A View From the Sideline

8/14/2019 A View From the Sideline

1/13

Catch Lance Zierlein from 6 to 10 am daily,alongside John Granato. Listen to John Harris on

the Sean and John show, with Sean Pendergastshow 3 to 7 PM daily. www.1560thegame.com

AViewfomteSideline

The Race is on!This isnt the Heisman race that nearly everyone expected this season,what with Sam Bradford injured, Tim Tebow game managing and Colt

McCoy not at top speed...yet. But, the void at the top, so to speak hasallowed Houstons Case Keenum, Alabamas Mark Ingram, Notre DamesGolden Tate and Nebraskas Ndamukong Suh the opportunity to make aserious run at the Stiff-Armed Statue. Could one of them actually win?
http://www.1560thegame.com/http://www.1560thegame.com/


2/13

NFL SECTION BY LANCE ZIERLEIN WEEK 9

Houston (5-3) vs. Indianapolis (7-0)

Colts - 24 vs. Texans - 14

November 8, 2009 - CBS 12 PM CST

t 2009 Ranking

92.5 ypg - 28th Run Offense 87.3 ypg - 30th

281.5 ypg - 3rd Pass Offense 316.3 ypg - 1st

24.8 ppg - 12th Scoring Offense 28.1 ppg - 7th

113.2 ypg - 20th Run Defense 112.0 ypg - 17th

213.2 ypg - 14th Pass Defense 180.1 ypg - 7th

21.0 ppg - 14th Scoring Defense 13.0 ppg - 1st

+2 - 11th TO Margin +6 -Tied 5th

When the Texans have the ball... The Texans offense picked up steam last weekend despite the fact that OwenDaniels went out with an ACL tear, but don't expect that to happen here. Daniels is one of the top pass catching TEsin the game and his ability to stretch the middle of the field and Matt Schaub's willingness to find Daniels when heneeded a big catch will be sorely missed and maybe never more than in this one. RB Moats looked terrific last weekagainst a bad Bills rush defense and the Texans need the Moats/Slaton combo to have another big game Sundaybecause Schaub and Andre Johnson can't do it alone. Last year the Texans played right with the Colts in both games(and should have easily won the 2nd game) but they had great games from Slaton. The running game must step up.

When the Colts have the ball...The Colts offense is in thebottom third of the league when it comes to rushing attemptsand yards per carry and they aren't as good this year as theyusually are when it comes to time of possession, but PeytonManning has been very steady this year (as always) and theColts aren't just winning games with fireworks on offense.

The Colts lead the NFL with a 3rd down conversion rate of51% and they are getting enough out of their running game tosupplement Manning's controlled passing attack. The Texans

will try and disguise coverages against Manning but he'll gointo the game knowing what the Colts best matchups arebefore a snap is even taken so it is imperative that the Texans

find a way, ANY way, to get pressure on Manning and disrupthis timing.

Conclusion: I know that things looked like business as usual last week for the Texans even with Daniels out of thelineup but I can't stress how big a loss he was. The Texans can't run the ball this year with any consistency and nowthe player who was hardest to take away on offense is gone. Too much to overcome on the road against the Colts.

Vegas Line: IND -9 / 48

2009 ATS Record5-2-1

2009 Over/Under2-5-0

Last 5 Games11/1 W, @ Buffalo 31-10

10/25 W, San Fran. 24-2110/18 W, @ Cincinnati 28-17

10/11 L, @ Arizona 21-2810/4 W, Oakland 29-6



Last 5 Games11/1 W, San Fran. 18-14

10/25 W, @ St. Louis 42-610/11 W, @ Tennessee 31-9

10/4 W, Seattle 34-179/27 W, @ Arizona 31-10

Last Meeting: Indianapolis - 33 vs. Houston - 27 (11/16/2008)

Fantasy ReportKevin Walter, Texans WR - With Daniels and

James Casey out at the TE spot, look for Schaubto reconnect with Walter more often. Waltershould be a decent fantasy flex option.

Joseph Addai , Colts RB - Addai hasn't had asingle game over 70 yards rushing this year, buthe have 3 TDs over his last 4 games. I give him apedestrian RB2 rating this week.


