Week Of Decision

I don't know if you have noticed this or not with ECU cancelling their game this week none of the Big Four schools are home and all four play the top four teams in the ACC.  Nobody that plays in the ACC that call North Carolina home are favored and they are all underdogs Saturday.  Last week 6-3 to run my guess totals for college football to 45-16.

NC State 4-1 @ Clemson 6-0: I just don't think the Pack is all that bad a club this year but I have no dreams of believing they have a chance in this one.  Last few years these games have been high scoring an I see no reason it will not be that way again.  Clemson 45 Pack 32

North Carolina 4-2 @ Miami 4-1:  Canes put up a fight but fell to Florida State for their first loss of season.  Carolina drowned in their own stupidity.  If you have two runners that Carolina has why do you try to pass in the pouring rain.  They should have run over VT but chose to pass. This could be an interesting game.  Miami pulls it out 34-30

Duke 3-3 @ Louisville 4-1:  Houston losing and Louisville losing a projected top five game against Houston gone they will need to beat everyone on their schedule by 70 to impress the pollster.  Duke is the first team that must face this onslaught. I hope they stay within 35.  Louisville 56 Duke 24

Wake Forest 5-1 @ Florida State 4-2:  Can you believe Wake is 5-1.  FSU coming off off a big rival win over Miami and they may not respect the Deacs and be set up for an upset.  You know Wake has given the Noles trouble in the past.  I can't see them winning in Tallahassee.  FSU 38 Wake 24

Georgia Southern 3-2@ Georgia Tech 3-3:  This is not a gimme for the Rambling Wreck. They have their work cut out for themselves.  GT 37 GS 28

Virginia Tech 4-1 @ Syracuse 2-4:  VT showed everyone in Chapel Hill they are back. So here is a question.  Would the old Frank Beamer teams go to a place like  Syracuse who we can not say they are an average team and lose.  I say no Tech 42 Cuse 24

Pitt 4-2 @ Virginia 2-3:  UVA's first couple of games they were awful but they have turned the corner.  Pitt I still like and think they have no problem in Charlottesville.  38-20 Panthers.

Stanford 3-2 @ Notre Dame2-4:  If you were impressed  with the Irish coaching in Raleigh you didn't see the game I saw.  Kelly stuck to the pass the entire game never gave his team a chance.  Stanford has lost  big two games in a row badly.  Can they rebound against a bad Notre Dame team?  Yes 35 -24 the Cardinals or Trees what ever their mascot is.

It's Obvious No High School Sports This Week

Edgecombe County schools closed through the week.. Nash and Wilson County for sure closed Thursday.  Both Wilson and Nash Counties have a rule that if any school is closed all day or close early because of weather no games or even practices can be held.  That makes very good sense that if it is bad enough to keep school  from taking in or get out early should students be  endangered by practice after school or a game

This of course means no football in this area Friday night and we are  in the middle of a conference season.  Football you only play teams once and if any one game is lost that is 20% of the season.  You will see every one play three games in eight days just like Northern Nash did a few weeks back.

Rocky Mount will play Fike  in Homecoming Friday October 21st as is on the schedule.  The Big East Athletic Directors discussed Wednesday how to proceed with the games that will be missed this Friday night.  Tuesday October 25th Rocky Mount will travel to Hunt.  Southern Nash will visit Northern Nash and Nash Central makes their makeup game with Fike.  This way all teams will play three games within that eight day period basically giving all teams the same schedule with no one having it easier than another other than where the games are played.

You may ask the question why not play next Tuesday and play three games in 11 days? You must remember everyone played their last game on Thursday Night and that means all teams have not played or practice in a week.  WRAL-TV  reported tonight that in Nash County 50 bus routes were still effected by flooded roads.  So there is no guarantee schools go Monday.  If they do go Monday which we all hope that give four days to get ready for Fike Friday and to get back in shape.

Look at the plight for North Carolina Wesleyan.  Homecoming and the Hall of Fame weekend has been wiped out this Saturday against Methodist.  Both Methodist and The Battling Bishops have no open dates for the rest of the season.

DIII playoffs start November 19th.  Wesleyan has a game every week until then.  Methodist even had to cancel their game last Saturday with Averitt.  Only one lost so far the Bishops still have a shot at the DIII playoffs  from Conference USA South.  They could by not playing all games find themselves a half game short in any tie situation.

