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Rose and Fiesta

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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

 

 

My BCS Standings

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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

 

 

 

 

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

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

How To Roll Back the Tide

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For the past couple years Alabama has been the king of college football.  Nick Saban is imagesthe best coach and every year they get new superstars.  Some people think Bama is unstoppable.  This is false.  The last two years that they have won the National Championship they have lost a game each year.  The key to shredding the suffocating Tide defense is if you have a mobile quarterback.  In 2011 they lost to LSU who had Jordan Jefferson at QB.  In 2012 they lost to the Texas A&M Aggies who of course have Johnny Hotshot.  Even Michigan with Denard Robinson scored a lot of points on them.

ole-miss-footballThe truth is Saban and his trees are not perfect, in fact, they are far from it.  I think that the reigning champs will make it to the National Title, but they will have one loss.  Last year one of the only teams they struggled with was the Ole Miss Rebels.  This year they had the best recruiting class in the country, and they have a dime at half back.  I predict the Tide will slip up against the young guns of Mississippi.  This is a bold statement but Ole Miss has had some impressive wins against Vanderbilt and Texas.  Although anyone could smash their way through the disgrace of a Texas defense, they are still the Longhorns.

It is highly unlikely that this upset would take place but I have my reasons.  I predicted that Unknowneven with a loss Bama will make the BCS National Championship. I also believe they will loose that game.  Yes the SEC reign of terror will end.  The team that will ruin the Tide’s dream of a three peat is the Oregon Ducks.  Right now I think they are hands down the best team in the nation.  You need a running QB to beat Bama and the Ducks have Marcus Mariota.  Mariota can fly but he has a cannon of an arm to expose Saban’s weak secondary.  The tempo of the Ducks would effect Alabama also.  They are the fastest offense in the nation and Bama’s big boys up front will be gassed after the first quarter.

 

 

 

High School Game of the Week

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This week the IL high school Comcast game of the week  is Joliet Catholic vs Nazareth Academy.  Two years ago Nazareth beat JCA and last year JCA pulled out a victory in overtime by stopping a two point conversion. This year both offenses run the ball well but I think Naz has the advantage in the passing game with senior QB Jake Bartels leading the offense.  Although JCA’s offense led by QB Nick Morrison racked up over 500 yards in each of their first two games they will have a much tougher time against the Naz defense.

Last week Naz’s defense was challenged by Marist’s no huddle offense in a game that went down to the wire.  Nazareth’s defense, led by seniors Robbie Brindley and Jack Dolan has a better match up this week against JCA.  Brindley leads the team in tackles and Dolan has had a team high of interceptions, one in every game so far this year. The roadrunners will be up against a strong JCA offensive line which includes senior J.B. Butler who plays on both sides of the ball. They’re big and fast.

Any way you look at this it’s going to be a great game. I think the difference will come down to Naz’s depth at running back and strong D against the run.

Robbie Brindley #7 and Jack Dolan #25

Robbie Brindley #7 and Jack Dolan #25

Hometown Celebration by Jack Brindley, Guest Blogger

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photoWhen a hometown team wins any kind of major game or championship, there is bound to be a grand celebration waiting for them when they return home.  And with the Chicago Blackhawks recent Stanley Cup victory still ringing in the streets of Chi-Town, the celebration seems to have just begun.  All the excitement started as soon as the last goal was scored.  Soon after that final horn rang in Boston, the streets of Chicagoland exploded with the sounds of Chelsea Dagger and the occasional “Detroit Sucks”.  I myself am not a Hawks fan, but I had to leave my Buffalo Sabres just for a little while so I could jump on the Chicago bandwagon.  All I could do was watch abc 7 local news and see the festivities unravel from a helicopter view. Blackhawks_Parade

 

Things had only just begun in the Windy City for the Hawks and probably the biggest surprise was waiting for them the following Friday.  That surprise was the celebratory parade honoring their recent championship held in Chicago.  It has to be one of the biggest celebrations for any team I’ve seen in a while.  Miami, you can eat your heart out, this is how a city celebrates a championship.  Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to enjoy the parade myself.  I have seen the pictures though and that’s good enough for me hearing from my friends about how chaotic and great it was.

