13.9.03
Zuerst: I spend wayyyyyyy too much time with football; I don't even spend this much time watching hockey.
College Football: As I write this, I'm 3-3, and in the games currently being played, I think I'll end up 2-3. Bleah. Guess I wildly missed the mark (as did the bookmakers, it would seem) in the UNLV - Wisconsin game. Whoops. I hope Pitt comes out that flat against Tech when they visit in November. And Wake. Whoops. I guess I measured both Wake and Purdue wrongly. I guess that Wake may (or may not) be as good as initally thought. And Purdue, I guess, had to get it back after the abortion against Bowling Green. As I speak, a loss goes my way: Our Lady U. got hammered against the Big Ol' Rats of UM. Even though I lost that (and how!), I ain't complaining. I have family in suburban Detroit, and root for Michigan. I guess that Navarre and (especially) Chris Perry had something to prove to armchair coaches like me.
I just checked the scores, and with 11 in, I am 5-5, with a potential win at USC in the 4th q. (UH needs 18 to tie the line as I write). And I didn't bother to call the K-State game, or the Florida game, which is in the 2nd q. as I write. I picked up OU, which I thought I wasn't going to get, because Fresno just completely got their asses kicked. I'm guessing that it was OU's 2nd string defence on which Fresno scored 21 in the 4th q. The other loss on which I haven't commented is Georgia/USC. I ignored (utterly and completely) Mark Richt's offensive reputation, and I also called USC despite knowing that Lou's message of "we suck, we should be 4 td dogs" was undermined by the asskicking they laid on UVa last week. My bad. And I should have known better.
On to the wins. Actually, I'll let them speak for themselves, other than to say big ups to Washington State for coming back from last week and kicking Colorado's ass, and to ask the following question: Why did Chuck Amato not have Philip Rivers pass the damn ball in the 3rd OT, or at the least, have T.A. McLendon run the damn ball for more than that 4th down?. I lied. I want to say one thing about Texas: Maybe it wasn't all Chris Simms' fault. What big game has Texas won under Mack Brown? Chew on that. I'll make one more comment: I had written the Fresno St. game off in the 2nd q. when OU had a 31-0 lead (dark times!). Let that be a lesson. The game ain't over until the game is over (if anyone reading this doesn't groan and say duhhhhhhhhh then they just don't understand the concept of tautology. Anyway, enough of that. On to the pros. And remember that you're an idiot if you use my ill-informed intuitive picks, and that the picks are, in any case, for entertainment only.
Miami (-3) @ N.Y. Jets: Redemption games for both. But Miami is much more talented.
Cleveland (+2) @ Baltimore: I know that Baltimore looked like shit last week, but Kelly Holcomb's big numbers last year were against bad (such as Pittsburgh's) pass defences. Baltimore, though not as spectacular as they were once upon a time, still sports a good defence.
Tennessee (+1 1/2) @ Indianapolis: Tennessee beat a very good (if old) Oakland team. Indianapolis squeaked by (without scoring or allowing a TD) a decent Cleveland team. Add to that the fact that Tony Dungy just doesn't coach well in big games, and you get the fact that Tenn. will come out primed, and Indy won't.
Detroit (+7) @ Green Bay: How can I pick against (a decrepit) Brett Favre in Lambeau? And how can I pick Detroit to beat Green Bay?
Washington (+3) @ Atlanta: Washington struggled at home to beat a mediocre Jets team. Atlanta beat on the road a mediocre Dallas squad. Much as I like the 'skins, I can't say that I like their chances.
Buffalo (-3) @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville blew a lead to Carolina! Carolina! Buffalo delivered one of the bigger ass-kickings that I have seen in a while. You tell me who you'd pick.
Houston (+8 1/2) @ New Orleans: This is a lot like the Ga Tech - Fla St game, in that New Orleans is much more motivated and talented than Houston, who is still probably looking back at the Miami win.
