DIRECTV – ESPN GamePlan Free NCAA Picks: Week 3

These are week 3’s televised games from DirecTV and ESPN’s GamePlan. The College football season is off and running, and if you want, you could watch and bet every single one of these games. I’m picking each one on their 10-game slate – I see some nice bets here, and some games to be careful with – here’s my analysis.

Temple Owls (+6.5) @ Buffalo Bulls (12:00pm EST): It’s amazing really, both the Temple freaking Owls and the Buffalo “not Bills” Bulls are good college football teams. However, Temple is the better of the two. They fought hard against a very solid Connecticut team only to watch the Huskies score a game winning overtime touchdown. Temple can really play defense, ask either of the teams they’ve plaid against – they gave up one score to Army, and just two field goals in regulation to Connecticut. Offensively, they can get it done from a lot of different places. I like the upset here, so Temple +6.5 seems as solid as it gets.

North Carolina State Wolfpack @ Clemson Tigers (-17.5) (12:00pm EST): The Tigers have really struggled to start the season. First they lost bad to an underrated Alabama team on opening night, and then they mess around with Citadel before blowing them out in the 2nd half. The ACC sure hasn’t looked very good. The Tigers were supposed to be the class of the conference, and already they’ve accrued a loss. But that’s alright here. NC State is bad. And, get ready for this, they are in the ACC too. Clemson gets back on track as James Davis and CJ Spiller go nuts on the Wolfpack.

UAB Blazers (+30.5) @ Tennessee Volunteers (12:30pm EST): The Blazers have a pretty darn good offense, and Tennessee doesn’t have the type of O to put up 50 points – not without a lot of help and a lot of quick scores from their opponent anyway – the first I don’t see them getting and the 2nd, well, that’d be good for UAB as well. The way I see it, Tennessee has a very low chance of outscoring the Blazers by more than 4 touchdowns. At 0-2, UAB has still put up 56 points over two games. Lesser competition? You bet – but don’t pretend they can’t put up points on the Vols. UCLA did, and do you really think the Bruins are that much better just because of a coaching change? Take the underdog.

Penn State Nittany Lions (-27) @ Syracuse Orange (3:30pm EST): This isn’t just a “see what the Lions did to Oregon State last week” kind of pick, this is a “even if the Lions would have lost to Oregon State I still would be taking them -4 touchdowns against the Orange” type of pick. Believe that. Penn State is too tough and Syracuse can’t play a 2-3 zone in this one, so they are SOL. Take the road favorites to score at will. The Lions are better in every aspect of the game, they are probably better in class, with women, and at softball – this shouldn’t be close.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+7) @ Virginia Tech Hokies (3:30pm EST): I know that everyone’s expecting VaTech to just “come around” here in a few minutes, but I’m not buying their 24-7 win over Furman as a turn of the proverbial corner. Georgia Tech can run the ball and play defense. They did up Boston College late in the game last week and came away with a win, and the Hokies haven’t shown me anything to make me believe that the Jackets can’t do the same in Hokieville. I’m taking the points in this ACC match-up.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ Texas Longhorns (-24) (3:30pm EST): I can’t see the Razorbacks staying close against the Longhorns. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were super-talents and basically the entire Razorback offense last season. D-Mac is starting for the Raiders and Felix is being electric with the ball when he gets a chance for the Cowboys. That won’t help the Sas hang in this contests. Texas has too many things going right for them right now, and Arkansas just doesn’t have the talent to stick with the Horns.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+28) @ Alabama Crimson Tide (7:00pm EST): I said last week that I don’t like the Crimson Tide as a favorite anywhere near four touchdowns – that holds true, even against lowly Western Kentucky. Right now 72% of the public is riding the Tide, and that’s just going to make a lot of pissed off people. The Tide can really beat some good teams, but they beat the good teams and the mediocre teams by the same margin, just about two scores. Why? They have a good coach that knows when to hold-em, that’s why. Don’t take the chances you don’t have to, don’t show the entire offense if you don’t need it. I like ‘Bama by 17 here, but WK covers.

Middle Tennessee State (+17) @ Kentucky Wildcats (7:00pm EST):  I want the underdogs all the way in this one. Kentucky isn’t a bad club, but Middle Tennessee is much better than advertised. They have a solid quarterback in Joe Craddock, and defensively they can play ball. They lost to a tough Troy team in wek 1 – yes, a tough Troy team, then upset Maryland 24-14 in Week 2. I like their chances at an upset here, but I like their chances at covering a lot better. Take the dogs!

Bowling Green Falcons (+17) @ Boise State Broncos (8:00pm EST): The Falcons got their behinds handed to them last week against Minnesota, but I think they’ll be back against Boise State. I like when a team gets a little reality check before a big game. This is big for the Falcons – and Boise is no pushover. They are tough at home – but I think this will be a close game. Closer than 17. I’ll take the dog again.

Utah Utes (-24) @ Utah State Aggies (8:00pm EST): Utah is more like Oregon than UNLV – and the Aggies lost to them both. I know it doesn’t work like this, but Utah beat UNLV by 21, and the Aggies lost to UNLV by 10 – that’s 31 – ha. Utah is a very good team that could make a run at undefeated. It’s time for them to rub that in their instate rival’s face. I’ll take the Utes here.

