Picks of the Week

Finally a great week to stop the beginning of the season slide.  I would take going 11-5 every week, and I do mean every week.  But we can't this week because the byes start, so there are less games, making each game more important.  Which sucks because nobody, and I mean NOBODY, thought Aaron Rodgers was going to throw that interception at the end of Thursday's game.  Puts me in a 0-1 hole.  Oh well, let's see how we do on Sunday.

For those that are new to this site, I will select every game against the spread.  I will be selecting one big bet at $250 per, whereas everything else will be $100.  Winners count as winners, whereas losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.  On to the picks.

Green Bay Packers -4 1/2 v. Philadelphia Eagles
Home team, short week.

Tennessee Titans +3 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
Both teams are surprisingly good defensively (Tennessee 6th and Atlanta 7th in Total defense), so I will take the points, especially if those points are going to the team that has looked marginally better than the other this season.

Baltimore Ravens -7 v. Cleveland Browns
In the battle of the Cleveland Browns franchises, the old franchise has looked awesome this season, and the new franchise has looked, well, like the Browns.  Baltimore's defense is second against the run, meaning they can neutralize Nick Chubb, while offensively control the ball as the number 1 rushing club in the NFL.  Gimme the Ravens.

New England Patriots -7 at Buffalo Bills
Julian Edelman has made the trip to Buffalo and although Buffalo has looked great in wins against bottom dwellers Jets, Giants and Bengals, not even a resurgent Frank Gore and the NFL's 5th best rushing offense will be happy to handle the league's best defense (#1 in total defense, rush defense, pass defense, third down percentage and scoring defense).

Kansas City Chiefs -7 at Detroit Lions
Yes, this is my third straight road favorite, but the undefeated Lions should get exposed against Kansas City as the explosive Chiefs and Pat Mahomes should feast on the 22nd ranked pass defense.

Houston Texans -5 v. Carolina Panthers
Houston has won two straight since their opening game loss to New Orleans, whereas the Panthers are coming off a solid win against Arizona after losing two straight.  Houston will keep there streak going as the Panthers will not be able to stop the Texans' rushing game.

Indianapolis Colts -6 1/2 v. Oakland Raiders
I was initially going to pick Indianapolis before seeing the spread.  I really don't like this line, but I still feel compelled to give the points because Oakland is a west coast team travelling east playing in the early game, but also Indianapolis has looked really good this year.

Los Angeles Chargers -14 1/2 at Miami Dolphins
Yes west coast team travelling east playing in an early game, but another rule trumps:  I am picking against the Dolphins until they show me they can cover any spread.  Miami is 0-3 so far against-the-spread this year, even though two of those spreads were over 20 points.

New York Giants -3 v. Washington Racists
Ugh/  Please don't make me watch this game.

Minnesota Vikings +1 1/2 at Chicago Bears
If last week's Bears offense is any indication of improvement (albeit against the Racists), this could be a really, REALLY good game.  I am gonna take the points in an intra-divisional game (and secretly hope that I lose this bet).

Arizona Cardinals +5 v. Seattle Seahawks
This is a gut feel, as the Seahawks have been up-and-down this year, playing poorly against bad teams (in wins against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh) and good against good teams (a loss to New Orleans).  None of their games have been decided by more than 6 points.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +9 1/2 at Los Angeles Rams
The undefeated Rams have been largely stagnant on offense this season (16th overall and 23rd in passing), whereas the Buccaneers have been surprisingly good on defense (6th in rush defense, 14th overall and 10th in 3rd down percentage).  Rams win, but Buccaneers keep it close.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 at Denver Broncos
Jacksonville has seemed to play better given the Jalen Ramsey distraction, and Gardner Minshew II has a passer rating of 110.6 (as compared to Flacco's 87.4).  The Broncos - despite having Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, have 0 sacks this season.  If they do not put pressure on Minshew, he could be in line for a big road victory,so I will take the points.

Dallas Cowboys -2 1/2 at New Orleans Saints
This is the game the Cowboys should win if they want to be seriously considered as a Super Bowl contender.  Yes on the road, but an overall better roster given that Drew Brees is out.  Offensively Dallas is great AND balanced (#1 in third down conversions, #3 rush and total offense, #4 pass and scoring offense), whereas the Saints defense is the exact opposite (#20 3rd down conversions, #25 rush defense, #26 scoring defense, #28 total defense and #29 pass defense).

Cincinnati Bengals +3 1/2 at Pittsburgh Steelers
I may not even watch this game.  Give me the points because Cincinnati is 3rd in pass offense and Pittsburgh is 30th in pass defense.  Ugh - horrible Monday night game.  At least it is likely one of these teams wins its first game of the season.

Big Bet
New England Patriots -7 at Buffalo Bills
Patriots keep rolling and the Bills show they are not quite ready for prime time - but getting closer.

Last Week's Record:  11-5
Last Week's Big Bet:  0-1
Year-to-Date Record:  22-26
Year-to-Date Big Bet:  2-1
Last Week's Winnings (Losses):  $385
Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses):  ($525)

The Ole College Try

This season is starting to get interesting, especially as teams enter the heart of their conference schedules.  Auburn-Texas A&M, Kentucky-Mississippi State, UCLA-Washington State and many other important battles as teams vie for rankings within their power conferences.  Add a little Georgia-Notre Dame on top for good measure, and we had a great week of college football.  And UCF learned a bit about how hard it is to play in a real conference and having to play solid teams week-in-and-week out (more on this later).

I am scrapping the "fake" Heisman watch method of reporting about last week's college football season, as even I tired of me making fun of how tiring it is listening to talking heads talk about the Heisman.  I am going to try out my pro-football recap format with some more college related topics as well.

Game of the Week

UCLA 67 - Washington State 63. This game was not just the game of the week because of the high score and the fact that it was close, but it was how the game progressed.  Washington State raced to a 35-17 halftime lead, and UCLA came storming back by scoring 50 points - IN THE SECOND HALF.  Anthony Gordon threw for 570 yards and 9 TDs, including 4 to receiver Easop Winston, Jr. - AND LOST!  Bruin receiver Chase Cota gained 147 yards receiving, AND DIDN'T EVEN LEAD HIS OWN TEAM!  Thirteen different players entered the endzone, including a kick return and punt return for UCLA.

