BIG 11 Bowl BreakDown

Credit Matt Tramba (pictured in red above) for this great Blog idea.

With Wisconsin taking on Da U tonight, I decided to take a look at each of the Big Tens Bowl games and see how I think they will do.

Wisconsin vs. Miami (FL) - Miami came back onto the college football world like a hurricane this year, beating Florida St, Georgia Tech, and Oklahoma in its first 4 games. Losses to Virginia Tech, Clemson, and North Carolina derailed any hope of winning the ACC but this team is young and talented led by sophomore QB Jacory Harris on offense and linebacker Sean Spence on defense. Miami will have its hands full with powerful running back John Clay. But in Miami has done a nice job against the run this season except for a the loss to Virginia Tech in the slop. I am picking Miami to play mistake free and beat Wisconsin.

Minnesota vs. Iowa St - Who cares really? 2 6-6 teams playing really is the pinnacle of college football.....Ill pick Iowa St just because they havent been to a bowl game in a while and Minnesota is going back to the same bowl game 2 years in a row.

Northwestern vs. Auburn - If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that Northwestern would be the Big10s best chance to beat an SEC school I would have laughed. But now, they probably are the best shot the Big10 has. Northwestern has played competitively in the past few bowl games as has Auburn. The Outback Bowl is usually a good game. The current line is Auburn -7.5 and they might win the game but I think it will be close and I give the slight edge to Northwestern in this game.

Penn St vs. LSU - 2009 was not a kind year for the Nittany Lions. It started in the Rose Bowl, where they were shellacked by USC (as all Big10 schools are). And in Penn St's only "big games" they were embarrassed at home by Iowa and Ohio St. LSU has dominated its bowl games under coach Les Miles. There is no logical reason why Penn St is favored in this game. I pick LSU and there bad QB.

Michigan St vs. Texas Tech - 2 days ago I would have said this is a lead pipe lock that Tech would win because Michigan St is lousy and half of their team is suspended. But who knows what is going on at Tech with Coach Mike Leach being suspended for allegedly locking an injured player in a closet. I picked Texas Tech, but now I'm not so sure. Maybe thats why Texas Tech looked terrible last year in the Cotton Bowl, because half their team was imprisoned! Ill pick MSU.

Iowa vs. Georgia Tech - I will make this one short and sweet. Georgia Tech will be able to run when it matters most. Iowa will play a close game, because thats what it seems like they did all year. In the end, my pick is Georgia Tech.

Buckeyes vs. Oregon - I predicted Ohio St 27 -24 the day the game was set. Now I'm not so sure... Ohio St has had all kinds of time off where Oregon played the last week of the season. My hope is that the team comes out ready to play, especially on defense. If Oregon picks up early momentum we will be in trouble, Ohio State is not a come from behind team. I pick Ohio St but much less confidently than I did in the past.

So there it is Matt, I have the Big Ten with a 3-4 bowl record. Lets enjoy the games!

ALL DECADE BUCKEYE TEAM

As this decade comes to an end, I decided to look back and pick out the best players from the past decade and make an All Buckeye Team. And what a decade to be a Buckeye fan as year in and year out the Buckeyes beat Michigan and competed for a National Championship. Here are my selections:

QB - Troy Smith (02-06) - 3 wins over Michigan and the 2006 Heisman trophy still overshadow the devastating loss to Florida in the Championship game.
RB - Maurice Clarett (02) - The 2002 Championship doesnt happen without him.
RB - Beanie Wells (06-08) - Very punishing runner had a knack for getting injured, but he carried the 07 team to the championship game.
WR - Santiono Holmes (02-05) - Krenzel to the Criminal was my personal favorite touchdown combination of the decade. Very explosive player with the ball in his hands
WR - Michael Jenkins (00 - 03) - Jenkins made huge plays in the 02 season and was a 3 year starter.
WR - Anthony Gonzalez (03-06) - Gonzo seemed to always hook up with Smith in the Michigan game.
For the offensive line, I have chosen to take the 2002 unit as a whole. With no real standouts at any position I feel like the team that got it done should be honored.
LT - Ivan Douglas
LG - Adrian Clarke
C - Alex Stepanovich
RG - Bryce Bishop
RT - Shane Olivea.
(Rob Sims and Nick Mangold were key contributors to this team as reserves)
DE - Will Smith - Dominant. Still embarrassing offensive lineman in the NFL.
DE - Vernon Gholston - He had to take some steroid/HGH combo pack to get those Biceps. But he ate offensive lineman for dinner.
DT - Kenny Peterson - Huge Part of the 02 team
DT - Tim Anderson - The lumberjack was another reason the 02 team was successful
LB - AJ Hawk - Best Buckeye I have seen.
LB - Matt Willhelm - The captain of the 02 defense was a hard nosed player and I personally believe his play was undervalued.
LB - James Laurenitis - Hard to not but a Butkus award winner, but I thought he was overrated.
CB - Malcolm Jenkins - Most physical defensive back I have seen in the college game. Started as a true freshman, at corner. I dont think he had a pass thrown his way his entire senior season.
CB - Chris Gamble - As instrumental as Clarett was, the Bucks dont win in 02 without Gamble. I dont think the guy came off the field. His shutdown of Andre Johnson in the Fiesta Bowl is even more remarkable now.
S - Michael Doss - The 02 Defense seemed to be filled with leaders, but Doss was the best.
S - Donny Nickey - Im not leaving my personal favorite off this list.
K - Mike Nugent
P - Pick one besides the 09 kid.
Kick Return man - You didnt think I was going to leave Ted Ginn Sr's son off the list did you?

Honorable Mention:
QB - Craig Krenzel
RB - Antonio Pittman
WR - Brian Hartline
WR - Brian Robiske
C - LeCharles Bently
DL - Ryan Pickett
DL - Darion Scott
DL - Cameron Heyward
LB - Cie Grant - I wanted to put him in over Laurenitis
LB - Bobby Carpenter
CB - Dustin Fox
S - Donte Witner

FOOTBALL FRIDAY

At some point over this drawn out, seemingly month long bowl season I might share my thoughts as to why bowl games mean nothing, but it starts with every team makes it. There are 34 bowl games which means more than half of the teams in Divisions 1-A make a bowl game! I would love the hear the argument that a playoff would ruin college football because the bowls matter. Since when has any normal, sane human being cared about the New Mexico Bowl? Even the kids in the game dont care. So besides ranting about how terrible the bowl system is, I will refuse to comment on any college football game besides the major ones. In my eyes, every other bowl game does not count, and will not happen.

I will comment on the actual college football being played under the Friday night lights to decide the Division 1-AA championship. Montana played in a great back and forth game with Appalachian St last weekend and plays Villanova for the title. I will pick Montana in this game. And what a novel concept - a playoff to determine the national champion. I would rather leave it to the computers to decide who has the best team, personally.

Anyway, a great weekend of NFL action is upon us. Let me start with the game that NOBODY will get to watch. It is the game of the week. Dallas @ New Orelans. It seems like all season, everyone has been asking the same question about the Saints. Are they for real? Can they compete with the big boys? Well week in and week out they have answered the questions. Dallas on the other hand, has not answered anything. They want us to believe they are talented and that they can win when it matters. Well I am not buying the Cowboys. I think it will be a close, competitive game, but I will take the Saints and give the 7 points because I believe they will answer this question like all the others before it.

Another game I will have my eye on is Green Bay @ Pittsburgh. This features teams going in different directions as the Packers have won 5 in a row and the Steelers have lost 5 in a row. I like the Pack, they are getting healthy on the offensive line and the defense has played great. But I can not go against Pitt at home and with extra rest.

