Bleacher Report - Articles by Mark Jones

The Carolina Hurricanes: Four Offseason Issues That Doomed Their Season

Mark Jones — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:51:22 -0500

There's no doubt in the minds of any Carolina Hurricanes fan that the first two months of this 2009-2010 NHL season have been among the worst stretches in 'Canes history since moving to North Carolina from Hartford.

At 5-16-5, the Canes have already tied the franchise record for most consecutive losses (14), are starting yet another losing streak this week (0-4), are last in the league in goals scored, have been nailed by injuries, and are also among the lowest in most other categories.

But why are they so bad? That's fairly hard to figure out, considering this was a team that went on a 19-7 run to end the 08-09 season as the sixth seed, and then won two road game sevens to advance all the way to the Eastern Conference finals.

It was a fairly quiet but confident summer for Carolina, who went into October feeling ready for another breakthrough year.

As you can see, it was definitely breakthrough. Just not in a good way.

So, what was the problem? What changed the 'Canes from a top-10 NHL team into perhaps the worst in the entire league this season?

Here are five reasons that could identify just what made the difference and turned the Hurricanes completely in the wrong direction.

Not Re-Signing Free Agent Defensemen Babchuk and Seidenburg

Possibly the most problematic move the Hurricanes made in free agency was allowing defensemen Anton Babchuk and Dennis Seidenburg leave to free agency.

Babchuk, who lead the NHL in powerplay goals by a defenseman last year with 16 tallies, is now back playing in Russia. Coincidentally, the Hurricanes powerplay is 29th in the league this season.

Dennis Seidenburg was a more conservative defenseman for the 'Canes, and despite only hitting the back of the net twice, he provided hard hits and defensive support down low on the penalty kill. His signing with the Florida Panthers has sent the penalty killing unit spiraling downwards after finishing as a top-10 unit last season.

Spending Valuable Salary on Non-Productive Additions

For the first time in over five years, the Hurricanes are in a salary cap crunch. With a mass of injuries swarming upon them, the call-ups from Albany have really sent the Hurricanes management reeling in terms of financial situations.

However, the large-contract, big-name signings over the offseason for players that have not paid off may be the overlooked factor for this crunch.

Veteran signees Tom Kostopoulus (Montreal) and Stephane Yelle (Boston) have both played in all of the Hurricanes games this season. However, in 52 combined games, the pair have combined for a not-so-whopping four goals and two assists.

Aaron Ward and Andrew Alberts were also new additions on defense, and have combined for a -21 rating. Neither have scored as yet.

The salary cap hit of just these four players exceeds an incredible five million dollars, with Aaron Ward alone accounting for nearly half.

Oblivious To Injury Threats, Canes' Management Ignores Backups

It was just waiting to happen.

After a fairly good year in terms of getting by without many serious injuries, the Hurricanes had completely forgotten about what to do with their struggling AHL team, the Albany River Rats, as well as the extra-dressed players.

Now, this season, with 51 combined games missed already because of injury, the Hurricanes have been forced to dress players they didn't want starting and, at times, go without a full fourth line.

Players like Tim Conboy and Jay Harrison have seen much more time than expected, but have used up valuable playing spots to total for three points, a -9 rating, and a complete lack of playmaking or defensive skill.

Also, young players such as Zach Boychuk, Patrick Dwyer, and Bryan Rodney have missed important minor-league training time to come up and fill in spots on the Hurricanes roster.

One Word: Overconfidence

It's been there all along.

Throughout the month of September leading up to the first game of the season, all the Hurricanes news outlets (particularly the News & Observer of Raleigh) were coming out with snippets such as:

"Despite not creating much of a stir over the summer, the Hurricanes squad is feeling quietly confident heading into Friday's season opener against Philadelphia."

It was not advertised as overconfidence then, of course, but it sure looks like that's what it might have been now.

The Hurricanes went into the year feeling good about themselves. That's certainly not something to feel bad about, but it does seem they might just have begun thinking beyond the regular season to the playoffs already. They forgot there was still six months and 72 games to go until the postseason.

And now, it's the same thought for a different reason. The Hurricanes probably still do want the 54 regular season games remaining to pass by as quickly as possible, but it's just so they can get out of this horrible year and back onto the warm, lush golf courses of May and June.

All-Time Carolina Hurricanes Roster: The Best of the Canes

Mark Jones — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:37:50 -0500

After 12 years of existance in North Carolina after the transfer from Hartford, Connecticut, the Hurricanes have seen it all. Superstars to draft pick surprises, trade jewels to trade busts, the Carolina Hurricanes have been filled with talented players and memorable moments. They've won Stanley Cups, Eastern Conference finals, and many division titles. They've sparked fantastic comebacks, but given up big leads, too. They've scored last-second goals, but also fallen in the closing minute. They've had winning runs and losing streaks. But that's happen to a lot of NHL teams. So what makes the 'Canes special? The players, of course. In this slideshow, I will go back through the years (1997 until today) and find the players that gave the most to the franchise; the scoring leaders, tough hitters, and goaltenders. It's time to declare the All-Time Roster (12 forwards, 6 defense, 2 goaltender) for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Begin Slideshow

NHL Power Rankings (Nov. 26): 'Hawks, 'Preds, Bruins Are Hot As An Oven

Mark Jones — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:57:51 -0500

NOTE: All teams are listed with their current points in the standings (as of Thursday, November 26). The upper half (top 16) as well as the focus of my coverage, the Carolina Hurricanes, also have additional commentary and insight, which is completely original and reflects only the opinion of Mark Jones. Any comments, corrections, or questions are welcomed in the section at the conclusion of this article.

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Just when you thought that the NHL would finally settle into a trend, off go the firecrackers again.

Just when it looked like the standings were settling into order, the streaks began.

Currently, some of the most impressive are in the wins column, where teams like Chicago, Nashville, Boston, and New Jersey are going on winning runs as hot as your Thanksgiving oven.

The Blackhawks have now earned the full two points in eight straight contests, but Nashville is right behind with seven consecutive wins.

But, as always, there's also the lower part of the standings...which will be covered in the, err, lower part of this article.

1. Chicago Blackhawks (34 pts)

We knew the Hawks were good, but the past two weeks have been remarkable for this young squad. The eight-straight win streak just tells it all, and it's been enough to pull them into first place in the rankings.

2. San Jose Sharks (36 pts)

The Sharks are still looking like one of the NHL's elite teams for this season, but they just can't keep up with Chicago right now, as was seen Wednesday night.

San Jose's point production has also slowed down recently, a stat that appears to change based on how their upper lines' chemistry is going.

3. Washington Capitals (34 pts)

Ovechkin just can't manage to be silent, but the Caps win either way. He returned from injury to score a few times and then got kicked out again...but no one cares in Washington if they just keep on winning, which has worked recently as the Caps have 14 points in 10 games.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (34 pts)

The Pens came over the bump on a slow first half of November to win three straight heading into Thanksgiving.

Marc-Andre Fleury is taking the role he had in their Cup run last season into his everyday regular-season play, giving Pittsburgh better support than in past years in the net.

5. Calgary Flames (31 pts)

The Flames are using their success on the road this season to give themselves a major boost in the standings. Calgary is a solid 6-2-2 in their L10, and it looks like the Sutter winning formula is getting the Flames into a successful routine.

6. New Jersey Devils (31 pts)

The Devils finally slowed down a bit, and they still haven't reached double-digit road wins after having three opportunities this week (New Jersey started 9-0-0 on the road, now 9-2-1).

However, the Devils are still a solid team in the conference standings every year, no matter who the coach.

7. Boston Bruins (28 pts)

The Bruins didn't look that good for seven weeks, but are finally starting to get back into it. They have just one loss in ten games and a four-game winning streak. Still, they are exactly even in team +/-, which is not a good trait to have in a top-fourth team.

8. Nashville Predators (29 pts)

The Preds have an incredible seven-game winning streak going, and it's brought the Predators well into contention after struggling near the bottom for much of the year. They had 15 points in the first 15 games of the season before getting 14 points in seven games on their recent run.

9. Ottawa Senators (27 pts)

The Senators continue to remain hot despite untimely losses at several points, as Ottawa hasn't looked this good since the autumn of '07. Success at home has been key for the Sens, who have nine of 12 wins at the Scotiabank Center.

10. Philadelphia Flyers (27 pts)

Like the Senators above, the Flyers' success in Philly has been crucial to a top 10 ranking. If the Flyers finally turn the corner and go far into the postseason in 2010, it will be because of the lower-line support they are finally getting this season.

11. Colorado Avalanche (32 pts)

The Avalanche are fifth in the league in points but 11th in my rankings, which is the result of an excess of games played.

Anyhow, the Avs might not be able to hold on to a top-six conference playoff bid this season, but with young gems like Ryan O'Reilly lurking, they could turn into the NHL's next dynasty if they find a long-term solution at goalie.

12. Buffalo Sabres (26 pts)

The Sabres are below .500 in L10 and have cooled off very significantly in the past ten days, but Ryan Miller and Buffalo are still loaded with surprise potential.

I have a good feeling that the Sabres may return to the elite this season with a solid, 100-point effort in the standings by April.

13. Dallas Stars (29 pts)

First the Stars competed, now the Stars are winning. Turco is finding his groove in the net, and Dallas has gotten hold of an early-season playoff spot to hold on to.

14. Los Angeles Kings (30 pts)

The Kings just aren't going away any time soon, and the Western Conference better get used to a switch in the power of the greater Los Angeles area (from Anaheim to LA).

The Kings' power play, as well as their road success, are getting Los Angeles wins in close games they couldn't earn in 2008.

15. Columbus Blue Jackets (27 pts)

The Jackets have just 72 goals for while surrendering 84, but the difference between this and the struggling team we saw a couple years ago is that Columbus finally has a solid roster, and, in turn, has confidence.

Still, it could be a repeat of last year's spring unless Steve Mason returns to form, because he isn't allowing a very competent scoring attack enough time with the lead.

16. Detroit Red Wings (26 pts)

The Wings have dropped back-to-back contests and are a far cry from the dynasty we saw in the regular season last year, but you just know that Detroit is going to keep hanging around until they strike and, once again, rise to the top.

17. New York Rangers (27 pts)

18. Montreal Canadiens (25 pts)

19. Vancouver Canucks (24 pts)

20. Atlanta Thrashers (25 pts)

21. Phoenix Coyotes (27 pts)

22. Tampa Bay Lightning (25 pts)

23. Florida Panthers (24 pts)

24. Anaheim Ducks (21 pts)

25. St. Louis Blues (22 pts)

26. Edmonton Oilers (23 pts)

27. New York Islanders (25 pts)

28. Minnesota Wild (19 pts)

29. Carolina Hurricanes (15 pts)

After their best streak of the season (a 3-0-1 week), Carolina has once again dropped two straight on the road and are still looking from their first win away from the RBC Center.

However, Ward will be back in a week, Staal has returned, and the defense is finally starting to come together. Kostopoulus, Yelle, and Ruutu, all players who had nothing going for them in the first six weeks, have picked up plenty of points recently, and it looks like the 'Canes may have finally righted the ship a bit.

But it's still up for grabs if they deserve the 29th spot.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (17 points)

Carolina Hurricanes Improving, but Breaking Even May Still Be a Struggle

Mark Jones — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:13:35 -0500

After so many losses, so many disappointments, and so much frustration, the Carolina Hurricanes are finally managing to get back on track.

Following a 14-game losing skid, including a seven-game pointless streak, the Hurricanes had fallen to the bottom of the NHL in almost every category, including the most important one—the standings.

But, recently, Carolina has begun to right the ship.

The Canes have points in their last five games, going 3-0-2 during that span. That stretch has included several fantastic games, including two three-goal comebacks after falling behind 3-0 at the first intermission both times.

Carolina broke their pointless streak against the Islanders, but fell 4-3 in overtime. Then they broke their record-tying losing streak against Minnesota, where they won in a shootout after blowing leads of 3-0 and 4-1.

The Hurricanes later held a 2-1 lead in Montreal until the final few minutes, but gave up a late goal and fell in the sixth round of a shootout.

Against Toronto, Carolina went on a roller-coaster ride at home in the RBC Center.

The Hurricanes trailed 3-0 after the first period, and then recovered by scoring two goals but still trailing 3-2 after the second.

A power play goal by Toronto gave them a 4-2 advantage with 12 minutes remaining, but two goals by Tim Gleason (doubling his goal total from last year in one game; he now has four this season) tied it for Carolina.

Ian White sapped all the life out of the Canes with his lucky goal with 29 seconds remaining, but Eric Cole's rebound stunner with two seconds to go revived Carolina, who won decisively, 2-0, in the shootout in a wild 6-5 victory.

The Hurricanes still had just one regulation win, which came in the fourth game of the season after a 7-2 walloping of the Panthers. However, Manny Legace finally came out with a solid effort Saturday night against Tampa Bay and stopped 20-of-21 shots for a 3-1 win.

The Hurricanes' players have also been starting to pick up their pace and get the stats rolling recently.

Brandon Sutter, the 21-year-old son of Calgary head coach Brent Sutter, has been on fire for Carolina after being called up earlier this year.

Sutter's top line companions, Eric Cole and Ray Whitney, have also been playing well recently. Whitney leads the team with 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) and had a beautiful tape-to-tape pass to set up the tying power play goal against Tampa on Saturday.

Cole has overcome a very slow start and scored the game-saving goal with two seconds remaining against Toronto last week.

Jussi Jokinen has 14 points on the year and is currently riding a four-game point streak. Jokinen had a goal against Tampa off a tip from Hurricanes' leading scoring Joe Corvo, who has 11 points and is now helping out on the back end after starting out the year near -15.

Corvo's defensive companions have been improving after struggling in the first one-and-a-half months.

Aaron Ward picked up several assists this past week and is finally starting to show the physicality we've been waiting for. Andrew Alberts has recovered somewhat from a pathetic October, as well.

Joni Pitkanen has become a star at both ends of the ice for Carolina and is becoming a key part of the defense, as well as on the rush.

Several players have also recently picked up their first goals of the season.

Stephane Yelle knocked the puck in on a great sliding effort against Toronto last week, and Chad LaRose, the perfect poster boy for Carolina's season, notched his first goal in 64 shot attempts to seal the deal against Tampa Bay.

However, many will say that the box score is not the only factor to consider, and they're right.

On the other hand, though, the Canes' chemistry is also improving. Sergei Samsanov is becoming a key passer and play-maker for the power play, which is on a 6-for-26 streak after failing to convert on 26 straight beforehand.

Tim Gleason is also becoming a leader for Carolina, and is expanding all areas of his play, from hits to the power play to defense.

The Hurricanes have also now their record in Raleigh to 5-5-2, and might have found stable ground once again at home. They had six points in four games in a 4-of-5 game homestand, which included several impressive moments.

However, the rest of the continent has been very ugly for Carolina, who still has not yet earned a road win this season at 0-7-3. They have picked up overtime points in Long Island (NY), Montreal, and Minnesota, but have just three points in 10 games away from the RBC Center.

The road record is just another reminder that despite all the improvement, the season is still not nearly under control.

Injuries have taken their toll on Carolina, putting them in tough spots at several positions.

Both listed goaltenders at the start of the season are out, with backup Michael Leighton gone for at least another week with a strained groin and team leader Cam Ward ailing with a sliced thigh.

Ward is hoping to return against Vancouver on Dec. 5, which will be a relief for Canes' fans, who have been feeling the pain of not having support in the net while aging Manny Legace does his best to keep the pucks out.

Veteran Scott Walker is also gone for several games, and, more importantly, so is Eric Staal, an annual All-Star and the team leader for Carolina since the Stanley Cup run of 2006. Staal has already missed eight games and should miss at least two more until his projected return later this week.

Carolina is struggling in several stat categories that are affecting the scoreboard. The Hurricanes have scored, on average, just 2.27 goals per game this year, while giving up over 3.5 goals.

If the Hurricanes score at least three goals, something that has occurred only seven times this year, they are 4-1-2. But when they score two or less (including three shutouts), they are a miserable 1-11-3.

Many individual players are also contributing to these struggles. Only two Hurricanes currently have positive +/- ratings (Ruutu and Walker), while 15 are at or below -3 (including five in double-digits).

Though Carolina has been much better in the past two weeks, they are still definitely in the cellar of the league. There is room for improvement and a chance to pull even with the middle of the pack.

An 11-5 record in their next month of games would get Carolina back to .500 in the standings by Christmas, which would definitely set up 2010 as a year of possibilities.

The tight upcoming schedule will give the Hurricanes plenty of opportunities to pick up an all important two points, with dates against Dallas, Anaheim, Atlanta, and Buffalo in the next six days.

It's been a bumpy roller-coaster ride through the first quarter of the 09-10 NHL season for the Carolina Hurricanes, and there's definitely going to be more speed bumps the rest of the way.

But, for now, we will just have to sit back and see down which path the unpredictable Carolina Hurricanes will take us.

How Les Miles Lost the LSU Tigers a Double-Digit Win Season

Mark Jones — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:33:36 -0500

I am not an LSU Tigers football fan. I am not an Ole Miss Rebels football fan. Therefore, I am not going to write a 10-page feature story on a game between these two schools.

But I am a college football fan, and I watched the game between LSU and Ole Miss last night.

Simply put, it was definitely a crazy finish. But, in the end, it was Les Miles that lost the Tigers a close 25-23 game, and in turn lost them a double-digit win regular season of 10-2.

Now all LSU has to hope for is a respectable 9-3 finish, and would probably have to pull off another win over a tough opponent, something they've been struggling at recently, to get to 10 wins on the year.

But back to yesterday's game. For those of you who didn't watch it, here’s the situation:

Ole Miss has the ball, first and goal, on the LSU four yard line with five minutes to go, leading 22-17. LSU holds them and forces a field goal, extending the lead to eight at 25-17.

LSU then gets the ball and marches down the field for a touchdown, but fails the two-point conversion try, and still trails 25-23. On the onside kick with less than two minutes left, the Ole Miss running back steps out of the way of the ball and lets it go to an LSU player for the recovery.

LSU then gets down to the Ole Miss 40 yard line with 25 seconds left, holding on to one timeout left. They throw a short screen to the left side and the player is tackled at about the line of scrimmage with 20 seconds left.

Somehow, the clock keeps ticking as Les Miles decides whether he'd rather think about the game or what his dinner is going to be when he arrives back in Louisiana. Miles finally decides he might like to try to win the game with about nine seconds to go.

