The 2010 Ryder Cup starts tomorrow and Team USA will do it's best and try to retain the cup. For those of you who dont know much about the Ryder Cup here is some tidbits. First the Ryder Cup is a match play event that is played every two years between the best American golfers and the best European golfers. During the two year period players accumulate points based on how well they perform in tournaments. The top 8 golfers on both sides get automatic bids and the remaing 4 spots are picked by the team captain (who does not play). The site for the event switches between the United States and Europe every other time. This year it is Europe while next time it will be held here.
The first two days are the same in that there they have an alternate shot match and then a best ball match with one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Alternate shot is where team members will alternate taking shots and best ball is where each player plays their own ball but they take the lowest score. Team captains must pick eight players to play in each event making four pairs. The final day is played by all 12 team members in straight up match play. Each match is worth a point and if there is a tie then its a 1/2 point and the defending team (Team USA) must get 14 points to win while the Europeans need 14 1/2 points to win.
Now for those of you who are still reading this I would just like to say that I enjoy the Ryder Cup. Its a different type of tournament that is fun to watch in the way that its not the traditional you vs everyone. Its also fun to root for your country or in Europes case their continent. Since this year it is held in Europe I dont see the Americans fairing to well. For some reason American golfers dont fair well across the pond, but thats just my opinion. Anything can happen though and will be fun to see how this all plays out. This is Sergio's bread and butter so look for him to plays lights out.
Here are the pairings for Friday morning (US pair listed first):
Phil Mickleson & Dustin Johnson VS Lee Westwood & Martin Kaymer
Stewart Cink & Matt Kuchar VS Rory McIlroy & Graeme McDowell
Steve Stricker & Tiger Woods VS Ian Poulter & Ross Fisher
Bubba Watson & Jeff Overton (IU) VS Luke Donald (Northwestern) & Padraig Harrington (Big Ten battle)
Kamis, 30 September 2010
Rabu, 29 September 2010
Big Ten Blog Previews IU vs Michigan
ESPN's Big Ten Blog previews the IU vs Michigan game this weekend and it starts out this way.
Fact No. 1: Michigan brings the nation's leading rusher and the nation's No. 2 rush offense to Bloomington to face an Indiana defense ranked 92nd nationally against the run.
Fact. No. 2: The Hoosiers counter with the nation's No. 11 pass offense against a Michigan team ranked 105th nationally in pass defense.
I know this is the game I am most excited about for this year! GO HOOSIERS! O and bet the over
Selasa, 28 September 2010
All I Want For Christmas...
I really loved those 1940's throwbacks from Monday Night. And we got a throwback of our own watching Devin Hester 'house that punt return.
In honor of the man who won me my fantasy matchup this week, I give you this:
Santa Claus, I hope you're paying attention!
In honor of the man who won me my fantasy matchup this week, I give you this:
Santa Claus, I hope you're paying attention!
The Dipping Dots of Running Diaries (The Diary of the future....ooooohhh)
Originally the plan for my return to blogging was going to be a running diary of the Michigan/Indiana tussle this Saturday (2:30pm CT – ESPNU) to be posted next week. A high scoring game that is bound to have a bunch of lead changes is the perfect opportunity for something like that…then I thought about how much work it would be to try and re-watch the game and get every necessary detail into the diary. (At this point you are probably thinking to yourself “but Derek, isn’t a running diary supposed to be done live…like, while you are watching the game?”…and you would be right…my response to you would be, “first of all, shut the hell up, and secondably, there is no way that something like that would turn out well with the amount of beer that will be consumed during the game”). Having said all that, I will NOT be doing a running diary of the game on Saturday…but I can do you one better: What you may not know about me is that I am psychic and already have all the information that I need to give you an accurate look that game a whole 4 days prior to kick-off (that’s 96 hours!).
Game Info:
Game time – Coverage is set to begin at 2:30PM CT on ESPNU
Gambling info – Michigan opened as a 14 point favorite, however, due to some heavy early action in IU’s favor the line has shifted all the way to 10.5 points. The over/under opened at 65.5. (My advice would be to take Indiana and the points and parlay it with the over…and if you believe my psychic powers you may want to look into the money line and forget about those points.)
The Background:
Last year’s game was played up in that whore of town called Ann Arbor. Due to a late Tate Forcier TD pass and some “questionable” calls by the officials Michigan escaped with a hard fought 36-33 win. Indiana left Ann Arbor with their first loss and down a piece of gum. Going into this week’s game the Hoosiers are once again not getting any respect from the media (check out Charissa Thompson’s reaction in this video when Eddie George predicts an IU win on Saturday) and should have a chip on their shoulder.
Indiana comes into the game against Michigan with a 3-0 record and some impressive offensive production after playing a pretty pitiful out of conference schedule. The QB Ben Chappell has thrown for just under 900 yards with 9 TDs and 0 INTs for the year. At his disposal are a stable of talented pass catchers at WR (Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher, Terrance Turner, and Duwyce Wilson) and a new target at TE (Freshman Ted Bolser) who 3 games into his IU career has already tied the single season TD record for a tight end by hauling in 4 TD passes. The IU rushing attack has a talented RB (Darius Willis) who has had trouble getting going this year behind an offensive line that can pass block with the best of them but has issues generating the push necessary to run the ball consistently. The IU defense has had its fair share of struggles already and will be satisfied if they are able to hold Michigan to any point total under 35.
Michigan will stroll into beautiful Memorial Stadium with a 4-0 record with some equally, and arguably more, impressive numbers on the offensive side of the ball. They run the ball a ton better than Indiana with the bulk of their yardage coming from “Heisman Candidate” Denard Robinson (I don’t see how you can bring up that kind of Heisman talk already…the guy has played 4 games against less than stellar opponents). Robinson has been pretty impressive in the passing game as well having thrown only 1 INT on the year. As always the Michigan offense has talent at the remaining skill positions and offensive line – but based on last couple years we know that raw talent and recruiting stars don’t guarantee success in college. The Michigan defense is in a similar position to Indiana’s…in that there really hasn’t been one. If the Michigan defense can hold Chappell to fewer than 300 yards passing they will be ecstatic.
The overall match-up is shaping up to be one of the higher scoring games in recent memory (especially when you factor in that it is two Big Ten teams that are playing). The teams come in averaging an identical 41 points per game on offense (41.33 to 41.25 so I guess IU gets the slight edge) while giving up 19 ppg (IU) and 23 ppg (UM) on defense. Each team’s defensive weakness is the opposing team’s offensive strength which will lead to some huge plays.
Keys To The Game:
- Turnovers – With all the scoring in this game any turnover will be huge, especially if there are points scored off of them.
- Kicking – Michigan has had some early struggles in the kicking game. A missed field goal or two would swing momentum IU’s way.
- Hidden yardage – One often overlooked stat is the return yardage that teams are able to pile on. Keep an eye on Tandon Doss, Duwyce Wilson, and Nick Turner for the Hoosiers – the trio have combined to average 33.25 yards per kick-off return which is good for first in the Big Ten and second in the Nation. Michigan comes into the game averaging a measly 18.14 yards per return which is good for 10th in the Big Ten (and 107th in the country).
Now it’s time for what you’ve all been waiting for: A glimpse into the future…through the eyes of an actual (read – not actual) psychic…it’s time for...
"The 4 day early future running diary of the Indiana Hoosiers/Michigan Wolverines clash of 2010!" (All times in CT…you east and west coaster’s can shove it).
2:25pm – I wish I was in Bloomington for this game…early fall is B-town at its finest. The weather is warm, the beer is flowing, and there has not been nearly enough time for the freshman 15 to take hold. Earlier in the week the forecast called for 65 degrees and rainy but just as it always does Bloomington came through and we are looking at a balmy 72 degrees and sunny for kick-off.
2:32pm – The Wolverines have won the toss and elected to receive. With two high powered offenses this is clearly an attempt to grab the momentum early and dash Indiana’s hopes for an upset as soon as possible.
2:35pm – The teams are out on the field and things are ready to begin. The Hoosier’s Nick Freeland launches a kick-off that is fielded by Darryl Stonum at the 1 yard line. Stonum immediately fakes a hand-off to Martavious Odoms but the Hoosiers are not fooled and stop Stonum at the 23 yard line.