Best Team Performance

Wisconsin Badgers. They thoroughly dominated the Michigan Wolverines at home, as they raced to a 35-0 lead against the higher ranked Wolverines.  Jonathan Taylor rushed for 203 yards on 23 carries, pacing a 399 team rushing performance that reminded Michigan's defense of, well, Army.  Wisconsin cemented itself as the toughest competition for Ohio State in the Big 10, not Michigan.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Arkansas. The easy answer would have been Tennessee, and I saw their decrepit performance live at Florida field as they laid a 34-3 egg against the Gators.  It was so bad that walking down the street after the stadium, a group of Tennessee fans that were waiting until the last possible minute to leave a tailgate parking facility (presumably to let traffic calm down and not to keep drinking), were cheering and taunting Florida fans that the Gators actually gave up a field goal, including a pantomine of the kick.  Brilliant self-trolling.  But alas, along came fellow SEC member Arkansas, who then lost, at home mind you, 31-24 to San Jose State, and this was even though Arkansas scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to cut into the Spartans lead.  Arkansas gave up 402 passing yards to Josh Love. What do you think Tua, Joe Burrow and Kelly Bryant are thinking?  Forget thinking I am sure they are salivating!  To make matters worse, the Razorbacks paid San Jose State $1.5 million to play this game.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Jonathan Taylor, RB - Wisconsin Badgers.  The aforementioned Taylor rushed for 203 yards on only 23 carries, and scored 2 TDs early against the Wolverines, to basically take their soul as Wisconsin rushed, literally, to a 35-0 lead.  Because the award is QB-centric and because of the likes of Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagavailoa and Trevor Lawrence, Taylor may not win the Heisman, but he is better than all of them.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Evan Weaver, ILB - California Bears. This one wasn't even close.  Weaver made 22 tackes, including 11 solo (out of a total of 79!).  In that total was 1/2 sack, 2 QB hurries, and, oh yeah - a goal line stop as time expired to preserve the 28-20 victory at Mississippi!  This is the single most impressive defensive performance since Buffalo's Khalil Mack in a losing effort at Ohio State in 2013.  

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

James Stefanou, K - Colorado Buffaloes.  Stefanou's field goal with 2:02 left gave Colorado a 34-31 lead they would not relinquish, to help lead the Buffaloes to their first win over a ranked opponent in 17 years.  Stefanou's kick was necessary, as Colorado was being depleted by injury, after losing their best two players in the first quarter, and various other players as the game progressed.  I am not sure they would have lasted through overtime.

Goat of the Week

Aaron Mathews, WR and Kenny Pickett, QB - Pittsburgh Panthers.  Mathews threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Pickett on a "Pitt Special" version of the "Philly Special" to defeat the two-time defending national champions and undefeated UCF Knights (Please note sarcasm.)  How are they goats?  Well, as much as I hate that uppity Knight fans legitimately think their team is a top-notch level championship contender, this Pitt Special took away the argument that they are not.  And, although I love being proved right, part of sports is that we get to argue, and that argument is no over.  On the other hand, UCF fans did learn what it is like to play in a good conference, where even the average teams prove tough, especially at home, when you have to play them week-in-and-week-out.  Coming off an impressive performance at home over Stanford, UCF traveled to Pittsburgh only to get beat.  This is what it is like in a real conference, even though Stanford is way down by its standards and Pittsburgh is just a good team (almost beat Penn State).  Imagine say, being in the SEC West where Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State call home.  Even Mississippi gave undefeated Cal a run.  This is what you should aspire to UCF, but you are not there yet.  Your skill position players can play with anyone; you do not have the strength in the trenches or the depth - yet.  You are on your way, though.

Breakthrough Performance

Michael Pittman, Jr., WR - USC Trojans. We have seen flashes from Pittman, but nothing like this against a quality opponent.  Ten catches, for 232 yards and 1 TD in the Trojans 30-23 defeat of #10 Utah.  Pittman's yards were much needed as USC's team rushing total for the entire game was 13 yards.

Finally

A.J. Dillon, RB - Boston College Eagles,  We have seen this before from potential All-American Dillon, but I have been waiting for him to just take control of a game.  He did that in BC's 30-16 victory over Rutgers by carrying the ball 32 times for 150 yards and 2 TDs.  Dillon's toughness are going to determine which bowl game BC attends, and which ACC teams they Eagles can upset.

Impact Injury

Zack Moss, RB - Utah Utes.  Moss, a potential All-American, injured his shoulder and the effects of this injury were shown immediately, as Utah missed his presence in a 30-23 loss to USC. Moss, usually the feature back in Utah's offense, left after only 6 carries.  If he misses significant time, this could effect the entirety of the Pac-12, as Utah, then ranked 10th in the country, was one of the few teams that could challenge the other Big Five teams for a college football playoff spot.

Team Rising

California Bears - Undefeated at 4-0, and beating a tough (although not great) SEC team on the road.  They look to rise several spots from their previous ranking of 24, aw Chase Gerbers looks to make a name for himself among some very good Pac-12 quarterbacks.

Team Falling

Michigan Wolverines - Michigan, Michigan, Michigan; falling, falling, falling.  It isn't THAT they lost to an excellent Wisconsin team in Madison; but rather that they were thoroughly annihilated.  This was the kind of loss that turns murmurs about firing a coach into actual talk.  Michigan State and Ohio State are now salivating.  Of course, if Wisconsin goes on to do this to Ohio State AND Michigan State, then we may understand that Wisconsin is more than excellent.  But, until that point...

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Being at the Florida-Tennessee game honestly meant that I could not see much of a lot of other games, so no goat of the week for the players this year as I cannot adequately assess this category.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Jim Harbaugh - Michigan.  It is possible that Michigan just doesn't have the talent to run with Wisconsin.  But, from the standpoint of watching the game and its outcome, Michigan just wasn't ready, and a lot of that blame has to rest with the coach.

Player(s) to Watch

Anthony Gordon - QB - Washington State Cougars.  Yes they lost 67-63, but Gordon threw for 570 yards and 9 TDs!  For the season, Gordon has passed for 1,894 yards and 21 TDs in ONLY 4 GAMES.  As a senior, it is interesting to see how the quarterback he replaced, Gardner Minshew, II, is performing as the starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is pretty well.  Could the NFL be in Gordon's future?

My New Favorite Player

D'Eriq King, QB - Houston Cougars.  Partly because of the trivia question, this week, and partly because this multi-talented dual-threat quarterback is hard to contain, even though the Houston offense is lacking in playmakers besides King.  But, mostly because King, a senior, is taking the rest of the season off after a 1-3 start in order to redshirt and come back with a hopefully more productive roster next year after he has graduated.  The you can play 4 games and redshirt rule is so that young players don't waste a season of eligibility just because of a 1 game injury to an upperclassman and so coaches can play some freshman sparingly just to give them some action without losing a year of eligibility.  But, King is taking full advantage of this rule on the back-end of his college career when his senior year is not going as planned, and I commend him for it.

Players of the Week (Just Week 2)

5.  Kellen Mond, QB - Texas A&M Aggies - A more than commendable 31-49 for 335 ad 2 TDs in the Aggies loss to Auburn.

4.  Michael Pittman, Jr., WR - USC Trojans.  See above.

3. Evan Weaver, ILB - California Bears.  See above.Dillon Gabriel - QB - UCF - Gabriel had a phenomenal game as UCF soundly defeated Stanford.  Gabriel was 22-30 for 347 yards and 4 TDs.

