Borderline Fantastic Sports

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs Texas, Monday (Jan 5) 8pm
Matt: Got to go with Texas here. They have a beef with the BCS, and they can still keep their national title hopes alive, at least in the voting polls. They could gain a share of the title with an impressive victory. I think it is going to end up a close game though. I feel that the Texas defense is not that strong, and Ohio State should be able to move the ball and score some points. The OSU defense should be able to slow the Texas offense, but will it be enough? Ohio State will win if Pryor plays lights out. I think the fact that Boeckman will see some playing time will be intriguing. However, I like Colt McCoy to control and win the game with his arm and his feet. Pick: Texas
Ahad: This is the matchup where I would love to see both teams lose. If you could somehow include Notre Dame into this, you would have the schools that I hate the most. With that being said, I predict Texas will come out on top. They will probably look to run up the score in order to impress the voters to try and grab a share of the national title. It will be interesting to see how OSU uses Prior and Boeckman at the same time. They have had plenty of time to come up with some gadget plays. I don’t think OSU has the offensive firepower to stay in the game. The OSU defense is good, but Texas is very good at getting favorable matchups, for example getting Shipley against middle linebackers. I think McCoy will have a strong game and use this to springboard into the NFL. Pick: Texas
Mike: Ohio State did not deserve a BCS bid. So that should be an obvious Texas pick. But Ohio State hates me and could show up just to spite me. My actual concern is that the Big 12 teams have not looked good so far. I thought Texas Tech and Oklahoma State would win easily. No such luck. Still, as it has been mentioned. Texas has something to prove. Pick: Texas

GMAC Bowl: Ball State vs Tulsa, Tuesday (Jan 6) 8pm
Matt: Ball State was undefeated all season until they lost to Buffalo in their finale. A quick look at their schedule showed that they didn’t play that many good teams. I think Tulsa’s schedule was tougher, and they were also a pretty good team throughout the year. Pick: Tulsa
Ahad: I don’t know too much about either team here except that Ball State really dropped the ball against Buffalo. Look for them to rebound from that costly setback. Pick: Ball State
Mike: Tulsa burned me earlier in the year when they looked unbeatable. This should be an entertaining matchup. I really don’t have a strong sense either way. Pick: Ball State

Falcons @ Cardinals
Evan: I love the Falcons story and have become a Matt Ryan fan. I know the Cardinals have a big edge at home. What they also have another edge - an EDGErrin James distraction that is! Pick: Falcons
Mike: ESPN had a poll question, ‘What is the most intriguing Wild Card matchup?’ I went with this game. It was way behind the others, only getting about 6%. So many questions. What will Matt Ryan be like in the playoffs? What will Arizona be like having a playoff game at home? Is Kurt Warner still able to win? Do you remember last year’s Falcons team? This is the only game this week I am thinking for more than a second about who to pick. Since I’m going with the road team in the other games and there can’t possibly be 4 road wins, I have to go with the Cardinals.
Matt: Arizona did not play well to close the season, but they are very potent in the passing game and solid on defense. Atlanta comes in pretty hot, and there just seems to be something about this team. I can’t believe I am saying this, but I think I trust Matt Ryan more than Kurt Warner. Crazy, I know. This is a game where I don’t care who advances, because I think Warner is a good story this year and so are the Falcons. I think the Falcons will ride Matty Ice and a strong game from Michael Turner to victory. Pick: Falcons
Ahad: This game is the biggest question mark of the weekend for me. Arizona has looked really bad the last few weeks while the Falcons have played really well. All logic points against the Falcons here. They are on the road with a rookie QB. Arizona will try and get points on the board early in order to force the Falcons into abandoning the running game. Look for Kurt Warner’s experience to lead the Cards to victory. Pick: Cards

