Week 15 NFL Panel

The year is dwindling down and the "Cazmanian Devil's" grip on the lead seems too much for anyone to overcome. Can "The Rob" make a last minute push?

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Week 13 NFL Panel

Five weeks left and every gap is closing. 1st place may belong to Rick Caswell for a few more weeks, but a few more last place finishes will erase that quickly. It may help him that everyone's picks are getting very similar as the picture of who is legit and who isn't gets clearer.



P.S. No pictures because I left the file on another computer. It's not as pretty but it gets the job done.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 119-57

Jon Saia: 114-62

Bob Schreiner: 113-63

Rob Jentsch: 113-63

Kristina Rukavina: 109-67

Bobby Schreiner: 108-68

Katie Noone: 103-73

 

 

Jolly Roger Sports On Hiatus Till the New Year

In an attempt to revamp the blog and possibly finding a new host website, we'll be taking a break until the new year. I didn't want to do it during football season, but it will be nice to hopefully make the blog a little better and hopefully create more exposure.

While we're away, I will continue to post our NFL Panel since my panelists have decided to continue sending in their picks. I may throw a post up every now and again just for the heck of it, but don't expect to see too much for a little while.

In the meantime, I'd also like to add writers so please feel free to contact us if you'd like to come on board. You do not have to write about Pittsburgh sports. I will help you in creating a new blog to write about your favorite team and/or sports.

So to everyone, have a happy holiday season and hopefully we will be back sooner rather than later.

Thanks for all of your support!


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Week 12 NFL Panel and Happy Thanksgiving!

Not much changed last week as everyone went either 9-5 or 10-4. This week we could have some movement although you won't see hardly any today.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 108-52

Jon Saia: 102-58

Bob Schreiner: 102-58

Rob Jentsch: 101-59

Kristina Rukavina: 98-62

Bobby Schreiner: 95-65

Katie Noone: 90-70

 

 

Week 11 NFL Panel

Rick Caswell added to his already growing lead and now a three way tie for second will have to be settled. This week that may be tough though with six panelists picking the same team in nearly every game.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 98-48

Jon Saia: 92-54

Bob Schreiner: 92-54

Rob Jentsch: 92-54

Kristina Rukavina: 88-58

Bobby Schreiner: 85-61

Katie Noone: 81-65

 

 

 

 

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Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

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Around the NFL: Who dey? Still the Bungals

I used that title only because it's a clever play on the Bengals most popular (albeit ridiculous) saying, but this team showed that they can hang with the top dogs in their loss against the Steelers. Even though I predict that they'll lose next week to the Ravens, they'll make it a game and maybe even pull a big win out. And the Steelers deserve credit for a good win, although I again feel they could have pulled away quickly and won this game going away. Nonetheless, the Steelers now lead in the AFC North and it may just be a three horse race down the stretch. I'll allow you to contemplate that as we go around the NFL.

STEELERS 24, Bengals 17

• The hurry up offense once again proved capable of making big things happen for the Steelers. Why? Because Ben Roethlisberger calls his own plays. Bruce Arians has done much better (or maybe has just been much less stubborn) this season, but there's no denying that Roethlisberger has a much better feel of the game than Arians does. Ben loves him and trusts him, so I can't understand why the Steelers don't trust Ben more.

• The defense wasn't perfect this week, but William Gay played spectacularly adding credence to the fact that he has become a solid starting cornerback option. He accounted for both Steelers interceptions and the one that he caught practically sealed the deal.

• The Steelers forced turnovers and won fairly easily. If they can find ways to force more, they'll be Super Bowl bound again.

• Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown have to be one of the best wide receiving tandems in the NFL, if not the best. When Emmanuel Sanders gets back, you can add him to the group with Hines Ward, Jerricho Cotchery, and Heath Miller and you may have the best group of pass catchers in the NFL as well.

