Weekly NFL Review/Preview: Defense Wins Championships

We are in Week 7 of the NFL season, and five teams are still undefeated. There are some things most of these teams have in common, and that is defense. The old saying is "Defense wins championships", and that couldn't be more true, as was evidenced by the Seahawks' (the #1 defense) thrashing of the Broncos (the #1 offense) in the Super Bowl two years ago. The five remaining unbeaten teams are the Patriots, Packers, Panthers, Bengals, and Broncos. The Pats (second in the league in total yards per game and pass yards per game), Pack (fifth in rush yards per game, tied for tenth in total yards per game), and Bengals (third in total yards per game) have some of the top offenses in the league, but their defenses aren't too shabby either (New England is ninth in total defense and tenth in points allowed per game, Green Bay is 11th in pass yards allowed per game and third in points allowed per game, and Cincinnati is ninth in points allowed per game). The other two unbeatens, Denver and Carolina, rely on their defenses a lot more. The Panthers are unblemished despite losing top receiver Kelvin Benjamin before the season thanks to a defense that ranks fifth in total yards allowed, seventh in yards allowed per game, third in total points allowed, and seventh in points allowed per game. The Broncos still have a zero in the loss column despite an ugly performance from Peyton Manning so far thanks to a defense that ranks fourth in total yards allowed, second in yards allowed per game, third in pass yards allowed per game, fifth in rush yards allowed per game, fifth in total points allowed, and fourth in points allowed per game. You obviously need offense to score points, but to reiterate the old saying, defense wins championships.
Stats courtesy of ESPN.com


Week 6 Review


Top Games (home team listed last)

Broncos 26, Browns 23, OT
This often looked like a game where neither team wanted to win. Peyton Manning continued to struggle, throwing an interception early, but the Broncos still took a 10-0 lead into halftime thanks to a pick-six by Aqib Talib. The Browns came back, like they did against the Ravens. aided once again by big play tight end Gary Barnidge, who had two touchdowns. Cleveland took the lead on an interception returned for a touchdown by Karlos Dansby, but didn't convert the two-point conversion, making the score 20-16. The Broncos then quickly retook the lead on a 75-yard pass from Manning to Emmanuel Sanders. The Browns kicked a field goal to tie it at 23 with a minute and a half left, and then forced the Broncos to punt. Cleveland got in to Denver territory, but then Josh McCown, trying to get the pass off as he was being pressured, was picked by David Bruton. The game went into overtime, and the Broncos won the coin toss. However, Peyton Manning was intercepted for a third time (put in Brock Osweiler!) around midfield, setting up the Browns with a good opportunity to put it away. But instead, they went backwards on three straight plays (two of them sacks) and had to punt. Denver then ran the ball down the field and kicked the game-winning field goal.

Bears 34, Lions 37, OT
The Lions finally started churning on offense in this game, and Calvin Johnson (166 yards receiving) finally started looking like Megatron again. Both teams aired it out (744 total passing yards between the two teams, 246 total rushing yards between the two teams). The Lions were aided by a questionable Golden Tate touchdown catch that was in his hands for a few seconds as he went into the endzone before getting knocked into the hands of a defender. The officials reviewed it (all scoring plays are reviewed), but they stuck with the original touchdown call. They also were helped by a fake punt late in the fourth quarter. On fourth and two from their own 32, they ran a direct snap and got 30 yards on it (they would eventually kick a field goal on that drive). Bears kicker Robbie Gould kicked 29-yard field goal to tie it at the end of regulation. Each team punted it twice in overtime, and then the Lions, led by Matthew Stafford and Johnson, drove down the field and kicked a game-winning 27-yard field goal. That secured the Lions their first win of the season.

Panthers 27, Seahawks 23
This was a battle between what was a good defense (Seattle) and what is a good defense (Carolina). The Seahawks have gotten off to a surprisingly slow start, starting 2-4 and uncharacteristically struggling on defense, while the Panthers are off to a surprisingly great start, starting 5-0 and playing great defense to go with the strong play of Cam Newton. The Seahawks were up 17-7 after a wonderful 40-yard touchdown catch by Ricardo Lockette, and tacked on a field goal to make it 20-7 midway through the third quarter. Then Cam Newton led a comeback. Three long drives were capped by two one-yard touchdown runs by Johnathan Stewart and a Steven Hauschka 43-yard field goal. Then, down three with 32 seconds to play, Newton found tight end Greg Olsen for a 26-yard touchdown that ended up being the game-winner.


Top Performances

Lions WR Calvin Johnson vs. Chicago (W 37-34 OT): 6 catches, 166 yards, TD
Johnson returned to form against the Bears, showing the Calvin Johnson we all know and love, including on the game-winning drive, where his catch helped set up the deciding field goal.

Texans DB Andre Hal @ Jacksonville (W 31-20): 3 tackles, 2 INT, TD
Hal's two interceptions helped Houston beat the Jaguars, and his 31-yard pick-six with 7:55 left in the fourth quarter helped the Texans pull away (it made the score 31-14).

Steelers QB Landry Jones vs. Arizona (W 25-13): 8-12, 168 yards, 2 TD
Jones came in for the injured Mike Vick (who was playing for the injured Ben Roethlisberger) and somehow managed to beat the Cardinals, playing efficiently, managing the game very well, and throwing two touchdown passes on his way to compiling the highest QB rating of any quarterback in the NFL last week (149.3).


Play of the Week

It's always fun to watch when some guy jumps over the long snapper and blocks a field goal. That's what Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins did Sunday night against the Colts. A defender can not touch the long snapper, but completely clearing him is completely legal. Collins timed it right, jumped cleanly over, and easily blocked the kick with his body.


Play of the Weak

The Play of the Weak was relatively easy to choose this week. If you watched the Sunday night game or have been on social media since then, you have probably seen this play, along with memes and jokes about it. The Colts tried to fake the Patriots out with some kind of student body right type of play. Except the Pats weren't fooled, and Griff Whalen, who was the center on the play, snapped it to Colt Anderson, who was right behind him. Whalen was going up against two New England defenders, and, while I'm a communication major, I know one-on-two is not a favorable matchup.


Week 7 Preview


Quick Picks (home team listed last)

Last Week: 10-4
Season: 51-29

Byes: Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Packers

Seahawks 27, 49ers 24 (Thursday, 8:25 PM, CBS/NFL Network)
Bills 32, Jaguars 23 (Sunday, 9:30 AM, Yahoo)
Browns 24, Rams 21 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Buccaneers 28, Redskins 22 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Falcons 42, Titans 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Saints 34, Colts 31 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Vikings 28, Lions 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Steelers 19, Chiefs 20 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Texans 32, Dolphins 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Jets 32, Patriots 38 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Raiders 27, Chargers 32 (Sunday, 4:05 PM, CBS)
Cowboys 31, Giants 35 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, FOX)
Game of the Week: Eagles 22, Panthers 26 (Sunday, 8:30 PM, NBC)
The Panthers continue their undefeated quest at home against the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles started the season off slow, but Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, and company have gotten it together the past two games, beating the Saints and Giants pretty soundly.
Ravens 14, Cardinals 32 (Monday, 8:30 PM, ESPN)


Fantasy Sleepers

Saints QB Drew Brees @ Indianapolis & Chargers QB Phillip Rivers vs. Oakland
Brees, who has over 300 yards in four of the five games he's started, goes up against the Colts' 28th-ranked pass defense on Sunday. Meanwhile, Rivers, who leads the league in passing yards by a pretty wide margin (2,116 to 1,761), gets the Raiders' 31st-ranked pass defense.

Cardinals WR John Brown vs. Baltimore & Jaguars WR Allen Robinson vs. Buffalo
Brown has heated up the last two games (before last week's bye week), totaling 75 receiving yards and 73 receiving yards, respectively. He also faces the lowly Ravens, who are 27th in pass defense (so Brown's quarterback, Carson Palmer, wouldn't be a bad start either). Robinson had two touchdown catches last week, and the Bills have given up 13 receiving touchdowns this season, third-worst in the NFL.

Titans QB Zach Mettenberger vs. Atlanta & Buccaneers RB Doug Martin @ Washington
With Marcus Mariota banged up for Tennessee, it looks like Mettenberger will get the start, so he's worth a flier against the league's 3rd-worst pass defense. Martin, or "Dougernaut", as he now calls himself (so much better than "Muscle Hamster"), is coming off two strong performances (106 yards and a touchdown vs. Carolina, and 123 yards and three total touchdowns vs. Jacksonville) and a bye week, and faces Washington's poor run defense.

