Off the Wall NFL Predictions for the 2010 Season

OK. They may not all be off the wall, but they are a bit out there. It didn't really take me long to come up with this list or the reasons behind them.

I may lose a few friends and I may gain a few with these.

1. The New York Jets will not make the playoffs.
Gutsy, I know, but I'm not alone on this one. Skip Bayless of First Take on ESPN doesn't have the J-E-T-S making the postseason bonanza either. I've heard too much yap out of the Jets ever since the end of their season last January. And how does Antonio Cromartie say the Jets are the "Miami Heat of the NFL"? Wait. They are. All the names and no hardware.

And where do people get this team is so talented? On defense, sure. I completely agree there. The offense is not loaded. You lost your top rusher from last season (Thomas Jones). You lost a Pro-Bowl guard (Alan Faneca) and you're better? Must be that Santonio Holmes deal. And look on the other side. It's Braylon Edwards. Holmes will miss the first four games and Edwards hasn't seen a pass he can't drop. The receiving corps, including the tight end, is serviceable at best. Half the teams in the NFL are better at receiver and end than the Jets.

Then it must be getting LT. Please. LT hasn't done much over the last two seasons. Don't tell me the Jets talented because they're simply aren't. They're just a bunch of hot air.

2. The Steelers will go 4-0 in Ben Roethlisberger's absence.
I truly thought Dennis Dixon was a far better option than Byron Leftwich. Dixon proved that last season when he led the Steelers into Baltimore and almost pulled off a win. That was all I needed to see from Dixon. I bet that's all the Ravens wanted to see from him, too.

I think the Steelers will struggle once Big Ben returns because of all the changes that will need to happen.

3. The Cincinnati Bengals will once again go undefeated in the AFC North.
People are chattering about all the weapons the Bengals have on offense, but they are selling the defense short. Way short. They were a top-5 unit in the NFL last year. But how can the guys in stripes go undefeated in the division again. I know I picked the Ravens to win the division. The Bengals have a tougher non-divisional schedule. But Cincy knows they can beat them all again. Confidence.

And that offense isn't too shabby either.

4. Jay Cutler will make the Pro Bowl...legitimately.I know the Bears have no legit #1 receiver. I know Greg Olsen hasn't exactly shown the promise that made him a first round pick. I know Matt Forte, a decent receiving back, fell off last season. Cutler gets there because of Mike Martz. Martz is an offensive genius. Ask him and that's what he'll tell you. I know the Bears offense struggled in the preseason, but that was preseason and having an opener against the Detroit Lions can build confidence. There's that word again.

Cutler has the arm but he's lacked the knowledge. Martz will provide that for Cutler and the Bears QB will have his best season thus far.

5. Anquan Boldin will have a better season than Larry Fitzgerald.
I don't think this limb is too long. Boldin has the up and coming Joe Flacco while Fitz has Derek Anderson. Who would you rather have at QB? Look at the supporting cast for each, too.

Boldin: T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Ray Rice, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap
Fitz: Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Beanie Wells

See what I mean?

6. Carson Palmer will have a better season than Tony Romo.
People look at the Cowboys and, like the Jets, talk about all the talent. Palmer has the deepest, most talented skill position players since he's been a Bengal. Chad Ochocinco, T.O., Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Greshem, Cedric Benson.

It's as good as what Dallas has. Maybe just a tad better.

7. Reggie Bush will lead the NFL in all-purpose yards.
This whole Heisman thing will spark Bush to have his best season as a pro. Some still label the former Trojan as a bust, but they will eat their words this season...if I'm right, that is.

And I'm going to be right. Starting tonight, Bush will actually make his "arrival" as a top-notch NFL player.

8. Statistical leaders for the 2010 season.

• Rushing Yards: Frank Gore, SF
• Passing Yards: Palmer, CIN
• Receiving Yards: Andre Johnson, HOU
• Sacks: DeMarcus Ware, DAL
• INT: Jonathan Joseph, CIN
• TDs: Gore, SF

Gore plays in a division that has awful defenses (St. Louis, Seattle, Arizona) and he gets six games against those teams. That should translate to almost 900 yards and 10 TD in those games alone.

Johnson is purely the best receiver in the NFL.

Ware is a freak of nature.

Joseph is underrated and should have made the Pro-Bowl last season. Motivation.

And finally...