The Bengals are dealing with a tragedy for the 2nd time this season, as Chris Henry passed away on Thursday. Tough for them to get motivated for this game, but the team did rally around Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer when his wife passed away prior to the Ravens game. San Diego is the hottest team in football. I probably would have picked the Chargers, but I am taking the points because I have a feeling the Bengals will play tough in memory of Henry.

It wouldnt be a primetime telecast if the announcers didnt drool about Brett Favre. On Sunday Night, Favre travels to Carolina to play the Panthers by himself. No other Vikings will be needed because the ole gunslinger will run around in his wranglers and go all #4 all over the field. If you cant tell, I very much dislike Favre. I think he will be exposed as the player we all know he is, and that is the turnover machine. I will pick the Panthers +9.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN LEAD PIPE LOCK OF THE WEEK: KC -1.5 vs. Cle. As pointed out by many, my locks have been quite breakable this year. KC has an exciting young back and they believe a franchise QB and they putting the rest of it together. With the Browns, all but signing Mike Holmgren to Czar duties I believe Mangini knows he is out. Plus KC is a tough place to play. Come on Chiefs, win 1 for Stone Cold

Big X + 2???

With the news that the Big 10 (which actually has 11 teams in, and has since 1994) is searching for a team to add to the conference I feel like I should blog about my ideas about who the new team should be.

Obvious choice: Notre Dame
You will hear Notre Dame talk. I think it makes sense and they would be a good fit for the conference, but they will never do it. They get all kind of TV money from NBC and they get to hand pick their schedule every year (how else do you explain a bye week before USC game every year). That being said they play most of the conference (Michigan, Michigan St., and Purdue annually play ND). My odds of seeing ND in the Big 10 - 1%.

Regional Choices: Missouri, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Louisville, West Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa State.
All these schools would make sense and become geographic rivals with several schools. Out of all of these I think I like Pittsburgh best. They would become a natural rival for Penn State and Ohio State and they also could give the Big10 credibility in basketball. I really believe it will be Missouri. Mizzou is not great at either football or basketball but they can compete in both sports. They already are rivals with Illinois and adding the team on the west side of the dvision would make the divisions look like this - EAST - Ohio St, Mighigan, Penn St, Mighigan St., Indiana, Purdue. WEST - Missouri, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. The addition of Mizzou would also give the Big 10 a new viewing market to expand coverage of its television network.

And before all you MAC guys jump on me for not giving a shout out to one of you MAC schools, I do not apologize. Toledo, Ohio U, and the likes are not a good fit for the Big11 as they do not compete athletically nor would they bring credibility to the conference.

Outside the box choices: Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Boise St.
My friend Jon Lamb can elaborate on the reasons (www.fourthandxx.blogspot.com) but word is Nebraska is not excited about being the Big12 North not playing powers Oklahoma and Texas every year. I think they could be a great fit in the new Big 12 in the West Division. But if they dont like not playing Oklahoma and Texas would they like not playing Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn St every year? Probably not. I like the thinking but I would put the probability that Nebraska leaves the real Big 12 and 2%.

Virginia Tech could be a very interesting choice. They would expand the conference to a different region. And they would compete athletically and are very similar in terms of academic institution. The downfall with them is that they would make the East very strong and I believe you have to keep both Indiana teams together - and this would force a split. Odds they leave the ACC .5%.

Boise St is the team I really doubt we will hear, but it makes all the sense. They want the chance to play with the big boys every year. Almost every single one of their conference mates should be playing in 1AA. That does not help their chances at a national title, which they believe they should be a contender for. Going undefeated in the Big 11 would give them that opportunity. I think Boise wants it, but would the big 10? I do not think they will toss the idea around,although having Boise could boost the Big10's national reputation which has taken a big hit with the most recent losses in big games. I believe that Boise has 0% chance of landing in the Big 10, but I think they would be an obvious replacement for Missouri in the Big 12 should they ever leave.

My Top 6 Christmas Movies

So I stole this idea's from Nick Pozek's Blog (www.bigpozstake.blogspot.com) but here is my countdown of top 6 (I know, why 6? well I needed to add 5 and I refused to go to 10) Christmas Movies:

6. The Santa Clause. Tim Allen kills Santa and must take over for him with hilarious results. I enjoy when he is binge eating during his office meeting. Thats basically my life except I dont get whisked away by reindeer's.

5. Christmas Vacation. Ok so Vegas Vacation is my favorite for obvious reasons but all the vacation movies are outstanding. Maybe some day I can have a Christmas rant like Clark.

Clark: Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is!

4. Bad Santa. Billy Bob Thorton and his midget friend dress up as Santa and his little helper to rob a department store on Christmas Eve. Just picture a dirty old man as Santa.

Kid: your beard's not real
Santa: It was real, but I got sick and my hair fell out.
Kid: How come?
Santa: I loved a women who wasnt clean.
Kid: Mrs. Claus?
Santa: No it was her sister.

3. Elf. Will Ferrell. As an elf. Thats how imagine the movie was pitched around Hollywood. The rest is a Christmas comedy for the ages. This movie even gives you an education as I learned that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear!

Buddy (answering a phone): Buddy the elf, whats your favorite color?

Buddy: We elves stick to the main 4 food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup!

2. Jingle All the Way. An all star cast (Schwarzenegger, Phil Hartman, Sinbad!) combine to spread some Christmas cheer. Anybody who has gone to a mall on a weekend knows how crazy and insane shoppers are. This movie puts a fathers need to get his son the Toy of the year (a Turbo Man) which leads Arnold to somehow become Turbo man in the towns Christmas parade. Sinbad plays Arnold's nemesis to a T. Turbo man's catchphrase is "You can always count on me." Well you can count on this as a great Christmas Movie.

1. A Christmas Story. Any movie that is put on for 24 hours straight has to be #1 in it's category. I love watching random parts of this movie throughout the day. My favorite part is when the dad gets his leg lamp and worships it like its that of a goddess. I also like the end when the dogs eat the dinner and they go to a a Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner. If you havent seen it, watch TBS anytime on Christmas day and no doubt you will agree with me.

Happy Holidays to everyone! Wishing you all health and happiness.

FOOTBALL FRIDAY!!!!

A huge weekend of football that I am really looking forward to, but let me remind you that each week you can check out the NFL power rankings as Nick Pozek, Jon Lamb, and myself see fit @ www.bigpozstake.blogspot.com

Let me get to 3 College football thoughts and than a huge NFL weekend:
1. I am really looking forward to watching ESPNs film The U detailing the rise of the Miami Hurricane football program in the 1980s.
2. The Heisman Trophy will be presented on Saturday, and while you know who I voted for, I am interested to see who the actual voters picked. My guess is Mark Ingram but Colt McCoy wouldnt shock me. Im holding out hope that Ndamunkong Suh wins it.
3. As you all know, Notre Dame is trying to wake up the echos with a new coach. Brian Kelly was hired away from Cincinnati to lead a program that has been average over the past decade or so. Brian Kelly is a fine coach, but if you are an Irish fan you have to ask yourself is he really that much better than Charlie Weis? Im not too sure if he is. And I want to tell all the Irish fans that if Kelly has 1 good year he is not the next Knute Rockne. Give him some time, let him get established and we will revisit if he is a good hire in 5 years.

As for Cincinnati where do you go from here? Brian Kelly did turn that into an attractive job, but they will not land a big name. The players have ever right to be upset with him for leaving. I would be. I wish these players all the luck in the world because they have their hands full in the Sugar bowl against Florida with or without Kelly.