3/13

Baltimore (4-3) vs. Cincinnati (5-2)

Bengals - 23 vs. Ravens - 21

November 8, 2009 - CBS 12 PM CST

t 2009 Ranking

124.9 ypg - 10th Run Offense 127.7 ypg - 9th

253.9 ypg - 10th Pass Offense 218.1 ypg - 18th

28.4 ppg - 4th Scoring Offense 23.3 ppg - 15th

87.6 ypg - 4th Run Defense 88.0 ypg - 5th

226.1 ypg - 19th Pass Defense 253.3 ypg - 30th

19.6 ppg - 11th Scoring Defense 18.3 ppg - 6th

+3 - 10th TO Margin +1 -Tied 13th

When the Ravens have the ball... The Ravens have really started to lock in on Ray Rice as their primary back andI think that is a good thing since he can run with burst, plays with power in the red zone and he's good out of thebackfield. The Ravens are a much more complete offensive team, but they really struggled to move the ballconsistently against the Bengals in their 14-17 loss a few weeks ago. I'm really not sure how the Ravens will attack theBengals this time out, but I do know that their calling card is typically to get physical with teams early in the game

when they need to make a statement so my guess is that the ground and pound will be their offense du jour on Sunday.

When the Bengals have the ball... The Bengals have aterrific running game thanks in large part to Ced Benson's

vision and running style. Benson had a solid game against theRavens last time out, but it is highly unlikely that the Ravenslet him get going this time around so it will be on CarsonPalmer's right shoulder to back the Ravens off the line ofscrimmage and take advantage of their suspect CB play. Ifthe Bengals can protect Palmer and give him time to throw, Ibelieve he has the ability to pick the secondary apart early inthe game. If that happens, the running game will be muchmore viable in the 2nd half and Benson can start to weardown the Ravens. If the Bengals can't protect Palmer, the

Bengals won't win.

Conclusion: Bengals DC Mike Zimmer has been just as important an acquisition over the last year and a half as CedBenson has. If Zimmer can keep Ray Rice in check, I don't think Flacco can win this one. The Bengals first win overthe Ravens wasn't a fluke, but they need to take care of the ball better than they have recently.

Vegas Line: BAL -3 / 43.5



Last 5 Games11/1 W, Denver 30-7

10/18 L, @ Minnesota 31-3310/11 L, Cincinnati 14-17

10/4 L, @ New England 21-279/27 W, Cleveland 34-3



Last 5 Games10/25 W, Chicago 45-1010/18 L, Houston 17-28

10/11 W, @ Baltimore 17-1410/4, W, @ Cleveland 23-209/27 W, Pittsburgh 23-20

Last Meeting: Cincinnati - 17 vs. Baltimore - 14 (10/11/2009)

Fantasy ReportRay Rice, Ravens RB - Rice has been great as adual threat RB for the Ravens and it doesn't looklike the Ravens show any signs of going back toany type of committee approach. Good RB1rating this year.

Ced Benson, BengalsRB - Benson's success inthe first game might not be an indicator of whatis to come in this one. I don't see a goodyardage game for Benson, but like his game vs.the Texans he could score a TD.


4/13

PREDICTIONS ON ALL NFL GAMES THIS WEEKENDKansas City at Jacksonville -The Jaguars are falling into a pattern of consistent inconsistency with their up anddown offense and defense but at least they have the Chiefs this week who have no running game and no chance here -Chiefs

-13 vs. Jaguars

-24

Washingtonat Atlanta-The Redskins have no chance here, right? Not so fast.The Falcons might have a littlebit of a MNF hangover and the Skins defense is a little better than people give them credit for while the Falconsdefense is suspect -Redskins - 17 vs. Falcons - 20 (Overtime)

Green Bay at Tampa Bay-Tampa took the week off last weekend so they will have had two weeks to prepare for thePackers who find themselves in a must-win spot.The Bucs will start QB Freeman for the first time so look for a

watered down offense and attempts to play ball control -Packers - 24 vs. Bucs - 14

Arizona at Chicago -The Bears were able to make up for their pathetic showing against the Bengals by thrashing theBrowns but that doesn't mean much these days.The Cardinals fell apart thanks to a poor showing by QB Warner.

