Friday, December 11, 2015

Week 14 Heisman Watch

It's now time for the final Heisman watch of the season. It's been a wild and crazy season with numerous contenders rising and falling. In this article, I'll give my pick for the Heisman and finalists (the top three in the standings). We only have one superstar who dropped off from last week: Oregon's Royce Freeman who did not play last week. The seven superstars in this watch are the only ones I expect to get any Heisman votes. Let's get started. 

7. Keenan Reynolds, Navy (Last Week: 7)- Reynolds did not play in Week 14, but it's impossible to ignore how good of a season he's had. He's accounted for 25 total touchdowns while leading Navy to a 9-2 record. 

6. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 6)- Elliot and the Buckeyes did not play in the Big Ten championship game and will not play in the playoffs this year. However, they will take on Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.  

5. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 5)- Though Cook will not be playing in the playoffs, he will be taking on Houston in one of the New Year's Six bowl games. 

4. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 4)- Mayfield and the Sooners will be taking part in the second-ever playoffs. On top of that, Sports Illustrated and other websites have pegged them as the favorites. 

3. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 2)- Watson threw for 289 yards and two scores as well as running for 131 yards and two scores while defeating North Carolina for the ACC Championship. Watson will also be competing in the playoffs for the #1 ranked team in the country.

2. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 3)- Though Watson has had a great season, McCaffrey's had one for the history books. The Cardinal broke Barry Sanders's single-purpose all-purpose yards record thanks to his performance against USC in the Pac-12 title game.

1. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Henry is the favorite to walk away with the Heisman, ad he solidified his campaign with a great effort against Florida. On top of that, he broke the SEC record for most rushing yards in a single season.

Thanks for reading everyone. Check back soon for more articles. 

Monday, November 30, 2015

Week 13 Heisman Watch

With only one week of the regular season left, the Heisman race is drawing to a close. For the first time this season, we have less than 10 players on our list. Two players have dropped out: Corey Coleman of Baylor (who didn't make much of an impact against TCU) and Leonard Fournette of LSU (who had the week off). Let's get started.

8. Royce Freeman, Oregon (Last Week: 10)- Freeman had himself a day as Oregon knocked off Oregon State, He ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns while also picking up 51 receiving yards. Freeman definitely won't make it to New York, but he deserves some votes.

7. Keenan Reynolds, Navy (Last Week: 6)- Reynolds and Navy fell to Houston, but Reynolds still had a good game. He went 13 for 16 with 312 yards and a touchdown through the air. He also ran for 84 yards and one score.

6. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 7)- Elliot was a big reason that the Buckeyes trampled over the Wolverines. The back ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns while also catching two passes for seven yards.

5. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 5)- Cook has an outside chance of making it to New York, but he'll definitely get some votes. In FSU's win over #12 Florida (a win that ended Florida's playoff dreams), Cook ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

4.  Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 4)- Mayfield and the Sooners beat Oklahoma St. to all but clinch a playoff spot. Mayfield went 17 of 25 for 180 yards, two scores, and zero picks. He also ran for 77 yards and one score on 11 runs.

3. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 3)- McCaffrey failed to get 100 rushing yards against Notre Dame, but he did accumulate 19 receiving yards while also returning five kicks for an average of 21.8 yards.

2. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 1)- Watson may have fallen out of the top spot, but he can still has a chance to walk away with the Heisman. He'll need a big game over North Carolina in the ACC title game next week.

1. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 2)- At this point in time, Henry looks like the favorite to walk away with the Heisman. He's been consistent for 'Bama all season long and is one of the main reasons they're ranked #2.

Thanks for reading, be sure to check in next week for the final installment of the Heisman watch.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Week 12 Heisman Watch

For the first time this season, we do not have anyone on the watch-list. As the season gets longer, the list of real Heisman candidates shrinks. We have two players who dropped off the list: Trevone Boykin (who didn't play due to injury) and DeShone Kizer (who played sloppily against Boston College). Let's get started.

10. Royce Freeman, Oregon (Last Week: NR)- Freeman has had a great season thus far for the Ducks. Against #24 USC on Saturday, he ran for for 147 yards on 20 carries while also picking up 50 receiving yards.

9. Corey Coleman, Baylor (Last Week: 8)- Coleman had a relatively quiet game on Saturday (three rushes for 21 yards and five catches for 77 yards). Baylor beat Oklahoma St. to keep their playoff dreams alive.

8. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 6)- Fournette stopped his two-game slide by rushing for 108 yards on 25 carries and hauling in four catches for 72 yards. However, LSU lost its third straight game.

7. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- Elliot failed to rush for at least a 100 yards for the first time this season. The stout MSU defense held him to 33 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. He'll need a big game against Michigan to get back in the top tier of Heisman contenders.

6. Keenan Reynolds, Navy (Last Week: NR)- No player in FBS history has run for more touchdowns than Reynolds. Against Tulsa, he ran for 81 yards and one score while also throwing for 55 yards and another TD.

5. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 7)- Cook rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns as his Seminoles cruised past Chattanooga for an easy win. Cook still has a chance of making it to New York. but he'll have to finish the season strong.

4. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 4)-Oklahoma did knock off TCU, but Mayfield only played in the first half after being pulled due to injury. Fortunately for his team, he is expected to play next week against Oklahoma State.

3. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 5)- No Heisman contender had a better week than McCaffrey did. Against Cal, the Stanford Cardinal ran for 192 yards, hauled in a 49 yard touchdown pass, and returned a kick for a score.

2. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 2)- Henry only played in two quarters as Alabama coasted past Charleston Southern. In those two quarters, he ran for 68 yards and two touchdowns on 9 carries.

1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 1)- Watson holds on to the top spot in our Heisman watch after running for 44 yards and one touchdown while also accumulating 343 yards and three scores through the air.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Week 11 Heisman Watch

After last week's major shake-up in the Heisman watch, a lot of fans were expecting more stability this week. That pretty much happened, as we have no new superstars on the list. We are now at the point of the season where it is virtually guaranteed that one of the ten men listen below will walk away with the Heisman (unless our sole watch-list player, Houston's Greg Ward Jr., catches fire). Let's get started.

10. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 7)- Boykin never got a chance to get going on Saturday, as he suffered an ankle injury early into the game. Reports indicate that he will be able to play next week, however.

9. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame (Last Week: 10)-  Kizer didn't have eye-popping stats against Wake Forest, but he didn't need to, as the Irish dominated the game from start to finish. Kizer finished by going 13-19 for 111 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

8. Corey Coleman, Baylor (Last Week: 5)- Coleman was pretty much shut down against Oklahoma. The star receiver had only three catches for 51 yards and no scores. He's going to need a big game against Oklahoma State next week if he wants to stay in the Heisman race.

7. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 8)- #16 FSU defeated NC State, and Cook was a big reason why. He ran for 138 yards and two scores while also picking up 17 receiving yards. He should have a big game against Chattanooga next week.

6. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 3)- After his disappointing performance against Alabama last week, Fournette needed a big game in order to keep his Heisman dreams alive. Unfortunately for him, he only managed 91 yards and one score.

5. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 6)- Stanford lost to Oregon and got their playoff hopes dashed. Nonetheless, McCaffrey had a big game, as he had more than 200 total yards and one rushing score.

4. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 9)- The Sooners handed Baylor its first loss of the season. Mayfield threw for 270 yards and three scores while also rushing for 76 yards and another touchdown.

3. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- There has perhaps been no player more consistent this season then Elliot, who has rushed for at least a 100 yards in every game. Against Illinois, he ran for 181 yards and two scores.

2. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 2)- Honestly, you could switch around #s 1 and 2, but Henry has to be content with the #2 spot for now. He ran for 204 yards and two scores against Mississippi State.

1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 1)- #1 Clemson beat Syracuse 37-27 to stay undefeated. Watson went 34 for 37 for 360 yards and two scores to lead Clemson to victory. He also ran for 105 yards and a score.

Thanks for reading everyone, and be sure to check back next week for an updated Heisman watch.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Week 10 Heisman Watch

In a shocking turn of events, both of the top two players in last week's Heisman watch tumble after disappointing performances on Saturday. Many players have capitalized on this tumble including our new leader. We have only one player on the watch-list: Greg Ward Jr. of Houston. We also have two players who dropped off: Josh Doctson (who suffered a wrist injury) and Paxton Lynch (who lost to Navy by 25). Let's get started.

10. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame (Last Week: NR)- Kizer is Notre Dame's third player to make the Heisman watch this season, making it the only school (along with Ohio State) to have that many players in the top ten. (The only other teams with multiple players are Baylor and TCU). Kizer accounted for six touchdowns in ND's 42-30 win over Pitt.

9. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: NR)- Mayfield resurfaces on our top ten list after throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Furthermore, thanks to TCU's loss, Oklahoma is still in playoff contention.

8. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 9)- The Seminoles picked up their second loss of the season, but Cook was still impressive. He ran for 194 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries against Clemson.

7. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 2)- Unfortunately for Boykin, you can't throw four interceptions and lose by 20 points and expect to remain a Heisman front-runner. He will get a chance to redeem himself next week against Kansas.

6. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 7)- #11 Stanford rolled through Colorado, with McCaffrey running for 147 yards while also adding 35 return yards and 15 receiving yards. At this rate, McCaffrey could earn himself a ticket to New York.

5. Corey Coleman, Baylor (Last Week: 6)- Baylor stayed perfect this week by beating Bill Snyder and Kansas State. Coleman caught 11 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Thanks to Doctson's injury, Coleman is the only receiver in the nation with a chance at winning the Heisman.

4. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 4)- Ohio State is still undefeated and very much in the playoff conversation. Elliot rushed for 114 yards and one touchdown in OSU's 28-14 win over Minnesota.

3. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 1)- Fournette could do absolutely nothing against the Crimson Tide defense on Sunday. The star back ran for only 31 yards and one score on 19 carries, by far his worst outing of the season.

2. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 5)- Fournette's counterpart on the other sideline meanwhile, had a fantastic game. On 38 carries, Henry ran for 210 yards and three scores to keep 'Bama's playoff dreams alive.

1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 3)- The QB of the #1 team in the country sits atop our Heisman standings. He threw for 297 yards and one score while also rushing for 107 yards as Clemson clinched a spot in the ACC title game.

Thanks for reading everyone, and be sure to check back next week for an updated Heisman watch.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Week 9 Heisman Watch

Now that the first CFP rankings are out, it means the college season is really heating up. We are a mere matter of weeks until the playoffs are finalized and the Heisman is handed out. Speaking of the Heisman, it's time for our latest Heisman watch. The only player who dropped off from last week is C.J. Prosise of Notre Dame, who struggled against Temple's run defense. We also have a few players on the watch-list: DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame, Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, and Greg Ward Jr. of Houston (all three are quarterbacks). Let's get started.

10. Josh Doctson, TCU (Last Week: NR)- After weeks of being on the watch-list, Doctson finally cracks the top 10. He does so after hauling in 11 receptions for 183 yards and two scores against West Virginia.

9. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 6)- Cook missed FSU's game against Syracuse with an ankle injury, but it looks like he will be able to play on Saturday when the 'Noles take on the #1 team in the CFP rankings, Clemson. A great performance there will do wonders for Cook's Heisman campaign.

8. Paxton Lynch, Memphis (Last Week: 10)- Memphis beat Tulane 41-13 to remain undefeated. Lynch threw for 343 yards and one score while also adding 43 yards on the ground. Memphis is ranked 13th in the CFP poll.

7. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: 9)- Stanford got a nasty scare from Washington State, but the Cardinals survived, keeping their playoff dreams alive. McCaffrey got 107 yards on the ground while also picking up a team-high 26 receiving yards.

6. Corey Coleman, Baylor (Last Week: 8)- Coleman was off this week, but he moves up thanks to Prosise and Cook trending downwards. It also helps that Coleman leads the nation in receiving touchdowns (18).

5. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 4)- Henry did not take the field this week, but he needs all the rest as he can get, as Alabama takes on undefeated LSU next week. A win there will really help Henry's Heisman chances.

4. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- Like a lot of other Heisman contenders, Elliot had Week 9 off. He is still very much in the Heisman race however, and will likely have a big game next week against Minnesota.

3. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 5)- Stats-wise, Watson had an incredible game against NC State. He threw for 383 yards and five scores (while running for 54 yards and a touchdown) to keep Clemson undefeated. Add on the fact that Clemson reigns atop the CFP and you have the perfect formula for a Heisman candidate.

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 2)- Two days before Watson's fantastic performance, Boykin went out and had himself a game against West Virginia. Boykin threw for 388 yards, rushed for a team-high 84 yards, and had four total touchdowns.

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 1)- Despite some stiff competition, Fournette is still the Heisman front-runner. He does however, face a very daunting task next week: Alabama's notoriously tough run-defense.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Week 8 Heisman Watch

It's time for our latest Heisman watch. For the second time in three weeks, we have a player drop off the list due to injury. Last time it was Nick Chubb, now it's Seth Russell, who suffered a neck injury on Saturday. The other player who drops off of the list is Devontae Booker, who ran for only 62 yards against USC. Let's get started.

10. Paxton Lynch, Memphis (Last Week: NR)- Lynch beats out a few other game contenders (including Josh Doctson of TCU) to snag the tenth spot in our rankings. His performance on Saturday was fantastic, as he threw for 447 yards and four scores to keep Memphis undefeated.

9. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (Last Week: NR)- McCaffrey's Heisman campaign has really lit up the last couple of weeks. This week, he ran for 109 yards, picked up 112 receiving yards, and accounted for two total touchdowns.

8. Corey Coleman, Baylor (Last Week: 10)- Coleman is one of the best receivers in the nation right now, and he showed it in Week 8. Not only did he catch two scores, but he also ran for 17 yards on three carries.

7. C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame (Last Week: 8)- Prosise was off this week, but moves a spot up thanks to Russell's unfortunate injury. He will get a chance to move further up this list next when Notre Dame takes on #21 Temple.

6. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 7)- Florida State may have gotten knocked off by Georgia Tech, but that was in no way Cook's fault. He racked up 132 total yards while also rushing for one score.

5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 6)- Clemson absolutely dominated Miami (Fl.) on Saturday, and Watson was a big reason why. He went 15 for 19 for 143 yards and one score while also rushing for 98 yards and a score.

4. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 4)- Henry stays in the fourth spot after Alabama's win over Tennessee. Not only did he pick up the game-winning touchdown, but he ran for 143 yards and another score.

3. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- Elliot and the #1 Buckeyes totally dominated Rutgers, winning 49-7. Elliot ran for 142 yards and two scores while also catching three passes for 29 yards. At this rate, Elliot is certainly getting an invitation to New York.

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 2)- Boykin didn't get a chance to put up flashy numbers this week, as TCU had the week off. He will however, get a chance at the top spot in our Heisman watch when he takes on West Virginia next week.

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 1)- Once again, Fournette takes the top spot in our rankings. He does so after rushing for 150 yards and one score against Western Kentucky. Thanks in good part to their star RB, LSU is undefeated and ranked #4 in the country.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Week 7 Heisman Watch

At this point in the season, the Heisman race is really starting to heat up. We have a few real contenders and some players who have already dropped out. Only one player dropped out: Myles Garrett, who lost to Alabama. We also have a couple people on the watch-list, including receiver Josh Docston of TCU.

10. Corey Coleman, Baylor (Last Week: NR)- Coleman makes his debut on the list after putting up 199 receiving yards and three touchdowns in Baylor's win over West Virginia. It's tough for receivers to win the Heisman, but Coleman certainly has a shot.

9. Devontae Booker, Utah (Last Week: 10)- Booker moves up one spot after rushing for 118 yards and two touchdowns in 21 carries. Utah beat Arizona State, is undefeated, and is ranked #3 in the nation, thanks in good part to Booker.

8. C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame (Last Week: 9)- Prosise moves up one spot after his impressive performance against USC. He ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns while also picking up 32 receiving yards.

7. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 8)- Cook has had a fantastic season thus far, and that continued against Louisville. He ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns in FSU's 41-21 win over the Cards.

6. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 4)- Watson did lead the Tigers to victory over Boston College, but it wasn't the most spectacular of performances. He acquired a QBR of 73.6 and threw for three scores and two pick.

5. Seth Russell, Baylor (Last Week: 6)- Russell put up really big numbers against West Virginia. He threw for 380 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 160 yards and a touchdown. At this rate, Russell will be invited to New York.

4. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 5)- Henry ran for a career-high 236 yards against Texas A&M, helping the Crimson Tide beat Texas A&M 41-23. He also ran for two scores and acquired 18 receiving yards.

3. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- In OSU's 38-10 win over Penn State, Elliot ran for 153 yards and a score with 27 carries. Elliot has been nothing short of gold this year and is a big reason the Buckeyes are ranked first in the ocean.

