NFL Football Handicapping Week 4 Preview

We begin this week again with the disappointing San Francisco 49ers. The most popular pick to win the NFC West have dropped their first three games and are heading into Atlanta to face a team that beat the defending champion Saints in overtime last week. The Falcons are confident, and favored by 6.5 points, but the Niners must be starving for a win by now. We'll see if San Francisco can finally live up to at least a little bit of the pre-season hype and get themselves into the win column, or if they're really heading down the long-winless road paved by the 2009 Tennessee Titans.

In a heavyweight battle every defensive fan loves to watch, the hard hitting Baltimore Ravens are making their annual trek into Heinz field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are 3-0 straight up, 3-0 against the spread and looking to go to 4-0 for the first time in 31 years. They're favored by one point for two reasons: their defense and they're home. Meanwhile the Ravens are playing their usual brand of football, holding opponents to only 244 yards a game so far this season. This should be a ground battle, with plenty of hobbled players by game's end.

Philly fans and football handicapping services will be looking for two things out of Week Four: Michael Vick to run all over the Redskins and Donovan McNabb to be run out of town with a loss. Since taking over at quarterback, Vick has thrown for 575 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Washington started out with a nice win over the Cowboys, but have since lost a heartbreaker to the Texans and an unsettling defeat at the Rams. The Redskins will be fired up to show that they're better than their 1-2 record, not happy about being a 7 point dog, and that the Eagles franchise made a big mistake by trading a star to a division rival.

In a battle of "wow, they're better than I thought they'd be" teams, the Seahawks go on the road this week as the favorite. Granted the game is at St. Louis, but baby steps Seahawks fans. Your team is a road favorite! Just soak that in for a minute. That said, they are only a one point favorite against a much improved Rams team that won their first home game in 14 months last week. Sam Bradford does have 5 interceptions, but he's learning quickly and last week he completed 62% of his passes. It's not going to happen overnight, but it seems clear that St. Louis has a legitimate future star on their roster. If Bradford can get hot against a Seattle defense that gave up 527 yards to San Diego last week, we may have a shootout on our hands.

At the new Meadowlands, the 3-0 Bears face off against the 1-2 Giants. Many people feel the Giants have the most talented defense in football. Many of the same people feel that Chicago is the worst 3-0 team in years. So, good team struggling versus overrated team on the road equals...well, who knows. Sure, the Bears should have lost to the lowly Lions, but they stomped the Cowboys and played smart and efficient in beating the Packers. And the Giants may be talented, but rumors have been swirling all week in New York about whether Tom Coughlin has lost control of the team. Is this the week the Giants finally come together and the Bears finally fall apart? We'll see.

Monday night features Tom Brady and the New England Patriots heading southbound to take on the Miami Dolphins in a battle of division leaders. As usual, Brady has carried whatever load the team needs him to shoulder. He's already thrown for 758 yards and 8 touchdowns. Chad Henne looked like he's making headway with his new star receiver Brandon Marshall. Henne hit Marshall for 166 of his career high 363 yards and expects to do more of the same this week against a beaten up Patriots secondary. The spread opened at even and has since moved to the Pats by one. Two guarantees on this game: that spread will move again before Monday and this will shape up to be one of the best games of the week.

Tim Manson is an avid sports fan and football enthusiast that has been moonlighting as a freelance sports writer for the past four years. Tim is also an upcoming star in the football handicapping industry who lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and two kids were he enjoys playing football as well as hiking and sailing.

Dhani Tackles the Globe: England Preview

NFL linebacker Dhani Jones travels across the pond to London, England with the goal of becoming a true English gentleman via the sport and culture of Rugby. Dhani hooks up with England's oldest Rugby club, goes on a foxhunt and attends a Leicester rugby match. See how Dhani's honed football skills translate over to the Rugby pitch! Tune in Monday Night at 9 PM E/P for an all New Dhani Tackles the Globe, only on the Travel Channel.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr1mzBb9vWE&hl=en

LSU Tigers 2008 College Football Team Preview

The LSU offense is stacked. There is an abundance of talent at the running back and receiver positions. The Tigers also have an experienced and talented offensive line. But who will be under center? Ryan Perrilloux, MVP of the SEC title game, was dismissed from the team for repeated team rules violations. The guys behind Perrilloux on the depth chart, Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch, have basically no experience at this level.

The LSU running game looks to be a three-headed monster. Keiland Williams (478 yards, 6 touchdowns), Charles Scott (439 total yards, 7 touchdowns) and Richard Murphy (304 total yards, 2 touchdowns) all figure to play a significant role in the LSU rushing attack.

