The Sports Page

Where I will show love for the Steelers, Pirates, Thundering Herd, & Mountaineers and utter contempt for the Cowboys, Yankees, Jeff Gordon, & Notre Dame.

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 10

Greetings citizens!! Let’s jump right in by saying that both Zach & I were 2-3 last week. Could’ve been better, could’ve been worse. I continue to be amazed how accurately oddsmakers are in pinpointing a spread. I’m sure there’s a lot that goes into all of that. Thankfully I’m not much of a gambler. I wouldn’t like the stress. At any rate, for the season Zach’s record stands at 20-29, while your humble Potentate of Profundity fell to 32-17. I think we have some pretty decent games on the docket this week. The college football playoff committee announced their initial rankings, so now we’ll have a good idea just what games matter and what a win or loss may do for various teams. As far as the NFL, it looks like atleast a few divisions may be already wrapped up. Injuries have played a significant part in the…non-success…of several teams. I suppose that’s not unusual, but it seems particularly harsh this year for some reason. Anyway, let’s make some picks. Enjoy.

Florida St. at Clemson (-12.5)
Clemson tops the initial playoff rankings, and to be honest this looks like the only possible roadblock between them and the Final Four. The Seminoles aren’t too shabby themselves, but a loss to now 3-6 Georgia Tech a few weeks ago has probably shut them out of the playoff conversation. First of all, I’m a little surprised by the points. You’d think Florida St. was a .500 team who’d lost games to 1-AA opponents, which is just not the case. If this game was in Tallahassee I may be inclined to pick the outright upset. However, even though it is in “Death Valley” I just don’t like the spread. Florida St. has an opportunity to knock off a #1 team and significantly impact the playoff…yet they are supposed to lose by nearly two TDs?? I don’t think so. Zach is on the same wavelength. He believes whoever makes the fewest mistakes will win, and he thinks that’ll be Clemson…but by far fewer than 12.5 points.

My Pick: Florida State
Z’s Pick: Florida State

TCU (-5) at Oklahoma St.
The powers-that-be obviously have little regard for the Big 12 (which has ten teams). Undefeated Baylor is ranked 6th, while the Horned Frogs are undefeated also and ranked 8th. This is an opportunity for TCU to not only leapfrog Baylor, but also move up a couple of spots and patiently await other dominoes to inevitably tumble. The Cowboys aren’t an easy win though. They are undefeated too (I’m sensing a pattern) and 14th in the rankings. Too much probably has to happen that simply won’t for them to make it to the Final Four, but much like Florida St. they can play a spoiler role. Oklahoma St. has the home field, but TCU has a lot more on the line. I don’t think they’ll screw it up. Both myself & Zach are impressed with Horned Frogs’ QB Treyvone Boykin, and he is likely to make the difference.

My Pick: TCU
Z’s Pick: TCU

LSU at Alabama (-6.5)
Somewhere in Bristol, CT the entire college football lineup of talking heads is having a collective nocturnal emission over this game, and even I admit it’s pretty big. LSU is ranked 2nd right now, while Alabama is 4th, so this is essentially an elimination game. Some have opined that ‘Bama didn’t deserve to be amongst the top four, but I am neither surprised nor all that offended mostly because I know how meaningless all of that is right now. The Tide gets the home field points bump which is also just fine by me. I think this will be a low scoring defensive battle with lots of red zone stops and field goals. I’m not sure who’ll come out on top, but I’m confident that whoever wins will do so by less than a touchdown. Zach’s heart is with ‘Bama but he thinks LSU is likely to pull this one out.

My Pick: LSU
Z’s Pick: LSU

Miami at Buffalo (-3)
Sadly neither of these teams has a prayer of catching the New England Patriots in the AFC East. A wildcard berth isn’t looking too promising either. In my NFL Preview I had positive thoughts about both clubs, but both have underachieved. The Bills don’t have a franchise QB, and the Dolphins have already fired their coach. Miami seemed to jump to life under the leadership of their interim coach until they ran into the hated Patriots who deflated the Dolphins since it’s kind of their thing. Buffalo has the slight home field advantage, but at this stage Miami feels like the slightly better team. I suppose that could be called damning with faint praise. Zach concurs.

My Pick: Miami
Z’s Pick: Miami

St. Louis at Minnesota (-2.5)
I predicted that the Vikings would be a playoff contender and so far they are looking good. The Rams are doing okay too. They even have a better record than the Seattle Seahawks (a situation I don’t expect to last). On paper this doesn’t seem like an appealing game, but it could prove to be rather important for the winner. I’m not ready to declare either team a serious Super Bowl threat, but they do both seem to be taking a step forward. Minnesota feels like they’re a notch or two ahead at this point. Zach sees this as a tossup but likes St. Louis’ rookie RB Todd Gurley to pave the way to victory.

My Pick: Minnesota
Z’s Pick: St. Louis

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 9

Happy Halloween citizens!! I realize that some may consider the holiday an evil tool of Satan, and I respect that viewpoint though I disagree. To me Halloween is just a fun night when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. Your mileage may vary and that’s okay. Anyway, last week was a good one (in my humble opinion), as I was a robust 6-1, bringing my season record to 30-14…a 68% winning percentage. Hey ESPN…call me!! Meanwhile, Zach was 2-5 last week and his overall record stands at 18-26. The college football season is…believe it or not…past the halfway point, with the national playoff picture and the various conference title races coming into focus. The NFL season is getting interesting too, with the playoff contenders beginning to separate themselves just a bit from the pretenders. So let’s look into the ol’ crystal ball and make some picks.

Ole Miss (-7.5) at Auburn
Somewhere…I think it may have been in my pre-season rankings…I opined that I didn’t think the two Mississippi schools would be really good like they were last year. I was wrong, as both teams are 6-2 and have an outside shot at winning their SEC division. The Rebels are coming off a big win over Texas A&M and need to win out to win the division. Meanwhile, it has been an up & down year for 4-3 Auburn, who lost an OT heartbreaker last week to Arkansas. The thing about an inconsistent team is that one never knows when they might lay an egg…or unexpectedly dominate. I’m going to give the Tigers the home field benefit of the doubt here and predict that this one will be decided by a field goal one way or another. On the flip side, Zach likes Ole Miss to win by 3 TDs.