Fantasy Busts

Jets D/ST @ Patriots & Titans D/ST vs. Atlanta
The Jets defense is usually a solid option in fantasy, but obviously not this week against the offensive juggernaut that is the Patriots. Same goes for the Titans defense, which has been pretty good thus far, against Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, and company.

Steelers WR Antonio Brown @ Kansas City & Buccaneers WR Mike Evans @ Washington
I'm advising you to stay away from Brown for one more week with Landry Jones looking like the favorite to start this week. Jones was solid last week, but had his eyes on Martavis Bryant (137 yards, 2 TD), not Brown (24 yards). Evans was been lackluster the two weeks before the bye, and in Week 5 Jameis Winston targeted Charles Sims more in a 38-31 win over Jacksonville.

CFB Weekly Review/Preview: Calm After the Storm

Welcome back for another week of college football. We are halfway through the season. Last week provided us with some excitement, including a few upsets, some great plays, and one of the most amazing endings in college football history. Excitement may be a little harder to find this week. There is just one game between ranked teams, and many of the games featuring a Top 25 team don't look like they will be very close. It's so quiet this week that College Gameday will be in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where James Madison takes on Richmond.  Nevertheless, there's still sure to be excitement somewhere this weekend, and as we saw last weekend, anything can happen.


Week 8 Review

Observations

• Unbelievable Finish: I'm going to talk a lot about the end of the Michigan-Michigan State game last Saturday, and for good reason. It was crazy. I was eating dinner with some dorm mates of mine when the play happened, and everybody in the place went crazy. It was a very exciting moment. When we were walking out, some guys coming in asked who won the game. Of of them said "Michigan?", assuming they had won. Then I said "State", and we told them what had happened. They didn't believe us.

• A Victor Emerges?: Ohio State may have found the answer to who will lead their offense on Saturday. Although they once again used a two-quarterback system, one played much better than the other. Cardale Jones, who started once again, was 9 for 15 passing with 84 yards (he also ran four times for 16 yards). But it was J.T. Barrett who stole the show. He didn't throw much, completing all four of his pass attempts for 30 yards and two touchdowns, but he ran 11 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Barrett showed great vision reading the defense, busting options for big gains on multiple occasions. Barrett showed Saturday night that he is clearly the number one quarterback on Ohio State's roster. On Tuesday, Urban Meyer said they are switching to Barrett as the starting quarterback.

• Mid-Major Monsters: We mustn't forget about the mid-majors (teams from outside the Power Five conferences-Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, and ACC). There are now four mid-major teams in the Top 25, three of them from the American: #18 Memphis (American), #19 Toledo (MAC), #21 Houston (American), and #22 Temple (American). All four of them are undefeated, and not against extremely weak competition. Memphis beat then-#13 Ole Miss last week, Toledo beat then-#18 Arkansas in Week 2, Houston beat Louisville in the same week, and Temple has beaten Penn State and Cincinnati.

Play of the Week

This week's choices for Play of the Week and Play of the Weak were pretty easy. My play of the week came early last week, in a Thursday night game between Stanford and UCLA. Already up 35-17 in the third quarter, the Cardinal added to the lead with this magnificent catch by Francis Owusu (brother of Jets receiver Chris Owusu). He reached around the face-guarding defender and held on to the ball the whole time. Many were calling this the play of the year so far, and it's hard to argue with that.


Play of the Weak

This week's Play of the Week, of course, is the amazing finish to the Michigan-Michigan State game. Up two with ten seconds to play, Michigan set up to punt on fourth down from the MSU 43 yard-line. The Wolverines were well on their way to a big win. But then, madness ensued. The snap was a bit low, but still catchable for punter Blake O'Neill. However, O'Neill (who had an 80-yard punt earlier in the game) muffed the snap and tried to pick it up and punt it in any direction in panic. He was bombarded by a hoard of Spartans, including Jalen Watts-Jackson, who caught the ball after it was knocked out of O'Neill's hands and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown as time expired (Watts-Jackson dislocated his hip on the play). You could say that the Wolverines shouldn't have punted it, but hindsight is 20/20. I think Jim Harbaugh made the right call there. The punter should have just dove on the ball or thrown it away after he muffed the snap, but he was probably in too much of a panic to think what the best action in that situation would be.


Game of the Week

Michigan State 27, Michigan 23
Surprise, surprise! I should have named this post something to do with Michigan and Michigan State. Before the insane finish, this was a wild back-and-forth game that included a highly questionable ejection for targeting (by "questionable", I mean it was bad), a nearly 13-second play from the one yard line, and an 80-yard punt (as I noted earlier). And it all culminated in one of the craziest finishes in college football history.


Top Performances

Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey vs. UCLA (W 56-35): 25 carries, 243 yards, 4 TD
McCaffrey had his Heisman Trophy candidate coming out party on Thursday night. The sophomore running back led the Cardinal to a blowout of UCLA, allowing them to seize control of the Pac-12 North.

Baylor QB Seth Russell (20-33, 380 yards, 5 TD) and WR Corey Coleman (10 catches, 199 yards, 3 TD) vs. West Virginia (W 62-38)
Baylor continued to do what they'v done all season: blow out teams. Last week, they did it with the lethal (as usual) passing attack featuring Russell and Coleman. Coleman had more receiving yards than the rest of the Baylor receivers combined.

Alabama RB Derrick Henry @ Texas A&M (W 41-23): 32 carries, 236 yards, 2 TD
The Tide are making their way back into the playoff picture largely thanks to their bruising tailback. Henry ran all over Texas A&M Saturday, and now has 901 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.


Top 4 After Week 7

1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes looked the best they've looked since their first game Saturday, as their offense finally seemed to break out of its slump with new starting quarterback J.T. Barrett. One area of concern, however, was their run defense, which gave up 194 yards to Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Next Game: @ Rutgers, Saturday, 8:00 PM

2. Baylor
Another week, another blowout for the Bears. Last week's victim was West Virginia, who was ranked just a couple of weeks ago. The Mountaineers did give Baylor their closest game thus far (they only won by 24), but right now, Baylor's offense looks unstoppable. Next Game: Iowa State, Saturday, Noon

3. Utah
UTAH had another big Pac-12 win last weekend, beating Arizona State. The Utes once again played outstanding defense, giving up just 257 total yards to the Sun Devils. This week they face another tough conference test in Pasadena against USC. Next Game: @ USC, Saturday, 7:30 PM

4. LSU
The Bayou Bengals could be higher, but the main point is they belong in the playoff (as of right now). They boast wins over Mississippi State, Auburn, and Florida, and have two talented athletes in quarterback Brandon Harris and running back Leonard Fournette. Next Game: Western Kentucky, Saturday, 7:00 PM

Next Four: Clemson, TCU, Alabama, Michigan State


Week 8 Preview


Quick Picks (home team listed last; all times are Eastern)

Last Week: 13-4
Overall: 40-14

#22 Temple 42, East Carolina 28 (Thursday, 7:00 PM, ESPN 2)
#20 California 35, UCLA 32 (Thursday, 9:00 PM, ESPN)
#18 Memphis 38, Tulsa 21 (Friday, 8:00 PM, ESPN)
#21 Houston 53, UCF 24 (Saturday, Noon, ESPN News)
#25 Pittsburgh 32, Syracuse 27 (Saturday, Noon, ESPNU)
#6 Clemson 28, Miami 24 (Saturday, Noon, ABC)
Iowa State 31, #2 Baylor 52 (Saturday, Noon, ESPN)
#19 Toledo 28, Massachusetts 13 (Saturday, 3:00 PM, ESPN3)
Upset Special: Texas Tech 47, #17 Oklahoma 45 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN 2)
With two high-scoring teams like this, anything can happen. The Sooners are at home, but that's where they lost to Texas two weeks ago. Texas Tech's two losses are to the two best teams in the conference (TCU and Baylor), and they only lost to TCU by three.
Kansas 7, #14 Oklahoma State 42 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, Fox Sports 1)
Indiana 34, #7 Michigan State 38 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN 2)
#23 Duke 27, Virginia Tech 30 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ESPNU)
Tennessee 28, #8 Alabama 45 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, CBS)
Western Kentucky 17, #5 LSU 31 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPNU)
Game of the Week: #15 Texas A&M 30, #24 Ole Miss 34 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN)
This battle between SEC foes is the only ranked mathcup this weekend. 5-1 Texas A&M is coming off a loss to Alabama, while 5-2 Ole Miss beat Alabama earlier this season, but is coming off two losses in its last three games.
#9 Florida State 35, Georgia Tech 21 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN 2)
#3 Utah 32, USC 24 (Saturday, 7:30 PM, FOX)
#1 Ohio State 35, Rutgers 21 (Saturday, 8:00 PM, ABC)
Washington 23, #10 Stanford 28 (Saturday, 10:30 PM, ESPN)

