A Sports Addict Needs Divine Intervention

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

There Is Nothing More Gangsta Than a Kicker

2009-02-14T16:39:00.003-07:00

Congrats to the Steelers winning the Super Bowl. I'm not the biggest fan of the Steelers, but I respect them much more than I hate them. However, their kicker threw a bitch fit in a convenience store in a small town outside of Pittsburgh. Now that's gangsta! Citizens of Pittsburgh who own a store with restrooms, please be sure to have towels available for Jeff Reed. If not, well, he'll tell you how he really feels.

Here is urban dictionary's definition of a bitch fit:

-When a person, usually a female is angry and upset about something and starts whining/crying/yelling/screaming/throwing things when things don't go their way.
-Basically its going all PMSing and Godzilla like.
-Also can just be "BF" if you can't curse in front of certain people.
-Made famous by the Wayans Brothers comedy "White Chicks."

Larry Hughes Becoming a Net?

2009-01-21T21:01:00.002-07:00

One rumor going around has Larry Hughes going to the New Jersey Nets for Bobby Simmons and Maurice Ager. Ager would be included to make the salaries match. I don't see the point of this trade for the Nets. The Nets already have Kenyon Dooling manning the back-up point guard spot and Jarvis Hayes, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Trenton Hassell can the two guard or SF spot. Larry Hughes would probably get more playing time than any of these players. Hughes's deal does end next year so that's a plus. I wouldn't do the deal. Hughes needs the ball in his hands to be effective. The Nets already have Devin Harris, Vince Carter, and the developing Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian (currently injured) as designated scorers for this team. Will Hughes contribute enough on the defensive end to off-set his lack of touches on the offensive end? I doubt it.

For the Bulls, they would be getting an overpaid player who is average in nearly every facet of the game. His defense might be slightly above average. Drew Gooden is still injured so I guess Bobby Simmons would fill in at the PF spot off the bench. I can stretch the floor for Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich with his outside shooting. I guess its a win-win trade, if it happens.

Troy Aikman Critical of Tony Romo

2009-01-21T20:54:00.002-07:00

I'll let Troy Aikman do the talking:

"I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a sudden national spotlight that he hasn't fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about," Aikman told former teammate Michael Irvin on Irvin's radio show. "And you don't go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You just don't do it.
"It didn't take away from his preparations. I know that. I mean, everything he says is I think accurate. I don't think that had any bearing.
"But to say, 'I don't worry about perception,' you better worry about perception, because it's a big part of making it through some very difficult times."

"So, believe me, the NFL is such a reality show. Week to week, you're the best player in the league to the worst player in the league. It all depends on what you've done for me lately."

HEAT's Shawn Marion Involved in Trade Rumors

2009-01-21T18:29:00.006-07:00

The latest rumor involving Shawn Marion has his services along with Marcus Banks headed to Toronto for Jermaine O'Neal. If this trade happens, it would benefit both teams.

The HEAT are in need of some height in their frontcourt. Their tallest frontcourt player is Jamal Magloire and his defense isn't that great either. There is no defensive presence behind Joel Anthony who has done an admirable job as the HEAT's starting center. Shawn Marion wouldn't be missed by the HEAT because they have so much depth at that position. The HEAT have Dorell Wright, James Jones, and Yakhouba Diawara can fill the potentially vacated SF position. Can you imagine the line up of Chalmers, Wade, James Jones, Haslem, and O'Neal? You could do worse. Jermaine O'Neal gives Wade another pick-n-roll buddy, a low post presence, and a post defender. However, the rub in this trade is the health of Jermaine O'Neal. He has been injured this season with those bothersome knees. If the HEAT make this trade, I think it signals that Riley couldn't care less about this summer's free agent class as O'Neal has a player option for more than $20 million. There is no doubt he'll exercise that option. This trade is a win for the HEAT, if O'Neal's healthy.

The Toronto Raptors would be getting a high energy player who can score in a variety of ways, rebound and defend. Shawn Marion can't shoot the three pointer with any degree of regularity. The move would allow the Raptors keep Andrea Bargnani in the starting lineup and go up-tempo more often. Marion is a huge upgrade at SF as Bosh has had enough of the errors made during the game.

Another possible trade partner is the Dallas Mavericks. Josh Howard is on the block and has been on there for quite sometime now. His admission about drug use doesn't help either. Shawn Marion for Josh Howard and another player? This could benefit both teams. As I said earlier in the post, Pat Riley doesn't care about this summer's free agent class. Josh Howard would give Dwyane Wade a much needed sidekick for this season and next. Howard could use the change scenery. The HEAT would still be short in the frontcourt but more potent offensively. The attention that Wade gets could result in Howard returning to his All-Star level. For the Mavs, they'll have Jason Kidd's and Shawn Marion's contracts expiring after this season. That is $38,552,000 coming off the books between. That doesn't include other contracts that expiring after this season. I think Marion would blossom playing next to Jason Kidd for obvious reasons and the Mavs could re-sign him after the season. The trade works out both teams.

Ravens Need Weapons on Offense

2009-01-21T10:41:00.004-07:00

Surrounding weapons around Joe Flacco should be one of the Ravens priority. The Pittsburgh game exposed this weakness. Derrick Mason is the reliable receiver in the Ravens receiver group. There is some talent in that group with Marcus Smith and Demetrius Williams. Marcus Smith has been relegated to special teams duty to start his career, though he could blossom in his second season. Williams was suppose to have a big year this season, but that was not the case injuries derailed his season. He has a slight build so getting of the line of scrimmage is a problem, but he does possess good speed to go deep. He is still a raw route runner. The Ravens also have Mark Clayton, Terrence Copper, and Yamon Figurs. Mark Clayton has been a disappointment since being drafted. He had one breakout year and the other years were subpar. The lack of production can attributed to injuries or lack of development. Yamon Figurs is a bust and Copper is a roster filler. That is what Flacco had to work with this season, along with Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and Todd Heap. That is not good enough especially in the receiving corps.

TJ Houshmandzadeh probably won't make it free agency. The Bengals will probably franchise tag him. Letting him go would set the Bengals back for years and I don't think Carson Palmer would not be a happy camper, along with Chad Johnson. The Ravens should rule out TJ at this point and while we're at it, Ocho Cinco should be eliminated from their minds. Baltimore does not need this head ache especially with a young man at quarterback. See Tony Romo.

Here are other possible options hitting the market that I personally like: Antonio Bryant, Bryant Johnson, and Amani Toomer. Of the bunch, Amani Toomer seems the least likely player to sign with the Ravens as I think the Giants will re-sign him or he retires. Antonio Bryant seem to have resurrected his career this season with the Buccaneers. I know he has had his problems in the past with drunk driving and substance abuse, but he was a really good number one receiver for the Buccaneers. He has the size and speed that the Ravens need at the WR position. Bryant is a good route runner, strong, agile, and has good speed. He is a big play receiver and may have finally mature as a player and person. Given what he did for the Bucs, his contract should be many times more than the league minimum. Bryant Johnson would be a good buy low player. He didn't have the season he was expecting because of the quarterback play. I wanted the Ravens to sign him last year but that didn't happen. Johnson would be a good addition for the Ravens and be a solid number two receiver. By the way, Bryant Johnson is a Baltimore native.

I doubt the Ravens will upgrade the running back position as McGahee will be a Raven next year. The Ravens won't release Willis McGahee because of the possible cap hit. Hopefully, Ray Rice will be given more opportunities to contribute on offense. He is a good change of pace back for the Ravens, though he is not as explosive as one would think given his size.

As for the TE position, Todd Heap has been more of a blocking tight end than a receiving tight end. I think he'll be a Raven next year, though I am not a fan of him. He gets injured way too often and isn't even that great blocking either. Owen Daniels might become available when free agency starts. He is a Todd Heap clone and might be a bit better at this point. I think the Texans will re-sign to a long term deal.

I'll address ways to improve the offense through the draft later.

Ray Lewis to the Cowboys?

2009-01-20T19:39:00.004-07:00

Jerry Jones is still following his same path that he has followed for the last couple years. His method is to sign every big free agent that is on the market and throw tons of money at them. This method hasn't worked at all but that doesn't seem to stop him. Plus, the Cowboys need to sign DeMarcus Ware to a ginormous extension. With that said, I don't think they'll sign Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis will be a Raven next year. I hope.

Baltimore Ravens Will Have Busy Off-Season

2009-01-20T17:45:00.002-07:00

The Baltimore Ravens off-season started earlier than I expected. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday. Though that loss saddens me, the Ravens must move on and try to make the team better.

Rex Ryan has already move on to be bigger and better things as he has signed a 4-year contract with the New York Jets. Good luck with that situation, Rex! Hopefully, the Jets will get you a franchise quarterback in the draft or fix Brett Favre.

The candidates for the defensive coordinator position will have big shoes to fill. Most experts think the Ravens will promote inside as the assistants and coaches already know the system. The leading candidate seems to be Vic Fangio. The Ravens signed Fangio a couple of years to breakdown film of the opposition and scout plays. He also possesses experience at the defensive coordinator position. Those teams were Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Carolina Panthers. I would probably choose him to replace Rex Ryan. The job won't be easy and there will probably be a drop off in production, but he has the most experience among the defensive coaches. Picking him sounds good to me.

Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Bart Scott will be free agents this off-season. The Ravens won't have the money to sign all three. My order would be Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis. Terrell Suggs should be the one that is given a long term deal given his production and age. Plus, Suggs will be in his prime. I don't know if I would franchise tag Ray Lewis. That is a lot of money tied up in aging player even though he hasn't shown any obvious drop in production. Ray Lewis is not athletic or as fast he once was, but you don't notice that decline because of his ability to diagnose the play so quickly. Bart Scott can bounce. I always thought he was a bit overrated as he likes to gamble on plays and is not that great at tackling in open space. They could replace him with Tavares Gooden, Jameel McClain, Antwan Barnes, or Edgar Jones. There are many in-house candidates to replace Scott.

Chris McAlister could be a cap casualty along with Samari Rolle, Willie Anderson, or Todd Heap. Of the bunch, Chris McAlister seems to be the most likely candidate to go as he hasn't gotten along with the new regime. Fabian Washington has demonstrated he can more than hold his own as his replacement.Willie Anderson could be gone too as Marshal Yanda will be returning at full strength next year.

There are much decisions to be made for the Ravens. Hopefully, all of the right ones are made.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defeats the Baltimore Ravens

2009-01-19T14:32:00.004-07:00

Going into this game, the Baltimore Ravens had a chance. Joe Flacco was passing the ball well enough throughout the playoffs. He didn't have a turnover before Sunday's meeting with the Steelers. Even though Tennessee was moving the ball well against the Ravens, the Ravens were able to stay aggressive and forced turnovers against them and the Miami Dolphins.

Joe Flacco looked like a rookie in this game, making mistakes he wasn't making in previous games. The pass protection for Flacco was great considering the opponent. He stared down some of his receivers with some of his passes, one of which resulted in an interception by Troy Polamalu who returned the pick for a touchdown. That touchdown sealed the victory for the Steelers. The zone defenses ran by the Steelers confused Flacco. His statline was 13/30 for 141 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. When you have a statline such as Flacco's, you will not win, especially when the quarterback is a rookie. 30 passing attempts for a rookie is atrocious play-calling. On the two drives, the Ravens passed the ball four times, one of which resulted in an interception by Deshea Townsend, while running the ball only twice. You can't do that against any defense especially with a rookie quarterback. Flacco should have throw that many times during a game. There was one drive in the first half were Willis McGahee ran for a 7 yard gain and a two yard gain. Obviously, he was short of the first down. The Ravens decided to try a quarterback sneak with the Joe Flacco. Why run a quarterback sneak when your running back just gained 9 yards total on the first two downs? On the next play, the Ravens decide to hand the ball off to Willis McGahee. The Steelers knew McGahee was getting the since the Ravens ran a QB sneak on third down. Just dumb play-calling in that instance. McGahee tip toe-ing to the line of scrimmage didn't help either. Make one cut and hit the damn hole since there is only one yard to gain. The bad play-calling didn't stop until the game was over.