My Pick: Auburn
Z’s Pick: Ole Miss

Florida (-2.5) vs Georgia
They call this The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party…or atleast they used to. I believe there was a movement a few years ago to change that, and the TV folks seem to minimize their usage of the moniker. I suppose some politically correct morons think it glorifies drinking or paints southerners as a bunch of boozehounds. Those people are what I like to call stupid. College football is all about tradition and that shouldn’t be tampered with. At any rate, the Gators are a surprising 6-1 and aren’t out of the national playoff conversation. The Bulldogs are 5-2 and not in the playoff hunt, but could still make it to the SEC title game. As a matter of fact, this game will likely decide the SEC East and determine who will eventually lose to LSU or Alabama in that conference championship battle. Technically this is a neutral site game in Jacksonville, but since it’s much closer to Gainesville than Athens, GA the Gators should have the crowd on their side. Florida lost their starting QB to suspension and they are coming off of a bye week after losing to LSU a couple of weeks ago, so the Bulldogs are probably the smart choice. However, when it comes to these picks I tend to listen to The Vibes more than my brain. Zach’s gut is telling him something different. We’ll see which mysterious sense is more accurate.

My Pick: Florida
Z’s Pick: Georgia

Notre Dame (-10) at Temple
Temple is ranked in the Top 25?? Really?? What the heck is going on?? Anyway, I give credit where credit is due, but the undefeated Owls haven’t really played anyone good since the season opener against Penn St. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish are 6-1 and still have an opportunity to sneak into the playoff if the dominoes fall their way. They certainly aren’t going to let a glorified 1-AA team like Temple ruin that chance. The points are a bit much for my comfort, but I think the favorites will cover. Conversely, Zach believes the game will be closer than 10 points.

My Pick: Notre Dame
Z’s Pick: Temple

Seattle (-6) at Dallas
In my NFL Preview I said that the Seahawks might be even better this year than last. That definitely has not been the case thus far. They are 3-4 and in 3rd place in their division. They just can’t seem to finish games in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are 2-4 and have been beaten in four straight games. Losing QB Tony Romo and WR Dez Bryant has really derailed their season. I think Seattle is more likely to turn things around than Dallas, so that’s the direction I’ll go. Zach concurs.

My Pick: Seattle
Z’s Pick: Seattle

Green Bay (-3) at Denver
This is a rematch of Super Bowl XXXII (that’s 32 for those of you saddled with learning math in states that use Common Core), but since that was nearly two decades ago it’s kind of a useless factoid. I suppose it could be a preview of the next Super Bowl, but I won’t hold my breath. Rumors of Peyton Manning’s demise were…again…premature. Though he is undeniably not the quarterback he used to be even just 2 or 3 years ago Manning has somehow found a way to evolve utilizing his football IQ and making abundant use of the solid talent surrounding him. Conversely, Packers’ signal caller Aaron Rodgers is in his prime and is probably the best player in the game right now. Both teams are undefeated and hold first place in their divisions. Denver isn’t getting any home field love from the oddsmakers, but that’s understandable. I’m really torn because I like both teams, but The Vibes are telling me that somehow old timer Manning will find a way to pull off the upset. Zach thinks Manning is in for a long day and will be sacked atleast five times. He’s going with Green Bay in a blowout.

My Pick: Denver
Z’s Pick: Green Bay

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 8

The college football schedule is so unappealing this week that ESPN’s College Gameday is headed to Harrisonburg, VA, the site of a 1-AA game pitting James Madison against Richmond. Nevertheless, not only did I find enough games to choose from, but y’all are getting bonus picks to make up for last week’s shortfall. You’re welcome. Speaking of last week, I went 3-1, while Zach was 1-3. Michigan wasn’t going to cover the 8 ½ points even if they hadn’t lost to Michigan State outright on what is sure to become a legendary last second play. LSU won by 7 points…not 7 ½…which was bad for both Zach and me. Conversely, the hated Patriots beat the Colts by only 7 points…not 7 ½…which was good for me (but not Zach). I don’t know how the oddsmakers come up with point spreads, but it is impressive just how accurate they often are. Anyway, for the season thus far I am 24-13, while Zach is 16-21. Like I said, we’re picking some extra games this week, so enjoy, and don’t hesitate to leave feedback and tell your friends about these picks and other content one can find here. We’re always looking for ways to expand The Manoverse and all are welcome.

Pitt (-7) at Syracuse
This just in…Pitt still sucks to those of us living in West Virginia, although I do miss The Backyard Brawl. I haven’t kept up with these two programs much since they joined the ACC, mostly because they had become irrelevant years before that. But surprisingly enough the Panthers have actually snuck into the rankings with a record of 5-1. I don’t think they are anywhere close to recapturing the glory days of Tony Dorsett & Dan Marino, but I’ll give credit where credit is due. Meanwhile, the Orangemen still seem to be adrift in the wilderness that they’ve been wandering for most of the past fifteen years. I don’t know enough about either team to offer astute analysis, so I’ll just go with my heart, which is figuratively emblazoned with the slogan Eat Shit Pitt. Old habits die hard. On the flip side, Zach is young enough to not be jaded by decades of Panther hate and he likes their potent ground game.

My Pick: Syracuse
Z’s Pick: Pitt

Kansas at Oklahoma St. (-33.5)
I chose this game simply because of the large point spread. Few doubt the Cowboys will win, but the question is by how much?? Again, it is amazing just how precise the folks in Vegas can oftentimes be, so I don’t doubt the final margin of victory will be somewhere in the 30-35 point range. I’ve won & lost picks over the years by as little as a half point, so that’s probably the kind of situation we have here. Oklahoma St. has only beaten one team by more than 30 points, while the Jayhawks have only lost twice by 30+, so I’ll go out on a limb and say that the favorites will win by four TDs and not cover the spread. Zach concurs.

My Pick: Kansas
Z’s Pick: Kansas

Iowa St. at Baylor (-37)
Here we have another point spread game, this one involving one of the top teams in the nation. The Bears have been machine-esque in dismantling opponents by an average of 39 points/game. Conversely, the Cyclones are 2-4, although they’ve only been defeated by 30+ points once. At this point Baylor isn’t going to take anyone by surprise and have to expect that they’ll take each foe’s best shot. How good is Iowa St.’s best shot?? It won’t be good enough to win, but it’ll be within five TDs. Zach disagrees. He likens this to a David & Goliath kind of thing except without God involved. He believes Baylor might score 80 points and thinks they are the best team in the country.