The Cardinals are having some problems with their protections lately and the Bears front might be too much for the

Cardinals here -Cardinals - 20 vs. Bears - 24

Miami at New England -The Dolphins didn't exactly kill it on offense against the Jets but their defense and specialteams got it done.The problem for the Dolphins is that they aren't very good in pass defense and the Pats passingoffense has started to heat up. Did the Jets show the Pats on film how to stop the "Wildcat"?The Dolphins betterhope not -Dolphins -20 vs. Patriots - 28

Carolina at New Orleans -The Panthers took advantage of Kurt Warner's INTs last week but they won't get thatsame opportunity this week.The Saints defense was gashed by Michael Turner which has to worry the Saints a littlebit but the Saints offense is so good that even if the Panthers running game pounds the Saints, they Panthers don'thave enough at QB to win this game -Panthers - 21 vs. Saints - 31

Detroit at Seattle-

The Seahawks just haven't been able to play with consistency but they know that at 2-5 they arestill in the hunt for the division title as long as they start to play to their talent level.The Lions are missing Calvin

Johnson in the worst way and he is needed greatly in this spot -Lions - 16 vs. Seahawks - 27

Tennessee at San Francisco -This matchup should produce and ugly, physical game with both teams relying ontheir running games and defense to win.The Titans didn't look like a team who had quit on the season last weekendand the Niners have to turn around their losing ways if they want to keep pace with the Cardinals.This could turninto Gore vs. Chris Johnson -Titans - 16 vs. Niners - 14

San Diego at NY Giants -The Giants are a in a free-fall and if they have a poor secondary and inconsistent offenseto thank for it.The Chargers, in my opinion, are still a little bit phony.Traveling from the west coast to the eastcoast will be tough enough but facing a desperate Giants team that can pound the rock against them will be theChargers undoing-Chargers - 20 vs. Giants - 28

Dallas at Philadelphia- I give Dallas a legit shot at taking this one because the Eagles offense is so dependent onthe long ball and because Dallas can run it and hit big plays as well. Dallas is on a bit of a roll offensively right now

while the Eagles offense hasn't been as fluid. If the Cowboys can pressure McNabb and run the football, they have ashot here -Cowboys - 28 vs. Eagles - 24


5/13

TEXANS XS AND OS WITH LANCE ZIERLEIN

* In this play, Kevin Walter is lined up outside of Andre Johnson and comes in motion until he is over the tight end,pre-snap. Once the ball is snapped, he comes across the formation to block (shield) the defensive end.

* Joel Dreessen releases into the flat in order to get the attention of the strong safety who has to cover him whichtemporarily vacates his section of the field.

* All of the linemen zone block to the right which was done successfully with the exception of the RG who was unable

to get to the middle linebacker in time.

* Moats takes a step to the right and and runs towards the inside leg of the RG and then makes the designed cutback

into the opening that has been created between Duane Brown and Kevin Walter.

* The middle LB was a step slow to come back and make the tackle and the strong safety and free safety had to

converge and make the tackle after a gain of 14 yards.


6/13

HANDICAPPING INFORMATION

Against The Spread Trends (ATS)

Category Record PercentAway Teams 61-53-2 53.51%Home Teams 53-61-2 46.49%

Favorites 61-53-2 53.51%Dogs 53-61-2 46.49%

Away Favorites 23-15-0 60.53%Away Dogs 38-38-2 50.00%Home Favorites 38-38-2 50.00%Home Dogs 15-23-0 39.47%

Over vs. Under Trends

Category Overs % Unders %Overtime Games 3 50.00% 3 50.00%

Non-Overtime Games

56

51.85%

52

48.15%

All Games 59 51.75% 55 48.25%

Top Trends

JACKSONVILLE is 1-9ATS(-8.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasonsBALTIMORE is 10-2ATS (+7.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasonsHOUSTON is 3-1 against the spread versus INDIANAPOLIS over the last 3 seasonsMIAMI is 6-0ATS(+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 yrs.3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons in MIAMI vs. NEW ENG.NEW ORLEANS is 12-2ATS(+9.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasonsSAN DIEGO is 11-3ATS(+7.7 Units) after 2 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasonsSTEELERS are 8-2ATS(+5.8 Units) vs. a team with a winning record

TITANS are 11-4ATS in their last 15 games following a S.U. win

* Beanie Wells wasn't as prolific against the Panthersas I thought he might be and the Cardinals haven't

given up on using Tim Hightower. If you have Beanieright now, hang onto him, but it will be an up and downride with him this year for fantasy owners.

* I knowAaron Rodgers is pretty much a must-startagainst the Bucs, but I'm not sure we'll see the fantasyfireworks from him this week that everyone is

expecting. For one, he's banged up and the Packersmight very well look at this game as a chance to protecthim by pounding it with RB Ryan Grant. Secondly,the Bucs will be starting QB Josh Freeman for the firsttime so they will probably look to run the ball for muchof the game which will keep the clock ticking.

* Everyone is asking me -Ryan Moats or SteveSlaton? I wish I had the answer.The answer is thatSlaton has lost carries to Moats after last weekend, but

Moats isn't going to be the full-time RB.That's nothappening. Slaton will still get his share of catchesand carries, but I'm not sure either guy will get enoughtouches to make them anything more than an averageRB2 from week to week depending on the matchup.