2:39pm – After two unsuccessful running plays the Michigan offense is looking at a 3rd and 6 from their own 27. This is not the start to the game they envisioned – a 3 and out to start the game would put momentum squarely in Indiana’s corner. Lined up with trips left and a RB next to him Denard Robinson gets the snap and takes a quick step back to sell the pass…he immediately darts right, behind his blocking TE and the QB draw works to perfection as “shoelace” picks up 19 yards and leaves a few IU defenders grasping at air.
2:46pm – Michigan’s fast paced offense makes it down to the IU 16 yard line before facing a long 4th and 8. They line up for the 33 yard field goal…and the kicker misses it! He pushed it right!! Rich-Rod reaches for his gun but thinks better of himself. IU takes over at their own 23 yard line for their first drive with 11:16 left in the quarter.
2:51pm – Willis gained 4 yards on first down and Chappell followed that up with three consecutive completions to Tandon Doss for 8, 11, and 17 yards. On first down from the Michigan 37 Willis bounces a run outside and gets 22 yards on his way to the 15 yard line.
2:53pm – After a 1 yard run by Willis to the 14 yard line Chappell finds Belcher on a fade route to get the Hoosiers on the board. 7-0 Indiana with 6:37 left in the quarter.
3:04pm – The Michigan offense responds quickly with a 6 play drive for a TD. A screen pass Stonum accounts for 33 of the yards and a 12 yard pass to Roy Roundtree finds the end zone. 7-7 with 4:01 left in the 1st.
3:06pm – Tandon Doss finds a seam and takes the kick-off back to the Michigan 48 yard line. He is a player.
3:09pm – Back to back 6 yard runs by Willis give the Hoosiers first down at the 36 yard line. Nick Turner gives Willis a blow and takes a short screen pass to the right side 23 yards to get the ball down to the Michigan 13.
3:11pm – After facing a 3rd and 7 at the Michigan 10 Chappell finds Terrance Turner at the 2 yard line setting up 1st and goal. Willis pounds the ball into the end zone on his 2nd attempt as the first quarter comes to an end with IU holding a 14-7 lead.
End of 1: 14-7 Indiana
The 2nd and 3rd quarters are going to be in fast forward…this is getting long. Time to jump into the Delorean and fire it up to 88 for a couple quarters.
2nd Quarter highlights:
Michigan opens the scoring with a 6 yard scoring run by Robinson – he got the drive going with a 44 yard run earlier. 14-14 after the first drive of the second quarter.
Indiana responds to the Michigan score with a field goal of their own on a methodical drive that was highlighted by a 24 yard pass from Chappell to Bolser. 17-14 Indiana.
Michigan moves down the field quickly once again on the next drive but an IU blitz causes a Robinson interception in the red zone. Indiana takes the ball from there and on the 3rd play from scrimmage Duwyce Wilson breaks loose in the secondary for a 76 yard score. 24-14 Indiana.
A Michigan field goal wraps up the scoring for the first half.
Halftime score: 24-17 Indiana
3rd quarter highlights:
Nick Turner fields the 3rd quarter kick-off at his own 4 yard line...and taking the ball up the right side he sees a cut-back lane and uses his 4.3 speed and darts 96 yards for the TD. Michigan looks like they are running in quick sand! 31-17 Indiana.
The ensuing drive for Michigan is an 11 play drive that is heavy on the running game. Robinson and Michael Shaw account for 68 rushing yards and Shaw caps the drive with a 4 yard scoring plunge. 31-24 Indiana.
Indiana moves the ball 30 yards before a short pass to Terrance Turner results in a fumble and Indiana’s first turnover of the game. Michigan takes over on their 46 yard line and immediately gets 20 yards on a screen pass to Shaw. The Wolverines end up settling for a 29 yard field goal that splits the uprights. 31-27 Indiana.
The final Indiana possession in the 3rd is a 71 yard scoring drive that takes 9 plays and 5:35 off the clock. A TD pass from Chappell to Tandon Doss covering 27 yards caps of the drive. Chappell finishes off the drive with 287 yards and 3 TDs for the game (if you’re counting at home that is 15 quarters on the year without an interception for Chappell). 38-27 Indiana.
Michigan takes possession of the ball with 2:08 left in the third. After 8 plays they are sitting at the Indiana 8 yard line and poised to score.
End of 3: 38-27 Indiana
Ok, let’s slow things down and get “Back to the Future (Diary)” –
4:54pm – From the Indiana 8 yard line Robinson runs a QB read option and hangs onto the ball for himself. He runs left and makes his way down to the IU 2 yard-line. He’s now got 182 yards for the game – he’s backing up reputation as a runner but with only 112 yards passing and the interception so far he still has a long way to go in that department.
4:55pm – Robinson takes the snap and gives Shaw the ball once again on a quick pitch who puts his head down and hits the end zone for the score. Michigan has gotten within 4 points and now trails Indiana 38-34.
4:59pm – After a commercial break, a stuffed run, a short pass, and an incompletion Indiana does the worst thing possible and has to punt the ball away (nothing like the 4th quarter for the first punt of the game). Chris Hagerup hits a booming 54 yard punt that Jeremy Gallon fields at his own 13 and returns to the 28.
5:20pm – The teams trade field goals after moving the ball pretty easily between the 20s but are both stifled in the red zone. 41-37 Indiana with 4:42 to go in the game.
5:26pm – Michigan gets into IU territory and down to the IU 47. After a short run by Shaw, Robinson takes the ball and roll-out to the right…after Chad Scherer tracks him down Robinson makes an ill-advised pass back across the field that Mitchell Evans sees coming from a mile away – Interception!! IU takes over at their own 38 poised to run out the clock with Michigan having two time-outs left and 2:03 left in the game.
5:31pm – Back to back 3 yard runs by Willis followed by Michigan time-outs give IU 3rd and 4 at their own 44 and 1:51 on the clock. Trey Burgess takes a hand-off 2 yards to the IU 46 which brings up 4th down (Terrible play call! 1:15 is too much time to give Michigan). Hagerup boots the ball to the Michigan 19 where Gallon calls for a fair catch. Indiana is up 41-37 and has to stop the Michigan offense from moving 81 yards in 1:09.
5:32pm – Blitz! Fumble! Just as quickly as the drive started Darius Johnson and Damon Sims converge on Denard Robinson as he tries to run another draw up the middle of the Hoosier defense. Larry Black Jr falls on the ball and IU has sealed it.
5:34pm – Queue the fight song and the celebration. After two kneel downs the crowd is storming the field!
Final Score: 41-37 Indiana
What an exciting game. Indiana is sitting at 4-0 and heading to Columbus to take on Ohio State. Too early to make any predictions there…it’s safe to say that after his game today (379 yards/3 TDs) that Ben Chappell is having a stellar season. The 104 rushing yards that Willis amassed were enough to give the threat of a run game and opened things up for Chappell early. Duwyce Wilson and Tandon Doss both had huge receiving days with 288 yards combined.
The keys to the game turned out to be spot-on. Michigan couldn’t escape Bloomington with a win after turning the ball over 3 times and missing a short field goal. The two big kick returns for IU caused huge shifts in momentum at the time.
Too early to predict Rose Bowl for IU…but 4-0 is a solid start.
Game Info:
Game time – Coverage is set to begin at 2:30PM CT on ESPNU
Gambling info – Michigan opened as a 14 point favorite, however, due to some heavy early action in IU’s favor the line has shifted all the way to 10.5 points. The over/under opened at 65.5. (My advice would be to take Indiana and the points and parlay it with the over…and if you believe my psychic powers you may want to look into the money line and forget about those points.)
The Background:
Last year’s game was played up in that whore of town called Ann Arbor. Due to a late Tate Forcier TD pass and some “questionable” calls by the officials Michigan escaped with a hard fought 36-33 win. Indiana left Ann Arbor with their first loss and down a piece of gum. Going into this week’s game the Hoosiers are once again not getting any respect from the media (check out Charissa Thompson’s reaction in this video when Eddie George predicts an IU win on Saturday) and should have a chip on their shoulder.
Indiana comes into the game against Michigan with a 3-0 record and some impressive offensive production after playing a pretty pitiful out of conference schedule. The QB Ben Chappell has thrown for just under 900 yards with 9 TDs and 0 INTs for the year. At his disposal are a stable of talented pass catchers at WR (Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher, Terrance Turner, and Duwyce Wilson) and a new target at TE (Freshman Ted Bolser) who 3 games into his IU career has already tied the single season TD record for a tight end by hauling in 4 TD passes. The IU rushing attack has a talented RB (Darius Willis) who has had trouble getting going this year behind an offensive line that can pass block with the best of them but has issues generating the push necessary to run the ball consistently. The IU defense has had its fair share of struggles already and will be satisfied if they are able to hold Michigan to any point total under 35.
