ColumbusSports.com : Your place to stay informed and talk about the sports scene and sports teams in and around Columbus.

Each week I make picks against the spread for college and pro football. For fun and information only of course.

2008 season final results: 74-55-3. An improvement over last year, so I'll take it. College: 35-27-2  Pro: 39-28-1

2007 final results: 62-53. Not bad, but it could have been a great year without a cold streak in some college bowl games that I should have avoided (but picked anyway because my fans wanted the picks).

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2009 W/L Record:

Overall 96-88-4

College 44-47-3

Pro 52-41-1

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Super Bowl

Feb. 7

1. (L - congratulation to the Saints on a great game plan and execution, but don't think Manning won't be back another time or two with another chance to cement his position among the NFL's best quarterbacks) Indianapolis (-4.5) over New Orleans- The line opened at 4 and quickly went up to 4.5, which is where I jumped on the bandwagon. It's 6 in most places now, but I'd still take it. Brees will get a few big plays, but Manning will get more and the Colts win this game without even having to sweat out a last minute drive by the Saints. Whether Freeney plays or not the Indy D will get enough stops and perhaps a turnover or two and keep the Saints out of the end zone and kicking some field goals instead. That'll be enough for Peyton and the boys to control the game in the 4th quarter and further cement Manning's place in NFL history as one of the greatest QB's ever, if not the greatest when it's all said and done.

NFL Playoffs

Jan. 24

1. (L - a loss after being ahead 17-3 and getting 9 points? Good thing nobody asked me to double the bet when the Jets were ahead.) NY Jets (+9) against Indianapolis - Going against the money on this one, but I feel the Jets will be able to keep it close with a strong running game and excellent defense, never a bad combination in an NFL playoff game (just ask the Bengals and the Chargers). It's always possible that Manning may have a big game, but the Jets have the advantage of having just recently played in Indy and game planned for him. Indy will change things up some of course, but expect the Jets defense to do the same and show the Colts some looks they haven't seen yet either. A great match up in what should be a great game.

2. (L - by half a point? The way this game went? You kiddin' me?) New Orleans (-3.5) over Minnesota - Think you're tired of hearing about Brett Favre now? Just wait and see what the next 2 weeks will be like if the Vikings can win this game. Minnesota hasn't been that strong of a road team this year, and fewer places are tougher to visit than the Superdome for a big game. Harvin being very questionable also makes this pick easier.  Saints will pull off a few of their signature big plays on offense to keep the momentum (and the crowd) on their side and end Favre's fantasy.

Jan. 17

1. (L - no shame in losing once in a while, right Cowboy fans?) Dallas (+3) at Minnesota - It's stating the obvious to say winning a game like this on the road won't be easy, but my take is that the Cowboys will ride their momentum and a few picks of Brett Favre to the upset. The Dallas D will have success stopping Peterson and putting pressure on Favre.

2. (L - I almost picked the Jets "just because the Chargers always lose in the playoffs" - should have stayed with that thought) San Diego (-8) over New York Jets - New York has been playing well lately, but no one's as hot as the Chargers. I feel they're the better team on both sides of the ball and will control this game for a 10+ point victory at home.

Jan. 16

1. (W) New Orleans (-6.5) over Arizona - Late season swoon by Saints concerns me a bit, but if they go back to playing like they are capable of, they will take care of the Cardinals by a touchdown. Two weeks off has also given the Saints defense time to prepare and heal some injuries.

2. (W) Indianapolis (-6) over Baltimore - Colts won't let the Ravens get off to the same type of start Baltimore pulled on New England last week and the Ravens offense will be more challenged to score points. Manning will be held in check some by a tough Ravens D, but Colts will come through with enough big plays on their home field to cover this spread.

Jan. 10

1. (W) Baltimore (+4) against New England - Ravens defense is the difference maker in this one, especially with the Patriots losing Welker. Look for Ray Rice to have a big game too.

2. (L) Green Bay (-2) at Arizona - Packers playing better and more well rounded on both sides of the ball. Turnovers will do the Cardinals in.

Jan. 9

1. (W) New York Jets (+3) against Cincinnati - Could it go the other way? Of course, but I believe the combination of the Jets offensive line and their overall better defense will win a close, low scoring game in frigid Cincinnati.

