Well, I predicted a few ago before the playoffs started the Steelers would get to the big game, but I also predicted the Giants, not the Cardinals would be in there with them. Who knew? I have to be honest, I thought this year was a little bland, but the last 5 minutes of the Super Bowl put a nice finishing touch on it.
Biggest surprises:
Arizona Cardinals- We knew they could win the weak NFC West, but who knew they could get to the big game...defense and running game got them there.
Baltimore Ravens- A rookie coach, a rookie quarterback and they still get to the AFC championship! Not bad! Joe Flacco has one of the strongest arms in the NFL.
Tennessee Titans- Not with Vince Young, but Kerry Collins they have the best regular season record and get the #1 seed in the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins- With Chad Pennington at the helm! They won playing mistake free, fundamental football.
Atlanta Falcons- Another rookie coach and quarterback combo. Strong running game and Matt Ryan appears to be the real deal.
The firing of Mike Shanahan- Bronco fans thought Shanahan would retire as the Broncos coach, then he gets the boot! A change was needed in Denver.
The firing of Jon Gruden- another shocker. Apparently not well liked among his players...he inherited Tony Dungy's team to win the Super Bowl, but then again, he created the Oakland Raiders team that played Tampa in that year's Super Bowl.
Biggest Disappointments: There were many, but we'll stick with the obvious ones.
San Diego Chargers- 8-8 with so much talent, but it was still good enough to win the AFC West.
Jacksonville Jaguars- big, physical team with strong running game and good defense, but they underachieved badly this year.
Dallas Cowboys- Wow! The most underachieving team in the league year. A change is needed.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Super Bowl Preview
The unofficial holiday is here. Two weeks removed from the Conference championships and I don't believe I've watched any news pertaining to the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh in white jerseys and Arizona in red jerseys. The AFC and NFC switch off every year in regards to which team gets to wear the home jersey. Not a lot of story lines here...two newer coaches, two previous Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, two teams that relatively flew under the radar this year. For the Steelers, this season was business as usual, inconsistent offense that has big play potential and bone crushing, physical, yet speedy defense. For Arizona, finally a division championship in the NFC West, then unbelievable run in the playoffs that shocked the world. What's interesting is the Cardinals have gone this far with the running game and defense. We always knew they could throw, but we didn't know they could play D and run the ball too!
The obvious interesting matchup is the Cardinals offense against the Steelers defense. I don't believe the Steelers secondary matches up all that well against the Cards receivers...then again what secondary does? The key for the Steelers defense is going to be pressuring Kurt Warner and stuffing the run, and keeping the Cards receivers in front of them...don't give up the big play! The key for the Cardinals offense will be balance and picking up the Steelers blitzing. The Steelers don't rely on their defensive line to get pressure, they rely heavily on their speedy outside linebackers, James Harrison and Lamar Woodley to apply pressure. The Cardinals must keep pressure off of Warner! Everyone thinks Troy Palomalu is the key to the Steelers defense. Though he is a play maker, the real key to the defense is the 4 linebackers. Harrison and Woodley on the outside and Farrior and Foote on the inside.
The Steelers offense has at times been inconsistent. The offensive line was awful early in the year but has since stepped it up and jelled well. The Steelers are going to attempt to play ball control, run, run, run, short pass...then, boom! down the field to Santonio Holmes! The Cardinals have a young but talented defense that has stepped it up in the playoffs. No team has been able to consistently run the ball on the Cardinals in the playoffs. Run defense and taking away the deep threat is the key for the Cards defense, while ball control and pass protection will be the key for the Steelers offense.
My heart says Arizona but my head says Pittsburgh. The Cardinals were hot but the two week lay off puts an end to that. The Steelers are more battle tested, the game is on the east coast (not typically a good thing for Zona, plus Steeler fans travel well). I think the big game experience, plus Pittsburgh's defense are the advantages in favor of the Steelers, in fact, I think Pittsburgh will more than cover the spread.
The obvious interesting matchup is the Cardinals offense against the Steelers defense. I don't believe the Steelers secondary matches up all that well against the Cards receivers...then again what secondary does? The key for the Steelers defense is going to be pressuring Kurt Warner and stuffing the run, and keeping the Cards receivers in front of them...don't give up the big play! The key for the Cardinals offense will be balance and picking up the Steelers blitzing. The Steelers don't rely on their defensive line to get pressure, they rely heavily on their speedy outside linebackers, James Harrison and Lamar Woodley to apply pressure. The Cardinals must keep pressure off of Warner! Everyone thinks Troy Palomalu is the key to the Steelers defense. Though he is a play maker, the real key to the defense is the 4 linebackers. Harrison and Woodley on the outside and Farrior and Foote on the inside.
The Steelers offense has at times been inconsistent. The offensive line was awful early in the year but has since stepped it up and jelled well. The Steelers are going to attempt to play ball control, run, run, run, short pass...then, boom! down the field to Santonio Holmes! The Cardinals have a young but talented defense that has stepped it up in the playoffs. No team has been able to consistently run the ball on the Cardinals in the playoffs. Run defense and taking away the deep threat is the key for the Cards defense, while ball control and pass protection will be the key for the Steelers offense.
My heart says Arizona but my head says Pittsburgh. The Cardinals were hot but the two week lay off puts an end to that. The Steelers are more battle tested, the game is on the east coast (not typically a good thing for Zona, plus Steeler fans travel well). I think the big game experience, plus Pittsburgh's defense are the advantages in favor of the Steelers, in fact, I think Pittsburgh will more than cover the spread.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
College Re-cap final...what I got right and wrong
Now that the college football season is over and the NFL season is about over, I want to look back at my pre-season college football picks. I had some pretty good picks and of course the mis-steps. Let's take a look.
Picks I got wrong-
BYU to win the Mountain West- just about everyone got this wrong. Utah basically came out of nowhere. BYU looked good early on, even went through a phase of holding teams scoreless, but it all came crashing down with the blowout loss to TCU.
Missouri to win the Big 12- I thought it was Chase Daniels Mizzou Tigers year to finally win the Big 12 and play in the Fiesta Bowl. We'll they did win the Big 12 North but they did not live up to expectations this year.
Ohio St. to win the Big 10- They came in second and still played in a BCS bowl, but the early season blowout loss to USC really turned this team on it's ear. They later lost a close one to the eventual conference champion Penn St. These were their only regular season losses, but they really didn't beat anyone of consequence this year. Penn St. came out of nowhere here too.
West Virginia to win the Big East- The early season losses to East Carolina and Colorado exposed this team and they never really recovered. After the big Fiesta Bowl win against Oklahoma the year the before, I thought W. Virgina would carry the momentum and win a fairly weak conference.
Clemson to win the ACC- I've basically decided this is Virginia Tech's conference until further notice. No one really looked good in this conference, but Clemson was absolutely miserable...led to the firing of Tommy Bowden. This is a program that is perpetually talented and perpetually underachieves.
Auburn to win the SEC West- Auburn collapsed this year! Alabama came out of nowhere. I thought Auburn's defense and weak offense would be just enough to win this division...wrong!
Picks I got right-
USC to win the Pac 10- Easiest pick in the world! 'Nuff said.
Boise St. to win the WAC- Everyone was on the Fresno St. bandwagon pre-season. I wasn't buyin' it! Too tough of a schedule and they had to go to Boise at the end.
Oklahoma to win the Big 12 South- Not only that, I had Texas and Texas Tech right after them and I mentioned I thought about putting Tech ahead of Texas...then Tech beats Texas! Not bad!
Florida to win the SEC and the BCS National Championship! Everyone was on the Georgia bandwagon pre-season, but their schedule was too murderous! I had the Gators in the SEC and then playing USC in the big game. I picked Florida to win the big game this year. Definitely my proudest pick!
Picks I got wrong-
BYU to win the Mountain West- just about everyone got this wrong. Utah basically came out of nowhere. BYU looked good early on, even went through a phase of holding teams scoreless, but it all came crashing down with the blowout loss to TCU.
Missouri to win the Big 12- I thought it was Chase Daniels Mizzou Tigers year to finally win the Big 12 and play in the Fiesta Bowl. We'll they did win the Big 12 North but they did not live up to expectations this year.
