Friday College Football Pickoff - Week 9

A Halloween Saturday means some spooky things are bound to happen in the football world. Watch out for Oregon and Oklahoma State...last year's Holiday Bowl representatives can shake up the BCS picture with wins over USC and Texas respectively.

Last week, I went 10-0 in my college picks while Rich went 8-2...mind you some of our picks weren't that tough...but regardless I hope to do as well again this week. Take a look below for this week’s picks:

Eric: Notre Dame 41, Washington St. 14
-Cougs barely cover the four touchdown spread but Irish QB Jimmy Clausen has a field day on the poor Cougs secondary.
Rich: ND 42, WSU 21
-Last time these teams met, a thriller on OT…..those were the days. Cougs get a little better each week with the rookie QB.

Eric: Oregon St. 34, UCLA 16
-Poor Rick Neuheisel…he’s a good coach with a very young team…in a few years this result will be different…but for now OSU wins in a rout.
Rich: OSU 45, UCLA 20
-Beavers will pour it on…

Eric: California 27, ASU 23
-If ASU loses here, their bowl aspirations will be in serious jeopardy. Which Cal team will show up? I like Cal with the much stronger running game to get it done on the road. Over/Under on ASU Freshman LB Vontaze Burfict's 15-yard penalties committed: 1.5 (he's had 5 in the last two weeks).
Rich: ASU 24, Cal 22
-Cal has looked good of late…maybe ready for let down. ASU needs this home win.

Eric: Oregon 30, USC 28
-Upset special #1…or is it? The home crowd gives Oregon the extra advantage they need to pull the upset. The Trojans’ D has looked vulnerable the past two weeks while allowing 63 combined points to Notre Dame and Oregon St.
Rich: Ore 35, USC 31
-I don’t think this will be an upset. Autzen will be the toughest stadium in the country Saturday for a road team to win.

Eric: Florida 34, Georgia 13
-Not quite as bad a beating as last year’s game…but Tim Tebow plays like the Tebow of old in this blowout.
Rich: I agree...the only question is which cocktail to order? [This game used to be known as the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party"]

Eric: Texas 34, Oklahoma St. 30

-I really want to pick the upset here…but I won’t for two reasons: 1. OSU is without their star WR Dez Bryant due to an NCAA-imposed suspension…2. Texas lost at Texas Tech on this weekend last year…Coach Mack Brown won’t let the same fate happen again. Texas QB Colt McCoy jumps to the top of the Heisman race after this one.
Rich: Yes……the Horns win against an OSU team that maybe a year away from greatness. But it wouldn’t be a shock if greatness arrives for the Cowboys on Saturday night.

Eric: Ole Miss 26, Auburn 20
-Ole Miss has disappointed me this year...I really thought they would win the SEC West...while Auburn has disappointed me of late with their current losing streak. Ole Miss wins a fairly close one.
Rich: Ole Miss 27-21

Eric's Upset Special: Central Michigan 27, Boston College 24
-The Chippewas are for real with their only loss coming at the hands of UofA…look for a BC hangover from last Saturday’s close Notre Dame loss. If CMU goes 11-1, is their QB Dan LeFevour an outside Heisman candidate.
-Rich: I like this pick!

Rich's Upset Special: Minnesota 17, Michigan State 14 -- (FYI I like MSU by 10+)

Have a good weekend everyone!

Eric

Week 8 NFL Picks

Last week I came up with the not-so-brilliant idea of rating games based on the star system...5 stars for a virtual lock down to 2-stars for the tossup games...it didn't go as I expected:

5-star plays: 3-0
4-star plays: 1-2
3-star plays: 3-0
2-star plays: 3-1

Now I'm not going to argue with the 10-3 record...but to go 1-2 in 4-star plays is unacceptable...therefore this week I'll provide my predicted score as well as a small writeup as to what I think will happen...here we go...

Week 8 NFL Picks

Last Week: 10-3
Season Record: 69-34 (67%)
HOME TEAMS IN CAPS

St. Louis Rams 24, DETROIT LIONS 23
-My upset special this week...both teams are borderline horrendous and if they win, this might be the Rams only conquest in '09. Look for a late Marc Bulger TD pass to break the Lions hopes for win #2.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 27, New York Giants 23
-Neither team wants three losses this early in the game...considering the Eagles defense has been more impressive of late, I'll take the home team here.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 31, San Francisco 49ers 13
-Before the season I predicted the Colts as one of my 2009 disappointments...can I get a re-do? Peyton Manning throws 3 TD passes in this rout over the suddenly fading 49ers.