I could see this happen.  No playoffs and Home Coming and the Hall of Fame weekend just might be moved to November 19th.  The Bishops just might be playing the first weekend of the national playoffs but not in the playoffs.

Lost Mo Jo On NFL Picks

Another losing week on NFL picks as I was 6-8 on the week dropping my season total to 38 -23.  IM going back to flipping coins to see if I can improve my percentage.

Bronco's 4-1 @ Chargers 1-4.  The top scoring offense in the NFL the San Diego Chargers.  They have led every game this year in the third or fourth quarter but have lost the win in four of them.  Denver's defense is still real good but who's going to quarterback.  I'm giving  Chargers one more chance.  Chargers 27 Bronc's 23

49er's 1-4 @ Bills 3-2.  I will not pick a game for the 9ers as long as What's his face plays.  Bills 26 SF 17

Eagles 3-1 @ Redskins 3-2.  This is an NFC East game so that means the team that is suppose to win will not.  Washington 26 Philly 23

Brown's 0-5 @ Titans 2-3.  There is a chance the Browns go winless. Titans 26 Brown's 20

Ravens 3-2 @ Giants 2-3.  I have a hard time picking Eli in any game but the Giants need this one NY 23 Ravens 21

Panthers 1-4 @ Saints 1-3.  If the Panthers can't beat Tampa at home with an eight point lead how can you expect them to beat the Saints?  New Orleans 30 Carolina 20

Jags 1-3 @ Bears 1-4.  I think Jacksonville has a real shot in this game.  Jacksonville 26 Chicago 22

Rams 3-2 @ Lions 2-3.  Seems like most of the teams in NFL you never know from week to week who they are.  We got two in this game.  Lions 27 Rams 20

Steelers 4-1 @ Dolphins 1-4.  This should be a wipeout for  the Steelers, but this is NFL. Might be a a close one but Steelers prevail 27-24

Bengals 2-3 @ Patriots 4-1.  Bungles have been a major disappointment so far this season.  I can't see them beating Pat's.  NEW England 34 Bengals 24

Chiefs 2-2 @ Raiders 4-1.  Here is a typical NFL game. Raiders are on cloud nine now they are tied for the top.  KC pokes a hole in the Raiders cloud.  27-24 Chiefs

Falcons 4-1 @ Seahawks 3-1.   Every time a team falls back like the Panthers there is someone to take their place like the Falcons.  Seattle is a tough place to win.  Hawks 30 Falcons 27

Cowboys 4-1 @ Packers 3-1.  People go crazy when ever Dallas wins one game.  Now they have won four in a row people are talking Super Bowl.  So far this year Aaron Rogers just average which is not good for the Packers.  Big D 26 Packers 23

Colts 2-3 @ Texans 3-2.  Probably high scoring but Colts can't stop Houston. 37-30

Jets 1-4 @Cardinals 2-3.  The Jets have been close in all their games and Cardinals another one of those disappointing teams.  Jets 23 Cards 22

Let's see if we can get back to picking at least half of the games right.

Sometimes Sports Is Not All That important

1999 when Hurricane Flyod came through if I remember correctly schools were out a good part of at least two weeks.  This weekend here comes Matthew and once again major flooding all around eastern North Carolina.  Maybe not quite as deep as Flyod but what does it matter whether there was four feet of water in the road or two.

Rocky Mount has it's flooding but maybe the Fayetteville area has had it worse. This Saturday is suppose to be homecoming at North Carolina Wesleyan and they have on the schedule Methodist from Fayetteville.  Monday the game was postpone because both schools are closed and just maybe one of the two may not have classes at all this week if not both.  No makeup date has been announced as of yet so homecoming is on hold this year at North Carolina Wesleyan.

Any one who has tried to get off 64 near the sports complex knows the water is over 64 and is on the football field.  At this point not as deep as Floyd but finding a way around all the closed roads could last for days.

Now looking at our local high schools nobody went to school in either Edgecombe, Nash or Wilson Counties so are we looking at a whole week or more without any school time?  Will anybody be able to play by Monday setting up Monday Night- Friday night games next week?  Will they even be able to go to school Monday?   Could we be having Tuesday night games next week setting up another game on Friday.  This is of course just conjecture because  if there is no school even next week we will have no games of any kind until school resumes.