Enough ramblings on college football. This week starts the fantasy playoffs for most Fantasy Football leagues and what better way to start it off that the Cleveland Browns upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers? I dont know where to begin on this one, it is such a shock. First off, we have to answer the question did Cleveland win or did Pittsburgh lose? Pittsburgh lost, no doubt about it. The Browns are pathetic and the Steelers couldnt block anybody. I have never seen a Steelers team not give effort and they played like they did not want to be there. Big Ben must have some post concussion syndrome because he went down if the wind blew too hard (I have seen him take carry 11 defenders only to keep fighting and complete the pass as he avoided a sack). It is shocking to me the effect Troy Polamalu can have on a team, but I really believe he is the reason Pittsburgh has lost 5 in a row. When he was out there for a full game the Steelers are 3-0 with all 3 wins coming by double digits. Without him they are 3-7 with all 3 wins coming by a combined 21 points and losses to such powerhouses as Kansas City, Oakland, and the Browns. Everybody wave to Pittsburgh, because their season is done.

As for the Browns, why did you win? You ruin your chance at drafting King Kong (Ndamunkong Suh, DT, Nebraska) and now were probably looking at drafting in the 3-5 range. Good effort though. Maybe the Browns have figured out a formula for success. In each of the 2 wins this season, Browns quarterbacks have combined to complete 8 (EIGHT) passes (2 for Anderson in the shootout @ Buffalo, a whopping 6 for Quinn last night). My hope for the Browns is that they are able to find the right GM to lead the organization for the next 10-15 years and we can find the right mix of players to field a competitive team.

Let me take this opportunity to bash the NFL Network and the leagues handling of TV games. I never found myself wanting Direct TV more than this season and let me tell you why. The NFL Network is not available on most cable packages and if it is the cable company refuses to pay the surcharge the NFL Network demands in order to air the games. Take last night for example, WOW (my cable company) has the NFL Network but when the NFL Network is airing a live broadcast of a game the channel is blocked out because WOW does not want to pay the surcharge. Ridiculous. And than, last Sunday after the thrilling Bengals - Lions game Fox goes to extended coverage of the Saints - Redskins game. Im thinking this is great, I get to see the last 4 minutes of a great game. Wrong. I get to see the Redskins kicker miss a chip shot field goal to ice the game and than it gets interrupted by announcer saying that we must watch pregame of the Cowboys - Giants game. Ridiculous. Joe Buck is fine and all but Id rather watch a thrilling conclusion of a game in which a team is trying to remain undefeated (which the Saints did in overtime) than Joe Buck rant for 5 minutes about how bad the Cowboys have been in the month of December. Say it with me - Ridiculous! My point here is that I should not have to go to a bar or pay a large sum of money by purchasing Direct TVs NFL Package in order to watch the games I want to. Its common sense to air the best games, no fan wants to get stuck watching a 5 touchdown blowout (like we have been multiple times this year). Stop fining players and make some changes fans want to see Mr. Goodell. Thanks.

After that rant..... happier topics.

Huge game between the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys in the House that Jerry Built. Over the past 3 years the San Diego Chargers have been one of the best teams in the month of December (with a 10-0 record). Over the past 3 years the Cowboys have been pathetic (3-6). So naturally San Diego will be favored, right? Wrong - they are 3 point underdogs. Very interesting.... This game should be a shootout with Rivers and Romo cooking. I expect a very close game but I will pick the Cowboys and give the points because I think Vegas knows best.

The Colts look to set an NFL record by winning their 22nd straight regular season game by playing host to everybody's favorite paper tiger the Denver Broncos. While Denver has been hot, I can not envision them going and winning this game on the road. Interesting stat for you - during Indy's 21 game win streak the visitor is 16-5 against the spread. Ill take the Broncos getting 7.

The other perfect team, the New Orealans Saints, are traveling to a banged up Atlanta team. I expect that the Saints had their wake up call last week against the Redskins. Drew Brees said maybe this is their destiny. I am rooting for them, and I think theyll remain perfect and beat the Falcons.

For my Stone Cold Steve Austin (If i played against Tim Tebow you know my eye black would say Austin under my right eye and 3:16 under my left eye) lead pipe lock of the week: Cincinnati +6.5 @ Minnesota. The Cardinals exposed the Vikings in their win last Sunday night. Enough of Brett Favre running around like a conquering hero. He collapsed last year in December and I expect it again this year. Brett Favre will turn the ball over if you make him throw it enough times. Arizona stopped the run, which is something Cincy has done all year. And the Vikings have a banged up offensive line, and Cincy has a similar ball hawking secondary as the Cardinals have. I fully expect the Bengals to win the game and if Vikings to pull off the miracle, I think it will be by a closer margin than a touchdown.

Good luck to all those teams starting your fantasy playoffs this year and as always enjoy the games!

Chipotle

Is there a better place to eat than Chipotle? Is there a place that makes me happier? No. Today I decided to share my passion for Chipotle.

Every Friday, after a long, miserable week of work I like to start my weekend off than with a big, warm, flavorful burrito. Is there a better way to use that 1st bit of money from a fresh paycheck than by eating a burrito? Chipotle is the best and nothing can top it. It's even good for you! I love binging on a stuffed burrito until I hit the wall, and then comes the food coma. If eating the Burrito is my favorite part of the week, the food coma is a close second because you lose all memory of binge eating and you get some much needed rest.

I love Chipotle and everything about it. If anyone ever wants to surprise me with something that will make me happy you can get me a chicken burrito, with extra rice, pinto beans, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce.

Bruce Gradkowski

Dear Bruce Gradkowski,

I apologize for ever criticizing you or your play. Your fellow Toledo Rocket Alumns (fellow blogger Nick Pozek www.bigpozstake.blogspot.com and one of your offensive lineman @ UT Matt Tramba) are very protective of your reputation and yell at me for picking on you. By beating the Pittsburgh Steelers today, I officially withdraw any comments I made that may have questioned your ability as a professional quarterback. You are a good quarterback. Maybe you can come back to Cleveland? Congrats on beating Pittsburgh today and Cincinnati a few weeks ago.

Again, my sincerest apologies,

Joe Solarz

My Heisman Ballot

With the Heisman trophy presentation Saturday, we will find out what college football player is anointed the most outstanding player in college football.

Here is my ballot:

1. Mark Ingram, Running Back, Alabama, Sophomore.
He played in the nation's toughest conference and he averaged over 100 yards and a rushing touchdown a game. I know he doesn't have better stats than Toby Gerhart of Stanford but he shined in the nations biggest game of the year yesterday as he ran for 113 yards and 3 TDs against the nation's #1 defense, belonging to the Florida Gators. He also tacked on 2 catches for 76 yards. My only concern is that voters will judge him vs. Auburn and did not wait to see him shine against Florida.

2. Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska, Senior.
It is hard to improve your draft stock when you were already considered the #1 overall prospect, but Suh managed to do just that against Texas in the Big 12 championship game. Going against double and triple teams, he routinely beat both or all 3 blockers and was 3rd in the nation in sacking the quarterback with 12. Suh was the most dominant player in college football, and it is pretty amazing that he is #2 on my ballot but the only reason he is not #1 on my ballot is because defensive players just do not win the Heisman.



3. Toby Gerhart, Running Back, Standford, Senior.
Gerhart had an amazing season. But the fact that I did not know who he was until a month ago really hurts his chances. The final 4 games of his career are legendary (vs. Oregon, @ USC, vs. California, vs. Notre Dame - total 742 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns!!!). The problem for him is that he made his move too late. I can not put him any higher on my ballot but he had a great year.