BALTIMORE RAVENS 23, Denver Broncos 13
-Baltimore lost three in a row going into their bye week, while Denver can't seem to do anything wrong so far this year. Fortunes change this Sunday...the Broncos will be lucky to win 5 of their last 10 games though they should still be a virtual playoff lock.

Houston Texans 24, BUFFALO BILLS 14
-After pulling two impressive upsets on the road the past two weeks under the guidance of Harvard-grad Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, the Bills run ends thanks to the streaking Texans and their red-hot gunslinger Matt Schaub.

CHICAGO BEARS 30, Cleveland Browns 10
-I agree with what a prominent Cleveland sportswriter said this week...the Browns should fire their entire coaching staff and start over. Hey...I hear LeBron James is a free agent in 2010!

DALLAS COWBOYS 27, Seattle Seahawks 20
-Matt Hasselbeck will lead his Seahawks on a furious 2nd half comeback that will come up a touchdown short.

NEW YORK JETS 26, Miami Dolphins 17
-After getting run over by the Dolphins "Wildcat" offense in Week 5, look for the Jets to make serious adjustments. After blowing a three touchdown lead last week, I don't see how the Dolphins can rebound this Sunday. The Jets win comfortably.

Jacksonville Jaguars 26, TENNESSEE TITANS 21
-The Jaguars are the NFL's latest bi-polar squad...one week they'll look great...the next week they'll get shutout. Tennessee's miserable 2009 continues...

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 30, Oakland Raiders 9
-Am I giving the Raiders offense too much credit but predicting three field goals?

ARIZONA CARDINALS 27, Carolina Panthers 20
-This one has Cardinals letdown and Panthers revenge written all over it...but I just can't predict the upset. The Cardinals win on a late score from Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald.

GREEN BAY PACKERS 27, Minnesota Vikings 24
-As a lifelong Packers fan, I can't tell you how disappointed I'll be to watch Brett Favre comeback to Lambeau Field in a Vikings uniform. My favorite player of all-time is nothing more than a traitor. Years from now I'll forget about it, but for now I'm hoping the Packers exact some revenge. In a classic, Green Bay wins on a last second Mason Crosby field goal.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 30, Atlanta Falcons 24
-After their stunning comeback from three touchdowns down late in the 2nd quarter last week, is it wrong to call the Saints the best team in the NFC? Look for Drew Brees and Matt Ryan to put up some monster passing yardage totals in an entertaining Saints win.

Back Friday with the college picks...


PS - World Series Prediction: Phillies over the Yankees in 6...MVP: Cliff Lee

Monday Thoughts - Cardinals, UofA, ASU, and the BCS

Four burning questions on this Monday...

-Did the Arizona Cardinals just win in New York?
-Is the University of Arizona's #20 BCS ranking justified?
-Are the Arizona State Sun Devils on the way to a second consecutive bowl-less season?
-How would I fix the BCS?

Keep reading below for the answers to all of these questions...and MORE!

• Yes, the Cardinals just shocked the football world by dominating...yes...dominating the New York Giants on Sunday night. The final score was 24-17 Arizona but in actuality the game wasn't nearly as close. The Cardinals probably should have scored 40+ against a Giants defense that was on its toes from start to finish. New York quarterback Eli Manning looked flustered and shaken against an aggressive and opportunistic Cardinals D. This is a signature win for Arizona...a win that should clearly separate them from San Francisco and Seattle in the NFC West race. With Carolina coming to town next week, the Cardinals should be careful...letdowns happen often in football...with that said, I'll put AZ's division title chances at somewhere between 90-95%. Also, can you believe the Cards are 3-0 on the road this season and currently have a road winning streak of four? Quite impressive.
  

• Yes, the Wildcats do belong at #20 despite two road losses thus far in 2009. They opened the season with a dominant defensive performance against a strong Central Michigan offense than has not been tested since (the Chippewas' only loss was to UA) before cruising past Northern Arizona. Iowa handed the 'Cats a 10-point defeat in Iowa City, but considering the Hawkeyes are still unbeaten, that loss doesn't look too bad at this point. Nick Foles replaced Matt Scott as the starting QB at Oregon St., where Arizona came up with a signature 37-32 victory. The loss at Washington on a fluky play was tough, but the win the following week against Stanford in a game they really didn't deserve makes up for it. Foles looked shaky against UCLA this past Saturday, but Arizona's defense played as well as they have since Central Michigan en route to a 27-13 win. From here, the 'Cats have a week off before facing a porous Washington St. team...and then the schedule gets tricky...at California, the home finale against Oregon, at Arizona St., and at USC...tough, tough road ahead. I'll say 8-4 and a Sun Bowl appearance with wins against WSU, Oregon, and ASU, though I wouldn't rule Cal as a guaranteed loss. Still, the Wildcats are quite a ways up from the program I saw while going to school there (2001-2005).

