Simultaneous Seattle

With all of the exasperation surrounding last night's game between Seattle and Green Bay, there needs to be some objective voice in all of the noise.  I hope to be that voice. Hopefully, after reading this, people on both sides of the issue can both breathe a little bit easier.
Let me take you up to the play in question:
All night long, we(the viewing public) were treated to and endless parade of yellow laundry. This occurred so much that at the end of every play instead of appreciating a good offensive or defensive effort at the end of every play, I was looking to the bottom right of the screen fully expecting to see the time clock replaced by the Packer yellow "Flag" appear on the screen.  Both teams were victimized by bad calls, with the occasional good call thrown in there just so we had some measure of faith that the referees weren't blind.   It is my assertion that the last play of the game was not even close to being the determining factor in the game. Two other calls were far more important (one went against each team):

Phantom PI #1:
On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 47 with roughly 10 minutes left in the game and in the midst of a Green Bay 16 play 82 yard scoring drive, a pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jermichael Finley was broken up by Kam Chancellor, which should have brought about a punt with less than 10 minutes to go and Green Bay trailing 7-6.  Enter flag from Side Judge.  Chancellor broke on this ball, placed his right arm around Finley's arms and knocked the ball away at the same instant he hit Finley from behind. Simultaneously.(Yes I chose that word on purpose). This play allowed Green Bay's drive to continue and score the go ahead touchdown. Without this 'penalty' this drive does not continue and Green Bay may or may not have scored again.

Phantom PI #2:On 1st and 25 from the Seattle 43 roughly 6:00 left in the game. Russell Wilson lofts a pass down the left sideline to Sidney Rice.  Sam Shields is in front of Rice, looking at the ball, neither of his hands are even on Sidney Rice.  The ball makes it through to Rice, who slightly pushes off of Shields with his right hand (otherwise he may have caught the ball, as it hit him between the numbers). The ball falls harmlessly to the ground.  Enter flag from back side judge.  A 32 yard penalty that brought Seattle to the brink of tying the game. They did not. As a matter of fact, they did not even score points. Penalty does not hurt Green Bay.

Both of those plays were clear cut non-penalties on the defense that were called erroniously. Poor calls, phantom calls. Different from the last play of the game. Here's how.

Final play of the game: Russell Wilson lofts the ball from the Green Bay 24 yard line to the left side of the end zone.  7 players are near the ball: Green Bay's M.D. Jennings, Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, and Jarrett Bush & Seattle's Charly Martin and Golden Tate.  Seattle Receiver Golden Tate, shoves Green Bay's Sam Shields in the back(a play I have no problem with because PI is not called either way on the last play of the game, and Shields was slightly off balance prior to the push, making it look worse than it actually was).  The ball comes down with Jennings,Woodson, Martin and Tate jumping up for it.  The ball lands in the middle of a muddled group of hands, with 4 hands appearing to grasp the ball at the same time. Two of them belong to Green Bay's M.D. Jennings, two belonging to Seattle's Golden Tate. As the players begin to come down, Tate's right hand temporarily comes off of the ball, only to return to it only a split second later as both he and M.D. Jennings fall to the ground in a heap. At no point does either player retain sole possession of the ball, nor does either player step out of bounds.  Though the ball is held to the chest of M.D. Jennings, the ball has never been in M.D. Jennings' sole possession.  The officials come in after both players have fallen to the ground.  What did happen: The back judge (who did not have a good view of the hands grasping the ball from the start) and the side judge(who had a good view of the play from the initial grasping of the ball to the ground) waited until the players hit the ground, looked at each other and proceeded to give polar opposite calls. The back judge's mistake was not being assertive enough with his call to review it with the side judge, and instead acquiescing to the side judge's call of "Touchdown".What should have happened(And would've had the real officials been involved: Both officials look at one another, discuss the play, and come to a decision mutually. If they cannot agree, the white capped head referee comes down, listens to both officials and determines which one he feels is more sure of the call and rules in his favor. Whichever way he had ruled (ruling on the field) could not have been overturned unless one of the players in question was deemed to have been out of bounds or if the ball had hit the ground. Since neither of those things happened, whatever the ruling on the field was, would have been upheld. The bottom line of this call is that it is NOT clearly an interception or a touchdown, but a call that, even if the regular officials had been involved could have been called either way.  The only difference between the replacement officials and the regular officials, in this instance, is the regular officials would have handled it properly and whichever way they had ruled, would have gone about it the right way. Personally, though M.D. Jennings appears to have had MORE of the ball, it seemed as though the 'initial grasp' of the ball between he and Golden Tate was simultaneous when watched in super slow motion.