Colts @ Chargers
Evan: Both teams come in with a lot of momentum Phillip Rivers has had a great year, and while the Colts have been real hot, I don’t fell like they are winning the way they used to. Pick: Chargers
Mike: I’ll use Evan’s phrase, ‘the Colts have been real hot.’ I think that about does it for me. Pick: Colts
Matt: The Colts are as hot as they come right now, but the Chargers are close behind. It is amazing the Chargers even made the playoffs. The winner of this game should scare the daylights out of either Pittsburgh or Tennessee. I think the winner has a great shot at the Super Bowl. Both QB’s had fantastic seasons, and I have always been a big Peyton Manning fan. This one should be fun to watch. Pick: Colts
Ahad: Both teams on riding high coming into this game. The Chargers have been on fire on the defensive side of the ball since Ron Rivera took over. They are back to being an aggressive attacking defense, even with Merriman. One intriguing aspect of this matchup is that both teams have struggled running the ball this year. LT really misses Lorenzo Neal, but has shown glimpses of being the old LT in recent weeks. If it comes down to which team has a better passing attack, the Colts will win. However, I see LT and Sproles causing some problems for the Colts defense. Pick: Chargers

Ravens @ Dolphins
Evan: Miami hosting a playoff came? crazy. They say that defense wins championships, and rookie quarterbacks do not (save big ben). I’m going with Pennington. Pick: Dolphins
Mike: Even more than remember how bad the Falcons were last year, what about the Dolphins? And they get a home playoff game. Against a rookie QB. Ravens D lives for the playoffs. Pick: Ravens
Matt: Both of these teams were last in their respective divisions last year and turned it around big time behind rookie head coaches. These are two more great stories. I think the Dolphins are going to gear up to shut down the run, putting the game in Flacco’s hands. I think Pennington will play his usual turnover-free, dink and dunk style game. He will have to against Ed Reed and the opportunistic Ravens defense. I like both teams, but I like the Dolphins at home. Pick: Dolphins
Ahad: Neither offense is going to scare anyone, but the Ravens defense is nasty enough to make up for the offense. I expect an ugly defensive struggle. Pick: Ravens

Eagles @ Vikings
Evan: The confluence of circumstances that occurred to put the Eagles in this game are astounding. I think Philly knows that and will not take it for granted. The Eagles need to run the ball at least 30 times to win, because Sal Paolantonio said so. I think Westbrook has a big day. Pick: Eagles
Mike: I thought that Minnesota was a solid place for football, yet they can’t sell out the stadium for a playoff game? I don’t know about running the ball 30 times but I think they need to throw it in there enough, even if they are getting no gains. This Minnesota run defense will be tough. This Eagles D knows exactly what it has to do, stop AP. At least when the D has a job, they get it done. I hope the O gets it done just enough. Pick: Eagles
Matt: I do care who advances in this game, and I will obviously be rooting for the Vikings. Can they get it done? I don’t really know. I believe Tarvaris Jackson will be starting, so the key will be if he can make some plays down the field to take pressure off AP. With all the things going the Eagles way these past few weeks, they have the feel of a team of destiny. I think they take this one before getting ousted next week. Pick: Eagles
Ahad: Playing in a dome is perfect for Andy Reid, but not necessarily for the Eagles. I am concerned that he will try and throw the ball 100 times. However, Tavaris Jackson will be a sitting duck for the Eagles defense which is among the best in the league statistically. Look for big plays in the passing game with Westbrook. Pick: Eagles

Cotton Bowl: Mississippi vs Texas Tech, Friday (Jan 2) 2pm
Ahad: Texas Tech should feel slighted for not getting a better game. They will make a statement that they belong with the elite teams in the nation. Pick: Texas Tech
Matt: I think this game will be closer than most think. Mississippi ought to give Texas Tech a game. After all, they were able to knock off Florida in Gainesville. I just think Texas Tech is too explosive. Pick: Texas Tech
Evan: Ole Miss would have had a shot against a lot of teams, but it’s just bad luck that they have to play a tech team that is pissed off. Pick: Tech
Mike: I’m with Evan. I’ve had my eye on the giant killers (handing the top teams their 1 loss) but Texas Tech is out to get respect. Pick: Texas Tech

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs East Carolina, Friday (Jan 2) 5pm
Ahad: East Carolina
Matt: Hmm, tough call here. East Carolina had the better record, but Kentucky played in the tougher conference. I give East Carolina the edge though, slightly. Pick: East Carolina
Evan: Kentucky had been injured the last half of the season, otherwise they would have had a better record. SEC homer, pick: UK
Mike: Remember when East Carolina was going to run the table? They started off the year with two big wins, when no one else was playing anyone. Then they fell off. Kentucky lost 3 straight to end the year. Pick: East Carolina

