Friday, October 30, 2009

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 8

Ok, so, I have a question to ask of you. When you think of this college football season, is there one team that sticks out to you as being the best in America?

Florida? Had trouble with struggling Tennessee and Tim Tebow hasn’t been Superman yet, even before his concussion.

Alabama? Defensively, they’re the best in the country, but, besides Mark Ingram (who should be the leading candidate for the Heisman, if the media wasn’t so Tebow-crazy), they’ve struggled to score points (see: 20 points against South Carolina and 12 last week against Tennessee).

Texas? Honestly, they haven’t been tested yet. Sure, you can say they played Oklahoma and won, which is true, and that IS a good win, but they didn’t play well at all. The Longhorns desperately need Colt McCoy to emerge as a Heisman favorite, or their season could end this week against Oklahoma State.

I’ve heard a lot recently about how the best team in the country could be TCU. I tend to agree, but only because I think TCU is the best “team” in the country, not the best group of individual athletes (hello, USC). Gosh, I’d love to see a Boise State/TCU or Cincinnati National Championship game, wouldn’t you?

So after that rant, here are the picks for this week. The late games are going to be wonderful television, especially that game in Autzen.

Mississippi Rebels – 27 Auburn Tigers – 13

Auburn’s lost three straight, and I don’t think playing Jevan Snead and the Rebels will help their cause. My how the Tigers have fallen; they were 5-0 and ranked in the top 25 and then completely collapsed after a blowout loss to Arkansas. Side note: Arkansas really has something in Ryan Mallett, I’m thinking Heisman contender in two years. The kid can really play.

Oregon State Beavers – 24 UCLA Bruins – 20

I’ve gone with UCLA way to much this year, and I’m not going to do it again, especially with as badly as the Bruins have played in Pac 10 play.

Kentucky Wildcats – 27 Mississippi State Bulldogs– 17

Kentucky hasn’t been too bad recently, and after the ‘Dogs took Florida to the brink last week, I’m thinking a letdown is coming for MSU.

Tennessee Volunteers – 17 South Carolina Gamecocks – 9

The upset of the week, for sure. Tennessee has been this close to being an absolute force in the SEC. And I think this is the week Lane Kiffin finally gets his first huge SEC victory. Plus, the Gamecocks haven’t been able to score much at all recently, so I think Eric Berry has a field day.

Texas Longhorns – 31 Oklahoma State Cowboys – 20

Ok, Colt, let’s go. Time to pick up the slack and live up to the (my) hype. This is the week that Colt 45 goes off and puts himself right back on top of the Heisman watch. And solidifies the Horns as one of, if not the best team in the country.

Oregon Ducks – 28 USC Trojans – 27

Look, I picked the Neon Uni’s to win the Pac 10, I didn’t jump off the bandwagon after all that ugliness at Boise, and I’m not about to turn back now. They’re still top two in talent in the whole conference, and I think they’ll show it in primetime Saturday night. I think Brent Musberger will be announcing the game, which of course means I get to listen to his signature calls.

“McCoy…ZIPS IT to the outside...to the roommate…Jordan Shipley…the senior…from El Paso, Texas…says…take THAT”

(after the player is already celebrating the touchdown with his team) “ENDZONNNNEEE…TOUCHDOWN”

“Powerful run…up the middle…seventeen yards…and Herbie, the line opened some holes on that play…BREAK it down”

Thanks for reading.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Live Blog of Walrus-man's "History of American Baseball" Class

If you haven't followed some of my Facebook statuses recently, here's what you've missed. I am taking a class called "History of American Baseball to 1930" with a Professor whose name we will keep anonymous, and we'll call him some version of "Professor Walrus," mostly because his face-covering mustache makes him look like a walrus. I hate this class and everything about it. So now, today, LIVE on my blog, I'm going to write about everything that happens in this two-hour extravaganza. Have fun following along.

