Category → Predictions
Bold Prediction: Seahawks @ Panthers
The Seahawks went 10-6. The Panthers went 15-1.
The Seahawks lucked into a wild card win on a missed field goal chip shot. The Panthers sat at home and got rest.
The Seahawks don’t have the home field advantage they have enjoyed the last two Super Bowl seasons. The Panthers haven’t lost a game at home all year.
The Panthers actually went into Seattle and beat them once already this year.
The two teams have played each other 5 times in the last 4 seasons with 4 of those games being decided by 5 points or less. The only one that was’t was last years divisional round with a late pick-six my Kam Chancellor in a very close game.
Conventional wisdom tells you that the Panthers have proven themselves the better team all season long. It also tells you that even in defeat they have played Seattle incredibly tough no matter when or where the game has been played. Vegas has placed the Panthers as anywhere from a 2 to 3 point favorite with the eventual MVP and home field on their side. Every analyst you hear speaks to this matchup as a dog fight between two great defenses and lead by two emerging superstars at quarterback. This has the feeling as a game that will go down to the wire with one team needed a late drive to send them to the NFC Championship game. Based on how this year has gone this has to be the Panthers year with them prevailing late one again and finally sending the Seahawks home right?….. Wrong
Sports doesn’t follow conventional wisdom. It doesn’t care what happened last year, earlier this season, or even last week. This game isn’t played on paper by matching up personal and statistics to compute the final outcome. This Seahawks team has dealt with the most difficult circumstances any team can imagine. One yard away from another Super Bowl only for it to be snatched away my Malcom Butler. Their most important defensive player and leader sitting out the first few weeks of the season. And then there is Beast Mode. The heart and soul of the team and the player who gave them their hard-nosed identity has been hurt for most of the year. All of these issues showed loud and clear as the team stubbled to a 2-4 start and fell too far back in the NFC West to contend. But these issues also brought this team closer, made them work a little bit harder, and resulted in others, mainly Russell Wilson, steeping up and the offense finally flying higher than ever before. This team steam rolled people down the stretch and will use what some are calling a second life after the Minnesota game to show the world that the NFC’s bully on the block are still alive. Sorry Panthers you will have to wait until next year.
Prediction: Seahawks 34 Panthers 17
Friendly College Football Playoff Predictions 2015
Scoring = 100 points for each team in the College Football Playoff
+
Additional 100 points for exact team picked as 1 seed
Additional 60 points for exact team picked as 2 seed
Additional 30 points for exact team picked as 3 seed
Additional 20 points for exact team picked as 4 seed
CR
1. Ohio St.
2. Oklahoma
3. Auburn
4. USC
MD
1. Ohio St.
2. Oregon
3. Auburn
4. TCU
JS
1. Ohio St.
2. TCU
3. Auburn
4. Oregon
JG
1. Oregon
2. Michigan St.
3. Auburn
4. Notre Dame
MG
1. Alabama
2. TCU
3. ASU
4. Michigan St.
March Madness 1-3 Seeds Forecast
3 Seeds
Utah
Notre Dame
Iowa State
Kansas
2 Seeds
Wichita State
Gonzaga
Wisconsin
Duke
1 Seeds
Villanova
Arizona
Virginia
Kentucky
2014 College Football Playoff Prediction
1. Florida st. (13-0)
Take one look at the Seminole’s regular season schedule and you see they will be heavily favored in every single game. They play only two ranked teams (Clemson and Notre Dame) and two others who could be (Oklahoma st. and Florida). Coming off of an undefeated BCS championship season the main issues will be remaining focused and dealing with the season long target on their back. The Seminoles will finally resemble last years team after a few early season scares, allowing them to take the number 1 seed. Their blowout in the ACC championship game over Virginia Tech shows people how good they can be heading toward the playoff.
VS.
4. Alabama (12-1)
With a question mark at QB for the first time in years, Alabama will look shaky on offense to start the season. However, it will be their heralded defense that lets them down as a young and extremely talented LSU team beats them in Death Valley. They do rebound to end the season, and in a year when the SEC West beats itself up, their beatdown of rival Auburn gets them back in the SEC championship game. They do just enough beating South Carolina to sneak into the playoff as the 4 seed.
Winner: I see this game playing out much like last years National Championship. Alabama starts strong and jumps out to a quick 21 to 3 lead. Jameis Winston looks slow footed and confused against a much faster defense than he has faced all season. After some halftime adjustments, Florida St. makes this a game. However, Bama uses it’s strong run game and is too much down the stretch running out the clock and preventing the comeback.
Final Alabama 34 Florida state 28
2. Oregon (13-0)
Oregon disappointed last season partially due to an injury to Marcus Mariota, but they also just ran into a tough Stanford defense on the farm. They get both Stanford and Michigan st., the two toughest defenses they will face, at Autzen Stadium and will take both games by wider margins than expected. Their two closest contests will come against the same team in the UCLA Bruins. Oregon will wrap up the two seed after beating the Bruins by a touchdown for the second time this season in the PAC 12 championship game.
VS.
3. Ohio st. (13-0)
A full season with a healthy Braxton Miller will not only give Ohio st. a Heisman finalist, but also an undefeated regular season. They will get their revenge against Michigan st., pulling out a last minute win over the Spartans in East Lansing. A very solid Wisconsin team gives them all they can handle in the Big Ten Championship game, but Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes slot just below Oregon as the 3 seed.
Winner: This has the makings of an offensive showdown between two of the highest scoring teams in the county. The two heisman finalists do not disappoint, putting points on the board almost as if the defense is standing still. With it looking like whichever team has the ball last will win, it is the Oregon defense that gets the necessary stop late in the fourth Quarter. Mariota loses the Heisman to Miller but gets his revenge sending the Ducks to the title game.
Final Oregon 42 Ohio state 35
#4 Alabama vs. #2 Oregon
Though Oregon is undefeated and the higher seed, Alabama comes into this game as a 5 point favorite. Pac 12 and Anti SEC fans everyone are outraged taking this as a sign of SEC bias and disrespect. This shows in some of the chippy play from the Duck players as well as rabid fans who have chanted “We Want Bama” all year long. Oregon gets the spark they need on special teams returning a punt to the house putting them up 21 to 14 entering the break. Another quick score on a long run from Mariota gives them the lead they need, and bruising back Thomas Tyner carries the load down the stretch to hold off a late rally by the Bama air attack.
Final Oregon 34 Alabama 27
A Monday Mariner Masterpiece
This has to be a sure fire win for the Mariners. With King Felix on the mound today, there is no way the mariners lose in Yankee Stadium. Something about the new Yankee Stadium seems to mesh well with the king. Hernandez has has been absolutely dominant there in his last 6 starts going 4-1 with a 1.18 ERA. He is also coming off of his best pitching performance of the season against the Angels on Wednesday, where he was one out from a complete game. This along with the fact that the Yankees are without Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira spells a long day for the Yankee lineup.
Prediction: Mariners 6 Yankees 1
Felix cruises through 8 inning striking out 8 while giving up only 5 hits one of which is a solo shot.