #14 Arkansas 17- Arkansas is a good team and a solid offense, but a first year starter on the road in a hostile environment does not typically bode well. Alabama's D should be able to contain Wilson and the Hogs, and get a big early conference win at home.

#2 LSU 28, #16 West Virginia 17- Gameday will be in Morgantown for this one, and it should be an adequate game. I just do not see how a WVU team lacking a whole lot of explosive offensive players can score a lot against maybe the best defense in America. LSU will dominate the game, even though the score may show it was closer than it actually was.

#1 Oklahoma 34, Missouri 16- A trap game for OU after an emotional road win, but they should get a win where they are invincible at home.

Saturday Recap and Reaction, Week 3 NCAA

I struggled a bit this week, but Im still hanging in at 59-9, and here are my week 3 winners and losers...

WINNERS

OKLAHOMA- Obvious one, I know. But look, for a team that has historically struggled on the road in the regular season, they went to Tallahassee and one of the toughest environments I have seen this year and beat a solid Florida State team. Their offense definitely looked stoppable, but their defense was so solid and Landry Jones came through when his team needed him the most.

MIAMI- The Canes finally got their payback on the Buckeyes, and held them to 34 (that's THIRTY-FOUR!) yards passing. They got most of their D back from suspension and it showed on the field. Spence was running sideline to sideline and Forston was clogging up the middle. The Canes D looked good, the O not so much, but playing in an average ACC, the U could win up to 8 or 9 games, cross your fingers.

FLORIDA- They are the best team in the SEC East, and I believe they will win it. South Carolina is their biggest threat out there, but the only thing that can stop the Gators is their schedule. They have Alabama, LSU, Auburn in back to back to back weeks, which is just absolutely brutal. That is the only thing that could keep them from Atlanta, but they are a real solid team in Muschamps first year. They do need to score TDs rather than FGs though.

TEXAS- All the teams on this list are traditional powers, as it was a rise to the top for all the legends. Texas finally solved their QB problems, as Case McCoy looked real good at UCLA this weekend, and they were able to become more balanced while their D continued to do what they do. Texas suddenly looks solid and teams in the Big 12 should pay attention to this team as they will only get better.

LOSERS

UCLA- Rick Neuheisel is going to get fired. Lock it up. Two losses already this year and conference play has not even started. I believe UCLA will not make a bowl game this year and there will be a changing of the guard in Los Angeles.

OHIO STATE- It's not just because they lost, it's how they lost. 34 yards passing. 34. They really did not look good and they could be in some serious trouble once Big Ten play starts, with their first game a trip to Lincoln to take on Nebraska.

MARYLAND- It isnt shameful to lose to West Virginia, but when you have a game, a home game, that can bring you back to national relevance, and you come out and give the first half to WVU the way the Terps did, it is just brutal. They spotted WVU a huge lead, and came back and only lost by 6. Keep that game close in the first half and you are going to win. Mark my words: LSU will beat the hell out of West Virginia on Saturday. Maybe not on the scoreboard because they dont score a whole lot, but in terms of the game, they will kill them.

Projected Top 25:

1. Oklahoma

2. LSU

3. Alabama

4. Boise State

5. Stanford

6. Wisconsin

7. Oklahoma State

8. Texas A&M

9. Nebraska

10. South Carolina

11. Florida State

12. Oregon

13. Virginia Tech

14. Florida

15. Arkansas

16. West Virginia

17. Baylor

18. South Florida

19. Texas

20. TCU

21. Clemson

22. Michigan

23. USC

24. Illinois

25. Virginia Tech

BCS Bowl Predictions:

Rose: Stanford vs Nebraska

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs Boise State

Sugar: Texas A&M vs LSU

Orange: Florida State vs West Virginia

BCS Title: Alabama vs Wisconsin

NFL Week 2 Predictions

Here we go, 11-5 last week and looking to improve on that this week...

Detroit 34, Kansas City 17- Stafford and that offense continue their good form against a short-handed KC defense.

Buffalo 28, Oakland 23- Fitzpatrick and the Bills are very underrated, but so are the Raiders. This should be a hotly contested matchup, but Buffalo pulls it out.

Tampa Bay 30, Minnesota 21- The McNabb experiment in Minnesota will continue its bad start against a solid Tampa Bay team that underperformed last week.

