A View from the Sideline

Hey Brett, suck my icicles!

Brett Favre returns

The great people of Green Bay are a forgiving lot. Trust me, I know
them very well. But, cross them with a move to a rival and watch the
green and gold faithful turn on Favre quicker than you can say “can I
have the red sauce with my brat?”. With Favre and the Vikings in
Lambeau for the first time since #4 started wearing purple and gold,
expect the, well, expect the unexpected.

Catch Lance Zierlein from 6 to 10 am daily, the Sean and John show, with Sean Pendergast
alongside John Granato. Listen to John Harris on show 3 to 7 PM daily. www.1560thegame.com
 NFL SECTION BY LANCE ZIERLEIN WEEK 8

Houston (4-3) vs. Buffalo (2-4)

November 1, 2009 - CBS 12 PM CST
Vegas Line: HOU -3.5 / 41.5

t 2009 Ranking
2009 ATS Record 2009 ATS Record
79.1 ypg - 30th Run Offense 111.9 ypg - 15th
4-2-1 4-3-0
285.6 ypg - 3rd Pass Offense 161.6 ypg - 28th
2009 Over/Under 2009 Over/Under
2-4-0 3-4-0
23.9 ppg - 13th Scoring Offense 16.1 ppg - 24th
Last 5 Games Last 5 Games
115.6 ypg - 21st Run Defense 172.4 ypg - 32nd
10/25 W, San Fran. 24-21 10/25 W, @ Carolina 20-9
10/18 W, @ Cincinnati 28-17 10/18 W, @ NY Jets 16-13
228.4 ypg - 18th Pass Defense 190.4 ypg - 10th
10/11 L, @ Arizona 21-28 10/11 L, Cleveland 3-6
10/4 W, Oakland 29-6 10/4 L, @ Miami 10-38
22.6 ppg - 20th Scoring Defense 19.7 ppg - 13th
9/27 L, Jacksonville 24-31 9/27 L, New Orleans 7-27
+3 - 9th TO Margin +2 - 12th

Last Meeting: Buffalo- 24 vs. Houston - 21 (11/19/2006)

When the Texans have the ball... The Texans had great success against the 49'ers when they went with their play-
action game on first down as they connected on 4 of 5 passes for 130 yards and a TD.  The problem against the Bills
is that they are likely to see a much tougher pass defense that is geared towards taking away the big play. The Bills
had a stretch of four straight games where they allowed 156 or less total passing yards. Then again, I probably should
mention that during that same four game stretch, they allowed 222, 250, 171 and 318 yards rushing. If the Texans can't
run it against the Bills who are giving up 171 yards per game and 5.3 ypc, then they simply aren't going to be able to run
it this year. Look for more ground attack and a little less air attack this week.

When the Texans have the ball...The Bills offense has

been one of the most disappointing sides of the ball for any
team in the NFL. With Trent Edwards expected to show
growth and with Terrell Owens added to Lee Evans and a
crop of talented, young WRs, everyone thought the Bills
would pound Marshawn Lynch and light it up over the top
with Owens and Evans but that hasn't happened. The Bill
passing game is an abomination and they are unlikely to get it
going against the Texans. What the Texans will see is a Bills
offense that plans on running the football, but that is much
easier said than done these days with the Texans limiting the
last three teams they've faced to less than 60 yards rushing. 
QB Edwards is back at practice (concussion) and might go
against the Texans.
Fantasy Report
Steve Slaton,Texans RB - Despite the fumble
last week, the Texans had to be excited to see
Slaton get in the endzone twice and this is a good
matchup for him.
Marshawn Lynch, Bills RB - The Texans have
done a very good job against the run recently
and Lynch can't be considered anything more
than an average RB2 here.

Conclusion: This feels like a trap game so look out. The Bills passing game has been so bad that it is borderline
unbelievable based on the talent that they have at the skill positions. If the Texans make the Bills dink and dump
their way down the field, it is unlikely that the Bills will be able to sustain many drives but the Texans cannot let the
Bills hit the big plays on them. Look for the Texans to win a close one and look for the running game to get better.

Texans - 23 vs. Bills - 20

 Minnesota (6-1) vs. Green Bay (4-2)
November 1, 2009 - FOX 3:15 PM CST
Vegas Line: GB -3 / 47

t 2009 Ranking
2009 ATS Record 2009 ATS Record
119.9 ypg - 12th Run Offense 118.0 ypg - 13th
4-3-0 4-2-0
233.7 ypg - 13th Pass Offense 258.3 ypg - 10th
2009 Over/Under 2009 Over/Under
5-2-0 3-3-0
29.4 ppg - 3rd Scoring Offense 26.8 ppg - 8th
Last 5 Games Last 5 Games
95.4 ypg - 10th Run Defense 97.5 ypg - 12th
10/25 L, @ Pittsburgh 17-27 10/25 W, @ Cleveland 31-3
10/18 W, Baltimore 33-31 10/18 W, Detroit 26-0
234.6 ypg - 20th Pass Defense 174.0 ypg - 4th
10/11 W, @ St. Louis 38-10 10/05 L, @ Minnesota 23-30
10/5 W, Green Bay 30-23 9/27 W, @ St. Louis 36-17
21.1 ppg - 17th Scoring Defense 16.0 ppg - 5th
9/27 W, San Fran. 27-24 9/20 L, Cincinnati 24-31
+7 - Tied 5th TO Margin +10 - 2nd

