Here is my week 2 edition of my 2018 College Football Bowl Projections.
College Football Playoff
Cotton Bowl: December 29th, 2018- 4:00/8:00, ESPN: (4) Georgia vs (1) Alabama
Orange Bowl: December 29th, 2018- 4:00/8:00, ESPN: (3) Penn State vs (2) Clemson
Rest of New Years Six Bowls
Peach Bowl: December 29th, 2018- 12:00, ESPN: Notre Dame vs Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl: January 1st, 2019- 1:00, ESPN: Boise State vs Virginia Tech
Rose Bowl: January 1st, 2019- 5:00, ESPN: Washington vs Wisconsin
Sugar Bowl: January 1st, 2019- 8:45, ESPN: Oklahoma vs Auburn
Other Bowl Games
New Mexico Bowl: December 15th, 2018- 2:00, ESPN: Middle Tennessee vs Wyoming
Cure Bowl: December 15th, 2018- 2:30, CBSSN: Houston vs Appalachian State
Las Vegas Bowl: December 15th, 2018- 3:30, ABC: Colorado vs San Diego State
Camellia Bowl: December 15th, 2018- 5:30, ESPN: Northern Illinois vs Georgia Southern
New Orleans Bowl: December 15th, 2018- 9:00, ESPN: Louisiana-Monroe vs WKU
Boca Raton Bowl: December 18th, 2018- 7:00, ESPN: FAU vs Cincinnati
Frisco Bowl: December 19th, 2018- 8:00, ESPN: Tulane vs Southern Miss
Graspilla Bowl: December 20th, 2018- 8:00, ESPN: Memphis vs Florida State
Bahamas Bowl: December 21st, 2018- 12:30, ESPN: North Texas vs Buffalo
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: December 21st, 2018- 4:00, ESPN: Toledo vs Utah State
Birmingham Bowl: December 22nd, 2018- 12:00, ESPN: UCF vs Vanderbilt
Armed Forces Bowl: December 22nd, 2018- 3:30, ESPN: Army vs South Florida
Dollar General Bowl: December 22nd, 2018- 7:00, ESPN: Ohio vs Arkansas State
Hawaii Bowl: December 22nd, 2018- 10:30, ESPN: Louisiana Tech vs Hawaii
First Responder Bowl: December 26th, 2018- 1:30, ESPN: Indiana vs UAB
Quick Lane Bowl: December 26th, 2018- 5:15, ESPN: Louisville vs Maryland
Cheeze-It Bowl: December 26th, 2018- 9:00, ESPN: Iowa State vs Stanford
Independence Bowl: December 27th, 2018- 1:30, ESPN: North Carolina vs Washington State
Pinstripe Bowl: December 27th, 2018- 5:15, ESPN: North Carolina State vs Nebraksa
Texas Bowl: December 27th, 2018- 9:00, ESPN: West Virginia vs Missouri
Music City Bowl: December 28th, 2018- 1:30, ESPN: South Carolina vs Northwestern
Camping World Bowl: December 28th, 2018- 5:15, ESPN: Miami vs TCU
Alamo Bowl: December 28th, 2018- 9:00, ESPN: Oklahoma State vs Utah
Belk Bowl: December 29th- 12:00, ABC: Duke vs Kentucky
Arizona Bowl: December 29th, 2018- 5:30, CBSSN: Troy vs Nevada
Military Bowl: December 31st, 2018- 12:00, ESPN: Wake Forest vs Navy
Hyundai Sun Bowl: December 31st, 2018- 2:00, CBS: Boston College vs USC
San Francisco Bowl: December 31st, 2018- 5:00, FOX: Minnesota vs Arizona
Liberty Bowl: December 31st, 2018- 3:45, ESPN: Texas vs Texas A&M
Holiday Bowl: December 31st, 2018- 7:00, FS1: Michigan State vs Oregon
Gator Bowl: December 31st, 2018- 7:30, ESPN: Florida vs Virginia
Outback Bowl: January 1st, 2019- 12:00, ESPN2: LSU vs Iowa
Citrus Bowl: January 1st, 2019- 1:00, ABC: Auburn vs Michigan
Thursday, September 6, 2018
2018 NFL Week 1 Picks
Here are my picks for week one of the 2018 NFL Season.
Thursday, September 6th
Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles- 8:30, NBC: This should be a fun opening game between these two solid teams. This is a rematch of last years divisional round game in which came down to the final play. The Falcons have everyone back from last seasons team and expect to improve from last years offensive struggles. The Eagles are trying to avoid the Super Bowl hangover and Nick Foles struggled in the preseason. Alshon Jeffery is out tonight as well and I like the road team in the opening game to win for the second straight season.
Prediction: Atlanta 20, Philadelphia 17.
Sunday, September 9th
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns- 1:00, CBS: This game just got a whole lot fascinating on paper now with the news of Le'Veon Bell not back and playing yet. The Browns look to improve with many offseason additions. Despite the loss of Bell, the Steelers are still better than the Browns and expect James Conner to have a breakout game running the ball to lead the Steelers to a win.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 17.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts- 1:00, CBS: This game has some intrigue with Andrew Luck playing in a regular season game for the first time in almost 2 years and the Bengals looking to bounce back from a disappointing season from a year ago. Despite Luck being back, the Bengals have a better roster and it might not be close and I like them here on the road.
Prediction: Cincinnati 30, Indianapolis 17.
Tennessee Titans vs Miami Dolphins- 1:00, FOX: Expectations are high for the Titans this season after making the division round a year ago and they have a new coach in Mike Verbell. The Dolphins expectations are lowered and rightfully so although Ryan Tannehill is back from injury. I love the Titans in this spot and I like them to win comfortably on the road.
Prediction: Tennessee 27, Miami 16.
San Francisco 49ers vs Minnesota Vikings- 1:00, FOX: This should be a fun game in Minneapolis. Expectations are high for the Niners with Jimmy Garappolo in town for a full season as well as the Vikes because they have a loaded roster an upgraded at quarterback. That said, I love the Vikes because their roster is miles better than the Niners and home field advantage helps too.
Prediction: Minnesota 30, San Francisco 20.
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots- 1:00, CBS: Another fun game on paper. The Texans should be a good team this season with key players returning from injury including DeShaun Watson. The Pats are still going to be a contender as long as Tom Brady is playing at a high level. I expect this game to be close and I like the Pats at home.
Prediction: New England 27, Houston 20.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints- 1:00, FOX: The Saints come in to the season with expectations through the roof and rightfully so with Drew Brees still playing at a high level and them actually having a component defense for once. The Bucs are a mess with Jameis Winston suspended and Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting. No brainer here, the Saints are my lock of the week.
Prediction: New Orleans 37, Tampa Bay 13.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs New York Giants- 1:00, FOX: The intrigues of this game is the return of Tom Coughlin to MetLife Stadium as a Jags executive as well as the individual matchup of Jalen Ramsey vs Odell Beckham Jr. The Jags look to build on last years AFC Championship game appearance and the Giants look to rebound from their 3-13 disaster. Something tells me that the Giants will have a bit of a chip on their shoulder and will pull off a week one upset.
Prediction: NY Giants 24, Jacksonville 20.
Buffalo Bills vs Baltimore Ravens- 1:00, CBS: This game would have been a lot more interesting if Josh Allen was starting here. Everyone expects a complete drop off from the Bills this year after breaking their playoff drought a season ago. Nathan Peterman will start for the Bills and we all remember his awful showing last season against the Chargers. The Ravens defense is one of the good ones in the leagues and I like them here to win comfortably.
Prediction: Baltimore 26, Buffalo 10.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers- 4:05, CBS: This is a great divisional game between two teams that can conceivably make deep playoff runs. Pat Mahomes replaces Alex Smith at quarterback and has a very good supporting cast. The Chargers look to turn around their bad luck in close games issues from a season ago and turn it into a division title. This is going to be a great game and perhaps the best game of week one. Give me the Chargers in a close one to turn around their fortunes for at least this week.
Prediction: LA Chargers 27, Kansas City 24.
Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos- 4:25, FOX: Neither team has high expectations this season, but both teams look to rebound on disappointing seasons from a year ago. Amazing how these two teams were in the Super Bowl five seasons ago. Anyway, both teams have seen a lot of turnover in their rosters and the Seahawks in particular. The Seahawks offensive line is a mess and I love that Broncos pass rush led by Vonn Miller and rookie Bradley Chubb to get to Russell Wilson to lead them to a week one win.
Prediction: Denver 22, Seattle 17.
Washington Redskins vs Arizona Cardinals- 4:25, FOX: I don't know what to make of this game. The Redskins expectations are lowered in a loaded NFC as well as the Cards, who are starting Sam Bradford over Josh Rosen. Alex Smith isn't a bad quarterback and although he doesn't have Derrius Guice for the season, I like him to make plays and lead the Skins to a week one win.
Prediction: Washington 24, Arizona 20.
Dallas Cowboys vs Carolina Panthers- 4:25, FOX: This game has intrigue in it with the Cowboys, who's expectations are lowered due to injuries on the offensive line and key free agent losses. The Panthers have higher expectations this season with a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. I like Cam Newton to use his arm and legs to lead the Panthers to a win.
Prediction: Carolina 34, Dallas 20.
Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers- 8:30, NBC: This game just got a whole lot intriguing with the Bears new acquisition of Khalil Mack (assuming Mack plays). But reality is, the Bears season hinges on the development of Mitch Trubisky. Aaron Rodgers is back from a broken collarbone and he'll lead the Pack in a fun game over their division rivals.
Prediction: Green Bay 27, Chicago 19.
Monday, September 10th
New York Jets vs Detroit Lions- 7:10, ESPN: The intrigue of this game is that Sam Darnold makes his NFL debut and on the flip side, Matt Patricia makes his NFL head coaching debut. Darnold does not have a good supporting cast around him although Matthew Stafford's isn't great either, I like the Lions in this spot at home.
Prediction: Detroit 26, NY Jets 16.
Los Angeles Rams vs Oakland Raider- 10:15, ESPN: This game would have looked a whole lot better on paper if Khalil Mack got a contract extension from the Raiders, instead he was shipped off to Chicago and the Raiders might just be one of the worst teams in football. The Rams meanwhile are loaded on both sides of the ball and have arguably the best roster in football from top to bottom. I absolutely love the Rams in this spot going away.
Prediction: LA Rams 34, Oakland 16.
Thursday, September 6th
Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles- 8:30, NBC: This should be a fun opening game between these two solid teams. This is a rematch of last years divisional round game in which came down to the final play. The Falcons have everyone back from last seasons team and expect to improve from last years offensive struggles. The Eagles are trying to avoid the Super Bowl hangover and Nick Foles struggled in the preseason. Alshon Jeffery is out tonight as well and I like the road team in the opening game to win for the second straight season.
Prediction: Atlanta 20, Philadelphia 17.
Sunday, September 9th
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns- 1:00, CBS: This game just got a whole lot fascinating on paper now with the news of Le'Veon Bell not back and playing yet. The Browns look to improve with many offseason additions. Despite the loss of Bell, the Steelers are still better than the Browns and expect James Conner to have a breakout game running the ball to lead the Steelers to a win.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 17.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Indianapolis Colts- 1:00, CBS: This game has some intrigue with Andrew Luck playing in a regular season game for the first time in almost 2 years and the Bengals looking to bounce back from a disappointing season from a year ago. Despite Luck being back, the Bengals have a better roster and it might not be close and I like them here on the road.
Prediction: Cincinnati 30, Indianapolis 17.
Tennessee Titans vs Miami Dolphins- 1:00, FOX: Expectations are high for the Titans this season after making the division round a year ago and they have a new coach in Mike Verbell. The Dolphins expectations are lowered and rightfully so although Ryan Tannehill is back from injury. I love the Titans in this spot and I like them to win comfortably on the road.
Prediction: Tennessee 27, Miami 16.
San Francisco 49ers vs Minnesota Vikings- 1:00, FOX: This should be a fun game in Minneapolis. Expectations are high for the Niners with Jimmy Garappolo in town for a full season as well as the Vikes because they have a loaded roster an upgraded at quarterback. That said, I love the Vikes because their roster is miles better than the Niners and home field advantage helps too.
Prediction: Minnesota 30, San Francisco 20.
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots- 1:00, CBS: Another fun game on paper. The Texans should be a good team this season with key players returning from injury including DeShaun Watson. The Pats are still going to be a contender as long as Tom Brady is playing at a high level. I expect this game to be close and I like the Pats at home.
Prediction: New England 27, Houston 20.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints- 1:00, FOX: The Saints come in to the season with expectations through the roof and rightfully so with Drew Brees still playing at a high level and them actually having a component defense for once. The Bucs are a mess with Jameis Winston suspended and Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting. No brainer here, the Saints are my lock of the week.
Prediction: New Orleans 37, Tampa Bay 13.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs New York Giants- 1:00, FOX: The intrigues of this game is the return of Tom Coughlin to MetLife Stadium as a Jags executive as well as the individual matchup of Jalen Ramsey vs Odell Beckham Jr. The Jags look to build on last years AFC Championship game appearance and the Giants look to rebound from their 3-13 disaster. Something tells me that the Giants will have a bit of a chip on their shoulder and will pull off a week one upset.
