Let's Go Bowling

Here's the rest of the picks for the...uh...third most wonderful time of the year? Let's see, March Madness, NFL's Divisional playoff weekend, and then college bowl season? That's about right, and that's amazing, because college bowl season is so, so wonderful. As usual, outside the BCS, there are plenty of bright spots (Champs Sports, Capital One, Sun Bowl) and many of those "Why?" games (Insight, International). Bowls are separated by days, and when games go final, green indicates a correct pick, and red tells you that I missed (sometimes badly)...

-----------------------

New Mexico: Fresno State (8-4) - 33; Wyoming (6-6) - 14

St. Petersburg: Rutgers (8-4) - 24; UCF (8-4) - 23

New Orleans: Southern Miss (7-5) - 34; Middle Tennessee (9-3) - 20

Las Vegas: #14 BYU (10-2) - 30; #18 Oregon State (8-4) - 24

Poinsettia: California (8-4) - 27; #23 Utah (9-3) - 23

Hawaii: SMU (7-5) - 17; Nevada (8-4) - 10

Little Caesars: Ohio (9-3) - 691; Marshall (6-6) - 6

Meineke Car Care: #17 Pittsburgh (9-3) - 27; UNC (8-4) - 13

Emerald: Boston College (8-4) - 27; #24 USC (8-4) - 17

Music City: Kentucky (7-5) - 24; Clemson (8-5) - 17

Independence: Georgia (7-5) - 24; Texas A&M (6-6) - 10

Eaglebank: UCLA (6-6) - 20; Temple (9-3) - 17

Champs Sports: #25 Wisconsin (9-3) - 27; #15 Miami (FL) (9-3) - 23

Humanitarian: Idaho (7-5) - 27; Bowling Green (7-5) - 23

Holiday: #22 Nebraska (9-4) - 17; #20 Arizona (8-4) - 13

Armed Forces: Houston (10-3) - 45; Air Force Academy (7-5) - 27

Sun: #21 Stanford (8-4) - 35; Oklahoma (7-5) - 23

Texas: Navy (9-4) - 23; Missouri (8-4) - 14

Insight: Iowa State (6-6) - 17; Minnesota (6-6) - 13

Chick-fil-A: Tennessee (7-5) - 20; #11 Virginia Tech (9-3) - 13

Outback: Auburn (7-5) - 34; Northwestern (8-4) - 27

Capital One: #12 LSU (9-3) - 27; #13 Penn State (10-2) - 24

Gator: Florida State (6-6) - 27; #16 West Virginia (9-3) - 14

Rose: #7 Oregon (10-2) - 20; #8 Ohio State (10-2) - 14

Sugar: #5 Florida (12-1) - 23; #3 Cincinnati (12-0) - 20

International: South Florida (7-5) - 23; Northern Illinois (7-5) - 14

Cotton: #19 Oklahoma State (9-3) - 27; Mississippi (8-4) - 20

PapaJohns.com: Connecticut (7-5) - 27; South Carolina (7-5) - 20

Liberty: Arkansas (7-5) - 27; East Carolina (9-4) - 14

Alamo: Texas Tech (8-4) - 34; Michigan State (6-6) - 20

Fiesta: #4 TCU (12-0) - 27; #6 Boise State (13-0) - 24

Orange: #9 Georgia Tech (11-2) - 33; #10 Iowa (10-2) - 27

GMAC: Central Michigan (11-2) - 44; Troy (9-3) - 27

Nat'l Championship: #2 Texas (13-0) - 27; #1 Alabama (13-0) - 21

Overall: 19-15

-----------------------

It's the (third) mossssst wonderful timeeee of the year! Enjoy, and thanks for reading.

p.s. chips and salsa is a great snack to have handy when you're bowling.

College Football: A Look Back, A Look Forward

Preseason college football polls are awful. They always have been, and they make for mass confusion at the end of the season. But I finally know why they exist.
Preseason polls are created so the voters can see how their predictions held up at the end of the season.
I'm finding out that the best part of making predictions is going back at the end of the year and finding out just how good (or bad) you did. My first year of college football predictions actually went pretty well. Here's the look-back. (My preseason picks are in red (wrong) and green (correct))

---------------------------------

Heisman Trophy Winner: Colt McCoy, Texas

Actual: Mark Ingram, Alabama

ACC Champion: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

I'm very proud of this one...GT had its' best season since the '50's and I rode the triple-option train all year long.

