SEC Week 11 Review

The SEC's best team won convincingly again, against one of the other top teams in the conference.

Alabama beat LSU 38-17 on Saturday, showing exactly why they are number one in the country. Alabama has a fairly easy last few games, except for the huge season ending game against the rival Auburn, who has just one loss, and is second in the SEC West. LSU now has three conference losses and has been knocked out of contention for an SEC title.

Auburn not only won against a solid Tennessee team on Saturday, but they did it in great fashion, winning 55-23 off special teams touchdowns. They still have Alabama left at the end of the year, and a possible game with either Missouri or South Carolina in the SEC title if they can get by the Tide. Tennessee now has just two games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky left. They should be able to win at least one of those games, but in order to make a bowl game, they would need to win both.

Texas A&M and Missouri both had big wins this week against Kentucky and Mississippi State. A&M won 51-41, while Missouri won 48-17. Both teams are fighting for bowl positioning, as only two teams can make the BCS from a conference, and Alabama will be one from the SEC. Missouri is also trying to get to the SEC title, as they are in first place in the East.

Vanderbilt was able to beat Florida 34-17 this week. Florida now needs to end the year by beating either South Carolina or Florida State just to make a bowl game, and maybe need to win both if they can't beat Georgia Southern who is sandwiched in between those big games.

Pac-12 Week 11 Review

The conferences game of the year was great along with a couple of other really close games.

Oregon was my number 1 team and had a clear path to the national title if they could just get by Stanford, but the offense decided to get shut down and Stanford puled out the huge win. The Cardinal are now at the top of the conference and should be able to make the Rose Bowl for a second year in a row, while Oregon now has just 2 losses in the last two years, both coming to Stanford. Oregon could still make the conference title if Stanford gets upset by either USC or CAL.

Arizona State had taken over first place in the Pac-12 South, but had to go on the road against a Utah team that plays very well at home. The Sun Devils were lucky enough to walk away with a 20-19 win, but they will have to play better if they want to beat Oregon State, UCLA, and Arizona to get to the conference title. As for Utah, they now have back to back road games against Oregon and Washington State before ending the year at home against Colorado.

There was another close game in the Pac-12, as UCLA pulled out a late win over Arizona, 31-26. UCLA still controls its own destiny in the Pac-12 South, as they still have yet to play Arizona Sate, the team that they are contending with in the conference. Arizona has shown great promise at times this year, and also played badly at times. This game they looked great, but fell just short. They still can make a good bowl game though, and can look better if they start to win some games late in the year.

USC and Washington both had big wins this week over the Pac-12's worst two teams. USC beat Cal 62-28 while Washington beat Colorado 59-7. USC is still in contention for the South, although they are behind both UCLA and Arizona State. Washington won't be able to catch Oregon or Stanford in the North, but could still get third and make a good bowl game.

Big 10 Week 11 Review

Not much happened in the Big 10 this week as its top two teams had byes.

Nebraska came through in a big way against Michigan. It was a very close, low scoring game, but the Huskers pulled it out 17-13. Nebraska now has Michigan State next week. The winner should make the conference championship game against Ohio State. Michigan is now out of contention in the Big 10 race, and is also tied with Minnesota for third place in the legends division.

Wisconsin continued to look great, as they still haven't lost since the Ohio State game. They pulled out a bug 27-17 win over a solid BYU team this week, the main reason they were able to win was that their run game was working effectively, as they ran for 229 yards and two scores. Wisconsin could still make a BCS game as an at-large bid if they continue to play like this in their last three games against Indiana, Penn State, and Minnesota.

Minnesota played great once again, beating Penn State 24-10. The Gophers are now 8-2 (4-2). Its been a long time since they have had a season this good, and they don't plan on slowing up now. They have just two games left against Wisconsin and Michigan State. Penn State again showed that it has trouble winning away from Happy Valley, as they are now 0-3 on the road this year, compared to their 5-1 record at home. The good news for Penn State is that two of their final three games are at home, as they play Purdue and Nebraska before going on the road against Wisconsin to end the year.

Big 12 Week 11 Review

One team proved that they are better than anyone thought they were while the conference race heats up at the top.

Baylor got a huge win over Oklahoma on Thursday night, proving that they are the favorite to win the Big 12. Oklahoma Still has a chance in the Big 12, as they play Oklahoma State, and a win in that could get them back to the top. Baylor showed that they can beat someone at the top of the conference, with the 41-12 win, but they are going to have to play this good every week, as they still have to play Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, and Texas.

The problems continued for Texas Tech on Saturday, as they got blown out, 49-26 against Kansas State. Kansas State has been getting some big wins the last few weeks, now improving their record to 5-4 (3-3). Texas Tech is now officially out of contention for the conference championship. They can still make a good bowl game, but they aren't as good as they seemed a few weeks ago.

Texas is continuing to impress as they pulled out a 47-40 win over West Virginia in overtime. They are still undefeated in conference play. It is seeming like the conference championship could come down to the season ending game between Baylor and Texas.

Oklahoma State destroyed Kansas 42-6, and are showing that they are the only other team along with Baylor and Texas in major contention for the Big 12 title. They still have yet to play Texas, Baylor, and Oklahoma, so with wins in those games, they could win the conference.

ACC Week 11 Review

The ACC race was blown wide open this week, creating an exciting month of November.

Miami had established themselves as the favorite to win the ACC Coastal, but this week they lost to a Virginia Tech team that had lost 2 games in a row. They are now tied with that team, along with Georgia Tech, Miami, and Duke for first place in the Coastal. Virginia Tech just dominated the game, winning 42-24. Miami still has a good chance at winning the ACC.

Duke beat NC State this week, winning 38-20. They were pushed into my top 25, and are tied for first place in their division. No this isn't basketball. They are finally winning football games, and turning into an ACC power. NC State still hasn't won a conference game, and they are running out of time, as they only have two conference games left, against Boston College and Maryland.

Florida State continued its ACC dominance this week, beating Wake Forest 59-3. They forced 7 Wake Forest turnovers, 6 of which coming off interceptions. With the Oregon loss, the Seminoles are the favorite to make the championship game and have a fairly easy road to get there.

Syracuse beat Maryland 20-3 this week, showing that the injury problems have really ruined their season offensively. Syracuse is now just one win away from being bowl eligible, and they have a winning record at 5-4 (3-2). Maryland is also 5-4, but their problems are all in conference play, as they are just 1-4 in ACC play.

Pittsburgh was able to pull a huge upset win over Notre Dame this week. It won't help them in the ACC race, but it does hurt Notre Dames chances at making a BCS game. Pittsburgh still has a good chance at making a bowl game as that was their 5th win. They now need just one win in three games against North Carolina, Syracuse, and Miami.

Week 12 Top 25

There were some major games which caused a huge shakeup in the rankings

1. Alabama-The Tide showed once again why they deserved to be number 1 with a huge win over LSU. I have had Oregon there the last few weeks, but a loss knocked em out and but Bama in.

2. Florida State-The Seminoles are now the favorite to play Alabama in the national championship after a 59-3 win over Wake Forest. As long as they keep playing like this, they will hold the number 2 spot.

3. Ohio State-Ohio State had a bye week, but they have started to finally beat opponents badly. With the schedule that the Buckeyes play, they need to win big, and they are now doing just that.

4. Baylor-Baylor showed it is one of the top 5 with a blowout win over Oklahoma. They just know how to get into the end zone and might be able to get to the championship.

5. Stanford-The Cardinal did the unthinkable and beat Oregon for the second year in a row, pushing them into the top 5. They now have a clear path to the Pac-12 championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

6. Oregon-The Ducks only drop to number 6 after the loss because they were playing one of the best teams in the country. They are still one of the best teams and almost were able to make a comeback.

7. Auburn-The Tigers dominated a Tennessee team that has been somewhat impressive this year. Auburn is setting up a huge showdown against Alabama in a few weeks.

8. Missouri-Missouri started out slow, but ended up rolling their way to a 48-17 win against Kentucky. They still have just one loss, and should be able to get to Atlanta at the end of the year.

9. Clemson-Clemson is the third team with the name Tigers in the top ten. They had a bye wee this week, but now face a Thursday night game against Georgia Tech.

10. Texas A&M-Johnny Manziel put up big numbers and led the Aggies to another win. They are now back in the top ten and still have Missouri and LSU left in the season.

11. South Carolina-The Gamecocks had a bye week, but are in contention for the SEC East spot in the title game. If Missouri were to lose just one conference game, South Carolina might be able to make it.

12. Michigan State-The Spartans had a bye following the defensive dominance against Michigan. If they can beat Nebraska this week, they will clinch their spot in the Big 10 championship.

13. Fresno State-Fresno State had a huge blowout win over Wyoming. I had Fresno State on upset alert going into it but they proved that they just can't be beaten.

14. Northern Illinois-The Huskies had a bye but now have three weekday games left to end the year. This week will be huge as they play Ball State, and the winner will be the favorite to make the conference championship.