Prediction: NY Giants 24, Jacksonville 20.
Buffalo Bills vs Baltimore Ravens- 1:00, CBS: This game would have been a lot more interesting if Josh Allen was starting here. Everyone expects a complete drop off from the Bills this year after breaking their playoff drought a season ago. Nathan Peterman will start for the Bills and we all remember his awful showing last season against the Chargers. The Ravens defense is one of the good ones in the leagues and I like them here to win comfortably.
Prediction: Baltimore 26, Buffalo 10.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Chargers- 4:05, CBS: This is a great divisional game between two teams that can conceivably make deep playoff runs. Pat Mahomes replaces Alex Smith at quarterback and has a very good supporting cast. The Chargers look to turn around their bad luck in close games issues from a season ago and turn it into a division title. This is going to be a great game and perhaps the best game of week one. Give me the Chargers in a close one to turn around their fortunes for at least this week.
Prediction: LA Chargers 27, Kansas City 24.
Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos- 4:25, FOX: Neither team has high expectations this season, but both teams look to rebound on disappointing seasons from a year ago. Amazing how these two teams were in the Super Bowl five seasons ago. Anyway, both teams have seen a lot of turnover in their rosters and the Seahawks in particular. The Seahawks offensive line is a mess and I love that Broncos pass rush led by Vonn Miller and rookie Bradley Chubb to get to Russell Wilson to lead them to a week one win.
Prediction: Denver 22, Seattle 17.
Washington Redskins vs Arizona Cardinals- 4:25, FOX: I don't know what to make of this game. The Redskins expectations are lowered in a loaded NFC as well as the Cards, who are starting Sam Bradford over Josh Rosen. Alex Smith isn't a bad quarterback and although he doesn't have Derrius Guice for the season, I like him to make plays and lead the Skins to a week one win.
Prediction: Washington 24, Arizona 20.
Dallas Cowboys vs Carolina Panthers- 4:25, FOX: This game has intrigue in it with the Cowboys, who's expectations are lowered due to injuries on the offensive line and key free agent losses. The Panthers have higher expectations this season with a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. I like Cam Newton to use his arm and legs to lead the Panthers to a win.
Prediction: Carolina 34, Dallas 20.
Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers- 8:30, NBC: This game just got a whole lot intriguing with the Bears new acquisition of Khalil Mack (assuming Mack plays). But reality is, the Bears season hinges on the development of Mitch Trubisky. Aaron Rodgers is back from a broken collarbone and he'll lead the Pack in a fun game over their division rivals.
Prediction: Green Bay 27, Chicago 19.
Monday, September 10th
New York Jets vs Detroit Lions- 7:10, ESPN: The intrigue of this game is that Sam Darnold makes his NFL debut and on the flip side, Matt Patricia makes his NFL head coaching debut. Darnold does not have a good supporting cast around him although Matthew Stafford's isn't great either, I like the Lions in this spot at home.
Prediction: Detroit 26, NY Jets 16.
Los Angeles Rams vs Oakland Raider- 10:15, ESPN: This game would have looked a whole lot better on paper if Khalil Mack got a contract extension from the Raiders, instead he was shipped off to Chicago and the Raiders might just be one of the worst teams in football. The Rams meanwhile are loaded on both sides of the ball and have arguably the best roster in football from top to bottom. I absolutely love the Rams in this spot going away.
Prediction: LA Rams 34, Oakland 16.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
2018 College Football Week 2: Picks
Here are my picks for week two of the 2018 College Football season.
Friday, September 7th
(16) TCU (1-0; 0-0) at SMU (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN2
Pick: TCU
Saturday, September 8th
New Mexico (1-0; 0-0) at (5) Wisconsin (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, BTN
Pick: Wisconsin
Western Michigan (0-1; 0-0) at (21) Michigan (0-1; 0-0)- 12:00, FS1
Pick: Michigan
(18) Mississippi State (1-0; 0-0) at Kansas State (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN: Bill Snyder's teams usually do better when expectations are lowered, but I don't see them winning here even at home.
Pick: Mississippi State
Towson (1-0; 0-0) at Wake Forest (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Wake Forest
Eastern Michigan (1-0; 0-0) at Purdue (0-1; 0-1)- 12:00, BTN
Pick: Purdue
Liberty (1-0) at Army (0-1)- 12:00, CBSSN: The Flames were impressive last week, but I think they have a let down against a solid Knights team.
Pick: Army
Nevada (1-0; 0-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Vanderbilt
Arizona (0-1; 0-0) at Houston (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ABC/ESPN2: Hard call here, but going to take a risk and go with the Wildcats on the road to bounce back from last weeks disappointing loss.
Pick: Arizona
Duke (1-0; 0-0) at Northwestern (1-0; 1-0)- 12:00, ESPNU: Expect a competitive game here, but I like the Cats in their home opener.
Pick: Northwestern
Georgia Tech (1-0; 0-0) at South Florida (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ABC/ESPN2
Pick: South Florida
Georgia State (1-0; 0-0) at NC State (1-0; 0-0)- 12:30, ACCN
Pick: NC State
UCLA (0-1; 0-0) at (6) Oklahoma (1-0; 0-0)- 1:00, FOX: The Sooners will steamroll the Bruins and Chip Kelly.
Pick: Oklahoma
Holy Cross (0-1; 0-1) at Boston College (1-0; 0-0)- 1:00, ACCN
Pick: Boston College
William & Mary (1-0; 0-0) at (12) Virginia Tech (1-0; 1-0)- 2:00, ACCN
Pick: Virginia Tech
Portland State (0-1; 0-0) at (23) Oregon (1-0; 0-0)- 2:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon
Air Force (1-0; 0-0) at FAU (0-1; 0-0)- 2:00, CBSSN
Pick: FAU
Kansas (0-1; 0-0) at Central Michigan (0-1; 0-0)- 3:00, ESPN+
Pick: Central Michigan
Arkansas State (1-0; 0-0) at (1) Alabama (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN2
Pick: Alabama
(3) Georgia (1-0; 0-0) at (24) South Carolina (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, CBS: Would not be shocked if this is closer than the experts think, but I love the Bulldogs in this spot.
Pick: Georgia
Rutgers (1-0; 0-0) at (4) Ohio State (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, BTN
Pick: Ohio State
Ball State (1-0; 0-0) at (8) Notre Dame (1-0)- 3:30, NBC
Pick: Notre Dame
Colorado (1-0; 0-0) at Nebraska (0-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ABC
Pick: Nebraska
Buffalo (1-0; 0-0) at Temple (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3: Tempted to pick the Bulls, but I like the Owls to bounce back here at home.
Pick: Temple
Memphis (1-0; 0-0) at Navy (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, CBSSN: I like the Midshipmen here to bounce back at home against their conference rival.
Pick: Navy
North Carolina (0-1; 0-0) at East Carolina (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPNU
Pick: North Carolina
Wagner (1-0; 0-0) at Syracuse (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ACCN
Pick: Syracuse
Howard (0-1; 0-0) at Kent State (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN+: Hmmmm..... Should I go with an upset here? You know what? I will! The Bison almost did it against the conference favorite Bobcats so I'll give them a shot here against the Golden Flashes.
Pick: Howard
Morgan State (0-1; 0-0) at Akron (0-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN+
Pick: Akron
Lamar (1-0; 0-0) at Texas Tech (0-1; 0-0)- 4:00
Pick: Texas Tech
Southern Illinois (1-0; 0-0) at Ole Miss (1-0; 0-0)- 4:00, SECN
Pick: Ole Miss
East Tennessee State (1-0; 0-0) at Tennessee (0-1; 0-0)- 4:00, SECN
Pick: Tennessee
North Dakota (1-0) at (9) Washington (0-1; 0-0)- 5:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Washington
Iowa State (0-0; 0-0) at Iowa (1-0; 0-0)- 5:00, FOX: This Cy Hawk should be a good one with both teams being solid. I like the Hawkeyes at home this time around.
Pick: Iowa
Savannah State (0-1; 0-0) at (22) Miami (0-1; 0-0)- 6:00, ACCN
Pick: Miami
Youngstown State (0-1; 0-0) at West Virginia; 6:00
Pick: West Virginia
SC State (0-1; 0-0) at (19) UCF (1-0; 1-0)- 6:00, ESPN3
Pick: UCF
Maryland (1-0; 0-0) at Bowling Green (0-1; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Maryland
Massachusetts (0-1) at Georgia Southern (1-0; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Massachusetts
Appalachian State (0-1; 0-0) at Charlotte (1-0; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Appalachian State
Eastern Kentucky (1-0; 0-0) at Marshall (1-0; 0-0)- 6:30, ESPN+
Pick: Marshall
(2) Clemson (1-0; 0-0) at Texas A&M (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN: This should be an interesting game. GameDay surprisingly is in town for it instead of it being in Stanford and that should excite the Aggies. But, I don't see this game being that close at all. Tigers take it going away as Jimbo Fisher's new team is far from the level of the Tigers.
Pick: Clemson
Southeastern Louisiana (0-1; 0-0) at (11) LSU (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: LSU
UT-Martin (0-1; 0-0) at Middle Tennessee (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Middle Tennessee
Southern (0-1; 0-0) at Louisiana Tech (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Louisiana Tech
UL Monroe (1-0; 0-0) at Southern Miss (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Southern Miss
UAB (1-0; 0-0) at Coastal Carolina (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: UAB
Baylor (1-0; 0-0) at UTSA (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Baylor
Indiana State (1-0; 0-0) at Louisville (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ACCN
Pick: Louisville
Wyoming (1-1; 0-0) at Missouri (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Missouri
Texas Southern (1-0; 0-0) at Texas State (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Texas State
Florida A&M (1-0; 0-0) at Troy (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Troy
Samford (1-0; 0-0) at Florida State (0-1; 0-1)- 7:20, ACCN
Pick: Florida State
Alabama State (1-0; 0-0) at (7) Auburn (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, SECN
Pick: Auburn
Western Illinois (0-1; 0-0) at Illinois (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, BTN
Pick: Illinois
Virginia (1-0; 0-0) at Indiana (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, BTN
Pick: Indiana
Arkansas (1-0; 0-0) at Colorado State (0-2; 0-1)- 7:30, CBSSN: I'm tempted to pick the Rams here to get their first win and I'm going to say they fall short.
Pick: Arkansas
Kentucky (1-0; 0-0) at (25) Florida (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, SECN: This is going to be a great game down in The Swamp. Give me the Gators in a super close one at home.
Pick: Florida
Utah (1-0; 0-0) at Northern Illinois (0-1; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPNEWS
Pick: Utah
Maine (1-0; 1-0) at WKU (0-1; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPN+
Pick: WKU
FIU (0-1; 0-0) at Old Dominion (0-1; 0-0)- 7:30
Pick: Old Dominion
Incarnate Word (0-1; 0-0) at North Texas (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPN+
Pick: North Texas
Fresno State (1-0; 0-0) at Minnesota (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, FS1: This could be a sneaky good game. I like the Gophers at home.
Pick: Minnesota
(13) Penn State (1-0; 0-0) at Pittsburgh (1-0; 0-0)- 8:00, ABC: This should be a fun atmosphere on Pitt's campus, but I think the Nittany Lions are going to come out with a vengeance and win this game going away after almost losing a week ago.
Pick: Penn State
Tulsa (1-0; 0-0) at Texas (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, Longhorn
Pick: Texas
New Mexico State (0-0) at Utah State (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00
Pick: Utah State
South Alabama (0-1; 0-0) at Oklahoma State (1-0; 0-0)- 8:00
Pick: Oklahoma State
Nicholls (1-0; 0-0) at Tulane (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN3: Will the Colonels pull off a second straight upset? I say no.
Pick: Tulane
Southern Utah (0-1; 0-0) at Oregon State (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon State
Cincinnati (1-0; 0-0) at Miami-Ohio (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN3: The Bearcats have a letdown after their big win in LA.
Pick: Miami-Ohio
(17) USC (1-0; 0-0) at (10) Stanford (1-0; 0-0)- 8:30, FOX: Best game of week 2 right here. Stanford was snubbed of hosting GameDay but oh well. That said, I like Bryce Love to lead the Cardinal to a big win and I don't trust JT Daniels on the road in a hostile environment yet.
Pick: Stanford
UTEP (0-1; 0-0) at UNLV (0-1; 0-0)- 9:00
Pick: UNLV
Sacramento State (1-0; 0-0) at San Diego State (0-1; 0-0)- 9:00
Pick: San Diego State
California (1-0; 0-0) at BYU (1-0)- 10:15, ESPN2: The Cougars follow up the win with another win at home.
Pick: BYU
Connecticut (0-1; 0-1) at (20) Boise State (1-0; 0-0)- 10:15, ESPNU
Pick: Boise State
(15) Michigan State (1-0; 0-0) at Arizona State (1-0; 0-0)- 10:45, ESPN: I expect Sparty to come out and win in Tempe by double digits and look much better than they did against Utah State.