• This one is a toss-up. If ASU loses at home against Cal this weekend, I'll say no bowl for the Sun Devils...if they can pull off the upset, I think they go 6-6 and head to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. On Saturday night ASU's offense reared its ugly head again...while its defense for once didn't play much better. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cal game is very close...the Bears are constant underachievers and the Devils simply need this game more. If I were Dennis Erickson, I wouldn't make a permanent change at quarterback this season...we all know Danny Sullivan is below adequate...but throwing a true freshman, Brock Osweiler, into the wolves (Cal, USC, @ Oregon, @ UCLA, UofA) isn't necessarily the right move either.

• The BCS is always going to be under constant debate...but the fact is, football isn't like basketball...you can't play two games a weekend and the recovery time between games (i.e. injury risk) is much greater...therefore a large postseason tournament doesn't make sense. Even 16 teams is far too many...that's potentially four extra games on the schedule for those two teams who play in the championship game. So let's make it simple here folks...an 8 team tournament including:
  -The conference champions of the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, and ACC (5)
  -The highest rated champion of the Big East/Mountain West/WAC/Conference USA (1)
  -The two highest ranked at-large teams who do not meet that criteria (2)
  
  So based on the current BCS Standings, here is how the current 8-team playoff would look:
  1-Florida (SEC) vs. 8-Georgia Tech (ACC)
  2-Alabama (at-large) vs. 7-Oregon (Pac-10)
  3-Texas (Big 12) vs. 6-TCU (non-BCS conference champ)
  4-Iowa (Big 10) vs. 5-USC (at-large)
  
  Oregon and USC face each other this weekend...and the loser will fall out of this bracket, therefore Boise St. or Cincinnati would move up. The only problem with my proposal is when three or more non-BCS conference teams go undefeated (and I'm not including the Big East as a BCS conference as you can tell...I just don't believe the competition level in football is that great), at least one will likely miss the tournament.
  
  Base the seeding on BCS rankings (among the eligible teams) and for locations use the Chick-Fil-A, Cotton, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, and Rose Bowls for the first six games...and keep the BCS Championship Game in place for the final matchup.
  
  Someone please tell me why it can't be that easy?
  
  
  Eric
  

Friday College Football Pickoff - Week 8

Every Friday to this point, our Station Manager in Prescott, Rich Howe and I have traded our Pac-10 college football and select national game predictions. Here is how we break things down this week:

Pac-10 Picks

UCLA at Arizona
Eric: UA 34, UCLA 26 - Bruins put another scare into the 'Cats...but in the end, they don't have quite enough offense to beat 'em.

Rich: UA 38, UCLA 17 - Cat offense looks too good, especially in Tucson...this is a big win for Stoops and bowl aspirations.

Oregon at Washington
Eric: Oregon 27, Washington 26 - The Huskies roller-coaster season continues with another close, crushing defeat.

Rich: Oregon 42, Washington 37 - Heart says take the 'Dogs at home, but Ducks continue on their mission...no looking ahead to USC next week...they hate the Huskies.

Washington State at California
Eric: Cal 44, WSU 10 - Did you see what (Cal running back) Jahvid Best did to the Cougs in the 1st half of last season's game? Expect a repeat.

Rich (a WSU alum): Cal 35, WSU 16 - How could I forget? First play from scrimmage...Best off tackle for 80...nightmare on Stadium Way. Coug defense is improving and had a bye week to heal. Jeff Tuel is only the second true freshman QB to start for the Cougars...the other: Drew Bledsoe in 1990. Cougs beat the 35-point spread.

Oregon State at USC
Eric: USC 30, OSU 17 - "Closer than the experts think"...the Beavers don't win but they keep it interesting until a late Trojans TD seals the win.

Rich: USC 35, OSU 21 - The Beavers aren't in Corvallis anymore...too much Trojans firepower.

Arizona State at Stanford
Eric: Stanford 24, ASU 20 - This game will be close throughout...but Stanford finds a way to win as they need this win to further their bowl aspirations more than ASU does.