15. Oklahoma State-The Cowboys won big again, this time against the worst team in the Big 12 in Kansas. They played great defensively, giving up just 6 points.

16. UCLA-The Bruins pulled out a big win over Arizona this week, keeping them in the race with Arizona State for the Pac-12 South.

17. Oklahoma-The Sooners played horrible both offensively and on defense, and would lose 41-12, but it was against Baylor, who scores on everybody.

18. Arizona State-Arizona State survived on the road against Utah, where people always struggle. They are tied for the lead in the Pac-12 South and could still get to the Rose Bowl if they win out.

19. UCF-The Knights passed a major test against Houston this week, showing that the wins over Penn State and Louisville were not just based on luck.

20. Wisconsin- The Badgers are beating almost everyone and could make an at-large bid to the BCS. They should only be a one loss team, but the bad call against Arizona State changed that.

21. LSU-The Tigers had a tough loss to Alabama, after coming so close last year. They are now out of contention in the SEC West race, but could still make a decent bowl game.

22. Louisville-The Cardinals won big over Uconn on Friday night. It is a big win for Louisville, but at the same time, literally everyone that has played Uconn beat them, so Louisville still drops in the rankings.

23. Texas-The Longhorns pulled out a huge overtime win over West Virginia to keep their conference record perfect. They still have multiple challenges left, but are really looking a lot better than they did early in the season.

24. Miami-Miami lost to Virginia Tech, blowing the ACC race wide open. they looked absolutely horrible and I don't know who the ACC favorite is to play Florida State.

25. Duke-Duke had a huge win over NC State, and I think they deserve to make it into the top 25 this week.

Lakers Review Game 7

There is a common theme starting to develop in LA, as the Lakers seem to get a huge win one night, and then can't win the next. So far the season has gone, win, loss, loss, win, loss, win, loss. Just one night after playing a great game and beating the Rockets, they lost 96-85 against the New Orleans Pelicans. They didn't have an answer for the second year power forward, Anthony Davis, who had 32 points and 12 rebounds on the night. The Lakers again played without Steve Nash, as it was the second game in two nights. Jodie Meeks started in his place, and he was able to score 11 points. the rest of the starting lineup was the same as the last game, with Pau Gasol, Chris Kaman, Steve Blake, and Nick Young. Kaman would finish the game as the team's leading scorer, with 16 points. Pau played a good game, despite scoring single digits for a second game in a row, as he had 9 points and a team high 11 rebounds. He was the only starter to not score at least 11 points, as Nick Young and Steve Blake both had 13. The bench was not as productive as usual, as they combined to score just 23 points. They only went 9 deep, which is uncommon for D'antoni, who usually goes 11 deep. Jordan Farmar was able to come off the bench and score 10, but the others weren't able to do much. Steve Nash wasn't the only Laker that didn't play, as rookie Ryan Kelly, Robert Sacre, and Shawne Williams were in the active line-up, but didn't play.  It wasn't a very good game, but they are still 3-4 which isn't horrible. The next game is on Sunday night at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Week 11 Games to Watch

Two of the weeks biggest games took place last night, setting the stage for a huge game tomorrow night, while the rest of the games will be just decent.

11:00 A.M.: There are good games on Saturday morning. I will mostly be watching Minnesota and Penn State on ESPN2, as that could be a really exciting game. I also want to watch Auburn and Tennessee on ESPN, along with Kansas State and Texas Tech on ABC. Those are really the only three decent games on as Florida and Vanderbilt, the only other game I want to watch, isn't on TV. Missouri and Kentucky are on ESPNU, TCU and Iowa State are on FS1, and Iowa and Purdue are on the Big 10 Network, although I won't watch them if they aren't close, as they shouldn't be very entertaining games.

2:30 P.M.: There are three main games to watch at 2:30 as well as 11. Michigan plays Nebraska on ABC, which should be huge in the Big 10 Legends, as both have a shot at winning it. Nebraska would need to beat both Michigan and Michigan State, and Michigan would need to beat Nebraska and have Nebraska beat Michigan State to have a chance. The other main game is Wisconsin and BYU on ESPN, as Wisconsin has looked great defensively, but they are facing a BYU team that can play just as well. I am excited to see how low scoring and entertaining that game will be, as I enjoy watching low scoring, defensive battles much more than high scoring shootouts. The key will be weather or not Wisconsin, who is running for 287 yards per game, can run the ball against a BYU defense that is giving up just 145 rushing yards per game. The last game to watch at 2:30 is Texas A&M and Mississippi State simply because its Johnny Manziel. No matter who A&M plays, they are fun to watch, as Johnny Manziel never fails to impress.

Night Games: I will not be watching any night games, as I am going to a basketball game, although there are some huge games on, one of which is bigger than the others. LSU and Alabama play at 7, which will be the biggest game left this week. They are competing for the SEC West lead and a potential spot in the national championship. There is another big game from the AAC between Houston and UCF as the two are competing for first place in the conference. Lastly, there is a big game in the ACC between Miami and Virginia Tech, as they are the front runners for the second spot in the ACC title, even though they both lost last week.

Lakers Review Game 6

This was the best game of the year so far for the Lakers. It was their first game against Dwight Howard, and they came through, winning 99-98 on a Steve Blake three with 1.3 seconds left. The best part was that Blake made the shot over Howard, who was the only player in position to contend it. The Lakers again blew a large first half lead, much like they did in the win over Atlanta on Sunday, but they once again were able to pull through, using something that Mike D'antoni is very familiar with, the Hack-a-Howard strategy. The Lakers experienced it a lot last year, when they would come down to the end of close games, opposing teams would intentionally foul Howard to send him to the line since he is such a bad free throw shooter. It worked to perfection for the Lakers, as Howard shot just 5-16 from the line. The Lakers shot 45% for three, making 16. Jodie Meeks came off the bench to lead the team with 18 points. They also had 16 from Wesley Johnson and 11 from Jordan Farmar off the bench. Steve Blake, Steve Nash, and Nick Young were the starters in double figures, scoring 14, 12, and 11 points respectively. Pau only had 2 points in 32 minuets, but he was huge on the glass against Howard, grabbing 12 boards. They made two changes to the starting lineup, placing Nick Young back in and having Xavier Henry coming off the bench, while also starting Chris Kaman along with Pau instead of Shawne Williams, who didn't even play last night. Overall, I was very happy with last nights outcome, and they are now 3-3. Tonight, they conclude a double header in New Orleans against the Pelicans. I'm not sure if Steve Nash will play or not, but I would assume that he won't because D'antioni doesn't want to play him very much in back to back situations.

Week 11 Picks

There are three games this week that should show us the real championship favorites. Last week I finished with 24 games right and 5 wrong.

#3 Oregon at #5 Stanford: The Ducks are still undefeated and have scored at least 42 points in all eight of their games so far. Stanford presents a challenge that Oregon hasn't faced yet, as they have one of the nations best defenses, giving up just 19.4 points per game compared to an Oregon offense that scores 55.6 per game. The big question is how will Marcus Mariota and the Ducks offense come through against the stout Cardinal defense. Last year, they weren't able to get 30 points, and the result was an overtime loss, the only loss of Mariota's career. The winner will be in the lead for the Pac-12 North and shouldn't lose again. If Oregon wins, they will be heavy favorites to get into the national championship game.
Prediction: Oregon-38, Stanford-20

#10 Oklahoma at #6 Baylor: This is the second huge game tonight. It is rather odd that there are two top ten games on a Thursday night, but that just means we find out the contenders and pretenders a couple days earlier. Baylor is still undefeated and is the nations leader in scoring, with 63.9 points per game. Oklahoma is starting to get back to the top after an upset loss to Texas. They ended Texas Tech's undefeated season just a few weeks ago and now, I think it is time for them to do it again.
Prediction: Oklahoma-45, Baylor-41

#20 Louisville at Uconn: Teddy Bridgewater was knocked out of my Heisman list, and probably won't get back, but he can still lead his team against an inferior Uconn team that hasn't won a game yet this season. Louisville still has a chance at winning the AAC and making it to a BCS game if Houston beats UCF on Saturday night. This game shouldn't be close.
Prediction: Louisville-45, Uconn-13

#13 LSU at #1 Alabama: This is the third game that has a big impact on the championship race. Alabama and LSU have very similar styles and know how to beat each other. Alabama has been undefeated and lost a home game in November two years in a row, one of which came two years ago against LSU. The Tigers are still playing for an SEC title, although their championship hopes are gone, they still can get to the SEC championship with a win over Alabama and an Auburn loss.
Prediction: Alabama-24, LSU-17

#2 Florida State at Wake Forest: Florida State is coming off a big win over Miami. They have now blown out almost every opponent this year and this week shouldn't be any different. Wake Forest had a horrible week last week getting shut out by Syracuse 13-0. Jameis Winston is a potential Heisman winner and with an Oregon loss, he could get to number one.
Prediction: Florida State-52, Wake Forest-6

