Sweet 16 Picks

Another year, another bracket completely destroyed. Kansas, the team that I said was head and shoulders above everyone else in the tournament, is out. Not that I mind; it was worth getting my bracket busted to see Northern Iowa pull off the upset.

It was a great opening weekend all around for the tournament, starting with the Robert Morris vs Villanova game (handed to Villanova by the refs, so glad they lost to St. Mary's), and ending with a Purdue/Texas A&M overtime game. Great games, great upsets, all that was missing was a good Gus Johnson game, but hopefully we'll get one in the Sweet 16.

Sweet 16 Picks

Midwest Region:

9 Northern Iowa vs 5 Michigan State
Everyone's new favorite team, Northern Iowa, will try to continue their Cinderella run against Michigan State without the Spartans' best player, Kalin Lucas. Even though they pulled off the win against Maryland, MSU did not look good after Lucas went down. Many people are already handing Northern Iowa the win with Lucas out, but I wouldn't count out Michigan State, who always plays better in the tournament. I think this will be a very close, low scoring game, and Cinderella survives another round.
Northern Iowa 61 Michigan State 56

6 Tennessee vs 2 Ohio State
These are two very similar teams and should make for an entertaining game. Both are athletic and like to speed up the game on offense. The difference will be Ohio State's Evan Turner, who should be named the Player of the Year. He'll be the main factor in a high scoring game.
Ohio State 82 Tennessee 74

West Region:

5 Butler vs 1 Syracuse
Syracuse looked great in their dismantling of Gonzaga in the second round. Gonzaga played poorly, but I think Syracuse would have beaten just about anyone with their performance. Wesley Johnson is an outstanding player, perhaps the second best player in the tourney behind Turner. Butler has talent with Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, and Matt Howard, but Syracuse is simply a better team.
Syracuse 79 Butler 65

6 Xavier vs 2 Kansas State
I may have underestimated Kansas State a bit, who has looked great so far. Jacob Pullen might be the most underrated player in the country. They could definitely be a threat to Syracuse in this region. Xavier always seems to make a run to the Sweet 16 every couple of years, but never really becomes a factor in the end. K State should have no problem.
Kansas State 81 Xavier 67

East Region:

12 Cornell vs 1 Kentucky
Everyone thought ESPN analyst Jay Bilas was crazy when he picked Cornell to make the Elite 8 at the beginning of the tournament. Well the Big Red are a win away from doing just that. Cornell has looked great so far, easily taking care of Temple and Wisconsin, two top 25 teams. Kentucky has also looked great, and they are probably the odds on favorite to win now that Kansas is out. I would love to pick Cornell here, and I think they'll keep it close, but Kentucky's athleticism will win out in the end.
Kentucky 74 Cornell 67

11 Washington vs 2 West Virginia
Yawn. I don't think anyone really cares about this game. West Virginia will win easily.
West Virginia 76 Washington 60

South Region:

4 Purdue vs 1 Duke
I, like many people, thought Purdue has no chance in the tourney without their best player, Robbie Hummel. However, they've managed to make it to the Sweet 16. Duke looked pretty good in their win over Cal, especially with the unexpected production from Brian Zoubek. However, Jon Scheyer will have to shoot better than 1-11 if Duke wants to make the Final Four. I don't think they should have too much trouble with this Purdue team.
Duke 72 Purdue 60

10 St. Mary's vs 3 Baylor
Omar Samhan of St. Mary's might be the most unlikely looking dominating player in college basketball since Larry Bird. That being said, he has been tremendous so far in the tourney, along with the rest of the Gaels team. They'll go up against Baylor, a very athletic team who despite being a 3 seed, has kind of come out of nowhere. They have a ton of talent but are relatively inexperienced. This is a toss up for me, so I'll pick the team I'll be rooting for.
St. Mary's 65 Baylor 63

What's March Madness?

http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/entry?entryID=561136

Final Four: Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia, Duke

Finals: Kansas vs West Virginia

Champion: Kansas

Some thoughts:

- As everyone has been saying, the Midwest region is easily the most difficult. Kansas is clearly the best overall team, and Ohio State and Georgetown could have made the Final Four in any other bracket.

- Everyone has also been complaining that Duke has the easiest bracket. It's certainly easier than the Midwest, but I would have to say that Syracuse has the easiest path to the Final Four. Kansas State has no depth, Pitt is probably the weakest 3 seed, I have Vanderbilt losing in the first round, and the rest of the region isn't very deep. It wouldn't shock me to see Syracuse lose to Gonzaga in the 2nd round, however.

- I just can't pick Duke to beat West Virginia or Kentucky if it came to that. Both West Virginia and Kentucky are incredibly athletic, the exact type of teams Duke struggles with. I think this Duke team is much better than last year, which is why they can get past Villanova this year. I just don't see them getting past the East region winner, which will be either West Virginia or Kentucky.