Regardless of which side you sit on this play, its clear that the play is not clear cut and either one way or the other. I do not believe that this call decided the game, but rather the two PI calls had much more of an impact on the game because they were CLEARLY not penalties, but replacement officials botching their job.

Happy Debating, and I sincerely hope the owners see that their product is being diluted and corrupted and spend the extra $160,000 per team to get the real officials back to maintain the integrity of the NFL.

Greg

NFL Power Rankings

There isn't enough space to write everything you could on this past week in football. We talked last time about the upsets we saw through two weeks, but they didn't compare to week 3. For the second week in a row, #1 on our Power Rankings got beat. Plus, for the second week in a row #32 on won last week. Will that trend continue?

The biggest fall on our Power Rankings were by the replacement refs... sorry it slipped out. Don't fine me. But they were terrible this week. I thought they would get better and better each week, but the opposite is proving true. Last night's chaotic finish on MNF just lit this story on fire.

In all seriousness, the biggest fall in the rankings was by the Philadelphia Eagles. They fell from 7th to 16th in our rankings. On the flip side, the fortunate Seahawks rose 11 spots, from 19 to 8. As you can expect the Vikings rose and 49ers fell. The Raiders rose and Steelers fell. The Titans rose and Lions fell. The Chiefs rose and Saints fell. The list goes on and on.

As always, this list is based on the first three weeks of the year, and not necessarily how we think the teams will play going forward. Plus, our updated picks standings is at the top. In terms of our rankings, please let us know in the comment section what you think. Enjoy!

NFL Power Rankings

Week 2

Andrew – 215 Points (23-25)         Greg – 195 Points (21-27)

Evan Atkinson – 127 Points (17-15) – Winner of Week 3

NOTE: Last week’s rank is noted in the first parenthesis. Current team record noted in the second parenthesis.

1. (2) Atlanta Falcons (3-0) – Matt Ryan is playing at an elite level and the offense continues to roll. Their defense though has arguably been better than the offense. Nobody is eager to play these guys right now. – Andrew

2. (3) Houston Texans (3-0) – Matt Schaub isn't putting up huge numbers, but he's throwing for a lot of TD's.  They are a complete team, and already have a 2 game lead on everyone else in their pathetic division. Is it possible to clinch the playoffs in week 3? – Greg

3. (10) Arizona Cardinals (3-0) – This week, they show many that they are the real deal. This team defense, not the 49er defense, looks like the best unit in the division through 3 weeks. Plus, Kolb finally earned his money. – Andrew

4. (6) Baltimore Ravens (2-1) – Torrey Smith gave an inspired effort after his brother died early Sunday morning. Sad story, but he honored him on with his play that night. – Andrew

5. (14) New York Giants (2-1) – Absolutely embarrassed the Panthers on Thursday night (with backups), and the defense finally looked like the championship defense again. They may be hitting their stride. – Greg

6. (1) San Francisco 49ers (2-1) – Absolute shocker of a loss to Minnesota. First time I've ever seen a game where this team was physically dominated.  Should be a good wake-up call for Harbaugh's team. I feel bad for the Jets next week. – Greg

7. (12) Chicago Bears (2-1) – The offense hasn’t been there since their first game, but their defense showed up once again. The O-line still is a major concern, but so is Jay Cutler. – Andrew

8. (19) Seattle Seahawks (2-1) – Regardless of your opinion about the way the game ended, the Seahawks played a great game. Their home field advantage is one of the best in the league, and their defensive line dominated the Packers last night. If Russell Wilson continues to play turnover-free football, this team could be very good. – Greg

9. (11) New England Patriots (1-2) – They lost another heartbreaker to a good team Sunday night. The defense just isn’t quite good enough right now. And they have also gotten away from Ridley after his great week 1 performance. – Andrew