2. (W) Dallas (-3.5) over Philadelphia - This won't be the same type of game as last week when the Cowboys blew out the Eagles, but Romo and the boys seem to have turned their game up a notch. A few turnovers for the Dallas D and a 7-10 point win.

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Jan. 7 - BCS National Championship Game

1. (W) Alabama (-4) over Texas - Although I'd much prefer to see the Longhorns win this game, I believe the 'Bama defense will be able to hold Colt McCoy in check and the offense will run the ball successfully against the Longhorns and Alabama wins by 7-10 points.

Jan. 5

1. (W) Iowa (+5.5) against Georgia Tech - Looking to stay on my hot streak and I'm going against the big money on this one (Georgia Tech opened at only -2.5) but I think the Hawkeyes have been underrated all year and are another Big 10 team out to prove something.

Jan. 4

1. (W) Boise State (+8) against TCU - No one can predict this one with total confidence, but I'll take the combination of that "extra" point and the magic that the Broncos (almost) always seem to have going for them.

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Jan. 3

Pro

1. (W) Chicago (-3) over Detroit - I typically avoid teams coming off a Monday night game, but in this case I'll make an exception since the opponent is the Lions.

2. (W - pick against a bad team and you always have a decent chance to win - see above also) San Francisco (-7) over St. Louis - Rams should roll over and play dead in this one just to get the season over faster.

3. (L - Just a bad pick) New Orleans (+7.5) at Carolina - Saints need a strong game to build some momentum for the playoffs.

4. (L - So close to a W and 3-1 for the day instead of 2-2). Certainly thought the Titans would put up more than 17 points in this one.) Tennessee (-6) at Seattle - Chris Johnson gets his 2000 yard season and Titans run over the Seahawks.

Jan. 2

1. (W) South Florida (-6) over Northern Illinois

2. (L) Oklahoma St. (+3.5) against Mississippi

3. (W) Texas Tech (-7) over Michigan St.

Jan. 1

1. (W) Ohio State (+5) against Oregon - The Buckeyes defense will have to make a few stops in the second half to get the W, but unlike a few recent big games this time they come up big. Not letting the Ducks convert too many 3rd downs will be the key factor.

2. (W) Florida (-11) over Cincinnati - I jumped this line early knowing it would go up (it's now at 13.5-14). Bearcats will get a few TD's but if the Gators decide to show up for this game they can easily win by 17-20 points.

3. (W) Northwestern (+9) against Auburn - I doubt the Wildcats will win this game, but I think Auburn will underestimate them enough that the score will be close.

Dec. 30-31

1. (W) Nebraska (-3) over Arizona - Cornhuskers will continue their stellar defensive play and shut down Arizona.

2. (W) Stanford (+10.5) against Oklahoma - Toby Gerhart and teammates want to prove he should have won the Heisman. Cardinal may not win, but should cover this spread.

3. (L - went against my gut on this one, should have known better) Missouri (-6.5) over Navy - The Tigers passing game will be the big difference in this one.

Dec. 29

1. (L - figures I'd pick against the Big 10 in the one/only bowl game they'll probably end up winning) Miami (-3) over Wisconsin - Pick a Big Ten team to win a bowl game? Surely you jest.

2. (L - outscored 21-0 to end the game and barely lose the spread) Temple (+5) against UCLA - The Bruins are favored in a bowl game in the snow with temperatures in the 30's that they've travelled across the country for? Take the points. 

Dec. 28

College

1. (W) Georgia (-6.5) over Texas A&M - Should be a high scoring affair but look for the Bulldog's D to come up with a few more stops. The Aggies can put points on the board but have also had some ugly losses when faced with a defense that didn't let them do what they wanted.

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Dec. 22-26

College

1. (L) Oregon State (+3) against Brigham Young

2. (W) Utah (+3) against California

3. (L) Ohio (-3) over Marshall - This is a motivated Bobcats team excited to be in a bowl game against a Thundering Heard team that's looking to put an end to a poor season.

4. (W) USC and Boston College - under 45.5

Pro

Dec. 25

1. (W) San Diego (+3) at Tennessee - Both teams are hot but the Chargers are more balanced and the Titans are down a few key players.