Michigan will stroll into beautiful Memorial Stadium with a 4-0 record with some equally, and arguably more, impressive numbers on the offensive side of the ball. They run the ball a ton better than Indiana with the bulk of their yardage coming from “Heisman Candidate” Denard Robinson (I don’t see how you can bring up that kind of Heisman talk already…the guy has played 4 games against less than stellar opponents). Robinson has been pretty impressive in the passing game as well having thrown only 1 INT on the year. As always the Michigan offense has talent at the remaining skill positions and offensive line – but based on last couple years we know that raw talent and recruiting stars don’t guarantee success in college. The Michigan defense is in a similar position to Indiana’s…in that there really hasn’t been one. If the Michigan defense can hold Chappell to fewer than 300 yards passing they will be ecstatic.
The overall match-up is shaping up to be one of the higher scoring games in recent memory (especially when you factor in that it is two Big Ten teams that are playing). The teams come in averaging an identical 41 points per game on offense (41.33 to 41.25 so I guess IU gets the slight edge) while giving up 19 ppg (IU) and 23 ppg (UM) on defense. Each team’s defensive weakness is the opposing team’s offensive strength which will lead to some huge plays.
Keys To The Game:
- Turnovers – With all the scoring in this game any turnover will be huge, especially if there are points scored off of them.
- Kicking – Michigan has had some early struggles in the kicking game. A missed field goal or two would swing momentum IU’s way.
- Hidden yardage – One often overlooked stat is the return yardage that teams are able to pile on. Keep an eye on Tandon Doss, Duwyce Wilson, and Nick Turner for the Hoosiers – the trio have combined to average 33.25 yards per kick-off return which is good for first in the Big Ten and second in the Nation. Michigan comes into the game averaging a measly 18.14 yards per return which is good for 10th in the Big Ten (and 107th in the country).
Now it’s time for what you’ve all been waiting for: A glimpse into the future…through the eyes of an actual (read – not actual) psychic…it’s time for...
"The 4 day early future running diary of the Indiana Hoosiers/Michigan Wolverines clash of 2010!" (All times in CT…you east and west coaster’s can shove it).
2:25pm – I wish I was in Bloomington for this game…early fall is B-town at its finest. The weather is warm, the beer is flowing, and there has not been nearly enough time for the freshman 15 to take hold. Earlier in the week the forecast called for 65 degrees and rainy but just as it always does Bloomington came through and we are looking at a balmy 72 degrees and sunny for kick-off.
2:32pm – The Wolverines have won the toss and elected to receive. With two high powered offenses this is clearly an attempt to grab the momentum early and dash Indiana’s hopes for an upset as soon as possible.
2:35pm – The teams are out on the field and things are ready to begin. The Hoosier’s Nick Freeland launches a kick-off that is fielded by Darryl Stonum at the 1 yard line. Stonum immediately fakes a hand-off to Martavious Odoms but the Hoosiers are not fooled and stop Stonum at the 23 yard line.
2:39pm – After two unsuccessful running plays the Michigan offense is looking at a 3rd and 6 from their own 27. This is not the start to the game they envisioned – a 3 and out to start the game would put momentum squarely in Indiana’s corner. Lined up with trips left and a RB next to him Denard Robinson gets the snap and takes a quick step back to sell the pass…he immediately darts right, behind his blocking TE and the QB draw works to perfection as “shoelace” picks up 19 yards and leaves a few IU defenders grasping at air.
2:46pm – Michigan’s fast paced offense makes it down to the IU 16 yard line before facing a long 4th and 8. They line up for the 33 yard field goal…and the kicker misses it! He pushed it right!! Rich-Rod reaches for his gun but thinks better of himself. IU takes over at their own 23 yard line for their first drive with 11:16 left in the quarter.
2:51pm – Willis gained 4 yards on first down and Chappell followed that up with three consecutive completions to Tandon Doss for 8, 11, and 17 yards. On first down from the Michigan 37 Willis bounces a run outside and gets 22 yards on his way to the 15 yard line.
2:53pm – After a 1 yard run by Willis to the 14 yard line Chappell finds Belcher on a fade route to get the Hoosiers on the board. 7-0 Indiana with 6:37 left in the quarter.
3:04pm – The Michigan offense responds quickly with a 6 play drive for a TD. A screen pass Stonum accounts for 33 of the yards and a 12 yard pass to Roy Roundtree finds the end zone. 7-7 with 4:01 left in the 1st.
3:06pm – Tandon Doss finds a seam and takes the kick-off back to the Michigan 48 yard line. He is a player.
3:09pm – Back to back 6 yard runs by Willis give the Hoosiers first down at the 36 yard line. Nick Turner gives Willis a blow and takes a short screen pass to the right side 23 yards to get the ball down to the Michigan 13.
3:11pm – After facing a 3rd and 7 at the Michigan 10 Chappell finds Terrance Turner at the 2 yard line setting up 1st and goal. Willis pounds the ball into the end zone on his 2nd attempt as the first quarter comes to an end with IU holding a 14-7 lead.
End of 1: 14-7 Indiana
The 2nd and 3rd quarters are going to be in fast forward…this is getting long. Time to jump into the Delorean and fire it up to 88 for a couple quarters.
2nd Quarter highlights:
Michigan opens the scoring with a 6 yard scoring run by Robinson – he got the drive going with a 44 yard run earlier. 14-14 after the first drive of the second quarter.
Indiana responds to the Michigan score with a field goal of their own on a methodical drive that was highlighted by a 24 yard pass from Chappell to Bolser. 17-14 Indiana.
Michigan moves down the field quickly once again on the next drive but an IU blitz causes a Robinson interception in the red zone. Indiana takes the ball from there and on the 3rd play from scrimmage Duwyce Wilson breaks loose in the secondary for a 76 yard score. 24-14 Indiana.
A Michigan field goal wraps up the scoring for the first half.
Halftime score: 24-17 Indiana
3rd quarter highlights:
Nick Turner fields the 3rd quarter kick-off at his own 4 yard line...and taking the ball up the right side he sees a cut-back lane and uses his 4.3 speed and darts 96 yards for the TD. Michigan looks like they are running in quick sand! 31-17 Indiana.
The ensuing drive for Michigan is an 11 play drive that is heavy on the running game. Robinson and Michael Shaw account for 68 rushing yards and Shaw caps the drive with a 4 yard scoring plunge. 31-24 Indiana.
Indiana moves the ball 30 yards before a short pass to Terrance Turner results in a fumble and Indiana’s first turnover of the game. Michigan takes over on their 46 yard line and immediately gets 20 yards on a screen pass to Shaw. The Wolverines end up settling for a 29 yard field goal that splits the uprights. 31-27 Indiana.
The final Indiana possession in the 3rd is a 71 yard scoring drive that takes 9 plays and 5:35 off the clock. A TD pass from Chappell to Tandon Doss covering 27 yards caps of the drive. Chappell finishes off the drive with 287 yards and 3 TDs for the game (if you’re counting at home that is 15 quarters on the year without an interception for Chappell). 38-27 Indiana.
Michigan takes possession of the ball with 2:08 left in the third. After 8 plays they are sitting at the Indiana 8 yard line and poised to score.
End of 3: 38-27 Indiana
Ok, let’s slow things down and get “Back to the Future (Diary)” –
4:54pm – From the Indiana 8 yard line Robinson runs a QB read option and hangs onto the ball for himself. He runs left and makes his way down to the IU 2 yard-line. He’s now got 182 yards for the game – he’s backing up reputation as a runner but with only 112 yards passing and the interception so far he still has a long way to go in that department.
4:55pm – Robinson takes the snap and gives Shaw the ball once again on a quick pitch who puts his head down and hits the end zone for the score. Michigan has gotten within 4 points and now trails Indiana 38-34.
4:59pm – After a commercial break, a stuffed run, a short pass, and an incompletion Indiana does the worst thing possible and has to punt the ball away (nothing like the 4th quarter for the first punt of the game). Chris Hagerup hits a booming 54 yard punt that Jeremy Gallon fields at his own 13 and returns to the 28.
