WEEK 5 FOOTBALL PICKS

There were some very interesting football games last weekend. Lets look at some of the results. In High School, the swagger is back at The Reservation, as the Gaffney Indians defeated the Byrnes Rebels 26 to 16. In College, the battle between the Tigers, on the plains in Alabama, had Auburn coming from behind and defeating Clemson in overtime 27 to 24. This game was the most physical game I have seen in quiet awhile. In the NFL, the Carolina Panthers continued to struggle on offense, as they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 to 7. The Panthers plan a QB change this week to try and jump start a struggling offense. Rookie Jimmy Clausen gets his first NFL start.

The ArmChair Coach went 7 and 3 in football picks last week. My record for the season is 33 and 7 for a percentage of .825. Lets look at this weeks picks.

HIGH SCHOOL GAMES

Greenville @ Gaffney..... If recent history continues, this will be another tight game between the Red Raiders and the Indians. Since 2006, this game has been decided by 10 points or less with Gaffney winning 3 of the 4 meetings. This game will be close as well..... Gaffney 20 Greenville 13 For a more in depth preview of this game go to the Tribe Blitz link on this page.

Blacksburg @ Southside Christian..... The interesting thing about this game is, can Blacksburg continue to ride their horse Chase Hames to victory? Hames has rushed for over 800 yards and 12 total TD's the past two weeks, as the Wildcats beat Latta and Liberty. I see them riding him to victory number three in a row..... Blacksburg 34 Southside Christian 24

Chesnee @ Chapman..... The Eagles are playing their third consecutive rivalry game. They lost to Woodruff and Broome the previous two weeks. Will they have any emotion left? They will lose in a shootout..... Chapman 35 Chesnee 32

Chesterfield @ Pageland-Central..... I had the opportunity to see this match-up last season and saw the Chesterfield Rams win their second in a row over the Central Eagles. The Eagles have had this game circled on their calendar since last season and they want it bad. They will get it..... Pageland-Central 24 Chesterfield 20

COLLEGE GAMES

South Carolina @ Auburn..... This will be the Gamecocks first road test of the season. Auburn is a very hostile place to play, as Clemson found out last week. The Tigers are a little beat up, but they should be ready to play this week after their tough overtime win last week..... Auburn 24 South Carolina 20

Alabama @ Arkansas..... The Hogs got a big road win at Georgia last week, while the Tide cruised at Duke. The Alabama defense will be the difference in this one..... Alabama 27 Arkansas 17

Oregon State @ Boise State..... This is another big game for Boise State against a good BCS conference opponent. The Broncos need to win this game and look impressive in doing so..... Boise State 38 Oregon State 20

NFL GAMES

Cincinnati @ Carolina..... The Panthers are making a QB change this week to see if they can jump start a struggling offense. Rookie Jimmy Clausen gets his first NFL start and the results will be the same, a Carolina loss..... Cincinnati 20 Carolina 13

NY Jets @ Miami..... The Dolphins are 2 and 0 but they have struggled on offense. The Jets are coming off of a big win over the Patriots and they have one of the best defenses in the NFL. This should be a typical Dolphins Jets game..... NY Jets 21 Miami 17

Pittsburg @ Tampa Bay..... This is a battle between two surprising 2 and 0 teams. The Steelers are still without Big Ben at QB, but they should find a way to win this game against the young Bucs..... Pittsburg 16 Tampa bay 10

Did You Know? Blacksburg High School's Sr. RB Chase Hames was chosen as the Max Preps National High School back of the week. Hames carried the ball 45 times for 444 yards and 5 total TDs in the Wildcats 41 to 27 win over Liberty last Friday night.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 4 FOOTBALL PICKS

There were some interesting results in football last weekend. In High School, the Gaffney Indians finally put together a complete game against Union County and Dorman continued to find ways to keep winning. In College, the South Carolina Gamecocks made a statement with a big win over Georgia. In the NFL, the Carolina Panthers continued their struggles on offense as they fell to the New York Giants.

