CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY & OTHER THOUGHTS
Four conferences will crown their champions with their respective title games while the Big East will decide who gets the conference's automatic BCS bowl bid with a big pillow fight. The Big East finally has a top-25 ranked team, West Virginia at #24 in one lousy poll, the conference's 1st in six weeks. In Big East fluffball results today, Pitt beat favored Cincinnati in a snowstorm 28-10. West Virginia pummeled Rutgers 35-14. The win by WVU will force UConn to beat South Florida tonight to capture the elusive Big East crown. I think four different teams have led this conference at one point or another this season. The whole thing is a joke, 3 or 4-win teams getting automatic BCS bowl bids while 10 & 11-win teams have zero shot. To emphasize just how bad the Big East is right now, if there was an 8-team playoff system, the conference wouldn't have a representative. Same goes if there were a 16-team playoff. Fortunately for them this conference is handed an automatic bid, they earn zip on their own.
Auburn is rolling South Carolina right now 21-7 & Oregon is leading a very pesky Oregon State 16-7 in the 3rd quarter. The Ducks aren't playing very well on offense, two turnovers & a missed field goal, but I think they will prevail & move onto the BCS title game.
Virginia Tech & Florida State face off in the ACC Championship game. In a down year for this conference, Tech is the class of the league. Yes, they lost to Boise State & Division 1AA James Madison to start the season, but rebounded with 10-consecutive wins. State lost to both UNC & NC State late in the season plus their outstanding QB, Christian Ponder, has a very fragile elbow. This game, as I see it, is the Tech running game with QB Tyrod Taylor & running backs Darren Evans, David Wilson & Ryan Williams vs. the Seminole's front-7 on defense. All four Hokie backs are homerun hitters, they can score from anywhere on the field, they always have a rested back with fresh legs in the game. Florida State leads the nation in sacks with 42, they can really get after the passer. Their DE's are the finest pair in college football. If Ponder can stay in the game & be effective, this could be a very entertaining game. One glaring trend here, the Seminoles are 12-1 versus Frank Beamer Tech teams. But I say Tech takes the ACC crown 27-23.
Of course the game I'm most interested in is the Big-12 Championship game tonight. The matchup of classic, longtime rivals looks to be best game of the day. Seventy-seven conference title between them, 11 national titles, these two were the Big-8 for years. The arrival of Texas coincided with a downturn in Nebraska fortunes, but with the current revival under coach Bo Pelini, the final conference game between these two will be an old fashioned grudge match. Both Pelini's, Bo & Carl, went to the same high school as Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, Cardinal Mooney, in Youngstown Ohio. Nebraska does what it's done for decades, run the ball & play smothering defense. OU has dominated on the ground at times but can also light up the airways throwing the ball. The Sooners make a lot of big plays but can they make them tonight against a highly motivated Cornhusker squad? Especially against the best cornerback tandum in college football. I think they will make just enough to win, the Nebraska QB situation is very unsettled with starter Taylor Martinez questionable with turf toe & ankle issues. The other Husker QB's are run-first types who've shown little success throwing the ball. Injured Sooner RB Demarco Murray is also questionable but they are 3-deep at the position. Sooners say goodbye to Nebraska 20-13.
Kansas State has agreed to face Syracuse in the first-ever Pinstripe Bowl, played in Yankee Stadium. The game, played on December 30th, was welcomed by the K-State alums, yes it will be cold, but it will be a rematch of the 2001 Insight bowl, won by 'Cuse in a big upset.
The Jets suffered a big loss as safety Jim Leonhard broke his tibia in Thursday's practice & was placed on I.R. The defensive captain & playcaller underwent surgery this morning. In other Jet news, former Mizzou QB Brad Smith, is likely to be playing elsewhere next season. He's considered the 4th WR, he also plays the QB in the Wildcat offense. Smith leads the NFL in kickoff return average with 29.3 yards per return. But it's a matter of numbers. Fellow wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery is under a new contract while Braylon Edwards & Santonio Holmes, like Smith, are in their contract years. With the production they've provided the Jets, I can see both of them returning. If so, Smith's days as a Jet could be numbered.
