Bias Free Poll (After Week 3)

Here is the bias-free college football top ten--free of preseason poll non sense and based on the play (and how I think) teams will play the rest of the season. Will try to do one every two weeks!

1. LSU
-The most impressive win of the season was their dismantling of Oregon in the opener. The defense is flat out nasty, and Jarrett Lee is doing just enough managing the game. They do have some tough games coming up with Auburn, Alabama, and Florida on the horizon.

2. Alabama
-Speaking of nasty defense...they rival LSU in that regard. The offense is more explosive as well, however we haven't seen them do it against a solid opponent as of yet. Their is still no consensus at QB, and Trent Richardson hasn't dominated the way many thought he would--which keeps them off of #1.

3. Oklahoma
- A really nice win on the road at Florida State. However, their offense hardly looked like the juggernaut it usually is. This seems to be a trend for their offense in big road games--it will be interesting to see if this continues. The defense looked very good against FSU, linebacker Tom Wort is a playmaker who brings the wood.

4. Oklahoma State
- Cowboys waited til almost dawn (weather delay) to handle tulsa rather easily. What isn't easy is stopping this offense. Justin Blackmon is been completely unstoppable and when you back off too far, Running Back Joseph Randle can break a big one. The defense is still a bit of a question mark but the offense may be enough to push this team past Oklahoma this year.

5. South Carolina
- This is not going to be popular, especially how surprisingly inconsistent their defense has been, but I'm a believer. The D should improve, and the O is better than any Spurrier has ever had at Carolina. Lattimore looks like the best and most complete back in the country, and Alshon Jeffrey looks like a top 15 pick at receiver. If Stephen Garcia stays consistent they should be in Atlanta again for the SEC Title game.

6. Wisconsin
- I am actually a little iffy on this. The defense is a concern--they seem to have lost a lot of energy without spark plug J.J. Watt. The offense is improved, even from last season, with more of a passing threat via the right arm of Russell Wilson. The O-line is still mauling people but as of now they do not look as explosive as last season. In a watered down Big Ten it might still be enough to get back to the Rose Bowl.

7. Florida
- New coach, new offense, no problem--so far. Brantley has hardly looked like a world beater at QB, but Weis' offense has him checking it down effectively to two of the fastest backs in the country (Demps and Rainey) and they are doing all the work. On defense they are frightening. The corner position is somewhat of a concern, but their front seven is rock solid and will keep them in almost every game.

8. Boise State
- I realize they are rated #4 in most human polls. However I look at all the teams ranked above them in this poll and ask myself...do I really think Boise State can beat them on a neutral field? Their win over Georgia was impressive...but they don't have the same kind of weapons offensively. The defense keeps chugging along, but I don't see Moore having the same amount of fire power he had last season. It may be enough for a perfect season and a BCS appearance though.

9. Oregon
- This is the only team on the list that has a loss. The Ducks faltered against LSU in week one, and since has scored at least 60 points in both games since. Until the Ducks do it consistently against a good defense, they will probably have to deal with the stigma forever. The offense just does not have the strength or size up front to compete with the top athletic defenses that you see in the SEC and at Oklahoma.

10. Stanford
- The Cardinal keep chugging along without Coach Harbaugh. Thanks to Coach/Player Andrew Luck. They have done a nice job pounding the ball with Stephfon Taylor at running back to keep defenses honest, and Chris Owusu is a receiver that will be playing on Sundays. Looking forward--this team could be in some trouble. Star linebacker Shayne Skov is out for the remainder of the season, he's the Andrew Luck of the defense. That will be hard to overcome once they get into the meat of the Pac 12 schedule.


Just Missed the cut: Texas A&M, Florida State, Arkansas, Virginia Tech

Strike the Pose
1. Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina
2. Kellen Moore QB Boise State
3. Andrew Luck QB Stanford
4. Landry Jones QB Oklahoma
5. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State

College Football 2011

In this I will post my predictions for the winners of each BCS conference as well as who will be playing in the BCS games.

After about 2 weeks I will also release my top ten (free of bias or preseason poll bs).