* The loss of safetyKenny Phillips for the year andCB Aaron Ross for several games has killed theGiants pass defense. Ross will miss this weekend

again which means that Philip Rivers and all of hiscronies on offense should be looked at as starters.

* I have to tell you that I came away from the MNFgame between the Saints and Falcons a little bitconcerned for Matt Ryan. Ryan looked jittery in thepocket and showed a complete lack of poise at times.It wouldn't surprise me if the Falcons started leaning onMichael Turner and the running game a bit moreafter his solid showing.

FANTASY NOTES


7/13

CFB SECTION BYJOHN HARRIS WEEK 10

LSU (7-1) vs. Alabama (8-0)

2009 ScheduleW, @ Washington 31-23

W, Vanderbilt 23-9W, ULL 31-3

W, @ Mississippi State 30-26W, @ Georgia 20-13

L, Florida 3-13W, Auburn 31-10W, Tulane 42-0

11/7 @ Alabama

Projected Starting LineupsOffense

QB #9 Jordan JeffersonRB #32 Charles Scott

WR #86 Chris MitchellWR #1 Brandon LaFell

WR #80 Terrance ToliverTE #18 Richard Dickson

T #70 Ciron BlackG #68 Josh Dworaczyk

C #53 T-Bob Hebert

G #65 Lyle HittT #78 Joseph Barksdale

DefenseDE #84 Rahim Alem

DT #97 Al WoodsDT #91 Charles Alexander

DE #95 Pep LevingstonLB #24 Harry Coleman

LB #56 Perry RileyLB #11 Kelvin SheppardCB #29 Chris HawkinsS # 15 Brandon Taylor

S #3 Chad JonesCB #7 Patrick Peterson

Alabama - 19 vs. LSU - 13

2009 ScheduleW, Virginia Tech (ATL) 34-24

W, FIU 40-14W, North Texas 53-7

W, Arkansas 35-7W, @ Kentucky 38-20W, @ Ole Miss 22-3

W, South Carolina 20-6W, Tennessee 12-10

11/7 LSU


QB #12 Greg McElroyRB #22 Mark Ingram

FB/HB #85 Preston DialWR #8 Julio Jones

WR #4 Marquis MazeTE #84 Colin Peek

T #77 James CarpenterG #78 Mike Johnson

C #73 William Vlachos

G #75 Barrett JonesT #79 Drew Davis

DefenseDE #97 Lo WashingtonNT #62 Terrence Cody

DE #95 Brandon DeaderickLB #13 Cory Reamer

LB #25 Rolando McClainLB #35 Nico JohnsonLB #32 Eryk AndersCB #28 Javier ArenasS #27 Justin Woodall

S #4 Mark BarronCB #3 Kareem Jackson

R 2009 Ranking

141.5 ypg- 69th Run Offense 217.6 ypg - 13th

183.6 ypg- 96th Pass Offense 192.4 ypg - 93rd

325.1 ypg- 100th Total Offense 410.0 ypg - 33rd

26.4 ppg- 67th Scoring Offense 31.8 ppg - 25th

114.4 ypg- 35th Run Defense 64.9 ypg - 2nd

178.6 ypg- 24th Pass Defense 176.0 ypg - 20th

293.0 ypg- 15th Total Defense 240.9 ypg - 4th

12.1 ppg- 7th Scoring Defense 11.4 ppg - 5th

Keys to the GameEasy as 1, 2, 3...perhaps- Alabamas NT Terrence Codyis as difficult to block as any nose tackle weve seen in thecollege game in some time. Sure, others are penetrating or

good with their hands but Cody is just, well, hes a huge massof humanity that one, two or even three guys have a toughtime blocking. Why is he a key this weekend? The Tigershave proven in big games that if they cant run the football,especially with Charles Scott in the A and/or B gaps, they cant

win this game. T-Bob Hebert, Lyle Hitt and Josh Dworaczykmust be able to move Cody or, at least, occupy him, such thathe becomes a non-factor. But, even in tying up two, or maybe,

three blockers, Cody stays a factor because the Tigers interiorcant get up to the second level and block the great Alabamalinebackers. If the Tigers can double Cody for a count withone lineman moving up to block LB Rolando McClain, the

Tigers will be able to run the ball somewhat effectively. And,it doesnt mean the Tigers have to pick up six to eight yards apop. Get to third and three or third and four and the Tigershave a chance. But, they wont if Mt. Cody erupts on Saturday.

