Maybe Makin Money?

Well, it's pick 6 time again and well Thanksgiving didn't go as well as I had planned. I think I only got half right at the most but I am not sure and really don't want to check. I think my record would be close to even but that's not good enough to make you guys some money so I need to step my game up big time.

Weather could be a huge factor this week in some games as the whole east coast is going to be wet today as well as the northern midwest states.

I have no plans on becoming a weather man folks, I just like to think I know what I'm talking about every once in awhile. Just keep that in mind if you were expecting a lot of points in some of the the games today.

Anyway, here we go with the picks. I am going to be 7-0 this week! I kind of guarantee it!

San Francisco @ Buffalo (-6.5)
-This is going to be one of those games affected by weather and I am not sure the Niners are going to be a team that can handle it. Buffalo's new found ground game and the defense hold the Niners to a touchdown or two and a field goal and win the game by 10. Don't forget about west coast teams coming across and playing at 1 p.m. What am I talking about? Yea, no team has won in this situation yet this season.

Carolina @ Green Bay (-3) Best Bet!
-I really wanted to save this game for my over/under because that line is 41.5 and I think its definitely going to be under that but I feel even more confident about this pick. I don't think Carolina is hitting on all cylinder's and playing in Green Bay late in November is not a good cure for that. I am not saying Green Bay has been really great lately either but I am taking them by 10 or 14 today.

New York Giants @ Washington (+4.5) Upset Special!
-Why? I am just feeling this one. I have no legitimate reason and I really have no stats to back this one up. New York has been playing great and Washington hasn't. Both starting running backs are a little banged up which hurts the Redskins more then the G-Men but like I said, Washington at home is what I'm feeling. Oh, and I'm picking them to win too!

Indianapolis (-5.5) @ Cleveland
-I know its cold and its outside but Peyton is back on track and Cleveland's defense isn't good. Brady Quinn is out which means Derek Anderson is probably back in so that could be a difference maker here. I think it is but in a bad way for the Browns. Indy wins this game big and keeps its stronghold on the wildcard.

Pittsburgh (+1) @ New England
-Matt Cassel this and Matt Cassel that. He hasn't faced a defense like this yet. It's probably going to be cold there and that makes this a smash mouth kind of game. Pittsburgh is better then the Pats at this and that makes a difference. Of course, Bellichick or however you spell it could try to make this a shoot out, in which case this could get ugly in favor of the Steelers!

Chicago @ Minnesota (-3)
-This has the serious potential of becoming a push but I just think that AP is going to have a huge game tonight at home and will push the 200 yard mark. I think the Vikes will win by 7 based on the fact that the Bears offense will do little to nothing and in a very low scoring boring game the Vikes win 17-10.

Bonus Over/Under pick:

Denver @ New York Jets
-The line here is 48. The only line higher then that this week is the game tomorrow night between Jacksonville and Houston. That line is 48.5. Anyway, that was a useless piece of info here. I would normally pick this game to go easily over 48 but its going to be raining and snowing and its just going to be a big mess. Even though both these teams have very good offenses I can't see them racking up enough points to cover this. Take the Under!

That's it for this week fans! Send me an email of how much money I made you and I will personally congratulate the person who made the most on the podcast this coming week!

Conference Number 6 - Big Ten

Today fans start my countdown of Men's college basketball conferences. I am doing the big 6 conferences and at number 6 is the Big Ten. That doesn't make this a bad conference but as a whole out of the six major ones I feel the Big Ten is the weakest. I only really see 2 or 3 good teams and a few mediocre teams and the rest is not much. A conference that has 11 teams in it should produce more good teams then that.

Just like Big Ten football, Big Ten basketball is sometimes hard to watch. Its very slow and methodical but just like in football the teams most definitely get after each other. Wisconsin won the league last year with a stellar 16-2 conference record. Bo Ryan and the Badgers always seem to right there at the end everything shakes out.

Now for the team by team breakdown.

11. Indiana Hoosiers- Who would've ever thought this was possible? I didn't. This team will probably lose more then it wins this year. The good news...ummmmmm...Tom Crean is the new head coach. To make matters worse, Kelvin Sampson left and now the school is on probation for something he did. Oh boy. This is an inexperienced team to say the least. The second most experienced player on the team has only 11 total minutes ever in college basketball. It's going to be a long few years in Hoosier land.

10. Northwestern Wildcats - This is the trendy pick as the big surprise in the Big Ten this year. They have their two best players returning and a good class coming in. Well, I am here to tell you, don't count on it. This is still Northwestern. One of those two players, Kevin Coble, was injured for the final 9 games last year. Guess what? The only Big Ten game they won last year, the last one against Michigan. I don't think they will be as much improved as people think.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes - It was Todd Lickliter's first season in Iowa City after leaving Butler. Lickliter was darn good at Butler but this is the Big Ten now and its a whole lot different. He will get this team back to where it should be soon but not this year. They only averaged 51 points a game last year and it's probably going to be right around that this year. I know this is a slow league but not that slow. This is a young team and will be much better in the coming years.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions - This here is my trendy pick to make a run at becoming a top tier team in this league this year. I know I have them at 8 so I don't see it working out but if a normally bad team makes a run this year it will be Penn St. They started off last year strong with two league road wins and then fell off. They have 4 returning starters, a couple of good transfers and two good freshmen. I feel like that could be a formula for success.

7. Illinois Fighting Illini - Remember 2005 when they had 37 wins. And for a long time were undefeated. Yea, last year they only had 16. That's 21 less wins in 3 years. That's 7 wins a season. That means they will only win 9 games this year. Well, all of that was true until the last line. This team will be better then last year. They have 4 returning producers in the backcourt which is one of the top backcourts in the league. That means a lot in the Big Ten. They also have some talent up front but that is definitely the weakness here. It wouldn't surprise me if this team finishes fourth in the league.

6. Michigan Wolverines - The basketball team will finish better then the football team did. Manny Harris may be the player of the year in the Big Ten. DeShawn Sims is a stud up front. This team already has a huge win over UCLA. It's going to be up to the other five or six players that play a lot for John Belien to really determine how far this team goes. This team will have a shot at a bid into the big dance.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers - Did you know that Tubby Smith is the coach here now? Well, this will be his second year and last year he led this team from 9 wins the previous year to 20 last year. That is a huge improvement and this team will only get better. They lost in the first round of the NIT to Maryland last year. I know three starters are gone but I believe with Tubby's coaching experience, the Gophers will be right around 20 wins again. If they are lucky that will get them a bid into the tournament.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes - B.J. Mullens is the best recruit in the conference and a guy named William Buford might be the second. They both are in Columbus. Thad Matta and his staff seemed to be setting a trend. Don't count on Ohio St to be at the top of the experience list ever. This team does have some returning talent and it should be enough for them to contend in the conference. I don't know about the final game of the season or anything like that but as the season moves a long this team will get better and better.

3. Purdue Boilermakers - Most of the experts have this team as number 1 or 2 in the league. I think they are definitely good enough with Robbie Hummel, Keaton Grant and E'Twaun Moore. They were 15-3 last year in the Big Ten. They could finish that good again and I could see them ended up right here at number 3. This is a really solid deep team who could very easily win the whole league. They game between Wisconsin and Michigan St are going to be the deciders on who wins the regular season championship. I am obviously betting on the other two.

2. Wisconsin Badgers - Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Madison. Alando Tucker went to the NBA and they weren't supposed to be anywhere near as good. 31-5 and 16-2. Those were the overall record and Big Ten record and on top of it all most of the guys are back. I'm not sure 30 wins is possible again but 27 or 28 definitely is. Definitely a contender to win the league again and Bo Ryan is one of the best coaches in the college basketball right now.

1. Michigan State Spartans - Tom Izzo has this team primed for a deep run in March. They just lost last night to Maryland but that will only serve as a wake-up call for Izzo and his boys. Kalin Lucas may be the best penetrator in the country and Raymar Morgan is very good also. Goran Suton is the anchor in the middle and he needs to stay healthy and active to really keep the balance for this team. This team is deep and will continue to stay hungry all throughout the season. I see a 16-2 in the Big Ten and probably 30 to 35 wins. This team is that good!

That's my Big Ten preview fans, check back tomorrow for my number 5 conference preview. Which conference is it? I am not telling you that, you have to come back and see!

My Favorite Time of Year...

If you have listened to some of the most recent podcasts you have heard me say that college basketball is my favorite time of the year. From early November until early April, I am happy as a clam with a coke in one hand and college bball on the tube. The preseason tournaments started up a week or so ago and some of them are already finished. I love it!

