CFB Playoff Preview & Predictions

            The college football regular season has been played and the College Football Playoff Final Four has been set. It hasn’t gotten to this point without huge speculation and controversy and teams being left out. Teams with good resumes like Penn State (11-2, Big Ten Champions), Michigan (10-2) & Oklahoma (10-2, Big 12 Champions). 

The final four has been set and goes as follows:

#1. Alabama (13-0, SEC Champions)

#2. Clemson (12-1, ACC Champions)

#3. Ohio State (11-1, Share of Big Ten East Division Champions)

#4. Washington (12-1, Pac-12 Champions)

Matchups Will Be

#1 Alabama vs. #4 Washington

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

2PM CST ESPN

#2 Clemson vs. #3 Ohio State

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl

6PM CST ESPN

           

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide		#4 Washington Huskies
	Quarterback	^^^
^	Running Back	^
	Wide Receivers	^^^
^^^	Tight Ends
^^^	Offensive Line
^^^	Defensive Line
^^^	Linebackers
^^^	Cornerback	^^^
^^^	Safeties
^^^	Special Teams

            This game should be closer than a lot of people expect it to be. I feel Washington has more offensive firepower as terms as explosive plays than Alabama. If Washington finds ways to make those explosive plays against Alabama’s stout defense and make the game a shootout, it’s going to be tougher game for Alabama. I feel Washington QB Jake Browning can spread the ball to his playmakers around the field. The thing that Alabama defenses historically have had a struggle with is mobile QB’s that can throw as well and Jake Browning just doesn’t have the mobility to make them fear that. QB Jalen Hurts has been tremendous as far as his running ability but when forced to make the necessary throws down the field he’s struggled a bit on that aspect. If Washington can take his legs away and make him throw consistently they have a shot to pull off the upset.

My Pick: Alabama 31-20

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl

#2 Clemson Tigers		#3 Ohio State Buckeyes
^^^	Quarterback	^^^
	Running Back	^^^
^^^	Wide Receivers
^^^	Tight Ends	^^^
	Offensive Line	^^^
^^^	Defensive Line
	Linebackers	^^^
	Cornerback	^^^
^^^	Safeties	^^^
^^^	Special Teams

            Now I’m going to say this beforehand I’m going to try hard not to be so bias with me being a huge Ohio State fan in all. This matchup will be the more competitive of the 2 Semi-Final matchups. This game will be a more physical brand of football which favors Ohio State because of the more dominant running game and offensive line. If it becomes a shootout it favors Clemson because of Clemson QB Deshaun Watson & his ability to thrown the ball down the field, and Ohio State & QB J.T. Barrett hasn’t kept a consistent passing game all season long. Ohio State’s defensive backfield with S Malik Hooker & CB Gareon Conley among others can make life difficult for the Clemson receivers. It will be a closely contested contest with Ohio State running the ball to keep Deshaun Watson off the field.

My Pick: Ohio State 28-24

National Championship Game

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide		#3 Ohio State Buckeyes
^^^	Quarterback	^^^
	Running Back	^^^
^	Wide Receivers	^
^^^	Tight Ends
^^^	Offensive Line	^^^
^^^	Defensive Line
	Linebackers
^^^	Cornerback	^^^
^^^	Safeties	^^^
^^^	Special Teams

            This National Championship game is going to be similar to the 2014-15 National Semi-Final Sugar Bowl game. Both teams play a very physical brand of football. Both teams pound the rock a ton. Both teams have mobile QB’s that can create plays with their legs. Both teams had more talented rosters in the 14-15 game they still play the same style of football. This matchup is a toss-up pick’em kind of game and will be hard to choose a winner. Ohio State has the one thing that exposes Alabama’s weakness which is a mobile QB in QB J.T. Barrett. Will the National Championship pressure make Alabama Freshman QB Jalen Hurts crack? Ohio State offensive has more to throw at the Alabama defense than the Alabama offense can throw at the Ohio State defense despite having the big TE O.J. Howard. It will be a chess matchup between Alabama HC Nick Saban & Ohio State HC Urban Meyer. Each coach will have specific game plans for each other and will make the matchup that much more intriguing.

My Pick: Ohio State Wins the National Championship

31-28

Should The NFL Get Rid Of Thursday Night Football Games?

