After a couple weeks of some major changes among the top 25, Week 9 was relatively calm with only a few minor changes led by Missouri suffering its first loss of the year. Alabama and Oregon sit atop of the rankings once again with Florida State proving to be the third best and potentially waiting for one of the others to falter. Miami (FL) continues their strong year and now must try to stop Florida State this week while Ohio State continues to take care of business and has not lost since the 2011 season. Texas Tech and UCLA also slipped a little bit this week along with Missouri. Virginia Tech and Nebraska suffered rough losses that knocked them out of the top 25 and opened the door for UCF and Michigan State to jump into the top 25.
With Week 10 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (BYE)- They continue to look like the best team and get a week off to rest up for the stretch run.
2)(2) Oregon (BYE)- They get a week off and need to ensure they are ready for Stanford next week.
3)(3) Florida State (vs Miami (FL))- They look to keep their national title hopes going and enter a top 5 matchup heavily favored.
4)(4) Ohio State (at Purdue)- After some close Big 10 battles this year, this one should be more reflexive of their win last week.
5)(5) Miami (FL) (at Florida State)- They can truly return to top tier status if they can pull the upset on the road this week.
6)(7) Baylor (BYE)- The way they are playing this year, they might still score 30 points on their bye week and need to be sharp as they enter the meat of their schedule.
7)(8) Stanford (BYE)- Like Oregon, they get a week off to prepare for the game of the year in the Pac-12.
8)(9) Clemson (at Virginia)-They need to take of games like this week in order to stay on track for a potential BCS at-large bid.
9)(13) Auburn (at Arkansas)-They should be able to continue to build on their success this year with a weaker SEC foe this week.
10)(14) LSU (BYE)-They are looking to finish strong after this bye week and still make some noise.
11)(15) Texas A&M (vs UTEP)-They like LSU have a small window for mistakes and should have little trouble this week.
12)(6) Missouri (vs Tennessee)-They should be able to bounce back after their first loss but still should not overlook a team that has played some top teams close.
13)(12) Fresno State (vs Nevada)-They hope to continue their pursuit of a perfect and BCS birth.
14)(18) Oklahoma (BYE)-They have a week off to better position themselves for a big one with Baylor.
15)(20) South Carolina (vs Mississippi State)-They may have been dismissed a little too soon cause they might have the inside track to the SEC East after their win against Missouri.
16)(10) Texas Tech (vs Oklahoma State)-They got hit hard last week and will find themselves in another tough challenge this week.
17)(11) UCLA (vs Colorado)-They were given two back to back tough tests and did not come out on top but should get their confidence back this week.
18)(NR) UCF (BYE)-They have shown to be a much more balanced team than some expected and stand in a very good spot for a BCS bid.
19)(16) Louisville (BYE)-They get a week off to assess what might need to be tweaked to get their efficient offense back in check.
20)(17) Oklahoma State (at Texas Tech)-They find themselves in a position to make a run in the Big 12 and get in the BCS picture.
21)(22) Northern Illinois (at UMass)-They should be able to stay on a track for another potential BCS at-large birth this week.
22)(21) Wisconsin (at Iowa)- They should prepare for a physical contest this week but continue to look like the second best Big 10 after Ohio State.
23)(23) Michigan (at Michigan State)-They enter a big rivalry game with a struggling offense that will face a tough defense.
24)(24) Notre Dame (vs Navy)-They dominated Navy for years but the last few years have shown a shift towards a closer series and that will likely be the case this week.
25)(NR) Michigan State (vs Michigan)-They might be the quietest very good team this season as they have a great chance to win the Big 10 if they continue to do what they have done so far.
NEXT 5
1) Arizona State (at Washington State): They continue to be a team that looks ready to make a statement and could do so down the stretch.
2) BYU (BYE): They get a week off but could creep into the top 25 if they continue their strong year.
3) Georgia (vs Florida): They enter their rivalry team this week slightly less beat up than their opponent.
4) Texas (vs Kansas): They had a rough September, but have nicely rebounded.
5) Mississippi (BYE): They are at near the top of that second tier of SEC teams looking to have a break through.
There are a few more top 25 matchups this week led by a top 5 clash so the rankings will continue to see some shake ups as the calendar turns towards November where crazy things can happen on the path to a title for top teams.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
College Football Week 9 Power Rankings
After a few minor changes after Week 7, Week 8 provided major foundation shifts among the top 25 especially the top 10 as 6 teams loss led by Clemson getting blown out by Florida State in their top 5 matchup. Alabama, Oregon, and now Florida State look like the best teams right now. Ohio State survived another close call while Missouri continues to move up the polls after back to back wins over Georgia and Florida; who both find themselves out of the top 25 after their third losses on the year. Injuries have not been kind to either especially the Bulldogs. Washington also suffered its third straight loss and like the two SEC teams; they are out of the top 25. In this week comes Michigan, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech. The Hokies have quietly won every game after dropping the first to Alabama. Clemson, Louisville, and UCLA look to rebound after their first losses while LSU, Texas A&M, and South Carolina now has two losses on the year and have a tougher road to a SEC title game and potentially a national title game.
With Week 9 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (vs Tennessee)- While most of the top SEC stumbled last week, they didn't and they have seemed to mostly avoid such occurrences but who knows if this week will be different.
2)(2) Oregon (vs UCLA)- They have steamrolled everyone so far and it is hard to see UCLA being able to slow them let alone outscore them.
3)(5) Florida State (vs NC State)- They loss one game last year and it was against NC State so revenge might be in mind this week.
4)(3) Ohio State (vs Penn State)- They have survived three straight grind out wins against conference foes and could be tested again.
5)(11) Miami (FL) (vs Wake Forest)- They had a scare last week and will likely look to apply lessons from that game to this week.
6)(14) Missouri (vs South Carolina)- They can continue their march through top SEC teams by taking down South Carolina.
7)(12) Baylor (vs Kansas)- They have benefited from many upsets and could position themselves in the national title conversation if they can keep putting points up.
8)(13) Stanford (at Oregon State)- They rebounded nicely last week and are still in the top tier conversation after several upsets last week.
9)(4) Clemson (at Maryland)- They seemed to building confidence that this year would be different but then got hit hard back to reality last week and will need to quickly refocus.
10)(16) Texas Tech (at Oklahoma)- They have not won every game pretty but they have enough to survive close games and that will help against a big conference foe this week.
11)(10) UCLA (at Oregon)- They draw what Washington did recently by getting Oregon after Stanford and hope to avoid their first two losses in the same fashion.
12)(17) Fresno State (at San Diego State)- They are undefeated and could be a BCS buster if they avoid any trip ups as top teams continue to fall.
13)(24) Auburn (vs Florida Atlantic)- They got probably their biggest win of the last three years last week against Texas A&M.
14)(7) LSU (vs Furman)- They should easily rebound this week but might have thrown away any title game hopes last week.
15)(8) Texas A&M (vs Vanderbilt)- If their defense continues to give up a lot of points, their star quarterback will have to be amazing to bail them out and he might need again this week.
16)(6) Louisville (at South Florida)- They likely are out of any national title talks after their first loss but can still get a BCS game.
17)(18) Oklahoma State (at Iowa State)- They should be leery of a potential upset on the road if they aren't as efficient as their talent should allow them to be.
18)(20) Oklahoma (vs Texas Tech)- They look to be back on track and get an improved Texas Tech team that will test them.
19)(21) Nebraska (at Minnesota)- They have been slowly positioning themselves and could make a run that leads to a Big 10 title.
20)(9) South Carolina (at Missouri)- They let a winnable game slip away and could drop another on the road against a very good Missouri team.
21)(22) Wisconsin (BYE)- They earn a nicely placed bye as they look to again make a run at a Big 10 crown.
22)(23) Northern Illinois (vs Eastern Michigan)- They remain unbeaten and have a week off to only get stronger.
23)(NR) Michigan (BYE)- They could use a bye to continue to strengthen all phases of the game.
24)(NR) Notre Dame (at Air Force)- They have done better than some have expected and get a week off to only improve.
25)(NR) Virginia Tech (vs Duke)- They have won every game since opening weekend and are quietly waiting in the ACC for potential upsets to springboard them forward.
NEXT 5
1) UCF (vs UConn)- They have looked like a BCS contender this year and enter a bye week with a big win over Louisville that positions them well for such an end outcome.
2) Arizona State (BYE)- They get a bye week and hope to build on their nice win last week when they return.
3) Michigan State (at Illinois)- They have been a quiet bystander in a crowded Big 10 but are very good and can show that again this week.
4) Georgia (BYE)- There is probably no team in need of a week off more than them after all their injuries this year.
5) Washington (vs California)- They should hopefully be able to stop their bleeding this week and get their confidence back.
Not as many big games this week but still a couple ranked contests and who knows if another upset or two is lurking again after last week. With about a month to go in the season, the title picture begins to get a bit clearer as the top teams start to separate themselves.
With Week 9 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (vs Tennessee)- While most of the top SEC stumbled last week, they didn't and they have seemed to mostly avoid such occurrences but who knows if this week will be different.
2)(2) Oregon (vs UCLA)- They have steamrolled everyone so far and it is hard to see UCLA being able to slow them let alone outscore them.
3)(5) Florida State (vs NC State)- They loss one game last year and it was against NC State so revenge might be in mind this week.
4)(3) Ohio State (vs Penn State)- They have survived three straight grind out wins against conference foes and could be tested again.
5)(11) Miami (FL) (vs Wake Forest)- They had a scare last week and will likely look to apply lessons from that game to this week.
6)(14) Missouri (vs South Carolina)- They can continue their march through top SEC teams by taking down South Carolina.
7)(12) Baylor (vs Kansas)- They have benefited from many upsets and could position themselves in the national title conversation if they can keep putting points up.
8)(13) Stanford (at Oregon State)- They rebounded nicely last week and are still in the top tier conversation after several upsets last week.
9)(4) Clemson (at Maryland)- They seemed to building confidence that this year would be different but then got hit hard back to reality last week and will need to quickly refocus.
10)(16) Texas Tech (at Oklahoma)- They have not won every game pretty but they have enough to survive close games and that will help against a big conference foe this week.
11)(10) UCLA (at Oregon)- They draw what Washington did recently by getting Oregon after Stanford and hope to avoid their first two losses in the same fashion.
12)(17) Fresno State (at San Diego State)- They are undefeated and could be a BCS buster if they avoid any trip ups as top teams continue to fall.
13)(24) Auburn (vs Florida Atlantic)- They got probably their biggest win of the last three years last week against Texas A&M.
14)(7) LSU (vs Furman)- They should easily rebound this week but might have thrown away any title game hopes last week.
15)(8) Texas A&M (vs Vanderbilt)- If their defense continues to give up a lot of points, their star quarterback will have to be amazing to bail them out and he might need again this week.
16)(6) Louisville (at South Florida)- They likely are out of any national title talks after their first loss but can still get a BCS game.
17)(18) Oklahoma State (at Iowa State)- They should be leery of a potential upset on the road if they aren't as efficient as their talent should allow them to be.
18)(20) Oklahoma (vs Texas Tech)- They look to be back on track and get an improved Texas Tech team that will test them.
19)(21) Nebraska (at Minnesota)- They have been slowly positioning themselves and could make a run that leads to a Big 10 title.
20)(9) South Carolina (at Missouri)- They let a winnable game slip away and could drop another on the road against a very good Missouri team.
21)(22) Wisconsin (BYE)- They earn a nicely placed bye as they look to again make a run at a Big 10 crown.
22)(23) Northern Illinois (vs Eastern Michigan)- They remain unbeaten and have a week off to only get stronger.
23)(NR) Michigan (BYE)- They could use a bye to continue to strengthen all phases of the game.
24)(NR) Notre Dame (at Air Force)- They have done better than some have expected and get a week off to only improve.
25)(NR) Virginia Tech (vs Duke)- They have won every game since opening weekend and are quietly waiting in the ACC for potential upsets to springboard them forward.
NEXT 5
1) UCF (vs UConn)- They have looked like a BCS contender this year and enter a bye week with a big win over Louisville that positions them well for such an end outcome.
2) Arizona State (BYE)- They get a bye week and hope to build on their nice win last week when they return.
3) Michigan State (at Illinois)- They have been a quiet bystander in a crowded Big 10 but are very good and can show that again this week.
4) Georgia (BYE)- There is probably no team in need of a week off more than them after all their injuries this year.
5) Washington (vs California)- They should hopefully be able to stop their bleeding this week and get their confidence back.
Not as many big games this week but still a couple ranked contests and who knows if another upset or two is lurking again after last week. With about a month to go in the season, the title picture begins to get a bit clearer as the top teams start to separate themselves.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
College Football Week 8 Preview
After six relatively calm weeks, Week 7 provided a few shake ups among the top teams with possibly the biggest coming in the form of Georgia being dealt a major loss by Missouri. One was possibly the biggest loser of the week and other possibly the winner. Stanford as well suffered their first loss and might have an uphill battle to get back in the national title conversation. The ranks of the undefeated dwindle a little and some familiar names are dominating the conversation still while a couple others are hanging in the outside conversation. The ACC will get the major spotlight this week with Florida State going to Clemson in a top 5 battle that will likely knock the loser out of the national title conversation. The SEC has a few good ones this week as well that pit some recent favorites against upstarts.
Looking back at the games highlighted, Rutgers pushed Louisville and QB Teddy Bridgewater but a couple missed chances and plays by the Scarlet Knights allowed the Cardinals to do enough to pull away in the 4th to stay unbeaten. USC and Arizona provided a stellar battle into late hours on a Thursday night with USC doing enough to escape with a win. The Red River Shootout turned out to be a different game than most expected. Texas got on Oklahoma early and despite a couple attempts to mount a comeback by the Sooners; it was never really close. It was a must needed win for head coach Mack Brown as much as the team. And South Carolina came out strong and dominated Arkansas in what could be used as a confidence booster for them despite some struggles.
With my top 5 for Week 7, I went 3-2 bringing my record to 30-5 on the year. Texas A&M was pushed to its limit by Mississippi. For a team that pretty much came up lame against Alabama in an earlier big challenge forced QB Johnny Manziel to dig deep for a major 4th quarter to help keep A&M alive in the national title conversation. The 4th quarter has not been friendly to Northwestern the last couple years. All of their losses in 2012 came after letting leads slip away in the 4th quarter and then fell short to Ohio State the same way. However, against Wisconsin; the 4th quarter was not as questionable as Northwestern were slammed being hard all day and loss their second consecutive Big Ten game. Georgia has done well at managing injuries all year and nearly defeated Clemson to start the year. They fell down early to upstart Missouri who is playing completely opposite from their first year in the SEC in 2012. The Tigers' lead was more than enough to hold off a talented QB Aaron Murray from pulling off the comeback win and now Georgia likely is officially out of the title picture.
It is not unexpected for the SEC to have at least one marquee game each week and this week had a second one besides Georgia-Missouri as LSU was able to slowly wear down Florida. The Tigers still look to have a bit of the hangover after their loss to Georgia but Florida has dealt with injuries throughout the first half and not been close to the team they were last year. Finally, in what was possibly the biggest game in Washington's recent history; they hung close with Oregon early but the Ducks again dominated yet another opponent this year. Washington's defense has played pretty well this year and Oregon torn them apart and they continue to make a strong argument for being the best team in the country.
Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.
Games to highlight in Week 8:
UCF at #6 Louisville: Louisville had their toughest challenge last week and could see another one this week as they try to navigate the season undefeated and keep slim hopes for a national title game appearance alive.