Meanwhile, he's lost 11 seconds and now faces a near impossible situation. The only hope left is the hail mary...which is completed with one second left at the eight yard line! And the clock stops to move the chains!

But, like expected, the field goal teams just continues to sit around on the sidelines while Jordan Jefferson sprints down the field and fails to spike the ball before time runs out. Final score: LSU 23, Ole Miss 25.

So why did they lose? Simple, because Les Miles is just not the field coach that an SEC team needs. Forget about the stupid recruiting, it’s November, not June.

A quicker timeout would have given LSU plenty of time to spike the ball after getting down to the eight, and they would have simply booted a short 25-yard field goal to win 26-25.

To be truthful, Les Miles may have the aura of a good coach, but he's just not alert enough to deal with crunch-time situations. The offensive coordinator should be allowed to make these decisions if Miles continues to show a lack of ability to handle time-management situations.

Brandon Sutter Is the Player To Salvage the Carolina Hurricanes' Season

Mark Jones — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:14:41 -0500

Nothing this season has gone well for the Carolina Hurricanes, and everyone involved with the team, and maybe even the league, knows that.

The special teams are bad, the injuries are hitting hard, there are major goaltending issues, troubles with holding leads as well as converting plentiful early first-period scoring chances.

But, recently, there have been signs of life. The Canes salvaged a point last Friday despite falling to the Islanders 3-0 early, and then Carolina ended their unbelievable 14-game losing streak by defeating the Wild in a shootout, 5-4. The Hurricanes then could not be wrestled from a win in Montreal until the sixth round of a shootout.

One of the key parts in finally pulling up the Canes from the dead, as well as bringing them back to life once they had broken the streak, was young 21-year-old Brandon Sutter.

Sutter, who is in his second NHL season after being a top American Hockey League (AHL) prospect for the Hurricanes with the Albany River Rats last season.

After a swarm of injuries to the Hurricanes, Sutter was forced to being called up from the minors and play on the fourth line for Carolina against Colorado on Friday, October 23rd.

Sutter then went on to score a goal despite blowing a 2-0 for a 5-4 loss. Sutter scored again the next game, then added and assist, and eventually, the points kept coming for Sutter. In a brutal 5-1 rout against the Sharks on November 1st, Sutter netted the only Hurricanes goal, and then also scored Tuesday night against Montreal on a great pass from veteran Ray Whitney.

Sutter has now worked the way to the top line of the Hurricanes, who currently have six players out on injury. Sutter has five goals, three assists, and eight points in eleven appearances for Carolina, and is also one of only three players with a positive +/- on the roster.

Brandon has played well, shot well, and brought the energy back into the Hurricanes, much like his father, Brent Sutter, the successful head coach of the Calgary Flames.

Much to the credit of Sutter, suddenly the Hurricanes have four points in three games after going seven games without a single point in the standings.

His combination with team veteran Ray Whitney and talented playmaker Eric Cole has been terrific, and has finally filled the whole at the top of the depth chart for Carolina. Sutter has had a perfect zero penalty minutes, the only player on the team to have accomplished that so far.

Even though the Hurricanes have three wins in 20 games, even though they are tied for last in the league, even though their offense is perhaps one of the most inept we've seen in years...

Even though the Carolina Hurricanes have had all the setbacks possible in the modern-day National Hockey League, if their season is salvageable, Brandon Sutter is the player to do it.

And he's just 21.

Brandon Sutter Game Statistics (As of Wednesday, November 18)

Games Played: 11

Goals: 5 (Team Rank: tie-2nd)

Assists: 3 (TR: tie-9th)

Points: 8 (TR: tie-5th)

+/-: +1 (TR: tie-1st)

PIM: 0 (TR: 1st)

NHL Power Rankings (November 16): Cup Favorites Looking Clearer

Mark Jones — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:51:08 -0500

NOTE: All teams are listed with their current points in the standings (as of Monday, November 16). The upper half (top 16) as well as the focus of my coverage, the Hurricanes, also have additional commentary and insight, which is completely original and reflects only the opinion of Mark Jones. Any comments, corrections, or questions are welcomed in the section at the conclusion of this article.

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"Toronto, we have frontrunners."

It happens every year about this time...the NHL is finally starting to take this season's shape.

That doesn't mean we won't have any more big hot or cold streaks, but the vague NHL standings glance is starting to be sorted out. The "Cup Favorites" list is being determined, as well as the "On-the-bubble" [of the playoffs] list and the "Outside-looking-in" list.

Teams like the Devils, Caps, Sabres, and Penguins in the East as well as the Sharks, Blackhawks, Flames, and maybe even Avs in the Western Conference are establishing themselves among the top portion of their conference. Meanwhile, there are other teams hovering around the middle, hoping to perhaps get a jump into the better half of the playoff race early.

And, finally, there are the share of teams finding themselves with high double-digits in the "conference rank" column and low double-digits in the "points" column. This list does include plenty of surprises, including the Canadiens, Blues, Wild, Ducks, and lowly Hurricanes.

The NHL, despite beginning to sort into groups, is also beginning to balance out as teams get into a routine. Besides New Jersey's mark, the longest win/loss streak in the NHL is now four games, with even the Canes breaking their franchise-tying worst losing streak ever, ending a 14-game skid (and 8 straight without a point) by defeating the struggling Wild 5-4 on Sunday.

So enough with the prelude and introductions. It's time to see exactly how these groups sort out in this edition of NHL Power Rankings.

1. San Jose Sharks (32 pts)

The Sharks, once again, have looked President's Cup-worthy with their play in the past several weeks. Their point streak is up to 12 games now, and the top two lines are both some of the best combinations in the league.

My thoughts for them compare a lot to Brett Favre of the NFL:

"I think they might finally carry over their success into the playoffs this year. Or, maybe not. Really, I'm not sure. Yes they will, but then again maybe not..."

2. New Jersey Devils (28 pts)

No one can deny that the Devils are playing their best hockey in years right now. But I remain to have my doubts about this team, and I don't think they will get to double digits with their win streak, currently at eight.

3. Washington Capitals (28 pts)

Winning without Ovechkin would be a very tough chore for most teams, but maybe not for the Caps offense. There is always Semin, Backstrom, Green, and about eight other players...

This team is going to have their way this year, I think. If they can start holding down the scoring in their end, they could challenge the Sharks for the Presidents Cup.

4. Buffalo Sabres (25 pts)

The Buffalo Sabres continue to be overlooked, but they only have four regulation losses in 17 games. With a stellar defense, a thorough, balanced yet talented offense, and (of course) Ryan Miller in the net, the Sabres are looking better and better.

2009-2010 is Buffalo's return to the top, all right.

5. Chicago Blackhawks (26 pts)

The Blackhawks have been very hot of late, posting a 7-2-1 record in their last ten as well as four straight victories.

The combination of Sharp-Teows-Kane has been plenty good, like usual, but the real thing that sets this Hawks squad apart from last year's is that it isn't just the top line earning them wins anymore. The lower pairings and the defense are carrying their share and more this season.

6. Calgary Flames (26 pts)

The Flames are really sneaking up on all of us now, especially me. They have 26 points in just 18 games, and have a terrific top six on the roster. Kiprusoff is also having a comeback year, and Calgary is starting to really impress.

However, something about this team gives me a feeling they could have an 07-08 Senators-like slump this winter. There is no proof, no stats, no quotes, but just watch it happen.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (26 pts)

The Penguins are a little cooler than they were two weeks ago, but they are still a fiery, talented team. Marc-Andre Fluery appears poised to make a jump for the top and lead this team once again to the highest point in the standings.

8. Detroit Red Wings (23 pts)

Four words:

"Here they come again."

9. Philadelphia Flyers (21 pts)

I like the Flyers, I really do. They have a magnificent lower half and a surprisingly stellar goaltender in Ray Emery.

But I don't think they can keep this up. The supposedly-great top lines have really struggled with their +/-, and I dont think the defense (besides Pronger) has really done that much to support this team.

Still, there haven't been many problems yet with this first 7 weeks.

10. Colorado Avalanche (26 pts)

They may have five more points than the higher-ranked Flyers, but all they have is two more wins and two more losses than Philadelphia.

If the Avalanche can keep up this shocking start, like they have so far, they could go really far. Maybe not that much this year, but soon, especially with such talented rookies like Ryan O'Reilly and his under-25 gang.

But if they begin to dive, who knows how far down they will fall.

11. Los Angeles Kings (26 pts)

Anze Kopitar has been MVP-style, the supporting cast has done their job, and the goalies have also looked very good.

But, like most of us, it's hard to tell if their legitimate. Hopefully, they just might be.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (22 pts)

The Blue Jackets do not deserve to be 7th in the West, 12th in these rankings, or even have a 10-6-2 record.

But, despite defensive struggles and a -10 team +/- rating, they do.

And there is a reason. The Jackets are a clutch team, and they (finally) have figured out how to win. They work as a team, and it gets points on the scoreboard and points on the standings, even if it isn't pretty.

Rick Nash, Chris Mason and their Jackets are experiencing something new in Columbus: success .

13. New York Rangers (23 pts)

It had to have been expected.

Every year, the Rangers start hot, but fairly soon fall back down to mediocrity. This season, it happened earlier than usual, and it's also earned them a spot in the standings called number 13.

Not a good sign for a fragile (not physically, but as a group) team like the Rangers.

14. Vancouver Canucks (22 pts)

After a remarkably slow start in the standings and a remarkably fast start in the "Injured Reserve" list, the Canucks are finally getting their groove and moving on up.

Watch for them to regain a top-five spot in the West by Christmas, despite having to battle with Calgary and Colorado in-division along the way.

15. Boston Bruins (20 pts)

The Bruins have managed 11 points in 10 games, their L10 record in a while that has earned them more points than games played. But it's still a little slow in Boston, and this team still needs a victory spark.

16. Ottawa Senators (19 pts)

This team has just three wins in ten games, but they do have plenty of potential. If they can figure out how to slow down the points being scored on their back end, the Senators might be able to remain in the playoff hunt and eventually settle in a successful routine.

17. Atlanta Thrashers (21 pts)

18. Dallas Stars (22 pts)

19. Nashville Predators (19 pts)

20. Tampa Bay Lightning (20 pts)

21. Phoenix Coyotes (22 pts)

22. Montreal Canadiens (18 pts)

23. New York Islanders (21 pts)

24. St. Louis Blues (16 pts)

25. Anaheim Ducks (15 pts)

26. Edmonton Oilers (18 pts)

27. Minnesota Wild (16 pts)

28. Florida Panthers (15 pts)

29. Carolina Hurricanes (10 pts)

For the first time in five weeks, the Hurricanes have a win to celebrate. And perhaps for the first time this season, the Hurricanes have something to build on.

Carolina managed to earn 3 out of 4 possible points this previous weekend, but did it in a very topsy-turvy fashion.

First, they recovered from a first-period 3-0 deficit against the Islanders, but surprisingly fell in overtime despite having all the buzz going for themselves. The Hurricanes then blew leads of 3-0 and 4-1 against the Minnesota Wild, but then won in a shootout.

Anyhow, the Hurricanes might finally have re-energized themselves. Young Brandon Sutter has been very exciting and producing since coming up from the AHL, and Ray Whitney and Tuomo Ruutu are taking in larger positions with the absence of Staal, Yelle, Walker, and Cam Ward.

The 'Canes, after so long, might have finally returned to realism.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (11 pts)

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Manny Legace, Look To Solve Goaltending Puzzle

Mark Jones — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:25:15 -0500

It's been a really tough season so far for the Carolina Hurricanes, and the year got even tougher last Saturday in Columbus.

Not only did the 'Canes blow a 1-0 second-intermission lead to earn their 12th straight loss—this time 3-2—but goaltender Cam Ward was sliced by Rick Nash's skate in the inside of his upper right leg early in the first period and was practically carried off the ice to the locker room.

After the game, it was announced that Ward had been taken to the hospital, and was to return to Raleigh in a few days. Today, 'Canes coach Paul Maurice said that Ward would return from Columbus tomorrow, but his injury was going to keep him out for three-four weeks.

This left a problem in the net for the Hurricanes, who had several options to think about before their game Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings. Besides from backup Michael Leighton and minor-league starter Justin Peters, free agent Manny Legace was also signed today as well to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

Manny Legace, 36, was 2-2-2 with a with the AHL's Chicago Wolves. Legace has a winning experience and a "legacy" of success, which included 337 total appearances throughout his career with Los Angeles, Detroit, and most recently St. Louis, where his last game against Carolina was a 1-0 shutout.

Legace was also a preseason tryout with the Atlanta Thrashers, and did play two periods in mid-October against the Hurricanes, which resulted in a 4-3 win for Carolina.

Also in the mix to get starts during the next several weeks is backup Michael Leighton. who filled in for 53 minutes against the Blue Jackets, surrendering three goals (all of which in a three-minute span early in the third period).

Leighton also started one game in Philadelphia a couple weeks ago, where he gave up four goals in less than two periods before being pulled for Ward in a 6-1 loss. Overall, Leighton has been a solid backup for the team over the years but has very poor stats this season, with a 5.11 GAA and a miserable .813 save percentage.

Yet another consideration for Maurice is Justin Peters, the 'Canes top AHL goalie with the Albany River Rats, who are 7-6-1 so far this season. Peters has played in 10 of the club's 14 games this season, recording a 5-4-1 record, .925 save percentage, 2.19 goals-against average, and plenty of solid starts.

So the question remains...who will it be who will start for Carolina against the Kings on Wednesday? Who will get the majority of the starts during the three weeks of Cam Ward's absence?

"It will, like always, be a fight," says Paul Maurice. Hopefully, a fight that will result in the right guy that can turn the Hurricanes season around.

The Carolina Hurricanes Are Today's Worst NHL Team—But It's Fixable

Mark Jones — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:15:49 -0500

It's official. The Carolina Hurricanes are definitely the worst team in the NHL right now.

With a mere seven points and eleven straight losses, the 'Canes have begun a season that was highly anticipated as what could be another Cup season 2-10-3.

On the scoresheet, the 'Canes are last or nearly last in every category. They are last in the NHL in points, wins, goals against, and powerplays allowed per game. They are 29th in goals for, 24th in powerplay goals, 28th in powerplay scoring, 24th in powerplay goals against, and have been shut out three times, behind only Nashville with four.

In their past ten games, the Hurricanes have just three points, coming from overtime losses against Pittsburgh, the New York Islanders, and Minnesota. The Hurricanes are also 0-5-0 in their last five, being outscored 22-6, including 5-1 and 5-2 home beatdowns against St. Louis and San Jose.

On the injury side of things, Carolina has been hit hard, too. Erik Cole was out for a month with a broken leg, Tim Gleason has been on and off with a back injury this season, and team leaders Eric Staal and Ray Whitney also both missed last game.

But success and failure is measured by more than the stat sheet. There have been bright spots in this mess. 20-year-old Brandon Sutter has three goals in four games since being called up from the AHL, and defenseman Joni Pitkanen has also been providing some much needed offense while still keeping tabs on his opponents.

The Carolina Hurricanes have the players, coaches, and fans to overcome this slide, and they have the firepower to salvage the season. It's a new day, a new month, a new week. It's time to start the turnaround. Maybe not 11 straight wins, but a 2-1 or 3-1 week. All they need is a boost in confidence, and the eluding two points might be possible.

The 'Canes can turn this around.

And here's how they might be able to do it...

How to Salvage the 2009-10 Carolina Hurricanes' Season

Which the pressure of eleven straight losses weighing down their backs, the Hurricanes just really need to relax, forget, and start over. If they can get their confidence and energy back, the wins will come, in time. All they need to do is start over, right now, like tonight, in Columbus.

One of the most efficient ways to refresh and re-energize is to mix things up a bit. Switch up the offensive lines and defensemen pairings, change the roster, try some new plays and formations. Get the team excited and ready to go. That's what Paul Maurice and the rest of the coaching staff need to do, and quickly.

The minor leagues is a place to start. The AHL's Albany River Rats are never a top team in their league, but there are plenty of young, fresh prospects there that might be able to give the 'Canes a jump.

The coaching staff has already tried it twice in the past two weeks, with Brandon Sutter and Zach Boychuk, and both of them have had among the best performances of the team. Who knows what wingers such as Jerome Samson (4g, 9a, 13pts), Drayson Bowman (4g, 6a, 10 pts), or Patrick Dwyer (5g, 4a, 9pts), or defenseman Jamie McBain, could do?

Anther solution to get some changes back into the lineup is to move around the lines. That was done Friday night against Toronto and in turn gave the 'Canes their best performance in two weeks, despite a 3-2 loss.

Young Brandon Sutter is already playing with veteran and captain Rod Brind'Amour, and perhaps the addition of Zach Boychuk, a teammate of Sutter's in Albany, could provoke a little spark.

Gritty Scott Walker is also the only 'Cane with a positive +/-, and maybe a brawn-speed pairing with Sergei Samsanov, who scored against the Leafs, and playmaker Erik Cole could work.

Offseason newcomers Tom Kostopoulos (Montreal) and Stephane Yelle (Boston) have been together all season, but the line has yet to find a groove in the scoring. Perhaps they aren't meant to be together?

On defense, unit leader Joe Corvo is a -9, and maybe he could use a break from the top pairing. Instead, hard-skating Joni Pitkanen might be a better fit to keep up with top-line attackers.

Corvo could move down to the second pairing with confidence-lacking Aaron Ward, and Albany's young Jamie McBain might be an idea to pair up with Niclas Wallin in an attempt to replace stagnant Andrew Alberts.

Anyhow, here's how the new lines could work out in my mind, in no particular order, while Staal and Whitney are on reserve.

OFFENSE

Sergei Samsanov - Scott Walker - Erik Cole

Chad LaRose - Matt Cullen - Stephane Yelle

Tom Kostopoulos - Jussi Jokinen - Tuomo Ruutu

Zach Boychuk - Brandon Sutter - Rod Brind'Amour

DEFENSE

Joni Pitkanen - Tim Gleason

Joe Corvo - Aaron Ward

Jamie McBain - Niclas Wallin

So, now it comes to the crucial question: Will the Hurricanes be able to turn their season around? Maybe.

But can they? Of course.

All questions, comments, considerations, or corrections are welcomed. Much thanks also to Raleigh's News & Observer for their similar article published on Friday, which was the inspiration for this article.

NHL Power Rankings: Pens, Sharks, Caps, and Sabres Keep On Winning

Mark Jones — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:02:26 -0500

The NHL is currently a league with a very large portion of bottom-feeders.