7:10 p.m. - Class starts and, to my excitement, teacher evaluations are today! Mr. Walrus leaves the room, and I begin to write what ends up being my best written essay of the entire quarter. I may have mentioned about how taking this class was so disappointing that it was like perennially being a fan of the Pirates, and seeing them lose 100 games every year. It was such a letdown. I had huge expectations for this class, I really did. I mean, it was a class about baseball!!! How much better could it get? And now I dread going to class every day.

7:25 p.m. - After finishing the five-paragraph doozy, in walks Walrus-face, followed by four historians. These baseball historians wrote the three novels we were required to read in this class (did I? absolutely not).

7:26 p.m. - I notice that Walrus-man has put on his nicest suit for today's spectacle. Usually, he wears a V-neck t-shirt that shows off his manly chest hair and his "rock hard" pectorals. The only thing holding those babies in the shirt is a teal blue blazer that looks more like it belongs in the Ugly Hall of Fame than in a classroom. But no, not today, it was like he looked in the mirror and said, "hey, I'm not going to be a total tool today, I really look up to the people who are speaking in my class today. They're swell people, and they know so much more about baseball that was played before they were born than I do! It's time to pull out all the shots so maybe I'll be respected. But probably not."

7:30 p.m. - As he does every day, he starts us out on "Baseball Reference" talking about useless details that he's spewing out from under his insanely huge mustache. Seriously, how does the guy fit food in there?

7:35 p.m. - We're about to watch a five minute movie about baseball. Finally! Something informative! It's only taken seven weeks.

7:52 p.m. - We're still watching the five minute movie. Elvis even made an appearance.

7:53 p.m. - Today, we're going to have the treat of sitting through a "Baseball Chautauqua." Does Professor Walrus even know what the word means? I looked it up. It means "of or pertaining to a system of education flourishing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, originating at Lake Chautauqua, New York" or "a village on this lake: summer educational center." This isn't the first time this has happened, either. First, it was the word "codified." Dude, this isn't the 1880's. Can't we just use "wrote down?" And another, the word "pastoral." He used this word when referring to the naming of MLB stadiums in the early 20th century. I asked him what it meant, and he said, "I am the Walrus, KOO KOO KACHOO!!!!!" Or something like that.

8:00 p.m. - The Walrus is trying to figure out this confounded PowerPoint program for his speaker, who seems anxious to beat my professor for the "Driest Professor Ever" award (to be presented on MLB network November 21).

8:10 p.m. - This speaker's presentation on Smoky Joe Wood is actually pretty interesting. But my focus is on our professor, who is literally nodding at every word this man says. Next idea, Walrusman bobblehead including a comb for optimal 'stache softness.

8:18 p.m. - I wonder what South Carolina's away record is this year? Do I think Tennessee could beat them? Oh, sorry, I should be paying attention to this astonishingly wonderful lecture. We only have 42 minutes left in class and still what appears to be three speakers to go. Time to start the fun.

8:19 p.m. - Meanwhile, Mr. Walrus hasn't moved from his corner. Although I believe he had to change his pants once or twice.

8:21 p.m. - Smoky Joe Wood's lecture is over. Well done, really. I enjoyed it. My professor welcomes the next speaker to the podium. And looks genuinely terrified that he's in the company of such great writers. Because he's obviously not one.

8:25 p.m. - Another great speaker, very insightful and informational. Captain Walrus is being so attentive. He's probably just jealous of the speaker's well-groomed face salad. He hasn't even blinked.

8:30 p.m. - I finally found a picture!

8:38 p.m. - Taking a look around the class, here's what I see. Most are taking some kind of "notes" (most likely game-by-game predictions of the World Series, which has started in the time I've been in this classroom), some are wearing baseball attire (I see the same Johnny Bench t-shirt I've seen seemingly every day this quarter on the back of the same kid a few rows in front of me), and some are even watching the Phillies/Yankees game online. Oh wait, is that a Colorado Avalanche jersey? Wow, that's a first. But hey, the NHL and I will take it.

