Weekend Football Roundup

With Week 2 of College Football down the drain, and Week 1 of the NFL almost in the books, lets take a gander and what we know, what we thought we knew, and what we think we will know after tonight:

 

• South Carolina and Notre Dame can officially be counted out of the National Title Picture. You can make the obvious joke here and probably be right (that Notre Dame will probably still earn a BCS game even with another loss) but you can count them out of the Title game becuase they’re defense looks worse than last year against Alabama and Michigan wasnt near the opponent of 2012 Alabama. South Carolina and Spurrier also put up a poor showing on defense and appear destined to play in a bowl thats before New Years Day.

• One final thought on college football this wekend: my preview for Saturdays games may have been the most poorly predicted games of my lifetime. I was in an airport leaving Disney, so I sort of have a defense, but never the less, I promsise I’ll never toss up another stink bomb that bad. Just to recap my disaster: Notre Dame/Michigan wasnt all that close (Michigan was clearly better), WVU stood with Oklahoma instead of getting mauled, South Carolina lost to Georgia (never bet on a good SEC team to start 0-2 unless its Tennessee) and Miami beat Florida and beat them handily with that stout defense. I now feel vindicated as an FAU grad and fan.
• So San Fran is really good. And Colin is not a fluke. And Boldin is still relevant.  And despite they’re defense getting a biot toasted (Rodgers factor) they are still really good.
• Is Tampa Bay one of the dumbest teams out there?  Don’t underestimate the reason as them playing for a firey coach that perhaps they have already tuned out. Greg Schiano has college coach written all over him for 2014, and Tampa Bay has rebound team written all over them once he leaves and they hire a “players coach.” Vincent Jackson was a beast, by the way. He’d look great in midnight green complimenting DJax. PS: now the Jets are 1-0 and have that false sense of hope again. I secretly love when that happens to teams like the Cowboys,but sheesh, leave the Jets alone Karma gods. They deserve a break.
• Loved the way Geno Smith, EJ Manual and Terelle Pryor looked yesterday. Feisty if not spectacular. They will at least be fun teams to watch this year instead of train wrecks.
• Disappointed in Cleveland yesterday.  Looked good for 3 quarters and then Miami woke up from a slumber and trounced them. I wanted them to be a (sound, sound) sleeper this year even though I strongly dislike Joe Banner.
• I LOVE when the Bengals do Bengals things. And Jay Cutler! Who woulda thunk it?!
• Was Matthew Stafford looking really really good or was Minnesota looking really really bad? Other than Adrian Peterson, I’m not entirely sure they have a team.
• Welcome back to the conversation New Orleans. And Atlanta….your the mid-2000’s Atlanta Hawks of the NFL. Just frisky enough to make regular season noise, tough at home, very very good #1 guy, (Matt Ryan-Joe Johnson who are very very good but not elite) and will bow out of the playoffs to a real contender.
• Andy Reid had a nice showing in his debut with the Chiefs. I am rooting for him and I think they will be a decent 9-7ish team this year with playoff potential in a weak AFC.  The AFC right now has Denver, Baltimore, and New England as playoff locks. The other 3 teams? Tell me KC isnt as good as Indy, Houston, Tennessee, Pitt, or Cincy. See, you can’t.
• The NFC East is sure not the NFC Beast anymore. I mean, I could be wrong and Washington could just maul the Eagles tonight but I don’t see that happening. More likely scenario: Washington wins 24-20, goes to 9-7 and battles with the Giants and Cowboys for that division title all the way into week 17.  I see the Giants winning the division though (assuming Tom Coughlin isn’t sitting in a jail cell alongside Aaron Hernandez for murdering David Wilson.)

Fantasy Studs: Peyton Manning, Colin Kaepernick, Reggie Bush, Aaron Rodgers, Wes Welker, Victor Cruz, Adrian Peterson, Anquan Boldin.

 

Fantasy Duds: Chris Johnson, MJD (please don’t see my article vs. The Duke. Please, don’t.), David Wilson, Montee Ball. Doug Martin, Aaron Hernandez (sorry, had to)

 

Monday Picks: Wash 24-20 over Eagles, Hosuton 31-7 over Whale’s Vagina.