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The college football regular season is wrapping up with more rivalry games and some conference championship games today and Saturday. The annual Army-Navy tilt is next Saturday and marks the official end of the regular season before bowl season begins.
I went 12-2 last weekend with my only two losses coming on Thursday (and I honestly would have picked Virginia Tech by seven over Virginia but abstained from picking that game). I'm now 126-55 on the year.
TODAY
MAC Championship - Ohio vs. Northern Illinois in Detroit, 7 p.m. ESPN2
The MAC Championship? Yeah, sure let's pick it. Both these teams are on hot streaks. Ohio lost to 3-9 conference foe Buffalo by one then to Ball State by three, but has won five in a row since then and is 9-3. Northern Illinois lost to 3-9 Central Michigan and has now won seven in a row and is also 9-3. I like NIU in a shootout.
Northern Illinois 45, Ohio 38
Pac-12 Championship - UCLA at No. 9 Oregon, 8 p.m. FOX
This one could get ugly. The Pac-12 was hoping for a better matchup in its inaugural championship game. It would've gotten one, too, if USC was eligible for this game. The Trojans finished first in the South Division, but NCAA violations kept them out of postseason play. USC beat Oregon in the Autzen Zoo (nickname for Oregon's stadium in Eugene) two weeks ago 38-35. That would have been an excellent rematch but it wasn't to be. UCLA happens to be second in the South, and it just fired coach Rick Neuheisel after a 6-6 season. Bit of an awkward situation. He is going to coach this game. His players seem to like him. They carried him off the practice field Wednesday and he got emotional talking to reporters. His firing might galvanize the team and fire the Bruins up, but that will only take them so far. I think they'll hang around but end up getting blown out by the Ducks.
Oregon 52, UCLA 17
SATURDAY
Conference USA Championship - No. 24 Southern Miss at No. 6 Houston, Noon ABC
This is Houston's last hurdle to jump on its way to securing its first ever berth in a BCS bowl game. And it will probably be its hardest opponent. The Golden Eagles bring a great offense to Houston but have had a couple letdown games this season. They lost to 6-6 Marshall early in the year and then inexplicably lost to 3-9 UAB on Nov. 17, 34-31. Southern Miss was also one possession away from losing to Virginia. QB David Watford was driving the Cavaliers for the game-winning touchdown at midfield. On 4th-and-3, however, Kris Burd dropped a catchable ball and the Eagles escaped Charlottesville with a win. In Houston, I think Southern Miss keeps up at first but will ultimately fall.
Houston 45, Southern Miss 31
Syracuse at Pittsburgh, Noon ESPN2
This game doesn't have any bearing on the Big East title race but both teams are 5-6 so a win would make them bowl eligible. There's a cool guy who works at the newspaper with me who went to Syracuse, but as much as I'd like to see them go bowling, the Orange are just 1-5 in the Big East. Pitt is at least 3-3 in the Big East and could get to a bowl with a winning conference record. This game will likely be as unpredictable as the Big East has been this season but I like Pitt at home.
Pittsburgh 27, Syracuse 17
Connecticut at Cincinnati, Noon ESPN
This game does have some bearing on the Big East title race, though it is almost too confusing to figure out. If Cincy wins, which is without its starting QB Zach Collaros because of injury, then there will be a three-way tie at the top of the Big East with West Virginia, Cincy, and Louisville all having 5-2 conference records. Cincy will have beaten Louisville, Louisville will have beaten WVU, and WVU will have beaten Cincy. In that case, the team with the highest BCS ranking will win the conference and go to a BCS bowl and that will likely be WVU. If Connecticut wins, which would make it bowl eligible by the way, then I'm pretty sure Louisville would win the conference since it beat WVU head-to-head. In that case, we'd have a 7-5 team going to a BCS game. Ridiculous. I'll take Cincy by a hair at home, thus at least most likely getting a 9-3 WVU into the BCS and not 7-5 Louisville.
