Friday, September 30, 2011

2011 MLB Playoffs - Division Series Predictions

October is coming a day early. Well not really, but the 2011 MLB Playoffs will get October unofficially started on the last day of September. The last day of the regular season was potentially the most dramatic ending to a season that we have ever seen. My preseason pick to win the World Series (Boston) finished off their late-season meltdown by allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to sneak into the playoffs. The Yankees, Rangers, and Tigers round out the American League field. The National League saw a late-season meltdown of their own as the Atlanta Braves gave way to the Cardinals for the Wild Card. In addition to the Cards, the NL rounds out its field with division winners, Philadelphia , Milwaukee, and Arizona.

Let's take a look at how I see the Division Series' and beyond playing out.

ALDS

Texas (96-66) vs. Tampa Bay (91-71)

Rangers won season series 5-4

Texas Season Stats
BA - .283
RPG - 5.3
ERA - 3.79

Tampa Bay Season Stats
BA - .244
RPG - 4.4
ERA - 3.58

The Rays are riding a huge wave of momentum into the Playoffs. Can they sustain it against the defending AL champs? Remember the Rangers knocked out the Rays in the 2010 ALDS. Will history repeat itself? I think so.

Prediction - Texas over Tampa Bay 3-1

NY Yankees (97-65) vs. Detroit (95-67)

Tigers won season series 4-3

NY Yankees Season Stats
BA - .263
RPG - 5.4
ERA - 3.73

Detroit Season Stats
BA - .277
RPG - 4.9
ERA - 4.04

The fact that this series starts off with the pitching matchup of Justin Verlander versus CC Sabathia, instantly makes this series must-see TV. Everyone is jumping on the Tigers bandwagon, and they have reason to. Verlander is reason enough, but they have an outstanding lineup as well. Unfortunately for them, the Yankees lineup is better and Sabathia may be able to offset Verlander. I like the Yanks to move on.

Prediction - NY Yankees over Detroit 3-2

NLDS

Philadelphia (102-60) vs. St. Louis (90-72)

Cardinals won season series 6-3

Philadelphia Season Stats
BA - .253
RPG - 4.4
ERA - 3.02

St. Louis Season Stats
BA - .273
RPG - 4.7
ERA - 3.74

The Phillies entered this season as the favorites to win the World Series. And why wouldn't they be, with that vaunted rotation? The Cardinals have been on fire of late, and even took the season series from the Phillies. The Phils were the original "Dream Team" in Philadelphia in 2011. Can they live up to the expectations? I think they can.

Prediction - Philadelphia over St. Louis 3-1

Milwaukee (96-66) vs. Arizona (94-68)

Diamondbacks won season series 4-3

Milwaukee Season Stats
BA - .261
RPG - 4.5
ERA - 3.63

Arizona Season Stats
BA - .250
RPG - 4.5
ERA - 3.80

Milwaukee is known for its offense lead by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but they have solid starting pitching and a tremendous bullpen to go with it. This combination should make them a difficult out in the playoffs. They get the startup D-Backs in the NLDS. Arizona came out of nowhere to win the NL West going away. Can their group of youngsters hang with the Brewers? Not this year.

Prediction - Milwaukee over Arizona 3-1

ALCS Prediction

NY Yankees over Texas 4-2

NLCS Prediction

Philadelphia over Milwaukee 4-1

World Series Prediction

Philadelphia over NY Yankees 4-2

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

NCAA Football - Week 5 Predictions

Ringer's Record
Last Week ATS: 9-8
Last Week SU: 16-3

Season ATS: 47-30 (61%)
Season SU: 73-11 (87%)

Ball St. (+37.5) at 1 Oklahoma
Oklahoma remained the top team in the Ringer Poll, despite falling behind against Missouri last week. After two hard fought games, the Sooners can rest easily as they host Ball St. this week. Ball St. has had a nice 3-1 start, but they will be no match for Oklahoma. Still, I like the Cardinals getting the points.

Prediction - Oklahoma 48 Ball St. 13

2 Alabama (-5.5) at 12 Florida
It's not every day that a team comes into The Swamp as favorites. That is the case this week. I foolishly picked 'Bama to lose at home last week. Florida has looked solid so far, particularly on defense. But you know the saying, "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me". I can't go against the Tide two weeks in a row.

Prediction - Alabama 27 Florida 17

Kentucky (+29.5) at 3 LSU
LSU is everyone's flavor of the month. As well they should be, after beating three ranked teams in the first four weeks of the season. September is coming to an end though. I don't see LSU having much trouble with an overmatched Kentucky, but I'll take the Wildcats getting more than four touchdowns.

Prediction - LSU 34 Kentucky 13

Nevada (+27.5) at 4 Boise St.
They may not be conference rivals this season, but believe me this game means a lot to Boise. Remember that Nevada kept the Broncos from a trip to the Rose Bowl last season by handing them their only defeat. Nevada lost their top playmakers, while Boise attained a lot of theirs. Add in the revenge factor and I think Boise romps.

Prediction - Boise St. 48 Nevada 14

UCLA (+20.5) at 5 Stanford
The nation's top QB returns home for the first time since the opening week of the season. That means bad news for the Bruins. UCLA gave up 49 points last time they played a ranked team, and Stanford is 3-0 ATS this season. Look for the Cardinal to continue that trend and win big.

Prediction - Stanford 42 UCLA 13

8 Nebraska (+9.5) at 7 Wisconsin
Nebraska opens up their inaugural Big Ten slate with a road trip to Madison. The Blackshirts could not get a tougher test. The crowd is always hostile, but even more so at night. Wisconsin has played some of the nation's best football, and have gotten excellent play on both sides of the ball. The crowd will have plenty of reason to jump around, as the Badgers give the Huskers a nasty welcome to the Big Ten.

Prediction - Wisconsin 31 Nebraska 16

Auburn (+10.5) at 10 South Carolina
This is a rematch of the 2010 SEC Championship. Auburn won that game handily, but they don't have Cam Newton taking snaps anymore. South Carolina has been winning ugly, but winning nonetheless. I expect them to control the ball with Marcus Lattimore and continue that trend this week to avenge the SEC title game loss in a close one.

Prediction - South Carolina 27 Auburn 21

17 Clemson (+7.5) at 11 Virginia Tech
The Clemson Tigers may be the nation's biggest surprise so far. Their 4-0 start includes wins over the defending National Champion (Auburn), and the preseason favorite to win the ACC (Florida St.). Clemson has had a knack for failing to live up to expectations. This team went from having none to plenty in the last two weeks. There's no way they make it three in a row. Virginia Tech wins a close one in Blacksburg.

