Wednesday January 13

UVA Men’s Basketball: versus #18 Georgia Tech

The UVA men’s basketball team (9-4, 1-0) was written off at the start of the season, predicted to finish eleventh or twelfth (out of 12) in the ACC by most “experts.” While that still could happen, I do not think it will (and as of press time they were tied for 1^st, this will mark the only time that will be true so Cavalier fans enjoy it while it lasts). I also do not think anyone expected the new coach Tony Bennett to be able to instill his defense first attitude so quickly. Bennett did inherit a young team with lots of potential, but they were certainly not used to doing anything but living and dying by the three, let alone defense. Even with all the adjustments on the fly both the team and the coach have had to make, they have only let up over 70 points once, and that was in the first game. Albeit not the strongest out of conference schedule, opposing teams are averaging only 59 points a game against the Cavaliers. In the Cavs four losses this year, three have them come by 5 or less points, including a tip-in as time expired loss at Auburn. I would not be surprised if the Cavs finish 6-10 in the ACC and beat UNC-Wilmington to finish off Bennett’s first regular season with a winning record of 15-14. The future is further brightened by the fact that we already have five recruits signed for next year headlined by two ESPN U top 100 players.

In the Cavaliers second game against a ranked opponent this season; they take on a Georgia Tech team very different than last year. After finishing last in the ACC, Georgia Tech had a recruiting class for the ages as they got four ESPN U top 100 players headlined by the #1 ranked Power Forward (and #2 ranked overall) Derrick Favors. Favors (11.7ppg, 8.7rpg) and Gani Lawal (15.4ppg, 9.4rpg) will be the x-factors in this game as the undersized Cavaliers will have to throw every “big” forward at them plus guards to stand a chance at stopping either around the basket. Though the future is getting brighter for UVA men’s basketball, barring the best game multiple UVA players have ever had, expect Georgia Tech to take care of business like they did against Duke last weekend.

Friday January 15

NBA: Phoenix Suns at Atlanta Hawks

Yes, you are reading correctly. The NBA game of the week is the Phoenix Suns at the Atlanta Hawks. This game will be a fast paced and high scoring, pitting the highest scoring team per game in the West against the highest scoring team per game in the East. Better yet, the Suns, though 24-14 and very much a playoff contender, allow the second most points per game. Both teams are currently sitting fourth in their respective conferences and will not be playing back to back, assuring a full lineup of stars playing almost the whole game. One interesting point to note, while both teams play up-tempo basketball, the average age of the starting lineup for the Hawks is below 26 while the starting lineup for the Suns is slightly over 30. Will youth or experience prevail? Given it is the middle of an east coast trip for the Suns versus a home stand for the Hawks, expect the Hawks to take this one with both teams scoring over 100 points.

Saturday January 16

Premiership: Manchester City at Everton

In the past month, Manchester City have fired Mark Hughes and brought in former Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini and former Arsenal and Inter Milan defensive midfielder Patrick Vieira. Though I never agreed with the hiring of Hughes to right the City ship to begin with, his firing was done after a win and after he was doing a respectable job; losing only twice in seventeen Premiership games as well as guiding them to the Carling Cup Semifinals. Hughes had to do all of that with a bunch of players that were bought in the past six months and for the most part had never played with each other. I wish Hughes all the best and do not think it will be too long before we see him at the helm of a Premiership or Championship side. Since Mancini took over, Man City have won four straight (three in the league, one the FA Cup fourth round matchup) and allowed only one goal. Mancini also made sure to bring in Vieira to have more leadership in a locker room full of young talent with no real leader. They will look to take their momentum to Goodison Park.

Everton on the other hand, have done very little this year differently from the past three where they finished in the top 6 (good enough to qualify for a spot in the former UEFA Cup/ present Europa League) apart from winning as many games. They started the season losing three of their first four and struggled against weaker opponents. After a heartbreaking loss to cross-town rivals Liverpool at the end of November, Everton seem to have gotten back on track. They have an unbeaten streak of six Premiership games which included draws with four teams (1^st place Chelsea, 3^rd place Arsenal, 5^th place Tottenham, 7^th place Birmingham City) in the top 7. Everton has just brought in USA Captain Landon Donovan to shore up their midfield and if he continues to play like he did against Arsenal they will look like geniuses. Expect a low scoring, hard fought contest ending in a draw or another heartbreaking loss for Everton.

