Tom Hanks and 2014 Fantasy Football

This is by far and away my most favorite blog post of each year. It combines the three hobbies that I enjoy most in life: sports, movies and gambling. Each year I choose one of my favorite actors in Hollywood (movies) and compare their body of work to the upcoming NFL season (sports) and how it relates to Fantasy Football (gambling). For an example, last season I chose John Cusack and I think I did okay. Some good calls (Jordan Cameron doing well and the state of New York sucking) and some bad calls (Ryan Williams breaking out and DeSean Jackson being a bust) which is the norm for predictions before most starters step onto the field in preseason. As always I aim for 79% accuracy and 3 solid laughs throughout the post.

This season I'm covering one of the most recognizable actors of my lifetime, Tom Hanks. The winner of two best actor Oscars, nominated in three different decades (and nearly a fourth this past year for Captain Phillips), Hanks has done almost everything in Hollywood. He started on television with the campy Bosom Buddies, then did screwball comedies in the 80s (Bachelor Party, The Money Pit), graduated to dramas and peaking with his awards in the 90s and then turned to blockbuster franchises (Toy Story, the Dan Brown novels) and finally producing and a little directing. If you asked 100 people what their favorite Tom Hanks movie was, you would probably get 15-20 different answers. If I had to rank my top 5 Tom Hanks movies they would be:

5) Big
4) Saving Private Ryan
3) A League of Their Own
2) Toy Story
1) Apollo 13 (yes I just watched this again this past weekend, I can't turn it off when it's on)

So let me get right to it and tell you everything you'll need to know about the upcoming Fantasy Football season.

Sleepless in Seattle

Just like last season when I started with the defending champion Ravens, I head to the great Pacific Northwest where the loyal fans of the Seahawks finally got their first Lombardi Trophy. Where do I start with this stacked team? Stud RB, Marshawn Lynch? Dynamic dual threat QB Russell Wilson? Big play potential WR Percy Harvin? How about the dominating Defense? Last season was nice, but they could be even better this season.

 Let's go backwards with the defense which normally doesn't get spoken about in fantasy football articles. The Seahawks defense should be the first defense drafted and it will be a round or two before any other defense. They had six games where they gave up fewer than 10 points and were the best in the league in giving up yards to the opponent. How could they get better? They only scored four defensive TDs in 2013 and with their big play potential they could easily have 2-3 more this upcoming season. Percy Harvin is the great unknown. He was completely absent in 2013 until the Super Bowl when he had a kickoff return for a touchdown (see he's helping your Seahakws defense already!). With Golden Tate gone and Sidney Rice retired, it's all on his shoulders to make the passing game a threat. Drafting him will be all about value. His name and potential will increase his ADP while his injury risk will scare some people off. If he drops, he is a must pick, but don't go too crazy. That brings us to Russell Wilson who can be really, really good just as easy as he can be really, really quiet. The Seahawks play a run first style and then lean on their defense. Unless he gets his points early it usually winds up being a quiet day at the office. Hopefully with some of the losses on the defense the Seahawks on quite as dominant forcing Wilson to have to do a little bit more, thus raising his ceiling. Don't let the Super Bowl win fool you into reaching for him. He's a great #2 in a 10 team league and a fringe starter in anything bigger. As for Marshawn Lynch, all the signs of a first round bust are there. He's had a ton of mileage on his tires with 1,002 rushes over the last three seasons (including the playoffs). That's 334 per year for those of you who don't know how to operate a calculator. He has got to be tired (I'm tired just carrying my kid up to bed once a night). There has already been talk of more of a time share in Seattle this season with Christine Michael who is a must-handcuff for anyone willing to ride the rainbow one more season.

Big & Splash - Big Splash!

This is where I cover the rookie class...you know the guys who are looking to make a big splash onto the fantasy football scene. Some people call me a genius when they read these preview posts, others just point their finger at me and laugh like Nelson on The Simpsons. Anyways, this years crop of rookies will at least get more headlines than last years did, but whether they produce on the field worthy of a draft pick in your league is yet to be seen.

QBs: Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater - DO NOT DRAFT see that was easy.

Okay to be fair I'd pick any and all of them just in case in a keeper/dynasty league, but for a re-draft league only Manziel intrigues me as a backup. He will, of course, get 98% of all the rookie headlines this season whether he warrants them or not. Bortles and his fellow rookie WRs will have their moments, but not enough to worthy wasting a draft pick. They'll be waiver wire pickups sometime this season. I know I'm not alone in think that Teddy Bridgewater is in the best spot to succeed this season and for years ahead. He has AP behind him and Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph to throw to with Norv Turner calling the shots. If you told me he was going to start 16 games I'd be willing to put him in my sleeper picks as a QB1 in a 12+ team league. Yeah I have high hopes.

RBs: Bishop Sankey, Tre Mason, Jeremy Hill and Carlos Hyde (and even Andre Williams) - DRAFT 'EM ALL!!!

Already Sankey is being touted as ROY potential in Tennessee since CJbarely1K has finally been pushed away to New York. He should be the first rookie RB off your draft board, but there are a few behind him that, if given the right situation could easily surpass his numbers. If for any reason Zac Stacy falls victim to a sophomore slump, Tre Mason could step right in an perform quite nicely. The same goes for Jeremy Hill in Cincinnati as he sits behind personal favorite Gio Bernard. He might even get a good chunk of the touches if Gio can't prove to be an every down back (he'll be just fine, TYVM). Carlos Hyde and Andre Williams were afterthoughts just a week or two ago, but they have already moved up the depth charts due to injuries in San Francisco and New York (Giants).

Here's all you need to know about the rookie crop of running backs, find a spot on your roster for one at the end of the draft. Don't take a backup TE, K or D or God forbid a 3rd QB. Stack the back end of your roster with as many RBs as you can and hope they turn into gold.

WRs: Five of the first 28 and 8 of the first 45 in this draft were spent on WRs.

I'm not touching any of them save for Sammy Watkins as a WR4 at best. I just don't trust rookie WRs one bit. Last season Keenan Allen surprised everyone by being quite the stud, but remember he was the 8th WR draft in the 2013 draft. It's just too difficult to pick out a diamond from the rough. Plus, there are far too many good WRs compared to RBs in the NFL which is why loading up on rookie backs is far more advisable.

TEs: Eric Ebron - As Samuel L. Jackson once said 'Hold on to your butts!'

Note to self: Control your emotions Jason, don't give it away that you are going to try and draft (in every league you're in) the best offensive player to come out of UNC since...2013. I think Eric Ebron is destined for multiple Pro-Bowl seasons in the NFL. I may be typing with rose-colored glasses on as a fan of the Tar Heels, but it believe he's the real deal. He's in a great situation even though past Detroit TEs have disappeared even while Matt Stafford was throwing for 5,000 yards per season. Use him or lose him Matty.