4. Colt McCoy, Quarterback, Texas, Senior.
Good career as a 4 year starter. He had a good senior season. Had he had a big game against Nebraska in the Big 12 title game I think he would have won the Heisman, instead he gets put #4.

5. Tim Tebow, Quarterback, Florida, Senior.
Great career. Good Person. Not deserving of the Heisman Trophy this season.

Leave your thoughts and/or your ballots.

I've got Roses on my mind

With Oregons victory over Oregon St. last night, the Rose Bowl matchup is set. Ohio St vs. Oregon in the grandaddy of them all. Oregon is the best offense Ohio State's defense will face all year. Ohio St has the best defense Oregon's offense will face all year. This is the classical matchup of a great offense vs. a great defense.

Oregon offense features dual threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and the La La running back tandem of freashman LaMichael James and controversial senior LaGarrette Blount (Blount was suspended following the loss to Boise St for punching a Boise player after the game. He was suspended until the beginning of November but did not get any game action until the Oregon State game). The combination of James and Blount has me worried as a Buckeye fan because James is a home run threat while Blount is a big back capable of breaking multiple tackles and turning nothing into something. The key for the Buckeye defense will be controlling the line of scrimmage and playing a full 60 minutes. As stated earlier, Oregon has not faced a defense like the Buckeyes and if Ohio State's defensive line can be more physical than the offensive line of Oregon, Ohio State should improve to 8-0 all time against the Ducks.

With a majority of pregame attention being put on the Oregon O vs Ohio St. D, I believe the X factor is what unit will win the other battle, Buckeyes Offense vs. Oregons Defense. Neither unit has looked truly impressive, but I believe the Buckeyes have a lot of positives to look forward to. Terrelle Pyror has made his fair share of mistakes this season, but Oregon's defense has not created many turnovers (although Purdue didnt create any turnovers before Pyror came to town). If Oregon is unable to force Pyror to make mistakes, you will see what you saw in the month of November from the Buckeyes. A physical, grind it out type football game where Ohio State will split carries between Saine and Herron and Pryor will run the ball on obvious passing downs. Pryor a very truly gifted athlete and hopefully we can see some development in his game that seemed lacking during this season. I believe Jim Tressel should take note of what happened to Oregon State last night, and that is the inability to score touchdowns when they had the ball in the redzone.

Tressel's conservative gameplan has me worried, but the Silver Bullet Defense will keep Ohio State in the game. Oregon will get its share of points, but I think it will be Oregon's inability to create turnovers that allows Ohio State to stay in the game and ultimately win the game. Ohio State 27 Oregon 24.

Back for More!

After a very nice and relaxing Thanksgiving break, I am back and better than ever ready to look ahead to this weekends biggest college football games! What a great time to be a college football fan as the regular season comes to an end and teams battle for a BCS bowl berth, the games will have the playoff atmosphere college football lacks.

Lets start with a game that has a lot of interest in Columbus, OH and it is being played tonight! I am talking of course about Oregon St vs Oregon. The Civil War (editor's note: I do not know why this game is called the Civil War) decides the PAC-10 Champion and therefore determines Ohio St.'s counterpart in the 2010 Rose Bowl game. At home, Oregon is unbeaten and lately teams have not come close including a thumping of USC by 27! Oregon St. is looking for revenge from last years matchup when Oregon knocked off Oregon St. preventing the Beavers from going to the Rose Bowl. Oregon St. is very capable of pulling off the upset, with a pair of highly regarded brothers, junior wide receiver James and sophomore running back Jaquizz Rodgers. Certainly Jeremiah Masoli, the Oregon quarterback, can lead Oregon to victory in this game but I believe it will be freshman running back LaMicael James who stands out in tonight's victory over Oregon St as Oregon marches on to play the Buckeyes in Pasadena!

I certainly rip on my fair share of MAC teams, but Friday nights MAC championship game should be interesting. Dual threat QB Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan takes on the mighty Bobcats of Ohio University. Ohio U is 2 touchdown underdogs in this game and I have a feeling that they will keep it close. Here's the X factor, the OU team has been done with class for 2 weeks and has given them more time to prepare. I pick CMU, in a close game.

I cant believe it has taken me this long to get to this game, but this game needs no introduction. It is #1 Florida vs. #2 Alabama. All year I have been beating the Bama drum saying they should be #1, not the Gators. And as November rolled around all the Gators did was thump each one of their opponents while Alabama avoided upset week in and week out. So naturally I like the hot Florida team, behind the all mighty and God like Timothy R. Tebow, right? WRONG! I am sticking with my team and my boys. Mark Ingram has had a tremendous season, dont let one game fool you. He probably had too much turkey the day before. Bama also proved to have a dynamic second option in true freshman Trent Richardson should Ingram's hip keep him less than 100%. Bama's QB Greg McElroy needs to step up against the fast Florida defense, but he made plays against the fast LSU defense that stymied Florida. He looked fine against a Mississippi St. team that kept Tebow in check for most of the game. Maybe its because Carlos Dunlap (Florida's best pass rusher and likely top NFL draft pick) went all Tony LaRussa 5 days before the game (Dunlap was arrested early Tuesday morning as he was asleep behind the wheel of his car that was stopped at an intersection near Floridas campus). It is nothing against Florida, or Tebow, or Urban (is he looking for that payday from Notre Dame - possible $8 million a year to leave Florida!!!) they are great, but I like Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in this game. Alabama 14 Florida 10.

Some quick picks:
I like Texas over Nebraska as Colt McCoy lays his claim to the Heisman trophy.
I will pick Clemson in a upset over Georgia Tech to win the ACC. I watched these 2 teams play early in the year and Georgia Tech blew them out in the 1st half, while Clemson stormed back in the second and made a game of it. Look for more of what happened in the second half in this game.
Of course I like Cincinnati against the mighty mustache Dave Wannstedt and the Pittsburgh Panthers but this game will be much closer and low scoring than people think.
I will also pick Boise to stay unbeaten and UConn to beat USF.

I am looking forward to the action and I hope you are too! Enjoy it!

OSU - Michigan Wrapup

Before we can go over the game, we must discuss those hideous uniforms. But do not take fashion advice from me, so I wont write about about how bad they looked. I felt like it was gimmick, something more suitable for a program like Oregon, not the tradition rich Buckeyes (ask Georgia coach Mark Richt what he thinks about those gimmick black uniforms - they have gotten blown out each of the last 2 seasons while their non- traditional Black uniforms). Where were the Buckeye Leaves on the helmets? How could I cheer for Ohio State when I seriously thought it was NC State playing? I also felt like it was disrespectful to the rivalry, this gimmick is something that you can do against Toledo not your most hated rival. Michigan even though they are down right now, is still an elite program. This was nothing more than a cash grab by the richest athletic department in the NCAA. Thanks for ruining the OSU-UM game, Gene Smith.

To the action on the field, OSU scored a defensive touchdown early and kept the pressure up all game. The offensive line has come together in the month of November, as Brandon Saine, Boom Herron, and Terrelle Pryor ran the ball very well. A Devon Torrence interception in the endzone pretty much sealed the deal. I felt like Michigan did some good things, but Rich Rodriguez and Tate Forcier outsmarted themselves as they tried to do too much. To anybody saying that this is no longer a rivalry, I say this: 50 years from now, nobody will care that Ohio St went to the Rose Bowl (unless it is some miracle game such as the 1997 Rose Bowl) they will remember Ohio State has won 6 straight against Michigan for the 1st time. Michigan ruined so many OSU seasons during the Cooper era, we have a long way to go to pay them back. This game may not matter as much nationally, and I am fine with that. Any supporter of Ohio State and Michigan knows that this is the most important game each year. By the way, after 6 straight wins Ohio State still trails Michigan in the total rivalry 57-43-6. Jim Tressel may continue to lose games against top 10 opponents and BCS games, but he is 8-1 against Michigan and he will have a job as long as he wants as Ohio States head coach as long as his football teams continue to beat Michigan.

