"Preseason" Predictions

OK, here’re my overdue NFL postseason predictions. I’ll try to keep it brief and only list the teams I think are going to the playoffs or have a chance of doing so. And you’ll have to take my word that these were my thoughts before the season began.

AFC:

Indianapolis Colts (12-4, AFC South) – I’m a Titans fan, and I love rooting for the Texans – I have a thing for underprivileged; don’t get me started on Boise State – but I accept reality. And the reality is that the Colts have won 12 games for seven straight seasons, and love him or hate him, Peyton Manning is the reason that keeps happening.

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5, AFC North) – I mentioned in an earlier blog that Troy Polamalu, not Ben Roethlisberger, was the reason for Pittsburgh’s wild postseason success for the last few years, and I stand by that. Troy and the Pitt defense were the reason they won the Super Bowl in 2008; Big Ben was just there to do pretty things, like throwing Santonio Holmes game-winning touchdown passes. Plus, this is not a team that’s going to miss the playoffs two straight seasons. Mike Tomlin’s will just won’t let it.

San Diego Chargers (11-5, AFC West) – Keep in mind, this is preseason, because I really do not like the Chargers’ chances anymore. They seem discombobulated, Philip Rivers is as horrible a leader as ever, and giving up Antonio Cromartie and Ladainian Tomlinson to the Jets now seem like tremendously bad moves. Still, though, you have to like the defense and the Rivers-led passing attack. It’s hard to get much better than that.

New York Jets/New England Patriots/Miami Dolphins (Two will go 10-6 for the AFC East and final wild card slot) – I thought about this all summer, and even though the Patriots looked like the weakest team to me, the Jets’ arrogance and youth, the Dolphins’ inexperience and questionable leadership, and the Patriots’ tried-and-true leadership just confuse me. As of right now, the Patriots still look like the weakest team here to me, but that can and probably will change, but I still like this division’s chances to get two playoff teams in.

Kansas City Chiefs (10-6, Wild Card) – Believe it or not, I said on draft day, they could go 10-6. They simply have too many young playmakers to not be a dynamic team. I will admit, though, a 3-0 record, based primarily on defense, is shocking even to me. I expected a wild card slot, not a two-game division lead three games into the season.

NFC:

Green Bay Packers (12-4, NFC North) – I just want to say, I knew this would happen, Brett. You can only screw over your team and teammates so long before it comes back to bite you. Plus, dude, you left a really good thing in Green Bay. The defense is aging, but it’s still very versatile, very good, and you have to love that Psycho Package. And there’s that slight thing where Aaron Rodgers might be the best QB in the NFL, with one of the best receiving corps. You know, no biggie.

New Orleans Saints (11-5, NFC South) – I kept looking for reasons over the summer to bet against the Saints, because people just don’t survive this division in consecutive years for some reason. But honestly, I can’t find one. Brees is too good, the running-back-by-committee group is too good, and the defense is way too opportunistic to just be a passing thing. I don’t think they’ll dominate the way they did last season, but hey, I said they’d go 8-8 last year, so don’t take my word as gold here.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-6, NFC East) – Honestly, no one saw the Michael Vick thing coming. You’re lying if you said you did. But what I saw of Kolb, McCoy and some of the Eagles’ other playmakers who were forced to step in last season impressed me … enough to the point where I’m comfortable saying this team can win a very messed up East division.

San Francisco 49ers (9-7, NFC West) – I didn’t think the Niners would be great, but I thought they would be improved, and they would be able to win a division that, with Kurt Warner’s retirement, has no significant talent anywhere. Even with their 0-3 start, their only competition are the Seattle Seahawks, and I like a Mike Singletary-led defense better than a Pete Carroll-led NFL team.

Atlanta Falcons (10-6, Wild Card) – I had the same problem with this division as I did with the AFC East, but cutting Jake Delhomme sealed the deal for me here. Even now, I think Carolina may have a playoff-caliber team, but Matt Ryan will always be better than Matt Moore. Plus, Roddy White and Michael Turner are both healthy for now, Tony Gonzalez is like the Energizer Bunny, and Jason Snelling has come out of nowhere as a great No. 2 back. I haven’t paid much attention to this team’s defense, but so far, it’s looked about as shut-down, in terms of points allowed, as they come.

Washington Redskins (9-7, NFC East) – Keep in mind, these are preseason, because I would so trade these guys for the Chicago Bears. But what I liked about them was that fact that the Skins really were a good team last year. They quietly had a top-5 defense – led by London Fletcher, the best player to never play in a Pro Bowl – had one of the better backs in the league in Clinton Portis, and have a couple of good receivers in Chris Cooley (tight end) and Santana Moss. Add Mike Shanahan, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and, eventually, Albert Haynesworth, to the mix, and you have an extremely talented team that needs only to mold itself into a cohesive unit.