Pick: Michigan State
San Jose State (0-1; 0-0) at Washington State (1-0; 0-0)- 11:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Washington State
Rice (1-1; 0-0) at Hawaii (2-0; 0-0)- 11:59
Pick: Hawaii
Friday, September 7th
(16) TCU (1-0; 0-0) at SMU (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN2
Pick: TCU
Saturday, September 8th
New Mexico (1-0; 0-0) at (5) Wisconsin (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, BTN
Pick: Wisconsin
Western Michigan (0-1; 0-0) at (21) Michigan (0-1; 0-0)- 12:00, FS1
Pick: Michigan
(18) Mississippi State (1-0; 0-0) at Kansas State (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ESPN: Bill Snyder's teams usually do better when expectations are lowered, but I don't see them winning here even at home.
Pick: Mississippi State
Towson (1-0; 0-0) at Wake Forest (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Wake Forest
Eastern Michigan (1-0; 0-0) at Purdue (0-1; 0-1)- 12:00, BTN
Pick: Purdue
Liberty (1-0) at Army (0-1)- 12:00, CBSSN: The Flames were impressive last week, but I think they have a let down against a solid Knights team.
Pick: Army
Nevada (1-0; 0-0) at Vanderbilt (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, SECN
Pick: Vanderbilt
Arizona (0-1; 0-0) at Houston (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ABC/ESPN2: Hard call here, but going to take a risk and go with the Wildcats on the road to bounce back from last weeks disappointing loss.
Pick: Arizona
Duke (1-0; 0-0) at Northwestern (1-0; 1-0)- 12:00, ESPNU: Expect a competitive game here, but I like the Cats in their home opener.
Pick: Northwestern
Georgia Tech (1-0; 0-0) at South Florida (1-0; 0-0)- 12:00, ABC/ESPN2
Pick: South Florida
Georgia State (1-0; 0-0) at NC State (1-0; 0-0)- 12:30, ACCN
Pick: NC State
UCLA (0-1; 0-0) at (6) Oklahoma (1-0; 0-0)- 1:00, FOX: The Sooners will steamroll the Bruins and Chip Kelly.
Pick: Oklahoma
Holy Cross (0-1; 0-1) at Boston College (1-0; 0-0)- 1:00, ACCN
Pick: Boston College
William & Mary (1-0; 0-0) at (12) Virginia Tech (1-0; 1-0)- 2:00, ACCN
Pick: Virginia Tech
Portland State (0-1; 0-0) at (23) Oregon (1-0; 0-0)- 2:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon
Air Force (1-0; 0-0) at FAU (0-1; 0-0)- 2:00, CBSSN
Pick: FAU
Kansas (0-1; 0-0) at Central Michigan (0-1; 0-0)- 3:00, ESPN+
Pick: Central Michigan
Arkansas State (1-0; 0-0) at (1) Alabama (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN2
Pick: Alabama
(3) Georgia (1-0; 0-0) at (24) South Carolina (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, CBS: Would not be shocked if this is closer than the experts think, but I love the Bulldogs in this spot.
Pick: Georgia
Rutgers (1-0; 0-0) at (4) Ohio State (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, BTN
Pick: Ohio State
Ball State (1-0; 0-0) at (8) Notre Dame (1-0)- 3:30, NBC
Pick: Notre Dame
Colorado (1-0; 0-0) at Nebraska (0-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ABC
Pick: Nebraska
Buffalo (1-0; 0-0) at Temple (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN3: Tempted to pick the Bulls, but I like the Owls to bounce back here at home.
Pick: Temple
Memphis (1-0; 0-0) at Navy (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, CBSSN: I like the Midshipmen here to bounce back at home against their conference rival.
Pick: Navy
North Carolina (0-1; 0-0) at East Carolina (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPNU
Pick: North Carolina
Wagner (1-0; 0-0) at Syracuse (1-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ACCN
Pick: Syracuse
Howard (0-1; 0-0) at Kent State (0-1; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN+: Hmmmm..... Should I go with an upset here? You know what? I will! The Bison almost did it against the conference favorite Bobcats so I'll give them a shot here against the Golden Flashes.
Pick: Howard
Morgan State (0-1; 0-0) at Akron (0-0; 0-0)- 3:30, ESPN+
Pick: Akron
Lamar (1-0; 0-0) at Texas Tech (0-1; 0-0)- 4:00
Pick: Texas Tech
Southern Illinois (1-0; 0-0) at Ole Miss (1-0; 0-0)- 4:00, SECN
Pick: Ole Miss
East Tennessee State (1-0; 0-0) at Tennessee (0-1; 0-0)- 4:00, SECN
Pick: Tennessee
North Dakota (1-0) at (9) Washington (0-1; 0-0)- 5:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Washington
Iowa State (0-0; 0-0) at Iowa (1-0; 0-0)- 5:00, FOX: This Cy Hawk should be a good one with both teams being solid. I like the Hawkeyes at home this time around.
Pick: Iowa
Savannah State (0-1; 0-0) at (22) Miami (0-1; 0-0)- 6:00, ACCN
Pick: Miami
Youngstown State (0-1; 0-0) at West Virginia; 6:00
Pick: West Virginia
SC State (0-1; 0-0) at (19) UCF (1-0; 1-0)- 6:00, ESPN3
Pick: UCF
Maryland (1-0; 0-0) at Bowling Green (0-1; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Maryland
Massachusetts (0-1) at Georgia Southern (1-0; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Massachusetts
Appalachian State (0-1; 0-0) at Charlotte (1-0; 0-0)- 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Appalachian State
Eastern Kentucky (1-0; 0-0) at Marshall (1-0; 0-0)- 6:30, ESPN+
Pick: Marshall
(2) Clemson (1-0; 0-0) at Texas A&M (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN: This should be an interesting game. GameDay surprisingly is in town for it instead of it being in Stanford and that should excite the Aggies. But, I don't see this game being that close at all. Tigers take it going away as Jimbo Fisher's new team is far from the level of the Tigers.
Pick: Clemson
Southeastern Louisiana (0-1; 0-0) at (11) LSU (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: LSU
UT-Martin (0-1; 0-0) at Middle Tennessee (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Middle Tennessee
Southern (0-1; 0-0) at Louisiana Tech (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Louisiana Tech
UL Monroe (1-0; 0-0) at Southern Miss (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Southern Miss
UAB (1-0; 0-0) at Coastal Carolina (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: UAB
Baylor (1-0; 0-0) at UTSA (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Baylor
Indiana State (1-0; 0-0) at Louisville (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ACCN
Pick: Louisville
Wyoming (1-1; 0-0) at Missouri (1-0; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Missouri
Texas Southern (1-0; 0-0) at Texas State (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00
Pick: Texas State
Florida A&M (1-0; 0-0) at Troy (0-1; 0-0)- 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Troy
Samford (1-0; 0-0) at Florida State (0-1; 0-1)- 7:20, ACCN
Pick: Florida State
Alabama State (1-0; 0-0) at (7) Auburn (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, SECN
Pick: Auburn
Western Illinois (0-1; 0-0) at Illinois (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, BTN
Pick: Illinois
Virginia (1-0; 0-0) at Indiana (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, BTN
Pick: Indiana
Arkansas (1-0; 0-0) at Colorado State (0-2; 0-1)- 7:30, CBSSN: I'm tempted to pick the Rams here to get their first win and I'm going to say they fall short.
Pick: Arkansas
Kentucky (1-0; 0-0) at (25) Florida (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, SECN: This is going to be a great game down in The Swamp. Give me the Gators in a super close one at home.
Pick: Florida
Utah (1-0; 0-0) at Northern Illinois (0-1; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPNEWS
Pick: Utah
Maine (1-0; 1-0) at WKU (0-1; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPN+
Pick: WKU
FIU (0-1; 0-0) at Old Dominion (0-1; 0-0)- 7:30
Pick: Old Dominion
Incarnate Word (0-1; 0-0) at North Texas (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, ESPN+
Pick: North Texas
Fresno State (1-0; 0-0) at Minnesota (1-0; 0-0)- 7:30, FS1: This could be a sneaky good game. I like the Gophers at home.
Pick: Minnesota
(13) Penn State (1-0; 0-0) at Pittsburgh (1-0; 0-0)- 8:00, ABC: This should be a fun atmosphere on Pitt's campus, but I think the Nittany Lions are going to come out with a vengeance and win this game going away after almost losing a week ago.
Pick: Penn State
Tulsa (1-0; 0-0) at Texas (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, Longhorn
Pick: Texas
New Mexico State (0-0) at Utah State (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00
Pick: Utah State
South Alabama (0-1; 0-0) at Oklahoma State (1-0; 0-0)- 8:00
Pick: Oklahoma State
Nicholls (1-0; 0-0) at Tulane (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN3: Will the Colonels pull off a second straight upset? I say no.
Pick: Tulane
Southern Utah (0-1; 0-0) at Oregon State (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon State
Cincinnati (1-0; 0-0) at Miami-Ohio (0-1; 0-0)- 8:00, ESPN3: The Bearcats have a letdown after their big win in LA.
Pick: Miami-Ohio
(17) USC (1-0; 0-0) at (10) Stanford (1-0; 0-0)- 8:30, FOX: Best game of week 2 right here. Stanford was snubbed of hosting GameDay but oh well. That said, I like Bryce Love to lead the Cardinal to a big win and I don't trust JT Daniels on the road in a hostile environment yet.
Pick: Stanford
UTEP (0-1; 0-0) at UNLV (0-1; 0-0)- 9:00
Pick: UNLV
Sacramento State (1-0; 0-0) at San Diego State (0-1; 0-0)- 9:00
Pick: San Diego State
California (1-0; 0-0) at BYU (1-0)- 10:15, ESPN2: The Cougars follow up the win with another win at home.
Pick: BYU
Connecticut (0-1; 0-1) at (20) Boise State (1-0; 0-0)- 10:15, ESPNU
Pick: Boise State
(15) Michigan State (1-0; 0-0) at Arizona State (1-0; 0-0)- 10:45, ESPN: I expect Sparty to come out and win in Tempe by double digits and look much better than they did against Utah State.
Pick: Michigan State
San Jose State (0-1; 0-0) at Washington State (1-0; 0-0)- 11:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Washington State
Rice (1-1; 0-0) at Hawaii (2-0; 0-0)- 11:59
Pick: Hawaii
2018 College Football Week 2: Schedule
Here is the TV schedule for week two of the 2018 College Football season (with announcers if necessary).