Wheres the Ocho?- The Alabama offense is 13th in thenation in rushing, with RB Mark Ingram leading the way witha Heisman campaign. Then, why cant the Tide get its

wonderfully talented WR Julio Jones involved? If the Tide canrun this well, youd think QB Greg McElroy would facenothing but eight men in the box opening the middle of thefield for Jones to go deep. But, Jones hasnt gotten deep atall this season, but if LSU decides it needs an extra defender tostop Ingram, then Jones HAS to be a factor deep down field.

Conclusion- So, I put this one in the Harris computer this week and every iteration keeps coming up Alabama. Home game.Two weeks to prepare. Nick Saban vs. Les Miles. All the advantages seem to point to the Crimson. Plus, in an SEC battle likethis, its quite simple - the team that runs the ball most effectively wins the game. Yes, I know that the SEC has more spreadteams than ever before, but these teams are not. If Charles Scott controls the game, LSU wins. He wont. When Ingram does,

Alabama wins in a typical SEC slugfest.

November 7, 2009 - CBS 2:30 PM CSTVegas Says: Alabama -7.5 / 39.5


8/13

Ohio State (7-2) vs. Penn State (8-1)

2009 ScheduleW, Navy 31-27L, USC 15-18

W, Toledo 38-0W, Illinois 30-0

W, @ Indiana 33-14W, Wisconsin 31-13W, @ Purdue 18-26W, Minnesota 38-7

W, NMSU 45-011/7 @ Penn State


QB #2 Terrelle PryorRB #3 Brandon SaineFB #44 Zach Boren

TE #86 Jake BallardWR #8 Devier Posey

WR #12 Dane SanzenbacherT #64 Jim CordleG #65 Justin Boren

C #50 Michael BrewsterG #70 Bryant Browning

T #76 J.B. Shugarts

DefenseDE #90 Thaddeus Gibson

DT #84 Doug WorthingtonDT #92 Todd Denlinger

DE #97 Cameron HeywardLB #51 Ross HomanLB #38 Austin SpitlerLB #36 Brian Rolle

CB #10 Devon TorrenceS #4 Kurt Coleman

S #21 Anderson RussellCB #5 Chimdi Chekwa

Penn State - 17 vs. Ohio State - 13

2009 ScheduleW, Akron 31-7

W, Syracuse 28-7W, Temple 31-6L, Iowa 10-21

W, @ Illinois 35-17W, Eastern Illinois 52-3

W, Minnesota 20-0W, @ Michigan 35-10

W, @ Northwestern 34-1311/7 Ohio State


QB #17 Daryll ClarkRB #22 Evan RoysterWR #6 Derek MoyeWR #5 Graham ZugWR #2 Chaz Powell

TE #10 Andrew QualessT #73 Dennis Landolt

G #74 Johnnie Troutman

C #61 Stefan WisniewskiG #77 Lou EliadesT #79 Ako Poti

DefenseDE #5 Jerome HayesDT #91 Jared OdrickDT #85 Ollie Ogbu

DE #81 Jack CrawfordLB #11 Navorro Bowman

LB #45 Sean LeeLB #43 Josh Hull

CB #1 A.J. WallaceS #28 Drew Astorino

S #18 Nick SukayCB #8 DAnton Lynn

R 2009 Ranking

186.6 ypg- 29th Run Offense 182.0 ypg - 33rd

189.6 ypg- 94th Pass Offense 247.1 ypg - 34th

376.1 ypg- 63rd Total Offense 429.1 ypg - 24th

31.0 ppg- 29th Scoring Offense 30.7 ppg - 33rd

86.4 ypg- 6th Run Defense 84.1 ypg - 5th

173.6 ypg- 14th Pass Defense 170.7 ypg - 12th

260.0 ypg- 6th Total Defense 254.8 ypg - 5th

11.7 ppg- 6th Scoring Defense 9.3 ppg - 1st

Keys to the GameKafka, Pryor, same thing, right? - Last week, thePenn State defense probably had its most stern test facing, ofall teams and quarterbacks, Northwesterns Mike Kafka. TheWildcats stayed competitive and had the Nits off balancethroughout the game with a series of quick bubble screens,short passing game and a few scrambles/designed runs. Then,he went out of the game with an injury and Penn Statecontrolled the game the rest of the way. Now, Terrelle Pryor isNOT the quarterback that Kafka is, but hes got enough in thearsenal to put the Nits on their heels. The Ohio State offenselikes to get the ball quickly to Devier Posey on quick screens

and Pryor has the ability to scramble with the best of them.Duh. But, if Penn State can take away his short throws andspy on him with one of its great linebackers, Pryor will have tothrow down field and that hasnt been a good proposition forthe Buckeye offense at all this season (see Purdue game). The

good thing for Ohio State is that it has the blueprint to movethe ball and score against the number one scoring defense, butdoes it have the signal caller to do it? Good question.

