Jolly Roger Sports: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Week 4 NFL Panel

Jon Saia took over first place with an 11-5 week 3. Bob Schreiner made a move up the standings with an 11-5 week himself, but still remains tied for third. I took the biggest dive into a tie for last with my girfriend Katie Noone who only picks because I make her.

This week our panel is split on half of this week's action and that could play a major role in the movement up or down the standings.

STANDINGS:

Jon Saia: 33-15

"The Rob": 32-16

Rick Caswell: 30-18

Bob Schreiner: 30-18

Kristina Rukavina: 27-21

Bobby Schreiner: 26-22

Katie Noone: 26-22

Dana White Has a Chance to Make History. So What's He Waiting For?

The other night at UFC 135: Jones vs Jackson, we got to witness Jon Jones pick apart a Rampage Jackson that is now well beyond his prime. In any case, it was the best Rampage we’ve ever witnessed throughout his illustrious career. Never before have I seen Rampage with the kind of head movement he displayed, ducking under at least 3 or 4 lethal spinning elbows from Jones. Elbows that have even fighters like Shogun Rua have fallen victim too. Rampage was at his best and Jon Jones made it look easy picking him apart the way that he did. The only problem that I saw with Rampage was that he spent too much time working on his defense in an effort to not get hit, and forgot to let his lethal hands go. If he had gone on the offensive the way we all know and love to see, it could have been a different fight. Jones, most likely, would still have come out on top, but it would have been nice to see a better fight.

With that said, Jon Jones has now gotten credit from Dana White who says that Jones may be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. So now Mr. White has a promoters’ dream - holding the contracts of 3 of the greatest fighters in MMA: Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. He’s stayed clear of saying anyone of them will face each other in the foreseeable future, claiming that none of them have cleared out their division yet and the list is long before they actually will look into one of these “super fights”. My personal opinion on this is White is trying not to compromise his organization, and is really embellishing the talent in each division from welterweight up to light-heavy weight. From lightweight down and the heavyweight division I believe Dana White may have an argument. Let’s take a look at the weight classes in the UFC and the talent in each one.

Week 5 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

Season to Date: 60-78-3

Top 25: 30-27-2

Big East: 10-10-0

Big Ten: 13-15-0

Everything Else: 16-34-1

27			23
30			10
45			13
20			18
14			19

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

PITT +3 over #16 South Florida

Penn State -15.5 over Indiana

Top 25

Ball State +38 over #2 Oklahoma

#3 Alabama -4 over #12 Florida

Nevada +27.5 over #4 Boise State

#6 Stanford -21.5 over UCLA

#8 Nebraska +10 over #7 Wisconsin

Auburn +10 over #10 South Carolina

#11 Virginia Tech -7 over #13 Clemson

#14 Texas A&M -3 over #18 Arkansas

#15 Baylor -4 over Kansas State

#17 Texas -10 over Iowa State

SMU +13 over #20 TCU

#21 Georgia Tech -10.5 over North Carolina State

#24 Illinois -10 over Northwestern

#25 Arizona State -18 over Oregon State

Big East

Pitt +3 over #16 South Florida

Rutgers -1 over Syracuse

Cincinnati -15 over Miami (OH)

Connecticut -3 over Western Michigan

Louisville -11.5 over Marshall

Big Ten

#24 Illinois -10 over Northwestern

Penn State -15.5 over Indiana

Michigan State +3.5 over Ohio State

#8 Nebraska +10 over #7 Wisconsin

Notre Dame -12 over Purdue

Everything Else

Houston -17 over UTEP

Utah State +8 over BYU

Navy -3.5 over Air Force

Temple -8 over Toledo

Army -7 over Tulane

Texas Tech -7 over Kansas

Mississippi State +7 over Georgia

Tennessee -28.5 over Buffalo

Eastern Michigan -9 over Akron

Ohio -17 over Kent State

Virginia -17 over Idaho

Colorado -3 over Washington State

Central Michigan +9 over Northern Illinois

Arizona +12 over USC

Colorado State -4 over San Jose State

Washington +9.5 over Utah

Louisiana Tech -4.5 over Hawaii

New Mexico State -1.5 over New Mexico

East Carolina +7 over North Carolina

Mississippi +3.5 over Fresno State

Week 4 College Football Roundup AND Week 5 Preview

With Pitt playing on Thursday I'm just gonna go ahead and tack the weekly preview onto last week's roundup. This will take me some time so I'll jump right into it.

