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      2009 College Football Picks & Predictions Week 7

      October 15, 2009 /

      No. 20 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas, 12:00PM ET
      It’s kind of a shame that this game is on at Noon on Saturday because it deserves primetime attention. Texas upset top ranked Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry last year, but it’ll be hard for the Sooners to return the favor this season. Sam Bradford’s receivers didn’t help him in his return to action last week, dropping at least 10 passes. A fierce Texas pass rush could overwhelm Oklahoma’s inexperienced offensive line and force Bradford to unload the ball sooner than he wants to. Given how the Sooners’ front seven frustrated him last year, Colt McCoy could struggle as well, but I like the home team to win in what should be an emotional game.
      Odds: Texas –3.
      Prediction: Texas 33, Oklahoma 27.

      No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama, 7:45PM ET
      Although the Gamecocks pose a threat with their defensive front seven, the Crimson Tide are the most complete team in the nation and should wear South Carolina down in the second half. The Gamecocks simply don’t have the horses up front to move ‘Bama’s front four at the point of attack and if South Carolina can’t stay balanced offensively, Stephen Garcia will struggle. It’s going to be hard for SC to move the ball on the ground against a talented Alabama linebacker corps and therefore Garcia should face plenty of third-and-longs. Some believe the Gamecocks will keep this one close, but after struggling at home last week against Kentucky, I see South Carolina getting rolled this weekend in a tough environment.
      Odds: Alabama –17.
      Prediction: Alabama 35, South Carolina 14.

      No. 11 Iowa at Wisconsin, 12:00PM ET
      The point spread in this game doesn’t make any sense. Why is a ranked Iowa team a 2.5-point underdog on the road against an unranked Wisconsin team that they’ve beaten in five of their last seven meetings? The Badgers’ best attribute is that they can run the ball (they’re gaining just over 200 yards per game on the ground), but the Hawkeyes are solid defensively, ranking 31 in the nation in total defense. So what gives? Simply put, Iowa has not looked great this season despite being undefeated. They will enter a hostile Camp Randall Stadium and could have trouble moving the ball offensively against a Wisconsin defense that swarms to the football. After being unable to get on track last Saturday against Ohio State, running backs John Clay and Zach Brown should carry the Badgers this week to an upset win. (If you can even all it an upset given that Wisconsin is favored.)
      Odds: Wisconsin –2.5.
      Prediction: Wisconsin 28, Iowa 24.

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      College Football

      Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em: Week 6

      October 15, 2009 /

      Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

      The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

      love-em

      Definitely get Aaron Rodgers in your lineup this week. After all, he is facing the Lions…Matt Hasselbeck came back in a big way last week, and he has another good matchup this week with a Cardinals defense that has allowed more than 300 yards passing per game. In fact, Hasselbeck has the best remaining schedule of any QB in the league, so if he can stay healthy, he should have a nice run…David Garrard and the Jags were miserable last week, but with the Rams coming to town (and Mike Sims-Walker coming off his “lady friend rendezvous” suspension), things are looking way up…The Chiefs have given up 270 yards and 2.0 pass TD per game to start the season, so Jason Campbell is a solid play for fantasy owners looking for a fill in or running a QBBC…For the desperate, Jake Delhomme is looking like a good start against a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed 227 yards and 2.4 pass TD per game…For the really desperate, Marc Bulger has a terrific matchup with a porous Jags defense. Whether or not he can do anything with a great matchup remains to be seen.

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      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Can South Florida pull off an upset against Cincinnati?

      October 15, 2009 /

      Raymond James Stadium is the site of one of the more intriguing matchups in college football this week, as No. 21 South Florida hosts No. 8 Cincinnati tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. This will be the first meeting in which both teams are ranked.

      After Tulsa kept things close last night against No. 5 Boise State, some believe the undefeated Bulls will pull off the week’s first big upset by knocking off the Bearcats, who are also undefeated. Led by Heisman candidate Tony Pike, Cincinnati has the third best scoring offense in the nation, but South Florida has shut down opponents this year, allowing just 9.4 points per game.

      The Bearcats have a couple of things to worry about tonight, namely the fact that they’ll be playing in a hostile environment against a defense that knows how to get after the quarterback. Pike hasn’t seen a pass rush this season the likes of what he’ll see tonight and the Bulls could give him fits.

