Ready for some football (and lots of beer too)

My NFL preview has been delayed due to work and lack of time on a computer, however, I haven't forgotten the big game tonight and I'm here to make an educated guess on how the season will start.

This should be a good game between two teams that some people say could meet again at the end of the year in Super Bowl XLII (or Super Bowl 42 to the Willis McGahee's of the world trying to decipher the Roman Numerals).

I'm not one of those people.

In fact, I don't have Indy, New Orleans, New England, Chicago or Dallas going to the Super Bowl. But I'll save my pick for the next column(I'll give hint though, it features a suffering fanbase losing to another to a team that will win their first Super Bowl).

As for tonight, I've got to go with the defending champs, Peyton Manning and the Colts. I was even tempting to pick the Colts as repeat champions, if any team can overcome a loaded conference and questionable defense it's Indy and their affable quarterback.

I think they will demonstrate that the AFC still reigns as the premier conference by defeating a very skilled Saints team. There's no question that the Saints are fun to watch (Brees, Bush, Colston) and easy to root for (everyone will continue to rally around New Orleans). And their coach Sean Payton is a perfect fit for the team, it's certainly an interesting coaching matchup between the offensive scientist Payton and the defensive minded, best-selling author Dungy. While Dungy still has a slight edge (based on experience), I would still take Payton over another sophomore head coach, the over-rated Eric Mangini (and I will forever loathe whoever dubbed him the "Mangenius").

Anyway, only 10 minutes until game time and I still have to run out and by some beer, so my prediction: Colts 28 Saints 22

A Pistachio National Championship?

A version of this article was orignally published in the Cardinal Courier November 15, Volume 6 - Issue 5

If you look at the College Football schedule it will say that the National Champion will be crowned on Jan. 8 in Glendale, AZ. But, that’s wrong. The National Championship game will be decided on Nov. 18, and the winner of this game better make room in their trophy case because they’ll be adding some hardware.
I’m talking about the Big Ten battle royal between Michigan and Ohio State. This match-up will be bigger and better than the Bowl Championship Game. And I think the winner of this game will be able to survive the seven-week layoff between games and claim the coveted Sears trophy (you know, the cool looking crystal football that’s named after a department store).
Sure, schools like Louisville, Auburn, Florida and a number of others with only one loss have a shot to knock off the winner of the Michigan/Ohio State, but they won’t. And the Championship Game won’t even come close to matching the intensity that these Big Ten foes bring to the table.
For those of you who don’t follow Division I ball, the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry is the equivalent of Fisher vs. Ithaca, with the tradition of a Yankees and Red Sox match-up. Basically, going from Michigan vs. Ohio State to a BCS Game featuring Louisville, is like serving Buttermilk Chicken Ranch sandwiches for lunch and then only having Pistachio ice cream for dessert. No one likes that.
So we know that this will be the best college football game since the Texas/USC title game in January. But who’s going to come out and top – the upstart Wolverines or the favored juggernaut, Ohio State?
Ohio State has been ranked number one all year long and will have the home-field advantage, but Michigan has had a history of dashing the Buckeyes title hopes via an upset. If coach Lloyd Carr and the Wolverines want to pull off the upset then they’ll have to play better than the have in recent years against Ohio State. Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel holds a 4-1 record against his rival from Ann Arbor.
Both teams have plenty of talent and even some Heisman hopefuls. Michigan’s workhorse tailback Mike Hart will look to take some pressure off efficient quarterback Chad Henne and run wild through the Buckeyes defense. A defense that has been dominant despite losing A.J. Hawk, Donte Whitner, Bobby Carpenter and Ashton Youboty to the NFL.
Ohio State is lead by Quarterback and Heisman favorite Troy Smith and the electrifying Ted Ginn Jr. These Buckeyes haven’t run into much trouble this year, but they will have their hands full with Michigan. This will be a bigger test than their early September bout against freshman Colt McCoy and the defending champs Texas.
In the end, I would love to say that the Wolverines are going to win, but I don’t see it happening (especially since their vexing close-call versus Ball State). Ohio State will feed off the energy from their fans and topple the maze and blue, 27-17.
So get excited Buckeye fans, you won’t have to worry about that last game in January because they will have already wrapped up the Sears trophy. And Michigan fans, well, at least you don’t have to eat pistachio ice cream for dessert.

(If you go to St. John Fisher College you will get the pistachio analogy...I hope)