Week 4 Roundup

Notre Dame 15, PITT 12
- This high octane offense is running on empty. Tino Sunseri looked much better than he did in the first three weeks but he still did far too little to win Pitt a very winnable game. We keep hearing how close he is. Well, time is up. Show me now or get on the bench.

- Why does Pitt continue to pooch punt the ball in the opposing team's territory. Go for it! You're running the spread offense and all pooch punts tell me is that there is no confidence from the coach in his offense. I don't care that they've been pretty decent. This offense was made to score and it's not happening. No one has ever scored on a pooch punt.

- Speaking of a lack of confidence in the offense, Todd Graham's harsh criticism of his players was uncalled for. I do like the fact that he at least came out the next day and blamed himself whether he believes that or not, but it still bothers me that he is obviously only doing that to cover his own butt. This is his system for players recruited to be in another. If it doesn't work, if the players don't get it, if the players don't trust it, it's on Coach Graham. I agree there is a complete and utter lack of execution, but you can't call out your players publicly.

- The defense looks much better. I have to believe that the only reason they've looked bad is a lack of game conditioning because of the new offensive system. I think this will continue to be a strong part of the team, and if the offense is as close as Todd Graham thinks maybe this Pitt team will be a legit contender.

LSU 47, WEST VIRGINIA 21
- It's a shame that the final score ended up the way that it did. West Virginia fought hard to get back in the game after a horrid start and made it a lot closer than it probably should have been. This is a good team, LSU is a national championship contender though.

- Geno Smith is really good. He is highly underrated and had West Virginia won, Smith would be in the national spotlight right now.

- Another game, another piece of bad media attention for the Mountaineers. A fan was beaten after the WVU game and this is exactly why the ACC and SEC doesn't want West Virginia around. Call the conference presidents hypocrites all you want, but academics and integrity do play a role in what they're doing. Why would Alabama's president want to put his fans in a position to be beaten after playing in Morgantown. It would be silly to do so. And the poor academic standards WVU has had for years is finally catching up to them.

PENN STATE 34, Eastern Michigan 6
- Penn State played much better and I'm not sure Joe Paterno being on the sideline didn't make a big difference. Not only did the team look much improved, but there weren't any of the miscommunication mistakes we've seen Penn State make all season long.

- I guess Penn State is going to be a two quarterback team for the long haul. Well if my first point holds true and JoePa on the sideline changes things, I won't fault any decision he makes.

DUQUESNE 41, Valparaiso 14

Week 5 Preview

Things I'll be looking for this week:

Pitt at USF:

Pitt's offense to click - Todd Graham keeps saying they're close. Well, I'm inclined to believe him. He knows what he wants to see and apparently it's about there. They'll need it this week.

Trey Anderson to play - I'm still not sold on Sunseri and if he struggles early then Anderson will take over. It's Big East play now. It's time to put up or shut up.

Holding a lead - Again I have to put this here. They can't blow leads late. It wasn't the defense's fault either. The offense needs to help keep these guys off the field.

NO POOCH PUNTS - This one is vital. Tino Sunseri has punted six times already. That is uncalled for. If Pitt goes for it and gets it half of those times this offense can earn a lot more credibility. I'm losing faith in this fast, and I hope that Graham knows what he's doing.

A good start to Big East play - I've picked Pitt to win every game, and though they've lost the last two, they've been really close and I'll go as far to say they should have won both. A win against #16 USF will make the pain of these last two losses go away.