Prediction - Virginia Tech 28 Clemson 27

13 Texas A&M (-3.5) vs. 19 Arkansas (at Arlington, TX)
Both of these teams saw any dream of a national title run come to an end last week. A&M coughed up a 17-point lead at home to Oklahoma St., while Arkansas never stood a chance against Alabama. Which team will bounce back quicker? I'll go with Arkansas for two reasons. First they didn't lose in heartbreaking fashion like the Aggies. second, their expectations weren't as high coming into the season.

Prediction - Arkansas 34 Texas A&M 31

14 Texas (-10.5) at Iowa St.
This is an unlikely match of unbeatens. I'm not a huge believer in the Longhorns, but I had them 3-0 at this point. I certainly didn't see Iowa St. at 3-0, but the Cyclones have been impressive so far. They have won their last two games in come from behind fashion against BCS school, Iowa and UConn. I don't think they can pull it off two years in a row against Texas, but it will be a close one.

Prediction - Texas 24 Iowa St. 21

15 Baylor (-3.5) at Kansas St.
The stat of the year so far is that RG3 has thrown more TD passes than he has incompletions so far. This is the highest Baylor has been ranked in decades because of it. Kansas St. is no slouch though. The Wildcats went to Miami and knocked off the U last week. One of these teams will get to 4-0, and I have to believe it's Baylor until someone can show they can slow RG3.

Prediction - Baylor 34 Kansas St. 28

16 South Florida (-2.5) at Pittsburgh
South Florida heads to Pittsburgh for this week's Thursday night game on ESPN. This game is sure to play a pivotal role in the Big East picture. These two teams already have one common opponent this year. South Florida beat Notre Dame on the road. Pittsburgh lost to Notre Dame at home. that must mean South Florida will beat Pittsburgh.

Prediction - South Florida 27 Pittsburgh 23

Minnesota (+20.5) at 18 Michigan
Denard Robinson continued to be magnificent last week versus Brady Hoke's old squad, San Diego St. How long can he keep it up? He faces another multi-dimensional QB in Minnesota's MarQueis Gray this week. Minnesota continues to bring up the rear in the Big Ten, but I expect Gray and the Gophers to give Michigan a fight in this one.

Prediction - Michigan 35 Minnesota 16

SMU (+11.5) at 20 TCU
An old SWC rivalry is renewed when the Pony Express takes the short trip to Fort Worth to take on the Horned Frogs of TCU. SMU was my preseason favorite to win C-USA. I picked them to cover the spread in Week 1 versus A&M and they were demolished. Do I test my thoughts of SMU again? I'll give it another try, simply because I don't think TCU is as good as we thought they were either.

Prediction - TCU 38 SMU 28

Northwestern (+6.5) at 21 Illinois
It's always a toss up when these two schools get together. I thought Illinois has showed me something after they beat a very good Arizona St. team. Then they came back last week and nearly lost to Western Michigan. Which Illinois team will show up this week. Probably somewhere in the middle, which will be good enough for a close victory but I like Northwestern with the points.

Prediction - Illinois 27 Northwestern 24

Bowling Green (+20.5) at 22 West Virginia
The Mountaineers got exposed last week versus LSU. It doesn't mean they aren't a good team, it just means they aren't ready to compete for a national title. I expect Geno Smith and this offense to continue putting up huge numbers. If they can pass for over 400 yards on LSU, they can certainly sling it all over Bowling Green. Give me WVU big.

Prediction - West Virginia 41 Bowling Green 12

23 Michigan St. (+3) at Ohio St.
As a man that was born and raised an Ohio St. fan, it pains me to see them struggling. Even in a 20-point victory over Colorado last week there was enough stuff I saw that worries me. Michigan St. bounced back from a poor performance at Notre Dame to win by 30 against Central Michigan. This one is a complete toss up, but maybe my negativity is getting the best of me. I think Sparty will win.

Prediction - Michigan St. 28 Ohio St. 21

24 Georgia Tech (-11.5) at NC State
Boy has NC State turned out to be worse than I thought they were going to be. this is one team I was dead wrong on at the beginning of the season. I thought Mike Glennon could fill in for the departed Russell Wilson nicely at QB. He and his teammates looked awful in an embarrassing 44-14 loss to Cincy on national TV last week. Georgia Tech looks tough, give me them.

Prediction - Georgia Tech 37 NC State 20

Monday, September 26, 2011

NCAA Football Top 25 - Week 5

Week 4
1. Oklahoma (4-0) W Mizz 38-28
2. Alabama (4-0) W Ark 38-14
3. LSU (4-0) W WVU 47-21
4. Boise St. (3-0) W Tulsa 41-21
5. Stanford (3-0) Idle
6. Texas A&M (2-1) L OKSU 27-30
7. Oklahoma St. (4-0) W TAM 30-27
8. Wisconsin (4-0) W S Dak 59-10
9. Nebraska (4-0) W Wyo 38-14
10. Oregon (3-1) W Arz 56-31
11. South Carolina (4-0) W Vandy 21-3
12. Florida St. (2-2) L Clem 30-35
13. Virginia Tech (4-0) W Marsh 30-10
14. Arkansas (3-1) L Bama 14-38
15. Florida (4-0) W Ky 48-10
16. West Virginia (3-1) L LSU 21-47
17. Texas (3-0) Idle
18. Baylor (3-0) W Rice 56-31
19. South Florida (4-0) W UTEP 52-24
20. TCU (3-1) W Port St 55-13
21. Illinois (4-0) W WMU 23-20
22. Michigan (4-0) W SDSU 28-7
23. Clemson (4-0) W FSU 35-30
24. Michigan St. (3-1) W CMU 45-7
25. Georgia Tech (4-0) W UNC 35-28

Missouri (2-2) L Okla 28-38
Auburn (3-1) W FAU 30-14
Arizona St. (3-1) W USC 43-22
Ohio St. (3-1) W Col 37-17
Penn St. (3-1) W EMU 34-6
Houston (4-0) W Ga St 56-0
North Carolina (3-1) L GT 28-35
Mississippi St. (2-2) W LTU 26-20 OT
Maryland (1-2) L Temp 7-38
Miami (1-2) L KSU 24-28
 

Week 5

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Boise St.
5. Stanford
6. Oklahoma St.
7. Wisconsin
8. Nebraska
9. Oregon
10. South Carolina
11. Virginia Tech
12. Florida
13. Texas A&M
14. Texas
15. Baylor
16. South Florida
17. Clemson
18. Michigan
19. Arkansas
20. TCU
21. Illinois
22. West Virginia
23. Michigan St.
24. Georgia Tech
25. Florida St.

