NFL 2013: Week 12 Predictions and a "C'mon Man" to the OHSAA
Before I get into my picks for Week 12, I have to pass out The "C'mon Man" of the Year Award to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). This Saturday, the Colerain Cardinals take on the Archbishop Moeller Crusaders in the Ohio Division I regional semifinals. Colerain is undefeated and ranked 14th nationally according to USA Today Sports Super 25. Moeller is 11-1 and is the defending state champions. One would think the venue for a game between two of the best high school football programs in the state of Ohio would be one that can hold 10,000-15,000 fans.
Well, if you thought that, you would be wrong.
The OHSAA has decided to have the game at Mason High School, whose stadium holds about 7,000 people if you pack them in like sardines. Why, you ask? Why else, money.
The OHSAA is so concerned about making money that they obviously don't care about the fan experience. High school stadiums have a great vibe on a Friday night, don't get me wrong, but the fans and players deserve better -- especially in the playoffs.
The players at Colerain and Moeller have been grinding it out for months, from early morning workouts before school to long practices in the summer heat. They deserve to play in front of 10,000 plus screaming students, parents, family members and friends Saturday night.
If you have never experienced an Ohio high school football game, then you are missing out, because it's one of the best sporting events a fan go to. Besides Texas and maybe Florida and California, the best place to watch high school football is in the Buckeye State. If you don't believe me, just ask anyone who has seen an Ohio high school football game and they'll back me up.
Hamilton County Commissioner and Colerain grad, Todd Portune, made a late push to get Saturday's game relocated to Paul Brown Stadium (PBS), but once again the money won. The OHSAA said they must have revenue of $50,000 from the game in order to move it from Mason and apparently the rental cost of PBS is too high. Why the OHSAA needs revenue of $50,000 is another question in itself, but a second "C'mon Man" goes out to the Bengals owner, Mike Brown.
If there is anything the Cincinnati Bengals need to do more than win football games, it is to build a positive relationship with the community. It's no secret that Bengals ownership is not well liked by the Cincinnati faithful and what better way to build positive PR then by letting Colerain and Moeller play at PBS for a reduced cost or even free for that matter. I can't say for sure, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Mike Brown and the Bengals could afford to have a high school football game at PBS. There would be at least 10,000 people in the stands, maybe even close 15,000. With a crowd of 15,000 at $7 a ticket, that's $105,000 in ticket revenue to the OHSAA. Apparently, though, that's not enough.
The OHSAA and Mike Brown had a chance to make things right, but they dropped the ball, big time. In today's sports world, money is all that seems to matter and it's a damn shame.
As a proud Moeller alum, I have the Crusaders in this one, 24-21. I think it will be a great game despite the fact it's in the completely wrong venue.
Thanks, OHSAA and once again, thanks for everything Mike.
Now on to my predictions for Week 12 in the NFL.
Week 12 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
New Orleans over ATLANTA: Have you seen the Falcons play this season? They are in one word, awful. Saints by at least 10.
CLEVELAND over Pittsburgh: Tough game to pick. Neither Pittsburgh nor Cleveland has been impressive this season. I think the winner of this one will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes. Cleveland lost last week to Cincinnati because of some costly turnovers and mistakes on special teams. If they can cut out the mistakes, they will win at home.
DETROIT over Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers may be on a two-game winning streak, but the streak will end Sunday in Detroit. Megatron will have a big game, yet again.
GREEN BAY over Minnesota: Scott Tolzien will once again be under center for the Packers as Aaron Rodgers recovers from a broken collarbone. Tolzien has thrown five interceptions and only one touchdown in the two games he's played in this season, but the talent around him will be enough to get the Packers past the dreadful Vikings.
KANSAS CITY over San Diego: Chiefs suffered a bump in the road last Sunday night against the Broncos, but they are still 9-1 and still much alive in the race for home field in the playoffs. As long as the Chiefs don't look ahead to next week when the Broncos come to Arrowhead, they'll beat the lackluster Chargers.
Chicago over ST. LOUIS: Closer than the experts think, but I really like the way the Bears have played with backup quarterback Josh McCown this season. Chicago wins, but by less than three.
