Football in General

So today was a big day in Football in general. Not only just NFL but also in the Heisman watch. This football year in the NCAA has been full of upset from Michigan VS Appalachian State to the close game between Indiana VS Purdue. As Irish talked about in his recent post with the Heisman watch he hated the Gators and he didn't really say but hinted to him not wanting Tim Tebow to win. The NFL this year has been full of big games with the biggest being New England Patriot's overtaking the Indianapolis Colts.
With Tim Tebow winning the Heisman, the talk of the Heisman trophy is over. I feel he should have won the trophy because of stats you can read in Irish's post. I do feel that Ohio States running back Chris "Beanie" Wells should have been a candidate. I feel with his presence on the field along with the way he can contribute to the game changes the way a game goes in general. Like Tim Tebow he was a threat in more than just on the ground, but also in the air. He had thrown for many yards this season, along with his running game. He could change directions on a dime along with his intelligence on the field. You can tell with the respect the players show him on the field that he has more than just authority on the field but he is also a good friend. Many people may think a good friend doesn't really count for much, but when a teammate is also a good friend he can convince a player that wants to give up in a game to give it to go the extra mile and win the game.
Secondly, I would like to talk about the NFL. Like I said before the NFL this year has been full of big games. I hate the Patriots, but I will give them credit this year for the way they have played this year. They have been doing real well and have the chance of being the second undefeated team. The only other team that have been undefeated are the 1972 Miami Dolphins. I think the Patriots do have the total package along with the Colts, but they have gotten lucky. I don't think they would have won against the Colts if the Colts did have all of there players but who knows, they didn't. The Patriots bring a good running game, a great quarterback, awesome wide outs, and an even better defense. They may just be the best team ever to be in the NFL. What I want to know is how can people compare Brady to Manning. Brady is not even half of what Manning is because not only does Manning command an excellent offense, but he stays in the game and still competes even if he doesn't have everyone that should be on the field. This shows a lot of mental strength to do instead of backing out. I don't think Brady has that mental strength that Manning has because frankly Brady has never not had anyone "great" to throw to. Manning has struggled a lot this year without Harrison, but I think when he comes back, it will be a completely different story as I have said many times before.
The Colts play this weekend the Baltimore Ravens. I made a mistake on my last blog saying that the Colts played them over last weekend, but I correct myself by saying they play them this weekend. I don't think the Colts will have a problem with the Raven's at all because the Raven's frankly don't have much of an offense. I feel their defense is pretty strong because of their commander Ray "Ray Ray" Lewis. I am pretty excited about the game because I think this is a measuring stick to the rest of their success. Hopefully they blow out the Raven's because I mean i didn't give a whole lot of credit to the Raven's, but they are decent. We will just have to see!

2008 Rose Bowl: Illinois vs USC

This is a great match between Pac 10 and Big 10, and I am very much looking forward to this game in many ways. Many people think Illinois shouldn't be in the Rose Bowl with USC, and instead it should be Georgia. I think Illinois is very deserving to be in the Rose bowl with the likes of USC. They have make the biggest turn around from the last two years because of the coaching and recruiting of Ron Zook. USC and Illinois have a very similar record, believe or not. USC have key wins over #14 Nebraska, #24 California, and #6 Arizona State and upset lost to unranked Stanford and #5 Oregon. Illinois have keys wins over #21 Penn State, #5 Wisconsin, and #1 Ohio State and upset lost to Missouri, Iowa, and #25 Michigan. Both teams have had their highs and lows. People don't give Illinois a chance against USC because they are unknown team from past years and people say Big 10 was weak this year, but i totally disagree.

#13 Illinois: This team has really come with the help of Ron Zook with a record of 9-3 and runner up in the Big conference. The big upset win over #1 Ohio State obviously got where they are now. I really believe they can beat USC at the Rose Bowl in another upset victory to cap off this season in a very exciting and close game. Illinois offers one of the best rush offenses in the country with 266.2 per game average yards and 5th ranked in NCAA. They run a spread offence with SEC like speed with key players; Juice Williams, Rashard Mendenhall, Jeremy Leman, and Arrelious Benn. They need to play a flawless such like they did against Ohio State, and create turnover on defense against a always tough USC.

#6 USC: This team as everybody knows always have talent on both sides of the ball, but injuries and other such distractions like media and lack of team work. Their lost to Stanford in one of the biggest upsets in history kept them out of the BCS Champion game. But they are back at home at the Rose Bowl and playing as good as they should. They have keys players such as; John David Booty, Fed Davis, and Keith Rivers. For them to win they need to play like that did against Arizona state, and kept Illinois defense from getting to John David Booty because would mean a bad day like the Stanford lost.

