Wednesday, August 29, 2012

NCAA Football - Week 1 Predictions

The time has finally come! The college football season has arrived. The season will officially begin tomorrow night. Here is a look at how I expect Week 1 to go down. (The rankings are based off of the Ringer Poll)

Michigan Wolverines       Alabama Crimson Tide
8 Michigan (+12.5) vs. 1 Alabama @ Arlington, TX

Prediction - Alabama 28 Michigan 21

North Texas Mean Green       LSU Tigers
North Texas (+43.5) at 2 LSU

Prediction - LSU 38 North Texas 10

Hawaii Warriors       Southern California Trojans
Hawaii (+40.5) at 3 USC

Prediction - USC 59 Hawaii 14

Oklahoma Sooners       Texas-El Paso Miners
4 Oklahoma (-30.5) at UTEP

Prediction - Oklahoma 48 UTEP 13

Arkansas State Red Wolves       Oregon Ducks
Arkansas St. (-35.5) at 5 Oregon

Prediction - Oregon 55 Arkansas St. 21

Buffalo Bulls       Georgia Bulldogs
Buffalo (+37.5) at 6 Georgia

Prediction - Georgia 48 Buffalo 7

Murray State Racers       Florida State Seminoles
Murray St. (+49.5) at 7 Florida St.

Prediction - Florida St. 31 Murray St. 3

South Carolina Gamecocks       Vanderbilt Commodores
9 South Carolina (-7.5) at Vanderbilt

Prediction - South Carolina 24 Vanderbilt 10

Jacksonville State Gamecocks       Arkansas Razorbacks
Jacksonville St. (+49.5) at 10 Arkansas

Prediction - Arkansas 47 Jacksonville St. 14

Marshall Thundering Herd       West Virginia Mountaineers
Marshall (+24.5) at 11 West Virginia

Prediction - West Virginia 48 Marshall 27

Northern Iowa Panthers       Wisconsin Badgers
Northern Iowa (+49.5) at 12 Wisconsin

Prediction - Wisconsin 66 Northern Iowa 13

Boise State Broncos       Michigan State Spartans
22 Boise St. (+7.5) at 13 Michigan St.

Prediction - Michigan St. 26 Boise St. 20

Clemson Tigers       Auburn Tigers
14 Clemson (-3.5) vs. 25 Auburn @ Atlanta, GA

Prediction - Clemson 42 Auburn 28

Wyoming Cowboys       Texas Longhorns
Wyoming (+28.5) at 15 Texas

Prediction - Texas 33 Wyoming 10

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles       Nebraska Cornhuskers
Southern Miss (+19.5) at 16 Nebraska

Prediction - Nebraska 35 Southern Miss 16

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets       Virginia Tech Hokies
Georgia Tech (+7.5) at 17 Virginia Tech

Prediction - Virginia Tech 38 Georgia Tech 21

Savannah State Tigers       Oklahoma State Cowboys
Savannah St. (+49.5) at 19 Oklahoma St.

Prediction - Oklahoma St. 51 Savannah St. 7

San Jose State Spartans       Stanford Cardinal
San Jose St. (+25.5) at 20 Stanford

Prediction - Stanford 42 San Jose St. 10

Missouri State Bears       Kansas State Wildcats
Missouri St. (+49.5) at 21 Kansas St.

Prediction - Kansas St. 38 Missouri St. 14

Bowling Green Falcons       Florida Gators
Bowling Green (+29.5) at 23 Florida

Prediction - Florida 35 Bowling Green 7

Notre Dame Fighting Irish       Navy Midshipmen
24 Notre Dame (-15.5) vs. Navy @ Dublin, IR

Prediction - Notre Dame 30 Navy 13

Monday, August 27, 2012

2012 NFL Predictions

The summer is coming to an end. That is no need to sulk though, it is time to celebrate. That means it is now football season. The most popular professional sports league in this country begins its new season next Wednesday. No, that is not a misprint. The season will open up on a Wednesday due to President Obama speaking at the Democratic National Convention. The reigning Super Bowl Champion, New York Giants open up against the hated Dallas Cowboys. Every year is full with surprise teams that rise out of nowhere to make the playoffs. Or teams like the Giants that barely get in, and then make a run to capture the Lombardi Trophy. I don't see this producing as many surprises. When the dust settles at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans on February 3rd, I see Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers winning their 2nd Super Bowl in 3 years. Here is a look at how I expect the 2012 NFL season to unfold. (Playoff teams are listed in bold).

