2013 NFL Draft Round 1 Review

1) Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher (LT, Central Michigan), already 1/1 on not being right in my mock, but I like the selection Fisher was the more athletic of the two tackles and should be able to anchor the blindside Kansas City for a decade. #MACtion Grade: A

2) Jacksonville Jaguars: Luke Joeckel (OT, Texas A&M), I like Joeckel as much as Fisher but I think this was a missed opportunity for the Jags, they don't have a pass rush and they had the ability to get one of the elite pass rushers in this draft at #2. Joeckel will be a stalwart on the offensive line for many years but I think it's  a missed opportunity. Grade: C+

Trade: Dolphins trade the 12 & 42 for the 3 (Oak) MIA: Grade: B+ OAK: Grade: B-

3) Miami Dolphins: Dion Jordan (OLB, Oregon), The Dolphins trade up from the 12th pick to number 3 and take the OLB out of Oregon. Jordan is an explosive athlete, long lanky and has the ability to rush the passer and to drop back in coverage. Power move from the Dolphins to move and take a player they obviously really liked. Grade: B

4) Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson (OT, Oklahoma), a former Quarterback and Tight End a raw player  who is raw at the Offensive tackle. He needs a good amount of polish but he made big strides this year and should be able to at least step in at Right Tackle this year. Grade: B

5) Detroit Lions: Ezekial Ansah (DE, BYU), Raw athlete, reports out of the Senior Bowl were that he soaked up coaching like a sponge and worked hard. The kid is a beast and has been compared to Irvin last year but he actually showed skills in defending the run game. Schwartz and Cunningham should be able to coach this kid up. Grade B+

6) Cleveland Browns: Barkevious Mingo (OLB, LSU), Mingo fits well in the transition to the 3-4 for the Browns and I reallly like him here. I know the knocks on him, especially the body type, but he has great burst and with good coaching he should be able to increase his pass rush moves repitoire. Grade: A-

7) Arizona Cardinals: Johnathan Cooper (OG, North Carolina), Huge upgrade for Arizona who had arguably the worst interior line in the NFL. Cooper is freaky athletically in the middle and turns the corner and gets to the second level really well. Should see a little more time in the pocket in Arizona this year, very good pickc. Grade: A

Trade: St. Louis trades the 16, 46, 78 & 222 for 8 & 71 (Buf) STL: Grade: C+ BUF: Grade: A-

8) St. Louis Rams: Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia), I love Tavon Austin, the kid doesn't get hit hard, finds seams and has great short area burst. I do however think this is a bit early to take him as there were definitely pieces to be found here or with their original pick. Grade: B-

9) New York Jets: Dee MIlliner (CB, Alabama), Loose Revis, bring in a kid that mirrors the size and was close to a consensus top cornerback on the board. Without the injury to his shoulder and a myriad of other minor ailments this would be an A grade. Grade: A-

10) Tennessee Titans: Chance Warmack (OG, Alabama), A lot of money tied up in guards now in Tennessee but CJ2K has no excuses this season with a huge talent jump. Warmack should be a mauler and even for his size he has good enough agility turn the corner. Grade: B+

11) San Diego Chargers: D.J. Fluker (OT, Alabama), San Diego needs help in multiple places along the line and should be able to step in at guard or right tackle. Fluke is a very good technician and without the ability to get one of the "sure fire" left tackles, Fluker is a more than worthy consolation prize. Grade: B-

12) Oakland Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB, Houston), I have to admit I don't know much of D.J. Hayden outside of the horrific injury he suffered in practice this season but he's a smaller CB in a league that skew bigger. I could be very wrong, please have mercy. Grade: C

13) New York Jets: Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri), Grade: C+

14) Carolina Panthers: Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah) at the start of the eval period he was considered the best prospect in the draft but a red flag with heart issues at the Combine sunk him down the board a bit and he never completely rebounded. I think this is a great 1 technique for Carolina and him and Kuechly should be a great combo in the middle. Grade: A

