The Har-Bowl, The Bro Bowl, The Super Baugh, or just The Super Bowl. Whatever you want to call it this year, it's time for America's biggest sporting event. This year we have the Baltimore Ravens taking on the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans and the first ever meeting between head coaching brothers. Now throw in this being the last game of Ray Lewis' illustrious career and his name being in another scandal, this time for performance enhancing drug use. Also, backup quarterback turned starter, Colin Kaepernick is leading the 49ers and could possibly revolutionize the position. The Super Bowl is never short of story lines and this year is no exception.
These two teams are almost complete mirror images of each other. Both have strong defenses, rely on the run and when the season started, both had quarterbacks that were asked to control the game and limit turnovers. Alex Smith started the year at QB for the Niners until he suffered a concussion Week 9 against St. Louis. At that time Smith was leading the league in completion percentage and San Francisco was 6-2. In came Colin Kaepernick and the emergence of a young, agile quarterback made this team more potent offensively. Both QB's started nine games and with Smith the 49ers offense averaged 23.6 points a game, with Kaepernick they improved to 28.5 per game. Kaepernick provides a run element that every defense must prepare for. With him at the helm, we've seen San Francisco run a lot of QB options out of the pistol formation. This is the same offense Kaepernick ran at Nevada and could possibly change the perception of the QB position. Back in the 90s the Niners won two Super Bowls with Steve Young who could gain yards with his legs but he was known as a scrambler. We were amazed by Robert Griffin III's running ability in the regular season and now we are seeing it with Kaepernick as he rushed for 181 yards against Green Bay in the Divisional Round. If he is able to pull off a Super Bowl victory it will get rid of any doubt there might be of a option quarterback making it in the NFL.
In Ray Lewis' last playoff run he's leading the NFL in postseason tackles with 44. However, his final curtain call is in the midst of PED allegations. Lewis suffered a torn triceps Week 6 and is under suspicion of taking Deer Antler Spray, a banned substance in the NFL, to help with his recovery. Lewis has adamantly denied using the spray since the story broke. I have a feeling this story will die quickly before the actual game. The media is so enamored with Ray Lewis (he's been their golden child throughout the playoffs) and don't want too much negative light being shined on him right now. He has had a great career and is a sure fire hall of famer there's no question about it but he has had a checkered past. Let's not forget he was on trial for an accessory to murder, however he did beat the case. I know Wes Welker's wife hasn't forgotten. The thing that helped Lewis regain popularity was his admittance to being wrong in the situation right away. If after the Super Bowl it comes out that the report of his PED use is true I honestly wouldn't be surprised. No athletes in any other sport as a whole have the size and speed of football players. It's actually amazing to me that more stories of steroid use haven't came out in the NFL. With how much scrutiny baseball gets, a sport where PED's wouldn't help as much as in football, it makes me wonder if the NFL is keeping certain things under wraps. But, maybe that's just my conspiracy theory. Regardless of the truth to the story, no matter what this is Ray Lewis' last game in the NFL and whatever his off the field issues were it's been a pleasure to watch him play and he will go down as one of the best defensive players ever.
Back to the actual Super Bowl, I think it's all going to come down to which quarterback will be able to control the game against these tough defenses. Colin Kaepernick has been playing extremely well, but he's about to face a Ravens defense that is finally healthy and playing how we are used to seeing them. As I mentioned in a previous posting, multiple Ravens have missed time on the defensive side of the ball including Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata. So their numbers aren't as good as past years but they have been playing like it lately. Other than given up a kick and punt return for TD against Denver, this defense has been tough to score on. They have forced eight turnovers in three games and held a potent Patriots offense scoreless in the second half of the AFC Conference Championship. If they are able to stop Kaepernick's mobility it will give them a great chance of winning. Baltimore's QB Joe Flacco has also been playing well in the playoffs but hasn't been matched up with a defense like the 49ers. Flacco has been solid, throwing for eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. Now he must face Patrick Willis and the best defense in the league. Like the Ravens, the Niners defense has pro-bowlers at every level with Justin Smith on the D-line, Willis, Navarro Bowman and Aldon Smith at linebacker, and Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner at DB. So far Flacco's decision making has been stellar and he's been connecting with his all his receivers for big plays each game. I think this will be a close one all the way til the end each team holding a lead in the 4th quarter. But, ultimately the Baltimore Ravens will stop Kaepernick and the 49ers offense enough times to pull off the Super Bowl upset 24-21 and send Ray Lewis out like John Elway with his second championship.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 29
The final full week of January felt like the final week in March as there were plenty of ranked teams going down. While top teams fell, Michigan continued to win and is ranked #1 in the AP Poll for the first team since the Fab Five in 1992. As for the ones who lost, 8 of last weeks top 15 suffered a loss and powerhouse Louisville lost both of their games last week. Here we go.
Biggest Drop - Kansas State down 6
New Editions - #13 Miami FL, #15 Missouri
Old News - Kansas State, Minnesota
- Michigan (19-1, LW 1) - Michigan handled Purdue and Illinois easily last week but this Saturday they will have the chance to validate themselves as the best team in country. The Wolverines travel to #4 Indiana as these top teams in the Big Ten meet in what could determine the conference championship.
- Kansas (19-1, LW 3) - After a tough win at rival K-State, the Jayhawks extended the nation's longest winning streak against Oklahoma to 17. Kansas is also garnishing #1 votes and only have 1 more game on their schedule against a ranked team
- Florida (16-2, LW 6) - In conference play, Florida has outscored opponents 74.6-48.1 in 6 games. I don't care if the SEC isn't as good as years past that is still very impressive. That's all you need to know.
- Indiana (18-2, LW 7) - The Hoosiers had a great win at home over a good Michigan State team 75-70. Victor Oladipo tallied 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 blocks. He is shooting 66% from the field, 55% from three and is the MVP of that team, not Cody Zeller. They now travel to Purdue before hosting #1 Michigan.
- Syracuse (18-2, LW 2) - After wins on Louisville and Cincinnati they lost to Villanova in overtime 75-71. The Orange will have a week to regroup before heading to Pittsburgh.
- Gonzaga (19-2, LW 10) - The Zags blew out a solid BYU team 83-63 behind Kelly Olynyk's 26 points on 9-9 from the field and 8-8 from the line. Their schedule is easy until a February 14 game at Saint Mary's.
- Duke (17-1, LW 4) - The road got to the Blue Devils again as they were routed by Miami 90-63. It was one of the worst losses ever by a #1 ranked team. Duke has two more road games this week at Wake Forest and Florida State before a rematch with NC State.
- Arizona (17-2, LW 8) - Arizona was beaten at home by UCLA 84-73 and were never really in the game. They came back with a 74-50 win over USC and now hit the road to face both Washington teams.
- Louisville (16-4, LW 5) - Since being ranked #1 Louisville has dropped three straight to Syracuse, Villanova, and Georgetown. But ended that drought Monday with a 64-61 win over Pitt as Russ Smith put in 20 points and Gorgui Dieng added 14 points and 12 boards.
- Butler (17-3, LW 9) - The Bulldogs took the lead against La Salle with 8 seconds left but couldn't get a stop as the Explorers went the length of the floor for a lay-up of their own and the 54-53 win. However, Butler's leading scorer Rotnei Clarke returned against Temple with 24 points and 9 assists.
- Oregon (18-2, LW 14) - Still standing as the last undefeated tam in the Pac-12, the Ducks have stayed under the radar and handled their business. They don't see Arizona or UCLA again so they have a chance to remain without a loss.
- Michigan State (17-4, LW 12) - MSU earned a huge road win at Wisconsin couldn't make the comeback at Indiana despite 21 from Gary Harris. A home matchup with Illinois should get Sparty back on track.
- Miami FL (15-3, LW NR) - The biggest win last week went to Miami disposing of then #1 Duke. They remain the only undefeated team in the ACC but travel to Va Tech and NC State this week.
