Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 12

Georgia (-9.5) at Auburn, 12:30pm
Auburn is simply not a good football team right now. They don't have a legitimate quarterback and thus cannot move the football. The Tigers have won just two of their past seven games with those two wins coming against a couple of lowly Tennessee schools, Tennessee and Tennessee-Martin (who are basically indistinguishable at this point). On the other hand, Georgia can move the ball. In recent weeks the Georgia offense has found their rhythm against every team not named Florida. New Jersey product Knowshon Moreno is averaging an impressive 5.9 yards per carry, and Matthew Stafford is having his best year as Bulldog quarterback. The Tigers haven't scored more than 22 points in an SEC game yet this season, meanwhile the Bulldogs have scored at least 24 points in five of their seven SEC games. Look for more of the same this weekend as Georgia puts Auburn one more loss closer to missing a bowl game while making Tommy Tubberville's seat that much hotter. Dawgs win by at least two touchdowns.

UCLA (-6.5) at Washington, 10:15pm
Hey, just because a game features two teams who aren't any good doesn't mean you can't at least make some money off of it. This is a good spot for the Bruins in a year mostly devoid of good spots. The Bruins aren't very good, but they have taken care of business against teams they should beat. As long as that holds true, this should be a layup. UCLA's three wins came against Tennessee, Stanford and Washington State -- teams they're supposed to beat. Their six losses all came against teams who will be going to a bowl this year -- teams they shouldn't beat. The only BCS conference team who is anywhere near as bad as Washington is their in-state counterpart Washington State. The Cougars are winless on the season and have been outscored by an embarrassing average of 26 points per game. UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel will be going against a Washington program which he led to a Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl victory for the first time. The program has been crippled since he left and now he'll be able to add further to the pain of the Cougar faithful. Washington puts up another stinker as UCLA cruises.

Troy (+16.5) at LSU, 8pm
No, that's not a typo. We're sure most of you don't even know where Troy University is -- that would be southern Alabama. LSU has been on a downswing in the past six weeks. Both Georgia and Florida hung 50 on the Bayou Bengals and although they took #1 Alabama to overtime, they still lost the game. The Weekly has constantly knocked LSU QB Jarrett Lee and rightly so. The sophomore from Brenham, Texas has been unimpressive at best. He's throw 13 touchdowns and 14 picks while only completing 53.4% of his passes. As The Weekly watches more and more football, we think it becomes more and more evident that defensive lines win and lose games. Stopping the run and creating pressure with your front four is essential in order to play winning football. The Trojans have SEC-quality talent on the defensive line. They are fifth in the country in sacks with 29, they'll get to and rattle Lee just enough to make this a game. Baton Rouge will be rockin' as always, but these Trojans are a feisty bunch. It may be a tough game, but Troy covers for us.

Oklahoma State at Colorado (+17.5), 8pm
The Weekly hates picking these late games since that means we have to sit around all day waiting and it seems like we've been taking lots of these late games in 2008, but we digress... The Cowboys are having a stellar season, but have historically had trouble winning in Boulder. More importantly, the Buffaloes have been solid at home this season. They're 5-1 at home with the lone loss coming against the mighty Longhorns from the University of Texas. Sophomore signal caller Cody Hawkins has been getting better every week and should be able to move the ball against a porous Okie State secondary. Buffs RB Rodney Stewart has been impressive in his rookie campaign and he gives Colorado another way to attack the Cowboy defense. The Oklahoma State offense may be a bit much for the Buffaloes to win this one outright, but Hawkins and Stewart will be able to give the Buffs a shot to win it in the 4th quarter.

Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 11

Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (-3.5), 8pm
As we said you're going to see some old favorites this week. We love, love, love the Raiders in this spot. Oklahoma State is way too good to be overlooked by anyone, so this is certainly not a trap game. For those of us who were lucky enough to watch Saturday night's game between Texas and Texas Tech (yes, it was that good) you noticed that it was an extremely emotional game. Those fans in Lubbock were wild and the team definitely fed off of their excitement. This week should be no different. They'll be playing under the lights against a top 10 ranked Big XII South rival for the second straight week and those fans won't let the Red Raiders experience a letdown. For years we've been talking about Tech's offense, but now they have the defense to match it. The D-Line has been phenomenal all year long, especially last week against Texas. The Raiders should be able to slow the Cowboy running attack just enough to put QB Zac Robinson in some third-and-longs, where the Raiders thrive. The Raiders can get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing and have a pair of ballhawking safeties in Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet, who have each picked off five balls this season. That combination will make it really tough, even for a potent offense like Oklahoma State, to make any long conversions. We worry a little about the hook here, so maybe you want to buy a half-point, but we're confident that the Harrell for Heisman campaign will come out of Week 11 with another win for its cause.

Purdue at Michigan State (-10), noon
Lots of factors at work in this play. The Boilermakers are not just a bad road team, they are a terrible road team. They're 0-3 and have yet to be competitive on the road this season. The defense ranks 91st in the nation against the rush, allowing 176 yards per game. That sounds like a recipe for disaster against a run-heavy Spartan offense. Weekly Favorite and Michigan State RB Javon Ringer has recovered from a virus and is expected to be at 100% for Saturday. Ringer hasn't rushed for 200 yards in a Big Ten game yet this year, we think that will change. Michigan State is still alive for a Big Ten championship despite losing to Ohio State a few weeks back. If they can win Saturday and then stage an upset of Penn State next week they would be conference champions thanks to a unique tiebreaker system which The Weekly applauds. In the event of a 3-way tie between Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State, Michigan State would be awarded the conference title because they did not schedule a Division 1-AA opponent this year, while the other two purchased a couple of wins. Hopefully this would wake these schools up and force them to schedule some more challenging opponents. Anyway, this game will help set the table for Michigan State. Javon Ringer will personally account for more points than the entire Purdue team. Spartans win big.

Kansas (+1.5) at Nebraska, 2:30pm
Are we missing something here? Nebraska isn't a good football team. They have lost four of their past six games with the two wins coming over perennial Big XII cellar-dwellers Iowa State and Baylor. Kansas may have gotten lit up by Texas Tech and Oklahoma, but very few teams don't get lit up by Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Kansas QB Todd Reesing is the best quarterback that nobody cares about. Didn't this guy win the Orange Bowl last year? Doesn't this guy have 20 touchdown passes and over 2600 yards this year? Didn't this guy lead Kansas to a 76-39 win against Nebraska last year? Yes, yes and yes. Okay -- but now he's a one and a half point dog at Nebraska? Someone really mis-marked this line. Let's take advantage and hammer it. Kansas is tied for 1st place in the Big XII South and eyeing a showdown in the Border War with archrival Missouri for the division title. If they're going to trip up on their way to a division title it will be next week against Texas, not this week at Nebraska. Remember they hung 76 -- seventy-six -- points on the Huskers last year. The Husker D hasn't looked much better in 2008. Kansas hangs another 40 on the scoreboard and cruises to their 4th Big XII victory.

Cal at Southern California (-22), 8pm
Over/under 20.5 points against the USC defense over their final four regular season games? Sadly for their opponents, that's a legitimate question. The Bears' offense is going to have a long, long day at the office on Saturday. We could draw it out and talk about how USC has pitched three shutouts in its last four games and throw crazy stats out there like their opponents have averaged 7 points per game this year but it's really much simpler than that. A shaky offensive line + Nate Longshore as your quarterback + a pissed off USC defense = no points for Cal. The USC offense will grind out plenty of points. Until someone proves they can move the ball against these guys, we'll keep taking them. Look for something like Trojans 35 - Bears 3.

Good Luck. Many Hundos.

Mister Ted's Take on this past week in NFL

How much longer until TO comes out and says he hasn't scored enough touchdowns yet this season? Over/under is at 2 weeks....The Buccaneers either forgot to watch tape on the Cowboys last week or just aren't very good. Three field goals was all they could manage on a defense that last week made Stephen Jackson look like Bo Jackson from Tecmo Super Bowl?

I could have sworn Mike Martz left the Lions for the 49ers last season, but I'm guessing he still might be calling in plays to Coach Marinelli (33 yards from their 2 RBs)…Portis ran for 126 more yards Sunday, continuing his dominance. Santana Moss stole the show though with his 80 yard punt return for a TD, after it looked like he would be tackled for a 1 yard loss.

Joey Porter leads the league in sacks with an insane 10.5 through 7 games. Amazing how much more effective he is in a 3-4 D…Buffalo lost 3 fumbles in the process of falling to the Fish; I guess it was the kiss of death I gave them last week (your welcome AFC East fans).

So much for the Rams winning streak; at least they're playing competitive football and have some life on both sides of the team (top pick Chris Long notched 2 sacks)…I don't remember the last time this has happened in a game, but the Patriots played a perfect, penalty-less game on Sunday. Is it me, or is that pretty uncommon in the game today?

Drew Brees continues to impress me each week. To me, he is Steve Nash in pads. Both players left their original teams to play somewhere else, they spread the ball around to everyone, they see things develop before everyone else, and are just flat out fun to watch.

Pretty ironic that the most exciting game the Jets played was on Sunday against former coach Herm Edwards. Three Jets turnovers apparently was not enough for the Chiefs to win, but two things are for sure. One, Leon Washington needs the rock more, and two, the Jets are playing not to lose, which won't account for many wins in this league.

Brian Westbrook's return to the lineup was too much for a young Falcons team to overcome; as long as he is healthy the Eagles have a shot at the playoffs…the Ryan/White connection is reminding me a lot of the Manning/Harrison connection earlier in their careers. Ryan might not have the potential that Peyton has, but Roddy White's ceiling is as high as Marvin's.

Good to see Anquan Boldin back to catching touchdowns after that vicious hit he took in New York. If only the Cardinals secondary could have covered and tackled Steve Smith, they might have come out with a win (side-note: Boldin also led the Cardinals in rushing with 30 yards).

192 yards on the ground for Baltimore set the tone against the Raiders. I'm sure Al Davis is still convinced that this is all somehow Lane Kiffin's fault. What a joke this franchise has become.

Someone please take the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals out back and put a bullet in them…just put them out of their misery already.