• The Steelers are back on top of the AFC North and I believe that's where they'll finish this season thanks to help from the Seattle Seahawks this week.

Around the NFL

• The Oakland Raiders took control of the AFC West with a win over the always overrated San Diego Chargers. Meanwhile, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos optioned their way into a tie for second place with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Right now, it's impossible to predict who will win this division, but it may be more likely than not that eight wins does the trick. It would have been crazy to think before the season that a team led by Tim Tebow, Carson Palmer, or Tyler Palko would have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year...?

• The Houston Texans thrashed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and took over the top seed in the AFC. Now, Matt Leinart will have to take over for the injured Matt Schaub and that could be extremely devastating. They may still make the playoffs, but there is no way that they earn a first round bye with Leinart leading them. I've seem him play with Larry Fitzgerald and that didn't go so well, so I highly doubt that playing with Andre Johnson will make him any better.

• The Indianapolis Colts lost again in one of the few remaining games that people will give them a chance. This team should not be this bad, but I'm starting to think that they'll be our second 0-16 team in NFL history.

• The Buffalo Bills-Dallas Cowboys game is one of those that make you wonder which was the real story: The Bills fading this quickly or the Cowboys heating up at the right time. I won't begin to guess, but both need to keep winning to stay in contention through November.

• Well Rex Grossman got a chance to start for the Washington Redskins again, but it didn't change too much. I still think he's the right option, but it doesn't really matter anymore as they dwell in the cellar of the NFC East.

• Again I ask: John Skelton or Kevin Kolb for the Arizona Cardinals?

• The decision to go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 29 in overtime was ill-advised by Mike Smith and the Atlanta Falcons. I realize that they should have the ability to get that first down, but even if they do they're still on their own side of the field and far from guaranteed any points. It's actually more likely that they don't get into scoring position than it is that they do. The New Orleans Saints were stoppable, but not from the Falcons 29. That was a silly mistake. One that may cost the Falcons a shot at the playoffs.

• The Tennessee Titans blowing out the Carolina Panthers isn't exactly impressive, but it could be an extremely important win now that Matt Leinart is the quarterback in Houston. All of a sudden this team has more than a legitimate shot at making some noise.

• The Baltimore Ravens have won two Super Bowls this season and it won't matter if they can't keep their emotions in check. This team has two erroneous losses to teams that they are better than and that could be what keeps them from going deep in January. I really can't take this team seriously.

• The San Francisco 49ers are very for real. There lack of quarterback production has to ultimately do them in, but they can't be pushed aside as an afterthought after a tough win over the New York Giants.

• I think the Detroit Lions are starting to really show their true colors. They remain ahead of the Chicago Bears temporarily after their blowout loss this week, but I don't think it will stay that way.

• The New England Patriots aren't what they used to be and I find myself doubting if they will be again anytime soon. However, they remain the best team in the AFC East as evidenced by their fairly easy victory over the New York Jets.

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Week 11 College Football Roundup: Pitt and WVU Still Alive?, PSU Starts Recovery Process

PITT 24, Louisville 17
- To no surprise Pitt showed up this week and now, thanks to a Wets Virginia win over Cincinnati, again have an outside chance at a Big East title. I pretty much wrote them off last week as we all hoped they'd at least become bowl eligible, but another co-Big East title isn't unrealistic anymore even if a BCS bowl berth is.

- Pitt definitely tried to lose this game though didn't they. Just as they always do, they kept it exciting until the last minute even with several chances to put the game away. If this team protected the ball better, especially in the clutch, they'd be the team we all thought they would be this season.

- I've become a fan of Tino Sunseri in the spread offense, but one thing still remains nonexistent and that is the deep ball. The only thing lacking from this offense is the ability to recover from 2nd and long and 3rd and long situations. Pitt doesn't even pretend that they want to take those chances anymore and that is a bit disconcerting. On 3rd and long, even if Tino just throws the ball up for grabs, it's as good as one of those pooch punts that fans hate so much.