San Francisco (+3) @ St. Louis: Yeah, I know, St. L. looked good in the preseason, but they looked like crap against the Giants, whereas Frisco looked very good against the Bears (I know, who doesn't?) I can't pick against Frisco, a good team in their own right, and St. L. having the distraction of a QB controversy.
Pittsburgh (+3 1/2) @ Kansas City: Pgh. looked good against Baltimore last week, I thought, and if they can stop Priest Holmes (my bet is yes), then they can win this outright.
Carolina (+9 1/2) @ Tampa Bay: Last week Tampa proved that they aren't messing around, where Carolina may well be caught looking back at their comeback.
Seattle (-5) @ Arizona: If I end up picking the Cardinals at all this year, I'll be surprised.
New England (+5) @ Philadelphia: This week Philly proves that last week is a fluke; they have the weapons to do so, helped along by the fact that New England dumped their defensive leader.
Denver (-3) @ San Diego: I know what you're thinking: San Diego sucks! Can't argue too much there, but Schottenheimer does well in the early season, and he'll look to prove that last week is a fluke. And I'm not sure that I can pick Joke the Choke Plummer. You can't place all the blame on his garbage career on the fact that he was in Arizona.
Cincinnati (+12 1/2) @ Oakland: Cincinnati isn't Tennessee. And if Cincy loses by 20 at home to Denver, then they'll get blown out in Oakland.
Chicago (+9) @ Minnesota: Minnesota won at Green Bay, which should be a confidence builder. And Chicago has Kordell Stewart which should be a confidence killer. As a side note, I'm sure that ESPN is thrilled they have (possibly) the worst team in the league playing in prime time.
Dallas (+7 1/2) @ N.Y. Giants: Dallas looked poor losing to a backup QB, and New York beat St. Louis. Add to this the distraction of Tuna coming back to Giants Stadium, and you have a formula for a big win.
Just noticed that I won the SC game by 9. Will look at the rest of my college picks, and my pro picks, tomorrow. -- Ryan.
College Football: As I write this, I'm 3-3, and in the games currently being played, I think I'll end up 2-3. Bleah. Guess I wildly missed the mark (as did the bookmakers, it would seem) in the UNLV - Wisconsin game. Whoops. I hope Pitt comes out that flat against Tech when they visit in November. And Wake. Whoops. I guess I measured both Wake and Purdue wrongly. I guess that Wake may (or may not) be as good as initally thought. And Purdue, I guess, had to get it back after the abortion against Bowling Green. As I speak, a loss goes my way: Our Lady U. got hammered against the Big Ol' Rats of UM. Even though I lost that (and how!), I ain't complaining. I have family in suburban Detroit, and root for Michigan. I guess that Navarre and (especially) Chris Perry had something to prove to armchair coaches like me.
I just checked the scores, and with 11 in, I am 5-5, with a potential win at USC in the 4th q. (UH needs 18 to tie the line as I write). And I didn't bother to call the K-State game, or the Florida game, which is in the 2nd q. as I write. I picked up OU, which I thought I wasn't going to get, because Fresno just completely got their asses kicked. I'm guessing that it was OU's 2nd string defence on which Fresno scored 21 in the 4th q. The other loss on which I haven't commented is Georgia/USC. I ignored (utterly and completely) Mark Richt's offensive reputation, and I also called USC despite knowing that Lou's message of "we suck, we should be 4 td dogs" was undermined by the asskicking they laid on UVa last week. My bad. And I should have known better.