Chicago 31, New Orleans 28- DA Bears pull it together for their grieving leader Brian Urlacher.

Baltimore 34, Tennessee 13- The Ravens contain Chris Johnson and shut down Hasselbeck and continue to show they are the most complete AFC team.

Cleveland 24, Indianapolis 20- Indy actually scores some points this week behind Kerry Collins, but Colt and the Browns get it done in Indy.

NY Jets 31, Jacksonville 17- The Jets move to 2-0 behind Sanchez and the Defense.

Pittsburgh 31, Seattle 13- The Steelers get it done this week behind a solid defensive performance and I can't imagine they turn the ball over 7 times this week. And Tarvaris Jackson sucks.

Washington 26, Arizona 21- Grossman and the Skins win another win and move to a shocking 2-0.

Green Bay 41, Carolina 10- Cam's greatness will not continue against the Champs, as Matthews, Rodgers and the Pack win it in Carolina.

Dallas 28, San Francisco 17- Romo plays adequately and the Boys beat my Niners in Candlestick.

New England 35, San Diego 30- Should be a high scoring affair at Gillette this week, but Brady outduels Rivers and the Pats go to 2-0.

Houston 31, Miami 23- Houston gets another one and the most underrated team in the league gets their 2-0.

Cincinnati 24, Denver 23- An ugly game, but I think Cincy pulls it out.

Philadelphia 31, Atlanta 24- Vick dominates in his return to Atlanta and Philly gets the win.

NY Giants 28, St Louis 27- Eli outduels Bradford and the Giants get their first win against the short-handed Rams.

NCAA Week 3 Preview and Predictions

So, I am 42-3 heading into Week 3, which will be by far the toughest yet, with a few tightly matched teams, so here we go, starting off with a doozy...

#25 Mississippi St 33, #3 LSU 28- The reason I was thinking of not picking Miss St is that they are coming off an emotional loss to Auburn on Saturday, and it is such a quick turnaround in such a great league. It should be illegal for an SEC team to have to play 2 conference games in 5 days, that aint right. Anyways, Miss St wins a close one, but don't be surprised if LSU wins considering the tough, tough turnaround for the Dogs. Clearly, I cannot stress the ridiculousness of this turnaround for Mississippi St enough.

#24 Texas 27, UCLA 17- UCLA got UT in Austin last year, but I think Texas, with the new QB duo (the proven 2-QB system) will be able to eek this one out. Although, I do think Texas finishes with, at best, an 8-4 record, probably 7-5.

#23 TCU 54, Louisiana-Monroe 12- TCU handles business with no problems.

#22 Arizona St 30, Illinois 22- This is a dangerous road game for Arizona State coming off an emotional win and now facing an under the radar Illini team. I think the Devils pull it out, but you will see some hangover sluggishness to begin the game.

#21 Auburn 42, Clemson 30- Auburn continues their run of craziness against a less-than-impressive Clemson team. The Tigers should put up some points in Death Valley, but when you give up 27 at home to Wofford, that does not bode well with an SEC team coming in.

#20 South Florida 51, Florida A&M 13- The Bulls should handle the Rattlers with no problem.

#19 Baylor 70, Stephen F Austin 21- Lots of points in this one, but, unfortunately, most of them will be for Baylor.

Maryland 34, #18 West Virginia 31- This is a trap game for WVU the week before LSU comes to town, and I do not think they will be up to the task of beating a solid Maryland team on the road, though it will be a very interesting game.

Miami 26, #17 Ohio St 24- Some may call this a homer pick, but here is my reasoning: Miami gets all their guys back that they were missing against Maryland, thats 1/3 of their defense and their QB (for better or for worse, as my good friend Brady King put it "I'm confused because Morris isn't throwing floaters right to the other team" or something like that). Anyways, the Canes get their long-awaited revenge at home against a team with an average QB and not a typical OSU defense.

Tennessee 31, #16 Florida 27- My third straight upset, as I think Tennessee is underrated and Florida is just slightly (ever so slightly) overrated. The Vols end the 5 game losing streak to the Gators and beat them in the Swamp.