Free NFL Football Picks 07-08 Week 3

Week 2 wasn’t a grandiose experience, in fact it just wasn’t a happy place at all. I didn’t bomb out like some cappers did, but I did take a hit with a losing record at 4-5-1. I blame the Eagles, but the better man would blame himself. Ha. Bad play calling, and they didn’t take any chances. Brutal. How about them Browns? Taking down the Bengals. Very interesting. Week 3 will almost certainly feature an upset or two. Pay attention and you might just get paid on Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals (+9) @ Baltimore Ravens:

I think that the coaching staff in Arizona is solid enough to cover a 9 point spread against anyone. When you’re talking about the opponent being a Ravens team that has looked defense driven and offensively paralyzed, I can only go one way in a game like this. With Boldin and Fitzgerald, even a 3 touchdown lead isn’t safe, but I don’t think the Ravens will ever get that far out in front. The Cardinals rush defense is much better than the average man has been led to believe, and their secondary isn’t bad either. Matt Leinart isn’t ready to be a star yet, but Edgerrin James will get his 4 to 5 yards per carry to keep the Cardinals in it enough to cover early in the season.

Buffalo Bills (+17) @ New England Patriots:

I’ve thought long and hard about this one, a testament to how good the Patriots really are. But I’ve come to the conclusion that Vegas was sick of the Patriots covering every spread they threw at them, so they decided to throw this wrench in on gamblers. I’m not buying any spread being 17, this isn’t college football, and while the Bills really struggled last week, and I believe the Patriots will have their way with Buffalo, I think 17 is just too much. We’ll see, the Patriots sure are good, but the Bills are an NFL football team, one that has underperformed on offense this far. They’ll be better against this great defense and cover.

Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles (-6):

I guess I’m still expecting the real Eagles to come out and throw the ball around and dominate a football game. The Lions and their playoff guarantee are coming to town, so I think this is the perfect time for McNabb to snap out of his funk. There is no secondary in football that has more wide open spaces in it than the one from Detroit. Look for McNabb to bust the 300 yard mark in this one as the Eagles finally get a win.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos (-3.5):

I don’t see the Jaguars sticking with the Broncos for long in this one. Dever surprises me from time to time, but I just think this is a very bad match-up for the Jaguars. Jay Cutler will keep the Jaguars young safety group honest with his big arm, and Travis Henry will go for 150 yards against the Jags defensive front. Denver runs too well for the Jaguars. The only think that makes me think the Jags have a chance is their two headed running back monster. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew are two guys that have been poor early in the year, but both are too talented to stay down, and Denver’s front line isn’t the run stopping unit they want to be. Look for Jacksonville to put up and early fight, but fail to take the next step because of their feeble passing attack.

Miami Dolphins @ N.Y. Jets (-3.5):

The Jets are the better team of the two. Trent Green isn’t a good quarterback anymore, and the Dolphins running attack isn’t even close to what Cam Cameron was hoping to install early in his head coaching career. On the other hand, the 0-2 Jets finally get to go against a defense not known as one of the best in the league. No more Baltimore, no more New England. Finally, the Jets will be able to rely heavily on Thomas Jones – and TJ will run with every chance he gets. I expect a big week out of the Jet back.

San Francisco 49ers (+10) @ Pittsburgh Steelers:

The 49ers have enough talent to play with any team in the league. They haven’t been too productive offensively, but Alex Smith will start to play better, maybe even against a tough defense in Pittsburgh. The Niners are by far the best team the Steelers have faced thus far, which always makes for a tough match-up. I think Pittsburgh will win this game in the end, but a field goal difference is much more likely than a 9 point spread.

St. Louis Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3.5):

I’m not sure that the Rams offense can be productive without solid offensive lineman. Steven Jackson isn’t the type of runner who can create on his own by using quickness or ankle breaking cuts, he needs horses up front to give him a little time to get going. Tampa Bay has played well defensively, and they seem to be improving on offense. Joey Galloway is still a gamebreaker at receiver, and without Tye Hill (out for the season) the Ram secondary is just that much worse. I expect a close game, here. But the Bucs will pull ahead by a 7-10 points in the end.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Seattle Seahawks (-3):

There’s a reason why the Bengals lost to the Browns, remember that. Cincinnati got 6 turnovers from the Ravens and still almost lost that game in the end. If you can’t stop the Browns, I don’t know who you can stop. The Seahawks gave their game away last week, and they are tough at home, so overall you can expect a good game out of them. Plus, Seattle has a very solid defense and an admirable offense. With Cinci showing they can’t stop their own scout team, I imagine there will be some points put up in this game.

Tennessee Titans @ New Orleans Saints (-4):

I like the Saints to come back from down in the dumps on Monday Night Football. New Orleans has played very poorly this season, losing all momentum from a year ago. So now its up to them to get things going again, and from the looks of it, that’s when the Saints are at there best. Vince Young is great, (and a spread killer by the way – so watch out for this one) but I don’t think he’s a good enough passer to fully take advantage of the Saints problematic secondary, and I think New Orleans is good enough up front to limit the Titans rushing attack. I like this game to be over in the 3rd quarter, with New Orleans putting up 30+ on Tennessee.

2007 Fantasy Football theRUNDOWN Week 3

This Week’s Top Team: Okay, last week was much like Week 1, and I’m tired of being just good enough to stay over the century mark, so I have some big changes going into this week’s rundown… Get ready, I’m about to knock some socks off.

QB: Tom Brady vs. Buffalo: This is a no-brainer in my opinion. The Patriots have been great, and Tom Brady has been unreal, plus I expect their defense to struggle a little bit this week as Buffalo’s tandem of Lee Evans and JP Losman will play better. But Tom will outshine those two, and pickup about 25 points for me.