I am going to do a 8 days of college basketball series starting with this one.

This post will have a preview of some teams to watch that aren't in the major conferences. The "mid-majors" as they are most often referred to. You know, those teams that just kill your bracket come march. Like George Mason or Kent St.

I am going to follow that up with the top 6 conferences in my opinion this year in that order starting with 6th.

The 8th and final post will be my sweet 16, elite 8, final 4 and national championship predictions.

Like I said, I know the preseason tournaments started and that gives me a little bit of an advantage picking but I don't think a huge one.

Anyway, here are some mid-majors to look out for this year!

Gonzaga - I know its getting harder and harder to put them in this category but in my opinion with the way they have played in the last couple NCAA's they still make it in here. This year may be the best team they have had yet. Mark Few has a great kid named Austin Daye. He is only a sophomore but he is 6'10" and can play in the low post with anyone in the country. They also have Josh Heytvelt coming back and in the backcourt Jeremy Pargo will be a standout as well. They have the senior leadership and the skill to go deep into March.

Davidson - Stephon Curry is all I really have to say here. He was amazing in last year's tournament and has been just as good so far this year. He has the shooting ability to carry this team on his back. The biggest problem Davidson will face this year is replacing three of there top players from last year. Curry was the star but his counterpart in the backcourt was Jason Richards and he graduated. He was a major part of that amazing run last year. They do have some talent to replace but this team is really all about Curry. Look for them to make the tournament but don't expect a run like last year.

Creighton - No one is talking about this team so far and rightfully so after a relatively sub-par season last year. I know they were 22-11 but some people thought they would be better then that. They will be this year. Last year they 9 players that were new to the program which makes the 22 wins actually very impressive. There isn't one player on this team that is a true stand-out but as a team they should be vastly improved. They are my pick to win the Missouri Valley and we all know that conference produces some very good teams year in and year out.

Virginia Commonwealth - Does anyone remember the name Eric Maynor. Being a Duke fan, I do. This team won the colonial last year during the regular season but were upset in the conference tournament. They lost in the first round of the NIT. What does that mean? This team is hungry. Maynor is a very good player and is also a great leader. They have a lot of players back from last year's team and with the experience and leadership of their star, this team could be very dangerous later on in the season.

St. Mary's - I know they are in the West Coast conference along with Gonzaga but that doesn't hurt them one bit. This team can play. They were an at-large selection last year but lost in the first round to Miami. Patrick Mills is a name to watch for this year. He was the point guard for the Australian national team this past Olympics and led that team in scoring. He is the point guard for St. Mary's now and could be right up there for conference player of the year. They have a lot of kids back from last year's team. The two games between the Gaels and the Zags will be two of the best games to watch all season.

Those are the top 5 mid-major teams to watch this season. Expect all of them to be in the tournament and expect all of them to make a good name for themselves in March.

Confidence Pool Games to Pick for 11/29-30

It is getting a little harder to find the games for the college portion of the confidence picks but we will find 8 games for this and next week. You have my word!

Here are this weeks games:

College (Saturday by noon):

22 Georgia Tech @ 11 Georgia
Maryland @ 21 Boston College
Virginia @ Virginia Tech
3 Oklahoma @ 12 Oklahoma State
Kentucky @ Tennessee
23 Oregon @ 17 Oregon State
Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest
South Carolina @ Clemson

tiebreaker - combined score of Georgia Tech/Georgia


NFL (Sunday by 1pm):

Carolina @ Green Bay
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay
NY Giants @ Washington
Atlanta @ San Diego
Pittsburgh @ New England
Denver @ NY Jets
Chicago @ Minnesota
Jacksonville @ Houston

tiebreaker - combined score of Pitt/NE


Make your picks and enjoy the games!

Ouch!

I got a little confident last week with my picks. I had just gone 7-3 and felt that I could just throw something together and do good.

Well that isn't the case. I didn't really do any research last week. Instead I just went with instinct and (unfortunately) emotion and picked the games.

And I went 3-7.

So I am back to .500 at like 30-30 or something like that.

But this week I put my record at 10 over .500 with these games and picks:

[home teams in caps]

West Virginia --------- 3.5 ------- PITTSBURGH

West Virginia has been playing very well lately with the exception of one game against the only team playing better than them in Cincinnati. Add that to the motivation the Mountaineers are going to have to avenge the loss last season and this is easy to pick. And one more reason....Pitt has been worse at home than on the road this season. Take West Virginia...they will win by 10.

BOSTON COLLEGE --- 7 -------- Maryland

I enjoy watching Maryland play and I picked them last week against the Noles. BUT they are BAD on the road. Hell they lost to Middle Tennessee State on the road. The only road win they have is against Clemson. And BC is playing well right now. Plus BC has the added advantage of going to the ACC title game IF they win. BC wins by 13.

ALABAMA --------- 14 --------- Auburn

The Iron bowl. A great rivalry game every year. Even if one of the teams is bad it is a good game every.....nope, not true. This year this game is a blowout. Auburn is bad and CANNOT hang with the Tide. Alabama wins by 20!

CLEMSON --------- 1 ---------- South Carolina

This game is always fun to watch cause there is a lot of emotion on the field. You might even see a nice brawl during the game. South Carolina has a great pass defense and guess what Clemson does well....that's right, they are the #1 passing offense in the ACC. Which means what....South Carolina wins by about a touchdown.

BOISE STATE ------ 21 -------- Fresno State

Boise will win this game. And it probably won't be that close. BUT I think Fresno at the very least scores a couple late to stay in this game. If the Bulldogs win this game I think they would consider this season a success so they are going to come out to play. Boise wins....but not by 3 touchdowns...take Fresno.

WAKE FOREST ----- 4 --------- Vanderbilt

Vandy upset me last week. Tennessee, a team that LOST AT HOME TO WYOMING, beat Vandy last week. That was very unimpressive. And maybe I am still letting emotion get too into these picks but I want to see Vandy get to 7-5. I don't want them to finish at .500. Take Vandy as they won't let me down 2 weeks in a row.

OREGON STATE ---- 3 --------- Oregon

I want Oregon to win this game. As a Penn State fan, and a college football fan in general, I want to see PSU/USC in the Rose Bowl. NOT A LIONS/BEAVERS REMATCH! GO OREGON! But unfortunately I don't think it happens. Oregon State, surprisingly considering all we hear about the running back Jacquizz (spelling?) Rodgers, is the #1 passing offense in the PAC 10. And Oregon isn't that strong against the pass. Oregon State wins by 8.

Florida -------------- 16.5 ------- FLORIDA STATE

For weeks now I have been telling the Gators to keep their eye on the Noles. And I am going to say it again. FSU WILL keep this game close. The Gators haven't been pushed in the past few weeks but the Noles are better than you think. Florida will win but it will be closer than you think. Take Florida State.

GEORGIA --------- 8 ---------- Georgia Tech

This is an intriguing game to me. First of all I think the ACC is better than people think. If it wasn't for VaTech losing to ECU early this season the ACC would be getting at least some respect. Second, I think the SEC is overrated. 2 teams in particular are Georgia and LSU. I don't think either team is as good they look. So after all that I think GT will at least keep it close and might even win, take the Jackets.

Oklahoma ----------- 7 ---------- OKLAHOMA STATE

The Big game for this week is another tough one to pick. As it should be. Oklahoma embarrassed Texas Tech last weekend and made it look like they are the best team out there. BUT I don't think that is true and I think Okie State is much better than their beating at Tech. So I take the upset here as I think Okie State wins this game.



So there you go. At the very least you will break even with my picks. Enjoy the games.

The Big Apple, eh?

The Knicks just traded away three guys with monster salaries for 3 more years for three guys with expiring contracts.

I know this happened a few days ago but I wanted to see LeBron play in New York before I really got a feel for this entire situation.

I understand what the Knicks are trying to do here and really with Mike D'Antoni's style the three guys they got in the trades are perfect for this team. I really don't think they were bad trades for the present day Knicks. But let's be honest with ourselves, did this trade have anything to do with the present day Knicks?

I don't think so!

In 2010 there might be the best free agent class in the history of basketball. LeBron James is the big name but listen to the rest...Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire...Really? The Knicks are actually talking about being able two land not just one of these 4 guys but TWO! Could you imagine LeBron with Bosh or Stoudemire. That's crazy. I mean all due respect to Zyndrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao but seriously!