Cincinnati 24, Connecticut 23
No. 22 Texas at No. 17 Baylor, 3:30 p.m. ABC
While this isn't for the Big 12 title (that game is happening later in the day), I guess you could say it is for the Texas state title (though TCU would probably throw its hat in the ring here as it lost just by two in a wild 50-48 game to Baylor at the beginning of the year and Texas A&M beat Baylor 55-28, but the Aggies finished 6-6 and fired coach Mike Sherman so I don't know if they have a complaint here). Baylor lost three of four in the middle of the season to good teams but has played well of late and has won four in a row. Texas, meanwhile, has struggled somewhat, barely beating the Aggies and struggling on offense in losses to Missouri and Kansas State. I like the Bears at home to beat the Longhorns.
Baylor 38, Texas 28
No. 14 Georgia vs. No. 1 LSU in Atlanta, 4 p.m. CBS
Many people think this game is not a big deal. They think LSU will make the BCS championship game even if it loses to the Bulldogs. That may be the case, but I think the Bayou Bengals are thinking they should just go ahead and take care of business. Georgia has really turned around its season after losing its first two games of the season to Boise State and South Carolina.The Dawgs have won 10 straight since then, but admittedly they have not been against the best competition. An overmatched Georgia Tech squad and depleted Auburn squad have the been the Dawgs' biggest tests in those 10 games. I think Georgia will come out playing tough but will eventually succumb to the Tigers' terrific 'D.'
LSU 30, Georgia 13
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 3 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m. ABC
The Big 12 lost its official championship game this season because it downsized to 10 teams after losing Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-12. However, this game ends up being the defacto title game anyway, and a good one it should be. Bedlam. One of my favorite names for a rivalry game. Oklahoma has won eight straight in this rivalry, and it is being played in Stillwater for the second consecutive year (I suppose Ok. St. hosts it again because of schedule changes in the Big 12 this year). The Cowboys lost Nov. 18 to Iowa State in two overtimes, ruining their shot at going to the BCS championship game. It is highly unlikely that the Cowboys would jump No. 2 Alabama in the standings even if they whoop the Sooners, which I doubt they'll be able to do anyway. This is one of the most lopsided rivalries in college football, with the Sooners holding an 82-16-7 edge. Still, this should be a great game with lots of scoring. Last year, OU won in Stillwater 47-41. The Big 12's championship games have recently been snoozers between powers in the South (usually Texas or Oklahoma) vs. someone in the North that hasn't been able to keep up. The Big 12 probably has a better game here with these two teams than if they had a real championship game. I'm going to go ahead and pick Oklahoma State, which should have plenty of motivation to do well (lots of losing to OU, a chance to impress voters, and a chance to get to a BCS bowl).
Oklahoma State 45, Oklahoma 40
ACC Championship - No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No. 20 Clemson in Charlotte, 8 p.m. ESPN
Clemson beat Virginia Tech 23-3 in Blacksburg on Oct. 1. It was the first time Virginia Tech had failed to score a touchdown in Lane Stadium since 1995. It's the Hokies' only loss of the season and the Tigers improved to 5-0 at the time on their way to starting the season 8-0. It is tough to see how Clemson won that contest, because since then, the teams have gone in opposite directions. With each win, people thought, "Maybe this is Clemson's year." But alas, just as the weather eventually turns cold, Clemson eventually lost some games and now looks like a shell of its former self. In their last two games, the Tigers have gotten shellacked 34-13 by South Carolina and 37-13 by N.C. State. And before those two games, they beat Wake Forest by three but allowed 28 points and lost to Georgia Tech by 14 while giving up 31 points. So in their last four games, they have allowed 32.5 points per game -- this from the team that somehow shut out the Hokies in Blacksburg. Doesn't make a lot of sense does it? Virginia Tech, meanwhile, turned on the afterburners after that game and once again showed the ACC that it owns the conference. The Hokies have not looked flawless, such as when they barely got by Duke 14-10, but they are playing their best right now and are coming off their most complete game of the season when they beat down Virginia 38-0. I'm not really seeing how Clemson can beat Virginia Tech a second time and will be surprised if it does.