 

photoOn the contrary, I did have the amazing opportunity to see Coach Quenneville and his friend Stanley make an appearance at the Hinsdale Fourth of July parade.  Coach Quenneville had the honors of being this year’s grand marshall.  As he drove down Garfield street, he hoisted up the Cup so everyone could see that the celebration is still going strong.  Go Hawks….for now, and next year GO SABRES!

Preseason College Football Predictions 6-11

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6.  Louisville Cardinals: teddy-bridgewater-p1

The Louisville Cardinals are coming of last year’s Sugar Bowl champion year, with a lot of confidence. They are returning a Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and they have Charlie Strong a terrific coach. There is a lot of buzz going around this program and they have a very easy schedule. I believe that the Cards are going to have a undefeated season, now let’s just see if they live up to the hype.

stanford_hogan_11720127.  Stanford Cardinals: 

The Cardinals are always a contender, and with quarterback Kevin Hogan coming back they will be hard to stop. Winning the Rose Bowl was a big accomplishment for them last year, but this year they have even bigger expectations. This team is well coached and is balanced on both sides of the ball, the only problem is they have to compete with the high flying flashing Oregon Ducks. Stanford has a suffocating defense, but it is not enough to slow down the Ducks.

8.  Michigan Wolverines:  rn_i_devingardner_ms_600

 The Wolverines are coming of a decent season, but this is Michigan and the expectations are huge. Now with Devin Gardner at QB they can finally run their offense. The Wolverines big three are quite good. They have the exact replica of Cam Newton in Devin Gardner, Fitzgerald Toussaint, and a deep threat receiver Jeremy Gallon. This team is solid, and they are my pick to win the B1G Ten. GO BLUE!

9.  Clemson Tigers: tajhboydauburnvclemsong6k95yefiedl

The Tigers are a fast dangerous offense. It is big that Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins are returning. This is a good team with a lot of talent coming back. Look for Clemson to have a big year.

Miami_Georgia_Tech_Football__pmpfeifer@naplesnews.com_3_t60710.  Miami Hurricanes: 

Miami is now relieved of their punishments and it’s their time to shine. They have a cool and collect quarterback in Stephen Morris and they have a lethal running back in Duke Johnson. They went 7-5 last year, but they are looking to improve that. With the gunslinging mentality of Morris, and the explosiveness of Johnson, they are destined to have a great season.  It looks like this year its all about the U.

11.  Northwestern Wildcats: Venric Mark

The Wildcats finally ended their Bowl Game win drought last year. Pat Fitzgerald has truly turned this mess of a program around. Having duel threat quarterback Kain Colter and explosive returner/running back Venric Mark coming back for this year is great. This program is on the rise and they are the biggest thing to come in Evanston.

Match Up of the Day

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Finally the madness is at its apex, the FInal Four is here! Now the TV ratings boost up. Almost everybody is going to tune in. Both of the games today are going to be fantastic but today the Match Up of the Day  is the Michigan Wolverines vs the Syracuse Orange. This game is on CBS at 8:49 ET. This game is going to be a fast pace up and down affair.  I picked this game because it is the team with the best defense in the Tournament , Syracuse, vs the best offensive team in the Tournament, Michigan.

Michigan’s keys:   If Michigan wants to head to the National Championship the key is the play of the Wolverines wings, Tim Hardaway Jr and Nik Stauskas. We all know Syracuse is going to attack them with their deadly 2-3 zone defense. Trey Burke can exploit it but then he needs to kick it out to one of the wings for a three point shot. In nik-stauskas-Canadatheir last game against Florida Stauskas went six for six from three point range. If Stauskas and Hardaway knock down the threes, the Orange might be in some huge trouble. Also another key for Michigan is Mitch McGary. He had been huge for the Wolverines this March and it doesn’t seem like he is going to stop any time soon. He has to play big to take some of the load of of Burke. If this all happens Michigan might just play one more  game in Atlanta.

images copy 7Syracuse’s Keys:  Throughout this Tournament the Orange’s stifling defense has been giving the opposing coaches  a lot more grey hair. The key for Syracuse is Michael Carter Williams. He has been crucial for the Orange this March, and he has not disappointed anyone yet. He is only a sophomore but has played like a five year senior. Every game he has showed up and was a prime performer. If the Orange want to survive Carter Williams has to play great.