The Money Pit

You remember this movie? Tom Hanks and Shelley Long keep pouring money into a house in the hopes of making it their dream home with disastrously funny results. I'm a Washington Redskins fan (this does not count as one of the laughs I was looking for Mr./Ms. Reader) and under Dan Snyder, the Redskins are like these characters when it comes to free agency. If you throw money at them, they will come. Well it doesn't always work out they way it was planned. In this section I'll look at a few 'old faces in new places' and determine just how big of a money pit they'll be.

QB: Michael Vick - Fun fact, In 2003 I drafted Michael Vick #1 overall, days before he broke his leg causing him to miss the first 11 games of the season. Good times. 11 years later he's just trying to be a starter on the Jets. Unless he's named opening day starter by the time you draft you can leave him to the dogs.

RBs: Chris Johnson - Hey look another new Jet. Not guaranteed of anything more than a timeshare, Johnson's stock should be pretty low and thus intriguing as a 'just in case' measure.

Knowshown Moreno - From the penthouse to the outhouse. Moreno heads from high flying Denver to Miami. Again he's walking into a possible timeshare with last years bust Lamar Miller. Moreno is certainly the favorite to emerge, but nothing more than a RB3 in most leagues.

Maurice Jones-Drew - After years of toiling away in the wasteland known as Jacksonville, MJD now gets to ride into the sunset of his NFL career in the wasteland that is Oakland. Now the Raiders actually made some decent moves to shore up their defense this year and thus should be a bit better overall. On the other side of the ball MJD gets paired with Run-DMC who together should be healthy for at least six games. The Oakland backfield will be a mess.

Ben Tate - He finally gets his chance to shine. Well that is if he doesn't lose the starting job to rookie Terrance West as I've already heard hints of through the grapevine (which is an actual grape vine in my back yard that I put my ear up to until the neighbors begin to snicker). If you believe in him, that's fine, but temper your expectations.

Rashad Jennings - He's already gaining traction as a breakout player possibility now that David Wilson has mercifully retired due to his neck injury. The Giants as a whole will be looking to rebound after a debacle of a season and if they can, Jennings may be at the forefront. If Eli Manning continues to crap the bed, Jennings may just be another option for your BYE weeks.

Toby Gerhart - Just like Ben Tate, Gerhart now gets his chance to be a starter after being stuck behind one of the best in the game. Jacksonville has a rookie QB and a very young WR core so they should struggle again to stay consistent on offense. Draft him with a cautious upside.

Donald Brown - He has burned me so many times and is now 3rd string on a team that will rotate RBs at will. Just how much will he play is the big question. If you get Ryan Mathews and have an extra spot to fill in the last round, you could do worse than Brown.

WRs: DeSean Jackson - Now the Redskins didn't back up the truck for Jackson which I'm happy about. Washington will deploy four smallish WRs and big Jordan Reed at TE. If RGIII can figure out how to be a better pocket passer or re-gain the elusiveness as a running threat, the passing game could be lights out in DC. Jackson won't be a PPR monster, but he'll get a few big plays. Solid WR2 option.

Steve Smith - In Carolina it was always about Steve Smith being the only receiving option. Now in Baltimore he'll be able to mix in with Torrey Smith, Dennis Pitta and the one who likes to beat on women. His numbers will be down, but he could still be productive in deeper leagues.

Eric Decker - More Jets! I'm staying away from Decker unless he plummets into the abyss during a draft. He is, by far, the biggest 'money pit' player out there IMO. See Jennings, Greg for an example of what to expect.

Golden Tate - When you draft him you must sing 'I've got the Golden Ticket, I've got the golden twinkle in my eye!' Detroit should be awesome again on offense with Megatron and Reggie Bush, but now with Ebron and Tate they could be near unstoppable. The only downside for me is he'll take away from the numbers that I know Ebron is capable of.

Emmanuel Sanders - He should be good for about 85% of an Eric Decker. That is plenty good enough to draft. He'll be the fourth option on a team that should have 40+ passing TDs. You do the math.

A League of Their Own

When it comes to studs, you won't find many sites who are willing to predict a down year. I will throw out the fact that I wrote about last year for LeagueSafe.com: A first round caliber running back from a team with a losing record will miss half the season or more. FACT.

Doug Martin was the causality in 2013 when Tampa went 4-12. The trend continued:

2012: Maurice Jones-Drew (10 games), Jacksonville goes 2-14; 2011: Jamaal Charles (14 games), Kansas City goes 7-9; 2010: DeAngelo Williams (10 games), Carolina goes 2-14; 2009: Clinton Portis (8 games), Washington goes 4-12.  Bad things happen to good running backs on bad teams.

So who will be the victim in 2014???  My best bets are Arian Foster or DeMarco Murray. Book it. Dark horse candidate LeSean McCoy!!

Outside of that the biggest worry I'll have with studs is Peyton Manning. He controls the fate of so may top picks. Five of the top 45 picks on ESPN.com are Broncos and Emmanuel Sanders is at 82.

We've seen what happened to Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers and Dallas without Tony Romo in the past. I bring up Manning because just because he was the best player in the NFL last year, that doesn't erase his medical history.

The two safest picks IMO of the consensus first round are neither RBs nor QBs, but rather Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham. If you don't get AP, Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy or Matt Forte in the top four and are scared of Peyton Manning for any reason, draft one of those two at five and six. After the first seven picks, life gets a bit more complicated.

Saving Private Ryan

Last season the Atlanta Falcons fell and fell hard. Tony Gonzalez came back to play one final year because he thought Atlanta, with the addition of Steven Jackson, had the final piece in the Super Bowl puzzle. Well a funny thing happened on the way to the parade down Peachtree Street. Jackson got injured (shocker I know), Julio Jones got injured and Roddy White missed some time. All in all it was an unmitigated disaster for quarterback Matt Ryan, so will 2014 be any different?

Steven Jackson is a year older and Tony Gonzalez finally hung up his cleats.

That's not good.

Julio Jones and Roddy White are back and healthy which is good. If Atlanta can find a running game (probably from someone other than Jackson), they have a chance to put up decent to above average numbers. I don't think Atlanta has hopes of playing in a Super Bowl this season, but Ryan should better this season. I mean, it can't go much worse than it did last year, right?

There will be some good value in Roddy White and Matt Ryan when drafting. I'd even keep an eye on Devonta Freeman who could prove worthy of more than a late round flier.

