What We Learned in Football this Weekend

What we learned this week in the NFL:

-The Chicago Bears have weapons on offense. Martellus Bennett, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte give the Bears a solid tandem of explosive play makers for Jay Cutler. Impressive win by the Bears in a tough divisional game against Minnesota. There defense always creates turnovers and with the improvement of the offensive line, the Bears seem like a threat in the NFC.

-Washington will take a step back this year. Robert Griffin III just isn’t what he was last year. The threat of his running the football is no longer there and his terrible mechanics throwing the ball will have to be something he overcomes.

-The Dolphins can contend in the AFC East. Going into Indianapolis and pulling out a win was big for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. With all the new pieces the Dolphins brought in this offseason the Dolphins roster is talented enough to win the AFC East. If the Patriots continue to struggle, Miami will be nipping at its heels all season.

-Having a solid back up running back in the NFL are much more important than people may think. Ben Tate, Bernard Pierce, James Starks and Knowshon Moreno all had breakout games this week. Each of these running backs were the difference makers and helped there team win on Sunday.

-The New York Giants do nothing but turn the football over. The lack of running game for the Giants, which is pathetic to say the least, has led to Eli Manning throwing over 40 passes the last two games. This just isn’t the identity of the New York Giants. If the Giants can’t run the ball effectively, it will be a long year for the Eli Manning and the Giants.

- The Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers game Sunday night was nothing but sloppy. Penalties and turnovers were the story of the game. Colin Kaepernick looked tentative to run the football and the wide receivers failed to win one-on-one with the Seattle defensive backs. Seattle got the better of the Niners at home, I expect the Niners to return the favor later in the year when Seattle travels to San Francisco.

What We Learned in College Football:

-Texas A&M defense is still a Big 12 type defense. Johnny Manziel needed maybe 3 or 4 stops on Saturday from his defense in order to beat the Tide. Manziel was sensational as well as Mike Evans, answering anything Saban and the Alabama defense threw at him. With a win in College Station, Alabama only has LSU to beat before it plays for another SEC Championship.

- UCLA is a threat this year. After being down 18, UCLA scored 31 unanswered points to defeat Nebraska in Lincoln. Brett Hundley is only a sophomore but is developing into a prime time player for Jim Mora.  We will see how serious UCLA’s Rose Bowl chances can be after they have back to back road games at Stanford and at Oregon later in the season.

- Mack Brown won’t make it through the season. The program has fallen off since their title match with Alabama a couple of years ago. They are horrific on defense, making tackling look near impossible for their defense. Inconsistent play at quarterback since Colt McCoy left and not many explosive players on offense leaves Texas with no choice but to move in a new direction, with a new head coach at the end of the season.

2013-14 College Football Preview

ACC

Conference Champion: Clemson vs. Miami (FL)

Miami would of played in the ACC Championship game last year if they didn't self impose a penalty. Miami was full of sophomores and freshmen last season and this year I expect their young talent to take the next step. However, Clemson has a national title type team this season. Clemson led by Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins will be headed to the Orange Bowl.

Player of the Year: Tajh Boyd QB, Clemson

Boyd has a chance to jump up on some draft boards. He is a great leader, and is tough duel threat to game plan for. I expect Boyd to be in the Heisman race all season. Clemson and Boyd have a chance to take down one of the best SEC teams in Georgia week one, and make a statement to the nation.

Team to Watch: Miami (FL)

Miami was swarmed with young talent last season, especially on defense. Stephen Morris can throw the deep ball better than most in college football. Duke Johnson can score any time he touches it. I expect the Hurricanes defense to improve and for Al Golden and Miami to make the next step to being a national powerhouse once again.