9. Brett Favre's consecutive game streak will end and NOT because of it being the end of the season.

Favre will miss games (Yes, I said games, plural) due to a concussion and not his ankle. This will end his run...and his season.

There you have it. My bold predictions for the upcoming NFL season.

Agree or not or do you have one. As always, the comments are on and feel free to rant.

USC Turns Page on Garrett Era with Haden

The move, inevitable. With a new president Max Nikias coming into the fold at USC, one of the more pressing issues was finding a successor to AD Mike Garrett...by any means necessary.

After an extensive NCAA investigation uncovered major violations within the USC football, men's basketball and women's tennis programs, USC will made the long overdue move to replace Garrett and will replace him with another former Trojan, Pat Haden. USC has also made strides to further distance itself from the fiasco by removing any and all references to those student-athletes responsible for the sanctions. USC will even return Reggie Bush's Heisman to the Heisman Trust.

All of the "players" in the scandal are gone. Bush, O.J. Mayo, Tim Floyd, Pete Carroll are just a few that have since departed. Other lesser known names have followed. The last to "fall" was Garrett. He's not leaving the program as much as it looks like he's being forced out.

And what strikes me funny is that to this second Garrett barely even acknowledged the findings and sanctions. Oh, we heard that USC would appeal the sanctions levied against his beloved football program, but the only other peep he voiced was to a gathering of boosters. He stated that those that levied these penalties were jealous because "they wish they were all Trojans".

Defiant? Not a strong enough word here. Arrogant is more like it. Garrett snubbed his nose at the NCAA. How dare you penalize my sacred program? That was not the attitude USC needed then, or now. After all, the cash cow known as the football program has been placed in deep waters due, in part, to his office's inept handling of the situation. One football player. One men's hoops star. One women's tennis player. And then, the AD's office is the common link.

Garrett will receive a retirement package from the university. "Retirement" sounds better than "being replaced" or "terminated" or "released" or "fired". Let him have some dignity...

But now, the house has been cleaned, a new era of USC athletics will be born under Haden. And does this guy have intangibles.

In his days at USC, Haden personified a term that's so misused today, "student-athlete". He's a Rhodes Scholar and a two-time National Championship QB. Haden bring an air of respectability and class with him. Haden also serves on USC's Board of Trustees and has held that position for 19 years. He knows the way it should be and the way it will be under his watchful eye.

"We want to compete ferociously and win in every sport, but we want to do it ethically and within the rules. We're going to have a culture of compliance around here. Every meeting is going to start with the No. 1 item as compliance. ... We're going to try to be perfect. When we make mistakes, we're going to fess up, and we're going to try to do better next time."

Ethically and within the rules. Something that is lost far too often in college athletics as a whole these days. The whole "if you're not cheating, you're not trying" thing has sailed. Compliance. Another lost trait.

As you can gather, Haden is also media savvy, a glaring weakness of Garrett's. His days as the color commentator on Notre Dame football telecasts over the past decade are done. He's got a bigger job at hand and he realizes that.

"We're going to do better. We have to do better. We don't have any choices here. We stub our toe, there's going to be some problems."

A higher ground will be in order now. By bringing Haden back to USC full-time, the shame that has been brought on the athletic department can now attempt to restore the shine it once held.

Trojan Turmoil

After a period of more than four years, an investigation into USC's football and basketball programs will apparently come to an ugly end. According to the Los Angeles Times, the penalties against the football program will be severe. The university had already imposed its own sanctions against the basketball program. A press release will come forth today from the university, and the university will have 15 days to appeal the NCAA's findings should that process be pursued.

USC had already self-sanctioned the basketball program from the Tim Floyd era and the happenings of O.J. Mayo (illegal gifts, cash and benefits). But USC and athletic director Mike Garrett chose to fight the charges against the football program, and now, we all know why.

With reports swirling that Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten and that six other Big 12 teams are jumping ship for the PAC 10, it's about one thing...money, and lots of it, too. I heard that for last season, the North Carolina mens basketball program (the most profitable in the nation) made a little less that $16 million for the season. The University of Texas football team made that...in two home games. I wish I could remember wher I heard that because that blew me away. Two freakin' games?!?! Don't tell me that money isn't ruling here.

That will prove to be the bigger Achilles heel for the Trojans. Their greed, and maybe even a bit of pride.

Bush in his USC days.
Will he keep his Heisman?