Dec. 27

1. (Tie/Push) Baltimore (+3) at Pittsburgh - Two desperate teams, both missing key players, but I'll take the team that's shown more balance on both sides of the ball.

2. (W) Arizona (-14) over St. Louis - One of those games where the favorite should be able to name the score. Doesn't always result in a blow out, but the odds are definitely in its favor in this game.

3. (W) Dallas (-7) at Washington - Can the Redskins pull a complete turnaround from last week's debacle against another division rival? Maybe, but.... nahhh. 

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Dec. 17 - 21

Pro

1. (W) Indianapolis (-3) at Jacksonville - The Colts are tired of hearing that they're going to mail it in for the rest of the regular season. They'll come out full force against a divisional rival.

2. (W) New England (-6.5) at Buffalo - Patriots having been playing all that great lately, but in an important late season game, they're still a touchdown better than the Bills.

3. (L - Cardinals found a way to give up 24 pts. in 2nd half to bad Lions team) Arizona (-11) at Detroit - I jumped on this one earlier in the week (opened at -10.5), now the line is up to 14 in some books. Cardinals will be looking to bounce back strong after last week's debacle.

4. (W) Cleveland (+2.5) at Kansas City - Browns actually carry some positive momentum into this game, plus they had a few more days to rest and prepare. Chiefs have been playing worse than Cleveland and if Quinn can continue to not turn the ball over they should handle the Chiefs in a close game.

5. (L - hey Texans, touchdowns, not field goals!) Houston (-11) at St. Louis - Another game I jumped on early, line opened at -10.5 and is now at -14, just like the Cardinals/Lions game. There's no way the Texans should allow the Rams to even keep this within 17 points.

6. (W) Green Bay (+2.5) at Pittsburgh - Not sure how the Steelers are favored in this game, but I'll take it. Until they prove they can turn it around, look for the downward spiral to continue.

7. (L) New York Jets (-5.5) over Atlanta - Jets have been playing great lately and the Falcons are banged up and out of the playoff race with Dallas' win last night.

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Dec. 10 - 14

College

1. (Tie/Push - Navy, next time remember you have to play two halves in a football game) Navy (-14) over Army -  A bit risky giving so many points in such a big rivalry game, but the Midshipmen will hammer away at Army and should pull away in the second half. Navy has scored almost double the points Army has this year (340 - 181).

Pro

1. (W) Cleveland (+10) against Pittsburgh - frigid weather and a fired up team sick of losing to the Steelers should keep this close, plus Quinn has done a good job of protecting the ball lately. Pittsburgh doesn't seem to be the team they were earlier this year.

2. (W) Houston (-6) over Seattle - Texans have lost a lot of close games lately, but this won't be one of them.

3. (W) Tennessee (-13.5) over St. Louis - Should be a 20 point win for the Titans unless they come out sleepwalking.

4. (L) Arizona (-3.5) at San Francisco - 49er's pass defense will be carved up by Warner and the Cardinals continue another late season push.

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Dec. 5-7

College

1. (L - soooo close!) Pittsburgh (-2) over Cincinnati

2. (W - don't cry for Tim) Alabama (+6) against Florida

3. (L - did I say California? I meant Washington, honest) California (-6.5) at Washington

4. (L - I finally pick Texas and McCoy has his worst game in years) Texas (-14) over Nebraska

Pro

1. (L - lost again by another late meaningless touchdown) Cincinnati (-13) over Detroit

2. (L - speaking of meaningless touchdowns...) San Diego (-12.5) at Cleveland

3. (L- Titans blew a couple of great scoring chances) Tennessee (+7) at Indianapolis

4. (W) Denver (-5.5) at Kansas City

5. (L - Giants make 2 big plays in second half and that was the difference) Dallas (+1.5) at NY Giants

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Nov. 26-30

College

1. (L - never thought A&M could score that much against the Longhorns) Texas (-21) at Texas A&M

2. (L) Alabama (-10) at Auburn (Nov. 27)

3. (W) Virginia Tech (-14) at Virginia

4. (L) South Florida (+7) against Miami, Florida

5. (L - I knew this was a "spitting into the wind" pick, but it still almost covered) Florida St. (+25) at Florida

