Professional Football Wrap-Up

 

Alright, two weeks down, and two consecutive weeks of this column.  We are on a roll.  To be honest, was at a family wedding last Sunday, so I did not have the opportunity to watch much football, other than the last quarter/OT of the Sunday night game and the entirety of the Thursday and Monday night games, but that never stopped me from having an opinio!

Game of the Week

Kansas City Chiefs 33 Indianapolis Colts 30 (OT) - If you get an OT game with at least one quality team, that usually means that the game was pretty good.  No jaw-dropping numbers from anyone on Indianapolis, as the Colts spread the ball around well (5 separate players with at least 1 rush attempt and 6 players with a reception).  The Chiefs resurrected Travis Kelce who had 9 catches 101 yards and 1 TD, and Kenneth Walker might end up being the difference in this season, as he rushed for 117 yards.  And yes, I know that if you win the toss in overtime you should want the ball second, because then you know if you need a FG to win or a TD, and can game-plan accordingly (for example, if down 7 then you will call plays on third down knowing you will go for it on fourth every time as necessary).  But, that also means if the game is even after one possession each, Patrick Mahomes will likely make you pay.  Two OT drives, two FGs to win. 

Best Team Performance

Los Angeles Rams.  It could have been the San Francisco 49ers for the second consecutive week as they trounced the Miami Dolphins 35-13, or it could have been Seattle, with a 31-7 win over Arizona, but the Rams gave up only 183 yards (131 in the air and 52 on the ground) total to the New York Giants, who lost Jaxson Dart - likely for the season - and Malik Nabors.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  It would be easy to jump on the Giants here, but they have significant injuries.  It also could/should be the Chicago Bears, except they had the ball at the 12 with a play to win the game in the fourth quarter.  But Tampa Bay lost 23-19 to the Cleveland Browns, who had a remarkable performance (not great, just remarkable) from DeShaun Watson, who was 24-30 for 2 TDs and 0 INTs, and also let the team in rushing (granted it was only 22 yards).  You cannot pretend to be a playoff-caliber team and give this type of performance against the Browns - AT HOME even.

 

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Josh Allen, QB - Buffalo Bills.  The runner-up last week, went 20-31 passing for 248 yards and 3 TDs, while adding another 2 TDs and 69 yards on the ground as the Bills defeated the Detroit Lions 41-31.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Devin Lloyd, LB - Carolina Panthers.  One week after being torched by the Chicago Bears for 59 points, Carolina bounced back with a 34-3, and Lloyd was at the forefront with 9 total tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions.  Talk about all around play! 

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Brandon Aubrey, K - Dallas Cowboys.  Good on all 7 of his kicks (3 FGs, 4 PATs), including a 60-yarder!  You kick from 60, you usually get mentioned.

KaVontae Turpin, KR/PR - Dallas Cowboys.  He returned four kicks for 122 yards - a 30.5 average - with a long of only 35, meaning he was incredibly consistent.  Added 9 punt return yards as well.  

Most Impressive Team Performance (Premier League)

Brighton & Hove Albion.  Second week in a row, as they defeated previously unbeaten and untied - and defending league champions - Arsenal.  Three separate goal scorers for BHA as they climbed to third in the table.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Premier League)

Antoine Semenyo, F - Manchester CIty.  Scored a brace and added an assist in Manchester City's 5-3 victory over Sunderland, as the Citizens ascend to the top of the table with the win and Arsenal's defeat.

Goat of the Week

Justin Herbert, QB - Los Angeles Chargers.  Listen, we know that Jim Harbaugh grates on players and teams and wears out his welcome quickly.  But these are professionals, and 15/27 with 2 picks won't cut it - even against teams that are rebuilding like the Las Vegas Raiders.

Goat of the Week (Premier League)

Entire Franchise, Tottenham Hotspur.  This team spent way too much money to be 0-2-3 in the first 5 games of the season.  

Hit of the Week

Really the best non-hit of the week, well, most important anyway.  Hammy, Caleb Williams.  The entire midwest gasped when Caleb Williams went down with a non-contact injury.  Even if you are not a Chicago Bears fan, you know this team's games are going to be exciting generally with Caleb Williams running Ben Johnson's offense - this week's 9-3 loss notwithstanding.  Luckily, it seems as if Williams is not going to miss too much time.

Breakthrough Performance

Tyler Shough, QB - New Orleans Saints.  He has shown flashes before, but in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens he went toe-to-toe and the Saints outscored the Ravens 15-0 in the last period, with Shough going 12-14 for 119 yards and 1 TD and rushed for the second as the Saints secured a 7-point victory.

Finally

 

Trent Tucker, WR - Las Vegas Raiders.  This "finally" is really about something that the player himself has finally done, as Tucker has been a solid NFL receiver, but the finally is about when is a receiver going to emerge in Las Vegas besides TE Brock Bowers.  We may have our answer.

Impact Injury

Jaxson Dart, QB - New York Giants/Jayden Daniels, QB - Washington Commanders.  Both likely gone for the season; thus edging out Caleb Williams' near-dangerous hamstring.

Team Rising

New Orleans Saints.  Yes, it is just a 1-game winning streak, as they beat the Baltimore Ravens 24-17, but their week 1 loss was to the Detroit Lions 31-30 in Detroit, and in which the Saints looked every bit the part of a contender.  Shough to Olave is going to win people fantasy leagues, and they are going to win lots of games for the Saints. 

Team Falling

Los Angeles Chargers.  Jim Harbaugh may be a great coach, but he is also a grate coach, if you know what I mean.  That is why his stints at places are relatively short, and even then they are a year or two longer than they should be.  Harbaugh is dangerously close to losing this team.

Best Teams

(All teams will be ranked by record, even if teams with more losses may be better than a team with fewer losses, since Bill Parcells always said that you are what your record says.  The inverse is true for the Worst Teams rankings.) (Yes, I know that you could have a worse record and be better, but we are working off record.)

1. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)

2. Buffalo Bills (2-0)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)

4. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

5. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)

Worst Teams

(All winless teams will be ranked here until all teams have at least 1 win, then I will rank them based upon which teams I think are the worst, regardless of record.)

32. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

31. Washington Commanders (0-2)

30. Miami Dolphins (0-2)

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

Middle Teams

15. New Orleans Saints (1-1)
16. Chicago Bears (1-1)

17. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
18. Carolina Panthers (1-1)

Last Week's Trivia Question/Answer

In Week 1, each of the 16 NFL contests was decided by a different margin of victory.  When was the last time this occurred during a 16-game schedule?

Answer:  Never.  It has never happened before.

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

6.  Los Angeles Chargers v. Buffalo Bills - This is a game to watch because the slate is not terribly interesting.  But the Bills have a chance to extinguish a team that most thought could challenge Buffalo for the AFC.  And this could be the end of Jim Harbaugh and/or Mike McDaniel in LA.

5.  Baltimore Ravens v. Dallas Cowboys - Only because both teams NEED this game, despite the fact that Baltimore has looked much, much better than the Cowboys have looked so far this year.

4.  Philadelphia Eagles v. Chicago Bears - Honestly, how are the Bears going to fare without Caleb Williams?  Can Ben Johnson work his magic?  Will Tyson Bagent clear concussion protocol or will Case Keenum get the start?  Don't even have to watch this game, just see who starts!

3.  International Break.

2.  New England Patriots v. Jacksonville Jaguars - One of these teams is going to be really good, but also fall to 1-2.

1.  Los Angeles Rams v. Denver Broncos - The only truly interesting matchup of the week.

Trivia

Although early, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is currently the leader in receiving yards, a category in which he led the NFL last year.  When was the last time a receiver led the NFL in receiving yards in back-to-back seasons and who was that receiver?

The Ole College Try - Bash Lane Kiffin Edition

 

Well, we are back for another edition of The Ole College Try - which this week is known as the Bask Lane Kiffin Edition.  What more fun could there be than bashing Lane Kiffin - which will occur early and often in this week's edition.

As a reminder, The Ole College Try is my take on college football via a weekly column on college football after each weekend's games.  The column is meant to be a recap of the season to date, with an emphasis on last week's games.

As another reminder, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous (is there any other kind of ludicrous, besides Ludacris?) that the networks, including the World-Wide Leader, nay, especially the World-Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season at the expense of everything else.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

I cannot promise that I will post every week, but so far so good.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Darien Mensah - Miami - Although the team floundered down the stretch against Wake Forest, Miami still pulled out a double-digit conference win on the road, against a good offensive Demon Deacons team.  Mensah finished 30/34 - including completing his first 24 pass attempts, and the 25th was only incomplete because he threw it away when he could have taken a sack (which would have been selfish).  

Rising - Trinidad Chambliss - Mississippi - What a statement win.  Chambliss, who was always a Heisman hopeful this season, just needed this type of signature win, defeating Lane Kiffin-led LSU in a key SEC early season battle.  Perhaps Chambliss made Kiffin last year, not the other way around?  33-48 for 363 yards and 2 TDs in easily besting Sam Leavitt, who Kiffin took over Chambliss by taking the Bayou Bengals job.

Sleeper - Lincoln Kienholz - Louisville - In the best battle of high-octane offenses of the week, Louisville-SMU, Kienholz didn't have his best statistical game (14-23, 177 yards, 2 TD), but he also added 42 rushing yards and orchestrated a 41-31 victory.  Louisville is officially a player in the ACC.

Falling - Marcel Reed - Texas A&M - The Aggies lost a conference home game 31-21 to Kentucky, and Reed finished 26-49 for 236 with 2 TDs and 1 Interception, although adding 80 yards a 1 TD on the ground.  Reed's chances were always tied to a spectacular run into the College Football Playoffs through the SEC, and that light looks diminished, if not extinguished.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Jaden Baugh - Florida - He keeps his spot here due to a prime-time performance on the road at Auburn gaining 162 yards on 26 carries, and 3 TDs to lead the Gators to a 44-39 victory over the Tigers/War Eagle/Plainsmen.  Head coach Jon Sumrall and his Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner ("I didn't even know her") have an easy game plan ... RUN THE DAMN BAUGH!

Rising - LJ Martin - BYU - His 15 carries for 176 yards and 3 TDs paced the Cougars to another victory in what could be a sneaky undefeated season heading into the Notre Dame game.

Falling - Ahmad Hardy - Missouri - Not playing due to injury will do that to you.

Sleeper - Turbo Richard - Indiana - No, the Hoosiers do not look as good as they did last year, but they still look REALLY good due to the running of Turbo Richard.  I mean, his name is Turbo Richard.  15 carries, 149 yards and 1 TD in a walkover over Western Kentucky.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Malachi Toney - Miami - Still the favorite from the WR position  Yes, the second half was slow for the whole offense as player-after-player - including Toney - went down with injuries.  But he still finished with 12 catches for 114 yards and 1 TD.

Rising - Carlos Hernandez - Wake Forest - Statistically he was dominated by Toney and his teammate Jack Foley (6 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD) as Wake Forest lost to Miami 33-20.  But, Hernandez made catch-after-catch - 10 total - and most of them were for important first downs.  He gained 69 yards, and scored a touchdown, returned punts, and had the type of swagger we expect from the Miami receivers.

Falling - Jeremiah Smith - Ohio State - Only falling from 1A, to 1B, primarily because no touchdowns on 5 catches in limited action as Ohio State crushed in-state "rival" (yeah, that was funny for me to type) Kent State.  My guess is that Smith and Toney switch spots next week.

Sleeper - Jesse Legree - Oregon State - His 476 receiving yards pace all FBS receivers, ON ONLY 17 RECEPTIONS.  With 4 TDS, that means he scores on about 1 out of every 4 catches.  The receivers behind in in the yards race?  Malachi Toney, KJ Duff, Jeremiah Smith - in that order.  WOW!

Defensive Edition

5.  Xavier Lewis - DL - North Carolina - Tied for the FBS lead with 6 sacks on the season, and makes the list because unlike Princewill Umanmeilen, he doesn't play for Lane Kiffin!

4.  Zach Mowchan - LB - Eastern Michigan - Tied for the FBS lead with 36 total tackles!

3.  Kingston Lopa - CB - California - Added another interception this week, to bring his NCAA FBS-leading total to 5!

2.  Sammy Omosigho - LB - UCLA - Not only does he co-lead the NCAA with 22 solo tackles, he has added 3 1/2 sacks to his defensive statline.

