BCS National Championship

Finally the BCS National Championship is here.  It is the undefeated dynasty against the team of destiny.  The Florida State Seminoles have rolled through their schedule destroying every team.  The Auburn Tigers are battle tested though, all of there games this year have been nail biters.

It is the last year for the BCS, but I think they got it right this year.  Florida State, in my opinion is the best team in the country.  They have the Heisman Trophy winner, in quarterback Jameis Winston, who has been perfect all year.  They are the favorites to win this football game.  The key to a Seminole victory is play of freshman quarterback, Jameis Winston.  He has not looked like a freshman all year but in the biggest stage you do not know if he will be rattled or not.

The key for the Auburn Tigers is the pass rush.  They do not have the greatest secondary, imagesbut if they put some pressure on Winston, this may look like the Oregon vs Auburn National Championship game, low scoring.

Prediction: I don’t think that anyone can stop the Tigers run game. Florida State will still light up the scoreboard.  In the end I think Auburn will win the game because they have been in nail biters all year and can handle the pressure of such a big game. Florida State may have a chance to win the game, but could have trouble closing it.

Florida State 21 Auburn 24

 

 

Rose and Fiesta

The Bowl season is coming to a close, and the BCS Bowls are next and there is a lot to be excited about.  I am going to preview every game and make a prediction starting with the first two, the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

Rose Bowl, Stanford vs Michigan State:It is the 100th edition of the Rose Bowl and this one will not disappoint.  It is the Grandaddy of them all, BIG Ten vs Pac 12.  This game is a fantastic matchup of two stifling  defenses.  We all know Michigan State has the best defensive core in the country, but the key for a Spartan victory, is Freshmen quarterback imagesConor Cook.  He had his best game in the BIG Ten Championship vs Ohio State, but throughout the season he has been a little shaky.  Cook needs to come up big for the Spartans to smell the roses.  Stanford is the kind of team that hits you in your face.  They don’t run any of the new spread offenses, the Cardinal will just run it up your gut with their big bruisers up front.  The key for the Cardinal to get back-to-back Rose Bowl victories is their most explosive player, Ty Montgomery.  Montgomery is the only thing explosive about the Stanford offense.  The Cardinal have not faced a defense like MSU’s.  They cannot just run every down on the Spartan defenders, there is no way you can win.  Montgomery has to add another element to the passing game and play like he did vs Washington.  Prediction: Stanford 10 Michigan State 17

Fiesta Bowl, UCF vs Baylor: 

The Fiesta Bowl is where the party is at.  The Baylor Bears are trying to make school history with their first ever BCS Bowl game victory.  It has already been the greatest season in the history of Baylor football, but they have a chance to finish it off with a BANG!  The key for the Bears is Senior running back, Lache Seastrunk.  He needs to have a solid images-1game to take the weight of quarterback Brice Petty’s shoulders.  The bears have a high powered offense and adding a solid run game will make it that much better.  UCF has been the Cinderella story of college football this year and they have a chance to write their own ending to their story book.  The Golden Knights have been carried by quarterback Blake Bortles.  He is the number two rated quarterback going into the NFL draft and he has been the heart and soul of tho UCF team.  The key for the knights to even keep it close is their defense.  They will have a hard time stopping the up tempo offense of Baylor.  What they need to do is watch the tape of the Baylor- Oklahoma State game and use the same defensive game plan the Cowboys used to shut the high flying Bears down.  Prediction: UCF 10 Baylor 43

 

 

MVP Top 10 Picks for NBA

1.) Kevin Durant, SF, OKC: 

imagesKevin Durant has emerged as one of the premier superstars in the NBA.  He has lead the Oklahoma City Thunder from being the worst team in the Association to the biggest threat to the reigning champs, Miami Heat.  He has been a scoring machine.  Durant is impossible to guard.  At 6-10 Durant is one of the best shooters in the NBA.  We all knew that Durant could score coming into the season, but he has really improved on the other side of the ball.  With Durant’s long arms, he has become a lock down defender.  Durant is currently leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.3 points per game and has lead his Thunder to a 22-4 record, which is the best in the NBA.  At this time, Kevin Durant has been playing the best basketball in the NBA.

