The BCS has been announced today, with Oklahoma jumping over Texas to win the tiebreaker. Oklahoma will face Missouri next week for the Big 12 Championship. Sorry Texas, guess you will have to wait for next year. Even though Texas defeated Oklahoma this year 45-35, Texas will be sitting at home and watching the Big 12 Championship game.
While USC was in control of the Notre Dame game, word got out that the Oregon State Beavers had lost to Oregon. The loss meant that USC now needs to win next week against UCLA to clinch a spot in the Rose Bowl. Oregon State was thumped by Oregon 65- 38. Oregon running back Jeremiah Johnson carried 15 times for 219 yards and a touchdown. LeGarrette Blount added 112 yards and a score for the Ducks. The Beavers now must hope that UCLA upsets USC next Saturday, which would give the Beavers the Pac-10 title.
The Florida Gators overpowered the Seminoles in every category. Heisman hopeful, Tim Tebow, threw for 185 yards with 3 TD's and ran for 80 yards, adding another touchdown on the ground. The Gators had a total of 317 rushing yards, led by Chris Rainey with his 97 yards and Jeffery Demps' 89 yards with 1 TD. Tight End Aaron Hernandez hauled in 2 touchdowns with 61 receiving yards. Percy Harvin scored the first touchdown on a 9 yard rush, but he was injured during the game and never returned. Florida is hoping to have him for the SEC battle against Alabama, but they are unsure of Harvin's status. Florida picked off the Seminoles' QB's 3 times, and the wide receivers for the Seminoles had 6 dropped passes. Florida continued their dominance, winning 8 games in a row since the Ole Miss loss. Next week is the 1-2 showdown against Alabama for the SEC title and a spot in the National Championship. Florida State does not win the ACC Atlantic Conference after Boston College defeated Maryland 28-21.
First, we will start with the Detroit Lions.
- Record: 0 - 12
- Their last loss on Thanksgiving was the largest margin of defeat ever on Thanksgiving and they allowed the most points in Thanksgiving history.
- The Quarterback situation: Daunte Culpepper was retired at the beginning of the season, now he's the starter. On the bench is Kitna and Henson, while Drew Stanton is nursing a concussion. The QB's combine for 15 picks while only throwing 14 TD's. 10 other NFL quarterbacks have thrown for more yards individually then all of the Lion's QB's.
- How bad is their running game? 5 halfbacks have rushed for more yards individually then the whole Lions team combined.
- The Talent That You Feel Bad For: Calvin Johnson, WR. The man is a great WR, but is stuck on one of the worst team's in NFL history.
Now, for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
- Record: 1 - 16
- Allow 102.9 points per game, while scoring 90.4 points per game.
- Only have 1 player averaging more then 15 points. Their are 56 NBA players who are averaging more then 15 points per game this year.
- The team is 16th in foul shot percentage, 30th in FG percentage and -12.4 points differencial.
- The Talent That You Feel Bad For: Kevin Durant, SG. He has the potential to be a star player for years to come, and could start for any other team in the league.
So who wins the label of being the worst team? The Detroit Lions because they are a disgrace to the NFL. My high school team might be able to beat them, and any of the Top 25 teams in college football would beat them easily. They have stuck close to the Vikings, but other then that game they have been blown out and mangled. The Lions franchise should be abolished from the NFL.
Roddy Jones rushed for for 214 yards and reached the endzone twice. Jonathon Dwyer also ran for 144 and scored 2 TD's. The total yards on the ground for the Yellow Jackets was 409 yards, averaging 7.3 yards a pop. Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt completed only 1 pass on the day for 19 yards. The 13th ranked Bulldogs held the lead at half, but could not stop the Jackets offense in the 2nd half. The Yellow Jackets outrushed Georgia 201-1 in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 26-0 to take a 10-point lead. It's the most rushing yards allowed in a game by Georgia since Vanderbilt rushed for 415 in 1994. The win for Paul Johnson made him the first Georgia Tech coach to win his first matchup vs. Georgia. Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno rushed for 94 yards and 1 TD, while Matthew Stafford tied a school record with five touchdown passes, three of them to Mohamad Mossaquoi. Despite winning today, Georgia Tech does not get a spot in the ACC championship game, as Virgina Tech won today and holds the tiebreaker over GT.
The big game today will be Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State. Oklahoma is competing for the Big 12 South and looking for a spot in a BCS bowl game. A win by the Sooners today can put them ahead of Texas in the rankings and atop the Big 12 standings.
Flip's Pick: Oklahoma 42 - Oklahoma St 27
Florida takes on the Florida State Seminoles in a big game for the Gators. The Gators have been destroying their recent opponents and are looking to continue the trend against the Seminoles. Florida must stay focused on this game, and not look forward to the SEC championship matchup against Alabama.