Good news: Matt Jones doesn't snort cocaine anymore, but I was convinced on Sunday he snorted more than enough smelling salt on the sidelines; he finally came to play on a Sunday. Bad news: the rest of the Jaguars looked like they stayed up all night blowing lines off their playbooks. Not looking good for the Jaguars this season…

The Giants defense exposed a major flaw in the Steelers offense: the offensive line. Pressure Roethlisburger and watch the dividends pay off. Aside from the two touchdowns the Steelers had, the offense looked like nothing special. The GMen proved that they can still play with anyone in the league.

Congratulations to Coach Singletary for guaranteeing himself a spot on ESPN for the rest of his life after he went nuts on Vernon Davis. Good tirade, but definitely not the best. Ditka easily takes that one down, followed closely by Dennis Green's "They are who we thought they were" explosion. Of course you can never rule out Herm's infamous "You play to win the game" speech.

The Titans keep winning, and Peyton Manning continues to grimace at the very thought of his team not only bowing down to a new division winner but also not even making the playoffs at all. What a world we live in where a Kerry Collins led team is undefeated. I've got nothing but respect for him and what Jeff Fisher continues to do in Hicksville, USA.

Big Baby Dean's PickSlip for 10/25

The Thursday Night game ended awful. I still cannot believe it. However, in this business you know you will win some and lose some. The losses you have to forget about and begin to look for new potential winners. Well read below for my Saturday picks:

6* South Florida (-4) @ Louisville 330pm
Love Love Love this game. In the past I have always been on South Florida's side but I think this may be the first time I am picking them this year. Please tell me this is Louisville's homecoming because thats the only thing that may keep this game close. Both teams haven't played the toughest schedules but USF looks night and day over Louisville. The Bulls can attack Louisville with the strong run game or even through the air. Grothe will take charge and lead South Florida in this one.
Pick: South Florida (-4)

4* Georgia (PK) @ LSU 330pm
SEC road dogs are on fire this year. On top of that, to me these teams are heading in separate directions and you will see for yourself on Saturday. The Bulldogs are led by Matthew Stafford and Jersey native Knowshon Moreno. Georgia's defense will be all over the LSU offense. The Bulldogs have too much firepower in this game and will win outright.
Pick: Georgia (PK)

3* Michigan State (-3.5) vs Michigan 330pm
Look for Javon Ringer and the Spartan offense to bounce back after that humiliating loss to the Buckeyes last week. Michigan has not shown much and I don't think this week will be the week for them. The Spartan defense will be amped up and will be too much for the Meeshigan offense. The spread is low because its a rivalry game at Michigan and MSU is coming off a big loss. Take the Spartans. Pick: Michigan State (-3.5)

2* Oklahoma State @ Texas (Over 66.5) 330pm
There is a reason that this total is so high. We will see lots of point in this one. Both of these teams can put a lot of points up quickly. Texas is averaging 48 pts a game and they didn't exactly play walkover teams. This was against some good competition. Oklahoma State is putting up 46 a game. Try and watch this game fellas if you want to see a back and forth game with a lot of points. To me, this is what college ball is about. The new ncaa rules scare me a little, but doesn't seem to scare these 2 teams. Colt McCoy and Zac Robinson will surely be trading back TD for TD in this one. Pick: OSU / Texas (Over 66.5)

2* USC @ Arizona (+16) 1015pm
USC is still one of the most explosive teams on offense and defense in all of football. They are still the team to beat in my opinion. However, this is a veteran Arizona team under a good up and coming coach. Willy Tuitama and Nic Grigsby will be the focal points for the USC defense. Also, Arizona has not lost on homecoming in a few years now. I don't know if this trend will stand, but I think they will definitely cover the game. Arizona only lost by 7 pts last year and tomorrow they will be in their back yard. 3 scores is a lot against a veteran Wildcat team who has been playing everyone tough. Pick: Arizona (+16)

2* Ole Miss (-5) @ Arkansas 7pm
This is a very underrated game since both teams are 1-3 in the SEC West this year. Both teams have played Alabama and Florida. Arkansas went through a stretch of playing Bama, Texas, Florida, and Auburn. Thats insane but hey, thats what you get when you are in the SEC. Ole Miss needs to stop Michael Smith to take control of this game. One way they can do this is to get out to an early lead with QB Jevan Snead and WR's Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster. Pick: Ole Miss (-5)

1* Penn St (-2.5) @ Ohio State 8pm
I have to throw a small unit on this game just to have action. Look I have fallen in love with this Penn State team this year and think it will be a good way to send Joe Pa off by winning a Big 10 championship and maybe even a chance at the National Championship game. OK ..it is still early to be talking National Championship, but if they win this one at the Horseshoe, we mine as well start talking. This game will get off to a slow start and will probably be low scoring. Terelle Pryor is looking good and has a very good future, but I don't think he is ready for this big game yet. Go easy on this game fellas. Pick: Penn State (-2.5)

Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 9

Texas Tech (+1) at Kansas, noon
The Weekly was somewhat shocked to see this line. Texas Tech comes into this game riding its longest undefeated start in 30 years by winning each of their first seven games. Tech QB Graham Harrell is one of the reasons why the entire nation is focused on the Big XII. Over his last four games he's completed nearly 80% of his passes, even while some of his top wide outs have been banged up. Well the bad news for Kansas is that Michael Crabtree and Co. should be healthy and ready to explode this weekend in Lawrence. Kansas QB Todd Reesing is one of the most underrated players in the nation. He seems to always be overlooked because of the elite talent at his position within his conference. Reesing is a very good college quarterback, but can the offensive line give him enough time to make plays? The KU O-Line ranks 73rd in the nation in sacks allowed, and is going up against a defensive front which seems to be coming into its own. Ultimately we think that the underachieving offensive line won't be able to protect Reesing enough or run the ball enough to keep the Red Raider offense off the field. Kansas will put up points, but it won't be enough to stop Weekly Favorite Mike Leach's high octane offense.

South Florida (-3.5) at Louisville, 3:30pm
The Bulls still aren't getting the respect they deserve from the odds makers. A healthy South Florida team is going to be very, very tough to beat in the Big East this year. Don't let Louisville's 4-2 record fool you, they've played a glorified Sun Belt schedule. Three of their four wins have come over Tennessee Tech, Memphis and Middle Tennessee State. Thanks to that soft schedule RB Victor Anderson has averaged 7.0 yards per carry and rushed for six touchdowns. It is highly unlikely that he's going to be able to put up numbers like that against this South Florida defense, which means the ball will be in the hands of QB Hunter Cantwell. Against the aforementioned soft schedule, Cantwell has thrown for just eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, not a good ratio. The Bulls have a veteran team and know how to win on the road. They've won all three road games in 2008 and have won eight of their last ten away from Tampa. The Bulls are on a roll, tough away from home and playing an untested opponent. All signs point to a double-digit victory.

Penn State at Ohio State (+2), 8pm
Ohio State isn't playing in the national championship, whether they run the table or not. Don't let any Buckeyes tell you that they deserve it if they win out. They don't. This is a different team than the one who lost to USC, but that embarrassing USC loss still counts. The key here is that they are a different team than the one in early September. We saw it last week in their dominating win at Michigan State. Everyone knows what a healthy Beanie Wells can do, but Terrelle Prior is the one who is making the biggest difference for the OSU offense. He can make plays with his legs that Todd Boeckman can only dream about. More importantly, this Buckeye defense is one of the best in America, better than anything these Lions have seen. Penn State's first year starting QB Daryll Clark has been extremely impressive, but playing the Buckeyes at the Horseshoe is a different animal. Clark is playing behind an offensive line which is just okay, nothing special. Let's see how Clark responds to playing under college football's brightest lights, in the face of intense pressure from an incredibly fast defense. Penn State hasn't won in Columbus since 1978, we think that streak will continue.

UNLV at BYU (-23.5), 2pm
The Cougars are coming off their first loss in over a year. This is still a really good football team, and potent offense. QB Max Hall is one of the nation's best passers, one loss won't change that. Last week they ran into a TCU defense which, when playing well, can be as good as anyone in America. The Horned Frogs were the more focused team and took it to BYU. BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall is one of the brightest young coaches in college football and we expect his team to come out ready to dominate a lesser opponent. UNLV had an impressive win at then No. 15 Arizona State. A few weeks later that win doesn't look quite as impressive, since it looks like it's going to be a rebuilding year in Tempe. The Runnin' Rebels are coming off of three straight conference losses and have given up 229 points in seven games. The Cougars are ready to light up the scoreboard in front of the home crowd and stay in the hunt for a Mountain West championship. Cougars run away from the Rebels in this one.

Big Willy Style's Football Friday

College Football

4* Pitt (-10) over Rutgers - Pitt is surging, Rutgers is Rutgers again. They will have a hard time scoring against the Panthers D, hopefully this is the only team that dwells in NJ that fails in Pitt this weekend.

4* Georgia Tech (-14) over Virginia - I love Georgia Tech's option offense carving through weak Virginia D this week. Virginia will aslo have a miserable time putting points up on the board on the road against a strong Yellow Jacket defense.

3* Tennessee (+5) over Alabama - In a crazy college football season, I just have a funny feeling this is the week Bama's luck runs out. Yes even if it is by a Phil Fullmer coached squad.

3* Florida St. (-5.5) over Virginia Tech - I really like the Noles chances of finally winning a big game, by knocking off the Hokies and their young QB Tyrod Taylor going into a hostile environment.

2* Georgia (+1.5) over LSU - Georgia has found their groove and I think it continues in Baton Rouge this week. They are about to vault their way back into the national championship conversation.


Pro Football

5* Jaguars (-7) over Browns - The jags are rested and healthy and coming off a bye after a huge road win in Denver. They are ready to make a push in the AFC and it starts this week with a thrashing of the Browns at home.

4* Chiefs (+13.5) over Jets - This is what's great about betting.... THIS is what the greatest thing about betting is.... You bet to cover the spread.... HELLO?!?!?!? YOU BET... TO COVER....THE SPREAD. You don't bet to just bet it!!! That's the great thing about betting: you bet to cover the spread! And I don't care if you don't have any money. You go bet to cover the spread. When you start tellin' me it doesn't matter, then quit gambling. Get out! 'Cause it matters.