My Pick: Iowa St.
Z’s Pick: Baylor

Utah at USC (-3.5)
The marquee college matchup this week is once again in the Pac 12. Fortunately for interested viewers on the east coast it’ll be a 7:30pm game which makes it easier to stay awake. I totally overestimated the Trojans in my pre-season rankings. Instead of being in the national title conversation they are riding a two game losing streak and playing under an interim coach after former head coach Steve Sarkisian was revealed to be a lush & consequently fired. Conversely, the Utes are on a roll at 6-0 and are firmly in the playoff hunt. However, both seasons could turn on a dime in this game. I really don’t understand why Southern Cal is favored. Sure they have the home field, but it is utterly disrespectful & dismissive for an undefeated Top 5 team to be underdogs to a 3-3 team in the midst of turmoil. Do the oddsmakers once again know something we don’t?? Why is it so darn difficult for folks (including me) to accept that Utah may be a legitimate contender?? I’ve got to assume that the points are meaningful and that USC will be motivated to prove something to those who have jumped off the bandwagon, so I’ll ride that crazy wave. Zach isn’t buying what the oddsmakers are selling and believes Utah might win by 5 TDs.

My Pick: USC
Z’s Pick: Utah

Minnesota (-2.5) at Detroit
The Lions are only 1-5?? Yikes. In my NFL Preview I predicted that the Vikings would be better than Detroit and might even sneak into the playoffs. So far so good. Detroit has been mostly competitive but couldn’t get into the winner’s circle until last week, and even then it was in overtime & controversial. These two teams met a few weeks ago in Minnesota with the home team scoring a 10 point victory. It is unusual that Detroit isn’t getting the customary three point home field bump, but there is probably a good reason for that. I might regret it, but I’ll go with the flow and stay true to my pre-season prognostications. Conversely, Zach is predicting an upset.

My Pick: Minnesota
Z’s Pick: Detroit

Philadelphia at Carolina (-3)
In 2014 I picked the Panthers to go 10-6 and make the playoffs. Instead they were 7-8-1 (although oddly enough they did make the playoffs). This year I said they’d go 8-8, so of course thus far they are undefeated. QB Cam Newton is an absolute beast. Meanwhile, the 3-3 Eagles may have actually figured out the right formula. Or not. No one really knows. Chip Kelly’s name is already being thrown around for collegiate openings at South Carolina and Southern Cal, and despite denials I tend to believe in the “where there’s smoke there’s fire” philosophy. Anyway, there’s really no compelling reason to go against the experts so I won’t. Zach concurs.

My Pick: Carolina
Z’s Pick: Carolina

Baltimore at Arizona (-7.5)
No one is shocked that the Cardinals are 4-2 and leading the NFC West. But if you would have told me that the Ravens would start the season 1-5 and be AFC North cellar dwellers (worse than the 2-4 Cleveland Browns) I would have said that’s crazy talk. I did say that I expected them to “take a step back” from 2014’s 10-6 outcome, but I never imagined they’d be this inept. I think they’ll get things straightened out at some point, but not this week. Arizona should cruise to an easy win. Zach agrees.

My Pick: Arizona
Z’s Pick: Arizona

Winning & Musing…..Volume 5.15

We haven’t done W&M for a few months. I assume with the weekly football Picks of Profundity that The Manoverse has its fill of sports and would rather I focus on other matters. However, I have a few things I need to get off my chest and so I shall. Stay tuned though, as there are a few cool things on the horizon, including an ode to old friends Marty McFly & Doc Brown, a jumpstart to Literary Madness, the long awaited journey thru The Bible, ranking Batman, Sherlock Holmes, & Andy Griffith, and some Halloween & Christmas stuff. Enjoy.

The college football playoff committee will be announcing their initial rankings in a couple of weeks. They’ll announce a Top 25, which is stupid since only four teams make it into the playoff, and they’ll do this every week until the end of the season. This is also overkill. Do a Top 10 and announce it every other week. That’d be perfect. That’s how I’d do it anyway, but I’m not in charge. However, I am the Supreme Ruler of The Manoverse so here are my thoughts on the Top 4…who they are, potentially could be, & ultimately should be:

Ohio St./Michigan St. The two teams meet on November 21st in Columbus. I suppose it is entirely possible that both could sneak into the playoff…or neither. The winner of the head-to-head matchup will likely play Iowa or Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.
Alabama/LSU. Same deal. They play in Tuscaloosa on November 7th, with the winner probably meeting Florida or Georgia in the SEC title game.
Baylor/TCU. They will do battle on Black Friday (11/27) in Fort Worth. There is no Big 12 title game, so barring a huge upset in another game on their schedule the winner of this one looks like a lock for the playoff.
Clemson/Florida St. They’ll go head-to-head on November 7th. The winner will still have a few games remaining plus the ACC title game, but unless there’s an upset along the way this contest could potentially decide a playoff spot.
Ready to pounce – Utah, Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida. Utah & Stanford may very well meet in the Pac 12 title game. Notre Dame plays Stanford in a de facto elimination game on November 28th. Florida is looking like they could battle the ‘Bama/LSU winner in the SEC title game. Any unexpected stumbles by the top contenders would open the door for one or more of these four teams…assuming they don’t stumble themselves.

I haven’t been watching very much of the baseball playoffs. My heart just isn’t in it after another crushing wildcard defeat for my Pittsburgh Pirates. The fact is that 30 fanbases begin spring training with various levels of hope & expectation. Knowledgeable fans generally have an inkling as to whether or not their team may be a contender, but even then optimism reigns. At the All-Star Break atleast 1/3 of those teams have been left in the dust. By the time the summer winds are growing slightly cooler maybe 15 teams are realistic contenders. As September winds to a close only 10 teams make the playoffs. Only 4 survive into the league championship series. Two do battle in The World Series. One team is left standing as the champion. Ultimately 29 fanbases are dealing with some level of disappointment depending on what the expectations were. Am I upset that the Pirates aren’t going to be World Champions?? Well…yes, but the truth is that I didn’t expect that to happen this year anyway. They just aren’t there yet no matter what anyone says. Their pitching rotation is mediocre outside of alleged ace Gerrit Cole, and I’m not at all sure he is among the Top 50 pitchers in the game at this point. Their batting order…atleast anyone not named McCutchen…doesn’t scare opponents. The potential is there, but they need to stop wasting time, energy, & money on pedestrian pitchers like Charlie Morton & Jeff Locke and second-rate hitters/fielders like Sean Rodriguez & Travis Snider. A youth movement seems to be working for the Cubs…maybe Pittsburgh should give it a whirl. Having said all that, I would have felt a lot better had they won the wildcard game, even if they’d lost the next series. To go thru an entire season and see your team have the second best record in baseball only to have it all rendered meaningless in a single game is a huge kick in the ‘nads.