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Utah vs Alabama, Friday (Jan 2) 8pm
Ahad: Alabama
Matt: I honestly don’t know how well Utah matches up with Alabama. Utah has beaten some good teams, but they haven’t faced a team like Alabama. Utah keeps it interesting in the 1st half, but Alabama will pull away in the 2nd. Pick: Alabama
Evan: It’s a home game for Bama and Saban is pretty good in bowl games. Pick: Bama
Mike: I think the only way Alabama loses this one is if they come in not caring. Utah will be ready to play but Alabama is definitely a better team. I hear that as far as coaching football goes, Saban is pretty good. Pick: Alabama

International Bowl: Buffalo vs Connecticut, Saturday (Jan 3) 8pm
Ahad: UConn
Matt: This is Buffalo’s first ever bowl game. Why isn’t this bowl game played before New Years? It doesn’t really fit in with the others. Buffalo was the only team to beat Ball State this season, so I am sure they are no pushover. I think Donald Brown will carry UConn to victory, though. Pick: Connecticut
Evan: Buffalo, because why not?
Mike: At first I had a problem with these bowls happening after New Years but with the BCS Championship pushed out a week, I’m ok with it now. My bigger problem with this game is that there are plenty of northern cities that don’t have bowl games, yet Toronto gets one? I know Ahad is still bitter over Buffalo’s Hail Mary to beat Temple (and so am I). Looking at schedules, cause that’s all I have for these two teams, UConn started off strong but Buffalo finished strong. Pick: Buffalo

Outback Bowl: South Carolina vs Iowa, Thursday (Jan 1) 11am
Ahad: Could this be Ferentz’s last game at Iowa? He is rumored to a candidate for a few NFL openings. Clearly if Iowa can beat PSU, they should be able to beat any team in the nation. Pick: Iowa
Matt: Ahad, I like the way you stated your last sentence. Iowa comes in the hotter and better team in my estimation. South Carolina played some of the better teams in the SEC pretty tough for the most part. However, Shonn Greene and Iowa should handle the Gamecocks fairly easily. Pick: Iowa
Evan: I’ve got to be an SEC homer and go with South Carolina, even though Iowa always plays well in the outback bowl.
Mike: Iowa has gotten so little respect this year, thanks to the Big Ten being not so good. Pick: Iowa

Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs Michigan State, Thursday (Jan 1) 1pm
Ahad: I need to stick with my Big 10 allegiances. Pick: MSU
Matt: Michigan State didn’t look very good against Penn State in the finale. Georgia comes off a tough loss to Ga. Tech where they had a rough time defensing the run. Look for Javon Ringer to get lots of touches early and often to test Georgia’s run defense. This one really could go either way, but I feel like Georgia was more consistent throughout the season. Pick: Georgia
Evan: Georgia in a laugher.
Mike: I’m with Matt. I would have picked MSU but they didn’t seem to care in the PSU game. They had just lost their shot to play for a Rose Bowl berth before the game started, but no excuse. Georgia’s 3 losses came to Top 15 teams. Pick: Georgia

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs Clemson, Thursday (Jan 1) 1pm
Ahad: Clemson has been a huge disappointment this season. This game can go one of two ways. It will either be a terrible end to a terrible season, or it will be the spring-board to a strong campaign for next season. I am going to go optimistic on this one. Pick: Clemson
Matt: I feel like Nebraska had a better than expected season while, as Ahad mentioned, Clemson disappointed. They also lost their head coach midway through the season. They have rebounded of late to win 3 straight. However, I am liking Nebraska in this game, and I’m not sure why. Pick: Nebraska
Evan: Clemson is looking to erase this season and look forward to next year. I hate Nebraska. Pick: Clemson
Mike: Nebraska, in a New Years bowl? I’m a little surprised. They quietly had an alright year. They only lost to Top 25 teams. They didn’t beat any Top 25 teams though. But Clemson was just a disappointment this year. Pick: Nebraska