#15 Georgia at Vanderbilt: Georgia is banged up and the injuries might be catching up to them as they travel to a very good Vanderbilt who can pull the upset.
#16 Texas Tech at West Virginia: West Virginia has shown a bit more fight this year in the Big 12 and this one could be pretty close as Texas Tech tries to stay unbeaten.
Minnesota at Northwestern: Northwestern is staggering a bit after two straight conference losses and draw a Minnesota team that has packed a punch this year.
Indiana at Michigan: Indiana got a big win over Penn State earlier this year and Michigan is coming off a tough quadruple overtime loss to that same Penn State team. Not sure if this goes four overtimes but could be tight late.
#19 Washington at Arizona State: Washington was looking like a potential Pac-12 winner and ran into Stanford and Oregon in back to back weeks. If they are not careful, Arizona State could deal them another blow.
#7 LSU at Mississippi: LSU has not looked as dominant the last couple weeks and Mississippi pushed Texas A&M pretty far last week so don't be surprised if the Rebels keep it close through most of the game and potentially make a couple big plays that win them a huge game.
Top 5 Games of Week 8 (30-5):
5) USC at Notre Dame: Neither are ranked. Neither will be playing for a national title. But, the rivalry between them is as strong as ever. USC has shown a lack of offense and not the strongest defense through most of the year. Notre Dame has some flair in the backfield and should be able to move the ball enough through the air as well. The rivalry aspect keeps it close during the first half before the Fighting Irish gets a small cushion in the second half they use to win this year's battle. PICK: NOTRE DAME
4) #25 Florida at #14 Missouri: Missouri made a big statement last week knocking off Georgia on the road. Now they draw Florida at home with another chance to stay undefeated and more importantly show they are for real this year. The Tigers might be without their starting quarterback but it might be their defense that carries them regardless. They put pressure on the quarterback and will keep Florida off guard a lot of the time. Florida still brings a good amount of talent that will keep it close before Missouri hits a big play or has a big turnover or return that sets up another big win. PICK: MISSOURI
3) #24 Auburn at #8 Texas A&M: Auburn has been reignited this year and they fell short in their first big game of the year against LSU. They go to Kyle Field in hopes of upsetting QB Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. The Aggies got pushed to the limit against Mississippi and have lacked the killer instinct during the first half of most games this year. Because of that, Auburn will keep it neck and neck for much of the game. A&M and Manziel will need to dig deep in the 4th where they get the go ahead score late that proves enough in a a high scoring affair. PICK: TEXAS A&M
2) #10 UCLA at #13 Stanford: UCLA might be one of the most unheralded undefeated teams this year. They have a chance to make some noise if they can go on the road against Stanford and win a big Pac-12 game. Stanford plays a type of style that involves slow and steady offense and very tight defense. With that in mind, they will keep the Bruins' open offense relatively locked up in what could be a close losing scoring first half that starts to open a bit more in the second half with Stanford getting a couple scores that puts away UCLA. PICK: STANFORD
1) #5 Florida State at #4 Clemson: The ACC has not had a matchup of this caliber in nearly a decade. Clemson is constantly trying to prove they are for real and had a couple scares before staying undefeated. Florida State has left little question about their talent in every game this year as QB Jameis Winston has put himself on the map after only half a season's worth of games. Thus. don't be surprised if Winston is joined by Clemson QB Tajh Boyd in a bit of duel. The two teams have physical defenses and they will look to challenge each quarterback. But, the dual threat ability of both will keep defenses on edge at times. Florida State's defense puts a little more pressure on Boyd and forces a couple turnovers that prove to be the difference as Florida State pulls away with a late score to seal it. PICK: FLORIDA STATE
Lead by a top 5 battle, there are a few big top 25 contests and potential upsets lurking once again. Each week the pressure rises and the title picture gets a little clearer as top teams start to pull away from the field.
Looking back at the games highlighted, Rutgers pushed Louisville and QB Teddy Bridgewater but a couple missed chances and plays by the Scarlet Knights allowed the Cardinals to do enough to pull away in the 4th to stay unbeaten. USC and Arizona provided a stellar battle into late hours on a Thursday night with USC doing enough to escape with a win. The Red River Shootout turned out to be a different game than most expected. Texas got on Oklahoma early and despite a couple attempts to mount a comeback by the Sooners; it was never really close. It was a must needed win for head coach Mack Brown as much as the team. And South Carolina came out strong and dominated Arkansas in what could be used as a confidence booster for them despite some struggles.
With my top 5 for Week 7, I went 3-2 bringing my record to 30-5 on the year. Texas A&M was pushed to its limit by Mississippi. For a team that pretty much came up lame against Alabama in an earlier big challenge forced QB Johnny Manziel to dig deep for a major 4th quarter to help keep A&M alive in the national title conversation. The 4th quarter has not been friendly to Northwestern the last couple years. All of their losses in 2012 came after letting leads slip away in the 4th quarter and then fell short to Ohio State the same way. However, against Wisconsin; the 4th quarter was not as questionable as Northwestern were slammed being hard all day and loss their second consecutive Big Ten game. Georgia has done well at managing injuries all year and nearly defeated Clemson to start the year. They fell down early to upstart Missouri who is playing completely opposite from their first year in the SEC in 2012. The Tigers' lead was more than enough to hold off a talented QB Aaron Murray from pulling off the comeback win and now Georgia likely is officially out of the title picture.
It is not unexpected for the SEC to have at least one marquee game each week and this week had a second one besides Georgia-Missouri as LSU was able to slowly wear down Florida. The Tigers still look to have a bit of the hangover after their loss to Georgia but Florida has dealt with injuries throughout the first half and not been close to the team they were last year. Finally, in what was possibly the biggest game in Washington's recent history; they hung close with Oregon early but the Ducks again dominated yet another opponent this year. Washington's defense has played pretty well this year and Oregon torn them apart and they continue to make a strong argument for being the best team in the country.
Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.
Games to highlight in Week 8:
UCF at #6 Louisville: Louisville had their toughest challenge last week and could see another one this week as they try to navigate the season undefeated and keep slim hopes for a national title game appearance alive.
#15 Georgia at Vanderbilt: Georgia is banged up and the injuries might be catching up to them as they travel to a very good Vanderbilt who can pull the upset.
#16 Texas Tech at West Virginia: West Virginia has shown a bit more fight this year in the Big 12 and this one could be pretty close as Texas Tech tries to stay unbeaten.
Minnesota at Northwestern: Northwestern is staggering a bit after two straight conference losses and draw a Minnesota team that has packed a punch this year.
Indiana at Michigan: Indiana got a big win over Penn State earlier this year and Michigan is coming off a tough quadruple overtime loss to that same Penn State team. Not sure if this goes four overtimes but could be tight late.
#19 Washington at Arizona State: Washington was looking like a potential Pac-12 winner and ran into Stanford and Oregon in back to back weeks. If they are not careful, Arizona State could deal them another blow.
#7 LSU at Mississippi: LSU has not looked as dominant the last couple weeks and Mississippi pushed Texas A&M pretty far last week so don't be surprised if the Rebels keep it close through most of the game and potentially make a couple big plays that win them a huge game.
Top 5 Games of Week 8 (30-5):
5) USC at Notre Dame: Neither are ranked. Neither will be playing for a national title. But, the rivalry between them is as strong as ever. USC has shown a lack of offense and not the strongest defense through most of the year. Notre Dame has some flair in the backfield and should be able to move the ball enough through the air as well. The rivalry aspect keeps it close during the first half before the Fighting Irish gets a small cushion in the second half they use to win this year's battle. PICK: NOTRE DAME
4) #25 Florida at #14 Missouri: Missouri made a big statement last week knocking off Georgia on the road. Now they draw Florida at home with another chance to stay undefeated and more importantly show they are for real this year. The Tigers might be without their starting quarterback but it might be their defense that carries them regardless. They put pressure on the quarterback and will keep Florida off guard a lot of the time. Florida still brings a good amount of talent that will keep it close before Missouri hits a big play or has a big turnover or return that sets up another big win. PICK: MISSOURI
3) #24 Auburn at #8 Texas A&M: Auburn has been reignited this year and they fell short in their first big game of the year against LSU. They go to Kyle Field in hopes of upsetting QB Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. The Aggies got pushed to the limit against Mississippi and have lacked the killer instinct during the first half of most games this year. Because of that, Auburn will keep it neck and neck for much of the game. A&M and Manziel will need to dig deep in the 4th where they get the go ahead score late that proves enough in a a high scoring affair. PICK: TEXAS A&M
2) #10 UCLA at #13 Stanford: UCLA might be one of the most unheralded undefeated teams this year. They have a chance to make some noise if they can go on the road against Stanford and win a big Pac-12 game. Stanford plays a type of style that involves slow and steady offense and very tight defense. With that in mind, they will keep the Bruins' open offense relatively locked up in what could be a close losing scoring first half that starts to open a bit more in the second half with Stanford getting a couple scores that puts away UCLA. PICK: STANFORD
1) #5 Florida State at #4 Clemson: The ACC has not had a matchup of this caliber in nearly a decade. Clemson is constantly trying to prove they are for real and had a couple scares before staying undefeated. Florida State has left little question about their talent in every game this year as QB Jameis Winston has put himself on the map after only half a season's worth of games. Thus. don't be surprised if Winston is joined by Clemson QB Tajh Boyd in a bit of duel. The two teams have physical defenses and they will look to challenge each quarterback. But, the dual threat ability of both will keep defenses on edge at times. Florida State's defense puts a little more pressure on Boyd and forces a couple turnovers that prove to be the difference as Florida State pulls away with a late score to seal it. PICK: FLORIDA STATE
Lead by a top 5 battle, there are a few big top 25 contests and potential upsets lurking once again. Each week the pressure rises and the title picture gets a little clearer as top teams start to pull away from the field.
Monday, October 14, 2013
A reemerging voice of moderates and centrists
One of the under the radar developments of the last couple election cycles has been the erosion of moderate and centrists in the U.S. Congress. The Blue Dog coalition emerged about 20 years ago in the wake of the 1994 midterm elections. They were individuals who did not always vote with their party leaders and were looking at what was best for the country on various issues. However, with both parties looking to build their base and voice in the partisan environment in D.C.; that Blue Dog coalition has slowly been lost its voice and the government shutdown's developments are a perfect example of that.
Emma Dumain of Roll Call provided the following snapshot of a reemerging centrist voice in Congress at a time when it is desperately needed:
Late into the second week of the government shutdown, factions of House Democrats and Republicans were planting their flags all over Capitol Hill, holding noisy news conferences and staging elaborate demonstrations.
Drowned out from the warring rhetoric, however, were members of what Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., recently called “the political endangered species of Washington, D.C.”
He was talking about moderates, the members of both parties who have been squeezed from the negotiating tables since the 2010 election cycle, which shifted Republicans farther to the right and wiped out the once-prominent contingent of centrist Democrats.
The result, Costa and others agree, has been the breakdown of bipartisanship — a virtue extolled by Democrats and Republicans alike, but one that is difficult to achieve in such a partisan political environment.
It doesn’t mean lawmakers aren’t trying, especially after finding themselves in the midst of government shutdown and looming default.
New Democrat Coalition Chairman Ron Kind of Wisconsin and leading GOP moderate Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania rallied roughly 35 Democrats and Republicans around a proposal to pass a six-month continuing resolution at sequester levels while repealing the medical device tax created by the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
The fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition released a statement Wednesday calling on Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to “attack our nation’s larger debt and deficit problems head on.”
But if it’s hard to be in the minority party, it’s even harder to be in the minority of the minority party, said Rep. Collin C. Peterson, who was in office in 1995 when the Blue Dog Coalition was established. The Blue Dogs played a critical role in budget negotiations that year and continued to be a force to be reckoned with inside the Democratic party until the 2010 elections. Now, with just 15 members, they struggle for relevance.
“We now are in such a toxic situation that Republicans cannot be seen talking to or working with Democrats,” the Minnesota Democrat said. “That was not the case back in ’95. Back then, Republicans needed us, because they had enough moderates, and we were more conservative than their moderates.
“Moderates are gone, so they don’t need us,” he said, adding that he had given up going to bipartisan meetings because he no longer saw the point.
“It’s frustrating for everybody,” agreed Costa, who is also a Blue Dog. But unlike Peterson, he hasn’t given up hope that Blue Dogs can make a difference in diluting partisan venom, even if they can’t devise a solution to the current fiscal crisis.
One of the challenges for Democrats and Republicans working together is the suspicion on both sides of the aisle. Pelosi recently slammed the Kind-Dent initiative at a closed-door whip meeting, sources said, arguing that Democrats shouldn’t be freelancing outside the party structure.
Republicans who have started attending these strategy sessions have also been fearful to identify themselves, with one moderate Democratic aide saying that when they received a list to sign on to join the Kind-Dent group, the names of all the other participants were blacked out.
In fact, the only way Democrats and Republicans might have cover to gather across party lines is through the “Problem Solver” initiative unrolled earlier this year by No Labels, a nonthreatening outside organization committed to promoting bipartisanship. There are upward of 40 “problem solvers” from both parties, where conditions of membership include a promise to attend regular meetings and “embrace the right attitude.” The roster ranges from conservative Republican Jack Kingston of Georgia to liberal Democrat Peter Welch of Vermont.
Dent, one of the more than 20 Republicans who has said they would vote for a “clean” continuing resolution, dislikes the term “moderate,” preferring to be called a “pragmatist” or “center-right.” He also disputes the notion that the House Republican Conference has been completely overrun by hard-line conservatives.
The House, though, has become polarized, Dent conceded, which calls for action from more centrist lawmakers.
“The Republicans have majority in the House, but they don’t always have control,” he said. “It’s incumbent upon the House Republican governing majority to form bipartisan coalitions, to pass some important pieces of legislation. That’s a simple fact.”
In recent years, talks to resolve major issues such as a government shutdown and the debt limit have been handled by leadership, whose members have tended to box out moderates. But that hasn’t disheartened those within the rank and file, who see the past few weeks as having renewed their obligation to forge relationships across the aisle.
Dent said he thinks the working group he formed with Kind will continue to meet.
And Blue Dog Leader Kurt Schrader of Oregon said that while the Blue Dogs’ influence has waned by virtue of their slimmer numbers and new status in the minority party, they now have a new role to play: as missionaries for fiscal responsibility and bipartisan compromise, representing the coalition in various working groups.
“Blue Dogs have historically called for comprehensive fiscal solutions and that’s where we’re planting our flag,” Schrader said. “I think the Blue Dogs play heavily in encouraging people to ‘go big.’”
Emma Dumain of Roll Call provided the following snapshot of a reemerging centrist voice in Congress at a time when it is desperately needed:
Late into the second week of the government shutdown, factions of House Democrats and Republicans were planting their flags all over Capitol Hill, holding noisy news conferences and staging elaborate demonstrations.
Drowned out from the warring rhetoric, however, were members of what Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., recently called “the political endangered species of Washington, D.C.”
He was talking about moderates, the members of both parties who have been squeezed from the negotiating tables since the 2010 election cycle, which shifted Republicans farther to the right and wiped out the once-prominent contingent of centrist Democrats.
The result, Costa and others agree, has been the breakdown of bipartisanship — a virtue extolled by Democrats and Republicans alike, but one that is difficult to achieve in such a partisan political environment.
It doesn’t mean lawmakers aren’t trying, especially after finding themselves in the midst of government shutdown and looming default.
