Week 1 is in the books (kind of). There are still games to be played on Monday but this holiday weekend is not going to stop me from writing my recap on Saturday night/Sunday morning like I plan. There will be recurring segments each week so hope you enjoy. Again, this is one man's opinion and as most of you like to point out, a bad one at that. But it is what it is. Onward.
THE BIG 10 THINGS I LEARNED FROM WEEK 1
1. Ohio State and Georgia will be just fine without Chris Wells and Knowshon Moreno - well, at least for Ohio University and Central Michigan. No, but in all seriousness, they'll be fine without their star running backs if either sustained big injuries. Ohio State has two backs, Brandon Saine and Daniel Herron. Oh, and of course, the forgotten Wells, Maurice Wells. Georgia has a great back-up back as well by the name of Caleb King. In fact, he outrushed Moreno with 12 carries for 95 yards. Yea, that's almost 8 yds/carry. Both teams recruit well enough to always be stacked at this position. Or more importantly, recruit offensive lineman so well that even if OJ Simpson came to play, he'd have huge holes to run through. Obviously, both teams are much better with these players but without, they'll be okay. Again, for at least one week. After that, well, let's just say neither wants to think past next week yet.
2. Urban Meyer is the Thad Matta of college football - You ever notice that? Check it out. Thad Matta began at Butler. All he did there was get the team to 24 wins and the 2nd rd of the NCAA tourney in his one and only year. Then it was off to Xavier for 3 years, including 3 consecutive 26-win seasons, 2 league titles, and the Elite Eight in 2004. Then, it was off to Columbus to take charge of the Buckeyes, which of course has been more 20-win seasons, great recruiting and a trip to the National Championship in 2007. At both of his previous stops, he left the program than when he left and both are prospering still under new coaches. Take a look at Urban Meyer and it's the same thing. First head coaching gig at Bowling Green and in his first season, engineered the greatest turnaround in NCAA history and won Coach of the Year. Two years later, he heads to Utah and with the help of QB Alex Smith, leads the Utes to an undefeated season and a BCS bid in just his second year. Now, he's at Florida and well, he's already won a title there. But look at his programs now. BG beats #25 Pitt at Heinz Field and Utah beats Michigan at the big house. Meyer and Matta not only are great coaches but just like a good house guest, leave places better than when they found them.
3. Some QB decisions backfired - You can take a look at a lot of schools probably here but I will look specifically at 2 schools: South Carolina and Virginia Tech. At S. Carolina, Spurrier went with sophomore Tommy Beecher under center and talk about a mistake. The kid goes a respectable 12/22 but only for 106 yards (4.82 yds/comp). Oh, and add 4 INT to that before he got knocked out due to a "head injury" (hurt ego/confidence maybe?). His replacement was Chris Smelley, also a sopohomore but a bit mroe seasoned after getting some PT last year. What does he do? How about 5/5 for 92 yds and 2 TD! The 'ol ball coach may wanna make the change here and soon. The Gamecocks won 34-0 but trust me, not thanks to the offense. Virginia Tech's decision was dumb to me before the game began and afterwards, it proved me right. When Frank Beamer announced that Sean Glennon would get the start and Tyrod Taylor would redshirt, my jaw dropped. Taylor is a dual threat that also was undefeated last year as a starter. Seemed like an easy decision but Beamer went the other way and boy, did it backfire on him. Glennon goes 14/23 for 139 yds and 2 INT. The first INT was in the red zone, with the Hokies knocking on the door of scoring first. The second was in the 2nd quarter and in VT territory and the INT was returned to the VT 1. Hokies were up 14-0 at the time. ECU would punch it in and well, go on to win 27-22. Both Beamer and Spurrier need to make changes and soon or these could be long seasons for them, their team, and their fans.
4. Terrelle Pryor is going to be good - and maybe beyond just being good, he is going to be a crucial part of this offense all season. If you happened to watch the boy wonder, you saw what he brings to the table A sufficient throwing arm, developing awareness, an NFL-ready body, and the capacity to run and run hard. Now, I don't want to gush too hard becasue he was facing Youngstown State but he was quite impressive in his time on the field. His passes were on point (4/6) and his runs for the most part had great results (9 car, 52 yards). His TD run though showed just how tough he is going to be. The kid is huge and will be hard to tackle. Unlike Troy Smith, Pryor will take lickin' and keep on tickin' for another 5 yards. In no way do I want him to supplant Boeckman or get into a Stanley Jackson/Joe Germaine platoon situation but I do want to see him in games to not only get some experience for the future but also as a change of pace, especially against a team like USC. Just gives them more to prepare for. Was he worth all the hype? we still don't know for sure but as of now, I'm a fan.
5. Michigan is gonna be bad...really bad - Every pundit and fan like me knew this would be a rough year for them but after watching them play Utah, I think we all took a hard look at ourselves and thought about just how bad this team is. And maybe bad isn't the right word. Young is more like it. I mean, when you start 6 true freshmen and 6 redshirt freshmen, you're not going to dominate any team, especially a solid, veteran squad like the Utes. Richie Rod has his work cut out for him. The talent is just not there. The attitude showed at times when they could taste chances to win the game but for the most part, the Wolverines look over-matched, out of sync, and mentally fatigued. If it weren't for 2 bonehead plays by Utah, Michigan would have lost by 20 or more probably. I mean, first time losing to non-FCS teams 2 years straight since 1984. If it hasn't been said publicly yet, I'll say it now. This is a rebuilding year. Let them take their lumps (and there will be many) and watch these boys next year be ready for real competition cause even right now, I don't know if they can finish in the top half of the Big Ten, and that's saying something.
6. ECU and BG aced their auditions - I know this is still me dreaming but man, wouldn't these two teams fit well in a better conference than the conferences they are in. ECU is good and will be for awhile as long as Skip Holtz is coach and the weather stays nice. They'd fit well in the Big East in my mind. And as for BG, the Big Ten still wants to go to 12. That's not a secret. Makes sense location-wise and this is a team that is consistently near the top of the MAC. And remember, the MAC has 13 teams for some reason. They can drop one. Hopefully, a good season from both will bring about some talk.
7. The ACC and Big Ten are competing for the worst conference - Yes, a dubious honor for both but man, talk about sad debuts for both. I have been very vocal about how weak the Big Ten is and well, I still think it is despite a 7-3 record in Week 1 (Losses by MICH, MSU, and ILL). And when compared the Power 6 conferences, I will be the first to put the Big 10 in the bottom slot this season. But check out the ACC and well, they're making a run at that bottom spot. Of the 11 of 12 teams that played (FSU idle), the conference went 7-4. But consider the losses. VT downed by ECU. NC State skunked 34-0 by S. Carolina. Virginia crushed by USC. Clemson embarrassed on national TV by Bama. Now, consider these wins, or "wins". North Carolina wins 35 to 27 over McNeese State. Maryland wins 14 to 7 over Delaware. Georgia Tech and Miami beating Jacksonville State and Charleston Southern. This is slightly pathetic. The big guns go down and the smaller ones either almost do or play teams no one had heard of just to look good. Thank you ACC for making the Big Ten almost look palpable.
8. Buckeyes and Indians share something - Remember the Indians of the 90's that had so much talent on a small payroll that they got rid of some of their younger names? Or get rid of a player since they never developed in Cleveland just in the end to see them flourish somewhere else. The likes of Casey, Sexson, Giles, Phillips, Guthrie etc... Well, Ohio State is sort of doing the same with its quarterbacks. Just see Antonio Henton at Georgia Southern and Rob Schoenhoft at Delaware. Henton had it rough, facing UGA today but he held his own against the Dawgs. Scheonhoft kept his Blue Hen team in it in a game against Maryland before falling 14-7. Both should be good on their new teams and I sincerely hope they are. Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye in my mind (unless your name is Maurice Clarett).
9. Cupcakes are tasty, but not fun to look at - No, I don't mean the food. I mean games like OSU-YSU, Penn State-Coastal Carolina, Oklahoma-Chattanooga, Auburn-LA Monroe, and South Florida-Tenn. Martin. Yea, it's nice to see your team score at will. Fun to yell "Go for it" on every 4th down because you know you have a good chance to get it. Fun to know that no matter hwo bad your team plays, it still is going to win by at least 20 points just on talent alone. Well, these games stink and are as appealing as NFL preseason games. And honestly, have the same meaning. Now props to teams like USC (Virginia), LSU (App. St.), Georgia (GA Southern), Texas (Florida Atlantic), Florida (Hawaii), Pitt (BG) and VT (ECU) for scheduling either a team in the FCS that is up and coming or a non-FCS team that always make some noise in there. So much so, they are good enough to beat quite a few FCS teams any day. And for teams like VT and Pitt, yeah, the loss looks bad but neither was going to make the BCS title game so it doesn't hurt that much. And know both know what they really have while teams like OSU, Penn State and Auburn just think they know. Do all of us fans a favor and stop doing this please.
10. The amount of reviews is getting ridiculous - Just another sign that we are a society of nothing is good enough. I almost miss the day when the refs just got the call wrong and we moved on with it. Now, any questionable call is reviewed and in some games, that can be upwards to 10 calls. That's just crazy. I know we want to get it right but you know, sometimes when that ball comes out a split second after his knee hits the ground, he deserves to lose that fumble. Or that player who got a pinky on the line deserves that Pick 6. If they could just go with the NFL system, I'd be happy but this system now sucks. A replay official just buzzing down at will. And you can bet most of them are old guys who are blind as a bat and just wnat a second, third and tenth look at it before play moves on. The college game is long enough. Please don't extend it anymore. Students in the stands wanna get back to their daytime/nighttime actvities.
