2009-2010 Bowl Pick 'Em Extravaganza - Part II

It's time for the second part of our RSS Bowl Pick 'Em Extravaganza! Part I can be found here. As you know, we've picked every game with confidence points and brought along Brother Yohey to make us feel good about our own picks. It's tight at the top between Y2 and Y1, but who will come out on top? Who will win the once important New Year's Day Bowls? Below will be each bowl game and our picks and confidence points. Play along at home and try and beat the bloggers! Part II starts with Friday's slate...

Jan 1 - Outback Bowl - Northwestern (8-4) v Auburn (7-5)

-Starting off the New Year will be the first of two Big 10/SEC matchups between conference also-rans Northwestern and Auburn. Northwestern should be pumped to be playing in a New Year's Bowl for the first time since Gary Barnett...and to be in sunny south Florida.

Mr. Yoder I: Auburn 11 Mr. Yoder II: Northwestern 5 Brother Yohey: Auburn 20

Jan 1 - Capital One Bowl - Penn St. (10-2) v LSU (9-3)

-The second SEC/Big 10 battle features two tenacious defenses in Penn St. and LSU. Right now I'm listening to Mark May pick against the Big Ten once again...gee, what a shock. Apparently LSU has also won 4 bowls in a row. But, remember, LSU is without leading rusher RB Charles Scott, and that's more important to us than the conference one comes from.

Mr. Yoder I: Penn St. 14 Mr. Yoder II: Penn St. 15 Brother Yohey: Penn St. 22

Jan 1 - Gator Bowl - West Virginia (9-3) v Florida St. (6-6)

-Bobby Bowden's final game with the Seminoles against the team he started with, his home state West Virginia. One could be cruel and joke that Bowden may get confused at some point and try to move across to WVU's sideline, but we're above that at this blog. He may want to though, even the emotion of this swan song can't hide that FSU stinks.

Y1: FSU 9 Y2: WVU 27 BY: WVU 15

Jan 1 - Rose Bowl - Ohio St. (10-2) v Oregon (10-2)

-Oregon will be looking to win their first Rose Bowl since 1917, and people think Ohio St. has performed poorly in the big bowl games! Seriously though, Ohio St. is in a no-win situation with regards to their national reputation. A win, and they didn't really beat one of the big boys. A loss cements that Ohio St. is a second-rate program. With that being said, it's going to be tough for OSU QB Terrelle Pryor to have the breakthrough performance the Bucks need. Of course, that doesn't stop a couple of homer picks from my colleagues.

Y1: OSU 23 Y2: Oregon 17 BY: Ohio St 23

Jan 1 - Sugar Bowl - Cincinnati (12-0) v Florida (12-1)

-Call this the bizarro coach bowl. UC Head Coach has already left for Notre Dame, spurning many of his players and leaving a sour taste in their mouths. Add to that interim Bearcats HC Jeff Quinn will move on to be the head man at Buffalo after the Sugar Bowl before former Central Michigan HC Butch Jones finally takes over in the Queen City. On the other sideline, we have the drama surrounding Urban Meyer. Meyer's shocking resignation made fans around the country sympathize with him for a matter of hours, before he promptly reversed his "tough" decision after one measly practice. Meyer's role reversal and "leave of absence" only proved what many already knew, nothing, not health, family, faith, or friends, is more important to these coaches than their football programs. All the coaching drama aside, Florida is the better team, but you'd know that if you followed our YCS fantasy playoffs, wouldn't you?...Oh no, we've just learned at RSS that the announcer for this game will be, gulp, Thom Brennaman! Let's remind you what happened last year when Brennaman announced Tebow and Florida's national title game win from last season. Imagine what he'll say about Urban Meyer when the guy's coaching off his death bed!

Y1: Cincinnati 8 Y2: Florida 34 BY: Florida 32

Jan 2 - International Bowl - South Florida (7-5) v Northern Illinois (7-5)

-And people wonder why the bowl games have lost some of their luster. If this is truly an international bowl, why not let Cambridge battle Osaka? Or, better yet, why not make this international football and have Manchester United play Barcelona? At least South Florida HC Jim Leavitt has Mike Leach to thank for taking him out of the spotlight, Lord knows this bowl game won't put him back in it, unless he goes all Woody Hayes on some poor NIU player.