15) New Orleans Saints: Kenny Vacarro (S, Texas), Need meets value in New Orleans, the front seven could struggle up front during the transition to the 3-4 but Vacarro should step in day 1 and start for the Saints. Grade: :A

16) Buffalo Bills: E.J. Manuel (QB, Florida State), Reach on an unproven commodity. Playbook was limited at FSU and I'm not sure Manuel couldn't have been gotten in round 2. Grade: D

17) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones (OLB, Georgia), Perfect match of player, need, value and terror within the division. Love this pick. Grade: A

Trade: San Francisco trades the 31 & 73 for 18 (Dal)

18) San Francisco 49ers: Eric Reid (S, LSU), I like the pick I understand the concerns from this year but he was hampered by young cornerbacks in front of him this past season. Opportunity to learn year 1 and get some very good coaching. Grade: B

19) New York Giants: Justin Pugh (OL, Syracuse), Giants needed O-Line upgrades and Pugh should be a solid contributor in the middle from day one. May have upside to slide out to right tackle. Not flashy but fills need in the second half of round 1. Grade: B-

20) Chicago Bears: Kyle Long (OL, Oregon), Raw raw talent on the offensive line, good athlete with good feet but I don't think he makes an impact off the bat with his lack of experience. Grade: C

21) Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame), Great value, dangerous TE combo to take pressure off Green. Grade: B+

Trade: Atlanta trades 30, 92 & 198 for 22 & 2015 7th rounder (STL) ATL: Grade: C+ STL: Grade: B

22) Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant (CB, Washington), Atlanta moves up to take Desmond Trufant, matured as a player last season in the upper northwest and has a year behind Grimes and Dunta before being thrust into the limelight. With no great pass rushers on the board this was a good move up to get a player they really liked. Grade: B

23) Minnesota Vikings: Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida), Great value here as many thought that Floyd could be a top 5 picks. With Pat Williams leaving Floyd will help fill a void left in the middle. Leslie Fisher should have a field day moving around the defensive front and will have a chance to help him reach his full potential. Grade: A

24) Indianapolis Colts: Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State), Werner has the motor and a good amount of production but I'm not sure he will be able to play standing up. He should still create up front and at this point it may hvae been worth the risk. Grade: C+

25) Minnesota Vikings: Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida State), The Vikings get good value with the pick aquired in the Seahawks trade. Rhodes is a big Corner who should be able to match up against Nelson and Marshall and atleast give Megatron some trouble in coverage. Grade: B-

26) Green Bay Packers: Datone Jones (DE, UCLA), The defensive line for the Packers was a strength as few as 3 years ago but the depth has slowly been eaten away and the cupboard has gotten a touch bare. Datone Jones has played a full season at 3-4 defensive end and he should be able to create some pressure with his hand in the ground. Grade: B-

27) Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson), Absolute need and value pick for the Texas as Hopkins has the burst to be a legit threat accross from Andre Johnson. Hopkins and Clemson as a whole flew under the radar this past season. Grade B+

28) Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina), There were four 1st round defensive tackles, Floyd and Williams fell with the Vikings and Broncos the main benifciaries. Inside pressure should help eleviate stress from the outside pass rushers. Grade: A-

Trade: Minnesota trades 52, 83, 102 & 229 for 29 Min: Grade: D NE: Grade: A

29) Minnesota Vikings: Cordarelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee), High upside receiver that needs some time to grow into his physical attributes, he spent a couple years at the JUCO level and one year in Knoxville. This is a solid pick but this grade combined with the trade make this look bad. Grade: C+

30) St. Louis Rams: Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia), Character issues yes, but Ogletree is a top 15 talent at lineback he moves well in all directions and plays downhill. He should add talent and production to a linebacking corp that had some talent already. Grade: B+