- Pitt has really had some players turn into defensive stars. You could point to literally about half of the defense as some of the best at their positions in the NCAA. If Brandon Lindsey returned to his 2010 form, that defensive line would be unstoppable.

WEST VIRGINIA 24, Cincinnati 21
- I was really surprised that West Virginia pulled this win off even after Zach Collaros left the game. They've played poorly for quite some time now, but they did what they had to do this week.

- I really think that West Virginia doesn't deserve to be ranked, but they are again this week after beating ranked Cincinnati. However, there is no way Southern Mississippi deserves to be ranked either so I suppose it could be worse.



Nebraska 17, PENN STATE 14






- I don't think Penn State played any differently this week than they would have with or without the scandal. The defense played well, the offense struggled, and they almost came up with just enough plays to come out with a victory.

- In any case, it was inspiring to see the scandal, the one that these current players had nothing to do with, seemingly not affect them. Would it have affected me if I was in their shoes? I don't know, but we've seem teams respond much worse to tragedies.

DUQUESNE 29, Sacred Heart 15

Wagner 38, ROBERT MORRIS 17

Week 11 Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia Preview

It's been a while since I've done one of these for several reasons, but it's back and hopefully it will be here for the remainder of the season.

Things I'll be looking for this week:

Pitt at Louisville:

• More quality play from Tino Sunseri  - He's done well thus far without Ray Graham, and I expect him to continue to show why Pitt may yet be a contender for big things next season.

• Better pass catching - The receivers' hands have been an issue all season and just when it looked like the problem had been corrected, they've had some bad drops lately. That needs to continue to change.

• Strong defense - Louisville isn't the best offensive team in the world and I think Pitt's defense has done extremely well considering the cards that they've been dealt. This week I think they'll do just fine yet again.

• A Pitt victory - Pitt should have won the game last week and there's no way they should be 4-5 this season. But, of course, you are only as good as your record. It's a shame that this season has all but gone down the tubes, but Pitt can start their bowl-salvaging efforts this week with a big conference win.

Penn State at Nebraska:

• Only football - The events that have taken place are sickening to me. I'm not talking about Jerry Sandusky's alleged acts either. Right now, I only meant the acts that we saw unfold during the week. The Joe Paterno firing, the Mike McQueary leave of absence, and everything else that has occurred have done nothing but make me furious this past week. It would wonderful to see Penn State play an inspired game and win one for Joe Paterno and their university.

• The status quo - As much as it will be horrible to watch a Penn State game that does not include Joe Paterno with his team in one capacity or another, I think that with the rest of the coaching staff remaining intact, Penn State will be the same team we've seen all season and maybe even stronger. Bradley has been calling most of the shots anyway, so why would the team look any different than they have.

West Virginia at Cincinnati:

• A Cincinnati win - To be perfectly honest, there isn't much to talk about in this game. This could have been a huge one but now, Cincinnati has looked great, West Virginia has looked bad and I don't see there being many surprises. Maybe West Virginia will play inspired enough to give themselves a chance to come back and win the Big East conference.

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Week 11 College Football Predictions

Week 1 Picks: 14-11-0

Week 2 Picks: 14-20-2

Week 3 Picks: 15-25-0

Week 4 Picks: 17-22-1

Week 5 Picks: 19-23-0

Week 6 Picks: 20-22-0

Week 7 Picks: 7-9-0

Week 8 Picks: 18-21-0

Week 9 Picks: 23-24-0

Week 10 Picks: 24-23-0
 

Season to Date: 171-200-3

Top 25: 81-77-2

Big East: 18-21-0

Big Ten: 23-31-0

Everything Else: 67-92-1

29			17
24			23
28			38
24			10
20			13

Here are my predictions against the spread for all of the week's games listed on Bodog.eu as of Friday afternoon:

PITT +3 over Louisville

#23 Cincinnati -3.5 over West Virginia

#12 Penn State +3.5 over #19 Nebraska

Top 25

Western Kentucky +42 over #1 LSU

#2 Oklahoma State -19 over Texas Tech

#3 Alabama -18.5 over Mississippi State

#4 Stanford -3.5 over #7 Oregon

TCU +16 over #5 Boise State

Tennessee +15 over #8 Arkansas

#9 Clemson -17 over Wake Forest

#12 Penn State +3.5 over #19 Nebraska

#13 South Carolina -3.5 over Florida

#14 Kansas State +5 over Texas A&M

#20 Auburn +13 over #15 Georgia

#16 Texas -1.5 over Missouri

#17 Michigan State -3 over Iowa

#18 Wisconsin -27.5 over Minnesota

#22 Southern Mississippi -9 over Central Florida
#23 Cincinnati -3.5 over West Virginia

#24 Michigan -1 over Illinois

#25 Baylor -20.5 over Kansas

Big East

#23 Cincinnati -3.5 over West Virginia

Pitt +3 over Louisville 

Syracuse +3 over South Florida
Rutgers -8 over Army

Big Ten

#12 Penn State +3.5 over #19 Nebraska

#17 Michigan State -3 over Iowa

#18 Wisconsin -27.5 over Minnesota

#24 Michigan -1 over Illinois

Northwestern -17 over Rice

Ohio State -7.5 over Purdue

Everything Else

Tulsa -19 over Marshall

Kentucky +13.5 over Vanderbilt

North Carolina State -2 over Boston College

Eastern Michigan -3.5 over Buffalo

Troy -8 over North Texas

Kent State -6 over Akron

Air Force -17 over Wyoming

Colorado +10 over Arizona

Duke +10 over Virginia

Utah State -10 over San Jose State

Arkansas State -11 over Louisiana-Lafayette

SMU -8.5 over Navy

Florida State -9 over Miami

Louisiana-Monroe -6 over Middle Tennessee State

USC -11.5 over Washington

San Jose State -8.5 over Idaho

UAB -5 over Memphis

San Diego State -13.5 over Colorado State

Florida International -17.5 over Florida Atlantic

California -9 over Oregon State

Utah -7 over UCLA

Mississippi +3 over Louisiana Tech

Notre Dame -21 over Maryland

Fresno State -7 over New Mexico State

East Carolina +4 over UTEP
BYU -21 over Idaho

UNLV -7 over New Mexico

Nevada -16 over Hawaii

Arizona State -11.5 over Washington State 

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NFL Week 10 Panel

Rick Caswell took a commanding lead atop the leaderboard last week with a surprising ten wins in a week where four of our panelists didn't get more right than they got wrong. Meanwhile, the rest of our cast remained pretty much status quo. This week was an extremely tough week to make picks and it shows with only three games winners' picked unanimously in a full sixteen game week. Maybe we'll see some movement this week.

STANDINGS:

Rick Caswell: 89-41

Jon Saia: 86-44

Bob Schreiner: 84-46

Rob Jentsch: 84-46

Bobby Schreiner: 78-52

Kristina Rukavina: 78-52

Katie Noone: 70-60

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Say It Ain't So Joe

This was not the way it was supposed to end. Joe Paterno was supposed to leave Penn State on his terms, not anyone else's. I think anyone that is a fan of Penn State, or even people who aren't fans, always wished that his final season would end with him being carried off the field as the winning coach in a national championship game. While that was the hope, it was unlikely. People feared that he would be cast out by the administration after a miserable season whether it be this year, the next, or the year after. Everyone would have talked of how the icon held on too long, how he was too old, but his legacy would always be untarnished, squeaky clean. But it was not meant to be.

Now, Joe has announced his retirement because of the scandal that has rocked everyone's world. Nobody saw this coming, not even Penn State. It's quite a shame that this is what we're left with. And I'm furious.