6. (W) USC (-12) over UCLA

7. (L - another very close one) Stanford (-8) over Notre Dame

Pro

1. (W - at least one game went as it was supposed to on Thursday)) Green Bay (-10.5) at Detroit

2. (L- Raiders couldn't punch it in at end of game to cover pointspread) Oakland (+14) at Dallas

3. (L - thought they'd turn it around, but Giants have fallen on their faces) NY Giants (-6) over Denver

4. (L - really Ravens, Dennis Dixon?) Baltimore (-7.5) over Pittsburgh

5. (L - up 14-7 in 4th quarter and then imploded) Miami (-3) at Buffalo

6. (W - Favre = MVP) Minnesota (-10.5) over Chicago

7. (W - thank goodness for teams that actually took care of business!) Seattle (-3) at St. Louis

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Nov. 21-23

College

1. (Tie/Push) Ohio State (-11) over Michigan

2. (W) Texas (-26.5) over Kansas

3. (L) Oregon (-5.5) over Arizona

4. (Tie/Push) Miami (-18) over Duke

5. (L) Rutgers (-8) over Syracuse

Ugh. 1-2-2. If you'd have told me that OSU's offense would only score 14 pts. against a putrid Michigan defense I certainly wouldn't have picked them, still they almost covered. Oregon was one play away from covering, as was Miami. Rutgers was obviously just a horrible choice.

Pro

1. (W) Indianapolis (+2.5) at Baltimore

2. (W) Atlanta (+7) at NY Giants

3. (W) San Diego (-5) at Denver

4. (L) Pittsburgh (-10.5) over Kansas City

3-1, not bad, I'd certainly take it every week. Could have been 4-0 but at the last minute I decided to go with the Steelers instead of the Browns. Why is it that those "should I take team A or team B?" picks always end up being wrong and not the other way around?

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Nov. 14-16

College

1. (W) Georgia Tech (-11) over Duke

2. (L) Florida (-16.5) over South Carolina

3. (L) Mississippi St. (+13) against Alabama

4. (W) TCU (-18.5) against Utah

5. (W) Boise St. (-29) over Idaho

Pro

1. (L) New Orleans (-14) at St. Louis

2. (L) Pittsburgh (-6.5) over Cincinnati

3. (L) Dallas (-2.5) at Green Bay

4. (W) New England (+3) at Indianapolis

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Nov. 7-9

College

1. (W) Pittsburgh (-19) over Syracuse

2. (L) Oregon (-6) over Stanford

3. (W) LSU (+9.5) at Alabama

4. (W) Ohio St. (+6) at Penn St.

5. (L) Kansas (-2.5) over Kansas St.

Pro

1. (W) Houston (+9) against Indianapolis

2. (L) Green Bay (-9.5) over Tampa Bay

3. (L) Philadelphia (-3) over Dallas

4. (W) Pittsburgh (-3) over Denver

5. (L) San Francisco (-4) over Tennessee

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Oct. 31-Nov. 2

College

1. (W) Cincinnati (-14.5) over Syracuse

2. (L) Colorado (+4.5) against Missouri

3. (W) Boise St. (-33) over San Jose St.

4. (W) Florida (-14.5) over Georgia

5. (W) Oregon (+3) against USC

Pro

1. (L) Seattle (+10.5) against Dallas

2. (L - not one, but TWO kick returns for touchdowns did this pick in) NY Jets (-3) over Miami

3. (L) Green Bay (-3) over Minnesota

4. (L - Saints literally handed over this point spread victory with unexplainable fumble at end of game) New Orleans (-9.5) over Atlanta

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Oct. 24-26

This week's tag line for college: "Hey, like it's easy trying to predict what 18 year old boys will do!"
Will do away with the commentary this week in an attempt to change my luck on the college picks.

College

1. (L - last time I believe in Alabama's offense) Alabama (-14) over Tennessee

2. (W) Boise State (-24) over Hawaii

3. (L - talk about "should have been a W"! Poor Sparty) - Michigan State (+1.5) against Iowa

4. (L) Auburn (+8) against LSU

5. (W) Ohio State (-16.5) over Minnesota

Pro

1. (W) Green Bay (-8) over Cleveland - Browns can't rely on Cribbs to score touchdowns for them every game. That, plus some key injuries against a good Packers team don't leave the Browns much of a chance.