There is one minor detail however. The Knicks are assuming that none of these guys are going to go back to their current teams. I know LeBron is from Akron and not Cleveland but its the same state. 2010 is two seasons away. If some of these teams bring in help before the aforementioned off-season the Knicks may be stuck with a whole lot of money and not many guys to give it to.

I am just saying...that's all!

What do I think will happen?

LeBron will end up in New York, even if none of the other guys do. He loves NYC and he loves the Garden. I am not saying its a guarantee but if I were a betting man, which I'm obviously not, I would bet on it.

And as for the current Knicks, if I were Donnie Walsh, I would've made the moves to. It just seems worth it at this point, doesn't it?

A Turkey Day Pick 6 Special

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I would like to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving.

The third best thing besides the family and the food is the football.

This year we have 3 games to watch, well only 2 for me since I don't have the NFL Network.

I am not sure how good the games are going to be but I am going to give you a special pick 6 against the spread so that while you are enjoying the company and the food, you can try to make some money while you are doing it.

The three games are:

Tennessee (10-1) @ Detroit (0-11)

Seattle (2-9) @ Dallas (7-4)

Arizona (7-4) @ Philadelphia (5-5-1)

I will just start my picks with the early game. This seems like the most lopsided on paper with the teams records the way they are. I would've loved to see Tennessee win last week and have this be undefeated versus the team without any wins. That would have been something to talk about at the dinner table. It didn't work out that way but its still should be fun to watch because I love watching the Lions (no matter how bad they are) on Thanksgiving. Its tradition and all this talk of changing it is ridiculous! Tennessee is favorite by 11 and the over/under is 44.

I know Detroit gets hyped up for Thanksgiving every year but this team is bad. Take Tennessee against the 11 and take the under.

Now we have two underachieving teams in the evening game. Dallas was the pre-season favorite to win the NFC and the Superbowl and well Seattle was just supposed to better then this. Injuries have really taken a toll on both teams but Dallas seems to be getting healthy at the right time and had the talent to make it through the injuries with a shot at the playoffs still. Seattle doesn't and really isn't playing for anything at this point. I mean nothing, Holmgren is leaving at the end of the season so they can't even be playing for the coach at this point.

The line in this game is actually higher then the last game. Dallas is favorite by 13. My first point here is that Tennessee has been the best team in the league for most of the season and Detroit has been the worst and yet Dallas is still favorite by more then the Titans here. I know its home versus road but I still think its ridiculous. Now that I have stepped back down off my soap box the over/under is 47. That's a lot of points.Here is the pick for this game. Even though its high take Dallas. They are going to try to make a point and this game could get ugly. The over/under is high but I can see this game ending like 38-10 and that's 48 so take the over.

The final game and probably the most intriguing game is Arizona at Philly. McNabb was named the starter after being benched at halftime last week. It's definitely a curious move in my mind being that when he was benched the game was 10-7. I figured that was it for McNabb in Philly but I guess not. Arizona's offense is awesome but its going to be really cold and Philly's defense isn't bad. Philadelphia is actually the favorite in this game by 3 and the over/under is 46.5.

It's very interesting to me that Vegas has the Eagles favorite here. I know the game is in Philly but after the week they had last week I really thought they would have much less faith in the E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles then that. I know McNabb is coming back but that is such a huge question mark.Here is the pick! Take the dog here. Arizona is going to win this game outright. McNabb will make it to the end but it won't be a great game. I feel as though the weather will be a big factor in the game. I know its hard to take the under in any game the Cardinals are in but I'm going to do that too.

Recap of the picks:

Tennessee (-11) and the OVER

Dallas (-13) and the OVER

Arizona (+3) and the UNDER

Enjoy the family, friends and football fans!

The Big 12 Mess

Here is a simple solution to the Big 12 mess.

If Oklahoma WINS this weekend, TEXAS goes to the conference championship game.

If Oklahoma State WINS this weekend, TEXAS TECH goes to the conference championship game.

Any questions?

Why would I say that?

Because of this. Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field while OUs big win came at home. So on merit alone that should win out.

But also consider this. The main argument is whether Texas or Oklahoma should go to the title game. And one of the arguments is OU beat Tech big and Texas lost to Tech. Well that is ridiculous logic.

WITH that logic than you have to say Penn State is BETTER than USC because PENN STATE beat Oregon State while USC lost to Oregon State.

Argument....USC lost to Oregon State on the road while Penn State beat the Beavers in PA. True!

But Texas lost to Tech at Tech while Oklahoma beat Tech in Norman.

So like I said....if Oklahoma ends up AHEAD of Texas in the polls....Penn State SHOULD be ahead of USC in the polls.

I don't think you can argue if one team is better or deserves it more based on games against similar teams ESPECIALLY if the games were played at different locations.

TEXAS should represent the Big 12 South against Missouri.

END

OF

DISCUSSION!

NFL Power Rankings

This weekend was great for offense. Like the GM posted earlier it was the most points a weekend has ever produced. I was at work on Sunday so I didn't see much of those games but last night's game between New Orleans and Green Bay was fun to watch. It was like the offenses could score at will and I guess it went along with the theme of the weekend.

There are no more unbeatens as the Jets handled the Titans. Everyone is excited about the Cowboys again even though they beat the 49ers at home. The Lions still haven't won a game and that's going to make the Thanksgiving game all the more interesting. Haha, I think the Lions show up Thursday but don't win, again!

I will be giving a bonus pick 6 just for Thanksgiving so check that out come Turkey day if you want to make some extra money on your day off.

But for now I am going to do my Power Rankings for the week!

Here we go:

10. Atlanta Falcons - They scored 45 on Carolina who I had in the top 5 for a long time. Michael Turner is a beast and Matt Ryan is pretty good! It's been 8 years running that the team that finished last in this division finishes first the next year and Atlanta is making this really interesting.

9. New England Patriots - Matt Cassel had another monster game and if he keeps just throwing it up to Moss this team will be dangerous. I still don't have confidence in the defense however, which is why I can't really put them any higher then this.

8. Carolina Panthers - Jake Delhomme finally had a good game but it was because they were playing from behind the entire game. They couldn't stop Atlanta at all and that worries me because I don't think they have the offense to go out and win shoot-outs. They better straighten up or it might be an early exit from the playoffs. If they make it that is.

7. Arizona Cardinals - They lost at home to the Giants 37-29. That is not a bad loss at all. They fall a few spots because some teams behind them had impressive wins. This team will still win this horrible division and still may get the second seed in the NFC. The offense is great but the defense leaves a lot to be desired.

6. Indianapolis Colts - Went into San Diego and won a very tough game. Vinatieri is money when it comes in the clutch. Another game winning field goal and this was from 51 yards. This team has quietly snuck into the playoffs as they are the second wild-card team right now. Their schedule is favorable for this team to finish very strong. It may be too late for them to win the division but some team better look at in the wild-card round.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The final score was a 38-20 victory. They, however, trailed at the end of the first quarter 17-0. If they had played anyone but Detroit they would've been in trouble. It's good that they got their act together and came back and won but it scares me a little. Still a very good team though.

4. New York Jets - They are not the best team in the AFC right now and Brett Favre is not the MVP either. This was a good win and anytime you beat an undefeated you are going to get a lot of hype but this team still needs to keep winning to convince they are a Superbowl favorite. I still think they are very good.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - Remember when they played last Thursday night and just handled their business against Cincy. Yea, it was 27-10 and that's pretty much all I have to say about that. This defense is one of the best in the NFL. This team is for real and could easily go to the Superbowl.

2. Tennessee Titans - I know, it was only one loss and the Jets are pretty good. Trust me, I am not dropping them far and I still think they are really good but I just feel that the Giants are a little better right now. This takes nothing away from this team. The defense is still great, the run game is awesome and Collins is solid. Don't all of the sudden fall asleep on this team because you might wake up in February and see them playing for it all.

1. New York Giants - Went to Arizona and beat the high-powered Cardinals 37-29. Justin Tuck is amazing and they didn't even have Brandon Jacobs. This is a complete team that is far and away the best in the NFC right now.

There ya have it! The playoff races are shaping up and its only going to get better from here!

Speaking of Lots of Points

Did you see the Division II college game this weekend between Abilene Christian and West Texas A&M?

No?

I didn't either but I did see the score.

Abilene Christian - 93
West Texas A&M - 68

Ridiculous!

Here are some of the awesome stats other then the final score that set records:

Bernard Scott - 292 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. Division II playoff records.

1,531 total yards in the game. Division II record.

Some other awesome stats are:

Abilene had 810 yards of offense and scored touchdowns on 13 of 14 possessions.