Defensively, the Ravens played well given the circumstances. They only gave up 16 points. When the Steelers intercepted Flacco for the first time, the Ravens defense held the Steelers to a field goal. They shut down Willie Parker on the ground as he only rushed for 47 yards. The Ravens were able to blitz and get Rothlisberger often, but missed some sacks as players like Haruki Nakamura and Jarret Johnson didn't wrap up Rothlisberger when they applied the pressure. Rothlisberger is too big and too strong for players to just blitz and go for the big hit instead of wrapping up. He'll make players whiff more often than not. The score would've been much worse as Limas Sweed dropped a sure touchdown. On the play before, Frank Walker went out of the game with an injury and the Ravens inserted Evan Oglesby. The Steelers attacked him right away as Limas Sweed did a double move on Oglesby to get wide open. Limas Sweed simply dropped the ball and the Ravens held the Steelers to a field goal. The one big play the Ravens gave up was a Santonio Holmes touchdown. Rothlisberger scrambled out of the pocket to escape the pressure and finds Holmes on the opposite side of the field. The ball was poorly thrown but the Raven defender, Fabian Washington, slipped on the play. From that point, Holmes cuts across the field making two defenders miss enroute to a touchdown. The breaks did not go the Ravens way in this game.

The Steelers defense was great. They didn't have to commit many of their defenders to run as the front four was able to stop the Ravens game at times during the game. The #1 defense wasn't able to apply as much as pressure on Flacco as they did during the regular season. The Ravens routinely double teamed James Harrison on pass plays but that opened up things for Lamar Woodley, who had 2 sacks during the game. One of those sacks came against Lorenzo Neal because for whatever reason, the Ravens think a slow nonathletic fullback can block an emerging star pass rusher. The Steelers intercepted three passes, returning one of them for a touchdown. They were able to create turnovers and make the Ravens one-dimensional.

Ben Rothlisberger beats the Ravens again with his scrambling ability and decision-making. He avoided the pressure well. He even converted a 2nd and 24 with a 30 yard pass play to Heath Miller on the very next play. Rothlisberger's statline was 16/33 for 255 with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Rothlisberger made enough plays to get his team the victory.

The Steelers will be facing the most unlikely opponent in the Arizona Cardinals. The Steel City looks poised for another championship banner.

Arizona Cardinals Are Heading to the Super Bowl

2009-01-19T12:46:00.003-07:00

I was not expecting this outcome to happen. I had the Eagles running away with this game because I thought the performances turned in by the Cardinals defense was a mirage. I also thought the Eagles defense would be able to get to Warner more often than the Cardinals previous opponents. I wasn't entirely wrong, but wrong nonetheless.

The Cardinals has their way with the Eagles defense. Kurt Warner was given an enormous amount of time in the pocket, especially in the first half. He also had an answer for the blitz by attacking the spot that the blitz came from. The slant and underneath crossing routes were the Cardinals bread and butter. They also did a trick play that resulted in a Larry Fitzgerald touchdown. The Cardinals were given good field position after a David Akers's missed field goal. On the first play of that drive, the Cardinals pitched the ball to J.J. Arrington, who throws the ball back to Warner and he throws the ball as far as he could to Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald tried to sell the fake as long as possible and slow down his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage so that Kurt Warner lead him to a spot. The ball was still under thrown but Fitzgerald was able to adjust and score the touchdown. Quinton Demps fell on the play which didn't help the Eagles much. Both of the Eagles' safeties bit on the fake too. Warner's statline was 21/28 for 279 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. That statline summed the Eagles day on defense.

Why don't defenses play man-to-man bump-n-run defenses? Teams should at least run this defense sometimes during the game. Teams could also play Cover 2 defense with corners pressing the receivers at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles didn't do any of these enough during the course of the game. Larry Fitzgerald and others were able to get open with little resistance. Jim Johnson would send the blitz, but Kurt Warner would've been able to find the open man fairly easily. This veteran defense even gave a touchdown on a trick play. The safeties jumped on the running of JJ Arrington without diagnosing the play until it was too late. Not only did Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald have their way the defense, so too did the Cardinals running game when they chose to run the ball. Edgerrin James was able to finds holes early and often. Tim Hightower finished them off by getting some first downs so the clock could run out. The Eagles defense showed up in the third quarter and that was it.

The Cardinals defense played well for a half, which would be the first half. The Eagles were driving the ball but had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. David Akers also missed a field goal as the laces on the football were facing towards him instead away from him. In the second half, the Cardinals gave up 19 straight unanswered points. Donovan McNabb was able to find his rhythm which was non-existent in the first half. His receivers were finally able to get open and get a good release off the line of scrimmage. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie definitely had DeSean Jackson on locked up in the first half, but he did give up a huge touchdown in the second half. Jackson ran a double move on Cromartie that gave him enough separation for McNabb to throw a perfect pass to him for the touchdown. That touchdown give the Eagles the lead for the first time during the game. However, that lead was short lived, as the Cardinals scored a touchdown on their next possession. McNabb ended up having a statline of 28/47 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also lost a fumble in the game which was forced by the ever-underrated Adrian Wilson.

Eagles fans will find ways to blame Donovan McNabb for this game. They'll point to his first half statistics and say that is where the Eagles loss the game. McNabb's passing was erratic throughout the first half and a little in the second half. However, he didn't give up 32 points. McNabb did give the Eagles the lead, yet the defense couldn't hold that lead. I guess that is life as an Eagles QB.

As for the Cardinals, congrats on getting to the Super Bowl. Kurt Warner has cemented himself as one of the greatest QBs ever. He is obviously a future Hall of Famer. They'll be pitted against the Pittsburgh Steelers who defeated my beloved Baltimore Ravens. Not everybody was happy for the Cardinals.

Really Anquan Kenmile Boldin? The Cardinals franchise finally gets to the Super Bowl and you're whining about touches or not getting enough playing time. Boldin did have an exchange with his offensive coordinator during the game. I have no clue about what they were discussing, but my guess would be that Boldin wanted to get on the field more often which was not the case in the second half. Quit pouting Boldin. Your attitude is going to cost you millions. Wide receivers are prima donnas.

Congrats to Tiger Woods

2009-01-16T19:13:00.002-07:00

Tiger Woods accepted an invitation to speak at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday as part of President-elect Barack Obama's inaugaration festivities. Nuff said!

Bobcats & Mavs Make a Trade

2009-01-16T18:12:00.003-07:00

The Dallas Mavericks traded DeSagana Diop to the Bobcats for Matt Carroll and Ryan Hollins. Diop gives the Bobcats another big which they sorely need. The Bobcats get a good defender in Diop. Diop is pretty average offensively. He could probably hit a 15 footer once every blue moon. Diop and Emeka Okafor could be a potent 1-2 punch for the Bobcats on the defensive end. The trade allows Okafor to move to his more natural position as a power forward. The trade also make the Bobcats a little deeper at that position as Brown will probably go with Juwan Howard and Nazr Mohammed off the bench for substitution purposes. One could say that Adam Morrison's play probably made Matt Carroll expendable. Both players are similar, though Matt Carroll shoots a better percentage than Morrison. Each player is all offense and no defense. Why not trade one for a needed big?

The Mavericks finally get their shooting guard that they have been needing for a while. Matt Carroll can shoot the cover off the ball but their defense will suffer. The Mavs need his shooting to spread the floor for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd. Gerald Green and Antoine Wright haven't been playing consistent enough for the Mavs, though Wright's defense has been as advertised. Trading Diop has left the Mavs without a back up big for Erick Dampier. Brandon Bass is too small to be playing center. Ryan Hollins will present no resistance at the defensive end. I think they'll pick up another big at some point.

You're Fired, Jon Gruden!

2009-01-16T17:13:00.005-07:00

Jon Gruden along with GM Bruce Allen have been shown the door by the owner. Jon Gruden produced a Super Bowl trophy during his tenure. Personally, I attribute that Tony Dungy and his regime. As for Bruce Allen, he was a good GM, I think. Michael Clayton hasn't worked well. Gaines Adams might be heading down that bust road as his repertoire is limited right now. I think it'll get better; it has to get better. Adams is too good of an athlete to not put it all together. I think he will, but it'll take some time. Allen did hit the jackpot with Jeremy Trueblood, Tanard Jackson, Arron Sears, and Davin Joseph. There are probably others.

John Clayton is reporting that the Bucs might promote Raheem Morris to head coach.

Broken Ankle Insurance!!!?!?!?!!!!

2009-01-15T15:03:00.003-07:00

Kobe Bryant is here to offer you Broken Ankles Insurance. I think will buy this insurance so I can keep my ankles healthy and it eliminated my worries.

Is Ray Lewis the NFL's Greatest Defensive Player Ever?

2009-01-13T15:01:00.002-07:00

Mark Kriegel pleads his case. For me, I think Ray Lewis is in the Top 5. Maybe the bottom of my Top 5. Here is my list:

Reggie White
Lawrence Taylor
Ronnie Lott
Ray Lewis
Michael Strahan

These lists are tough to do. I think I have my list right. I do reserve the right to change my mind. I might even put Ray Lewis ahead of Ronnie Lott. Its just tough to put together a list like this. Kriegel does a good job though.

Pittsburgh Steelers Advance to the AFC Championship Game

2009-01-13T14:07:00.004-07:00

I thought this game would be of the low scoring affair. The #1 defense in the Steelers would be able to frustrate the Pro Bowl-snubbed Phillip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers defense has been playing at an elite level during the latter portion of the season including their playoff game against the Colts. Well, I was wrong on both accounts.

The score in this game ended up being 35-24. This could've been a loss for the Steelers if their offense didn't dominate the time of possession. On the Chargers first possession, after three plays, Rivers throws a deep pass to Vincent Jackson for a touchdown. Jackson dove for the football in the endzone while the defender had a hold of Jackson's left arm. It was a great pass and an even better catch. From that point on in the first half, the Chargers managed to score only a field goal. Their other drives were killed by penalties, bad execution and good defense from the Steelers.

In the second half, the Chargers only ran one play in the 3rd quarter. That is not a misprint. The Charger's offense only ran one play in the 3rd quarter and that play result in an interception by Larry Foote because the pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by one of the defensive linemen. The worse part is that the Chargers had excellent field position as a result of Darren Sproles huge kick off return of 64 yards. Talk about depressing. The Chargers only had the ball in the third quarter for about two seconds. They were going to get another possession after Chargers defense made the Steelers punt but the Chargers muffed the punt. The football bounced off the head of Eric Weddle who had no clue that the ball was coming. William Gay of the Steelers recovered the ball. That was the last chance for the Chargers to have a drive in the 3rd quarter.

In the 4th quarter, Chargers managed to score two touchdowns threw the air. Actually, Phillip Rivers ended up with great game. Here is his statline: 21/35 for 308 yards with three touchdowns and 1 interception. I'm sure Jake Delhomme would love to have that statline. The Chargers didn't play that bad, at least offensively.

Defense is another story. The Chargers defense had no answer for the running of Willie Parker. The Steelers star running back dominated the game on the ground. Here is his statline: 27 rushes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. He was back to his old self after suffering through injuries in the regular season. His running helped the Steelers take over the game in the second half. The Steelers offense dominated the second time of possession, especially in the third quarter. They had a TD drive with the time of 7:04. That was their first possession of the second half. After getting intercepting Rivers pass, the Steelers had a time of possession that lasted longer than 4 minutes, even though the drive ended in a punt. After the muffed punt by the Chargers, the Steelers had a TD drive with the time of possession of 12:52. Now that is how you keep the opposing team's offense on the sidelines. The amazing thing is that the Steelers got touchdowns instead of field goals on those long drives. The Chargers just couldn't stop the run or stop the pass in obvious passing situations.

Ben Rothlisberger did what he was suppose to do in this game. He took care of the football. Rothlisberger was 17/26 for 181 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions. He managed the game and completed passes when he had to do it. It helps to have a star running back in Willie Parker healthy and dominating on the ground. Running backs make the game a whole lot easier for quarterbacks.

The Steelers defense did what they had to do in the first half. In the second half, they barely take the field in the third quarter as the offense dominated the time of possession. In the fourth quarter though, Steelers defense didn't look great as Rivers was able to drop back and pass with relative ease. He threw a 62 yard pass Sproles who ran a slant route and just ran away from the defense. The Chargers touchdown scoring drives in the fourth quarter saw little resistance. However, the Steelers defense play well enough to get the win, thanks to the offense.

The Steelers move on to the AFC Championship game to face the Ravens. These two teams don't like each other. It should be a slugfest between the two defense, but somehow, I think the offenses will shine as these two teams know each really well. If it is high scoring, that game would not favor the Ravens. Go Ravens!