5:20pm – The teams trade field goals after moving the ball pretty easily between the 20s but are both stifled in the red zone. 41-37 Indiana with 4:42 to go in the game.
5:26pm – Michigan gets into IU territory and down to the IU 47. After a short run by Shaw, Robinson takes the ball and roll-out to the right…after Chad Scherer tracks him down Robinson makes an ill-advised pass back across the field that Mitchell Evans sees coming from a mile away – Interception!! IU takes over at their own 38 poised to run out the clock with Michigan having two time-outs left and 2:03 left in the game.
5:31pm – Back to back 3 yard runs by Willis followed by Michigan time-outs give IU 3rd and 4 at their own 44 and 1:51 on the clock. Trey Burgess takes a hand-off 2 yards to the IU 46 which brings up 4th down (Terrible play call! 1:15 is too much time to give Michigan). Hagerup boots the ball to the Michigan 19 where Gallon calls for a fair catch. Indiana is up 41-37 and has to stop the Michigan offense from moving 81 yards in 1:09.
5:32pm – Blitz! Fumble! Just as quickly as the drive started Darius Johnson and Damon Sims converge on Denard Robinson as he tries to run another draw up the middle of the Hoosier defense. Larry Black Jr falls on the ball and IU has sealed it.
5:34pm – Queue the fight song and the celebration. After two kneel downs the crowd is storming the field!
Final Score: 41-37 Indiana
What an exciting game. Indiana is sitting at 4-0 and heading to Columbus to take on Ohio State. Too early to make any predictions there…it’s safe to say that after his game today (379 yards/3 TDs) that Ben Chappell is having a stellar season. The 104 rushing yards that Willis amassed were enough to give the threat of a run game and opened things up for Chappell early. Duwyce Wilson and Tandon Doss both had huge receiving days with 288 yards combined.
The keys to the game turned out to be spot-on. Michigan couldn’t escape Bloomington with a win after turning the ball over 3 times and missing a short field goal. The two big kick returns for IU caused huge shifts in momentum at the time.
Too early to predict Rose Bowl for IU…but 4-0 is a solid start.
Double Error By the Marlins
I've seen some awesomely dumb mistakes in sports in my life, think Gus Ferotte headbutting the wall celebrating a TD and giving himself a concussion, but this one might take the cake. Please watch this soon before MLB takes it away.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12510329&topic_id=&c_id=mlb
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12510329&topic_id=&c_id=mlb
Senin, 27 September 2010
Bears-Packers, TONIGHT!
Oh Boy am I excited for this one. You have two un-beatens going head to head in a what is the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry of the NFL. Of course, don't tell ESPN that. They think that title belongs to anything on the East Coast or the Cowboys. On a quick side note, did you know that ESPN said that the biggest matchup this week was the Texans-Cowboys? What?Well, the Packers-Bears game gets a little bigger now that there are no unbeatens in the NFC as of this moment, aside from the Bears and Packers. Meaning, who ever wins, leads the entire NFC. Who will that be? Well, perhaps we should break it down.
OFFENSE:
Thus far, the Packers have struggled running the ball as well as passing. I know Aaron Rodgers went off in the second half against Buffalo, but that doesn't change the fact that they struggled in the first half and versus the Eagles. Their running game has also been bad, and it only got worse once Ryan Grant went down for the season. Now, the only thing they can really rely on is their passing game. However, Aaron Rodgers is a good QB so he will likely be ready to go this week.
The Bears, on the other hand, have had a lot of success passing the ball, and almost no success on the ground. The Bears are going to be missing Chris Williams for this game, so we will see if they can establish the running game. The Packers run defense is the worst in the league, in regards to yards per rush.
KEYS TO THE OFFENSES:
The key to the Packers winning is their ability to run the ball with some consistency. It doesn't have to be a great rushing attack, and likely won't be with the talent the Bears have in their front 7. However, they cannot abandon the run and just throw the ball all game. Yes, Rodgers would get a lot of yards, but if this happens, they will end up with the L. They need to keep the Bears defense honest.
he key to the Bears winning is limiting their turnovers. Last year, Jay Cutler alone had 6 turnovers against the Packers. The Bears had a turnover margin of -4 in those two games and they lost by a combined 13 points. That's it. Less than two touchdowns and a -4 turnover ratio over two games. That means the Bears can't be more than -1 all game. Hopefully they are either at 0 or in the positives in the turnover margin this game. Another key to the Bears getting a victory is establish a good running attack to take the pressure off the WR and Jay Cutler against the Packers pass defense. This will also open up the passing game.
DEFENSES
The Packers defense is one of the best in the league against the pass. Conversely, they are one of the worst in the league defending the run. They are allowing 5.3 ypc on the ground. But how much of that is inflated due to Michael Vick running all over them? The Packers also have Clay Matthews who has 6 sacks in two games.
The Bears defense is the best in the league against the run, and is nothing special against the pass. However, the Bears pass defense yardage may be inflated due to the Cowboys throwing 50+ times against them. The Bears are missing Major Wright for this game though. Lets also see if Charles Tillman can play corner today without falling down.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
For the Packers they need to shut down the Bears running game early. This is so they can do what they do best, defend the pass. This way, they won't have to worry about Forte on a linebacker or safety, instead, they'll be able to bring in a corner to lineup on Forte, since the Bears running game will be non-existent.
For the Bears, they need to generate a good pass rush today. Julius Peppers needs to have his breakout game today as a Bear. Tommie Harris also has to show that he is the Tommie of old. Yes he was getting double teamed quite a bit last week against the Cowboys, but he used to be able to still get penetration. He wasn't able to do that last week. Perhaps this is the week for these two. If the pass rush is there, the Packers will have to rely on their run, which will not be a good thing with the Packers offensive line and matched up against the best linebacking trio in the NFL.
PREDICTIONS:
Bears 31-17. I thought it would be 31-20, but I did not know Ryan Grant was out for the season. I say the Bears open up fast and strong. They highlight the run as well as the pass as they dominate both sides of the game.
PREDICTIONS ON STATS:
BEARS:
Jay Cutler 17/26 284 yards 2 TD 0 INT
Matt Forte 27 carries 143 yards 1 TD
Chester Taylor 10 carries 42 yards 1 TD
Devin Hester 4 catches 65 yards 1 Fumble
Johnny Knox 5 catches 112 yards 1 TD (long of 61 yards)
Greg Olsen 3 catches 42 yards 1 TD
Matt Forte 3 catches 33 yards
Devin Aromoshadu 1 catches 18 yards
Earl Bennett 1 catches 14 yards
Julius Peppers 5 tackles 2 sacks 1 FF
Brian Urlacher 10 tackles 1 sack 1 INT
Tommie Harris 4 tackles 1 sack
Mark Anderson 2 tackles 1 sack
Zack Bowman 4 tackles 1 INT
Anthony Adams 3 tackles 1 Fumble Recovery
PACKERS
Aaron Rodgers 21-38 265 yards 2 TDS 2 INTS 1 Fumble Lost
Brandon Jackson 10 carries 27 yards
John Kuhn 7 carries 23 yards
Aaron Rodgers 6 carries 25 yards
Greg Jennings 2 catches 34 yards
Donald Driver 6 catches 87 yards 1 TD
Jermichael Finley 4 catches 63 yards
Jordy Nelson 2 catches 21 yards 1 TD
Brandon Jackson 2 catches 12 yards
Donald Lee 3 catches 43 yards
John Kuhn 2 catches 5 yards
DEFENSE
Clay Matthews 6 tackles 0 Sacks
BJ Raji 3 tackles
AJ Hawk 7 Tackles
Nick Barnett 6 Tackles 1 FF
Chuck Woodson 5 tackles 1 Fumble Recovery
Ryan Pickett 3 tackles 1 sack
Cullen Jenkins 3 tackles 1 sack
Brad Jones 8 tackles 1 sack
Kamis, 23 September 2010
Weak Four in Big Ten Football
With ten out of the Big Ten's eleven teams in action this weekend, it's time for some exciting Midwestern football action, right?
Actually, not so much. Check out the schedule of B10 opponents this week. Spreads are from here. I'll do something fun with those at the end.
Two of those games could actually be decent. Penn State (-17.5) draws undefeated Temple - the Owls are leading the MAC after a convincing 30-16 win over UConn last week, and an overtime victory against Central Michigan in Week Two.