NFL: Playoffs; NFC Divisional Round, Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints

I am sure by now every Packer fan is sick of hearing about it, but last week’s Wild-Card matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals was phenomenal. It re-wrote the record books with the amount of points scored, first downs reached, and total yards accumulated. A football fan without a team in the playoffs might (with good reason) ask themselves if that was the climax of the playoffs (with maybe only the commercials of the Super Bowl enough to make it the climax). I am not of this belief, in fact I think this game between the Cardinals and the Saints might be an even better battle of the passing game versus terrible secondaries. Though I do not agree with benching starts the last two games of the season (a discussion for another day), the three game losing streak to end the season for the Saints, who could have gone undefeated, should not matter. That said I do think it will take a quarter to a quarter and a half for Drew Brees to be as accurate as usual and his receivers to be in sync, something that would not have happened if they did not bench the starters so much. I think that the Cardinals left it all on the field against the Packers though, were lucky to pull out the victory, and can only keep pulling off these upsets so many times before they meet a team too good for them to upset. The Saints are that team and will be more than well rested. Expect the Saints to crush the Cardinals in a game that could see another 90+ combined points scored.

NFL: Playoffs; AFC Divisional Round, Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

Like the Cardinals, the Ravens are trying to repeat last year’s upset specials. Again the Ravens were the lowest seed in the playoffs and again they take on the number 1 seed in the Divisional Round. This time though, they face four time MVP Peyton Manning (as opposed to Kerry Collins) and indoors. Though I would love to see the gritty Ravens defense stop the Colts like they did against the Wes Welker-less Patriots, I just do not see it happening. The Colts passing game was the second best overall this season in yards per game and the Ravens passing defense was only tied for eighth best. Expect the Colts to win this game, but not in a blowout.

Sunday January 17

NFL: Playoffs; NFC Divisional Round, Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings

The Dallas Cowboys have their first playoff win in 14 years under their belt, but they did it at home. Can they win on the road? Tony Romo is not the epitome of “clutch” but his performance against the fairly strong Eagles Defense, and more importantly his lack of mistakes, will need to be recreated against the much peskier Vikings defense. Felix Jones will also need to have another breakout game. On the defensive end, neutralizing Adrian Peterson will be key. If the run game is not working, Brett Favre does not have it in him to beat you if he has to pass over 40 times. In three of the last four games where Favre passed over 40 times, the Vikings lost. Weather will not be a factor in the dome. Given the last three games of the regular season and the destruction of the Eagles last week, I expect the red hot Cowboys to beat the Vikings who have struggled as of late.

NFL: Playoffs; AFC Divisional Round, New York Jets at San Diego Chargers

I still cannot get over the fact the only New York football team in the playoffs are the Jets with a first year quarterback and first year coach. Yet again, it still should not be a surprise though, given that the Jets had the best passing defense and the best rushing offense during the regular season. One must also note that the Jets offense would be nothing without UVA alums starting running back Thomas Jones and Offensive Tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. While the San Diego Chargers are on an 11 game winning streak and are my prediction for winning the Super Bowl, they have the second worst rushing offense and have the 20^th best rushing defense. If the Jets can shut down the Chargers’ 5^th best passing offense, do not be surprised if the Jets pull off the unthinkable. If Sanchez can limit his mistakes to a maximum of one interception or fumble and pass with such accuracy as last week, the Jets may just be the Cardinals/Ravens of last year. Though Darrelle Revis is arguably the best cornerback in the league and will shut down Vincent Jackson, he won’t be covering Antonio Gates who will be the x-factor in this game. Expect the Chargers to pull out a close one like they did against the Giants earlier in the regular season.

Monday November 2

MLB World Series, Game 5: New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies

If Jimmy Rollins were a Yankee, his prediction about winning the World Series in five games would come true. Instead, Rollins will be wishing he hadn’t said anything at all. Though tonight the Yankees Achilles heel (A.J. Burnett) is pitching and the Phillies ace Cliff Lee is pitching, it is my most sincere belief that the Yankees will only be going home to a ticker tape parade, not a game six. Although the clutch A-Rod of the first two series has been quieted in the World Series, he looms as a constant threat to change the game with one swing. Not to be continually saying the same thing, but the Yankees lineup, even without injured Melky Cabrera, remains poised to rough up any pitcher including Lee. If you are a history buff you might also be aware that the Yankees have gone up 3-1 in a World Series nine times, winning eight of them and about to win the ninth. The Phillies are better on the road. The crowd has clearly not been an advantage (the Phillies sole win was in New York) and I doubt it will magically be a factor in this game. Expect an exciting game that ends with Philadelphia fans yet again having something to cry about and for all of New York fans to celebrate and then the next day expect championships from their other major sports teams.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Easily the best NFL game this week, this NFC South division rivalry will pit the explosive pass offense of the Saints against the well balanced in defense and offense Falcons. After this past weekend saw the Denver Broncos lose making the undefeated club have only two members (the Saints and the Colts), Reggie Bush’s ridiculous prediction of an undefeated season stands to be tested tonight. One thing is for sure, win or lose Bush will have little to no impact whatsoever on the game. Though the game is in the Superdome, the Falcons also play their home games in a dome (the Georgia Dome) and will not be affected by the not so loud Saints home crowd. Expect a close that could go either way.