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 2)- Boykin continues to put up crazy numbers, as he did against Iowa State. He went 27 for 32 while throwing for 432 yards and four scores. He also ran for 74 yards and a score.

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 1)- Fournette faced a tough challenge against Florida and stood strong. He ran for 180 yards and two scores. The Tigers are now ranked fifth in the country and are strong playoff contenders.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Week 6 Heisman Watch

With Week 6 of the 2015-2016 college football season in the books, we can now look at the updated Heisman race. We have four players from last week dropping off: Jared Goff (who lost to Utah), Cody Kessler (who lost to Washington), Baker Mayfield (who lost to Texas), and Nick Chubb (who suffered a devastating injury on Saturday). Let's get started.

10. Devontae Booker, Utah (Last Week: NR)- Booker makes his debut onto our Heisman watch after running for 222 yards and two touchdowns against #23 Cal. Furthermore, Utah is undefeated and ranked #4.

9. C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame (Last Week: NR)- Prosise gets back on to the Heisman list after dropping out last week. His great performance against Navy, which included three rushing touchdowns, reignites his Heisman campaign.

8. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: NR)- Like Prosise, Cook was on this list a few weeks ago before dropping off. He had three total touchdowns and 222 rushing yards for the Seminoles in their win over Miami (Fl).

7. Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (Last Week: NR)- Garrett may be a defensive player, but he has put together a convincing Heisman campaign thus far. In his last game (which was against Mississippi State on October 3rd), the DE had seven tackles and a sack.

6. Seth Russell, Baylor (Last Week: 9)- Russell jumps up the list, thanks to both his performance against Kansas and other players faltering. He only played for two quarters, but he still went 18 for 27 with four total scores.

5. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 7)- The junior RB set a school record will 11 straight games with a rushing touchdown. He ran for 95 yards and one score in 'Bama's 27-14 win over Arkansas on Saturday.

4. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 4)- Watson stays at the #4 spot after leading Clemson to a 43-24 victory over Georgia Tech. He went 21-30 and threw for 265 yards and two scores. He also ran for 16 yards.

3. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 6)- Elliot gets a big boost after Chubb's injury. It also doesn't hurt that he ran for 106 yards and two scores in OSU's 49-28 win over Maryland. Furthermore, the Buckeyes are still #1 in the country.

2. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 1)- After spending the entire season on top of the Heisman watch, Boykin finally slips down. This is through no fault of his own however, as he threw for 330 yards and had four scores.

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 2)- Through the first six weeks of the college football season, no player has been more outstanding than Leonard Fournette. In Week 6 against South Carolina, Fournette ran for 158 yards and one score.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Week 5 Heisman Watch

The Heisman Race is still in its early stages, but we already have a very good look at the potential candidates. Of course, there is a player totally of the radar right now who could surprise us all. We have two candidates from last week who dropped off: C.J. Prosise of Notre Dame and Chad Kelly of Ole Miss, who both lost in Week 5. Let's get started.

10. Jared Goff, Cal (Last Week: NR)- After weeks of being on the bubble, Goff finally bursts through after throwing for 390 yards and four touchdowns against Washington State. Cal is now 5-0 for the first time since 2007, mainly thanks to their QB.

9. Seth Russell, Baylor (Last Week: NR)- Like Goff, Russell has been on the watchlist for weeks, and he finally breaks through. He does so after throwing 376 yards and five scores against Texas Tech. He also ran for 81 yards and two scores.

8. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 8)- Mayfield continued his Heisman campaign successfully in Week 5 by throwing for 320 yards and three scores against West Virginia. His Sooners are now ranked at #10.

7. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 6)- Henry didn't have a fantastic game against Georgia, but he did run for 148 yards and one score on 26 carries. His performance helped Alabama beat the Bulldogs 38-10.

6. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 7)- Elliot has found himself slipping in recent weeks, but he was great in Week 5. The junior ran for 274 yards and three touchdowns. On top of that, OSU is still #1 in the country.

5. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: 4)- Kessler drops a spot due to inactivity, but he will have a chance to move back up the rankings when his USC Trojans take on Washington in Week 6. He has thrown 15 scores and one pick this season.

4. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 5)- Deshaun Watson moves into the Top 4 after leading Clemson to an upset over #6 Notre Dame. He accounted for all three of the Tigers' touchdown. Clemson is now ranked #6.

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia (Last Week: 2)- Chubb had a good outing against Alabama, as he put up 146 yards and a score against Alabama. Unfortunately for him, it was not good enough to stop the onslaught that is Leonard Fournette.

2. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 3)- Fournette has been nothing short of fantastic this season. After the game against Eastern Michigan, Fournette is the first player in SEC history to rush for more than 200 yards in three straight games.

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 1)- Despite Fournette's incredible season, Boykin manages to hang on to the top spot. He accounted for five total touchdowns in TCU's 50-7 win over the Texas Longhorns.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Week 4 Heisman Watch

We are now four weeks into the college football season, and the Heisman race is getting hot. We have a lot of contenders that didn't even make the list, like Baylor's Seth Russell and Jared Goff of Cal. We had one player drop off: Dalvin Cook of Florida State. He had a bye week and drops off as a result. Let's get started.

10. C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame (Last Week: NR)- Prosise jumps on to the rankings after an impressive showing against Umass. In 15 carries, he ran for 149 yards and two scores in ND's 62-27 win that kept them at #6.

9. Chad Kelly, Ole Miss (Last Week: 9)- After a great game against Alabama, Kelly slowed down a little big against Vanderbilt. He did throw for one score, but he also had two interceptions. Ole Miss is still ranked at #3.

8. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: 8)- Mayfield had a bye week in Week 4, so he says still on this watchlist. He has a chance to jump up the rankings when he takes on undefeated West Virginia.

7. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)- Originally one of the front-runners for the most prestigious individual award in college football, Elliot has slipped in recent weeks. He did run for 124 yards and one score against Western Michigan.

6. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 5)- Like Elliot, Henry was once of the biggest front-runners in the Heisman race. He only rushed for 52 yards and one score against Louisiana Monroe. He'll need to step it up if he wants to stay in the race.

5. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 7)- He had a bye week in Week 4, but he still jumps up after other plays fell. He will have a chance to really spark up his Heisman campaign when he takes on Notre Dame on Saturday.

4. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: 6)- Kessler rebounded nicely after USC's loss to Stanford by throwing for five touchdowns against Arizona State. He has 15 scores and one pick over the entire season.

3. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 3)- Fournette has been absolutely sensational this entire season. He has a total of 647 yards over the season and eight rushing touchdowns. If he keeps this up, Fournette will be a finalist for sure.

2. Nick Chubb, Georgia (Last Week: 2)- Chubb had three touchdowns (one receiving and two rushing) in Week 4 while also running for 131 yards. Chubb has been nothing short of outstanding this season and is primed to go to New York.

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 1)- Once again, Boykin manages to hold on to the top spot. He does so after throwing for 485 yards, four scores, and no picks, in TCU's 55-52 win over Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs are ranked #4 in the nation.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back next week.

Friday, September 25, 2015

Week 3 Heisman Watch

Instead of doing a full recap of the college football week, we are simply going to be doing a Heisman list. It was the most popular section of our weekly recap, so we're going to be focusing on that from now on. Let's get started.

The only players to drop out of the rankings this week are Ohio State's Braxton Miller and UCLA's Josh Rosen. After a sensational first week, Miller has been very quiet. Rosen on the other hand, threw for three picks against BYU. We also have a few players that are on the bubble, like Baylor QB Seth Russell and Jared Goff of Cal. 

10. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: 8)- After rushing for more than 200 yards and three scores last week, Cook disappointed against Boston College. He only ran for 54 yards on 15 carries as FSU won 14-0. 

9. Chad Kelly, Ole Miss (Last Week: NR)- Kelly jumps onto the list after leading his team to a huge upset over #2 Alabama. He threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, and Ole Miss is now third in the polls 

8. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma (Last Week: NR)- Mayfield also makes a very impressive debut after accumulating 572 yards against Tulsa, which is a new school record. Yep, that's more than former Heisman winners Sam Bradford and Jason White. 

7. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 8)- Watson didn't have a great week, as he threw for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and two picks. The future of Watson's campaign will likely hinge on his game against Notre Dame on October 3rd.

6. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: 4)- Kessler slips out of the top five after failing to lead the Trojans to a win over unranked Stanford. He did however, throw for 272 yards and three touchdowns. 

5. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 5)- The Crimson Tide did lose to Ole Miss, but he did accumulate 168 total yards and one score. He will need to remain consistent in order to win the Heisman.

4. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 7)- Fournette is definitely one of the top contenders for the Heisman at this point, even though he's only played in two games this season. Against Auburn, the Tiger rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns.

3. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 2)- Elliot rushed for 108 yards and caught two passes for six yards. He didn't have great numbers, but at least the Buckeyes got the win. Elliot will need to pick it up if he wants to go to New York.

2. Nick Chubb, Georgia (Last Week: 3)- Chubb continued his great season by putting up a very good performance against South Carolina. He had 159 rushing yards and two scores. At this point, Chubb looks like a lock to go to New York. 

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 1)- Boykin has managed to hang on to the top spot, even though running backs have been great all year long. He had six total touchdowns and passed for 454 yards. 

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Friday, September 18, 2015

College Football Week 2 Review

The second week of college football has come and gone, and it's impossible to deny that it was an exciting one. There were a lot of great games and exciting moments. In this recap, we will break it all down.

Notable Games:

In the biggest game of the week, #7 Oregon took on #5 Michigan State in a cross-conference match-up. It was a very exciting game that ended up with the Spartans coming out on top. MSU moved up t #4 while Oregon fell to 12.

#9 Notre Dame suffered a scare against unranked Virginia, but the Irish pulled out a 34-27 win. Unfortunately, they lost starting QB and Heisman contender Malik Zaire for the season. The Irish will now be leaning on DeShone Kizer, who threw for 2 scores on Saturday.

Auburn was supposed to have a week off against Jacksonville State, but the Tigers suffered a huge scare. It took a late fourth quarter comeback and an overtime period to secure the win. The Tigers fell all the way to #18.

#10 Georgia opened their SEC schedule against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Bulldogs won 31-14, but it wasn't a great win. Georgia QB Greyson Lambert didn't complete a pass in the first pass, causing many fans discomfort.

#19 Oklahoma took on #23 Tennessee in another match-up between two ranked teams from different Power Five conferences. This was a very exciting game that took the Sooners two overtime periods to pull out the win.

On Friday, the #24 Utah Utes defeated their in-state rival, Utah State. The Utes won 24-14, but lost their starting quarterback, Travis Wilson, for the season. They did however, move up three spots in the rankings.

#11 Florida State picked up a big win over their fellow Florida team, South Florida. The Seminoles won 34-14 and moved up two spots in the rankings to #9. This was a non-conference game, but still a good win for FSU.

#20 Boise State was riding high after their Week 1 win over Washington, but they hit a serious road bump against Brigham Young. The game was very close, but BYU pulled out a 35-24 win and are now ranked #19.

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema complained this week about Ohio State's soft schedule, and then turned around and lost to unranked Toledo 16-12. As a result, the Razorbacks dropped completely off the rankings.

After Jim Harbaugh's disappointing debut with the Wolverines last week, many Michigan fans were understandably worried. However, things changed this week when the Wolverines beat Oregon State 35-7.

Notable Performances:

Matt Johnson of Bowling Green is someone you probably haven't heard of, but you should start taking notice. The senior threw for 491 yards and six scores against Maryland, helping give Bowling Green their first win of the season.

A few people had #17 Ole Miss on upset alert against Frenso State, but the Runnin' Rebels absolutely dominated. Leading the way was QB Chad Kelly, who had an incredible day as he went 20-25 for 346 yards and four scores.

#4 Baylor had an easy time with Lamar, as they put up 66 points against them. A big reason for this: wide receiver Corey Coleman, who caught all four of Seth Russell's touchdown passes and had 182 receiving yards.

Heisman Watch:

We have another two players who dropped out of the list this week: Malik Zaire of Notre Dame and Dak Prescott of Mississippi State. Zaire suffered a season-ending injury against Virginia and Prescott fell to LSU.

10. Josh Rosen, UCLA (Last Week: NR)- Rosen had a fantastic debut in Week 1, but quieted down a bit against UNLV. He threw for 223 yards and one touchdown while leading the Bruins to a 37-3 win over UNLV.

9. Braxton Miller, Ohio State (Last Week: 7)- After Miller's incredible game last week, any performance against Hawaii would probably have been considered a disappointment. He ended up with 73 total yards as the Buckeyes won 38-0.

8. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: 10)- Watson wasn't incredibly fantastic against Appalachian State, but he still completed 19 of his 26 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. The Tigers won 41-10.

7. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 8)- Because his Week 1 game against McNeese State was cancelled, this was Fournette's season debut. The back picked up 159 yards on the ground and three scores.

6. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (Last Week: NR)- Cook makes a big debut onto our rankings after a big performance against South Florida. In 30 rushes, he ran for 266 yards (giving her an 8.9 average) and three scores.

5. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 5)- Henry stays steady in the five spot after a very good performance against Middle Tennessee. The running back ran for 96 yards and three scores on 18 carries.

4 Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: 4)- Kessler had an incredible showing against Idaho on Saturday. He threw for 410 yards and three scores in the game. The Trojan is now 45 of 57 with seven scores and no picks for the whole season.
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3. Nick Chubb, Georgia (Last Week: 3)- While Chubb did not have any touchdowns this week, he still ran for 189 yards on 19 carries, as the Bulldogs won 31-10 over Vanderbilt. Chubb is now averaging 8.8 yards per carry this season.

2. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 2)- On 27 rushes, Elliot ran for 101 yards and three scores as the Buckeyes defeated Hawaii, Elliot should have another big game next week when he takes on Northern Illinois.

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 1)- Boykin manages to hold on to the top spot yet again, but the competition behind him is fierce. The Horned Frog completed 18 of his 27 passes for four scores to help TCU move to 2-0/

Playoff Picture Note:

Oregon's loss seriously complicates their playoff hopes. They almost certainly have to win the Pac-12 if they want to go back to the playoffs. UCLA and USC however, now stand as the Pac-12's best chances of making the playoffs.

Draft Outlook Note:

We're looking at offensive linemen this week, and two jump off the page right away: Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame and Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss. Both are in the top five of CBS Sports's draft prospect rankings (Stanley is #3 and Tunsil is #5), and we all know how high good offensive linemen go in the draft.

Games to Watch Next Week:

We have a huge SEC game between #18 Auburn and #13 LSU. This always proves to be a good game and Auburn needs to rebound after its embarrassing performance against Jacksonville State. The winner of this game will have its SEC title dreams come a little closer to reality.

 #19 BYU and #10 UCLA meet on Saturday. Not only are these two talented teams with playoff dreams, but they are led by two exciting quarterbacks with Heisman dreams: Tanner Mangum of BYU and Josh Rosen of UCLA.

#14 Georgia Tech travels to Notre Dame Stadium, to take on the #8 Fighting Irish. The Irish are without their starting QB and RB, but backup quarterback DeShone Kizer looks more than capable of leading the Irish to victory.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

NFL 2015-2016 Season Preview

Football is back! After months of waiting, football is finally back. Now that the seemingly interminable wait is over, we can finally preview the season. So without further ado, let's get started on this preview. We'll look at everything from playoffs to awards.

NFC North:

This is Green Bay's division to lose. They are one of the best teams in the league and filled with loads of talent, including Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, and Clay Matthews. Even the injury to Jordy Nelson should not derail their title aspirations. The Lions should finish second and will contend for a wild-card spot. The Vikings will finish third, as Adrian Peterson is back. The Bears, sans Kevin White and Brandon Marshall, will have a hard time getting anywhere other than fourth.

NFC East:

This is a two-horse race between Philadelphia and Dallas. The Eagles sport a very different team than last year. They lost guys like Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin, but gained players like Byron Maxwell, Sam Bradford, and DeMarco Murray. The 'Boys meanwhile, lost Murray, last year's Offensive Player of the Year. They do have the trio of Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar, and Darren McFadden, but it won't be the same. I give the edge to the Eagles, who have a better team overall. Neither the Giants nor the Redskins have a real shot at contending for a playoff spot, but Washington should be slightly better.

NFC South:

Last year, this was the worst division in the NFL. Things could get better this year, as three of the four teams (Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Carolina) got markedly better. The Saints on the other hand, lost their biggest offensive weapon in Jimmy Graham. Carolina has been the best team in the division the last couple of years, but I'm going with the surprise pick of the Falcons. The Panthers lost D'Angelo Williams while the Falcons hired Seattle DC Dan Quinn as their new coach. The Saints will finish third, as they still have Drew Brees and Sean Payton.