In the perfect scenario for following the old adage, "be careful what you wish for," I got my wish and now I'll get to see Joe Paterno walking away after this year. Only now, I wish it weren't so.

The media again has shown their awesome power, sticking pins into their Penn State voodoo doll, tearing the Penn State program down piece by piece just so they have their big story. Consumers of television coverage and newspaper articles only know as much as they see on television and they've fallen into the trap that the media has laid out yet again. Like a fly in a spider's web, the people have entrapped themselves, fighting to get out before becoming entrenched beyond saving.

Nobody is asking questions, but I will. I have to. I cannot stand the absurdity of this story any longer. So here are some questions and comments that I'd like to see the answers to, and I'd love for you to all help me out in answering them.

• First of all, are we not innocent until proven guilty? Yes, I think that the accusations are true, however, Jerry Sandusky still has not been tried in a court of law. I find it ridiculous that others should suffer until we know if all of this is even true or not.

• How did Penn State's higher-ups not know about this? Even if there was a cover-up, someone with the highest power at the university would have found out and this would have come out much sooner. How did none of the parents know? Every single kid didn't tell them? Nonsense. Nobody, especially multiple 8, 9, 10-year olds, keep secrets from their parents that well.

• A lot of people think Joe Paterno should have done more. Are you serious? He reported the wrongdoing to his boss! What more do you want the guy to do? And if you say, "Joe Paterno is the boss," you're only listening to what others are saying. Penn State FOOTBALL is Joe Paterno's pride and glory. He is not responsible for wrongdoing on the campus though.

• Sandusky was not a Penn State football employee at the time of the first reported offense by Mike McQueary.  This further takes Joe Paterno's responsibility away. It's not as if Sandusky was a current coach and JoePa could have said, "Hey we're going to have to fire you." There was nothing Paterno could do one way or the other. 

• Mike McQueary may be at fault for not reporting the incident to police, however, at 28 he was still just a kid in the coaching world. He did report the incident to his superior, and yes, he also did what was required of him. Put yourself in his shoes. You see one of your bosses doing something that you deem inappropriate. How would you react? Do you even know? We could all say, "I'd go in and stop it," but how many of us truly would? Have you ever seen a man yelling at a woman in public or vice-versa? How about a kid being hit by his parent? If I did, I'd put a stop to it. And that makes me a hypocrite. I've seen both happen and didn't do a damn thing. I'm betting you've all walked right past similar situations as well. Why do we do that? Because we're scared. If you saw a co-worker doing something illegal, wouldn't you tell your boss? Would you try to stop it? If Jerry Sandusky is as sick as it appears he is, who knows what else he'd be capable of. What if he had a weapon? Fear is what makes us walk away and Mike McQueary was a scared young man. Let's not forget that he didn't just blow the incident off. He reported it to his boss and we need to commend him for that, not tear him down.

• As for Tim Curley, the Penn State AD, I do believe he could have done more, but let's put ourselves in his shoes as well. You are the AD of a prestigious school, a school that has never been accused of wrongdoing. Your head football coach comes to you and says a graduate assistant saw Sandusky doing something inappropriate with a child. Now we know that this is the first time this type of thing has ever been document according to the grand jury testimony. This means that the AD must base all of his decisions off of an isolated incident and the only form of evidence he has is hearsay. He went on to take away Sandusky's keys to the facility and banned him from having children on campus. That actually almost seems harsh considering that it was simply a rumor from a GA's mouth that got him basically banned from using the facilities.

• In 1998, police were alerted to possible wrongdoing by Sandusky, and no criminal charges were brought against him. So even had the cops been involved, there is no guarantee that anything would have been done.

• Onto this Second Mile charity. The charity is for children with absent or dysfunctional families. So for the parents of these kids to complain about these adults that "didn't act like adults" is despicable. They weren't there for their children, but now they want to bitch and moan that their kids were hurt, when they, themselves, weren't capable of raising said child? That is disgusting. More at fault than ANYONE in this, is the parents that subjected their children to their own incapabilities as parents. In 2007, a child was staying overnight at Sandusky's house. Did something happen? Most likely, and it's because that parent allowed that to happen.