AFC East
New England 11-5
NY Jets 9-7
Miami 6-10
Buffalo 6-10

AFC North
Baltimore 12-4
Pittsburgh 11-5
Cincinnati 7-9
Cleveland 5-11

AFC South
Houston 11-5
Tennessee 8-8
Indianapolis 4-12
Jacksonville 4-12

AFC West
Denver 10-6
San Diego 9-7
Kansas City 8-8
Oakland 6-10

NFC East
Philadelphia 11-5
NY Giants 9-7
Dallas 7-9
Washington 6-10

NFC North
Green Bay 12-4
Chicago 9-7
Detroit 9-7
Minnesota 6-10

NFC South
New Orleans 11-5
Atlanta 9-7
Carolina 7-9
Tampa Bay 4-12

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

AFC Wild Card
Houston over San Diego
Pittsburgh over Denver

NFC Wild Card
San Francisco over Chicago
New Orleans over Atlanta

AFC Divisional
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
Houston over New England

NFC Divisional
Green Bay over New Orleans
San Francisco over Philadelphia

AFC Championship
Baltimore over Houston

NFC Championship
Green Bay over San Francisco

Super Bowl XLVII
Green Bay over Baltimore

Super Bowl MVP - Aaron Rodgers
NFL MVP - Ray Rice
Defensive POY - Patrick Willis
Coach of the Year - Andy Reid
Offensive ROY - Andrew Luck
Defensive ROY - Courtney Upshaw

Sunday, August 26, 2012

2012 NFL Preview

The NFL season is just around the corner. As we finish up Week 3 of the preseason, teams will be making cuts and finalizing their depth charts. Depth on your football team is what leads to championships. With players getting faster and stronger every year, injuries are becoming more prevalent. Being exposed in what area of your team can spell doom. Title hopes are dashed every season by a unit getting exposed. Where are the weaknesses on your favorite team. Take a look at the position by position rankings for every team in the NFL. (The starter or best position player is listed in parenthesis).

Quarterbacks
1. New England (Tom Brady)
2. Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers)
3. New Orleans (Drew Brees)
4. Denver (Peyton Manning)
5. NY Giants (Eli Manning)
6. Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger)
7. San Diego (Phillip Rivers)
8. Dallas (Tony Romo)
9. Detroit (Matthew Stafford)
10. Atlanta (Matt Ryan)
11. Houston (Matt Schaub)
12. Chicago (Jay Cutler)
13. Baltimore (Joe Flacco)
14. Philadelphia (Michael Vick)
15. Carolina (Cam Newton)
16. San Francisco (Alex Smith)
17. Oakland (Carson Palmer)
18. NY Jets (Mark Sanchez)
19. Cincinnati (Andy Dalton)
20. St. Louis (Sam Bradford)
21. Tampa Bay (Josh Freeman)
22. Kansas City (Matt Cassel)
23. Buffalo (Ryan Fitzpatrick)
24. Seattle (Matt Flynn)
25. Indianapolis (Andrew Luck)
26. Washington (Robert Griffin III)
27. Tennessee (Jake Locker)
28. Cleveland (Brandon Weeden)
29. Minnesota (Christian Ponder)
30. Arizona (John Skelton)
31. Jacksonville (Blaine Gabbert)
32. Miami (Ryan Tannehill)

Running Backs
1. Houston (Arian Foster)
2. Jacksonville (Maurice Jones-Drew)
3. Baltimore (Ray Rice)
4. Philadelphia (LeSean McCoy)
5. Chicago (Matt Forte)
6. San Francisco (Frank Gore)
7. Tennessee (Chris Johnson)
8. Oakland (Darren McFadden)
9. Minnesota (Adrian Peterson)
10. Kansas City (Jamaal Charles)
11. Buffalo (Fred Jackson)
12. Seattle (Marshawn Lynch)
13. Atlanta (Michael Turner)
14. Carolina (DeAngelo Williams)
15. San Diego (Ryan Matthews)
16. St. Louis (Stephen Jackson)
17. Dallas (DeMarcus Murray)
18. New Orleans (Pierre Thomas)
19. Miami (Reggie Bush)
20. Arizona (Beanie Wells)
21. Cleveland (Trent Richardson)
22. Denver (Knowshon Moreno)
23. Washington (Roy Helu)
24. Pittsburgh (Issac Redman)
25. NY Jets (Shonn Greene)
26. NY Giants (Ahmad Bradshaw)
27. Cincinnati (Benjarvus Green-Ellis)
28. Tampa Bay (Doug Martin)
29. Detroit (Kevin Smith)
30. Indianapolis (Donald Brown)
31. Green Bay (James Starks)
32. New England (Stevan Ridley)

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
1. Green Bay (Greg Jennings)
2. New England (Wes Welker)
3. New Orleans (Marques Colston)
4. Detroit (Calvin Johnson)
5. Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald)
6. Philadelphia (DeSean Jackson)
7. Kansas City (Dwayne Bowe)
8. Atlanta (Roddy White)
9. Houston (Andre Johnson)
10. San Francisco (Mario Manningham)
11. Carolina (Steve Smith)
12. NY Giants (Hakeem Nicks)
13. Pittsburgh (Mike Wallace)
14. San Diego (Robert Meachem)
15. Dallas (Miles Austin)
16. Denver (Demaryius Thomas)
17. Tampa Bay (Vincent Jackson)
18. Cincinnati (AJ Green)
19. Baltimore (Anquan Boldin)
20. Chicago (Brandon Marshall)
21. Washington (Pierre Garcon)
22. Tennessee (Kenny Britt)
23. Indianapolis (Reggie Wayne)
24. Buffalo (Stevie Johnson)
25. Seattle (Sidney Rice)
26. Jacksonville (Justin Blackmon)
27. NY Jets (Santonio Holmes)
28. Oakland (Denarius Moore)
29. Cleveland (Greg Little)
30. St. Louis (Danny Amendola)
31. Minnesota (Percy Harvin)
32. Miami (Davonne Bess)

