Looking Ahead-Football

As the calendar turns to a new year, the football season begins to turn into a culmination of bowls and playoff games. The first weekend of 2011 could prove to be one of the most exciting football weekends of the year. With Wildcard playoff games and the BCS National Championship coming on Monday night, football fans will have plenty to talk about come Tuesday morning. To give you a better understanding for this weekend's match-ups, I will outline each game and give you my winner.
Seahawks vs. Saints
The opening game of Wildcard weekend pits the 7-9 Seahawks against the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints. Seattle is arguably the worst playoff team in the history of the NFL, but also is one of the toughest places to play in the league. Statistics would suggest that New Orleans wins in a laugher, but other factors could contribute to a better game than the experts suggest. Quarterback inexperience will be the determining factor, as Drew Brees will outplay Charlie Whitehurst, and the Saints will win in Seattle.
Colts vs. Jets
A rematch of last year's AFC Championship, I see a similar result coming this year. Peyton Manning had his way at home against the Jets secondary throwing for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, the Colts look more vulnerable than ever with the lack of a running attack and uncharacteristic mistakes by Manning. The Colts defense also adds Gary Brackett, a key piece to their playoff success in the past, I like the Colts at home.
Chiefs vs. Ravens
The first of the Sunday games features experience versus inexperience, as the Ravens bring their road playoff success into Arrowhead, which hasn't hosted a playoff game since 2003. To me, the Ravens provide the greatest threat to New England in the AFC playoff picture, and the experience on that team cannot be denied. The Chiefs on the other hand have looked rather mediocre over the second half of the season, and I don't see them being able to keep up with the Ravens. Give me the Ravens in this one.
Eagles vs. Packers
This will be the best game of the weekend, as the surging Packers travel to Philly and hope to stop the Michael Vick Experience very early in the Playoffs. Traditionally, I tend to split my decisions between home and away teams, picking two winners from each category. This year is very tough due to the caliber of the teams and lack of dominance in either conference. Although the Packers could be the most dangerous 6th seed in recent history, I see Michael Vick as the most valuable player to his team, and he will not disappoint in this one. I will stick to tradition and pick the Eagles behind a sensational crowd in Philadelphia. In a very close game, give me the Eagles.

BCS National Championship: Auburn vs. Oregon
The Battle between the two best teams in college football on Monday night provides everything you could hope for out of a National Championship game. Two undefeated teams playing for immortality will not disappoint. The SEC has won four straight National Championships and Auburn also hopes to keep that streak alive as they battle the best in the Pac-10 on Monday. Cameron Newton and LaMichael James bring star power to this game also. With the Heisman Trophy winner and candidate on their respective sides, there should be no shortage of stardom in this game. When you think about it, Auburn and Oregon are nearly mirror images of each other. Both of these teams score a lot of points and rely on their rushing attack to move the ball. Oregon leads the nation in scoring, and many are pitting the entire Oregon offense against the Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. A season full of highlights for each team comes down to which team will create the most plays in a championship game. The determining factor for me is size on both sides of the ball for Auburn. Cam Newton and Nick Fairley are two crucial players that have too much size and power for Oregon to deny. The Oregon defense will not stop the size of Cam Newton, and Nick Fairley will create problems for the smaller and less physical Ducks offense. I see Auburn winning 35-28.