We may be faced with just cancelling football games this week.  I didn't like it earlier this year when Tarboro and Northern Nash played Friday, Monday and Friday.  That is simply too much football and no time to recover.  I could see if Friday is out for football trying to play Monday or Tuesday but if they can't be play cancel this week and try to play on from there.  This is of course if school takes in by next week and we might go through the the same scenerio with week three games that we are going through now.

Fifty miles down river in Greenville ECU was suppose to play Navy Thursday night and school is shutdown for the whole week in Greenville.  Being fifty miles down river the flooding will only get worse for them When all this water in Rocky Mount makes it way there.

The bottom line we have too much to worry about getting our lives back together to worry about sports.  Like in 2010 when the Twin Counties was going through an economic disaster a basketball state championship gave us a few moments to cherish and forget our problems at home.  We might not of had money in our pockets but we had pride in our soul from what the basketball team accomplished.  Now it is time to clean up the mess.

Trends Are Now The Norm

One of the reason teams play almost half their schedule is they are trying to formulate  a pattern of how to win football games.  Now that everyone is in to conference play  any trend that has lasted seven weeks into a season is no longer a trend but is the way that team is going to be for the rest of the year.

The 2016 version of the Rocky Mount Gryphons seems to be just as talented as last year's state championship squad  but the trend this year is not graphing out to be playing late November or Early December.

This team is putting the ball in the other teams hands too much.  If you are deep in the other teams side of the field you are taking away points from yourself and giving the other team energy to push on.  Friday night's case was a 99 yard interception the Gryphon lost seven points which could have given them 27 on the night and only seven for Nash Central a much different game.

Nash Central is a much improved team  but the Gryphon defense did their job in holding them to seven points.  Just the first half alone the worse field position the Bulldogs started was their own 39.  Twice in the fourth quarter they started on the Rocky Mount side of the field and their last chance they were on the  Gryphon  24 and the defense backed them up.

Now as defending state champions everyone is going to give them their best shot.  If you think by just showing up the other side is quivering in their boots you are mistaken.  Is this year's squad satisfied as being the defending champs over trying to be the two time defending champs?
The luck factor:  This year's team has had injuries and illness that last year did not have as much off.  Last year an injury someone stepped up and they didn't miss a beat.  The quality depth is not there this season like last. Here we are in the second week of conference play still playing two quarterbacks which tends to keep the offense without a person to be the leader.

This 2016 Gryphon team still has plenty of time to get everything together.  Remember this, it  was about this time last year before we even started thinking about a playoff run.  I think this team's mentality is for the spectacular instead of the down to earth grind it out play.  I think for the most part the Gryphons have been their own worse enemy.  Get back to fundamental football.  Winning makes you forget about what almost beat you.  There are teams ahead that if you give them a break by not scoring when you should they will not wait to give you a chance later.

If this Gryphon team even thinks they are capable of state championship first of all they had better starting worrying about the conference title. The lower you are in the brackets the tougher the climb to the top once the playoffs roll in.  This team has shown at times they are capable.  They have to show more.  If they don't the basketball team will have a full roster much sooner than last year.

Sunny Skies Not Enough For Bishops

Two of the top four teams in the USA South clashed in Sunny Maryville TN this afternoon and the Scots of Maryville scored twice in the third quarter to break a 10-10 half time and  the Battling Bishops just could not catch up and they lose their first conference game if the year 31-17 to Maryville.

Maryville  in the Knoxville area had sunny 70 degree skies all during the game while those of us who had good sense sat home trying to keep the State-Notre Dame game on the satellite.  Nathan Gardner passed for 255 yards but completed only 17 of his 33 tosses.  He threw two touchdown tosses one to Malik Adams who caught 11 balls on the day for 172 yards.

Back up QB Donielle Totten played the last few minutes going 4-10 for 52 yards.  Adrian Monondo carried 18 times for 85 yards and Gerell Patton 13-40.  Bishops fall to 2-3 overall 1-1 in conference.  they will return home next Saturday for Home Coming as they Host Methodist.