3* Titans (-4) over Colts - The Colts losses this year has been at the hands of teams that have been much more physical than they are. I cant think of a worse matchup for the Colts, they're season is in trouble.

3* Bengals (+9) over Texans - The Bengals have gotten so close every week to finally busting in the win column, and I really think they have a chance to win this outright, but like I said before... YOU BET... TO COVER... THE SPREAD.

2* 49ers (-5) over Seahawks - Bet against a Mike Singeltary coached team and tell me if you live to say so.

Thursday Night with Big Baby Dean

2* Auburn (+3.5) @ West Virginia 730pm

Both teams are horrible this year and are not very good ATS. Pat White will be back in the WVU offense and will be playing in front of a home crowd. Well in this matchup I will take the SEC team over the Big East. The Big East is flat out awful. Yes Tuberville and the Auburn Tigers have been playing like crap this year, but that is against some beastly teams in the SEC. They were supposed to lose those games anyway. Also, Auburn's defensive coordinator has seen this spread offense before while coaching the defense at Pitt the last few years. And oh yea, they held Pat White and Steve Slaton to 9 points that game. I went against WVU once on Thursday and am going against them again. Take the points.
Pick: 2* Auburn (+3.5)

And now for the NFL Weekly Wrap Up...

A long time reader by the name of Mister Ted asked if he can do a writeup for the NFL this week..and what the hell why not..Mister Ted has a great football mind and is up for the task each week. Come back for more of Mister Ted...

* The Dolphins have done a nice job in upsetting teams like the Patriots and Chargers, but stupid throws such as the one Chad Pennington made on Sunday will absolutely kill your chances of winning. You can't be giving any team, let alone the offensively challenged Ravens, free points. Eat the ball, take the sack, and it's a whole different game.

* Talk about inconsistent football, look no further than the Chargers. The final score doesn't do this game justice…the offense mustered 70 yards on the ground (40 for LT), coughed the ball up twice, and Rivers threw a pick. The Bills, meanwhile, are playing perfect football; balanced offensive attack, no turnovers, minimal penalties, and winning both sides of the line of scrimmage. Dick Jauron for Coach of the Year, you heard it hear first.

* The Saints welcomed back Shockey and Colston to the lineup, but unfortunately for Sean Payton neither of them can play defense nor hang onto a football (Shockey lost a fumble, Colston 2 drops, 0 catches)... The Panthers have a nice combo at RB, and a healthy Delhomme throwing to S. Smith to keep the safeties out of the box. That's a good recipe for winning.

* At 0-7, it's pretty clear that the Bengals need some changes on both sides of the football. That's what happens when you draft players who would rather make the police blotter than the stat sheet. They lack a presence at running back, Carson Palmer's best days may be behind him, and their best player on defense is NFC-East castoff Dhani Jones.

* Wasn't the Bears/Vikings game suppose to be a defensive struggle? Apparently not with the two teams combining for 28 points in the first quarter alone. How much more of the Gus Frerotte Show will Coach Brad Childress subject his team to? Seven interceptions coupled with a 72.6 QB Rating won't win many games...Kyle Orton on the other hand has a QB Rating of 91.4…that's how you effectively manage a game.

* Plaxico Ramirez? Or does Manny Burress sound better? To Plax's credit though, that offensive pass interference call was ridiculous…everybody who watched the game knows that. But to get penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike is detrimental to the team. Shut up and play, let the coach yell at the refs. He needs to stop pulling this bullshit because the games from here on out are only going to get tougher for the G-Men.

* Kudos to DeMarcus Ware for recording a sack for the tenth straight game…that's a pretty incredible accomplishment. Other than that there were not many highlights for the Cowgirls. They got man-handled by an inferior offensive line and the offense looks lost without Romo.

* The Titans are 6-0 with Kerry Collins under center. Like Orton, Collins manages the game perfectly…11 completions, 120 yards, and hand the ball off to Chris Johnson or Lendale White. Lather, rinse, repeat if necessary, then sit back and watch your defense dominate opponents. If you haven't already, throw the towel in on the Herm Edwards regime in KC. I am convinced that this franchise strives for mediocrity year-in, year-out.

* The same can be said for Detroit; at least they fired GM Matt Millen before he can mess up another draft. This team won't be competitive until 2010... Don't write in Chris Johnson as ROY just yet; Steve Slaton continues to rack up numbers with a much weaker offensive line.

* I really thought they would be a more watchable team this year with Brett the Jet at QB, but honestly I haven't been entertained once by the Jets this season. Sunday was no different against the Raiders. How did they lose this game with all of those penalties Oakland committed, not to mention Thomas Jones' best day as a Jet? Don't say because of a lucky kick by Janikowski in OT, because this game had tie written all over it and honestly, it looked like Mangini would have been ecstatic with that.

* The Browns fought hard and valiantly, but in the end they couldn't tie it up with a game-ending field goal. Clinton Portis is having an MVP-like year, and Campbell continues to play solid football. This is the second best team in the tough NFC East, and third or fourth in the Conference.

* Peyton looked a lot like Eli did against the Vikings the past two seasons. Two interceptions returned for touchdowns, one of them coming at the 1-yard line. Unacceptable… Ryan Grant finally produced what millions of fantasy football owners expected him to do all season: produce like the 2nd round pick he was suppose to be.

* Poor Mike Holmgren. His last memories as a head coach will be Seneca Wallace throwing lame ducks to Koren Robinson; I don't think any coach deserves that….Talk about dedicated, all-out football players, and Earnest Graham fits the bill. This guy has been filling in at FB the past two weeks and doing a great job as lead blocker for Warrick Dunn. With Dunn and Graham in the backfield together, the offense has produced back-to-back victories in convincing fashion.

* When your QB injures his finger on the first play of the game, he'll be in for a long night. Cutler was misreading coverages, throwing with less velocity, and missing his spots all night. Great time for a bye week. Andre Hall's stat line for MNF: 2 carries, -7 yards, and 2 fumbles lost. WOW. Mike Shanahan really found a keeper there…

BIG BABY DEAN'S PICK SLIP

4* Miami (-3) @ Duke 330pm

Recently Miami has been playing a lot of teams close. In this game Miami will shut down the run game and make Duke one dimensional by passing the ball. This will be a field position game early on but I feel Miami's run game will wear down a young Duke team. Miami will get its first win in the ACC this year over the Blue Devils. Pick: 4* Miami (-3)


3* UNC @ Virginia (+4.5) 330PM

Where did Virginia come from this year? They have surprised me as I thought they would be the ACC doormats along with DUke this year. They are on a roll and I'll take them here as a home dog over the Tar Heels who are coming off a hard fought game against Notre Dame. UNC will be without WR Brandon Tate who has been a reason for their early success. The North Carolina defense will come to play and keep this game close. Pick: 3* Virginia (+4.5)


3* Virginia Tech (+3) @ Boston College 800pm

These teams always keep it close. I look for it to be a big defensive battle with lots of special teams. Special teams advantage goes to Virginia Tech. Looking for BC's kicker to miss some key FGs in this game once Va Tech's defense stifles the Eagle offense. Virginia Tech will not have it easy on offense either. Tyrod Taylor is in his first year starting and will be under pressure all game from the BC defense. Va Tech is on a roll now and BC will not stop them.Pick: 3* Virginia Tech (+3)


4* Missouri @ Texas (-4) 800pm

If this game were played last week, I would be on Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tigers. But after the Texas performance in the Red River Shootout last week over Oklahoma, what can I say....I'm impressed. Hopefully they will not let me down. This game will also be a back and forth game with a lot of points on the board. Texas will win this game and be #1 in the first week of the 2008 BCS standings.Pick: 4* Texas (-4)

3* California @ Arizona (+2.5) 1000PM

Arizona is looking good this year and it is due to Willy Tuitama, Nic Grigsby and the veteran Wildcat team. In years past, this spread would have been double digits..even in Tucson. Well even the oddsmakers know Arizona is not the doormat they used to be. They are legit this year and will take it to the California Bears.Pick: 3* Arizona (+2.5)

DIRTY WEASEL

6* VIRGINIA +4.5 North Carolina

DIRTY WEASEL'S TOP GAME... The Cavs are really starting to play well after a terrible start. They began the season 1-3 including losses to USC and @ UConn, however they have won their last two games vs. pretty good competition. UVA killed maryland and then stuck it to East Carlina. This team is under valued right now because of their poor start. Their opponent, North Carolina is over valued giving the Dirty Weasel a great opportunity to make this one one of the top games of the year... bet big and expect big things

3* Oregon state -15.5 WASHINGTON

Oregon state is still very much in the Pac-10 hunt, especially with a big win over USC. Washington on the other hand is not... Washington is 0-5 and 0-2 in conference play... the season has slipped away very quickly. This sets up for a PAC 10 blow-out... take orgeon state to score first and never look back.

3* memphis +8 EASTERN CAROLINA

eastern carolina has been one of the biggest surprises and disapointments this year. Since the great start... the have lost their last 3 games and I wouldnt be surprised if Memphis made it 4... at worst case memphis covers this game.

Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 8

North Carolina at Virginia (+4.5), 3:30pm
This is a case of bad timing for the Tar Heels. UNC learned this week that star WR Brandon Tate will be sidelined for the rest of the year with a knee injury, a major blow to Carolina's ACC title hopes. Where did this Virginia team come from? They were left for dead two weeks ago following an embarrassing 31-3 loss to, of all schools, DUKE! Their coach was as good as gone and everyone was looking to 2009. But suddenly after two convincing wins over Maryland and East Carolina, the Cavs are alive and well again. We're going to ride the hot hand and take the points at home. Without Brandon Tate for the first time since 2004 (the senior has played in every game starting from his Freshman year), Carolina will rely heavily on a defense which has created scoring opportunities and that can only take you so far. Carolina hasn't won a game at Virginia since 1981, don't look for that to change on Saturday.