One of the many stories of this NFL season are the ratings of the NFL games being down. There are many different theories and suspicions to why they are down. For example, the Colin Kaepernick protests, player safety issues, quality of play, & the domestic violence issue. The main one I want to put a focus on are the issue of the Thursday Night Football games. I think the NFL needs to do away with the TNF games for several reasons. I will point them out to you.

                Reason #1 is the quality of play. The NFL is already grueling enough with the 16 -game schedule and to have a Thursday night game every week is taxing on the player’s bodies with that very short time of body rest between a Sunday game to a Thursday night game. It’s understood that every team does it throughout the season but nonetheless is a very taxing task. That’s giving players only a 3-day rest between games versus the typical week they would get playing a Sunday or even a Monday game. On January 29, 2015, the NFL released its health and safety report, which states that an average of 4.8 injuries were sustained during Thursday games compared to 6.9 injuries per game on Sundays and Mondays.

                Reason #2 is the matchups being shown. Games like the Ravens vs Browns, Texans vs. Patriots, Packers vs Bears have been absolute blowouts and non-contest games. The Browns are a team who haven’t won a game yet and look awful. Now answer this who in their right mind wants to see a team who is 0-9 on Primetime TV. I’ll wait………… EXACTLY No One. The Packers vs Bears is a huge rivalry game but let’s face it the Bears aren’t a good football team so you’re walking into the game knowing the results already before the game even kicks off.

                Reason #3 is the oversaturating of games. The NFL season has lost a bit of its lure and lust for games by having bad TNF games every week. Everybody became so read for Sunday’s to arrive so they can watch their team play. The anticipation for Sundays alone made people want to watch football on that one particular day. When fans like me see bad matchups on Thursday the hype and anticipation for Sunday’s dwindles dramatically because the game is so bad that the anticipation for Sunday’s take a hit. Honestly Thursday games should only be for opening night to kick off the much-anticipated NFL season & Thanksgiving because of the tradition of family, food, & football

                Thursday night games haven’t been good since it’s full-time inception in 2012 and I personally think it’s time for the NFL to do away with them and return to its traditionally just Sunday & Monday football. Us as fans haven’t shown much interest, the matchups are bad, the quality play is bad, & it’s purely oversaturating the sport. 

10/31 MNF Preview

Monday Night Football Preview

                This week’s MNF Matchup sees NFC North Division rivals battler as the 5-1 Minnesota Vikings travel to take on the 1-6 Chicago Bears.

Minnesota Vikings		Chicago Bears
^^^	Quarterback
	Running Back	^^^
^^^	Wide Receivers
^^^	Tight Ends
^	Offensive Line	^
^^^	Defensive Line
^^^	Linebackers
^^^	Cornerback
^^^	Safeties
^^^	Special Teams

                The Minnesota Vikings are just an overall better team than the Chicago Bears. The Losses of Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson & Matt Kalil have proved not to hinder this team being successful despite the talent hit the losses took to the team. Their defense has been DOMINANT this season holding teams to 14 Points Per Game, 279 Yards Per Game (1^st in the NFL). Their Offense has been steady treading water, keeping them in games while the defense dominates. The Acquisition of QB Sam Bradford as a replacement to Teddy Bridgewater has proven to be a smart move for the Vikings.

                The Chicago Bears have been awful to say the least this season. Rather it’d be giving up leads, not able to convert on late game chances to win, blowing late game coverages, injuries. It seems to all be going downward for the Bears this season. The Bears do get Jay Cutler back to replace the serviceable Brian Hoyer who went down last week vs. Green Bay with a broken arm. But with Jay Cutler what are you getting back, whose play the last few seasons warrants him to no longer be in Chicago. They’ll be without Pro Bowl G Kyle Long due to an arm injury which is a real hit to the already struggling offensive line.

                I’m a diehard Bears fan but I must be a realist, it’ll be hard to see but pleasantly surprising to see the Bears win tonight. Based off rivalry alone it could be a close game but with the Bears absolutely struggling this season I can’t see them pulling off any type of upset in this one.