Flip's Pick: Florida 48 - Florida St 17
A Rose Bowl spot is in Oregon State's vision with a win over Oregon. The Beavers won 8 in a row after starting 0-2 and can end their Rose Bowl draught. Oregon is rolling as of now, looking to end the Beaver's hopes.
Flip's Pick: Oregon 36 - Oregon St 23
Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions
This will be a one sided game, in favor of the Titans. The Lions still have not won a game yet, and the Titans just have too much firepower. Titans 34 - Lions 10
Dallas Cowboys vs Seattle Seahawks
This game will be better then the first game, but Romo is coming off a great game last week and the Cowboys are still in contention for a playoff spot. Cowboys 27 - Seahawks 14
Arizona Cardinals vs Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are headed in the wrong direction, while the Cardinals are sitting atop their division. This will be a close game, but the Cardinals will pull this one out. Cardinals 23 - Eagles 17
Missouri, the team who has already clinched a spot in the Big 12 championship game, seems to flying under the radar. The 3 teams battling for the last spot in the championship game are getting all the hype. Oklahoma is everyone's favorite to win with the blowout of Texas Tech, but Texas beat the Sooners 45-35. Let's breakdown the Big 12 South.
T.O kept talking this week of how he wants the ball. Well, I guess complaining sometimes can get you what you want. Owens had 213 receiving yards and 1 TD. The touchdown pass was 75 yards, the longest TD pass of Romo's career. Romo had 343 yards throwing and 3 TD passes. The 49ers star halfback, Frank Gore, was held to only 26 yards on the ground. Isaac Bruce had a great day for the Niners, hauling in 1 TD with 125 yards. The Cowboys are battling for their playoff lives in the tough NFC East. The Giants and Redskins are showing that they are for real and the only team that has basically no shot in the east are the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys go up against the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving, and the 49ers go against the Buffalo Bills.
Donovan McNabb may have trouble sleeping tonight. An awful game for him, throwing for only 59 yards with 2 interceptions and 1 fumble. McNabb was benched at halftime for Kevin Kolb , who only threw for 73 yards and he also threw 2 picks. Westbrook was shut down today, rushing for 39 yards while playing with multiple injuries. The only TD for the Eagles was a 100 yard kick return fro rookie Quentin Demps. For the Ravens, it was the old time defense today. Ed Reed had 2 interceptions, including an NFL record 108 yard TD. The defensive line applied pressure all day and Ray Lewis played a great game. The rookie sensation Bazooka Joe, Joe Cool, Wacko Flacco, whatever you may call him had a phenomenal day. Throwing for 183 yards with 2 TD's against a solid defense. The Ravens face the Cincinatti Bengals next week, while the Eagles play on Thanksgiving against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Titans could not complete the perfect season they had hoped for, as Brett Favre and the Jets shattered their perfect season hopes. Favre had a terrific game, throwing for 224 yards and 2 TD passes. Leon Washington added 2 TD's on the ground, including a 61 yard yard TD run. Titans rookie phenom Chris Johnson was held in check, only rushing for 46 yards. Brett Favre's victory at Tennessee was his 32nd different stadium he has won at, most by any quarterback. The Titans' 13 regular season winning streak was ended, and the Jets have doubled their wins from the 2007 season. The Titans' next game is on Thanksgiving Thursday against the winless Detroit Lions, and the Jets go against the Denver Broncos.
Texas Tech walked into Norman a 12-0 team that was flying high. They left with their heads down and possibly dropping themselves out of contention for the BCS National Championship. Tech received the ball first but was forced to punt. Once Oklahoma got the ball, it was all downhill for the Red Raiders. DeMarco Murray started the scoring off with a 1 yard TD rush, and he ended up with 2 TD's in the game and had 196 total yards. Chris Brown, the other runningback on the team, reached the endzone 3 times, and had 108 yards on the ground. Heisman hopeful Sam Bradford threw for 304 yards and 4 TD's. Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell threw for 361 yards and had 3 touchdowns, but also threw an interception that gave Oklahoma even more momentum. Tech's star receiver Michael Crabtree did not reach the endzone for the first time in his last 13 games, ending his streak. Now Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas are in 3 way tie in the Big 12 South. Whoever comes out of the Big 12 North, will face the South champion, Missouri.
