The Ole College Try

Welcome to the weekly installment of the almost weekly perspective of college football.  As a refresher, 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 this early in the season.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - The guy has not had the huge statistics of some of the other favorites simply because he has not had to play that much after wins.  This week he showed what he could do against the 16th ranked Washington Huskies.  24-31 for 366 yards and 3 TDs, and 88 yards and 1 more TD rushing.

Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M - Still the betting line favorite, and as I stated last  year, but as I stated last week, I am keeping him here until I see what he does against LSU game.  Plus, 346 yards passing and 124 yards rushing is phenomenal from this week, considering it seemed to be an "off" week against Mississippi.

Tahj Boyd - Clemson - In a possible Heisman elimination game this week against Jameis Winston, but did not suffer a letdown against BC before that; 334 yards and 1 TD and another rushing TD..

Rising - Jameis Winston - FSU - 1,441 yards, 17TDs and only 2 Interceptions on the season, including an absolute pasting of the then 25th ranked Terrapins with 393 yards and 5 TDs.  A bye week before his Heisman showdown against Tahj Boyd and Clemson.

Falling (1) - Aaron Murray - Georgia - Because he has literally lost everyone of his weapons.  He put in as good a display as he could against Missouri, but even that was not enough.

Falling (2) - Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville - Given the Cardinals schedule, Bridgewater needed to put up huge numbers an win games by a lot of points.He did throw for 310 yards and 2 TDs against Rutgers, but also threw an interception in only a 24-14 win.

Running Back Edition

No change this week in the major runners - why?  Nobody played anybody this week.  The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it.  More discussion in those rising/sleepers.

Favorite - Andre Williams - Boston College - Only 70 yards rushing, but kept Boston College in the game against Clemson.  846 yards total.

Bishop Sankey - Washington - 167 yards and 2 TDs against Oregon, for a total of 899 yards rushing on the season.  He is the nations second leading rusher, and his name is Bishop.  Seriously, the Fish that Saved Pittsburgh is awesome.

Rising - Antonio Andrews - Western Kentucky - His 1036 yards leads the nation by 137 yards.  His only non-100 yard rushing game was the first game of the year, in which he rushed for 99 yards.

Sleeper - David Fluellen - Toledo - Had a bye week this week, so he had to move from "Rising" to "Sleeper".

Wide Receiver Edition

Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 63 and yards with 944 (next highest is 691), and receiving touchdowns with 11.  To say that he is Sean Mannion's favorite target is an understatement.

Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He only has 32 catches, but for 737 yards (23 ypc).  Right now he is the best receiver in the SEC, and is projecting as a Top 10 pick.

Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 70 catches for 709 yards, and has only had 1 game under 100 yards this season.  He is giving Evans a run for best receiver in the SEC.

Sleeper - Nick O'Leary - Florida State - Only 11 catches for 132 yards - but 5 of those catches have been for TDs.  That is a pretty good ratio, especially on a team that has so man offensive weapons.

Rising - Odell Beckham - LSU - 37 catches, 733 yards, and is one of the many weapons at Zach Mettenberger's disposal.

Falling - Jarred Abbrederis - Wisconsin - An injury may keep him from a stellar season, despite 35 catches for 646 yards.

Defensive Edition

3.  Tyler Matakevich - LB - Temple - Has 82 total tackles average out to 13.7 tackles per game, but 65 of those tackles are solo tackles.  I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!

2.  Vic Beasley - DL - Clemson - He has 9 sacks, but now we get to see if he gets to Jameis Winston when they play Florida State.

1.  Michael Sam - LB - Missouri - I had only heard about how good he was until I saw him play against Georgia.  He is the best linebacker that I have seen play this year, with all due respect to CJ Mosley.

Player to Watch

Maty Mauk - QB - Missouri - The Freshman QB from Missouri is on here for one simple reason, his 3-3 against Georgia, and 6 total pass attempts in his career are now the starter for the remainder of the year because James Franklin has been lost for the rest of the season due to injury.  Right now Missouri is undefeated at 6-0 and ranked 15th in the country, with consecutive games against Florida and South Carolina.  How does Mauk perform?

My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman

Bryce Petty- QB - Baylor - Because he is like an orchestra conductor leading this track meet of an offense.  Last week against Kansas State Petty was 12-21 for 322 yards.  Yes 322 yards on only 12 completions.

Players of the Week

5.  Bryce Petty - QB - Baylor - See above.

4.  Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - Rushed for 172 yards and 1 TD against Northwestern, as Wisconsin won handily.

3. Davis Webb - QB - Texas Tech - 35-56 for 45 yards and 3 TDs as Texas Tech defeated Iowa State 42-35.

2.  Michael Sam - LB - Missouri - Thoroughly dominated the game against Georgia, leading the way to a 41-26 victory.

1.  Marcos Mariota - QB - Oregon - See above.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Blake Bell - QB - Oklahoma - Had a total QBR of 4.2 as the Texas Longhorns thoroughly dominated the Sooners.  Plus, I get to show another picture.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops - So, you are sitting at 5-0, ranked 12th, and you play Texas that is absolutely reeling.  I know that it is a rivalry game, but 36-20 doesn't even come close to showing how bad Oklahoma was beat in this game.

Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up

Alabama v. Oregon - More contenders falling out of contention, but Alabama and Oregon still going strong.  This week's FSU/Clemson winner will be ready to pounce should the Tide or Ducks lose.