Speaking of the Chippewas, they are, sadly enough, the second best B10 opponent this week, and should give Northwestern (-9) as much of a challenge as Rice or Illinois State, at least.
The rest of the schedule makes me want to sleep in all day Saturday:
Michigan State vs. Northern Colorado (NL)
Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay (NL)
Ohio State (-42.5) vs. Eastern Michigan
Michigan (-23.5) vs. Bowling Green
Iowa (-28) vs. Ball State
Purdue (-13.5) vs. Toledo
Indiana (-21.5) vs. Akron
Minnesota (-4) vs. Northern Illinois
Meanwhile, the SEC is starting league play, as is the Pac-10. And we can't get a single major-conference opponent, anywhere?
On average (not counting the games without a line) the Big Ten is favored to win by SEVENTEEN AND A HALF POINTS PER GAME THIS WEEK! Can I get a nine-team parlay? (Screw you, Minnesota) Would it even pay me any money if I won it?
Actually, not so much. Check out the schedule of B10 opponents this week. Spreads are from here. I'll do something fun with those at the end.
Two of those games could actually be decent. Penn State (-17.5) draws undefeated Temple - the Owls are leading the MAC after a convincing 30-16 win over UConn last week, and an overtime victory against Central Michigan in Week Two.
Speaking of the Chippewas, they are, sadly enough, the second best B10 opponent this week, and should give Northwestern (-9) as much of a challenge as Rice or Illinois State, at least.
The rest of the schedule makes me want to sleep in all day Saturday:
Michigan State vs. Northern Colorado (NL)
Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay (NL)
Ohio State (-42.5) vs. Eastern Michigan
Michigan (-23.5) vs. Bowling Green
Iowa (-28) vs. Ball State
Purdue (-13.5) vs. Toledo
Indiana (-21.5) vs. Akron
Minnesota (-4) vs. Northern Illinois
Meanwhile, the SEC is starting league play, as is the Pac-10. And we can't get a single major-conference opponent, anywhere?
On average (not counting the games without a line) the Big Ten is favored to win by SEVENTEEN AND A HALF POINTS PER GAME THIS WEEK! Can I get a nine-team parlay? (Screw you, Minnesota) Would it even pay me any money if I won it?
09/23/10 Picks I like
In a new column gimmick (maybe I’ll start up weekend watch again), every Thursday I am going to list out my favorite gambling lines for the upcoming weekend of College Football. I will also point our which games I am actually gambling on (legally purchased in Las Vegas). There was no Vegas trip this week, so I have no actual bets.
A few notes about lines in general.
1. Lines are NOT what Vegas thinks is going to happen. The lines are what Vegas thinks will convince the public to bet on the game.
2. Vegas knows big name teams (think Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Yankees, Cowboys, Red Sox) will have more money bet on them because Joe Fan hears about these teams all the time and will adjust their lines accordingly.
3. Vegas is close to Los Angeles and has a lot of visitors from there. They know LA fans will bet on their teams and will adjust their lines accordingly.
Over/Under –A wager in which Vegas will predict a number for a statistic in a given game (usually the combined score of the two teams), and bettors wager that the actual number in the game will be either higher or lower than that number.
Money Line – Bet on one team with no line. Payouts are changed to keep betting equal.
Example
-140: A bet of $140 is place in order to win $100
+140: A bet of $100 wins $140
A quick note, I will pick more college games because I think there is more potential to win money compared to NFL where Vegas only has to forecast 16 games and teams are very close talent wise. Normally I don’t like picking road teams, but I have a bunch this week.
College Football
Friday 09/24
TCU -18 @ SMU
TCU is rolling right now and needs style points to jump Boise State and stay in front of Oregon in the polls. I see TCU rolling this week and winning by more then 18.
Saturday 09/25
Eastern Michigan +44 @ Ohio State
I normally don’t like taking high lines because I am unsure if the team is going to keep scoring or just run the ball out with a big lead. 44 points is a ton, and I see OSU getting up 28-0 quickly and then taking the foot off the gas and winning 48-7.
Oklahoma @ Cincinnati Over 52 points.
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I know Cincinnati has not been as good as expected and Oklahoma does play good defense. I See Oklahoma scoring 40 some leaving Cinncy to only needing two touchdowns.
Arkansas +7.5 vs Alabama
I know Alabama has looked great and handled the Arkansas last year. I think Arkansas is currently overrated (really who did they beat to become a top 15 team), but they have a big, expierenced QB who is playing well and they are at home. I don’t know if I see Arkansas winning, but at least covering.
Stanford -5 @ Notre Dame
Notre Dame is coming off a tough loss while Stanford has been pummeling people this year. I see Stanford winning big.
Indiana -22 vs Akron
Akron is awful, IU scores a lot of points this year. I see IU winning in a blowout.
NFL
09/26/10
Tennessee +3 @ New York Giants
Giants looked awful last week, and the Titans turned the ball over a million times in their loss. They will have that straightened out and I think win the game out right, but the three points help.
Atlanta +4 @ New Orleans
I actually do not have that much faith in Atlanta this year, but New Orleans played on Monday night, on the West Coast. They didn’t get home until Tuesday at 5 AM. They will have a short groggy week of practice and think Atlanta will take advantage.
Top Chef Thoughts
Congrats to Kevin on Winning Top Chef Washington D.C. I know I had him ranked low, and then “could go either way,” but he said so himself, he was up and down. He found his rhythm when it mattered most and won.
Now I have two purposes for this post.
1. Discuss Top Chef All-Stars
2. Discuss Next Top Chef Filming Locations
Top Chef All-Stars
We all knew it was only a matter of time before they did a full all out All-Star competition, not just a special show. The show is already done filming in New York and will start airing December 1st. I have not heard the line-up, so if it’s been announced, this post is kind of pointless but I am going to guess who are 18 contestant who are going to participate on the show. My only criteria is winner’s are not allowed back.
Season 1: San Francisco
Tiffani Faison
Lee Anne Wong
Season 2: Los Angeles
Michael Midgley
Marcel Vineron
Season 3: Miami
Dale Levitski
Casey Thompson
Howie Kleinberg
Season 4: Chicago
Richard Blais
Spike Mendelshon
Andrew “Tweak” D’Ambrosi
Season 5: New York
Stefan Richter
Fabio Viviani
Carla Hall
Season 6: Las Vegas
Bryan Voltaggio
Kevin “Red Beard” Gillespie
Season 7: Washington DC
Kenny Gilbert
Ed Cotton
Angelo Sosa
This was actually harder than I expected. 18 leaves 2-3 chefs per season and some season defiantly warnted more. Some choices like Marcel, Blais, and Fabio were easy, but finding the last one to cut, Lisa Fernades, cut was hard.
2. Next Top Chef Filming Locations
These are my guesses at filming (in reverse order) of where the next regular season of Top Chef will take place.
4. Hawai’i
Hawai’i would offer a bunch of unique challenges included a luau, seafood and tropical themes.
3. Seattle Washington
Seattle has the world famous fish market, Coffee, Boeing (think airline food) which could produce some good challenges
2. Austin Texas
Really, this is just Top Chef Texas. You could pick Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio or any other numbers of cities. I went with Austin because it is known for having a ton of small but excellent resteraunts. Steak, Rodeo’s and all things Texas will be Featured
1. Atlanta Georgia
The ATL has been represented by a lot of different Chefs. This can feature all the good things when thinking Southern food, spicy, bbq, and deliciousness.
Rabu, 22 September 2010
Radio
As you may or may not know I currently do a radio show for my school. This year a friend and I have decided to do a sports show. We finally have the equipment to record shows so I wanted to post our latest show for you guys to give it a listen. The first 15 minutes are just stadium jams before the actual show. We decided to do a PTI approach to the show and I plugged the ACSS a few times. So without further comment enjoy: Click Here To Download Show
Rick Reilly Does It Again
I used to actually like Rick Reilly's work, but now he seems to have gotten lazy with his writing. He should stick to his short pieces for the four golf majors and then take the rest of the year off.
I this week's column, Rick Reilly makes up a word, Complisults. What is that you ask, well let's look at Rick's definition.
"A 'complisult' is half-compliment, half-insult. It's not until you're driving home in your Prius that a complisult slaps you across the cheek."
