Midseason MVP

An interesting question to the NFLs first 10 weeks: Who is league MVP? You have several worthy candidates: Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, just to name a few. For me, you have to give it to Manning. Is it possible this guy keeps getting better every year? It may just be we are watching the best Quarterback who has ever played the game. Last night was just another indication of his greatness. I have never personally been a big fan of his, but there is no denying how hard he works or hom much timw he studys. The guy is a football rat and the best player in the NFL. And so far the MVP.

Favre vs Packers

As I'm sure everyone has heard, this Sunday marks the return of Brett Favre to Green Bay. There has been a lot of talk as to how Packer fans should treat the Vikings QB. Should they cheer, boo, or simply stay quiet? I won't be in Green Bay this Sunday, but if I were, I would initially cheer him when he came out of the tunnel. You can't forget everything he has done for this franchise for all those years. But, after that, as a Packer fan, I would boo him everytime he dropped back, and cheer for him to get knocked around. I want to see him get punished every time he drops back. They must get to him and hit him if the Packers are to win. If Favre is able to sit back with plenty of time to throw, he will pick you apart. We all saw this last month in Minnesota. I'm hoping Favres return to Green Bay is an unpleasant one.

I Love Fall

As a person who loves to gamble on sports, this has to be the best time of year. You have the NFL and college football every weekend. And now, the NBA season is tipping off. You have games to bet on everynight. Plus the college hoops season is right around the corner. A gamblers paradise!

Football talk

Time to talk some football! Training camps are fully underway and the 1st preseason game is this weekend. Yes, football is finally back and there are a lot of questions heading into the preseason. Starting in Buffalo, where TO is set to make his debut. Will he help Buffalo make the playoffs or will he be all about himself and be divided against the rest of the team? How about Minnesota? Will they be able to put the Favre fiasco behind them and make a run at the Super Bowl, or will there weakness at QB hold them back? Can Pittsburgh repeat or will The Rothelsberger controversy bring them down? Will Bradys knee hold up in New England? These are just a few questions heading into the preseason. We will get some answers starting Sunday! Football is back!

Sick of Favre

As training camp nears, the same sad old story continues: Will Brett Favre return? All indications are if his arm is healthy, he will suit up for the Vikings. The question is, witch Favre will show up? The Hall of Famer who can do no wrong? The washed up player who played horrible down the stretch last year for the Jets? As a Green Bay Packer fan I hope its the washed up player. Favre is an ego maniac and is making a fool out of himself. I hope he comes back and plays lousy.

Auburn College Football Preview

AUBURN
STRENGTHS: Antonio Coleman is an All-SEC performer at defensive end, Josh Bynes and Craig
Stevens possess all-conference talent at linebacker and the secondary with three starters back
should be considered a strength. The running back combo of senior Ben Tate, last season's
leading rusher, and all-purpose Mario Fannin, who can score anytime he touches the ball, give
Auburn a fairly potent ground attack. They will line up behind an offensive line that welcomes
back four starters led by Ryan Pugh, maybe the best center in the SEC.
CONCERNS: Offense has been a huge issue for a very long time. An ungodly amount of new
coordinators have never been able to help the quarterbacks turn the corner and this position is
still unsettled heading into August where last year's starter Kodi Burns (7 interceptions to just 2
touchdowns) does battle with Neil Caudle, a former in-state recruit that has almost totally been
forgotten. The receivers continue to lack a presence on the outside, mostly due in part to the
lacking passing numbers of the past. While the defense appears to be the rock for this team, the
defensive line has issues at tackle since Sen'Derrick Marks decided to split for the NFL and depth
is thin across the board.
PROGNOSIS: Fans get excited thinking about new head coach Gene Chizik and the defenses he
once put together as the defensive coordinator under the glory seasons of Tommy Tuberville. But
the offense has always been a different story. Since the Tigers made an attempt to move to a
spread offense they have struggled which ultimately cost Tuberville his job. So Chizik immediately
hired heralded guru Gus Malzahn whose Tulsa offense led the nation in total offense the past two
seasons. Getting the personnel to run this no-huddle attack may prove difficult however
especially at quarterback. The talent level is not close to what Chizik had when he left the
program.
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-5

Arkansas College Football Preview

ARKANSAS
STRENGTHS: The Razorbacks finally have some offensive explosion at receiver where all three
starters return. The tight end position can also be tossed around in this discussion as All-SEC
honoree D.J. Williams hauled in 61 receptions last fall. Few teams can match the depth Arkansas
has at running back. Returning starter Michael Smith has stardom penciled in for his final season
if he can stay healthy. Four other players from this deep well will also see playing time. The
defense has 11 starters back so experience will at least be a positive factor. The secondary is
extremely young but has seen a good bit of time on the field. With some quality JUCO transfers
looking to solidify this backfield they should be more than respectable guarding the pass.
CONCERNS: While the defense has so many players returning from a year ago, they ranked the
worst in the SEC last year in total defense allowing over 31 points per game. Giving up the big
play continued to haunt this side of the ball through the spring. Special teams have been so poor
that former Michigan State head coach John L. Smith was specifically hired to resurrect this area.
A quarterback that can throw has been a lost skill in Fayetteville for decades. Michigan transfer
Ryan Mallett hopes to change this aspect. He tosses a remarkable deep ball but is still learning to
operate the short game. He won't be helped if the offensive line has a repeat performance of
finishing 118th nationally in sacks allowed.
PROGNOSIS: Bobby Petrino will operate with an experienced team this time around in his
second season. The Hogs were expected to have a major drop off last fall. Confidence is building
after finishing 5-7 while upsetting LSU in the last game. With a huge stable of running backs and
a wealth of quality receivers, this team could surprise quite a few people as players begin to
adapt in this new offensive approach of scoring points. The defense however, won't allow the
team to improve if their efforts do not. Too much experience is on this side of the ball to be worse
than the numbers showed a year ago. This team should be bowling in a weaker West Division.
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-5