When Chris "Beany" Wells broke a 59 yard rushing touchdown, the game was all over. Michigan held strong in the 1st quarter on defense, but the offense just couldn't get going. At halftime, Ohio State only had a 7 point lead, but the second half was all Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor had 2 passing TD's, and Senior quarterback Todd Boeckman went 3 for 3 and threw a TD pass. Pryor became the first freshman quarterback for Ohio State to defeat Michigan. Chris Wells rushed for 134 yards, while Daniel Herron also chipped in 80 yards. Wells' 59 yard scamper was his third career TD run of 50+ yards. The loss by Michigan made it 5 consecutive losses to the Buckeyes and today's defeat by 35 points is the third largest margin of defeat to Ohio State. The total yards for Michigan was 198, compared to Ohio State's 416 total yards. Michigan finishes the season 3-9, and Ohio State finishes
Penn State controlled their own destiny today, all they had to was beat Michigan State. They did the job today in Happy Valley, beating Michigan State 49-18 to capture the Big Ten Championship. Daryl Clark played a great game today, leading them over the Spartans. The Nittany Lions are still unsure of who they will be facing in the Rose Bowl. Oregon State controls their destiny, holding the tiebreaker over USC. The Trojans will be cheering for Arizona to upset Oregon State tonight, if they want a shot at Penn State in the Rose Bowl. I think Oregon State will lose tonight against the Wildcats, and USC will meet up against Penn State, in a battle of two great coaches, Joe Paterno and Pete Carroll.
Javon Ringer, Michigan State
Michigan State goes up against 8th ranked Penn State today at 3:30. Both teams are playing for the Rose Bowl, but all PSU has to do is win. Michigan State needs to beat PSU and then hope state rival Michigan upsets Ohio State. The key to Michigan State beating Penn State, is sensational halfback Javon Ringer. Ringer must have success on the ground to develop the passing attack. Penn State's defense has been great this year, besides the heartbreaking loss to unranked Iowa. Ringer has to be able to penetrate their defense, in order for Michigan State to have a shot today.
My Prediction
126 rushing yards, 2 TD's
The young man, standing at 7 foot 1, plays the big man role for the LA Lakers. The future looks bright for him. After suffering a serious injury to his kneecap in his first season, he is beginning to show his true talent. He's averaging 10.8 PPG with 8.9 rebounds per game this year. In his 3rd year, he still is only 21 years of age. He was the youngest player to ever play an NBA game, coming straight out of St. Joseph's HS. This season, on November 18 against the Bulls, Bynum has his season high in points, scoring 18 and grabbing 9 boards. November 5 against the Clippers, Bynum pulled in 17 boards. We are seeing signs of improvement from him each and every game.
I see Bynum as becoming a great down low player and a rebounding threat. His size and athleticism are his key to success. He has a long reach which leads to him easily grabbing the boards. He is improving after every game, and in the near future, you will see him as a top notch big man in the NBA.
In my opinon, if you are getting paid millions of dollars, you should be able to express yourself and have a good time. It's not like T.O meant to hurt anyone with his celebration, in fact, he thought long and hard in advance of executing the celebrations. Clinton Portis had one of the most touching celebrations when he lifted up his jersey and showed a shirt honoring the loss of teammate Sean Taylor. These players take pride in succeeding in the NFL, so let them have some fun and take a quick break from the rules of the NFL.
College basketball fans should keep an eye on the Davidson standout, Stephen Curry. Most fans remember last March Madness, the coming out party for Stephen Curry. Last season he averaged 25.9 points per game. The Davidson Wildcats enter the season ranked 21, and have an early matchup this season against the 14th ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Curry chose to stay for his senior year, saying he wants to improve his point guard play and develop an NBA shot. Davidson is a Mid-Major, so they are not talked about as much as the typical big conference schools. The Curry family is filled with athleticism. His Dad is Dell Curry, a former NBA player and current Charlotte Bobcats assistant coach. His mom is Sonya Curry, who was a standout volleyball player at Virginia Tech and his brother, Seth Curry, plays for the Liberty University basketball program. Stephen Curry has a bright future and hopefully he will get a shot to prove himself in the NBA.