1.  Anthony Palano - LB - Boston College - Another 12 tackles this week to bring his season total to 34, to go along with his 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions.  He stays at number 1, at least until the defensive stars on the bigger teams start to make their stats in the big conference games.

Player(s) to Watch

The Brown Running Backs (Isaac and Keyjuan) - RB - Louisville - Collectively ran for 230 yards on just 20 carries (10 apiece) as Louisville defeated SMU 41-31.  They have a schedule coming up (Wake Forest, NC State, Florida State, Syracuse, Stanford) where they can really pile on some stats!  

My New Favorite Player

Gio Lopez - QB - Wake Forest to Carlos Hernandez - WR - Wake Forest - The Latin combo not only showcased skill and moxie in Wake Forest's second-half rally against Miami, they both exhibited the attitude that Canes fans have come to expect from their own players.  AND THEY ARE HISPANIC!!!  Lopez, who started his college career as a safety and whose first love is baseball, was 29-46 for 312 yards and 3 TDs against 1 INT.  Hernandez's stats are listed above.

Players of the Week (Just Week 3)

5.  Michael Hawkins - QB - West Virginia - 10-17 for 190 yards and 2 TDs in the air; 123 yards and 3 TDs rushing as the undefeated Mountaineers defeated Virginia 38-27.

4.  Nolan James, JR - RB - Notre Dame - He really is the engine that runs Notre Dame's offense, 26 carries, 121 yards and 1 TD.

3. Dante Moore, Jr. - QB - Oregon - 19-23 for 280 yards and 4 TDS as Oregon bounces back.

2.  Darian Mensah - QB - Miami - Connected on his first 24 pass attempts!!!  Two off the FBS record.

1. Trinidad Chambliss - QB - Mississippi - Beat his former coach Lane Kiffin!!!  And in style as well with 363 yards passing and 2 TDs, and another TD on the ground.  I bet Lane Kiffin wishes he had stayed at Mississippi!

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

C.J. Bailey - QB - NC State - Takes the snap up 3 inside his own 6 with 6 seconds left on fourth down.  Attempts to run around the end zone as long as he can to waste time before taking a safety, and ideally running the game clock to 0:00.  Instead, as he is chased he has the ball knocked away before kneeling, funbles, and Vanderbilt recovers for a 4 point victory instead.  Even throwing the ball out-of-bounds (as he was out of the pocket), could have wasted two or three seconds to achieve the same result, once he felt pressure.  I have never seen an ending like this before!

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Dave Doeren - NC State - See "Goat of the Week (Player Edition.)"

Hey - we really know the answer is ....

Lane Kiffen - LSU - He makes a big kerfuffle about leaving Mississippi, plays LSU, Florida and others against each other and lands at LSU.  Then, as Mississippi loses a close battle to Miami 31-27 in the college football playoff semi-finals, proclaims that if he had stayed as the coach they would have won the title (even though he says he left because LSU offers him the best chance to win.)  Starts the explosive situation of signing pro-players to return to college - only to not use them on his roster at all.  Then returns to Mississippi with a vaunted LSU team, and not only loses, but sees one of his star players - Princewill Umanmielen - served with papers for a lawsuit involving breach of NIL contracts.  AND LOSES!!!!  HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Notre Dame (1) v. Mississippi (4)/ (2) Miami v. (3) Alabama

Final Unbeatens

Too many to list right now.

Rant(s) of the Week
LANE KIFFIN IS possibly the most hated person on the planet.

Under Performance of the Week

LSU.  Yes, I know that Mississippi has a team returning many stars and starters from last year's semifinals, including Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.  But Lane Kiffin asked for the publicity and pressure, and he got it back in spades.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The question was:  Oklahoma State broke a 12-game losing streak by beating Oregon.  When was the last time a team broke a double-digit game losing streak by beating a top-10 ranked opponent? 

The answer is:  Never.  It has never happened.

Trivia Question of the Week

Miami QB Darian Mensah started the Wake Forest game going 24-24 passing before his first incompletion, 2 off the FBS record.  Who holds that FBS record of 26 consecutive completed passes to start a game?

Match-up(s) to Watch

5. Iowa v. Michigan - I have a strong suspicion that both of these teams are frauds.  But, each one has the opportunity to prolong being a fraud for one more week while the other actually loses.  Michigan needs a big win to try to distance itself from the Western Michigan loss.  (I TYPED, WHAT I TYPED!)

4.  Texas v. Tennessee - We will get to find out a lot about Tennessee as they host the Longhorns at home.  With Texas beating Ohio State, and Mississippi beating LSU, Tennessee could forge itself into legitimacy with this game, and have a strong leg up in the SEC.

3. Texas A&M v. LSU - Both teams coming off very disappointing losses; the Aggies to Kentucky and LSU to Mississippi.  Which one can bounce-back the best to keep its playoff hopes alive.

2.  Oregon v. USC - This would have undoubtedly been the number 1 game had Oregon not laid an egg (see what I did there?) against Oklahoma State two games ago.

1.  Mississippi v. Florida - The second week in a row that Mississippi holds this ratings spot.  And while I feel like LSU is better than Florida, this game still holds interest for me because:  (1) It is a potentially good game; (2) In Gainesville; (3) With Jaden Baugh; and (4) Because Mississippi could have a letdown after the huge LSU win.

Picks of the Week - Week 2

 

Wow - It is so good to have the NFL back, especially after a good start for your boy in Week 1.  Sadly, I am unable to watch a lot of the games today, but happy to be celebrating a wedding with family.  No matter the occasion, still gotta get the picks in.  LET'S GO!

A reminder, all bets are for $100 expect for the Big Bet, which is $250.  All losses incur a vig of 10%.  On to the picks.

Buffalo Bills -5 1/2 v. Detroit Lions

I know it is only the second week, and the players are not as run down and hurt as they will be later in the season, but gotta start early - home team/short week!  It paid off.

Chicago Bears -4 1/2 v. Minnesota Vikings

That Bears offense sure looked amazing in putting up 59 against Carolina last week, on 569 total yards.  The vaunted Vikings defense gave up 453 to the Packers.  If Chicago's defense can make a couple of key plays at key times, this game could get out-of-control.

Philadelphia Eagles -7 at Tennessee Titans

Have the Titans even started their regular season yet?  Sure looked like they were still ironing out kinks - HUGE KINKS - last week.