Virginia Tech 31, Clemson 17
Big Ten Championship - No. 15 Wisconsin at No. 13 Michigan State in Indianapolis, 8:17 p.m. FOX
The inaugural Big Ten title game should be a good one. When these two teams tangled Oct. 22 at Michigan State, it ended up being one of the best games of the season. The Spartans pulled out a 37-31 win when QB Kirk Cousins launched a Hail Mary at the end of regulation and the ball was deflected back into the hands of a Spartan receiver, who caught the ball at the 1-yard line then fought across the goal line for the touchdown with the help of his teammates who were pushing the pile. The next week, a devastated Wisconsin team lost to a mediocre Ohio State team. The loss to MSU really set Wisconsin off course and ruined its chance at playing in the BCS title game. Since those two losses, though, the Badgers have been playing pretty well and won the Big Ten Leaders Division outright with a 48-7 domination of Penn State on Saturday. I think Wisconsin gets its revenge on MSU on a neutral field.
Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 28
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NFL STORYLINES, PICKS
It's been awhile since I've discussed the NFL or made picks, as I get so busy talking about college football, which is my favorite sport. But the NFL isn't too shabby either and now it is getting cold and the implications for each game are heating up, whether that is because playoff spots are on the line or because coaches are on the hot seat.
Can the Cowboys hang on in the NFC East and is Tom Coughlin done in New York?
Dallas has won four straight games to get to 7-4 and with the Giants' loss Sunday to the Saints dropping them to 6-5, the Cowboys are now in sole possession of first in the NFC East. Dallas travels to Arizona for a game Sunday that it should win, even though winning at Arizona has been a problem for the Cowboys recently. The Giants, meanwhile, host the Packers. If the Cowboys win and move to 8-4 and the Giants lose to fall to 6-6, then Dallas could just about wrap up the division title by beating the Giants in Dallas on Dec. 11. Despite one miraculous run to a Super Bowl title, you would have to think Giants coach Tom Coughlin would be out on the streets in New York if the Giants falter and come up short down the stretch in the regular season again.
The Eagles have been anything but the Dream Team.
The Eagles lost last night 31-14 in Seattle and are now 4-8 and are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The highly-touted and highly-paid Dream Team has not lived up to expectations. It's been a nightmare. Michael Vick and other key players have been beaten up throughout the year and the chemistry of the team has just not come together. Coach Andy Reid has had a fine run in Philly, but could he be out of a job, too? The Eagles paid a lot of money for this team to come together so who knows if they will want to go after a coach and pay even more money, but at the same time, the results of this team have been underwhelming. Maybe they will give him one more shot in 2012, though. The NFL lockout could have hampered this team from developing chemistry early on and the rash of injuries has not helped things.
Can Green Bay run the table?
It would certainly appear so. The key is how important is to the Packers? Nothing on the schedule should really scare them. The Giants are faltering, Oakland, Kansas City, and Chicago are playing with some injuries, and the Lions are stumbling down the stretch. If the Packers want to go undefeated, I think they certainly can.
Do the Jets have anything left in the tank?
The Jets have been to two AFC championship games in a row but right now, wouldn't even make the playoffs. The Patriots are taking control of the AFC East and the Steelers and Bengals right now own the wild card spots. Coach Rex Ryan has expressed some doubt recently in QB Mark Sanchez and Sanchez responded against the Bills on Sunday by tossing four TD passes in a 28-24 win. The Jets travel to face the revitalized Redskins this Sunday in what is a must-win game to keep pace with the top AFC teams.
Can Houston make the playoffs with T.J. Yates at quarterback?
The Texans appeared well on their way to FINALLY making the playoffs this season but have run into some bad luck recently. First, down went starting QB and UVa graduate Matt Schaub. Then, last weekend, down went backup QB and former USC standout Matt Leinhart. Houston is down to T.J. Yates, a fresh-faced rookie out of UNC. The Texans have also signed QB Jake Delhomme, who had his bright moments in Carolina, but has not been very good for a couple years. The funny part about all of this is Houston would actually be the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs if they started right now. They have a two-game lead on 6-5 Tennessee in the division and possess a strong running game built around Arian Foster and Ben Tate. It will be interesting to see what happens these last few weeks of the regular season with this team, especially if they somehow hang on to the No. 1 seed. You could see the AFC's "best team" led by a third-string rookie QB or a washed up veteran who once took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Crazy.