NFL Weekly Review/Preview: No Fun League

Roger Goodell and the National Football League have been criticized for their handling of different disciplinary situations and their disciplinary measures in general. From Ray Rice to Greg Hardy to Deflategate, there has been a lot of backlash against Goodell and the NFL. they received more criticism this past week for not allowing one player to honor his mother, who died of cancer, by wearing pink all season, and fining another for honoring his late father with eye black. Steelers backup running back DeAngelo Williams told ESPN earlier this week that the NFL said he could not wear pink all season to honor his mother, Sandra Hill, who died of breast cancer last year, because there are no exceptions to the uniform policy. Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward was fined $5, 787 for wearing eye black that had the word "Iron" under his right eye and "Head" under his left eye, honoring his father, Craig, a former NFL player who's nickname was "Ironhead". Craig died of cancer in 2006. It seems just about every week the NFL levies fines for celebrations and such, and now they aren't even allowing players to honor their loved ones. The NFL needs to get with the times and be a little more compassionate. Now let's get to football.
Note: Information courtesy of ESPN.com

Week 5 Review

Observations

• Nailbiters: Ten games last week were within 8 points, five were within four points, and three went into overtime.
• Charles Out: Chiefs running back (and my first overall pick in one of my fantasy football leagues) tore his ACL Sunday in a one-point loss to the Bears.
• Six Unbeaten: The Bengals (in overtime), the Falcons (in overtime), the Packers, and the Broncos all went to 5-0 last weekend, while the Patriots and Panthers are now 4-0.
• One Winless: On the other side of things, the Lions are 0-5 after a blowout loss to Arizona Sunday. It got so bad that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was Dan Orlovsky in the second quarter.

Play of the Week

This may be the play of the year by Browns tight end "Big Play" Gary Barnidge. Barnidge somehow held the ball between his legs as he went to the ground and reached between his legs to pick it up for the touchdown. Barnidge had eight catches for 139 yards and this sick touchdown to help the Browns beat the Ravens 33-30 in overtime.

Play(s) of the Weak
Everything the Lions did against the Cardinals. Stafford and Orlovsky combined for four interceptions (three by Stafford, one by Orlovsky), and the Lions also had two (almost three) fumbles. Detroit lost 42-17. It was ugly to watch.

Top Game
49ers 27, Giants 30
I could have chosen many games, but I chose the exciting Sunday night game that ended in a game-winning touchdown drive by Eli Manning culminating in a great catch by tight end Larry Donnell. This win put the Giants in first place in the NFC East.

Top Performances
Browns QB Josh McCown vs. Baltimore (W 33-30 OT): 36-51, 457 yards, 2 TD
Johnny who? McCown threw for over 300 yards for the third straight game and broke a Browns regular season record with 457 passing yards. On the season, McCown has 1,203 yards passing, six touchdowns, and one interception.
Giants QB Eli Manning vs. San Francisco (W 30-27): 41-54, 441 yards, 3 TD, INT
Eli came through in the clutch, leading his team on a game-winning drive down four to put them in first place in the division. He also did so with his two top receivers banged up much of the game.
Buccaneers RB Doug Martin vs. Jacksonville (W 38-31): 24 carries, 123 yards, 2 TD
Martin looked like he did his rookie year on Sunday, tearing up the Jacksonville defense. He helped carry the Bucs to a 38-31 win with his success on the ground as well as three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Trending Up: Overtime games...Josh McCown...Thomas Rawls...Eli..."Big Play" Barnidge...Matt Cassel...undefeated teams...officiating errors on Monday Night Football.

Trending Down: The league office...the Chiefs...the Lions...Brandon Weeden...Ryan Mallet...the Ravens...Marcus Mariota.

Week 6 Preview

Quick Picks: (home team listed last)

Last Week: 9-5

Overall: 41-25

Byes: Cowboys, Raiders, Rams, Buccaneers 

Falcons 24, Saints 27 (Thursday, 8:25 PM, CBS/NFL)

Broncos 31, Browns 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Redskins 14, Jets 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Cardinals 34, Steelers 23 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Chiefs 21, Vikings 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Bengals 31, Bills 32 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Bears 20, Lions 21 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Texans 24, Jaguars 23 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Dolphins 21, Titans 28 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Panthers 24, Seahawks 17 (Sunday, 4:05 PM, FOX)

Chargers 28, Packers 31 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS)

Ravens 27, 49ers 30 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS)

Patriots 35, Colts 28 (Sunday, 8:30 PM, NBC)

Giants 34, Eagles 38 (Monday, 8:30 PM, ESPN)

Fantasy Sleepers

Giants QB Eli Manning vs. Philadelphia

Eli has looked really good recently, throwing for three touchdowns the last two games and throwing for 441 yards last week. This week he faces a less-than-stellar Eagles pass defense.

Patriots RB Dion Lewis vs. Indianapolis

Lewis has been a revelation for the Patriots this season. In each of New England's four games, Lewis has at least 30 rushing yards and at least 30 receiving yards. He also goes up against a Colts team that is 22nd in rushing defense.

Titans RB Antonio Andrews vs. Miami

This is sort of a deep-sleeper, since Andrews is currently sharing carries with Bishop Sankey and Dexter McCluster, but he does seem to be the goal line back, as he has a touchdown in each if the two games he's played in, and he's facing the worst rushing defense in the league.

Fantasy Busts

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson vs. Carolina

Although Wilson does provide value with his legs, he hasn't been prolific with his arm, only having one game with multiple touchdowns (two) this season. He also faces one of the better defenses in the league in Carolina.

Bills D/ST vs. Cincinnati

The Bills have a good defense, but this week they face a tough task in Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and the rest of the Bengals prolific offense, which is averaging 29.6 points per game and 427.8 yards per game.

Steelers WR Antonio Brown vs. Arizona

Yes, I know Brown is one of the best wide receivers in the league, but Big Ben is doubtful this week, and looking at Brown's last two games (both sans Ben), he has 42 and 45 yards, respectively. Plus, this week, Mike Vick gets to go up against the Arizona defense.

 

 

 

CFB Weekly Review/Preview: Firing Season

As we near the halfway point of the college football season, change is in the air. Coaching change season has begun after Maryland fired head coach Randy Edsall Sunday, USC fired embattled coach Steve Sarkisian Monday, and longtime South Carolina (and SEC) coach Steve Spurrier announced he was retiring immediately on Tuesday. These are three very different cases as far as the particular coaches are concerned, but all three teams were probably better off parting with their head coaches after underwhelming starts. Edsall was never able really succeed at Maryland, going 22-34 in four-plus years there, and his team was off to another underwhelming start this season. The Terrapins are 2-4, losing the last three games 45-6, 28-0, and 49-28. They did keep #1 Ohio State close into the third quarter Saturday, but that wasn't enough to save Edsall's job. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksely, who went 2-26 as head coach of New Mexico from 2009-2011, takes over as interim head coach. Sarkisian was asked to take a leave of absence Sunday after multiple reported incidents where other coaches and players said Sarkisian appeared publicly drunk, including practices, a game, and a public dinner that included many USC boosters. Athletic director Pat Haden said he called Sarkisian Sunday and could tell he was not right. Then, the next day, Sarkisian was fired while he was on his way to check into a rehab facility. I wish Coach Sark nothing but the best and hope he is able to emerge from this difficult situation a better man. Offensive coordinator Clay Helton once again takes over as interim head coach, a position he had after serving as interim head coach in the Trojans' bowl game in 2013. After a lackluster last couple of years for South Carolina, there were rumors of the Head Ball Coach stepping down, but it was still a bit of a surprise when he abruptly announced his exit in the middle of another down season for the 2-4 Gamecocks. He leaves behind a rich legacy in the SEC (and an unsuccessful stint in the NFL), including winning a National Championship at Florida. Co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Shawn Elliott takes over as interim head coach. Not only are there coaching changes, but there was also a noteworthy quarterback change for a top-ten team this week. Florida quarterback Will Grier was suspended a year for testing positive for PEDs. Treon Harris, who has started before, takes over at quarterback.

