Borderline Fantastic Sports

Just in case you haven’t been to ESPN.com today (or on Tuesday), Kenny Mayne’s new web show debuted this week. You know what, it isn’t completely terrible and has a lot of potential. I expected it to be completely terrible because ESPN hasn’t done anything good in quite some time (getting ESPNews HD next week will get them a point). I know Kenny Mayne is funny. In fact, I would have been even more pleased that if instead of this show they posted his segments from Sunday NFL Countdown (there is no way I’m watching a NFL pregame show). If those are already online and I’m just missing them, please point me in the right direction.

Here is the first episode, which was the better of the two out so far …

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Virginia Tech @ Miami (FL), Thursday 7:30pm
Mike: Seems to me that Miami has lost to all the good teams they’ve played (Florida, Florida St, and UNC). This will be a classic ACC defensive struggle (what?). While this is a home game, there must be a difference this year playing in Dolphin Stadium vs the Orange Bowl. From what I know about these teams, or at least think I know, Virginia Tech likes to cause mistakes and Miami likes to make them. Pick: Virginia Tech
Evan: Thursday night games involving Virginia Tech usually means the game is at Virginia Tech, in which case I would pick them. However, we’re in Miami, and are the Hokies still on their third string QB? Pick: Miami
Ahad: VTech needs to straighten out their QB situation, but offense hasn’t been a strength for this team in a long time. Miami is still a very young team, but has a lot of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Turnovers will be the key to this game. Pick: V-Tech

Northwestern @ Michigan, Saturday 12pm
Mike: So has Michigan figured things out or did they just match up well against Minnesota? Who knows about Northwestern. A loss to Indiana is a bad mark. They bounced back to beat Minnesota before getting blown out by Ohio State. I’ve been burned by thinking Michigan had things figured out before. Well, figured out enough to beat the average Big 10 teams. Pick: Michigan
Evan: Northwestern came back to reality last week. Even I am starting to feel a little bad for the UM fans, seeing their team lose at home so much. I’m going with a morale boosting win for the big blue (at which point some fans will be sick at the thought that beating Northwestern has become morale boosting). Pick: Michigan
Ahad: Michigan is actually starting to look a real team. Northwestern is on its way down. Pick: Michigan
Matt: I am still not feeling this Michigan is good again vibe. I am enjoying their current misery, and it will continue. Pick: Northwestern

Ohio State @ Illinois, Saturday 12pm
Mike: Really? This is one of the 5 best games of the week? Either we screwed up selecting games or this is a really bad week. Except, this game didn’t look appealing last year and what happened? I didn’t get to see this matchup last year, Penn State was playing at Temple. I did get to listen to the last few minutes on the ride home. No way Ohio State lets that happen 2 years in a row. They still want a BCS bowl this year. Pick: Ohio State
Evan: I may have had to think about this game a little more before I saw what both Ohio State and Illinois did last week. Pick: Ohio State
Ahad: Ohio State still has a shot at sharing the Big 10 title. Illinois has had a disappointing season. Pick: OSU
Mike: I can’t believe I forgot to mention that Coach Zook’s squad lost to Western Michigan. While they seem to be having a good season, they are still a directional state school.
Matt: What a disappointing team Illinois is this year. Wow. Juice Williams did play amazing last year in their upset over OSU, but can he do it again this year? I feel like Illinois will be fired up, and play their best ball of the season, but it won’t be enough, because OSU is rolling now. Pick: Ohio State

Arizona @ Oregon, Saturday 6:30pm
Mike: My Ducks are back. They’ve been quiet this year. Hanging outside the rankings so they couldn’t burn me in picks. Lucky for them, this week we had to go further down the board for games. Outside of the USC game that Arizona played well in, I don’t believe I’ve seen anything from these teams. Surprisingly, they are still in the Pac-10 hunt. That is, if you are open to the chance that USC or Oregon State will lose a game. I’m going to decide this game the way I should any other Pac-10 games the rest of the season. You might say a good way would be how the teams played against USC and Oregon State. But no, I’m going to go with how they played against Washington and Washington State. Arizona: 107-42, Oregon: 107-24. Ok, so I’ll pick Oregon. But I have to say Arizona, how did you give up 28 to Wazzu? Their next highest total of the season was 17 at Baylor. I guess you can chalk it up to the fat they had been shut out in their previous 2 games.
Evan: I’d like to thank Mike for doing some homework for me. That’s as good a reason as any to pick Oregon, also it’s at Oregon, and they’re supposed to be good there. Pick: Ducks
Ahad: I thought we were done picking Oregon games. The Pac-10 is still a weak conference. Pick: Arizona
Matt: Arizona seemed to hold their own against USC last weekend. I am not sure if they can do the same this week in Oregon. I think the Ducks have a big advantage at home. Pick: Oregon