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi: Penn State vs USC, Thursday (Jan 1) 4:30pm
Ahad: For obvious reasons, this is the bowl game I am most looking forward to. This match-up features two of the nation’s best defenses. A lot of people will be surprised by the team speed that PSU has. Clark will have a target on his back because the Trojans know that PSU doesn’t have an accomplished backup. If he gets knocked out, the game is over. USC doesn’t seem very interested in this game as they are “tired of beating up on the Big 10″. Look for PSU to put them in their place. Pick: PSU in a close game.
Matt: This is one of the better games of the bowl season, if not the best. Both team’s defenses should control the game. I think whoever makes the least mistakes and turnovers should come out on top. Most people aren’t really giving PSU a shot. Maybe it is because of the Big Ten image, or maybe it is because everyone is in love with USC. But I will tell you this much…I don’t ever remember Penn State not being ready for a bowl game. They generally perform better than their other Big Ten counterparts. Balance on offense will be the key to beating the USC defense and getting pressure on Sanchez will be the key to slowing the offense. It’s time to show the nation what Penn State is all about and reverse the image of the Big Ten. Pick: Penn State
Evan: I hope everything you guys said will come true, but I don’t think it will. Pick: USC
Mike: At first thought this has all the makings of the defensive battles PSU has played against Ohio State in PSU’s BCS seasons. Lots of punts but with so much talent on the teams, you are just waiting for the big play to blow the game open. Only the time just eventually melts away. The USC offense has too many weapons. I think a few of those big plays happen. Right when PSU looks out of hit one of our WRs will make a huge play. Clark needs to air it out. Who do you think I’m picking? Pick: Penn State

FedEx Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech, Thursday (Jan 1) 8:30pm
Ahad: It can be argued that neither team deserves to be in this game, but conference ties made it happen. Cincy has been under the radar all season, as I have yet to watch any of their games this season. V-Tech always comes through with defense and special teams. Pick: V-Tech
Matt: It is tough to gauge this Cincinnati team coming out of the Big East. The only teams they really beat were West Virginia and Pitt, and they lost against Oklahoma. Va. Tech has more experience in bowl games and bigger games in general. That should give them the edge here. I will be rooting for Cincinnati, but … Pick: Va. Tech
Evan: I just became friends with a former Virginia Tech cheerleader. She says they are ready to go. Pick: Hokies
Mike: Have you ever been to a concert where everybody leaves before the headliner? This could be a decent matchup, but how many people are going to care? How do you pick one of these teams? Who ever knows with the Big East and Virginia Tech just managed to be the last team standing in the ACC. You just have to go with what you know better. Pick: Virginia Tech

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs Air Force, Wednesday (Dec 31) 12pm
Evan: If you pick Houston, it means you hate America. Pick: Air Force
Matt: These two have already played once with Air Force winning by 3. Houston has been pretty dynamic offensively this season, but Air Force looks like the better team. Pick: Air Force
Ahad: The school that produced Kevin Kolb gets no love from me. Wouldn’t it just be wrong if one of the Armed Forces doesn’t win the Armed Forces Bowl? Pick: Air Force
Mike: Air Force

Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs Pittsburgh, Wednesday (Dec 31) 2pm
Evan: Neither Oregon State nor Pittsburgh get a lot of sun. Who can handle the heat? Pick: Oregon St
Matt: I am not much of a fan of Pitt, and they compiled their winning record playing in the weak Big East. Oregon State fell just short of the Pac 10 title. I am a fan of OSU and JacQuizz. Pick: Oregon State
Ahad: I find myself picking against teams I dislike rather than going with teams I like. I guess that means I have more hate than love. Pitt falls into the hate category. Pick: Oregon State
Mike: Pittsburgh finished the season strong and I was leaning toward them after being disappointed with Oregon State’s loss to Oregon with the Rose Bowl on the line. Turns out Oregon is better than I thought. Pick: Oregon State