You've Got Mail

It was recently published that approximately 2.3 MILLION people are still subscribing to AOL dial up services. You have GOT to be kidding me!?!?! Remember when AOL was awesome? I barely do. This is where I will point out that some RBs might have a name that you recognize, but deep down inside you know they're waaaaay past their prime. Time to upgrade your services people.

I've already discussed a few of this years crop who are just trying to hang on to their fledgling careers.

1) MJD
2) Steven Jackson
3) Chris Johnson

Here are a few others that I would avoid unless you just can't pass them up because they've dropped like a rock:

4) BenJarvus Green-Ellis - put a fork in him, he's done. The Bengals have two young and capable backs to turn to and Green-Ellis will be looking for a roster spot somewhere when injuries happen by September.

5) DeAngelo Williams - This has been a slow bleed, as he has managed to stay healthy, but his production has basically flat lined. His last three seasons his YPC has gone 5.4, 4.3, 4.2 as his carries have increase each of those seasons. His TDs have also gone 7, 5, 3 in those same three seasons. More touches with less production and even fewer scoring. Yikes.

6) Ray Rice - He's just 27, but he's had a lot of work in a short time. Tack on the fact that he'll be missing the first two games of the season and Bernard Pierce will be itching to rebound from his sophomore slump, he is ripe for failure. Too much crap going on in his life to focus on the game.

7) Frank Gore - Prove me wrong again Gore...do it. Will this finally be the year that the 49ers use their stockpile of young backs (those that aren't already injured)? I'm saying that it is. Paging Carlos Hyde, you are needed at the sleeper desk.

 Band of Brothers

Okay, so this isn't a true movie, but it's an exquisite mini series. I just couldn't pass this one up. Also don't miss 'From the Earth to the Moon' and currently airing on CNN 'The Sixties'. Have you figured out what I will be discussing in this section?

Yup, everyone's favorite coaches to hate, Jim and John Harbaugh and their teams the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. Just two years ago they were fighting it out for the Super Bowl, but both fell short last season. The Niners are in a better position IMO to get back to the promised land, but the Ravens have the advantage of playing in a watered down AFC.

I've already covered both Frank Gore and Ray Rice and how I think this will be a down year for both as they have both been just so good for so long for their respective teams.

At quarterback you have two guys in Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco who have signed big money extensions and are now expected to be elite for a long time. The key for Kaepernick is keeping Michael Crabtree on the field. When Crabtree plays, Colin produces big time fantasy stats. He should come cheap this year and provide great upside with a full year from Crabtree.

As for Flacco, oh Joe...he had more games with 2+ interceptions in 2013 (7) than he did 2+ touchdowns (6). That's not good. Of course the Ravens O-Line was in shambles which led to not being able to run the ball at all. Being forced to throw and to throw into traffic got him in a ton of trouble. Now with a healthy Dennis Pitta and the savvy veteran, Steve Smith, things should be better. How much is the key? You will draft him as a backup, but you could wind up using him if Baltimore gets hot.

Each team has a quality TE although Vernon Davis has at least proved himself, while we are all waiting for Dennis Pitta to join the elite members of the fantasy TE world. Davis scored 13 times last season, which was the second time he's done that in his career. The last time he did that he followed it up with 13 touchdowns TOTAL over the next two seasons. I have to believe that a full season from Crabtree will cut into his total scores, but he will still be a top 5 TE nonetheless. For Pitta, his owners would be thrilled with a 'Vernon Davis down year' type year with 600 yards receiving and 6 touchdowns. Lump him in with about half a dozen other TEs that you can get cheap and late and won't hurt you too much.

At WR between Torrey and Steve Smith, Michael Crabtree and ex-Raven Anquan Boldin you have four WRs all capable of big games and stretches of inconsistent fantasy numbers. If I had to put them in order of fantasy points I'd go: Crabtree, Torrey, Steve and Anquan. All worthy of a mid round pick and all worthy of starts and sits all season long.

Catch Me If You Can

In this movie, Tom Hanks runs around trying to catch a teenager who is kiting checks and emulating a pilot and doctor among other professions. In recent years, the NFL has seen a change of pace from plodding running games and low scoring offenses, to wide open, four WR sets and Tecmo Bowl style scores. There are a glutton of WRs who will be challenging defenses who are handcuffed by today's rules to catch them if they can. *Groan* goes the audience. Yeah you all saw that one coming.

In my opinion we are almost to the point where ALL leagues should require 3 WRs to start. In you average, run of the mill, 10 team league if you only played the top 20 scoring WRs of 2013 you wouldn't have used four receivers who posted 1,000+ yards receiving and three other receivers who scored 10 TDs!! Let's look at those names:

Michael Floyd, Brian Hartline, Harry Douglas, Kendall Wright, Wes Welker, Marvin Jones and Jerricho Cotchery. You could win some fantasy games with 3 or 4 of those receivers, no? None were in the Top 20 in standard scoring on ESPN last year.

Now if you stretched out the field and were forced to own someone between 36-40 we would get:

Eddie Royal, Rod Streater, Doug Baldwin, Greg Jennings and Terrance Williams (and yet big names like Steve Smith and Dwayne Bowe are still behind them!).

WR is deep enough right now that forcing owners to find that diamond in the rough makes it more fun rather than just running out Stud A and Stud C vs Stud B and Stud D. Yawn!

More roster spots everyone!!! Make BYE weeks, trading and waiver wire pickups mean something. It's just too easy if you don't push WR (and RB for that matter) past the top 30.

The Ladykillers

I must admit, I didn't enjoy this movie one bit. I saw it in the theaters and I would rank it in my Top 10 of worst movies I've paid money to see (also listed - and don't judge me - Freddy Got Fingered, To Die For, The Royal Tennebaums, Waterworld, The Truth About Cats and Dogs (date), Lady in the Water, Funny People, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Star Wars Episode I).

But I'm not here to discuss bad movies, but I am going to point out my thoughts on the real 'lady killers' of the NFL, your starting QBs of the NFL. These are the guys who get the head cheerleader, star in all of the commercials and usually just look the best (face of the franchise for a reason). Even if you suck, yeah I'm looking at you Christian Ponder, you usually do okay in life.

Let's start at the top with Peyton Manning who may not be Tom Brady when it comes to wooing the ladies, but he is the face of the NFL when it comes to advertising. Between him, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees you have three stud QBs and then the position becomes wide open.

This year I'd be willing to lump in Matt Stafford who I think will challenge for that #3 spot, but even if he falls short he should still produce huge numbers in Detroit. If you miss out on those four, fear not, there are 6-10 more QBs I think you can win a fantasy championship with:

(In no particular order)

Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Tony Romo, RGIII, Colin Kaepernick, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Phillip Rivers.