Week 6 Review

Play of the Week

410-pound tight end touchdown alert! Baylor big man LaQuan McGowen caught this pass and used his elite agility and quickness to rumble into the end zone. Extra style points for the roll at the end.

Play of the Weak

Oh, no. You can't do that, bud. Trying to pull of an upset over Michigan State, Rutgers had to hurry to the line and run one last play on fourth down with three seconds left. Unfortunately, quarterback Chris Laviano was not aware of the situation, and instead spiked the ball on fourth down to kill the clock. Not the way you want to end a game.

Top Game

#2 TCU 52, Kansas State 45

Yes, it's TCU again. They were engaged in another slugfest against Kansas State Saturday. The Wildcats looked like they might pull off the upset at home, leading 35-17 at half following a big second quarter. However, Trevone Boykin, Josh Doctson, and company stormed back, taking the lead for good with just over a minute left after Kansas State tied the game at 45 (TCU scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Boykin to Doctson on the second play of the drive), and then recovering a fumble to seal the victory.

Top Performances

Washington State QB Luke Falk @ Oregon (W 45-38): 50-74, 505 yards, 5 TD

Falk, leading the Cougars' air-heavy attack, had a big game in a comeback victory over the reeling Ducks in Eugene.

Iowa RB Jordan Canzeri vs. Illinois (W 29-20): 43 carries, 256 yards, TD

You read that right. 43 carries for Iowa running back in a win over Illinois that propelled the underrated Hawkeyes to 6-0.

TCU WR Josh Doctson @ Kansas State (W 52-45): 8 catches, 155 yards, 2 TD

Doctson continued to run all over opposing secondaries, helping TCU get past Kansas State with his two long scores, including the game-winner.

Top Four After Week Six

1. Ohio State

The talented Buckeyes remain on top (even if it's by a lesser margin). They struggled again early against Maryland, but eventually pulled away, and the offense looked better with J.T. Barrett employed as the red zone quarterback. Next Game: Penn State, Saturday, 8:00 PM

2. Utah

Utah! The Utes showed up against Cal last Saturday night, picking off top NFL Draft prospect Jared Goff five times on the way to a 30-24 win. They now boast wins over Michigan, Cal, and Oregon. Next Game: Arizona State, Saturday, 10:00 PM

3. Baylor

Baylor vaults conference rival TCU after another easy win Saturday. The Bears still haven't played anyone of note, but they've done what they should be doing, blowing out all five teams they've played. Next Game: West Virginia, Saturday, Noon

4. LSU

Those who saw the tweet I sent out about who my current top four would be Saturday night may ask why I changed my mind on number four (I had TCU at number four in the tweet). Simple: LSU has played better than TCU (and against better competition) thus far. The Tigers have beaten two ranked teams and have the Heisman Trophy front runner (Leonard Fournette). Next Game: Florida, Saturday, 7:00 PM

Next Four: TCU, Clemson, Michigan State, Michigan

Trending Up: Utah...Michigan...Josh Doctson..."red zone quarterback"...coaching rumors...Treon Harris...interim head coaches.

Trending Down: Randy Edsall, Steve Sarkisian, and Steve Spurrier...Georgia RB Nick Chubb (get well soon!)...TCU...Michigan State...Florida...Will Grier.

Week 7 Preview

Quick Picks (home team listed last)

Last Week: 15-5

Overall: 27-10

Penn State 28, #1 Ohio State 31 (Saturday, 8:00 PM, ABC)

West Virginia 34, #2 Baylor 40 (Saturday, Noon, FOX)

#3 TCU 48, Iowa State 42 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN2)

Arizona State 24, #4 Utah 35 (Saturday, 10:00 PM, ESPN)

Boston College 14, #5 Clemson 28 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPNU)

#8 Florida 21, #6 LSU 34 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN)

Game to Watch: #7 Michigan State 27, #12 Michigan 28 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ESPN)

This is a much-anticipated matchup between the two undefeated Michigan schools who seem to be trending in different directions. The Spartans started the season as the biggest threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten and had a big win against Oregon in Week 2. But the Oregon win looks less impressive now and MSU has struggled against weaker competition (Purdue and Rutgers). Michigan got their man in alumnus Jim Harbaugh, but lost the first week to Utah. That loss looks good with Utah in the top four, and Michigan has dominated some ranked teams (BYU, Northwestern).

#10 Alabama 42, #9 Texas A&M 28 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, CBS)

Upset Special (Record:2-3): Louisville 28, #11 Florida State 21 (Saturday, Noon, ESPN)

Florida State barely got by Miami last Saturday, and while Louisville is 2-3, their three losses are 24-31 to then-#6 Auburn, a 31-34 loss to current #24 Houston, and a 17-20 loss to Clemson, who's in the playoff conversation. The Noles have had some close calls, and this week may be the week they finally fall.

#13 Ole Miss 38, Memphis 24 (Saturday, Noon, ABC/ESPN2)

USC 17, #14 Notre Dame 35 (Saturday, 7:30 PM, NBC)

#18 UCLA 28, #15 Stanford 30 (Thursday, 10:30 PM, ESPN)

#17 Iowa 24, #20 Northwestern 28 (Saturday, Noon, ABC/ESPN2)

#19 Oklahoma 45, Kansas State 42 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC)

#21 Boise State 32, Utah State 34 (Friday, 9:00 PM, CBSSN)

Eastern Michigan 20, #22 Toledo 38 (Saturday, Noon, ESPN3)

#24 Houston 45, Tulane 28 (Friday, 9:00 PM, ESPNU)

NFL Weekly Review/Preview: Kicking and Screaming

Before this season, NFL implemented a rule to move back the spot for extra point tries, trying to make it more challenging for kickers. So far, that plan has worked, and last week saw the most "challenging" week for kickers in recent memory (and possibly ever). Update: apparently, it's the most missed field goals in a week since 2013, so not "ever". There was some good, like Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos scoring all of his team's points (seven for seven on field goals) in a 36-21 loss to Cincinnati, but it was mostly bad. Kickers were 60-74 on field goal attempts last week (four extra points were missed as well). Saints kicker Zach Hocker, Steelers kicker Josh Scobee, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh, Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis, and Jaguars kicker Jason Myers all cost their teams wins. There are some outstanding kickers, like Santos, Denver's Brandon McManus, Baltimore's Justin Tucker, and others, but the overall quality of kickers in the NFL right now leaves a bit to be desired. Unsurprisingly, their were multiple teams holding kicker tryouts this week.

Week 4 Review

So Close, Yet So Far

This week I am taking a look at three teams who lost in devastating fashion last weekend.

1. Jaguars

The Jaguars got the benefit of playing an Andrew Luck-less Colts team on Sunday, and they were able to put themselves in a position to win. Unfortunately, rookie kicker Jason Myers couldn't close the door. Jacksonville was able to drive down the field and set up a 53-yard game-winning field goal in the closing seconds. Myers went out and missed it wide right, but Indianapolis had called a timeout just before the snap. So, having gotten a second chance, Myers lined up again, and missed it right again (though not as far right). The game went into overtime, and after punts by both teams, Myers had another chance to redeem himself. This time it was a 48-yard field goal for the win... and it went wide left. The colts then marched down the field and made the game-winning field goal.

2. Browns

This one also involves field goals, but it ends differently. Facing San Diego, Browns Quarterback Josh McCown led a fourth quarter touchdown drive down eight that included a magnificent catch by tight end Gary Barnidge (who later scored the touchdown). They went for two and succeeded, tying the game at 27 with just over two minutes to go. Phillip Rivers drove down the field to set up the game-winning 39-yard field goal from Josh Lambo. However, Lambo missed it to the right, presumably sending the game into overtime. But Browns cornerback Tramon Williams was called for offside on the kick, giving Lambo another chance, this time from 34 yards, which he promptly put through as time expired. Williams said this week that the NFL had admitted that he wasn't offside, but the NFL denied that.