Vanderbilt @ Kentucky, Saturday 8pm
Mike: First, since this isn’t a great week for college football, I wanted to see what the primetime games were. ABC: Oklahoma State @ Colorado or Boston College @ Florida State (I looked at the coverage map for ABC and realized I didn’t really care either way), ESPN: Mississippi State @ Alabama (at least you’ve got the #1 team), ESPN2: Vanderbilt @ Kentucky (good matchup but certainly not top of the line), ESPNU: Connecticut @ Syracuse. If you feel like waiting until a little later and get FCS Pacific you can watch UCLA @ Washington, which might be the most entertaining out of that lineup. So back to this game. Can I classify Kentucky as annoying? Not to me but to the almost top teams of the SEC. Losing to Alabama by 3 and Gerogia by 4. I saw almost top teams because they lost to Florida by 58. Vandy on the otherhand is in a tailspin. Remember the talk a few weeks ago about them becoming bowl eligible? Well they’ve lost 4 straight and are still not eligible. They even lost to Duke. Lucky for them next week they get Tennessee. It should be close, Kentucky hasn’t been pulling away from teams in the SEC. So it could go either way. But based on Vandy’s recent struggles, I have to go Pick: Kentucky
Evan: Kentucky looked real good last week. Most of that was because they were so hyped to play a Georgia team they thought was down and out. Kentucky historically plays to the level of their opponent (exception UF), that would normally be good news for Vandy, but their offense is so awful right now that it would be difficult to imagine them getting far on Kentucky’s better than average D. Pick: Cats
Ahad: There are some really bad games this week. I don’t know too much about either team in this matchup. Pick: Vandy
Matt: Kentucky played a good game last week, and have been one of the top defensive teams in the SEC. Vanderbilt, has really gone downhill since they were the host of College Gameday. I think Kentucky wins it big. Pick: Kentucky

Giants/Eagles
Ahad: This game was another disappointing one. I was still stung by the PSU loss, so this one really didn’t bother me that much. The Eagles aren’t a good team. They are decent, but they don’t appear to be a contender. But then again, that is all the ownership wants. The Eagles were helped out by the turnovers. If the Giants didn’t turn the ball over, this game would have been a blowout. The challenge of the play where Eli crossed the line of scrimmage was bs. That play changed the outcome of the game. Of course Reid’s play calling on the last drive was terrible. This team is incapable of running a hurry up offense. I don’t understand why Reid still thinks they can run the ball in short yardage situations. They haven’t been able to do it all season, why would you try on 3rd and 4th down at the end of the game.
Mike: I didn’t see much of this game. I was actually footballed out. Only took 11 weeks for that to happen. I’m with Ahad, this is just a decent team. They aren’t going to beat the very good teams, but they’ll make it close. If they play a bad team they will look as good as any team in the league.

Titans/Bears
Ahad: The Bears were able to completely shut down the Titans running game. Kerry Collins proved that he can still get the job done when called upon. This was the first time he threw for more than 200 yards in a long time. I still say the Titans are the best team in football.

Penn State/Iowa
Mike: What happened? Clark fumbled on the first drive. Nothing new, he makes a mistake early in almost every game. Clark threw a pick in the 4th Quarter. The wind caught it. The Penn State defense in the 2nd half shut down Iowa on 1st and 2nd down only to give up 1st downs with ease on 3rd down. It looked like the defense of the past few seasons. Only Saturday they didn’t just bend the way they used to, they broke.
Evan: I flipped between this game and the Bama/LSU game. I wasn’t surprised with how Penn State’s offense played, especially on the road, in that weather. What did surprise me was the way their defense let Iowa march up and down the field. Mike put it best when he said they finally broke.
Ahad: I was afraid this would happen. The team dominated in the first half but was unable to put enough distance between them and Iowa. The weather played a factor with the passing game, but it shouldn’t have come down to that. The offense failed to execute in the red zone and the defense wore down in the 2nd half. Maurice Evans has been almost invisible this season. He went from a first round pick to a guy that better stay in school. Who was in charge of calling time outs with Paterno in the booth? I bet it was McQuery. Why didn’t they start taking time outs when Iowa was in field goal range? Looks like they will have to focus on the Rose Bowl and a possible matchup with USC.

Alabama/LSU
Evan: A lot of hype surrounding this game. Bama is clearly the better team. LSU made a game of it by being at home and feeding off of the anti-Saban energy in the crowd. Bama/Florida should be a heck of an SEC championship game, but I will call it right now - John Parker Wilson has not impressed me, and the Gator defense he faces will be the best one he’s ever seen. Most of those Gators have been on the big stage before and they will take care of business.