That's 16!! QBs who are all worthy of starting on any given Sunday. Sure there is some wide week-to-week variance of those final dozen, but if you get them late enough you should be able to make up the points by being stronger at RB/WR/TE than your opponent who drafted Peyton/Rodgers/Brees/Stafford in Rounds 1-3.

Here's my advice: draft a stud QB if you are stuck on picking between a RB you don't like or a WR you think you can get in the next round, but wait on QBs if you are happy with your RB/WR/TE picks in the first six rounds.

Angels & Demons

For my last film of the post I cover one of the movies that came from the Dan Brown book series where Tom Hanks is the lead character Robert Langdon. It's like the 'National Treasure' series with Nick Cage only with more religion and less world history. Either way I'm a sucker for all of these movies where it's basically good vs. evil and a treasure hunt.

As for how it relates to the NFL, when you draft your team it is all about maximizing your 'sleepers' AKA 'angels' and minimizing your 'busts' AKA 'demons'. Not too much of a stretch if I do say so myself!

Angels (Sleepers)

QBs: Jay Cutler - He has Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte. He played in 10 full games in 2013. The numbers he put up in those games worked out to be a 4,100+ yard, 30 TD season. He is currently going 16th overall for QBs on ESPN. He was also on pace for 18 INTs so there is that. He has all the makings of a top 8 QB in 2014.

        Andy Dalton - In his three years in the NFL, Andy Dalton has started all 48 games for the Cincinnati Bengals. Each year he has seen his Attempts, Yards, TDs, Yards/Attempt, Team Record and unfortunately his INTs increase. He signed a new deal and now the question is whether he has peaked or whether he has one (or more) levels to grow. If the Bengals can find a TE to emerge and get Gio the ball 70 times out of the backfield, he may just hit that next upper level. Look for 4,400 yards, 35 TDs and 18 INTs to get the Bengals into the playoffs for their fourth straight season. That's better than the 17th overall QB as he is going right now.

RBs: Carlos Hyde - I've already touched on Frank Gore stepping aside sometime this season due to rest/injury/ineffectiveness. One of these years I'm bound to be right.

Joique Bell - Do I think Reggie Bush can put together another season of 14+ games while carrying the ball over 200 times?? No, no I do not. I think the Lions are going to play thing a bit smarter and let Bell tote the rock much more on 1st and 2nd down and let Bush be the 3rd down, trailing late in the game back. Bell gets an extra 60 attempts and finishes around 900 yards and 10 TDs. Bush still catches 50 passes and has 6 total TDs, but Bell is the Lions back I want.

WRs: Terrance Williams - Oh thank heavens that Miles Austin is gone for good from Dallas. Maybe now they can find someone to lighten the coverage for Dez Bryant and Jason Witten on the opposite side of the field. He's got a 1,000 yard season ahead of him with 7 TDs as Dallas will need to score 30+ points a week to have a chance. Currently he's the 37th WR coming off the board on ESPN.

Riley Cooper - I stay in the NFC East for another WR who showed flashes last season although he was stuck behind other guys. Well DeSean Jackson is gone and the Eagles aren't about to stop their high paced, fun and gun style. Somebody has to pick up the slack as the deep threat option. With Darren Sproles working underneath, Cooper should find some openings over the top to the tune of double digits TDs.

TE - Ladarius Green - He has had time to learn from one of the best and now he takes the lead. He showed some promise in the middle of the season last year so I know he can do it. Antonio Gates didn't top 50 yards receiving over the final six weeks of the season as father time was catching up to him. Draft Green as a backup and watch him explode by Week 5.

Demons (Busts)

QBs: Cam Newton - I know all about his top 4 streak he has going as a fantasy quarterback. That ends with a bang this year. A diminishing running attack, the loss of his safety valve in Steve Smith and the off-season surgery all adds up to an ugly year. Outside of the top 15 for Newton.

Johnny Manziel - Being drafted ahead of Jay Cutler and Andy Dalton. I'm sorry, but I'm just not on board for fantasy greatness just yet. I love the enthusiasm, but I think there will be a learning curve than most all rookies go through. If he had Josh Gordon the whole season, maybe, just maybe I'd get fully on board.

RBs: Who haven't I named already? Gore, Reggie Bush, DeMarco Murray and Arian Foster are my big four.

Overall I think this will be a down year for RBs which makes hitting pay dirt all the more important. Which is why so many people are using their first two picks on a WR/QB combo and then just loading up on 4-5 middle tier RBs and hoping to get lucky.

WRs: Andre Johnson - Blame this on Ryan Fitzpatrick. That's all I have and that's all I need. His numbers come back to Earth this year.

Larry Fitzgerald - His value rebounded last season thanks in large part to the 10 TDs while not even hitting 1,000 yards receiving (for the second consecutive season). Third times the charm has he fails to hit even 900 yards receiving and only 5 TDs.

TE: Outside of Antonio Gates you ask?

Julius Thomas - When something is just too good to be true like last season was for Thomas, I get a weird feeling. After scoring 8 times in the first 7 weeks he found the end zone just 4 times over the last 9 weeks including two lost to injury. Everything won't be all butterflies and rainbows this season in Denver so temper your expectations.

So that's it for this season. If you have read this you are already 8% of the way to winning your league! Congrats and please make all checks of your winnings payable to Jason Wippich.

Good luck and have fun.

Weekend Viewing Guide 10/5/12

It's October.  Next to March it is my favorite sports month of the year.  With the NHL being locked out and already canceling the start of the season it is a bit tempered this year, but thanks to the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals making the playoffs, I'll have plenty to watch.

The NFL is past the quarter pole, college football is loaded with big games this month and of course the playoffs in baseball are about to get underway.  What more could a kid ask for?