What exactly is a catch in the NFL these days?? Does anyone actually know?? Do the referees and league officials know?? I’m not sure they do. It seems like they kind of make up the rules as they go along. It didn’t used to be so complicated and shouldn’t be now.

It is undeniable that now former South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier bailed on his team. Lots of talking heads want to give him a pass given his near legendary status, and I suppose that’s a fair inclination. However, a coach is supposed to be a mentor…a teacher…a leader. There is a right way and a wrong way to do things most of the time, and, no matter what kind of sugar coating some may want to put on it, quitting six games into the season isn’t right. Essentially Spurrier threw a tantrum because his team was 2-4. No intelligent person can argue the point with a straight face, and Spurrier himself looked silly trying to justify the move in his farewell press conference. I have no doubt that some other team will try to talk him out of “retirement” down the line, but that team would be foolish. Steve Spurrier is a quitter. When the going gets tough he gets going. That’s not the kind of man I can respect, and it’s certainly not a guy I want coaching my team.

When is ESPN going to fire idiotic NFL Hall-of-Famer Cris Carter?? First he tells a group of NFL rookies that they need to have a “fall guy” that’ll take the rap if/when they commit a crime. And now he has the nerve to say that kickers aren’t football players. Carter was part of a discussion on Mike & Mike about the dramatic ending to the Michigan-Michigan St. game in which the Wolverines’ punter fumbled a snap allowing the Spartans to snag victory from the jaws of defeat. I don’t have a dog in that particular fight, but I do feel bad for the young man. He is allegedly receiving some pretty harsh treatment from overzealous fans on social media. I won’t be too harsh on the fans because I’ve been there and understand how an emotional loss like that can evoke a negative reaction. However, Carter is mirroring his colleague Skip Bayless’ disdain for punters & kickers. They put on a uniform don’t they?? They’re on the sidelines and participate in team activities, right?? Well, then they are football players. Is Carter smoking crack again?? He’s known just as much for being a junkie as he is a wide receiver, yet he is arrogant enough to act superior?? Just shut up. Or in parlance you may be more familiar with…come on man!! My boys Greeny & Golic lower themselves and the quality of their show by allowing Carter to besmirch it with his presence.

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 7

You may recall that last week all five of our picks came from college games. That means that by Saturday night the results were in and by Sunday afternoon I had a good idea about what games seemed interesting on this week’s schedule. By Tuesday both Zach & I had made our picks. Which begs the question…why are you only now reading this in the early hours of Friday morning?? Well…to be honest…I’ve just been that lazy. I’ve had some other things going on and been distracted with other interests. I was tempted to take a bye week, but ultimately decided to power thru and save that for another time when my lethargic procrastination is a result of legitimately imperative reasons. At any rate, last week Zach was 2-3, while I was 3-2. A few games could have gone either way and were decided by a point or two. We did learn a few things in the process. Both Michigan & Utah are for real, although the Utes couldn’t cover the spread. Indiana…as I expected…didn’t have much left in the tank. Cal QB Jared Goff might have the measurables, but he’s not going to put a team on his back & carry them to victory…yet. And the jury is still out on Northwestern. So for the season our records look like this:

Me = 21-12 Z = 15-18

Out of curiosity I looked back at this time last year to compare where we stood then versus now. A year ago I was 15-18, while Zach was 16-16. Thus far in 2015 I seem to be doing a skosh better, while Zach is slightly behind last season’s pace. But hey…we’re not even halfway done yet, so we’ll see how it all shakes out. We’re only picking 4 games this week because one of the games I chose was UCLA vs. Stanford. Since it’s a Thursday night game that’s already started as I write this I think it’d be unfair to include it. That’s my fault. Oops.

Alabama (-4) at Texas A&M
Reports of ‘Bama’s demise were greatly exaggerated, as they have rebounded just fine from an early loss to Ole Miss. They’re riding a three game winning streak and are right back on the fringes of the playoff conversation. The Aggies have flown under the radar thus far but are quietly undefeated and a Top 10 team. If they win this game all the sudden they are in the national title hunt. It’s really interesting that the Tide comes into this one as a road favorite. I guess a lot have people jumped back on the bandwagon pretty quick, huh?? I’ll go with that flow and Zach concurs.

My Pick – Alabama
Z’s Pick – Alabama

Michigan St. at Michigan (-8.5)
Like I said, the Wolverines look like they are legit. I’m not shocked that Harbaugh has his alma mater back in contention, but I didn’t think they’d be this good this fast. Three straight shutouts?? That’s damn impressive. Can they do it again?? Ehhhhh. I know the game is in Ann Arbor. I know it’s a rivalry game. But the Spartans are undefeated and could break into the Top 5 with a victory. Either way it goes I think 8 ½ is just too many points. Zach disagrees. He loves the Wolverines and thinks they’ll win by two TDs.

My Pick – Michigan St.
Z’s Pick – Michigan

Florida at LSU (-7.5)
This game might have been a lot more interesting if the Gators’ QB hadn’t just been suspended for PED use. From what I understand the kid wasn’t on the juice like Barry Bonds or anything, he just inadvertently took an over-the-counter medication that is on the NCAA’s Naughty List. Whatever the case, the fact is that he’s not going to be on the field this weekend, which makes it a pretty easy pick. Zach concurs.

My Pick – LSU
Z’s Pick – LSU

New England (-7.5) at Indianapolis
The lone NFL game amongst this week’s picks would have been way cooler if this were 2006 and Peyton Manning was still the Colts’ QB, or if current Colts’ QB Andrew Luck was healthy. Unfortunately though it looks like Indianapolis will likely be starting 34 year old Matt Hasselbeck under center. On top of that, it seems like the freakin’ Patriots are angry at everyone else because THEY cheated. Sadly that motivational technique is working quite well thus far, as New England has been mowing thru everybody on their schedule like Jason Voorhees at summer camp. Will this week be any different?? If Hasselbeck starts probably not. But what if Luck returns?? It’s a long shot, but I’m going to pray that Luck plays and it’s much closer than 7 ½ points. Zach is a little more pragmatic (as usual) and thinks the Pats will win easily.