Heisman Talk

This year has been one for the ages. It has been probably the wackiest one I have ever witnessed. All the upsets and all of the crazy plays that make us all as football fans love our scholarly athletes. In the end, though, we have to choose (or at least the media does) a most valuable player in all the land. The Heisman trophy of course goes to this individual so here is a little short list I have composed (in no particular order):

1) Tim Tebow, Florida, QB - As much as I hate to say it, because I dislike the Gators very much, the guy is good. He is setting records left and right. He has passed for over 3000 yards and thrown for 29 touchdowns. Which would seem about right for a Heisman quarterback...But then add in that he has rushed for over 800 yards and scored 22 touchdowns on the ground. Those are some big numbers from a sophomore in what many say is a bit of a rebuilding year for the Gators.

2) Matt Ryan, Boston College, QB - A solid quarterback that has gone through a steady system up there in ACC land. He has had steady experience throughout his college career freshman through senior year. He has thrown for over 4000 yards this year and thrown for 28 TD's. His rushing totals aren't anywhere near Tebow's so they won't be mentioned. Still, a very solid candidate that has a good shot tomorrow in New York.

3) Darren McFadden, Arkansas, RB - The guy is a beast. The best running back in the college ranks no question. With 1700 yards on the ground to compliment his 15 touchdowns through the run he is easily Heisman capable. Add on his one touchdown through the air and then throw in (no pun intended) his four passing touchdowns and you have one hell of a candidate for this year's Heisman running (once again no pun intended, I really gotta stop). Even his coach thinks he should take it home. He got that wood baby!!!

4) Colt Brennan, Hawaii, QB - The surfer boy from Laguna Beach, California is one who has flexed his muscle all year long. His passing stats are almost laughable (in that they are so dramatic). His passing yards are well over 4000 and his touchdowns thus far this year that he has thrown amounts to an astounding 38 (he had 58 last year). So with those kind of numbers you can throw this cat into the mix as a legitimate threat of taking home the hardware.

5) Chase Daniel, Missouri, QB - The underdogs of the year finally came to life as they lost to Oklahoma on their second go around with the Sooners. But don't let that take anything away from what Mr. Daniel did all year, and that is lead a very good team to a BCS bowl and look really good doing it too. He as well threw for over four grand in passing yards with 33 TDs to go with it. He also rushed for four touchdowns. The guy is good and will definitely get a good, hard look from all that are voting.

Interesting "game"

Ok so i came across this little game while i was looking on the SI.com website. As it states in the article the game should only be played by people who are of age to drink. The game is called Brent Musburger Drinking game. The basis of the game is you are supposed to drink when he says certain things. Examples whould be like if he is shown on camera you are supposed to drink once. If he says the word "folks" you are supposed to take one drink as well. As he says more random things the more you have to consume. One of the big ones would be that if he yells "its a foot race," when someone is running towards the goal line. You have to drink the whole drink. Now this really has nothing to do with football except for the fact that watching football and drinking has been a long tradition. The only thing is that most of the time College campuses are usually dry campuses and don't allow drinking at the game. So the game is really restricked to college students in their apartments or frats drinking beer. Again like i said this was kind of a random post, but i found the story some-what intertaining. Thanks for reading it.

Purdue

So Purdue made it to a bowl game this year. They play in Michigan which sucks! They play Eastern Michigan which they played earlier this year and smoked. I don't understand how Purdue is so terrible at football. I mean really, they have good talent so it must just fall back on coaching which you may have read my blog about how Purdue needs to fire Joe Tiller. Eastern Michigan doesn't have a chance at winning this bowl game, but it is in Michigan, so it isn't even an important bowl game.

Another thing I wanted to talk about like I have before are how stupid the athletes are. I just read a couple days ago how two of Purdue's basketball players were suspended due to alcohol. Really, why would you be so stupid. You are basically given 60,000 by Purdue to come here and you piss it away. Sometimes people don't make a whole lot of sense.

Any lastly I want to talk about IU's Eric Gordon. Ya Ya, he may be the shit now and everyone from IU is running their mouth about how good he is and I understand this doesn't have anything to do with football but most football fans also watch or have knowledge about basketball. But anyways, what are the IU fans going to do when Gordan goes pro after this year and they aren't left with a superstar anymore and Purdue still has their freshman recruiting class which is pretty good? Just a question!?!?!

AFC South Shuffle

So my Colts ended up with another W this last weekend. It was a big one like I stated in my previous post. It almost assured them another AFC South championship and with that assures them yet another playoff birth. The colts played tough the whole game and Peyton is starting to get more and more comfortable with the players he has on the field. Given he had almost all of his starters back except Harrison, Harrison does play a huge part of Peyton Mannings game. These stats may be a little off but it was something like the passing rating with Harrison was in at least the hundreds and with out him his passing rating is around seventy. Thats a pretty big difference for only one player being gone. Though with Peyton starting to throw strong and well we can let Harrison rest for the Playoffs expecially because it looks as though we are a shoe in to get in.