2. (W) Indianapolis (-13) over St. Louis - I jumped on this one early in the week knowing the spread would go up, which it did (to 15). Shouldn't matter in this game though, unless Manning gets pulled after the 1st quarter.

3. (W) New England (-14) over Tampa Bay - Fans in London will be left wondering why the NFL sent a college team to compete against the Patriots.

4. (L) Chicago (+2) against Cincinnati - Cedric Benson will have to wait until another year for his revenge. Cutler can cut up the Bengals secondary.

5. (W) Philadelphia (-6.5) over Washington - Monday night at home, but the Redskins won't stop the Eagles from recovering from their shocking loss to the Raiders last week.

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Oct. 17 - 19

College

1. (L - occasionally everybody REALLY misses one) Ohio State (-13.5) over Purdue - I've been thinking all week that this line must be a misprint, surely Las Vegas meant 23.5, right? Either that or it's a sucker bet. Either way, look for the Buckeyes to roll over a bad Boilermakers team.

2. (L - and to think I took Wisc. instead of Colorado, which covered, at the last minute) Wisconsin (+3) over Iowa - The Badgers and their strong running game at home over a Hawkeye team that's gotten quite lucky a few times this year already.

3. (L - really Alabama? You can only muster 20 points and win by 14? Is Jim Tressel calling your plays?) Alabama (-17) over South Carolina - The Tide rolls at home on Saturday night. Too much defense plus a strong running game should equal an easy win over Spurrier's Gamecocks.

4. (W) Ohio (-12.5) over Miami of Ohio - Staying in state and picking a rare MAC game. I'll be shocked if the Bobcats at home don't crush a very weak Miami team by at least 20.

Pro

1. (W) Green Bay (-12) over Detroit - jumped on this one before it went up to 14. Coming off a bye week the Packers will handle the Lions at home.

2. (W) Carolina (-3) at Tampa Bay - Panthers aren't world beaters, but Buccaneers are a lot worse, plus Carolina should have some spirit and momentum after winning last week. Key here is for Carolina to get off to a good start and put Tampa Bay in its place.

3. (L) Philadelphia (-13.5) over Oakland - Ok, so this is basically a pile on the Raiders bet, but why wouldn't you?

4. (W) Atlanta (-3) over Chicago - Home field makes the difference in this one, and look for Cutler to throw a few picks to keep points off the board for Chicago.

5. (W) Denver (+3.5) against San Diego - Broncos continue their surprise unbeaten season by running over, and stopping the run, against the Chargers.

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Oct. 10 - 12

College

1. (W) West Virginia (-9.5) over Syracuse - West Virginia can score a ton of points as long as they hang on to the ball (remember the Colorado game?), and Syracuse has shown a propensity to make a lot of mistakes on both sides of the ball. It adds up to fairly easy win for the Mountaineers.

2. (W) Alabama (-4.5) over Mississippi - Jevan Snead burned me earlier this year when I thought he was good, now I'm picking against him facing a very strong Alabama defense. Tide rolls by 10.

3. (L - glad to lose this one, but if you saw the game you know it should have been an easy point spread win) Wisconsin (+16) against Ohio State - Buckeyes should win the game, but it's hard to imagine them covering this spread given Tressel's coaching strategy in these kind of games, plus the Badgers always play Ohio State very tough, even (especially) in the Horseshoe.

4. (W) Florida (-7) over LSU - Watch out for this game, whether Tebow plays or not. Vegas intentionally set this spread high (opening at 10), knowing that a lot of money would then come in on LSU, which it did, dropping the spread to 7-8, but Vegas knows Florida is likely to roll and then Vegas stands to clean house.

5. (L) UCLA (+4) against Oregon - Ducks face a strong road test after two outstanding games at home, but will likely be without starting QB Masoli. Look for the Bruins to keep it close and possibly pull off the upset.

Pro

1. (L - jinxed myself by even mentioning the "otherwise meaningless late score" factor)  Pittsburgh (-10.5) over Detroit - Would have really loved this pick if it was 9.5 or 10, but that shouldn't matter in this game. Steelers roll to an easy victory and cover the spread barring any otherwise meaningless late scores by the Lions.