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Boston College vs Vanderbilt, Wednesday (Dec 31) 3:30pm
Evan: Vandy sneaked into this bowl game with a terrible offense. Pick: BC
Matt: Vanderbilt has only won one game since their 5-0 start. Boston College should win their 9th bowl game in a row. Pick: Boston College
Ahad: BC
Mike: Where’d that super Vandy team go? Pick: Boston College

Insight Bowl: Kansas vs Minnesota, Wednesday (Dec 31) 5:30pm
Evan: Kansas
Matt: Minnesota comes in on a 4 game losing streak and looking pretty bad in losses to Michigan and Iowa. Kansas is coming off an unexpected triumph over Missouri in their regular season finale. Pick: Kansas
Ahad: As much as I would like the see the Big 10 rack up a victory, it’s not going to happen in this game. Pick: Kansas
Mike: Minnesota last game was a 44-0 loss to Iowa. I have little faith in them. Pick: Kansas

Chick-fil-a Bowl: LSU vs Georgia Tech, Wednesday (Dec 31) 7:30pm
Evan: Everyone loves Georgia Tech. I think Les Miles has been using this time to show his team how bad everyone thinks they are. Pick: LSU
Matt: I don’t think LSU is THAT bad. I just don’t think they are as good as Georgia Tech. Pick: Georgia Tech
Ahad: Georgia Tech’s running game will cause a lot of problems for LSU. How good is that LSU defense going to be with a lame duck coordinator? Pick: G-Tech
Mike: A lot of teams I don’t trust today. Two of them in this game. There is talent on this LSU team somewhere, right? Did you know LSU won the BCS National Championship last year. Yea, it was only a year ago. Pick: LSU

Ahad is victorious in this season’s picks. He won by a solid 3 games. Evan will wonder what-if as he finished 4 back after not submitting any picks for Week 15. Evan can hang his hat on winning the group on Ice Cream Helmet. That group includes all games, includes spreads, and wager points. So, while Evan only had 1 more correct pick than Matt and I in the ICH group, thanks to wager points he won by 57. An impressive showing.

I decided I wasn’t through making picks for the NFL season. So I decided to add playoff games to the mix.

You can either make ICH Picks or create a group and invite your friends.

Home team in CAPS. Spreads are from time of this posting and may change before kickoff.

Papajohns.com Bowl: North Carolina State vs Rutgers, Monday (Dec 29) 3pm
Ahad: Rutgers
Evan: This boils down to, who likes pizza more? I say Piscataway. Pick: Rutgers
Matt: Both of these teams come in on some pretty good win streaks: NC State has won 4 in a row and Rutgers has won 6 in a row. I like Rutgers to make it 7 in a row. Pick: Rutgers

Valero Alamo Bowl: Missouri vs Northwestern, Monday (Dec 29) 8pm
Ahad: Missouri
Evan: Chase plays a great game. His girlfriend gets back together with him. Pick: Missouri
Matt: I would not be surprised if Northwestern were able to pull this game out. I still like Missouri, though. Pick: Missouri
Mike: Northwestern had a good year for Northwestern. 5 wins in the Big 10, how’d they manage that? Missouri just got rolled by the Big 12 South. Still, I don’t think these teams are in the same league. Pick: Missouri

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland vs Nevada, Tuesday (Dec 30) 4:30pm
Ahad: Nevada
Evan: The Terps won every time I picked against them. I’m gonna see what it looks like on the other side of the fence. Pick: Maryland
Mike: Oh no, not Maryland. I hope I have my 1 confidence point game left. Nevada had Boise State at home this year but they are in the same conference, so most of the players have seen the blue turf before. I say that’s an advantage. Pick: Nevada
Matt: I don’t know too much about this Nevada team, but they played a tough schedule and beat some decent teams. Maryland has been wildly inconsistent this season. I am gonna go with the more consistent team. Pick: Nevada

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs Oregon, Tuesday (Dec 30) 8pm
Ahad: Ok State
Evan: I’m gonna pick Oklahoma State for no other reason than Janke will pick Oregon.
Mike: How dare you assume my pick. I won’t let my undetermined affection for the state cloud my picking. At first glance I thought there was a larger margin between these two teams. They both have 3 losses. OK State to Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma. Not much fault there. Oregon to Boise State, USC, and Cal. Still not that close, but closer than I thought. Pick: Oklahoma State
Matt: This one ought to be a doozy. First one to 40 wins? Maybe even 50? I am very tempted to pick Oregon after how they rolled over Oregon State. Oklahoma State played in the tougher conference, and I think that gives them the edge here. Pick: Oklahoma State