Or as the rest of the world calls it, a backhanded compliment.
Rick then goes on to write a column offering backhanded compliments for each team, yet, he doesn't know enough about each team to come up with good ones. I found two amusing and that's about it. Guess the two, Colts and Pats. What a surprise, two teams that get a lot of media attenion. Some of his backhanded compliments are just generic and could be used for any team. Way to do research for a lame column.
Not to be a homer, but I don't get his backhanded compliment about the Bears at all.
To a Bears fan: "Dude, when you talk about a team that's history, you're talking the Chicago Bears."
Where's the compliment in there? Isn't that just a straight up insult? Closest thing I can think of is he's trying to say the Bears are a historic team, not just a team that is already done for the year.
I actually like good Bears jokes, my two favorites.
Q: How do you keep Bears out of your back yard?
A: Put up Goal Posts
Q: Why did it take the Bears so long to get a website?
A: Cause they can't get three W's in a row.
Don't worry though, the Bears aren't the only one who don't make sense, there are plenty of other ones.
Senin, 20 September 2010
Bears vs. Cowboys Recap
I hate to say I called it, but I pretty much did. My prediction was a 27-21 Bears victory if the Cowboys were completely healthy. They were. The final score was 27-20 Bears. It's okay to be impressed.
Some things I noticed last week: the Bears offensive line sucked at first, and wasn't even that great at the end. However, some great adjustments by Mike Tice and the line cooling down helped them play well enough against a great pass rushing team. Saying that, I think the o-line could definitely witness some improvements this year, and continue to get better. I don't think they can be dominant, I'd like to draft a lot of young talent there next year, but overall, I think they can be a little above average this year. Which says a lot.
Mike Martz is a genius. The adjustments he made. It was like wow, if this were Ron Turner we'd be running the same damn plays over and over without any adjustments. We would have definitely lost that game.
Jay Cutler is who we thought he was. Over the first two games he has 649 passing yards, 5 tds 1 int, a 68.8 completion percentage, and a rating of 121.2. That doesn't include his gaudy average of 10.1 yards per attempt. That means everytime he gets the ball out he's averaging a first down. While not true, he is putting up massive yards and I honestly wouldn't be shocked if he did get to 5,000 passing yards this year with 35+ tds.
Matt Forte is going to be deadly this year. There is a realistic shot that he could get just over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. Granted his rushing will have to improve in order to meet the rushing total, but he is certainly on pace in the receiving department with 188 yards receiving already. His current pace: 632 yards rushing 0 tds, 1,504 yards receiving 24 tds. Of course I could see his rushing yards increase and his receiving yards decrease. Which is why I'm meeting halfway: 1,000 rush yards 1,000 receiving yards. He would be only the third player ever to do that.
Wide Receivers look damn good. The tight ends, mainly Greg Olsen, are playing okay but not great. Yeah he had the long touchdown scamper but overall he isn't really getting that many grabs. His blocking has improved though.
The defense is playing well, especially the linebackers. I don't know if it was made apparent how well the linebackers are playing but they completely shut down Dallas' run game. The secondary is out there hitting hard, and so far the defense seems to be very opportunistic with 6 turnovers in 2 games. They are looking good again. My only issue so far has been the play of the d-line. I don't think they are getting as much pressure as I'd like to see. Only one player on the D-line has a sack, and that was against Detroit. Yes, Tony Romo is very elusive but I'd like to see the d-line get more pressure.
Next week, if we see the d-line play better, which I think we will b/c I don't see the Packers line being great, than I think we win the game. It doesn't matter if one team sucks and the other team is on the way to the Superbowl, this matchup almost always comes down to the wire. So, no blowouts here. I think you'll see the Bears win one at soldier field for the division lead. Bears 31-20.
Sabtu, 18 September 2010
Big Ten Power Rankings, Week Three
This is just going to be a quick ranking, since the games start soon. Every Big Ten team is in action this Saturday. The top six teams are all undefeated.
1. No. 2 Ohio State (vs. Ohio) - The Buckeyes are fresh off a big win against Miami at home and get their in-state patsies at the Horseshoe. They'll be 3-0 by the second quarter, unlike two years ago, when they let the Bobcats (I think that's Ohio's mascot) hang in until almost the end of the game. Ohio already got their massive upset of the year when they beat Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament.
2. No. 11 Wisconsin (vs. Arizona State) - Ah, home cookin'. If Bucky Badger had to go to Tempe, this might be a more frightening matchup, but I expect Ball and Clay to run the ball about 66% of the time in this one, put us all to sleep, and leave Wisco undefeated at the end of the day.
3. No. 9 Iowa (at No. 24 Arizona) - The lone Big Ten team with a road game against a decent opponent this week, Iowa looks to prove itself and get a quality win that they can point to down the road.
4. Michigan State (vs. Notre Dame) - I know what the Noffkes will be watching. Prime time, ABC, 8 PM. After Sparty wins this one, I expect to get some offers on firebriankelly.com. Oh wait, I haven't bought it yet? Crap...
5. Northwestern (at Rice) - Dan Persa has looked like the real deal so far, as has the 'Cats defense and the new crew of wide receivers. The lack of a star running back will be NU's only Achilles heel this year. I expect a comfortable win against the Owls, even on the road.
6. No. 20 Michigan (vs. Massachussets) - Shoelace for Heisman? How ironic would it be if Denard Robinson beat out Terrelle Pryor for the trophy this year? Obviously UMass is a patsy, so you can expect the overhyping of Michigan to continue for another week, despite the fact that their defense is terrible and their offense is one-dimensional.
7. No. 22 Penn State (vs. Kent State) - Going from No. 1 Alabama on the road to Kent State at home is about the biggest dropoff in opponent quality I can imagine. This Nittany Lions team is one of the weakest I can remember, but they will look better today.
8. Indiana (at Western Kentucky) - Fred Glass has been so busy rebuilding the IU football culture (and doing a great job, by the way), that he forgot to schedule a Week Two game, and settled for a road date down in bluegrass country today. The Hoosiers had better win this game and stay undefeated.
9. Purdue (vs. Ball State) - They stink less than Illinois.
10. Illinois (vs. Northern Illinois) - Ron Zook gets a look at the type of team he'll probably be coaching next. A directional university, that is.
11. Minnesota (vs. No. 18 USC) - Who remembers Minny-Cal last year? Yeah, I'm expecting about the same. If the Gophers win this one, it would be one hell of a turnaround after losing to South Dakota State last week.
Jumat, 17 September 2010
Games to watch this sunday
First and foremost I must apologize for my lack of writing.
Noon: Of course I will be watching the Bears in what should be a good game against the Cowboys. I think this game has the potential to be a shootout because I feel that Chicago has more weapons than Washington (Moss, Cooley and McNabb) and I feel we also have a better defense. However, I think that with Jerry Jones owning Dallas there will be an expectation to bounce back in a huge way. I look for the Bears to win this one and not just on a "catch everywhere but in the NFL" play.
3:15 : Although it would be easy to get caught up in the ESPN east coast fetish and watch New York and New England, I will be looking to Denver for the Broncos and Seahwaks to duke it out. Seattle looked flat out dominant in their first game against the 49ers and Denver looked flat out of the gate against Jacksonville. Permitting there are no delays for lightning I think Denver will bounce back big at home.
Sunday Night: I really couldn't care less about the manning bowl story line. Eli wont throw it at will like he did last week, and Peyton will not throw the ball any less than he did against Houston so I see the Colts taking this one in a not so close game.
Monday Night: What can I say? New Orleans came out looking sharp against a tough Minnesota team and San Fransisco looked like it needed 2 more weeks of training camp. I most likely will not watch this game because Drew Brees is going to pick apart San Fran's defense.
Noon: Of course I will be watching the Bears in what should be a good game against the Cowboys. I think this game has the potential to be a shootout because I feel that Chicago has more weapons than Washington (Moss, Cooley and McNabb) and I feel we also have a better defense. However, I think that with Jerry Jones owning Dallas there will be an expectation to bounce back in a huge way. I look for the Bears to win this one and not just on a "catch everywhere but in the NFL" play.
3:15 : Although it would be easy to get caught up in the ESPN east coast fetish and watch New York and New England, I will be looking to Denver for the Broncos and Seahwaks to duke it out. Seattle looked flat out dominant in their first game against the 49ers and Denver looked flat out of the gate against Jacksonville. Permitting there are no delays for lightning I think Denver will bounce back big at home.