Before you blame these people of wrongdoing and having a moral obligation, put yourself in your shoes. Ask yourself what you would do. And don't just blurt out the first thing that comes into your head. REALLY think about it, because my guess is you'll react a lot differently than you think. 

So please, as you watch Sportscenter and you watch these events unfold, be objective. Don't be blinded by what the media says and does on television. Conjure up an opinion of your own for once. And make sure that while you're watching TV or reading your newspaper, you have your badge ready and your name tag on that says Detective (insert your name here), because you never know when someone will expect you to play a cop too.


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Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

 

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Around the NFL: Beat the Ravens, Nevermore

Wow... I'm not always right, but I hit nail precisely on the head on this whole perception issue. The Steelers came into the week as the league's second best team in most people's eyes. They enter week ten as a lesser team than the Ravens. The same Ravens who were on the brink of being written off after a loss to the lowly Jaguars, and barely beating the incapable Cardinals, are again one of the top teams in the league. It's amazing how quickly opinions can change. So as the Steelers start their climb back towards the top, let's go around the NFL.

Ravens 26, STEELERS 23

• I have to admit, I thought the Steelers had finally figured it out. I thought that they would finally become the unstoppable team that so many of their fans know they can be. For years, the Steelers have frustrated fans with more than capable personnel used in inexplicable schemes. Last week, the Steelers got it right, becoming the team that will throw 50 times to beat you if that's what it takes instead of forcing the run. Offensively it could have been worse, but defensively Dick LeBeau went back to the defensive approach that has irked me and others for so long. The Ravens used a New England Patriots style offense and the Steelers never adjusted back to the defense that worked so well for them last week. I have no idea why, but I've been asking that question for years. You'll win a lot, you'll lose a few, I guess that's what we're stuck with.

• Officiating didn't cost the Steelers the game, but I'd be remiss if I didn't go there. First of all, the defensive pass interference call on the winning touchdown may have technically been correct, but William Gay only needed to grab Torrey Smith because Smith pushed off of Gay first, and then when Gay grabbed Smith, Smith pushed off a second time. It is very frustrating when the deciding touchdown is scored because of a botched penalty. But, I'd also be remiss if I wasn't at least somewhat objective and say, in all fairness, that the opening play of the game was a bad holding call as well. You'll recall Ray Rice running 76 yards for a score only to have it come all the way back on a nitpicky holding call at best. Of course, throw in the personal foul non-call on Ray Lewis, and the actual personal foul called on Ryan Clark, and you just have an overall horribly officiated game. The first I've seen in quite a while which is a credit to the referees this season.

• Back to the defensive scheme now. It was a really poor gameplan and the Steelers never seemed to adjust. Why the Steelers stubbornly trot out the same defense (and offense) when it is obviously not working, makes little to no sense to me. 

• I'm not necessarily against the Steelers decision to punt the ball from the Ravens 29, however, the obvious lack of trust in kicker Shaun Suisham is a bit disconcerting. First of all, I do trust the guy kicking the ball. I know I'm one of the few, but he hasn't really proven that he's incapable. But, those three points would have given the Steelers an overtime ballgame at worst. If Mike Tomlin doesn't believe in him, wouldn't it just be better to sign a different kicker? Maybe Jeff Reed, baggage and all?

• This week Ben Roethlisberger became the second fastest ever to 25,000 passing yards. Right behind Kurt Warner and right ahead of Johnny Unitas, if you were wondering. Not bad for a guy whose defense and running game has carried him to two Super Bowls...