West Texas A&M's quarterback threw for 595 yards and had 7 touchdowns and they lost by 25!

I know this was Division II but that is awesome!

Lots of Points

After last nights shoot out in New Orleans the NFL announced today that the weekend produced the most points EVER.

The previous record high of 788 was achieved 3 different times, most recently in December of last season.

But this week the NFL teams combined for 837.

Yet my team...the Philadelphia Eagles....couldn't manage an offensive touchdown.

Oakland and Kansas City scored 31!

But my Philadelphia Eagles.....0 points on offense. If it wasn't for Quintin Demps and his kickoff return for a score the Eagles would have lost 36-0.

NICE!

One Classy Family

There is one family in hockey that should be absolutely embarrassed by themselves.

But I am sure they aren't.

In fact I bet they are proud of themselves and their family name.

That name is Roy.

Patrick is not the story here. His number was retired this past weekend in Montreal even though he ruined the franchise for a decade by his demands to be moved.

No the story is about his sons.

Jonathan Roy made headlines last year when he attacked an opposing goalie who had no interest in fighting. He is facing criminal charges due to this fight. If the video below doesn't load click here.




Oh...How Patrick must be so proud. He was actually a coach in this game and was suspended 5 games for his actions and his encouragement of the fighting.

And now he has another son to be proud of. Frederick Roy has been suspended 15 games for cross checking a kid in the face. Watch the video below and pay attention to the end. Click here if it doesn't load.




How are these kids still allowed to play? I understand that fighting is part of hockey, although it should be illegal when it comes to kids, but that's not the point. I can even understand allowing Jonathan to resume his career after serving a solid year of suspension and banishment from the league.

But Frederick...this kid should be in jail for this. I don't care what was said or whatever his excuse is....it is unacceptable in sports. At the very least he should be suspended for a full season or MORE. But nope...the QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) has only suspended him for 15 games.

That will teach him a lesson.

Confidence Results for 11/22-23

We had 6 for both competitions this weekend and it was a good one. No one in either contest got more than 25 points. It was a difficult week to pick the games as many things didn't go as expected.

The Winners:

College~

Muther ------- 25*

NFL~

Yosty --------- 23


Results:

College~

Muther ------- 25*
Yosty --------- 25
GM ----------- 23
Wifey --------- 20
Karl ----------- 19*
Verb ---------- 19

NFL~

Yosty --------- 23
Wifey --------- 22*
Muther ------- 22
GM ----------- 21
Verb ---------- 17
Karl ----------- 12


Next week's games will be up tomorrow if you want to make picks.

Some More Thoughts

It was a very interesting weekend for football this weekend and I had multiple thoughts but not quite enough for entire posts. So how about some bullet points.....

• Charlie Weis is a great coach...HAHA....I am not a Notre Dame fan but I feel like I should start the fireCharlie.com website.
• Good hire Michigan....Rich Rod will definitely help you beat the Buckeyes.....if the Buckeyes implode like you did.
• I missed the beginning of the Texas Tech/OU game....so I just didn't watch. But did the Red Raiders actually show up or was the bus late and the band played for them?
• While I don't want Oregon State to win the PAC-10 I didn't want to see them lose on a missed extra point. I was glad to see the kid save face and make the game winning field goal.
• Speaking of missed extra points...did you see that the kicker for Cal Poly missed 3 extra points INCLUDING 1 in OT in a 36-35 loss to Wisconsin. Wow...that's bad.
• LSU is possibly the most overrated team in all the country. First they need a 30 point comeback against Troy and then they get blown out by Ole Miss at HOME!
• One last thing....was Maryland stuck in traffic with Texas Tech? Cause they didn't show up either.

And now to the NFL:

• Are the Jets one of the best teams in the NFL? NO!!! They won one game against a team due for a loss. The Jets aren't as good as the Titans made them look. But they are a solid team.
• Dallas with Romo is again a Super Bowl Contender. That game with San Fran wasn't as close as the score indicates.
• Tampa Bay spotted the Lions 17 points and the Lions STILL couldn't win!
• Answer...Kansas City. Question.....Playing against what team will fix any offensive problems?
• Matt Cassel....are you serious? Everyone get a glimpse now of the hottest free agent this offseason.
• Answer...Denver. Question....Playing against what other team will make us look like a real NFL offense?
• The Colts win in San Diego was very impressive. Going into that game Philip Rivers was 18-2 at home in the regular season.
• Justin Tuck IS THE MOST DOMINANT DEFENSIVE LINEMAN IN THE GAME TODAY!
• The Giants are definitely the best team in the NFL. It is no longer a debate.

Maybe, just maybe, its the coach

The first quarterback, the starter, completed 8 of 18 for 59 yards, 2 interceptions and a fumble. The second quarterback, maybe next years starter, completed 10 of 23 for 73 yards and 2 interceptions.

Let's think about this.

If it isn't the quarterback than maybe its the coaching staff.



I said this last week on the blog. Andy Reid's tenure in Philly needs to end. It is nothing against Reid but coaches eventually need to move on. Most of them do it because they have to not cause they want to. But lots of coaches move on at the right time, Mike Holmgren from Green Bay, Jimmy Johnson from Dallas, Bill Cowher from the Steelers, and Joe Gibbs (the first time) from Washington.

Some coaches of recent memory that SHOULD have left but didn't would be Herm Edwards (gonna be fired soon), Brian Billick, and Marty Schottenheimer. All of those coaches should have left when things were good or when they started going bad. But they didn't and they got or are going to get canned.

Andy Reid can still fall into the first group if he retires from the Eagles after this season.

And he should.

His offense isn't working, his coaching isn't working, and his team isn't playing for him.

Hell the team was playing better before he benched the face of the franchise than they did afterwards.

But I suspect Reid will be back next season, more than likely without McNabb, and hopefully he does okay or else he will be fired after another bad season.


As for McNabb.....no matter how much he wants to stay in Philly (and as a huge McNabb fan and an Eagles fan, I really do want him to succeed there) it is time for him to move on.

He has accomplished everything he is going to accomplish in Philly and a fresh start would probably jump start his career.

Could you imagine him in Minnesota playing for Brad Childress. He flourished under Childress as offensive coordinator in Philly and he would have a solid offensive line, an awesome running back to help shoulder the load, and a great deep threat in Bernard Berrian.

McNabb + Vikings = NFC North Championship

A BCS Mess and The GMs Top 10

Thank you Oklahoma! You have royally messed up the BCS now. And if you lose on Saturday it will further screw it up.

If you just would have gone ahead and lost on Saturday night Texas Tech could have gone on to beat Missouri and play the SEC Champ for the National Championship and we all would have been happy with that.

But no. Not only could you not do that but you embarrassed the Red Raiders and showed the nation all their flaws. So now we have to look at how badly you beat Tech and consider it. And if you go ahead and win at Oklahoma State than you will make it even more complicated as there will be a three way tie for the Big 12 South crown (assuming Texas and Texas Tech both win as well).

Which means the Big 12 South would be decided by.......(drum roll please).......the BCS rankings. That's right the highest ranked team in the BCS would get the chance to play the Big 12 North champion. Which at this point could be Texas or Oklahoma.

My opinion.....Texas should get the bid. Based primarily on the fact that they beat Oklahoma. They should NOT fall behind Oklahoma just cause the Sooners destroyed Tech and the Horns lost to Tech. Why....because the Horns still BEAT the Sooners!!

And that is they way it should be.


The GMs Top 10:

1. Alabama (1) 11-0 - They keep winning and while no one gives them much of a chance against Florida I wouldn't count them entirely out yet. But I also wouldn't look past Auburn right now. That is going to be a good football game in my opinion as rivalry games usually are.
2. Florida (3) 10-1 - They keep winning. No matter who it is they win and they win big. Up next is the Noles and like I said about Auburn...watch out Gators....don't take the Noles lightly.
3. Texas (4) 10-1 - They will ALWAYS be ahead of Oklahoma as long as they win. They beat the Sooners and Okie State so OU shouldn't be able to get by them now. But again a rivalry game with a beaten foe in A&M comes this Thursday night....be ready Horns!
4. Oklahoma (5) 10-1 - A great win over Tech on Saturday night has them thinking National Title. But I am not sure they can jump Texas. If they didn't jump em last week I don't think it can happen this week.
5. USC (6) 9-1 - Not too much left to scare the Trojans this year...just Notre Dame (haha) and UCLA remain between USC and a 11-1 season. A national title contender long shot though unless OU and Texas lose in the next 2 weeks.
6. Penn State (7) 11-1 - They made an example out of Michigan State on Saturday and are headed for the Rose Bowl. They have an outside shot at the National Title but it is HIGHLY unlikely.
7. Utah (9) 12-0 - Another impressive win against BYU gave them the Mountain West title and a likely shot at a BCS game in a little over a month. They have earned it and could give someone a run for their money.
8. Texas Tech (2) 10-1 - A bad loss Saturday night. Even if they win the Big 12 they are likely out of the title hunt. An absolute drubbing at the hands of the Sooners in Norman.
9. Boise State (8) 11-0 - They have one more test against Fresno State for their undefeated season but would still probably miss out on a BCS game thanks to the Utes also running the table. A good team but not good enough this year.
10. Missouri (10) 9-2 - They have already locked up the Big 12 North I believe. So even if they lose to Kansas they will still show up on Dec 6 to play one of the big 3 from the South. And if they win that they basically blow up the BCS. GO TIGERS!