- Ohio State (16-4, LW 15) - OSU rebounded from a loss to MSU with two wins last week and took out Wisconsin tonight 58-49. The Buckeyes are still trying to find a consistent scorer to compliment Deshaun Thomas who is averaging 20 points a game.
- Missouri (15-4, LW NR) - The Tigers creep back into the rankings but only by default because so many team in this range lost. They are still playing without leading scorer Laurence Bowers but were still able to dispose of South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Biggest Drop - Kansas State down 6
New Editions - #13 Miami FL, #15 Missouri
Old News - Kansas State, Minnesota
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 22
We had another wild week in college basketball and we can expect it from here on out. Louisville was able to reach the top spot but fell to Syracuse 70-68 and Indiana was shocked at home by Wisconsin 64-59. We also saw Gonzaga miss out on getting a huge road win at Butler as they turned the ball over in the final seconds and Butler squeaked by 64-63. Here's what we have after a crazy week of college hoops.
Biggest Drop - Creighton down 5
New Editions - #11 Kansas State, #12 Michigan State, #14 Oregon
Old News - Creighton, North Carolina State, San Diego State
- Michigan (17-1, LW 4) - Call me a homer if you want but getting a road win at #10 Minnesota and doing it convincingly is nothing easy. The Wolverines largest lead was 19 as Tim Haradaway Jr. scored 21 on 7-8 shooting with 4 three's. If not for a sluggish start against OSU this team would still be undefeated. Now they get a week off to prepare for Purdue.
- Syracuse (18-1, LW 5) - A week after suspending their second leading scoring the Orange went into #1 Louisville and pulled off the 70-68 upset behind Brandon Triche's 23 points. Then last night staved off a home upset of their own coming back against Cincinnati to win 57-55. Their stellar PG Michael Carter-Williams came up huge late and finished with 16 points, 5 boards and 7 assists.
- Kansas (16-1, LW 2) - Kansas came back late on Texas for a 64-49 road win to push their streak to 15 games. But to extend that streak they will have to beat rival #11 Kansas State on the road. The combination of Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey are proving to be one of the best inside-outside duos in the country.
- Duke (16-1, LW 3) - After its first loss, Duke rebounded nicely against lowly Georgia Tech 73-57. But still the loss of Ryan Kelly hurts this team badly and now they have a trip to Miami, the lone undefeated team in the conference.
- Louisville (16-2, LW 1) - The Cardinals couldn't hold on to the #1 spot for more than a week but that loss was a tight one to a very good Syracuse team. The loss doesn't hurt their stock too much but let's see how they handle 2 road games this week at Villanova and Georgetown.
- Florida (14-2, LW 9) - Florida has been slowing climbing the charts even though they haven't been beating quality opponents, at least not until last Saturday when they crushed Missouri 83-52. It was over before it started as the Gators jumped out to an 11-0 lead and were able to turn Missouri PG, Phil Pressey, over 10 times.
- Indiana (16-2, LW 6) - The shocker of the week was Indiana's home loss to Wisconsin 64-49. The Badgers are in a down year but have won 11 straight against the Hoosiers.
- Arizona (16-1, LW 7) - After their loss to Oregon, the Wildcats have gotten back on track winning 2 straight road games. They now host UCLA, a team that has been playing better as the season goes on.
- Butler (16-2, LW 15) - Even without leading scorer Rotnei Clarke, Butler managed to pull out a huge home win over Gonzaga as Roosevelt Jones hit a buzzer-beater for the 64-63 victory. Their schedule is favorable until a March 2nd meeting at VCU.
- Gonzaga (17-2, LW 8) - The Zags narrowly escaped Butler with a win but fell short. Still, you can't take much away from them for the loss. They now have to prepare for a solid BYU team coming to their place.
- Kansas State (15-2, LW NR) - The Wildcats have been under the radar but hold a win over Florida and their only losses coming to Michigan and Gonzaga. They have a big game against Kansas this week and don't be surprised if there's an upset in the Octagon of Doom.
- Michigan State (16-3, LW NR) - Sparty had a nice home win over Ohio State 59-56 holding them off late. This is the time MSU usually starts hitting their stride and we'll see what they are made of this week as they travel to Wisconsin and #7 Indiana.
- Minnesota (15-3, LW 10) - After starting conference play off great, Minnesota has lost two straight albeit to #7 Indiana and #1 Michigan. Two roads games on the docket for the Gophers this week against Northwestern and Wisconsin.
- Oregon (16-2, LW NR) - The Ducks have already taken out Pac-12 favorites Arizona and UCLA and have one of the most balanced offense in the country. Oregon scores 76 a game while having 6 players that average between 8 and 12 points
- Ohio State (13-4, LW 12) - The Buckeyes couldn't complete the comeback at Michigan State despite 28 points and 7 rebounds from Deshaun Thomas. For this team to win big games consistently they need to find another scoring option to help Thomas.
Biggest Drop - Creighton down 5
New Editions - #11 Kansas State, #12 Michigan State, #14 Oregon
Old News - Creighton, North Carolina State, San Diego State
Friday, January 18, 2013
Manti Te'o's Situation Shouldn't Have Reached This Point
By now I'm sure everybody has heard that Notre Dame's star linebacker Manti Te'o's girlfriend, who tragically died from leukemia, never existed. The whole story is one of the craziest we've heard in a long time. I'm not here to discuss that. But in short, Te'o had a relationship with a girl (Lennay Kekua) he met online. Kekua had been diagnosed with leukemia and supposedly died in early September, around the same time Te'o's grandmother passed away as well. Te'o proceeded to play with a heavy heart all season, finishing 2nd in Heisman voting and leading Notre Dame to the BCS title game.
Now we find out the whole story of his girlfriend was a hoax, first reported by Deadspin.com. I suggest you read the Deadspin article as it is very in-depth and even gives you a timeline of the "couple". But like I said, I'm not here to talk about that. What I don't understand is how ESPN, CBS, Sports Illustrated and other highly credible outlets would run story after story about how tragic the situation was and how Manti Te'o played so great under these circumstances without knowing the facts. The number one rule in journalism is only report what is true. You find this out by doing the research yourself, not by using facts that are word of mouth. To see and hear so many stories that were published in newspapers and shown on TV is unbelievable. It took a cult site like Deadspin, which I'm sure most people never heard of before now, to break the news of the hoax girlfriend. So you're telling me that for four months none of these other major news sources thought to find out the validity of this girl's death? It's not like it would have been hard to find if it was true. Apparently, she was a student at Stanford, had been in a car crash, had leukemia and died from it. I'm sure there had to have been some sort of record of these events.
This situation shows the power of the media. The media reported false information and blew Manti Te'o up to be something greater than he is. Don't get me wrong, I believe he is a good football player, but not great, definitely not 2nd in Heisman voting great. Every Heisman trophy winner has at least one memorable play from a big game, but nothing sticks out to me for Te'o. Yes, he was among the leaders in interceptions, but where was his game changing defensive touchdown or sack/fumble? ESPN and Sports Illustrated's continuous press of Te'o almost allowed him to steal the Heisman trophy from Johnny Manziel. ESPN is the biggest culprit of creating stories or players that people should follow because they are the leader in sports coverage. I'll be honest, I watch ESPN more than any other channel. I love watching SportsCenter for their highlights, but their news coverage I take with a grain of salt.
Another story on Deadspin talks about an interview former ESPN Radio host Doug Gottlieb had on "The Dan Patrick Show" saying that he was told he couldn't talk about Tim Tebow enough while on air. Tebow is the prime example of what continuous coverage on ESPN will do and it all started while he was at Florida. Tebow was a great college player and deserving of the Heisman but all the extra talk about his personal life and religion was overbearing. ESPN ran so many stories this year about him as a backup quarterback that I didn't even want to turn ESPN on. This has nothing to do with Tebow, his football ability or his religion. It has everything to do with ESPN thinking we want to hear about a QB that threw 8 passes all year.