3. Lions

The Lions faced a tough task of trying to get their first win against Seattle on Monday Night Football, but they were able to stay in the game thanks to two Russell Wilson fumbles, one of them returned for a touchdown. Detroit had the ball in the redzone with under two minutes to go, and Calvin Johnson caught a pass that looked like it could go for a touchdown. But at the one-yard-line, Seattle safety Kam Chancellor came up from behind and punched the ball out. If that wasn't bad enough for the Lions, a former referee later said that Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright should have been called for an "illegal bat" after batting the ball out of the endzone, which would have given the Lions first and goal.

Plays of the Week

Aside from the strip by Kam Chancellor great catch by Gary Barnidge, there was this David Tyree-like interception by Janoris Jenkins, this great non-catch by Odell Beckham Jr., this WWE takedown by Mario Williams, any run by Todd Gurley, and this fortuitous bounce for the Panthers against Tampa Bay, shown above. Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart had the ball knocked out by a defender, right into the hands of streaking tight end Ed Dickson, who ran it 57 yards for the touchdown.

Plays of the Weak

This week's "Plays of the Weak" go to celebrations. I'm not saying these are bad, or "weak", celebrations, they're just a little interesting. After Saints running back Mark Ingram scored a go-ahead touchdown against Dallas Sunday night, he gave a referee some love. I don't think that's what the referee was looking for. Elsewhere, there was this, this, and this. There were also some touchdown celebrations that were unnecessarily penalized/fined, including pony-riding celebrations in Tampa and New Orleans and "naptime" in Arizona. Oh, there was also this great quote from Seahawks defensive tackle Michael Bennett. 

Game of the Week

Raiders 20, Bears 22

The Bears got their first win of the season Sunday against the trending Raiders, thanks to strong games from quarterback Jay Cutler (in his return), running back Matt Forte, and tight end Martellus Bennett, A.K.A. "Black Unicorn" (his nickname, not mine). It was close the whole game, and Bears kicker Robbie Gould hit a 49-yard field goal with two seconds left to take the lead. What transpired after that was almost remarkable. Oakland did the good 'ol lateral play on the kickoff return and got it all the way to Chicago's 30-yard-line (aided by an illegal forward pass) before a lateral was picked off to end it.

Top Performances

Falcons RB Devonta Freeman vs. Houston (W 48-21): 14 carries, 68 yards, 3 TD; 5 catches, 81 yards

Freeman continued his scorching play on Sunday against the Texans. He didn't put up a gaudy rushing yardage total again, but he was productive on the ground and through the air, and he had another three touchdown game.

Saints QB Drew Brees vs. Dallas (W 26-20 OT): 33-41, 359 yards, 2 TD

Not only did Brees lead the Saints to their first victory of the season in his return to the lineup, but he also became the fifth player in NFL history (and the fastest) to throw 400 career touchdown passes, and he did it to win the game in overtime on Sunday Night Football.

Panthers CB Josh Norman vs. Tampa Bay (W 37-23): 2 INT, TD, 3 PD

Norman continued to play like a Pro Bowl corner, getting two more picks to give him four on the season, two of which were returned for touchdowns. 

Trending Up: Devonta Freeman...The likelihood that the Bengals will win the AFC North...Overtime...Riding the pony...Questionable calls...The "illegal bat" rule...Jeremy Maclin...Duke Johnson...Drew Brees...Dan Quinn.

Trending Down: Kickers...The Browns defense...Calvin Johnson...Tevin Coleman...Joe Philbin (fired by the Dolphins after Sunday's loss in London)...Head coaches after losing in London...Buffalo's running back depth chart.

Week 5 Preview

Quick Picks (Home team listed last)

Last Week: 9-6

Overall: 32-20

Byes: Dolphins, Vikings, Jets, Panthers

Colts 23, Texans 27 (Thursday, 8:25 PM, CBS/NFL)

Browns 24, Ravens 21 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Bears 24, Chiefs 27 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Seahawks 24, Bengals 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Redskins 17, Falcons 31 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Jaguars 22, Buccaneers 23 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Saints 37, Eagles 31 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Game to Watch: Rams 28, Packers 31 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

The Rams, coming off a big win over the previously unbeaten Cardinals, go to Lambeau to face the undefeated Packers. This should be a good matchup between a strong Rams defense and a strong Packers offense. And now that St. Louis running back Todd Gurley has shown he's healthy and quarterback Nick Foles has looked better, The Rams could knock off the Pack.

Bills 17, Titans 14 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Cardinals 32, Lions 28 (Sunday, 4:05 PM, FOX)

Patriots 34, Cowboys 31 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS)

Broncos 28, Raiders 30 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, CBS)

49ers 35, Giants 28 (Sunday, 8:30 PM, NBC)

Steelers 24, Chargers 31 (Monday, 8:30 PM, ESPN)

Fantasy Sleepers

Rams RB Todd Gurley vs. Green Bay

For those of you who held Gurley for when he completely came back from last year's ACL injury (including myself), you can now confidently start him every week. He showed that he's completely healthy last week when he had 146 yards against Arizona's defense. He probably could have had more, but he's a smart team player, and you have to admire his awareness and intelligence.

Eagles QB Sam Bradford vs. New Orleans

It hasn't been smooth sailing for the many people (including myself) who jumped on the bandwagon before the season, but he's slowly improving along with the rest of the Eagle offense, and he faces a pretty weak pass defense this week.  

Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin vs. Chicago

Maclin seems to have finally broken out in Kansas City's short passing offense, going for 148 yards a week after going for 141 yards. This Sunday he's sure to see a bevy of targets again against a bad Bears defense.

Fantasy Busts

Bengals QB Andy Dalton vs. Seahawks

Dalton has played extremely well thus far, working his way into many fantasy owners' starting lineups. But this week against the Seattle secondary?  No thank you.

Lions WR Golden Tate vs. Arizona

Tate only had three catches for 29 yards last week against the Seahawks, and it doesn't get any easier this week vs. Arizona. Plus, he has yet to score a touchdown this season.

Raiders RB Latavius Murray vs. Denver

Murray is questionable for Sunday with a shoulder injury, but regardless of his playing status, their are probably better options this week. He's coming off a rough game in which he had a pass go off his hands for an interception and he fumbled, and the Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL.

CFB Weekly Review/Preview: Who's #1?

Defending National Champion Ohio State came in to this season as the overwhelming number one team in the land. While they still are #1 in the polls and still have the most talent of any team in the country, they haven't exactly looked like favorites to repeat. However, neither have a lot of other top teams. The Buckeyes had some offensive struggles (aside from All-World running back Ezekiel Elliott) again last Saturday against a good Indiana team, escaping Bloomington with a 34-27 win. #2 Michigan State also struggled against a conference foe, barely getting past 1-4 Purdue 24-21. Outside of the Big Ten, #3 Ole Miss was embarrassed by #25 Florida 38-10, #6 Notre Dame lost to #12 Clemson 24-22, #7 UCLA was bamboozled by Arizona State 38-23, and #8 Georgia got the wrath of #13 Alabama 38-10. So who deserves to be #1 in the country? TCU? Well, although they walloped Texas last week 50-7, their only two challenging games were a 24-17 win over Minnesota in Week 1 and a 55-52 win over Texas Tech two weeks ago. They could easily be 4-1 or 3-2. Baylor? The toughest team they've played is Texas Tech (in Waco). Right now, Ohio State's keeping the number one spot because nobody else has overwhelmed enough to overtake them, and because voters (be it coaches or writers) know Ohio State has the talent to be the best team in the country. They just haven't really shown it so far. On to Week 6.