New Democrat Coalition Chairman Ron Kind of Wisconsin and leading GOP moderate Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania rallied roughly 35 Democrats and Republicans around a proposal to pass a six-month continuing resolution at sequester levels while repealing the medical device tax created by the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
The fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition released a statement Wednesday calling on Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to “attack our nation’s larger debt and deficit problems head on.”
But if it’s hard to be in the minority party, it’s even harder to be in the minority of the minority party, said Rep. Collin C. Peterson, who was in office in 1995 when the Blue Dog Coalition was established. The Blue Dogs played a critical role in budget negotiations that year and continued to be a force to be reckoned with inside the Democratic party until the 2010 elections. Now, with just 15 members, they struggle for relevance.
“We now are in such a toxic situation that Republicans cannot be seen talking to or working with Democrats,” the Minnesota Democrat said. “That was not the case back in ’95. Back then, Republicans needed us, because they had enough moderates, and we were more conservative than their moderates.
“Moderates are gone, so they don’t need us,” he said, adding that he had given up going to bipartisan meetings because he no longer saw the point.
“It’s frustrating for everybody,” agreed Costa, who is also a Blue Dog. But unlike Peterson, he hasn’t given up hope that Blue Dogs can make a difference in diluting partisan venom, even if they can’t devise a solution to the current fiscal crisis.
One of the challenges for Democrats and Republicans working together is the suspicion on both sides of the aisle. Pelosi recently slammed the Kind-Dent initiative at a closed-door whip meeting, sources said, arguing that Democrats shouldn’t be freelancing outside the party structure.
Republicans who have started attending these strategy sessions have also been fearful to identify themselves, with one moderate Democratic aide saying that when they received a list to sign on to join the Kind-Dent group, the names of all the other participants were blacked out.
In fact, the only way Democrats and Republicans might have cover to gather across party lines is through the “Problem Solver” initiative unrolled earlier this year by No Labels, a nonthreatening outside organization committed to promoting bipartisanship. There are upward of 40 “problem solvers” from both parties, where conditions of membership include a promise to attend regular meetings and “embrace the right attitude.” The roster ranges from conservative Republican Jack Kingston of Georgia to liberal Democrat Peter Welch of Vermont.
Dent, one of the more than 20 Republicans who has said they would vote for a “clean” continuing resolution, dislikes the term “moderate,” preferring to be called a “pragmatist” or “center-right.” He also disputes the notion that the House Republican Conference has been completely overrun by hard-line conservatives.
The House, though, has become polarized, Dent conceded, which calls for action from more centrist lawmakers.
“The Republicans have majority in the House, but they don’t always have control,” he said. “It’s incumbent upon the House Republican governing majority to form bipartisan coalitions, to pass some important pieces of legislation. That’s a simple fact.”
In recent years, talks to resolve major issues such as a government shutdown and the debt limit have been handled by leadership, whose members have tended to box out moderates. But that hasn’t disheartened those within the rank and file, who see the past few weeks as having renewed their obligation to forge relationships across the aisle.
Dent said he thinks the working group he formed with Kind will continue to meet.
And Blue Dog Leader Kurt Schrader of Oregon said that while the Blue Dogs’ influence has waned by virtue of their slimmer numbers and new status in the minority party, they now have a new role to play: as missionaries for fiscal responsibility and bipartisan compromise, representing the coalition in various working groups.
“Blue Dogs have historically called for comprehensive fiscal solutions and that’s where we’re planting our flag,” Schrader said. “I think the Blue Dogs play heavily in encouraging people to ‘go big.’”
Sunday, October 13, 2013
College Football Week 8 Power Rankings
After pretty much minimal movement and upsets, Week 7 provided a few shocks to the climate of college football. Stanford losing to Utah and Georgia falling to Missouri were the biggest losers. Georgia now has two losses on the year and essentially out of the national title picture barring a lot of major upsets. The rest of top that was playing got through their slate and Alabama and Oregon still look like they are on pace for a January matchup. Northwestern suffered their second straight Big Ten defeat while Michigan lost a crazy 4 overtime game against Penn State. Those losses knocked them out of the top 25 along with an idle Notre Dame. Those drops cleared the way for Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Auburn to enter the top 25. Auburn will have a similar challenge as Missouri did last week as a top 25 team with a top tier SEC opponent next.
With Week 8 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (vs Arkansas)- They are playing sharp in all phases at this point and hard to see this not winning big again this week.
2)(2) Oregon (vs Washington State)- They went to Washington and dismantled a defense playing very well and should continue their steamrolling of opponents again this week.
3)(3) Ohio State (vs Iowa)- They return from a bye and should not overlook the Hawkeyes in what could be another challenge for them.
4)(4) Clemson (vs Florida State)- They survived their first major test to start the year and know a win this week could set them up in position to play for a national title.
5)(6) Florida State (at Clemson)- They have looked nearly unstoppable in each win and they get their first real chance to show how good they are this week.
6)(8) Louisville (vs UCF)- They had to scrape by last week and could have a similar tough one this week in what continues to look like a potential undefeated season.
7)(10) LSU (at Mississippi)- They continue to be on pace for a potential SEC West crown but it won't be easy.
8)(9) Texas A&M (vs Auburn)- They have often gone by QB Johnny Manziel's play and it is hard to see him slowing down this year as could be said about their emerging star receiver.
9)(11) South Carolina (at Tennessee)- They had had questions around their star defender and potential health worries around their quarterback and whether either or both miss time could impact their second half this year.
10)(12) UCLA (at Stanford)- They have answered the bell each week so far but this week will a tough one that will show how good they truly are.
11)(14) Miami (FL) (at UNC)- They are looking to continue their first half success through the second half in what could be a true return to glory at this pace.
12)(16) Baylor (vs Iowa State)- They continue to be possibly the best offense in the country as it is hard to see them slowing their point barrage this week.
13)(5) Stanford (vs UCLA)- They are looking to bounce back after a tough loss and a tough tier opponent could provide them with a major boost.
14)(24) Missouri (vs Florida)- Can they repeat their major win last week with another one against another top SEC East foe?
15)(7) Georgia (at Vanderbilt)-They are battling injuries and will need to lean heavily on QB Aaron Murray if they hope to avoid another loss this year.
16)(22) Texas Tech (at West Virginia)- They got a scare last week and will need to be leery of another one on the road this week.
17)(23) Fresno State (vs UNLV)- They should do well again this week and keep their undefeated season going.
18)(20) Oklahoma State (vs TCU)- They have slowed down a bit recently and should be careful this week not to let it stay close.
19)(18) Washington (at Arizona State)- Back to back Pac-12 losses have brought them back to a familiar spot in the Pac-12 and need to start the bleeding quickly.
20)(13) Oklahoma (at Kansas)- They got beat pretty badly in one of their biggest games each year and will need to prevent any hangover.
21)(21) Nebraska (BYE)- They get a bye at a time when the Big 10 looks open behind Ohio State.
22)(NR) Wisconsin (at Illinois)-They look to continue their momentum from last week against a solid conference foe on the road.
23)(NR) Northern Illinois (at Central Michigan)- They are continuing to build on their success from last year and look to keep that going at least for one more week.
24)(NR) Auburn (at Texas A&M)-Can they continue their comeback year with a big win that eluded them earlier this year?
25)(19) Florida (at Missouri)- They know they need this win to avoid falling out of the SEC conversation.
NEXT 5
1) Northwestern (vs Minnesota)- They started the year with a lot of hope and wins and now find themselves in a need of a big win in their conference and for them overall.
2) Michigan (vs Indiana)- They were escaping a couple close calls until they got pushed to multiple overtimes and need to avoid what could be another threat.
3) Notre Dame (vs USC)- They will likely come out fired up a little extra this week with a huge rivalry game.
4) Virginia Tech (BYE)- They get a bye and it could be a good timing as they enter the second half of the year looking like they are ready for another late season push.
5) Arizona State (vs Washington)- They truly are the hardest team to figure out in the Pac-12 and could win or lose their next one to continue their up and down trend.
There are a couple more ranked matchups this week and now the conference part of schedules are in full swing so last week's upsets could continue again this week as truly no team is 100% safe. Now more than ever, each game and how you win becomes that much more important.
With Week 8 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (vs Arkansas)- They are playing sharp in all phases at this point and hard to see this not winning big again this week.
2)(2) Oregon (vs Washington State)- They went to Washington and dismantled a defense playing very well and should continue their steamrolling of opponents again this week.
3)(3) Ohio State (vs Iowa)- They return from a bye and should not overlook the Hawkeyes in what could be another challenge for them.
4)(4) Clemson (vs Florida State)- They survived their first major test to start the year and know a win this week could set them up in position to play for a national title.
5)(6) Florida State (at Clemson)- They have looked nearly unstoppable in each win and they get their first real chance to show how good they are this week.
6)(8) Louisville (vs UCF)- They had to scrape by last week and could have a similar tough one this week in what continues to look like a potential undefeated season.
7)(10) LSU (at Mississippi)- They continue to be on pace for a potential SEC West crown but it won't be easy.
8)(9) Texas A&M (vs Auburn)- They have often gone by QB Johnny Manziel's play and it is hard to see him slowing down this year as could be said about their emerging star receiver.
9)(11) South Carolina (at Tennessee)- They had had questions around their star defender and potential health worries around their quarterback and whether either or both miss time could impact their second half this year.
10)(12) UCLA (at Stanford)- They have answered the bell each week so far but this week will a tough one that will show how good they truly are.
11)(14) Miami (FL) (at UNC)- They are looking to continue their first half success through the second half in what could be a true return to glory at this pace.
12)(16) Baylor (vs Iowa State)- They continue to be possibly the best offense in the country as it is hard to see them slowing their point barrage this week.
13)(5) Stanford (vs UCLA)- They are looking to bounce back after a tough loss and a tough tier opponent could provide them with a major boost.
14)(24) Missouri (vs Florida)- Can they repeat their major win last week with another one against another top SEC East foe?
15)(7) Georgia (at Vanderbilt)-They are battling injuries and will need to lean heavily on QB Aaron Murray if they hope to avoid another loss this year.
16)(22) Texas Tech (at West Virginia)- They got a scare last week and will need to be leery of another one on the road this week.
17)(23) Fresno State (vs UNLV)- They should do well again this week and keep their undefeated season going.
18)(20) Oklahoma State (vs TCU)- They have slowed down a bit recently and should be careful this week not to let it stay close.
19)(18) Washington (at Arizona State)- Back to back Pac-12 losses have brought them back to a familiar spot in the Pac-12 and need to start the bleeding quickly.
20)(13) Oklahoma (at Kansas)- They got beat pretty badly in one of their biggest games each year and will need to prevent any hangover.
21)(21) Nebraska (BYE)- They get a bye at a time when the Big 10 looks open behind Ohio State.
22)(NR) Wisconsin (at Illinois)-They look to continue their momentum from last week against a solid conference foe on the road.
23)(NR) Northern Illinois (at Central Michigan)- They are continuing to build on their success from last year and look to keep that going at least for one more week.
24)(NR) Auburn (at Texas A&M)-Can they continue their comeback year with a big win that eluded them earlier this year?
25)(19) Florida (at Missouri)- They know they need this win to avoid falling out of the SEC conversation.
NEXT 5
1) Northwestern (vs Minnesota)- They started the year with a lot of hope and wins and now find themselves in a need of a big win in their conference and for them overall.
2) Michigan (vs Indiana)- They were escaping a couple close calls until they got pushed to multiple overtimes and need to avoid what could be another threat.
3) Notre Dame (vs USC)- They will likely come out fired up a little extra this week with a huge rivalry game.
4) Virginia Tech (BYE)- They get a bye and it could be a good timing as they enter the second half of the year looking like they are ready for another late season push.
5) Arizona State (vs Washington)- They truly are the hardest team to figure out in the Pac-12 and could win or lose their next one to continue their up and down trend.
There are a couple more ranked matchups this week and now the conference part of schedules are in full swing so last week's upsets could continue again this week as truly no team is 100% safe. Now more than ever, each game and how you win becomes that much more important.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
College Football Week 7 Preview
Week 6 gave us some good games but nothing overly dramatic or a major upset. While a couple top teams have suffered at least one loss, there has not really been any shake ups. With about half the season complete, the top tier of teams have begun to emerge. The SEC had a couple of the early big matchups of the year before Ohio State knocked off two of the biggest challengers in the Big Ten. The ACC gets its first big game next weekend with Florida State and Clemson against each other and Washington is in the middle of a major Pac-12 doubleheader with a game against Stanford last week and Oregon this week.
Looking back at the games highlighted, Miami (FL) gave Georgia Tech their second straight ACC loss as they continued to look like a team with minimal flaws and they will need to keep playing as such if they want to win an ACC title this year against very tough competition. Baylor continued to look very good as well as they had little trouble blowing up the scoreboard again in a much more one sided affair against West Virginia. Mississippi looked to still be lingering from their loss to Alabama as Auburn continued their rebound season with another conference win. Michigan finally put a complete game together and will need to build on that performance with the end of the season and Ohio State in mind. Florida was less than pretty again but made enough big plays in the second half to go into their clash with LSU with only 1 loss. Finally, Missouri is looking much better this year as they are showing the ability to stare SEC competition and be successful and will need a lot of confidence going to Georgia this week.
With my top 5 for Week 6, I went 5-0 bringing my record to 27-3 on the year. Oklahoma was able to methodically pick apart TCU but the Horned Frogs did not go easy as they kept trying to fight back but the Sooners seemed to have an answer at important moments to seal the game. Arizona State and Notre Dame looked like two even matched squads coming in and the type of game they provided equaled that estimation for sure. Lead changes and each team finding ways answer back kept the final of this one wide open. In the end, Notre Dame played one of the more complete games utilizing a couple big plays to pull ahead late and hold on for a nice win. There is not too much to say with Florida State-Maryland besides the fact that Florida State and QB Jamies Winston looked unstoppable and Maryland might not be as good as some thought after their 4-0 start. Florida State and Clemson will meet next week and that one should at least be a little closer.
Ohio State had not really been tested before the last two weeks. They got enough key plays to beat Wisconsin and they took a similar approach despite multiple turnovers to edge by Northwestern. Northwestern was seemingly doing everything right in the first half but couldn't convert touchdowns a couple times in the second half that left the door open and QB Braxton Miller pull his mistakes in the rearview as they turned heavily to a run game that could not be slowed down. Finally, Washington had continued to show early this season that they were a well balanced offense that could play hard against some good teams. However, last week and this were two major opportunities to truly be tested and see how good they really are. Unfortunately for them, they just did not have enough to survive a very good Stanford team who looks like one of the best teams in the country. Every time the Cardinal tried putting Washington away, QB Kenny Price would not lie down as he kept his team alive late. A final drive that could have won the game fell short as a 4th down could not be converted.
Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.
Games to highlight in Week 7:
Rutgers at #8 Louisville (Thursday): QB Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville get probably their toughest test yet as Rutgers looks to take their best shot as these two rivals add another chapter to what have been some good ones like 2006 and 2012.
Arizona at USC (Thursday): USC has dealt with issues on and off the field this year and get a tough and dangerous Arizona team. The two offenses could provide a close back and forth battle late into the night.
#13 Oklahoma vs Texas: The Red River Shootout is one to always circle around the middle of Texas. It has normally been close affairs that have national title and BCS implications a lot of years. This year though Texas as way more on line as their season is teetering and they are hoping to at least keep it close.
#11 South Carolina at Arkansas: DE Javedon Clowney has gotten some flack for his focus and commitment lately and that might provide enough of a distraction for South Carolina especially if he doesn't play for Arkansas to make this competitive and even sneak an upset.