The Tigers also have one of the best receiver tandems in the nation. Brandon LaFell and speedy Demetrius Byrd combined for 85 receptions, 1,277 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Tight end Richard Dickson is another great receiving threat.

With four starters back this season, LSU boasts one of the most experienced offensive lines in the SEC. Left tackle Ciron Black, left guard Herman Johnson and center Brett Helms have All-SEC talent.

There is plenty of depth along the defensive line. Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman are the returning starters at the ends. They'll get help from Rahim Alem and Ricky Jean-Francois, the defensive MVP of the BCS Championship Game. Jean-Francois, Marlon Favorite and Charles Alexander lead the rotation inside. Al Woods and Drake Nevis could also see significant action.

Middle linebacker Darry Beckwith played the last few games of 2007 with an injured shoulder, but still recorded 65 tackles in 12 games. Beckwith will have a new starter on each side. Perry Riley, Kelvin Sheppard and Jacob Cuttera will be competing for the two starting outside linebacker jobs.

In the secondary, free safety Curtis Taylor is the lone returning starter. Nickel back Danny McCray is also back for 2008. Chad Jones and Harry Coleman will compete for time at strong safety. There will also be a lot of competition for the two starting cornerback spots. Chris Hawkins, Jai Eugene, Patrick Johnson and Brandon Taylor are all in the mix.

Senior kicker Colt David is back. David converted all 63 extra-point tries last season and also connected on 26-of-33 field goal attempts. All-SEC punter Patrick Fisher is gone. Senior Brady Dalfrey is Fisher's likely replacement.

The defending national champs will have a tough row to hoe this year. With a question mark at quarterback and a schedule that will have them playing at Auburn and Florida, as well as a home game against Georgia, this could be a two- or three-loss season for the Tigers. Another national title run doesn't appear likely. A BCS bowl game for LSU should be viewed as a successful season.

Dwayne Bryant is the owner of Bullseye Sports Handicapping Service. Dwayne, among the best free sports handicappers, has been handicapping successfully for over 20 years. Dwayne gives a daily free sport pick, including a free college football pick every Saturday during the season.

Ohio State Buckeyes 2008 College Football Team Preview

Ohio State's last two seasons ended in heartbreak with losses in the national title game. Two years ago, Florida routed the Buckeyes, 41-14. Last season, it was another SEC foe, LSU, who stomped Ohio State, 38-24. With almost all starters returning, I expect Ohio State to make another run at the national championship.

Junior running back Chris "Beanie" Wells is coming off a season in which he ran for over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns. Included in that yardage total is a 222-yard performance against rival Michigan. It stands as the best rushing performance ever for a Buckeye against Michigan. Wells also tallied 146 yards in the BCS National Championship Game against LSU.

Quarterback Todd Boeckman returns for his senior season. With Wells in the backfield and a veteran offensive line protecting him, Boeckman should have little trouble getting the ball to his favorite targets, wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Robiskie led the team last season with 55 catches for 935 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hartline wasn't too far behind Robiskie with 52 receptions of his own. Robiskie and Hartline must stay healthy because Ohio State has no clear third receiving threat at this time.

Defensively, the Buckeyes were nearly invincible last season. Ohio State ranked first nationally in points allowed per game (12.8), passing yards allowed per game (150.2) and total yards per game (233). They were also third nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (82.9).

Ohio State plays a 4-3 defense that gets regular pressure on passing downs and reroutes running plays to the middle where linebacker James Laurinaitis resides. Laurinaitis, a Butkus Award winner, has size, speed and all the intangibles. Outside linebacker Marcus Freeman has been second on the team in tackles (behind Laurinaitis) each of the last two seasons and I can easily see that happening again this season.

Ohio State is deep along the defensive line, which will allow them to keep fresh bodies on the field at all times. The secondary is also very talented with all four starters returning, including Thorpe Award candidate Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins, a senior cornerback, will be joined in the secondary by fellow cornerback Donald Washington and safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell.

Ohio State should see improvement in their kick return coverage this season with the return of Aaron Pettrey, who was injured for a majority of last season. Punter A.J. Trapasso also returns. Trapasso is very skilled at placing kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Ryan Pretorius, an accurate kicker, is also back for his senior season.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see this team back in the national title game for the third straight year. They have nine starters returning on both sides of the ball, including some All-American candidates. They also have head coach Jim Tressel, who has already won a Division I-A national title.

The defense should be fierce once again, even without Vernon Gholston. If the offense can sustain drives and limit turnovers (Boeckman threw 14 interceptions last season and Wells has a history of fumbling), then I can see Ohio State right back in the national title game in January 2009.