Around the NFL

• I'm very surprised at the outcome of the New York Jets-Buffalo Bills game. It's not surprise at the fact that the Jets won. I thought the Bills would win, but it was far from a lock. It's more of a surprise that the Jets basically manhandled the Bills. It seems like Buffalo may be coming back to Earth. I won't be the first to say it, but I'd have trouble arguing against it.

• Don't ask me what happened to the Kansas City Chiefs. Many predicted the Miami Dolphins would win, but I didn't think it would be close. I was half right, but it was the winless Dolphins that came through with their first win of 2011. And Matt Moore had the highest total QBR for the week. Maybe they've decided they're okay without drafting Andrew Luck?

• The Indianapolis Colts lost. This one was not a shocker... With every loss, Peyton Manning's career in Indianapolis gets shorter.

• I thought the Seattle Seahawks had something going a little bit after their shutout loss to the Steelers, but it appears I was wrong. 

• The San Francisco 49ers won again against the Washington Redskins. It's another win against a not-so-stellar opponent so I'm still of the thinking the 49ers aren't that great, but they're almost in the playoffs already, so I'll give them as good a shot to win it all as anyone else right now.

• The New Orleans Saints bounced back from a bad loss against the St. Louis Rams with a win over a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. I have a feeling they'll be tough to beat in any game the rest of the season.

• I get a lot wrong. A whole lot. But did I have it right about Tim Tebow? Come on. Give me some love. You know you want to. The Denver Broncos went to a Florida Gators-esque offense, just as I said they should, and look what happened. Tim Tebow may not be able to win forever like that, but the Broncos will have a fighting chance this year especially being only a game out of the division lead.

• The poor Oakland Raiders. Jason Campbell hasn't been placed on IR yet right?

• The Cincinnati Bengals are for real. They may not make the playoffs. They may get killed by the Steelers this week. But the Bengals aren't going to go away quietly, if at all.

• Just asking but Carson Palmer or Andy Dalton?

• Just asking but Kevin Kolb or John Skelton in Arizona?

• The San Diego Chargers still suck. Yes, I can confirm that nothing has changed since last week.

• The Green Bay Packers are not unbeatable. They can't be beaten, but they're not unbeatable.

• Yes! Another team I get to gloat about! I've said time and time again that the New York Giants are one of the best teams in the NFL. Just look at my power rankings if you don't believe me. They won the first game of their extremely difficult five game stretch, and I think they'll come out of it very respectably.

• It appears the "dream team's" season is about over as we come to the halfway point of the season. As far as I can predict, ten wins is the sheer minimum to make the playoffs in the NFC, if not eleven. So the Philadelphia Eagles would have to finish either 7-1 or undefeated the rest of the way to have a chance at the postseason. I can't see it happening.

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Week 10 College Football Roundup: Pitt's BCS Hopes All But Done, WVU's on Life Support, PSU's Mind Off of Football

Cincinnati 26, PITT 23
- Just when Pitt shows us that they may have turned the corner, they again let everyone down. This is a game Pitt absolutely should have won and they do deserve some credit for hanging around with a team that most believed far better than them, and without several key players. Still, there is no excuse for losing another pivotal game that seemed to be heavily in Pitt's favor as late as the third quarter.

- I thought Tino Sunseri looked pretty good again and, to be perfectly honest, I feel pretty good about him being the quarterback next season. I know I gave the guy a lot of slack at the beginning of the season, and I still feel that had anyone else been given a chance Pitt's season may be better off than it is now, but he's learned how to run the fast-paced offense, and he can be extremely productive when he tucks the ball and goes. If he can learn how to throw the deep ball, he really could be the best quarterback in the Big East next season.

- If you are a diehard Pitt fan (and I know there aren't a ton left out there, even though some will claim to be if the program rises to prominence again), it may be worse to see Pitt win out this season knowing that they could have been Big East champions with this win. Do I think they will win out? Yes I do. But right now the biggest thing is getting two more wins just so we can see a bowl game even if it is another cheesy meaningless one. I don't like to settle, but I'll take what I can with the cards I've been dealt.