8:42 p.m. - The lecture primarily focused on George Sisler is over (very good) and as Walrus-man wipes away the tears ("it was. so beautiful..."), he says, "Ok, get up and stretch, students." Don't tell me my business, devil Walrus!

8:45 p.m. - The last speaker, the man who "invented" this class, and quit teaching it a few years ago, starts to speak, and he is wonderful. Entertaining, and understandable. Not dry, what a concept! He started his lecture off like this: "Professor Wood talked about how his weakness was an outside corner curveball...well my weakness was a pitched ball."

8:52 p.m. - Just learned that Babe Ruth carried around a sewing kit to sew his teammates jersey's if they needed it. Love this guy. My professor is in awe of his teaching abilities and strong speaking voice. You know, two things you need to be a...uh...professor.

8:59 p.m. - Walrus - "Now I know we're going to go overtime tonight, but this really is a once in lifetime opportunity for you to learn from the people who know so much about vintage baseball...koo koo kachoo." Oh, really? I know I learned a ton, but did you learn too?

9:04 p.m. - "We got out at 8:30 p.m. last class period, so we'll stay and ask questions tonight." I didn't realize classes had rollover minutes.

9:07 p.m. - He enlightens us, as if it's some kind of privilege for us to know what's happening in the outside world: "1-0 Phillies in the fourth." And as if not EVERYONE in the class has been following on their phones (which we're not supposed to have).

9:13 p.m. - The last speaker has seen Jackie Robinson play in person. How extremely cool. And another saw Willie Mays make "the Catch." Wow. He's also seen Michael Jordan strike out twice in person.

I've had so much fun writing this, and I hope you had just as much fun reading it. Who knows, maybe I'll do this again sometime if you give me some feedback. Fortunately, this has been the best class period I've had the pleasure of taking in this course. But don't be fooled, it's not worth it. Don't get sucked in by the name. Don't take History 319B. Just say no.

For Professor Walrus (he'd sign off personally, but he's crushing clam shells and eating fish while trying not to drool as he's talking to his idols), thanks for reading. It's been my pleasure.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Sunday, October 25, 2009

NFL Picks - Week 7

Kansas City over San Diego (-5)
Indianapolis (-13) over St. Louis
Chicago over Cincinnati (-1.5)
Green Bay (-7.5) over Cleveland
Pittsburgh (-4) over Minnesota
New England (-14.5) over Tampa Bay
Houston (-3) over San Francisco
Oakland over N.Y. Jets (-6)
Buffalo over Carolina (-7)
New Orleans (-6.5) over Miami
Atlanta over Dallas (-4)
N.Y. Giants (-7) over Arizona
Philadelphia (-7) over Washington

Last week: 8-6
Overall: 53-37

Saturday, October 24, 2009

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 7

Really fast, the picks for week seven, and yes, Duke made the board this week...

Pittsburgh Panthers - 27 South Florida Bulls - 17
Duke Blue Devils - 27 Maryland Terrapins - 20
Penn State Nittany Lions - 30 Michigan Wolverines - 23
Oklahoma Sooners - 30 Kansas Jayhawks - 23
UCLA Bruins - 23 Arizona Wildcats - 14
TCU Horned Frogs - 27 BYU Cougars - 23

Last week: 4-2
Overall: 24-13

Thursday, October 22, 2009

My Attempt at Being "The Onion"

For a while now, on my twitter page (@thesportsfan04), I've been receiving "tweets" (how ridiculous do you sound when you say THAT word, it's just as bad as "blog"...ugh) from the "Onion," the "Fake News Network." And they are fantastic. I've gotten headline tweets anywhere from "Nations Moron's March on Washington State" to "Teammates Fully Support Jonathan Papelbon's Claim That Playoff Loss Was His Fault" to "Redskins Hold Press Conference To Announce They Are Still Sort Of A Football Team."
Hilarious.
And if you actually click the links - which I do frequently - you find even funnier quips at the ends of minute-or-so-long satirical radio casts. Jokes like "the Onion now covers soccer and all other women's sports on the Onion radio network" are abundant.
So I've decided to try my hand. I'm not guaranteeing I'll have good "Onion" ideas all the time, but I'll try to think of good ones and post them here whenever I strike comedic gold. Here's my first try:

"Swine Flu a Brilliant Hoax by Purel to Gain More Business?"