Manti Te'o says he was a part of somebody's "sick joke" and he thought Lennay was a real person. I'm not faulting the guy for having an online relationship because with Facebook, Twitter and online dating sites it's how a lot of people meet each other nowadays. However, it is crazy for me to think he could be so deeply in love with someone that he's never seen in person but the MTV show "Catfish" proves that this happens more than we think. Some think Te'o was involved in creating the hoax for publicity reasons and even fellow teammates have said he knew she wasn't real. My first inclination was that he was involved. Stephen A. Smith made a good point that if he had such strong feels for Kekua how could he not go see her once after she was in a serious car accident, fighting cancer, or even at her funeral?
But the truth is we don't know the definitive answer to whether he was involved or not. What we do know is that all this could have been killed early on if the proper research was done by any one of many news outlets. Instead, the lie of Manti's fake girlfriend snowballed throughout the entire college football season and now he is in his current situation. If his poor performance in the BCS title game didn't hurt his draft stock enough, this will only make it worse.
Now we find out the whole story of his girlfriend was a hoax, first reported by Deadspin.com. I suggest you read the Deadspin article as it is very in-depth and even gives you a timeline of the "couple". But like I said, I'm not here to talk about that. What I don't understand is how ESPN, CBS, Sports Illustrated and other highly credible outlets would run story after story about how tragic the situation was and how Manti Te'o played so great under these circumstances without knowing the facts. The number one rule in journalism is only report what is true. You find this out by doing the research yourself, not by using facts that are word of mouth. To see and hear so many stories that were published in newspapers and shown on TV is unbelievable. It took a cult site like Deadspin, which I'm sure most people never heard of before now, to break the news of the hoax girlfriend. So you're telling me that for four months none of these other major news sources thought to find out the validity of this girl's death? It's not like it would have been hard to find if it was true. Apparently, she was a student at Stanford, had been in a car crash, had leukemia and died from it. I'm sure there had to have been some sort of record of these events.
This situation shows the power of the media. The media reported false information and blew Manti Te'o up to be something greater than he is. Don't get me wrong, I believe he is a good football player, but not great, definitely not 2nd in Heisman voting great. Every Heisman trophy winner has at least one memorable play from a big game, but nothing sticks out to me for Te'o. Yes, he was among the leaders in interceptions, but where was his game changing defensive touchdown or sack/fumble? ESPN and Sports Illustrated's continuous press of Te'o almost allowed him to steal the Heisman trophy from Johnny Manziel. ESPN is the biggest culprit of creating stories or players that people should follow because they are the leader in sports coverage. I'll be honest, I watch ESPN more than any other channel. I love watching SportsCenter for their highlights, but their news coverage I take with a grain of salt.
Another story on Deadspin talks about an interview former ESPN Radio host Doug Gottlieb had on "The Dan Patrick Show" saying that he was told he couldn't talk about Tim Tebow enough while on air. Tebow is the prime example of what continuous coverage on ESPN will do and it all started while he was at Florida. Tebow was a great college player and deserving of the Heisman but all the extra talk about his personal life and religion was overbearing. ESPN ran so many stories this year about him as a backup quarterback that I didn't even want to turn ESPN on. This has nothing to do with Tebow, his football ability or his religion. It has everything to do with ESPN thinking we want to hear about a QB that threw 8 passes all year.
Manti Te'o says he was a part of somebody's "sick joke" and he thought Lennay was a real person. I'm not faulting the guy for having an online relationship because with Facebook, Twitter and online dating sites it's how a lot of people meet each other nowadays. However, it is crazy for me to think he could be so deeply in love with someone that he's never seen in person but the MTV show "Catfish" proves that this happens more than we think. Some think Te'o was involved in creating the hoax for publicity reasons and even fellow teammates have said he knew she wasn't real. My first inclination was that he was involved. Stephen A. Smith made a good point that if he had such strong feels for Kekua how could he not go see her once after she was in a serious car accident, fighting cancer, or even at her funeral?
But the truth is we don't know the definitive answer to whether he was involved or not. What we do know is that all this could have been killed early on if the proper research was done by any one of many news outlets. Instead, the lie of Manti's fake girlfriend snowballed throughout the entire college football season and now he is in his current situation. If his poor performance in the BCS title game didn't hurt his draft stock enough, this will only make it worse.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 16
We entered last week with three undefeated teams and we enter this week with zero after Arizona, Duke and Michigan all lost. This created a mix up at the top of our rankings and also showed that every team in vulnerable on the road in conference games. Just as I was about to put this out last night Indiana was a in a tight game with Wisconsin. I figured I'd wait until it was over and sure enough, the Badgers pulled off the upset on the road 64-49.
Biggest Drop - Illinois down 10
- Louisville (15-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals take over at #1 after Duke and Michigan go down but they are a viable National Champion contender. They have one of the best defenses in the country and showed it in the second half of their win over UConn last night. Next up, #6 Syracuse on Saturday.
- Kansas (14-1, LW 5) - For the second week in a row a top 5 team needed to make a late comeback to avoid an upset and force overtime. Last week it was Arizona, this week KU needed a desperation bank 3-pointer at the end of regulation by their stud Ben McLemore to overcome Iowa State 97-89. McLemore finished with 33 points and 6-6 from deep.
- Duke (15-1, LW 1) - After getting news that Ryan Kelly will be out indefinitely, Duke proceeded to lose its first game to NC State 84-76. The loss of Kelly is huge and it will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils will handle his absence.
- Michigan (16-1, LW 2) - Michigan looked inexperienced and terrified in the first half of their road loss to Ohio State. They were making bad turnovers and couldn't hit a shot. A positive was they were able to make it a game however in the second half tying the score at 46. Other than that it was a game they'd like to forget and now have to prepare for a game at #10 Minnesota.
- Syracuse (16-1, LW 7) - The Orange suspended its second leading scorer James Southerland indefinitely and has to face now face #1 Louisville this weekend. Syracuse is pretty balanced but this is a loss they will have to adjust to if they want to keep their final four hopes alive.
- Indiana (15-2, LW 4) - Last night the Hoosiers hosted Wisconsin, a team they haven't beat in their last 10 efforts. That streak is now 11 as IU found it difficult to score. They still lead the nation at 85 points per game but could only amass 59 on 37% shooting.
- Arizona (15-1, LW 6) - After winning several games they could have lost, Arizona finally fell at Oregon 70-66. The Wildcats have beaten quality opponents and win close games which are good qualities to have come tournament time.
- Gonzaga (16-1, LW 9) - The Zags took out their rival St Mary's 83-78 at home their last time out. Next up a road game at Portland before heading to Butler for their toughest test of the season.
- Florida (12-2, LW 10) - Since the Gators' loss to Kansas State they have played extremely well winning 4 games by an average of 23 points. This week brings a road game at Texas A&M (who just beat Kentucky) and a home game against Missouri, two quality opponents.
- Minnesota (15-2, LW 8) - Minnesota couldn't get anything going in the first half at Indiana and just ran out of time to complete their comeback. We are going to see the Big Ten teams beat up on each other all year and it doesn't get any easier for them as #5 Michigan comes in to town Thursday.
- Creighton (16-1, LW 13) - Last week against Missouri State, Doug McDermott outscored the Bears in the second half 28-25 by himself. He finished with 39 points going 15-19 from the floor and 10 boards. They should get challenged this Saturday at Wichita State.
- Ohio State (13-3, LW 15) - The Buckeyes got their first win against a ranked opponent as they beat bitter rival Michigan. They looked great in the first half but looked sluggish in the second as they let UM back in the game. I'm still not completely sold on OSU and a tough road game at Michigan State is up next.
- North Carolina State (14-2, LW NR) - A lot was expected of this team to start the year as they were preseason #6. After a couple early losses the Wolfpack are hitting their stride after getting an 84-76 win over Duke. Their next game is at Maryland which should provide another test.
- Butler (14-2, LW NR) - The Bulldogs beat Dayton their last time out but it came at a price as leading scorer point guard Rotnei Clarke left the game with a next injury. They have two home games against Richmond and #8 Gonzaga this week and I'll be surprised if they escape without a loss if Clarke is out.