Now the game between the Titans and the Texans was a big one. If the Texans would have won they could have been tied with the Jaguars and the Titans for second place. But since the Titans won and the Jags lost the wild card spot could go to the Titans and not the Jags. So the Titans winning last weekend was big for them and if they can win at least a couple more games and the Jaguars loss a couple more the Titans could come from outa no were and get into the playoffs. Man again here I go with another famous John Madden quote, but the bottom line is the Titans need to win as many games as they can and the Jags must do the same. I know it sounds simple but thats just it, it is. Just win.

Patriots Squeek One Out

One would argue that its hard to beat the Patriots. I'll go on a limb and agree with this. However, someone also might argue that it's hard to beat the Patriots and the refs. That's what it felt like last night for the Baltimore Ravens. Call after call seemed to go against the underdogs as the super power Patriots came away with the last minute victory 27-24.

Despite the loss, I was thoroughly impressed with the Baltimore performance. The offense was keyed by Willis McGahee. His outstanding performance led to many scores his stats ended at 138 yards rushing and a touchdown. Also, which was quite a surprise, was Kyle Boller's impressive stint at QB. He was making all the big passes early on but finally came back to normal form as he threw a pick at a momentum changing time. The defense was also impressive (I think any team that holds this Patriots offense to 17 points in 59 minutes is impressive) as they looked to be hard hitting and unafraid of the Juggernaut Patriots.

As usual Patriots QB Tom Brady was impressive throwing two touchdowns and a pick with 250plus in passing yards. The receivers were limited however and especially the running backs as leading rusher Maroney had only 44 yards rushing.

Trash talking seemed to be going crazy as even the coaches got involved in it. After being taunted by a Patriot DB, head coach of the Ravens Brian Billick blew two kisses to him. Also highlighting foul play was a Linebacker from the Ravens throwing a referee's flag into the stands. A heated game and the only result that came from it was the continue of a streak for the Pats and a continued slide from the Ravens.

Seriously?

Okay, so these past few weeks I have been extremely repetitive, at least it seems like it. These past few weeks it seems that a big development happens within the top ranks. Does this happen every year and I just notice it more this year because I write about it every week. Maybe...I digress. Anyways, back to the post at hand. So Missouri just lost at the hand of the Oklahoma Sooners. So now it gets really, really tricky. You have a couple of teams vying for the national championship. I'm just glad I don't have to sort this mess out.

The Teams:

1) Ohio State: The talking heads seem to stand pretty pat that they are in the NC come January. They have only lost once, they won the big ten championship, and seem to have been the most consistent all year.

So, assuming that OSU gets in you have these teams vying for the final spot:

2) LSU: They have a very good argument in that they won the toughest conference in the nation in the SEC. They actually lost as the number one rank twice this year which is actually quite impressive. They also beat 6 ranked teams this year.

3) Georgia: They are the hottest team right now. They lost two games all year, as did LSU. They are riding high right now and they are ranked fourth behind OSU at this point in time.

4) USC: They are flying high as well but I think they are too little too late to come back in the mix right now. However, they are getting some pub right now, so don't count them out.

5) Kansas: Losing to Mizzou might have done them in, despite only having one loss this year. Something to build on I guess.

6) Va. Tech: I don't think so, their losses hurt them too much earlier this season.

Well that's my run down. To end I will leave you with a little National Championship prediction:

OSU vs. LSU

Backyard Let Down

So much for another National title run since their last against the University of Notre Dame back in the Raghib Ishmail days. That's right West Virginia straight up blew it just now. Losing to a team with a losing record in the Pitt Panthers. A 13-9 letdown leads West Virginia out of the NC, which they would have had if they would have won. Easily. There was no doubt about it. West Virginia QB Pat White had two costly fumbles while the third fumble of the game was provided on a kickoff return by WV. The Pitt defense was unstoppable all game only giving up seven points (the other two points came on a safety on the last play of the game) to what many people in the nation were calling the most lethal offensive attack in the nation.

So where were exploders Noel Devine, Steve Slaton, and Pat White. Well I think they forgot their big game games at home. Oh, wait, it wasn't even supposed to be a big game in that they were favored by four touchdowns as one source had it.

So once again we are back to something I have harped upon all friggen season, this BCS mess that this crazy college football season has made. After this loss, though, I think it is safe to assume that Ohio State slid into WV's spot. The second spot is Missouri's to lose, but that's what they are doing right now as they are down 14 points to the Sooner's of Oklahoma. What's up with all of these teams just blowing their chance at the NC once they are in position to get into it. Have any of their coaches taught them how to do a lil TCOB...that's right taking care of business. It seems to be a lost art.

