We've lost a few favorites in the past week, but we still have games to pick as high school football feevah continues. Cowbell is not yet indicated.
Kimberly Papermakers 40, Oshkosh North Spartans 17. Stinger's beloved wasp-like fellows should have no trouble with North, which they defeated rather handily earlier in the season. And that wasp looks nasty, don't he?
Mounds View Mustangs 28, Roseville Raiders 20. Roseville has been a big surprise, knocking off our beloved Irondale squad and White Bear Lake (Go Bears) in successive games. The run ends here as the Mustangs will prevail. But it won't be easy.
St. Norbert Green Knights 34, Beloit Bucs 17. Beloit doesn't beat St. Norbert much. And while they've really improved this year, they won't win on Saturday. The day may be arriving, though.
Michigan State Spartans 34, Wisconsin Badgers 27. I had figured this one for a tough game even before the Badgers went into their tailspin. While beating the Illini was a positive sign, I don't see them stopping Javon Ringer, especially in East Lansing.
Minnesota Golden Gophers 34, Northwestern Wildcats 20. Yes, the Gophers could be playing on New Year's Day. Northwestern started out well but has been fading of late, while the Gophers are not fading.
Tennessee Tuxedos 21, Green Bay Packers 17. I'm hoping to be wrong on this one. I still think there's reason to believe that the Packers are the best team in the division, but this is probably the toughest assignment left on the schedule. I think those powder blue unis that the Titans sport throw people off.
Houston Texans 31, Purple Helmeted Love Warriors 27. Everyone is worried about the Viking defense losing the Williamses. They should. But this week they need to worry more about Andre Johnson blowing by the aging Vikings secondary.
4 comments:
Pad your schedule with cupcakes, and play a schedule that doesn't include Penn State and Michigan State (2 sure losses) and you too could qualify for a New Years Day Bowl.
The "new and improved" Gophers have surprised some, but that's due to low expectations and the aforementioned cupcakes. Have they really beaten anyone yet?
No, they haven't beaten any top-shelf opponents. On the other hand, last year they didn't beat anybody (well, almost). So if you're arguing that they're not among the best in the nation then you're right. But they are vastly improved and appear to be solidly in the middle of the Big Ten.
(And do they have any control over which Big Ten teams they play in any given year?)
Northwestern wins in an ironic fashion, considering how the Gophers have been winning. The downward slide begins...Enjoy the time in the Top 20, it most likely won't be that long until they are back, but they are still not ready for prime time. That's ok, the Big Ten Network announcer while horrible, still are better than Pam Ward...
There is not a best team in the NFC North. Detroit is the worst, but between the Vikings, Green Bay, and Chicago it's a pick-em. On any given day any of these teams can look reasonably sound, downright dreadful, or everything in between. Interesting thing about Detroit though is that they gave all of the other teams a scare already and all have to play them again.
Depending on which team gets a couple of breaks (e.g. the awful pass interference call on Detroit that gave the Vikes the opportunity to win the game - I'm a Vikings fan, but that was a bit much), catches an opponent on a bad weekend (like the Vikes almost did to Indy), or manages to make a great play at the right time the division is pretty much wide open. Detroit could also easily play the role of the spoiler for any of the others.
8 and 8 could very easily take the NFC North. But it doesn't matter as none of these teams will be a factor in the playoffs.
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