The Eagles Beat the Giants in Giants Stadium

2009-01-13T12:35:00.002-07:00

Going into this game, all eyes were going to be Brian Westbrook because the last time he was in Giants Stadium, he gave the Giants defense a beating that they'll never forget. There were some eyes on Donovan McNabb too. The controversy about not knowing there is a tie in football and the benching heard around the world follow McNabb all season long. The Eagles won 23-11 while hanging their hats on the defense.

The Giants settled for field goals in the redzone while the Eagles scored touchdowns. The game got off to a huge start for the Giants as Ahmed Bradshaw had a long kick return on the opening kickoff. The return was for 65 yards and started the Giants off Eagles territory. The drive resulted in a field goal as the Giants were not successful inside the Eagles 10 yard line. On the next drive for the Giants, the Eagles get an interception by Asante Samuel that was return inside the Giants 5 yard line. The Eagles pressured Manning in the pocket and Manning overthrows Domenik Hixon by a wide margin. The wind could have been a factor as the ball sailed on Manning.

Throughout the game, Manning did not look comfortable in the pocket as Jim Johnson was blitzing every chance he had. Some of the balls thrown by Manning came out wobbling. The wind was blowing but not by much. McNabb didn't have problems throwing the football as he was rifling passes to Jason Avant and DeSean Jackson. Manning just couldn't gain a grip on the football as numerous passes were sailing or falling short to it's intended targets. This was not the best game for the Giants quarterback but it was hardly his worst.

There was some questionable playcalling from the Giants. They had an important 4th and 1 in the 4th quarter near the 50 yard line. The Giants chose to use a quarterback sneak instead of Brandon Jacobs. The Giants didn't get the first down. Why not use your 6'4" 265lb running back to get you a couple of inches? On a separate drive, the Giants had a 4th and 2. They chose to run Brandon Jacobs and didn't get it. The Eagles had virtually all 11 players in the box to stop the run which they did. Why not play action pass in this situation? Second thought, this might a little nitpicking right here, but the Eagles knew Jacobs was going to get the ball in this situation.

In the end, McNabb made the plays that he had to make and helped his team score touchdowns. The Giants settled for field goals and their kicker missed two other field goals in the game. That sums up this game in it's entirety. The Eagles move on to play the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona. The Eagles have less question marks than the Cardinals right now, who are not sure if Anquan Boldin will play on Sunday and played two opponents with quarterbacks that made bad and mind-boggling mistakes. McNabb will take better care of the football and not give the Cardinals a short field to work. Everyone knows that Jim Johnson will be blitzing early and often in this game. Can the Cardinals run the football? Can the Eagles get to Kurt Warner? Those questions will get answered this Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals Defeated the Carolina Panthers

2009-01-13T11:54:00.002-07:00

This game had Panthers winning by wide margin written all over it. I thought there was no way the Cardinals could stop the Panthers running game with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. I thought the victory over the Falcons was a mirage. Yet, the victor was the Arizona Cardinals via a blow out.

For whatever reason, the Panthers just let Larry Fitzgerald roam free in the secondary. The Panthers played a lot of zone coverage and let Fitzgerald get free release off the line of scrimmage. They barely double teamed Fitzgerald. The gameplan for the Panthers was terrible. The defense wasn't getting any pressure on Kurt Warner at all in the first half. Warner picked them apart as a result of their lack of a pass rush. The Panthers had to stop one guy by the name of Larry Fitzgerald and they didn't. It helped cost them the game. The defense played well in the second half giving up only 6 points but the game was over by halftime. H-A-L-F-T-I-M-E! The Cardinals won this game at halftime! Unbelieveable!

You know what was worse? Jake Delhomme. Delhomme was awful. Pathetic. Atrocious. Terrible. Dreadful. He was just plain bad. Delhomme made rookie mistakes in this game: holding on to the football too long, staring down receivers, specifically Steve Smith, didn't read the coverage correctly at all and throwing balls into double coverage. The former NFL Europe star made Joe Flacco look like a 10 year HOF bound veteran. This loss is on Jake Christopher Delhomme. Delhomme's turnovers came at inopportune times. On the first play of the Panthers 3rd drive, Jake Delhomme holds onto the football far too long and fumbles the football. Antonio Smith gets the sack, forced fumble, and recovered the fumble. That is what could happen when holding onto the football for too long. Delhomme threw two interceptions in the redzone. He also turned the ball on twice on the first play of drives. Yikes!

I can't believe John Foxx didn't insert Matt Moore into the game. Delhomme did not deserve to finish the game. Matt Moore couldn't have worsened the situation. I don't think anybody could've played worse than how Delhomme did in this game, that includes Brett Favre. If I am the Panthers GM, I'm looking for a franchise quarterback. When Delhomme is good, he is great. When Delhomme is bad, he is downright dreadful. He is 33 and shouldn't have made those mistakes he made in this game. Panthers need a franchise quarterback or start Matt Moore, who did win a NFC Offensive Player of Month during his rookie campaign. They need a change at the quarterback position.

As for the Arizona Cardinals, they'll be playing against the Eagles next Sunday. I'm not sold on the Cardinals yet. I will be if they beat the Eagles, but I do not think that is going to happen. Each team they've played was one-dimensional, and neither opponent had a quarterback on the level of Donovan McNabb. The Eagles won't let Kurt Warner have all day to throw in the pocket. Jim Johnson will bring more defenders than the Cardinals can block on nearly every play. Either way, the game will be fun to watch.

The Great Escape

2009-01-13T08:29:00.004-07:00

The Ravens and Titans renewed their rivalry on Saturday. The Ravens and Titans used to play each other twice a year in the old AFC Central before the expansion of the AFC. There were many battles between these two teams. Eddie George vs Ray Lewis. Chris McAlister vs Kevin Dyson. Enroute to their Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants, the Ravens had to go through Tennessee to get there, which they did and the score was 24-10. These two teams met again on Saturday and the result was the same as the Ravens defeated the Titans 13-10.

The game was a defensive affair with two of the top 3 defenses in the league playing in this game. Each team traded touchdowns in different fashions in the first quarter. The Titans touchdown drive can be summed up in two words: Chris Johnson. On that drive, Johnson's speed gave the Ravens defense fits. He had a huge gain of 28 yards after Collins dumps ball out to him in the flat. He makes Bart Scott miss and his speed took over from there. Later in the drive, Chris Johnson scores on a run to the right side, practically beating the Ravens defenders to the spot enroute to the touchdown. His speed was apparent even though the field was slick at the beginning of the game. The Ravens' touchdown scoring drive was helped by a roughing the passer penalty by the Titans along with a couple runs. The actual TD was scored by Derrick Mason on a pass from Joe Flacco. The pass was a frozen rope to Mason as Flacco was showed off his cannon.

The game would change in change the 2nd quarter as the Ravens finally got their legs underneath them. In the beginning of the game, the Ravens defense looked slow and tired as they have been playing football every week since their bye week and had a short week again. Chris Johnson was making them look silly on the football, seemingly always making the first man miss on any given play. However, the Ravens began to assert themselves. On the last two drives of the second quarter, the Titans were able to get deep into Ravens territory. The results were an interception and a fumble. Pressure on the quarter forced the interception as the Ravens sent more defenders than the Titans can blocked, which forced Collins to throw off his back to Samari Rolle. The fumble happened as the Titans were in position to get either a field goal or a touchdown. LenDale White fumbled the football. He did have the football in the correct hand but the football was out away from his body which led to a fumble. Jim Leonhard recovered the fumble. Disaster was avoided in the first half for the Ravens.

In the second half, the two exchanged punts in the 3rd quarter, and in the 4th quarter things got interesting. Before the 3rd quarter ended, the Ravens had the ball. Flacco made a big connection to Mark Clayton for 37 yard gain. Clayton caught the ball in between two defenders. A couple of plays later, Stover hits a field goal. The Titans could not getting going in the second half until late in the game when they repeatedly beat the Ravens on slant routes and other short intermediate routes. They were deep in the redzone when Alge Crumpler fumble the football as the two Ravens hit him low and high. Those two Ravens were Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard, respectively. Jim Leonhard subsequently got a concussion because of the hit he gave to Crumpler. Fabian Washington recovered the fumble. On the ensuing possession for the Ravens, their offense goes three and out. They played it safe on that possession as they were inside their own 5 yard line. Titans get the ball and moves into field goal range for a Rob Bironas field goal which was good.

The Ravens had the drive of the game on their next possession. They held the football for four minutes. The drive was not without controversy. Flacco pass to Todd Heap for a 23 yard gain that the Ravens in Titans territory should have counted as the play clock was at zero for more than two seconds. There should have been a delay of game penalty called against the Ravens but that didn't happen. Since that catch, the Ravens were able to move to the Titans 25 yard line and Matt Stover kicked a 43 yard field goal which was good. That drive left only 47 seconds for the Titans on their next possession. The Titans only gained 5 yards on their drive and couldn't convert on fourth down. Game over.

The Ravens will be on the road again next Sunday as they face another rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no love lost between these two teams. The Steelers swept the season series. The Ravens will look to win the big game in enroute to their second franchise Super Bowl appearance. Go Ravens!

Knicks Might Re-sign David Lee

2009-01-10T12:15:00.003-07:00

I think New York Knicks may want to re-sign David Lee instead of trading him. Here are a few things from the article:

Lee will be a restricted free agent this summer after the Knicks were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension before the start of the season. It is believed that Lee, who will make $1.7 million this season, was seeking about $10 million per season in a new deal.

With the focus on having salary-cap space for 2010, Donnie Walsh wasn't inclined to give out lavish raises off a 23-win team. But after watching Lee for almost half a season, Walsh has told confidants that he has changed his mind about Lee.

"Unless someone blows them away with a trade," one source said, "[Lee] was told the preference is to sign him to a long-term extension."

One way the Knicks - who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday - can fit Lee into the budget and still have potentially more than $40 million in salary-cap space for the summer of 2010 is to trade Eddy Curry, who will make $11.2 million in 2010-11. Of course, Walsh also has to make a decision on Nate Robinson, the team's other restricted free agent this summer.

David Lee wants $10 million a year for his services, at least that is what his agent is trying to get him. That contract demand is tough. I don't know if I would give him that contract. Lee is a good player, but he is a role player. He can't defend even though he tries his hardest to defend. He has a good 15 footer, but Lee is pretty much a hustle player who rebound the basketball with the best of them. If I'm the Knicks, I wouldn't pay Lee that much money. He is simply not worth it. Maybe the Knicks and Lee's agent can meet somewhere in the middle.

Possibly Playing for Dad

2009-01-10T11:54:00.003-07:00

This could be a dream come true for Coby Karl and coach/dad George Karl. Coby Karl played for the LA Lakers, though he didn't get much playing time because the Lakers already have another young point guard entrenched as a back-up in Jordan Farmar. Would Karl get any tick with the Nuggets? Maybe. The Nuggets already have Anthony Carter backing up Chauncey Billups, and J.R. Smith has been playing some point guard too. This transaction was bound to happen since Coby Karl was cut by the Lakers. Good luck to the Karls!

Monta Ellis Nearing His Return to the Court

2009-01-10T11:27:00.002-07:00

Monta Ellis did his first drill since the accident. The practice was an odd man fast breaking drill. Here are a few quotes from Don Nelson on Monta Ellis:

“Way better than I thought he would be,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “He’s an amazing athlete.”

“It’s probably the lightest thing that we do, and that’s why we had him participate,” Nelson said. “It’s not a practice. It’s very little contact, but it is some defenders out there.”

Monta Ellis will probably return to the court in the middle of February. When he returns, the Golden State Warriors will have a glut of guards on the roster. Because of that problem, Jamal Crawford has given some thought to exercising his early termination option. I can understand why he would. His touches would significantly diminish when Monta Ellis returns. The Warriors already have Marco Belinelli, Kelenna Azubuike, and Anthony Morrow. You add the possibility of Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson being able to score 20 points a night and play Crawford position, then it is understandable why Crawford would have reservations about staying in Golden State. The other wildcard in the discussion is Don Nelson. Nelson's commitment to the players and organization has been questioned all season.