Taken The Conference Title Home

This Saturday was conference title night with three very big prime time match ups; Big 12, ACC, and SEC. Two teams, as of now, have calmed their conferences title in big games that were very exciting. One game was a rematch with BC vs. Virgina Tech for the ACC conference title. And the other game was for the SEC conference title with action packed teams LSU vs. Tennessee.

ACC BC vs. Virgina Tech: This game was a rematch that had a totally different look and outcome. In the first game it was undefeated BC's chance to prove themselves as a real contender for the BCS title. And Virgina Tech's chance to show BC real competition on their home field. VT dominated for about 57 minutes in terrible conditions, but still scoring 10 points. A heroic performance by BC's star QB Matt Ryan brought the team back and scored 14 points within less than 3 minutes. In this rematch saw BC take the advantage early with a strip by a linebacker was returned for a TD. From there Virgina Tech seem to get serious and limited their mistakes then and there so they wouldn't have repeat. They dominated the game in the second half scoring 14 unanswered point in a victory of 30-16.

SEC Tennessee vs. LSU: Both teams had their highs and lows from disappointing upsets to big overtime victories. In this game they put it all behind themselves and the only they wanted right then was the conference title. LSU starting QB Matt Fynn was injured for this game but Ryan Perrilloux showed that hes valuable too. This game as action packed with back and forth scoring. In Tennessee's last chance to tie the the game up, QB Eric Ainge was picked off in the red zone. LSU took it home in this one 21-14 for the SEC conference title.

Need the win.

The colts have been playing well for the last couple of weekends. They played the Falcons last game and played like the Colts we were used to. They game out and really flexed their muscles and beat the Falcons 13- 31. I hoping that they can repeat a performance like that this Sunday. They play the Jaguars this weekend, who are their rivals in the AFC South. They have to beat this team to make sure that they stay on top of the AFC South. The end of the season is going to be a important one for them. The last five games that they play they end up playing three of those games with conference rivals. Back to the Jaguars game, the Colts really do need to win. They will have most of their starters back and Diem and Harrison are Questionable to start. They are playing in Indianapolis so they should be able to beat the Jaguars again but who knows it is the NFL. The big thing that the Colts need to worry about is their running backs. They have a very strong running duo in Fred Taylor and the very versatile Maurice Jones-Drew. They each look as though they each can break a thousand yards rushing. Their defense is also very solid. Although they allow a ton of yards a game almost 350 yards a game they only allow 17.7 points per a game. That means that they usually hold opponents when they get in the red zone to only a field goal. I know that this sounds a lot like a John Madden comment but if the Colts can score when they get into the red zone they should blow the Jaguars out of the water in the score. So I’ll watch the game this Sunday and hope that my boys come out with a win.

Colts

So everyone knows that the toughest part for the Indianapolis Colts is over. After having many injuries over the last couple weeks including the biggest game against the Patriots, it seems like they may be back in business.

They face the Baltimore Ravens this weekend and if they win, the Colts can officially say were back. I have to give it to Peyton because day in and day out, he pushed the Colts to play their best no matter if they had all their weapons or not. Now that most everyone is back, I think the Colts will be a completely different team! I have said this before and probably will say it again and that is Harrison will be the difference maker. Although he may not go for a lot of yards, he will cause the defense trouble just because of his presence on the field. The Ravens are in trouble because you know the Colts are going to be fired up with most everyone back. People ask, will the Colts be the same dominant team they were after all the injuries. I feel they will because although the players will probably be careful about their injuries but they are professional football players, and they all know exactly what they need to do to get the job done. GO COLTS!!!

More Than A Shot At The Title

In this Big 12 Conference title game that have Oklahoma versus Missouri in the most important rematch this year. Each team has a lot to gain and also a lot to lose in this rematch on a neutral field. In the first match up during the regular season it was a gridiron war at Oklahoma's home field. Missouri lead Oklahoma 24-23 entering the 4th, but due to so costly turnovers by Missouri lost 31-41. This rematch is any ones game, no one has a true advantage in any part of the game.

Missouri is now ranked #1 with a dominating victory over previously #2 Kansas, that game previewed the new and improved Missouri Tigers lead by Heisman hopeful QB Chase Daniel and WR Jeremy Maclin. Against Kansas Chase Daniel CMP% was a amazing 81.6% and 361 passed yards. They are the only #1 with a lost who is able to correct that lost, and at the same time win the Big 12 Conference title. Without turnovers like in the last game the offense can definitely score when they need to. Their defense needs to show a lot of pressure and create turnovers of their own. But it won't be easy against the always tough Oklahoma. A win here is for redemption, Big 12 title, and a shot at the BCS title.