The ArmChair Coach went 9 and 1 in football picks last weekend and my record for the season is 26 and 4 for a percentage of .867. Lets look at some of the games for this weekend.

HIGH SCHOOL GAMES

Byrnes @ Gaffney..... These two powers played their most complete games of the season last week. The Indians owe the Rebels after they ran up the score last season..... Gaffney 20 Byrnes 17 For a more in depth preview of this game, go to the Tribe Blitz link on this page.

Rock Hill @ South Pointe..... In a short time this has turned into a pretty good rivalry. The last couple of years this was a Region game, but this year it is a non region match-up. It should be a very physical game and I see the home team getting the win..... South Pointe 24 Rock Hill 20

Blythewood @ Northwestern..... So far in this young season, the Northwestern Trojans have looked like the best team in the state. They continue to roll..... Northwestern 38 Blythewood 14

Dorman @ T.L. Hanna..... The Top Ranked Cavaliers are undefeated, but they have yet to put together a complete performance. They should roll to victory in this one..... Dorman 35 T. L. Hanna 10

COLLEGE GAMES

Clemson @ Auburn..... After playing two games against inferior opponents, the Clemson Tigers will finally get tested. Auburn was tested on the road at Mississippi State last Thursday night and passed. Clemson goes into a hostile environment for the first time this season and they will come up short..... Auburn 20 Clemson 17

Furman @ South Carolina..... The Gamecocks are involved in a possible trap game with Furman this week. After their big win over Georgia last week they will play at Auburn next week. The Gamecocks have a history of being flat in games like this. This is a different Carolina team and they should roll to victory..... South Carolina 34 Furman 10

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina..... The Tarheels had a week off to prepare for the option game of Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets laid an egg against Kansas last week. This has the potential to be a great football game. I give the Heels a slight edge at home..... North Carolina 23 Georgia Tech 21

NFL GAMES

Tampa Bay @ Carolina..... This is the home opener for the Panthers. Carolina lost to the Giants last week and Tampa Bay defeated Cleveland. The Panthers will get the running game going and they will get better play from the QB position this week that should lead to a home win..... Carolina 20 Tampa Bay 17

Miami @ Minnesota..... The Vikings lost their NFC Championship rematch with the Saints last week. Brett Favre looked like a rusty 40 something QB in the process. Favre plays better this week and the Vikings should prevail..... Minnesota 20 Miami 14

Buffalo @ Green Bay..... The Packers are home on the unfrozen tundra of Lambeau Field and should give the hometown fans a happy trip back home..... Green Bay 27 Buffalo 13

Enjoy your sports weekend.

Until Next Time.

WEEK 3 FOOTBALL PICKS

There were some very good games and some surprising scores on the schedule last week. This weeks schedule will be even more interesting, as we have some monster games on the College football schedule and we have the start of the NFL season.

The ArmChair Coach went 7 and 3 in football picks last week and I am 17 and 3 for the season for a percentage of .850. Lets look at some of the interesting match-ups in High School, College and the NFL for this week.

HIGH SCHOOL

Gaffney @ Union County..... These two old rivals have been snake bit so far this season. I see the Indians going on the road and bringing home a victory this week..... Gaffney 26 Union County 17 For a more in depth preview of this game go to the Tribe Blitz link on this page.

Greenwood @ Dorman..... Both of these teams defeated Gaffney the last two weeks. The Eagles win was surprising but the Cavaliers win was expected. If Greenwood can get their Option offense going it will be close. The Cavaliers will get it done in the 4th quarter..... Dorman 24 Greenwood 20

Anson County (NC) @ Chesterfield..... This is a border battle that should be just a tune-up for Chesterfield, as they get ready for rival Pageland-Central next week..... Chesterfield 38 Anson County 14

Woodruff @ Chesnee..... These two old rivals are meeting as non-region members this season. The Eagles are 2 and 0 and the Wolverines are 0 and 2. I see Woodruff winning this game because they have played the toughest schedule so far..... Woodruff 31 Chesnee 27