Its ERT...thats Evan Royster Time -With all ofthis talk about the Heisman Trophy and the open race for the

Trophy, is it possible that if Evan Royster blows up he canenter that race? Well, maybe not, but I do think the key forthe Nits is to get him involved early and often. Not justpounding between the tackles, but by lining up in the slot as areceiver, he can put the Ohio State linebackers in a world ofhurt. Theyve not used him there as much lately, but this gameit might be the one wrinkle that can change the game for PSU.

Conclusion- In the summer when I was doing my college preview, I flip flopped on this game a hundred times to determinewhich team should be ranked above the other in my top 25. I settled on Penn State, in part because the game is in State College.But, I kept thinking if Terrelle Pryor makes the improvement I expected, then I might change that thought by game week. Hehasnt and I think his inability to throw accurately down the field on third down will be OSUs death knell. Daryll Clark will showhim how its done.

November 7, 2009 - ABC 2:30 PM CSTVegas Says: PSU -3.5 / 40


9/13

November 7, 2009 CBS CSTV 2:30 PM CST

November 7, 2009 ABC 7 PM CST

November 7, 2009 ESPN 6:45 PM CST

November 7, 2009 ABC 7 PM CST

OKLAHOMA (5-3)VS. NEBRASKA (5-3) VEGAS SAYS: OU -5.5 / 42.5

HOUSTON (7-1)VS. TULSA (4-4) VEGAS SAYS: TU -1 / 67.5

USC (6-2)VS. ARIZONA STATE (4-4) VEGAS SAYS: USC -10.5 / 45.5

FLORIDA STATE (4-4)VS. CLEMSON (5-3) VEGAS SAYS: CU -8.5 / 58

70-30 has probably been burned in the brain of everyTulsa Golden Hurricane player this week. 70-30. 70-30.It got ugly last year and it didnt sit well with Tulsa headcoach Todd Graham, to the point that he barely shookhands with Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin at the

end of the game.

But, these are two different teams and its a Tulsa teamthat has struggled lately, in particular in a twotouchdown loss to SMU 27-13. Houston, on the other

hand, has won three in a row since the loss to UTEP,including last weeks win over USM 50-43.

Tulsas key is to slow down the Coug O with atraditional offensive game plan. The up-tempo attack

that has been a staple for the TU offense cant operateat full speed. That just plays into the hands of the U ofH offense - a unit that wants to run 100 plays. Even ata snails pace, I dont think itll matter. Cougs win.PREDICTION: Houston- 49 vs. Tulsa- 41

When was the last time USC had two losses at this timein the season? Youre right if you guessed 2002, the lasttime USC didnt play in the Rose Bowl or for theNational Championship. Now, its one thing to lose two

games, its quite another to get rolled by Oregon andgive up over 600 yards of total offense.

The Sun Devils havent been the model of consistencyover these past eight games, either. The Sun Devilspulled out the impossible victory over Washington, butthen got beat at home by a vulnerable Cal squad.

Arizona State, unfortunately, doesnt have the horses inthe running game to take advantage of the USCdefense. Jacquizz Rodgers ran for over 100 yards inonly three quarters and the entire Ducks running backs

roster crushed the Trojan front seven. Its become theTrojans achilles heel.

ASU cant drive a stake through that heel. Expect USCQB Matt Barkley to riddle the ASU secondary in amuch needed convincing USC win.

PREDICTION: USC - 35 vs. Arizona State - 16

Well, its not the Bowden Bowl anymore, thats aboutthe only thing I can tell you for sure about this game.

Other than that, Ive got nothing. No two teams havebeen as up and down as the Seminoles and the Tigers.Just when it appeared that the Seminoles season washeaded down the tubes in a 3-9 sort of way, QBChristian Ponder turn up the volume and led the Nolesto two huges wins over UNC on the road and NC Statelast week. He didnt get much help from his defense,though and thats what worries me the most.