Almost There:

• Ohio State 10-2 - Another crushing beat down of Michigan completed their season and likely got them into a good bowl game....maybe even a BCS game.
• Oklahoma State 9-2 - They get their chance this weekend against OU and at home to boot.

My Weekly Guarantees!

Here are my college football picks. I am a little behind schedule here so I will make these picks quickly.

(home team in caps)

PENN STATE ------- 14.5--------Michigan State

Penn State will win this game and go to the Rose Bowl but I think it will be closer than that. I like Sparty to keep it within 10 most of the game.

OKLAHOMA ------- 7 --------- Texas Tech

I want to take Oklahoma here, I really do. I even had it written down as such but I can't. I like Tech to stay undefeated and WIN this game outright.

CINCINNATI -------- 5 -------- Pittsburgh

The Big East is too tough to really call and Pitt is having a decent season. But I don't think they can continue to win like they are. They have a whopping 6 TDs through the air...that isn't enough. Cincy wins by at least 10.

UTAH -------------- 7 ----------- byu

If Utah wins they crash the BCS, if they lose Boise St will be the next in line. BYU started the season very well and then they ran into TCU and since then they haven't done anything. Except win of course. But on the road...no way. Utah wins easily.

ARIZONA ---------- 2,5 -----------Oregon State

Everyone wants to see the Beavers go down so we don't have to watch them get slaughtered again by Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Well...this is your weekend. Oregon St is not great on the road and Arizona happens to be very good at home. Take the Cats.

Florida State -------- 1 ------------ MARYLAND

Even after winning a tough game at home last weekend the Terps still aren't getting the respect they deserve. When they actually show up to play they are a very good team. And EVERY ACC team shows up to play the Noles. Maryland wins.

Clemson ------------ 2.5 --------- VIRGINIA

Clemson favored??? WOW. I was surprised especially since it is on the road. Although I think I said something similar to this a couple weeks ago and they won so what do I know. But I am still surprised and am still taking Virginia.

TCU ---------------19.5 ---------- Air Force

TCU scares me a little bit and Air Force is better than you think. So without further ado take Air Force to keep it close but TCU wins late. But the Frogs won't cover.

SOUTH FLORIDA ----- 3 --------Uconn

Really? Another shocking line in my opinion. I know UConn hasn't been stellar lately or on the road but South Florida just got rocked at home last weekend by Rutgers. I like UConn to win here.


There you go. No over/unders and just the streamlined version. Enjoy.

Gettin Loose...11/20

Well that's a wrap! Jimmie Johnson wins the championship part 3. I predicted at the beginning of the chase that he would finish third and for that I am in idiot. There was no reason to pick him not to win and there is no reason not to pick him to win next year too. The tracks are the same, the cars will be the same, the team is the same, everything is the same. The competition might be a little better because Carl Edwards was damn close this year but it's going to be incredibly hard for me to pick someone other then Johnson again next year.

This brings me to my next point. Something has to change in the chase. Jimmie Johnson is a great driver and he has a great team but I really think that him winning three in a row is hurting NASCAR. This year especially because everyone knew the title was his with 3 races left. People stop watching when they know who is going to win, even in NASCAR. I don't think changing the tracks is a real good idea because they are all pretty much the same excluding the road courses and I definitely don't want them involved.I have thought of two changes that might make it a little better and more competitive.

First: Have a bigger spread in point values between places. Not just from first to second. This would give the guys a better chance to make some points up if they do have that one or two bad finishes during the chase. It might not have mattered this year with the way the 48 team ran but at least its a step in the right direction.

Second: During the chase have the chase drivers have their own points system. For example if a guy finishes last in the race he finishes 12th among chase drivers and doesn't lose as many points. This would make it ultra competitive. There would have to be a good size spread within the positions but it wouldn't make those bad finishes so bad. You would be able to make a mistake or two and you would be fine.Those are my two ways to change things up just to make it interesting again.

I really think NASCAR needs to do something or else it will begin to start losing fans and that wouldn't be good. It was finally becoming a major sport and to lose its status because it doesn't make some changes would be silly.

This past season was a tale of two seasons. The regular season was dominated by the 18 team and Kyle Busch and then the playoffs by the aforementioned 48 camp. There are some major changes happening next season with the biggest one so far being the combination of Ginassi/DEI teams. I am sure there will be many more to come as I am sure some drivers will change teams and what not.

I really don't have many awards to really give out.

There are only like 3 or 4 you really can give out.

So the 2008 JO NASCAR awards are:

Rookie of the Year: ummmmm, Sam Hornish, I guess. This one doesn't really matter.Biggest

Disappointment of the Year: This is a tie. First, Juan Pablo Montoya finished 25th in the standings. Not good! Second, Kasey Kahne missed the chase again. Soon this guy needs to contend for a championship.

Biggest surprise of the year: David Ragan. This guy was great this year and easily finished as the best non-chaser and definitely made a name for himself. Finished 4th in my Driver of the Year voting.

and finally...

Driver of the Year: This came down to three. Here was my final ranking. 3. Kyle Busch. He had an awesome regular season but when it counted, he fell apart. 2. Jimmie Johnson. When it counted he obviously stepped up. Wasn't a standout during the regular season however.

and the winner is...

Carl Edwards. Was the best throughout the whole season. Second going into the chase and second coming out. Dominated at the beginning of the year and really was the most consistent and best driver of the season.

I personally can't wait for Daytona in February.

I thought this was a great season and I look forward to another one like this one next year.

Remember when Ryan Newman won this past 500. Let's see if he can do it again next year.

Until February, race fans, keep your lugnuts on straight and keep your peddle to the floor.

We'll see you in Daytona in February.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 11)

The NFL is really starting to sort itself out and we are beginning to find out who the real playoff contenders are and who the pretenders have been all season long.

There have been games on Thursday's for the past two weeks and the NFL Network couldn't be happier about how its turned out. Two games, two exciting finishes, two incredibly high scoring games. First, the Broncos edged the Browns late in the fourth for a 34-30 victory and this past week the Jets beat the Patriots in overtime 34-31.

I have three teams that at one point either before the season or during the season that I was very high on and now I would consider them pretenders. They are Jacksonville, Minnesota and Buffalo.

I picked Jacksonville before the season started to win the Superbowl. I probably could have put them in this last long before now but the loss this past week to Tennessee sealed the deal. I know they have been hurt on the offensive line but you have to win with what you got and don't be surprised if Jack Del Rio is fired at the end of the season.

Minnesota was picked by many to win the NFC North this year. They most definitely are not out of it but those same people picked them to go to the Superbowl. I think its been established that that probably won't happen. Nothing is done until the game is played but I just don't see it.

At one point this season I had Buffalo at 2 on the power rankings. My friend, the GM, said I was crazy at the time and now I have to agree with him. Monday was a game they had to have because the Jets won on Thursday. By losing, at home, to Cleveland they have put themselves two games behind at 5-5 and are now on the outside looking in. It doesn't look good and for all you Bills fans out there, that was all to similar to Scott Norwood!

Now lets talk about the teams that are in good shape. The top 10!

I like to countdown so let's start at 10.

10. Baltimore Ravens - This team was definitely outmatched by the Giants. The game was in New York and I think everyone expected Flacco to struggle against the Giants D. I think the alarming this for Baltimore was how the defense played against Brandon Jacobs. They didn't! On the verge of falling out but I will give them one more week since the Giants are so good and the game was on the road.

9. Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning is back. The offense is clicking once again and if the defense could start playing a little more consistently I think this team could be a real contender in the AFC. Joseph Addai ran for 100 yards this past week for the first time this season and that would be a huge boost as well. This is definitely a team on the rise!