- San Diego State (14-2, LW NR) - After needing overtime to beat Colorado State, this week will be even tougher for the Aztecs. They host Mountain West contender UNLV on Wednesday then travel to Wyoming (who just lost their first game of the season) on Saturday.
Biggest Drop - Illinois down 10
Friday, January 11, 2013
NFL Divisional Round
The first weekend of the playoffs went according to schedule as all the favorites moved on. This weekend however will be a little more difficult to call as all remaining teams have at least one win against each other. Three of the four games are rematches from earlier in the year as Baltimore-Denver, Green Bay-San Francisco, and Houston-New England have all played this season. As for Seattle-Atlanta, the Seahawks will again be thought of as the road team with the best odds to escape with a win.
Baltimore Ravens (10-6) @ Denver Broncos (13-3) -9.5 at 4:30pm Sat.
The Baltimore Ravens travel to Denver this weekend looking to get revenge for a 34-17 defeat the Broncos handed them on December 16th. After an easy win over Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, the Ravens will now have to contend with a team that ranks 4th in total offense and 2nd in total defense. Baltimore looked good running the ball last week as they had 172 yards rushing, 103 by Bernard Pierce. Joe Flacco continued his first round winning streak throwing for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 12 completions. That game also marked Ray Lewis' last home game of his stellar career and it was good to see him leave on a high note. But now they face the Denver Broncos, the hottest team in football, on an 11-game win streak. In their first meeting the Broncos controlled both sides of the ball while building a 31-3 lead as they scored on the ground, through the air and on defense. Along with Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning is a candidate for MVP and Comeback Player of the Year as he threw for 4659 yards and 37 TD's. Coming off of serious neck surgery, we weren't sure how Peyton would perform but he had arguably his best season ever with his highest completion percentage and second highest totals in yards and touchdowns. He wasn't their only bright spot either as the defense played at a high level all season ranking 3rd in opponents passing and rushing yards per game. In previous years Baltimore would have a chance in this game because they would hold the advantage on D but not this year. Denver is too balanced offensively, even with their starting running back Willis McGahee out, and their defense made the Ravens struggle badly at home. If this game was being played in Maryland I'd give Baltimore a chance to win, but it's not. I give the edge to Peyton Manning, who led the league in Quarterback Rating at 84.1, and the Denver D.
Game: Denver
Bet: Baltimore
Green Bay Packers (11-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1) -3 at 8:00pm Sat.
In the first game of the season the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Green Bay and left with a 30-22 victory. Now the Packers will travel to San Fran in the Divisional Round of the playoffs looking to return the favor. Last week the Packers coasted to a 24-10 win over Minnesota and their backup QB Joe Webb. They will face another QB that began the season as a backup this week but Colin Kaepernick has proved himself to be a viable starter in the NFL. Kaepernick played sparingly until getting the start week 11 against the Chicago Bears and led the Niners to a 32-7 W, throwing for 243 yards and 2 TD's. He went on to finish the season 5-2 as a starter and pushed Alex Smith to the role of backup QB. In the teams first meeting it was Smith that threw for 211 yards and 2 TD's while Frank Gore rushed for 112 yards and a TD. But Kaepernick provides a running threat that Green Bay will have to worry about if they want to pull off the upset. While he is making his first post-season start, Aaron Rodgers will be making his eighth and his team is getting healthy at the right time. The problem they've had is a lack of running game and when going up against a defense like the Niners, you can't be one dimensional. SF ranks 3rd in opponents total yards and 2nd in opponents points at 17.1 per game, being led by Aldon Smith who was 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 19.5. Rodgers and Green Bay's passing offense is so efficient they usually can overcome not having a consistent rushing attack. However, The key this game with be the Packers defense. If they are able to contain Gore and stymie the Niners through the air they have a great chance because you know Rodgers is going to put up points even against one of the best defenses in the league. I feel like Green Bay's defense will step up and pressure the inexperienced Kaepernick into bad throws. This should be a great game coming down to the wire with Rodgers leading his team to the NFC Championship game.
Game: Green Bay
Bet: Green Bay
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Atlanta Falcons (13-3) -2.5 at 1:00pm Sun.
Is this the year Matt Ryan will win his first playoff game? After making the playoffs 3 of his first 4 years Matty Ice is still looking for his first win. He put up the best numbers of his career with 4,719 yards and 32 TD's but will have his hands full with Seattle's defense. The Seahawks were able to advance after a 24-14 win in Washington, Marshawn Lynch ran for 132 yards and 1 TD. The Falcons defense is tough to get a handle on because by a yardage standpoint they rank 24th but only give up 18.7 points per game, good for 5th. Stopping Lynch will be their #1 priority as he's rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last 5 games. While Atlanta has to try to stop one player, Seattle will be asked to stop two dynamic wide receivers, Roddy White and Julio Jones. White and Jones combined for 2,549 yards and 17 TD's and will be matched up against Seattle Corners Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman. I believe this matchup will decide the game. Receivers are usually bigger than corners, but Browner (6'4", 221 lbs) and Sherman (6'3", 195) are not your average corners and have a size advantage over almost every receiver tandem in the league. While White and Jones both had great seasons, for some reason Jones played much better on the road than at home. On the road Jones had 751 yards and 8 TD's while only totaling 447 and 2 TD's in the Georgia Dome. If Atlanta is able to complete passes down field for big plays they have a great chance of winning. As discussed last week, Seattle and quarterback Russell Wilson have struggled on the road. They were able to get a road playoff win last week but I don't see it happening again. A lot of people don't have faith in the Falcons but they were 7-1 at home and if their offense can score on this tough D, Matt Ryan will get that elusive first playoff win.
Game: Atlanta
Bet: Atlanta
Houston Texans (12-4) @ New England (12-4) -9.5 at 4:30pm Sun.
Their meeting in the regular season was one of the most anticipated because Houston was coming in with an 11-1 record and road game in New England on Monday night would tell us if they were for real. The Texans played uninspiring football and were smashed 42-14 behind Tom Brady's 296 yards and 4 TD's. Houston will have to find some way to slow down Brady as he and the Patriots have the #1 scoring offense in the NFL at 34.8 points per game. We all know what to expect out of Brady but running back Stevan Ridley was a pleasant surprise for New England rushing for 1,263 yards and 12 TD's. The Pats started the season 3-3 (losing those games by a combined 4 points) but finished strong at 9-1 and now are now poised for another Super Bowl push. I'm not going to lie, I really don't think the Texans have much of a chance in this game. For Houston, everything starts with their running game but in the first meeting Arian Foster only managed 46 yards. Partly because New England jumped out to a 28-0 lead and Houston was forced to throw to get back in the game. I see this same scenario playing out again. New England's defense never gets enough credit but they rank 9th in opponents rushing and points against while creating 41 turnovers, 2nd behind Chicago. Year in and year out the Patriots are the most consistent team in the league. New England will handle Houston and with ease and with a win, Tom Brady will pass Joe Montana for most career playoff wins by a QB.
Game: New England
Bet: New England
Last Week
Straight Up: 4-0
Against The Spread: 2-2
Baltimore Ravens (10-6) @ Denver Broncos (13-3) -9.5 at 4:30pm Sat.
The Baltimore Ravens travel to Denver this weekend looking to get revenge for a 34-17 defeat the Broncos handed them on December 16th. After an easy win over Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, the Ravens will now have to contend with a team that ranks 4th in total offense and 2nd in total defense. Baltimore looked good running the ball last week as they had 172 yards rushing, 103 by Bernard Pierce. Joe Flacco continued his first round winning streak throwing for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 12 completions. That game also marked Ray Lewis' last home game of his stellar career and it was good to see him leave on a high note. But now they face the Denver Broncos, the hottest team in football, on an 11-game win streak. In their first meeting the Broncos controlled both sides of the ball while building a 31-3 lead as they scored on the ground, through the air and on defense. Along with Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning is a candidate for MVP and Comeback Player of the Year as he threw for 4659 yards and 37 TD's. Coming off of serious neck surgery, we weren't sure how Peyton would perform but he had arguably his best season ever with his highest completion percentage and second highest totals in yards and touchdowns. He wasn't their only bright spot either as the defense played at a high level all season ranking 3rd in opponents passing and rushing yards per game. In previous years Baltimore would have a chance in this game because they would hold the advantage on D but not this year. Denver is too balanced offensively, even with their starting running back Willis McGahee out, and their defense made the Ravens struggle badly at home. If this game was being played in Maryland I'd give Baltimore a chance to win, but it's not. I give the edge to Peyton Manning, who led the league in Quarterback Rating at 84.1, and the Denver D.
