Picks of the Week

So, I knew the amazing start could not last, as I came back to earth a bit last week.  The afternoon games killed me, as I went 0-3.  Still finished at .500, though.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Washington Redskins +3 at New York Giants
Yes this game is already over, and yes, Sinickal and Hopps thought I was nuts when I told them my pick before kickoff, but sometimes, a pick seems too obvious and you have to go the other way.  It didn't work out this time.

Cincinnati Bengals + 1 1/2 at Baltimore Ravens
Something about the Ravens just seems off this year; not quite the typical Ravens team.  Cincinnati would love to put 3 games distance between themselves and the Ravens this early in the season.

Carolina Panthers - 9 1/2 v. New Orleans Saints
The Saints were in shambles BEFORE Drew Brees was announced as being out of this game.  The Panthers may be playing well through smoke-and-mirrors, but Cam Newton and Greg Olsen might end up both having the best years of their respective careers.

Cleveland Browns -3 1/2 v. Oakland Raiders
The winner of this game will be 2-1.  Read that line again.  The difference in this is that the west coast team playing the early game on the east coast always have problems covering the spread.

Atlanta Falcons -1 at Dallas Cowboys
You regular readers know that I hate when I have to take road favorites, but this one is only 1 point, and I do think Atlanta can beat Dallas straight up.  Brandon Weeden is starting today, and he is 5-16 as a starting quarterback, including 8 straight losses.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6 at Houston Texans
Jameis Winston may have to learn a lot against the Texans defensive line, which could cause him a lot of trouble.  The Texans, however, are just not good offensively, and Lovie Smith, with all of his faults as a head coach, is a tremendous defensive coach!!!

San Diego Chargers + 1 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
I honestly don't know who to pick in this game, quite frankly, so I will take the point, however few they are.

New England Patriots -14 v. Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite the final score, New England absolutely destroyed Buffalo and their vaunted defense last week.  The Jaguars, although much improved, are not the Buffalo Bills defensively.  I expect a lot of points from New England today.

New York Jets -3 v. Philadelphia Eagles
The Jets have had tremendous defenses in recent vintage, and this year they have a polished offense; pounding teams with Chris Ivory and stretching them with Brandon Marshall.  Philadelphia seems to have taken a big leap backward in this - what was supposed to be Chip Kelly's coming out - year.

St. Louis Rams -1 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Yes the Rams failed to show up last week against the Redskins, but I believe that was an anomaly.  Todd Gurley will suit up today, and if he actually is ready to go, can have a huge game as Ryan Shazier will not be playing for the Steelers.  Le'Veon Bell is back, but will he be game ready?  Whichever player is in better form between Gurley and Bell will win this game.

Tennessee Titans +3 v. Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis is the lowest scoring team in the league, and have yet to score in the first half.  Tennessee might struggle with a rookie quarterback, but I will take the points at home.

Seattle Seahawks -14 1/2 v. Chicago Bears
My Bears stink.

Arizona Cardinals - 6 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers
The Cardinals defense can be great, and with Carson Palmer, the offense is very effective as well.  Which San Francisco team is the real team?  I suspect it is the squad that was annihilated by Pittsburgh.

Buffalo Bills + 1 1/2 at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins running game is paltry, and that is before they play a staunch Buffalo defense.  Despite the shellacking from New England, Buffalo actually made the score relatively close.  I expect the Bills to win outright.

Denver Broncos -3 at Detroit Lions
Judging by his comments this week, C.J. Anderson should be primed for a big comeback week.  Denver is 2-0 without playing particularly well.  Detroit is 0-2 while playing poorly.

Green  Bay Packers -6 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
Green Bay has looked tremendous in its first two games.  Perhaps as good as any team west of Foxboro.  Kansas City just doesn't have that much power to keep up offensively.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Atlanta Falcons -1 at Dallas Cowboys
You regular readers know that I hate when I have to take road favorites, but this one is only 1 point, and I do think Atlanta can beat Dallas straight up.  Brandon Weeden is starting today, and he is 5-16 as a starting quarterback, including 8 straight losses. I was thinking about selecting the Bengals or the Bills for my "Big Bet", but both of those games are intra-divisional.