31) Dallas Cowboys: Travis Frederick (OL, Wisconsin), A reach here for Dallas but after looking at the big board there wasn't a whole lot of interior line help at this point in the draft, Watson would have gotten a better grade from me. For the Cowboys sake hopefully Frederick works out like Zeitler did in Cincinnati. Grade: C-

32) Baltimore Ravens: Matt Elam (S, Florida), A little reckless in the way he plays but Elam is the kind of player much like the Jarvis Jones pick that just fits the team he goes to. Elam needs to reign in the way he plays a little bit but he's crazy in a good way and should at least partially fill the hole left by Ed Reed. Grade: A-

2013 NFL Mock Draft

I have worked on at least three different mocks over the past couple of weeks but constant changes kept derailing me and I was going to have one out on Sunday and then as I was putting the final touches on it the Darrelle Revis trade went down and left me to rethink the draft once more.

1) Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel (LT, Texas A&M), Late push for Fisher from CMU but I'm gonna stick with the wire to wire leader.

2) Jacksonville Jaguars: Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon), Jordan should fill a need for Jacksconville that hasn't been properly filled in quite some time.

3) Oakland Raiders: Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida), Oakland needs playmakers on defense and Floyd has the burst to disrupt things inside as a one gap player in the 4-3.

4) Phildadelphia Eagles: Eric Fisher (OT, CMU), Eagles get their starting left tackle for the next decade and fill a position that was pretty shaky with a consistent player who still has body to grow in to and plenty of athleticism.

5) Detroit Lions: Ezekial Ansah (DE, BYU), Ansah has only been playing football for three years but has developed well and showed at the Senior Bowl a propensity for learning and picking up new concepts. Ansah is a freak athlete and will add to a young defensive line that has improved their play each year.

6) Cleveland Browns: Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama), Cleveland doesn't have a playmaker option here but Milliner is the best CB in the draft and will be a great bookend with Joe Haden that should take a little pressure off a young and struggling front seven.

7) Arizona Cardinals: Chance Warmack (OG, Alabama), The Cardinals are alright with their tackles who haven't been great but have been good enough, however the interior of the line has been abysmal and Warmack should shore up one spot their which will be a pretty sizeable upgrade at the position.

8) Buffalo Bills: Ryan Nassib (QB, Syracuse), the rumors last night went from Bills being all in on Nassib because of a fear that the Jets would take him to the Bills prefering Barkley with this pick. I think the Barkley noise is just noise and that Buffalo will pair Nassib and Marrone back up.

9) New York Jets: Barkevious Mingo (DE/OLB, LSU), Lanky athlete with good play recognition ability and a disruptive force in the SEC Mingo may be a touch undersized but he should be able to contribute off the edge in 3-4 and with some coaching should hurt you too bad in coverage.

10) Tennessee Titans: Johnathan Cooper (OG, North Carolina), Tennessee ugraded at guard during free agency getting Levitre from Buffalo but they still need help on the inside and Cooper would pair nicely and give Johnson the best blocking front five he has seen in his career. It's a risk because they will have a ton of money locked up in interior linemen.

11) San Diego Chargers: Lane Johnson (OT, Oklahoma), San Diego gets the third best OT in the draft and the last one considered elite by many. Johnson is raw having played OT tackle for just a couple of years but he has great athleticism and there are certainly more than a few team enamored with the possibilities.

12) Miami Dolphins: Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah), Star may be one of the top three best and safest picks in the draft. He should be able to play a 0, 1, or 3 techniques and will be a great asset to add to a defense that is putting together a good group of front seven players.

13) New York Jets (via Tampa Bay): Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida State), with Milliner gone, Xavier Rhodes is many peoples second best corner back and with the trade of Darrelle Revis the Jets will target DBs early in this draft.

14) Carolina Panthers: Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri), This is a no brainer the Panthers have been atrocious up front the last couple of years and with talent on the offensive side of the ball the Panthers need to field a defense that can at lest be competitive week in and week out.

