Recently in Predictions Category

Before I get into the predictions, I will take a little time to say farewell. This is my last week at The Sun, as I am leaving the paper for another job. I have enjoyed covering high school sports for the Sun/Bulletin for the past five years and thank the readers for reading my material and giving me feedback, the coaches and players for providing me with gobs of writing material and my co-workers for making the work environment a fun one. Pete Marshall will assume this blog starting next week and will do a great job with it. Show him the same courtesy and support that you guys have shown over the years.

Now to the picks, as I try to end with a bang of some sort:

Alta Loma 28, Montclair 17
Apple Valley 24, Palm Desert 20
Aquinas 27, Twentynine Palms 23
Banning 21, Bloomington 18
Brethren Christian 35, Arrowhead Christian 20
Cajon 48, Eisenhower 15
Carter 20, Chaffey 6
Chino 35, Pomona 13
Chino Hills 28, Corona Santiago 24
Citrus Valley 30, Xavier Prep 17
Coachella Valley 26, Yucca Valley 21
Colony 28, Ayala 20
Don Lugo 24, Ontario Christian 17
Downey Calvary Chapel 36, Western Christian 13
Granite Hills 23, Hesperia 0
Jurupa Valley 20, Pacific 12
Kaiser 38, Barstow 6
La Quinta 18, Rialto 14
Littlerock 28, Fontana 9
Miller 35, North Hollywood 6
Nogales 30, Jurupa Hills 14
Oak Hills 27, Desert Hot Springs 10
Orange Lutheran 38, Los Osos 24
Palm Springs 20, Arroyo Valley 14
Rancho Cucamonga 33, Great Oak 17
Rancho Verde 38, San Gorgonio 19
Redlands 21, Summit 20
Redlands East Valley 31, Compton Dominguez 17
Rim of the World 24, Victor Valley 22
Rio Hondo Prep 28, Big Bear 22
Riverside North 21, Colton 14
Rubidoux 30, Ontario 12
Serrano 20, Silverado 0
Sultana 28, San Bernardino 25
Upland 34, Tustin 28
Vista Murrieta 42, Etiwanda 30
Yucaipa 38, Canyon Springs 12

My favorite time of the year is back. We'll see if I got any smarter from last year.

Apple Valley 28, Barstow 6
Aquinas 28, Desert Hot Springs 21
Big Bear 27, Pasadena Maranatha 20
Bloomington 16, Chaffey 12
Cajon 21, San Diego Torrey Pines 17
Chino 31, Diamond Ranch 17
Chino Hills 34, Lakewood (Colo.) Bear Creek 21
Citrus Valley 28, New Westminster (B.C) 14
Diamond Bar 30, Ayala 20
Eisenhower 35, Alta Loma 26
Granite Hills 17, Lancaster Eastside 14
Indio Shadow Hills 30, Jurupa Hills 12
La Quinta 17, Los Osos 13
Los Angeles Baptist 20, Arrowhead Christian 6
Miller 35, Lake Elsinore Lakeside 14
Montclair 34, Ganesha 12
Ontario Christian 28, Bakersfield Christian 22
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Silverado 7
Redlands 24, Apopka (Fla.) Wekiva 17
Rialto 25, Moreno Valley 9
Ridgecrest Burroughs 28, Hesperia 6
Serrano 16, Paraclete 14
Summit 35, Etiwanda 27
Temecula Chaparral 28, Cajon 16
Twentynine Palms 28, Palm Desert Xavier Prep 14
Upland 49, San Bernardino 6
Victor Valley 21, Riverside Patriot 15
Walnut 33, Don Lugo 16
West Covina South Hills 20, Colony 18
Yucaipa 38, Oak Park 14
Yucca Valley 24, Rubidoux 21

After how I did last week, picking incorrectly in both semifinals in the Central and Eastern Division, I'm pretty sure no one wants the endorsement of this blog. But they are going to get it.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Colton at Rancho Verde
The Yellowjackets played an instant classic last week to get to their first final in 29 years, outpointing Cajon 42-41 in overtime on Randy Valdez's leaping 35-yard, 3rd-and-20 touchdown reception. But Colton has itself a task in front of it. Rancho Verde seems to be beating all of the ghosts of its previous playoff flameouts into submission, scoring 161 points in three games coming into this one. I think Colton will test the Mustangs for a while, but Rancho Verde is a bit too deep for the Yellowjackets.
Rancho Verde 35, Colton 21

EASTERN DIVISION
Summit at Elsinore
Besides Yucca Valley's first-round victory over Aquinas in the East Valley Division, Elsinore's victory at Kaiser last week might have been the biggest surprise of the playoffs to date. Summit's win at Serrano last week wasn't shocking, but it was an impressive upset. Can Summit hold up to Elsinore's physicality and make some big plays with Devon Blackmon and Montigo Alford. I'm going yes. I'll take the SkyHawks to win the school's first-ever CIF title in any sport.
Summit 28, Elsinore 22

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Paraclete 35, Sierra Canyon 30

INLAND DIVISION
Vista Murrieta at Corona Centennial
These teams aren't in our coverage area, but this game should be a dandy. The Inland Valley's best pushed these two top seeds hard last week, with Rancho Cucamonga taking Vista Murrieta to overtime before falling 35-28 and Chino Hills entering the fourth quarter only down 28-23 to top-seeded Centennial before losing 42-23. I was at the Chino Hills-Centennial game last week and was extremely impressed by Centennial's fearless, quick-strike offense. They'll be too much for the Broncos in my opinion.
Centennial 48, Vista Murrieta 27

Just got back in town from Thanksgiving and will get these done real quick before heading out to Ramona High School for Cajon-Arlington.

Inland Division

Corona Centennial at Upland
In the battle between defending CIF champions last week, Upland took down Chaparral to help the Baseline League to a 3-0 mark. While that victory was impressive, Centennial is a different, more potent beast. Upland will score some, but not nearly enough to keep up.
Centennial 52, Upland 21

Chino Hills at Etiwanda
Can the Eagles pull off another upset? The Etiwanda defense stepped up huge in the win at Redlands East Valley, but Chino Hills just put up 10 touchdowns on Corona. The Huskies are humming on that side of the ball and should win a shootout.
Chino Hills 45, Etiwanda 35

Rancho Cucamonga at Roosevelt
The Cougars are playoff-savvy and looked good against Murrieta Valley, while Roosevelt had to scratch and claw against Claremont. Look for Rancho to keep the Baseline contingent alive.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Roosevelt 28

Vista Murrieta 41, Norco 27

Central Division

Rancho Verde at San Gorgonio
Rancho Verde is the top seed in the bracket, but they had to scratch and claw to get past the Spartans in week one. And that's before San G caught fire with its current seven-game win streak. I still like Rancho Verde though.
Rancho Verde 29, San Gorgonio 21

La Quinta at Chino
This is easily the toughest test that 11-0 Chino has had to face this year, as La Quinta is perennially among the top teams in whatever division it is playing in. Chino has been quite the story, but I'm not sure it's fully prepared for this.
La Quinta 28, Chino 22

Cajon at Arlington
The second-hottest team in the county goes against a red-hot player, as the Cowboys' 8-game winning streak will be tested by Arlington and their star RB Superiorr Reid, who has 32 touchdowns. Cajon is good but I like Arlington's smashmouth style.
Arlington 35, Cajon 24

Palm Springs at Colton
While both of these teams put up ridiculous point totals last week, I think we'll see some defense in this one. Both of these teams are stout on that side of the ball, though I feel Palm Springs has a bit more oomph.
Palm Springs 20, Colton 14

Eastern Division

Kaiser at Granite Hills
The Cats have apparently declared war on the city of Apple Valley, as they took out Apple Valley High last week. Granite Hills is scrappy, but they don't have the firepower to challenge Kaiser.
Kaiser 36, Granite Hills 6

Victor Valley at Elsinore
The Jackrabbits resurgence continued last week with another last-minute win, this time against Norte Vista. But Elsinore on the road is a tough task and I'm not sure if the Jackrabbits will be able to wave their magic wand again.
Elsinore 28, Victor Valley 24

Heritage at Summit
Heritage has been impressive this year, running off 11 wins to grab the No. 3 seed. But player for player, Summit might be the most talented team. I like the SkyHawks to come through with a mild upset.
Summit 30, Heritage 27

Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs
Going up to Ridgecrest is a tough task for anyone. But if there's any team that can handle it, its' the Diamondbacks. The Serrano D is playing at a high level, which should be the difference.
Serrano 17, Burroughs 9

East Valley Division

Paraclete 42, Grace Brethren 24

St. Margaret's at Big Bear
This has already been played, with St. Margaret's prevailing 17-6.

Twentynine Palms at Sierra Canyon
The Wildcats were impressive in rolling over Sage Hill, but going out to the San Fernando Valley from the High Desert is a lot to ask. Sierra Canyon will pull away late in this one.
Sierra Canyon 34, Twentynine Palms 16

Rubidoux at Yucca Valley
The Trojans pulled off the shocker of the playoffs, heading to San Bernardino and shocking No. 2 Aquinas. Now they face a Rubidoux team that they tied in September. I think Cinderella has another dance after this one.
Yucca Valley 20, Rubidoux 18

Last but not least is the East Valley. Let them play in the snow is all I have to say leading in.

No. 1 Paraclete 30, Desert Hot Springs 20

Notre Dame 23, Grace Brethren 21

Linfield Christian at Big Bear
Snow or no snow, this should be a fun one on Saturday. The Bears have their option offense working at a level that hasn't been seen since the days of Kriss Proctor, as Zakk Planz has Big Bear executing at a high level. Linfield Christian has playoff experience, winning the Northeast Division last year, but I don't see their move up being as smooth as St. Margaret's was.
Big Bear 28, Linfield Christian 18

No. 4 St. Margaret's 27, Campbell Hall 21

No. 3 Sierra Canyon 38, Bishop Diego 14

Sage Hill at Twentynine Palms
The key question in this game is Twentynine Palms' resiliency. The Wildcats had a chance for their fourth straight De Anza League title slip out of their grasp last week with a loss to Big Bear at home and now face a Sage Hill team with an effective running attack. 29 Palms is capable of a run, making the East Valley finals two years ago, but I see this run ending sooner rather than later.
Sage Hill 20, Twentynine Palms 14

Brentwood 28, Rubidoux 26

Yucca Valley at No. 2 Aquinas
The Falcons are the hottest team in the division to date, winning nine in a row thanks to the efforts of a balanced rushing attack led by junior RB Burrell Handy. Yucca Valley profitted from a credible nonleague schedule and a tough league to make it into the playoffs, but this is a tough haul for the Trojans, as the Falcons are clicking on all cylinders.
Aquinas 35, Yucca Valley 12

Now off to the Eastern Division, where the game is "Catch Kaiser if you can."

Apple Valley at No. 1 Kaiser
If I'm the Sun Devils, I'm pretty bitter right about now. While Apple Valley's 5-5 record wasn't ground-breaking, the Sun Devils are hardly the worst team and shouldn't be the sacrificial lamb to the undefeated Cats. But that's precisely what they are. Apple Valley is intriguing on offense, but Kaiser has murdered people all year and will do the same tomorrow.
Kaiser 45, Apple Valley 6

Granite Hills at Beaumont
Granite Hills, which lost to Apple Valley in the regular season and had the exact same league record and finish in league as the Sun Devils, got a winnable draw, at least for the first round, as Beaumont isn't exactly a dominating opponents. But the Mountain Pass League champs are good and will win a low-scoring, hard-hitting duel.
Beaumont 14, Granite Hills 12

Norte Vista at Victor Valley
This is a rough draw for the Jackrabbits, as Norte Vista's grind-it-out, ball-control style netted it a trip to the semifinals a year ago. You can bet that the Braves will rely on Ryan Ruiz to play keep away from Victor's potent offense. However, the Jackrabbits took a huge step in beating Burroughs for the Desert Sky League title last week and that confidence will carry over.
Victor Valley 24, Norte Vista 16

Oak Hills at No. 4 Elsinore
The continuation of the Bulldogs' building process has Oak Hills in a tough spot, as the Bulldogs didn't get much respect for being the No. 2 team in their league. Elsinore held it own in recent years in the Central Division, advancing to the finals in 2006, and will be a tough go of it. Marshaun Coprich and Jeremiah Armstead will have success, but not quite enough.
Elsinore 26, Oak Hills 17

Silverado at No. 3 Heritage
If there was any proof necessary to validate the theory that tough nonleague schedules mean something, it came with the selection of 5-4-1 Silverado to the playoffs over 7-3 San Jacinto. The Hawks' philosophy of taking on all comers worked once again, albeit in a different way than normal. However, a 10-0 Heritage team is a tough draw for the Hawks, who just don't have the guns this year for a long run.
Heritage 34, Silverado 20

West Valley at Summit
West Valley has been a playoff underachiever recently, getting bounced in the first round as a higher seed in each of the last three years. They don't have to worry about that, as they'll be the clear underdogs against a Summit team with the best skill-position talent in the division. Summit is prone to lapses, but if the SkyHawks are on, this will get ugly quick.
Summit 38, West Valley 6

Ridgecrest Burroughs 35, Citrus Hill 30

Temescal Canyon at No. 2 Serrano
Kaiser is getting the hype in this division, and for good reason, but seasonal progression indicates that it's the year of the Diamondback. Serrano has gone from losing in the first round (2006) to the quarters (2007) to the semis (2008) to the championship game last year (2009). So the logical progression is a title. While that may not happen, a comfortable win over Temescal Canyon will.
Serrano 28, Temescal Canyon 7

Now we move on to the Central Division, where San Bernardino and Ontario/Chino teams await.

No. 1 Rancho Verde 48, Garey 12

Palm Desert at San Gorgonio
This should be an entertaining one, as the Spartans rose up during the San Andreas League season to win six games in a row and grab second place and this home game against a potent Aztecs team. San G's offense was helped by the emergence of RB Jamie Snowten in the second half of the season and I expect Snowten to score a couple in a barnburner.
San Gorgonio 35, Palm Desert 31

Carter at Chino
Predicting Chino results, for the most part, was pretty easy during the Mt. Baldy League season - pick a random number between 42 and 49 and watch my prediction to come within 3-5 points. Can't really do that this week, as Carter's defense held Arroyo Valley to 3 yards last week. That's right, 3. Chino will obviously get more, but this won't be a rout by any means.
Chino 23, Carter 14

La Quinta 28, Valley View 6

Montclair at No. 3 Arlington
Making the playoffs is an achievement in itself for the Cavaliers, who deserve a ton of credit for grabbing third place in the Mt. Baldy League and winning five games. However, the Cavs are in for a world of hurt against Arlington's physical rushing attack. Running back Superiorr Reed has 27 touchdowns and 1,634 yards rushing for the Lions, figures that are sure to grow tomorrow.
Arlington 41, Montclair 13

Coachella Valley at Cajon
The only reason that San G isn't the hottest team in the county right now is due to the presence of Cajon, which has won seven in a row since a shutout loss to Kaiser in September. Dual-threat QB Thomas Carter and DB/WR Demontae Kazee are playing at high levels right now and will be too much for the Arabs, who earned the at-large berth out of the Desert Valley League.
Cajon 27, Coachella Valley 12

Colton at Colony
These two teams have tapdanced around each other in the playoffs in recent years, never meeting up despite being among the Central Divisions elite. So for that alone, this game is worth watching. Can a banged-up Colton hold tough against a Colony team that flew under the radar a bit with a 7-3 finish? I think the Yellowjackets are a bit more physical and battle-tested.
Colton 17, Colony 14

No. 2 Palm Springs 35, La Sierra 6

I love this time of year, as the weather gets colder and the hitting gets harder. Which makes me sad that the CIF is thinking of moving the Linfield Christian-Big Bear game Saturday to Lucerne Valley because of snow. I understand the safety concerns Linfield might have of traveling up and down the mountain, but I fail to see how transitioning those concerns from Linfield to Big Bear, which has to travel up and down the mountain to get to Lucerne Valley, is productive in any way. Plus, I love football in the snow.

With that off my chest, on to the predictions starting with the Inland Division.

INLAND DIVISION
Yucaipa at No. 1 Corona Centennial
The forecast here is for pain for Yucaipa. I feel bad for the Thunderbirds, as Justin Price did a wonderful job leading Yucaipa to the playoffs in his first year as coach. But Centennial is playing on a level that's nationally elite right now and I have a hard time seeing Yucaipa holding them below 60 points.
Centennial 63, Yucaipa 13

Chaparral at Upland
The defending Inland champions take on last year's Central Division champions in what should be a good one. Chaparral's record looks weak at 4-6, but the Pumas finished second in a tough Southwestern League and played a ridiculous nonleague state. Upland is too smart to overlook Chaparral, but they'll be surprised by the intensity and physicality that the Pumas possess.
Chaparral 24, Upland 17

Etiwanda at Redlands East Valley
This is where I'll be tomorrow and quite frankly, I'm looking forward to it. it's a battle of strengths, as Etiwanda's explosive offense takes on REV's stifling defense. If REV can be attacked defensively, its in the secondary, which makes it imperative that the Wildcats get a pass rush on Eagle QB Larry Cutbirth. REV's offense doesn't get much pub, but it'll be good enough to win.
Redlands East Valley 27, Etiwanda 21

Corona at No. 4 Chino Hills
This is a potentially tricky first-round matchup for the Huskies, as Corona is talented and athletic. But Chino Hills has added an explosive offense to what was already a stout defense. The Huskies woke up in Sierra League play and are more than capable of playing in a shootout, but I think they'll slow Corona down enough to where that won't be necessary.
Chino Hills 35, Corona 20

Murrieta Valley at No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga
After six Central Division playoff wins during the last two years, the Cougars are moving into the Inland Division with a posh seed and a tough first-round matchup. However, the Rancho offense has been rounding into form during the Baseline League season and should be a little too potent for the Nighthawks.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Murrieta Valley 30

Roosevelt 42, Claremont 24

Norco at Redlands
This should be a dandy, as these two teams faced each other in the 2006 semifinals. Norco is more versatile than usual, as they have the throwing ability of freshman QB Colt Gerhart (yes, there's another one) to go along with the explosiveness of Stanford-committed RB Kelsey Young. The Redlands defense is pretty stout and will battle, but I think Norco has a few too many weapons.
Norco 28, Redlands 17

No. 2 Vista Murrieta 45, Charter Oak 14

St. Margaret's has been the bully in this division the last two years, taking out county teams in the title game both times (Twentynine Palms in 2008 and Ontario Christian last year). Can someone else crash the party?

First Round
No. 1 Paraclete over Desert Hot Springs
Riverside Notre Dame over Grace Brethren
Big Bear over Linfield Christian
No. 4 St. Margaret's over Campbell Hall
No. 3 Sierra Canyon over Bishop Diego
Sage Hill over Twentynine Palms
Brentwood over Rubidoux
No. 2 Aquinas over Yucca Valley

Quarterfinals
Paraclete over Notre Dame
St. Margaret's over Big Bear
Sierra Canyon over Sage Hill
Aquinas over Brentwood

Semifinals
St. Margaret's over Paraclete
Aquinas over Sierra Canyon

Championship
Aquinas over St. Margaret's

If you want to see county teams do their thing, this is the division for you. With No. 1 Kaiser destroying people and No. 2 Serrano being, well, Serrano, we could have an all-county championship game.

First Round
No. 1 Kaiser over Apple Valley
Beaumont over Granite Hills
Victor Valley over Norte Vista
No. 4 Elsinore over Oak Hills
No. 3 Heritage over Silverado
Summit over West Valley
Ridgecrest Burroughs over Citrus Hill
No. 2 Serrano over Temescal Canyon

Quarterfinals
Kaiser over Beaumont
Elsinore over Victor Valley
Summit over Heritage
Serrano over Burroughs

Semifinals
Kaiser over Elsinore
Serrano over Summit

Championship
Kaiser over Serrano

On to the Central Division, where county teams have been shut out of the seedings. Is there any that are capable of making a run though. Rancho Verde is the no-brainer No. 1 and has the most talent in the division, but the playoffs have been their undoing in recent years. So I could see one of the Desert Valley teams taking charge here.

First Round
No. 1 Rancho Verde over Garey
San Gorgonio over Palm Desert
Chino over Carter
No. 4 La Quinta over Valley View
No. 3 Arlington over Montclair
Cajon over Coachella Valley
Colton over Colony
No. 2 Palm Springs over La Sierra

Quarterfinals
Rancho Verde over San Gorgonio
La Quinta over Chino
Arlington over Cajon
Palm Springs over Colton

Semifinals
La Quinta over Rancho Verde
Arlington over Palm Springs

Championship
La Quinta over Arlington

Before I get into the first-round predictions this week, I'll do my annual predictions for each of the four divisions in the county and expose myself to ridicule and scorn. I'm starting with the Inland Division, which I think can be renamed the Centennial Division. I'm just not seeing any other possibilities.

First Round
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Yucaipa
Chaparral over Upland
Redlands East Valley over Etiwanda
No. 4 Chino Hills over Corona
No. 3 Rancho Cucamonga over Murrieta Valley
Roosevelt over Claremont
Norco over Redlands
No. 2 Vista Murrieta over Charter Oak

Quarterfinals
Centennial over Chaparral
REV over Chino Hills
Rancho Cucamonga over Roosevelt
Vista Murrieta over Norco

Semifinals
Centennial over REV
Vista Murrieta over Rancho Cucamonga

Championship
Centennial over Vista Murrieta

Doing this a day earlier than normal, as several county teams are pulling a Conference USA and playing on a Wednesday. Only dropped five games last week, which is tied with my high performance of the season to date. We'll see if I get any smarter this week.

Redlands East Valley at Miller
With Miller's upset at Redlands last week, this game is now for the Citrus Belt League title. These teams have played classics the last three years, with each game going down to the final minute. If the good Miller shows up and stays for a while, this game could very well be the same. I'll be out to see this game Thursday and I expect a close game that goes to be more even-tempered team - which is REV.
Redlands East Valley 21, Miller 14

Upland at Los Osos
The tide in this series turned in 2008, when Upland smacked down the Grizzlies in the CIF semifinals to end a sizable losing streak to Los Osos. The Highlanders have added two more wins since, including a CIF championship win last December. A Los Osos win would put the Baseline on tilt, as Upland, Los Osos and Etiwanda would have to flip for two spots behind Rancho Cucamonga. An Upland win would make things nice and easy. We like nice and easy.
Upland 28, Los Osos 24

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Victor Valley
It very well could be feast or famine for the Jackrabbits. If they defeat Burroughs at home, Victor Valley will be the Desert Sky League champions and the No. 1 seed out of the league going into the playoffs. A loss could send them into a three-way tie for second with Silverado and Granite Hills and a resulting coin flip. While Victor Valley is in good shape for the at-large, it wouldn't mind not going down that road. But it might have to, as I see Burroughs winning.
Burroughs 30, Victor Valley 17

Carter at Arroyo Valley
The SAL is nice and simple, as the top three playoff spots are set with seeding locked in and this game settling the No. 4 spot. Carter is extremely close to being undefeated, losing to Cajon and San G by one score and Colton in overtime. Arroyo Valley, meanwhile, wasn't really close in any of its games against the Big 3. While the transitive property is dangerous to use to predict games, I feel as if Carter is a bit more equipped for this game.
Carter 21, Arroyo Valley 13

Summit at Norte Vista
The SkyHawks gave Kaiser all it could handle last week, actually having the top-ranked Cats behind in the fourth quarter before relenting and losing 19-7. Now can Summit shake off a possible letdown and get its first second-place finish in league? Norte Vista is physical and will try to pound the Cats. A first-round home playoff game is at stake, which should be enough for Summit to overcome any thoughts of regret from last week.
Summit 28, Norte Vista 22

Apple Valley at Oak Hills
Another game between teams jostling for seeding happens in the Mojave River League, as Oak Hills wants to cement its first season in league with a solid second-place finish. Apple Valley has been erratic at times, struggling to put away Sultana last week to clinch the playoff spot. The Bulldogs piledrove Hesperia last week and should take care of the Sun Devils this week.
Oak Hills 27, Apple Valley 14

Big Bear at Twentynine Palms
This is another league-title showdown, as the Wildcats will try to capture their fourth straight De Anza title by beating the Bears on their home turf. I expect this game to be a dandy, as the Bears' option attack is being executed in tip-top form with junior quarterback Zakk Planz while the Wildcats have profited from the bruising running of fullback Chris Fuifui. However, I like the Bears here in a mild upset.
Big Bear 24, Twentynine Palms 22

Ontario at Colony
I could write a dissertation on the Mt. Baldy League playoff situation and still not explain it correctly. However, I'm going to defer to my colleague Clay Fowler on this, as I would probably turn myself crosseyed trying to explain how a five-way tie at 2-4 for two playoff spots (which is mathematically possible) could work. This game could contribute to that chaos, as Ontario is one of four teams at 2-3 playing a Colony team that has its spot already set. Colony could be nice, let the Jaguars win and save us all from grief, but it won't.
Colony 34, Ontario 14

Ayala at Chino Hills
This battle of Chino Hills typically has huge implications riding on it but really doesn't this year, at least for Ayala, as the Bulldogs are long since eliminated from the playoffs. Chino Hills could still sneak out with a Sierra League title, as South Hills' upset of Claremont last week opened up that door just a tad. The Huskies still need Claremont to lose to Damien for a league title to happen, but they'll do their part tonight.
Chino Hills 38, Ayala 6

Ontario Christian at Arrowhead Christian
With only two teams automatically making the playoffs out of the Ambassador League, Ontario Christian is in a precarious spot. Aquinas and Linfield Christian have the two spots locked up, which leaves the 3-6 Knights, who made the East Valley finals a year ago, scrambling for an at-large. How does this game with ACA factor in? Well, a few style points wouldn't hurt, so I expect Ontario Christian to put a hurting on the Eagles and hope for the best on Sunday.
Ontario Christian 44, ACA 10

Other games of note
Aquinas 48, Western Christian 14
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Glendora 13
Etiwanda 65, Alta Loma 7
Redlands 49, Fontana 6
Yucaipa 38, Eisenhower 10
Yucca Valley 45, Shadow Hills 0
Silverado 28, Barstow 6
Serrano 42, Hesperia 0
Chino 49, Don Lugo 20
Montclair 26, Chaffey 22
Rim of the World 56, Jurupa Hills 12
Riverside Notre Dame 45, Citrus Valley 9
Colton 28, Rialto 7
San Gorgonio 62, Pacific 14
Cajon 55, San Bernardino 12
Kaiser 43, Bloomington 6
Granite Hills 16, Sultana 6

Last week: 26-5
Overall: 226-78-3

Big one in Fontana tomorrow heads off this slate. A little better performance last week, only missing two of the featured games, so we'll see if we can't tighten that up a bit more.

Summit at Kaiser
As I was evaluating this game, I suddenly wondered about what would happen if Kaiser had to play in a close game. The Cats have been drilling people - which is why they are No. 1 in the Sun, Daily Bulletin and Eastern Division polls - typically playing a half of football. Odds are that Summit, with Devon Blackmon and Montigo Alford, will test Kaiser like it hasn't been tested before. But I think the Cats will pass that test and continue their special season.
Kaiser 30, Summit 18

Rancho Cucamonga at Etiwanda
The Cougars came up with a big win last week, defeating Upland, but they can't afford to relax against a tricky Etiwanda squad. With QB Larry Cutbirth and RB Marcus Mason, the Eagles could have the most versatile and explosive offense in the county. But their defense gives up points almost as quickly as their offense scores them. Rancho will be tested tonight, but will make enough big plays to win another shootout.
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Etiwanda 34

Miller at Redlands
Last week's unexpected loss to Yucaipa puts Miller in desperation mode coming into this game, as they need to win at least one of the next two against the Redlands schools to have a shot at the playoffs. That's easier said than done though. Theoretically this looks to be the easiest of the two, but it's not that easy. Redlands has bounced back nicely from the REV heartbreaker and will continue to do so.
Redlands 27, Miller 13

Colton at San Gorgonio
Since both of these teams have already lost to Cajon, this matchup between 4-1 SAL teams is more for second place barring any slipups by the first-place Cowboys. San G has caught fire in league play, winning four in a row to jump into the playoff conversation. Colton has been up and down offensively, but their defense should have enough oomph to come through in this one.
Colton 21, San Gorgonio 14

Chino Hills at Charter Oak
The last time the Huskies went on the road against a Sierra newcomer, they fell in a classic to Claremont. Charter Oak has the talent and the coaching to give the Huskies problems, but the Chino Hills offense has caught fire after a tough start to the season. Expect Chino Hills to overpower Charter Oak just enough offensively for its defense to bring it home late.
Chino Hills 28, Charter Oak 14

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Silverado
This matchup between the Desert Sky League favorites was complicated a bit by Silverado's surprising loss to Granite Hills a couple weeks ago, as the Hawks are not only playing to get another DSL title, but to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Burroughs is in a bit easier position with a loss, but I don't think they'll have to sweat it out at all. The Burros will win and give Silverado some sleepless nights going into the finale.
Burroughs 27, Silverado 14

Twentynine Palms at Yucca Valley
The premier game in the Morongo Valley has some major implications, as Yucca's upset victory over Desert Hot Springs last week has them in position to get a league title with a win over three-time defending champion Twentynine Palms. A win assures the Wildcats at least a share of the De Anza title and sets up another showdown next week with Big Bear. I think this game will be low-scoring and nasty, with 29 winning again.
Twentynine Palms 19, Yucca Valley 13

Yucaipa at Redlands East Valley
The Thunderbirds have been a nice story in the CBL, taking to new coach Justin Price wonderfully in a 5-3 start that saw a big victory at Miller last week. Pulling off another road win against REV would really put the rest of the league, and the county, on its ear. This isn't the most explosive REV team, but its a solid group that should be able to repel the T-Birds, especially with QB Dylan Malone shaken up a bit.

Carter at Cajon
This isn't a game for the first-place Cowboys to sleep on, as Carter is a couple of plays away from being undefeated as well. Can Carter, which lost to Colton in overtime and San G by two points, get a signature victory? They can, but I don't think they will. Cajon is being Cajon, struggling early but finding its stride in league play. Think the Cowboys have a bit too much.
Cajon 24, Carter 17

Riverside Notre Dame at Rim of the World
With first-place Rubidoux having already dispatched these two teams, this matchup is for second place in the Mountain Valley League. Considering that only two teams per league get guaranteed playoff berths, that makes this game big. It's been a tough year for the Fighting Scots, though the reinsertion of Dillon Pretzinger in the offense has helped considerably. I'll take the home team in a coin-flip game.
Rim of the World 26, Notre Dame 23

Other games of note:
Aquinas 48, Arrowhead Christian 0
Ontario Christian 35, Calvary Murrieta 0
Linfield Christian 30, Western Christian 14
Los Osos 45, Alta Loma 7
Upland 34, Glendora 17
Fontana 20, Eisenhower 10
Big Bear 42, Desert Mirage 6
Victor Valley 15, Granite Hills 13
Serrano 28, Barstow 0
Oak Hills 34, Hesperia 6
Apple Valley 35, Sultana 17
Rubidoux 38, Citrus Valley 7
Banning 45, Jurupa Hills 13
Chino 48, Ontario 10
Colony 30, Montclair 10
Garey 38, Chaffey 19
Arroyo Valley 41, San Bernardino 16
Rialto 40, Pacific 9
Riverside Christian 24, Bloomington Christian 12
Damien 23, Ayala 17
Bloomington 33, Jurupa Valley 13

Last week: 25-7
Overall: 200-73-3

I regressed to nonleague form this past week, missing five of the 10 feature games and nine games overall. I'm not proud of what I've done and how I've acted. Let's move on amicably.

Upland at Rancho Cucamonga
This game is kind of a big deal. People know these teams, as they are the last two Central Division champions and are undefeated in league coming in. This matchup has gone Rancho's way in recent history, as the Cougars have won three in a row over Upland, including that CIF championship victory in 2008. I think the Cougars are a bit more complete of a unit right now. In a month, Upland might be better, but I'll take Rancho now and feel decent about it.
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Upland 27

Serrano at Oak Hills
This is the game in the Mojave River League, with Serrano being the big kid on the block and Oak Hills being the unafraid new kid. The Bulldogs threw it in my face last week, not only proving me wrong for picking Victor Valley, but ripping the Jackrabbits a new one. I'll be at this game tomorrow - my inaugural Oak Hills football game - and I'm looking forward to seeing what the Bulldogs have, though I don't think it'll be enough.
Serrano 28, Oak Hills 17

Kaiser at Norte Vista
Another week, another Kaiser shut out, its fifth of the season. The Cats pretty much suck all the anticipation out of games by just beating the living heck out of every team they play. Norte Vista, with its 2-0 league record and physical running game featuring junior running back Ryan Ruiz, won't be intimidated by the Cats. But intimidated or not, Kaiser is on a roll right now and doesn't look to be stopped this week.
Kaiser 38, Norte Vista 6

Yucaipa at Miller
This is expected to decide the third playoff spot out of the Citrus Belt League eventually, though Miller is tied with REV with a 2-0 league mark. Both of these teams have extremely dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks, with Yucaipa's Dylan Malone and Miller's Eric Shufford making this a potentially entertaining game. The Rebels are a bit more battle-tested and a year further along in their system, factors which will come to play in what should be a good battle.
Miller 31, Yucaipa 20

Cajon at Arroyo Valley
The Cowboys come into this matchup with their swag on 10, as they went into Colton and won a huge game to take control of the San Andreas League race. But Cajon would be advised not to take this game lightly. Arroyo Valley's offense has scuffled against most defenses with a pulse but their defense will keep this game relatively uncomfortable. I see the Cowboys winning, but not without an early scare.
Cajon 20, Arroyo Valley 14

Linfield Christian at Aquinas
The newbies from Linfield Christian have made a name for themselves in the Ambassador League, knocking off Ontario Christian last week to set up this showdown with Aquinas. Since losing to Desert Hot Springs in the opener, the Falcons have rolled off six wins in a row, ascending to No. 3 in the East Valley polls. Linfield is a quality opponent, but Aquinas has things on lock this year.
Aquinas 28, Linfield Christian 12

Granite Hills at Ridgecrest Burroughs
The Cougars threw a monkey wrench into the Desert Sky League race last week, pulling off the 8-6 upset over Silverado to move to 2-0 in league. For a school that hasn't had much success to speak of, this is pretty heady position going into the matchup with the league favorites. So can Granite pull this off two weeks in a row? It's defense has been awesome, but defending the Burros and third-year starting QB Derrick Dison might be a bit more difficult.
Burroughs 21, Granite Hills 12

Silverado at Apple Valley
The High Desert gets a high amount of love this week, as the aforementioned Hawks come into this nonleague matchup pretty ticked off. Not only because of the loss to Granite Hills, but the matchup with the Sun Devils, who whipped them in the playoffs last year. Both these teams should ultimately be in the playoffs, making this a possible preview. I think Silverado is going to be a little more annoyed and pull this out.
Silverado 24, Apple Valley 21

Chino at Montclair
I'm officially on the Chino bandwagon. I've wondered all year if the Cowboys were a mirage caused by a weak schedule, but Chino's whipping of Colony definitely convinced me otherwise. Plus I like the prospect of a player named Promise Amadi being in headlines in our paper. Opens up a ton of possiblities. Montclair has been surprising in going 4-3, but the Cavaliers don't have the horses to stay in this game.
Chino 45, Montclair 10

Los Osos at Etiwanda
Start with the Baseline, end with the Baseline. The loser of this game finds themselves in a pretty untenable position in a brutal league, as they'd be 1-2 and have to play one of the top two before the season ends. So yeah, this game is kind of big. Etiwanda might have the most potent offense in the county, but its defense gives up points almost as fast as its offense scores them. Los Osos will make enough stops to win this donnybrook.
Los Osos 36, Etiwanda 34

Other games of note:
Summit 56, Jurupa Valley 0
Ontario Christian 27, Western Christian 16
Glendora 38, Alta Loma 7
Redlands 45, Eisenhower 0
Redlands East Valley 49, Fontana 6
Big Bear 43, Shadow Hills 7
Twentynine Palms 38, Desert Mirage 0
Desert Hot Springs 30, Yucca Valley 15
Victor Valley 28, Barstow 6
Hesperia 17, Sultana 13
Citrus Valley 28, Jurupa Hills 9
Rim of the World 27, Banning 20
Don Lugo 23, Chaffey 18
Ontario 30, Garey 21
Colton 60, Pacific 0
Carter 35, San Bernardino 10
San Gorgonio 20, Rialto 9
Claremont 42, Ayala 14
Chino Hills 31, South Hills 6
Bloomington 20, Patriot 10
Arrowhead Christian 18, Calvary Murrieta 7
Bloomington Christian 26, Saddleback Valley Christian 14

Last week: 21-9
Overall: 175-66-3

Starting to get into a groove now, as I had my best week of the season to date.