Penn State at Indiana:

Joe Paterno on the sideline - Penn State looked great with him down on the field for the first time. Maybe that's all this team needed. A big win this week could verify that.

West Virginia at Bowling Green:

A rebound game - A loss against LSU will keep this team hungry for a win before they get into Big East action. Before this may have looked like a trap game, but now this one means a little more.

Geno Smith to perform well yet again - 65 passes last week was a bit much, but keep the ball in this guy's hands and you'll win a lot more than you lose.

Dustin Garrison to prove himself - The freshman got off to a great start last week, but only had 10 carries to show us what he has. The Mountaineers running game has been atrocious and they need someone to step up. I think he does.

Create more turnovers - West Virginia hasn't forced many, but this week is a good week to try and make some plays. They don't have too many tough opponents left, but turnovers will be key to winning out like some expect.

Less turnovers and better special teams play - That's what cost them the game last week. It hasn't been a huge concern other than against LSU, but they don't need it to become habit.

Our mixed bag of articles for the week including articles after last week's action and preparation for this week's action:

Pitt

Pitt fails to preserve 4th-quarter lead again

Notre Dame rallies to defeat Pitt, 15-12

If it's Pitt vs. Irish, history suggests close encounter

High-octane offense sputtering

Panthers are taking pride in improved fitness

Pitt coach Todd Graham's take

Repeat offenders: 4th-quarter meltdown costs Pitt again

Starkey: 'High Octane' dud so far

Pitt coach Graham points finger at himself

Q&A: Will Sunsei get the hook?

Pitt coach clarifies remarks about the offense

Offensive execution off mark

Q&A: Mental mistakes or lack of preparation?

Blame game not wise for coach

Pitt coach is taking blame for poor execution

Penn State

Penn State beats Eastern Michigan, 34-6

Q&A: Chance for Jones at QB next year?

Lions have been running into trouble

Q&A: Still has been stellar

Q&A: Mauti will be missed

Penn State coach Joe Paterno's take

West Virginia

No. 2 LSU routs WVU for late victory, 47-21

Prolific offensive showing can't overcome turnovers

Harris: WVU's Smith's loyalty runs deep

Despite stats, WVU's Austin is not satisfied

LSU pulls away from error-prone WVU

WVU hopes Garrison can go on a run

West Virginia special teams not so special

WVU defense sets main focus on turnovers

Duquesne

Patterson Passes Dukes Past Saint Francis 41-14

Dukes Welcome NEC-Leading Bryant for Homecoming

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Around the NFL: The Steelers Buck the Colts

A win is a win. We've heard it time and time again and there really isn't a more truthful phrase in all of sports. The Steelers certainly didn't look spectacular in their 23-20 nail-biter over the Colts, but the fact remains that they are now 2-1 and tied for first place in the AFC North. Let's take a look back at the Steelers game and go around the NFL.

STEELERS 23, Colts 20

I feel like people are a little too down on the Steelers. They've struggled somewhat. I get it. But they're 2-1 and have 13 games to get their act together. In any case, their defense has looked good and that was everyone's concern coming into the year, so can we give them a little credit?

Bruce Arians further proved his ineptitude by not utilizing personnel the way they needed to be. Ben Roethlisberger played a sub par game for what we've been accustomed too and it was because Johnathan Scott couldn't stop Dwight Freeney. Heath Miller was hardly used for blocking on the left side. I could understand if he was at least reeling in quick passes to help Ben out, but no. Arians really doesn't have a clue. And the Steelers will still win a dozen games somehow...

Why can't the Steelers run?I truly think it has more to do with Rashard Mendenhall than the offensive line. Especially when Isaac Redman has looked fairly solid thus far, and Mewelde Moore did pretty well in late action Sunday night. Mendenhall is far more talented than he's showing, but for now I'd use more Redman until Mendenhall gives Mike Tomlin a reason not to.

Mike Wallace's quest for 2,000 yards isn't looking all that farfetched. It's hard to imagine he'll get there being that no one ever has, but wouldn't it be something. With Hines Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Heath Miller, and hopefully Jerricho Cotchery to throw to, who's to say he won't at least get the opportunity.