RB: Brian Westbrook vs. Detroit: I expect Brian to get about 15 carries for 100 yards, but through the air is where I expect him to do most of his damage. Detroit’s secondary couldn’t keep up with Keyshawn Johnson, so I don’t expect them to even realize how fast Westbrook burned past them. The Eagles need a win, and to get it, they’ll rely on their most explosive player.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson vs. Green Bay: Honestly, I think the world of Green Bay’s defense – I just don’t see LT having 3 bad weeks in a row. He’s the best player in the league, and his offensive line is solid. When this week is all said and done, I expect LT to have more Week 3 fantasy points than any other player.

WR: Steve Smith vs. Atlanta: There isn’t a corner in the league I’d pick to shut down Steve Smith. Atlanta doesn’t have the greatest defense and Smith is THE weapon in Carolina. Atlanta knows it, Jake Delhomme knows it, and John Fox (who knows very little) knows it as well. But nobody thinks Steve Smith will struggle on Sunday.

WR: Randy Moss vs. Buffalo: You probably saw this coming, I took Randy Moss, fresh off of producing big enough stats to change the name of my Bad Plays of the week from the Randy Moss’s – to now becoming a top receiver from this week’s action. Well, Randy is back, and I love it. Seeing as though I expect Tom Brady to have a big day, I think Randy Moss is sure to catch a couple touchdowns against one of the worst secondaries in the league.

TE: Chris Cooley vs. Giants: Last week I picked a tight end not name Antonio Gates, and the kid stepped up and produced the top fantasy score for TEs in Week 2. So, I’ll move away from Gates again, and go for the TE who should torment the Giants secondary.

K: Josh Brown vs. Cincinnati: The Hawks will move the ball easily and Josh Brown could be the guy winning the game in Seattle. I expect about 4 field goals from this game winning K in the rainy state.

D: Vikings vs. Chiefs: Larry Johnson says he wants 40 carries in this game. Larry, I don’t think your team will have the ball for that long, big guy. I love LJ, and think he’s right up there with LT at the top of NFL running backs, but the Vikings are built to kill the Chiefs.

LUCKY’S Week 3 SLEEPERS

Tarvaris Jackson: Nobody will start Jackson, but against a Detroit secondary that has nobody to stop even the most anemic of wide receiving corps, I think Jackson will have a couple touchdown passes. That will rank him in the Top 15 of Week 2 quarterbacks, and probably make him start-worth for some unlucky fantasy team out there.

Jeff Garcia: Jeff makes a return to my sleeper list, this week, and looky there, that coincides with another easy match-up. The Ram secondary is very similar to the very poor unit in New Orleans, so it should be wide open receivers for Jeff and the Bucs.

Derek Ward: DW will be getting all the carries for the second week in a row, and despite the Redskins’ solid ranking against the run this season, I expect a century mark for Ward, at least.

Maurice Jones Drew: The Jaguars play the Broncos, a team that has a stellar secondary and a questionable front line of defense. The Jaguars a strictly a running team that has been pretending to be something else in recent weeks. I expect Jones Drew to get 15+ touches, and that means a big day for the little guy.

Thomas Jones: After two very tough match-ups and a bad leg, Jones will finally show what he’s made of against the Dolphins in Week 3. I expect Jones to have a huge week, so if you can get him cheap, pull that trigger.

Ronald Curry: RC is back and he’s ready to explode like he did in Week 1. Yes, the Raiders have what I’d call a solid fantasy match-up in Week 3. A talented young speedy receiver – check. A coach who likes to throw the rock – check. A quarterback with a big arm – check. And the last and most important ingredient, the Browns secondary. Checkmate.

Vincent Jackson: I like Vince to pull home around 100 yards and a touchdown in Week 3. I know that’s crazy speak because not only is the Packers’ defense solid, but the Chargers’ offense has been pathetic. But, you heard it here first, Norv will turn the passing game loose this week, using it to set up LT. The Chargers will walk over the Packers, and Vincent will have a big day.

Eric Johnson: It seems like TEs get easy action from the Titans defense, so I expect EJ to be big this week. He’ll have room, and Drew Brees will settle for the sure thing more in this one, so a decent day from EJ is an option.

Cowboys DST: The Cowboys were a good option last week, as I predicted, and this week will be much of the same. The Cowboys could capitalize big time if Rex has one of those Rex days. However, this is a risky pick because Rex could always have one of those other Rex days.

LUCKY’S Week 3 Bench Riders

We’ll go with bench riders until I become more clever… Could be a while. I’m also done picking on Mike, he needs no more pub.

Matt Leinart: Baltimore’s in town this week. Yep. That’s about all I have to say about that one.

Larry Johnson: I don’t like Larry’s match-up in Week 3, regardless of the improved workload he’s expected to get. Like I said in another article this week, the Vikings are built to stop the Chiefs offense.

Edgerrin James: This seems like an easy pick, but I’m not sure, he might get around 70 yards. Either way, 7 points from your starting running back isn’t a good option.

Braylon Edwards: Braylon had a huge week in Week 2, but I don’t see him terrorizing the Raiders like he did the Bengals. Edwards is solid, and some fantasy gurus are quick to point out the Raiders’ short comings in the secondary this year, but they’re wrong. Numbers are one thing, but the Raiders have been solid and their ranking will only improve when thy shut down the Browns in Week 3.

Todd Heap: Heap is a must start in most leagues, but I don’t see him doing much more than 4 catches for 40 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. Their safety unit is premium.