11. Lou Holtz is no longer an analyst. He is an act. - This hurts me to say but he is either losing his mind or ESPN is paying Lou to be a circus act. It all started when I saw his Dr. Lou bit on Gameday. Completely unnecessary and provides worthless information. It wasn't funny. It was catually quite boring and he gave the viewer nothing fulfilling. At least with the pep talk, you got some great laughs and maybe a magic trick. Not only that but today, he again reiterated his idea that Notre Dame will win 11 games. But he did this after saying Penn State will win 11 games. Someone please tell Lou that it will probably take an 11-1 or 12-1 record to even make the BCS title game this season so right now, he is putting the Irish and Nittany Lions in that conversation? Gimme a break. Lou, just stay lovable and outspoken against May but don't go making predictions like that. Your already small amount of credibility needs to stay intact and picks like that don't help.
BEST GAME: Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina.
By far, this game wins this title. 16 points scored from special teams. ECU scoring the last 14 points in a 1:40 span to take the lead for good. And a mini-upset that showed just how worthless preseason rankings are. There may have been only one lead change but the game had great play on offense, defense and the aforementioned special teams. And it helped that it was at a neutral site, just making the ups and downs of the game that much sweeter. (2nd - Utah vs. Michigan)
WORST GAME: USC vs. Virginia.
I began watching this game with such excitement to see two Power 6 conference team tassle for a good half before the Trojans decided enough was enough. Welp, that didn't happen. How bout USC just imposing their will early and often en route to a 52-7 win. It's not that it wasn't a good game. It just wasn't fun to watch for the casual viewer. Thankfully, Utah vs. Michigan was on at the same time. (2nd - NC State vs. South Carolina)
OVER/UNDER:
The team that is overrated was easily the Clemson Tigers. They laid an egg today, plain and simple. Not one offensive touchdown. Their star back James Davis held to 13 yds rushing. Alabama was in control the entire time. The Tigers just went from a team hoping for a lot this year to wishing it hadn't opened with Alabama (which Bowden said numerous times in press conferences - wrong attitude in my mind for the players).
A team that is underrated is in fact Alabama. I know, shocker right? But really, this is a team that is supposed to be a year away from winning games like the Clemson one. But Nick Saban had that defense ready to play and his offense reaped the reward of that. They feasted on a fatigues defense all night and cruised to a 34-10 victory. Just another team to add in the SEC mix.
HE/SHE SAID WHAT?
"Part of the ligament that they replaced in him was a ligament from a cadaver. Yeah, he's got a part of a dead man in him, but his game is alive!" -Mark Jones refering to Missouri's Jeremy Maclin during game vs. Illinois on ESPN (That's just sad, corny, and forced all in one)
NOTE: For a great list of a ton of great quotes from CFB announcers all day, go here
3 QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. Tim Tebow threw for just 137 yds and a TD in the air today and also did not rush for a touchdown for the first time since the 2006 season. Sign of new offensive scheme for Gators or was Hawaii's defense that focused on stopping Tebow and nothing else? (UF won 56-10)
2. Forget depth charts and what Senator Tressel may say. If OSU QB Todd Boeckman gets hurt, who comes in to play QB? Pryor or Bauserman?
3. What is it with the Wyoming Cowboys that the Ohio Bobcats can't pull out a victory?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
College Football: Week 1
Week 1 of the college football season is here and I couldn't be more excited, especially after last year. The revolving door of teams at #1. Upsets like Appalachian State over Michigan, Stanford over USC and Pitt over WVU. The start of Lou's pep talks on ESPN. The list goes on and on. And for an Ohio State fan in Georgia Bulldog country, this season could really be special. Both teams are stacked and national title contenders. I've already started thinking about the possibility of the two in Miami. But whoa whoa whoa. Let's get through Week 1 first.
The way I will do things every week is pretty simple. I will pick winners of the best 15 games. No matter what, I will pick the Thursday night game so I will always have a good or bad start to the Saturday matchups. I will also always pick the Ohio State, Ohio, Georgia and South Carolina games, even if they are not part of the best 15 games because I follow all due to loyalty or work. If they are a part of the best 15 games, there will be a number next to the game. I will predict a score for those teams but no other. I also will always have an upset special. Since I am a Michigan Hater, it will be called the "APPY", short for Appalachian State.
So now that I've explained it all, here are the Week 1 picks.
GAME OF THE WEEK
1. Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis) - This game is huge for Missouri. They could easily run the table up to the Big 12 championship but it all starts with an Illinois team that has the Juice (Williams) and upset on their mind. They're a pretty good team too. A neutral site adds to the allure of this game too. Call me crazy but I'm taking ILLINOIS to win in a close one.
REST OF THE TOP 15
2. Clemson vs. Alabama (in Atlanta) - QB Cullen Harper's first big game of the year. Also, the first game of the year. The season does ride on his right arm, no pressure, but Bama just simply isn't talented enough to beat Clemson. Gimme CLEMSON by a couple scores
3. USC @ Virginia - I love seeing teams like USC play games like this. An opponent that has talent and will provide a challenge but in no way is a huge threat. Gives an opportunity to really see how your team will perform in bigger games, such as the Ohio State game. Will also be the first look to see if QB Mark Sanchez is truly healthy. USC wins handily if he is.
4. Appalachian State @ LSU - Could it happen again? Well, never say never. It would be kind of cool to see App. St. do it again, and to a Michigan man like Les Miles. But alas, what they did last year means LSU will be ready unlike Michigan was. I'll take LSU but root for App. St. the entire game.
5. Michigan State @ California - I am a big believer in MSU this season. I just think they could make some unexpected noise. But if they roll over in this game to Cal, I may renig on my belief fairly quick. No DeSean Jackson for Cal anymore and well, there's just not much more to say about them this season. I'm picking MSU to win.
6. Fresno State @ Rutgers (9/1) - Some people believe Fresno St. could be a BCS buster this season. If so, they've got to go perfect. Welp, gotta beat Rutgers then and that won't be easy. Greg Schiano might not have the players of those 2005 and 2006 glory days but his cupboard isn't bare. He'll have the Scarlet Knights ready to take on Pat Hill's fiesty Bulldogs. But I don't think it will be enough. Gimme Fresno State in a mini-upset.
7. East Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (in Charlotte) - I like ECU a lot. Watched them a couple times last season and they are a fundamentally sound team. VT is no slouch either but Beamer has his work cut out for him this season. It's a young team that isn't full of the talent that he's used to. But he's a good coach and knows how to get his team ready for a big game. And while many are looking at this as an upset, I'm not. VT wins by 10 or more.
8. UCLA @ Tennessee (9/1) - I gotta commend Rick Neuheisel for the confidence he has in his team. Going as far as putting out a newspaper ad proclaiming there is more than one good football team in Los Angeles. Won't matter in this game though. They are young. Volunteers are returning 8 starters on offense. TENNESSEE wins and UCLA begins what may be a long first season for the new head man.
9. Hawaii @ Florida - How much fun would game have been last year? Colt Brennan vs. Tim Tebow, head-to-head. Oh well. We saw what Hawaii did against UGA in the Sugar Bowl...lay an egg. Now Brennan is gone. Head coach June Jones is gone. So is any hope of them upsetting the Gators. FLORIDA wins by a ton.
10. Kentucky @ Louisville (8/31) - There are a lot of jokes I could put for this battle of the two biggest schools in the great state of Kentucky. But I won't. I'll just pick LOUISVILLE and move on.
11. Bowling Green vs. Pittsburgh - This should be a good game. Not gonna get a lot of publicity but you have one of the best MAC teams taking on a Big East trying to prove itself as a contender this year. I also look at this game as an audition for BG to get into a conference like the Big East or Big Ten. With only 8 teams in the Big East and 11 in the Big Ten, both could use another member while the MAC has 13 and could/should definitely lose one. That's an argument for another dya though. PITT wins.
12. Syracuse @ Northwestern - I know, this game will be terrible. But I had to put it in there because it's a battle of two schools I almost went to. Syracuse and Northwestern were in my top 3 with OU but both were too costly while OU came with not only no cost, but with a signing bonus. So in the matchup of schools I chided, I'm taking stuck-up NORTHWESTERN over snowy Syracuse.
13. Utah @ Michigan - No doubt. Lloyd Carr retired at the right time. He knew what he had coming back and he knew how much coaching he had left in him. well, it wasn't enough to try and salvage a winning season out of this Wolverine squad. As much as I think Rich rodriguez is a great choice for Michigan, he is up against the wall this season. He doesn't have the personnel for his system and even with the previous system under Carr, he doesn't have the talent. Henne, Hart and Long all gone. Meanwhile, Utah is an up and coming team that is expected to challenge mediocre BCS-conference teams like Michigan. That's why I'm taking UTAH with my APPY pick of the week.
PICKS FOR TEAMS I LOVE (OR HAVE TO ACT LIKE I LOVE)
14. NC State vs. South Carolina (THURS) - I've been doing a lot of reading and watching of the Gamecocks and I am impressed with what they bring back this year. Remember, this is a team that ran out of the gate at 6-1 before stumbling to 6-6 to end the year. The talent is there. The coaching is there. It could all hinge on the offense though and QB Tommy Beecher. All reports from Columbia say he has been less than stellar in practice and that does not bode well for the Gamecocks. Regardless, NC State is going to struggle this year and SOUTH CAROLINA shouldn't have a problem tomorrow night. 31-14 Gamecocks.