Last Meeting: Minnesota - 30 vs. Green Bay - 23 (10/5/2009)

When the Vikings have the ball... In their last matchup, Brett Favre played about as well as I've seen him play all
year and as well as I've seen him play in the last couple of years. The Vikings are still going to be a run first team but
it isn't like they have completely dominated teams with their rushing attack. Instead, HC Childress has done a very
nice job of getting rookie WR Harvin involved in the offense and getting him his fair share of touches while Favre has
started to look the way of WR Rice more and more. Last time out the Packers stacked the line of scrimmage and
dared Favre to beat them and he did. My guess is that they are going to do more of the same this time but with a
brand new set of blitz packages and maybe a few that they saw from the Steelers last weekend.

When the Packers have the ball... The offensive line

hasn't been up to par for the Packers this year but they
showed signs of turning it around last. Before anyone just
writes off Ryan Grant and the running game this week since
they are playing the Vikings, keep in mind that the Steelers
averaged over 5 ypc and I think the Packers have a chance to
run the ball with some success if they do it out of 3 and 4
WR sets that forces the Vikings into nickel situations. QB
Rodgers will attack the Packers with much more confidence
than he showed in week 1 and I'm guessing the Packers are
better prepared to handle the onslaught of Jared Allen this
time around. With Vikings CB Winfield out, Rodgers should
be able to put significant pressure on the Vikings secondary.
Fantasy Report
Percy Harvin, Vikings WR - Harvin hasn't been a
huge fantasy steal, but he has been fairly steady
and should be considered in a flex role this week.
 
Greg Jennings, Packers WR - With CB Winfield
out, Jennings should finally find an opportunity to
cut it loose and produce the results that owners
have been looking for.

Conclusion: The last meeting was all about the terrific play of Brett Favre and Jared Allen. I'm looking for a
potential revenge game for the ages here. Favre back in Lambeau is going to cause a stir with the fans, but the Packer
players have probably been chomping at the bit to to get back at the Vikings and play with more confidence on both
sides of the ball than they showed in the first meeting.

Packers - 28 vs. Vikings - 21

ATLANTA (4-2) VS. NEW ORLEANS (6-0) VEGAS SAYS: NO -10 / 54
November 2, 2009 ESPN 7:30 PM CST
I started to point this out last week when the Falcons Bell is running with a great deal of confidence and the
played the Cowboys, but when you return of WR Lance Moore has added
look at the body of work from the yet another weapon in the arsenal of
Falcons, it isn't nearly as impressive as Fantasy Report QB Drew Brees who proved he could
their record would indicated. not only come from behind, but win
This is a division game and the despite having a below average game.
For example, Falcons opponents have Saints are not going to let off  
the gas at all.  I have to
rushed for more yards and passed for Atlanta has got to get Michael Turner
recommend emptying your
more yards than the Falcons this year.  churning up defenses once again.
bench if you have Falcons or
That is bad news when you consider Saints here because I'm Maybe the Falcons need to work
who their opponent is this week. expecting a pretty high scoring backwards and set up the run with
  affair that fantasy owners will their passing game on first downs. 
The Saints looked like they were love.
buried last week when the Dolphins Whatever the case, the Falcons have to
had them down 24-3 but that offense find a way to control the tempo of this
got going and their defense started to game with their own ground game or
what they've been able to do for much they will find themselves trying to get
of this year - make plays. While Pierre into the 30s just to stay in this one.
Thomas doesn't look like he's all the way back yet, Mike

PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS - 35 VS. ATLANTA - 24

DENVER (6-0) VS. BALTIMORE (3-3) VEGAS SAYS: BAL -3.5 / 41.5
November 1, 2009 CBS 12 PM CST
Me picking against the Broncos is kind a workload. While the Ravens don't
of becoming a joke since that is all I do have a true #1 WR, they are diverse
and all they do is win and make me look Fantasy Report enough to move the ball without
like a fool.  counting on any one player.  Their
Ray Rice will find the going a biggest issue right now is their defense
The Broncos don't have an impressive little tougher against the and primarily their pass defense. To
Broncos, but I still look for him
QB and their running game is pretty tighten up the back end of their
to finish with around 70
good but hardly exceptional.  What is defense, the Ravens must get pressure
yards on the ground and 25 to
impressive about this team is that they 30 through the air.  Brandon on QB Orton.
have only one game where they have Marshall could go either way  
had more turnovers than their here.  If the Ravens don't get Both teams are coming off of bye weeks
opponents and the re-tooling of the pressure on Kyle Orton, so I'm not sure if preparation was any
Broncos defense has been nothing Marshall could come up big, but different for this game for either side. 
short of miraculous. I think the pressure will be The Broncos have to continue to play
  there. smart football and great defense while
The Ravens offense has scored 30 or the Ravens have to impose their will on
more points in four of their six games the Broncos early on. Look for old
this year and RB Rice has the potential to be the next school Ravens football in the first quarter to set the tone.
Michael Turner if the Ravens will trust him with more of