Teams I like/that are now on my radar:

Seattle Seahawks – I don’t like them. I just feel forced to put them here, because, really, the NFC West sucks even worse than I realized. But Matt Hasselbeck does seem to be healed, the defense has been able to keep games from turning into track meets, for two out of three weeks at least, and Pete Carroll seems to actually know what he’s doing.

Chicago Bears – Can I just say “Wow?!” I won’t jump on the Jay Cutler bandwagon just yet, because he looked pretty good at the beginning of last year – didn’t jump on the bandwagon then either, for the record. But Forte looks healthy, Hester’s special teams look like they want to score again, and the defense, through three games at least, is as healthy as it’s been since 2006. Right now, these guys are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Tennessee Titans – I feel like a bad fan for having one of my two favorites teams listed as a surprise. But come on, Kevin Mawae is forced into retirement, the defense is stripped bare, Chuck Cecil returned as defensive coordinator, and Nate Washington is still on the team. How is that a playoff contender? Turns out, though, this defense may not be in its best form, but it’s been able to make stops when it needs to. Plus, Washington is actually catching the ball now.

(OK, seriously guys, I’m not exaggerating my issues with No. 85. He cost the Titans at least two games last year with his crunch-time drops, against Houston in Week 2 and against the New York Jets a couple weeks later. If it’s any other receiver instead of him, or if Collins checks down past him, Collins is still starting, and the Titans are in the playoffs. A butterfly in China, folks.)

Houston Texans – I thought the Texans would be able to pull out another winning record. I did not think that they would dominate the Colts and come back from way down on the road already this season. This team as a whole is showing poise and talent, especially from quarterback Matt Schaub, and when Brian I-have-estrogen-in-me-because-I-work-out-too-hard Cushing comes back from suspension, this team is going to be very hard to stop.

Baltimore Ravens – I know, I’m putting way more AFC teams up here, but seriously, don’t these guys ever get old? Ray Lewis is still playing like he’s 30, and the defense is still acting like it plays under Rex Ryan. If Joe Flacco can get a rhythm, this team could easily win 12 games.

Don’t ask about the Bengals, by the way. They’re a fluke. They don’t have a chance this year.

NFL Week 4 Predictions

Why am I sitting in Hodges Library at midnight, when I have no homework or tests to study for? I guess maybe I'm antisocial. Roommate -- who I don't really know, keep in mind -- turned 21 today, and decided he would just throw a party in our apartment in the middle of the week.

So, instead of trying to make small talk, which I don't like, with the 18 people in my apartment, who I don't know, I figured I would come here and share my thoughts with you peeps.

But I think I'm gonna shift gears this week. I've been writing about college football, basically becuase I'm too lazy to write four times a week, and college comes before pro football in the week, so I write about that, even though I love the NFL.

That’s gonna change this week, though. After my second straight horrible outing in our school newspaper’s college pick ‘ems, I need to prove something. So here’s my NFL preview for the week:

*One little note: I won’t be using current rankings on either side of the ball, simply because they fluctuate too much this early in the season. Until Week 6 or 7, you’ll simply be getting my analysis of the talent on each team.

**Double note (like a double rainbow, only much, much cooler): Don’t put too much stock into the scores. I just do those because I like to see where I land. The only stock I place in myself is the ability to call winners and losers. I’ll leave the scoring expertise to Vegas.

Atlanta Falcons vs. San Francisco 49ers:

I’m a little upset. I picked the 49ers to win the NFC West with ease under the guidance of Mike Singletary and Alex Smith. (More on my preseason predictions next post; I know, I got lazy. Familiar right?) Instead, the Red and Gold are adrift, sans offensive coordinator yet again, and they look like they’ll struggle to reach .500 this season.

That being said, the great thing about the NFL is that the talent range is so ridiculously narrow. Even Dan Orlovsky can outplay Peyton Manning sometimes. The Niners are due a win, the Falcons are coming off an emotional one, and honestly, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore are too good to be shut up for long, especially given the desperation this team has to be feeling right now.

49ers over Falcons, 20-17

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets:

Remember what I just said about the talent range being so narrow? Yeah, not applicable here. Right now, the Bills have a very good secondary, a (singular) very good playmaker and that’s about all. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not an offensive spark, and I’m not sure releasing Trent Edwards just because he was no longer was a smart ploy, but it did come from Chan Gailey …

As much as I deplore the Jets’ arrogance – and the fact they’re from New York – they have way too much talent for this game to be an issue, even in Buffalo. Sanchez has weapons galore, a great safety valve in Dustin Keller, along with a pair of dynamic backs in Shonn Greene and Ladainian Tomlinson. Seriously, the man hasn’t lost even half a step. On the defensive side of the ball, don’t get me started. The Jets’ nickel package is one of the scariest concepts in football when Darelle Revis is healthy.