NFC West:

This is Seattle's division to lose. Their offense is better than last year's (thanks to the addition of Graham) and they are hungry. The 49ers are in a rebuilding year following the departure of Jim Harbaugh. If Carson Palmer is able to stay healthy, the Cards will contend for a playoff spot. The Rams have a very talented team (with guys like Nick Foles, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, and Stedman Bailey), but they still have trouble matching up with Seattle and Arizona. Look for them to finish third, ahead of only San Francisco.


AFC North:

Last season, this was the best division in football, as they had three teams in the playoffs. Unfortunately for Cleveland, they just don't have what it takes to match up with the other three teams. Pittsburgh will contend for a playoff spot, but suspensions to Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant don't really bode well. Cincinnati should get stud Vontaze Burfict back, but Baltimore is the favorite here. Justin Forsett had a breakout year last season and the Ravens are full of talent. Losing Haloti Ngata will sting a little bit, but they have enough talent to make the playoffs. Cincinnati should finish second and contend for a wild-card spot.

AFC East:

The defending Super Bowl champs, New England, is the favorite here. Now that Tom Brady's suspension has been lifted, there is nothing holding them back. The Dolphins are the only other team in the division who have a very good chance of getting a playoff spot. Ryan Tannehill has been getting better every single year and the addition of Ndamkong Suh will really help their defense. Rex Ryan and the Bills should finish third, but it really depends on how well QB Tyrod Taylor does. As for the Jets, losing starting QB Geno Smith for a number of weeks will hurt.

AFC South:

The Indianapolis Colts are the obvious pick, thanks to Andrew Luck's stellar play. However, the Houston Texans will be contending for a playoff spot. Hard-hitter Jadeveon Clowney is back and new QB Brian Hoyer has a lethal weapon in DeAndre Hopkins. It's a toss-up for the third spot between Tennesse and Jacksonville, but I'm going with the Titans, who will be sparked by rookie QB Marcus Mariota.

AFC West:

I'm going with the Broncos to win the division here, as Denver is too loaded (with guys like Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders, and Chris Harris Jr.) to not make the playoffs. Both the Chiefs and Chargers will contend for a playoff spot, but it will be tough. Adding Melvin Gordon will spice up San Diego's offense and I think they will take second in the division. The unfortunate Raiders will have to settle for last place.

Projected NFC Seeding: 1) Seattle, 2) Green Bay, 3) Philadelphia, 4) Atlanta, 5) Arizona, 6) Detroit

Projected AFC Seeding: 1) New England, 2) Indianapolis, 3) Denver, 4) Baltimore, 5) Houston, 6) Miami

Playoff Predictions:

In the NFC Wild-Card Round, I am picking Detroit to beat Philly. The Lions have a great run-defense and will be able to prevent Murray from breaking out. In the other game, Arizona should take Atlanta. The Cards' defense should stop Atlanta's offense. In the next round, Seattle will take care of Detroit while Green Bay handles Arizona. In the NFC title game, the Seahawks beat the Packers to advance to the Super Bowl.

In the AFC Wild-Card Round, we have Miami at Denver and Houston at Baltimore. Denver will handily take care of Miami, but I predict Baltimore will fall to Houston. The Texans have a great defense that could totally shut down Baltimore's O. In the next round, New England takes down Houston while the Colts handle the Broncos. In the AFC title game, I am going with the upset and taking the Colts, who will somehow find a way to handle Touchdown Tommy.

In the Super Bowl, Seattle's D will make Andrew Luck miserable and secure the 'Hawks' second title in three years. The MVP will be Marshawn Lynch, who will run circles around Indy.

Regular Season Awards:

MVP: Andrew Luck, Colts
Offensive Player of the Year: Eddie Lacy, Packers
Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, Texans
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Amari Cooper, Raiders
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Leonard Williams, Jets
Coach of the Year: Bill O'Brien, Texans

Thanks for reading everyone.

College Football Week 1 Recap

College football is finally back. After months of fans filling the void with other sports and hobbies, they can finally re-dedicate their entire Saturdays to watching football. The first week of the season is usually not a big one, but any week of football is a good week of football. In this recap, we're going to cover everything that happened in the previous week, so let's get started.

Notable Games:

The biggest game of the week was #20 Wisconsin and #3 Alabama. This was the only match-up between ranked teams, so people were excited. Unfortunately, this game did not live up to expectations. Wisconsin's offense had trouble taking on the Crimson Tide D. The win took Alabama up to the #2 spot.

Many experts had Texas upsetting #11 Notre Dame, but that didn't even come close to happening. The Fighting Irish completely dominated the game from whistle to whistle and won 38-3. The impressive win moved the Irish two spots up in the polls.

Jim Harbaugh's Michigan debut yielded unimpressive debuts, as Utah defeated the Wolverines 24-17 on Thursday. The Wolverines were expected to be dark-horse contenders for the Big Ten, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anymore.

The first game of the week involving a ranked team was #16 Georgia Tech taking on Alcorn State. The Yellow Jackets completely dominated and picked up a 69-6 win, one of their biggest wins in the program's history.

Quite possibly the biggest upset of the week involved #21 Stanford and Northwestern. The Cards were expected to contend for the Pac-12 North, but it looks like they are not up to par with expectations. The Wildcats are now three spots from the polls.

The biggest win of the week: #17 Mississippi laying an absolute smackdown on Tennessee-Martin. The Rebels won 76-3. That's right, Ole Miss won by 73 points, but are still ranked at 17 and are one of ten SEC teams ranked.

Many people were expecting the Louisville Cardinals to beat the Auburn Tigers, but #6 Auburn held on for a 31-24 win. The Tigers are dark-horse candidates to win the SEC, and this win validated their championship dreams.

Vernon Adams led the Oregon Ducks to a 61-42 win over his former team, Eastern Washington. The Ducks are still ranked at #7 following their win. This was a good win for the Ducks, who are expected to win the Pac-12.

Chris Petersen had a great career at Boise State, but he left that when he filled the vacancy left by the departing Steve Sarkisian. In Week 1, Washington traveled to Boise, but that ended in a 23-16 defeat that moved the Broncos to #20.

Ohio State began its quest for a second-straight championship by taking on Virginia Tech on Monday night. V-Tech was the only team that beat the Buckeyes last season, so many fans were hoping that OSU would slip again. Unfortunately for them, the Buckeyes won 42-24 and are still #1.


Notable Performances:

True-freshman QB Josh Rosen had a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders. He surpassed all of them in his performance against Virginia. He went 28 for 35, threw for 351 yards and three scores, and led the Bruins to a 34-16 win over the Cavs.

Daeshan Hall of Texas A&M had a great performance against Arizona State on Saturday night. He had four tackles for loss, four sacks, and two forced fumbles and helped the Aggies beat the Sun Devils 38-17.

One of the biggest matches of the week was South Carolina taking on North Carolina. Leading the way for them was Skai Moore. He had ten tackles and had two interceptions in the end zone, helping the Gamecocks win 17-13.

You probably haven't heard of Calvin Mudson of San Diego State, but you should start paying attention to him. Against in-city rival San Diego on Saturday, Munson had 11 tackles and returned two picks for touchdowns.

Marshall beat Purdue 41-31 to get their season off to a good start. Safety Tiquan Lang put up some eye-popping stats during the game. He had 17 tackles, two interceptions, and two touchdowns. The defending Conference-USA champs are off to a great start.

Heisman Watch:

Again, it's hard to pick the Heisman right now, but we have to do it anyways. The biggest news from the Heisman watch: James Conner of Pittsburgh, who had a devastating season-ending injury. The other player to drop out was J.T. Barrett, who did not start against V. Tech.

10. Deshaun Watson, Clemson (Last Week: NR)- Watson went 18-22 for 194 yards in Clemson's win over Wofford. He only played for less than a half and still accounted for two scores. Look for Watson to move up the rankings when the Tigers play better teams.

9. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (Last Week: 9)- Prescott is still a Heisman long-shot, but it's too soon to write him off. He passed for 237 yards and accounted for three scores against Southern Mississippi.

8. Leonard Fournette, LSU (Last Week: 6)- Fournette didn't play in Week 1 (LSU's game against McNeese St. was cancelled due to poor weather). He'll have a chance to move back up the rankings when he plays Mississippi State on Saturday.

7. Braxton Miller, Ohio State (Last Week: NR)- Miller has been slightly ignored since the season began, but he has forced his way into the Heisman conversation. Against Virginia Tech, Miller accounted for more than three scores and 78 receiving yards.

