NFL Week 17 Picks & Playoff Seeding Predix 2011

By this time tomorrow, 11 of the 12 playoff seeds will have been determined, with only the fourth seed in the NFC and the NFC East Title still up for grabs, as the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. Ten seeds are still up for grabs, with only the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans locked in their playoff spots, but nine teams have already clinched the playoffs (Green Bay, San Francisco, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Detroit in the NFC; New England, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Houston in the AFC).

It will take about six hours to digress all the scenarios and tiebreakers that come with them, but here is who I think should get in:
(AFC)
1) New England
2) Pittsburgh
3) Houston
4) Oakland
5) Baltimore
6) Cincinnati
Week 18: Cincinnati at Houston, Baltimore at Oakland

(NFC)
1) Green Bay
2) San Francisco
3) New Orleans
4) NY Giants
5) Detroit
6) Atlanta
Week 18: Atlanta at New Orleans, Detroit at NY Giants

Here are this week's predix, and based on all the tiebreaker scenarios, who I think WILL end up getting in.
BIG GAMES OF THE WEEK:
(AFC)
Baltimore Ravens (11-4) at Cincinnati Bengals (9-6)
and
(NFC)
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (both 8-7)

It's do or die time for three of these four teams (the Ravens are already in, but they could be as high as # 2, or low as # 5), but at least one (Dallas/NY Giants winner) more team will also get in.

The Bengals are 1-6 against teams with winning records (the lone win being against the Titans in Week 9), while the Ravens are going to embark on their fourth straight postseason appearance with Head Coach John Harbaugh and Quarterback Joe Flacco. A Bengals win means they are in. However, if they lose, they need two other teams at least (the NY Jets and either Oakland or Denver) to lose as well.

PICKS:
Baltimore 27, Cincinnati 13
NY Giants 37, Dallas 17

DRAFT WATCH OF THE WEEK:
Indianapolis Colts (2-13) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11)
and
San Francisco 49ers (12-3) at St. Louis Rams (2-13)
For the 49ers, it's win and a First Round Bye they get. For the Colts, it's lose and clinch the top pick in the 2012 draft. However, the Colts have won two straight after reeling 14 straight losses dating back to last year in the playoffs. A Colts win would kill their shot at the # 1 pick in the NFL draft and put Sam Bradford on the hot seat in St. Louis.

PICKS:
Indianapolis 24, Jacksonville 19
San Francisco 28, St. Louis 0

# 1 DRAFT PICK: St. Louis

OTHER EARLY GAMES:
Detroit Lions (10-5) at Green Bay Packers (14-1)
Detroit victorious at Lambeau? If the Packers rest their starters (given the Pack have already clinched Home Field), it is possible.
PICK: Detroit 33, Green Bay 13

Carolina Panthers (6-9) at New Orleans Saints (12-3)
PICK: New Orleans 42, Carolina 34

New York Jets [8-7) at Miami Dolphins (5-10)
PICK: Miami 23, NY Jets 20 (OT)

Buffalo Bills (6-9) at New England Patriots (12-3)
PICK: New England 34, Buffalo 7

Tennessee Titans [8-7) Houston Texans (10-5)
PICK: Tennessee 30, Houston 6

OTHER LATE GAMES:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11) at Atlanta Falcons (9-6)
Raheem Morris, we hardly knew ye.
PICK: Atlanta 35, Tampa Bay 0

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) at Cleveland Browns (4-11)
PICK: Pittsburgh 21, Cleveland 0

San Diego Chargers (7-8] at Oakland Raiders [8-7)
PICK: Oakland 23, San Diego 16

Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) at Denver Broncos [8-7)
Kyle Orton was the starter at Denver at the beginning of the season. This time, he's back at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and he's making it personal.
PICK: Kansas City 28, Denver 23

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (both 7-8]
PICK: Seattle 20, Arizona 19

PLAYOFF PAIRINGS:
(NFC)
1) Green Bay
2) San Francisco
3) New Orleans
4) NY Giants
5) Detroit
6) Atlanta
(AFC)
1) New England
2) Baltimore
3) Houston
4) Oakland
5) Pittsburgh
6) Cincinnati