Pittsburgh Steelers +5 1/2 at New England Patriots

One thing we absolutely CANNOT do, is overreact to week 1; and although I did expect some regression from the Patriots this year, I did not expect them to look THAT bad against the Seahawks.  But, Pepster you say, the Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl Champs.  My response is - Drew Lock didn't lead that championship.  Not sure Pittsburgh wins this, but pretty sure Aaron Rodgers can keep it close.

Carolina Panthers -2 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons

I hated to pick an intra-divisional road favorite, but the Falcons could be one of the four worst teams in the NFL (with the Browns, Titans, and Dolphins.)  Who will win the "March for Arch?"  Won't be decided this week, but Carolina should pick up a key divisional win.

Green Bay Packers -3 1/2 at New York Jets

The Jets picked up a win last week, but I am not going to overreact to a win against the Titans.  Geno Smith is a settling hand, and this team could surprise some people, but I do not expect that to happen this week.

New Orleans Saints +8 at Baltimore Ravens

I actually think New Orleans could win its division this week.  Seriously.  Don't think they win this week, but this game seems like a Shough-Olave backdoor cover touchdown in the final two minutes.

Cincinnati Bengals +3 at Houston Texans

Buffalo is going to do what it did to Houston (and subsequently to Detroit) to a lot of teams, so I am not yet worried about Houston.  But I do think that Cincinnati might be ready to make some noise.  At the risk of being redundant from last week, the two new DTs in Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen may just give enough oomph to the defense to allow the offense to score enough to win games - or in this case - at least keep in close.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -7 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns

I am actually not that sold on Tampa this year, but until this DeShaun Watson debacle ends and Shadeur Sanders gives this team a puncher's chance - the Browns are going to be UGLY!!!  And just as I typed this, I see a report that the "Browns are re-evaluating the QB position ahead of their home opener, but that is next week.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 at Denver Broncos

Jacksonville has a chance to cement its place as Buffalo's biggest contender in the AFC (with Baltimore), A couple of years ago Jacksonville had to have been considering whether Trevor Lawrence was really it for them; hint ... he is.  Plus, Denver is on a short week.

 

Los Angeles Chargers -6 1/2 v. Las Vegas Raiders

I am willing to overlook the Chargers opening-week loss to Arizona as a product of perhaps them overlooking the Cardinals.  But it is getting close to the time for the Chargers to really think if they can move forward with Justin Herbert or try to use him in the offseason to jump-start a rebuild - especially with this QB class coming into the NFL next year.  Is he an upper-level NFL starter?  Absolutely.  Is he the one to carry the team to the Super Bowl?  Meh ....

Arizona Cardinals +3 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks

I think Seattle is the best team here.  I am not overrating Arizona based on its week 1 win over the Chargers.  But you know I hate road intra-divisional favorites, and I already picked one this week.  Maybe Drew Lock regresses this week to, well, Drew Lock.  Seattle 21-20?

San Francisco 49ers -13 v. Miami Dolphins

The team that looked the best last week hosting the team that looked the best of the bottom-dwellers?  Double-digit spreads always scare me, but I am not hesitating on this one.

Washington Commanders +4 at Dallas Cowboys

Dallas's new-look defense has not quite jelled yet, to say the least, and the Commanders played the Eagles close on the road last week.  I expect another close divisional game.

Kansas City Chiefs -6 v. Indianapolis Colts

I know that Kansas City is on a short week, but there should be REAL concern in Indianapolis about: (a) this team in general; and (b) that acquiring Kenneth Walker by the Chiefs may have been the BEST offseason move of any team!

New York Giants +7 at Los Angeles Rams

Again, we should not overreact too much to one week's games, but this Giants team might be good.  Not great, but good to very good.  The Rams looked sluggish, and Puka Nacua might be out for Monday night.  Even if he is not out, he might be limited.  I'll take a TD.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Philadelphia Eagles -7 at Tennessee Titans

Have the Titans even started their regular season yet?  Sure looked like they were still ironing out kinks - HUGE KINKS - last week.

This violates my own personal rules regarding selecting Big Bets:  Try to pick a home team, if you pick an away team, be getting points, or at least giving up less than a FG.  But, this is the Titans, and both the Browns and Dolphins are getting more than the 7 Tennessee is getting in this game.  Gotta go against the really bad teams until proven otherwise.

Results: 

Last Week Record: 9-6-1

Last Week Big Bet:  1-0

Year-to-Date Record: 9-6-1

Year-to-Date Big Bet: 1-0

Last Week Winnings (Losses): $390

Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses): $390

Professional Football Wrap-Up

 

I am going to try and revive an old (from 2019) concept of a weekly NFL update.  I cannot promise that I can keep it up, but I do know that I accomplish more the busier I am, so why not add ANOTHER column into my weekly routine (See, The Ole College Try).  So, here are my thoughts from Week 1 of the NFL Season.

Game of the Week

Buffalo Bills 36 Houston Texans 31.  Two potential contenders for the AFC throne facing off against each other in Week 1, and this game is not disappoint!!!  Josh Allen was, well, Josh Allen, going 20-29 for 334 and 2 TDs while also rushing for 2 TDs to really shake-up our belief structure in the Texans' defense.  The Texans, forced to rely on its offense, kept pace with C.J. Stroud throwing for 274 yards and newcomer David Montgomery scored twice on the ground while gaining 30 yards  Nico Collins was Nico Collins, with 7 catches, 75 yards and 1 TD. 

Best Team Performance

San Francisco 49ers.  Thursday night game in Melbourne, Australia against the opening-season odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl LA Rams, and they actually made the Rams seem like they are contenders for the number 1 overall pick.  The 27-7 victory put the 49ers in the drivers' seat for the NFC West and put the league on notice that a healthy San Francisco is a force - especially with Dre Greenlaw being back!!!  

Least Impressive Team Performance

Tennessee Titans.  This team looked like it did not belong in the NFL in a 23-10 loss to the New York Jets.  And this is saying something because the Cleveland Browns looked downright dreadful.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Caleb Williams, QB - Chicago Bears.  21-29 for 269 yards and 2 TDs, and 65 yards rushing for 2 TDs, and led the Bears offense to 59 points.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Anthony Hill, LB, Tennessee Titans.  Hill had 16 tackles, and judging from the way the Titans' offense played, he is going to have more and more series to add to these tackle totals. 