Cajon at Colton
This has become the de facto championship game in the San Andreas League and for good reason, as the teams have split the last five league titles and have won seven total since 2000. Needless to say, they are at it again, as both are undefeated in league. It's been a weird season for both, as Colton has become almost pass-happy while Cajon has shown off the double-wing. I think this one will be relatively low scoring, with the home team prevailing.
Colton 20, Cajon 10

Redlands at Yucaipa
The Terriers have the unenviable task of having to recover from a devastating Smudge Pot rivalry loss to Redlands East Valley last week. The schedulemaker didn't do Redlands any favors, as they'll have to play a sneaky-good Yucaipa team with an elite playmaker in quarterback Dylan Malone. The Terriers might be ripe for an upset, but I think they'll pull this one out late.
Redlands 23, Yucaipa 19

Colony at Chino
How real is Chino? That's the million-dollar question heading into this one. The Cowboys have gone from a feeble 0-10 team to a 6-0 juggernaut that is straight pile-driving opponents. However, Chino's opponents haven't exactly been SEC caliber to date. Colony's five-game winning streak has flown under the radar a bit, but the defending champs have a chance to make a splash. And I think they will.
Colony 28, Chino 23

Etiwanda at Upland
If they had odds on this game in Vegas (or on bodog.com) I would take the over because this thing is going to be a track meet. The Eagles have an explosive offense led by the leading passer in the county in Larry Cutbirth, who averages 275 yards per game through the air. Problem is that Etiwanda doesn't really stop anyone on defense. That will prove fatal against the Highlanders, which has a balanced offense and a little more defense.
Upland 44, Etiwanda 36

Oak Hills at Victor Valley
Kind of a slow week in the High Desert, as all the league games pit the haves against the have-nots, but this nonleague tilt has some teeth. Oak Hills has won a lot in its first year-and-a-half, piling up 13 wins, but still doesn't have that signature win over a large-school program. Victor Valley started out firing at 5-0 but lost to Silverado last week and wants to avoid a second-half slide. I think Victor will stem the slide and Oak Hills will still be searching.
Victor Valley 34, Oak Hills 26

Damien at Chino Hills
This game is usually a doozy and should be again this year, as the Huskies come in needing a win pretty badly after falling in a tough league-opener to Claremont this week. Damien came into this year having to overcome some massive personnel losses due to graduation but has equipped itself well, matching Chino Hills' 4-2 record. No one backs Bub into a corner though, as I feel the Huskies will come out swinging.
Chino Hills 23, Damien 9

Kaiser at Patriot
The question this week isn't whether or not Kaiser - the No. 1 team in the Sun, the Daily Bulletin, the Eastern Division and city of Fontana polls - will be Patriot tomorrow. It will. The question, er questions, are how bad and will there be a fifth shutout. I'm answering very bad on the first one and yes on the second. Patriot didn't muster a point against Summit last week - no way its scoring on Kaiser unless the Cats get bored.
Kaiser 48, Patriot 0

Twentynine Palms at Desert Hot Springs
The Wildcats have ruled the De Anza League the last three years, taking the league title each and every year. But DSH has been on an uber roll this season, taking out Aquinas and Rim of the World in the nonleague and grabbing a big win at Big Bear this past weekend. Twentynine Palms is playing pretty well, but the Golden Eagles seem to have some mojo going. That's good enough for me.
Desert Hot Springs 28, Twentynine Palms 18

Rubidoux at Rim of the World
Last week saw the return of Rim of the World running back Dillon Pretzinger from a foot injury. Not coincidentally, it also saw the Fighting Scots look more like the juggernaut that I expected them to be before the season. The table is set for Rim to win the inaugural Mountain Valley League title and while Rubidoux is much improved, I see Rim rolling here.
Rim of the World 28, Rubidoux 13

Glendora at Los Osos
With all respect to the Dallas-Minnesota game this past Sunday I feel that this game is the true "Desperation Bowl". Both of these teams, which came into the season with high expectations, are 0-1 in a three-playoff-berth league and an 0-2 mark would be a sure death sentence in a brutal Baseline in a division with zero at-large berths. So who gets to play the role of a despondent Tony Romo? Unless it goes into overtime, I think Glendora will.
Los Osos 35, Glendora 27

Other games of note:
Rancho Cucamonga 56, Alta Loma 6
Aquinas 40, Calvary Murrieta 0
Linfield Christian 21, Ontario Christian 17
Western Christian 24, Arrowhead Christian 16
Redlands East Valley 61, Eisenhower 12
Miller 38, Fontana 6
Big Bear 27, Yucca Valley 25
Ridgecrest Burroughs 34, Barstow 0
Silverado 26, Granite Hills 10
Apple Valley 38, Hesperia 14
Serrano 38, Sultana 7
Banning 28, Citrus Valley 23
Riverside Notre Dame 50, Jurupa Hills 6
Garey 31, Don Lugo 12
Ontario 27, Montclair 16
Arroyo Valley 45, Pacific 0
Carter 21, Rialto 18
San Gorgonio 36, San Bernardino 13
Banning Twin Pines 26, Bloomington Christian 20
Summit 39, Bloomington 10

Last week: 26-5
Overall: 154-57-3

While there have been a couple of leagues that have already started playing, league play will really get going this week. And this is when high school football gets good. I seem to finally be getting into some sort of groove, only dropping five games this week.

Redlands at Redlands East Valley
The battle of the Smudge Pot is always a battle and will be again. Both teams are smarting a bit, Redlands from three straight losses in this rivalry and REV from two consecutive losses where it was outscored 55-17. The Terriers are fresh off a bye week and confident after going 4-0-1 against a tough nonleague schedule and look to have the mojo going in. Which is why I'm going the other way. I think REV will circle the wagons and hoist the Smudge Pot again.
Redlands East Valley 17, Redlands 14

Silverado at Victor Valley
Another crosstown rivalry that should be a doozy, as the Jackrabbits have their best chance in a decade to knock off Silverado. Victor Valley has played well in going 5-0, winning The Bell over Apple Valley for the second straight year, but they haven't faced the schedule Silverado has to date. And the Jackrabbits don't have a win like Silverado's victory over Summit two weeks ago. This is when the Hawks start to turn it on and I think Silverado wins a thriller.
Silverado 30, Victor Valley 28

Rancho Cucamonga at Los Osos
This was the Grizzlies' coming-out party a year ago, as a struggling Los Osos team shocked Rancho, starting a seven-game winning streak that didn't end until the Grizzlies lost to Upland in the Central Division title game. Los Osos isn't struggling this year, sporting a solid 3-2 record, but they are the underdogs to a stout Rancho team led by senior RB Sateki Finau. The Cougars have had two weeks to overcome their loss to Redlands and will prevail tomorrow.
Rancho Cucamonga 26, Los Osos 20

Aquinas at Ontario Christian
The bellwether game of the Christian League is expected to be the same in the new Ambassador League, as this holy war is always one of the must-see games in the county. Aquinas has won the last three and comes in with momentum, having won four in a row after a season-opening loss to Desert Hot Springs. The Knights, meanwhile, have struggled, losing three in a row. They'll get back to winning, but after this week, as I'm going with the Falcons.
Aquinas 34, Ontario Christian 23

Chino Hills at Claremont
The Baseline League has gotten the hype as the toughest league west of the 15, but that title may actually go to the Sierra. And that reason is due in large part to the play of these two teams. A senior-laden Claremont squad has erupted to a 4-1 start behind QB Daniel Kessler, who has thrown for 302 yards per game. The Wolfpack haven't faced a defense nearly as stout or as talented as Chino Hills' though and will be slowed down enough by the Huskies.
Chino Hills 27, Claremont 17

Arroyo Valley at San Gorgonio
The Hawks have been in a holding pattern on offense this year with the travails of quarterback Michael Yearwood, who has missed all but one series due to transfer paperwork and a knee injury. The latter will have him out for this key game, putting the onus on an impressive Arroyo Valley defense to shut down a potent San G attack. The Spartans got a big win last week at Carter and are thirsting at the chance to go on a winning streak. And I think they will.
San Gorgonio 20, Arroyo Valley 14

Serrano at Apple Valley
The Diamondbacks are the king poobah of the Mojave River League and despite having issues in the passing game during the nonleague season, always seem to be ready to roll this time of the year. Apple Valley has done a good job of adjusting to its personnel, going from a power-running option attack to a more balanced attack that has featured senior WR Cavion Flournoy. Serrano has size and experience in the trenches, which will tell the tale in this one.
Serrano 28, Apple Valley 13

Chino at Garey
Two of the surprises of the Mt. Baldy League meet to see who is the most for real. The Cowboys have been devastating offensively under first-year coach Matt McCain, averaging 45 points per game. Garey will be Chino's toughest test to date, as the Vikings possess possibly the best player in the league in senior WR Dominique Williams. But I like the groove Chino is in and look for it to continue tonight.
Chino 35, Garey 24

Bloomington at Norte Vista
This league opener, which I'll be at in a couple hours, could eventually decide the third Sunkist League playoff spot behind Kaiser and Summit. The Bruins have already equaled their win total from last year at 3, though were defeated handily by Paloma Valley last week, while the Braves are looking to recapture the form that brought them 11 wins and a Eastern Division semifinal appearance a year ago. I look for the Braves to do that and win a crucial game.
Norte Vista 23, Bloomington 18

Desert Hot Springs at Big Bear
Saturday afternoon brings a big matchup in the mountains, as both of these teams have taken tremendous steps forward from a year ago. DSH has already knocked off some name county foes, beating Aquinas and Rim of the World, while the Bears have sparkled behind the nifty option work of junior quarterback Zak Planz. The winner here takes a huge step toward ending Twentynine Palms' reign atop the De Anza League and its basically a coin flip. So I'll go with the home team.
Big Bear 35, Desert Hot Springs 32

Other games of note:
Linfield Christian 38, Arrowhead Christian 9
Western Christian 20, Calvary Murrieta 10
Glendora 35, Etiwanda 30
Upland 49, Alta Loma 0
Miller 45, Eisenhower 13
Yucaipa 28, Fontana 12
Twentynine Palms 36, Shadow Hills 10
Yucca Valley 47, Desert Mirage 0
Barstow 16, Granite Hills 14
Oak Hills 30, Sultana 10
Rubidoux 42, Jurupa Hills 6
Rim of the World 35, Citrus Valley 14
Colony 42, Chaffey 10
Ontario 23, Don Lugo 21
Colton 38, San Bernardino 12
Cajon 27, Rialto 14
Carter 54, Pacific 12
Bloomington Christian 20, Fairmont Prep 10
Charter Oak 24, Ayala 17
Kaiser 59, Jurupa Valley 0
Summit 38, Patriot 16
Last week: 21-5
Overall: 128-52-3

Well, last week wasn't a banner one in the history of T.J. Berka high school prognostications. While I actually only messed up on nine games - I thought I had missed double that - I was a pretty shoddy 5-5 on the feature games. Not quite enough to put a bag over my head, but close.

Colton at Arroyo Valley
The question, as has been the question throughout the season, is will Michael Yearwood play. It's a game-time decision according to Arroyo coach Marcus Soward and his presence will change the game considerably. If Yearwood plays, Arroyo stands a chance, as Colton was pushed to the brink last week by a fast, physical Carter team. If not, the Hawks don't have enough firepower to hang. I think Colton wins a low-scoring game.
Colton 20, Arroyo Valley 9

Redlands East Valley at Mission Viejo
After a tough loss to a physical Chino Hills team, the last thing REV needed to do was play the No. 1 team in Southern California. Whoops. Mission Viejo, the alma mater of Mark Sanchez, is No. 1 in the Pac-5 Division and a state bowl contender. This would be a good game next year, as REV has deep sophomore and junior classes. I'm not expecting much from the Wildcats in this game though. Mission Viejo is filthy-good.
Mission Viejo 28, Redlands East Valley 10

Yucaipa at La Quinta
The Thunderbirds have looked pretty good so far under Justin Price, winning three of their first four games behind an explosive offense led by Dylan Malone's nine TDs. Is Yucaipa a legitimate playoff contender though? This game will help answer that question, as La Quinta has already defeated Colton this season and is one of the traditional powers of the Low Desert. I don't think Yucaipa wins, but the T-Birds will scrap.
La Quinta 23, Yucaipa 14

San Gorgonio at Carter
I feel bad for San G. They go through a brutal four-game stretch to start the season - losing to Rancho Verde, REV, Yucaipa and Cajon, thinking that this could be the game they break out in. But the Lions are darn good, taking Colton to overtime at Colton in a game they easily could have won. If Carter doesn't have a hangover from that tough loss, it'll continue San G's misery.
Carter 26, San Gorgonio 13

Garey at Colony
Colony has been the grand poobah for the most part in the Mt. Baldy League during the last five years, winning four league titles and CIF titles in 2006 and 2007. Garey, meanwhile, hasn't made the playoffs. But the Vikings are dangerous this year, featuring all-everything WR Dominique Williams, and will be a formidable test for the Titans, who have won three straight since an inauspicious 1-2 start. Will go with the home team, but barely.
Colony 23, Garey 21

South Hills at Los Osos
The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for Los Osos, which was fresh off a triple-OT loss to Redlands and a lopsided loss against Vista Murrieta. South Hills has struggled in its move up the food chain, losing its last three. They'll likely have issues in a stout Sierra League and will have issues tomorrow with a sneaky-good Los Osos squad.
Los Osos 28, South Hills 16

Rialto at San Bernardino
The Knights were the darling of the San Andreas League during the nonleague season, winning their first three games to move up to No. 3 in the Central Division rankings. But a loss to Arroyo Valley has them in almost a must-win situation against a San Bernardino team that has quietly won three out of its first four games. The Cardinals can make it three in a row with a win here, but I'm not ready to give up on Rialto just yet.
Rialto 19, San Bernardino 16

Victor Valley at Patriot
While Rialto might have been the darlings of the SAL, Victor Valley has been the story in the High Desert, as the Jackrabbits have rolled to a 4-0 start with big victories over Rim of the World and Apple Valley. They head down the hill for the first time to take on a Patriot team that has been solid under new coach Scott Pearne. It should be a good test for Victor, one that I expect they'll pass with flying colors.
Victor Valley 30, Patriot 20

Barstow at Sultana
These teams limp into this one, as Barstow hasn't won a game while Sultana lost to Victor Valley this week. Why am I previewing this game then? Well, its a pretty thin week and I need 10 games to write about and the winner here could be a darkhorse in their respective leagues. Emphasis on could. I think Barstow, while anemic to date, is probably due here.
Barstow 16, Sultana 14

Ontario at Chaffey
When worse comes to worse, end the featured games with the Cat Bowl. This longtime rivalry will be played tonight at Chaffey and it could be competitive just for the simple fact that Chaffey seems to be down this year. The Tigers have struggled mightily in going 1-4 and could be vulnerable to the Jaguars, but I think their power-run game will be too much.
Chaffey 28, Ontario 12

Other games of note:
Riverside Notre Dame 30, Arrowhead Christian 10
Anza Hamilton 36, Bloomington Christian 14
Twentynine Palms 23, Cathedral City 16
Chino 45, El Monte 20
Etiwanda 54, Eisenhower 10
Pico Rivera El Rancho 24, Fontana 14
Hemet Tahquitz 27, Citrus Valley 16
Kaiser 58, Hesperia 0
Oak Hills 33, Laguna Beach 14
Bloomington 27, Menifee Paloma Valley 19
Summit 45, Murrieta Mesa 9
Desert Hot Springs 28, Rim of the World 20
Pasadena Maranatha 35, Western Christian 13
Yucca Valley 27, Imperial 14
Don Lugo 26, Montclair 16
Cajon 48, Pacific 6

Last week: 21-9
Overall: 107-47-3

I guess I'm a little slow - which Victor Valley fans would agree with after I incorrectly picked against the Jackrabbits in the Bell Game - but I seem to be stuck in a rut of mediocre prognosticating.

Chino Hills at Redlands East Valley
The first step of REV's Bataan Death March-like four-game stretch went well, as the Wildcats subdued Orange Lutheran. It gets a bit harder this week, as the Wildcats play a Chino Hills team that's responded nicely after an upset loss to Corona Santiago. However, I'm not sure the Huskies are quite ready to come to Redlands and leave with a victory. The Wildcat defense will prevail here.
Redlands East Valley 19, Chino Hills 7

Arroyo Valley at Rialto
San Andreas League play gets going this week with several intriguing matchups, but when the season started, I don't think anyone would have identified this one as the most intriguing. But thanks to Arroyo Valley's QB issues and Rialto's surprising 3-0 start, it has been. Michael Yearwood is questionable due to injury and the Knights have some mojo going. Rialto continues its surge.
Rialto 16, Arroyo Valley 10

Rancho Cucamonga at Redlands
The Terriers have proven themselves to be outstanding scrappers, outlasting Los Osos in triple OT and defeating Carlsbad La Costa Canyon without starting QB Jojo Hernandez. Rancho has been on a pretty big roll and seems to thrive on playing away from home (or Los Osos if you want to get technical) and should have enough to put away the Terriers.
Rancho Cucamonga 24, Redlands 16

Kaiser at Palm Desert
The cliche' "the irresistible force against the immovable object" may be annoying, but it is completely appropriate here. The Kaiser defense has been completely dominant, allowing a garbage-time TD to Barstow in its opener and that's it. Meanwhile, Palm Desert's defense has put 113 points up the last two weeks. In these cases, I almost always go defense, so that's what I'll do here.
Kaiser 28, Palm Desert 18

Carter at Colton
One team is undefeated going into this game and surprisingly, it isn't Colton. Carter has been stout on the defensive end, giving up only 28 points in its first three games. But then again, Bloomington was cruising last week before getting backhanded 42-6 by the Yellowjackets. I expect the Lions to go through the same thing, though not nearly as savagely. Colton is awake and aware.
Colton 36, Carter 13

Silverado at Summit
The bye week couldn't have come at a more opportune time for the SkyHawks, who got an extra week to rest up Devon Blackmon's ankle and separate RB Montigo Alford further from a Week 0 concussion. I expect both players to play and be effective against Silverado, which will fight valiantly but doesn't quite have the big guns to pull the upset.
Summit 27, Silverado 17

Chaffey at Chino
This game looked like a dud before the season, but Chino's resurgence has made it pretty interesting. This will be the Cowboys' first Mt. Baldy League game since moving over and they'll try to exploit a struggling Chaffey squad with explosive senior Promise Amadi. I promise that it will be successful, as Chino moves to 4-0.
Chino 28, Chaffey 20

Big Bear at Rim of the World
This should be a fun one. For years I've wondered why this matchup didn't happen, so now that it's here, I expect it to be pretty fun. The Bears have been gashing people with their triple-option offense behind a stout offensive line, while Rim of the World has scuffled due to an injury bug that has taken out RB Dillon Pretzinger. However, I'm going with the home team to show a little something in this one.
Rim of the World 24, Big Bear 22

Miller at Oak Hills
Miller's nonleague gauntlet comes to a merciful end, as they play an Oak Hills team that, while good, isn't in the league of an Upland or a Carson at this point. The Bulldogs will be hungry in this game though, as they failed their first test of the season against a big school from down the hill, falling to Rialto. This should be a good one, but I think Miller is due to pull one of these close ones out.
Miller 27, Oak Hills 21

Riverside Notre Dame at Aquinas
The Holy War is always one of the more spirited rivalries in the area, as the IE's top two parochial schools face off. The Falcons have been impressive, especially defensively, since losing their season opener to Desert Hot Springs. I expect this to be a physical, ground-oriented, low-scoring game and am going with the home team.
Aquinas 19, Notre Dame 16

Other games of note:
Cajon 25, San Gorgonio 14
San Bernardino 35, Pacific 18
Colony 33, Don Lugo 13
Garey 26, Montclair 14
Granite Hills 24, Alta Loma 7
Yucaipa 38, Beaumont 20
Bloomington 28, Fontana 14
Ontario Christian 24, Cerritos Valley Christian 20
Temecula Great Oak 37, Eisenhower 6
Arrowhead Christian 30, Irvine Crean Lutheran South 12
Jurupa Valley 26, Hesperia 20
Claremont 42, Ontario 13
Serrano 28, Santa Clarita Golden Valley 13
Ayala 31, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul 24
Victor Valley 36, Sultana 10
Palm Springs 35, Twentynine Palms 9
Upland 23, Los Angeles Loyola 17
Rubidoux 21, Western Christian 17
Apple Valley 34, Indio 14
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 30, Bloomington Christian 14

Last week: 26-10
Overall: 86-38-3

Did virtually the same this past week as I did the week before. I blame the Mt. Baldy League. I think i'm 2 for 20 on Mt. Baldy predictions.

Redlands East Valley at Orange Lutheran
It's always fun to see county powers go against the elite from other parts of the Southland. REV pulled a fast one on O-Lu last year, scoring two touchdowns in the final minute to pull the shocker. I'm not sure how many players on either team remember it, as both teams have a ton of new starters. It should be a great game though. I expect REV to pull another one out.
Redlands East Valley 17, Orange Lutheran 13

Norco at Upland
Another meeting of the powers, as the No. 3 team in the Inland Division hosts the No. 4 one. It should be an outstanding matchup, as Norco has taken to its new-found spread offense like a duck to water, scoring 74 points in two games, while Upland's new-look defense seems to get better every week. There should be some scoring in this game, as Norco's D will give up points. I think Upland is a bit more experience.
Upland 28, Norco 27

Cajon at Kaiser
Kaiser has been flying under the radar thus far this year, but it won't for year much longer, as the Cats have been straight filthy on defense thus far, giving up six points in two games. Cajon has been uneven, getting worked by Claremont before destroying Eisenhower, but had its bye week last week to work out some kinks. I expect the Cowboys to be competitive, but I'm really liking Kaiser right now.
Kaiser 24, Cajon 9

Victor Valley at Apple Valley
The Bell Game is one of the most hotly-contested games in the High Desert and, recently, one of the most thrilling. The last two meetings between the Jackrabbits and Sun Devils have been decided by a combined four points, with Victor Valley winning by 3 last year and Apple Valley pulling out a one-point win in 2008. I'm heading up there and I'm expecting much of the same, with the host Sun Devils pulling it out late.
Apple Valley 26, Victor Valley 24

Miller at Etiwanda
These teams are a combined 1-5, so why am I featuring this game? Because these teams are a lot better than their record gives them credit for. Etiwanda's three-game stretch of Summit, Vista Murrieta and Norco may be the toughest in the Southland, while Miller hasn't exactly had a picnic with Upland and Carson. Having seen both of these teams in person, it's a coin flip, but I think Miller's D is a little bit better. But not much.
Miller 33, Etiwanda 29

Charter Oak at Rancho Cucamonga
This has been a hard-fought game the last two years and I don't see why it would be any different this year. Charter Oak has equipped itself admirably in the Inland Division thus far, going 2-1, while Rancho Cucamonga is perfect despite having to spend its first three games on the road. It is the first "home" game for Rancho - who doesn't play on campus - and I expect it'll show up well.
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Charter Oak 17

Bloomington at Colton
Although they reside in the same school district, these two teams don't play very often. This could be a surprisingly good game, as Bloomington has looked pretty good in going 2-0 while Colton sputtered quite a bit last week in a 14-3 loss to La Quinta. But I think Colton will be just fine in the home opener, overpowering the Bruins in the second half.
Colton 30, Bloomington 14

San Gorgonio at Yucaipa
This should be a pretty solid game, as both of these teams are in a bit of purgatory. The Spartans are 0-2, but they've had to play Rancho Verde and REV, so its hard to really have a true handle on them. Yucaipa stomped Canyon Springs, only to be stomped by Rancho Verde. I hate using the transitive scores property, but San G was a lot more competitive against Rancho Verde than Yucaipa was. I'll go with that.
San Gorgonio 31, Yucaipa 26

Redlands at Carlsbad La Costa Canyon
The Terriers played arguably the game of the year last week against Los Osos, gutting through a triple-overtime victory against the Grizzlies despite losing their quarterback Jojo Hernandez. I would imagine that Redlands is going to rest Hernandez for this one, which will be a tough one, as La Costa Canyon can ball. I'll go with the home team.
La Costa Canyon 23, Redlands 10

Granite Hills at Rialto
It might be time to start getting on the Knights' bandwagon. Rialto has won three in a row dating pack to last year, including an impressive 28-14 victory at a tough Oak Hills team last week. Granite Hills has been up and down this season and should be an opponent that Rialto can use to build momentum. Look for four in a row from the No. 5 team in the Central Division polls.
Rialto 26, Granite Hills 12

Other games of note:
Diamond Ranch 33, Chaffey 10
Aquinas 35, Shadow Hills 13
Arroyo Valley 28, Eisenhower 7
Ayala 31, Los Altos 20
Twentynine Palms 19, Banning 14
Quartz Hill 27, Barstow 12
Big Bear 37, Western Christian 20
Rim of the World 18, Bishop 14
Bloomington Christian 23, Arrowhead Christian 9
Yucca Valley 24, Calexico 16
Chino 30, Covina Northview 14
Murrieta Mesa 28, Citrus Valley 24
City of Industry Workman 23, Montclair 17
Colony 33, Alta Loma 14
Desert Hot Springs 45, Jurupa Hills 6
Don Lugo 24, Oak Park 14
Fontana 28, San Bernardino 21
Palm Desert 49, Hesperia 13
Ontario Christian 27, Jurupa Valley 22
Oak Hills 29, Lancaster 13
Vista Murrieta 38, Los Osos 16
Carter 27, Norte Vista 23
Chino Hills 31, Pomona 15
Serrano 34, Palmdale Highland 7
Sultana 27, Pacific 20
Silverado 21, Valencia West Ranch 18

Last week: 24-9-1
Overall: 60-28-3

I did better last week than in Week 0, but I'm still only batting at a 2 out of 3 clip. And this isn't baseball, so that isn't good.

Serrano at Upland
The game of the week, which will be covered by Louis Brewster. Clay Fowler and I were nice to let Lou have this game, because it should be a doozy. The Upland offense looked really good last week against Tustin and will be a challenge for the Serrano D, while running back Taylor Ruize is running wild for Serrano. The Diamondbacks have played Upland tough in the past and will play them tough again, but I gotta stick with the old No. 1 here.
Upland 24, Serrano 19

Los Osos at Redlands
Another entertaining nonleague tilt for Baseline League fans. The Grizzlies have looked good in wins over Colony and Riverside North, while Redlands has scuffled a bit in beating Great Oak and tying a shorthanded Summit team. I have to believe the Terriers will be a little more focused in this game. A win at Los Osos jumpstarted things for Redlands this year and I expect that pattern to hold true again.
Redlands 20, Los Osos 14

San Gorgonio at Redlands East Valley
This is where I'm headed in about an hour, as the Spartans and Wildcats resume their battle for Highland and other unincorporated town. Lost in REV's 56-10 beatdown of San G last year was the fact that the game was actually close, 14-10, for much of the first half. San G also played Rancho Verde tough last week and is improving, but they have a while to get on REV's level.
Redlands East Valley 28, San Gorgonio 9

Arroyo Valley at Miller
While neither of these teams has a win, both have looked good in spurts. It's still unknown whether Arroyo Valley QB Michael Yearwood will have his paperwork done in time for him to be cleared to play, but even with Yearwood, the Hawks will have a tough time against a Miller team that was very tough against Miller and Carson. Picking the Rebels to break through here.
Miller 28, Arroyo Valley 17

Colton at La Quinta
As far as coaching debuts go, it doesn't get much better than what Rick Bray did last weekend at Chaffey, as he led the Yellowjackets to a 55-8 victory. La Quinta will be a tougher test than the Tigers were, but this Colton team has the look of something special. The Yellowjackets traditionally play well in the Low Desert and there's nothing out there to suggest they won't tomorrow.
Colton 30, La Quinta 16

Kaiser at Riverside North
There aren't many programs in this area that can claim superiority over the Cats, who are consistently in the hunt. However, they are playing one of them. North has had Kaiser's number, winning six times over the Cats in the last four years. Usually I hate to bet against streaks but I have a good feeling about this Kaiser group. I'm expecting the streak to end in a doozy.
Kaiser 20, North 18

Rancho Cucamonga at San Dimas
The Cougars love the road apparently, as this is their third road trip in as many weeks. Rancho has looked great in its first two, winning decisively against Silverado and Great Oak and should be battle-tested enough to handle the Saints. San Dimas is a defending CIF champion, but the disparity in CIF divisions will be evident here.
Rancho Cucamonga 38, San Dimas 16

Granite Hills at Apple Valley
The Cougars put this crosstown rivalry on its ear last year, defeating Apple Valley in a thriller. After a win against Hesperia last week, a repeat of that victory could have Granite off and running and a threat in a wide-open Desert Sky League. A young Apple Valley team will be made well aware of its loss last year and will get revenge for it in another classic.
Apple Valley 24, Granite Hills 21

Silverado at Carter
The first two weeks haven't gone well for the Hawks, as they've been outscored 64-17. Of course, playing Rancho Cucamonga and Serrano will tend to make you look worse than you are. Carter rolled in its opener, clocking Alta Loma 51-7, but Silverado is a much tougher animal. And I expect the Hawks to be clicking a lot better offensively this week.
Silverado 24, Carter 18

Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro at Chino Hills
The highly-regarded Huskies had a pretty big hiccup last week, losing 24-12 to a good-but-not-great Santiago team. Now they'll have their hands full with a Tesoro team that's one of the toughest in Southern California. This would be a big win for Chino Hills, but I don't think it has the guns to stick with Tesoro.
Tesoro 27, Chino Hills 14.

Other games of note:

Colony 20, Los Angeles Garfield 16
Ayala 34, Alta Loma 3
Chino 23, Oak Park 20
Aquinas 21, San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea 14
Bloomington 31, Eisenhower 14
Bloomington Christian 22, Calvary Murrieta 15
Damien 20, Chaffey 14
Don Lugo 24, Diamond Bar 17
Victor Valley 41, Hesperia 13
Citrus Valley 55, Indio Shadow Hills 6
La Puente Nogales 28, Ontario 12
Santa Ana Saddleback 19, Montclair 12
Norco 43, Etiwanda 20
Rubidoux 24, Pacific 22
Palm Desert 38, San Bernardino 19
Paraclete 26, Barstow 14
Oak Hills 30, Rialto 10
Rim of the World 42, Jurupa Valley 14
Silver Valley 20, Jurupa Hills 6
Sultana 24, Yucca Valley 13
Summit 43, Fontana 15
Bishop 24, Western Christian 10
Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 27, Yucaipa 13
Big Bear 36, Arrowhead Christian 12

Last week: 24-10-1
Overall: 36-19-2

Week 0 went tragically for me, as I barely won more games than I lost. Time for redemption.

Redlands at Summit
Should be a heck of a game, as an explosive Summit offense that went off for 42 points last week goes against a Redlands defense that forced eight turnovers in its opener. Devon Blackmon (who donned a UCLA cap after last week's game for you recruitniks) rolled his ankle and may be slowed a bit in this one. I think you'll see Redlands' offense catch up to its defense and pull this out.
Redlands 27, Summit 23

Colton at Chaffey
If you like hard-nosed, smash-mouth football where the forward pass is dismissed as the work of nancy boys, then you'll love this game. Both of these teams are devastatingly effective in the double-wing offense and if you see more than 10 passes combined in this game, it'll be a shock. This marks the debut of new Colton coach Rick Bray and even though Chaffey has a game in hand, Colton will emerge.
Colton 28, Chaffey 16

Palm Springs at Arroyo Valley
The season opener for the Hawks will be a doozy, as Palm Springs is the defending CIF-SS Eastern Division champions and is the No. 1 ranked team in the Central Division. Michael Yearwood will make some plays for Arroyo Valley, but Palm Springs will likely be too much.
Palm Springs 30, Arroyo Valley 17

Silverado at Serrano
The Hawks are traditionally slow-starting, so last week's 42-7 loss to Rancho Cucamonga isn't necessarily a harbinger of doom for the season. But Silverado isn't going to get much in the way of relief against Serrano, the No. 1 team in the Eastern Division. I expect this rivalry game to go to the Diamondbacks for the fourth straight year.
Serrano 31, Silverado 12

Colony at Ayala
This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs, but after a 35-13 victory over Don Lugo, maybe expectations need to be recalibrated for Ayala. Colony suffered a tough loss to Los Osos last week, but expectations are still high for the Titans. I'll take Colony to win tonight's matchup.
Colony 24, Ayala 20

Miller at Carson
Another Thursday game and a game I'll be heading off to pretty soon. The Rebels equipped themselves nicely against Upland, having the defending Central champion Highlanders in a 9-9 fourth-quarter deadlock before Upland pulled away with 12 quick points. Going to Carson and playing the Colts, who defeated Mater Dei last week, is too tough a task though.
Carson 38, Miller 13

Twentynine Palms at Aquinas
Aquinas has several scores to settle against Twentynine Palms, which has defeated the Falcons three times in the last two years, including a rout in the 2008 East Valley playoffs. I really don't see it changing this year. The Falcons will be fine in the Ambassador League, but they'll still feel the growing pains of a freshman QB in this one.
Twentynine Palms 26, Aquinas 17

Redlands East Valley at Clovis East
The Wildcats start off 2010 going through the scenic Central Valley to play a traditionally tough Clovis East squad. Typically you would pick against the team having to take the 4-plus-hour bus ride, but REV seems to excel in tough road situations such as this. I'm taking REV.
Redlands East Valley 21, Clovis East 17

Barstow at Kaiser
This should be another game where the forward pass will be used rarely, as both of these teams trend toward the smashmouth persona. The Aztecs got smashed at home last week against Apple Valley and I think they are a little too young and inexperienced to really test Kaiser right now.
Kaiser 30, Barstow 10

Tustin at Upland
The Highlanders struggled a bit with Miller last week, as their new-look defense gave up some serious passing yards to Rebel quarterback Eric Shufford. Tustin is typically a pretty tough team from Orange County and will give Upland a tussle, but I'm still going with the champs.
Upland 24, Tustin 20

Other games of note:
Don Lugo 26, Ontario Christian 21
Arrowhead Christian 12, Webb 6
Carter 28, Alta Loma 17
Rancho Cucamonga 28, Temecula Great Oak 13
Los Osos 27, Riverside North 20
Vista Murrieta 35, Etiwanda 14
Cajon 45, Eisenhower 20
Fontana 20, Littlerock 14
Yucaipa 21, Canyon Springs 16
Arcadia Rio Hondo Prep 20, Big Bear 17
Coachella Valley 30, Yucca Valley 14
Granite Hills 24, Hesperia 14
Rim of the World 33, Victor Valley 13
Oak Hills 28, Desert Hot Springs 15
Palm Desert 34, Apple Valley 19
San Bernardino 25, Sultana 23
Pomona 35, Montclair 12
Whittier 21, Chino 14
Rubidoux 30, Ontario 20
Bloomington 24, Banning 17
Citrus Valley 28, Burbank Bell-Jeff 20
Jurupa Hills 9, Calabasas Viewpoint 6
Pacific 19, Jurupa Valley 12
Rancho Verde 38, San Gorgonio 16
Chino Hills 31, Corona Santiago 20

Last week: 12-9-1
Overall: 12-9-1

Still got a couple more teams to get to in previews, but luckily they don't play this week. There are several teams that do play, however, and several intriguing games, including a doozy tonight.

Etiwanda at Summit
This is where I'll be in T minus-3 hours, as the Baseline co-champion Eagles play a Summit team that might have more explosion than any team in the area. I'm interested in two things a) how creative Summit is in using Devon Blackmon and b) how the Etiwanda offense will look after losing Angel Santiago and Bobby Ratliff, among others. I think Summit will have a bit too much firepower.
Summit 27, Etiwanda 17

Rancho Cucamonga at Silverado
I was originally slated to be at this game tomorrow, but changes out of my control prevent that. And that's really too bad, because I was looking forward to seeing the Cougars in the High Desert. Silverado doesn't dodge anyone in the nonleague schedule, but injury issues to its offensive line will make it tough for its skill players to dodge the Rancho defenders.
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Silverado 16

Upland at Miller
The Baseline League is all over Week 0 apparently. This game was highly anticipated when it was played at Upland last year and turned out to be prophetic, as a CIF-champion Highlander team choked out a highly-touted Miller team that eventually ended up underachieving. The Rebels will want to turn the tables, but I don't think they'll be able to.
Upland 24, Miller 10

Cajon at Claremont
Another intriguing Sun/Bulletin crossover game, as both teams feel they are ready for a considerable leap. For Cajon, the feeling is that the Cowboys will have a team comparable to its 2008 SAL champion and Central semifinalist. For the Wolfpack, the change to the Sierra League and a new opportunity is something they are stoked about. I'll go with the team that's more used to success in this one.
Cajon 26, Claremont 20

Temecula Greak Oak at Redlands
This is where I was switched to tomorrow and, despite my regret about not seeing Rancho-Silverado, I'm not going to complain. Great Oak handled the Terriers 24-7 in the season opener last year, something that I'll bet Redlands coach Jim Walker is reminding his team about. I think the Terriers will come out hungry and push Great Oak around a bit.
Redlands 19, Great Oak 13

Los Osos at Colony
The Bechtel Bowl should be a fun one, as former Los Osos offensive coordinator Matt Bechtel will be making his debut as the Colony coach against his old team. It will be interesting to see how the Titans handle Bechtel's system in game one and how much the Grizzlies can reload from last year. Los Osos has never lost a season opener and I'm not betting against that streak.
Los Osos 28, Colony 21

Apple Valley at Barstow
Both of these teams aren't really sure what kind of hand they have, as graduation losses have ravaged them. The Sun Devils won their first playoff game in over two decades last season, giving them some momentum, while Barstow is always a tough out, especially at home. In a game filled with uncertainty, I will go with the safe pick and take the home team.
Barstow 17, Apple Valley 12

Silver Valley at Citrus Valley
After a year of waiting, the Blackhawks will finally play their first game in their swanky new, on-campus stadium. A manageable league and a returning roster have expectations high at Citrus Valley. Playing a feckless Silver Valley team will only make them higher. The Blackhawks will get their first home victory in their first home game.
Citrus Valley 56, Silver Valley 6

Paraclete at Serrano
Paraclete gave Serrano an early wake-up call a year ago, throttling the Diamondbacks' young offensive line in a 13-3 victory. Well, that offensive line isn't so young anymore, as four starters return from a team that went to the Eastern Division championship game. Add in the homefield advantage of Snowline Stadium and Serrano's season starts out nicely.
Serrano 27, Paraclete 9

Ayala at Don Lugo
Two teams that I really don't have a handle on go head-to-head in this game. Ayala has suffered heavy personnel losses in the past two years, going from being a Central quarterfinalist to a team that might struggle in the Sierra League. The Conquistadores lost some top-line talent last year in George Uko and Steven Bethley. Once again, I will go with the home team here.
Don Lugo 21, Ayala 16

Other games of interest:
Montclair 27, Ganesha 12
Chaffey 42, Alta Loma 6
Aquinas 24, Desert Hot Springs 13
Chino Hills 30, Lakewood Mayfair 14
Granite Hills 31, Lancaster Eastside 21
El Monte Arroyo 30, Ontario 10
Twentynine Palms 38, Xavier Prep 6
Moreno Valley 20, Rialto 14
Ridgecrest Burroughs 41, Hesperia 13
Ontario Christian 23, Whittier Christian 21
Yucca Valley 26, Rubidoux 17
Pasadena Maranatha 23, Big Bear 17

The last region is the South, which could go a million ways. Lots of name teams in this region.

Overall theme:
Is Duke back to being Duke? The Blue Devils' name has taken a hit in recent years, as Duke hasn't been to the Final Four since 2004 and has been knocked out as a higher seed in every year since. The Blue Devils haven't had the athletic, NBA-bound 6-8 wing player in recent years like they did in their power years with Grant Hill, Corey Maggette and Luol Deng and seem to be lacking that player this year. However, Duke does have capable veteran guards and more size than its had in the recent past. Will be interesting to see if that helps.