Bernard Pollard was tagged with a $40,000 fine for what was an uncalled for personal foul in last Sunday's shutout over the Titans. NFL charities are making a record haul this year, the average over the past month has been $87,400 per week in league levied fines. There was a week with over $140,000 earlier in the season. Steeler linebacker James Harrison has already been fined $125,000 this season.
While San Francisco has two rookies playing on their offensive line, the pair has had very differing results. Guard Mike Iupati has been sensational but right tackle Anthony Davis has been very disappointing. Davis has surrendered 13 sacks. He faces the league leader, Green Bay's Clay Mathews, tomorrow & I expect the worst for the Niners. The Pack could put Frisco out of their misery by about 3 PM Sunday. Mike Singletary & his team have been the biggest underachievers in the NFC this season(yes, including Dallas).
Jags leading receiver, Mike Sims-Walker, will not play Sunday at Tennessee because of an ankle sprain he sustained in practice. Wish I had known that before I picked them to beat the Titans in the Office Pool Picks.
The Sunday night game, Pittsburgh versus Baltimore, figures to be a nail-biter. The last 7 times these two have faced each other the margin has been 9, 6, 4, 3, 3, 3 & 3. I expect a low scoring game with Baltimore squeaking out a very close win.
Phillip Rivers is 19-0 in regular season games played in December & January. Kansas City will visit next Sunday in hopes of reversing that trend, at least for one game.
The Chiefs are 5-0 at home with victory margins of 21, 22 & 18 in three of them. Denver comes into the game riddled with injuries to their secondary, a pitiful run game, no pass rush & a head coach very much on the hot seat. SI.com reported Todd Haley said "There's a lot of bad sh*t going around about you" when refusing to shake Josh McDaniels' hand after the Broncos 49-29 blowout win in Denver just 3 weeks ago. I've seen a number of NFL insiders saying regardless of the score, Todd Haley will play this game tomorrow as if the Chiefs are behind. In other words they won't let up, no matter the score. Chiefs fans will delight in a nice beatdown of Denver. I know my wife will, she hates Denver more than the Raiders, Yankees & Jayhawks, yeah, she really has a genuine dislike for everything Bronco.
Auburn is rolling South Carolina right now 21-7 & Oregon is leading a very pesky Oregon State 16-7 in the 3rd quarter. The Ducks aren't playing very well on offense, two turnovers & a missed field goal, but I think they will prevail & move onto the BCS title game.
Virginia Tech & Florida State face off in the ACC Championship game. In a down year for this conference, Tech is the class of the league. Yes, they lost to Boise State & Division 1AA James Madison to start the season, but rebounded with 10-consecutive wins. State lost to both UNC & NC State late in the season plus their outstanding QB, Christian Ponder, has a very fragile elbow. This game, as I see it, is the Tech running game with QB Tyrod Taylor & running backs Darren Evans, David Wilson & Ryan Williams vs. the Seminole's front-7 on defense. All four Hokie backs are homerun hitters, they can score from anywhere on the field, they always have a rested back with fresh legs in the game. Florida State leads the nation in sacks with 42, they can really get after the passer. Their DE's are the finest pair in college football. If Ponder can stay in the game & be effective, this could be a very entertaining game. One glaring trend here, the Seminoles are 12-1 versus Frank Beamer Tech teams. But I say Tech takes the ACC crown 27-23.
