Football Preview #1: Good teams win, great teams cover.

Hello, all. I took a while, but the boys are back. We're doing something a little different this year.  Instead of the old NFL previews, we are picking four games each from both the college and pro ranks and picking against the spread rather than simply who wins and loses. Let's get into it.

Pats-Dolphins (Pats -7.5)
Ryan: The Patriots have always had the Dolphins number and now come into this weeks game angry after back-to-back losses and being called old.

Steelers-Ravens (Steelers -3.5)
Ryan: The Steelers' defense is weak, and Baltimore has a revamped offense with multiple weapons. John Brown can stretch the field.

Raiders-Browns (Raiders -2.5)
Oakland is giving up more than seven yards per play. It's Baker Mayfield's time to shine. Defensively, Myles Garrett will be a headache in Oakland's backfield all afternoon.

Chargers-49ers (SD -10.5)
Ryan: Without Garrappolo, the 49ers will struggle to score. San Diego can put up the points to cover the spread.

College
Alabama-Lousiana (Bama -48.0)
Ryan: Hard not to take 48 points, even against Alabama

Clemson-Syracuse (CLEM -24.0)
Ryan: Clemson is working on a new QB and Clemson has been a surprise this year in the ACC. Syracuse keeps it close for a half and loses by about 17.

Penn State-Ohio State (OSU -3.5)
Ryan: Penn State sucks

Stanford-Notre Dame (ND -5.5)
Notre Dame is vastly overrated (per usual) as shown by Vanderbilt hanging with the Irish in South Bend despite playing pretty poorly.

Jeff: Dolphins
Patriots have been shaky to start the year while Miami has been the opposite. I think New England will get the win, but Miami will cover the spread

Ravens
The Ravens are going to win this game simply because the Steelers aren't that good. They should have lost their first three games, so I don't think they'll be able to handle the Ravens.

Browns
Come on. The Browns are winning this game. They are the much better team.

Chargers
Losing Garrappolo for the season is a killer and I don't see how CJ Beathard the elite Chargers defense with only a week of first-team reps.

Alabama
I mean come on. Take Bama and the points.

Syracuse
Clemson's overrated every year and Syracuse is vastly underrated. I'll take 24 points for Syracuse.

Ohio State 
James Franklin stinks

Notre Dame
ND switched QB's last week and it was very effective. I think this will continue.

Brad
New England
Miami has started strong and New England has done the opposite. I'm expecting a reality check in this game. Pats by 15.

Pittsburgh
Steelers could realistically be 3-0 or 0-3. The win last Monday was dominant, even if the final score didn't show it. I like the better team here, and if I could call a push, Steelers by three.

Browns
Call me a bandwagoner, I don't care. I'm on the Browns hype train. Cleveland has the most momentum of any one-win team and the Raiders have none. Baker Mayfield will shine in his first start as the Raiders can't get any pressure on the QB.

Chargers
I'm tempted to pick the 49ers, especially the way they played in the fourth quarter of last weeks game, but Melvin Gordon will tear them up.

College 
Lousiana
I go to Alabama and have seen them play first hand. They are the best team in college football, but I can tell you how this game goes. Tua goes off in the first quarter, slows down a little in the second, and then Jalen Hurts comes in. I expect a 51-7 final score, and Lousiana will cover.

Clemson
I believe this game will be close in the fourth quarter but the Tigers will pull away late.

Ohio State
Penn State has struggled with mediocre teams all year and the Buckeyes are the second best team in the country. The game will be closer than tan it should be, but Ohio State will pull away in the second half.

Stanford
Notre Dame shouldn't even be favored. I see the Cardinal winning by double-digits.


Joe
Patriots 
Miami ain't starting 4-0.

Raiders
John Gruden's return to the bay area is off to a disastrous start. Wouldn't it be fitting for Chucky to get his first NFL win in a decade against the Browns?

Ravens
Steelers win, Baltimore covers. These games are usually tight as hell, and Sunday night will be no exception. Steelers by two.

Chargers
A legit playoff contender vs. CJ Beathard. I like my chances.

Lousiana
'Bama by 47.

Syracuse 
The Orange aren't a bad team. Eric Dungy is a fine QB, so I'll take Syracuse to cover.

Ohio State 
Love Penn State, but the defense isn't ready yet. Buckeyes by 14.

Stanford
They'll ride the momentum from last weeks comeback against Oregon and pull a mini-upset in South Bend.

Pitt-Penn State: Three keys to victory

It's Pitt-Penn State. It's at Heinz Field, and it's at night. Pretty exciting, eh?
It will be more thrilling for me if Penn State gets out of Pittsburgh with a win, and here are three things that need to happen for the Nittany Lions to do that.

1. Last weeks near disgrace= Motivation
Penn State came so close to experiencing one of the worst losses in its history last Saturday against App State at Beaver Stadium. The near-disaster, however, could turn out to be a blessing.

Hopefully, the Nittany Lions at the least learned that they aren't that good yet, and know that they shouldn't take anybody lightly. The main hope is that Saturday's close call will create a more focused Penn State team that will make its debut in primetime tonight.

2. Force a big mistake 
Trace McSorley played a solid overall game the first time the two teams played at Heinz Field, going 24-35 and throwing for 332 yards. McSorley made mistakes, however. He lost losing a fumble early in the game, and His last throw of the day was intercepted in the end zone by Pitt defensive back Ryan Lewis, sealing the game.

Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett is in a similar situation that McSorley was two years ago. He's a young, undersized QB playing in his first big game and waiting to make an impact. Chances are that this will be a tight contest late in the second half, so if Penn State can force Pickett to make a big mistake with the game on the line and get the ball in the hands of an older, wiser and better McSorley, than I like the Nittany Lions chances to get the job done at Heinz Field.

3. Trace Mscorley, primetime player.
The most comfortable I feel with McSorley behind center is in primetime. When the lights are shining brightest, there are few players in college football who are better. Trace may not have the best stats in the world, and he's capable of looking shaky for a quarter or three. If the game is close in the fourth quarter, however, that's when McSorley turns into a monster.

People can say whatever about this guy, but he's a winner. If the way he plays tonight mirrors what he's done for the past two years, I like Penn State's chances.

Prediction
This will be a good football game. Not a great game, but a good one. It's  Pitt's super bowl, so the Panthers will be fired up, especially at home. For three quarters, the game will be extremely tight. In the last 15 minutes however, is when I expect Penn State's athletes to take over the game.

The Nittany Lions are more talented than Pitt, and I think that will be evident in the fourth quarter. McSorley will become the monster that he so often is toward the end of the game, and in the last five minutes, he'll throw the touchdown pass that puts the Panthers to bed.

Penn State 34, Pitt 24