Last Week: 8-8
Year-to-Date: 19-12-1
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Bet Year to Date: 1-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $(245)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $565

Picks of the Week

What an amazing start to the season, going 11-4-1!  Let's see if we can keep that up through this week.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Kansas City Chiefs -3 v. Denver Broncos
As I stated last week, a lot of pundits are on the Buffalo Bills bandwagon as the up-and-coming team this year.  For me, that team is the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Chiefs defense had 5 sacks last week, and the Broncos offense gave up 4 sacks.  Justin Houston and company must be licking their chops for this game on a short prep week.

Chicago Bears +2 v. Arizona Cardinals
The Bears, although losers, acquitted themselves well against the Green Bay Packers.  Despite the joyous return of Carson Palmer, the Cardinals are not the Green Bay Packers.

New England pick 'em at Buffalo Bills
Simply, Belicheck has Rex Ryan's number.  The Bills were incredibly impressive in their decimation of the Indianapolis Colts last week, and I suspect, New England will use Buffalo's emotions against them in his game planning.  Plus, LaGarrette Blount returns this week.

Carolina Panthers -3 1/2 v. Houston Texans
The Texans, I fear, showed us exactly who they are last week, which does not bode well for them or their fans.  Cam Newton may ultimately go down as the best quarterback to play with absolutely nobody else of consequence on his own team.  He can carry them to a 3 1/2 victory.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 v. San Diego Chargers
Two of the teams that looked the best last week.  However, west coast teams travelling east and playing in the early games have an extremely difficult time covering.

Detroit Lions + 2 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
The Lions, well, Ameer Abdullah, looked great last week.  The Vikings defense was absolutely torched by Carlos Hyde last week, and Abdullah is much, much faster than Hyde.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +10 at New Orleans Saints
Tampa looked horrible, but Jameis Winston is very intelligent, and he will learn from his mistakes.  The Saints will likely win, but that is a big number to start the season.

Atlanta Falcons + 2 1/2 at New York Giants
Both teams had their moments last week, and both teams had stretches where they played poorly.  However, the best player on the field - with all due apologies to ODB fans - is Julio Jones.  He will make a couple of big plays for the Falcons that are key to the outcome of this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 v. San Francisco 49ers
Other than guarding Rob Gronkowski, the Steelers looked fairly well against the defending Super Bowl Champions.  Plus, as stated earlier, San Francisco is a west coast team travelling east and playing in the early game.

St. Louis Rams -3 at Washington Redskins
Once again, the dreaded road favorite, but this Rams team has a ton of talent on defense, and is starting to develop some talent on offense in Tavon Austin and others.  The Redskins played about as well as they could have last week, and they lost.  The Rams should win this one easily.

Miami Dolphins -6 at Jacksonville Jaguars
It's the Jaguars.

Baltimore Ravens -6 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
The Ravens offense was incredibly lackluster last week.  However, the Raiders looked even worse.  It is possible that the cure to the Ravens ills is playing the Raiders defense.

Philadelphia Eagles -5 v. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys squeaked by a New York Giants team, while the Eagles played what looks like a tough Falcons squad.  The Eagles started to play their game in the second half of Monday night's battle, and I feel they will continue their offensive onslaught.

Green Bay Packers -3 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks
Kam Chancellor's absence is huge, and even if he comes back before the game, I still wonder if the tremendous togetherness that have shaped Seattle over the past couple of years has been upset.

New York Jets +7 at Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo destroyed Indianapolis by focusing on defense first.  The Jets focused on defense under Rex Ryan, and continue to do so under Todd Bowles.  Brandon Marshall is likely the difference maker.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Tennessee Titans -1 at Cleveland Browns
This Cleveland team is absolutely horrible, and although the Titans are young and somewhat untested at a lot of positions, including quarterback, what a bonus the schedule-maker gave them by starting with the Buccaneers and Browns.


Last Week: 11-4-1
Year-to-Date: 11-4-1
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 1-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $810
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $810

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. 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.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Chad Kelly -Mississippi - I suspect that this will be the last time I write about Kelly, but he has cored 149 points in two games.  TWO GAMES.  Yes, they may have been against inferior opponents, which is why I do not suspect he will stay here,  but you are supposed to beat inferior opponents - right Arkansas?.