The investigation began back in 2006 when it was alleged that the mother, brother and stepfather of Reggie Bush were occupying a house in the San Diego area. That house was owned by an individual that wanted to eventually represent Bush when Bush turned pro. That "transaction" in itself became a mess all on its own.

Here's what the Trojans are potentially facing:

• loss of more than 20 scholarships
• vacating wins from at least the 2004 season(USC won the BCS title)
• 2 year ban from bowl games
• ban from TV
• recruiting restrictions
• probation

I wonder if Lane Kiffin is wishing he'd stayed in Knoxville.

Two more issues can be brought to light here. One is Reggie Bush's Heisman and the other is the BCS Championship won by USC, who we are now being informed, used an ineligible player (Bush).

What about that Heisman? The Heisman Trust is undoubtedly following this situation carefully. I was listening to ESPN's Joe Schad yesterday. He's a voter for the Heisman and he made reference that it says on the ballot something to the effect that the players must conform to NCAA rules and regulations. If Bush has been ruled ineligible, by all rights, the Heisman could be taken from Bush.

The question is, would it happen? This is very delicate ground here. If Bush is stripped of his Heisman, a door will open that can never be shut. The Trust will be able retroactively strip any previous Heisman winner of the honor. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a move that really does need to be treated with kid gloves. The honor and prestige of being a Heisman winner and that reputation are all at stake. And this is solely in the hands of the Heisman Trust and NOT the NCAA.

The BCS title is on less shaky ground, in my opinion, but not a safe bet by any means. Again, if Bush is ruled ineligible and the team is forced to vacate wins from that season, the BCS could rule to strip the Trojans of the championship. One thing to keep in mind here. The NCAA has no control on this either. It's totally up to the BCS.

I'm really wondering if anyone that is still at Southern Cal is going to be held accountable. The main "culprits" are gone: Mayo, Bush, Floyd, Carroll. When Floyd resigned last year, he cited AD Mike Garrett as his reason for leaving due to lack of support.

That's the one constant left from all the mess, Garrett.

Just thinking out loud here....

Update: The NCAA released a statement regarding the penalties administered to USC. Among the highlights are:

• Four years probation
• Two year post season ban for football
• One year post season ban for men's basketball (self-imposed)
• Beginning in from December 2004, vacating all wins in all football games in which the ineligible football student-athlete participated including any and all postseason games
• Beginning with the 2007-2008 regular season, vacating all wins in all basketball games in which an ineligible student-athlete participated including any and all postseason games (self-imposed)
• From November, 2006 to My 2009, vacating all wins in all women's tennis matches in which an ineligible student-athlete participated including any and all postseason events (self-imposed)
• A reduction of a total of 30 (10 per season) scholarships within the football program
• A reduction of men's basketball scholarships from 13 to 12 for a two year period (self-imposed)
• A reduction of recruiting days from 130 to 110 for the men's basketball program (self-imposed)
• Disassociation of the former football student-athlete, the former men's basketball student-athlete and the representative who provided extra benefits to the former men's basketball student-athlete. This disassociation includes the refusal of any financial or recruiting assistance, as well as other conditions, which the public report further details.
• Prohibition of all non-university personnel, including boosters, from traveling on football and men's basketball charters; attending football and men's basketball team practices; attending or participating in any way with university football and men's basketball camps, including donation of funds; and having access to the sidelines and locker rooms for football and men's basketball games.

Strange how all the original allegations outside the football program led to self-imposed sanctions against the men's hoops and women's tennis program. What I find even more disturbing is that all of the penalties levied are due to one student-athlete in each program. Three student-athletes thinking of only themselves led to this debacle.

Meanwhile, USC AD Mike Garrett has an odd take on the penalties doled out against the Trojans programs.

"As I read the decision by the NCAA, all I could get out of all of this was ... I read between the lines, and there was nothing but a lot of envy, and they wish they all were Trojans."

I'm sure the NCAA will love hearing this. That will look great when Garrett and his other USC cronies go into the appeal of the penalties against USC. Also, Garrett made this statement while addressing boosters at a function that was scheduled before the announcement.

What's even funnier is that Garrett sacrificed the men's hoops and women's tennis programs in hopes of saving the football program from any harm. The NCAA did agree to the self-imposed sanctions, but it also levied penalties against the football program because Garrett refused to set his ego and little program aside for the long-term betterment of the football program. If Garrett had done so from the beginning, things may have turned out better. - SE