There is much more to like about Durant than just be an outstanding player.  He is the NBA’s good child.  He is the most humble and charitable star out there.  If you had to choose between Lebron and Durant and that was the deciding factor, KD would win in a land slide.  There really isn’t any reason to not like Durant, unless you are the coach of the opposing team’s defense.

2.) Paul George, SF/SG, IND

3.) Lebron James, SF, MIA

4.) LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, POR

5.) Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC

6.) Chris Paul, PG, LAC

7.) Damian Lillard, PG, POR

8.) Stephen Curry, PG/SG, GS

9.) James Harden, SG, HOU

10.) Kevin Love, PF, MIN

 

 

The Game

3 Ohio State vs Michigan: 

This is no doubt the biggest rivalry in college football, but it may just be the biggest rivalry in all of sports.  The governor of Ohio made it a law that Ohio State fans  should not use the letter M on game day of the rivalry.  On the other hand, Michigan fans do not even call the Buckeyes by their school name.  Wolverine fans, which I am, call Ohio State, Ohio.  There is so much animosity between the two of these teams, it is insane.  The Buckeyes have had an amazing season.  They are ranked number 3 in the country and they still have yet to lose under head coach Urban Meyer.  On the other hand Michigan has had one of the most disappointing seasons in college football.  Going into the season, the Wolverines were highly ranked and actually favored to win the BIG Ten and beat Ohio State, two weeks in a row.  Now they have four losses and have to go up against one of the best offenses in the nation.

The History of this rivalry goes way back to Woody vs Bo Schembechler, the two greatest coaches in history.  Ohio has a loosing record in the Big House and that might be a huge factor.  Going back, it has happened many times, when the Buckeyes are favored and have a chance to go to the national championship.  I think that this will happen again today,  Devin Gardner will get in a groove and the Michigan Wolverines will spoil Ohio’s season. GO BLUE!

Prediction: Ohio State 21 Michigan 24

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B1G Ten Battle

Last night Michigan and Northwestern took the field in Evanston, IL for a classic B1G Ten Unknownbattle.  Before the season this game had a lot of hype to it and trust me it lived up to it.  It seems when ever the Cats and the Wolverines meet, it always goes down to the wire.  Luckily for me I was in attendance for this game.  Actually for most of the game it was unluckily for me.  For the the first 3 quarters and more then half of the 4th, this was the most boring football game I have ever seen in my 14 years of being on this earth.  Both defenses dominated in regulation.  The most exciting part most of the game was Northwestern’s special Wounded Warrior uniforms.  This game reminded me of the Alabama vs LSU game a couple years ago or also known as the game of the century.  Both of these games were field goal battles.

Unknown-1Late in the fourth quarter, it looked like Northwestern had the game won.  With no time outs, Michigan threw the ball into the middle of the field with 12 seconds on the clock.  This is when things got crazy.  You think that the Wolverines would have no time to hike the ball and throw a Hail Mary? They did something even more amazing.  They substituted to get their field goal unit on.  The holder, Drew Dileo, who is also a receiver ran a route on the last play, came sliding in and snapped the ball with 1 second left on the clock.  The ball was snapped and Brandon Gibbons drilled the game tying field goal.  This was just the start of the fire works.  Both teams scored in the first over time and split the second OT with field goals.  Then in the 3rd OT the Wolverines started with the ball.  QB Devin Gardner really took over.  He ran in the game winning touchdown and also photo copyran in the 2pt conversion.  This game was two teams trying to save their seasons.  Although Michigan needed the win, the Wildcats needed it more.  This loss puts them on a 6 game loosing streak and they are out of bowl contention.  It was a huge win for Michigan yet it was a devastating loss for Northwestern.

photoI was at this game and you could see the emotion in the players eyes.  Also all American offensive linemen, Taylor Lewan gave me his game worn glove!