But they've got a load of front runners crowding the top, as well.

Expected dynasties such as the Penguins, Sharks, Capitals, Blackhawks, Devils, and Flyers are sitting pretty in the "W" column, but they have some surprising opponents up at the top of the standings as well.

Several up-and-coming Western squads have made runs at the top so far in October, including the young Avs, Kings, and Coyotes.

Some teams also might start to appear in strange places based on their talent, like the Ducks, Wild, and Hurricanes.

Anyways, it is time for another edition of the NHL Power Rankings. The system has been simplified to as follows:

Five percent is based on projections.

Ten percent is based on last season's success.

Eighty-five percent is based on this season's success.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (22 pts)

The Penguins are hardly any different than the dominant team we saw run through the playoffs last year, and if there's a difference, it's for the better. The Penguins have still yet to lose on the road, and they've been good in Pittsburgh, too.

2. San Jose Sharks (21 pts)

The Sharks are playing the best hockey of anyone right now, having won five straight including a 5-1 trashing in Carolina on Sunday. The lower lines have really started to settle in and find prominent places in the scoring.

3. Chicago Blackhawks (17 pts)

The 'Hawks have won seven of their last 10 after a so-so first week and are have picked up 13 points in nine home games.

4. Buffalo Sabres (17 pts)

The Sabres have possibly been the most-overlooked team in the league so far this October, and they've quietly been putting up win after win. The defense has been stellar and Ryan Miller has been sensational in goal. Because of that, the offense to get by on average performances.

Watch out for the Sabres. Buffalo is back.

5. Washington Capitals (20 pts)

Does Ovechkin's injury hurt the Capitals? Probably...

Can they win without him? Certainly.

6. New York Rangers (19 pts)

The Rangers have cooled off a bit since a hot-off-the-grill start, but they've been very good in the Garden and are getting solid performances throughout the lineup.

7. Colorado Avalanche (22 pts)

The up-and-coming Avs are unbeaten in four home games and have an emerging star in rookie Ryan O'Reilly, who has 11 points this season and boasts a plus-10 plus-minus as well.

8. New Jersey Devils (16 pts)

The Devils need to start getting more consistent and getting wins at home (they are 1-4 there compared to 7-0 travelling) if they want to make it farther than the first round, like last year.

9. Los Angeles Kings (20 pts)

The Kings have also been very good this season despite a lack of top-line stardom, although, at the very least, L.A. has been very streaky.

If they can start getting six points out of four games consistently, the Kings will be able to keep up with more veteran-led teams. If the streaks in both columns continue, Los Angeles may fall slowly back to mediocrity.

10. Calgary Flames (15 pts)

October? A success.

November? Maybe not.

11. Philadelphia Flyers (15 pts)

The Flyers did well this weekend picking up two wins, and have done well so far this season.

However, looking on the scoresheet, many of the top Flyers players have plus-minus ratings below negative five. That is not a good sign when they look for top-end scoring and leadership farther down the road from the same players.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (15 pts)

The win against the Caps was terrific Monday night, and the Blue Jackets have looked pretty good so far this season.

Watch for Columbus to stay solid for most of the year and once again earn a mid-level playoff seed.

13. Vancouver Canucks (16 pts)

The Canucks have done well since a below-expectation performance in the first half-month of the season. Their nagging injuries are also starting to wear off.

Roberto Luongo can carry this team far, but it's up to him whether he's in the mood.

14. Dallas Stars (17 pts)

The Stars are getting points but not wins with all these overtime losses. Those don't help much when you get to April and beyond.

However, the Stars are definitely showing they can stay competitive with just about anyone, and they do have a mediocre six wins in 14 games.

15. Phoenix Coyotes (18 pts)

The Coyotes are hanging in the upper half with an inexperience roster and coaching staff, but this rank will probably fall back into the bottom third by the end of the next month.

16. Detroit Red Wings (13 pts)

The Red Wings had a slow October and haven't started the way they envisioned, but they've still got the keys to victory that they've shown the past several years.

17. Boston Bruins (13 pts)

Just like Detroit above, the Bruins have also limped through the first month of the NHL season, but their injuries are starting to wear off, as well. Offense from the top nine is crucial for success as Boston's season grows older.

18. Ottawa Senators (14 pts)

Back-to-back losses have brought Ottawa back into the center of the standings, but they are still easily in playoff contention, a place they should expect to be for most of this season.

19. Montreal Canadiens (14 pts)

It's a sheer drop from Ottawa at No. 18 to the Habs at No. 19, but a few more wins put together would go a long way in keeping the Canadien fans, and Canadiens players, happy.

20. Edmonton Oilers (15 pts)

The Oilers are 6-2-1 in Edmonton, but a dreadful 1-5 away from home. They are also below .500 in their last ten. They need to step it up a notch if they don't want to end up in the same position as last winter.

21. Nashville Predators (13 pts)

The recent four points has given the Preds some confidence, but they need to start getting those points a bit more consistently to contend for a battle-tested playoff spot.

22. St. Louis Blues (11 pts)

A 3-6-1 record in the last ten games isn't going to cut it. The Blues simply need to go back to Europe.

23. New York Islanders (15 pts)

Four consecutive wins has put the Islanders in a spot they really aren't used to: A Top-Ten rank in the conference.

We'll just have to see how long that'll last.

24. Atlanta Thrashers (11 pts)

They've been good away and bad at home, and have let a fast start slip away from them quickly. The Thrashers look like they might be pretenders again this season.

25. Anaheim Ducks (10 pts)

It's a surprising place for the Ducks, but they need to get it together to get back in the mix of things. Their goaltending also needs some improvement.

26. Minnesota Wild (10 pts)

The Wild are perfectly fine at home, but they are just too fragile to win on the road. They have one win in nine attempts away from Minnesota.

27. Tampa Bay Lightning (12 points)

The Lightning haven't yet lost in regulation at home, but heartbreak has struck too many times for this team recently.

As a bright spot, Victor Hedman has been exceptional. Just another reminder that Tampa is always dangerous come draft time.

28. Carolina Hurricanes (7 pts)

It's been pretty dreadful in Carolina recently, with no wins (despite three points) in their last nine and no wins on the road.

A win in Florida would go a long way in jump-starting the 'Canes, who appear in need of a refreshment.

29. Florida Panthers (9 pts)

The Hurricanes game tomorrow is crucial for the Panthers' hopes, as they've only won once this season at home and are in need of the three-game win streak on the line.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (6 pts)

The Leafs are dead. Again.

Hurricanes-Flyers: Carolina Must Turn Key Weaknesses Around To Win

Mark Jones — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:03:07 -0400

Halloween came about a month early for the Carolina Hurricanes, and its lasted a long time. The Canes have been scary, and not in a good way.

But perhaps their luck will turn on this day, Oct. 31. It would be a nice time to do it, the desperately need two points, a victory over a fellow Eastern Conference team, and, most important, a "Won 1" in the streak column, a place that hasn't seen that in a very long time.

Carolina will head into Philadelphia today for a 1:00 game, the first of back-to-back day games for the Hurricanes, who will face San Jose in Raleigh mid-day tomorrow.

The Flyers will enter the game today well-rested but reeling from a tough home loss last Sunday and then a third-period breakdown in a loss in Washington on Tuesday.

So far this October...

Carolina Hurricanes

It hasn't been a pretty first month for the Hurricanes. Two wins and seven points in 11 games played was not what they were looking for.

The Hurricanes have also lost seven straight and are winless in six road games (0-4-2). The Hurricanes have also had several days off since a 5-2 rout in the RBC Center on Wednesday that followed a 0-1-1 Western Conference road back-to-back last weekend against the Avs and Wild.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers last played Tuesday in Washington, where a third-period drought earned them a 4-2 victory. Philadelphia had won two of three before that, though, with two big home wins against Boston and Florida.

Philadelphia is a mediocre 5-4-1 on the season, and their 11 points gets them in a four-way tie for eight in the East with the Lightning, Bruins, and upstart Islanders.

Previous Meeting

The Flyers and Hurricanes opened their season on Oct. 2 in Raleigh, where two early second period power play goals and a perfect game by newcomer goaltender Ray Emery earned a Flyers a rough-and-tumble 2-0 victory.

Matchup To Watch

Cam Ward and the Canes' defense vs. Flyers talented top two lines

Cam Ward is a key thing that the main Hurricanes experts are overlooking. His stats may be fine (90% sv, 2.89 GAA), but he's just not carrying or leading the team like he did late in last season, when Carolina went on their run.

A big day would go a long way in helping the Canes win this game, because if the Flyers are held to two goals or less, Carolina has a really good chance to win this.

But holding the Flyers down in their goal-scoring will be a tough task against lines including playmakers such as Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, and Matt Carle.

What's at Stake

First of all, there are always two points.

But that's not the only thing.

A win would go a lot longer for the Hurricanes than it would for the Flyers. It would be their first road win, their first win in almost three weeks, and provide some solid confidence for tomorrow's important home game against San Jose.

However, don't start thinking that Philadelphia won't be nearly as hungry. A boost up to 13 points would give them out a middle-of-the-standings logjam and up into seventh place, one point behind Ottawa and New Jersey.

It would also be nice to get two points even without Briere and Gagne, who are currently out of practice and out of the lineup.

Hurricanes' Keys to Victory

1. Cam Ward

Simply put, Ward needs to get an above-90 percent save percentage if the Hurricanes want to win.

It may be up to the defenseman to keep the shots down, but Ward needs to start keeping the goals down. His performance is key for a huge Carolina victory.

2. Breaking Ray Emery

The goalies are important in this game, and just as Ward needs to be good, Emery cannot be allowed to rule the goal. Three or more goals would give them a good chance for winning, but that will be hard against a goaltender that shut them down completely in the first meeting.

3. Powerplay

The lack of man-advantage conversions has lost the Hurricanes several games now, and they can't let too many opportunities slip past. Two powerplay goals could be huge in getting the Canes running.

Flyers' Keys To Victory

1. A big night by Carter or Richards

A three-point night by a top player for the Flyers would be very important in penetration of Cam Ward, who is a very good goalie at keeping confident. If the top two lines start to spark, the goal horn manager might be in for a long afternoon.

2. Improving the +/-'s of top players

Richards is a -3, Carter is a -5, Timonen is a -10, Briere is a -5 (although he's unlikely to play), and Coburn is a -9.

Those stats aren't going to win you many games.

3. Ray Emery

Emery has a good history against Carolina, and it needs to stay that way. However, early success has been common for goaltenders facing the Hurricanes, a third-period team, and Emery must not get too relaxed if he heads to the final 20 minutes with one goal allowed.

Injury Report

Carolina Hurricanes:

OUT: Eric Cole (broken leg)

UNLIKELY: Tim Gleason (lower back injury)

Philadelphia Flyers

OUT: Simon Gagne (two hernias)

UNLIKELY: Danny Briere (lower-body injury)

Puck Drop

1:00 PM, Wachovia Center in Philadelphia

Carolina...FS-CR (Radio - 99.9 FM The Fan)

Philadelphia...CSN-PH

NHL.com Gamecenter: http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2009020181&navid=sb:preview

Carolina Hurricanes: Special Teams "Killing" the Canes This Season

Mark Jones — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:17:40 -0400

From all angles, it hasn't been a very special year for the Carolina Hurricanes so far this young season.

Not in the standings, where the Canes are in the bottom third with a miserable 2-4-2 record...

And definitely not in the special teams, which seems to be the primary cause for that un-special record you see listed above.

Issue No. 1 - The Powerplay

The problems start (but definitely don't end) on the power play. The Hurricanes are tied for fourth in the NHL in power play opportunities with 40, but 28th in scoring percentage at 12.5 percent.

At 5-for-40, you know improvements are needed. The first way to do that is to practice it more, which is in the hands of Paul Maurice and the rest of the coaching squad.

The second way is to mix up the power play lines and the formation, which is definitely needed.

Brind'Amour is just not fast or talented enough anymore to fit in on the unit with speedsters like Staal and Samsanov, and Tim Gleason is just not a scoring defenseman, despite years and years of the 'Canes management trying to turn him into one.

Also, the formation could use a change, too.

In the usual Umbrella formation, the puck is mainly possessed by the three outside players, with two players near the goal for tips and screens.

If the Canes shifted to an Overload formation, Corvo and Pitkanen could both play on the top unit with Ruutu, Staal, and Whitney down deep, which would allow for a more dangerous top unit, and would give the 'Canes a much-needed power play jolt.

Issue No. 2 - The Penalty Kill

Right now, you are saying, "Wait, but I thought the Penalty Kill had been really good recently?!"

You are correct, when you look at the percentage. But not when you look at the opportunities allowed.

The Canes have 44 power plays allowed, 28th in the league. When you are giving up more than five man advantages to the opponent per game, even an average unit (which is about 20 percent) is going to beat you at least once every game.

And that is exactly what has happened, which, if you look back on it, is the difference from six losses in eight games to three losses in eight games. The Penguins, Islanders, and Flyers all beat us on the power play, which is the difference between a 2-4-2 record and a 5-3-0 record.

First, let's remember the Canes have been very good in the past five games at the penalty kill, so it's not like that unit needs a change.

What does need a change is the discipline. Referees are being stricter this year, and it seems that just a couple different penalties keep costing us over and over.

Even though the discipline has slightly improved in the past three games, the Canes are winless in that span, which says something is still wrong. Hooking has caught players several times, so has holding. Also, there has been plenty of careless, stupid stuff: delay of game, too many men on the ice...

The Canes have to stop giving the opponents opportunities, or they just won't be able to keep up!

Biggest Issue No. 3 - How to Fix It

Three things:

Practice!
Change the Lines and Formations
Stop Committing Unnecessary Penalties

If all of these three things can change, the Canes will have success on their upcoming three-game stretch against the Western Conference. If they don't, they will continue to slip farther and farther behind the top teams.

NHL Power Rankings (Oct. 14): Shaky Starts Plague Projected Top Teams

Mark Jones — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:06:11 -0400

It's been a crazy two weeks we've had since the start of the 2009-2010 NHL season.

We've seen some teams get off to unexpected fast starts, while others, projected to be among the elite by experts in the preseason, have fallen below expectations.

The system for these power rankings (for those of you who like formulas) is as follows:

35% Projected Results
55% Success this season (so far)
10% intangibles/miscellaneous

For those of you who don't prefer formulas quite as much, let's just say that those little percentages aren't strictly followed.

Therefore, I am by no means saying that this is the order of toughness of opponents, this is just my little blended smoothie of projected, sensible standings and the baffling ones we are seeing right now. However, I am sure there will be people who disagree. And there's a space for you, too: It's called the comments section.

However, with all this craziness, sometimes you just have to remember, it has just been five games.

The Power Rankings

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-1-0, 10 pts)

The defending Stanley Cup champions definitely avoided the Cup hangover, and are tied for the top in the league in points so far.

2. Chicago Blackhawks (3-1-1, 7 pts)

The loss of Khahibulin apparently didn't hurt too much, for the 'Hawks are 3-1-1 and just completed a five goal comeback to beat Calgary several nights ago, which also wins the award for earning the most airtime the NHL has ever had on Sportscenter: 75 seconds.

3. New York Rangers (5-1-0, 10 pts)

After plentiful criticism during the offseason, the Rangers proved critics wrong with a fast start.

4. Philadelphia Flyers (3-1-1, 7 pts)

The opening-night road win against my Hurricanes was Emery's first game (and first shutout) back in the NHL, and he hasn't looked back yet.

5. Washington Capitals (2-2-2, 6 pts)

A great opening weekend has crumbled away, but the Caps are still among the league's best.

6. San Jose Sharks (3-2-1, 7 pts)

Dany Heatley didn't take long to settle in on the West Coast, and the Sharks are off and running for another great regular season.

7. Columbus Blue Jackets (4-1-0, 8 pts)

The Jackets also started the season with a bang, and have won four in a row after an opening-night loss.

8. Calgary Flames (4-2-1, 9 pts)

The Flames started with an impressive four-straight wins, but they've been sputtering in the past week.

9. New Jersey Devils (3-2-0, 6 pts)

A busy offseason led to two disorienting opening games, but the new-look Devils have since gotten it together.

10. Boston Bruins (2-3-0, 4 pts)

Inconsistency has plagued the Bruins helplessly so far, and the loss of Bergeron is also still an open wound. However, they still have plenty of potential to get a top-three playoff seed in whats turning out to be a pretty easy division.

11. Buffalo Sabres (3-0-1, 7 pts)

Ryan Miller has been sensational, and the Buffalo defense is currently the best in the league. It seems as if the worse the Bills get, the better the Sabres become!

12. Detroit Red Wings (2-3-0)

Sweden didn't work, Johan Franzen didn't work, and Buffalo sure didn't work.

13. Los Angeles Kings (4-1-0, 8 pts)

The Kings have looked good, really good. But you have to wonder if they have enough experience and top-level talent to keep it up.

14. Vancouver Canucks (2-3-0, 4 pts)

Just yet another top-rated team that's currently sitting below .500, and the Sedin injury also has to hurt. The Canucks need to start to group together again and overcome a sluggish opening half-month.

15. Anaheim Ducks (2-2-1, 5 pts)

There hasn't been to much special yet for the Ducks, but I think they have the players needed to make a run at the title of what may be the toughest NHL division this season.

16. Dallas Stars (1-0-3, 5 pts)

The Stars have certainly shown they can be competitive with just about anyone, and it shows in the record. However, they haven't yet shown if they know what it takes to win.

17. Ottawa Senators (3-2-0, 6 pts)

The Senators haven't been doing very well since about Christmas of 2007, but they have the skills needed to make a run at the title of the below-average Northeast division and a playoff spot.

18. Edmonton Oilers (3-1-1, 7 pts)

The Oilers have seven points in five games, not to mention a top-eight offense to compliment Khahibulin at the other end.

19. Carolina Hurricanes (2-3-0, 4 pts)

It's been a shaky, penalty-laden opening two weeks for the Hurricanes, but they still have the depth to get into the top third of the league by the end of the year.

20. Colorado Avalanche (4-1-1, 9 pts)

It's been quite a start for the Avs against a tough schedule, but I really don't think they will be able to ride this momentum for very much farther.

21. St. Louis Blues (2-2-0, 4 pts)

The Blues do better in Scandinavia than they do in St. Louis, I think.

22. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-1-2, 6 pts)

The Lightning have already suffered heartbreak, but they also have had their share of good play. Ryan Malone is poised for an excellent year, on the ice and on the fantasy scoresheet.