Expert sports handicapper Dwayne Bryant is the owner of Bullseye Sports Handicapping Service. Dwayne has enjoyed great handicapping success for over 20 years, as is evident by his incredibly large client base. His Best Bets are the stuff of legends. Dwayne gives daily free sports picks, including free college football picks [http://www.bullseye-sports.com/free_ncaa_college_football_picks.php], on the website.

Oklahoma Sooners 2008 College Football Team Preview

Oklahoma finished the 2007 season at 11-3 as Big 12 champions. The Sooners averaged 6.4 yards per play on offense, the most for the team since 1987. The offense should continue to thrive, but the defense may be a bit of a question mark at this point in time.

Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford had one of the best freshman seasons in college football history. Bradford threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. He led the nation in passing efficiency and his 36 touchdown passes stand as the NCAA freshman record. With a talented and experienced offensive line in front of him and an army of weapons at his disposal, Bradford should continue to improve in his sophomore season.

The Oklahoma offensive line is led by future NFL players Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt. In fact, all five starters are back this season for an offensive line that ranks as one of the top units in the country.

The Sooners also welcome back wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Iglesias led the team last season with 68 catches for 907 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Jermaine Gresham steps into the starting spot at tight end and appears to be someone to watch.

Senior running back Allen Patrick is gone, but the cupboard is anything but bare. The tandem of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown combined for 1,375 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Murray is just a sophomore, but he possesses great speed and elusiveness. He could very well have a huge season.

The defense only returns six starters, but three of them are along the defensive line. Oklahoma will have to rely on the front four to control the line of scrimmage; at least until the back seven get settled. The front four were equally successful at stopping the run and the pass in 2007.

The linebacker corps returns only one starter, Ryan Reynolds, who has a history of injury problems. The success of this unit could depend on the development of redshirt freshmen Travis Lewis and Austin Box, as well as junior college transfers J.R. Bryant and Mike Balogun.

The secondary returns both safeties from last season, Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes. Both have all-star potential and they'll need to show it because the team will have two new starting cornerbacks this season. The likely starters are junior Brian Jackson and sophomore Dominique Franks. Both played well in the spring, but it remains to be seen how that translates into the season.

Receivers Iglesias and Murray return for the top kickoff return unit in the nation last season. Mike Knall returns as one of the Big 12's best punters, but Oklahoma needs someone to step up and win the kicker job.

The schedule is favorable for the Sooners to make a run at the national title. The one possible roadblock is October 11th when Oklahoma travels to Dallas to face Texas. Bradford should continue to impress with talent all around him. If the defense can hide its inexperience, the Sooners should prevail as Big 12 South champions and make a play for their eighth national championship.

Expert sports handicapper Dwayne Bryant is the owner of Bullseye Sports Handicapping Service. Dwayne has enjoyed great handicapping success for over 20 years, as is evident by his incredibly large client base. His Best Bets are the stuff of legends. Dwayne gives daily free sports picks, including free college football picks [http://www.bullseye-sports.com/free_ncaa_college_football_picks.php], on the website.

Oklahoma Sooners 2008 College Football Team Preview

Oklahoma finished the 2007 season at 11-3 as Big 12 champions. The Sooners averaged 6.4 yards per play on offense, the most for the team since 1987. The offense should continue to thrive, but the defense may be a bit of a question mark at this point in time.

Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford had one of the best freshman seasons in college football history. Bradford threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. He led the nation in passing efficiency and his 36 touchdown passes stand as the NCAA freshman record. With a talented and experienced offensive line in front of him and an army of weapons at his disposal, Bradford should continue to improve in his sophomore season.

The Oklahoma offensive line is led by future NFL players Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt. In fact, all five starters are back this season for an offensive line that ranks as one of the top units in the country.

The Sooners also welcome back wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Iglesias led the team last season with 68 catches for 907 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Jermaine Gresham steps into the starting spot at tight end and appears to be someone to watch.

Senior running back Allen Patrick is gone, but the cupboard is anything but bare. The tandem of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown combined for 1,375 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Murray is just a sophomore, but he possesses great speed and elusiveness. He could very well have a huge season.

The defense only returns six starters, but three of them are along the defensive line. Oklahoma will have to rely on the front four to control the line of scrimmage; at least until the back seven get settled. The front four were equally successful at stopping the run and the pass in 2007.

The linebacker corps returns only one starter, Ryan Reynolds, who has a history of injury problems. The success of this unit could depend on the development of redshirt freshmen Travis Lewis and Austin Box, as well as junior college transfers J.R. Bryant and Mike Balogun.