Big Ten Champion: Penn State Nittany Lions

Actual: Ohio State Buckeyes

It's quite funny, actually, if you know anything about the recent history of Ohio State football, it seems like the Buckeye fan base loses faith in the team after they perennially lose to USC. It was the same story this year. OSU loses to Southern Cal and to Purdue, the season is seemingly lost, and then they run the table to get to their first Rose Bowl in forever. It's about time the state of Ohio had a better-than-disappointing football team (the Bengals' great season coupled with Cincy's BCS berth gives Ohio THREE postseason teams...is the apocalypse coming?)

Big East Champion: South Florida Bulls

Actual: Cincinnati Bearcats

It may look like a horrible pick, but USF was crushed by injuries, and both Cincinnati and South Florida were talented and unranked at the start of the season (how ridiculous does THAT sound for Cincy?).

Big Twelve Champion: Texas Longhorns

There was never any doubt. This pick was really too easy.

Pac-10 Champion: Oregon Ducks

I'm most proud of my Oregon pick. For as much as I was on the GT train all year, I was driving the Oregon bandwagon from day one (yes, even after they got dismantled on the blue turf at Boise). UO's win over Arizona was one of my favorite games of the year, and, as always, Oregon's jerseys never disappointed.

SEC Champion: Florida Gators

Actual: Alabama Crimson Tide

Very glad this pick didn't come true. Alabama was clearly the better team in the SEC Championship game (and all year, for that matter), but if Florida would have won the SEC, Tebow would have been in serious talk for the Heisman, and as I've said before, that would have been a travesty.

MAC Champion: Central Michigan Chippewas

Mountain West Champion: TCU Horned Frogs

WAC Champion: Boise State Blue Fields

These three were no-brainers from the beginning.

Conference USA Champion: Houston Cougars

Actual: East Carolina Pirates

I'm legitimately upset about Houston not winning C-USA. ECU needed OT to upset the Cougs in the title game, and you probably didn't even think about reading about how it happened, because it's C-USA, right? You saw the headline and glanced over it to read about how Tiger had an affair with Joan Rivers or someone (too soon?), but I lost my mind when I heard. Case Keenum isn't a "Rick", but he was "Rick-diculous" in 2009, routinely throwing for over 500 yards in single games. East Carolina, prepare to enter my doghouse, effective immediately.

Sun Belt Champion: Florida International Golden Panthers

Actual: Troy Trojans

It was a shot in the dark, ok? I had no realistic chance at getting this one right.

Do they matter anymore?

Notre Dame: 7-5

Actual: 6-6

Michigan: 6-6

Actual: 5-7

BCS Bowl Predictions:

BCS National Championship Game: Tim Tebow's vs. Colt 45's

Rose Bowl (of course, presented by Citi): Oregon Ducks vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

Sugar Bowl: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Boise State Blue Fields

Orange Bowl: South Florida Bulls vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Fiesta Bowl: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Southern California Trojans

Missed on: TCU, Iowa, Cincinnati

Season picks: 48-25 (wow, not bad for a first year)

---------------------------------

Now that we've recapped the season, complained about the BCS and watched Tebow get knocked out for the ump-teenth time (the song is the best part of that video), we can go bowling. I'll give you today's picks, and then get the rest of them out there in a day or two.

New Mexico: Fresno State - 33; Wyoming - 14

St. Petersburg: Rutgers - 24; UCF - 23

Thanks for reading.

p.s. I've gotten a bunch of inquiries about the Winter Olympics Competition, and my answer is still the same...I have no idea whether I won or not. Hopefully I'll be finding out in the next few days, but I can't say enough how much I appreciate the support I got from all of you. If you voted for me or told me you read my writing, even if I don't personally know you, I can't thank you enough. Even if I don't win, seeing all the support I got from everyone in my life will be the silver lining.

My Heisman Pick

     Can you think of a Heisman race that has ever been this wide-open? Seriously, the award could go to any of the five finalists, and I think that makes for great TV...anyway, I'm not even sure I have a guess as to who will win (I might by the time I finish this article, but my pick will change three times today).  So, let's break it down.