Y1: South Florida 10 Y2: South Florida 8 BY: South Florida 8

Jan 2 - Cotton Bowl - Oklahoma St. (9-3) v Ole Miss (8-4)

-Speaking of losing its luster, I hear back in the day the Cotton Bowl use to be one of the most important bowls of all. Apparently now its the haven for highly touted preseason teams that turned into late season busts.

Y1: Ok St. 15 Y2: Ok St. 14 BY: Ole Miss 21

Jan 2 - PapaJohn's.com Bowl - South Carolina (7-5) v Connecticut (7-5)

-On par with the history of the Cotton Bowl, South Carolina and Connecticut will battle for the historic PapaJohn's.com Bowl trophy (and yes, apparently the .com is important). Does anyone think the ol' ball coach, Steve Spurrier, will be happy playing in this game? Meanwhile, Connecticut continues to inspire with their play in the memory of slain teammate Jasper Howard.

Y1: South Carolina 7 Y2: UConn 16 BY: UConn 9

Jan 2 - Liberty Bowl - East Carolina (9-4) v Arkansas (7-5)

-Just what you need for your post New Year's Day hangover...more mediocre football! This dandy does feature a conference champ in East Carolina, and the usual middle of the pack SEC team in Arkansas. To be honest, I don't even remember who I picked in this game...looking at the spreadsheet...apparently the pick is Arkansas. You can bet that's the last interest I show in this game.

Y1: Arkansas 16 Y2: Arkansas 13 BY: Arkansas 23

Jan 2 - Alamo Bowl - Texas Tech (8-4) v Michigan St. (6-6)

-By now everyone knows Mike Leach has been fired from Texas Tech for locking Craig James's kid in a broom closet. What's the big deal? When I was a kid, I had to walk uphill both ways in a driving rain before I could be locked in a broom closet! ESPN also took away all watchability by pulling Craig James from the broadcast...apparently it wasn't a conflict of interest before the Mike Leach scandal to have James broadcast his son's school. Oh yeah, that's right, his kid never played any way! You'd think all of the uproar would be a detriment to Texas Tech's chances, except Michigan St. suspended practically half of their knuckleheaded team for on-campus shenanigans. Can't both of these teams forfeit this game for advanced levels of stupidity and selfishness? Or at least be forced to dress up in an Alamo reenactment?

Y1: Texas Tech 21 Y2: Texas Tech 6 BY: Texas Tech 7

Jan 4 - Fiesta Bowl - TCU (12-0) v Boise St. (13-0)

-Expect this to be just as competitive as last year's bowl game between TCU and Boise St., except this will be on the national BCS stage. Here's hoping both teams show they belong in the discussion with the BCS conferences. Of course, FOX ruins the potential showcase by sending ultra meathead Tim Ryan and Sam Rosen to broadcast. Once again, as I've said before, FOX is simply giving every college football fan a big middle finger on its way out of broadcasting college football. Please, don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Y1: TCU 26 Y2: TCU 26 BY: TCU 30

Jan 5 - Orange Bowl - Georgia Tech (11-2) v Iowa (10-2)

-Iowa will have the final chance to make a good impression for the Big Ten against the triple option attack of ACC Champs Georgia Tech. While Iowa lived a charmed existence for much of their season, they'll need more than luck to counter the punishing ground game of the Wreck led by Nesbitt and Dwyer, even with a month to prepare. Oh by the way, this is FOX's last bowl game, and of course, we get Dick Stockton to close out in style. If you have any left over champagne or beer from New Year's, you could easily finish it off in this one. Take one drink every time Dick Stockton makes a mistake, and chug every time Stockton acts like he's covering a different sport. If Dick Stockton suddenly flashes back to Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, smash every beer bottle you own over your own head. (Of course, we at RSS don't promote binge drinking, so maybe don't try this extreme drinking game unless you are a trained professional).

Y1: Ga Tech 20 Y2: Ga Tech 28 BY: Ga Tech 24

Jan 6 - GMAC Bowl - Central Michigan (11-2) v Troy (9-3)

-At first, you may merely dismiss this as another mediocre bowl game, but don't! The matchup between MAC champs Central Michigan and Sun Belt champs Troy should be a matchup of two quality mid-majors, not the retread contests between mediocre teams from BCS conferences. Also take the chance to check out CMU QB Dan LeFevour, who may be a legit dark horse prospect at the next level.