UPSET PLAYOFF PICK: Either Dallas, Denver, and/or Tennessee

BLACK MONDAY:
Tomorrow is the oft-referred to "Black Monday", where coaches on the NFL hot seat get pink slipped. Black Monday came early in Jacksonville, Miami, and Kansas City this season. What coaches could be gone? Well, find out now...
(GONE)
San Diego- Norv Turner (Turner is gone, no doubt, and GM A.J. Smith will follow Turner out the door as well)
Tampa Bay- Raheem Morris (With Tampa Bay headed to a 4-12 finish after a 4-2 start, changes need to be made in Tampa)
St. Louis- Steve Spagnuolo (This is a gimme)
Indianapolis- Jim Caldwell (Unless they play the Peyton Manning sympathy card)
Minnesota- Leslie Frazier (Could go either way)

(50-50)
Cleveland- Pat Shurmur
Philadelphia- Andy Reid

College Bowl Picks 2011: Part 3

There are a couple of Bowl Games going on (Sun Bowl- Georgia Tech vs. Utah, DJBC Sports Corner picked the Yellow Jackets to win this; and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl- Illinois vs. 6-7 UCLA, both the Illini and Bruins are being coached by assistant head coaches following the dismissals of Ron Zook and Rick Neuheisel respectively; DJBC Sports Corner picked UCLA).

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Reliant Stadium- Houston, TX)
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Northwestern Wildcats
PICK: Was Texas A&M 30-10 over Northwestern

Sun Bowl (Sun Bowl- El Paso, TX)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Utah Utes
PICK: Georgia Tech 31, Utah 17

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (AT&T Park- San Francisco, CA)
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. UCLA Bruins
PICK: UCLA 41, Illinois 33

AutoZone Liberty Bowl (Liberty Bowl- Memphis, TN)
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Vanderbilt Fighting Commodores
PICK: Cincinnati 37, Vandy 23

Chick-fil-A Bowl (Georgia Dome- Atlanta, GA)
Virginia Cavaliers vs. Auburn Tigers
PICK: Virginia 27, Auburn 23

No Games on New Year's Day due to the Final Week of the NFL Regular Season

MONDAY JANUARY 2:
TicketCity Bowl (Cotton Bowl- Dallas, TX)
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Houston Cougars
PICK: Houston 27, Penn State 21

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl (EverBank Field- Jacksonville, FL)
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Florida Gators
This is practically a home game for the Gators, because it's only an hour away from Gainesville, so the Gator fans won't have too far to travel. This is probably eerily to the 2007 BCS National Championship when the Buckeyes lost to LSU at the Superdome. The Gators will bring the noise and the speed. This is the final game for Buckeye offensive and defensive coordinators Jim Bollman and Jim Heacock. The former was one of the first Jim Tressel assistant hires, and the latter had been on staff since the John Cooper era. This is a game for Will Muschamp to prove that he is the coach for the Gators. This will be the final bowl game not only for the Buckeye seniors, but for the Buckeye juniors as well, because of next year's postseason ban. This will be a good game, but the Gators will edge the Buckeyes due to the SEC speed and the home field.
PICK: Florida 20, Ohio State 17

Outback Bowl (Raymond James Stadium- Tampa, FL)
Georgia Bulldogs vs. Michigan State Spartans
PICK: Georgia 37, Michigan State 21

Capital One Bowl (Citrus Bowl- Orlando, FL)
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
PICK: South Carolina 28, Nebraska 19

Rose Bowl presented by Vizio (The Rose Bowl- Pasadena, CA)
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oregon Ducks
PICK: Oregon 42, Wisconsin 28

Tostito's Fiesta Bowl (University of Phoenix Stadium- Glendale, AZ)
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Stanford Cardinal
Erin Andrews, ESPN sideline reporter tweeted before the BCS Selection show, "a loss in Baton Rouge vs. a loss in Ames", referring to which loss would determine the # 2 team in the final BCS rankings (with would be Alabama). Oklahoma State was robbed of a spot (because of that loss to Iowa State) in the BCS National Championship game.
PICK: Stanford 49, Oklahoma State 31

TUESDAY January 3
Allstate Sugar Bowl (Mercedes-Benz Superdome- New Orleans, LA)
Michigan Wolverines vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Could this be Denard's last stand? We hope not (we need him to beat Urban Meyer in Columbus in November). But, Michigan's improved defense, coached by defensive coordinator Greg Mattison turned heads this year, and Michigan's defense will give Virginia Tech hell. The Hokies also have problem with converting red zone possessions into touchdowns. This is what will separate the men (Michigan) from the boys (Virginia Tech).
PICK: Michigan 38, Virginia Tech 24