COLLEGE

Georgia @ South Carolina..... Being a Clemson fan I would like nothing better than to see Georgia pound South Carolina. I do not see that happening. I think the Gamecocks are better than Georgia at this point in the season..... South Carolina 20 Georgia 17

Penn State @ Alabama..... This is a very good early season game that will have the atmosphere of a bowl game. This will be a good measuring stick for both teams and I see the Tide winning at home..... Alabama 24 Penn State 21

Miami @ Ohio State..... This is another monster match-up that looks like a bowl game. I see the Buckeyes finding away to win it late..... Ohio State 27 Miami 20

Presbyterian @ Clemson..... Normally I wouldn't pick this game, but being a Clemson fan I had to do it. It would take a total meltdown by the Tigers for them to lose this game. I thought it would be fun to see how close I could come to the final score..... Clemson 56 Presbyterian 6

NFL

Carolina @ NY Giants..... This will be the first regular season game in the New Meadowlands Stadium. The Panthers went through the whole preseason without an offensive TD. They will score an offensive TD in this game, but they will come up short on the scoreboard..... NY Giants 23 Carolina 16

Miami @ Buffalo..... This is the best time of the season for the Dolphins to travel to Buffalo, because of the warm weather. The Bills will be unveiling their new secret weapon in C.J. Spiller, but the Dolphins are the better team and should get the victory..... Miami 23 Buffalo 13

Until Next Time.

WEEK 2 FOOTBALL PICKS

We had some interesting High School football games last week in Week 1 of the season. We have some traditional rivalry games on the schedule this week, as well as a renewal of a rivalry between two of the states most storied programs. We also have the opening of the College football season and we will look at some of the key games on the schedule.

The ArmChair Coach went 9 and 0 in game picks last week and 1 and 0 in Week 0 and my record for the season is 10 and 0 for a percentage of 1.ooo. The games start getting a little more difficult this week as we add some College games to the mix. Next week we will add some NFL games. Lets look at the Week 2 football picks.

High School Games

Gaffney @ Greenwood..... This is the first match-up between these two storied programs since the 1990's. I see the Indians going on the road and getting a hard fought win..... Gaffney 20 Greenwood 14. For a more in depth preview of this game go to the Tribe Blitz link on this page.

Spartanburg @ Dorman..... These two traditional rivals have played twice a year the last couple of years. Historically the Vikings have dominated this rivalry, but in recent years the Cavaliers have turned the table. They turn the table once again..... Dorman 28 Spartanburg 17

Cheraw @ Chesterfield..... I had the opportunity to see this traditional rivalry a couple of years ago and there is one thing for certain, They Do Not Like Each Other! The Rams go for their 4th win in a row over the Braves and they will get it..... Chesterfield 33 Cheraw 15

Broome @ Union County..... This has been a close game the last couple of years and this year will be no exception..... Union County 23 Broome 14

Landrum @ Chesnee..... This is a good rivalry that is sort of under the radar. The Cardinals won big last week and the Eagles won a close one over Chase. The Eagles play better this week and get the win..... Chesnee 23 Landrum 17

Indian Land @ Blacksburg..... The Warriors have been hard on the Wildcats in recent years and they will again this year..... Indian Land 17 Blacksburg 13

College Games

Southern Mississippi @ South Carolina..... This game has a chance to be closer than most people think..... South Carolina 24 Southern Mississippi 16

North Texas @ Clemson..... The Tigers are ready to hit someone not wearing orange. The post C.J. Spiller era begins with a big win for the Tigers..... Clemson 34 North Texas 10

North Carolina vs LSU at The Georgia Dome..... If you like offense you probably won't like this game, as you have two very good defenses and questionable offenses..... LSU 13 North Carolina 10

Boise State vs Virginia Tech at Washington, D.C. ..... This game between Top 10 teams is very intriguing. Boise State needs to win to stay in the BCS Bowl and National Championship race. Virginia Tech needs this win to stay in National Championship race and it would be a very big win for the ACC. I see the physical play of Virginia Tech wearing down Boise State in the 4th quarter..... Virginia Tech 27 Boise State 24

Enjoy your sports weekend.