 

My BCS Standings

There were some big shake ups in week 11 that will affect the BCS standings.  When the official standings come out, there will be a lot of controversy, but for now I am going to tell you what I think should be the BCS standings.

1.) Alabama: 

The Tide made a huge statement last Saturday night by rocking the Bayou Bengals.  LSU Unknowntied the game in the third quarter, but after a surprising fake punt, Bama scored 21 unanswered points.  The Tigers failed to score a single point after that, and Alabama rolled 39-17.  This was the kind of game that voters needed to see from the Tide.  They have not had a statement win yet, until the LSU game.  The key to Alabama’s success is star QB AJ McCarron.  McCarron isn’t the flashiest player.  He doesn’t run around and make huge plays, all AJ does is win championships.  McCarron has been amazing every game, but running back TJ Yeldon was the true reason the Tide rolled the Tigers.  The Alabama run game has been the weak part of this team, but if last Saturday was the first time you tuned in, you would never guess that. Yeldon carried the ball for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns.  In the second half Saban changed the game plan and ran the ball down the Tigers throat.  I have been doubting this Bama team all year, but now that they have a solid run game and I have finally jumped on the Tuscaloosa bandwagon.  This team is legit.

2.) Florida State: 

In my opinion, Florida State is the most complete team in college football.  First off, they imageshave arguably the best player in the nation, Jameis Winston.  Winston is remarkable, he plays like he is a five year senior but he is only a freshman.  Scary right? They have one of the best receiving cores, which makes Winston look even better then he really is.  Junior WR, Rashad Greene, has been sensational, leading the team in receiving yards with 820 YDS on the season and he also leads the team with 8 receiving TDs.  Last week, what impressed me the most was the Noles defense.  Against Wake Forest, they forced 6 interceptions and 7 total turnovers.  Wake Forest also only threw 7 complete passes.  Yes they had only one more completed pass then they had interceptions.  This defense is stifling and they also take the weight off the Winston’s shoulders.  Jimbo Fisher has done a great job making this team believe they can win.  WATCH OUT BAMA!

3.) Oregon: 

The Ducks suffered their first loss of the season Thursday night in Palo Alto against Unknown-1Stanford.  You might think I am crazy for keeping the Ducks in the top three just after a loss, but Oregon didn’t play Oregon football.  I give Stanford a lot of credit, but Oregon just had a bad game until 3 minuets left in the 4th quarter.  The Ducks played horrid and still only lost 20-26 to a very good Stanford team.  The Ducks have the best player in all of the land and the greatest offense.  Mariota and his Ducks need a whole lot to happen to make the National Championship but there is still a chance.  This team is way better then how they played against the Cardinals.  Trust me, this Oregon team is still very talented.

4.) Baylor: 

A couple years ago if you said the Baylor Bears are one of the best teams in the country, someone would check you into a mental institution to see if you were insane.  The Bears images-1are what many people are calling the Oregon of the South.  The fancy uniforms, the offense, and the that they just flat out win ball games.  The Bears had a statement win, last thursday vs Oklahoma.  The Baylor Bears are for real.

5.) Stanford

6.) Auburn

7.) Missouri

8.) Ohio State

9.) Clemson

10.) UCLA

11.) Texas A&M

12.) South Carolina

13.) Northern Illinois

14.) Oklahoma State

15.) Texas

16.) Michigan State

17.) UCF

18.) Fresno State

19.) Louisville 

20.) Wisconsin 

21.) LSU

22.) Arizona State

23.) Miami (FL)

24.) Oklahoma

25.) Georgia

 

 

 

 