Arizona St.
Auburn
Ohio St.
Penn St.
Houston
Kansas St.
Iowa St.
Mississippi St.
Utah
North Carolina

Thursday, September 22, 2011

NFL - Week 3 Predictions

Ringer's Record
Last Week ATS: 10-6
Last Week SU: 13-3

Season ATS: 19-12-1
Season SU: 26-6

New England (-8.5) at Buffalo
This is a battle between two undefeated teams that have been putting up points and yardage at will. Something has to give this week, and New England is clearly the more talented team.

Prediction - New England 30 Buffalo 27

Jacksonville (+3.5) at Carolina
This game will feature two rookies starting at QB. Carolina's Cam Newton has been dynamic. Jacksonville's Blaine Gabbert is getting his first start. Look for Newton to get the better of this one.

Prediction - Carolina 21 Jacksonville 18

San Francisco (+1.5) at Cincinnati
San Francisco heads to Cincinnati in a battle of 1-1 teams. One of these teams will come out of this one above .500. Jim Harbaugh will have his team ready to play following a disappointing loss to Dallas.

Prediction - San Francisco 23 Cincinnati 17

Miami (+3.5) at Cleveland
This one looks to be important for Miami. Their coach Tony Sparano could already find himself on the hot seat with a loss. Cleveland will look to exploit a weak Miami secondary. Give me the Brownies at home.

Prediction - Cleveland 27 Miami 21

Detroit (-3.5) at Minnesota
Detroit has looked special so far this season. Minnesota on the other hand, has blow leads to lose each of their first 2 games. I'm starting believe in the Lions, but not enough to give them another road win yet.

Prediction - Minnesota 24 Detroit 21

Houston (+4.5) at New Orleans
The AFC South now looks to be the Texans' to lose. Houston has been impressive in the forst 2 weeks. New Orleans lost a tough one at Green Bay but bounced back last week to trounce the Bears.

Prediction - New Orleans 27 Houston 24

NY Giants (+7.5) at Philadelphia
Both of these teams have major injury issues. The Giants' secondary is depleted, but will the Eagles have Michael Vick to exploit it? Either way, the Eagles roster has more talent on it.

Prediction - Philadelphia 24 NY Giants 21

Denver (+7.5) at Tennessee
Denver and Tennessee are each seeking to move abover .500. Neither of these teams were expected to do much, but a win here could kick start the season. I like the Titans to get it done at home.

Prediction - Tennessee 24 Denver 20

NY Jets (-3.5) at Oakland
The Jets head to the West Coast fresh off a blowout victory over the Jags. Oakland lost a heartbreaker to Buffalo and welcome the return to the Black Hole. Look for the Jets to win a slugfest here.

Prediction - NY Jets 24 Oakland 21

Kansas City (+14.5) at San Diego
The poor Chiefs have lost their best player on each side of the ball. They have been embarrassed in the midst of it, losing their 2 games by a combined score of 89-10. The Chargers will win this one big.

Prediction - San Diego 37 Kansas City 17

Baltimore (-3.5) at St.Louis
The Ravnes look unstoppable in Week 1 and followed that up with a dud in Week 2. This bunch will be determined to bounce back this week. The Rams have been beat up and are coming off a short week.

Prediction - Baltimore 24 St. Louis 16

Green Bay (-3.5) at Chicago
The Packers come into this rivalry game as a road favorite. They will certainly be looking to get pressure on Jay Cutler and force turnovers. I think Chicago will play well in front of the home fans though.

Prediction - Chicago 24 Green Bay 20

Arizona (-3.5) at Seattle
It's looking like a losing record could win the NFC West again. Which means this game actually has implications. I like Seattle to win this one as a home underdog.

Prediction - Seattle 24 Arizona 23

Atlanta (+1.5) at Tampa Bay
This series has always been back and forth. Atlanta beat Philly's Dream team last week despite being outplayed. The Baby Bucs came from behind for victory yet again. Toss a coin. I'll go Bucs close.

Prediction - Tampa Bay 28 Atlanta 27

Pittsburgh (-10.5) at Indianapolis
Pittsburgh looked nasty last week versus Seattle after being embarrassed by Baltimore in Week 1. I hate to say it, but Colts may be in the running to get Peyton's heir apparent next season in Andrew Luck.

Prediction - Pittsburgh 27 Indianapolis 14

Washington (+6.5) at Dallas
I though Washington would be the NFL's worst team, but they have proved me wrong with a 2-0 start. Dallas doesn't know if Tony Romo will be able to play, but something tells me he suits up and gets a W.

Prediction - Dallas 24 Washington 16

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

NCAA Football - Week 4 Predictions

Ringer's Record Last Week ATS: 13-8
Last Week SU: 19-4

Season ATS: 38-22
Season SU: 57-8

Missouri (+21.5) at 1 Oklahoma
9/17: 1 Oklahoma outlasted 12 Florida St. in Tallahassee 23-13
9/17: Missouri demolished an overmatched W.Illinois team 69-0

Prediction - Oklahoma 47 Missouri 24

14 Arkansas (+12.5) at 2 Alabama
9/17: 14 Arkansas couldn't put Troy away early but came out with a 38-28 win
9/17: 2 The Tide rolled in an easy 41-0 win over N. Texas

Prediction - Arkansas 24 Alabama 17

3 LSU (-6.5) at 16 West Virginia
9/17: 3 LSU used another string defensive performance to beat Mississippi St. 19-6
9/17: 16 West Virginia held off a late Maryland rally to win 37-31

Prediction - LSU 26 West Virginia 21

Tulsa (+29.5) at 4 Boise St.
9/17: Tulsa lost to 7 Oklahoma St. 59-33 in a game that lasted into the morning hours
9/16: 4 Boise St. laid a beating on Toledo 40-15, lead by Kellen Moore's 5 TDs

Prediction - Boise St. 55 Tulsa 21

7 Oklahoma St. (+3.5) at 6 Texas A&M
9/17: 7 Oklahoma St. crushed Tulsa 59-33 in a game that lasted into the morning hours
9/17: 6 Texas A&M pounded Idaho 37-7 despite not having their A game

Prediction - Texas A&M 38 Oklahoma St. 35

South Dakota (NL) at 8 Wisconsin
9/17: 8 Wisconsin got strong performances from their stars in a 49-7 beating of N. Illinois

Prediction - Wisconsin 62 South Dakota 10

9 Nebraska (-23.5) at Wyoming
9/17: 9 Nebraska outgunned Washington 51-38, lead by Taylor Martinez
9/17: Wyoming remained undefeated with a 28-27 win over Bowling Green

