2016 College Football Week 5: Bowl Projections

Here are my bowl projections for week five of the 2016 College Football season.

College Football Playoff Projections
Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 3:00 or 7:00, ESPN: (2) Alabama vs (3) Ohio State
BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 3:00 or 7:00, ESPN: (1) Louisville vs (4) Stanford

New Years Six Projections
Capital One Orange Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 8:00, ESPN: Clemson vs Georgia
Goodyear Cotton Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 1:00, ESPN: Houston vs Michigan
Rose Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 5:00, ESPN: Wisconsin vs Utah
All-State Sugar Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 8:30, ESPN: Baylor vs Ole Miss

Rest of the Bowl Schedule
Gidlan New Mexico Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: Old Dominion vs Colorado State
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 3:30, ABC: San Diego State vs Arizona State
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Bowling Green vs Arkansas State
AutoNation Cure Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 5:30, CBSSN: Tulsa vs Georgia Southern
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Middle Tennessee vs Appalachian State
Miami Beach Bowl- December 19th, 2016; 2:30, ESPN: East Carolina vs Akron
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl- December 20th, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Temple vs Marshall
San Diego County CU Poinsettia Bowl- December 21st, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: BYU vs Boise State
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl- December 22nd, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Central Michigan vs Nevada
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl- December 23rd, 2016; 1:00, ESPN: Toledo vs Louisiana Tech
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl- December 23rd, 2016; 4:30, ESPN: Navy vs Kansas State
Dollar General Bowl- December 23rd, 8:00, ESPN: Western Michigan vs Troy
Hawaii Bowl- December 24th, 2016; 8:00, ESPN: Western Kentucky vs Air Force
St. Petersburg Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 11:00AM, ESPN: Connecticut vs Wake Forest
Quick Lane Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 2:30, ESPN: Arizona vs Maryland
Camping World Independence Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 5:00, ESPN2: North Carolina State vs Texas Tech
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 12:00, ESPN: Indiana vs Southern Miss
Military Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 3:30, ESPN: Memphis vs Georgia Tech
Holiday Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Iowa vs UCLA
Cactus Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 10:15, ESPN: TCU vs Oregon
New Era Pinstripe Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: North Carolina vs Penn State
Russell Athletic Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Florida State vs Oklahoma State
Foster Farms Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 8:30, FOX: Minnesota vs Washington State
AdvoCare 1000 Texas Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Texas vs LSU
Birmingham Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: South Florida vs South Carolina
Belk Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Virginia Tech vs Arkansas
Valero Alamo Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Oklahoma vs Washington
AutoZone Liberty Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 12:00, ESPN: West Virginia vs Auburn
Hyundai Sun Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 1:00, CBS: Notre Dame vs USC
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl- December 30th, 2016; TBD, CBSSN: Army vs UTSA
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 3:30, ESPN: Mississippi State vs Pittsburgh
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 11:00AM, ABC: Michigan State vs Texas A&M
TaxSlayer Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 11:00AM, ESPN: Miami (FL) vs Florida
Outback Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 1:00, ABC: Nebraska vs Tennessee

2016 NFL Week 4 Picks

Here are my picks for week four of the 2016 NFL season.

Thursday, September 29th
Miami Dolphins (1-2) vs Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)- 8:25, NFLN: Miami is coming off a nice and fitting overtime home win over the Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati is coming off a disappointing home loss against the reigning champion Denver Broncos. This is a good opportunity for Andy Dalton and the Bengals to get back on track, although Dalton tends to struggle in primetime games. Tyler Eifert is supposed to be back for the Bengals and that will help their offense and that should help them to a win.
Prediction: Cincinnati 27, Miami 17.

Sunday, October 2nd
Indianapolis Colts (1-2) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)- 9:30AM, CBS: This game will be the first game played in London this season. Indianapolis is coming off a much needed home win over the San Diego Chargers. Jacksonville is coming off a home loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The pressure is on Gus Bradley and if he doesn't win this game, he could be the NFL's first coach fired this season. That could very well be the case because I'm taking Andrew Luck and the Colts to get back to .500 on the season.
Prediction: Indianapolis 30, Jacksonville 23.

Tennessee Titans (1-2) vs Houston Texans (2-1)- 1:00, CBS: Tennessee is coming off a home loss against the Oakland Raiders. Houston is coming off a disastrous Thursday night loss at the hands of Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots. This is a golden opportunity for Brock Osweiler and the Texans to get back on track and I believe they will. This is a bit risky considering their coming off an awful loss, but the Texans are my lock of the week.
Prediction: Houston 27, Tennessee 16.

Cleveland Browns (0-3) vs Washington Redskins (1-2)- 1:00, CBS: Cleveland is coming off a tough overtime road loss in Miami against the Dolphins. Washington is coming off a much-needed road win in the Meadowlands against the Giants. The Redskins have a great chance to build off last weeks win and I believe they will win and keep the Browns winless.
Prediction: Washington 33, Cleveland 20.

Seattle Seahawks (2-1) vs New York Jets (1-2)- 1:00, FOX: Seattle is coming off a big divisional home win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Jets are coming an awful road loss in Kansas City against the Chiefs in which Ryan Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions. Russell Wilson will play, despite a knee injury. Expect the Jets to pull this one off behind their great defensive line against the Seahawks bad offensive line, plus the fact Wilson isn't healthy.
Prediction: NY Jets 20, Seattle 17.

Buffalo Bills (1-2) vs New England Patriots (3-0)- 1:00, CBS: Buffalo is coming off a huge home win against the Arizona Cardinals. New England is coming off a big home win over the Houston Texans from Thursday night. Whether it's Jacoby Brissett or Jimmy Grappolo at quarterback, the Pats will win this football game regardless.
Prediction: New England 30, Buffalo 20.

Carolina Panthers (1-2) vs Atlanta Falcons (2-1)- 1:00, FOX: Carolina is coming off a disappointing home loss against the Minnesota Vikings. Atlanta is coming off a big divisional road win in New Orleans against the Saints. The Falcons defense isn't great meanwhile the Vikings defense is great, so expect Cam Newton to bounce back and for the Panthers to get back to the .500 mark.
Prediction: Carolina 33, Atlanta 24.

Oakland Raiders (2-1) vs Baltimore Ravens (3-0)- 1:00, CBS: Oakland is coming off a big road win in Nashville against the Titans. Baltimore is coming off a big road win in Jacksonville against the Jaguars. The Raiders defense hasn't been good this season outside of last week, so expect Joe Flacco to light up the Raiders with the deep ball to keep the Ravens unbeaten.
Prediction: Baltimore 30, Oakland 24.

Detroit Lions (1-2) vs Chicago Bears (0-3)- 1:00, FOX: Detroit is coming off a tough road divisional loss at Lambeau against the Packers. Chicago is coming off a bad road loss on Sunday night in Arlington against the Cowboys. This was a tough call here, but something tells me that the Lions, who were very promising in the second half last week, will keep the Bears winless.
Prediction: Detroit 26, Chicago 21.

Denver Broncos (3-0) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2)- 4:05, FOX: Denver is coming off a great road win in Cincinnati against the Bengals. Tampa Bay is coming off a disappointing home loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The Broncos defense has been lights out yet again this season and they'll force Jameis Winston into some turnovers to help the Broncos remain unbeaten.
Prediction: Denver 26, Tampa Bay 16.

Los Angeles Rams (2-1) vs Arizona Cardinals (1-2)- 4:25, FOX: Los Angeles is coming off a great road win in Tampa against the Buccaneers. Arizona is coming off a disastrous loss in Orchard Park against the Bills in which Carson Palmer threw four interceptions. I believe this will be a closer game than people think, but the Cardinals will get back to the .500 mark thanks to their defense forcing Case Keenum into turnovers.
Prediction: Arizona 26, Los Angeles 24.

New Orleans Saints (0-3) vs San Diego Chargers (1-2)- 4:25, FOX: New Orleans is coming off a disappointing divisional home loss against the Atlanta Falcons. San Diego is coming off a tough road loss in Indianapolis against the Colts. Drew Brees will be motivated to be playing in San Diego against his former team, but his defense isn't good and Philip Rivers will have a field day go get the a Chargers back to the .500 mark.
Prediction: San Diego 37, New Orleans 31.

Dallas Cowboys (2-1) vs San Francisco 49ers (1-2)- 4:25, FOX: Dallas is coming off a big home win on Sunday night over the Chicago Bears. San Francisco is coming off a disastrous divisional road loss in Seattle against the Seahawks. Pressure is on the Niners to start Colin Kaepernick over Blaine Gabbert, but it won't matter. The Cowboys rookie duo of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will lead the way to their third straight win.
Prediction: Dallas 30, San Francisco 17.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)- 8:30, NBC: Kansas City is coming off a great home win over the New York Jets. Pittsburgh is coming off a disastrous road loss in Philadelphia against Carson Wentz and the Eagles. This has all the makings of a Steelers bounce back win and don't forget Le'Veon Bell returns this week and that will help the cause.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 26, Kansas City 23.

Monday, October 3rd
New York Giants (2-1) vs Minnesota Vikings (3-0)- 8:30, ESPN: The Giants are coming off a tough home loss against the Washington Redskins. Minnesota is coming off a fantastic road win in Charlotte against the Panthers. The Vikings defense has been one of the leagues best so far and that will show that it's for real against the Giants, who have a great offense.
Prediction: Minnesota 26, NY Giants 17.

2016 College Football Week 5: Picks

Here are my picks for week five of the 2016 College Football season.

