However, I'm in the middle of Big Ten Country. Which, oddly enough, is now 12 teams large. So for those of you who have been paying attention to me, here's where my football alliances are.
NCAA Football: Purdue, Mizzou
NFL: Colts, Rams
Mizzou will probably finish in the middle of the Big XII (which now has ten teams, haha). But the real question is "will Purdue manage to finish above .500 this year?" At first glance, I don't know if I can say yes. Purdue finished 5-7 last season with wins over Ohio State, Michigan, and Toledo. The team also lost to Oregon [away], Northern Illinois [home], and Northwestern [home]. So now, new QB (and likely starting QB) Robert Marve will have some proving to do. As will coach Danny Hope. Purdue football is pretty rich in tradition, and I don't think it would be wise for him to coach his team to another losing season. Yes, I know it's not all on him, but his job is to get his team to perform to expectations, and the team has the talent to get at least a record of 6-6 this year. Ultimately, I think Purdue goes 7-5 this season. They may or may not make a bowl game this year; but, they should make it at least to the 6 win mark.
How do I see this all going down?
@ Notre Dame - If Marve starts, we have a legitimate shot at pulling this one off. ND is starting a new QB. Therefore, I'm giving Purdue the edge in this one. [W]
Western Illinois - I get a strange feeling Purdue's first home game won't be a pleasant sight. Big school + Directional State school = disaster. Purdue still wins, but not by enough to make any fan feel comfortable. [W]
Ball State - Remember the comfort you get from a blowout win? This is where it happens. Purdue wins, likely in a large shut out victory (Think 60 points-ish). [W]
Toledo - If Toledo hasn't had any changes in offense, this might actually be a close game. They were one of the top offensive teams in the country last season. [W]
@ Northwestern - The frustrating part of this game is that we don't get the beating they put on us last year on homecoming day. [L]
Minnesota - *shrug* [L]
@ Ohio State - If we beat OSU two years in a row I would be stunned. [L]
@ Illinois - Illinois has returned to being one of the more questionable teams in the conference. [W]
Wisconsin - Purdue love to lose to Wisconsin. Even when they have a chance to win...see "the fumble heard round the world" (Wisconsin at Purdue, 2004). [L]
Michigan - Once again, can Purdue beat a team they almost never beat two years in a row? In Michigan's case.....I'll say yes. [W/L]
@ Michigan State - Does Purdue dare to lose to Michigan State again? Maybe, I'm giving this one as a toss-up. I'm not sure exactly how this one would turn out. If Purdue were to beat Wisconsin, I think they win this game. Otherwise, this is a loss. [W/L]
Indiana - Come on, the bucket stays. This game is at home. [W]
Final Standings: 6-6, 7-5 or 8-4
Besides all of that, with Nebraska joining the Big Ten next season, it'll be interesting to see the schedule shakedown. Who gets to play them first...you know...to break them in. I was hoping it would be Notre Dame that came into the B10, so they can get stomped on every year. But, Nebraska brings a lot to the table, and I like it. But now, does the Big Ten play an extra game? I know there is talk of having a championship game eventually, but, it'll be interesting to see how the conference splits up. *For basketball, it's almost a non-issue. Nebraska basketball isn't really great.
With the college football season about to start, it's also almost time for the NFL to start up. Yay! While there are two teams that I actually cheer for, the Rams have shown no signs of getting better. However, the Colts are what they are. The great thing about being a Colts fan is that the Colts don't really lose that often. I usually expect less than 5 losses per season from them. And, they just keep adding people who can really add to the system. HOWEVER, in the past draft, they drafted defensive players. HOORAY!! And, they added a kick returner and an offensive lineman. Yay!! Now all that needs to happen is for the Colts to have a consistent run game. I mean, at least 90 years per game. I'd say that number needs to be higher, but with Peyton Manning, do you really need a run game designed to run over people constantly? I mean, why waste 40 minutes scoring 21 points when you can score 14 points in 45 seconds (see Indianapolis Colts vs. Miami Dolphins in the 2009 season).
I hope the Rams can manage to win a few games next season. I mean, it'd be nice to have a team in the NFC and the AFC to cheer for. But the Rams have been so bad in recent history that it almost give me gas to think about it. But my formula still stands as follows:
Rams > Lions > Raiders > Browns
That's right, the Browns are really that bad. I feel bad for the city of Cleveland. There's no hope for them now. Now the best thing that has come out of Cleveland is Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. **As a side note, how ridiculous would it be if Miami and Cleveland met in the playoffs?**
At any rate...how do I foresee the NFL season turning out? I love failing at predictions, but the NFL is usually pretty easy to get at least 50% right.
AFC:
East- Patriots
North- Ravens?
South- Colts
West- Chargers
NFC:
East- *shrug*
North- Packers/Vikings
South- Saints
West- *shrug*
Last year I predicted a Colts vs. Saints Super Bowl.
AFC Championship Game: Indianapolis Colts (38) vs. Miami Dolphins (17)
NFC Championship Game: New Orleans Saints (44) vs. **Doesn't Matter** (21)
**Why doesn't it matter? Because unlike the AFC where 60% of the teams pose a challenge, the New Orleans Saints are clearly the best team in the NFC.
Super Bowl: Indianapolis Colts (21) vs. New Orleans Saints (13)
OR
Super Bowl: Indianapolis Colts (48) vs. New Orleans Saints (45)
You never really know when two teams with such high-powered offenses meet. Sometimes the total score will be in the high 80s or 90s, other times the total score will be in the 10-20 range. But I stand by the fact that the two best teams (Colts and Saints) will meet in the Super Bowl, this time with the Colts winning. (Also, be advised that these two teams may very well meet again in the following year).
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