Oklahoma is now ranked #9 due to upset loses to Colorado and Texas Tech, but they are still the favorite in this conference title game and that makes #1 Missouri mad. Oklahoma is lead by Freshman QB Sam Bradford and WRs Malcolm Kelly and Juaquin Iglesias who together run one of the best offenses in the NCAA. Their game plan is the same as Missouri's. At this point Oklahoma cannot get a shot at the BCS title, but with a win here they can get in a BCS bowl game.

More on the murderer

As you read on Irish's post, football star Sean Taylor was murdered a few days by an intruder breaking into his house and shooting him. Three men were held in court via video conference today on chargers for Taylor's murder. Authorities say that the lawyers said some of them had confessed to the murder of Taylor. The three men's names are: Charles Wardlow, Eric Rivera, and Venjah Hunte. The police said the murder rose out of the burglary that occurred at Taylor's house. Jason Mitchell, a fourth member of the crew, was also arrested but has not gone to court yet for the charges. The four members were arrested Friday in southwest Florida, about 100 miles away from Miami.

Mitchell had prior connections to Taylor after he had been cutting Taylor's yard, and also was invited to his birthday party about two months prior. The funny thing is, is that Mitchell's mom is trying to get him out of the ordeal by telling the paper that her son was at home all week and weekend. She claims she does not know why he was arrested or being held for this charge. The judge denied bail for all the men involved which I think is a good thing!

This is ridiculous that the four men would actually have the nerve to break into the house when the injured Taylor was trying to recuperate from a knee injury he suffered while playing. Not to mention they killed him. If you were wanting to break into his house, AGAIN, then your an idiot, but after you kill the NFL star, you know your going to jail. Most likely, you would go to jail regardless but why would you shoot him, why wouldn't you run away? How stupid can the "fellas" get. All I have to say is those are some greedy bastards and now they have to pay for their stupidity!

Still moving on

Although the Packers lost, they are still going to move on. They lost their superstar Brett Favre against the Cowboys last night when they lost to the Cowboys 37-27. He left the game with an injuried elbow and shoulder.

The Packers doctors said he should be alright and return for the December 9th game against the Oakland Raiders. Favre is the record holder for most consecutive starts with 249, 269 including play-offs. The doctor also said that his elbow injury isn't as serious as last year and he doesn't have any nerve damage.

I think Brett will do fine because the injury will not affect his throwing arm. He is a tough guy, and although he is injured, he will still make a dramatic difference in the game on the 9th. I will have to admit, after watching the Packers this year, they are probably my new favorite team. I am not going to jump on the bandwagon with them, but they are doing surprisingly well this year.

Dallas VS Green Bay

So tonight, the NFL has another huge game. The Dallas Cowboys are going up against the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are 10-1 and already have won their divisions, this game will have a greater effect on the each teams playoff seed. Both Tony Romo and Brett Favre are on fire, but will their teams back them up?

The Green Bay Packers have more to worry about than what the Cowboys have because of their injury report. Defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, Tight End Bubba Franks, and Safety Aaron Rouse are all not going to be in the game. Other than that Green Bay has many players that are "iffy." Popular Corner back Charles Woodson and Defensive End Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila are both game day decisions. Safety Nick Collins although will be playing in the game after missing both of the Packers last two games.

In my own personal opinion, the Cowboys also will struggle because of frankly Brett Favre. Brett Favre is not a player that you can replace. He brings it to the field all day everyday, no matter what the problem is. He will always fire the team up and make them strive for perfection even if there is no way that they will win. You just cannot have a game plan for Brett Favre because you never know exactly what trick he is going to pull out of his sleeve.

My friend told me that the game is not going to broad casted on TV. That pisses me off because this is one of the bigger games of the season. Why wouldn't TV want to broadcast this, I mean they did make such a big deal about the Colts versus Patriots game but not this one. Hmm, weird!

FS Sean Taylor: 1983-2007

This morning Washington Redskin free safety Sean Taylor died. This was after the previous night when an intruder forced entry into his home and shot Taylor in the upper leg hitting an artery. After much blood loss a miracle was needed, it never came. He was said to be unconscious and heavily sedated as he passed away.

Now what the American public wants know is an explanation. It seems to be the American way, if something happens that we don't like, we want to know what happened and why it happened. Katrina and 9/11 were the same way, just that this is not quite to that extent, you get the point though.

I'm not here to talk about what happened and why it did. I'm here to talk about the effect it will have on the Washington Redskins and the league as a whole.

The Redskins can go two directions. One is that they can take this as a bigger negative then it has to be. They can see a position that they had a pro bowler in vacated for a backup and believe that their playoff chance are over, let alone Super Bowl chances. They are 5-6 right now and still have a great shot at the playoffs. If they let this get to them and keep their heads down nothing will come good of it and will only lead to a downward spiral.