Rich: I like your pick...the Cardinal will win as ASU struggles away from Tempe.


Notable National Game Picks

Florida at Mississippi State
Eric: Florida 27, MSU 16 - Like the USC-OSU game, this one will be closer than it should be...MSU's coach (Dan Mullen) is a former Gators assistant and might have a trick or two up his sleeve.

Rich: I thought maybe this could be a USC-UW type of game...I like the improvements MSU is making but no upset in Starkville this year.

Iowa at Michigan State
Eric: Iowa 20, MSU 17 - A lot of people are picking Sparty and the upset here...not me. Iowa hangs on to yet another close win. I think they will remain undefeated until they head to Columbus, OH in mid-November.

Rich: MSU is favored...they've beaten the Hawkeyes the past 4-5 years...I'm going with Sparty 23-20.

TCU at BYU
Eric: TCU 27, BYU 20 - A very good defense usually beats a very good offense...that's the case here.

Rich: This could be the most entertaining game of the day...BYU is up for the game...ESPN's College Gameday is there, loud stadium, high altitude...I like the "Y" to knock the 'Frogs out of the BCS chase...BYU 36-31.

Penn State at Michigan
Eric: Penn St. 27, Michigan 24 - No heartbreak for the Nittany Lions in Ann Arbor this time...Michigan loses another heartbreaker.

Rich: ...in overtime!

Oklahoma at Kansas
Eric: OU 31, KU 27 - I know what you're thinking...but it's not going to happen. Kansas is good...just not good enough for an OU team that badly needs this win.

Rich: My upset pick of the week - 21-18 KU.


Back Monday with a recap of all the exciting football action in Week 2 of The AZ-TV Sports Blog. Have a good football weekend everyone!

Week 7 NFL Picks

Happy Wednesday everyone! As I write this post, we're more than halfway through the work week, meaning we're that much closer to the NFL this Sunday. Here are my Week 7 picks...

Last week: 7-7 (50%)
Season record: 59-31 (74%)

HOME TEAMS IN CAPS

WEEK 7 NFL PICKS:

5-STAR LOCKS
(99.9% Winners)

• Indianapolis Colts 35, ST. LOUIS RAMS 13
• New England Patriots 30, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 9 (game being played in London)
• Green Bay Packers 27, CLEVELAND BROWNS 10

4-STAR SAFE PLAYS

(If these lose, I'll be donating to my weekly pool)

• NEW YORK GIANTS 34, Arizona Cardinals 20
• CAROLINA PANTHERS 27, Buffalo Bills 14
• San Diego Chargers 27, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 13

3-STAR SOLID PLAYS
(No more than one upset in the bunch)

• PITTSBURGH STEELERS 23, Minnesota Vikings 16
• CINCINNATI BENGALS 30, Chicago Bears 20
• Philadelphia Eagles 23, WASHINGTON REDSKINS 10

2-STAR PICKS
(Be on upset alert...these games could go either way)

• NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 28, Miami Dolphins 24
• HOUSTON TEXANS 27, San Francisco 49ers 23
• New York Jets 17, OAKLAND RAIDERS 13
• Atlanta Falcons 24, DALLAS COWBOYS 20

Other random thoughts:

• I hope you don't have a long term mortgage on your Washington D.C. home, Jim Zorn. You've clearly been a failure as Redskins coach and with another embarrassing loss, it might be time for you to save face and tend your resignation before team owner Dan Snyder gives you the ole' heave-ho.

• As much as I choose to root against them, why can't I shake this feeling that ASU will give Stanford a good game this Saturday night? The Cardinal have lost two in a row and need this one badly...but so do the Sun Devils who face a rigorous schedule in the last half of their season.
  

• Run to the pros (Oklahoma QB) Sam Bradford! You won a Heisman Trophy and played in the National Championship Game last year, yet decided to come back for a 3rd season which has not gone well at all. Now that you're likely done for the season with a second shoulder injury, my advice to you is to take the money and run...but make sure to go back and get your degree before your playing career is over...just in case.
  

• I love, LOVE the hire my beloved Chicago Cubs made today of former Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Let's hope he can show these guys how to hit, which in turn will take the pressure off the Cubs pitching staff who probably felt like they needed to pitch a shutout in order to win every day.

