Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints 2016

The Bucs try to regain 1st place in the NFC South vs. the Saints in New Orleans. http://athlonsports.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers-vs-new-orleans-saints-preview-and-prediction-2016

NFL's Hypocrisy on Starting Times

The New York Jets were scheduled to host the Tennessee Titans at 4:15 PM EDT on September 27, 2009. After complaints that the late kickoff approached sunset and the start of Yom Kippur, the NFL moved the kickoff up to 1 PM local time. The league made this change out of deference to the Jets' Jewish fans. The league made a courteous decision to satisfy some of the fans' desire to be home before sunset.

However, a few weeks ago, the NFL pushed back the starting time of the Buccaneers' game in New Orleans from noon CST to 3:25 PM this Saturday. Does no one in the NFL's office realize that the game is scheduled on the day before Christmas? Why did the NFL disregard the wishes of many Saints' fans who will have to curtail or forego their planned celebrations for Christmas Eve if they want to attend or watch the game on television? Both holidays are considered among the most important for the respective adherents of the respective religions.

I do not have a list of fans for either the Jets or Saints so I do not know their religious affiliations. However, based on numerous polls and surveys, Jews do not comprise the majority of those in the New York metropolitan area. Christians are the overwhelming majority in the New Orleans metropolitan area. Hey, NFL, why accommodate one religious group in the minority but not the huge number of others from another group?

The Saints face the Cardinals in Arizona. New Orleans clings to slim hope for the playoffs. http://athlonsports.com/nfl/new-orleans-saints-vs-arizona-cardinals-preview-and-prediction-2016

The Lions look to continue their hot streak vs the Saints.
http://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-vs-new-orleans-saints-preview-and-prediction-2016

NFL Divisional Rankings Halfway through the 2016 Season

College football fans frequently argue about the superiority or inferiority of conferences. As much as those in the NFL like to maintain that parity exists across its divisions, fans believe differently. How can fans settle the debate? Therefore, an objective system is needed to rank of the eight divisions.

Here is my contribution to the debate. Divisions are judged on how their members fare in non-divisional games. Below the eight divisions are listed from strongest to weakest. Their scores are based on the first nine weeks of the season. Wins on the road are worth more than those at home. For those wondering about the scale, a perfect score would be 2.068.

AFC West (.935)

This foursome has dominated both the AFC South (8-2) and NFC South (6-3) to prove themselves the toughest division so far in 2016.

NFC East (.848)

This is the only division without any teams with a losing record after nine weeks. However, the 4-4 record versus the NFC North kept this division out of first place.

NFC South (.619)

Despite only the division-leading Atlanta Falcons being above .500 overall, this group has won six out of nine versus the NFC West.

NFC North (.595)

This group does not have a winning record against any division against which this group has played more than once.

AFC East (.558)

Mediocre records against the NFC West (4-4) and the AFC South (1-1) shows why this division is mediocre.

AFC South (.500)

Good news: 6-4 versus NFC North. Bad news: 1-1 versus both AFC East and AFC North. Worse news: 2-8 versus AFC West.

NFC West (.421)

The 49ers have only one win so far and that was within the division. Therefore, their struggles helped lower this division's score noticeably.

AFC North (.365)

Having the Cleveland Browns, the only winless team in the NFL, in this division's basement greatly hurt the division's score.

Denver Broncos vs. New Orleans Saints Preview and Prediction 2016

The defending Super Bowl champions head to the stadium that has hosted the most Super Bowls to face the Saints.

http://athlonsports.com/nfl/denver-broncos-vs-new-orleans-saints-preview-and-prediction-2016

Ranking the FBS Conferences After October 2016

Nearly all of the regular season non-conference games have been played. As the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will begin to release its weekly rankings this month, conference strength stands out as one factor, which should be considered. I present the rankings of the ten FBS conferences using my objective formula.

Here is an overview of the factors that comprise each conferences score:

1. Wins by each member of every conference when facing non-conference foes.

2. Games on the road are worth more than those at neutral sites or at home.

3. Victories versus other conferences’ champions or second-place teams/divisional winners count for more points.

4. Wins against FBS opponents have much more value than those against FCS members.

Below is how the 10 conferences measure up compared to one another entering November. Each conference’s score is in parenthesis. For those curious about the scale of my formula, a perfect score for a conference is 3.188.