Carolina over MIAMI: New England should have had one more play Monday night against Carolina due to a blatant defensive holding or pass interference penalty that was waved off, but the Panthers prevailed yet again. Carolina has a good team -- winners of six straight -- and even though they are on a short week, they'll beat the Dolphins in Miami.
BALTIMORE over NY Jets: The Jets have alternated wins and losses the first ten games of the season, which should mean a win for them this week since they lost to Buffalo last week. However, it is very tough to win on the road in the NFL -- see Stat of the Week at the end of my picks -- and the Jets are 1-4 away from MetLife Stadium this season.
HOUSTON over Jacksonville: Houston, we have a problem. The Texans have lost eight in a row, but lucky for them, the Jaguars come to town this weekend. I think the losing streak will finally to an end on Sunday.
OAKLAND over Tennessee: At 4-6, both Oakland and Tennessee are still mathematically alive in the AFC Wild Card race, but I would be surprised if either team makes it to the playoffs. Raiders QB Matt McGloin played well in his first career start last week and with the Raiders being at home, I like their chances against the Titans.
ARIZONA over Indianapolis: The Colts have not looked good the past three weeks, especially in the first half being outscored 66-9. The Cardinals on the other hand, have won three straight, due in large part to QB Carson Palmer throwing for 832 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions. Arizona is hot right now and they stay hot out in the desert on Sunday.
NY GIANTS over Dallas: The G-Men may have started off 0-6, but they have won four straight and climbed back into the NFC East race. Dallas is coming off a bye two weeks after the gave up 49 points and an NFL record 40 first downs to the New Orleans Saints. Dallas' defense is terrible and will be the reason why the Cowboys don't make the playoffs.
Denver over NEW ENGLAND: Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Two of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game face off for the 14th time this Sunday night and like all Manning/Brady matchups, this one should be a classic. I think the Broncos will win not because of their offense, but because they have a better defense. The Patriots have suffered some key injuries on defense -- see Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork -- and I don't think they'll be able to keep Manning and the Broncos under 30. New England will put up some points, but it won' be enough to top Denver.
San Francisco over WASHINGTON: San Francisco has lost two tough games in a row, but I think they will rebound against a Washington team who is reeling and is quickly falling out of the NFC East race.
Stat of the Week: Think it's hard to win games on the road in the NFL? Well, I did the math and found that the league's combined record on the road through 11 weeks is 61-101. That's a mere .376 winning percentage. Wow. Looks like I'll be picking more home teams from here on out.
Bye: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Seattle
Last Week: 10-5
Overall: 103-59
Well, if you thought that, you would be wrong.
| Colerain and Moeller will play at Mason High School on Saturday, instead of Paul Brown Stadium. (Cincinnati Enquirer file photo) |
The OHSAA is so concerned about making money that they obviously don't care about the fan experience. High school stadiums have a great vibe on a Friday night, don't get me wrong, but the fans and players deserve better -- especially in the playoffs.
The players at Colerain and Moeller have been grinding it out for months, from early morning workouts before school to long practices in the summer heat. They deserve to play in front of 10,000 plus screaming students, parents, family members and friends Saturday night.
If you have never experienced an Ohio high school football game, then you are missing out, because it's one of the best sporting events a fan go to. Besides Texas and maybe Florida and California, the best place to watch high school football is in the Buckeye State. If you don't believe me, just ask anyone who has seen an Ohio high school football game and they'll back me up.
Hamilton County Commissioner and Colerain grad, Todd Portune, made a late push to get Saturday's game relocated to Paul Brown Stadium (PBS), but once again the money won. The OHSAA said they must have revenue of $50,000 from the game in order to move it from Mason and apparently the rental cost of PBS is too high. Why the OHSAA needs revenue of $50,000 is another question in itself, but a second "C'mon Man" goes out to the Bengals owner, Mike Brown.
If there is anything the Cincinnati Bengals need to do more than win football games, it is to build a positive relationship with the community. It's no secret that Bengals ownership is not well liked by the Cincinnati faithful and what better way to build positive PR then by letting Colerain and Moeller play at PBS for a reduced cost or even free for that matter. I can't say for sure, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Mike Brown and the Bengals could afford to have a high school football game at PBS. There would be at least 10,000 people in the stands, maybe even close 15,000. With a crowd of 15,000 at $7 a ticket, that's $105,000 in ticket revenue to the OHSAA. Apparently, though, that's not enough.