Prediction - Nebraska 33 Wyoming 14

10 Oregon (-15.5) at Arizona
9/17: 10 Oregon got a big day from LaMicheal James in crushing Missouri St. 56-7
9/17: Arizona was shut down in the 2nd Half of a 37-10 loss to 5 Stanford

Prediction - Oregon 41 Arizona 21

Vanderbilt (+16.5) at 11 South Carolina
9/17: Vandy forced key turnovers to win an SEC battle with Ole Miss 30-7
9/17: 11 South Carolina needed a big day from Marcus Lattimore to get by Navy 24-21

Prediction - South Carolina 27 Vanderbilt 16

12 Florida St. (-3.5) at 23 Clemson
9/17: 12 Florida St. nearly pulled off the upset of 1 Oklahoma before losing 23-13
9/17: Clemson used a big 2nd Half to end Auburn's winning streak with a 38-24 win

Prediction - Florida St. 23 Clemson 20

13 Virginia Tech (-19.5) at Marshall
9/17: 13 Virginia Tech defeated Arkansas St. 26-7 despite a lackluster showing
9/17: Marshall got embarrassed in a 44-7 blowout loss to Ohio

Prediction - Virginia Tech 35 Marshall 13

15 Florida (-17.5) at Kentucky
9/17: 15 Florida continued their recent dominance of rival Tennessee with a 33-23 win
9/17: Kentucky couldn't pull off the win over in-state rival Louisville, losing 24-17

Prediction - Florida 27 Kentucky 3

Rice (+18.5) at 18 Baylor
9/17: Rice did not play
9/17: Baylor only needed 3 quarters to shutout Stephen F Austin 48-0

Prediction - Baylor 42 Rice 23

UTEP (+27.5) at 19 South Florida
9/17: UTEP got above .500 with a 16-10 win over New Mexico St.
9/17: 19 South Florida's offense exploded in a 70-17 romp over Florida A&M

Prediction - South Florida 44 UTEP 14

Portland St. (NL) at 20 TCU
9/17: 20 TCU looked unimpressive in a 38-17 win over UL-Monroe

Prediction - TCU 62 Portland St. 7

Western Michigan (+14.5) at 21 Illinois
9/17: Western Michigan beat down rival Central Michigan 44-14
9/17: 21 Illinois played stout defense to beat previously ranked Arizona St. 17-14

Prediction - Illinois 31 Western Michigan 10

San Diego St. (+8.5) at 22 Michigan
9/17: San Diego St. used a huge 4th Quarter to beat Washington St. 42-24
9/17: 22 Michigan got a big day out of Denard Robinson to roll past E. Michigan 31-3

Prediction - Michigan 33 San Diego St. 24

Central Michigan (+21.5) at 24 Michigan St.
9/17: Central Michigan was beat down by rival W. Michigan 14-44
9/17: 24 Michigan St. got knocked off by Notre Dame 31-13

Prediction - Michigan St. 35 Central Michigan 19

North Carolina (+5.5) at 25 Georgia Tech
9/17: North Carolina moved to 3-0 with a 28-17 win over Virginia
9/17: 25 Georgia Tech gained over 700 yards in a 66-24 blowout of Kansas

Prediction - Georgia Tech 35 North Carolina 25

Sunday, September 18, 2011

NCAA Football Top 25 - Week 4

Week 3 Results
1. Oklahoma (3-0) W FSU 23-13
2. Alabama (3-0) W UNT 41-0
3. LSU (3-0) W Miss St 19-6
4. Boise St. (2-0) W Tol 40-15
5. Florida St. (2-1) L Okla 13-23
6. Stanford (3-0) W Arz 37-10
7. Texas A&M (3-0) W Ida 37-7
8. Oklahoma St. (3-0) W Tulsa 59-33
9. Wisconsin (3-0) W NIU 49-7
10. Nebraska (3-0) W Wash 51-38
11. Oregon (2-1) W Mizz St 56-7
12. South Carolina (3-0) W Navy 24-21
13. Virginia Tech (3-0) W Ark St 26-7
14. Arkansas (3-0) W Troy 38-28
15. Michigan St. (2-1) L ND 13-31
16. Ohio St. (2-1) L Mia 6-24
17. Florida (3-0) W Tenn 33-23
18. West Virginia (3-0) W Md 37-31
19. Auburn (2-1) L Clem 24-38
20. Texas (3-0) W UCLA 49-20
21. Baylor (2-0) W SFASU 48-0
22. Arizona St. (2-1) L Ill 14-17
23. Mississippi St. (1-2) L LSU 6-19
24. TCU (2-1) W ULM 38-17
25. South Florida (3-0) W FAMU 70-17

Missouri (2-1) W WIU 69-0
Northwestern (2-1) L Army 14-21
Central Florida (2-1) L FIU 10-17
Michigan (3-0) W EMU 31-3
Penn St. (2-1) W Temp 14-10
Houston (3-0) W LTU 35-34
Maryland (1-1) L WVU 31-37
Illinois (3-0) W ASU 17-14
Tennessee (2-1) L Fla 23-33
Georgia Tech (3-0) W Kan 66-24
 
Week 4 - Ringer Poll

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Boise St.
5. Stanford
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma St.
8. Wisconsin
9. Nebraska
10. Oregon
11. South Carolina
12. Florida St.
13. Virginia Tech
14. Arkansas
15. Florida
16. West Virginia
17. Texas
18. Baylor
19. South Florida
20. TCU
21. Illinois
22. Michigan
23. Clemson
24. Michigan St.
25. Georgia Tech

Missouri
Auburn
Arizona St.
Ohio St.
Penn St.
Houston
North Carolina
Mississippi St.
Maryland
Miami

Thursday, September 15, 2011

NFL - Week 2 Predictions

Ringer's Record
Last Week ATS: 9-6-1
Last Week SU: 11-5

Oakland (+4.5) at Buffalo
9/12: Oakland (1-0) went to Denver and won 23-20 to win their 8th straight division game
9/11: Buffalo (1-0) may have been the most impressive team of Week 1, winning 41-7 in KC

Prediction - Buffalo 21 Oakland 17

Green Bay (-10.5) at Carolina
9/8: Green Bay (1-0) won a wild shootout against New Orleans on opening night 42-34
9/11: Carolina (0-1) lost 28-21 at Arizona despite Cam Newton's 422 yards passing

Prediction - Green Bay 27 Carolina 17

Kansas City (+9.5) at Detroit
9/11: Kansas City (0-1) was embarrassed at home by Buffalo 41-7
9/11: Detroit (1-0) continues to prove itself on the road with a 27-20 win in Tampa