8. New England Patriots - Thursday's loss might crush this team. Matt Cassel played great, they were at home and came back in the 4th just to see a field goal beat them in overtime. The defense played horribly and as long as that continues this team will fall down the rankings. I expect this team to get themselves back up. I have them ahead of Indy only because they beat Indy earlier this season.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - A very good, hard fought victory this past weekend against Minnesota. Held AP to 85 yards and only a handful of them came in the second half. The offense still needs to find itself but they are losing running backs every week. Once they get that straightened out they will be very good. They also get Detroit this week so that should boost their confidence if it isn't sky high already.

6. New York Jets - What a victory on Thursday night! Thomas Jones is playing great. Brett Favre has given this team a confidence just by being there. They know they can win just because he is the quarterback. The defense could be better but they will be fine. They are now winning the very competitive AFC East. This team should make the playoffs and we will see what happens after that.

5. Arizona Cardinals - I say this every week but this offense is incredible. I know they only put up 26 points last week but that's because they couldn't punch it in. That will work itself out and they will be back over 35 soon enough. They had to win a tight one in Seattle but the good teams find a way to do that and they did! They will clinch the division soon if they haven't already and I can't wait to see what this team can do in the playoffs.

4. Carolina Panthers - This team just wins ball games. Jake Delhomme had a bad game for the second week in a row but for the second week in a row the running game was huge. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are both playing great right now and the defense is very good. Jon Beason is an incredible linebacker who is definitely not talked about enough.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers - 11-10 for the first time in NFL history. That's awesome! It was a hard fought victory in the snow over San Diego. Obviously they needed to score a bit more but lets blame the weather. Troy Polamalu played very well and had one of the best interception's I have ever seen. This team will just keep on winning and will be very dangerous come playoff time.

2. New York Giants - Every week this team gets closer to moving into number 1. Another very very impressive victory at home were the ground game and the defense dominated again. Eli's become an incredible game manager and with those three ingredients this team is looking like a team that could definitely win the big one.

1. Tennessee Titans - They still haven't lost. They trailed at halftime to Jacksonville but Kerry Collins got his act together in the second half and really lead his team to the victory. Chris Johnson may be hitting the rookie wall but that has yet to be determined. They defense is still the best in the league and when you have that you have to considered number 1 every week. This team will probably stay here until they lose!

That's it for this week. I can't wait to see what happens over the next few weeks because we will begin to see how the playoffs are going to set up and some of these close division battles will work themselves out.

College Football Playoff

Should the NCAA design and implement a playoff for college football? And if so should it be an And one format, an 8 team playoff, or larger?

I am honestly torn on this but ultimately I would prefer a playoff.

The reason I am torn is basically a loss of tradition if you go with a playoff. Because even if you send teams to a certain location with a name you know it isn't the Rose Bowl.

Yeah you could have two teams play there and call it the Rose Bowl but it wouldn't have the same traditions as the current format offers.

But I think ultimately I would like to watch meaningful games the last week of December and into January instead of teams with nothing to play for.

Now the question is how do you do it.

I would be content with an 8 team playoff but I think it would create more debate until it got changed.

I say create a 12 team playoff.

The problem with an 8 team playoff is that if you allow the conference champions in than you are eliminating teams like Boise and Utah. And if you don't allow conference champions in than you are keeping Oregon State out while you allow USC (who lost AT Oreg St) in. And none of those things seem like they would get accepted.

In a 12 team tournament you take the 6 BCS conference champions and then you take the next 6 highest ranked teams no matter how many per conference. You rank them all based on their BCS ranking.

That would give you 12 teams. Of which 4 would get a first round bye.

You start play the week before Christmas at the higher seeds campus. Then those 4 winners would move on to play the top 4 seeds the weekend of Christmas at their home stadiums.

And then on New Year's Weekend you would have 2 games at either the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, and Rose bowl locations. And then one week after that you would have the National Championship game at one of those locations.

This year (based on CURRENT rankings and standings) you would have this:


1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Florida

5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Cincinnati
11. Oregon State
12. Maryland

Games would be Dec 20:

Maryland @ Oklahoma 1 pm ET
Oregon State @ USC 7 pm ET
Cincinnati @ Utah 10 pm ET
Boise St. @ Penn State 4 pm ET

And then you would continue on with the tournament. I would watch all of those games with no problem. I doubt the first one would be close but the other three would be very interesting.

And I don't want to hear that it would disrupt classes cause Basketball is playing at this time. I don't want to hear about Christmas vacation cause with the traditional bowl season the kids would already be at their game location, and the money.....PLEASE....there would be SOOOO MUCH money associated with a tournament that the colleges would have trouble storing it all!

Obviously this is going to change with games coming up in the next few weeks so I will revisit this often and show what kind of games we would get to see with a tournament.

Confidence Pool Games to Pick for 11/22-23

Last week we only had 5 participants....this week we want double digits. Come on...send your emails or leave your picks in the comments.

Next season we are going to have prizes...but this year is just for fun.

College Games (Saturday by noon):

Tennessee @ Vanderbilt
15 Michigan State @ 8 Penn State
14 BYU @ 7 Utah
Iowa @ Minnesota
20 Pittsburgh @ 19 Cincinnati
21 Oregon State @ Arizona
Florida State @ 25 Maryland
2 Texas Tech @ 5 Oklahoma

tiebreaker - combined score of Texas Tech/Oklahoma


NFL (Sunday at 1)

NY Jets @ Tennessee
New England @ Miami
Minnesota @ Jacksonville
Philadelphia @ Baltimore
NY Giants @ Arizona
Carolina @ Atlanta
Indianapolis @ San Diego
Green Bay @ New Orleans

tiebreaker - combined score of Green Bay/New Orleans

Preseason Tourneys Starting

College Basketball season has started and the preseason tournaments are getting started.

I love college basketball. In January, February, and March I treat college bball like football. I sit down at noon and can watch games all day long.

But I am not an expert on the sport. I know twice as much about football as I do basketball.

I grew up a Kentucky fan but haven't been a fan of theirs for years. I now root for Villanova and love the Big East.

Most people enjoy watching the ACC the most but I personally would be happy watching only Big East play. The ACC is second followed by the Big 12. After that I would say the A-10 is ahead of the Big 10, SEC, and PAC-10 in my interests. I know the PAC-10 has good teams and good games but its on the west coast which means I rarely get to see the games.

Basically what I am saying is I have no idea who is going to win anything. This post is not a season preview with picks cause I just don't have a damn clue who will be left standing in Detroit.

But this is a preview of the preseason tourneys and which ones you should watch.

So here you go:

Coaches vs Cancer (ESPN2)
Nov 10-14, 20-21
New York

This isn't very good to be honest. There are only 2 teams ranked in the current top 25 in this tournament which means it should be an entertaining final. Those teams are Duke and UCLA. Other teams worth mentioning would be Southern Illinois (picked to finish 2nd in MVC) and Miami (Ohio) (first in the MAC East).

Overall I give it a







CBE Classic (ESPN2)
Nov 14-20, 24-25
Kansas City

This is a little better than the previous one but not much. There is only 1 team in the top 25, Kansas. And they are barely in at #24. Other than that you have Syracuse, Washington, and Florida. After that there really isn't anything. So while they are bigger name programs they are still a little unknown.

Overall I give it







NIT Season Tip-Off (ESPN2)
Nov 17-18, 26, 28
Championship in New York

Not bad to see here. This tournament is one of the better ones usually even if the names aren't always top notch. Ranked teams involved are Davidson, Oklahoma, and Purdue. Other mentionable teams are UAB (2nd in CUSA), Arizona, and Cornell (projected #1 in Ivy league). All in all a decent tournament that is worth watching the final 3 or 4 games.

I give it a






Legends Classic (HDNet)
Nov 20-23, 28-29
Championship in Newark, NJ

Another piss poor attempt and having a tournament in my opinion. One really good team in Pittsburgh and a decent team in Washington State. But after that you get a bad Texas Tech team, Mississippi State (3rd in SEC West), and Akron (2nd in MAC East). Really not worth watching unless a team beats Pitt. But really Pitt should roll here.

I give it a







Puerto Rico Tip-Off (ESPN2)
Nov 20-23
Guess where....Puerto Rico

Actually a decent tournament if you to watch. Most games are on ESPNU. Memphis and USC are both top 25 teams. Xavier and Virginia Tech both have decent teams this year. After that it is rough though with average or below average teams.

