We had a mildly successful weekend.  The public is going to continue to back certain teams and be rewarded for it.  Green Bay is one of those teams.  New England is another.  We’re going to take the approach in the future of “if you can’t beat them, join them.”  We’ll likely only do so casually, even though it goes against our methodology as whole.

Here are our random meanderings…

One of the things that makes college football so great is the chaos.  This week the following rankings lost:  #3, #6, #7, #8, #19, #21, & #23.  Sure, many to other ranked teams, but it is glorious to watch. Other highly ranked teams barely escaped.  Looking at you Michigan State and Oklahoma State.  (Look for both to lose soon in coming week(s).

Notre Dame will still get in the college football playoffs.  Not because they will be deserving, but that they have an easy schedule and will likely only lose one game all year – until the playoffs.  Ohio State was not deserving of being in the playoffs last year.  The best team was frozen out in TCU.

Speaking of TCU, certain teams in the Big XII just match up well against others.  TCU against Texas is an example.  When those match ups occur, blow outs follow.

The SEC’s over-rated-ness is tiring.  If ever there is a season where they may get shut out of a championship opportunity, though, this is it.  One assumes Notre Dame will earn one spot, Ohio State another (Michigan State is overrated), Baylor or TCU a third since it would be nuts for them to get robbed again, then Clemson or Utah.  The ACC is so weak and the Pac 12 is down, so one of those teams needs to run the table.  If either don’t, though, expect the SEC to sneak in.  If Arizona State beats Utah, though, Pac 12 is out as Arizona State lost to Texas A&M week one.  Michigan could play a spoiler in this for the Big Ten, but if they did they would have a chance of sneaking in themselves.  Sounds nuts, right?  But Ohio State lost at home last year to a deplorable VA Tech in somehow got in over a TCU squad who barely lost to a one loss Baylor.  That was nuts!

We said last week we’ve been underestimating the Arizona Cardinals, but went against them again and finally won.

The Denver Broncos defense is going to have to carry them all season.  They’ll definitely make the playoffs, but does anyone see them beating the NFL’s best teams?

Green Bay finally gets by two teams that have haunted them in recent years – Seattle and San Francisco.  Green Bay’s defense looks very solid.  They won’t see an elite QB though until Dallas in week 13.  Yes, we just said Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers, and Peyton Manning are not elite.

Colin Kaepernick is horrible.  He has always been horrible.  You make him a white QB who wears Christianity on his arm and he’s out of the league.  You make him a conservative black and he’ll be relegated to third string.

The new extra point rule is killing kickers.  Not only are kickers missing those, but now some can’t make a kick to save their lives.  An erosion of confidence.

Cincinnati and New England will be vying for the AFC Championship.  Potential spoiler will be a late surging Pittsburgh Steelers.

Atlanta and Green Bay will be vying for the NFC Championship, but the NFC has more teams that could play potential spoiler – including a late surging Dallas Cowboys.

Monday Night Football:

Detroit +9′

Weeks 1 and 3 of the NFL season typically go the way of the public.  But as the season wears on they tend to go the way of the house.  Our suggestions will often run contrary to the general public.  And over the course of time will work in our favor.  In the future we’ll begin to offer some analysis to this effect to better explain some of our methodology.

Jeff Triplette’s crew is historically among the worst crews in the NFL.  We find it perplexing they would be given any nationally televised prime time contests.  Moving forward we will consider not offering suggestions of plays on games officiated by this crew.

An added note to the Texas game on Saturday.  The Texas defense also clearly recovered a fumble, but the Oklahoma State QB who fumbled the ball dove in late and while placing his right hand firmly to the ground to help push himself against the pile he was able to get his left hand around the ball.  Although a Texas defender had two arms wrapped around the ball, the QB was awarded possession.  Nuts.

Is TCU playing to the level of their competition?  TCU was the best team in the country last year even though they were BS’d out of an opportunity to prove it in the playoffs.  This year they seem complacent.  Very fortunate to escape with a win against Texas Tech and now face a underrated Texas squad who is bound to catch a break sooner than later.

We have under appreciated the Arizona Cardinals.  Likely the NFC’s second best team.

Bills may be second best team in the AFC.  Broncos likely are right now, but once the weather turns cold, we’ll take the Bills.

We predict Kam Chancellor will pull a hamstring in the coming weeks.

The Redskins would be a decent squad if they had a good QB.  Cousins is decent moving in the pocket, and does keep his eyes down field while scrambling, but his accuracy is worse than Tebow’s.  Amazing how often Redskins receivers get open – or at least against the Giants.

Bengals fans laughed out loud when Big Ben took a shot to the knee getting injured.  Likely disappointed he wasn’t out for the year after the Steelers did something similar to Carson Palmer when he was a Bengal.

Speaking of Bengals, Andy Dalton is attempting to promote himself to the upper echelon of QB’s in the league.  Much like Flacco did on his Super Bowl run.  Flacco isn’t elite, but is in the tier below.  Dalton likely working his way to the same level.

The Eagles won, but Chip Kelly’s in over his head.  Remember, humility is always a second away.

Tampa Bay’s kicker missed three FG’s.  THREE!!!!  Make one and they cover/push.

Did anyone see Jimmy Clausen jump up after his run for a first down and talk trash?  I knew that was the beginning of the end for the Bear’s chances in that game.   He’s won one game in his career.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:

The general public is going the way of Green Bay with a majority of bets being placed on the Packers, which makes sense, right?  However, the line is dropping.  This indicates the heavy hitters are backing the Chiefs.

Our gambling experience says back the Chiefs.  Our football experience says back the Packers.  This means casual bet only.

And take the Chiefs, +6.

The Chiefs are built to stop the Packers.  Great rush with front four on defense, Jamal Charles a slasher like Forte who gashed the Packers just two weeks ago.  Alex Smith is no Russell Wilson, but he does have the ability to run some.  Packers coming off emotional win against the hated Seahawks and travel to their nemesis San Francisco next week.  Almost a trap game.  Aaron Rodgers, though, can take control of the game all by himself, so casual play only.