WEDNESDAY January 4
Discover Orange Bowl (SunLife Stadium- Miami, FL)
Clemson Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
PICK: Clemson 33, West Virginia 21

FRIDAY January 6
AT&T Cotton Bowl (Cowboys Stadium- Arlington, TX)
Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Kansas State Wildcats
PICK: Arkansas 24, Kansas State 21

SATURDAY January 7
BBVA Compass Bowl (Birmingham, AL)
Pitt Panthers vs. SMU Mustangs
PICK: Pitt 20, SMU 7

SUNDAY January 8
GoDaddy.com Bowl (Mobile, AL)
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
PICK: ??

MONDAY January 9
Allstate BCS National Championship Game (Mercedes-Benz Superdome- New Orleans, LA)
# 1 LSU Tigers vs. # 2 Alabama Crimson Tide
For the sixth straight year, the Southeastern Conference will win the BCS National Championship game. In the first game between these two schools this year, no touchdowns were scored in a boring 9-6 overtime field goal defensive battle won by the Tigers. There will be touchdowns in this game (knock on wood), and the Tigers will be the 3rd 14-0 team in I-FBS history.
PICK: LSU 30, Alabama 24

2011 College Bowl Season: Part 2

Christmas is over, and there are more college bowl games to play as the old year fades into the sunset and the new year rises like a phoenix.

TONIGHT-
AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA)
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Missouri Tigers
Pick: Mizzou 20, UNC 14

TUESDAY-
Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl (Ford Field- Detroit, MI)
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Western Michigan Broncos
Pick: Purdue 34, Western Michigan 13

Belk Bowl (Charlotte, NC)
North Carolina State Wolf Pack vs. Louisville Cardinals
Pick: Louisville 21, NC State 17

WEDNESDAY-
Military Bowl (FedEx Field- Landover, MD)
Toledo Rockets vs. Air Force Falcons
Pick: Toledo 28, Air Force 19

Bridgeport Education Holiday Bowl (QualComm Stadium- San Diego, CA)
Cal Golden Bears vs. Texas Longhorns
Pick: Texas 33, Cal 22

THURSDAY-
Champps Sports Bowl (Orlando, FL)
Florida State Seminoles vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Pick: Notre Dame 24, Florida State 20

Valero Alamo Bowl (Alamodome- San Antonio, TX)
Baylor Bears vs. Washington Huskies
Pick: Baylor 41, Washington 17

FRIDAY-
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas, TX)
Brigham Young Cougars vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Pick: Tulsa 23, BYU 19

New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium- The Bronx, NY)
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Pick: Rutgers 27, Iowa State 21

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl (LP Stadium- Nashville, TN)
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Pick: Mississippi State 42, Wake 10

Insight Bowl (Sun Devil Stadium- Tempe, AZ)
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Pick: Oklahoma 34, Iowa 21

On Friday- The New Year's Eve, January 2*, and BCS Bowl Games
*- NO Bowl Games on New Year's Day, due to the Final Week of the NFL Regular Season

Projected Picks:
Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl: Florida
Outback Bowl: Georgia
Capital One Bowl: Nebraska
Rose Bowl: Oregon
Tostito's Fiesta Bowl: Stanford
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Michigan
Discover Orange Bowl: Clemson
AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic: Arkansas
BCS National Championship: LSU

NFL Week 16 Predix (2011)

Tonight, the penultimate week of the 2011 NFL regular season takes place as the AFC South champs Houston Texans look to sweep the Indianapolis Colts for the first time ever. Because of the Christmas holiday on Sunday, game day is on Saturday, where there will be 13 Saturday afternoon matchups. On Sunday night, the NFC North champs Green Bay host the Chicago Bears, who will make another QB switch. On Monday night, the New Orleans Saints can win the NFC South with a win over Wild Card contender Atlanta in the Monday Night Football season finale.