Watch out for: No. 3 Baylor
Baylor is everyone's sleeper final four pick and for good reason, as the Bears have NBA talent and can flat out put the ball in the hoop. LaceDarius Dunn is a big guard that goes for about 20 points per game while Tweety Carter is a lightning-quick point guard. But the biggest key to Baylor's success may be 6-10 forward Ekpe Udoh, a transfer from Michigan that has added an elite defensive presence along with 13 points per game. Don't be surprised if the Bears are in Indianapolis in a couple weeks.

Stay away from: No. 4 Purdue
The Boilermakers have been dead team walking since star forward Robbie Hummel blew out his knee in late February. Prior to that, Purdue looked like a No. 1 seed and the class of the Big Ten, but since then the Boilers have lost at home to Michigan State and were bombed in the Big Ten tourney by Minnesota. They play a No. 13 seed in Siena that has pulled upsets the last two years, so there's a good chance the Boilers go down there. If not, the Texas A&M-Utah State winner should finish the job.

High risk, high reward: No. 5 Texas A&M
The Aggies have one of the better guards in the region in senior Donald Sloan and several interchangeable, physical post players that can rebound and defend. They are also tournament savvy, as A&M has won its first-round game four years in a row. Texas A&M has all the tools necessary to make a long run to the Elite 8 or even the Final Four. So why are the Aggies in this category? Because they are facing one of the more proficient 3-point shooting teams in the country in Utah State. If the USU Aggies are hot, the A&M Aggies will go home early.

Upset special: No. 9 Louisville over No. 1 Duke, second round
Obviously I'm skeptical about Duke being back to being Duke. Louisville seems woefully underseeded as a No. 9, as they defeated West Regional No. 1 Syracuse twice and won 11 games in a tough Big East. While the Cardinals are ugly at times, they have two elements that have given Duke fits in the past - height on the perimeter and athleticism everywhere. Duke is a skilled team, but not a team of greyhounds. If Louisville can dictate pace and fluster Duke with its size, its bye-bye Blue Devils.

Lead-pipe lock: The guard play will be outstanding
It's been said that the NCAA Tournament is a guard's tournament. If that's true, then the South Regional is ground zero. All the key players, Duke (Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith), Villanova (Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes), Baylor (Dunn and Carter), A&M (Sloan) have elite-level guards, while teams like Notre Dame (Tory Jackson) and California (Jerome Randle) have little guys that can play huge. Should be fun to watch.

Now to the East, where the youngest team in the tournament is the region's No. 1 seed.

Overall theme: Well-renowned coaches looking to get over "the hump"
The coaches of the top two seeds, Kentucky's John Calipari and West Virginia's Bob Huggins, are two of the more respected coaches in the game. They've combined to win 1,090 games and have combined for three Final Four appearances. However, neither coach has won a national title and only one (Calipari) has even been in the championship game. This year could either boost their legacies or cement them as guys who couldn't quite win the big one. Wisconsin's Bo Ryan, who has never been to a Final Four, is in a similar boat as well.

Watch out for: No. 2 West Virginia
While Huggins' teams have underachieved in the tournament in the past - last year's first-round flameout being the latest - the stars seem aligned for a long Mountaineer run this year. They are the No. 2 seed in a region where the No. 1 seed (Kentucky) has star players barely able to vote and a No. 3 seed (New Mexico) that plays in a mid-major conference. The Mountaineers have length, size, and athleticism in the forward and wing guard spots and can play a variety of styles. There's no reason for WVU not to at least make the Elite 8.

Stay away from: No. 12 Cornell
This seems kind of a copout, but the chic "12-over-5" upset pick has involved the Big Red beating No. 5 Temple. I get a bit wary when everyone jumps on an upset pick - makes me think twice about its validity. Cornell is getting its props for almost beating Kansas in December but it couldn't make it through the Ivy League unscathed, losing to conference doormat Penn at one point. Temple has 29 wins in an underrated Atlantic 10 and has plenty of athleticism on the perimeter. Don't see the Ivy League kids winning this one.

High risk, high reward: The Washington-Marquette winner
Another kind of goofy pick, but the winner of the 11-6 matchup between the Huskies and the Golden Eagles are set up for a run into the second weekend. Marquette is guard heavy with an elite scorer in forward Lazar Hayward - two things that tend to work in the favor of teams in the tourney. Washington also has an elite scoring forward in Quincy Pondexter and a point guard that pushes tempo well in Isaiah Thomas. Whoever wins this game can beat New Mexico in round two and give West Virginia a run, but picking the winner is a crapshoot to say the least.

Upset special: No. 10 Missouri over No. 7 Clemson
Another weak 10-7 call, but there aren't any other upsets that I think are compelling. Not into Wofford over Wisconsin in the 13-4, already have discussed the 12-5 and 11-6 games, etc. Mizzou coach Mike Anderson's up-tempo, "40 Minutes of Hell" approach has yielded dividends in the past, getting UAB to the Sweet 16 as a nine-seed in 2004 and getting the Tigers to the Elite 8 a year ago. Oliver Purnell, on the other hand, as seen Clemson lose in the first round as a higher seed two years in a row, as a 5 to Villanova in '08 and as a 7 to Michigan last year. I'm feeling a hat trick.

Lead-pipe lock: There will be some fun basketball played in games not involving Wisconsin.
Between the up-tempo teams that I've mentioned early in this thread to the spectacle that Kentucky freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins create with their soon-to-be-NBA-lottery-picks skill, this will be fun. Kentucky has the most talent in the region, but their youth could hold them back from getting to the Final 4. As for the Badgers, watch at your own risk.

Now we are off to the West. While the Midwest is filled with giants and the prohibitive championship favorite, the West could be, as the cliche' goes, wild.

Overall theme:
This region is pretty much a free-for-all, as the higher-seeded teams come in slumping. No. 1 Syracuse has lost its last two games, at Louisville and against Georgetown in the Big East tourney, and might be without center Arinze Onuaku. No. 2 Kansas State struggled a bit down the stretch, losing to Kansas twice and at home to Iowa State. No. 3 Pittsburgh lost its Big East tourney opener to Notre Dame while Vanderbilt was eliminated early in the SEC tourney. You get the picture.

Watch out for: No. 7 BYU
The Cougars have suffered their share of heartbreak in the tourney over the years, as Danny Ainge's miracle shot against Notre Dame in 1981 is the last time they went to the Sweet 16 - until this year perhaps. BYU has perhaps the best pure scorer in the field in Jimmer Fredette and a first-round game against a questionable Florida team. With shaky Kansas State in the second round, BYU has a good chance to make it to the Sweet 16 in its backyard of Salt Lake City. Should the Cougars make it there, they could be a Cinderella Final Four squad.

Stay away from: No. 4 Vanderbilt
The last time the Commodores were a No. 4 seed was just two years ago, when they were embarrassed by Siena in the first round. Vanderbilt comes into this tournament limping a bit, and a 30-4 Murray State team is hardly the pushover that it was hoping for in a No. 13 seed. Vandy could lose right away and if it doesn't, it will have its hands full with the Butler-UTEP winner. I wouldn't put too many sawbucks on the 'Dores right now.

High risk, high reward: No. 9 Florida State
The Seminoles haven't won a tournament game since 1998 and their first-round game is no picnic, as they draw tournament veteran Gonzaga. However, the Seminoles have a lot of size, especially in the interior, and play defense more like a Big Ten team than an ACC one. With a Syracuse team of questionable health looming if it beats Gonzaga, don't be shocked if FSU is still standing in the Round of 16.

Upset special: No. 12 UTEP over No. 5 Butler, first round
I could have gone a million ways with this one. I've hinted at a couple of the other possibilites (Murray State over Vanderbilt, FSU over Syracuse, BYU over Kansas State), leaving this upset as the winner. UTEP boatraced Conference USA this year, going 15-1 in the conference behind guard Randy Culpepper, who averaged nearly 20 points per game. Butler did the same in the lesser Horizon League, but mid-majors with major seeds tend to have uneven results (see Drake, 2008). Add that to the 12-5 upset phenomenon that tends to happen and there ya go.

Lead-pipe lock: Pittsburgh will make it to the Sweet 16
The No. 3-seeded Panthers are a steady force in this wildly unpredictable bracket, as they have made it to the tournament's second week five times since 2002. Pitt is physical down low, has athletically erratic guard play and a wing player that can jump out of the gym. It's pretty much the same every year. They don't make it past the Sweet 16 often, as last year was the first in their current run, but they are good until then. You can pick Pitt a couple rounds and feel pretty secure about it.

As some of you know, every March I go absolutely crazy when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Kind of a weird field this year without defending champion North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona (first miss since 1984) and UConn. However, it's literally my favorite time of the year and I'll do my annual region-by-region breakdown. These are for recreational use only, but if you are tempted, I make a profit on my tourney pools a year ago.
Now to the Midwest Region:

Overall theme:
Coaching heavyweights everywhere. In this region alone, there are four coaches - Bill Self (No. 1 Kansas), Gary Williams (No. 4 Maryland), Tom Izzo (No. 5 Michigan State) and Steve Fisher (No. 11 San Diego State) that have won national titles while four others - Thad Matta (No. 2 Ohio State), John Thompson III (No. 3 Georgetown), Lon Kruger (No. 8 UNLV) and Paul Hewitt (No. 10 Georgia Tech) - have led their teams to the Final Four. Half of these coaches have coached on the sport's biggest stage, so don't expect much in the way of jitters.

It's late and I've been terrible in the NFL playoffs, so I'm not going to mince words.

Indianapolis (-5) over New Orleans. For those of you who want a score, let's say Indy 34, New Orleans 24.

I would take these picks with a grain of salt because, quite frankly, I've stunk during the playoffs thus far. That being said, I have a theory on picking Super Bowl participants which I call "The Middle Ground Theory."

I've noticed that in recent years that of the final four NFL teams, the Super Bowl matchup tends to not me the least desirable or most-desirable matchup according to ratings. For example, the ideal matchup last year would have been Pittsburgh-Philadelphia (battle of Pennsylvania, Steelers vs. McNabb, etc.) and the least-desirable matchup would have been Arizona-Baltimore. While Pittsburgh-Philly was the favored matchup according to point spreads, Pittsburgh-Arizona is what we got.

In 2007, New England-Green Bay was the most desirable matchup and the favored matchup according to point spreads, as it would have been the undefeated Patriots playing Brett Favre in perhaps Favre's final game (yeah right) in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI. The least desirable matchup would have been San Diego-N.Y. Giants more than likely, even though I guess you could hype the Rivers-Manning draft day trade drama. So what did we get? New England-New York Giants.

Wildcard week was unkind, as only Arizona's OT win prevented me from getting the goose-egg. I feel as if I'll be better this week. Or more accurately, hope I will be.

NEW ORLEANS (-7) over Arizona
Baltimore (+6.5) over INDIANAPOLIS
Dallas (+2.5) over MINNESOTA
SAN DIEGO (-7.5) over N.Y. Jets

Last week: 1-3
Overall: 128-127-4

Nice final week got me before .500. Was going to write more on these picks, but it's late and I just want to get them in.

CINCINNATI (-2.5) over N.Y. Jets
Philadelphia (+3.5) over DALLAS
NEW ENGLAND (-3) over Baltimore
ARIZONA (even) over Green Bay

Week: 9-5-2
Overall: 127-124-4

So close to .500 I can feel it. And I also left these in the drafts folder.

BUFFALO (-8) over Indianapolis
CAROLINA (-9) over New Orleans
Jacksonville (+2) over CLEVELAND
DETROIT (+3) over Chicago
New England (+7) over HOUSTON
Pittsburgh (-3) over MIAMI
MINNESOTA (-8) over N.Y. Giants
San Francisco (-8) over ST. LOUIS
Atlanta (-2) over TAMPA BAY
Philadelphia (+3) over DALLAS
ARIZONA (-3) over Green Bay
Kansas City (+10) over DENVER
OAKLAND (+10) over Baltimore
SAN DIEGO (-3) over Washington
Tennessee (-6) over SEATTLE
Cincinnati (+10) over N.Y. JETS

Week: 9-7
Overall: 118-119-2

Taking time out of Christmas in Houston to do these up. Hopefully I get a little holiday luck going.

San Diego (+2) over TENNESSEEE
GREEN BAY (-14) over Seattle
Oakland (+3) over CLEVELAND
Kansas City (+13.5) over CINCINNATI
ATLANTA (-9) over Buffalo
MIAMI (-3) over Houston
Carolina (+7) over N.Y. GIANTS
NEW ORLEANS (-14) over Tampa Bay
Jacksonville (+8) over NEW ENGLAND
PITTSBURGH (-2.5) over Baltimore
PHILADELPHIA (-7) over Denver
ARIZONA (-14) over St. Louis
Detroit (+12.5) over SAN FRANCISCO
N.Y. Jets (+5.5) over INDIANAPOLIS
WASHINGTON (+6.5) over Dallas
CHICAGO (+7) over Minnesota

Week: 6-9-1
Overall: 109-112-2

Back to .500 after a pretty good week. Let's get this done.

Indianapolis (-3) over JACKSONVILLE
NEW ORLEANS (-7.5) over Dallas
Green Bay (+1.5) over PITTSBURGH
TENNESSEE (no line) over Miami
BUFFALO (+7) over New England
Arizona (-12) over DETROIT
PHILADELPHIA (-7.5) over San Francisco
N.Y. JETS (no line) over Atlanta
Chicago (+11) over BALTIMORE
KANSAS CITY (-2) over Cleveland
Houston (no line) over ST. LOUIS
SAN DIEGO (-6.5) over Cincinnati
DENVER (-14) over Oakland
SEATTLE (-6.5) over Tampa Bay
CAROLINA (+9) over Minnesota
WASHINGTON (+3) over N.Y. Giants

Week: 10-6
Overall: 103-103-1

Well, we are down to the nitty gritty here. The Central and Inland Divisions have blown up on me, leaving Serrano and St. Margaret's as my only chances to predict champions (though with St. Margaret's, getting that prediction right is akin to pick the Lakers to win the Pacific Division). Let's see how we do in the final week.

Central Division
Los Osos vs. Upland
Really tough game to figure out. On one side you have the Grizzlies, who have won seven games in a row and are exploding scoreboards with their point totals. No brainer pick, right? Not exactly. The last team they lost to was, drumroll please, Upland, and in shutout fashion no less. The Highlanders can choke out even the most explosive offenses, giving up only 27 points in three playoff games.
So do you go with the hot team? Or with the adage of defense wins championships? I'm going with the second, as Upland will finish the job this year after losing in the finals last season.
Upland 17, Los Osos 13

Eastern Division
Serrano at Palm Springs
I proceeded to pick against Palm Springs last week in their matchup with Kaiser, only to see the Cardinals destroy the Cats 41-0. I also caught some guff about it from Palm Springs coach Steve Fabian. Either he's got some moles in San Bernardino County or we have some readers in the Low Desert. Either way, I'm going back to the well. I picked Serrano when the playoffs started and nothing since has convinced me to back off that pick. If anything, watching them score 49 points against Norte Vista reaffirmed my faith in the Diamondbacks.
Serrano 27, Palm Springs 21

East Valley Division
St. Margaret's at Ontario Christian
The Knights have been an awesome story. Veteran coach Laing Stevens comes back from retirement and does his thing, getting Ontario Christian back to the finals unexpectedly. It's not like the Knights are getting lucky either, as they just blasted Grace Brethren 45-0 last week. OC is peaking and looking good. However, St. Margaret's is the gold standard of small-school football. Three CIF titles in a row and a state championship speak for themselves and while I expect OC to come out swinging, I think the fairy-tale run comes just short.
St. Margaret's 26, Ontario Christian 14

And just because I can...
Inland Division
Vista Murrieta 38, Temecula Chaparral 31

Fell back a bit this week. Oh well.

Pittsburgh (-9.5) over CLEVELAND
INDIANAPOLIS (-7) over Denver
Cincinnati (+6.5) over MINNESOTA
N.Y. Jets (-3) over TAMPA BAY
KANSAS CITY (+1) over Buffalo
Green Bay (-3) over CHICAGO
ATLANTA (+10.5) over New Orleans
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Detroit
Miami (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Carolina (+13.5) over NEW ENGLAND
HOUSTON (-6.5) over Seattle
TENNESSEE (-13) over St. Louis
OAKLAND (+1) over Washington
San Diego (+3) over DALLAS
N.Y. GIANTS (-1) over Philadelphia
Arizona (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO

Week: 7-9
Overall: 93-97-1

Well, I got one of the four semifinalists right in the East Valley - both from my pre-playoff predictions and from my predictions last week. So don't be going to Vegas and betting large on this.

St. Margaret's 38, Bishop 12

Ontario Christian at Simi Valley Grace Brethren
Twice I've picked both of these teams to lose in the playoffs. Twice they've made me look dumb. So where do I go from here? I figure the third time is the charm and with that charm, I'm taking the Knights. Although Ontario Christian fans probably want me to take Grace Brethren, I've been convinced that the Knights' "spunk" is legit. I mean, they've rubbed out De Anza champ Twentynine Palms and No. 2 seed Maranatha. OC will take this too.
Ontario Christian 30, Grace Brethren 26

As far as the Inland Division, technically the Sun has no stake left after REV and Redlands were eliminated last week. But for the sake of seeing things through, I'll offer my predictions here. I'm thinking an all-Big VIII final quite frankly.

Corona Centennial 31, Temecula Chaparral 17

Norco 38, Vista Murrieta 27

Got three out of four here last week, as only Apple Valley couldn't get the job done for me. Still have my pre-playoff champ alive in this division, which is more than I can say for my performance in the Central Division.

Palm Springs at Kaiser
This is a matchup familiar to Kaiser fans, as the Cats and Cardinals faced off in this round in 2005. Palm Springs won that matchup 28-21 and present problems with their multi-faceted spread-option offense. However, Kaiser has some upper-level talent in LB Josh Shirley and RB Anthony Brown that the Cardinals haven't really dealt with. Brown, in particular, is on a roll and Kaiser will ride him to the final.
Kaiser 24, Palm Springs 19

Serrano at Norte Vista
The Braves do their thing, as Norte Vista was able to wear down Apple Valley in the second half last week. Doing that to Serrano, however, is a completly different matter. The last time the Braves faced a team with Serrano's defensive talent level, they were beat 31-8 by Kaiser. I'm not saying the Diamondbacks will rout Norte Vista, but I picked them to win the Eastern title for a reason.
Serrano 27, Norte Vista 14

Got another 3 out of 4 correct this past week, giving me only one game wrong in the Division to date. Of course, we'll just ignore the fact that the game I lost involved my predicted champion (Colton). Sounds good to me.

Rancho Cucamonga at Los Osos
This one is, as Bostonians say, wicked hard. Who do you pick against, the hottest team in the division or the division's defending champion? Los Osos' six-game winning streak started against the Cougars, as the Grizzlies took them down 31-28 in Week 7. However, Rancho Cucamonga took out a Colton team on a 10-game winning streak last week and are a little peeved about the Grizzlies wearing their home uniforms at what was supposed to be a Rancho home game? So where do I go from here? I'll take the hot team, though I have no real confidence in this pick.
Los Osos 34, Rancho Cucamonga 30

Upland at Chino Hills
Once again, Chino Hills had my back and then some, beating Etiwanda down to move to the semifinals. They'll try to take out another Baseline team again, as they go against an Upland team that knocked off No. 2 seeded Colony in a tight one to make it to this point. Both of these teams have great defense and both of them are battle-tested, but you have to be on some drugs if you think I'm getting off the Chino Hills bandwagon now. I'm riding shotgun until the journey ends.
Chino Hills 17, Upland 13

Continuing to roll, so no commentary this week either. I'm sure you guys are fine with that.

OREGON (-9) over Oregon State
USC (-7) over Arizona
WASHINGTON (+7) over California
Alabama (+5.5) over Florida
Nebraska (+14) over Texas
Georgia Tech (even) over Clemson
Central Michigan (-13.5) over Ohio
Houston (-2.5) over EAST CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH (+2) over Cincinnati
RUTGERS (-1.5) over West Virginia

Week: 6-3-1
Overall: 66-61-3

I stopped the slide for a week, as I actually went above .500. I credit the Thanksgiving turkey.

N.Y. Jets (-3) over BUFFALO
Denver (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY
PITTSBURGH (-14.5) over Oakland
Houston (even) over JACKSONVILLE
Tennessee (+6.5) over INDIANAPOLIS
ATLANTA (+5.5) over Philadelphia
CINCINNATI (-13) over Detroit
New Orleans (-9.5) over WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay (+6.5) over CAROLINA
CHICAGO (-9) over St. Louis
San Diego (-13) over CLEVELAND
San Francisco (even) over SEATTLE
Minnesota (-5) over ARIZONA
N.Y. GIANTS (+2.5) over Dallas
MIAMI (+5.5) over New England
GREEN BAY (-3) over Baltimore

Week: 9-7
Overall: 86-88-1

The only thing that kept me from having a perfect bracket was picking against Riverside Arlington. So all in all, not bad.

No. 1 Redlands East Valley at Temecula Chaparral
Can REV remove the Chaparral monkey from its back? That's the million-dollar question in this game, as otherwise the Wildcats would seem to be odds-on favorites to advance. But the Pumas have eliminated REV two of the last three years, something that will give them confidence to take out the top seed. However, I picked the Wildcats to persevere before and see no problems sticking with that.
Redlands East Valley 24, Chaparral 20

Corona Centennial 37, Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 28

Norco 40, Riverside Arlington 28

No. 2 Vista Murrieta at Redlands
The Terriers got their first postseason win in three years in impressive fashion, trouncing Moreno Valley Valley View. However, Vista Murrieta is a different animal altogether, as the Broncos have been extremely potent in starting 11-0. Redlands will fight and claw, but just like two weeks ago against REV, they'll be outgunned and need a perfect game to advance. I don't see it happening.
Vista Murrieta 27, Redlands 16

Whiffed on a couple of the games featuring local teams last week, so I have some explaining to do to the likes of Aquinas and Ontario Christian, respectively.

Aquinas at No. 1 San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's
Note for next year - don't pick against Aquinas at home in the playoffs. The Falcons dusted Sierra Canyon, making me look pretty dumb. And for good reason. However, they are on the road against the defending CIF and small-school state champions. I have to pick against Aquinas again here. Sorry fellas.
St. Margaret's 27, Aquinas 13

Fillmore 34, Bishop 18

Simi Valley Grace Brethren at Oak Hills
The Bulldogs redeemed my trust last week, ekeing past No. 3 seeded Kern Valley 21-19 to continue their historic run as a first-year school. Now they get another first - their inaugural home playoff game. Oak Hills is straight rolling and I'm not a huge believer in Grace Brethren. Plus, gotta keep my sleeper alive.
Oak Hills 38, Grace Brethren 27

No. 2 Pasadena Maranatha at Ontario Christian
All of a sudden, the Knights have become a tough out. They took Aquinas to the wire in the regular season finale two weeks ago and pulled the upset against a hot Twentynine Palms team on the road in the first round last week. However, OC is at home and they have a very explosive Maranatha team to face. I see the Knights' recent run of spunk coming to an end.
Maranatha 35, Ontario Christian 21

This division messed me up quite a bit last week. Then again, with the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds being upset, I wasn't the only one who screwed up in their predictions. Hopefully I'll do a bit better this time around.

Palm Springs at Summit
Thanksgiving came six days early for Summit, as they shocked No. 1 seeded Perris Citrus Hill 48-36 last Friday, breaking Citrus Hill's 38-game winning streak in the process. I guess Summit could be ripe for a letdown, but Palm Springs whipped Summit in the first round a year ago, so the SkyHawks are looking for revenge. I'm tempted to pick them again, but I think I like Palm Springs to carry this.
Palm Springs 26, Summit 19

Kaiser at Rim of the World
This is the game I'll be at tomorrow, as the Cats and Fighting Scots get together for the third time in four years. Both teams feature dominating running games, with Kaiser depending on Anthony Brown - who is committed to USC - while Rim rides junior RB Dillon Pretzinger. Kaiser won close battles the last two times they've played and will likely do the same in this one.
Kaiser 20, Rim of the World 14

Riverside Norte Vista at Apple Valley
I saw the Sun Devils pull a 48-27 surprise over No. 3 Silverado last week, which marked Apple Valley's first first-round playoff victory in over 25 years. Norte Vista doesn't have a long history of success either, so one of these teams will be in the Cinderella role come next week. Having seen both teams at different times this season, I feel that Apple is a bit more balanced and will prevail.
Apple Valley 31, Norte Vista 23

La Quinta at Serrano
The Eastern Division opened up a ton for the No. 2-seeded Diamondbacks last week with Citrus Hill and Silverado going down hard. La Quinta is always a tough out this time of year, but I picked Serrano to win this division for a reason - they are darn good. I see the Diamondbacks being a bit too physical for the Blackhawks.
Serrano 24, La Quinta 13

First of all, I want to wish all of you out there a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you are getting fat and happy and enjoying time with family and friends. I enjoyed the Central Division last week, going 8-for-8 in my picks last week. We'll try to stay perfect again.

No. 1 Colton at Rancho Cucamonga
A rematch of a great first-round game from last year, as the Yellowjackets almost pulled the upset against No. 1 Rancho, going up 17-7 before falling 21-17. Colton is a year older and has been reminded of that result almost every day for the past year. While the Cougars are dangerous, I like Colton to advance in what should be another great game.
Colton 28, Rancho Cucamonga 23

No. 4 Los Osos at Chaffey
The Tigers are feeling good about life, as last week's win over Hemet West Valley was their first first-round playoff win since 2005. Unfortunately, they play one of the hottest teams in the area in Los Osos. The Grizzlies scored 35 points in the first 16 minutes of their game against Arroyo Valley and have scored 177 points in the last three games. I don't think Chaffey can keep up against that fiery offense.
Los Osos 45, Chaffey 20

Etiwanda at Chino Hills
I made the Huskies my sleeper before the playoffs started and they made me look kind of smart last week, killing No. 3 seeded Wildomar Elsinore 42-13 last week. Etiwanda also was impressive, putting a 38-6 beatdown of Cajon. However, I picked Chino Hills to go to the championship game and there's no way I'm backing down from that now.
Chino Hills 28, Etiwanda 24

No. 2 Colony at Upland
Since losing to Los Osos in the opening week of the season, Colony has been on point, winning 10 games in a row. However, the Mt. Baldy League isn't exactly the Baseline League, which gave Upland quite a few tests during the season. I like the playoff experience and the defense of the Highlanders to come through with a minor "upset" at home.
Upland 17, Colony 15

For as bad as I've done in the NFL lately, I've been the opposite in college. Let's keep it up shall we?

USC (-13) over Ucla
Arizona (-3) over ARIZONA STATE
Washington State (+24.5) over WASHINGTON
Notre Dame (+10) over STANFORD
Texas (-21) over TEXAS A&M
WEST VIRGINIA (even) over Pittsburgh
AUBURN (+10) over Alabama
Utah (+7.5) over BYU
Oklahoma State (+8) over OKLAHOMA
FLORIDA (-24.5) over Florida State

Week: 6-4
Overall: 60-58-2

I really think that the Thursday games have messed up my mojo. Maybe more of them is what I need.

Green Bay (-11) over DETROIT
DALLAS (-13.5) over Oakland
DENVER (+6.5) over N.Y. Giants
HOUSTON (+3.5) over Indianapolis
CINCINNATI (-14) over Cleveland
MINNESOTA (-10.5) over Chicago
Washington (+9) over PHILADELPHIA
Miami (-3) over BUFFALO
Arizona (even) over TENNESSEE
Seattle (-3) over ST. LOUIS
ATLANTA (-11.5) over Tampa Bay
Carolina (+3) over N.Y. JETS
Jacksonville (+3) over SAN FRANCISCO
SAN DIEGO (-13.5) over Kansas City
BALTIMORE (even) over Pittsburgh
NEW ORLEANS (-3) over New England

Week: 6-10
Overall: 77-81-1

Well, no writeups worked well last week, so I'll try it again.

UCLA (-5) over Arizona State
ARIZONA (+6) over Oregon
STANFORD (-7.5) over California
Washington State (+31) over OREGON STATE
MICHIGAN (+12) over Ohio State
Oklahoma (-6.5) over TEXAS TECH
BOSTON COLLEGE (-3.5) over North Carolina
Connecticut (+6) over NOTRE DAME
TEXAS (-27.5) over Kansas
Penn State (-3) over MICHIGAN STATE

Last week: 8-2
Overall: 54-54-2

This has been the Norco-Centennial division for quite some time. However, Redlands East Valley is the No. 1 seed. Will the Wildcats be able to stop the Riverside County hammerlock?

Riverside La Sierra at No. 1 Redlands East Valley
The Wildcats start their quest for their first-ever CIF championship against a La Sierra team that's four years removed from its last playoff appearance. La Sierra doesn't seem to be much of a test for a battle-tested REV team, as I expect the Wildcats to win this game rather routinely to set up a grudge match with nemesis Chaparral.
Redlands East Valley 42, La Sierra 14

Temecula Chaparral 20, Corona Roosevelt 16

Miller at Corona Centennial
This isn't quite a state-championship caliber Centennial team, but the two-time defending CIF champions are about as tough of a matchup as Miller could have envisioned with its seeding. The Rebels have been tested, playing Redlands and Redlands East Valley tough, but I'm not sure they have the overall firepower to hang with Centennial.
Centennial 36, Miller 20

No. 4 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 38, Temecula Greak Oak 15

Carter at No. 3 Norco
The Lions are a pretty good story, as they went from 2-8 last year to the playoffs this year. However, I doubt Carter's story had them playing Norco in the first round. Norco is always tough, but they might have their most explosive offense ever this year. I can't see this ending well for the Lions at all.
Norco 45, Carter 18

Murrieta Valley 28, Riverside Arlington 24

Moreno Valley Valley View at Redlands
The Terriers have a tough task ahead of them mentally, as they have to pick up the pieces mentally from their 37-7 loss to hated rival REV and get set for Valley View. Valley View doesn't really jump off the page at anyone with its 5-5 record and Redlands should be able to pound them with the running game enough to prevail.
Redlands 21, Valley View 13

No. 2 Vista Murrieta 35, Corona Santiago 16

QUARTERFINALS
Redlands East Valley over Chaparral
Centennial over Rancho Verde
Norco over Murrieta Valley
Vista Murrieta over Redlands

SEMIFINALS
Redlands East Valley over Centennial
Norco over Vista Murrieta

CHAMPIONSHIP
Norco over Redlands East Valley

St. Margaret's ruled this division with an iron fist last year, taking out 40% of the De Anza League en route to the division and, eventually, the small-school state title. Can anyone take them out this time around?

No. 1 St. Margaret's 38, Santa Paula 6

Chatsworth Sierra Canyon at Aquinas
This is basically a coinflip, as Sierra Canyon was second in the Alpha League with an 8-2 record while Aquinas won its third straight Christian League title in thrilling fashion over Ontario Christian. It's been a bit of an up-and-down ride for the Falcons thus far this season and I'm not quite sure if they'll be able to outfight Sierra Canyon.
Sierra Canyon 27, Aquinas 20

Los Angeles Brentwood 31, Bishop 14

Yucca Valley at No. 4 Fillmore
Yucca Valley doesn't have a pretty record, but it does have another berth in the East Valley playoffs. The Trojans opened some eyes in the playoffs a year ago, winning their first-round game and giving St. Margaret's a struggle in the second round, but I have a hard time seeing them repeating that trick this year.
Fillmore 33, Yucca Valley 13

Oak Hills at No. 3 Kern Valley
Oak Hills isn't your typical first-year program - or your typical at-large freelance cannon fodder squad. The Bulldogs are 8-2 and have some pretty big wins, so they won't be intimidated by a 9-1 Kern Valley squad. And quite frankly, I think Oak Hills is too young to realize that it shouldn't be doing this well. I smell an "upset".
Oak Hills 38, Kern Valley 27

Newport Beach Sage Hill 23, Simi Valley Grace Brethren 21

Ontario Christian at Twentynine Palms
How quickly can the Knights recover from their heartbreaking loss to Aquinas? That's the million-dollar question for Ontario Christian, as Twentynine Palms has been a Christian League-killer over the past few seasons. The Wildcats are surging, winning six in a row and went to the finals a year ago. I don't see Ontario Christian doing well here.
Twentynine Palms 34, Ontario Christian 13

No. 2 Pasadena Maranatha 40, Lebec Frazier Mountain 7

QUARTERFINALS
St. Margaret's over Sierra Canyon
Brentwood over Fillmore
Oak Hills over Sage Hill
Maranatha over Twentynine Palms

SEMIFINALS
St. Margaret's over Brentwood
Maranatha over Oak Hills

Championship
St. Margaret's over Maranatha

Now to the Eastern Division, which sees Citrus Hill as the bully that's won 38 games in a row. They have to be due right? Guess we'll see.

Summit at No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill
The SkyHawks ramped up their nonleague schedule so they'd be prepared for playoff action after being disposed of rather easily by Palm Springs in the first round last year. However, it's hard to believe that their schedule has properly prepared them for the juggernaut which is Citrus Hill. Deontae Cooper will get his and Summit will have it take it.
Citrus Hill 45, Summit 17

Barstow at Palm Springs
The Aztecs pulled off the upset of the then-No. 3 seeded Cardinals on the way to the CIF title game last year and Palm Springs will be looking for revenge. But looking for it and getting it are completely different things. Barstow's offense is one of the hardest in the area to prepare for and even harder to stop in practice. Going with the Aztecs to force a rematch of last year's title game.
Barstow 28, Palm Springs 17

Palm Desert at Kaiser
I've actually gotten a chance to see Palm Desert in action and they can score at a pretty high clip. However, they were overpowered by Silverado when I saw them and seem like a finesse squad. Finesse squads do about as well with Kaiser as I do wooing supermodels. Look for the Cats to punch Palm Desert in the mouth quite a few times.
Kaiser 26, Palm Desert 13

San Jacinto at No. 4 Rim of the World
A dangerous game for the Fighting Scots, as San Jacinto always has talent and athleticism and is capable of putting up some big point totals. Whether they are capable of stopping the Rim rushing attack, namely junior RB Dillon Pretzinger, is the million-dollar question. Only one has so far and I don't think No. 2 will come this week.
Rim of the World 28, San Jacinto 22

Apple Valley at No. 3 Silverado
This is where I'll be tomorrow night, as the Sun Devils will try to ride RB Daryon Mosley and play keep away from the Silverado offense. That hasn't been the best strategy, as the Silverado D has steadily improved throughout the Hawks' 8-game winning streak. I think the Hawks have a few too many weapons.
Silverado 31, Apple Valley 18

Riverside Norte Vista 30, Riverside Notre Dame 20
La Quinta 27, Ridgecrest Burroughs 16

Menifee Heritage at No. 2 Serrano
The Diamondbacks have won seven in a row coming in. The Patriots have lost three in a row and four of five. In Snowline Stadium with the temperature falling and the fans at full-throat, I see no reason why either trend would reverse. Serrano wins in a romp.
Serrano 34, Heritage 10

QUARTERFINALS
Citrus Hill over Barstow
Kaiser over Rim of the World
Silverado over Norte Vista
Serrano over La Quinta

SEMIFINALS
Citrus Hill over Kaiser
Serrano over Silverado

CHAMPIONSHIP
Serrano over Citrus Hill

Just like last year, I'll break down by high school playoff picks by division every week. And just like a year ago, I'll give my predictions on the whole division in this entry. Will my predictions by worth anything? It's hard to tell, especially in a division as spastic as the Central.

Don Lugo at No. 1 Colton
This game was a mercy-killing when it was played in this round two years ago, as the Yellowjackets ran up, down and over Don Lugo. To be honest, I'm expecting more of the same this time around. This is a better Colton team than what Don Lugo faced two years ago and I'll be surprised if the Conquistadores stop them from scoring before the fourth quarter.
Colton 48, Don Lugo 7

Rancho Cucamonga at Glendora
Apparently Greg Watson is supposed to play for the Cougars after being knocked out of the Etiwanda game last week, which is welcome news for Rancho in its defense of its crown. Glendora is a tough team and will be a test, but having Watson running the Cougar offense seals the deal for me.
Rancho Cucamonga 28, Glendora 20

Chaffey at Hemet West Valley
Last year West Valley was the No. 3 seed until Glendora beat it down in the first round. I think West Valley is ripe for another upset, as Chaffey running back Ronald Douglas has 2,150 yards rushing and has been unstoppable lately. Chaffey went a bit tougher than usual in its nonleague schedule this year and that will pay dividends here.
Chaffey 24, West Valley 18

Arroyo Valley at No. 4 Los Osos
Arroyo Valley, while much improved over a year ago, has had a brutal time against quality competition, as it was dispatched in routine fashion by Silverado, Colton and Cajon. Los Osos has been unconscious the last four weeks since being shutout by Upland and has too much firepower for the Hawks.
Los Osos 38, Arroyo Valley 21

Chino Hills at No. 3 Wildomar Elsinore
If I'm Elsinore, I'm pretty ticked right now. In earning the No. 3 seed, you should be able to avoid teams like Chino Hills, which was the co-champion of the Sierra League and got a No. 3 seed due to coin flips. The Huskies are physical on defense and have an offense that's capable of gaining yards in a multitude of ways. Needless to say, I'm pulling the trigger on an upset.
Chino Hills 21, Elsinore 17

Cajon at Etiwanda
I covered this game last year and I must say, it was one of the more frenetic and enjoyable games I've covered at the Sun. The rematch won't quite be that way, as Cajon has employed a power-running game to eat the clock the last two weeks. That will be effective for a while against the Eagles, but ultimately, Angel Santiago and company will be too much.
Etiwanda 30, Cajon 17

Upland at Damien
If Elsinore is pissed, Damien is having a nuclear meltdown about this matchup. After winning four straight games to win a Sierra League co-championship and get the league's No. 1 seed, the Spartans get an 8-2 at-large team in Upland. The Highlander D, so lethal in the first two-thirds of the season, has become easier to move against, but the Upland O has also improved. Sorry Damien.
Upland 26, Damien 19

Menifee Paloma Valley at No. 2 Colony
The Titans are the best team no one is talking about, as the Titans have won nine in a row since losing their opener to Los Osos. There are questions as to the overall quality of Colony's schedule, but that won't matter against Paloma Valley. Colony has way too much talent to be truly threatened here.
Colony 34, Paloma Valley 14

QUARTERFINALS
Colton over Rancho Cucamonga
Los Osos over Chaffey
Chino Hills over Etiwanda
Upland over Colony

SEMIFINALS
Colton over Los Osos
Chino Hills over Upland

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Colton over Chino Hills

Bad week last week, as I'm at .500 for the first time since really early in the season. Time to turn this back up.