Prediction: This game is going to be amazing, it’s the best of the best in College images-1 copy 3hoops facing off against each other. I think that Michigan is going to shoot lights out  from the field and that’s why I have the Michigan Wolverines advancing to the National Championship.

Match Up of the Day

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The Sweet Sixteen is finally here and now the Tournament really gets interesting. The contenders get separated from the pretenders and champions are born. Thursday’s Match Up of the Day is the Arizona Wildcats vs the Ohio State Buckeyes. This game is on TBS at 7:41 ET. I chose this game because both of these teams have been near the top of the rankings all year and they are complete powerhouses. I choose this game because both teams are practically a mirror image of each other.  This going to be a hard fought game of two very similar teams. One of the reasons I think they’re so similar is because Sean Miller, “the coach of Arizona” was Thad Matta’s, “ the coach of Ohio State” assistant when Matta coached at Xavier.

Ohio State’s Keys:  The key for Ohio State is Aaron Craft. We all know he is OSU-tournament-Deshaun-Thomasone of the premier on ball defenders in the league but he also needs to score some buckets. Deshaun Thomas is going to score to rack up the points every night, but they need someone to help carry the load for him. Aaron Craft is the most talented player on their team who can do that. Also Deshaun Thomas, who is not known as a defensive star has to contain Solomon Hill, who is Arizona’s 6-foot-7 forward with long lengthy arms. Thomas is primarily known as a scorer. I don’t think he is going to do a good job guarding Hill. Look for Solomon Hill to have a big game. If the Buckeyes want to have a win, Craft and Thomas have to swap roles.

Arizona’s Keys:   The key for the Wildcats is transfer point guard from Xavier JeffGoodmanLyons.jpgMark Lyons. This game is truly the match up of the point guards, Ohio State’s Craft vs Arizona’s Lyons. Lyons has to score against Craft which is almost impossible, ask the best player in the Country Trey Burke, even he had a tough time against Craft’s stellar defense. Also Solomon Hill has to stop Deshaun Thomas from scoring the ball. Hill is a pretty good defender but even the best defenders struggle stopping Thomas. If the Wildcats want to come out on top they need Lyons to have a big game and Hill to lock down Thomas.

Prediction:  This game is going to be an up and down low scoring affair. At the end of the day it comes down to defense, and I think Craft gets it done for the Bucks. Defense wins championships and Ohio State has one of the best defenders. I have the Buckeyes escaping the Wildcats and moving on to the Elite Eight where they will cruise.

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Sweet Sixteen Breakdown

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The first weekend of March Madness was great but I have a feeling that the Sweet Sixteen is going to be so much sweeter. The round of 64 and 32 is over and the contenders have been separated from the pretenders. There are sixteen great teams left and when the weekend comes they will be narrowed down to eight. I am going to give my predictions for some of the marquee games this weekend.

arizona_wildcats_vs_ohio_state_crop_exactMidwest:   The first game in the Midwest bracket is Oregon vs Louisville. Both teams got to the Sweet Sixteen by blowing out  each two of their opponents. You might think Louisville a number one seed facing up against Oregon a number twelve seed, Louisville has a cake walk, but this Oregon team is no regular twelve seed. They won the Pac-12 tournament and led the regular season title for most of the year. The committee made a big mistake making these guys a twelve seed they should have been a six seed. It was just unfair to Oklahoma State and Saint Louis because they earned a high seed and earned to play a bad team but instead they played a team that should have been another high seed. This is going to be a hard fought game but I think Louisville’s defense is going to take advantage against Oregon’s inexperienced guards. I think Louisville is going to squeak by the FIghting Ducks.