• Do you think the Suns have a chance to finish above 7th in the Western Conference this year? Will they make the playoffs? I'm honestly torn here...I'm hoping they surprise me, but I still don't see how they make noise now that a quality third wheel (besides Nash and Amare) is no longer around. I wish Golden State had held up to their end of the proposed deal which would've sent Amare to the Bay Area on draft night...

Be back Friday with the college selections...

EC

Welcome to the AZ-TV Sports Blog!

Hey Everyone...EC here...your resident AZ-TV sports "expert"...I'm one of those guys who can tell you the teams, score, and MVP of every Super Bowl off the top of my head. Everybody has a passion...for me, it's sports. In this column, you'll find picks, predictions, opinions, fantasy sports advice...keep checking multiple times a week for updates...and please post your feedback below.

I'll just say this off the top...my views do not necessarily reflect those of the station so please keep that in mind as you read along.

For my first column, here are 7 thoughts (in honor of our channel number of course) from this past weekend...

EC's 7 Thoughts

1. I think... the UofA-Stanford game was quite possibly the most entertaining football game I've ever seen live. (Full disclosure: I'm a UofA alum and football season ticket holder.) Neither team could stop the other...it was back and forth all day...until finally the Wildcats stopped the Cardinal on 4th down inside the UA 15 yard line to preserve the win.

I havemany opinions on this game...from how well both quarterbacks, Nick Foles and Andrew Luck played to the lack of defense shown on both sides. The way I look at it though, this game was Stanford's for the taking and they flat-out blew it. Jim Harbaugh has proven to be a good college coach in his young career, but he did not have his best game this past Saturday. From his decision to go for it on 4th and 1 at the UofA 9 while up by two points late in the game...and NOT run the ball...to his thought process in not taking an errant kickoff at the 35 yard line (but instead re-kick)...he's owes a sincere apology to his players for those mistakes. 43-38 final score, 1100+ total yards...they don't get much more exciting than that.

2. I think... the University of Washington's Head Coach Steve Sarkisian and Defensive Coordinator Nick Holt owe a bunch of apologies this week (to the players, administration, fan base) for their abysmal coaching performance in the last two minutes the other night against ASU. Let's break this one down...1st and 10 at their own 20...three timeouts left and two minutes on the clock. Two runs net nine yards and run off about 50 seconds...why in the heck would Sarkisian call for a 50 yard pass play that had little chance of being caught? A short punt put ASU at midfield with 15 seconds left...and for some reason Holt didn't instruct his defense to cover anyone nor rush the passer. ASU QB Danny Sullivan had loads of time to see two WIDE OPEN receivers streak right down the middle of the field...24-17 ASU...

3. I think... sports has a way of evening itself out...don't you think? UofA loses to Washington on a lucky bounce / blown call last week...yet beats Stanford when they're totally outplayed. Washington wins on that same lucky bounce / blown call....yet loses to ASU the following week in a game they absolutely should've won. I'm just saying...

4. I think... the Arizona Cardinals will win the NFC West again this year...which I definitely would not have said two weeks ago. After their dominant win at Seattle yesterday I started looking at the road ahead for the Cards - currently 3-2...here is their schedule with my projected result: @ New York Giants (L), Carolina (W), @ Chicago (L), Seattle (W), @ St. Louis (W), @ Tennessee (W), Minnesota (L), @ San Francisco (L), @ Detroit (W), St. Louis (W), Green Bay (L)...looks like another 9-7 playoff season to me...considering I also predicted the Cards to lose in a few home games they very well might win.

5. I think... the Patriots have some bad karma coming their way. Tom Brady threw six touchdown passes in a little over two quarters yesterday in the snow at Foxboro...but the fact is, does he really need to be in the game when it's 45-0 at halftime...and throwingf for more? That's ridiculous Bill Belichick...and embarassing to a class act in (Titans Coach) Jeff Fisher.

6. I think... the Phillies are still better than the Yankees and will beat them in this year's Fall Classic. Usually when my beloved Cubs are out of the playoffs, I don't watch a lot of baseball in October...but this year I can't wait to see former Indians teammates Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia go head-to-head in the World Series. Assuming the Phils and Yanks take care of business in their League Championship Series', I say Philly wins in 6 with Lee being the MVP.

7. I think... the Coyotes success is the best thing the NHL has going for it right now. We're talking about a team of mostly unknowns leading their division with a 5-2 record and 10 points...what an unbelievable story! Likely the good run will come to an end at some point...but in the meantime, let's all support the 'Yotes like we do the Cardinals, Suns, etc...

On that note everyone, thanks for reading...check back this week for more good stuff!

EC