PREDICTION: BALTIMORE - 20 VS. DENVER - 12

 PREDICTIONS ON ALL NFL GAMES THIS WEEKEND

Denver at Baltimore - The Broncos are coming off of a bye week which is nice because I'm sure Josh McDaniels
spent the entire time preparing for Baltimore's blitz packages.  The Broncos defense has been terrific this year, but
the Ravens will give them a test on Sunday.
Broncos - 14 vs. Ravens - 23
 
Cleveland at Chicago - Chicago had a disastrous game against the Bengals while the Browns entire season has been a
disaster.  The Bears running game just can't get going, but they have more than enough offense here.  The Browns
don't have enough firepower to win this one.
Browns - 17 vs. Bears - 28
 
San Francisco at Indianapolis - The Colts are playing as steady as anyone in football right now and they are doing it
without a steady threat at RB.  The Colts defense has shown much more consistency and the Niners are about to be
humbled once again after losses to the Falcons and Texans in 2 of the last 3 weeks.
Niners - 13 vs. Colts - 24
 
Miami at NY Jets - The Jets hammered the Raiders thanks to a monstrous rushing attack and that is the formula for
them for the rest of the year.  Play good defense and run the ball.  Unfortunately, they have to face a Dolphins
defense that is strong against he run and will give QB Sanchez trouble.  This game figures to be a fist-fight with the
most efficient QB making the difference.
Dolphins - 17 vs. Jets - 16
 
Seattle at Dallas - Dallas has to be thrilled with the emergence of Miles Austin because it finally looks like QB Romo
has a WR he can count on down the field.  The Cowboys are one of the tops in the league when it comes to explosive
passing plays and their defense might be coming around as well.  Seattle has to have a big game from Hasselbeck and
the secondary in this spot.
Seahawks - 21 vs. Cowboys - 27
 
St.Louis at Detroit - The Rams running game has been steadily improving and that will help them in this one. 
The real question is how the Lions come out after a bye week.  The Lions have shown signs of improvement and the
Rams defense will have a tough time stopping the Lions deep passing game.
Rams - 21 vs. Lions - 24
 
Oakland at San Diego - The Raiders opened eyes with their upset over the Eagles, but it was back to reality last
week while the Chargers gained some confidence back with a lopsided win over the Chiefs.  The Chargers defense is
inconsistent but against the Raiders it doesn't matter.  The Raiders rush defense was terrible last week vs. the Jets so
let's see if the Chargers take advantage of it.
Raiders - 13 vs. Chargers - 28
 
Jacksonville at Tennessee - The Jaguars are hanging in there this year thanks to improved play by the defense and
QB Garrard.  MJD is maybe the most consistent back in all of football but running it on the Titans won't be easy. 
The Titans are done, but they have pros on that team who will want to battle back after their embarrassment to the
Patriots.
Jags - 16 vs. Titans - 21
 
Carolina at Arizona - So what do we make of the Cardinals?  At times they look very average but they slapped the
Seahawks with QB Hasselbeck back and they took it to the Giants in the Meadowlands.  The Panthers are such a
mess at QB that I've given up on them.
Panthers - 17 vs. Cardinals - 27
 HANDICAPPING INFORMATION
Against The Spread Trends (ATS)
Category Record Percent
Away Teams 53-48-2 52.48%
Home Teams 48-53-2 47.52%
Favorites 56-45-2 55.45%
Dogs 45-56-2 44.55%
Away Favorites 22-14-0 61.11%
Away Dogs 31-34-2 47.69%
Home Favorites 34-31-2 52.31%
Home Dogs 14-22-0 38.89%

Over vs. Under Trends

Category Overs % Unders %
Overtime Games 3 50.00% 3 50.00%
Non-Overtime Games 50 52.63% 45 47.37%
All Games 53 52.48% 48 47.52%
  
Top Ten Trends for Week 8
 
DENVER is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all games this season

4 of 5 games in VIKINGS/PACKERS have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

ST LOUIS is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons

SAN DIEGO is 4-1 against the spread versus OAKLAND over the last 3 seasons

ARIZONA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 over the last 2 seasons

PHILADELPHIA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) off a division game over the last 3 seasons

4 of 5 games in EAGLES/GIANTS have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

NEW ORLEANS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons

BILLS are 1-7 (-6.7 Units) ATS in their last 8 home games

JETS are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games as a favorite

 FANTASY NOTES
- The Arizona Cardinals have been right there with the
Houston Texans in terms of ineffective rushing games,
but keep an eye on Beanie Wells who had 14 carries
for 67 yards and a TD last week.
 
- Ricky Williams' performances this year simply can't
be ignored by fantasy owners who are keeping him on
the bench. Over the last 4 weeks, Williams has scored 5
TDs and his fantasy points have been 13, 15, 13 and 27
(+/- a point or two depending on your scoring). It's time
to start Ricky if you're not.
 