Carolina (-3) over MIAMI
DETROIT (-3.5) over Cleveland
Buffalo (+8.5) over JACKSONVILLE
Pittsburgh (-10) over KANSAS CITY
BALTIMORE (+1) over Indianapolis
Atlanta (+6.5) over N.Y. GIANTS
GREEN BAY (-6.5) over San Francisco
MINNESOTA (-10.5) over Seattle
DALLAS (-11) over Washington
TAMPA BAY (+11) over New Orleans
Arizona (-9.5) over ST. LOUIS
N.Y. Jets (+10.5) over NEW ENGLAND
Cincinnati (+9.5) over OAKLAND
San Diego (no line) over DENVER
Philadelphia (-3) over CHICAGO
Tennessee (+4.5) over HOUSTON

Week: 5-10
Overall: 71-71-1

In honor of going 3-7 last week, I'm just sticking to the picks and not doing any flowery writeups. They don't seem to be helping too much.

Stanford (+10.5) over USC
Ucla (-17.5) over WASHINGTON STATE
CALIFORNIA (-3) over Arizona
OREGON (-18) over Arizona State
Washington (+13) over OREGON STATE
CINCINNATI (-9.5) over West Virginia
Iowa (+16.5) over OHIO STATE
Notre Dame (+7) over PITTSBURGH
SOUTH CAROLINA (+17.5) over Florida
OKLAHOMA STATE (-4.5) over Texas Tech

Last week: 3-7
Overall: 46-52-2

A three-loss week is a good way to go into the finale. With some of these games starting in 90 minutes or less, time to man up and make some picks.

Redlands East Valley at Redlands
This isn't until tomorrow, but a crosstown rivalry between the No. 1 and No. 5 teams in the area, who are both undefeated in league going into the league finale, is going to get top billing. That's the way it is. REV has never won three in a row against the Terriers and Dodge Field should be rocking for the first-ever on-campus meeting between the two. However, I think REV has too many weapons.
Redlands East Valley 24, Redlands 17

Etiwanda at Rancho Cucamonga
The battle of teams upset by Los Osos (guess it's disingenuous to call them upsets now) should be a high-scoring doozy, as both of these teams can score from any point of the field. Of course, I said the same thing before Upland and Rancho played in the regular-season finale last year, only to see a 13-2 game in gale-force winds. Barring a hurricane, this should be fun.
Rancho Cucamonga 41, Etiwanda 32

Ayala at Glendora
Ayala has lost two in a row, with a third loss in a row likely sealing a playoff-less fate. Glendora has the capability of rising up, as its already defeated Chino Hills this season. Ayala hasn't fared well against quality competition, which the Tartans certainly are. I'm taking Glendora.
Glendora 23, Ayala 14

Riverside Patriot at Summit
This is the game I'll be at in less than 90 minutes, as for the second straight year Summit has a live-or-die Thursday night game. They made a spirited comeback to beat Bloomington in this spot next year, but shouldn't need one this time around. Summit finishes the job.
Summit 31, Patriot 20

Granite Hills at Barstow
One of two live-or-die Desert Sky League games, as the Aztecs are faced with being shut out of the playoffs a year after going to the CIF final if they lose to Granite Hills, which has already won more games this season than any other time in school history. Even though Barstow's previous three losses have come at home, I'm going with the Aztecs in this spot.
Barstow 26, Granite Hills 21

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Victor Valley
The other DSL elimination game has the resurgent Jackrabbits, fresh off a one-point victory at Barstow, playing the battle-tested Burros. This has been a year of big steps for Victor Valley, which has taken down rivals Apple Valley and Barstow. Add 'making the playoffs' to those steps.
Victor Valley 24, Ridgecrest Burroughs 19

Ontario Christian at Aquinas
For the 8th straight year, this game is going to decide the Christian League title. Both of these teams have had their share of ups and downs to get to this point, but all is good in the Christian League world apparently. It's been good for the Falcons in this matchup the last two years and I think it will be again, as Aquinas has too many weapons for the Knights.
Aquinas 35, Ontario Christian 17

Garey at Don Lugo
The Vikings have had quite a resurgence and have the horses to come in and upset Don Lugo, which boasts two elite players in DT George Uko and DB/RB Steven Bethley. Garey has some players, but I have a feeling that they'll have to wait a year for their turn.
Don Lugo 27, Garey 17

Apple Valley at Hesperia
League play has been rocky for both of these schools, but things have fallen to where winning this game will make things a heck of a lot more enjoyable for one of the two. Apple Valley has just missed the playoffs the last two years and should finish the job this time around.
Apple Valley 34, Hesperia 16

Cajon at Arroyo Valley
Seems weird to have an SAL game this far down on the list, but there's no league championship or playoff invitation being settled in this matchup - just second and third place. However, this will be a fun game to watch, as junior QBs Thomas Carter (Cajon) and Michael Yearwood (Arroyo Valley) should star. I'll go with the Cowboys in a close one.
Cajon 30, Arroyo Valley 27

Other games of note:

Los Osos 45, Alta Loma 6
Upland 23, Claremont 10
Miller 53, Eisenhower 20
Yucaipa 37, Carter 34
Fontana 28, Rialto 14
Big Bear 20, Desert Hot Springs 16
Yucca Valley 24, Desert Mirage 13
Serrano 48, Sultana 0
Colony 45, Montclair 7
Chaffey 38, Ontario 0
Colton 60, Pacific 0
San Gorgonio 48, San Bernardino 31
Chino Hills 41, Diamond Bar 10
Damien 37, Chino 6
Kaiser 51, Jurupa Valley 0
Norte Vista 34, Bloomington 14
Arrowhead Christian 20, Boron 18
Oak Hills 55, Citrus Valley 6

Week: 25-3
Overall: 226-58

With Thursday games starting this week and lasting the rest of the season, I'm moving up my NFL picks. Just in case you were having a "What the hell?" moment.

SAN FRANCISCO (-3.5) over Chicago
N.Y. JETS (-7) over Jacksonville
Denver (-3.5) over WASHINGTON
Cincinnati (+7) over PITTSBURGH
Buffalo (+6.5) over TENNESSEE
MINNESOTA (-16.5) over Detroit
New Orleans (-14) over ST. LOUIS
Atlanta (-1.5) over CAROLINA
Tampa Bay (+10) over MIAMI
OAKLAND (-2) over Kansas City
Seattle (+9) over ARIZONA
Philadelphia (+1.5) over SAN DIEGO
Dallas (-3) over GREEN BAY
INDIANAPOLIS (-3) over New England
Baltimore (-10.5) over CLEVELAND

Week: 7-6
Overall: 66-61-1

Another crappy week. Starting to slip guys.

Kansas City (+6.5) over JACKSONVILLE
Baltimore (-3) over CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS (-8) over Houston
ATLANTA (-9) over Washington
Green Bay (-10) over TAMPA BAY
Arizona (+3) over CHICAGO
Miami (+10.5) over NEW ENGLAND
NEW ORLEANS (-13) over Carolina
SEATTLE (-10) over Detroit
SAN FRANCISCO (-5) over Tennessee
San Diego (+4.5) over N.Y. GIANTS
PHILADELPHIA (-3) over Dallas
Pittsburgh (-3) over DENVER

Week: 5-8
Overall: 59-55-1

Why do I keeping picking college football games despite being bad at it? For the laughs of course, and to show you guys that I'm part human. Not a great week or season for me thus far. Thankfully I'm better at the high school picks.

USC (-10) at Arizona State
Will the Trojans slog around after their lopsided loss to Oregon? Or will they come out inspired and rough up a mediocre Arizona State team? This game is inexplicably the sixth road game already for the Trojans. Whoever made their schedule had a sick sense of humor in my opinion. I expect USC to go through the motions a bit but do enough to win.
Pick: Arizona State

Washington (+5.5) at UCLA
I'll be at this game tomorrow working on a story about the Huskies' REV triumvirate, especially RB Chris Polk. UCLA showed some spunk last week hanging with Oregon State in Corvallis and with Washington's struggles on the road, the Bruins may be able to break through and get that first Pac-10 win. I have a hard time picking them to cover though.
Pick: Washington

Oregon (-7) at Stanford
I see this as the classic letdown game. The Ducks have been the toast of the Pacific Northwest after their savage beatdown of USC last week and its going to be hard for them to rebound and come out hungry against a sneaky-good Stanford team. Ultimately, Oregon should win this, but don't be surprised if the Cardinal put some fear in them.
Pick: Stanford

Oregon State (+7) at California
This is the time of year where the Beavers start to roll. But then again, Cal seems to have overcome its late September troubles and is rolling. This is a huge game for Cal QB Kevin Riley, who had a huge brain fart in the final seconds two years ago which prevented the then-No. 1 Golden Bears from kicking a game-tying field goal in a 31-28 loss. Riley gets his revenge.
Pick: California

Washington State (+32) at Arizona
Another big spread for the Cougars to try to stay within. Honestly, anyone who has taken the Cougars and the ridiculous amounts of points they receive from Vegas every week is making a huge profit. Wazzu is bad, but not bad enough. It'll be the same type deal this week, as Arizona wins easily but the Cougars win money for everyone who bet them.
Pick: Washington State

LSU (+7.5) at Alabama
I'm conflicted on this one. On one hand, I feel that LSU is slightly overrated and not really that good. On the other hand, Alabama seems ripe to be messed with a bit, as evidenced by their near-miss against Tennessee. I think the Tide wins, but the LSU defense keeps this low-scoring and close.
Pick: LSU

Oklahoma (-4.5) at Nebraska
This used to be the marquee rivalry in the Big 8. However, the Big 12 for some reason decided to make this rivalry a two-years-on, two-years-off affair, pretty much ruining one of the best matchups. It also doesn't help that they haven't been good at the same time since the 1980s. Both of these teams are very good defensively, but only one is competent offensively. That will be the difference.
Pick: Oklahoma

Ohio State (+5.5) at Penn State
The Nittany Lions come into this game red-hot, having won their last five games since dropping their conference opener to Iowa. The Buckeyes have looked better on offense the last two weeks, but then again, that's not hard against Minnesota and New Mexico State. I have a hard time seeing this Ohio State group winning at Happy Valley.
Pick: Penn State

Connecticut (+17) at Cincinnati
It's been a brutal past few weeks for the Huskies. One of their starting safeties gets stabbed and dies in tragic fashion, UConn loses three games in a row, two in heartbreaking, last-minute fashion. And now they get a Bearcats team that's been killing everything in its path. I don't see this going well for UConn.
Pick: Cincinnati

Duke (+10) at North Carolina
No, this is not a mistake. And no, this is not a basketball game. In fact, this is a surprisingly competitive football game, as the Blue Devils are 3-1 in the ACC and actually tied for first in the loser's column in the ACC Coastal Division. UNC was disappointing under Butch Davis, but is fresh off an upset of Va. Tech last week. I see UNC's talent ultimately winning out, but Duke is going to make this a game.
Pick: Duke

Last week: 4-6
Overall: 43-45-2

Misfired on Upland and Chino Hills last week, among others. And Ayala of course.

Miller at Redlands East Valley
At halftime last week, it looked like we were in for another Miller-REV undefeated clash in the CBL. Then Redlands decided to ruin it by erasing a 20-point deficit to tip the Rebels 28-27. But despite that, this is a very important game in the CBL. The Wildcats lost to Miller 18-15 to give up the CBL title last season and are intent on getting some sort of payback. They will.
Redlands East Valley 34, Miller 17

Rancho Cucamonga at Upland
The rematch of last year's Central Division championship game is basically an elimination game as far as the Baseline League title is concerned. Both have stumbled in recent upsets, with the Cougars falling to Los Osos and Upland losing to Etiwanda and it will be interesting to see which one steps up to the plate. I will go with the defending champs to put a complete game.
Rancho Cucamonga 21, Upland 15

Los Osos at Etiwanda
Gotta do the Baseline double dip this week. While the teams in the above game wonder what might have been, these teams are pointing and laughing at what has become. Etiwanda is the only undefeated team left and can put a hammerlock on things with a win and help, while Los Osos might be the most improved them from game 1 to game 8 in the county. I'll go with the Eagles in a thriller.
Etiwanda 27, Los Osos 23

Colton at San Gorgonio
Normally there might be a letdown for the Yellowjackets after a win like they had against Cajon, as San G is struggling in an injury-filled 2-6 season. But the Spartans upset Colton last year at Colton, leapfrogging the Yellowjackets for second place in league. It's doubtful that Colton has forgotten about that.
Colton 40, San Gorgonio 12

Chino Hills at Ayala
Ah yes, the battle of Chino Hills. There's a lot more at stake than just bragging rights or "The Bone" as both of these teams need to right the ship after upset losses a week ago. The loser of this, especially if its Ayala, will be in trouble, as there's no guarantee than the fourth-place team from the Sierra League will get the Central Division at-large bid. The Huskies seem more battle-tested than Ayala, so that's who I'll go with.
Chino Hills 23, Ayala 13

Silverado at Granite Hills
Silverado is arguably the hottest team in the county without the words "East Valley" in their school name, having won seven in a row to take control of the Desert Sky League. Granite Hills has already had its best year in school history and an upset win here would do wonders for its playoff chances. However, I think Silverado's roll is too much for the Cougars to slow.
Silverado 31, Granite Hills 16

Don Lugo at Colony
The Conquistadores have two legitimate Division I players in George Uko and Steven Bethley. Colony has an entire team of studs it seems. The Titans have been marching over everyone in their path since an opening-week loss to Los Osos and it seems doubtful that Don Lugo can prevent that from happening to them.
Colony 34, Don Lugo 10

Riverside Norte Vista at Summit
This game is basically for second place, as Kaiser as the Sunkist League title basically in its grasp (What else is new) after beating these teams the last two weeks. Of the two games with Kaiser, Summit's was the more competitive. Not sure how much you can read into that, but the SkyHawks seem to have the talent to overcome Norte Vista's physical attack.
Summit 21, Norte Vista 18

Rim of the World at Hesperia
The Fighting Scots have rolled their last two opponents after losing their opener to Serrano and just need to beat the Scorpions to clinch a playoff spot. Despite what has been a tough go of it to date, Hesperia is in control of its playoff destiny even with a loss today. That's good, because a loss is almost certainly going to happen.
Rim of the World 35, Hesperia 10

Twentynine Palms at Big Bear
These two East Valley powers seem to have found themselves after early struggles. The Wildcats have won five in a row since starting 0-4 and would love nothing more than to clinch a league title in Big Bear, which has won its last two and three of four. The Bears spoiled 29's bid for an undisputed league title last year but won't pull the trick twice.
Twentynine Palms 23, Big Bear 16

Other games of note:
Claremont 33, Alta Loma 7
Ontario Christian 28, Arrowhead Christian 17
Aquinas 45, Western Christian 13
Carter 34, Fontana 24
Redlands 38, Rialto 0
Yucaipa 48, Eisenhower 21
Barstow 20, Victor Valley 14
Apple Valley 42, Sultana 14
Chaffey 36, Garey 13
Montclair 38, Ontario 14
Arroyo Valley 45, San Bernardino 23
Cajon 51, Pacific 0
Kaiser 36, Bloomington 6
Glendora 40, Chino 7
Citrus Valley 24, Indio Shadow Hills 15
Oak Hills 48, Murrieta Mesa 6
Serrano 28, Ridgecrest Burroughs 13
Yucca Valley 30, Acton Vasquez 10

Week: 22-6
Overall: 201-55

Not a great week last week. Apparently picking from a hotel room in Tucson doesn't suit me too well.

Denver (+3.5) over BALTIMORE
Cleveland (+13.5) over CHICAGO
Houston (-3) over BUFFALO
GREEN BAY (-3) over Minnesota
San Francisco (+13) over INDIANAPOLIS
N.Y. JETS (-3.5) over Miami
DETROIT (off) over St. Louis
Seattle (+10) over DALLAS
SAN DIEGO (-17) over Oakland
Jacksonville (+3) over TENNESSEE
Carolina (+10) over ARIZONA
PHILADELPHIA (+2) over N.Y. Giants
Atlanta (+10.5) over NEW ORLEANS

Week: 5-7-1
Overall: 54-47-1

I'm nothing if not average as far as college football is concerned. If only I knew which five I'd get every week - I could be rich. But alas, I'm not.

USC (-3) at Oregon
The game of the Pac-10 season by far, as the Ducks have destroyed everything in their path lately while the Trojans have kept winning, albeit in heart-stopping fashion at times. The Trojans have already won in Columbus, Berkeley and South Bend, so there will be no intimidation here. This is a type of game that the Trojans just don't lose, and that's what I'm going with.
Pick: USC

UCLA (+9.5) at Oregon State
Having a chance to watch the Bruins live in Tucson last week was eye-opening. UCLA is really not good, as they couldn't cover despite Arizona giving them five turnovers. The Bruins' best hope is an Oregon State letdown after its close loss to USC, but I don't see it. Easy money for the Beavers here.
Pick: Oregon State

California (-6.5) at Arizona State
The Bears seem to have recovered from whatever swine-flu like disorder plagued it during the Oregon and USC games. But Cal does not do well on the road and while Arizona State is hardly a power this year, they have played pretty well at Sun Devil Stadium. I have a feeling ASU keeps it close.
Pick: Arizona State

Washington State (+28) vs. Notre Dame
This game is being played in San Antonio for some reason, with the Cougars expected to play the role of the sacrifical lamb to Notre Dame. However, Wazzu has been very good at covering obscene spreads. It still gets killed, but killed by less than the spread. Considering that ND revels in closer games, I expect the Cougars to stay within four touchdowns, if just barely.
Pick: Washington State

Texas (-9.5) at Oklahoma State
Good news, bad news scenario for the Cowboys. The good news is that star RB Kendall Hunter will be back from injury but WR Desmond Bryant has been ruled ineligble, which, obviously, is the bad news. Okie State finds creative ways to lose to Texas and likely will again, but they always seem to be heartbreaks. Translation: Take the points.
Pick: Oklahoma State

Georgia (+15) vs. Florida
The "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" is going a bit under the radar this year, with the Bulldogs meandering around .500 and the Gators somewhat struggling despite being No. 1. Florida has owned this series of late, but these Gators seem more like the 2006 champions than the 2008 ones, meaning take the points and watch Florida ugly out another win.
Pick: Georgia

Central Michigan (+5.5) at Boston College
Why am I picking this game? A couple reasons. The first is that its not a very good week for college football in the ACC or Big East. The second is that this is a sneaky-good matchup, as the Chippewas have won seven in a row while BC has been as pesky as it normally is. Central has won at Michigan State and I think they'll win in the Northeast.
Pick: Central Michigan

Penn State (-17.5) at Northwestern
Yeah, its a crappy week in the Big Ten too, with Iowa playing Indiana and Ohio State playing New Mexico State randomly. So I guess this game gets my pick. Penn State impressed by destroying Michigan and could be ripe for a letdown, but Northwestern, although 5-3, just isn't that good. I'll take Penn State to cover and continue its surge.
Pick: Penn State

South Carolina (+6) at Tennessee
The Volunteers lead the nation in moral victories, as the Vols have given Florida and Alabama tough tussles on the road, coming within a blocked field goal of shocking the Crimson Tide. But they are still 3-4 and South Carolina is a pretty darn good team. I think you have to take the points, especially with Tennessee on letdown alert.
Pick: South Carolina

Kansas (+6.5) at Texas Tech
Reason this game is included is because of this awesome press conference rant by Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, which I've added below.

That being said, I expect Texas Tech to be a little more focused this week, which is bad news for Kansas.
Pick: Texas Tech

Last week: 5-5
Overall: 39-39-2

Heading out to Colton in a bit for a rare Thursday night showdown. Missed Barstow-Silverado, the Los Osos upset of Rancho Cucamonga and Arrowhead Christian last week.

Cajon at Colton
This was the game last year where Cajon overpowered Colton in the second half to grab a blowout victory and wrest the San Andreas League title from the Yellowjackets' grasp. Well, it looks like its time for Colton to do the wresting. Cajon has not been very effective against quality competition and Colton is the best team its faced to date. Like the Yellowjackets to roll right now.
Colton 28, Cajon 6

Kaiser at Summit
Another great Thursday night bash, as SoFo goes to NoFo for a matchup that should be dope, yo. Anthony Brown has been running around crazy for the Cats in recent weeks, scoring eight touchdowns in two Sunkist League games. If he can continue that clip of production against a Summit defense that's pitched consecutive shutouts, Kaiser will roll. He likely won't, but I'll pick Kaiser anyway.
Kaiser 24, Summit 16

Redlands at Miller
The first of three titanic Citrus Belt League showdowns from now until the end of the season, as Redlands has won six in a row and Miller has won four in a row. It will be interesting to see how well the resurgent Miller offense does against the stingy Terrier defense. I personally think that Redlands comes in to Miller and pulls one out.
Redlands 20, Miller 14

Upland at Etiwanda
The classic battle between the explosive offense (Etiwanda) and the suffocating defense (Upland). With Rancho inexplicably slipping up to Los Osos, this game all of a sudden is a battle for first place. While Angel Santiago and company are enjoyable to watch, in a battle like this, I almost always go with defense. Upland will choke 'em out.
Upland 21, Etiwanda 10

Colony at Chaffey
The Tigers took it to Colony last year, going to the southside and defeating the Titans to grab the Mt. Baldy League title. You know that the Titans, who have won six in a row, are looking to settle the score and get this rivalry back in their favor. Chaffey will have some success, but this might be the best Colony team that Anthony Rice has had, which says a lot.
Colony 27, Chaffey 14

Ridgecrest Burroughs at Silverado
Having gone up the 15 and blasted Barstow, Silverado - winners of six straight games - can put a hammerlock on the Desert Sky League with a victory against a Burroughs team that has split heart-wrenching games to Barstow and Granite Hills. The Hawks have some pretty solid pelts and are on a huge roll, a roll I don't expect the Burros to stop.
Silverado 30, Burroughs 20

Glendora at Chino Hills
Finally, the cream of the Sierra League crop is actually going to play each other. After two weeks of pretty bad games, this one should be OK. I'm only going with OK because Glendora isn't quite what it's been the last two years. Chino Hills, on the other hand, is looking pretty strong and should have its way here.
Chino Hills 28, Glendora 16

Apple Valley at Rim of the World
It's been a tough two weeks for the Sun Devils, who have lost close games to Granite Hills and Serrano that very easily could be wins. It doesn't get much easier for Apple Valley, as they head up the hill to face a Rim team that traditionally gives it fits. The Sun Devils don't need to win this to make the playoffs, which is good for them, because I see the Fighting Scots fighting on.
Rim of the World 20, Apple Valley 17

Aquinas at Arrowhead Christian
Sort of a weird vibe coming into this game, as ACA is the team that comes in with a CIF ranking while Aquinas hasn't won on the field since Oct. 2. The Falcons aren't winless during that time, as the two-time defending Christian League champions got a forfeit win over La Verne Lutheran, but they want to show ACA that the road to the Christian title goes through them still. They will.
Aquinas 24, Arrowhead Christian 9

Yucca Valley at Twentynine Palms
The De Anza co-champs have been resurgent of late, as Twentynine Palms has won four straight after starting 0-4 while Yucca Valley has won back-to-back games after an 0-5 start. The winner of The Victory Bell takes control of the league championship race and while I like what Yucca has done, the Wildcats take this at home.
Twentynine Palms 28, Yucca Valley 13

Other games of interest:

Chino 48, Diamond Bar 40
Garey 30, Ontario 10
Los Osos 23, Claremont 20
Rancho Cucamonga 45, Alta Loma 0
Redlands East Valley 48, Carter 14
Yucaipa 35, Fontana 20
Rialto 42, Eisenhower 36
Big Bear 21, Desert Mirage 16
Granite Hills 23, Victor Valley 21
Serrano 27, Hesperia 6
Don Lugo 31, Montclair 10
Arroyo Valley 34, San Gorgonio 27
San Bernardino 38, Pacific 20
Ayala 28, Damien 17
Bloomington 35, Jurupa Valley 7
Barstow 28, Sultana 12
Murrieta Mesa 24, Citrus Valley 18
Laguna Beach 30, Oak Hills 24

Week: 26-3
Overall: 179-49

Back above .500 last week. Don't know why it happened, but I'm happy it did.

San Diego (-5.5) over KANSAS CITY
Indianapolis (-14.5) over ST. LOUIS
Chicago (even) over CINCINNATI
CLEVELAND (+9) over Green Bay
Minnesota (+6) over PITTSBURGH
TAMPA BAY (+15.5) over New England
HOUSTON (-3) over San Francisco
N.Y. Jets (-6) over OAKLAND
Buffalo (+7) over CAROLINA
MIAMI (+6.5) over New Orleans
Atlanta (+4) over DALLAS
N.Y. GIANTS (-7) over Arizona
Philadelphia (-7) over WASHINGTON

Last week: 8-6
Overall: 49-40

Back at .500, which feels pretty darn good. Let's get above .500 and make some money - figuratively and not literally of course.

Oregon State (+20.5) at USC
It's safe to say that the Trojans have had this game circled on the calendar for a while, as it was a loss at Oregon State last year that effectively eliminated USC from national title contention. Circumstances have USC is good position despite the Washington loss and this game won't do anything to hurt the Trojan cause.
Pick: USC

UCLA (+7.5) at Arizona
I'll actually be in the house for this game, as the newspaper group is using me this week as a pinch-hitter for UCLA beat writer Jon Gold. Anyway, this will be a tough task for a Bruins defense that's been fleeced by Stanford and Cal the last two games. Arizona's offense has blossomed since Nick Foles has been made the starting QB and will flourish again.
Pick: Arizona

Oregon (-10) at Washington
The Huskies are literally the hardest team to figure out from week to week. Last week it looked like they were a cinch for a cover against Arizona State, tying the game late in the fourth, only to allow a touchdown pass in the final seconds. Cost me by a half-point. Either way, Washington has been tough at home and while Oregon is surging, I'm putting my pick on the gang in purple again.
Pick: Washington

Washington State (+35.5) at California
The bye week apparently cured whatever ills Cal had offensively, as they fleeced UCLA for 45 points at the Rose Bowl last week. That's not a good sign for a Washington State team that's, quite frankly, years away from being competitive. However, Wazzu has covered these large spreads so far, so I'll go with them to stay within, say, 31 points.
Pick: Washington State

Arizona State (+6.5) at Stanford
The Sun Devils and Cardinal represent a pack of 6-7 teams in the Pac-10 that are pretty much equal. It seems like these teams take care of business at home but fall short on the road. It held up last week, as Stanford lost at Arizona in OT and Arizona State pulled out a home win late against U-Dub. I see no reason to pick the road team here.
Pick: Stanford

TCU (-2) at BYU
The battle of the Mountain West season to date will take place in Provo, as the Horned Frogs get a chance to make a national statement with a road victory over a team that's beaten Oklahoma. However, BYU is a tough place to play, the weather could be cold and the Cougars have a potent offense. You can see where I'm going with this.
Pick: BYU

Oklahoma (-8) at Kansas
This is a weird game. Oklahoma is 3-3 but its hard to find five defenses in the country that are better than what the Sooners have. Bad luck and injuries have derailed what should be a BCS-level team in a way that hasn't been seen in college football in quite a while. Kansas, despite losing to Colorado, is no slouch and can score. Not saying that OU will lose, but they seem too snakebit to cover this on the road.
Pick: Kansas

Iowa (+1.5) at Michigan State
Couple of trends colliding with each other in this one. One is Iowa's success as a road dog, as they have won outright as road dogs at Penn State and Wisconsin. The other is a line that's moving quickly in MSU's direction. Last time that happened against Michigan, they covered. However, Iowa seems to win and shouldn't be the underdog in this one.
Pick: Iowa

South Florida (+6) at Pittsburgh
While Cincinnati appears to be the class of the Big East, these two teams - along with West Virginia - are definitely fighting for the No. 2 spot. South Florida missed its shot at Cincy last week, while Pittsburgh came off of a nice win at Rutgers. I sense a bit of a letdown from the Bulls in this game, which should benefit Pitt nicely.
Pick: Pittsburgh

Tennessee (+14.5) at Alabama
The traditional "Third Saturday of October" rivalry games is taking place on the fourth Saturday for whatever reason. Not that it seems to matter. Tennessee, despite a nice win over Georgia two weeks ago, is an inconsistent work in progress and the Crimson Tide have been surgical in winning their first seven games. I expect no less in game 8.
Pick: Alabama

Last week: 5-4-1
Overall: 34-34-2

Dropped four last week, a slight move in the wrong direction from the week before. But I'm feeling a perfect week coming this week. Or I'm coming down with swine flu. Either way, good times for all.

Silverado at Barstow
The Desert Sky League is ballin' this year and this should be the marquee matchup of the league slate. The Hawks and Aztecs played two great games last year in Victorville, with Silverado taking the regular season meeting and Barstow winning in the Eastern semifinals. I like what the Hawks have done during their five-game win streak, but I'm feeling Barstow at home.
Barstow 28, Silverado 24

Miller at Carter
The Rebels have made everyone forget about their 0-3 start (at least everyone but me) by putting the hurt on CBL foes Fontana, Rialto and Yucaipa. Of course, I picked Yucaipa last week, so I looked really dumb. I won't make the same mistake this week, although Carter is much improved from a year ago. Going with Miller to bump its CBL win streak to 12.
Miller 38, Carter 27

Rancho Cucamonga at Los Osos
The Grizzlies may be the best 2-4 team out there, as Los Osos has lost to Vista Murrieta (No. 3, Inland), Upland (No. 2 Central), Redlands (No. 7 Inland) and Riverside North. Unfortunately for Los Osos, it'll be the best 2-5 team out there when all is said and done, as they won't be able to take Rancho, the No. 1 team in the Central Division.
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Los Osos 17

Riverside Norte Vista at Kaiser
Typically the Sunkist is Kaiser, a few other teams, and some other teams thrown in for fun. Norte Vista is usually one of the teams thrown in for fun, but not this year, as the Braves have a perfect 6-0 record and the No. 8 record in the Eastern Division. But they aren't ready to sit at the big-boy table with Kaiser just yet. The battle-tested Cats will overpower Norte Vista.
Kaiser 22, Norte Vista 13

Cajon at San Gorgonio
We know that Cajon can go off on completely overmatched teams and can get throttled by very good teams. San G is somewhere in between, which makes for an interesting matchup. The 2-4 Spartans would love to get a signature victory under first-year coach Ron Gueringer, while the Cowboys want to prove that they can beat a team with a pulse. I'll pick the latter in a high-scoring affair.
Cajon 38, San Gorgonio 28

Garey at Colony
It's really hard to find a game worth picking from the Mt. Baldy League, so I went with this one. The Vikings aren't that bad, beating a decent Pomona team and fending off Montclair last week. But Colony is a darn good team with some pretty good pelts (Chino Hills, Kaiser) mounted on its wall. Garey is intriguing, but not intriguing enough to make me think about this prediction.
Colony 35, Garey 10

Serrano at Apple Valley
The Diamondbacks impressed the heck out of me last week, making Rim of the World tap out due to a physical, unrelenting defense. Apple Valley presents a few more looks than Rim did, as they've expanded their offense a bit past star running back Daryon Mosley. But Serrano has some elite talent to go with its traditional brawn, both of which will be too much for the Sun Devils to handle.
Serrano 28, Apple Valley 14

Chino Hills at Chino
Yeah, the Sierra League slate is that bad this week. It was either this or the Diamond Bar-Ayala game, another 0-6 vs. 5-1 matchup, so I went with the two county teams. I guess I could have gone without a Sierra game at all, but I'm not that mean. I'm not talking about this game much because there's not much to talk about. Chino Hills will win and it will likely be ugly.
Chino Hills 48, Chino 0

Twentynine Palms at Desert Mirage
Left for dead by some after an 0-4 start, the Wildcats have roared back by winning three straight games and not only look like the class of the De Anza League, but a contender in the East Valley playoffs as well. Desert Mirage runs the ball well and could be a sleeper, but I can't see them making this kind of leap just yet.
Twentynine Palms 27, Desert Mirage 11

Yucaipa at Redlands
Yucaipa is in week 3 of the CBL gauntlet, having dropped games to Redlands East Valley and Miller the last two weeks. While its not necessary for the Thunderbirds to beat Redlands to make the playoffs, it would make life a lot easier for Yucaipa. I wouldn't count on it happening though, as Redlands has consistently stepped up its game with each passing week.
Redlands 26, Yucaipa 13

Other games of interest:

Upland 36, Alta Loma 0
Etiwanda 48, Claremont 24
Ontario Christian 27, Western Christian 17
Fontana 41, Eisenhower 30
Redlands East Valley 63, Rialto 6
Yucca Valley 18, Desert Hot Springs 14
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Granite Hills 21
Rim of the World 42, Sultana 7
Chaffey 36, Montclair 12
Don Lugo 31, Ontario 6
Arroyo Valley 54, Pacific 7
Colton 58, San Bernardino 6
Ayala 38, Diamond Bar 13
Riverside Patriot 24, Bloomington 10
Summit 45, Jurupa Valley 3
Arrowhead Christian 20, Huntington Beach Brethren Christian 16
Victor Valley 21, Hesperia 17
Oak Hills 30, Palm Desert Xavier Prep 10
Big Bear 42, Citrus Valley 6

Week: 23-4
Overall: 153-46

Back to .500 this week, which I'll take after getting smacked around in week 4.

Kansas City (+6) over WASHINGTON
Houston (+5) over CINCINNATI
PITTSBURGH (-14) over Cleveland
Baltimore (+3) over MINNESOTA
JACKSONVILLE (-9.5) over St. Louis
N.Y. Giants (+3) over NEW ORLEANS
Carolina (-3) over TAMPA BAY
GREEN BAY (-14) over Detroit
Philadelphia (-14) over OAKLAND
SEATTLE (-3) over Arizona
N.Y. JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo
NEW ENGLAND (-9) over Tennessee
ATLANTA (-3) over Chicago
Denver (+3.5) over SAN DIEGO

Week: 7-7
Overall: 41-34

Another 5-5. I'm consistent if nothing else.

USC (-10) at Notre Dame
On the surface, it seems pretty high, as USC takes a true freshman on the road in a rivalry game against a halfway-decent team. But Matt Barkley has already won at Ohio State and at Cal and quite frankly, Notre Dame's defense is awful. The Irish are a middle of the pack team and USC seems to excel in this matchup.
Pick: USC

California (-3.5) at UCLA
It's hard to believe that Cal is favored in this, as they have been unspeakably awful their last two games. Then again, UCLA isn't very good either, as evidenced by its 0-2 Pac-10 record. I'll grudgingly go with a more experienced Cal team to cover here.
Pick: California

Stanford (+4) at Arizona
Both of these teams seem just on the cusp of great things. However, they are just a little too young or a little too lacking in key areas to really jump up and bite someone of consequence, especially on the road. That last statement should tell you which way I'm leaning.
Pick: Arizona

Washington (+6.5) at Arizona State
On the surface Washington has been an enigma, but their formula is simple - great at home, not so much on the road. Arizona State is generally mediocre and their near-miss at Georgia isn't as cool as it looked originally. I think Washington, even on the road, keeps this tight and maybe wins.
Pick: Washington

Oklahoma (+3) vs. Texas
The Red River Shootout is an interesting predicament, as the No. 3-ranked Longhorns are only a field-goal favorite despite the Sooners having two losses. Makes me wonder if Oklahoma is ripe for a hostile takeover in this series. But I can't see it. I'm going with the Horns to win by a touchdown.
Pick: Texas

Virginia Tech (-3) at Georgia Tech
The Hokies have been straight ballin since losing their opener to Alabama, taking out Nebraska and Miami (Fla) en route to the No. 4 ranking. They get a tough test this week, as Ga. Tech's triple option is tough to stop. I think the Hokies will stand up enough on defense and get some big plays against Ga. Tech's questionable defense.
Pick: Virginia Tech

South Carolina (+18) at Alabama
This could be a bit of a letdown game for Alabama. With a big win over Mississippi last week and a rivalry game with Tennessee next week, South Carolina might be catching Alabama at the right time. Don't think the Gamecocks win, but I think they make the Crimson Tide uncomfortable for a while.
Pick: South Carolina

Iowa (+2.5) at Wisconsin
Iowa has had some close shaves in going 6-0, most recently against Michigan. Wisconsin has gone 5-1, but are coming off a loss to Ohio State where they shot themselves in the foot by throwing two pick-6s. Iowa seems ripe for a loss, but I think they are one of those teams that just finds a way.
Pick: Iowa

Texas Tech (+11) at Nebraska
The best offense in the Big 12 goes against the best defense. The Cornhuskers seem to be back to being "The Blackshirts" as their defense throttled Missouri last week and is giving up less than 10 points per game. Texas Tech scored 66 against Kansas State last week. Both teams will deviate closer to the mean in a competitive game.
Pick: Texas Tech

Arkansas (+24.5) at Florida
Gotta head out to Lake Arrowhead so I'll keep this brief. Tebow goes off and goes off for a lot in this game.
Pick: Florida

Week: 5-5
Season: 29-30-1

Shaved another loss off the old total this past week, putting me down to three. Either I'm starting to get a handle on this season, or some of the teams are deciding to humor me. Guess we'll find out with most of the leagues starting this weekend.