9/7- (16) TCU at SMU; 8:00, ESPN2: Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra
9/8- New Mexico at (5) Wisconsin; 12:00, BTN: Brandon Gaudin, Glen Mason, Elise Menaker
9/8- Western Michigan at (21) Michigan; 12:00, FS1: Justin Kutcher, Petros Papadakis, DeMarco Murray
9/8- (18) Mississippi State at Kansas State; 12:00, ESPN: Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath
9/8- Towson at Wake Forest; 12:00, SECN: Shawn Kenney, Stan Lewter
9/8- Eastern Michigan at Purdue; 12:00, BTN: Joe Beninati, Chuck Long
9/8- Liberty at Army; 12:00, CBSSN: Ben Holden, Jay Feely, Tina Cervasio
9/8- Nevada at Vanderbilt; 12:00, SECN: Dave Neal, D.J. Shockley, Dawn Davenport
9/8- Arizona at Houston; 12:00, ABC/ESPN2: Steve Levy, Todd McShay, Paul Carcaterra
9/8- Duke at Northwestern; 12:00, ESPNU: Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Olivia Dekker
9/8- Georgia Tech at South Florida; 12:00, ABC/ESPN2: Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich
9/8- Georgia State at NC State; 12:30, ACCN: Wes Durham, James Bates, Rebecca Kaple
9/8- UCLA at (6) Oklahoma; 1:00, FOX: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft
9/8- Holy Cross at Boston College; 1:00, ACCN: Robert Lee, Matt Chatham
9/8- William & Mary at (12) Virginia Tech; 2:00, ACCN: Joel Meyers, Dustin Fox
9/8- Portland State at (23) Oregon; 2:00, Pac-12N: Roxy Bernstein, Anthony Herron, Lewis Johnson
9/8- Air Force at FAU; 2:00, CBSSN: Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, Amanda Balionis
9/8- Kansas at Central Michigan; 3:00, ESPN+: Chris Vosters, Marcus Ray
9/8- Arkansas Sate at (1) Alabama; 3:30, ESPN2: Kevin Brown, Andre Ware, Alex Corddry
9/8- (3) Georgia at (24) South Carolina; 3:30, CBS: Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jamie Erdahl
9/8- Rutgers at (4) Ohio State; 3:30, BTN: Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Rick Pizzo
9/8- Ball State at (8) Notre Dame; 3:30, NBC: Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie, Kathryn Tappen
9/8- Colorado at Nebraska; 3:30, ABC: Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams
9/8- Buffalo at Temple; 3:30, ESPN3: Mike Watts, Barrett Brooks
9/8- Memphis at Navy; 3:30, CBSSN: John Sadak, Randy Cross, Sheehan Stanwick-Burch
9/8- North Carolina at East Carolina; 3:30, ESPNU: Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia
9/8- Wagner at Syracuse; 3:30, ACCN: Doug Sherman, Al Groh
9/8- Howard at Kent State; 3:30, ESPN+: Michael Reghi, Jerod Cherry
9/8- Morgan State at Akron; 3:30, ESPN+: Jonathan Yardley, Tyoka Jackson
9/8- Lamar at Texas Tech; 4:00, FSN: Brendan Burke, David Anderson, Christian Steckel
9/8- Southern Illinois at Ole Miss; 4:00, SECN: Mike Morgan, John Congemi, Alyssa Lang
9/8- East Tennessee State at Tennessee; 4:00, SECN: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Kris Budden
9/8- North Dakota at (9) Washington; 5:00, Pac-12N: Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth, Jill Savage
9/8- Iowa State at Iowa; 5:00, FOX: Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Holly Sonders
9/8- Savannah State at (22) Miami; 6:00, ACCN: Drew Fellios, Forrest Conoly
9/8- Youngstown State at (14) West Virginia; 6:00, AT&T-PIT: Rob King, Rasheed Marshall, Meg Bulger
9/8- SC State at (19) UCF; 6:00, ESPN3: Eric Rothman, Doug Graber
9/8- Maryland at Bowling Green; 6:00, ESPN+: Dan Gutowsky, Bobby Carpenter
9/8- UMass at Georgia Southern; 6:00, ESPN+: Greg Talbott, Danny Waugh
9/8- Appalachian State at Charlotte; 6:00, ESPN+: Bobby Rosinski, Jay Sonnhalter, Libby Clark
9/8- Eastern Kentucky at Marshall; 6:30, ESPN+: Mark Martin, Jake Griffith
9/8- (2) Clemson at Texas A&M; 7:00, ESPN: Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
9/8- Southeastern Louisiana at (11) LSU; 7:00, ESPN2: Anish Shroff, Ray Bentley, Roddy Jones
9/8- UT-Martin at Middle Tennessee; 7:00, ESPN+: Jake Rose, Alex Myers, Sara Cardona
9/8- Southern at Louisiana Tech; 7:00, ESPN+: Lyn Rollins, Butch Alsandor
9/8- UL Monroe at Southern Miss; 7:00, ESPN3: Jason Baker, Jeff Posey
9/8- UAB at Coastal Carolina; 7:00, ESPN+: Jeff McCarragher, Nate Ross
9/8- Baylor at UTSA; 7:00, CBS-FBK: Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous, Cassie McKinney
9/8- Indiana State at Louisville; 7:00, ACCN: Jim Barbar, John Gregory
9/8- Wyoming at Missouri; 7:00, ESPNU: Dave LaMont, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman
9/8- Texas Southern at Texas State; 7:00, KNVA: David Saltzman, Keith Moreland, Megan Birdsong
9/8- FIU at Troy; 7:00, ESPN+: Will Kollmeyer, Rick Rhoades
9/8- Samford at Florida State; 7:20, ACCN: Tom Werme, Dave Archer, Lericia Harris
9/8- Alabama State at (7) Auburn; 7:30, SECN: Mark Neely, Barrett Jones, Taylor Davis
9/8- Western Illinois at Illinois; 7:30, BTN: Chris Denari, Stanley Jackson
9/8- Virginia at Indiana; 7:30, BTN: Lisa Byington, J Leman, Michelle McMahon
9/8- Arkansas at Colorado State; 7:30, CBSSN: Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, John Schriffen
9/8- Kentucky at (25) Florida; 7:30, SECN: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
9/8- Utah at Northern Illinois; 7:30, ESPNEWS: Bill Roth, Mike Golic Jr.
9/8- Maine at WKU; 7:30, ESPN+: Graham Doty, Bob Belvin
9/8- FIU at Old Dominion; 7:30, beIN: Mike Gleason, Brett Romberg
9/8- Incarnate Word at North Texas; 7:30, ESPN+: Doug Anderson, LaDarrin McLane
9/8- Fresno State at Minnesota; 7:30, FS1: Eric Collins, Ben Leber
9/8- (13) Penn State at Pittsburgh; 8:00, ABC: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
9/8- Tulsa at Texas; 8:00, Longhorn: Lowell Galindo, Ahmad Brooks, Jen Lada
9/8- New Mexico State at Utah State; 8:00, Sta. FBK: Chris Hassel, Bruce Gradkowski, Kristen Balboni
9/8- South Alabama at Oklahoma State; 8:00, FSN: Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger, Lesley McCaslin
9/8- Nicholls at Tulane; 8:00, ESPN3: Trey Bender, Hutson Mason
9/8- Southern Utah at Oregon State; 8:00, Pac-12N: JB Long, Jeremy Bloom
9/8- Cincinnati at Miami-Ohio; 8:00, ESPN3: Tim Bray, Greg Frey
9/8- (17) USC at (10) Stanford; 8:30, FOX: Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Bruce Feldman
9/8- UTEP at UNLV; 9:00, AT&T SW: Ari Wolfe, Sed Bonner
9/8- Sacramento State at San Diego State; 9:00
9/8- California at BYU; 10:15, ESPN2: Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey
9/8- Connecticut at (20) Boise State; 10:15, ESPNU: Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison
9/8- (15) Michigan State at Arizona State; 10:45, ESPN: Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill
9/8- San Jose State at Washington State; 11:00, Pac-12N: Guy Haberman, Ryan Leaf, Cindy Brunson
9/8- Rice at Hawaii; 11:59, Spec. HI PPV: Robert Kekaula, Rich Miano, Scott Robbs
9/7- (16) TCU at SMU; 8:00, ESPN2: Clay Matvick, Dan Orlovsky, Paul Carcaterra
9/8- New Mexico at (5) Wisconsin; 12:00, BTN: Brandon Gaudin, Glen Mason, Elise Menaker
9/8- Western Michigan at (21) Michigan; 12:00, FS1: Justin Kutcher, Petros Papadakis, DeMarco Murray
9/8- (18) Mississippi State at Kansas State; 12:00, ESPN: Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath
9/8- Towson at Wake Forest; 12:00, SECN: Shawn Kenney, Stan Lewter
9/8- Eastern Michigan at Purdue; 12:00, BTN: Joe Beninati, Chuck Long
9/8- Liberty at Army; 12:00, CBSSN: Ben Holden, Jay Feely, Tina Cervasio
9/8- Nevada at Vanderbilt; 12:00, SECN: Dave Neal, D.J. Shockley, Dawn Davenport
9/8- Arizona at Houston; 12:00, ABC/ESPN2: Steve Levy, Todd McShay, Paul Carcaterra
9/8- Duke at Northwestern; 12:00, ESPNU: Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Olivia Dekker
9/8- Georgia Tech at South Florida; 12:00, ABC/ESPN2: Adam Amin, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich
9/8- Georgia State at NC State; 12:30, ACCN: Wes Durham, James Bates, Rebecca Kaple
9/8- UCLA at (6) Oklahoma; 1:00, FOX: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft
9/8- Holy Cross at Boston College; 1:00, ACCN: Robert Lee, Matt Chatham
9/8- William & Mary at (12) Virginia Tech; 2:00, ACCN: Joel Meyers, Dustin Fox
9/8- Portland State at (23) Oregon; 2:00, Pac-12N: Roxy Bernstein, Anthony Herron, Lewis Johnson
9/8- Air Force at FAU; 2:00, CBSSN: Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, Amanda Balionis
9/8- Kansas at Central Michigan; 3:00, ESPN+: Chris Vosters, Marcus Ray
9/8- Arkansas Sate at (1) Alabama; 3:30, ESPN2: Kevin Brown, Andre Ware, Alex Corddry
9/8- (3) Georgia at (24) South Carolina; 3:30, CBS: Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jamie Erdahl
9/8- Rutgers at (4) Ohio State; 3:30, BTN: Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Rick Pizzo
9/8- Ball State at (8) Notre Dame; 3:30, NBC: Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie, Kathryn Tappen
9/8- Colorado at Nebraska; 3:30, ABC: Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard, Allison Williams
9/8- Buffalo at Temple; 3:30, ESPN3: Mike Watts, Barrett Brooks
9/8- Memphis at Navy; 3:30, CBSSN: John Sadak, Randy Cross, Sheehan Stanwick-Burch
9/8- North Carolina at East Carolina; 3:30, ESPNU: Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia
9/8- Wagner at Syracuse; 3:30, ACCN: Doug Sherman, Al Groh
9/8- Howard at Kent State; 3:30, ESPN+: Michael Reghi, Jerod Cherry
9/8- Morgan State at Akron; 3:30, ESPN+: Jonathan Yardley, Tyoka Jackson
9/8- Lamar at Texas Tech; 4:00, FSN: Brendan Burke, David Anderson, Christian Steckel
9/8- Southern Illinois at Ole Miss; 4:00, SECN: Mike Morgan, John Congemi, Alyssa Lang
9/8- East Tennessee State at Tennessee; 4:00, SECN: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb, Kris Budden
9/8- North Dakota at (9) Washington; 5:00, Pac-12N: Ted Robinson, Yogi Roth, Jill Savage
9/8- Iowa State at Iowa; 5:00, FOX: Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Holly Sonders
9/8- Savannah State at (22) Miami; 6:00, ACCN: Drew Fellios, Forrest Conoly
9/8- Youngstown State at (14) West Virginia; 6:00, AT&T-PIT: Rob King, Rasheed Marshall, Meg Bulger
9/8- SC State at (19) UCF; 6:00, ESPN3: Eric Rothman, Doug Graber
9/8- Maryland at Bowling Green; 6:00, ESPN+: Dan Gutowsky, Bobby Carpenter
9/8- UMass at Georgia Southern; 6:00, ESPN+: Greg Talbott, Danny Waugh
9/8- Appalachian State at Charlotte; 6:00, ESPN+: Bobby Rosinski, Jay Sonnhalter, Libby Clark
9/8- Eastern Kentucky at Marshall; 6:30, ESPN+: Mark Martin, Jake Griffith
9/8- (2) Clemson at Texas A&M; 7:00, ESPN: Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
9/8- Southeastern Louisiana at (11) LSU; 7:00, ESPN2: Anish Shroff, Ray Bentley, Roddy Jones
9/8- UT-Martin at Middle Tennessee; 7:00, ESPN+: Jake Rose, Alex Myers, Sara Cardona
9/8- Southern at Louisiana Tech; 7:00, ESPN+: Lyn Rollins, Butch Alsandor
9/8- UL Monroe at Southern Miss; 7:00, ESPN3: Jason Baker, Jeff Posey
9/8- UAB at Coastal Carolina; 7:00, ESPN+: Jeff McCarragher, Nate Ross
9/8- Baylor at UTSA; 7:00, CBS-FBK: Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous, Cassie McKinney
9/8- Indiana State at Louisville; 7:00, ACCN: Jim Barbar, John Gregory
9/8- Wyoming at Missouri; 7:00, ESPNU: Dave LaMont, Anthony Becht, Rocky Boiman
9/8- Texas Southern at Texas State; 7:00, KNVA: David Saltzman, Keith Moreland, Megan Birdsong
9/8- FIU at Troy; 7:00, ESPN+: Will Kollmeyer, Rick Rhoades
9/8- Samford at Florida State; 7:20, ACCN: Tom Werme, Dave Archer, Lericia Harris
9/8- Alabama State at (7) Auburn; 7:30, SECN: Mark Neely, Barrett Jones, Taylor Davis
9/8- Western Illinois at Illinois; 7:30, BTN: Chris Denari, Stanley Jackson
9/8- Virginia at Indiana; 7:30, BTN: Lisa Byington, J Leman, Michelle McMahon
9/8- Arkansas at Colorado State; 7:30, CBSSN: Carter Blackburn, Aaron Taylor, John Schriffen
9/8- Kentucky at (25) Florida; 7:30, SECN: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
9/8- Utah at Northern Illinois; 7:30, ESPNEWS: Bill Roth, Mike Golic Jr.
9/8- Maine at WKU; 7:30, ESPN+: Graham Doty, Bob Belvin
9/8- FIU at Old Dominion; 7:30, beIN: Mike Gleason, Brett Romberg
9/8- Incarnate Word at North Texas; 7:30, ESPN+: Doug Anderson, LaDarrin McLane
9/8- Fresno State at Minnesota; 7:30, FS1: Eric Collins, Ben Leber
9/8- (13) Penn State at Pittsburgh; 8:00, ABC: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
9/8- Tulsa at Texas; 8:00, Longhorn: Lowell Galindo, Ahmad Brooks, Jen Lada
9/8- New Mexico State at Utah State; 8:00, Sta. FBK: Chris Hassel, Bruce Gradkowski, Kristen Balboni
9/8- South Alabama at Oklahoma State; 8:00, FSN: Mark Followill, Brian Baldinger, Lesley McCaslin
9/8- Nicholls at Tulane; 8:00, ESPN3: Trey Bender, Hutson Mason
9/8- Southern Utah at Oregon State; 8:00, Pac-12N: JB Long, Jeremy Bloom
9/8- Cincinnati at Miami-Ohio; 8:00, ESPN3: Tim Bray, Greg Frey
9/8- (17) USC at (10) Stanford; 8:30, FOX: Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Bruce Feldman
9/8- UTEP at UNLV; 9:00, AT&T SW: Ari Wolfe, Sed Bonner
9/8- Sacramento State at San Diego State; 9:00
9/8- California at BYU; 10:15, ESPN2: Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey
9/8- Connecticut at (20) Boise State; 10:15, ESPNU: Mike Couzens, Kirk Morrison
9/8- (15) Michigan State at Arizona State; 10:45, ESPN: Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill
9/8- San Jose State at Washington State; 11:00, Pac-12N: Guy Haberman, Ryan Leaf, Cindy Brunson
9/8- Rice at Hawaii; 11:59, Spec. HI PPV: Robert Kekaula, Rich Miano, Scott Robbs
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
2018 NFL Awards Predictions
Here are my award predictions for the 2018 NFL Season.