2.  Anthony Gordon , QB - Washington State Cougars.  See above.

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB - Wisconsin Badgers.  See above.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Alabama (1) v. Clemson (4)/ (2) Ohio State v. (3) Oklahoma

I have shuffled the rankings, but still have the same four teams.  This is how I feel things are now, not a prediction on the future, especially since the SEC West is a loaded gauntlet for anyone, even Alabama.  Georgia is also lurking in the east.  Wisconsin is looking strong, also.

Remaining Unbeatens

Alabama, Appalachian State, Auburn, Baylor, Boise State, California, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas State, LSU, Memphis, Minnesota, Navy, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, SMU, UAB, Virginia, Wake Forest, Wisconsin

Remaining Winless Teams

Akron, New Mexico State, UMass, Rice, Vanderbilt

Rant(s) of the Week

Targeting. Still targeting.  Listen, I am not opposed to this penalty in general.  I am not a "this is not real football" person.  But, we have to somehow better define this rule.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The question was:  With Tagovailoa returning to college after finishing second in the Heisman Trophy race in 2018, how many players have finished second for the Heisman Trophy returned to win the Heisman the following year?  Name them.

The answer is 4:  Tom Harmon (Michigan - 1939); Glenn Davis (Army - 1945); O.J. Simpson (USC 1967): and Herschel Walker (Georgia 1981).  Interestingly, Glenn Davis finished second in 1943 AND 1944.

Match up(s) to Watch

6.  Brown v. Harvard - Harvard starts its campaign toward the Ivy League crown after a tough cross-country defeat at San Diego.  Brown comes off a narrow 35-30 victory over Bryant.

5. Navy v. Memphis - The winner remains undefeated and takes control of the American Conference (not UCF - for now).

4.  Arizona State v. California - Only a last minute field goal by Colorado has kept this from becoming a battle of undefeateds as Herman Edwards brings his team to Berkeley to take on a tough Bears football team hot off their win at Mississippi.

3. Mississippi State v. Auburn - Mississippi State is coming off its win against Kentucky, which looked tough the week before against Florida.  Auburn is undefeated after beating a tough Texas A & M squad.

2.  USC v. Washington - Another big Pac-12 matchup as the #21 ranked Trojans travel to UW to take on the #17 ranked Huskies.

1.  Virginia v. Notre Dame - The 18th ranked Cavaliers travel to South Bend to face off against the Fighting Irish, still ranked #10 after their close defeat at Georgia last week.  Virginia is certainly for real if they pull this game off (the are a very good team regardless).

Trivia Question of the Week

On Saturday during Houston's 38-31 loss to Tulane, Cougars' quarterback D'Eriq King set an NCAA record with 15 straight games with both a passing and a rushing touchdown, breaking whose record?

Picks of the Week

Out of town today, and travelling tomorrow, so no time for analysis - just picks.

Jacksonville Jaguars 1 1/2 v. Tennessee Titans

Dallas Cowboys -22 1/2 v.  Miami Dolphins
This line is too ridiculous and there is no reason to take it.  By the way, some betting sites have taken "Dolphins go 0-16" off the board.

Cincinnati Bengals +6 at Buffalo Bill's

Green Bay Packers -7 v. Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts -1 1/2 v. Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens +6 at Kansas City Chiefs

Oakland Raiders +9 at Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots -22 1/2 v. New York Jets
Also too ridiculous a line to even exist.  Why not take it?

Philadelphia Eagles -6 v. Detroit Lions

Arizona Cardinals -2 1/2 v. Carolina Panthers

New York Giants +6 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Houston Texans +3 at Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers  -7 v. Pittsburgh Steelers

New Orleans Saints +4 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams -3 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
I know, I know... no road favorites.  Ugh!

Chicago Bears -4 at Washington Racists

Big Bet
Philadelphia Eagles -6 v. Detroit Lions
Ezekiel Ansah will be playing his first game of the season ... but for Seattle, not Drtroit.

Last Week's Record:  7-9
Last Week's Big Bet:  1-0
Year-to-Date Record:  11-21
Year-to-Date Big Bet:  2-0
Last Week's Winnings (Losses):  ($140)
Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses):  ($910)

The Ole College Try

Lots of upsets, as ranked teams went down to unranked foes.  And, a couple of more survived upset bids themselves.  It is too soon for the college football season to be this exciting, isn't it? NO - not at all.

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.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Jalen Hurts -Oklahoma - He is 12th in the NCAA in passing yards AND 6th in the NCAA in rushing yards (tied).  Oklahoma pummeled UCLA this week, putting up only 48 points, which is down from the 59.5 they were averaging.

Rising - Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa - Alabama - Not sure you can consider "Tua", "rising", but I just didn't have him as a favorite last week.  He cemented his place in consideration (probably in second right now), with 444 yards and 5 TDs in a 47-23 victory over SEC foe South Carolina.  Plus, I just wanted to type his full name.

Sleeper - Anthony Gordon - Washington State - The Cougar quarterback leads the NCAA in passing yards - by over 200 yards (202 to be exact).  If Mike Leach can somehow keep Washington State competitive in the Pac-12 North, and maybe into a Pac-12 championship game, Gordon could rise up the charts.

Falling - Feleipe Franks - Florida - Believe it or not, some people thought that he would be a darkhorse coming into this season.  By suffering an ankle injury against Kentucky, thus ending his season prematurely, and then seeing Kyle Trask come in and lead Florida to a come-from-behind victory, any and all thoughts of this occurring have not just fallen - they have ended.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Jonathan Taylor - Wisconsin - Best running back in college football.  Has a statement game against Michigan this weekend.

Rising - J.K. Dobbins - Ohio State - They say Ohio State is only going to go as far as Justin Fields takes them, but this is not true.  Their fate lies with running back J.K. Dobbins, who has already gained 425 yards this season, good for 4th in the NCAA.

Falling - D'Andre Swift - Georgia - As good as any runner (including Taylor and Etienne), but is a victim of his team's success.  Georgia is annihilating teams, and because of that, Swift is not getting many touches - just 9 rushes last week in the Bulldogs' 55-0 defeat of Arkansas State.

Sleeper - Zack Moss - Utah - Moss, a WeMakeItRain pre-season All-American would never ordinarily qualify as a "sleeper", except he plays for Utah.  So far Moss is tied for 6th in rushing yards in the NCAA with 373, and Utah has risen to 10th in the rankings.  If Utah somehow manages its way into the college football playoffs, Moss could get some Heisman love.  Moss also isn't suffering from overuse, as he only ran the ball 10 times (for 106 yards) last week.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Jerry Jeudy - Alabama - Because of the glut of talent present on Alabama, Jeudy is not going to have those "WOW" stats that lead the NCAA, but he will have those "WOW" plays.  His 24 catches are tied for 5th in the NCAA.