Until next Time.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1

The High School football season started last Friday night with a few Week 0 games. The game that I went to was the Gaffney @ Boiling Springs game. What was a blowout statistically and score wise through three quarters turned into a fight for survival in the 4th quarter for Gaffney. The Indians stopped a 4th and goal at the 2 yard line with 33 seconds left to preserve the victory 21 to 14.

We have made it to Week 1 of the High School football season which is the official opening of what should be another exciting season in South Carolina. There are some very interesting games on the schedule, so lets look at some of them.

Dorman @ Gaffney..... The Indians played last week and held on to defeat Boiling Springs 21 to 14. Dorman played in a jamboree and was impressive against Laurens. These two rivals have a history of close games and this one should be no different..... Dorman 17 Gaffney 13
For a more in depth preview of this game go to the Tribe Blitz link on this page.

Hoover, Alabama vs Byrnes @ Rock Hill, SC..... This will be an interesting game to see if Byrnes can play with Hoover with all of the graduation loses the Rebels had from last season..... Hoover 24 Byrnes 16

Union County @ Spartanburg..... I see the Vikings building from the momentum of their strong showing in the playoffs last season..... Spartanburg 23 Union County 14

South Pointe @ Northwestern..... This is another national game as it is on TV after the Byrnes vs Hoover game. South Pointe might have the best player on the field, but Northwestern has the best team..... Northwestern 27 South Pointe 20

Chase, NC @ Chesnee..... The Eagles are hoping to get off to a flying start against Chase. They will..... Chesnee 28 Chase 10

Boiling Springs @ Greenwood..... The Bulldogs didn't quit last week against Gaffney, but fell short. They give another good run this week, but come up short on the road..... Greenwood 20 Boiling Springs 16

Chesterfield @ Timmonsville..... The three time defending 1A Champion Chesterfield Rams start their season where they left off last season, with a win..... Chesterfield 27
Timmonsville 14

Greer @ Rock Hill..... The Yellow Jackets were impressive in their Week 0 opener against Seneca. They will have a much stronger opponent this week as they play the Bearcats..... Rock Hill 21 Greer 14

McBee @ Blacksburg..... The Wildcats of the Iron City try to get off to a winning start against McBee. They will come up short..... McBee 17 Blacksburg 14

The ArmChair Coach will be at the Dorman @ Gaffney game Friday night. Go out and support your favorite team.

Until Next Week.

TALE OF TWO QUARTERBACKS

With the start of the College football season just a couple of weeks away, there are two Quarterbacks that continue to be in the news together. I am talking about Clemson QB Kyle Parker and former Clemson QB Willy Korn. Last year they were battling each other on the practice field to see who was going to be Clemson's new starting QB. As we know Kyle Parker beat out Willy Korn and led the Tigers to the ACC Atlantic Division Title and a birth in the ACC Championship Game. Since the end of last football season, both QB's continued to be in the news with Willy Korn deciding to transfer to Marshall and Kyle Parker having an outstanding season for the Tigers baseball team fueling speculation as whether he might be a high draft pick in the Major League Baseball draft. While leading the Tigers to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska the Colorado Rockies made Kyle Parker the 26th pick of the first round in the MLB draft. Willy Korn was preparing to go to Marshall University and win the starting QB position for the Thundering Herd. Kyle Parker and his family had set the date of July 20th to sign with the Rockies to play baseball only. Reportedly the Parkers wanted $3 million to play only baseball and the Rockies offered $2.2 million. So around midnight on the 20th Kyle Parker informed Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney that he was going to play football this fall. As the fall camps for College football teams began to open around the country the speculation about whether Willy Korn could go to Marshall and beat out 4 or 5 other QB's for the starting job began to mount. Down at Clemson, as Kyle Parker was going through fall practice with the Tigers, the speculation of would he and the Rockies come to a contract agreement by the August 16 deadline was on the news and sports talk shows on a daily basis. Up at Marshall late last week the news surfaced that Willy Korn was not going to be the starting QB for the Thundering Herd. He was not going to be a QB at all for the Herd. He was 5th on the depth chart and Marshall Head Coach Doc Holiday was moving Korn to Safety. Reports were that Willy Korn was ok with the move. Korn was not present at the Marshall fan day on Sunday fueling speculation that he might be thinking of transferring. Back at Clemson the news all day on Monday the 16th was will he or won't he sign with the Rockies. Minutes before midnight Kyle Parker and the Rockies came to and agreement and he signed a contract for $1.4 million. It cost Kyle Parker $800,000 to play football for the Clemson Tigers this fall. I know Clemson is a great place but $800,000 great! He must not need the money like I do. Meanwhile in the Willy Korn camp, the speculation about Korn transferring again turned out to be true as he has now enrolled at Division 2 North Greenville University. Surely he can win the starting QB job with the Crusaders as they are in bad need for a QB! The stories of these two young QB's continue to be interesting and connected and The ArmChair Coach wishes both of them the best.