Thursday November 5

#3 UVA Women’s Field Hockey: versus #14 Duke in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

UVA will play host to the ACC Tournament for Field Hockey this weekend with the quarterfinals being played Thursday, the semifinals being played Friday and the finals being played Sunday. In the ACC there are only six field hockey teams. As of the last rankings for field hockey on October 27, Maryland was ranked first, North Carolina was ranked second, Virginia was ranked third, Wake Forest was ranked sixth, Boston College was ranked ninth and Duke was ranked fourteenth. Yes, you read that correctly; every team in the ACC is ranked in the top 14 in field hockey. With that in mind the ACC tournament this year is almost more impressive to win than the NCAA tournament. Because there are six teams, the top two teams get byes. As Maryland and UNC both beat UVA, they both get byes. The #3 Lady Cavaliers (16-2, 4-2) will play #14 Duke, who they beat this past Saturday 2-1, on Thursday in the quarterfinals with the winner taking on #2 UNC while #6 Wake Forest plays #9 Boston College with the winner taking on #1 Maryland. The UVA Women’s Field Hockey team needs your support so go out and support them this Thursday, Friday and (hopefully) Sunday!

Friday November 6

NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks

No, this is not the best game of the week in the NBA. It is not even close to it. There are way too many basketball games and it is way too early to decide who exactly will be in the playoff picture but it won’t raise any eyebrows to assert that the Cavaliers will be a top three East team and the Knicks will be in the lottery. The reason this game is on this list because I want everyone to take note of how LeBron James plays at Madison Square Garden. He plays so well there. There will be a warm New York welcome for him and as always he will make the press salivate over the possibility he may be wearing a Knicks uniform in less than 8 months. I can assure you Editor in Chief Ben Faust will deny it, but LBJ is coming. It’s one thing to live in the greatest city in the world, but to be the king there, that’s an offer nobody could refuse. Expect King James to drop over 30 and the Cavs to crush the Knicks.

Saturday November 7

College Football: #9 LSU at #3 Alabama

In the chaotic series of upsets that is college football, somehow the seemingly weak LSU tigers have managed to sneak their way up to 9^th in the nation. After barely beating miserable Washington, mediocre Mississippi State and Georgia, and losing by ten at home to #1 Florida, they hit the easiest part of their schedule leading to easy wins over Auburn and Tulane. With their shaky road performances and the first real challenge in a month, I can’t see the Tigers giving the Crimson Tide much of a challenge. Alabama on the other hand is playing for respect and to show both the human and computer rankings that they are deserving of a top 2 spot. After almost getting upset versus Tennessee and having a bye week the reinvigorated Alabama will come out strong and not let LSU get in the game. You can bet that Nick Saban will enjoy locking up the SEC West title against his former team. The question now will be if Alabama has enough to beat Florida. Expect an Alabama blow out.

#10 UVA Men’s Soccer: versus #13 NC State

This is the last game of the season before the ACC Tournament in Cary, NC and then the NCAA tournament. The UVA men’s soccer team has hit its stride, pushing their unbeaten streak to six games this past weekend with a crucial 0-0 tie with #6 Maryland at College Park. The shutout makes UVA’s record 10-3-2 (3-3-1) and was UVA Goalkeeper Diego Restrepo’s eighth of the season. With unranked (as of October 27) American 9-4-2 playing in Charlottesville on Tuesday night, the Cavaliers should continue their streak and at least walk away with a tie. Though American has beaten Virginia Tech at tech and George Washington, between the homefield advantage and the strikeforce, the Cavaliers should be fine. NC State (11-4-1, 2-4-1) will be a bigger challenge and the question will be which Wolfpack team will show up; the one that beat Duke at Duke and tied Maryland or the team that lost to Clemson at home and lost to Virginia Tech? Given their poor recent performance against good competition, I am going to predict a Cavalier win. A Cavalier win guarantees no lower than a sixth place finish in the ACC. A Cavalier win and Wake Forest loss, Duke loss and Boston College loss or tie could launch UVA to 3^rd in a best case scenario. Much like the Field Hockey team, the men’s soccer team needs your support, so go sit in section five and help create a real homefield advantage.