Rising - DeVonta Smith - Alabama - He made 8 catches for 136 yards and 2 TDs in Alabama's win over South Carolina.  Will ultimately be hindered because he lines up next to Jeudy.

Falling - Rondale Moore - Purdue - Moore is suffering from the injury to his quarterback Elijah Sindelar, but 3 catches for 25 yards last week against TCU is not going to cut it as a Heisman favorite.

Sleeper - David Duvernay - Texas - He already leads the NCAA in receptions with 27 (three-way tie).  Since he plays for Texas, he is going to get to play against a lot of Big 12 defenses, which means statistically, Duvernay's season is limitless.

Defensive Edition

5.  Jace Whittaker - CB - Illinois - His 3 interceptions lead the NCAA(well tied for the lead).

4.  David Reese III - LB - Florida - Finished last week's game against Kentucky with 16 total tackles, 13 of them solo.

3.  Oluwole Betiku, Jr. - DE - Illinois - Leads the NCAA with 6 sacks, despite opposing teams having to game plan for basically only him, and running the ball a ton in the second half.

2.  Ethan Aguayo - LB - San Jose State - Off a bye week, he no longer leads the NCAA with his 34 total tackles, but his per game pace leads me to believe he will have that lead back soon.

1.  Evan Weaver - LB - California - Leads the NCAA with 40 total tackles.

Player(s) to Watch

Jamie Newman - QB - Wake Forest - With the glut of talent at the QB position in college, Newman is going to be overlooked, but this kid can play. So far this year he has a 69% completion percentage, a 7-1 TD/INT ratio and supplements his throwing with an ability to run - 78 yards rushing against North Carolina.  Plus, Wake Forest is 3-0.

My New Favorite Player

Kyle Trask - QB - Florida - Only because he is not Feleipe Franks.

Players of the Week (Just Week 2)

5.  Khalil Herbert - RB - Kansas - He rushed for 187 yards and 1 TD on only 1 carry as Kansas defeated Boston College 48-24.

4.  J.K. Dobbins - RB - Ohio State - Making his second straight appearance, as he gained 193 yards on 22 carries and 1 TD in Ohio State's 51-10 victory.

3. Dillon Gabriel - QB - UCF - Gabriel had a phenomenal game as UCF soundly defeated Stanford.  Gabriel was 22-30 for 347 yards and 4 TDs.  No word yet on whether UCF fans are already giving themselves the championship this season.

2.  Anthony Gordon - QB - Washington State - Gordon was 36-48 for 440 yards and 3 TDs as the Cougars of Washington State defeated the Cougars of Houston 31-24.  I smell reality series ...

1. Tua Tagovailoa - QB - Alabama - What cane we say? 28-36 for 444 and 5 TDs.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Chance Poore - K - Kentucky - Actually, the award should go to his parents as this is a terrible name for a kicker, but Poore missed a 35 yard field goal with 53 seconds left which would have given Kentucky the lead, and possibly its second straight defeat over Florida. Hopefully it doesn't affect this red-shirt freshman's career too much.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Willie Taggert - Florida State - Taggert's second straight appearance, as he completely mis-managed the clock and time in the 4th quarter during Florida State's 31-24 defeat at the hands of Virginia.  Not that this was an upset as the ranked Cavaliers were favored to win, but instead of having a chance at a last-second play, Taggert's mismanagement led to no play for FSU.  Taggert may not make it through the season.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Alabama (1) v. Ohio State (4)/ (2) Clemson v. (3) Oklahoma

Again, still way too early to tell as tons of teams are still alive.  LSU is looking especially interesting, as is Georgia.  Can a Pac-12 team stay unbeaten?

Final Unbeatens

Still too many to list right now.  May commence this section in another week or two.

Rant(s) of the Week

Targeting.  Now, I am not one of those "in my day football was manly" type of people.  I fully support the safety of the players and targeting as a penalty.  But, we have to clarify what the rules are, especially in one particular instance, when the ball carrier and/or receiver is hit by someone else first causing their body - and most importantly their head - to change positions.  The officials called targeting on Kentucky's T.J. Carter for a hit on Florida quarterback Kyle Trask.  The problem, as Carter was attacking Trask another Wildcat defender had hit Trask from the back so Trask started falling forward.  Carter did hit Trask helmet-to-helmet, but, without the split second timing problem on the initial hit, Carter's shoulder would have hit Trask in the chest - textbook tackling.  The targeting penalty - and accompanying ejection - gave Florida an additional 15 yards and an automatic first down, instead of a 3rd and 29 from their side of the field.  Florida went on to score a touchdown on the drive.

Under Performance of the Week

Michigan State - They fall 10-7 to Arizona State at home. Arizona State is a solid program so this isn't like Tennessee losing to Georgia State, but the lackluster play and the 12 men on the field penalty which occurred as the Spartans were kicking the game-tying field goal are standard symptoms of an under-performance.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

As a reminder, the question was:

We will start off easy:  There are five active NCAA head coaches that have won NCAA titles as head coaches.  Name them.

The answers are: Mack Brown, Jimbo Fisher, Les Miles, Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney.

Trivia Question of the Week

With Tagovailoa returning to college after finishing second in the Heisman Trophy race in 2018, how many players have finished second for the Heisman Trophy returned to win the Heisman the following year?  Name them.

Match up(s) to Watch

5. Harvard at San Diego - It is the start of the Ivy League non-conference season, as the Crimson, with conference title hopes, start their year on the west coast.

4.  Tennessee v. Florida - Only ranked this high because I am going to be there.

3. Michigan v. Wisconsin - A huge Big 10 game this early in the year. This is a must if either of these teams think they have a chance to make the college football playoff with a conference championship.

2.  Auburn v. Texas A & M - A huge early season SEC matchup between schools with ideas of breaking into the Alabama-LSU duopoly atop the SEC west.

1.  Notre Dame v. Georgia - The biggest game of the week as two top 10 ranked teams play each other for the right to gain much needed style points for the committee when they select the college football playoff participants.  Georgia, with the opportunity to defeat Alabama or LSU in an SEC championship game, can absorb a loss much easier than Notre Dame can.

Picks of the Week

So, last week was HORRRRRRRIBLE.  I prefaced the column last week by saying that I did not pay attention at all to the preseason.  Perhaps I should have.  Not perhaps, I definitely should have.  It definitely would and could not have made last week's pics worse.  Believe me.  But, seriously, who had the Browns looking THAT bad.  Who had Cincinnati outgaining Seattle by over 200 yards? Seriously.  Well, hopefully I learned some things from last week, but am not going to super overreact to outcomes that were outside of the norm.  We shall see.

For those that are new to this site, I will select every game against the spread.  I will be selecting one big bet at $250 per, whereas everything else will be $100.  Winners count as winners, whereas losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.  On to the picks.