Offensive Line
1. New Orleans (Jahri Evans)
2. NY Jets (Nick Mangold)
3. Tampa Bay (Carl Nicks)
4. New England (Logan Mankins)
5. Carolina (Ryan Kalil)
6. Baltimore (Marshal Yanda)
7. Miami (Jake Long)
8. Cleveland (Joe Thomas)
9. San Francisco (Joe Staley)
10. Denver (Ryan Clady)
11. Houston (Wade Smith)
12. St. Louis (Scott Wells)
13. Tennessee (Michael Roos)
14. Atlanta (Sam Baker)
15. Dallas (Tyron Smoth)
16. Pittsburgh (Maurkice Pouncey)
17. Kansas City (Eric Winston)
18. Jacksonville (Eugene Monroe)
19. Buffalo (Eric Wood)
20. Arizona (Levi Brown)
21. NY Giants (Chris Snee)
22. Cincinnati (Andre Smith)
23. Philadelphia (Todd Herremens)
24. Seattle (Russell Okung)
25. Detroit (Dominic Raiola)
26. Washington (Trent Williams)
27. Green Bay (Jeff Saturday)
28. San Diego (Nick Hardwick)
29. Chicago (Gabe Carimi)
30. Oakland (Stefen Wisniewski)
31. Indianapolis (Anthony Costonzo)
32. Minnesota (Matt Kalil)

Defensive Line
1. NY Giants (Jason Pierre-Paul)
2. Detroit (Ndamonkong Suh)
3. Philadelphia (Jason Babin)
4. Minnesota (Jared Allen)
5. Baltimore (Haloti Ngata)
6. San Francisco (Justin Smith)
7. Buffalo (Mario Williams)
8. Pittsburgh (Casey Hampton)
9. Atlanta (Ray Edwards)
10. New Orleans (Will Smith)
11. Oakland (Richard Seymour)
12. Arizona (Darnell Dockett)
13. Houston (JJ Watt)
14. Tennessee (Kamerion Wimbley)
15. Chicago (Julius Peppers)
16. Cincinnati (Domata Peko)
17. New England (Vince Wilfork)
18. Denver (Elvis Dumervil)
19. Cleveland (Athyba Rubin)
20. Kansas City (Glenn Dorsey)
21. Dallas (Jay Ratliff)
22. Green Bay (BJ Raji)
23. Tampa Bay (Gerald McCoy)
24. St. Louis (Chris Long)
25. Miami (Paul Soliai)
26. NY Jets (Sione Pouha)
27. Jacksonville (Tyson Alulalu)
28. Seattle (Chris Clemons)
29. Washington (Barry Cofield)
30. San Diego (Corey Liuget)
31. Indianapolis (Cory Redding)
32. Carolina (Charles Johnson)

Linebackers
1. San Francisco (Patrick Willis)
2. Pittsburgh (James Harrison)
3. Chicago (Brian Urlacher)
4. Baltimore (Ray Lewis)
5. Dallas (DeMarcus Ware)
6. Washington (Ryan Kerrigan)
7. Kansas City (Derrick Johnson)
8. NY Jets (Bart Scott)
9. Denver (Von Miller)
10. Green Bay (Clay Matthews)
11. Miami (Cameron Wake)
12. Indianapolis (Dwight Freeney)
13. Houston (Brian Cushing)
14. San Diego (Jaret Johnson)
15. St. Louis (James Laurinitis)
16. Minnesota (Chad Greenway)
17. Cincinnati (Rey Maualuga)
18. New England (Jerod Mayo)
19. New Orleans (Curtis Lofton)
20. Cleveland (D'Qwell Jackson)
21. Oakland (Rolando McClain)
22. Carolina (Jon Beason)
23. NY Giants (Michael Boley)
24. Jacksonville (Paul Posluszny)
25. Atlanta (Sean Weatherspoon)
26. Seattle (Barret Ruud)
27. Philadelphia (DeMeco Ryans)
28. Detroit (Stephen Tulloch)
29. Tennessee (Will Witherspoon)
30. Arizona (Paris Lenon)
31. Buffalo (Kirk Morrison)
32. Tampa Bay (Quincy Black)