MVP: DeShaun Watston, Houston Texans: So many candidates for this award, but I'm going to roll with Watson, who's coming off a torn ACL and will be back with a vengeance. He'll light up opposing defense with his passing and running ability and help lead the Texans to big things this
season.
Runner up: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams: Gurley emerged as one of the top running backs in the league a year ago and he'll lead the Rams offense to one of the best in football. I believe he'll take home this award a second straight season.
Runner up: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams: Yes, another Ram, but Donald is the most dominant defensive player in the game right now leading a defense that's championship caliber. I expect him to take home this award for the second straight season.
Runner up: Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants: This was the easiest choice of the awards. Barkley is a transcendent talent that will make good defenses look bad and will possibly extend Eli Manning's Hall of Fame career.
Runner up: Sam Darnold, New York Jets
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos: Chubb was the best defensive player drafted this past spring and he playing alongside Vonn Miller will be a joy to watch. He'll be a building block for John Elway's team going forward.
Runner up: Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Coach of the Year: Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans: O'Brien has a talented roster on his hands and has great players coming back from injury. I expect him to be motivated this season as he could very well be coaching for his job.
Runner up: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Comeback Player of the Year: Watson.
Runner up: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
MVP: DeShaun Watston, Houston Texans: So many candidates for this award, but I'm going to roll with Watson, who's coming off a torn ACL and will be back with a vengeance. He'll light up opposing defense with his passing and running ability and help lead the Texans to big things this
season.
Runner up: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams: Gurley emerged as one of the top running backs in the league a year ago and he'll lead the Rams offense to one of the best in football. I believe he'll take home this award a second straight season.
Runner up: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams: Yes, another Ram, but Donald is the most dominant defensive player in the game right now leading a defense that's championship caliber. I expect him to take home this award for the second straight season.
Runner up: Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants: This was the easiest choice of the awards. Barkley is a transcendent talent that will make good defenses look bad and will possibly extend Eli Manning's Hall of Fame career.
Runner up: Sam Darnold, New York Jets
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos: Chubb was the best defensive player drafted this past spring and he playing alongside Vonn Miller will be a joy to watch. He'll be a building block for John Elway's team going forward.
Runner up: Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Coach of the Year: Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans: O'Brien has a talented roster on his hands and has great players coming back from injury. I expect him to be motivated this season as he could very well be coaching for his job.
Runner up: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Comeback Player of the Year: Watson.
Runner up: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
2018 NFL Predictions
Here are my predictions for the 2018 NFL Season.
AFC East
1. New England Patriots (12-4)
2. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
3. New York Jets (5-11)
4. Miami Dolphins (5-11)
The New England Patriots will be the team to beat in this division as long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick still reside. Their offense will be good although they made some changes. I expect Sony Michel will see a lot of playing time running the ball to go with James White, Rex Burkhead, and Jeremy Hill. Julian Edelman is back from a torn ACL and Brady also has Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski to throw to. They did lose Nate Solder on the offensive line although that unit isn't bad without him with guys like Shaq Mason and Trent Brown. The Pats defense is their achilles heel although they have solid pass rushers with Trey Flowers and Dont'a Hightower. Their secondary lost Malcolm Butler but still has Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty, and Stephon Gilmore. The Buffalo Bills will take a step back after making the playoffs a season ago. Josh Allen should start over AJ McCarron and that offense won't be good although LeSean McCoy is still a solid running back. Kelvin Benjamin and Andre Holmes are their starters at receiver and Charles Clay is their tight end. Their offensive line isn't great after the trading of Cordy Glenn. Their defense will keep them in games with a solid defensive line led by Jerry Hughes and Kyle Williams. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was a steal in the first round and the secondary is solid with Micah Hyde and Tre'Davious White. The New York Jets are a team in rebuilding mode as well. Sam Darnold will be their starting quarterback, but his supporting cast is among the worst in the league. Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell are the running backs that will see most of the action, Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse are the projected starting receivers, and they don't know who their starting tight end will be. Their offensive line isn't good either although free agent adds James Carpenter and Kelvin Beachum should help. The defense will be the strength of their team with a solid defensive line led by Leonard Williams. Avery Williamson, Jordan Jenkins, and Darron Lee lead the linebacking core and the secondary should be better with the addition of Trumaine Johnson. The Miami Dolphins are another team that's rebuilding in the division. Ryan Tannehill returns from a torn ACL and his supporting cast is not great either. Kenyon Drake is coming off a breakout season and Frank Gore was an offseason pickup. Danny Amendola, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker are the receiving core and they don't know who their tight end is. They do have a nice offensive line led by Laremy Tunsil. Their pass rush isn't bad either led by Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn. Their secondary will be better with first round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick joining Reshad Jones.
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-10)
4. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are yet again the team to beat in this division. Ben Rothlisberger is still around and this will probably be Le'Veon Bell's final season as a Steeler so this may be the end of their window. Antonio Brown is still around and Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster is a good number 2 receiver. Their offensive line is among the best in the game led by Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCasrto. Their pass rush is decent led by Cameon Hayward, but their defense will miss Ryan Shazier although TJ Watt shined as a rookie. Their secondary is solid led by Joe Haden and Artie Burns. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to bounce back from a disappointing season. Andy Dalton is still around and I expect his supporting cast to improve. Joe Mixon is a solid running back and AJ Green is still around and I expect John Ross to make a leap. Tyler Eifert is one of the more underrated tight ends in the league. Their offensive line should be improved with the trading of Cordy Glenn and the drafting of Billy Price. Their defensive line is solid with Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap. Vontaze Burfict leads their linebacking core and their secondary is solid too led by Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III. The Baltimore Ravens also look to bounce back from a disappointing season from a year ago. Joe Flacco is still around and I don't love his offense. Alex Collins is starting at running back and Willie Snead and Michael Crabtree are the starting receivers. Their offensive line is not great, but I do like Ronnie Stanley. Their pass rush is still the strength of the team led by Terrell Suggs. Their secondary isn't bad with guys like Eric Weddle and Jimmy Smith. The Cleveland Browns are a team that wants to badly improve. Baker Mayfield should start over Tyrod Taylor, but I doubt it. Carlos Hyde will be a nice addition at running back to the team as well as Jarvis Landry at receiver. The offensive line should be improved with the drafting of Austin Corbett. Their pass rush will be better with expected growth from Myles Garrett. Their secondary will be better with the trading of Damarious Randall and the drafting of Denzel Ward.
AFC South
1. Houston Texans (10-6)
2. Tennessee Titans (10-6) (Wild Card #2)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-11)
The Houston Texans are my pick to win the AFC South with the return of DeShaun Watson coming off his ACL tear. Lamar Miller is still a serviceable running back and DeAndre Hopkins is one of the top receivers in the game. The offensive line is among the worst in football. Their defense is the strength of their team and the pass rush is among the best in the league led by JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus. Their secondary will be better with the addition of Tyrann Mathieu. The Tennessee Titans are a team that also likes to build on last years success under new coach Mike Norvell. Marcus Mariota is a quarterback I expect to be a lot better under Norvell and with Derrick Henry in the backfield along with Dion Lewis. Rashan Matthews, Corey Davis, and Delanie Walker are solid receiving and tight end options. The offensive line is solid led by Taylor Lewan. The pass rush is pretty good led by Jurrell Casey. The secondary should be better with the addition of Malcolm Butler. The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off an incredible season and look to build on it. Blake Bortles got paid by the team, but I'm still not convinced he's the answer long term. Leonard Fournette is one of the elite running backs in the game. Their receivers are not that great, but I do like Dede Westbrook and rookie DJ Chark. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a nice addition at tight end. The offensive line will be improved with the signing of Andrew Norwell. Their pass rush is among the leagues best led by Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. Their secondary is among the best in the league too led by Jalen Ramsey. The Indianapolis Colts have a new coach in Frank Reich and finally get Andrew Luck back from injury. Luck does not have a good supporting cast though as Marlon Mack is their projected starting running back although TY Hilton is a solid receiver. The offensive line is actually not bad with rookie Quinton Nelson, Anthony Castonzo, and Ryan Kelly. Their defense is still among the worst in football. Their best pass rusher could very well be Jabaal Sheard. Former first round pick Malik Hooker better improve in year two as well.
AFC West
1. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) (Wild Card #1)
3. Denver Broncos (7-9)
4. Oakland Raiders (5-11)
The Los Angeles Chargers probably should have won this division a year ago, but bad luck in close games derailed them. Phillip Rivers still plays at a high level and has a lot of talent around him. Melvin Gordon is one of the better running backs in the league and Keenan Allen is one of the more underrated receivers in the league. Tight end Hunter Henry is out for the season due to a torn ACL though. The offensive line is solid too led by Russell Okung. Their pass rush is among the best in the league led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Their secondary is solid too despite the torn ACL of Jason Verrett as they'll rely heavily on Casey Heyward and rookie Derwin James. The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that people are mixed on. I'm high on Patrick Mahomes, who has a ton of potential and a solid supporting cast. Kareem Hunt was great as a rookie a year ago and Tyreek Hill is a solid deep threat. Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league. Their offensive line is good with guys like Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. Their pass rush isn't what it was a few years ago, but it is solid led by Justin Houston. Their secondary is solid too led by Eric Berry and trade acquisition Kendall Fuller. The Denver Broncos look to bounce back from a very disappointing season from a year ago under second year coach Vance Joseph. Case Keenum should be an upgrade over Trevor Siemian. Rookie running back Royce Freeman will have an impact and DeMaryus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are two solid receivers. Their offensive line should be good with Ronald Leary back and healthy and Garrett Bolles. Their pass rush is the strength of the team led by Vonn Miller and first round pick Bradley Chubb. Their secondary is solid too led by Chris Harris and Darian Stewart. The Oakland Raiders are in Jon Gruden's first season coaching in a decade. Derek Carr looks healthy and has a nice supporting cast. Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin are both past their peaks, but are serviceable running backs. Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson are solid wideouts and Jared Cook is a nice tight end. Their offensive line is very good led by Donald Penn, Rodney Hudson, and Kelechi Osemele. Their pass rush is awful now after the trading of Khalil Mack. Bruce Irvin might be their best pass rusher right now. The secondary has former first round picks with Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
2. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
3. New York Giants (7-9)
4. Washington Redskins (6-10)
The reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles are still the team to beat in this division even though Carson Wentz is not back yet and Nick Foles will start week one. Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles is a solid running back combo and they are just loaded at that position too. Alshon Jeffery proved to be a great add last year to the offense and Nelson Agholor was solid last year too. Zach Ertz is one of the better tight ends in the game. The offensive line is among the best in the league led by Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, and Jason Kelce. Their pass rush is a good one too led by Fletcher Cox. Their secondary ain't bad either led by Malcolm Jenkins and Jalen Mills. The Dallas Cowboys are a team that people feel will take a step back due to offseason losses and injuries. Dak Prescott didn't have a great season last year and he looks to rebound but outside of Ezekiel Elliott, he doesn't have much. Allen Burks, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley are the projected starters at receiver and they lost Jason Witten. The offensive line is dealing with injuries to Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, and La'El Collins and they cannot afford to lose Tyron Smith to injury now too. Their pass rush has talented guys in DeMarcus Lawrence and Sean Lee. The secondary has talent too like Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie, but they need to make strides. The New York Giants look to rebound from a
disastrous season a year ago. Eli Manning is still around as they opted to draft Saquon Barkley over one of the quarterbacks and Barkley is a transcendent talent who is a heavy Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. Odell Beckham Jr is back after coming off a leg injury. Evan Ingram was solid as a rookie last year at tight end. Their offensive line should be improved with second rounder Will Hernandez and free agent pickup Nate Solder. Their pass rush is a question with the health of Olivier Vernon and new trade acquisition Alec Ogltree needs to step up at linebacker. Eli Apple is the key to their secondary and he has to improve or else this unit is in major trouble. The Washington Redskins have undergone some changes. Alex Smith replaces Kirk Cousins at quarterback and after they lost rookie Darrius Guice for the season due to a torn ACL, they signed Adrian Peterson. Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, and Paul Richardson are their starters at receiver and Jordan Reed is a solid tight end. Their offensive line is really good led by Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff. Their pass rush has some talent with Jonathan Allen and Ryan Kerrigan. I don't love their secondary and I don't think Josh Norman is the same guy as he was with Carolina.
NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
2. Green Bay Packers (9-7)
3. Chicago Bears (6-10)
4. Detroit Lions (6-10)
The Minnesota Vikings are the team to beat in this division thanks to a loaded roster all around. Kirk Cousins is a quarterback upgrade over Case Keenum. Dalvin Cook is back from a torn ACL and he should have an impact. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are a very good receiving duo. Kyle Rudolph is one of the underrated tight ends in the league. The offensive line is not that great but has solid guys like Pat Elfein and Riley Reiff. Their pass rush is the strength of the team led by Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, and Linval Joseph. Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr are solid linebackers that can't be overlooked either. The secondary is solid too led by Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes. The Green Bay Packers get Aaron Rodgers back from a collarbone injury and expect to bounce back from a disappointing season a year ago. Jamaal Williams and Ty Montgomery have shown flashes in the past running the ball. Randall Cobb and DeVante Adams are solid receivers although I feel they'll miss Jordy Nelson. Jimmy Graham is a tight end upgrade, but my fear is that he's a player in decline. Their offensive line has some good players in David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. Their pass rush should be better with Muhammad Wilkerson joining Clay Matthews. Their secondary is banking on guys like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Kevin King. The Chicago Bears are a team that's looking to improve with new coach Matt Nagy. Mitch Trubisky's development is the biggest key to this team to improve. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen is a good running back combination and the addition of Allen Robinson at receiver is significant as well as the drafting of Anthony Miller. The offensive line still isn't great outside of Kyle Long. Their pass rush will be significantly better with the addition of Khalil Mack to go with some of their younger players. Their secondary has some talent too with Kyle Fulmer, Eddie Jackson, and Adrian Amos. The Detroit Lions quietly went 9-7 a year ago, but have a new head coach in Matt Patricia and expect them to regress. Matthew Stafford is still one of the better statistical quarterbacks in the game despite not much around him. LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick will get most of the running back reps although I wouldn't sleep on rookie Kerryon Johnson. Golden Tate and Marvin Jones are slated as the starting receivers. The offensive line should be better with rookie Frank Ragnow joining Taylor Decker. Their pass rush isn't great outside of Ziggy Ansah. Their secondary is not bad though with Darius Slay and Glover Quin.
NFC South
1. Carolina Panthers (12-4)
2. New Orleans Saints (10-6) (Wild Card #1)
3. Atlanta Falcons (10-6) (Wild Card #2)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
This division has three legit Super Bowl contenders and I like the Carolina Panthers to win this division. Cam Newton is one of the more under appreciated quarterbacks in the game. I expect a breakout for Christian McCaffrey who will bring a different dimension to the offense. Devin Funchess has shown flashes and rookie DJ Moore will have a big impact. Greg Olsen is one of the better tight ends in the league. The offensive line loses Andrew Norwell, but Trai Turner and Ryan Kalil are good lineman. Their pass rush is among the leagues best led by Luke Kuechly. Their secondary isn't great though although I do like young corner James Bradberry. The New Orleans Saints won the division a year ago and they'll be good agin this season. Drew Brees is still playing at a high level and Alvin Kamara is a great security blanket on offense who brought a new dimension to that they didn't have before and Mark Ingram will be suspended the first four games of the season. Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr are the top receivers on this roster. The offensive line is solid led by Max Unger and Ryan Ramczyk. Their pass rush is actually solid led by Cameron Jordan. Their secondary is on the rise led by Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. The Atlanta Falcons are the third contender from this division. Matt Ryan is still playing at a high level and DeVonta Freeman is a very good back. Rookie Calvin Ridley joins Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu to form a great receiving trio. The offensive line is solid led by Alex Mack and Jake Matthews. Their pass rush isn't too shabby led by Vic Beasley. Their secondary isn't bad either led by Keanu Neal and Desmond Trufant. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to be awful and head coach Dirk Koetter is on the hot seat. Jameis Winston is suspended to start the season so Ryan Fitzpatrick will start the first three games. Rookie Ronald a Jones couldn't even win the starting running back job over Peyton Barber. The receivers aren't bad with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson and neither are their tight end duo in OJ Howard and Cameron Brate. Their offensive line is not great although I do like Ali Marpet. Their pass rush looks to improve with the additions of Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry. Their secondary is among the worst in the league and their best defensive back is Chris Conte.
NFC West
1. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)
2. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
3. San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (6-10)
The Los Angeles Rams are the team to beat in this division and could represent the conference in the Super Bowl. Jared Goff looks to build on his breakout season from a year ago as well as Todd Gurley. Brandin Cooks will be a great addition to this offense and Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods were big for this team a season ago. The offensive line is solid too led by Andrew Whitworth. Their pass rush is phenomenal led by Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. The Seattle Seahawks are a team entering a bit of a transition although Russell Wilson is still a great quarterback. Rookie Rashaad Penny didn't even win the starting running back job over Chris Carson. Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett aren't bad receiving options. Their offensive line is among the worst in football so Wilson better be ready. Their pass rush is not great anymore although Bobby Wagner is still around. Their secondary is in shambles with Earl Thomas on IR and their best defensive back is Shaquill Griffin. Their secondary will be better with the additions of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. The San Francisco 49ers are a team many folks have high expectations for thanks to having Jimmy Garappolo a full season. Garappolo's supporting cast is not great, especially now that Jerick McKinnon is out for the season with a torn ACL so Alfred Morris should start at running back now. Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin are the starting receivers. The offensive line should improve with the drafting of Mike McGlinchey and the signing of Weston Richburg. The pass rush has some young talent with guys like Solomon Thomas and DeForest Buckner. Their secondary should improve with the addition of Richard Sherman although he may not be the same player he was 4-5 years ago. The Arizona Cardinals do have some talent and have a new coach in Steve Wilkes. Josh Rosen should start at quarterback but it looks like Sam Bradford will be their starter. David Johnson is back after missing most of the year with a wrist injury. Larry Fitzgerald is still around and rookie Christian Kirk will have an impact. Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones had a nice season a year ago too. The offensive line should be better with the addition of Justin Pugh. Their pass rush is solid led by Chandler Jones. The secondary will be very good led by Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker.
NFL Playoffs
- Wild Card
(A6) Tennessee Titans vs (A3) Los Angeles Chargers: Fun game between these two talented teams. I like that Chargers pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram to get to Marcus Mariota to lead them to the next round.
Prediction: Chargers
(A5) Kansas City Chiefs vs (A4) Houston Texans: This should be a fun game featuring two young quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and DeShaun Watson. I like Watson's Texans and that pass rush of Jadeveon Clowney and JJ Watt to get to Mahomes.
Prediction: Texans
(N6) Atlanta Falcons vs (N3) Philadelphia Eagles: Rematch of last seasons NFL Divisional Round. With Wentz back and healthy, give me the Eagles.
Prediction: Eagles
(N5) New Orleans Saints vs (N4) Minnesota Vikings: Rematch of last seasons "Minneapolis Miracle". Should be a good one and I like the Vikes this time around too.
Prediction: Vikings
- Divisional Round
(A3) Los Angeles Chargers vs (A2) Pittsburgh Steelers: This should be a super fun game with these two offenses led by Phillip Rivers and Ben Rothlisberger respectively. Here's where the Chargers will miss Jason Verrett as Rothlisberger throws on their secondary to lead them to the AFC Championship for the second time in three seasons.
Prediction: Steelers
(A4) Houston Texans vs (A1) New England Patriots: This would be a fun game and these teams ironically face off in week one in Foxboro too. I really love the Texans and that pass rush to get to Tom Brady and for DeShaun Watson to make plays to lead the Texans to the AFC Championship game for the first time in franchise history.
Prediction: Texans
(N3) Philadelphia Eagles vs (N2) Carolina Panthers: This should be a fun matchup between these two talented squads. I like the Eagles here to advance to their second straight NFC Championship game thanks to Carson Wentz making plays and their defense getting stops.
Prediction: Eagles
(N4) Minnesota Vikings vs (N1) Los Angeles Rams: Two of the most talented teams in the sport we have here. The difference in this game is the Rams pass rush with Aaron Donald and Ndamokung Suh to lead them to the NFC Championship and their first playoff win in Los Angeles since they moved back.
Prediction: Rams
- Championship Round
(A4) Houston Texans vs (A2) Pittsburgh Steelers: This should be a fun matchup between these two teams. I like the idea of the Texans pass rush getting to Big Ben and Watson making throws and the Texans being a surprise representative in Super Bowl LIII.
Prediction: Texans
(N3) Philadelphia Eagles vs (N1) Los Angeles Rams: This should be a fun championship game between two of the leagues most talented teams and the top two picks in the 2016 draft with Wentz and Jared Goff. This is such a hard call, but I like Goff and the Rams here with Todd Gurley and that defense stepping up too to go to the Big Game.
Prediction: Rams
- Super Bowl III
(A4) Houston Texans vs (N1) Los Angeles Rams: This would be a fun Super Bowl. The last few years we've seen an unexpected Super Bowl rep and I'm taking my chance with the Texans and their roster being healthy. DeShaun Watson against the Rams pass rush will be fun, but the Texans offensive line is suspect and the Rams pass rush as we know is excellent and that's the difference here as the Rams will win the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in seventeen years.
Prediction: Rams
AFC East
1. New England Patriots (12-4)
2. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
3. New York Jets (5-11)
4. Miami Dolphins (5-11)
The New England Patriots will be the team to beat in this division as long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick still reside. Their offense will be good although they made some changes. I expect Sony Michel will see a lot of playing time running the ball to go with James White, Rex Burkhead, and Jeremy Hill. Julian Edelman is back from a torn ACL and Brady also has Chris Hogan and Rob Gronkowski to throw to. They did lose Nate Solder on the offensive line although that unit isn't bad without him with guys like Shaq Mason and Trent Brown. The Pats defense is their achilles heel although they have solid pass rushers with Trey Flowers and Dont'a Hightower. Their secondary lost Malcolm Butler but still has Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty, and Stephon Gilmore. The Buffalo Bills will take a step back after making the playoffs a season ago. Josh Allen should start over AJ McCarron and that offense won't be good although LeSean McCoy is still a solid running back. Kelvin Benjamin and Andre Holmes are their starters at receiver and Charles Clay is their tight end. Their offensive line isn't great after the trading of Cordy Glenn. Their defense will keep them in games with a solid defensive line led by Jerry Hughes and Kyle Williams. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was a steal in the first round and the secondary is solid with Micah Hyde and Tre'Davious White. The New York Jets are a team in rebuilding mode as well. Sam Darnold will be their starting quarterback, but his supporting cast is among the worst in the league. Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell are the running backs that will see most of the action, Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse are the projected starting receivers, and they don't know who their starting tight end will be. Their offensive line isn't good either although free agent adds James Carpenter and Kelvin Beachum should help. The defense will be the strength of their team with a solid defensive line led by Leonard Williams. Avery Williamson, Jordan Jenkins, and Darron Lee lead the linebacking core and the secondary should be better with the addition of Trumaine Johnson. The Miami Dolphins are another team that's rebuilding in the division. Ryan Tannehill returns from a torn ACL and his supporting cast is not great either. Kenyon Drake is coming off a breakout season and Frank Gore was an offseason pickup. Danny Amendola, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker are the receiving core and they don't know who their tight end is. They do have a nice offensive line led by Laremy Tunsil. Their pass rush isn't bad either led by Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn. Their secondary will be better with first round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick joining Reshad Jones.
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-10)
4. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are yet again the team to beat in this division. Ben Rothlisberger is still around and this will probably be Le'Veon Bell's final season as a Steeler so this may be the end of their window. Antonio Brown is still around and Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster is a good number 2 receiver. Their offensive line is among the best in the game led by Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCasrto. Their pass rush is decent led by Cameon Hayward, but their defense will miss Ryan Shazier although TJ Watt shined as a rookie. Their secondary is solid led by Joe Haden and Artie Burns. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to bounce back from a disappointing season. Andy Dalton is still around and I expect his supporting cast to improve. Joe Mixon is a solid running back and AJ Green is still around and I expect John Ross to make a leap. Tyler Eifert is one of the more underrated tight ends in the league. Their offensive line should be improved with the trading of Cordy Glenn and the drafting of Billy Price. Their defensive line is solid with Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap. Vontaze Burfict leads their linebacking core and their secondary is solid too led by Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson III. The Baltimore Ravens also look to bounce back from a disappointing season from a year ago. Joe Flacco is still around and I don't love his offense. Alex Collins is starting at running back and Willie Snead and Michael Crabtree are the starting receivers. Their offensive line is not great, but I do like Ronnie Stanley. Their pass rush is still the strength of the team led by Terrell Suggs. Their secondary isn't bad with guys like Eric Weddle and Jimmy Smith. The Cleveland Browns are a team that wants to badly improve. Baker Mayfield should start over Tyrod Taylor, but I doubt it. Carlos Hyde will be a nice addition at running back to the team as well as Jarvis Landry at receiver. The offensive line should be improved with the drafting of Austin Corbett. Their pass rush will be better with expected growth from Myles Garrett. Their secondary will be better with the trading of Damarious Randall and the drafting of Denzel Ward.