As for Michigan, where do you go from here? No bowl game for 2 straight seasons. Good program, good coach, wrong fit. For a program not used to losing, they have to give RichRod patience as he builds his program. However, anything less than 9-3 and a win in Columbus next year and I believe he is gone. The thing I do not understand is, what happened to all of the talented players? Its not like he left the cupboard bare. This is Michigan, they have talent. In my opinion, that is the head coach just being too stubborn and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Michigan needs to get back to being an elite program to save the reputation of the Big 11.

The Buckeyes Rose Bowl trip is certain, but the opponent is yet to be determined. I have to be honest, I am nervous about the prospects of playing Oregon. Certainly, Ohio State will be the best defense Oregon will face but an offense that good will score points. If we hold Oregon in the 20s, Ohio State can win, but if Oregon scores 30 or more we will lose with Tressel's conservative style of coaching.

Week 11 NFL Picks

It doesnt look like I will be able to do a football Friday update this week. But, that might be a good thing considering how my picks have been doing. It has been noted by several fans that my picks have been terrible, most especially my Stone Cold Steve Austin Lead Pipe Locks. So, this week we go to the sports book and I am going to pick each game against the spread and give confidence points to each game on the slate this weekend (With 16 games being played this weekend, I will give 16 pts to the team I feel most confidently will cover, and 1 being the team I feel least confident in).

Lines courtesy of Danny Sheridan:

16. Minnesota -10.5 vs. Seattle. Seattle will not have a chance as Peterson will run over them, and Favre will sling it around. Look for the pash rush to get after Hasselbeck.
15. Cincinnati -9.5 @ Oakland. Certainly the Bengals have a let down or 2 left in them, but I watched Bruce Gradkowski in Cleveland a year ago, who is starting at QB for Oakland, and the Bengals will load up the box and dare the Raiders to beat them passing the ball and I dont think they have it in them.
14. Pittsburgh -10 @ KC. KC was able to run the ball last week against Oak, I dont think they will have similar success against the Steelers
13. Indy -1 @ Baltimore. I like Peyton to keep it going agains ta banged up Ravens D.
12. Arizona -9 @ St. Louis. St. Louis covered last week @ home against New Orleans, dont you think I would learn my lesson? No, the answer is I am a sucker for going against these bad teams.
11. Dallas - 11 vs. Washington. Dallas has looked good lately and Washington didnt impress anybody by beating stumbling Denver after a bye week. Ill give them points.
10. San Diego +3 @ Denver. Denver is stumbling right out of the playoffs as SD races past them. Maybe LT will show up for 2 games in a row?
9. NO - 11 @ TB. Lots of double digit road favorites worry me. But the Saints are good, and while Josh Freeman has looked like the QB of the future, hes bound to have a bad game and the Saints D feasts off turnovers.
8. Detroit -3.5 vs. Cleveland. If the Browns score a TD will anybody see it? This battle of 1 win wonders should be a thriller, but I see Detroit being able to score enough to beat the Browns.
7. Jax -9 vs. Buf. Buffalo just fired there coach and I like the Jags.
6. Jets +10.5 @ NE. Dont get me wrong I think the Pats should win this game, but 4 out of the Jets 5 losses have been by 4, 3, 5, and 2.
5. NYG -6.5 vs. Atl. Each week it seems like Atlanta is playing a tough opponent. I like the rested GMen
4. Carolina -3 vs. Miami (Thursday night). I will take the suddenly surging Panthers and give the 3 against the banged up Dolphins in a game that noone will see, thanks to the NFL network.
3. Chicago +3 vs. Philadelphia. Philly has been inconsistent so it wont suprise me if they win, but with the extra rest, Jay Cutler will find a way to not throw as many INTs.
2. SF +6.5 @ GB. I think Rodgers is better than Cutler so there wont the QB wont give the game away in this 1, but protection has been horrible all year for GB. With the extra days off, I think Singeltary finds a way to pressure Rodgers and keeps this 1 close.
1. Houston -4 @ Tennessee (Monday Night). The Titans offense has come alive with Vince Young under center. I think there will be a shootout. I am betting against the red hot team, but not a ton of confidence here.

Feel free to play against me, we will grade how I did next Tuesday out of a possible 136 points

Kenny Powers

Kenny Powers is the BEST. Here are some of my personal favorite quotes:

"Im just your average American, with extraordinary hair."
"Alright, so let me get this straight. So I gotta pay for a blow job, and I gotta pay for a fuckin' hotel room too? Well that seems like I'm spending too much money for nothin' I got a house. You can just get your ass over and we could just do the blow job here. And can I wear the 'SCREAM' mask? The mask from 'SCREAM' while I do you from behind. "
"I've been blessed with many things in this life: an arm like a damn rocket, a cock like a burmese python, and the mind of a fucking scientist."
My personal favorite:
"A lot of people ask me, 'Kenny Powers, you're a giant superstar. You can get any woman. Have you ever paid for sex?' And the answer is yes, I have. Several times, in fact. And it's actually kinda cool. You can negotiate practically anything and sometimes, even just kind of do stuff in the moment that you never agreed to pay for and it goes by without much argument."

Leave your own Kenny quotes or favorite scenes

Football Friday

Another exciting weekend of college and pro football on the docket.

A look at the college games reveals an exciting game today, under the Friday night lights, between West Virginia and Cincinnati. I think this could be one of the most exciting games of the weekend and I will be watching to see how Cincy plays their QBs, but I think this will be a close game. Of the remaining unbeaten teams, Cincinnati certainly has the toughest remaining schedule.

Iowa is visiting the Horseshoe this weekend and I fully expect a blowout. Iowa has struggled to run the football in all their games and without QB Stanzi I expect OSUs defense to force Iowa to tap out early in the game. OSU will wake up Sunday morning smelling Roses....

UPSET ALERT - Bama travels to Mississippi St and while I do not anticipate a loss, the blueprint has been made as to how to stop Bama - load up the box and slow down the running game while their QB McElroy throws INTs. Against Florida, Mississippi Sts inability to score was its problem, maybe they find a way to score and make this an interesting game.

BLOWOUT ALERT - The 1 team Urban hates more than Georgia is South Carolina. He hates Spurrier and his Visor. Florida will be able to find its offense and dominate SC.

SHOCKER SPECIAL - Teams coming off byes this year are 14-10, including several near misses. I like the Cleveland Browns to win on Monday Night for 2 reasons. 1st, they played very well a year ago in all the prime time games, I expect that to continue. And 2nd, the Browns always play the Browns, err Ravens, tough in Cleveland just like they play Pittsburgh tough at Pitt. Browns will keep hope alive and win on Monday.

Pittsburgh plays the Bengals and the first time these 2 teams played was an exciting come from behind win for Cincinnati. I expect the Steelers to be ready for this game and beat Cincinnati as they have looked much better defensively with Polomalu. Big Ben always makes plays and rarely do the Steelers lose to a team 2 times in the same season. The Steelers are positioning themselves for a post season run.

Certainly the game of the day has to be KC @ Oak. I like KC to win the game.