Georgia Tech (-2.5) at Clemson, noon
The Bowden Era at Clemson is done. This comes as little surprise to many of us paying attention to Clemson the past three years. The Tigers have underachieved and finally Bowden was going to get fired because of it eventually. This could be good for Clemson in the long run, but in the short run -- it might be a long year. Clemson is 1-3 against FBS competition and will be without QB Cullen Harper and RB CJ Spiller. They were struggling for points against Maryland and Wake Forest with those two which means that they are really going to struggle without them against a tough Georgia Tech defense. Another Weekly Favorite, Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson looks like he has quickly done a great job. The Jackets are 5-1 and sitting at 2-1 in the ACC Coastal Division and are 8th in the nation in rushing at 255 yards per game -- classic Johnson. Look for the Jackets to contain a listless Tiger offense as they move closer to an ACC title game birth.

Syracuse at South Florida (-24), noon
The Weekly witnessed Syracuse first hand last weekend at West Virginia. The Orange probably played as well as they possibly could, and could still only muster two field goals. In the past three meetings South Florida has brutalized Syracuse to the tune of 95-20, and it looks like the talent gap has never been wider. The Bulls are finally starting to get healthy, especially defensive anchor George Selvie who should be close to 100% for the first time in over a month. South Florida is at home and coming off a bye, while Syracuse is making their second long road trip in as many weeks. Boasting the top offense in the Big East, USF will have no problems disposing of one of the worst defenses in all of America. Bulls in a laugher.

Ohio State (-3.5) at Michigan State, 3:30pm
Ohio State has been flying under the radar for weeks now. This is not the same team who got their jock handed to them by Southern Cal. Freshman sensation Terrelle Prior has given this team some much needed athleticism, as well as a spark, and pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate RB Beanie Wells is back in action. Michigan State has been riding the back of their own Heisman trophy hopeful, in Weekly Favorite Javon Ringer. Ringer has literally carried the Spartans to the top of the Big Ten, carrying the ball an incredible 247 times in just seven games. In his past two games Ringer has seen his yards per carry drop to just 3.5 and 3.6 yards per carry. These are down drastically from 5 and 6 yards per carry averages earlier in the season. Could it be that Ringer is feeling the effects of those 247 carries? We think so. Ringer won't be able to carry the burden this week, as Ohio State keeps control of Big Ten.

Good Luck.

Many Hundos.

Big Baby Dean's NFL PickSlip Week 6

Sorry for no college picks yesterday..one of my friends passed the Bar Exam for CT and there was a huge celebration in Hoboken.....


onto the NFL Picks.... Big Card today to make up for it

6* Houston Texans (-3) vs Miami Dolphins
Love Houston here at home, should have beaten Colts last week and Miami is due for a letdown

4* Baltimore Ravens(+4) @ Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are still not the same this year and the Baltimore Defense will keep this game close and hound Peyton all day. The Baltimore Defense may have more pts than the Baltimore offense today. Take the pts.

2* Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5)@ Denver Broncos
Cutler facing an even tougher defense that will give him fits. Will be a close game...take the pts

2* Carolina Panthers (+1) @ Tampa Bay Bucs
John Fox has this team ready to take on the Bucs...will be a battle all day but look for steve smith and delhomme to get going today

2* Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5) @ San Francisco 49ers
No Westbrook, reggie brown, or shawn andrews...no problem...no way philly loses this one...their defense will help them big time and force JT Osullivan to make bad decisions all game. Philly is always ready to face a Mike Martz offense.

2* Seattle Seahawks (-1.5) vs Green Bay Packers
Seahawks in a revenge game from last years playoff loss to the Packers. Even without Hasslebeck. The Seahawks are a totally different team at home and still have a bad taste from last week. Aaron Rodgers is one hit away from being knocked out of the game.

1* Chicago Bears / Atlanta Falcons under 43.5
I dont have huge reasons for this game but just think it will be a defensive battle all day.

1* Detroit Lions (+13) @ Minnesota Vikings
Love taking lot of pts in a divisional matchup (even if the Lions are the worst team in NFL)

Good Luck to everyone today!

DIRTY WEASEL ( KEEP ON ROLLING )

BAYLOR -4.5 VS IOWA ST (5*)

The Bears were playing pretty good football until they ran into the best team in the land last week. HICCUP!!! bounce back week - write it down

GEORGIA -12.5 VS TENNESSEE (4*)

feel bad for the vols in this one... they havent played good football all year and now the enter the hornet's nest. Not only that, the Bulldogs have had this game circled in RED after losing @ UT last year 35-14. blow in the making!!!

MISSISSIPPI STATE +3 VS VANDERBILT (3*)

As far as I am concerned... vanderbilt is the worst undefeated team in the land. ENOUGH SAID

TEXAS AM +3.5 VS KANSAS STATE (3*)

Kansas state defense is awful. no reason they should be favored on the road. take the aggies on this one.

no picks but I like oklahoma to wax the team that beat up on my school in the colorado buffaloes last week and speaking of the buffs... we might just go into kansas and win... very young team that hasnt played to their potential this season so anything can happen...

and one other side note... F*CK BOSTON!!! 75-1 odds in the begginning of the season for tampa to make it to the world series... lets go TAMPA!!!

Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 7

Vanderbilt at Mississippi State (+2.5), 2:30pm
A couple of major factors at play here. Isn't Vandy 5-0? Isn't Mississippi State 1-4? Didn't Vandy just beat a ranked Auburn team? Is this the same Mississippi State team who got beaten by Louisiana Tech? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Okay, then why is Vandy only a 2.5 point favorite? That's the million dollar question. We think that's because the Commodores aren't as good as their 5-0 record and the Bulldogs are better than their 1-4 record. Vandy ranks 115th in Division 1-A in total yards. Eventually that's going to come back to bite them. You have to be able to move the ball to win games. An opportunistic defensive will only take them so far. If they fail to create turnovers they are in lots of trouble. As for the Bulldogs, they had a nice showing in their last game two weeks ago at LSU, losing 34-24. Freshman QB Tyson Lee had an incredible debut considering the defense he was facing, going 17-26 for 175 yards, a touchdown and no picks against the Tigers. The other major factor at play working against Vandy is the same one which was working for Vandy last weekend. Mississippi State is coming off a bye week, while Vandy scratched and clawed for sixty minutes with Auburn last week. Add in that the Commodores have to travel to Mississippi, and we have an upset in the making.

Nebraska at Texas Tech (-21), 3pm
Texas Tech has finally hit its stride, just in time for a reeling Nebraska defense to travel to Lubbock. The Huskers are the last Division 1-A team to play on the road this year, and they won't be warmly welcomed by a Red Raider offense which is ranked 2nd in the nation in total yards and 1st in passing yards. Tech QB Graham Harrell is on pace to become 2nd on the NCAA's list of all time passing yards, in just three years as a starting QB. Insane. Nebraska couldn't handle Virginia Tech or Missouri, they surely aren't going to suddenly be able to handle Texas Tech. The last time the Huskers traveled to Lubbock the Red Raiders hung 70 on the board. Look for Harrell, Crabtree and company to light up the scoreboard in an easy Tech win.

LSU at Florida (-6), 8pm
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner didn't need any extra motivation this week. Foolishly, the LSU defensive line gave it to him. Whether the Ricky-Jean Francois meant it or not, he gave Tebow some bulletin board material. Tim Tebow is the kind of player thrives in the spotlight and we think this is his time to shine. LSU sophomore QB Jarrett Lee played well on the road at Auburn, but this Florida team and The Swamp are a different animal. Unlike Auburn, Florida is proven at the quarterback position which will end up being the difference in this game. Look for a fast Gators' defense to cause Lee problems all day long, as the Gators hold LSU to 14 points or fewer and Florida wins by ten.

Oklahoma State at Missouri -- Over 78.5, 7pm
Yup, we're going with the "If It's That High, It's That High For A Reason" Theory. The Tigers and Pokes feature the second and third highest scoring teams in the nation, averaging 53.4 and 52.6 points per game. Let's start with Missouri. The Tigers have had 49 straight possessions without a 3-and-out. We'll repeat that for effect. The Tigers have had 49 straight possessions without a 3-and-out. That may be the greatest offensive accomplishment in the modern era. Mizzou has playmakers all over the field and the best quarterback in the nation. They'll be going up against a young secondary, who won't be capable of slowing down this ridiculous offense. Everyone knows how prolific Missouri is, but nobody seems to realize how good Okie State is. QB Zac Robinson has led 13 touchdown drives which have lasted under two minutes. The Cowboys average over 300 yards a game on the ground and Missouri's run defense has been suspect all year. Look for the Tigers to hang close to 60 on the board and the Cowboys to be somewhere in the high 30's. It's going to be that kind of game.

Good Luck. Many Hundos.

Big Willy Style's Football Friday (on thursday night)

College Football

4* Oklahoma (-6) over Texas - This should be a fun one to watch with the Sooners pulling away late. Hard to go against a team as stacked as Oklahoma in the red river shootout where they always seem to come through when this game gets this much attention. Colt Mccoy pulls a Chris Simms on Saturday.

3* Florida (-6) over LSU - Wait for this line to go down before kickoff because trust me it will. Florida is too strong on offense for LSU to keep up and oh yea they are playing in the swamp where LSU just never wins.

3* Mississippi St (+2.5) over Vanderbilt - Vandy will still be hungover after last week's landmark victory over Auburn. This seems like a classic letdown game and Vandy is too experienced to prevent the upset.

2* Georgia (-12) over Tennessee - Can Georgia finally blow away a team that doesnt belong on the field with them. PLEASE!?!?!?!



Pro Football

5* Panthers (+1) over Bucs - Almost too good to be true in my opinion. The Bucs struggled to move the ball last week on the poor Denver defense. Just imagine what the Panthers will do to them. Not to mention Carolina has one of the most underrated offenses in the league, hammer the boys from NC on Sunday.

3* Falcons (+3) over Bears - Atlanta has been great at home and just won a huge game on the road to give them a major boost of confidence. The Bears may be a little over confident in this one after two straight wins, and are facing the dreaded back to back road game situation which they do not fare well in.

3* Saints (-7) over Raiders - The saints are too good to be mediocre for too long. The reeling Raiders come in with a new head coach playing a pissed off New Orleans squad. Bad combo if you ask me.