6. Malik Zaire, Notre Dame (Last Week: 7)- Zaire had an outstanding game against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. He went 19-22, threw for 313 yards and three scores, and led the Irish to a huge win.

5. Derrick Henry, Alabama (Last Week: 9)- Henry had a huge game against the Badger defense on Saturday. He rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries. He should put up even bigger numbers against Middle Tennessee in Week 2.

4. Cody Kessler, USC (Last Week: 5)- The Trojan QB went 19 of 26 for 236 yards and four scores to give the Trojans a good start to the season. If Kessler keeps putting up these kinds of numbers, he has  a very good chance of going to New York.

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia (Last Week: 3)- Chubb had a good game against Lousiana Monroe, picking up 120 yards and two touchdowns in 16 carries. Next week, he'll take on the Vanderbilt defense, who managed to limit him to 78 yards last year.

2. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State (Last Week: 2)- Elliot was overshadowed by his teammate Miller, but he still had a good game. He ran for 122 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries, giving him an 11.1 average.

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU (Last Week: 1)- Boykin manages to hang on to the top spot after amassing more than 300 yards of total offense and three scores for the Horned Frogs, who beat Minnesota on Thursday. Everyone was hoping for bigger numbers out of him, but he still got the job done.

Playoff Picture:

Like I said last week, it's way too early to really get a good look at the playoff picture. But there are a few notes we can make about it. For example, Ohio State looks like the real deal. Many thought they were getting too much hype when the season started, but they showed just how good they were this week. Another note: Notre Dame has a very real chance of crashing the playoffs. They looked fantastic against Texas and are obviously very talented.

Draft Outlook:

Since the NFL season has yet to start, we can't say what player would make a good fit with specific teams just yet. We can however, look at specific prospects. This week, we're going to look at a couple of the top QB prospects. First up is Connor Cook of MSU. Cook doesn't really get any Heisman love, but he's got a great arm and leads his offense well. He should be one of the first quarterbacks taken next year. Next up is Jared Goff of Cal. Goff puts up huge numbers and has already drawn comparisons to former Cal QB Aaron Rodgers.

Games to Watch Next Week:

On Friday, the #24 Utes, fresh off of their victory over Michigan, will play their in-state rival, Utah State. The Aggies are coming off of a low-key win over Southern Utah, but could give Utah a run for its money.

The first match-up of the season between two ranked SEC teams will take place this week when #14 LSU takes on #25 Mississippi State, This game could serve as an early indicator as to which of these teams will contend for the SEC West.

BYU opened up their season with a win in Week 1, but lost QB Taysom Hill to a season-ending injury. However, they should still be able to put the squeeze on #20 Boise State when the two meet on Saturday.

After its disappointing loss against UCLA, Virginia will try to bounce back on Saturday when they take on #9 Notre Dame. It won't be easy however, as the Irish are riding high following a big win over Texas.

The biggest game of the week will be #7 Oregon and #5 Michigan State. These are two of the biggest contenders for the playoffs right now, and a win would go a long way in securing that berth. This could be one of the best games of the season.

Thanks for reading.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

2015 College Football Week 1 Preview

We are now only about a week away from the start of the new college football season. It's the second season of the four-time playoff, which was a massive success last season. Just like you did last year, you cant count on SportsExaminer.blogspot.com to bring you all of your college football coverage. We'll have game recaps, Heisman rankings, and much more. In this article, we're going to preview Week 1, give our pre-season Heisman rankings, and give some post-season predictions.

Games to Watch:

The Week 1 slate is typically flat, but there are some interesting match-ups. Of course, fans are just excited for college football to be back, great games aren't really that important right off of the back. These five games could impress, however.

#2 TCU @ Minnesota- After just falling short of making the playoffs last year, TCU is expected to make it this year. They have a great team and definitely have the talent to go all the way. They will be tested right off the back however, by Minnesota. The Golden Gophers may be unranked, but they are a talented team who could possibly pull off of an upset.

Texas @ #11 Notre Dame- This is quite possibly the most anticipated match of the week. After Charlie Strong's disappointing first year in Arlington, the Longhorns are looking to bounce back and possibly contend for the Big 12 title. Before they challenge for the conference title though, they must take on Notre Dame, a team loaded with talent, like Sheldon Day and Jaylon Smith. The Fighting Irish will most likely pick up the win here, but don't expect Texas to go away quietly.

#20 Wisconsin vs. #3 Alabama- This is the only game this week that features two ranked teams, so this is obviously one of the biggest matches. Alabama

#1 Ohio State @ VA Tech- The defending champions are the clear favorites to win the championship this year, thanks to a talented squad full of players like Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliot. They had a great run last year that saw them beat some really talented teams, including Oregon and Alabama. Their only loss? Virginia Tech. Could the Hokies pull off another upset? It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility, as OSU is without a number of players for this game, including Bosa.

#6 Auburn vs. Louisville- Auburn is one of the dark-horse favorites to make the playoffs this year, and will be tested immediately by Louisville. The Cards may not be ranked, but they could make things difficult for the Tigers.

Heisman Watch:

It's a little ridiculous to have a Heisman watch before the season starts, but we need to star somewhere right? It's very rare that the pre-season favorite wins the Heisman, but it's happened in the past (see: Mariota, Marcus and Smith, Troy). There are a lot of contenders left off of this list, such as Connor Cook of MSU, RB Paul Perkins of UCLA, and Clemson slinger Deshaun Watson.

10. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State- At one point last year, Prescott was leading the Heisman race and his team was #1. Then, the Bulldogs started losing and Prescott became an afterthought. This year, it looks like Prescott has another tough hurdle to handle. His team is projected to struggle this year, and that will certainly hurt his Heisman candidacy.

9. Derrick Henry, Alabama- Henry has been largely ignored since the Heisman talk began, and it's a little puzzling. He has already established himself as a very good player and Nick Saban's system is perfect to show off backs (think back at guys like Mark Ingram and T.J. Yeldon). Also, Alabama tends to rely more heavily on the run game when they have a new QB.

8. James Conner, Pittsburgh- Conner is one of the best running backs in college football and is one of the early favorites to win the Doak Walker award. The only thing holding him back from being a Heisman front-runner is his team, which isn't expected to do that well this year.

7. Malik Zaire, Notre Dame- This may be jumping the gun a little bit, but Zaire can be a real Heisman contender. He had an impressive debut last year against LSU and has a talented offense around him that can really help him succeed.

6. Leonard Fournette, LSU- Though LSU lost to Notre Dame last year (see above), Fournette put on an incredible performance that got everyone in Death Valley excited. Fournette is a legitimate superstar who can have a great season.

5. Cody Kessler, USC- Kessler spent most of last season on the Heisman bubble, but it looks like he will finally break through this season. He has a very talented offense around him and USC looks like the favorites to win the Pac-12.

4. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- It's not official, but it looks like Barrett has beaten out Cardale Jones for the starting job. Had he not gone down with a season-ending injury last season, Barrett could've been a Heisman finalist. Now, he could go all the way.

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia- The UGA back did a great job last season of filling in for the injured/suspended Todd Gurley last season. Now that he's the starter, look for him to put up great numbers while possibly leading Georgia to an SEC title.

2. Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State- Elliot exploded onto the scene last season and was named CFP Offensive MVP. Many people have him pegged as the favorite, and it's not hard to see why. He's a tremendous talent on a loaded team.

1. Trevone Boykin, TCU- Boykin is the clear pre-season favorite to win the Heisman. Not only does he lead a very talented team, but he's the only one of the top 4 Heisman candidates from last year to be playing this season.

Draft Outlook:

This is a new feature we're adding this year. Each week, we will look at the draft status of notable players. It's a little early to really hone in on the draft, but when has timing ever stopped us? Some of the top prospects right now: Joey Bosa (DE) of OSU, Jaylon Smith (LB) of Notre Dame, and Scooby Wright III (LB) of Arizona. As you can see, it's a very defense-heavy draft. We'll talk more about it when the draft gets closer and closer.

Playoff Picture:

Again, it's a little early to talk about this, but it's always fun to make predictions. The overwhelming favorite right now is Ohio State, with its loaded talent. Alabama, TCU, and Oregon are amongthe other favorites, but it's way too early to tell.

Thanks for reading, and check back soon for more articles. 

Friday, April 17, 2015

2015 NBA Playoff Predictions

The NBA playoffs are starting again, and excitement is building up. 16 teams will do battle in order to find out who the best basketball squad in the world is. Each round one series starts this weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday. Before they get underway, we here at The Sports Examiner will do our very best to predict the outcome of each series and pick the eventual champ. Of course, this is the NBA playoffs, so anything can happen. Well, almost anything (sorry Nets fans). Let's get started.