Fantasy Football Tear Jerkers – Week 3

Fantasy Football Know-It-All

WOW! Week 3 had more than a few tear jerkers, some being the same old contributors from Weeks 1 and 2 – well, I’m here to rip them a new one, and alleviate some of the pressure building up in that fantasy dungeon of a depression that’s accumulating on the message boards. Here is a group of donkeys that really pulled a Hee-Haw in Week 3.

Steve Smith: The mighty mouse of the NFL struggled to find anything in Week 3, as Atlanta made sure that the little stud wideout would have nothing to do with a win for the Panthers. However, everyone worrying about Smith did give plenty of opportunities to the Panthers’ rushing attack, allowing Deshaun Foster to go for 122 yards and a score – well, that didn’t help Smith fans out at all, but lets be honest, you’ll be starting him next week, no doubt in my mind.

Larry Johnson: LJ got 20+ carries, which would have made owners happy if he didn’t use those 24 carries to go for a historic 42 yards. Yes, that’s history for LJ, as he’s never had that many carries for that low of a YPC average. In fact, I’m willing to guarantee that the Chief running beast hasn’t had that many carries with that low of a fantasy total in his entire career. Nice work, eh?

Marc Bulger: Mr. Marc “Underrated, everyone should pick him over McNabb” Bulger hasn’t had a very good entry to 2007, and I’m not sure if it’s going to get much brighter from here. Bulger had -2 fantasy points in Week 3, and looked Terrible, with a capital T. Another starting lineman down, and that makes 3 backups for Bulger, who is a very stationary quarterback. Think, one of those British soldier guys that never move all day long. Well, Bulger needs to improve if the Rams want to be anything close to what they were last year, and keep themselves out of the NFC West cellar.

Tatum Bell: Bell was supposed to be Mike Martz’ new Marshall Faulk, and Kevin Jones was supposed to have a hard time finding playing time when he returned from injuries. Well, 20 yards rushing and receiving will give a guy 4 fantasy points, and a spot on the bench in the next few weeks in Detroit.

Maurice Jones Drew: Maurice Jones Drew continues to disappoint. Last week, he got enough carries to be a factor against a relatively poor rushing defense in Denver, but he didn’t do anything worth while. Jones Drew had just over 2 yards per carry, and enough fantasy points to realize that you messed up when you selected him as a breakout candidate for this season. It will be tough sledding for Jones Drew to approach the fantasy numbers he had last season.

Lee Evans: Lee Evans lost his starting quarterback early in the Bills contest against the patriots, and once again, Lee Evans wasn’t even close to the Top 10 guy everyone expected him to be. I personally dig Lee’s game, but if nobody can get him the ball, what good is he? I’m waiting two more weeks before I try to add a receiver to make up for Lee’s lack of production, but don’t trade him so soon, next week he plays a “normal” defense for the first time this season. Remember, he started against Denver’s secondary, Pittsburgh’s, and then New England – all three have been fantasy suicide to receivers this season. The Jets? Not so much.

Jeff Wilkins: Dead eye Jeff was 1 for 3 this weekend, missing two 40 yarders and hitting one extra point – nice work Jeff, I don’t normally put kickers on my fantasy tear jerkers list, but since the Rams have done dick, you definitely deserve to be on here for being the one guy who got chances to score in St. Louis and still failing miserably.

Javon Walker: Javon Walker didn’t do anything against a secondary that hasn’t been good this season. Jacksonville has some young speedsters, but this go-to guy shouldn’t be getting shut down like he did against the Jaguars. He had 2 catches and 1 rush, neither for enough yards to register more than his one fantasy point. Jeff, you’re killing me buddy. If you had only stayed in Green Bay, you would have had a healthy portion of Brett’s 300+ yards on Sunday.

Rex Gossman: Yikes! I was cheering for Rex, and I always have been. I think this kid gets way too much hatred from football fans, and honestly, he hasn’t deserved it. But anyone who has started the season the way he has deserves at least most of the criticism that comes his way. Unless Rex pulls his head out of his poop, he’s going to have a long, or short, season in Chicago. Neither will be good for the once promising young signal caller.

(Also considered; -Everyone in Buffalo besides Marshawn Lynch, any non rookie starting running back hopeful that had lots of upside coming into the season, anyone in Minnesota besides Adrian Peterson) , Rudi Johnson (if only for his horrendous 17 rushes for 9 yards – not a happy stat), and Deshawn Wynn (only because of the 24,930 people who picked him up in Yahoo leagues and especially those who started him – its their fault Deshawn)

Week 3 College Football Picks Review: 2007

Week 3 went well for Old Lucky Lester. I managed a 3-2 winning score in my free picks, and went 3-1-1 with my pay picks. That brings my pay picks to 7-2-1 over the last 2 weeks, and from the feel of it, this college football pick ’em is getting easier and easier.

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

West Virginia Mountaineers (-16.5) @ Maryland Terrapins: (win)
West Virginia just covered the spread in this one, but just covered is a Win, and last time I checked, this game, like any other, is measured by wins and losses. An early win set me up for a nice week.

Cincinnati Bearcats (-9) @ Miami (Ohio): (win)
The Bearcats covered nicely, giving me my second Big East win in as many chances in Week 3. I tell ya, watch out for these teams, they are better than many give them credit for.

UCLA Bruins (-13.5) @ Utah Utes: (loss)
“UCLA hasn’t been as dominant as I’d like them to have been thus far, but they are winning football games by a solid margin. The people who know college football best think the Bruins should be rated about 10 spots higher than they are.” (Me) Apparently the Bruins shouldn’t be rated 10 spots higher than they are, more like 10 spots lower, or not rated at all. Utah stuck it too and overly confident team from Southern California. I bet they liked that out there on the banks of that big ass salty lake.