2. (W) Minnesota (-10) over St. Louis - Normally I avoid picking teams to cover a large spread after playing on Monday night, but in this case the Vikings should win by 20 even if they had just played a game on Friday night.

3. (W) Indianapolis (-3) over Tennessee - What's happened to the Titans? Who cares, all I know is they're playing horrible and Manning and the Colts are humming along as usual. This is one of those games where I believe Vegas is giving too much to the fact the game is in Tennessee and the Titans are desperate. It shouldn't matter this week.

4. (L) NY Jets (-1.5) over Miami - As a Browns fan I just know it's inevitable that in his first game as a Jet, Braylon Edwards will catch 3 touchdown passes from Sanchez on Monday Night Football. Actually, it should be the Jets defense that will be the difference maker in this tough divisional match up.

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Oct. 1-4

College (Thursday night)

1. (L - The way it ended and the overall play in this game was a textbook example of why so many people believe that a lot of sporting events are fixed.)  West Virginia (-16.5) over Colorado - The moonshine will be flowing tonight. Well, ok, I guess it does every night in those parts. Anyway, the Mountaineers want revenge for last year's upset loss to Colorado and will enjoy doing it on national TV in front of fans not paying attention in sports bars all across the country.

Saturday

1. (L - Really Cincinnati. You had to settle for only a 24 point victory?) Cincinnati (-27) over Miami (OH) - I jumped on this one early in the week before the line shot up to 29.5 in some books. Only way the Bearcats don't cover this spread is if they sleepwalk through the game.

2. (W) South Florida (-6.5) over Syracuse - See above.

3. (W) Penn St. (-6.5) over Illinois - Nittany Lions aren't as good as many thought a few weeks ago and were certainly overrated, but they're also easily a touchdown better than the sad Illini.

4. (W) Ohio St. (-17) over Indiana - Buckeyes now have the running game going with a fabulous defense and won't allow the Hoosiers to build any momentum to stay in it. Only reason this line isn't 24 or more is because Indiana is currently seen as a possible surprise team this year, but there'll be no surprises tonight.

5. (L) Iowa (-21.5) over Arkansas St. - I almost avoided this one because it looks like the classic trap game setup for Iowa, but I believe their close call with Northern Iowa in the season opener will help Kirk Ferentz keep the boys focused this week.

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Pro

1. (L - just like the college version of Cincinnati, the pro version squeaks out a loss for me as well, yet still manages to beat my team) Cincinnati (-4.5) over Cleveland - Until they give a reason otherwise, how do you not pick against the Browns? Apparently a lot of people feel the same way, as the line on this game jumped 3 points during the week, a rare occurrence in the NFL. The bookies stand to either win or lose a lot of money on this game.

2. (L - just the weekend for close losses I guess) Baltimore (+3) at New England - Perhaps seeing a bit of the changing of the guard in the AFC?

3. (W) New Orleans (-7) over NY Jets - Time for Sanchez and the Jets to come back to earth.

4. (W) San Francisco (-9.5) over St. Louis - Look for the 49er's to bounce back from last week's heartbreaker with a strong game against the lowly Rams, who should be even more lowly with a couple of key injuries, if key is the right word for any player on such a bad team.

5. (W) Minnesota (-3.5) over Green Bay - I don't believe Favre will be the key factor in the victory, that will belong to the O line and D line of the Vikings, but Favre will get his "revenge".

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Sept. 24-28

This week's tag line: "I might not win them all, but you can't argue with my logic, right?"

College

1. (L - I give up on Snead, the most overrated QB in history) Mississippi (-3) over South Carolina - Spurrier wishes he had Jevan Snead as his QB.

2. (W) Wisconsin (-3) over Michigan St. - Badgers haven't been that impressive, but neither has Sparty and they're coming off two straight heart breaking losses and have to travel to Madison for this game.

3. (L) Cincinnati (-15.5) over Fresno St. - Bearcats are on a roll and get a tired, demoralized Bulldogs team at home for a Saturday night game.