Rising - John Wolford - Wake Forest -He has thrown for at least 323 yards in each game, and I thought it would be interesting to have him here, since Sinickal can comment on how Syracuse beat Wake despite Wolford throwing for 373 against the Orange.

Sleeper - Matt Johnson - Bowling Green - He has thrown for 915 yards and 8 TDs, with only 1 interceptions, all while playing Tennessee and Maryland.  If he can keep this up, he might actually sneak his way into the conversation.

Falling - Taysom Hill - BYU and Malik Zaire - Notre Dame - You cannot win if you do not play.  I especially feel bad for Hill who has had 3 separate season-ending injuries in the past 4 years.  Notre Dame was looking fantastic until Zaire was hurt.  I do not expect a good season from the Irish this year.

Seriously Falling - Brandon Allen - Arkansas - He can put up as many numbers as he wants, no player has ever won the Heisman during a year in which they lost to Toledo.  (Not actually fact checked).

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Nick Chubb - Georgia - He has rushed for 100 yards in each of the past 10 games.  He would likely have more if not for the presence of Sony Michel, who could be a stud starter in his own right.

Rising - Derrick Henry - Alabama and Leonard Fournette -LSU - The SEC is absolutely loaded at the running back position.  Third team All-SEC tailback could easily be third team All-American tailback.

Falling - James Conner - Pittsburgh - You cannot win if you cannot play, as Conner, the reigning ACC player of the year, is out injured for the rest of the season.

Sleeper - Dalvin Cook - FSU - An FSU player as a sleeper?  It happens when the SEC is loaded at tailback.  If not for Cook, South Florida likely beats the Seminoles.  Plus, I don't want to give him credit after his "incident" this year.  He does have 422 yards rushing in his first two games.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Isaiah Jones - East Carolina - Lit up Florida's supposedly stout secondary.  Yes, you can tell me that Vernon Hargreaves, Jr. didn't play, but I saw Hargreaves get toasted on at least 5 occasions in Florida's opener against New Mexico State, but the Aggies could not capitalize.  Jones did.  He is for real.

Rising - Christian Kirk - Texas A and M - He only has 10 catches on the season, but watch him play.  He is the best receiver on the best receiving corps in the country not in the NFL.

Sleeper - None, as of yet.  The true sleepers are likely still sleeping.

Defensive Edition

5.  Todd Kelly, Jr. - DB - Tennessee - He had 2 interceptions against Oklahoma, a game that should have been won by the Volunteers.

4.  Nick Holt - LB - Western Kentucky - Game saving tackle on the 2 point conversion try by Vanderbilt to win the game 14-12.

3.  Skai Moore - LB - South Carolina - Two interceptions in the end zone to save South Carolina's first victory over North Carolina while also amassing 10 tackles.  He followed that up with 8 more tackles and another interception in the loss to Kentucky.

2.  Kentrell Brothers - LB - Missouri - Sixteen total tackles in EACH of his first two games, to go along with 2 interceptions in the fourth quarter of the Tigers victory over Arkansas State

1.  Leonard Floyd - LB; Jordan Jenkins - LB - Georgia - As devastating a pair of outside linebackers as we have seen in college football in quite some time, at least since the 2008 USC trip of Clay Matthews, Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga.

Player to Watch

Joseph Yearby - RB - Miami - A high school teammate of Dalvin Cook (imagine that high school backfield), he is quickly establishing himself as the solid starter in Miami, and once he is comfortable in that role, could take a lot of heat off Brad Kaaya.

Will Likely - KR - Maryland - 315 yards in punt returns already this year, including 233 in the opening game, and touchdowns in both.  Seems like another candidate to make the NFL from the Belle Glade, Florida, the birthplace of more current NFLers than any other city.

My New Favorite Player

Pat Mahomes - QB- Texas Tech - Only because I can say Pat McGroin every time he drops back to pass.

Players of the Week (Just Week 2)

5.  Dak Prescott - QB - Mississippi State - He threw for 352 yards in a valiant comeback against LSU, which likely keeps him at the top of the QB list in the SEC.