The Legacy
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida Gators
Passing: 182/279 (65%), 2,413 yds, 18 TD, 5 INT
Rushing: 203 rush, 859 yds, 13 TD


I'm not saying Tebow isn't a great football player, because he is.  But if he wins his second Trophy, it will be the travesty of all travesties. Honestly, he has been just a mediocre version of his 2007 - and even his 2008 - self, he just happens to be the best player on the formerly-best-team-in-the-country.  Side note: That argument for the Heisman winner is complete garbage.  Why should whether or not you're 12-0 or 11-1 make any difference whether you win the award? If his name wasn't Tim Tebow he wouldn't even be invited (enter, Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State).

The Star with No Shot
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska Huskers
87 tackles, 47 solo, 12 sacks, 12 quarterbacks who crapped their pants when playing him


That last stat is unofficial, of course.  Suh has been phenomenal all year, but no one outside of college football diehards and Nebraska fans really knew who he was.  Until last week, that is.  Good ol' Colt is one of those twelve QB's who need new pants.  Four sacks and much havoc reeked on a team who is playing for the National Championship.  We saw more ridiculous individual performances this year that we've ever seen before, and that was certainly one of them.

The Trendy Gunslinger
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas Longhorns
Passing: 330/468 (70%), 3,512 yds, 27 TD, 12 INT
Rushing: 128 rush, 327 yds, 3 TD


Ladies and gentlemen, a quarterback should not win the Heisman this year. Even though I picked Colt 45 to win it in the preseason, voters usually love quarterbacks from Nat'l Championship-caliber teams, and was hoping he'd have a Heisman-type game against Nebraska last week, we've already established that he did not (see: Suh, Ndamukong).  McCoy was another QB who didn't come close to his 2008 stats, and that (should) hurt him in the voting.  I would be extremely surprised if he wins the award, but then again I've been surprised before (hello, Jason White over Larry Fitzgerald).

The Sleeper
Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford Cardinal
Rushing: 311 rush, 1,736 yds, 26 TD
Receiving: 10 rec, 149 yds


I sure hope you saw Toby run wild over Notre Dame, because if you didn't, wow, you missed out on one of the finest performances of the year.  Just a little taste. Kid's an absolute beast, and he is absolutely deserving of winning tonight.  He leads the country in yards and touchdowns (and I'm told he's a stellar student at Stanford, of all places).  If you've never watched him play first-hand, you probably think he's a nobody. But let me tell you, he will be drafted higher than Tebow in the NFL draft next April, you can bet on it.

The Winner
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Rushing: 249 rush, 1,542 yds, 15 TD
Receiving: 30 rec, 322 yds, 3 TD


I struggled with this pick, even as I wrote the Gerhart paragraph, and I know in an hour I'll change my mind.  Ingram has been more than incredible for 11 games, and, most importantly, was huge in the blowout of Florida which made Tebow cry and Urban Meyer dehydrate himself so he could feel more pain (I kid, I kid).  He, like Gerhart, is not flashy (like a Reggie Bush), but he is an extremely dangerous running back who will beat you up and knock you down whenever he wants to.

Want to know how close the top two are (and not just in my head)? On ESPN.com's "Heisman Watch," the panel of voters wound up giving Ingram and Gerhart 77 points each.  So, if it's a tie there, and it's basically a tie in my head too, can't we just have them suit up and run at each other full-speed?  I say the one who knocks the other one backward is the winner.

Good idea?

Thanks for reading, enjoy the night.

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 12

I'm thankful for my great family, wonderful friends, Thursday football, college basketball, Allen Iverson and Tyronn Lue, Simply Orange, boxes of chocolate ice cream, turkey, tryptophan, Thanksgiving naps, Aaron Rodgers, Walrusmen, Jay Cutler's interceptions, waking up to a bunch of "Happy Thanksgiving!" text messages, the Jake Delhomme after-interception face, having people tell me they're "voting for you every day!", Tyler Thigpen circa 2008, Olympic curling, and whoever invented the Turkey Bowl.

After my personal bye week (due to finals and a lack of sleep), I'm back at the grind...let's start with some Turkey Day NFL picks and a few important college picks.

NFL (gobble, gobble):

Green Bay (-11.5) over Detroit

I hope they never change these games, no matter how bad the Lions get. Seriously, what other time during the season can ESPN.com's headline be about Detroit and no one thinks twice? Plus, you don't want to be watching a barnburner shortly after you've eaten six-to-eight pounds of turkey. A nice, easy, simple win by Green Bay will help your stomach digest all that Thanksgiving has to offer. On a side note: last week, as the Steelers were busy losing to the Chiefs, I got the pleasure of watching the Lions/Browns game (thank you very much, CBS regional coverage). And let me tell you, that game ended up being the best game I've seen all year, and it was made even better because we were watching with a Browns fan.