Notre Dame 31, #15 Michigan St 24- Dont know what the line for this one is, but assuming Sparty is the favorite, this is my 4th straight upset. I think Notre Dame limits the turnovers and beats an overrated State team in East Lansing.

#14 Arkansas 55, Troy 14- As much as I wanted to, I could not make this my 5th straight upset. Pig Sooie...

#13 Virginia Tech 42, Arkansas St 7- Weird performances from VA Tech the first 2 weeks, let's see how they respond this week.

#12 Oregon 66, Missouri St 10- Come on...

#11 Nebraska 31, Washington 20- Overrated Nebraska wins, but they are unimpressive and let an even more unimpressive Husky team stick around, even in Lincoln.

#10 South Carolina 45, Navy 17- I think the Midshipmen hang around for a little while, as they are apt to do and as South Carolina is apt to let people do, but the Gamecocks get them after halftime.

#9 Texas A&M 51, Idaho 9- A&M needs to fix their run defense and especially their kicking game before the showdown next week with Oklahoma State.

#8 Oklahoma St 56, Tulsa 16- Speak of the devil, Okie State handles Tulsa at home and strides into Kyle Field the next weekend undefeated, for the biggest game there since, probably 1998.

#7 Wisconsin 59, Northern Illinois 13- No problem for Bucky before Big 10 play gets started at the beginning of October.

#6 Stanford 38, Arizona 27- Overrated Stanford (Stanford, NOT ANDREW LUCK, is overrated) handles a pesky Arizona team and stays unbeaten. Arizona will hang around until late though.

#5 Florida St 38, #1 Oklahoma 31- This is my second big shocker of the week! Oklahoma has been beaten in their past 2 trips to Florida, against USC in the 05 Orange Bowl and at Miami in 09. This should be an interesting game, and is by far the best of the weekend. Florida State's secondary is fantastic and I believe they will be able to limit Landry Jones and the Sooners' offense. Some analysts are saying that Florida State cannot keep up with OU on the scoreboard, but OU's best 2 linebackers coming into the season are not there right now and their D-Line is not incredible, they are good, but not great. I think the 'Noles pull off the first big shocker of the season. Some say this is not a shocker, but for how average FSU has been the past decade, this is a shocker.

#4 Boise St 45, Toledo 19- The Rockets put up a valiant effort, but, in the end, it is just too much Kellen Moore, leading a team that is the best in the nation at coming to play every single week.

#3 LSU- See #25 Mississippi St

#2 Alabama 56, North Texas 0- If UNT scores, I will be legitimately stunned.

#1 Oklahoma- See #5 Florida St

I am going crazy this weekend with all of these upsets! Should be the best weekend yet, let's get it going!

NFL Week 1 Recap

The week was interesting, exciting, and everything in between, what a week to begin the season. Here are some thoughts...

The Baltimore Ravens are the best team in the NFL right now. They still have that dominant D led by Reed and Ray Lewis and of course, the always underrated and overshadowed Terrell Suggs. Also, Ray Rice might be the best back in the NFL and Joe Flacco is officially a better QB than Matt Ryan, who is comparative because they came out in the same draft class. This is a great team and I can't wait to continue to watch them.

Tom Brady, while Peyton Manning is sidelined, is the best QB in the NFL and it is not even close. Rodgers is second, easily, but it is a distant second for sure. Brady was just surgeon-like in his dismantling of the Fins, but what makes him virtually unstoppable is that he does not fall in love with one receiver, but is willing to dish the ball all over the field to all sorts of WRs, TEs and RBs.

Cam Newton, despite all my hate, might be the real deal. I am not a hater and will give credit where credit is due, and Cam played an outstanding game. Here is the thing though, for me: Arizona was playing press man coverage, often Zero or simply man free coverage, while stacking the box with 8 or so guys. This leaves easy deep passes for Cam, and I am not trying to take away from him, I am simply saying that the throws he completed, for the most part, were to pretty open receivers. He played well though, do not get me wrong.

The Cowboys continue to be the Cowboys and just completely fail at clutch football. Romo was just a joke down the stretch, when his team needed him the most. I just don't understand how someone can be so good for 48 quarters in a season and so bad for the other 16. It just does not make sense. He needs to get it together or it will be another long year for Cowboys fans.