Are the Colts going winless?
It would appear so. They've put up valiant efforts in a lot of their games this season (62-7 loss to the Saints not withstanding) but play a brutal schedule down the stretch -- at New England, at Baltimore, home vs. Tennessee and Houston, and then at Jacksonville. Plus, Dan Orlovsky will be the starting QB as Curtis Painter has been benched. Ouch. They can maybe beat the Jaguars, but given the records of the other teams in the NFL, the Colts will be getting the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft come April. What they intend to do with it -- picking Andrew Luck or someone else -- remains the mystery.
Can Tim Tebow really lead the Broncos to a playoff berth?
The key here will be the Raiders. They lead the Broncos by one game in the AFC West. I doubt that the Broncos could earn a wild card berth at this point. But if Oakland slips up enough, Denver could win the division. They split the regular season series so it could come down to division and conference records. Oakland finishes its season with Miami, Green Bay, Detroit, Kansas City, and San Diego. Denver draws Minnesota, Chicago, New England, Buffalo, Kansas City. I'd give the schedule advantage to Denver. The Broncos are playing inspired football right now and the team is rallying around Tebow. It should be an exciting finish to the season in the AFC West.
Sunday's picks:
1 p.m.
Raiders at Dolphins - Dolphins 23-20
Broncos at Vikings - Broncos 24-17
Bengals at Steelers - Steelers 27-16
Jets at Redskins - Redskins 24-21
Falcons at Texans - Falcons 20-14
4:15 p.m.
Packers at Giants - Packers 31-17
Cowboys at Cardinals - Cowboys 21-17
Sunday night
Lions at Saints - Saints 31-20
Monday night
Chargers at Jaguars - Chargers 20-13
The college football regular season is wrapping up with more rivalry games and some conference championship games today and Saturday. The annual Army-Navy tilt is next Saturday and marks the official end of the regular season before bowl season begins.
I went 12-2 last weekend with my only two losses coming on Thursday (and I honestly would have picked Virginia Tech by seven over Virginia but abstained from picking that game). I'm now 126-55 on the year.
TODAY
MAC Championship - Ohio vs. Northern Illinois in Detroit, 7 p.m. ESPN2
The MAC Championship? Yeah, sure let's pick it. Both these teams are on hot streaks. Ohio lost to 3-9 conference foe Buffalo by one then to Ball State by three, but has won five in a row since then and is 9-3. Northern Illinois lost to 3-9 Central Michigan and has now won seven in a row and is also 9-3. I like NIU in a shootout.
Northern Illinois 45, Ohio 38
Pac-12 Championship - UCLA at No. 9 Oregon, 8 p.m. FOX
This one could get ugly. The Pac-12 was hoping for a better matchup in its inaugural championship game. It would've gotten one, too, if USC was eligible for this game. The Trojans finished first in the South Division, but NCAA violations kept them out of postseason play. USC beat Oregon in the Autzen Zoo (nickname for Oregon's stadium in Eugene) two weeks ago 38-35. That would have been an excellent rematch but it wasn't to be. UCLA happens to be second in the South, and it just fired coach Rick Neuheisel after a 6-6 season. Bit of an awkward situation. He is going to coach this game. His players seem to like him. They carried him off the practice field Wednesday and he got emotional talking to reporters. His firing might galvanize the team and fire the Bruins up, but that will only take them so far. I think they'll hang around but end up getting blown out by the Ducks.