2* Cardinals (+4.5) over Cowboys - I can see Arizona winning outright here. The Cowboys cant stop anybodys passing game and look for Kurt Warner to absolutely light them up at home, and start absolute chaos in big D.

2* Vikings (-13) over Lions - Just bet against the Lions until they resemble a professional sports organization. Just do it ok.

College Football YTD (16-14) 0 units
Pro Football YTD (12-10-2) +2.1 units
Pending: Bears (3-2) under 7.5 wins (5 units) and Titans (5-0) over 8 wins (2 units)

Big Willy Style's week 5 recap

• So it appears I was wrong about the Redskins, they've suddenly won 4 in a row including 2 straight divisional road games, a near impossible task in any division, especially the NFC east this season. I certainly did not see this coming after watching them in week 1 in the swamps of north jersey
• Speaking of the G-men, they scored 44 points against a solid defense without Plaxico Burress. Yes it was extremely impressive, but the theory that they can be successful without him is insane, they are going to need him healthy and happy to emulate the success of last season (starting to break out in a cold sweat at that thought).
  
• Thank you to Ronnie Brown and the Miami Dolphins for running this new wildcat offense. They have absolutely flabbergasted the two participants in the AFC championship game last year with it, and maybe it could spark a light bulb in coaches heads around the league.
• For the first time in my gambling career I marked off a game as a loss only to learn about an hour later that I in fact won that bet. I'll give you one guess which game that was. Sorry Dean.
• What a huge win for Matt Ryan's Atlanta Falcons. Always big to get a road win with a rookie QB against a better team to build serious confidence. Now if it can just carry over next week at home against da bears.
• Speaking of them, they absolutely drubbed Detroit this week. It's possible the two worst teams in NFL history (rams and lions) are in the league this season. Now if we could only get them to play each other.
• A questionable roughing the passer call on the Ravens sparked a late Kerry Collins drive for the winning touchdown. If you havent believed in the Titans yet, just know that Kerry freakin Collins orchestrated a game winning TD drive on the road, against his super bowl 34 tormentor with the Giants, the Baltimore Ravens. Thanks for saving that good game against them 8 years later chief.
• Denver's defense, not offense actually was the reason for their victory against Tampa Bay. Then again it was against a miserable passing offense, but whatever works.
  
• If J.T. O'Sullivan (what a great name) cuts down on his mistakes, he can be a real good QB in this league. They had the Pats on the ropes but too many dumb INT's cost them dearly.
• The Bengals might be the most competitive 0-5 team in NFL history. Give them credit for coming back after falling behind 17 points early on the road. It may be too late for them but they are going to give their opponents fits down the road.
• Once Trent Edwards went down it was all over for the Bills in Arizona. Their stout defense was obliterated by the Cardinals who have as good an offense as anybody, and got a big bounceback win.
• An absolutely enormous come from behind win for the Steelers on Sunday night. They are going to need those victories as it has been statistically determined that they have the most difficult schedule the NFL has seen in 25 years. And they are 4-1.
• What a wacky game on Monday night. A blocked FG for a TD, two punt returns by Reggie Bush in the 2nd half, and Gus Frerotte leading a game winning drive in the 4th quarter (did I just say that?).
  

Big Baby Dean's NFL PickSlip Week 5

4* Tampa Bay Bucs @ Denver Broncos (-3)
Cutler and the Broncos will rebound after that awful performance at Kansas City. Tampa Bay has an absolutely brutal non-divisional road ATS record under Jon Gruden when they have a divisional game the following week. Pick: Denver (-3)

3* New England Patriots @ San Francisco 49ers (+3)
This Patriot team is not the same without Brady. Look what happened 2 weeks ago when they played Miami. Frank Gore is better then Ronnie Brown and the niners are a bit underrated. Ill take JT O'Sullivan over Cassell any day. Also, Patriots traveling out west. 49ers may win outright. Pick: San Francisco (+3)

2* Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans(+3)
Houston may be 0-3, but they played Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Jacksonville who are all no joke. Those are some tough defenses. Indianapolis on the other hand is missing Bob Sanders and run defense has not looked good at all. This will probably be a very high scoring game. Look for Houston to hang close with the Colts in this one. Pick: Houston (+3)

2* Washington Redskins (+5.5) @ Philadelphia Eagles
This will be a close game all the way. The NFC East is no joke this year. With a banged up Westbrook, this game will be a tight one. Jason Campbell has been on fire and has not thrown one interception this year. I cant wait to watch Santana Moss vs Asante Samuel. Should be a good one. Pick: Washington (+5.5)

1* Tennessee Titans (-3) @ Baltimore Ravens
This game will be a good game if you like to watch defenses. Will be a low scoring affair. However, I think that MNF game took too much out of Baltimore. Kerry Collins worries me a little but I think with his experience, they win a close one vs Baltimore. Pick: Tennessee (-3)

DIRTY WEASEL IS BACK

3* ARIZONA -21 vs WASHINGTON

Huskies are down and out. I believe that they will pack it in for the season and Arizona will roll all over them!!!

3* OHIO ST -2 vs WISCONSIN

Great value here. Ohio state is still at top team and a team to be wreckened with. Buckeyes are very undervalued and they will show it today.


4* MIAMI -2 vs FLORIDA STATE

Take MIAMI in this one... this rivarly is not the rivalry of the past but MIAMI is clearly the better team. Florida state is just not that good... Miami thinks they have found something special in freshmen quarterback Robert Marve. I agree

5* OKLAHOMA STATE -25 vs TEXAS A&M

A classic match up of strength vs. weakness in this one. I look for OSU to get ahead early and this one and they will never look back. I know 25 points is a lot but dont worry they will cover easily.

Big Baby Dean's PickSlip for 10/3

It was a crazy opening month here at The Pick Slip and each of our contributors had their ups and downs. Those who know me personally know that I love to brag. Well, now is my first time to brag at the Pick Slip. I got off to a slow start in picking games this season. However, has anyone been following the last few weeks??? I hope at least one other person was tailing my picks! For those who haven't Big Baby Dean is currently on a 17-1-1 hot streak in both NCAA and NFL. I am up 28.5 units right now and loving it. With one more win I will tie the New England Patriots record from last year. Hopefully mine will end much better than theirs did. With all that said, be careful of my picks this week because when I talk shit like this, I usually set myself up to FAIL! Not only that, but we are in week 6 of NCAA and week 5 of the NFL and the oddsmakers have a lot of statistics and data to really set the lines to make it hard to pick winners.

The first month of the season is now over and with a lot of game film and stats, Big Baby Dean has enough to dissect almost every team in the country. I know I have some favorite conferences and teams to watch this year, while other conferences are struggling. The trick is to know when to ride the hot team and when to get off of them before they lose.

Onto the NCAA picks for the week...

2* Iowa @ Michigan State (-6.5) 12PM ET
If you have been following my picks, you will know that I have been all over the Spartans the last few weeks. It looks like I caught them at the right time. Hopefully they can cover at least one more week for me. I liked this line at -9.5 earlier in the week and now thanks to DR Bob picking Iowa it dropped down to -6.5. As a result, I am only putting 2 units on this game because I don't like the drastic line move. Hopefully after this week, people will be tailing Big Baby Dean and as soon as I release my plays the lines will drop with all the money going on the side I pick! Iowa will be focused on stopping Javon Ringer, so hopefully Michigan State will put a few playaction passes in to keep them honest. Other than that, keep feeding Javon Ringer the ball and he will lead MSU to victory.
Pick: Michigan State (-6.5)

3* Maryland (-13.5) @ Virginia 7PM ET
Maryland has caught Big Baby Dean's eyes the last few weeks. They are on a 3 game win streak and have upset two Top 20 teams (California and Clemson). The reason why I am not afraid to lay 2 td's on the road in this ACC matchup is because they are playing the doormats of the ACC. Virginia got smoked by Duke last week 31-3. Wait a second...go back and read that last sentence. Maryland should have an easy time with this one. Pick: Maryland (-13.5)

Earlier in the week I had circled a bunch more games, but after going back over them tonight I do not feel as confident in them. The oddsmakers have gotten better and it is tough to find which games they leave for you to exploit. For instance, here is a game that I liked earlier in the week but have decided not to pick:

When looking over the Michigan-Illinois game, I circled Illinois. Now after a few days have passed and reading more information about this game and seeing the line stay at 2, I think this line is fishy. From what I gather, Illinois looks like the trendy dog pick this week and the line hasn't moved at all. Even though I like Illinois in this game, something is telling me to stay away. Be careful if playing this game.


Don't force any picks on Saturday to try and win money back quickly. Let the games come to you. There is still a lot of season (and bowl season) left.

Check back tomorrow night for my NFL Picks.

Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 6

Missouri (-10) at Nebraska, 9pm

Just what The Weekly needs, a little dose of Chase Daniel. The leading Heisman candidate brings his high powered offense into Lincoln for a chance to beat Nebraska on their home turf for the first time in a long time. The Tigers are averaging 53.4 points per game and just over 400 yards per game passing. In addition to what we knew was going to be a prolific passing game, Mizzou RB Derrick Washington has picked up right where Tony Temple left off last season. Thanks to Washington and Daniel's mobility Missouri can truly beat you in the air or on the ground. This is going to a problem for the Cornhuskers. New Husker head coach Bo Pellini is a defensive guru, but he hasn't had the time to resurrect the once famous Blackshirt defense. Last week the Nebraska "D" gave up 35 points to an offensively challenged Virginia Tech team. Expect the Tigers to hang another 40 or 50 on the scoreboard as they get their first win in Lincoln in over 30 years.

Kansas (-12) at Iowa State, 12:30pm

Well if the theme for the last two weeks was Auburn and whoever Navy was playing, this week looks to be Big XII road favorites. It just so happens that Kansas' favorite whippin' boy is Iowa State. In the past two seasons the Jayhawks have beaten up on the Cyclones to the tune of 86-17. No too much has changed from those last two years. Kansas has lost a lot of buzz recently because of their loss to South Florida (a game they should have won) and the fact that there are four Big XII teams not named Kansas in the Top 10. Thanks to the lack of buzz around the Jayhawks there's only a 12 point spread on this game, and we see lots of value in it. Saturday is the day that the Jayhawks will put it all together on the offensive side of the ball as 2007's leading receiver Dexton Fields will be back after missing games with an injured foot. Fields went for 11 catches, 109 yards and 2 touchdowns in last year's contest against the Cyclones. The addition of Fields, as well as a 95th ranked Cyclone rushing defense, will take pressure off of the lagging rushing game. This game should be over by halftime.

