Pig Skin Pay Off
By Matt Miller
Think you know the teams to beat?
Play our Pig Skin Pay Off and find out!
It was the end of the 2008 season when USC’s Pete Carroll believed that then-quarterback Mark Sanchez was making a huge mistake by declaring early for the NFL draft. Jump ahead through Week 3 and Sanchez and the Jets are sitting atop the AFC East at 3-0 while Carroll is still scratching his head after a fluke loss to the Washington Huskies earlier this year. We know it’s early, but Rex Ryan has his boys believing, and I am, too. The Jets have already backed up their talk by defeating the New England Patriots, and now face an offensive juggernaut in the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees. I’ve been a Jets fan for years, and I’ll keep on believing.
Last week’s win over the 49ers proved that the Vikings might just find gold at the end of the rainbow this season. Brett Favre showed us his late-game heroics once again with a heave toward the back of the end zone caught by Greg Lewis. We’re still not sure who he is. The touchdown pass was the 40th game-wining drive of Favre’s career in the fourth quarter or overtime. Next up, Favre and the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.
Drama is building in Philly. With Donovan McNabb on the sidelines with a rib injury, backup Kevin Kolb has stepped up and provided plenty of offense for the Eagles (2-1). While Kolb is gaining respect, what about Michael Vick? It’s nice to see Vick back in the NFL after 33 months, but I don’t want to see him used as a decoy or just sparingly. Maybe it’s just me wanting to relive the days when Vick was flying around defenders in Atlanta — but what’s wrong with that? It’ll only be a matter of time before the grumblings will get more media attention, and Vick will start.
Schedule:
Sunday, Oct. 4
Detroit at Chicago 12 p.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland 12 p.m.
Seattle at Indianapolis 12 p.m.
NY Giants at Kansas City 12 p.m.
Baltimore at New England 12 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Washington 12 p.m.
Tennessee at Jacksonville 12 p.m.
Oakland at Houston 12 p.m.
NY Jets at New Orleans 3:05 p.m.
Buffalo at Miami 3:05 p.m.
St. Louis at San Francisco 3:15 p.m.
Dallas at Denver 4:15 p.m.
San Diego at Pittsburgh 7:20 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 5
Green Bay at Minnesota 7:30 p.m.
NCAA Game Day
College previews
Kansas State (2-2) vs. Iowa State (3-1)
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m.
Jack Trice Stadium, Ames
Maybe it was the perfect, fall-like football night. Or maybe it was good to see an Iowa State football program in the throes of week-to-week progress forward instead of back. Whatever it was, Game Day likey. We aren’t familiar with this lovin’ feelin’, and it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to leave the stadium with an empty bottle in our coat pocket and a smile to boot. But thanks to running back Alexander Robinson, we did just that — and then some — last Saturday following ISU’s militaristic, 31-10 win over Army. Robinson ran for 127 yards and a touchdown, racking up two more scores on pass receptions. We like this cat. So now it’s on to Big 12 play this week when Kansas State comes to town. Coach Bill Snyder — God bless him — is back to try to resuscitate the Wildcat program he built, only to see it whither away following his retirement. At 2-2 this year, with wins over Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech, Kansas State won’t be confused with Oklahoma any day soon, though. Another positive is that the Wildcats have been all or nothing this year on offense, with a kicking game that is one of the worst in the nation, thanks to Josh Cherry’s less-than peachy 1-of-6 on the year. “Like the rest of us, he’s a work in progress,” said Bill Snyder. No shit, Dr. Obvious? For that remark, you get a tooth removed from your dentures. And an “L” to your resume.
Iowa State 27, Kansas State 24
Arkansas State (1-2) vs. #13 Iowa (4-0)
Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m.
Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
Game Day is all about personal responsibility. All about it. Therefore, we absolutely do not own up to stating that we were wrong last week in our prediction that then-No. 5 Penn State would beat Iowa. Tell us that a Nittany Lion receiver didn’t beat an Iowa safety for a 79-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. And that Penn State didn’t win the battle of gaining less yards (62) after that play. Oh, and unless we drank too much Kristallweizen that night, weren’t the Hawks beaten in number of interceptions thrown by the quarterbacks (3-2), too? So, damnit, get a grip on (or off of) yourselves, Hawk fans, and lay off the brow-beating e-mails with the pics of hogs’ asses attached? We don’t get it. Regardless, we’re moving on, specifically to this week’s matchup against Sun Belt Conference…..thing….Arkansas State. Before you ask, let us: Who? Whatever the reason, we’re high on the Hawks once again. That defense? Everything we said it would be last week. If we didn’t say it, we thought it. And running backs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher are proving they can carry the load when quarterback Ricky Stanzi cannot, which has been more often than Game Day has liked. No need for concern this week, though. We’ll be right on this one, too. Chalk another one up for the Good Guys….and the Hawks.
Iowa 38, Arkansas State 7