Serrano at Rim of the World
I'll spend my second straight weekend taking Waterman Street up the mountains, as the D-backs and Fighting Scots face off in what should be a doozy. Both teams have great running backs in Serrano senior Dionza Bradford and Rim junior Dillon Pretzinger, but the game might come down to which quarterback can perform well enough to take pressure off the running back. I'm going with an experienced Serrano team in a minor upset.
Serrano 20, Rim of the World 14

Arroyo Valley at Colton
Both of these teams come in with identical 4-1 records, but its safe to say that Colton's 4-1 mark - complete with victories over Kaiser, Palm Springs, La Quinta and Apple Valley - is a little more impressive than Arroyo Valley's conquests over the Alta Lomas and Rialtos of the world. I see the Yellowjackets being a little too much to handle.
Colton 33, Arroyo Valley 16

Los Osos at Upland
This is always one of the more hotly contested games in the county but for the first time since 2005, its not a Brehaut vs. Nunes affair. Los Osos is still passing the ball quite well behind senior quarterback Blake Loncar, but has fallen short in some close games. Upland's played some stifling defense, something I expect will continue in this one.
Upland 21, Los Osos 13

Miller at Yucaipa
If any one is going to challenge the Redlands teams for Citrus Belt League supremacy, its one of these schools. Miller has started league with two routs of CBL underlings while Yucaipa hung with REV for a half before falling 35-7 last week. Both teams can score from anywhere on the field, so this game should be entertaining if nothing else.
Yucaipa 28, Miller 27

Silverado at Victor Valley
The battle for Victorville has been a one-sided affair of late, but this game sees the Jackrabbits coming in 5-0 and ranked No. 8 in the Eastern Division. Silverado is Silverado, winning four in a row after starting its season 0-2. The Hawks also have some big wins, taking out Summit, Palm Desert and Arroyo Valley, and I expect that to help them take this one as well.
Silverado 31, Victor Valley 24

Chino Hills at Damien
If you are Damien, you have to hate life right about now. After playing teams like Rancho Cucamonga, Charter Oak, Bishop Amat and St. John Bosco in the nonleague season, they start league with a very good Chino Hills squad. Perhaps Damien's brutal nonleague death march will help them, but I think the Huskies have a little too much mojo right now.
Chino Hills 24, Damien 17

Riverside Patriot at Kaiser
These teams battled in the season finale last year for the Sunkist League title, a game that Kaiser won going away. I expect much of the same this time around. Kaiser is the best 2-3 team in the county - heck, maybe in Southern California - and Patriot just got slapped down by Victor Valley. Expect the Cats to get in a few shots.
Kaiser 30, Patriot 10

Don Lugo at Chaffey
The Conquistadores, with DL George Uko and DB Steven Bethley, have the star power and three straight wins. But Chaffey had an ambitious nonleague schedule and employs a physical attack that belies its 2-3 record. I think you'll see the defending league champion Tigers triple-team Uko and just pummel the rest of the Don Lugo defenders.
Chaffey 26, Don Lugo 16

Yucca Valley at Big Bear
No one really expected these teams to come in with a combined 1-9 record, as both went to the East Valley quarterfinals a year ago. But as the De Anza League season opens, that's exactly where the Trojans and Bears lie, with a Big Bear victory over Oak Hills two weeks ago being the only non-loss. So it should be intense, though I'll go with the home team to make it two in a row.
Big Bear 23, Yucca Valley 14

Granite Hills at Apple Valley
Another crosstown rivalry in the High Desert that should be infinitely more entertaining than it usually is. Apple Valley has been outstanding offensively over the last two weeks, putting up 67 on San Bernardino and 56 on San Gorgonio, while the Cougars are off to a program-best 4-1 start. Granite is improved and will give the Sun Devils a game, but this will go the way it normally does.
Apple Valley 34, Granite Hills 23

Others games of note:
Etiwanda 40, Alta Loma 13
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Claremont 14
Arrowhead Christian 28, Western Christian 17
Carter 38, Rialto 15
Redlands East Valley 48, Fontana 10
Redlands 46, Eisenhower 12
Twentynine Palms 27, Desert Hot Springs 10
Barstow 33, Ridgecrest Burroughs 27
Hesperia 42, Sultana 13
Garey 28, Montclair 20
Colony 41, Ontario 7
San Gorgonio 55, Pacific 0
Cajon 49, San Bernardino 10
Ayala 44, Chino 6
Summit 34, Bloomington 16
Newport Beach Sage Hill 58, Citrus Valley 6
Aquinas 28, Oak Hills 20

Week: 21-3
Overall: 130-42

I got cocky last week and paid the price. I've learned my lesson and hope to get back above .500 again this week.

Minnesota (-10) over ST. LOUIS
KANSAS CITY (+8) over Dallas
Washington (+4) over CAROLINA
PHILADELPHIA (-15) over Tampa Bay
Oakland (+15.5) over N.Y. GIANTS
BUFFALO (-6) over Cleveland
BALTIMORE (-9) over Cincinnati
Pittsburgh (-10.5) over DETROIT
Atlanta (+2.5) over SAN FRANCISCO
New England (-3) over DENVER
Houston (+5.5) over ARIZONA
Jacksonville (+1) over SEATTLE
Indianapolis (-3.5) over TENNESSEE
MIAMI (+2) over N.Y. Jets

Week: 5-9
Overall: 34-27

Another break-even week leaves me a game short of .500. We'll try to be humble and finally get over the hump this week.

Oregon (-3.5) at UCLA
This game has been another textbook example of a reverse line movement (see Michigan-Michigan State last week) where the majority of the bettors pick one side but the line moves the other way because it gets the big money. The line has gone 2.5 points toward UCLA's direction, mostly because of concerns about Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli's health I'd guess. Still, I have a hard time believing that Kevin Craft is capable of this win.
Pick: Oregon

Arizona (-4) at Washington
Which Washington team will show up? The one that beat USC, lost to Notre Dame in overtime in a game it should have won and the one that gave LSU a run for its money? Or the one that was beat down by Stanford? It's hard to tell how good or bad Arizona is. If the Huskies don't have a hangover from Notre Dame, they should win.
Pick: Washington

Stanford (even) at Oregon State
This game started out with Stanford being favored and even though the majority of bettors are picking the Cardinal, the spread has moved two points in the Beavers' direction. October is typically a good month for Oregon State and while Stanford has impressed, it isn't ready for this win yet.
Pick: Oregon State

Arizona State (-21) at Washington State
Oregon State gave the Sun Devils a bit of a reality check last week, blasting ASU in Tempe. Washington State doesn't need a reality check - it's well aware of how bad it is. It won't get much better for the Cougars this week.
Pick: Arizona State

Florida (-7.5) at LSU
Will Tim Tebow play? That's the huge question coming into this game, as Florida's all-everything quarterback/missionary got a concussion two weeks ago, putting his status up in the air. Either way, this is a lot of change for the Gators to cover, considering LSU hasn't lost in 32 consecutive home night games.
Pick: LSU

Alabama (-5) at Mississippi
The money is going to the Rebels in this one and quite frankly, its time for Ole Miss to put up or shut up. After all the hype it got before the season, it needs to win against what has probably been the nation's most complete team to date to validate it. I don't think the Rebels will win, but they'll go down trying.
Pick: Mississippi

Wisconsin (+16) at Ohio State
A pretty big line considering that the Badgers are undefeated right now. Wisconsin's schedule hasn't been the greatest, but it got a nice win last week at Minnesota. Ohio State has rolled since losing to USC, but I'm not sure it's worthy of getting more than two touchdowns here. I look for the Badgers to stay somewhat close.
Pick: Wisconsin

Michigan (+8) at Iowa
The Wolverines' overtime loss at Michigan State took a little luster off this matchup, even though Gameday will be in Iowa City for it. Weird game, as Iowa won at Penn State but had to escape against Northern Iowa (17-16) and Arkansas State (24-21). I'd expect more of the Penn State effort from the Hawkeyes, though I'm not sure they are potent enough on offense to win this by more than a touchdown.
Pick: Michigan

Boston College (+13.5) at Virginia Tech
Boston College is an enigma to me. They don't exactly have a lot of talent, they don't really recruit that well but somehow, some way, they win games. These teams have been frequent battlers, with BC winning the last two games in the regular season while VT has won the ACC title game battles. I say VT wins this, but its close.
Pick: Boston College

Connecticut (+7) at Pittsburgh
Yes, I know this game isn't good. But I didn't want to pick another SEC or Big Ten game and all the Big 12 games this week were more blah than this one. I don't expect much scoring in this one, as UConn is good at playing ugly while Pitt isn't great at playing offense. Think low score and competitive, which favors the underdog.
Pick: UConn

Last week: 5-5
Season 24-25-1

Much better this week, as I only missed four games. Maybe there's hope for me yet. Who knows.

Redlands East Valley at Yucaipa
Ike actually hung with REV for a half, going into intermission down 21-20. REV did end up winning 69-26, but maybe that performance gives an explosive Yucaipa team some hope. Then again, Yucaipa had to scratch and claw to beat Rialto, so maybe not. Yucaipa will score a bit, but REV will score a lot.
Redlands East Valley 48, Yucaipa 21

Fontana at Redlands
The Steelers were given a bit of a reality check last week, as Miller exposed a lack of Fohi team speed in its 41-16 win. Redlands doesn't have many sprinters playing football, so that should work in Fohi's advantage a bit. But not enough, as the Terriers have steadily improved with each passing game.
Redlands 28, Fontana 6

Colton at Kaiser
You'll need a hard hat to watch this game, as both of these teams will come at you and pop you in the mouth. This is Colton's first road game of the year and Kaiser is looking for its first home win, as the Cats are 0-2 at home and 2-0 on the road. I have been pretty wrong on Kaiser games the last two weeks, so take this prediction with a grain of salt.
Colton 21, Kaiser 16

Silverado at Arroyo Valley
This should be a fun game with two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the area, as Jemeryn Jenkins leads Silverado against a 4-0 Arroyo Valley team led by junior Michael Yearwood. I was going to call Arroyo Valley the Hawks, but Silverado is the Hawks too. I'll go with the home Hawks in what should be a dandy.
Arroyo Valley 30, Silverado 27

Granite Hills at Rim of the World
This matchup of unbeatens provides by far the stiffest test for the Cougars, who have only given up 12 points this season, as Rim - ranked No. 3 in the Eastern Division - has the county's leading rusher and scorer in junior RB Dillon Pretzinger. The Scots also have two straight shutouts. The defense won't get a third, but it'll do enough.
Rim of the World 31, Granite Hills 16

Rancho Cucamonga at Temecula Valley
The Cougars got a week off to get refreshed for their matchup against the Bears, who lost a scorefest with Etiwanda a couple weeks ago. The Rancho passing offense, led by QB Greg Watson and TE Randal Telfer, should go off for some big yards.
Rancho Cucamonga 42, Temecula Valley 23

Etiwanda at Covina Charter Oak
Charter Oak has probably had its fill of Inland Valley teams at this point, losing to Rancho Cucamonga two weeks ago and struggling with Damien last week. Now in comes Etiwanda's explosive offense with QB Angel Santiago and WR Bobby Ratliff. The Eagles will test Charter Oak, but I'll take the Chargers at the end
Charter Oak 36, Etiwanda 31

Aquinas at Twentynine Palms
The Falcons will be foaming at the mouth to play Twentynine Palms, as the Wildcats were the source of both Aquinas losses a year ago, including a 40-0 loss in the East Valley semifinals. Twentynine Palms has struggled a bit with a tough nonleague schedule, but got a win last week. I expect this game to be close, with Aquinas getting a modicum of revenge.
Aquinas 24, Twentynine Palms 19

San Gorgonio at Apple Valley
Interesting game here. The Spartans have lost three in a row, but their last trip to the High Desert was their one win - a 21-6 victory over Hesperia. Apple Valley is coming off its best performance of the season, throwing up 67 points to San Bernardino. This game is basically a coin flip to me, so I'll go with the home team.
Apple Valley 27, San Gorgonio 25

Riverside Patriot at Victor Valley
One of the best stories in the High Desert this season has been the resurgence of the Jackrabbits, who have won The Bell and ascended to a No. 8 ranking in the Eastern Division thanks to a 4-0 record. However, Patriot may be their toughest test to date. I expect the Jackrabbits to pull this one out late.
Victor Valley 24, Patriot 22

Other games of interest:
Carter 45, Eisenhower 32
Miller 38, Rialto 14
Summit 38, Sultana 9
Barstow 51, San Bernardino 22
Menifee Paloma Valley 24, Bloomington 17
Claremont 43, Chino 14
Citrus Valley 17, Lucerne Valley 16
Los Osos 23, Valencia West Ranch 20
Riverside Norte Vista 37, Montclair 17
Oak Hills 23, Pacific 17
Arrowhead Christian 24, Palm Desert Xavier Prep 13
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Hesperia 23
St. Margaret's 48, Western Christian 15
Cerritos Valley Christian 30, Ontario Christian 26

This week: 23-4
Overall: 109-39

So far so good in the pros, with another 10-win week making me feel cocky. We'll see if cockiness turns into covers. If not, I'll just pretend I stink again.

Oakland (+8.5) over HOUSTON
Tennessee (-3) over JACKSONVILLE
NEW ENGLAND (-2) over Baltimore
Cincinnati (-6) over CLEVELAND
N.Y. Giants (-9) over KANSAS CITY
Detroit (+10) over CHICAGO
WASHINGTON (-7.5) over Tampa Bay
INDIANAPOLIS (-10) over Seattle
N.Y. Jets (+7.5) over NEW ORLEANS
MIAMI (even) over Buffalo
St. Louis (+9.5) over SAN FRANCISCO
Dallas (-3) over DENVER
San Diego (+6.5) over PITTSBURGH
MINNESOTA (-4) over Green Bay

Last week: 10-6
Overall: 29-18

For as good as the high school and pro picks have gone this year, college hasn't been so great, as I fell below .500 with my latest performance. We'll get above that mark this week I hope.

USC (-4.5) at California
A tough game to get a read on. USC has hardly set the world on fire since beating Ohio State, but the Bears are coming off a humiliating 39-point loss at Oregon. Will Cal bounce back, or fold at the first sign of trouble? USC doesn't lose many "big" games and I don't see that trend changing.
Pick: USC

UCLA (+5.5) at Stanford
The Bruins are 3-0, but its kind of an uneasy 3-0 after a ho-hum win over a bad Kansas State team two weeks ago. Stanford just pasted Washington and seems to have it dialed in under Jim Harbaugh. This UCLA team did win at Tennessee, but Kevin Craft on the road gives me the willies.
Pick: Stanford

Oregon State (+5) at Arizona State
The Beavers have done their normal September thing, that is, finish .500 or below. The Sun Devils gave Georgia a run in Athens and almost pulled off a pretty decent upset. So pick Arizona State right? Not so fast. Oregon State picks it up midseason, and we are basically at that point.
Pick: Oregon State

Washington State (+35.5) at Oregon
The Ducks came up huge last week, completely throttling California in an unexpected 42-3 ambush. Washington State actually somewhat hung with USC, only losing 27-0. Oregon will win and win handily, but the inevitable letdown keeps the Cougars in covering range.
Pick: Washington State

Washington (+12) at Notre Dame
This line has moved down from an opening of 14, meaning that there's some serious money being thrown at the Huskies. That seems to be for good reason, as Notre Dame has injury issues on offense and Washington has played well against good competition.
Pick: Washington

LSU (+4) at Georgia
The Tigers may be ranked No. 4, but they aren't getting the respect that normally comes from that ranking from the bettors. Probably because LSU has come close to losing to Washington and Mississippi State. I expect Georgia to hold serve at home.
Pick: Georgia

Oklahoma (-7.5) at Miami (Fla)
Apparently Sam Bradford isn't going to play for the Sooners. It hasn't mattered the last two games, as Landry Jones has led Oklahoma to consecutive blowout shutout victories. Miami won't be shut out, and a packed house will ensure a cover in Jones' first-ever road game.
Pick: Miami

Michigan (+4) at Michigan State
This is one of the more drastic line movements I've seen over the span of a week. The undefeated Wolverines started as a 1-point favorite, moved to 2.5 point favorite and have backslid to 4-point dogs to the 1-3 Spartans. The big money feels it knows something, but I have a hard time bending my noodle around this.
Pick: Michigan

Florida State (-3.5) at Boston College
The Seminoles are definitely the schizo team of college football. They lose a classic to Miami, have to come back to beat I-AA Jacksonville State, kill BYU at BYU then throw up a stinkbomb at home against South Florida. BC is pretty nondescript, so I guess I'll go with the Seminoles to alternate to a good performance.
Pick: Florida State

Auburn (+2.5) at Tennessee
The classic matchup of the flashy offense (Auburn) against the hard-hitting defense (Tennessee). The Tigers have been pretty prolific under new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, but they haven't been tested like the Vols will test them. Tennessee can barely complete a forward pass, but they might not need to.
Pick: Tennessee

Better last week, as I only messed up six games. Of course four of those were in my featured 10, so I'm really not sure if I've really gotten smarter. This week starts Citrus Belt League play, so it's starting to get really good. Here are my picks before I head to Fontana High School for tonight's Fohi-Miller tilt.

Miller at Fontana
Before the season, this looked to be a speedbump for the defending CBL champion Rebels, as Fontana had only won five games the previous five seasons while Miller was returning much of their offense. But two Steeler wins and an 0-3 Miller start has made this game pretty key. While Miller had a brutal schedule and Fohi beat SAL cellardwellars Pacific and San Bernardino, its clear that Fohi is improved and Miller isn't. However, I'll pick Miller to survive, albeit barely.
Miller 28, Fontana 20

Carter at Redlands
Another intriguing CBL opener, because for whatever reason, the Lions play well against Redlands. The Terriers barely escaped at Carter 7-6 during their CBL championship season in 2006, lost to Carter at home in 2007 and struggled to beat the Lions last year. The Carter offense has shown explosive qualities, but Redlands has been stingy on defense. I'll take the savvy of Redlands in this one.
Redlands 21, Carter 12

Colony at Kaiser
These teams have both been battle-tested and quality approved, with Colony beating Chino Hills and Diamond Ranch already while Kaiser destroyed Cajon last week. Both teams are feeling confident and have talent to burn. However, Kaiser gave one of the better defensive performances I've seen in my three years here, especially given the quality of Cajon. I expect them to be slightly superior to the Titans.
Kaiser 19, Colony 16

Summit at Silverado
Silverado entertained the heck out of me last Thursday, breaking five touchdowns of 50 yards or more against Palm Desert. After a slow start, it seems as if the Hawks offense is running in full gear. Summit has that capability and while only 1-2, showed well in close losses to Etiwanda and Redlands. Expect some big plays and some crazy athleticism in the High Desert, with the home team prevailing in a classic.
Silverado 35, Summit 30

Hesperia at Barstow
Very interesting litmus test for both of these schools. The Scorpion offense finally broke out against Pacific, but playing the listless Pirates doesn't really compare to facing defending Eastern Division runner-up Barstow. The Aztecs also have something to prove after falling last week to Quartz Hill in upset fashion. Hesperia is improved, but I'll go with a veteran Barstow team at home.
Barstow 30, Hesperia 21

Chaffey at Colton
If there are 10 passes combined between the two teams, I'll be shocked. Chaffey likes to pound the ball with senior RB Ronald Douglas, the county's leading rusher, while Colton has a fleet of backs to excel in the double-wing. The Yellowjackets defense seems to have settled in after a tough opener against Vista Murrieta and will subdue Chaffey enough to pull out the win.
Colton 24, Chaffey 12

Upland at Bloomington
The positive vibes the Bruins got by winning their first two games were mostly eradicated in their 51-0 loss to Corona Roosevelt. It doesn't get much easier for Bloomington, as Upland and its lockdown defense come into town. Tim Salter gets a ton of credit in my mind for reshaping the Highlanders from a big-play, somewhat finesse squad into a hard-nosed physical unit. Bloomington will be heaping praise on Upland as well.
Upland 28, Bloomington 6

San Gorgonio at Chino Hills
After impressively winning at Hesperia in its opener, the Spartans have had a tough time of it in losing to Redlands East Valley and Yucaipa. Now they are going against a team that smacked them twice last year, including 52-13 in the playoffs. Chino Hills bounced back last week with a nice win over Diamond Ranch after losing to Colony the week before and will continue to roll.
Chino Hills 34, San Gorgonio 14

La Quinta at Cajon
La Quinta hasn't had a fun time in the Inland Empire the past two weeks, losing lopsided games to Colton and Norco. They come back again to face a Cajon team who's pride is a bit wounded after being shut out by Kaiser. It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys react to being punched in the mouth and how La Quinta will react to the travel. I'll go with Cajon in a close one.
Cajon 18, La Quinta 14

Indio at Rim of the World
This has all the makings of a beatdown. Indio has struggled after losing the bulk of its 6-4 team a year ago and faces a Rim of the World team that's a bit sore about losing to the Rajahs on the road a year ago. Expect the Fighting Scots to run on Indio early and often, keeping its undefeated start going.
Rim of the World 38, Indio 7

Other games of interest:
Redlands East Valley 55, Eisenhower 0
Yucaipa 48, Rialto 14
Apple Valley 31, San Bernardino 26
Arroyo Valley 34, Alta Loma 10
Ayala 47, South El Monte 3
Granite Hills 30, Cathedral City 17
Etiwanda 45, Chino 6
Pacific 28, Citrus Valley 10
Claremont 38, Ontario 14
Don Lugo 37, Jurupa Valley 9
San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's 42, Ontario Christian 13
Aquinas 28, San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea 13
Serrano 38, Santa Clarita Golden Valley 3
Oak Park 24, Twentynine Palms 13
Victor Valley 33, Sultana 16
Yucca Valley 21, Arrowhead Christian 17
Big Bear 28, Oak Hills 27

Week: 24-6
Overall: 86-35

Another winning week for me, putting up nine wins after getting 10 in week one. I hope this is a trend and not an aberration.

N.Y. JETS (-2) over Tennessee
HOUSTON (-3.5) over Jacksonville
Kansas City (+8) over PHILADELPHIA
BALTIMORE (-13.5) over Cleveland
N.Y. Giants (-6.5) over TAMPA BAY
DETROIT (+6.5) over Washington
Green Bay (-6.5) over ST. LOUIS
San Francisco (+7) over MINNESOTA
NEW ENGLAND (-4.5) over Atlanta
SEATTLE (+2.5) over Chicago
BUFFALO (+6) over New Orleans
Miami (+6) over SAN DIEGO
Pittsburgh (-3.5) over CINCINNATI
Denver (-2) over OAKLAND
Indianapolis (+2.5) over ARIZONA
DALLAS (-8.5) over Carolina

Week: 9-7
Overall: 19-12

Definitely some backsliding this week, putting me with one great week and two terrible weeks. Of course, that has me back at square one. Guess it could be worse.

Washington State (+45.5) at USC
One of these teams is coming off a big victory and the other is coming off a disappointing loss. It's not how you'd think it would go down though, as the Trojans are looking to kill someone after their annual Pacific Northwest nose dive. Wazzu, despite beating SMU in OT last week, will be victimized here.
Pick: USC

California (-5.5) at Oregon
Last time these two teams played here, Oregon fumbled the ball out of the end zone late to lose a heartbreaker. Cal may be as hot as any team in the nation, but Autzen is never easy - especially now that the Ducks seem recovered from the Boise fiasco. The Bears will win, but it'll be rough.
Pick: Oregon

Arizona (+2.5) at Oregon State
Both teams suffered disappointing losses last week, with the Wildcats losing at Iowa and Cincy beating Oregon State in Corvallis. But this about the time when Oregon State starts to put it together. That should be enough against an Arizona team without star TE Rob Gronkowski.
Pick: Oregon State

Washington (+8.5) at Stanford
I wouldn't touch this game with a 10-foot pole. But I'm picking it anyway. The Huskies seem ripe for a letdown after the USC victory, but getting 8.5 points to an average team like Stanford seems a bit much. I have to think that a Washington team that beat USC and hung with LSU can stay within that spread.
Pick: Washington

Arizona State (+12) at Georgia
Whatever you do, prepare for fireworks. Georgia has played some PlayStation-esque games since losing its opener, winning 41-36 over South Carolina and 49-38 over Arkansas. The Sun Devils are a nondescript 2-0, as they've pasted cupcakes. Georgia is no cupcake.
Pick: Georgia

Miami (Fla.) (-3) at Virginia Tech
The Hurricanes, after beating Florida State and Georgia Tech, are the newest (or most retro) hip team in college football, as the 'U' has been declared to be back. If the Hurricanes are back, they have to win at Lane Stadium - one of the roughest environments in college football. Va. Tech will keep it ugly, but the 'U' will continue its surge.
Pick: Miami

TCU (+2.5) at Clemson
With Utah and BYU going down this past weekend, the Horned Frogs are now the sole "BCS Buster" in the Mountain West. A win at Clemson would do wonders for their prospects and its something that TCU, which won at Oklahoma in 2005, is capable of. I'll pick them to pull it off.
Pick: TCU

Iowa (+9.5) at Penn State
If you want some hard-hitting, bloody-nose, old-school football, this is the game to watch. These two teams have wars that aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing (case in point, Iowa's 6-2 win in 2004). The Hawkeyes ruined Penn State's shot at the BCS title game with an upset last year. PSU will get revenge, though not enough to cover.
Pick: Iowa

Arkansas (+17.5) at Alabama
The Razorbacks, with rocket-armed quarterback Ryan Mallett, can pass and score at will it seems. However, their defense is leakier than an 150-year-old ship, getting flossed for 49 points by Georgia last week. Alabama probably won't put up 49, but won't give up nearly as many points as Arkansas needs.
Pick: Alabama

Texas Tech (+1) at Houston
This game should be fun, as the Red Raiders and Cougars score as much as most high school boys basketball teams. Can Houston pull off another win against the Big 12, or can Texas Tech shrug off an emotional loss to Texas and grab this one. I'll pick Houston to represent at home.
Pick: Houston

Week: 4-6
Overall: 15-15

Still losing too many games here, as I went 24-10 in this space last week. It's time to kick some butt and take some names. Here are my picks before I head up to Victorville to see some Palm Desert-Silverado action.

Kaiser at Cajon
The champions of the Sunkist and San Andreas Leagues come together for what should be a physical contest. Last year the Cowboys outlasted Kaiser 10-7 in Fontana but I expect to see many more points this time around, as Cajon is averaging 50.6 points per game. It won't reach that mark obviously, but Cajon should have enough firepower in this one.
Cajon 24, Kaiser 14

Redlands East Valley at Orange Lutheran
This game is huge for REV's perception, as the Wildcats, with a win, can not only get a big win as far as San Bernardino County's reputation is concerned, but can also put themselves in the conversation for the state bowls in December. The Wildcats have the explosive offense and physical defense to get the win. I'll go out on a limb and say they will.
Redlands East Valley 28, Orange Lutheran 25

Rancho Cucamonga at Covina Charter Oak
The Central Division champion takes on the Southeast Division champion in a rematch of last year's 14-14 tie, the only blemish on each team's championship resume. This should be a doozy once again and I think it's supposed to be on TV. Rancho looked really good against Carter last week and I think they'll settle this game in regulation.
Rancho Cucamonga 21, Charter Oak 17

Yucaipa at San Gorgonio
This is an intriguing matchup, as both of these teams have explosive capabilities. The Thunderbirds scored four touchdowns from 62 yards or more in their win over San Bernardino while San Gorgonio has put up some lofty numbers with its new spread attack. I'll go with the home team in a thriller that will see lots of points and excitement.
San Gorgonio 33, Yucaipa 31

Palm Desert at Silverado
After a embarrassing Week 0 loss to Gardena Serra, the Hawks have righted the ship, battling Serrano close and defeating Quartz Hill. However, Palm Desert is potent and will be a tough test for Silverado. But what else is new - Silverado prides itself on painful nonleague schedules. Palm Desert has a little too much oomph right now.
Palm Desert 28, Silverado 17

Diamond Ranch at Chino Hills
The last two victims of Colony get to compare wounds this week. But even with the Colony angle ignored, this matchup has made for some classic games over the last couple of years, with the teams splitting meetings. Assuming Ryan Verdugo and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu are going to play, I'm taking Chino Hills here.
Chino Hills 27, Diamond Ranch 17

Vista Murrieta at Los Osos
Not the best matchup for a Los Osos team looking for momentum after consecutive losses to Riverside North and Redlands. Vista Murrieta is scary good, as they went into Colton two weeks ago and had their way with the Yellowjackets. Los Osos can throw the ball, but that won't be enough against the Broncos.
Vista Murrieta 30, Los Osos 16

Palm Springs at Colton
Kind of a repeat of last week, as a highly-rated Eastern Division squad from the Low Desert comes into Colton. The Yellowjackets disposed of former No. 2 La Quinta 23-8 last week and now face a No. 3 ranked Palm Springs team that it beat with a 100-yard fumble return last year. Such heroics won't be necessary this time around.
Colton 25, Palm Springs 13

Apple Valley at Victor Valley
The battle for The Bell has been an Apple Valley-dominated thing recently, as the Sun Devils have won the last five. However, Victor Valley came within a failed 2-point conversion of winning it last year and have ascended to No. 10 in the Eastern Division polls thanks to a 2-0 start. So who am I going to pick? Apple Valley of course. Don Lugo aside, you don't pick against a streak.
Apple Valley 27, Victor Valley 23

Eisenhower at Arroyo Valley
This is the first meeting between schools that are almost within walking distance of each other on Baseline Road. The Eagles have shown some big-play offensive ability with QB Richard Redd and WR Darron Usher, but the defense has been an absolute sieve, giving up 109 points in two weeks. That won't fly against Arroyo Valley QB Michael Yearwood.
Arroyo Valley 45, Eisenhower 26

Other games of note:

Colony 35, Alta Loma 10
Baldwin Park Sierra Vista 38, Western Christian 29
Riverside Norte Vista 25, Carter 23
Aquinas 42, Citrus Valley 0
Corona Roosevelt 43, Bloomington 20
Ayala 28, H.H. Los Altos 18
Chaffey 31, La Puente Nogales 16
Lancaster 30, Oak Hills 10
San Marcos 34, Ontario 17
Hesperia 38, Pacific 6
Serrano 19, Palmdale Highland 13
Barstow 28, Quartz Hill 14
Granite Hills 34, Rialto 20
Rim of the World 36, Bishop 14
Fontana 37, San Bernardino 31
Palmdale Knight 30, Sultana 12
Temecula Linfield Christian 28, Ontario Christian 23
Banning 27, Twentynine Palms 13
Upland 20, Lancaster Eastside 3
Beaumont 20, Yucca Valley 10

Last week: 24-10
Overall: 62-29

Got off to an awesome start, hitting two-thirds of my picks last week. Let's not jinx this.

Oakland (+3) over KANSAS CITY
Houston (+7) over TENNESSEE
New England (-3.5) over N.Y. JETS
GREEN BAY (-9) over Cincinnati
Minnesota (-10) over DETROIT
PHILADELPHIA (+1) over New Orleans
ATLANTA (-6) over Carolina
St. Louis (+10) over WASHINGTON
Arizona (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Seattle (+1) over SAN FRANCISCO
BUFFALO (-4.5) over Tampa Bay
DENVER (-3) over Cleveland
SAN DIEGO (-3) over Baltimore
Pittsburgh (-3) over CHICAGO
N.Y. Giants (+3) over DALLAS
MIAMI (+3) over Indianapolis

Last week: 10-5
Overall: 10-5

Great week last week, going 8-2 to put me above .500. Looking to keep it up and keep it quick this week.

WASHINGTON (-19.5) over Usc
UCLA (-12) over Kansas State
MINNESOTA (+13.5) over California
IOWA (-4) over Arizona
Utah (+5) over OREGON
OREGON STATE (-1) over Cincinnati
STANFORD (-18) over San Jose State
VIRGINIA TECH (-5) over Nebraska
BYU (-8) over Florida State
NOTRE DAME (-10) over Michigan State

Last week: 8-2
Overall: 11-9

Heck of a lot better performance this week, going 28-10 after the 10-9 montrosity of zero week. Hoping to still cut my losses in half though.

Upland at Serrano
I like matchups like these, as powers from different parts of the county come together for some good football. Both of these teams have been vise-like on defense and inconsistent offensively, meaning that this game could resemble a baseball score. It's hard to pick against Serrano up at Snowline, but I must say I've been impressed with Upland's D thus far. Highlanders win a tight one.
Upland 13, Serrano 10

Redlands East Valley at San Gorgonio
This game is a sneaky-good one, as the two schools both cull players from the Highland area and have talented rosters. But while the Spartans were very impressive in their win at Hesperia last Friday, they are in the building stages of Ron Gueringer's program while Kurt Bruich has a machine going at REV. San G will have its say against the Wildcats, but not in this one.
Redlands East Valley 27, San Gorgonio 13

Chino Hills at Colony
There's no doubting the talent in this game, as Chino Hills is one of the more steady, above-average programs in the Inland Empire while Colony tend to grow Division I talent on trees. The Titans impressed me last week by winning at Diamond Ranch, but like I said for Chaffey last week, beating Chino Hills is an entirely different - and more difficult - matter. I expect Nate Harris to find the end zone for the Huskies a couple times.
Chino Hills 30, Colony 14

Redlands at Los Osos
Two traditionally solid programs battle it out in another CBL vs. Baseline showdown. The Terriers showed some moxie in beating Summit late, but Los Osos doesn't seem to have much of a dropoff in its passing game despite Richard Brehaut moving on to UCLA. Blake Loncar has thrown for 200 or more yards in both games and WR Sean Alston has been his primary target. Look for the two to hook up for some big plays.
Los Osos 24, Redlands 13

Etiwanda at Norco
There's really no debate at this point about Etiwanda's offense - it's darn good. Angel Santiago can pass pretty well, but the strides he has made in the running game are pretty impressive. His 283 yards rushing will be needed, and then some, against a Norco team tht lost a tough 47-44 game to L.A. Crenshaw - the No. 1 team in the L.A. Times top 25. Etiwanda will make some plays, but not enough.
Norco 36, Etiwanda 24

Riverside North at Kaiser
The Huskies have been an absolute irritant to Kaiser the past three seasons, defeating the Cats in all five meetings between the two, shutting them out three times. It's hard to believe that North will shut out this Kaiser team, but its offense could be more explosive than it has been. I think North will make a few more plays in this one against a game Kaiser squad.
North 24, Kaiser 17

Rancho Cucamonga at Carter
The 40-spot that the Lions hung up on Alta Loma in the season opener adds a tiny bit more intrigue than was expected in this game, as Carter seems to have grasped Alex Pierce's spread attack a little bit better. However, Rancho can match Carter's athleticism, if not surpass it, and is well ahead of the Lions as far as overall football acumen.
Rancho Cucamonga 31, Carter 13

Don Lugo at Chino
The battle for the Milk Can has been anything but for the past decade and a half, as the Cowboys have won 17 straight over the Conquistadores in this series. On the surface, this should change, as Chino was bombed by Whittier and Don Lugo has D-I talent in DT George Uko and DB Steven Bethley. But as adage goes, never bet against a streak.
Chino 20, Don Lugo 14

La Quinta at Colton
After losing 26-9 last week to Vista Murrieta, things don't get easier for the Yellowjackets, as La Quinta - ranked second in the Eastern Division - comes calling. However, Colton did beat the Blackhawks handily a year ago and I would expect QB Jordan Mixon to be less nervous and execute the offense a bit better. If he does that, the Yellowjackets should be fine.
Colton 20, La Quinta 16

Aquinas at Riverside Notre Dame
The premier Catholic school in San Bernardino County faces off against the premier parochial program in Riverside County in an annual grudge matchup. You can expect good, physical, well-played football in this game, in which the winner gets possession of "The Holy Shield." I'll go with Aquinas, ranked No. 1 in the East Valley Division.
Aquinas 23, Notre Dame 19

Other games of note:
Arroyo Valley 42, Rialto 9
Ayala 33, Alta Loma 10
Ontario Christian 23, Azusa 20
Paraclete 18, Barstow 15
Big Bear 27, Beaumont 21
Bishop 39, Western Christian 20
Montclair 36, Blythe Palo Verde Valley 16
Cajon 45, Sultana 7
Damien 28, Claremont 26
Bloomington 30, Eisenhower 14
Summit 31, Fontana 14
Granite Hills 30, Pacific 9
Hesperia 23, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs 13
Los Angeles Crenshaw 51, Miller 12
La Puente Nogales 17, Ontario 6
Quartz Hill 27, Silverado 10
Ridgecrest Burroughs 27, Apple Valley 24
Rim of the World 29, Cathedral City 14
Riverside Arlington 26, Chaffey 20
San Jacinto 34, Twentynine Palms 16
Oak Hills 38, Silver Valley 6
Victor Valley 27, Yucca Valley 18
Yucaipa 31, San Bernardino 27
Arrowhead Christian 27, Citrus Valley 7

Week: 28-10
Overall: 38-19

Doing these a bit early because I'm catching a flight to Ann Arbor right after I cover Vista Murrieta-Colton tonight. Considering how bad my high school and college first week predictions were, I'd take these with a grain of salt. In other words, don't put your car note up as collateral on any of these.

ATLANTA (-4) over Miami
Kansas City (+13) over BALTIMORE
CAROLINA (+2.5) over Philadelphia
Denver (+4.5) over CINCINNATI
Minnesota (-4.5) over CLEVELAND
HOUSTON (-4.5) over N.Y. Jets
Jacksonville (+7) over INDIANAPOLIS
NEW ORLEANS (-13) over Detroit
Dallas (-5) over TAMPA BAY
San Francisco (+6.5) over ARIZONA
N.Y. GIANTS (-6.5) over Washington
SEATTLE (-8) over St. Louis
GREEN BAY (-3.5) over Chicago
NEW ENGLAND (-11) over Buffalo
San Diego (-9.5) over OAKLAND

Like with my high school picks, I pretty much stunk in my first shot at the college picks, going 3-7 against the spread. Let's nip that in the bud before whatever credibility I have left gets flushed.