15) New Orleans Saints: Kenny Vacarro (S, Texas), the Saints are switching to a 3-4 defense which brings a myriad of picks into play here but no matter what they do in the front seven it doesn't change the fact that their secondary is more porous than most sieves. Vacarro should be able to make an impact right away in the Big Easy.

16) St. Louis Rams: Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia), the most electrifying player in the draft has his detractions, mostly his size, but a study of Austin's game tape shows a player that is instictive in his ability to find seems and to avoid the big hits that plague certain diminuitive players.

17) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones (OLB, Georgia), the Steelers are old and that is especially the case on defensive side of the ball. Jones has the best produciton of the 3-4 OLBs but a chronic medical issue and his somone erratic play have concerned some but if there is one thing the Steelers like it is football players (excuse the cliche) and Jones fits that mold.

18) Dallas Cowboys: D.J. Fluker (OT, Alabama), this is a perfect fit, the Cowboys have been pretty meh on the O-line for too many years and it is hurting the production of their skill players. Fluker can upgrade at least RT, RG, LG and even possibly LT for the Cowboys. It's not flashy but some times you just need to take a hog-moly and live with it.

19) New York Giants: Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State), This is a little bit of an upset but the Giants have been plug and playing linebackers for three years now and Chase Blackburn isn't the answer. Brown didn't get the hype of a Te'o or play in the SEC like Minter but in the Giants skeem Brown would be able to utilize his sideline to sideline athletic ability behind one of the best front fours in the NFL.

20) Chicago Bears: Alec Ogletree (ILB, Georgia), With Urlacher possibly not returning to the is team and an aging LB corp the Bears need LB help and I think Ogletree would be a great fit for a template Tampa 2 defense. Ogletree has some character concerns with a DUI this offseason but this a veteran laden team that should provide stability for Ogletree and help him succeed.

21) Cincinnati Bengals: Cordarelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee), The Bengals need LB help and that makes Minter a possible choice here but they don't have much help offensively for A.J. Green and Patterson would definitely be able to be a very good #2 to bookend with Green. Andy Dalton will be thanking management for another weapon to spread out defenses and the Bengals should be able to find a RB in rounds 2 or 3.

22) St. Louis Rams: Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame), With Austin in the slot with their first pick I think the Rams upgrade at TE too by added Eifert, he will immediately be able to stretch the seam for a team that needs to eleviate the pressure on the outside in the passing game.

23) Minnesota Vikings: Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina), with an ever aging interior in Minnesota Williams would be able to study under the tuteledge of Pat Williams as he adjusts to life in the NFL.

24) Indianapolis Colts: Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State), Moving to a 3-4 may present some challenges for the Colts but they need more playmakers on defense and Werner should be able to provide that. He needs to put on some weight for the next level but he hasgood athleticism and enough production to be fairly confident in his projection to the next level.

25) Minnesota Vikings: Mant Te'o (MLB, Notre Dame), I hate this pick but all signs point to teh Irish loving Vikings drafting Te'o. He's a good middle linebacker but his production at Notre Dame seems rooted in a dominant front four and the ability to take advantage of bad QB play. The Bama game tape was atrocious and NFL QBs don't make nearly the mistakes seem at the college level.

26) Green Bay Packers: Menelik Watson (OT, Florida State), I've seen RB mocked to the Packers and an ealry iteration of my mock had that too, but I think Thompson knows the value at running backs just isn't there in the first round except for transcendent talents. Watson is a player with high upside and the ability to slot at every line position except center and should add to one of the weakest parts of the Packers teams.

27) Houston Texans: Markus Wheaton (WR, Oregon State), Houston needs help for Andre Johnson, a theme of many a draft for Houston the last couple of years, and will look to Wheaton to provide another option for Schaub.