Southeastern  (.649)

After stumbling out of the gates at the start of the season with a 6-6 tally in non-conference games, the SEC rebounded successfully for the most part. The SEC is 2-0 against both the American Athletic and Pacific 12 conferences.

The SEC has not dominated the other conferences as it had in recent seasons. It does not have a winning tally against the other Power Five: ACC (2-3), Big Ten (0-1) and Big Twelve (1-1).  Even CUSA has beaten the SEC twice in eight tries this season.

Big Ten (.589)

The Big Ten has scored an impressive tally in non-conference contests. They swept all six games versus the Mountain West and both against the Big 12. They also won four out of five of the contests against the AAC plus three of four versus the PAC 12. Additionally, in the only match-up between the Big Ten and the SEC, the Big Ten's member won.

However, a conference's strength depends as much on its front-runners as it does on its cellar-dwellers. The Big Ten members have lost two of seven matches with the MAC. The Big Ten has played the same number of FCS opponents as the SEC up to this point. The glaring difference is that the SEC won all of them but the Big Ten lost two of the eight contests.  

American Athletic (.544)

In the interest of fairness, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee should still consider a bid for the champion of the AAC if no conference champion finish undefeated. The members of the AAC have acquitted themselves rather admirably in non-conference matches. They have won 3 out of four versus the Big Twelve. They are 3-4 against the ACC. Unfortunately for this group, its champion will have at least two losses, which will most likely kill any chance of playing in the Final Four.

Atlantic Coast (.525)

The ACC looked mediocre in the first three weeks. Then the conference swept all nine of its non-conference games on the last weekend of September. The ACC has held its own versus the Big Ten (3-1) and SEC (3-2). They also swept all five contests versus CUSA.

The number of quality wins is lacking. More than a third of the ACC's wins came at the expense of FCS opponents. More than 40 percent of their victories occurred versus the Group of Five.  The ACC is a combined 2-3 against two mediocre independent teams, Notre Dame and Army.  Four intra-state rivalries with SEC teams on Thanksgiving weekend present the ACC opportunities to increase the conference's stature.

Pacific Twelve         (.515)

The Pacific Twelve has proved it superiority over the Big Twelve. Its score is significantly higher than the Big Twelve's. Plus, the PAC 12 won all three games in which these two have met.

Against the other major conferences, the PAC Twelve has struggled. They lost both games versus the SEC. They won only one of the four contests with the Big Ten. They have even piled up an underwhelming 6-3 tally in presumed rent-a-wins against the Mountain West. More bad news for the dozen from the Left Coast: they only have two non-conference games remaining to bolster their reputation.

Big Twelve (.375)

One can safely assume that the chances of the champion of Big Twelve advancing to the playoffs ended last Saturday. Actually, they took a huge nosedive in September. The group finished the non-conference slate 2-6 against the other Power Five members. Also, the AAC beat the Big Twelve in two of their four meetings.

The conference has little reason for pride. The group finished the non-conference slate 2-6 against the other Power Five members. Also, the AAC beat the Big Twelve in two of their four meetings. Seven of the conference's 18 non-conference wins occurred over FCS teams. Four other victories came at the expensive of Conference USA, the third weakest conference. 

Mountain West (.341)

The MWC can take some pride in having won three of nine versus the PAC 12.  Those victories helped keep the MWC out of the basement in these rankings.

Nearly half of the MWC's non-conference wins were against FCS teams. This group has a winning tally versus only two other conferences. One of those two is Conference USA against whom the MWC is 1-0. The other is the Sun Belt (4-3). 

Conference USA (.255)

CUSA has only won 18 of its 49 non-conference games. Eleven of those wins were against FCS opponents. CUSA is 0-4 versus the AAC and Big Twelve respectively; against the ACC, CUSA is 0-5. In total, the conference is 3-18 against Power Five members.

On the bright side, CUSA does have one win over an opponent from the Big Ten and two versus teams from the SEC.