Prediction - Kansas City 24 Detroit 27

Cleveland (-2.5) at Indianapolis
9/11: Cleveland (0-1) gave away a game to Cincinnati late in the 4th Quarter 27-17
9/11: Indianapolis (0-1) looked dreadful without Peyton Manning, losing 34-7 at Houston

Prediction - Indianapolis 23 Cleveland 21

Tampa Bay (+3.5) at Minnesota
9/11: Tampa Bay (0-1) lost a hard fought battle to the Lions 27-20
9/11: Minnesota (0-1) got no offensive production in a 24-17 loss to San Diego

Prediction - Minnesota 21 Tampa Bay 18

Chicago (+7.5) at New Orleans
9/11: Chicago (1-0) dominated a very good Atlanta team from the opening whistle 30-12
9/8: New Orleans (0-1) almost pulled off a great comeback, falling short 42-34 at Green Bay

Prediction - New Orleans 26 Chicago 20

Jacksonville (+9.5) at NY Jets
9/11: Jacksonville (1-0) used an efficient performance to beat Tennessee 16-14
9/11: NY Jets (1-0) needed some 9/11 magic to beat the Cowboys 27-24

Prediction - NY Jets 20 Jacksonville 12

Seattle (+14.5) at Pittsburgh
9/11: Seattle (0-1) let Special Teams cost them against San Francisco, losing 33-17
9/11: Pittsburgh (0-1) got the brakes beat off them by hated rival Baltimore 35-7

Prediction - Pittsburgh 27 Seattle 7

Baltimore (-6.5) at Tennessee
9/11: Baltimore (1-0) proved something to everyone in a 35-7 blowout of Pittsburgh
9/11: Tennessee (0-1) received no production from Chris Johnson in a 16-14 loss to the Jags

Prediction - Baltimore 23 Tennessee 17

Arizona (+4.5) at Washington
9/11: Arizona (1-0) started the Kevin Kolb era off with a win over Carolina 28-21
9/11: Washington (1-0) looked solid in a 28-14 win over the rival Giants

Prediction - Washington 27 Arizona 23

Dallas (-3.5) at San Francisco
9/11: Dallas (0-1) lost 27-24 to the Jets after 2 Tony Romo turnovers late
9/11: San Francisco (1-0) used kickoff and punt returns from Ted Ginn to hold off Seattle 33-17

Prediction - Dallas 24 San Francisco 20

Cincinnati (+4.5) at Denver
9/11: Cincinnati (1-0) caught the Browns off guard and stunned them 27-17
9/12: Denver (0-1) couldn't stop the Raiders running game and lost 23-20

Prediction - Denver 24 Cincinnati 21

Houston (-3.5) at Miami
9/11: Houston (1-0) looked like the new king of the South beating Indy 34-7
9/12: Miami (0-1) lost to New England 38-24 despite 400+ passing yards from Chad Henne

Prediction - Houston 28 Miami 23

San Diego (+7.5) at New England
9/11: San Diego (1-0) beat up the Vikings and won the game 24-17
9/12: New England (1-0) got a record-setting night from Tom Brady to win 38-24 at Miami

Prediction - New England 30 San Diego 28

Philadelphia (-2.5) at Atlanta
9/11: Philadelphia (1-0) did not need huge performances to beat the Rams with ease 31-13
9/11: Atlanta (0-1) looked awful and got pounded at Chicago 30-12

Prediction - Atlanta 28 Philadelphia 27

St. Louis (+4.5) at NY Giants
9/11: St. Louis (0-1) got physically beat up in a 31-13 loss to Philly
9/11: NY GIants (0-1) looked like they missed their injured players losing 28-14 at Washington

Prediction - NY Giants 27 St. Louis 17

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NCAA Football - Week 3 Predictions



















Ringer's Record
Last Week ATS: 13-3
Last Week SU: 19-0

Season ATS: 25-14
Season SU: 38-4

1 Oklahoma (-3) at 5 Florida St.
9/10: 1 Oklahoma did not play
9/10: 5 Florida St. demolished Charleston Southern 62-10 in their Oklahoma warmup

Prediction - Florida St. 31 Oklahoma 26

North Texas (+45.5) at 2 Alabama
9/10: North Texas was overmatched in a 48-23 loss to Houston
9/10: 2 Alabama went to Happy Valley and dominated the Nittany Lions 27-11

Prediction - Alabama 45 North Texas 7

3 LSU (-3.5) at 23 Mississippi St.
9/10: 3 LSU caught a breather in the midst of s difficult schedule and beat Northwestern St. 49-3
9/10: 23 Mississippi St. came up inches short at 19 Auburn losing 41-34

Prediction - LSU 28 Mississippi St. 23

4 Boise St. (-20.5) at Toledo
9/10: 4 Boise St. did not play
9/10: Toledo nearly pulled off a monumental upset before coming up short 27-22 against Ohio St.

Prediction - Boise St. 49 Toledo 24

6 Stanford (-9.5) at Arizona
9/10: 6 Stanford struggled in the first half at Duke before pulling away 44-14
9/10: Arizona showed they couldn't hang with the big boys as they got beat at Oklahoma St. 37-14

Prediction - Stanford 35 Arizona 21

Idaho (+35.5) at 7 Texas A&M
9/10: Idaho got their first win of the season beating North Dakota 44-14
9/10: 7 Texas A&M did not play

Prediction - Texas A&M 48 Idaho 7

8 Oklahoma St. (-13.5) at Tulsa
9/10: Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon lead 8 Oklahoma St. past 'Zona 37-14
9/10: Tulsa routed Tulane 31-3 in their C-USA opener

Prediction - Oklahoma St. 47 Tulsa 31

9 Wisconsin (-16.5) vs. Northern Illinois
9/10: 9 Wisconsin dominated both sides of the ball in a 35-0 shutout of Oregon St.
9/10: Northern Illinois couldn't quite pull of the win against Kansas losing 45-42

Prediction - Wisconsin 42 Northern Illinois 20

Washington (+16.5) at 10 Nebraska
9/10: Washington started quickly and held on late for a 40-32 win over Hawaii
9/10: 10 Nebraska needed a strong 4th Quarter to hold off Fresno St. 42-29

Prediction - Nebraska 24 Washington 17

Missouri St. (NL) at 11 Oregon
9/10: 11 Oregon crushed Nevada 69-20 to rebound from the LSU loss

Prediction - Oregon 65 Missouri St. 14

Navy (+17.5) at 12 South Carolina
9/10: Navy got to 2-0 by beating up on Western Kentucky 40-14
9/10: 12 South Carolina went to Georgia and took early control of the SEC East winning 45-42