15. Georgia Southern @ Georgia - When I went to UGA media day, the question that was asked to every player was how the team was preparing for Georgia Southern. That's because UGA knows that Georgia Southern could pull an APPY. They wanna win their in-state "rival" bad and will stop at nothing to do it. Plus, UGA may be looking ahead, though I wouldn't dare if I were them. GEORGIA will win and it won't be close. But I know if it is, UGA is probably going down. 48-14 UGA
Youngstown State @ Ohio State - There's no need to talk long lengths about this game. I just hope no one gets injured and Terrelle Pryor shows all OSU fans and America that he was worth all that hype. OHIO STATE wins by a ton and gets ready for their huge matchup against the Bobcats. 41-14 Buckeyes
Ohio @ Wyoming - The Bobcats lost to them last year for no reason. That alone should be enough motivation to go to Laramie and kick some Cowboy butt. I'm taking OHIO and hoping I don't regret that choice. 24-17 Bobcats
There you have it. My picks for Week 1 of the season. BRING IT ON! Oh yeah, and comments are welcome. Just click comments below and tell me whatcha think.
The way I will do things every week is pretty simple. I will pick winners of the best 15 games. No matter what, I will pick the Thursday night game so I will always have a good or bad start to the Saturday matchups. I will also always pick the Ohio State, Ohio, Georgia and South Carolina games, even if they are not part of the best 15 games because I follow all due to loyalty or work. If they are a part of the best 15 games, there will be a number next to the game. I will predict a score for those teams but no other. I also will always have an upset special. Since I am a Michigan Hater, it will be called the "APPY", short for Appalachian State.
So now that I've explained it all, here are the Week 1 picks.
GAME OF THE WEEK
1. Illinois vs. Missouri (in St. Louis) - This game is huge for Missouri. They could easily run the table up to the Big 12 championship but it all starts with an Illinois team that has the Juice (Williams) and upset on their mind. They're a pretty good team too. A neutral site adds to the allure of this game too. Call me crazy but I'm taking ILLINOIS to win in a close one.
REST OF THE TOP 15
2. Clemson vs. Alabama (in Atlanta) - QB Cullen Harper's first big game of the year. Also, the first game of the year. The season does ride on his right arm, no pressure, but Bama just simply isn't talented enough to beat Clemson. Gimme CLEMSON by a couple scores
3. USC @ Virginia - I love seeing teams like USC play games like this. An opponent that has talent and will provide a challenge but in no way is a huge threat. Gives an opportunity to really see how your team will perform in bigger games, such as the Ohio State game. Will also be the first look to see if QB Mark Sanchez is truly healthy. USC wins handily if he is.
4. Appalachian State @ LSU - Could it happen again? Well, never say never. It would be kind of cool to see App. St. do it again, and to a Michigan man like Les Miles. But alas, what they did last year means LSU will be ready unlike Michigan was. I'll take LSU but root for App. St. the entire game.
5. Michigan State @ California - I am a big believer in MSU this season. I just think they could make some unexpected noise. But if they roll over in this game to Cal, I may renig on my belief fairly quick. No DeSean Jackson for Cal anymore and well, there's just not much more to say about them this season. I'm picking MSU to win.
6. Fresno State @ Rutgers (9/1) - Some people believe Fresno St. could be a BCS buster this season. If so, they've got to go perfect. Welp, gotta beat Rutgers then and that won't be easy. Greg Schiano might not have the players of those 2005 and 2006 glory days but his cupboard isn't bare. He'll have the Scarlet Knights ready to take on Pat Hill's fiesty Bulldogs. But I don't think it will be enough. Gimme Fresno State in a mini-upset.
7. East Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (in Charlotte) - I like ECU a lot. Watched them a couple times last season and they are a fundamentally sound team. VT is no slouch either but Beamer has his work cut out for him this season. It's a young team that isn't full of the talent that he's used to. But he's a good coach and knows how to get his team ready for a big game. And while many are looking at this as an upset, I'm not. VT wins by 10 or more.
8. UCLA @ Tennessee (9/1) - I gotta commend Rick Neuheisel for the confidence he has in his team. Going as far as putting out a newspaper ad proclaiming there is more than one good football team in Los Angeles. Won't matter in this game though. They are young. Volunteers are returning 8 starters on offense. TENNESSEE wins and UCLA begins what may be a long first season for the new head man.
9. Hawaii @ Florida - How much fun would game have been last year? Colt Brennan vs. Tim Tebow, head-to-head. Oh well. We saw what Hawaii did against UGA in the Sugar Bowl...lay an egg. Now Brennan is gone. Head coach June Jones is gone. So is any hope of them upsetting the Gators. FLORIDA wins by a ton.
10. Kentucky @ Louisville (8/31) - There are a lot of jokes I could put for this battle of the two biggest schools in the great state of Kentucky. But I won't. I'll just pick LOUISVILLE and move on.
11. Bowling Green vs. Pittsburgh - This should be a good game. Not gonna get a lot of publicity but you have one of the best MAC teams taking on a Big East trying to prove itself as a contender this year. I also look at this game as an audition for BG to get into a conference like the Big East or Big Ten. With only 8 teams in the Big East and 11 in the Big Ten, both could use another member while the MAC has 13 and could/should definitely lose one. That's an argument for another dya though. PITT wins.
12. Syracuse @ Northwestern - I know, this game will be terrible. But I had to put it in there because it's a battle of two schools I almost went to. Syracuse and Northwestern were in my top 3 with OU but both were too costly while OU came with not only no cost, but with a signing bonus. So in the matchup of schools I chided, I'm taking stuck-up NORTHWESTERN over snowy Syracuse.
13. Utah @ Michigan - No doubt. Lloyd Carr retired at the right time. He knew what he had coming back and he knew how much coaching he had left in him. well, it wasn't enough to try and salvage a winning season out of this Wolverine squad. As much as I think Rich rodriguez is a great choice for Michigan, he is up against the wall this season. He doesn't have the personnel for his system and even with the previous system under Carr, he doesn't have the talent. Henne, Hart and Long all gone. Meanwhile, Utah is an up and coming team that is expected to challenge mediocre BCS-conference teams like Michigan. That's why I'm taking UTAH with my APPY pick of the week.
PICKS FOR TEAMS I LOVE (OR HAVE TO ACT LIKE I LOVE)
14. NC State vs. South Carolina (THURS) - I've been doing a lot of reading and watching of the Gamecocks and I am impressed with what they bring back this year. Remember, this is a team that ran out of the gate at 6-1 before stumbling to 6-6 to end the year. The talent is there. The coaching is there. It could all hinge on the offense though and QB Tommy Beecher. All reports from Columbia say he has been less than stellar in practice and that does not bode well for the Gamecocks. Regardless, NC State is going to struggle this year and SOUTH CAROLINA shouldn't have a problem tomorrow night. 31-14 Gamecocks.
15. Georgia Southern @ Georgia - When I went to UGA media day, the question that was asked to every player was how the team was preparing for Georgia Southern. That's because UGA knows that Georgia Southern could pull an APPY. They wanna win their in-state "rival" bad and will stop at nothing to do it. Plus, UGA may be looking ahead, though I wouldn't dare if I were them. GEORGIA will win and it won't be close. But I know if it is, UGA is probably going down. 48-14 UGA
Youngstown State @ Ohio State - There's no need to talk long lengths about this game. I just hope no one gets injured and Terrelle Pryor shows all OSU fans and America that he was worth all that hype. OHIO STATE wins by a ton and gets ready for their huge matchup against the Bobcats. 41-14 Buckeyes
Ohio @ Wyoming - The Bobcats lost to them last year for no reason. That alone should be enough motivation to go to Laramie and kick some Cowboy butt. I'm taking OHIO and hoping I don't regret that choice. 24-17 Bobcats
There you have it. My picks for Week 1 of the season. BRING IT ON! Oh yeah, and comments are welcome. Just click comments below and tell me whatcha think.
2008 College Football Predictions
Alright, I crunched the numbers and here are my college football predictions for each conference. I put them in order though I know there will be plenty of ties. I didn't add records because that's a lot of teams. I will for the NFL preview next week. I even decided to get a little risky and throw in the BCS bowl game predictions in. Opinions welcome.
ACC ATLANTIC: 1. Clemson 2. Maryland 3. Wake Forest 4. Boston College 5. Florida State 6. NC State
ACC COASTAL: 1. Virginia Tech 2. North Carolina 3. Virginia 4. Miami 5. Georgia Tech 6. Duke
ACC CHAMP: CLEMSON
(Clemson should have no problem in the Atlantic. Every other team shouldn't win more than 8 games but one will since they have to play each other and well, they are all mediocre. Someone may do well. Coastal could be fun. VT is starting the wrong QB in Glennon in my mind and Butch Davis now has the players he needs to bring some glory back to the football field in Chapel Hill. Don't count out Al Groh and Virginia either to play spoiler)
BIG EAST: 1. Pittsburgh 2. South Florida 3. West Virginia 4. Cincinnati 5. Rutgers 6. UConn 7. Louisville 8. Syracuse
BIG EAST CHAMP: PITT
(I'm just not sold on WVU's defense. If it is strong, then they'll be champs. Conversely, I like Pitt's D. The same D that help WVU to 9 points in last year's Backyard Brawl. South Florida brings back experience, including QB Jordan Grothe, who I think is a darkhorse Heisman contender and DE George Selvie. Just not sure if that's gonna be enough to not be upset by a team like Rutgers or UConn. Game against Kansas will give us all an early look)
BIG TEN: 1. Ohio State 2. Wisconsin 3. Illinois 4. Penn State 5. Michigan State 6. Northwestern 7. Iowa 8. Indiana 9. Michigan 10. Purdue 11. Minnesota
BIG TEN CHAMP: OSU
(Haven't seen anyone so far not pick the Bucks. Not only are they the best team, but the rest of the conference is weak. Look out for MSU though. They have some talent, a great coach and with some quality wins against Cal, Florida Atlantic and ND, may be the confidence they need going into conference play)
BIG 12 NORTH: 1. Mizzou 2. Kansas 3. Colorado 4. Kansas State 5. Nebraska 6. Iowa State
BIG 12 SOUTH: 1.Oklahoma 2. Texas Tech 3. Texas 4. Texas A+M 5. Oklahoma St. 6. Baylor
BIG 12 CHAMP: OKLAHOMA
(Should be some fun games this year in the conference but Oklahoma is the class of it still. Not one tough road game either. Mizzou should cruise to the North title and don't play OU in the regular season either. Texas Tech and Kansas can win their divisions but must knock off those two first.