Carolina Panthers -6 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Never take the visiting team on a short week.  It didn't pan out this week, but it does over 70% of the time.

Arizona Cardinals +13 1/2 at Baltimore Ravens
There are a lot of competing rules at play in this game. Never take a west coast team travelling east and playing the early game.  And yes, I know that Arizona isn't "west coast", but they do not follow daylight savings time so they are in the Pacific time zone currently (technically Mountain Standard Time).  Bur, it is hard to cover a double digit spread, especially when it is basically two touchdowns.  So, I have a bid decision to make.  Baltimore will win, but not cover.  Arizona played a lot better in the fourth quarter last week, so I am going to say they are progressing a bit enough to keep this close. If they give David Johnson enough touches, they could keep the ball out of Lamar Jackson's hands enough to keep this within the spread.

Cincinnati Bengals -1 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers
Two teams that have really yet to define themselves, but things look OK for both as of  now.  As stated earlier, Cincinnati lost to Seattle, but outgained them by 200+ yards.  San Francisco won last week, but it was over an underwhelming Tampa Bay squad.  The west coast travelling east rule also applies, so I will take the Bengals.

Detroit Lions +2 v. Los Angeles Chargers
Both teams are coming off an overtime game last week, and were both underwhelming.  The Chargers pulled out a victory over Indianapolis Colts, while the Lions ended last week tied with the Arizona Cardinals.  Extra game time, plus the west travelling east, plus a road favorite gives me all the reason I need to select the Lions.

Minnesota Vikings + 2 1/2 at Green Bay Packers
Selecting Green Bay after their defeat over the Chicago Bears last week would be the highest of overreactions, I think.  Green Bay actually did not look good in that win offensively, and Dalvin Cook is way more explosive than any single Chicago Bear.  I will take points in a divisional rivalry.

Jacksonville Jaguars + 8 1/2 at Houston Texans
The Texans looked absolutely great in last week's loss to New Orleans Saints, falling just to a last minute drive by Drew Brees (go figure).  And yes, the Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, but Gardner Minshew II looked good last week, and if this Jaguars defense plays the way they are supposed to play, this game could be a touchdown difference.

New England Patriots -19 at Miami Dolphins
Honestly, this spread is absolutely ridiculous, and taking a road double digit favorite in an intra-divisional game is preposterous and the height of overreacting to last week's Patriot win and Dolphins loss.  This spread is so ridiculous I am going to take it.

New York Giants +2 v. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo was underwhelming in its 17-16 defeat over the New York Jets while the Giants were soundly defeated by the Cowboys last week.  I feel the Bills will have a difficult time corralling Saquon Barkley (who doesn't).  The fact that the Giants are getting points at home means I will take them.

Pittsburgh Steelers -4 v. Seattle Seahawks
The Steelers lost and looked bad.  The Seahawks won, but looked worse.  Pacific team travelling east and playing the early game means I take the Steelers and hope their offense shows some life this week.

Tennessee Titans -3 v. Indianapolis Colts
This game is essentially a pick 'em among teams that surprised last week.  We are not sure if last week was an anomaly for one or both of the teams, but this is one way to find out. I will take the home team.

Dallas Cowboys -6 at Washington Racists
I hate road favorites, especially if they are intradivisional rivals, but in this case, I am not sure where Washington is going to find the offense, I mean, besides their mascot.

Denver Broncos +2 1/2 v. Chicago Bears
This game is incredibly important for both teams if they have their minds set on making the playoffs.  Only 12% of the teams that have started 0-2 have qualified for the playoffs, and both teams enter this game after week 1 losses.  I will take the points at home, and hope that if my beloved Bears do win and I lose this bet, I can still be happy.

Kansas City Chiefs -7 at Oakland Raiders
So the Raiders absolutely surprised everybody last week defeating the Broncos.  But, Pat Mahomes is not Joe Flacco.

New Orleans Saints +3 at Los Angeles Rams
I love that the Saints are getting points here.  The Rams haven't quite looked the same in about 4 or 5 games (dating back to last year).

Philadelphia Eagles -1 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
Philadelphia has won 4 in a row against the Falcons. Given that the spread is so low, I will take the better team on a hot streak.

New York Jets +6 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns
Nobody, and I mean nobody wants to watch this game.  On paper, the Browns should beat the Jets, and that was before Sam Darnold contracted mononucleosis.  Trevor Siemian does have an over-.500 record as a starting quarterback in the NFL, so it isn't like he is being randomly thrust into a game.  Cleveland looked awful last week. I don't expect them to look that bad, or commit 18 penalties, but I am not sure they are ready to be a touchdown favorite either.

Big Bet
Dallas Cowboys -6 at Washington Racists
I hate road favorites, especially if they are intradivisional rivals, but in this case, I am not sure where Washington is going to find the offense, I mean, besides their mascot.
Picking a road favorite of any kind is against everything I believe in, but, this line is the one I like the most, so I have to take it given the shellacking I took last week.

Last Week's Record: 4-12
Last Week's Big Bet:  1-0
Year-to-Date Record:  4-12
Big Bet Year-to-Date:  1-0
Last Week's Winnings (Losses): ($770)
Year-to-Date's Winnings (Losses): ($770)

Professional Football Weekly Wrap-Up

Here are my thoughts from Week 3 of the NFL season, based purely on what I was able to see.  For the first time this season (thanks Irma) I watched a lot of football, so I have a pretty good sample size.

Game of the Week

New Orleans Saints 30 v. Houston Texans 28 - A two play 75 yard drive by the Texans to take the lead, only to be outdone by a picture-perfect final last second drive by Drew Brees (who was 3-5 on the drive; the 2 incompletions being spikes to stop the clock), culminating in a career-best 58-yard field goal by Will Lutz.  Two amazing quarterbacks showing their wares the entire game along with big plays by many on both sides.  GREAT game.

Best Team Performance

Baltimore Ravens - They dominated the Miami Dolphins so thoroughly that this game was over with 6:50 remaining in the first half, and that was before the Ravens scored again to take a 42-10 lead into halftime.  Just a dominating performance, scoring a franchise-record 59 points.  The defense performed too, only giving up 10 points, while sacking the Dolphins' quarterbacks 3 times, and intercepting them twice.