The forward pass is clearly the weapon of choice by NFL teams these days. It was just unbelievable to me how many times I saw teams coming out in 4 and 5 WR sets this weekend. It has been awhile since I have seen that so often. I was watching Denver last night, led by John Fox, a guy who has traditionally run the football about 60% of the time, and they must have run 50-60% 4 and 5 WR sets last night. It was incredible.

Anyways, new NFL Power Rankings are up on the left of the screen, if the logos are not showing up for you, let me know and i can put some type in. Predictions for NFL up probably on Friday...

Saturday Recap and Reaction, Week 2 NCAA

Wow, what a day of college football. Michigan pulls it out when they seemingly had no chance left, Georgia lost a home heartbreaker to South Carolina and Alabama showed its dominance in Happy Valley. O, and, a goal line stand kept the Auburn magic alive. So, without further ado, lets get to the winners and losers...

WINNERS

MICHIGAN- They hosted their first ever home night game, wore awesome throwback Uni's, and pulled out a miracle win against one of their biggest rivals to move to 2-0 in their new coach's first year. What a start for that man.

AUBURN- This team, somehow, just keeps on winning. It is like last year all over again, and I cannot believe this run of insanity. Their defense is just beyond awful, but their offense keeps winning games for them. It makes me mad though that Gene Chizik is getting credit for all of these wins, when his defense is getting destroyed and Gus Malzahn is winning them games on offense.

ALABAMA- They went to Happy Valley and did exactly what everyone expected them to do, which is really all that can be done. They dominated on defense and were efficient on offense, riding Trent Richardson to a great win. Now they get a week off (techincally speaking they are playing North Texas) before SEC play begins.

OFFENSE- I'm beginning to think that, outside of Alabama and occasionally a team like USC or Texas, that defense is a lost art in College Football. Every game is just ridiculously high scoring these days and it is getting ridiculous. People need to start playing defense before this sport is ruined.

LOSERS

NOTRE DAME- They are making a habit of being on this list. They just continue to fail year after year, and, mark my words, they will never, NEVER win another national championship in my lifetime. The only way I will change that statement is if they join a conference and begin getting the great recruits they used to get, mostly on defense.

MISSISSIPPI ST- In a year where I legitimately thought they could challenge for the SEC West title, they went and blew it on the goal line because of poor play calling. You gotta throw the ball on the first play down there with 11 seconds left, then you have options on the second play. You must maximize your opportunities there, pitiful.

FIELD GOAL KICKING- Georgia, with Blair Walsh, the best kicker in America, missed a FG and ended up losing by 3. Missouri missed a game-winning FG in the final seconds and lost in OT. Utah had a game-tying 40 yarder blocked on the last play against USC. I just feel like year after year it gets progressively worse.

Projected Top 25 for next weekend:

1. Oklahoma

2. LSU

3. Alabama

4. Boise State

5. Florida State

6. Stanford

7. Wisconsin

8. Oklahoma State

9. Texas A&M

10. South Carolina

11. Virginia Tech

12. Nebraska

13. Oregon

14. Arkansas

15. Ohio State

16. Michigan State

17. Florida

18. West Virginia

19. Auburn

20. Baylor

21. South Florida

22. TCU

23. Michigan

24. Arizona State

25. Texas

My updated BCS Bowl Projections:

Rose: Nebraska vs Stanford

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs Boise State

Sugar: LSU vs Texas A&M

Orange: Florida State vs West Virginia

BCS Title: Alabama vs Wisconsin

Im sticking with my Badgers for now. So there ya have it, that's my week 2 wrap up! Check out my power rankings over there to the left, and new predictions coming on Thursday, I am 42-3 currently through 2 weeks, stupid Mississippi State...

Week 1 NFL Predictions

The Season is finally here! Let's get these predictions going...

Green Bay 31, New Orleans 26- The defending champs start out right, but Brees keeps the Saints in it, of course.

Atlanta 24, Chicago 20- Matty Ice and "The Burner" Turner power the Falcons to a week 1 win over Cutler and the Bears.

Cleveland 27, Cincinnati 14- McCoy is looking better this season, and will start things out right against arguably the worst team in the league.

Buffalo 28, Kansas City 25- This is my week 1 shocker, as I think that Buffalo could be decent this year and will start the season off well.