Defensive Backs
1. NY Jets (Darrelle Revis)
2. Seattle (Earl Thomas)
3. Baltimore (Ed Reed)
4. Arizona (Adrian Wilson)
5. Houston (Johnathan Joseph)
6. Pittsburgh (Troy Polamalu)
7. San Francisco (Carlos Rogers)
8. Philadelphia (Nnamdi Asomugha)
9. Chicago (Charles Tillman)
10. San Diego (Eric Weddle)
11. Green Bay (Charles Woodson)
12. Denver (Champ Bailey)
13. Kansas City (Eric Berry)
14. Atlanta (Dunta Robinson)
15. Cincinnati (Leon Hall)
16. New Orleans (Jabari Greer)
17. Washington (DeAngelo Hall)
18. Buffalo (Jairus Byrd)
19. NY Giants (Terrell Thomas)
20. Cleveland (Joe Haden)
21. Jacksonville (Reshean Mathis)
22. St. Louis (Cortland Finnegan)
23. Detroit (Louis Delmas)
24. Miami (Vontae Davis)
25. Dallas (Morris Claiborn)
26. Tennessee (Maichael Griffin)
27. Oakland (Michael Huff)
28. Indianapolis (Antoine Bethea)
29. New England (Devin McCourty)
30. Carolina (Chris Gamble)
31. Tampa Bay (Ronde Barber)
32. Minnesota (Antoine Winfield)

Special Teams
1. San Francisco
2. Oakland
3. Jacksonville
4. Chicago
5. Arizona
6. Pittsburgh
7. Tennessee
8. Cleveland
9. Green Bay
10. Kansas City
11. New Orleans
12. Buffalo
13. Philadelphia
14. New England
15. Miami
16. Cincinnati
17. NY Jets
18. Detroit
19. Denver
20. NY Giants
21. Baltimore
22. Seattle
23. Washington
24. Atlanta
25. San Diego
26. Houston
27. Minnesota
28. Indianapolis
29. Dallas
30. Tampa Bay
31. St. Louis
32. Carolina

Coaching
1. New England (Bill Belichick)
2. NY Giants (Tom Coughlin)
3. Pittsburgh (Mike Tomlin)
4. Green Bay (Mike McCarthy)
5. Washington (Mike Shanahan)
6. Philadelphia (Andy Reid)
7. St. Louis (Jeff Fisher)
8. Denver (John Fox)
9. Baltimore (John Harbaugh)
10. San Francisco (Jim Harbaugh)
11. Chicago (Lovie Smith)
12. Arizona (Ken Whisenhunt)
13. NY Jets (Rex Ryan)
14. Cincinnati (Marvin Lewis)
15. Houston (Gary Kubiak)
16. Atlanta (Mike Smith)
17. Detroit (Jim Schwartz)
18. San Diego (Norv Turner)
19. Buffalo (Chan Gailey)
20. Seattle (Pete Carroll)
21. Kansas City (Romeo Crennel)
22. Dallas (Jason Garrett)
23. Tennessee (Mike Munchak)
24. Carolina (Ron Rivera)
25. Jacksonville (Mike Mularkey)
26. Minnesota (Leslie Frazier)
27. Cleveland (Pat Shurmur)
28. Tampa Bay (Greg Schiano)
29. Miami (Joe Philbin)
30. Indianapolis (Chuck Pogano)
31. Oakland (Dennis Allen)
32. New Orleans (Joe Vitt)



Monday, August 20, 2012

MLB - Home Stretch

August is nearing an end, that means that we are heading into the final stretch of the 2012 MLB season. It seems as if the teams on top of their respective divisions are widening the gaps.  The pennant races may not be as hotly contested as we once thought. There are only two divisions (AL Central and NL West) that are separated by less than five games.  The Wild Cards are a different story. Remember that there is an additional Wild Card team in each league this year. There are five teams fighting for two spots in both leagues. Here is how the rest of the season is projected to play out based on simulations.

AL East
NY Yankees 96-66
Tampa Bay 89-73
Boston 82-80
Baltimore 81-81
Toronto 78-84

AL Central
Detroit 90-72
Chicago Sox 87-75
Cleveland 76-86
Kansas City 72-90
Minnesota 69-93

AL West
Texas 93-69
LA Angels 86-76
Oakland 81-81
Seattle 73-89

NL East
Washington 95-67
Atlanta 93-69
Philadelphia 79-83
Miami 77-85
NY Mets 74-88

NL Central
Cincinnati 96-66
St. Louis 86-76
Pittsburgh 86-76
Milwaukee 77-85
Chicago Cubs 65-97
Houston 54-108

NL West
San Francisco 89-73
LA Dodgers 87-75
Arizona 83-79
San Diego 70-92
Colorado 67-95

AL Wild Card
Tampa Bay over Chicago Sox

NL Wild Card
Atlanta over LA Dodgers

ALDS
NY Yankees over Tampa Bay 3-1
Detroit over Texas 3-2

NLDS
Cincinnati over Atlanta 3-2
San Francisco over Washington 3-2

ALCS
Detroit over NY Yankees 4-3

NLCS
San Francisco over Cincinnati 4-3

World Series
San Francisco over Detroit 4-2

Watch out for the Giants if they get into the postseason. They have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, and they know how to win. The 2010 World Series champs will be a tough out if they continue to play in October. They are currently in a dogfight with the Dodgers in the NL West, and are right in the thick of the Wild Card race.