#8 Missouri at Kentucky: Missouri proved it is still the SEC East favorite with a big win over Tennessee last week. Kentucky isn't quite at the same level as Tennessee and Missouri is on a much higher level than Tennessee. This game won't be very close.
Prediction: Missouri-38, Kentucky-14

#9 Auburn at Tennessee: Auburn just needs to continue to win and they could get to the SEC championship. They are 8-1 (4-1) and should be able to beat a Tennessee team that can play very tough at times, but also looks unimpressive at other times.
Prediction: Auburn-34, Tennessee-24

Virginia Tech at #11 Miami (FL): Miami is coming off the loss to Florida State last week, but is still the favorite to make the ACC championship. Virginia Tech is supposed to be the team that is contending with Miami for that other spot in the conference championship game, but they have now lost back to back games to Duke and Boston College. A win could still get them back in the ACC race, but I don't think they can win it.
Prediction: Miami-27, Virginia Tech-20

Kansas at #14 Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State has shown that they can score a lot of points, after puting up 52 on Texas Tech last week. Kansas is probably the worst team in the Big 12 and they shouldn't come close against the Cowboys.
Prediction: Oklahoma State-56, Kansas-14

Mississippi State at #15 Texas A&M: Johnny football is once again near the top of the Heisman watch list, and he should be able to have another big game this week against a Mississippi State team that hasn't done very well against good competition, as they are just 3-4 against teams with winning records, those wins being against Alcorn State, Bowling Green, and Troy.
Prediction: Texas A&M-45, Mississippi State-34

#16 Fresno State at Wyoming: Fresno State continues to win. Their only problem is that they aren't playing good enough competition. Wyoming is a decent team, and I think they will be able to put up a fight. A game like this is exactly the kind of game Fresno could lose, but if they play at the top of their game they can get the win.
Prediction: Fresno State-31, Wyoming-21

#19 UCLA at Arizona: UCLA bounced back from their two losses by blowing out Colorado last week. They face a much tougher challenge this week on the road against Arizona. If UCLA plays the way they usually do, they should win, but they will need to be able to stop Arizona's dangerous rushing attack to get the win.
Prediction: UCLA-35, Arizona-23

Houston at #21 UCF: This game is one of the biggest of the year for the AAC, as the winner will be in first place in the conference. They are currently tied for the lead as Houston is 7-1 (4-0), and UCF is 6-1 (3-0). If UCF wins, they will take full control of the lead. If Houston wins, they will still need to beat Louisville to win the conference.
Prediction: UCF-42, Houston-31

#22 Arizona State at Utah: Arizona State has been putting up a lot of points in the last few weeks, scoring over 50 in all of their last three games. Utah plays exceptional at home, as they are 3-2 with a huge win over Stanford a few weeks ago. This should be an interesting match up, but I don't think the home field advantage Utah has will help them slow down the Pac-12's second most explosive offense.
Prediction: Arizona State-48, Utah-28

#23 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh: Notre Dame struggled against Navy last week defensively. Pittsburgh has had a horrible offense for most of the year. This is a great opportunity for Notre Dame to get back to playing the defense it was known for playing last year and early this year.
Prediction: Notre Dame-28, Pittsburgh-10

BYU at #24 Wisconsin: This is one of the most interesting games of the week. Wisconsin showed that they might be the second best team in the Big 10 with a 28-9 win over a solid Iowa team last week, but BYU is one of the nations best non-BCS schools. BYU can play defense better than almost anyone, but so can the Badgers. I think it all comes down to how well BYU can stop Wisconsin's run game.
Prediction: Wisconsin-24, BYU-17

Kansas State at #25 Texas Tech: Texas Tech is trying to bounce back after losing its last two games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Maybe they only lose to teams from that state and will get back on track against the Wildcats. Kansas State has now won back to back games, and is in the middle of the pack in the Big 12. This could be close depending on how well Kansas State plays in the first half. They have been a second half team all year, but if they can't play well early, they might not be able to come back late.
Prediction: Texas Tech-38, Kansas State-27

Vanderbilt at Florida: Florida had a tough loss to Georgia last week, and Vanderbilt is trying to become one of the SEC's contenders. While it is obvious that Vanderbilt will not reach that goal this year, they are still managing to put together a good season. They have one key in over Georgia, a team the the Gators couldn't beat. I think that the season is on an uncontrollable spiral downward for the Gators, and it continues this week.
Prediction: Vanderbilt-27, Florida-17

Penn State at Minnesota: Penn State has won two of their last three games in overtime against Michigan and Illinois, so if they can keep it tied they should be able to win. the only problem is that both of the wins came t home and this week they are on the road. Minnesota may not seem very good, but you can't argue the fact that they are 7-2 (3-2), and are tied with Michigan in the legends division.
Prediction: Penn State-34, Minnesota-31 OT

Arkansas at Ole Miss: Ole Miss has looked impressive this year with a record of 5-3 (2-3). In their last two games they have had both a blowout win over Idaho and a huge upset over LSU. Arkansas can't seem to win a conference game as they have a record of 3-6 (0-5). After starting the year 3-0, the Razorbacks have dropped six straight and need to win all of their final three games to make a bowl.
Prediction: Ole Miss-35, Arkansas-13

Syracuse at Maryland: Syracuse had a great defensive showing last week in a 13-0 win over Wake forest. This week they will have a little tougher opponent in Maryland. The Terrapins got off to a great start at 4-0, but since then have lost 3 of their last 4, including an embarrassing 34-10 defeat against Wake Forest.
Prediction: Syracuse-31, Maryland-27

Nebraska at Michigan: Nebraska beat Northwestern on a hail mary TD last week to stay in the hunt for a Big 10 championship. Nebraska needs to win the rest of its games, meaning both this one and against Michigan State to make the conference championship game. It will be a tough task to try to go into the "Big House" and get a win, especially after the way Michigan played last week. With that kind of performance, everyone knows that this wolverine team is going to come out and play hard and angry.
Prediction: Michigan-35, Nebraska-24

NC State at Duke: Duke might be the best team in the state of North Carolina this year. With all the other teams struggling, Duke has found a way to become bowl eligible for a second year in a row. NC State believes that they are the best in the state, although North Carolina just beat them last week. Duke should be able to win as the Wolfpack haven't won a conference game all year, with a record of 3-5 (0-5).
Prediction: Duke-21, NC State-7

Colorado at Washington: Washington is still one of the better teams in college football. they were just unfortunate enough to have to play Stanford, then Oregon, and then an Arizona State team that is very talented offensively in three consecutive weeks. they did get back on track with a win over CAL last week, and Colorado should be a walk in the park this week. I don't expect much of a game between one of the conferences best and one of its worst.
Prediction: Washington-45, Colorado-21

Utah State at UNLV: The Aggies and Rebels have both had up and down years so far. Utah State comes in at 5-4 (4-1), while UNLV comes in at 5-4 (3-2). The two teams are very evenly matched and are both trying to gain an edge in their division races. UNLV is in fourth place, just two games back of Fresno State in the West division standings where Utah State is tied with Boise State in the Mountain division standings.
Prediction: Utah State-38, UNLV-24

San Diego State at San Jose State: We will stay in the Mountain West for the final game of the week between the two sub-par California schools. San Diego comes into the game at 4-4 (3-1), and San Jose is 5-3 (4-1). Both teams are tied for 2nd place right behind Fresno State for first place in the conference. the winner will still have a chance at a conference title appearance.
Prediction: San Diego State-28, San Jose State-24

NFL Thoughts for the Week

The Colts pulled it out against Houston. I watched the first half before turning it off in frustration, but then I looked at the score later and it was a one possession game in the fourth quarter, which is exactly the situation you want to be in when you have Andrew Luck at quarterback. Luck was able to lead the team on a game winning drive, making the final score 27-24. This was the 10th game winning drive of Luck's career, an NFL record for the most ever by a player in his first two years. The best part is that Luck isn't even done yet. The Colts are only halfway through the season, so Luck should have a few more chances to get game winning drives and lead the teams to wins.
I was surprised by Nick Foles and the Eagles, as he threw for seven touchdowns, tying an NFL record. I think that Chip Kelly is finally reaching his goals with the Eagles, as his fast pace offense we were so used to at Oregon is finally working. They were able to score 49 points in just three quarters. Thursday night had a great finish. I don't know if anyone has ever lost a game in overtime because of a safety. I was again amazed by the Kansas City defense, who gave up just 13 points and scored the team's only two touchdowns. The Rams finally got their running game going as they not only got their first rushing TD of the year, but they scored twice. I'm a little worried about it as the Colts play them next week, and they gave up a lot of rushing yards to Houston last week, but I'm also confident enough in the Colts defense that I picked them up in fantasy this week since the Cowboys are playing the Saints.
Fantasy wise, I pulled out a win last week thanks to a big Monday night from Matt Forte. I started Forte again this week along with Pittsburgh running back LeVeon Bell, who has been running like an animal the last few weeks. I have both of my top receivers, AJ Green and Anquan Boldin back in my starting lineup. I did pick up Percy Harvin, as he will be back in a few weeks, and I think he will have a big impact when he is back. The big problem is Aaron Rodgers injury. I picked up Houston QB Case Keenum, as he threw for over 300 yards against a Colts secondary that is usually very good. He should be able to be productive for me when I need him. I am a game out of first place and I'm playing the first place team this week, so it is a huge game for me.