Sunday Night: I really couldn't care less about the manning bowl story line. Eli wont throw it at will like he did last week, and Peyton will not throw the ball any less than he did against Houston so I see the Colts taking this one in a not so close game.
Monday Night: What can I say? New Orleans came out looking sharp against a tough Minnesota team and San Fransisco looked like it needed 2 more weeks of training camp. I most likely will not watch this game because Drew Brees is going to pick apart San Fran's defense.
Rabu, 15 September 2010
Reggie Bush's Heisman
It is being announced that Reggie Bush is giving back his Heisman. I think they should give the trophy to the rightful owner. No not Vince Young, who won't accept it anyway. The trophy belongs to me. Here is photographic proof!
In all seriousness, that is the same Heisman Trophy that was awarded to Reggie Bush and is now being returned to the Downtown Athletic Club
In all seriousness, that is the same Heisman Trophy that was awarded to Reggie Bush and is now being returned to the Downtown Athletic Club
Senin, 13 September 2010
Bears vs. Lions Recap
Okay, so, the Bears start out 1-0. Great. They beat the Detroit Lions 19-14. We all have probably heard plenty of times about the controversial call at the end of the game. Megatron made what appeared to be a catch, then as he fell he used his hand to stop his momentum and the ball squirted loose for an incompletion and what ultimately cost the Lions the game. I don't think it should be considered a controversial call, but rather the right call. The rule is just fine the way it is also. If it weren't for that rule there would be many discrepancies as to what was an actual catch. You'd have refs calling some plays right and others getting it wrong b/c there was no clear guideline. Thus, it eliminates far more controversy than it creates. The rule maybe should be improved but watching that catch in full speed shows that he clearly uses the ball to protect himself when he's going down and thus loses control of the ball. It was an incomplete pass.
As far as the rest of the game goes: it was sloppy. The Bears offense showed that it could move the ball whenever it wanted to against the Lions amassing 450+ yards of offense. The defense completely shut down the Lions allowing only 160 yards of offense. This score should have been something like 37-10. However, the defense couldn't stop the Lions once they got into the redzone. And the Bears offense seemed to fumble the ball away every time they drove down for a TD. Issues with the O-line seem to be there. A great example is the Bears starting at the Lions 1 and being unable to score a single point. How does that happen? Why wasn't a QB sneak ever called? Things like that need to be worked out.
But, it doesn't seem like its anything too serious. A lot of it seemed like it had to do with rust, and thank god we got the Lions week one at home to get rid of the rust. Matt Forte looked like he had completely regained his speed and burst again amassing over 200 yards of total offense and 2 tds. Jay Cutler looked elite completing 65% of his passes for 372 yards and 2 scores. Julius Peppers showed why we paid him so much money getting a sack and forcing a fumble. And the Linebackers were just outright dominating. This Bears team looks like they are going to be a force to be reckoned with assuming they can iron out the little miscues they had.
Next week will be a great test. The Bears versus the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas' new stadium. The Redskins beat the Cowboys last night on a holding call by Alex Barron. The Cowboys are also missing two of their best offensive lineman and Ware may also be sidelined for the game. If that is the case, I expect the Bears to win by two or more scores. If both teams are at full strength then I see a 27-21 Bears victory. This is going to be a good year for the Bears. I'm really excited for the potential of this offense.
Minggu, 12 September 2010
Fodor's NFL Dark Horse
First off, I want to apologize to my mom and the Noffke family and Ryan (and anyone else reading this post. Aw hell, who am I kidding?) for my lack of productivity lately.
I'm sorry.
Secondly, I wanted to get this out there TODAY so that nobody can accuse me of being a bandwagon jumper once their season starts, because what I'm about to say is something I've been thinking about for at least a week.
My sleeper pick to improve hugely this year and go to the playoffs is the Kansas City Chiefs. I'm going to put them at 10-6.
I think they beat San Diego tomorrow at home and win the AFC West outright. Bear in mind, Denver and Oakland are already 0-1, so the winner of tomorrow's Monday Night late game will be all alone atop the division to start the year.
Why pick this team to succeed? Partially, I just love their running backs setup. Jamaal Charles is an incredible talent with fresh legs and speed to burn. He was Top 3 overall in the second half of last season as a fantasy running back.
You all know how I feel about Thomas Jones, AKA the NFL's second best running back over the last four years. Nobody has more yards over that time than TJ, at least nobody not named LaDanian.
But additionally, I think the KC defense could be good, with the number of high draft picks they've invested over the last three years.
I think Dexter McCluster from (from? Hint: SEC)... well, I think he could have a Devin Hester-esque impact on the return game.
Matt Cassel and Charlie Weis are back together. Weis and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell can destroy an Old Country Buffet like no tandem since the days of Traylor and Washington in Chicago, so you know the two former Belichek assistants are happy to see each other.
Oh, and clubhouse cancer Larry Johnson is gone.
Anyway, call me crazy, but there it is. Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Want some numerical projections?
Jamaal Charles 1,800 total yards
Thomas Jones 1,100 rush yards
Dexter McCluster 3 or more return TDs.
No other team in the AFC West better than 8-8.
I'm sorry.
Secondly, I wanted to get this out there TODAY so that nobody can accuse me of being a bandwagon jumper once their season starts, because what I'm about to say is something I've been thinking about for at least a week.
My sleeper pick to improve hugely this year and go to the playoffs is the Kansas City Chiefs. I'm going to put them at 10-6.
I think they beat San Diego tomorrow at home and win the AFC West outright. Bear in mind, Denver and Oakland are already 0-1, so the winner of tomorrow's Monday Night late game will be all alone atop the division to start the year.
Why pick this team to succeed? Partially, I just love their running backs setup. Jamaal Charles is an incredible talent with fresh legs and speed to burn. He was Top 3 overall in the second half of last season as a fantasy running back.
You all know how I feel about Thomas Jones, AKA the NFL's second best running back over the last four years. Nobody has more yards over that time than TJ, at least nobody not named LaDanian.
But additionally, I think the KC defense could be good, with the number of high draft picks they've invested over the last three years.
I think Dexter McCluster from (from? Hint: SEC)... well, I think he could have a Devin Hester-esque impact on the return game.
Matt Cassel and Charlie Weis are back together. Weis and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell can destroy an Old Country Buffet like no tandem since the days of Traylor and Washington in Chicago, so you know the two former Belichek assistants are happy to see each other.
Oh, and clubhouse cancer Larry Johnson is gone.
Anyway, call me crazy, but there it is. Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Want some numerical projections?
Jamaal Charles 1,800 total yards
Thomas Jones 1,100 rush yards
Dexter McCluster 3 or more return TDs.
No other team in the AFC West better than 8-8.
Kamis, 09 September 2010
NFL Predictions
Well, today is the first day of the NFL and I'm going to make my predictions for how the year goes. I will start off in the NFC East and work my way down. At the end there will be a Super Bowl winner. We will see if I am right at the end of the year. The abbreviations next to some names mean: w = wildcard spot; x = division winner; y = division winner + bye week; z = division winner + homefield advantage throughout.
NFC East
x - 1. Dallas Cowboys 10-6
2. Philadelphia Eagles 9-7
3. New York Giants 9-7
4. Washington Redskins 7-9
NFC North
z - 1. Chicago Bears 12-4
w - 2. Green Bay Packers 11-5
3. Minnesota Vikings 7-9
4. Detroit Lions 5-11
NFC West
x - 1. San Francisco 49ers 9-7
2. Seattle Seahawks 8-8
3. Arizona Cardinals 6-10
4. St. Louis Rams 3-13
NFC South
y - 1. New Orleans Saints 11-5
w - 2. Atlanta Falcons 9-7
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-9
4. Carolina Panthers 4-12
AFC
AFC East
z - 1. New England Patriots 12-4
2. Miami Dolphins 10-6
3. New York Jets 7-9
4. Buffalo Bills 3-13
AFC North
x - 1. Baltimore Ravens 11-5
w - 2. Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-8
4. Cleveland Browns 4-12
AFC West
x - 1. Oakland Raiders 10-6
2. San Diego Chargers 7-9
3. Kansas City Chiefs 6-10
4. Denver Broncos 4-12
AFC South
y - 1. Houston Texans 12-4
w - 2. Indianapolis Colts 11-5
3. Tennessee Titans 7-9
4. Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10
PLAYOFFS:
AFC Wildcard Round:
Oakland Raiders vs. Indianapolis Colts - Colts 31 - 17
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals - Bengals 24-21
NFC Wildcard Round:
Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys - Atlanta Falcons 21-20
Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers - Green Bay Packers 34 - 17
AFC Divisional Round:
New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts - Colts 28-27
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans - Bengals 27-24
NFC Divisional Round:
Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints - Packers 27-20
Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons - Bears 21-17
AFC Conference Championship
Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals - Bengals 31-27
NFC Conference Championship
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears - Bears 24-23
Super Bowl Championship
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears - Bears 37-17
There you have it, the Chicago Bears are my Super Bowl pick. As to how confident I am in the Bears, 100%. How confident I am in the Bengals, less than 1%. I had them getting beat in multiple rounds of the playoffs as I did this (at one point they didn't even make the playoffs).