Note: I would be remiss to not mention that the majority of the stats and information I gather for my weekly review/preview is from ESPN.com. I also get rankings from the AP Top 25.
Week 5 Review

Observations
1. Running Back League
Here are two numbers: six and 200. Six FBS running backs ran for at least 200 yards last week. In comparison, the top NFL running back last week ran for 166 yards. While the NFL has largely become a "passing league", the running game is still going very strong in the college ranks. That's especially true for Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott and LSU's Leonard Fournette. Zeke has run for over 100 yards in 10 straight games, including a career-high 274 (and three touchdowns) last week against Indiana. Fournette has been so good, he's raised debate over whether he should sit out next year to preserve his draft stock, since he's still a year away from being eligible for the NFL Draft (I personally don't think he should sit out). He's run for over 200 yards the last three games (228, 244, and 233, respectively).
2. Wild, Wild West
I have probably used the Wild West analogy before, and I will probably use it again. But that's what the Pac-12 has turned into. Eight different Pac-12 teams have been ranked at one time or another this season. Currently, five Pac-12 teams are ranked, one of them for the first time. Only two Pac-12 teams remain unbeaten, and they may not be the ones you would think. Utah and California are the last two undefeated teams remaining in the Pac-12, and they play each other this weekend. Preseason Pac-12 favorites Oregon, Arizona, and Arizona State all have two losses (and both of Arizona's losses are in the conference). The Pac-12 is wide open right now.
3. Close Not Close, But No Cigar
Once again last week, there were quite a few hyped matchups between ranked teams that ended up being blowouts. Who knew Ohio State-Indiana and Michigan State-Purdue would be closer than #3 Ole Miss vs. #25 Florida (Florida won 38-10), Texas Tech (who only lost to TCU by three last week) vs. #5 Baylor (Baylor won 63-35), Arizona State vs. #7 UCLA (ASU won 38-23), #13 Alabama vs. #8 Georgia (Bama won 38-10), #21 Mississippi State vs. #14 Texas A&M (the closest of these scores, A&M won 30-17), #23 West Virginia vs. #15 Oklahoma (OU won 44-24), and Arizona vs. #18 Stanford (Stanford won 55-17). Here's hoping for closer games between top teams this week.

Play of the Week

This is why you never give up on a play. Play until you hear the whistles. That's what Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage did here. He (and the offensive line) took on the entire UCLA defense, and he kept grinding (backwards) into the end zone. What an effort.

Game of the Week
Notre Dame 22, Clemson 24
What was billed as the game of the week lived up to it, albeit in very soggy conditions. Down 14-3 at the half, host Clemson rallied in the second half behind quarterback Deshaun Watson, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another (he actually had four less yards rushing - 94 - then he had passing). The Clemson rally was helped by four Notre Dame fumbles in what was a somewhat sloppy game (understandable, given the conditions). Notre Dame did drive down the field to get within two with seven seconds left. They had gone for two earlier in the fourth quarter and failed, so they had to go for two again, and once again, they failed, getting stuffed on a quarterback run. The game was followed by an impassioned speech by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney that was interrupted when ESPN inadvertently cut to two Sportscenter anchors (unbeknownst to them) preparing for the upcoming show. Dabo followed that up by doing his token victory dance.

Performances of the Week
Florida QB Will Grier vs. Ole Miss (W 38-10): 24-29, 271 yards, 4 TD
There was doubt about whether Grier would play due to a stomach virus that had spread to many Gator players. But he played, and he played well against the third-ranked team in the country. He was efficient and mistake-free in a rout of the Rebels.
Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott @ Indiana (W 34-27): 23 carries, 274 yards, 3 TD
Zeke powered the Buckeye offense once again, gashing the Hoosier defense and helping Ohio State escape with a win. He had three of Ohio State's four touchdowns.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette vs. Eastern Michigan (W 44-22): 26 carries, 233 yards, 3 TD
Fournette continues to make a mighty strong case to win the Heisman Trophy. It may be early, but Fournette already has 864 yards and 11 touchdowns through four games.

Playoff Picks After Five Weeks
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes struggled again last week, barely getting past Indiana on a last-second batted pass in the end zone, but the fact remains that Ohio State has the most talented roster of any team in the country, and they're still undefeated. Plus, as I said before, no other team has really overwhelmed enough to overtake them. Next Game: Maryland, Saturday, Noon
2. TCU
The Horned Frogs take over the second spot this week after their utter domination of Texas last week. They've had some close calls, but they, like Ohio State, are very talented, especially on offense, and they've completely dominated the games they were supposed to dominate. Next Game: @ Kansas State, Saturday, 7:30 PM
3. Michigan State
The Spartans drop one spot after a close call against Purdue, and the Oregon win looks less impressive each week. However, they are still unbeaten, and they are very capable with an experienced veteran quarterback and other offensive weapons. Next Game: @ Rutgers, Saturday, 8:00 PM
4. Baylor
The Bears at number four makes for just two conferences represented in the top four, which will most likely not happen, but right now, these are my top four teams in the country. Baylor has breezed through everyone on their schedule so far, winning each of their four games by at least 28 (although the best team they've played is Texas Tech). Next Game: @ Kansas, Saturday, Noon
Next Four: Utah, LSU, Clemson, Alabama

Trending Up: The likelihood a running back will win the Heisman...Clemson...The continued legend that is Dabo Swinney..."BYOG" (Bring Your Own Guts)...The Big 12...The middle of the Big Ten...Alabama...Florida...Toledo.
Trending Down: Charlie Strong and Texas...Texas Tech...West Virginia...The top of the Big Ten...Ole Miss...Notre Dame...The Pac-12...Georgia.

Week 6 Preview

Quick Picks (Home team listed last)
Last Week: 12-5 
Maryland 21, #1 Ohio State 38 (Saturday, Noon, BTN)
#2 TCU 42, Kansas State 28 (Saturday, 7:30 PM, FOX)
#3 Baylor 50, Kansas 14 (Saturday, Noon, FS1)
#4 Michigan State 34, Rutgers 17 (Saturday, 8:00 PM, BTN)
Game to Watch: #23 California 34, #5 Utah 40 (Saturday, 10:00 PM, ESPN)
You should stay up to watch this week's best matchup between the last two unbeaten teams in the Pac-12. It features two Pac-12 (and playoff?) sleepers who have taken over the conference. Two players to watch in this one are Cal quarterback Jared Goff (1,630 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT so far this season) and Utah running back Devontae Booker (443 yards rushing, 4 TD, 149 yards receiving).
Georgia Tech 24, #6 Clemson 28 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN2)
#7 LSU 28, South Carolina 17 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, Baton Rouge, LA)
Arkansas 13, #8 Alabama 35 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN)
#10 Oklahoma 42, Texas 20 (Saturday, Noon, ABC)
Upset Special: #11 Florida 27, Missouri 28 (Saturday, 7:30 PM, SEC)
I originally had all chalk, but that's boring (and somewhat unrealistic), so I went with this one (as well as Miami over Florida State), because Missouri could be a trap game for Florida after their big win over Ole Miss, and the Tigers are capable of upsetting the Gators at home.
Miami 31, #12 Florida State 28 (Saturday, 8:00 PM, ABC)
#13 Northwestern 21, #18 Michigan 31 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, BTN)
New Mexico State 3, #14 Ole Miss 38 (Saturday, Noon, SEC)
Navy 31, #15 Notre Dame 34 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, NBC)
Washington 17, #17 USC 28 (Thursday, 9:00 PM, ESPN)
#19 Georgia 28, Tennessee 21 (Saturday, 3:30 PM)
#21 Oklahoma State 37, West Virginia 31 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN2)
Illinois 23, #22 Iowa 32 (Saturday, Noon, ESPNU)
Kent State 14, #24 Toledo 30 (Saturday, 3:00 PM, ESPN3)
#25 Boise State 34, Colorado State 21 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, CBSSN)

NFL Weekly Review/Preview: I'm Not Psychic

Psychic. Someone who can sense things or see into the future. One of my favorite television shows, Psych (check it out on Netflix), features a guy named Shawn Spencer who pretends to be a psychic (he's just hyper-observant) and helps solve numerous criminal cases. I am not going to try to be a psychic. I just try to generally predict how a team or player might do on a given week based on what I know and information I gather (and sometimes gut feelings as well). So far this season, I have been juuuuust a bit outside on some of my predictions, whether it be game picks or fantasy sleepers and busts. Since I believe people should be open about their mistakes and failures so they can learn from them and move on, I am going to reflect on some particularly bad predictions I have made through the first three weeks of this season. How about me picking the 49ers to beat the Cardinals last week? I was way off on that one, as the Cards destroyed San Francisco 47-7. Or me saying Larry Fitzgerald was a "bust" last week because I didn't believe he would replicate the week before? Yeah, he ended up catching nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Similar things can be said in the other direction about "sleeper" picks Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Week 2), Duke Johnson (Week 1), and David Johnson (Week 3), who went on to do nothing those weeks. This just shows that anything can happen, and nobody can predict everything. That's why you should look at my predictions as suggestions or evaluations rather than absolute truths or facts. Because I, like Shawn Spencer, am not a psychic (and, unlike him, I'm probably not a good fake psychic either).