Ohio St. to win the Big 10- They came in second and still played in a BCS bowl, but the early season blowout loss to USC really turned this team on it's ear. They later lost a close one to the eventual conference champion Penn St. These were their only regular season losses, but they really didn't beat anyone of consequence this year. Penn St. came out of nowhere here too.
West Virginia to win the Big East- The early season losses to East Carolina and Colorado exposed this team and they never really recovered. After the big Fiesta Bowl win against Oklahoma the year the before, I thought W. Virgina would carry the momentum and win a fairly weak conference.
Clemson to win the ACC- I've basically decided this is Virginia Tech's conference until further notice. No one really looked good in this conference, but Clemson was absolutely miserable...led to the firing of Tommy Bowden. This is a program that is perpetually talented and perpetually underachieves.
Auburn to win the SEC West- Auburn collapsed this year! Alabama came out of nowhere. I thought Auburn's defense and weak offense would be just enough to win this division...wrong!
Picks I got right-
USC to win the Pac 10- Easiest pick in the world! 'Nuff said.
Boise St. to win the WAC- Everyone was on the Fresno St. bandwagon pre-season. I wasn't buyin' it! Too tough of a schedule and they had to go to Boise at the end.
Oklahoma to win the Big 12 South- Not only that, I had Texas and Texas Tech right after them and I mentioned I thought about putting Tech ahead of Texas...then Tech beats Texas! Not bad!
Florida to win the SEC and the BCS National Championship! Everyone was on the Georgia bandwagon pre-season, but their schedule was too murderous! I had the Gators in the SEC and then playing USC in the big game. I picked Florida to win the big game this year. Definitely my proudest pick!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
NFL Conference Championship Preview
These are typically very good games...a lot of times better than the Super Bowl itself. We'll see what happens this weekend. We could have an all birds Super Bowl or an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl...the possibilities are endless.
AFC Championship- Ravens @ Steelers
Defense! Defense! Defense! Add that to the fact that these two are in the same division, and it's in Pittsburgh you have the makings of one ugly game! This game pits the top two defenses in the league. The Steelers won both of the regular season matchups- 23-20 in OT @ Pittsburgh and 13-9 in Baltimore. Two young head coaches, two top notch defenses, one Super Bowl winning QB vs. a rookie QB. I give the Steelers the edge in this one for the following reasons: The Steelers have a Super Bowl winning QB while the Ravens have a rookie QB, the Ravens are banged up and were out played last week by the Titans...turnovers kept the Ravens in the game and gave them the chance to win. It's tough for a team to beat another team three times in a season, but there are just too many red flags for Baltimore right now.
NFC Championship- Eagles @ Cardinals
Who would've thought the NFC championship would've been played in Arizona this year! This is Philly's 3rd straight game on the road! Arizona was supposed to lose last week at Carolina...it's amazing this matchup is even happening! They did play each other this season, in Philly. The Eagles blew out the Cards 48-20 in week 13. These circumstances make this game tough to pick! Let's look at matchups- Head Coach- Philly has the eccentric Andy Reid who has had much success in Philly, but just can't seem to get the Eagles over the hump. Zona has Ken Whisenhunt, not as experienced, but he did win the Super Bowl as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator a few years ago. QB- both teams have veteran QB's with Super Bowl experience, though Warner won one, McNabb has not. Offense- Zona has one of the most explosive offenses in the league right now with probably the best receiving group out there. Philly relies heavily on one Mr. Westbrook and not much else, thought DeSean Jackson has big play capability. Neither team likes to run much, they are both enamored with the pass, though Zona has run more in the playoffs than expected. Defense- Philly has one of the best defenses in the league that specializes in pass defense. It is a defense predicated on pressure from the front seven and quality play from the secondary...and the defense has played very well this postseason. Zona's defense was mediocre during the regular season, but has stepped up tremendously in the postseason, especially with turnovers. The Cards have the following advantages: It's in Arizona, Philly is a little banged up and it's tough winning three in a row on the road! And, Arizona is just really hot right now! However, I give the Eagles the edge for the following reasons: Defense, pass rush, secondary and they are hot too! Plus, they don't make many mistakes. It is hard to win three road playoff games in a row, but Pittsburgh did it a few years ago. It is possible. Plus the Eagles demolished the Cards during the regular season.
AFC Championship- Ravens @ Steelers
Defense! Defense! Defense! Add that to the fact that these two are in the same division, and it's in Pittsburgh you have the makings of one ugly game! This game pits the top two defenses in the league. The Steelers won both of the regular season matchups- 23-20 in OT @ Pittsburgh and 13-9 in Baltimore. Two young head coaches, two top notch defenses, one Super Bowl winning QB vs. a rookie QB. I give the Steelers the edge in this one for the following reasons: The Steelers have a Super Bowl winning QB while the Ravens have a rookie QB, the Ravens are banged up and were out played last week by the Titans...turnovers kept the Ravens in the game and gave them the chance to win. It's tough for a team to beat another team three times in a season, but there are just too many red flags for Baltimore right now.
NFC Championship- Eagles @ Cardinals
Who would've thought the NFC championship would've been played in Arizona this year! This is Philly's 3rd straight game on the road! Arizona was supposed to lose last week at Carolina...it's amazing this matchup is even happening! They did play each other this season, in Philly. The Eagles blew out the Cards 48-20 in week 13. These circumstances make this game tough to pick! Let's look at matchups- Head Coach- Philly has the eccentric Andy Reid who has had much success in Philly, but just can't seem to get the Eagles over the hump. Zona has Ken Whisenhunt, not as experienced, but he did win the Super Bowl as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator a few years ago. QB- both teams have veteran QB's with Super Bowl experience, though Warner won one, McNabb has not. Offense- Zona has one of the most explosive offenses in the league right now with probably the best receiving group out there. Philly relies heavily on one Mr. Westbrook and not much else, thought DeSean Jackson has big play capability. Neither team likes to run much, they are both enamored with the pass, though Zona has run more in the playoffs than expected. Defense- Philly has one of the best defenses in the league that specializes in pass defense. It is a defense predicated on pressure from the front seven and quality play from the secondary...and the defense has played very well this postseason. Zona's defense was mediocre during the regular season, but has stepped up tremendously in the postseason, especially with turnovers. The Cards have the following advantages: It's in Arizona, Philly is a little banged up and it's tough winning three in a row on the road! And, Arizona is just really hot right now! However, I give the Eagles the edge for the following reasons: Defense, pass rush, secondary and they are hot too! Plus, they don't make many mistakes. It is hard to win three road playoff games in a row, but Pittsburgh did it a few years ago. It is possible. Plus the Eagles demolished the Cards during the regular season.
Friday, January 9, 2009
This weeks NFL playoff preview
The Divisional playoffs start this week! I went 3-1 last week. If the Colts hadn't choked away the game in San Diego, I would've been 4-0. We have some good matchups this week! The AFC pits the Chargers at Steelers and the Ravens at Titans, while the NFC has the Eagles at Giants and the Cardinals at Panthers. Here are my thoughts.
Chargers @ Steelers. These two faced each other on 11/16 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 11-10. The Steelers brag the NFL's top ranked defense. The Chargers defense is ranked 25th but they have played better than that as of late...especially last week against the Colts. The Steelers are not only ranked 1st in total defense, they also rank 2nd in run defense and 1st in pass defense. The Chargers have been fairly solid against the run but weak against the pass. The Chargers match up well with the Colts and always play them tough. This week's matchup is different. The Chargers are without LDT and the Steelers are playing Roethlisberger with a slight concussion. On the offensive side, the Chargers are ranked 11th in total offense while the Steelers are ranked 22nd. I'm giving the Steelers the edge in a close one that will be low scoring for the following reasons: home field advantage, championship defense, and they are one of the most physical teams in football.