Boston College Eagles @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-7): (loss)
I was completely tricked in this one. The Jackets played poorly right off the bat, and they never got on track. Surely, BC was ready for everything the Yellow Jackets do offensively, and GT just couldn’t move the ball. Matt Ryan did was he does, and the Eagles are looking good at top the ACC.

Florida State Seminoles (+6**) @ Colorado Buffaloes: (win)
Well, what can I say, the Seminoles won easily against the Buffs. FSU may be in a lull, but, talentwise, the Buffs just can’t hang with the Noles. This game was a gimmie, I hope you won big like I did, here.

**The wrong character was used for the spread. When the pick was made the point spread was actually -6 and not +6. It doesn’t really matter though because I won anyways. The error was discussed over at theRXforum.com.

Here’s my Week 3 Elite Picks for NCAA College Football. 2 big winners in a row…

Arkansas Razorbacks (+3) @ Alabama Crimson Tide (push)
Tennessee Volunteers @ Florida Gators (-8): (win)
Duke Blue Devils @ Northwestern Wildcats (-16.5) (loss)
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+33.5) @ California Golden Bears (win)
USC Trojans (-10) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers (win)

Free 2007 College Football Picks Week 3

Week 3 is ready to roar, and if the first two weeks are any indication of my ’07 season, this week is going to be full of wins. These are my free picks for Week 3, and I have to be honest, I feel pretty good about this week’s college match-ups. The ACC will try to fight back, but only in some games will they succeed. Week 3 is always a dandy, as the truth that has been waiting in the distance starts to force its way to the front porch.

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

West Virginia Mountaineers (-16.5) @ Maryland Terrapins:
9/13/07 7:45pm EST
West Virginia is a bad team to face as your first true test of the season. After playing two games against low level competition, the Terps are well rested, but they aren’t ready for a tandem like Pat White and Steve Slaton. I’m not sure if you can get ready for something like that, but Florida International and Villanova isn’t the way to do it. Look for the Mountaineers to get off to a solid start before busting down the flood gates in the 2nd half. The ACC has been getting killed against solid teams. I have a feeling that trend will continue here.

Cincinnati Bearcats (-9) @ Miami (Ohio): 9/15/07 12:00pm EST
I love the Big East, and the Bearcats are the reason why. They showed me something last week against a pretty good Oregon State team. The Bearcats make 4 very good teams in the Big East, with WVU, Rutgers, and Louisville, this conference is no longer one of the weaker groups in college football. In fact, I’d rank the Big East above the Big 10 and definitely the ACC. I might even go as far as the Big 12 if it weren’t for Oklahoma’s chances to win it all. Either way, the Bearcats are forcing themselves into the equation, so much so that I see another statement game out of Cinci.

UCLA Bruins (-13.5) @ Utah Utes: 9/15/07 5:00pm EST
UCLA hasn’t been as dominant as I’d like them to have been thus far, but they are winning football games by a solid margin. The people who know college football best think the Bruins should be rated about 10 spots higher than they are. Utah goes for their 3rd straight loss, after dropping back to back games against Oregon State and Air Force. Honestly, this game may come down to that half point, but I like my chances with an improved UCLA squad that seems to be playing with a little urgency. I don’t think we’ve seen the best from them, yet.

Boston College Eagles @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-7):
9/15/07 8:00pm EST
The Eagles have put away their opponents rather easily on the scoreboard, but I’m not sure, after watching game film, that those games were as easy as they seemed. On the other hand, I know Georgia Tech has been a force in their two wins. It should be interesting, as neither team has had much competition thus far, but my money is on Georgia Tech. The Jackets have one of the best defenses in all of the land, and a stud back in Mr. Choice. He’ll have to run hard to get to the century mark against Boston College, a team that has outrushed their opponents by a total of 228 yards in the first two games, but I think he can do it. I also believe that Taylor Bennett will find open targets in a Yellow Jackets win. This will be the best game of his career thus far.

Florida State Seminoles (+6) @ Colorado Buffaloes:
9/15/07 10:00pm EST
I know the Seminoles have been a big disappointment over the last couple of years, and they struggled for a good portion of last weeks game against UAB, but look closer, and you’ll see a Seminole team that may have just figured it out last week. Nobody questions the athletic talent at FSU, so you have to think the confidence is coming. Well, the Seminoles went down 17-3, but instead of fading away, they busted tail back and finished the game on a 31-7 run to win easily. FSU just has to harness their defensive aggression, and they’ll win this one easily.

2006 Fantasy Football Review – Week 3

Week 3’s Fantasy Points: 96… Yikes. Better next time, guaranteed.

QB: Donovan McNabb’s 296 yards and 3 touchdowns hooked me up with 19 fantasy points…. I’ll be looking for more this Monday Night in Green Bay.

RB: Steven Jackson remains touchdownless, despite my claims. He had 11 fantasy points after tallying 120+ total yards from scrimmage.

RB: Warrick Dunn did just a little bit more than the Falcons did against New Orleans, which was good for 4 fatnasy points after 44 yards rushing. Ouch.

WR: Darrell Jackson had 57 yards and 2 touchdowns for 17 points, that ranked him 10th.

WR: Donte Stallworth didn’t play, that hurt, switched him with Reggie Brown at the last moment, he got me 106 yards, and 10 points.