4. (L - Bowden's team scores 57 on the road last week against a good BYU squad, then can only score 7 at home against South Florida?) Florida St. (-14) over South Florida - the Seminoles have played a real schedule, the Bulls haven't. The game is at Florida St. and South Florida lost their best player and starting QB to injury last week and have a number of other players listed as questionable. Florida St. typically covers at home, while South Florida typically doesn't cover on the road. Come on, what more do you want?

5. (L) Notre Dame (-6.5) over Purdue - One of these days I'll learn my lesson and avoid Notre Dame whether I'm picking for them or against them, but it's not going to be this week. Clausen's toe will be just fine tonight.

6. (L) Miami Fl. (-2.5) over Virginia Tech - It's looking more and more like the "old" 'Canes are back, and VaTech has struggled on offense this year. Miami covers this spread and wins by at least a touchdown.

College recap: Ouch. Notre Dame should have covered (someone kick me if I ever pick a game involving them again), but I definitely didn't do right by picking Miami and Florida St., two teams that are often hard to predict. Second week in a row that 3 of the 4 teams I *didn't* pick covered against the spread. Lesson: sometimes it's better to go with your own gut feeling rather than be swayed by too much research or the opinions of others! 

Pro

1. (W) Baltimore (-13) over Cleveland - Seriously, how could anyone not make this pick?

2. (W) New York Giants (-6.5) over Tampa Bay - All the stats and all the intangibles line up for a Giant victory by at least a touchdown. Of course the fact that there's no guarantee it'll happen is what makes this fun, right?

3. (W) Green Bay (-6.5) over St. Louis - another road favorite, but again, another team that is definitely a touchdown better than its opponent no matter where the game is played.

4. (W) San Francisco (+7) against Minnesota - The Vikings beat up on the Browns and Lions in their first two games, now the competition goes up a few notches.

5. (W) San Diego (-6) over Miami - Dolphins have to travel to the west coast after a tough Monday night loss. Odds are definitely in the Chargers favor to cover this one.

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Sept. 19-21

Trying a new tag line this week:
"All these picks should win. It's not my fault if they don't."

College

1. (L) Florida (-29.5) over Tennessee

2. (L) BYU (-8) over Florida St.

3. (W) California (-13.5) over Minnesota

4. (L) Utah (+5) against Oregon

5. (W) Kansas (-22.5) over Duke

Pro

1. (L) Tennessee (-7) over Houston - Titans defense controls this game and gives Tennessee a fairly easy win.

2. (W) Baltimore (+4) against San Diego - Ravens are always strong on defense but are also improved on offense and Chargers are without LT.

3. (L) Pittsburgh (-2) over Chicago - Bears QB struggles continue against one of the NFL's best defenses. Big Benny makes enough plays to win for the Steelers.

4. (W) Minnesota (-9.5) over Detroit - If the Vikings don't win this game by at least 15, then the NFL is fixed and I give up.

5. (W) Indianapolis (-3) over Miami - a Monday night to remember for Manning.

Recap: A lot of close calls in my college picks are keeping me from having a pretty good start to the season. Could easily be 18-10 instead of 14-14. Hopefully more of the breaks will start going my way starting next week. Last night's pick of the Colts at -3 turned out nice. I knew Manning had a chance to pass Unitas in career wins for the Colts franchise and felt, along with the Dolphins propensity to choke late in games, that he'd get it on the Monday night stage and neither team let me down.

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Sept. 12-14

College

1. (W) Ohio State (+7) against USC - You know you're in trouble when you're Ohio State playing at home as the underdog and the other team's biggest problem may be one of overconfidence. The Trojans won last year 35-3, and other than a change of venue has that much really changed in terms of talent that Ohio State can expect to win? Probably not, but here's saying a more experienced Terrelle Pryor makes enough of a difference to keep the game a lot closer than last year.

2. (L - another "should have won it" game - Notre Dame (-3) over Michigan - The Golden Domers surprised many last week, as did Michigan, but Notre Dame's program revival appears to be a year or two ahead of RichRod's and their D should be able to handle the young Wolverine offense enough to secure a victory.

3. (L - how did JoePa not put up another touchdown against a weak Syracuse defense?) Penn St. (-28) over Syracuse - This game in Happy Valley stays within 30 only if JoePa's team has a letdown or a few fluke plays happen in Syracuse's favor.