My Pick – Indianapolis
Z’s Pick – New England

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 6

Damn you Clemson!! Last week was another mixed bag, although it skewed toward the lower end of “mixed”. Both Zach & I went 2-3. Notre Dame was stopped on a last second two point conversion, otherwise things might have looked a bit different. I also screwed up one of my NFL picks. Three years ago I said that Miami Dolphins’ “ownership made a horrible mistake hiring Joe Philbin as the new head coach”, and that “Philbin seems like a perfectly nice man, but traditionally very nice men don’t make successful NFL coaches.” This week, one day after losing to the NY Jets in London, Philbin was fired. I really am smarter than I look, which makes it all the more inexplicable why I picked the Dolphins in that game. Ah well…c’est la vie. Anyway, for the season our records look like this:

Me = 18-10 Z = 13-15

This week we’re going strictly with college football. No reason…that’s just how I decided to roll. Enjoy.

Indiana at Penn St. (-6.5)
The Hoosiers darn near upset the alleged #1 team in the land last weekend, but once again Ohio St. escaped. Still, Indiana’s record is a surprising 4-1. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions are also 4-1, with only a season opening loss to Temple as a blemish on their record. If the same Indiana team that almost beat the Buckeyes last week shows up in Happy Valley the Lions are in deep trouble. However, that is the million dollar conundrum. Is Indiana for real or not?? And even if they are better than usual will there be a steep emotional dropoff after playing out of their minds a week ago?? Penn St. hasn’t played anyone good, so they are still a mystery as well. The home field is huge, and I’m not convinced that Indiana is legit, so I’m leaning toward the favorites. Conversely, Zach believes in Indiana’s defense and thinks they’ll get the job done.

My Pick – Penn St.
Z’s Pick – Indiana

Northwestern at Michigan (-8)
I’m really intrigued by this game. I predicted that Jim Harbaugh would quickly fix a lot of what has ailed Michigan, and this is a tremendous opportunity to make a statement. However, the Wildcats are looking to make a statement as well. Sure they are undefeated thus far, but is anyone really buying it?? I suppose it’d be tempting for the Wolverines to look ahead to next week’s battle with in-state rival Michigan St., but I don’t think that’ll be a factor. This feels like a toss-up to me. I think the home field is a big advantage for Michigan…but 8 points big?? Probably not. Zach concurs.

My Pick – Northwestern
Z’s Pick – Northwestern

Wisconsin at Nebraska (-1.5)
Both teams are usually in the thick of the conference title discussion and oftentimes positioned for a national title run…but not this year. The Badgers are still adjusting to a new head coach & life without All-American RB Melvin Gordon. They already have two losses. The Cornhuskers also have a new head coach this season and have lost 3 games. This game might not mean all that much in the short term, but it might help the winner build to atleast a winning season and a solid bowl invitation. For the loser it will likely be another nail in a dismal year. I’ve got to go with the ‘Huskers to defend their turf. Conversely, Zach thinks it’ll be Wisconsin that bounces back to get a victory.

My Pick – Nebraska
Z’s Pick – Wisconsin

Miami, FL at Florida St. (-9)
It’s a game that doesn’t mean as much as it did 15 or 20 years ago, but it still has meaning. The Seminoles probably aren’t going to make it to the four team playoff this year, but they are 4-0 so far. The Hurricanes have slowly been working their way back into relevance the past few years and are currently 3-1. This one is on ABC prime time Saturday night, so someone somewhere has high hopes that it’ll be entertaining & competitive. I think you can throw point spreads out the window when these two meet, and 9 points feels like a bit much. I have a feeling Florida St. will find a way to win, but it’ll be by a touchdown or less. Zach concurs.

My Pick – Miami, FL
Z’s Pick – Miami, FL

California at Utah (-7.5)
Apparently Cal QB Jared Goff is one of the top prospects going into next spring’s NFL Draft. I’ll just take the experts’ word on it since I’ve never seen the kid play. I have watched Utah and, like everyone else, am mildly surprised by how good they have been thus far. Both teams are undefeated, so it comes down to which one you believe in. If Goff wants to prove he’s an elite QB he’s got to lead his team to victories in games like this. I’ll roll the dice on that happening, and on Utah being overrated. Zach, on the other hand, believes the Utes will score another blowout win.

My Pick – California
Z’s Pick – Utah

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 5

Last week I swung for the fences…with mixed results. Both Zach & I went 5-3. I absolutely nailed the wacky Texas Tech/TCU finish, and The Vibes guided me correctly in a very close Colts/Titans game. Zach wisely picked the Utes of Utah, who mauled a shockingly inept Oregon squad, and also took the Green Bay Packers. I suppose the KC Chiefs aren’t as good as I thought they were. So far in 2015 the numbers look like this:

Me = 16-7 Z = 11-12

The schedule is a bit tricky this week. There are a handful of potentially good games, but I really try to have variety in these picks. I don’t want to focus on the same few teams every week. That’s difficult in college football because the cream tends to rise to the top and it is tempting to gravitate toward matchups featuring the same highly ranked teams over & over. It’s even harder with the NFL, which has only 32 teams and fans tend to lose interest in those that we can already see are going to be terrible, which narrows the pool even more. The point spread shouldn’t play a significant role in any of these games, but then again I could have said the same thing last week and I ended up winning two games in which the points did matter. Enjoy.

Minnesota at Northwestern (-3.5)
It seems like every few years Northwestern pops up with a solid season in which they take up residence in the polls and end up landing in a nice bowl location. I always know when it’s that kind of year for the Wildcats since one of their biggest fans is my man Greeny from ESPN’s Mike & Mike in the Morning, a 1989 graduate of the school. Minnesota was a consistent Top 25 team last year and are off to a pretty decent start this season, with the only blemish being a close loss to highly ranked TCU in the season opener. I am far from an expert on either of these teams, but I would assume we can expect characteristic hard-hitting Big Ten football, a low scoring affair dominated by defense. There may be some concern about Northwestern looking past this game and ahead to next week’s battle with Michigan, but I’d actually be more worried about that if they were playing a lesser opponent. They won’t overlook Minnesota, and I think the home team wins by a touchdown. Zach disagrees and is picking Minnesota to win by a field goal.