Thursday, September 29th
Connecticut (2-2; 0-1) at (6) Houston (4-0; 1-0)- 8:00, ESPN: The Huskies were the lone team to knock off the Cougars last season. The Cougars get revenge here.
Pick: Houston

Kansas (1-2; 0-0) at Texas Tech (2-1; 0-0)- 8:30, FS1
Pick: Texas Tech

Friday, September 30th
(7) Stanford (4-0; 1-0) at (10) Washington (3-0; 2-0)- 9:00, ESPN: This game could very well (and in all likelihood) decide the Pac-12 North. Give me Christian McCaffrey and the Cardinal to get a huge road win in Seattle.
Pick: Stanford

Toledo (3-0; 0-0) at BYU (1-3) 10:15, ESPN2
Pick: BYU

Saturday, October 1st
Syracuse (2-2; 0-1) vs Notre Dame (1-3)- 12:00, ESPN: This game will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The Fighting Irish desperately need a win and they'll get it here.
Pick: Notre Dame

Alcorn State (1-2; 1-2) at (20) Arkansas (3-1; 0-1)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Arkansas

(13) Baylor (4-0; 1-0) at Iowa State (1-3; 0-1)- 12:00, FS1
Pick: Baylor

(23) Florida (3-1; 1-1) at Vanderbilt (2-2; 0-1)- 12:00, SECN: Don't be surprised if the Commodores keep this one close.
Pick: Florida

(22) Texas (2-1; 0-0) at Oklahoma State (2-2; 0-1)- 12:00, ABC: This is a big one in Stillwater. Give me Mason Rudolph to lead the way for a bounce back win for the Cowboys.
Pick: Oklahoma State

Rutgers (2-2; 0-1) at (2) Ohio State (3-0; 0-0)- 12:00, BTN
Pick: Ohio State

Northwestern (1-3; 0-1) at Iowa (3-1; 1-0)- 12:00, ESPNU
Pick: Iowa

UCF (2-2; 0-0) at East Carolina (2-2; 0-0)- 12:00, CBSSN
Pick: East Carolina

SMU (2-2; 0-0) at Temple (2-2; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPNEWS
Pick: Temple

(14) Miami (FL) (3-0; 0-0) at Georgia Tech (3-1; 1-1)- 12:00, ESPN2: Here's a potential trap game for the Hurricanes, but I think the Canes get it done.
Pick: Miami (FL)

Georgia State (0-3; 0-0) at Appalachian State (2-2; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN3
Pick: Appalachian State

Virginia (1-3; 0-0) at Duke (2-2; 0-1)- 12:30, ACCN
Pick: Duke

Buffalo (1-2; 0-0) at Boston College (2-2; 0-2)- 1:00, ACCN
Pick: Boston College

Oregon State (1-2; 0-0) at Colorado (3-1; 1-0)- 2:30, Pac-12N
Pick: Colorado

Ohio (2-2; 0-0) at Miami (OH) (0-4; 0-0)- 2:30, ESPN3
Pick: Ohio

Eastern Michigan (3-1; 0-0) at Bowling Green (1-3; 0-0)- 3:00, ESPN3
Pick: Bowling Green

Navy (3-0; 2-0) at Air Force (3-0; 1-0)- 3:30, CBSSN
Pick: Air Force

Louisiana-Monroe (1-2; 0-1) at Auburn (2-2; 1-1)- 3:30, SECN
Pick: Auburn

(11) Tennessee (4-0; 1-0) at (25) Georgia (3-1; 0-1)- 3:30, CBS: This is perhaps a College Football Playoff Elimination game and the one decides the SEC East. Give me the Bulldogs to bounce back from their disastrous loss in Oxford and for the Vols to have a letdown after their big comeback win over the Gators.
Pick: Georgia

Tulane (2-2; 0-1) at Massachusetts (1-3)- 3:30
Pick: Tulane

Northern Illinois (0-4; 0-0) at Ball State (3-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Ball State

North Carolina (3-1; 1-0) at (12) Florida State (3-1; 0-1)- 3:30, ESPN: Here's another College a Football Playoff elimination game. Give me the Noles and Dalvin Cook to win at home.
Pick: Florida State

Wake Forest (4-0; 1-0) at North Carolina State (2-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ACCN: The Deacons have been a great story so far, but I believe they'll be handed their first loss on Saturday in Raleigh.
Pick: North Carolina State

Akron (2-2; 0-0) at Kent State (1-3; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Akron

Purdue (2-1; 0-0) at Maryland (3-0; 0-0)- 3:30, BTN
Pick: Maryland

(8) Wisconsin (4-0; 1-0) at (4) Michigan (4-0; 1-0)- 3:30, ABC: What a huge game we have here in the Big-10 with perhaps heavy College Football Playoff implications. Give me the Wolverines to hand the Badgers their first loss of the season.
Pick: Michigan

Illinois (1-2; 0-0) at (15) Nebraska (4-0; 1-0)- 3:30, ESPN2
Pick: Nebraska

Minnesota (3-0; 0-0) at Penn State (2-2; 0-1)- 3:30, BTN
Pick: Penn State

Kansas State (2-1; 0-0) at West Virginia (3-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPNU
Pick: West Virginia

(9) Texas A&M (4-0; 2-0) at South Carolina (2-2; 1-2)- 4:00, SECN: Don't be surprised if this game is close late, but Trevor Knight will make the plays down the stretch and the Aggies will remain unbeaten for another week.
Pick: Texas A&M

San Jose State (1-3; 0-0) at New Mexico (1-2; 0-0)- 4:00
Pick: New Mexico

Oklahoma (1-2; 0-0) at (21) TCU (3-1; 1-0)- 5:00, FOX: The unranked Sooners are favored on the road against the twenty-first ranked Horned Frogs. The Sooners have been perhaps the country's biggest disappointment thus far this season and that title will continue to hinge as the Horned Frogs and Kenny Hill will get the win over the disappointing Sooners.
Pick: TCU

Troy (3-1; 0-0) at Idaho (2-2; 0-0)- 5:00, ESPN3
Pick: Troy

Old Dominion (2-2; 1-0) at Charlotte (1-3; 0-0)- 6:00
Pick: Old Dominion

(18) Utah (4-0; 1-0) at California (2-2; 0-1)- 6:00, Pac-12N: The Utes are for real led by their defense and they'll get a big road win in Berkeley.
Pick: Utah

Memphis (3-0; 0-0) at (16) Ole Miss (2-2; 1-1)- 7:00, ESPN2: The Rebels will get revenge here after losing to the Tigers last season.
Pick: Ole Miss

Kentucky (2-2; 1-1) at (1) Alabama (4-0; 1-0)- 7:00, ESPN
Pick: Alabama

Florida Atlantic (1-3; 0-0) at FIU (0-4; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Florida Atlantic

UTEP (1-3; 0-1) at Louisiana Tech (1-3; 0-1)- 7:00
Pick: Louisiana Tech

Western Michigan (4-0; 0-0) at Central Michigan (3-1; 0-0)- 7:00, CBSSN: This game could very well decide the Mid-American West division. Give me the Chipewas here at home in a close one.
Pick: Central Michigan

South Florida (3-1; 0-0) at Cincinnati (3-1; 0-1)- 7:00, ESPNU: This came could very well decide the American Athletic East division. Give me the Bearcats at home in a close one.
Pick: Cincinnati

Middle Tennessee (3-1; 1-0) at North Texas (2-2; 0-1)- 7:00
Pick: Middle Tennessee

Rice (0-4; 0-2) at Southern Miss (3-1; 1-0)- 7:00
Pick: Southern Miss

Houston Baptist (2-2; 1-2) at Western Kentucky (2-2; 1-0)- 7:00
Pick: Western Kentucky

Incarnate Word (1-2; 1-1) at Texas State (1-2; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPN3
Pick: Texas State

Marshall (1-1; 0-0) at Pittsburgh (2-2; 0-1)- 7:30, ESPN3
Pick: Pittsburgh

Missouri (2-2; 0-1) at LSU (2-2; 1-1)- 7:30, SECN: Out is Les Miles and in is new interim coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron begins his case to remove the interim tag with a win.
Pick: LSU

San Diego State (3-0; 0-0) at South Alabama (2-2; 0-2)- 8:00, ESPNEWS
Pick: San Diego State

Louisiana-Lafayette (2-2; 1-0) at New Mexico State (1-3; 0-1)- 8:00, ESPN3
Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette

(3) Louisville (4-0; 2-0) at (5) Clemson (4-0; 1-0)- 8:00, ABC: This is the biggest game of the College Football season so far and it could not only decide a spot in the conference title game but a spot in the College Football Playoff. ESPN's College GameDay will be on site for this as well. Give me Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson to outduel DeSeaun Watson and the Cardinals will get a big time road win in primetime.
Pick: Louisville

(17) Michigan State (2-1; 0-1) at Indiana (2-1; 0-0)- 8:00, BTN: The Hoosiers will keep this one closer than the experts think, but Sparty will get the win.
Pick: Michigan State

Arizona State (4-0; 1-0) at USC (1-3; 0-2)- 8:30, FOX: New Trojans starting quarterback Sam Darnold was very promising in Salt Lake City last week and I believe he'll help them hand the Sun Devils their first loss of the season.
Pick: USC

Oregon (2-2; 0-1) at Washington State (1-2; 0-0)- 9:30, Pac-12N: Don't be surprised if these two teams combine for over 100 points. Give me the Cougars at home.
Pick: Washington State

Utah State (2-2; 0-1) at (24) Boise State (3-0; 0-0)- 10:15, ESPN2
Pick: Boise State

Wyoming (2-2; 0-0) at Colorado State (2-2; 0-0)- 10:15, ESPNU
Pick: Colorado State

Fresno State (1-3; 0-0) at UNLV (1-3; 0-0)- 10:30, CBSSN
Pick: UNLV

Arizona (2-2; 0-1) at UCLA (2-2; 0-1)- 10:30, ESPN: Josh Rosen leads the way for the Bruins but the Wildcats will make it closer than the experts think.
Pick: UCLA

Nevada (2-2; 0-0) at Hawaii (1-3; 0-0)- 11:59
Pick: Nevada

2016 College Football Week 5: National TV Schedule

Here is the National TV Schedule for week 5 of the 2016 College Football season with announcers (if necessary).