The second direction they can take is using the negative and turning it into a positive. Maybe they dedicate the rest of the season to Sean. Thus giving them that extra umphhh at the end of each game to allow them to sneak into the playoffs and still have a shot at the SB. The team has talent. A couple of good running backs in Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. Some talented receivers in Santana Moss and Randall El. A up and rising QB in Jason Campbell. There defense is also solid with corners Fred Smoot and Shawn Springs and young gun LaRon Landry to round out a very talented defensive backfield. They still have a very good shot at this thing if they take this whole situation the right way.

As for the league as a whole, I think that there will definitely be some sort of mourning period before all the games this week in remembrance of the former pro bowler. Unlike baseball they can't take a whole day of games off like they did in the MLB for Darryl Kile. The NFL doesn't have the time to do it, everything is on such a time constraint it is hard to even cancel a game due to this factor.

If you want to know more about this story I recommend going to either nfl.com, Redskins.com, or espn.com. The facts are still being rolled in and stories are popping up like crazy in remembrance of Taylor.

Now a video in dedication to Sean Taylor.

What a Mess

The Monday Night football game was one not to watch. The Steelers vs. the Unvictorious Miami Dolphins. Neither of the teams scored till 17 seconds left, and the score was a kick by the Pittsburg kicker. The game was one of the longest games ever played with no scores. The last time that their was a scoreless game was in the forties and that game didn't have overtime. The main reason for the game being so sucky was the horrible conditions of the field. The field has been played on alot. It had five high school state games on that field. The field also has had Pitt University play on it Saturday. So the field had seen better days.

The game was put on about an hour delay due to the fact that there was not only tons and tons of rain, but there was also lighting. You would think that the Steelers could playing against a team like the Dolphins would be able to score more then 3 points, even in the rain. The Dolphins though did play somewhat tough and to their defense they have lost 5 games this year by three points or less. So they are not only just bad this year they have not been the luckiest either.

So the Steelers now are 8-3 and they are really looking good towards the end of the season. The Dolphins are now 11-0 and really need to put up a win to save at least some dignity, the last time that a team went without a win was the 1976 Buccaneers. So the Dolphins need to get on it and the Steelers keep it up.

Pat Tillman

Yesterday I saw something on the news about how injured soldiers serving in Iraq have to give back their bonus they received because they no longer can serve. That point really doesn't have much to do with football until instantly I thought of Pat Tillman.

For those of you who forgot or don't know who Pat Tillman is, he passed up a 3.6 million dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the Rangers and go fight in Iraq after the 9/11 attacks happened. When I first saw the show on TV about how they were taking away the money that the soldiers received I understood why. But as I thought more about it, I thought man that is ridiculous. They are serving our country, they protect our freedom, and they keep us safe and just because they got hurt doesn't mean that the United States can take back their bonus. Basically what that is telling the men and women who have been blessed with talent is that forget protecting the United States because they will take back the money they promise to give you anyway. I mean really, Pat Tillman could have stayed at home, made all the money in the world, and lived peacefully for the rest of his life but instead he chose to go to Iraq to protect women and children in the United States. I realize this doesn't necessarily go with football, but the whole Pat Tillman story connects it.

Then the thought that ran through my head is all of these players that have the 10 million dollar deals still bitch and moan about how they do not get enough money, or how they are going broke, and all this other stuff. I mean really, how can you go broke living the good life being idolized by everyone making millions. It just pissed me off because all of our men and women fighting making next to nothing, and all they have to do is strap up in some pads and go play for an hour. To be honest, I forgot the whole Pat Tillman story until I heard how the government is taking away those bonuses. The government needs to give those bonuses not only because they said they would, but because every time a soldier steps on Iraq soil, they can be killed. My ups to Pat Tillman and everything he taught the selfish football players. He didn't necessarily teach them by talking, but through his own actions.

Got er done.

So the colts are starting to look like they should. They came out Thursday a little shaky but ended up putting together a great performance. The one performance that really made me happy was that of Peyton Manning. It seems as though he has finally shaken off that Patriot loss. He threw for 272 yards, he was 22-32 and he threw 3 Touchdown passes. Thank you Peyton. The whole team really did play well. The defense only allowed 13 points which helped out Peyton a lot with staying on the field. Now given that the falcons are not one of the most dominant teams of the NFL, I was still impressed with how the colts played. The defense was lead by Brackett who had 11 solo tackles and 3 asst. The defense also had two interceptions. The biggest accomplishment that the defense did was keeping Dunn under 100 yards, which they did. They only allowed a total of 112 total rushing yards. The colts also had a bunch of help from off the bench with Keith running for 74 yards on 17 attempts, but like I said I was really impressed with the way that Peyton Played. It seemed like he was in the zone and was comfortable. Now I know that he would like Harrison back, but they don’t want him to come back and get hurt worse. This does make sense due to the fact that they should make it to the playoffs once again and they will need Harrison when they match up against the Patriots. So well done Colts and lets play this well against the Jaguars next Sunday.