Of course the game I'm most interested in is the Big-12 Championship game tonight. The matchup of classic, longtime rivals looks to be best game of the day. Seventy-seven conference title between them, 11 national titles, these two were the Big-8 for years. The arrival of Texas coincided with a downturn in Nebraska fortunes, but with the current revival under coach Bo Pelini, the final conference game between these two will be an old fashioned grudge match. Both Pelini's, Bo & Carl, went to the same high school as Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, Cardinal Mooney, in Youngstown Ohio. Nebraska does what it's done for decades, run the ball & play smothering defense. OU has dominated on the ground at times but can also light up the airways throwing the ball. The Sooners make a lot of big plays but can they make them tonight against a highly motivated Cornhusker squad? Especially against the best cornerback tandum in college football. I think they will make just enough to win, the Nebraska QB situation is very unsettled with starter Taylor Martinez questionable with turf toe & ankle issues. The other Husker QB's are run-first types who've shown little success throwing the ball. Injured Sooner RB Demarco Murray is also questionable but they are 3-deep at the position. Sooners say goodbye to Nebraska 20-13.
Kansas State has agreed to face Syracuse in the first-ever Pinstripe Bowl, played in Yankee Stadium. The game, played on December 30th, was welcomed by the K-State alums, yes it will be cold, but it will be a rematch of the 2001 Insight bowl, won by 'Cuse in a big upset.
The Jets suffered a big loss as safety Jim Leonhard broke his tibia in Thursday's practice & was placed on I.R. The defensive captain & playcaller underwent surgery this morning. In other Jet news, former Mizzou QB Brad Smith, is likely to be playing elsewhere next season. He's considered the 4th WR, he also plays the QB in the Wildcat offense. Smith leads the NFL in kickoff return average with 29.3 yards per return. But it's a matter of numbers. Fellow wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery is under a new contract while Braylon Edwards & Santonio Holmes, like Smith, are in their contract years. With the production they've provided the Jets, I can see both of them returning. If so, Smith's days as a Jet could be numbered.
Bernard Pollard was tagged with a $40,000 fine for what was an uncalled for personal foul in last Sunday's shutout over the Titans. NFL charities are making a record haul this year, the average over the past month has been $87,400 per week in league levied fines. There was a week with over $140,000 earlier in the season. Steeler linebacker James Harrison has already been fined $125,000 this season.
While San Francisco has two rookies playing on their offensive line, the pair has had very differing results. Guard Mike Iupati has been sensational but right tackle Anthony Davis has been very disappointing. Davis has surrendered 13 sacks. He faces the league leader, Green Bay's Clay Mathews, tomorrow & I expect the worst for the Niners. The Pack could put Frisco out of their misery by about 3 PM Sunday. Mike Singletary & his team have been the biggest underachievers in the NFC this season(yes, including Dallas).
Jags leading receiver, Mike Sims-Walker, will not play Sunday at Tennessee because of an ankle sprain he sustained in practice. Wish I had known that before I picked them to beat the Titans in the Office Pool Picks.
The Sunday night game, Pittsburgh versus Baltimore, figures to be a nail-biter. The last 7 times these two have faced each other the margin has been 9, 6, 4, 3, 3, 3 & 3. I expect a low scoring game with Baltimore squeaking out a very close win.
Phillip Rivers is 19-0 in regular season games played in December & January. Kansas City will visit next Sunday in hopes of reversing that trend, at least for one game.
The Chiefs are 5-0 at home with victory margins of 21, 22 & 18 in three of them. Denver comes into the game riddled with injuries to their secondary, a pitiful run game, no pass rush & a head coach very much on the hot seat. SI.com reported Todd Haley said "There's a lot of bad sh*t going around about you" when refusing to shake Josh McDaniels' hand after the Broncos 49-29 blowout win in Denver just 3 weeks ago. I've seen a number of NFL insiders saying regardless of the score, Todd Haley will play this game tomorrow as if the Chiefs are behind. In other words they won't let up, no matter the score. Chiefs fans will delight in a nice beatdown of Denver. I know my wife will, she hates Denver more than the Raiders, Yankees & Jayhawks, yeah, she really has a genuine dislike for everything Bronco.
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