Top 5 Games of Week 7 (27-3):
5) #9 Texas A&M at Mississippi: Mississippi was looking really good until they ran into Alabama and Auburn. Now they draw QB Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. The Aggies have allowed themselves at times to fall asleep at the wheel and need a couple quick strike drives to put away opponents before games got close. They will need to avoid that type of play because Mississippi is capable of putting a fair amount of points up. The biggest thing is how well the Rebels' offense can click in this one cause that seems to be where their season took a wrong turn. They play better but not well enough to combat Manziel and his dual threat ability. PICK: TEXAS A&M
4) #17 Northwestern at Wisconsin: This is the battle of the two teams who attempted to knock off Ohio State the last two weeks. They both play gritty and this one could be a tough defensive battle with some timely scoring. Northwestern is showing some versatility with how they use their two quarterbacks while Wisconsin is doing a good job balancing the play of their two running backs. Their ability to put pressure and force turnovers was almost enough last week for Northwestern and if they can do the same this week which I think can occur it sets up for a major win. Close one until the end before Northwestern forces a turnover that leads to a deciding score and their defense does enough to hold off Wisconsin. PICK: NORTHWESTERN
3) Missouri at #7 Georgia: Georgia weathered another storm last week against Tennessee on the road and with injuries on their offense it will not get much easier. Missouri looks like a totally different team from last year and will make Georgia work hard in this one. If HB Todd Gurley can do, that will provide QB Aaron Murray and Georgia with a big boost. However, it looks like the Bulldogs will be going to the third string running back and Murray will need to continue his high play to move the ball and put points up. Thus, Missouri will need to apply a lot of pressure because if they can shut down his throwing lanes; that will allow them to build off of what they've done so far with tough defense paving the way for their offense to get plenty of possessions. Georgia will need another good 4th quarter from Murray and a big touchdown drive again paves the way for them to keep escaping close games with major victories and hope that players can return as the season progresses. PICK: GEORGIA
2) #19 Florida at #10 LSU: Another week and another big SEC game. LSU was tested early last week coming off a loss before they clicked in the second half. Florida played an equally sluggish first half last week before they too got going in the second half. Both teams will want to avoid that this week. LSU even in their one loss have shown the ability to throw defenses off with how they use their offensive personnel. Florida has had to make adjustments with their offense largely due to losing their QB Jeff Driskel. This looks like it could be a close one but something tells me that LSU will strike somewhat early and get a couple big plays before the half that sets them up for a cushion entering the second half where the two sides will be a lot closer. LSU just a little too much overall at home. PICK: LSU
1) #2 Oregon at #18 Washington: Washington nearly beat Stanford last week and now hopes to learn from that against a team in Oregon that is easily putting up 50 points a game. Thus, the Huskies' offense led by QB Kenny Price will need to be just as good as last week if not even better cause they will need to be able to put up a lot of points if their defense cannot find a way to make a few big stops. Being at home will provide a key environment for them to hopefully feed off of very much like their opening win against Boise State as they looked nearly perfect. It is just hard to see Oregon's offense being slowed enough and even if they surrender 30-40 points, they can still win by two touchdowns which is scary to think. A close one early before Oregon begins to slowly pull away but Washington will not go easy much like against Stanford so it will be something to watch throughout. PICK: OREGON
Another couple solid top 25 matchups highlight this week's schedule as we will find out a little more about some of the top teams and where they stand. Will there be an upset that shakes the rankings? There haven't been any major ones yet so you just don't know.
Looking back at the games highlighted, Miami (FL) gave Georgia Tech their second straight ACC loss as they continued to look like a team with minimal flaws and they will need to keep playing as such if they want to win an ACC title this year against very tough competition. Baylor continued to look very good as well as they had little trouble blowing up the scoreboard again in a much more one sided affair against West Virginia. Mississippi looked to still be lingering from their loss to Alabama as Auburn continued their rebound season with another conference win. Michigan finally put a complete game together and will need to build on that performance with the end of the season and Ohio State in mind. Florida was less than pretty again but made enough big plays in the second half to go into their clash with LSU with only 1 loss. Finally, Missouri is looking much better this year as they are showing the ability to stare SEC competition and be successful and will need a lot of confidence going to Georgia this week.
With my top 5 for Week 6, I went 5-0 bringing my record to 27-3 on the year. Oklahoma was able to methodically pick apart TCU but the Horned Frogs did not go easy as they kept trying to fight back but the Sooners seemed to have an answer at important moments to seal the game. Arizona State and Notre Dame looked like two even matched squads coming in and the type of game they provided equaled that estimation for sure. Lead changes and each team finding ways answer back kept the final of this one wide open. In the end, Notre Dame played one of the more complete games utilizing a couple big plays to pull ahead late and hold on for a nice win. There is not too much to say with Florida State-Maryland besides the fact that Florida State and QB Jamies Winston looked unstoppable and Maryland might not be as good as some thought after their 4-0 start. Florida State and Clemson will meet next week and that one should at least be a little closer.
Ohio State had not really been tested before the last two weeks. They got enough key plays to beat Wisconsin and they took a similar approach despite multiple turnovers to edge by Northwestern. Northwestern was seemingly doing everything right in the first half but couldn't convert touchdowns a couple times in the second half that left the door open and QB Braxton Miller pull his mistakes in the rearview as they turned heavily to a run game that could not be slowed down. Finally, Washington had continued to show early this season that they were a well balanced offense that could play hard against some good teams. However, last week and this were two major opportunities to truly be tested and see how good they really are. Unfortunately for them, they just did not have enough to survive a very good Stanford team who looks like one of the best teams in the country. Every time the Cardinal tried putting Washington away, QB Kenny Price would not lie down as he kept his team alive late. A final drive that could have won the game fell short as a 4th down could not be converted.
Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.
Games to highlight in Week 7:
Rutgers at #8 Louisville (Thursday): QB Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville get probably their toughest test yet as Rutgers looks to take their best shot as these two rivals add another chapter to what have been some good ones like 2006 and 2012.
Arizona at USC (Thursday): USC has dealt with issues on and off the field this year and get a tough and dangerous Arizona team. The two offenses could provide a close back and forth battle late into the night.
#13 Oklahoma vs Texas: The Red River Shootout is one to always circle around the middle of Texas. It has normally been close affairs that have national title and BCS implications a lot of years. This year though Texas as way more on line as their season is teetering and they are hoping to at least keep it close.
#11 South Carolina at Arkansas: DE Javedon Clowney has gotten some flack for his focus and commitment lately and that might provide enough of a distraction for South Carolina especially if he doesn't play for Arkansas to make this competitive and even sneak an upset.
Top 5 Games of Week 7 (27-3):
5) #9 Texas A&M at Mississippi: Mississippi was looking really good until they ran into Alabama and Auburn. Now they draw QB Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M. The Aggies have allowed themselves at times to fall asleep at the wheel and need a couple quick strike drives to put away opponents before games got close. They will need to avoid that type of play because Mississippi is capable of putting a fair amount of points up. The biggest thing is how well the Rebels' offense can click in this one cause that seems to be where their season took a wrong turn. They play better but not well enough to combat Manziel and his dual threat ability. PICK: TEXAS A&M
4) #17 Northwestern at Wisconsin: This is the battle of the two teams who attempted to knock off Ohio State the last two weeks. They both play gritty and this one could be a tough defensive battle with some timely scoring. Northwestern is showing some versatility with how they use their two quarterbacks while Wisconsin is doing a good job balancing the play of their two running backs. Their ability to put pressure and force turnovers was almost enough last week for Northwestern and if they can do the same this week which I think can occur it sets up for a major win. Close one until the end before Northwestern forces a turnover that leads to a deciding score and their defense does enough to hold off Wisconsin. PICK: NORTHWESTERN
3) Missouri at #7 Georgia: Georgia weathered another storm last week against Tennessee on the road and with injuries on their offense it will not get much easier. Missouri looks like a totally different team from last year and will make Georgia work hard in this one. If HB Todd Gurley can do, that will provide QB Aaron Murray and Georgia with a big boost. However, it looks like the Bulldogs will be going to the third string running back and Murray will need to continue his high play to move the ball and put points up. Thus, Missouri will need to apply a lot of pressure because if they can shut down his throwing lanes; that will allow them to build off of what they've done so far with tough defense paving the way for their offense to get plenty of possessions. Georgia will need another good 4th quarter from Murray and a big touchdown drive again paves the way for them to keep escaping close games with major victories and hope that players can return as the season progresses. PICK: GEORGIA
2) #19 Florida at #10 LSU: Another week and another big SEC game. LSU was tested early last week coming off a loss before they clicked in the second half. Florida played an equally sluggish first half last week before they too got going in the second half. Both teams will want to avoid that this week. LSU even in their one loss have shown the ability to throw defenses off with how they use their offensive personnel. Florida has had to make adjustments with their offense largely due to losing their QB Jeff Driskel. This looks like it could be a close one but something tells me that LSU will strike somewhat early and get a couple big plays before the half that sets them up for a cushion entering the second half where the two sides will be a lot closer. LSU just a little too much overall at home. PICK: LSU
1) #2 Oregon at #18 Washington: Washington nearly beat Stanford last week and now hopes to learn from that against a team in Oregon that is easily putting up 50 points a game. Thus, the Huskies' offense led by QB Kenny Price will need to be just as good as last week if not even better cause they will need to be able to put up a lot of points if their defense cannot find a way to make a few big stops. Being at home will provide a key environment for them to hopefully feed off of very much like their opening win against Boise State as they looked nearly perfect. It is just hard to see Oregon's offense being slowed enough and even if they surrender 30-40 points, they can still win by two touchdowns which is scary to think. A close one early before Oregon begins to slowly pull away but Washington will not go easy much like against Stanford so it will be something to watch throughout. PICK: OREGON
Another couple solid top 25 matchups highlight this week's schedule as we will find out a little more about some of the top teams and where they stand. Will there be an upset that shakes the rankings? There haven't been any major ones yet so you just don't know.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
NFL Week 6 Power Rankings
After 5 weeks in the books, there are only three undefeated left at 5-0: the Denver Broncos, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Three others are 4-1 and two are 0-5 and two are 0-4. There continues to be some shuffling among the top teams and each week big matchups continue to provide potential playoff previews. Denver and Dallas put on possibly the best game this year and one of the best games in the last few years in a shootout that featured 99 combined points. Playoff contenders like the Falcons and Texans continue to struggle as the Browns continue their mini-surge. As the quarter mark of the season moves closer to the half way point, each win will be important for top dozen or so teams looking to improve their odds of getting homefield advantage. The major game this week pits the Saints and Patriots in a top 10 faceoff while the Ravens and Packers should be another good one that will impact the rankings. The Broncos remain at the top and with a game against Jacksonville this week, that will likely not change next week.
With all that said, time to get ready for another week and here are Week 6's power rankings:
1)(1) Broncos- They weathered a storm of offense by Dallas but QB Peyton Manning was too good again as they look like not much will stop them.
2)(4) Saints- They showed a lot of toughness on the road and continue to look very complete on both sides of the ball.
3)(5) Chiefs- Their defense is very underrated as is their efficiency on offense as they limit bad plays.
4)(6) Colts- Don't look now, but they have quietly emerged as a legit title contender behind the play of QB Andrew Luck.
5)(2) Seahawks- They might have suffered their first loss, but they were simply outplayed. However, two weeks in row they've shown the weaknesses they might have if they need to win on the road in the playoffs.
6)(3) Patriots- Their lack of weapons and offensive potency finally caught up to them as QB Tom Brady's streak of 52 games with a touchdown was snapped.
7)(8) 49ers- Back to back dominant wins having them feeling a lot better and with Seattle losing they see a wide open NFC West again.
8)(10) Bengals- They got a big statement win over New England despite not playing especially sharp and them not either but they will take an important win especially with Cleveland surging.
9)(14) Ravens- They look like they might have their running game going as HB Ray Rice was the big key to their win and they will need more of that to mold into playoff form.
10)(9) Bears- Two tough losses in a row but they can quickly get right again with a visit from a staggering Giants' team.
11)(7) Dolphins- After a fast start to the year, they have fallen to two of the last four Super Bowl champs and get a week off to quickly regroup as the AFC East tightens.
12)(13) Packers- They returned from a bye and got a needed win but might be without their best defender for a few games.
13)(11) Titans- They did not miss too much of a beat with a backup quarterback and that should be promising as their defense can keep them in games.
14)(12) Lions- If WR Calvin Johnson misses many more games, it will likely put a dent in their playoff hopes as he was sorely missed this past week.
15)(18) Cowboys- QB Tony Romo did about everything you could ask minus that late pick that was the ultimate difference and continues to beg the question if they can get over the hump when it matters most.
16)(16) Texans- QB Matt Schaub continues to get a touchdown to the other team with a string of pick sixes and has Houston worrying about a major problem that could halt their recent surge the last two years.
17)(21) Browns- They unfortunately loss their quarterback but continue to win and their persistence this past week might allow them to not take too much of a step back.
18)(22) Jets- 3-2 QB Geno Smith might have had his best game of his young career as they continued their back and forth play of the year with a good performance.
19)(19) Cardinals- They took advantage of mistakes by Carolina and their confidence especially on defense continues to grow.
20)(17) Chargers- They allowed themselves to play sloppy in the first half and just could not overcome that as QB Phillip Rivers reverted his play a bit.
21)(15) Falcons- They really need this week bye cause they are piling up injuries of key players and their season is on life support unexpectedly.
22)(26) Eagles- They need to still work on locking down more on defense, but their offense was more than enough to get them a much needed win.
23)(27) Rams- It may not have been the strongest opponent, but they might be showing signs of a little bit of balance on offense.
24)(20) Bills- Without their rising rookie quarterback, they might lack much on offense as they could quickly become one dimensional.
25)(28) Raiders- They continue to play hard and it paid off this week and if they can force turnovers they have a shot against a lot of teams.
26)(23) Panthers- After their offense exploded one week, they returned to play completely opposite.
27)(24) Redskins- They are coming off a bye which hopefully means QB Robert Griffin III is that much more healthier.
28)(25) Vikings- They got a good game out of QB Matt Cassel and hope to duplicate that again this week.
29)(29) Steelers- It is hard to see them falling to 0-5 and an off might have been what the doctor ordered to prevent that.
30)(31) Buccaneers- They return from a bye without their former starting quarterback but still lots of question of what type of team they are.
31)(30) Giants- They continue to struggle to prevent turnovers as QB Eli Manning is having a career year in the wrong way with a dozen INTs already.
32)(32) Jaguars- Getting back WR Justin Blackmon gave them a small bit of hope but came with losing their rookie tackle as they look like they can't catch any breaks this year.
As the schedule moves to Week 6 and the second quarter of the season progresses; some teams hope to establish themselves as contenders while others hope to salvage their season fast before it ends at this early stage. Will the three unbeaten teams continue their winning ways? Will any of the four winless teams finally break through? At the moment, Denver looks to be the clear cut favorite in the AFC while there are a couple solid teams on the NFC side. Another week ahead and the rankings will likely continue to create a better picture of what the playoff teams might look like.
With all that said, time to get ready for another week and here are Week 6's power rankings:
1)(1) Broncos- They weathered a storm of offense by Dallas but QB Peyton Manning was too good again as they look like not much will stop them.
2)(4) Saints- They showed a lot of toughness on the road and continue to look very complete on both sides of the ball.
3)(5) Chiefs- Their defense is very underrated as is their efficiency on offense as they limit bad plays.
