Big Ten predictions: Week 3

South Dakota ended my quest for perfection (or was it Minnesota?). Either way, I'll try to start a new streak this week.
Michigan 43, Massachusetts 14: Denard Robinson does his thing for two and a half quarters before the real drama begins. Does football jersey
Devin Gardner get the first call after Shoelace, or will it be Tate Forcier? Both reserve quarterbacks end up playing well as Michigan improves to 3-0.
Ohio State 41, Ohio 6: The Buckeyes receive an efficient performance from Terrelle Pryor, and receiver DeVier Posey beats his big brother Julian for two touchdowns. No special teams meltdowns this week, and the defense keeps the Bobcats out of the end zone.
Penn State 35, Kent State 10: After two quiet weeks, Evan Royster arrives in a big way against Kent State. The senior running back goes for 140 yards and three touchdowns against a good run defense, and quarterback Rob Bolden bounces back nicely from the Alabama loss.
Illinois 26, Northern Illinois 14: I'm buying into Illinois' defensive improvement under Vic Koenning, and the Illini receive another solid performance from Ian Thomas, Tavon Wilson and crew. Northern Illinois seems to be struggling to put it all together, and the Illini need this game more.
Purdue 34, Ball State 17: Receivers Justin Siller and Antavian Edison emerge as Purdue begins life without star wideout Keith Smith. The Boilers start slowly for the second consecutive week but get it going in the second quarter, as Dan Dierking eclipses 100 rushing yards for the second Chicago Bears jersey
consecutive week.
USC 35, Minnesota 23: I've got a strange feeling about this one. Minnesota isn't as bad as it looked against South Dakota, and USC seems to be just skating by on its talent right now. I can't pick the Gophers to win, not with their issues on defense, but they'll come out energized after the Dakota Debacle. Minnesota takes an early lead, but Matt Barkley and his receivers prove to be too much in the second half.
Wisconsin 30, Arizona State 20: This is my Pick of the Week. Check the blog later as I'll have a video explaining my prediction in greater detail.
Indiana 45, Western Kentucky 21: The Hoosiers' offense shows no rust from the 16-day layoff, as Ben Chappell, Darius Willis and Tandon Doss all have big days against a woeful Western Kentucky defense. Indiana's defense struggles against Bobby Rainey, raising some concerns as Big Ten play beckons.
Northwestern 27, Rice 21: Another tricky road game for Pat Fitzgerald's crew against a Rice team that did some good things against Texas in the opener. The Owls jump ahead early and former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie reaches the end zone, but the Wildcats control play in the second half behind quarterback Dan Persa and receiver Jeremy Ebert.
Michigan State 33, Notre Dame 31: A very tough call here. Expect an entertaining shootout in East Lansing, as both offenses find their groove. I'm not sold on the Spartans' defense, and Notre Dame takes advantage as Michael Floyd has a big night. But Michigan State's balanced attack also steps up as Kirk Cousins rallies the team in the fourth quarter and Dan Conroy kicks a 42-yard field goal as time expires.
Iowa 26, Arizona 21: Arizona feeds off an electric atmosphere New Orleans Saints jersey
and jumps ahead behind Nic Grigsby, but Iowa duplicates what it did all last year and rallies on the road behind quarterback Ricky Stanzi. The senior signal caller overcomes an early interception and leads the game-winning touchdown drive, hitting Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for the decisive touchdown.