Sunday November 8

Premiership: Manchester United at Chelsea

Whenever there is a clash between two “top 4″ sides in the Premiership it is bound to be a game worth watching. This game is even more crucial as these two sides sit atop the league with 25 points and 27 points respectively through eleven games. If the match ends in a draw both sides will remain one (Chelsea) and two (Manchester United). If Manchester United is to lose and Arsenal to win, Arsenal will slip into second on goal differential. If United is to win, they will go top of the league and Arsenal will remain third regardless of their result this weekend. Two weeks ago I thought United would crush Liverpool especially after their poor recent form; they didn’t so this week I have quite a different prediction. Chelsea has been scoring an unreasonably high amount since losing to Aston Villa in mid-October and Stamford Bridge is as rowdy of a place as any. Manchester United has not been as dominant recently as I have expected them to be. With this in mind expect a high quality, hard fought match but for the Blues to remain top the league.

Wednesday October 14

World Cup Qualifier: Argentina at Uruguay

For the countries of the CONMEBOL (South American) World Cup Qualifying group, this Wednesday is the last game.  While three of the four automatic World Cup spots have been filled (Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay), the fourth automatic spot and the fifth play-off spot remain wide open.  Argentina, managed by Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, is in fourth place; one point ahead of Uruguay and two points ahead of Ecuador.  Before qualifying started most people would not have believed that with one game left there’s a possibility two-time World Cup Winners Argentina would not make the tournament.  With so much talent, including international superstar Lionel Messi, it’s hard to believe that anybody couldn’t guide this team with ease to the World Cup.  The inexperience of Maradona has shown, but he has publicly asked God to guide his team to the World Cup and for his own job’s sake they have to win.

Two-time World Cup Winners Uruguay, led by Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan will look to pull off a huge upset at home against a struggling Argentina side.  After a crucial away victory over Ecuador, Uruguay will hope to ride the momentum to a South Africa berth.  Ecuador also is in the picture, but they must win and have Uruguay either lose or tie to get fifth place and a play-off game with either Honduras or Costa Rica of the CONCAF qualifying region (North and Central America).  I personally can’t imagine the World Cup without Argentina with so much talent on their team; somehow they will pull out the win.  Ecuador will also pull out a win against a reserve filled Chile team that has already booked their place in South Africa, leaving Uruguay to wish they had beaten Argentina.

Friday October 16

MLB: American League Championship Series; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at New York Yankees

Most New York fans will be happy to see the Los Angeles Angels instead of the Boston Red Sox.  As great as the rivalry is between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, when both teams are of fairly equal talent, the series could go either way; and in recent times that has not boded well for the Yankees.  Regardless, the Angels are not to be underestimated.  The Angels had the second best record in baseball behind the Yankees, had four pitchers win 11 or more games, and also have Scott Kazmir, formerly the ace in last year’s World Series Runner up Tampa Bay Rays.  Their lineup is equally deadly, with Kendry Morales hitting 34 Home Runs this year and power hitters Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero and Bobby Abreu always a threat. Sweeping the Boston Red Sox, who had the third best record in baseball, in the playoffs is no easy task and the Angels did it with style and grace.

Regardless of the praise, the Angels still face a massive task as they take on team with the best record in baseball by six games.  The Yankees pitching staff has four pitchers with ten or more wins and includes former Cy Young winner and lefty CC Sabathia, the currently tied for most wins by a pitcher in playoff history in lefty Andy Pettite and arguably the greatest closer of all-time in Mariano Rivera.  If that isn’t enough, seven guys in the lineup hit 22 or more home runs, and that doesn’t include the clutch Derek Jeter (18 home runs, .334 Batting Average) or Melky Cabrera (13 home runs).  With a more star studded team in both batting and pitching, as well as a fan’s bias, there’s no way the Yankees lose this series or the next on their way to becoming World Series Champions for the 27^th time.  Expect the Yankees to win in 6.