Lakers Review Game 5

The Lakers continued to go back and forth between playing well and playing badly last night, as they got blown out just two days after a big win over the Atlanta Hawks.
I wasn't very pleased with the team's performance defensively. They gave up 123 points and it seemed that every time the Mavs wanted to run the pick and roll it worked to perfection. Weather it was Monta Ellis driving to the hoop off the screen with no help defense coming or someone on the perimeter making a cut to the hoop so Ellis could throw it up to them for an easy two points. The Lakers just couldn't stop them.
The only positive I took away from last nights game was the Laker bench, which once again had a good showing, as they scored 71 points, compared to the starters who combined for 32 points. Nick Young led the way, coming off the bench to score 21 points, shooting 8-12 from the field. Other Lakers that scored in double figures were Pau Gasol with 10, Chris Kaman with 10, Jordan Farmar with 11, and Jodie Meets with 11. The Mavs were also able to his 13 threes, shooting 48% from beyond the arc, where the Lakers shot just 38%, but still hit 12. The up and down season continues on Thursday night as the team heads to Houston to face Dwight Howard for the first time. All I can hope for is for the team to continue staying near .500 until Kobe comes back, and then they can start racking up wins.

Week 11 Heisman List

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon. Mariota continues to remain at number 1, as he is coming off a bye week. This week will determine weather or not he is the real favorite to win it as he takes on Stanford, the only team that has beaten him in his two years at Oregon. He not only needs to get his revenge on the Cardinal, but if he can put up big numbers in doing so, it could be really hard for anyone to contend with him for the winner.

2. Jameis Winston, Florida State. Winston didn't play his best game against Miami, but he did enough to beat their top ten, unbeaten rival by over three touchdowns. The Freshman did throw for 325 yards and a TD, but he threw two key interceptions in the first half, both of which led to Miami touchdowns. That is enough to keep him at number 2 for now. He needs to play better against Wake Forest this week, but if he can do that, he should stay at 2 or move up to number one is Mariota can't beat Stanford.

3. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M. Johnny football put up huge numbers again on Saturday night against UTEP, throwing for 273 yards, while accounting for six touchdowns. If he continues to play like that he might get back up to the top, but he needs to face opponents that are a little better than UTEP.

4. Braxton Miller, Ohio State. Braxton threw for 233 yards and four touchdowns before coming out of the game, as Ohio State beat Purdue 56-0. Miller has now put up big numbers in two games in a row, leading his team to blowout victories both times. He still has the Buckeyes undefeated and with a couple losses from higher ranked teams, he might get his team to a national championship and win the Heisman while doing it.

5. AJ McCarron, Alabama. The Tide had a week off to prepare for the big LSU game coming up. If McCarron can shine against a team that still knows how to play SEC defense, he might be able to raise his Heisman potential, especially if some of the front runners can't close out wins in this huge weekend of games.

6. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois. Lynch passed Baylor's Bryce Petty this week because Petty didn't play and Lynch was able to throw for 160 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 119 yards and a career high four scores. If he continues to run the ball this effectively, and also throw a bit better, he might be the most complete player in the nation.

7. Bryce Petty, Baylor. Petty has the second highest total QBR, just behind Marcus Mariota. He has been lighting up the scoreboard all year, and has Baylor at the number one scoring offense in the nation averaging 63.9 points per game, while also leading the country in passing yards per game with 417.3. When your teams is the best passing team in the country, you must be doing something right at QB, and Petty will show just what he can do against Oklahoma Thursday night.

Rest of the Country Week 10 Review

There were a few big games outside of the major conferences, with both  of the non-BCS schools keeping their undefeated seasons alive, and one school fighting for their live against Navy.

Notre Dame came into the week ranked 24th and looking to get another blowout win against one of the service academies. They might have gotten the win, but they were unable to do it in dominant fashion, winning 38-34 after a Navy reverse run was stopped short on 4th down late in the game. Notre Dame controls their own destiny, as they are now 7-2 and if they can beat Pittsburgh, BYU, and Stanford and finish 10-2, a BCS bowl is still very much possible for the Irish.

Northern Illinois came out and just dominated Umass, winning 63-19. Jordan Lynch was able to rush for four touchdowns and throw for another, leading the team to a 9-0 start. they now have the remainder of their schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, against Ball State, Toledo, and Western Michigan. Ball State could be a real challenge in their next game, as the Cardinals are currently standing at 8-1 (5-0) and are tied with Northern Illinois for first place in the MAC.

The other unbeaten team, Fresno State also looked impressive, as the Bulldogs were able to hold on to beat Nevada 41-23. Quarterback Derek Carr was able to provide a spark for the team, as he threw for 487 yards and 3 TDs. Fresno State should also have an easy time getting to the conference championship game, as their remaining games are against Wyoming, New Mexico, and San Jose State.

Going back to the MAC, Boise State was able to get a much needed win over Colorado State, 42-30. The Broncos are now 6-3 (4-1), and still have Wyoming, San Diego State, and New Mexico coming up.

Another game to note was the game involving the other two service academies, where Air force was able to end its seven game losing streak dating back to the beginning of the year, by beating Army 42-28. Army had been horrible these last couple of weeks.

SEC Week 10 Review

Alabama and LSU both had the week off to prepare for their big game next week, so it wasn't a huge weekend for the nation's "best" conference.

The big game was the huge rivalry between Florida and Georgia. Although the game didn't carry as much meaning in the SEC East race as usual, the teams still managed to give us an exciting game, that was dictated by a lot of chippy play. There were personal fouls being called left and right. I guess that was the kind of thing I would expect from two schools that don't only hate each other, but are also going through tough seasons where injuries have caused them not to live up to expectations. It was a great game as Georgia pulled out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter before letting the Gators come back and bring it to 23-20. that is as close as Florida would get as Todd Gurley was able to run all over Florida and secure the Bulldog victory.

Missouri came back from their loss to South Carolina with a fire in their eyes, as they destroyed Tennessee 31-3. they pulled away early, taking a 24-3 lead into halftime, and didn't look back. Missouri is looking like they are still the team to beat in the SEC East despite the fact that they had a tough loss a week ago. In order for the Tigers to get to the SEC championship, though, they will need to beat their rival Texas A&M. Tennessee, meanwhile, falls to 4-5 (1-4) with the loss.They have now played a ranked opponent four games in a row, only winning one of them, when they best South Carolina 23-21 on a last second field goal. The Volunteers winnable games left after their next one with Auburn, as they end the year against Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas A&M all captured big wins against lesser opponents this week. South Carolina beat Mississippi State 34-16. If the Gamecocks want to get to the SEC championship, they will need to continue winning, while also hoping for a Missouri loss. Auburn beat Arkansas 35-17, showing that the deserve to be number 2 in the west right behind Alabama. They still have to face the tide though, and they also already lost to LSU earlier in the season. Johnny Manziel had another great performance, throwing for 273 yards and 4 TD's while also 67 yards and two more scores. A&M did win by a commanding score of 57-7, but they did it against UTEP, who has just one win all year.

Pac-12 Week 10 Review

It was a rather quiet Saturday in the Pac-12 as the conference's top two teams both had bye weeks and two of its four games came during the week.

Oregon State came into Friday night following a close loss to Stanford. After only scoring 12 points against the solid Cardinal defense, the Beavers hoped to get back to their usual high powered offensive attack, led my the nations leading passer, Sean Mannion. USC had other plans for the Beavers who are now 6-3 (4-2) and are on the outside looking in at the other conference contenders. USC has been playing really good football since they got a new head coach, and have now won three of their last four games, with those three opponents having a combined record of 16-9. USC is tied with UCLA and Arizona for second place in the Pac-12 South just behind Arizona State. USC already beat Arizona and still has yet to face UCLA, but they lost earlier in the year to the Sun Devils, so they would need two Arizona State losses to get into the conference championship.

Arizona State's offense is looking a lot like their conference foe from the north, as they have now scored over 50 points in three straight games, this time winning 55-21 over Washington State. Arizona State is now 6-2 (4-1) and is alone at the top of the Pac-12 South. They still have a long road to the top, as they have yet to face Utah, Oregon State, UCLA, and Arizona. Washington State is now starting to struggle to find offense after starting the year so well. After starting the year winning four of its first six games, the Cougars have now lost three in a row, all of which came by three or more touchdowns. Their record stands at 4-5 (2-4) and they are now hoping that they can at least get to a bowl game. In order to do that, they would need to win two of their last three games against Arizona, Utah, and Washington.

Arizona and UCLA both notched big conference wins against inferior opponents in the Pac-12's two games on Saturday. UCLA bounced back from its losses to Stanford and Oregon to beat Colorado 45-23. They started slow, but were able to overcome it and win big. Arizona faced a tough battle with CAL, who is now just 1-8 (0-6), winning just 33-28. Arizona and UCLA are both major contenders in the south and they now share the same record at 6-2 (3-2). The two will now play each other in a big game this Saturday night.