Unknown copy 3

The other game in the Midwest bracket is Michigan State vs Duke. This, I think is going to be one of the best games in the Tournament so far. Both of these teams are power houses that are coached by legends. Both of these teams are used to winning so it wouldn’t be surprising if either one of them advances to the Elite Eight. I think the Spartans will easily be able to work the ball inside with Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix, but the x-factor for ole Sparty and Izzo is the play of point guard Keith Appling. He has been inconsistent through out the year and when he struggles it appears that MSU also struggles and they end up in the loosing column. This is why I think Duke is going to come out with the victory. In Tournament play Izzo and his Spartans are 1-7 against Coach K and Duke in the Tournament. Duke advances.

ScreenShot2013-03-23at8.21.01PM_originalWest:  The West bracket has been a complete mess this year. There have been upsets after upsets. And the first Sweet Sixteen game in the West has surprised everyone. The ninth seed Wichita State Shockers take on the thirteenth seed La Salle Crusaders. The Shockers and Crusaders have shocked everybody. Both of these teams have shocked the world, lived up to their names and reeked havoc on peoples brackets. I think that La Salle is going to win this game and advance. Who knows maybe they could do what VCU did two years ago and go to the First Four to the Final Four. Wouldn’t that be incredible but first they have to get past the Shockers and the winner of the Arizona, Ohio State game.

That brings us to our next match up in the West region, Arizona vs Ohio State. arizona_wildcats_vs_ohio_state_crop_exactThis game is like having both teams look in a mirror. They are such similar teams it is scary. Both of these teams are very talented and have the potential to win it all. This game is also a match up of the point guards, Mark Lyons vs Aaron Craft. This game is going to be neck and neck the whole time but I think Aaron Craft’s defense is too much for the Wildcats to handle. I have the Buckeyes moving on.

South:  In the South region the two games are very intriguing. The first game is Kansas vs Michigan. This game is like a heavy weight championship. It is two power houses who know how to fight. This game is going to be back and fourth, back and fourth.  After this game both teams are going to be battle tested. images copy 4Michigan’s bigs are going to have a hard time with Jeff Withey. He is just too good for Mitch McGary. Also Kansas’ guards have a gargantuan task ahead of them, they have to contain Trey Burke. I think this game is going to be a nail biter and both teams are championship contenders. My prediction is that Trey Burke is going to deliver the knock out punch and nail a step back three for the win. I have Michigan winning in dramatic fashion to advance to the Elite Eight. Hail to the Victors over Rock Chalk, Jayhawk.

The second game in the South Region is the Florida Gators vs the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. This game is a power house against the Cinderella team.  Both of these teams are well coached and they have great chemistry together. In this images-1 copy 2game all of the pressure is going to be on the Gators. They do not want to loose to a CInderella team. I think they are going to be nervous and tense and that might be trouble. On the other hand Florida Gulf Coast plays relaxed and just has fun out on the court. They are enjoying the moment and taking it all in. This is whyI am taking the upset and having the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles advance to the Elite Eight.

East:  The first match up in the East bracket is Indiana vs Syracuse. Both of images-2 copythese teams are very talented, but most importantly both of these teams are hot right now. I think that this game is going to be close until the last couple minutes. I believe Indiana is going to pull away from Syracuse. The Orange are a very good team but the Hoosiers are too powerful for them to handle.

Unknown-1 copy 2The Second game in the East region is Miami vs Marquette. I think this game is going to be the most lop sided game in the Sweet Sixteen. Miami is way too talented and experienced for this Golden Eagles team to keep up with. Marquette is lucky to even be in this round, they should have been bounced in the round of 64 by Davidson. They are going to get destroyed by the Hurricanes. I have Miami moving on and in my bracket I have the Hurricanes winning it all. Stay tuned, I’ll have the Match Up of the Day on Thursday.