ACC- Virginia Tech
-I've seen this movie before--everyone on Florida State's bandwagon. What's different this time is a head coach. I think FSU will be solid--maybe even top 10. However VT has a fluff schedule. They have an amazing chance to go undefeated even with losing QB Tyrod Taylor and RBs Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. Their new QB, Logan Thomas (a physical specimen btw) has his toughest road test is at Georgia Tech. Yeah, nothing too challenging. They could contend for a BCS title berth because of them running the table.

Big East- South Florida
-I got the Bulls as the only team from Florida heading to the BCS. Not because they are the best team (in fact I still think they are the 4th best in Florida) but because the Big East is such hot garbage. They get the top preseason contender, West Virginia, in Tampa to end the year. And their toughest road trips are to Rutgers and Pitt in conference. Also, keep an eye on them to give Notre Dame a run for their money in the opener.

Big Ten (twelve)- Ohio State
-The Badgers look like the most complete team in the conference--especially with the addition of Russell Wilson but they get fellow division (I'm not saying legends or leaders division because I honestly don't know) opponents Michigan State and Ohio State away from home. Ohio State gets pretty much every tough game at home. Overall I think they could struggle to start the season--but they get talent back after the suspensions in the form of Mike Adams, DeVier Posey, Brandon Saine, and others. I think the Buckeyes handle the Spartans in the Big Ten Title game.

Big 12 (ten)- Oklahoma
-Nothing earth shattering here as they are the preseason number one by most publications. The Big 12 actually got tougher in my opinion. While they would play everyone in the South division regardless, they will now also have to play teams like Missouri and Kansas State every year as well. And no longer is Baylor a walkover. However, this team has just wayyy too much talent and I don't think Texas has come back enough yet to make a serious challenge to the Sooners crown. Landry Jones is an intriguing heisman candidate.

Pac 12- Oregon
-I don't think Oregon will go undefeated...in fact I see them losing to both LSU and Stanford. However I see the Cardinal faltering in other games outside of their home tilt with the Ducks, pushing Oregon into the Pac 12 Title Game. Darron Thomas and LaMichael James should be a dynamic combo again, and look out for freshman DeAnthony Thomas (electric speed) to have an impact on the offense as well.

SEC- Alabama
-Hands down, Bama is the best team in the nation. Their defense which was down by Saban's standards returns 10 of their 11 starters and they may actually be better at QB with both A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims competing for the gig. Also, they have this guy named Trent Richardson--maybe you have heard of him--who had he been eligible would have been the first back taken in the last NFL draft. Add up getting LSU and Arkansas at home this season and the Tide are my favorite not just to win the SEC but also the crystal ball in New Orleans at the end of the year.

BCS Bowl Projections
National Title: Alabama vs. Virginia Tech
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Ohio State
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Nebraska
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Texas A&M
Orange Bowl: South Florida vs. Boise State

2011 NFL Season Projections

Yep. I am back. And it's that time. You may recall I successfully predicted the Green Bay Packers to win the Super Bowl prior to last season. Here's the evidence.

Here are my predictions for the 2011 NFL Season

AFC
East: Patriots
North: Steelers
South: Texans
West: Chargers
Wild Cards: Jets and Ravens

NFC
East: Eagles
North: Packers
South: Falcons
West: Rams
Wild Cards: Saints and Lions (yep!)

AFC Title: New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers
NFC Title: New Orleans Saints over Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl: New England Patriots over New Orleans Saints

NFL MVP: Phillip Rivers QB San Diego

Off. Player of the Yr: Calvin Johnson WR Lions

Def Player of the Yr: Ed Reed S Ravens

Coach of the Yr: Jim Schwartz Lions

Off Rookie of Yr: Julio Jones WR Falcons

Def Rookie of Yr: Corey Liuget DL Chargers

Comeback Player: Plaxico Burress WR Jets

First Coach Fired: Tony Sparano Dolphins

Breakout Off Player: Mike Wallace WR Steelers

Breakout Def Player: B.J. Raji DT Packers

Biggest Surprise: Detroit Lions

Biggest Disappointment: Chicago Bears

Winner of the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes: Seattle Seahawks

My Advice

Yo Lance Armstrong--just admit you did it. This is now the 80790th person to come out and say that Armstrong cheated. Just give it up, name one person accused who has actually been innocent...(crickets)...yeah. It's sad that so many of this generations heroes are becoming tarnished.