Big 10

Conference Champion: Ohio State vs. Nebraska

Ohio State returns much of their undefeated team from last season, but how will they react to having a target on their back this year. Last year OSU was ineligible and had very little pressure. Nebraska returns Taylor Martinez who is a duel-threat and will be the difference maker for Nebraska all year. However, Ohio State has too much and I expect to see them playing in the Rose Bowl.\

Player of the Year: Braxton Miller QB, Ohio State

Miller performed well last year under new coach Urban Meyer. With another whole year of learning the offense and learning from one of the best, I expect Miller to be a game changer and lead Ohio State to its first Big Ten Championship since the conference expanded.

Team to Watch: Northwestern

Northwestern returns Kain Colter a dynamic offensive weapon. If Northwestern can improve on their 110^th ranked offense, I think Colter and their defense will win games for the Wildcats.

Big 12

Conference Champion: Oklahoma State

In a wide open Big 12, Oklahoma State has the most talent returning from last season, and the best player in the conference in Joseph Randle. Oklahoma is starting a freshmen quarterback and I still have too many questions about Texas. Oklahoma State takes the conference and gets a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

Player of the Year: Joseph Randle RB, Oklahoma State

Randle has rushed for over 1,200 yards in both his seasons as the starter. 24 rushing touchdowns in 2011, 14 in 2012, Randle has a chance to move up on many draft boards in an explosive Oklahoma State offense.

Team to Watch: TCU

With Casey Pachall returning at quarterback along with Trevone Boykin, TCU has two quarterbacks that have showed great leadership. TCU has enough talent around them to win the Big 12 and if they can get one out of the two road trips to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, they can be playing in a BCS game once again.

Pac 12

Conference Champion: Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins

The winner of the Stanford Oregon game in November will determine the conference champion. UCLA will give the Ducks a fight but Oregon has too much fire power on offense for the Bruins. Nick Aliotti wins the Pac-12 Championship in his first year replacing Chip Kelly.

Player of the Year: Marcus Mariota QB, Oregon

Mariota is another prototype of the new athletic NFL quarterback. His big arm and great speed make him a threat to score at any time. I think he ends the year in New York for the Heisman trophy presentation.

 Team to Watch: USC

USC will have a better team this year than they did last year. The defense will be better under new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast and USC still has talent on offense. Marquis Lee will again show he is the best wide receiver in the nation and help USC win some tough games.

SEC

Conference Champion: South Carolina vs. Alabama

I think South Carolina’s defense plays well but Alabama will stifle South Carolina’s offense. Bama rolls on to their third straight SEC title and a trip to the national championship…again.

Player of the Year: Jadeveon Clowney DE, South Carolina

Clowney is the best player in college football. I expect a huge year, huge as in a 15+ sacks type season.

Team to Watch: Ole Miss

Mississippi has a 5 week stretch that is tougher than any in college football. At Texas, At Alabama, At Auburn, then home against Texas A&M and LSU. I think Ole Miss will squeeze out two wins and end the year strong. 8-4 would be a fantastic season especially with that 5 game stretch.

National Championship

Alabama vs. Oregon Ducks

It's almost impossible to not take the boring pick of Alabama but the Tide just have too much returning to not make another national championship run. A.J. McCarron and Nick Saban will be going for their third straight title together. T.J. Yeldon returns along with Amari Cooper, giving Alabama weapons on offense. The only question I have about Alabama is the offensive line. Replacing three starters is never a simple task. Oregon on the other hand returns all their weapons on offense and will have the best secondary in the country. If their front seven come together, I see Oregon beating Stanford and finishing the season undefeated. Oregon gets another chance to dethrone the SEC in the National Championship, and they finally end the streak. Oregon and new coach Nick Aliotti host the crystal ball in his first season.

Heisman Trophy Winner

Marcus Mariota QB, Oregon

I think Marcus Mariota will only improve as a second year starter. He has the frame (6’4 211 pounds), great accuracy, can drive the ball down the field and is elusive in the open field when he keeps it himself. Mariota has all the weapons around him to be successful at Oregon.  I think he will be one of the first two quarterbacks drafted in the 2014 NFL Draft.