Year SIX!
I was highly considering ending my journey of the Korner but a friend convinced me to give it one more year, The Last Dance style. Before we get to my Korner piece I want to say my run with Paid For Play has ended. I want to thank Rex and Sosa for the platform, and also thank Sam, JD, Roddy, Steven, SpinDoc, and all the fill-in guests for all the great memories on the College Football and College Basketball show. The group of guys right there are just awesome people, and made my days behind the camera so memorable. There’s countless witty and hilarious moments to list, all while giving our take on the games trying to make you, the listener, some good coin! Paid For Play has helped me grow as a person. I’ve always been one to enjoy public speaking even though I do not seek the mic. As the season’s went on I’ve accepted the spotlight more and more in situations not behind the camera and lifted my shell away. Thank you all, listeners and commenters included, for making my journey a great one; we talked sports and laughed along the way. And if opportunities come up, I’ll be back behind the camera, but I wanted to give people their flowers while this app still exists.
My voice will just be read, not listened to now for the time being. There is a unique power about written articles. When you’re behind the mic, time goes fast and sometimes words just come out. Here, I have all day to carefully write the perfect sentence to relay my thoughts. So here goes season SIX of the Korner!
2018/19 64-54-5 +4.6u
2019/20 67-45-2 +17.5u
2020/21 33-39-1 -9.9u
2021/22 33-37-1 -7.7u
2022/23 22-24-2 -4.4u
2018-23 NFL 123-103-6 +9.7u
2018-23 NCAAF 101-103-4 -12.3u
Time to turn my brain back to its pre-pandemic self!
I’m going to start with some NFL Future bets, which all will be graded at the end of the season.
Ravens o10.5 Wins
Every team changes year to year, but the Ravens did win 10 games last year with Lamar Jackson missing five games, where the team went 2-3 in those games. This year he gets what we perceive is an upgrade at Offensive Coordinator, and gets new passing weapons in Odell and Zay Flowers to go with Mark Andrews and this run game. Let’s take a look at the Ravens schedule since we’re on win total. They get to open up with the rebuilding Texans and Colts games 1 and 3. In games 2 4 and 5 they play their division all on the road. Joe Burrow’s health is in question and the Ravens get them week 2. There is a strong possibility of a 4-1 start if Burrow cannot go the first four weeks like Ja’Marr Chase suggested. The Ravens get the AFC South and NFC West as cross division opponents. As I mentioned, the Texans and Colts are at home, and Titans overseas. The AFC South is the worst division in football and 3-1 is likely there. The NFC West has two strong teams, and a question mark with the Rams. Thankfully, the Rams and Seahawks will be coming east to Baltimore, both at 1pm. The Cardinals are away, but that might be the worst team in football, so a 3-1 grouping there for the NFC West is possible. Outside of division games, I just like what the Ravens have at home, and if they take care of business this is a 12 win team. They host the Texans, Colts, Lions, Seahawks, Rams and Dolphins, while they go to the Cardinals, Chargers, Jaguars and Niners, with the Titans in London. Go 7-2 at home, win 1 road division game, beat the Cardinals and Titans away from home, and now we have 3 tough road games to win one of the Chargers, Jaguars or Niners, all which are night primetime games, to get 11.
Trevor Lawrence o9.5 Interceptions
The Prince That Was Promised has always been linked to Peyton Manning. If we go back to Peyton Manning’s first five seasons, he averaged 20 interceptions a season. It takes time to develop in the NFL, and Lawrence, like Manning, throws the ball A LOT. Trevor has a trust in his arm that I love as a Jaguars fan, but he has a hard time progressing to a new read. We saw this in his playoff debut, throwing four interceptions before going God-mode and leading the Jags back to a comeback win. Interceptions are part of his game though and I do not expect another five game stretch where he goes turnoverless. There will also be an adjustment incorporating Calvin Ridley. In the Jags preseason game vs the Cowboys, Ridley extended upfield instead of staying shallow, this brought Ridley’s defender to Evan Engram, Lawrence’s attended target. This play resulted in an interception, and I’d put that one more on Ridley as he wasn’t fully in tune that Engram would be in that space. I lastly want it to be known, the best Quarterback in the world, Patrick Mahomes, went over 9.5 interceptions the last two seasons. Turnovers happen when you pass that much. The Jaguars will be very pass heavy this year, and the rhythm passer in Lawrence will have some stumbles.
Now for some Labor Day Weekend college football plays
Every week I will breakdown the Rutgers game as I see it. None of these will be official plays unless stated otherwise. I just want to give the reader some Jersey flair.
Rutgers -6.5 vs Northwestern o/u 40.5
As one of the most optimistic Rutgers fans out there, I find it hard to back Rutgers -6.5. Schiano is averaging 2 conference wins for the last three seasons since his return. In the last 20 years, Northwestern is 14-6 in their opening game. The hot start has a lot to do with former coach Pat Fitzgerald getting his guys prepared. The Northwestern team went through the whole offseason with Fitzgerald and turned over training camp to a 31 year old rising defensive coordinator. I’m sure the system is exactly the same and the team is still very prepared. My take, Northwestern plays its heart out for their coach. There were serious allegations against him, but comments keep coming out that the players are pissed off at the leadership at Northwestern. I still think Rutgers wins the game but this will be an awesome nail biter to watch. Rutgers has three offensive lineman on the Senior Bowl watch list, and budding star Sam Brown running the rock. Gavin Wimsatt has a heck of an arm but too many times he blindly trusted it and locked in on a receiver. There’s a turnover risk and the Northwestern interim head coach as a I mentioned, is a defensive guy so he’ll have the safety’s keyed in on that. Adam Korsak, the GOAT punter, graduated, but Flynn Appleby is ready to step up. Field switching won’t be a major strength and I’ll need to see the Rutgers defense not start drives inside the opponents 10 yard line and see how they hold up. Rutgers offense is bad, no way around it, but their steady run game should break through the undersized defensive line of Northwestern. I’m expecting low scores, lots of punts, and the Scarlet Knights to be celebrating at Old Queens that night.
Rutgers 20 Northwestern 17
UTSA -1.5 at Houston
Me and everyone else in the world are on UTSA, so already I feel this is a public loser. But let me explain! Clayton Tune and Tank Dell depart to the NFL from Houston. The quarterback receiver duo was a huge part of Houston’s success including a 37-35 overtime win at UTSA last year. Donovan Smith is a very capable quarterback to fill in, and the OLine is deep and big, but at the end of the day its a downgrade from Tune who was one of the best Houston QB’s in school history. UTSA’s QB Frank Harris enters his fifth year playing and the experienced quarterback is one of the best in the nation. It’s the continuity and experience of the Roadrunners for me – all five offensive lineman are redshirt juniors and older, their tight end and two of three receivers are seniors, with the other being a junior, nine of eleven defensive starters will be seniors, this team is old! If you know me you know I’m a sucker for special teams. UTSA has an Alabama kicker transferring in, but they also have a fifth year senior punter who was top 25 in yards per punt last year! This year is loaded with experience and should capitalize on a Houston team who will need to find a new identity without Tune and Dell. Houston QB Donovan Smith comes from Texas Tech, where he lost his starting job after five games throwing seven interceptions. UTSA brings in two transfer corners and this is an expected upgrade. With Trey Moore, who as a Freshman had eight sacks last year, rushing the quarterback and speeding up his clock, look for the new corners to introduce themselves and find the ball on Saturday. UTSA should get an extra possession or two, and with this loaded offense should not have too much difficulty scoring.
UTSA 34 Houston 30
Thank you,
Goose
Kowal's Korner 
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