Oregon 52, UCLA 17
SATURDAY
Conference USA Championship - No. 24 Southern Miss at No. 6 Houston, Noon ABC
This is Houston's last hurdle to jump on its way to securing its first ever berth in a BCS bowl game. And it will probably be its hardest opponent. The Golden Eagles bring a great offense to Houston but have had a couple letdown games this season. They lost to 6-6 Marshall early in the year and then inexplicably lost to 3-9 UAB on Nov. 17, 34-31. Southern Miss was also one possession away from losing to Virginia. QB David Watford was driving the Cavaliers for the game-winning touchdown at midfield. On 4th-and-3, however, Kris Burd dropped a catchable ball and the Eagles escaped Charlottesville with a win. In Houston, I think Southern Miss keeps up at first but will ultimately fall.
Houston 45, Southern Miss 31
Syracuse at Pittsburgh, Noon ESPN2
This game doesn't have any bearing on the Big East title race but both teams are 5-6 so a win would make them bowl eligible. There's a cool guy who works at the newspaper with me who went to Syracuse, but as much as I'd like to see them go bowling, the Orange are just 1-5 in the Big East. Pitt is at least 3-3 in the Big East and could get to a bowl with a winning conference record. This game will likely be as unpredictable as the Big East has been this season but I like Pitt at home.
Pittsburgh 27, Syracuse 17
Connecticut at Cincinnati, Noon ESPN
This game does have some bearing on the Big East title race, though it is almost too confusing to figure out. If Cincy wins, which is without its starting QB Zach Collaros because of injury, then there will be a three-way tie at the top of the Big East with West Virginia, Cincy, and Louisville all having 5-2 conference records. Cincy will have beaten Louisville, Louisville will have beaten WVU, and WVU will have beaten Cincy. In that case, the team with the highest BCS ranking will win the conference and go to a BCS bowl and that will likely be WVU. If Connecticut wins, which would make it bowl eligible by the way, then I'm pretty sure Louisville would win the conference since it beat WVU head-to-head. In that case, we'd have a 7-5 team going to a BCS game. Ridiculous. I'll take Cincy by a hair at home, thus at least most likely getting a 9-3 WVU into the BCS and not 7-5 Louisville.
Cincinnati 24, Connecticut 23
No. 22 Texas at No. 17 Baylor, 3:30 p.m. ABC
While this isn't for the Big 12 title (that game is happening later in the day), I guess you could say it is for the Texas state title (though TCU would probably throw its hat in the ring here as it lost just by two in a wild 50-48 game to Baylor at the beginning of the year and Texas A&M beat Baylor 55-28, but the Aggies finished 6-6 and fired coach Mike Sherman so I don't know if they have a complaint here). Baylor lost three of four in the middle of the season to good teams but has played well of late and has won four in a row. Texas, meanwhile, has struggled somewhat, barely beating the Aggies and struggling on offense in losses to Missouri and Kansas State. I like the Bears at home to beat the Longhorns.
Baylor 38, Texas 28
No. 14 Georgia vs. No. 1 LSU in Atlanta, 4 p.m. CBS
Many people think this game is not a big deal. They think LSU will make the BCS championship game even if it loses to the Bulldogs. That may be the case, but I think the Bayou Bengals are thinking they should just go ahead and take care of business. Georgia has really turned around its season after losing its first two games of the season to Boise State and South Carolina.The Dawgs have won 10 straight since then, but admittedly they have not been against the best competition. An overmatched Georgia Tech squad and depleted Auburn squad have the been the Dawgs' biggest tests in those 10 games. I think Georgia will come out playing tough but will eventually succumb to the Tigers' terrific 'D.'
LSU 30, Georgia 13
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 3 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m. ABC
The Big 12 lost its official championship game this season because it downsized to 10 teams after losing Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-12. However, this game ends up being the defacto title game anyway, and a good one it should be. Bedlam. One of my favorite names for a rivalry game. Oklahoma has won eight straight in this rivalry, and it is being played in Stillwater for the second consecutive year (I suppose Ok. St. hosts it again because of schedule changes in the Big 12 this year). The Cowboys lost Nov. 18 to Iowa State in two overtimes, ruining their shot at going to the BCS championship game. It is highly unlikely that the Cowboys would jump No. 2 Alabama in the standings even if they whoop the Sooners, which I doubt they'll be able to do anyway. This is one of the most lopsided rivalries in college football, with the Sooners holding an 82-16-7 edge. Still, this should be a great game with lots of scoring. Last year, OU won in Stillwater 47-41. The Big 12's championship games have recently been snoozers between powers in the South (usually Texas or Oklahoma) vs. someone in the North that hasn't been able to keep up. The Big 12 probably has a better game here with these two teams than if they had a real championship game. I'm going to go ahead and pick Oklahoma State, which should have plenty of motivation to do well (lots of losing to OU, a chance to impress voters, and a chance to get to a BCS bowl).