2012 Heisman Trophy Watch List

Let the Heisman watch begin. It is inevitable that some of these young men will punch their ticket to New York City in December. Just like it is inevitable that some of them won't live up to the hype. But all of them had the numbers in 2011, and the skills to warrant Heisman consideration as we head into the 2012 campaign. Here is a look at the stars that I expect to shine the brightest during the 2012 college football season.

1. Landry Jones  QB/Oklahoma
2011 Stats: 4,463 passing yards, 29 TD, 15 INT
2012 Outlook: The Oklahoma Sooners are my pick to win the National Championship this season. We all know that a lot of QBs that play in the BCS National Championship Game get a ticket to NYC for the Heisman presentation. Jones will have the numbers to go along with the team success. He will be playing behind a veteran line with a stable of backs. He lost Ryan Broyles as his go-to receiver, but Kenny Stills and Jazz Reynolds will step up and become major contributors. Barring injury, Jones will surpass 4,000 yards passing again. That will not be a problem. He does need to cut back on his picks though. If he can keep his interceptions in single digits, Landry Jones will have no problem being invited to the Downtown Athletic Club. Landry Jones is my pick to become the 3rd Oklahoma QB to win the Heisman Trophy in the Bob Stoops era.

2. Matt Barkley  QB/USC
2011 Stats: 3,528 passing yards, 39 TD, 7 INT
2012 Outlook: The USC Trojans are back and ready to return to the limelight. After 2 years of being stuck behind NCAA sanctions, USC is now eligible to win a National Championship. Which is what many prognosticators believe they will do. The Trojans will begin the season ranked 1st in the AP poll. They return 15 starters and will undoubtedly be in the mix. Barkley has the luxury of throwing to the nation's best WR tandem in Robert Woods and Marquise Lee, both of whom could be 1st Round draft picks in April. Matty Trojan will put up huge numbers this year and should USC get past in the Oregon in the Pac-12 he could walk away as the 3rd USC QB to win the Heisman Trophy since 2002. Right now, I have him as my runner up.

3. Montee Ball  RB/Wisconsin
2011 Stats: 1,923 rushing yards, 33 rushing TD, 39 total TD
2012 Outlook: All Montee Ball does is score TDs. OK so that's not true. Ball can get tough yards in short yardage, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he can even block when need be. But what he does best is score TDs. Ball tied Barry Sanders' all-time record for TDs in a season with 39 last year. It will be difficult for him to have an encore season. Wisconsin will put up points again though. The Badgers have become a juggernaut offensively, and should have no problem getting back to the Big Ten Championship Game. This will give Ball an opportunity to play on the big stage again. In the past it has become evident that if you return to school following a year in which you were a Heisman finalist, you are virtually a lock to become a finalist again. This should stay true when considering Montee Ball's chances in 2012.

4. Tyler Wilson  QB/Arkansas
2011 Stats: 3,638 passing yards, 24 TD, 6 INT
2012 Outlook: 2012 will be Tyler Wilson's opportunity to prove that he is more than just a product of Bobby Petrino's offensive mastermind. Petrino is out and John L Smith is in as Head Coach in Fayetteville. Wilson will need to show that he has the poise and moxy to lead the Razorbacks through adversity. Wilson has been very impressive in the eyes of NFL scouts, as some believe he could challenge Matt Barkley for the top spot in the NFL Draft. Wilson has a bevy of weapons at his disposal. 7 starters return to an offense that ranked 1st in the SEC for the 1st time since joining the league in 1991. Bigger things could be on the horizon for Arkansas. Alabama and LSU both come to their house this year, and could be a huge platform for Wilson to solidify his spot in NYC.

5. Denard Robinson  QB/Michigan
2011 Stats: 2,173 passing yards, 20 TD, 15 INT, 1,176 rushing yards, 16 TD
2012 Outlook: "Shoelace" is the premier dual-threat back in the country. He has been a part of 2 different Heisman campaigns since arriving in Ann Arbor, only to what both of them fizzle out as the season ends. Michigan announced themselves back to a national audience last season, as they went 11-2 and won the Sugar Bowl. They should be even better in 2012. However, the schedule stiffens up quite a bit this year. Robinson can take the lead in the Heisman race right away as the Wolverines open the season against the defending national champion, Alabama. If he puts up another 2,000 yards passing, 1,000 yards rushing, and leads Michigan to a Big Ten title, he will be very difficult to beat.

The next 5:

6. Marcus Lattimore  RB/South Carolina
2011 Stats: 818 rushing yards, 10 TD
2012 Outlook: Lattimore returns from a knee injury and looks to lead Spurrier's most talented team since arriving at South Carolina to their 1st SEC title.