Another week, another solid showing by Ike Taylor and the boys. William Gay even looked like a satisfactory cornerback the last two weeks. If they keep playing like they are, the Steelers will be in great shape for the remainder of the season.

The Steelers could use the Troy Polamalu that we saw against the Colts. He was an absentee safety the last couple of weeks, but I think he may be ready to earn that nice contract he got right before the season.

Around the NFL

Is there anybody who doesn't think Curtis Painter should be starting for the Indianapolis Colts? He didn't really outplay Kerry Collins, but it seemed like there was pep in the Colts step when he entered the game. I'm still not ready to count this team out just yet if they make the switch, but they MUST win this week.

Can we go ahead and proclaim the San Francisco 49ers the worst 2-1 team in football? I guess right now they're probably the NFC West favorites, but with all of the weapons they have on offense, they should be able to score more than they do. With Michael Crabtree back soon, maybe they will, but I think we may be closer to seeing Colin Kaepernick , than seeing this offense improve.

And it's official! The Buffalo Bills are legit! And it's about time, because I could use seeing those jerseys for a few extra weeks in January. Besides that, I'm gonna go ahead and pat myself on the back for believing in Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson, and Stevie Johnson. These guys are stars. The defense is bad, but the Bills upgraded a lot more than I thought on offense by dropping Lee Evans and utilizing David Nelson, Donald Jones, and Scott Chandler the way they have.

Are the New England Patriots as good as everyone thinks? Of course not. But even this loss in a game they should have won (they were up 21-0) will be overlooked because everyone has jumped onto the back of the Buffalo Bills bandwagon. The Patriots probably will win the division, but who really cares? Their dynasty is long over (unless they find a new way to cheat).

How about the Miami Dolphins for worst team so far? Tony Sparano has coached about as badly as anyone possibly could. I think he may even be coaching himself out of a head coaching job ever again. There's no way he isn't the first casualty.

Well, Philadelphia Eagles fans are giving up on their team already, so I probably should do the wise thing and proclaim them the team to beat in the NFC. I can't do that and believe it though. They aren't that good and by the time they get it going there's a possibility it will be too late. More now, I'll still keep them as my NFC East champions, but they better get it going really quickly... and learn how to play without Mike Vick. The dream team's secondary was supposed to be the strong point of this team? Uh oh...

The Jacksonville Jaguars figured out how to stop Cam Newton: Play in a downpour. It's funny that once the rain stopped, the Panthers were the much better team. Newton's pretty darn good.

Anyone think the Houston Texans aren't the same old Texans? I kind of want to see them make the playoffs, just for the sake of them finally getting there. I mean it's almost been a decade for goodness sake. They have as good a shot as ever to make it, but if they lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Indianapolis Colts can get a win, it's only a one game difference between the two still...

The New Orleans Saints are pretty much the New England Patriots of the NFC. They have more offensive talent than they know what to do with. But they ain't stopping anyone. They're going to lose their fair share and if they don't tighten up at least a little bit, they won't go far in January.

Anyone else think the Tennessee Titans have a shot at the AFC South crown? The Houston Texans showed how they can be beat. Just score on them. I realize Kenny Britt is down for the year, but the rapport between Matt Hasselbeck and Nate Washington has been pretty good. Not to mention, Chris Johnson isn't going to get shutdown every week. Regardless of your answer, you have to admit they're not half bad.

Count me out on the Detroit Lions still. I just can't see them being better than third in the division. The Minnesota Vikings haven't held a lead yet, so to think their win was an extraordinary comeback isn't completely accurate. Let me see their next two games before I change my mind.

The San Diego Chargers still just aren't that good. Until Norv Turner is gone, I can't buy this team as a legitimate contender. To say I expected much more than a three point win against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs would be a lie.