Sun Belt (.238)

The Sun Belt Conference is trying to show that it is not just a collection of programs, which should be in the FCS. The decent records versus other conferences in the Group of Five help this claim: MAC (2-3), MWC (3-4) and CUSA (1-1). 

However, the Sun Belt is still merely hoping to be considered as a mid-range conference. The group has only one win in ten games against the Power Five. The conference has only played six FCS opponents but has lost one of those.

Mid-American (.229)

The MAC has scored some notable wins. They have won both games versus the Big Twelve. They have a 3-3 record against the MWC. They have also beaten the Big Ten twice in seven tries.

The MAC's reputation also has been tarnished rather noticeably. Its members have 0-3 marks versus both the SEC and AAC. The MAC lost both games against the ACC. This group also has four losses in its thirteen contests with FCS teams. 

Ranking the FBS Conferences After October 2016

Nearly all of the regular season non-conference games have been played. As the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will begin to release its weekly rankings this month, conference strength stands out as one factor, which should be considered. I present the rankings of the ten FBS conferences using my objective formula.

Here is an overview of the factors that comprise each conferences score:

1. Wins by each member of every conference when facing non-conference foes.

2. Games on the road are worth more than those at neutral sites or at home.

3. Victories versus other conferences’ champions or second-place teams/divisional winners count for more points.

4. Wins against FBS opponents have much more value than those against FCS members.

Below is how the 10 conferences measure up compared to one another entering November. Each conference’s score is in parenthesis. For those curious about the scale of my formula, a perfect score for a conference is 3.188.

Southeastern  (.649)

After stumbling out of the gates at the start of the season with a 6-6 tally in non-conference games, the SEC rebounded successfully for the most part. The SEC is 2-0 against both the American Athletic and Pacific 12 conferences.

The SEC has not dominated the other conferences as it had in recent seasons. It does not have a winning tally against the other Power Five: ACC (2-3), Big Ten (0-1) and Big Twelve (1-1).  Even CUSA has beaten the SEC twice in eight tries this season.

Big Ten (.589)

The Big Ten has scored an impressive tally in non-conference contests. They swept all six games versus the Mountain West and both against the Big 12. They also won four out of five of the contests against the AAC plus three of four versus the PAC 12. Additionally, in the only match-up between the Big Ten and the SEC, the Big Ten's member won.

However, a conference's strength depends as much on its front-runners as it does on its cellar-dwellers. The Big Ten members have lost two of seven matches with the MAC. The Big Ten has played the same number of FCS opponents as the SEC up to this point. The glaring difference is that the SEC won all of them but the Big Ten lost two of the eight contests.  

Atlantic Coast (.582)

The ACC looked mediocre in the first three weeks. Then the conference swept all nine of its non-conference games on the last weekend of September. The ACC has held its own versus the Big Ten (3-1) and SEC (3-2). They also swept all five contests versus CUSA.

The number of quality wins is lacking. More than a third of the ACC's wins came at the expense of FCS opponents. More than 40 percent of their victories occurred versus the Group of Five.  The ACC is a combined 3-2 against two mediocre independent teams, Notre Dame and Army.  Four intra-state rivalries with SEC teams on Thanksgiving weekend present the ACC opportunities to increase the conference's stature.

Pacific Twelve  (.515)

The Pacific Twelve has proved it superiority over the Big Twelve. Its score is significantly higher than the Big Twelve's. Plus, the PAC 12 won all three games in which these two have met.

Against the other major conferences, the PAC Twelve has struggled. They lost both games versus the SEC. They won only one of the four contests with the Big Ten. They have even piled up an underwhelming 6-3 tally in presumed rent-a-wins against the Mountain West. More bad news for the dozen from the Left Coast: they only have two non-conference games remaining to bolster their reputation. 

American Athletic (.483)

In the interest of fairness, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee should still consider a bid for the champion of the AAC if no conference champions finish undefeated. The members of the AAC have acquitted themselves rather admirably in non-conference matches. They have won 3 out of four versus the Big Twelve. They are 3-4 against the ACC. Unfortunately for this group, its champion will have at least two losses, which will most likely kill any chance of playing in the Final Four.