Sunday, October 18, 2009

NFL Picks - Week 6

Another sunday, and another great day of NFL games. Here are the picks.

Kansas City over Washington (-6)
This just feels like the "black hole" of the weekend. Why do I have to pick this game? Can I just say "No Contest" or something? Maybe Washington will win by six and we can all just forget this game ever happened. Ok? Good.

Houston over Cincinnati (-4.5)
I have to, ok? I don't want to, but I have to. So stop judging me by my preseason sleeper pick. I can still see you judging me. STOP IT.

Pittsburgh (-14) over Cleveland
Polamalu is back, and Willie Parker isn't. Those are both fantastic signs for the Steelers if they want to get back to their winning ways. Troy gives the defense the spark it needs, and Mendenhall starting makes the offense what it was when the Bus was running the ball in the '90s. Plus, the Steelers are FINALLY realizing that Heath Miller is one of the best tight end's in the game, I think he'll have a huge day.

Minnesota (-3) over Baltimore
Baltimore's defense just hasn't been as good this year, it's that simple. Aside from Ray Lewis being a man-child against Darren Sproles, the Ravens "D" hasn't impressed me. And they've got another tough matchup against a very scary offense (and team altogether) in the Dome.

St. Louis over Jacksonville (-9.5)
Ugh. Another black spot on an otherwise great day of games. Bulger's back, and I still think Steven Jackson is a freak, so we'll go with the Rams.

N.Y. Giants over New Orleans (-3)
To be the beast of the NFC, the Saints need to beat the Giants, and even though their defense is much improved, I still think New York wins this game by a few. Although I expect there to be a ton of points scored by both teams. It's great for the NFL that the Saints are good again though, they're fun to watch.

Tampa Bay over Carolina (-3)
Another vacuum of energy. Let's move on.

Green Bay (-14) over Detroit
Aaron Rodgers has been great, and his refusal to blast his "holy" offensive line shows much more about who will be the leader of this team for a very long time. And not to mention he's my fantasy quarterback. So what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm starting an Air-Rod fan club, and everyone's invited.

Philadelphia (-14.5) over Oakland
This line can't be high enough. Antonio Pierce said all you need to know about the Raiders.

Arizona over Seattle (-3)
The Cardinals have been better of late, and I think they'll run the ball effectively this week to control the clock. They have to. If they don't, a healthier Matt Hasselbeck is going to throw for five touchdowns.

N.Y. Jets (-9.5) over Buffalo
Buffalo has quietly been one of the most awful teams in the league. Trent Edwards is no professional quarterback, and the Bills defense has been bad as well. Double Whammy for a Jets win. Side note: Braylon Edwards' big game last week won me a fantasy match-up by one point. One. I never thought I'd say it, but thank God for Braylon Edwards.

New England (-9.5) over Tennessee
I said it last week, and I'll say it again. The Titans were overrated last year, and they lost their best player on defense, so how did people expect them to be good in 2009? Beats me.

Atlanta (-3.5) over Chicago
I love Matt Ryan. And more importantly, I love Roddy White for his 200+ yard explosion last week. Thanks for answering my request for catches and touchdowns, Roddy. You da man.

Denver over San Diego (-3.5)
I BELIEVE!!! I BELIEVE IN KYLE ORTON!!! Basically, Orton's great game last week validated my entire blog. And if you aren't willing to read my predictions after that wonderful showing, go read another one. But just remember, you've lost my trust, and "The Winner" will come for you. And he will beat you.