Oklahoma State 45, Oklahoma 40
ACC Championship - No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No. 20 Clemson in Charlotte, 8 p.m. ESPN
Clemson beat Virginia Tech 23-3 in Blacksburg on Oct. 1. It was the first time Virginia Tech had failed to score a touchdown in Lane Stadium since 1995. It's the Hokies' only loss of the season and the Tigers improved to 5-0 at the time on their way to starting the season 8-0. It is tough to see how Clemson won that contest, because since then, the teams have gone in opposite directions. With each win, people thought, "Maybe this is Clemson's year." But alas, just as the weather eventually turns cold, Clemson eventually lost some games and now looks like a shell of its former self. In their last two games, the Tigers have gotten shellacked 34-13 by South Carolina and 37-13 by N.C. State. And before those two games, they beat Wake Forest by three but allowed 28 points and lost to Georgia Tech by 14 while giving up 31 points. So in their last four games, they have allowed 32.5 points per game -- this from the team that somehow shut out the Hokies in Blacksburg. Doesn't make a lot of sense does it? Virginia Tech, meanwhile, turned on the afterburners after that game and once again showed the ACC that it owns the conference. The Hokies have not looked flawless, such as when they barely got by Duke 14-10, but they are playing their best right now and are coming off their most complete game of the season when they beat down Virginia 38-0. I'm not really seeing how Clemson can beat Virginia Tech a second time and will be surprised if it does.
Virginia Tech 31, Clemson 17
Big Ten Championship - No. 15 Wisconsin at No. 13 Michigan State in Indianapolis, 8:17 p.m. FOX
The inaugural Big Ten title game should be a good one. When these two teams tangled Oct. 22 at Michigan State, it ended up being one of the best games of the season. The Spartans pulled out a 37-31 win when QB Kirk Cousins launched a Hail Mary at the end of regulation and the ball was deflected back into the hands of a Spartan receiver, who caught the ball at the 1-yard line then fought across the goal line for the touchdown with the help of his teammates who were pushing the pile. The next week, a devastated Wisconsin team lost to a mediocre Ohio State team. The loss to MSU really set Wisconsin off course and ruined its chance at playing in the BCS title game. Since those two losses, though, the Badgers have been playing pretty well and won the Big Ten Leaders Division outright with a 48-7 domination of Penn State on Saturday. I think Wisconsin gets its revenge on MSU on a neutral field.
Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 28
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NFL STORYLINES, PICKS
It's been awhile since I've discussed the NFL or made picks, as I get so busy talking about college football, which is my favorite sport. But the NFL isn't too shabby either and now it is getting cold and the implications for each game are heating up, whether that is because playoff spots are on the line or because coaches are on the hot seat.
Can the Cowboys hang on in the NFC East and is Tom Coughlin done in New York?
Dallas has won four straight games to get to 7-4 and with the Giants' loss Sunday to the Saints dropping them to 6-5, the Cowboys are now in sole possession of first in the NFC East. Dallas travels to Arizona for a game Sunday that it should win, even though winning at Arizona has been a problem for the Cowboys recently. The Giants, meanwhile, host the Packers. If the Cowboys win and move to 8-4 and the Giants lose to fall to 6-6, then Dallas could just about wrap up the division title by beating the Giants in Dallas on Dec. 11. Despite one miraculous run to a Super Bowl title, you would have to think Giants coach Tom Coughlin would be out on the streets in New York if the Giants falter and come up short down the stretch in the regular season again.