10. (18) Dallas Cowboys (2-1) – The Cowboys won an ugly game on Sunday. The defense did play solid, but the offense struggled mightily for the second straight week. Maybe another nationally televised game is what they need to click again. And they have one Monday Night against Chicago. – Andrew

11. (20) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) – Since their opening day loss on the road at Baltimore, they have beaten two less than stellar teams. Yet, they still won, and Andy Dalton looks to be getting better as the season goes along. – Greg

12. (4) Green Bay Packers (1-2) – Again, regardless of your opinion about the way the game ended, the Packers have now been shut out in the first quarter in all three games they have played. They have scored 22, 23, and 12 points in three games for an average of 18.6. Well below the mark for an offense that has been averaging well over 30 the last few years. – Greg

13. (5) Denver Broncos (1-2) – They have played the toughest three game schedule of any team in the NFL, plus Manning still has some rust. Things will get easier, and he will keep getting better. – Andrew

14. (23) Buffalo Bills (2-1) – Back to back dominating wins. Ryan Fitzpatrick has picked up his play, but now both Spiller and Jackson are out.  Can Tashard Choice step in and put up similar numbers? – Greg

15. (8) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) – This team has always been built on the reputation of its defense. Its defense is no longer intimidating, and its showing. Dick Lebeau needs to get that unit healthy and back together. – Greg

16. (7) Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) – Despite the winning record, they have a -19 point differential. The turnovers are killing them, and Michael Vick is taking a beating behind a porous offensive line. – Andrew

17. (9) San Diego Chargers (2-1) – Nothing wrong with losing to the hottest team in football right now.  This week's result will tell us whether the Chargers are for real, or whether their opening two wins were simply a product of poor competition. – Greg

18. (25) Minnesota Vikings (2-1) – The Vikings shocked the nation by defeating the mighty 49ers. Ponder toyed with arguably the best defense in the league. Who would have thought they would be leading the NFC North at this point? – Andrew

19. (16) New York Jets (2-1) – This is a team without an offensive identity. Are they a running team, passing team, or wildcat team? To make matters worse, Darrelle Revis is done for the year. Yet they are the only team in the league to be 2-0 in their division. – Andrew

20. (15) Washington Redskins (1-2) – Putting up points (33/game) and in every game so far this year. I have no reason to believe they won't be in the rest of them with a chance to win as well. A team learning how to win. – Greg

21. (13) Detroit Lions (1-2) – Detroit’s defense struggled to contain the lowly Titans. An even bigger worry is that Stafford got injured once again. On the bright side, LeShoure made his debut and looked great. – Andrew

22. (17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2) – Another team that will be in every game so far this year. Played two NFC East teams extremely tough on the road and have beaten a division opponent at home. Defense is much improved, but can the offense keep up? – Greg

23. (32) Tennessee Titans (1-2) – Jake Locker showed Sunday why he was so highly coveted out of college. But that was just one game. They still have a league worst -46 point differential this season. – Andrew

24. (30) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) – Gabbert and Shorts know how to score late don’t they? Unlike week 1, this time the defense held on. Glad to see MJD running wild again too. – Andrew

25. (24) Indianapolis Colts (1-2) – The headline should read that Andrew Luck once again led the team to a great game-winning drive. But it doesn’t because of some bad late defense. – Andrew

26. (31) Oakland Raiders (1-2) – Their offense finally clicked on Sunday, and it was against Pittsburgh of all defenses. Can't help but think Denarius Moore's return helped take the top off of the defense and exposed those underneath routes. – Greg

27. (26) Miami Dolphins (1-2) – If not for Dan Carpenter's 2 missed FG's in this game, Miami would be 2-1 and a game ahead of the hapless Jets in the division. Unfortunately Dan's moustache made him sneeze those kicks wide left. – Greg

28. (28) Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) – Monumental comeback on the road this week. Jamaal Charles (217) nearly rushed for as many yards as Matt Cassel threw for (234), and that's a great sign for the Chiefs. – Greg

29. (21) St. Louis Rams (1-2) – After putting up great numbers last week, the Rams offense couldn’t generate anything vs. the Bears. – Andrew

30. (22) Carolina Panthers (1-2) – Got shellacked at home in primetime this week. Will need to recover quickly from that debacle. The offense seems to be quite inept, and I never thought a defense with Jon Beason and Luke Kuechly would get run over so easily. – Greg

31. (27) New Orleans Saints (0-3) – I didn’t think losing their coach this season would hurt them much, but it clearly has. Have they forgotten that they are allowed to run the ball? Drew Brees is trying to do too much. – Andrew

32. (29) Cleveland Browns (0-3) – Look on the bright side Browns fans, Weeden is getting better and you'll have 7 #1 picks next year. – Greg

By: The Sports Guys

Big East Player Rankings

Over the last few years, the Big East has been arguably the best basketball conference in the nation. They are deep and always have a handful of teams ranked in the top 25.