Jets over Bills: 28-13

Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals:

The Bengals baffle me. This should not be a good team. They have a defense that really only slows down offenses, not stops them, and Carson Palmer just hasn’t been the same since his elbow bursitis a couple years ago. Cedric Benson is a workhorse, true, and the receiving corps is as good as ever, but it’s not an elite offense.

Also, I fail to see these “helpless” Browns the experts have been talking about. I see a Cleveland team that’s been in every game, even if it’s lost every game. Peyton Hillis seems to be a gem, and even with Delhomme’s injury, the Browns managed to snap the Ravens’ touchdown-less streak. The defense has been good-not-great, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Browns snap the Bengals inter-division win streak.

Browns over Bengals, 17-10

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions:

I love my Lions. I really do. And the best part is, this year I get to watch them – thanks for the Buffalo Wild Wings tip, Amber – plus, they’re actually fun to watch! They have a great receiving corps, Jahvid Best was a diamond in the rough, Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch are living up to expectations on the defensive line, and the secondary, though not good, is greatly improved.

Unfortunately, “greatly improved” doesn’t stop maybe the best passer in the game. Aaron Rodgers is scary good, and even without a consistent run game, the Lions won’t be able to focus enough on the pass to stop it. Along with that, no Lions quarterback is interception-proof, and Charles Woodson and Al Harris have an annoying nose for the ball.

Packers over Lions: 34-21

Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos:

I think the Broncos have one of the more underrated offenses in the country. Did you know Kyle Orton has thrown for well over 1,000 yards already? No? That’s because the Broncos can’t play defense, score when it matters or run the ball. It’s a problem. BUT, if you’re like me and have Orton on your fantasy team, it’s a sure 20 points every week.

OK, so that’s not exactly an upside to Broncos’ fans. In fact, there’s not really one. Broncos are crossing two timezones to play a ground-and-pound offense in a sold-out stadium. It’s hard to imagine anything favorable. Chris Johnson is a great bet for 200 yards this week, and you can expect the Titans to force at least two turnovers this week.

Titans over Broncos, 31-24

St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks:

Like the Browns, the Rams have been eerily competitive so far this season. And by eerily competitive, I mean they smacked the Redskins around for four quarters last week. Strange stat of the year though: Since 2008, the Rams are 2-1 vs. the Skins, 2-30 vs. everyone else (thanks, Gregg Easterbrook). Bradford seems to have made this team competitive, but there’s only so long he can take a beating. Plus, the Rams don’t have a defense, whatever the final score read last week.

I like this game, because it’s a battle of the anomalies. The Seahawks smothered the Niners at home, got smashed by the Broncos on the road, then went back to their choking ways against Jacksonville at home. Truthfully, I don’t know what to think here. But Hasselbeck seems to be healthy and fresh, with a decent pass attack, and the Hawks have a very opportunistic defense/special teams. A team that doesn’t rush for a touchdown in three weeks can only go so long, but against the Rams, shouldn’t be a detriment.

Seahawks over Rams, 21-16

New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers:

Poor Panthers. Nothing’s going right for them. Release Jake Delhomme and still get 10 turnovers in the first three games. Play an awful Giants team, a supposedly awful Bucs team, and still start the season 0-3. The run game is in shambles, and the defense looks anemic. Sorry guys, I don’t see a reason to pretend like this game will be close.

The Saints have Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey … and the list literally just keeps going. Add in the entire Saints defense, which seems pretty legitimate to me, along with a close loss the Saints have to feel they deserve back, and you have a recipe for a Carolina disaster.

Saints over Panthers, 34-17

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens:

Could it be, the Steelers sans Roethlisberger are the best team in football? I think so. When Troy Polamalu came back from injury in 2009, I wondered if he wasn’t the reason the Steelers missed the playoffs. Now, I know for sure he is. Aside from an 85-yard Chris Johnson run in Week 2, this defense has given up absolutely nothing, and that, along with Charlie Batch’s acceptably accurate arm, has kept the Steelers at the top of the AFC standings.

Unfortunately, their last game before Big Ben returns is against the Ravens. Baltimore’s offense seems to have finally clicked last week, and even without Ray Rice – who really hasn’t done anything to impact games this season anyway – it will probably score points. Also, this defense may be the only one that can rival Pittsburgh’s in intensity. I suggest not watching this game unless you love defense or one of these teams.

Ravens over Steelers, 16-13

Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Texans:

I have to vent here. For the past two years, I’ve convinced my dad to play fantasy football. Both times, I’ve done his draft, and both times, he’s had the best team in the league coming out of the gates. Well, this year, one of his backs tore his ACL before the season started, so I told him to pick up Arian Foster or Darren McFadden, because they weren’t getting much attention. Well, somebody got smart and picked up Foster, so he went with McFadden, who’s wound up as one of the most consistent backs in the league this year. Honestly, if my dad weren’t family, I’d be irked by how much my advice has helped him.