9/29- Connecticut at (6) Houston; 8:00, ESPN: Dave Flemming, Jesse Palmer, Laura Rutledge
9/29- Kansas at Texas Tech; 8:30, FS1: Justin Kutcher & Petros Papadakis
9/30- (7) Stanford at (10) Washington; 9:00, ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
9/30- Toledo at BYU; 10:15, ESPN2: Adam Amin, Mack Brown, Molly McGrath
10/1- Syracuse vs Notre Dame (East Rutherford); 12:00, ESPN: Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard,Allison Willams
10/1- Alcorn State at (20) Arkansas; 12:00, SECN: Mike Morgan, Clint Stoerner, Kevin Weidl
10/1- (13) Baylor at Iowa State; 12:00, FS1: Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Bruce Feldman
10/1- (23) Florida at Vanderbilt; 12:00, SECN: Tom Hart, Andre Ware, Cole Cubelic
10/1- (22) Texas at Oklahoma State; 12:00, ABC: Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Jerry Punch
10/1- Rutgers at (2) Ohio State; 12:00, BTN: Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Lisa Byington
10/1- Northwestern at Iowa; 12:00, ESPNU: Eamon McAnaney & John Congemi
10/1- UCF at East Carolina; 12:00, CBSSN: Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous, Melanie Collins
10/1- SMU at Temple; 12:00, ESPNEWS: Mike Couzens & Dan Hawkins
10/1- (14) Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech; 12:00, ESPN2: Allen Bestwick, Mike Bellotti, Kris Budden
10/1- Georgia State at Appalachian State; 12:00, ESPN3: Brett Dolan & Michael Young
10/1- Virginia at Duke; 12:30, ACCN: Tom Werme, Dave Archer, Roddy Jones
10/1- Buffalo at Boston College; 1:00, ACCN: Alex Faust & Matt Chatham
10/1- Oregon State at Colorado; 2:30, Pac-12N: JB Long, Glenn Parker, Jill Savage
10/1- Ohio at Miami (OH); 2:30, ESPN3: Bob McElligott, Ryan Cavanaugh, Madison Spielman
10/1- Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green; 3:00, ESPN3: Jim Barbar & John Gregory
10/1- Navy at Air Force; 3:30, CBSSN: Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell
10/1- Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn; 3:30, SECN: Taylor Zarzour, Jordan Rodgers, Lauren Sisler
10/1- (11) Tennessee at (25) Georgia; 3:30, CBS: Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Allie LaForce
10/1- Tulane at Massachusetts; 3:30, ASN: Eric Frede & Andy Gresh
10/1- Northern Illinois at Ball State; 3:30, ESPN3: Mike Gleason, Brad Jackson, Petar Hood
10/1- North Carolina at (12) Florida State; 3:30, ESPN: Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich
10/1- Wake Forest at NC State; 3:30, ACCN: Wes Durham, James Bates, Jen Hildreth
10/1- Akron at Kent State; 3:30, ESPN3: Michael Reghi & Dustin Fox
10/1- Purdue at Maryland; 3:30, BTN: Joe Beninati & J Leman
10/1- (4) Wisconsin at (8) Michigan; 3:30, ABC: Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay
10/1- Illinois at (15) Nebraska; 3:30, ESPN2: Dave Lamont, Kelly Stouffer, Paul Carcaterra
10/1- Minnesota at Penn State; 3:30, BTN: Brandon Gaudin & Chuck Long
10/1- Kansas State at West Virginia; 3:30, ESPNU: Clay Matvick & Dusty Dvoracek
10/1- (9) Texas A&M at South Carolina; 4:00, SECN: David Neal, Matt Stinchcomb, Olivia Harlan
10/1- San Jose State at New Mexico; 4:00, ROOT: Marc Stein, Joel Dreesen, Brad Thompson
10/1- Oklahoma at (21) TCU; 5:00, FOX: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Shannon Spake
10/1- Troy at Idaho; 5:00, ESPN3: Shawn Kenney & Al Groh
10/1- Old Dominion at Charlotte; 6:00, CUSA.tv: Matt Sweirad, Kevin Donnalley, Bobby Rosinski
10/1- (18) Utah at California; 6:00, Pac-12N: Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth, Cindy Brunson
10/1- Memphis at (16) Ole Miss; 7:00, ESPN2: Anish Shroff & Ahmad Brooks
10/1- Kentucky at (1) Alabama; 7:00, ESPN: Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill
10/1- Florida Atlantic at FIU; 7:00, beIN: Matt Martucci, Brett Romberg, Jordan Daigle
10/1- UTEP at Louisiana Tech; 7:00, ASN: Dave Armstrong & Rich Baldinger
10/1- Western Michigan at Central Michigan; 7:00, CBSSN: Ben Holden, Jay Feely, John Schriffen
10/1- South Florida at Cincinnati; 7:00, ESPNU: Mark Neely & Ray Bentley
10/1- Middle Tennessee at North Texas; 7:00, CampusIn: Ray Crawford, Max Starks, Shae Peppler
10/1- Rice at Southern Miss; 7:00
10/1- Houston Baptist at Western Kentucky; 7:00, CUSA.tv: Randy Lee, Leo Peckenpaugh, Terry Obee
10/1- Incarnate Word at Texas State; 7:30, ESPN3:
10/1- Marshall at Pittsburgh; 7:30, ESPN3: Bob Rathbun, Takeo Spikes, Rebecca Kaple
10/1- Missouri at LSU; 7:30, SECN: Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer, Kaylee Hartung
10/1- San Diego State at South Alabama; 8:00, ESPNEWS:
10/1- Louisiana-Lafayette at New Mexico State; 8:00, ESPN3:
10/1- (3) Louisville at (5) Clemson; 8:00, ABC: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Samantha Ponder
10/1- (17) Michigan State at Indiana; 8:00, BTN:
10/1- Arizona State at USC; 8:30, FOX: Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Jenny Taft
10/1- Oregon at Washington State; 9:30, Pac-12N:
10/1- Utah State at (24) Boise State; 10:15, ESPN2:
10/1- Wyoming at Colorado State; 10:15, ESPNU:
10/1- Fresno State at UNLV; 10:30, CBSSN:
10/1- Arizona at UCLA; 10:30, ESPN:
10/1- Nevada at Hawaii; 11:59, OC Sports: Robert Kekaula, Rich Miano, Scott Robbs

Candidates to replace Ron Turner as FIU head football coach

Sunday morning, it was revealed that Ron Turner was the first coach fired of the 2016 college football season. The team started 0-4. Here are some candidates to replace Turner.

1. Geoff Collins, Defensive Coordinator, Florida
2. Butch Davis, TV Analyst/Former Miami Head Coach
3. Art Briles, Former Baylor Head Coach
4. Jedd Fisch, Assistant Coach, Michigan
5. Ron Cooper, Assistant Coach/Interim Coach, FIU

Candidates to replace Les Miles as LSU head football coach

Yesterday afternoon, news broke out of Baton Rouge that LSU had fired head football coach Les Miles after a disappointing 2-2 to start the season after being ranked fifth in the Preseason AP Poll. Here are some candidates to replace Miles.

1. Jimbo Fisher, Head Coach, Florida State
2. Tom Herman, Head Coach, Houston
3. Ed Orgeron, Defensive Line Coach/Interim Head Coach, LSU
4. David Shaw, Head Coach, Stanford
5. Bobby Petrino, Head Coach, Louisville
6. Gary Patterson, Head Coach, TCU
7. Mike Gundy, Head Coach, Oklahoma State
8. Lane Kiffin, Offensive Coordinator, Alabama
9. Willie Taggart, Head Coach, South Florida
10. Jeff Brohm, Head Coach, Western Kentucky
11. Mark Dantonio, Head Coach, Michigan State
12. Bryan Harsin, Head Coach, Boise State
13. PJ Fleck, Head Coach, Western Michigan
14. Kyle Whittingham, Head Coach, Utah
15. Art Briles, Former Baylor Head Coach
16. Dan Mullen, Head Coach, Mississippi State
17. Bill O'Brien, Head Coach, Houston Texans
18. Larry Fedora, Head Coach, North Carolina
19. Chip Kelly, Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers
20. Chris Petersen, Head Coach, Washington

Jose Fernandez killed in boat accident, what it means for baseball and the Marins

Early Sunday morning, tragic news broke in the baseball world that 24 year old star pitcher Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins passed away in a boat accident along with two of his friends. It's just flat out devastating not just for Major League Baseball and the Miami Marlins, but his family and friends.

He was easily a top-five pitcher in baseball and you can argue no pitcher in the league had a brighter future than Fernandez. He would have been a free agent after the 2018 season and he would have easily made over $30 million per season. Fernandez was a dominant pitcher at home and each time he'd pitch in Marlins Park it would be "Jose Day".

For the Marlins going forward, ESPN's Tim Kurkjian said it best as saying that this will set the Marlins back a decade. It's a strong statement, but Kurkjian is correct because he was the co-face of their franchise along with Giancarlo Stanton and he was a pitcher that you can build your franchise around although there were rumblings the last few weeks before his death that teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs were going to make a run at Fernandez via a trade. Those three teams would have had the assets to entice the Marlins in a possible trade.

Fernandez did mean a lot to the city of Miami and he was one of their best athletes over the last few years along with Stanton. He did a lot for the community and was a leader of the Marlins team and most importantly their pitching staff. It's sad that a tragedy has to bring a city together, but that's what typically happens when something of that nature happens.

Lastly, the Marlins are doing the right thing by retiring Fernandez's number 16 because of how much he meant to the Miami Marlins franchise, the city of Miami, and what could have been for years to come. This is such a sad story and it's a shame that this tragedy is what Fernandez will be remembered for.

2016 WNBA Playoffs: Semifinals Predictions

Here are my predictions for the Semifinals of the 2016 WNBA Playoffs, which are best-of-five series's in this new playoff format.

(1) Minnesota Lynx vs (8) Phoenix Mercury: This is what many folks thought was going to be the WNBA finals before the season started, but here we have these teams in the Semifinals. There's a ton of star power with Minnesota's Maya Moore and Phoenix's Brittney Greiner and Diana Turasi. This should be a competitive series, but for the second straight season the Lynx should be back in the WNBA finals.
Prediction: Lynx in four games.

(2) Los Angeles Sparks vs (4) Chicago Sky: Despite losing Elena Delle Donne to a thumb injury, the Sky are here without her. The Sparks have the best players on the court with WNBA Player of the Year Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker and they'll lead the Sparks to the WNBA finals against their conference foe in the Minnesota Lynx.
Prediction: Sparks in three games.