Ravens @ Titans. These two faced each other on 10/5 in Baltimore. The Titans won 13-10. At the time, the Ravens were starting a rookie qb who was still getting his feet wet in Joe Flacco...he's since gained some confidence and experience. Offense will be a non-factor in this one, as the Ravens rank 18th and the Titans rank 21st in total defense respectively. So let's look at defense. The Ravens rank 2nd in total defense and the Titans rank 7th. Both are nasty, stingy, big, physical defenses. The Titans boast the league's best D line currently with Kyle Vanden Bosch, Albert Haynesworth and Jevon Kearse. They also have a great play-making LB in Keith Bulluck (the best LB nobody's heard of!) And, a physical secondary that likes to intimidate. The Ravens have the league's best defensive playmaker in Ed Reed, a great D Line of their own and Ray Lewis. Lewis isn't the playmaker he once was, but he's still a great leader. I give the Ravens the slight edge for the following reasons: Ed Reed, The Ravens are hot right now and the Titans are a little banged up. Kevin Mawae is out and Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth are questionable but should play. I don't like picking a team with a rookie qb in the playoffs, but the Ravens just seem like the right pick here.
Cardinals @ Panthers. These two faced each other 10/26 in Carolina. The Panthers won 27-23. The Panthers are ranked 10th in total offense and 18th in total defense. The defense is better than the ranking indicates, however, they have been inconsistent at times during the season. The offense is anchored by the running game, ranked 2nd only behind the Giants. The Cardinals are ranked 4th in total offense and 19th in total defense. The offense is anchored by the passing game which ranks 2nd in the league. This is an interesting matchup in that the Cardinals seem to have the better run defense and the Panthers seem to have the better pass defense, so it could be strength vs. strength. I give the Panthers the edge for the following reasons: The Cardinals have been awful on the road (especially in the east coast), the Panthers are the bigger, more physical team and will get pressure on Kurt Warner and force mistakes.
Eagles @ Giants. These two are divisional opponents who know each other well. This season, the road teams won each matchup. Both are ranked in the top ten in both offense and defense. The Giants are 7th in total offense and the Eagles are 9th. The Giants have the top ranked rushing offense, while the Eagles are a passing offense. Defensively, the Eagles are ranked 3rd in total defense while the Giants are 5th...but you can throw all that out the window because these are evenly matched division rivals! I give the Giants the slight edge for the following reasons: the game is in the wind tunnel Giants Stadium, so passing may be an after thought- advantage Giants. I also trust Eli more so than McNabb. The Eagles are one-dimensional offensively, Westbrook running and Westbrook catching dump offs. Also, the Eagles seemed to struggle against the Vikings running game last week, now they have to face the top ranked rushing offense in the league? Advantage Giants.
Chargers @ Steelers. These two faced each other on 11/16 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 11-10. The Steelers brag the NFL's top ranked defense. The Chargers defense is ranked 25th but they have played better than that as of late...especially last week against the Colts. The Steelers are not only ranked 1st in total defense, they also rank 2nd in run defense and 1st in pass defense. The Chargers have been fairly solid against the run but weak against the pass. The Chargers match up well with the Colts and always play them tough. This week's matchup is different. The Chargers are without LDT and the Steelers are playing Roethlisberger with a slight concussion. On the offensive side, the Chargers are ranked 11th in total offense while the Steelers are ranked 22nd. I'm giving the Steelers the edge in a close one that will be low scoring for the following reasons: home field advantage, championship defense, and they are one of the most physical teams in football.
Ravens @ Titans. These two faced each other on 10/5 in Baltimore. The Titans won 13-10. At the time, the Ravens were starting a rookie qb who was still getting his feet wet in Joe Flacco...he's since gained some confidence and experience. Offense will be a non-factor in this one, as the Ravens rank 18th and the Titans rank 21st in total defense respectively. So let's look at defense. The Ravens rank 2nd in total defense and the Titans rank 7th. Both are nasty, stingy, big, physical defenses. The Titans boast the league's best D line currently with Kyle Vanden Bosch, Albert Haynesworth and Jevon Kearse. They also have a great play-making LB in Keith Bulluck (the best LB nobody's heard of!) And, a physical secondary that likes to intimidate. The Ravens have the league's best defensive playmaker in Ed Reed, a great D Line of their own and Ray Lewis. Lewis isn't the playmaker he once was, but he's still a great leader. I give the Ravens the slight edge for the following reasons: Ed Reed, The Ravens are hot right now and the Titans are a little banged up. Kevin Mawae is out and Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth are questionable but should play. I don't like picking a team with a rookie qb in the playoffs, but the Ravens just seem like the right pick here.
Cardinals @ Panthers. These two faced each other 10/26 in Carolina. The Panthers won 27-23. The Panthers are ranked 10th in total offense and 18th in total defense. The defense is better than the ranking indicates, however, they have been inconsistent at times during the season. The offense is anchored by the running game, ranked 2nd only behind the Giants. The Cardinals are ranked 4th in total offense and 19th in total defense. The offense is anchored by the passing game which ranks 2nd in the league. This is an interesting matchup in that the Cardinals seem to have the better run defense and the Panthers seem to have the better pass defense, so it could be strength vs. strength. I give the Panthers the edge for the following reasons: The Cardinals have been awful on the road (especially in the east coast), the Panthers are the bigger, more physical team and will get pressure on Kurt Warner and force mistakes.
Eagles @ Giants. These two are divisional opponents who know each other well. This season, the road teams won each matchup. Both are ranked in the top ten in both offense and defense. The Giants are 7th in total offense and the Eagles are 9th. The Giants have the top ranked rushing offense, while the Eagles are a passing offense. Defensively, the Eagles are ranked 3rd in total defense while the Giants are 5th...but you can throw all that out the window because these are evenly matched division rivals! I give the Giants the slight edge for the following reasons: the game is in the wind tunnel Giants Stadium, so passing may be an after thought- advantage Giants. I also trust Eli more so than McNabb. The Eagles are one-dimensional offensively, Westbrook running and Westbrook catching dump offs. Also, the Eagles seemed to struggle against the Vikings running game last week, now they have to face the top ranked rushing offense in the league? Advantage Giants.
Thoughts on the Bowl Season
Congrats to the Florida Gators for winning the BCS National Championship. They beat a good Oklahoma team that was prepared. OU's defense played surprisingly well and their O line did a pretty good job protecting Bradford. OU was able to run with effectiveness but the two first half turnovers in the red zone turned out to be too much to overcome. Tebow was awful in the first half but came alive in the second half after having some opportunities to run. An SEC team has now won the national championship 3 straight years! Here are the winners and losers from this years bowl season:
Winners:
- SEC- other than South Carolina and Alabama laying two gigantic crimson turds, the SEC had a good bowl season. Vandy, Kentucky, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and most especially Florida had good victories...who would've thought Ole Miss would beat Texas Tech?
- Utah- Great win against the Crimson Turd! They played faster, with more intensity and preparation than Bama. Utah spent the off time preparing while Bama spent the time sittin' around playin' with their tits!
- Pac 10- Undefeated in the bowl season! Not bad for a conference everyone thought was weak this year! USC, Oregon St., Oregon, Arizona, and Cal all had bowl victories. Congrats to Arizona for pulling off the victory against those BYU Whiteys!
Losers:
- Big 10- Did any Big 10 team even win a bowl game this year??? Oh yeah, Iowa beat South Carolina...that's it! Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan St., Ohio St., and Penn St. were all pathetic losers! How the mighty have fallen!
- WAC- Let's see...Hawaii? Lost...Fresno St.? Lost...undefeated Boise St.? Lost...Nevada? Lost...Oh, but Lousiana Tech won!
- ACC- what a bad year for the ACC! First, the whole conference is mediocre, then most of the conference somehow gets invited to bowl games and they lose most of them. Boston College, North Carolina, NC St., Georgia Tech, Miami, Clemson all lost. But hey, Florida St. won! And Virginia Tech won the Orange Bowl! Oh yeah, Maryland won too! And...Wake Forest barely beats Navy!
- Big 12- The most overhyped conference this year didn't do much in the bowl season. Kansas and Nebraska each got victories. Missouri barely won, Texas struggled to beat an inferior Ohio St. in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma St. lost, then Texas Tech goes down to Ole Miss! Wow! Then of course Oklahoma goes down in the big game.
Winners:
- SEC- other than South Carolina and Alabama laying two gigantic crimson turds, the SEC had a good bowl season. Vandy, Kentucky, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and most especially Florida had good victories...who would've thought Ole Miss would beat Texas Tech?
- Utah- Great win against the Crimson Turd! They played faster, with more intensity and preparation than Bama. Utah spent the off time preparing while Bama spent the time sittin' around playin' with their tits!