TONIGHT'S GAME:
Houston Texans (10-4) at Indianapolis Colts (1-13)
Pick: Indianapolis 20, Houston 17

UPSET PICK (other than above):
Arizona Cardinals (7-7) at Cincinnati Bengals [8-6)
The Bengals MUST win their final two games in order to have ANY hope to get into the playoffs (and hope that the NY Jets lose at least ONE of their final two). The Arizona Cardinals MUST win their final two and hope Atlanta and Detroit stumble (which won't happen eventually). The Bengals secondary will have their hands full trying to cover Larry Fitzgerald. If John Skelton is the quarterback for Arizona, and all indications are he will be, it will be a blue Christmas in Cincinnati.
Pick: Arizona 34, Cincinnati 24

SATURDAY'S GAMES:
Cleveland Browns (4-10) at Baltimore Ravens (10-4)
Pat Shurmur is on the hot seat in Cleveland. The Ravens defense will make Shurmur's seat even hotter.
Pick: Baltimore 31, Cleveland 13

Denver Broncos [8-6) at Buffalo Bills (5-9)
Remember when the Bills were 5-2 and as hot as they were in the early 1990s? I completely forgot. They've lost seven in a row. Make that eight, because what's this I hear? TEBOW TIME!
Pick: Denver 20, Buffalo 13

Oakland Raiders (7-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-8]
Romeo, oh Romeo, where foreout thou Romeo? Without the coaching change in Kansas City, the Packers would be 14-0 right now. The Raiders are in a hurt of trouble now as the Chiefs are still alive in the AFC West division race...for now.
Pick: Kansas City 21, Oakland 19

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10) at Tennessee Titans (7-7)
Pick: Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 6

Miami Dolphins (5-9) at New England Patriots (11-3)
Pick: New England 35, Miami 7

The Battle of New York: Giants (7-7) at Jets [8-6)
Both of these teams need wins to stay alive. The J-E-T-S hold the sixth and final slot in the AFC currently, while the Giants need a win to keep up with Dallas in the NFC East division race.
Pick: Giants 30, Jets 23

St. Louis Rams (2-12) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
Pick: Pittsburgh 43, St. Louis 0

Minnesota Vikings (2-12) at Washington Redskins (5-9)
Pick: Washington 27, Minnesota 3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10) at Carolina Panthers (5-9)
The Bucs have lost eight straight and Raheem Morris is on his way out the door.
Pick: Carolina 33, Tampa Bay 7

San Diego Chargers (7-7) at Detroit Lions (9-5)
Pick: Detroit 34, San Diego 31

San Francisco 49ers (11-3) at Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
Pick: San Francisco 21, Seattle 10

Philadelphia Eagles (6-8] at Dallas Cowboys [8-6)
This is do-or-die time for the Eagles. A Cowboy win (teamed with a Giant loss) could wrap up the NFC East.
Pick: Dallas 38, Philadelphia 31

CHRISTMAS NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Chicago Bears (7-7) at Green Bay Packers (13-1)
The surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins raised their glasses high after the Packers lost at Arrowhead to the Chiefs last week. Luke McCown is starting for the Bears after Caleb Hanie proved ineffectiveness through four starts, all embarrassing losses.
Pick: Green Bay 37, Chicago 3

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SEASON FINALE:
Atlanta Falcons (9-5) at New Orleans Saints (11-3)
Pick: New Orleans 31, Atlanta 17

2011 Bowl Games: Part 1

Bowl Season is Here! Could this be the last Bowl Season ever? I hope not. I love Bowl Games, because they are the tradition of college football.

NEW MEXICO BOWL at University (of New Mexico) Stadium (Earlier Today):
Temple Owls vs. Wyoming Cowboys
Result: Temple won 37-15

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL at Boise State Bronco Stadium (In Progress):
Ohio Bobcats vs. Utah State Aggies

R&L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL at Mercedes Benz Superdome (Tonight):
San Diego State Aztecs vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Rajin' Cajuns
Pick: San Diego State 27, LL 19

BEEF O'BRADY'S ST. PETERSBURG BOWL at Tropicana Field (Tuesday):
Florida International Owls vs. Marshall Thundering Herd
Pick: FIU 30, Marshall 22

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL at Snapdragon Stadium (Wednesday):
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Louisiana Tech Techsters
Pick: TCU 33, La Tech 8

MAACO LAS VEGAS BOWL at Sam Boyd Stadium (Thursday):
Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Boise State Broncos
Pick: Boise State 39, Arizona State 16

NFL Week 15 Predictions

What a beginning to the week. A controversial playmaker slapped with a one-game suspension for a flagrant hit, and not one, but TWO coach firings on Monday.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9) at Atlanta Falcons [8-5)
Pick: Atlanta 28, Jacksonville 17

SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Dallas Cowboys (7-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)
The Bucs gave up 41 unanswered points last week, while the Dallas Cowboys suffered yet another December collapse. Can the Boys get it back on track and keep up with the Giants?
Pick: Dallas 27, Tampa Bay 13

BIG GAME OF THE WEEK/MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers (both 10-3)
The 1920 Decatur Staleys are the only team not to allow a rushing touchdown through 13 games. That is a fact.
Pick: San Francisco 23, Pittsburgh 13

COULD BE "FLIRTING WITH DISASTER" GAME OF THE WEEK:
Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) at St. Louis Rams (2-11)
This has "trap game" all over it. The Bengals are 0-3 in the Arch City, having lost the two most recent trips to the Rams (1996- 26-16 and 2003- 27-10; the other trip was in 1985, a loss to the then-St. Louis Cardinals). The Bengals gave up a game-winning touchdown with two seconds left to a third-string rookie quarterback, and after a 6-2 start, have lost four of their last five. The Bengals need to win out, in order to make the playoffs, otherwise Marvin Lewis will be out of a job come January 2. Did I say "trap game"? Ah, yes. One of the Rams' two wins this year, and their only one at the Edward Jones Dome, was against the New Orleans Saints (who are a measly 10-3). The Rams could play spoiler here, and a St. Louis win could spell the end of the Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati.
Pick: St. Louis 28, Cincinnati 20

OTHER BIG GAME OF THE WEEK:
New England Patriots (10-3) at Denver Broncos [8-5)
Tebow Time. Those are the two words in the latter quarter of the game that puts opposing players and coaches on edge. Last Sunday, with no Bronco timeouts left, and the Chicago Bears up 10-7 with two minutes left in the 4th quarter, all the Bears had to do was stay inbounds and let the clock run out. However, enough time was left on the clock for a 59-yard Matt Prater field goal to send the game into overtime. After Bears running back Marion Barber III fumbled, Prater kicked the game-winner from 51 yards out to cap off another Tebow comeback. This week will be a different story. The New England Patriots have played all four quarters of football for all of about the last 11 seasons, and will continue to be among the elite teams. With that said, there won't be any Tebow Time this Sunday, because the Patriots will have put this one away, because they play all four quarters, and just not the fourth quarter.
Pick: New England 34, Denver 7

SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:
Washington Redskins (4-9) at New York Giants (7-6)
Pick: NY Giants 27, Washington 20

Carolina Panthers (4-9) at Houston Texans (10-3)
The Texans, for the first time in their ten year history, are playoff bound, as they clinched their first-ever AFC South title with a come from behind win in Cincinnati, paired up with a Tennessee loss to New Orleans. TJ Yates can go 3-0 as a third-string rookie starter.
Pick: Houston 31, Carolina 21

Miami Dolphins (4-9) at Buffalo Bills (5-8]
On Monday, the Miami Dolphins fired head football coach Tony Sparano, and so that kills all of the Miami muster right about there. The Bills will snap their six-game losing streak by spoiling interim Fins coach Todd Bowles' debut.
Pick: Buffalo 34, Miami 14

Seattle Seahawks (6-7) at Chicago Bears (7-6)
It looks like Seattle is fighting their way back into the wildcard race, and with Caleb Hanie struggling, and the Bears being Tim Tebow's most recent victim, the Seahawks will pull their way to .500.
Pick: Seattle 21, Chicago 10

New Orleans Saints (10-3) at Minnesota Vikings (2-11)
Pick: New Orleans 38, Minnesota 14

Green Bay Packers (13-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-8]
On Monday, the Chiefs fired Todd Haley, and placed Romeo Crennel as the interim coach. Can the Chiefs knock down the Pack? Or will the Packers be the first defending champs to start 14-0?
Pick: Green Bay 37, Kansas City 7

Tennessee Titans (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (0-13)
Pick: Tennessee 31, Indianapolis 24

New York Jets [8-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-8]
Pick: NY Jets 28, Philadelphia 23

Cleveland Browns (4-9) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Pick: Arizona 31, Cleveland 13

Detroit Lions [8-5) at Oakland Raiders (7-6)
Can the Lions find their way to the Playoffs? Can Carson Palmer throw more touchdowns than interceptions? Find out, now...
Pick: Oakland 34, Detroit 27

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Baltimore Ravens (10-3) at San Diego Chargers (6-7)
Pick: Baltimore 24, San Diego 21

NFL: 2011 Week 14 Predix + Army/Navy and Heisman

The 14th week of the NFL season kicks off tonight from Heinz Field as the Pittsburgh Steelers look to stay afloat in the AFC North Division race, as they host the Cleveland Browns, who have only had two winning seasons since their return to the NFL 13 years ago. The week ends with a rematch of last season's NFC West Division Title game of Week 17 as the Rams visit the Seattle Seahawks.