28) Denver Broncos: Datone Jones (DE, UCLA), The Broncos lost Dumervil this offseason and you can never have enough pass rushers. Jones would be able to aleviate the void left by Dumervil and would be a solid selection for the Broncos at this stage in the draft.

29) New England Patriots: D.J. Hayden (CB, Houston), Hayden has gained a lot of steam late in the proccess here and has even moved into the top CB slot for Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. Hayden has some injury concern but his senior year at Houston was very impressive and the Patriots still need help in the secondary.

30) Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant (CB, Washington), Trufant is a solid CB prospect out of Washington and with the top 2 CBs for Atlanta looking like they will be transitioning out of town at the end of the year the Falcons would be wise to snatch up a CB or two in this draft to lessen teh blow next season.

31) San Francisco 49ers: Jonathan Cyprien (S, Florida International), Yes the 49ers signed Ed Reed, but it was to a one year contract and he doesn't have more than a couple years left in the tank. Cyprien out of FIU should be able to provide the help in the secondary and would probably benefit from a year behind Reed to learn and grow into a starter. The key here is the 49ers have the roster depth to develope a first round talent.

32) Baltimore Ravens: Eric Reid (S, LSU) with the loss of Reed and the loss of Lewis I think this pick comes down to a pair of LSU teammates. Reid or Minter will be this pick and I went with Reid because I believe he's the better player and S is the bigger need. Reid is instinctive and should add to the list of LSU DBs

Pre-Super Bowl Draft

My first attempt at a 2013 mock draft, no write ups this time for more research,

Kansas City	Geno Smith QB
Jacksonville	Bjoern Werner DE
Oakland	Damontre Moore DE
Philadelphia	Luke Joeckel OT
Detroit	Dee Milliner CB
Cleveland	Star Lotulelei DT
Arizona	Eric Fisher OT
Buffalo	Mike Glennon QB
New York Jets	Jarvis Jones OLB
Tennessee	Kenny Vaccaro S
San Diego	Keenan Allen WR
Miami	Barkevious Mingo OLB
Tampa Bay	Sheldon Richardson DT
Carolina	Chance Warmack OG
New Orleans	Dion Jordan OLB
St. Louis	Lane Johnson OT
Pittsburgh	Ezekiel Ansah DE
Dallas	Sam Montgomery DE
New York Giants	Alec Ogletree ILB
Chicago	Tyler Eifert TE
Cincinnati	Johnthan Banks CB
St. Louis	DeAndre Hopkins WR
Minnesota	Cordarrelle Patterson WR
Indianapolis	Jonathan Cooper OG
Seattle	Johnathan Hankins DT
Green Bay	Kevin Minter ILB
Houston	Xavier Rhodes CB
Denver	Sharrif Floyd DT
New England	Manti Te'o ILB
Atlanta	Zach Ertz TE
Baltimore	Desmond Trufant CB
San Francisco	John Jenkins NT

Rambling's New Years Eve to Championship Game Predictions

Alright here you are, the rest of the bowl season predicted and another football season in the bank. Don't mock too hard but do enjoy the football over the next 8 days.