Game: Denver
Bet: Baltimore
Green Bay Packers (11-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1) -3 at 8:00pm Sat.
In the first game of the season the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Green Bay and left with a 30-22 victory. Now the Packers will travel to San Fran in the Divisional Round of the playoffs looking to return the favor. Last week the Packers coasted to a 24-10 win over Minnesota and their backup QB Joe Webb. They will face another QB that began the season as a backup this week but Colin Kaepernick has proved himself to be a viable starter in the NFL. Kaepernick played sparingly until getting the start week 11 against the Chicago Bears and led the Niners to a 32-7 W, throwing for 243 yards and 2 TD's. He went on to finish the season 5-2 as a starter and pushed Alex Smith to the role of backup QB. In the teams first meeting it was Smith that threw for 211 yards and 2 TD's while Frank Gore rushed for 112 yards and a TD. But Kaepernick provides a running threat that Green Bay will have to worry about if they want to pull off the upset. While he is making his first post-season start, Aaron Rodgers will be making his eighth and his team is getting healthy at the right time. The problem they've had is a lack of running game and when going up against a defense like the Niners, you can't be one dimensional. SF ranks 3rd in opponents total yards and 2nd in opponents points at 17.1 per game, being led by Aldon Smith who was 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 19.5. Rodgers and Green Bay's passing offense is so efficient they usually can overcome not having a consistent rushing attack. However, The key this game with be the Packers defense. If they are able to contain Gore and stymie the Niners through the air they have a great chance because you know Rodgers is going to put up points even against one of the best defenses in the league. I feel like Green Bay's defense will step up and pressure the inexperienced Kaepernick into bad throws. This should be a great game coming down to the wire with Rodgers leading his team to the NFC Championship game.
Game: Green Bay
Bet: Green Bay
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Atlanta Falcons (13-3) -2.5 at 1:00pm Sun.
Is this the year Matt Ryan will win his first playoff game? After making the playoffs 3 of his first 4 years Matty Ice is still looking for his first win. He put up the best numbers of his career with 4,719 yards and 32 TD's but will have his hands full with Seattle's defense. The Seahawks were able to advance after a 24-14 win in Washington, Marshawn Lynch ran for 132 yards and 1 TD. The Falcons defense is tough to get a handle on because by a yardage standpoint they rank 24th but only give up 18.7 points per game, good for 5th. Stopping Lynch will be their #1 priority as he's rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last 5 games. While Atlanta has to try to stop one player, Seattle will be asked to stop two dynamic wide receivers, Roddy White and Julio Jones. White and Jones combined for 2,549 yards and 17 TD's and will be matched up against Seattle Corners Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman. I believe this matchup will decide the game. Receivers are usually bigger than corners, but Browner (6'4", 221 lbs) and Sherman (6'3", 195) are not your average corners and have a size advantage over almost every receiver tandem in the league. While White and Jones both had great seasons, for some reason Jones played much better on the road than at home. On the road Jones had 751 yards and 8 TD's while only totaling 447 and 2 TD's in the Georgia Dome. If Atlanta is able to complete passes down field for big plays they have a great chance of winning. As discussed last week, Seattle and quarterback Russell Wilson have struggled on the road. They were able to get a road playoff win last week but I don't see it happening again. A lot of people don't have faith in the Falcons but they were 7-1 at home and if their offense can score on this tough D, Matt Ryan will get that elusive first playoff win.
Game: Atlanta
Bet: Atlanta
Houston Texans (12-4) @ New England (12-4) -9.5 at 4:30pm Sun.
Their meeting in the regular season was one of the most anticipated because Houston was coming in with an 11-1 record and road game in New England on Monday night would tell us if they were for real. The Texans played uninspiring football and were smashed 42-14 behind Tom Brady's 296 yards and 4 TD's. Houston will have to find some way to slow down Brady as he and the Patriots have the #1 scoring offense in the NFL at 34.8 points per game. We all know what to expect out of Brady but running back Stevan Ridley was a pleasant surprise for New England rushing for 1,263 yards and 12 TD's. The Pats started the season 3-3 (losing those games by a combined 4 points) but finished strong at 9-1 and now are now poised for another Super Bowl push. I'm not going to lie, I really don't think the Texans have much of a chance in this game. For Houston, everything starts with their running game but in the first meeting Arian Foster only managed 46 yards. Partly because New England jumped out to a 28-0 lead and Houston was forced to throw to get back in the game. I see this same scenario playing out again. New England's defense never gets enough credit but they rank 9th in opponents rushing and points against while creating 41 turnovers, 2nd behind Chicago. Year in and year out the Patriots are the most consistent team in the league. New England will handle Houston and with ease and with a win, Tom Brady will pass Joe Montana for most career playoff wins by a QB.
Game: New England
Bet: New England
Last Week
Straight Up: 4-0
Against The Spread: 2-2
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
College Basketball Power Rankings: January 8
With conference play opening up last week we had a top 15 matchup between Ohio State and Illinois where we saw the Fighting Illini win easily 74-55 and a controversial ending in the Colorado-Arizona game with a game winning three pointer by Colorado was taken away. From here on out, this is where things get juicy. Here we go.
Biggest Drop - Ohio State down 6
- Duke Blue Devils (14-0, LW 1) - Duke has been coasting lately and even though conference play is starting that still might not change. The ACC is nowhere near as talented as it once was but they will have one of their tougher tests this week at NC State.
- Michigan Wolverines (15-0, LW 1) - Two Big Ten games, two 28-point wins. That's how Michigan opened up last week against Northwestern and Iowa. The Big Ten is by far the best conference with six team ranked and three in the top-ten. We will see how good this team is with back-to-back road games against Ohio State and Minnesota coming up.
- Louisville Cardinals (13-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals had a huge win over rival Kentucky, a game they saw their center Gorgui Dieng back in action. He only saw 20 minutes that game but against Providence he recorded 11 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks.
- Indiana Hoosiers (14-1, LW 5) - IU was tested in their opener at Iowa mainly in part because sharp-shooting Jordan Hulls went 0-10 from the floor and 0-4 from 3 (he's over 50% for both on the year). They bounced back though with a 74-51 win at Penn State. Next up a tough Minnesota team.
- Kansas Jayhawks (12-1, LW 6) - Temple tried to take down its second top-ten team this year but Kansas was too much down the stretch. With only a surprise loss to Michigan State, this Jayhawks squad is poised to make a strong push through the Big 12.
- Arizona Wildcats (14-0, LW 4) - I wanted to drop the Wildcats further because if it wasn't for a bad call by the refs this team would not be undefeated. Even with a review they still took away Colorado's Sabatino Chen's last-second 3. None-the-less Arizona pulled the game out in OT but it will be interesting to see what happens in a poor Pac-12 where they are the only ranked team.
- Syracuse Orange (14-1, LW 7) - The Big East is going to be a two-team race between Syracuse and Louisville for the top spot. The Orange has a guard oriented offense led by Michael Carter-Williams and if he can learn to be a consistent scorer, they can be a very dangerous team down the stretch.
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-1, LW 8) - Minnesota still isn't getting the credit they deserve from the media in my opinion. After a convincing 13-point win over Michigan State maybe that will change. The Gophers are strong on D, leading the Big Ten in blocks and steals. We will get a real sense of this team as their next 3 games are at #12 Illinois, at #4 Indiana and home against #2 Michigan. Yikes!
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (15-1, LW 11) - Last week they had 3 road wins including, at Oklahoma State and at a tough Santa Clara team. The West Coast Conference always has its share of teams looking to upset the Bulldogs including Saint Mary's (next up) and BYU.