Big 10 Week 10 Review

Going into the week, everyone thought that the race in the legends division would be tight, but nobody would be able to compete with Ohio State. It now seems like one team is a big threat to the powerful Buckeyes.

One of the Big 10's biggest rivalries took place Saturday, with a Big 10 title shot at stake. Michigan State as able to dominate Michigan from the opening kick, sacking them 7 times, and forcing them to -48 rushing yards. Michigan was held well below their season average in almost ever offensive statistic. They scored just 6 points even though the team usually scores over 42 points per game. We all knew that Michigan State had a great defense coming into the game, but nobody thought that they could be this dominant. If their defense continues to play this great, Michigan State could be a major threat to Ohio State for the Big 10 championship. Michigan State is now in the drivers seat in the legends, and if they can beat Nebraska in a few weeks, they could clinch their spot in the title.

On the other side of the conference, Ohio State continued its dominance, beating Purdue 56-0. They scored 42 points in the first half alone. Ohio State is finally starting to look good while winning, which is huge in trying to pass one of the top 3 teams and get into the national championship. Purdue is clearly the worst team in the conference, but Ohio State has a few more chances to dominate and look good, as their final three opponents are Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

Back in the legends division, Nebraska stayed alive in contention for the division with a last second hail mary touchdown to beat Northwestern. Northwestern deserved to win as they played a great game. Nebraska was able to pull it out late though and Northwestern has now dropped 5 games in a row. Nebraska plays Michigan next week and still faces Michigan State after that, if the Huskers can win those games, they could still get to the Big 10 championship and a BCS bowl game.

Everyone, including me, had Wisconsin on upset alert going into their game against Iowa last week. Early on, it looked like Iowa might just get that upset, as they got the ball into Wisconsin territory four times, their only problem with it was that the only thing the Hawkeyes got on those trips were two field goals. The defense was playing very well and Iowa still kept a 6-0 lead late in the first half. Eventually, nothing but field goals will catch up to you though, and Wisconsin as able to score a touchdown late in the half, and although Iowa clearly controlled the first half, Wisconsin held a 7-6 halftime lead. Wisconsin dominated the rest of the way, winning 28-9 and showing that they are right there with Ohio State and Michigan State as the top teams in the conference. This isn't the end of the road for Iowa, who can still make a solid bowl game. They now have Purdue next week, a team they should be able to beat quite easily.

Penn State won a second overtime thriller in their last 3 games on Saturday against an Illinois team that has now lost 20 conference games in a row. Penn State was able to fight back after going down 17-14 in the fourth quarter. They were able to hit a field goal that sent it into overtime and win it from there. They might not be able to play in the postseason, bu they can still play for pride and a winning record, the win puts them at 5-3 (2-2), with games against Minnesota, Purdue, Nebraska, and Wisconsin still left.

Indiana just loves to lose in high scoring shootouts . Their offense is playing great, scoring over 35 points in all but two of their games so far. Even with all those points, the Hoosiers still have a record of just 3-5 (1-3). Minnesota is now 7-2 (3-2) and shouldn't be taken lightly. They are becoming a team in the Big 10 that nobody wants to play against. They now take on Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State to end the year.

Big 12 Week 10 Review

There were only four games in the Big 12 this week, but one of them went a long way in determining a champion.

Texas Tech came home after a tough first loss to Oklahoma, and facing a surging Oklahoma State wasn't going to be an easy task. Oklahoma State came right out and scored early and often, jumping out to a 21-3 lead at the the end of the first quarter. Texas Tech did a great job of not giving up, as they led a big comeback, and were able to cut the deficit to 28-24 at halftime. Oklahoma State again dominated the third, as they outscored the Red Raiders 21-7. This led Oklahoma State to a 52-34 win, the most points Texas Tech has given up all year. Oklahoma State is now in clear contention for the Big 12 title, but Texas Tech's chances took a huge hit, as that is their second conference loss.

Texas continued to look like the team that we have expected all year, winning 35-13 against Kansas. They are now 5-0 in Big 12 play, and are tied with Baylor at the top of the conference. The Longhorns didn't play the best game ever, as most teams are able to beat Kansas by a little more than Texas did, but a win is a win. They still have most of their big challenges left, as they still have yet to face Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Baylor.

TCU and West Virginia came into their game with equal records, both overall and in conference play, which set up a bug game between the two last week. The two teams lived up to it, with West Virginia coming back from down 17-3, to win 30-27 on overtime. After West Virginia came back and took a 27-17 lead, TCU was able to also comeback and make a field goal at the last second to send it into overtime. West Virginia hit a field goal in overtime to win after TCU missed one on their possession. Neither one will be able to compete for a Big 12 title, but both are close to bowl eligibility, and wins this late in the year are crucial.

Kansas State was able to capture yet another victory, this time 41-7 against Iowa State. Iowa State and Kansas seem to be in a big competition to not be the Big 12's worst team. Kansas State, meanwhile, is in the middle of the Big 12. They are not quite at the level of contender, like the Oklahoma teams, Baylor, and Texas, but they are also not at the bottom like Iowa State, Kansas, and TCU.

ACC Week 10 Review

The two favorites to make the conference championship have now been established, even though one of them got blown out on Saturday night.

Florida State continued to impress, although they only did it in the second half. Miami played very well in the first half, as they capitalized on two Jameis Winston interceptions, to get the game tied at 14 going into halftime. The second half was a much different story as Miami couldn't stop the Noles run game. Florida State ran the ball 44 times for 192 yards in the game, along with 4 touchdowns, 2 for Devonta Freeman, and 2 for James Wilder Jr. Miami suffered a major blow in the loss, as superstar running back, Duke Johnson will now be out for the rest of the year. It was a rough night for Miami, but they are still the favorites to get to the ACC championship and play Florida State again, mainly because their biggest competition, Virginia Tech lost against on Saturday afternoon.

Virginia Tech came into Saturday coming off of a 13-10 loss to Duke that made their offense look horrible. They lost again, showing that they might not be the contenders we though they were. It was a close, low scoring game all day, as is usual with Virginia Tech, but the Hokies were outscored 17-10 in the fourth quarter, and lost 34-27 to a Boston College team that was coming off a blowout loss to North Carolina. Boston College is continuing an up and down season. One week they are putting up a fight into the fourth quarter against Clemson, the next they are getting blown out by one of the conferences worst teams, and now they are beating one of its best. Virginia Tech will get knocked out of the ACC race if they can't beat Miami next week.

Clemson finally got back to its regular domination, beating Virginia 59-10. They let Virginia stay close for a little, as they only led 14-7 after a quarter, but they outscored the Cavaliers 21-0 in the second, which fueled them as they ended up winning big. Because of the loss to Florida State, the Tigers have almost no chance to get to the ACC championship, but if they can win out, they could still get into a BCS bowl game and have a good finish.

With Virginia Tech losing, Georgia Tech comes back into the fight for the ACC Coastal, as they were able to beat Pittsburgh in a 21-10 battle. It was another low scoring game for Pittsburgh, who scored a lot in the first part of the year. Since then they just can't seem to score. Georgia Tech is right back in the race as they have now won three games in a row. Georgia Tech is on the road against Clemson in their next game after a bye this upcoming week. That game should be huge in determining weather or not they can contend with Miami.

There was a big rivalry in the ACC Saturday, as North Carolina got their second win in a row, beating NC State 27-19. North Carolina started the season so bad, losing 5 of their first 6 games, and starting the year 0-3 in conference play.Since then, they have now won back to back conference games, against Boston College and the rival NC State, who still hasn't won a conference game. Neither team has a chance at a conference championship, or really a bowl game, but it was a good game and a big rivalry.

Finally, we have a great defensive performance from Syracuse. The Orange have been mostly known for their offense this year, but offense had nothing to do with their 13-0 win over Wake Forest on Saturday. They gave up only 213 total yards and held Wake to 4-18 on third downs. Wake Forest played their worst game of the year and it doesn't help that they now have to turn around and play Florida State next week.

Lakers Review Game 4

The Lakers jumped out to a huge lead, winning by as much as 21 in the first half, but didn't play well after halftime, letting Atlanta comeback and tie the game with 35 seconds left. Two huge offensive rebounds and two huge Pau Gasol free throws led the team to victory and saved the team.
There was a little change in the lineup as coach D'antoni started Xavier Henry over Nick Young. It seemed to work as Henry continued to play the same as when he came off the bench, scoring a team high 18 points. Nick Young played his best game of the season, coming off the bench to score 13 points in 21 minutes. Pau was also very productive, again showing that he is back to all-star performance, as he had 16 points and 13 boards in 28 minutes. Steve Nash also had his best game so far, getting 13 points and 6 assists and looked a lot more like the hall of fame player that he is after a disappointing season last year.
The Lakers were able to get another 48 points off the bench, against showing that they are a lot more deep than we thought at the beginning of the year. Defensively, they were rather on and off. At times in the first half, they would shut Atlanta down and go on big runs, but in the second half the opposite would happen, and they couldn't get a stop to save their lives.
Overall, I'm very happy with the teams win. Its been a really good start to the year, with wins over the Clippers and the Hawks, while also coming very close against the Spurs. They are sitting at 2-2, which is fine with me as i expected them to be 0-4 at this point. Next up is Tuesday night against Dallas.