The actual game of the day was going to be my lock of the week but I am backing off it. The Pats play the Colts in what should be a thriller and they are playing on prime time for all the nation to see. Peyton has been brilliant this season, but the offense seems to in the past 2 wins. The Pats, on the other hand, have been building off of a slow start. I like the Pats to win in Indy and end the Colts perfect season.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN LEAD PIPE LOCK - The Saints travel to St. Louis on Sunday to play the Rams. The line is a puny -13.5. The Rams have been complete dogs all year and things wont change. The line could be Saints -27.5 and Id still make this my lock of the week.

As always, enjoy the action.

Mid Season NFL predictions

So NFL is at mid season and since I didnt get to officially blog my preseason predictions, I figured I would post my mid season projections.

AFC East - Patriots
AFC North - Bengals
AFC South - Colts
AFC West - San Diego
Wild Card - Pittsburgh
Wild Card - Houston

Breakdown - For the record, I picked the Bengals to win the AFC North before the season so I am going to stick with my prediction here even though I can see the Steelers over taking the Bengals in the division but I foresee both teams making the playoffs. I also had the Colts out of the playoffs, whoops! I think the Colts and Pats have a strangle hold on their divisions, and I foresee Denver falling out of the playoffs as the Broncos falter down the stretch as the Chargers get hot.

AFC Championship - Patriots over Steelers

NFC East - Cowboys
NFC North - Vikings
NFC South - Saints
NFC West - Arizona
Wild Card - Philadelphia
Wild Card - Green Bay

Breakdown - the East is the only real toss up, as I definitely foresee the Cowboys as paper tigers but nevertheless I will predict them to win the division and lose in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Saints and Vikings have the bye weeks just about locked up. I will believe in Green Bay as a wild card even though they just lost to Tampa Bay but I can not foresee 3 teams from the NFC East making it this year because every team is down.

NFC Championship - Saints over Vikings

Super Bowl 44 Saints over Patriots.

NFL MVP - Peyton Manning. Is there any question that the Colts win every week because Peyton is playing on a level above everyone else. Peyton wins over Drew Brees because Brees has had more help from his defense to overcome some big deficits and Brees has also made more mistakes. For the record, I think we are going to see the Patriots of 2007 in the second half of the season with a healthy Brady.

Comeback player of the year - Since the MVP rarely goes to any position other than QB, I decided to give some love to Cedric Benson. What a year he has had in 8 games. He truly has turned his career around. Good for you, Cedric.

"With the 1st Pick.... St. Louis!" St. Louis is who everyone thought they were...bad. But they have plenty of competition but I believe the Browns will win 2 games in the 2nd half of the season. Maybe even one on Monday night??? Maybe KC or the Lions?

Lets see how close I can get...

Weekend Wrapup

As pointed out by some of my fans, my predictions took a hit this weekend. So before I recap the action from Saturday and Sunday I will pick the Monday nighter:
Ill take Denver +3 and a special bonus ill take the under (41.5).

The Bama-LSU game lived up to the hype. While the 24-15 final was more points than I had predicted, it was a defensive battle and an LSU interception that never happened adds more to the conspiracy theorists that the SEC is fixing games.

OSU defensive line showed up on Saturday as Cameron Heyward embarrassed Penn Sts left guard. With Iowa's shocking loss, the OSU-Iowa showdown at the Shoe is for a trip to the Rose Bowl. With these games, I do not know what to believe about the state of the Big 11. I want to believe that it is strong, but I just dont see it.

BOOM! Outta here Chuck Weis. Go away and take RichRod with you.

My College Football top 5
1. Bama
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. Cincy
5. TCU

To the NFL:
The Packers are now the worst team in the NFL, as they lost to the Bucs who by the way wore the throwbacks. Keep the throwbacks on, Bucs....

The Ravens really didnt show up. Maybe its the Bengals really did show up. The Bengals look tough as they are 6-2 and Cedric Benson is running like a man possessed.

The Bears are who the Cardinals thought they were as they got rolled. Who would have guessed that Bears fans would have begged to have Kyle Orton back?

Lastly, the Panthers tried to follow through on my upset special, but the Saints are too good as they continue to prove that they can overcome any obstacle and they improved to 8-0.

NFL Power Rankings
1. Saints
2. Colts
3. Vikings
4. Patriots
5. Bengals.
32. Browns!

Football Friday

Another great weekend ahead packed with very good games. Headlined by LSU @ Alabama. Alabama is a team I have been very high on all year. But I expect this game to be a battle, with 2 very good defenses and 2 quarterbacks prone to turning the ball over. Not sure what the over/under line is but 10 points might be too high as Alabama wins 6-3.

Another defensive battle will be taking place in State College, PA. The Buckeyes have such a great defense, it would not surprise me if they win. However, at the rate in which Pryor turns the ball over and without our kicker I do not see the Buckeyes generating enough points to win the game. I will take Penn St. 17-7.

I have had Florida on upset alert all season. But not against Vandy as the romp will be on, even without the eye gouger, as Tebow can smell the Heisman. Iowa is the team I should have had on upset alert as they consistently play in an exciting game every weekend. They could be looking ahead to Ohio St next weekend, but I don't think they lose to Northwestern. I do not for see any major upsets this weekend, so you know that means that Saturday will have upsets galore.

I do not know how the NFL will go on without the Browns in action on Sunday, at least we may get to see some competitive games.

The Cardinals come east as they play the Bears at 1pm. They do not have a good history playing at 1pm, but the bears are still who Denny Green thought they were and this time the Cards wont let them off the hook, I will take the Cards and the 3 points.

Peyton Manning is having a tremendous season. The Colts are off to another undefeated start. Houston comes in to Indy never winning a game in Indy and only beating the Colts 1 time in their franchises 14 tries. I like the Colts, Ill give the 9 points as the Colts continue to roll.

The Ravens play the Bengals in what could be the game of the day. Anyone who watched the 1st meeting between these 2 teams can not figure out why the Ravens are giving 3 points on the road when the Bengals are coming off a bye and beat the Ravens on the road. And Cedric Benson has been running the ball like a mad man and ran for over 100 yards in Baltimore. So you know what this means? Vegas knows more than I do and I trust Vegas. Ill take the Ravens and give the 3.

2 Games I will take the points: Miami +10 in New England and Carolina +13 in New Orleans. Miami has been running the wildcat perfectly and it goes back to where it started a season ago. Does it die here? No, and I think the Pats overcome a Dolphins lead late and win by 3. As for the Saints, they had a tough divisional game on Monday Night in which they opponent ran all over the field. The Saints D can cause turnovers but I think the Panthers will run the ball more than Woody Hayes would. I am calling for the upset, as the Saints are no longer perfect.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN'S LEAD PIPE LOCK: Packers -9.5 @ TB. The Pack has feasted on below average teams. TB is well below average. The Packers will embarrass the Bucs 34 - 9 as they recover from a beatdown from the Vikes.

An open letter to Dawg Pound Mike

Mike,

You are living a fantasy that many people dream of by getting to express your thoughts with the owner of your favorite pro sports team. But from hearing you flap his gums about this meeting, I could only think of 1 thing and that is don't you think Randy Lerner is smarter than you, Dawg Pound Mike? And if he isnt, don't you think he can hire someone who is? The only reason Randy Lerner took the meeting with you is for PR. The only person Randy Lerner is listening to is the corporate sponsors than give him the most money.