ACC predictions: Week 3

It was a rough week. Not just for the ACC, but for my predictions. After a 10-2 start in Week 1, I went 6-4, bringing my season total to 16-6. But c’mon, who woulda picked James Madison and Kansas? Here’s hoping for a better record in Week 3:
Auburn 24, Clemson 21: When in cheap nfl jerseys
doubt, stick with the home team. The Tigers have yet to be tested, and Clemson’s defense will have a tough time wrapping up 250-pound quarterback Cam Newton. Auburn is holding opponents to just 80 rushing yards per game, and the defensive line will get pressure on Kyle Parker.
Florida State 38, BYU 17: BYU lost to Air Force and looked bad in the process. If the Seminoles lose this one at home, their problems are bigger than they thought. FSU leads this series 3-0 and BYU is averaging only 18 points per game.
West Virginia 28, Maryland 24: The Mountaineers will be looking for San Francisco 49ers jersey
a more complete performance after allowing Marshall to hang around until overtime. The Terps have been burned by Noel Devine before, and it’s likely to happen again.
NC State 28, Cincinnati 24: The Bearcats have a new coach in Butch Jones, but a lot of the same team speed. NC State’s defense has taken a step forward, though, and the Carter-Finley crowd will help keep the momentum in the Pack’s favor. NC State is 5-5 at home on ESPN Thursday night games.
Stanford 28, Wake Forest 17: It will be too much to ask of freshman quarterback Tanner Price to defeat a ranked team on the West Coast in his first start – especially when he doesn’t have a dependable defense to back him up yet.
Alabama 38, Duke 21: Alabama’s defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown -- yet. Duke coach David Cutcliffe will have the Blue Devils playing inspired and prepared. Duke can move the ball against anyone in country, it just can’t stop anybody.
Georgia Tech 17, North Carolina 14: It’s a statement game for both programs, which are looking to rebound from losses, but with young backups playing defense, the Tar Heels will struggle to stop the spread option offense.
Virginia Tech 31, East Carolina 28: The Buffalo Bills jersey
Pirates’ win over Tulsa was impressive, but I've got too much respect for Virginia Tech’s staff to think they’ll lose three straight. ECU can score, though, so the Hokies will have to make plays in the kicking game and on defense.

A new beginning in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tough and gruff Todd Haley took his young playmaker into his arms and put his mouth to his helmet. With the renovated New Arrowhead Stadium crowd going berserk, Haley screamed into Dexter McCluster’s ear hole.
“He said, ‘Keep making plays,’" McCluster said after making the signature play in a stunning 21-14 Kansas City upset win over four-time defending AFC football jersey
West champion San Diego in one of the most exciting nights in recent Chiefs history. “It’s great for a coach and a player to celebrate together. It was a special moment.” After dropping the tiny McCluster to the turf following the rookie's team-record 94-yard punt return in a driving rain storm, giving the Chiefs a 21-7 lead, Haley pumped his fists in ecstasy.
“This is how I envisioned Arrowhead,” Haley said. “Usually the team that plays the best wins in the end and we played the best.”
It was a night of celebration in Kansas City as the Chiefs made big plays, watched their rookies come up big and witnessed their young defense make a huge defensive stand in the final seconds to deny the roaring Chargers.
The Chiefs, who long ago requested to open the season on Monday night, unveiled the New Arrowhead Stadium in style. Perhaps the grand old house inspired this young 2010 version of the Chiefs to play like some of the great teams of Kansas City’s past.
This game was clearly the highlight of the 20-month-old Scott Pioli-Haley era. The Chiefs had won a total of 10 games in the previous three seasons.
As a reward for their first opening-weekend win in five years, Kansas City is now in sole possession of first place in the AFC West for the first time since Week 7 of the 2007 season, according to ESPN’s Stats and Information.
Heading into the regular season, it seemed like it would be San Diego and everyone else in the AFC West. If one week is any indication, the Chiefs must be accounted for. Not only were the Chiefs the only team in the division to win, but they were the only team to show significant improvement in Week 1.
Oakland, which has high hopes for resurgence, was blasted by 25 points in Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
Tennessee, and Denver looks like a work in progress after a loss to Jacksonville. The Chargers had their moments and their chances Monday night.
San Diego was clearly affected the rain and wind, which dominated the second and third quarters before subsiding in the fourth quarter. The Chargers, who had one first down in a 30-minute, 14-second span, tried to come back late, but the Chiefs would not be denied on this special night
“Monday Night Football and a big win,” No. 5 overall pick Eric Berry said. “It was great.” Berry was part of the Chiefs’ last stand. Clearly relieved by the end of the rain, the Chargers came hard at Kansas City and were poised to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The magical night was in peril when San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers completed a 12-yard pass to receiver Legedu Naanee to the 4-yard line with 1:14 remaining. It came on fourth-and-3. Yet, Kansas City’s defense did not crumble. Rivers threw two incompletions and running back Darren Sproles was stopped for a 2-yard loss. On fourth down-and-goal from the 6 with 39 seconds to go, Rivers couldn’t connect with receiver Malcom Floyd in the back of the end zone.
The water-logged Arrowhead crowd, which was boisterous all night, erupted as it saw K.C.'s defense come of age.
“They played every play,” Haley said. “That is one of our little mottos: 'Play every play.' And they did.”
If Kansas City’s defense plays this well on a consistent basis, the Chiefs will be candidates for a winning season. The defense often abandoned Kansas City last year. Other than new coordinator Romeo Crennel and Berry, there are few new additions.
But players such as defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey (who may have played his best NFL game after being the No. 5 overall pick in 2008), revived linebacker Derrick Johnson and third-year cornerback Brandon Carr all led the charge. Dorsey harassed Rivers on the final play.
Kansas City, led by a wicked 56-yard touchdown run by dynamic running back Jamaal Charles and big special-teams plays by McCluster and fellow second-round pick Javier Arenas, will score its share of points. If the defense is this stout, Haley will end up Indianapolis Colts jersey
doing a lot more celebrating with his players.
“It’s a good start,” a smiling Haley said. That’s what Monday night was all about in Kansas City -- a new beginning.