Week 10 Predictions

21 Michigan vs 22 Michigan State: 

It is the battle of the Paul Bunyan Trophy.  These teams just don’t like each other, they hateJeremy+Gallon+Notre+Dame+v+Michigan+95oVvCfX1iux each other.  What makes this rivalry game even more special is that the winner basically wraps up the Big Ten Legends division.  It is the Wolverines offense vs the stifling defense of the Spartans.  Michigan has one of the most unpredictable quarterbacks in the country, Devin Gardner.  Somedays he looks like he is a Heisman candidate and other days he looks like he could be on the scout team.  In Michigan’s impressive wins, Gardner’s QBR has been almost perfect, but in the Penn State game, which they lost, his QBR was horrible.  The Spartans are also have some problems.  Michigan State has the worst offense in the Big Ten conference and maybe in the country.  They say defense win championships.  Defense will win this game, but it is not the defense you are thinking of.  Michigan’s defense will step up and beat old Sparty big. 

Prediction: Michigan 28 Michigan State 10

Unknown18 Oklahoma State vs 15 Texas Tech: 

This game will be a old Big 12 shootout.  Two teams that know how to spin the ball.  The Red Raiders suffered their first loss of the season last week, vs Oklahoma.  The Cowboys have finally found a run game.  This will be a high flying, high scoring game.  I think Tech will bounce back from their loss, but having a solid run game is what will decide this game.  Oklahoma State will upset Texas Tech.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 48 Texas Tech 45

Unknown-17 Miami vs 3 Florida State: One of the biggest rivalries in college football is finally back to what it used to be.  In Vegas they have the Hurricanes as a 21 point underdogs.  That is just disrespectful.  The Canes have not played their best football in the past two weeks, but when it is a rivalry both teams always play better.  The Canes have played down to their competition as well as up to their competition.  They have to play exceptional to even have a chance to stay with the Noles.  For Florida State, they have a very special freshman at QB.  Jameis Winston has been more then perfect.  He is only a freshman and he is already second in the Heisman trophy race and is leading his team to what could be a national title.  Famous Jameis is amazing but he is also human.  Duke Johnson will run the ball all over the Noles.  It’s all about the U.  I pick Miami to shock the world and ruin any hope Florida State has to got to the national championship.

Prediction: Miami 24 Florida State 21

 

 

 

The Cardiac Cats

It was just a month ago that the Northwestern Wildcats were ranked in the top 15 andncf_g_colter_b1_200x300 barely lost to the #4 team in the nation because of a controversial call.  Now the Cats are sitting at 4-4 and 0-4 in conference play.  The past couple of weeks  Northwestern fell to Minnesota and Iowa, not tough opponents, and they were on the wrong side of a running clock against Wisconsin.  Last year, Chicago’s Big Ten team had a fantastic year topping it off with the first bowl win in a very long time, but now they are looking like the “old” Wildcats.  With the Cats downfall and the Bears not playing great, the basketball season couldn’t have come any faster for the people in the Windy City.

NCAA Football: Northwestern at CaliforniaWhat is the problem with the Cats?  Well they have been depleted by injuries.  In the two loses to Minnesota and Iowa, Northwestern was without their senior starting quarterback, Kain Colter and their all American running back, Venric Mark.  The Gophers and Hawkeyes are both teams that the Wildcats, when healthy, should have beat easily.  This has also happened to many other teams, like Georgia, TCU, and Maryland.  It is just crazy how fast your season can plummet down after a few key injuries.

Northwestern needs to have a positive look at the rest of the season and realize that even though their Big Ten championship dreams are out the window they can still be eligible for a bowl game.  This 2013 Northwestern team has a chance to be the first ever team to win two bowl games in back to back years in school history.  The players can’t give up, they have to keep moving forward.

 

 

 

 

 

Defense gets it done in Nazareth football win | La Grange Park | Suburban Life Media

Defense gets it done in Nazareth football win | La Grange Park | Suburban Life Media.