Big Twelve (.375)

One can safely assume that the chances of the champion of Big Twelve advancing to the playoffs ended last Saturday. Actually, they took a huge nosedive in September. The group finished the non-conference slate 2-6 against the other Power Five members. Also, the AAC beat the Big Twelve in two of their four meetings.

The Big Twelve's wins were mostly unimpressive when they occurred. Seven of the conference's 18 wins occurred over FCS teams. Four other victories came at the expensive of Conference USA, the third weakest FBS conference to this point.

Mountain West (.341)

The MWC can take some pride in having won three of nine versus the PAC 12.  Those victories helped keep the MWC out of the basement in these rankings.

Nearly half of the MWC's non-conference wins were against FCS teams. This group has a winning tally versus only two other conferences. One of those two is Conference USA against whom the MWC is 1-0. The other is the Sun Belt (4-3). 

Conference USA (.255)

CUSA has only won 18 of its 49 non-conference games. Eleven of those wins were against FCS opponents. CUSA is 0-4 versus the AAC and Big Twelve respectively; against the ACC, CUSA is 0-5. In total, the conference is 3-18 against Power Five members.

On the bright side, CUSA does have one win over an opponent from the Big Ten and two versus teams from the SEC.

Sun Belt (.238)

The Sun Belt Conference is trying to show that it is not just a collection of programs, which should be in the FCS. The decent records versus other conferences in the Group of Five help this claim: MAC (2-3), MWC (3-4), CUSA (1-1) and MAC (2-3)  

However, the Sun Belt is still merely hoping to be considered as a mid-range conference. The group has only one win in ten games against the Power Five. The conference has only played six FCS opponents but has lost one of those.

Mid-American (.229)

The MAC has scored some notable wins. They have won both games versus the Big Twelve. They have a 3-3 record against the MWC. They have also beaten the Big Ten twice in seven tries.

The MAC's reputation also has been tarnished rather noticeably. Its members have 0-3 marks versus both the SEC and AAC. The MAC lost both games against the ACC. This group also has four losses in its thirteen contests with FCS teams. 

Michigan State Spartans vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Preview and Prediction 2016

Michigan State & Illinois stagger into this game looking to salvage their seasons.

http://athlonsports.com/college-football/michigan-state-spartans-vs-illinois-fighting-illini-preview-and-prediction-2016

Seattle Seahawks vs New Orleans Saints Preview and Prediction 2016

NFC West-leading Seahawks venture into the Superdome to face the struggling Saints

http://athlonsports.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks-vs-new-orleans-saints-preview-and-prediction-2016

New Orleans Saints vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview and Prediction: Contenders battle in an important inter-conference match-up.
http://athlonsports.com/nfl/new-orleans-saints-vs-kansas-city-chiefs-preview-and-prediction-2016

Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints Preview and Prediction 2016

NFC South rivals battle to remain in contention in the divisional race.

http://athlonsports.com/nfl/carolina-panthers-vs-new-orleans-saints-preview-and-prediction-2016 

A Radical Solution to Re-Scheduling LSU vs. Florida

The postponement of the game between LSU and Florida appears more likely as an inevitable cancellation. The result of the game might not end up mattering much, depending on the scores of many of SEC contests. Two scenarios that could happen will make the decision to forego the game immensely controversial.

Florida has four SEC games left on its schedule. Two of them, Georgia in Jacksonville and Arkansas in Fayetteville appear as tough challenges and possible losses. However, if the Gators can sweep those remaining contests, they would finish 6-1 in SEC play.

The only team who has defeated Florida so far is Tennessee. The Volunteers have six SEC matches remaining. The next two are quite daunting: Texas A&M in College Station then hosting Alabama. It seems quite plausible that Tennessee will end the season with a record of 6-2 in SEC games.

If the results of the SEC East result with Tennessee at 6-2 and Florida 6-1, that is where the controversy goes from a potential firestorm to an actual inferno. Would the SEC allow Florida to represent the SEC East based on a higher winning percentage in SEC games? That would occur despite the Gators having lost to Tennessee and avoided another possible loss by refusing to relocate the game versus LSU.