23. Montreal Canadiens (2-3-0, 4 pts)

After a thrilling overtime win versus Buffalo a week ago, the Habs have lost three in a row in a fashion more similar to the one seen last spring.

24. Minnesota Wild (1-3-0, 2 pts)

It hasn't clicked yet for the Wild, but trust me, I have a feeling the might make a run soon.

25. Phoenix Coyotes (3-2-0, 6 pts)

They got a sellout! For the first time ever in Phoenix! And also for the last time ever in Phoenix!

26. Atlanta Thrashers (2-1-0, 4 pts)

They haven't really seen much action yet (just three games in two weeks), but it has been a bit better than we expected.

27. Nashville Predators (2-2-0, 4 pts)

The goaltending has been exceptional, but in turn the offense has been even worse.

28. Florida Panthers (1-4-0, 2 pts)

Vokoun has a 5.00 GAA, and the Panthers are struggling. However, if he can turn that into a 1.50 GAA in the next five games, expect the Panthers to return to .500 or better. It's just how that team goes...

29. New York Islanders (0-1-3, 3 pts)

Somehow, the Islanders have managed to become competitive! But still not winners.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (0-5-1, 1 pt)

This is what pure depress and deflation looks like.

Comments (agree or disagree?) are certainly welcome.

Up and Down: Grading the Carolina Hurricanes' First Five Games

Mark Jones — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:07:12 -0400

It's time to take a look back at the Carolina Hurricanes' first five games of the 2009-2010 season. Many 'Canes experts were feeling confident heading into the season, but the inconsistent start has mellowed some enthusiasm.

All in all, the Hurricanes are 2-3 where it counts. Still, there have been some ups (as well as plenty of downs), and the difficult schedule has made it tough on them.

So lets take a moment to review and grade the how the different units of the Hurricanes team have fared so far in their first 10 days.

Game-by-Game Breakdowns

Game One - Philadelphia 2, Carolina 0

In a more competitive game than the score showed, the Flyers came into Raleigh and quieted down a sellout opening-day crowd at the RBC Center in their 2-0 victory.

Cam Ward was solid during 59 of the 60 minutes, but back-to-back power-play goals to open the second period set up by Samsanov's double-minor gave the Flyers a two-goal edge they held for the rest of the game. Questioned Philly goaltender Ray Emery was stellar in a 28-save shutout.

Grade: C+

Game Two - Carolina 2, Boston 7

Carolina came into Boston for their second game of the season looking for their first goal. They got goals, from Scott Walker and Eric Staal, but the game was still another crushing defeat.

Marc Savard, Michael Ryder, Blake Wheeler and Marco Sturm all scored on Ward before he was replaced by Leighton late in the second. Wideman, Thornton and Hunwick also scored for Boston as the Bruins converted four times on a whopping 12 power-play opportunities.

Grade: D-

Game Three - Tampa Bay 1, Carolina 2 (SO)

After a horrible back-to-back to start the season, Carolina came out strong at home without TV coverage and beat the Lightning 2-1 in a shootout.

Jussi Jokinen's power-play goal in the first period set off the horn for the first time in Raleigh, but Ryan Malone's second-period strike tied the game at one.

After a stagnant overtime, Samsanov and Ruutu scored in the shootout to record the first two points of the season for Carolina.

Grade: A-

Game Four - Florida 2, Carolina 7

A slow start finally broke open last Friday as the Hurricanes rolled over the Florida Panthers 7-2.

After three first-period goals, the Hurricanes cruised through the remainder of the game without as much as a bump. Kostopoulus and Harrison both scored for the first time with the Hurricanes. Jokinen, Ruutu, Whitney, Cullen and Brind'Amour all added tallies.

Grade: A+

Game Five - Carolina 2, Tampa Bay 5

After a great defensive effort in the first period, the score broke open in the second and the 'Canes lost it in the third. Ryan Malone scored a hat-trick and already has four goals in two games against Carolina. The Lightning beat the Hurricanes for the first time in eight games.

Cam Ward was splendid early, but the Hurricanes' lack of discipline led to too many Tampa Bay power plays for him to survive.

Grade: B-

Power Play

On Paper: 4-for-29, 13.8 percent.

This part of the score sheet looked pretty miserable until the fifth game versus Tampa Bay. Actually, it still does.

Eric Staal started out playing the unit on the point, which was odd and ineffective. After the move to upper forward in the diamond position, he became more productive, making several nice passes and recording a nicely-timed wrap-around goal to open the scoring against Tampa.

Still, only four power play goals have been scored despite a ton of chances, just like last year. This unit must improve for the 'Canes to do well.

Grade: C+

Discipline

On Paper: 33 Power Plays Allowed.

One word: dismal.

That's exactly the way to describe the Carolina Hurricanes, who somehow managed to be the best in the league in this category last season.

They've been giving up almost seven power plays per game so far, and it hasn't been helping the penalty kill or Cam Ward's numbers. This must stop, or the terms "hooking," "interference," and "high-sticking" will be forever embedded in the minds of 'Canes defensemen.

Grade: D

Penalty Kill

On Paper: 25-for-33, 76 percent.

Just another unit sitting among the worst in the NHL. However, the over-working certainly hasn't helped then and there has been improvement recently.

Still, Cam Ward's been the only guy doing anything to stop the power plays, which have been coming very often.

Grade: C

Shot Production/Shots Allowed

On Paper: 142 Total Produced (28.4 per game), 165 Allowed (33 per game).

On the score sheet, we've been outshot. But this category has not become a big concern yet, and most of the differential came from the blowout in Boston.

The lower lines have been quite productive, while the top line has not been doing quite as well.

Grade: B

Other Notes:

Sergei Samsanov—He's yet to record a goal, and he's a -2. Samsanov also has 10 PIM already, including a double-minor versus Philadelphia that led to both of the Flyers' goals. With a new role on the first and second lines because of Cole's injury, he must step up his game.
Rod Brind'Amour—After a slump-filled season last year, the captain has three points in five appearances and is +2. His work ethic has also been great and he has been a key piece in the recent power-play chemistry.
Jay Harrison —The offseason arrival from Toronto has performed very well, filling in for resting Joni Pitkanen. He recorded his first goal as a 'Cane Friday against Florida.

Upcoming Schedule

The Hurricanes will play next Wednesday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the RBC Center.

They will then start a four-game road trip at New Jersey on Saturday. They'll face the Islanders next Wednesday in New York. That is followed by a three-game stand against Western Conference foes Colorado, Minnesota and St. Louis.

Watch for big performances against Pittsburgh and New Jersey to get the Hurricanes back on track.

Note: For those of you who have not yet heard, I have been promoted to Community Leader and Featured Columnist for the Carolina Hurricanes. Email me any comments or questions you have at salt4pepper2@gmail.com.

NFL Weekly Spread/Score Picks: Week Four

Mark Jones — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:55:57 -0400

After a few weeks off, I'm back with a late edition of my NFL Week Four picks.

Each game includes a sentence or two of summary, a projected score, and the betting/spread pick. A couple games are also selected each week as "Locks of the Week" or "Upsets of the week".

I'm a measly 25-23 against the spread so far, but I hope that will change soon with a revision of my formula for spread picks.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears

The Lions are energized after last week's win, but the Bears need a win to keep up with the division. The surprising Lions defense does well again, but the inexperience of the Detroit offense will cause them to lose the game by a touchdown.

Lions 14, Bears 21

Spread: Lions +10

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

The quarterback situation in Cleveland is awful, the running game is dead, and the defense will be shredded apart by both Palmer and Benson. Browns lose in a rout at home, another step on their way towards a 2-14 season.

Bengals 30, Browns 10...Lock of the Week Number One

Spread: Bengals -6

Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans

The Texans are probably one of the most confusing teams in the league right now. They upset the Titans, but then fall to Jacksonville. However, Oakland is just the opposite. Everyone's pretty sure about how bad they are.

Raiders 17, Texans 34

Spread: Texans -8.5

Seattle Seahawks @ Indianapolis Colts

Even with Hasselbeck not playing, I can give the Seahawks credit for a decent offense with Carlson, Burleson, and Julius Jones. Still, though, the Seattle defense is too choppy to keep up with Manning and the Colts passing game.

Seahawks 20, Colts 28

Spread: Seahawks +10.5

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew might have something else to say, but the Titans are too desperate for a win to stay alive for them to lose today against a mediocre opponent.

Titans win in a nail-biter, 27-23.

Titans 27, Jaguars 23

Spread: Titans -3 in a toss-up

New York Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs

Eli Manning continues his streak of spreading around the passes to playmakers Smith, Manningham, and Nicks, and Brandon Jacobs finally catches on. Giants score 40+, dominate struggling Kansas City.

Giants 42, Chiefs 13...Lock of the Week No. 2

Spread: Giants 8.5

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots

This is probably the best matchup we've had yet this season in 2009, and it's going to feel like it. I think Brady will finally get his juices running again, but the Ravens will continue their shocking offensive production for a last-minute rally to win.

Ravens 30, Patriots 28

Spread: Ravens +2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Washington Redskins

This is the most depressing matchup of the week by far, and, just like the game above, it's going to feel like it. In the end, though, the Bucs running game finally gets going and Washington suffers another miserable defeat.

Buccaneers 23, Redskins 17...Upset of the Week Number One

Spread: Bucs +7.5

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins

After last season's 11-5 record, it's surprising to see the Dolphins 0-3, but the truth is that they're really just not that good. Still, the three losses were all against good teams.

Buffalo is their first break, but I don't have enough confidence in Chad Henne to call a win for the 'Fins here.

Bills 27, Dolphins 21

Spread: Bills -1

New York Jets @ New Orleans Saints

It's the going to be the most hostile place Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez has ever played in his life, and it's the most pressure he's probably ever felt, either. Drew Brees will end up making the difference a tight, exciting game. However, the Jets will cover.

Jets 20, Saints 24

Spread: Jets +7

Dallas Cowboys @ Denver Broncos

A lot of expects are calling the Broncos not deserving of their 3-0 record, rightfully so, but I'm not convinced that Denver is as overrated as they say. Dallas will struggle in the first half like they did against Carolina, but in the end experience will make the difference as the Cowboys will rally for a tremendous win.

Cowboys 28, Broncos 27

Spread: Complete toss-up

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers

I don't know how the 49ers do it, but so far they've looked like a pretty good team. On the other hand, St. Louis hasn't exactly looked quite the same. 49ers win, but it's not the blowout expected.

Rams 13, 49ers 24

Spread: 49ers -9.5 in a toss-up

San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are 1-2. Shocking, huh? Not really. They are just not quite the team they were last year, and a loss today would start to get Steelers fans worried about what I just said. Phillip Rivers is too talented to fall again in Pittsburgh.

Chargers 28, Steelers 21...Upset of the Week Number Two

Spread: Chargers +6 easily

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson vs. Ryan Grant. Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian vs. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. Ryan Longwell vs. Mason Crosby. I think that's it...oh, yeah, I forgot one. Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers.

Edge=Packers. No heroics this time, Brett.

Packers 26, Vikings 24

Spread: Packers +3.5

Feel free to post your opinions by commenting, sending me an email, or posting a note on my bulletin board. Edits are also appreciated.

Hurricanes-Bruins Preview: Canes Must Turn Chances into Goals

Mark Jones — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:10:38 -0400

Oct. 2, 2009, was a day of missed opportunities, disappointments, and an opening-day home loss for the Carolina Hurricanes.

In front of a sellout crowd, rowdy and ready to watch the Canes march their way to the Cup in the new season, Carolina had two shots sail wide with plenty of net open, two wristers off the post, and one goal nullified from a hand pass. The Hurricanes were also a dreadful 0-for-8 on the powerplay.

New Flyers goalie Ray Emery was perfect throughout the night, and the Hurricanes are still waiting to score their first goal of the year, losing to Philadelphia, 2-0.

Now they have to fly quickly into Boston tired, disappointed, and anxious. There is a loud, opposing crowd waiting in New England, and another elite and talented team on the other side of the ice. But they are having their fair share of anxiety as well.

That's mostly because of Thursday's weak effort against Washington, where the Bruins appeared strangely out-of-rhythm. All-star goaltender Tim Thomas gave up four goals, and Boston was out-played in shots, physicality, and on the scoreboard.

They were down by four late in the contest, but a meaningless goal broke the ice. However, a 4-1 loss was definitely not what they were looking for.

So both teams head into the matchup needing a win to start getting on the road to a top-five seed in the playoffs. It's sure to be a great game, with sensational goaltenders Tim Thomas and Cam Ward staring each other down from each end of the ice, both reflecting on matches and playoff series gone past (see 2009 playoffs).

But the offenses won't be lacking either, when the first lines step on the ice for the opening faceoff. So let's buckle down for a battle of the fallen elite, and take a look at what might come of tonight's game.

Keys to Victory - Carolina Hurricanes

1. Powerplay

This is obvious. 0-for-8 is completely unacceptable, especially against an inconsistent goaltender in your home arena. The coaches are furious, the management is furious, and the players may well be furious, too.

The Hurricanes need to have a better performance with the man-advantage tonight. They will probably get less chances, but they need to convert on the ones they get. The powerplay actually generated plenty of shots Friday, but just couldn't get the puck in the net.

What they really need versus Boston is goals from the unit, and, in the end, the play of the Carolina special teams may very well determine the outcome of the entire game.

2. Discipline

The Hurricanes had the fewest penalty minutes of any NHL team in 2008-2009, but it didn't really show last night.

The Hurricanes gave up five powerplays to the Flyers, including one double-minor to Samsanov and as well as a fighting major, fight instigator, and game misconduct (all to Tim Gleason). In all, there were 19 penalties between the two teams, with 10 in the first period.

This will likely end up being another key for the Hurricanes tonight. Boston is a physical, tough team, and if they try to fight back, the penalty box might be in for yet another busy night. In the end, the Flyers won off Carolina penalties, and that must not happen again.

3. Scoring the First Goal

The Hurricanes have already gone through their first 60 minutes of the season without setting off the red light, and they need to make sure that time without scoring doesn't get much longer.

If the Canes can get a goal in the first 10 minutes, they should be more confident and stable for the rest of the game.

Keys to Victory - Boston Bruins

1. Continuing to Produce Later in the Game

After the first period, the Bruins were tied in shots with Washington, 10 to 10. The Caps had a one-goal lead, but the game was still very close in contention. Then, in the second period, the Bruins tapered off a bit, producing just seven shots to the Capitals 12 and letting in anther goal.

Then, in the final 20 minutes, Boston was clearly out-shot 12-3, and gave up two goals for a game total of 4 GA.

The Bruins must manage to keep with the 'Canes as the game goes on into the second and third periods. Carolina did just the opposite yesterday, increasing in shots by period. Line shifts must increase in the second half of the game, energy must continue to flow, and the Bruins cannot afford to let Carolina get their way in the third period.

2. Tim Thomas

Simply put, another four-goal performance is not what the Bruins want from their elite goalie, Tim Thomas. The Canes do not have quite the offense of Washington, and they must manage to lower Thomas's shots faced in order to keep the goal total at no more than two for the night.

The Boston defense must also live up to expectations and keep up with playmaking speedsters Eric Staal, Erik Cole (who did very well against the Flyers), Tuomo Ruutu, and Sergei Samsanov.

3. Not Allowing Lower-Level Scoring

Against Washington, it was Brooks Laich. They can't let it be Samsanov, Cullen, Kostopoulus, or anybody else against Carolina.

Laich was able to score two goals and three points on Thursday, which ended up really being the gamebreaker for the Caps. Another three-point night from a third or fourth line Hurricane may end up making the same difference that Laich did two days ago.

Game Projection

First Period

Goals: Carolina-Cole (6:30), Boston-Lucic (PP) (12:15), Boston-Wideman (16:40)

Score: Carolina 1, Boston 2

Shots: Carolina 8, Boston 13

Second Period

Goals: Boston-Krejci (PP) (11:10)

Score: Carolina 1, Boston 3

Shots: Carolina 9, Boston 11

Third Period

Goals: Carolina-Ruutu (4:20), Boston-Chara (EN) (19:05)

Shots: Carolina 14, Boston 6

Totals

Final Score: Hurricanes 2, Bruins 4

Shots: Hurricanes 31, Bruins 30

Powerplay: Carolina 0-for-3, Boston 2-for-5

College Football BestBets: Week Four Betting Picks

Mark Jones — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:21:52 -0400

After a week off, my college football weekly betting picks will return for week four.

Last week, USC and BYU were shocked by two completely overlooked lower level teams. Oregon pulled off a huge win over Utah, Miami launched themselves into the national picture with a win over Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech won a thriller versus Nebraska.

If you haven't read any of my earlier articles, here's the rundown on the format. Each week I choose about nine games (that's the number this week, at least) that I think are the best picks against the spread out of all the games that week.

Each game receives a score of 10 to 200, indicating my confidence, with the higher the better. In week one, I finished at +405 for points won, and the week two total was +455. Each week also has a specially-picked game known as the "Weekly BestBet," which is almost always worth 200 points.

So, let's get on with the picks.

It is an underdog-friendly week, with six of the nine picks going for a team not favored. I'll start with the lowest value first, and here we go.

10 Points

New Mexico State (+9.5) @ New Mexico

Put simply, both teams are horrible. Put even simpler, I really don't know anything about either one. But I do know that State only beat Prairie View A&M by three points last week, and that's enough to scare me. Really scare me.

Pick: New Mexico (-9.5)

25 Points

Ole Miss (-3) @ South Carolina

Ole Miss is a team that has talent on every side of the ball. I love the passing game here with Jevan Sneed, and I have confidence with the defense, too.

On the other hand, South Carolina has an inconsistent offense and an untested defense. About the only thing they have going for them here is home-field advantage, and that's not going to save the game. Ole Miss easily covers.

Pick: Ole Miss (-3)

50 Points

Middle Tennessee (-7.5) @ North Texas

I'm beginning to get really impressed with Middle Tennessee. First, they easily dealt with Memphis a week before last, who was a bowl team last year. Then, last week, they pulled off a big upset of Maryland for the second year in a row.

Their opponent this week, North Texas, is the worst team in the second-worst conference, and are probably one of the five worst teams in the nation.

Goodbye, Mean Green. I have a feeling that's what you might be feeling about yourselves after this one: mean and definitely green.