Overall I give it a







Paradise Jam (FSN)
Nov 21-24
U.S. Virgin Islands

This is another pretty good tournament. Miami (Fl), Wisconsin, and Connecticut are all in the top 25. Southern Miss (5th in CUSA), Valparaiso (3rd in Horizon), and San Diego (3rd in WCC) all are decent teams that should make the tournament competitive.

I give it a






Maui Invitational (ESPN/ESPN2)
Nov 24-26
Maui, Hawaii (shocking)

Year after year this is one of (if not the) best tournaments to watch. This year it is probably the second best tourney. The teams this year include 3 Top 10 teams in North Carolina, Texas, and Notre Dame. And to make it competitive Alabama (2nd in SEC West) and St. Joe's (5th in A10) are invited. Rounding out the field is a weak Indiana team and Oregon and Chaminade.

Good tourney though and I will be watching





Anaheim Classic (ESPN2)
Nov 27-30
Guess (Anaheim)

Another decent tourney this year. 2 top 25 teams in Arizona State and Wake Forest. Baylor (3rd in Big 12), St. Mary's (2nd in WCC), Charlotte (3rd in A10), and UTEP (4th in CUSA) round out a nice field.

I give it a






Old Spice Classic (ESPN/ESPN2)
Nov 27-30
Orlando Florida

In my opinion this is the best tournament this year. You have 4 Top 25 teams including 2 in the Top 10. Gonzaga and Michigan State are Top 10 teams and Georgetown and Tennessee are the other 2 top 25 teams. Oklahoma St (5th in Big 12) and Siena (1st in the MAAC) are two other good teams here.

Overall I think it is the best





There are other tournaments but they aren't really worth mentioning.

Enjoy!!

Confidence Pool Results for 11/15-16

Guess who won BOTH games this weekend.....that's right....yours truly....THE GM!!!

Not only that but Sunday's tiebreaker was the combined score of STL/SF. I picked 51. Final score....35-16....which equals.....that's right 51!

Results:

College:

The GM -------- 27
Verb ----------- 24
Muther -------- 22
Wifey ---------- 17
Karl ----------- 16

NFL:

The GM ------- 29*
Wifey ---------- 29
Verb ----------- 27
Karl ----------- 26
Muther -------- 24

* won on tiebreaker

The standings for the NFL game are pretty close with 4 people separated by 4 points. The College game is being run away with by Verb...but maybe I can catch him.

And The NFL Too!

I live in Central Pennsylvania near Harrisburg. As far as the local networks are concerned the Eagles and Ravens are our home teams. The Steelers are always on unless the Ravens are on at the same time. And the Redskins are nearby and are typically on if the Eagles aren't.

So consider the Redskins, Eagles, Ravens, and Steelers are the home teams in this area.

Did you happen to see the games those teams played in yesterday?

Those FOUR teams scored a COMBINED 44 points yesterday!! And NONE of those teams scored more than 13!

AWFUL!!

I get see 4 games yesterday and NONE of them were worth watching.

Honestly the best thing I saw yesterday was this:



And it was FREAKING HILARIOUS!! (if you have never seen Jeff Dunham I suggest you rent or buy all his dvd's.....seriously.....DO IT!!)

There is almost no doubt in my mind that this past weekend was one of, if not the, worst weekends for football EVER!!

It was definitely the worst weekend this season. It was worse than the first college football weekend when there were NO NFL GAMES!!!

But next weekend is looking better....at least for Saturday anyway.

The College Football Weekend

BORING!!

I can't remember much of anything from Saturday's slate of games. There really weren't any good games the whole day.

The one game between ranked teams wasn't close. And by close I mean 4 touchdowns. It wasn't even close! 56-6 the Gators dismantled the Gamecocks.

Other than that the only games worth anything were probably the ACC games. And they weren't worth watching either. I watched the first about half of the Maryland vs North Carolina game and saw the score go to 15-14..then I went out to dinner with the family and came back and saw the last 3 points.

That game pretty much summed up the college slate of games. I managed to leave for about 90 minutes and STILL saw all the scoring in a game. Awesome.

Some good points from the weekend....

I went 7-3 against the spread and if it wasn't for Stanford scoring a bit too much I would have been 8-2. But 7-3 is still good.
Notre Dame is bad. Yes they beat Navy but really is that an achievement for Notre Dame nowadays?
Next week's slate of games is MUCH BETTER!


The GM's Top 10:

Click here. The Top 10 is the exact same as last week and I am not doing it again right now. Either click the link or see the right sidebar for my college football Top 10. I will be back next week as there WILL be changes.

Enjoy the week!

Irish almost blow it

I didn't watch much of the Notre Dame/Navy game but I saw the end.

I was pulling for Navy to pull the upset but they came up about 30 yards short.

If you didn't see it Notre Dame was up 24-7 or 27-7 or something when Navy scored to make it 27-14 and then Navy recovered not one but TWO onside kicks.

TWO!!

That is a direct indication of the coaching job being done at Notre Dame.

I am not saying Charlie Weiss should be fired but it shouldn't be ignored that he isn't doing what he should be doing.

This game was proof that Charlie isn't doing a good enough job.

With the talent that was brought in and the schedule his team played they should have a much better record than they do.

And I don't want to hear about the youth because there are a lot of teams that are just as young playing tougher schedules and better records.

All I am saying is that the coaches seat in South Bend should be starting to heat up.

Are you Kidding Me?

Barry Melrose was fired as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

That's right...the big hiring of this past offseason is already looking for a new job!!

16 games!!

16 freaking games is all the idiot owners gave him to turn it around.

They brought in like 2 new lines of players through trades and free agency and they apparently expect all those players (most of them overrated by the way) to gel right away and play as a team.

Apparently Dan Snyder owns this team since this is his wonderful philosophy...throw big money at free agents and trade away for overpriced talent and expect to win.

This is embarrassing for the NHL. How in the hell do you fire a guy 16 games into the season.

I could see it if the team was 0-16 or something. But they are 5-7-4 and only 8 points out of the division lead.

I just don't understand.

Rick Tocchet, recently a compulsive gambler, will take over as head coach for the Lightning. I am setting the over under at 30 games until he is fired!!

Verb's Thoughts:

I personally will take the under.

NFL Week 10 or 11...

Well, week 10 is over and so is part of week 11. One game anyway and it was good. I expect there to be a lot more games this season like the one last night and this weekend will definitely have its share.

I did do a power rankings this week for the past week but I am going to try something new. We always talk about it during the podcast so this week I am going to tell you that the only way you get to see or hear my power rankings is to listen to the podcast. I don't really think this is going to work out very well but I would really like you guys to start listening because you will be entertained. I don't think my power rankings are something that's going to make you click on the podcast but its worth a shot. Hopefully you all prove me wrong.

Let's get to the picks you really wanna see. The pick 6 against the spread. Let me review last week just to substantiate myself.

Last week's results:

-Tennessee (-3) - W
-New Orleans (+1) - L
-Miami (-8) - L
-Baltimore (PK) - W
-Indianapolis (+4) - W
-New York Giants (-3) - W
-Arizona/San Francisco (OVER) - W

Including my bonus over/under pick I was a whopping 5-2. Boo Ya! That is making money right there. I am way better then stock market right now. It would obviously behoove you now to listen to what I have to say here. Let's get on with this week's picks.

Tennessee (-2.5) @ Jacksonville
-Jacksonville benched Mike Peterson. Tennessee will run wild. There is nothing here that tells me Tennessee can't win by at least a field goal. Best Bet!

Philadelphia (-9) @ Cincinnati
-I think Philly wins this game huge. That's all I have to say about that.

Minnesota @ Tampa Bay (-4)
-Adrian Peterson is good but so is Tampa's D. I know Tampa's backfield is banged up but I just feel the home field makes a touchdown difference.

Arizona (-3) @ Seattle
-Matt Hassleback is supposed to play but that doesn't make Seattle that much better. The Arizona offense is still awesome and there is no way Seattle's defense keeps them under 30. Seattle won't score 27.

Dallas @ Washington (+1.5)
-I think Washington takes it to Dallas at home and wins the game outright in the 4th quarter. That's right, even without Portis. Ladell Betts fills in nicely and this team gets a huge win. Upset Special!

Chicago @ Green Bay (-3.5)
-This is a huge game for both teams but its bigger for the Pack. They lost a tight one to Minnesota last week and need a huge win this week. They win by a touchdown at home and get back on track.

Bonus Over/Under pick:

St Louis @ San Francisco (44)

-Every week, neither defense is very good and some weeks neither offense is very good. What does that mean? Take the over! I think there will be lots of points because I think the offenses are better then the defenses. I know that's pretty simple but sometimes simple is better.