4.  Ray Lawry - RB - Old Dominion - He rushed for 215 yards and 2 TDs as Old Dominion moves to 2-0.

3.  Kentrell Brothers - LB - Missouri - Sixteen tackles!  Following up a game in which he had 16 tackles.

2.  Cody Kessler - QB - USC - He passed for 410 yards and 3 TDs as USC annihilated the Idaho Vandals.

1. Dalvin Cook - RB - FSU - Rushed for 233 yards in a game in which Florida State needed every single one of them.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Kelvin Taylor - RB - Florida - Who throat slashes anymore?

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Brett Bielema - Arkansas - If you are going to publicly make fun of Ohio State for their weak schedule (and it is atrocious by the way), you better make sure you beat Toledo.  Bielema didn't.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Ohio State (1) v. Michigan State (4)/TCU (2) v. (3) Georgia
Ohio State (4) v. Georgia (3)

Obviously way too early to tell, but TCU has a lot of returning talent, Michigan State looked strong in defeating Oregon and Georgia has a lot on both sides of the ball.

Final Unbeatens

Way too many to rank at this point, but this will become fun as teams start to lose.

Rant(s) of the Week

Florida coach Jim McElwain is the head coach of a football team.  He can yell and curse at his players if he thinks that is the best way to get through to them. Kelvin Taylor tweated out the next day to McElwain and he were alright.  Get off his back. Physical abuse might be another thing, but the football field is not corporate America, so stop treating it as such.

Under Performance of the Week

Auburn - Barely winning in overtime against the immortal Jacksonville State.  That is right, Jacksonville State.

Last Year's Trivia Answer

The original Name of Mississippi State was The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (Mississippi A and M).

Trivia Question of the Week

An easy one to start off the season.  Florida coach Jim McElwain was caught chastising running back Kelvin Taylor on the sideline after Taylor was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct after performing a throat slash upon scoring a touchdown.  Who was the last Florida coach to noticeably explode on the sideline during a game?

Match up(s) to Watch

Honorable Mention goes to Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.  Yes it is a matchup of top 10 teams (or 15 depending upon which polls you look at), but with Notre Dame's starting QB, RB, TE and DT all out for the season, it has lost some of its cache.

5.  Air Force v. Michigan State - Air Force, with its unique playing style, can be a difficult matchup for anyone, and with Michigan State's defeat of Oregon, it is seriously in the conversation for the playoffs.

4.  Mississippi v. Alabama - An early SEC west matchup that could propel the winner toward the division title.  Only ranked here, because of number 1.

3. Northwestern v. Duke - Undefeated smart schools.  How can this be bad?  Oh, wait, never mind.

3.  Harvard v. Rhode Island - Time for the Ivy League teams to start their season.

2.  BYU v. UCLA - Two of the top four teams in the west (along with Oregon and USC).  Two top ranked teams playing in week 3 is never a bad thing.

1.  Auburn v. LSU - Easily the best matchup of the early part of the season. Lots of speed on both sides of the ball.  This could be a great game if Auburn's problems last week was because they were looking forward to this week.  If Jacksonville State just exposed Auburn and Jeremi Johnson, then this game will not live up to the hype.

Picks of the Week

THE NFL IS BACK, which also means the Picks of the Week are back.  For those returning readers, this is old hate, but for those that are new to the blog, I will pick each NFL game, hoping to win big money by the end of the season.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

New England Patriots -7 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
After the offseason that the Patriots and Tom Brady have had, is there any doubt that they come out swinging tonight?!  Plus, the weather calls for some torrential downpours, and I have more trust in Belicheck creating some type of running game versus the Steelers who only have two running backs on its active roster.  Could this turn into a Julius Edelman versus Antonio Brown slot-catch fest?

Chicago Bears +6 1/2 v. Green Bay Packers
I just think that the loss of Jordy Nelson is going to mean much more to the Packers that most people think; not enough to lost this game, but perhaps it is closer than it ordinarily would be.

Indianapolis -2 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
Regular readers know that I absolutely despise picking road favorites, plus the Bills are a really trendy pick to be vastly improved (perhaps playoffs?).  I am not on the bandwagon as Tyrod Taylor is going to have to prove to me that he can play at this level without turning the ball over.