- For some odd reason there were questions galore
about whether or not to start Laurence Maroney last
week. Let me do everyone a favor just to save us both
time. I don't care what any Patriots RB does in the
prior week. I can never give a recommendation to a
Pats RB because they are revolving door backs who are
given carries seemingly randomly by Belichick and the
Pats. Don't try to time the market on this one because
it probably won't happen.
 
NFL NEWS AND NOTES
- Scouts were impressed with Oregon CB Jairus
Byrd before this year's draft but most of them felt like
his lack of top-end speed would necessitate a move to
safety. Sure enough, the Bills drafted Byrd, moved him
to safety and he's come up with 4 INTs over the last
two weeks. I think we'll start seeing more CBs turned
safeties and guards turned centers in the coming years.
 
- I noticed in the Saints and Dolphins game that
the Saints were able to slow down the Wildcat by
blitzing CB Jabari Greer off the edge almost every
time they saw that formation. With his speed, Greer
was able to help contain the perimeter on his side and it
was one of the first times I've seen a defense try and
take it to the Dolphins' Wildcat rather than sit back
and play it passively.
 
- There is no reason for Jake Delhomme to be the
starter this week but as I write this, Delhomme has
been named the starter once again. Delhomme has
thrown 13 INTs for a team who is 2-4 and he hasn't even
been close on his INTs. He is single-handedly losing
games and costing the Panthers a chance to win. I'm
not saying that Matt Moore or AJ Feeley is the
answer, but at what point do Panther players just quit
- So is it Shonn Greene time on the waiver wire? 
Probably so. With Leon Washington out, the Jets are
going to be leaning on both Thomas Jones and Greene
to pound that rock and protect Mark Sanchez from
having to air it out too often. Greene looked very
impressive against the Raiders with 144 yards and 2 TDs
and he's a legit goal line back if needed.
 
- I remember doing some research this summer to see
which RB might have the toughest schedule this year as
it pertains to his fantasy value and wouldn't you know
that the answer was clearly - Michael Turner. Sure
enough, Turner is struggling. The good news is that
Turner has scored a TD in every game but the first but
the bad news is that he doesn't get any passes thrown to
him and he's rushed for more than 65 yards just twice
this year.
 
- Don't just dismiss Jamaal Charles as a viable fantasy
option with Chiefs RB Larry Johnson suspended. 
Charles has more explosion to the hole and he is a
bigger potential factor in the short passing and screen
game as well.
on Delhomme? My guess is that it has already
happened.
 
- I'm not sure why so many RBs continue to think
it will be beneficial for them to gain weight so
that they can "take the pounding" better when time
and time again we've seen this strategy backfire. 
Mike Bell, Ced Benson and Willis McGahee have
all benefited from losing weight and adding quickness
just as Ricky Williams benefited when he left New
Orleans and came to Miami. For a RB in the NFL,
quickness is much more important than bulk as it
pertains to performance.
 
- Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason
Garrett isn't the hot prospect he was a couple of
years ago, but his offense has quietly put together an
impressive string of big plays this year. QB Romo isn't
afraid to take shots down the field and his WRs are
responding with quite a few big plays. Sam Hurd has a
53 yard catch, Roy Williams has a 66 yard TD catch,
Patrick Crayton has an 80 yard TD catch and Miles
Austin has TD catches of 42, 59, 59 and 60!
 CFB SECTION BY JOHN HARRIS
WEEK 9

Texas (7-0) vs. Oklahoma State (6-1)

October 31, 2009 - ABC 7:00 PM CST
Vegas Says: Texas -9 / 52
R 2009 Ranking

164.0 ypg - 46th Run Offense 185.6 ypg - 27th

274.1 ypg - 21st Pass Offense 232.0 ypg - 44th

438.1 ypg - 16th Total Offense 417.6 ypg - 30th

2009 Schedule 2009 Schedule
W, ULM 59-20 41.9 ppg - 1st Scoring Offense 37.0 ppg - 6th W, Georgia 24-10
W, @ Wyoming 41-10 L, Houston 45-35
W, Texas Tech 34-24 41.2 ypg - 1st Run Defense 99.0 ypg - 18th W, Rice 41-24
W, UTEP 64-7 W, Grambling State 56-6
W, Colorado 38-14 194.3 ypg - 33rd Pass Defense 253.1 ypg - 106th W, @ Texas A&M 36-31
W, Oklahoma (Dallas) 16-13 W, Missouri 33-17
W, @ Missouri 41-7 235.6 ypg - 2nd Total Defense 352.1 ypg - 56th W, @ Baylor 34-7
10/31 @ OSU 10/31 Texas
13.6 ppg - 9th Scoring Defense 20.0 ppg - 36th