PAC-10: 1. USC 2. Arizona St. 3. Oregon State 4. California 5. Stanford 6. Oregon 7. Arizona 8. UCLA 9. Washington 10. Washington St.
PAC-10 CHAMP: USC
(Not sure how you can't take the Trojans here. ASU is darn good but not as good as USC. The team I can't wait to watch is Stanford. The team obviously can win a big game if they try and have some young talent. And teams like UCLA and Oregon are down a bit this year so of all years, this is the time to make a move)
SEC EAST: 1. Georgia 2. Florida 3. Tennessee 4. South Carolina 5. Kentucky 6. Vanderbilt
SEC WEST: 1. Auburn 2. LSU 3. Miss. St. 4. Alabama 5. Ole Miss 6. Arkansas
SEC CHAMP: GEORGIA
(You know I don't like the SEC but again, they are the best conference again. In the East, the game in Jacksonville between UF and UGA will determine the champ. For the record, if Tommy Beecher plays well for South Carolina, they could make some noise and spoil some seasons. In the West, Auburn should roll against the rest in the division. LSU is not the same and the rest are middle of the pack teams. Watch for Mississippi State to continue its rise behind Sylvester Croom and Bobby Petrino to walk away from another job after one year at Arkansas)
CONFERENCE USA EAST: East Carolina
CONFERENCE USA WEST: Tulsa
CONFERENCE USA CHAMP: ECU
(Skip Holtz has a good squad. 'Nuff said)
MAC EAST: Bowling Green
MAC WEST: Central Michigan
MAC CHAMP: CMU
(Central Michigan has looked good the past two years. So why would it be different this year. They return 2-year starting QB Dan LeFevour who has torched many MAC defenses...and he'll be a junior! BG should cruise in the East. Probably undefeated. All East teams, Miami, OU and Kent State included, are all rebuilding)
MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMP: BYU
(Winner of BYU vs. Utah wins conference. The game is at Utah, but I really don't think that matters much for any Mountain West game)
SUN BELT CHAMP: FLORIDA ATLANTIC
WAC CHAMP: FRESNO ST.
And as for independent Notre Dame, I'm going with 6-6.
BCS BOWL PREDICTIONS:
ROSE: USC vs. Wisconsin
ORANGE: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh
SUGAR: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
FIESTA: BYU vs. Texas Tech
BCS CHAMPIONSHIP: Georgia vs. Ohio State
Debate away. Click on comments below and let me know whatcha think. I will revisit these picks when the regular season is over and see how bad I did.
ACC ATLANTIC: 1. Clemson 2. Maryland 3. Wake Forest 4. Boston College 5. Florida State 6. NC State
ACC COASTAL: 1. Virginia Tech 2. North Carolina 3. Virginia 4. Miami 5. Georgia Tech 6. Duke
ACC CHAMP: CLEMSON
(Clemson should have no problem in the Atlantic. Every other team shouldn't win more than 8 games but one will since they have to play each other and well, they are all mediocre. Someone may do well. Coastal could be fun. VT is starting the wrong QB in Glennon in my mind and Butch Davis now has the players he needs to bring some glory back to the football field in Chapel Hill. Don't count out Al Groh and Virginia either to play spoiler)
BIG EAST: 1. Pittsburgh 2. South Florida 3. West Virginia 4. Cincinnati 5. Rutgers 6. UConn 7. Louisville 8. Syracuse
BIG EAST CHAMP: PITT
(I'm just not sold on WVU's defense. If it is strong, then they'll be champs. Conversely, I like Pitt's D. The same D that help WVU to 9 points in last year's Backyard Brawl. South Florida brings back experience, including QB Jordan Grothe, who I think is a darkhorse Heisman contender and DE George Selvie. Just not sure if that's gonna be enough to not be upset by a team like Rutgers or UConn. Game against Kansas will give us all an early look)
BIG TEN: 1. Ohio State 2. Wisconsin 3. Illinois 4. Penn State 5. Michigan State 6. Northwestern 7. Iowa 8. Indiana 9. Michigan 10. Purdue 11. Minnesota
BIG TEN CHAMP: OSU
(Haven't seen anyone so far not pick the Bucks. Not only are they the best team, but the rest of the conference is weak. Look out for MSU though. They have some talent, a great coach and with some quality wins against Cal, Florida Atlantic and ND, may be the confidence they need going into conference play)
BIG 12 NORTH: 1. Mizzou 2. Kansas 3. Colorado 4. Kansas State 5. Nebraska 6. Iowa State
BIG 12 SOUTH: 1.Oklahoma 2. Texas Tech 3. Texas 4. Texas A+M 5. Oklahoma St. 6. Baylor
BIG 12 CHAMP: OKLAHOMA
(Should be some fun games this year in the conference but Oklahoma is the class of it still. Not one tough road game either. Mizzou should cruise to the North title and don't play OU in the regular season either. Texas Tech and Kansas can win their divisions but must knock off those two first.
PAC-10: 1. USC 2. Arizona St. 3. Oregon State 4. California 5. Stanford 6. Oregon 7. Arizona 8. UCLA 9. Washington 10. Washington St.
PAC-10 CHAMP: USC
(Not sure how you can't take the Trojans here. ASU is darn good but not as good as USC. The team I can't wait to watch is Stanford. The team obviously can win a big game if they try and have some young talent. And teams like UCLA and Oregon are down a bit this year so of all years, this is the time to make a move)
SEC EAST: 1. Georgia 2. Florida 3. Tennessee 4. South Carolina 5. Kentucky 6. Vanderbilt
SEC WEST: 1. Auburn 2. LSU 3. Miss. St. 4. Alabama 5. Ole Miss 6. Arkansas
SEC CHAMP: GEORGIA
(You know I don't like the SEC but again, they are the best conference again. In the East, the game in Jacksonville between UF and UGA will determine the champ. For the record, if Tommy Beecher plays well for South Carolina, they could make some noise and spoil some seasons. In the West, Auburn should roll against the rest in the division. LSU is not the same and the rest are middle of the pack teams. Watch for Mississippi State to continue its rise behind Sylvester Croom and Bobby Petrino to walk away from another job after one year at Arkansas)
CONFERENCE USA EAST: East Carolina
CONFERENCE USA WEST: Tulsa
CONFERENCE USA CHAMP: ECU
(Skip Holtz has a good squad. 'Nuff said)
MAC EAST: Bowling Green
MAC WEST: Central Michigan
MAC CHAMP: CMU
(Central Michigan has looked good the past two years. So why would it be different this year. They return 2-year starting QB Dan LeFevour who has torched many MAC defenses...and he'll be a junior! BG should cruise in the East. Probably undefeated. All East teams, Miami, OU and Kent State included, are all rebuilding)
MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMP: BYU
(Winner of BYU vs. Utah wins conference. The game is at Utah, but I really don't think that matters much for any Mountain West game)
SUN BELT CHAMP: FLORIDA ATLANTIC
WAC CHAMP: FRESNO ST.
And as for independent Notre Dame, I'm going with 6-6.
BCS BOWL PREDICTIONS:
ROSE: USC vs. Wisconsin
ORANGE: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh
SUGAR: Oklahoma vs. Auburn
FIESTA: BYU vs. Texas Tech
BCS CHAMPIONSHIP: Georgia vs. Ohio State
Debate away. Click on comments below and let me know whatcha think. I will revisit these picks when the regular season is over and see how bad I did.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
GO TRIBE!
I just don't get it. And that's what I love.
I'm talking about how the Cleveland Indians are winning, 8 games in a row in fact, with players I've either never heard of or thought were out of baseball. It's an amazing thing. A team that came into the year with hopes of their first World Series title in 60 years is now counting on their backup catcher, some wily veteran relievers who needed homes, and some minor leaguers just happy to get their first shot in the bigs.
And here I am in Augusta, unable to watch it. But you know, it's kind of cool to watch the progress from afar. I find myself on Yahoo Stattracker all the time, looking at a name that I don't know like A. Gonzalez or Z. Jackson and then going to Indians.com to find out who the new Tribe member is. It makes it fun because I know that these are names I will come to know next year.
Hmmm, next year...those words seem to be familiar to a Cleveland fan. Now I only support the Tribe but man, am I tired of hearing those words. Just once, I want it to be this year. But alas, it won't be...or will it?
The Tribe are 11.5 games back right now of the White Sox with a little over a month to go. Their record sits at 63 and 67, meaning they can still get to 95 wins (yea, I know, win 32 in a row). But this team is playing with a Hakuna Matata-like attitude now. They've traded away a Cy Young winner, playing without a third of their payroll and had a starting lineup today that included zero players over the age of 30. These guys are playing for fun again, with no pressure or expectations.