My Pick: Vikings 31-14

2016 NFL Preview & Predictions

AFC Projections

2016 AFC East

	Buffalo Bills	Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	New York Jets
Week 1	@ Ravens	@ Seahawks	@ Cardinals	Bengals
Week 2	Jets	@ Patriots	Dolphins	@ Bills
Week 3	Cardinals	Browns	Texans	@ Chiefs
Week 4	@ Patriots	@ Bengals	Bills	Seahawks
Week 5	@ Rams	Titans	@ Browns	@ Steelers
Week 6	49ers	Steelers	Bengals	@ Cardinals
Week 7	@ Dolphins	Bills	@ Steelers	Ravens
Week 8	Patriots	BYE	@ Bills	@ Browns
Week 9	@ Seahawks	Jets	BYE	@ Dolphins
Week 10	BYE	@ Chargers	Seahawks	Rams
Week 11	@ Bengals	@ Rams	@ 49ers	BYE
Week 12	Jaguars	49ers	@ Jets	Patriots
Week 13	@ Raiders	@ Ravens	Rams	Colts
Week 14	Steelers	Cardinals	Ravens	@ 49ers
Week 15	Browns	@ Jets	@ Broncos	Dolphins
Week 16	Dolphins	@ Bills	Jets	@ Patriots
Week 17	@ Jets	Patriots	@ Dolphins	Bills

2016 AFC North

	Baltimore Ravens	Cincinnati Bengals	Cleveland Browns	Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1	Bills	@ Jets	@ Eagles	@ Redskins
Week 2	@ Browns	@ Steelers	Ravens	Bengals
Week 3	@ Jaguars	Broncos	@ Dolphins	@ Eagles
Week 4	Raiders	Dolphins	@ Redskins	Chiefs
Week 5	Redskins	@ Cowboys	Patriots	Jets
Week 6	@ Giants	@ Patriots	@ Titans	@ Dolphins
Week 7	@ Jets	Browns	@ Bengals	Patriots
Week 8	BYE	Redskins (London)	Jets	BYE
Week 9	Steelers	BYE	Cowboys	@ Ravens
Week 10	Browns	@ Giants	@ Ravens	Cowboys
Week 11	@ Cowboys	Bills	Steelers	@ Browns
Week 12	Bengals	@ Ravens	Giants	@ Colts
Week 13	Dolphins	Eagles	BYE	Giants
Week 14	@ Patriots	@ Browns	Bengals	@ Bills
Week 15	Eagles	Steelers	@ Bills	@ Bengals
Week 16	@ Steelers	@ Texans	Chargers	Ravens
Week 17	@ Bengals	Ravens	@ Steelers	Browns

2016 AFC South

	Houston Texans	Indianapolis Colts	Jacksonville Jaguars	Tennessee Titans
Week 1	Bears	Lions	Packers	Vikings
Week 2	Chiefs	@ Broncos	@ Chargers	@ Lions
Week 3	@ Patriots	Chargers	Ravens	Raiders
Week 4	Titans	@ Jaguars (London)	Colts (London)	@ Texans
Week 5	@ Vikings	Bears	BYE	@ Dolphins
Week 6	Colts	@ Texans	@ Bears	Browns
Week 7	@ Broncos	@ Titans	Raiders	Colts
Week 8	Lions	Chiefs	@ Titans	Jaguars
Week 9	BYE	@ Packers	@ Chiefs	@ Chargers
Week 10	@ Jaguars	BYE	Texans	Packers
Week 11	@ Raiders (Mexico City)	Titans	@ Lions	@ Colts
Week 12	Chargers	Steelers	@ Bills	@ Bears
Week 13	@ Packers	@ Jets	Broncos	BYE
Week 14	@ Colts	Texans	Vikings	Broncos
Week 15	Jaguars	@ Vikings	@ Texans	@ Chiefs
Week 16	Bengals	@ Raiders	Titans	@ Jaguars
Week 17	@ Titans	Jaguars	@ Colts	Texans