Y1: CMU 25 Y2: CMU 32 BY: CMU 25

Jan 7 - BCS National Championship - Alabama (13-0) v Texas (13-0)

-Finally, the long, arduous journey to reach the national championship has arrived! From the very beginning, these two have been in the Top 3 of the YCS. Can Colt McCoy recover after his shaky performance in the Big 12 title game? How will 'Bama RB Mark Ingram respond after winning the Heisman Trophy? The way we see it, it should be another low-scoring affair, but 'Bama's defense is too stout and the strides made by 'Bama QB Greg McElroy and WR Julio Jones will more than make up for any lack of performance by Ingram.

Y1: Alabama 32 Y2: Alabama 23 BY: Alabama 27

Happy New Year from RSS! Don't forget to check back after the bowl season to see how we stacked up! Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of our Top 10 Stories of the Decade and the last of our blogging in 2009...we hope you'll stick with us as we move into the teens! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, until next time, it's bye for now!

2009-2010 College Bowl Pick 'Em Extravaganza! Part I

It's time for our RSS Bowl Pick 'Em Extravaganza! We'll pick every game with confidence points and bring in Brother Yohey to compete against the Yoder Brethren. I'll have you know my bowl picking record is quite stellar, we'll see if that jinxes me this time around. My guess is that it will. Actually, there are quite a bit of compelling bowl matchups that will take place in the next few weeks (even though only 1 team gets the crystal above). Well, at least once we get past Middle Tennessee vs Southern Miss. Below will be each bowl game and our picks and confidence points. Play along at home and try and beat the bloggers, maybe you'll win a prize, like being accepted into the Big 10! Part I takes us up through the 2009 Bowl Games and we'll be back after Christmas with Part II...

Dec 19 - New Mexico Bowl - Wyoming (6-6) v Fresno State (8-4)

-I'll admit it's pretty weird seeing Wyoming in a Bowl Game. Fresno RB Ryan Matthews (good name) is by far the best player in this game, and we all like Fresno State. Some more than others...

Mr. Yoder I: Fresno 28 Mr. Yoder II: Fresno 22 Brother Yohey: Fresno 2

Dec 19 - St. Petersburg Bowl - Rutgers (8-4) v UCF (8-4)

-The only reason Rutgers has been in the news recently is because they're candidates for Big 10 expansion. Evidently Rutgers will lead into a huge boon in popularity for the Big 10 in New York. My guess is that maybe 5-6 % of the New York market will tune in to this game, and half of that will be by accident. On the field, this game is one of the tougher to call because of the averageness that is present.

Mr. Yoder I: UCF 5 Mr. Yoder II: Rutgers 9 Brother Yohey: Rutgers 3

Dec 20 - New Orleans Bowl - Middle Tennessee (9-3) v Southern Miss (7-5)

-It seems that Southern Miss's home away from home is the Superdome and the New Orleans Bowl. I have no idea why Middle Tennessee is not going by Middle Tennessee State, which is the name of the university. It's perplexing, every preview is missing the State from their name. I know a guy that went to Middle Tennessee State. That's the extent of my insight into this game. Since I know nobody from Southern Miss (and that's where some guy named Favre went), I'll pick the Blue Raiders.

Y1: MTSU 3 Y2: So Miss 1 BY: So Miss 4

Dec 22 - Las Vegas Bowl - BYU (10-2) v Oregon State (8-4)

-Easily the most intriguing matchup before Christmas is in the Las Vegas Bowl, which seems to be BYU's home away from home. BYU was the early pick to be this year's BCS buster, but have since fallen by the wayside. Bro Yohey likes the Beavers and Jacquizz Rodgers a lot in this game, I'll cautiously place my bet on Max Hall and the Cougars.

Y1: BYU 18 Y2: Oregon St 3 BY: Oregon St 28

Dec 23 - Poinsettia Bowl - Utah (9-3) v Cal (8-4)

-Utah is another established non-BCS school that has had success in Bowl games. While Cal did manage to beat Stanford in the big game, Javhid Best is questionable for this one. We all like the Utes to get another BCS scalp.

Y1: Utah 12 Y2: Utah 19 BY: Utah 5

Dec 24 - Hawaii Bowl - Nevada (8-4) v SMU (7-5)

-June Jones returns to Aloha country with his new team SMU to go up against old foe Nevada. Nevada features many talented players including QB Colin Kaepernick, but in Bowl Games I always look towards goofy storylines - like finally seeing June Jones in a leis again. Maybe I should pick NCAA tourney games like this...