Rutgers at West Virginia (-14), noon

Two big factors at play here. One: the Mountaineers may have finally put it together. Two: Rutgers stinks. We know it was just Marshall, but a win is a win and West Virginia looked pretty good in their win last week. The supposed downfall of Patrick White has been thoroughly overplayed. He has completed 73.3% of his passes and thrown for seven touchdowns and only one interception. This team isn't going to contend for a national title and they all know it, but they also know that a Big East title and BCS appearance are well within their grasp. On the other hand, you have a 1-AA quality team disguised as a major program. Mike Teel has thrown for two touchdowns and seven interceptions. He didn't even play well against Morgan State last week (11-18, 188 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) and the team only amassed 297 total yards. This Rutgers team is worse than the one who let West Virginia torment them last year, in Piscataway mind you, by the score of 38-3. West Virginia embarrasses Rutgers on Saturday -- this is a layup.

Auburn at Vanderbilt (+3.5), 6pm

College Gameday is broadcasting from Nashville, Tennessee and it's not for a neutral site game. Vandy is hosting Gameday for the first time and are primed for an upset of their neighbors from the Plains. Speaking of Auburn, they are coming off of two brutal SEC brawls -- uhh, I mean games. Those games have really taken a lot out of teams in the past. A recent example would be then No. 1 LSU grinding out a win at Florida last year and then getting beat at Kentucky the following week. We incorrectly thought that Auburn had taken strides in their mastery of the spread offense. Their quarterback play has been terrible and they've had difficulty putting points on the board. Vandy's ball hawking defense combined with an offense that never spits the pit gives them the top turnover margin in all of America. They have a win over Ole Miss, who just beat Florida, and Saturday would be a landmark win for a program who's looking for a landmark win. Vandy in a low-scoring squeaker.

Illinois (+2.5) at Michigan, 3:30pm
We love battle tested teams who are fighting for their lives. The Fightin' Illini have already played, and been competitive in, two games against Top 10 programs. They've been on the losing end of both games, vs. Missouri and at Penn State, but have played pretty well in both games. Michigan is still trying to find an identity. They've had an up and down season thus far due to inconsistent play of their young players in prominent roles -- especially at the quarterback position. The Illini have missed Rashard Mendenhall, but QB Juice Williams is a veteran leader and this is a must win game. Thanks to last year's success the expectations were high for this group of Illini and after losing the Big Ten opener at Penn State last weekend, they'll need to take care of the Wolverines this weekend in order to stay in Big Ten championship contention. We'll take the team with more to lose in this game, as Illinois has to have this game. Illini by double digits.

Big Willy Style's Football Friday

College Football

3* Vanderbilt (+3.5) over Auburn - The cinderally commies (I love calling them that) keep rolling this week. Auburn has quietly decided to not be an elite football team this year.

3* Colorado (+12.5) over Texas - I see the Buffs playing a spirited game very similar to what they did against West Virginia a couple weeks ago. It's also time for Texas' yearly bedshit to a in-conference underdog.

3* Texas Tech (-7) over Kansas St. - Time for the Red Raiders to prove their worth. Simply too much firepower here for the wildcats to handle, even despite the hostile environment.

2* Stanford (+6.5) over Notre Dame - I just dont like Jimmy Clausen, thats really the only reason I got for you im sorry.

2* North Carolina (-7.5) over Uconn - Most people are just going to see Uconn's #23 ranking and jump on the points. I am not like most people.


Pro Football

5* Broncos (-3) over Bucs - You can lock this one up. Denver's offense has been literally unstoppable at home, and Brian Griese has tried everything to prevent his team from winining the past couple of weeks. He wont be so lucky this week in Denver, my favorite NFL game all season thus far.

4* Colts (-3) over Texans - Call it a sucker bet if you would. But the Colts are not starting 1-3 and not losing to this division rival. As I've always said about this team, they are at their best when their backs are against the wall.

3* Saints (-3.5) over Vikings (monday night) - RIP 2008 Minnesota Vikings, we heard all about you coming into the season yet we hardly knew you during it.

2* Bengals (+16.5) over Cowboys - The Bengals offense finally figures it out against an awful Dallas secondary this week and explodes, making this a competitive game. The over looks nice here too.

1* Redskins (+6) over Eagles - It's all about Brian Westbrook's health. If he doesnt play or is limited, the Eagles are a completely different team. There is not a more valuable player to a team in the NFL than B-West is to the Eagles.

College Football YTD (13-12) -2.5 units
Pro Football YTD (9-9-1) -1.6 units
Pending: Bears (2-2) under 7.5 wins (5 units) and Titans (4-0) over 8 wins (2 units)

Big Willy Style's week 4 recap

• It's no coincedence that the the remaining undefeated teams in the league (titans, bills, giants) all possess dominating defenses. The best being tennessee's, they have absolutely slaughtered opposing offenses. Ask their most recent victim, Gus Frerrotte's Minnesota Vikings.
• Brian Griese was terrible, but the Bucs still won by 9 points. Their defense has also been as impressive as anybody's, and was the reason for their big victory over the Packers who are suddenly reeling after 2 straight embarrassing losses.
• Before Kurt Warner entered the NFL, he was apparently bagging groceries at a local supermarket. I wonder how many gallons of milk and cartons of eggs he dropped while trying to put them into bags, because if his performance on Sunday was any indication (i counted about 34 fumbles) he had alot of unhappy customers.
• Drew Brees had yet another fantastic game, leading his squad to an easy victory over San Fran. Just imagine what he'll be able to do when Marques Colston comes back, so a guy named Lance Moore isnt his number one target
• The Broncos better figure out how to play defense one of these days or they are going to spoil a tremendous offense and a chance at a division title. The freaking Chiefs of all teams hit them up for 33 points, and Larry Johnson may have eclipsed 1,000 yards in one game, I gotta double check that one.
• Although they made Matt Schaub look like a pro bowler, the Jags prevailed in OT in what would have been a devestating loss at home. The poor Texans have played so well in the last two games but have nothing to show for it, when are they going to learn how to win.
• I guess somebody had to win the Browns-Bengals game. Derek Anderson stunk again, but his defense bailed him out against the horrid Bengals offense which is supposed to be one of the league's best. Paging Brady Quinn, time to take the field.
• The Panthers took care of Atlanta easily forcing Matt Ryan to throw the ball over 40 times. That's all you need to know to figure out that it wasn't Atlanta's day.
• The Rams played their best half of football of the season.... and lost the game by 17 points. At least they resembled a professional sports team for at least one day. The Bills are 4-0 since the great Bills AFC dynasty of the early 90's.
  
• The raiders blew another game they had a chance of winning, and now Lane Kiffin is fired. Just when the team was starting to be consistently competitive they lose their coach. But it seems it had nothing to do with football, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
• All of a sudden the Skins are 3-1 and made the "juggernaut" cowboys look very vulnerable. Their defense looks very shaky, and we all know that is the key to success in the NFL.
• The Bears were staring their 3rd loss of the season and came up with an enormous goaline stand to win the game. Granted it was against a very banged up Eagles squad, but impressive nonetheless.
• The Steelers were getting absolutely manhandled at home on Monday night, I get out of the shower and suddenly their up 4 points after being down 10. Joe Flacco looks legit, he has a cannon for an arm, Baltimore may have finally found their QB of the future after about 15 years of searching.

Big Willy Style's Football Friday

Welcome to another edition of Big Willy Style's Football Friday. This weeks version will be short, sweet, and to the point. The "boring explanation of winners with fancy statistics and matchup breakdowns that are better suited for the nerds on espn.com than a blog" approach has not been working for me as of late. On to your winners:

College Football

4* Auburn (-6.5) over Tennessee - Phil Fullmer is fat, Auburn is pissed, Auburn is home, Auburn wont lose 2 in a row there.

3* Maryland (+11) over Clemson - Maryland looks to be hitting their stride. Clemson is still hitting themselves after that ugly loss to Bama. I'll take these points thank you very much

3* Georgia (-7) over Alabama - Speaking of Bama, Georgia is wearing black jerseys for a reason, its the funeral for Alabama's national championship hopes. YEAAAAAA IM SO CLEVER.

2* Ole Miss (+22) over Florida - The rebels have not been showing their cards in anticipation for this one in the swamp. I mean, why else would they call them rebels???

2* UCLA (+7) over Fresno St. - Does anybody have a clue about either of these teams this year. Does either of these teams have a clue about each other? I'm taking the team that has at impressed me at least once this season.


Pro Football

4* Titans (-3) over Vikings - A wise man once asked me "Gus Frerrote sucks, how has he lasted this long in the NFL?" I think his career ends in the 2nd quarter of this one when Albert Haynesworth lays him out as he is trying to chase down Cortland Finnegan on his way to the endzone after picking off one of his passes.

3* Ravens (+5.5) over Steelers - If Joe Flacco does not turn the ball over in this game, they will win by 10 points. It is a personal guarantee.

3* Panthers (-6.5) over Falcons - I'm going to bet against Matt Ryan on the road until he proves to me he wont act like a scared little girl in the pocket against a tough defense.

2* Rams (+9) over Bills - If there are people that read what I have to say on this blog out there, they know I love the Bills. They also know that everything I've loved this season has gone to shit basically. Rams figure out a way this week.

2* Cowboys (-11) over Redskins - The skins have no shot against teams who dont shoot themselves in the foot like their last two opponents. The boys save their bedshitting for December and January.