I was in the stands I think it was 1999 when NC State played Lou Holtz and South Carolina in a Tropical Storm on Prime time Thursday night football.  Sitting in my living room today I watched about 30,000 fans braved once again monsoon rains and the Pack  loves to score 10 points but gave the Fighting Irish 3 which was enough to hold on to win 10-3.

It is amazing to me on a day when the only way to move the ball was run up the middle both teams continued to tried to throw all day.  Notre Dame never tried to run until their last desperation drive but the Pack made a stop late. The Irish attempted 26 passes completing only 9.  The longest pass play of the day was 11 yards.

Today marked the 50th anniversary of the first game being played at Carter Stadium.  Pack goes to 4-1 with a road trip to Clemson next week.

ECU was in sunny Tampa Florida but I am sure that they wish the Tampa St Pete airport had of been closed so they couldn't fly in yesterday. The Bulls of South Florida control the game from the opening kickoff until the end as ECU suffers another loss  38-22.

The field looked in better shape in Chapel Hill than in Raleigh but it did not take long for Carolina find out that Virginia Tech was not the Gobbler team of of the past couple of years.    Carolina is manhandled by Tech 34-3.

Hope everyone stays safe and dry!

Wicked Week

I have had a decent start to my picks on the NFL games.  The first three weeks I have had a record of 32-15 but I took a big tumble going just 7-8 for the weekend.  Record dips to 39-23.  Only one way to improve and that would be to get more right.  Let's try again this week.  I made these picks before all the high school games got moved up causing me to shift my normal predictions of NFL from Wednesday to Saturday.  Got the first one wrong anyway.

Cardinals 1-3 @ 49'ers 1-3:  What's wrong with the Cardinals?  The first game of the season the 9'ers looked like Super Bowls champs but since the toilet bowl.  Niners win at home 26-23

Patriots 3-1 @ Browns  0-4:  Is Bill Bellicheck so smart he deliberately lost Sunday just to make Tom Brady think he's needed?  I suspect this one will be a runaway just so the media can start spouting how great Brady is again.  New England 38 Browns 6

Eagles 3-0 @ Lions 1-3:  Great start for the Eagles and they get one of the most inconsistent teams in all of football.  Eagles will stay undefeated Eagles 33 Lions 28

Bears 1-3 @ Indianapolis 1-3:  Two down and out teams that the losers season is over.  Colts 29 Bears 20kjoyduum you know
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Tennessee 1-3 @ Miami 1-3:  Another game between teams on the verge of elimination.   Miami 23 Tennessee 20

Redskins 2-2 @ Ravens 3-1:  I-95 series.  Just two weeks ago Skins were 0-2, now they are even.  Ravens defense has been solid all year.  Baltimore 30 Washington 20

Texans 3-1 @ Vikings 4-0:  One of the good games of the weekend.  I think Vikes are legit.  Vikings 24 Texans 16

Jets 1-3 @ Steelers 3-1:  Steelers looked the part of a Super Bowl champ last Sunday night.  Maybe, one thing for sure Jets won't make Steelers look brittle.  Pitt 26 Jets 14

Falcons 3-1 @ Bronc's 4-0:  It's the offense against the defense in the Mile High City. I think we will have an idea about the Falcons after this week.  Denver 30 Atlanta 27

Bills 2-2 at Rams 3-1:  What good will,it do the Bills to shutout the Pat's and Lose in LA.  So far Todd Gurley averaging only 2.6 yards per carry. Despite that Rams defense is winning games.  Rams 19 Bills 12

Bengals 2-2 @ Cowboys 3-1:  If you play in New York or Dallas win one game and everybody starts taking Super Bowl.  Bengals will buck off the Cowboys 26 23

Chargers 1-3 @ Raiders 3-1:  I hope Chargers trail the whole game because they can't hold a lead.  Raiders are for real.  Oakland 30 Chargers 27

Giants 2-2 @ Packers 2-1:  Interesting game in Lambeau Field.  I find it hard to believe Eli can win in the unfrozen tundra.  Packers 36 Giants 26

Tampa 1-3 @ Carolina 1-3:  Not surprised at Bucs being 1-3 but Panthers I'm shocked.  Still think Panthers have a chance to turn it around even if Cam sits.  Why is the NFL made Cam Newton open season on head hits.  Carolina 30 Tampa 23.