The OHSAA and Mike Brown had a chance to make things right, but they dropped the ball, big time. In today's sports world, money is all that seems to matter and it's a damn shame.
As a proud Moeller alum, I have the Crusaders in this one, 24-21. I think it will be a great game despite the fact it's in the completely wrong venue.
Thanks, OHSAA and once again, thanks for everything Mike.
Now on to my predictions for Week 12 in the NFL.
Week 12 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
New Orleans over ATLANTA: Have you seen the Falcons play this season? They are in one word, awful. Saints by at least 10.
CLEVELAND over Pittsburgh: Tough game to pick. Neither Pittsburgh nor Cleveland has been impressive this season. I think the winner of this one will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes. Cleveland lost last week to Cincinnati because of some costly turnovers and mistakes on special teams. If they can cut out the mistakes, they will win at home.
DETROIT over Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers may be on a two-game winning streak, but the streak will end Sunday in Detroit. Megatron will have a big game, yet again.
GREEN BAY over Minnesota: Scott Tolzien will once again be under center for the Packers as Aaron Rodgers recovers from a broken collarbone. Tolzien has thrown five interceptions and only one touchdown in the two games he's played in this season, but the talent around him will be enough to get the Packers past the dreadful Vikings.
KANSAS CITY over San Diego: Chiefs suffered a bump in the road last Sunday night against the Broncos, but they are still 9-1 and still much alive in the race for home field in the playoffs. As long as the Chiefs don't look ahead to next week when the Broncos come to Arrowhead, they'll beat the lackluster Chargers.
Chicago over ST. LOUIS: Closer than the experts think, but I really like the way the Bears have played with backup quarterback Josh McCown this season. Chicago wins, but by less than three.
Carolina over MIAMI: New England should have had one more play Monday night against Carolina due to a blatant defensive holding or pass interference penalty that was waved off, but the Panthers prevailed yet again. Carolina has a good team -- winners of six straight -- and even though they are on a short week, they'll beat the Dolphins in Miami.
BALTIMORE over NY Jets: The Jets have alternated wins and losses the first ten games of the season, which should mean a win for them this week since they lost to Buffalo last week. However, it is very tough to win on the road in the NFL -- see Stat of the Week at the end of my picks -- and the Jets are 1-4 away from MetLife Stadium this season.
HOUSTON over Jacksonville: Houston, we have a problem. The Texans have lost eight in a row, but lucky for them, the Jaguars come to town this weekend. I think the losing streak will finally to an end on Sunday.
OAKLAND over Tennessee: At 4-6, both Oakland and Tennessee are still mathematically alive in the AFC Wild Card race, but I would be surprised if either team makes it to the playoffs. Raiders QB Matt McGloin played well in his first career start last week and with the Raiders being at home, I like their chances against the Titans.
ARIZONA over Indianapolis: The Colts have not looked good the past three weeks, especially in the first half being outscored 66-9. The Cardinals on the other hand, have won three straight, due in large part to QB Carson Palmer throwing for 832 yards, six touchdowns and only two interceptions. Arizona is hot right now and they stay hot out in the desert on Sunday.
NY GIANTS over Dallas: The G-Men may have started off 0-6, but they have won four straight and climbed back into the NFC East race. Dallas is coming off a bye two weeks after the gave up 49 points and an NFL record 40 first downs to the New Orleans Saints. Dallas' defense is terrible and will be the reason why the Cowboys don't make the playoffs.
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| Tom Brady and Peyton Manning face each other for the 14th time on Sunday. (Winslow Townson/SI) |
San Francisco over WASHINGTON: San Francisco has lost two tough games in a row, but I think they will rebound against a Washington team who is reeling and is quickly falling out of the NFC East race.
Stat of the Week: Think it's hard to win games on the road in the NFL? Well, I did the math and found that the league's combined record on the road through 11 weeks is 61-101. That's a mere .376 winning percentage. Wow. Looks like I'll be picking more home teams from here on out.
Bye: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Seattle
Last Week: 10-5
Overall: 103-59
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