Another potential squabble involves LSU. What if Ed Orgeron manufactures a turnaround as he did as an interim head coach at Southern California? If LSU wins its remaining SEC contests to finish 6-1, that would include wins over Alabama and Texas A&M. Either of those teams could still finish 7-1 in SEC play. Could LSU be denied a trip to the SEC Championship Game because its winning percentage is lower due to a decision by Florida?

Rescheduling this game seems problematic at best. LSU and Florida do not share an open date. Both have non-conference games at home scheduled for November 19 which as been proposed as a date to play the contest. Florida would have to pay its contracted half million dollars to Presbyterian College. Additionally, LSU would have to spend one and half million dollars to pay its obligation to South Alabama.  LSU would also lose an enormous sum due to refunded tickets and lost concession sales. Additionally, it would put a terrible imposition on LSU to travel to Gainesville then have to travel to College Station five days later.

So what can be done to resolve this potential quarrel? One radical solution exists though it will affect the entire world of college football. This would require rescheduling LSU's trip to Florida for December 3. In order to play that game, assuming that it matters in determining the champions of the SEC's divisions, the SEC Championship Game would have to be pushed back for another week. That delay could affect the determination of the four participants in the College Football Playoff.

Could pushing back the announcement of the Final Four of major college football have any chance of coming to fruition just to accommodate the rescheduling of one game? There is precedence in the short history of the College Football Playoff. Last November, the selection committee said it would delay determining the pairings for the New Year's Six bowls for Navy. If Navy had still been contention for the automatic berth for the highest-rated champion of the Group of Five going into its mid-December game versus Army, the committee was going to postpone the announcement to allow for the possibility of Navy earning a spot in one of the bowls.

Of course, such a major upheaval to the realm of college football may not be necessary. If Florida and LSU lose a second SEC contest, playing their match-up would not be required to determine the true champions of the SEC's divisions. One has to wonder how far in advance should the SEC push back its title game. Theoretically, the decision could be made as late as Black Friday. That assumes LSU had just beaten Texas A&M to finish 6-1 in SEC play along with either Alabama or Texas A&M having a 7-1 SEC record.  Would such a late decision prohibit to re-scheduling of the SEC title game? The SEC's commissioner, Greg Sankey, could face a making a decision with monumentally outrageous reverberations. This strife could have been avoided if he just exercised some leadership. He should have mandated that LSU and Florida play this weekend, either in Baton Rouge or at a neutral field. Will he be able to hide his cheering against LSU and Florida to forestall this brouhaha?

Ranking the NFL Divisions After the First Quarter of the Season

Which NFL division is the strongest after the 1st 4 weeks of the season?  http://athlonsports.com/nfl/ranking-nfl-divisions-after-first-quarter-2016-season

New Orleans Saints versus San Diego Chargers Preview and Prediction 2016

A couple of cellar-dwellers desperately seek a victory.

http://athlonsports.com/nfl/new-orleans-saints-vs-san-diego-chargers-preview-and-prediction-2016

Ranking FBS Conferences After September 2016

After teams having completed most, if not all, of their non-conference games, it is time to access the relative strengths of the conferences. I have created a system to rank the ten FBS conferences in an objective fashion. Teams earn points for victories versus other FBS teams. Victories on the road are worth more than those at home or at neutral sites.

Southeastern (.695)

The sports media repeatedly emphasized the SEC's 6-6 record in non-conference games during the first week of this season. Just as journalists ignore the norm such as 999 flights safely landing, they harp on the outlying single airplane crash. The SEC rebounded fairly well. The SEC won both contests against the PAC 12. The conference holds a 5-1 and 4-1 mark versus Conference USA and the Sun Belt respectively.  The SEC did not lose to any of its five opponents from the FCS or to any of its three from the MAC, unlike some other conferences.

Big Ten (.604)

The Big Ten has scored an impressive tally in non-conference contests. They swept all six games versus the Mountain West and both against the Big 12. They also won four out of five of the contests against the AAC plus three of four versus the PAC 12.