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Tyler Owens, Gunner - Washington Commanders.  Because of THIS PLAY!!!  Note that any portion of this play would qualify for most impressive special teams performance!!!

Most Impressive Team Performance (Premier League)

Brighton & Hove Albion.  A comfortable 5-0 victory over Coventry City, taking a 1-0 halftime lead and cruising to victory.  Five separate goalscorers show the team was really spreading around the ball on offense.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Premier League)

Kevin Schade, M - Brentford.  Scored a brace in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Goat of the Week

Drake Maye, QB - New England.  Drove the team into field-goal position late in the opening game down three, only to heave the ball into coverage in the end zone.  Guess what?  Intercepted.

Goat of the Week (Premier League)

Phil Foden, Manchester City.  Earned a straight red for violent conduct after earning a free kick on a foul by Bruno Fernandes.  Could have been much worse if they were playing a team that was better than Manchester Unite.

Hit of the Week

Tyler Owens, Gunner - Washington Commanders.  See above post and video.

Breakthrough Performance

Isaiah Likely, TE - New York Giants.  Likely has flashed potential brilliance in the past, but he was stuck behind (or with on 2 TE sets) Mark Andrews in Baltimore on a run-heavy team.  Now he is on a pass-friendly team where he is one of the 2 best receiving threats.  Finished the game with 8 catches for 78 yards and 2 TDs.

Finally

Dre Greenlaw, LB - San Francisco 49ers.  Finally back from injury, and boy does Greenlaw make a HUGE difference in this defense.  Only formally credited with 6 total tackles, but he seemed to be everywhere, especially on important plays.

Impact Injury

Kyler Murray, QB - Minnesota Vikings.  Murray, who was supposed to save the Vikings offense from the dregs of J.J. McCarthyism.  Lucky for the Vikings, Carson Wentz may have some left in the tank.

Team Rising

New York Giants.  It looked like the Giants should be much improved as Jaxon Dart enters his second-year as QB and some of the other pieces fall-into place.  Isaiah Likely looks like a bona fide weapon, and with the three-headed pass-rushing monster of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thiebodeaux and Abdul Carte, with Arvell Reese added to the mix, could give a lot of quarterbacks problems, especially ones that Tremaine Edmunds can clear up as a solid MLB.  They defeated the Cowboys 28-20 in week 1, but it wasn't that close. 

Team Falling

New England Patriots.  Yes this is an early overreaction to week 1, but New England just looked lost and overwhelmed, by a Seahawks team that lost QB Sam Darnold early and replaced him with Drew Lock!!!

Best Teams

(All teams will be ranked by record, even if teams with more losses may be better than a team with fewer losses, since Bill Parcells always said that you are what your record says.  The inverse is true for the Worst Teams rankings.) (Yes, I know that you could have a worse record and be better, but we are working off record.)

1. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

2. Buffalo Bills (1-0)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

5. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

Worst Teams

(All winless teams will be ranked here until all teams have at least 1 win, then I will rank them based upon which teams I think are the worst, regardless of record.)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-1)

31. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

30. Miami Dolphins (0-1)

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)

28. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)

Middle Teams

15. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
16. New York Jets (1-0)
17. Houston Texans (0-1)

18. New Orleans Saints (0-1)

Last Week's Trivia Question/Answer

Last Entry's Trivia Question was (From 2019!!!):

As the lone remaining winless team, the Cincinnati Bengals have the inside track to selecting first in the 2020 NFL Draft. Name the three players in Bengals history that were selected with the number 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.  (Hint:  There were 3).  [Ed. Note:  There were three at the time of asking the question - there are currently 4!)

Answer:  Dan Wilkinson (DT Ohio State 1994); Ki-Jana Carter (RB Penn State 1995); Carson Palmer (QB USC 2003); Joe Burrow (QB LSU 2020)

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

6.  Cincinnati Bengals v. Houston Texans - With the Texans defense giving up a lot of yards and points to the Bills, but keeping pace offensively, could this be an exciting shootout for the fans?  Burrow's back is something upon which to keep an eye.

5.  New Orleans Saints v. Baltimore Ravens - Both teams looked really, really good in week 1.  We know about the Ravens offense, but Tyler Shough to Chris Olave might be ridiculously unstoppable.

4.  Jacksonville Jaguars v. Denver Broncos - Jacksonville looks to cement itself early as an AFC team to watch for the remainder of the season.

3.  Brighton & Hove Albion v. Arsenal - The prevailing champions and current number 1 in the standings versus the upstart BHA in 5th place team coming off a 5-goal game against Coventry.  Could be really exciting.

2.  Minnesota Vikings v. Chicago Bears - A team whose offense looked unstoppable hosting a team whose defense looks incredible.  Which one will be able to assert its will in this early intra-divisional battle?

1.  Detroit Lions v. Buffalo Bills - An amazing Thursday night game that we hope lives up to its billing!

Trivia

In week 1, each of the 16 NFL contests was decided by a different margin of victory.  When was the last time this occurred during a 16-game schedule?

The Ole College Try

Well, we are back for another edition of The Ole College Try - which as a reminder is my take on college football via a weekly column on college football after each weekend's games.  The column is meant to be a recap of the season to date, with an emphasis on last week's games.

As a reminder, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous (is there any other kind of ludicrous, besides Ludacris?) that the networks, including the World-Wide Leader, nay, especially the World-Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season at the expense of everything else.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

I cannot promise that I will post every week, but I am going to try.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Darien Mensah - Miami - He did nothing to diminish his spot at the top with a 14/15 for 252 yards and 3 TD performance in Miami's 77-7 massacre of Florida A&M.  For the season he has 8 TDs, and 4 incompletions.  And yes, I know that he cannot keep that up, but it sure will be fun to see how long it takes for his incompletions to catch his TD passes.  

Rising - Lincoln Kienholz - Louisville - He was 16-21 for 332 yards and 2 TDs in the Cardinals 59-13 victory over Villanova, coming off his very impressive 309 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs in a narrow Week 1 loss to Mississippi.  The Louisville/Miami game - with Brohm's mastery over Miami looming - could be a very exciting, interesting, AND IMPORTANT game later this year.

Sleeper - Jayden Maiava - USC - The Trojans are a quiet 3-0, having put up no fewer than 39 points in any of their three games.  Granted, they were against San Jose State, Fresno State, and University of Louisiana, but you have to perform in those games.  He Maiava has thrown for 896 yards and 10 TDs against just 1 interception.