      Defensively, Cincinnati must contain the athletic B.J. Daniels, who has filled in nicely since starter Matt Grothe was lost for the year after suffering an ACL injury in Week 3. Daniels gives the USF offense a running threat at quarterback, which is good because running backs Mike Ford and Moise Plancher could have trouble churning out yards against a solid Bearcat run defense.

      As previously noted, some college football pundits smell an upset brewing tonight, but I just don’t see it. USF’s big win this year was against a Florida State team that has fallen from grace since being ranked at the start of the season. While Cincinnati hasn’t faced elite competition itself, they demolished Rutgers on the road in Week 1 and beat a decent Oregon State team in Corvallis in Week 3. Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly will have his team ready to play and I think Cincinnati pulls one out in a low-scoring affair.

      Prediction: Cincinnati 23, South Florida 17.

      College Football

      Shawn Marion (a.k.a. “The Matrix”) chats with The Scores Report

      October 15, 2009 /

      shawnmarion1-cropped

      Shawn Marion is a four-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA performer. He is one of the league’s most athletic and versatile players, which is why TNT’s Kenny Smith nicknamed him “The Matrix” early in his rookie season. As a testament to his versatility, he has led the league in steals twice and has finished in the top 10 in rebounding six times.

      The peak of Marion’s career came in Phoenix, as he thrived in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system. But Marion was an All-Star before D’Antoni took over in Phoenix. The guy can flat out play.

      After spending last season in Miami and Toronto, Marion is now with the Dallas Mavericks, joining Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki for what owner Mark Cuban hopes will be a title run. Marion sat down with The Scores Report to talk about his new team, his prowess on the offensive glass, and why the Suns traded him away.

      TSR: Thanks for chatting with The Scores Report, Shawn. We just spoke with your former teammate, Dwyane Wade, a couple of weeks ago. He seems like a really nice guy.

      SM: Yeah, he’s my man.

      TSR: I’d first like to ask you about joining the Dallas Mavericks. How do you think you’ll fit in?

      SM: I think I’ll fit in very well.

      TSR: What made you pick the Mavs?

      SM: J-Kidd and Dirk tried to get me down there for like over a year now. But I wasn’t able to go directly to them, so they had to make some maneuvers and work out a sign and trade. That’s what it was.

      TSR: How do you think the team will change now that you’re a Mav? Dallas was in the middle of the pack in terms of pace last season – do you see the team pushing the ball more to best utilize your skills?

      SM: I think we’ll do a little bit of everything. I’m just going to come in and try to help the team in every aspect of the game, and that’s it really. That sums it up.

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      Interviews, NBA

      Limbaugh lashes out after Checketts drops him from Rams bid

      October 15, 2009 /

      Well, you knew Rush Limbaugh wasn’t going to go quietly into the night after St. Louis Blues chairman Dave Checketts dropped him from the group bidding to become the next owner of the Rams.

      From FOXSports.com:

      He also said Checketts assured him his involvement as a minority investor had been vetted by the National Football League.
      NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Colts owner Jim Irsay both expressed misgivings this week about Limbaugh’s involvement. Late Wednesday, Checketts said Limbaugh had been dropped from the bid.

      Limbaugh says he believes he has been made an example by a players’ union seeking leverage in talks over a new collective bargaining agreement. And he says he believes what happened to him was an illustration of “Obama’s America on full display.”

      People can put a racial spin on this situation if they want, but the bottom line is that Limbaugh was dropped because he is a controversial figure. Whether it’s far to Limbaugh or not, the NFL ultimately didn’t want to open Pandora’s box by allowing Rush to become an owner.

      But Limbaugh’s comments regarding the players’ union are interesting. The NFL is heading into an uncapped 2010, but would like to renew with the union at some point so that football doesn’t become like baseball where the teams with the most money sign the best players. It’s not impossible to think that the NFL made this decision based on being able to sign a new collective bargaining agreement.

      Another interesting debate that is developing is whether or not the NFL is being hypocritical by not allowing Limbaugh to become an owner. After all, Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, Chris Henry, Leonard Little and a host of other players have gotten into controversial situations off the field and have still been allowed to participate in the league. But Limbaugh can’t because of his controversial political views?

      I get that allowing Limbaugh into the league is a deicer situation than suspending a player and then allowing him to return, but the debate is interesting nonetheless.

      NFL

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