Clemson has had the week to get healthy and rested,and RB/KR CJ Spiller needed that rest more than most

after his sublime performance down in Miami. Okay,yes, it was Coastal Carolina, but you get the point.Clemsons defense didnt fare well with the heat andhumidity in Miami, but back home, I expect them to

get a serious pass rush on Ponder, who is also banged upas of press time, and force him into a couple of TOs in aClemson win.

PREDICTION: Clemson- 35 vs. FSU - 27

Ahhhh, old school. Just like back in the day. Keith Jackson. Mike Rozier. Turner Gill. Eric Crouch.Brian Bosworth. The names just roll off the tongue.Well, what about Niles Paul, Dejuan Miller, LandryJones and Jared Crick? Not household names just yet?Or as remembered as the previous set of names? No,but each one will play a crucial role in this matchup.However, each one actually will play a secondary role tothe matchup of Rotary Lombardi Award semi-finalistsOUs Gerald McCoy and NUs Ndamukong Suh.

The two wont battle one another, but each one holdsthe key to a win. One of these teams has to be able torun the ball to win this game. Paul (NU) and Miller(OU) can make plays on the perimeter, but one of therunning games must emerge. Good luck, because thatmeans effectively blocking these two stalwarts. I thinkOU will eventually find its way on the ground, well,enough so to win this game. Suh and Crick will keepthe NU defense in it, but in the end, OU wins close.

PREDICTION: OU- 27 vs. NU - 24


10/13

PREDICTIONS ON ALL D1A GAMES -TV GAMES IN RED

Thursday, November 5th

Virginia Tech at East Carolina 6:30 PM ESPN -Virginia Tech - 27 vs. ECU- 24

Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois 6:30 PM ESPNU-NIU- 31 vs. EMU- 27

Miami Ohio at Temple 6:30 p.m. ESPN 360-Temple - 34 vs. Roethlisberger U- 21

Friday, November 6th

Boise State at Louisiana Tech 7 PM ESPN2-Boise State - 34 vs. La. Tech - 31

Saturday, November 7th

BYU at Wyoming 1 PM The Mtn.-BYU- 31 vs. Wyoming- 30

Navy at Notre Dame 1:30 PM NBC-Notre Dame - 38 vs. Navy - 21

Army at Air Force 2:30 PM CBS CSTV-Air Force - 31 vs. Army - 17

TCU at San Diego State 3:00 PM Vs.-TCU- 35 vs. SDSU- 10

New Mexico at Utah 5:00 PM The Mtn.-Utah - 49 vs. New Mexico - 10

Colorado State at UNLV 9 PM The Mtn. -UNLV- 28 vs. CSU- 24

Baylor at Missouri-Missouri- 28 vs. Baylor- 13

Central Florida at Texas 11 am FSN -Texas - 49 vs. UCF- 13

Connecticut at Cincinnati 7 PM ABC-Cincinnati- 31 vs. U Conn - 18

Duke at North Carolina 2:30 PM ESPNU-UNC - 34 vs. Duke - 31

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky 12 PM ESPN GP-Kentucky -ALOT vs. EKU- littleFlorida Atlantic at UAB -UAB - 37 vs. FAU- 31

Washington at UCLA 2:30 FCS Pacific -Washington - 21 vs. UCLA - 20

Washington State at Arizona 5 PM FCS Pacific-

Arizona - 51 vs. WSU- 14Western Michigan at Michigan State 11 am Big Ten Network-MSU- 45 vs. WMU- 28

Wisconsin at Indiana 11 am Big Ten Network-Wisconsin - 31 vs. Indiana - 16

FIU at MTSU 3:30 PM ESPN GP-MTSU- 28 vs. FIU- 24


11/13


Saturday November 7th (CONTD)

Fresno State at Idaho 9:30 PM ESPNU-Fresno State - 31 vs. Idaho - 28

Furman at Auburn 12:30 PM ESPN GP-Auburn - 63 vs. Furman - 2Illinois at Minnesota 11 am Big Ten Network-Minnesota - 27 vs. lllinois - 24

Kansas at Kansas State 11:30 PM Vs.-Kansas - 35 vs. KSU- 34

Kent State at Akron 2:30 PM ESPN GP-Akron - 31 vs. Kent State - 28

Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State 2:30 PM ESPN GP/CSS-ASU- 24 vs. ULL - 21

Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas -ULM- 38 vs. North Texas - 21

Louisville at West Virginia-WVU- 49 vs. Louisville - 21

Maryland at North Carolina State 12 PM ESPN 360-NC State - 34 vs. Maryland- 21Memphis at Tennessee 6 PM ESPNU-Tennessee - 34 vs. Memphis - 12