Falling - John Mateer - Oklahoma - So, yes, he was playing against a very motivated Michigan team after their Week 1 loss to Western Michigan.  YES, I TYPED WHAT I TYPED!  But mustering only 10 points on 17/33 passing for 189 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick is not getting the job done.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Jaden Baugh - Florida - He is on pace to become the FIRST EVER running back from UF to have multiple 1000-yard seasons.  His 136 yards on 14 carries and 2 TDs paced the Gators blowout of the Campbell Camels.  And yes, part of this entry is so I could type "Campbell Camels."  He also lost about 55 yards on two plays due to holding penalties.

Rising - DeSean Bishop - Tennessee - 147 rushing yards on 20 carries as Tennessee's main bell-cow back.  As the focus of the Volunteers offense as First-Year Faizon Brandon develops, he could put up HUGE numbers this season, especially given his current 7.2 yards per attempt.

Falling - Ahmad Hardy - Missouri - Not playing due to injury will do that to you.

Sleeper - Dylan Riley - Boise State - Riley gained 206 yards on just 19 carries to help pace Boise State to a 38-20 victory over Memphis in what many people assume is a College Football Playoff Group of 5 play-in game.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Malachi Toney - Miami - Listen, we know this is going to be Malachi Toney and/or Jeremiah Smith all year.  Toney's 4 catches 96 yards and 1 TD in one half of work only elevates him (for now) over Smith because Smith's two big drops - although only 1 is probably an official "drop" - in the fourth quarter during Texas' 21-point comeback.

Rising - K.J. Duff - Rutgers - He suffered as the "falling" receiver last week primarily because Rutgers lost to UMass, but he is easily the third-best receiver to date.  Another Rutgers loss, but Duff had 8 catches, 137 yards and 2 TDs against Boston College.

Falling - Jeremiah Smith - Ohio State - Falling only in the most figurative of circumstances.

Sleeper - Donovan Olugbode - Missouri - If - and it is a big IF - Missouri is going to make some noise in the SEC, they will need Ahmad Hardy back - and a big seasons from Olugbode.  He had 6 catches for 121 yards and 1 TD this week against Kansas, and 13 for 228 and 3 TDs on the season.

Defensive Edition

5.  Kingston Lopa - CB - California - Leads the NCAA with 4 interceptions!

4.  Kona Moore - DB Hawai'i - Tied for the lead in the NCAA with 30 total tackles, including 19 solo tackles - AS A DEFENSIVE BACK!!!

3.  Princewill Umanmeilen - DE LSU - Staying on the list as his 5 sacks lead the NCAA!!!

2.  Elijah Kinsler - DL Memphis - He has 3 1/2 sacks this season, but he is not just a pass rusher, as he also has 18 total tackles.  

1.  Anthony Palano - LB - Boston College - He has 22 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions.  He is literally doing it all for the defense, including 8 tackles, a sack, and 2 picks - one on the last drive of the game - against Rutgers - to seal the Eagles' victory!

Player(s) to Watch

Bo Jackson - RB - Ohio State - Because he is BO JACKSON!

My New Favorite Player

Isaiah Marshall - QB - Kansas - Is he a great QB?  No.  He was 13-30 for 168 and 2 TDs with 2 INTs against Missouri.  Is he possibly the most exciting player in college?  Yes.  On any play you might see something you have never seen before.  LIKE THIS 360 PASS!!!

Players of the Week (Just Week 1)

5.  Arch Manning - QB - Texas - The 23-37 for 195, 1 TD and 1 Int do not jump off the page.  But if you WATCHED that 4th quarter ... Wow!

4.  Anthony Palano - LB - Boston College - For the reasons listed above.

3. Jeremiah Smith -WR - Ohio State - Same top three players as last week.

2.  Malachi Toney - WR - Miami - Seriously, watch this guy!

1. Darien Mensah - QB - Miami - Yes, it was FAMU, but until somebody knocks him off.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Oregon - The entire team!  Losing to Oklahoma State like that deserves it.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Ryan Day - Ohio State - He didn't actually do anything specific that is worthy of being the Goat of the Week, but man, did that Texas 4th quarter comeback sure seems like it should/could have been stopped.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

LSU (1) v. Alabama (4)/ (2) Notre Dame v. (3) Miami

I stand by last week's predictions - even with the Texas win over Ohio State.

Final Unbeatens

Too many to list right now.

Rant(s) of the Week

Went to one of the official Florida Gator alumni-watching bars in West Palm Beach to watch the Florida-Campbell game.  THEY COULDN'T GET THE GAME!!!  As the game was only shown on Disney+, the establishment did not have the business establishment Disney+ package.  It is a shame because they have $1 beer specials during the game to anyone wearing the school colors.  Sorry Roxy's.

Under Performance of the Week

Oregon.  The Ducks were beaten 39-31 by the Oklahoma State Cowboys - who just lost to Tulsa!!!

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The question was:  Malachi Toney set Miami Hurricanes record for most receiving yards in the game against Stanford.  Whose record did he break and how long has that record stood?

The answer is:  Eddie Brown, set in 1984 against Boston College.

Trivia Question of the Week

Oklahoma State broke a 12-game losing streak by beating Oregon.  When was the last time a team broke a double-digit game losing streak by beating a top-10 ranked opponent? 

Match-up(s) to Watch

5. West Virginia v. Virginia - West Virginia is 2-0, but we do not yet know if they are for real.  An away game against a ranked opponent could tell us the answer to the question.

4.  Houston v. Texas Tech- An actual battle of two-ranked teams that could be very fun to watch.

3. Michigan State v. Notre Dame - Two decades ago or so this would have been the number 1 game to watch.  If Michigan State ever wants to get back to that level, the undefeated Spartans have to show up in a game like this now.

2.  SMU v. Louisville - This game has serious ACC-championship implications, as these two teams look like the best-equipped ACC teams to try to handle Miami.  A win here would go a long way toward potential tie-breaking scenarios.