St Louis 27, Philadelphia 24- Sound the panic alarm in The City of Brotherly Love as the Eagles lose week 1 to St Louis. I just dont like the lack of O-Line play I have seen, especially with the Rams' solid pass rush.

Detroit 31, Tampa Bay 24- Detroit will get their playoff season off to a good start with a win over a solid Bucs team.

Tennessee 23, Jacksonville 13- I just dont like the Jags QB situation now that they released Garrard.

Baltimore 19, Pittsburgh 16- There are no games better than Ravens-Steelers, ever. Baltimore wins round 1 at home.

Houston 34, Indianapolis 21- No Peyton means problems for Indy, who dont have a strong enough defense to take down Houston.

Washington 24, NY Giants 22- Yes, Washington, with future HOF Rex Grossman at QB, will beat the Football Giants week 1.

San Francisco 26, Seattle 17- Tarvaris Jackson plays worse than Alex Smith (somehow).

San Diego 34, Minnesota 17- This will be the week 1 blowout, as Rivers and that offense are ready to go.

Arizona 28, Carolina 19- The Kolb era gets off on the right foot in the desert.

NY Jets 30, Dallas 24- Should be some points scored, and should be a great game, but Gang Green's D is just better than the 'Boys.

New England 30, Miami 14- Brady and Co get 2011 started with yet another division win.

Denver 21, Oakland 20- The nightcap on Monday should be a close one, but Orton performs well, and DeSoto's own Von Miller gets him 2 sacks.

Also, based on injuries and what not, new NFL predictions...

AFC

East

New England, 13-3

New York, 12-4, Wildcard

Buffalo, 6-10

Miami, 4-12

North

Pittsburgh, 12-4

Baltimore, 10-6, Wildcard

Cleveland, 7-9

Cincinnati, 3-13

South

Houston, 10-6

Indianapolis, 9-7

Tennessee, 6-10

Jacksonville, 4-12

West

San Diego, 11-5

Kansas City, 8-8

Denver, 5-11

Oakland, 5-11

NFC

East

Philadelphia, 12-4

Dallas, 10-6, Wildcard

New York, 8-8

Washington, 5-11

North

Green Bay, 12-4

Detroit, 10-6, Wildcard

Chicago, 9-7

Minnesota, 5-11

South

Atlanta, 12-4

New Orleans, 10-6

Tampa Bay, 7-9

Carolina, 2-14

West

St Louis, 9-7

Arizona, 7-9

Seattle, 7-9

San Francisco, 5-11

PLAYOFFS (Wildcard Round)

AFC

Houston over New York, 27-25

Baltimore over San Diego, 28-24

NFC

Dallas over St Louis, 31-21

Detroit over Atlanta, 30-26

Divisional Round

AFC

Pittsburgh over Houston, 28-20

New England over Baltimore, 27-17

NFC

Detroit over Philadelphia, 29-24

Green Bay over Dallas, 38-21

Conference Championship

AFC

Pittsburgh over New England, 31-27

NFC

Green Bay over Detroit 27-26

Super Bowl

Pittsburgh over Green Bay, 28-23

I know its a rematch of last year, good stuff. These are my new predictions due to moves made late in preseason, injuries, etc.

Weekend Preview and Predictions (NCAA) Week 2

I take my 23-2 record into Week 2...

#25 TCU 41, Air Force 33- Hopefully the Frog's Defense can show up this week.

#24 Texas 28, BYU 16- Both offenses looked awful and both defenses looked solid last week.

#3 Alabama 31, #23 Penn St 10- Penn St should not be ranked, and the Tide should handle them easily on the road.

#22 South Florida 38, Ball St 13- USF got lucky a few times last week and still have some kinks to work out.

Arizona St 27, #21 Missouri 21- An overrated Mizzou team and an underrated Arizona St playing a Friday late-night game in the desert spells upset for the Devils.

#20 Baylor is off this week (Next game 9/17 vs Stephen F Austin)

#19 West Virginia 50-something, Norfolk State less than 14- Should be a beatdown, but WVU still has a few things they need to work on.

#18 Florida 41, UAB 9- A good start to the Muschamp era last week should have no problem being carried over to week 2.