4. (L) Tennessee (-10) over UCLA - Given their history it's hard to believe that neither of these programs is currently in the top 25, but look for Rocky Top to be rockin' today as the fired up Vol's look for revenge from last year's nightmare of a game. That was at UCLA  and now the Bruins make a rare trip to the east where Tennessee can enjoy some payback.

5. (W) Boise St. (-37) over Miami (Ohio) - Boise St. can pretty much name their score in this game against a rebuilding Redhawks team making a very rare trip west, but will they? Yep.

Pro

1. (L) Cincinnati (-4) over Denver - The Broncos have faced major distractions leading up to the season, and the Bengals at home early in the season stand a good chance to get a rare fairly easy w

2. (W) Minnesota (-3) over Cleveland - Worst case scenario for this Browns fan: Cleveland somehow finds a way to keep it close but still loses the game. The truth is, however, that the Vikings should easily cover this spread (how is not 6 or 7?!), their defense is simply too good and Cleveland can only hope they somehow score some points on defense or special teams to have a chance at the upset. With Favre not having to throw as much because of a strong running game, that's not likely to happen. BTW, in the last few years, the Browns passed up both Ben Roethlisberger and Adrian Peterson in the draft. How good would that pairing look in a Browns' uniform right now? (for the record, I was for taking both players, but the Browns front office wouldn't return my calls)

3. (W) Baltimore (-11) over Kansas City - Look for the powerful Ravens to dispose of the Chiefs early. As long as there's no 4th quarter letdown, this should be an easy cover for Baltimore at home.

4. (L) New England (-10.5) over Buffalo - Another early season mismatch, Brady should have a big game to signal he's officially back in charge of the Patriots high powered offense. T.O. will soon regret his decision to move to Buffalo (as will the Bills fans), just like he eventually regrets most of his football decisions.

5. (W) Atlanta (-4) over Miami - The Dolphins surprised everyone last year, but they've lost that element of surprise now. Hard to imagine the Falcons offense not being able to put up enough points to cover this spread for a fairly easy home win.

----------------- Thursday, Sept. 10 ----------------------

 Pro

1. (W) Tennessee +6 against Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh will likely win, but I'm confident the Titans have a strong enough defense to keep it close.

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Sept. 3-5

College

1. (W) Boise State -3 over Oregon - You don't mess with the blue turf, especially on national TV on opening night. Too bad I won't be able to stay awake long enough to watch Boise State cover the spread.

2. (L - did you see the game? Utah could easily have won by 30!) Utah -20.5 over Utah State - This is one of those "should be a no brainer" picks, but as we all know that sometimes has a way of coming back to bite you. Oh well, I still think Utah *should* win this game by at least 25, so if they don't I'll just chalk it up to a fluke (but seriously, there's real skill and research that went into this pick!).

----------------- Saturday, Sept. 5 ----------------------

I always say that early in the season, before even the line makers have a good feel for many teams, you have the best opportunity to pile up some easy wins. With great opportunity, however, comes great risk. But since this is "for informational purposes only", I guess the risk is pretty minor, right? Have fun watching some great college football this weekend before the No Fun League gets involved next week.

1. (L - what happened to Gopher's offense after 1st quarter?) Minnesota -7 over Syracuse - Who says the Big Ten is a weak conference?

2. (W) Alabama -6.5 over Virginia Tech - A few too many missing pieces for the Hokies against one of the best D's in the country.

3. (L - Ok, just blew this one. And to think I chose Nevada after deciding not to go with Nebraska, which covered easily) Nevada +14.5 against Notre Dame - The Irish are getting all the attention, but there's definitely some talent on the offensive side of the ball for Nevada and they should be able to put enough points on the board to keep this within two TD's and maybe even throw a scare into the Golden Domer's.

4. (W) Oklahoma St. -5 over Georgia - The talented Cowboys will put up too many points for Georgia to hang with them at the end.

5. (L- Illinois was favored in this game? I hope they play like that in the Big Ten) Illinois -6.5 over Missouri - The Tigers had Illinois' number the past two years, but the roles should be reversed this year and look for Juice Williams and his talented receivers to have a huge game.

Tags: college football, football predictions