My Pick – Northwestern
Z’s Pick – Minnesota

Alabama at Georgia (-2)
This is the first game since 2009 in which Alabama has been the underdog. Wow. That’s impressive. The reason folks are doubting them is a surprising loss to Ole Miss a couple of weeks ago. They also don’t seem to have a QB that impresses anyone, which is an issue. Conversely, the Bulldogs are undefeated and just keep handing the rock to RB Nick Chubb, who is averaging nearly 150 yds/game. This is a must win for ‘Bama if they hope to make it to the playoff. Two losses would kill that dream. We’ll know a lot more about these two teams when this one is over. Is the uncertainty about the Tide valid?? Are the Bulldogs for real?? The question I have is whether or not Georgia has a Plan B if the Alabama defense stuffs Chubb. I don’t think he’s getting 150 yards this week. He may not get 100. Can they chuck the ball downfield and get the job done thru the air?? I’ll believe it if I see it. Alabama with their backs against the wall is dangerous. Zach is putting his mancrush on Nick Saban on the backburner, choosing Georgia to win by two TDs.

My Pick – Alabama
Z’s Pick – Georgia

–

Notre Dame at Clemson (-1.5)
The talking heads have been bragging on Clemson since before the season began, many of them predicting that the Tigers would win the ACC. Meanwhile I have been much higher on Notre Dame than most. My enthusiasm has been tempered just a bit because of all the injuries the Irish have suffered, but they’re 4-0 without the benefit of as easy of a schedule as most have played thus far. This will be Clemson’s first real test and they do have the home field. The winner of this game will be nicely positioned for a playoff run, although it is far too early to really think in those terms. It may not be the wise choice, but I’m pretty stubborn about sticking with my pre-season vibes until I am proven wrong, so I have to lean toward the underdogs. Zach believes that Clemson is the real deal, and isn’t buying the luck of the Irish.

My Pick – Notre Dame
Z’s Pick – Clemson

NY Jets (-1.5) vs Miami
It’s early, but it is entirely possible that I may have completely misjudged both of these teams. I thought Miami would be solid and in the hunt for a wildcard playoff spot, but they’ve gotten off to a 1-2 start. People are criticizing the non-impact of free agent defensive end Ndamukong Suh and there are whispers that Joe Philbin could be the first head coach in the unemployment line this season. Conversely, the Jets have already secured the 2 victories that I predicted they’d get for the entire season and the reviews have been much more positive than most expected. This game is in London, England which means that those of us on the east coast will have to watch it at 9:30am, and I can’t imagine that there’ll be anyone out west getting up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning for it. The NFL really needs to rethink this London thing. Anyway, I’m just not buying the good vibes coming out of New York and I still believe the Dolphins are the better team. Zach does buy what the Jets are selling and thinks they’ll win the game easily.

My Pick – Miami
Z’s Pick – NY Jets

St. Louis at Arizona (-6.5)
The Cardinals just might be the best non-cheating franchise in the NFL at the moment. If QB Carson Palmer can remain healthy (a huge IF) they could be a legitimate challenger to Seattle for the division title. Meanwhile, the Rams occasionally show potential but something just seems to be missing. Whatever that something may be is unlikely to suddenly show up in the desert this week. Zach concurs.

My Pick – Arizona
Z’s Pick – Arizona

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 4

Now things are starting to get interesting. The conference schedules are heating up in the NCAA, and we’re beginning to get a good idea which NFL teams just might have a chance to be pretty good and which ones may have been a bit misjudged. Both Zach & I were mired in mediocrity last week…he went 2-3 while I was only slightly better at 3-2. Our hatred of the New England Patriots may have clouded our judgment a little, and the Philadelphia Eagles are even worse than I thought they’d be. So that means our season looks like this so far:

Me = 11-4 Z = 6-9

I’m feeling generous this week, and y’all may remember what that means…bonus picks!! I like to do that occasionally when the schedule seems particularly intriguing, and also because we usually end up taking a bye week for one reason or another at some point. We’re split down the middle with college & pro picks this week, and when it’s over we’ll have an even better inkling of the paths the season is heading down. Enjoy.

TCU (-7) at Texas Tech
The Horned Frogs are currently ranked 4th in most polls, which would put them in the playoff. However I still think they will ultimately fall short…again. They didn’t look all that impressive in their season opener at Minnesota, and have played two cupcakes since then. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders blew thru their first two opponents and then pulled off a minor upset at Arkansas last week. In 2014 these two teams met in Fort Worth and TCU obliterated Tech 82-27. Not only is this game in Lubbock, but TCU recently had to kick a couple of guys off the team after they were arrested for beating some students up and stealing a case of Keystone Light. I’m not much of a beer connoisseur nowadays, but if I’m going to jail it’s not going to be for Keystone Light. Anyway, I’m not quite gutsy enough to pick the outright upset but this feels like a close one to me, the kind of game that will be decided late in the 4th quarter by a field goal, turnover, or punt return. Zach, on the other hand, thinks TCU will win easily.

My Pick – Texas Tech
Z’s Pick – TCU

–

Utah at Oregon (-13.5)
The Utes are better than I expected. I don’t think they’re winning the Pac 12, but they could win 9 or 10 games and end up with quite the desirable bowl locale. The Ducks, as predicted, fell at Michigan St., so the national title is probably off the table…a conference title isn’t though. The points concern me more than a little, but I’m going to swallow hard, pray, & pick Oregon to cover. Zach is a bit more pragmatic, choosing Utah to cover the points but probably not win the game.

My Pick – Oregon
Z’s Pick – Utah

–

USC (-5.5) at Arizona St.
I haven’t bought into the Arizona St. hype from Day 1, but there are those that still believe they will have a stellar season and be in the conference title hunt. Conversely, I picked the Trojans #2 in my pre-season poll, a choice that doesn’t look promising after last week’s loss to Stanford. I think there remains a narrow path to the Final Four for USC, but it is undeniably a tough road. It’s interesting that the Trojans are favored on the road coming off a loss against an opponent riding a two game winning streak. I think it wise to pay attention to such things. Zach was as surprised as the rest of us by Stanford’s upset of USC, but he believes that the Trojans will rebound and win this one by two TDs.