This year, West Virginia is gone and Connecticut is in transition. Couple that with the graduation and early departures of many Big East stars, and you have a conference that isn’t nearly as scary as in years past.

With that said, there is plenty of talent here, and there are a few teams that should be national powers. In fact, Louisville has a great chance to win a national title. There are also some great new freshmen and transfers that will play major roles this season.

As we continue to look into each conference’s talent pool, below is our ranking of the top 30 Big East players entering the 2012-2013 season. Last year’s stats are listed. Please let us know your thoughts on our rankings in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Big East’s Top 30 Players

1. Peyton Siva: Louisville - 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.7 steals

His return put Louisville in position to not only win this conference, but he gives them a real chance to win a national championship. When Siva is on the floor, he creates and does so much for the offense. His quickness and tenacity also helps lead a great defense.

2. Shabazz Napier: Connecticut – 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists

Napier is one of the only remaining stars on this dismantled UCONN team. He will have a big season for sure, but the program is in a sorry state.

3. Sean Kilpatrick: Cincinnati – 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists

His dynamic scoring ability will keep Cincinnati in the thick of things this season. With a couple of last year’s starters gone, it will be his team now. What I like most is his ability to score from all over the court.

4. C.J. Fair: Syracuse – 8.5 points, 5.4 rebounds

Fair had a great season last year for a dominant Syracuse team. But because of their depth, he wasn’t able to truly shine. He is due for a breakout season and will fully make a name for himself like stars have before him. His talent could make him a lottery pick.

5. Jack Cooley: Notre Dame – 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds

Like other great Notre Dame inside players before him, Cooley is as fundamentally sound as any. He positions himself well on both ends of the floor and is a great rebounder. He should keep Notre Dame among the best in the conference.

6. D’Angelo Harrison: St. John’s – 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2 assists

Harrison can put the ball in the hoop better than most. After a down year in 2012, Harrison will lead a resurgence for St. John’s in 2013. Expect him to get a bit more help this year though.

7. Cashmere Wright: Cincinnati – 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists

Cincinnati should again be among the best in the conference, and this guy’s leadership is a big reason why. He is great at setting his teammates up and really sets the pace for the Bearcats. Watch for his scoring to increase this season.

8. Cleveland Melvin: Depaul – 17.5 points, 7.4 rebounds

Depaul may not be an elite team, but Melvin is truly an elite player. He will likely lead the conference in scoring, and he’ll be among the leaders in rebounding too.

9. Eli Carter: Rutgers – 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals

Carter does a lot for this Rutgers team. He “litters up the stat sheet” if you will. But similar to Melvin above, he doesn’t have much support around him.

10. Jerian Grant: Notre Dame – 12.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5 assists

We expect a big year from Grant. And in order for the Irish to accomplish what they want, he needs one. He already sets his teammates up well, but I think he’ll look for his own shot a bit more this year.

11. Gorgui Dieng: Louisville – 9.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 3.2 blocks

Dieng will play a key role for the Cardinals in their effort to win a national title. He is already a great defensive player and rebounder. But rumors are that his offensive game has developed a lot this offseason.

12. Brandon Triche: Syracuse – 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists

Triche will do more than put up numbers. He will be the leader for this team. I expect for him to really up his assist total too.

13. Chane Behanan: Louisville – 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds

People expected so much out of him last year and he got off to a slow start. But late in the year he started to play some great basketball and that will carry over to 2013. He very well may play himself into the lottery for the upcoming draft.

14. Tray Woodall: Pittsburgh – 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists

When on the court last year, Pittsburgh was a good team. When off the court, they struggled mightily. He completely transforms the offense, and can be very disruptive on defense as well.