Rant(s) of the Week

Targeting.  I am not going to get too in detail, as everything has already basically been said, but if you can review a video to see if a guy should be ejected for targeting and find out that there was no targeting, how do you still enforce the 15 yard penalty?

Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)

Missouri has forced a turnover in 36 straight games.

Under Performance of the Week

Easy - Oklahoma.  And it isn't even close.  Georgia might be some people's answer, but they have 147 injuries, and they lost to an undefeated SEC team.  Texas - they stink.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The two FBS conferences with three remaining undefeated teams were, and I stress were, the Pac-12 and ACC.  Stanford's loss knocks the Pac-12 out of this neighborhood now.

Trivia Question of the Week

The Georgia-Vanderbilt game can see 3 conference records broken; Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray can break the records for TD Passes and total offense, while Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews can break the record for career receiving yards.  Who currently holds those 3 records, and how many TD passes, total yards and receiving yards do Murray and Matthews need to set the record?

Match up(s) to Watch

5.  Auburn v. Texas A&M - It is time to see if Auburn is actually a good team, or if they are a pretender.  They do have wins against Washington State, Mississippi State and Mississippi, which are all decent teams.

4.  Florida v. Missouri - Thanks to Missouri beating Georgia, Florida has a better chance to win the SEC East, if they can beat the Tigers themselves.  This is the second of three consecutive tough games for the Gators (LSU, Missouri, South Carolina), that could go a long way to determining if this is a good season or a bust for the Gators.  Florida must find some offense to avoid Michael Sam and the Tigers opportunistic defense.

3.  UCF v. Louisville - Central Florida's lone loss was a 3 point squeaker to South Carolina.  Louisville pulled out a close one against Rutgers last week, and this could be the Cardinals' toughest game yet..  UCF's star running back was recruited by some big schools, and actually signed with Miami before transferring to UCF.  Let's see how Charlie Strong's team handles the Knights.

2.  UCLA v. Stanford - This should have been a battle of unbeatens, until Stanford's loss last week to Utah.  UCLA has Rose Bowl aspirations - or at least Pac-12 championship game.  Brett Hundley is one of the hottest players in college football.

1. Florida State v. Clemson - Any questions that this is the game of the week?  Winner sits in third position waiting for Alabama and/or Oregon to slip up.

Picks of the Week

Welcome to our Picks of the Week.  For a quick refresher on the procedures behind my picks (for those that are new - this will be new): 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. On to the picks.

So I have now figured out the eastern time zone, going 7-2 to start, only to finish 1-4 for the late/night games.  Time to see if I can now get the western teams to cooperate.

Chicago Bears -7 1/2 v. New York Giants
I may have lost this pick, but valiant effort by  my favorite team with a lot of defensive injuries.

Green Bay Packers -3 at Baltimore Ravens
The old Ravens defense would have had a hard time slowing down the Packers pass defense; and this is not that old Ravens defense.  The Ravens look different on offense, and they need to get back to more Ray Rice.

Cincinnati Bengals -6 at Buffalo Bills
Two consecutive road favorites, which I normally do not like, but Cincinnati is fresh off its victory over the Patriots and the Bills are starting a tool at quarterback.  I'm sorry, a Tuel.

Cleveland Browns +3 v. Detroit Lions
Tough pick, because I wanted to go with the road favorite, but I just think the Lions are a completely different team without Calvin Johnson.

Houston Texans -7 v. St. Louis Rams
This one I have no idea.  I didn't think the Rams could cover a big number against the Jags; I thought the Texans would cover against the 49ers, and I was wrong on all counts.  You don't have to listen to me on this one, as I have no idea.  I just think that a new face under may be what Houston needs to right the ship.

Oakland Raiders +9 at Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland is playing pretty tough and although I do not think that they can win this game, I think the number is a bit high.  Something like 24-17 seems right.

Carolina Panthers + 1 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
Let's all be honest, we do not know how this one is going to be affected by the death of Adrian Peterson's son.  The emotions could be a huge push for the Vikings, but that type of emotion and adrenaline still run out - usually in the second quarter.  Heart for the Vikings here, but you cannot often bet with your heart.

New York Jets pick 'em v. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Jets, although making mistakes, are playing fairly well behind a sold defense of Muhammad Wilkerson and rookie QB Geno Smith.  The Steelers, are not.

Philadelphia Eagles -3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This seems like a sucker bet, so I am going to be the sucker.  Mike Glennon with an extra week of practice could actually settle into a rhythm against a very bad Philly defense.  I just don't see the Buccaneers stopping the Eagles.

Denver Broncos -26 v. Jacksonville Jaguars
This spread is outrageous. Largest line in the history of the NFL (Some places have it at 27 1/2).  Nobody in their right mind would take this game.  Jacksonville is THAT bad.  Plus, I will never have the opportunity to root for someone to cover a 26 point spread in the NFL again.

Seattle Seahawks -13 v. Tennessee Titans
Seattle at home is unstoppable.  The Titans are coming off a tough game against Kansas City, and travelling west.  Seattle has to have a huge advantage.

New Orleans Saints +2 at New England Patriots
If the Saints are going to lose, at New England would be a pretty good bet.  However, the Patriots have not yet seen an offense like that of the Saints, and if I am going to be able to get points, Drew Brees and an undefeated team, then I will take it.