TE: L.J. Smith corralled a touchdown and 19 total receiving yards for a fat 7 points.

K: Jeff Wilkins had 3 field goals and an extra point, bringing his fantasy total to 11.

D: Baltimore Ravens scored 17 fantasy points, not nearly as much as I had expected, but only 2 teams were better than them on Sunday.

LUCKY’S Week 3 SLEEPERS

Jon Kitna: Jon was the #4 fantasy quarterback this week, reminding us how bad the Packers defense can be.

Laurence Maroney: LauMo had 7 fantasy points, and only 18 rushing yards. The Bengals held down the Patriots nicely.

Correll Buckhalter: Correll only had 30 yards for 3 points, but he was worth a shot in the dark.

Matt Jones: Jones didn’t play, and subsequently, neither did the Jaguars passing attack. No points for Matt.

Lee Evans: Lee collected 100 yards for 10 fantasy points. Not too shabby.

LUCKY’S Week 3 WUSSIES

Eli Manning: Eli owners were lucky his coach let him play the 4th quarter, because when the game mattered, Eli had 3 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. Late meaningless drives gave Eli 17 fantasy points though, so I was wrong about Eli’s fantasy struggles.

Reuben Droughns: Droughns didn’t play, so he didn’t score at all…. Good call by me, eh?

Mushin Muhammad: Rexxy found Mush enough for 11 fantasy points, 118 yards, now that’s not the stuff of wussies… check out Plax for that rundown.

Plaxico Burress: I told you so. Plax’s 1 catch for 23 yards and a fumble got him just as many points as Reuben, Donte Stallworth, Barry Sanders, and Joe Montana this week. 0. Yeehaw!

Free Football Picks 06-07 Week 3

So far in this young season, half the favorites have covered, and naturally, that means half the underdogs have done the same. I didn’t know that before I picked Week 3’s games, so it’s just a coincidence that I picked 7 favorites and 7 dogs, precisely half and half. As much as it is just coincidence, I’m taking it as a sign. Let the wild rumpus begin… 14-0 here I come!!!Carolina Panthers (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. – Talk about the game of complete disappointment. Neither of these teams has any right going 0-3, yet its as sure as shit one will. It looks like Steve Smith will be out again for Carolina, but I have to his Panthers anyway. The way I see it, if the Bucs can’t run against the likes of Atlanta, Carolina will shut them down easily. Relying solely on Chris Simms to win NFL games isn’t the thing to do. Expect a low score, some hard hits, and a Panther W.

Chicago Bears (-4) at Minnesota Vikings 1:00 p.m. – The Bears have looked tough early in the season, and although that has a little to do with their sub-par opponents, they’ve shown me some offense to go with that stellar defensive unit. Minnesota is the Bears’ toughest challenger in the weak NFC North and home-field advantage shouldn’t be taken lightly, but I think the Bears have enough to clip the Vikings in Minnesota. It doesn’t hurt that Minnesota has had to play 2 down to the wire games. Chicago is rested and ready to roll.

Cincinnati (+3) at Pittsburgh 1:00 p.m. – Now Carson Palmer gets to show the world what would have happened had his knee held up in the playoffs last year. The way Big Ben threw the ball on Monday night made me feel like Nostra-freaking-Domus for God’s sake. He’ll still be rough around the edges in Week 3’s match-up with the Bengals. He’ll be better, but not good enough to take the AFC’s best. You heard me… The Bengals are tied for the best team in the league with the Jaguars. Yep, write it down, quote it, roll it up, smoke it, I don’t care. Cinci stays undefeated as the Steelers fall to 1-2.

Green Bay at Detroit (-6.5) 1:00 p.m. – I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m taking the Lions as a touchdown favorite. Ugh. The Packers just don’t have enough talent on the offensive line to win football games. Even when Brett throws well, the O-Line’s weakness finds a way to irk its way out into the open and kill Green Bay’s tiny little hope of victory. Plus, the Packers are much worse defensively than I originally thought. It’s impossible to take the Packers against NFL competition, even though the Lions just barely qualify.

Jacksonville (+7) at Indianapolis 1:00 p.m. – I stated earlier that the Jags and Bengals were the best teams in the AFC. So, I might as well stick to my guns in this game. Byron Leftwich can huck a pigskin a country mile, and that damn thing is always accurate. His receivers have proven to be capable of overmatching opposing defenses with their elite size, and Fred Taylor looks as good as I’ve seen him in a long time. Peyton Manning has played well, but this Jag defense isn’t the Houston Texans. In fact, they might be the best D in football. The Colts haven’t been able to run against anyone. Sunday will be no different. The Jaguar front 4 will easily shut down the Colts rushing attack, leaving plenty of help in the secondary to disrupt Peyton. 7 points is too many in this contest.

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (-5.5) 1:00 p.m. – The Jets aren’t a very good football team, but then again, neither are the Bills. Yet, both teams have a victory this season. J.P. Losman and Chad Pennigton have both impressed me quite a bit. I never thought I’d say this, but this game should be a high scoring affair. With the Bills possessing a solid rushing attack, they should out shoot the Jets in Buffalo. Willis McGahee or Kevan Barlow? Hmmm…

Tennessee at Miami (-10.5) 1:00 p.m. – Oh, you tricky little lines-makers, you can’t trick good Old Lucky. The Dolphins have looked bad, yet still they are favored by 10.5. Does that tell you how bad Tennessee must be? Even Daunte Culpepper will look like he has normal sized hands in this one. Wide-open spaces haunt the Titan’s defense while too much youth on offense, and Kerry “Pabst Blue Ribbon” Collins, make for some suicidal turnovers in Tennessee. Miami is better than they’ve showed. That won’t last for long. Look for them to showoff Sunday.

