TERRY MOHSER
AROUND THE COUNTRY – There seems to be a big divide with experts on what to expect this NFL season from the Seattle Seahawks. One has them winning the Super Bowl while most others see them vying for a wild card spot with the LA Rams the favorite to win the NFC West. I don’t’ know, so many things can happen to a team in a sport so violent. There are so many new parts and young inexperienced players on the Seahawks to expect them to jell right out of the box and maybe have a gigantic impact on the division. I have been good over the years on predicting the results of college football, but when it comes to the NFL it’s a very different story. And I haven’t really figured out why, other than any team can win on a given day no matter their record. The Seahawks will again play a lot of close game because they will run the ball more than others will. Most teams in the league rely on a passing game that can lead to explosive scoring plays. Which reminds me that is where the Seahawks are the most vulnerable because of their inexperience and youthfulness there. The Seahawks hope to neutralize that weakness with a better pass rush from newcomers Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah, both former Pro Bowlers. At the very least, it will be interesting to watch these developments to see whether the Seahawks are in trouble or not. One other thing I will be interested in watching is whether the well-built D. K. Metcalf (6-3, 230) will be able to give the Seahawks a much desired vertical passing game. I will also give a big sigh of relief every time C.J. Prosise gets hit and gets up and walks back to the huddle. Prosise can be a dynamite player — if he stays healthy. Seattle opens its season Sunday at home against Cincinnati in a 1:05 p.m. game. The Seahawks are favored by 10 points. … In college football this Saturday I would watch Syracuse at Maryland. The Terrapins put up 79 on Howard last week, a school record 56 in the first half. But I like Syracuse here. The Orange are on the rise and are ranked 21st in the first AP poll. What is a terrapin, by the way? It is a small turtle common on the east coast that lives on land and swampy water. We also have Texas A&M at Clemson to view. Top-ranked Clemson is a 17.5 point favorite. Last season at Texas A&M, Clemson won just 28-26. There is a bunch of cupcake games once again this weekend, but Stanford at USC and LSU at Texas bare watching. I will take Clemson, Stanford and Texas in those games. And I will be interested in the BYU at Tennessee game simply because Washington plays BYU this season and Tennessee got whacked in a stunning upset last weekend by Georgia State. Will the Vols be angry enough to show up this time? BYU is also coming off a loss – to Utah 30-12 – so the Cougars will need to show some meddle. To be fair, though, losing to Utah should not be shameful. The Utes are very, very good, and could go unbeaten. Yes, you read that right. Unbeaten. The Utes have a great defense. They just need to shore up the offense a tad. Defense wins championships, so do not laugh. That is it for today.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.