TONIGHT'S GAME:
Cleveland Browns (4-8] at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)

The Steelers have the top-ranked defense in the NFL, and on Sunday, they had their way with the Cincinnati Bengals. Tonight, they get the other Ohio team, and the Browns better get ready for a long night.
Pick: Pittsburgh 47, Cleveland 0

UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK:
Houston Texans (9-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)

On paper, the Texans should have this. On paper, the Bengals look like they are in for another long Sunday. But, wait. The temperature on Sunday should be about 40 degrees (at best), and the game is in Cincinnati (the ninth blacked out home game out of the last ten for Cincy), and warm weather teams don't usually do well in cold weather climates (San Diego lost at Paul Brown Stadium last year), and the Texans are without Andre Johnson once again, and are down to third-stringer T.J. Yates at quarterback. How's that paper holding up? It's true that Arian Foster is a beast at running back, and their defense is solid, but that's why they play the game. Oh, yeah, isn't Andy Dalton from Houston? But, the Bengals will top the Texans in an upset special (despite the fact the Bengals are a three-point favorite, after a 28-point shellacking by Ben Roethlisberger, c'mon folks)
Pick: Cincinnati 23, Houston 17 (OT)

BIG GAME OF THE WEEK- SUNDAY NIGHT GAME:
New York Giants (6-6) at Dallas Cowboys (7-5)

This is a must-win game for both teams in a battle for the NFC East. Must-win. Only problem is who wants this more? The Cowboys, or the slumping Giants?
Pick: Dallas 31, NY Giants 24

SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:
Atlanta Falcons (7-5) at Carolina Panthers (4-8]
Pick: Atlanta 41, Carolina 37

Indianapolis Colts (0-12) at Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
Colts owner Robert Irsay said in an interview that he did not expect to see Peyton Manning play "at all this season". Um, where have you been the last 14 weeks?
Pick: Baltimore 28, Indianapolis 18

Minnesota Vikings (2-10) at Detroit Lions (7-5)
Pick: Detroit 34, Minnesota 14

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8] at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-9)
Pick: Tampa Bay 31, Jacksonville 13

Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins (both 4-8]
Pick: Miami 28, Philadelphia 24

Kansas City Chiefs (5-7) at New York Jets (7-5)
Pick: NY Jets 34, Kansas City 7

New Orleans Saints (9-3) at Tennessee Titans (7-5)
Pick: New Orleans 42, Tennessee 21

New England Patriots (9-3) at Washington Redskins (4-8]
Pick: New England 33, Washington 6

Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos (both 7-5)
Pick: Denver 27, Chicago 9

San Francisco 49ers (10-2) at Arizona Cardinals (5-7)
Pick: San Francisco 23, Arizona 20

Oakland Raiders (7-5) at Green Bay Packers (12-0)
Pick: Green Bay 35, Oakland 3

Buffalo Bills at San Diego Chargers (both 5-7)
Pick: San Diego 38, Buffalo 17

The Army-Navy Game (at FedEx Field- Landover, MD):
Pick: Navy 35, Army 14

Heisman Trophy:
Prediction: Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor)
Look Out for: Tyrann Mathieu (DB, LSU)

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
St. Louis Rams (2-10) at Seattle Seahawks (5-7)
Pick: Seattle 26, St. Louis 6

PLAYOFF PICTURE:
- Green Bay (12-0) clinched a playoff berth and the NFC North Division
- San Francisco (10-2) clinched the NFC West Division

2011 High School Football: The End

After 15 weeks of Friday (and Saturday) night lights, the stadium lights have now gone dark for the winter. Six new State Champions were crowned last Friday and Saturday in Massillon and Canton (none are from Central Ohio).