Matt Cassel refuses to take chances down the field. This strategy suits some quarterbacks well - Joe Flacco, Rex Grossman, Mark Sanchez - but those other quarterbacks know how to manage a game. Matt Cassel isn't capable of it without stars around him. Here's to hoping we'll see Tyler Palko get a shot at the NFL level.

The Oakland Raiders have a chance to be the team they were last year. It makes sense, since there wasn't much change from a player standpoint, but I thought the coaching change would hurt. They haven;t skipped a beat yet though. I still don't see them as a contender, but playoff talk isn't ridiculous.

The St. Louis Rams are 0-3 and look like they've regressed back to their 2008 form. They get six games against the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks. Those games will dictate what kind of team they are.

The Chicago Bears trick play kickoff return was awesome. Why has nobody else ever thought of that? Still, they got beaten pretty good by the Green Bay Packers, and if they can't go into Lambeau later this year and win that football game, they don't have a shot at going anywhere.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers season has been kind of interesting thus far. But then again, so has the Atlanta Falcons. These two teams need to figure out who they are and this was a good start for the Bucs.

There is no way the Arizona Cardinals should have lost to the Seattle Seahawks. I don't care that it was in Seattle. That is a bad football team. I expect more out of a Ken Whisenhunt coached team.

The Dallas Cowboys won, but I still like the Washington Redskins. They held the Cowboys to six field goals and Rex Grossman just did a little less than he needed to win. He'll correct that and this team will be okay.

Articles:

Late field goal by Suisham avoids upset

Steelers Report Card: Game 3 vs. Colts

Steelers Notebook: Wallace gets his catches early, often

Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill: Game 3 vs. Colts

Steelers defeat Indianapolis 23-20

A trip down Steelers vs. Colts memory lane

On the Steelers: Just where will Nickel 'end' up?

Offensive line still requires some help

Steelers manage to avoid smelly journey home

Steelers win big in TV ratings too

Long-suffering franchises finally experiencing some good times

Steelers still in flux after holding off Colts

Bad Ben puts Steelers in tough spot, Good Ben saves them

Steelers look ugly in close win

Offensive line of Steelers struggles vs. Colts

Nobody is laughing at Steelers' Wallace now

Steelers able to limp past Colts on the road

Kovacevic: Steelers have nowhere to run

Week 3 Judgements: Bills' 3-0 start impressive to say the least

Steelers vs. Colts: 10 Observations from the Nailbiter Sunday Night Win

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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Week 3 Steelers Pregame

Well what a difference a week can make. The Steelers go from old and worthless to contenders again with their 24-0 shutout at the expense of the poor Seahawks. This week they'll be 10 point favorites against the once proud Indianapolis Colts on the road. It's a much needed win if they can get it before they head to Houston for a tough battle next week.

Observations from the past week:

A shutout after that beating by the Ravens is just what the doctor ordered. This team will be fine going forward.

Ben Roethlisberger still has some work to do. He played a pretty darn good game, but against a better opponent it may not have been enough. I have all the faith in the world that he'll be more than ready as the Steelers get the toughest stretch of their schedule.

The no huddle offense works. The Steelers need to utilize it more. Not that they can't win if they don't, but they can win by a lot more if they do.

Who plays offensive line for the Steelers? Does it matter? No matter who is in the game in front of Big Ben it seems they do enough to get the job done. They just need to keep doing whatever it is they're doing.

Our secondary is pretty good. Again, I realize it was a weak opponent, but even William Gay looked like a reasonable starting corner. That's two solid games by this group in a row. If they keep that up it could mean bad things for opponents in the last 14 games.

The running game needs help. When I watch the game, it really seems like Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman have done much better than their numbers indicate. That said, I think they're taking a little more heat than they need to, but they will need to start doing a better job of finding holes in the second half.

What I'll be looking for this week:

A running game - I'd just like to see Rashard Mendenhall hit 100 yards and Isaac Redman add 30-40 extra. Maybe even get Mewelde Moore a few carries. This is a bad defense and the Steelers should be able to run. If they can't they better learn to become a pass first team.