Prediction - South Carolina 38 Navy 24

Arkansas St. (+24) at 13 Virginia Tech
9/10: Arkansas St. beat down Memphis 47-3 at home
9/10: 13 Virginia Tech gave Frank Beamer his 200th win over East Carolina 17-10

Prediction - Virginia Tech 33 Arkansas St. 14

Troy (+23) at 14 Arkansas
9/10: Troy did not play
9/10: 14 Arkansas started hot and whipped on New Mexico 52-3

Prediction - Arkansas 45 Troy 16

15 Michigan St. (+4.5) at Notre Dame
9/10: 15 Michigan St. routed Florida Atlantic from start to finish 44-0
9/10: Notre Dame was stunned by Michigan in a 35-31 loss to their rival

Prediction - Michigan St. 31 Notre Dame 28

16 Ohio St. (+3) at Miami
9/10: 16 Ohio St. escaped a major upset at the hands of Toledo 27-22
9/10: Miami did not play

Prediction - Ohio St. 24 Miami 20

Tennessee (+9.5) at 17 Florida
9/10: Tennessee rolled over Cincinnati for  a big 45-23 win
9/10: 17 Florida ran all over UAB in a 39-0 shutout

Prediction - Florida 26 Tennessee 21

18 West Virginia (+1) at Maryland
9/10: 18 West Virginia used 45 2nd Half points to beat Norfolk St. 55-12
9/10: Maryland did not play

Prediction - West Virginia 31 Maryland 27

19 Auburn (+3) at Clemson
9/10: 19 Auburn continued the their streak of close victories over 23 Mississippi St. 41-34
9/10: Clemson needed a 4th Quarter rally to upend Wofford 35-27

Prediction - Auburn 30 Clemson 24

20 Texas (-3.5) at UCLA
9/10: 20 Texas used their backup QBs to lead a comeback win over BYU 17-16
9/10: UCLA used the 4th Quarter to put away San Jose St. 27-17

Prediction - Texas 26 UCLA 17

Stephen F Austin (NL) at 21 Baylor
9/10: 21 Baylor did not play

Prediction - Baylor 56 Stephen F Austin 10

22 Arizona St. (-1.5) at Illinois
9/9: 22 Arizona St. defeated Missouri in an OT thriller 37-30
9/10: Illinois cruised to victory over FCS school South Dakota St. 56-3

Prediction - Illinois 27 Arizona St. 24

UL-Monroe (+28.5) at 24 TCU
9/10: UL-Monroe got their first win of the year over Grambling 35-7
9/10: 24 TCU proved they are still a force in the MWC with a 35-7 win over Air Force

Prediction - TCU 45 UL-Monroe 10

Florida A&M (NL) at 25 South Florida
9/10: 25 South Florida never had to worry in an easy 37-7 win over Ball St.

Prediction - South Florida 49 Florida A&M 7

Monday, September 12, 2011

NCAA Football Top 25 - Week 3

Week 2
1. Oklahoma (1-0) Idle
2. Alabama (2-0) W PSU 27-11
3. LSU (2-0) W NW St 49-3
4. Boise St. (1-0) Idle
5. Florida St. (2-0) W Chas So 62-10
6. Stanford (2-0) W Duke 44-14
7. Texas A&M (1-0) Idle
8. Oklahoma St. (2-0) W Arz 37-14
9. Nebraska (2-0) W FS 42-29
10. Wisconsin (2-0) W Ore St 35-0
11. Oregon (1-1) W Nev 69-20
12. South Carolina (2-0) W UGA 45-42
13. Virginia Tech (2-0) W ECU 17-10
14. Arkansas (2-0) W NM 52-3
15. Michigan St. (2-0) W FAU 44-0
16. Ohio St. (2-0) W Tol 27-22
17. Mississippi St. (1-1) L Aub 34-41
18. Missouri (1-1) L ASU 30-37 OT
19. Florida (2-0) W UAB 39-0
20. West Virginia (2-0) W Norf St 55-12
21. Texas (2-0) W BYU 17-16
22. Penn St. (1-1) L Bama 11-27
23. Auburn (2-0) W Miss St 41-34
24. Baylor (1-0) Idle
25. TCU (1-1) W AFA 35-19

South Florida (2-0) W Ball St 37-7
Notre Dame (0-2) L Mich 31-35
Georgia (0-2) L SC 42-45
Utah (1-1) L USC 14-23
Iowa (1-1) L ISU 41-44 3OT
NC State (1-1) L Wake 27-34
Arizona (1-1) L OKSU 14-37
Northwestern (2-0) W EIU 42-21
Central Florida (2-0) W BC 30-3
Southern Miss (1-1) L Marsh 20-26
 
 
Week 3

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Boise St.
5. Florida St.
6. Stanford
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma St.
9. Wisconsin
10. Nebraska
11. Oregon
12. South Carolina
13. Virginia Tech
14. Arkansas
15. Michigan St.
16. Ohio St.
17. Florida
18. West Virginia
19. Auburn
20. Texas
21. Baylor
22. Arizona St.
23. Mississippi St.
24. TCU
25. South Florida

Missouri
Northwestern
Central Florida
Michigan
Penn St.
Houston
Maryland
Illinois
Tennessee
Georgia Tech

Thursday, September 8, 2011

NCAA Football - Week 2 Predictions

Ringer's Record
Last Week ATS: 12-11
Last Week SU: 19-4

2 Alabama (-9.5) at 22 Penn St.
Last Week: Alabama did not get the QB production it had hoped for in a 48-7 victory over Kent St.
Penn St. dominated FCS school Indiana St. 41-7, but still face QB questions of their own.

Prediction - Alabama 23 Penn St. 13

Northwestern St. (NL) at 3 LSU
Last Week: LSU proved they are a national title contender with a convincing 40-27 win over Oregon.

Prediction - LSU 54 Northwestern St. 0

Charleston Southern (NL) at 5 Florida St.
Last Week: FSU's stellar D did what they were supposed to and shut out UL-Monroe 34-0.

Prediction - Florida St. 57 Charleston So. 3

6 Stanford (-21.5) at Duke
Last Week: Andrew Luck's numbers were pedestrian, but Stanford had no problem with SJSU 57-3.
Duke continued its lowly existence in FBS football, losing to FCS Richmond 23-21.
Prediction - Stanford 45 Duke 17

Arizona (+14.5) at 8 Oklahoma St.
Last Week: The Pokes high-powered offense put up 61, beating UL-Lafayette 61-34.
Arizona had no problem disposing of Northern Arizona 41-10.

Prediction - Oklahoma St. 45 Arizona 21

Fresno St. (+28.5) at 9 Nebraska
Last Week: Nebraska warmed up for their inaugural Big Ten season by stomping Chattanooga 40-7.
Fresno St. struggled in a Bay Area battle, losing to Cal 36-21.