Projected Starting Lineups Keys to the Game Projected Starting Lineups

Offense
QB #12 Colt McCoy
RB #28 Fozzy Whittaker
WR #84 Marquise Goodwin
WR #8 Jordan Shipley
TE #83 Greg Smith
T #64 Kyle Hix
G #63 Michael Huey
C #71 Chris Hall
G #52 Charlie Tanner
T #74 Adam Ulatoski
Defense
DE #2 Sergio Kindle
DE #81 Sam Acho
DT #33 Lamarr Houston
DT #92 Ben Alexander
LB #1 Keenan Robinson
LB #38 Roddrick Muckelroy
LB #18 Emmanuel Acho
S #21 Blake Gideon
S #12 Earl Thomas
CB #4 Aaron Williams
CB #3 Curtis Brown
The Real McCoy - In some sense this is the Colt McCoy Offense
that we expected to see at the outset of the season. Against QB #11 Zac Robinson
Missouri, McCoy was 26 of 31 for 269 with three touchdowns, RB #5 Keith Toston
hitting eight different receivers with a pass. Why was he not FB #37 Bryant Ward
the ‘real’ McCoy the first portion of the season? Who really TE #86 Wilson Youman
knows? Pressure to live up to the hype. Dealing with a new WR #84 Hubert Anyiam
crop of receivers, outside of buddy, pal and roommate Jordan WR #81 Justin Blackmon
Shipley. Lack of a running game. Again. Any and all of the T #76 Russell Okung
above could be reasons, but that looks to be behind him. G #77 Noah Franklin
What I like about what Texas OC Greg Davis has done is C #54 Andrew Lewis
speed the game up for Colt. When the Longhorns have gone G #68 Lane Taylor
up tempo the past few weeks, McCoy has been brilliant. The T #60 Brady Bond
speed of the game forces defenses into mistakes and he’s able
to open up the whole playbook. Oklahoma State, though, was Defense
the most physical team with McCoy last year and the OL must DE #50 Jamie Blatnick
protect #12 or all of this improvement is moot. DE #91 Ugo Chinasa
DT #98 Derek Burton
Finding Kindle - The most important matchup of the NT #90 Swanson Miller
night though is going to be Oklahoma State tackle Russell LB #20 Andre Sexton
Okung against the Longhorns Sergio Kindle. Or, will it? It’s LB #44 Donald Booker
not clear whether Kindle will be lining up on Okung or against LB #4 Patrick Levine
Brady Bond on the other side. Texas DC Will Muschamp will S #31 Lucien Antoine
move him around as he has with other great defensive ends in S #10 Markelle Martin
his stead. The difference is that Kindle is perhaps as difficult a CB #16 Perrish Cox
matchup as Okung can have. The Cowboy tackle doesn’t CB #23 Terrance Anderson
handle speed rushers up field well, but he can handle every
other Longhorn pass rusher. QB Zac Robinson is starting to
get into his groove, but if he’s wearing Kindle, forget it.

Conclusion - The Cowboys physically beat up Texas last year, but turned the ball one key time early in the game and had to
chase the rest of the way. They didn’t get chase far enough as they lost 28-24 in Austin. Now, with a shot at revenge, it’d be easy (as
with BYU last week against TCU) to say that OSU will get its revenge, but the Longhorns are nearly 100% and are a better team
than the Cowboys. Now, with Dez Bryant? Different story. But, Oklahoma State doesn’t have him due to year-long suspension
and that’ll be the difference. The Cowboys don’t have a go-to guy offensively to truly challenge Texas. UT does - he’s #12.
Texas - 24 vs. Oklahoma State - 21
 Florida (7-0) vs. Georgia (4-3)
October 31, 2009 - CBS 2:30 PM CST
Vegas Says: Florida -15 / 48
R 2009 Ranking

258.3 ypg - 6th Run Offense 108.0 ypg - 103rd

198.7 ypg - 80th Pass Offense 226.7 ypg - 49th

457.0 ypg - 8th Total Offense 334.7 ypg - 90th

2009 Schedule 2009 Schedule
W, Charleston Southern 62-3 35.3 ppg - 9th Scoring Offense 27.0 ppg - 60th L, @ Ok. State 24-10
W, Troy 56-6 W, South Carolina 41-37
W, Tennessee 23-13 94.6 ypg - 12th Run Defense 127.3 ypg - 54th W, @ Arkansas 52-41
W, @ Kentucky 41-7 W, Arizona State 20-17
W, @ LSU 13-3 135.0 ypg - 2nd Pass Defense 238.3 ypg - 90th L, LSU 20-13
W, Arkansas 23-20 L, @ Tennessee 45-19
W, @ Mississippi State 29-19 229.6 ypg - 1st Total Defense 365.6 ypg - 70th W, @ Vanderbilt 34-10
10/31 Georgia (Jax) 10/31 Florida (Jax)
10.1 ppg - 2nd Scoring Defense 27.7 ppg - 84th