Is there any team out there that needs a bonafide scorer who doesn't play a lick of defense? I can't think any team right now. Maybe the Dallas Mavericks could use his scoring for their bench. Would the Warriors trade Crawford for Jerry Stackhouse and possibly Brandon Bass? The Mavericks would probably say no to that trade because Brandon Bass is a good young player who has blossomed since becoming a Maverick.

Vujacic 'Doesn't Have a Brain'

2009-01-10T11:10:00.003-07:00

Phil Jackson is always good for quotes. Here is what he had to say about Sasha Vujacic:

"We've just had to come to the conclusion that Sasha is an emotional player who plays by the seat of his pants, and that's about it. He just doesn't have a brain. He's just out there whacking away, working really hard, but a lot of times he's playing by the seat of his pants. He doesn't use his head out there at times.
"We're working with him. We're hoping he learns."

Three Ravens Made the NFL All-Pro Team

2009-01-09T20:57:00.002-07:00

The Associated Press has released their roster of the 2008 NFL All-Pro team. Three Ravens have made the roster: Le'Ron McClain, Ed Reed, and Ray Lewis. Here are the stats for each player:

Le'Ron McClain: 232 rushes, 906 yards rushing, 10 TDs, 19 receptions, 123 yards, one touchdown

Ed Reed: 41 tackles; 34 of them solo, one sack, 9 interceptions, 2 touchdowns

Ray Lewis: 117 tackles; 85 of them solo, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions

Congrats to these Ravens teammates. Beat Tennessee!

Associated Press Top 25

2009-01-09T11:43:00.003-07:00

With the college football season completed, the Associated Press released their season-ending top 25.

The Associated Press Top 25 Poll

Rank Team Record Votes
Previous

1 Florida (48) 13-1 1,606 1

2 Utah (16) 13-0 1,519 7

3 USC (1) 12-1 1,481 5

4 Texas 12-1 1,478 3

5 Oklahoma 12-2 1,391 2

6 Alabama 12-2 1,264 4

7 TCU 11-2 1,193 11

8 Penn State 11-2 1,153 6

9 Ohio State 10-3 1,013 10

10 Oregon 10-3 997 15

11 Boise State 12-1 938 9

12 Texas Tech 11-2 916 8

13 Georgia 10-3 903 16

14 Mississippi 9-4 857 20

15 Virginia Tech 10-4 713 21

16 Oklahoma State 9-4 534 13

17 Cincinnati 11-3 506 12

18 Oregon State 9-4 467 24

19 Missouri 10-4 435 25

20 Iowa 9-4 317 NR

21 Florida State 9-4 246 NR

22 Georgia Tech 9-4 223 14

23 West Virginia 9-4 144 NR

24 Michigan State 9-4 138 19

25 Brigham Young 10-3 137 17

The Utah Utes at number 2 doesn't surprise me. They are very good team. The Utes did give the Crimson Tide a beating. They are an underrated team. Brian Johnson is as advertise and possibly better. Their defense is solid too. The Utah Utes are a good all-around team.

I have problems with the ranking of the Penn State Nitany Lions. I'm a big fan of Joe Paterno, but that ranking is undeserved. They were blown to oblivion by the USC Trojans. They should fall out of the top 10, possibly to 11 or 12. Oregon should take their spot with Boise State moving up inside the top 10.

All the other rankings are fine with me. Maybe Alabama could be ranked lower along with Texas Tech, but that would be nitpicking, at least in the latter's case. Maybe. Look, Ole Miss gave Texas Tech the business during their bowl game battle. How they are still ranked ahead of Ole Miss is beyond me. Maybe the voters should go watch the game again. Whatever. See ya'll next year.

The Florida Gators Win Another BCS National Championship

2009-01-09T09:34:00.003-07:00

Going into the game, I thought the Oklahoma Sooners had legitimate shot at winning the title. I actually picked them to upset the Gators. I thought most experts underrated the Sooners defense and the entire team's speed. In comparison to the Florida Gators speed, the Sooners team speed falls short. I wouldn't say WAY short but there is a good distance between the two. That is why they play the games. Florida defeated Oklahoma 24-14.

Florida's defense held the nation's best offense to 14 points. The secondary of the Gators had great game. They were physical at the line of scrimmage and down the field against the receivers. The Gator defense made Bradford check down on numerous occasions. The Sooners' deep routes were non-existent for the most part in the game. The Sooner receivers were running shorter and shorter routes as the game progressed. When the Gators defense saw that, they started taking those routes away, especially in the fourth quarter when the Sooners were behind in the game. All in all, the Florida defense played a good game.

Offensively, the Gators were so-so until the second half. In the first half, the Gators struggled passing and running the ball. Tim Tebow threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions was poorly thrown, and the other was a byproduct of the defense that was called. The defense that was called on that play was a zone blitz. Gerald McCoy was one of the linemen dropping back in the zone and he had the second interception. One play that was effective in the first half for the Gators was the triple option. The triple option made the Sooner defense have to defend the quarterback keeper, a pitch to the running back, and a shovel pass to the tight end. This play is what helped the Gator offense in the second half. The Sooners just could not defend that play. Tim Tebow and the Gator offense were able to find their rhythm in the second half because of that play. Tebow ran more quarterback design runs. In fourth quarter though, Tebow's arm is what got the job done for the Gators along with Percy Harvin, who was questionable before the game started. Tebow was accurate throwing from the pocket or on the run to his left. He threw in stride to his receivers and making the correct decisions. The former Heisman winner even did his patented jump pass for a touchdown. Tebow's statline was 18/30 for 232 yards for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tebow also had 22 carries for 108 yards. Percy Harvin's contributions can't go unnoticed. Harvin had 9 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also had 5 catches for 50 yards.

The Sooners played well. I wasn't surprised about how well they played. They are a very talented team. Anyway, the Sooners came up short. The Sooners offense certainly had their opportunities. After getting the second interception thrown by Tim Tebow, the Sooners were given excellent field position with the opportunity to score first. That drive yielded no points. The Sooners moved the ball inside the Gators 5 yard line. Actually, they had the ball at the goal line. The Gators stopped them four straight times. Yes, FOUR times! For whatever reason, Bob Stoops chose to go for it on fourth and the play was a run play. The Gators stopped the Sooners on the three previous plays that were run plays. When going for the touchdown on fourth down, why not go play action? Why even go for it on fourth down anyway? Before Bob Stoops went into the tunnel for halftime, when questioned about going for it on fourth down on that drive, Stoops said something along the lines of that's how the Sooners play. Really? You're in a national championship game against a tough Florida Gator defense, so you know opportunities to score are few and far in between. You should take the three points and move on. Nope. Not Stoops. This is Sooner football and going for it on fourth down is how we play. Anyway, the Sooners beat themselves once more before halftime with Sam Bradford throwing an interception in the redzone. He tried to fit the ball in tight coverage by the corner on the receiver. Bradford has to know that the only time you throw the ball in the redzone is if the receiver is wide open or has separation from his defender. That pass was just a bad decision from Bradford. For the rest of the game, the Sooner receivers were locked up by the Gator corners. They couldn't get any separation from the cornerbacks. Jermaine Gresham, a tight end, was the Sooners only mismatch on the field. He caught two touchdown passes in the game. Everybody else was locked up. Sooners did have a running game with Patrick Brown, but the running game was non-existent in the fourth quarter as the Sooners had to become a throwing team because of the deficit. Not a poor showing from the Sooner offense, but they could have done better for themselves with better decision making and with less mental lapses on offense.

Simply put, the Sooner defense could not defend the triple option to save their lives. Aaron Hernandez continued to catch shovel passes from the triple option because the Sooner defense just wasn't playing him. The Gators' speed on offense began to show itself in the second starting with Percy Harvin. They did not have any answers for the speedster. He was making tacklers miss and miss badly and cutting on that bad ankle as if it never existed. His speed was zapped a a little but he was still faster than most of the Sooners defenders. The only bright spot for the Sooners on defense was Gerald McCoy. He had a good game including an interception. He also has good hands for a big fella.

The game was another tough lost for the Oklahoma Sooners, and another championship banner for the Florida Gators and Urban Meyer. If I had to guess, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow will return to school. The latter is more likely than the former. The reason that I think Bradford will return is because the Sooners have another chance to get to the title game again and they might have a healthy DeMarco Murray too.

The title game wasn't what many expected it to be. It was a defensive struggle for most of the game. Oklahoma Sooners' defense was the defense that blinked first and the Florida Gators took advantage enroute to their second BCS Championship in three years. Congrats to the Florida Gators!

NBA News and Rumors

2009-01-06T20:25:00.003-07:00

There aren't many rumors today or noteworthy news in the NBA.

The Nuggets made a move to get under the luxury-tax threshold. Cheikh Samb was traded to the Clippers for a conditional second round pick in 2015. Are the Clippers about to move one of their big man such as Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby? Probably not. The Clippers did cut a couple of players from their roster. Maybe the Celtics could use a big man such as Paul Davis.

The Miami HEAT have released Shaun Livingston. The Lakers could use the length of Shaun Livingston at their point guard spot. How about a lineup of Livingston, Vujacic, Ariza, Odom, and Mihm or Powell? There is a lot of height in that lineup. Phil jackson has wanted his point guards to be long and lanky. I doubt it'll happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Ohio State Loses Another BCS Bowl Game

2009-01-06T18:27:00.003-07:00

The Ohio State Buckeyes haven't been great in their last three BCS bowl games. Two seasons ago, the Buckeyes were embarrassed in the National Championship game by the Florida Gators 41-14. Last year, the Buckeyes lost to the LSU Tigers in another National Championship game. Last night, the Buckeyes had a chance to beat the Texas Longhorns. They were leading with 1:58 seconds left in the game. The outcome was more of the same for the Buckeyes as they lost 24-21 to the Longhorns.

The Buckeyes played really well as an underdog. There was no pressure on them to win the game as they were a 10 point underdog agains the explosive Longhorns. To hold the Longhorns to only 24 points is quite an accomplishment. Terrelle Pryor didn't have the greatest game in the world. His stat line was 5/14 for 66 yards and had zero touchdowns or turnovers. He also ran 15 times for 78 yards. Pryor kept his team in the game by managing the game. His stats aren't what you want to see out of the quarterback position but he made good decisions with the football. I thought he threw the football better on the run than in the pocket. He was way off the mark while in the pocket. He kept drives alive with his legs, moving his team into Longhorns territory. The Buckeyes had to settle for field goals though. Chris "Beanie" Wells had a big game too, but left the game late due to injury and never returned. Todd Boeckman was the most effective QB for the Buckeyes because of his ability to throw the football. He even threw a touchdown to Terrelle Pryor. Pryor made it look easy as a wide receiver. The playcalling in this game for the Buckeyes was about as good as there could be in a collegiate game. Most of their drives stalled because Pryor couldn't keep the Longhorns defense honest with his arm, ill-advised penalties, and good defense the Longhorns.

Defensively, the Buckeyes did everything that they could to slow down the high-powered offense of the Longhorns. They blitzed Colt McCoy with every chance they had. The Buckeyes brought more defenders than the Longhorns had blockers. The blitz made McCoy get rid of the football quicker than he would like. The blitz did force a poor throw from McCoy in the redzone which resulted in an interception that helped end the first half. Even though the Buckeyes defense played really well in this game, the game did have a "just a matter of time" feel for it as the Longhorns offense was a little out of sync.

That feeling came fruition in the third quarter, as Colt McCoy began to find his rhythm. The blitz from the Buckeyes bothered him in the first half, but the second half was a different story. McCoy's favorite target in the game was Quan Crosby who had a ridiculous game. Crosby's stat line was 14 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. While McCoy found his rhythm throwing, he finally chose his spots to use his legs to keep drives alive. I don't think McCoy even tried to use his legs in the first half. He threw a touchdown to Quan Crosby in the end zone on crossing route for a touchdown, and ran for a TD which included a nice spin to elude a would-be tackler. The running game of the Longhorns was non-existant. There were a few positive gains in the gain, but the Longhorns pretty much won the game on the arm of McCoy. He had a stat line of 41/59 for 414 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The interception probably cost the Longhorns at least a field goal as it happened in the redzone at the end of the second quarter. Here is my play-by-play of the Longhorns touchdown winning drive (it's in all CAPs; so my bad):

WITH 1:58 LEFT IN THE GAME, COLT MCCOY CROWNS THEIR ASSES. QUAN CROSBY SEVEN YARD CATCH, QUAN CROSBY FOR THE FIRST DOWN, INCOMPLETION TO QUAN CROSBY, MCCOY RUNS FOR A TWO YARD GAIN, BRANDON COLLINS FOR THE FIRST DOWN GRAB, BRANDON COLLINS FOR AN EIGHT YARD GAIN, INCOMPLETION TO COLLINS, PASS ATTEMPT BLOCKED BY A LINEMAN (ZONE COVERAGE ON THE PLAY), FIRST DOWN GRAB BY JAMES KIRKENDOLL, FIRST GRAB BY COLLINS, QUAN CROSBY FOR THE TOUCHDOWN ON A SLANT ROUTE, GOOD MORNING GOOD AFTERNOON GOOD NIGHT!