Kansas City Chiefs +1 at Houston Texans
To me, Kansas City is a serious playoff contender.  The Texans have a potentially devastating defensive line with Jadeveon Clowney (finally) joining J>J. Watt, and with the addition of Vince Wilfork.  Jeremy Maclin will make a world of difference for the Chiefs offense.

Carolina Panthers -3 at Jacksonville Jaguars
My major caveat to selecting road favorites are "if they are playing at Jacksonville".  Bortles could make a big leap forward, however, unless T.J. Yeldon develops quicker than any Alabama running back not named Eddie Lacy, this offense could still be very stagnant.  At least Cam Newton has Greg Olsen to throw to.

New York Jets -3 v. Cleveland Browns
Two interesting stats from Sinickal, you tell me which one is more interesting.  (1) The Cleveland Browns have a person from each level of the organization suspended for week one (GM, Coach, Player); or (2) Of the five players received in the trade for Julio Jones, not a single one remains of their roster.  Plus, the Jets still have a defensive-minded coach in Todd Bowles and Ryan Fitzpatrick.  I look for a breakout year from Chris Ivory and Brandon Marshall should be astounding.

St. Louis Rams +4 v. Seattle
I really don't know why I am picking this game.  The Rams, while solid last year, did not make any drastic improvements for this week (Todd Gurley will not be playing for a bit).  But, I just have this feeling.  Seattle added Jimmy Graham, but St. Louis only gave up 2 touchdowns to tight ends all last year.

Arizona Cardinals -2 1/2 v. New Orleans Saints
The Cardinals return most of their defense, and their offense, although not spectacular, was very steady before Carson Palmer went down last year.  The Saints, meanwhile, have lost a lot.  Can Mark Ingram shoulder the load?  Is Josh Hill a suitable replacement for Jimmy Graham?  Who will step up at receiver?  Lots of questions to be answered.

San Diego Chargers -2 1/2 v. Detroit Lions
If Ameer Abdullah can be a primary running back in this league, the Lions offense, with Stafford, Johnson and Golden Tate, could be scary.  That being said, the Chargers have proven the past few years that they are good, and can be great.  I will take the known team over the unknown.

Baltimore Ravens +4 1/2 at Denver Broncos
The Ravens continually over-perform the experts, and I believe they will continue to do so.  A lot is expected of the Broncos, perhaps even the Super Bowl.  I don't see it this year.  Manning is aged a bit, and although C.J. Anderson is supposed to take some of the pressure off the passing game, the Broncos will do well to make the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
Two very enigmatic teams; the Bengals because of the divide between their regular season and playoff performances; the Raiders because of the fact that they change coaches ever 4 weeks.  Khalil Mack is a future star in this league, but Cincinnati may have too much offense.

Tennessee Titans +3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mariota versus Winston.  Interesting opening week matchup, huh?  Since there are two rookie quarterbacks starting in their first game, I think this will be low scoring and close.  Hence, I take the points.

Dallas Cowboys -6 v. New York Giants
Intra-divisional games are always tough, given the history the teams have with each other.  However, the Cowboys have good offensive players at every position, whereas the Giants have Odell Beckham, Jr.  I think the problems surrounding the team's handling of Jason-Pierre Paul's July 4th incident that resulted in the amputation of a finger will linger for awhile.

Atlanta Falcons +3 v. Philadelphia Eagles
According to a lot of people I know, we might as well just give the Super Bowl to Philadelphia.  I know a bunch of idiots.  Is Sam Bradford that big of an upgrade over Nick Foles?  I know that Murray is NOT an upgrade over McCoy (runs too straight, not as fast, had a great o-line in Dallas).  The Falcons do have the best wide receiver in football, and my top candidate for defensive rookie of the year in Vic Beasley.

Minnesota Vikings -2 1/2 at San Francisco
Minnesota has Adrian Peterson returning, while San Francisco has nobody returning.  Literally.  They all retired.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Miami Dolphins -3 1/2 at Washington Redskins
The Redskins might be the most dysfunctional team in sports not named the Miami Marlins.  Kirk Cousins?  Really?  Meanwhile, the Dolphins are much improved and might actually have the best defensive line in all of football by adding Ndamukung Suh to Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.