Hey David Stern--why is game 3 of the Bulls-Heat series not til Sunday? Game 2 was Wednesday. Maybe if we are taking a chariot from Chicago to Miami the amount of travel time allotted could be proper. Yet then they play again on Tuesday night for Game 4...what? The NBA is weird.

Attention NHL--keep doing what you're doing. The overall NHL playoffs have kicked the ever-loving crap out of the NBA playoffs this year. You can pretty much just watch the fourth quarter of any NBA game to get the result. An NBA game is two teams going on runs, allowed by the refs, and is only a blowout if one team quits.

Oh New York Yankees, I don't know what you did to inspire Bartolo Colon to pitch the way he has. Maybe a box of Krispy Kremes for every quality start he throws but damn. Either way, applause to the evil empire for this move.

Oklahoma City Thunder I have some advice for you...trade Russell Westbrook this offseason. Why? As these playoffs have told he is not capable of being a complimentary player, in fact the thunder determined they had a better chance of winning with him on the bench last night and Eric Maynor running point (and it worked). Tell the Magic you want Dwight Howard and tell them to take any three to four players off your roster aside from Durant. Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, and a 1st round pick for Howard (who will not be returning to Orlando long term)? Might work out well for both teams.

Mother Nature--stop raining.

CBS--kill yourself for letting Gus Johnson leave to Fox Sports. 

That's all the advice for this week.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

You know what really grinds my gears?

-LeBron James finally toppled the Celtics. Only he needed to team up with 2 other "stars" to do so. While that grinds my gears, what really grinds my gears is him on one knee after the game, emotional as if he just won the NBA title--heck as if he had just saved the world. Yet the Heat still need to win 8 games to win a title. LeBron, the world still hates you..."sidekiccckkkk, sidekicccckkkk".

-The NFL is unable to split 9 billion dollars of revenue. Here's my solution, players you get 3.5, owners you get 4. The rest of the 1.5 billion is split evenly between a fund for former players and to pay back the god damn ticket licenses that some season ticket holders must buy just to have a CHANCE to buy tickets.

-The NBA referees. They suck. You often hear during a game, well he would have gotten that call if they were at home. What? Why the hell should it matter if the game is played in Boston, Miami, or in the damn Atlantic Ocean?! A foul is a foul. I don't care if it's Game 7 of the Finals or a freakin' preseason game between the Warriors and Raptors. The refs single-handedly cost the Nuggets two games against the Thunder--and the other night in a game between the Bulls and Hawks whistled a foul on the Hawks...yet decided, "shit we want this series to go as long as possible, nevermind inadvertent whistle no foul and we are gunna have a jump ball". What a joke.

-The public now realizing that at about 90% of big-time NCAA football schools rule breaking and improper benefits occur. Yeah--it's been happening since teams started getting 2+ million dollars for making a BCS bowl game. It's called being worth it! Look USC got slapped by the NCAA. Supposedly "vacating" wins to those seasons--but unless the NCAA has a mind-erasing technique from the Men in Black anyone who watched the damn games doesn't forget. And shocker, Auburn paid players. Shocker, Ohio State players got cars. Oh. My. God. Wake up and smell the coffee--just give the players a damn stipend and be done with it.

-Gregg Zaun. Aside from watching the Red Sox look like utter "histalort" (a swear in a different language that I learned from someone from Denmark) I had to listen to Gregg freakin Zaun announce along side Don Orsillo in the booth. Now, I've always found Remy's pronunciation of Pedroia as "Pedroiar" as annoying. However Zaun was the worst I have ever heard. And I announced in the NECBL this summer where this girl was the actual version of Monty from Major League..."Flyball...caught".

-Student loans. Count to three. Yep, the government just spent about 10x what yours and mine student loans cost. Why should I pay back? The government isn't going too.

-The upcoming NBA Draft. It sucks. I'm supposed to be excited about a potential top 3 picks of Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, and Jonas Valancuinas? Oh, but maybe they will fall and Jan Vesely and Brandon Knight can go in the top 5. Christ.

And that's what really grinds my gears.