First Round:

1. Golden State Warriors vs. 8. New Orleans Pelicans- This should be an easy win for Golden State. Sure, the Pelicans have Anthony Davis (unarguably the best player in the league under 23), but there's not much after that. Yes, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Omer Asik, and Eric Gordon are all goodplayers, but they've got nothing on the Warriors roster, which features the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Even the Warriors bench (with guys like Andre Iguodala and David Lee) would be able to measure up with the Pelicans starters. Winner: Golden State Warriors in 4

2. Houston Rockets vs. 7 Dallas Mavericks- This could be a very interesting match-up, as Dallas's roster has a number of veterans who have proven themselves in the post-season, including Dirk Nowitzki and Rajon Rondo. They've also got Chandler Parsons, who played with Houston last season. But is that enough to take down the Rockets? They're led by MVP candidate James Harden, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Jason Terry, a former Sixth Man of the Year. I wouldn't be totally surprised if the Mavericks won, but I don't think it'll happen. Winner: Houston Rockets in 6

3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs- This match-up looks like it'll be the best one, as these are two teams who both have chance to win it all. However, in the post-season, it's always a smart bet to go with the Spurs. After all, they are the defending champions and have a roster full of players who are proven in the post-season, like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Manu Ginobili. The Clippers on the other hand, are not so proven in the post-season. Winner: San Antionio Spurs  in 6

4. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies- Though the Grizzlies have a lower seed, they get home-court advantage because they had more wins than the Blazers. That home-court advantage could come in use, as this is a close match-up. There are quality players on both teams (like Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge for Portland) and (Mike Conley and Marc Gasol for Memphis). This one could really go either way, but I'm going with Memphis, who is more battle-tested than Portland. Winners: Memphis Grizzlies in 7

1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 8. Brooklyn Nets- How the Nets got into the playoff, we're not really sure. There are better teams in the East, such as the Indiana Pacer or Detroit Pistons. Nonetheless, the Nets are here. Unfortunately, they're not going to be there much longer. There's a reason the Hawks picked up the best record in the East. They're a highly efficient team with a chance to go deep in the playoffs. Winner: Atlanta Hawks in 4

2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 7 Boston Celtics- Like with the Nets, we're a little surprised the Celtics are still here. Also like the Nets, it doesn't look like they have  much chance to make it past the first round. The Cavaliers are just too good to lose this early. Sure, the Celtics have a talented young roster (with guys like Marcust Smart, Jonas Jerebko, and Evan Turner) and have a great coach (Brad Stevens), but they are not enough to take down a team featuring LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. It's just not going to happen. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 4

3. Chicago Bulls vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks- Derrick Rose is finally back, but he is not at the level he once was. Even so, the Bulls are still good enough to take down the upstart Bucks. Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and the rest of the Bulls roster are more than capable of beating Milwaukee. There's really no chance of an upset here. Winner: Chicago Bulls in 4

4. Toronto Raptors vs. 5 Washington Wizards- Many people had the Raptors going far last year, but they couldn't even get past the first round. Could the same thing happen this year? The Wizards have a great roster (with guys like John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Nene Hilario), but they are nowhere near as hot as they were in the first-half of the season. The Raptors meanwhile, have guys like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Patrick Patterson, and are also colder than they were earlier in the season. The Raptors have a better chance at winning this series and the whole thing, but that's not really saying much, seeing as both of these teams are vast underdogs. Winner: Toronto Raptors in 6

Quarterfinals:

1. Golden State Warriors vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies- The Grizzlies may give the Warriors a bit of a challenge here, but it shouldn't derail the Warriors. They're much too talented of a team to get held up here. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph could create some problems inside the paint, but the Warriors have Draymond Green, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Winner: Golden State Warriors in 5

2. Houston Rockets vs. 6 San Antonio Spurs- This could all come down to experience. Save for Harden, Howard, and Trevor Ariza, the Rockets have no notable players with Finals experience. The Spurs on the other hand, have a roster full of guys with that experience. Seeing as these two teams can go toe-to-toe with each other, it is that experience that could push the Spurs forward. Winner: San Antonio Spurs in 7

1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 4. Toronto Raptors- While it wouldn't surprise me terribly if the Raptors won, I still have to go with the Hawks. After all, we are talking about one of the most efficient teams in the NBA. They play well together as a unit and will prove tough to beat. Toronto should put up a good fight, but it won't matter. Winner: Atlanta Hawks in 6

2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 3 Chicago Bulls- Compared to the beginning of the year, the Cavs have really come together as a team and gelled well. There were compatibility questions in the beginning, but those look to have been settled. It's hard to see the Bulls winning without Rose at 100%. This looks like it's the Cavs' series to lose. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6

Conference Finals:

1. Golden State Warriors vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs: This is a tough one to call. San Antonio is an extremely disciplined team that is more than proven in the post-season. Golden State on the other  hand, is a young team with a top-notch offense and defense. It's really hard to bet against the Spurs, so I'm going to go with them. Coach Gregg Popovich will no doubt find a way to slow down Golden State's explosive backcourt and Kwahi Leonard could prove problematic for the Warriors. Winner: San Antonio Spurs in 7

1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 2. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Hawks face their toughest test of the post-season when they take on the Cavs. Historically, the Hawks have had a hard time against King James, and their woes should continue here. Like with the Bulls, this is Cleveland's series to lose. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 6

Finals:

6. San Antonio Spurs vs. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers: For the second year in a row, LeBron James meets the Spurs in the Finals. Last year, he did with the Miami Heat. This year, he's got a much better team. For the first time, James has an elite point guard in Kyrie Irving. He also has big man Kevin Love, who will create problems with the Spurs. There's no question this year's Cavs are better than last year's Heat. Remember, Dwayne Wade was nowhere near his full potential last year. But is it enough to overcome the Spurs? I think so. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 MVP: LeBron James

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back soon for more articles.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

2015 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 Part 1

Now that the NFL and college football seasons are over, it's time for the biggest event of the NFL off-season: the NFL draft. It's one of the most anticipated and speculated about events of the year in terms of possible trades and draft picks. Since the scouting combine has yet to take place and the free agency period hasn't started yet, this is a very rough draft. Things always change in those two events. Think back to last year, when Jadeveon Clowney's combine performance all but guaranteed the Houston Texans took him in the first round. The actual draft takes place on April 30th in Chicago, so there should be more mock drafts until then. Let's get started with 1.0. In this article, we'll have the first sixteen picks of the 1st round. The next article will have the next 16.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: Mike Glennon hasn't been terrible, but he's definitely not a franchise QB. Lovie Smith needs someone else to run the helm, and Mariota is the perfect choice. An offense with him, Mike Evans, Doug Martin, and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins has scary good potential.

2. Tennessee Titans- Leonard Williams, DT, USC: I was going to go with Jameis Winston here, but I think that they'll opt to help out their defense (only five teams gave up more yards per game than the Titans last year). Besides, the Titans will be able to get a good QB, like Bryce Petty and Shane Cardenn, in later rounds.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska: Both the Jaguars offense and defense need all the help they can get, but as Blake Bortles continues to develop, the offense should get better. So, the Jaguars can use this pick to pick up one of the best defensive players in this draft: Nebraska's Randy Gregory.

4. Oakland Raiders- Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama: The Raiders offense was the worst in the league last year, so that needs to be addressed with this pick. Rather than draft a quarterback, it would be better to pick up the best WR in the draft and give Derek Carr a lethal weapon, especially on deep passes.

5. Washington Redskins- Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa: Believe it or not, but the Redskins actually had the 11th best passing offense in the league last year, and that was with three starting quarterbacks. Scherff is one of the top prospects overall, and it's hard to believe the 'Skins would pass up the opportunity to bolster their line.

6. New York Jets- Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford: This is a bit of a wild card pick, but it just could happen. New head coach Todd Bowles should be worried about the offense, and he may want to stick with Geno Smith and Michael Vick. He might even want to use a later pick for QB. In that case, he should get Peat, which should make the Jets rushing game (third in the league last year in ypg) even better.

7. Chicago Bears- Landon Collins, SS, Alabama: The Bears defense was abysmal last season, with the pass defense being especially bad. Collins is the best strong safety in the draft and will definitely help out.