Week 11 Top 25

Not much changed at the top this week as there were a lot of byes.

1. Oregon-After a bye week I have to keep them at #1. We will see if they deserve it on Thursday night against Stanford.

2. Alabama-The Tide also had a bye week so I'm going to keep them at 2. They have a huge game on Saturday night against LSU and a big win in that could boost them up.

3. Florida State-A blowout win over Miami proved that Florida State belongs here and maybe higher, but for now they stay at 3.

4. Ohio State-Another dominant win for the Buckeyes this week, although it was against Purdue, a 56-0 win is always impressive and helpful.

5. Baylor-The Bears were the third team in the top 5 with a bye this week, they have their biggest test of the season now on Thursday night against Oklahoma.

6. Stanford-Stanford is showing why they are the best one loss team in the country, but this week, they will need to be even better than they have been all year.

7. Auburn-The Tigers remain at 7 this week after a big win over Arkansas. They are a solid one loss SEC team, but their only test left that could move them up is against Alabama at the end of the year.

8. Missouri-The Tigers are showing that the comeback loss to South Carolina was a fluke, as they came out and destroyed Tennessee from the opening kickoff, winning 31-3.

9. Oklahoma-The Sooners are yet another top 10 team that had a bye, but they can move up and put themselves in good position in the Big 12 with a win over Baylor this week.

10. Clemson-Clemson returned to form yesterday, winning 59-10. I expect that this is the way they will play for the rest of the season

11. Texas A&M-A&M rolled again, this time over UTEP, a team that has just one win. The Aggies might have a chance to move up in the future as they still have Missouri left this year.

12. South Carolina-The Gamecocks looked good in a 34-16 win over Mississippi State. They are playing their best football of the year, and are still very much in contention with Missouri for the SEC East.

13. LSU-LSU had a bye just like many other top teams, therefore they stay at 13. They have a chance to push into the top ten this week though, if they can take down the Tide.

14. Michigan State-The Spartans played better defense than anyone has all year, allowing Michigan less than 200 yards, with -49 rushing yards coming off 7 sacks. Michigan State is a legit threat to Ohio State in the Big 10.

15. Miami (FL)-The Hurricanes played solid football for a half against Florida State before getting blown out 41-14, but a loss is a loss and they fall back a ways.

16. Fresno State-Fresno State won again this week against Nevada, who we knew wouldn't put up much of a fight. Fresno State has a pretty easy road to an undefeated season at this point.

17. Northern Illinois-The Huskies dominated again, this time winning 63-19 against an inferior Umass team. Jordan Lynch ran for a career high four touchdowns.

18. Oklahoma State-The Cowboys won big over Texas Tech, scoring over 50 points in the process. They are tight there in contention for the Big 12, and have a legit shot at winning it.

19. UCLA-UCLA had some struggles early against Colorado, but they were able to fight through it and win. They have a good chance at getting to the Pac-12 championship still, but they will have to go through USC first.

20. UCF-UCF had a bye like a lot of others this week. They have a huge game with Houston next Saturday night, and it could decide the conference champion.

21. Louisville-The Cardinals are another team that had a bye and the Cardinals just need a UCF loss to get right back in the AAC race.

22. Wisconsin-The Badgers played great defense in a 28-9 win. They are looking more and more like the Big 10's second best team every week.

23. Notre Dame-The Irish needed a solid day from the offense to beat Navy yesterday. The defense was horrible, giving up scores on almost every possession.

24. Texas-Texas won convincingly again last night against Kansas. The Oklahoma game is their only real win, but they are tied atop the Big 12 standings and still have some key games left.

25. Arizona State-Arizona State has now put up over 50 points for three straight games, after they killed Washington State 55-21. This is good enough to put them in the rankings.

Week 10 games to watch

Tomorrow, another great day of college football is upon us. Here are the games to watch over the course of the day and why.

11:00 A.M.: There are a few good games on early on Saturday. I would mostly stay in the big 10, as there are three games on at that time. Illinois visits Penn State on ESPN, #24 Wisconsin is at Iowa on ABC, and #4 Ohio State is at Purdue on Big 10 Network. those games along with Virginia Tech and Boston College on ESPN2 should all be intriguing match ups. Start by watching Ohio State-Purdue early, maybe most of the first quarter. You get to see Braxton Miller show why he is a Heisman favorite, and then switch to other games once Ohio State has pulled far enough ahead. Then go to Wisconsin and Iowa, as that has major Big 10 championship indications. I will be watching that one for most of the morning, although I am interested in seeing how Penn State rebounds from the blowout loss to Ohio State against an Illinois team that has lost 18 conference games in a row. Virginia Tech also should be fun to watch if you like defense. I think that the Hokies will come out and dominate after their upset loss to Duke last week knocked them out of the rankings. Overall, when it comes down to the fourth quarter, I just watch whatever game is close. If the good games are blowouts and a game like Air Force and Army on ESPNU is really close, than i guess I'm watching Air Force-Army.

2:30 P.M.: There are two games I will be watching in the mid afternoon set of games tomorrow, Michigan State vs. Michigan on ABC, and Georgia Florida on CBS. There are other decent games on. I want to see how Clemson handles Virginia, and West Virginia against TCU since I am a Mountaineer fan, but those games just aren't as big. both of the two games Ill be watching are huge rivalries with major conference championship implications. Michigan State holds a one game lead over both Michigan and Nebraska in the Legends division standings, while Florida and Georgia are both tied with South Carolina for second place behind Missouri in the SEC East. I want to see how the bulldogs and Gators battle through injuries and who will come out on top between the Michigan offense that scores 42.4 points per game and the Michigan State defense that allows a Big 10 low 12.3 points per game.

Night games: I will start at 6:00, when Texas Tech and Oklahoma State start on FOX, although I also want to watch Missouri against Tennessee on ESPN. After about and hour of those games, the Florida State-Miami game will begin on ABC. I will watch that uninterrupted until it becomes a blowout, which i expect to happen by halftime. If I'm wrong and the game is close throughout like a top 10 battle should be than ill keep watching it.Once that's over, all that's left is the end of the Texas A&M-UTEP game on ESPN2 followed by the end of the Fresno State-Nevada game on ESPNU. Once those are over it's college football final on ESPN2 and then then the week is over. Hopefully the crazy month of November that we are used to every year continues this year right away.

Week 10 Picks

Another week begins tonight, although many of the top teams are off, there are still some big rivalry's this week.

#7 Miami (FL) at #3 Florida State: The Seminoles have been able to destroy everyone that they have faced, including twice against ranked undefeated teams in Clemson and Maryland. I don't see this game going any differently for Florida State, as Miami has struggled mightily to beat North Carolina and Wake Forest in the past two weeks, winning by a combined margin of 7 points against two of the ACC's bottom teams. Florida State has beaten the two ranked teams they have played by a combined score of 114-14. Jameis Winston has came through big time in the clutch and this time he will have his home crowd behind him, as Florida State will be at home in Tallahassee on Saturday night.
Prediction: Florida State-49, Miami-17

#4 Ohio State at Purdue: Ohio State is coming off of a 63-14 win over Penn State last week, which is quite easily their most impressive win of the season so far. Their opponent, Purdue is in last place in the Big 10 at 1-6 (0-3). Purdue is 106th in the country in points allowed, giving up 34.4 points per game. Ohio State should be able to roll right over the Boilermakers this week. It gives Braxton Miller a great chance to put up some huge numbers and increase his chances at winning the Heisman.
Prediction: Ohio State-52, Purdue-10

#8 Clemson at Virginia: Clemson's season changed drastically over the past two weeks, after the 51-14 loss to Florida State, and the close win over Maryland last week. They still have a shot at the ACC title or a BCS at-large bid, but to do that they will not only have to beat a Virginia team that hasn't played up to its potential, but they will have to win it in impressive fashion, something they couldn't do last week.
Prediction: Clemson-34, Virginia-14

Tennessee at #9 Missouri: I'm putting Missouri on upset watch this week. Tennessee has show snippets of greatness this year in a close loss to Georgia and a in over South Carolina, who was able to beat Missouri in OT last week. Tennessee wasn't able to keep it close with Alabama last week, but then again, who can keep in close with the Tide? Tennessee wants to rebound from the loss, where as Missouri is going to have to try and handle coming off their first loss of the season to face a real challenge. That being said, I think that Missouri has the edge at home.
Prediction: Missouri-27, Tennessee-20

#11 Auburn at Arkansas: Auburn should be able to handle Arkansas. The Tigers just seem to win and might be the quietest one loss team in the country, as nobody really talks about them. They were able to sneak into the rankings, and after they beat Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M, they moved up further in the rankings. Arkansas hasn't had a very good season, and there are no signs that it is going to change now.
Prediction: Auburn-35, Arkansas-20