The Underdogs Become the Top Dogs 

This past week in college football 7 teams from the top 25 lost.  That is the more than any other week this year.  It was the kind of week you would rather not be favored in.  Unknown

  • Georgia got shocked by the Missouri Tigers
  • Texas turned the UT vs OU game into the Burnt Orange River Rivalry not the Red River Rivalry
  • Chicago’s BIG Ten team Northwestern got trounced by the fierce run attack of Wisconsin
  • In Happy Valley the Nittany Lions beat the undefeated Maize and Blue Wolverines of Michigan
  • Utah shocked the world by stunning the number 5 ranked Stanford Cardinal by 6 points.

By the way, I was four for four in my predictions last week.  I guess there was just an upset vibe in the air that Saturday, but it didn’t just happen in college…

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On Saturday, October 12th the number 6th team ranked in the state of Illinois, Benet Academy, traveled to LaGrange Park to take on the Nazareth Roadrunners.  The previous week NAZ had knocked off undefeated Notre Dame which has the explosive Illinois halfback, Chris James. Most people thought it was very Unknown-2unlikely that they would upset ESCC power house Benet.  What were the odds?  Jack Beneventi and his Redwings were on a role with 6-0 record and 3-0 conference record.  Their conference rivals, the Roadrunners from Nazareth, were playing with a chip on their shoulders.  This was one of the best football games I have ever been to in my life.  It was a thriller, trust me.

Benet took a quick 3-0 lead on their first drive.  The Roadrunners responded with a field goal of their own.  Shortly after that NAZ stole the lead and was up 17-3 because of a blocked punt that was taken to the 5 yard line and an interception by Jack Dolan which he DSC_9614-Spowered through to the 1 yard line.  Both of those huge plays ended up with  Ivory Kelly-Martin running it in for a Roadrunner touch down.  The Benet fans and players didn’t know what hit them.  At half the score was Bennet 6 Nazareth 17, but the Redwings superstar QB Jack Beneventi was determined to have a 2nd half comeback.

The Redwings came storming out of the gates in the 3rd quarter and as expected roared back to a 18-17 lead over the Road Runners.  At this point everyone was probably thinking that this was when Benet would run away with.  I mean there is no way Nazareth could win right? WRONG!  NAZ’s defense owned the fourth quarter.  Beneventi and his ESCC top offense was trapped deep in its own end most of the period.  The suffocating defense DSC_0047-Sof NAZ dominated the game.  In the middle of the 4th quarter Carson Bartels the younger brother of starting QB Jake Bartels threw a beautiful touchdown pass to his fellow Sophomore Julian Love for a 25-18 Naz lead.  On the ensuing Benet possession Beneventi was picked off by Dex Kelly-Martin.  This led to the game sealing field goal by Nazareth’s Michael Hillsmen.  NAZ led 28-18 with 1:30 left in the game.  The Redwings were stopped on 4th down and all NAZ had to do was knee the ball.  As the clock clicked zero the roaring crowed stormed the field.  The Nazareth seniors were on the ground with tears of joy. It was truly a special game and a signature win for head coach Tim Racki.

DSC_9929-X2 The Nazareth defense was a strong force in securing this win.  I think this is the best defense in the ESCC conference which is loaded with high powered offenses and D1 talent. Nazareth may very well be the best defense in the state of Illinois.   Why are they are so good?

Because they never give you any breathing room.  The receivers are always covered tightly and they can also stop the run.  The last two weeks they played Chris James the best running back in the state and Jack Beneventi the best quarterback in the state.  Both had zero touchdowns and fewer than 100 yards.  This NAZ defense is fast and relentless.  They play with speed, heart and soul.  Key players on the Naz defenseDSC_0633-S are Robbie Brindley, Jack Dolan, Doug DiFusco, Kevin Jackson, Dex Martin-Kelly, Danny Bakovich, Julian Love and the big men in the trenches, Michael Stec, Dimitri Joe and Will Colmery. They and their defensive teammates are creating a season to remember and possibly a deep playoff run.  Keep your eye on the Nazareth Academy Roadrunners.