2016 AFC West

	Denver Broncos	Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	San Diego Chargers
Week 1	Panthers	Chargers	@ Saints	@ Chiefs
Week 2	Colts	@ Texans	Falcons	Jaguars
Week 3	@ Bengals	Jets	@ Titans	@ Colts
Week 4	@ Buccaneers	@ Steelers	@ Ravens	Saints
Week 5	Falcons	BYE	Chargers	@ Raiders
Week 6	@ Chargers	@ Raiders	Chiefs	Broncos
Week 7	Texans	Saints	@ Jaguars	@ Falcons
Week 8	Chargers	@ Colts	@ Buccaneers	@ Broncos
Week 9	@ Raiders	Jaguars	Broncos	Titans
Week 10	@ Saints	@ Panthers	BYE	Dolphins
Week 11	BYE	Buccaneers	Texans (Mexico City)	BYE
Week 12	Chiefs	@ Broncos	Panthers	@ Texans
Week 13	@ Jaguars	@ Falcons	Bills	Buccaneers
Week 14	@ Titans	Raiders	@ Chiefs	@ Panthers
Week 15	Patriots	Titans	@ Chargers	Raiders
Week 16	Chiefs	Broncos	Colts	@ Browns
Week 17	Raiders	@ Chargers	@ Broncos	Chiefs

BOLD=Wins

AFC East	AFC North	AFC South	AFC West
(2) New England Patriots  11-5	(1)   Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4	(3) Indianapolis Colts 10-6	(4) Denver Broncos 10-6
(5) New York Jets 10-6	Cincinnati Bengals 9-7	Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9	(6) Oakland Raiders 10-6
Buffalo Bills 7-9	Baltimore Ravens 8-8	Houston Texans 7-9	Kansas City Chiefs 9-7
Miami Dolphins 4-12	Cleveland Browns 4-12	Tennessee Titans 4-12	San Diego Chargers 7-9

AFC MVP: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Sleeper Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC Breakout Player: Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC Player On the Decline: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins

AFC Rookie of the Year: Will Fuller, WR Houston Texans

NFC Projections

2016 NFC East

	Dallas Cowboys	New York Giants	Washington Redskins	Philadelphia Eagles
Week 1	NY Giants	@ Cowboys	Steelers	Browns
Week 2	@ Redskins	Saints	Cowboys	@ Bears
Week 3	Bears	Redskins	@ Giants	Steelers
Week 4	49ers	@ Vikings	Browns	BYE
Week 5	Bengals	@ Packers	@ Ravens	@ Lions
Week 6	@ Packers	Ravens	Eagles	@ Redskins
Week 7	BYE	@ Rams (London)	@ Lions	Vikings
Week 8	Eagles	BYE	@ Bengals (London)	@ Cowboys
Week 9	@ Browns	Eagles	BYE	@ Giants
Week 10	@ Steelers	Bengals	Vikings	Falcons
Week 11	Ravens	Bears	Packers	@ Seahawks
Week 12	Redskins	@ Browns	@ Cowboys	Packers
Week 13	@ Vikings	@ Steelers	@ Cardinals	@ Bengals
Week 14	@ Giants	Cowboys	@ Eagles	Redskins
Week 15	Buccaneers	Lions	Panthers	@ Ravens
Week 16	Lions	Eagles	@ Bears	Giants
Week 17	Eagles	@ Redskins	Giants	Cowboys

2016 NFC North

	Chicago Bears	Detroit Lions	Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings
Week 1	@ Texans	@ Colts	@ Jaguars	@ Titans
Week 2	Eagles	Titans	@ Vikings	Packers
Week 3	@ Cowboys	@ Packers	Lions	@ Panthers
Week 4	Lions	@ Bears	BYE	Giants
Week 5	@ Colts	Eagles	Giants	Texans
Week 6	Jaguars	Rams	Cowboys	BYE
Week 7	@ Packers	Redskins	Bears	@ Eagles
Week 8	Vikings	@ Texans	@ Falcons	@ Bears
Week 9	BYE	@ Vikings	Colts	Lions
Week 10	@ Buccaneers	BYE	@ Titans	@ Redskins
Week 11	@ Giants	Jaguars	@ Redskins	Cardinals
Week 12	Titans	Vikings	@ Eagles	@ Lions
Week 13	49ers	@ Saints	Texans	Cowboys
Week 14	@ Lions	Bears	Seahawks	@ Jaguars
Week 15	Packers	@ Giants	@ Bears	Colts
Week 16	Redskins	@ Cowboys	Vikings	@ Packers
Week 17	@ Vikings	Packers	@ Lions	Bears