7. Geno Smith  QB/West Virginia
2011 Stats: 4,385 passing yards, 31 TD, 7 INT
2012 Outlook: The Mountaineers should continue lighting up scoreboards in their inaugural Big 12 season, but will their defense allow WVU to win enough games to get Geno Smith to New York?

8. Aaron Murray  QB/Georgia
2011 Stats: 3,149 passing yards, 35 TD, 14 INT
2012 Outlook: Murray is entering his 3rd season as the starter in Athens and is beginning to break some of David Greene's records. If he cuts down on his INTs, Murray should be the best passer in the best conference in the country.

9. De'Anthony Thomas  RB/Oregon
2011 Stats: 46 receptions, 605 receiving yards, 9 receiving TD, 18 Total TD
2012 Outlook: De'Anthony Thomas is the "Do it all" man on one of the most explosive offenses in the country. He will help the Ducks run the table during the regular season, but his teammate Kenjon Barner will steal enough of the attention to keep him out of NYC.

10. Sammy Watkins  WR/Clemson
2011 Stats: 82 receptions, 1,219 receiving yards, 12 receiving TD
2012 Outlook: Watkins will be suspended for Clemson's first 2 games again Auburn and Ball State. But he will do enough in the 11 games to follow to make him relevant in this race.

Others to Watch:

Logan Thomas  QB/Virginia Tech
Rex Burkhead  RB/Nebraska
Kenjon Barner  RB/Oregon
Tavon Austin  WR/West Virginia
Robert Woods  WR/USC

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

2012 NCAA Football Bowl Projections

It's only August now, but bowl season will be here before you know it. It's always nice to take a vacation around the Holidays. And what better vacation than going to watch your favorite school play in a bowl game? The bowl projections are here, which could help you plan your holiday travel. The projections are based off of the conference predictions posted on Tuesday.

The SEC has absolutely dominated college football, winning the last 6 national championships. Are there any teams from another conference that can end that dominance? A lot of people think that USC has the best chance. The Trojans return Heisman front-runner Matt Barkley and his two All-American caliber receivers. But I'm not so sure that USC is the best team in the Pac-12, let alone the country. In order to reach the BCS title game, USC will most likely have to get by Oregon twice. The Ducks lost their backfield duo of Darron Thomas and LaMichael James. Oregon has been able to reload quite nicely since Chip Kelly took over in Eugene. Remember when Jeremiah Masoli was kicked off of the team, and the untested and unproven Darron Thomas took over for him. All Thomas did was lead Oregon within 3 points of winning the national championship. Look for something similar to happen with Marcus Mariota lined up at QB this season.

If Oregon makes it back to the BCS National Championship Game, they must be playing an SEC team right? After all, the SEC Championship Game has ultimately been a play-in game to the BCS National Championship Game since 2006. There are plenty of teams in the SEC capable of making a run to Miami to play on January 7. Alabama is the defending national champion and has won 2 of the last 3. The Crimson Tide should be loaded again. The team they beat for the title last year also resides in the SEC. LSU was clearly the best team in college football last season, until they got thumped by Alabama. The Bayou Bengals are back and hungrier than ever and will be a huge threat again. Georgia, Arkansas, and South Carolina are all teams that could contend on the national level this year as well. Because of this, I just think that there are too many good teams in the SEC. These teams are bound to beat each other up. It is going to be difficult for any of these teams to run the table.

I'm going against conventional wisdom and picking 2 teams from outside of the SEC to battle it out in Miami for the right to claim a national championship. I think Oklahoma is primed for a bounce back year. They were a favorite to win a title last year, but injuries and inconsistent play lead to 3 losses late in the year. Landry Jones is back and impressed many in the spring. He lost Ryan Broyles, but has plenty of other weapons at receiver. Dominique Whaley is expected to be a big contributor this season after an injury plagued 2011. The biggest advantage for Oklahoma though is their schedule. The Big 12 is deep, but there are no other championship caliber teams. I like the Sooners to exceed expectations in 2012.

When it is all said and done, I like Oklahoma to end the SEC's string of national championships, and disappoint Oregon fans again. the name "Big Game Bob" returns as Bob Stoops leads the Sooners to their 1st national championship since 2001.

Here is a look at projections for all of the 2012-2013 bowl games (Projected Rankings listed).

December 15
New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) - Louisiana Tech vs. UL-Lafayette
Famous Idaho Potato (Boise, ID) - Bowling Green vs. Utah State

December 20
Poinsettia (San Diego, CA) - Wyoming vs. BYU

December 21
Beef O'Brady's (St. Petersburg, FL) - Rutgers vs. Tulsa

December 22
New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) - Troy vs. Marshall
Maaco (Las Vegas, NV) - 23 Nevada vs. Washington

December 24
Hawaii (Honolulu, HI) - Fresno State vs. Houston

December 26
Little Caesar's (Detroit, MI) - Ohio vs. Arkansas State

December 27
Belk (Charlotte, NC) - Cincinnati vs. NC State
Military (Washington, DC) - Army vs. Kent State
Holiday (San Diego, CA) - 25 Utah vs. Oklahoma State