That being said, McFadden plus Bruce Gradkowski plus Louis Murphy seem to have reignited an Oakland offense that’s been stagnant more than half of my lifetime. The defense has been playing well, especially in the secondary, for the second or third straight year.

Unfortunately, Matt Schaub may be the most underrated passer in the league when it comes to simply racking up pass yardage. No one finds seams in a secondary like Schaub, and no one is more likely to throw for 400+ yards. Add to this the fact that Foster is, as of right now, the league’s best rusher, and he’s going up against a notoriously weak front seven, and you’ve got a long night for Raiders’ fans.

Texans over Raiders, 28-14

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts:

Honestly, I can’t explain Jacksonville to you. Granted, the defense seems to have done nothing to shore up its weaknesses from last year, but the offense should be scoring more than 13 points per game. David Garrard didn’t have a great 2009 season, but it was definitely good; Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the league’s top backs, and the Jags seem to have finally found a receiving corps.

They should just take a look at the Colts. No one makes “fourth-round pick” or later seem as incredible.. Quick, name the four players to have caught a Peyton Manning touchdown pass. Need help after Austin Collie, Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne? It’s Blair White, undrafted out of Michigan State. Pierre Garcon, Collie and White were all drafted fourth round or later in the last two years. The defense, yet again, is without Bob Sanders and an ability to stop the run, but Manning has never before needed a defense, and that’s not gonna change now.

Colts over Jaguars, 28-10

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins:

Eagles are hot, Redskins are not. Should be simple right? Eh, not so much. The Eagles should be able to trademark the word “playmaker” with DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and Michael Vick, and their defense has a disgusting ability to rack up five or six sacks in a game. There’s a reason I believe this team will make the postseason, even after clearing house during the offseason.

That being said, this is Donovan McNabb’s game. The way he plays makes or breaks this game. He can say all the right things, but there’s no way he’s not coming back to Philly without the intention of proving the Eagles franchise wrong. Plus, guess what the Redskins’ biggest issue on defense is? Line play! Guess what Vick does with astonishing regularity? Get sacked! No, seriously, the Skins’ linebacking corps is superb, their secondary is quite good, and their D-line – if only you had tried Haynesworth, if only – is good and could be one of the league’s best right now. Add to this that McNabb knows this team front and back, and you know Andy Reid is sweating this week out right now.

Redskins over Eagles, 21-10

San Diego Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals:

You know what’s absolutely hilarious? The fact that people actually picked the Cardinals as a “surprise” NFC West winner, and did it with a straight face. Unlike the Eagles, the Cards didn’t clear house to make room for new talent; they just cleared house. Gone are Antrel Rolle, Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin, Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart. A defense minus one of its biggest emotional leaders in the past three years (Dansby) plus an offense minus its Nos. 1 and 2 QBs over the past three years (Warner and Leinart) does not equal a playoff team, not does it equal a 1-3 team. Sorry, guys.

I won’t say much on the Chargers, because I’m pretty sure the Cards will get swept by even the Rams this year. But Philip Rivers should be able to settle down this week, Ryan Matthews will be back, and the Chargers’ D could sit down in the middle of the field and shut down the Cards.

Chargers over Cardinals, 24-7

New York Giants vs. Chicago Bears:

It sucks to be the Bears right now. As in, this week only. Because they’re undefeated, everything’s going their way, and everyone is on the bandwagon. Devin Hester is back – for a limited time only – Cutler looks like he finally grew up, Urlacher is buying into Cutler, and Matt Forte is healthy, as is most of the Bears’ defense, Tommie Harris being an exception that I’m not sure I understand. So why does it suck? Hangover.

The Giants are desperate. They’ve been killed in their last two outings, and the Bears are coming off a short week that began with a grueling, physical game against the century-old rivals. Eli may not look any sharper than he has so far this year, but he has the best young receiving corps in the country, and Brandon Jacobs is going to make an already tired D-line suffer even more. Plus, the Giants really need to win at home, or they may all be in the unemployment line next week.

Giants over Bears, 21-17

Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots:

Can someone wake the Patriots up please? It’s like they’re sleepwalking. Since putting up a 31-3 lead against the Bengals, the offense has barely been putting up enough points to survive. Also, since that outing, the defense can’t seem to give up less than 28 points (granted, the Bengals' points were essentially garbage).

I like the Dolphins here, but I don’t know if I like the Dolphins long term anymore. Their defense was dominant against shaky offenses, but when it was time to show up on primetime against a solid offense, they were nowhere to be found. Mark Sanchez should never throw for 250 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against a legitimate defense. I like Miami simply because I don’t like New England. I don’t see the Pats coming out of their stupor in Miami in a game the Dolphins have to see as a must-win if they want to assert their dominance in the AFC East.