UTEP at #12 Texas A&M: Johnny Manziel is looking for a big game this week to gain ground on Mariota in the Heisman watch. That should be the big story line coming into the game, as A&M shouldn't experience any trouble in beating UTEP, who just isn't at the same level as the Aggies.
Prediction: Texas A&M-56, UTEP-31

Mississippi State at #14 South Carolina: Connor Shaw came into the game in the fourth quarter of last weeks game against Missouri and led them to an overtime win over the previously unbeaten Tigers. They are now back in the race in the SEC East. If they want to get Missouri worried, they will need to play very well and win against a Bulldog team that hasn't done very well with a record of 4-3 (1-2).
Prediction: South Carolina-31, Mississippi State-17

#18 Oklahoma State at #15 Texas Tech: Texas Tech played very well and came up a little short against Oklahoma last week. Oklahoma State got back to playing like we thought they would play all year in a big win over Iowa State. This game will be huge in determining a conference champion, as the loser will have a lot of trouble trying to come back and win it.
Prediction: Oklahoma State-41, Texas Tech-38

Nevada at #16 Fresno State: Fresno State had a very tough time getting past San Diego State last week, pulling it out 35-28 in OT. They should do better this week against a Nevada team that is nowhere near as good as San Diego State. Nevada is 3-5 (2-3) and is currently 0-2 against ranked opponents, losing by a combined score of 120-27 in those two games.
Prediction: Fresno State-48, Nevada-24

#17 Northern Illinois at Umass: Jordan Lynch has put the team on his back, leading the Huskies to an 8-0 start, and they are trying to get their first undefeated season ever, while getting back to the BCS for a second year in a row. They should be able to get another easy win, similar to last weeks 59-20 win over Eastern Michigan.
Prediction: Northern Illinois-52, Umass-13

Colorado at #20 UCLA: The Bruins are trying to avoid doing what Washington did after losing back to back games against Stanford and Oregon, when they got blown out by Arizona State. UCLA should have an easier time bouncing back from the losses as they play one of the worst teams in the Pac-12.
Prediction: UCLA-42, Colorado-7

#21 Michigan at #22 Michigan State: This game will be huge in showing who will win the Legends division in the Big 10 and get a shot at Ohio State for the championship. Nebraska and Iowa still have a chance, but Michigan at Michigan State are the big favorites to win it.
Prediction: Michigan State-24, Michigan-14

#24 Wisconsin at Iowa:  Wisconsin could possibly be the best team in the Big 10 besides Ohio State, their only problem is that they lost to Ohio State and they won't be able to make the conference championship. Iowa has played very well, but as been unfortunate enough to lose a few tough games. They were able to pull out an overtime win over Northwestern last week, a team that Wisconsin was able to beat 35-6 earlier in the year.
Prediction: Wisconsin-28, Iowa-21

Navy at #25 Notre Dame: The Irish beat Air force badly last week, and hope to continue their dominance against the service academies this week, as they take on Navy. Notre Dame has played very well since the loss to Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Navy hasn't played well recently and is coming in with a record of 4-3, with 2 of those three losses coming in the last three weeks.
Prediction: Notre Dame-38, Navy-17

South Florida at Houston: Houston has played very well so far, with their only loss coming to a solid BYU team. They have a chance to showcase their talents tonight on ESPN. Their opponent, South Florida, should provide them with an easy win, as they are just 2-5 (2-1) this year.
Prediction: Houston-42, South Florida-27

Arizona State at Washington State: This game could be very interesting and I would suggest staying up late to watch it tonight. Arizona State has had a very high powered offense lately, scoring over 50 points in each of their last two games. Washington State is the definition of passing, as they are 6th in the country in passing, averaging 373.1 yards per game.
Prediction: Arizona State-52, Washington State-42

USC at Oregon State: USC has played pretty good after the firing of Lane Kiffin. They have won two of their last three games, with those wins being against solid opponents in Arizona and Utah. Oregon State has the nations leading passer in Sean Mannion, and they are coming off a a very tough loss, 20-12 against Stanford, where they almost took the Cardinal by surprise.
Prediction: Oregon State-38, USC-34

Virginia Tech at Boston College: Virginia Tech came into their game with Duke last week ranked 14th in the country, but after an ugly 13-10 loss, they dropped out. They still have a good chance to make the ACC title, if Miami loses to Florida State this weekend. Boston College has been a little surprizing this year. They put up a fight against Florida State, coming closer than anyone else has against them. They also almost beat Clemson a few weeks ago, but came up just short. They then fell badly to North Carolina last week, a team that had been struggling all year.
Prediction: Virginia Tech-20, Boston College-7

Illinois at Penn State: Penn State and Illinois both lost badly last week. Penn  State lost 63-14 against the best team in the Big 10, where Illinois lost 42-3 against Michigan State, who statistically has the best defense in the country. Both teams were expected to lose last week but not by so much.
Prediction: Penn State-31, Illinois-24

Army at Air Force: Air Force got rocked by Notre Dame last week. Army wasn't much better, losing 33-14 to Temple. Army is 3-5 compared to Air Force who is just 1-7 (0-5). Army should win in a game that will not see much passing.
Prediction: Army-21, Air Force-10

North Carolina at NC State: NC State looked bad against Florida State last week, giving up 35 points in the first quarter alone. North Carolina finally got its first conference win against a Boston College team that has done alright so far. The Tar Heels still stand at 2-5 (1-3), but NC State isn't looking great either at 3-4 (0-4) with all four of their losses coming in the last 5 games.
Prediction: North Carolina-34, NC State-24

Wake Forest at Syracuse: Another match up of middle of the pack ACC teams. Wake Forest almost beat Miami last week and showed that they have good potential. Syracuse has been able to score a lot of points all season, but has struggled against good teams. I'm not sure if Wake Forest should be classified as a "good team" or not but I do think that the Orange offense will struggle.
Prediction: Wake Forest-35, Syracuse-24

Georgia at Florida: This is the first time in a while that this historic rivalry hasn't carried much meaning in the SEC East race. Georgia and Florida are both trying to push through some tough injury problems and are almost out of contention for the SEC title. Florida is missing starting QB Jeff Driskel, and Georgia is missing both of its star running backs, Todd Gurley and Kieth Marshall.
Prediction: Georgia-28, Florida-20

Minnesota at Indiana: Minnesota is quietly becoming one of the top teams in the Big 10. With wins over both Nebraska and Northwestern in their last two games they are now tied with Iowa and still in contention to get to the Big 10 championship. Indiana has had one of the league's top offenses this year as they are 8th in the country in points per game with 42.4.
Prediction: Minnesota-49, Indiana-41

West Virginia at TCU: West Virginia looked good for just a little over a half last week before they blew a 12-7 lead and lost 35-12. West Virginia has been very inconsistent since their big upset of Oklahoma State early in the year. TCU hasn't had the season it was looking for and is coming off of a big loss to Texas last week.
Prediction: TCU-35, West Virginia-10

Northwestern at Nebraska: Nebraska rushed Taylor Martinez back too quickly and it showed in a 34-23 loss to Minnesota last week. He threw for just 139 yards while also throwing an interception. Northwestern might be even worse off than Nebraska is as they are completely out of contention in the Big 10 and are on a four game losing streak. Nebraska has Northwestern at a good time and it doesn't hurt that the game is taking place in Lincoln.
Prediction: Nebraska-38, Northwestern-24

Iowa State at Kansas State: Kansas State got off to a shaky start against West Virginia last week but rebounded to win 35-12. Iowa State, who had been playing tough and staying close with good teams all year, lost badly to Oklahoma State. Kansas State shouldn't have trouble winning the game, but the question is, can Iowa State come close or will they get blown out for a third week in a row?
Prediction: Kansas State-41, Iowa State-21

Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech was looking like ACC contenders until a Thursday night loss to Virginia Tech a few weeks ago. Since then, they have not looked impressive, losing games to both Miami and BYU, while also needing to come back from down 25 to a Virginia team that they shouldn't have had any trouble with. Pittsburgh had showed glimpses of a great offensive attack early in the year, but they haven't recently as they have scored over 20 points just once in their last 4 games.
Prediction: Georgia Tech-27, Pittsburgh-24

Boise State at Colorado State: Boise State is clearly not the team it was a few years ago, but this is a game they should be able to handle. They lost badly to BYU last week, while Colorado State beat the winless Hawaii by just a touchdown, 35-28.
Prediction: Boise State-35, Colorado State-14

Lakers Review Game 2

Tonight we learned that one game doesn't mean anything. The team seemed to play exactly like they were expected to in the pre-season. I was most disappointed with the fact that they were getting open looks as the basket and they just couldn't hit. They weren't able to get anything going, as they didn't even set up the offense most of the game, instead opting to take quick threes early in the shot clock. The defense was even worse, as the Warriors looked like they couldn't miss, making 55% of their threes, which is better than the Lakers shot against the Clippers in the opener. Klay Thompson dropped 38 for the Warriors, 27 of which came in the first half, helping Golden State jump out to a 59-40 halftime lead.
They went up by double digits early in the game and didn't look back. Pau was having trouble establishing his post game, shooting just 5-10 with 12 points. Steve Nash didn't play due to a slightly injured neck. D'antoni did say that Nash might not play the second of double headers a lot this season, just so the NBA's oldest player can get some extra rest. Jodie Meeks would replace him in the starting line-up. He would lead the team in scoring with 14.
The bench did another good job, although it wan't enough to win, they still were able to produce 52 points whereas the Warriors were only able to generate 44 from their bench. The Lakers might need Kobe back sooner than they thought, but until then they will have to do a better job shooting the ball, as they shot just 39% from the field. The road doesn't get any easier from here as the Lakers will return home to face the San Antonio Spurs on ESPN on Friday night. If they can get out and running early, while also knocking down their shots, then they might be able to pull the upset over the defending Western Conference champions.