Least Impressive Team Performance

Cleveland Browns - Obviously Miami was the worst performance, but it is too easy to pick them here (as I am sure I will have multiple opportunities to do so in the future).  Cleveland came into this season with all the hype of their offseason acquisitions (more than just Odell Beckham, Jr.), and they absolutely laid an egg in their 43-13 throbbing by the Tennessee Titans, and team that was supposed to be in decline this year.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Offense)

Lamar Jackson, QB - Baltimore Ravens.  The run-first quarterback ended up the game with the sixth-highest rushing yards on his own team, even being out-gained on the ground by Robert Griffith, III 9-6.  What Jackson did do was throw the ball; 17-20 for 324 and 5 TDs (with no interceptions).  It was just the Dolphins, but he looked like he has evolved from just a run-only quarterback.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Defense)

Roy Robertson-Harris DT/DE, Chicago Bears - His stats don't jump completely off the page (1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 3 total tackles), but as a interior defensive lineman, he controlled this game as the Bears held the Packers to a total of 47 yards rushing. And, it wasn't that Aaron Rodgers dominated, throwing for only 203 yards.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Special Teams)

Will Lutz, K - New Orleans Saints.  After narrowly missing a 56-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, Lutz stepped up and calmly hit a career long 58-yarder to win the game as time expired in the second half.  Teammates said they knew it was good after hearing the thunderous explosion of Lutz's foot hitting the ball, as it just sounded like a solid kick with distance.

Most Impressive Team Performance (Premier League)

The Premier League was off this weekend for national team duty.

Most Impressive Individual Performance (Premier League)

The Premier League was off this weekend for national team duty.

Goat of the Week

Antonio Brown, WR - Oakland Raiders/New England Patriots/Who Knows?  I am not going to recount all of his shenanigans that led to his release by the Oakland Raiders and the signing by the New England Patriots, but in a week in which he lost $20 something million, and could not play, the Patriots trouncing of the Steelers 33-3 showed that the Patriots don't NEED Brown, and the Raiders 24-16 defeat of the Denver Broncos shows that they don't need him either.  And this was all before the federal lawsuit filed against him alleging sexual battery, rape, invasion of privacy and false imprisonment.

Goat of the Week (Premier League)

The Premier League was off this weekend for national team duty.

Hit of the Week

Myles Jack, LB - Jacksonville Jaguars.  His punch at Sammy Watkins led to him being thrown out of the game.  

Breakthrough Performance

Josh Jacobs, RB - Oakland Raiders - Perhaps the Raiders don't need Antonio Brown because they have a running game. Jacobs, the rookie first round pick out of Alabama, gained 85 yards rushing with 2 TDs, and added 28 yards receiving.  He is the first running back with 100 total yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs in his first game since LaDanian Tomlinson.  Honorable Mention to Marquise Brown and T.J. Hockenson.

Finally

Mark Ingram, II, RB - Baltimore Ravens - Now Ingram has had much success in the NFl, but he has finally settled into a starting, power-back role that suits his skills.  Even with Lamar Jackson throwing the ball all over the field, Ingram made the most of his 14 carries, gaining 107 yards and scoring 2 TDs.

Impact Injury

Tyreek HIll, WR, Kansas City Chiefs.  Hill, the speedster that opens up everything else for the Chiefs offense, is out for 4 to 6 weeks with a shoulder injury sustained against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  At least the Chiefs have Travis Kelce as a primary receiving target and Sammy Watkins to play out wide.  In that same game, Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles broke his clavicle and is out indefinitely, but at least 8 weeks.  Gardner Minshew III, a rookie out of Washington State, replaced Foles and went 22-25 for 275 yards and 2 TDs, with 1 interception, in the Jaguars 40-26 loss to the Chiefs. 

Team Rising

Tennessee Titans - Obliterated the Browns, who were supposed to be this year's darlings.  They are not among the best teams, but they are rising.

Team Falling

Chicago Bears - Yes, a 10-3 loss to the Packers is not terrible, as the Packers are a really good team.  The problem is how they looked on offense, which was borderline horrid.  And, they travel to Denver for week 2.  This could get ugly, fast.

Best Teams

(All undefeated teams will be ranked ahead of all others until all teams have at least 1 loss, then I will rank them based upon which teams I think is best, regardless of record.)

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. New England Patriots

3. Kansas City Chiefs

4. New Orleans Saints

5. Los Angeles Chargers

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. Miami Dolphins

31. Cleveland Browns

30. Pittsburgh Steelers

29. Atlanta Falcons

28. New York Giants

Middle Teams

15. Buffalo Bills

16. Detroit Lions

17. Arizona Cardinals

18. Houston Texans*

*  Please note, I think the Texans are much better than this, but my criteria is, at least until several games in and the undefeateds and winless have sorted themselves out, to make my ranking based upon record first.  In this case, the Texans are the best team that lost this week.

Preview - Game(s) of the Week

5.  Kansas City Chiefs v. Oakland Raiders - Obviously Kansas City will be the overwhelming favorite.  But, if the Raiders can keep it close, squeak one out, or even look good at home this week, their entire season changes.

4. Chicago Bears v. Denver Broncos - Both playoff contenders were upset (although the Bears defeat at the hands of the Packers can hardly be called an "upset") in week one, meaning the loser starts off in a hole of 0-2.  Very important game for both teams.

3.  Tottenham v. Crystal Palace - The Spurs host surprising 4th place Crystal Palace in a battle that should see Tottenham vault closer into the Top 4.  A Crystal Palace win or draw in London could go a long way in showing us they might be for real.

2. Minnesota Vikings v. Green Bay Packers - The two 1-0 squads in the NFC North meet in week 2, with the Packers having the opportunity to not only start 2-0, but to start 2-0 in the division.  Dalvin Cook looks to be a more dangerous running game than the Bears showed last week against Green Bay, so we can see exactly how much the Packers focus actually improved their defense in the offseason.

1. New Orleans Saints v. Los Angeles Rams - Easily the best game of week 2, the NFC Championship rematch should be exciting as both teams come into the matchup off a win, New Orleans looked much better than the Rams, but have to travel to LA for this one.  If you are a football fan, this is the game to watch.

Trivia

Since we are beginning a new season, a multi-part trivia question.  Tom Brady begins his 20th season with the New England Patriots.  How many players have played at least 20 years with only one team throughout their careers, and out of those players, who has played the most years (and with which team)?

Sports Bar Review of the Week

(Hint:  Ratings based upon a week-to-week analysis of QB Play, not their career, so the scale varies from week-to-week.)

Duffys' Sports Grill
225 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL
561/249-1682

Duffy's is a large, local chain, having actually started in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and have grown to 34 locations statewide, from Lake Mary in the north, to Kendall in the south, to Tampa and Sarasota in the west.  It is what you expect a sports bar to be when you arrive, and has a fairly typical sports bar menu, although that menu has expanded and changed over the years.