8. Atlanta Falcons- Shane Ray, DE, Missouri: The Falcons gave up a league-worst 398.2 ypg last season, so this pick needs to be used on a defensive player. The Falcons will probably have a lot of options here, including Dante Fowler Jr. of Florida and Vic Beasley of Clemson, but I think they'll take Ray, who should fit well into Dan Quinn's defensive scheme.

9. New York Giants- Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida: General Manager Jerry Reese has a tendency to just draft the best player on the board, and if Fowler lasts this long, he should snap him off. Besides, Fowler would help patch the third-worst run defense in the NFL.

10. St. Louis Rams- T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh: The Rams defense was middle of the pack last year, and their first-round pick from last year (OT Greg Robinson of Auburn) was disappointing, so the Rams will probably take another offensive lineman. At 6'5" and 305 lbs., Clemmings has what it takes to make an impact for St. Louis.

11. Minnesota Vikings- DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville: This might be a reach, as there will no doubt be better players on the board than Parker, but this pick just makes sense. Parker was the #1 target of Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater in college, so the two already have great chemistry. The Vikings could also go with receiver Kevin White, but the fact that Parker played college ball with Bridgewater gives him the edge.

12. Cleveland Browns- Kevin White, WR, West Virginia: Since the Browns won't have Josh Gordon next season (and might also lose tight end Jordan Cameron), they're going to need a receiver. White will likely be the best receiver left, so the Browns will take him.

13. New Orleans Saints- Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson: The main reason the Saints didn't make the playoffs last year: their defense. The offense certainly wasn't a problem, as they put up more yards per game than any other team in the league. Beasley is a dangerous pass rusher and will give the Saints' D more bite.

14. Miami Dolphins- Danny Shelton, DT, Washington: The Dolphins could choose an offensive lineman to give Ryan Tannehill some protection, but it's more likely they use this pick on a defensive player. Shelton will probably be still on the board at this time, and his run stopping abilities will help the Dolphins out.

15. San Francisco 49ers- Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri: It doesn't seem like the 49ers need help at a specific position, at least not now. In that case, they could get Green-Beckham, who has great potential and could help out the third-worst passing offense in the game.

16. Houston Texans- Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State: I just can't see the Texans passing up on Winston if he's still here. He's too good of a QB for that to happen. The general consensus is that the Texans will take a defensive player here, but if Clowney is healthy, that shouldn't be much of a problem. The offense meanwhile, needs help, and Winston is the man for the job.

So there you have it, the first-half of round 1. Any surprises? Comment and let me know. Also, be on the lookout for the second-half soon.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

NFL 2015 Playoff Predictions

The 2014-2015 NFL regular season is done, which means it is time for the playoffs to start. Wild-card weekend starts tomorrow, with Arizona taking on Carolina and Baltimore facing Pittsburgh. In this article, I'll give my predictions for the post-season, complete with Super Bowl MVP pick. Let me start with my predictions at the beginning of the season: I picked Seattle to beat Denver again, with Russell Wilson to win MVP. I correctly picked eight of the 12 teams to make the post-season, whatever that's worth. Let's get started.

Wild-Card Weekend:

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys- Thanks to Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, and Dez Bryant, the Cowboys offense has been fantastic this year. Their defense (projected to be among the worst in the NFL at the beginning of the season) has been surprisingly good. The Lions also have a great offense (thanks to guys like Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, and Matthew Stafford), and their defense is to-notch. New coach Jim Caldwell has done a great job of keeping this team together and focused.

This game will probably come down to the Lion's run defense against the Cowboys' run game. Ndamkong Suh will be playing on Sunday, which means Detroit does have a shot at slowing down Murray and Joseph Randle. Even if that happens however, Dallas still has its passing game. Remember, no QB had a higher QBR this season than Romo this season, and look for him to prove why on Sunday. The Lions' secondary has improved since last year, but it's still not an elite unit.
Pick: Dallas Cowboys

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers sneak into the play-offs after winning the disappointing NFC South with a losing record. The Cardinals meanwhile, are on a bit of a downward streak. Just a few weeks ago, they were on top of the NFC. Now, they're the fifth seed in the playoffs.

The Cardinals have a great defense, but the fact that they're playing with their third-string QB (Ryan Lindley) really hurts them. Lindley has yet to prove he can effectively run Arizona's offense, which is quite dangerous (especially with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and John Brown). The Panthers meanwhile, have a good offense and good defense (headed up by last-year's Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly). The Cards will put up a fight, but it won't be enough.
Pick: Carolina Panthers

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers: These division rivals (the AFC North, arguably the best division in the league) have had one of the biggest rivalries in the game over the last number of years. These two teams split their regular season meetings this year, with the Steelers winning the most recent one.

The Steelers are without their Pro-Bowl back Le'Veon Bell, so replacement Ben Tate (who they signed this week) will have to do. The Big Ben/AB combination has been lethal this season, and it should continue in the post-season. The Ravens are hot (their Week 17 win secured them a playoff spot), but they just can't match up to Pittsburgh.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts: The Bengals travel to Indy to take on the Colts, who won the AFC South (arguably the worst division in the NFL). The Bengals are 0-4 in the playoffs with Andy Dalton at the helm, and the fact that he got paid this summer probably won't change things. The Colts meanwhile, are lead by Andrew Luck, who plays well in big games. Neither one of these teams are really hot, so the winner will get some much needed momentum.

Based on those two things alone (and the fact that the Colts blew out the Bengals in October), I'm picking Indy. The Colts defense will probably be able to force some turnovers from Dalton, who threw 17 picks this season. This is a tough pick, but I'm going with the Colts.
Pick: Indianapolis Colts

Divisional Round:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers; Seattle didn't get off to a great start at the beginning of the season, but they have rebounded quite nicely, especially after parting ways with troubled WR Percy Harvin. The fact that the 'Hawks have home-field advantage definitely helps as well.

The Panthers just don't have what it takes to beat Seattle. Their passing game is no match for the Legion of Boom and their defense will find it hard to contain Beast Mode. This should be an easy win for Pete Carroll and Seattle.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys: This could be one of the best games of the playoffs, as these are two great teams. The Packers are hot after beating the Lions in Week 17 to win the NFC North and secure a first-round bye.

Aaron Rodgers had a great season and his offensive line (featuring guys like Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga) is arguably the best in the entire NFL. The 'Boys defensive front line will have a hard time going up against this, so look for the Packers' offense to shine.
Pick: Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts: Like the Seahawks, the Patriots struggled at the beginning of the season but rebounded very nicely. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick worked their magic yet again this year and are looking to win their fourth Super Bowl together.

Like with the Seahawks and Panthers, the Colts just don't match up to the Pats. Without Ahmad Bradshaw (who was injured in Week 12), the Colts' run game is pretty much neutralized and the Colts' defense isn't good enough to stop Touchdown Tommy.
Pick: New England Patriots

Denver Broncos vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Last year's first seed, the Broncos are once again in possession of a first-round bye. They still have one of the best offenses in the league (arguably better, since tackle Ryan Clady is back) and their defense (featuring the likes of Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, and Aqib Talib) is markedly better since last year.

Bell should be back for this game, so the Steelers offense will be running on full-throttle. An upset is very possible, but the Broncos should be able to hang on for the win. The Steelers defense is not as formidable as it used to be, so Peyton Manning and the offense should be able to rack up the scoreboard.
Pick: Denver Broncos

Conference Championship:

Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers: These are the two best teams in the NFC, so it's only fitting that they should meet for the NFC title. They met in the first game of the season, which Seattle handily won. This time though, the result could be different.

I'm going with the upset here. The Packers have a good enough offense to survive the LOB and the Seahawks don't have a good enough passing game to match up with the Packers secondary. Of course, Seattle could prove me wrong and dominate, but an upset is certainly possible.
Pick: Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos: Like with the Pack and Seahawks, these are the two best teams in the AFC, so they should meet for the AFC title. Both of these teams are going to give everything they had, so this will be a good one.

I predict that the Denver secondary will shut the Pats' passing game down (with the obvious exception of Rob Gronkowski). The Pats' defense meanwhile, will struggle to shut down Manning and his receivers.
Pick: Denver Broncos

Super Bowl:

Green Bay and Denver will undoubtedly be a big game. These are two excellent teams with great coaches and two of the best quarterbacks in recent years. The press and fans will certainly be buzzing about this one.

Denver will no doubt have some extra fire, as they will want to prove all of their doubters from last year wrong. I think it is that extra fire that will push them over the edge, and give them a little extra oomph.
Pick: Denver Broncos MVP: Peyton Manning

Thanks for reading, enjoy the playoffs everyone.