That is actually not bad. One of these days, I'll take over for Jim Nantz.

Anyway, the Longhorn defense had some problems defending Terrelle Pryor's ability to run the football and stopping the run in general. Beanie Wells was running through and around that defense until he got injured. However, they held the Buckeyes to 21 points. That isn't bad. Could be worse. Brian Orakpo will be a solid NFL pro. He has been getting by on his strength and speed with no real go-to move. With solid coaching at the next level, he could be on par with Terrell Suggs, at least that is who he reminds me of at the moment.

Texas could be scary next year with Colt McCoy returning for his senior season. He'll have host of talents at his disposal. Most of their starters are returning on defense with Henry Melton, Brian Orakpo, Aaron Lewis, and Roy Miller moving on to the next level. It'll be a young group but very talented. The Big 12 is in trouble.

NFL News

2009-01-05T17:43:00.004-07:00

There are many topics to discuss in the NFL. There have been many firings so teams are trying to line up candidates for interviews. Players' futures with teams will need to be decided.

Lets start with Rex Ryan and his desires to be a head coach. After the Ravens defense pummeled an average offense, Ryan felt the need to announce to the world that he is ready to become coach. Here is what he had to say:

"The numbers say I've done a decent job," Ryan said. "If a team wants to stop somebody, all you have to do is look at my track record. If we don't get them stopped in the first year, it will probably be the first time we don't get them stopped in my career, going back through college, whatever. . . . I'll get my time, and whoever gets me will get a guy who is a real football coach and not a pretender."

Wow! Ryan is feeling a little frisky. Yes, we get it. You are a good defensive coordinator as is Leslie Frazier but you don't hear him running his mouth. Even though the Vikings were bounced out of the playoffs by the Eagles, you still haven't heard him talking about his desires to coach. Rex Ryan is a really good defensive coordinator. Lets give him props for that. However, why talk about your coaching during your team's playoff run? You can sell yourself as much as you want after the season is over. I guess he couldn't wait that long. If he does leave for the Broncos, Jets, or Browns, the Ravens will probably promote from within, or maybe John Harbaugh has someone in mind as his replacement. Hey Rex, focus on Tennessee!

Bob Stoops can be ruled as a possible head coach for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have many candidates at their list such as Steve Spagnuolo, Raheem Morris, Josh McDaniels, Jason Garrett, Rick Dennison, Leslie Frazier, and Jim Schwartz. Out of that list, I like Steve Spagnuolo, Leslie Frazier, and Jim Schwartz as candidates. Maybe Josh McDaniels. As for the rest, I don't think they're ready. It looks as though the Broncos want a defensive minded individual as their head coach.

The New England Patriots are planning to franchise tag Matt Cassell. I can understand the sense of security that Matt Cassell brings given the injury of Tom Brady. I can understand idea of franchising Cassell will keep him away from the Jets and possibly the 49ers and Vikings. They'll probably trade him after franchising him. The Vikings seem like a good match, I think. The Patriots probably won't make a trade the Jets for obvious reasons. Things are clouded for the 49ers at the QB position with Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, and JT O'Sullivan. I think the Vikings and Patriots can come up with a match.

Marvin Harrison is mum on his future with the Colts. He didn't have a good season. The future Hall of Famer hasn't been the same since injury his knee a few years ago. When the reporters asked him about his future, he chose not to comment. I think he'll return, but retirement isn't out of the question. The Colts need to get another receiver to compliment Reggie Wayne. Wayne isn't getting any younger either. Hakeem Nicks would be a nice fit for the Colts.

Looks like Bill Parcells is returning to Miami next year. Well, H. Wayne Huizenga thinks Parcells is returning after having a conversation with him.

Brad Childress has been noncommittal about Tavaris Jackson's future. Tavaris Jackson has the support of two of his teammates:

"I think he had [a] resilient season," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "I feel like that's our man."

Said wide receiver Bernard Berrian: "You start where you left off. You can't just throw a guy out. He finished very strong. He took the benching well, showed a lot of character, came back and had some really great games. That just shows the coaching staff and the rest of the players that we have faith in Tarvaris."

Matt Birk and Gus Ferrotte are pondering their futures.

Yuck, the Jets have contacted Brian Billick. Why in the world would you want Brian Billick to be your head coach? Do you want to hear him give one of his famous post game speeches to the media? The Jets should pass on this candidate. Avoid him like the plague.

NBA Rumors

2009-01-05T16:14:00.004-07:00

As the NBA trade deadline nears, the rumors will start running rampant throughout the NBA. Some rumors will be true, while others will be false. Lets start with man called Starbury.

Stephon Marbury has been linked to the Celtics lately, even Garnett is signing off on a possible Marbury signing for the Celtics. The Celtics could certainly use his creativity and passing ability for their bench. The Celtics bench is having problems scoring. They do not possess any guard on the bench who can create for himself or others. Marbury would fill those voids and possibly play average to above average defense. I suspect that Doc Rivers and company will pass at this opportunity citing Marbury's attitude and how it could affect the team's chemistry. Since we're talking about the Celtics, Rivers has made it clear that he needs another big man. They do need some height. Patrick O'Bryant can't help them the way PJ Brown did last year. Big Baby Davis is short as is Leon Powe so getting a legit 6'10" or 6'11" player would do wonders for the Celtics second unit, especially in the rebounding department. Maybe a Jelani McCoy? I doubt they'll trade any of their pieces.

Speaking of big man, Joakim Noah seems to have wore out his welcome in Chicago, at least according to this journalist. Rick Morrissey, tell us how you really feel? Seriously, this guy has had enough of Noah and he wants him gone. Anybody need a 7 footer with an average all-around game? The Celtics say hello.

The Thunder have numerous pieces that contending teams could use such as Desmond Mason, Nick Collison, Earl Watson, Chris Wilcox, and Joe Smith. One writer has a list of possible trading partners for the Thunder. Here's the list:

Given what we know today, here are five attractive trading partners for the Thunder.
→Milwaukee: Charlie Villanueva and Tyronn Lue have recently been rumored to be on the move, with the Thunder named as a potential landing spot. The 6-foot-11 Villanueva creates mismatches with his inside-outside game, while Lue is a savvy veteran point guard who knocks down open shots and is a tough on-ball defender.
→Toronto: Anthony Parker and former Oklahoma State standout Joey Graham were reportedly included in a package that would have sent Earl Watson to the Raptors, and now former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani is reportedly on the trading block as well. The Thunder could use Parker and Bargnani’s perimeter shooting and Graham’s defense and toughness.
→Utah: With an abundance of shooting guards, and the Jazz potentially scrambling to re-sign big men Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap this summer, sharpshooter Kyle Korver could be made available at a bargain price.
→Detroit: Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson are young players who fill two pressing needs for the Thunder on the wing and in the post. The Pistons are high on Johnson, but the Thunder could sweeten the deal with a future draft pick.
→New Jersey: Oklahoma product Eduardo Najera plays with a toughness and defensive mindset the Thunder sorely lacks. Swingman Jarvis Hayes is a 3-point threat who could help off the bench.

Detroit could probably be crossed off that list though getting one of the Thunder's big man such as Joe Smith could prove to be the missing piece for Detroit. Toronto seems to be the best match for the Thunder as Anthony Parker and Stephen Graham could provide the scoring punch off the bench that the Thunder sorely need. The Raptors will probably want a creative scorer in return to compliment Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh. I don't think the Thunder have what the Raptors would probably want in return. The other suitors seem unlikely to trade with the Thunder.

Camby returning to New York? Sure does seem like a possibility. That three way trade doesn't benefit all three teams and probably shouldn't happen. What are the Clippers going to do with Quentin Richardson? He's only healthy body which the Clippers do need at this point. His value doesn't equal Marcus Camby's value. If the Clippers trade Camby, get a good young player or a veteran with equal value. As for the Knicks, Mike D'Antoni, for some odd reason doesn't like David Lee. I guess it is because Lee is playing center for the Knicks and he's rather short for that position. Newsday has a report up about the Knicks, Blazers, and Clippers possibly going forward with a three team trade with names such as Sergio Rodriguez and the usual suspects being involve. Hopefully, Mike Dunleavy knows what he's doing and gets something of value in return for Marcus Camby.

Eagles Blitzed Their Way into Next Round

2009-01-05T09:02:00.002-07:00

Going into the game, I thought the Vikings had a chance, if they kept Tavaris Jackson upright, if they were successful running the football with Adrian Peterson, and if they won the field position battle. Those are a lot of ifs for a football team that had home-field advantage in the game. Well, none of those ifs went their way.

Jim Johnson decided to blitz Tavaris Jackson every chance he got. He had to have sent the kitchen sink along with the toilet and the garage. When Jim Johnson blitz, he always sent more players than the Vikings can block. His pressure forced two turnovers, one of which was an interception returned for a touchdown by Asante Samuel. The Eagles didn't have many sacks, but they collapsed the pocket nearly everytime Jackson dropped back to pass. The Eagles didn't give up the big plays with exception of the Adrian Peterson touchdown run. They played tight man-to-man defense and kept everything in front of them. Their tackling was crisp too. The players really earned their paychecks in this game.

Offensively, the Eagles struggled a bit when trying to score. However, whenever the offense was given bad field position such as starting inside their own 10 yard line, they were able to move out to their own 40 yard line and better. Gaining that many yards allowed them to change the field position in their favor. Yes, they eventually punted on many of those occasions but field position was always in their advantage in the end. Donovan McNabb converted many third-and-longs to keep drives alive. The offense did come up big in the fourth quarter. After the defense made the Vikings go three and out, Andy Reid called a screen play for Brian Westbrook. The screen play resulted in a 71 yard touchdown by Westbrook. Westbrook set up his blocking really well on the play faking cutting back inside to breaking the run outside. He made a one or two would-be tacklers miss on his way to a game-clinching touchdown.

The Vikings defense played well throughout the game until that aforementioned play happened in the fourth quarter. They held their own with Jared Allen having a big game against Tra Thomas. Jared Allen had two sacks and a forced fumble. They stopped the Eagles running game, even though the Eagles didn't have much of a running game to begin with. Westbrook's touchdown was crushing blow for the Vikings. Even though the Vikings played throughout the game, they did a poor job of stopping the Eagles from changing the field position advantage. The Vikings punt team pinned the Eagles numerous times deep in their own territory. The Eagles would change the field position each time by getting to at least their own 40 yard line or better. The Vikings simply couldn't stop the Eagles on third down. McNabb complete many 3rd and 10's to keep drives alive. The Vikings did a poor job in that aspect of the game.

Offensively, the Vikings playcalling was terrible, Tavaris Jackson didn't look great, and the execution was terrible. Brad Childress didn't keep the Eagles defense guessing. There weren't many screen plays called if any, or any designed swing passes to the running backs out of the back field. Childress's gameplan was terrible. Tavaris Jackson's accuracy came up lame again. He found his rhythm one time in this game and that was in the second quarter. For rest of the game, he was just plain bad. Now, having an offensive line and running backs whiff on their blocking priorities doesn't help either. Matt Birks errant shotgun snap which result in a fumble recovery by the Eagles didn't help either. The Vikings just had a bad game all-around offensively.

Many experts and fans say the Vikings should go out and get a veteran quarterback to unseat Jackson. What is a veteran quarterback going to do? He can't throw the football off his arse, can he? That veteran quarterback can't throw accurately when he has his own offensive linemen being pushed back into his face. Success starts upfront. The Vikings need to start pass blocking better and Brad Childress needs to draw up a better gameplan.