2016 WNBA Playoffs: Second Round Predictions

Here are my predictions for the Second Round of the 2016 WNBA Playoffs, which are single-elimination games now in this new playoff format.

Saturday, September 24th
(8) Phoenix Mercury vs (3) New York Liberty; 7:00, NBATV: This should be a fun game that features two star front-court players in Phoenix's Brittney Greiner and New York's Tina Charles. Both teams have stars in the backcourt in New York's Epiphanny Prince and Phoenix's Diana Turasi, who is unbeaten in road elimination games. I believe that changes here as the Liberty win with the MSG crowd behind them and expect a low scoring game.
Prediction: Liberty

Sunday, September 25th
(6) Atlanta Dream vs (4) Chicago Sky; 1:00, ESPN2: This should be a fun game between these two Eastern Conference foes. There's star power here too with Atlanta's Angel McCourty and Chicago's Elena Delle Donne, who will miss this game due to a thumb injury. If Delle Donne were healthy, I would have picked the Sky, but I like McCourty to lead the Dream to a road upset here.
Prediction: Dream

2016 College Football Week 4: Bowl Projections

Here are my bowl projections for week four of the 2016 College Football season.

College Football Playoff Projections
Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 3:00 or 7:00, ESPN: (2) Ohio State vs (3) Louisville
BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 3:00 or 7:00, ESPN: (1) Alabama vs (4) Stanford

New Years Six Projections
Capital One Orange Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 8:00, ESPN: Florida State vs Michigan
Goodyear Cotton Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 1:00, ESPN: Houston vs Washington
Rose Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 5:00, ESPN: Nebraska vs Utah
All-State Sugar Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 8:30, ESPN: Baylor vs LSU

Rest of the Bowl Schedule
Gidlan New Mexico Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: UTEP vs Colorado State
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 3:30, ABC: San Diego State vs Arizona State
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Akron vs Troy
AutoNation Cure Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 5:30, CBSSN: Tulsa vs Georgia Southern
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Middle Tennessee vs Appalachian State
Miami Beach Bowl- December 19th, 2016; 2:30, ESPN: East Carolina vs Toledo
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl- December 20th, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Temple vs Louisiana Tech
San Diego County CU Poinsettia Bowl- December 21st, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: BYU vs Boise State
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl- December 22nd, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Central Michigan vs Nevada
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl- December 23rd, 2016; 1:00, ESPN: Bowling Green vs Marshall
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl- December 23rd, 2016; 4:30, ESPN: Navy vs Texas Tech
Dollar General Bowl- December 23rd, 8:00, ESPN: Western Michigan vs Arkansas State
Hawaii Bowl- December 24th, 2016; 8:00, ESPN: Western Kentucky vs Air Force
St. Petersburg Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 11:00AM, ESPN: Memphis vs Wake Forest
Quick Lane Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 2:30, ESPN: Georgia Tech vs Maryland
Camping World Independence Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 5:00, ESPN2: North Carolina State vs South Carolina
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 12:00, ESPN: Kansas State vs Southern Miss
Military Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 3:30, ESPN: Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech
Holiday Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Wisconsin vs Oregon
Cactus Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 10:15, ESPN: Oklahoma State vs Arizona
New Era Pinstripe Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: North Carolina vs Penn State
Russell Athletic Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Clemson vs Oklahoma
Foster Farms Bowl- December 28th, 2016; TBD, FOX: Indiana vs USC
AdvoCare 1000 Texas Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Texas vs Arkansas
Birmingham Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: South Florida vs Mississippi State
Belk Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Pittsburgh vs Ole Miss
Valero Alamo Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: TCU vs UCLA
AutoZone Liberty Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 12:00, ESPN: West Virginia vs Florida
Hyundai Sun Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 1:00, CBS: Notre Dame vs Washington State
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl- December 30th, 2016; TBD, CBSSN: Army vs Lpuisiana-Lafayette
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 3:30, ESPN: Auburn vs Minnesota
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 11:00AM, ABC: Michigan State vs Georgia
TaxSlayer Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 11:00AM, ESPN: Miami (FL) vs Texas A&M
Outback Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 1:00, ABC: Iowa vs Tennessee

2016 NFL Week 3 Picks

Here are my picks for week three of the 2016 NFL Season.

Thursday, September 22nd
Houston Texans (2-0) vs New England Patriots (2-0); 8:25, CBS/NFLN: Houston is coming off a great home win over the Kansas City Chiefs. New England is coming off a narrow home win over the Miami Dolphins in a game which Jimmy Garappolo injured his shoulder. Garappolo is reportedly supposed to be out for a few weeks so Jacoby Brissett will likely get the start in this game. JJ Watt and the Texans will take advantage of the situation and will hand the Patriots a rare home loss.
Prediction: Houston 26, New England 19.

Sunday, September 25th
Arizona Cardinals (1-1) vs Buffalo Bills (0-2); 1:00, FOX: Arizona is coming off a big time bounce back home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Buffalo is coming off a brutal home loss on Thursday night against the New York Jets. Carson Palmer and the Cardinals are poised for another dominant game as Rex Ryan's seat will only get hotter.
Prediction: Arizona 37, Buffalo 23.

Oakland Raiders (1-1) vs Tennessee Titans (1-1); 1:00, CBS: Oakland is coming off a very disappointing home loss against the Atlanta Falcons. Tennessee is coming off a nice come from behind road win in Detroit against the Lions. Something tells me the Raiders will bounce back and the Titans will have a bit of a letdown here.
Prediction: Oakland 27, Tennessee 20.

Cleveland Browns (0-2) vs Miami Dolphins (0-2); 1:00, CBS: Here we have a battle of winless teams. Cleveland is coming off a brutal home loss against the Baltimore Ravens in which they had a 20-0 lead in. Miami is coming off a road loss in Foxboro against the Patriots. The Browns will be starting Cody Kessler now that Josh McCown hurt his shoulder. The Dolphins showed signs of life toward the end of the Patriot game and they'll build off that to get their first win if the season.
Prediction: Miami 30, Cleveland 16.

Baltimore Ravens (2-0) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2); 1:00, CBS: Baltimore is coming off a come from behind road win in Cleveland against the Browns. Jacksonville is coming off a horrible road loss in San Diego against the banged up Chargers. The Ravens look like a contender and the Jaguars look like a hot mess. Give me Joe Flacco to light up the Jags on the road.
Prediction: Baltimore 33, Jacksonville 24.

Detroit Lions (1-1) vs Green Bay Packers (1-1); 1:00, FOX: Detroit is coming off a bad home loss against the Tennessee Titans. Green Bay is coming off a disappointing road loss in Minneapolis against the Vikings. Something tells me Aaron Rodgers is going to play angry and motivated and they'll come out with a bang. Because of that (and I don't feel good about this but), the Packers are my lock of the week.
Prediction: Green Bay 33, Detroit 19.

Denver Broncos (2-0) vs Cincinnati Bengals (1-1); 1:00, CBS: Denver is coming off a great home win over the Indianapolis Colts. Cincinnati is coming off a tough road loss in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. I like Andy Dalton and the Bengals in this one to hand the defending Super Bowl champions  their first loss of the season.
Prediction: Cincinnati 23, Denver 17.

Minnesota Vikings (2-0) vs Carolina Panthers (1-1); 1:00, FOX: Minnesota is coming off a great home win against the Green Bay Packers, but it came at a cost as Adrian Peterson tore his meniscus during the game. Carolina is coming off a dominant home win over the San Francisco 49ers. Give me Cam Newton and the Panthers to get hand Sam Bradford and the Vikings their first loss of the season.
Prediction: Carolina 31, Minnesota 17.

Washington Redskins (0-2) vs New York Giants (2-0); 1:00, FOX: Washington is coming off a disappointing home loss against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants are coming off a home win over the New Orleans Saints thanks to a Josh Brown field goal as time expired. Kirk Cousins hasn't looked like the guy from last season thus far and the Giants improved defense will cause Cousins to continue to struggle and Eli Manning and his receivers will also light up Josh Norman and the rest of the secondary.
Prediction: NY Giants 33, Washington 24.

Los Angeles Rams (1-1) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1); 4:05, FOX: Los Angeles is coming off a home win against the Seattle Seahawks in their first game in Los Angeles in over 20 years. Tampa Bay is coming off a disastrous loss in Glendale against the Cardinals. This is the Bucs home opener so expect Jameis Winston and the Bucs to bounce back from that awful loss.
Prediction: Tampa Bay 27, Los Angeles 17.

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) vs Seattle Seahawks (1-1); 4:05, FOX: San Francisco is coming off a bad loss in Charlotte against the Panthers. Seattle is coming off a tough loss in Los Angeles against the a Rams. Russell Wilson is still banged up, but I believe the Seahawks will find a way against a bad Niners team.
Prediction: Seattle 20, San Francisco 10.

New York Jets (1-1) vs Kansas City Chiefs (1-1); 4:25, CBS: The Jets are coming off a great road win in Orchard Park against the Bills. Kansas City is coming off a tough loss in Houston against the Texans. The Chiefs haven't looked great this season outside of their comeback against the Chargers and the Jets have looked great for the most part of the year. This was a tough call, but something tells me that the Chiefs bounce back and win here.
Prediction: Kansas City 27, NY Jets 23.

San Diego Chargers (1-1) vs Indianapolis Colts (0-2); 4:25, CBS: San Diego is coming off a great home blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and it came at a cost as Danny Woodhead was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Indianapolis is coming off a tough road loss in Denver against the Broncos. Andrew Luck is going up against a defense that isn't very good, and also factor in that the Chargers lost two of their top offensive players, it's all set up for the Colts to get their first win.
Prediction: Indianapolis 30, San Diego 23.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) vs Philadelphia Eagles (2-0); 4:25, CBS: Pittsburgh is coming off a big home win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Philadelphia is coming off a big road win in Chicago against the lowly Bears. Carson Wentz was great again last week, but lets see how he does against that improved Steelers defense. Expect Ben Rothlisberger to torch the Eagles secondary as well.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 30, Philadelphia 20.