- Pac 10- Undefeated in the bowl season! Not bad for a conference everyone thought was weak this year! USC, Oregon St., Oregon, Arizona, and Cal all had bowl victories. Congrats to Arizona for pulling off the victory against those BYU Whiteys!
Losers:
- Big 10- Did any Big 10 team even win a bowl game this year??? Oh yeah, Iowa beat South Carolina...that's it! Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan St., Ohio St., and Penn St. were all pathetic losers! How the mighty have fallen!
- WAC- Let's see...Hawaii? Lost...Fresno St.? Lost...undefeated Boise St.? Lost...Nevada? Lost...Oh, but Lousiana Tech won!
- ACC- what a bad year for the ACC! First, the whole conference is mediocre, then most of the conference somehow gets invited to bowl games and they lose most of them. Boston College, North Carolina, NC St., Georgia Tech, Miami, Clemson all lost. But hey, Florida St. won! And Virginia Tech won the Orange Bowl! Oh yeah, Maryland won too! And...Wake Forest barely beats Navy!
- Big 12- The most overhyped conference this year didn't do much in the bowl season. Kansas and Nebraska each got victories. Missouri barely won, Texas struggled to beat an inferior Ohio St. in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma St. lost, then Texas Tech goes down to Ole Miss! Wow! Then of course Oklahoma goes down in the big game.
Friday, January 2, 2009
NFL playoff preview
Wild card weekend kicks off the 2008 playoffs and we have some good matchups. Each one of the wild card teams is capable of beating the division champions they are playing. Let's start with the NFC wild cards.
Atlanta @ Arizona- Good matchup. These two did not play each other this year. You have the rookie qb vs. the really old qb. Good coaches too. Mike Smith has done wonders with the Falcons and Ken Whisenhunt is making a contender out of an underachieving Cardinals team. There shouldn't be much defense in this one. The Falcons have the 24th ranked d and the Cards have the 19th. With the defenses being a wash, both teams have talented offenses that can light it up. For Arizona, Kurt Warner has had an MVP type season...of course throwing to Fitzgerald and Boldin can give anybody MVP type numbers. Atlanta focuses more on the running game with the talented duo of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. I give the edge to Arizona for the following reasons: home field, more experienced, Super Bowl winning qb, as opposed to rookie qb, and slightly better defense...slightly. It's been a good run for the cinderella Falcons but it ends this weekend.
Philadelphia @ Minnesota- Another good matchup but for opposite reasons. These two did not play each other during the regular season. These two teams play great defense...the Eagles rank 3rd in total d and the Vikings rank 6th. Philly has a better pass defense while Minnesota plays better against the run. The keys to this game are going to be the running backs of each team. Philly has "do-it-all" Brian Westbrook and the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, quite possibly the best young back in the league who by the way, led the league in rushing this year. The Eagles will have to rely on McNabb to Westbrook passing while the Vikings will have to rely on Peterson because Tarvaris Jackson is not going to beat this defense! I give the edge to Philly for the following reasons: playoff/Super Bowl experience, their offense matches up better with Minnesota's defense than Minnesota's offense matching up against the Eagles defense. If Philly gets any kind of a lead it's over in that the Vikings aren't equipped to come back. The only X-factor for the Vikings is Bernard Berrian, he is a great deep threat. Philly has no deep threat.
Baltimore @ Miami- This is going to be a low scoring slug fest! They played on 10/19 in Miami and the Ravens won 27-13. The Ravens have the 2nd ranked defense in the league, a defense that is big, nasty, physical and makes plays. They have a rookie qb in Joe Flacco who has a cannon of an arm and the offense has been better recently. The Dolphins have the 15th ranked defense and aren't spectacular on offense either, but they are fundamental and don't make mistakes, they find ways to win. I don't see the wild cat formation working in this one either. I give the Ravens the edge for the following reasons: Defense, Defense, Defense! It's been a great story Miami, but it's over this weekend. Baltimore advances for one more week.
Indianapolis @ San Diego- These two played on 11/23 in San Diego with the Colts winning 23-20. You would think the Chargers had the higher ranked defense but that's not true, the Colts rank 11th while the Chargers rank 25th. However, the Chargers play better run defense, while the Colts are better against the pass. The Chargers have had the Colts number in the playoffs in recent years and they do match up well against the Colts. Both teams and both qb's are hot right now. I think the Colts are going to try and expose San Diego's pass defense, while the Chargers will try to expose the Colts weak run defense. I believe Bob Sanders was hurt the last time these two played and his presence adds a lot to Indy's d. I give the Colts the slight edge for the following reasons: Manning will pick apart San Diego's secondary and the Colts defense will try to shut down LT and force Rivers to beat them, which I don't think he can.
We'll see what happens!
Atlanta @ Arizona- Good matchup. These two did not play each other this year. You have the rookie qb vs. the really old qb. Good coaches too. Mike Smith has done wonders with the Falcons and Ken Whisenhunt is making a contender out of an underachieving Cardinals team. There shouldn't be much defense in this one. The Falcons have the 24th ranked d and the Cards have the 19th. With the defenses being a wash, both teams have talented offenses that can light it up. For Arizona, Kurt Warner has had an MVP type season...of course throwing to Fitzgerald and Boldin can give anybody MVP type numbers. Atlanta focuses more on the running game with the talented duo of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. I give the edge to Arizona for the following reasons: home field, more experienced, Super Bowl winning qb, as opposed to rookie qb, and slightly better defense...slightly. It's been a good run for the cinderella Falcons but it ends this weekend.
Philadelphia @ Minnesota- Another good matchup but for opposite reasons. These two did not play each other during the regular season. These two teams play great defense...the Eagles rank 3rd in total d and the Vikings rank 6th. Philly has a better pass defense while Minnesota plays better against the run. The keys to this game are going to be the running backs of each team. Philly has "do-it-all" Brian Westbrook and the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, quite possibly the best young back in the league who by the way, led the league in rushing this year. The Eagles will have to rely on McNabb to Westbrook passing while the Vikings will have to rely on Peterson because Tarvaris Jackson is not going to beat this defense! I give the edge to Philly for the following reasons: playoff/Super Bowl experience, their offense matches up better with Minnesota's defense than Minnesota's offense matching up against the Eagles defense. If Philly gets any kind of a lead it's over in that the Vikings aren't equipped to come back. The only X-factor for the Vikings is Bernard Berrian, he is a great deep threat. Philly has no deep threat.
Baltimore @ Miami- This is going to be a low scoring slug fest! They played on 10/19 in Miami and the Ravens won 27-13. The Ravens have the 2nd ranked defense in the league, a defense that is big, nasty, physical and makes plays. They have a rookie qb in Joe Flacco who has a cannon of an arm and the offense has been better recently. The Dolphins have the 15th ranked defense and aren't spectacular on offense either, but they are fundamental and don't make mistakes, they find ways to win. I don't see the wild cat formation working in this one either. I give the Ravens the edge for the following reasons: Defense, Defense, Defense! It's been a great story Miami, but it's over this weekend. Baltimore advances for one more week.
Indianapolis @ San Diego- These two played on 11/23 in San Diego with the Colts winning 23-20. You would think the Chargers had the higher ranked defense but that's not true, the Colts rank 11th while the Chargers rank 25th. However, the Chargers play better run defense, while the Colts are better against the pass. The Chargers have had the Colts number in the playoffs in recent years and they do match up well against the Colts. Both teams and both qb's are hot right now. I think the Colts are going to try and expose San Diego's pass defense, while the Chargers will try to expose the Colts weak run defense. I believe Bob Sanders was hurt the last time these two played and his presence adds a lot to Indy's d. I give the Colts the slight edge for the following reasons: Manning will pick apart San Diego's secondary and the Colts defense will try to shut down LT and force Rivers to beat them, which I don't think he can.
We'll see what happens!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Vols coaching staff
Tennessee has now lured Ed Orgeron away from the Saints to become Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator and...oh yeah...D line coach. Orgeron worked with Kiffin at USC as recruiting coordinator. He was also head coach at Ole Miss for about three unmemorable years. Tennessee is not a hot bed of high school talent, so the Vols will need to recruit outside quite a bit. They also hired Jim Chaney as offensive coordinator. Chaney has recently been with the Rams, but was the offensive coordinator at Purdue during the late 90's...coaching a couple of qb's you may have heard of...Drew Brees and Kyle Orton. Kiffin will be calling the plays, so Chaney may be more of a "consultant". Both good hires in my opinion.