The Eagles faced their nemesis in the Giants. Each team won a game on their opponent's home turf. The Eagles will be going back to Giants Stadium looking for another win in New York. The Eagles have all of the momentum while the Giants hold home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Can the Giants still be effective on offense without Plaxico Burress in the passing game? Its going to be a tough game for both teams and I look forward to watching it.

Ravens Dominates Dolphins in their Win

2009-01-05T07:47:00.002-07:00

The Ravens and Dolphins have met once before a couple of years ago. The outcome was the same and at the same location which is Dolphin Stadium. That outcome happened when the Ravens were defending their Super Bowl crown. Elvis "bleeping" Grbac! Thank God I forgot else happened in the rest of those plays. Anyway, the Ravens defeated the Dolphins again, 27-9.

This game was all about the Ravens defense. They kept establishing a new line scrimmage with their front seven. The defensive linemen and linebackers kept meeting each other in the Dolphins backfield. Terrell Suggs had his way with Jake Long with bull rushes or speed rushes. It didn't matter. The defense snuffed out the Wildcat offense. They didn't have more than 6 yards gained in that formation. The Ravens were caught off guard on the first drive of the Dolphins. The Dolphins came out with Patrick Cobbs making many plays. The Dolphins got down inside the Ravens 10 yard line. The Ravens held them to a field goal. That stand set the tone for the rest of the game. From that point on, the Ravens forced five turnovers, including a highlight plays made by Ed Reed. Shocking! Ed Reed return an interception 64 yards for a touchdown. Once the interception was caught, the Ravens defense turned into an offensive team setting up a convoy for Ed Reed on the right side of the field. His other interception halted another Dolphins drive in Ravens territory. Reed saw something in the routes ran by the tight end and wide receiver and jumped the route for an interception. The performance was dominant and they just overwhemed the Dolphins from start to finish.

Offensively, the Ravens had one turnover which was a Le'Ron McClain fumble. Otherwise, the Ravens had a rather underwhelming game. Joe Flacco was 9/23 for 135 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. He did have a rushing TD late to put some icing on the game. The great thing about Flacco in this game is that he took his chances. He threw the football down the field where only his receiver had a chance to catch it. Flacco didn't turn the football over either which is always a good thing. He manage the game really well. The running game of the Ravens was hit and miss. It missed for most of the game until McGahee had a 48 yard scamper, which set up Flacco for 5 yard QB sneak for the touchdown. The Ravens did what they had to do on offense which was win the field position battle and give their defense a rest. Against Tennessee, the Ravens offense will need to step up their game and score touchdowns.

The only bright spot for the Dolphins was their defense. Their defense did their job, making the Ravens go three and out on numerous occassions. The Dolphins offense could not take advantage of their good field position. The pass blocking was terrible. Anytime Chad Pennington dropped back to pass, he ended up on the turf. Defenses can make any QB look pathetic out there. See Tom Brady in last year's Super Bowl. The Wildcat offense wasn't running wild in this game. The Dolphins only used it twice. They did use a wishbone formation a couple of times but that formation wasn't productive either. The Dolphins have a bright future. They just need a franchise QB, at least for the future, another good wide receiver, and a good corner back.

The Ravens will take on the Tennessee Titans in the next round. This game will be tough for the Ravens. The defense will bring it, but will the offense have better execution? The offense needs to have better execution against the Titans.

Non-BCS Conference Team Wins Again

2009-01-04T12:30:00.004-07:00

Non-BCS Conference teams, more specifically Boise State and Utah are just getting better and better. Yes, Boise State lost to TCU in their bowl game, but they fought hard throughout the game. Utah destroyed Pittsburgh a few years ago 35-7 in a bowl game. Yes, I do remember what happened to Hawaii last year against Georgia. It happens and will happen again. Hawaii doesn't have as much talent as Boise State and Utah. Utah has now beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl 31-17.

Utah got off to an excellent start. They just attacked the Crimson Tide in the first quarter scoring three touchdowns. The Utes never looked back in that game. Brian Johnson just picked them apart. On the first possession of the game, Utah went with no-huddle and the Alabama defense looked like fish out of water, confused, and befuddled. Johnson throws a touchdown while the defense was not lined. After the John Parker Wilson interception, Utah's QB marched his team down the field in three plays with the third play being a touchdown run by Matt Asiata in the Wildcat formation. After Utes defense stopped the Crimson Tide on offense again, Johnson moves his team down the field and throws a TD pass to Braden Godfrey. The pass was perfect as it was on the back shoulder of the wide receiver while the defender had his back turned. The Crimson Tide offered zero resistance on either of those drives. The Utes offense answer the bell whenever the Crimson Tide scored. Johnson had a nice statline of 27/41 336 yards with three touchdowns and zero picks. That is efficient folks. Johnson was throwing the football in tight spots especially when the opposition played zone. He has a strong accurate arm and good wheels. He also makes good decisions with the football. I like him as an NFL prospect. The Utes even toyed with the Crimson Tide by running a hook and lateral for a first down in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, the Utes attacked the Crimson Tide from the word "go." They blitzed John Parker Wilson with every chance they had, bring two or three at a time. This group also forced three turnovers, putting their offense in good position to score a touchdown or field goal. Going into this game, many thought Alabama's offensive line had a chance to dominate as they were much larger than the Utes defensively. Well, the speed and quickness of the Utes gave Nick Saban's team fits. The defense had eight sacks, too, lead by Paul Kruger. If he wasn't sacking the QB, he was knocking John Parker Wilson down. He has a variety moves such a bull rush, swim move, and spinning left or right. P. Kruger lived in the backfield. Another impact player was Kenape Eliapo. He was P. Kruger's roommate in the backfield. At one point in the first half, Eliapo knocked Alabama's All-American center Antoine Caldwell five yards in the backfield. Eliapo just completely blew Caldwell out of his stance. Eliapo has some good hands and has good pad level which helps him generate power.

The Crimson Tide had a long day on both sides of the ball. They were shell-shocked in the first quarter and couldn't recover. They played well in second and third quarters, at least defensively. Offensively, they were terrible. Bad execution, inopportune penalties, and lack of concentration ended their drives throughout the game. They looked sluggish on that football field on both sides of the ball. The defense couldn't tackle, while the offense couldn't pass block. John Parker Wilson was probably on his back everytime he dropped back to pass.

Alabama should be back next year in the top 10 as they've had a good recruiting class. Utah Utes were more prepared to play and compete than the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. The Utes dominated and Crimson Tide folded up their tent. Good luck next year!

Robert Marve Getting Pimp-smacked by the U

2009-01-03T14:39:00.003-07:00

Robert Marve lost his starting QB job to Jacory Harris. Harris was the more efficient QB this season for the Hurricanes. Marve decided to transfer from Miami after coming to the conclusion that he can't play for Coach Shannon. Then I come across this article on Yahoo! Sports website.

Yes, block an athlete from going to certain schools is really that serious, at least to the University of Miami, more specifically Randy Shannon. The U is scared that Robert Marve might come back to haunt them. NCAA has awful in rule in place that allows a university or college to block possible destinations from student athletes. Randy Shannon is just enforcing that rule as much as possible by blocking 27 destinations from Marve. The University of Miami has lifted some of those restrictions. Marve can transfer to any SEC school except LSU, Tennessee, and Florida. Marve is still prohibited from transferring to schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference and within the state of Florida. Good job lifting some of those bans because it makes a difference. Miami believes Marve may have been contact with some of the universities in the ACC and SEC about possibly transferring to one of those destinations. Uh, prove it.

Where is the U's cockiness? Where is the swagger? Gone. Hasn't returned since they won their last championship. They scared of Marve. Why would Shannon be scared of Marve? He did bench him, no? Marve is really good athlete and has a strong arm, but no accuracy and spotty decision-making.

Good luck to Robert Marve. I'm sure he'll land on his feet. He is too talented not to do so.

Ole Miss Upsets Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl

2009-01-03T11:35:00.004-07:00

Yet another bowl game has been completed. The Cotton Bowl pitted the SEC against the Big 12. Ole Miss vs Texas Tech. Ole Miss defeated Texas Tech 47-34. This game resulted in an Ole Miss win because the Rebels made more plays than the Red Raiders. Lets take a look at how the Rebels defeated the Red Raiders.

Before the game started, much hype has been made about Rebels offense, comparing it to what the Miami Dolphins' wildcat offense. The Rebels did some of that in the Cotton Bowl but they were more efficient with conventional screen. They did complete a reverse pass in the wildcat formation where Dexter McCluster was lined up as the QB while the starting QB Jevan Snead lined up as a wide receiver. McCluster pitched the football to Snead on a reverse and Snead passed the ball to Mike Wallace. Any other "Wild Rebel" offense offense resulted in a run by McCluster. Anyway, the Rebels were methodical on the offense most of their offensive possessions. They used many formations to march the football down the field such as shotgun four or five wide, Wild Rebel, singleback double TE, power I-Form, and other formations. The Rebels' offensive line were creating huge holes for their running backs, especially in the second half. The offensive line also gave Jevan Snead much time in the pocket to make good decisions with the football. Snead was 14/29 for 292 yards with three touchdowns and one interception which happened early in the first quarter and return for a touchdown by the Red Raiders. The Rebels' playmakers showed up big. Dexter McCluster, Mike Wallace, Gerald Harris (very underrated TE), and Brandon Bolden. Dexter McCluster is one of their special players as he plays three positions for the Rebels which are wide receiver, running back, and quarterback in the Wild Rebel formation. He has excellent quickness and speed with patience. McCluster isn't the biggest player out there as he is only 5-8 165 lbs but plays with great toughness. Mike Wallace is smallish but a good route runner and has good hands. Gerald Harris has good size and hands, though his route running is so-so as his blocking. I do think he has good potential to be a really good. Bolden has some giddy-up for man his size. He is a patient runner too. Michael Oher has bright future in the NFL as a LT. He'll be someone's gem at the next level. The Rebels just ran the ball down the throats of the Red Raider defense and passed off the run with play action.

My game ball goes to the Rebel defense. They did an excellent job attacking the Red Raiders, putting pressure on Graham Harrell on virtually every pass play. The corners were aggressive against the receivers by bumping them at the line and being physical down the field. The Rebels defense did get a safety after their own offense coughed up the football at Red Raiders goaline. The defense also return an interception for touchdown in the second half. They were not intimidated by the speed of the Red Raiders' offense. Peria Perry, the DT for the Rebels, played a great game and the broadcasting team compared him to Glen Dorsey, the former All-American DT of LSU that graduated last year. That praise is a bit much, but I do think he'll be a solid NFL prospect because of power and good hands.

Red Raiders defense just could not stop the Rebels offense. The physicality of the Rebels just wore them down in the end. Tackles were missed and gaping holes were made against this defense by the Rebels. The Red Raiders did get stops against the Rebels but not enough of them. On offense, they didn't fare all that well. The Rebels were bring defenders than the Red Raiders can block and that caused much problems. The timing was off. Michael Crabtree's sprained ankle didn't help either as he was held to only four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown. He had no real impact on the game. Obviously, the young man has a bright future in the NFL. Russell to Crabtree sounds good to me. Graham Harrell might have a future at the next level. I'm just not sure about him. Kliff Kingsbury didn't do much of anything in the league so I'm a little skeptical, though Harrell does have a stronger arm, more mobility, and better accuracy than Kingsbury. Harrell will probably be drafted on day 2 of the draft.

Golden Eagles Defeated the Wildcats

2009-01-02T14:53:00.003-07:00

College basketball is a frustrating sport to watch too. Bad execution and poor rotations on defense are just some of the gripes I have for the college game. However, the college game does have dramatic moments in it's history such as last years NCAA championship game between the Memphis Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks. I watch college basketball from time to time to check-in on some NBA prospects.

The Marquette Golden Eagles defeated the Villanova Wildcats 79-72. Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, and Jerel McNeal proved to be too much for the Villanova Wildcats. They accounted for 60 of the 79 points scored for the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles pick n rolled Villanova to death. The Wildcats just didn't have the quickest to match the golden trio of the Golden Eagles. The trio dribble penetrated with little resistance until Jay Wright decide to use the 2-3 zone. Eventually, Marquette burned Villanova when that scheme was used. Villanova really didn't have any answers for how to stop the Golden Eagles. When the trio wasn't scoring, Lazar Hayward was cleaning up.

