IT'S BACK--FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!

FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS

Okay, here we go!  I'll pick both some college and all the pro games for this weekend.  And I do this because 1] it's fun and I'm a big football fan; and 2] I know lots of my Moebius friends love football just as much as I do.  So let's see what we've got:

COLLEGE PICKS

Michigan State at Oregon.  My pick:  DUCKS  28-24.  I look for this to be a highly competitive game.  Oregon is an elite team.  But so I think now is Michigan State.  The Ducks being at home and having that high-powered offense will be the key.

USC at Stanford.  My pick:  CARDINAL  17-13.  Stanford is an elite program, with good athletes; and people forget how strong their defense has been.  That will be the difference here.

Michigan at Notre Dame.  My pick:  IRISH  34-31.  With Everett Golson back at QB, look for ND to be a dynamic offense with a signal-caller who can move and make plays out of difficult situations.  That always causes trouble for Michigan, and I suspect it will be their defense that lets them down here.


NFL PICKS:

New Orleans at Atlanta. My pick:  SAINTS 38-31.  Look for this to be a high-scoring affair.  With so many players back from injury, I look for Atlanta to have a significantly better year than last year.   But--I just don't know if anyone can slow down that Drew Brees-led Saints offense.

Minnesota at St. Louis.  My pick:  VIKINGS  16-10.  Mainly because 1] the Vikings have Adrian Peterson; and 2] the Rams lost Sam Bradford at QB and have to rely on journeyman Shaun Hill.

Cleveland at Pittsburgh.  My pick:  STEELERS 24-10.  The Steelers have Big Ben.  And when was the last time Cleveland won a game in Pittsburgh???  I can't remember.

Jacksonville at Philadelphia.  My pick:  EAGLES 31-14.  During the pre-season, I thought the Eagles' offense looked about as polished and functioning as any I saw.  I don't see too many teams able to slow them down.

Oakland at NY Jets.  My pick:  JETS  20-13.  All signs seem to point to the Jets being a bit improved on offense with Geno Smith; meanwhile, the Raiders will start a rookie QB, Derek Carr, on the road.  I suspect Carr could soon develop into a decent player, but...it will take time.

Cincinnati at Baltimore.  My pick:  BENGALS  26-24.  This is a tough one.  I think these are two pretty good teams; and the Ravens are at home, where they are usually tough to beat.  But...I just have a feeling that the Bengals are about to take a step up.

Buffalo at Chicago.  My pick:  BEARS   21-10.  The Bears have Matt Forte, Jay Cutler, and some good receivers; meanwhile I am not yet a believer in E.J. Manuel as a Buffalo QB, plus it's a tough road opener.

Washington at Houston.  My pick:  REDSKINS  19-14.  This was a tough one too; not because these are two good teams...but rather because I'm not a big believer in EITHER of these two.  Yet I am surprised that Houston is the favorite here.  Bottom line:  I have bigger doubts concerning Ryan Fitzpatrick as QB of the Texans...than I do about RGIII as QB of the 'Skins.

Tennessee at Kansas City.  My pick:  CHIEFS 21-17.  Speaking of not believing, I'm also not yet a believer in Jake Locker as Titans QB.  But maybe he'll prove me wrong.  Until then, though, I've gotta believe Alex Smith and the Chiefs will find a way to get it done at least in this first week, much as they did last year.

New England at Miami.  My pick:  PATRIOTS  31-21.  Listen, in a game like this, even on the road, you've gotta go with the track record...and that means going with Hall of Famers like Tom Brady and
Bill Belichick, until they prove you should not.

Carolina at Tampa Bay.  My pick:  BUCS  14-9.  A few things push me in this direction:  1] the Bucs have a history of starting out strong at home;  2] Cam Newton for the Panthers is banged up; and 3] look for Lovie Smith to make a difference as coach of the Bucs.

San Francisco at Dallas.  My pick:  49ERS  33-30.  I notice that a number of forecasters are making this their trendy upset pick.  And indeed there are concerns for the 49ers--mainly injuries and personnel losses and defense, and the difficulty of controlling Tony Romo and that Cowboys offense.  But--the Cowboy defense by all indications is and will be horrible.  How will the 'Boys control Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore?  San Fran will score late and pull this one out.

Indianapolis at Denver.  My pick:  BRONCOS  37-28.  Peyton Manning gets his revenge; despite their losses at wide receiver, look for the Broncos to move the ball and score.

NY Giants at Detroit.  My pick:  LIONS 23-17.  I'm not sure how good either of these teams will be.  But the Lions are at home, and they have some talent...and meanwhile the Giants by all accounts are having trouble figuring out their new offensive system.  Look for them to improve as the season goes on.  But early in the season figures to be tough for them.

San Diego at Arizona.  My pick:  CHARGERS  20-17.  Again, these appear to me to be two pretty good teams.  But I like what Philip Rivers is doing with San Diego's offense; look for him to find a way to pull this one out late.