1.  LSU v. Mississippi - If you need me to explain why, then you should not be reading a blog about college football.

Picks of the Week - Week 1

WE ARE BACK BABY!!!  The NFL, and NFL gambling!!!  The time when it is absolutely OK to igore everything else going on in your life from Thursday through Monday!!!  Every NFL Fanbase is overly excited about their chances of winning a Super Bowl (except the Dolphins fans in one of my group chats who are still discussing why the OVER on 4 1/2 wins could never happen this year), and every gambler is overly excited about their chances of winning a mint!  Your boy took a bath last year - and this year will be the time to make it up.  Anyway, we love this time of year, and you can expect this weekly column to be posted throughout the season.

A reminder, all bets are for $100 expect for the Big Bet, which is $250.  All losses incur a vig of 10%.  On to the picks.

Seattle Seahawks -3 v. New England Patriots

Yes A.J. Brown is a huge upgrade to the Patriots offense, but they also experienced losses on defense.  I expect a regression.  Too bad this ended in a push.

Los Angeles Rams -4 v. San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia

Whoops!

Chicago Bears -3 at Carolina Panthers

Ben Johnson has stated that he not only wants his Bears to win, but he wants them to set all-time NFL offensive records.  This first game is an opportunity to start on the right foot toward that goal.

Baltimore Ravens -3 at Indianapolis Colts

No real understanding of this line, other than I think the Ravens have A LOT to prove this year after last season's collapse.  We will see if that is true today, as the Colts also collapsed at the end of last season.  Is Daniel Jones really that important?

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 v. Atlanta Falcons

I truly don't believe that this iteration of the Steelers is going to be good.  But, they are not starting Cooper Rush!

Jacksonville Jaguars -8 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns

A big number, but I am not sure what the Browns organization saw in DeShaun Watson this preseason.  Sanders would at least give them a puncher's chance.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I don't fully trust Tampa.  It is entirely possible that Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen being inserted as DTs completely revamp this defense!

Tennessee Titans -1 1/2 v. New York Jets

Going to be a loooooooong season for both of these teams.  Carnell Tate may just be exactly what Cam Ward needs to take another step!

New Orleans Saints +6 1/2 at Detroit Lions

Detroit can - and will score.  However, I think Tyler Shough is going to be a whole lot better than people expect, and his connection with Chris Olave down the stretch last year gives the Saints fans a lot of hope.

Buffalo Bills -1 1/2 at Houston Texans

The Texans defense still looks like the Texans defense - which is dangerous to the rest of the NFL.  The Bills have added steady and underrated star D.J. Moore, which should open things up for Josh Allen, open up holes for James Cook AND open up the deep ball for Khalil Shakir.

Los Angeles Chargers -8 1/2 v. Arizona Cardinals

Will the Cardinals just start Carson Beck already.  They need to see if they should target a QB in next year's draft or not.  Because when they lose and if they find out Beck is viable as an NFL starter - their high pick will get them a haul in a trade package!

Green Bay Packers +2 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings

Only because divisional rivalries in opening week are crazy to predict - so I want the points.

Las Vegas Raiders -3 v. Miami Dolphins

Kirk Cousins actually brings a steady hand to the Raiders offense, and might help Ashton Jeanty the jolt he needs toward stardom.  The Dolphins might be competitive, but likely will not win a lot this year.

Washington Commanders +5 1/2 at Philadelphia Eagles

I don't think Washington wins this, but first-week intra-divisional games can be tricky, and this spread is bigger than the points I took with Green Bay.  Out of respect for Jayden Daniels I will just say the spread is 6.

Dallas Cowboys -3 at New York Giants

Taking a road intra-divisional favorite in a week in which I have taken all of the underdogs in the intra-divisional games.  Why?  The Cowboys have a tremendous offense, but after losing Micah Parsons to a trade last season, they have added Malachi Lawrence and Caleb Downs to the defense via the draft, and Dee Winters, Rashan Gary via free agency and trade respectively with Von Miller being added as a situational pass rusher.  They have gone all-in on this iteration of Dak Prescott's offense.  If they don't win this game, the whole season becomes a huge question mark.

Kansas City Chiefs -2 1/2 v. Denver Broncos

Jaylen Waddle is a big addition for the Broncos, but I don't expect he will have the impact of Kenneth Walker on the Chiefs offense, who have had decent running backs during Patrick Mahomes' tenure - but nothing like what Walker brings to the table.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Cincinnati Bengals -3 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I don't fully trust Tampa.  It is entirely possible that Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen being inserted as DTs completely revamp this defense!

I really think that the push up the middle from Lawrence and Allen will make rushing the ball really difficult for Tampa Bay, while also pressuring Baker Mayfield and keeping him from stepping into the pocket.  Plus, Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Brown are ready to explode!

Last Season's Tallies, with the "Last Week Record" being the Super Bowl. 

 

Last Week Record: 8-6

Last Week Big Bet:  3-1

Playoff Record: 26-24

Playoff Big Bet:  5-5

Year-to-Date Record: 152-164-3

Year-to-Date Big Bet: 11-17

Last Week Winnings (Losses): $975

Playoff Winnings (Losses):  $521.80

Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses): ($3,478.20)

The Ole College Try

As if I don't have enough to do right now between work, family, fantasy football and sports gambling, I am going to try to revive an old favorite of mine - The Ole College Try - which is a weekly column on college football after each weekend's games.  (To be honest, I find myself more productive the busier that I am, so let's see how long I can keep this up).  This column is basically a recap of the season to date, with an emphasis on last week's games.  For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World-Wide Leader, nay, especially the World-Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season at the expense of everything else.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

I cannot promise that I will post every week, but I am going to try.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Darien Mensah - Miami - Led the Hurricanes to a 45-6 victory in an opening-week conference road game at Stanford.  Mensah threw for 401 yards and had more TDs (5) than incompletions (3).  

Rising - Josh Hoover - Indiana - Could he make it the second transfer-QB to Indiana winner in a row.  For that to happen Indiana's defense is going to have to step-up for the Hoosiers to be in title contention, but Hoover's efficient 13/16 for 231 and 4 TDs made a statement that the offense is ready.

Sleeper - Kevin Jennings - SMU - The Mustang QB was electrifying Doak Campbell Stadium, even if the stadium itself suffered a power outage.  He was 26-36 for 430 yards and 3 TDs as SMU won its ACC opener.