BCS Confusion

They thought they had it all figured out; LSU will lose only one game and will still go to the National Championship. Everybody agreed with them too. Until yesterday, when chaos ensued, I would guess, in BCS land. What are they going to do now? It seems that everybody has had their shot to go to the NC but it seems everybody also screws it up. One thing we do know for sure is that Ohio State is done screwing up, for now. As they are done with their regular season ending with an 11-1 record. West Virginia is currently standing ahead of all the one loss teams after LSU got beat in triple OT, which I alluded to earlier. However, WV has two games to go and in the Big East you never know who is going to show up on any given day. The same can be said about any team this college football season. Missouri is given a chance thanks to LSU's loss. If Missouri wins out I predict they will go to the NC game. They have the same tough road as Kansas as once they square off against each other the winner goes to the Big 12 championship which will be tough to win. Kansas the only undefeated team in BCS land (since Hawaii is not in a BCS conference) will have the same path I just mentioned. They will be in for sure, bottom line, end of story, if they win out. A very BIG if.

Also if you were not alive the past few days Arizona State lost against USC the other night so their BCS NC hopes have gone to the way side as well.

football in general

Alright, well I was wrong about the Boilermakers on my last post about them getting smacked against IU. I mean yes, that was an important game and everything but I still am surprised that Purdue came back. I don't necessarily think that Purdue came back because of Coach Tiller, I think they came back on their own ambition and drive. They knew deep down that all the students were behind them, while at the same time, the students want Tiller gone. Although they came back, IU still got lucky and hit a 49 yard field goal to win.

One of my buddies is a student at IU. He was trying to tell me how a 49 yard field goal is not a long field goal. I was thinking, wow, is this kid serious! 49 yards is deep no matter how you look at it because if just a slight breeze hits the football then its wide right or left. I do congratulate IU for the field goal, although they did not deserve to win. There is a big rivalry between the two schools not only in football but in all sports, and it did piss me off that my friend had that much nerve to try to tell me the field goal was like an everyday thing that happens especially with all that pressure on the kicker.

Next is the LSU tigers. I think they are the most over rated team in the NCAA. Yes, they have been ranked first in the nation twice this year, but there are many more teams that have more talent and overall more skill. I'm not saying that LSU doesn't have talent! What I am saying is that I do not think they are a number one team. Even teams that are not ranked near as high as them such as OSU can give them a tough time. I think any team can be beat on any day, its just when I see LSU being ranked so high multiple times is stupid.

Also, yesterday I saw one of the funniest things I have seen in football in a while. As I was sitting around with my buddies last night talking about football, someone brought up the fact that Brett Favre won some crazy award yesterday for his performance. My buddy said something about it being called the Gobbler Cup or Turkey Cup or something I can't really remember what but I couldn't help but laugh. I mean really, what is the guy going to say when asked about what he thought about the award. He is a 3 times MVP, a 6 time All-Pro selection, Toughest Person in America in 2003, and many more! How can a Turkey Cup compare to any of those? I like Favre because he is so tough. I thought it was funny about one of the points one of my buddies made, which was this year after he under threw a ball and it was intercepted, during the interview someone said he was to old to the throw the long ball anymore. He responded with a hysterical comment which was who ever thinks I cannot throw the long ball anymore, meet me in the parking lot. The guy is tough without a doubt, and it was a tough one to hear that a someone really asked him how the Turkey Cup felt to win.

Turkey, Food, and Football

So thanksgiving is tomorrow and I can’t wait. I think it is almost better then Christmas due to the fact that there is FOOTBALL. Now with Christmas you get the food and the great company of your family, but no football. With thanksgiving you get tons of food, great company with your family, and you get the great American game of football. You can’t beat it. This Thanksgiving will be pretty much the same. I will get my plate and its stuffed full of food. I then watch, on and off some game that I really don’t care about, but hey its food and football, can’t beat it. This Thanksgiving will be a little different. First of all i'll have a team that i actually care about, plus there are a couple good matchups that should make for a good day of football.

The Green Bay Packers vs. the Detroit Lions, Detroit has now been playing for some 65 years on Thanksgiving and against the Packers on Thanksgiving have a record of 11-5-1. The Packers have been playing Thanksgiving days since the 20’s. So they both know how to play on Turkey day. The Lions are second in their conference to the Packers, and they are still on track for their “ten” wins. The Packers are playing really tough and are lead by their “senior” quarterback Brett Farve. This really should be a good one though. They are each trying to fight for the NFC north championship and this game would help them out a lot.

The next game is the Dallas Cowboys vs. the New York Jets. The Jets are somewhat new to the Thanksgiving scene, but the Cowboys have been playing on Turkey day for some time now. This I'm not sure is going to be as good as a game. Tony Romo has been playing extremely well and T.O. is finally putting up the numbers that he should be. So I don’t think that they Jets have much of a shot on this one, but then again my picks haven’t always been the best. So I'm going with the Cowboys, but don’t quote me on it.