Oakland over Dallas (-13.5)

Probably a stupid pick, but after Dallas almost got goose-egged by the Redskins (of all teams), I think 13.5 might be a little bit on the high side. And now I suddenly remember why the Raiders are so, so bad. But I remember it conveniently after already making my pick. Great.

N.Y. Giants (-5) over Denver

I want the Broncos to win this game, I really do. And I can't believe I'm picking against The Winner. But I am, only because Eli and Company looked like they were semi-back last week, and because I don't want ANY team to gain an AFC Wild Card spot if my sleeper Texans aren't going to make it. Can't we take a year off from the W.C.?

NCAA:

Ohio Bobcats - 27 Temple Owls - 21 (OT)

First, if you're wondering "WHY THIS GAME?" I'll enlighten you. I'm a Bobcat, through and through (even if I've called for Frank Solich's old-fashioned style of football to be canned). And second, the ramifications are huge. The winner wins the MAC East and moves on to the MAC Championship game early next month. For Ohio, two wins in the next three (including a bowl game, assuming they're chosen) means a TEN win season, and that would be an incredible turnaround after the 4-8 stink-bomb they put up last year. O-H...I-O, in a great one.

Pittsburgh Panthers - 23 West Virginia Mountaineers - 20

WHOOPS! Forgot to pick this game, but I'm doing it now (three hours before game time, just so you know it's legitimate). I live in Pittsburgh, yes, but I'm not a huge Pitt football fan. However, when Shady McCoy and the Panthers ended West Virginia's national title hopes in 2007, I rejoiced alone in my basement. Now Pitt has a chance to get to a BCS game if they win the next two, so the Mountaineers have a chance at redemption. Does Pat White still play at WVU? No? Ok, I'll take Pitt, thank you very much.

South Carolina Gamecocks - 23 Clemson Tigers - 14

Simple: SEC > ACC. That's all. Although C.J. Spiller is a stud.

Oklahoma State Cowboys - 30 Oklahoma Sooners - 23

With the victory, Oklahoma State stays alive for a BCS at-large bid (which they don't deserve, even though I picked them to get there in the preseason - there's a chance the Pokes would get in over unbeaten Boise State, and that's just shenanigans). I really want Boise to get to the BCS, but I want my picks to be right. Oh, how torn I am. Tie, please?

BYU Cougars - 33 Utah Utes - 14

Too much offense for the Utes to handle, as Max Hall runs it up in the second half after Utah keeps it close in the first. Talk about your underachieving mid-majors, huh? Utah lost a lot of players after last season, so their drop-off is almost understandable, but BYU just TANKED after a program-defining win over the Sooners in week one. Ouchtown, population B.Y.(YOU)., bro.

Stanford Cardinal - 30 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 27

Toby Gerhart, meet Swiss cheese (ND rush D). Toby likes Swiss Cheese. Toby eats Swiss cheese at all three meals. And on a side note, how hysterical was it that Jimmy Clausen got sucker-punched? I'll tell you. My decidedly anti-ND family and I will undoubtedly laugh about it over turkey in a few hours.

Have a marvelous holiday. Remember to vote for me for the Olympics!!! Thanks for readin'.

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 10

What do you think? Can we please get some separation in college football? Can anyone win convincingly? On the brighter side (as is the title of my blog), I've been sneakily good picking the college game in 2009, and I'll keep it going in week 10.

#20 Wisconsin Badgers - 31 Michigan Wolverines - 23

I can't believe I'm picking against the Forcier's (I haven't done it all season), but RichRod's team is simply struggling, especially on the defensive side of the ball. And not to mention Wisconsin's nearly unbeatable at home.

#11 Ohio State Buckeyes - 23 Iowa Hawkeyes - 14

With Stanzi out, the Hawkeyes lose more than their quarterback. They lose their offensive leadership. From what I saw of Vandenburg against Northwestern in limited time, I can't see Iowa scoring with ease against a Buckeyes defense just hitting their stride.

#17 Arizona Wildcats - 27 California Golden Bears - 10

I guess there's potential for a "team that's extra motivated wins with pure heart" victory for Cal after Jahvid Best's injury, and I haven't seen much of the Wildcats, but I don't think Cal will be able to move the ball very well without Best helping to move the ball with his electric feet.