Thoughts on Shanahan's firing
Shanahan needed to go. The Broncos have been consistently mediocre for 10 years. There were a couple of playoff years...2000 and 2005 but otherwise have hovered around 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 every year since Elway retired. He was the most powerful coach in the NFL, no other coach has had as much control over his team as Shanahan has but it hasn't paid off. He drafted poorly, remember Maurice Clarett? He's created a good foundation on offense with Cutler, Marshall, Royal, Sheffler, Clady, Harris but the defense has been atrocious. He has tried through drafting and free agent acquistions to improve the defense but most haven't turned out. Defensive coordinators have come and gone like suitors in a brothel. I don't doubt that he can coach, but his personnel decisions have been for the most part awful. My vote for his replacement is Bill Cowher. Cowher can fix the defense by implementing a 3-4 scheme. The 3-4 is customized to talented linebackers who blitz from all angles. The Broncos could utilize their smaller DE's, Jarvis Moss and Elvis Dumervil as blitzing outside LB's. The 4-3 is great if you have a good D line, but since when has Denver had a good D line? Anyway, Cowher has already turned down the Browns and Jets, so why not the Donks?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
College Bowl Picks...
Alright I'm going to make my official college bowl picks for the year. I have to admit, I don't care much for most of them. So, here we go...
Eaglebank Bowl- Wake Forest over Navy
New Mexico Bowl- Colorado St. over Fresno St.
St. Petersburg Bowl- South Florida over Memphis
Las Vegas Bowl- BYU over Arizona
New Orleans Bowl- Troy over Southern Miss
Poinsettia Bowl- TCU over Boise St.- This one is actually worth watching
Hawaii Bowl- Hawaii over Notre Dame
Motor City Bowl- Central Michigan over Florida Atlantic
Car Care Bowl- North Carolina over West Virginia
Champs Sports Bowl- Florida St. over Wisconsin
Emerald Bowl- Cal over Miami
Independence Bowl- Louisiana Tech over Northern Illinois
Papajohns.com Bowl- NC St. over Rutgers
Alamo Bowl- Missouri over Northwestern
Humanitarian Bowl- Maryland over Nevada
Holiday Bowl- Oklahoma St. over Oregon
Texas Bowl- Rice over Western Michigan
Armed Forces Bowl- Houston over Air Force
Sun Bowl- Oregon St. over Pittsburgh
Music City Bowl- Boston College over Vanderbilt
Insight Bowl- Kansas over Minnesota
Chick Fila Bowl- Georgia Tech over LSU
Outback Bowl- South Carolina over Iowa
Capital One Bowl- Georgia over Michigan St.
Gator Bowl- Clemson over Nebraska
Cotton Bowl- Texas Tech over Ole Miss
Liberty Bowl- Kentucky over East Carolina
International Bowl- UConn over Buffalo
GMAC Bowl- Tulsa over Ball St.
Orange Bowl- V Tech over Cincinnati
Rose Bowl- USC over Penn St.
Fiesta Bowl- Texas over Ohio St.
Sugar Bowl- Alabama over Utah
BCS Championship- Florida over Oklahoma- this is the only game that matters folks
Eaglebank Bowl- Wake Forest over Navy
New Mexico Bowl- Colorado St. over Fresno St.
St. Petersburg Bowl- South Florida over Memphis
Las Vegas Bowl- BYU over Arizona
New Orleans Bowl- Troy over Southern Miss
Poinsettia Bowl- TCU over Boise St.- This one is actually worth watching
Hawaii Bowl- Hawaii over Notre Dame
Motor City Bowl- Central Michigan over Florida Atlantic
Car Care Bowl- North Carolina over West Virginia
Champs Sports Bowl- Florida St. over Wisconsin
Emerald Bowl- Cal over Miami
Independence Bowl- Louisiana Tech over Northern Illinois
Papajohns.com Bowl- NC St. over Rutgers
Alamo Bowl- Missouri over Northwestern
Humanitarian Bowl- Maryland over Nevada
Holiday Bowl- Oklahoma St. over Oregon
Texas Bowl- Rice over Western Michigan
Armed Forces Bowl- Houston over Air Force
Sun Bowl- Oregon St. over Pittsburgh
Music City Bowl- Boston College over Vanderbilt
Insight Bowl- Kansas over Minnesota
Chick Fila Bowl- Georgia Tech over LSU
Outback Bowl- South Carolina over Iowa
Capital One Bowl- Georgia over Michigan St.
Gator Bowl- Clemson over Nebraska
Cotton Bowl- Texas Tech over Ole Miss
Liberty Bowl- Kentucky over East Carolina
International Bowl- UConn over Buffalo
GMAC Bowl- Tulsa over Ball St.
Orange Bowl- V Tech over Cincinnati
Rose Bowl- USC over Penn St.
Fiesta Bowl- Texas over Ohio St.
Sugar Bowl- Alabama over Utah
BCS Championship- Florida over Oklahoma- this is the only game that matters folks
Sunday, December 14, 2008
My official pre-playoff Super Bowl prediction
I think the AFC has 4 contenders, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Indianapolis and New England (never count them out until they lose!). The NFC has two contenders, New York and Carolina (Dallas has too much clubhouse drama).
One common theme I've seen this year has been the teams that run the ball well, have road-grader style O lines and stout defenses have been the most successful. The Titans, Giants, Steelers and Panthers all fit that mold. I'm predicting a Panthers/Giants NFC Championship and Titans/Steelers AFC Championship.
Carolina- Stout, physical defense, two-headed running back duo with Jonathan Stewart/DeAngelo Williams, and a qb/wr combo in Delhomme/Smith that find ways to get it done.
New York- Fundamental, well-coached team that doesn't make many mistakes. Good defense, great O line. They use 3 running backs- Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Eli Manning has really come into his own. I've heard alot about how not having Plaxico is going to affect them. I agree that they could not have won last year without Burress. I don't think that is the case this year. David Tyree and Steve Smith have stepped up and they still have Amani Toomer and Kevin Boss has come into his own as a Tight End...and the running game is better this year than it was last year. Plus, they don't have to play New England this year. They don't need Plaxico to get to the Super Bowl...bottom line.
Pittsburgh- Tough, physical and speedy defense with great pass rush. Great running game. Roethlisberger is one of the better qb's in the game and doesn't have to put up gawdy numbers for the Steelers to win. He has good weapons in Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller.
Tennessee- Best defense in the league this year. Hands down, the best D line with a physical secondary. Great O line with a two headed running back monster of LenDale White and the incredibly fast Chris Johnson. Passing game is a little dicey.
Steelers beat the Titans due to better qb play. The Giants beat the Panthers because the game will be in the Meadowlands.
My Super Bowl pick: Steelers/Giants
One common theme I've seen this year has been the teams that run the ball well, have road-grader style O lines and stout defenses have been the most successful. The Titans, Giants, Steelers and Panthers all fit that mold. I'm predicting a Panthers/Giants NFC Championship and Titans/Steelers AFC Championship.
Carolina- Stout, physical defense, two-headed running back duo with Jonathan Stewart/DeAngelo Williams, and a qb/wr combo in Delhomme/Smith that find ways to get it done.
New York- Fundamental, well-coached team that doesn't make many mistakes. Good defense, great O line. They use 3 running backs- Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Eli Manning has really come into his own. I've heard alot about how not having Plaxico is going to affect them. I agree that they could not have won last year without Burress. I don't think that is the case this year. David Tyree and Steve Smith have stepped up and they still have Amani Toomer and Kevin Boss has come into his own as a Tight End...and the running game is better this year than it was last year. Plus, they don't have to play New England this year. They don't need Plaxico to get to the Super Bowl...bottom line.
Pittsburgh- Tough, physical and speedy defense with great pass rush. Great running game. Roethlisberger is one of the better qb's in the game and doesn't have to put up gawdy numbers for the Steelers to win. He has good weapons in Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller.
Tennessee- Best defense in the league this year. Hands down, the best D line with a physical secondary. Great O line with a two headed running back monster of LenDale White and the incredibly fast Chris Johnson. Passing game is a little dicey.