Pick: Middle Tennessee (-7.5)

75 Points

TCU (+3) @ Clemson

The Horned Toads are a team that could really sneak up on people, and seem likely to have a good chance at the BCS-Buster role of 2009. But the game is at Death Valley, and the Tigers are hoping to become a dark horse this year, too!

However, I've got to stick with my major gut instinct, which is TCU. They have arguably the best defense in the country, and the offense is on the rise, too. After a big upset here, watch for Texas Christian to make a run into the top-ten by the end of October!

Pick: TCU (+3)

100 Points

Army (+10) @ Iowa State

Army is actually quite an up-and-coming team, in my opinion. Still, that doesn't mean they're good. But I'm quite certain that the Black Knights are 10 points better than the worst team in football.

Watch for Army to pick up a nice win here and possibly get to maybe five wins this season. Anyhow, they easily win with the extra points.

Pick: Army (+10)

100 Points

Miami (-2.5) @ Virginia Tech

This is a complete rip-off, no doubt about it. Virginia Tech has homefield advantage, much more big game experience, and is coming off a win at least as big as Miami's.

Sure, Jacory Harris will put up a fight, and this should be very interesting, but I really think that Tech can put up a better performance than this spread projects.

Should still be a really good game to watch, though...I'll call Hokies 24, Hurricanes 20.

Pick: Virginia Tech (+2.5)

150 Points

Minnesota (+2.5) @ Northwestern

Minnesota has had an interesting season so far. First, the overtime win over Syracuse and Greg Paulus, then a lost opportunity to upset Cal last week. But now, they start conference play.

First up is Northwestern, who is coming off a nine-win season, but has really struggled so far.

I mean, really struggled.

First, they had to score twice in the latter stages of the fourth quarter to recover for a win against Eastern Michigan, and then they suffered a devastating loss to Syracuse last week, as well.

I think that the Wildcats might have a very tough year after their best season in recent history in 2008. Minnesota has a chance to cruise to a double-digit win here in Chicago.

Pick: Minnesota (+2.5)

150 Points

Oregon State (+2) @ Arizona

Oregon State really does deserve to be in the top 25, and I have no doubt they will eventually end up there. However, this could be a little test for the Beaver's hopes.

This game is actually a lot like the previous one. It features a decent team coming off a tough loss heading on the road to play a conference team that had a break out 2008 year. And I have just as much confidence that Oregon State will win decently as I do with Minnesota.

The Beaver's defense will respond from a bad week three, and Arizona will be held to no more than one touchdown as State takes it, 23-13.

Pick: Oregon State (+2)

Weekly BestBet, 200 Points

Pittsburgh (Even) @ North Carolina State

I can't believe Vegas would let a game this lopsided get to a [rare] even point spread, but I'm going to take every bit of advantage I can from it to secure an easy 200 points.

N.C. State has been pretty depressing so far, after losing a "mind-numbingly boring game" to South Carolina on national television and following it up by giving up three touchdowns to Murray State and Gardner-Webb.

On the other hand, Pitt is (as I've said before) the most underrated team in the nation right now. They have a balanced roster all across the page, and a one-loss season would probably end up with a BCS bid and a real eye-opening season. This is where it all starts, when they head into Raleigh and blow out the Wolfpack, 31-13.

Pick of the Week: Pitt (Even)

Note: These predictions and their corresponding point evaluations are based on my opinion alone. They are not required bets by any means, but on the other side, I am not responsible for any cash losses suffered by suggested bets that did not pay off. However, I am sincerely sorry for any incorrect suggested bets that I posted on this article.

However, please feel free to comment and tell us your opinions on our weekly picks!

MJ's College Football Top 30: Week Four

Mark Jones — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:48:22 -0400

My top 30 returns for another bout in Week Four of the 2009 College Football season.

Last week, top-20 powerhouses such as USC, Georgia Tech, Utah and BYU were ousted from the elite class, while teams such as Washington, Florida State, and Oregon received major victories.

The ACC was the conference of the week, with their three top teams (Miami, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina) each posting important wins, while Maryland and Duke also suffered crushing blows to their hopes of conference contention.

Now, after the weekly summary, let's get on with my rankings. The list includes 31 this week, with Oregon State the special extra. Washington won't make the cut for the list for their shocking upset of USC, while Florida State did manage to move themselves into the rankings.

1. (LW-1)Florida Gators...The Gators got the win the expected against Tennessee, but the Volunteers did manage to prove that it is possible for a decent team to keep up with the mighty Gators.

2. (LW-3) Alabama Crimson Tide...Alabama switches places with Texas up to No. 2, but they're still by no means anywhere in the clear with such a tough SEC schedule ahead of them. However, they've certainly taken care of business so far.

3. (LW-2) Texas Longhorns...The Longhorns did avenge their 2008 loss to Texas Tech, but their first competitive game of the season finally gives opponents some weaknesses to work on.

4. (LW-6) Penn State Nittany Lions

5. (LW-4) California Golden Bears...California had some struggles against Minnesota, but in the end, Jahvid Best had a career day and the Bears picked up some crucial game experience.

6. (LW-7) Ole Miss Rebels...Ole Miss will get their first real test of the season on a nationally televised game this Thursday night against SEC-opponent South Carolina.

7. (LW-11) Virginia Tech Hokies...The Hokies once again prove that they are still a talented top-10 team with their vital home victory against Nebraska. This week, they'll prove if they deserve to be in the BCS once more with a huge match against Miami.

8. (LW-8) Boise State Broncos...Boise State beat up on the Bulldogs and pulled the WAC title even nearer to certainty.

9. (LW-9) Ohio State Buckeyes...After two shaky opening games, the Buckeyes turned back the doubters with a dominating rout of Toledo.

10. (LW-14) LSU Tigers...The only reason LSU was 14th last week was because of the faltering match with Washington, and...well, we got a glimpse of Washington last weekend.

11. (LW-12) Oklahoma Sooners...The BYU loss has got to make them feel even worse, but once Bradford returns they'll once again return to the top-10 and their dynasty status.

12. (LW-3) USC Trojans...Washington was a devastating loss, but Barkley was gone and the trap game simply caught the Trojans off-guard.

13. (LW-13) TCU Horned Frogs...TCU will prove if they deserve the top-15 BCS-buster status with a big road game against Clemson this Saturday.

14. (LW-24) Miami Hurricanes...Miami shot themselves up the rankings with their upset of favored Georgia Tech, but they have another game that has the possibly to determine their season with Virginia Tech Saturday night.

15. (LW-15) Houston Cougars...The Cougars ride to the C-USA championship gets easier every week, and the new focus is a BCS at-large bid for up-and-coming Houston.

16. (LW-10) Brigham Young Cougars...BYU took a shot in the neck with the home blowout to FSU, but they can still make a case for the Mountain West conference title with Max Hall at the helm.

17. (LW-18) Cincinnatti Bearcats...Cincinnati put up an impressive performance in the road win at Oregon State, but the Big East could field some other top-level competitors besides the Bearcats for them to deal with.

18. (LW-16) Oklahoma State Cowboys

19. (LW-21) Kansas Jayhawks...They beat up on a punching bag with Duke, but the Big 12 conference schedule is just starting.

20. (LW-22) Pitt Panthers...The Panthers remain my pick for "Most Underrated" with a nice win over the steady Navy Midshipmen, but Cincinnati, West Virginia, and others still remain in the conference.

21. (LW-27) North Carolina Tar Heels...After a falter in offense in Week Two at UConn, the Heels regained all the confidence back by putting up 31 points against in-state rival ECU.

22. (LW-19) Nebraska Cornhuskers...Nebraska suffered a setback in the last-minute loss to Virginia Tech, but they can record nine or 10 wins if they get a few big wins in their tough conference schedule.

23. (LW-NR) Florida State Seminoles...The BYU win was huge, but I still have lacking confidence in the Seminoles chances in the tight ACC standings.

24. (LW-23) Georgia Bulldogs...Georgia did well against Arkansas, but they remain on the verge on the top 25 rankings.

25. (LW-17) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...The Yellow Jackets got picked over in Miami, but I still have lots of confidence in the offense.

26. (LW-NR) Oregon Ducks...Oregon was one of two teams to move into the rankings after not making the cut last week, and what a wet win it was against the Utes.

27. (LW-26) Missouri Tigers

28. (LW-20) Utah Utes

29. (LW-28) UCLA Bruins...UCLA could be a real dark horse in the race for the Pac-10 championship.

30. (LW-30) Michigan Wolverines

31. (LW-25) Oregon State Beavers...The Beavers let a big opportunity slip by in the Bearcats loss, but they could still put up eight wins this season.

2009-2010 NHL Complete Season Previews: Carolina Hurricanes

Mark Jones — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:18:50 -0400

"The thunder rolls, and the lightning flashes. Dark, menacing storm clouds lurk overhead...a torrential downpour of rain begins to pour from the sky.

Nearby, Penguins screech, Bruins call out in pain, Panthers fall to the earth, and even the Devil goes back to the underworld."

Nice one, Hurricanes advertisement! Way to make our games sound like a Katrina, and not a family-friendly night out!

Still, back to reality. The Hurricanes do have the most confidence in years, and Carolina seems ready for a top-five playoff finish, as well. However, it's not all set in stone.

In this complete season preview, I'll cover about everything there is to now leading up to the 2009-2010 NHL season. First, I will start with the offseason changes, and then move on to the depth chart, roster, and lines. Next, I break down the schedule month by month. Following that, I submit my final prediction for the 09-10 Carolina Hurricanes season.

Part I - Offseason Changes

Additions: LW Tom Kostopoulos (FA-Montreal), C Stephane Yelle (FA-Boston), RD Aaron Ward (Trade-Boston), RD Andrew Alberts (FA-Philadelphia), LD Jay Harrison (FA-Toronto), LW Stephen Goertzen (FA-Phoenix), RD Zach Fitzgerald (FA-Vancouver)

The Hurricanes did exactly what they needed to do this offseason: Add depth and grit. They also worked over the more-northerly Eastern Conference teams, picking up big names from elite teams such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Montreal.

The two main offensive additions were LW Tom Kostopoulos from Montreal and center Stephane Yelle from Boston.

Kostopoulus is a great fit for the team because of his physicality, and he will also provide needed help on the lower level lines, where the 'Canes management hope he can improve on his 22 points from a year ago.

Stephane Yelle is another fourth-line veteran player that the Hurricanes were looking for. Last year as a center for Boston, Yelle had 18 points (7 G, 11 A) and was a disciplined force at the bottom of the lineup.

Also added on the scoring side is prospect Stephen Goertzen from Phoenix.

On the other side of the puck, the Hurricanes signed four needed defensemen. Aaron Ward was re-acquired from Boston after playing with the Hurricanes in their 2006 Stanley Cup win, and Andrew Alberts from Philly will fill a hole in the third defensive pairing.

Ward was a +16 defenseman in Boston's second pairing who also had a hard-hitting aspect of him at 6'2", 210 lbs., and he also notched 10 points as well.

Also added to the defense is Jay Harrison from Toronto, who had limited playing time with the Maple Leafs in 08-09 and will likely be an extra-man dressed for the 'Canes this season.

Losses: LW Patrick Eaves (trade-Boston), RW Ryan Bayda (FA-Cut), RD Dennis Seidenburg (FA-Florida), RD Frantisek Kaberle (FA-Buyout), LD Anton Babchuk (FA-Asking for too much), C Dwight Helminen (FA-San Jose)

The Hurricanes actually finished out even in terms of players signed/players lost, but many of the losses were intentional.

Patrick Eaves was traded to Boston with a draft pick for Aaron Ward after two disappointing seasons with the 'Canes.

Ryan Bayda, who played about 30 games for the Hurricanes last year, was let go, as well.

Defenseman Frantisek Kaberle was great for Carolina in the 2006 Cup season, but has never made an impact since and had his contract bought out.

Dennis Seidenburg will be missed, after making a scoring impact in both the regular season and playoffs for the Canes, and providing a consistent defensive effort. Seidenburg was signed by the Panthers earlier this week.

Dwight Helminen, the Canes top minor-league player, was also lost to the San Jose Sharks.

Re-signings: LW Tuomo Ruutu, RW Eric Cole, RW Chad LaRose, C Jussi Jokinen

The Hurricanes did very well in this category, managing to hold on to their top four players with expiring contracts.

Tuomo Ruutu has been great for the Hurricanes after leaving his inconsistency behind in Chicago several years ago, and he notched 26 goals and 28 assists last season for the team.

Eric Cole was re-acquired at the deadline from a shaky year with Edmonton, and turned out to be a smart move despite suffering through a playoff drought.

Chad LaRose, a great penalty killer and gritty third-liner, and Jussi Jokinen, who was a playoff hero for the Hurricanes after being signed in March off the Lightning waiver wire, were also both given new contracts.

Part II - Depth Chart and Lines

Offensive Lines

Line One—LW Ray Whitney...C Eric Staal...RW Eric Cole

The top line for the Hurricanes is one of the most underrated groups in the NHL. On the left is aging but still very productive Ray Whitney, who led the 'Canes in points with 77 in 08-09 and also scored 24 goals.

In the center is young superstar Eric Staal, the core of the team. Staal blew away the rest of pack in the goals column last season, notching the second 40-goal season of his career and also getting 35 assists, and still even has the possibility of improving on both those numbers this year.

Finally, on the right is Eric Cole, who had terrific chemistry after his late-season return to the Hurricanes, and should begin to become more productive as he settles back in.

Line Two—LW Tuomo Ruutu...C Matt Cullen...RW Chad LaRose

Leading off the second line is left winger Tuomo Ruutu, who has the talent to be a first liner and may end up there soon. Ruutu had 54 points last season, and is a likely candidate to possibly near even 70 this season.

Next to him is the perfect combo of Matt Cullen and Chad LaRose, who teamed up for plenty of great plays in five on five, as well as scoring four combined shorthanded goals (three of which were assisted by the other)!

Cullen had 22 goals and 43 points by himself as well last year, and LaRose scored 19 times for 31 points. Together, it seems likely that they could notch well over 80 combined points this year.

Line Three—LW Sergei Samsanov...C Jussi Jokinen...RW Scott Walker

After years and years of disappointment by various teams over Sergei Samsanov, he's finally found his comfort zone in Carolina. Samsanov had 48 points last year, was a great team player and passer (32 assists), and now is the anchor of the third line.

In the middle is Jokinen, one of the best feel-good stories of the previous NHL season. Jokinen had been a disaster for Tampa Bay heading into the spring, and was plucked off waiver wires as for depth. However, Jokinen started pouring in the points immediately, and ended up getting six playoff goals to help the Canes make their magical run.

Next to him is Scott Walker, the sturdy veteran who provides the defensive side of the offense. Walker was also the hero in overtime of Game Seven against Boston in the Eastern Conference 2009 Semi-Finals.

Line Four—LW Tom Kostopoulus....C Rod Brind'Amour....RW Stephane Yelle

The final group for the Hurricanes is so balanced, it has the possibility to be the second. But there is also plenty of opportunity for regressing.

Let me explain. First of all, let's talk about Brind'Amour. He's entering the almost-certainly last season of his career, and still wears the captain mark. But Brind'Amour also had the second-worst +/- rating of any player in the league, finishing at the pathetic -23 (and was at -34 with a couple months to go).

Then, the two other players on both sides of him are new to the team. I have good feelings on Kostopoulos, but if he doesn't work out, the Hurricanes fourth line might plummet quickly.

Defense

Pairing One—LD Tim Gleason....RD Joe Corvo

The first pairing for the Hurricanes is made of two great players on the two opposite ends of their position.

Gleason is the tough, physical player...6'0", 217 lbs, 68 PM last season...and zero goals. Corvo is the scorer...14 goals, 24 assists...and not quite a fighter (just 18 penalty minutes).

Pairing Two—LD Joni Pitkanen....RD Aaron Ward

The second pairing has the potential to become one of the elite pairs in the league. Pitkanen can both defend and score, as he proved last season with 33 points, and Aaron Ward is a huge wall for attackers.

Together, watch for these two guys to excell at their spots and lead the Canes to several great wins.

Pairing Three—LD Niclas Wallin....RD Andrew Alberts

The final pairing doesn't have quite the outlook of pairing two.

Wallin has limited playing time usually, and only had ten points as well, despite working out fine as a low-level man. As a Flyer last year, Alberts had 13 points, but never really did much productive things on either side of the puck.

Goaltending

Cam Ward has got to be the best thing that ever happened to a professional sports team from North Carolina. Emerging to stardom in 2006, he led the 'Canes to a Stanley Cup win and a Conn Smythe trophy. Now, after two so-so years, Ward is back on the top of his game.

Last season, Ward had a 91.8 save percentage, 2.44 GAA, and six shutouts, leading the Canes to 39 wins by himself. This year, Cam Ward seems poised to be one of the top three goalies in the league.

Behind Ward is backup Michael Leighton, who was decent in his scrappy playing time and managed to serve fine as backup. Behind him is underperforming minor league goalie Justin Peters.

Part III—Three Keys to Success

Powerplay: The Hurricanes finished 18th in the NHL last season in this stat, despite finishing first in powerplay opportunities. They were also 0-for-6 with the man advantage last night in the preseason loss to Nashville. Imagine what they could be if they finished in the top six or seven in that!?
Cam Ward: It's pretty nice when a key to success is your top-flight goaltender, which is exactly what Ward is. If he can emerge among the league's top, the Hurricanes should be able to focus their defenseman at what they do best; scoring, while still holding their opponents to very little points.
The Fourth Line: Whoever ends up there, it's key for the balanced 'Canes offense to get production from the fourth line. Brind'Amour also needs to improve his play majorly, too.

Part IV - Month-by-Month Schedule Breakdown

Now, we turn to the schedule. The Hurricanes longest road or home streak is four games, but the schedule still has plenty of surprises. Let's start with the first month, October.

October 2009

The Hurricanes season opener is not only at home, it's going to be a great game against the Flyers. This could really set the tone for the season.

The next night, the 'Canes also get the angry Bruins on the road in what's sure to be a crucial matchup.

Following that, they go on a three-game division run until hosting the Stanley Cup champion Penguins on the 14th. Carolina then has a four-game road streak (17th-24th), which starts a three-game stand against Western Conference teams (23rd-28th).

November 2009

The 'Canes open the second month of the season with an intriguing game hosting the San Jose Sharks on the first of the month.

From the 13th to the 21st, the Hurricanes cram in six games, five of which are at home, including their second game in three weeks against the Minnesota Wild.

On the 23rd and 25th, Carolina will travel to Anaheim and Dallas for two great games. The will then return home to host their first game of the season against divisional-foe Atlanta.