Last week: 7-7
Overall: 45-31

It's about to be a really fun day of football. Enjoy! Thanks for readin'.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

NFL Picks - Week 5


Finally! I'm going to elaborate on my NFL picks (more-than-partially because I'm not waiting until 12:50 p.m. on Sunday to enter them in my column). For some reason, I think this week of pro games will be really unpredictable and really tough to pick. But anyway, here we go.

Minnesota (-10) over St. Louis
Isn't this an obvious pick? St. Louis may be the worst team in the league and last time I checked, the Vikings still had Adrian Peterson. A.P. just might score more points and account for more yards than the entire Rams offense will. Are there even any reasons to think about taking the Rams? Let's see, Kyle Boller is the quarterback and they've scored 24 points TOTAL in four games. You couldn't give me enough points to take St. Louis here.

Dallas (-8) over Kansas City
I really don't like the Cowboys. At all. But the Chiefs have been quietly horrid, especially on offense, where they rank 31st. Does that surprise anyone else? K.C.'s new head coach Todd Haley coordinated one of the best offenses in the game when he was with Arizona, and seriously, it's not like the Chiefs don't have weapons. Matt Cassel? Ok, I understand he may be a one-year-wonder. Dwayne Bowe's good, right? Meh, and injured. Larry Johnson? What happened to THAT guy?

Carolina (-3.5) over Washington
I've made the mistake of picking the Redskins over the Rams, Lions and Buccaneers in the last three weeks, and I've gotten burned in all three. So it's that simple, I won't do it again. I don't even care that if by result of my anti-Washington picks I happen to pick Jake Delhomme. That's fine. Kinda.

Philadelphia (-15) over Tampa Bay
I don't think I've ever seen an NFL line this high. Although I can't say I disagree with it. McNabb is back and the Eagles offense is full of pure playmakers. And not to mention that Tampa is really, really bad at playing football. And I've heard that if you're going to be an NFL franchise, you should probably be good at playing football, but that's just what I've heard.

N.Y. Giants (-14.5) over Oakland
Another insanely high line, and another agreement from me. The Giants are a well-oiled machine. I didn't understand when, before the season, everyone was saying how the lack of a number one receiver was going to kill them offensively. I said having three number two wide-outs was just as good. But now with the emergence of the other Steve Smith (for now), the G-men have a number one and a bunch of number two's, which is wonderful news for Eli Manning.

Cleveland over Buffalo (-6)
Here it is, Cleveland's best (only?) chance to win a game all year. They might not win, but Buffalo hasn't been anything special recently, so I'm expecting a close game, and I sure can't wait to watch it on CBS' regional coverage instead of a much better game!!!! (swallowing sadness)

Baltimore (-8.5) over Cincinnati
As a Steeler fan, Baltimore is scary good, especially with a rejuvenated Willis McGahee scoring mass amounts of touchdowns and Joe Flacco avoiding the sophomore slump. The Pittsburgh/Baltimore games are going to be lots of fun to watch this season.

Pittsburgh (-10.5) over Detroit
For some reason, this matchup scares me. I had the same feeling when the Steelers played the Bengals two weeks ago, and we know how that ended, but I think the feeling just means that I'm terrified that 2009 is turning into 2006. Of course, minus Big Ben's face meeting the windshield of a car.

Atlanta over San Francisco (-2.5)
Best game of the week. Matt Ryan gets his swagger back and, hopefully for my fantasy team, he gets his swagger back to Roddy White. Roddy, I could use some catches, thanks. Another noteworthy item: Even after he was dick-ish in contract negotiations forever, I still can't wait for Michael Crabtree to don the 49'er jersey, he's just simply fun to watch.