Prediction - Nebraska 33 Fresno St. 17

Oregon St. (+21.5) at 10 Wisconsin
Last Week: New QB Russell Wilson was brilliant in a 51-17 win over UNLV.
Oregon St. looked pathetic in an embarrassing 29-28 loss to Sacramento St.

Prediction - Wisconsin 42 Oregon St. 17

Nevada (+27.5) at 11 Oregon
Last Week: Oregon's national title hopes were dashed quickly in 40-27 loss to LSU.
Nevada did not play.

Prediction - Oregon 57 Nevada 24

12 South Carolina (-3.5) at Georgia
Last Week: South Carolina finally called on Stephen Garcia to lead them to a 56-37 win over ECU.
Georgia struck early, but fizzled late, losing to Boise St. 35-21 in the Georgia Dome.

Prediction - South Carolina 27 Georgia 22

13 Virginia Tech (-19.5) at East Carolina
Last Week: Va Tech's offense was explosive in a 66-13 demolition of Appalachian St.
East Carolina hung with South Carolina but couldn't sustain it, losing 56-37.

Prediction - Virginia Tech 35 East Carolina 23

14 Arkansas (-36.5) at New Mexico
Last Week: Arkansas made quick work of Missouri St. 51-7 to start the Tyler Wilson era.
New Mexico was close to getting its 3rd win in 3 years, but lost late to Colorado St. 14-10.

Prediction - Arkansas 50 New Mexico 10

Florida Atlantic (+32.5) at 15 Michigan St.
Last Week: Sparty received more trouble than anticipated from Youngstown St., but won 28-6.
FAU was blown out by inner-state foe Florida 41-3.

Prediction - Michigan St. 48 Florida Atlantic 13

Toledo (+18.5) at 16 Ohio St.
Last Week: Ohio St. was impressive in a 42-0 drubbing of lowly Akron.
Toledo proved why they are a MAC favorite in a 58-22 win over New Hampshire.

Prediction - Ohio St. 35 Toledo 12

17 Mississippi St. (-6.5) at 23 Auburn
Last Week: Mississippi St. looked like the real deal, beating Memphis 59-14.
Auburn almost suffered an embarrassing loss to Utah St., but came back to win 42-38.

Prediction - Auburn 29 Mississippi St. 28

18 Missouri (+7.5) at Arizona St.
Last Week: Missouri's offense struggled, but the D came up big in a 17-6 win over Miami(OH)
Arizona St. made easy work of UC-Davis 48-14.

Prediction - Arizona St. 27 Missouri 14

UAB (+21.5) at 19 Florida
Last Week: Will Muschamp's coaching debut was a success with a 41-3 win over Florida Atlantic.
UAB did not play.

Prediction - Florida 42 UAB 16

Norfolk St. (NL) at 20 West Virginia 
Last Week: West Virginia clicked in a rain-shortened win over their rival, Marshall 34-13.

Prediction - West Virginia 59 Norfolk St. 7

BYU (+7) at 21 Texas
Last Week: Texas looked like they had signs of new life in a 34-9 win over Rice.
BYU came back from behind in SEC country to beat Ole Miss 14-13.

Prediction - Texas 28 BYU 24

25 TCU (-1.5) at Air Force
Last Week: TCU lost a wild one to Baylor 50-48 in Waco.
Air Force coasted to victory against South Dakota 37-20.

Prediction - TCU 35 Air Force 20

*There are no lines for games featuring FBS vs. FCS teams
**1 Oklahoma, 4 Boise St., 7 Texas A&M, and 24 Baylor are idle

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

NFL - Week 1 Predictions

New Orleans (+4) at Green Bay
Green Bay begins the defense of their Super Bowl title against my pick to win this year's Super Bowl. The defending Super Bowl champ is 7-0 opening the season on Thursday night. Though I have the Saints winning their second Super Bowl in three years; I can't go against that trend.

Prediction - Green Bay 27 New Orleans 21

Pittsburgh (+3) at Baltimore
There's not a better way to kick off the season than Pittsburgh and Baltimore. As a Browns fan it pains me to say that this has taken over as one of the preeminent rivalries in the NFL. Expect another game of hard knocks. The road team won both games between these two last year. I'll stick with that.

Prediction - Pittsburgh 20 Baltimore 14

Detroit (+1.5) at Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay surprised everyone by posting a 10-6 record last season. Many expect Detroit to make that same type of jump this year. The Lions have some great young pieces to build around, but they still must learn how to win on the road.

Prediction - Tampa Bay 24 Detroit 20

Atlanta (-3) at Chicago
This is a tough one to call.  Both of these teams ended their run in 2010 with a loss in the playoffs to Green Bay. They both have aspirations of doing more. I think Atlanta will end up having the better season, but they struggle to win on the road at times.

Prediction - Chicago 23 Atlanta 19

Buffalo (+5.5) at Kansas City
Kansas City is looking to duplicate their 2010 season which brought them a division title. Buffalo hasn't won a division title since 1995. The Bills will have another losing season in 2011, but they will find a way to keep this one close.

Prediction - Kansas City 28 Buffalo 24

Indianapolis (+9) at Houston
The streak is over. The Colts made it official that Peyton Manning will not start the season opener. This will be the first time since 1998 that this has been the case. This is a perfect opportunity for Houston to seize early control of the AFC South.

Prediction - Houston 31 Indianapolis 21

Philadelphia (-4.5) at St. Louis
The "Dream Team" will take the field for the first time in St. Louis. The Eagles biggest offseason acquisition, Nnamdi Asomghua will be responsible for shutting down up and coming star Sam Bradford. This won;t be a blowout, but Philly gets the season started with a win.

Prediction - Philadelphia 23 St. Louis 20

Tennessee (+3.5) at Jacksonville
Jacksonville stunned the football world by cutting QB David Garrard and naming Luke McCown the starter. Tennessee will get Chris Johnson on the field for the first time, but will he be in football shape? There are plenty of question marks for both of these squads heading into the season.

Prediction - Jacksonville 19 Tennessee 17

Cincinnati (+6.5) at Cleveland
The Battle of Ohio has taken on a Texas flavor this season. Former Texas product Colt McCoy will look to build on an impressive preseason against the Bengals rookie QB from TCU,Andy Dalton. McCoy got his feet wet last season and will continue to improve as the year goes on.

Prediction - Cleveland 27 Cincinnati 17

NY Giants (-3) at Washington
Washington decided to go with Rex Grossman as their starting QB. Enough said. But they also don't have a feature back, and one of the league's worst receiving corps. The Giants defense will make it awfully difficult for the Redskins to score.