San Francisco 49ers -10 1/2 v. Arizona Cardinals
I have been wrong in almost every single Cardinal game this year, but if the 49ers can settle themselves down offensively and spread the ball around to its running backs, receivers and tight ends, they should handily beat the Cardinals that absolutely cannot run the ball this year.

Dallas Cowboys -5 1/2 v. Washington Redskins
Dallas put on a helluva offense performance against the Broncos, and the Redskins defense is the worst pass defense in the league.  That being said, the last million Redskins/Cowboys games have all been within the point spread.  Still, I'll take the Cowboys and their offensive talent.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Indianapolis Colts -1 at San Diego Chargers
Now THIS sounds like a sucker bet.  How can everyone and their brother not think the Colts are going to win this one.  With that being said, Philip Rivers is having a solid year, the game is in San Diego, and the single most obvious pick of the day is often not.

Previous Week's Record: 8-6
Year to Date: 35-38-3
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Beat Year to Date: 3-2
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($25)
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: ($450)

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the weekly installment of the almost weekly perspective of college football.  As a refresher, 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 this early in the season.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Aaron Murray - Georgia - Only 196 yards passing, but another 53 yards rushing, plus a proverbial "Heisman" play with the last second game tying touchdown pass against Tennessee.

Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M - Still the betting line favorite, and as I stated last  year, unless Murray falters, I will likely keep him here until the LSU game.

Tahj Boyd - Clemson - 1449 yards with 14TDs against only 2 Interceptions to lead the number 3 ranked undefeated Tigers.  With the Seminoles looming, Boyd has a chance to catapult up the board.

Rising - Brett Hundley - UCLA - Only just over 1,000 yards passing, but this sophomore has been giving UCLA fans hope for a phenomenal system.

Dark Horse - Jameis Winston - FSU - 1,441 yards, 17TDs and only 2 Interceptions on the season, including an absolute pasting of the then 25th ranked Terrapins with 393 yards and 5 TDs.

Falling - Keith Price - Washington - Not a bad game against a really tough Stanford defense, but with the abundance of stat-producers in the PAC-12, Price needed the Huskies to beat the Cardinal.

Running Back Edition

No change this week in the major runners - why?  Nobody played anybody this week.  The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it.  More discussion in those rising/sleepers.

Favorite - Andre Williams - Boston College - He is now up to third in the NCAA in rushing yards, and has done so against some decent teams.

Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Had a tough game against Ohio State a couple of weeks ago, and with last week's bye week has now 6th in the country in rushing yards.

Todd Gurley - Georgia - Still the best back in the country, in my opinion.  Maybe not as fast as Thomas or Seastrunk, but fast enough - and powerful.  He will have to prove it now with Marshall out for the rest of the season.

Rising - David Fluellen - Toledo - Well, as I said last week, he was likely going to move up the rushing charts having already played a tough Florida defense, thus deflating his early season numbers.  He is now second in the in rushing yards with 846 yards after a 220 yard performance against Western Michigan.

Sleeper - Bishop Sankey - Washington - Washington is good, and a large part of that is because of Sankey.  Even in a loss he gained 125 yards against a really tough Stanford defense.  Plus, I again get to reference The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh - the best movie ever about basketball.

Wide Receiver Edition

No change this week, except for the statistics, and I am too lazy to change them on here.

Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 52 (next best is 40), yards with 807 (next highest is 691), and receiving touchdowns with 9.  To say that he is Sean Mannion's favorite target is an understatement.

Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He has 28 catches for 691 yards (24.7 ypc).  Right now he is the best receiver in the SEC, and is projecting as a Top 10 pick.

Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 40 catches for 586 yards, and is by far the only offensive weapon that the Commodores have.  Giving Evans a run for best receiver in the SEC.

Rising - Jarvis Landry - LSU - 24 catches, 540 yards and 7 TDs, including one last week against Georgia (as projected here last week).

Falling - Marquise Lee - Quarterback play is killing his chances.  Although he is still a likely top 10 draft pick, and has a respectable 30 receptions and 385 yards, but only 1 Touchdown on the year (he has 26 for his career).

Defensive Edition

3.  Keith Smith - LB - San Jose State - Has 80 total tackles average out to an amazing 17.4 tackles per game.  I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!

2.  Vic Beasley - DL - Clemson - He has 8 sacks, the question now is can he get to Winston when they play Florida State.

1.  C.J. Mosley - LB - Alabama - Giving up 3 points to Georgia State can almost get you eliminated from this spot - but then again, they only gave up 3 points.

Falling - Defense - Georgia - I know that Tennessee was a trap game, but there is no way Georgia should have given up that much to Tennessee.

Player to Watch

Keenan Reynolds - RB - Navy - Because the military academies deserved a mention after having to figure out if they could even play given this government shutdown business.  His 126 yards and 3 touchdowns were important in the Midshipmen's defeat of the Falcons.

My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman

Marquez North - WR - Tennessee - Because his name sounds like it was from the Key & Peele College Football All-Star sketch.

Players of the Week

5.  Teddy Bridgewater - QB - Louisville - The Cardinals' quarterback went 25-35 for 348 yards and 2 TDs in Louisville's dominating win over Temple.  He sure would look good in a Jaguar uniform.

4.  Ameer Abullah - RB - Nebraska - Rushed for 225 yards and 2 TDs in Nebraska's conference opener win against Illinois.

3.  Marcus Mariota - QB - Oregon - Mariota was 16-27 for 355 yards and 5 TDs passing, and also rushed for 43 more yards and 2 additional touchdowns as the Ducks just torched Colorado 57-16.