Projected Starting Lineups Keys to the Game Projected Starting Lineups

Offense Eight Ball, Side Pocket - When the 12 Rotary Offense
QB #15 Tim Tebow Lombardi Award Semi-finalists were announced last week, I QB #14 Joe Cox
RB #2 Jeff Demps was a little bit shocked by the inclusion of Gators defensive RB #22 Richard Samuel
WR #11 Riley Cooper end Carlos Dunlap. Now, from an athletically gifted FB #49 Shaun Chapas
WR #6 Deonte Thompson standpoint and NFL potential standpoint, I’m in, hook, line TE #81 Aron White
WR #25 Brandon James and sinker. But, from a 2009 production standpoint, I hadn’t WR #12 Tavarres King
TE #81 Aaron Hernandez really seen him do a whole lot on the field. But, last week at WR #8 A.J. Green
T #76 Marcus Gilbert Mississippi State, it was as if he had gotten the memo to turn T #71 Cordy Glenn
G #55 Mike Pouncey it up a notch or three. He ended the game with three sacks of G #63 Chris Davis
C #56 Maurkice Pouncey MSU quarterbacks and was, in general, a menace for the C #61 Ben Jones
G #66 James Wilson Bulldogs offensive line. What Georgia hasn’t done a great job G #60 Clint Boling
T #57 Carl Johnson of this year is making QB Joe Cox feel comfortable in the T #78 Josh Davis
pocket and that’s made worse by having to face Dunlap this
Defense Saturday. With size to play in the 3-4, but with the athleticism Defense
DE #8 Carlos Dunlap to play a 4-3 end, Dunlap is a major problem for the UGA OL. DE #42 Justin Houston
DT #92 Terron Sanders I would normally expect him to be doubled or chipped on a DT #95 Jeff Owens
DT #99 Omar Hunter regular basis, but Jermaine Cunningham on the other side is DT #91 Kade Weston
DE #49 Jermaine Cunningham just as talented as Dunlap. The only real counter to Dunlap, et DE #58 Demarcus Dobbs
LB #51 Brandon Spikes al is the quick passing game, so expect Cox to being throwing LB #52 Darius Newberry
LB #16 A.J. Jones quickly early in the game. LB #50 Darryl Gamble
LB #41 Ryan Stamper LB #35 Rennie Curran
S 35 Ahmad Black Eyes on 35 - Georgia LB Rennie Curran has been a superstar CB #2 Brandon Boykin
S #21 Major Wright for the past two years, but his biggest test comes Saturday CB #23 Prince Miller
CB #5 Joe Haden with having to stop the Gators running game. The Gators are S #3 Bryan Evans
CB #1 Janoris Jenkins sixth in the nation in rushing, averaging nearly 260 yards per S #9 Reshad Jones
game, but if Curran and company have a solid run blitz
package to disrupt the Gators OL schemes...UGA could
surprisingly put a halt to the Gators offense.

Conclusion - There’s a part of me that wants outright chaos at this time of year. OSU to beat Texas. Oregon to beat USC.
Boise State and TCU keep winning. And, Georgia to beat Florida. But, then reality hits home - no chaos in this one. Florida gets
back four defensive starters for this one - a game in which Georgia can’t truly find any balance offensively. Cox has started to turn
into a liability for the Bulldogs and the defense is still swiss cheese, i.e. lots of holes. QB Tebow needs to throw the ball downfield
and riddle the Dawgs average secondary. He will in his best passing performance of the year in a convincing, yet boring UF win.
Florida - 31 vs. Georgia - 20
 USC (6-1) vs. Oregon (6-1)
October 31, 2009 - ABC 7:00 PM CST
Vegas Says: USC -3 / 47
R 2009 Ranking

