Maddux Sports Blog

1. Notre Dame is awful. I was pretty sure that the experts who were saying that Notre Dame was going to win nine or ten games this year were crazy. Now I know for sure. They rallied to beat San Diego State, but that’s not much of an accomplishment when you are playing one of the worst teams in division one and you are favored by 21.5 points. The Irish looked confused, lethargic, unprepared and very predictable. They were sloppy, and they got lucky. Charlie Weis is a terrible coach, and I have no faith in his ability to turn ths mess around.

2. Peyton Manning is human. The Colts just didn’t look good on Sunday against the Bears. Manning’s numbers were decent, but he just couldn’t get anything going, he didn’t look comfortable, and the Colts could never establish the run. I’ve repeatedly suggested that the Colts are in for a step back this year, and I’m feeling better about that tonight. I would love nothing more than to be right about that one. I think it is especially striking that the team was opening a new stadium and yet they looked like they didn’t care.

3. East Carolina is no fluke. It doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out. When a Conference USA team beats Virginia Tech and then dismantles West Virginia in consecutive weeks they are doing something right. I know which team I am going to boldly pick to win the C-USA East.

4. There is no need to panic about Ohio State. Beanie Wells wasn’t playing, no one cared about playing Ohio, and the last thing they wanted to do before playing USC is risk an injury or let the Trojans see into anything meaningful from their gameplan. I’m not saying the Buckeyes will win, but I do know that this will help make their odds more attractive.

5. Oklahoma is really good. I was undecided about this team before the season, but I am sold now. Sam Bradford has been spectacular. Ryan Broyles made a heck of a debut. The offensive line is amazing. The Big 12 is tough, and the Sooners have a tough schedule, but I have high expectations for them.

6. The AFC is a mess. Things seemed so straight forward a couple of days ago. But then the Colts lost. And the Jags. And the Chargers. The Pats won, but suffered the worst possible loss in Brady and could be in trouble. It’s too early to panic, of course, but if today’s results didn’t shake your confidence a bit then you aren’t human. What are the chances of all those losses hapening in the same weekend? There were a lot of seemingly safe moneyline parlays lost this weekend.

7. BYU was disappointing. The Cougars wanted to be a BCS buster. Those hopes are still alive, but they have a heck of a lot of work to do. The Huskies aren’t that good, yet they came within a terrible call from a referee of a win.

8. The Bills are legit. Seattle wasn’t good, and they have no receivers right now, but Buffalo still was impressive. They played a pretty complete game, and have to be considered a legitimate outside shot at a playoff spot. I hope people don’t catch on quickly so they can delier some ATS pleasure.

9. Arkansas State is a great story. Last week they upset Texas A&M. This week they scored 83 points. The Sun Belt wasn’t supposed to be competitive, but now it certainly is. These guys play Alabama this year in a game that could give Saban nightmares if these guys haven’t come down to earth by then.

10. The Chiefs are doomed. So are the Rams. And the Bengals. I’ve said this before and I’ll say this again - Marvin Lewis is the worst coach in the NFL and desperately needs to be fired. He’ll run that team into the ground if they don’t get him out of there. I guess he pretty much has already.

I don’t know about you, but I am itching for the football season to get here. Aching, really. NFL training camps get under way right away, so America’s favorite sport has been on my mind a lot lately. We’ll obviously spend a lot of time talking about the league in the weeks and months to come, but before we get into any specifics I just wanted to reflect on some of the general thoughts that are bouncing through my mind at this point.

Jacksonville - I like this team. A lot. Their division is a bit softer than it has been. Their offense is solid. Their defense is significantly upgraded. Every year there are a couple of teams that I either make or lose a fortune on. I strongly suspect that Jacksonville is one of those teams. They aren’t going to surprise anyone, and the public is going to be aware of them, but I still thin that they will play well enough to make some money.

Seattle - At 10/11, the Seahawks are favored to win the NFC West. This is a sad statement on the state of that division. I guess I don’t dislike Seattle. How can you, really? There is just nothing to like about them, either. They are the vanilla ice cream of the NFL. If they were to fold right before the season started it would take six weeks before anyone would notice. I just wish I had enough faith in the Cardinals (2/1) to believe that they can finally realize their potential and win this division.

New England - The Patriots aren’t going to be as good as they were last year. Perhaps not even close. That being said, I will be more surprised than I have ever been by anything in my life ever (and I am a Michigan fan who was expecting to beat Appalachian State by 30) if the Pats don’t win their division this year. Easily. Incredibly easily. I’m not the only one to hold this bold opinion - the team is 1/10 to win the division.

San Diego - The Chargers might not even have to work as hard as the Pats will to win their division. There isn’t another team there that stands even a chance of being elite in my mind. Not even close

Minnesota - As a general rule I try to avoid hype whenever possible. The problem here, though, is that I am not sure I can. Minnesota has a ton of talent, I don’t respect their division or their conference, and they have a decent schedule. I don’t think that Minnesota is the best team in the conference, but I find it hard to convince myself that they aren’t among the elite.

San Francisco - The last two years at this time of year I have touted the Niners. It worked fabulously for me two years ago. It didn’t last year. I’m not going to do that again this year. I wish I could - they have some things to like. They just can’t get their act together. This team is dead to me.

Oakland - Some people say that the Raiders could be significantly improved this year. Some people also say that Elvis is still alive. I don’t think either is true. Maybe they will win a game or two more, but they still have a long way to go before they are respectable.

Tennessee - Here’s a prediction for you - this is the last year that Vince Young will be a full time starter in the NFL. No single reason, just a collection of little feelings.

Cincinnati - Marvin Lewis deserves to still be the coach of this team just as much as Roger Clemens deserves the benefit of the doubt - not even slightly. The Bungles have been a mess for a couple of years now, and they are going to be a mess again. The offensive talent that Lewis has wasted is almost criminal.

Kansas City - The Chiefs are going to be the worst team in the league. I feel pretty good about the chances of that. What do I like about this team? Pretty much nothing. Maybe Larry Johnson, but he’s fragile, and I really don’t like his chances of holding up without a line to protect him or a quarterback to provide other options to distract the opposing defenses.