Chicago Bears (0-2) vs Dallas Cowboys (2-1); 8:30, NBC: Chicago is coming off an awful home loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas is coming off a solid road win in Landover against the Redskins. Jay Cutler injured his thumb during the loss and now Brian Hoyer will be under center. Dak Prescott was solid again last week and expect him and Dez Bryant to light it up in prime time against a bad Bears defense.
Prediction: Dallas 27, Chicago 17.

Monday, September 26th
Atlanta Falcons (1-1) vs New Orleans Saints (0-2); 8:30, ESPN: Atlanta is coming off a great road win in Oakland against the Raiders. New Orleans is coming off a hard fought loss in East Rutherford against the Giants. The Saints showed some fight last week and expect Drew Brees and their receivers to make plays to lead the Saints to their first win of the season.
Prediction: New Orleans 28, Atlanta 24.

2016 WNBA Playoffs: First Round Predictions

Here are my predictions for the First Round of the 2016 WNBA Playoffs, which are single-elimination games now in this new playoff format.

Wednesday, September 21st
(8) Phoenix Mercury vs (5) Indiana Fever; 6:00, ESPNEWS: This should be a fun game between two solid teams with star power galore with Phoenix's Diana Turasi and Brittney Griner and Indiana's Tamika Catchings, who is retiring after this season. I don't believe this will be it for Catchings as I'm picking the Fever to move on to the Second Round to play the Chicago Sky in yet another single-elimination game over an underachieving Phoenix team.
Prediction: Fever

(7) Seattle Storm vs (6) Atlanta Dream; 8:00, ESPNEWS: Here's another interesting game with star power featured with Seattle's Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart and Atlanta's Angel McCourty. The Storm are an up and coming team and that will show in a road upset as they'll move on to play the New York Liberty at Madison Square Garden in a single-elimination second round game.
Prediction: Storm

2016 WNBA Playoffs Schedule

Here is the schedule for the 2016 WNBA Playoffs with announcers (if necessary).

9/21- First Round: (8) Phoenix Mercury vs (5) Indiana Fever; 6:00, ESPNEWS: Pam Ward & LaChina Robinson
9/21- First Round: (7) Seattle Storm vs (6) Atlanta Dream; 8:00, ESPNEWS: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe
9/24- Second Round: (8) Phoenix Mercury vs (3) New York Liberty; 7:00, NBATV: Mike Crispino, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude
9/25- Second Round: (6) Atlanta Dream vs (4) Chicago Sky; 1:00, ESPN2: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe
9/28- Semifinals, Game 1: (8) Phoenix Mercury vs (1) Minnesota Lynx; 8:00, ESPN2: Ryan Ruocco & Rebecca Lobo
9/28- Semifinals, Game 1: (4) Chicago Sky vs (2) Los Angeles Sparks; 10:00, ESPN2: Pam Ward & LaChina Robinson
9/30- Semifinals, Game 2: (8) Phoenix Mercury vs (1) Minnesota Lynx; 8:00, ESPN2: Ryan Ruocco & Rebecca Lobo
9/30- Semifinals, Game 2: (4) Chicago Sky vs (2) Los Angeles Sparks; 10:00, ESPN2: Pam Ward & LaChina Robinson
10/2- Semifinals, Game 3: (2) Los Angeles Sparks vs (4) Chicago Sky; 3:00, ESPN: Pam Ward & LaChina Robinson
10/2- Semifinals, Game 3: (1) Minnesota Lynx vs (8) Phoenix Mercury; 5:00, ESPN: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson
10/4- Semifinals, Game 4: (2) Los Angeles Sparks vs (4) Chicago Sky; 8:00, ESPN2: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson
10/9- Finals, Game 1: (2) Los Angeles Sparks vs (1) Minnesota Lynx; 3:00, ABC: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson
10/12- Finals, Game 2: (2) Los Angeles Sparks vs (1) Minnesota Lynx; 8:00, ESPN2: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson
10/14- Finals, Game 3: (1) Minnesota Lynx vs (2) Los Angeles Sparks; 9:00, ESPN2: Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson

2016 College Football Week 4: Picks

Here are my picks for week four of the 2016 College Football season.

Thursday, September 22nd
(5) Clemson (3-0; 0-0) at Georgia Tech (3-0; 1-0)- 7:30, ESPN: This is a potential trap game for the Tigers, who has Louisville coming to their house next weekend so there is a lot of look ahead potential here. Expect the Yellow Jackets to keep it closer than the experts think, but DeSaun Watson will lead his team to a win.
Pick: Clemson

Friday, September 23rd
Wyoming (2-1; 0-0) at Eastern Michigan (2-1; 0-0)- 7:30, CBSSN
Pick: Wyoming

TCU (2-1; 1-0) at SMU (2-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN
Pick: TCU

USC (1-2; 0-1) at (24) Utah (3-0; 0-0)- 9:00, FS1: This is a pretty big game in the Pac-12. Give me the unbeaten Utes at home.
Pick: Utah

Saturday, September 24th
Kent State (1-2; 0-0) at (1) Alabama (3-0; 1-0)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Alabama

(12) Georgia (3-0; 1-0) at (23) Ole Miss (1-2; 0-1)- 12:00, ESPN: This is such a big game in the SEC. I feel that the Rebels are poised to bounce back from their tough loss against Alabama and Chad Kelly will lead them to a bounce back win.
Pick: Ole Miss

Nevada (2-1; 0-0) at Purdue (1-1; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPNEWS
Pick: Purdue

San Jose State (1-2; 0-0) at Iowa State (0-3; 0-1)- 12:00
Pick: Iowa State

Charlotte (1-2; 0-0) at Temple (1-2; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN3
Pick: Temple

Iowa (2-1; 0-0) at Rutgers (2-1; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN2: Don't be shocked if the Scarlet Knights keep it close in the second half.
Pick: Iowa

(13) Florida State (2-1; 0-1) at South Florida (3-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ABC: The Bulls will keep this interesting, but Dalvin Cook and the Seminoles will pull away late for a bounce back win.
Pick: Florida State

Colorado State (2-1; 0-0) at Minnesota (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPNU
Pick: Minnesota

(11) Wisconsin (3-0; 0-0) at (8) Michigan State (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, BTN: We got a big one here in East Lansing and give me the home team to win.
Pick: Michigan State

East Carolina (2-1; 0-0) at Virginia Tech (2-1; 1-0)- 12:30, ACCN: The Pirates are an improved team and they'll keep it close, but Justin Fuente's squad will take this one.
Pick: Virginia Tech

Central Michigan (3-0; 0-0) at Virginia (0-3; 0-0)- 12:30, ESPN3
Pick: Central Michigan

Syracuse (1-2; 0-1) at Connecticut (2-1; 0-1)- 1:00, CBSSN: This wasn't an easy call by any stretch, but give me the Orange here to pull off a road upset.
Pick: Syracuse

Wagner (2-0; 0-0) at Boston College (1-2; 0-2)- 1:00, ACCN
Pick: Boston College

Gardner-Webb (1-2; 0-0) at Ohio (1-2; 0-0)- 2:00, ESPN3
Pick: Ohio

Miami (OH) (0-3; 0-0) at Cincinnati (2-1; 0-1)- 3:30, ESPNEWS
Pick: Cincinnati

Western Illinois (2-0; 0-0) at Northern Illinois (0-3; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Northern Illinois

Appalachian State (1-2; 0-0) at Akron (2-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Akron

Boise State (2-0; 0-0) at Oregon State (1-1; 0-0)- 3:30, FS1
Pick: Boise State

9/24- West Virginia (2-0; 0-0) vs BYU (1-2) 3:30, ESPN2: This game will be played in Landover, Maryland at FedEx Field. The fact that the Mountaineers have a home field advantage here since the game will be played in Maryland makes me give them the edge here.
Pick: West Virginia

Duke (1-2; 0-1) at Notre Dame (1-2) 3:30, NBC
Pick: Notre Dame

Mississippi State (1-2; 1-1) at Massachusetts (1-2) 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Mississippi State

(13) Florida (3-0; 1-0) at (14) Tennessee (3-0; 0-0)- 3:30, CBS: This is a big one out in Knoxville. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand for it as well. The Gators will be missing their quarterback Luke Del Rio due to a knee injury and the Vols will take advantage.
Pick: Tennessee

Pittsburgh (2-1; 0-0) at North Carolina (2-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPNU: This game could possibly decide the Coastal Division in the ACC. Give me the Tar Heels at home.
Pick: North Carolina

UTSA (1-2; 0-0) at Old Dominion (1-2; 0-0)- 3:30, KMYS/WTVZ
Pick: Old Dominion

Penn State (2-1; 0-0) at (4) Michigan (3-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ABC: Don't be surprised if the Nittany Lions keep it close, but the Wolverines pull away late.
Pick: Michigan

Wake Forest (3-0; 1-0) at Indiana (2-0; 0-0)- 3:30, BTN: This game could very well have bowl game implications. Give me the Hoosiers at home.
Pick: Indiana

Delaware State (0-2; 0-0) at Missouri (1-2; 0-1)- 4:00, SECN
Pick: Missouri

Vanderbilt (1-2; 0-1) at Western Kentucky (2-1; 1-0)- 4:30, CBSSN
Pick: Western Kentucky

Tulsa (2-1; 0-0) at Fresno State (1-2; 0-0)- 4:30, CAMP
Pick: Tulsa

Colorado (2-1; 0-0) at Oregon (2-1; 0-0)- 5:30, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon

(18) LSU (2-1; 1-0) at Auburn (1-2; 0-1)- 6:00, ESPN: Here's a battle of coaches on the hot seat, which is known as a "loser leaves town" match. I say Les Miles survives this battle.
Pick: LSU

Ball State (2-1; 0-0) at Florida Atlantic (1-2; 0-0)- 6:00, C.USA-tv
Pick: Florida Atlantic

North Texas (1-2; 0-0) at Rice (0-3; 0-1)- 6:00, C.USA-tv
Pick: Rice

9/24- (6) Houston (3-0; 1-0) at Texas State (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPNU
Pick: Houston