Dolphins over Patriots, 24-21

Week 2 college predictions, along with a Boise State bummer

You know what makes me furious? Virginia Tech. I like Frank Beamer; he’s a good coach, a good guy and fields a solid team year in and year out. But come on. James Madison? The worst part is, this gives football purists – those who refuse to accept the mid-majors’ potential legitimacy – enough ammo to keep firing away for at least another year, even though we’ve all seen letdowns like this before, and it’s hardly indicative of Virginia Tech’s real talent.

Really, though, I’m not furious. Just a little irritated at how this plays out. This is why a playoff system would be nice. Mid-majors wouldn’t have to rely on loophole scheduling for them to possibly contend for a national championship, while everybody else would have the ability to actually prove there’s still a talent gap between BCS and mid-major. Who am I kidding, though, that goes against profit flow. Never gonna happen. With that despairing thought, here are my predictions for the week:

Week 2 predictions:

Tennessee vs. #10 Florida – Sorry if you’re not a Tennessee fan reading this, but that’s the bias you get stuck with here. The Vols will always be my first and most extensive read on these predictions. Given that, I think it’s about the only victory Tennessee will get this week.

I was not pleased on so many different levels in the Oregon game last week. I knew we weren’t even close to as good as the Ducks, and I knew the score would probably reflect that. I didn’t know, however, that we would play like the better team for a half and then quit. This is not my perspective as a fan; this is the reaction of media and coaches alike.

If you need examples, just look at LaMichael James’ 72-yard TD run and the Ducks’ pick-six – No, I haven’t looked up who picked it off, because the thought of the play still nauseates me. Only Simms made a full-hearted effort to bring the interceptor down on the pick, and only three people made contact with James, even though he reversed direction in the freaking backfield, and none of those three even got close to a form tackle.

How does this tie in to the Florida game, one that’s an actual rivalry and bound to be more intense? Expect about the same. The Vols have made it clear they can play with anyone for a half. But give the other team a little momentum, and add in the fatigue factor – we all knew UT had no depth; it was just one of those things you kept praying we could avoid in the second half – and Florida looks to have the same reaction as in its first two games: Start off slow and look like a team in serious trouble, before blowing up in the second half for a few TDs.

Final score: 28-17 Florida

#1 Alabama vs. Duke – I won’t call the upset here, but I have to say, I’ve enjoyed keeping track of Duke this far into the season. Granted, their opponents were Wake Forest and Presbyterian, the Blue Devils have been explosive on offense. That being said, there’s no way they overcome an Alabama defense that looks just as good as, if not better than, last season’s D.

Final score: 31-6 Alabama

#2 Ohio State vs. Ohio – OK, fine, I’ll get off my “Ohio State sucks, so why do you keep putting them up there?” bandwagon for the time being. What they did to the ‘Canes, whom I believe are a very good team with a chance to win the ACC, was impressive. This is a top-5 team, and that’s the first time in probably three years I’ve conceded that, so don’t expect to hear it again. Don’t expect the Bobcats, who will struggle to get out of the middle level of the MAC, to put up much of a fight.

Final score: 38-7 Ohio State

#3 Boise State at Wyoming – The fact that this is a road game would matter if it weren’t in-conference for the Broncos. As much as I love me some Boise, I can’t argue the fact that there’s no challenge in the WAC. If you play college fantasy, and you have WAC players available in your league, line up the Broncos, because this is going to be fun.

Final score: 45-13 Boise State

#4 TCU vs. Baylor – It’s funny how TCU can start the season ranked in the top 10, put up a solid performance against a notable Pac-10 team (Oregon State), yet receive absolutely no attention for the fact that the Horned Frogs are ranked fourth right now. The defense won’t be as good as it has been in recent years, but it’s a still a solid, Gary Patterson-led defense that’s going to crush most offenses it faces this year, and it’s Big 12 tune-up this year is against a Baylor squad that’s still at least a couple years away from making any serious moves in the Big 12 – if the league is still around then.

Final score: 38-17 TCU

#5 Oregon vs. Portland State – So turns out, Oregon’s offense is legit. Ugh.

Final score: 63-3 Oregon

#6 Texas vs. Texas Tech – I think Tommy Tuberville has a shot at making Tech a perennial contender in this conference, but I don’t see drastic changes coming in one year, even if he inherited a team easily talented enough to reach a bowl game. I watched Garrett Gilbert just about pull off the upset in the national championship game last season, even though it was the first time he’d gotten anything more than garbage-time snaps. I like Texas for this whole season; I like it a lot.

Final score: 42-28 Texas

#7 Oklahoma vs. Air Force – This is where it gets fun, ladies and gents. Oklahoma proved last week that it’s either a very good team or that Florida is a very overrated team. I think it’s a combination of both, but you can’t argue 47 points against a solid FBS program. However, you can’t argue Air Force putting up 35 on BYU either. This is still a run-centric team, going up against the progenitors of the Wishbone offense, but I like Air Force’s chances. I don’t see an upset happening in Norman, but you can be sure this is going to be a great game.