Scottie Reynolds had another subpar game for the Wildcats. He had four turnovers to go with his one assist and 15 points. Reynolds played ok in the first half and terribly in the second half. He might have been trying too much to make the big play instead of the right play.He was forcing shots and drives to the basket which probably accounted for his turnovers because those drives resulted in offensive fouls. Dominic James did a heck of job defending him. The only reason the Wildcats were in the game was Corey Fisher. The Bronx native was getting to the foul line and rebound the ball well for a guard. Though the Wildcats lost this game, their future is bright as their players continue to get healthy and finding their rhythm such as Shane Clark and Dwayne Andersen.

As for players who are leaving this year for the NBA, those players would be Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, and Daunte Cunningham. Dominic James could be a solid back-up, possibly earning a starting point guard spot. He has good quickness and explosive for player his size. I think he could be a Jameer Nelson-lite. I don't think James has the scoring ability of Nelson, but they have similar physical tools. James utilizes the pick n roll really well and can finish at the basket despite his diminutive stature. There are holes in his game that needs work. The most obvious hole is his free throw shooting. James is only shooting 49% this season. That percentage is horrible. That might be putting it mildly. He has good form and probably should use his tippy toes more on his shot. Shot-selection, turnovers, and lacking the ability to pass with his left hand are other holes in his game. His shot selection is bad and that probably has much to do with the system at Marquette. Most of the time, the plays are designed off of one-on-one play. I think he'll clean that up pre-draft camps. Turnovers will also subside once he gets out of the system. His passing ability with left is lacking, especially off a lefty dribble. He can defense. That part of his game cannot be denied right now. His size might be detrimental at times, but he competes at that end of the floor and hard.

Jerel McNeal seems to be the most polished of the prospects in yesterday's game. He can shoot the three, has a good mid-range game, and dribble drive with either hand. McNeal loves to attack the basket, though he doesn't finish at the tin that well. He has improved acrossed the board throughout his years at Marquette. Defensively, well, he was the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year as sophmore. McNeal can get it done as an explosive scorer off the bench. He could be used as a point guard, I think. His ball-handling would have to improve, but I think he can do it. NBA teams are starting to use two guards as their back-up point guards. The holes in his game are not that pronounce. He does have to improve his ball-handling and his decision-making, maybe his passing ability, too.

Wesley Mathews has NBA ready body but lacks the athleticism. He is probably average athleticly, but has a mature game. He does need to improve his ball-handling. Matthews needs to be able to use his left hand to dribble and finish at the basket. He did not use his left at all in this game, at least for a worthwhile move. The Golden Eagles forward is a good stand-still shooter. He barely gets off the ground to shoot the ball. Matthews has a good mid-range game. He does takes advantage of his opportunities especially when his defender is over playing him. His defense is ok. His lack of athleticism hinders him at that end of the floor, but does competes as hard as anyone. He'll probably be a good role player.

Fran Fraschilla compare Daunte Cunningham to David West. I don't know where he gets that comparison from. Sure David West was raw when he got Xavier and improve during his years in college, but David West was a fluid athlete at Xavier. His game was a bit more polished than Daunte Cunningham; ok, tons more polished. Anyway, Daunte Cunningham will probably end being a Leon Powe. There is nothing wrong with that. Plenty of teams could use a Leon Powe.

USC Beats Another Big TenTeam

2009-01-02T12:16:00.002-07:00

Ohio State Buckeyes (overrated to begin with) met the wrath of the USC Trojans at the Coliseum. Ohio State lost 35-3. The Nittany Lions fared better against the USC than their rival, ONLY losing 38-24. However, both Big Ten teams lost and lost big.

The Rose Bowl was over by the third quarter. All of the other points scored after that quarter was pretty much done in garbage time. Mark Sanchez dominated this game with his arm and decision-making. He had an excellent stat line of 28/35 for 413 yards and four touchdowns. Sanchez didn't throw a pick either. The USC offense made the win look easy. They mixed up the play-calling with roll outs, play action passes, quarterback sneaks, runs off each tackle side, run tosses and counters. They were throwing out the entire playbook.

On defense, USC were defending like clockwork......for three quarters. During the first three quarters, the Trojans were not letting the Nittany Lions get anything started on offense. Whether the plays were run or pass, there was no production at all. When Stephfon Green broke that big run for the Nitany Lions in the second quarter, the Trojans proceeded to strip him of the football. Once Trojan offense got on the field, they marched down the field for another touchdown making the 31-7 at half time. The entire USC team was a well-oiled machine, until the fourth quarter. They took their foot off the gas and let the Nittany Lions score some touchdowns which has been a rarity this season for this great defense.

Where should I start with the Nittany Lions? Going into this game, I thought they had a really good chance to pull off the upset because of their team speed and athletic ability. Their offense is a bit limited as Daryll Clark has much development ahead of him even though he has very strong arm. The Nittany Lions offense is run oriented with Evan Royster as the featured back and Stepfon Green being the change of pace. Well, Royster got injured while blocking during Clark's touchdown run. Royster didn't return to the game either, as he sprained his left knee. The big, greasy fat lady started singing and she got louder and louder as the game went on. The Nitany Lions couldn't get anything done offense after that touchdown. Zilch. Nada. Absolutely positively nothing got done on offense after that touchdown. The offensive line forgot how to pass block, and even though they run blocked well, the USC defense eventually stopped that production too. The Trojan defense just abused them through three quarters. Eventually, the Nittany offense got a couple of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. Better luck next year, Joe Paterno!

As for the Nittany Lions defense, their philosphy is just plain terrible. Awful. Atrocious. Pathetic. Why have your corners sag off opposing receivers? That tactic gives the receivers a free release off the line of scrimmage. That strategy never works, yet many universities and colleges uses it. That was frustrating watch and pissed me off to no end. USC offense just abused them up and down the field with little resistance from the Nittany Lions. Aaron Maybin is just not that good. At best, he is a pass rushing specialist at the next level. He is too small to be an every-down defensive end at the next level.

Taylor Mays is really good free athlete. He's 6'3" 230lbs and plays safety. Kirk Herbstreit said he runs a sub 4.3 in the forty. That time is insane. If only he along with Rey Maualuga drops to the Ravens, I'd be one happy man. Patrick Turner had a nice showing in this game, too. Keyshawn Johnson thinks he'll be a 3-5 round draft pick. The Ravens could his big play ability. I like Turner's route running ability and hands. His forty time will probably solidify his position in the draft. He's another player that I think the Ravens should bring in as a late rounder, though the Ravens do have collegiate underachiever in Ernie Wheelright is a big receiver. Flacco needs playmakers and Patrick Turner could be that playmaker. For the Nittany Lions, Deon Butler seems to be the better receiver than Derrick Williams. I could be wrong and probably am wrong. Neither receiver will be or should be drafted in at least the first three rounds. Though Williams gets the publicity, I think Butler has better playmaking ability and top end speed. Its going to be an interest combine for the two players.

A Little Bit of NBA Trade Winds

2009-01-01T21:38:00.005-07:00

There aren't many rumors floating around the NBA lately. Obviously, the holidays have executives and journalists distracted. However, Yahoo! Sports has an article up that was pretty much about how former high school phenom Brandon Jennings is handling playing in Europe. In that article, towards the bottom, there is a list of names that might be on the trading block. The names of players listed are the same ones that have been mentioned over the last couple of months with the Warriors pushing hard to trade Corey Maggette who nobody wants.

Here are the other names: Sam Dalembert, Raymond Felton, Adam Morrison, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes and Brad Miller.

Does anyone want to take on Dalembert's contract? Nope. Even if that particular wanted Sam Dalembert, they won't be giving up anything worthwhile for the limitations of Dalembert and his contract.

Raymond Felton is an interesting case. He didn't really click well with the Larry Brown as the starting point guard, but blossomed as a two guard. The inquiring team would have to offer up something substantial, at least that is what Michael Jordan should be wanting. By the way, how is that Brandon Wright-Jason Richardson trade working out? Looks pretty good to me after acquiring Boris Diaw and Raja Bell for Jason Richardson. My apologies, Mr. Michael Jordan. Adam Morrison has been somewhat of a bust since being drafted. I'm hestitant to call him a bust because most teams find out what they have in a player in their third year in the league. His first year was ugly; second year was a wash because of injury. His third year is going ok. Check out his game log when he gets about 20 minutes a game. He plays really well. Does any team need some scoring off the bench? Dallas Mavericks? Maybe Phoenix or New Orleans? I doubt he gets moved though, unless some team is desperate.

Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes are two Bulls who are on the outs in Chicago. Hughes is complaining about playing time, while Drew Gooden is doing what he does best: rebounding and scoring the basketball at a good clip. The Bulls seem to want to package the two together in any deal. Ultimately, I think Gooden will be the only Bull traded during the season. A Hughes trade might happen during the summer as his contract expires after next season. The Hornets could use another productive big man. Chris Paul needs help really bad!

Another disgruntled player make the rounds in the trade rumors is Brad Miller. Does anyone need a good passing and rebounding big man with average defense? Maybe the Heat? They could use Brad Miller's height, but not his attitude. Miller pipe down and put up numbers so he can be an attractive trade bait.

The NBA trade rumors should heat up over the next couple of weeks as the trade deadline nears. By the way, that Allen Iverson trade seems to be working for both teams now. So much for that Chauncey Billups for MVP talk.

What Are You Talking About Willis?

2009-01-01T20:31:00.003-07:00

As with most former Miami Hurricane players, they start ego trippin'. Willis McGahee is an individual through and through. The young man has talent but no brain cells. I don't know how he comprehends the challenges that life brings forth everyday.

The Ravens are in the playoffs and this jerky is running his mouth. Here are a few quotes from the former ~~Raven~~ Miami Hurricane running back:

“I tried to do something different this year,” McGahee said in response to a question regarding his injury situation this season. “They wanted me to come in lighter and I tried to come in lighter, so I relaxed on the weights because the more weights I lift the heavier I get. . . . So I relaxed on that and just tried to work on conditioning, but it didn’t work out so well this year. So I’m just going go ahead and do what I’ve been doing for the past couple of years and just work out and be Willis McGahee.”

McGahee added that he “tried to be someone else’s running back this year and it didn’t work out.” He said that, ”[W]hen you have a new coach and they’ve got a perception of you, you’ve got to try and change to stay on the good side of them.”

Moving forward, McGahee vows to be himself, especially since he has heard the whispers that his time in Baltimore could be coming to an end. “It’s been a crazy year for me with the talks of me not being there next year but regardless, I’m just going to go out there and play for me. . . . I can’t play for nobody else but me.”

Why do multimillionaires whine? Seriously, why whine? Lets all whine about our reduce roles in society. Mr. McGahee, please, by all means show up to training camp in shape. Let everyone in the Ravens organization know that you're motivated to be the best that you can possibly be, instead of whining just before a P-L-A-Y-O-F-F game about your role in the offense. Thank you, Mr. McGahee, you are a ~~mental midget~~ piece of work. If only the Ravens are willing to take the cap hit, McGahee would probably be gone before next season. As it stands now, he'll be here next year. Rice and McClain will continue to do the heavy lifting while McGahee whines. Someone give this guy a pacifier! Go Ravens!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T19:17:00.001-07:00

Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year!

Stomping a Mudhole in Favre

2009-01-01T18:45:00.002-07:00

And not even walking it dry. Since the end of the season, much news about the Jets has centered around Brett Favre and atrocious season. Criticism about Favre's performance is warranted and many of Jets players moving on anytime soon.

Thomas Jones says 'hi.' Here are some quotes from the Jets star running back:

"We're a team and we win together ... but at the same time, you can't turn the ball over and expect to win," Jones said in a videotaped studio interview. "The other day, the three interceptions really hurt us. I mean, that's just reality. If I were to sit here and say, 'Oh, man, it's okay,' that's not reality.

"The reality is, you throw interceptions, I'm (ticked) off, I don't like it. You know what I'm saying? I don't like it, I know everybody else on the team doesn't like it."

"If somebody is not playing well, they need to come out of the game," Jones replied. "You're jeopardizing the whole team because you're having a bad day. To me, that's not fair to everybody else. You're not the only one on the team."

"So it gets like that?" Martinez interjected.

"It definitely gets like that," Jones said. "You're playing to win, you're playing for the Super Bowl. That's what you do all this work for ... So when you get to the wire and somebody is just giving the game up, I mean, it's just not (fair)."