Saturday October 17

College Football: #20Oklahoma versus #3Texas (played at a neutral location in Dallas)

Before the season started, this game was marked on everybody’s calendar as a duel between two national championship contenders with Heisman candidate quarterbacks and the added bonus of Big 12 South title implications.  Though things have changed a little with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford spraining his shoulder and Oklahoma’s national championship dreams hampered if not over after two losses, the hype surrounding this year’s Red River Shootout has started up again.  Bradford was injured in second quarter of the opener in Cowboy’s Stadium versus a solid, ranked Brigham Young.  Without him, they lost by one point.  The Sooners went on to dismantled Idaho State and Tulsa without Bradford, shutting both teams out. In a hard game at Miami they again lost by 1.  This past week was Bradford’s first game back.  He looked healthy as he threw for 389 yards and a touchdown in a 33-7 win over Baylor.  With Bradford back and the amount of talent on this Oklahoma team, this team is capable of winning nine straight and winning a record fourth Big 12 championship.

Texas on the other hand seems disrespected as they dropped from ranked second to third after winning by more points than Alabama who is now ranked second.  Colt McCoy is still putting up big numbers (1410 yards passing, 73.4% completions, and 10 touchdowns) and the team has beaten all their opponents by 10 points or more en route to a 5-0 record.  With Oklahoma their first real challenge this will be the telling game to show us what this Longhorns team is capable of.  After a weak first half showing this past weekend before blowing out Colorado, expect Texas to regain some of the respect lost and take home the Golden Hat Trophy.

UVA Men’s Soccer: At Virginia Tech

After starting their ACC conference schedule 1-3, it need not be said how important this away game is to the UVA Men’s Soccer team’s hopes for even a chance at winning the ACC, and furthermore for them to have an easier road to a 30^th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.  After slip ups versus Duke and Clemson at home and a tough double overtime loss at then #5 (now #2) UNC, the Cavaliers will again look to right their ship.  After a strong 2-0 win over Longwood and what should be an easy game in Charlottesville versus Liberty on Tuesday October 13, the men’s soccer team will hope to ride the momentum all the way to Blacksburg.  Luckily for the team, the Wahooligans (The UVA student soccer support group) always make the trip and out-cheer the home crowd; making the away game feel like a home game (much like Virginia Tech out-cheers our home crowd at the football games when the game is at Scott Stadium).  With Brian Ownby also back from the U-20 World Cup, the loaded UVA offense will look to start converting their continual abundance of shots into goals.  Expect UVA to stuff the Hokies in this crucial ACC game.

Sunday October 18

NFL: New York Giants at New Orleans Saints

Currently there are five undefeated teams in the NFL; the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.  After this Sunday, at most there will only be four.  Now while my famous last words last week were that the Broncos could not stay undefeated against the Patriots, I will be very surprised if the Saints offense can continue its average of 36 points per game against the Giants defense that has not been fully healthy while only allowing 14 points per game.  This game has at least a partial share of NFC supremacy at stake as well.  The Saints will also look to beat both New York teams in a season for the first time since the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots did it in 2007.  Jeremy Shockey will also love the chance to beat up on his old team.

For the Giants, it remains to be seen how long Eli Manning will be able to play in the game until his plantar fasciitis becomes too much to handle.  The Giants backup quarterback is former Number 1 overall draft pick David Carr though, and he has looked alright in the limited playing time he has had this season. One also cannot overlook the strength of the running game with both Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs capable of bull-dozing opposing defenses. Given the lack of a running game for the Saints and the strong defense of the Giants, look for the G-men to stay undefeated with a close victory in New Orleans.

Tuesday September 28

MLB: Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers

The Fall Classic (a romanticized name for the playoffs in baseball) is a much anticipated time for baseball fans everywhere, especially when their team is involved. In the National League the playoffs spots are more or less determined, with the St. Louis Cardinals having clinched the NL Central, the Los Angeles Dodgers having clinched a playoff spot, the Philadelphia Phillies holding a five game lead in the NL East with five games left, and the Colorado Rockies holding a fairly safe three game lead on the Atlanta Braves for the Wild Card spot. In the American League, playoff spots for all but the Central division have been determined as The Yankees have clinched the AL East as well as home-field advantage throughout the playoffs (The AL won the All-Star Game giving the AL Champion home-field advantage in the World Series), the LA Angels have clinched the AL West, and the Boston Red Sox have clinched the Wild Card. In the AL Central Division, the Minnesota Twins are two games behind the Detroit Tigers. With only seven games left in the season before this four game series started, every one of these games is equally crucial. Having thus far split the first two, these last two games could make or break the Twins season. If you want to feel the drama of a playoff game during the regular season, this is a must see. Look for these teams to split the last two games in potentially thrilling fashion and for the Tigers to sneak into the playoffs.