Here's what I'll be watching:

10. Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins

Defenses need not apply to this game.  The Falcons have been the offensive juggernaut that I expected them to be and the Redskins have been the surprise of the league on offense behind star rookie RGIII.  The two teams are ranked 3rd and 4th respectively in the NFL in scoring this season and nothing should change on Sunday.  Matt Ryan has done nothing to dispel my prediction of league MVP and with Roddy White and Julio Jones playing against a terrible secondary, it's not a question of how, but how many times will they score.  So it will be up to the arm and legs of RGIII to keep the Redskins competitive and as of yet he has not disappointed.  This will be a big test for Washington to avoid giving up the big play and to use fellow rookie Alfred Morris to shorten the game, but the Falcons have just too good a passing game to expect an upset.  Final Score: Atlanta 34 Washington 24

9. MLB Wild Card Games: Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves

One and done.  After six months and 162 games the fate of these four teams will come down to nine innings (barring extra innings of course).  Anything can happen in a single game and that has to scare each player the most.  One bad start, one dropped fly ball (yeah I'm looking at you Josh), one strikeout with the bases loaded, it won't take much to win or lose this game.  Even though Baltimore has been playing better baseball down the stretch than have the Rangers, the experience factor of the last two seasons has to give them the edge.  Add that to being at home and having a better starting pitcher (Yu Darvish versus Joe Saunders) and I expect Texas to out slug Baltimore.  In the senior circuit Atlanta has a chance to do what they couldn't do to St. Louis last year when they lost their final five games of the season and that is to eliminate them.  They will have their biggest lucky charm, and best pitcher to boot on the mound in Kris Medlen.  The Braves have won 23 consecutive games with him starting.  What could possibly go wrong?  Not to be outdone, the Cardinals turn to Kyle Lohse who has had himself a fantastic season.  He went 16-3 which is eye opening, but he has not pitched to the level of Kris Medlen.  Until I see him and the Braves lose with him on the mound, I'm picking Atlanta.

8. #4 LSU Tigers at #10 Florida Gators

I'm not really sure what to expect when these two teams meet on Saturday.  At times both teams have looked downright awful and nowhere near top 10 teams.  Last week LSU fell down early to Towson before rallying to win with some cushion.  Florida played much better in their last game two weeks ago against Kentucky, but underwhelmed against the likes of Bowling Green and Texas A&M.  This will be a defensive struggle as neither team has a stout offense.  They're both ranked in the top 10 nationally in points against and that trend should continue.  Hopefully it won't be a snoozefest like the National Championship game, but it definitely won't be WVU v. Baylor.  I give Florida the slight advantage for not only being at home, but have a full week to rest and prepare.  They take down LSU in a game that will not be for the faint of heart 16-13.
 
7. Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants

As with most postseason match ups, pitching is usually key and this series will prove to be no different.  I feel bad for quality hitters like Joey Votto and Buster Posey as they will be over shadowed by Matt Cain, Johnny Cueto, Madison Bumgarner, Arodlis Chapman and Sergio Romo.  Usually it is the unsung hero, the slap hitter with the limited skill set that comes through when pitchers take the forefront.  All the focus is on shutting down the main weapons that players like Drew Stubbs or Brandon Crawford that come out of nowhere to surprise.  I will also have my eye on the erratic Tim Lincecum to see what if anything he can provide to the Giants.  Fun fact: these two teams combined to have only 3 starts all season long not from their original starting five rotation.  Cincinnati continues to be underestimated, but they will knock out the Giants in four games.

6. New York Yankees at AL Wild Card Winner

I for one am really hoping the Orioles get another shot, 15 years later, at vanquishing some Jeffrey Meier nightmares.  Of course watching some 8-7 games between New York and Texas would be quite fun as well, but that doesn't hold a candle to the animosity that the two east cost cities hold towards each other.  Since I already picked Texas to beat Baltimore, I certainly can't let myself get caught up in what might be.  I've seen a lot of both the Yankees and Rangers down the stretch being an Athletics fan and I haven't been that impressed with the pitching.  The hitting on both sides can be unmatched at times and for casual viewers that will be the biggest draw.  The Yankees advance against either Texas or Baltimore in four games.



5. Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

Welcome back Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning.  The NFL missed this annual get together of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks that don't much like each other.  Both teams have already had their struggles, but both played exceptional last weekend combining to score 89 points.  This is what I am hoping for again this weekend.  A good old fashioned shootout that will come down to the final play of the game.  Unlike in years past where neither team seemed to use their running game with much effectiveness this year both are keeping good balance.  The Patriots had two running backs eclipse 100 yards rushing in the same game for the first time since 1980 last week.  Willis McGahee did the same for Denver.  In the four games this season he has alternated 100+ yards rushing with at least one touchdown with crap outputs.  He might want to switch that up if the Broncos have a chance.  Final Score: New England 31 Denver 23

 4. Washington Nationals at NL Wild Card Winner

Living just outside of DC I've watched the Nationals more than any team outside of Oakland and my two favorite teams have mirrored each other in a reverse type of way.  The Nationals started the season in a major hitting slump but their pitching was top notch.  They infused a young prospect and all of a sudden it clicked.  They played really well all season long until they lost their front end starter.  That's where the Nationals started to struggle.  They went just 10-10 down the stretch and couldn't put away the pesky Braves until game 160 when Atlanta matched Washington's loss that night.  That being said I won't count them out against Atlanta or even St. Louis, but I think their run ends quicker than most believe it will.  Atlanta matches up well against them and I think they take down the Nationals in five games.

3. Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers

Everything points to Detroit winning this series easily.  They have the better front line starters, they have the better lineup, they have postseason experience and for some godforsaken reason get to start at home.  The Athletics will need to get a great start from Brett Anderson if he is indeed healthy enough to pitch.  They will need at least a few of their young power hitters to him home runs, because I can't see them stringing together hits against Verland, Scherzer and Fister.  All Detroit will need to do is ride Justin Verlander to victory in Game 1, steal one of the middle games and have Verlander shut the door in Game 5.  This is not the best possible match up for the plucky Athletics and I think they fall in five games again.  

2. #8 West Virginia Mountaineers at #11 Texas Longhorns

Last weekend was fun for undefeated West Virginia scoring at will in front of their home crowd.  This weekend they might just find out that the Big 12 isn't going to be a cake walk.  They head deep in the heart of Texas to face the Longhorns who undefeated as well.  The good news for West Virginia is that Texas loves to play offense just about as much as they do.  The Mountaineers are 3rd in the nation at 53 points scored per game while the Longhorns are averaging just a shade over 47 a game.  With Gus Johnson at the mic on Fox, this can only end in tears of joy.  I've already waxed poetic on the abilities of Geno Smith as he continues his march to the Heisman Trophy, but Texas uses a far more balanced approach to score their points.  They average 267 yards through the air and 228 on the ground and they will need to be able to run the ball to keep Geno off the field.  I see Texas using their home field advantage to stave off West Virginia this time around although it guarantees to be fun.  Final Score:  Texas 45 West Virginia 42

1. #5 Georgia Bulldogs at #6 South Carolina Gamecocks

Welcome to the forefront SEC.  College football fans have had to suffer through Big 10 and Pac 10 games long enough.  It's time for the big boys to strut.  They're not messing around with this battle of Goliath's who are looking to give perennial power houses LSU and Alabama a run for their money.  The winner of this game will have the inside track to represent the SEC East in the SEC Championship game which always leads to a BCS Championship appearance.  Georgia has found a dynamic freshman duo of running back in Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall who have combined for nearly 1000 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns in their first five games.  Unfortunately the Bulldogs lost their top receiver Michael Bennett to a torn ACL at practice on Tuesday which will further increase the workload of the the two backs.  South Carolina is led by their defense which currently ranks 6th in the nation giving up just over 11 points per game.  They will need their defense to stay strong this weekend and the rest of the month as their next two opponents, LSU and Florida are also currently in the top 10.  Georgia goes on the road and ekes out a close game 23-20.