My Pick – Southern Cal
Z’s Pick – Southern Cal

UCLA (-3.5) at Arizona
Well I know what I’ll be doing Saturday night. Since fair & festival season is over it’ll be nice to actually stay at home and relax with a warm beverage & a good ball game. The Bruins escaped a thriller against BYU last week, while the Wildcats have barely broken a sweat thus far this season. UCLA has lost three defensive players to season ending injuries, with the latest being talented linebacker Myles Jack. That hurts. Conversely, Arizona defensive end Scooby Wright may or may not be ready to come back from an injury he suffered a few weeks ago. Bruins’ freshman QB Josh Rosen is probably the real deal, but he’s not faced a situation like this…a huge game in a hostile environment. This is Arizona’s moment to shine and I believe they’ll take it. Zach expects a high scoring shootout, with Arizona pulling off the upset.

My Pick – Arizona
Z’s Pick – Arizona

Atlanta (-2) at Dallas
No Romo. No Dez Bryant. No chance for the Cowboys?? Ehhh…I won’t go that far. I don’t think they’ll win the 12 games I originally forecasted, but they still have a better than average opportunity to top the pedestrian NFC East. Meanwhile, the Falcons are off to a hot start and also play in a mediocre division, which bodes well for them. Dallas will win games during the absences of Romo & Bryant…but not this game. Zach predicts the Falcons will win by atleast two TDs.

My Pick – Atlanta
Z’s Pick – Atlanta

Indianapolis (-3) at Tennessee
What in the world is going on with the Colts?? I thought Andrew Luck was supposed to be the next elite quarterback, the standard bearer for the league once guys like Brady, Manning (you know which one), & Roethlisberger fade away. Elite quarterbacks overcome minor nuisances like their team’s poor defense or a substandard offensive line. Elite quarterbacks don’t go 0-2…or 0-3. It seems unlikely that Indy will go 14-2 as I predicted, but they are yet another team that can seemingly weather the storm and win an average division. Or can they?? Is the NFC South…with Tennessee, Houston, & Jacksonville…really as unimpressive as most believe?? Titans’ rookie QB Marcus Mariota looked pretty good in a Week 1 victory at Tampa, less so in last week’s loss to Cleveland. The smart money is on the Colts rebounding in this game and easing any doubts people have started to have about them, and also on Mariota continuing to have growing pains. Normally I’d go with that flow, but The Vibes are shouting at me to go against the grain. Zach thinks the Titans can hang for 3+ quarters but will eventually be defeated.

My Pick – Tennessee
Z’s Pick – Indianapolis

Buffalo at Miami (-3)
It looks like these are two teams that are still…sadly…chasing after the elusive golden snitch called the New England Patriots. Rumors of their vast improvement were greatly exaggerated. That being said, there may still be a wildcard berth in the future of whichever team can get a leg up, and that starts now. The Bills do have some interesting weapons in WR Sammy Watkins & RB LeSean McCoy, and their defense has potential. I’m not at all sure QB Tyrod Taylor is legit, and going forward that is a mystery that’ll need to be solved. The Dolphins’ defense hasn’t met high expectations yet, and their running game is abysmal. At this particular moment in time Buffalo looks like it has the better overall team, and that’s the direction I lean. Zach concurs.

My Pick – Buffalo
Z’s Pick – Buffalo

Kansas City at Green Bay (-6.5)
This is the Monday night game and I anticipate that it’ll be a dandy. Despite starting the season 1-1 I am still high on the Chiefs and expect them to be a playoff team. However, they are playing the Packers on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. That’s no easy task. RB Eddie Lacy has a sprained ankle and may or may not play for Green Bay, but James Starks is a capable backup. In my opinion it’s all about the defenses and I think Kansas City will stymie Aaron Rodgers just enough to make it way closer than 6 ½ points. Conversely, Zach believes Green Bay will win by a comfortable margin.

My Pick – Kansas City
Z’s Pick – Green Bay

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 3

A half point. A stinkin’ half point!! That’s all that separated your humble Potentate of Profundity from perfection. Alas, the Michigan St. Spartans won by only 3 points…not the required 3.5. That’s just how it goes sometimes. Anyway, what that means is that I went 4-1 last week, while Zach was hot on my heels at 3-2. The lesson: don’t go against BYU. They’ve got God on their side. And Donny & Marie. We can’t forget them.

Overall Records: Me = 8-2 Z= 4-6

The college schedule is mostly unappealing this week as supposedly good teams continue to play what amounts to pre-season games against foes like Troy, Georgia St., & SMU. Some teams, like my WV Mountaineers, have an early bye, which has got to drive coaches crazy. If I were in charge all byes would be concentrated within a three week period no earlier than Week 6 of the season. Unfortunately I am not in charge of anything outside of The Manoverse, to the general detriment of mankind. At any rate, we’re leaning a bit more on the NFL than I’d prefer to at this point, but we do what we gotta do. Enjoy.

Georgia Tech (-2.5) at Notre Dame
The Ramblin’ Wreck, aka the Yellowjackets, are often overlooked during the season, until, all the sudden, they’ve won 10 or 11 games and are playing in a major bowl game. However, after just obliterating their first two opponents and scoring over 130 points in the process, they are actually favored against the Irish…in South Bend. Trust me, I checked that three times. I can only assume that this is an overreaction to Notre Dame losing starting QB Malik Zaire to a season ending broken ankle. Well okay…I suppose the fact that they needed a last second TD to defeat lightly regarded Virginia last week has a lot to do with it as well. If this game was being played in Atlanta I’d be inclined to go with the boys in Vegas, but regardless of the injury situation I just can’t imagine the Irish not defending their house. Zach, on the other hand, likes Tech’s triple option offense and thinks it’ll confuse Notre Dame.

My Pick – Notre Dame
Z’s Pick – Georgia Tech

Auburn at LSU (-7.5)
Auburn looked absolutely awful last week, needing overtime to beat 1-AA Jacksonville St. Meanwhile, LSU was just happy to get out on the field after Mother Nature scratched their first game. The Tigers never trailed but definitely let their foot off the gas in the 4th quarter in a narrow victory over Mississippi St. To be honest I don’t think anything we’ve seen thus far presents a particularly accurate picture of these two teams, so I’m relying on my pre-season vibes, which means that I like LSU more. Zach concurs, opining that LSU will dominate and win by 17.