Even if they just get over .500, this is a season to remember. They proved that with less, they can do more. And next year, they add Matt Laporta and (hopefully) Adam Miller to their lineup and rotation. Add in a third baseman that can actually hit the ball (names anyone?) and a healthy and hopefully productive Hafner and Victor and maybe, "next year" will become "this year".
But let's not get too far. The Tribe still have a shot at making the playoffs this year. An outside shot of course, but a shot is all you need. GO TRIBE!
I'm talking about how the Cleveland Indians are winning, 8 games in a row in fact, with players I've either never heard of or thought were out of baseball. It's an amazing thing. A team that came into the year with hopes of their first World Series title in 60 years is now counting on their backup catcher, some wily veteran relievers who needed homes, and some minor leaguers just happy to get their first shot in the bigs.
And here I am in Augusta, unable to watch it. But you know, it's kind of cool to watch the progress from afar. I find myself on Yahoo Stattracker all the time, looking at a name that I don't know like A. Gonzalez or Z. Jackson and then going to Indians.com to find out who the new Tribe member is. It makes it fun because I know that these are names I will come to know next year.
Hmmm, next year...those words seem to be familiar to a Cleveland fan. Now I only support the Tribe but man, am I tired of hearing those words. Just once, I want it to be this year. But alas, it won't be...or will it?
The Tribe are 11.5 games back right now of the White Sox with a little over a month to go. Their record sits at 63 and 67, meaning they can still get to 95 wins (yea, I know, win 32 in a row). But this team is playing with a Hakuna Matata-like attitude now. They've traded away a Cy Young winner, playing without a third of their payroll and had a starting lineup today that included zero players over the age of 30. These guys are playing for fun again, with no pressure or expectations.
Even if they just get over .500, this is a season to remember. They proved that with less, they can do more. And next year, they add Matt Laporta and (hopefully) Adam Miller to their lineup and rotation. Add in a third baseman that can actually hit the ball (names anyone?) and a healthy and hopefully productive Hafner and Victor and maybe, "next year" will become "this year".
But let's not get too far. The Tribe still have a shot at making the playoffs this year. An outside shot of course, but a shot is all you need. GO TRIBE!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Obama and Stu Scott
During these important political times in our nation, there's only one man that can really get to the inner core of sen. Barack Obama. That man is Stuart Scott.
I love it. Hard-hitting questions like if your vice-president pick could be an athlete? I mean, there are some more sports issues he could have gone into before he threw those softball out there. Make it a good Sunday conversation. Eh well.
Oh, and something also tells me that the basketball game was only to 2 points. Anyone else ready for the John McCain interview. What sport do you think they will play? I'm going checkers.
ESPN's Stuart Scott Misses Opportunites as he Interviews Barack Obama (Fanhouse.com)
I love it. Hard-hitting questions like if your vice-president pick could be an athlete? I mean, there are some more sports issues he could have gone into before he threw those softball out there. Make it a good Sunday conversation. Eh well.
Oh, and something also tells me that the basketball game was only to 2 points. Anyone else ready for the John McCain interview. What sport do you think they will play? I'm going checkers.
ESPN's Stuart Scott Misses Opportunites as he Interviews Barack Obama (Fanhouse.com)
TOP 10 OLYMPIC MOMENTS
Watching the closing ceremony was like the feeling I had when my parents left Augusta when they visited a couple weeks ago: you don't want them to go but you know it's for the best. Well, after 16 days of competition in more than 30 sports, the Olympic Games have come to a close for another 2 years (4 years if you don't like the Winter like I do). I loved every minute of these games, almost too much. I stayed up until 3am every night watching whatever I could, from rowing, water polo, handball, table tennis, fencing, trampoline, weightlifting and yes, even racewalking. But alas, they must go, because staying up until 3am was beginning to hurt my productivity. I overslept my 10am too many times and failed to work out multiple times. I woke up tired too often and missed out on many a good movies on the tube.
But if you know me, I love a good list. So in an effort to honor the wonderful Olympic Games in Beijing, I am giving you MY top ten moments from the Olympic Games. (FYI...I would love to post the video right here on the blog but well, you know NBC is crazy about that stuff. So just go nbcolympics.com to relive the moments)
10. The "Redeem Team"
It's what the USA needed. We needed to reclaim our throne as the best basketball team in the world. And we did it the right way this time. We did with a team of unselfish players who committed to this team for 3 years. Practiced together. Traveled together. Hung out with each other. And it showed off on the court. The team played their butts off every game, all the way into the final game when they really had to play their best. Kudos to Jerry Colangelo, Coach K and all that put this team together. This is how it should be done every four years.
9. Dara Torres
She defied what many thought: you can't swim competitively at 40 years old. Well, she did, and at the age of 41. Torres is a testament to what hard work and dedication can do. Even after missing the Athens Olympics and giving birth, she fought her way back and made the US team. But that wasn't it. She raced to a silver medal in the 50 free, coming just one-hundredth of a second away from a gold medal. Not to mention 40 minutes after that silver medal swim, she almost chased down a gold for her 4 x 100 medley relay. And she did all this without a single steroid. Mad props.
8. Bryan Clay
Don't know who he is? Well, you should since he now holds the title of the "World's Greatest Athlete". Clay won the decathlon in dominating fashion and though the event is not the most TV friendly, it is the most grueling and most rewarding when finished, win or lose. Clay grabbed the lead early by winning the 100m. After that, he never gave it up. Clay won wire-to-wire, and placed 1st or 2nd in 5 of the ten events. He actually finished last in his heat in the final event, the 1500m run but it didn't matter. He had already built up an insurmountable lead. A silver medal in Athens. A gold medal in Beijing. First gold in the decathlon since Dan O'Brien in 1996. Nice to have it back in the USA.
7. Beach Volleyball
We all know about May-Treanor and Walsh. They were favored to win and they did. But watching them mow down every opponent was fun to watch. Every team was gunning for them and they didn't blink. But the better story may be on the men's side where Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser took home the gold. They lost, yes lost, their first match to the 23rd ranked team from Latvia. There were only 24 teams in the draw! But they won when it mattered, including the third set of a great championship match, giving the Americans the sweep on the beach. And all for a team that got together just 3 short years ago.
6. Alexander Artemev's Pommel Horse Routine
I'm not the biggest gymnastics fan, hence why Shawn Johnson and Nastia Luikin did not make my list, though both had great Olympics. But when it comes to big moments, the biggest one for me was watching Artemev do his pommel horse routine in the team competition. Before he went, the US was in bronze medal position, a position they weren't supposed to be in after injuries to both Hamm bros. But there they were. And with one more event to go, all they needed were three solid pommel horse routines. First was Raj Bhavsar, an alternate who got his chance when Paul Hamm dropped out. Well, Raj dropped the ball and put fell off. Next, Kevin Tan went up and lo and behold, he cracks under the pressure with a less than mediocre performance. So it's all to second-alternate Artemev to put up a big score to give the Americans the bronze. The guy who wasn't on the team until Morgan Hamm dropped out just 3 days before the Games began. The guy who fell off the pommel horse during the Trials. All knew he was capable of a big routine but had been inconsistent. But on this morning, Artemev was brilliant. With flares I haven't seen in a long time, Artemev shined and the bronze went to the underestimated American team. (Note: In the individual competition, Artemev fell on the pommel horse.)
5. The Opening Ceremony
I mean, have you seen anything like that? The drummers, the LED screen, the choreography, etc.. The list goes on and on. It had it all. And in HD, it was mesmerizing. It had the pageantry of every other opening ceremony but what set it apart was the technology and the small details. The Birds Nest is an amazing venue and those screen on the top rim of it is just amazing. The screen on the bottom was amazing as well. Having 2008 drummers or fighters was a great touch as well. And the theme of every act was not only meaningful but understood even without the constant thoughts from Matt Lauer (OU alum) and Bob Costas. But my favorite moment was the idea to have that drawing be walked on by every athlete. What an amazing idea! and to have that drawing travel the world, in another example of how the world cam together, is just brilliant. The torch lighting was good as well, though not the best, but hard to argue it's not in the top 5. Still the best opening ceremony overall though.
4. Phelps Beats Cavic
Not gonna lie, I thought he had lost. He was too far to out-touch Cavic, wasn't he? Guess not. In Michael Phelps-fashion, he somehow touched the wall first and even took a half-stroke to do it. The pictures and even video don't even do it justice. It was just an amazing race and amazing finish. It gave Phelps gold number 7, keeping his dream alive of winning the most golds ever in one olympiad. The race did show that Phelps is not invincible though. It just showed that he is one-hundredth of a second better. But that was enough.
3. Usain Bolt
I've never seen anything like it. A 100m run that just wasn't even close. People have broken that world record before but even when they do, the race seems close. This one never was. The aptly-named Bolt did just that: bolt off the blocks and never looked back. He ran faster than any man ever has and before he crossed the line, he even had time to celebrate. 9.69 could have been 9.59 maybe. We'll never know but who cares? It was sheer dominance and speed. So what does he do for an encore? How about beating the 200m world record time as well. That race wasn't close either. Add in another world record time in the 4 x 100 relay and no doubt, this guy has cemented his name as one of the best. Watch that 100m run and it just takes your breath away. Who knew any person could run that fast. It's just scary. I hope he comes back in 2012.