Texas Tech/Oklahoma State
Evan: I was sure that TT would lose one of its last two games, now I’m not so sure. Their offense literally looks unstoppable, but I still have to wonder just how bad those Big 12 defenses are? It’s difficult to judge them based on limited cross-conference game action.
Ahad: I only saw the highlights of this game, but Texas Tech looked very impressive. I still say the Big 12 is the best conference in the NCAA.

Winning With Style
Mike: All week everything I heard about the PSU game was that they needed style points. I didn’t understand that. I don’t care if they win all their games 70-0 the rest of the way. If Alabama and Texas Tech win out, they will be #1 and #2. If one of them loses and PSU won out, being 12-0 would be style points enough. There was a gap between the top 2 teams and PSU. Who’s fault was that? Many are blaming PSU’s schedule, but in reality it is because of a weak Big Ten. When Illinois loses to Western Michigan, you know your conference is incredibly week. As for the schedule, PSU gets to schedule 4 non-conference games. They had 2 cupcakes: Coastal Carolina and Temple and 2 from major conferences: Oregon State and @ Syracuse. Both of those wound up being cupcakes. Turns out Oregon State was no cupcake, but no one knew it at the time. As for Syracuse, they have a solid history. When these games were scheduled there was no way knowing that Syracuse would be terrible and PSU would be great. Based on their status just a few years ago, the 2 programs could be swapped right now and no one would be all that surprised. Look down the road a bit and PSU has Alabama scheduled for 2 years. Looks like an amazing matchup right now. But what if one of the programs is really bad in 2 years. Will everyone be slamming one of the programs for scheduling such a weak opponent?
Evan: There’s not much you can do in the way of predicting how teams will be when you schedule them way in advance. UF played Hawaii this year, had they played them at the beginning of last year when they had Colt Brennan, the Gators still would have won, but it would have looked a whole lot better for their strength of schedule. The best thing you can do is root for your own conference. I’ve been saying for years that one of the differences that exists in the SEC as opposed to any other BCS conference, is that while there are rivalries, we all root for each other when we’re not playing each other. Not too long ago it was pointed out to me that Michigan and Ohio State fans could never root for each other, even in Bowl games. That kind of talk makes no sense to SEC fans. We understand that a rising tide raises all ships (no pun intended on that one).
Mike: First, Evan, how do you respond to this story about a couple shot to death after an argument about the Alabama/LSU game. When I first saw it, I immediately thought of your theory of conference harmony. Secondly, I forgot to mention about winning with style but your conference depends on your ability to win with style late in the season. You can win with style in Florida in November. What about the Big 10? You are just trying to make sure you keep all your digits.
Evan: I would be surprised if any of the people involved with that were actual alumni. Also, notice how I said that we root for each other when we’re not playing each other. During game weekends, the other team is our worst enemy, whether in conference or not. Cooler heads prevail during the week, when we see how our united strength is a benefit to all. You are correct about the big 10, you won’t get style points in November. Maybe give the receivers those hand warming gels to put underneath their gloves?
Ahad: I am not a big fan of this concept of winning with style points. It basically comes down to blowing out your opponent. Believe me, I am all for running up the score if the situation calls for it, but most of the time it is uncalled for. The risk of someone getting hurt increases drastically in a blowout. It shouldn’t matter if you beat a team by 20 or by 3. A win is a win. Granted, there are degrees of how convincing the win was, but embarrassing the other team is too risky. The concept of conference harmony makes sense to me, but I can’t see it happening. It is just my hateful side coming out.

Scores from Week 11

Saints @ Falcons, Sunday 1pm
Evan: Two dome teams. Atlanta is the New Orleans of a couple years ago. A home game for the Falcons with a division rival. I gotta go with the hot QB. Pick: Atlanta
Mike: Pick: Falcons I’m going to start with the pick. The Saints haven’t shown me anything except a few big plays by Reggie Bush, who likely won’t be playing. At this point it looks like Matt Ryan will only have trouble with tough defensive fronts. I wouldn’t put the Saints on that list.
Matt: The Saints need a win to keep pace with the rest of the division. Their offense can move the ball but the questions remain about their defense. Meanwhile, Atlanta has been playing above expectations on both sides of the ball. I like Atlanta to continue to play well and win a close one. Pick: Atlanta
Ahad: The Saints defense has been a problem all season long. I don’t see them fixing their problems now. They won’t cause Matt Ryan and that running game any problems. Pick: Atlanta