Steelers beat the Titans due to better qb play. The Giants beat the Panthers because the game will be in the Meadowlands.
My Super Bowl pick: Steelers/Giants
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Initial reaction to BCS announcements
- Orange Bowl- and I'm talking about the one that has Cincinnati vs. V Tech. Is anyone even gonna watch that game? I don't plan to.
- Rose Bowl- USC/Penn St. USC has an immediate home field advantage. I'm not sure if Penn St. even travels well. USC has the talent on paper but they can't overlook JoePa. Penn St. plays sound, mistake free, fundamental and boring football. If the Trojans show up and play their A game though, it won't be close.
- Fiesta Bowl- Texas/Ohio St. Texas is the more talented team. They play the best defense of anybody in the Big 12 (not exactly saying much). Buckeyes defense will have to be big and force a low scoring game for them to have a chance. If Texas shuts down Beanie Wells and forces Terrelle Pryor to beat them with his arm, Buckeyes could be in trouble.
- Sugar Bowl- Alabama/Utah. Automatic home field advantage for Bama. Not only do they travel well and don't have far to go, Utah does not travel well. I expect to see about 100 Utah fans in attendance tops. I see a similar result to the Georgia/Hawaii Sugar Bowl last year. Bama is going to beat this team up physically and on the score board...and they're faster.
- BCS Championship- Oklahoma/Florida. Oklahoma's defense has not seen an offense with this much speed. Florida is the fastest team in the country and they're hungry. Oklahoma's offense has not seen this good of a defense all year either. The Big 12 has decided that defense is a liability. On the other hand, Florida has seen defenses just as good and much better than what Oklahoma has. Florida's defense has not seen this high powered of an offense...the closest being Alabama and Georgia. My initial thoughts are Florida by about 10-15.
- Rose Bowl- USC/Penn St. USC has an immediate home field advantage. I'm not sure if Penn St. even travels well. USC has the talent on paper but they can't overlook JoePa. Penn St. plays sound, mistake free, fundamental and boring football. If the Trojans show up and play their A game though, it won't be close.
- Fiesta Bowl- Texas/Ohio St. Texas is the more talented team. They play the best defense of anybody in the Big 12 (not exactly saying much). Buckeyes defense will have to be big and force a low scoring game for them to have a chance. If Texas shuts down Beanie Wells and forces Terrelle Pryor to beat them with his arm, Buckeyes could be in trouble.
- Sugar Bowl- Alabama/Utah. Automatic home field advantage for Bama. Not only do they travel well and don't have far to go, Utah does not travel well. I expect to see about 100 Utah fans in attendance tops. I see a similar result to the Georgia/Hawaii Sugar Bowl last year. Bama is going to beat this team up physically and on the score board...and they're faster.
- BCS Championship- Oklahoma/Florida. Oklahoma's defense has not seen an offense with this much speed. Florida is the fastest team in the country and they're hungry. Oklahoma's offense has not seen this good of a defense all year either. The Big 12 has decided that defense is a liability. On the other hand, Florida has seen defenses just as good and much better than what Oklahoma has. Florida's defense has not seen this high powered of an offense...the closest being Alabama and Georgia. My initial thoughts are Florida by about 10-15.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thoughts on the College scenario
Well, we are all doing what the BCS folks want us to do, talking about the jacked up BCS! Seriously! That is one of their arguments in favor of the current system! It's so screwed up we are all talking about it, so it must be good! There is not a single coherent, well thought out argument that can be made in favor of the current system in college football. I once heard Lee Corso argue in favor of the BCS by basically stating that the men in control want it this way, so we are going to have to deal with it! Great! It's settled! Now with that being said...
- I can't argue with Oklahoma potentially being in the championship game. They are a great team, I cannot see Mizzou beating them this week and I do think a team from that Big 12 South deserves to be there. Do I think Texas Tech and Texas deserve it just as much? Absolutely. How do you figure out a three way tie?
- The real national championship is this weekend in Atlanta between Alabama and Florida. I think Florida wins, and Bama gets the Sugar Bowl. I feel sorry for the other team that gets invited to the Sugar Bowl! I could also see Bama beating Florida...don't be surprised.
- Virginia Tech beats Boston College in the most meaningless conference championship. No team from the Big East or ACC deserve to be in a BCS bowl. I hope they just pit V Tech/BC and Cincinnati against each other in the Orange Bowl.
- USC blows boring Penn St. out of the water in the Rose Bowl.
- I see Ohio St. getting an at-large bid, either the Fiesta Bowl against Utah or the Sugar Bowl against Florida/Alabama.
- I can't argue with Oklahoma potentially being in the championship game. They are a great team, I cannot see Mizzou beating them this week and I do think a team from that Big 12 South deserves to be there. Do I think Texas Tech and Texas deserve it just as much? Absolutely. How do you figure out a three way tie?
- The real national championship is this weekend in Atlanta between Alabama and Florida. I think Florida wins, and Bama gets the Sugar Bowl. I feel sorry for the other team that gets invited to the Sugar Bowl! I could also see Bama beating Florida...don't be surprised.
- Virginia Tech beats Boston College in the most meaningless conference championship. No team from the Big East or ACC deserve to be in a BCS bowl. I hope they just pit V Tech/BC and Cincinnati against each other in the Orange Bowl.
- USC blows boring Penn St. out of the water in the Rose Bowl.
- I see Ohio St. getting an at-large bid, either the Fiesta Bowl against Utah or the Sugar Bowl against Florida/Alabama.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thoughts on Saturday's games...
- I was hoping Oklahoma would beat Texas Tech. I wasn't sure they would...but wow! 65-21? Are you kidding? I wanted OU to win to add confusion to the BCS picture. Who wins the Big 12 South? Texas, TT, and OU all beat each other and they each have one loss! Obviously, there is one week to go...Texas has A&M, Tech has Baylor and OU has Oklahoma St. Unless a couple of these teams get upset next week, it should be interesting hashing this out. Although, Oklahoma St. could upset OU and A&M has been known to pull the upset on UT a time or two. At this point, Oklahoma looks like the best one-loss team in the country.
- I've been watching the OSU/Michigan rivalry for 13 years. I've never seen the Buckeyes put that much of a drubbing on Michigan. I saw Michigan do it to Ohio St. a couple of times in the late 90's. This is the first time OSU has won 5 in a row in this storied rivalry. Michigan still has the all-time edge, but Ohio St. is catching up. Ohio St. is losing a lot of starters next year and Rich Rodriguez will start really recruiting in Michigan. I look for it to even out more next year. Ohio St. will most likely play in the Capital One Bowl against an SEC team, probably Georgia.
- I didn't get the memo that Tennessee would beat Vandy today! Did anyone else get this memo? Now I suppose they'll beat Kentucky next week?
- What's up the ACC??? Nobody wants to win that conference! Clemson beats Virginia, NC State massacres North Carolina. Wake loses to BC. Florida St. may be the team to beat.
- If USC somehow manages to get into the BCS championship, Oregon St. will most likely end up in the Rose Bowl against Penn St.
- Congrats to Utah to most likely getting into a BCS bowl for the second time in 4 years. I see them most likely in the Fiesta Bowl against a Big 12 team, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, take your pick. What a disappointment for BYU! The BYU fans must be crushed! Weeping & wailing! Gnashing of teeth! Boise St. was probably disappointed as well.
- I'm glad Houston Nutt is still in the SEC and coaching Ole Miss! I wish Tennessee would've fired Fulmer a year ago, so the Vols could've hired him! He is one of my favorite coaches.
- I've got Florida and either USC/one of the 3 from the Big 12 South in the BCS Championship. Penn St. vs. USC/Oregon St. in the Rose Bowl. One of the 3 from the Big 12 South vs. Utah in the Fiesta Bowl. Cincinnati vs. Florida St. in the Orange Bowl....snoozer. For the Sugar Bowl, I've got Alabama vs. one of the 3 from the Big 12 South or dare I say it...Boise St? Two BCS busters??? Would we want another WAC/SEC matchup in the Sugar Bowl after last years debacle between Georgia and Hawaii? Stay tuned...