USC (-7) at Ohio State
Everyone knows that the Trojans romped the Buckeyes last season at the Coliseum. Everyone knows that USC kills Big Ten teams with impunity. Most know that Ohio State struggled with Navy last week. However, a true freshman making his first road start at the Horseshoe makes me take the home team here.
Pick: Ohio State

UCLA (+10) at Tennessee
This spread has grown two points since it was originally released, with the betting community being pretty impressed with the Vols' destruction of Western Kentucky. Not sure how good Tennessee really is, but they have a score to settle from last year at the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Tennessee

Purdue (+12.5) at Oregon
It will be interesting to see how the Ducks respond after the LaGarrette Blount-Boise State fiasco. With the Ducks laying an egg, no pun intended, and Blount laying out a Boise defensive player with a straight right, along with a Purdue team that scored 52 coming in, I have to go with the Boilers to cover.
Pick: Purdue

Stanford (+3) at Wake Forest
Got one thing to say about this game - noon Eastern start. That means Stanford will be playing at 9 a.m. Pacific time according to its internal clocks. Cal did that once last year at Maryland and was in a funk, getting down big before losing close late. I see the same thing happening here.
Pick: Wake Forest

Oregon State (-7) at UNLV
Could be a big of a tricky game for the Beavers, who are notoriously slow starters. The Rebels have talented and can nab unsuspecting Pac-10 teams, winning at Arizona State last year. I'll go with UNLV to give Oregon State a headache.
Pick: UNLV

Idaho (+20) at Washington
The Huskies, despite losing their 13th straight game, impressed against LSU, moving the ball at will at times against the Tigers. Steve Sarkisian has U-Dub going in the right direction and they'll break the streak in style.
Pick: Washington

Hawaii (-2.5) at Washington State
This game is not for the faint of heart. Hawaii struggled mightily with I-AA Central Arkansas before winning its opener, while Washington State was beat down by Stanford. I refuse to think that Hawaii is bad enough to actually lose to Wazzu, so I'll go with the Warriors here.
Pick: Hawaii

Notre Dame (-3) at Michigan
Being a Michigan graduate, I'll try my best to take off the homer goggles here. Both of these teams were surprisingly impressive against decent non-BCS conference competition last year, combining to beat their opponents 66-7. This series tends to favor the underdog historically, which is why I'm going with the Wolverines in a coin-flip game.
Pick: Michigan

South Carolina (+7) at Georgia
Whatever you bet in this game, take the under as one of your wagers. This game is always low scoring and hard hitting, as Georgia won 14-7 last year. Both offenses struggled mightily in their openers while the defenses looked good. With Georgia QB Joe Cox gimpy, I'll go with the Gamecocks here.
Pick: South Carolina

North Carolina (-4.5) at Connecticut
This would be an awesome basketball game, as these two programs have combined for four national championships on the hardwood since 1999. Its not a bad football game either, with Butch Davis bringing some talent to the Tar Heels and Randy Edsall making UConn a tough out. I'll go with the better basketball team here.
Pick: North Carolina

I took it in the chin last week, barely finishing above .500 at 10-9. While the first week is hard to judge sometimes, I have to do better than that. Here's to a full slate and winning at least 75%. Cheers.

Los Osos at Riverside North
Life at Los Osos didn't die with the losses of Richard Brehaut and Arby Fields after all. In fact, Blake Loncar made quite a convincing case at QB for the Grizzlies last week, passing for 200 yards and spreading the ball around nicely. However, North is one of the better programs in the area and are tough to beat at King High School. Don't think Osos is quite ready at this juncture.
Riverside North 23, Los Osos 14

Chaffey at Chino Hills
This is a sneaky-good matchup - the best game of the week in my opinion. Chino Hills has some great defensive backs in Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Nate Harris, but the Tigers will keep this game on the ground thanks to RB Ronald Douglas and QB Jacob Ahmad. Chaffey needs a win in a game like this to prove that it can be a player in the Central Division, but that'll be easier said than done against the Huskies.
Chino Hills 28, Chaffey 18

Kaiser at Apple Valley
The Phil Zelaya era at Kaiser starts in the desert, as the Cats head up the Cajon Pass to face an Apple Valley team that returns 16 starters from last year. Of course, Kaiser returns a bunch - including USC commit Anthony Brown and four-star D-I prospect Josh Shirley - and put a beating on the Sun Devils last year. It'll be closer, but the ultimate result will be the same.
Kaiser 30, Apple Valley 13

Glendora at Upland
The Highlanders impressed me with their defense, completely smothering Miller at the point of attack and using the running game to play keep away. Upland isn't flashy, but they could be quite effective. Glendora has been quite effectively offensively and these two teams tend to play classics. I'll go with the home team in a coin-flip game.
Upland 21, Glendora 17

Summit at Redlands
This game lost a bit of luster, as Temecula Great Oak put it on the Terriers last week 24-7. Great Oak may be improved, but losing like that to one of the least effective teams in the Southwestern League isn't a great way to start. Summit gave Etiwanda a run before falling and will get a big victory, in name at least, in this one.
Summit 19, Redlands 13

Colony at Diamond Ranch
The Titans' schedule certainly doesn't do them many favors, as Colony faces the Southeast Division runner-ups in between games against Central Division powers Los Osos and Chino Hills. Gus Viramontes threw for 254 yards against Muir last week for Diamond Ranch and will put up big numbers again.
Diamond Ranch 31, Colony 17

San Gorgonio at Hesperia
Two new coaches hit up programs that have had some recent success, as Jeremy Topete takes over a Hesperia program fresh off an Mojave River League championship and the best two seasons in Scorpion history while Ron Gueringer takes hold of a Spartan team that was second in the SAL. Hesperia won this 34-17 last year and I expect this matchup to be much of the same.
Hesperia 28, San Gorgonio 17

Vista Murrieta at Colton
The best part of playing four straight road games to start 2008 for Colton was that they get them all at home to start 2009. The opener of the Yellowjackets' four-game homestand will be a tough one, as the Broncos are traditionally one of the tougher teams in southern Riverside County. Colton lost a nailbiter last year and will return the favor tomorrow.
Colton 21, Vista Murrieta 19

Serrano at Silverado
Both of these teams are coming off season openers to forget. Serrano was held to a field goal in a 13-3 loss to Paraclete while the Hawks would have killed to have that production, getting blasted 61-0 by Gardena Serra. Serrano was closer to winning and Silverado typically starts out slow, so I'll take the Diamondbacks on the road.
Serrano 35, Silverado 14

Aquinas at Big Bear
This is always a must-see matchup among the small schools, with this year being no different. The Falcons will be making their first appearance under new head coach Nick Matheny while Big Bear is looking to get in the win column after losing a tough game to Simi Valley Grace Brethren. I think the Bears will be looking at two tough defeats.
Aquinas 24, Big Bear 20

The best of the rest:
Los Angeles Franklin 36, Don Lugo 14
Riverside Patriot 45, Citrus Valley 6
Victor Valley 27, Bellflower 10
Alta Loma 21, Carter 16
West Covina South Hills 28, Ayala 20
Bloomington 20, Ontario 17
Bonita 31, Claremont 20
Cajon 41, Eisenhower 7
Redlands East Valley 24, Clovis East 13
Rim of the World 35, Desert Hot Springs 10
Hemet West Valley 31, Arroyo Valley 21
Los Angeles Carson 21, Miller 13
Rancho Cucamonga 34, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs 6
Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 40, Yucaipa 10
Oak Hills 17, Rosamond 14
Ontario Christian 27, Calvary Murrieta 13
Fontana 17, Pacific 6
Montclair 31, Pomona 16
Barstow 38, Rialto 0
Riverside Notre Dame 21, Twentynine Palms 16
San Bernardino 23, Jurupa Valley 17
Palm Desert 37, Sultana 13
Etiwanda 27, Temecula Valley 21
Arrowhead Christian 20, Webb 7
Western Christian 21, Downey Calvary Chapel 14
Chino 25, Whittier 9
San Jacinto 34, Yucca Valley 14
Granite Hills 31, Riverside Rubidoux 0

Back by demand (at least my demand) are my college picks. I'll take 10 games, pick against the spread, and hopefully make myself and all of you a hefty profit.

San Jose State (+34) at USC - With true freshman Matt Barkley making his first-ever start in his first-ever game, 34 points seems to be a little much. Expect USC to keep it simple. Pick: San Jose State

San Diego State (+19.5) at UCLA - Another kind of hefty spread, but I like Neuheisel in year two to roll over Brady Hoke and the mess at San Diego State in year one.
Pick: UCLA

Maryland (+21) at California - After being forced to play at 9 a.m. Pacific time in Maryland last year and losing, Cal is having the Terps play at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Turnabout is fair play.
Pick: California

Stanford (-17) at Washington State - Stanford seems to have things building toward a bowl bid this year. Washington State is basically a dumpster fire at this point.
Pick: Stanford

LSU (-17.5) at Washington - After finishing 0-12 last year, the last thing the Huskies needed was to face a national-title contender in week one. The losing streak continues.
Pick: LSU

Virginia Tech (+6.5) vs. Alabama (Atlanta) - The Tide established themselves as a BCS level team at this site last year, blowing out Clemson. I don't expect a blowout, or much scoring, in this one.
Pick: Virginia Tech

Georgia (+4.5) at Oklahoma State - Apparently Joe Cox, Georgia's starting quarterback, has swine flu. I'm not making that up. That gives the Bulldogs little margin of error against an Okie State team hungry to prove its worth.
Pick: Oklahoma State

BYU (+22) vs. Oklahoma, Dallas - The Cougars and Sooners get to play the first-ever non-exhibition football game in the posh Cowboys Stadium. At least the BYU fans will get big-screen, HD replays of Sam Bradford's five touchdown passes.
Pick: Oklahoma

Missouri (+6.5) vs. Illinois, St. Louis - Ever since these neighbor-state schools started battling each other, the wins have gone toward Missouri. But with no Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin, the Illini have too much Juice (Williams that is).
Pick: Illinois

Miami (Fla) (+6) at Florida State, Mon - These teams are moving back to Labor Day after a two-year absence, apparently forgetting the two visually displeasing season-opening matchups in 2005 and 2006. This one won't be pretty either.
Pick: Florida State

Yes, I realize I still have a few more teams to highlight, but high school football action starts tonight with Colony-Los Osos and Montclair-Ganesha. So we will do our Week 0 picks, where I try to look smart and end up sounding like something else. On that note...

Colony at Los Osos
The namepower of this game is pretty intense, as the Titans are just a season removed from back-to-back Central Division titles while the Grizzlies are just a season removed from three straight Baseline League titles. But both come into 2009 with something to prove.
Colony, which backslid to third place in the Mt. Baldy League last year, needs to show that 2008 was an aberration - not a trend. Los Osos loses quarterback Richard Brehaut and running back Arby Fields and will depend on 6-foot-5 senior quarterback Blake Loncar, who was accomplished at the JV level.
I'll go with Osos on this one due to homefield advantage and general skepticism about Colony.
Los Osos 21, Colony 13

Miller at Upland
Just wrote a bunch about this game for Friday's paper, but the main focus is on two things. First off, how will Miller do with Jeff Strycula taking over for Jeff Steinberg? He has some offensive weapons in QB Juan Flores and RB David Dash, but a new coaching staff plus some drama from the hazing incident leaves questions.
Upland has to replace a three-year starting QB in Josh Nunes (Stanford), RB Davion Fleming (Northwestern) and CB Osahon Irabor (Arizona State), which will be a tough task. How well are they able to do that in the early season?
I'm tempted to pick Upland here, but I have Miller ranked higher. I'll stay true to my rankings at this point.
Miller 26, Upland 24

Summit at Etiwanda
The SkyHawks are stepping up their game a notch as far as nonleague scheduling, with Etiwanda joining Redlands and Silverado on a ratched-up slate. Summit broke through with an 8-3 record last year and have a talented QB duo in juniors Josh Owes and Devon Blackmon, who will see a lot of time at WR.
Etiwanda was a mere point away from upsetting Cajon and had several other close losses in a 5-6 season this year. I'd expect a couple of those losses to turn into wins for the Eagles this year.
Etiwanda 34, Summit 23

Serrano at Paraclete
Ray Maholchic and the Diamondbacks don't exactly screw around during the nonleague schedule and this is no different, as Paraclete won the Mid-Valley championship a year ago. This will be a doozy, as Serrano outlasted Paraclete 35-28 at home a year ago and are going into the Antelope Valley for a rematch.
Expect another classic, but the result to be the same.
Serrano 27, Paraclete 24

Silverado at Gardena Serra
I just got done trumping up Serrano's schedule, but no one has a more masochistic nonleague schedule year in and year out than Silverado. I'm pretty sure if USC has a bye week next year, Carl Posey will be on the phone to Pete Carroll trying to set something up. Ok, I'm overreacting but still, starting with the Northwest Division champions is pretty crazy. Should be a fun game at the very least.
Serra 38, Silverado 26

Redlands at Temecula Oak
The senior-laden Terriers weren't able to fulfill their high expectations a year ago, going 5-6 with several close losses. Redlands will be younger but still should be tough in the trenches, which will be essential against a Temecula Oak team that comes from the tough Southwestern League.
Redlands 19, Temecula Oak 16

Damien at Rancho Cucamonga
A rout of Damien in the opener last year got the Cougars rolling last year, a roll that didn't stop until they won the Central Division championship. Damien has a new coach and a new approach, but that won't matter at all against the No. 1 team in the coverage area.
Rancho Cucamonga 35, Damien 16

Don Lugo at Ayala
If you look at last year, this should be a mismatch, as the Bulldogs were co-Sierra League champions while the Conquistadores couldn't make the playoffs in a questionable Mt. Baldy League. But Don Lugo has the top end talent in DT George Uko and DB Steven Bethley to make things uncomfortable for Ayala. I'm expecting a Bulldog victory, but it'll be tough.
Ayala 23, Don Lugo 17

Rim of the World at Banning
Two years ago, this game would have been a laugher, as Banning was one of the worst teams in the Southern Section. But they had a renaissance last year, sending out Dick Bruich and Kaiser in the first round of the playoffs last year. Against a Rim team that will be feeling its way early, Banning should have its way.
Banning 27, Rim of the World 10

Alta Loma at Chaffey
The Jose Fuentes era at Alta Loma starts with a tough matchup against the physical Tigers, led by RB Ronald Douglas and OL Jesus Cortez. Beating Chaffey is probably a little too much to ask of the Braves at this point.
Chaffey 23, Alta Loma 12

Other games of note:
Montclair 23, Ganesha 18
Big Bear 49, Simi Valley Grace Brethren 31
Cajon 26, Duarte 13
Yucca Valley 24, El Centro Central 20
Chino Hills 30, Lakewood Mayfair 25
Ontario Christian 38, Whittier Christian 17
Twentynine Palms 28, Indio 23
Western Christian 21, Covina Gladstone 6
Ontario 34, La Verne Lutheran 10

Might as well get this over with now. I'm definitely torn though. As a Michigan graduate, the thought of Michigan State winning and talking copious amounts of crap (which Spartans do even when they lose to U of M, there's some chromosomal defect among Spartans that make them immune to humility or rational thought, but I digress) annoys me, but it would also net me $600. Not being independently wealthy, I could use that chunk of change. So there's my moral dilemma. On that note, here we go...

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 North Carolina
On the surface, this should be an easy win for the Tar Heels. Carolina has boatraced through this tourney, winning each and every game by double digits. They embarrassed the Spartans by 35 points in December in Detroit and there's no real indication that they've gotten worse. They can run all day, shoot from the perimeter with Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, have one of the best point guards in the nation in Ty Lawson and have a brawler who can score inside in Tyler Hansbrough - who wasn't at full strength in December.
However, the Spartans will have a lot more of a home court advantage in Detroit this time than they did in December. They'll have Goran Suton back and a deeper bench. And they'll also have confidence, as they've already upset Louisville and UConn in their previous two games. Along with the cliche', tired 'win one for the struggling state of Michigan' storyline that the media is thrusting down everyone's throat and voila, MSU should be a team to be reckoned with.
The Spartans need to win how they did against Louisville, with a slower, half-court tough defensive outlook. If they push the tempo, which they did against UConn, they'll be run right out of Detroit by the Tar Heels. But Tom Izzo already knows that I'm sure.
So can Michigan State win? Sure, if it controls the glass, keeps the pace deliberate and the Tar Heels allow the Detroit green and white frenzy to get into their heads. But will they win? I say no. Roy Williams is no stranger at winning titles in hostile arenas - he beat Illinois in 2005 in front of a decidedly pro-Illini crowd in St. Louis - and I can't imagine that UNC will be intimdated by the surroundings. UNC has the most talented team in the field and they won't be overlooking a Spartan team, despite the earlier blowout, in a game of this magnitude. MSU will keep it relatively close, but too much Carolina in my opinion.
Pick: North Carolina

Last year I picked the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series. So consider that before putting any relevance on this writeup. So now that you are warned, let's get this on.

Well, the Throwdown in Motown is hours away and it should be an interesting duo of battles between two favorites and two upstarts, one of which will hold a pretty serious homecourt advantage. But enough of that.

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Connecticut
And here is the home team. The Spartans will have much of the crowd at Ford Field in their corner, with East Lansing just over an hour from downtown Detroit. That fan support is very necessary, as Michigan State finds itself playing a UConn team that has been extremely consistent and effective throughout the tournament. Missouri took a lead early in the second half against the Huskies, which is the only time that UConn has really been pressured in this tournament.
The best hope that Sparty has (besides the crowd support) is to get Hasheem Thabeet in foul trouble. I feel like a broken record mentioning that, as I'm pretty sure I have for every UConn game, but without Thabeet's 7-foot-3-inch presence, UConn is different inside and Michigan State has the depth in bigs to exploit it. It'll need to, as the Spartans will have a tough matchup on the perimeter against UConn point guard A.J. Price and freshman shooting guard Kemba Walker. I see MSU hanging tough but the Huskies will be too much.
Pick: UConn

No. 3 Villanova at No. 1 North Carolina
When the Tar Heels won the title four years ago, Villanova was the team that came the closest to knocking them off. In fact, a questionable traveling call on Allan Ray in the final minute was the kill shot to the Wildcats as North Carolina escaped with a 67-66 victory. There's no question that Villanova coach Jay Wright has been replaying that final minute, and that near-miss, in his head all week.
As far as this matchup is concerned, Villanova has the guard play to hang with UNC's Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson. The Coreys (Stokes and Fisher) and Scottie Reynolds should be a good matchup for UNC. However, the problem teams face with the Tar Heels is that their scoring can come from anywhere. Oklahoma was able to neutralize Tyler Hansbrough's offense in the regional final, only to be bombarded by Ellington, Lawson and Danny Green. The Tar Heels bring offense from all points and its almost impossible to neutralize it all.
Pick: North Carolina

Went 2-0 today, much to my dismay since the Pitt loss pretty much took me out of a high-money pool I was leading. Hopefully I'll go zero for two today if you catch my drift.

Midwest Regional Final
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Louisville
The Spartans pulled out their bag of tricks to get past defending-champion Kansas on Friday, as point guard Kalin Lucas made a tough and-1 leaner to break a 62-62 tie. If Michigan State hopes to pull the upset, Lucas will have to have a big game, as point guard is one of the few positions that the Spartans have a personnel advantage over the Cardinals.
MSU will also have to slow the Louisville press-and-run attack quite a bit. The Cardinals played their best game of the tournament - and perhaps the best game of any team in the tourney - in killing Arizona 103-64. They are deep, quick, talented and motivated. If they force MSU into turnovers - an occasional bugaboo for the Spartans - the Cards win this going away.
Pick: Louisville

South Regional Final
No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 North Carolina
Just in case anyone was wondering if Blake Griffin was worthy of being the No. 1 pick in this summer's NBA Draft, Griffin has gone for roughly 30 points per game in his first three games. He's going to have to continue that type of production against the Tar Heels, who can score against and with anyone in the nation.
However, the key may be how the Griffins - Blake and older brother Taylor - deal with Hansbrough inside. They have the athletic advantage over the bullish Tar Heel senior and if they can frustrate him, they can keep UNC based on the perimeter. That, plus big performances from guards Willie Warren and Tony Crocker, would give the Sooners a chance. But I don't see it.
Pick: North Carolina

Will we have four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four for the second straight year? The way this tourney has gone, I wouldn't doubt it. But let's see.

West Regional
No. 3 Missouri vs. No. 1 Connecticut
The Tigers opened some eyes Thursday, running and gunning past Memphis while putting up over 100 points in the process. After that performance, which saw Mizzou up by as many as 24 points in the second half, confidence should be high.
But Missouri has never played in a Final Four. And UConn might be playing the most consistent basketball in the tournament to date. Expect Missouri to try to get the Huskies out of their game through the full-court press, but the Tigers will be hard-pressed to contain 7-foot-3 UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. Their best bet would be to get Thabeet in foul trouble and even the odds. Otherwise, the Huskies should win this convincingly.
Pick: Connecticut

East Regional
No. 3 Villanova vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh
Pitt may be the No. 1 seed, but the Wildcats seem to be gathering most of the buzz going into this game. That makes a lot of sense, as Villanova has just wasted Duke and UCLA while the Panthers seem to be ekeing out victories over everyone they play. If you go by how each team is playing, Villanova should be OK.
A couple things could factor in Pittsburgh's favor though. If DeJuan Blair can stay out of foul trouble, he provides a space-eating low-post scoring threat that Villanova has no real counter for. And perhaps like Louisville (which struggled at times in its first two games before destroying Arizona Friday), perhaps the Panthers have a big game in them. They've gotten big individual games from Blair (E. Tenn State), Sam Young (Okla. State) and Levance Fields (Xavier). They need a combo to win this game.
Pick: Villanova

Lots of intrigue in this region, between title favorite North Carolina, Blake Griffin and Oklahoma, the overtime-heavy squad of Syracuse and an experienced Gonzaga squad. Fun stuff if you ask me.

No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 1 North Carolina
The Bulldogs might be one of the more tournament-experienced teams in the field, but they needed Jeremy Pargo to do his best impersonation of Tyus Edney to survive Western Kentucky and make this round. However, Gonzaga is tough being long, athletic Austin Daye, sharpshooter Matt Bouldin and the speedy Pargo.
North Carolina's fortunes are based on how much defense it wants to play. The Tar Heels can score any day of the week, especially with Ty Lawson looking good, but their defensive intensity wanes and leaves them vulnerable during the course of 40 minutes. I'd expect Gonzaga to exploit this and even take a lead into the final 10 minutes before succumbing to UNC's abundance of talent.
Pick: North Carolina

No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
This might be the toughest game to call in the Sweet 16. On one hand you have a Syracuse team that can score in a variety of ways - off the drive (Jonny Flynn), on the catch and shoot (Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins) and inside (Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku). Add in a tough matchup 2-3 zone and the Orange are tough.
Oklahoma, however, has the most dominant player of the tournament in sophomore Blake Griffin. Griffin is a physical specimen and can eat up the Orange down low. However, the Sooner guards have to hit 3s to loosen up the Syracuse zone so they can drive with Willie Warren and hook up Griffin in the post. That's easier said than done though. I like Syracuse's overall balance to win out here.
Pick: Syracuse

I went three for four in my predictions on Thursday, which I'll take every day of the week. Let's see if we can't go perfect today.

No. 12 Arizona vs. No. 1 Louisville
The Wildcats qualify as a Cinderella this year, though its a pretty big stretch to call Arizona an underdog. This "Cinderella" has three potential NBA players in Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger and Nic Wise and have the longest streak of consecutive tournaments made at 25. Many people rued Arizona's inclusion into the field this year, but they seem to have risen to the challenge.
Can Arizona keep its roll on. The Cardinals have struggled a bit in the tournament, taking more than a half to break away from play-in game winner Morehead State and having to fend off Siena late. Louisville hasn't played its best, but its depth and athleticism will get it through to Sunday.
Pick: Louisville

No. 3 Kansas vs. No. 2 Michigan State
This is a rematch of a January matchup in East Lansing won convincingly by the Spartans. It might be harder for Michigan State this time around, as the defending champion Jayhawks looked impressive in outscoring North Dakota State and subduing Dayton. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich has been dominant thus far, though he'll be matched up with a Michigan State team with a lot of big men, though only Goran Suton is a scoring threat.
The big key to the game is how Kansas handles the penetration of Kalin Lucas and if Michigan State can get production from athletic wings Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers and Chris Allen. That happens, the Spartans cruise. If not, MSU struggles like it did against USC. I think Sparty has enough to move on.
Pick: Michigan State

We'll move our focus along to the East Region, which went pretty much to form during the first two rounds. However, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little seed variation here.

No. 4 Xavier vs. No. 1 Pittsburgh
Xavier probably was the most overlooked No. 4 seed coming into the tournament, but the Musketeers proved their chops pretty nicely during the opening weekend, running past Portland State in the first round while toughing out Wisconsin in the second.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has looked vulnerable, as No. 16 seed East Tennessee State pushed them late, as did No. 8 Oklahoma State. The Panthers have also never beaten a team seeded higher than fourth in program history. Will the Panthers break that string? I'm going to go with yes.
Pick: Pittsburgh

No. 3 Villanova vs. No. 2 Duke
For a while there, it looked like my pick of Villanova as a team to watch out was going to go poof in the wind, as the Wildcats were down 14 points in the second half to No. 14-seeded American. However, Villanova righted the ship to cruise past the Eagles and added a rout over UCLA in the second round for good measure.
Duke also looked pretty decent in its two wins over Binghamton and Texas, holding off a charge from a talented Longhorn team. This should be an interesting matchup, as both teams are talented on the perimeter with a wide array of options. However, I think the game could come down to how the big men - Dante Cunningham of Villanova and Kyle Singler of Duke - match up. I kind of like the Wildcats to pull a mild upset here.
Pick: Villanova

After a relatively successful first round of predictions, I'm going to make a stab at it again. It will be a little more conventional this time around, as I'll be going with straight-up predictions from here on out.

No. 5 Purdue at No. 1 Connecticut
You never know how motivated the Huskies will be from game to game, but if the first two games are any indication, UConn is taking the tournament seriously. Sportsmanship was a bit of an issue in the Chattanooga game, but the Huskies were impressive in trouncing Texas A&M.
Purdue, on the other hand, has won its two games in a variety of ways, subduing Northern Iowa in a half-court, possession game while outlasting Washington in a back-and-forth, fast-paced 76-74 donnybrook. Purdue will give the Huskies a game, but UConn is on a roll now.
Pick: Connecticut.

No. 3 Missouri at No. 2 Memphis
This game should be a fun one. Missouri's full-court press, "40 Minutes of Hell" offense can erupt at any time and the Tigers have a bevy of scoring threats led by forward DeMarre Carroll. Memphis, meanwhile, might have the most athletic team in college basketball.
The key to this game will be Memphis' outside shooting. The Tigers have been torrid from 3-point range in their first two games, with Roburt Sallie going for 10 3-pointers against Cal State Northridge and Doneal Mack leading the rout of Maryland. If that continues, then bye, bye Missouri.
Pick: Memphis

The best is saved for last - at least when I let bias leak into my opinion. Let's go down South.

Overall theme:
Is Ty Lawson healthy? All year North Carolina has been regarded as the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, with Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Deon Thompson expected to grab a title before (presumably) going to the NBA. Even when the the top-seeded Tar Heels stubbed their toe, it was generally theorized that they'd be the team to beat.

However, Lawson sprained the big toe on his right foot, keeping him out of the ACC tournament and almost assuredly making him less than full strength for the NCAA Tournament. Who wins this region, and perhaps the national title, might be decided on how Lawson's toe holds up.

Watch out for: Syracuse
Typically I'd see a team like the Orange - a team that played a combined seven overtimes in the Big East Tournament before losing in the final - and declare that they shot their wad emotionally and physically. I definitely would have said that if Syracuse had won the Big East tourney. But their loss to Louisville leaves some unfinished business.

And No. 3 Syracuse has the personnel and scheme to take care of business. Sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn is extremely explosive, Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf can fill it up from outside while Paul Harris and Arinze Onuaku can score in the paint. Add in their always tough matchup zone and the recent flakiness of No. 2 Oklahoma and the Orange could cruise to the elite 8.

Stay away from: Illinois
The No. 5 Illini were a pretty good story in the Big Ten this year, as they emerged from a rare losing season to finish in a second-place tie in the conference. Illinois plays a tough, matchup defense that yields very few points and a lot of confusion. But Illinois comes into the tournament hurting, as senior point guard and floor leader Chester Frazier is out with a wrist injury.

Frazier's defense will be missed, but his ability to find the open man in Illinois' sometimes stagnant offense might be missed more. With No. 12 Western Kentucky, which made it to the Sweet 16 with the exact same seed last year, appearing in the first round, odds are that the Illini's return to the tournament will be a short one.

High risk, high reward: Michigan
You knew I was going to throw these guys in here somewhere, as the No. 10 Wolverines are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. But personal loyalties aside, the Wolverines have a style that could get them on a roll of upsets - or send them to a quick, painful defeat by No. 7 Clemson in the first round.

Michigan coach John Beilein has spun magic in the tourney before, taking a No. 7-seeded West Virginia team to the Elite 8 in 2005 and a No. 6-seed Mountaineer team to the Sweet 16 a year later. The Wolverines are predicated on a funky 1-3-1 zone and a propensity for the 3-point shot. When the 3 is falling, Michigan can assert its pace and beat anyone - as evidence by wins over Duke, UCLA, Purdue and Illinois. When its not, the Wolverines - even with star guard Manny Harris - can look ugly.

Upset special: No. 11 Temple over No. 6 Arizona State, first round
Both of these teams have players that can carry a team just through scoring in Dionte Christmas (Temple) and James Hardin (Arizona State). They both have master strategists as coaches in Fran Dunphy (Temple) and Herb Sendek (Arizona State). It should be an interesting chess match and one of the better first-round games to watch.

I'm picking Temple here because, quite frankly, Temple is playing better right now. The Owls surged at the end of the year to pick up their second straight Atlantic 10 title while the Sun Devils have been prone to lapses in concentration. If another one of those happens, ASU won't be in the tourney long.

Lead-pipe lock: Mid-major powers will have fun...till Carolina takes them out.
Two of the premier "mid-major" programs of the past decade are present in this region. No. 9 Butler plays a talented, but young and somewhat struggling, No. 8 LSU team in the first round. The Bulldogs' tournament savvy should rule the day in that matchup, but they don't have the guns to take down the Tar Heels in the second round.

No. 4 Gonzaga also has its program humming and got hot after a tough start to grab its usual spot as a high seed in the tournament. The Bulldogs should make quick work of No. 13 Akron - which is likely overseeded - and should have the advantage over the Western Kentucky-Illinois winner as well. But Carolina in the Sweet 16 will be the death of the Zags as well.

Today's version of my bracket breakdown goes into the East and South. I wish I had more to introduce, but I don't. Sue me.

Overall theme:
Physicality vs. free-flowing offense. This region brings some teams that like to throw down. No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, with bruising forward DeJuan Blair, will elbow you in the face and smack you down with some brass knuckles. No. 12 Wisconsin is fortunate to get to the 60-point mark but has a tendency to hold its opponents below that number. No. 6 UCLA has been to three straight Final Fours thanks to lockdown defense and No. 7 Texas likes to bang with Damion James, Gary Johnson and 295-pound Dexter Pittman.

On the other end of the spectrum, No. 2 Duke shoots threes all day and has junior Gerald Henderson slash to the bucket, No. 3 Villanova has a bevy of guards named Corey and talented junior point Scottie Reynolds while No. 5 Florida State has a dynamic scorer in senior Toney Douglas. None of those teams have much of a post presence, so it will be interesting to see how they match up with the bruisers, and vice versa.

Watch out for: Villanova
The Wildcats have perhaps the best setup of any team in the tournament during the first two rounds, as they get to play in their hometown of Philadelphia in an arena (The Wachovia Center) where they host games from time to time. How Nova got that prime setup is beyond me, but it allows them a nice passage into the Sweet 16.

From that point on, the Wildcats will likely have a No. 2-seeded Duke that they match up with athletically and might even be superior to inside thanks to Dante Cunningham. Then they'd have a good shot at Big East rival Pittsburgh. Jay Wright has coached teams with less talent and less diversity to the Sweet 16, so there's no reason Villanova can't make a run.

Stay away from: UCLA
The Bruins have had a ton of success in the tournament recently, making it to the Final Four three years in a row. But No. 6 UCLA hasn't been able to turn it on for an extended period of time - either falling into shooting lapses or defensive lapses. It hasn't found a replacement for Kevin Love in the post and freshman guard Jrue Holiday hasn't been the scoring threat that the Bruins expected him to be.

Add that in with a tough No. 11 VCU team that knocked out Duke in the first round two years ago and a virtual road game with Villanova if it survives that and it's foolish to be taking UCLA anywhere.

High risk, high reward: Florida State
The No. 5 Seminoles have two things that typically make for good tournament teams - lots of athleticism and a go-to scorer in Douglas. Douglas averages over 20 points per game and has the complete offensive package - allowing him to take over games and giving the Seminoles an ability to take out any team in the bracket - even No. 1 Pittsburgh - who they'd meet in the Sweet 16 more than likely.

With that being said, No. 12 Wisconsin is a terrible matchup for them in the first round. The Badgers are very adept at taking away a team's best offensive option and forcing its opposition to play at a slow pace. If FSU is sucked into that, it could be bye, bye Noles.

Upset special: No. 12 Wisconsin over No. 5 Florida State, first round
Yes, its kind of a copout after the previous category, but it was either this or VCU over UCLA. Expounding on what I was saying about Florida State, if Wisconsin can take away Douglas, there's no other Seminole that averages double-figure points. Wisconsin has good guard play in Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon and several bigs that can come at the Seminoles in waves. The last time Florida State played a slow-paced Big Ten team it was whipped 73-59 to Northwestern in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. I wouldn't be shocked to see that happen again.

Lead-pipe lock: Some team is getting a monkey off its back
That team will likely be top-seeded Pittsburgh - which has fallen in the Sweet 16 four times since 2002 and has never beaten a team seeded No. 5 or higher in its history. The Panthers set up like Kansas did last year - a talented, well-rounded team with a good coach that has had issues getting over the hump. Don't be surprised if Pitt wins it all.

Of course, Duke might have something to say about it. Say what you will about Coach K and his three titles, but barring a 2004 run to the Final Four, Duke has been fairly ordinary in the tournament in the 2000s, crapping out in the Sweet 16 six times and losing in the first and second round, respectively, the last two seasons. The Blue Devils did win the ACC tourney title though, perhaps serving as a sign of better things to come.

Now to the West Region, which will have its regional finals held in Glendale, Arizona. It will also have some new faces near the top of the regional as well.

Overall theme:
This region will be about putting up or shutting up. The slotting of Connecticut as a top seed was pretty controversial, as the Huskies were the third Big East team to get a No. 1 seed. UConn lost in the first round of the Big East Tournament (albeit in six overtimes) and hasn't won a postseason game - conference tournament or NCAA tournament - since beating Washington in the Sweet 16 three years ago. The Huskies have something to prove.

No. 2 Memphis, who feels that it should have been the top seed, also has a chip on its shoulder. Not only do the Tigers have to deal with the stigma of being from the weak Conference USA, but they also have to deal with their collapse at the free-throw line late in last year's title game that cost them a ring. So if Memphis and UConn make it to the regional final, look out.

Watch out for: Purdue
The No. 5 Boilermakers have been up and down this season, as they were just as capable of losing to Northwestern at home as they were of whipping Big Ten champion Michigan State by 18 points - both things they "accomplished" this year. The volatility that Purdue showed was explained pretty simply - they just haven't been able to stay healthy. Until now.

The Boilermakers were finally at full strength during the Big Ten tournament, with star sophomore Robbie Hummel and defensive sparkplug Chris Kramer finally 100 percent. Not coincidentally, Purdue won the tournament. They have a manageable No. 12 seed in Northern Iowa and can match up physically with No. 4 Washington. They also have the discipline and shooting capability to mess with No. 1 UConn as well.

Stay away from: California
This category could go to a host of teams, No. 13 Mississippi State (the SEC tourney champion - unlikely tourney champions tend to flame out early in the tournament) and No. 4 Washington (struggled a bit down the stretch), or No. 6 Marquette (who I'll address later) but I went with the Golden Bears.

It's tempting to pick a No. 7 seed to win a couple rounds, but Cal is not the one to pick. While the Golden Bears were surprising under first-year coach Mike Montgomery, they faltered a bit down the stretch and are matched up with a No. 10 Maryland team and star guard Greivis Vasquez. Forget about picking Cal to the second round, much less anywhere further.

High risk, high reward: Missouri
I guess its a little weird to have a third seed in this position, but this category has to do with the Tigers' Final Four chances. While UConn and Memphis are getting all of the buzz, Missouri has a chance to sneak through the cracks and make it to Detroit. The Big 12 tourney champions employ a high-intensity, full-court pressing attack reminiscent of Arkansas' "40 Minutes of Hell" under Nolan Richardson.

Missouri also has the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the nation and two talented forward in DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. So where's the risk? The risk is in Missouri's relative inexperience, as it hasn't been to the tourney since 2003, and picking them to the Final Four in a region with two No. 1-seed worthy teams. But a brassy pick here could pay off big time.

Upset special: No. 11 Utah State over No. 6 Marquette
Marquette has the scoring ability to hang with anyone in the nation with seniors Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews along with junior Lazar Hayward. But there's one key player missing in senior point guard Dominic James, who broke his foot late in the regular season.

The Eagles, ranked in the top 10 at one point, lost five out of six since James' injury and have been generally off. They had a similar situation two years ago when McNeal went down and fell meekly in the first round to Michigan State. With a Utah State team that has 29 wins staring them in the face, the Eagles look to be in trouble.

Lead-pipe lock: UCLA won't win the region
That might seem like a "No, duh!!" statement, considering that the Bruins aren't even one of the 16 teams in the region, but the West has been UCLA's playground the last three years - as the Bruins have run through on the way to the Final Four each season. But with no UCLA on the docket, teams like Connecticut, Memphis and Missouri can play a little bit more.

It's my favorite time of the year - March Madness. For once my alma mater (Michigan) is actually participating, so I'm even more giddy than ever. As some of you might know, I did a region-by-region breakdown where I point out several things to look for. These are for recreational use only, so if you lose thousands of dollars based on these picks, don't say I didn't warn ya.

Now to the Midwest

Overall theme:
This region is a who's who of college coaching. As you look through this bracket, a few names jump out - Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo, Bill Self. These three coaches have been to nine Final Fours and have won three championships - with Self getting one with Kansas last year. Two other coaches - West Virginia's Bob Huggins and Ohio State's Thad Matta - have also led teams to the Final Four. If Lute Olson hadn't resigned from Arizona at the beginning of the season, you could add four more Final Fours and one more national title to this group. So sit back and watch these guys in action.

Watch out for: West Virginia
The Mountaineers have consistently outplayed their seed during this decade, starting with their run to the Elite 8 under John Beilein in 2005 and continuing with last year, when the Huggins-led Mountaineers surprised No. 2-seeded Duke in the second round. Seeded sixth this year, West Virginia is in prime position to wreak havoc on brackets again.

The Mountaineers are strong in the frontcourt with DaSean Butler, Alex Ruoff and Devin Ebanks and are fresh off beating then-No. 1 Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament. They should be able to pound No. 11 Dayton in the first round and have a good shot at No. 3 Kansas in round two. If point guard Joe Mazzulla shows up big like he did against Duke last year, a win in the Sweet 16 over Michigan State isn't that farfetched.

Stay away from: Kansas
Yes, I know the Jayhawks are the defending national championship. Yes, I realize they won the Big 12 regular-season crown. But Kansas, despite the heroics of point guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich, are a facsimile of what they were last year. They have overachieved quite a bit this year - which is a testament to Self - but they don't have the guns to make another run.