#17 Michigan St 31, Florida Atlantic 12- Sparty once again schedules nobody non-conference, isn't it weird how you can love a school's basketball team but hate their football team?

#16 Mississippi St 49, Auburn 34- This should be a good, old-fashioned SEC shootout, but Auburn's defense is just awful.

#15 Ohio St 45, Toledo 7- Toledo should be able to muster some points, unlike their MAC comrades Akron last week.

#14 Arkansas 66, New Mexico 13- Should be an absolute beatdown.

#13 Oregon 55, Nevada 20- No more Kaepernick for the Pack, and Chip Kelly should have the Ducks' offense up and running.

#12 South Carolina 31, Georgia 20- Georgia moves to 0-2 and Richt's fate is essentially sealed.

#11 Virginia Tech 66, East Carolina 38- Should be a solid shootout, but VT's offense is too good for ECU to keep up.

#10 Nebraska 33, Fresno St 14- Nebraska should handle Fresno, but will fail to impress, for the second straight week.

#9 Oklahoma St 45, Arizona 20- Late news that Criner is out for Arizona spells doom for the Cats travelling to Stillwater.

#8 Wisconsin 59, Oregon St 21- Bucky's defense still needs some help, but their offense is good enough to carry them for, well, maybe all year.

#7 Texas A&M is off this week (Next game is 9/17 vs Idaho)

#6 Stanford 59, Duke 13- Duke lost to Richmond last week, and now has to face the #6 team and the best QB prospect in 15 years, ouch.

#5 Florida St 42, Charleston Southern 6- FSU will go easy on the Bucs, but this will still get ugly.

#4 Boise St is off this week (Next game is 9/16 @ Toledo)

#3 Alabama-see #23 Penn St

#2 LSU 48, Northwestern St 3- LSU has historically struggled with terrible teams at home early in the year, but dont sweat this one.

#1 Oklahoma is off this week (Next game is 9/17 @ #5 Florida St)

College Football Opening Week Reaction

So, I was 23-2 in my picks, not too shabby considering I picked both LSU and South Florida, I missed TCU-Baylor, but keep in mind that I did say it could very easily go Baylor's way, as I only picked it to be a 1-point game. I did miss Georgia, who looked just awful this weekend, but we will get to that in a second with the big Winners and Losers...

WINNERS

LSU- Some people doubted they could win without Jordan Jefferson, but they have shown once again that defense and special teams can win a game just as easily as offense. This team could very easily compete for the SEC title and even the National Title. I was so impressed with this team.

Boise State- Year after year, they beat the big boys and year after year people continue to doubt them. Now, would they go undefeated in a major conference? Definitely not, but it is definitely feasible that they would snag 9 or 10 wins. Jump on the Bronco bandwagon before it is too late.

Texas A&M- Some people thought they might be ranked a little too high to begin the season, but they came out and put an offensive show on against a solid SMU team. A&M is looking very good and could easily compete for the Big 12 title and (knock on wood) could be a darkhorse NATIONAL title contender (I know that since I said that, they will come out and lose to Idaho).

Wisconsin- Once again, underrated Wisconsin put on the biggest offensive show of the weekend, including Robert Griffin. I still have Wisconsin in my National Title Game, they need to tighten up the screws on defense, but they have plenty of time to do it.

Mother Nature- So many games suspended due to lightning as Mother Nature decided to show up, finally, right when we dont want rain and such

LOSERS

Notre Dame- I love it! Once again, the Irish come in overrated and lose their opener to an average team. It just doesnt get any better than watching Brian Kelly literally losing his mind under the South Bend Pressure. When are coaches going to realize that Notre Dame is a lose-lose situation?

Oregon- Once again, we saw how bad the Oregon offense is when people have more than 3 weeks to prepare for it. They were absolutely shut down, as the SEC flexed its muscles and showed why it is the best conference in football, by a very wide margin (although that may be questioned due to...)

Georgia- What can you say about the Dawgs? All the Aaron Murray hype coming in and he looked straight up AWFUL. This team looked out of sorts on both sides of the ball and will start out 0-2 after a loss to South Carolina this coming weekend.

TCU Defense- The class of NCAA football has been the TCU D. So consistent for so long and then they come out and give up 50 to Baylor. Very disappointing, I dont care how many players you lost.