Final score: 41-31 Oklahoma

#8 Nebraska at Washington – The Cornhuskers are an enigma for me. Western Kentucky shredded their defense two weeks ago for almost 300 yards – though having possibly the nation’s best rusher probably helps – then stifled a high-powered Idaho passing attack, which had a -9 point differential at half time. And then there’s the question of the team’s offense: Is Taylor Martinez really the answer? For the time being, I think yes, he is, and I think both sides of the ball will be enough to stop a team whose only real playmaker is Jake Locker.

Final score: 28-14 Nebraska

#9 Iowa at #24 Arizona – Every year Arizona starts off with hype, and every year it either just manages to meet that hype or slightly fails to reach it. Given that most of the Wildcats playmakers are returning, I really don’t see any difference in this, especially against a stifling Iowa defense. Don’t look for the Hawkeyes to run up 40 on a pretty good Wildcat defense, but Ricki Stanzi is a solid game winner, and Adam Robinson has looked impressive in his first two starts. If nothing else, the runners’ duel between Robinson and Arizona’s Nic Grigsby should be amazing to watch.

Final score: 23-17 Iowa

#11 Wisconsin vs. Arizona State – Remember all the hype surrounding Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils a few years back? Yeah, that’s dead now. The Sun Devils are the only team, as far as I’m aware, to actually play two FCS-division opponents – only one of those games count towards the team’s bowl eligibility, so I’m lost on this one – and that’s about as much hype as they get this year. As far as my not-so-extensive knowledge of ASU goes, the team has no players or units of note. Look for this to be just another tune-up game for John Clay and the Badgers.

Final score: 35-14 Wisconsin

#12 Arkansas vs. Georgia – Can someone please explain what exactly Arkansas has done to merit a No. 12 ranking? Yes, the Razorbacks have Ryan Mallett, yes they have the best passing attack in the SEC, but this is a defensive-minded conference and the team did little last year and has played no teams of note so far this year. I believe the Hogs will be a good team; they might even be able to upset Alabama later in the year, but Georgia’s coming off a conference loss, it’s playing at home, and the defense looks fairly solid so far. Expect tears and dashed hopes in Fayetteville come Sunday night.

Final score: 28-24 Georgia

#13 South Carolina vs. Furman – If Marcus Lattimore still hasn’t grabbed your attention, this is just another chance for you to watch the best contact runner in college since Adrian Peterson. Steve Spurrier said he thought Lattimore broke around 40 tackles in the Georgia game, which is a lot. And I don’t doubt it either. I watched the Gamecocks’ victory-sealing drive against Georgia, and one two consecutive players, Lattimore should have been stopped for a loss but both times broke tackles to gain 10+ yards. Total, he broke about eight tackles on those two plays. Enjoy watching him run over Furman.

Final score: 56-14 South Carolina

#14 Utah vs. New Mexico – Remember Utah from two weeks ago? Beat Pitt in overtime and all that? Remember New Mexico from two weeks ago? Gave up 70 to Oregon and all that? Yeah, that’s about all you need here.

Final score: 49-10 Utah

#15 LSU vs. Mississippi State – If for nothing else, I love the SEC for games like this. The Bulldogs are a solid team who manage to play SEC foes very close, even if they usually do come out on the bottom. Unfortunately for them, LSU has a solid defense, even if it collapsed against UNC in the second half two weeks ago, and a solid run game. Mississippi State will stay in contention for most of the contest, but Dan Mullen’s first marquee victory won’t come at Tiger Stadium.

Final Score: 24-20 LSU

#16 Auburn vs. Clemson – I have my reservations about Auburn. The Tigers looked like one of the nation’s top offenses last year until defenses caught onto Gene Chizik’s game plan. I have even more reservations about Clemson, though, and for the first time in years, I think they’re ranked where they should be: out of the top 25. This should be a good test for Auburn’s defense before it hits the meat of the SEC, though.

Final score: 28-17 Auburn

#17 Miami – Bye. Smart move, especially given what happened to Virginia Tech.

#18 USC at Minnesota – I have three words for Minnesota fans: South Dakota. Sorry.

Final score: 42-14 USC

#19 Stanford vs. Wake Forest – I’d like to know why a solid Stanford team that absolutely pounded UCLA last week is ranked lower than a USC team that has looked icky at best in its two wins, but that’s not my place to say. UCLA may be a cellar-dweller in the Pac-10, but it’s still a solid program, and the goose egg on its side of the board last Saturday is scary. However, Wake lost a track meet with Duke last week, so it’ll be interesting to see which is the stronger force. I say Stanford’s defense.