December 2009

The Hurricanes will open this month with another big game hosting Vancouver, following a six-day break in the schedule. They will then go on a four-game road streak with four games in six days.

On the days leading up to Christmas, the Hurricanes should get a good look at where they stand so far with four straight home games against conference contenders Florida, New York (Rangers), Montreal, and Philadelphia.

January 2010

In what is sure to be an exciting time in the new year, the Hurricanes have a balanced, testing January.

On the tenth, they will host the Senators, a team they should beat but struggled against last year. Then, three days later, the Hurricanes travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings.

After that, the 'Canes play three straight division games before a difficult stretch against the Flyers, Bruins, and Rangers from the 23rd to the 27th.

February 2010

The Hurricanes cram in seven games in thirteen days in February before a massive two-week All-Star break. They start the month with four away games, the first two against Canadiens fores Edmonton and Calgary.

They then switch over to a three-game homestand before their long stretch off.

March 2010

After a much-needed break, March is going to be hectic. With 16 games in the month, the highest total of any month, it's sure to be a big test heading into the playoff races.

They'll have an easy run at first with the Leafs, Sens, Panthers, and Thrashers, which will lead into a difficult four-game stretch at the RBC Center.

On the 16th and 18th, two huge games against Washington and Boston could set the tone for the final playoff run. The RBC Center will also see the Caps for the second time in nine days on the 25th, before the 'Canes head to a home-and-away series with the Thrashers.

April 2010

The final five games of the season will come in April, but none should be pushovers.

It starts on the first with a road duel with Ottawa, before coming home to host New Jersey two days later. They then head to Tampa before finishing with a home game against Montreal on the sixth and a road finale with Boston on the tenth.

Final 2009-2010 Season Prediction

The Hurricanes should feel good about their confidence. And they should feel good about their season.

The Hurricanes may jump out to a great Autumn, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them second or third in points for a while. However, a difficult January and March will catch up to them and slip the 'Canes down a few spots.

However, it should still be a great year for the Hurricanes, and they should go into the playoffs feeling perfectly fine.

Final Prediction:

Fifth Conference, Second Division: 99 Points

College Football Top 25: Week Three

Mark Jones — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:52:51 -0400

My weekly rankings have gotten started a little late, but you can now expect a personalized top 25 (plus five extra) rankings coming out each week from me.

Don't expect too much besides a simple list of the teams in order, also listing their record and AP rank in parentheses besides my rank. Some teams may receive a sentence or two describing their high rank.

For the weeks following this edition, there will also be a "Last Week" rank for each team listed:

1. (AP-1) Florida Gators, 2-0

2. (AP-2) Texas Longhorns, 2-0...The Longhorns are a long way from first place, but expect them to contend well with Florida.

3.(AP-4) Alabama Crimson Tide, 2-0...Alabama is third for now, but I could see a major loss down the road.

4.(AP-3) USC Trojans, 2-0

5.(AP-8) California Golden Bears, 2-0...Watch for the Bears to possibly pull out the conference title and make a run for the national championship.

6.(AP-6) Penn State Nittany Lions, 2-0

7.(AP-5) Ole Miss Rebels, 2-0...Ole Miss has plenty of talent on both sides, but I'm still waiting for the Rebels to prove themselves.

8. (AP-10) Boise State Broncos, 2-0...The Broncos look good themselves, but their usual BCS-buster identity may have to be shared with some other teams this season.

9. (AP-11) Ohio State Buckeyes, 1-1...Ohio State has yet to put up a real convincing performance against Navy or USC, and I have my doubts on this team.

10. (AP-7) Brigham Young Cougars, 2-0...Incredibly they have cracked the Top 10, but they won't have an easy ride to the MWC title.

11. (AP-13) Virginia Tech Hokies, 1-1...By far the best team that never gets any big-time national title attention.

12. (AP-12) Oklahoma Sooners, 1-1

13. (AP-15) TCU Horned Frogs, 1-0...Watch for the Frogs to go seven or eight games before recording their first loss.

14. (AP-9) LSU Tigers, 2-0

15. (AP-21) Houston Cougars, 2-0...The lowest I've ranked the Cougars yet this season is 19th, including preseason, and they might be getting close to Boise State's position.

16. (AP-16) Oklahoma State Cowboys, 1-1...Don't give them too hard a time for the Houston loss, it alone shouldn't hurt them too much in the long run.

17. (AP-14) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 2-0...Blew the lead against Clemson, but showed that they can sure use the playbook.

18. (AP-17) Cincinnati Bearcats, 2-0

19. (AP-19) Nebraska Cornhuskers, 2-0...We'll see if they could be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12 in the match against Virginia Tech this weekend.

20. (AP-18) Utah Utes, 2-0...They may still be in the Top 20, but the Utes have two great teams ahead of them in their own conference.

21. (AP-22) Kansas Jayhawks, 2-0

22. (AP-NR) Pitt Panthers, 2-0...Pitt is the most underrated team in every poll right now, and they could prove it with a long undefeated run.

23. (AP-23) Georgia Bulldogs, 1-1

24. (AP-20) Miami Hurricanes, 1-0...I'm not convinced that the victory against Florida State really showed us enough to be ranking the Canes this high...

25. (AP-NR) Oregon State Beavers, 2-0

26.(AP-NR) Missouri Tigers, 2-0

27. (AP-24) North Carolina Tar Heels, 2-0...They got away with a close one in Connecticut Saturday, and it led to a drop in the standings despite recording the win.

28. (AP-NR) UCLA Bruins, 2-0...I could see the Bruins having a great year and ending up in the top 15 by the season's end.

29. (AP-NR) West Virginia Mountaineers, 2-0

30. (AP-25) Michigan Wolverines, 2-0...All this hype may prove to be a bit overreactive by the press, as Michigan still probably will lose five games this season.

Look out next week for the next top 30! Comments and questions on these rankings are certainly appreciated!

College Football BestBets: Week Two Betting Picks

Mark Jones — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:56:51 -0400

As we concluded the first weekend of 2009 college football, several big storylines hit the airwaves (and racked us sportswriter's brains).

First of all, two words: Sam Bradford. Where did Oklahoma go?! Secondly, one word: BYU! The Cougars shocker has moved them into the top 10...but is that where they really belong?

Now move on to the fact that the Colonial Athletic Conference should be in the BCS, not the ACC! Both William & Mary and Richmond defeated ACC schools last Saturday, and a third CAA school, UMass, came very close to an upset of Kansas State!

But that was last week. This is...well, this week. And I'm back for another edition of my weekly spread betting picks for College Football Week Two.

As I mentioned in the previous article, all games are assigned points based on my confidence in the pick (200 to 10). Each week, there is also a "BestBet" game.

Last week, If you bet on every game I listed, you would have made 405 points in profit. So, even if you just bet $0.05 on every point, you still would have made over $20 in profit.

So, enough with the bragging. On to the picks. This week's edition (once again) features eight specifically picked-out games to bet on, along with several sentences of analysis and a point pick for each.

25 Points

@ Tennessee.....8.5........UCLA

UCLA may have had a down season last year, but I have an excellent feeling by looking at their breakdown that this could be a return year to the usual Bruins' 8-4 season.

Their opponent in this one will be Tennessee, who may be a decent bowl team as well, but the Vols have a coach who hasn't yet played a big game with this team and still has to win by nine to cover.

Pick: UCLA (+8.5)

25 Points

@ Middle Tennessee.....1......Memphis

Well, three of the first four teams I mention are from one state. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Anyhow, this is basically a neutral location, and Memphis is from a superior conference with a superior record and superior depth chart. I would give the edge easily to the Tigers here.

Pick: Memphis (+1)

50 Points

Kansas State.....7.5.......@ Louisiana-Lafayette

Alright, enough with Tennessee. Let's move a little west.

Frankly, I can't see a single reasonable explanation for this ridiculous spread. Just over a touchdown for a team from the second-best conference to win by against a below-average team from the Sun Belt and they cover.

Really, Vegas?! Go ahead, I'll give the points easily.

Pick: Kansas State (-7.5)

50 Points

@ Minnesota......4.......Air Force

I'll give it to the Gophers that they played a viable game last week and put forth a great effort for the win. Heck, I even watched a Minnesota non-bowl game for the first time in three years!

Still, Air Force may be from a lesser conference, but they are a underrated team year-in and year-out. This may be a Falcon's season, I it just doesn't seem reasonable for a sub-par team like the Golden Gophers here to be favored in this game.

Pick: Air Force (+4)

75 Points

Iowa.....6.5.....@ Iowa State

Now we are moving up the point totals, and the longer you read, the better this pick sounds.

First of all, I can understand why the spread is under a touchdown. First of all, Iowa already had one scare from a major-underdog in-state rival last week! Why can't they have another?!

However, I'm certain they won't. The Hawkeyes are a better team than we saw versus Northern Iowa. All they need is motivation, energy, and (most importantly) a major road game against their main rival to prove themselves.

Expect a double-digit win here.

Pick: Iowa (-6.5)

75 Points

Hawaii......2.......Washington State

Washington State was bad last year, and the're going to be even worse this year. As in, Washington bad. As in, Detroit Lions bad.

So, to be a less-than-a-field-goal underdog against a perennial bowl team that can make a stand for themselves is pretty insensible to me.

Believe me, this pick is Florida Gators good.

Pick: Hawaii (-2)

150 Points

TCU.......11.......@ Virginia

Okay, you may be sceptical (although probably not). So, lets break it down.

TCU is a fairly obvious pick for the top 25. They have one of the nation's best defenses, an up-and-coming offense, and are in title contention in a middle-of the line conference.

Virginia is a team that was bad last year, has a bad lineup, was expected to be bad, and turned out to be worse than bad. C'mon, a loss to William & Mary, at home, by 12 points, giving up eight turnovers to a below-average defense for the FCS?!

Get it?! Yeah, yeah, just give the points and reel the cash.

Pick: TCU (-11)

Weekly "BestBet"....200 points

@ Wake Forest......3.......Stanford

It seems very, very stupid of me to possibly think that perhaps someone might need an explanation for why this game gets the "Weekly BestBet title."

But lets take a look. Stanford may be on the rise, but they haven't been anything decent in 15 years at football and the highest win total since 2001 is five. Yes, five.

Wake Forest, on the other hand, has one three straight bowls out of a BCS conference, has a ready-to-explode QB in Riley Skinner (article picture), and gets the benefit of having this game at home. Yeah, sure, they lost to Baylor last week, but Baylor is an expected 7-5 or better team.

So, the Cardinal travel cross-country to a top-40 team with a great recent history...and the are a three-point underdog?!

Oh my, this could be embarrassing for the state of California...and southern Nevada.

Pick: Wake Forest (-3)

However, please feel free to comment and tell us your opinions on our weekly picks.

2009-2010 Carolina Panthers Complete Schedule Breakdown

Mark Jones — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:04:22 -0400

For Panthers fans this season, most of us would rather watch a Lions preseason game than glance over Carolina's schedule.

The easiest team on the rundown is Buffalo, who was 7-9 last season. Besides that, every single opponent was at or above .500 in '08-'09. The two divisions played are the NFC East and AFC East, and then you have to add in additional NFC foes Minnesota and Arizona.

The truth is, the schedule is the hardest of any team in years. And it's up to the Panthers to handle it.

However, I'm not backing down just yet. I know the list is puke-provoking, but someone has to preview it!

Schedule Part One - Super Bowl Preview 3X

Week One - vs. Philadelphia Eagles

One thing we know: The Panthers won't have to wait long to find out how good they really are. The first tough test comes in Week One!

It should be a difficult game for both teams in Bank of America Stadium, and also the first real look at how Vick will work with Philly. Expect a closely contested game with the Birds ending up on top.

Predicted Score: Eagles 24, Panthers 20 (0-1)

Week Two - @ Atlanta Falcons

Following a close loss the previous Sunday, Carolina will head a little south for another very hard game that has a lot of early playoff implications in it, too.

Atlanta's offense should be fired up and ready to go, and that (in the end) will be the factor that hands the Panthers another "L".

Predicted Score: Falcons 30, Panthers 17 (0-2)

Week Three - @ Dallas Cowboys

Even after two straight losses against elite teams, the schedule doesn't cool down until the week after this. This matchup features two above-average teams battling a close game in the new, non-punt friendly Cowboys stadium.

It will likely be a back-and-forth ball game, but expect the Panthers to come through, driven by several rushing TDs from you-know-who and you-know-who.

Predicted Score: Panthers 21, Cowboys 20 (1-2)

Schedule Part Two - Rest Month

Week Four - Bye

Week Five - vs. Washington Redskins

The matchups finally give some lenience starting in Week Four, and then the Panthers stay at home to face the Redskins in what should be a very low-scoring affair.

It seems likely it will be a battle of two sub-par units when the Washington offense is out there, but I think the Carolina rushing game can overpower the overhauled Redskin defense to earn themselves an easier-than-average victory and level the record at 2-2.

Predicted Score: Panthers 17, Redskins 7 (2-2)

Week Six - @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Although most would mark this as a fairly easy win on paper, it is a division matchup and a tough road location, as well.

However, I still think that the Cats can do it. Look possibly for a big day from the passing game while the focus remains on the ever-ready rushing attack.

Predicted Score: Panthers 24, Buccaneers 16 (3-2)

Week Seven - vs. Buffalo Bills

In Week Seven, we stay in familiar territory accompanied by the northern Buffalo Bills. The Bills bring with them an always-interesting face in Terrell Owens, and it may end up that his play will determine the game.

However, when you pick a player to take the team on his shoulders and ride you to victory, TO isn't usually the one that comes to mind. Should be a pretty easy win for the Panthers.

Predicted Score: Panthers 27, Bills 10 (4-2)

Schedule Part Three - Heating Up

Week Eight - @ Arizona Cardinals

This game could turn out to be the game of the season for the Panthers. A win would be huge, but a loss could knock them out of playoff contention.

The points may be flying, and Fitz and Boldin should have their share of yards. Watch out for a tough loss in this one.

Predicted Score: Cardinals 30, Panthers 27 (4-3)

Week Nine - @ New Orleans Saints

In almost a duplicate of the Week Eight matchup, the Panthers are once again on the road against a team that can certainly put up the points.

Drew Brees should be fired up for this one, and I have a feeling that it could be a big day for Thomas and Bush in the backfield for the Saints, too.

Predicted Score: Saints 35, Panthers 24 (4-4)

Week Ten - vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Cats will finally get to head home, but that doesn't mean the game will be any easier. The opponent this time will be the Falcons, who should already have a couple game lead on the division title.

However, I think the Panthers will be emotionally pumped and will play one of the best games of the season in this one. Although it'll be close, John Kasay can get it done in the final seconds once again in this shocking upset.

Predicted Score: Panthers 27, Falcons 24 (5-4)

Schedule Part Four - Calm Before the Storm

Week Eleven - vs. Miami Dolphins

They may be easier than the previous run, but Miami is by no means a pushover. On the other hand, though, they should end up as a win.

I'll say that this is the defense's night, and that Carolina will come out with a low-scoring (yet important) win.

Predicted Score: Panthers 13, Dolphins 7 (6-4)

Week Twelve - @ New York Jets

In Week Twelve, we finish off our NFC East back-to-back with a road game at the Meadowlands.

The Jets may come into the game with a worn-out lighter, after trying to catch Sanchez on fire game after game. That may allow the Panthers to come away with a slim victory.

Predicted Score: Panthers 20, Jets 14 (7-4)

Week Thirteen - vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Easy win on paper, huh?!

Not so much. This could be the real heartbreaker trap game for the Panthers: they were 7-4 and right in the middle of the playoff race when they suffer a crushing blow to the Bucs right before a brutal late-season schedule.

Predicted Score: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 20 (7-5)

Schedule Part Five - Run For Your Life

Week Fourteen - @ New England Patriots

This is when it gets ugly. A road date versus the Patriots is not what you want to hear, especially when you need a win.

Look at it this way: Both teams have great running games....and only one team has a passing game. This could turn out to be a big-time, old-fashioned whoppin'.

Predicted Score: Patriots 34, Panthers 9 (7-6)

Week Fifteen - vs. Minnesota Vikings

At this point, a win here would be essential to keep any playoff chance the Cats have left. The home crowd will be cheering them on, but in the end, I can't see our defense holding up as well as the Vikings to keep our hopes alive.

Predicted Score: Vikings 23, Panthers 17 (7-7)

Week Sixteen - @ New York Giants

The Panthers will return to the Meadowlands for the second time in two months to face the harder of the stadium's residents, the New York Giants.

By now, there won't be much left to hope for, and the Giants should have a field day with their cheese shredder.

Predicted Score: Giants 24, Panthers 12 (7-8)

Week Seventeen - vs. New Orleans Saints

The finale will come down to a battle to the finish. The Panthers will be long gone from the playoff race, but the Saints will be right in the mix. However, I think we may just have one last word to say in 2009-2010 to our divisional foe.

Carolina wins in a massive shootout.

Predicted Score: Panthers 35, Saints 33 (8-8)

Final Projected Record: 8-8

Division Finish: Third

Playoff Seed: none...

Number of Times I fainted writing this article: 381

College Football BestBets: Week One Betting Picks

Mark Jones — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:27:36 -0400

It's ba-aack!!!

The college football season kicked off its opening game last night just past 7:00 in the east, and already, less than 24 hours later, the entire country is alive with football fever.

This season, I will be bringing you a weekly selection of five to seven specially picked games where I think the betting spread is significantly off-course. Each game will include a pick, several paragraphs of analysis, and a points rating.

The points system marks how much value the pick is worth. For instance, if Team A is favored by 7.5 over Team B, and I think Team A will win by about four, they will get a points rating based on the fact I think that the spread for the game is about 3.5 points away from my projection.

The points system represents 200 as the maximum total per game, with lower totals coming in at 150, 100, 75, 50, 25, and 10. Each week also includes a "BestBet," which is the, well, "Best Bet" of the week!

So, on with the Week One picks. Eight games are included in this weekly addition.

OHIO STATE.....21.5.....Navy (150 points)

Ohio State may never have lost a home opener, but I seriously doubt they'll win this one by more than three touchdowns. Navy is just too good a team.

My spread would be at about 14.0, actually. I can see the Midshipmen putting up quite a few points in this one. Go ahead and lay down your bet on Navy, for I have a great feeling it will really pay off.