PROJECTED TOP 25 FOR THIS WEEK:

1. Oklahoma

2. LSU

3. Alabama

4. Boise St

5. Florida St

6. Stanford

7. Texas A&M

8. Oregon

9. Oklahoma St

10. Nebraska

11. Wisconsin

12. South Carolina

13. Virginia Tech

14. Arkansas

15. Ohio St

16. Mississippi St

17. Michigan St

18. Florida

19. Missouri

20. West Virginia

21. Auburn

22. Baylor

23. USC

24. Texas

25. Georgia

New BCS Bowl Predictions:

Rose: Nebraska vs Stanford

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs Boise St

Sugar: LSU vs Texas A&M

Orange: Florida St vs West Virginia

BCS Title: Alabama vs Wisconsin

Original Predictions:

Rose: Nebraska over Oregon

Fiesta: Oklahoma over Stanford

Sugar: LSU over Texas A&M

Orange: Florida St over West Virginia

BCS Title: Alabama over Wisconsin

Until next week... (my record is 23-2, keep track)

(Finally) College Football Top 25 Week 1 Predictions...

Now that it is finally here, here are my predictions for the Top 25 teams in week 1 of the brand new College Football season (all times are central)...

#25 USC 37, Minnesota 14, Saturday @ 2:30 pm on ABC/ESPN3- USC is looking stronger than their 25th ranking would suggest, as they have one of the best QBs that nobody really talks about in Matt Barkley. He will probably be a top-10 pick if he comes out early. Anyways, postseason or not, I like the Trojans in Week 1 and in the Pac-12 South.

#24 West Virginia 24, Marshall 14, Sunday @ 2:30 pm on ESPN/3- I DO like West Virginia this year, keep that in mind. I just don't like a team with a new system and some offseason turmoil to start out very well against a decent Marshall team. WVU wins and shows flashes of brilliance, but still struggle.

#23 Auburn 20, Utah St 14, Saturday @ 11 am on ESPN2/3- The first game of the post-Cam Newton era at Auburn should be interesting... and ugly. A new QB learning a tough system and not many playmakers back on that offense could lead to some nervousness in Jordan-Hare on Saturday. I think Auburn wins, but they struggle to do it.

#22 Florida 38, Florida Atlantic 7, Saturday @ 6 pm on ESPNU- I am interested to see how the team does with first-time Head Coach Will Muschamp at the helm. I think they will get off to the start they need against a weak (WEAK) Florida Atlantic team.

#21 Missouri 31, Miami (OH) 17, Saturday @ 11 am- Mizzou is not as good as some analysts are giving them credit for. They are an adequate team who will finish in a bowl game and middle of the pack in a weak Big 12, but I don't understand how you can lose the number 10 pick in the draft and become a better team? They will win, but it won't be easy against a sneaky Miami team.

#20 Mississippi St 31, Memphis 3, Thursday @ 7 pm- If Miss. St were in the SEC East, I would pick them to win it. But, they are in the West, perhaps the toughest division in College Football History this year. I think they will trounce Memphis and give a run to win the division. I really like this team.

#19 Georgia 30, #5 Boise St 28, Saturday @ 7 pm on ESPN/3- This, along with LSU-Oregon, is the most intriguing game of the weekend as both teams are kind of under the radar, especially with the LSU-Oregon game getting all the hype. I am interested to see if A) Georgia can compete to win the SEC East and B) if Boise can continue their run of excellence even with the offseason allegations. I think Georgia wins on their home(ish) field in Atlanta, in a crazy, back and forth, entertaining game.

#18 Ohio St 24, Akron 6, Saturday @ 11 am on ESPN/3- Ohio St will probably struggle in their first game out with a new QB and a new coach, but should get the win just fine. I still think they will have a successful year, but with an offseason like they have had, it will be tough to look great in Week 1.

#17 Michigan St A LOT, Youngstown St VERY LITTLE, Friday @ 6:30 on Big10 Net- I mean, does it really matter? Play some teams, Michigan St, typical Big Ten.