2. Lezak Comeback
It was over. Phelps' dream would come to a premature end. That is...unless Jason Lezak chases down one of the fastest swimmers in the world. The cocky French had it in the bag and their best swimmer in the pool, anchoring their squad. Jason Lezak, an Olympic veteran, knew what was up against him and knew what the gold meant for Phelps too. With all that into consideration, somehow Lezak came back. Inch by inch, he crept up alongside his French competitor. Next thing you know, they were right next to each other just feet away the wall. In the end, it was Lezak. It was the United States. It was gold. It was magical. I don't think I've ever screamed for a swimming event ever but you better believe I did then. If you weren't, you're not American. That was a comeback for the ages. Jason Lezak is the man. Case closed.
1. USA Men's Volleyball Team
A lot of people will probably be very surprised to see this be my number one moment but you have to think about it. Before the team played their first game, their coach went through what no person should ever have to go through. 12 hours after the Olympic cauldron was lit, violence hit Beijing. It wasn't terrorism thankfully, but it was a random act of violence. Two Americans stabbed by a rogue Chinese man who committed suicide after the attack. One man died, a woman hospitalized. They were simply touring a famous Chinese landmark, no one even knowing they were Americans. And while this was a sad story already, it was made worse when we all found out the people attacked were the family of US Men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon. The man, McCutcheon's father-in-law. The woman, his mother-in-law. His wife was there to see it all but was unharmed. He would miss his team's first two matches of the Olympics to be with his wife and family. Many thought he would not come back and could understand why. But he knew that volleyball would be a way to get away from the anger and grief. And also, winning a gold medal would be the best way to celebrate the life of his father-in-law. After the attacks, the US team had now even more motivation to win the gold. And when their coach returned for their third match, it showed. With their head coach by their side, the US team took on every challenge and made it to the semifinals to take on a tough Russian team. In a match that I watched live starting at 1am, the US jumped ahead 2 sets to none. But Russia stormed back in sets 3 and 4, sending the match to a decisive fifth set. One set to decide who would play for a gold medal. And with their coach and his family in their minds, the US gathered up enough energy and strength to win the fifth set 15 to 13. Their next test would be the top team in Brazil. They dropped the first set but the team came back and won the next three. Coach McCutcheon had his gold and I found my top moment. It may have been the most dramatic or exciting. But it was the most inspiring and rewarding moment and I'll take those any day.
Well done China. London, you have a lot to live up to. Or should I say Vancouver in 2010.
But if you know me, I love a good list. So in an effort to honor the wonderful Olympic Games in Beijing, I am giving you MY top ten moments from the Olympic Games. (FYI...I would love to post the video right here on the blog but well, you know NBC is crazy about that stuff. So just go nbcolympics.com to relive the moments)
10. The "Redeem Team"
It's what the USA needed. We needed to reclaim our throne as the best basketball team in the world. And we did it the right way this time. We did with a team of unselfish players who committed to this team for 3 years. Practiced together. Traveled together. Hung out with each other. And it showed off on the court. The team played their butts off every game, all the way into the final game when they really had to play their best. Kudos to Jerry Colangelo, Coach K and all that put this team together. This is how it should be done every four years.
9. Dara Torres
She defied what many thought: you can't swim competitively at 40 years old. Well, she did, and at the age of 41. Torres is a testament to what hard work and dedication can do. Even after missing the Athens Olympics and giving birth, she fought her way back and made the US team. But that wasn't it. She raced to a silver medal in the 50 free, coming just one-hundredth of a second away from a gold medal. Not to mention 40 minutes after that silver medal swim, she almost chased down a gold for her 4 x 100 medley relay. And she did all this without a single steroid. Mad props.
8. Bryan Clay
Don't know who he is? Well, you should since he now holds the title of the "World's Greatest Athlete". Clay won the decathlon in dominating fashion and though the event is not the most TV friendly, it is the most grueling and most rewarding when finished, win or lose. Clay grabbed the lead early by winning the 100m. After that, he never gave it up. Clay won wire-to-wire, and placed 1st or 2nd in 5 of the ten events. He actually finished last in his heat in the final event, the 1500m run but it didn't matter. He had already built up an insurmountable lead. A silver medal in Athens. A gold medal in Beijing. First gold in the decathlon since Dan O'Brien in 1996. Nice to have it back in the USA.
7. Beach Volleyball
We all know about May-Treanor and Walsh. They were favored to win and they did. But watching them mow down every opponent was fun to watch. Every team was gunning for them and they didn't blink. But the better story may be on the men's side where Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser took home the gold. They lost, yes lost, their first match to the 23rd ranked team from Latvia. There were only 24 teams in the draw! But they won when it mattered, including the third set of a great championship match, giving the Americans the sweep on the beach. And all for a team that got together just 3 short years ago.
6. Alexander Artemev's Pommel Horse Routine
I'm not the biggest gymnastics fan, hence why Shawn Johnson and Nastia Luikin did not make my list, though both had great Olympics. But when it comes to big moments, the biggest one for me was watching Artemev do his pommel horse routine in the team competition. Before he went, the US was in bronze medal position, a position they weren't supposed to be in after injuries to both Hamm bros. But there they were. And with one more event to go, all they needed were three solid pommel horse routines. First was Raj Bhavsar, an alternate who got his chance when Paul Hamm dropped out. Well, Raj dropped the ball and put fell off. Next, Kevin Tan went up and lo and behold, he cracks under the pressure with a less than mediocre performance. So it's all to second-alternate Artemev to put up a big score to give the Americans the bronze. The guy who wasn't on the team until Morgan Hamm dropped out just 3 days before the Games began. The guy who fell off the pommel horse during the Trials. All knew he was capable of a big routine but had been inconsistent. But on this morning, Artemev was brilliant. With flares I haven't seen in a long time, Artemev shined and the bronze went to the underestimated American team. (Note: In the individual competition, Artemev fell on the pommel horse.)
5. The Opening Ceremony
I mean, have you seen anything like that? The drummers, the LED screen, the choreography, etc.. The list goes on and on. It had it all. And in HD, it was mesmerizing. It had the pageantry of every other opening ceremony but what set it apart was the technology and the small details. The Birds Nest is an amazing venue and those screen on the top rim of it is just amazing. The screen on the bottom was amazing as well. Having 2008 drummers or fighters was a great touch as well. And the theme of every act was not only meaningful but understood even without the constant thoughts from Matt Lauer (OU alum) and Bob Costas. But my favorite moment was the idea to have that drawing be walked on by every athlete. What an amazing idea! and to have that drawing travel the world, in another example of how the world cam together, is just brilliant. The torch lighting was good as well, though not the best, but hard to argue it's not in the top 5. Still the best opening ceremony overall though.
4. Phelps Beats Cavic
Not gonna lie, I thought he had lost. He was too far to out-touch Cavic, wasn't he? Guess not. In Michael Phelps-fashion, he somehow touched the wall first and even took a half-stroke to do it. The pictures and even video don't even do it justice. It was just an amazing race and amazing finish. It gave Phelps gold number 7, keeping his dream alive of winning the most golds ever in one olympiad. The race did show that Phelps is not invincible though. It just showed that he is one-hundredth of a second better. But that was enough.
3. Usain Bolt
I've never seen anything like it. A 100m run that just wasn't even close. People have broken that world record before but even when they do, the race seems close. This one never was. The aptly-named Bolt did just that: bolt off the blocks and never looked back. He ran faster than any man ever has and before he crossed the line, he even had time to celebrate. 9.69 could have been 9.59 maybe. We'll never know but who cares? It was sheer dominance and speed. So what does he do for an encore? How about beating the 200m world record time as well. That race wasn't close either. Add in another world record time in the 4 x 100 relay and no doubt, this guy has cemented his name as one of the best. Watch that 100m run and it just takes your breath away. Who knew any person could run that fast. It's just scary. I hope he comes back in 2012.
2. Lezak Comeback
It was over. Phelps' dream would come to a premature end. That is...unless Jason Lezak chases down one of the fastest swimmers in the world. The cocky French had it in the bag and their best swimmer in the pool, anchoring their squad. Jason Lezak, an Olympic veteran, knew what was up against him and knew what the gold meant for Phelps too. With all that into consideration, somehow Lezak came back. Inch by inch, he crept up alongside his French competitor. Next thing you know, they were right next to each other just feet away the wall. In the end, it was Lezak. It was the United States. It was gold. It was magical. I don't think I've ever screamed for a swimming event ever but you better believe I did then. If you weren't, you're not American. That was a comeback for the ages. Jason Lezak is the man. Case closed.
1. USA Men's Volleyball Team
A lot of people will probably be very surprised to see this be my number one moment but you have to think about it. Before the team played their first game, their coach went through what no person should ever have to go through. 12 hours after the Olympic cauldron was lit, violence hit Beijing. It wasn't terrorism thankfully, but it was a random act of violence. Two Americans stabbed by a rogue Chinese man who committed suicide after the attack. One man died, a woman hospitalized. They were simply touring a famous Chinese landmark, no one even knowing they were Americans. And while this was a sad story already, it was made worse when we all found out the people attacked were the family of US Men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon. The man, McCutcheon's father-in-law. The woman, his mother-in-law. His wife was there to see it all but was unharmed. He would miss his team's first two matches of the Olympics to be with his wife and family. Many thought he would not come back and could understand why. But he knew that volleyball would be a way to get away from the anger and grief. And also, winning a gold medal would be the best way to celebrate the life of his father-in-law. After the attacks, the US team had now even more motivation to win the gold. And when their coach returned for their third match, it showed. With their head coach by their side, the US team took on every challenge and made it to the semifinals to take on a tough Russian team. In a match that I watched live starting at 1am, the US jumped ahead 2 sets to none. But Russia stormed back in sets 3 and 4, sending the match to a decisive fifth set. One set to decide who would play for a gold medal. And with their coach and his family in their minds, the US gathered up enough energy and strength to win the fifth set 15 to 13. Their next test would be the top team in Brazil. They dropped the first set but the team came back and won the next three. Coach McCutcheon had his gold and I found my top moment. It may have been the most dramatic or exciting. But it was the most inspiring and rewarding moment and I'll take those any day.