The last time Kansas overachieved was with a freshman-laden team was in 2006, when they lost to No. 13 seed Bradley and a No. 4 seed. I'm not saying that they'll lose to No. 14 North Dakota State in the first round (though it wouldn't shock me in the slightest - the Bison won at Wisconsin and have a star guard in Ben Woodside who averages 22 points per game), but I have West Virginia gobbling up the Jayhawks in round two.

High risk, high reward: Wake Forest
The fourth seed in this region, the Demon Deacons don't present much of a risk on the surface. Wake Forest has athleticism, talent, depth and can score in bunches. If it gets hot, it can run through the region, beating the Utah-Arizona winner in round two, No. 1 Louisville in the Sweet 16 and whoever comes out of the bottom of the bracket in the Elite 8.

However, Wake Forest is also young and untested in the tournament. The Demon Deacons haven't been to the tourney since Chris Paul was playing in Winston-Salem and doesn't have a player with tournament game experience. Add in a first-round matchup with No. 13 Cleveland State - which won at Syracuse in December - and Wake's run could be quite short if it isn't careful.

Upset special: No. 12 Arizona over No. 5 Utah, first round
Arizona is wearing the title of the team that shouldn't be in the tournament, as the talking heads are killing the Wildcats for getting in the field with a 19-13 record, a non-winning Pac-10 record and five losses in their final six games, instead pining for a mid-major darling like St. Mary's or Creighton.

Teams in this situation tend to come into the tourney with a chip on their shoulder. Case it point was Villanova last year - which was criticized heavily and regarded as the last at-large team in. The Wildcats, a No. 12 seed, did work, upsetting Clemson in the first round and making it to the Sweet 16. Arizona has players with elite talent with recently-healthy Jordan Hill, junior swingman Chase Budinger and guard Nic Wise. If they can put it together, they have the raw talent to take out the Utes, and even the Wake-Cleveland State winner.

Lead-pipe lock: That one of the little guys is going to have big fun
This region may have some potential Hall of Fame coaches in the big seeds, but there are some plucky smaller schools here. North Dakota State, in its first year of tourney eligibility after transitioning from Division II, could easily beat Kansas and won't be intimidated by the Jayhawks. Cleveland State, besides beating Syracuse, has a coach with tourney experience, as Gary Waters led Kent State and future San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates to the Elite 8 in 2002.

That doesn't even mention No. 9 Siena, who toppled No. 4 Vanderbilt as a No. 13 seed last year and definitely has the guns to put away No. 8 Ohio State. The Saints could even annoy No. 1 Louisville in the second round if they beat the Buckeyes. Between the Bison, Vikings and Saints, expect one to be playing on the weekend - and perhaps beyond.

With as fantastically horrible as I have been in the postseason, I almost didn't pick this game. But I figure a season of comic relief (or shaking of the head) needs to be ended well. So here we go.

Pittsburgh (-7) vs. Arizona
Well, I picked Carolina over Tennessee in this game, which shows how incredibly stupid I was this postseason. I'm 0 for 3 on the Cardinals, so one would expect me to go with Arizona here out of pure desperation. But I refuse to do it. If history has taught us anything, it's to bet big on defense. Last year's Super Bowl, where the Giants blitzed and battered the 18-0, NFL-record setting Patriot offense, was another in a long line in examples of this.

The Cardinals have the best wide receiver in the game right now in Larry Fitzgerald, who fittingly went to the University of Pittsburgh. It would be easy to go with Kurt Warner to Larry Fitz in the upset special. But the Steelers have the No. 1 defense in the league for a reason and I think it will be on full display. With James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley providing pass rush, Larry Foote and James Farrior hitting everything in sight and Troy Polamalu cleaning up the mess in the secondary, the Steelers will be unlike anything the Cardinals have seen. Santonio Holmes has emerged as a big-play threat in the playoffs, giving the Steeler offense enough juice to generate some points.

The Steelers, who were the first to win four Vince Lombardi Trophies, will be the first to hoist a sixth later today.

Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 14

I must say that my picks so far have been brutal. If you are using these for anything more than amusement, then stop. Please.

I will press on anyway, just because I'm contractually obligated at this point.

Philadelphia (-3.5) at Arizona
It's the classic matchup between the team on a late-season tear (Philly) against the team that is rallying due to a 'no respect' battle cry (Zona). I've picked against both in both of their games thus far, so I'm probably not the person to ask here. But honestly, can you really see the Cardinals in the Super Bowl? Seriously? I can't either. A Super Bowl victory would cement Donovan McNabb's legacy as a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback and while I'm not ready to call that, I'll take Philly to make it to Tampa.
Philadelphia 28, Arizona 23

Baltimore (+6) at Pittsburgh
To be honest, the best bet in this game is to take the under. The current over/under is 33.5, but with the two best defenses in the NFL, the only way that this game goes over is if the defenses score on their own. With that said, I think the Ravens are being sold short in this game. They are banged up, but the Ravens have been tooth-and-nail with the Steelers in their previous two meetings, losing the last one on a controversial touchdown by Santonio Holmes. I'm getting a 2000 feeling about the Ravens, so I'm calling the upset.
Baltimore 14, Pittsburgh 13

Overall: 149-107-1. Record against spread: 119-135-3.

Well, that was a crappy start to the playoffs for me, as I lost the Colts (who I had going to the AFC title game) along with two other games. Moving on and trying to avoid the doughnut.

Baltimore (+3) at Tennessee
The only winner I did get right, the Ravens are looking a lot like they did in 2000 - dominating, big-play defense with a punishing running game and a unspectacular quarterback who avoids the big mistake. I'm tempted to pick them to beat the Titans, as Kerry Collins doesn't quite breed confidence in me. However, I did pick Tennessee to make the Super Bowl, so I can't go back now. I'll hedge my bet and take the points.
Tennessee 16, Baltimore 14

Arizona (+10) at Carolina
The Cardinals looked good for the first time in a month, as their defense shut out Atlanta's running game and made Matt Ryan look like a rookie, which is pretty rare. But putting that type of effort out two weeks in a row - especially against a well-rested, playoff-tested team like the Panthers - is easier said than done. I'm taking the Panthers big here.
Carolina 28, Arizona 13

Philadelphia (+4) at N.Y. Giants
The weather outside could be pretty frightful, as the New York metro area is supposed to be buried in 6-8 inches of snow between now and gametime Sunday. That bodes much better for the Giants, who have a healthy Brandon Jacobs ready to pound. That rest, plus the revenge factor toward an Eagles win at New York in early December, should be enough.
N.Y. Giants 21, Philadelphia 14

San Diego (+6) at Pittsburgh
Ready or not, the Chargers are coming. They proved me wrong against Indy last week and could give the Steelers a hassle this week. Pittsburgh's D is top notch, but Ben Roethlisberger and the offense have struggled to string together touchdowns offensively. I'll take the home team again, with the road team covering.
Pittsburgh 17, San Diego 13

Overall: 148-104-1. Record against spread: 118-132-3.

I made a nice little comeback last week, but still am guaranteed to finish below .500 for the season. Those are the breaks. We'll see if I can't be somewhat unterrible during the playoffs.

Atlanta (-1) at Arizona
If you took either one of these teams, especially the Falcons, to make the playoffs before the season started you'd be paid off pretty handsomely right about now. However, the NFC West champion Cardinals have been sluggish since winning the NFC West and will be going against Atlanta's bruising rush offense of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. The first playoff game in Arizona (involving the Cardinals at least) will be the last until at least next year.
Atlanta 28, Arizona 21

Indianapolis (-2) at San Diego
The Colts might be the hottest team in the NFL right now, winning nine straight. However, the Chargers aren't that far behind, winning four straight to become the first team in NFL history to make up a three-game deficit to win a division in the final three weeks. In other words, this matchup is two locomotives ready to pulverize each other. The Chargers pulled the upset in Indy last year, but I still don't trust Norv Turner. Going with the Colts here.
Indianapolis 30, San Diego 26

Baltimore (-3.5) at Miami
The Ravens made it here with a rookie quarterback and a great defense, while Miami somehow went from a one-win team to the winners of the AFC East. These teams met in the regular season, with Baltimore romping, and I see much of the same happening in this matchup. Look out for the Ravens as a darkhorse Super Bowl team.
Baltimore 23, Miami 10

Philadelphia (-3) at Minnesota
It's pretty unheard of to see all of the home teams as underdogs. It would be equally as unheard of for the road team to win all four wild card games. The home team will get one, and I believe this is the one. The Vikings run the ball and can stop the run, two prerequisties for playoff success. Plus, the Eagles have been up and down all season. After killing Dallas, they are due for a letdown in the Twin Cities.
Minnesota 24, Philadelphia 17

Here's a quickie forecast for the rest of the playoffs.

AFC
Divisional
Tennessee over Baltimore
Indianapolis over Pittsburgh
Championship
Tennessee over Indianapolis

NFC
Divisional
N.Y. Giants over Atlanta
Carolina over Minnesota
Championship
Carolina over N.Y. Giants

Super Bowl
Carolina over Tennessee

Overall: 147-101-1. Record against spread: 117-129-3.

Edit: forgot to get these out of unpublished mode, that's why they are late.

After two straight winning weeks, I fell back to being crappy last week. Probably for the best.

Oakland (+13) at Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay 28, Oakland 10
Detroit (+10.5) at Green Bay: Detroit 21, Green Bay 17
Dallas (+1.5) at Philadelphia: Philadelphia 23, Dallas 20
N.Y. Giants (+7) at Minnesota: Minnesota 24, N.Y. Giants 19
Chicago (+2.5) at Houston: Houston 31, Chicago 26
Carolina (-3) at New Orleans: Carolina 27, New Orleans 20
St. Louis (+14.5) at Atlanta: Atlanta 34, St. Louis 10
Kansas City (+3) at Cincinnati: Cincinnati 24, Kansas City 17
Jacksonville (+12.5) at Baltimore: Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 9
Tennessee (-3) at Indianapolis: Indianapolis 24, Tennessee 20
Cleveland (+10.5) at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 21, Cleveland 3
Miami (+3) at N.Y. Jets: N.Y. Jets 24, Miami 20
New England (+6.5) at Buffalo: New England 30, Buffalo 17
Seattle (+6) at Arizona: Arizona 27, Seattle 23
Washington (+3) at San Francisco: San Francisco 17, Washington 16
Denver (+8) at San Diego: San Diego 33, Denver 20

Overall: 134-98-1. Record against spread: 106-124-3.

I forgot there was a game tonight. I'm heading out of town for a few days for the holidays, so everyone have a great one.

Pittsburgh (-2) at Tennessee: Tennessee 17, Pittsburgh 13
Miami (-4) at Kansas City: Miami 24, Kansas City 16
Arizona (+7.5) at New England: New England 28, Arizona 20
Cincinnati (+3) at Cleveland: Cincinnati 16, Cleveland 12
Philadelphia (-5) at Washington: Philadelphia 23, Washington 17
San Francisco (-5) at St. Louis: San Francisco 27, St. Louis 16
Atlanta (+3) at Minnesota: Atlanta 21, Minnesota 20
New Orleans (-7) at Detroit: Detroit 27, New Orleans 24 (yeah, I'm an idiot)
N.Y. Jets (-3.5) at Seattle: N.Y. Jets 27, Seattle 21
Houston (-7) at Oakland: Houston 31, Oakland 13
Buffalo (+6) at Denver: Denver 24, Buffalo 20
San Diego (+3.5) at Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay 24, San Diego 17
Carolina (+3.5) at N.Y. Giants: N.Y. Giants 20, Carolina 17
Green Bay (+4) at Chicago: Chicago 16, Green Bay 7

Overall: 126-92-1. Record against spread: 100-116-3.

Likely going to Vegas after covering the Barstow game tonight, so hopefully I have a 10-5 week like I did last week instead of the crap that I've had in virtually every other week.

Green Bay (-2) at Jacksonville: Green Bay 27, Jacksonville 23
Detroit (+17) at Indianapolis: Indianapolis 31, Detroit 16
Washington (-6.5) at Cincinnati: Washington 27, Cincinnati 9
Tampa Bay (+3) at Atlanta: Atlanta 24, Tampa Bay 20
San Francisco (+6) at Miami: Miami 21, San Francisco 17
Seattle (-2.5) at St. Louis: Seattle 17, St. Louis 13
Buffalo (+7.5) at N.Y. Jets: N.Y. Jets 23, Buffalo 16
Tennessee (-3) at Houston: Tennessee 28, Houston 10
Pittsburgh (+2.5) at Baltimore: Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 17
Denver (+7.5) at Carolina: Carolina 31, Denver 26
San Diego (-6) at Kansas City: San Diego 27, Kansas City 23
Minnesota (+3) at Arizona: Arizona 28, Minnesota 17
New England (-7) at Oakland: New England 30, Oakland 17
N.Y. Giants (+3) at Dallas: N.Y. Giants 28, Dallas 21
Cleveland (+14) at Philadelphia: Philadelphia 24, Cleveland 6

Overall: 116-87-1. Record against spread: 92-110-2.

Only a few hours before title games start, so here I go. I did OK last week, just missing Barstow-Silverado.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Upland at Rancho Cucamonga
Just to relieve Upland fans, Josh Nunes is starting at QB. There was a snafu in this morning's Daily Bulletin that ran the Cajon starting lineups instead of the Upland ones. For whatever reason, the correct Upland lineups were run in the Sun. Anyway, I could brag that I predicted this matchup, but the real bragging should go to the teams - Upland for shrugging off the Los Osos monkey and Rancho for continuing its undefeated march. I picked Rancho to win it all and I'm not turning back now.
Rancho Cucamonga 27, Upland 17

EASTERN DIVISION
Perris Citrus Hill at Barstow
Definitely an odd matchup. At one spectrum you have the Hawks, a No. 1 seed that killed everyone in its path before toughing out an 18-15 win over Serrano last week. Barstow, meanwhile, has bucked the odds all year to get to its first CIF title since 2000. Can the double-wing Aztecs pull the shocker? It should be fun in Barstow, but I got Citrus Hill in this one.
Citrus Hill 38, Barstow 26

EAST VALLEY DIVISION
Twentynine Palms at San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's
I should save internet space and not write San Juan Capistrano again, but I did. In talking to their coach, Harry Welch, a few nights back, he was raving about the raw ability and size of the Wildcats, which he should. Twentynine Palms has some serious ballers. But I'm going to stick with the undefeated team here, even if its playing possum a bit.
St. Margaret's 31, Twentynine Palms 23

INLAND DIVISION
Temecula Chaparral vs. Corona Centennial
The Pumas were blasted by Centennial in the semis last year. They were also blasted by Norco in the title game two years ago. Chaparral got revenge on the Cougars last week and are looking to do the same against Centennial this week. But they won't. Centennial rolls to another title.
Centennial 38, Chaparral 10

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Covina Charter Oak at Diamond Ranch
I met Diamond Ranch coach Roddy Layton for the first time Monday. I was expecting him to look like what the Scots expected William Wallace to look like - seven feet tall with an ability to fire lightning bolts from any place on his body. He wasn't quite that, but him and the Panthers deserve a lot of credit for getting to this point after a 1-6 start. That start involved a loss to Charter Oak, which will have Diamond Ranch's number again.
Charter Oak 24, Diamond Ranch 13.

Take these with a grain of salt as always. Or get a good laugh from them.

Cincinnati (+13.5) at Indianapolis: Indianapolis 28, Cincinnati 10
Jacksonville (+6.5) at Chicago: Chicago 27, Jacksonville 17
Houston (+6) at Green Bay: Green Bay 28, Houston 23
Cleveland (+14) at Tennessee: Tennessee 31, Cleveland 6
Minnesota (-10) at Detroit: Minnesota 30, Detroit 10
Philadelphia (+6.5) at N.Y. Giants: N.Y. Giants 28, Philadelphia 14
Atlanta (+3) at New Orleans: Atlanta 31, New Orleans 24
N.Y. Jets (-4) at San Francisco: San Francisco 21, N.Y. Jets 17
Miami (even) vs. Buffalo (at Toronto): Miami 24, Buffalo 16
Kansas City (+9) at Denver: Denver 30, Kansas City 23
St. Louis (+14) at Arizona: Arizona 31, St. Louis 20
Dallas (+3) at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 26, Dallas 17
New England (-7) at Seattle: New England 27, Seattle 13
Washington (+5.5) at Baltimore: Baltimore 21, Washington 13
Tampa Bay (+3) at Carolina: Carolina 27, Tampa Bay 23

Overall: 104-84-1. Record against spread: 82-105-2.

Last regular season slate, as I try to get above .500 prior to bowl season. Here's to it.

USC (-32) at UCLA
Two years ago, UCLA pulled a shocker over a heavily-favored USC team in the Rose Bowl, denying the Trojans a shot at a BCS title game with a 13-9 win. While USC's title chances are pretty slim, you know UCLA will want to mess with the Trojans again. USC, as you would expect, is coming in confident, even willing to forgo a timeout just so it can wear its home uniforms on the road. The Trojans want to make a statement against the Bruins and they will.
USC 42, UCLA 7

Arizona State (+10.5) at Arizona
This game very rarely means much of anything besides pride, as one team is usually very good while the other plays spoiler. Typically, the spoiler is Arizona, but the Wildcats have a chance to sew up their first winning season since 1998 with a win over the Sun Devils, who are playing for their bowl lives. ASU has won three in a row, but those were against the Washington schools and UCLA. I like Arizona big in this one.
Arizona 34, Arizona State 13

Washington (+35.5) at California
Is there any logical reason for this game to be played this week? Why not end the Washington season (which needs to end badly) by playing the Apple Cup and why not end Cal's season with Stanford? This just upsets me. Anyway, as for the game, Washington is trying not to end winless. Whatever.
California 45, Washington 6

Buffalo (+16) vs. Ball State
The Battle for the MAC in the D should be a pretty solid one, as you have a Cardinals team looking for its first-ever undefeated season against a Buffalo team that has been resurrected from the dead, or wherever you consider San Diego State right now. As one would expect, the coaches for these teams (Turner Gill at Buffalo and Brady Hoke at Ball State) will be getting attention from bigger schools with coaching vacancies. I say Ball State wins, but Buffalo makes it uncomfortable for a while.
Ball State 41, Buffalo 30

Boston College (even) vs. Virginia Tech
The ACC title game is a rematch of last year, which Virginia Tech won in front of an embarrassing dearth of fans. With the game in Jacksonville and both schools separated by at least a day's worth of driving, expect a bunch of empty seats for this one. It will be a pretty defensive game, as both of these teams have stout defenses and relatively feeble offenses. BC's offense seems a little more competent, so I'll pick the Eagles.
Boston College 19, Virginia Tech 14

Florida (-10) vs. Alabama
When was the last time an undefeated No. 1-ranked team was a double-digit dog against a team with a loss? I have no idea, and quite frankly, this could be the first. Alabama, despite going through the SEC unscathed, has been left for dead in this game, as the Tim Tebow-led Florida offense is expected to wreak havoc on the Tide, just as it has in every other game since losing to Ole Miss in September. While this screams a Crimson Tide cover, I think Florida is too hot for conventional wisdom.
Florida 38, Alabama 21

Missouri (+16.5) vs. Oklahoma
My views on Oklahoma's place in this game have already been made, so I will step off of that. On the surface, this title game rematch looks like a mismatch, as the Sooners have rolled off at least 60 points in their last four games and Missouri is fresh off giving up 40 to Kansas. But I think the Sooners are due for a bit of a letdown. They rode the momentum of the Texas Tech win against Okie State, but will face a bit of a challenge. I'm not insane enough to pick a Missouri win, but a close loss that will get people complaining.
Oklahoma 39, Missouri 35

East Carolina (+12.5) at Tulsa
I keep going back and forth on this game. That probably makes me kind of lame, as most people don't devote much brain power to the Conference USA championship game, but I could see Tulsa's pass-happy spread going nuts and killing the Pirates by 30-something points. I could also see Skip Holtz and East Carolina keeping this game pretty close. I'll go Tulsa because I don't feel like writing about this anymore.
Tulsa 48, East Carolina 23

Pittsburgh (+2.5) at Connecticut
This would be an awesome men's basketball game, as both the Panthers and Huskies are in the top 5 of the polls. It's not a bad football game either, as Pittsburgh boasts one of the best running backs in LeSean McCoy while UConn has quietly built a solid, if not spectacular, football program. It will be cold and windy in Connecticut, so expect the Panthers to ride McCoy to victory.
Pittsburgh 21, Connecticut 16

Cincinnati (-7) at Hawaii
This game will have the opposite weather of the Pitt-UConn showdown, and quite frankly, the Bearcats deserve a day in paradise after winning a Big East title and Orange Bowl berth. This could be a tricky game for Cincy, as it could be tempted to luau and party, but Hawaii only beat Washington State by 14 last week. That result alone has me picking the Bearcats.
Cincinnati 34, Hawaii 17

Overall record: 101-39. Against the spread: 69-70-1

Fun times in the high school ranks, even with some of my picks last week taking a beating. I went 10-6 this week, sweeping the Inland Division and splitting the other three. Oh well.

CENTRAL DIVISION

No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga at No. 4 Cajon
This should be a good one and after going to each campus this week to talk to coaches and players about it, I'm excited. I won't be covering, but Clay Fowler will have a jolly old time at this one. You have two big-play spread teams, with Greg Watson and his cadre of explosive wideouts carrying the torch for Rancho and RB Walter Kazee doing the same for Cajon. I picked Rancho to win the Central title before the playoffs started, and I have to stick with it. We'll see if Cajon burns me again.
Rancho Cucamonga 33, Cajon 28

No. 2 Los Osos at Upland
Now I will be at this game, which should also be a doozy. I guess its redundant to say that a CIF semifinal game should be good, but I really don't care. What I'm looking to see is if Josh Nunes can break the Richard Brehaut jinx. Yes, I know there are plenty of other players (Arby Fields, Davion Fleming, Osahon Irabor to name three) worth mentioning, but Nunes has never beaten Brehaut. Shoot, even the two schools he verbally committed to (Tennessee and then Stanford) lost to Brehaut's school, UCLA. Upland is hoping that Nunes is due. I'm thinking he is.
Upland 34, Los Osos 27

EASTERN DIVISION

Serrano at No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill
This is where I'll be tomorrow night and quite frankly, the more I read up on Citrus Hill, the more I'm blown away. The Hawks have won all of their games by more than 26 points, average over 50 points a game and have a Division I QB in Caleb Herring and a future D-1 RB in junior Deontae Cooper. Serrano won't be intimidated, having played at Upland and Hesperia this season, but the Diamondbacks will have their hands full. Gotta go with the Hawks, though Serrano will keep it close (relatively speaking).
Citrus Hill 41, Serrano 23

Barstow at Silverado
At the very least, the Desert Sky League will get some major street cred. With two teams facing off, the DSL will get one team in the title game, definitely helping it shed the rep of being the "other" High Desert league. As for the game, its a pretty fascinating contrast in styles, with Barstow's double-wing going against Silverado's frenetic no-huddle spread offense. The Aztecs will need to chew clock to keep red-hot Hawk QB Jemeryn Jenkins off the field. They'll have their moments, but Silverado seems to be on a mission.
Silverado 36, Barstow 20

EAST VALLEY DIVISION

No. 1 St. Margaret's 38, Pasadena Maranatha 27

Fillmore at Twentynine Palms
Both of these teams are surprises of sorts. For the host Wildcats, the surprise isn't that they are here, but the way they destroyed Aquinas to get here. Twentynine Palms had defeated the Falcons during the regular season, so a win wasn't shocking, but a 40-0 whitewashing certainly was. The Flashes were more of the conventional surprise, upsetting No. 2-seeded Brentwood to get here. I think the Wildcats, who have scored 103 points in the playoffs so far, continue to roll.
Twentynine Palms 42, Fillmore 17

INLAND DIVISION

No. 1 Corona Centennial 42, Murrieta Valley 13

No. 3 Temecula Chaparral at Norco
These two teams last faced off in the 2006 Inland finals, with Norco placing a 43-0 beating on the Pumas. Chaparral, making its third straight semifinal appearance, its pretty rough on defense, as they beat Redlands East Valley up front in a 20-0 shutout. Norco has made its living on physical play, so this should be a good one, but I feel Chaparral is due.
Chaparral 21, Norco 10

Last week: 10-6. Overall record: 242-60-4.

Went 2-1 on Thanksgiving. Sweet. Let's keep it up.

Denver (+8) at N.Y. Jets - N.Y. Jets 31, Denver 17
San Francisco (+6.5) at Buffalo - Buffalo 30, San Francisco 21
New Orleans (+4) at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay 28, New Orleans 20
Carolina (+3) at Green Bay - Carolina 24, Green Bay 23
N.Y. Giants (-3.5) at Washington - N.Y. Giants 27, Washington 17
Miami (-8) at St. Louis - Miami 24, St. Louis 17
Baltimore (-7) at Cincinnati - Baltimore 24, Cincinnati 9
Indianapolis (-5) at Cleveland - Indianapolis 34, Cleveland 21
Atlanta (+5) at San Diego - San Diego 27, Atlanta 23
Pittsburgh (+1) at New England - New England 28, Pittsburgh 17
Kansas City (+3) at Oakland - Oakland 24, Kansas City 16
Chicago (+3.5) at Minnesota - Minnesota 23, Chicago 20
Jacksonville (+3) at Houston - Houston 28, Jacksonville 23

Here are six more. Kind of disheveled this week, but its OK.

Notre Dame (+31.5) at USC: USC 38, Notre Dame 14
Oregon (+3) at Oregon State: Oregon State 28, Oregon 23
Washington State (+28.5) at Hawaii: Hawaii 51, Washington State 16
Oklahoma (-7.5) at Oklahoma State: Oklahoma 42, Oklahoma State 27
Auburn (+14.5) at Alabama: Alabama 28, Auburn 9
Florida (-16.5) at Florida State: Florida 38, Florida State 17

I'm being somewhat deficient with my picking. It'll get better this weekend.

UCLA (+10) at Arizona State - Arizona State 23, UCLA 17
West Virginia (-3) at Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh 24, West Virginia 20
LSU (-4.5) at Arkansas - LSU 30, Arkansas 19

Don't really got time to do the whole slate now, so here's the quickie. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

College
Texas A&M (+35) at Texas: Texas 40, Texas A&M 13

Pro
Tennessee (-10.5) at Detroit: Tennessee 34, Detroit 13
Seattle (+12) at Dallas: Dallas 31, Seattle 10
Arizona (+3) at Philadelphia: Arizona 27, Philadelphia 21

Doing this a little early, as I'm off doing the holiday thing for the next two days. Not a bad week last week, though its fair to say that I screwed up games involving public schools in the Redlands Metropolitan Area.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Paloma Valley at No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga
So my upset special wasn't special. Actually, my real upset special was Glendora, but it's all good. Paloma Valley did well, but they'll have their hands full with Rancho, which received quite a scare last week for Colton. Look for Greg Watson and the Rancho passing attack to carry their big fourth quarter over.
Rancho Cucamonga 33, Paloma Valley 20

No. 4 Cajon at Ayala
I was at the Cajon-Etiwanda game last week and it was a hum-dinger, as both teams played their hearts out. The win was big for the Cowboys' psyche, just because they don't have to hear the 'Well, you are just a product of the SAL' talk as much. What they will have to deal with is a darn good Ayala team that can come at you in waves. I picked Ayala before the playoffs and am sticking with that.
Ayala 30, Cajon 27

Glendora at Upland
The jaw-dropping score of the week definitely came from Glendora, which destroyed No. 3 Hemet West Valley. I'll pat my back because I predicted an upset, but I didn't expect the beatdown that took place. Upland beat down Chaffey, which was expected, and plays the Tartans for the third time since last November. Each team has one, and I'm predicting Upland to win the rubber match.
Upland 34, Glendora 28

No. 2 Los Osos at Chino Hills
Richard Brehaut used his legs more than his arm to lead the Grizzlies to victory last week. That's nice, but that ain't going to fly against Chino Hills. The Huskies bulldozed San Gorgonio 52-14 thanks to a monster day from RB A.J. Johnson. Chino Hills keeps plugging along to little fan fare (despite Fowler's exemplary article) and will do so again, "upsetting" Los Osos.
Chino Hills 27, Los Osos 21

EASTERN DIVISION

No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill 36, Palm Desert 25

Serrano at Banning
I'm not going to lie, Banning's win over Kaiser shocked me. I did not see that coming. I guess i should get to know more about Banning, but I don't think they are going to knock off another Eastern power. Serrano trounced La Quinta behind junior RB Dionza Bradford and could very well be the dark horse in this bracket. The Banning story is a good one, but one that will end.
Serrano 28, Banning 14

No. 3 Palm Springs at Barstow
The Aztecs are another one of those teams that doesn't get hype but wins. They can throw three RBs at you in the double-wing and have some massive hombres blocking. But Palm Springs is red-hot and this is pretty much what they do. After whipping Summit, Palm Springs will have its way with Barstow late.
Palm Springs 23, Barstow 16

No. 2 Hesperia at Silverado
Don't look now but the Hawks, who started 0-6, are amazingly still alive and quite a threat behind QB Jemeryn Jenkins. Jenkins is a ridiculous talent, slicing and dicing Patriot for 406 yards last week. However, Hesperia put on a clinic against Notre Dame, barely breaking a sweat in winning 55-27. The rested Scorpions have a little too much sting.
Hesperia 31, Silverado 19

EAST VALLEY DIVISION

No. 1 St. Margaret's at Yucca Valley
Yucca Valley has been an awesome story, recovering from several tattered years to win a De Anza League co-championship and a playoff game. It's a great job Tim Connavo is doing out there. However, this isn't going to be pretty. St. Margaret's hasn't been challenged all year and Yucca, for all their strengths, don't have the ability to.
St. Margaret's 41, Yucca Valley 16

Pasadena Maranatha at Big Bear
The Bears made me look smart, which is hard to do, coming up with the brassy 33-32 upset over No. 4 Santa Paula. It's been a tough year at Big Bear, but you know the Bears will growl at playoff time. I'll be up the hill to watch them take on Maranatha, which is just annoying to type. So I'll predict. I am tempted to take the Bears, but I picked the other team (see what I did there?) last week. Can't change now.
Maranatha 24, Big Bear 20

No. 3 Aquinas at Twentynine Palms
I kind of wish I was at this game Friday, because this one is going to be a war. Aquinas has been rolling over fools this year behind QB Tyler Stirewalt and his merry band of skill-position playmakers, but the Falcons' only loss came to Twentynine Palms - a team that put 63 up on Brethren Christian last week. I expect the Palms to be jumping, but Aquinas to exact revenge.
Aquinas 28, Twentynine Palms 26

No. 2 Brentwood 27, Fillmore 13

INLAND DIVISION

No. 1 Corona Centennial 42, Vista Murrieta 10

No. 4 Miller at Murrieta Valley
The Rebels looked awesome on offense in their 48-21 victory over Roosevelt, gaining well over 500 yards and looking like the juggernaut unit it was last year under A.J. Springer. yeah, Juan Flores and David Dash next year could be mad scary. However, the defense has showed some signs of slippage lately, which won't be helped by Murrieta Valley. I have the Rebels losing a heartbreaker on the road, similar to their loss to Chaparral last year.
Murrieta Valley 28, Miller 23

Redlands East Valley at No. 3 Temecula Chaparral
After impaling the Santiago Sharks, REV looks to take out a Chaparral team that's been hell on the CBL in recent years. The Pumas took out REV two years ago and Miller this year, meaning they have run up quite a tab. The REV offense has erupted lately, but I don't see them evening the bill this week. I will be at the game though to see if I'm wrong and to see if Lindsay Soto is there. I can always hope.
Chaparral 23, Redlands East Valley 19

Norco 27, Riverside North 17

Last week: 26-6. Overall: 232-54-4.

I really should stop publishing my record against the spread. It sucks. But I'm pretty much obligated at this point.

Houston (+3) at Cleveland
Well, Brady Quinn was rolling along, then he gets hurt against the Bills. Houston is scrappy, but I think Cleveland takes this and keeps its playoff hopes barely alive.
Cleveland 27, Houston 23

Buffalo (-3) at Kansas City
I took a shot for the Chiefs last week and fell short. Against a Buffalo team that's lost four straight, I'm taking another one for KC.
Kansas City 24, Buffalo 17

N.Y. Jets (+5.5) at Tennessee
Huge win for the Jets last week in New England and at 7-3, they are red hot. But Tennessee still is unscathed and you know what they say - don't mess with a streak.
Tennessee 20, N.Y. Jets 13

New England (even) at Miami
The winner here remains in good position for a wild-card spot or a divison title - the loser goes into scramble mode a bit. After being shellacked the last time, you know the Patriots have been studying up on the "Wildcat" formation quite a bit. Give Belichick 10 days and good things usually happen.
New England 21, Miami 17

San Francisco (+9.5) at Dallas
Uh, oh TO is starting to get a little anxious. Dallas' offense wasn't great against Washington, but it got the job done. The Cowboys will win this, but it won't be a pretty win.
Dallas 24, San Francisco 16

Tampa Bay (-8) at Detroit
Lions had their shot at Carolina, but a muffed 2-point conversion and a bad interception sealed their fate. I think they'll give Tampa a run, but there's no way you can actually pick Detroit to win straight up.
Tampa Bay 28, Detroit 21

Philadelphia (+1.5) at Baltimore
Well, at least Donovan McNabb knows that NFL games can end in a tie. If there's anything positive that comes out of the 2008 NFL season, its that. Eagles are struggling and I can't see McNabb finding his rhythm against the Ravens.
Baltimore 21, Philadelphia 16

Chicago (-7.5) at St. Louis
The Rams, after a few good performances under Jim Haslett, have gone back to being the Rams of September. That's exactly what the Bears need after a rough trip to Green Bay last week.
Chicago 31, St. Louis 14

Minnesota (+2.5) at Jacksonville
I finally got a Vikings game right last week. So of course they play the Jaguars in a virtual coin-flip scenario this week. I think Jacksonville is a bit more desperate and pulls out the win.
Jacksonville 23, Minnesota 20

Carolina (+1) at Atlanta
Finally I join the Falcons' bandwagon. Finally, the Falcons lose. It's funny how that happens. Well, I'm back off, which means the Falcons have a better shot of winning than they did before I wrote this.
Carolina 27, Atlanta 20

Oakland (+9) at Denver
The Raiders actually gave the Dolphins a tussle last week. However, Denver seems to be getting its mojo back on offense, which is a horrible sign for Oakland.
Denver 30, Oakland 14

Washington (-3.5) at Seattle
The Redskins sure could use a break after two straight home losses. So they go to Seattle and face the feckless Seahawks. I'm all about using the word feckless.
Washington 27, Seattle 17

N.Y. Giants (-3) at Arizona
Brandon Jacobs may be a bit gimpy and Arizona may be a pretty solid team, but its hard to go against the defending champs in this spot - especially in the stadium where they shocked the world and defeated the unbeaten Patriots.
N.Y. Giants 28, Arizona 20

Indianapolis (+3) at San Diego
Well, its officially desperation time for the Chargers. They are at home against a Colts team who they've had great success again, so San Diego will tease its fans one more time.
San Diego 31, Indianapolis 24

Green Bay (+2.5) at New Orleans
Neither of these teams have been able to put a real streak of above-average play together. They both won last week, but I think the Packers are slightly more solid.
Green Bay 28, New Orleans 26

Overall: 87-70-1. Record against spread: 68-88-2.

Kind of a small Pac-10 slate this week, which might not be a bad thing, as I was a gross 3-7 against the spread. Disgusting I know.

Oregon State (+2.5) at Arizona
The Beavers' unlikely road to a Rose Bowl continues against an improved Arizona squad that should be bowling for the first time in 10 years. I'm pretty sure the Rose Bowl committee is crossing fingers, making voodoo hexes and doing whatever it can to prevent Oregon State from winning out. However, the Beavers are going to continue to make them nervous.
Oregon State 31, Arizona 26

Stanford (+8.5) at California
The Cardinal broke through in this game last year, putting the finishing touches on a regular season-ending 1-6 stretch for Cal. Well, Cal has lost two in a row and Stanford is playing for its bowl life. I don't think Stanford will win per se, but I think a cover is definitely in the works.
California 28, Stanford 21

Washington (-7) at Washington State
Besides watching REV graduate Ronnie Fouch trying to pilot U-Dub to its first win, there's no real reason to watch this game. Please, find something else to do. Do some work around the house. Go to the gym. Netflix "Facts of Life: Season 3" and watch that. This game could be the worst in-state rivalry game in the history of the United States. I love hyperbole.
Washington 30, Washington State 20

Texas Tech (+6.5) at Oklahoma
The lastest game of the year in the Big 12 is in Norman this week, as Oklahoma has a prime opportunity to really throw a monkey wrench in the BCS. Texas Tech is a legitimate title contender, but hardly anyone gets out of Norman alive. I see the Sooners pulling away late for the cover.
Oklahoma 38, Texas Tech 27

Michigan (+20.5) at Ohio State
The best rivalry in college football is a footnote this week, as the Wolverines have struggled big-time under first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez. A 3-8 Michigan team has to go to Columbus and play a team it's lost four in a row to and six of the last seven. And they have to do that with a backup, former walk-on QB. I'd like to see this game be close, but its not going to happen.
Ohio State 35, Michigan 13

Michigan State (+15.5) at Penn State
The Spartans still have a chance at the Rose Bowl with an upset win and a Michigan win. Not sure who the Rose Bowl committee would root for here, as Michigan State doesn't have much national panache and Penn State, while more of a national program, has already destroyed Oregon State already this year. It won't matter. MSU doesn't have the panache to take this game on the road.
Penn State 34, Michigan State 17

Florida State (-1.5) at Maryland
The Terps aren't that hard to figure out for most people, having a great record at home and losing to teams such as Middle Tennessee on the road. Of course, I picked against Maryland at home last week, so I'm an idiot. I'm not making that mistake twice, especially against an inconsistent FSU squad.
Maryland 17, Florida State 13

BYU (+7) at Utah
The battle for the Beehive State has huge BCS complications, as Utah is one win away from qualifying for a major bowl. However, that win is going to be a tough one against bitter rival and two-time defending conference champion BYU. The Cougars played very well last week against Air Force and will carry it over for the upset win.
BYU 21, Utah 20

Pittsburgh (+6) at Cincinnati
This game should be more competitive, as least from the Cincinnati perspective, than the NFL matchup between the two cities yesterday. The Bearcats, despite losing their top two QBs for the year with injuries, continue to roll. The Panthers, despite breaking through this year, have Dave Wannstedt as coach. That's enough to make me go with Cincy.
Cincinnati 28, Pittsburgh 17

Mississippi (+3.5) at LSU
LSU was down 28 to Troy last week before coming back to win. There are a couple of ways to look at it. a) LSU is a team with some crazy resilience or b) LSU has some issues. I'm going with B this week against a Rebels team that actually somehow beat Florida. That alone has me whistling Dixie, or whatever comes closest to that without actually whistling.
Mississippi 28, LSU 24

Overall record: 86-34. Against the spread: 59-60-1

Leaving the biggest division for last (not for any build-up, just for alphabetizing's sake), here are my Inland Division picks, both for this week and the future.