Denver over New England (-3)
I just wrote an entire column about how Kyle Orton was a winner. You think I'm going to turn back that quickly? I think not. But this is more about Denver's defense than anything else. Brian Dawkins is still one of the scariest humans on this planet that I love watching no matter what team he's playing for. And Tom Brady just hasn't looked like Tom Brady, so I have faith in the unbeaten Broncos to stay that way.

Houston over Arizona (-5.5)
Arizona = overrated. Houston = overrated. So it's the battle of the OR's, and I'm sticking with my sleeper. I haven't picked against them yet, and I need this to be a statement week so I stop making fun of myself for making this pick. Can't I at least get to week double-digits before I start throwing my predictions in the trash bin?

Jacksonville (PK) over Seattle
Matt Hasselbeck just looks...old. I know he's only in his early-thirties, but gosh, that guy went bald faster than anyone I've ever seen. And he's been injured too, so that doesn't bode well for the 'Hawks. I'll take Jacksonville by two touchdowns.

Indianapolis (-3.5) over Tennessee
Tennessee as the best 0-4 team ever? News Flash! They're still 0-4! I don't get it, they weren't that good last year anyway. They skated through an easy schedule and got beat by a better team in January. Then they lost Albert Haynesworth and, somehow, that trade went under the radar because people were still picking them to win the AFC South. Pah-lease.

N.Y. Jets (-1.5) over Miami
I just don't think the Jets defense will be fooled by anything Miami throws at them. And speaking of the Wildcat, the first full Dolphins game I watched since the inception of the pro-style-option-offense was two weeks ago on MNF, and I was really surprised that Miami doesn't fun it more than 20 percent of its' plays. I was shocked. Seriously. If it has worked so well in single games in the past, why don't they make it a huge chunk of the entire offensive playbook?

This was fun, let's do it again next week. Thanks for reading.

Last week: 9-5
Overall: 38-24

Friday, October 9, 2009

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 6


Have I mentioned that I love college football? If this season has taught me anything, it's that I'm 90 percent positive I like the college game more than I like the NFL. Crazy! I know. I thought that'd never happen. But this season, I'm watching more football than ever and I enjoy Saturday football for the same reasons I like NCAA basketball better than the NBA. Top to bottom, the atmosphere is simply better. Sure, it's tough to beat a Monday Night game at the Metrodome (circa last week, what an incredible atmosphere that was), but even the crowds at small college games are better than the 20,000 that the Lions usually draw, but I can watch college games almost every day of the week, and that puts me over the top.
Anyway, I had a great week picking games last week, going 5-2, so I'll try to keep the hot streak going this week.

Georgia Bulldogs - 20 Tennessee Volunteers - 10
Because I have no basis for this pick other than a hunch, but gosh I love Eric Berry, Lane Kiffin and Volunteer Stadium.

Pittsburgh Panthers - 30 Connecticut Huskies - 20
Because I swear I'm not a homer, and because if Dave Wannstedt doesn't win the Big East in 2009, he may not be the coach of the Panthers in '10.

Florida Gators - 27 LSU Tigers - 13
Even without Tebow, LSU is overrated, and Florida is a great defensive team.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - 34 Florida State Seminoles - 24
I picked them to win the ACC, right?

UPSET SPECIAL!!!
Michigan Wolverines - 24 Iowa Hawkeyes - 20
I am fully on board the Tate Forcier train. I'd be surprised if I picked against the Wolverines for the rest of the season. Seriously.

Thanks for reading!

Last week: 5-2
Overall: 17-9

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Just Win, Baby


I spy a quarterback who hasn't had a losing season since high school.
I spy a quarterback who started four straight bowl games in college.
I spy a quarterback who has over a .750 winning percentage in the NFL.