Monday, December 31st, 2012:
NC State vs Vanderbilt, 11:00 am ESPN, This game had more intrigue preseason when we thought NC State would have one of the best defenses in the country and had a chance to be in a much better bowl game. Vanderbilt built on a great first season under James Franklin and continued to improve they had some inconsistancies to start the season but seemed to pull themselves together as the season went along. I think they have the better defense and only slightly worse offense and should be able to take some advantage from a secondary that has underwhelmed this season. Winner: Vanderbilt ATS: NC State +7.5
USC vs Georgia Tech, 1:00 pm CBS, I want to say this game will be close but I don't see Georgia Tech having the offense or the defense to really stick in this game. I think USC will shred this secondary and both Lee and Woods should have huge games. The triple option may cause monte some fits but with a month to prepare they should be able to come up with something. Winner: USC ATS: USC -7
Iowa State vs Tulsa, 2:30 pm ESPN, Iowa State was a mid tier Big XII team in a very good conference that is alright but they aren't overly special this season. Tulsa, won Conference USA but they are a disfunctional and can't seem to put two offensive drives together in a row. This will be a sloppy game that may not be all that fun to watch. Winner: Iowa State ATS: Iowa State -1
LSU vs Clemson, 6:30 pm ESPN, This is a BCS game wrapped in a Twighlight Zone episode of awesomely energetic head football coaches. Les Miles' squad isn't as good as last years but the defense is awesomely impressive. Dabo Sweeney's team may actually be better than last years Orange bowl team but an early loss to Florida State and a down ACC kept them from moving far enough back up the polls to recieve a BCS game invite. I think the Bayou Bengals defense will slow down the high flying attack of Clemson and, as they had the knack of doing this year, just enough offense to score more points than there opponent. Winner: LSU ATS: Clemson +6

Tuesday, January 1st, 2012:
Mississippi State vs Northwestern, 11:00 am ESPN2, Northwestern was once again a solid football team that let good opportunities slip through there hands. Mississippi State won their first 8 games this year but weren't very impressive in any games versus opponents that were considered quality this season. This game should be close and that's a scary though with both of these teams. Winner: Northwestern ATS: Northwestern -1
Purdue vs Oklahoma State, 11:00 am ESPNU, The shuffling of bowl slots in the Big XII and Big Ten have left us with one of the bigger mismatches of the bowl season. Oklahoma State's middling record overall is a bit decieving because this team really found its stride at the end of the season led by QB maturation. This game should be over by midway through the third quarter and the Cowboys should walk away with this one. Winner: Oklahoma State ATS: Oklahoma State -17
Georgia vs Nebraska, 12:00 pm ABC, The runners up in their respective conference championship games meet New Years Day but they played two completely different games heading in. Georgia went toe to toe with Bama for four quarters and came up a handful of yards. Nebraska took a beatown from a Wisconsin team that had troubling finding their stride this season. Georgia has the best two units on the field and the better QB but has had issues when heavily favored. Winner: Georgia ATS: Georgia -9
South Carolina vs Michigan, 12:00 pm ESPN, South Carolina was bad this year away from home, yes their record says they still won most of those games but when looking at games like the one versus Kentucky you have to wonder what changes so much. Michigan was good but suprising success last season raised expectations too high for a flawed team that still had some growing to do. I think this one comes down to which quarterback makes the fewest mistakes and wether the Michigan front seven has anything for the Gamecocks offensive line. Winner: South Carolina ATS: Michigan +6
Wisconsin vs Stanford, 4:00 pm ESPN, Wisconsin made school history by making a third straight Rose Bowl game, this team unlike the first two however goes to Pasadena a much different type of team. Wisconsin with just 8 wins has been a disappointment but with Ohio State and Penn State, took advantage of a title game berth and layed the wood on Nebraska. Stanford suprised a bunch of people post Andrew Luck by doing somehting Luck's teams never did (win the conference/Rose Bowl berth). This team is just as balanced and has hit their stride after the injection of Hogan at quarterback in the starting lineup. Winner: Stanford ATS: Stanford -6
Northern Illinois vs Florida State, 7:30 pm ESPN, Northern Illinois has drawn a lot of ire for being an automatic qualifier to the BCS but those nitpicking about a loophole are missing a greater story, MACtion is coming to the BCS. This isn't just any MACtion but a Northern Illinois team with one of the most exciting players in the country, Jordan Lynch. Florida State is the vastly more talented team  with higher paid coaches and betteer facilities but the Seminoles have the ability to play down to their perception of an opponent and with a very good player under center NIU that could be a recipe for disaster on New Years Day. Winner: Florida State ATS: NIU +13.5

