Worst NFL Game Of The Week – No contest here. There are a few games that aren’t particularly interesting, but only one that is virtually assured to truly and epically suck. Detroit is terrible. The Texans have some bright points, but they aren’t ready for prime time yet. It’s a clear sign of just how bad this game could be that Houston is favored by nine. A 1-4 team should not be favored by more than a touchdown against anyone.
Best NFL Game Of The Week – Given the sudden resurgence of the Browns and the fall from grace of the Redskins maybe it is their game because we have no way of knowing what is coming. It could have been New Orleans and Carolina, but it lost some of its’ charm with the blowout loss by Carolina this weekend. That leaves us with San Diego at Buffalo. If the Chargers can look half as good as they did against New England ths weekend then this will be a very good way to get a sense of whether the Bills are contenders.
Game With Teams With The Most To Prove – Baltimore at Miami. Both teams have shown promise, and both are probably a bit better than expected, but both are at that point where they could either salvage a respectable season or things could get ugly. Both teams need a big performance here to recapture momentum.
Ridiculously Over-hyped – There really isn’t one that fits here this week. Have you noticed how the media and the public are finding it hard to find teams to hype this year? This is a crazy season, so it’s hard to figure out who to love, and as soon as you do you just end up disappointed.
Oddest Line – Dallas has lost two of three. They have covered once in their last five. Their soap opera unveils more twists and turns every week. Their quarterback is on the shelf for a month, and a guy who is old enough to have gone to college with Vince Lombardi is taking his place. It’s a clear sign of just how bad the Rams are that they are still 9.5 point underdogs here.
Best College Game – No contest here – it’s Missouri at Texas. The Tigers weren’t nearly as good as I expected them to be against Oklahoma State. The Longhorns had a second half against Oklahoma that I didn’t think they had in them. This is another measuring stick in the ridiculously tough Big 12.
Filling Me With Dread – I have no dread left in me for this year. Michigan can’t beat Toledo. We’ll get crushed by Penn State. I’ve come to terms with that. At this point I am braced for, and frankly expecting, 2-10. Anything beyond that is a bonus.
Four Interesting Games Between Unranked Teams – Western Michigan (+3) at Central Michigan. The MAC West is shaping up to be a dogfight. Ball State is ranked, but these two teams are right there with the same conference record. The winner here will be in good position to challenge. Stanford (+2.5) at UCLA. This one is only interesting for one reason – I’ll be siting in the 12th row in the Rose Bowl soaking up the rays and watching it. Any game is better when you are at it – even one with a team as bad as UCLA. UTEP (+17) at Tulsa. Tulsa shoots the light out in every game. No one plays offense better. UTEP doesn’t play defense, and they can score a bit, too. This one could go over 100. Or maybe 200. Georgia Tech (-2.5) at Clemson. Tommy Bowden is out on his ear. Finally. I expect the team to play much better than they have been this week just because they’ll be relieved to be rid of that idiot.
Biggest Line – USC (-42) at Washington State. The Cougars are really, really bad. I have a cousin who goes there. She loves her school, but even she couldn’t come up with a single reason to like this team. And that was before the team lost, and didn’t cover, six games. This game is ridiculous, but not nearly as ridicuous as the Cougars’ program has become.