My Pick – LSU
Z’s Pick – LSU

New England (-1) at Buffalo
I don’t even know what to say about the Patriots. I think maybe the safest thing…in an effort to keep my blood pressure in check…is to say as little as possible. The Bills, on the other hand, pulled off maybe the biggest upset in the opening weekend of the NFL by easily defeating the Indianapolis Colts. I, along with what I would have to think is a huge portion of the general NFL fanbase, would love to see Buffalo or anyone else challenge New England for the AFC East division crown, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It is interesting that the Bills aren’t getting the usual home field bump and are actually underdogs in Orchard Park. I suppose the Patriots have theoretically earned that respect, although I’m not sure how anyone can respect an organization full of filthy cheaters. At any rate, I’ve got to go with my heart in this one. This is your shot Rex Ryan. Is your team for real?? This is a huge opportunity for Buffalo to prove their legitimacy and for QB Tyrod Taylor to validate himself as a worthy NFL starter. Zach isn’t a big Rex fan, but also thinks that the Steelers beat themselves last week more than anything against the Patriots. He likes Buffalo’s defense to make the difference.

My Pick – Buffalo
Z’s Pick – Buffalo

Dallas at Philadelphia (-4)
Dallas scored a narrow victory in Week 1, while Philly’s comeback fell short in a loss that wasn’t as close as it looks on paper. The Eagles get the requisite home field advantage, but I’m not sure any of that matters when these two teams meet. Cowboys’ WR Dez Bryant is out for atleast a month after suffering a broken foot last weekend, and that’s a huge difference maker. Add to that the fact that Eagles’ RB DeMarco Murray, who ran for only 9 yards on 8 carries (and one of those was for 8 yards), will be motivated to come out strong against his old team. Philadelphia surely won’t throw the ball as much as they did against Atlanta. I think this will be a fantastic game, and I have to go with the home team. Zach concurs.

My Pick – Philadelphia
Z’s Pick – Philadelphia

Seattle at Green Bay (-3.5)
The Sunday night game on NBC features two of the NFC’s top teams and Super Bowl favorites. Green Bay had no problem conquering the Chicago Bears in Week 1. Conversely, the Seahawks suffered a surprising overtime loss to the St. Louis Rams. It’d be really interesting if Seattle went 0-2. Will that happen?? If this game were being played in the Pacific Northwest I’d say no way. However, the Packers win over 80% of their games at Lambeau Field during the Aaron Rodgers era and Seattle hasn’t won there since 1999. I have to go with Green Bay. Zach likes the Packers as well…in an overtime thriller.

My Pick – Green Bay
Z’s Pick – Green Bay

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 2

And we’re back. It’s another exciting week in Gridironville, as the NFL starts its season. That means I’ll be spending most of my Sunday afternoons parked in front of the TV watching RedZone, undeniably one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. In the inaugural week of the season your humble Potentate of Profundity went 4-1, while Zach stumbled out of the gate with a 1-4 mark. I can’t believe Auburn didn’t cover!! But it’s a long season, and things just get more fun from here on out. Enjoy.

Oklahoma at Tennessee (-1)
Last week the Sooners had no problem blowing out Akron, and the Vols didn’t have too much trouble dealing with Bowling Green, but both teams must now step up their game. I’m a little concerned that Tennessee’s defense allowed Bowling Green to score 30 points, and to be honest I thought a lot of the talking heads overrated them coming into the season. I think head coach Butch Jones, now in his third season in Rocky Top, will get them back to respectability eventually…but not this year. I ranked Oklahoma 13th in my pre-season poll, and now is when they have to step up and prove they are worthy. Zach isn’t buying the Tennessee hype either.

My Pick = Oklahoma
Z’s Pick = Oklahoma

Boise St. (-3) at BYU
The Broncos narrowly defeated former head coach Chris Petersen’s Washington Huskies in their initial outing of 2015, while the Cougars upset Nebraska with a Hail Mary that actually worked. However, BYU lost their starting QB in that game as well. It is really interesting that Boise is favored as a visiting team. That is rare in such a fairly even matchup. It may not be the smart call, but The Vibes are telling me that the BYU train will keep rolling for atleast another week. Zach was unimpressed by Boise St. but thinks BYU’s luck will run out pretty quick.

My Pick = BYU
Z’s Pick = Boise St.

Oregon at Michigan St. (-3.5)
This is obviously the marquee game of the NCAA schedule this week. It’s the Saturday Night Special on ABC. The Ducks put up 61 points (but gave up 42) in defeating 1-AA Eastern Washington last weekend, while the Spartans probably eased off the gas when defeating in-state opponent Western Michigan. Michigan St. has the home field, which in a game like this can be huge. I said in my pre-season preview that I thought Oregon would fall back just a bit in 2015 and not be a playoff contender. Now it’s time for that to be proven on the field. Zach thinks this will be a great game but believes that the Spartan defense will be the difference maker.

My Pick = Michigan St.
Z’s Pick = Michigan St.

New Orleans at Arizona (-2.5)
In my NFL preview I predicted that the Saints would be surprisingly mediocre…again. I’m just not impressed with any of their running backs, and trading away TE Jimmie Graham was huge. Conversely, the Cardinals are looking for another double digit win season and hope to make an impact in the playoffs as long as QB Carson Palmer stays healthy. I see no reason to go against the grain (or my own predictions) this week. Once again Zach thinks defense is the key to victory and is picking the Cards to stop Drew Brees.

My Pick = Arizona
Z’s Pick = Arizona

Baltimore at Denver (-4.5)
I predicted that the Ravens would take a step back and miss the playoffs in 2015. The talking heads seem to mostly disagree with my assessment. I also said that Peyton Manning’s decline would become more apparent this regular season but then had the Broncos winning the Super Bowl from a wildcard spot. To be honest that’s probably just wishful thinking. I’m a sucker for happy endings and seeing sports legends go out on top. As far as this game goes, Denver has the home field and I think they will indeed defend their house. As a Steelers fan Zach obviously despises the Ravens, and he’s predicting Manning will throw 5 TDs against the Baltimore defense. That’d be fine with me.

My Pick = Denver
Z’s Pick = Denver

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!

Share It!!