There ya have it! After last week, do you doubt me? I didn't think so!

Episode 8

The latest podcast is up on the sidebar. Feel free to check it out.

And also send some requests or emails about what you want us to cover. If you want something we will try to get it on there.


this weeks episode:

• NFL talk
• Midseason NFL all pro teams
• Midseason NFL awards
• College football talk
• Discuss the BCS
  
• Other witty banter

Now I Pick The Winners

This is the week that I go 10-0!!

I have confidence in my picks this week....but then again I had confidence in my picks last week!

I am 20-20 overall after 2 5-5 weeks, 1 7-3 week and 1 2-8 week. But after this week I will be 30-20.

On to the Picks:

[home team in caps]

ALABAMA ------ 20.5 ----- 40.5 ----- Mississippi State

I really don't have a good reason why I pick this but I don't think Miss St can hang at all with Alabama. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bama score 42 all by themselves. Take Alabama and the over.

FLORIDA ------- 21 ------- 50.5 ------ South Carolina

I think South Carolina could keep this game close. Their defense is very good and might be able to slow down the Gators. But we have to define close here.....I think close in this game is 4 touchdowns. Take the Gators but take the under as the GameCocks won't score more than 14.

SOUTHERN MISS ----- 2.5 ---- 48 ----- East Carolina

How is a 4-6 team favored over a 6-3 team? I am unsure of how this could happen. But it has. Something tells me to take the favorite here, that Vegas knows more than me. But come on. East Carolina wins outright but take the under.

Southern Cal ------ 23 ------- 48 ------ STANFORD

I have heard a couple people say that this game will be close. But what is close again? Because I feel like USC is like Florida in this match up. If close is 28 than that's fine but it won't be much closer than that. Take USC and the over.

KENTUCKY ------ 4-------- 40 ------ Vanderbilt

This is one game that I am not that confident about. Vandy has lost 4 straight while Kentucky appears to be getting healthier and playing better even though they aren't really winning much. I take Vandy to win outright but take the under cause neither team scores 20.

North Carolina ----- 3 -------- 45 ------ MARYLAND

Maryland is a average at best football team....on the road. At home they are much better than that and are 5-0. North Carolina has a good football team but it won't be enough on the road. Maryland will win and take the over.

Notre Dame ------ 3.5 ------- 51.5 ------ NAVY

This is easily my least confident pick this week. Notre Dame is great passing the ball and average at EVERYTHING else. Navy is obviously great at running the ball but TERRIBLE at everything else. But the game is in Maryland and I am taking Navy to beat the Irish. And for some reason I say take the over.

MICHIGAN ------ 3.5 ------ 46 ------- Northwestern

Really, Michigan is a favorite?? They are 3-7 and yet they are favored over a 7-3 team? Once again maybe Vegas is smarter than me and Michigan will all of a sudden be a team and win one they aren't supposed to but I doubt it. Northwestern wins and they score well over 46.

OREGON ST ------ 3 ------ 51.5 ------- California

If this game was at Cal than it would be different. But its not and the Beavers don't seem to lose at home. And they won't this week. OSU and the over.

Texas ------- 13 ------- 68 ----- KANSAS

Last week I thought Texas would dismantle Baylor and they started to and then lost their focus. This week I think Kansas is getting way too much credit. They aren't that good. Take Texas to dismantle the Jayhawks. But Kansas will score so take the over.


There you go. A 10-0 week starts early on Saturday. Enjoy!

Confidence Pool Games to Pick for 11/15-16

This weeks games to pick:

College (by Saturday at noon):

Notre Dame @ Navy
16 North Carolina @ Maryland
California @ Oregon State
Boston College @ 19 Florida State
Vanderbilt @ Kentucky
Nebraska @ Kansas State
17 BYU @ Air Force
Minnesota @ Wisconsin

tiebreaker - combined score of BC/FSU


NFL (by Sunday at 1pm):

Denver @ Atlanta
Chicago @ Green Bay
Baltimore @ NY Giants
Minnesota @ Tampa Bay
St. Louis @ San Fransisco
San Diego @ Pittsburgh
Dallas @ Washington
Cleveland @ Buffalo

tiebreaker - combined score of STL/SF

Make some picks....leave em in the comments or send em as an email.

Confidence Pool Results

We have been doing this for most of the season and had not had a perfect score until this weekend. And not only did someone go 8-0 in the college games....but someone else did it for the NFL.

This week's winners:

College --- Karl
NFL ------ Yosty


Results:

College:

Karl -------- 36
Verb -------- 31
Muther ----- 29
Yosty ------- 27
Wifey ------- 25*
GM --------- 25

NFL:

Yosty ------- 36
Muther ----- 29*
Verb -------- 29
Wifey ------- 25
GM --------- 21
Karl -------- 15

* - won by tiebreaker

The GMs NCAA FB Top 10, week 11

Last week was a bad week for my college picks and I had hoped to make a valiant comeback this past weekend and thought I did okay.

And then I looked at the picks and remembered I didn't actually take that team.

DAMN!

I went 5-5 against the spread this past weekend. Not great but not technically losing either.

And now we go into perhaps the worst weekend for college football. There is only 1 game featuring ranked teams against each other and that is pushing it. 25 South Carolina goes to Gainesville to play the number 4 Florida Gators team that is destroying teams each week. I don't think that will stop this week.

About this past weekend....

Did Iowa do us all a favor? Maybe they did. I am a huge Penn State fan and really wanted to see them play for a National Title but at the same time if they were just going to be destroyed by a team like Florida or Texas than I wouldn't want to watch. But I was still rooting for the Lions and was disappointed when they lost.

But I love all college football and will enjoy the rest of the season. I am really looking forward to the Texas Tech @ Oklahoma game in a couple weeks. That should be fun. And then there are games like OU vs Okie State and Florida vs Florida State.

Every week there seems to be multiple games worth watching. It's great.


The GMs Top 10:

1. Alabama (1) 10-0 - They got past LSU which I figured they would and they SHOULD get to the SEC title game undefeated, although I would keep my eye on Auburn if I were them. If they make it through the title game than they will be playing in Miami in January.
2. Texas Tech (3) 10-0 - Last week I said they weren't in my title conversation but this week they might top it. I think they are actually MORE likely to make it through their schedule than Alabama. The tough game is obviously AT Oklahoma.
3. Florida (4) 9-1 - Absolutely destroying their opponents right now. If they win out they play for the SEC championship....and probably win it. But don't look past Florida State too early. South Carolina can't hang with the Gators.
4. Texas (5) 8-1 - Another team another win. With the exception of the first half (and final plays) against Texas Tech they have played a pretty much perfect season. They have to be ahead of OU since they already beat OU.
5. Oklahoma (6) 9-1 - The offense is amazing, the defense is amazingly bad! I think TT can handle this team because their defense is that bad. But they keep winning. With TT and Okie State coming up I don't expect it to continue.
6. USC (8) 8-1 - Playing in a weak PAC-10 is making this team look so much better than they are. Yes their defense is good but the offenses they are playing against aren't exactly Texas or Oklahoma. As usual a bit overrated in the media.
7. Penn State (2) 9-1 - Couldn't quite get it done in Iowa City. The wind might have been an equalizer but the babying of the offense and Darryl Clark is probably more to blame. But if they win out they get the Rose Bowl....not too bad.
8. Boise State (8) 9-0 - A toss up between them and Utah still goes to a very young Broncos team. Winning at Oregon is still impressive. Unfortunately they won't stay ahead of Utah unless Utah losses.
9. Utah (-) 10-0 - A big come from behind win against TCU last week gets the Utes into the top 10 for the first time this season. They still get BYU and can still jump Boise in the coming weeks. An undefeated season likely lands them in the BCS game.
10. Missouri (-) 8-2 - After losing to Texas they have calmed things down and are focused on winning the Big 12 north. They want to redeem themselves against the South division in the championship game.

Almost there:

• Ohio State 8-2 - Playing very well and they seem to have found an offense in the past few weeks. Should finish out the season with wins and end up in either a BCS game or in Florida for a New Years Day game.
• Oklahoma State 8-2 - They got throttled by a Texas Tech team looking to make a point. Now they have to rebound and get ready for the Sooners in a few weeks.
• TCU 9-2 - A tough close loss to Utah on Thursday surely cost them a BCS shot at least. Refocus and finish out the season strong to get to a solid bowl game.
• BYU 9-1 - They get Air Force this week and Utah next week to finish their season with tough games. If they win those two they will be in good shape within the conference.