- Florida Gators (10-2, LW 13) - The Gators looked nice early on but are climbing the ranks because of other reams losing. Playing in a watered-down SEC they will have to win a lot of games decisively and not slip up against any of the middle teams to stay respected
- Missouri Tigers (11-2, LW 12) - After a nice win over Illinois, Missouri fell to UCLA in OT and sneaked out a win over a strong Bucknell team. Phil Pressey has been leading the charge of last with 19 points and 19 assists against UCLA and 26 points against Bucknell.
- Illinois Fighting Illini (14-2, LW 10) - Illinois is starting to get a little shaky of late going 2-2 in its last 4. They started conference play with an ugly loss to a bad Purdue team 68-61 but followed it up with a very impressive win over OSU 74-55. They will get another test their next game at home against Minnesota.
- Creighton Bluejays (14-1, LW 15) - The Missouri Valley Conference always has teams that sneak up on people once the tournament comes around but not this Creighton team. Lead by Doug McDermott, who is third in the nation with 23.1 point per game, they will be a team to watch the rest of the season.
- Notre Dame Fight Irish (14-2, LW NR) - Since losing early to Saint Joe's in OT, the Irish have picked up wins over BYU, Kentucky and most recently on the road at Cincinnati. Jack Cooley has been a double-double machine averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds. I bet their fans quickly turned their attention to the hardwood after the performance from their football team last night against Alabama in the BCS Championship game.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (11-3, LW 9) - So apparently this team doesn't fair well against ranked opponents. Their three toughest games have been their three losses (Duke, Kansas, Illinois). The Buckeyes will have to find another scoring threat to go along with Deshaun Thomas or else the Big Ten season will be long and ugly for OSU.
Biggest Drop - Ohio State down 6
Saturday, January 5, 2013
NFL Wild-Card Weekend
The NFL playoffs have arrived and it's time to throw the records out because as the New York Giants showed us last year all you have to do is make the post-season and anything can happen. This weekend brings a rematch of a wild-card game last year, a rematch between Week 17 opponents and division rivals, a rookie quarterback against a retiring defensive star, and two more rookie QB's going head-to-head. The last two Super Bowl champions have played on wild-card weekend so there is plenty to pay attention to in these games.
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) @ Houston Texans (12-4) -4.5 at 4:30pm Sat.
These are two teams heading in different directions coming into the playoffs. The Cincinnati Bengals won 7 of their last 8 to close out the season. On the other hand the Houston Texans lost 3 of 4 while squeaking out OT wins over the lowly Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars down the stretch to lose the #1 seed and a first round bye. When the season started Houston was a popular pick for the Super Bowl, now they are a popular pick to be upset, but should they? Lest we forget, these two teams played in the first round a year ago with the Texans winning 31-10 with backup quarterback T.J. Yates at the helm. That game also marked J.J. Watt's coming out party with an athletic pick six of Andy Dalton. Houston's defense is coming in a little banged up especially at the linebacker position but they are more worried about stopping Bengals emerging wideout A.J. Green who will see a lot of cornerback Jonathan Joseph. Cincinnati has an underrated defense that ranks in the top ten in yards and points per game but they will have to find a way to slow down Texans running back Arian Foster who torched them for 153 yards and two TD's last year. I know that Houston has struggled to end the year but I still think they will pull this game out. Give the young Bengals another year to mature and they take this game, until then give me the Texans but in a close one.
Game: Houston
Bet: Cincinnati
Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ Green Bay Packers (11-5) -7.5 at 8:00pm Sat.
Familiar foes meet in this game of division rivals which is also a rematch of a game the Minnesota Vikings needed to win to make it to the playoffs. The Vikes took that one on a last second field goal 37-34 and behind legs of Adrian Peterson who ran for 199 yards. Peterson is a remarkable story coming back from a serious knee injury to rush for 2,097 yards, nine yards shy of breaking the all-time single-season record. In their earlier meeting he rushed for 210 yards but Minnesota fell to the Packers 23-14. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was consistent as usual this year throwing for 4,295 yards, 39 TD's and leading the NFL with a 108 QB rating. Mr. Discount Double Check put up those numbers without having a 1,000 yard receiver as Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb all missed games due to injuries. But, all those guys are now healthy (Charles Woodson will also be back for the defense) and the Pack will look to make another run to the Super Bowl. The Vikings did what they had to do at home to make the playoffs and Peterson made his case for MVP, but it's a whole different story playing in Green Bay in December. Minnesota's QB Christian Ponder has been too inconsistent for them to get a win at the frozen tundra. I expect to see Aaron Rodgers clicking with his full compliment of receiving options and their defense to pressure Ponder into making poor decisions and turnovers. Go Pack Go in a rout.
Game: Green Bay
Bet: Green Bay
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (10-6) -7 at 1:00pm Sun.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Andrew Luck #1 overall in the draft and it paid off as he lead them to the playoffs in his first season. While the Colts have a franchise player coming in, the Baltimore Ravens have one leaving as 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, Ray Lewis, will be retiring at the end of the season. Again we have two teams going in opposite directions as the Colts have won 5 of 6 and the Ravens have dropped 4 of 5. The Colts are an interesting team as they have a winning record at 11-5 but are the only team to make the playoffs that has been outscored by their opponent (22.3-24.2 per game). However, all that matters are W's and the Colts find themselves facing a Ravens team that has been hampered by injuries all season and struggling down the stretch. Their normally stout defense has been mediocre as players at almost every position have been out. Starters Ray Lewis LB, Terrell Suggs LB, Haloti Ngata DE, Lardarius Webb CB, Jimmy Smith CB, and Bernard Pollard SS have all missed time, some out for the season. On the offensive end Ray Rice's numbers have been down compared to last year but is still capable of having a big game against the Colts 29th ranked rushing defense. Luck has played well but has also committed 23 turnovers (18 INT's and 5 fumbles) and will have to limit those if he was to get his team a victory. To me, this game will be decided by Ravens QB Joe Flacco. He has won at least one playoff game in each of his first four years and it looks like that trend will continue if he is able to play with confidence and manage the offense. I also feel this defense will get a huge boost from knowing their star Ray Lewis is making his last playoff appearance.
Game: Baltimore
Bet: Baltimore
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) -3.5 @ Washington Redskins (10-6) at 4:30pm Sun.
Both of these teams are very similar as they each have rookie quarterback's, strong running games, and strong defenses. Each team is lead by Seattle's Russell Wilson and Washington's Robert Griffin III, and each rank in the top 4 in QB passer rating. Wilson is definitely the bigger surprise. In the off-season Seattle spent big money to bring Matt Flynn over from the Packers, then drafted Wilson in the third round. Wilson won the job and hasn't looked back throwing for 26 TD's. RGIII came into Washington knowing he will be the starter and showed his Heisman trophy season at Baylor translated to the NFL throwing for 3,200 yards and 20 TD's while rushing for for over 800 yards and 7 TD's. The two running backs in this game ranked only behind Adrian Peterson in rushing yards. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is as tough a runner there is in the NFL (so much determination doe) as he ran for 1,590 yards and 11 TD's. The Redskins have another rookie in the backfield, sixth round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, Alfred Morris, who totaled 1,613 and 13 TD's on the ground. Nobody saw this coming from Morris, but on most Mike Shanahan coached teams, whoever he finally chooses to be his running back usually has a big year. RGIII and Morris combined to have the best rushing attack in the league. As for the defenses, Seattle had the best in the NFL, giving up the fewest points per game at 15.3 and ranked 4th in total yards. Washington has an underrated defense as they rank 4th in takeaways, 2nd in turnover differential and 5th in rushing defense. The one thing to watch is how Russell Wilson and the Seahawks play on the road. They were 8-0 at home beating the likes of Green Bay (controversially), New England (last secondly), and San Francisco (blow-outly). However, on the road they were 3-5 (one win coming in Canada) losing to Arizona, Detroit, and Miami. The Redskins have won 7 straight, including their final game against the Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs, so they are coming in hot. I like to think that defense wins championships and if I go by that, Seattle has a great chance. This game can honestly go either way, but the Seahawks D will stifle RGIII and Morris and put their road questions to bed. I will stick with the road favorite.