Final score: 24-14 Stanford

#20 Michigan vs. UMass – Did you see Denard Robinson? I have no adjectives for this man! Yes, I’m aware it’s early in the season, and I’m sure teams will catch on, but 500 yards is a really big number to ignore, especially for the poor Minutemen.

Final score: 63-14 Michigan

#21 West Virginia vs. Maryland – Well this is interesting. You have the one team (WVU) that’s already struggled against a mid-major this season, while the other team (Maryland) perennially struggles with mid-majors. This is another game where I think home-field advantage is the difference-maker. Maryland is a much better team than its record last year indicates, while I believe West Virginia is a worse team than its record indicates. The amount of skill-position talent on that team should lead to BCS contention annually, yet the team looked sloppy against Marshall.

Final score: 27-20 West Virginia

#22 Penn State vs. Kent State – Like Miami, smart move with the lax scheduling right after a big game. The Nittany Lions need this one after being pounded unceremoniously by the Crimson Tide last week. Completely unrelated, but if Penn is short for Pennsylvania, how come Kent isn’t short for Kentucky (Kent State is in Ohio)?

Final score: 41-13 Penn State

#23 Houston at UCLA – I would love to say this is a sure bet for Houston, but I can’t bring myself to accept a Case Keenum-led letdown for a third year running. That being said, if the Bruins couldn’t stop Andrew Luck, they sure can’t stop Keenum.

Final score: 45-35 Houston

#25 Oregon State vs. Louisville – I’ve never been a fan of dropping a team completely out of the rankings for losing a thriller against a top-10 team, so I’m glad the Beavers are back in this week, because they deserve to be here. The Rogers brothers -– if you haven’t seen them by now, I judge you. Seriously, youtube them –- are some of the most dynamic players in football, and they will score on anyone, especially Louisville. I have faith Charlie Strong can get the Cardinal turned around, but this test will simply be too much for them.

Final score: 30-17 Oregon State

Overdue predicting time

Hi peeps, been a while. Sorry about that. I swear I planned to follow up that last post, but I got busy, then I got sick, then I just plain forgot. See, I like to think I’m awesome and don’t need to write things down to remember them – the truth being closer to I’m so forgetful when it comes to agendas that I forget to even write things down – and sometimes things just slip my mind. Or I completely and utterly forget. Whatever.

Anyway, I am back, for a little bit. I won’t make silly promises such as I’ll be updating regularly, until I actually am updating regularly, but for now, here’s what’s left of that last post.

Tennessee predictions:

Sept. 11 (1-0) – Oregon: Loss. I don’t know how many of you paid attention to last week’s college football scores, since there were maybe three legitimately interesting games on over the course of three days, but Oregon beat the ever-living daylights out of New Mexico. Granted, UT-Martin found itself in a similar situation against the Vols, losing 50-0, but there’s one key difference: New Mexico is an FBS team in a legitimate conference (MWC, though the Lobos are bottom feeders), while UT-Martin is an FCS team that finished with a losing record in 2009.

Also, Oregon did this with an unproven starting quarterback in Kenjon Barner and second-string running back Darron Thomas. Add starting back LaMichael James into the mix at Knoxville, and you get about what Vegas predicts: a 14-point line in favor of the Ducks, 3,000 miles from their home field.

Final score: 42-20

Sept. 18 (1-1) – Florida: Win. I’m going to get gutsy here. I am by no means convinced that the Vols even have a real shot at finally beating Urban Meyer, but after watching the Pouncey-Brantley exchange fail an astonishing 14 times out of 40 shotgun snaps, I really think the Gators have the ability to allow anyone to beat them. The Vols will be the first legitimate opponent the Gators face, and Meyer is confident, possibly arrogant, enough to believe he can get away with continuing to try to fix the team’s obvious shotgun problems instead of opting for the safer game plan of sticking John Brantley under center.

Sept. 25 (2-1) – UAB: Win. I would love an explanation as to why in the world the Vols have a nonconference foe on the fourth Saturday of September. It’s bad enough they scheduled an FCS opponent this year, but the middle of the schedule should be reserved for conference and tough nonconference opponents only. Either way, there’s no question about this. The Blazers return to Knoxville for the first time in two years and without one of the best weapons in their history: Joe Webb. This will probably wind up as no more than a great opportunity to work out any flaws coach Derek Dooley sees in his team before it hits the road for arguably the hardest stretch of games in the country this year.

Oct. 2 (3-1) – LSU: Loss. Any confidence the Vols may have gained during the month of September is going to be sucked away in the Bayou. LSU looked shaky against a much-depleted UNC team Sunday, but the Tigers are still one of the better teams in the SEC, they will be playing at home, and defensive coordinator John Chavis gets his first chance at exacting revenge for the way he and the rest of Fulmer’s staff were unceremoniously ousted in 2008. The Vols should put up points, but turnovers and an inability to hold off what seems to be a much-improved Jordan Jefferson-led offense will be too much.