198.3 ypg - 19th Run Offense 210.7 ypg - 14th

242.1 ypg - 40th Pass Offense 157.4 ypg - 108th

440.4 ypg - 13th Total Offense 368.1 ypg - 66th

2009 Schedule 2009 Schedule
W, SJSU 56-3 31.4 ppg - 29th Scoring Offense 34.0 ppg - 16th L @ Boise State 8-19
W, @ Ohio State 18-15 W, Purdue 38-36
L, @ Washington 13-16 79.9 ypg - 5th Run Defense 118.9 ypg - 41st W, Utah 31-24
W, Washington State 27-6 W, Cal 42-3
W, @ Cal 30-3 211.9 ypg - 53rd Pass Defense 178.3 ypg - 23rd W, Washington State 52-6
W, @ Notre Dame 34-27 W, @ UCLA 24-10
W, Oregon State 42-36 291.7 ypg - 16th Total Defense 297.1 ypg - 19th W, @ Washington 43-19
10/31 @ Oregon 10/31 USC
15.1 ppg - 16th Scoring Defense 16.7 ppg - 19th
Projected Starting Lineups Projected Starting Lineups
Offense Keys to the Game Offense
QB #7 Matt Barkley The New Guy in the Stable - Gluttony is one of the QB #8 Jeremiah Masoli
RB #21 Allen Bradford seven deadly sins, or so we’re told. But, apparently Pete RB #21 LaMichael James
FB #31 Stanley Havili Carroll and running backs coach Todd McNair don’t believe in WR #80 Lavasier Tuinei
WR #18 Damian Williams such sins. For the past few years, the Trojans have horded WR #23 Jeff Maehl
WR #8 Ronald Johnson running backs, such that the 7th team back was a Parade All- WR #10 D.J. Davis
TE #86 Anthony McCoy American who couldn’t get on the field. It’s to a point that the TE #83 Ed Dickson
T #71 Charles Brown running backs at USC have taken to calling themselves the T #69 Bo Thran
G #53 Jeff Byers Stable. But, after Stafon Johnson was hurt lifting weights and G #77 Carson York
C #61 Kris O’Dowd Joe McKnight having nagging issues, the Trojans needed all of C #54 Jordan Holmes
G #56 Alex Parsons the depth in the Stable - finding power back Allen Bradford. G #79 Mark Asper
T #70 Tyron Smith The senior is being used more than at any point in his career. T #68 C.E. Kaiser
He had an impressive power run for a touchdown at Notre
Defense Dame and he was rewarded with 15 carries last week against Defense
DE #93 Everson Griffen Oregon State. He piled up 147 yards and two touchdowns in a DE #39 Will Tukuafu
DT #94 Armond Armstead 42-36 win over the Beavers. Oregon is quick and aggressive on DT #88 Brandon Bair
DT #91 Jurrell Casey defense, but having to tackle Bradford for 15 to 20 carries DT #90 Blake Ferras
DE #96 Wes Horton could make a huge difference in the fourth quarter. Plus, as DE #58 Kenny Rowe
LB #54 Chris Galippo Bradford goes, so goes the play action with QB Matt Barkley. LB #11 Eddie Pleasant
LB #6 Malcolm Smith LB #55 Casey Matthews
LB #17 Michael Morgan It’s a tight end’s world - I was once a tight end when I LB #35 Spencer Paysinger
S #2 Taylor Mays played in high school, so without prejudice, I can say that I S #2 T.J Ward
S #26 Will Harris often watch that position closer than any other on the field. S # 14 Javes Lewis
CB #36 Josh Pinkard This week’s matchup of tight ends is the best one we’ve had CB #37 Talmadge Jackson III
CB #15 Kevin Thomas since, well, the USC-ND game. Since Oregon remembered CB #18 Anthony Gildon
that Ed Dickson is one of the nation’s best pass catchers, the
offense has been consistent through the air and on the ground.
But, USC’s Anthony McCoy may be even better. Both will
have the spotlight glaring white hot this Saturday in Eugene.

Conclusion - No team has bounced back from adversity with as much resolve as the Ducks. Since that night in Boise, the
Ducks have been undefeated. And, each week, they’ve gotten better and better. Jeremiah Masoli is as healthy as he’s been this
year and S TJ Ward is back to wreck some skulls. But, USC’s offense is taking the same leap into that lofty, “unstoppable”
atmosphere. I worry that the Ducks haven’t seen a Bradford type power back and that could mean the difference in the fourth
quarter. The Duck defense has been stellar, but the USC offensive balance, now with Bradford toting the mail, is too much.

USC - 27 vs. Oregon - 23

 PREDICTIONS ON ALL D1A GAMES - TV GAMES IN RED
Thursday, October 29th
North Carolina at Virginia Tech 6:30 PM ESPN - Virginia Tech - 34 vs. UNC - 14

Friday, October 30th

West Virginia at South Florida 7 PM ESPN2 - West Virginia - 31 vs. USF - 24

Saturday, October 31st

Akron at Northern Illinois - NIU - 31 vs. Akron - 17

Michigan at Illinois 2:30 PM ESPN2/ABC - Michigan - 38 vs. Illinois - 21

Temple at Navy 2:30 PM CBS CSTV - Navy - 34 vs. Temple - 31

Air Force at Colorado State 3 PM The Mtn. - Air Force - 30 vs. CSU - 20

UNLV at TCU 3:00 PM Vs. - TCU - 38 vs. UNLV - 10

Penn State at Northwestern 3:30 PM ESPN - Penn State - 27 vs. Northwestern - 14

Louisiana Tech at Idaho 4 PM ESPN GP - Idaho - 31 vs. La. Tech - 30

Utah State at Fresno State - Fresno State - 35 vs. Utah State - 31

Western Kentucky at North Texas - North Texas - 49 vs. WKU - 45

Western Michigan at Kent State - Kent State - 28 vs. WMU - 24

Notre Dame vs. Washington State (San Antonio) 6:30 PM NBC - ND - 49 vs. WSU - 21

New Mexico at San Diego State 6:30 PM CBS CSTV - SDSU - 24 vs. New Mexico - 14

Michigan State at Minnesota 7 PM Big Ten Network - Michigan State - 28 vs. Minnesota - 14

Wyoming at Utah 7 PM The Mtn. - Utah - 31 vs. Wyoming - 17

Missouri at Colorado 12:30 PM FSN - Missouri - 28 vs. CU - 24

Nebraska at Baylor 11:30 am Vs. - Nebraska - 38 vs. Baylor - 14

New Mexico State at Ohio State 11 am Big Ten Network - Ohio State - 81 vs. NMSU - 2

North Carolina State at Florida State 11 am ESPN GP/Raycom - FSU - 34 vs. NC State - 31

UCLA at Oregon State 5:30 PM FSN West/FCS Pacific - Oregon State - 24 vs. UCLA - 14
 PREDICTIONS ON ALL D1A GAMES - TV GAMES IN RED
Saturday October 31st (CONT’D)
Arkansas State at Louisville - Arkansas State - 27 vs. Louisville - 24