Well done China. London, you have a lot to live up to. Or should I say Vancouver in 2010.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Redemption
So call me stupid or crazy patriotic but I was up at 2:30am to watch the U.S. "Redeem Team" reclaim glory and take down Spain 118 to 107. In a game that I thought would be just another blowout, it ended up being a great game. I even told a friend that I would turn it of, once the U.S. got up by 20 or more. Well, that never happened.
Here are the major storylines to pick up from that game though, now that it is over.
1. The U.S. "Redeem Team" forgot how to play defense. I mean, props to Spain for scoring 107 points but they wouldn't have scored that much if the U.S. just would have played some D. All game, the weak side defense was horrendous. I've never seen more pick-n-rolls in my life. It was slightly embarrassing, considering we had people like Kobe and Tayshaun Prince on this team, people who can defend pretty darn well. Also, the Spain alley-oops were just thunderous. And that's a testament to how bad our defense was as well. We were rolling 10 deep of NBA caliber talent and they were rolling 10 deep but about 5-6 players that I would put in that NBA talent range. We should never see an alley-oop scored on us. No doubt that if we tightened our D, Spain gets blown out.
2. Olympics officiating is terrible, point blank. I'm one of the last people to talk bad about an official but man, they stunk. They were calling fouls early and often. Now, I don't mind calling it tight early and then loosening up later, but the tight calls in the first quarter just weren't there. Then, when they did loosen up a bit in the second half, they were just missing blatant calls. It was a sad sight. Thankfully, it did not determine the game because it was equally bad for both teams. 55 fouls calls, 7 players with 4 or more fouls, including Kobe and Lebron. I know they all come from different countries but here are two constants. 1. If a player gets mugged when driving the lane, it's a foul AND 2. If a player gets all ball or does not touch the offensive player, it is not a foul.
3. The Portland Trail Blazers are going to be really, really good. And that's because they are going to have Rudy Fernandez from Spain on their squad. The guy is amazing. All night, he was putting on a show for his new head coach, Nate McMillan, who was an assistant for the U.S. team. At one point, Kobe went for a steal of Fernandez. While Kobe went flying by, Fernandez spun away, turned his jet pack and flew down the lane, past Dwight Howard and dunked it with one hand and got fouled. It was just sick. He also made 5 3-pointers that kept Spain in reach all game. The guy is just a playmaker and sticking him in that young lineup just scares me. He led Spain with 22 points and if he didn't foul out with 3 minutes left, he may have had had enough to make this game even closer.
4. Kobe Bryant is unequivocally the best player in the NBA, if not the world. I've always been a big critic of Kobe. Besides being an unfaithful husband, I just always thought he had this big ego. Well, put all that aside and I am now more than comfortable to say that he is the most clutch and complete player in the world. What he did in this game versus Spain was just heroic. With the U.S. struggling to score, he hits a three, gets fouled, and it was Fernandez who fouled him, sending him to the bench with 5. He made the free throw to send the lead from 2 to 6 in just one trip down the foul. On the other end, he would get a steal and the offensive side, he would get an assist to balloon the lead to 8. Add in one more assist on the next play and there was no doubt who Coach K was counting on. Kobe's D is just suffocating, which is why he was in foul trouble. But it also why Spain lost by 11 and 3 or 5. Plus, his clutch shots were just enough to stop whatever run Spain may have had going. It simply took the wind out their sails. The stat line doesn't do his game justice: 7-14 FG, 3-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, 3 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK, 20 PTS. The guy knows how to take over a game and in a game this big with a lot on the line, Kobe stepped up big.
5. This game is much different if Jose Calderon is healthy. Spain's best point guard was out due to a leg injury. Calderon is a playmaker as well as better ball-handler. Tons of credit goes to 17 year old Rubio, who did more than his part to keep Spain in it. Look out for him in a couple years as a lottery pick. But Calderon would have brought some experience playing on this stage to the game. He has been playing on the team for at least 4 years and has played for the Toronto Raptors the past two years so he would have been comfortable playing against the likes of Kidd, Kobe and such. I don't know if Spain wins but with Calderon, they have better depth and maybe less turnovers.
6. It sucks to be Carlos Boozer and Michael Redd. Nothing like being the stars of your respective teams in the NBA and probably your whole basketball career and then, having to sit the bench during the whole gold-medal game. Ouch. I mean, Coach K had Boozer at Duke and still gave him no love. Eh well, they got a gold medal.
7. U.S. better be ready in London in 2012. After seeing all these nations throw all they had into playing us, I just think we may be in some trouble in 4 years. Spain alone will probably be a team of NBA players. From the Gasol brothers, Rubio, Hernandez, Calderon and maybe a few more, this team will be stacked and seasoned. Plus, teams like Argentina, Germany and China will be getting better as well. I like where Olympics basketball is going. And hopefully with the games in London, we get more live games at times that are more reasonable than 2:30am.
All in all, a great game. If you missed it, I don't blame you but this was true end-to-end action that was would have kept you awake if you did stay up. Props to both teams for the games they played. It's just too bad you don't see this type of play in the NBA. You know, people giving it their all to win a game. Playing for the name in front of the jersey and not the one on the back. eh well. Just means I'll have to wait another 4 years before I watch pro basketball again.
GO USA!
Here are the major storylines to pick up from that game though, now that it is over.
1. The U.S. "Redeem Team" forgot how to play defense. I mean, props to Spain for scoring 107 points but they wouldn't have scored that much if the U.S. just would have played some D. All game, the weak side defense was horrendous. I've never seen more pick-n-rolls in my life. It was slightly embarrassing, considering we had people like Kobe and Tayshaun Prince on this team, people who can defend pretty darn well. Also, the Spain alley-oops were just thunderous. And that's a testament to how bad our defense was as well. We were rolling 10 deep of NBA caliber talent and they were rolling 10 deep but about 5-6 players that I would put in that NBA talent range. We should never see an alley-oop scored on us. No doubt that if we tightened our D, Spain gets blown out.
2. Olympics officiating is terrible, point blank. I'm one of the last people to talk bad about an official but man, they stunk. They were calling fouls early and often. Now, I don't mind calling it tight early and then loosening up later, but the tight calls in the first quarter just weren't there. Then, when they did loosen up a bit in the second half, they were just missing blatant calls. It was a sad sight. Thankfully, it did not determine the game because it was equally bad for both teams. 55 fouls calls, 7 players with 4 or more fouls, including Kobe and Lebron. I know they all come from different countries but here are two constants. 1. If a player gets mugged when driving the lane, it's a foul AND 2. If a player gets all ball or does not touch the offensive player, it is not a foul.
3. The Portland Trail Blazers are going to be really, really good. And that's because they are going to have Rudy Fernandez from Spain on their squad. The guy is amazing. All night, he was putting on a show for his new head coach, Nate McMillan, who was an assistant for the U.S. team. At one point, Kobe went for a steal of Fernandez. While Kobe went flying by, Fernandez spun away, turned his jet pack and flew down the lane, past Dwight Howard and dunked it with one hand and got fouled. It was just sick. He also made 5 3-pointers that kept Spain in reach all game. The guy is just a playmaker and sticking him in that young lineup just scares me. He led Spain with 22 points and if he didn't foul out with 3 minutes left, he may have had had enough to make this game even closer.
4. Kobe Bryant is unequivocally the best player in the NBA, if not the world. I've always been a big critic of Kobe. Besides being an unfaithful husband, I just always thought he had this big ego. Well, put all that aside and I am now more than comfortable to say that he is the most clutch and complete player in the world. What he did in this game versus Spain was just heroic. With the U.S. struggling to score, he hits a three, gets fouled, and it was Fernandez who fouled him, sending him to the bench with 5. He made the free throw to send the lead from 2 to 6 in just one trip down the foul. On the other end, he would get a steal and the offensive side, he would get an assist to balloon the lead to 8. Add in one more assist on the next play and there was no doubt who Coach K was counting on. Kobe's D is just suffocating, which is why he was in foul trouble. But it also why Spain lost by 11 and 3 or 5. Plus, his clutch shots were just enough to stop whatever run Spain may have had going. It simply took the wind out their sails. The stat line doesn't do his game justice: 7-14 FG, 3-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, 3 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK, 20 PTS. The guy knows how to take over a game and in a game this big with a lot on the line, Kobe stepped up big.
5. This game is much different if Jose Calderon is healthy. Spain's best point guard was out due to a leg injury. Calderon is a playmaker as well as better ball-handler. Tons of credit goes to 17 year old Rubio, who did more than his part to keep Spain in it. Look out for him in a couple years as a lottery pick. But Calderon would have brought some experience playing on this stage to the game. He has been playing on the team for at least 4 years and has played for the Toronto Raptors the past two years so he would have been comfortable playing against the likes of Kidd, Kobe and such. I don't know if Spain wins but with Calderon, they have better depth and maybe less turnovers.
6. It sucks to be Carlos Boozer and Michael Redd. Nothing like being the stars of your respective teams in the NBA and probably your whole basketball career and then, having to sit the bench during the whole gold-medal game. Ouch. I mean, Coach K had Boozer at Duke and still gave him no love. Eh well, they got a gold medal.