DID YOU KNOW? Kyle Parker is the only Division 1 athlete to throw 20 TD passes and hit 20 HR's in the same school year. He did it during the 2009-2010 school year.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 0 GAME

Gaffney @ Boiling Springs..... The Gaffney Indians were 10 and 4 last season losing to eventual State Champion Dorman in the state semi-finals. The Boiling Springs Bulldogs were 8 and 3 last year and banned from the playoffs. I don't see many points in this one..... Gaffney 19 Boiling Springs 10

To see a more in depth preview of this game go to Tribe Blitz. There is a link on this page.

Until Next Time.

FOOTBALL FEVER ANYONE??

Well after a hiatus for a few weeks, The ArmChair Coach is back and he has a very bad fever to deal with. The doctor has diagnosed me with a severe case of FOOTBALL FEVER! Does anyone else have FOOTBALL FEVER? For those of us who are suffering from it I would like to look at some of the interesting story lines that I am looking forward to seeing how they will play out as the season gets underway in a few weeks.

(1) Will he or won't he? I am talking about Brett Favre and his status of retiring from the NFL or playing for the Minnesota Vikings for a second season. The ArmChair Coach feels like that he will play if his injured ankle heels enough to allow him to suit up in the Vikings purple again. It will be very interesting.

(2) How will the Clemson Tigers do without star C.J. Spiller? Being a big Clemson fan The ArmChair Coach is really interested in how this story plays out. I feel like that Andre Ellington and Jaime Harper are very good backs and will do a good job. The Tigers will probably have more of a power running game and ball control offense. Stay tuned.

(3) Will Interim Head Coach Dan Jones get the permanent job with the Gaffney Indians? I am a huge Gaffney Indians fan and I was very upset when Phil Strickland left back in the spring. I feel very strong that the Cherokee County School District did the right thing keeping Dan Jones as the Interim Head Coach for the 2010 season. Dan Jones has been a very successful Defensive Coordinator for the past seven years and he knows what it takes to win State Championships. The ArmChair Coach says The Pride and Tradition Continues. Stay plugged in.

(4) Will Carolina Panthers Head Coach John Fox keep his job past this season? With no Jake Delhomme on the team this season, the Panthers have to find a new QB. Matt Moore played well at the end of last season and goes into the season as the starting QB. Will he be pushed by second round draft pick Jimmy Clausen for the starting job at some point during the season? The play of the QB's could be a major factor to John Fox keeping his job or not. Do I see Bill Cowher roaming the Panther's sideline next season? Maybe.

(5) Will the SEC win another National Title this season? With LSU, Florida and Alabama winning titles the last three years, who wins this year? I see the SEC being a little down this season. Could Arkansas or South Carolina sneak into the title picture this season? Probably not. Could we be crowning Boise State National Champs this year? With the SEC's big three down a little this year you never know. It will be a very interesting season. Stay tuned.

These are some of the many intriguing stories we will get to see unfold as the 2010 football seasons begin soon.

Until Next Time.