Game: Seattle
Bet: Washington
Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) @ Houston Texans (12-4) -4.5 at 4:30pm Sat.
These are two teams heading in different directions coming into the playoffs. The Cincinnati Bengals won 7 of their last 8 to close out the season. On the other hand the Houston Texans lost 3 of 4 while squeaking out OT wins over the lowly Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars down the stretch to lose the #1 seed and a first round bye. When the season started Houston was a popular pick for the Super Bowl, now they are a popular pick to be upset, but should they? Lest we forget, these two teams played in the first round a year ago with the Texans winning 31-10 with backup quarterback T.J. Yates at the helm. That game also marked J.J. Watt's coming out party with an athletic pick six of Andy Dalton. Houston's defense is coming in a little banged up especially at the linebacker position but they are more worried about stopping Bengals emerging wideout A.J. Green who will see a lot of cornerback Jonathan Joseph. Cincinnati has an underrated defense that ranks in the top ten in yards and points per game but they will have to find a way to slow down Texans running back Arian Foster who torched them for 153 yards and two TD's last year. I know that Houston has struggled to end the year but I still think they will pull this game out. Give the young Bengals another year to mature and they take this game, until then give me the Texans but in a close one.
Game: Houston
Bet: Cincinnati
Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ Green Bay Packers (11-5) -7.5 at 8:00pm Sat.
Familiar foes meet in this game of division rivals which is also a rematch of a game the Minnesota Vikings needed to win to make it to the playoffs. The Vikes took that one on a last second field goal 37-34 and behind legs of Adrian Peterson who ran for 199 yards. Peterson is a remarkable story coming back from a serious knee injury to rush for 2,097 yards, nine yards shy of breaking the all-time single-season record. In their earlier meeting he rushed for 210 yards but Minnesota fell to the Packers 23-14. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was consistent as usual this year throwing for 4,295 yards, 39 TD's and leading the NFL with a 108 QB rating. Mr. Discount Double Check put up those numbers without having a 1,000 yard receiver as Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb all missed games due to injuries. But, all those guys are now healthy (Charles Woodson will also be back for the defense) and the Pack will look to make another run to the Super Bowl. The Vikings did what they had to do at home to make the playoffs and Peterson made his case for MVP, but it's a whole different story playing in Green Bay in December. Minnesota's QB Christian Ponder has been too inconsistent for them to get a win at the frozen tundra. I expect to see Aaron Rodgers clicking with his full compliment of receiving options and their defense to pressure Ponder into making poor decisions and turnovers. Go Pack Go in a rout.
Game: Green Bay
Bet: Green Bay
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (10-6) -7 at 1:00pm Sun.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Andrew Luck #1 overall in the draft and it paid off as he lead them to the playoffs in his first season. While the Colts have a franchise player coming in, the Baltimore Ravens have one leaving as 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, Ray Lewis, will be retiring at the end of the season. Again we have two teams going in opposite directions as the Colts have won 5 of 6 and the Ravens have dropped 4 of 5. The Colts are an interesting team as they have a winning record at 11-5 but are the only team to make the playoffs that has been outscored by their opponent (22.3-24.2 per game). However, all that matters are W's and the Colts find themselves facing a Ravens team that has been hampered by injuries all season and struggling down the stretch. Their normally stout defense has been mediocre as players at almost every position have been out. Starters Ray Lewis LB, Terrell Suggs LB, Haloti Ngata DE, Lardarius Webb CB, Jimmy Smith CB, and Bernard Pollard SS have all missed time, some out for the season. On the offensive end Ray Rice's numbers have been down compared to last year but is still capable of having a big game against the Colts 29th ranked rushing defense. Luck has played well but has also committed 23 turnovers (18 INT's and 5 fumbles) and will have to limit those if he was to get his team a victory. To me, this game will be decided by Ravens QB Joe Flacco. He has won at least one playoff game in each of his first four years and it looks like that trend will continue if he is able to play with confidence and manage the offense. I also feel this defense will get a huge boost from knowing their star Ray Lewis is making his last playoff appearance.
Game: Baltimore
Bet: Baltimore
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) -3.5 @ Washington Redskins (10-6) at 4:30pm Sun.
Both of these teams are very similar as they each have rookie quarterback's, strong running games, and strong defenses. Each team is lead by Seattle's Russell Wilson and Washington's Robert Griffin III, and each rank in the top 4 in QB passer rating. Wilson is definitely the bigger surprise. In the off-season Seattle spent big money to bring Matt Flynn over from the Packers, then drafted Wilson in the third round. Wilson won the job and hasn't looked back throwing for 26 TD's. RGIII came into Washington knowing he will be the starter and showed his Heisman trophy season at Baylor translated to the NFL throwing for 3,200 yards and 20 TD's while rushing for for over 800 yards and 7 TD's. The two running backs in this game ranked only behind Adrian Peterson in rushing yards. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is as tough a runner there is in the NFL (so much determination doe) as he ran for 1,590 yards and 11 TD's. The Redskins have another rookie in the backfield, sixth round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, Alfred Morris, who totaled 1,613 and 13 TD's on the ground. Nobody saw this coming from Morris, but on most Mike Shanahan coached teams, whoever he finally chooses to be his running back usually has a big year. RGIII and Morris combined to have the best rushing attack in the league. As for the defenses, Seattle had the best in the NFL, giving up the fewest points per game at 15.3 and ranked 4th in total yards. Washington has an underrated defense as they rank 4th in takeaways, 2nd in turnover differential and 5th in rushing defense. The one thing to watch is how Russell Wilson and the Seahawks play on the road. They were 8-0 at home beating the likes of Green Bay (controversially), New England (last secondly), and San Francisco (blow-outly). However, on the road they were 3-5 (one win coming in Canada) losing to Arizona, Detroit, and Miami. The Redskins have won 7 straight, including their final game against the Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs, so they are coming in hot. I like to think that defense wins championships and if I go by that, Seattle has a great chance. This game can honestly go either way, but the Seahawks D will stifle RGIII and Morris and put their road questions to bed. I will stick with the road favorite.
Game: Seattle
Bet: Washington
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Bo vs Deion
I have always been a big fan of ESPN's series 30 for 30 and
about a month ago came "You Don't Know Bo". It discussed the career of
Bo Jackson from college at Auburn, to the NFL, MLB, and his "Bo Knows"
marketing campaign with Nike. My excitement for it mostly stemmed from
being too young to actually remember watching him play but remembering
how unstoppable he was in Tecmo Bowl. While watching I'm thinking Bo
Jackson has to be the greatest athlete ever. To be able to play two
sports professionally at a high level is something unheard of, not even
the Michael Jordan could do it. However, Deion Sanders could. Over the
holiday I found myself in a debate, who is the better two sport
athlete, Bo or Deion?
Most professional athletes play multiple sports growing up but by the time they hit college they chose one and go with it. These guys were able to play in the NFL and MLB. But while Deion was able to have full careers in both sports, Bo suffered a serious hip injury when he was 28. He was able to come back to play two more years of baseball but it pretty much ended his career. So it is difficult to fully compare the two athletes but the question needs to be answered.
Let's take a look at football first. Deion Sanders is arguably the best cover corner the NFL has ever seen and because of that he was selected to 8 Pro-Bowls and inducted into the Hall of Fame. He had 53 career interceptions with nine touchdowns and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1994. Sanders was also a threat in the return game totaling nine touchdowns on kick/punt returns. There wasn't much Deion couldn't do with his speed, quickness and ball hawking ability in 13 years in the NFL. Bo Jackson on the other hand could only manage four abbreviated seasons in the NFL before his injury. But in those four years he made a name for himself and left us wanting more. Bo elected to commit fully to baseball before switching to football so he never played more than 11 games in a season. However, he averaged 5.4 yards a carry for his career (Barry Sanders averaged 5.0) and in his first season he had 6.8 ypc. Once Bo arrived to the Los Angeles Raiders after baseball the team moved him ahead of Hall of Famer Marcus Allen as the lead running back and in his best year he averaged 86.4 yards a game in a split backfield. In three of his four seasons, Jackson had runs of 88, 91, and 92 yards. Bo Jackson was a ridiculous combination of strength and speed that was unrivaled at the time.