Last Week: 0-0
Year-to-Date: 0-0
Big Bet Last Week: 0-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 0-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $0
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $0

Are You Ready for Some Football?!!

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football.  What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 a side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.  (Starters in capitals).

Offense

QB - DAK PRESCOTT, Mississippi State; Trevone Boykin, TCU; Connor Cook,  Michigan State - Prescott is the best returning quarterback for the college game.  Boykin is going to put up video game like numbers.  Cook, only because we do not know who is going to take the most snaps at Ohio State.

RB - NICK CHUBB, Georgia; EZEKIAL ELLIOTT, Ohio State; James Conner, Pittsburgh; Leonard Furnette, LSU; Samaje Perine, Oklahoma- All five of last year's pre-season All-American running backs.were drafted, and fairly high.  This year's group put up great numbers last year.  Can the keep it moving forward?

WR - TYLER BOYD, Pittsburgh; LAQUON TREADWELL,  Mississippi; Rashard Higgins, Colorado State; D'haquille Williams, Auburn; Pharoah Cooper, South Carolina - Higgins is the country's leading returning receiver and Boyd already has two 1,000+ yard seasons to his credit (the only wide receiver in Pittsburgh history besides Larry Fitzgerald).

TE - HUNTER HENRY, Arkansas; O.J. Howard, Alabama; Evan Engram, Mississippi - Despite playing on a team that throws four times a game, Henry led all SEC tight ends in receptions.  Howard makes a repeat appearance on this list.

OL - SPENCER DRANGO, Baylor (T); LAREMY TUNSIL, Mississippi (T); PAT ELFLEIN, Ohio State (G); LANDON TURNER, North Carolina (G);  JACK ALLEN, Michigan State (C); Ronnie Staley, Notre Dame (T); Greg Pyke, Georgia (G), Iowa; Max Tuerk, USC (C) - An entire new crop of lineman for this year's list.  Tunsil and Elflein could be potential stars.

Defense

DE - JOEY BOSA, Ohio State; MYLES GARRETT, Texas A and M; Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State - Bosa might have been the best PLAYER in college football at the end of last year.  Calhoun is making his second appearance on this list.

DT - ROBERT NKEMDICHE, Mississippi; A'SHAWN ROBINSON, Auburn; Adolphus Washington, Ohio State; Chris Jones, Mississippi State - Nkemdiche makes his second consecutive appearance on this list, after being selected a backup at end last year..

LB - SCOOBY WRIGHT, Arizona, MYLES JACK, UCLA; ERIC STRIKER, Oklahoma; Darron Lee, Ohio State; Leonard Floyd, Georgia; Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn - Jack is a do-everything player for the Bruins, and he is making a repeat appearance on this list as is Striker.  Nobody with the exception of Bosa was playing better than Scooby at the end of last season.  And of course, "I ain't much on Cassanova.  Me an Romeo ain't never been friends".

CB - VERNON HARGREAVES, III, Florida; KENDALL FULLER, Virginia Tech; Jalen Ramsey, Florida State;  Both starters return from last year's list.  Fuller has a chance to be GREAT, and if Hargreaves ever becomes as good as Hargreaves thinks he is, look out!

S - JEREMY CASH, Duke; TONY CONNOR, Mississippi; Jalen Mills, LSU; Vonn Bell, Ohio State; Quin Blanding, Virginia - Lots of potential in this secondary.  Bell gives the Buckeyes a player at each level of this defense.

Special Teams

K - ROBERTO AGUAYO, Florida State; Andy Phililips, Utah - Nobody else is even close to Aguayo.  I just added Phillips so that I could have both Utah kickers on the team.

P - TOM HACKETT, Utah; JK Scott, Alabama - Again, nobody is even really close to Hackett, who won the Ray Guy award as last year's best punter.  I selected Scott in case we need him to direct the orchestra, Whiplash style.

KR/PR - ALEX ROSS, Oklahoma; De'Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska - Ross averaged almost 28 yards a kick return last year.  Plus, on this roster, he is hoping that Pierson-El does not pull a Single White Female.