Weekend Viewing Recap 9/24/12

Even though I had a rare full weekend off from work, I found myself doing more work at home than I ever do for my actual job.  Isn't that always the way?  Saturday was community yard sale day so we lugged out half of our house and tried our very best to give away some junk.  Six hours and a bunch of bartering later we made barely enough to cover our efforts, but the house was cleaner and that was what we were aiming for.  My wife and I both let go of our childhood furniture that was being used in the guest bedroom.  We cleared room for the nursery which now needs painting...anybody willing to help?

Sunday was more cleaning.  We started in the kitchen and cleared out the pantry and all the cabinets.  Our house wins for most trash bags out on the curb this weekend.  Of course this is just the beginning.  I'm going to go room by room and gut the house of all the crap that we've acquired in the last five years.  With the baby on the way I am going to need all the room I can get for his toys and diapers and stuff.  This should be fine.

If you were like me and spent your free time doing housework and hawking junk in a yard sale you probably missed some sports.  Here's your recap on the biggest events of the weekend:

10. Houston Texans at Denver Broncos

This was a much better start for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.  They got an early safety and field goal to take a 5-0 lead and things were looking peachy.  Then I blinked and the Texans had responded with 3 consecutive passing touchdowns by Matt Schaub and it was 21-5.  The lead was extended to 31-11 after Schaub fired his 4th touchdown of the game and this one looked to be wrapped up with a pretty little bow.  Peyton was having none of that though as he threw two fourth quarter touchdowns and with three minutes to play it was suddenly a nail biter.  Even though the Texans weren't able to run the clock out they only left Manning 30 seconds and 85 yards to score.  No miracle this time as Houston looks to be for real and continues to be my favorite to be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl.  Denver is going to be okay as Peyton continues to shake off the rust and as they are mired in a season opening gauntlet of tough games.  I guessed 30-24 Houston and got 31-25...I win.

9. Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals

 As predicted this series has been pretty even.  Of the first three games (the fourth being played today) only Friday had final inning fireworks.  The Nationals clung to a 2-1 lead before Ryan Braun and the Brewers hit him around for three runs and Milwaukee won 4-2.  Saturday was all Washington as Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond both hit 3 run, 4th inning home runs.  This was more than enough for Gio Gonzalez who notched his 20th victory of the season, becoming the first pitcher this year to do so and the first Washington pitcher to accomplish the feat since 1933.  That was done by some fringe major league pitcher name Walter Johnson.  Quite a feat Gio, quite a feat.  Sunday lived up to the name thanks to a beautiful, bright sun field that caused Bryce Harper to miss a fly ball leading to the first runs of the game as Milwaukee won to take a 2-1 series lead.  Jordan Zimmermann should even the series up for Washington if my prediction is to come true.

8. #22 Arizona Wildcats at #3 Oregon Ducks

Thanks for showing up Arizona.  Luckily I was far too exhausted to even give this game a chance Saturday night and I didn't miss much.  Matt Scott came into this game on fire and left ice cold.  He threw three interceptions including two that were returned for touchdowns as Oregon thumped the Wildcats 49-0.  Neither Kenjon Barner nor De'Anthony Thomas were able to score for the Ducks, but none of that seemed to matter.  They did have 175 combined total yards on 36 touches which while far lower than the norm were still enough to keep Oregon moving up and down the field.  The big takeaway from this game has to be the Oregon defense.  Posting a shutout in college football is tough to do.  Posting a shutout against a team in your conference is even harder and if they happen to be ranked at the time, well that's a bold statement.  Maybe the Ducks are for real this season.

7. Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees

 This series was not for the faint of heart.  Being an Athletics fan did not help.  Hating the Yankees with every ounce of my soul didn't help either.  Friday was a classic pitcher's duel between C.C. Sabathia and Jarrod Parker.  Down 1-0 in the 9th, Brandon Moss hit a pinch hit home run to tie the score up.  Russell Martin trumped that home run with a walk of home run an inning later for New York.  Saturday was probably the game of the season in MLB.  Oakland started with 3 straight doubles to take a 2-0 lead, New York scored 3 in the bottom of the half of the first.  They trade two runs each as the Yankees led 5-4 heading to the 7th when Oakland tied it up with sac fly.  Then the offenses went into hibernation.  My wife and I walked into Babies R' Us to set up our registry just as Oakland tied it up and two plus hours later we walked out as Jonny Gomes was hitting a go ahead 2 run home run in the...wait for it...13th inning.  That was followed by two more mammoth home runs by Oakland and they had a 9-5 lead.  Unfortunately they had no major league caliber pitchers left.  Three straight singles, a wild pitch, a sac fly and a home run later it was 9-9.  The 14th inning went quietly for Oakland and then they basically conceded the game by sending Tyson Ross out to pitch the bottom half.  That Yankees scored on an error with two outs and the bases loaded giving Ross his 10th loss on the season in only 73 innings pitched.  Sunday was another back and forth with Oakland taking a 3-0 lead only to see New York score 4 to take the lead right back.  Oakland tied it up and then took a one run lead in the 6th and miraculously it held up for their lone victory of the series.  The Yankees stay a game up on the Orioles in the A.L. East who are one game up on Oakland for the 1st Wild Card spot.  Oakland is 2.5 games up on Los Angeles and 3.5 games up on Tampa Bay for the 2nd Wild Card.

6. #18 Michigan Wolverines at #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

 Notre Dame did everything in their power to lose this game.  Luckily for them, Michigan tried even harder to lose.  It appeared as though both teams were on the take and were trying to shave points before any were even scored.  I had this game pegged as my upset special and if Denard Robinson had played even average, Michigan would have walked out of South Bend with a victory.  He threw four interceptions during the game which kept the Wolverines scoreless until the 4th quarter.  They weren't out of it, though as it was only 10-0.  This game was ugly.  It wasn't LSU vs. Alabama ugly with two pro defenses facing off, but just ugly, ugly.  Notre Dame will continue to rise in the rankings and as long as they keep passing these tests I suppose we have to take them seriously, but they had better play a lot better if they think they are going to beat an SEC team.