However, a conference's strength depends as much on its front-runners as it does on its cellar-dwellers. The Big Ten members have lost two of seven matches with the MAC. More glaringly, they lost two of the eight contests versus FCS opponents.   

American Athletic (.547)

The other members of the AAC are bolstering Houston's claim for a bid to the College Football Playoff. They have won three of four games against the Big 12. Additionally, they have swept all eleven of their matches when pitted against other Group of Five members. They have even managed a respectable 3-4 tally versus the ACC.

However, the AAC needs some more high-profile wins to justify its champion's inclusion in the playoffs. Twelve of the AAC's victories were over FCS opponents. Those account for nearly a third of the total number of non-conference wins.  Also, the AAC has only won one of its five contests with Big 10 members.

Atlantic Coast (.506)

The ACC looked mediocre in the first three weeks. Then the conference swept all nine of its non-conference games on the last weekend of September. The ACC has held its own versus the Big Ten (3-1). They also swept all three contests versus CUSA.

The number of quality wins is lacking. More than a third of the ACC's wins came at the expense of FCS opponents. Nearly 20 percent of their victories occurred versus the three weakest conferences.

Pacific Twelve (.484)

The Pacific Twelve has proved it superiority over the Big Twelve. Its score is significantly higher than the Big Twelve's. Plus, the PAC 12 won all three games in which these two have met.

Against the other conferences, the PAC Twelve has struggled. They lost both games versus the SEC. They won only one of the four contests with the Big Ten. They have even piled up a mediocre 6-3 tally in presumed rent-a-wins against the Mountain West. More bad news for the dozen from the Left Coast: they only have three non-conference games remaining to bolster they reputation.

Big Twelve (.375)

This group would love to hit the re-set button on this season. Unfortunately for them, this is reality, not a video game. Worsening the situation, the Big Twelve have completed all of their scheduled non-conference contests. It seems certain that the Big Twelve champion will be excluded from the College Football Playoff. If so, that will be based in part on its weak showing against the rest of the conferences.

The wins were mostly unimpressive when they occurred. The group finished the non-conference slate 2-6 against the other Power Five members. Seven of the conference's 18 wins occurred over FCS teams. Four other victories came at the expensive of Conference USA, the weakest FBS conference to this point.

Mountain West (.300)

The MWC can take some pride in having won three of nine versus the PAC 12.  Those victories kept the MWC out of the basement in these rankings.

More than a half of the MWC's non-conference wins were against FCS teams. This group has a winning tally versus only two other conferences. One of those two is Conference USA against whom the MWC is 1-0. The other is the Sun Belt (3-2). 

Sun Belt (.258)

The Sun Belt Conference managed to show that it is not just a collection of programs, which should be in the FCS. This group has decent records versus other conferences in the Group of Five: MAC (2-3), CUSA (1-1) and MWC (1-2).

The Sun Belt is still merely hoping to be considered as a mid-range conference. The group has only one win in ten games against the Power Five. The conference has only played six FCS opponents but has lost one of those.

Mid-American (.239)

The MAC has scored some notable wins. They have won both games versus the Big Twelve. They have a 3-3 record against the MWC. They have also beaten the Big Ten twice in seven tries.

The MAC's reputation also has been tarnished rather noticeably. Its members have 0-3 marks versus both the SEC and AAC. This group also has four losses in its thirteen contests with FCS teams. 

Conference USA (.171)

CUSA has only won 13 of its 41 non-conference games. Nine of those wins were against FCS opponents. CUSA is 0-4 versus the AAC and ACC respectively. The conference is 2-17 against Power Five members.

On the bright side, CUSA still has 11 non-conference games remaining. Victories in most of those should help the conference escape the title of "weakest FBS conference".

Also, the group does have one win over an opponent from the Big Ten and the SEC.

Readers should check back at the end of October for updated standings.

Did anyone catch that contentious and important debate earlier this week? I am not referring to Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump. I mean the verbal brawl that occurred between Sunshine Pumper and Nega Tiger.

http://athlonsports.com/college-football/les-miles-termination-sunshine-pumper-and-nega-tiger-debate-lsu-decision