Flynn appointed as Wales caretaker boss

CARDIFF (AFP) - Brian Flynn has been appointed as Wales caretaker manager for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Flynn, who had been working as coach of nfl jersey
the Wales youth teams, takes charge after previous boss John Toshack departed by mutual consent last week.
"The Football Association of Wales is pleased to announce that Mr Brian Flynn will act as caretaker manager to the Wales Senior Team for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers in October 2010," a statement on the Welsh FA's website confirmed on Monday.
Toshack left following Wales' 1-0 defeat in Montenegro in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier and former Wrexham manager Flynn is keen to land the job on a permanent basis.
Millwall manager Kenny Jackett and Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs had been the early favourites for the post, but both have now been ruled out, leaving Flynn and former Fulham and Coventry boss Chris Coleman as the front runners.
Flynn said: "Naturally, as a very proud Welshman, this Dallas Cowboys jersey
is a job that I have always wanted to do.
"I realise that initially it is only for two games, but I shall give it my all to try and achieve results and stake a claim for the job on a permanent basis."
Flynn will be helped by youth team assistants Alan Curtis and David Williams for the two qualifiers.
The 54-year-old has played a role in the development of talented Welsh players like Tottenham's Gareth Bale and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey in recent years.
He won 66 caps for Wales between 1975 and 1984 and was a player when Wales reached the 1976 European Championship quarter-finals, losing over two legs to Yugoslavia.
Wales host Bulgaria at the Cardiff City Stadium on Indianapolis Colts jersey
October 8 and travel to Basel to play Switzerland on October 12.
Flynn's team need to take at least four points from the matches to have any chance of making the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

2 Monaco fans arrested over crowd disturbance

MARSEILLE, France (AP)—Two Monaco fans have been arrested after two Marseille supporters were hit by projectiles and injured during the teams’ 2-2 draw in the French league.
Police said they were forced to intervene nfl jerseys
when Monaco fans threw Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
bjects at Marseille supporters before and during Sunday’s match at Stade Velodrome.
The two people injured were in stable Minnesota Vikings jersey
condition Monday at Marseille’s La Conception hospital.

McClaren feeling the pressure after another loss

Wolfsburg coach Steve McClaren admitted that the "pressure is mounting'' after his third straight defeat in charge of the Bundesliga club.
The 2-0 defeat in Dortmund completed the Wolves' worst football jersey
ever start to a Bundesliga season and McClaren knows that he must turn things around quickly.
"I knew that it was going to be hard to start with, but it is harder than I thought,'' he admitted. "The pressure is mounting.''
The club's general manager Dieter Hoeness, who has overseen a spending spree of Minnesota Vikings jersey
almost €40 million this summer, has made it clear that he cannot tolerate such performances for long.
"The players are playing below their actual ability,'' he said. "It is hard to explain, and I don't only mean Diego. Simon Kjaer is usually far more assured than he is and I know that Cicero is a lot better than this. We are in a critical situation.''
The Wolves are not the only top club Dallas Cowboys jersey
struggling as fellow pre-season title candidates Schalke and Stuttgart have also lost their first three games of the season.

English Comment: No Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie Or Nicklas Bendtner - Now Marouane Chamakh Must Step Forward For Arsenal

When Arsene Wenger saw Theo Walcott being carried off on a stretcher in Basel on Tuesday, a few more lines would have appeared etched into the 60-year-old's brow.

By the time it was confirmed the winger would be out for nfl jersey
six weeks with an ankle injury, he was probably resembling an 80-year-old.