#4 TCU Horned Frogs - 30 #16 Utah Utes - 14

The biggest game of the week won't even be close. Utah isn't anywhere near where they've been in the past, and TCU isn't about to let the Utes beat them twice in a row. I'm tellin' you, TCU for the National Championship. And on another note...without a clear-cut number-one contender for the Heisman, I think Kellen Moore deserves more credit than he's getting. Sure, I still think Mark Ingram should win it, but Moore's been terrific in 2009 and he needs to get a ton of votes.

#8 Pittsburgh Panthers - 27 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 14

Sure, I'm from Pittsburgh, but I've never been a die-hard Panthers football fan (I'm more of a basketball guy), but I've seen my fair share of Pitt games this year, and they seriously look good. I covered a bunch of Panthers when they played high school ball (Jonathan Baldwin, Anthony Taglianetti), and I know the kind of athletic talent they possess. Baldwin, especially, has tremendous speed and leaping ability. Pitt and Cincinnati for the Big East title? That has best game of the year in the Big East written all over it.

Georgia Bulldogs - 17 Auburn Tigers - 13

I always love picking these games. You know, the "two mediocre, but evenly matched teams playing in a semi-meaningless conference game." In this thriller, Georgia's defense prevails.

Last week: 3-3

Overall: 36-19

Enjoy the weekend. Thanks for reading.

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 9

Looking back at my preseason picks, I'm pretty proud of the way they're turning out. We'll see after this week, however.

LSU Tigers - 23 Alabama Crimson Tide - 13

Ok, I picked LSU for all the wrong reasons. Mainly because I want every team in the top three to lose so we end up having Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State sitting there undefeated with a bunch of one-loss BCS-conference teams. If Boise and TCU were to play in the National Championship, that would completely overthrow the system (I'd hope) and cause a real discussion about a playoff in college football. But it'll never happen.

Penn State Nittany Lions - 27 Ohio State Buckeyes - 21

Only because the game is in Happy Valley. Is it just me or do even the "big games" in the Big Ten seem anti-climactic? The best thing about this game will be the PSU White Out. And seeing JoePa get angry. (see above)

UCLA Bruins - 24 Washington Huskies - 10

Too bad for Jake Locker that the Huskies couldn't keep rolling with the momentum of that win over USC. The Huskies were such a great story, and honestly, they still are. A year after going oh-fer, Washington is back on the map, but they won't be able to win much more down the stretch. Neuheisel gets his first Pac 10 win.

UNC Tarheels - 20 Duke Blue Devils - 17

Did you know that Duke still has a chance to make the BCS? I don't want to think about that possibility anymore. Heels win.

Oregon State Beavers - 33 California Golden Bears - 24

Cal's been falling since their great start, and I don't think they'll right the ship in time to finish strong in the Pac 10. But Jahvid Best is a stud. So there's hope for the Bears.

Oklahoma Sooners - 23 Nebraska Huskers - 10

Just one of those games that makes you go..."ugh." The walking wounded against the horribly boring. I'll take Formerly-Big-Game-Bob.

Last week: 4-2

Overall: 33-16

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.

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

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

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

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 4

Sure, I nailed my upset pick, but after a heartbreaking, last-second, streak-crushing week two in college football, I'm back at the grind picking more great games. Here we go:

(in the battle of the "Why is this team ranked?")

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - 27 #24 North Carolina Tar Heels - 10

Northwestern Huskies - 23 Minnesota Golden Gophers- 21

#9 Miami Hurricanes - 30 #11 Virginia Tech Hokies -17

There's just something different about this Miami team than ones we've seen in the last three or four years. Obviously, they have Jacory Harris (who I have a huge man-crush on), need I say more? But I would argue the biggest difference is that Miami post-Larry Coker was just...Miami whereas in 2009, this isn't Miami. It's the "U." And I'm happy that the "U" is back. I love seeing Miami's swagger back in college football. It just makes the game more fun to watch. And I'll be watching when Harris and co. put on another show Saturday afternoon.

#13 Ohio State Buckeyes - 27 Illinois Illini - 24

#24 Washington Huskies - 24 Stanford Cardinal - 17

Last week: 3-3

This week: 1-0

Overall: 10-4

Thanks fo' reading, y'all.

Upset Special!

So, I don't care if you believe me or not, but I correctly (verbally) picked the biggest upsets of the last two weeks in college football.

