5 Bold Football Predicitons

Alright it's the end of May, begining of June. The NHL and NBA playoffs are drawing to a close. MLB is in full gear. I could certainly write about these subjects. But I do not have nearly the passion for these subjects as I do for football. So despite it being summer here's the first of a few football blogs I will do. Today I make 5 bold predictions for the upcoming football seasons in both college and the NFL that I think will come true. Enjoy!

1.) The Winner of the November 20th Ohio State at Iowa Game Will Play For
the BCS National Championship

Last year it was for a trip to the Rose Bowl. This year's Ohio State vs. Iowa game will put the winner in the BCS Championship.

Last year the Ohio State vs. Iowa game decided who would go to the Rose Bowl. This year I think the winner will go on to even bigger and better things. I say the winner of the November 20th game at Iowa  will not only be the Big Ten Champion but also go on to play for the BCS National Championship. Over the last few years it has been very easy for people to make fun of the Big Ten for losses that they have had. But not right now. The Big Ten came off a great bowl season. Both Ohio State (over Oregon in the Rose Bowl) and Iowa (over Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl) won their BCS games. Wisconsin won the Champs Sports Bowl over Miami. An undermaned Northwestern team nearly beat Auburn in the Outback Bowl. And Penn State beat LSU in the Capital One Bowl. So the Big Ten "did work." I would say behind the SEC the Big Ten came out as the second best conference last year. And the two best teams in that conference last year was Ohio State and Iowa. I think they will be the two best teams again. Ohio State and Iowa are on the short list of teams for National Championship contention this upcoming season. So I say the winner of the Ohio State vs. Iowa game will go on to Glendale, Arizona for the BCS Championship game. Now I have until August to decide who I will pick to win that game.

2.) Both the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles Will Miss the Playoffs

The most interesting move of the offseason has to be the trading of Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. Whether people love the move or hate the move their seems to be a consensus that one of the two team (Redskins or Eagles) will make the playoffs and one of the teams will miss the playoffs, I'm here to say neither team will make the playoffs this season. I think their is too much of an uphill climb for the Washington Redskins to expect Donovan McNabb to alter their failures in one year. Their RB core is a mess (Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Clinton Portis), their O-Line is a major work in progress, their best WR is past his prime and a cheater (Santana Moss), and the other possible solution is getting T.O. to fill a WR spot. Yeah that will work hahaha!!! So all in all I think the Redskins are year away from making any type of playoff push.

As for the Eagles? I like Kevin Kolb I think he will be good. Much like Aaron Rodgers I think he will put up great numbers his first year as a full time starter. But like Rodgers I think Kolb will have some 4th quarter struggles in his first year. So I think in the long run the Eagles will be fine, but in the short team I see a 6-8 win team. I think the division is up for grabs between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. At least for the 2010 season.

It will not be all smiles for McNabb and the Redskins in 2010.

3.) The New York Jets Will Not Make the Playoffs

This dissapointing look will follow LT to the New York Jets.

Last year for my NFL Predictions I picked the New York Jets to be an AFC Wildcard team. I was right about that when just about no one else picked them to do anything.  This year it seems everyone has the Jets in the AFC Championship game or the Super Bowl. Well this year I'm going to do a 180 one the Jets. I not only think the Jets will miss the Super Bowl, I don't even think they will make the playoffs.

Count me as one of the few people that am not in love with all the Jets Free Agent moves they made this offseason. What they did reminds me so much of what the Washington Redskins have done over the past decade. Sign big name free agents who are past their prime in hopes they can lead a charge to the Super Bowl. Over the years the Redskins have signed players such as Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Jessie Armstead, Laveranues Coles, Rob Johnson, Shawn Springs, David Patten, Antwan Randle El, Andre Carter, and Albert Haynesworth. All big names at one point, but not nearly productive enough for the Redskins when they got them. That is a big reason why the Redskins have struggled so much over the years. I put the same logic to the Jets. The free agent signings of Ladainain Tomlinson, and Jason Taylor make no sense to me. Both in my mind are over the hill and done. Taylor will only hurt the defense, and LT is going to take significant carries away from Shonn Greene which is not right. LT is done. He can't run anymore and he certainly can't sing.

I also don't like their WR situation. Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes are both very talented WR's. But both are head cases. I think in the end they will disrupt the offense and the locker room. Also I hate the RB situation. As I said LT makes no sense to me. And I think trading away Leon Washington and replacing him with draft pick Joe McKnight was a big mistake. I would much rather have the three way RB system of Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene, and Leon Washington over the RB system of Ladainain Tomlinson. Shonn Greene, and Joe McKnight any day of the week.

Also I think Mark Sanchez will have a sophomore slump. I'm not saying he won't be a terrific QB, because I think he will. But like Matt Ryan, and Joe Flacco I think he will struggle in his second year in the Pros.

Add it all together, and with the unrelenting expectations I think the Jets will falter this season. 8-8 at best.

4.) Pete Carroll Will Win NFL Coach of the Year

Now I'm not saying Pete Carroll is going to comeback to the NFL and just blow the doors open. But I do think he landed in the right situation. The NFC West is ready for the Seahawks to make a run. The Arizona Cardinals are digressing I think. They lost Anquan Boldin and Kurt Warner. The Cardinals will certainly not be as prolific in the air with Matt Leinart. While I think Leinart can still be successful in the NFL he will have his struggles this season. And Arizona is going to try to be a more "pound the ball" type running team. And I'm not sure Beanie Wells has what it takes to get that done. San Francisco you say? C-Hop can tell me all the wonders of that team he wants but I'm not buying. I think Alex Smith is meidocre at best at QB. And while Mike Singletary is great for a sound bite or two, I think he's more of a glorified high school football coach. And while I think Sam Bradford will be good, he and the Rams are still a few years away from being a contender in the NFC West.

So that leaves the door open for the Seahawks. I love their offeseason moves of bringing in Charlie Whitehurst and J.P. Losman, trading for Leon Washington and LenDale White, and the drafting of Earl Thomas and Golden Tate. All are sound fundamental moves. Each of these players has a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. As does Pete Carroll. Whether Whitehurst, Losman, or Matt Hasselback starts for the team I think the Seahawks will have a lot to prove. I think that will  work well for them as they should win about 10-11 games. They take the NFC West division and Pete Carroll gets named NFL Coach of the Year.

It will be a good year for Pete Carroll and the Seahawks.

5.) By the End of the College Football Season the Best Running Back in the Alabama Backfield Will Be Trent Richardson

By the end of the 2010 season the guy on the right will be the bigger playmaker in the Alabama Crimson Tide backfield.

This is the most subjective of the 5 bold football predictions I am making. The fact is Mark Ingram may in fact have more yards rushing than Trent Richardson and Ingram may be a Heisman finalist in 2010. But much like the Jets last year where Shonn Greene by the end of the year was the better back than Thomas Jones (even though Jones had many more yards rushing than Greene did), I think the same case will be made for Richardson. As a freshman last year he ran for 751 yards on 145 carries for 8 td's. And this while Ingram got the majority of carries. So clearly Richardson has the goods. And the Alabama Nick Saban type offense is run first. Richardson is plain and simply just faster than Ingram. Case in point this TD run he had in the BCS Championship against Texas. Or this amazing run against Arkansas last year. I think he has a higher ceiling of talent than Ingram does. This is to take nothing away from Ingram. He's a terrific back and I think both him and Richardson will be future 1st round picks. I just think Richardson in the end will be better.

Kofod