South Florida 28, #16 Notre Dame 26, Saturday @ 2:30 on NBC- Here it is, my Week 1 upset! Notre Dame is getting a lot of love because of how they played in the Sun Bowl against a Miami team that literally did not care AT ALL. Notre Dame is an average team with an average QB, an average O-Line and D-Line, average RBs and an average secondary, and most importantly, and average Coach. They are not deserving of the hype, so get ready for more disappointment in South Bend!

#15 Arkansas 60-something, Missouri St <10, Saturday @ 6 pm on ESPN3- O, Missouri St, I feel a little bit bad for y'all, until I realize how much y'all are getting paid to play this game at Arkansas

#14 TCU 24, Baylor 23, Friday @ 7 pm on ESPN/3- This should be a great game on a Friday night, as Baylor looks to build on its first Bowl season since the 90s and TCU looks to build on its first BCS bowl victory. I expect TCU to struggle a bit on offense to start the season with a new QB, but they should be able to just pull this one out in Waco, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Bears came up with the upset.

#13 Virginia Tech 31, Appalachian St 20, Saturday @ 11:30 am on ESPN3- VT always struggles early in the year, especially with Div. 1-AA teams. They should win, but will look lackadaisical doing it.

#12 South Carolina 41, East Carolina 17, Saturday @ 6 pm on ESPN3- I don't think Carolina is as good as some people think they are, but I do think they will do fine in this game with East Carolina's embarrassment to defenses. Carolina has a huge game next week travelling Between the Hedges at UGA.

#11 Wisconsin 27, UNLV 3, Thursday @ 7 pm on ESPN/3- This is the kickoff to the season, and my pick for National Runner-Up should have an easy one, but could struggle a bit with a lot of turnover on offense, at QB, TE and a couple O-Line spots. However, they should roll and look forward to a weak Big Ten, led by...

# 10 Nebraska >40, Chattanooga 0(probably)- This is what is wrong with Week 1 of college football...

#9 Oklahoma St 70, Louisiana-Lafayette 10- I really do believe that, if they keep their foot on the gas, the Pokes can drop 70 on the lowly Ragin' Cajuns, a nice warm-up for Arizona the following Thursday.

#8 Texas A&M 38, SMU 24, Sunday @ 6:30 pm on FSN- I do think the Aggies will be good this year, but they have historically struggled in their first game, and I don't think this year will be any different as all the new starters try to get their feet wet before the Sept 24 showdown with OK State at Kyle Field.

#7 Stanford 56, San Jose State 13- Andrew Luck should start his Heisman campaign off right against the Spartans. They should be able to handle them pretty easily and get their QB off on the right foot on his way to the Trophy and the #1 overall pick in the draft. I just love him so much.

#6 Florida St 60-something, Louisiana-Monroe 0- I would be absolutely stunned if ULM scored any points in the first 3 quarters.

#5 Boise St- see #19 Georgia

#4 LSU 27, #3 Oregon 24, Saturday @ 7 pm on ABC- This is it, the showdown. This game may have been marred by recent LSU incidents, but I do not think they will greatly affect the game as Jefferson is only slightly better than Jarret Lee. It will be the high-flying Ducks offense led by LaMichael James and Darron Thomas under the tutelage of Chip Kelly against a hard-nosed, strong, fast SEC defense led by Defensive Coordinator John Chavis for LSU. Man, I just cannot wait for this game to get underway in Arlington on Saturday Night!

#2 Alabama KILLS, Kent St DIES, Saturday @ 11:20 am on ESPN3- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, although I am interested to see the Alabama QB situation, as I have a feeling the fans will be screaming for Phillip Sims over McCallum.

#1 Oklahoma 48, Tulsa 17, Saturday @ 7 pm on FX- OU should be solid on offense to start, but with the loss of its 2 best linebackers, it's anybody's guess to how good they'll be on D, and I think they will struggle a big at first, but will win easily, very easily.

So there you have it, and now I will post my BCS game predictions so we can keep track each week and see how poorly I did...

Rose Bowl: Nebraska over Oregon

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma over Stanford

Sugar Bowl: LSU over Texas A&M

Orange Bowl: Florida St over West Virginia

BCS Title Game: Alabama over Wisconsin

Let's do this thing! We have been waiting 9 months and it's finally here! It feels so good, College Football. Also, look for NFL predictions each weekend starting, obviously, next weekend!