Sitting around talking about week two's games, I said that Houston (my pick to win C-USA) would beat then-number 5 Oklahoma State. And, after they did, I kicked myself for not putting the pick in writing. So what did I do in week three? I predicted Washington to beat #3 Southern Cal, and promptly left it out of my week three pick column. After those debacles, I debated whether or not to leave my "Upset Special" pick out of the column again because of the success I had with the Cougars and Huskies.

Irony's got nothing on me.

I'm taking South Carolina, and the best defense in the SEC (yeah, I said it) to beat #4 Mississippi tonight in Columbia. Final score:

South Carolina - 17 Ole Miss - 13

Last Weekend's Recap and NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 3

In my opinion, last weekend was the official start to the sporting year; NFL action began and there were great games in both the professional and college games, while I completely forgot that baseball was still in the regular season (come on, guys, what are you doing over there at MLB?). In the NCAA, I was a perfect 5-0, which I haven't stopped bragging about since. I'm especially excited at just how I was perfect. Take a look at what I predicted for the USC/OSU game last week.

"I say Barkley leads the game winning touchdown drive with under two minutes left and

continues the Big-Ten woe in big games."

Well, folks, it doesn't get any better than that: A perfect week. Don't expect it to happen again. Otherwise, in college football there was a remarkably high number of fantastic games last Saturday. From Michigan's win over Notre Dame (one of the best games of the year, no doubt, and one of the best final calls I've heard in a while) to UCLA beating Tennessee to USC/Ohio State, this past weekend proved to be what we waited for all summer and then some. But the beauty of fall weekends is when Saturdays leave you wanting more, Sundays bring it. And Sundays bring it hard.

When the NFL kicked off and I opened my "Fantasycast" on ESPN, I was in sports heaven. Unfortunately, my Sunday got off to a horrible start and ended just as poorly (at least on the fantasy side of things, that is). I finished the weekend 1-3-1 in my five fantasy leagues, not once finishing with more than 71 points. It was one of the worst overall weeks of my fantasy career, so I can only go up from here and I went 9-7 in my picks against the spread, so I'm in desperate need of a rebound week in all NFL aspects.

Anyway, here are my college football picks for this week (NFL to come later):

Miami Hurricanes - 37 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets- 33

After Miami played another of the best games of the year against Florida State, the Hurricanes got a week off to prepare for the Jackets, who barely survived Clemson last Thursday. Jacory Harris was marvelous in the opening week win, and I expect him to be on his game again in a high-scoring ACC slugfest. Against GT's stellar triple option, Miami's defense is going to get run on, sure, but the key will be keeping the ball out of the hands of the Tech offense, and I think Miami and Harris can do just that.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - 21 Virginia Tech Hokies - 13

Oregon Ducks - 27 Utah Utes - 17

Michigan State Spartans - 30 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 27

Brigham Young Cougars - 40 Florida State Seminoles - 24

Auburn Tigers - 24 West Virginia Mountaineers - 20

Last week: 5-0

Overall: 6-1

I appreciate you. Thanks for reading.

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 2

Week two of college football is coming up fast, and that means it's time for another week of predicting the best games on the slate this weekend.

Last week, I told you I had faith in Oklahoma and Sam Bradford. Well, thanks to a wonderful shoulder injury, BYU upset the Sooners and spoiled my perfect opening week. However, I was far from perfect even with that loss, because I told you I thought the OU/BYU game would be a shootout (14-13 final), and I told you that the Alabama/Virginia Tech game would be low scoring (34-24 final). So, I have some work to do.

Here are my week two picks:

North Carolina Tar Heels - 24 Connecticut Huskies - 10

Michigan Wolverines - 31 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 23

UCLA Bruins - 24 Tennessee Volunteers - 20

Georgia Bulldogs - 17 South Carolina Gamecocks - 6

And, most importantly:

USC Trojans - 28 Ohio State Buckeyes - 27

I covered Terrelle Pryor in high school, so I'm pulling for him to win a huge game at home against Southern Cal, but, at this point, how can you find fault in any decision Pete Carroll makes? He believes in his freshman quarterback, and so do I. I say Barkley leads the game winning touchdown drive with under two minutes left and continues the Big-Ten woe in big games.

Week 1: 1-1

Overall: 1-1

Thanks for readin'.