- I've been watching the OSU/Michigan rivalry for 13 years. I've never seen the Buckeyes put that much of a drubbing on Michigan. I saw Michigan do it to Ohio St. a couple of times in the late 90's. This is the first time OSU has won 5 in a row in this storied rivalry. Michigan still has the all-time edge, but Ohio St. is catching up. Ohio St. is losing a lot of starters next year and Rich Rodriguez will start really recruiting in Michigan. I look for it to even out more next year. Ohio St. will most likely play in the Capital One Bowl against an SEC team, probably Georgia.
- I didn't get the memo that Tennessee would beat Vandy today! Did anyone else get this memo? Now I suppose they'll beat Kentucky next week?
- What's up the ACC??? Nobody wants to win that conference! Clemson beats Virginia, NC State massacres North Carolina. Wake loses to BC. Florida St. may be the team to beat.
- If USC somehow manages to get into the BCS championship, Oregon St. will most likely end up in the Rose Bowl against Penn St.
- Congrats to Utah to most likely getting into a BCS bowl for the second time in 4 years. I see them most likely in the Fiesta Bowl against a Big 12 team, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, take your pick. What a disappointment for BYU! The BYU fans must be crushed! Weeping & wailing! Gnashing of teeth! Boise St. was probably disappointed as well.
- I'm glad Houston Nutt is still in the SEC and coaching Ole Miss! I wish Tennessee would've fired Fulmer a year ago, so the Vols could've hired him! He is one of my favorite coaches.
- I've got Florida and either USC/one of the 3 from the Big 12 South in the BCS Championship. Penn St. vs. USC/Oregon St. in the Rose Bowl. One of the 3 from the Big 12 South vs. Utah in the Fiesta Bowl. Cincinnati vs. Florida St. in the Orange Bowl....snoozer. For the Sugar Bowl, I've got Alabama vs. one of the 3 from the Big 12 South or dare I say it...Boise St? Two BCS busters??? Would we want another WAC/SEC matchup in the Sugar Bowl after last years debacle between Georgia and Hawaii? Stay tuned...
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Saturday Picks...
Not really any good matchups this week, which is surprising considering how late in the season we are.
- Ohio St. over Illinois
- Navy over Notre Dame for the second year in a row.
- Texas over Kansas big
- Florida over Spurrier big
- North Carolina over Maryland
- Air Force over BYU
- Washington over UCLA for their first win of the season!
- Oregon St. over Cal
- Georgia over Auburn
- Northwestern over Michigan
- And finally, Bye week over Tennessee big!
Here's to next week which will be much more exciting: Ohio St./Michigan, Mobilhoma/Texas Tech, Utah/BYU
- Ohio St. over Illinois
- Navy over Notre Dame for the second year in a row.
- Texas over Kansas big
- Florida over Spurrier big
- North Carolina over Maryland
- Air Force over BYU
- Washington over UCLA for their first win of the season!
- Oregon St. over Cal
- Georgia over Auburn
- Northwestern over Michigan
- And finally, Bye week over Tennessee big!
Here's to next week which will be much more exciting: Ohio St./Michigan, Mobilhoma/Texas Tech, Utah/BYU
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fulmer's out
So Phil Fulmer has been forced out at Tennessee. No big shock, other than I thought it would happen at the end of the year and not in the middle. The team has clearly quit on him, though some players have reacted very emotionally to the news of his termination. He is in his 17th and final season as the head coach.
Fulmer does deserve credit for his accomplishments. His fantastic recruiting in the 90's turned the Vols into a national powerhouse that won back to back SEC titles and the BCS championship in '98, defeating Florida St. in the Fiesta Bowl. Many of his top players during the 90's and into this decade are or very recently were playing on Sunday's. Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Charlie Garner, Jason Witten, Donte Stallworth, Peerless Price, Leonard Little, Al Wilson, John Henderson, Gibril Wilson, Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis...to name the major ones. Fulmer has a great career winning percentage and managed to beat Alabama and Georgia more often than not. He had a hard time with Florida during the Spurrier era and will have never beaten Urban Meyer, but he did have success during the Ron Zook era. His major strength as a coach was recruiting talent.
However, his talent had come into question recently. He was never an x's and o's coach, and during the heyday, Tennessee usually beat opposing teams on sheer talent. During the 90's, Tennessee and Florida were the predominant programs in the SEC. But things have changed over the last few years in the SEC. Enter coaches like Nick Saban, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Tommy Tuberville and that pesky Spurrier, and Fulmer's had his hands full recruiting lately. Essentially, Fulmer hasn't been able to recruit as well because of the influx of coaching talent in the SEC. Add the fact that these new coaches can all outcoach him and you have a declining program. A change needed to happen. David Cutcliffe, Spurrier, Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher and Butch Davis have been mentioned as possible candidates. We'll see what happens.
Fulmer does deserve credit for his accomplishments. His fantastic recruiting in the 90's turned the Vols into a national powerhouse that won back to back SEC titles and the BCS championship in '98, defeating Florida St. in the Fiesta Bowl. Many of his top players during the 90's and into this decade are or very recently were playing on Sunday's. Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Charlie Garner, Jason Witten, Donte Stallworth, Peerless Price, Leonard Little, Al Wilson, John Henderson, Gibril Wilson, Albert Haynesworth, Shaun Ellis...to name the major ones. Fulmer has a great career winning percentage and managed to beat Alabama and Georgia more often than not. He had a hard time with Florida during the Spurrier era and will have never beaten Urban Meyer, but he did have success during the Ron Zook era. His major strength as a coach was recruiting talent.
However, his talent had come into question recently. He was never an x's and o's coach, and during the heyday, Tennessee usually beat opposing teams on sheer talent. During the 90's, Tennessee and Florida were the predominant programs in the SEC. But things have changed over the last few years in the SEC. Enter coaches like Nick Saban, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, Mark Richt, Tommy Tuberville and that pesky Spurrier, and Fulmer's had his hands full recruiting lately. Essentially, Fulmer hasn't been able to recruit as well because of the influx of coaching talent in the SEC. Add the fact that these new coaches can all outcoach him and you have a declining program. A change needed to happen. David Cutcliffe, Spurrier, Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher and Butch Davis have been mentioned as possible candidates. We'll see what happens.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sunday picks
- Bills over Jets. This will be a big win for the Bills against a scrappy Jets team.
- Bears over Lions in a laugher.
- Jaguars over Bengals in Cincy. Easy pick
-Browns over Ravens in Cleveland. I don't know why...I just think the Browns are going to win this one.
- Packers over Titans. No more unbeatens after today. The Pack's defense is a bad matchup for the Titans offense.
- Cardinals over Rams. Kurt Warner returns to St. Louis triumphantly.
- Vikings over Texans. I don't know why. The Texans have been relatively hot, but I think the Vikings win today.
- Bucs over Chiefs in Kansas City. Easy pick, though it probably won't be a blow out.
- Dolphins over Broncos. Denver defense? Meet Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat offense!
- Falcons over Raiders. Matt Ryan picks the defense apart and Michael Turner runs all over them.
- Giants over Cowboys in a laugher. This won't even be close.
- Eagles over Seahawks. Because it's in Seattle it will be close.
- Colts over Patriots. Manning picks this secondary apart today.
- Redskins over Steelers in a close game. The Redskins don't make many mistakes and if they can pressure Big Ben like the Giants did last week they should win. This is going to be a physical game!
- Last week- 9-5
- Bears over Lions in a laugher.
- Jaguars over Bengals in Cincy. Easy pick
-Browns over Ravens in Cleveland. I don't know why...I just think the Browns are going to win this one.
- Packers over Titans. No more unbeatens after today. The Pack's defense is a bad matchup for the Titans offense.
- Cardinals over Rams. Kurt Warner returns to St. Louis triumphantly.
- Vikings over Texans. I don't know why. The Texans have been relatively hot, but I think the Vikings win today.
- Bucs over Chiefs in Kansas City. Easy pick, though it probably won't be a blow out.
- Dolphins over Broncos. Denver defense? Meet Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat offense!
- Falcons over Raiders. Matt Ryan picks the defense apart and Michael Turner runs all over them.
- Giants over Cowboys in a laugher. This won't even be close.
- Eagles over Seahawks. Because it's in Seattle it will be close.
- Colts over Patriots. Manning picks this secondary apart today.
- Redskins over Steelers in a close game. The Redskins don't make many mistakes and if they can pressure Big Ben like the Giants did last week they should win. This is going to be a physical game!