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2012:
Louisville vs Florida, 7:30 pm ESPN, Remember how Cincinatti-Florida played out a few years back? This one has all the markings of being just that ugly, with the Cardinals turnover issues at times this season this game could fast resemble the South Carolina game of this season. Props are in order for both head coaches getting their teams to suprising heights this season. Winner: Florida ATS: Louisville +15

Thursday, January 3rd, 2012:
Oregon vs Kansas State, 7:30 pm ESPN, This game was the National Championship game a couple months ago and for that reason is still manicly intriguing. Oregon's offense as really good against bad to above average teams but seemed to take a much too big of a step back against the better teams on the schedule. The defense still has it's issues but there is talent there and that's good news. Colin Klein , Kansas State and Bill Snyder hasve surprised the nation for the second year in a row and should provide a nice contrast to the Oregon Ducks. Whichever defense makes the least mistakes should be the one that leads their team to victory. Winner: Oregon ATS: Kansas State +9

Friday, January 4th, 2012:
Texas A&M vs Oklahoma, 7:00 pm FOX, This game rivals LSU-Clemson for best non-BCS game A&M suprised many with their performance in year 1 in the SEC, led by Johnny Manziel. Oklhoma is led by Landry Jones who has big numbers but if you can find anyone in love with him who doesn't ride for Oklahoma football I'd like to hear from them. Manziel and company should be able to move the ball versus the Sooner defense but Landry Jones and company won't go easily. Winner: Texas A&M ATS: Oklahoma +3.5

Saturday, January 5th, 2012:
Pittsburgh vs Mississippi, 12:00 pm ESPN, I am not excited by this matchup, Pitt is better but they still lost to Youngstown State this season. Ole Miss made impressive strides in Hugh Freeze's first season but they still weren't as good as you'd expect a bowl eligible SEC team to be. Watch because it's the last Saturday game and because it's still football. Winner: Mississippi ATS: Mississippi -3

Sunday, January 6th, 2012:
Kent State vs Arkansas State, 8:00 pm ESPN, This game on the other hand is completely worth watching after the NFL playoffs are done, because there will be firewords. Kent State has a very exciting player in Dri Archer who will undoubtably make a couple plays that make you say "DAMN!!". Arkansas State, has landed it's head coach in a BCS job for the second straight year and have won the Sun Belt for the second straight season. Winner: Arkansas State (and you for getting to watch MACBEAST) ATS: Arkansas State -4

Monday, January 7th, 2012:
Notre Dame vs Alabama, 7:30 pm ESPN, Do you like defensive football? Do you like heavyweight programs? The answers for most people is not really and no, however this game is going to be all about the pageantry of college football, the history of two progams who's alumni and past coaches ring through the annals of history. The teams on the field both have top 10 defenses paired with offenses that have done enough to win games this season. Alabama's offense is a bit more advanced than Notre Dame's but with a serious conversation about the best unit on the field this game should be a barn burner. Winner: Alabama ATS: Notre Dame +10

Rambling's Post-Christmas Pre-New Years Eve Bowl Picks

Here you are my next set of predictions, they will certainly be wrong but hey that's the risk.

Wednesday, December 26th, 2012:
Western Kentucky vs Central Michigan, 6:30 pm ESPN, Central Michigan was a middling MAC team this year, it was a pretty good version of the MAC but still they weren't anything to write home about. Western Kentucky on the other hand waas above average in what was one of the best Sun Belt seasons in history. It will be interesting to see how this team plays without Willie Taggert at head coach. I still think WKU is good enought without Taggert to take care of Central Michigan. Winner: Western Kentucky ATS: Western Kentucky -5