College Football YTD (10-10) -1.8 units
Pro Football YTD (6-7-1) -7.2 units
Pending: Bears (1-2) under 7.5 wins (5 units) and Titans (3-0) over 8 wins (2 units)

Beans' Weekly Winners: Week 5

Navy at Wake Forest (-16), 3:45pm
As Yogi said, "it's deja vu all over again". Taking Wake Forest and fading Navy. We're going to keep pushing the anti-Navy play, as much as some people (you know who you are) disagree with the strategy. We all know how Navy gets it done -- on the ground. The Demon Deacons will surely welcome the Middie's one-dimentionalness (is that a word? it is now) being that Wake only allows 3.2 yards per carry and just around 100 yards per game rushing. Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner isn't flashy and won't steal any Heisman votes from Chase Daniel and company, but the kid knows how to win games. But the biggest factor at play here is the Navy defense. We all saw how Mike Teel made them look like the '85 Bears, but in reality they're closer to the '81 Colts (look it up). Skinner picks apart the Navy defense in a 20+ point blowout.

Tennessee at Auburn (-6.5), 3:30pm
Yep, another familiar face. Tennessee was pathetic last week. Florida took it to them in their own backyard. Phil Fulmer looked like a man who is losing more than football games. His body language has been off-the-charts bad, approaching something out of the Manning family's playbook. If you told us his wife was cheating on him, his son recently came out of the closet and his 14-year old daughter got knocked up by the local gas station attendant -- all at the same time -- we'd believe it in a heartbeat. There is no way a team led by this coach can compete with a really good Auburn team on the road. Auburn took a major step forward last week even in defeat. The new offense is starting to come together for a program who has beaten the Vols three straight years. The Tigers take down Tennessee for the fourth straight season, in convincing fashion.

Alabama at Georgia (-7), 7:45pm
For the second straight week we're taking the marquee SEC game. Has Georgia impressed anybody yet? A win is a win, but at some point they're going to need to put it all together and look like the national championship contender that "experts" tout them to be. This could be that week. Nick Saban has brought Alabama back to the front of the national picture more quickly than anyone could have imagined, but they are just too green to tackle the daunting task of going on the road to beat a veteran Georgia club. The ATS trends are impressively in Georgia's favor. The Dawgs are 6-0 ATS in their past six against teams with a winning record, 4-0 ATS in their last four home games and 6-0-1 ATS in their past seven games overall. Saban and the Tide are almost there, but they're still a year away. Georgia RB, and New Jersey native, Knowshon Moreno has been able to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump thus far in 2008, he will lead the Bulldogs to a two touchdown win Between the Hedges against this young Tide squad.

South Florida (-9.5) at North Carolina State, 7:30pm
NC State is coming off of a big win against a previously unbeaten in-state rival. That spells hangover. The biggest issue for the Wolfpack is that QB Russell Wilson is injured. That doesn't bode well going up against the fastest defense that the 'Pack has seen this season. South Florida played about as poorly as it could and still managed to pull out a few wins, underwhelming as they may have been, but wins nonetheless. It's about time for the Bulls to pull it all together and win a game in convincing fashion. The 'Pack has had a tough time taking care of Big East opponents (that's a rare statement when it comes to Big East football) going 1-4 ATS in their last five games against teams from that conference. The trouble will continue on Saturday evening as Weekly Foe Matt Grothe will gut out a double digit victory.

Good Luck. Many Hundos.

Week 5: The Ticket Strikes Back

*4 Penn State (-16) over Illinois. It's a White Out! Happy Valley is going to be bumping, with the start of Big Ten play. The HD Offense, or whatever gimmick they are calling it is in full effect, and the Defense gets their two best D-linemen back from suspension. O Happy Day in Happy Valley. 16 is a lot, but with Juice Williams not playing like the mad man he was last year (presumably because he doesn't have Rashard Mendenhall to take the load off) and Penn State back in the national spotlight, look for Joe Pa to continue to run up the score on opponents.

*3 Auburn (-6.5) over Tennessee. Auburn's defense is absurd. If you were on the edge of your seat last week against LSU, you weren't the only one. It took a few gadget plays to get a score against the Auburn Defense. This week, Tennessee rolls in beaten and no longer overrated. Jonathan Crompton has proven to not be the QB he was in spring ball, and it is obvious why Ainge started ahead of him last year. Tennessee is a sinking ship and the 6.5 wont keep them afloat.

*3 Wisconsin (-6.5) over Michigan. Wisconsin is not the type of team that blows out the other opponent. But Michigan isn't the type of team that can stop Wisconsin this year. Rich Rodriguez's offense needs a QB to run this offense. They don't have it. Their defense is good, but PJ Hill will pound the ball away early, keep the defense on the field and slowly beat up Michigan. Michigan will not be ale to recover, and Wisconsin will have its way in the second half. Give the 6.5 and enjoy PJ Hill and the corn fed farm boys he has up front.

*2 Colorado (+5.5) over Florida State. I have to admit, I know little about Colorado, but what I do know is that Dan Hawkins is building a hell of a program. Lest we forget, he was the one who built up Boise State, before they were prominent. He is doing the same thing at Colorado. They play hard and they are getting 5.5. This game will be on national TV and Coach Hawkins will have his team ready to beat a Florida State team that has fallen from grace. Florida State was able to run up the score against perennial powerhouses Western Carolina, and Chattanooga, but their stellar offense couldn't score more than 3 against Wake Forest. I think they will score more than 3 on Saturday, but Colorado will be able to pull it out, or at least keep it close.

*3 Denver (-10) over Kansas City. The two worst teams in the league are in the state of Missouri. Show me a reason why Kansas City will stop Denver. There are none. Kansas City has a Journeyman QB that was originally beaten out for the No.2 job by a QB from Coastal Carolina. Their line is abysmal. Larry Johnson doesn't look like a superstar without a Pro Bowl Offensive line opening up holes that Big Baby can run through. Their defense gave away their only good player to Minnesota. They can't stop anyone and they can't score on anyone. The only reason the point spread is 10 and not 17 is that Kansas City has played Denver tough at home as of late. But that was before Jay Cutler's rise to Glory. This game is over at the half.

*2 Green Bay (+1) over Tampa Bay. Brian Grieve can't throw 60 times again this week, which is what he is going to need to do to outscore Green Bay's offense. Make no mistake about it, Green Bay has a lot of weapons, and can move down the field and score. The loss of Al Harris is concerning, but Tramon Williams is going to open some eyes. He is young, but he is fast and can cover well. He won't shut anyone down, but look for him to be serviceable in Al Harris' absence. Take the one point and watch Green Bay win outright.

*3 San Diego (-7.5) over Oakland. The House of Davis is in disorder. Run DMC was limited in practice on Thursday, as it appears his toe has gotten worse. LT on the other hand had his first full practice on Thursday. Phillip Rivers is on fire, and should continue to be on fire against the 26th ranked pass defense. Oakland is also the type of team that will fold if you go up on them early, which is what San Diego is going to try and do.

*3 Dallas (-11) over Washington. Dallas can score on the Redskin's defense the same way the Giants did. They will run hard and then go deep. The absence of Jason Taylor doesn't mean much but Demetric Evans' 9.5 sacks over the 80 games he played shouldn't scare Flozell Adams. Give the 11 and Watch Demarcus Ware terrorize Jason Campbell.

Big Willy Style's week 3 recap

• Dont get too excited about the Redskins 2-1 record, Arizona made too many mistakes in key spots that put the game on a platter for the Skins. Such is the growing pains for a talented team learning how to win tight games.
• The Titans defense is the reason they are 3-0. Kerry Collins will do just enough to win games and their running game is very underrated with rookie Chris Johnson. Many are surprised by their 3-0 start but not this guy, this is a good football team.
• The Giants didnt play their best game on Sunday but still found a way to win the game as championship teams do. There are not many players more clutch than Eli Manning when the game is on the line, you just know hes gonna come through.
• Ok what the hell happened in Foxboro this weekend. Ronnie Brown became Walter Payton, the Dolphins did to the Pats what the Pats were supposed to do to the Dolphins, and Bill Belichek gave credit to an opponent after the game. Just when I think I have this league figured out...
• The Vikings saved their season for now by a spirited effort by their defense that was spotty in the previous two weeks. They still have major issues on the offensive side of the ball, one being the name Frerotte on the back of the jersey of the guy taking snaps from the center.
• The Bears blew it... again. I didnt think they could top last week's debacle in Carolina but they pretty much doubled it at home against the Bucs. For 3 straight weeks teams have tried their best to hand them victories and we're only able to accept that gift once, just imagine when a team plays well against them.
• In another great comeback this week, Trent Edwards put the team on his back and the Bills escaped a scare from the Raiders and moved to 3-0. Edwards along with his team is fa real folks.
• The 8 people in the metropolitan area that watched the Atlanta-Kansas City game were treated to another great performance by Michael Turner who has been one of the league's best kept secrets his whole career.
• Another week, another anal drubbing taken by the Rams, and now we're hearing Trent Green is replacing Mark Bulger to turn the season around. If I we're them id investigate improving a defense that has given up somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 points in the first 3 games, but who am I to tell them what to do.
• In an extremely close 2nd to the pathetic Rams as NFL's worst team, we have the Lions. I'm sorry I don't have any advice, other than maybe bringing Scott Mitchell, Barry Sanders, and Herman Moore back out of retirement so at least they'll be good in a video game (an unreal trio in Madden 96 for Super Nintendo)
• Jay Cutler is quickly becoming my favorite QB in this league (who isnt a reigning superbowl MVP), and the Broncos are becoming my favorite team to monitor (who arent reigning super bowl champions). If they can just learn to stop someone on defense they may become the best team in the AFC.
• In my opinion, the best team in the AFC (Steelers) lost to the 3rd best team in the NFC....East (eagles). The score does not justify how lopsided this one was, maybe the Eagles will actually play meaningful games after Thanksgiving this year since superbowl 39.
• The Jags saved their season with an enormous come from behind win in Indy. When they run the football well they are as good a team as anybody to go along with that defense. Once I thought the Colts would take off after their win last week they go ahead and pull that at home. Maybe they should move back to the RCA dome.
• The Browns are 0-3 and look nothing like a competitive football team. Maybe its time for Brady Quinn to show what he can do, they have nothing to lose at this point.
• Yea yea the Cowboys won easily in Lambeau and are now 3-0 and now every NFL analyst on ESPN can talk about how unstoppable they are. Here's a healthy reminder how it always ends for them every year....http://z.hubpages.com/u/284238_f260.jpg
• What a job by Brett Favre last night. It was a Wills Reed'esque type performance playing through that gimpy ankle and trying to bring his team back from a tough deficit (which he had nothing to do with it was all his WR's fault running the wrong routes of course). I mean the man can do no wrong can he.