Week 3 Review

Observations
This week, I'm going to take a look at the top three teams in the NFL after three weeks.
1. New England Patriots
All of the offseason distractions didn't seem to phase Tom Brady and the defending champs. They came into this season like a wrecking ball, winning their first three games relatively easily. Brady hasn't missed a beat despite his tumultuous suspension and appeal, throwing for 1,112 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The people around him have also been stellar, including diamond in the rough Dion Lewis, who has 325 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. The Patriots currently seem to be well on their way to a return trip to the Super Bowl.
2. Green Bay Packers
I say it all the time: Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL. His combination of accuracy, arm strength, pocket presence, intelligence, confidence, and athleticism is unmatched. He may even be one of the greatest of all time. So far this year, he has 771 yards passing, 10 touchdowns, and zero touchdowns. It helps that he also has a bevy of options, including running back Eddie Lacy and receivers Randall Cobb and James Jones. And this is without number one receiver Jordy Nelson. The Packers offense has many weapons as the Patriots offense, and may be the best offense in the NFL.
3. Arizona Cardinals
From the best offenses, we shift to the best defense. Arizona's defense is crazy good. It's Pick City. So far this season, Arizona's ball-hawking defense, led by corner Patrick Peterson and safety Tyrann Mathieu, has seven interceptions, three of them returned for touchdowns. In last week's thrashing of the Niners, they picked off Colin Kaepernick four times and returned two of them for touchdowns. But it's not all defense in the desert. Carson Palmer, less than a year removed from knee surgery, has the fourth-best quarterback rating in the NFL. The revitalized Chris Johnson ran for 110 yards last week, and starter Andre Ellington may be back this week. The ageless Larry Fitzgerald leads all receivers in touchdowns (5). The Cards are squarely in the running for Super Bowl 50.

Play of the Week

Ah, the good old punt return fake-out. St. Louis did it to Seattle last year, and Sunday, Seattle did it to Chicago. Richard Sherman was the one who actually took the punt, and he returned it into the redzone in the Seahawks' blasting of the Bears. Honorable mention goes to all of the great catches in the Broncos-Lions game Sunday night and yet another artful catch by Browns wide receiver Brian Hartline.

Play of the Weak
This is a new section where I look at the worst play of the week, because who doesn't love laughing at things?

I'm not sure what Brandon was thinking here, since it wasn't a play where they had to get a touchdown or anything. He did redeem himself later by scoring a touchdown, but the Jets ultimately lost, and he himself called this play "the worst play in NFL history".

Game of the Week
Bengals 28, Ravens 24
This game was a battle between Ravens receiver Benjamin Button Steve Smith Sr. and Bengals receiver and Autobot A.J. Green. Smith had 13 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns, but A.J. Green somehow outdid him, catching ten passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, and the undefeated topped the winless Ravens on a touchdown pass in the final minutes. The Bengals are probably number four or five on my list of the top teams in the NFL right now.

Performances of the Week
Falcons RB Devonta Freeman vs. Dallas (W 39-28): 30 carries, 141 yards, 3 TD
With rookie running back Tevin Coleman out, Freeman got tons of carries, and made the most of them as the Falcons went to 3-0.
Bengals WR A.J. Green vs. Baltimore (W 28-24): 10 catches, 227 yards, 2 TD
Green and Atlanta's Julio Jones are probably the best pass-catchers (at least as far as production) in football right now. Nobody can stop them.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers vs. Kansas City (W 38-28): 24-35, 333 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
The best quarterback in the NFL tore up KC's defense Monday night, throwing five touchdown passes and continuing his amazing streak of home games without an interception.
Honorable Mention: Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin vs. Packers (L 28-38): 8 catches, 141 yards, 1 TD
I had to make Maclin an honorable mention this week, not only because he went off after seeming non-existent in the first half Monday night, but because he caught Alex Smith and the Chiefs' first touchdown pass to a wide receiver since 2013. Well done, Jeremy.

Trending Up, Trending Down
Trending Up: Andy Dalton...Tyrod Taylor...The Cardinals...Fake punt returns...Bye weeks...Carolina...Cam Newton...Oakland...Derek Carr...Todd Gurley...Karlos Williams.
Trending Down: The Browns defense...The Dolphins defense...Baltimore...Healthy running backs...healthy quarterbacks...The 49ers...Colin Kaepernick.

Week 4 Preview

Quick Picks (Home team listed last)
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 23-14
Byes: Patriots, Titans
Ravens 31, Steelers 21 (Thursday, 8:25 PM, CBS/NFL)
Jets 24, Dolphins 17 (Sunday, 9:30 AM, CBS, in London, England)
Jaguars 17, Colts 28 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Giants 27, Bills 34 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Panthers 21, Buccaneers 16 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Eagles 31, Redskins 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Raiders 34, Bears 17 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Texans 24, Falcons 28 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Chiefs 31, Bengals 27 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Browns 23, Chargers 24 (Sunday, 4:05 PM, CBS)
Packers 35, 49ers 23 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, FOX)
Rams 13, Cardinals 21 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, FOX)
Vikings 26, Broncos 30 (Sunday, 4:25 PM, FOX)
Cowboys 33, Saints 28 (Sunday, 8:30 PM, NBC)
Lions 17, Seahawks 31 (Monday, 8:30 PM, ESPN)

Game to Watch
Texans @ Falcons
Dan Quinn and the Falcons have gotten off to a roaring start, thanks to an attacking defense as well as Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Houston is still in quarterback purgatory, but getting star running back Arian Foster back will be a big boost to the offense. He's a game-time decision this week, but he's getting closer to his anticipated return, and if he gets back this week and gets a good amount of action, he could tear it up.

Fantasy Sleepers and Busts
Sleepers
Bills RB Karlos Williams vs. New York Giants
It looks like Buffalo will rest the banged-up LeSean McCoy Sunday, which means more action for the rookie from Florida State. He has scored in each of his first three games, and he ran for 110 yards against Miami last week.
Jets RB Chris Ivory vs. Miami
Speaking of the Dolphins, guess who gets to face them in London this week? Ivory is a bit banged up, but he's expected to play, and if he does, he'll get to run against a defense that is 31st in the NFL vs. the run.
Saints RB Mark Ingram vs. Dallas
Ingram returns to this section for another week, and he's a good play whether Drew Brees plays or not. Last week, Ingram had 99 total yards and a touchdown, and this week he gets to go up against a defense that just allowed 141 yards and three touchdowns to Devonta Freeman.
Busts
Lions WR Calvin Johnson vs. Seattle
I love Megatron, but it hasn't been a very hot start for Johnson this season (by his standards). This week probably isn't the week he'll eclipse 100 yards receiving for the first time this season, as he's going up against Richard Sherman and the Seattle secondary.
Dolphins RB Lamar Miller vs. New York Jets
Miller is a middling running back option to begin with, and this Sunday morning against the strong Jets run defense will be tough sledding.
Steelers TE Heath Miller vs. Baltimore
Three reasons not to start Miller this week: 1) He plays on Thursday night, which gives you less time to consider your options; 2) The Ravens defense has stifled opponent tight ends thus far; 3) He lost his starting quarterback, and while Michael Vick is a serviceable backup, he's not Big Ben.

CFB Week 4 Review/Week 5 Preview: UTAH!

Welcome back for another exciting week of college football. Last week saw a sophomore standout running back take over the Heisman race, wild Big 12 nail-biters, and ranked battles in the Pac-12 that turned into blowouts, including #18 Utah tearing apart #13 (and defending national runner-up) Oregon 62-20. For some reason, I've been infatuated with Utah for a couple of years (I think I randomly started saying "Utah!" at my high school lunch table), and now they're a real threat to make the College Football Playoff. Their most talented player is probably senior running back Devontae Booker, who has 443 yards and four touchdowns so far this season, but senior quarterback Travis Wilson, who threw for 227 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 100 yards and a touchdown in the big win over Oregon, is also a key contributor. Utah beat Michigan in Week 1, a win that looks better each week as Michigan looks better and better, shutting out #22 BYU last week 31-0. Then they put it on the Ducks Saturday, pulling out some crafty trick plays (including a Dovontae Booker touchdown pass and a fake punt return touchdown). Utah was having fun Saturday night, and they hope they have even more fun on their way to a possible spot in the playoff.