Titans @ Bears, Sunday 1pm
Evan: I guess the Titans are pretty good. Sexy Rexy is back for the Bears, unless Orton pulls a Kirk Gibson. I’m going to continue to pick against the Titans until they lose. Pick: Bears
Mike: I knew Evan would be all over Sexy Rexy. I’m also concerned about Evan’s twisted logic of picking against the undefeated team until they lose. This game will be studied by future QBs for years to come. What is the over/under on TD passes? I’m going to say whichever team has the TD pass wins. It’s about time Collins gets one. Pick: Titans
Matt: If Orton were playing, I would be tempted to pick the upset. With Sexy Rexy, I don’t see them having as good of a chance. Grossman is turnover prone, and the Titans are great at taking the ball away. Both teams have good run games, and good defenses, so whoever can move the ball through the air better wins it. I think Collins protects the ball better than Grossman. Pick: Tennessee
Ahad: Orton or not, I like the Titans. Pick: Titans

Bills @ Patriots, Sunday 1pm
Evan: Bills have faltered lately, and Belichek rarely loses two in a row. Pick: Pats
Mike: Bellichek rarely loses 2 in a row, or Brady rarely loses 2 in a row? You also might say Dick Jauron doesn’t lose 3 in a row. I don’t know why you’d say that though, I have no proof if that is in any way factual. The Patriots impressed me by not getting blown out by the Colts. There is a ringing endorsement if I’ve ever heard one. Pick: Patriots
Matt: The Bills need a win badly, and they haven’t beaten a division opponent yet. Will their desperation for a win be enough? Belichick will have his team ready as usual, and this game has a field goal feel to it. I am gonna go with the Bills, just because they need the win more. Pick: Buffalo
Ahad: Pick: Patriots

Colts @ Steelers, Sunday 4:15pm
Evan: Steelers are hobbled all over the field. Colts looked good against New England. Pick: Indy
Mike: My plan for the Steelers is for them to lose to all the NFC East teams and beat everyone else. Then they went and lost to Washington and screwed that all up. This is not a 13 or 14 win team, so they can’t just lost to the NFC East now. I like the Steelers at home. Their pitfalls come in the next few weeks. Pick: Steelers
Matt: The way the Steelers attacked Campbell and the Redskins offensive line last week was downright scary. The current Colts offensive line is not as good, so I am fearing for Peyton Manning’s life. If anyone can solve the Dick LeBeau blitzes, it would be Manning, so I feel the Colts have a fighting shot in this game. But the Steelers at home, and having a good run game, not to mention their stout defense, will propel them to the win. Pick: Pittsburgh
Ahad: Pick: Colts

Giants @ Eagles, Sunday 8:15pm
Evan: Much bigger game for the Eagles than it is for the Giants. I think Philly comes out more fired up then any game they’ve played so far. Pick: Eagles, in a squeaker
Mike: The Eagles have slowly been getting things together leading up to this game. I think the offense is clicking well enough. I think the key will be the Eagles D-line getting a little pressure on Eli Manning and the secondary, who should be pumped for this matchup, making a few plays. The Eagles will just need to shut down the Giants running game enough to keep the score low. Pick: Eagles
Matt: It is unlikely Dallas can win the division, so I just have to hope for the Giants to continue to beat everyone else. Philly/New York games are always a treat to watch. The Eagles keep it close, but the Giants run game will wear down the Eagles front and the Giants pull it out in the 4th. Pick: New York
Ahad: Pick: Eagles

Our first game of the week, TCU-Utah was previewed yesterday.

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina, Saturday 12pm
Mike: What stands out when looking at the results for these 2 teams? They each have 2 losses. They each have lost to Virginia Tech and Virginia. In fact, they lost in consecutive weeks to Virginia Tech 20-17. Both teams need this game equally. The winner keeps pace with the top of the Coastal division. It’s difficult to predict Georgia Tech games. There is no way of predicting how the opponents defense will handle their offense. The Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt may be out, leaving the job to Freshman Jayboo Shaw. Nesbitt threw 5 passes against Florida State, Shaw threw 1. So does the QB really matter. I think it’s a tossup without the QB issue. However if Nesbitt isn’t 100% or the Freshman starts I give the edge to North Carolina. Pick: North Carolina
Evan: Georgia Tech surprised me with how they played last week against FSU. UNC rolled over a weaker BC team. There is more momentum going for the Yellow Jackets. Pick: Georgia Tech
Matt: Both of these teams have been surprises this year, and it should be a good battle. Does the winner decide the ACC? We shall see. Ga. Tech was lucky to escape with a win last week. The fumble into the endzone at the end of the game cost FSU the win. That Ga. Tech player was fortunate to recover it seeing as he tried to pick it up and run with it. Just fall on it! I like what I have seen from UNC this year more than Ga. Tech. Pick: North Carolina
Ahad: UNC