Washington (-4) at Houston 1:00 p.m. -The Redskins are 0-2 after a dismal outing on Monday Night against their rival Cowboys. I don’t know if they’ll play much better throughout the season, but this week they play Houston. With Clinton Portis back, things should open up in the passing game, and the rushing attack will obviously show more power and explosion. Look for Houston to put up a fight early, watch the Redskins take over in the second half.

Baltimore (-6.5) at Cleveland 4:05 p.m. – The Ravens are 14 points better than the Browns at the very least. Hell, I’d take them at -6.5 with Kyle Boller at the helm. Cleveland will play hard from start to finish, but that’s not enough in this league. Baltimore is a close number 3 to in the AFC, and they’ll continue to show their dominance on Sunday. I’d love to see Jamal Lewis go off for something close to his 295-yard performance 2 years ago against Cleveland. That was fantastic.

N.Y. Giants at Seattle (-3.5) 4:15 p.m. – This is a tough one, but I’ve got to believe Eli Manning will struggle with the Hawks defensive schemes. Picture the first 3 quarters of the Eagles – Giants game. Seattle really brings it at the quarterback. This game is always a great one, and I expect no different this time around. Last years’ top rushers, Shaun Alexander and Tiki Barbar, going head to head in Seattle… Brilliant! But Matt Hasselbeck’s supreme accuracy will be the reason he and the Hawks down Eli Manning’s Giants.

Philadelphia (-6) at San Francisco 4:15 p.m. – After the Eagles molted against New York in Week 2, they’ll be looking to get back on their flight path early and often. Don’t expect them to take it easy on an inferior 49ers team either. After letting up late last week, they’ve probably learned a nice little lesson or two. Even without Javon Kerse, the Eagles defense should scare the piddle-and-poo out of Alex Smith. Frank Gore will still run, but Philly should dominate on the road like last season when they scored just under a billion against the Niners.

St. Louis (+4.5) at Arizona 4:15 p.m. – The Cardinals looked like a rust covered ’73 FORD pick-up against the Hawks in Week 2. The Rams looked like hopeless little fragile sheep against the 49ers. What to do? I think the Cards will have trouble with rushing teams all year long, something the Rams will do early and often on Sunday. Steven Jackson has yet to score a touchdown this season, but that shouldn’t last as I expect 2 from him in Week 3. With the Cards trying and failing to stop Jackson, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce will be practicing end-zone celebrations on the sidelines. Can’t wait to see them in action.

Denver (+7) at New England 8:15 p.m. – What New England has done to be a touchdown favorite here, I’ll never know. 3 Super Bowls in 4 years doesn’t mean jack this season, that’s for sure. So was it their lucky 2-point victory over the Mighty Bills? Or was it the way they nearly let their 24-point lead slip away against the Powerful Jets? Right. Denver hasn’t looked good, but don’t let them fool you, they’ll be up for the challenge in Foxborough. I’ll be surprised if the Patriots win this game.

Atlanta (-3) at New Orleans 8:30 p.m. – I can’t even begin to understand how in the hell the line-makers came up with this one. Drinking whisky at a Mexican food joint all night? Eating paint-chips? Huffing rubber cement? Honestly, 3 points, that’s it? The Falcons are 2-0 against teams such as the Panthers and the Bucs, winning both by more than a touchdown. New Orleans is undefeated against the Browns and Packers, each game decided by a touchdown or less. I’m not even going into and analysis details. Take the Falcons in a beat-down!

2006 Fantasy Football Week 3 theRUNDOWN

This Week’s Top Team: This is the best team I could put together for Week 3. We’ll see if I can top my season high of 143 points!

QB: Donovan McNabb against the San Francisco: Besides the obvious reality that the Eagles pass all the time and the 49ers are sub par in the secondary, I also have to take a look at Donovan’s performance against the 49ers last season. Hot Damn! He’s a must start!

RB: Steven Jackson against the Cardinals: Though Orlando Pace is likely to miss this weeks contest; I still like what Steven Jackson can do against Arizona with 25 carries. Ste-Jack won’t be touchdownless much longer.

RB: Warrick Dunn against the Saints: New Orleans isn’t a dominating defensive front, despite their solid numbers in the first two games. Watch as Warrick takes the pigskin for a ride, a long ride, a 160+ yard total ride. A touchdown from the normally score deprived Dunn isn’t out of the question against NO.

WR: Darrell Jackson against the New York Giants: The way McNabb threw all over the Giants secondary last week makes me think D-Jack will roll to a grand total against the Giants this week. Matt Hasselbeck is as accurate as they come, and with New York having to worry about new addition Deion Branch, Jackson should reap the benefits.

WR: Donte Stallworth against the 49ers: See Donovan pass, see Donte catch, see touchdowns scored, see Eagle blowout over the Niners. See Donte have over 100 yards and a score. See like 20-20 vision to you? Sure does here.

TE: L.J. Smith against the Niners: L.J. is supposed to play, and he is a main target for McNabb. Once again, the Eagles play the Niners. L.J. should have a nice day in SF.

K: Jeff Wilkins against the Cardinals: Lots of chances to score lots of points, and kick many a field goal against the Cardinals. That’s what Jeff’s agenda looks like for this Sunday’s game.