Turnovers - They should have had a couple against the Seahawks and I think they'll be able to force some from Collins. It would be a nice element to add to the defense again. That's how Superbowl XLIII was won so let's see a repeat of that.

A close game -The Steelers can't take this team lightly. This isn't the Seahawks. It's a desperate 0-2 team with a chance to get within a game of their division lead, with a veteran quarterback at the helm. They'd probably be favorites if Peyton Manning was playing. So I'm not even sure the Steelers will cover the 10 points. They'll still win though in any case.

Prediction:

Steelers 27, Colts 17

Articles:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11263/1176040-66.stm

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_757639.html

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2011/09/19/after-further-review-5/

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/09/20/tomlin-turns-focus-to-colts-after-win-over-seahawks/

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2011/week/3

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nfl/story/15611470/power-rankings-awesome-offense-is-the-ticket-now

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/20/week-two-power-rankings-2/related/

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11265/1176654-66.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11265/1176813-213.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11264/1176274-66.stm

http://communityvoices.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/sports/bob-smiziks-blog/30188-steelers-running-game-struggling

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_758236.html

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_758300.html

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_757922.html

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2011/09/23/a-look-back/

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/09/22/bill-cowher-on-steelers-d-i-dont-think-theyre-old-at-all/

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15628914/peek-at-the-week-texans-bills-find-themselves-on-proving-ground

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15611470/power-rankings-awesome-offense-is-the-ticket-now

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia Week 4 Preview

Things I'll be looking for this week:

Pitt at Notre Dame:

Pitt to rebound - They're coming off an extremely tough loss against a decent Iowa team and I'm imagine they have to be hungry. Notre Dame is better than Iowa, but Pitt is still better than both teams. It's unfortunate that Tino Sunseri couldn't hold his own. That could be the only kink in Pitt's plan to win the conference.

Trey Anderson to play - I used this one last week, but I'm doing again. Tino didn't play well enough in the Iowa game, but with a lead of 24-3 and 27-10 how can you take him out. I still think once it got to 27-17, Pitt should have seen he couldn't cut it and made the switch. Hopefully Sunseri will play well enough to keep Pitt in it though.

Holding a lead - Pitt should lead in this game at some point, and it may be a similar situation to last week at Iowa. Now all Pitt needs to do is finish better. Again, I'm going to pick on my favorite whipping boy Tino Sunseri and say it ALL starts with him. People questioned the defense and Todd Graham's coaching decision to keep playing for points, but not enough was blamed on Tino. His job was to complete short passes and keep the ball moving last week and he couldn't do it. If he can finally start to, Pitt will roll to an easy win in most games this season.

Tino Sunseri making me eat my words - So after all of that I end with this. I actually don't see this happening, but I'll be looking hard for it. Graham wants him to be the guy while he grooms Trey Anderson, and Sunseri has yet another opportunity. I really hope he does and if so Pitt will win big.

Penn State at Eastern Michigan:

Win by a ton - Penn State is a 29 point favorite and I think that's too high. They need to show that they are still somewhat of an elite program, otherwise I'm thinking that their season will be closer to 7-5 than a Big Ten title. And for goodness sake, pick a $&*%(!@ quarterback.

West Virginia at LSU:

Defense, defense, defense - Both teams have been tremendous defensively and I imagine this game will be relatively low scoring especially considering the style of offense West Virginia runs. The better defense could very well dictate the winner.

Geno Smith to solidify his Heisman candidacy -Geno has been excellent, and I think his numbers can and will get better as he gets further acclimated with the new offense. But being on a national stage against the nations second ranked team, he can cast himself right into the voter's minds with a win and a big day.

A win - A lot of people are going to pick against the Mountaineers, but I can't. Dana Holgorsen has a pretty good thing going and I really think he may join the elite level of coaches sooner rather than later. This game can be a huge statement game.

Our mixed bag of articles for the week that will get you prepared for Saturday:

Pitt
Pitt coach Todd Graham leans hard on QB Tino Sunseri to curb turnovers

Q&A: Did Pitt simply run out of gas against Iowa?

