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Week 17: Year-ending thoughts
Updated early Saturday afternoon for NFL picks and commentary.
Week: 13-11. Season: 203-114.
What I'm thinking about as I wait to YouTube to deliver the footage of Saddam swinging like Tony Bennett:
* If it seems like there've been more upsets in the NFL this year, you're right. Brother Jockularity did a little anecdotal research on our pool, and discovered that the estimated winning score of 1550 (our leader in the confidence pool is at 1446) would've placed 23rd last season. Also last season, the late Father Jockularity won the pool by picking 74 percent of the games correctly. Although I'm narrowly clinging to third place 41 points out of the lead at this writing, I'm tied for the lead in winning percentage (first tiebreaker)...at 62.9 percent.
* I don't want to see Carolina on TV this weekend. I was leading the pool until Jake Delhomme threw that interception in end zone at Philly while in field goal range, and the temptation to hurl a brick through the screen is too great.
* If I were an SEC beat guy, I'd be dying to see Alabama promote defensive coordinator Joe Kimes to head coach. But he butchered the ending of the Independence Bowl as badly as I've seen a coach mismanage a clock. Joe let too much time run off after Oklahoma State got first and goal before calling his first timeout. Then, with 13 seconds left and OSU rolling out the field goal team, Kimes called two freeze-the-kicker timeouts, leaving himself without one after the kickoff and no chance to run an offensive play (forget the rule change, Joe?). Herm Edwards' clock management looks brutally efficient now.
* I figure Patriot Nation will get one quarter of Tom Brady tomorrow, maybe less after that spectacular cheap shot in the left shoulder he took from Clint Ingram in Jacksonville.
* Warning, Bears fans: Top seed + QB controversy = early playoff exit. Haven't you learned?
* Oregon State coach Mike Riley gets a Hall of Fame Moment, if not full induction, for going for two instead of the tie in the final seconds and pulling it off at the Sun Bowl. If you're not playing for a national championship, why not? Of course, Tom Osborne's call in the 1984 Orange Bowl, even though it cost Nebraska the national title, deserves full Hall induction.
* Some of these bowl matchups (Central Michigan-Middle Tennessee State, anyone?) are smelling like the March Madness Tuesday night play-in game.
* I love Vince Young, too, but can we at least require him to take the field for a playoff game before we commission the bust in Canton?
* After tonight, we won't have the NFL Network to pick on any more. But couldn't they have taken the Champs Sports Bowl instead of depriving much of America of Texas-Tech's record-setting Insight Bowl comeback?
* After watching South Carolina's Sidney Rice in the Liberty Bowl, I can easily see him in Foxboro (no way Calvin Johnson , Dwayne Jarrett or Steve Breaston lasts into the 20s come draft day).
On to the picks:
REDSKINS 16, GIANTS 10: Thus endeth one of the NFL's most spectacular second-half chokes evah.
TITANS 20, PATRIOTS 17: Really, what does New England have to play for? The three seed if the Colts choke, but that's about it.
COWBOYS 31, LIONS 19: As woeful a team as Detroit is, I'd probably prefer their wide receivers to the Patriots'.
RAMS 24, VIKINGS 16: Minnesota never recovered from that late October Monday night beatdown from the Pats.
BUCCANEERS 14, SEAHAWKS 9: An 8-8 NFC West champion. Only in America...
SAINTS 21, PANTHERS 10: Calling only seven passes won't cut it two weeks in a row, John Fox.
JETS 28, RAIDERS 6: If Eric Mangini's boys lose this, he should be dealt with in the same manner Saddam did Iraq's national soccer team coaches.
BENGALS 30, STEELERS 13: Score enough touchdowns, and you won't have to worry about bungling long snaps.
TEXANS 20, BROWNS 14: Somebody opened the time capsule, and the Ron Dayne who won the Heisman and dominated two Rose Bowls finally emerged.
CHIEFS 23, JAGUARS 20: It's nice to see two teams in the same playoff fight match up.
CARDINALS 20, CHARGERS 16: Late season upset run + resting regulars = the most ridiculous pick I've made all season.
EAGLES 20, FALCONS 16: Maybe 30 years from now, they'll make a movie about Jeff Garcia's Philly career (by then, TO will need the work).
BRONCOS 27, 49ers 10: Pick on Jay Cutler all you want, but he's thrown at least two TD passes in every game he's started.
RAVENS 24, BILLS 19: Gotta stay one step ahead of the Colts.
COLTS 23, DOLPHINS 20: Although the door of opportunity is closing on Indy, and its fingers are still in the jamb.
PACKERS 17, BEARS 13: It's chaos in Chicago, and let's just say Green Bay has some serious incentive.
And in the bowls:
INDEPENDENCE BOWL: OKLAHOMA STATE 24, ALABAMA 17. Perfunctory matchup, but the fact that the loser ends '06 with a record below .500 will bring some intensity,
HOLIDAY BOWL: TEXAS A&M 20, CALIFORNIA 13: Remember when Marshawn Lynch was getting preseason darkhorse Heisman hype?
TEXAS BOWL: RUTGERS 26, KANSAS STATE 13: As good a season as the Scarlet Knights have had, this one doesn't have me laying out an extra $10 for the premium digital tier with NFL Network.
MUSIC CITY BOWL: KENTUCKY 23, CLEMSON 20. The Wildcats have gone without a bowl long enough that this game is a big deal to them.
SUN BOWL: OREGON STATE 30, MISSOURI 23: The Beavers are hotter than a El Paso whore on the ranchhands' payday.
LIBERTY BOWL: SOUTH CAROLINA 20, HOUSTON 17. The Palmetto State bats .500.
INSIGHT BOWL: TEXAS TECH 35, MINNESOTA 30. File under also-rans putting on a good show.
CHAMP'S SPORTS BOWL: MARYLAND 21, PURDUE 20. Bad night for the Big 10.
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL: BOSTON COLLEGE 20, NAVY 9. Utah tied the Eagles' six-bowl winning streak, but BC grinds down the smaller Midshipmen.
ALAMO BOWL: TEXAS 38, IOWA 14: Playing virtually at home will discourage the defending national champs from mailing this one in.
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL: VIRGINIA TECH 26, GEORGIA 15. The Hokies rediscovered their badass late in the season.
MPC COMPUTERS BOWL: MIAMI 27, NEVADA 20. Larry Coker will be coaching in name only. The Randy Shannon Era will be short-lived if the U stumbles again.
OUTBACK BOWL: PENN STATE 17, TENNESSEE 13. Play every game like it could be JoePa's last, Nittanies.
COTTON BOWL: AUBURN 21, NEBRASKA 20. It just doesn't seem like a once-major bowl without a Texas team in it.
GATOR BOWL: WEST VIRGINIA 29, GEORGIA TECH 27. Although with Reggie Ball out, maybe Tech will use a quarterback who can throw Calvin Johnson the damned pigskin.
CAPITAL ONE BOWL: WISCONSIN 23, ARKANSAS 20. The Badgers are the season's most overlooked team - the Big 10 schedule rotation picked the wrong year to skip a UW-Ohio State matchup.
ROSE BOWL: MICHIGAN 30, USC 27. If the Wolverines can't win for Bo Schembechler and Jerry Ford...
FIESTA BOWL: OKLAHOMA 41, BOISE STATE 26. Size does matter.
ORANGE BOWL: LOUISVILLE 34, WAKE FOREST 20. Can't wait to see Pervis Ellison go up against Tim Duncan.
SUGAR BOWL: LSU 38, NOTRE DAME 17. I'm not sure Ohio State could win in the Superdome on this night.
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