NCAA Big Game Pick 'Em - Week 1

The college football season has kicked off, and the first slate of games has already produced some fireworks. Let's recap the action so far: my preseason Pac-10 Champion Oregon got embarrassed by Boise State and then suspended their star running back for the season after he sucker punched a Bronco player (good start for my predictions). Greg Paulus and the Orange lost in overtime on a 35 yard field goal, and, speaking of field goals, Northern Iowa didn't have much success in the clutch as not one, but TWO game winning attempts were blocked by Iowa's defensive line.

I'm going to begin picking a few big games of the week in college football (I may pick the whole weeks schedule in the NFL, but we'll see), so here are my previews and predictions for two big games coming up tonight.

In the first game of the night, Oklahoma takes on BYU from inside Jerry Jones' baby. ESPN has been preaching how good the Sooners defense is going to be in 2009, but do they mean compared to other Big-12 JV defenses? I don't believe the hype, but I do believe in the greatness of Sam Bradford. BYU has a great quarterback of its' own in Max Hall, and I think we're going to see a shootout at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Oklahoma Sooners - 41 Brigham Young - 27

In the other nightcap, Alabama takes on Virginia Tech in the best non-conference game of the year. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic to watch this game, I think it'll be a Steelers/Ravens-type game; you know, a hard-hitting defensive war that's only fun to watch if you appreciate magnificent football. I'll be parked in front of the TV, no doubt.

Alabama - 20 Virginia Tech - 13

Enjoy the games, I know I will. Thanks for reading.

BCS Predictions: Not so fast, Gators

In my quest to find the 2009-10 BCS National Champion, I had to first narrow down the field to a handful of teams that could win the title. The eight teams (or groups of teams) that make up my list of hopefuls are: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State/Ohio State, Southern Cal, Alabama, Virginia Tech, and Boise State/TCU/Utah.

Let me explain a few those picks: the winner of PSU/OSU has a shot at an undefeated season and a title chance, and the only reason I didn't do the same with UT/OU is because the Sooners lost to Texas last year and still made it to the title game. Realistically, only one of the mid-majors has a chance. I'd say Boise has the best shot, returning QB Kellen Moore, a sophomore who threw 25 touchdowns last year.

To narrow it down even more, lets start by giving Virginia Tech and the group of small schools the axe. To be nice, the ACC is horrible, and the Hokies always seem to have big expectations. Accompanying those lofty goals in 2009 will be a brutal start to the season, when VT plays Alabama in the best non-conference game of the year and Nebraska two weeks later. Even if they get past those two, Beamerball will fall apart for one week like it always does, and they'll probably lose to, say, Boston College. Also, while we're being honest, the BCS will never let a mid-major win a National Championship, so bye-bye little guys.

Next, I think Penn State, being at home, will win the annual clash with the Buckeyes, so that removes Ohio State from contention, but we've seen the Nittany's get screwed before, and, even if they go unbeaten, I don't think they'll make the cut. Moving to the west coast, USC is starting a freshman quarterback and lost their entire linebacking corp from 2008, so I'm saying "naw" to the Trojans, plus I don't even think they'll win the Pac-10.

That leaves us with Florida and Alabama from the SEC and Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12. Florida isn't going to lose until the SEC Championship at the earliest, when they play the Tide and I don't see them losing there either. Florida will move unscathed into the BCS Title Game. On the Big 12 side, sticking with the home-field theme, I think Colt 45 and the Longhorns beat Stoops' Sooners in the Red River Rivalry. Texas' biggest challenge will be a matchup at Oklahoma State, but I think they will win that game and advance to play Tim Tebow in January.

Do you remember the last time the media was anointing a college football team as "one of the greatest teams ever?" I do, and I remember that team being 2005's Southern California team led by Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. ESPN ran a segment leading up to the Championship game that matched USC up to the greatest teams in history and analysts picked the winner of each matchup. Do you remember what happened to Pete Carroll and company in that title game? They got pushed around and flat-out beat by Mack Brown, Vince Young and Texas. So, ladies and gentlemen, I'm calling for the upset.

The 2009 National Champion will be the Texas Longhorns.

More Predictions:

Heisman Trophy Winner: Colt McCoy, Texas

ACC Champion: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Big Ten Champion: Penn State Nittany Lions

Big East Champion: South Florida Bulls

Big Twelve Champion: Texas Longhorns

Pac-10 Champion: Oregon Ducks

SEC Champion: Florida Gators

MAC Champion: Central Michigan Chippewas

Mountain West Champion: TCU Horned Frogs

WAC Champion: Boise State Blue Fields

Conference USA Champion: Houston Cougars

Sun Belt Champion: Florida International Golden Panthers

Do they matter anymore?