- Last week- 9-5
Thoughts on Saturday...
- Looks like Texas came out flat. They finally got some life in the 4th quarter but it was too little too late. Texas Tech didn't even play that great, but it was good enough to beat the #1 team in the nation. Big game next week for Texas Tech against Oklahoma St. For Texas, you can only keep the momentum for so long when you're having to play so many great teams in a row.
- Alabama should move up to #1, with Penn St. moving up to #2. Texas Tech may now pop into #3.
- Vengeance is a dish that is best served cold and it was very cold in Jacksonville yesterday for the Dawgs. It was actually a pretty close game in the first half, but Georgia had too many miscues...failed onside kick, two missed field goals and turnovers galore. Florida's defense pinned their ears back in the second half and just went after Stafford.
- Matthew Stafford reminds me of John Elway in the way he throws the ball and tries to zing it into spots. He's not as mobile, but he has an NFL arm. Pro scouts are drooling over him! He's widely considered the best "pro-style" qb right now.
- Looks like we may see a third consecutive SEC vs. Big 10 national championship. Penn St. has the clearest road. Their remaining games are Iowa, Indiana and Michigan St. All very winnable games for JoePa. Florida, the hottest team right now, has Vandy, Spurrier, Citadel and Florida St. and then the SEC Championship, most likely against Alabama. Florida is good enough to win all of those games. Texas Tech still has Oklahoma St. and Oklahoma to play...they will lose at least one of those games if not both. Alabama has Miss St., LSU and Auburn, then the SEC Championship. Bama will go to Atlanta undefeated but lose to Florida.
- Alabama should move up to #1, with Penn St. moving up to #2. Texas Tech may now pop into #3.
- Vengeance is a dish that is best served cold and it was very cold in Jacksonville yesterday for the Dawgs. It was actually a pretty close game in the first half, but Georgia had too many miscues...failed onside kick, two missed field goals and turnovers galore. Florida's defense pinned their ears back in the second half and just went after Stafford.
- Matthew Stafford reminds me of John Elway in the way he throws the ball and tries to zing it into spots. He's not as mobile, but he has an NFL arm. Pro scouts are drooling over him! He's widely considered the best "pro-style" qb right now.
- Looks like we may see a third consecutive SEC vs. Big 10 national championship. Penn St. has the clearest road. Their remaining games are Iowa, Indiana and Michigan St. All very winnable games for JoePa. Florida, the hottest team right now, has Vandy, Spurrier, Citadel and Florida St. and then the SEC Championship, most likely against Alabama. Florida is good enough to win all of those games. Texas Tech still has Oklahoma St. and Oklahoma to play...they will lose at least one of those games if not both. Alabama has Miss St., LSU and Auburn, then the SEC Championship. Bama will go to Atlanta undefeated but lose to Florida.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday College Picks
- I'm taking Florida over Georgia in the annual Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. Urban Meyer wants revenge for Georgia's end zone celebration last year. The Gators have too much speed and they are running on all cylinders at the moment. Emotional win for the Gators.
- The Fightin' Spurriers over the lameduck Fulmer's. The Cocks play sturdy defense and really...you only need to score about 14 points to beat Tennessee this year.
- Texas over Texas Tech. The closeness of this game will be determined by the Longhorns ability to play with passion after having to do so for 3 straight weeks against OU, Mizzou and Ok St. If they are flat, it will be close with Tech having a chance to win. If they show up, it will be a blow out of 56-14 proportions...Tech does not play defense and they really haven't played anybody yet.
- Pitt over Notre Dame. Even though it's at overrated South Bend, Pitt has better athletes and more speed. The Irish really haven't beat anybody decent either.
- Other picks that are not as relevant:
Virginia over Miami,
Minnesota over Northwestern
TCU over UNLV
Ole Miss over Auburn
- The Fightin' Spurriers over the lameduck Fulmer's. The Cocks play sturdy defense and really...you only need to score about 14 points to beat Tennessee this year.
- Texas over Texas Tech. The closeness of this game will be determined by the Longhorns ability to play with passion after having to do so for 3 straight weeks against OU, Mizzou and Ok St. If they are flat, it will be close with Tech having a chance to win. If they show up, it will be a blow out of 56-14 proportions...Tech does not play defense and they really haven't played anybody yet.
- Pitt over Notre Dame. Even though it's at overrated South Bend, Pitt has better athletes and more speed. The Irish really haven't beat anybody decent either.
- Other picks that are not as relevant:
Virginia over Miami,
Minnesota over Northwestern
TCU over UNLV
Ole Miss over Auburn
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday NFL picks
- I'm going to take Tampa over Dallas but this one should be close. The Cowboys have fallen off the wagon with injuries and suspensions. Tampa plays better with Garcia under center.
- Redskins over Lions. I'm not sure the Lions are going to win a game this year. Easy pick.
- Bills over Dolphins in a close one. Miami is tough and they don't make many mistakes. Buffalo doesn't make many mistakes either but they have more talent. Bills win on the talent factor.
- Patriots over Rams in a boring game in which the Patriots physically dominate but don't score many points.
- Chargers/Saints in London- This is a tough one because it's in London. I think the Chargers win because they are desperate and the Saints are pretty banged up.
- Jets over Chiefs in a low scoring but physical game. The Chiefs play decent defense but their offense is putrid.
- Eagles over Falcons. I can see the Eagles blowing this open if they show up. I've been impressed with the Falcons, but it's tough to win in Philly and the Eagles need a win badly in a tough NFC East.
- Raiders at Ravens- This game should be full of mistakes and turnovers. I give the Ravens the advantage since they are at home and they have a better defense.
- Panthers over Cardinals in a shootout. This should be a fun game. Boldin is back in the Cardinals lineup. Expect some fireworks...I'll take the Panthers.
- Jaguars over Browns. The Browns have shown some signs of life, but the Jags are too big and too physical. The Jags have no passing game but the Cleveland defense should get a healthy dose of Fred Taylor/Maurice Jones-Drew.
- Texans over Bengals. Easy pick, I can't see the Bengals winning another game this year.
- Steelers over Giants. The Blitzburgh defense will create too much havoc for the Giants offense. The Steelers offense will have to beat the Giants with Big Ben's arm. This should be a good game.
- 49ers over Seahawks in a laugher. Injuries have depleted what once was the class of the NFC West.
- Titans over Colts in a close one. Indy played awful last week, but they typically play well against AFC South opponents. The Titans however, are a poor matchup for the Colts...that puts the Titans over the edge.
- Redskins over Lions. I'm not sure the Lions are going to win a game this year. Easy pick.
- Bills over Dolphins in a close one. Miami is tough and they don't make many mistakes. Buffalo doesn't make many mistakes either but they have more talent. Bills win on the talent factor.
- Patriots over Rams in a boring game in which the Patriots physically dominate but don't score many points.
- Chargers/Saints in London- This is a tough one because it's in London. I think the Chargers win because they are desperate and the Saints are pretty banged up.
- Jets over Chiefs in a low scoring but physical game. The Chiefs play decent defense but their offense is putrid.
- Eagles over Falcons. I can see the Eagles blowing this open if they show up. I've been impressed with the Falcons, but it's tough to win in Philly and the Eagles need a win badly in a tough NFC East.
- Raiders at Ravens- This game should be full of mistakes and turnovers. I give the Ravens the advantage since they are at home and they have a better defense.
- Panthers over Cardinals in a shootout. This should be a fun game. Boldin is back in the Cardinals lineup. Expect some fireworks...I'll take the Panthers.
- Jaguars over Browns. The Browns have shown some signs of life, but the Jags are too big and too physical. The Jags have no passing game but the Cleveland defense should get a healthy dose of Fred Taylor/Maurice Jones-Drew.
- Texans over Bengals. Easy pick, I can't see the Bengals winning another game this year.
- Steelers over Giants. The Blitzburgh defense will create too much havoc for the Giants offense. The Steelers offense will have to beat the Giants with Big Ben's arm. This should be a good game.
- 49ers over Seahawks in a laugher. Injuries have depleted what once was the class of the NFC West.
- Titans over Colts in a close one. Indy played awful last week, but they typically play well against AFC South opponents. The Titans however, are a poor matchup for the Colts...that puts the Titans over the edge.
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