For some managers, the loss of one attacker, albeit one as important to Arsenal as Walcott, would be an inconvenience. For Wenger it represents the brink of disaster. After all, the Gunners’ boss was still reeling from the news that Robin van Persie would be out for six weeks after an injury in the Premier League match against Blackburn.

These two recent casualties join Nicklas Bendtner and Samir Nasri, who both have long-term injuries. Bendtner has been out since the World Cup and is not likely to return to first team action until November. The picture is slightly rosier for Nasri, who might return for this weekend’s fixture. But this is not definite, and would Wenger even risk starting a player who hasn’t played since the opening day of the season?

This situation leaves Marouane Chamakh to carry the load. The 26-year-old will have to score the goals Walcott has been and Van Persie is expected to. A lot of responsibility for the man who only came to the Emirates in the summer.

The Moroccan has already scored for Arsenal this season - in the rout of Blackpool - but he only scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 last season for Bordeaux in 38 appearances, and with only Andrey Arshavin as the other attacking outlet, he will surely have to up his scoring rate.

Arsenal fans will be aware of Indianapolis Colts jersey
the precarious position they’re in with regards to injuries, but Chamakh does have the ability to step up to the plate. He has all the skills you would expect from an Arsenal attacker – pace, silky footwork, an excellent touch, good movement and a bullet shot, but he has another dimension to his repertoire; his heading ability.

For a slight player, with not much bulk despite his height, he has immense strength, gets himself across central defenders, some much bigger than himself, and scores plenty of headed chances. His goal against Blackpool is a prime example of this, and it is a feature of an Arsenal centre forward fans will not have been too familiar with in recent years.

His ability to leap earlier than defenders and hang above them was beautifully demonstrated with a crashing header in the Champions League tie with Lyon last season. If he resembles any other Premier League striker for this trait, it is Fernando Torres. That said, his record of a goal every four and a bit games in the league for Bordeaux (56 in 230 appearances) is a concern and it again raises the question of Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy. After Bendtner’s injury it would have been wise to invest in another striker. Wenger will point to Chamakh in response, but with Van Persie’s fitness frailty in recent seasons and Eduardo’s transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk, Wenger was gambling and already he may have lost.

It is common knowledge that Wenger puts faith in his youth. He said recently: "We are short on the striker front when you have two strikers out but [Carlos] Vela is in good shape and we have Jay Emmanuel Thomas who has made some big improvements.

"We have Benik Afobe, a young player who can play striker and Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
has shown big quality, so we still have some reserves."

Wenger is not one for doubting himself, but if Chamakh fails to fire, plenty of others will do.

Houllier unsure when he’ll take charge of Villa

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP)—Gerard Houllier is unsure when he will officially take charge of Aston Villa as he is still waiting for the French Football Federation to release him.
Despite signing a three-year contract to replace Martin O’Neill, France’s nfl jerseys
technical director still has commitments to the FFF.
“They could make me stay for three months but I am negotiating to leave far earlier,” Houllier said Friday. “I have a good relationship with the FFF but I need to go back and sort the final things out.”
The 63-year-old Houllier won’t be in charge for Monday’s Premier League match against Stoke and doubts whether he will be at the helm for Villa’s game the following Saturday against Bolton.
“I hope to be here to watch the Bolton game and will start for the Blackburn game (on Sept. 22 in the League Cup) if all goes well,” Houllier said.
Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald will remain in charge until then before returning to his role as reserve team coach.
Houllier is returning to England six years after his six-year stint as Liverpool manager ended.
“Everybody knows my passion for English football and the Minnesota Vikings jersey
Premier League, the best in the world, and that has not diminished since my time at Liverpool,” Houllier said. “I had other offers. The offer from Villa came very late but it proved irresistible because it is a club with a fine history and a very good squad. They have a real pedigree and that played a part in my decision.”
Fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, believes that Houllier was missing being in charge of a team.
“When he went to be the technical director of the French Federation, it was to get out into maybe a little bit less of a pressurized job,” Wenger said. “But when you are out of it, you feel you miss it, and you come in again. I believe that is what happened to him more than the feeling that he has an unfinished job.”
Houllier won six trophies with Liverpool, but cautioned that it will take time to produce American-owned Villa’s first title since the 1996 League Cup.
“There is a vision for gradual improvement,” Houllier said. Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
“We won’t achieve things overnight but we want silverware. Everyone wants Champions League football or Europe and we are saying one step at a time.
“The owner (Randy Lerner) has set no targets but in three years if we can get into the top four it will be excellent.”