2.  Andre Williams - RB - Boston College - The Eagle had 263 yards rushing and 5 TDs in Boston College's defeat of Army.

1.  Jameis Winston - QB - FSU - 23-32 for 393 yards and 5 TDs, with no interceptions, as the Seminoles rolled over then 25th ranked Maryland.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Pig Howard - RB - Tennessee - You hate to fault a guy for effort, but Pig Howard's stretch into the end zone in overtime against Georgia, only to fumble the ball out of bounds in the end zone giving Georgia the ball only needing a field goal, which they kicked after gaining a grand total of zero yards.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Still Texas Coach Mack Brown - Both Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston wanted to play at Texas, only to be told that Mack Brown did not think that either would "fit into his system"..

Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up

Alabama v. Oregon - Still lots of contenders, but at this point, there is nothing I have seen to knock either Alabama or Oregon out of this spot.

Rant(s) of the Week

Still the same rant - and deservedly so - The NCAA has managed to rule on the Penn State situation - twice - before it has made a decision on Miami.  This is ultimately ludicrous, as this has been hanging over the Hurricanes for four years now.  Enough is enough - come down with the penalties and let's move one.  And those penalties should not include a post-season ban because of "time-served".

Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)

This comes from Sinickal - The latest in a game that Baylor has scored their 35th point is with 2:52 left in the first half.  This season, Baylor has attempted 8 total passes in the second half!

Under Performance of the Week

Texas - The Longhorns needed a couple of poor officiating calls in the same drive in order to defeat Iowa State.  Both of the calls were fumbles, and their was enough evidence to overturn the calls.  Both of them.  Period!

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The ACC record holder for most touchdowns produced is Philip Rivers of North Carolina State, with 112.

Trivia Question of the Week

Entering this week's games, what two FBS conferences have three remaining undefeated teams?

Match up(s) to Watch

4.  Baylor v. Kansas State - Just to see if Baylor can score 35 in the first half again.

3.  Oregon v. Washington - This is Washington's chance to make a big statement after last week's loss to Stanford.

2.  Florida v. LSU - Florida's offense is not very scary, but this is not a typical LSU defense.  With Dominique Easley out, can Hill run through the center of Florida's defense?  Can Mettenberger take advantage of Florida's safeties?  Should be an interesting game.

1. Northwestern v. Wisconsin - Both teams are coming off of close losses to Ohio State.  Which team can bounce back to lay in wait in case Ohio State falls off later in the season?

Picks of the Week

Welcome to our Picks of the Week.  For a quick refresher on the procedures behind my picks (for those that are new - this will be new): 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. On to the picks.

I am just going to admit that I have no idea what is going on this season.  Brian Hoyer, Kansas City and Eli's interceptions are just a few of the crazy things this year.

Cleveland Browns -3 1/2 v. Buffalo Bills
Yes it was Thursday, but this was my pick.

New Orleans Saints -1 at Chicago Bears
Henry Melton is out for the season, Steven Paea and Charles Tillman are still questionable.  The Bears need all hands on deck to try to slow down the Saints offensive juggernaut.  Could be an enjoyable high scoring game.

Cincinnati Bengals +1 v. New England Patriots
The Patriots are doing this with offensive smoke-and-mirrors.  The Bengals front 7 is likely to put too much pressure on Tom Brady.

Green Bay Packers -7 v. Detroit Lions
This is what I wrote initially, "Do I think the Lions are as good as they looked last week - No.  Do I think they can score a ton of points, at least keep this close and possibly beat the Packers - Yes."  Then I found out that Calvin Johnson was out.  He means that much to Detroit.

Indianapolis Colts +3 v. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are a much different team away from home, and I have already picked one road favorite today.

Baltimore Ravens +3 at Miami Dolphins
The Ravens offensive line will have its hands full with the Dolphins defensive line, but with time, we have seen that the Dolphins can be beat through the air - especially deep.  A couple of big Torrey Smith and/or Dallas Clark plays makes the Ravens at least cover.

Philadelphia Eagles +2 at New York Giants
So long as they do not turn the ball over the Eagles offense can move the ball against anyone, and the Giants are much less impressive than "anyone".  I'll take the Eagles with the points.

Jacksonville Jaguars +11 at St. Louis Rams
The Jaguars have to cover sometime, so it might as well be against the disappointing Rams.  If St. Louis is going to live up to how good some pundits - including me - thought that they were going to be, they need to win big today.  I don't see it happening.

Tennessee Titans +3 v. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been impressive this year, but the Titans could easily be undefeated.  Plus, as I stated in my Colts/Seahawks pick - I have already picked one road favorite.

Denver Broncos -7 at Dallas Cowboys
I am not sure that anyone can slow down the Broncos right now.  Seven points does not seem like a high enough spread.

Houston Texans +5 at San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are just missing too many weapons.  The Texans gave the Seahawks all they can handle, and Seattle is a much tougher team than San Francisco right now.

San Diego Chargers -4 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
San Diego has played very well this year, even in its losses. Oakland is in flux, with Terrelle Pryor's concussion injury putting some wonder in to how much he will be able to play today. Plus, Oakland is not very good.  It is a good thing that both teams are west coast teams with the time change for kickoff, but if one team is affected by this, we could have a crazy ballgame.  And yes, I know, a third road favorite.