4)(6) Colts- Don't look now, but they have quietly emerged as a legit title contender behind the play of QB Andrew Luck.
5)(2) Seahawks- They might have suffered their first loss, but they were simply outplayed. However, two weeks in row they've shown the weaknesses they might have if they need to win on the road in the playoffs.
6)(3) Patriots- Their lack of weapons and offensive potency finally caught up to them as QB Tom Brady's streak of 52 games with a touchdown was snapped.
7)(8) 49ers- Back to back dominant wins having them feeling a lot better and with Seattle losing they see a wide open NFC West again.
8)(10) Bengals- They got a big statement win over New England despite not playing especially sharp and them not either but they will take an important win especially with Cleveland surging.
9)(14) Ravens- They look like they might have their running game going as HB Ray Rice was the big key to their win and they will need more of that to mold into playoff form.
10)(9) Bears- Two tough losses in a row but they can quickly get right again with a visit from a staggering Giants' team.
11)(7) Dolphins- After a fast start to the year, they have fallen to two of the last four Super Bowl champs and get a week off to quickly regroup as the AFC East tightens.
12)(13) Packers- They returned from a bye and got a needed win but might be without their best defender for a few games.
13)(11) Titans- They did not miss too much of a beat with a backup quarterback and that should be promising as their defense can keep them in games.
14)(12) Lions- If WR Calvin Johnson misses many more games, it will likely put a dent in their playoff hopes as he was sorely missed this past week.
15)(18) Cowboys- QB Tony Romo did about everything you could ask minus that late pick that was the ultimate difference and continues to beg the question if they can get over the hump when it matters most.
16)(16) Texans- QB Matt Schaub continues to get a touchdown to the other team with a string of pick sixes and has Houston worrying about a major problem that could halt their recent surge the last two years.
17)(21) Browns- They unfortunately loss their quarterback but continue to win and their persistence this past week might allow them to not take too much of a step back.
18)(22) Jets- 3-2 QB Geno Smith might have had his best game of his young career as they continued their back and forth play of the year with a good performance.
19)(19) Cardinals- They took advantage of mistakes by Carolina and their confidence especially on defense continues to grow.
20)(17) Chargers- They allowed themselves to play sloppy in the first half and just could not overcome that as QB Phillip Rivers reverted his play a bit.
21)(15) Falcons- They really need this week bye cause they are piling up injuries of key players and their season is on life support unexpectedly.
22)(26) Eagles- They need to still work on locking down more on defense, but their offense was more than enough to get them a much needed win.
23)(27) Rams- It may not have been the strongest opponent, but they might be showing signs of a little bit of balance on offense.
24)(20) Bills- Without their rising rookie quarterback, they might lack much on offense as they could quickly become one dimensional.
25)(28) Raiders- They continue to play hard and it paid off this week and if they can force turnovers they have a shot against a lot of teams.
26)(23) Panthers- After their offense exploded one week, they returned to play completely opposite.
27)(24) Redskins- They are coming off a bye which hopefully means QB Robert Griffin III is that much more healthier.
28)(25) Vikings- They got a good game out of QB Matt Cassel and hope to duplicate that again this week.
29)(29) Steelers- It is hard to see them falling to 0-5 and an off might have been what the doctor ordered to prevent that.
30)(31) Buccaneers- They return from a bye without their former starting quarterback but still lots of question of what type of team they are.
31)(30) Giants- They continue to struggle to prevent turnovers as QB Eli Manning is having a career year in the wrong way with a dozen INTs already.
32)(32) Jaguars- Getting back WR Justin Blackmon gave them a small bit of hope but came with losing their rookie tackle as they look like they can't catch any breaks this year.
As the schedule moves to Week 6 and the second quarter of the season progresses; some teams hope to establish themselves as contenders while others hope to salvage their season fast before it ends at this early stage. Will the three unbeaten teams continue their winning ways? Will any of the four winless teams finally break through? At the moment, Denver looks to be the clear cut favorite in the AFC while there are a couple solid teams on the NFC side. Another week ahead and the rankings will likely continue to create a better picture of what the playoff teams might look like.
Monday, October 7, 2013
College Football Week 7 Power Rankings
After six weeks of play, multiple top teams have begun to emerge and stick out. At the moment, Alabama and Oregon could be on a collision course that would pit a good defense against a juggernaut offense. They are not the only threats for a title as close to a dozen teams have shown elements of a team that could challenge for a title. As the season progresses, these teams will continue to play each other. Alabama and Georgia have fared best so far in a tough SEC while Ohio State has outlasted two tough fellow Big Ten foes. Like previous weeks, there was some movement at the bottom of the rankings as Arizona State fell out once again as did Mississippi who lost two games in Alabama against the Tide and Tigers. Replacing them are Notre Dame, who beat Arizona State, and Missouri, who might be on for only a week as they visit Georgia in one of this week's big games.
With Week 7 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (at Kentucky)- They were hardly tested last week and that should likely not change again this week against a lesser team in the SEC.
2)(2) Oregon (at Washington)- Their offense has been off the charts all year and it should be interesting to see if Washington can slow them down enough to keep it close enough to pull the upset.
3)(3) Ohio State (BYE)- They survived two tough conference tests and now get a week to rest for the second half of the year.
4)(4) Clemson (vs Boston College)- Their offense has really started to wake up and look dangerous the last couple weeks and might be able to continue that again this week.
5)(5) Stanford (at Utah)- They should not overlook the Utes this week but as long as they continue their great balance they should be fine.
6)(8) Florida State (BYE)- Both QB Jameis Winston and their offense looked nearly unstoppable last week and with a bye they have a lot of momentum entering their clash with Clemson next week.
7)(6) Georgia (vs Missouri)- They are starting to pile up injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but QB Aaron Murray can definitely do enough to use what guys are on the field to his advantage.
8)(7) Louisville (vs Rutgers)- They get their first real test of the year against a gritty Rutgers team who will look to challenge them with their defense.
9)(9) Texas A&M (at Mississippi)- They have shown an ability to create fast paced offense led by QB Johnny Manziel and get a reeling Mississippi team who will likely be angry.
10)(10) LSU (vs Florida)- They got tested early last week before exploding and will need to play sharper early this week to put away a less than dangerous Florida team who could fight back late if close.
11)(11) South Carolina (at Arkansas)- They are dealing with questions around their star defensive player and should be leery on the road against an Arkansas team that has had three straight close losses and might be able to pull the upset.
12)(12) UCLA (vs California)- QB Brett Hundley looks like he could do basically everything and that should cause a lot of issues for opponents now that he continues to look like a tough dual threat to slow down.
13)(13) Oklahoma (vs Texas)- They enter their annual Red River Shootout against a Texas team that looks like it won't be able to keep up.
14)(15) Miami (FL) (BYE)- They have a week off to prepare for what could be a favorable path to the ACC title game.
15)(17) Michigan (at Penn State)- They looked like they solved some of their woes last week and will need to continue to bring that intensity again this week.
16)(19) Baylor (at Kansas State)- They continue to put up a lot of points and should continue that again this week as they have weapons all over the place on offense it seems.
17)(14) Northwestern (at Wisconsin)- They came really close to knocking off the Buckeyes and need to come as fired up to avoid a loss against the team Ohio State beat the week before.
18)(16) Washington (vs Oregon)- They fell short in their first major test of the year and get a chance to redeem themselves against the other top team in the Pac-12 North.
19)(19) Florida (at LSU)- They have yet to truly put away a team but last week was their closest game to that and will need to duplicate much of their second half success on the road in a tough environment.
20)(20) Oklahoma State (BYE)- They were able to right their ship and now get a week off to continue to regroup as they should still be in the mix in the Big 12 South.
21)(21) Nebraska (at Purdue)- They continue to fly under the radar since their beatdown by UCLA but have a chance to keep their improvement and surge going.
22)(22) Texas Tech (vs Iowa State)- They should be aggressive against the Cyclones cause they will come out ready to avenge what they thought was a win they should have gotten last week against Texas.
23) (24) Fresno State (BYE)- They are undefeated and have a week off and that will only allow them to continue to prep for a potential undefeated season.
24)(NR) Missouri (at Georgia)- They struggled mightily in the SEC last year but look like a difference team this year and could put a big upset against a wounded Georgia team.
25)(NR) Notre Dame (BYE)- They don't do much special but just keep fighting and a week off comes at a good time so they can further work on execution.
NEXT 5
1) Arizona State (vs Colorado)- They are a borderline top 25 team and are still in the conversation with UCLA in the Pac-12 South.
2) Wisconsin (vs Northwestern)- They might have two losses but they were close ones and are a tough and gritty team that could work themselves back into the top 25 very easily.
3) Auburn (vs Western Carolina)- Talk about making some major improvements. They should easily win this week and reach the half way point with only 1 loss after losing 9 last year.
4) Northern Illinois (vs Akron)- They have one of the more effective quarterbacks and still fly under the radar despite being undefeated.
5) Virginia Tech (vs Pittsburgh)- They continue to sit as a near top 25 team and look to be able to continue their winning way with that evolving offense to match their opportunistic defense.
There were a couple ranked battles at the top of this past week's schedule as a couple top teams were able to hold off upstarts. Not much has changed among the top of the rankings for the most part, but with conference play in full swing; there could some upsets that can easily occur with a couple top ten teams seeing tough challenges this week.
With Week 7 ahead, here are this week's power rankings:
1)(1) Alabama (at Kentucky)- They were hardly tested last week and that should likely not change again this week against a lesser team in the SEC.
2)(2) Oregon (at Washington)- Their offense has been off the charts all year and it should be interesting to see if Washington can slow them down enough to keep it close enough to pull the upset.
3)(3) Ohio State (BYE)- They survived two tough conference tests and now get a week to rest for the second half of the year.
4)(4) Clemson (vs Boston College)- Their offense has really started to wake up and look dangerous the last couple weeks and might be able to continue that again this week.
5)(5) Stanford (at Utah)- They should not overlook the Utes this week but as long as they continue their great balance they should be fine.
6)(8) Florida State (BYE)- Both QB Jameis Winston and their offense looked nearly unstoppable last week and with a bye they have a lot of momentum entering their clash with Clemson next week.
7)(6) Georgia (vs Missouri)- They are starting to pile up injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but QB Aaron Murray can definitely do enough to use what guys are on the field to his advantage.
8)(7) Louisville (vs Rutgers)- They get their first real test of the year against a gritty Rutgers team who will look to challenge them with their defense.
9)(9) Texas A&M (at Mississippi)- They have shown an ability to create fast paced offense led by QB Johnny Manziel and get a reeling Mississippi team who will likely be angry.
10)(10) LSU (vs Florida)- They got tested early last week before exploding and will need to play sharper early this week to put away a less than dangerous Florida team who could fight back late if close.
11)(11) South Carolina (at Arkansas)- They are dealing with questions around their star defensive player and should be leery on the road against an Arkansas team that has had three straight close losses and might be able to pull the upset.
12)(12) UCLA (vs California)- QB Brett Hundley looks like he could do basically everything and that should cause a lot of issues for opponents now that he continues to look like a tough dual threat to slow down.
13)(13) Oklahoma (vs Texas)- They enter their annual Red River Shootout against a Texas team that looks like it won't be able to keep up.
14)(15) Miami (FL) (BYE)- They have a week off to prepare for what could be a favorable path to the ACC title game.
15)(17) Michigan (at Penn State)- They looked like they solved some of their woes last week and will need to continue to bring that intensity again this week.
16)(19) Baylor (at Kansas State)- They continue to put up a lot of points and should continue that again this week as they have weapons all over the place on offense it seems.
17)(14) Northwestern (at Wisconsin)- They came really close to knocking off the Buckeyes and need to come as fired up to avoid a loss against the team Ohio State beat the week before.
18)(16) Washington (vs Oregon)- They fell short in their first major test of the year and get a chance to redeem themselves against the other top team in the Pac-12 North.
19)(19) Florida (at LSU)- They have yet to truly put away a team but last week was their closest game to that and will need to duplicate much of their second half success on the road in a tough environment.
20)(20) Oklahoma State (BYE)- They were able to right their ship and now get a week off to continue to regroup as they should still be in the mix in the Big 12 South.
21)(21) Nebraska (at Purdue)- They continue to fly under the radar since their beatdown by UCLA but have a chance to keep their improvement and surge going.
22)(22) Texas Tech (vs Iowa State)- They should be aggressive against the Cyclones cause they will come out ready to avenge what they thought was a win they should have gotten last week against Texas.
23) (24) Fresno State (BYE)- They are undefeated and have a week off and that will only allow them to continue to prep for a potential undefeated season.
24)(NR) Missouri (at Georgia)- They struggled mightily in the SEC last year but look like a difference team this year and could put a big upset against a wounded Georgia team.
25)(NR) Notre Dame (BYE)- They don't do much special but just keep fighting and a week off comes at a good time so they can further work on execution.
NEXT 5
1) Arizona State (vs Colorado)- They are a borderline top 25 team and are still in the conversation with UCLA in the Pac-12 South.
2) Wisconsin (vs Northwestern)- They might have two losses but they were close ones and are a tough and gritty team that could work themselves back into the top 25 very easily.
3) Auburn (vs Western Carolina)- Talk about making some major improvements. They should easily win this week and reach the half way point with only 1 loss after losing 9 last year.
4) Northern Illinois (vs Akron)- They have one of the more effective quarterbacks and still fly under the radar despite being undefeated.
5) Virginia Tech (vs Pittsburgh)- They continue to sit as a near top 25 team and look to be able to continue their winning way with that evolving offense to match their opportunistic defense.
There were a couple ranked battles at the top of this past week's schedule as a couple top teams were able to hold off upstarts. Not much has changed among the top of the rankings for the most part, but with conference play in full swing; there could some upsets that can easily occur with a couple top ten teams seeing tough challenges this week.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
A democracy at a crossroads
On Monday night after midnight and after weeks of conversations and potential deals along with votes and re-votes in Congress, the U.S. government shutdown for the first time in nearly 20 years when the 1995-1996 shutdown occurred under a similar scenario with a Democratic President and a Republican Congress. The conflicts and eventual outcome have come due to a growing partisan environment where Congressional districts are safer and individuals especially those in conservative districts lack any fear of electoral repercussions of lacking any type of compromise. Primaries are viewed as harder contests than general elections and the overall system might be in need of review and changes.
With all this in mind, Thomas Friedman from the New York Times provided the following insight:
This time is different. What is at stake in this government shutdown forced by a radical Tea Party minority is nothing less than the principle upon which our democracy is based: majority rule. President Obama must not give in to this hostage taking — not just because Obamacare is at stake, but because the future of how we govern ourselves is at stake.
What we’re seeing here is how three structural changes that have been building in American politics have now, together, reached a tipping point — creating a world in which a small minority in Congress can not only hold up their own party but the whole government. And this is the really scary part: The lawmakers doing this can do so with high confidence that they personally will not be politically punished, and may, in fact, be rewarded. When extremists feel that insulated from playing by the traditional rules of our system, if we do not defend those rules — namely majority rule and the fact that if you don’t like a policy passed by Congress, signed by the president and affirmed by the Supreme Court then you have to go out and win an election to overturn it; you can’t just put a fiscal gun to the country’s head — then our democracy is imperiled.