Oct. 9 (3-2) – Georgia: Loss. The Vols have a knock for being a huge buzzkill to the Bulldogs during any promising season, but that won’t happen this year. I’ll be honest: I haven’t heard much about Georgia this year, but I know that, even without A.J. Green, the ‘Dawgs have a formidable offense, and their defense should be good enough to keep the Vols offense away from the end zones enough to ensure a victory.

That being said, don’t be surprised if Tennessee hits its stride here. The only real questions the Volunteer offense has are how Matt Simms can handle heavy pressure and how well the highly touted but highly inexperienced offensive line can gel in a couple months. Far more questions lie on the defensive side of the ball, but a strong offense will be the key to the Vols walking out of the Hedges with a win – but don’t count on it.

Oct. 23 (3-3) – Alabama: Loss. It’s nice that the Vols get a reprieve in the middle of their four-game road stint. Unfortunately, it’s to host the defending national champs. The Crimson Tide only return roughly half their starters from last year, but those starters, like Greg McIlroy, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones are invaluable. Don’t expect the Tide to walk into Neyland Stadium undefeated, but don’t expect them to walk out with an extra loss, either. The score will be closer than the last time Alabama visited Knoxville, and there should be significantly more passion, but that’s not enough to win a game against a simply better team.

Oct. 30 (3-4) – South Carolina: Win. The great thing about the Gamecocks under Steve Spurrier is that expectations are always high, and they always fail. South Carolina is notorious for not being able to finish down the stretch, and, like I said earlier, expect the Vols to have found their stride at this point. Tennessee’s largest flaw this year is its raw inexperience and lack of depth. Both of these can be overcome with experience and hard work. Couple that with the fact that Tennessee simply has more talent than USC, and the Vols should be able to stop their losing skid in Columbia, S.C.

Nov. 6 (4-4) – Memphis: Win. If what Mississippi State did to Memphis during the opening week is any indication, Memphis’ hopes of a successful season were a little bit overstretched. The Tigers have, as of right now, no legitimate threats on either side of the ball, as well as a fresh coaching staff with less experience than Dooley’s gang. It won’t be a cakewalk, but the Vols should be able to run their in-state mark to 2-0.

Nov. 13 (5-4) – Mississippi: Win. This is where I’m glad I didn’t sit down to write this until today. In the last week, I’ve changed opinions on Ole Miss more times than I can count. First Jeremiah Masoli was suspended for a year. Then he won his appeal. Then the Rebels just flat collapsed against Jacksonville State. Then I heard Jacksonville State’s quarterback being interviewed. OK, so that last one didn’t change my opinion; it was just funny. His voice would’ve been more at home in a Rebels uniform than in a … well, I don’t exactly know what JSU’s nickname is.

Anyway, this is not a team set up for success this year. Even without their fourth-quarter collapse, the Rebels looked shaky at best against a sub-par FCS team. Add to that fact that every Vol remembers the pounding Dexter McCluster and Co. laid on the team in Oxford last year, and the Rebels have a steep mountain to climb if they want to pull off a second straight win against UT. And with this, the Vols will find themselves unexpectedly bowl eligible with two weeks left to play.

Nov. 20 (6-4) – Vanderbilt: Win. Don’t know if any of you watched Vandy play Northwestern Saturday, but the Commodores made a decent-at-best Wildcats team look like an efficient machine. Vandy wasn’t exactly hammered, but the game was never close either. With Bob Johnson’s offseason resignation, the Commodores are as shaken up as the Vols, and they have absolutely no talent to make up for it. Enjoy this game, Vols fans, because this is where it gets interesting.

Nov. 27 (7-4) – Kentucky: Loss. Yup, you read that right. I laughed when Zac, our editor-in-chief marked the Wildcats as a loss in his preseason predictions for our paper. Then I watched the Wildcats throttle Louisville.

Let me be perfectly clear here: Randall Cobb is. a. freak. And he’s not even the best player on the team. That distinction goes to Derrick Locke. The scary thing about Kentucky is that the team can completely redefine the word ‘Wildcat.’ Both Locke and Cobb can line up under center – although Mike Hartline is no slouch as QB – and Locke can actually throw, giving them a stupid number of options on offense. Along with that, Joker Phillips, former offensive coordinator, seems perfectly capable of filling Rich Brooks’ shoes. Basically, it doesn’t really matter what the Vols do, because the Wildcats are going to score, and they’re going to score a LOT. If Tennessee is going to stand a chance, they’ll have to match the Locke/Cobb duo every touchdown of the way.

Alrighty, there’s my predictions for the year for the Vols. I’ll try to start doing weekly predictions for Top-25 teams as well, but we’ll see how consistent I am with that. Also, I hope none of you have made plans for Thursday night, because there’s this little thing called the NFL, and it’s starting its season that night. It’s only the single most important date of the fall.