New York Jets +9 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
The Jets have not played that poorly defensively, and they are capable of some big plays.  Although Atlanta is a much better ball club, I could see this being a 6 or 7 point game.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

CarolinaPanthers - 2 1/2 at Arizona Cardinals
OK, so I am picking another road favorite.  Carolina has played tough in its losses - well, at least the loss to the Seahawks, and since Arizona cannot run the ball, Carolina should be able win handily.

Previous Week's Record: 7-7-1
Year to Date: 27-32-3
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 3-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $80
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: ($425)

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the weekly installment of the almost weekly perspective of college football.  As a refresher, 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 this early in the season.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Aaron Murray - Georgia - Jumps into the top spot after a phenomenal 298 yard 4 TD performance against LSU.  Georgia is 3-1, but has played against three teams ranked in the top 10, and looks like they will be able to coast into the SEC championship game.

Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M - Probably still the betting line favorite, but drops simply because of a ho-hum game (for him anyway) against a surprisingly good Arkansas team.  I look for him to reclaim the top spot if he can equal Murray's game when the Aggies play LSU.

Rising - Sean Mannion - Oregon State - Has a mind numbing 2018 yards with 21 TDs, against only 2 interceptions.

Dark Horse - Jameis Winston - FSU - After the Seminoles slow start against Boston College, rebounded tremendously to finish with 330 yards and 4 TDs, for a total of 1,048 yards and 12 TDs on the year.

Falling - Kenny Guiton - Ohio State - Hard to win the Heisman from the bench..

Running Back Edition

No change this week in the major runners - why?  Nobody played anybody this week.  The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it.  More discussion in those rising/sleepers.

Favorite - Andre Williams - Boston College - 149 yards against Florida State brings his total up to 505 on the year.  He is quietly having a fantastic season.

Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Second in the nation in rushing yards with 698 yards, but averaging an astounding 103 yards per carry.

Todd Gurley - Georgia - Still the best back in the country, in my opinion.  Maybe not as fast as Thomas or Seastrunk, but fast enough - and powerful.

Rising - David Fluellen - Toledo - Well, as I said last week, he was likely going to move up the rushing charts having already played a tough Florida defense, thus deflating his early season numbers.  He is now third in the nation is rushing yards with 626 after a 129 yard performance against Ball State.

Sleeper - Bishop Sankey - Washington - Washington is good, and a large part of that is because of Sankey.  Plus, his name is Bishop - akin to Reverend Jones from The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh - the best movie ever about basketball.

Wide Receiver Edition

Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 52 (next best is 40), yards with 807 (next highest is 691), and receiving touchdowns with 9.  To say that he is Sean Mannion's favorite target is an understatement.

Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He has 28 catches for 691 yards (24.7 ypc).  Right now he is the best receiver in the SEC, and is projecting as a Top 10 pick.

Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 40 catches for 586 yards, and is by far the only offensive weapon that the Commodores have.  Giving Evans a run for best receiver in the SEC.

Rising - Jarvis Landry - LSU - 24 catches, 540 yards and 7 TDs, including one last week against Georgia (as projected here last week).

Falling - Marquise Lee - Quarterback play is killing his chances.  Although he is still a likely top 10 draft pick, and has a respectable 30 receptions and 385 yards, but only 1 Touchdown on the year (he has 26 for his career).

Defensive Edition

3.  Keith Smith - LB - San Jose State - His 71 tackles average out to an amazing 17.4 tackles per game.  I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!

2.  Shaquil Barrett - DL - Colorado State - His 6 1/2 sacks headline his 12 1/2 tackles for loss.

1.  C.J. Mosley - LB - Alabama - I have been waiting for the big name defenders to make a name for themselves, and Mosely did that last week.  Nine tackles, including a safety, and he is now well on his way to All-American consideration.

Falling - Ha-Sean Clinton-Dix - CB - Alabama - Hard to do well when you are suspended.

Player to Watch

Braxton Miller - QB - Ohio State - Now that he is back starting for the Buckeyes, can he fulfill the praise given to him by none other than Urban Meyer who said that Braxton Miller is the best quarterback he has ever coached..

My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman

Conner Hempel - QB - Harvard - 16 for 22 for 296 yards and 1 TD (plus another rushing touchdown) in a 41-23 shellacking of Brown in the conference opener.  Hempel has led the Crimson to an average of 41.5 points per game so far on the season.

Players of the Week

5.  Clint Trickett - QB - West Virginia - The Moutaineers, fresh off a throttling at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins, turn to Florida State transfer Clint Trickett at QB, and in his first action of the season leads the team to a 31-20 victory over 11th ranked Oklahoma State on 24-50 passing for 309 yards.  Not phenomenal stats, but given the situation, an admirable performance.

4.  Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson - The ever dynamic Watkins has 6 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

3.  Aaron Murray - QB - Georgia - See above.

2.  Andre Williams - RB - Boston College - See above.

1.  Zach Mettenberger - QB - LSU - 23-37 for 372 yards and 3 TDs, with no interceptions, in a big game against Georgia.  Given Mettenberger's return to Georgia, from where he transferred and where his mother works for the football department, he could not have asked for a better performance.  Mettenberger is now getting some serious NFL consideration.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Phillip Nelson - QB - Minnesota - The Gophers had the opportunity to start off the Big 10 with a win, and to go 5-0 to start the season and really make their mark.  However, they fell flat losing to Iowa 23-7.  Nelson went 12-24 for 135 yards; 1 TD and 2 Interceptions for a 26.1 QBR.  He also rushed 9 times for -18 yards.  Once again it looks like Minnesota will be relegated to the second division in the Big 10, although a bowl game is not out of the question.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Texas Coach Mack Brown - Both Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston wanted to play at Texas, only to be told that Mack Brown did not think that either would "fit into his system"..

Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up

Alabama v. Oregon - Alabama's defense passed a test, shutting out Arkansas this week, so they stay in this spot, although Georgia looks really tough this year.  Stanford  is going to be a really tough match-up for for Oregon, but right now, Oregon looks poised to win the Pac-12 north.  The Clemson - Florida State match-up could become incredibly huge should the Tide or the Ducks falter, unless Stanford goes undefeated as well.

Rant(s) of the Week

The NCAA has managed to rule on the Penn State situation - twice - before it has made a decision on Miami.  This is ultimately ludicrous, as this has been hanging over the Hurricanes for four years now.
Enough is enough - come down with the penalties and let's move one.  And those penalties should not include a post-season ban because of "time-served".

Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)

Last week's fact continued with Jarvis Landry of LSU scoring a TD in his 7th straight game, and has now scored a TD in 9 of his last 10 games.

In the same game, Georgia's Aaron Murray had his 10th game of his career in which he has thrown 4 Touchdowns.

Under Performance of the Week

Oklahoma State - The 11th ranked Cowboys, whose vaunted offense that had twice scored over 56 points in a game, laid an absolute egg against unranked West Virginia, who had just been whipped by Maryland.  Oklahoma State lost 30-21, upsetting any hopes of a big Oklahoma-Oklahoma State showdown.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The NCAA FBS record holder for most consecutive games with a touchdown is Larry Fitzgerald who scored a touchdown in 18 straight games from 2002-2003.

Trivia Question of the Week

Tahj Boyd of Clemson, with his four TDS, has now thrown and ran for a total of 102 touchdowns.  Who holds the ACC record for touchdowns (running and passing combined) and how many?

Match up(s) to Watch

5. Arkansas v. Florida - This spot last week was the UCF/South Carolina game, so look for this to be a good game.  I never thought I would be picking this as a match-up to watch, but Arkansas proved itself worthy in a 45-33 loss to Texas A&M, so this game becomes really interesting.  Florida's staunch defense versus Florida's last of offense.  Can Arkansas break through?.

4.  Maryland v. Florida State - The Terrapins are ranked for the first time in forever, and will want to remain that way.  Boston College showed some cracks in the armor of the Florida State defense, but the Seminoles offense was more than capable to handle the need for more points.

3.  Ohio State v. Northwestern - Would have been higher on the list had Ohio State not absolutely obliterated Wisconsin's vaunted running attack last week.  Pat Fitzgerald has done a tremendous job with the Wildcats, and shows that smart guys CAN play football.

2.  Washington v. Stanford - Stanford is a true national championship contender, but Washington, behind Bishop Sankey, is out to prove they belong in the same conversation.  Should be incredibly exciting.

1. Jackie Wagman v. Jason Schultz - OK, not really a college football game, but they are getting married on Saturday, and deserve congratulations, and a spot on this blog.  I will be at this wedding, so I will not be able to watch as many games as normal, so they are taking over the number 1 slot for this weekend.

Picks of the Week

Welcome to our Picks of the Week.  For a quick refresher on the procedures behind my picks (for those that are new - this will be new): 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. On to the picks.

My second consecutive losing week,even though I finished over .500 (I lost my big bet) but I am starting to feel like I really have a feeling for this season.  Let's see if that is true this week.

San Francisco 49ers -3 at St. Louis Rams
Last year, before the Rams were supposed to be good, they beat and tied the Niners in two meetings.  This year was supposed to be even tougher for the Niners, however DeMarco Murray of the Cowboys is still piling up yardage against the Rams defense.  If San Francisco gets back to their power game, Frank Gore should pile up big numbers also.

Cincinnati Bengals -4 at Cleveland Browns
The Browns were expected to have a great defense, but the yards they put up against Minnesota were astounding.  Cincinnati's pass rush is better, meaning this is a big test for Brian Hoyer.  I honestly think Cincinnati is a top 4 or 5 team in the league.

Chicago Bears +3 at Detroit Lions
Yes it is a intra-divisional game, and yes it is for first place in the NFC North.  This game is supposed to be close.  In those situations, I will take the points.  I feel the Bears defense is much better than the Lions defense, and with both offenses having the potential to put up a lot of yards, the defenses will be key.

Seattle Seahawks -3 at Houston Texans
I honestly cannot believe that I am taking 4 road favorites right now, but at this rate, everyone should take Seattle until they prove otherwise.  The Texans' defense is not good enough to stop the multi-faceted attack of the Seahawks, whereas the Seahawks defense is amazing, and can slow down the Texans offense.

Indianapolis Colts -8 at Jacksonville Jaguars
OK - 5 road favorites.  I actually had Jacksonville covering a 19 point spread last week, but alas, they could not do even that.  I will be happy to give up only 8 with Indianapolis, who is probably the third best team in the league right now.

Kansas City Chiefs -4 v. New York Giants
The Giants are horrible right now, and the Chiefs are playing really good football.