The secondary returns both safeties from last season, Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes. Both have all-star potential and they'll need to show it because the team will have two new starting cornerbacks this season. The likely starters are junior Brian Jackson and sophomore Dominique Franks. Both played well in the spring, but it remains to be seen how that translates into the season.

Receivers Iglesias and Murray return for the top kickoff return unit in the nation last season. Mike Knall returns as one of the Big 12's best punters, but Oklahoma needs someone to step up and win the kicker job.

The schedule is favorable for the Sooners to make a run at the national title. The one possible roadblock is October 11th when Oklahoma travels to Dallas to face Texas. Bradford should continue to impress with talent all around him. If the defense can hide its inexperience, the Sooners should prevail as Big 12 South champions and make a play for their eighth national championship.

Expert sports handicapper Dwayne Bryant is the owner of Bullseye Sports Handicapping Service. Dwayne has enjoyed great handicapping success for over 20 years, as is evident by his incredibly large client base. His Best Bets are the stuff of legends. Dwayne gives daily free sports picks, including free college football picks [http://www.bullseye-sports.com/free_ncaa_college_football_picks.php], on the website.

USC Trojans 2008 College Football Team Preview

USC finished the 2007 campaign with an 11-2 record capped off by a convincing 49-17 win over Illinois in the Rose Bowl. Southern Cal ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, as they allowed just 19 points per game. They also ranked second nationally in total defense, as they allowed only 273.2 yards per game. Two October losses (home against Stanford and at Oregon) ruined their bid for a perfect season and national championship.

This season, the quarterbacking duties will be handled by junior Mark Sanchez. Sanchez won the job in spring over Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. Sanchez has started just three games coming into this season. The former National Prep Player of the Year threw seven touchdown passes and five interceptions in limited duty last season.

USC possesses a deep corps of talented running backs, including Stafon Johnson, experienced junior C.J. Gable and super sophomore Joe McKnight. Johnson ran for 673 yards on just 98 carries last season for a 6.9-yard average. He also tallied five touchdowns. Fullback Stanley Havili, a solid receiver and blocker, should also help the USC rushing attack.

Vidal Hazleton and Patrick Turner return as the starting wide receivers. This unit needs to improve from last season's performance. They should get help from Damian Williams, another Arkansas transfer, and Ronald Johnson. All-America tight end Fred Davis has gone to the NFL, leaving junior Anthony McCoy to try to fill the huge void left by Davis' departure.

Only one starter returns from last year's offensive line and that is left guard Jeff Byers. The good news is many of the new starters in this group saw extensive playing time last season due to injuries to last year's starters. Center Kristofer O'Dowd played extremely well last season filling in for the injured Matt Spanos. Charles Brown, Zack Heberer and Butch Lewis also received plenty of playing time due to starters' injuries.

Head coach Pete Carroll's specialty is defense. I mentioned some of USC's 2007 defensive accomplishments earlier. This year's group has speed and athleticism at every level and should also put up some impressive numbers.

All-America candidate Rey Maualuga returns at middle linebacker and former Rose Bowl MVP Brian Cushing returns at strong-side linebacker. Kaluka Maiava should be the new starter at weak-side linebacker for a unit that should be among the best in the country.

It gets even better. Coach Carroll believes this year's secondary could be the best he has ever coached. It all starts with 6'4" 225-pound free safety Taylor Mays. Strong safety Kevin Ellison, an All-PAC 10 pick last season, combines with Mays to form what might be the best safety tandem in the nation.

The biggest loss for this defense is the departure of PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year Sedrick Ellis. Ellis, a nose tackle last season, is off to the NFL. Christian Tupou and Averell Spicer have some big shoes to fill in trying to replace Ellis. The rest of the defensive line consists of Fili Moala at the other tackle spot and freshman All-American Everson Griffin and Kyle Moore at the ends.

Both kickers, placekicker David Buehler and punter Greg Woidneck, return after solid 2007 campaigns. Southern Cal should get excellent kick returns from the trio of McKnight, Gable and Ronald Johnson.

In 2008, the Trojans will be trying to win 11 games and make it to a BCS bowl game for the seventh straight season. QB Sanchez will have a lot to do with whether or not USC achieves that goal. USC does have an easier schedule than they had last season. Most of the tough games are at home, including Ohio State, Oregon and Arizona State. I expect USC to once again challenge for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

Expert sports handicapper Dwayne Bryant is the owner of Bullseye Sports Handicapping Service. Dwayne has enjoyed great handicapping success for over 20 years, as is evident by his incredibly large client base. His Best Bets are the stuff of legends. Dwayne gives daily free sports betting picks, including free college football betting picks [http://www.bullseye-sports.com/free_ncaa_college_football_picks.php], on the website.