December 28
Independence (Shreveport, LA) - Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
Meineke Car Care (Houston, TX) - Kansas State vs. Northwestern
Russell Athletic (Orlando, FL) - 22 Florida State vs. Louisville

December 29
Pinstripe (Bronx, NY) - Baylor vs. UConn
Buffalo Wild Wings (Tempe, AZ) - 17 West Virginia vs. Illinois
Alamo (San Antonio, TX) - 15 TCU vs. 21 Stanford
Armed Forces (Dallas, TX) - Air Force vs. SMU
Kraft Fight Hunger (San Francisco, CA) - Cal vs. Navy

December 31
Music City (Nashville, TN) - Virginia vs. Florida
Sun (El Paso, TX) - Georgia Tech vs. Oregon State
Liberty (Memphis, TN) - Central Florida vs. Missouri
Chick-Fil-A (Atlanta, GA) - 14 Virginia Tech vs. 16 Mississippi State

January 1
Ticket City (Dallas, TX) - SMU vs. Western Michigan
Capital One (Orlando, FL) - 5 Georgia vs. 18 Michigan State
Gator (Jacksonville, FL) - 20 Iowa vs. Auburn
Outback (Tampa, FL) - 13 South Carolina vs. 19 Nebraska

January 4
Cotton (Arlington, TX) - 8 Arkansas vs. 12 Texas

January 5
BBVA Compass (Birmingham, AL) - Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh

January 6
Godaddy.com (Mobile, AL) - Northern Illinois vs. Florida International

BCS Bowls

January 1
Rose (Pasadena, CA) - 6 USC vs. 7 Wisconsin
Orange (Miami, FL) - 9 Clemson vs. 24 South Florida

January 2
Sugar (New Orleans, LA) - 3 Alabama vs. 10 Boise State

January 3
Fiesta (Glendale, AZ) - 4 LSU vs. 11 Michigan

January 7
BCS National Championship Game (Miami, FL) - 1 Oregon vs. 2 Oklahoma

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

2012 NCAA Football Predictions



Atlantic
1. Clemson (11-2, 7-1)
2. Florida State (8-4, 5-3)
3. NC State (7-5, 4-4)
4. Wake Forest (5-7, 3-5)
5. Maryland (5-7, 3-5)
6. Boston College (4-8, 2-6)
Coastal
1. Virginia Tech (10-3, 6-2)
2. Miami (7-5, 5-3)
3. Georgia Tech (7-5, 4-4)
4. North Carolina (7-5, 4-4)
5. Virginia (7-5, 4-4)
6. Duke (4-8, 1-7)

ACC Championship - Clemson over Virginia Tech

Offensive POY - Sammy Watkins  WR/Clemson
Defensive POY - Brandon Jenkins  DE/Florida State
Game of the Year - 10/20: Virginia Tech at Clemson



1. Oklahoma (12-0, 9-0)
2. Texas (9-3, 6-3)
2. TCU (9-3, 6-3)
4. West Virginia (9-3, 6-3)
5. Oklahoma State (8-4, 5-4)
6. Kansas State (8-4, 5-4)
7. Baylor (7-5, 4-5)
8. Iowa State (5-7, 3-6)
9. Texas Tech (5-7, 2-7)
10. Kansas (3-9, 0-9)

Offensive POY - Landry Jones  QB/Oklahoma
Defensive POY - Jackson Jeffcoat  DE/Texas
Game of the Year - 10/13: Oklahoma vs Texas at Dallas



1. South Florida (9-3, 5-2)
2. Louisville (9-3, 5-2)
3. Cincinnati (8-4, 4-3)
4. UConn (7-5, 4-3)
5. Pittsburgh (7-5, 4-3)
6. Rutgers (6-6, 2-5)
7. Temple (5-6, 2-5)
8. Syracuse (4-8, 2-5)

Offensive POY - BJ Daniels  QB/South Florida
Defensive POY - Khaseem Greene  LB/Rutgers
Game of the Year - 10/20: South Florida at Louisville



Leaders
1. Wisconsin (11-2, 6-2)
2. Ohio State (9-3, 5-3)
3. Illinois (7-5, 4-4)
4. Penn State (6-6, 3-5)
5. Purdue (5-7, 2-6)
6. Indiana (4-8, 1-7)

Legends
1. Michigan (10-3, 7-1)
2. Michigan State (9-3, 5-3)
3. Nebraska (9-3, 5-3)
4. Iowa (9-3, 5-3)
5. Northwestern (7-5, 3-5)
6. Minnesota (5-7, 2-6)

Big 10 Championship - Wisconsin over Michigan

Offensive POY - Montee Ball  RB/Wisconsin
Defensive POY - William Gholston  DE/Michigan State
Game of the Year - 10/27: Michigan State at Wisconsin