Prediction - NY Giants 20 Washington 7

Carolina (+7) at Arizona
Both of these teams usher in new QBs to lead them into the 2011 season. Carolina had the league's worst record last year, and turned that into Cam Newton as the #1 pick in the draft. Arizona traded for former Philly backup, Kevin Kolb. Kolb will get his new team off to the better start.

Prediction - Arizona 31 Carolina 22

Seattle (+5.5) at San Francisco
Every game in a wide open NFC West is pivotal, and this one is no exception. Even at 1-0, being over.500 can go a long way in this division. Seattle begins the Tarvares Jackson era, while San Francisco inexplicably has decided to give Alex Smith another year. Both teams will struggle so give me the home team.

Prediction - San Francisco 23 Seattle 17

Minnesota (+9) at San Diego
Can San Diego avoid their annual early season swoon? The Chargers have tons of talent and will have the services of Vincent Jackson from the opening kickoff this year. I don't think they will have the same difficulty this year. But giving more than a TD in the NFL is a lot.

Prediction - San Diego 28 Minnesota 20

Dallas (+4) at NY Jets
This should be an emotional game, with the 9/11 tributes slated to happen before the game. The team that channels that emotion and uses it to their benefit on the football field should win the game. Rex Ryan has a way of getting his teams emotions to work toward their benefit.

Prediction - NY Jets 23 Dallas 17

New England (-7) at Miami
The first of two Monday Night Football games kicks off in Miami. Tom Brady and the Patriots come to town with new additions, Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco. It's not every day that a 14-2 team returns the next season with more talent. Miami added the talented Reggie Bush but still don't have a QB.

Prediction - New England 24 Miami 16

Oakland (+3) at Denver
Oakland went 6-0 against AFC West foes last season. They get the chance to build on that in Week 1 this season. Many thought that this would be the beginning of the Tim Tebow era in Denver, but that's not the case. Regardless of who's playing QB in Denver throughout the year, expect it to be a losing season.

Prediction - Oakland 24 Denver 23

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

NCAA Football Top 25 - Week 2

Take a look at how your team finished up Week 1 and where they rank in Week 2 of the Ringer Poll.

Week 1
1. Oklahoma (1-0) W Tulsa 47-14
2. Alabama (1-0) W Kent 48-7
3. Oregon (0-1) L LSU 27-40
4. LSU (1-0) W Ore 40-27
5. Boise St. (1-0) W UGA 35-21
6. Florida St. (1-0) W ULM 34-0
7. Stanford (1-0) W SJSU 57-3
8. Texas A&M (1-0) W SMU 46-14
9. Oklahoma St. (1-0) W ULL 61-34
10. Nebraska (1-0) W Chatt 40-7
11. Wisconsin (1-0) W UNLV 51-17
12. South Carolina (1-0) W ECU 56-37
13. Virginia Tech (1-0) W App St 66-13
14. TCU (0-1) L Bay 48-50
15. Arkansas (1-0) W Mizz St 51-7
16. Notre Dame (0-1) L USF 20-23
17. Michigan St. (1-0) W YSU 28-6
18. Ohio St. (1-0) W Akr 42-0
19. Georgia (0-1) L Boise 21-35
20. Mississippi St. (1-0) Mem 59-14
21. Missouri (1-0) W MiaO 17-6
22. Florida (1-0) W FAU 41-3
23. Auburn (1-0) W USU 42-38
24. West Virginia (1-0) W Marsh 34-13
25. Texas (1-0) W Rice 34-9

Penn St. (1-0) W Ind St 41-7
Arizona St. (1-0) W UCD 48-14
Utah (1-0) W Mont St 27-10
Miami (0-1) L Md 24-32
Iowa (1-0) W Tenn Tech 34-7
NC State (1-0) W Lib 43-21
Arizona (1-0) W NAU 41-10
Northwestern (1-0) W BC 24-17
Central Florida (1-0) W Chas So 62-0
Southern Miss (1-0) W LTU 19-17
 
Week 2

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. LSU
4. Boise St.
5. Florida St.
6. Stanford
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma St.
9. Nebraska
10. Wisconsin
11. Oregon
12. South Carolina
13. Virginia Tech
14. Arkansas
15. Michigan St.
16. Ohio St.
17. Mississippi St.
18. Missouri
19. Florida
20. West Virginia
21. Texas
22. Penn St.
23. Auburn
24. Baylor
25. TCU

South Florida
Notre Dame
Georgia
Utah
Iowa
NC State
Arizona
Northwestern
Central Florida
Southern Miss

Monday, September 5, 2011

2011 NFL Predictions



















It is without a doubt the best time to be a sports fan - football season. The king of kings in the sports world - the NFL - kicks off their season on Thursday night when the last 2 Super Bowl champs square off as New Orleans travels to Green Bay. With the shortened preseason, look for this year's playoffs to look an awful lot like last year's. When it is all said and done, I have Drew Brees leading New Orleans to their 2nd title in 3 years by beating New England in Super Bowl XLVI. Here is a look at how I see the 2011 NFL season unfolding.

AFC East
New England 12-4
NY Jets 10-6
Miami 6-10
Buffalo 5-11

AFC North
Pittsburgh 11-5
Baltimore 11-5
Cleveland 6-10
Cincinnati 4-12

AFC South
Indianapolis 10-6
Houston 8-8
Tennessee 6-10
Jacksonville 6-10

AFC West
San Diego 10-6
Kansas City 9-7
Oakland 7-9
Denver 6-10

NFC East
Philadelphia 12-4
Dallas 9-7
NY Giants 9-7
Washington 3-13

NFC North
Green Bay 10-6
Minnesota 8-8
Chicago 8-8
Detroit 6-10

NFC South
New Orleans 12-4
Atlanta 12-4
Tampa Bay 8-8
Carolina 5-11

NFC West
St. Louis 9-7
Arizona 7-9
San Francisco 6-10
Seattle 5-11

AFC Wild Card
NY Jets over Indianapolis
Baltimore over San Diego

NFC Wild Card
Green Bay over Dallas
Atlanta over St. Louis

AFC Divisional
New England over NY Jets
Baltimore over Pittsburgh

NFC Divisional
Atlanta over Philadelphia
New Orleans over Green Bay

AFC Championship
New England over Baltimore

NFC Championship
New Orleans over Atlanta

Super Bowl XLVI
New Orleans over New England

Super Bowl MVP - Drew Brees
NFL MVP - Phillip Rivers
Defensive POY - DeMarcus Ware
Coach of the Year - Sean Payton
Offensive ROY - Julio Jones
Defensive ROY - Von Miller