On to the wins. Actually, I'll let them speak for themselves, other than to say big ups to Washington State for coming back from last week and kicking Colorado's ass, and to ask the following question: Why did Chuck Amato not have Philip Rivers pass the damn ball in the 3rd OT, or at the least, have T.A. McLendon run the damn ball for more than that 4th down?. I lied. I want to say one thing about Texas: Maybe it wasn't all Chris Simms' fault. What big game has Texas won under Mack Brown? Chew on that. I'll make one more comment: I had written the Fresno St. game off in the 2nd q. when OU had a 31-0 lead (dark times!). Let that be a lesson. The game ain't over until the game is over (if anyone reading this doesn't groan and say duhhhhhhhhh then they just don't understand the concept of tautology. Anyway, enough of that. On to the pros. And remember that you're an idiot if you use my ill-informed intuitive picks, and that the picks are, in any case, for entertainment only.
Miami (-3) @ N.Y. Jets: Redemption games for both. But Miami is much more talented.
Cleveland (+2) @ Baltimore: I know that Baltimore looked like shit last week, but Kelly Holcomb's big numbers last year were against bad (such as Pittsburgh's) pass defences. Baltimore, though not as spectacular as they were once upon a time, still sports a good defence.
Tennessee (+1 1/2) @ Indianapolis: Tennessee beat a very good (if old) Oakland team. Indianapolis squeaked by (without scoring or allowing a TD) a decent Cleveland team. Add to that the fact that Tony Dungy just doesn't coach well in big games, and you get the fact that Tenn. will come out primed, and Indy won't.
Detroit (+7) @ Green Bay: How can I pick against (a decrepit) Brett Favre in Lambeau? And how can I pick Detroit to beat Green Bay?
Washington (+3) @ Atlanta: Washington struggled at home to beat a mediocre Jets team. Atlanta beat on the road a mediocre Dallas squad. Much as I like the 'skins, I can't say that I like their chances.
Buffalo (-3) @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville blew a lead to Carolina! Carolina! Buffalo delivered one of the bigger ass-kickings that I have seen in a while. You tell me who you'd pick.
Houston (+8 1/2) @ New Orleans: This is a lot like the Ga Tech - Fla St game, in that New Orleans is much more motivated and talented than Houston, who is still probably looking back at the Miami win.
San Francisco (+3) @ St. Louis: Yeah, I know, St. L. looked good in the preseason, but they looked like crap against the Giants, whereas Frisco looked very good against the Bears (I know, who doesn't?) I can't pick against Frisco, a good team in their own right, and St. L. having the distraction of a QB controversy.
Pittsburgh (+3 1/2) @ Kansas City: Pgh. looked good against Baltimore last week, I thought, and if they can stop Priest Holmes (my bet is yes), then they can win this outright.
Carolina (+9 1/2) @ Tampa Bay: Last week Tampa proved that they aren't messing around, where Carolina may well be caught looking back at their comeback.
Seattle (-5) @ Arizona: If I end up picking the Cardinals at all this year, I'll be surprised.
New England (+5) @ Philadelphia: This week Philly proves that last week is a fluke; they have the weapons to do so, helped along by the fact that New England dumped their defensive leader.
Denver (-3) @ San Diego: I know what you're thinking: San Diego sucks! Can't argue too much there, but Schottenheimer does well in the early season, and he'll look to prove that last week is a fluke. And I'm not sure that I can pick Joke the Choke Plummer. You can't place all the blame on his garbage career on the fact that he was in Arizona.
Cincinnati (+12 1/2) @ Oakland: Cincinnati isn't Tennessee. And if Cincy loses by 20 at home to Denver, then they'll get blown out in Oakland.
Chicago (+9) @ Minnesota: Minnesota won at Green Bay, which should be a confidence builder. And Chicago has Kordell Stewart which should be a confidence killer. As a side note, I'm sure that ESPN is thrilled they have (possibly) the worst team in the league playing in prime time.
Dallas (+7 1/2) @ N.Y. Giants: Dallas looked poor losing to a backup QB, and New York beat St. Louis. Add to this the distraction of Tuna coming back to Giants Stadium, and you have a formula for a big win.
Just noticed that I won the SC game by 9. Will look at the rest of my college picks, and my pro picks, tomorrow. -- Ryan.
Comments:
Post a Comment