- I really feel like Kansas is head and shoulders over everyone else this year. They have almost no weaknesses, they have depth, they have experience, they have everything a team needs to win the tournament. Their biggest challenge will be beat either Georgetown or Ohio State in the Elite Eight. I think they'll have no problem with the West region winner.

Here's to the best day of the year, the first day of March Madness.

Mock Draft #1

Sorry for the long layoff, faithful readers. Since the Super Bowl, we've had the NBA, Winter Olympics, and Tiger Woods. Exciting. I considered writing about Tiger, but knew I would probably piss off my large female demographic. So instead, here my first NFL Mock Draft of the year. Always enjoyable, always incredibly inaccurate.

1. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Unless Bradford falls flat on on his face at Oklahoma's Pro Day, it looks like he has become the Rams' front runner. Ndamukong Suh may be the higher rated prospect, but the Rams can't overlook their need for a franchise QB. Bradford has injury concerns and played in a spread offense in college, but he still has the potential to be a franchise QB in the NFL.

2. Detroit Lions- Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma St.
Suh or Gerald McCoy looked like the surefire picks here for a while, but with the Lions' trade for DT Corey Williams, they can focus on an offensive lineman to protect last year's no.1 overall pick, Matthew Stafford. Okung is the highest rated OT, and should remain that way come draft time.

3. Tampa Bay Bucs- Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
This is the perfect situation for the Bucs. They need a DT, and they should land either Suh or McCoy with this pick. Suh is the highest rated overall prospect by most teams, and it wouldn't shock me if some team tried to trade up with the Lions or Rams to grab him. He won't fall past the Bucs.

4. Washington Redskins- Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Jimmy Clausen is a very real possibility here. But the Redskins' O-line was a complete mess last season, and current QB Jason Campbell had no chance at succeeding last year. He has one year left on his contract, so I expect the Skins to give him one more shot to be The Guy in Washington. Bulaga is the OT they sorely need.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Berry was widely considering to be this year's top prospect heading into the season, but disappointed a bit during the year. He's still easily the top DB prospect in this draft, and will be a huge upgrade for Kansas City's secondary.

6. Seattle Seahawks- Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Clausen is a very real possibility here as well, but McCoy is simply too good at a position of need for the Seahawks to pass up on here.

7. Cleveland Browns- Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Browns would ideally like to see Berry fall to them here, but I doubt he gets past Seattle. The Browns need a linebacker, and McClain is easily the best in this year's class.

8. Oakland Raiders- Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
Since Campbell put on an athletic show at the combine, everyone has been speculating he will be the main target of the Raiders. The pick make sense, as the Raiders do need an OT and they love drafting athletes. Of course, it makes so much sense that don't expect it to actually happen.

9. Buffalo Bills- Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Many people believe that Clausen is a better pro prospect that Bradford, however many people also believe Clausen has "maturity" issues, which may drop him a bit. Honestly, I think people just want Clausen to have maturity issues, but regardless he won't get past Buffalo here.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars- Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St.
With the signing of Aaron Kampman, the Jags can look elsewhere besides DE. Joe Haden is another possibility here, but Bryant is too good to pass up.

11. Denver Broncos- Dan Williams, DT/DE, Tennessee
The Broncos will probably end up getting another 1st rounder with a Brandon Marshall trade. But for now, they will look to shore up their D-Line with Dan Williams here.

12. Miami Dolphins- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB, USF
Pierre-Paul only played one year at USF, but he is an athletic freak that could be incredible as a 3-4 edge rusher. He's raw, but the Dolphins will take a chance on his enormous upside here.

13. San Francisco 49ers- Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Haden is falling a bit due to his lackluster 40 time, but he's still the top CB in the class and would be great fit for the 49ers.

14. Seattle Seahawks- Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
C.J Spiller is a very real possibility, but they already have a similar RB in Justin Forsett. Davis is very talented, but character issues will push him back a bit.

15. New York Giants- Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Morgan is simply too good for the Giants to pass up here, especially with the uncertainly of Osi Umeniyora.

16. Tennessee Titans- Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
The Titans desperately need a pass rusher, and Graham has been incredibly impressive in the off-season so far.

17. San Francisco 49ers- Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
The Niners need a RT to play opposite Joe Staley, and get a potential steal here in Trent Williams

18. Pittsburgh Steelers- Sean Witherspoon, LB, Missouri
The Steelers LB corps isn't getting any younger. Witherspoon gives them an injection of youth that they desperately need.

19. Atlanta Falcons- Everson Griffen, DE, USC
The Falcons have been sorely disappointed with the play of former high pick Jamaal Anderson. They'll try again here with Griffen.

20. Houston Texans- Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Wilson has been flying up draft boards, and Houston will need a replacement for Dunta Robinson at corner.

21. Cincinnati Bengals- Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Tate had a great combine and has established himself as the no.2 WR prospect behind Dez Bryant. Even if the Bengals sing T.O, they'll need a young guy going forward.