This danger was neatly captured by Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank, when he wrote on Tuesday about the 11th-hour debate in Congress to avert the shutdown. Noting a shameful statement by Speaker John Boehner, Milbank wrote: “Democrats howled about ‘extortion’ and ‘hostage taking,’ which Boehner seemed to confirm when he came to the floor and offered: ‘All the Senate has to do is say ‘yes,’ and the government is funded tomorrow.’ It was the legislative equivalent of saying, ‘Give me the money and nobody gets hurt.’ ”
“Give me the money and nobody gets hurt.” How did we get here? First, by taking gerrymandering to a new level. The political analyst Charlie Cook, writing in The National Journal on March 16, noted that the 2010 election gave Republican state legislatures around the country unprecedented power to redraw political boundaries, which they used to create even more “safe, lily-white” Republican strongholds that are, in effect, an “alternative universe” to the country’s diverse reality.
“Between 2000 and 2010, the non-Hispanic white share of the population fell from 69 percent to 64 percent,” wrote Cook. “But after the post-census redistricting and the 2012 elections, the non-Hispanic white share of the average Republican House district jumped from 73 percent to 75 percent, and the average Democratic House district declined from 52 percent white to 51 percent white. In other words, while the country continues to grow more racially diverse, the average Republican district continues to get even whiter.”
According to Cook, the number of strongly Democratic districts decreased from 144 before redistricting to 136 afterward. The number of strongly Republican districts increased from 175 to 183. “When one party starts out with 47 more very strong districts than the other,” said Cook, “the numbers suggest that the fix is in for any election featuring a fairly neutral environment. Republicans would need to mess up pretty badly to lose their House majority in the near future.” In other words, there is little risk of political punishment for the Tea Party members now holding the country hostage.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s inane Citizens United decision allowed a single donor, Sheldon Adelson, to create his own alternative universe. He was able to contribute so much money to support Newt Gingrich’s candidacy that Gingrich was able to stay in the Republican presidential primary race longer than he would have under sane campaign finance rules. As a result, Gingrich was able to pull the G.O.P.’s leading candidate, Mitt Romney, farther to the right longer, making it harder for him to garner centrist votes. Last month, for the first time ever in Colorado, two state senators who voted for universal background checks on gun purchases lost their seats in a recall election engineered by gun extremists and reportedly financed with some $400,000 from the National Rifle Association. You’re elected, you vote your conscience on a narrow issue, but now determined opponents don’t have to wait for the next election. With enough money, they can get rid of you in weeks.
Finally, the rise of a separate G.O.P. (and a liberal) media universe — from talk-radio hosts, to Web sites to Fox News — has created another gravity-free zone, where there is no punishment for extreme behavior, but there’s 1,000 lashes on Twitter if you deviate from the hard-line and great coverage to those who are most extreme. When politicians only operate inside these bubbles, they lose the habit of persuasion and opt only for coercion. After all, they must be right. Rush Limbaugh told them so.
These “legal” structural changes in money, media and redistricting are not going away. They are superempowering small political movements to act in extreme ways without consequences and thereby stymie majority rule. If democracy means anything, it means that, if you are outvoted, you accept the results and prepare for the next election. Republicans are refusing to do that. It shows contempt for the democratic process.
President Obama is not defending health care. He’s defending the health of our democracy. Every American who cherishes that should stand with him.
With all this in mind, Thomas Friedman from the New York Times provided the following insight:
This time is different. What is at stake in this government shutdown forced by a radical Tea Party minority is nothing less than the principle upon which our democracy is based: majority rule. President Obama must not give in to this hostage taking — not just because Obamacare is at stake, but because the future of how we govern ourselves is at stake.
What we’re seeing here is how three structural changes that have been building in American politics have now, together, reached a tipping point — creating a world in which a small minority in Congress can not only hold up their own party but the whole government. And this is the really scary part: The lawmakers doing this can do so with high confidence that they personally will not be politically punished, and may, in fact, be rewarded. When extremists feel that insulated from playing by the traditional rules of our system, if we do not defend those rules — namely majority rule and the fact that if you don’t like a policy passed by Congress, signed by the president and affirmed by the Supreme Court then you have to go out and win an election to overturn it; you can’t just put a fiscal gun to the country’s head — then our democracy is imperiled.
This danger was neatly captured by Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank, when he wrote on Tuesday about the 11th-hour debate in Congress to avert the shutdown. Noting a shameful statement by Speaker John Boehner, Milbank wrote: “Democrats howled about ‘extortion’ and ‘hostage taking,’ which Boehner seemed to confirm when he came to the floor and offered: ‘All the Senate has to do is say ‘yes,’ and the government is funded tomorrow.’ It was the legislative equivalent of saying, ‘Give me the money and nobody gets hurt.’ ”
“Give me the money and nobody gets hurt.” How did we get here? First, by taking gerrymandering to a new level. The political analyst Charlie Cook, writing in The National Journal on March 16, noted that the 2010 election gave Republican state legislatures around the country unprecedented power to redraw political boundaries, which they used to create even more “safe, lily-white” Republican strongholds that are, in effect, an “alternative universe” to the country’s diverse reality.
“Between 2000 and 2010, the non-Hispanic white share of the population fell from 69 percent to 64 percent,” wrote Cook. “But after the post-census redistricting and the 2012 elections, the non-Hispanic white share of the average Republican House district jumped from 73 percent to 75 percent, and the average Democratic House district declined from 52 percent white to 51 percent white. In other words, while the country continues to grow more racially diverse, the average Republican district continues to get even whiter.”
According to Cook, the number of strongly Democratic districts decreased from 144 before redistricting to 136 afterward. The number of strongly Republican districts increased from 175 to 183. “When one party starts out with 47 more very strong districts than the other,” said Cook, “the numbers suggest that the fix is in for any election featuring a fairly neutral environment. Republicans would need to mess up pretty badly to lose their House majority in the near future.” In other words, there is little risk of political punishment for the Tea Party members now holding the country hostage.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s inane Citizens United decision allowed a single donor, Sheldon Adelson, to create his own alternative universe. He was able to contribute so much money to support Newt Gingrich’s candidacy that Gingrich was able to stay in the Republican presidential primary race longer than he would have under sane campaign finance rules. As a result, Gingrich was able to pull the G.O.P.’s leading candidate, Mitt Romney, farther to the right longer, making it harder for him to garner centrist votes. Last month, for the first time ever in Colorado, two state senators who voted for universal background checks on gun purchases lost their seats in a recall election engineered by gun extremists and reportedly financed with some $400,000 from the National Rifle Association. You’re elected, you vote your conscience on a narrow issue, but now determined opponents don’t have to wait for the next election. With enough money, they can get rid of you in weeks.
Finally, the rise of a separate G.O.P. (and a liberal) media universe — from talk-radio hosts, to Web sites to Fox News — has created another gravity-free zone, where there is no punishment for extreme behavior, but there’s 1,000 lashes on Twitter if you deviate from the hard-line and great coverage to those who are most extreme. When politicians only operate inside these bubbles, they lose the habit of persuasion and opt only for coercion. After all, they must be right. Rush Limbaugh told them so.
These “legal” structural changes in money, media and redistricting are not going away. They are superempowering small political movements to act in extreme ways without consequences and thereby stymie majority rule. If democracy means anything, it means that, if you are outvoted, you accept the results and prepare for the next election. Republicans are refusing to do that. It shows contempt for the democratic process.
President Obama is not defending health care. He’s defending the health of our democracy. Every American who cherishes that should stand with him.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
NFL Week 5 Preview
Week 4 saw five of the seven unbeaten teams continue their ways led by Denver's continued dominance. Washington and Minnesota finally got their first win and that leaves four teams searching for their first win. Houston blew a 17 point lead against Seattle to allow the Seahawks to move to 4-0 while Atlanta could not work enough 4th quarter magic to avoid falling to 1-3 as the Patriots stayed unbeaten. The Saints brought the Dolphins back down a peg with an impressive win in the only matchup of undefeated teams in Week 4. The Bears were other undefeated team to fall as they could overcome the mistakes of QB Jay Cutler against Detroit. San Francisco looked really good again while their Super Bowl XLVII opponent, Baltimore, looked horrible as QB Joe Flacco turned it over five times in their loss. Kansas City joins Denver, Seattle, New England, and New Orleans at 4-0. The four games I highlighted to watch last week had a little bit of everything. Seattle staged a crazy comeback against Houston, Denver led by QB Peyton Manning was extremely dominant, the Patriots were able to work magic again with limited talent to outlast a banged up Atlanta team, and QB Drew Brees and the Saints were hard to slow down as Miami just couldn't keep up in the Superdome.
As the focus turns to Week 5, there are 4 teams without a win and two will be on the field while 5 others hope to stay unbeaten with a road slate. Each undefeated win gets an opponent with a little something to prove in different ways so they should be good games. With my picks, I did a little better than last week and went 11-4 to move to 47-16 overall.
Here are this week's top 4 and the rest.
TOP 4
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts: Seattle was able to weather a tough first half last week to take advantage of mistakes by Houston. They return to the road against a Colts' team that has had better ball management and Indianapolis' two receivers will provide a major threat to Seattle's stiff secondary. This one should be a close back and forth battle where each team is able to answer scores and plays. As the game enters the 4th, QB Andrew Luck works some late magic for another winning drive for the Colts. QB Russell Wilson does not go quietly as they try one late drive of their own but fall short as cannot come back again this week. PICK: COLTS
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears: There are few if any who question the Saints' ability to score and move the ball at home. The questions circle around if New Orleans can do the same on the road. Their road games this year were not against top teams and going to Chicago could occur in the postseason. The Bears made one too many turnovers last week and if they give QB Drew Brees and the Saints more offensive opportunities that could prove deadly. The two gunslinging quarterbacks find some holes in a decently scoring affair. QB Jay Cutler however throws a costly pick at some points that allows for points by the Saints who have been much improved on defense this year. The Bears stage a late score but it is not enough as the Saints hold on for a close road win to stay unbeaten. PICK: SAINTS
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals: The Patriots continue to find ways to win games each week despite not really having much besides QB Tom Brady. They lost a key defensive presence in NT Vince Wilfork and his underrated play will be missed. The Bengals know that if they want to take the next step as a contender, they need to beat teams like New England. QB Andy Dalton has someone that Brady probably wishes he had: WR AJ Green. Expect the Patriots defense try to isolate Green to slow down Cincinnati's offense. The Bengals will keep this one tight and in a somewhat low scoring game their defense looks a late score by the Patriots that serves to be the difference as New England escapes another tough road game. PICK: PATRIOTS
Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys: The QB Peyton Manning-led offense will look to continue its record setting season with a trip to Dallas. The Cowboys have an offense led by QB Tony Romo that could certainly try to keep pace with a score-at-will offense in Denver. This might be the closest game for Denver this year as Dallas will likely fling the ball a lot and WR Dez Bryant and TE Jason Witten are capable of doing damage down the field. However, Denver should be able to adjust and find holes in the Cover 2 defense of Dallas. After winning games by roughly three touchdowns, if Dallas keeps it within two that would be a morale win. A morale win is not quite the same as a win as Manning continues to put up multiple touchdowns while protecting the ball. PICK: BRONCOS
THE REST
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns (Thursday Night): They say a quarterback can change a team's fortunes. One team drafted one and he has given them a chance every week despite being 2-2 while the other team lost their 2012 first round pick to injury and the backup has won them two straight to get to 2-2 as well. Buffalo will fight in a relatively close matchup but QB Brian Hoyer will use his young WR and TE as he has the last two games to move the ball and get the score that puts the game away late in the 4th. PICK: BROWNS
Jacksonville Jaguars at St. Louis Rams: The Rams have seen their offense nearly disappear the last couple weeks and hope to use a game against Jacksonville to get their running game going and prevent so many three and outs. While Jacksonville is almost looking for anything as they are lucky to put up double digit points while keeping the other team under 30 points. The game is fairly deadlocked through most of the first half before QB Sam Bradford gets going and launches two big scores in the second half to pull away. A late score by Jacksonville closes the gap a little but a little too late to make a difference. PICK: RAMS
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants: They have one win between them and both have played four games so there is no doubt both teams want a win bad. The Eagles' offense should be able to continue to move the ball well especially this week as New York's defense has not stopped much this year. QB Eli Manning will get big plays and a couple scores but it will be his record pace of turnovers that will shape this game. The Eagles have not been great at protecting the ball themselves so each team will provide some breathing room for their opponent. In the end, the Eagles do enough to survive a close fairly sloppy game. PICK: EAGLES
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: Green Bay knows they cannot fall to 1-3 and that will inspire QB Aaron Rodgers to play a lot better than he did against Cincinnati. The Lions looked again to be multi-dimensional on offense and their defense is starting to roar a little. They will bring pressure very similar to last week which will mean Rodgers will need to make smart and quick choices. It is uncertain of what role WR Calvin Johnson will play and if he is not out there, it completely changes the complexion of the game. Regardless of if he plays or not, Rodgers outshoots QB Matthew Staffold as Green Bay will have a few more weapons that will outlast Detroit's best hits. PICK: PACKERS
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans: Both teams have been playing very good defense and that will set the tone. It will be a tough back and forth contest throughout. Scoring will be fairly limited. The difference might be the fact that Tennessee is turning to their backup quarterback and it will hard to tell how QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will play while QB Alex Smith has been the ultimate game manager for the Chiefs. They move the ball enough to pull away a bit in the second half and hold on as Tennessee closes things a little but Kansas City escapes with a comfortable win. PICK: CHIEFS
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins ran into a tough New Orleans team on the road and hopes to quickly rebound. While the Ravens had a horrible offensive game as they turned it over six times yet still almost won. The Dolphins have been getting a decent balance on offense getting their running game going and that is something Baltimore has been struggling to truly get off. HB Ray Rice of the Ravens could be an x-factor in this one as he is capable of doing a little of everything and will force Miami's defense to keep an eye on him. The Ravens will play much sharper and take a lead late in the game before QB Ryan Tannehill is able to move Miami down the field to take the lead late and hold on to survive a tough physical game. PICK: DOLPHINS
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals: QB Cam Newton was able to truly open up Carolina's offense against the Giants but should be careful when pushing the ball down the field because there are speedy and dangerous guys in Arizona's secondary. CB Patrick Peterson can do a little of everything in that secondary as well as on special teams and don't be surprised if he makes a game changing play. QB Carson Palmer still is not exactly sharp but is still an improvement in that area compared to other years as WR Larry Fitzgerald should be able to get open and do the rest. This will have a slow and not exciting pace to it with Arizona just chipping away as they get the win. PICK: CARDINALS
Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night): QB Matt Schaub has been looking about as bad as you be for Houston as he is not only turning the ball over but providing instant points for the other team. Look for San Francisco to apply some pressure with their hard hitting secondary to cause a couple costly turnovers. QB Colin Kaepernick in his own right is still trying to harness the complex dynamic play he had throughout last year. The line of scrimmage will be a major point of focus in this one as well as both defenses have some good pass rushers who will look to cause chaos. Houston continues their struggles as the 49ers move the ball well enough and let their defense do the rest. PICK: 49ers
San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (Sunday Night): In a bit of a weird situation, this afternoon game was pushed back to Sunday night. Chargers' QB Phillip Rivers is looking to continue his mini resurgence but should be leery of veteran S Charles Woodson on the other side. This one has a strange feel to it with the late start and a divisional clash. A couple mistakes by both teams neutralize themselves as it is close late before San Diego gets a crucial score to preserve the win as Oakland gives them a stout test. PICK: CHARGERS
New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons (Monday Night): The Falcons could not have afforded to fall to 1-3 and they definitely do not want to fall to 1-4 as the Saints could improve to 5-0. The Jets have been hard to figure out after four games as they seem to be playing great defense but it is their offense led by QB Geno Smith that is dictating their games and if he can keep control of the ball and limit his turnovers it could allow New York to stay in this one. TE Tony Gonzalez will need to be the consistent threat he has been for QB Matt Ryan if the Falcons are to move the ball effectively as there has been some questions around the Falcons' star receivers. Atlanta finally puts together a good enough game to survive. New York should get a few big shots on Atlanta's defense as New York's defense will make Ryan work for a lot of what he gets. PICK: FALCONS
The Vikings, Steelers, Buccaneers, and Redskins all have off this week and each has struggled this year so it comes at a good time for sure. It should be interesting to see how the five undefeated teams fair in what will likely be five of the better games in Week 5. Teams like Green Bay and Atlanta in the NFC and Baltimore and Houston in the AFC are looking for big games at this early part in the season. Can the Jaguars or the Giants finally break through? How many touchdowns will Peyton Manning put up this week? There will be a good mix of offensive shootouts and some defensive grinders. Also, a couple sloppy less than stellar ones. Should be a good week as the second quarter of the season kicks off!