As far as game watching, their are a ton of televisions in this location (enough so that all games are running simultaneously), although you can really on focus on 2 or 3 depending upon where you are sitting.  The televisions are pre-labeled with min-pennants of the teams that will be showing on each tv, so that you can plan where to sit.  Duffy's is the official sports bar of the Miami Dolphins, so you can expect that the sound will be on the Dolphins game so long as they are playing.  This was to all of our detriment, but that is the fault of the Dolphins, not Duffy's.  This location did eliminated about 4 or 5 bar hi-top tables to put in kids carnival and video games (claw anyone?), but we were told by the new General Manager (who is very nice), that she was going to eliminate most of those (probably keeping Golden Tee).  This will allow for more tables, and thus more people and better football watching atmosphere.  Even without the extra tables, the place was full, but not crowded - unlike usual.  Several factors could play into this:  (1) the Dolphins were home (only 1 hour down the street); (2) the Patriots were the night game (they are usually a bid draw); and (3) lots and lots of construction on the streets surrounding Duffy's.  In any event, I have been in this Duffy's with a lot more action going on.  Nevertheless, good for football watching, for your team or your fantasy team.  Parking can be a problem, but I ubered
Atmosphere Rating:  Philip Rivers

Having eaten at Duffy's many, many times before, I did not have to sample much of the food to know what I was getting.  Neverheless, we did have buffalo wings - hot (traditional sports bar food), and the sesame-encrusted ahi tuna with soba noodles (non-tradiional sports bar food).  The wings are good, but the hot is not super-hot.  So, if you do look hot wings, order the Florida Heat Wave or Atomic Ghost Chili.  I generally prefer the Spicy Roasted Garlic (delicious), but others in my group wanted to traditional hot.  As far as the ahi - it is nowhere close to as great as you will get at a seafood restaurant or sushi joint, but it is AMAZING for a sports bar.  The sauce on the soba noodles is delicious, and the cucumber salad is fantastic as a small side.  Although not in this trip, I can recommend the burgers, among other items, as well.
Food Rating:  Carson Wentz

As far as drinks, Duffy's has a full bar.  As we were settled in for a long day of watching football, we were not out to get drunk, but with a small variety of beer choices (normal and craft), a full array of liquor choices, but a limited wine menu, Duffy's is exactly what you would expect from a sports bar.  The 2-4-1 specials make it well worth the trip.
Drink Rating:  Matthew Stafford

The server was new to me, and although it took him a bit to warm up to our boisterousness and humor, he was timely with his service and always available.  To me, this is GREAT.  He even put up with all of our separate tabs, which at least we warned him about ahead of time.
Service Rating:  Dak Prescott

As Duffy's is a general service restaurant/bar, and not a specialty bar, it's menus cater to the general public, and have a little bit of everything, and not a ton of variety in some things.  This pleases most people, but won't everybody.  That being said, we got exactly what we came for and expected.  A very good day of watching football at a very good place.  We will be back.
Overall Rating:  DeShaun Watson

Trivia Answer

None this week.  Tune in next week.

The Ole College Try

So the college football season is in full swing, with three weeks of games down, even though we just finished Week 2.  It must be that new math.  Here is the 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.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Jalen Hurts -Oklahoma - Led the Sooners to 119 points in 2 games, albeit one was against a traditional patsy, still the other was against Houston, which is not a slouch.  He has thrown for 591 yards and rushed for 237.  Could be the third consecutive Oklahoma quarterback to win the Heisman after transferring from another school.

Rising - Joe Burrow - LSU - The winner of the SEC Offensive Player of the Year for each of the first two weeks has thrown for 749 yards in his two games this year, including 471 against then 9th ranked Texas. He also has 9 touchdowns against only 1 interception so far this year.

Sleeper - Elijah Sindelar - Purdue - He has already thrown for 932 yards and 9 touchdowns in his two games.  A concussion may keep him out of next week's matchup, though.

Falling - Trevor Lawrence - Clemson - He has not exactly lit it up at QB in Clemson's two wins.  Team success, and the inevitable 300 yards in a very big game.  He does already have a Heisman moment on his resume this year, with the touchdown saving tackle after he threw an interception which resulted in zero points for the opposition.

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Jonathan Taylor - Wisconsin - He has only gained 237 yards, but has 5 touchdowns.  His low yard total (by Heisman standards) is largely due to his teams blowout wins over South Florida and Central Michigan, so he has sat for large portions of the game.  Easily the best running back in college, and he has legitimate track speed coming out of the backfield.  Wisconsin's upcoming game against Michigan (9/21) will be telling for Taylor, and the entire Badger team.

Rising - Travis Etienne - Clemson - The only running back in Taylor's class, Etienne has 258 yards and 3 touchdowns in Clemson's two victories.  He should tear up the ACC.

Falling - Cam Akers - Florida State - How can the fourth leading rusher in the NCAA be falling?  Easily, his team, the Florida State Seminoles were beat at home by Boise State and then barely survived a botched extra point to beat the University of Louisiana-Monroe 45-44 in overtime.

Sleeper - Kylin Hill - Mississippi State - The Bulldog running back in second in the NCAA in rushing having amassed 320 yards on the ground. If he can keep this up through SEC play, he could be a contender.  (My hint, he won't).

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Rondale Moore - Purdue - The do-everything All-American candidate has 344 yards receiving on 24 catches already for the surprising Boilermakers.  He will have to come up big for freshman Jack Plummer if Elijah Sindelar is declared out with a concussion this week.

Rising - Tylan Wallace - Oregon State - Only 10 catches, but for 272 yards.  This bodes well since he plays in the Big 12, and will likely be able to have many more big plays due to the lack of defense in the conference.

Falling - DeVonta Smith - Alabama - He has literally done nothing wrong, except for lining up next to Jerry Jeudy.

Sleeper - Omar Bayless - Arkansas State - He has 16 catches for 271 yards (6th and 3rd respectively in the NCAA), but already has 5 touchdowns!  At Arkansas State, he is the ultimate sleeper.

Defensive Edition

5.  Jace Whittaker - CB - Illinois - His 3 interceptions lead the NCAA.

4.  Keandre Jones - LB - Maryland - 4 sacks, 12 tackles and a forced fumble.  Plus, I have to give some love to somebody from Maryland.

3.  Oluwole Betiku, Jr. - DE - Illinois - Leads the NCAA with 5 sacks, but also has 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery.  Only bright spot on this Illini squad.

2.  Ethan Aguayo - LB - San Jose State - He leads the NCAA with 34 total tackles in just two games.

1.  Kenny Willekes - DE - Michigan State - Four sacks, and 12 total tackles, along with 2 fumble recoveries and a TD.  Pretty impressive start to the season for this All-American candidate..

Player(s) to Watch

Jabari Zuniga - DL - Florida - Has the talent and ability, and he plays with the requisite abandon to control every game he plays in from the line of scrimmage.

My New Favorite Player

Steven Montez - QB - Colorado - Montez was 28-41 for 375 and 2 TDs in the comeback win over Nebraska. More importantly, Montez lays claim to the best Hispanic quarterback over Nebraska's Adian Martinez.

Players of the Week (Just Week 2)

5.  JK Dobbins - RB - Ohio State - He gained 141 yards on only 17 carries with 2 TDs in Ohio State's 42-0 drubbing of Cincinnati.