Beans' Weekly Wrap: Week 4

How does LSU do it? Les Miles must make some great adjustments or give great halftime speeches because no program in the nation consistently turns it on in the second half quite like the Bayou Bengals do... Florida beat Tennessee for the fourth straight year, and it was a blowout for the second straight year. At what point does Phil Fulmer need to go? He looked and acted like a desperate man on the sidelines Saturday night... Javon Ringer is not only going to be a Heisman candidate, he's going to be a star at the next level... You read it in this space last week, East Carolina wasn't going to go undefeated... Vandy is 4-0 and don't tell Phil Fulmer now but they may be the best team in the state... We're going to see a lot of Terrelle Prior this year and you won't hear too many people outside of the Boeckman family complaining about that... Wake Forest is looking like the class of the ACC... The way Nick Saban has turned Alabama into a contender so quickly is borderline unbelievable... Really nice win for Colorado on Thursday night over what was supposed to be a very good West Virginia team. The Buffs could be a Big XII contender next year, right now they are young and talented but are going to take some lumps in conference... Does anyone other than USC play football in the Pac-10?... Rutgers has totally fallen apart. They're 0-3 and now Mike Teel is swinging at teammates on the sideline. It's not going to get any prettier either, as they have the toughest schedule in the Big East from here on out. They may not even win four games... Good job by our own Big Baby Dean as he went 5-0 in his college picks this past weekend...

Week 4: A New Hope for The Ticket

NFL:

*2 Denver (-5.5) over New Orleans. Anyone who watches football can see that Denver has been playing well this season. They beat up on the Raiders and played a great game against a San Diego team that proves the old adage that it is better to be lucky than good. Denver is home. Denver is a tough place to play, and New Orleans is not physical enough. Deuce seems to be on Sean Payton's shitlist, which means that New Orleans is going to attempt to air it out on Dre Bly and Champ Bailey with Devery Henderson and thus far unproven Robert Meachem. I like Denver's odds in shutting down the passing game.

*5 Carolina (+3) over Minnesota. Carolina's defense is silently becoming one of the best in the league again. Minnesota has Adrian Peterson possibly out and a new starting quarterback, so how many points is Minnesota getting? WRONG! They are giving 3 because they are at home. Look for this to be a slam dunk as Minnesota goes 0-3. O yeah, and Steve Smith is back, and ready to dominate.

*3 Washington (-3) over Arizona. Washington is giving three, because they are home. I am not going to lie, those three scared me. But then I thought about the two teams the Cardinals dominated. The 49ers and the Dolphins. Awful. The Dolphins have the worst secondary in the league, and the 49ers are nothing to be impressed with. Washington's defense is pretty decent (despite what you saw on the Thursday night opener) and Jason Campbell looked somewhat comfortable last week. Add in the fact that Clinton Portis is going to be running angry after what Brian Mitchell said about him on the John Thompson radio show and I think Washington shows the rest of the league that the Cardinals are what we thought they were.

*3 Tennessee (-4.5) over Houston. Tennessee's defense is awesome. I don't know how they get it done, but Jeff Fisher has them ready to play every week. Kerry Collins looks like he has this offense ready to score. I look for Houston to still be a little woozy after the hurricane last week, and Tennessee to be prepared to make Houston's offense miserable. I know everyone is high on Steve Slaton in the zone blocking offense, but lets not forget that when keyed, he was shut down his senior year at WVU. If he puts up decent numbers in the first half, then I look for him to be shut down the second half. Take Tennessee.

College:

*3 Florida (-7.5) over Tennessee. Give the 7.5. Florida is just about to hit their stride, and they always get up for the Tennessee game. After watching Tennessee struggle in the last few weeks, and the fact that Jonathan Crompton is a little banged up, I think Florida runs up the score on the vols.

*3 Georgia (-7) over Arizona State. Arizona State was beat by UNLV last week. Nothing against UNLV, but they are not Georgia, and Arizona State is not going to know what to do with Knowshon Moreno (MIDDLETOWN SOUTH!). The dogs lay the touchdown and win by three touchdowns. GO DAWGS!

*2 Rutgers (-5.5) over Navy. Rutgers looks awful thus far. But they still have a lot of talent on that team. They have two WRs that will play in the NFL in a year or two, and a powerful offensive line. Look for Rutgers' defense to hold Navy's offense (which lost its pop when their coach went to GA Tech), and Rutgers to put up a few TDs. It will be enough to win by 5.5 points.

*2 UNC (-3) over Virginia Tech. Butch looks a year ahead of schedule on his rebuilding campaign. They are giving 3, at home, which is standard. VA Tech has been shaky on special teams, which is usually a staple for them, and their QB situation is shitty to say the least. UNC knows they need to beat VA Tech to be the team and get some national attention. UNC plays solid football, and fundamentals win this game as they grind it out on Saturday.

Big Willy Style's Football Friday

College Football

4* Auburn (+2.5) over LSU - Both these teams seem to be mirror images of each other, inexperienced QB's, dominating defenses, superior coaching. The home field advantage factor is huge in this game as the last 8 meetings have had the home team come out on top. Although past trends and results mean nothing tomorrow night, it is hard to go against Auburn at home, getting points, with that defense and big game Tommy against anybody. Take the Tigers but the ones wearing black tomorrow night.

3* Arizona (-3) over UCLA - Both teams are coming off humiliating losses last week against a team from a mid-major conference. UCLA came severly back down to earth after that massacre they suffered at the hands of BYU. Arizona is a much better team than what they showed last week in their loss to New Mexico and have one of the more explosive offenses in the Pac-10. They have showed consistency over the last 3 weeks which tells me they should have no problem keeping up the trend tomorrow by rolling over a reeling UCLA defense. The Wildcats get back on track tomorrow.

3* Fresno St (-7) over Toledo - We'll roll with the Bulldogs again as we expect them to play with a chip on their shoulder this week after blowing it against Wisconsin last week. Toledo's squad is not what it has been in past seasons, and Fresno has too much senior leadership on that team to have a down week and get upset. I expect Pat Hill's squad to be angry and come out fast and never look back with an easy 2 TD victory at least.

2* Air Force (+9.5) over Utah - Upset alert for the Utes here. Air Force is at home and has built momentum early this season and ALWAYS has giving Utah trouble year in and year out. Air Force has been know for their great running game, but the difference in this game will be their underrated defense which has allowed 12.6 points per game this season that will hold Utah down. Don't think those previous debacles vs. the Falcons will be running through the heads of Utah once Air Force gets a lead. This one will be a battle.

2* East Carolina (-7) over NC State - East Carolina's defense held down powerhouses Virginia Tech and West Virgina with relative ease. So how on earth is NC States pathetic offense going to be able to gain a yard in this game.... how? East Carolina can play defense blindfolded in this one if they want because there is no chance NC State's putrid offense will muster any more than 7-10 points. Not to mention the wolfpack is ravaged with injuries and the Pirates are gaining more and more steam and confidence with every week.... Take the Pirates, ARRRRGHHHHHH


Pro Football

5* Broncos (-5.5) over Saints - I think the Broncos go for 80 in this one. They are playing with serious momentum over last week's gutsy last second victory over their division rivals in San Diego, who they put up 39 on. Their opponent is down in the dumps after blowing a game to the lowly Redskins, and their secondary is banged up. Yes the same secondary that has to deal with suddenly the leagues most explosive passing game at mile high, a place the Saints havent visited since 1994. Jay Cutler will have his way all game long in this one and move his team to 3-0 and the dominating force in the AFC west.

3* Titans (-4.5) over Texans - The titans will continue their winning ways this weekend by dispatching division rival Houston, a team in disarray. The Texans simply dont have enough firepower to compete with Tennessee's dominating defense, and will struggle to move the ball all game long. Kerry Collins just wins football games, and should have no problem moving his team down the field against a Houston defense that struggles to put pressure on the quarterback, which is the only time Kerry runs into trouble. Look for Tennessee move to 3-o after a convincing 2 TD victory.

3* Panthers (+3) over Vikings - I've been hearing all week on ESPN that the Vikings are desperate and no way they lose this one at home as they are too good a team to start 0-3. Somebody tell me why Minnesota should be an elite NFC power. Their passing game is atrocious (and if someone out there thinks Gus Frerotte will improve that, kindly leave), their secondary is a joke, oh and on top of that Adrian Peterson may not play, and if he does wont be anywhere near himself. Couple this with a 2-0 team that is getting the best WR in football back this week to go with a now healthy Jake Delhomme and the Vikes are going to have issues. Take Carolina.

2* Falcons (-6) over Chiefs - The Falcons should have no problem dispatching the struggling Cheifs. I dont think Herm Edwards' classic rants can save his squad this year, as they have shown no signs of being a competitive football team this year. Yes even the Falcons can beat down on them. KC gave up 300 yards rushing to the Raiders last week, so (fantasy alert) expect Michael Turner to be able to backpedal his way to 100 yards rushing. Matt Ryan will get over his poor performance last week in the friendly confines of the Georgia Dome.

2* Bills (-9.5) over Raiders - Alrite I'll admit it, I have a hard-on for the Bills. Look the freak out for this team this year and look for them to win by 20 in week 3. Darren Mcfadden wont come near the success he had this week because well, hes not playing the Chiefs (see above). The Bills defense is as good as it gets and Trent Edwards is slowly becoming the best QB in the league you've never heard of (mainly because hes not starting for a fantasy team because QB rating isnt a fantasy category). Watch the Bills pull away in the second half and move to 3-0, I cant wait for them to take on the Pats.

College Football YTD (8-7) +3.1 units
Pro Football YTD (4-5-1) -3.4 units
Pending: Bears (1-1) under 7.5 wins (5 units) and Titans (2-0) over 8 wins (2 units)