Falling - Bryce Underwood - Michigan - Although technically Underwood threw a game-winning Hail Mary; we all saw that for what it really was.  And his 12-22 for 176 yards and only that last TD, while only maintaining a time-of-possession of under 20 minutes is not going to get it done.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Believe it or not, there is no Running Back favorite for the Heisman - with all names way below the QBs and the WRs.

Rising - Jaylin Carter - Memphis - Hs rushed for 280 yards at an 8.2 yards per carry clip, including 5 TDs.  If Memphis can maintain its spot in the Group of 5 to solidify a playoff spot, who knows how high Carter can rise.

Falling - Mark Fletcher - Miami - Although Miami's offense was rolling, the running game left a lot to be desired.  Flecther gained 40 yards on 13 carries and he is way down the hype-train at Miami, behind Malachi Toney and Mensah.

Sleeper - Braxton Woodson - Navy - Yes, he is a quarterback, but he will always be judged on his rushing.  His 200 yards on 23 carries for 3 TDs definitely puts him on this list, especially since Navy could be in the equation for Group of 5 bid to the playoffs.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Malachi Toney/Jeremiah Smith - Miami/Ohio State - Anything you can do I can do better.  Toney finished his Friday night game with 12 catches for a Miami-record 234 yards and 3 TDs.  Smith followed that up the next day with 8 catches for 151 yards and 2 TDs.  These might be the two best players in all of college football.

Rising - Jeremiah McClellan - Oregon - If Oregon can make some noise, and this offense most certainly can behind returning starting QB Dante Moore, McClellan is going to have huge state.  The big play receiver had 6 catches for 150 yards and 1 Touchdown in a great opening game against Boise State.

Falling - KJ Duff - Rutgers - The talent is there and the production is there (9 catches, 196 yards, 3 TDs).  But, you cannot lose to UMass.

Sleeper - Carlos Hernandez - Wake Forest - Hernandez amassed 165 yards on only 5 catches - an amazing 33 yards per catch.  He also caught 1 touchdown in Wake's opening round win against the Akron Zips.

Defensive Edition

5.  Princewill Umanmeilen - DE LSU - Somebody has to represent LSU on this list after the absolute curb-stomping they put on Clemson.

4.  Xavier Gilliam - DE - Tennessee - Has registered 3 sacks - ON 3 TOTAL TACKLES!!!  That is efficiency.

3.  Zack Riffin - LB - Memphis - He has 18 total tackles, and has added 1 interception and 1 pass defensed in addition.

2.  Nick Session - S - New Mexico State - He is performing exactly like a safety should; 2 interceptions and 14 total tackles.

1.  Matt Rose - LB - Stanford - A total of 21 tackles, and with how this Cardinal defense is looking, he will have the opportunity to make a whole lot more as they surrender long drives and lots of points.

Player(s) to Watch

Keelon Russell - QB - Alabama - The five-star recruit lived up to his billing against East Carolina, going 18-30 for 256 yards, while also rushing for 86 yards and a score.  If Alabama is going to be Alabama - it will be on his back.

My New Favorite Player

Cooper Barkate - WR - Miami - The transfer from Duke will be a great foil for Malachi Toney, as he is talented in his own right.  Darien Mensah's favorite target from last year hauled in 4 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, and will only be MORE open as teams realize they have to double-team this Toney guy.  And, oh year - he started his career playing for Harvard!

Players of the Week (Just Week 1)

5&4.  These will be included in future columns, but let's be honest, there were three players this week.

3. Jeremiah Smith -WR - Ohio State - 8 catches for 151 and 2 TDs, and nobody can cover him.

2.  Malachi Toney - WR - Miami - 12 catches for 234 (a Miami record) and 3 TDs, and he made it look EASY!

1. Darien Mensah - QB - Miami - 27-30 for 401 yards and 5 TDs, and only 3 incompletions.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Micah Davis - DB - Western Michigan - In stopping the final Hail Mary thrown by Michigan's Bryce Underwood, Davis established himself out-of-bounds before leaping to deflect the football with zero time left on the clock and allowing the Broncos to defeat the vaunted Wolverines, thus allowing the officials to steal an extra second and give Michigan another last-second chance.  If he was only cognizant of his location on the field, Michigan never would have scored after time expired to win the game.  (Please note sarcasm).

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Mike Norvell - Florida State - By allowing the power outage and Doak Campbell Stadium to end, Norvell opened up his Seminoles to a home-opening loss in its season-opener and ACC-opener as SMU kicks a field goal to win the game.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

LSU (1) v. Alabama (4)/ (2) Notre Dame v. (3) Miami

Again, still way too early to tell as tons of teams are still alive.  Ole Miss is looking especially interesting, as are dozens of other teams, except Michigan.

Final Unbeatens

Too many to list right now.

Rant(s) of the Week

Big 10 officials on the final play, em, penultimate play, of the Michigan-Western Michigan debacle.

Under Performance of the Week

Michigan.  Enough said.

Last Entry's Trivia Answer (from two seasons ago)

The question goes way back to December 2020, and is likely irrelevant now, but I am going to include it anyway.  The question was, "Since the Iron Bowl was important this week, the question is how many consecutive times has Auburn won the Iron Bowl when the game was played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and both teams entered the game ranked in the AP Poll?

The answer was at the time, and still is 7.  That streak is still active.

Trivia Question of the Week

Malachi Toney set a Miami Hurricanes' record with 234 receiving yards in the opener against Stanford.  Whose record did he break and how long has that record stood?

Match-up(s) to Watch

5. Navy v. FAU - Yes, the slate is so weak that this game makes an appearance.  Navy could take an early jump to a claim for the Group of 5 playoff spot.

4.  Oklahoma v. Michigan - Is Michigan as bad as they looked against Western Michigan (under 20 minutes in time of possession!!!) or will the literal second-chance Hail Mary propel them forward?  A really good Oklahoma team led by John Mateer strolls into the Big House.

3. Memphis v. Boise State - If Navy wants a spot in the playoffs, they will have to go through this winner of this game.  Literal playoff implications in week 2 with this game!

2.  Louisiana Tach v. LSU - If LSU did THAT to Clemson, what do you think they could do to Louisiana Tech?  This game is must-watch despite the fact this will NOT be close.

1.  Ohio State v. Texas - Number 1 versus Number 4 in Austin.  What is not to love about this game?  Sayin' v. Arch!  Both teams looking to make a statement for not just a playoff birth, but a high seed!!