As the focus turns to Week 5, there are 4 teams without a win and two will be on the field while 5 others hope to stay unbeaten with a road slate. Each undefeated win gets an opponent with a little something to prove in different ways so they should be good games. With my picks, I did a little better than last week and went 11-4 to move to 47-16 overall.
Here are this week's top 4 and the rest.
TOP 4
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts: Seattle was able to weather a tough first half last week to take advantage of mistakes by Houston. They return to the road against a Colts' team that has had better ball management and Indianapolis' two receivers will provide a major threat to Seattle's stiff secondary. This one should be a close back and forth battle where each team is able to answer scores and plays. As the game enters the 4th, QB Andrew Luck works some late magic for another winning drive for the Colts. QB Russell Wilson does not go quietly as they try one late drive of their own but fall short as cannot come back again this week. PICK: COLTS
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears: There are few if any who question the Saints' ability to score and move the ball at home. The questions circle around if New Orleans can do the same on the road. Their road games this year were not against top teams and going to Chicago could occur in the postseason. The Bears made one too many turnovers last week and if they give QB Drew Brees and the Saints more offensive opportunities that could prove deadly. The two gunslinging quarterbacks find some holes in a decently scoring affair. QB Jay Cutler however throws a costly pick at some points that allows for points by the Saints who have been much improved on defense this year. The Bears stage a late score but it is not enough as the Saints hold on for a close road win to stay unbeaten. PICK: SAINTS
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals: The Patriots continue to find ways to win games each week despite not really having much besides QB Tom Brady. They lost a key defensive presence in NT Vince Wilfork and his underrated play will be missed. The Bengals know that if they want to take the next step as a contender, they need to beat teams like New England. QB Andy Dalton has someone that Brady probably wishes he had: WR AJ Green. Expect the Patriots defense try to isolate Green to slow down Cincinnati's offense. The Bengals will keep this one tight and in a somewhat low scoring game their defense looks a late score by the Patriots that serves to be the difference as New England escapes another tough road game. PICK: PATRIOTS
Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys: The QB Peyton Manning-led offense will look to continue its record setting season with a trip to Dallas. The Cowboys have an offense led by QB Tony Romo that could certainly try to keep pace with a score-at-will offense in Denver. This might be the closest game for Denver this year as Dallas will likely fling the ball a lot and WR Dez Bryant and TE Jason Witten are capable of doing damage down the field. However, Denver should be able to adjust and find holes in the Cover 2 defense of Dallas. After winning games by roughly three touchdowns, if Dallas keeps it within two that would be a morale win. A morale win is not quite the same as a win as Manning continues to put up multiple touchdowns while protecting the ball. PICK: BRONCOS
THE REST
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns (Thursday Night): They say a quarterback can change a team's fortunes. One team drafted one and he has given them a chance every week despite being 2-2 while the other team lost their 2012 first round pick to injury and the backup has won them two straight to get to 2-2 as well. Buffalo will fight in a relatively close matchup but QB Brian Hoyer will use his young WR and TE as he has the last two games to move the ball and get the score that puts the game away late in the 4th. PICK: BROWNS
Jacksonville Jaguars at St. Louis Rams: The Rams have seen their offense nearly disappear the last couple weeks and hope to use a game against Jacksonville to get their running game going and prevent so many three and outs. While Jacksonville is almost looking for anything as they are lucky to put up double digit points while keeping the other team under 30 points. The game is fairly deadlocked through most of the first half before QB Sam Bradford gets going and launches two big scores in the second half to pull away. A late score by Jacksonville closes the gap a little but a little too late to make a difference. PICK: RAMS
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants: They have one win between them and both have played four games so there is no doubt both teams want a win bad. The Eagles' offense should be able to continue to move the ball well especially this week as New York's defense has not stopped much this year. QB Eli Manning will get big plays and a couple scores but it will be his record pace of turnovers that will shape this game. The Eagles have not been great at protecting the ball themselves so each team will provide some breathing room for their opponent. In the end, the Eagles do enough to survive a close fairly sloppy game. PICK: EAGLES
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: Green Bay knows they cannot fall to 1-3 and that will inspire QB Aaron Rodgers to play a lot better than he did against Cincinnati. The Lions looked again to be multi-dimensional on offense and their defense is starting to roar a little. They will bring pressure very similar to last week which will mean Rodgers will need to make smart and quick choices. It is uncertain of what role WR Calvin Johnson will play and if he is not out there, it completely changes the complexion of the game. Regardless of if he plays or not, Rodgers outshoots QB Matthew Staffold as Green Bay will have a few more weapons that will outlast Detroit's best hits. PICK: PACKERS
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans: Both teams have been playing very good defense and that will set the tone. It will be a tough back and forth contest throughout. Scoring will be fairly limited. The difference might be the fact that Tennessee is turning to their backup quarterback and it will hard to tell how QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will play while QB Alex Smith has been the ultimate game manager for the Chiefs. They move the ball enough to pull away a bit in the second half and hold on as Tennessee closes things a little but Kansas City escapes with a comfortable win. PICK: CHIEFS
Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins ran into a tough New Orleans team on the road and hopes to quickly rebound. While the Ravens had a horrible offensive game as they turned it over six times yet still almost won. The Dolphins have been getting a decent balance on offense getting their running game going and that is something Baltimore has been struggling to truly get off. HB Ray Rice of the Ravens could be an x-factor in this one as he is capable of doing a little of everything and will force Miami's defense to keep an eye on him. The Ravens will play much sharper and take a lead late in the game before QB Ryan Tannehill is able to move Miami down the field to take the lead late and hold on to survive a tough physical game. PICK: DOLPHINS
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals: QB Cam Newton was able to truly open up Carolina's offense against the Giants but should be careful when pushing the ball down the field because there are speedy and dangerous guys in Arizona's secondary. CB Patrick Peterson can do a little of everything in that secondary as well as on special teams and don't be surprised if he makes a game changing play. QB Carson Palmer still is not exactly sharp but is still an improvement in that area compared to other years as WR Larry Fitzgerald should be able to get open and do the rest. This will have a slow and not exciting pace to it with Arizona just chipping away as they get the win. PICK: CARDINALS
Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night): QB Matt Schaub has been looking about as bad as you be for Houston as he is not only turning the ball over but providing instant points for the other team. Look for San Francisco to apply some pressure with their hard hitting secondary to cause a couple costly turnovers. QB Colin Kaepernick in his own right is still trying to harness the complex dynamic play he had throughout last year. The line of scrimmage will be a major point of focus in this one as well as both defenses have some good pass rushers who will look to cause chaos. Houston continues their struggles as the 49ers move the ball well enough and let their defense do the rest. PICK: 49ers
San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (Sunday Night): In a bit of a weird situation, this afternoon game was pushed back to Sunday night. Chargers' QB Phillip Rivers is looking to continue his mini resurgence but should be leery of veteran S Charles Woodson on the other side. This one has a strange feel to it with the late start and a divisional clash. A couple mistakes by both teams neutralize themselves as it is close late before San Diego gets a crucial score to preserve the win as Oakland gives them a stout test. PICK: CHARGERS
New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons (Monday Night): The Falcons could not have afforded to fall to 1-3 and they definitely do not want to fall to 1-4 as the Saints could improve to 5-0. The Jets have been hard to figure out after four games as they seem to be playing great defense but it is their offense led by QB Geno Smith that is dictating their games and if he can keep control of the ball and limit his turnovers it could allow New York to stay in this one. TE Tony Gonzalez will need to be the consistent threat he has been for QB Matt Ryan if the Falcons are to move the ball effectively as there has been some questions around the Falcons' star receivers. Atlanta finally puts together a good enough game to survive. New York should get a few big shots on Atlanta's defense as New York's defense will make Ryan work for a lot of what he gets. PICK: FALCONS
The Vikings, Steelers, Buccaneers, and Redskins all have off this week and each has struggled this year so it comes at a good time for sure. It should be interesting to see how the five undefeated teams fair in what will likely be five of the better games in Week 5. Teams like Green Bay and Atlanta in the NFC and Baltimore and Houston in the AFC are looking for big games at this early part in the season. Can the Jaguars or the Giants finally break through? How many touchdowns will Peyton Manning put up this week? There will be a good mix of offensive shootouts and some defensive grinders. Also, a couple sloppy less than stellar ones. Should be a good week as the second quarter of the season kicks off!
College Football Week 6 Preview
Week 5 provided the best stack of top matchups so far this season with another major SEC battle on the year that had national title implications. Now as the schedule starts to load up with conference games, upset alerts should be up and there will be near playoff type of games between some opponents in their respective conferences with title hopes on the line. For the most part, the top 10 has navigated the first month nearly unblemished and there has been some type of shuffling at the bottom of the top 25 each week. Another few big games await this weekend as a few teams can continue to show where they stand among the best.
Looking back at the games highlighted, South Carolina and UCF lived up to the expectations of a game between a top tier SEC team and a rising AAC squad who was undefeated. In the end, the Gamecocks were a little too much but they were tested to the limit. Washington continued to show they are putting it together through the air and on the ground and will get two back to back opportunities against Stanford and Oregon to solidify where they stand in the Pac-12 and potentially among the top teams. Speaking of the Pac-12, Oregon again ran up over 50 points in a win while Arizona State took a close game against USC and bulldozed them in the second half.
With my top 5 for Week 5, I went 5-0 bringing my record to 22-3 on the year. Virginia Tech was able to take a complex option offense for Georgia Tech and break it down. Their offense made some strides during the game and did enough to match their defense to win a thrilling and close ACC battle on a Thursday night. While they were showing some signs of taking a step forward as a team, Mississippi might have overestimated their ability and underestimated Alabama. The Rebels were never really in the game against the Tide as Alabama took advantage of mistakes and their usual efficiency did the rest in an easier than some expected win as they keep themselves positioned for another title. Alabama was able to get revenge for a loss last year to Texas A&M by beating them earlier this year in a rematch. Oklahoma suffered a close loss themselves last year and were able to enact their own bit of revenge against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish fell into an early hole and similar to their game against Michigan; they could not complete the comeback against a very good team. Notre Dame has continued to miss opportunities and make a couple of mistakes and Oklahoma was there to take advantage as they look to be emerging as the best team in the Big 12.
Ohio State has been running the table since the start of the 2012 season under Urban Meyer and they got the best test of the year against Wisconsin but they continued to find a way to win in the end. The Badgers kept it close and had a lead fairly late in the game but could they could not provide themselves enough of a cushion. The defense was picked apart by QB Braxton Miller in his return and the Buckeyes will have a chance to prove themselves again this week on the road in another crucial Big Ten matchup with Northwestern. Without a doubt, the game of the weekend and possibly the year was Georgia surviving an intense contest with LSU. As great as Alabama at Texas A&M was earlier this year, this SEC battle had multiple lead changes and you never really felt like one team was in control. Georgia QB Aaron Murray took another step forward in proving some doubters wrong when it comes to his performance in big games as he was stone cold on a game winning drive late in the 4th quarter as both quarterbacks and their offenses put on a show. Both teams now have 1 loss and yet could still see each other in Atlanta later this year if they can win out or simply navigate the always tough SEC conference schedules.
Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.
Games to highlight in Week 6:
Georgia Tech at #15 Miami (FL): The Hurricanes are starting to look like a team to reckon with again in the ACC and could take another step forward this week as their offense is starting to really click.
#25 Mississippi at Auburn: Mississippi is coming off their first loss and travels to another school in the state of Alabama to face Auburn, who is playing much better overall this year and could provide for a close battle for positioning in the SEC West.
Minnesota at #17 Michigan: Michigan returns from a week off and gets a Minnesota team that may be coming off its first loss but they have looked like a gritty and tough team. This might be a game that comes either way for Michigan in terms of either a major statement that they are fine or one where they can't fight back to win.
Arkansas at #18 Florida: Arkansas has come up a little short the last two weeks and Florida has not looked overly impressive all year so this game could be a push and pull for two teams who need a win regardless of records.
Missouri at Vanderbilt: Missouri is undefeated and looks a lot more dangerous on offense this year and this game could be a chance for them to take a step forward in the SEC after a rough slate last year.
West Virginia at #19 Baylor: These two teams provided a points epic last year and expect lots of points again however the majority of them will be coming from Baylor as they have looked on par with Oregon when it comes to scoring at will but do not dismiss West Virginia entirely after they slowed down a very good offense in Oklahoma State last week enough to edge out a win.
Top 5 Games of Week 6 (22-3):
5) TCU at #13 Oklahoma: TCU is accustomed to winning double digit games the last few years but this year they have been met with a bit more struggle than normal. The Sooners are right about on par with most Bob Stoops teams are playing well enough to take advantage of mistakes and limit their own. TCU will come to play inspired cause of the competition and they will keep it close but it will not be enough as the Sooners get a late score to seal the game. PICK: OKLAHOMA
4) #23 Arizona State at Notre Dame: The Sun Devils have looked pretty dominant early on and are a close nailbiting loss to Stanford from being undefeated. Notre Dame must avoid what happened to USC to stay in this one because if they turn it over early like they did against Oklahoma; they might not be able to come back as Arizona State can truly bury them if desired. Playing at home will provide some inspiration for the Fighting Irish and it will be a back and forth type of game with some timely scoring. QB Tommy Rees will conduct a major drive in the 4th that allows them to go ahead and an equally crucial defensive stand will allow them to pull the somewhat upset. PICK: NOTRE DAME
3) Maryland at #8 Florida State: Maryland has surged to an undefeated record this year but to take nothing away from that it has not been as impressive as Florida State. The Terrapains are 0-11 in Tallahassee and QB Jameis Winston for the Seminoles has been one of the most dynamic players in college football this year. The combination of those aspects will be what sets the tone and this does not look to even be close based on the talent of the Seminoles. It will be a mere tune up game likely for the Clemson game in two weeks. PICK: FLORIDA STATE
2) #3 Ohio State at #14 Northwestern: Ohio State needed to bring everything against Wisconsin at home. Now they head on the road against possibly one of the best Northwestern teams in school history. The Wildcats see this opportunity as a statement game as well as a step along their path to winning a Big Ten crown and possibly more. The Buckeyes will need to be leery early of what will likely be an aggressive approach by the home team. If they can weather the first half, they will likely take the same approach as last week and wear away at Northwestern doing enough to get that go ahead score and hold on late. PICK: OHIO STATE
1) #16 Washington at #5 Stanford: It is unfortunate that this game takes place after 10pm on the east coast cause this really could be the best game of the week. Stanford is able to slow down teams and attack efficiently on offense while Washington can quick strike and stand toe for toe in this one. The QB/HB duo in Washington flies under the national media's radar for the most part as the Huskies have slowly provided solid wins in each game so far while Stanford epitomizes a complete team effort that does not make too many mistakes. The Huskies will find themselves behind most of the game but will keep fighting back until the end. A late drive and chance to tie or go ahead falls short for Washington as Stanford does enough much like against Arizona State. PICK: STANFORD
Another couple of top 25 matchups highlight this week's schedule as each week becomes that much more important as the road to the national title continues. There are a few good ones this week with the best two starting late in the Saturday slate.