And by hearing you claim that he is passionate and is upset with the state of the football team makes me believe he outsmarted the genius Dawg Pound Mike. If I'm Randy Lerner of course I'm pissed off, he is paying over $100 million in salaries and is getting didly poo in return for them. If Randy Lerner really did care he would have spoke to Phil Savage for more than 6 minutes to realize that his plan to win a super bowl here is to throw bukubucks at a bunch of jabroni's. He would have let another team interview Eric Mangini to realize he isn't all he is cracked up to be. If he wanted to believe Eric Mangini was the next Bill Belichick that's fine, but even Belichick had time away from football and a second defensive coordinator stint under Bill Parcells to realize where he messed up in Cleveland. He would have hired someone other than George Kokinis who apparently did work for the Browns but not sure what he did beside trading any player that was talented.

Dont you think every owner in the NFL is passionate? Well maybe not Detroit, they need to worry about the auto industry. Ok, but the Rams owner must care about being 1-7. No actually, the Rams owner is selling the team to Rush Limbaugh. What about Oakland, Al Davis, just win baby? Yes Al does care, but the problem there is Al has been dead for years. Its weekend at Bernies nonstop there. Pretty tough to win a game when everybody is taking orders from people who are controlling a dead guy. Clearly lowly Tampa Bay's owner must care. No actually, like Randy, the Glazers lone passion is their soccer team in England and the reason for the demise in Tampa is 3 fold (1. Letting Tony Dungy go 2. Letting Rich Mckay go 3. Dismantling the Defense before its prime). See Dawg Pound Mike, the Cowboys are competitive every season because Jerry Jones is passionate and it rubs off on his players. The Patriots are successful because Robert Kraft hired smart football people to run his franchise, now he stands back and polishes his Lombardi trophies. The Steelers have had so much consistency, and its because the Rooney family knows how to run an organization. Maybe that's why we ha vent beaten Pittsburgh in 6 years.

If I was in the interview with Lerner, I would have told him to take deep breaths next time he is in position to hire a coach and not take the first Patriots assistant he sees. I would have told him either move the Browns to London or LA, but dont keep them in Cleveland if you are going to continue to own the team. The Browns cant be successful and wont be successful unless Randy Lerner hires someone that matters. And to be honest, I don't think anyone who matters will join the Browns because the rebuilding process will be much to long and agonizing.

Dawg Pound Mike, you are delusional. You are 40 and you wear a giant bone on your head. You and Big Dawg and the Bone Lady should all get together and cry about how bad the Browns are. But just know that this losing season, wont be the Browns last.

Sincerely,
Joe

Football Friday

Another great weekend of college and pro football ahead, as I look forward to the action we also have the World Series going on. What an exciting time for a sports fan!

Let me start with my thoughts on the World Series. The 1st 2 games have been very close and exciting to watch, lets hope this continues. As I watched the game last night, Mariano Rivera came out to shut the door in the 8th inning. I love the move by Joe Girardi as he gets his best pitcher out there to get the most important outs. As I watch Rivera, I see how great he is but I have to ask myself "Am I the only person that realizes he only throws a 90 mph cutter?" I just do not understand how major league hitters can not crush a pitch that they know is coming - I guess it speaks to his greatness...

Alas, we continue to with the football

Ohio St takes on mighty New Mexico St. If this game is not a laugher, I think Jim Tressel will have to have an armed guard with him at all times to ensure his safety. Ohio St is favored by 44 pts and New Mexico St ranks dead last in college football in total offense. Just 1 time, I would like to see domination from start to finish.

MAC pick of the week - I know Ball St is bad. But my prediction is that the OU football team is looking forward to their Halloween celbrations too much and Ball St shocks the world.

Big 11 pick of the week - I think Illinois is pathetic this year and I will go with Michigan on the road.

UPSET ALERT - I am putting UF on upset alert until they lose. They have proven that they have not found a playmaker to make up for the loss of Percy Harvin and I expect Georgia to give Florida all they can handle. Imagine if Mississippi St had an Offense to go along with those 2 INT return for TDs, I really think they would have pulled out the upset.

BIG GAMES - Texas travels to Stillwater, Ok to play Oklahoma St. While Ok. St. is having a fine season, Texas has answered every challenge so far this season and really seemed to pick it up last week against Mizzou. Last year, Texas lost @ Texas Tech which had an explosive offense and Ok. St. has the players for a big offensive output. But without star Dez Bryant, Ok. St will not be able to pull out the upset. I like Texas in this one.

USC @ Oregon - Since the loss to Boise St, Oregon has been on a roll winning 6 straight. USC has given up points this season, and this game has all the makings of the game of the day, but I still like USC because they always seem to perform well when they have to. I know it is at Oregon and they will have some super freaky uniforms, but Boise beat Oregon by going right at them and attacking, and I think USC is perfectly capable of doing the same.

The Browns travel to Chicago and I think this is the game that Chicago puts it all together. The Browns are very susceptible against the run and Chicago does have a dangerous running back in Matt Forte. I do not believe Chicago is as bad as they were last week against Cincinnatti and the Browns will continue to struggle.

The game of the day has to be St. Louis @ Detroit. Can St. Louis get a win? It is possible, but I say unlikely as Detroit is coming off of a bye and hopefully will have healthy Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

The real game of the day is Brett Favre going back to Lambeu. Will he be booed? Or cheered? If beer bottles and batteries are not tossed in his direction I will be disappointed with Packer Fans. As for the game, the Pack need this 1 desperately. But I do not know if they can slow down the pass rush of the Vikings. I think Jared Allen has another big day and Brett Favre has a happy homecoming.

The Monday nighter should be a good one. New Orleans is on a roll and even when they are down by 21 points it is not a problem as evident by their come from behind win at Miami last week. The defense is playing well and causing turnovers. I like Matt Ryan, but not enough to pick him on a Monday night in the Superdome. Saints win it.

For my Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the week I like Dallas -9.5 @ Jerry World to beat the banged up Seattle Seahawks. They ran it up on them last season and this year should be no different as Dallas' running game should be getting back to full strength this week. Miles Austin has burst onto the scene and I think Tony will have another good day as Dallas rolls.

Enjoy the weekend!

A Ring for the King

As I get ready for the Cavs and Celtics to tip off the 09-10 NBA season tonight, I decided to give my NBA predictions.

Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Miami
4. Orlando
5. Chicago
6. Washington
7. Toronto
8. Atlanta

Breakdown - It looks like the Southeast Division will be the most competitive as I have 4 teams to make the playoffs from that division. The Cavs will be pushed by the up and coming Bulls. I expect the Cavs to beat out Boston for home court advantage because I have a feeling Boston will not be pushing during the regular season as they try to get ready for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference Finals:
Cleveland defeats Miami in 6

Western Conference
1. Lakers
2. Utah
3. New Orleans
4. Ok City
5. San Antonio
6. Dallas
7. Denver
8. Phoenix

Breakdown - It is very difficult to pick against the Lakers. I would say that their division is the weakest in the NBA but it is still the Western Confernece. I really like young point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul for Utah and New Orelans, respectively. I have a bold predictions in Oklahoma City earning the 4th spot in the playoffs, that is because I do believe in the young talent they have there. Portland is the team I probably incorrectly bumped out, but somebody has to not make it in the West. Im open to listen to comments...

Western Conference Finals
Utah over Lakers in 7

NBA Finals
Cleveland over Utah in 5

NBA MVP
Kevin Durant

With the First Pick...
Charlotte Bobcats

NFL Week 7 Thoughts

With Brian Westrbook's injury in the Monday night game, it is time to start recapping the weekend that was. I should start by telling you that my Stone Cold Lead Pipe locks are guaranteed losers. Man, I did not see the Giants coming out and laying an egg for the second straight week. I did not understand why the Giants decided to use Ahmad Bradshaw as many times as they did Brandon Jacobs, but that is for another day. Good game Arizona, you spoiled another lock of the week.