Central Arkansas (2-1; 2-0) at Arkansas State (0-3; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Arkansas State

New Mexico State (1-2; 0-0) at Troy (2-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Troy

Nicholls State (1-1; 0-1) at South Alabama (1-2; 0-2)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: South Alabama

Georgia Southern (3-0; 2-0) at Western Michigan (3-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Western Michigan

UCF (1-2; 0-0) at FIU (0-3; 0-0)- 7:00, beIN
Pick: FIU

Louisiana Tech (1-2; 0-0) at Middle Tennessee (2-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ASN
Pick: Middle Tennessee

Army (3-0) at Buffalo (0-2; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Army

Missouri State (2-0; 0-0) at Kansas State (1-1; 0-0)- 7:10, K-State.tv
Pick: Kansas State

(20) Nebraska (3-0; 0-0) at Northwestern (1-2; 0-0)- 7:30, BTN
Pick: Nebraska

Oklahoma State (2-1; 0-0) at (16) Baylor (3-0; 0-0)- 7:30, FOX: This is a big game in the Big-12. Give me Seth Russell and the Bears at home.
Pick: Baylor

South Carolina (2-1; 1-1) at Kentucky (1-2; 0-1)- 7:30, SECN
Pick: South Carolina

(7) Stanford (2-0; 1-0) at UCLA (2-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ABC: This should be a fun star-studded matchup in primetime with two possible Heisman candidates in Stanford's Christian McCaffrey and UCLA's Josh Rosen. McCaffrey shines in big spotlights like this so give me the Cardinal to get a big road win at the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Stanford

(3) Louisville (3-0; 2-0) at Marshall (1-1; 0-0)- 8:00, CBSSN: The Thundering Herd aren't as bad as they looked last weekend against Akron, so this is a potential trap game for new Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals as they have Clemson next week in Death Valley. Give me Jackson and the Cardinals to pull away late.
Pick: Louisville

Bowling Green (1-2; 0-0) at Memphis (2-0; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPNEWS
Pick: Memphis

Louisiana-Lafayette (2-1; 1-0) at Tulane (1-2; 0-1)- 8:00, ESPN3
Pick: Tulane

Southern Miss (2-1; 0-0) at UTEP (1-2; 0-0)- 8:00, C.USA-tv
Pick: Southern Miss

Idaho (1-2; 0-0) at UNLV (1-2; 0-0)- 9:00, MW Digital
Pick: UNLV

(17) Arkansas (3-0; 0-0) vs (10) Texas A&M (3-0; 1-0)- 9:00, ESPN: This game will be played at AT&T Stadium aka Jerry World in Arlington, Texas. This is a big SEC West game, but give me Trevor Knight and the Aggies because they're going to have a home field advantage.
Pick: Texas A&M

California (2-1; 0-0) at Arizona State (3-0; 0-0)- 10:00, ESPN2: Both of these teams have looked pretty good so far, so this turns out to a big game. Give me the Sun Devils at home.
Pick: Arizona State

Air Force (2-0; 0-0) at Utah State (2-1; 0-0)- 10:15, ESPNU
Pick: Air Force

(9) Washington (3-0; 0-0) at Arizona (2-1; 0-0)- 10:30, FS1: The Wildcats will keep it close, but the Huskies are the better team so they'll get the road win.
Pick: Arizona

2016 College Football Week 4: National TV Schedule

Here is the National TV Schedule for week 4 of the 2016 College Football season.

9/22- (5) Clemson at Georgia Tech; 7:30, ESPN: Dave Flemming, Jesse Palmer, Laura Rutledge
9/23- Wyoming at Eastern Michigan; 7:30, CBSSN: Ben Holden & Sherdrick Bonner
9/23- TCU at SMU; 8:00, ESPN: Adam Amin, Mack Brown, Molly McGrath
9/23- USC at (24) Utah; 9:00, FS1: Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Jenny Taft
9/24- Kent State at (1) Alabama; 12:00, SECN: Tom Hart, Andre Ware, Cole Cubelic
9/24- (12) Georgia at (23) Ole Miss; 12:00, ESPN: Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill
9/24- Nevada at Purdue; 12:00, ESPNEWS: Mike Couzens & Dan Hawkins
9/24- San Jose State at Iowa State; 12:00, FSN: Brendan Burke, Brian Baldinger, Christian Steckel
9/24- Charlotte at Temple; 12:00, ESPN3: Mike Gleason, Ken Dunek, Kevin Copp
9/24- Iowa at Rutgers; 12:00, ESPN2: Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman
9/24- (13) Florida State at South Florida; 12:00, ABC: Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams
9/24- Colorado State at Minnesota; 12:00, ESPNU: Eamon McAnaney & John Congemi
9/24- (11) Wisconsin at (8) Michigan State; 12:00, BTN: Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Lisa Byington
9/24- East Carolina at Virginia Tech; 12:30, ACCN: Tom Werme, David Archer, Roddy Jones
9/24- Central Michigan at Virginia; 12:30, ESPN3: Wes Durham, James Bates, Jenn Hildreth
9/24- Syracuse at Connecticut; 1:00, CBSSN: Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous, Melanie Collins
9/24- Wagner at Boston College; 1:00, ACCN: Bob Picozzi & Matt Chatham
9/24- Gardner-Webb at Ohio; 2:00, ESPN3: Dave Weekley & John Gregory
9/24- Miami (OH) at Cincinnati; 3:30, ESPNEWS: Mike Corey & Rene Ingoglia
9/24- Western Illinois at Northern Illinois; 3:30, ESPN3: Jim Barbar & Al Groh
9/24- Appalachian State at Akron; 3:30, ESPN3: Jeff McCarragher & Michael Young
9/24- Boise State at Oregon State; 3:30, FS1: Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Bruce Feldman
9/24- West Virginia vs BYU (Landover); 3:30, ESPN2: Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Paul Carcaterra
9/24- Duke at Notre Dame; 3:30, NBC: Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie, Kathryn Tappen
9/24- Mississippi State at Massachusetts; 3:30, ESPN3: Eric Frede & Andy Gresh
9/24- (13) Florida at (14) Tennessee; 3:30, CBS: Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Allie LaForce
9/24- Pittsburgh at North Carolina; 3:30, ESPNU: Clay Matvick & Dusty Dvoracek
9/24- UTSA at Old Dominion; 3:30, KMYS/WTVZ: Don Harris, Chuck Miketinac, Hector Ledesma
9/24- Penn State at (4) Michigan; 3:30, ABC: Dave Flemming, Brian Griese, Todd McShay
9/24- Wake Forest at Indiana; 3:30, BTN: Joe Beninati & J Leman
9/24- Delaware State at Missouri; 4:00, SECN: David Neal, Matt Stinchcomb, Olivia Harlan
9/24- Vanderbilt at Western Kentucky; 4:30, CBSSN: John Sadak, Randy Cross, Taylor Rooks
9/24- Tulsa at Fresno State; 4:30, CAMP: Ari Wolfe & Darius Walker
9/24- Colorado at Oregon; 5:30, Pac-12N: Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth, Cindy Brunson
9/24- (18) LSU at Auburn; 6:00, ESPN: Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich
9/24- Ball State at Florida Atlantic; 6:00, C.USA-tv: Ken LaVicka & Kris Bartels
9/24- North Texas at Rice; 6:00, C.USA-tv: J.P. Heath, Nate Griffin, Jorge Vargas
9/24- (6) Houston at Texas State; 7:00, ESPNU: Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks, Alex Corddry
9/24- Central Arkansas at Arkansas State; 7:00, ESPN3: Shawn Kenney & Tom O’Brien
9/24- New Mexico State at Troy; 7:00, ESPN3: Brett Dolan & Watson Brown
9/24- Nicholls State at South Alabama; 7:00, ESPN3: Drew Fellios & Forrest Conoly
9/24- Georgia Southern at Western Michigan; 7:00, ESPN3: Dan Gutowsky & Pete Najarian
9/24- UCF at FIU; 7:00, beIN: Matt Martucci, Brett Romberg, Jordan Daigle
9/24- Louisiana Tech at Middle Tennessee; 7:00, ASN: Dave Armstrong & Rich Baldinger
9/24- Army at Buffalo; 7:00, ESPN3: Doug Sherman & Dustin Fox
9/24- Missouri State at Kansas State; 7:10, K-State.tv: Wyatt Thompson, Stan Weber, Matt Walters
9/24- (20) Nebraska at Northwestern; 7:30, BTN: Eric Collins, Glen Mason, Michelle McMahon
9/24- Oklahoma State at (16) Baylor; 7:30, FOX: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Shannon Spake
9/24- South Carolina at Kentucky; 7:30, SECN: Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer, Kaylee Hartung
9/24- (7) Stanford at UCLA; 8:00, ABC: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Samantha Ponder
9/24- (3) Louisville at Marshall; 8:00, CBSSN: Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, Jenny Dell
9/24- Bowling Green at Memphis; 8:00, ESPNEWS: Dave LaMont & Ray Bentley
9/24- Louisiana-Lafayette at Tulane; 8:00, ESPN3: Joel Meyers & Chad Brown
9/24- Southern Miss at UTEP; 8:00, C.USA-tv: Ron Thulin & Max Starks
9/24- Idaho at UNLV; 9:00, MW Digital: Tony Cordasco & Caleb Herring
9/24- (17) Arkansas vs (10) Texas A&M (Arlington); 9:00, ESPN: Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
9/24- California at Arizona State; 10:00, ESPN2: Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Dr. Jerry Punch
9/24- Air Force at Utah State; 10:15, ESPNU: Allen Bestwick, Mike Bellotti, Kris Budden
9/24- (9) Washington at Arizona; 10:30, Pac-12N: Roxy Bernstein, Anthony Herron, Lewis Johnson

2016 College Football Week 3: Bowl Projections

Here are my bowl projections for week three of the 2016 College Football season.