2016 NFC South

	Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	New Orleans Saints	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 1	Buccaneers	@ Broncos	Raiders	@ Falcons
Week 2	@ Raiders	49ers	@ Giants	@ Cardinals
Week 3	@ Saints	Vikings	Falcons	Rams
Week 4	Panthers	@ Falcons	@ Chargers	Broncos
Week 5	@ Broncos	Buccaneers	BYE	@ Panthers
Week 6	@ Seahawks	@ Saints	Panthers	BYE
Week 7	Chargers	BYE	@ Chiefs	@ 49ers
Week 8	Packers	Cardinals	Seahawks	Raiders
Week 9	@ Buccaneers	@ Rams	@ 49ers	Falcons
Week 10	@ Eagles	Chiefs	Broncos	Bears
Week 11	BYE	Saints	@ Panthers	@ Chiefs
Week 12	Cardinals	@ Raiders	Rams	Seahawks
Week 13	Chiefs	@ Seahawks	Lions	@ Chargers
Week 14	@ Rams	Chargers	@ Buccaneers	Saints
Week 15	49ers	@ Redskins	@ Cardinals	@ Cowboys
Week 16	@ Panthers	Falcons (W)	Buccaneers	@ Saints
Week 17	Saints	@ Buccaneers	@ Falcons	Panthers

2016 NFC West

	Arizona Cardinals	Los Angeles Rams	San Francisco 49ers	Seattle Seahawks
Week 1	Patriots	@ 49ers	Rams	Dolphins
Week 2	Buccaneers	Seahawks	@ Panthers	@ Rams
Week 3	@ Bills	@ Buccaneers	@ Seahawks	49ers
Week 4	Rams	@ Cardinals	Cowboys	@ Jets
Week 5	@ 49ers	Bills	Cardinals	BYE
Week 6	Jets	@ Lions	@ Bills	Falcons
Week 7	Seahawks	Giants (London)	Buccaneers	@ Cardinals
Week 8	@ Panthers	BYE	BYE	@ Saints
Week 9	BYE	Panthers	Saints	Bills
Week 10	49ers	@ Jets	@ Cardinals	@ Patriots
Week 11	@ Vikings	Dolphins	Patriots	Eagles
Week 12	@ Falcons	@ Saints	@ Dolphins	@ Buccaneers
Week 13	Redskins	@ Patriots	@ Bears	Panthers
Week 14	@ Dolphins	Falcons	Jets	@ Packers
Week 15	Saints	@ Seahawks	@ Falcons	Rams
Week 16	@ Seahawks	49ers	@ Rams	Cardinals
Week 17	@ Rams	Cardinals	Seahawks	@ 49ers

Bold=Wins

NFC East	NFC North	NFC South	NFC West
(4) New York Giants 10-6	(3) Green Bay Packers 11-5	(2) Carolina Panthers 12-4	(1) Arizona Cardinals 12-4
Dallas Cowboys 9-7	(6) Minnesota Vikings 9-7	New Orleans Saints 9-7	(5) Seattle Seahawks 10-6
Washington Redskins 7-9	Chicago Bears 7-9	Atlanta Falcons 7-9	Los Angeles Rams 4-12
Philadelphia Eagles 3-13	Detroit Lions 5-11	Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-10	San Francisco 49ers 3-13

NFC MVP: Cam Newton, QB Carolina Panthers

NFC Sleeper Team: New Orleans Saints

NFC Breakout Player: David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

NFC Player On the Decline: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys

NFC Rookie of the Year: Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Bold & Italics=Division Winner

Bold=Wild Card Teams

  

  

NFL MVP: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Offensive Player of the Year: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Defensive Player of the Year: Khalil Mack, LB, Oakland Raiders

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Dallas Cowboys

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Ramsey, DB, Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL Comeback Player of the Year: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

AFC Wild Card

Colts Over Raiders

Broncos Over Jets

AFC Divisional

Steelers Over Colts

Patriots Over Broncos

AFC Championship

Steelers Over Patriots

NFC Wild Card

Seahawks Over Packers

Giants Over Vikings

NFC Divisional

Panthers Over Giants

Cardinals Over Seahawks

NFC Championship

Cardinals Over Panthers

Super Bowl Champion

Steelers 31, Cardinals 28