AFC South
1. Houston Texans (10-6)
2. Tennessee Titans (10-6) (Wild Card #2)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
4. Indianapolis Colts (5-11)
The Houston Texans are my pick to win the AFC South with the return of DeShaun Watson coming off his ACL tear. Lamar Miller is still a serviceable running back and DeAndre Hopkins is one of the top receivers in the game. The offensive line is among the worst in football. Their defense is the strength of their team and the pass rush is among the best in the league led by JJ Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Whitney Mercilus. Their secondary will be better with the addition of Tyrann Mathieu. The Tennessee Titans are a team that also likes to build on last years success under new coach Mike Norvell. Marcus Mariota is a quarterback I expect to be a lot better under Norvell and with Derrick Henry in the backfield along with Dion Lewis. Rashan Matthews, Corey Davis, and Delanie Walker are solid receiving and tight end options. The offensive line is solid led by Taylor Lewan. The pass rush is pretty good led by Jurrell Casey. The secondary should be better with the addition of Malcolm Butler. The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off an incredible season and look to build on it. Blake Bortles got paid by the team, but I'm still not convinced he's the answer long term. Leonard Fournette is one of the elite running backs in the game. Their receivers are not that great, but I do like Dede Westbrook and rookie DJ Chark. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a nice addition at tight end. The offensive line will be improved with the signing of Andrew Norwell. Their pass rush is among the leagues best led by Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. Their secondary is among the best in the league too led by Jalen Ramsey. The Indianapolis Colts have a new coach in Frank Reich and finally get Andrew Luck back from injury. Luck does not have a good supporting cast though as Marlon Mack is their projected starting running back although TY Hilton is a solid receiver. The offensive line is actually not bad with rookie Quinton Nelson, Anthony Castonzo, and Ryan Kelly. Their defense is still among the worst in football. Their best pass rusher could very well be Jabaal Sheard. Former first round pick Malik Hooker better improve in year two as well.
AFC West
1. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) (Wild Card #1)
3. Denver Broncos (7-9)
4. Oakland Raiders (5-11)
The Los Angeles Chargers probably should have won this division a year ago, but bad luck in close games derailed them. Phillip Rivers still plays at a high level and has a lot of talent around him. Melvin Gordon is one of the better running backs in the league and Keenan Allen is one of the more underrated receivers in the league. Tight end Hunter Henry is out for the season due to a torn ACL though. The offensive line is solid too led by Russell Okung. Their pass rush is among the best in the league led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. Their secondary is solid too despite the torn ACL of Jason Verrett as they'll rely heavily on Casey Heyward and rookie Derwin James. The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that people are mixed on. I'm high on Patrick Mahomes, who has a ton of potential and a solid supporting cast. Kareem Hunt was great as a rookie a year ago and Tyreek Hill is a solid deep threat. Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league. Their offensive line is good with guys like Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. Their pass rush isn't what it was a few years ago, but it is solid led by Justin Houston. Their secondary is solid too led by Eric Berry and trade acquisition Kendall Fuller. The Denver Broncos look to bounce back from a very disappointing season from a year ago under second year coach Vance Joseph. Case Keenum should be an upgrade over Trevor Siemian. Rookie running back Royce Freeman will have an impact and DeMaryus Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are two solid receivers. Their offensive line should be good with Ronald Leary back and healthy and Garrett Bolles. Their pass rush is the strength of the team led by Vonn Miller and first round pick Bradley Chubb. Their secondary is solid too led by Chris Harris and Darian Stewart. The Oakland Raiders are in Jon Gruden's first season coaching in a decade. Derek Carr looks healthy and has a nice supporting cast. Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin are both past their peaks, but are serviceable running backs. Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson are solid wideouts and Jared Cook is a nice tight end. Their offensive line is very good led by Donald Penn, Rodney Hudson, and Kelechi Osemele. Their pass rush is awful now after the trading of Khalil Mack. Bruce Irvin might be their best pass rusher right now. The secondary has former first round picks with Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
2. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
3. New York Giants (7-9)
4. Washington Redskins (6-10)
The reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles are still the team to beat in this division even though Carson Wentz is not back yet and Nick Foles will start week one. Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles is a solid running back combo and they are just loaded at that position too. Alshon Jeffery proved to be a great add last year to the offense and Nelson Agholor was solid last year too. Zach Ertz is one of the better tight ends in the game. The offensive line is among the best in the league led by Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, and Jason Kelce. Their pass rush is a good one too led by Fletcher Cox. Their secondary ain't bad either led by Malcolm Jenkins and Jalen Mills. The Dallas Cowboys are a team that people feel will take a step back due to offseason losses and injuries. Dak Prescott didn't have a great season last year and he looks to rebound but outside of Ezekiel Elliott, he doesn't have much. Allen Burks, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley are the projected starters at receiver and they lost Jason Witten. The offensive line is dealing with injuries to Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, and La'El Collins and they cannot afford to lose Tyron Smith to injury now too. Their pass rush has talented guys in DeMarcus Lawrence and Sean Lee. The secondary has talent too like Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie, but they need to make strides. The New York Giants look to rebound from a
disastrous season a year ago. Eli Manning is still around as they opted to draft Saquon Barkley over one of the quarterbacks and Barkley is a transcendent talent who is a heavy Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. Odell Beckham Jr is back after coming off a leg injury. Evan Ingram was solid as a rookie last year at tight end. Their offensive line should be improved with second rounder Will Hernandez and free agent pickup Nate Solder. Their pass rush is a question with the health of Olivier Vernon and new trade acquisition Alec Ogltree needs to step up at linebacker. Eli Apple is the key to their secondary and he has to improve or else this unit is in major trouble. The Washington Redskins have undergone some changes. Alex Smith replaces Kirk Cousins at quarterback and after they lost rookie Darrius Guice for the season due to a torn ACL, they signed Adrian Peterson. Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, and Paul Richardson are their starters at receiver and Jordan Reed is a solid tight end. Their offensive line is really good led by Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff. Their pass rush has some talent with Jonathan Allen and Ryan Kerrigan. I don't love their secondary and I don't think Josh Norman is the same guy as he was with Carolina.
NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
2. Green Bay Packers (9-7)
3. Chicago Bears (6-10)
4. Detroit Lions (6-10)
The Minnesota Vikings are the team to beat in this division thanks to a loaded roster all around. Kirk Cousins is a quarterback upgrade over Case Keenum. Dalvin Cook is back from a torn ACL and he should have an impact. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are a very good receiving duo. Kyle Rudolph is one of the underrated tight ends in the league. The offensive line is not that great but has solid guys like Pat Elfein and Riley Reiff. Their pass rush is the strength of the team led by Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, and Linval Joseph. Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr are solid linebackers that can't be overlooked either. The secondary is solid too led by Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes. The Green Bay Packers get Aaron Rodgers back from a collarbone injury and expect to bounce back from a disappointing season a year ago. Jamaal Williams and Ty Montgomery have shown flashes in the past running the ball. Randall Cobb and DeVante Adams are solid receivers although I feel they'll miss Jordy Nelson. Jimmy Graham is a tight end upgrade, but my fear is that he's a player in decline. Their offensive line has some good players in David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga. Their pass rush should be better with Muhammad Wilkerson joining Clay Matthews. Their secondary is banking on guys like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Kevin King. The Chicago Bears are a team that's looking to improve with new coach Matt Nagy. Mitch Trubisky's development is the biggest key to this team to improve. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen is a good running back combination and the addition of Allen Robinson at receiver is significant as well as the drafting of Anthony Miller. The offensive line still isn't great outside of Kyle Long. Their pass rush will be significantly better with the addition of Khalil Mack to go with some of their younger players. Their secondary has some talent too with Kyle Fulmer, Eddie Jackson, and Adrian Amos. The Detroit Lions quietly went 9-7 a year ago, but have a new head coach in Matt Patricia and expect them to regress. Matthew Stafford is still one of the better statistical quarterbacks in the game despite not much around him. LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick will get most of the running back reps although I wouldn't sleep on rookie Kerryon Johnson. Golden Tate and Marvin Jones are slated as the starting receivers. The offensive line should be better with rookie Frank Ragnow joining Taylor Decker. Their pass rush isn't great outside of Ziggy Ansah. Their secondary is not bad though with Darius Slay and Glover Quin.
NFC South
1. Carolina Panthers (12-4)
2. New Orleans Saints (10-6) (Wild Card #1)
3. Atlanta Falcons (10-6) (Wild Card #2)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
This division has three legit Super Bowl contenders and I like the Carolina Panthers to win this division. Cam Newton is one of the more under appreciated quarterbacks in the game. I expect a breakout for Christian McCaffrey who will bring a different dimension to the offense. Devin Funchess has shown flashes and rookie DJ Moore will have a big impact. Greg Olsen is one of the better tight ends in the league. The offensive line loses Andrew Norwell, but Trai Turner and Ryan Kalil are good lineman. Their pass rush is among the leagues best led by Luke Kuechly. Their secondary isn't great though although I do like young corner James Bradberry. The New Orleans Saints won the division a year ago and they'll be good agin this season. Drew Brees is still playing at a high level and Alvin Kamara is a great security blanket on offense who brought a new dimension to that they didn't have before and Mark Ingram will be suspended the first four games of the season. Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr are the top receivers on this roster. The offensive line is solid led by Max Unger and Ryan Ramczyk. Their pass rush is actually solid led by Cameron Jordan. Their secondary is on the rise led by Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. The Atlanta Falcons are the third contender from this division. Matt Ryan is still playing at a high level and DeVonta Freeman is a very good back. Rookie Calvin Ridley joins Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu to form a great receiving trio. The offensive line is solid led by Alex Mack and Jake Matthews. Their pass rush isn't too shabby led by Vic Beasley. Their secondary isn't bad either led by Keanu Neal and Desmond Trufant. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to be awful and head coach Dirk Koetter is on the hot seat. Jameis Winston is suspended to start the season so Ryan Fitzpatrick will start the first three games. Rookie Ronald a Jones couldn't even win the starting running back job over Peyton Barber. The receivers aren't bad with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson and neither are their tight end duo in OJ Howard and Cameron Brate. Their offensive line is not great although I do like Ali Marpet. Their pass rush looks to improve with the additions of Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry. Their secondary is among the worst in the league and their best defensive back is Chris Conte.
NFC West
1. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)
2. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
3. San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (6-10)
The Los Angeles Rams are the team to beat in this division and could represent the conference in the Super Bowl. Jared Goff looks to build on his breakout season from a year ago as well as Todd Gurley. Brandin Cooks will be a great addition to this offense and Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods were big for this team a season ago. The offensive line is solid too led by Andrew Whitworth. Their pass rush is phenomenal led by Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. The Seattle Seahawks are a team entering a bit of a transition although Russell Wilson is still a great quarterback. Rookie Rashaad Penny didn't even win the starting running back job over Chris Carson. Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett aren't bad receiving options. Their offensive line is among the worst in football so Wilson better be ready. Their pass rush is not great anymore although Bobby Wagner is still around. Their secondary is in shambles with Earl Thomas on IR and their best defensive back is Shaquill Griffin. Their secondary will be better with the additions of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. The San Francisco 49ers are a team many folks have high expectations for thanks to having Jimmy Garappolo a full season. Garappolo's supporting cast is not great, especially now that Jerick McKinnon is out for the season with a torn ACL so Alfred Morris should start at running back now. Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin are the starting receivers. The offensive line should improve with the drafting of Mike McGlinchey and the signing of Weston Richburg. The pass rush has some young talent with guys like Solomon Thomas and DeForest Buckner. Their secondary should improve with the addition of Richard Sherman although he may not be the same player he was 4-5 years ago. The Arizona Cardinals do have some talent and have a new coach in Steve Wilkes. Josh Rosen should start at quarterback but it looks like Sam Bradford will be their starter. David Johnson is back after missing most of the year with a wrist injury. Larry Fitzgerald is still around and rookie Christian Kirk will have an impact. Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones had a nice season a year ago too. The offensive line should be better with the addition of Justin Pugh. Their pass rush is solid led by Chandler Jones. The secondary will be very good led by Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker.
NFL Playoffs
- Wild Card
(A6) Tennessee Titans vs (A3) Los Angeles Chargers: Fun game between these two talented teams. I like that Chargers pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram to get to Marcus Mariota to lead them to the next round.
Prediction: Chargers
(A5) Kansas City Chiefs vs (A4) Houston Texans: This should be a fun game featuring two young quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and DeShaun Watson. I like Watson's Texans and that pass rush of Jadeveon Clowney and JJ Watt to get to Mahomes.
Prediction: Texans
(N6) Atlanta Falcons vs (N3) Philadelphia Eagles: Rematch of last seasons NFL Divisional Round. With Wentz back and healthy, give me the Eagles.
Prediction: Eagles
(N5) New Orleans Saints vs (N4) Minnesota Vikings: Rematch of last seasons "Minneapolis Miracle". Should be a good one and I like the Vikes this time around too.
Prediction: Vikings
- Divisional Round
(A3) Los Angeles Chargers vs (A2) Pittsburgh Steelers: This should be a super fun game with these two offenses led by Phillip Rivers and Ben Rothlisberger respectively. Here's where the Chargers will miss Jason Verrett as Rothlisberger throws on their secondary to lead them to the AFC Championship for the second time in three seasons.
Prediction: Steelers
(A4) Houston Texans vs (A1) New England Patriots: This would be a fun game and these teams ironically face off in week one in Foxboro too. I really love the Texans and that pass rush to get to Tom Brady and for DeShaun Watson to make plays to lead the Texans to the AFC Championship game for the first time in franchise history.
Prediction: Texans
(N3) Philadelphia Eagles vs (N2) Carolina Panthers: This should be a fun matchup between these two talented squads. I like the Eagles here to advance to their second straight NFC Championship game thanks to Carson Wentz making plays and their defense getting stops.