Northern Arizona at Ole Miss 6:30 PM ESPN GP/CSS-Ole Miss - 45 vs. NAU- 10

Northwestern at Iowa 11 am ESPN -Iowa - 38 vs. Northwestern - 15

Oklahoma State at Iowa State 2:30 PM ABC-Oklahoma State - 34 vs. Iowa State - 14

Oregon at Stanford 2:30 PM FSN-Oregon - 38 vs. Stanford- 17

Oregon State at California 6 PM FSN-Oregon State - 30 vs. Cal- 28Purdue at Michigan 11 am Big Ten Network-Michigan - 31 vs. Purdue - 21

Rice at SMU -SMU- 42 vs. Rice - 27

South Carolina at Arkansas 11:21 am ESPN GP/SEC Network-Arkansas - 27 vs. South Carolina - 23Syracuse at Pittsburgh 11 am ESPNU-Pitt- 49 vs. Syracuse - 14

Tennessee Tech at Georgia 12 ESPN GP-Georgia - 54 vs. TT- 3

Texas A&M at Colorado 12:30 PM FCS Central-TAMU- 38 vs. CU- 35Troy at Western Kentucky-Troy - 34 vs. WKU- 7

Utah State at Hawaii-Utah State - 31 vs. Hawaii- 29

UTEP at Tulane 2:30 PM FCS Atlantic-Tulane - 34 vs. UTEP - 33

Vanderbilt at Florida 6:15 PM ESPN2-Florida - 42 vs. Vanderbilt- 7


12/13


Saturday November 7th (CONTD)

Virginia at Miami 11 am Raycom/ESPN GP-Miami- 35 vs. Virginia - 10

Wake Forest at Georgia Tech 2:30 PM ABC-Georgia Tech - 35 vs. Wake Forest- 17

Sunday November 8th

Nevada at San Jose State 7:30 PM ESPN-Nevada - 42 vs. SJSU- 17


13/13

1560 The Game is aproud sponsor of boththe Rotary Lombardi

Award, given annually

to the mostoutstanding interior lineman in thenation, and the Paul Bear Bryant Award

given for the Coach of the Year. Here ismy unofficial leaderboard for eachaward. For more info. on each award -

www.rotarylombardiaward.org andwww.americanheart.org/bryantawards

I love the way that this award is so fluid throughout the season. One win can bump you up into theconversation and one loss can put you on the also receiving votes category. One guy who keeps making his

way into the conversation is Temples Al Golden. The Owls are bowl eligible for the first time in who

knows how long, undefeated in the MAC and now with an impressive win Navy last week. No matter whathappens throughout the rest of the season, Golden will have my vote, knowing where this program has beenthe past few years...errr, decades. Iowas Kirk Ferentzfinds a way with his troops to keep getting wins.Behind at the outset of the fourth quarter with his QB having thrown four picks in the third quarter, Ferentzkept his Hawkeyes positive and kept them fighting in a come from behind win over Indiana. TCUs GaryPatterson shouldve been with us last year and hell be a lock this year. A win over UNLV wasnt sexy but histeam keeps getting better and better...and still undefeated. Texass Mack Brown has his team on the rise,playing its best football of the season, while Oregons Chip Kelly may have his name etched on the trophy

with how hes gotten his team to respond after the opening night loss at Boise. The win over USC was proofpositive of his message - One game does not make a season. But, that one game will reverberate for months

The 12 semi-finalists are turning it up right about voting time, so its time to narrow the scope and followthese players this week. Here are some thoughts about key matchups to watch this weekend.

1. Nebraskas Ndamukong Suh and Oklahomas Gerald McCoy have a date with destiny. Let me just say

this wont be the last time these two see each other. Ive got a feeling that theyll be with Sean and myself onDecember 9th, but with a solid performance, one of them can separate from the other. McCoy is though tohave the better cast members, but Suh has done a little bit of everything and is now getting some help fromJared Crick. However, if Crick outshines Suh, then maybe it takes away from his candidacy. Either way,voters tune in 7 PM Saturday night.

2. Alabamas Terrence Cody andRolando McClain have a 2:30 PM CST national stage to make a case. Iwould think both are in the race for the final four and a solid performance against LSU is a must. Voters needto not only look at the numbers in this one, especially on Cody against LSUs G-C-G trio and McClains

versatility.
http://www.americanheart.org/bryantawardshttp://www.americanheart.org/bryantawardshttp://www.rotarylombardiaward.org/http://www.rotarylombardiaward.org/

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