Week 4 Review

Observations
1. Blowouts Out West
The only ranked matchups last Saturday took place in the Pac-12, and surprisingly, neither was close. I already talked about Utah metaphorically tearing up Oregon's nice uniforms, but there were thrashings elsewhere on the west coast as well. In the only other battle of ranked teams (and the site of College Gameday last week), #9 UCLA trounced #16 Arizona (in Arizona) 56-30. Other highly-anticipated late games also didn't turn out to be competitive, as #19 USC thrashed Arizona State (also in Arizona) 42-14, and #21 Stanford took care of Oregon State on the road 42-24.
2. Nail-Biters Down South
There were some close games down in the SEC and Big 12 last weekend. #3 TCU squeaked by Texas Tech, which I'll talk about later, #24 Oklahoma State got by Texas 30-27 thanks to yet another special teams blunder by the Longhorns, #14 Texas A&M fought off Arkansas in overtime 28-21, Kentucky beat #25 Missouri 21-13, and Tennessee lost to Florida 28-27 when kicker Aaron Medley missed a 55-yard field goal (twice, since the first time a timeout was called just before the snap) as time expired.
3. Fournette 4 President
LSU sophomore running back Leonard Fournette pulled into the driver's seat of the Heisman race last Saturday with an exceptional performance, continuing his monster season and showing that he is arguably the best back in college football (and there are a lot of good running backs). Fournette had 26 carries for 244 yards and two touchdowns as #8 LSU beat Syracuse (who fought admirably considering they started fifth-string quarterback Zack Mahoney) 34-24.

Play of the Week

Fournette was also the recipient of this alert play by quarterback Brandon Harris (This is the only video I could find on Youtube of the play. If you would prefer a better quality video, go to http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:13743753).  Harris was about to be sacked for a big loss, but as he was going down, he tossed it to Fournette, who was running behind him, and Fournette ran it for 48 yards. Both quarterback and running back showed great awareness and presence of mind on this play to turn nothing into something.

Game of the Week
#3 TCU 55, Texas Tech 52
This was a wild and crazy shootout, as only a Big 12 showdown can be. This was all offense, all the time (again, a specialty of the Big 12). TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin threw for 485 yards and four touchdowns, while Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes had 392 yards and two touchdowns. The two quarterbacks combined to throw 99 passes. However, the running backs got theirs too. TCU's Aaron Green had 28 carries for 162 yards and two touchdowns and Texas Tech's DeAndre Washington had 22 carries for 188 yards and four touchdowns. The teams went back and forth until the very end. On fourth and goal down four with 20 seconds left, Boykin's pass was tipped, but receiver Aaron Green caught the tipped ball in the back of the endzone.

Texas Tech got the ball back with only about enough time to throw a Hail Mary or do a play filled with multiple laterals. They did the latter, and it almost worked.

Alas, they were stopped 10 yards short, and TCU escaped with a win.

Performances of the Week
Cincinnati QB Hayden Moore: 31-53, 557 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT (L 46-53 @ Memphis)
Moore took over for Bearcats starter Gunner Kiel when he suffered a scary injury early in the game Thursday night and was carted off the field. He performed exceptionally well, keeping Cincy in it until the final minute, when Memphis scored a go-ahead touchdown after a questionable call on what looked like a fumble. Then Moore drove the Bearcats down the field only to lose on an ill-advised interception off the hands of the running back. It was quite a battle.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette: 26 carries, 244 yards, 2 TD (W 34-24 @ Syracuse)
Of course Leonard Fournette is in here. I've already talked about how good this guy is.
Western Kentucky QB Brandon Doughty: 33-41, 457 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT (W 56-14 vs. Miami (OH))
I could probably put Doughty in here most weeks because of how prolific he and the Hilltoppers offense are. Last week, he threw for 457 yards (ho-hum) and six touchdowns to zero picks.

Playoff Picks After Week 4
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes were still a little shaky at quarterback on Saturday against Western Michigan, but Cardale Jones (and the rest of the offense) played much better. Ezekiel Elliott had another 100+ yard game and the defense had another pick-six (this one by defensive lineman Adolphous Washington).
Next Game: @ Indiana, Saturday, 3:30 PM
2. Michigan State
Still two Big Ten teams at the top. The Spartans played Central Michigan and took care of them 30 to 10. They will once again play a team from the same state as Ohio State's opponent this weekend, continuing to build up to the impending Ohio State-Michigan State showdown in November. Next Game: Purdue, Saturday, Noon
3. TCU
TCU almost fell out of the playoff race Saturday night, but they were able to somehow hold off Texas Tech. The road doesn't get much easier from here, but the Horned Frogs have the ammunition to power through it. Next Game: Texas, Saturday, Noon
4. Notre Dame
I thought about putting a new number four here this week, but since Notre Dame won, I'll stick with them. UMass stayed with them early last week, but Notre Dame pulled away and ultimately cruised 62-27. This week the Irish face a big test on the road at Clemson in primetime. Next Game: @ #12 Clemson, Saturday, 8:00 PM
Next Four: Ole Miss, LSU, UCLA, Utah
Trending Up, Trending Down
A new segment to my weekly review/preview (we'll see how it works out), this is just a (somewhat random) list of players, teams, and other things I believe seem to be trending up or trending down.
Trending Up: The MAC...Leonard Fournette, 2015 Heisman Trophy winner...Running backs...Fifth-string quarterbacks...The state of California...UTAH...West Virginia...Michigan.
Trending Down: The SEC...Special Teams...Primetime nail-biters...The state of Arizona...BYU...Maryland...Arkansas
Week 5 Preview

Quick Picks (Home team listed last)
#1 Ohio State 28, Indiana 17 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN2
Purdue 14, #2 Michigan State 35 (Saturday, Noon, ESPN2)
#3 Ole Miss 28, #25 Florida 23 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN)
Texas 34, #4 TCU 48 (Saturday, Noon, ABC)
Texas Tech 35, #5 Baylor 42 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN2)
#6 Notre Dame 31, #12 Clemson 34 (Saturday, 8:00 PM, ABC/ESPN)
Arizona State 24, #7 UCLA 38 (Saturday, 7:30 PM, FOX)
#13 Alabama 35, #8 Georgia 31 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, CBS) 
Eastern Michigan 13, #9 LSU 31 (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPNU)
#11 Florida State 24, Wake Forest 17 (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ESPN)
#21 Mississippi State 34, #14 Texas A&M 38 (Saturday, 7:30 PM, SEC)
#23 West Virginia 42, #15 Oklahoma 35 (Saturday, Noon, FS1)
Minnesota 21, #16 Northwestern 24 (Saturday, Noon, BTN)
Arizona 34, #18 Stanford 31 (Saturday, 10:30 PM, PAC12)
Iowa 24, #19 Wisconsin 30 (Saturday, Noon, ESPN)
Kansas State 32, #20 Oklahoma State 42 (Saturday, 4:00 PM, FS1)
#22 Michigan 38, Maryland 21 (Saturday, Noon, BTN)

Game to Watch
Record: 0-1
#6 Notre Dame @ #12 Clemson 
There are tons of good games this week, and many more ranked matchups than last week. Want to see a good old SEC slugfest? How about Mississippi State-Texas A&M, Alabama-Georgia, or Ole Miss-Florida? More of a northern person? Minnesota-Northwestern, Iowa-Wisconsin, and even Ohio State-Indiana or Purdue-Michigan State could be interesting. Love those Big 12 shootouts? Texas-TCU, West Virginia-Oklahoma, Kansas State-Oklahoma State, or Texas Tech-Baylor may be for you. For those of you out west, you've got Washington State-California, Arizona State-UCLA, or Arizona-Stanford, among others. The start of widespread conference play is a beautiful thing. Notre Dame isn't in a conference (yet), but they may be playing in the biggest game of the week, against future conference foe Clemson. Both teams are led by athletic young quarterbacks who can be electric, but this could come down to the defenses. Notre Dame's average points allowed so far this season is 19.8, while Clemson's is 12.3.

Upset Special
Record: 2-1
Arizona @ #18 Stanford
This wouldn't really be a monumental upset, since a week ago Arizona was ranked higher, but this would still be an upset considering Arizona's on the road, coming off a big loss, and possibly without their starting quarterback, Anu Soloman. Despite all that, the Wildcats still have talent, including running back Nick Wilson, and could pull off the upset.