Y1: SMU 6 Y2: Nevada 10 BY: SMU 6

Dec 26 - Little Caesar's Bowl - Ohio (9-4) v Marshall (6-6)

-I wish I was making some of these names up... Little Caesar's? If it was me I would vote for a Hungry Howie's Bowl - best pizza chain I've ever had. Marshall's coach resigned after the season, I guess he didn't want to coach in a bowl game. Plus, Ohio's QB Theo Scott is a legit duel threat. BY goes for the max in this one, and we're all very confident in the Bobcats.

Y1: Ohio 25 Y2: Ohio 29 BY: Ohio 34

Dec 26 - Meineke Car Care Bowl - Pitt (9-3) v UNC (8-4)

-Pitt's incredible FR RB Dion Lewis tried to steal the show against Cincy with an incredible performance, but the defense couldn't hold off Tony Pike. North Carolina does not have those offensive capabilities, and a rested Lewis should see Pitt through. Again, we're in agreement for a Pitt victory.

Y1: Pitt 22 Y2: Pitt 24 BY: Pitt 29

Dec 26 - Emerald Bowl - USC (8-4) v BC (8-4)

-I'm still not sure that everyone is aware that USC had a down season. Against the wishes of USC cheerleaders in the media, they play in the ultra-glamourous Emerald Bowl against Boston College. I wouldn't expect USC to come out flat in a Bowl game. This team will want to make an example out of the Eagles and set the tone for next year. The most compelling element will be seeing how much Pete Carroll wants to run up the score. I have no idea what Yohey is thinking with this pick by the way...

Y1: USC 34 Y2: USC 33 BY: BC 1

Dec 27 - Music City Bowl - Clemson (8-5) v Kentucky (7-5)

-CJ Spiller and the Tigers should have no trouble with the Wildcats in Nashville. This is the 67th straight season that Kentucky has played in the Music City Bowl, although Andre Woodson isn't walkin through that door folks. Let's see if SEC Nation gets juiced to get behind Kentucky in this one... I kinda doubt it.

Y1: Clemson 31 Y2: Clemson 31 BY: Clemson 16

Dec 28 - Independence Bowl - Georgia (7-5) v Texas A&M (6-6)

-Picking a 6-6 Big XII team against a 7-5 SEC team may not be the straight-forward play, but Georgia is such an undisciplined team that it's hard to pick them after a month layoff. Plus, A&M is making sloooowww strides under Mike Sherman like almost beating Texas. Another step in that direction would be a Bowl win over an SEC powerhouse.

Y1: A&M 13 Y2: UGA 18 BY: A&M 17

Dec 29 - EagleBank Bowl - Temple (9-3) v UCLA (6-6)

-I have no idea what EagleBank is, but evidently this Bowl game is being played in Washington DC. Hopefully there is a foot of snow to welcome UCLA from the West Coast. Hopefully we can see a few more Bowl games in the Northeast and Midwest and see if it affects the Southern and Western schools. My guess is that Temple will be much more pumped for this one than the Bruins. Picking Temple... in a college football Bowl game.... yikes.

Y1: Temple 1 Y2: UCLA 7 BY: UCLA 18

Dec 29 - Champs Sports Bowl - The U (9-3) v Wisconsin (9-3)

-The U is back, almost. They were early season darlings, but did manage to finish with a very respectable 9-3 season. Wisconsin had another solid season with Jon Clay the next in line in the bruising Wisconsin running back tradition. This is the best of the Christmas-New Year's matchups and we're split in our picks.

Y1: Wisconsin 4 Y2: The U 11 BY: The U 19

Dec 30 - Humanitarian Bowl - Idaho (7-5) v Bowling Green (7-5)

-I'm sure millions will be tuning in to watch traditional powers Idaho and Bowling Green go toe to toe on the blue turf of Boise. Something tells me this game has either Joe Tessitore or Eric Collins written all over it, let's check Awful Announcing to see if I'm right... yes! Eric Collins it is! Good luck to whoever wants to watch this one.