Wednesday September 30

UVA Women’s Soccer: Versus Virginia Tech, 7pm Klockner Stadium

The eleventh ranked UVA Women’s Soccer team (Overall: 6-2-2, ACC: 1-1-0) enter this rivalry and conference game looking for revenge after last year saw the team lose twice to Virginia Tech; once during the season in Blacksburg and once in the ACC tournament. They play a Virginia Tech team (8-2-0, 2-0-0) that is coming off of five straight wins, including the last two against North Carolina State (who UVA lost to last week) and Clemson (who UVA also beat last week). The home-field advantage will be too much for the lady Hokies to handle as this Orange Passport game will be well attended for a women’s soccer game. This game should be a good one that will probably see UVA grind out at least a hard fought tie, if not a win. Go out and support the team against our athletic (not academic) rivals, and again at worst you’ll get better tickets for the basketball games this winter.

Friday October 2

UVA Men’s soccer: at UNC

The past three games have seen the eleventh ranked UVA men’s soccer team pull out a hard overtime victory over George Washington, lose 1-0 to unranked Clemson at home in the pouring rain, and with one minute left in double overtime beat VCU. After such chaos, the Cavaliers will look to stabilize their season in a major way at fourth ranked UNC. This is an important ACC clash. Having started conference play with two losses at home and an away win at Wake Forest, the team will not want to start conference play 1-3 especially with away games at second ranked Maryland and Virginia Tech still to come. The team will still be without second year forward Brian Ownby who is at the U-20 World Cup in Egypt (to read more on Ownby in the U-20 World Cup click here) but should still be able to give UNC a run for their money. Look for UVA to continue outshooting their opponents but to also continue not being to find the back of the net. Do not be surprised if they tie. Should the soccer team lose though, they will not be the only UVA football team losing in Chapel Hill this weekend.

Saturday October 3

College Football: #4 LSU Tigers at #18 Georgia Bulldogs

I have been let down by both of these teams this year. LSU has squeaked by Washington, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. Georgia hasn’t done much better having lost to Oklahoma State before barely beating South Carolina, Arkansas and Arizona State. The rankings are inflated by the unpredictability of college football this season. So why put this game in the What to Watch For This Week in the World of Sports you might ask? A game between two such storied football traditions is always a close shootout bound to be a classic. LSU will look to beat Georgia for the first time since 2003 and both teams will look to add a legitimate win to their resume as they head into the heart of a very tough conference schedule. With the rankings meaning nothing and either team unimpressive thus far, I think the home crowd pushes the Bulldogs over the top in this upset win.

Sunday October 4

NFL: New York Jets at New Orleans Saints

Another week and we again have another battle between two undefeated teams. One would think with a new coach, largely the same team as last year and a rookie quarterback that the New York Jets season would be doomed from the start. Granted it is only week four, the Jets are playing extremely well even looking, dare I say it, like a playoff contender. Even rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez looks experienced beyond his years. This great unexpected start is not flawless though as two of the three wins have come at home. This game will show us just how legitimate this Jets team is on the road. New Orleans has also been a surprise. After the past two years of mediocre showings, the offense has come out on fire. Along with averaging 40 points a game, the major story has been Drew Brees who has a passer rating of 118.1 and is averaging 280 yards and three touchdown passes a game. It remains to be seen if both this teams can keep up how they have started, but one thing is for sure, one team will remain undefeated. Look for a close game in the first half to turn into a second half blow out as the Saints high octane offense sends a message to the rest of the NFC that they are for real.

Premiership Soccer: Liverpool at Chelsea

Although Liverpool has failed to win a big game this year, anytime two “top 4” premiership clubs (the other two being Arsenal and Manchester United) play each other it is the match of the week. Liverpool, even with losses to Tottenham and Aston Villa are in third place with fifteen points through seven games. This placing is padded by the fact they have not had too hard of an opening schedule. They have also struggled in Europe having been beaten 2-0 to Italian club Fiorentina. Regardless of their form going into this game though, they will come to play and understand the importance of sending a message to such a top club as Chelsea. Chelsea before last weekend’s shock loss to mid-table side Wigan, were breezing through their season taking all possible eighteen points through their first six games. Every year there seems to be a loss by a top 4 club that wakes them up and gets their team back into that killer mentality and I think the loss to Wigan will be that for Chelsea. Expect Chelsea to come out firing and to take three points from this clash of premiership titans.