College Football Playoff Projections
Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 3:00 or 7:00, ESPN: (2) Florida State vs (3) Ohio State
BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 3:00 or 7:00, ESPN: (1) Alabama vs (4) Texas

New Years Six Projections
Capital One Orange Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 8:00, ESPN: Clemson vs Notre Dame
Goodyear Cotton Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 1:00, ESPN: Houston vs Michigan
Rose Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 5:00, ESPN: Iowa vs Stanford
All-State Sugar Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 8:30, ESPN: Oklahoma vs Georgia

Rest of the Bowl Schedule
Gidlan New Mexico Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: Louisiana Tech vs Colorado State
Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 3:30, ABC: San Diego State vs USC
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Bowling Green vs Louisiana-Lafayette
AutoNation Cure Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 5:30, CBSSN: Connecticut vs Georgia Southern
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl- December 17th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Marshall vs Arkansas State
Miami Beach Bowl- December 19th, 2016; 2:30, ESPN: Cincinnati vs Northern Illinois
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl- December 20th, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Tulsa vs Western Kentucky
San Diego County CU Poinsettia Bowl- December 21st, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: BYU vs Air Force
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl- December 22nd, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Akron vs Utah State
Popeyes Bahamas Bowl- December 23rd, 2016; 1:00, ESPN: Toledo vs FIU
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl- December 23rd, 2016; 4:30, ESPN: Navy vs Texas Tech
Dollar General Bowl- December 23rd, 8:00, ESPN: Western Michigan vs Appalachian State
Hawaii Bowl- December 24th, 2016; 8:00, ESPN: Middle Tennessee vs Boise State
St. Petersburg Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 11:00AM, ESPN: East Carolina vs Wake Forest
Quick Lane Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 2:30, ESPN: New Mexico vs Maryland
Camping World Independence Bowl- December 26th, 2016; 5:00, ESPN2: North Carolina State vs Texas A&M
Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 12:00, ESPN: Army vs Southern Miss
Military Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 3:30, ESPN: Temple vs Georgia Tech
Holiday Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 7:00, ESPN: Penn State vs Utah
Cactus Bowl- December 27th, 2016; 10:15, ESPN: Kansas State vs Arizona State
New Era Pinstripe Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: Pittsburgh vs Nebraska
Russell Athletic Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Louisville vs West Virginia
Foster Farms Bowl- December 28th, 2016; TBD, FOX: Indiana vs Washington State
AdvoCare 1000 Texas Bowl- December 28th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Baylor vs Mississippi State
Birmingham Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 2:00, ESPN: Memphis vs South Carolina
Belk Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 5:30, ESPN: Miami (FL) vs Arkansas
Valero Alamo Bowl- December 29th, 2016; 9:00, ESPN: Oklahoma State vs UCLA
AutoZone Liberty Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 12:00, ESPN: TCU vs Tennessee
Hyundai Sun Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 1:00, CBS: Virginia Tech vs Oregon
Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl- December 30th, 2016; TBD, CBSSN: Rice vs South Alabama
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl- December 30th, 2016; 3:30, ESPN: Auburn vs Minnesota
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 11:00AM, ABC: Michigan State vs Ole Miss
TaxSlayer Bowl- December 31st, 2016; 11:00AM, ESPN: North Carolina vs Florida
Outback Bowl- January 2nd, 2016; 1:00, ABC: Wisconsin vs LSU

2016 NFL Week 2 Picks

Here are my picks for week two of the 2016 NFL Season.

Thursday, September 15th
New York Jets (0-1) vs Buffalo Bills (0-1); 8:25, CBS/NFLN: This is a huge division game this early in the season because both teams have tough games the next few weeks. The Jets are coming off a heartbreaking home loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. Buffalo is coming off a road loss in Baltimore against the Ravens. Rex Ryan said that Sammy Watkins will play despite him being banged up. Since Watkins is banged up and the Bills are still banged up and guys are still suspended on the defensive end, I'm going to take the Jets here and expect the defensive line to force a lot of pressure on Tyrod Taylor to force him into turning the ball over.
Prediction: NY Jets 24, Buffalo 20.

Sunday, September 18th
Cincinnati Bengals (1-0) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0); 1:00, CBS: This is the first time these two teams will meet since their playoff meeting last winter. Cincinnati is coming off a huge road win in East Rutherford against the Jets. Pittsburgh is coming off a big road win in Landover against the Redskins on Monday Night Football. This is going to be a great game and give me Big Ben and the explosive offense to lead the way against Andy Dalton (who usually dominates in 1:00 games) and the Bengals.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 20, Cincinnati 17.

Tennessee Titans (0-1) vs Detroit Lions (1-0); 1:00, CBS: Tennessee is coming off a home loss against the Teddy Bridgewater-less Minnesota Vikings. Detroit is coming off a nice road win in Indianapolis against the Colts. Matthew Stafford will lead the Lions to another win in their home opener although Marcus Mariota and the Titans run game could make it interesting.
Prediction: Detroit 38, Tennessee 23.

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) vs Cleveland Browns; 1:00, CBS: Baltimore is coming off a home win over the Buffalo Bills. Cleveland is coming off a road loss in Philadelphia against the Eagles. Now Robert Griffin III is hurt and the Browns turn to Josh McCown to start, but it won't matter. The Ravens and Joe Flacco will remain unbeaten.
Prediction: Baltimore 23, Cleveland 16.

Dallas Cowboys (0-1) vs Washington Redskins (0-1); 1:00, FOX: This is a big game in the NFC East. Dallas is coming off a home loss against the New York Giants in a game which they could have won. Washington is coming off a disappointing home loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was a tough call, but I like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott to lead the way to a big divisional road win.
Prediction: Dallas 27, Washington 24.

New Orleans Saints (0-1) vs New York Giants (1-0); 1:00, FOX: New Orleans is coming off a heartbreaking home loss against the upstart Oakland Raiders. The Giants are coming off a big divisional win in Jerry World against the Cowboys. This game will be a shootout and Eli Manning and the explosive Giants offense will lead the way to a win over Drew Brees and the Saints.
Prediction: NY Giants 35, New Orleans 20.

San Francisco 49ers (1-0) vs Carolina Panthers (0-1); 1:00, FOX: San Francisco is coming off an impressive home win over the Los Angeles Rams. Carolina is coming off a heartbreaking loss in Denver against the Super Bowl champion Broncos thanks to a missed field goal by Graham Gano. The Niners are about to enter reality against the defending NFC Champions, who are poised for a big bounceback win and with that, the Panthers are my lock of the week.
Prediction: Carolina 33, San Francisco 16.

Miami Dolphins (0-1) vs New England Patrjots (1-0); 1:00, CBS: Miami is coming off a heartbreaking loss in Seattle against the Seahawks. New England is coming off a great road win in Glendale against the Cardinals without the suspended Tom Brady and the injured Rob Gronkowski. Jimmy Garappolo was great in his first start and I believe he'll lead the Patriots to another win.
Prediction: New England 30, Miami 17.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) vs Houston Texans (1-0); 1:00, CBS: Here we get the other AFC Wild Card rematch. Kansas City is coming off a thrilling comeback win at home over the San Diego Chargers. Houston is coming off a nice home win against the Chicago Bears. I like the Chiefs to pull it out on the road in a hard fought, physical game.
Prediction: Kansas City 20, Houston 17.

Seattle Seahawks (1-0) vs Los Angeles Rams (0-1); 4:05, FOX: Seattle is coming off a home win over the Miami Dolphins where they had to come from behind to win late in the game. Los Angeles is coming off a disastrous loss in San Francisco against the 49ers on Monday night. The Rams should be motivated to play their first game in Los Angeles in over twenty years, but the Seahawks are the better team here and will get the win.
Prediction: Seattle 26, Los Angeles 16.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) vs Arizona Cardinals (0-1); 4:05, FOX: Tampa Bay is coming off an impressive road win in Atlanta against the Falcons. Arizona is coming off a heartbreaking loss at home on Sunday night against the Tom Brady/Rob Gronkowski-less Patriots thanks to a missed field goal by Chandler Catanzaro that would have won them the game. This will be a much closer game than people think, but the Cardinals will be motivated to bounce back from that tough loss.
Prediction: Arizona 30, Tampa Bay 24.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) vs San Diego Chargers (0-1); 4:25, CBS: Jacksonville is coming off a tough home loss against the Green Bay Packers. San Diego is coming off a heartbreaking loss in Kansas City against the Chiefs and they lost Keenan Allen to a torn ACL during the game too. I'm going with Blake Bortles and the Jaguars to pull off a mild road upset here after playing very well against a contender in the Packers.
Prediction: Jacksonville 27, San Diego 20.

Atlanta Falcons (0-1) vs Oakland Raiders (1-0); 4:25, CBS: Atlanta is coming off a disappointing home loss against the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Oakland is coming off an impressive road win in New Orleans against the Saints. I like Derek Carr and the upstart Raiders to remain unbeaten and to win their home opener.
Prediction: Oakland 33, Atlanta 24.

Indianapolis Colts (0-1) vs Denver Broncos (1-0); 4:25, CBS: Indianapolis is coming off a heartbreaking home loss against the Detroit Lions after coming back and taking a brief lead late in the game. Denver is coming off a great home win over the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers. Expect Von Miller and that Denver defensive line to dominate against the Colts offensive line and that will be the difference here.
Prediction: Denver 24, Indianapolis 17.

Green Bay Packers (1-0) vs Minnesota Vikings (1-0); 8:30, NBC: Green Bay is coming off a good road win in Jacksonville against the upstart Jaguars. Minnesota is coming off a road win in Nashville against the Titans. Sam Bradford should get the start this week, but Aaron Rodgers will lead the way to a divisional road win for the Packers.
Prediction: Green Bay 27, Minnesota 23.

Monday, September 19th
Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) vs Chicago Bears (0-1); 8:30, ESPN: Philadelphia is coming off a home opening win over the pitiful Cleveland Browns. Chicago is coming off a road loss in Houston against the Texans. I like Jay Cutler and the Bears to bounce back from their opening day loss.
Prediction: Chicago 27, Philadelphia 20.

2016 College Football Week 3: Picks

Here are my picks for week 3 of the 2016 College Football season.