NFL thoughts for the week

I am a huge Colts fan, so last week was rather boring for me due to the bye week. This week they play the Texans on Sunday night. Before the season this was one of the games I had circled on the calender as a huge one in determining who will win the division. At this point in the season, the Colts have pretty much shown that they will win the division. This is a great chance at showing the world that they can continue the success they experienced against Denver and get another win. These are the kind of game the team tends to lose, as it is much similar to the situation when they fell to the Chargers a few weeks ago. They came into that game on a winning streak off a big win over the Seahawks. It was a prime time Monday night game and they failed to score a touchdown the entire game. They should be able to avoid that again this week. They just need Andrew Luck to play his game. The defense needs to lock up their coverage as well as the did against Denver. If Vontae Davis can shut down Andre Johnson the way he shut down Demaryius Thomas, they should be able to stop Case Keenum from throwing the ball effectively. They will have a tough time stopping Arian Foster and that run game, but they were able to limit both Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, and Knowshon Moreno in the past so I expect that they can do it again.
I didn't actually watch much football on Sunday, but one of the games i did watch was the Loins and the Cowboys. That was one of the most exciting games of the year. Calvin Johnson played great, getting over 300 yards and almost breaking the record for yards in a game. He is easily the best wide out in the NFL and if he continues like this he might be the greatest of all-time. The Vikings were able to score 31 points against the Packers on Sunday night, which really surprised me. I didn't watch any of it but it seems their offensive struggles might be getting a little better. The Broncos looked bad early against Washington. I watched the first half and they were down 21-7. The two Mannings reversed roles on Sunday as Peyton threw 3 picks while Eli didn't have any for the second week in a row.
My fantasy team got to 3-5 for the season with a huge win this week. I am still only 1 game out of first place in my division as the other three teams are all 4-4. I play our defending league champion this week. He beat me in the championship last year and i want revenge. It will be tough though as both of my tight ends, Vernon Davis and Julius Thomas have bye weeks. I picked up Coby Fleener to play this week, but I don't know hoe well he will do. I try not to get Colts players much because I am too biased and overrate them, but I did have Reggie Wayne as one of my top receivers. I should be fine without him since i still have both AJ Green and Anquan Boldin, but Boldin had his bye this week and Green's is coming up soon. I picked up Golden Tate from Seattle to start for me this week. He had some big plays in a close win over the Rams on Monday night and they are playing against the winless Buccaneers this week. My opponent hasn't set his lineup yet, so as of now, his quarterback and both receivers are on byes. Hopefully he forgets and I can beat him quite easily. That is all I really have to say about the NFL this week. I can't wait for the Colts game Sunday night, Ill be tweeting about it throughout the game. You can follow me on twitter @dylan10110.

Lakers review game 1

What a game. I don't even know where to start. I came into tonight with the same expectations for the year as everyone else, a team that would have to heavily rely on Pau and Nash until Kobe comes back if they wanted a chance to win. They showed that this team is a lot more than its big three, as the team had five players score 10+ points off the bench, and none of the starters played in the fourth quarter. The game was close almost all night, with nobody gaining a double digit lead until late in the fourth. I was thinking through the entire first half, just keep up with the Clippers and we can have a chance to win late. They did just that, and the three ball led them on a huge run to pull away and win 116-103. The three was the Lakers biggest strong suit. That was the area where I expected the team to do well in, but nobody thought that they would do this good, as they shot almost 50% from beyond the arc, hitting 14 out of 29 attempts. They didn't play great defensively, but they did just enough to slow them down and get the win. The bench was supposed to be the team's weak spot. Everyone said that they would have the worst bench production in the league, but the bench combined for 76 points, including playing for all of the final 15 minuets. I didn't really know what to expect coming into the game, but Xavier Henry played amazing, scoring 22 points and leading everyone in scoring. Mike D'antoni wanted to use different combinations of players early in the year, after most of their bench players are new this year. He found solid play from almost everyone, as Henry, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, Nick Young, and Pau all finished the game double figures.They were also surprising on the glass, out rebounding the Clippers, 52-40. They were able to get a solid 18 offensive rebounds, 7 of which came from Jordan Hill, who is a beast at getting the ball back after a miss. Pau looked very impressive in the short time that he actually played tonight, as he scored 11 of the team's first 13 points. He looked a lot like the Pau we were used to back when the team was winning championships. Without the presence of Howard down low, Gasol was able to assert himself down low, finishing with 15 points and 13 boards in just 24 minuets. Nash wasn't great, but he didn't play much. All this rest for the starters could really help them tomorrow night, when they play on the road against the Warriors. The starters will be very rested and the Lakers will be able to use them most of the night if need be. Overall, I was very pleased with tonight's outcome, and I hope that the team can continue to play at this level for the rest of the season. I will end my review of tonight's game with my pick for player of the game.
Player of the Game: Xavier Henry. Henry played great tonight, hitting 3 out of 4 threes and coming through big time in the fourth quarter to help the team pull away and turn it into a blow out. I hadn't even heard of him until he signed with the team and I certainly didn't expect much out of him in the opener, but he led the team with 22 points.

Week 10 Heisman List

Another week has eliminated a few of the contenders, but the race is still wide open.

1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon. Marcus is proving week in and week out that he is the best quarterback among a large quantity of solid quarterbacks this year. He threw for 230 yards and a touchdown against UCLA, although he wasn't as effective as usual running the ball, gaining just 18 yards on 7 carries. He is still number one for now and he had a good game considering he was playing against the team with the best defensive player in the country, but if he continues to put up those numbers without getting back to what he's done all season, Florida State's Jameis Winston might steal the trophy right out from under him.

2. Jameis Winston, Florida State. Winston threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns in a win over NC State on Saturday. He has numbers very similar to Johnny Manziel did last year at this point, with 2,177 yards and 23 TDs. He has showed that he can come through in key games as he has thrown for a combined 837 yards and 8 touchdowns in two games against ranked opponents this year.If Winston can continue to put up these numbers, he might just be able to become the second freshman quarterback in a row to win the Heisman.

3. Braxton Miller, Ohio State. Braxton threw for 252 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for 68 yards and two scores, leading Ohio State to a 63-14 win over a decent Penn State defense. Braxton has his team undefeated and has played very well since coming back from an early season injury that kept him sidelined for three weeks. The game against the Nittany Lions might have been the best game of the Senior's career and he will try to get even better to help this team get to a national championship.

4. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M. Manziel finished with 305 yards and 4 touchdowns on Saturday, once again showing why he could win the Heisman for the second year in a row. He didn't even play the entire game as he is battling a shoulder injury that he suffered in last weeks loss to Auburn. If Johnny can stay healthy and fight off that injury, while continuing to put up those insane numbers against SEC opponents, then he will have just as strong a case as anyone when the Heisman winner is crowned in December.

5. AJ McCarron, Alabama. AJ finished with 275 yards and 2 scores in a 45-10 domination of Tennessee. He may not put up as big of numbers as some, but he has shown time and time again that he knows how to win, and look good doing it. He is the only active quarterback to win more than one championship, and has an amazing winning percentage. He is trying to lead his team to its third national championship in a row, and if he can do that, then he might have a shot at winning the Heisman.

6. Bryce Petty, Baylor. Petty threw for 430 yards and 3 TDs in the blowout win over Kansas last week. He is putting up huge numbers each game and doing so at a dizzying pace, as he usually doesn't even play in the fourth quarter. If he can put up these same kind of stats against Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State over the next three games, he could very easily win the trophy.

7. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois. Jordan still has Northern Illinois undefeated after throwing for 223 yards and 4 TDs while also gaining 99 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He continues to dazzle both through the air and on the ground and is the surprize player that has showed up as a major Heisman threat.

8. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville. Teddy had 344 yards and three touchdowns in the Cardinal's bounce back win over South Florida. He has shown that he is still a big contender for the Heisman, although the loss to UCF hurt his chances badly. If he is still able to put up big numbers and lead his team to a BCS bowl game, then he might still have a chance at it.