Minnesota Vikings +3 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
As ridiculous as it was that the Vikings lost to the Hoyer-led Browns, they did put up a bunch of points against a pretty good Cleveland defense.

Arizona Cardinals +2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Glennon's first NFL start.  I am sure that several players on the team still support Josh Johnson as quarterback, and this split is obviously going to have an effect on the Buccaneers, unless Glennon has a tremendous start to this game.  This game is all about Tampa Bay, and not Arizona.

New York Jets +3 1/2 at Tennessee Titans
The Jets are much better than expected, and it is obvious to me that with Geno Smith, they are able to be more effective offensively than with Mark Sanchez at the helm.  The Titans are solid, but not spectacular, so I do not see them blowing the Jets out.  Chris Johnson will have a tough time running through the line anchored by rookie Sheldon Richardson, who might be playing the best ball of any rookie in the NFL through the first three games.

Philadelphia Eagles +11 at Denver Broncos
Say what you will about the Eagles "new" offense, but they do move the ball a lot, and if not for 5 turnovers last week, they easily score a ton more.  Denver's offense is completely clicking, and I don't see the Eagles defense stopping them too much, but I still think the Eagles, with Vick, McCoy and Jackson, score more than enough to cover.

Oakland Raiders +3 v. Washington Redskins
Oakland, albeit not great, is no push over.  It looks like Terrelle Pryor will play this weekend, and if so, the Redskins pass defense is the worst in the league.  Oakland will keep this close, at best, and conceivably could win.

Dallas Cowboys -2 at San Diego Chargers
The two teams that I cannot figure out this year, but I think San Diego played its best football in the first couple of weeks.  If the Cowboys continue to run, this will make their vaunted passing attack even more dangerous, without the threat of Romo having to do everything himself.

Atlanta Falcons -2 v. New England Patriots
The Patriots have been winning primarily with smoke-and-mirrors, while Atlanta, despite two losses, has been playing pretty well.  They outplayed the Dolphins, despite losing the game, and played with the Saints for the entire game - another loss.  Although the Falcons defense is not as improved as some thought - or needed to be, and although they are decimated with injuries, they should still have more than enough offensively to beat the Patriots,

New Orleans Saints -6 1/2 v. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins won last week despite being outplayed - although they did really take it to Indianapolis.  I just feel that time, and talent, catch up with the Dolphins for this week.  The Saints might have the most explosive offensive weaponry, and the Dolphins will not have enough to keep up.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Baltimore Ravens -3 at Buffalo Bills
The Bills secondary was exposed a bit against the Jets, and Torry Smith is even better than either Santonio Holmes of Steven Hill.  Although the Bills are much improved and the Ravens have regressed, the Ravens seem to have found themselves last week.


Previous Week's Record: 8-7-1
Year to Date: 20-25-2
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Beat Year to Date: 2-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($135)
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: ($505)

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the weekly installment of the almost weekly perspective of college football.  As a refresher, 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 this early in the season. After all, who knew who Johnny Manziel was at this time last year.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Johnny Manziel - Texas A & M; - He will probably stay in this list for a long, long time; barring a Dennis Dixon.  Only 244 yards passing against SMU, but he did have over 100 yards rushing and 3 more touchdowns.

Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville - Against nobody, he still had 4 touchdown passes.  I think he only played four plays against FIU.

A.J. McCarron - Alabama - A solid game against Colorado State.  Let's remember that nobody really played anyone this week..

Rising - Brett Hundley - UCLA - A solid season with 848 yards and 8 touchdowns, but more importantly, he seems to be settling in.  The second half comeback against Nebraska was fantastic, and this week He was 23-35 for 280 and 3 TDs.  He does need to watch his interceptions though.

Dark Horse - Blake Bell - Oklahoma - The Sooners were idle, so Bell did nothing to hurt his dark horse status.  Plus it gives me the opportunity to post another picture of Lake Bell.

Falling - Devin Gardner - Michigan - From a player who looked exciting against Notre Dame, to a quarterback that has struggled against Akron and UConn on consecutive weeks; including a (not-so) stunning 13-25 for 111 yards and 2 TDs.

Running Back Edition

No change this week in the major runners - why?  Nobody played anybody this week.  The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it.  More discussion in those rising/sleepers.

Favorite - Todd Gurley - Georgia

De'Anthony Thomas - Oregon

Lache Seastrunk - Baylor

Rising - Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - The sophomore leads the NCAA with 624 rushing yards.  This is made more astounding by the fact that Wisconsin has had 5 other instances this season of running backs gaining over 100 yards per game.

Sleeper - David Fluellen - Toledo - Fourth in the country in rushing yards with 497 yards, but that number seems suppressed because he opened the season against a very stout and stingy Florida Gators defense.  As Gordon's numbers will lessen as he enters the Big 10 schedule, Fluellen's is likely to rise as he enters his conference season.

Wide Receiver Edition

Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 43 (next best is 33), yards with 639 (next highest is 575), and receiving touchdowns with 7.

Paul Richardson - Colorado - 21 catches for 417 yards, and this despite missing a game due to the flooding.

Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 32 catches for 471 yards, and is by far the only offensive weapon that the Commodores have.

Rising - Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He is averaging over 26 yards per catch (largely thanks to the 95 yard TD play against Alabama, and his strength is making him a go-to receiver in tough situations.