Y1: Idaho 2 Y2: Idaho 2 BY: BG 14

Dec 30 - Holiday Bowl - Nebraska (9-4) v Arizona (8-4)

-Watch this game for one reason. Ndamukong Suh. We here at RSS told you about Suh as a Heisman contender long before his breakout game against Texas. He is the best defensive college football player this decade and has to consider himself hard done by to finish a distant 4th in the Heisman. If Suh comes out and plays angry he might get 17 sacks.

Y1: Nebraska 33 Y2: Nebraska 12 BY: Nebraska 31

Dec 31 - Armed Forces Bowl - Houston (10-3) v Air Force (7-5)

-Ironically, this is the 3rd time these schools will play in 2 years and a rematch of last year's AF Bowl. While it might be tempting to pick Air Force here, the only real threat in the air is 2010 Heisman candidate Case Keenum. I wouldn't be shocked to see at least 450 and 4 TDs for the Houston gunslinger.

Y1: Houston 24 Y2: Houston 30 BY: Houston 10

Dec 31 - Sun Bowl - Oklahoma (7-5) v Stanford (8-4)

-OU is another program that has gotten off easy for having a crappy season. Of course, losing Sam Bradford could have something to do with that. This will be the showcase game for Toby Gerhart, but he probably hasn't faced a defense like Oklahoma. Plus, I don't exactly have confidence that the Cardinal will have a lot of luck in the passing game. That being said, Stanford's the pick. Nice swerve, eh?

Y1: Stanford 17 Y2: Oklahoma 21 BY: Stanford 33

Dec 31 - Texas Bowl - Missouri (8-4) v Navy (8-4)

-Mizzou is another team caught up in the Big 10 expansion talk, with both sides seemingly interested in making that happen. One reason is that Mizzou has gotten screwed out of good Bowl games the past 3 seasons. Navy will make it close with the triple option, but Danario Alexander and Blaine Gabbert are too dynamic. Missouri outscores Navy in this one.

Y1: Mizzou 29 Y2: Mizzou 20 BY: Navy 11

Dec 31 - Insight Bowl - Iowa St (6-6) v Minnesota (6-6)

-Like some other weird situations, Minnesota in the Insight Bowl is another instance that has become a yearly tradition. I'm sorry, but I'll have better things to do than watch two 6-6 teams play on New Year's Eve, but I have more faith in the Golden Gophers than the Cyclones. It is scary to put 27 pts worth of faith in them though...

Y1: Minnesota 27 Y2: Minnesota 4 BY: Iowa State 12

Dec 31 - Peach Bowl - Va Tech (9-3) v Tennessee (7-5)

-I refuse to call this the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, even though it is very yummy (but overpriced). Lane Kiffin has made an impact at UT everywhere... except on the field. 7-5 might be a step in the right direction, but do Volunteer supporters want to follow Lane Kiffin where he is leading the program? Look no farther than Frank Beamer and VT to see how a program can be turned around the right way. I'm sure there will be some nice young UT women to help the Vols out after they lose.

Y1: VT 19 Y2: VT 25 VT: 13

Happy Bowl season, leave us your picks below if you'd like and don't forget to check after XMas for Part II. We'll also continue our Top 10 Stories of the Decade Countdown with #9! Bye for now...

EPL Picks - Week 2

Wayne Rooney is either trying to play peek-a-boo, or hide from all of the nice people who took our crazy advice in picking Manchester United to beat Burnley last week. What were we thinking! Of course Burnley was going to beat such a weak, feeble team! Oh well, even us Yoders have a bad game or two. Or in Doc's case, 4. United's loss along with a couple other surprise results see things tighten up after 2 slates of games. Here's our results so far, and the picks and analysis for the second weekend of the EPL. Enjoy!

Midweek Results:

Mr. Yoder I: 4-2-0 12 pts

Mr. Yoder II: 3-3-0 9 pts

Dr. Yoder: 2-4-0 6 pts

Total After Week 1:

Mr. Yoder II: 11-5-0 33 pts

Mr. Yoder I: 10-6-0 30 pts

Dr. Yoder: 9-7-0 27 pts

Portsmouth (0-2-0) @ Arsenal (1-0-0)

If you're Pompey, and you've lost your first two games, and you're yet to score, it's probably not a good time to visit a team that scored 6 goals in their first EPL game. Arsenal's win at Celtic in the midweek was impressive as well. They can send out the youngsters in this one and still beat a shorthanded Pompey. In case you were wondering, we all like Arsenal.