As I was watching the Browns/Packers game yesterday, I couldn't help but think that this may be one of the worst teams I have ever seen, even worse than the '99 expansion team. Yet, there is more than a handful of teams that are completely uncompetitive. The Rams, Bucs, Chiefs, Lions, Titans, Raiders, Panthers, Bills (any team that loses to the Browns is on this list, how they have won 3 games I will never know), and the Redskins make up the list of teams that will continue to lose by double digits. For a league that is proud of its parody, I just listed 10 teams that will not win more than 5 games. This is going to be a long NFL season if we have to sit through 10 more weeks where half of the games are decided by more than 28 points (literally, 6 out of 12 games on Sunday!).

But 2 games that highlighted the weekend reminded us why we watch every single Sunday. In the Steelers/Vikings game, one could have assumed that the QB who had the ball last would win the game, but the Steelers defense won the game for Pittsburgh and avoided any of Brett Favre's late game magic as they created some of their own with 2 4th quarter defensive touchdowns to preserve the win. And the Saints came back from a 21 point 1st half deficit to defeat a Miami team that is better than their 2-4 suggests. What I found interesting is that both games ended with defensive touchdowns off turnovers that would not have had an outcome on the game, but changed the winners against the spread. I would love to know how many games end with scores that have no bearing on the outcome but affect the Vegas odds.

Busy sports week ahead - the Lebronaliers and the NBA tip off on Tuesday, former Tribe aces square off as the World Series starts on Wednesday, of course a full slate of college and NFL football games, plus I plan on attending the Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins game Friday night and the OSU v. New Mexico St game Saturday. Should be fun!

College Football Wrapup

This weekend served as a great distraction for my CPA preparation Monday morning! Let me give a shout out to my friend, Jon Lamb, and his blog www.fourthandxx.blogspot.com. Check it out!

Minnesota proved that they are the cure for what ails the Buckeyes, but man do the Buckeyes look beatable. The defense continues to impress but at some point you have to score points. Here is how I rationalize the Buckeyes season: The expectations thrust onto Pyror were much too high. The "class" that included Terrelle Pyror has underachieved, but most are seeing game action, in this their 2nd season, and an Ohio State fan can only hope that the lumps they take this season will provide dividends in the future.

My College Football top 5
1. Alabama - I do not care that they "struggled" at home, they have the best defense, they have the best running game. Mark Ingram deserves the heisman love he is starting to get.
2. Texas - Impressive victory over Mizzou on the road, now must go on the road and play Oklahoma St. this week. McCoy should be the Heisman frontrunner.
3. Cincinnati - Another big victory, and this week was with the backup QB. I believe they are the best team that ESPN refuses to talk about.
4. Iowa - The BCS does not want them, but they continue to win and they just might get stuck with them. Another impressive, come from behind victory this time on the road at Michigan St. How would a Cincy v. Iowa national championship game be? It is beginning to sound realistic, because both teams have big conference games remaining(Iowa @ OSU, Cincy plays #20 West Virginia and is @ #16 Pittsburgh).
5. Tie. Florida and TCU. I refuse to give in to Florida. I am not going to crown a team national champion because they won last season and they have a likable QB. They are very talented, but they continue to struggle and I believe that is from missing Percy Harvin's big play capabilities. I understand that the SEC is very competitive, but I believe they will lose a game that they are not supposed to (perhaps South Carolina or Georgia?).
TCU went on the road in the national spotlight game and destroyed BYU. Most impressive victory of the weekend. They are the mid-major everybody should be talking about, not Boise St.

FOOTBALL FRIDAY!

Each Friday during football season, I would like to take a look at the weekend ahead and breakdown the action.

My beloved Buckeyes look to rebound against a Minnesota team that has been struggling. I have been very disappointed in the offense this season, but if there is a game they are capable of breaking out it is this one. Even if the offense continues to stall, the Buckeyes D has been flying around all year making plays, no way the Buckeyes lose this game.

ESPN's College Gameday is going to Provo, UT to highlight #8 TCU vs #16 BYU. BYU has had a good season, beating Oklahoma in the 1st game of the season, but they have proven they are vulnerable at home by losing to Florida State. TCU is not a paper tiger. They have gone on the road and beaten BCS schools Virginia and Clemson. I think TCU edges out BYU.

I expect Bama to roll right over Tennessee. Mark Ingram is an animal and I believe the Crimson Tide's defense will be too much for Lane Kiffin's Volunteers.

Iowa is starting to gain believers with each win. They have a feel of a team of destiny to me, because it seems like they are winning games they shouldn't. Iowa has another tough test this week traveling to Michigan St. The Spartans seem to have righted its ship since losing 3 straight early in the season. I like Michigan St, but I like Iowa a little bit more as the dream continues.

Upset Alert:

I am putting 2 SEC teams on upset alert this week. First, I am putting #9 LSU on upset alert because I believe their offense is pathetic. Auburn has stumbled the past 2 weeks, but this Auburn team is different than Tommy Tubberville's put you to sleep offense. They have some explosive plays in them and if they can get to the end zone a few times, LSU is in trouble.

#1 Florida, does not have the look or feel of the Gator teams that won National Championships the past few seasons. They lack the explosiveness in their offense. Do you realize that the Gators have not won in Starkville, MS since 1985??? Mississippi St's head coach is Dan Mullen, the Gators former Offensive Coordinator. One of the signature upsets of this season is Washington beating USC, which featured Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian (former USC offensive coordinator) beating his old boss Pete Carroll. I think Florida will survive, but I think it will be closer than the 23 point spread indicates.

A look at the NFL this season reveals more teams that have been uncompetitive than I can ever remember. One of the teams competing for the "worst team" distinction is my hometown Cleveland Browns. After a horrendous start, they have covered in the last 3 games. The Green Bay Packers come to town and I like to think that the Browns are done. They put D'Qwell Jackson on IR this week, and Shaun Rogers has not practiced as he has been quarantined with 11 other teammates with the flu. After seeing Pittsburgh throw for over 400 yards on this Browns team, I look for Aaron Rogers to light it up against the Browns.

Another good game is taking place in the state of Ohio as the Bears come to Cincinnati. After Houston's offense had a field day against the Bengals, I expect there defense to bounce back and cause a few turnovers against a very turnover prone team. Cedric Benson has had big days when the Bengals have needed it, and I expect this game to be no different.

Looking at the other big games on Sunday, Minnesota travels to Pittsburgh. I do not know whether to call it a Super Bowl hangover, but the Steelers have started 1-5 against the spread. The Steelers are struggling to find an identity and I believe the Vikings, who are humming right along, will win this game.

For my Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the week, I like the GMen in the Sunday night game against Arizona. Arizona capable of making big plays and embarrassing the Giants defense like New Orleans did last week, but what makes New Orleans so dangerous is they have a balanced attack. Arizona is not trying to fool anybody, they are going throw the ball all over the field. I think the Giants defense will get to Kurt Warner, force a few turnovers and Eli Manning and will spread the ball around as the Giants win by more than 7.

Enjoy the Action!

Welcome to my blog!

Hi All and welcome to my 1st blog! My goal for this blog is simple, to share my opinions about a topics that are important to me. If you are wondering if this blog is for you, here is a list of things that I am passionate about: family, friends, sports (especially fantasy sports!), TV, and good food!

Hope you enjoy!