5. #15 Kansas St. Wildcats at #6 Oklahoma Sooners

If you were going to tell me that Kansas St. was going to get 149 yards passing and 0 touchdowns from starting quarterback Collin Klein I would have told you Oklahoma won by 30.  This did not happen.  Kansas St. used a stingy defense that kept Landry Jones in check (at least compared to his dissection of the Wildcats a year ago) and a seemingly unstoppable running attack to upset Oklahoma on the road.  John Hubert carried the ball 23 times for 130 yards and a touchdown and while Klein could throw with any significance he did have 79 yards on the ground along with touchdown.  Both of these came in the 4th quarter which had started with Oklahoma leading 13-10.  Oklahoma will now plummet in the rankings and Kansas St. will now shift its focus to staying undefeated until their trip to Morgantown to face West Viriginia in late October.  That will be some couch burning fun.

4. Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels

What a dud of a series this turned out to be.  The streaky Angels have caught fire again behind their pitching staff and swept away the White Sox from southern California.  Los Angeles held the potent Chicago lineup to only 5 runs over the weekend.  This included another stellar start from Cy Young candidate Jered Weaver on Sunday who earned his 19th victory with 6.1 innings giving up just a run.   Dan Haren and Ervin Santana did their part as well giving up only 3 runs over their 13 innings.  With the day off Monday, Los Angeles can even skip the scheduled start of the struggling C.J. Wilson and keep their big guns in turn.  For Chicago things could have been much worse.  After winning the first game of their series, the Detroit Tigers were promptly swept in a Sunday doubleheader by the Minnesota Twins to lose that series.  That leaves Detroit a game behind Chicago even with the White Sox on a current 5 game losing streak. 

3.  New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

This game will go down in Baltimore Ravens history as the Torrey Smith game.  Playing with a heavy heart from losing his brother just hours earlier Sunday morning, Smith responded with his best game of the year.  He hauled in 127 yards and two touchdowns to help bring the Ravens from behind to upend the New England Patriots 31-30.  Sure this game was not without its share of unneeded controversy thanks to the replacement refs and sure maybe, just maybe, that last second field goal leaked a little right, but when the Ravens look back it will always be remembered for what Torrey Smith was able to do.  After the Patriots scored the first 13 points, it was a Smith touchdown that got the team right and the fans back into it.  Ray Rice then took over through the middle of the game amassing 150 total yards and scoring a touchdown.  For the Patriots it seemed as though the only thing that could slow them down was their tricky play calling or the fact that they refused to run the ball to milk away the clock when they had the lead.  Both Wes Welker and Brandon Llyod eclipsed 100 yards receiving, but when push came to shove, New England couldn't get that final first down that would have iced the game.  Not only that, but their incomplete passes kept stopping the clock giving Baltimore invaluable time and timeouts to keep their hopes alive.  They took full advantage, scraping together one final drive and hitting a game winning 27 yard field goal as time expired.

2. PGA Tour Championship

Yeah about the Tiger, Phil and Rory Sunday I was hoping for...that didn't happen.  The three mega stars of the Tour combined for a +2 weekend and were not a factor at all.  Maybe that's why I didn't watch too much golf.  Instead American Brandt Snedeker came out of nowhere to capture the Tour Championship and in turn he won the FedEx title.  He's not the sexiest of names and the poor performances of the 'Big 3' certainly cost the PGA some viewers, but what it does is give another American some good feelings heading into the Ryder Cup in Chicago.  Instead of man versus man it becomes USA vs. Europe.  Yippee!  

1. #10 Clemson Tigers at #4 Florida St. Seminoles

This was fun.  This was college football of the past.  Forget suffocating defenses and playing for field position.  I wanted a Tecmo Bowl like atmosphere and by God I got it.  Twelve touchdowns and just one lonely field goal later, Florida St. emerged as true championship contender.  Sure their defense might need to be shored up a bit, but Clemson has a dynamic offense so giving up some points was to be expected.  I came in to the game watching what Tajh Boyd was going to do, but it was Florida St. quarterback EJ Manuel that left me with my jaw on the floor.  He had 482 total yards, eclipsing 300 in the air and 100 on the ground.  That's a good day at the office.  As for the game itself, Clemson held a 31-21 advantage midway through the 3rd quarter until the Seminoles reeled off 28 straight points in just under a quarter of play.  That was all she wrote and now Florida St. looks at a schedule where they have only one currently ranked team left to play and that isn't until Thanksgiving.  In between they have a tough test at Virginia Tech, but this is a very manageable schedule to weave through to get to a possible BCS championship game.  Better luck next year at becoming big time Clemson.  I had predicted a 13 point FSU win and they won by 12 so not too shabby.

Weekend Viewing Guide 9/21/12

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

 Last night I got to witness some mini-history as the Washington Nationals clinched a playoff spot.  The crowd was quite electric in watching a DC based baseball team punch its ticket to the post season for the first time since 1933.  Of course last night's win only guarantees one extra game at this point, but its a start.  When you go to a sporting event, or even watch it at home, you never know what type of history you'll see.  Not every game will produce a memorable result, but every once in a while you will get to say "I was there" and those memories might just last forever.

This weekend might just produce one of those jaw dropping, wish I was watching, tell all your friends moments.  Those moments that are etched in the hearts and souls of the die hard fans.  They will make you weep with sorrow and cry in ecstasy.  To this day every time I see Kirk Gibson limp around the bases after hitting the game winning home run off of Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, I well up in anger and fling the remote across the room.  I was 10 years old.  It was the first time I cried while watching sports.  I was hooked for life.

Here's what you should be watching this weekend in the hopes that you catch one of those indelible moments:

10.  Houston Texans at Denver Broncos

The incredibly tough schedule that faces Denver to start the season continues this week as they host my Super Bowl winner Houston.  After already facing Pittsburgh and Atlanta, the Broncos still have New England and San Diego on the road before their bye week (with Oakland as well) and then New Orleans coming out of the break.  Peyton Manning looked downright awful to start on Monday night, but rebounded to give the Broncos a sporting chance.  There have been very little issues for the Texans so far this season.  They have handled both the mediocre Dolphins and inept Jaguars with relative ease for their 2-0 start.  Behind the two headed monster of Arian Foster and Ben Tate (184 yards, 3 TD's) and a very good defense, it has been just like early 2011 before all the injuries hit when the Texans were the breakout team of the season.  Final Score: Houston 30 Denver 24

9. Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals

Fresh off of clinching a playoff spot, the Washington Nationals will now turn their focus into wrapping up the N.L. East crown.  They host the surging Milwaukee Brewers who have come out of nowhere to threaten for a playoff spot.  They have leapfrogged practically the entire National League in the last 30 days with a 22-6 record since August 19th when they were 12.5 games out of the 2nd Wild Card spot.  Today they have passed six teams and are only 2.5 games out from making the playoffs.  The turnaround has been quite remarkable and has been spearheaded by reigning MVP Ryan Braun who has put together yet another MVP season with 40 home runs, 105 RBI and a current 6.6 WAR for you SABR nerds out there.  For Washington, their magic number is 7 meaning they could theoretically wrap up the division as early as Monday with some help from Philadelphia.  Realistically these two teams split the four game and Washington clinches on the road.