D: Baltimore Ravens against the Browns: Why not stick with what got me here? The Ravens are filthy, and the Browns are the bottom of the barrel type. I love Charlie Brown as much as the next guy, but he should have trouble against the league’s top defensive unit.

LUCKY’S Week 3 SLEEPERS

Jon Kitna: Green Bay can make any quarterback’s fantasy totals look like Peyton Manning’s. To test that hypothesis out, start Jon Kitna against the Packers on Sunday.

Laurence Maroney: It’s questionable if Corey Dillon will play Sunday, which never means good things for Corey. Even if Dillon does see time, Maroney will get plenty of chances to show why many think he’s the most talented back chosen from the ’06 Draft.

Correll Buckhalter: The Eagles play the Niners, and they should be dominating late. With Westbrook sore and fragile at the very least, Buckhalter will get chances to score points in San Francisco. Goal line and late game carries could make him a brilliant stop gap start for you LaDainian Tomlinson owners out there.

Matt Jones: With all they hype going Reggie Williams’ way, Matt Jones has had some beautiful catches. In 3rd down situations, Byron sends passes Jones’ way, and Matt always makes the most of the situation. This week should prove Matt’s worth, as he’ll definitely get some end-zone looks in what should be a reasonably high scoring affair in Indianapolis.

Lee Evans: Lee has once again gotten off to a slow start. Double teams are making it tough for Evans, but don’t be surprised if he gets loose this weekend against the Jets. New York isn’t very good, and Ty Law no longer roams New York’s secondary. Evans’ speed could kill the Jets in Week 3.

LUCKY’S Week 3 WUSSIES

Eli Manning: Eli will have troubles against the Seahawks. Julian Peterson is causing trauma in opposing backfields, while the Hawks secondary gets scarier by the week. The quick and smart linebackers in Seattle should pick off a couple Eli darts.

Reuben Droughns: Droughs gets a tough draw this week, as his Brownies get the privilage of playing the Ravens. Ha. And Droughns thinks he’s struggled thus far.

Mushin Muhammad: Unfortunately for Bears fans, Chicago doesn’t get to play teams like the Packers and Lions every single week. Yeah, they play those teams for 25% of the schedule, but this week they’ll actually play a real life football team. Don’t expect Rexxy to toss the ball around freely like he has in the first 2 contests. Muhammad and the rest of the Bears pass catchers will struggle.

Plaxico Burress: As Eli goes, so does the Plax. Kelly Herndon matches up well with Burress, and that’s that. Expect Michael Boulware and Ken Hamlin to unload on Burress if he tries to test the middle of the field. Those guys aren’t comedians.

Week 3 College Football Picks Review: 2006

The BYU Cougars took the Eagles into overtime, but Boston College came up big for me by scoring a touchdown in the tiebreaker and denying the Cougars on 4 downs. I have to admit this was a crazy one, but a win is a win.

Troy played tight with the Jackets, and a 4th quarter touchdown eliminated the 17 point spread, giving me my 1st loss on the week. GT won the game, but as you well know, winning isn’t everything. Not with spreads anyway.

Not only did Miami of Ohio struggle with the Golden Flashes, but they just flat out lost. It’s tough when you’re going for an 11 point win and your team crumbles. Now that’s the beauty of college football. However, 1-2 isn’t so lovely.

I must have been drunk when I took the Hurricanes. This isn’t THE U like it usually is, this is the “We get our asses pasted by Louisville without their best player” Hurricane team. I should have known better. Getting stuck in the past gets you to 1-3… Well, that’s where it got me.

Oklahoma got beat by Oregon by a point. As you well know, this is one of those cases where winning isn’t everything. I won taking Oklahoma, while they actually lost. Crazy. What’s really amazing is, they lost despite 150 4th quarter yards by Adrian Peterson.

Boise State and Wyoming pushed. That’s all the details you get on that one.

Washington upset the Fresno State Bulldogs in a game that absolutely made me feel like I haven’t a clue. We’ll see if I can pull my ass out of the gutter next week, but this loss felt like burning. 2-4… Icky.

Arizona State stomped Colorado. Duh. They didn’t look super impressive, but they didn’t have to. They took down the Buffaloes 20-3. They took me to 3-4.

Notre Dame sucked Chef’s “Chocolate Salty Balls” and I paid the price. I can’t figure out the Irish. Barely beat Georgia Tech, killed Penn State, and got absolutely mauled by the Wolverines. So, I won’t be taking any more Irish games. See what they did? See? Forget them!

My 4th win came by way of a Clemson win over the Seminoles of Florida State. So let me get this right… Florida State and Miami both loss on Saturday? Oh yeah…. It fells so good, like that one time in the Home-Ec room with that one girl after school. She made delicious apple pie. It felt so good in my belly.

The Auburn Tigers barely covered the 3 point spread over LSU, but barely shmarely, that’s what I always say. This was a big hitting, smack you in the mouth, my defense is better than your offense, one touchdown wins, type of game. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Even more so after it brought me to .500. 5-5.

Nebraska covered the spread by a single point, so I’ll just write this one off as luck. They were never in it, and it didn’t seem like they had a chance after half time. But, the Husker defense fought tough, and limited the Trojans just enough for my 6th win.

To complete the .500 week in gambling, Florida beat the Tennessee Vols in Tennessee, but not by the 3 points I needed to finish week at 7-5. Florida should move up to #2 or #3 in Monday’s polls. I need to start moving up as well. But after such a slow start, it was nice to ride my way back into a tie for the week. Week is on the way!