Texas Bowl: Western Michigan vs Rice, Tuesday (Dec 30) 8pm
Ahad: Western Michigan
Evan: Central Michigan screwed me over. Pick: Rice
Mike: I enjoy Evan taking out his anger with CMU over another directional Michigan school. Umm, Rice has won 6 straight. I like the sound of that. Pick: Rice
Matt: Both teams had pretty good records this season. Central Michigan screwed me over as well. I am a big fan of rice the food, so…Pick: Rice

Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia vs North Carolina, Saturday (Dec 27) 1pm
Ahad: West Virginia
Evan: Pat White’s last game, he runs wild. Pick: WVU
Mike: If Pat White is so good, why did Cincinnati win the Big East? North Carolina had a solid year before struggling the last few weeks. It’s though to base anything on that a month later. Pick: North Carolina
Matt: Both of these teams were inconsistent if anything during the 2008 season. It is hard to get a read on either of them. I feel like West Virginia has more upperclassmen leadership to get them ready and through this game. Pick: West Virginia

Champs Sports Bowl: Wisconsin vs Florida State, Saturday (Dec 27) 4:30pm
Ahad: My morals will not allow me to pick FSU. Pick: Badgers
Evan: Home game for the Noles, it helps that the Badgers suck. Pick: FSU
Mike: Morals aside, Wisconsin was a bad Big Ten team. Pick: Florida State
Matt: As hard as it is to pick Florida State, I am gonna have to do it. Wisconsin had a bad year, and Florida State is more talented. Pick: Florida State

Emerald Bowl: Miami (FL) vs California, Saturday (Dec 27) 8pm
Ahad: Last I heard Marve was suspended for this game. Pick: Cal
Evan: Tough call, Miami has underachieved this year. It could be argued they played their best game in a 17 point loss to UF at the beginning of the year. Pick: Cal
Mike: This is one of my least favorite bowls. It just doesn’t look right at AT&T Park. Marve suspended for Miami. Longshore starting for Cal. I liked Longshore last year but this year Cal can’t seem to find an answer at QB. The QB issues aside, Miami has more talent. Pick: Miami (FL)
Matt: This game is being played in California, so advantage goes to Cal. Miami also has a few key players suspended for the game. Pick: California

Independence Bowl: Northern Illinois vs Louisiana Tech, Sunday (Dec 28) 8:15pm
Ahad: Northern Illinois
Evan: I remember when northen illinois had a really good running back, who was that guy? Pick: NIU
Mike: Garrett Wolfe and Michael Turner both went to NIU. I think Wolfe is who you are thinking of. I like this game because I feel like Louisiana Tech is a perennial cupcake and has made it to a bowl. I don’t like this game because the teams are at or barely over .500, each with 3 conference losses. It’s really a coin flip for me. Pick: Louisiana Tech
Matt: Didn’t Brandon Jacobs also attend NIU after transferring from Auburn? Judging from each team’s schedule, Louisiana Tech appeared to have a better resume. Pick: Louisiana Tech

Through 8 Games:
Evan: 3-5
Ahad: 2-6
Matt: 2-6
Mike: 2-6

Raiders @ Buccaneers, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: All Eagles fans will be rooting for the Raiders to pull off the upset, but I don’t see it happening. Everything points in favor of the Bucs in this one. Not only is the NFC South a juggernaut at home, but the Raiders won last week. When was the last time the Raiders won two weeks in a row? Pick: Buccaneers
Evan: I completely agree with Ahad. Pick: Raiders
Mike: What about that NFC South home juggernaut last week against the Chargers? Still, I don’t see it happening twice in a row. Pick: Buccaneers
Matt: You have to believe the Buccaneers can pull this one out, right? Teams have been able to run on the Bucs the past few weeks, so look for the Raiders to do more of the same. I don’t think it will be enough, though. Jeff Garcia should make just enough plays to get the Buccaneers over the hump. Pick: Buccaneers