Pick: Navy (+21.5)

MICHIGAN......12.5.....Western Michigan (50 points)

I think the history of Michigan, as well as the fact they're in a BCS conference, has got Vegas feeling good about Wolverines.

Frankly, I can see Western Michigan as a candidate to move up the rankings quickly this season. Michigan may win, but it could be close. I'm not as certain on this as I was on Ohio State, but I certainly am not feeling good for Big Ten teams this weekend!

Pick: Western Michigan(+12.5)

Oklahoma.....22....BYU (100 points)

Yet another pick against a top-level BCS team. But really, think about it. Oklahoma against another top 25 team, on the road, and they are favored by more than three TDs?!

I could see around a 24-13 victory for the Sooners here, but expect BYU to easily cover.

Pick: BYU (+22)

WAKE FOREST......2.....Baylor (25 points)

Baylor has had a lot of hype this season, but I'm not positive this spread is accurate.

First of all, the Bears are headed a long distance to a road affair with a seasonal bowl winner from a BCS conference...which isn't quite the best recipe for success.

Plus, I think that the Deacons will have a lot to prove in this one, and they should come out emotionally strong. It will probably still be close, but I could see the spread maybe rise a little before game time.

Pick: Wake Forest (-2)

Alabama......6.5.......Virginia Tech (25 points)

The more I think about, the less sure I get, but I could see this being a last-second field goal win for 'Bama, not a seven-point victory.

I don't have a lot of reasoning on my side for this one, nor is my confidence rising on it, so don't put to much faith in it. But you can still put your money on Tech.

Pick: Virginia Tech (+6.5)

NEW MEXICO STATE.......3......Idaho (75 points)

This will not be a game a lot of people will even watch, and it obviously won't be anything close to a game many people will bet on. But it's a great idea if you do.

First of all, I don't see why the public is betting evenly on a spread that favors New Mexico State. Not to mention that Idaho is one of my picks to be a majorly improved team from last year. So, even though it may not be the most meaningful game, it could turn out to be a meaningful profit for you.

UCLA.....19.5......San Diego State (10 points)

This is another game that will not be highly watched, bet on, or entertaining. But you could reap the benefits if you bet it right.

For some reason, I feel better about this pick when I think about it in the case that SDSU loses by 24 or so, instead of UCLA winning by 24 or so. They are rivals, but it's the most mismatched rivalry you'll find. Still, I'd lean towards the Bruins, though don't go all in on this one.

Pick: UCLA (-19.5)

Weekly BestBet:

TEXAS.......41.....Louisiana-Monroe (200 points)

It seems really, really, really illogical to me that the Longhorns, even with their No. 2 preaseason ranking, could beat a team that has a chance to reach a bowl by 41 points on an average day. That's why I have to give this probable-blowout the "Weekly BestBet" title.

In truth, I could see a score here of about 38-7 in favor of Texas, but that's still only a 28-point victory, nothing near 41. Also, I doubt that the Longhorns management will play McCoy much if it gets past 20 points in the second half. To put it simply, L-Monroe is not a quality opponent. But they're closer than 41 points worse.

Pick: Louisiana-Monroe (+41)

Octoberfest: Projecting the Field of MLB Playoff Teams

Mark Jones — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:30:02 -0400

It's almost September, and we know what that means. The MLB playoffs are just a month away, and the races (and the predictions) are heating up. The Phillies, Dodgers, and Cardinals are all in a tight battle for the top three seeds in the National League, while the Yankees hope to continue their domination through the final weeks without having teams like the Angels, Red Sox, Rangers, or Rays find a way to catch up. It's time for my two cents on projecting the field on playoff teams from both leagues that will see the Autumn Leaves of October. Also included in the slideshow is my picks on who won't make the playoffs, such as the teams that finish fifth to seventh. So, without further introduction, on with the picks!

Begin Slideshow

NFL 2009-2010 Off-Beat Rankings: Backup Quarterbacks

Mark Jones — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:25:49 -0400

It's back Mark Jones here again, bringing you the second article in the three-piece series of my off-beat NFL rankings.

Last week, I covered backup running backs from around the league. I had Jonathan Stewart, LenDale White, and Reggie Bush as my top three, but common opinion in the comments showed strong love for Jerious Norwood yet no support for players like Reggie Bush or Felix Jones.

This weekend, I'm covering the replacement QBs for all 32 teams. I will count down from No. 32, and all players ranked in the top 16 (upper half) will get a few sentences of analysis each. All opinions are appreciated—go ahead and comment and tell me your perspective!

Next week you can look forward to my rankings of No. 3 WRs. Here is the list/links of my entire series:

Backup Running Backs: here

Backup Quarterbacks: read on

No. 3 Wide Receivers: coming next week

32. Todd Bouman, Jacksonville

31. Chris Redman, Atlanta

30. Kevin O'Connell, New England

29. Billy Volek, San Diego

28. Joey Harrington, New Orleans

27. Brian Brohm, Green Bay

26. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo

25. Chris Simms, Denver

24. Brett Basanez, Chicago

23. Jim Sorgi, Indianapolis

22. J.T. O'Sullivan, Cincinnati

21. Seneca Wallace, Seattle

20. Jon Kitna, Dallas

19. Kyle Boller, St. Louis

18. Dan Orlovsky, Houston

17. Charlie Batch/Dennis Dixon, Pittsburgh

16. Alex Smith, San Francisco

The 49er shared some time starting last season, and has some good qualities under his belt. Despite a disappointing season in terms of performance, Smith is still an average backup for his position.

15. Kellen Clemens, New York Jets

He's right in the middle of a battle for the starting job with Mark Sanchez, and so far he's losing. But, if the gig does go to rookie Sanchez, Clemens could turn out to be a very serviceable replacement for the Jets.

14. Brady Quinn, Cleveland

The Browns' Brady Quinn is in a very similar situation as Kellen Clemens is with the Jets, except for the fact he's battling Derek Anderson. However, like Clemens above, Quinn would be a decent backup at QB.

13. Chad Henne, Miami

The future behind center for the Dolphins, Chad Henne gets more and more time each season. He likely won't get into a rotation-like job with starter Chad Pennington, but Henne will do well in second on the depth chart.

12. Tyler Thigpen, Kansas City

Thigpen tried to hold together a crumbling Chiefs team last season, and did a decent job in the stats column, even as a starter. But now KC has brought in former Patriot Matt Cassel, who bumps Thigpen down to second.

However, he's a good bet to step in and do well if Cassel has issues.

11. David Carr, New York Giants

David Carr looked fine with the Texans several years ago, but his '07 job with the Panthers was disastrous. The Giants then picked him up, and he's looked quite good in his limited preseason playing time.

10. Colt Brennan, Washington

The best quarterback to ever (by far) come out of a non-lower 48 state, former Hawaii QB Colt Brennan has greatly exceeded expectations in both of his preseasons with the NFL. If Campbell struggles for the 'Skins, expect Brennan to step in and handle the game well.

9. Matt Leinart, Arizona

Leinart has never really come close to living up to expectations after a sensational trip through college at USC, but he's a good backup for the Cards. If Kurt Warner has problems due to his age, Leinart could still possibly lead Arizona to a division title in a division so weak.

8. Matt Moore/Josh McCown, Carolina

Carolina has a quiet but effective group of backups for the slumping Jake Delhomme. Young Matt Moore was great at Oregon State several years ago, and he filled in well for Delhomme at the end of the '07-'08 season.

Also accompanying him is former Raider Josh McCown, who has a lot of starting experience, and late-round draft pick Hunter Cantwell from Louisville.

7. Vince Young, Tennessee

The college superstar has had a bumpy road through professional football so far, but if things settle down, Young could end up as a big-time upper-end quarterback. Anyways, he's certainly top-ten caliber for backups.

6. Jeff Garcia, Oakland

Jeff Garcia is probably secretly about 65-years old now, but he sure doesn't show it. After successful one-year stints in Philly and Tampa Bay, Garcia is now among the candidates to fill-in for JaMarcus Russel if he is among the bottom of the league again.

5. Josh Freeman/Luke McCown, Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay has a terrible starter in Byron Leftwich, but behind him, it looks pretty good.

Josh Freeman has had a lot of hype after being drafted as their No. 1 overall pick, and Luke McCown is also there for insurance. Either one could be a fine starter for Tampa if they decide to bump out Leftwich.

4. Troy Smith/Cleo Lemon, Baltimore

The former Ohio State star crumbled in the National Championship, and no one heard of him after that. Until now.

Troy Smith has looked excellent in his preseason games, and is sparking some articles that he deserves a chance to compete with young Joe Flacco. Cleo Lemon is also a very recent addition from Jacksonville.

3. Travaris Jackson/Sage Rosenfels, Minnesota

They were the most ridiculed quarterbacks in the league a couple months ago, but now they should fit in well as backups behind Brett Farve (no need to say anything about him...ESPN's already got it way over-covered)!

Travaris Jackson may not be the best passer, but he's an excellent scrambler. Rosenfels also had some good experience in starter six games for up-and-coming Houston last year. Together, they make up a top-three backup duo.

2. Matthew Stafford, Detroit

The top pick in the draft is ranking high among fantasy players, and he has a chance to beat out Dante Culpepper before the season even begins. Otherwise, it's just a high-level ranking on the backups list.

1. Michael Vick, Philadelphia

I seriously doubt Michael Vick needs any more media coverage. All I'm going to say is my opinion, and it looks pretty good. Vick could be an above-average starter in some places.

NFL 2009-2010 Off-Beat Rankings: Backup Running Backs

Mark Jones — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:39:27 -0400

There's a world of NFL player rankings out there. But backup running backs? Not so much.

That's why my latest addition of "NFL 2009-2010 Off-Beat Rankings" covers all 32 bench-warming studs known as second-string running backs. Back-up quarterbacks and third-string receivers are soon to follow.

So, without further introduction, let's start the countdown!

32. Chris Brown, Houston

31. Kevin Jones, Chicago

30. Brian Leonard, Cincinnati

29. Rashad Jennings, Jacksonville

28. Jerome Harrison, Cleveland

27. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City

26. Ladell Betts, Washington

25. Antonio Pittman, St. Louis

24. Brandon Jackson, Green Bay

23. Correll Buckhalter, Denver

22. TJ Duckett, Seattle

21. Maurice Morris, Detroit

20. Fred Jackson, Buffalo

19. Ray Rice, Baltimore

18. Glen Coffee, San Francisco

17. Michael Bush, Oakland

16. Beanie Wells, Arizona

Had a successful but injury-filled career at Ohio State before being leaving early to enter the draft.

He would be ranked a little lower for his non-existent durability, but he's on a team that only has Tim Hightower to support him at the position.

15. Ernest Graham, Tampa Bay

It's a good thing for Tampa Bay he's not starting now that they brought in Derrick Ward, but Graham will actually do pretty well as a solid backup for the Bucs.

14. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta

Norwood is one of the most overlooked players in all of the NFL.

With top-level RB Michael Turner ahead of him, most fantasy owners, as well as casual fans, pass him by as an unimportant depth player.

But he's not.

Norwood could, in fact, be a third-round running back if he was starting for Atlanta instead of Turner.

13. Ricky Williams, Miami

He got a slight majority of the carries in 2008 but the emergence of Ronnie Brown has shoved Williams out of a starting job. Still, the 'Fins will be happy with their backup position as long as Williams is there.

12. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh

A big sleeper pick in fantasy leagues over the aging Willie Parker, Mendenhall provides good skill at the position.

11. Donald Brown, Indianapolis

The rookie out of UConn has also made a splash among fantasy football owners, and may end up getting half of the carries with the aging and wearing down Joseph Addai.

He would easily be top 10, but the Colts are just too much of a passing offense.

10. Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants

Ahmad Bradshaw could easily step into a dual role alongside Brandon Jacobs almost like Derrick Ward did with the Giants last year.

If only he could reach his full potential.

He's a top 10 backup for a talented team. However, I have a sneaky feeling that Bradshaw is a bit overrated heading into the year.

9. Leon Washington, New York Jets

Washington could probably start for more than seven or so teams right now, but he's smack in the middle of a big running back mess for the Jets that also includes unhappy Thomas Jones and rookie Shonn Greene.

It's likely, though, that Washington could expect a fairly high role in the offense with Sanchez at QB.

8. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia

LeSean McCoy has the chance to become the most hyped rookie of the year if he performs, or the bust pick of the year if he collapses under pressure.

7. Chester Taylor, Minnesota

Chester Taylor really is a very underrated player. Adrian Peterson obviously outshines him in the high-powered Minnesota running game, but he could be a decent starter for some teams.

6. Felix Jones, Dallas

If Marion Barber turns out to play inconsistently again, Jones may step into a higher role and could very easily produce above-average starter numbers.

5. Laurence Maroney/Fred Taylor/Kevin Faulk/Sammy Morris, New England

The Patriots have so many good running backs, it's amazing. Whoever starts, though, won't likely get more than 55 percent of the carries, which leaves the backup with a decently high role.

And they will likely have the skill to fulfill it.

4. Reggie Bush, New Orleans

After all the hype, Reggie Bush ended up a bust. But he's still a good running back, and his pass-catching ability may give him a high role in the amazingly overloaded New Orleans offense.

3. Darren Sproles, San Diego

Darren Sproles is the smallest RB in the league, but he may be the fastest. If LT slides farther down the production chart this season, Sproles may even have the chance to become a big-time starter.

2. LenDale White, Tennessee

If you get over his attitude, White is really one of the premier backups in the league. His power is incredible, and that makes him an ideal short-yardage replacement for the swift, fancy Chris Johnson in the run-oriented Titans offense.

1. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina

He's lining up, he gets the hand-off, he takes off, and the scoreboard operator is suddenly very busy.

That's the way Jonathan Stewart plays, and this is just his second year. If DeAngelo Williams wasn't there, Stewart could probably be a top-10 overall back as well.

NFL '09-'10 Previews: AFC South Title Race is Wide Open

Mark Jones — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:30:18 -0400

The AFC South appears ready to once again become the league's best division.

While usual-superstar Peyton Manning tries to exploit defenses with his deadly connection to Reggie Wayne, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson appear to have a little trick going themselves. All the while, the powerful RB duo of Chris Johnson and LenDale White anchor the defending AFC top seed winners.

With teams like Indianapolis, Houston, and Tennessee all together, the division title race seems like it could be a nail-biter all season long!

Indianapolis Colts

Offensive Overview

Peyton Manning is once again one of the league's best QBs, and despite the loss of Marvin Harrison, he still has several good WR targets to pass to.

Reggie Wayne is an excellent top-10 wideout and has been impressive so far in the preseason, too. Besides him, young budding star Anthony Gonzalez anchors the other side.

The running game is up for grabs, though. Aging RB Joseph Addai looks like he might struggle unless rookie Donald Brown from UConn can step in a carry 40 percent or more of the load.

Defensive/Special Teams Overview

There isn't much to really talk about in the Indianapolis defense. The end position is the best in the NFL, but the other units are simply a little above average.

On special teams, kicker Adam Vinatieri looks to rebound from a mediocre year last year to another top-five appearance.

Best Case

Manning and Wayne form a great connection and both finish in the top three, and Joseph Addai finds at least one more year left in him to give the Colts a first-round bye.

Worst Case

The unbalanced running game falters and Anthony Gonzalez ends up way over-hyped, plus Vinatieri slips even farther down the kicker rankings.

Indianapolis finishes third in the division and out of the playoffs.

Key Game: October 11 @ Tennessee

Tennessee Titans

Offensive Overview

Kerry Collins will decide the 2009/10 success potential for the Tennessee Titans. Collins seems ageless, but you never know when he could slip. Also, he has simply a mediocre group of wide receivers to target.

Justin Gage, free agent pickup Nate Washington, and rookie Kenny Britt appear poised to be the starters for the Titans, but none of them are above average for their slot. On the other hand, though, TE Bo Scaife is among the best pass-catching tight ends in the league.

However, it's the running game that anchors this team. Chris Johnson, a young superstar out of ECU, looked great last year and should be a top-10 back once again. Behind him is LenDale White, who should get at least 35% of the carries to keep Johnson fresh, and he can also be used a very solid goal line back.

Defensive/Special Teams Overview

The defense is also another staple of the Titans, and could be one of the top in the country if they perform to their full potential.

Kicker Rob Bironas has excellent distance and is a good shot of being the best in the league.

Best Case

Nate Washington turns out to be a brilliant signing, and Kerry Collins finds another year to deliver the football consistently. Plus, the defense is a top-three squad and the Titans claim a first round bye once again.

Worst Case

The receivers underperform and Collins begins his decline, plus an injury to White or Johnson depletes the duo combination. The Titans still finish at .500 but fall out of the playoff picture.

Key Game: September 10 @ Pittsburgh

Houston Texans

Offensive Overview

The Texans were once a consistent occupant of the bottom of the standings, but they now appear on the rise. A lot of that success can be credited to young superstars Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton.

Quarterback Matt Schaub looked good last year, and it's hard not to with Andre Johnson there. Kevin Walter is also a safe bet as a No. 2 WR.

The passing game opens up holes for the running game, and speedy Steve Slaton uses that to his great advantage. Slaton could easily be a top ten RB this season, despite being a rookie last year.

Defensive/Special Teams Overview

This could be a question mark for Houston this season, and maybe their breaking point. The line has its share of playmakers but the linebackers could really use an improvement.

Kris Brown is a risky target to pick this for but he also has the possibility of emerging as a top-five placekicker.

Best Case

Andre Johnson improves even from last year, and Kevin Walter looks great, too. Steve Slaton takes advantage of the passing completions and Houston has one of the best offenses in the league.

Worst Case

Matt Schuab isn't quite the sleeper he is projected to be, and Andre Johnson falls out of the top five. Steve Slaton suffers the sophomore slump, the defense is in the bottom ten, and Houston gets driven out of contention by their tough divisional rivals.

Key Game: November 29 vs. Indianapolis

All in all, the AFC South title race is completely wide open for everyone. Even Jacksonville could state their case if Maurice Jones-Drew performs like expected and David Garrard has a breakout year by keeping Torry Holt stable for at least one more season.

So, which team do you think will take home the prize? Anyone could claim it, but there's only one first place! Here's my opinion...

No. 1. Tennessee Titans...12-4

No. 2. Indianapolis Colts....11-5

No. 3. Houston Texans....10-6

No. 4. Jacksonville Jaguars....7-9

2009 NCAA Football Conference Previews: Conference USA East

Mark Jones — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:13:55 -0400

It's August again!

That means it's college football time, and the addictive sport has once against begun its rise to plague the minds of sports fanatics all across America!