Falling - Quarterback play is killing his chances.  Although he is still a likely top 10 draft pick, and has a respectable 23 receptions, he only has 293 yards and 1 Touchdown on the year.

Defensive Edition

3.  Keith Smith - LB - San Jose State - Is averaging an astounding 17 tackles per game.  I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!

2.  Martin Ifedi - DL - Memphis - Has 5 1/2 sacks and 9 total tackles for loss (averaging 3 a game).  That is the type of production anyone would take for their team.

1.  Dominique Easley - DT - Florida - I have been waiting to see when to put him in this list, and today is definitely the day.  Florida's defense just stymies its opponents, and it starts in the middle with Easley.  He is a converted end, so he has the speed and quickness to go along with his strength.  Watch the Toledo game film where he is lined up askew to the center because Toledo was in shotgun formation (when a lineman cannot directly engage the center), and when Toledo runs a receiver under center to accept the snap (no longer shotgun so a lineman can directly engage the center) and Easley just throws the center into the receiver, causing a fumble at the snap.  Great athletic ability and the smarts to know the rules.  (Just prior to publishing, Florida has announced the Easley will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL.  This is a HUGE loss to the Gators)!

Player to Watch

Sean Mannion - QB - Oregon State - Another 367 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions, giving him an NCAA leading 1604 yards passing and 15 total TDs passing, with only 1 interception.  If Mannion can lead Oregon State to an upset of either Oregon or Stanford, he will start to get some Heisman hype.

My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman

Tyler Murphy - QB - Florida - I am not going to post another cheap picture of Lake Bell, but this selection is not because of his talent.  It is so I can post this ...

Players of the Week

I am excusing myself for not picking any of the players from the major schools that ran up huge numbers against absolute cupcakes.

5.  Chandler Jones - WR - San Jose State - 7 catches for 193 yards and 3 TDs in a valiant effort against Minnesota.

4.  Antonio Andrews - RB - Western Kentucky - Rushed for 213 yards and 5 TDs against Morgan State, in a route.

3.  Derek Carr - QB - Fresno State - 460 yards passing for 4 TDs and no interceptions in a 41-40 defeat of Brigham Young to stay undefeated on the season.

2.  Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - 147 yards and 3 TDs for the Badgers against Purdue.

1. Jeremy Hill - RB - LSU - 183 yards and 3 TDs rushing against Auburn, handing the Auburn version of the Tigers its first loss of the season.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Each and every player that was somehow injured in any of the cupcake games.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition) (Actually - this week its the Administrators)

Each and every Assistant Athletic Director involved in the scheduling of these scams of football games, and every Athletic Director who approved this slate.

Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up

Alabama v. Oregon - Alabama passed the first of its 3 tests, and Oregon is cruising along.  LSU and Stanford seem to be the next two big hurdles for the two teams that otherwise seem on a collision course.  I wrote this last week, and it remains true this week.  However, Alabama does not look unbeatable, and the Clemson - Florida State match-up could become incredibly huge should the Tide or the Ducks falter.

Rant(s) of the Week

Easy - there is no way that this many ridiculous games are all scheduled for the same week.  I understand that if you play in a tough conference, and if you play 1 difficult and 1 moderate out-of-conference game that you deserve two easier games, but for crying out loud teams - spread those games out.  They all do not have to come in Week 3.

Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)

Jarvis Landry of LSU has a 6 game TD streak, and has scored a TD in 8 of his last 9 games.

Under Performance of the Week

Michigan - Yes, they defeated Connecticut on a late field goal, a winless Connecticut by the way.  This comes on the heels of a narrow 28-24 victory over now 1-3 Akron, whose only win was against FCS team James Madison.  There is not a chance that - at this point - Michigan should be receiving any Top 25 votes, regardless of their records.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The last college to win 3 consecutive championships was Minnesota from 1934-1936.

Trivia Question of the Week

Earlier we saw that Jarvis Landry of LSU has a 6 game TD reception streak.  Who holds the NCAA FBS record for most consecutive games with a touchdown reception, and how many games was the streak?

Match up(s) to Watch

5.  UCF v. South Carolina - UCF is undefeated, and it is time to see if they are for real.  Their running back, Storm Johnson, was a big-time recruit coming out of high school, and has amassed 305 yards rushing and 6 TDs already this year.  Can he do it against an SEC defense.

4.  Wisconsin v. Ohio State - The Big 10 is really weak this year, so Wisconsin might be the second best team in the conference, and might be the best opportunity to beat Ohio State.  Ohio State has just named Miller and Guiton as "Co-Starters", which could undermine the team's chemistry against the Badgers.

3. Mississippi v. Alabama - With Mississippi's last two recruiting classes, this match-up should be awesome next year.  Given that Alabama has rarely dominated teams this year, I am interested to see how they do against Mississippi, but more importantly interested to see how the youngsters like Nkemdiche do against a more established Alabama offense.

2.  Arizona v. Washington - Arizona will be a great test for the Huskies, who are quickly looking to assert themselves into the Pac-10 North title conversation.  Is it possible that the Pac-10 North - with Oregon, Stanford and Washington (and even Oregon State) - are better than the SEC West?

1.  LSU v. Georgia - The best game of the year, and LSU needs a win bad.  Why?  Because they got the worst of the cross-over matches, having to play Georgia and Florida as their two SEC East games.  Having already beaten South Carolina, Georgia can absorb a loss better than LSU can, who still has Alabama, Florida and Texas A & M remaining.