Alabama @ LSU, Saturday 3:30pm
Mike: I will do my best to not let my desire for an Alabama loss to cloud my judgment. There is much talk about the Saben element. I’m not sure how much that will influence the outcome. This isn’t like the pros, the same players aren’t around. The crowd will be more interested than the people down on the field. The LSU crowd will already be nuts so adding the Saben part won’t make much difference. It’s been a few weeks since Alabama has been tested. Arkansas State and Tennessee don’t count. Close games against Mississippi and Kentucky, which shouldn’t have been close do. LSU’s loss to Georgia 2 weeks ago concerns me. Pick: Alabama
Evan: I’ll be glued to the tv for this game. I think it will be a battle royale, back and forth, up and down, in and out, etc… Too bad for LSU this is a day game. I gotta root for Bama to stay undefeated until the SEC championship game, and this is the toughest test they have left. Pick: BAMA
Matt: As much as an Alabama loss would be nice, it is not going to happen this week. LSU has struggled this year against the top teams in the SEC, getting blown out by Florida and Georgia. This game will be closer than those, but I am still feeling an Alabama win. Pick: Alabama
Ahad: LSU

Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech, Saturday 8pm
Mike: This looks to be an outstanding game. I would have expected a letdown from Oklahoma State after the Texas game, but they had Iowa State next up on the schedule. Will this be the letdown delayed a week? I don’t think so. It will just be that Texas Tech is the better team is playing at home. I think Texas Tech will be rolling into Oklahoma next week undefeated, but not coming out that way. Pick: Texas Tech
Evan: Texas Tech was introduced to the country last week as a major player. They still have no defense. These kids aren’t ready for the spotlight yet. Pick: Oklahoma State
Matt: Oklahoma State will have to run the ball to keep the Tech offense off the field and drain some clock. The OSU defense will have to step up and get some stops. Hard game to call. I am excited to get to watch Crabtree and Bryant, probably the top two wideouts in the country, do their thing. I am saying it comes down to a final play, Dez Bryant for the touchdown with 1 second left. Pick: Oklahoma State
Ahad: Texas Tech

Notre Dame @ Boston College, Saturday 8pm
Mike: An interesting choice for this week, neither team is in the Top 25. Boston College has lost 2 straight, including 1 to Clemson. Should a decent team be losing to Clemson this year? Notre Dame is coming off a 4OT loss to Pittsburgh where they forgot how to score when it got to OT. I’m going with Notre Dame learning a lot from that loss last week. Pick: Notre Dame Is it odd for Notre Dame to be playing a night game? I don’t pay close enough attention to Notre Dame to know this. I kind of remember an early season night game at Georgia Tech not too long ago.
Evan: The last time I remember watching a Notre Dame night game was the “Bush Push” game against USC a few years ago. I’ve always like to watch this battle of the Catholics, even when neither team is having a great season. I like ND to come out of this one with a last minute field goal.
Matt: Wasn’t the PSU-Notre Dame game last year a night game, with the all stadium white out? I don’t feel that BC is all that strong of a team, and I feel that Notre Dame is just a little bit better, so I like Notre Dame in a close one. Pick: Notre Dame
Mike: I believe the USC-Notre Dame game Evan is speaking of was a 3:30 game. That was the same day as the Penn State game at Michigan I was at, which started at 3:30. I remember because we were at a rest stop in Ohio when Notre Dame fans started coming in, looking nearly as depressed as we were. The ND game at PSU last year started at 6 I believe. Close enough to night.
Ahad: BC

This has been a busy week, the Thursday game snuck up on us. It’s a good one so we want it to count toward our pick total. Even if most us us will be completely guessing.

TCU @ Utah, Thursday 8pm
Matt: Not too much time to write an extended preview, but I like TCU in this game. Pick: TCU
Ahad: Utah looks to keep hope alive for a BCS game. TCU is a solid team, but home field makes the difference. I’m all for BCS chaos, except of course if it involves PSU. Pick: Utah
Mike: I’ve been looking forward to this game. However, I haven’t had the time this week to look too far into the teams. Based on results the teams match up fairly evenly. TCU’s loss came at Oklahoma. What stands out to me is TCU’s handling of BYU. While Utah’s game against BYU isn’t for a few weeks, I like that they handled them. Pick: TCU
Evan: Urban Meyer coached Utah. Pick: Utah

See, we did it quickly.