7. U.S. better be ready in London in 2012. After seeing all these nations throw all they had into playing us, I just think we may be in some trouble in 4 years. Spain alone will probably be a team of NBA players. From the Gasol brothers, Rubio, Hernandez, Calderon and maybe a few more, this team will be stacked and seasoned. Plus, teams like Argentina, Germany and China will be getting better as well. I like where Olympics basketball is going. And hopefully with the games in London, we get more live games at times that are more reasonable than 2:30am.
All in all, a great game. If you missed it, I don't blame you but this was true end-to-end action that was would have kept you awake if you did stay up. Props to both teams for the games they played. It's just too bad you don't see this type of play in the NBA. You know, people giving it their all to win a game. Playing for the name in front of the jersey and not the one on the back. eh well. Just means I'll have to wait another 4 years before I watch pro basketball again.
GO USA!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
College Football Top 25
It's that time of year. We can all smell it. The college football season just around the corner. And that means two things: Great college football action and great commentary from everyone's favorite TV coach, Lou Holtz! Seriously, it doesn't get much better than Lou getting excited about anything. Don't believe me? Just watch this and tell me this doesn't get you ready for the college football season...
Good ol' Lou. Well, no preseason college football post wouldn't be complete without a Top 25 from yours truly. I was going to do bowl predictions but well, that's just ridiculous. I do have a job. So here's my take on the season to come.
MY TOP 25
1. Ohio State (Tough to pick against my Buckeyes. 47 fourth or fifth-year players, including Heisman hopeful Beanie Wells. Plus, Big Ten is down this year and USC seems to get a player injured every other day. Tough roads tests at Wisconsin and Illinois could pose problems but no doubt, going to SoCal will be the biggest game of the year)
2. Georgia (Probably has better talent than OSU but not the better "team". That schedule scares me. Games at S. Carolina, Arizona St., LSU, and Auburn puts the Dawgs through the ringer. If they get through their reg. season with just one loss, they still have an SEC championship just to get to the Orange Bowl. Good luck)
3. Florida (I was wrong about Tim Tebow. I never thought he would be this good this quick but he is. And he has weapons around him. Game against Georgia may determine the SEC West champion and maybe that BCS National Championship berth. Game at Tennessee is a tough early test)
4. USC (If they stay healthy, they'll be good. Props to them for a tough schedule too. Virginia and the Bucks before the Pac-10 slate. Good thing for the Trojans is that all the tough conference games are at home. Going to nearby UCLA though could be the upset a #3 ranked team would love to see)
5. Missouri (Can't believe they are even in this conversation. But Chase Daniel is another one of those Big 12 QB's like Eric Crouch and Jason White that plays the college game well. 10 defensive starters back is nice but playmaker Jeremy Macklin is nicer. Finale against Kansas will be fun to watch.
6. Auburn (As usual, they will be overlooked by their SEC rivals so they may play spoiler to UGA and UF. Travel to West Virginia this season, making up for years of pathetic non-conf schedules)
7. Clemson (Class of the ACC. Finally, a different Bowden should take the crown. Cullen Harper is a solid QB and they sport a nice tailback tandem. Open against Alabama in ATL. First true test)
8. Wisconsin (Weak Big Ten + Weaker Non-Conf Schedule = Great Record. Tough month of October though. Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois....but all at home)
9. Oklahoma (It's a Bob Stoops team so you know they'll be coached well. As for the talent, debateable. Could see an early upset from the Cincy Bearcats in their second game)
10. Texas Tech (When you pass like they do, you're gonna score points. This year, they have a defense to go with that offense. And their coach, well, he will tell it like it is if they lose...)
11. BYU (BCS Buster?)
12. Kansas (Fightin' Manginos bring back QB Todd Reesing)
13. LSU
14. Arizona State
15. West Virginia
16. Illinois (The Juice is still loose)
17. Tennessee
18. Virginia Tech
19. Pittsburgh
20. Texas
21. Cincinnati (look out for them...)
22. Penn State
23. Oregon State
24. South Florida
25. Oregon
There you have it. My top 25. Sure to be mangled within the first three weeks of the season. Now, just because I put Ohio State at the top of this list does not necessarily mean I think they will win it all. I just think they are the best team on paper right now. How that translates onto the field in a big game is unknown, unless you take into account the past two games they've played in January. Games I am still trying to forget.
Oh, and my prediction for my beloved Bobcats? How about a modest 6-6. Tough to win a bunch of games when you lose people like Kalvin McRae, Landon Cohen and Todd Koenig. 6 wins may be optimistic but it is reachable. It's a weak MAC this year so might be able to surprise some people.
And my favorite for the Heisman right now...Beanie Wells. The schedule just is asking for him to run over the competition, including ending the year with a big impression running over a Michigan squad that is clearly rebuilding under Richie Rich Rodriguez.
That's my take. Again, comments are welcome. And in case you still aren't excited for college football, here is some more reason to be. I will post before the first week of games kick off.
Good ol' Lou. Well, no preseason college football post wouldn't be complete without a Top 25 from yours truly. I was going to do bowl predictions but well, that's just ridiculous. I do have a job. So here's my take on the season to come.
MY TOP 25
1. Ohio State (Tough to pick against my Buckeyes. 47 fourth or fifth-year players, including Heisman hopeful Beanie Wells. Plus, Big Ten is down this year and USC seems to get a player injured every other day. Tough roads tests at Wisconsin and Illinois could pose problems but no doubt, going to SoCal will be the biggest game of the year)
2. Georgia (Probably has better talent than OSU but not the better "team". That schedule scares me. Games at S. Carolina, Arizona St., LSU, and Auburn puts the Dawgs through the ringer. If they get through their reg. season with just one loss, they still have an SEC championship just to get to the Orange Bowl. Good luck)
3. Florida (I was wrong about Tim Tebow. I never thought he would be this good this quick but he is. And he has weapons around him. Game against Georgia may determine the SEC West champion and maybe that BCS National Championship berth. Game at Tennessee is a tough early test)
4. USC (If they stay healthy, they'll be good. Props to them for a tough schedule too. Virginia and the Bucks before the Pac-10 slate. Good thing for the Trojans is that all the tough conference games are at home. Going to nearby UCLA though could be the upset a #3 ranked team would love to see)
5. Missouri (Can't believe they are even in this conversation. But Chase Daniel is another one of those Big 12 QB's like Eric Crouch and Jason White that plays the college game well. 10 defensive starters back is nice but playmaker Jeremy Macklin is nicer. Finale against Kansas will be fun to watch.
6. Auburn (As usual, they will be overlooked by their SEC rivals so they may play spoiler to UGA and UF. Travel to West Virginia this season, making up for years of pathetic non-conf schedules)
7. Clemson (Class of the ACC. Finally, a different Bowden should take the crown. Cullen Harper is a solid QB and they sport a nice tailback tandem. Open against Alabama in ATL. First true test)
8. Wisconsin (Weak Big Ten + Weaker Non-Conf Schedule = Great Record. Tough month of October though. Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois....but all at home)
9. Oklahoma (It's a Bob Stoops team so you know they'll be coached well. As for the talent, debateable. Could see an early upset from the Cincy Bearcats in their second game)
10. Texas Tech (When you pass like they do, you're gonna score points. This year, they have a defense to go with that offense. And their coach, well, he will tell it like it is if they lose...)
11. BYU (BCS Buster?)
12. Kansas (Fightin' Manginos bring back QB Todd Reesing)
13. LSU
14. Arizona State
15. West Virginia
16. Illinois (The Juice is still loose)
17. Tennessee
18. Virginia Tech
19. Pittsburgh
20. Texas
21. Cincinnati (look out for them...)
22. Penn State
23. Oregon State
24. South Florida
25. Oregon
There you have it. My top 25. Sure to be mangled within the first three weeks of the season. Now, just because I put Ohio State at the top of this list does not necessarily mean I think they will win it all. I just think they are the best team on paper right now. How that translates onto the field in a big game is unknown, unless you take into account the past two games they've played in January. Games I am still trying to forget.
Oh, and my prediction for my beloved Bobcats? How about a modest 6-6. Tough to win a bunch of games when you lose people like Kalvin McRae, Landon Cohen and Todd Koenig. 6 wins may be optimistic but it is reachable. It's a weak MAC this year so might be able to surprise some people.
And my favorite for the Heisman right now...Beanie Wells. The schedule just is asking for him to run over the competition, including ending the year with a big impression running over a Michigan squad that is clearly rebuilding under Richie Rich Rodriguez.
That's my take. Again, comments are welcome. And in case you still aren't excited for college football, here is some more reason to be. I will post before the first week of games kick off.
The Debut Post
What up and welcome to the blog that I've been wanting to do since I arrived In Augusta. It is devoted to nothing but sports and will be updated frequently with my different takes on what's going on in the world of sports. Some posts will be long while others will be much shorter. Comments are always welcome. I love a good debate about any sport any time. We may argue in circles but it's fun to talk about anyways.
In the fall, this will be very football-heavy but postseason baseball will make an appearance. I've tried to make this site fan-friendly as well with some sports scores, headlines, and even a poll so amuse me and vote!
That's enough for the first post. Again, throw me some comments. Try to put your first name so I know who you are or at least put it on the Book. That's all for now. First post coming ASAP!
In the fall, this will be very football-heavy but postseason baseball will make an appearance. I've tried to make this site fan-friendly as well with some sports scores, headlines, and even a poll so amuse me and vote!
That's enough for the first post. Again, throw me some comments. Try to put your first name so I know who you are or at least put it on the Book. That's all for now. First post coming ASAP!
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