15. Otto Porter: Georgetown – 9.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists

Remember this name. Like so many Hoyas before him, he has gone under the radar. But now this is his team and he could have a big year. He has First Team All-Conference potential.

16. Anthony Collins: South Florida – 9 points, 2 rebounds, 5.2 assists

See Otto Porter above.

17. Vincent Council: Providence – 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists

First off, this is a great name. Secondly, he is a great player that does everything for the Friars. If he played for a big name school, everyone would know whom this is.

18. Brandon Young: Depaul – 14.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.6 steals

See Vincent Council above (minus the cool name part).

19. Eric Atkins: Notre Dame – 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists

Atkins and Grant (ranked 10^th) form arguably the best backcourt in the Big East. He also does a great job setting up his teammates, and rebounds well for his size too. His scoring should increase slightly this year.

20. Steven Adams: Pittsburgh – Center, 6^th Ranked Recruit by ESPN

This is the best incoming freshman in the conference. The big man from New Zealand will be a great fit for a team that needs an inside presence. When the season is done though, he may be moving on to bigger and better things.

21. Bryce Cotton: Providence – 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists

Cotton can really light it up. If he begins to do more than score though, he can really become a star.

22. Fuquan Edwin: Seton Hall – 12.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3 steals

Unlike others I have mentioned, his scoring takes a backseat to the rest of his game. I love how he defends and hustles. He gets on the glass well too.

23. Mouphtaou Yarou: Villanova – 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds

Villanova’s best player is a double-double threat whenever he is on the floor. If he can become a little more consistent this year, he can best one of the best bigs in the conference in 2013.

24. Russ Smith: Louisville – 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists

Can go shot crazy at times for the Cardinals, but he can also put points up in a hurry. He is very similar to J.R. Smith who is now playing for the Knicks. Obviously, he needs to take better shots, but he still needs to score plenty for the Cardinals.

25. Ryan Boatright: Connecticut – 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists

Similar to his teammate Napier, he is one of the only remaining stars for a team in a state of flux. His athleticism is amazing and he will have his share of highlights in his second season.

26. Trent Lockett: Marquette – 13 points, 5.8 rebounds at Arizona State last year

Marquette acquired a great transfer when Lockett joined the program. He will be a big part of the team and should help offset some of the players they lost from last year’s great team. Scoring and rebounding are things he does well.

27. LaDontae Henton: Providence – 14.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists

His scoring numbers are impressive, but his rebounding numbers are up there with the best in the conference. His presence on the glass is a major key for this team. Look out for the Friars this season!

28. God’sgift Achiuwa: St. John’s – 9 points, 5.6 rebounds

Arguably the best name in college basketball (maybe ever). This year, he becomes more than a great name. His raw talent should be more defined and his play should become more consistent.

29. Trey Ziegler: Pittsburgh – 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds at Central Michigan last year

Another key transfer will be a major factor at Pitt in his first season. As you can see, he put up great numbers, but how will that transform into the rugged Big East?

30. DaJuan Coleman: Syracuse – Center, 14^th Ranked Recruit on ESPN

After losing some size from last year’s team, Coleman was a great recruit and much needed for the Orangemen. He should play inside from day one and become a vital part of the success of this program.

NOTE: The Big East was very hard to rank due to the tremendous depth of talent the conference possesses. It’s very possible that players not listed here break out and become stars in their own right.

By: The Sports Guys

College Football Saturday

We have seen some crazy stuff over the first few weeks of the season. Tomorrow should be no different. We will likely see some confusing results, some blowouts, but some close games as well. The tough part is knowing which game will fit those descriptions. Today, we are taking a look at five of the marquee matchups on "College Football Saturday."