22. New England Patriots- Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
The Patriots need an upgrade at rush linebacker, and Kindle is potentially a beast at the position.

23. Green Bay Packers- Jared Odrick, DE/DT, Penn State
There's a premium on players who are a good fit at 3-4 DE (see Jackson, Tyson). Odrick's stock is up and the Packers could certainly use some D-Line help.

24. Philadelphia Eagles- Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Thomas might be gone to the Bengals at 21, however I hope the Eagles wouldn't hesitate to take him at 24 if he's available. Thomas is the playmaker the Eagles need at safety, and with the first round DEs gone, this would be a no-brainer pick.

25. Baltimore Ravens- Brian Price, DE/DT, UCLA
While Jermaine Gresham is a possibility, the acquisition of Anquan Boldin allows the Ravens to look to the D-Line and Price here.

26. Arizona Cardinals- Jerry Hughes, DE/LB, TCU
The Cardinals need a pass rusher, and they get a potentially great one in Hughes.

27. Dallas Cowboys- Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
This'll be a no-brainer if Iupati's available. The Cowboys need a guard, and Iupati is a rare first-round guard.

28. San Diego Chargers- C.J Spiller, RB, Clemson
Spiller will most likely be gone by this pick, but with very few teams with a need at RB, he could fall a bit. Even though Sproles is coming back now, he can't handle the load by himself.

29. New York Jets- Taylor Mays, S, USC
With Kerry Rhodes gone, the Jets will need a replacement. Some question Mays' coverage abilities, but he has out of this world athleticism, and I can't see him falling out of the first round.

30. Minnesota Vikings- Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida
The Vikings can use help at both center and guard, and Pouncey is easily the best Center in this class, and he can also slide over to guard.

31. Indianapolis Colts- Charles Brown, OT, USC
While Charlie Johnson is a serviceable LT, Brown is an upgrade here.

32. New Orleans Saints- Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
The Saints need a DE in a big way, and being the Super Bowl champs, they can afford to take a risk on Dunlap, would could easily bust but has incredible potential if he keeps his head on straight.

Super Bowl pick

Saints 38 Colts 31

MVP: Drew Breeeeeeeeeeeees

Whatever I'm terrible at picking

Saints vs Colts. If I'm wrong then I retire.

NFL Round 2 Picks

Went 0-4 last week, nice one idiot. Here are 4 correct picks for this weekend:

Ravens @ Colts
I'll never understand why teams who have first round byes rest their players before the playoffs. I can understand if you don't have a first round bye and want to give your players a week off to heal any nagging injuries. But the Colts players will now have virtually three weeks off before playing the Ravens this weekend, a team which just took it to the Patriots in New England last week. Ray Rice is gonna run all over the Colts, and Peyton is gonna get roughed up by the Ravens D. This is actually the pick I feel most confident in this week.
Ravens 27 Colts 21

Cardinals @ Saints
This is a tough one to pick. The Saints really limped to the finish line this season, and they look in no way like the best team in the NFC right now. The Cardinals are riding a huge wave of momentum after their big win over the Packers last week. Just like last week's game, this has the potential to be a 51-45 game as well. I'll say Drew Brees scores just enough points for the Saints to advance.
Saints 38 Cardinals 35

Jets @ Chargers
On paper this a no-brainer. The Chargers are the best team in the AFC right now, and despite the Jets' win last week, they were still lucky to get into the playoffs. However, two things come into play here: 1) It's the Chargers in the playoffs 2) The Jets' strength, running the ball, coincides with the Chargers' weakness, stopping the run. I think this game is going to be a lot closer than people may think. In the end, I think Philip Rivers will be the difference.
Chargers 24 Jets 17

Cowboys @ Vikings
This is definitely the most difficult game to predict this week. On one side, you have the Vikings, probably the most talented team in the NFC, lacking any real weakness on either side of the ball. On the other hand, you have the Cowboys, playing better than any team in the league right now, and probably the only team who can match up talent wise to the Vikings. I think the difference in the game will be the Cowboys pash rush getting to Favre. I hate to do this again.
Cowboys 28 Vikings 24

Wild Card Picks

Real quick before the games start:

Jets @ Bengals
The Bengals are coming into this game getting way too little respect after getting blown out by the Jets last week in what was a meaningless game for the Bengals. Cincinnati is going to come out with a chip on their shoulder and I feel like they're going to play with much more intensity than New York. If the Bengals can stop the run and make Mark Sanchez beat them, he won't.
Bengals 20 Jets 10

Eagles @ Cowboys
Unlike the Bengals, the Eagles got blown out in a game in which they were playing for something. This game will completely come down to which Eagles team shows up. When they Eagles have played to their peak this season, they've been unstoppable. When they play bad, they play really really bad. Sorry, there's no way I can be partial here.
Eagles 31 Cowboys 27