All: Arsenal

Stoke (1-1-0) @ Birmingham (1-1-0)

Birmingham played Man U. tough in week one, then beat Pompey midweek to get an important win early on. Stoke payed for Liverpool's opening loss, losing 4-0 at Anfield last week. Both teams will probably play it close to the vest, so this one could go either way. Maybe we'll get our much anticipated first draw!! Our experts are split. Me and Doc ride the wave with Birmimgham, while Y2 goes with Stoke.

Y1: Birmingham Y2: Stoke Y3: Birmingham

Bolton (0-1-0) @ Hull (0-2-0)

OK Hull, you've started with losses to the current Top 2, so we can let that slide. One of them was 5-1 at home vs Spurs, but we'll even forget that for now. But, this is Bolton now, this is a winnable game. We don't want to see the future of US Soccer, our boy Jozy Altidore, come on board to a team that is this year's Derby County. Don't let us Yoders down.

All: Hull City

Blackburn (0-1-0) @ Sunderland (1-1-0)

Blackburn played with a lot of fire against Man City last weekend, they just couldn't score. Sunderland was leading Chelsea before being overcome in the 2nd Half by Chelsea's skill and talent. They won't have this problem against Blackburn this weekend. As long as they keep their head, they'll win.

Y1: Sunderland Y2: Sunderland Doc: Blackburn

Wolves (1-1-0) @ Man City (1-0-0)

Thank you Wolves for saving me a little face with last week's win at Wigan. This week sees a much sterner test at the princes of Manchester City. City won 2-0 last week, but weren't thoroughly impressive. As long as they get the W's, and stay above their city rivals United though, it'll be all smiles at Eastlands (and not just because Mr. Al-Fahim has a few extra pennies lying around). They should be able to handle last year's Championship winners.

All: Manchester City

Man United (1-1-0) @ Wigan (1-1-0)

Speaking of City's city rivals (sorry for the redundant redundancy) Manchester United looks to rebound from Wednesday's shocking loss at Burnley with a trip to Wigan Athletic. Wigan looked great in dominating Aston Villa on Opening Day, but fell back to Earth in midweek. 1 goal in two games for United isn't doing much to ease those fears about losing Ronaldo and Tevez. Doc's conflicted, but he goes with his head over his heart. Man U can't lose 2 straight games to Burnley and Wigan... can they?

All: Manchester United

Tottenham (2-0-0) @ West Ham (1-0-0)

Who would have thought 1 year ago that Tottenham Hotspur would still be in the EPL, let alone at the top! A win over Liverpool, and then an absolute crushing of Hull City has White Hart Lane flying high. However, don't underestimate Zola's Hammers. The Italian pledged his commitment to the Hammers this week, easing some fans minds amidst financial concerns. At least West Ham is having a better month than their most famous fan (right).

Y1: Spurs Y2: Spurs Doc: West Ham

Everton (0-1-0) @ Burnley (1-1-0)

Burnley just recorded their biggest win in years by beating the reigning champions Manchester United 1-0. Everton got thrashed at home by Arsenal 6-1, and star CB Joleon Lescott has now been axed from the team until the transfer saga with Manchester City is over. So, of course, following this logic, Everton is an easy pick. At least the Yoder Bros. think so.

Y1: Everton Y2: Everton Doc: Burnley

Chelsea (1-0-0) @ Fulham (1-0-0)

Craven Cottage sees one of the marquee games of the weekend when Chelsea visits their London neighbors. Fulham always seems to play the big teams well at home, and are coming off a solid road win. Chelsea has looked great in second halves after giving up early leads, picking up 2 wins from 2. If they do it again this week, they won't get it back so easy against a Fulham defense made of steel. Give Roy Hodgson a lot of credit for pulling Fulham from the depths to competing for a European spot. Tough one to pick, only Y2 goes for the slight upset.

Y1: Chelsea Y2: Fulham Doc: Chelsea

Aston Villa (0-1-0) @ Liverpool (1-1-0)

Villa, Villa, Villa, what happened to the team that was supposed to break through to the Top 4? It might be a long season for Martin O'Neill with a short squad not exactly long on confidence right now. Liverpool on the other hand is back from the brink of despair after that 4-0 whooping of Stoke in midweek. Glen Johnson (left) was a terror coming up from right fullback and as long as Lucas stays out of everyone's way, Liverpool should be able to defend the Anfield home turf. It might not be a repeat of this fixture last year (5-0), but a comfortable win for the Reds.