In baseball, Bo was able to play eight years but only four as a full-time starter before his injury. He was selected to the All-Star game in 1989 and was also named the MVP of that game. Jackson displayed he power and speed in baseball hitting over 20 homeruns and stealing 20 bases in two seasons including 32 HR's and 26 SB's in 1989. For his career he only hit .250 and was always among the league leaders in strikeouts. Bo could play defense too as he lead the AL in two years in assists by a left-fielder. On the diamond, Deion was not as dominant as he was on the gridiron. He was only a full-time starter for one season with the Cincinnati Reds in 1997 but during that year he was 2nd in the NL in steals with 56. He also lead the NL in triples in 1992. Sanders hit .263 for his career but that is skewed by three very poor seasons (.234, .158, .191) to start his career. However, he did hit .533 in the 1992 World Series while the next best on the team was .296.
It's really hard to argue against either athlete but I have to give my vote to Bo Jackson. Even though we never saw his full potential in either sport you can't deny the impact that he made in such a short span. Bo didn't have the career in the NFL that Deion did, but Sanders was just an average baseball player whereas Jackson was an elite player in both sports. The thing I admire most about Bo Jackson though is not not his athletic ability, it's his character. He was drafted #1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986 but because he felt they ruined his Senior year in college because of shady dealings he turned them down and decided to play baseball. If it wasn't for that we might not have ever seen Bo Jackson as a two sport athlete.
Most professional athletes play multiple sports growing up but by the time they hit college they chose one and go with it. These guys were able to play in the NFL and MLB. But while Deion was able to have full careers in both sports, Bo suffered a serious hip injury when he was 28. He was able to come back to play two more years of baseball but it pretty much ended his career. So it is difficult to fully compare the two athletes but the question needs to be answered.
Let's take a look at football first. Deion Sanders is arguably the best cover corner the NFL has ever seen and because of that he was selected to 8 Pro-Bowls and inducted into the Hall of Fame. He had 53 career interceptions with nine touchdowns and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1994. Sanders was also a threat in the return game totaling nine touchdowns on kick/punt returns. There wasn't much Deion couldn't do with his speed, quickness and ball hawking ability in 13 years in the NFL. Bo Jackson on the other hand could only manage four abbreviated seasons in the NFL before his injury. But in those four years he made a name for himself and left us wanting more. Bo elected to commit fully to baseball before switching to football so he never played more than 11 games in a season. However, he averaged 5.4 yards a carry for his career (Barry Sanders averaged 5.0) and in his first season he had 6.8 ypc. Once Bo arrived to the Los Angeles Raiders after baseball the team moved him ahead of Hall of Famer Marcus Allen as the lead running back and in his best year he averaged 86.4 yards a game in a split backfield. In three of his four seasons, Jackson had runs of 88, 91, and 92 yards. Bo Jackson was a ridiculous combination of strength and speed that was unrivaled at the time.
In baseball, Bo was able to play eight years but only four as a full-time starter before his injury. He was selected to the All-Star game in 1989 and was also named the MVP of that game. Jackson displayed he power and speed in baseball hitting over 20 homeruns and stealing 20 bases in two seasons including 32 HR's and 26 SB's in 1989. For his career he only hit .250 and was always among the league leaders in strikeouts. Bo could play defense too as he lead the AL in two years in assists by a left-fielder. On the diamond, Deion was not as dominant as he was on the gridiron. He was only a full-time starter for one season with the Cincinnati Reds in 1997 but during that year he was 2nd in the NL in steals with 56. He also lead the NL in triples in 1992. Sanders hit .263 for his career but that is skewed by three very poor seasons (.234, .158, .191) to start his career. However, he did hit .533 in the 1992 World Series while the next best on the team was .296.
It's really hard to argue against either athlete but I have to give my vote to Bo Jackson. Even though we never saw his full potential in either sport you can't deny the impact that he made in such a short span. Bo didn't have the career in the NFL that Deion did, but Sanders was just an average baseball player whereas Jackson was an elite player in both sports. The thing I admire most about Bo Jackson though is not not his athletic ability, it's his character. He was drafted #1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986 but because he felt they ruined his Senior year in college because of shady dealings he turned them down and decided to play baseball. If it wasn't for that we might not have ever seen Bo Jackson as a two sport athlete.
College Basketball Power Rankings: December 25
Merry Christmas everyone! This past week we saw the biggest shake up of top teams in the country as four took a loss, two for the first time this year. In ranked matchups, Kansas took out Ohio State 74-66 and Missouri beat Illinois 82-73. The biggest upset was Temple over Syracuse 83-79. Here are my latest rankings.
Biggest Drop - Florida down 6
- Duke Blue Devils (11-0, Last Week 1) - The top-ranked Blue Devils disposed of Cornell and Elon on back-to-back nights. Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry continue to be a great inside-outside tandem.
- Michigan Wolverines (12-0, Last Week 2) - Michigan continues to get contributions from the entire team as four players average over 12 points per game. After a 93-54 drubbing of Eastern Michigan, they finish with the directional schools in the state, taking on Central Michigan this week.
- Louisville Cardinals (11-1, Last Week 4) - Rick Pitino's squad showed its defensive prowess holding FIU and WKU to 55 points. They are rolling as a date with rival Kentucky looms this week.
- Arizona Wildcats (11-0, Last Week 5) - The Wildcats opened up the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii with wins over ETSU and a solid Miami (Fl) team. A game against San Diego State in the championship could prove a tough test.
- Indiana Hoosiers (11-1, Last Week 6) - Since their loss to Butler, Indiana has taken their frustration out on lesser opponents Mount St Mary's and Florida Atlantic. They still remain the nation's highest scoring team.
- Kansas Jayhawks (10-1, Last Week 9) -The Jayhawks received a big boost after beating OSU in Columbus 74-66. Ben McLemore scored 22 and seems to be improving each week.
- Syracuse Orange (10-1, Last Week 3) - After getting coach Boeheim his 900th win, the Orange dropped a surprising game at Temple 83-79. Michael Carter-Williams went 3-17 from the floor and 7-15 from the line, while their leading scorer James Southerland managed only six points.
- Missouri Tigers (10-1, Last Week 15) - After watching the Tigers beat Illinois rather convincingly I'm starting to believe in this team. They were able to control the paint as Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi each posted a double-double and Mizzou had a 51-29 rebounding advantage.
- Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2, Last Week 7) - OSU dropped a big game at home to Kansas as they were only able to shoot 31% from the field. They have lost their only games to top ten teams but this was one the needed to show they can compete with the elite teams in the country.
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-1, Last Week 11) - Minnesota has its eyes set on Michigan State on NYE. I believe this team can contend for a Big Ten title and the Spartans will provide a good test.
- Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0, Last Week 12) - The Bearcats looked good in the second half in a 60-45 win over in-state rival Xavier but they continue to shoot a poor percentage from the field, ranking 164th nationally. Their defense is great, but it will be interesting to see what happens when they face a ranked team.
- Illinois Fighting Illini (12-1, Last Week 10) - Illinois struggled mightily on offense shooting 33% while Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson combined for 8-31. This was the first setback to a surprising start for this team.
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1, Last Week 13) - The Zags took care of Campbell now look towards playing two Big 12 teams in Baylor and Oklahoma State.
- Florida Gators (8-2, Last Week 8) - Florida has dropped two of its last three after falling 67-61 to Kansas State. This team looked good early on but is starting to stumble on the road.
- San Diego State Aztecs (11-1, Last Week 14) - A win over Arizona in the championship in Hawaii will turn some heads for this team.
Biggest Drop - Florida down 6
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