Mountain West Predictions

1. TCU Horned Frogs -TCU brings back a lot of talent from a team that finished the regular season 12-0 in 2009. A loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl cost the Horned Frogs a perfect season, and that loss should serve as a major motivator in 2010. Led by QB Andy Dalton, the offensive should once again be explosive. The defense may not be quite as good as it has been the last two years, but it won’t drop off much. Odd makers have listed TCU at +1500 to win the BCS championship.

2. Utah Utes – The Utes have won 10 or more games four times in the last seven years, and they should notch another double-digit win season in their last in the Mountain West Conference. Right now, it looks like the league could be decided on November 6 when the Utes get the Horned Frogs at home. They’ll be trying to avenge last year’s 27-point defeat,

3. BYU Cougars – BYU could fall further than this after losing QB Max Hall to graduation and running back Harvey Unga to an unfortunate honor code violation. But head coach Bronco Mendenhall believes in both Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps, and so do I. Nelson will likely be the guy, and I believe he has what it takes to keep BYU’s offense explosive. And it will help that he has a very good offensive line to work behind.

4. Air Force Falcons -The Falcons went 5-3 in Mountain West Conference play in 2009, and they will remain competitive behind one of the best running attacks in the nation. The Falcons led the MWC in rushing offense, averaging 283.5 yards per game. That kind of domination really wears down opposing defenses, giving the Falcons an opportunity to win games in the fourth quarter.

6. San Diego State Aztecs – The Aztecs have a lot of work to do defensively before they will be able to muster their first winning season in over a decade. The magic number appears to be 30 as the Aztecs lost all six of their games when they allowed 30 or more points.

7. Colorado State Rams -After winning their first 3 games in 2009, the Rams lost their last 9. That means they were shut out in conference play. The Rams will remain near the bottom of the league, but they should avoid being shut out again as UNLV and New Mexico both must visit.

8. UNLV Rebels – It’s hard to win football games when your defense allows an average of 456.7 yards per game. That’s why it’s a bit surprising that the Rebels were even able to win 3 conference games last season. A tough schedule, which includes 9 bowl teams from a season ago, will likely keep UNLV from making further progress in the win column however.

9. New Mexico Lobos -The Lobos only won 1 game in Mountain West Conference action last season, and I fear they will be in danger of getting shut out in 2010. They have some talent, but they are very young. If they can get better than expected play from the QB position, they could win a few more games. But that looks like a big if right now.

Make sure you check out my article to see how I like the rest of the conferences to play out.

Big East Predictions

1. Pittsburgh Panthers – Pitt is coming off its best season in nearly 30 years, but the program is far from satisfied considering it blew an excellent opportunity to win the league and play in a BCS bowl last season. Pitt should get that chance in 2010 though. A talented crop returns with running back Dion Lewis leading the offense and defensive end Greg Romeus leading the “D”.

2. Connecticut Huskies – UConn lost five games in 2009, but it is certainly worth noting that all five of those losses came by four or fewer points. If the Huskies can find a way to turn those tough defeats into wins, they will be right in the Big East title hunt.

3. West Virginia Mountaineers – Noel Devin returns following a 1,400-yard, 13 touchdown season on the ground, but I feel strongly that the offense will miss QB Jarrett Brown. His departure, and the fact that WVU must play UConn and Pitt on the road figures to be enough to keep the Mountaineers from a Big East title.

4. Rutgers Scarlet Knights – Rutgers has the potential to win the Big East because of how solid it is defensively. The Scarlet Knights led the conference in both scoring and total defense in 2009. There are concerns about an offensive line which must replace three starters, and that’s why I’m not sold on the Knights finishing higher. We can’t forget that Rutgers finished dead last in the conference in total offense in 2009.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats – Cincy figures to give up the top spot in the conference that it has held the last two years, but it may not be too long before the Bearcats rise again. Butch Jones is a good hire, and I expect him to find lots of ways to put QB Zach Collaros in positions to make plays with his legs and his arm. We saw Cincy’s defense really get pushed around down the stretch last season, and I don’t see major improvement coming in 2010 on the defensive side of the ball.

6. South Florida Bulls – Skip Holtz is another great hire in the Big East, but he is going to need some time to rebuild a defense that lost NFL ends George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul.

7. Syracuse Orange – We can probably flip a coin to see if Syracuse or Louisville will bring up the rear, but I’m going to give the Orange the advantage because they get the Cardinals at home. Syracuse pulled off a couple wins against bowl teams in 2009, beating Northwestern and Rutgers, but it could take a small step back with all that was lost on the offensive side of the football.

8. Louisville Cardinals -It wasn’t very long ago that Louisville was ranked in the top-10 nationally, and I’m not talking about basketball. A lot has changed the last few years, but good news appears to be on the way after hiring former Florida assistant Charlie Strong.

If you are also interested in seeing how I have all the other conferences playing out, be sure to check out my preview.

Buying a horse is a huge thing; the money, the time and the risk are all yours when you put your heart into a new horse. So to start with you need to look carefully at the most important part of the process – you! So here is where you start.

Be Honest

Firstly, have a good hard look at your ability and confidence. Go to 5 different people who know you well and are very familiar with you as a rider and ask them what sort of horse they would choose for you. How would they rate your ability and confidence level? You must search for a horse that will be suitable for where your weakness lies. For example if you are very confident but as relatively inexperienced you need to find a horse most suited to your experience level. If you buy a horse suitable for your very confident nature and ‘over horse’ yourself then you will lose your confidence when things go shaky as well. This also goes for the opposite case where you are very experienced but very nervous. You must seek a horse to suit your nervous state rather than a horse to suit your experience. The ensures the process of getting a new horse is successful from the get go.

Next take an honest look at your budget. Are you looking for a Grand Prix horse for under $5000? If so, you’re dreaming. You will waste alot of time and money looking at horses which will ultimately not meet your super high expectations. This also leads to a colossal waste of time for the seller as well. A good rule of thumb is if you have looked at 10 different horses and not found one suitable then you need to consider that either your budget or expectations need revision. Do your research before you start your hunt. Find out how much horses of the quality of what you want are being sold for. Then you can set out knowing exactly what you want and more importantly what you need and can afford.

If it looks too cheap – be very wary. The saying ‘if it’s too good to be true – it is’ is very fitting when buying a horse. Many people get stung falling into scams thinking they are getting the buy of the century when really they are getting ripped off!

View Wisely

When you go to see a horse you are interested in – have a really clear idea what you want to do with that horse and ensure the person is set up for you to view that horse doing whatever it is you need. So if you are into dressage, ensure you get to see the horse in an arena, if it’s jumping, go jump it. It is your responsibility to see the horse fully, to ensure you are happy with it and that it will suit your needs as a buyer. It is not the responsibility of the seller to ensure that the horse is right for you, it is yours – you must remember this!

Second Opinion

It is always a good idea to get a second opinion. See if you can get a friend or instructor to go with you to see the horse. It is difficult not to go in with rose coloured glasses when you are so keen for this to be the horse of your dreams.

Don’t Rush In

Ensure you know everything you need to know prior to buying the horse. If you have any doubt then wait, explore your options and make sure looks and feels right before committing to buy. It is better to miss out on the right horse than to act hastily and find yourself owning a horse that is not what you think it is.

Get a vet to check your horse out before you commit.

Pen to Paper

Get a contract which clearly states what you intend to use the horse for. Ensure the seller is aware of anything out of the ordinary about you and the home you are offering the horse. Make sure you each have a copy of the contract, it has each or your addresses on it and full contact details and the price.

Good Luck!