All: Liverpool

EPL Picks - Week 1

What would a blog amongst Yoders be without a little competition? Throughout the season we'll pick the winners in each EPL game. Since its un-American to pick ties, we'll only pick who we think will win each game. Throughout the season we will award 3 points for a correct pick, and 1 point for a tie, like it's supposed to be done. At the end of the season we'll tally up the records and see who is the best Premier League prognosticator! Play along in the comments or at home and see if you can beat the Yoders. Let the battle begin! Don't worry, we'll try and keep it civil in the family, unlike our Newcastle friends.

Hull City @ Chelsea

Sorry to all the US fans, but no goals for US hero Altidore, Chelsea cruises to an easy win in their first game under Ancelotti.

Hull's start will be crucial to regain the confidence from last season, too bad they begin this year's campaign at the EPL favorites.

Y1 - Chelsea Y2 - Chelsea

Fulham @ Portsmouth

It'll be a good thing for Pompey if they can even field 11 players for this game with the way their squad is being depleted. Fulham in an easy win.

Fulham sneaks out a road win over a depleted Pompey. US star Clint Dempsey scores the game winner.

Y1 - Fulham Y2 - Fulham

West Ham @ Wolves

Of course backing Wolves means I have to pick them in their season opener, especially since it is at home. Get to know last season's 2nd Division top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (right).

No promoted teams win week 1, I'm not a huge Wolves fan and little Zola is proving to be a little genius at West Ham

Y1 - Wolves Y2 - West Ham

Man City @ Blackburn

If MC are going to the Top 4, then they have to beat Blackburn. Massive gap in talent here, it wouldn't surprise me to see Adebayor and Tevez both open their City scoring accounts.

Way too much talent for Man City to lose to Blackburn, even on the road. Gareth Barry will be the key man to watch for City, will he provide the much needed steel in the midfield this season?

Y1 - Man City Y2 - Man City

Sunderland @ Bolton

I am a big fan of what Sunderland is putting together, but it will take a while for all of their new pieces to gel. Bolton is just tough enough to pick up the win.

Sunderland gets the road win against a weak Bolton team. New boy Darren Bent scores 2 goals in his debut, how's that for going out on a limb?

Y1 - Sunderland Y2 - Bolton

Wigan @ Aston Villa

Villa won't match the year they put together last season, but they should be strong enough to beat a depleted Wigan side under a rookie EPL manager.

I think Villa will be good again this season, watch out for youngster Fabian Delph who was the hot prospect in the lower divisions of England at Leeds United. He won't bring the defensive mindedness of Gareth Barry, but should help make up for the loss.

Y1 - Villa Y2 - Villa

Burnley @ Stoke

If there is any game that will end 0-0 the first week it is this one, but in picking winners only you have to go with Stoke. Burnley won't be able to penetrate the Stoke defense.

A fun matchup between two of the newest Prem League teams. I don't see the quality in Burnley's side to win tough games on the road, and the Britannia is about as tough as it gets.

Y1 - Stoke Y2 - Stoke

Arsenal @ Everton

Arsenal proves the doubters wrong and gets a tough road win at a reloaded Everton side. It's Theo Walcott's (left) time to shine and he picks up a goal in a Gunners win.

Perhaps I was too tough on Everton in my predictions. They get impact players like Arteta and Yakubu back healthy. They pick up the win in the opening weekend's biggest game.

Y1 - Everton Y2 - Arsenal

Birmingham @ Man Utd

The easiest game of the weekend to pick. There is absolutely no way that Birmingham will win at United, even without Ronaldo. Heck, United could throw out a 3rd string side and win!

There is no way that a promoted team beats Manchester United at home in the first week. Man U wins in a romp.

Y1 - Man U Y2 - Man U

Liverpool @ Spurs

It'll be tough for Liverpool to win, especially if Stevie G can't play, but they know these are the games they will have to win to become champions. Torres is the hero for the Pool.

Tottenham finally breaks their opening game hex. One of the former Liverpool strikers, Crouch or Keane, will strike in Game 1 to win. Here's hoping we see the 6' 7" robot!!

Y1 - Liverpool Y2 - Spurs