Prediction: Eagles
(N4) Minnesota Vikings vs (N1) Los Angeles Rams: Two of the most talented teams in the sport we have here. The difference in this game is the Rams pass rush with Aaron Donald and Ndamokung Suh to lead them to the NFC Championship and their first playoff win in Los Angeles since they moved back.
Prediction: Rams
- Championship Round
(A4) Houston Texans vs (A2) Pittsburgh Steelers: This should be a fun matchup between these two teams. I like the idea of the Texans pass rush getting to Big Ben and Watson making throws and the Texans being a surprise representative in Super Bowl LIII.
Prediction: Texans
(N3) Philadelphia Eagles vs (N1) Los Angeles Rams: This should be a fun championship game between two of the leagues most talented teams and the top two picks in the 2016 draft with Wentz and Jared Goff. This is such a hard call, but I like Goff and the Rams here with Todd Gurley and that defense stepping up too to go to the Big Game.
Prediction: Rams
- Super Bowl III
(A4) Houston Texans vs (N1) Los Angeles Rams: This would be a fun Super Bowl. The last few years we've seen an unexpected Super Bowl rep and I'm taking my chance with the Texans and their roster being healthy. DeShaun Watson against the Rams pass rush will be fun, but the Texans offensive line is suspect and the Rams pass rush as we know is excellent and that's the difference here as the Rams will win the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in seventeen years.
Prediction: Rams
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
2018 College Football Week 1: Picks
Here are my picks for week one of the 2018 College Football season.
Thursday, August 30th
Thursday, August 30th
(21) UCF at Connecticut; 7:00, ESPNU
Pick: UCF
Pick: UCF
Central Connecticut at Ball State; 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Ball State
Pick: Ball State
Kennesaw State at Georgia State; 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Georgia State
Pick: Georgia State
New Mexico State (0-1) at Minnesota; 7:00, BTN
Pick: Minnesota
Pick: Minnesota
Northwestern at Purdue; 8:00, ESPN: This should be a fun game between these two conference rivals. I wouldn't be shocked if the winner of this game wound up in a bowl game. Give me the Boiler Makers at home.
Pick: Purdue
Pick: Purdue
Wake Forest at Tulane; 8:00, CBSSN: Wouldn't be overly shocked of an upset here, but give me the Demon Decons on the road.
Pick: Wake Forest
Pick: Wake Forest
Savannah State at UAB; 8:00, ESPN+
Pick: UAB
Pick: UAB
Missouri State at Oklahoma State; 8:00, FS1
Pick: Oklahoma State
Pick: Oklahoma State
Weber State at Utah; 8:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Utah
Pick: Utah
Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana-Monroe; 8:00, ESPN+
Pick: Louisiana-Monroe
Pick: Louisiana-Monroe
Northwestern State at Texas A&M; 8:30, SECN
Pick: Texas A&M
Pick: Texas A&M
UC Davis at San Jose State; 10:00: I wouldn't be surprised if the Aggies kept this close, but give me the Spartans go get perhaps their only win this year.
Pick: San Jose State
Friday, August 31st
Pick: San Jose State
Friday, August 31st
Syracuse at Western Michigan; 6:00, CBSSN: Wouldn't overly shock me if the Broncos kept this game close.
Pick: Syracuse
Pick: Syracuse
Monmouth at Eastern Michigan; 6:30, ESPN+
Pick: Eastern Michigan
Pick: Eastern Michigan
Utah State at (11) Michigan State; 7:00, BTN
Pick: Michigan State
Pick: Michigan State
Army at Duke; 7:00, ESPNU: Would not be shocked if the Black Knights kept this thing close, but I like the Blue Devils at home.
Pick: Duke
Pick: Duke
WKU at (4) Wisconsin; 9:00, ESPN
Pick: Wisconsin
Pick: Wisconsin
San Diego State at (13) Stanford; 9:00, FS1: The Aztecs upset the Cardinal last year. It ain't happening again this year on the Cardinal's home turf.
Pick: Stanford
Pick: Stanford
Portland State at Nevada; 9:00
Pick: Nevada
Pick: Nevada
Colorado vs Colorado State (0-1; 0-1)- (Denver); 9:30, CBSSN: The Rams dropped their opener at home against Hawaii and I don't see them winning here against their in-state rivals, who will be a tough out for superior Pac-12 opponents this season.
Pick: Colorado
Saturday, September 1st
Oregon State at (5) Ohio State; 12:00, ABC: No Urban Meyer, no problem. Buckeyes win big.
Pick: Ohio State
Pick: Colorado
Saturday, September 1st
Oregon State at (5) Ohio State; 12:00, ABC: No Urban Meyer, no problem. Buckeyes win big.
Pick: Ohio State
FAU at (8) Oklahoma; 12:00, FOX: The Owls will be one of the better Group Of 5 teams this season, but I don't see them beating the Sooners in Norman.
Pick: Oklahoma
Pick: Oklahoma
Southern at (16) TCU; 12:00
Pick: TCU
Pick: TCU
9/1- (23) Texas vs Maryland (Landover); 12:00, FS1: I don't see the Terapins upsetting the Longhorns a second straight season even though this game is on a neutral closer by.
Pick: Texas
Pick: Texas
Kent State at Illinois; 12:00, BTN: Don't be shocked if the Golden Flashes keep this close even though they are among the worst teams in the sport and the Illini are among the worst in the Power 5.
Pick: Illinois
Pick: Illinois
Texas State at Rutgers; 12:00, BTN
Pick: Rutgers
Pick: Rutgers
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina; 12:00, SECN
Pick: South Carolina
Pick: South Carolina
9/1- Ole Miss vs Texas Tech (Houston); 12:00, ESPN
Pick: Ole Miss
Pick: Ole Miss
James Madison at NC State; 12:00, ESPNU: The Dukes are one of the better FCS teams but I like the Wolfpack here at home.
Pick: NC State
Pick: NC State
Villanova at Temple; 12:00, ESPNEWS
Pick: Temple
Pick: Temple
Houston at Rice; 12:00, CBSSN
Pick: Houston
Pick: Houston
Furman at (2) Clemson; 12:20, ACCN
Pick: Clemson
Pick: Clemson
Alcorn State at Georgia Tech; 12:30, ACCN
Pick: Georgia Tech
Pick: Georgia Tech
UMass at Boston College; 1:00, ACCN
Pick: Boston College
Pick: Boston College
Stony Brook at Air Force; 2:00
Pick: Air Force
Pick: Air Force
Howard at Ohio; 2:00, ESPN+
Pick: Ohio
Pick: Ohio
Austin Peay at (3) Georgia; 3:30, ESPN
Pick: Georgia
Pick: Georgia
9/1- (9) Auburn vs (6) Washington (Atlanta); 3:30, ABC: This is perhaps the biggest game of the weekend with these two preseason playoff contenders facing off. The Huskies might be the better team, but the fact that the game is in SEC territory has me liking the Tigers in this spot.
Pick: Auburn
Pick: Auburn
Appalachian State at (10) Penn State; 3:30, BTN: The Mountaineers are one of the better Group Of 5 teams, but the Nittany Lions are just so much better.
Pick: Penn State
Pick: Penn State
Tennessee vs (17) West Virginia (Charlotte); 3:30, CBS: Many folks are high on the Mountaineers this season and for good reason. Will Grier will be a Heisman contender and he'll lead the way for the 'Neers in this game against an SEC program that won't be very good this season.
Pick: West Virginia
Pick: West Virginia
Albany at Pittsburgh; 3:30, ACCN
Pick: Pittsburgh
Pick: Pittsburgh
Marshall at Miami-Ohio; 3:30, ESPN+
Pick: Miami-Ohio
Pick: Miami-Ohio
Central Michigan at Kentucky; 3:30, ESPNU
Pick: Kentucky
Pick: Kentucky
Northern Illinois at Iowa; 3:30, BTN
Pick: Iowa
Pick: Iowa
Washington State at Wyoming; 3:30, CBSSN: The Huskies are poised to take a step back this season and I like the Cowboys here at home.
Pick: Wyoming
Pick: Wyoming
UNLV at (15) USC; 4:00, Pac-12N
Pick: USC
Pick: USC
North Carolina at California; 4:00, FOX
Pick: California
Pick: California
UT-Martin at Missouri; 4:00, SECN
Pick: Missouri
Pick: Missouri
Eastern Illinois at Arkansas; 4:00, SECN
Pick: Arkansas
Pick: Arkansas
(22) Boise State at Troy; 6:00, ESPNEWS: Here we have two of the better Group Of 5 schools. The Broncos just have more talent and I like them in this spot on the road.
Pick: Boise State
Pick: Boise State
Old Dominion at Liberty; 6:00
Pick: Old Dominion
Pick: Old Dominion
Fordham at Charlotte; 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Charlotte
Pick: Charlotte
North Carolina A&T at East Carolina; 6:00, ESPN3
Pick: East Carolina
Pick: East Carolina
Elon at South Florida; 6:00, ESPN3
Pick: South Florida
Pick: South Florida
Richmond at Virginia; 6:00, ACCN
Pick: Virginia
Pick: Virginia
Delaware State at Buffalo; 6:00, ESPN3
Pick: Buffalo
SC State at Georgia Southern; 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Georgia Southern
Pick: Buffalo
SC State at Georgia Southern; 6:00, ESPN+
Pick: Georgia Southern
Grambling at Louisiana; 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Louisiana
Pick: Louisiana
VMI at Toledo; 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Toledo
Pick: Toledo
Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas State; 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Arkansas State
Pick: Arkansas State
Mercer at Memphis; 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Memphis
Pick: Memphis
Central Arkansas at Tulsa; 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Tulsa
Pick: Tulsa
Louisiana Tech at South Alabama; 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Louisiana Tech
Pick: Louisiana Tech
Jackson State at Southern Miss; 7:00, ESPN+
Pick: Southern Miss
Pick: Southern Miss
Cincinnati at UCLA; 7:00, ESPN: Chip Kelly's team won't be good this season, but they'll get a win in his debut.
Pick: UCLA
Pick: UCLA
Indiana at FIU; 7:00, CBSSN
Pick: Indiana
Pick: Indiana
Nicholls at Kansas; 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Kansas
Pick: Kansas
South Dakota at Kansas State; 7:00, ESPN3
Pick: Kansas State
Pick: Kansas State
(14) Michigan at (12) Notre Dame; 7:30, NBC: Here's the other game you can argue is the biggest of the weekend. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand in South Bend for the first time in six years and I expect the atmosphere to be ruckus. I absolutely love the Irish here at home in a low scoring, close game.
Pick: Notre Dame
Pick: Notre Dame
Charleston Southern at Florida; 7:30, SECN
Pick: Florida
Pick: Florida
Stephen F. Austin at Mississippi State; 7:30, ESPNU
Pick: Mississippi State
Pick: Mississippi State
Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt; 7:30, SECN
Pick: Vanderbilt
Pick: Vanderbilt
SMU at North Texas; 7:30
Pick: SMU
Pick: SMU
Northern Arizona at UTEP; 7:30, ESPN3
Pick: UTEP
Pick: UTEP
9/1- Louisville vs (1) Alabama (Orlando); 8:00, ABC: If Lamar Jackson was still the Cardinals quarterback, this game would have been more enticing. The Tide will be rolling big.
Pick: Alabama
Pick: Alabama
Bowling Green at (24) Oregon; 8:00, Pac-12N
Pick: Oregon
Pick: Oregon
Akron at Nebraska; 8:00, FOX
Pick: Nebraska
Pick: Nebraska
Abilene Christian at Baylor; 8:00
Pick: Baylor
Pick: Baylor
South Dakota State at Iowa State; 8:00
Pick: Iowa State
Pick: Iowa State
Incarnate Word at New Mexico; 8:00, ESPN3
Pick: New Mexico
Pick: New Mexico
Idaho at Fresno State; 10:00
Pick: Fresno State
Pick: Fresno State
UTSA at Arizona State; 10:30, FS1: I don't love this Sun Devils team or the hire of Herm Edwards, but they'll get a win here.
Pick: Arizona State
Pick: Arizona State
BYU at Arizona; 10:45, ESPN
Pick: Arizona
Navy at Hawaii (1-0; 1-0)- 11:00: The Rainbow Warriors pulled off a good upset last week over the Colorado State Rams, but I like the Midshipmen here on the road.
Pick: Navy
Sunday, September 2nd
Pick: Arizona
Navy at Hawaii (1-0; 1-0)- 11:00: The Rainbow Warriors pulled off a good upset last week over the Colorado State Rams, but I like the Midshipmen here on the road.
Pick: Navy
Sunday, September 2nd
(8) Miami vs (25) LSU (Arlington); 7:30, ABC: This should be a fun game between these two ranked teams. The Hurricanes have a chance to be a playoff team this season if things break right and I like them here to get a big neutral site win to kick off their season.
Pick: Miami
Monday, September 3rd
Pick: Miami
Monday, September 3rd
(20) Virginia Tech at (19) Florida State; 8:00, ESPN: This should be a fun ACC game to start the season. The Seminoles look to bounce back from a disastrous season a year ago and I like them to start the Willie Taggart era with a win.
Pick: Florida State
Pick: Florida State
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