Yucaipa at No. 1 Corona Centennial
The prediction here is pain. Yucaipa did a good job under first-year coach John Hallenbeck to make it this far, but they are playing against a team that is among the elite nationally. Centennial has a linebacker going to USC, a wideout going to UCLA, a quarterback going to Nebraska and several others with D-1 aspirations. It will be tough for Yucaipa to stay within 40.
Centennial 56, Yucaipa 7

Roosevelt at Miller
The Rebels have never really been given their props this year. They are one of those "yeah, but" teams. Miller is 10-0. Yeah, but the CBL was kind of weak this year. Miller has a great defense. Yeah, but have the honestly played against real offenses? And so on and so forth. This week, Roosevelt is a yeah, but team, as their 6-4 record will be propped up by a "Yeah, but they play in the Big VIII." I'm not betting against a disrespected Miller team.
Miller 27, Roosevelt 10

Corona Santiago at Redlands East Valley
A tasty rematch of last year's Inland semifinal, won by the Sharks in upset fashion. A repeat wouldn't be nearly as surprising this year, as the 9-1 Wildcats just don't have the firepower that they've had the last two years. The defense has done a wonderful job of keeping the Wildcats in the win column, but Santiago isn't going to be intimidated.
Santiago 20, Redlands East Valley 17

Redlands at Riverside North
This could be the most even, most intriguing matchup. Redlands may be the second-best team in the CBL (they'll admit that they should have won the REV game) and they have a star RB in Cam Phillips. North has won two straight CIF titles in the Eastern Division, but this division is a drastic step up. I have a feeling that the Terriers are going to pull a minor upset here.
Redlands 23, North 21

Other games of note:
No. 2 Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 27, Norco 9
No. 3 Temecula Chaparral 31, Moreno Valley Vista del Lago 10
Murrieta Valley 28, Riverside Arlington 6
Vista Murrieta 27, Moreno Valley 21

Quarterfinals
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Vista Murrieta
Murrieta Valley over Miller
No. 2 Rancho Verde over Redlands
No. 3 Chaparral over Santiago

Semifinals
No. 1 Corona Centennial over Murrieta Valley
No. 3 Chaparral over No. 2 Rancho Verde

Final
No. 1 Corona Centennial over No. 3 Chaparral

Same drill as the other two leagues. In-depth first-round predictions here, then a quick prediction for the rest of the bracket.

Arrowhead Christian at No. 2 Brentwood
Just getting to the playoffs is huge for the Eagles, as Wayne Cochrun was faced with a heck of a rebuilding project when he arrived at ACA three years ago. This is definitely a huge step for the program. Unfortunately, its the only step. Brentwood is quite good, they'll be at home and it's where O.J. Simpson used to live. Ok, that last point is irrelevant, but my prediction isn't.
Brentwood 38, Arrowhead Christian 13

Kern Valley at No. 3 Aquinas
I really don't see how Aquinas loses this game. The Falcons have been something to behold this year, with the QB-WR combo of Tyler Stirewalt and Jim Jones really giving them a shot in the arm. Kern Valley is going to need a lot more than a shot in the arm to hang with this Aquinas team.
Aquinas 42, Kern Valley 17

Big Bear at No. 4 Santa Paula
It's hard to get a read on the Bears. They definitely have the pedigree to make a run in the playoffs, with a CIF title two years ago and a narrow loss to Citrus Hill last year, but due to injuries and inconsistency, haven't quite been able to get in full stride. Since they lost last week, I think Big Bear is capable of upsetting Santa Paula.
Big Bear 24, Santa Paula 21

Ontario Christian at Pasadena Maranatha
Two of the bigger names in this division take the stage tonight. It's been a struggle for the Knights, who have had plenty of growing pains in the transition to the spread offense. While Ontario Christian, with QB Andrew Lachelt, should be awesome next year, it hasn't been all that this year. And won't tonight.
Maranatha 26, Ontario Christian 16

Huntington Beach Brethren Christian at Twentynine Palms
Everyone wants Twentynine Palms to win this, just to set up a great quarterfinal game with Aquinas. Ok, maybe not everyone, but that game certainly would be easy for County football fans to get up for. Brethren Christian is 4-6, but did beat ACA in the regular season. However, the Wildcats are better than ACA. Get the hype going, as 29 and Aquinas are on a collison course.
Twentynine Palms 34, Brethren Christian 12

Yucca Valley at Bishop
It's been a fun year for the Trojans, who surprisingly emerged from near the bottom of the De Anza League to grab second place and a playoff berth. Now, they'll have a fun trip to Bishop. To be honest, I have no idea what roads you would take for that. If Yucca gets there, it should be all set for a good, solid game, though I'll take a more playoff-tested Bishop squad.
Bishop 20, Yucca Valley 15

Other games of note:
No. 1 St. Margaret's 43, North Hollywood Campbell Hall 14
Fillmore 24, Desert 20

Quarterfinals
No. 1 St. Margaret's over Bishop
Maranatha over Big Bear
No. 2 Brentwood over Fillmore
No. 3 Aquinas over Twentynine Palms

Semifinals
No. 1 St. Margaret's over Maranatha
No. 3 Aquinas over No. 2 Brentwood

Final
No. 1 St. Margaret's over No. 3 Aquinas

This is another division with huge local representation, as the High Desert schools and Sunkist League go at it here.

Rim of the World at No. 1 Perris Citrus Hill
It's impressive that the Fighting Scots are here, having made a 21-point second-half comeback at Apple Valley to do it. But Citrus Hill, with QB Caleb Herring having committed to UNLV and RB Deontae Cooper receiving D-1 interest as a junior, has way too much firepower. This will be like a 16-1 matchup you'd see in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Citrus Hill 48, Rim of the World 6

Riverside Notre Dame at No. 2 Hesperia
Speaking of Division I players, Notre Dame probably wishes it had RB Kenjon Barner, now a freshman at Oregon, back this year. The Titans will have a hard time matching up with Hesperia's physicality up front. And the Scorpions, with RB Gavin Santos and WR Jay Waddell, can beat you up top too.
Hesperia 38, Notre Dame 7

Summit at No. 3 Palm Springs
A lot of people are calling this upset. Ok, well maybe one reader, but still, this is an interesting matchup. The SkyHawks are young, but have a lot of speed, athleticism and moxie, as evidenced by their comebacks against Norte Vista and Bloomington. Palm Springs may be lacking in the speed department, but the Indians have size. Its that size that will make the difference late.
Palm Springs 23, Summit 20

Banning at No. 4 Kaiser
The Dick Bruich watch is going on, as any game could be the last for the legendary coach. But it won't be this game. Kaiser hasn't lost in six straight games and are coming off a dominating 435 rushing-yard performance against Riverside Patriot. Banning, which was 0-10 two years ago, is a great story, but it won't be the team that ends Bruich's career.
Kaiser 36, Banning 7

La Quinta at Serrano
As far as name matchups go, this one might be the most vibrant. Both of these schools are always in the CIF title discussion, but it might be far-fetched to get much of a run out of either school this year. La Quinta, though second in the Desert Valley League, was 0-5 and usually noncompetitive during the nonleague season, while Serrano lost three games as well. But I can't see the D-backs going down at Snowline Stadium.
Serrano 31, La Quinta 17

Barstow at San Jacinto
San Jac was a power in the East Valley Division, playing runner-up the last two years to Big Bear and Citrus Hill, respectively. I'm not sure they've gone up against a running attack as comphrensive as Barstow's double-wing though. It will be a physical matchup, but I think the Desert Sky represents here. Then again, I'm always wrong on Barstow predictions.
Barstow 24, San Jacinto 19

Silverado at Riverside Patriot
One look at the Hawks' 3-7 record could cause one to shudder, but Silverado took on one of the more brutal nonleague schedules in the section. That rugged slate will help Silverado immensely, as Patriot's physical running attack won't seem nearly as intimidating. It's been a long time for Patriot/Rubidoux, and it will be a short time in the postseason.
Silverado 20, Patriot 14

The other game of note between teams that aren't in San Bernardino County:
Palm Desert 34, Ridgecrest Burroughs 23

Quarterfinals
No. 1 Citrus Hill over Palm Desert
Serrano over No. 4 Kaiser
No. 2 Hesperia over Silverado
No. 3 Palm Springs over Barstow

Semifinals
No. 1 Citrus Hill over Serrano
No. 2 Hesperia over No. 3 Palm Springs

Final
No. 1 Citrus Hill over No. 2 Hesperia

Well, the regular season ended with me going 23-3 overall, giving me a wicked awesome record of 206-48-4. I know, I'm the man, but the playoffs are the true measure of manhood. So we'll break them up to give everyone extra-special attention, starting with the Central Division. And in friendly competition with Clay Fowler, I'll add my complete division picks at the bottom.

Colton at No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga
If I'm Rancho, I'm furious at this matchup. Not necessarily because Colton is great - this isn't a vintage Yellowjacket team - but because preparing for the double-wing is annoying. It's not run very often and its almost impossible for the JV or scout team to simulate. Except some hiccups early from unfamiliarity, Rancho should control this game though.
Rancho Cucamonga 28, Colton 16

Wildomar Elsinore at No. 2 Los Osos
I know that Elsinore went to the title game two years ago and lost to Colony. I know they are south of here. Besides that, I don't know much about them. I know Los Osos can score with Richard Brehaut and Arby Fields and they can defend better than usual. It's the latter which will allow Osos to pull away.
Los Osos 27, Elsinore 10

Etiwanda at No. 4 Cajon
The San Andreas League champion against an at-large. Easy win right? Not so fast. I think this may be the most entertaining game involving local teams in any division, as the Angel Santiago experience will be matchup up with Walter Kazee, Marlon Pollard and his Cajon buddies. This game is pretty big for the SAL's morale, as a loss to the No. 4 Baseline team would be a rough one to swallow. Cajon will gut past a tough-luck Etiwanda squad.
Cajon 34, Etiwanda 31

Colony at Ayala
Colony isn't exactly rolling coming into the playoffs, losing to Chaffey and Ontario down the stretch. But they are the two-time Central champions, which should mean something, even though the Central Division is infinitely better than it was when Colony won. The Titans have talent and will fight, but Ayala will be too much. I'm boring with these picks I know.
Ayala 23, Colony 14

San Gorgonio at Chino Hills
It's almost like I've seen this game before. Oh wait, I have. Actually, I didn't see the 42-20 Huskies win in person, but I seriously enough has changed to drastically alter the result. San G has won five of six since then, but Chino Hills has too much talent and balance.
Chino Hills 31, San Gorgonio 16

Ontario at Paloma Valley
I want to pick an upset. I really do - I almost feel its my duty as a blogger to pick a ridiculous upset, then take the prerequisite ribbing once that pick goes completely to waste. You see where I'm going here. Ontario is scrappy under QB Herman Huezo and will pull the shocker. I guess.
Ontario 18, Paloma Valley 16

Upland at Chaffey
I guess I could have been extremely lame and called this my upset, saying that Upland's No. 3 seed in the Baseline and being on the road is probable cause for calling this an upset. But I'm not going to insult your intelligence any more than I already have. Chaffey's physical running game might do some things early, but Upland has way too much firepower.
Upland 30, Chaffey 12

Other game of note that I'm not writing about because the teams aren't in the County:
Glendora 28, No. 3 Hemet West Valley 24

Quarterfinals
No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga over Ontario
Ayala over No. 4 Cajon
Upland over Glendora
Chino Hills over No. 2 Los Osos

Semifinals
No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga over Ayala
Upland over Chino Hills

Finals
No. 1 Rancho Cucamonga over Upland

Not a great week last week, but what else is new? At least I'm safely above .500 straight up at this point.

Denver (+6.5) at Atlanta
I've resisted the Falcons all year and have paid for it in my crappy record. So I'm on board Atlanta. Plus, Denver's porous run D + Atlanta's running game equals a big day in the Dirty South.
Atlanta 30, Denver 20

Oakland (+10) at Miami
The Raiders pick off four passes last week and still lose by double-digits? Yikes. Against a good Miami team, this could get ugly quick.
Miami 27, Oakland 6

Baltimore (+7) at N.Y. Giants
It's amazing how well Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have played as rookie quarterbacks. Playing the defending champs will be tough on Flacco, but I think the Ravens hang around enough to cover.
N.Y. Giants 23, Baltimore 17

Houston (+8) at Indianapolis
Are the Colts truly back to being the Colts? Well, wins over the Patriots and Steelers aren't to be taken lightly. I can't see Houston being much of a road threat.
Indianapolis 31, Houston 16

Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville
I realize the Jags killed the Lions, but I don't think they are still all the way back. Tennessee tends to play well against Jacksonville even when they aren't unbeaten.
Tennessee 20, Jacksonville 14

Chicago (+3.5) at Green Bay
The Packers have got to be pretty desperate at this point. However, desperation doesn't matter when you can't stop the run. With Miller grad Nick Barnett out for the season, a thin Green Bay D gets thinner.
Chicago 24, Green Bay 21

Philadelphia (-9) at Cincinnati
The Eagles beat the crap out of bad teams, lose to good teams. Cincinnati is definitely a bad team.
Philadelphia 33, Cincinnati 17

New Orleans (-5) at Kansas City
The Chiefs have shown some spunk lately, taking the Bucs to OT and coming a 2-point conversion short of shocking the Chargers. I'm taking the upset here.
Kansas City 24, New Orleans 20

Detroit (+14) at Carolina
The Lions very well could go 0-16. I'm not kidding, I don't see a win on their schedule from here on out. Carolina certainly isn't going to be the win.
Carolina 35, Detroit 13

Minnesota (+4) at Tampa Bay
I don't think its possible for the Vikings to go on a winning streak. Therefore, I don't see this win happening.
Tampa Bay 21, Minnesota 14

St. Louis (+6.5) at San Francisco
I don't trust either team at this point. How can you? I'll go with the underdog to cover just cause.
San Francisco 20, St. Louis 17

Arizona (-3) at Seattle
The good news for the Seahawks is that Matt Hasselbeck is back. The bad news is that Seattle is still lacking good wide receiver play.
Arizona 24, Seattle 14

San Diego (+5) at Pittsburgh
The Chargers have to come on sometime right? This is way too talented to be an 4-5 team. However, I don't see the Steelers losing two in a row at home. So we'll go with Pittsburgh to win, the Diego to cover.
Pittsburgh 26, San Diego 24

Dallas (-1.5) at Washington
Tony Romo is back. Clinton Portis is not playing. But are the Cowboys really capable mentally of making a run? There's no questioning the talent. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Dallas 27, Washington 19

Cleveland (+5) at Buffalo
Two teams that need a win bad. I was impressed with Brady Quinn in his first start - the Cleveland D, not so much. I think this battle of Lake Erie could be entertaining.
Buffalo 24, Cleveland 21

Overall: 77-66. Record against spread: 62-79-2.

More party on the bloggy, where we don't ask for trouble and don't bother nobody. It's been a party in the college ranks lately, where a second straight winning week against the spread (6-4 this time) has me a few games over .500. Hip hop hooray.

USC (-24) at Stanford
I can see the Trojan fans getting the shakes already from the memory. 41-point favorites. John David Booty playing with a broken thumb and throw picks up for grabs. Stanford making a fourth-and-goal from the 10 to go ahead 23-21. Yeah, if I were a USC fan, I'd punch myself in the face for bringing those memories up. Just imagine how the players feel. You know USC will be balls to the wall in this one.
USC 41, Stanford 13

UCLA (-7) at Washington
If you have insomnia, this might be the game to watch this weekend, if it's even on (haven't checked the TV listings yet). In UCLA, you have a team that just hasn't figured it out on offense - not having an offensive line will do that to ya - while Washington is the only team in Division I-A not to have a win. They can blame North Texas, which had the temerity to beat Western Kentucky two weeks ago. Anyway, I picked U-Dub against the spread last week and looked dumb. Not doing it again.
UCLA 21, Washington 10

California (+3) at Oregon State
Did you know the Beavers control their Rose Bowl destiny? I'm sure I mentioned it last week but it definitely deserves to be said again. How terrible would a Michigan State-Oregon State Rose Bowl be for the networks? It could happen. This was the game last year that sent Cal's season into a downward spiral, as QB Kevin Riley had a brain fart and ran out time deep in Oregon State territory when a FG would have caused OT. It won't be that dramatic this time.
Oregon State 28, California 20

Arizona (+6) at Oregon
While we are talking about seasons that were destroyed suddenly, this marks the one-year anniversary (give or take a couple days) of when Dennis Dixon's knee exploded when the No. 2 Ducks were in Arizona. Oregon, likely on its way to a BCS title game, never recovered until the Sun Bowl, which is in El Paso. FYI, El Paso is not cool. Arizona is improved and will cover, though after two straight wins over the Ducks, won't make it three in a row.
Oregon 31, Arizona 27

Washington State (+36.5) at Arizona State
It was a big week at Washington State. First of all, the men's basketball team season is starting up. Second of all, the Cougars covered. Yeah, they still gave up over 50 points, but progress is progress. Arizona State broke a six-game losing streak and has offensive talent, so this is going to be ugly. Oh well.
Arizona State 54, Washington State 14

South Carolina (+22.5) at Florida
This is the only matchup of two ranked teams this week, which pretty much stinks, because there's a good possibility this game won't be very competitive. However, Steve Spurrier has done decent against his alma mater, beating them in 2005, almost beating them in 2006 and getting smacked last year. He'll probably get somewhat smacked, as Florida is rolling, but the Gators could fall prey to Ole Miss disease.
Florida 38, South Carolina 17

Texas (-13.5) at Kansas
The Longhorns are actually sitting pretty, as they are No. 3 in the BCS right now despite losing two weeks ago. However, they should be somewhat annoyed with Kansas, who killed any sort of quality-win bump Texas could have gotten here by losing to Nebraska. I'm guessing the 'Horns won't show much sympathy towards the Jayhawks, whose defense has been absolutely shelled over the last month.
Texas 41, Kansas 23

North Carolina (-3) at Maryland
I would have picked Boston College-Florida State for the ACC game, but it was taken off the board because a bunch of Florida State players were suspended after taking part in a fight on campus. So you get this game, which isn't a bad one. Maryland is tough at home (ask Cal) and will be a nice test for a Tar Heel team coming off a couple of big home wins. However, I think Butch Davis and Carolina prevail.
North Carolina 24, Maryland 19

Ohio State (-9.5) at Illinois
The Buckeyes still have Rose Bowl and at-large BCS hopes, but they face their nemesis this week. Illinois has always been a thorn in Ohio State's side, as evidenced by its win at Columbus last year. The Fighting Illini have been extremely up-and-down this year, capable of putting up 50 points one week and losing to Western Michigan the next. I feel Illinois will be up and will pull the upset against a Buckeye team that's inconsistent offensively.
Illinois 27, Ohio State 21

BYU (-4) at Air Force
The Mountain West should really get a BCS berth this year and it would be an absolute tragedy if it doesn't, as the MWC is better than the Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big East this year and not that far behind the ACC. Air Force has emerged as a really good No. 4 team in this league, as Troy Calhoun might be the best coach you've never heard of. BYU has a huge rivalry game with Utah next week, so it'll be caught looking ahead.
Air Force 26, BYU 23

Overall record: 79-31. Against the spread: 56-53-1

Another mediocre week for my picking, as I only went 19-7 in my picks. I'll blame Chino Hills for that...no, actually Chino Hills should blame me for jumping on their bandwagon and causing a flat tire.

Upland at Rancho Cucamonga
Another big Baseline battle, as the team with 3-4 senior Division I prospects this year (Upland) plays the team that will have that many next year (Rancho Cucamonga). Expect lots of passing, lots of scoring and lots of fun. Yeah, it sounds like I'm advertising an afternoon at Knotts Berry Farm, but this one should be a good one. I'm going with the home team because I can't think of any other way to seperate these stud teams.
Rancho Cucamonga 38, Upland 31

Kaiser at Riverside Patriot
It's only fitting that Dick Bruich's last game will be for the Sunkist League championship, something that has been almost taken for granted by Kaiser fans and sportswriters. Like Kaiser, Patriot employs a hard-nosed, downhill running game and a physical defense. But no one plays sock-your-mouth football better than the Cats, at least in the Sunkist League.
Kaiser 23, Patriot 10

Colton at Arroyo Valley
For all intents and purposes, this game is for the final playoff spot in the San Andreas League. Sure, there are some weird coinflips that could happen with upsets and things of the like, but barring a San Berdoo High shocker, this is the game. Colton seems to have a little more momentum coming in and seriously, can you imagine the playoffs without Harold Strauss? Neither can I.
Colton 28, Arroyo Valley 14

Glendora at Ayala
Pop quiz hotshot. You've just beaten your crosstown rival in an upset. What are you going to do? What are you going to do? Host another game with league-championship implications of course. It might be tough for Tom Inglima to get his Bulldogs down from the high of the Chino Hills win but he'll have to, as defending Sierra champion Glendora is no slouch. However, it seems to be a rule in the Sierra League that allows for equal title time in football. So Ayala wins this year and Diamond Bar is the favorite in 2009.
Ayala 31, Glendora 25

Eisenhower at Redlands East Valley
The Eagles played their hearts out last week against Miller, giving the favored Rebels all they could handle before falling 28-21. Unfortunately for Ike, their playoff hopes might have fallen with that game. If Ike can pull an upset on a REV team due for a letdown after the big win over Redlands, then they'll be the biggest Rialto High fans ever - as the Knights have to beat Yucaipa. Unfortunately, it will be too hard to get the first phase of the job done.
Redlands East Valley 23, Eisenhower 9

Colony at Ontario
The Jaguars are a good story this year, as the heroics of quarterback/defensive back Herman Huezo have Ontario in the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Colony was in its infancy as a school back then, but has two CIF titles since the Jags last touched the postseason. The point of all this is even though Colony won't get a Mt. Baldy title, they won't lose to the spunky Jaguars either.
Colony 24, Ontario 6

Victor Valley at Ridgecrest Burroughs
It's pretty amazing that the Jackrabbits, who were winless the previous two seasons before this one, are in a win-and-in situation in this game. It's also amazing that the Burros could either win the league and get the No. 1 seed in the playoffs or miss them entirely based on this game. Such is the life in the Desert Sky League, not usually a bastion for parity. Victor Valley will give it a run, but Burroughs is too tough at home.
Ridgecrest Burroughs 30, Victor Valley 17

Apple Valley at Hesperia
We'll keep it up in the High Desert and take a journey to Hesperia, where the Scorpions can notch their first-ever Mojave River League outright title and set a school record for wins if they beat the Sun Devils. It's been a close-but-no-cigar year for Apple Valley, just to throw a cliche' out there. The Sun Devils have to still be kicking themselves about the second half against Rim of the World, which won't help them upset Hesperia.
Hesperia 35, Apple Valley 20

Arrowhead Christian at Aquinas
The Eagles have been a pleasant surprise, rolling up six wins and setting themselves up for an at-large bid in the East Valley Division playoffs should they lose this game. Unfortunately, should could be replaced by probably, which would ruin the sentence structure but bring up the main point, which is that Aquinas is scary good. QB Tyler Stirewalt put over 300 yards passing on Ontario Christian last week, something he can replicate tomorrow if he chooses.
Aquinas 42, Arrowhead Christian 14

Yucca Valley at Desert Mirage
This is historic, as this is the first time I've ever mentioned Desert Mirage in the main body of this predictions entry. So after I open up a few bottles of champagne, I'll mention how both of these teams are greatly improved and fighting for the last automatic playoff spot out of the De Anza League. Then I'll predict Yucca Valley to win a close one.
Yucca Valley 24, Desert Mirage 22

Other games of note:
Los Osos 31, Etiwanda 21
Alta Loma 21, Claremont 12
Miller 38, Fontana 7
Yucaipa 30, Rialto 14
Redlands 28, Carter 17
Ontario Christian 33, Western Christian 20
Big Bear 28, Desert Hot Springs 10
Barstow 34, Granite Hills 13
Serrano 42, Sultana 0
Rim of the World 45, Lynwood Firebaugh 6
Chaffey 35, Don Lugo 10
Cajon 51, San Bernardino 3
San Gorgonio 34, Pacific 8
Chino Hills 41, Diamond Bar 10
Damien 27, Chino 12
Summit 28, Bloomington 13

Overall record: 183-45-4

Internet in the Berka household is flighty tonight. So here are quickie picks.

Jacksonville (-6.5) at Detroit: Detroit 23, Jacksonville 20
Baltimore (-1) at Houston: Houston 21, Baltimore 17
Tennessee (-3) at Chicago: Tennessee 24, Chicago 14
Buffalo (+4) at New England: New England 21, Buffalo 13
New Orleans (+1.5) at Atlanta: New Orleans 24, Atlanta 21
St. Louis (+9) at N.Y. Jets: N.Y. Jets 28, St. Louis 20
Seattle (+7.5) at Miami: Miami 24, Seattle 17
Green Bay (+2.5) at Minnesota: Green Bay 23, Minnesota 21
Carolina (-9.5) at Oakland: Carolina 30, Oakland 10
Kansas City (+15) at San Diego: San Diego 38, Kansas City 20
Indianapolis (+4.5) at Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 26, Indianapolis 20
N.Y. Giants (+3) at Philadelphia: Philadelphia 24, N.Y. Giants 20
San Francisco (+9.5) at Arizona: Arizona 31, San Francisco 14

Overall: 70-60. Record against spread: 57-71-2.

I rocked it out last week, as my 7-3 record against the spread put me above. 500. Time to party, but after I make these picks of course.

California (+22) at USC
I've been pretty high on Cal this year, ranking them higher in my poll than the regular polls do. But this game sets up to be a butt-kicking. USC is angry about a perceived BCS slight and will be looking to do whatever they can to turn heads. Since Cal is the only ranked team left on the Trojans' schedule, they'll suffer for that.
USC 38, California 10

Oregon State (-7.5) at UCLA
This game may be dependent on who gets most of the time at QB for the Beavers. If its Lyle Moevao, Oregon State wins and likely covers. If its Sean Canfield, UCLA probably wins. So I will compromise a bit on this. I'll predict Oregon State to win, but I'll predict the Bruins to give them a battle.
Oregon State 23, UCLA 20

Stanford (+14) at Oregon
The Oregon passing game has pretty much gone to hell over the past few weeks. They can run the ball well, probably better than any team in the Pac-10, but without that passing threat and without a lockdown defense, I don't see them blowing out Stanford. Oregon wins, Cardinal cover.
Oregon 34, Stanford 23

Arizona (-41) at Washington State
Seriously, I really don't know what to say about Washington State anymore. They are so unbelievably bad that I can't even raise an eyebrow at this point spread. They should just forfeit the rest of this season.
Arizona 59, Washington State 3

Arizona State (-14.5) at Washington
It's very rare that a team can be on a six-game losing streak and still be favored on the road by over two touchdowns. If that statement alone doesn't tell you how bad Washington football is, then I really don't know what to say. Still, this game is goofy. I shouldn't take points with the Huskies, but I'm going to. Ugh.
Arizona State 20, Washington 7

Oklahoma State (+3) at Texas Tech
A couple weeks back, Texas had a big win against Oklahoma and had Missouri at home the week after. I predicted the Longhorns to be flat and lose. I was way wrong, as UT murdered Mizzou. Well, Texas Tech is coming off a huge win against Texas and has Oklahoma State, who is also a top 10 team, coming in. Not making the mistake with Tech that I did with Texas.
Texas Tech 42, Oklahoma State 30

Alabama (-3.5) at LSU
Apparently the LSU people are upset with Nick Saban for coaching Alabama. They should be more upset with a defense that has given up over 50 points in a game twice this year, including two weeks ago at home against Georgia. Alabama is better than Georgia. Emotion will lift LSU early, but Alabama just has too many horses.
Alabama 35, LSU 20

Penn State (-7.5) at Iowa
With Ohio State vanquished a couple of weeks ago, it seems like Penn State has a free ride to a possible national championship game. However, this game could be a tricky one. Iowa plays good defense, runs the ball well, is tough to beat at home and traditionally gives Penn State fits. The Nittany Lions will have to sweat this one out, but will prevail.
Penn State 21, Iowa 16

Georgia Tech (+4) at North Carolina
The ACC has been one big massive jumble of whatever, with 6 or 7 teams having two losses in the conference. A couple of those will take the field in this game. It's weird seeing these two schools play in a big game on the gridiron instead of the hardwood, but it should be a good one. I'll take the Heels hitting free throws down the stretch.
North Carolina 24, Georgia Tech 17

Georgia (+12) at Kentucky
Kind of a random last game but hey, I needed to pick 10. The Bulldogs will do one of two things after getting destroyed by Florida last week - just kick the living daylights out of Kentucky or tank it and maybe lose. I'm picking the latter to happen, even going out on a limb and taking the Wildcats.
Kentucky 20, Georgia 17

Overall record: 71-29. Against the spread: 50-49-1

Missed the Broncos-Browns game and the college games tonight. Oh well. Maybe I should concentrate more on high schools anyway, as the upsets last week left me an unsatisfactory 16-8 last week. Gotta do better than that.

Redlands at Redlands East Valley
This should be one of the more animated games of the season, with vitrol coming from both sides. Can REV recover from its loss to Miller? Will Redlands hype itself way too much and hit a fatal lull? A couple of interesting things. This game has gone Red-REV-Red-REV-Red-REV the last six years and every year REV has won, its won a league title. It's Redlands' turn in the cycle and REV won't likely win a title, so I'm going with the Terriers.
Redlands 21, Redlands East Valley 17

Ayala at Chino Hills
I pick against Chino Hills quite a bit. They end up making me look dumber than I already am. I'm sick of looking dumb, at least when it comes to Chino Hills. So yeah, I'm picking the Huskies this week. Are you happy? Are you not entertained? Wait, don't answer the last one.
Chino Hills 27, Ayala 22

Arroyo Valley at Cajon
Michael Philipp was honored this week with a berth in the U.S. Army All-American game, a great achievement for the Arroyo Valley offensive lineman. Now if Philipp could carry the ball, the Hawks would be in business. Losing to San Berdoo was definitely a slap in the face, and Cajon is straight ballin' right now. Probably too hard for Arroyo to turn it around this week.
Cajon 31, Arroyo Valley 10

Etiwanda at Upland
Upland should be all hyped-up for a showdown with Rancho Cucamonga next week but can hardly afford to overlook the Eagles in this game. Both of these teams can pass (seriously, who in the Baseline can't?) but I think the Highlanders have a little more talent across the board.
Upland 38, Etiwanda 24

Patriot at Summit
Summit used a lifeline last week against Norte Vista, phoning a friend and getting a 26-point second half to eke out a 32-28 victory after being down 28-6. That isn't going to work against a solid Patriot team that will almost assuredly be the first Patriot/Rubidoux/whatever team to get a playoff berth since 2001. Summit will disrupt a potential Sunkist showdown between Patriot and Kaiser next week with a win.
Summit 27, Patriot 20

Ontario at Chaffey
After the huge overtime win over Colony, it would be easy for the Tigers to strut down Euclid Avenue and feel high and mighty. But this Ontario team, also undefeated in the Mt. Baldy League, can bite them if Chaffey isn't careful. QB Herman Huezo has been a dual-threat force for the Jaguars, but he won't be enough.
Chaffey 34, Ontario 19

Hesperia at Rim of the World
A tricky game for the Scorpions after the big win over Serrano last week, as they have to face a physical Rim team up the mountain, where they are privvy to dealing with fog, snow, smoke and whatever other meterological annoyance is liable to crop up. I think Hesperia has too much depth and too many playmakers though.
Hesperia 35, Rim of the World 16

Aquinas at Ontario Christian
The Ontario Christian spread offense erupted against ACA this past week and just in time, as the Knights were on a four-game win streak. While the Knights have struggled with the new schemes, Aquinas is tossing the ball around effortlessly with QB Tyler Stirewalt and WR Jim Jones. Just way too much firepower on the Falcons' side.
Aquinas 38, Ontario Christian 20

Big Bear at Twentynine Palms
While 29 is looking for its second straight championship, it still has a mountain to climb - figuratively, not literally - against Big Bear. The two teams didn't play last year due to the wildfires in the San Bernardino Mountains and corresponding smoke, so Big Bear gets to defend its honor a bit. I say 29 completes this title though.
Twentynine Palms 28, Big Bear 23

Victor Valley at Barstow
Yes, the Desert Sky League needs love too, especially since Burroughs' win over Silverado made it a four-team clusterbomb for three playoff berths. The Jackrabbits and Aztecs are essentially playing an elimination game in this one, especially Victor Valley, which has Ridgecrest Burroughs on the docket next week. Barstow takes this.
Barstow 32, Victor Valley 21

Other games of note, led by the one I have to leave for in a few minutes:
Miller 28, Eisenhower 6
Carter 24, Yucaipa 20
Fontana 20, Rialto 17
Western Christian 30, Arrowhead Christian 17
Rancho Cucamonga 35, Alta Loma 10
Los Osos 45, Claremont 7
San Gorgonio 31, San Bernardino 13
Colton 48, Pacific 6
Kaiser 45, Jurupa Valley 0
Bloomington 23, Norte Vista 21
Apple Valley 38, Sultana 12
Serrano 31, Ridgecrest Burroughs 23
Silverado 33, Granite Hills 14
Colony 41, Montclair 15
Yucca Valley 30, Acton Vasquez 10
Glendora 24, Chino 10

Overall record: 164-38-4

Terrible week against the spread, but better overall. I don't know, I still stink at this. We'll try harder this week.

Houston (+4.5) at Minnesota
If you are a Texans fan, you have to be just sick about the loss to the Colts where Sage Rosenfels turned into Santa Claus. Without that, you'd have a Houston team with a four-game win streak. Now they have three, but I don't see them getting a fourth in the dome.
Minnesota 24, Houston 17

Jacksonville (-7.5) at Cincinnati
The Jags have been one of the most maddeningly inconsistent teams in the NFL. Winless Cincinnati, not so much. With Ryan Fitzpatrick still captaining the Bengals and Jacksonville desperate, you know how I'm calling this.
Jacksonville 26, Cincinnati 10

Tampa Bay (-9) at Kansas City
The Chiefs showed some spunk last week. Of course, it helped to have Brett Favre gift-wrap a pick six. I don't see the Buccaneers gunslinging that much in this game, therefore, I don't see KC managing much of anything.
Tampa Bay 24, Kansas City 13

Baltimore (+1.5) at Cleveland
I must admit, Joe Flacco's diving catch against the Raiders last week was pretty sweet. Cleveland has quietly played much better lately and could be in line to get back in the wild-card hunt. The Browns will have to beat the Ravens to do that, something I think they can handle.
Cleveland 17, Baltimore 14

N.Y, Jets (+5) at Buffalo
This is a huge game for the Jets, who have struggled since coming back from their bye week. Buffalo dropped a division game to Miami as well and might be reeling a little bit. I'll go with the home team here in a close, but no cover, situation.
Buffalo 21, N.Y. Jets 19

Arizona (-3) at St. Louis
This was a no-brainer Cardinals pick a couple weeks ago, but the resurgent Rams are 2-1 since Jim Haslett took over despite playing three quality teams in the Redskins, Cowboys and Patriots. However, I like Kurt Warner to have a big game against his old team.
Arizona 28, St. Louis 21

Detroit (+12.5) at Chicago
Yes, the Lions are winless and most likely hopeless. But Detroit has been more competitive of late, almost beating Minnesota and Houston on the road and giving Washington a decent game at home. I'm not picking a Lions win, but they'll cover.
Chicago 23, Detroit 14

Green Bay (+4) at Tennessee
Is it me, or are the Titans the most anonymous 7-0 team in recent memory? Tennessee isn't flashy at all - it just wins by running the ball and playing outstanding defense. The Packers have been good under Aaron Rodgers, but its hard to pick against the Titans here. I'm learning my lesson from last week.
Tennessee 24, Green Bay 14

Miami (+3.5) at Denver
I've had a hard time getting a handle on the Dolphins. They have some great wins against AFC contenders, but they are just as likely to stink up the joint. The bloom is off the Denver rose a bit and the Broncos' defense is a walking disaster area. I think the Wildcat offense leads the Dolphins to the road upset.
Miami 28, Denver 20

Atlanta (-3) at Oakland
The Falcons are the type of team that should annoy a Raiders fan. They looked hopeless coming in, but thanks to a few good draft picks and a solid coaching hire in Mike Smith, look like players in the NFC. The Raiders aren't players, haven't been players for a while and probably won't be until Al Davis ceases to have his hands on the franchise.
Atlanta 21, Oakland 10

Dallas (+8.5) at N.Y. Giants
You got to hand it to the Cowboys defense, which gutted out a victory over Tampa Bay despite getting no help from the offense. With Brooks Bollinger possibly starting and injured TE Jason Witten possibly sitting, it'll be more of the same. I think the Cowboys keep it close but fall.
N.Y. Giants 23, Dallas 16

Philadelphia (-7) at Seattle
I just hope Andy Reid doesn't feel the need to drop his pants at any time during this game, like Mike Singletary did last week. Would be bad times for everyone. Even with a win last week, this season has been bad times for the Seahawks and Philly won't help it get any better.
Philadelphia 31, Seattle 19

New England (+6) at Indianapolis
What was thought to be a battle of elite Super Bowl contenders has Matt Cassel playing against a Colts team that can't stop the run and can't quite get untracked. Joseph Addai comes back for Indy though, giving them a much-needed win over their archrivals.
Indianapolis 27, New England 17

Pittsburgh (+2) at Washington
Apparently Chris Berman is going to interview Barack Obama and John McCain at halftime of this game. The only thing I can think of that would be worse than that is Stuart Scott interviewing Sarah Palin. I get the shakes just thinking about it. Oh yeah, the game. I like the home team in what should be an entertaining one.
Washington 24, Pittsburgh 21

Overall record: 60-56. Against the spread: 50-64-2