Paul Zeise's Pitt football chat: 9.22.11

Panthers will look familiar to Irish

Notre Dame AD rips Pitt hierarchy for protecting its own interests

Stop superconferences, start a football playoff

College sports cutthroat business, which no one should ever forget

Graham defends costly strategy

Notre Dame WR Floyd poses problem for Pitt

Different type of holding hurts Pitt's offense

Pitt Recruiting Coordinator Explains Ramifications Of Leaving Big East

‘The Pitt Boss’ Pat Bostick Breaks Down Notre Dame

Look ahead: What power leagues will look like in 2014

The Geography of College Football Fans (and Realignment Chaos)

Sources: Big East members want Pitt, Syracuse gone soon

Pitt can prove its ACC-ready against Irish

Penn State

Paterno: Move 'good' for ACC, two schools

Lions offense has a number of problems

Q&A: Will Penn State join ACC?

Q&A: Time for a change?

Derek Moye critical of own play as he nears 2,000 yards

Q&A: Give job to Bolden

Pitt can prove its ACC-ready against Irish

Poll: Should PSU stay in B1G or go to ACC?

What to do with JoePa?

Lowly offense doesn't worry PSU's Paterno

Penn State coach Joe Paterno's take

Penn State is looking for offensive answers

West Virginia

West Virginia's Luck: Expansion plan for Big East in place

For West Virginia's next opponent, LSU, secondary is primary

Playing fast but not loose

WVU QB Smith is making name for himself

LSU defense presents a test for West Virginia

Rich Rodriguez: SEC “Should Be Thrilled To Have West Virginia”

Duquesne

Dukes Open NEC Play Under the Lights at Saint Francis, Pa.

Friday, September 23, 2011

NFL Week 3 Panel

We all did pretty well considering the amount of tough games to pick in week two. This week also has some potential upsets, but it seems most of our panel held true to the majority. I didn't, picking in the minority in six games. Here's to hoping I'm right.

Note: For anyone wondering, Katie Noone's picks will either be posted tonight or tomorrow morning.

STANDINGS:

"The Rob": 23-9

Jon Saia: 22-10

Rick Caswell: 21-11

Bob Schreiner: 19-13

Bobby Schreiner: 18-14

Kristina Rukavina: 18-14

Katie Noone: 16-16

Week 4 College Football Predictions

Week 1 Picks: 14-11-0

Week 2 Picks: 14-20-2

Week 3 Picks: 15-25-0

Season to Date: 43-56-2

Top 25: 25-16-1

Big East: 6-7-0

Big Ten: 8-14-0

Everything Else: 11-24-1

37			28
33			6
38			35
43			23
BYE			BYE

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

PITT +7 over Notre Dame

#16 West Virginia +6.5 over #2 LSU

Eastern Michigan +29 over Penn State

Top 25

Missouri +20 over #1 Oklahoma

#16 West Virginia +6.5 over #2 LSU

#14 Arkansas +12 over #3 Alabama

#4 Boise State -28 over Tulsa

#8 Texas A&M -4 over #7 Oklahoma State

#9 Nebraska -21 over Wyoming

#10 Oregon -16.5 over Arizona

#11 Florida State +3 over Clemson

Vanderbilt +15.5 over #12 South Carolina

#13 Virginia Tech -21 over Marshall

Kentucky +20 over #15 Florida

Rice +21 over #17 Baylor

#18 South Florida -29.5 over UTEP

#22 Michigan -11 over San Diego State

Arizona State -2.5 over #23 USC

#24 Illinois -12 over Western Michigan

#25 Georgia Tech -7 over North Carolina

Big East

Cincinnati -8 over North Carolina State

Toledo +2 over Syracuse

Pitt +7 over Notre Dame

Rutgers -4.5 over Ohio

Connecticut -8.5 over Buffalo

#18 South Florida -29.5 over UTEP

#16 West Virginia +6.5 over #2 LSU

Big Ten

Eastern Michigan +29 over Penn State

Michigan State -22 over Central Michigan

#22 Michigan -11 over San Diego State

Ohio State -15 over Colorado

#24 Illinois -12 over Western Michigan

#9 Nebraska -21 over Wyoming

Everything Else

Central Florida +3 over BYU

Georgia -10 over Ole Miss

Temple +9 over Maryland

Miami (OH) -4 over Bowling Green

Army -4 over Ball State

Tulane +10 over Duke

East Carolina -13 over UAB

Miami (FL) -13 over Kansas State

California +1 over Washington

Virginia -3 over Southern Miss

Fresno State -3.5 over Idaho

Texas Tech -17 over Nevada

Lousiana Tech +20 over Mississippi State

Utah State -10.5 over Colorado State

SMU -22 over Memphis

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Week 3 College Football Roundup: Is it Really a Pitt Loss if Everyone Forgets About It?, WVU Shows Their Metal, PSU Survives... Temple?

Pitt picked about the best timing they could have to announce that they had applied for membership to the ACC. Everyone was just getting ready to watch their team's epic collapse when that news broke, and it seems like the Iowa loss meant even less than it already did. West Virgina almost blew a huge lead against a tough Maryland team, but a win is a win is a win. Penn State got tested by Temple and that's got people talking even more about the future of the program. Now it's time for my take on what we witnessed over the weekend.

Around the NFL: No Steelers' Country for Old Men

The fountain of youth was discovered this week. Apparently it's in the city of Pittsburgh. Or at least it seemed that way because the senior citizen Steelers' defense looked like young men with a purpose. The Steelers dominated the Seahawks in every facet of the game in a shutout victory of their Super Bowl XL rematch against the Seahawks. Quite amazing what a difference a week can make. With that, let's go around the NFL.

Pitt and Syracuse's defection to the ACC has sent shockwaves throughout the NCAA world. My belief is that these two teams have led the charge for a playoff system in college football. But first let's start with what this means for Pitt directly.

Week 2 Steelers Pregame

As we've all seen, heard, and read ALL about, the Steelers got blasted in week one. It wasn't just a loss, the Ravens opened a can of whoop... butt on the Steelers. This week everyone agrees, including the odds-makers who made the Steelers early two touchdown favorites, that the Steelers will right the ship this week. I'm very much on board with that thinking.

Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia Weekly Preview

Things I'll be looking for this week:

Pitt at Iowa:

Tino Sunseri to hit a receiver. Any receiver... - Sunseri has played horrendously up to this point. Fans have been impatient and for good reason. Numerous times drives have ended because of Tino's inability to hit receivers in stride. That will need to change for this offense to become high octane this season.

Trey Anderson to play - Unless we see something special from Tino Sunseri, I have a good feeling Trey Anderson will finish this game. I hope I'm wrong but if I'm not, I'm excited to see what the kid's got.

Lots of Ray Graham - He's the nation's leading runner and I expect him to be among the top of the nation all year. I see no reason why he can't have 200 total yards again this week, and that's with more playing time for the transfer Zach Brown who already has done some good things for the offense this year.

Improvement from the defense - This defense has too much talent to play the way they have. I do think the changing of systems has affected them, but that isn't an excuse. A 3-4 defense is fairly simple to pick up and they they'll be facing a more pro style oriented offense this week. They need to show something this week or I think we may not see them improve at all.

Penn State at Temple:

One quarterback - Rob Bolden needs to be the guy. I don't know what Joe Paterno is thinking. If that changes and Bolden plays to the level that many think he's capable of, that's all we'll need to see.

West Virginia at Maryland:

A running game - There's far too much speed and ability on offense, especially from quarterback Geno Smith, that this team should be able to run up and down on any opponent.

A blowout - Maryland is a good team, but West Virginia is better. They have more talent on offense and an extremely solid defense. How Maryland is a favorite, even at just a point, is beyond me.