Thursday, December 27th, 2012:
San Jose State vs Bowling Green, 2:00 pm ESPN, The turnaround at San Jose State has been quite impressive and it was rewarded with the loss of their coach to the Pac-12. Bowling Green came close to playing for a MAC championship but they came up just short of the prize. This will be a showcase of two suprise non-AQ schools but should be San Jose State pulling away late. Winner: San Jose State ATS: Bowling Green +7.5
Cincinnati vs Duke, 5:30 pm ESPN, Duke was the Cinderella of the beginning of the season and are still a great story, going to their first bowl game in centuries, but they showed they're still a middle of the pack ACC team. Cincinnati was a solid team but not flashy, they will also be playing without head coach Butch Jones. Winner: Cincinnati ATS: Duke +7.5
Baylor vs UCLA, 8:45 pm ESPN, This has the ability to be the most exciting game of the bowl season (probably not the best played), and the offensive fireworks should be plentiful. UCLA's offense has florished in Jim Mora's first season and much of that is thanks to Brett Hundley and running back Jonathan Franklin. Baylor has picked up well after losing RGIII to the NFL, much of that thanks is to athletes like Seastrunk. The defenses are secondary thoughts in this one and both have been gashed this season. Winner: UCLA ATS: UCLA Pk

Friday, December 28th, 2012:
Ohio vs ULM, 1:00 pm ESPN, This is a matchup of early sesaon BCS busters who's seasons took a turn for the worst. Ohio started off the year with a win over Penn State and a very managable schedule but then it took them too much effort to disperse of Marshall and we should have seen teh colapse coming. ULM almost took down Auburn, took down Arkansas and almost took down Baylor in a three week period, but they just didn't have the staying power to carry out their Sun Belt schedule. Winner: ULM ATS: Ohio +7
Rutgers vs Virginia Tech, 4:30 pm ESPN, This game is James Gandalfini naked ugly and won't be very exciting or well played but it's worth a watch because it will be close and there is some defensive talent on the field. Rutgers is good enough to force Logan Thomas into a couple mistakes and that should be the difference. Winner: Rutgers ATS: Rutgers +2
Minnesota vs Texas Tech, 8:00 pm ESPN, In a down year for the Big Ten a matchup with Texas Tech is tough for Minnesota because they are better by far than the Golden Gophers. Winner: Texas Tech ATS: Minnesota +13.5

Saturday, December 29th, 2012:
Rice vs Air Force, 10:45 am ESPN, Appreciate this game for what it is, a pre-noon game that allows you to watch football for 14 hours and to not spend more time with family members than you need to on a saturday. Rice is a middle of the road CUSA team and Air Force is a middle of the road MWC team and that means we take the team from the better conference. Winner: Air Force ATS: Air Force -1.5
West Virginia vs Syracuse, 2:15 pm ESPN, One team started off with sky high expectations, however a lack of defense forced a very good offense to be otherworldly and that wasn't going to last a year. Syracuse is better than you think and will put up points and stay in just about any game, I like the progress tha thas been made in upstate New York. Winner: West Virginia ATS: Syracuse +4
Navy vs Arizona State, 3:00 pm ESPN2, This game shouldn't be very competitive, not that Navy is a solid team but Arizona State was much improved and above average in Todd Graham's first season. Winner: Arizona State ATS: Navy +14.5
Texas vs Oregon State, 5:45 pm ESPN, Texas has been one of the biggest enigmas of the college football season, between the Kansas game and their late season rally I'm not sure we know quite who they are. Oregon State was the biggest surprise of the season with wins over Wisconsin and UCLA they come out of nowhere and were well above average in the Pac-12. I think this one should be fun but ultimately Oregon State is more consistant. Winner: Oregon State ATS: Oregon State -3
TCU vs Michigan State, 9:15 pm ESPN, TCU was right behind Texas in the enigma category mainly due to drug issues around the team, but they had issues with turnovers and some lapses in defense. Michigan State took a step back after last years Big Ten title game appearance, but they still have a dynamite rushing attack and an attacking defense. Offenses won't be good but the defenses withh be fun to watch. Winner: TCU ATS: Michigan State +3

That will get you from today through the weekend before New Years Eve and I'll have those games up soon.