8. #22 Arizona Wildcats at  #3 Oregon Ducks

More west coast football taking the big stage.  After last weekends shocking Stanford upset of #2 ranked USC, the Oregon Ducks now have a chance to stake their claim as BCS Championship contenders.  Sure the talk will be all about what horrific concoction Oregon rolls out for their jersey of choice, but after we get past that it will be all about their high powered offense.  They are currently averaging 54 points a game against inferior competition, but I don't think Arizona will want to do much to slow the pace of the game down.  In their only competitive game, the Wildcats won a shootout against then #18 ranked Oklahoma St. 59-38.  That is the type of scoring I'm hoping for in this game.  Arizona will do their damage in the air behind Matt Scott who has nearly 1000 yards passing already while Oregon will run the ball early and often with Kenjon Barner and do everything athlete De'Anthony Thomas.  Thomas leads the Ducks in receiving with 11 receptions and 3 touchdowns, but he also has 13 rushes at 17.5 yards per carry and 4 more scores.  That's some silly production to start the season.  Final Score:  Oregon 55 Arizona 34

7. Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees

So we meet again...unfortunately not for the last time.  The team that can't spend enough versus the team that doesn't have any money to spend.  The Bronx Bombers versus Moneyball.  The future Yankees versus the current Yankees.  $197 million payroll vs. $55 million payroll.  East coast bias versus a team that is trying to leave its home city.  All the differences and yet these two teams come into the final two weeks of play separated by a single game.  The Yankees lead the A.L. East by 1 game over the Baltimore Orioles who are tied for the Wild Card lead with the Athletics.  Oakland has lost their only 3 veteran starters within the last month and are now completely reliant on a bunch of rookies and castoffs in their rotation.  New York on the other hand has recently re-added veteran Andy Pettitte to the rotation which already has former Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia.  Oakland is hanging together with bubble gum and fishing line, but this weekend could be a disaster if the pitching doesn't hold up.  I see the Yankees winning at least two with a real chance at a sweep.

6. #18 Michigan Wolverines at #11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Is it time to take Notre Dame seriously?  This would normally be the type of game where the Irish would fall flat after a huge win, but maybe this year version is different.  Michigan has picked themselves up off the mat after being throttled by Alabama with wins over Air Force and Massachusetts who aren't quite at the same level as the defending champion, #1 ranked Crimson Tide.  Frankly I don't know what to make of Michigan just yet, and that makes me think maybe they can win this one.  The key will be how Denard Robinson handles another good defensive unit.  We saw him struggle mightily against Alabama, but Notre Dame is no Alabama.  Classic trap game here: Michigan 26 Notre Dame 23

5. #15 Kansas St. Wildcats at #6 Oklahoma Sooners

Quick story: Kansas St. always makes me remember a quarterback they once had, Chad May who wore #5.  May 5...my birthday, I always liked him for that reason.  This Wildcats team is much more competitive than they were with May at the helm, but this week they head to Norman, OK to face a much better Sooners team.  Fans will be hoping for a more competitive game than last seasons that ended in a 58-17 blowout in favor of Oklahoma.  The scary thought is that game was in Manhattan, KS and it might be even uglier this year around.  If anything at least we will get to watch stud quarterback Landry Jones try and carve apart the Wildcats secondary (505 yards passing last year) once again.  It will be a bit closer this go around but the story will remain the same Oklahoma 42 Kansas St. 24

4. Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels

That loud sound you hear in southern California is the clock ticking away on the Angels season.  Every time they make a mini surge they drop a series that they have to win.  After winning the first game at home against Texas, they dropped the final two of the key series.  With only 12 games remaining the Angels now face the arduous task of making up 5 games on either the Orioles or the Athletics to attempt to salvage a disappointing season.  Their opponent, the Chicago White Sox have everything to play for.  They have a slim two game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the A.L. Central and will give the Angels fits.  I think Chicago wins two of three (okay...I really really really hope they do) and puts a near virtual end to the Angles season...YOU CAN PUT THAT ON THE BOARD....YESSSSS!!!!

3.  New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

I know NBC was hoping for a 2-0 vs. 2-0 battle between these two Super Bowl contenders when the schedule was release.  I definitely know that nobody foresaw the loser of this game dropping to 1-2 on the early season.  Both teams lost games last week that they should have won.  The Patriots with Tom Brady at quarterback had only lost once at home and never in a home opener until last week.  They looked awful and lost starting TE Aaron Hernandez for at least a month with an ankle injury.  The Ravens had a 10 point halftime lead and a six point fourth quarter lead, both of which they blew losing by a single point.  This will be their second prime time, nationally televised game and the schedulers at the NFL will do them no favors as they have to play again four nights after this game.  I think Baltimore responds at home with a 27-23 victory.


2. PGA Tour Championship

So it all comes down to this.  Can Rory run away with the title by winning his 3rd straight event?  Can Tiger come all the way back and hoist the trophy again?  Will he quit mid stream because he is too intimidated by Rory?  Will Phil come out of nowhere to get back to the top of the mountain?  All we can hope for all three of them to be with a shot or two of each other on Sunday afternoon.  The NFL season is still early enough that you can miss out on a couple games and settle in for some top notch golf with abundant story lines.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, fans must savor weekends like this where the generational gap will be crossing paths.  There will only be a small window where we get Tiger and Phil playing top notch golf along with the newest wunderkind in Rory.  Just the fact that I can write this entire preview and not use a single last name says all you need to know about the popularity of these three golfers.  For the record I have to go with Rory to put a cherry on top of his stellar run here at the end of the season with another victory.

 1. #10 Clemson Tigers at #4 Florida St. Seminoles

It's been a while since Florida St. has been this good.  Even though they have not played any quality opponents, they have done exactly what has been asked out of them by stomping the living crap out of them.  Through their first three games they have outscored their opponents 176-3.  That is not a misprint.  Clemson vows to be a bit more of a test with the likes of Tajh Boyd, Andre Ellington, Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins all a threat to score every time they get their hands on the ball.  If the offense of Clemson can find a way to penetrate the stout Florida St. offense this game could get really exciting.  Last season with very similar rosters, Clemson won 35-30 at home, this year it will be the other way around as Florida St. will hold serve and win a shootout 37-24.