AFC West Draft Grades

Denver Broncos Grade: C
Best Pick: Round 2 Rahim Moore S UCLA

I am in the vast minority that doesn't like the Von Miller pick. He is a project as a 4-3 OLB and that's way too much money to invest in a number two pick. Also, Orlando Franklin was maybe the 4th best lineman for the Miami Hurricanes this past season...I don't think that equates to a 2nd round pick. On the other hand, Rahim Moore is a ball hawk in the secondary and should be a great addition. Also, got to love Nate Irving, a tough hard-nose inside linebacker. Quinton Carter should also help at safety, and Jeremy Beal was thought by some to be a 1st-2nd round pick at the start of the year. He fell all the way to the 7th round--so good value.

Kansas City Chiefs Grade: C
Best Pick: Round 2 Rodney Hudson OG Florida State

Jonathan Baldwin was a terrible reach by the Chiefs. Athletically, he's impressive, but when you watch him play...yuck. He is consistently seen giving up on plays. Hudson should be a really nice addition, he was a 3-time All-ACC lineman. Justin Houston could be a nice pick and provide some pressure opposite Tamba Hali. Allen Bailey is an athletic freak who with proper coaching could become a beast at this level. Ricky Stanzi is a solid QB--I think when you look at him, think Gus Frerotte is the best comparison.

Oakland Raiders Grade: D
Best Pick: Round 2 Stefan Wisniewski OL Penn State

It's no stretch to say that Wisniewski was the Raiders best pick. He's a tough lineman who will be a Raider (much like his uncle was) for a long time. However after that...there's not much. They reached for former Miami CB DeMarcus Van Dyke who has great speed, but that speed never translated to the field and making plays. The only other pick that was notable was Joseph Barksdale who has the measureables to be a very good tackle in the league...whether it happens is yet to be seen.

San Diego Chargers Grade: B
Best Pick: Corey Liuget DL Illinois

Liuget was a legit pick by the Chargers. In a year that is full of lineman, this guy may be the best suited to be a 3-4 end. Him and Luis Castillo could be a scary combination for years to come. Besides that I look at Vincent Brown, who was an extremely productive at San Diego St. and who would know better than the home town team? Also, their pick of Jordan Todman could go overlooked, but even though he's a very small back...he compliments what they already have very well. Mathews, Sproles, Hester, Tolbert, and now Todman give them a plethora of options in the backfield.

AFC South Draft Grades

Houston Texans Grade: B+
Best Pick: Round 1 J.J. Watt DL Wisconsin

The Texans knew what their weakness was...their defense. They addressed it with their first three picks. Watt will an end in their new 3-4 and Brooks Reed they hope will bring some pressure off the edge. Also, being one of the worst pass defenses it couldn't hurt to add a corner. Brandon Harris is a guy who plays bigger than his size and he could end up being a steal for the Texans where they got him. How the heck was QB T.J. Yikes (I mean Yates) selected?!

Indianapolis Colts Grade: A-
Best Pick: Round 3 Drake Nevis DT LSU

The only reason this isn't a complete A is because of the lack of picks they had. Their first round pick Anthony Castonzo finally gives Manning a dependable tackle to work with after the Charlie Johnson/Tony Uguo experiment went a muck. Also, Ben Ijalana is a small school prospect who should end up really helping at guard. My favorite pick was Drake Nevis. He stood out when you watched LSU, but did not test well at the combine. He is the Colts kind of DT, smaller, quicker and can get some cheap sacks with the attention Freeney and Mathis receive.

Jacksonville Jaguars Grade: C
Best Pick: Round 3 Will Rackley OG Lehigh

Let me just say that I may be wrong (I have been before) but Blaine Gabbert is not a franchise QB. I think, with time he can play in this league, but he really struggled in late game situations and didn't even stand out in a spread passing offense at Missouri. Will Rackley is a guy I've seen a lot of, and I think he will be a starter in this league. Cecil Shorts, a WR from Mount Union was extremely productive and has drawn comparison to former Mount Union receiver Pierre Garcon. Just not a really good draft for the Jags.

Tennessee Titans Grade: B-
Best Pick: Round 2 Akeem Ayers LB UCLA

Jake Locker is another questionable pick. This was NOT the draft to find a franchise QB. Akeem Ayers on the other hand was a great choice by the Titans. He's a guy I see as a future pro-bowler and someone we will look back on this draft with as a, 'how the heck did he fall that far? Jurell Casey can play DT, he was highly touted out of high school but really underachieved at USC. And then they did the opposite and drafted all effort defensive lineman Karl Klug from Iowa. Not a bad draft if you take away Locker.