The Eagles have been anything but the Dream Team.
The Eagles lost last night 31-14 in Seattle and are now 4-8 and are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The highly-touted and highly-paid Dream Team has not lived up to expectations. It's been a nightmare. Michael Vick and other key players have been beaten up throughout the year and the chemistry of the team has just not come together. Coach Andy Reid has had a fine run in Philly, but could he be out of a job, too? The Eagles paid a lot of money for this team to come together so who knows if they will want to go after a coach and pay even more money, but at the same time, the results of this team have been underwhelming. Maybe they will give him one more shot in 2012, though. The NFL lockout could have hampered this team from developing chemistry early on and the rash of injuries has not helped things.
Can Green Bay run the table?
It would certainly appear so. The key is how important is to the Packers? Nothing on the schedule should really scare them. The Giants are faltering, Oakland, Kansas City, and Chicago are playing with some injuries, and the Lions are stumbling down the stretch. If the Packers want to go undefeated, I think they certainly can.
Do the Jets have anything left in the tank?
The Jets have been to two AFC championship games in a row but right now, wouldn't even make the playoffs. The Patriots are taking control of the AFC East and the Steelers and Bengals right now own the wild card spots. Coach Rex Ryan has expressed some doubt recently in QB Mark Sanchez and Sanchez responded against the Bills on Sunday by tossing four TD passes in a 28-24 win. The Jets travel to face the revitalized Redskins this Sunday in what is a must-win game to keep pace with the top AFC teams.
Can Houston make the playoffs with T.J. Yates at quarterback?
The Texans appeared well on their way to FINALLY making the playoffs this season but have run into some bad luck recently. First, down went starting QB and UVa graduate Matt Schaub. Then, last weekend, down went backup QB and former USC standout Matt Leinhart. Houston is down to T.J. Yates, a fresh-faced rookie out of UNC. The Texans have also signed QB Jake Delhomme, who had his bright moments in Carolina, but has not been very good for a couple years. The funny part about all of this is Houston would actually be the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs if they started right now. They have a two-game lead on 6-5 Tennessee in the division and possess a strong running game built around Arian Foster and Ben Tate. It will be interesting to see what happens these last few weeks of the regular season with this team, especially if they somehow hang on to the No. 1 seed. You could see the AFC's "best team" led by a third-string rookie QB or a washed up veteran who once took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Crazy.
Are the Colts going winless?
It would appear so. They've put up valiant efforts in a lot of their games this season (62-7 loss to the Saints not withstanding) but play a brutal schedule down the stretch -- at New England, at Baltimore, home vs. Tennessee and Houston, and then at Jacksonville. Plus, Dan Orlovsky will be the starting QB as Curtis Painter has been benched. Ouch. They can maybe beat the Jaguars, but given the records of the other teams in the NFL, the Colts will be getting the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft come April. What they intend to do with it -- picking Andrew Luck or someone else -- remains the mystery.
Can Tim Tebow really lead the Broncos to a playoff berth?
The key here will be the Raiders. They lead the Broncos by one game in the AFC West. I doubt that the Broncos could earn a wild card berth at this point. But if Oakland slips up enough, Denver could win the division. They split the regular season series so it could come down to division and conference records. Oakland finishes its season with Miami, Green Bay, Detroit, Kansas City, and San Diego. Denver draws Minnesota, Chicago, New England, Buffalo, Kansas City. I'd give the schedule advantage to Denver. The Broncos are playing inspired football right now and the team is rallying around Tebow. It should be an exciting finish to the season in the AFC West.
Sunday's picks:
1 p.m.
Raiders at Dolphins - Dolphins 23-20
Broncos at Vikings - Broncos 24-17
Bengals at Steelers - Steelers 27-16
Jets at Redskins - Redskins 24-21
Falcons at Texans - Falcons 20-14
4:15 p.m.
Packers at Giants - Packers 31-17
Cowboys at Cardinals - Cowboys 21-17
Sunday night
Lions at Saints - Saints 31-20
Monday night
Chargers at Jaguars - Chargers 20-13
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