California at Arizona State 2:30 PM ESPN GP/ABC - Cal - 31 vs. ASU - 28

Central Michigan at Boston College 2:30 PM ESPNU - BC - 24 vs. CMU - 23

Cincinnati at Syracuse 11 am ESPNU - Cincinnati - 35 vs. Syracuse - 14

Coastal Carolina at Clemson - Clemson - 54 vs. Coastal Carolina - 10

Duke at Virginia - UVa - 27 vs. Duke - 24

Eastern Michigan at Arkansas - Arkansas - 51 vs. EMU - 17

Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt 6:30 PM ESPN GP - Georgia Tech - 28 vs. Vandy - 14

Hawaii at Nevada - Nevada - 49 vs. Hawaii - 21

Indiana at Iowa 11 am ESPN - Iowa - 34 vs. Indiana - 14

Iowa State at Texas A&M - Texas A&M - 45 vs. Iowa State - 28

Kansas at Texas Tech 2:30 PM ABC/ESPN GP - Texas Tech - 49 vs. Kansas - 42

Kansas State at Oklahoma 6 PM FSN - OU - 42 vs. Kansas State - 17

Louisiana-Lafayette at Florida International - ULL - 34 vs. FIU - 17

Louisiana-Monroe at Troy - Troy - 31 vs. ULM - 28

Miami at Wake Forest 2:30 PM ABC/ESPN2/ESPN GP - Miami - 34 vs. Wake Forest - 21

Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic - FAU - 27 vs. MTSU - 26

Mississippi State at Kentucky 6 PM ESPN GP - Kentucky - 21 vs. MSU - 17

Ohio at Ball State - Ohio - 28 vs. Ball State - 14

Ole Miss at Auburn 11:21 am ESPN GP/SEC Network - Auburn - 27 vs. Ole Miss - 23

Purdue at Wisconsin 11 am ESPN2 - Wisconsin - 28 vs. Purdue - 21

Rutgers at Connecticut - Connecticut - 27 vs. Rutgers - 21

San Jose State at Boise State 2 PM ESPN GP - Boise State - 51 vs. SJSU - 14

SMU at Tulsa - Tulsa - 31 vs. SMU - 17

 PREDICTIONS ON ALL D1A GAMES - TV GAMES IN RED
Saturday October 31st (CONT’D)
South Carolina at Tennessee 6:45 PM ESPN - Tennessee 21 vs. South Carolina - 13

Southern Miss at Houston 12 PM CSS - Houston - 34 vs. USM - 21

Toledo at Miami Ohio 2:30 PM ESPN GP - Toledo - 35 vs. Miami Ohio - 21

Tulane at LSU 7 PM ESPN GP - LSU - 54 vs. Tulane - 13

UAB at UTEP - UTEP - 42 vs. UAB - 29

Sunday November 1st

Marshall at Central Florida 7:15 PM ESPN - Marshall - 28 vs. UCF - 21
 1560 The Game is a
proud sponsor of both
the Rotary Lombardi
Award, given annually
to the most
outstanding interior lineman in the
nation, and the Paul Bear Bryant Award
given for the Coach of the Year. Here is
my “unofficial leaderboard” for each
award. For more info. on each award -
www.rotarylombardiaward.org and
www.americanheart.org/bryantawards

The 12 semi-finalists are turning it up right about voting time, so it’s time to narrow the scope and follow
these finalists this week. Here are some thoughts about key matchups to watch this weekend.

1. Carlos Dunlap, Florida DE, has the national stage at 2:30 on CBS to himself, well, and other semi-
finalist Brandon Spikes. However, Spikes has been hurt, but should be back for the Georgia game. Dunlap,
though, played perhaps his most disruptive game of the season against Mississippi State in Starkville. He
knocked down a pass and had three sacks to ready himself for the Bulldogs this weekend.

2. The spotlight will be white hot on Oklahoma State LT Russell Okung, the only offensive lineman
amongst the semi-finalists. This will be his most difficult test, facing Sergio Kindle and the Texas defensive
ends. Kindle is Okung’s Kryptonite - speed rushers who can redirect are the guys that give Okung the most
problem. But, if he stones Kindle, the Cowboy offense could have a big day and earn a huge win.

On Monday, the Bear Bryant Award Voting Committee was proud to announce its 20 member Watch List for
the 2009 season. That list was as follows:
1. Robb Akey, Idaho 11. Urban Meyer, Florida
2. Mack Brown, Texas 12. Les Miles, LSU
3. Pete Carroll, USC 13. Joe Paterno, Penn State
4. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa 14. Gary Patterson, TCU
5. Al Golden, Temple 15. Chris Petersen, Boise State
6. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State 16. Nick Saban, Alabama
7. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech 17. Randy Shannon, Miami
8. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati 18. Bill Stewart, West Virginia
9. Chip Kelly, Oregon 19. Kevin Sumlin, Houston
10. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU 20. Dave Wannstedt, Pitt