Thursday, September 15th
(6) Houston (2-0; 0-0) at Cincinnati (2-0; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPN: This is a great matchup in the AAC. Greg Ward Jr should be back for the Cougars and he'll lead the Cougars to a good road win in a close game against a solid team in the Bearcats.
Pick: Houston

Friday, September 16th
(21)  Baylor (2-0; 0-0) at Rice (0-2; 0-1)- 8:00, ESPN
Pick: Baylor

Arkansas State (0-2; 0-0) at Utah State (1-1; 0-0)- 9:00, CBSSN
Pick: Arkansas State

Arizona (1-1; 0-0) at UTSA (1-1; 0-0)- 9:30, ESPN2
Pick: Arizona

Saturday, September 17th
Ohio (1-1; 0-0) at (15) Tennessee (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Tennessee

Iowa State (0-2; 0-0) at TCU (1-1; 0-0)- 12:00, FS1
Pick: TCU

Akron (1-1; 0-0) at Marshall (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, CBSSN
Pick: Marshall

New Mexico (1-1; 0-0) at Rutgers (1-1; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPNEWS
Pick: Rutgers

Middle Tennessee (1-1; 0-0) at Bowling Green (1-1; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN3: This is a sneaky good one between two solid mid-majors. Give me the Falcons at home.
Pick: Bowling Green

South Carolina State (0-2; 0-0) at (5) Clemson (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN3
Pick: Clemson

(2) Florida State (2-0; 0-0) at (10) Louisville (2-0; 1-0)- 12:00, ABC: This is such a big game in the ACC. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand for it and it's the first time the show will be heading to Louisville. Deondre Francois and Lamar Jackson will light up the scoreboard for their respective teams, but give me Jackson and the Cardinals to pull off the upset win.
Pick: Louisville

Temple (1-1; 0-0) at Penn State (1-1; 0-0)- 12:00, BTN: Last season, the Owls pulled off the upset. This season, no upset. The Lions get it done with at home with their improved offense.
Pick: Penn State

Kansas (1-1; 0-0) at Memphis (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPNU
Pick: Memphis

North Dakota State (2-0; 0-0) at (13) Iowa (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN2: The Bison are clearly the best FCS team so the Hawkeyes better be ready. This will be closer than the experts think, but the Hawkeyes will get it done.
Pick: Iowa

Georgia State (0-2; 0-0) at (9) Wisconsin (2-0; 0-0)- 12:00, BTN
Pick: Wisconsin

(25) Miami (FL) (2-0; 0-0) at Appalachian State (1-1; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN: The Mountaineers kept it close two weeks ago in Nashville against the Vols. I believe they'll keep this game close against another ranked opponent so the Canes better be ready.
Pick: Miami (FL)

Vanderbilt (1-1; 0-1) at Georgia Tech (2-0; 1-0)- 12:30, ESPN3: This game has bowl game implications even though these teams aren't in the same conference. Derek Mason should keep the Commodores in the game, but I like the Yellow Jackets to win it at home.
Pick: Georgia Tech

Virginia (0-2; 0-0) at Connecticut (1-1; 0-1)- 1:30, ESPN3
Pick: Connecticut

North Carolina A&T (2-0; 0-0) at Tulsa (1-1; 0-0)- 2:00, ESPN3
Pick: Tulsa

Idaho (1-1; 0-0) at Washington State (0-2; 0-0)- 2:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Washington State

9/17- Florida Atlantic (1-1; 0-0) at Kansas State (0-1; 0-0)- 2:30, FSN
Pick: Kansas State

Eastern Kentucky (1-1; 0-0) at Ball State (1-1; 0-0)- 3:00, ESPN3
Pick: Ball State

UNLV (1-1; 0-0) at Central Michigan (2-0; 0-0)- 3:00, ESPN3
Pick: Central Michigan

Fresno State (1-1; 0-0) at Toledo (2-0; 0-0)- 3:00, ESPN3
Pick: Toledo

San Diego State (2-0; 0-0) at Northern Illinois (0-2; 0-0)- 3:30, CBSSN: This should be an interesting game. I like the Aztecs here on the road.
Pick: San Diego State

Colorado (2-0; 0-0) at (4) Michigan (2-0; 0-0)- 3:30, BTN
Pick: Michigan

(22) Oregon (2-0; 0-0) at Nebraska (2-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ABC: This should be an interesting game to watch. The Corn Huskers will keep it close, but the Ducks will get the job done in Lincoln.
Pick: Oregon

(1) Alabama (2-0; 0-0) at (19) Ole Miss (2-0; 0-0)- 3:30, CBS: This is arguably the weekends biggest game, although there are many big games this weekend. The last two seasons, the Rebels have had the Tides number. Will I pick an upset here? You know what, I just might. I like Chad Kelly to lead the way in Oxford.
Pick: Ole Miss

FIU (0-2; 0-0) at Massachusetts (0-2; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: FIU

Monmouth (2-0; 0-0) at Kent State (0-2; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Kent State

Western Kentucky (1-1; 1-0) at Miami (OH) (0-2; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: Western Kentucky

James Madison (2-0; 0-0) at North Carolina (1-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: North Carolina

Pittsburgh (2-0; 0-0) at Oklahoma State (1-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN: This should be an entertaining game out in Stillwater. If not for this crazy Hail Mary, the Cowboys would still be unbeaten. That said, I like James Conner to have another fine to lead Pitt to a solid road win.
Pick: Pittsburgh

South Florida (2-0; 0-0) at Syracuse (1-1; 0-1)- 3:30, ESPN3
Pick: South Florida

Boston College (1-1; 0-1) at Virginia Tech (1-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPNU
Pick: Virginia Tech

Western Michigan (2-0; 0-0) at Illinois (1-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPNEWS: For the second time in three weeks, the Broncos will pull off a road win over a Big-10 team.
Pick: Western Michigan

New Mexico State (1-1; 0-0) at Kentucky (0-2; 0-0)- 4:00, SECN
Pick: Kentucky

East Carolina (2-0; 0-0) at South Carolina (1-1; 1-1)- 4:00, SECN: This should be an interesting game to watch. I like the Gamecocks to pull it out in their home opener.
Pick: South Carolina

Northern Colorado (2-0; 0-0) at Colorado State (1-1; 0-0)- 4:00
Pick: Colorado State

UC Davis (1-1; 0-0) at Wyoming (1-1; 0-0)- 4:00
Pick: Wyoming

Idaho State (1-1; 0-0) at Oregon State (0-1; 0-0)- 5:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon State

Eastern Michigan (1-1; 0-0) at Charlotte (1-1; 0-0)- 6:00
Pick: Eastern Michigan

Old Dominion (1-1; 0-0) at North Carolina State (1-1; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN3
Pick: North Carolina State

Louisiana-Monroe (1-1; 0-0) at Georgia Southern (2-0; 1-0)- 6:00
Pick: Georgia Southern

Delaware (2-0; 0-0) at Wake Forest (2-0; 1-0)- 6:30, ESPN3
Pick: Wake Forest

Maryland (2-0; 0-0) at UCF (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, CBSSN
Pick: Maryland

Navy (2-0; 1-0) at Tulane (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Navy

Liberty (1-1; 0-0) at SMU (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: SMU

South Alabama (1-1; 0-1) at Louisiana-Lafayette (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: South Alabama

Louisiana Tech (1-1; 0-0) at Texas Tech (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Texas Tech

Troy (1-1; 0-0) at Southern Miss (2-0; 0-0)- 7:00, beIN: The Trojans kept it close against a top five team in Clemson, so don't be surprised if they keep it close against here against one of the C-USA's best teams.
Pick: Southern Miss

Mississippi State (1-1; 1-0) at (20) LSU (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN2: Leonard Fournette should be back for this one and he'll run all over the Bulldogs defense if he's healthy.
Pick: LSU

(17) Texas A&M (2-0; 0-0) at Auburn (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN: This is a very tough call, but I like Trevor Knight to lead the Aggies to a road win in Auburn.
Pick: Texas A&M

Army (2-0) at UTEP (1-1; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: UTEP

Texas State (1-0; 0-0) at (24) Arkansas (2-0; 0-0)- 7:30, SECN
Pick: Arkansas State

North Texas (1-1; 0-0) at (23) Florida (2-0; 1-0)- 7:30, ESPNU
Pick: Florida

(12) Michigan State (1-0; 0-0) at (18) Notre Dame (1-1) 7:30, NBC: This game has heavy College Football Playoff implications. Give me DeShaun Kizer to lead the way for the Irish at home.
Pick: Notre Dame

(16) Georgia (2-0; 0-0) at Missouri (1-1; 0-0)- 7:30, SECN
Pick: Georgia

(3) Ohio State (2-0; 0-0) at (14) Oklahoma (1-1; 0-0)- 7:30, FOX: This is yet another big game with College Football implications. This will be be one of the weekends best games, but give me JT Barrett and the Buckeyes to get the win in Norman.
Pick: Ohio State

Duke (1-1; 0-1) at Northwestern (0-2; 0-0)- 8:00, BTN
Pick: Duke

USC (1-1; 0-0) at (7) Stanford (1-0; 0-0)- 8:00, ABC: This should be a fun game between these conference rivals. Give me Christian McCaffrey to dominate against the SC defense and to lead the Cardinal to a home win.
Pick: Stanford

Portland State (1-1; 0-0) at (8) Washington (2-0; 0-0)- 8:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Washington

Buffalo (0-1; 0-0) at Nevada (1-1; 0-0)- 9:00, CAMP
Pick: Nevada

UCLA (1-1; 0-0) at BYU (1-1)- 10:15, ESPN2: This should be an interesting game, especially the quarterback matchup with Josh Rosen and Taysom Hill. Give me Rosen to lead the Bruins to a big road win in Provo.
Pick: UCLA

Utah (2-0; 0-0) at San Jose State (1-1; 0-0)- 10:30, CBSSN
Pick: Utah

(11) Texas (2-0; 0-0) at California (1-1; 0-0)- 10:30, ESPN: The Longhorns will get revenge from last season with a road win in Berkeley.
Pick: Texas

Hawaii (1-2; 0-0) at Arizona (2-0; 0-0)- 10:45, Pac-12N
Pick: Arizona