Best Local Team of the Year: Pickerington Central
2010: (Tie) Bishop Hartley and Bishop Watterson (the Hawks host the Eagles in Week 6 next season)

Most Disappointing Team of the Year: (Tie) Westerville North and Bishop Watterson
2010: Westerville North

Most Improved Team of the Year: Reynoldsburg
2010: Mifflin

Breakout Team of the Year: Westerville Central
2010: Northland

Upset of the Year: Pickerington North over Watterson (Week 1)
2010: Gahanna over Groveport (Week 10)

2011 State Champions:
Division I- Cleveland St. Ignatius
Division II- Trotwood-Madison
Division III- Youngstown Cardinal Mooney
Division IV- Creston Norwayne
Division V- Kirtland
Division VI- Maria Stein Marion Local

NFL Week 13 Predictions & College Football Week 14 Picks

Tonight, Week 13 of the NFL kicks off in Seattle as the Seahawks host the Philadelphia Eagles, and ends on Monday, as the San Diego Chargers try to snap their six-game skid in Jacksonville, who will coach their first game under interim head coach Mel Tucker, who replaced nine-year coach Jack Del Rio, who was fired this week.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Philadelphia Eagles (4-7) at Seattle Seahawks (3-8]
Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin are both expected to be out for tonight's game, so this could be an upset special.
Pick: Seattle 20, Philadelphia 16

BIG GAME OF THE WEEK:
Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers [8-3)
In an ESPN interview, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger praised the talent of young rookie Bengals QB Andy Dalton. With that said, look for the Steelers to win this one.
Pick: Pittsburgh 28, Cincinnati 7

SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:
Indianapolis Colts (0-11) at New England Patriots [8-3)
This was the Sunday Night Game (until it got flexed out), but it will be a one-sided laugher.
Pick: New England 48, Indianapolis 3

Atlanta Falcons (7-4) at Houston Texans [8-3)
Houston, they've got a problem. The Texans are now on their third different quarterback this season after losing QB Matt Leinart for the season as well.
Pick: Atlanta 31, Houston 10

Kansas City Chiefs (4-7) at Chicago Bears (7-4)
Pick: Chicago 27, Kansas City 7

Tennessee Titans (6-5) at Buffalo Bills (5-6)
Pick: Tennessee 21, Buffalo 13

Oakland Raiders (7-4) at Miami Dolphins (3-8]
Pick: Oakland 24, Miami 21

Denver Broncos (6-5) at Minnesota Vikings (2-9)
The Vikings cut Donovan McNabb on Thursday. Does that matter at this point?
Pick: Denver 30, Minnesota 6

Carolina Panthers (3-8] at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
Pick: Carolina 35, Tampa Bay 21

New York Jets (6-5) at Washington Redskins (4-7)
Pick: NY Jets 35, Washington 7

Baltimore Ravens [8-3) at Cleveland Browns (4-7)
Pick: Baltimore 34, Cleveland 14

Dallas Cowboys (7-4) at Arizona Cardinals (4-7)
Pick: Dallas 37, Arizona 13

St. Louis Rams (2-9) at San Francisco 49ers (9-2)
Pick: San Francisco 28, St. Louis 10

Green Bay Packers (11-0) at New York Giants (6-5)
Pick: Green Bay 24, NY Giants 20

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Detroit Lions (7-4) at New Orleans Saints [8-3)
Pick: New Orleans 38, Detroit 7

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
San Diego Chargers (4-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8]
A busy week in Jacksonville. The team was bought, and coach Jack Del Rio was pinkslipped. The Chargers come to town, losers of six straight.
Pick: San Diego 16, Jacksonville 13


COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS:
(Pac-12 Championship): UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks (at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR)- Oregon 56, UCLA 7
(Big 10 Championship): Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan State Spartans (at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis)- Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 35
(SEC Championship): # 14 Georgia Bulldogs vs. # 1 LSU Tigers (at Georgia Dome, Atlanta)- LSU 42, Georgia 17
(ACC Championship): # 5 Virginia Tech Hokies vs. # 21 Clemson Tigers- Virginia Tech 34, Clemson 21
(Conference USA Championship): # 24 Southern Mississippi Eagles vs. # 7 Houston Cougars- Houston 49, Southern Miss 24
Texas Longhorns at # 19 Baylor Bears- Baylor 31, Texas 28
# 13 Oklahoma Sooners at # 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys- Oklahoma 37, Oklahoma State 27