Rabu, 08 September 2010
Nothing to do with Sports but Funny
I know this has nothing to do with sports, but o man, you have to watch this. I won't give anything away.
http://gizmodo.com/5632751/how-not-to-fire-a-watermelon-out-of-a-huge-slingshot
http://gizmodo.com/5632751/how-not-to-fire-a-watermelon-out-of-a-huge-slingshot
Top Chef Power Rankings
Top Chef Power Rankings
We are down to the final 4 as the cheftestants move on to Singapore. I do have to say, this season of Top Chef has had the best prizes thanks to Hilton being the major sponsor. They are getting trips all over the place, and probably have the coolest final location to date. I think it will be a very interesting last two shows.
Last week Tiffany just missed the cut. I was personally surprised she was sent home as this was her first time with a bottom dish. The judges always claim the decisions are made on a round by round basis, but we know that is crap. The one question I have left is, will the other cheftestants be brought to Singapore to help. I say yes, but I won’t do a breakdown of who could help the most until next week. On to the power rankings
1. Angelo Sosa
How did he jump all the way back to 1st your asking. No, it isn’t because he won last week, even though that helps, it’s because I think he has the best chance to win. As the season went on, you could tell Angelo was starting to get tired and stressed and it showed. Taking the break from Washington DC to Singapore should give him the time off he needs to win this competition. The other reason I think he is going to win is because the location of the finals. All season long Angelo has used Asian influences on his food. Now they are in Asia where he will have all the ingredients he needs at his fingertips.
2. Ed Cotton
Ed was my sleeper pick in the beginning of the season, and remains so now. I think he might be the most well rounded chef this season, with the ability to go a bunch of different ways. His problem that could cost him the title is when he tries to do too much or doesn’t get focused. When he is running around the kitchen frantically trying to finish his dish is when he makes mistakes. If he can avoid this situation, he has the ability to win it all.
3. Kelly Liken
Kelly could win this competition but I don’t have as much faith in her as the two above her. She has been a very consistent performer, but hasn’t been finishing on top as Ed or Angelo. I think she will make a good run for the title, but ultimately fall short.
4. Kevin Sbarga
I am glad to see Kevin has made the finals. He started off a little up and down, but has always stuck with what he likes for cooking. Kevin could win the competition, but I am worried that something he likes, the judges won’t and that they’ll send him packing back to the States.
Selasa, 07 September 2010
NCAA Football Preview: Coaches Poll 1-9
So I debated about commenting on the pre-season coaches poll. As most of you know, I think pre-season polls are dumb, especially since they are used as a starting point to determine the national champion. However, I decided these 25 teams are the teams with the most storylines this year, so commenting on each team and not their rankings is acceptable
The third of three parts
Part 1: 15-25
Part 2: 14-10
Part 3: 9-1
9 Nebraska
Nebraska’s defense was one of the top units last year and was the main reason Nebraska played so well. They lost star D-Lineman Suh, but still return a very talented defense. The offense should be better this season, because it really can’t get any worse. Nebraska is looking to win the Big XII North and the Big XII in their last year in the league. The Texas game is the game circled on their schedule as they look to avenge the 1 second loss in the Big XII title game last year. I think Nebraska will lose 1 or 2 games this year, win the Big XII north, but ultimately lose in the Big XII Title Game.
8. Oklahoma
As I have mentioned before, Oklahoma is Phil Steele’s pick to win the National Championship. Their biggest weakness last year was O-Line is now a year older with more expierence. DemarcoMurray looks to have a break out year while
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Landry Jones looks to build on his performance last year. Oklahoma needs to win the Red River Rivalry to advance to the Big XII title game. They have a big nonconference game in week 2 against the high powered offense of Florida State. I think Oklahoma will lose 1 game this year, but when the Texas game so it will advance to the Big XII Title Game where they will beat Nebraska
7. TCU
Gary Patterson should have another good team this year. In the past two years TCU has finished #6 (2009) and #7 (2008) in both AP and Coach’s pole. TCU’s defense should be just as good as last year which will lead them to a lot of victories. They have two tough non conference opponents in Oregon State week 1 (Cowboys Stadium) (which was a win) and Baylor week 3. They do get BYU at home this year, but have go to Utah in a game that could decide Mountain West Championship which I think they will win.
6. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is one of the many teams I could see winning the ACC. They have an awesome running game and a very experienced Quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. The defense is a little young and inexperienced but still talented enough to win. Last night’s tough lost to Boise State could cost them a shot at the National Title, but I still think every game on their schedule is winnable for them and predict them to win most.
5. Boise State
Boise State was one of two teams to finish last year undefeated. Boise is returning more starters than any other D-1 school, 21 of 22 with the only non returner being Kyle Wilson who went #29 overall in this year’s draft. Kellen Morre will lead a powerful Broncos attack and is actually my choice to win the Heisman trophy. Just like last year, Boise’s biggest game of the year is early in the season where they beat Virginia Tech in FedEx Field. Boise State looks like it only has one more road block between itself and an undefeated season coming when Oregon State comes to the Smurf Turf. If they get past that, then the debate will rage on about should they become the first non AQ to go to the National Championship game.
4. Texas
Maybe I’m crazy, but I think Texas is too high at number 4. I think Garrett Gilbert will be a good, if not great quarterback, but just because he played in the national title game last year doesn’t mean he won’t be making 1st year mistakes. Colt McCoy is a heck of a person to replace. I think a top 10 ranking is worthy, but not top 5. I do like how the team is stacked with Texas talent (all but 3 of the top 2 lines on the depth chart are from Texas) but will have to win the Red River Rivalry game if they want to win the South which I do not see happening.
3. Florida
John Brantley has the toughest job in college football this year. Replace Tim Tebow. The Gators faithful loved Tebow and it’s no surprise why, 2 National Championships (even though he was more along for the ride for the first one) 1 Heisman, 3 Heisman Finalist, 1 undefeated season, 2 undefeated regular season and a Sugar Bowl win. Not only will Brantley have to follow that performance, he will have to do it with a team that has lost a ton of talent. The team is still full of 5 star recruits, but lost a majority of its dominant defense. I see this Florida team winning the SEC east, but finishing the year with 2 losses. Still a good season, but not as good as three of the past 4.
2. Ohio State
THE Ohio State University is ranked highly again, and I’m sure a lot of people in the south really don’t want to see them play for another National Title. This OSU team has no one left from their back to back title game losses and shouldn’t be faulted by those teams. Pryor showed off his skill set in the Rose Bowl last year and is expected to make a run for the Heisman if Senator Tressell allows him to use all his abilities. Ohio State has 1 big out of conference game against THE U at home, but their two toughest Big Ten games will be on the road. I picked Ohio State to win the National Championship and I am sticking with it. I could see this team losing a game along the way and still making it in.
1. Alabama
Alabama is replacing a lot of talent on their defense, but their offense should be clicking. All last year I heard about how the backup running back Trent Richardson is actually better then reigning Heisman trophy winner Ingram. The QB Mcelroy has never lost a game in college or varsity high school football. Saying all that, I see Alabama losing 1 or 2 games this year because of how much turnover is on their D. Saban is known for his defense, so the unit could surprise and play good right away. If that’s the case, lookout cause, they will be tough to beat.
Kamis, 02 September 2010
Big Ten Division Map
I finally found a good map that breaks out the divisions. If you couldn't tell the division are broken out in the color or thier names, red and blue.
Rabu, 01 September 2010
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