Louisville 38, West Virginia 35
- West Virginia is still the most talented team in the Big East conference, but they've put themselves in a hole that is growing deeper by the week. How they've gotten to this position, I do not know. They've learned how to run, but forgot how to play defense. They can still salvage the season with a little help, but it's not looking good.

Central Connecticut State 31, Robert Morris 24

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Week 9 NFL Panel

We have a tie atop the leaderboard after Rick Caswell finally caught Jon Saia. Bob Schreiner closed the gap between himself and the lead by a game, passing Rob Jentsch in the process. I moved up to fifth making a small dent in the gap between myself and the lead.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 79-37

Rick Caswell: 79-37

Bob Schreiner: 78-38

Rob Jentsch: 77-39

Bobby Schreiner: 71-45

Kristina Rukavina: 70-46

Katie Noone: 62-54

 

 

 

 

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Week 10 College Football Predictions

Week 1 Picks: 14-11-0

Week 2 Picks: 14-20-2

Week 3 Picks: 15-25-0

Week 4 Picks: 17-22-1

Week 5 Picks: 19-23-0

Week 6 Picks: 20-22-0

Week 7 Picks: 7-9-0

Week 8 Picks: 18-21-0

Week 9 Picks: 23-24-0
 

Season to Date: 147-177-3

Top 25: 72-69-2

Big East: 16-19-0

Big Ten: 22-27-0

Everything Else: 54-79-1

38			34
BYE			BYE
48			13
BYE			BYE
20			16

Here are my predictions against the spread for all of the week's games listed on Bodog.eu as of Friday evening:

PITT +3.5 over Cincinnati

#24 West Virginia -13 over Louisville

Top 25

#1 LSU +5 over #2 Alabama

#3 Oklahoma State -21.5 over #14 Kansas State

#4 Stanford -21.5 over Oregon State

#5 Boise State -42 over UNLV

#6 Oklahoma -14 over Texas A&M

#7 Arkansas -7 over #9 South Carolina

#8 Oregon -16.5 over Washington

#10 Nebraska -17.5 over Northwestern

#13 Houston -28 over UAB

#15 Michigan -4 over Iowa

#17 Michigan State -28 over Minnesota

#18 Georgia -32 over New Mexico State

#19 Arizona State -9 over UCLA

#20 Wisconsin -27 over Purdue

Texas Tech +14.5 over #21 Texas
#24 West Virginia -13 over Louisville

#25 Southern Mississippi -8.5 over East Carolina

Big East

#24 West Virginia -13 over Louisville

Pitt +3.5 over Cincinnati
Connecticut -2 over Syracuse
South Florida -3 over Rutgers

Big Ten

#15 Michigan -4 over Iowa

#17 Michigan State -28 over Minnesota

#10 Nebraska -17.5 over Northwestern

#20 Wisconsin -27 over Purdue

Ohio State -28 over Indiana

Everything Else

Central Michigan +1.5 over Kent State

Colorado +21 over USC

Ball State +2.5 over Eastern Michigan

Florida -14 over Vanderbilt

Virginia -3 over Maryland

Iowa State -14 over Kansas

NC State +3.5 over North Carolina

TCU -19.5 over Wyoming

Duke +16 over Miami

SMU -26 over Tulane

Kentucky +2 over Mississippi

Air Force -17 over Army

Rice -1 over UTEP

Navy -7 over Troy

UL Lafayette -5 over UL Monroe

San Jose State -8.5 over Idaho

Florida International -3 over Western Kentucky

Arkansas State -17 over Florida Atlantic

California -10 over Washington State

Utah +4 over Arizona

Baylor -2.5 over Missouri

Tennessee -21.5 over Middle Tennessee State

Notre Dame -14 over Wake Forest

San Diego State -35 over New Mexico

Louisiana Tech +3.5 over Fresno State
Utah State +3.5 over Hawaii

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