22 Arizona at 3 Oregon

With USC's loss to Stanford, Oregon is now in the driver's seat for the conference crown. Their next step is a win at home against a very good Arizona squad in its first year under Rich Rodriguez. Arizona has had a surprisingly good offense, and that makes this important Pac-12 matchup an intriguing one. Matt Scott is quickly becoming one of the best dual threat QB's in the country. He already has almost 1,000 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in just 3 games.  I expect Oregon to win,  but I don't think it will be as easy as they originally thought when they looked at this game on the schedule. - Greg

From what I have seen, Oregon has been the most impressive team in the nation outside of Alabama. I fully expect them to run the table and be playing the Tide in the BCS Championship Game. The fact they have this game at home, is even more reason to believe they will handle the Wildcats. Arizona may be good on offense, but their defense will not slow down the Ducks. In fact, even without LaMichael James, the offense in Eugene may be even more impressive this year than the last few. - Andrew

Greg: Oregon 47 - Arizona 42

Andrew: Oregon 51 - Arizona 31

10 Clemson at 4 Florida State

This is probably the best game of the weekend. Clemson has owned FSU over the past 10 meetings, and have had the tougher schedule coming into this game. Even more impressive is that they have won two of their three games without their most potent offensive weapon: Sammy Watkins. Florida State's defensive statistics are off the charts as they come into this game giving up only 1.0 pts/game.  While I don't think FSU will hold Clemson to 1 point, the fact that this game is in Tallahassee gives them the edge. I see the Seminoles coming out on top. - Greg

This game will and has received a lot of hype, and rightfully so. This may very well decide the ACC Title. But I don't believe it will be as close as many expect. The Seminoles are finally back to being a national power, and their defense is the reason why. Clemson does pose some problems with their potent attack, but FSU is too strong. I see the home team getting ahead early, and coasting to a semi-easy win. - Andrew

Greg: Florida State 30 - Clemson 24

Andrew: Florida State 31 - Clemson 17

15 Kansas St. at 6 Oklahoma

I saw a headline yesterday about Colin Klein being a star in the wrong Manhattan.  This week I see him being a star in Norman.  Kansas State has just the type of team to be able to beat Oklahoma, and I don't think Oklahoma is nearly as strong as they have been in the past.  The UTEP miners nearly beat them in week 1.  I see Kansas State controlling the clock, running the ball, and physically dominating a soft Oklahoma squad. - Greg

I am a big Landry Jones fan and I think he shows up in this one. If there was ever a stage to put up Heisman numbers, this is one of the games. Although he won't put up video game stats, I do believe he makes a statement here with a strong second half and they pull this one out. As Greg said, K-State does have a team to beat Oklahoma. But it's just too tough to win at Oklahoma. - Andrew

Greg: Kansas State 24 - Oklahoma 17

Andrew: Oklahoma 30 - Kansas State 20

18 Michigan at 11 Notre Dame

No other game this week depends more on the weather. The Irish have shown they CAN run the ball, and now that Cierre Wood is back for his second game that will help. But Brian Kelly has shown he wants to win by passing the ball. The forecast calls for rain, and rain doesn't necessarily say you CAN'T throw the ball, it just makes it more difficult. Michigan on the other hand would prefer to just let Denard Robinson run the ball every play, and the rain will make him even more elusive than he usually is. He has traditionally done very well against Notre Dame, but this year's Notre Dame team appears to have a little bit of magic surrounding it. The Irish defense will win this game for them in a well played, but defensive game. - Greg

I've gone back and forth on this game all week. Notre Dame is frankly the better team and they are playing at home. Michigan has looked sloppy and I still can't get over how overmatched they were against Alabama in week 1. If I were a betting man, I'd say Notre Dame pulls this one out in a close game. But I don't believe they can keep their "Irish Magic" all season. So I may as well pick them to lose this one. PS: I am a ND hater after all. - Andrew

Greg: Notre Dame 20 - Michigan 13

Andrew: Michigan 21 - Notre Dame 20

2 LSU at Auburn

This game really won't be close at all.  Auburn nearly lost last week to Louisiana-Monroe at home. Though LSU is also from Louisiana, that's all they have in common with Louisiana-Monroe.  LSU wins this game handily on the road in a blowout. Gene Chizik should start to get nervous about people calling for his job. His Auburn teams have looked pretty average since Cam Newton left. - Greg

LSU is clearly the better team here, but I never count out a wounded rival at home. I know Auburn barely won last week against an inferior squad, but their play may have been partially affected with thoughts of LSU this week. I think Auburn shows up and at least keeps it close for a while. They don't have the guns to pull off the upset though. - Andrew

Greg: LSU 49 - Auburn 14

Andrew: LSU 34 - Auburn 17

Enjoy the weekend!

By: The Sports Guys