Bears @ Texans, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: The Bears still have a shot at the playoffs and Texans are running out the clock on the season. The Texans are coming off a bad loss to the Raiders; any loss to the Raiders is a bad loss. Pick: Bears
Evan: Texans play the role of spoiler, briefly giving the Eagles fans hope before they flip the channel and see the Bucs stick a game winning field goal. Pick: Texans
Mike: Texans may be a .500 team forever. Just not getting over the hump. Although, you could argue that without the hurricane related troubles early in the season, they might have come close to a playoff spot. I don’t count the Raiders loss against them. They had to go to Oakland and the Raiders have been playing better. Pick: Bears
Matt: Like Mike said, Houston has been hovering around .500 to finish the season the past few years. They need one more win to get there. Chicago is still playing for a playoff spot and division title. I like Houston at home to end Chicago’s playoff run. Pick: Houston

Dolphins @ Jets, Sunday 4:15pm
Ahad: The Division is at stake in this battle. The Dolphins can complete one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history with a win. I would love to see the Dolphins win this one just because of Chad Pennington. The Jets basically put the blame on him for the team’s recent failures. He is a solid quarterback. It would be amazing to see Pennington come into the Meadowlands and end the Jets season. Pick: Dolphins
Evan: I can’t wait for this game. I’m gonna go with Favre in the cold weather. Pick: Jets
Mike: Farve in cold weather? This won’t be Pennington’s 1st cold weather game. Also, its going to be fairly warm tomorrow, at least until the sun goes down. The Jets have been struggling and the Dolphins are 8-1 in their last 9. Pick: Dolphins
Matt: This should be a good game. It is hard for me to root against either team or either QB. I like them both. I think Pennington has more added incentive to win, and what a turnaround it would be for the Dolphins. You have to like a story like that. The Dolphins are hot, and the Jets are not. Simple as that. Pick: Dolphins

Cowboys @ Eagles, Sunday 4:15pm
Ahad: This game really doesn’t need any other build-up to be an intense battle. Both teams are fighting for playoff spots. These teams are very tough to get a read on. They can look really good and really bad in the same game. This could be the last game in the Reid/McNabb era and it could be Wade Phillips’ last game as head coach. I think this game will be just as exciting as the first matchup. With all of the receivers back, Reggie Brown can go back to being a spectator. He is a bum who won’t be back next year. The crowd should be extremely hostile for this game. I look for turnovers and special teams to be the difference. Pick: Eagles
Evan: I concur. Eagles.
Mike: I’m not sure this is an easy one to pick if it’s meaningless for the Eagles. Had they known the whole week they were out and playing to spoil the Cowboys season, I think its a different story. Of course, it is also the Eagles style to show up when they are just too far out. Pick: Cowboys
Matt: Let me just put it this way. If the Cowboys lose, I am going to lose a lot of faith in them further down the road in future seasons. They have tons of talent…let’s see it show up when they absolutely need a win. Granted, they have been struck by an enormous amount of injuries and drama this season, but good teams are supposed to overcome that. Let’s see if they do. In my opinion, the Cowboys need to ride Tashard Choice to victory. Yeah, that’s right, Tashard Choice. If he gets 25-30 touches, they should end up winning the game. Pick: Cowboys

Broncos @ Chargers, Sunday 8:15pm
Ahad: The Broncos are on the verge of a huge collapse. Granted if Ed didn’t blow the call in the first meeting, this game is meaningless. The Charges are on a hot streak and keep it going all the way into the playoffs. LT finally has an “LT” caliber game. Pick: San Diego
Evan: Ahad has shown to be incredibly intelligent this week. Pick: SD
Mike: The Chargers win in Tampa Bay gave me a little confidence in them. I have none in the Broncos. Pick: Chargers
Matt: Ah, yes, the Ed Hochuli Bowl. It would be great if he were officiating this one. The Chargers are hot and extremely lucky to be in the position they are. Denver could not get the job done in winning the division. San Diego will thank them for their collapse. They will be a tough out in the playoffs. Pick: San Diego