Looking back at the games highlighted, South Carolina and UCF lived up to the expectations of a game between a top tier SEC team and a rising AAC squad who was undefeated. In the end, the Gamecocks were a little too much but they were tested to the limit. Washington continued to show they are putting it together through the air and on the ground and will get two back to back opportunities against Stanford and Oregon to solidify where they stand in the Pac-12 and potentially among the top teams. Speaking of the Pac-12, Oregon again ran up over 50 points in a win while Arizona State took a close game against USC and bulldozed them in the second half.
With my top 5 for Week 5, I went 5-0 bringing my record to 22-3 on the year. Virginia Tech was able to take a complex option offense for Georgia Tech and break it down. Their offense made some strides during the game and did enough to match their defense to win a thrilling and close ACC battle on a Thursday night. While they were showing some signs of taking a step forward as a team, Mississippi might have overestimated their ability and underestimated Alabama. The Rebels were never really in the game against the Tide as Alabama took advantage of mistakes and their usual efficiency did the rest in an easier than some expected win as they keep themselves positioned for another title. Alabama was able to get revenge for a loss last year to Texas A&M by beating them earlier this year in a rematch. Oklahoma suffered a close loss themselves last year and were able to enact their own bit of revenge against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish fell into an early hole and similar to their game against Michigan; they could not complete the comeback against a very good team. Notre Dame has continued to miss opportunities and make a couple of mistakes and Oklahoma was there to take advantage as they look to be emerging as the best team in the Big 12.
Ohio State has been running the table since the start of the 2012 season under Urban Meyer and they got the best test of the year against Wisconsin but they continued to find a way to win in the end. The Badgers kept it close and had a lead fairly late in the game but could they could not provide themselves enough of a cushion. The defense was picked apart by QB Braxton Miller in his return and the Buckeyes will have a chance to prove themselves again this week on the road in another crucial Big Ten matchup with Northwestern. Without a doubt, the game of the weekend and possibly the year was Georgia surviving an intense contest with LSU. As great as Alabama at Texas A&M was earlier this year, this SEC battle had multiple lead changes and you never really felt like one team was in control. Georgia QB Aaron Murray took another step forward in proving some doubters wrong when it comes to his performance in big games as he was stone cold on a game winning drive late in the 4th quarter as both quarterbacks and their offenses put on a show. Both teams now have 1 loss and yet could still see each other in Atlanta later this year if they can win out or simply navigate the always tough SEC conference schedules.
Now comes this week's games to spotlight and the weekly top 5.
Games to highlight in Week 6:
Georgia Tech at #15 Miami (FL): The Hurricanes are starting to look like a team to reckon with again in the ACC and could take another step forward this week as their offense is starting to really click.
#25 Mississippi at Auburn: Mississippi is coming off their first loss and travels to another school in the state of Alabama to face Auburn, who is playing much better overall this year and could provide for a close battle for positioning in the SEC West.
Minnesota at #17 Michigan: Michigan returns from a week off and gets a Minnesota team that may be coming off its first loss but they have looked like a gritty and tough team. This might be a game that comes either way for Michigan in terms of either a major statement that they are fine or one where they can't fight back to win.
Arkansas at #18 Florida: Arkansas has come up a little short the last two weeks and Florida has not looked overly impressive all year so this game could be a push and pull for two teams who need a win regardless of records.
Missouri at Vanderbilt: Missouri is undefeated and looks a lot more dangerous on offense this year and this game could be a chance for them to take a step forward in the SEC after a rough slate last year.
West Virginia at #19 Baylor: These two teams provided a points epic last year and expect lots of points again however the majority of them will be coming from Baylor as they have looked on par with Oregon when it comes to scoring at will but do not dismiss West Virginia entirely after they slowed down a very good offense in Oklahoma State last week enough to edge out a win.
Top 5 Games of Week 6 (22-3):
5) TCU at #13 Oklahoma: TCU is accustomed to winning double digit games the last few years but this year they have been met with a bit more struggle than normal. The Sooners are right about on par with most Bob Stoops teams are playing well enough to take advantage of mistakes and limit their own. TCU will come to play inspired cause of the competition and they will keep it close but it will not be enough as the Sooners get a late score to seal the game. PICK: OKLAHOMA
4) #23 Arizona State at Notre Dame: The Sun Devils have looked pretty dominant early on and are a close nailbiting loss to Stanford from being undefeated. Notre Dame must avoid what happened to USC to stay in this one because if they turn it over early like they did against Oklahoma; they might not be able to come back as Arizona State can truly bury them if desired. Playing at home will provide some inspiration for the Fighting Irish and it will be a back and forth type of game with some timely scoring. QB Tommy Rees will conduct a major drive in the 4th that allows them to go ahead and an equally crucial defensive stand will allow them to pull the somewhat upset. PICK: NOTRE DAME
3) Maryland at #8 Florida State: Maryland has surged to an undefeated record this year but to take nothing away from that it has not been as impressive as Florida State. The Terrapains are 0-11 in Tallahassee and QB Jameis Winston for the Seminoles has been one of the most dynamic players in college football this year. The combination of those aspects will be what sets the tone and this does not look to even be close based on the talent of the Seminoles. It will be a mere tune up game likely for the Clemson game in two weeks. PICK: FLORIDA STATE
2) #3 Ohio State at #14 Northwestern: Ohio State needed to bring everything against Wisconsin at home. Now they head on the road against possibly one of the best Northwestern teams in school history. The Wildcats see this opportunity as a statement game as well as a step along their path to winning a Big Ten crown and possibly more. The Buckeyes will need to be leery early of what will likely be an aggressive approach by the home team. If they can weather the first half, they will likely take the same approach as last week and wear away at Northwestern doing enough to get that go ahead score and hold on late. PICK: OHIO STATE
1) #16 Washington at #5 Stanford: It is unfortunate that this game takes place after 10pm on the east coast cause this really could be the best game of the week. Stanford is able to slow down teams and attack efficiently on offense while Washington can quick strike and stand toe for toe in this one. The QB/HB duo in Washington flies under the national media's radar for the most part as the Huskies have slowly provided solid wins in each game so far while Stanford epitomizes a complete team effort that does not make too many mistakes. The Huskies will find themselves behind most of the game but will keep fighting back until the end. A late drive and chance to tie or go ahead falls short for Washington as Stanford does enough much like against Arizona State. PICK: STANFORD
Another couple of top 25 matchups highlight this week's schedule as each week becomes that much more important as the road to the national title continues. There are a few good ones this week with the best two starting late in the Saturday slate.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
NFL Week 5 Power Rankings
After 4 weeks of action, some teams like the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Saints look dominant as many may have thought. The Kansas City Chiefs continue to be a pleasant surprise while teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants look like shells of the teams that won four of the last eight Super Bowls. The New England Patriots kind of fall somewhere near the top but have yet to truly look like the team that has been a constant playoff team. There are a growing group of second tier contenders growing while one, the Atlanta Falcons, has now fallen to 1-3. Four teams remain without a team entering Week 5 with two in action and two off to hopefully get a plan together fast. Five unbeatens on the other hand look to stay that way with road challenges.
With all that said, time to get ready for another week and here are Week 5's power rankings:
1)(1) Broncos- There is not much left to say about how well they are playing and the level of QB play Peyton Manning is existing.
2)(2) Seahawks- They were able to show that if they need to go on the road on the playoffs against a good team, they have what it takes to weather any storm and that could pay off down the road.
3)(3) Patriots- Their offense is made up of guys no one really knows and QB Tom Brady is having to do everything he can to get these wins so far.
4)(4) Saints-Their offense is nearly unstoppable at home again but they will need to show more on the road and going to Chicago is a great way to show that.
5)(8) Chiefs-Steady QB play and the parts all coming together especially on defense has them looking very solid as they look to go to 5-0 after only winning 2 games last year.
6)(9) Colts- They have a great chance to make another early season statement by knocking off Seattle this week.
7)(6) Dolphins- They might have loss but they did not go easy against the Saints in a tough environment.
8)(11) 49ers-They got healthy and back on track big time on the road and hope to continue that again this week against a Houston team that is shooting themselves in the foot.
9)(5) Bears- They look to rebound from their first loss by trying to slow down an aggressive offense that is hitting well.
10)(7) Bengals-They enter a key matchup with New England this week to see what type of team they might be this year.
11)(16) Titans- They continue to do enough on offense and play tough on defense making a case for a potential three way race in the AFC South.
12)(17) Lions-They upended the Bears last week and can go to 3-0 in the division with a victory over Green Bay.
13)(13) Packers-They return from a bye with an important game not only for their record but within the NFC North as well against Detroit.
14)(10) Ravens- QB Joe Flacco struggled to get the offense going and multiple turnovers doomed them in the end.
15)(12) Falcons- They entered a crucial game against New England needing a win at home and now head towards Monday Night really needing a win to salvage what could be a dwindling season.
16)(15) Texans- They had two touchdown lead entering the 4th quarter and led by QB Matt Schaub they choked away another win.
17)(19) Chargers- QB Phillip Rivers is continuing his resurgence and TE Antonio Gates still causes matchup problems.
18)(14) Cowboys- They had opportunities but let them slip away and benefit for now from a weak division to stay in first.
19)(23) Cardinals- They had a great 4th quarter to comeback and could build on that against another NFC South team.
20)(24) Bills- They are continuing to grow and with each win their young core gains that necessary experience especially defeating the defending champs.
21)(25) Browns- They are 2-0 after trading HB Trent Richardson and could make a claim for first in the AFC North this week.
22)(18) Jets- They take one step forward and one step back as they did not make enough plays in Tennessee.
23)(22) Panthers- A week off a big blowout win, they look to build some momentum in what looks like a race for second behind the Saints in the NFC South.
24)(26) Redskins- They enter a bye with a must needed win and hopefully another week could be enough to get QB Robert Griffin III closer to where he was last year.
25)(27) Vikings-A win is a win and will be a confidence booster going into a bye.
26)(20) Eagles-The offense can certainly move and make big plays but it has not proved enough so far.
27)(21) Rams- They have played two horrible games offensively and that has worn out their defense.
28)(30) Raiders- They continue to play hard even in defeat and that could pay off in some ones this year.
29)(28) Steelers- Not even a trip to England could get them in the win column and at least have a week to rest up before trying to put a win on their record.
30)(29) Giants- Their offensive woes continued again this past week against the Chiefs and hope to right this sinking ship against a divisional foe in Philadelphia that is also trying to avoid another early loss.
31)(31) Buccaneers- They get a week off to hopefully sort out their QB situation and other problems seen so far.
32)(32) Jaguars- They get a favorable opponent and one of their few chances to win this year with a struggling St. Louis team, but even this game could elude them like points.
As the schedule moves to Week 5, it could be a make or break game for some teams' seasons while others are hoping to further solidify their dominance. Two teams, the Giants and Jaguars, hope they no longer are without a win by week's end. Statement opportunities certainly are on the horizon in several good clashes this week. As with any season, home field is always important and each game now will matter come December.
With all that said, time to get ready for another week and here are Week 5's power rankings:
1)(1) Broncos- There is not much left to say about how well they are playing and the level of QB play Peyton Manning is existing.
2)(2) Seahawks- They were able to show that if they need to go on the road on the playoffs against a good team, they have what it takes to weather any storm and that could pay off down the road.
3)(3) Patriots- Their offense is made up of guys no one really knows and QB Tom Brady is having to do everything he can to get these wins so far.
4)(4) Saints-Their offense is nearly unstoppable at home again but they will need to show more on the road and going to Chicago is a great way to show that.
5)(8) Chiefs-Steady QB play and the parts all coming together especially on defense has them looking very solid as they look to go to 5-0 after only winning 2 games last year.
6)(9) Colts- They have a great chance to make another early season statement by knocking off Seattle this week.
7)(6) Dolphins- They might have loss but they did not go easy against the Saints in a tough environment.
8)(11) 49ers-They got healthy and back on track big time on the road and hope to continue that again this week against a Houston team that is shooting themselves in the foot.
9)(5) Bears- They look to rebound from their first loss by trying to slow down an aggressive offense that is hitting well.
10)(7) Bengals-They enter a key matchup with New England this week to see what type of team they might be this year.
11)(16) Titans- They continue to do enough on offense and play tough on defense making a case for a potential three way race in the AFC South.
12)(17) Lions-They upended the Bears last week and can go to 3-0 in the division with a victory over Green Bay.
13)(13) Packers-They return from a bye with an important game not only for their record but within the NFC North as well against Detroit.
14)(10) Ravens- QB Joe Flacco struggled to get the offense going and multiple turnovers doomed them in the end.
15)(12) Falcons- They entered a crucial game against New England needing a win at home and now head towards Monday Night really needing a win to salvage what could be a dwindling season.
16)(15) Texans- They had two touchdown lead entering the 4th quarter and led by QB Matt Schaub they choked away another win.
17)(19) Chargers- QB Phillip Rivers is continuing his resurgence and TE Antonio Gates still causes matchup problems.
18)(14) Cowboys- They had opportunities but let them slip away and benefit for now from a weak division to stay in first.
19)(23) Cardinals- They had a great 4th quarter to comeback and could build on that against another NFC South team.
20)(24) Bills- They are continuing to grow and with each win their young core gains that necessary experience especially defeating the defending champs.
21)(25) Browns- They are 2-0 after trading HB Trent Richardson and could make a claim for first in the AFC North this week.
22)(18) Jets- They take one step forward and one step back as they did not make enough plays in Tennessee.
23)(22) Panthers- A week off a big blowout win, they look to build some momentum in what looks like a race for second behind the Saints in the NFC South.
24)(26) Redskins- They enter a bye with a must needed win and hopefully another week could be enough to get QB Robert Griffin III closer to where he was last year.
25)(27) Vikings-A win is a win and will be a confidence booster going into a bye.
26)(20) Eagles-The offense can certainly move and make big plays but it has not proved enough so far.
27)(21) Rams- They have played two horrible games offensively and that has worn out their defense.
28)(30) Raiders- They continue to play hard even in defeat and that could pay off in some ones this year.
29)(28) Steelers- Not even a trip to England could get them in the win column and at least have a week to rest up before trying to put a win on their record.
30)(29) Giants- Their offensive woes continued again this past week against the Chiefs and hope to right this sinking ship against a divisional foe in Philadelphia that is also trying to avoid another early loss.
31)(31) Buccaneers- They get a week off to hopefully sort out their QB situation and other problems seen so far.
32)(32) Jaguars- They get a favorable opponent and one of their few chances to win this year with a struggling St. Louis team, but even this game could elude them like points.
As the schedule moves to Week 5, it could be a make or break game for some teams' seasons while others are hoping to further solidify their dominance. Two teams, the Giants and Jaguars, hope they no longer are without a win by week's end. Statement opportunities certainly are on the horizon in several good clashes this week. As with any season, home field is always important and each game now will matter come December.
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