The 2008 draft was the beginning of a great crop of talent, especially at the running back position. The list begins with the speedy East Carolina grad, Chris Johnson. After Week 11, he has rushed for 787 yards and found the endzone 6 times. Johnson has racked up all these yards even though he is splitting time with the power back, Lendale White. In the Windy City, the 6'2", 216 pound Matt Forte is bringing back memories of Walter Payton. The elusiviness shown by Forte has baffled opposing defenses. Forte has ran for 777 yards with 7 total TD's. Down South, West Virginia star Steve Slaton has quickly proved he belongs here. Slaton is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, resulting in 701 yards and 7 TD's for the Houston Texans. Detroit Lions halfback, Kevin Smith, and Carolina's young talent, Jonathan Stewart, have each rushed for 513 yards. Smith has 5 TD's and Stewart has 6. The biggest surprise of this draft, was the emergence of Tim Hightower, a Richmond graduate. Hightower has fit in nicely with the NFC West leaders, Arizona Cardinals. He has 472 total yards and found the endzone 7 times on the ground, leading all rookie runningbacks. Another surprise is Mississippi grad, BenJarvus Green-Ellis ( yes, that is how you spell his name). Green-Ellis has filled in for the injury plagued Patriots, who lost Laurence Maroney earlier this year. He has started only 3 games, but has 252 rushing yards, 4 TD's in only 69 attempts. The first running back selected in the 2008 Draft, Darren McFadden, has not put up quality numbers, as he has only found the endzone 1 time on the ground. Other young backs from the 2008 Draft include Jamaal Charles, Rashard Mendenhall, Ray Rice and Felix Jones. These guys have all played key roles for their teams. This draft class could quite possibly go down as one of the best groups of running backs entering the NFL in the same year.
The BCS, estabilished in 1998, has had a negative effect on the college football game. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) relies on a combination of polls and computer selection methods to determine relative team rankings, and to narrow the field to two teams to play in the BCS Bowl game. What I want to know, is how a computer operated poll can determine how a team ranks. Let's look at this football season. There are 3 Non-BCS conference teams ranked in the Top 15. Utah, ranked 7th, is the highest of the Non-BCS teams. How can you say that Utah is a better team then big conference teams such as Penn State, Ohio State and Georgia. I want to see Utah put in the SEC, Big Ten or Big 12. They would have atleast 3 losses. If Utah wins out, they will guarantee themselves a spot in a BCS game. Last year, Hawaii earned the Non-BCS bowl birth, and faced Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Well what do you know, Hawaii looked like a Pop Warner team against Georgia, they couldn't even compete with them. Take my word, the same thing will happen to Utah this year.
1) The Giants' ground game is unstoppable - The Ravens have one of the most elite defenses in the league, especially against the run. They have not allowed one individual to rush for over 100 yards in the last 29 games. However, The New York Giants came into the game and rushed for a team total of 207 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Jacobs embarrassed the Ravens the way he was bulldozing over what seemed like the entire Ravens team.2) The Eagles team, coaches, and management are idiots - McNabb stated " I didn't think there were ties in the NFL". Are you kidding me? He is the leader of this team and should have been aware of the situation. It was a disgrace.
4) The Lions really are that bad - 0-10. That pretty much speaks for its self. The Panthers ran all over them with a combined team rushing total of 264, a team record. However, there is hope for the Lions. The hope that their young talent like WR Calvin Johnson, rookie RB Kevin Smith, and LB Ernie Sims will someday rejuvenate this team.
5) On the flip side, the Titans really are that good - They are the whole package. They have a defense that terrifies opposing offenses, a running game led by Chris Johnson and Lendale White that can devastate any defense in the league and a passing game that can take over if the run fails. What more could you ask for?
Broncos Win Late: The Broncos pulled ahead of the Falcons with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Jay Cutler found Daniel Graham in the endzone to complete the comeback, 24-20.
Marion the Barbarian and the 'Boys: Barber had 114 yards with 66 yards coming in the 4th quarter during a 10 minute drive that ended the Redskins hope, ending 14-10.
The 5 steps to Breakdown A.P
- Cut down the running lanes. Make sure you prevent running lanes, if you fail this, you will be watching Peterson run up and down all day.
- Get physical in the trenches. What better way to get in A.P's head then having a 300 pound lineman break through the line and have a clean shot on him.
- Avoid arm tackles. Trying to tackle Adrian with an arm is just not going to happen. He runs with a full head of steam and you must get your body in front of him.
- Get in his head. Adrian Peterson is young. Talking smack to him could get his head out of the game. If your gonna talk smack, you better be able to back it up.
- Secondary must be able to tackle. When Peterson breaks through the line and passed the linebackers, your cornerback or safety better be willing to throw their body at him. Corners who are able to tackle Peterson can easily prevent the long runs, which A.P loves.
The Boston Celtics have not lost focus after winning the NBA championship last season. The trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett continue dominating opposing teams. The Celtics are 9-2 as of November 16, and are the top dog in the Eastern Conference. Paul Pierce leads the team with 21 points per game while Kevin Garnett is the top rebounder on the team, pulling in 9.8 boards a game. The "other" starters on the team, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are putting up good numbers along with the big trio. Rondo leads in assists with 6.6 per game and Perkins leads the team in blocks, averging 2.1 blocks. The Celtics are looking to win back-to-back championships for the first time since the Los Angelas Lakers won 3 consecutive chapionships from 1999-2002.