It's certainly already obsessed me, and I can't stop think "third and six".

Anyway, I'm covering the Conference USA in this edition of my 2009 NCAA Conference previews. In this installment, I will cover the Eastern division. I'll go through the possible title contenders, as well as my full record predictions. I'll also point out a key game for each team and give a brief description of how each competitor stands on paper.

Projected No. 1: East Carolina Pirates

Depth Chart

East Carolina launched themselves into the national picture and a top-15 rank early in last season, but managed to fall off the charts after several unnecessary losses came upon them.

However, this year, the Pirates are out to prove something. Patrick Pinkney is among the best QBs in the conference, and Kentucky transfer Brandon Johnson is a good replacement at RB. The entire WR corps are returning as well.

For the most part, though, the defense is the stronghold of the team. The defensive line and linebackers are among the most solid groups in the country, and the secondary is also full of competition.

Kicker Ben Hartman is the best PK in the conference.

Looking at the Schedule

East Carolina's schedule includes quite a few tests for this squad. A road games against West Virginia, North Carolina, Memphis, and Tulsa should be difficult to overcome, as well as home matches versus Virginia Tech, Southern Miss, and Appalachian State.

A loss against VT seems inevitable, so ECU would need to go 5-1 against the remaining teams mentioned to record a double-digit win season. And that, it seems, is unlikely.

Key Game: Southern Miss

Projected Division Finish: First

Predicted Record: 9-3 (7-1 conference)

Projected No. 2: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Depth Chart

Southern Mississippi struggled last year under new head coach Larry Fedora, finishing just 7-6. However, improve seems probable this season.

Quarterback Austin Davis is a top player by himself, and when connected with sophomore WR superstar DeAndre Brown, the passing game can be deadly.

The running game also lead the C-USA in yards last season.

The defense allowed under 13 ppg for the final five games of last year, and almost every starter returns.

Looking at the Schedule

Southern Miss, like ECU, has plenty of challenges on this year's schedule. The first six games include road games against BCS opponents Kansas and Louisville, the the final stretch is brutal. After October 24, the slate includes @ Houston on O.31, @ Marshall on N.14, Tulsa on N.21, and @ East Carolina on N.28.

It should be a bumpy road, but in the end, Southern Miss appears poised for an eight-win season.

Key Game: season finale @ East Carolina.

Projected Division Finish: Second

Predicted Record: 8-4 (5-3 conference)

Projected No. 3: Central Florida Knights

Depth Chart

Central Florida is coming off a very bad 2008 campaign, finishing with a 4-8 record. However, it looks like several more wins are in store for them this season.

However, offensive improvement is key. The scoring unit for UCF finished last in the FBS in '08. But 10 returning starters and a talented wide receiver unit will likely pull them far off the bottom.

Quarterback Rob Calabrese is a sub-par player that will need to step up his play. However, he is a very good WR unit at his disposal.

Running back Brynn Harvey is a decent player at the position.

Defense, though, is the foothold. UCF finished second in the conference in total defense and first against the rush. The linebackers group is among the top 20 in the country.

However, the entire secondary was shattered by graduation, although the replacements should be fine.

Looking at the Schedule

Road games at Southern Miss, ECU, and Texas appear to be already lost, and a home match versus Houston also appears extremely difficult.

However, a mid-season match against in-state BCS rival Miami is the key for the UCF season. Also, watch for the Knights to pull off an early upset on September 12 vs. Buffalo.

Key Game: October 17 vs. Miami

Projected Division Finish: Third

Predicted Record: 7-5 (5-3 conference)

Projected No. 4: Memphis Tigers

Depth Chart

Memphis barely snuck into a bowl last season, but even with the huge pummelling by South Florida, a repeat of a 6-6 season seems unlikely.

The quarterback situation will never be stable all year, no matter who wins the starting job out of the four competitors.

However, Curtis Steele is an all-around solid RB, and WRs Duke Calhoun and Carlos Singleton are among the division's best.

The defense is nothing special, though, and the offensive line has a few scattered questions.

Looking at the Schedule

We should definitely be able to see how this Tigers squad will function in the season opener against Ole Miss.

After that, there are several easy wins, but the schedule turns bitter October 3. Starting on that day, here is the schedule:

@ Central Florida, UTEP, @ Southern Miss, East Carolina, @ Tennessee, UAB, @ Houston, @ Tulsa.

Not so easy, huh.

Key Game: East Carolina at home on October 27, a chance to prove themselves to the conference.

Projected Division Finish: Fourth

Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-5 conference)

Projected No. 5: Marshall Thundering Herd

Depth Chart

Coming off another 4-8 year, Marshall hasn't had a winning season since entering the conference. However, six wins seems closer than ever, yet many obstacles stand in the way.

First up is the quarterback issue, as there appears no one capable of taking the job.

Running back Darrius Marshall and tight end Cody Slate are both near the top of the conference, though.

On defense, the line is among the conference's best, and the secondary is also extremely deep. The special teams unit appears once again to be top-level.

Looking on the Schedule

The hard games are scattered throughout, but one game stands out as being a big key. Following a likely rout by Virginia Tech on September 12, a home game against MAC contender Bowling Green should be a huge test for the Herd to overcome.

Key Game: Bowling Green, September 19

Projected Division Finish: Fifth

Predicted Record: 5-7, (3-5 conference)

Projected No. 6: Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Blazers

Depth Chart

UAB finally has what they want: a decently-sized recruiting class. And coming off a strong 2008 late-season finish, they finally also have hope.

All success will begin with QB Joe Webb, who is among the most stable in the conference. WRs Forrest, Ferrell, and Wright are talented players for Webb to throw to. The rest of the offense also returns.

The defense does need improvement from it's 106th rank in '08. The line appears very intact and skilled but the linebackers and secondary are lacking greatly.

Looking at the Schedule

This season would be a lot easier if the Blazers had an easier schedule.

The road slate is brutal, including Troy, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Marshall, UTEP, Memphis, and East Carolina, and it doesn't get much better at home, with matchups versus Rice, Southern Miss, and Central Florida.

Key Game: October 24 @ Marshall

Projected Division Finish: Sixth

Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7 conference)

Check Your DVR: NFL 2009 Preseason Games To Watch For

Mark Jones — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:11:16 -0400

It's time to take a look at your program guide and start recording, because the NFL preseason is now off and running.

In this article, I'll point out a nightly game to check out on your VCR, as well as talking about the importance of that matchup. Starting with Friday, August 14, here we go!

Week One

Friday, August 14...7:30 PM

Minnesota Vikings @ Indianapolis Colts

It will be our first look at Peyton Manning since January, and also a key part in the QB battle for the Vikings between Sage Rosenfels and Travaris Jackson. For fantasy football players, the opening glimpse of Adrian Peterson should be huge.

Saturday, August 15...7:00 PM

Chicago Bears @ Buffalo Bills

The Bills will be returning home from a disappointing loss in the Hall of Fame Game last Sunday, but that's not the main point of interest. Most of this game's viewers will tune in to see Jay Cutler's debut as a Bear, and it should certainly be interesting.

Monday, August 17...8:00 PM, ESPN

Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

In what is sure to be a great matchup between the two top seeds in the NFC '08 Playoffs, it will also be a very interesting statistical performance to see how the Panther duo of Williams and Stewart will work out, as well as how the loss of Steve Smith will affect Carolina.

Week Two

Thursday, August 20...8:00 PM, FOX

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts

Nothing too special happening for either team in this game, but it's a great matchup between two top-level teams.

Friday, August 21...8:00 PM, FOX

Tennessee Titans @ Dallas Cowboys

After an impressive victory over Buffalo in the Hall of Fame game, the Titans fly south to visit the Cowboys, who are trying to avenge their 31-10 demolition by the Oakland Raiders yesterday evening.

Saturday, August 22

8:00 PM...New Orleans Saints @ Houston Texans

An inter-conference rivalry between two up-and-coming teams, the Saints and Texans should have plenty to prove to their respective conferences in this game.

10:00 PM...San Diego Chargers @ Arizona Cardinals

After a loss yesterday to the Steelers, the Cardinals will return home to face off against nearby foe San Diego in a battle of the elite.

Monday, August 24...8:00 PM, ESPN

New York Jets @ Baltimore Ravens

The first national look at Mark Sanchez is sure to be exciting, especially with a tough opponent such as Baltimore.

Week Three

Thursday, August 27...7:00 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles

Not a very intriguing matchup, but when Micheal Vick is playing, everything is interesting.

Friday, August 28...8:00 PM, CBS

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins

Anther look at Tom Brady will be plenty fun, as well as a chance to see how Albert Haynesworth is fitting in in the National Capital.

Saturday, August 29

1:00 PM...Indianapolis Colts @ Detroit Lions

Our first day game of the 2009 NFL season features an interesting look at the Detroit Lions and how Matthew Stafford is settling in.

8:00 PM, CBS...San Diego Chargers @ Atlanta Falcons

A battle of two former-ACC quarterbacks and their own talented teams, this could be a possible Super Bowl preview, if a few things go right.

Sunday, August 30...8:00 PM, NBC

Chicago Bears @ Denver Broncos

How will Orton work with Denver, and Cutler work with Chicago. We'll find out who got the better of the deal right here.

Monday, August 31...8:00 PM, ESPN

Minnesota Vikings @ Houston Texans

A Monday Night battle between two upper-half teams with a few questions, this will also be the first national look at superstar WR Andre Johnson.

Week Four

Thursday, September 3

7:00 PM...Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Jets

Micheal Vick vs. Mark Sanchez should be interesting.

7:30 PM...New York Giants @ New England Patriots

Another possible Super Bowl preview features another big-time look at Brady.

8:00 PM...Green Bay Packers @ Tennessee Titans

A slew of top-level players here will face off in another intriguing AFC-NFC battle.

8:00 PM...Pittsburgh Steelers @ Carolina Panthers

Yet another Super Bowl preview will be a fantasy football player's delight, as DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Ben Rothlisberger, Willie Parker, and Hines Ward all square off at Bank of America Stadium.

Friday, September 4

7:00 PM...Houston Texans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Surely not going to be a highly regarded game, but it could be a key in determining who will emerge from the pack as Tampa Bay's starting QB.

10:00 PM...San Francisco 49ers @ San Diego Chargers

This west coast battle could draw some viewers hoping to get a glimpse at unpredictable San Francisco versus another in-state elite opponent.

After all that, it's off to the regular season, which is sure to be even more exciting than the preseason!

2009 NCAA Football Conference Previews: Pacific Ten (Pac-10)

Mark Jones — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:47:10 -0400

It is time. College Football has almost arrived, and the entire country of sports fanatics are enveloping their minds in the addiction that is NCAA football...including me.

This week, I'm covering the Pacific Ten conference in their quest for a national title and a spot among the ranks of the SEC and Big 12.

USC's usual dynasty has suffered some setbacks, but they are still strong in national eyes. However, will it be enough to keep ahead of Cal and sensational back Jahvid Best? Or will Oregon's own stud running back in LeGarrette Blount end up stealing the show? How about the Beaver's Jacquizz Rodgers?

I break down every rank of the conference in this article. Read on...

1. Southern California (USC) Trojans

USC enters this season coming off a dominating Rose Bowl victory, but it will still be no easy ride to another BCS berth. New coordinators on both sides of the ball could put the Pac-10 title in jeopardy.

Corp and Barkley will compete for the QB spot, both of which have talent but little experience. At wideout, Damian Williams is a great producer, and the rest of the unit is also good.

Five running backs will compete for that starting job, but all of them should be serviceable players. Whoever gets the job shouldn't have much trouble finding holes, as the offensive line is one of the best in the USA.

On defense, six total starters were lost from the line and linebacking, but most positions seem to have decent fill-ins. The secondary is excellent, being lead by All-American FS Taylor Mays and SS Josh Pinkard.

The schedule also provides some challenges, including an array of hard road games, including Ohio State, Notre Dame, California, and Oregon.

Projected Bowl: Rose Bowl, vs. Penn State

Predicted Record: 10-2 (8-1 conference)

2. California Golden Bears

California enters this offseason with more confidence than ever, and a hope for a Pac-10 title and a BCS Bowl.

The play of quarterback Kevin Riley will determine a large part of the Bear's 2009 successes. Riley is mobile and tough, but needs more accuracy. His targets are also limited, with a deep but inexperienced WR unit and questions at tight end.

Running back Jahvid Best is the key point of the team, and is likely a top-10 national runner. Best recorded over 1,500 yards last year in twelve games, averaging over 130 yards per game and an incredible 8.1 yards per carry.

The offensive line lost Alex Mack to the NFL, but still appears solid.

On defense, the line appears intact and the secondary group is also good, being lead by cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson.

The linebacking group is an average Pac-10 unit, but could improve over time as many spots are "under siege" from younger players.

The schedule should provide for an interesting season, as the Golden Bears begin with their three non-conference games; Maryland, Eastern Washington, and Minnesota, all of which should be wins. However, they then head into the conference with a brutal opening three games: at Oregon, USC, and at UCLA.

In truth, it could be a tight race between Cal and USC, and Cal falls short on historic experience. But in talent, the Bears get the edge, and the title.

Projected Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl (vs. Utah)

Predicted Record: 10-2 (7-2 conference)

3. Oregon State Beavers

Coming in at third is the Oregon State Beavers, who had one of their best years in recent history last season.

Running back Jacquizz Rodgers is the heart and basis of the offense, and it's well deserved. Rodgers has great sense and a terrific eye for holes. He can also turn up the speed and moves when he needs to.

Jacquizz's brother, James Rodgers, is the top wide receiver, but he lost talent behind him this offseason.

The quarterback job is up for grabs between Lyle Moevao and Sean Canfield, both of which are capable starters.

The defense is a slight weak point, as the line and linebackers appear fine but no returning starters at linebacker could be a major rebuilding issue.

The non-conference schedule is easy, with a home game against Cincinnati the only one worth stressing. However, conference road games versus Arizona State, USC, and Oregon could be hard to win.

Projected Bowl: Poinsettia Bowl, vs. TCU

Predicted Record: 9-3 (6-3 conference)

4. Oregon Ducks

Oregon enters this season having fallen one win short of a double-digit victory season, and that's the goal entering 2009. But the road to 10 wins will have plenty of bumps.

The quarterback situation is one of the best in the conference. The opening day starter seems likely to the Masoli, who is accurate as a passer and also a great runner, averaging around 60 yards per game last season.

Halfback LeGarette Blount is a top 35 player nationally at the position, and top recruit LaMichael James is a nice compliment. There are five great recievers in the system, so that unit won't be lacking, either.

The offensive line is a weak point, losing their best two starters this spring.

On the other side of the ball, the defensive line could have it's issues as well, losing star Nick Reed as well as two other starters. The secondary also lost it's top two starters.

At linebacker, the unit is mostly intact from graduation and appears ready to go.

As far as the schedule goes, games against non-conference foes Boise State, Purdue, and Utah could be tough games to get through. Thankfully, though, the Ducks do manage to get most of the tough Pac-10 opponents at home.

Projected Bowl: Holiday Bowl, vs. Kansas

Predicted Record: 8-4 (7-2 conference)

5. UCLA Bruins

UCLA has plenty of room to improve on, as last year's horrible four-win performance has left a lot to be wanted. However, the Bruins appear on the verge of a major bounce-back.

Quarterback is a bit unstable, but hopefully either redshirt freshman Kevin Prince or senior Kevin Craft, who did throw 20 interceptions last year, will step up.

Running backs Ramirez, Dean, and Knoz will all end up being good starters.

The recievers group is team best, with good size and plentiful talent, and top-ranked tight end recruit Morrel Pressly should be a fantastic addition.

The line is a slight concern, but should improve.

On defense, the entire group is sturdy and intact.

The schedule has two somewhat hard games at Tennessee and home vs. Kansas State, but most of the difficulty is in the conference. However, this year, it's all about a bowl berth once more, and the Bruins seem likely to accomplish that.

Projected Bowl: Sun Bowl, vs. Notre Dame

Predicted Record: 7-5, 5-4 conference

6. Arizona Wildcats

Arizona goes into this season full of confidence after an eight win season, which included their first bowl berth since 1998. However, it could be hard to repeat.

The easy non-conference schedule may help, with three home dates against Central Michigan, Northern Arizona, and Iowa.

Quarterback Willie Tuitama was lost to graduation, and there really isn't much to replace him. Left tackle Eben Britton is also gone.

There is plenty of speed and skill at running back and wide receiver, though.

On defense, it looks like they may finally be becoming the staple of the team. The linebackers unit suffered a few setbacks this offseason, but the secondary is possibly league-best, and their aggression is also a great attribute.

Projected Bowl: Emerald Bowl, vs. N.C. State

Predicted Record: 6-6, 4-5 conference

7. Arizona State Sun Devils

Arizona State is one program in the Pac-10 that isn't headed in the right direction. The Devils dropped from 10 wins in '07 to just a mere five in '08, and improvement will be small if any.

There are major concerns about the running game, and there is about no one at the quarterback position, either. The receiving group is solid, though, and the line should be very sturdy.

The defense appears ready to advance to another level, though. The line is simply sub-par (except for Dexter Davis), but the back seven is the strength of the team.

The schedule will be very tough, though, as it includes a trip to Georgia.

Projected Bowl: Hawaii Bowl, vs. Hawaii

Predicted Record: 6-6, 4-5 conference

8. Stanford Cardinal

Stanford recorded one of their best seasons in years last year, going 5-7. But it looks like a drop in the standings is likely.

The running game should be fine, but they have major holes at quarterback, wide receiver, and the secondary is also torn apart. The offensive line also lost a couple starters.

The schedule also includes games at Wake Forest, Oregon State, Arizona, and USC, and home matches versus UCLA, Arizona State, Oregon, California, and Notre Dame.

Predicted Record: 4-8, 3-6 conference

9. Washington Huskies

After a winless 2008 season, the Huskies don't have anywhere to go but up.

With quarterback Jake Locker, it seems that Washington will likely be able to record at least a couple wins, but besides him, there are no other elite players on the roster.

The defense is also in shreds, and the non-conference schedule is also hard, including games against LSU and Notre Dame. In the conference, a grueling stretch from October 10 to November 14, including five straight games against Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, and Oregon State.

Predicted Record: 2-10, 1-8 conference

10. Washington State

Don't ask me to describe the roster breakdown, there is no roster. Wins will lose themselves from the dictionary here.

Predicted Record: 0-12, 0-9 Conference