Notre Dame: 7-5

Michigan: 6-6

BCS Bowl Predictions:

BCS National Championship Game: Tim Tebow's vs. Colt 45's

Rose Bowl (of course, presented by Citi): Oregon Ducks vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

Sugar Bowl: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Boise State Blue Fields

Orange Bowl: South Florida Bulls vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Fiesta Bowl: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Southern California Trojans

NFL predictions will be up by next week. Thanks for reading.

New Schedule Previews: Part Two - College Football

This is part two of my three-part series about the best match-ups of the wonderful sports season that starts this fall...my NHL preview came first, and now I'll follow with college football. NFL - coming soon.

My favorite aspect of watching an entire season of college football is not having to wait until half way through the season to watch legitimately entertaining games (hello, college basketball?). As a fan, you get your money's worth from early September through the regular season and into early January. The 2009 schedule is no different; seemingly every week is packed with meaningful games. All the usual conference powerhouse games are there -LSU/Florida, Penn State/Ohio State, Alabama/Auburn, Texas/Oklahoma, etc. - but I'm much more interested in what games are scheduled out-of-conference. So, in honor of the start of the fall season, here are my picks for the best five non-conference games.

5. Oklahoma at Miami (FL) (October 3)

All kidding aside, who schedules games for Miami? The 'Canes start the season at Florida State, host Georgia Tech, travel to Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech, and welcome Sam Bradford and company to Florida in the most brutal four-game stretch I've ever seen. Miami is much improved under Randy Shannon, but can you see them finishing any better than 2-2 in the first four? I can't, and I can easily see a possible 1-3 start. Look for Oklahoma's offense to roll through Miami (like they did last year in Norman, 51-13) while they anxiously await the arrival of Texas two weeks later.

4. Georgia at Oklahoma State (September 5)

We know coach Mike Gundy is a man (he's now 42), but his program has seen a huge rise since that rant. The Cowboys hung tough in an awfully competitive Big 12 South, went 9-4, beat then-3rd-ranked Missouri, and then played Texas to the wire before faltering against a rough schedule down the stretch. The 'Boys return their three top playmakers in quarterback Zac Robinson (25 TD passes in 2008), running back Kendall Hunter (1,555 yards and 16 TD's), and wide receiver Dez Bryant (1,480 yards and 19 TD's). Meanwhile, Georgia is a program in prime position to rebuild in '09. The Bulldogs lost Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to the NFL, but Georgia has always recruited well, so expect those spots to be filled with talent quickly. Unfortunately for Mark Richt, that talent probably won't develop quick enough to succeed in the ultra-tough SEC, and starting the season at Oklahoma State isn't going to help.

3. Oregon at Boise State (September 3), Utah at Oregon (September 19)

These two games take the title of "Most Intriguing" for me, for a few reasons. I'd like to see just how good Oregon is under all that ugliness (secretly, I love UO's uniforms, I love that they're different, I love that they're neon). They have serious athletes on that team (as opposed to lazy athletes, I guess) and I'd love to see how fast they can score 40. However, neither small-conference team is a pushover, as they've demonstrated in year's past. I'm crazy about story lines like Boise and Utah, but I'm just hoping for great games.

2. Southern California at Ohio State (September 12)

I like one other game better, but, on paper, there is no better match-up. USC won't have too much trouble repairing the pieces lost to the NFL in the long term, but expect there to be a definite learning curve which makes this game more evenly-matched, because with a fully experienced roster, USC would stomp on the Buckeyes. However, that isn't the case, and I'm interested to see what Terrelle Pryor can do on such a big stage in his second year. If he has improved his passing (I trust he has), this could be a huge win for OSU and the Big Ten.

1. Alabama at Virginia Tech (September 5)

I love the potential of this game to be a fantastic start to the first Saturday of college football. Both teams are ranked inside the top ten in many preseason polls, and both hope to contend for conference titles and the national championship, so this is a huge statement game for the team who wins. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the Hokies in this one: they rarely lose at home, and Beamerball works magic in seemingly every meaningful game. Highly entertaining, highly defensive, and a highly wonderful atmosphere (as always) in Blacksburg. Needless to say, I'm high on this game.

Honorable mention: TCU at Clemson (9.26), Auburn at West Virginia (9.19), Florida State at Brigham Young (9.19), USC at Notre Dame (9.17), BYU @ Oklahoma (9.5)