Mr. Jones has decided to lay down the law; showing everyone that he has a pair. Thank you, Mr. Jones, but uh, where was this during the actual season? You know, when the Jets started to stink up the joint. Bashing Brett Favre in public isn’t going to help the situation either. You and the rest of your teammates should’ve said it during the season.

Speaking of other teammates, an anonymous teammate had this to say:

A veteran Jets player, quoted anonymously by Newsday, described Favre as a "distant" teammate who, when at the Jets' practice facility, spent his down time away from teammates in an office specially designated for him.

"There was a lot of resentment in the room about him. He never socialized with us, never went to dinner with anyone," the player told Newsday.

Why be anonymous? Why not follow the lead of Thomas Jones and be open and honest at the end of the season? Brett Favre not being social doesn’t bother me that much. As long as he isn’t breaking the law or being a scumbag, I’m fine with him being a loner. Players develop chemistry through practice and on gameday. Next, they’ll be saying Favre doesn’t take potty breaks when the rest of the players do. I wonder if the players invited him dinner. The off-season will be an interesting one for the Jets.

Oregon Beats Oklahoma State in a Shootout

2008-12-31T10:36:00.003-07:00

I'm not really a big fan of college football in general. The play calling is just plain bad at times. Most of the defense at these colleges and universities are terrible. Most fans will only see one or two elite defenses in the country each year. Expectations for stopping offenses now are pathetic. Some consider a victory on defense when the offense only scores 28 - 35 points. Really? The expectations should be a shutout all day or night every Saturday. Thus, the reason why watching college football can be frustrating.

Anyway, Oregon beat Oklahoma in an exciting game, 42-31. The title is probably misleading as a shootout in college football is when both teams are in the high 50s. I kid. I kid. Oregon won the game on the wheels of Jeremiah Masoli who is a JUCO transfer. He had a good all-around game, amassing 18/32 for 258 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Masoli also had 16 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns.

The game started off hot in the beginning as Oklahoma State jumped on Oregon with Dez Bryant leading the way. Dez Bryant was dominating the defenders in the first quarter and half of the second quarter. He made plays when given the opportunity which was early and often. This game illustrated another problem with college football. Most of these teams don't bump and run coverage so these big time receivers get a free release off the line. When that happens, the receive more often than not burns the coverage each time. Back to the task at hand, the game changed once Dez Bryant got injured. In the latter portion of the second quarter, Dez Bryant injured his left knee. The field was slippery all night as there were three game played on that field before last night's bowl game. Bryant was running an in-route, caught the pass, and slipped while making cut. Result was his left leg getting caught underneath him and twisting. The Ducks gained momentum after that unfortunate incident and seemed to never look back.

Both teams were scoring back and forth in the second half, though Oregon looked be the more confident and physical team. Jeremiah Masoli led the charge. He dominated the Oklahoma State defense when utilizing the read option. Masoli's physical running style seemed to pump up his teammates and even the announcers calling the game. During one of his touchdown runs, Masoli ran over Quinton Moore. He just flatten him on his 41-yard TD run. Masoli ran over another Cowboy defender earlier in the game.

Oklahoma State more than held their own in second half while exchanging touchdowns. However, they were not the same team after Dez Bryant got injured. The offense was just not able to keep up with Oregon's offense. Other players around Dez Bryant didn't step up and take the lead. Everything was pinned on the shoulders of Zac Robinson. He held his own but obviously, it wasn't good enough for the win.

Too much speed and too much Jeremiah Masoli gave the Cowboys all they can handle. The future is bright for both programs as most, if not, all of their stars will be returning next year. For the Oregon Ducks, LeGarrette Blount will probably be the featured back for the Ducks as Jeremiah Johnson moving to greener pastures in the NFL. Their receiving core will be young and probably inexperience as the Ducks main receivers who are seniors were getting most of the playing time. For the Cowboys, Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant will be returning along with their talented running backs, Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston. Expect a big year from both programs next year.

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

The Rockets Signed Somebody Important

2008-12-30T16:21:00.003-07:00

The Rockets improved their team by signing Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo. I just wanted to type his name in there. Seriously, the Rockets greatly needed his size and shot-blocking ability on the second unit. That unit lacked height before the Mutombo signing.

You're Fired!!!!

2008-12-30T10:45:00.004-07:00

Update 4:00 pm mt:

Some other personnel have been kicked to the curb. Mike Shanahan and Mike Martz were also given the axe today. Mike Shanahan needed to get fired. He has been awful for awhile now. Luckily, the ownership have finally seen the light. God bless their hearts. Shanahan will surely land on his feet as there are numerous openings out there. His teams have been awful on defense and underperform on offense. He was not able to reign in Jay Cutler's gunslinging mentality. His drafts haven't worked out quite well (See Dre Bly). Mike Singletary fired his offensive coordinator, Mike Martz. Here is his reason:

"After an evaluation period I felt it was best to go in a different direction," Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker as a player, said in a statement issued by the team.

"This was not an easy decision because I appreciate Mike Martz, and I enjoyed working with him. He is a true professional, and I wish him the best in the future. I do recognize the need for a long-term solution on the offensive side of the ball."

Would the 49ers bring in Mike Shanahan as their offensive coordinator? Certainly possible, but I doubt that happens. Though Shanahan and Singletary would be fun to watch butt heads over decision-making.

Posted 10:45 am

Those are the words Vince McMahon has uttered on countless occasions. Whether he was firing a general manager from Raw or Smackdown!, the billionaire would say those words in the same tone or more angrily. Anyway, some folks lost their jobs yesterday. Now they know how I feel when being unemployed. Rod Marinelli, Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel, and Eric Mangini were all fired yesterday.

Lets start with Rod Marinelli who, along with pretty much his entire coaching staff, was fired by the Lions . I kinda feel bad for this man. His team as whole is talentless. That organization just doesn't have enough talent to compete in this league at the moment. The Lions can thank Matt Millen for his handy work on fielding that team. The players played hard for their coach every Sunday. That is all you can ask for at this point. The Lions can't get any worse and the next coach will probably have better success than Marinelli. There are many candidates available for the Lions head coaching position, but who would want that job? Do you think Bill Cowher will want to struggle for years to bring the Lions back to the playoffs? Probably not. The Lions will probably sign a young coordinator to become their head coach such as Steve Spagnuolo. For goodness sake, please stay away from this man.

Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel received the axe from the Cleveland Browns. Phil Savage probably deserved the axe more than Romeo Crennel. Phil Savage hasn't done much in the draft to build the Browns. A quarterback needs weapons to be effective unless he's Tom Brady. Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards are not going to cut it. You need more than that. Jamal Lewis is terrible. Find a franchise running back. Knowshon Moreno anyone? What about the defense? Browns need some cover corners and a host of other things depending on their defensive identity such as a pass rushing linebacker, or a linebacker that is not one dimensional. Will they be a 3-4 or 4-3 defense? Who is your starting quarterback next year? Speaking quarterbacks, that position is pretty much the reason why Crennel got the axe. Derek Anderson was ineffective before being injured. I always thought the league was starting to catch up with him at the end of last season. He didn't end that year the way he started. Brady Quinn didn't offer much of an upgrade except for less turnovers, then he got injured. Next up was Ken Dorsey. 'Nuff said. Crennel's team did beat the Giants who many thought were unbeatable at the time. He did have one winning season in his four years coaching the Cleveland Browns. I have no clue as to who would coach the Cleveland Browns. Maybe they'll re-hire Butch Davis. How about Leslie Frazier, the Vikings assistant head coach / defensive coordinator?

The Eric Mangenius is a genius no more. Good job, Brett Favre. Or was it Brett's fault? Hey, most of the teams around the league know what they are getting with Brett Favre. They're getting interceptions, more interceptions, and some miracle plays. How do you prevent some of these interceptions? Try running the football. T-r-y r-u-n-n-i-n-g t-h-e FOOTBALL!!! Thomas Jones and Leon Washington were having productive years and the offensive line seem to thrive when running the football, but sucked at keeping Favre upright. The Mangenius playcalling got worse as the season progressed. Passing the football on the down and distance when a run play should've been called and using trick plays at inopportune times. He just tried to do too much with what he had. Maybe the pressure got to him. With all of that said, Brett Favre got Magini fired. That sums it up nicely. Memo to the Jets upper management: Get rid of Laveranues Coles. He has been griping all season because his better half was released and ultimately signed with the Dolphins. Just release the jerky. The Jets upper management should also try getting a playmaking wide receiver or two. Hiring Bill Cowher and who ever the general manager he selects would do wonders for the Jets.

News Happening Around the NBA

2008-12-29T11:18:00.004-07:00

How about those Knicks? They have now lost six games in a row. Why are we talking about the Knicks? Well, Stephon Marbury might be bought out of his contract. Really? Yes, really. Donnie Walsh is going to dedicate January to buying out Marbury as soon as possible, according to the New York Post. Marbury will probably make things difficult as he wants all of his money, or else he'll show up at another arena when the Knicks are the visiting team. The Lakers are waiting patiently in background as they monitor the situation; that is just pure speculation on my part.

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Speaking of the Lakers, if they sign Earl Boykins, I'm going to puke. Earl Boykins is too short to run the triangle offense. How is he going to pass the ball into the post passed a long-armed defender? Boykins's defense is not all that great. The Lakers should just continue with Sasha Vujacic at the point with some sprinkling of Sun Yue.

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Captain Stephen Jackson wants the Warriors to bring back B. Diddy aka Baron Davis. Here are some quotes from Captain Jack:

What you might not imagine is what Jackson talked to the Los Angeles Clippers point guard about: Davis coming back to the Warriors.

"That's all we talked about," Jackson said. "I went to his house, spent some time with his mom and his grandmother. He wants to come back. And if he wants to come back, I want him back."

Jackson said he's going to be the president of the "Bring B.D. Back" campaign.

"I think that would be great for us," Jackson said. "Coach loves him. Him and (guard) Monta (Ellis) have good chemistry. If they could work that out, that would be great for the organization."

So Captain Jackson, how propose the Warriors re-acquire Baron Davis? Should the Warriors give up Corey Maggette and his enormous deal along with a couple of young players for the former UCLA baller? Corey Maggette and Mike Dunleavy don't get along at all, although the Clippers owner does have a soft spot for the former Duke star. Maggette is a known chucker who doesn't run the offense. Baron Davis is not going to help the Warriors anymore than Maggette is doing right now. Everybody on the Warriors roster wants a trade but won't go public with it. Their coach is going through the motions and the front office doesn't seem to be on the same page. I doubt Mike Dunleavy accepts a trade involving Baron Davis for whoever the Warriors have. However, Sterling might just make this trade happen.

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According to the Toronto Sun, the Raptors have interest in Joe Smith. Adding Joe Smith to this team doesn't hurt, though I would be looking for a creative scorer who is an upgrade over the underachieving Anthony Parker. A good question would be what do the Raptors have to offer that the Thunder would want.

Welcome To Whatever This is

2008-12-29T10:54:00.002-07:00

Sports is my addiction. How is my English? I'm glad you're stopping by to read my thoughts on certain topics in sports. Be sure to tell your friends, your grandma, your grandpa, your great grandma, your great grandpa, your uncle June Bug with the glass eye, and cousin Jimmy-Jack-Richard-Ann-Barbara with the third nipple about my blog. Thank you's!

Rank	Team	Record	Votes	Previous

1	Florida (48)	13-1	1,606	1
2	Utah (16)	13-0	1,519	7
3	USC (1)	12-1	1,481	5
4	Texas	12-1	1,478	3
5	Oklahoma	12-2	1,391	2
6	Alabama	12-2	1,264	4
7	TCU	11-2	1,193	11
8	Penn State	11-2	1,153	6
9	Ohio State	10-3	1,013	10
10	Oregon	10-3	997	15
11	Boise State	12-1	938	9
12	Texas Tech	11-2	916	8
13	Georgia	10-3	903	16
14	Mississippi	9-4	857	20
15	Virginia Tech	10-4	713	21
16	Oklahoma State	9-4	534	13
17	Cincinnati	11-3	506	12
18	Oregon State	9-4	467	24
19	Missouri	10-4	435	25
20	Iowa	9-4	317	NR
21	Florida State	9-4	246	NR
22	Georgia Tech	9-4	223	14
23	West Virginia	9-4	144	NR
24	Michigan State	9-4	138	19
25	Brigham Young	10-3	137	17