4.  Ryan Hilinski - QB - South Carolina - The freshman, starting in game 2 only because of an injury to starter Jake Bentley, played in his first game after brother Tyler - who played at Washington State - committed suicide in what was later attributed to CTE.  Hilinski finished 24-30 for 282 yards and 2 TDs passing, and added a rushing TD.  He would ordinarily be listed higher except the Gamecocks only played Charleston Southern, defeating them 72-10.

3. Rondale Moore - WR - Purdue - Moore hauled in 13 passes for 220 yards and 1 TD as Purdue defeated Vanderbilt 42-24.

2.  Elijah Sindelar - QB - Purdue - Sindelar was 34-52 for 509 yards and 5 TDs. Most week's he would be first, but ...

1. Joe Burrow - QB - LSU - Burrow finished 31-39 for 471 yards and 4 TDs in LSU's 45-38 victory over Texas.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Secondary - CBs/Ss - Miami - Gave up a successful pass to North Carolina on a 4th and 17 that would have iced the game for Miami, but instead continued the drive for the Tar Heels. Then, they give up the game winning TD pass to conclude the drive.  Miami did have a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Bubba Baxha missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Willie Taggert - Florida State - Just one week after admitting his team was dehydrated and not in shape after a come-from-ahead loss to Boise State, the Seminoles once again gave up a late lead, only to beat Louisiana-Monroe 45-44 in overtime.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Alabama (1) v. Ohio State (4)/ (2) Clemson v. (3) Oklahoma

Again, still way too early to tell as tons of teams are still alive.  LSU is looking especially intersting.

Final Unbeatens

Too many to list right now.

Rant(s) of the Week

ESPN, take the yellow coloring off the down and distance display at the bottom of the screen (at least on ESPNU).  It looks like a penalty flag is being thrown on every single play.

Under Performance of the Week

Tennessee.  Starts off 0-2 after a surprise opening-game loss to Georgia State, falling 38-30 at home (and paying Georgia State $950,000.00).  The Volunteers continued their season with a 29-26 loss to Brigham Young, also at home.  But, they have a good story with the t-shirts! No truth (yet) to the rumor that Smokey has entered the transfer portal.

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

As a reminder, the question was:

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson has set the school record for touchdown passes with his 88th TD in last week's game.  Whose record did he break?

The answer is Chris Redman, who interestingly also played in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.

Trivia Question of the Week

We will start off easy:  There are five active NCAA head coaches that have won NCAA titles as head coaches.  Name them.

Match up(s) to Watch

5. Chattanooga v. Tennessee - Just to see if Tennessee can start off with 3 upset home losses.

4.  Ohio State v. Indiana - Both teams enter their Big Ten debut 2-0.  Can Indiana provide an early-season upset at home?

3. Stanford v. UCF - It isn't UF, FSU or Miami, but UCF gets a big school to come play in Orlando.  Stanford coming off a big loss to USC last week.  Will that make them down, or more hungry?

2.  Arizona State v. Michigan State - Not your ordinary Pac-12/Big 10 matchup, but both teams are undefeated and Herm Edwards always "plays to win the game".

1.  Florida v. Kentucky - Everybody agrees that UF is not as good as its ranking, while everyone also agrees that Kentucky is much better than its non-ranking.  Can Mark Stoops work a little home-magic?

Picks of the Week

HOORAY! The NFL is officially back with its first full slate of games, and nobody is happier than I am.  Since I watched absolutely zero of the pre-season, other than all the news reports of the Antonio Brown drama, I feel that I am in a perfect position to start the season with a bang.  Whether that is good or bad, who knows.  We shall see.

For those that are new to this site, I will select every game against the spread.  I will be selecting one big bet at $250 per, whereas everything else will be $100.  Winners count as winners, whereas losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.  On to the picks.

Green Bay Packers +3 at Chicago Bears
This happened Thursday, but I told my friends my pick before game time. Aaron Rodgers just has the bears number.

Carolina Panthers +2 1/2 v. Los Angeles Rams
West coast teams travelling west rarely cover the spread when they play the early games.  Add to that, it is also hard to cover as a road favorite.  I imagine that most people I know will take the Rams here, but I will take the points.

Cleveland Browns -5 1/2 v. Tennessee Titans
This pick is not about me coronating the Browns too early after "winning the offseason".  This is more about me thinking that Tennessee is going to be really bad this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars +4 v. Kansas City Chiefs
Jacksonville should still have a great defense, and although Kansas City's offense seemed to be unstoppable last year, can a team with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback at least keep possession long enough with Leonard Fournette to keep this game close?  I say yes.

Miami Dolphins +7 v. Baltimore Ravens
Don't get me wrong, the Dolphins are going to be horrible this year. But, without seeing how Baltimore is going to play, I don't like them favored by 7 on the road.  Especially when Fitzpatrick can throw a 43 yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds left to back-door cover.

Atlanta Falcons +4 at Minnesota Vikings
I have to pick some road teams, right?  I have no idea where either of these teams are going to end up.  I feel like they could both either wind up in the playoffs, or both disappoint terribly.  So, give me the points.

New York Jets -3 v. Buffalo Bills
Le'Veon Bell should be fresh right.

Washington Racitsts +10 at Philadelphia Eagles
Over the season, the Eagles should easily out-distance the Racists.  That being said, ten points is a lot of points in an intra-divisional game.

Los Angeles Chargers -7 v. Indianapolis Colts
Which team went through the most turmoil during the preseason?  I am going to say the Colts, and pick the Chargers.

Seattle Seahawks -9 1/2 v. Cincinnati Bengals
Count the Bengals be looking for Tagavailoa to replace Andy Dalton?

Detroit Lions -2 1/2 at Arizona Cardinals
There has to be one game where I go against the rules and take a visiting favorite, right?

New York Giants +7 at Dallas Cowboys
Saquon Barkley controls the ball to help keep this close.  Every Cowboys fan is hoping Zeke is ready to play.  Is he?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1 v. San Francisco 49ers
I have no idea why I think this.

New England Patriots -6 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben has never won in Foxboro.

New Orleans Saints -7 v. Houston Texans
New Orleans seems to thrive on big prime time games.  Can J.J. Watt be as effective without Jadeveon Clowney on the other side?

Denver Broncos -2 at Oakland Raiders 
Another road favorite, in an intradivisional game.  I don't like it, but I also don't like this Raiders squad.

Big Bet
New England Patriots -6 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Big Ben has never won in Foxboro.  I chalk this pick up to Belichick and Brady, more than anything else, but also a healthy helping of Sony Michel.

Last Week's Record: 0-0
Last Week's Big Bet:  0-0
Year-to-Date Record:  0-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date:  0-0
Last Week's Winnings (Losses): 
Year-to-Date's Winnings (Losses):