East
1. Central Florida (10-3, 7-1)
2. Southern Miss (8-4, 7-1)
3. Marshall (6-6, 4-4)
4. East Carolina (5-7, 3-5)
5. UAB (3-9, 1-7)
6. Memphis (2-10, 0-8)

West
1. SMU (8-5, 7-1)
2. Houston (8-4, 6-2)
3. Tulsa (6-6, 4-4)
4. UTEP (5-7, 4-4)
5. Tulane (4-8, 3-5)
6. Rice (3-9, 2-6)

C-USA Championship - Central Florida over SMU

Offensive POY - Zach Line  RB/SMU
Defensive POY - Ja'Gared Davis  LB/SMU
Game of the Year: 10/13: Southern Miss at Central Florida


East
1. Ohio (10-3, 7-1)
2. Bowling Green (8-4, 6-2)
3. Kent State (7-5, 6-2)
4. Miami (OH) (5-7, 4-4)
5. Akron (3-9, 2-6)
6. Buffalo (3-9, 2-6)
7. UMass (0-12, 0-8)

West
1. Northern Illinois (10-3, 7-1)
2. Western Michigan (7-5, 6-2)
3. Ball State (7-5, 5-3)
4. Toledo (6-6, 4-4)
5. Eastern Michigan (3-9, 2-6)
6. Central Michigan (2-10, 1-7)

MAC Championship - Northern Illinois over Ohio

Offensive POY - Tyler Tettleton  QB/Ohio
Defensive POY - Roosevelt Nix  DE/Kent State
Game of the Year - 11/7: Bowling Green at Ohio



1. Boise State (11-1, 8-0)
2. Nevada (10-2, 7-1)
3. Wyoming (8-4, 5-3)
4. Fresno State (7-5, 5-3)
5. Air Force (6-6, 4-4)
6. Colorado State (5-7, 3-5)
7. San Diego State (5-7, 3-5)
8. UNLV (4-9, 3-5)
9. Hawaii (4-8, 2-6)
10. New Mexico (2-11, 0-8)

Offensive POY - Robbie Rouse  RB/Fresno State
Defensive POY - Michael Atkinson  DL/Boise State
Game of the Year - 11/24: Boise State at Nevada



North
1. Oregon (13-0, 9-0)
2. Stanford (8-4, 6-3)
3. Oregon State (7-5, 5-4)
4. Washington (7-5, 5-4)
5. Cal (6-6, 5-4)
6. Washington State (5-7, 2-7)

South
1. USC (11-2, 8-1)
2. Utah (8-4, 5-4)
3. Arizona (5-7, 3-6)
4. UCLA (5-7, 3-6)
5. Arizona State (4-8, 2-7)
6. Colorado (3-9, 1-8)

Pac-12 Championship - Oregon over USC

Offensive POY - Matt Barkley  QB/USC
Defensive POY - Star Lotolelei  DL/Utah
Game of the Year - 11/3: Oregon at USC



East
1. Georgia (11-2, 7-1)
2. South Carolina (9-3, 5-3)
3. Florida (7-5, 4-4)
4. Missouri (7-5, 3-5)
5. Tennessee (6-6, 2-6)
6. Vanderbilt (5-7, 2-6)
7. Kentucky (4-8, 1-7)

West
1. Alabama (12-1, 7-1)
2. LSU (11-1, 7-1)
3. Arkansas (10-2, 6-2)
4. Mississippi State (9-3, 5-3)
5. Auburn (7-5, 4-4)
6. Texas A&M (6-6, 2-6)
7. Ole Miss (4-8, 1-7)

SEC Championship - Alabama over Georgia

Offensive POY - Marcus Lattimore  RB/South Carolina
Defensive POY - Jarvis Jones  LB/Georgia
Game of the Year - 11/3: Alabama at LSU



1. Troy (10-2, 8-0)
2. Florida International (8-4, 7-1)
3. UL-Lafayette (8-4, 6-2)
4. Arkansas State (7-5, 5-3)
5. UL-Monroe (5-7, 5-3)
6. Middle Tennessee (5-7, 4-4)
7. Western Kentucky (3-9, 2-6)
8. North Texas (3-9, 2-6)
9. Florida Atlantic (2-10, 1-7)
10. South Alabama (2-11, 0-8)

Offensive POY - Blaine Gautier  QB/UL-Lafayette
Defensive POY - Winston Fraser  LB/Florida International
Game of the Year - 10/20: Florida International at Troy



1. Louisiana Tech (9-3, 6-0)
2. Utah State (8-4, 5-1)
3. San Jose State (5-7, 4-2)
4. Idaho (4-8, 3-3)
5. Texas State (3-8, 2-4)
6. UT-San Antonio (5-7, 1-5)
7. New Mexico State (2-10, 0-6)

Offensive POY - Colby Cameron  QB/Louisiana Tech
Defensive POY - McKade Brady  DB/Utah State
Game of the Year - 11/17: Utah State at Louisiana Tech



1. Notre Dame (7-5)
2. BYU (7-5)
3. Army (6-6)
4. Navy (6-6)