What's your first guess? Peyton Manning? Ben Roethlisberger?
Wrong and wrong.
The answer is Kyle Orton. Yes, Kyle Orton. Once more, Kyle. Orton.
The man simply wins football games. Don't believe me? Look it up. He played in four straight bowl games at Purdue after having to deal with the pressure of being the next Boilermaker quarterback after Drew Brees, and he flourished. People forget that he was a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2005 before he got hurt in two straight games. But seriously, no matter where Orton has been, he has been a winner.
Purdue? Check.
Chicago? Check. As a Bears rookie, Orton was thrown into the 2005 season after Rex Grossman got hurt. What did he do? He went 10-5 (ho hum) including an 8-game winning streak (ho hum) that won Chicago the NFC North (ho hum). His stats weren't pretty (51.9 completion percentage, 9 TD/13 INT), sure, but he won football games. And isn't that all you want in the NFL? All the Bears did was bench him for the playoffs in 2005 (29-21 loss to Carolina) and all of 2006. But Orton went 2-1 in 2007 and then 9-7 in 2008 with a team that really overachieved.
I know what you're thinking, Orton has been dependent on having great teams around him. The Bears always had a great defense that won games for them, but you can't have just any J.P. Losman under center and expect to win more than six games per season. It just won't work. That's where an expert game manager is needed, and Kyle Orton is the best in the business. He makes fewer mistakes than most quarterbacks because he is given less opportunity to single-handedly win games, but he still doesn't make those game-crippling mistakes. He takes what he's given and does exactly what the coaches expect him to do: not lose games.
Needless to say, now that you know how big a Kyle Orton fan I am, I just didn't see why everyone thought the Orton/Cutler trade was SO bad for Denver. Would someone like to tell me what Denver lost? Ok, I'll enlighten you. The Broncos lost a quarterback who publicized that he hadn't been a part of a winning season since high school. SINCE HIGH SCHOOL?? Wow.
So, if you're a fan of a team playing a team currently quarterbacked by Kyle Orton, just beware that anything can happen in sixty minutes with a pure winner under center. Make fun of him all you want, but know that Kyle Orton is having the best year of his career (five touchdown's, no INT's in four games in 2009 and Denver is 4-0), and you have to take notice.
Because "The Winner" is coming for you next.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

NFL Picks - Week 4

I swear I'd like to write more about these, I'll try to next week. Here we go!

Houston (-9.5)
over Oakland
Jacksonville over Tennessee (-3)
New England (-2) over Baltimore
Cincinnati (-5.5) over Cleveland
N.Y. Giants (-9.5) over Kansas City
Detroit over Chicago (-10)
Washington (-7) over Tampa Bay
Indy (-9.5) over Seattle
N.Y. Jets over New Orleans (-7)
Miami over Buffalo (-2)
San Francisco (-9.5) over St. Louis
Denver over Dallas (-3)
Pittsburgh (-6.5) over San Diego
Green Bay over Minnesota (-3.5)

Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 29-19

Friday, October 2, 2009

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 5

Michigan State Spartans - 27 #20 Michigan Wolverines - 21
Because Michigan State is desperate, and because Michigan looked lost last week.

#4 LSU Tigers - 17 #18 Georgia Bulldogs - 13
Because everyone seems to think LSU is overrated, and because Georgia always is.

UCLA Bruins - 27 Stanford Cardinal - 17
Because the Bruins have an underrated defense, and great uniforms.
Washington Huskies - 28 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 24
Because I strongly dislike everything about Notre Dame football, and because Jake Locker is awesome.

#7 USC Trojans - 30 #24 California Golden Bears - 10
Because I heard someone say that Jack Nicklaus was called the "Golden Bear" because he went to Cal, and because that is news to me.

#17 Miami Hurricanes - 31 #8 Oklahoma Sooners - 24
Because Jacory Harris is a pimp, and that's all.

Auburn Tigers - 27 Tennessee Volunteers - 17
Because Auburn's offensive firepower has returned, and because Tennessee should have beat Ohio U. by 80 last week.

Last week: 3-3
Overall: 12-7