The Final game that is going to be played is the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons. They both have experience on thanksgiving and it should be a fun game to watch. Now the Colts should definitely come out with the win especially because don’t really have a certain strong suit. They are 28th in total offense; they are 15th in total defense and 31st in points scored. The big one that sticks out to be is the 31st in points scored. Usually when you play the colts you need to have an offense that can keep up scoring with the colts. With one of the worst scoring offenses they will probably have trouble keeping up scoring with the colts. So again don’t make any monster bets on my pick but the colts should beat the Falcons with ease.

Big Ten

First, the Ohio State Buckeyes were back at it again today. They faced the Michigan Wolverines which is one of many Big Ten games they needed to win! The 11-1 Buckeyes beat Michigan winning the Big Ten. Running back Chris "Beenie" Wells ran for a career high 222 yards tonight scoring both touchdowns for the Buckeyes! The defense also came into the game knowing they had to stop the Michigan offense and that they did holding them to only 3 points. Also, they have a good chance of going to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. They are number seven ranked in the BCS standings which means if a few teams lost some games, they would be in the BCS title game. My personal thoughts of OSU are the same as always which is they are one of the best teams in the NCAA. I think they are under ranked because most teams cannot stop their offense. Most teams cannot stop Wells, along with the quickness of the wide receivers. Heisman candidate Mike Hart really didn't do much against the OSU defense which says a lot about the defensive performance tonight.

Next, the Purdue Boilermakers sucked again tonight. Coach Tiller needs to either quit or be fired. The only reason why the Boilers are over five hundred ever is because the weak schedule they seem to always have at the beginning of the season. I mean really, they play small colleges/big high schools for the first 5 games of the season and when they face a large school they get smoked. The fans start thinking every season that the Boilers actually may be something this year until an actual Big Ten school comes along. The Boilers played IU today and frankly got it handed to them. I heard somewhere that Coach Tiller called in Dorien Bryant into his office to tell him that it was important that Dorien made the clutch catches during the game. What just doesn't make sense to me is that Tiller doesn't even put the Boilers in shape to make clutch catches. I thought it was funny as I was walking around the Purdue campus that their are many fliers that say, www.firecoachtiller.com." You can obviously tell that the students at Purdue understand that Tiller sucks becuase Purdue does have talented players obviously, but Tiller just doesn't understand how to use them to their full potential. The Boilermakers needed to win tonight for the chance of a bowl game, although with their performance it doesn't look good. I am watching the game right now and there is about 6 minutes left in the game with Purdue trailing 24-10. I mean that really isn't a close game. Big deal if they score again and give the ball back to IU with 5 minutes left. You know that IU is going to be able to control the clock! If IU even gets into field goal range the game is over. I am curious to see the outcome of the game. FIRE TILLER!!!!!

Maybe this will help?

So the worst team in the NFL, you’d think would have nothing to lose by added or drooping players. Of course I'm talking about the Miami Dolphins, who still after week nine have not one a single game and the future isn’t looking much better. They have to play the Bills and the Jets within these next four weeks. Both of those teams are in their division which will make those games will especially tough. They also have the second worst defense in the NFL. On average they give up almost 30 points a game. Now I know a little on football and I know that if your defense gives up that many points on defense your offense better be the best offense in the NFL if you want to win a game; which their offense is ranked 19th.

So to my main topic, they once again are letting Mr. Hippie, Pot smoking, Drug Head, Ricky Williams come back and start practice next Monday. Now Ricky was good in his prime, aka the days he didn’t smoke his brains out. Now there is no way that he can get back into the game and be such a dominant threat like he was in his college days and beginning years in the NFL. Now I got to give it to the guy, he really does want to play football, but I think he wants to do drugs more. This is now he’s second time coming back? C’mon, the guy has his priorities and I think he has chosen to smoke rather then carry a football. Now I could be totally judging this man for something he isn’t. He could now be a totally changed man and have his life going in the right direction but something tells me he’s going to fail another drug test and get suspended once more. Do I blame the Dolphins for try to pick up a player that once was a huge part of their offense? No, but I do question why they pick up a guy who has disrespected, and dishonored their program time and time again. So I wish the Dolphins the best of luck with Ricky, but don’t complain when he doesn’t show up for a game or practice because he is so baked and doesn’t know what day it is.

The ole' bucket game

The Boilers play IU this weekend and I decided instead of giving you my pick that probably won't be anything like the real one. I am going give you a little history on the Bucket Game. The Oaken Bucket has been going on since 1925. The first Bucket was actually found in Southern Indiana and someone thought it would be a great thing to give to the victor of the game. The very first game that was played for the Bucket ended up in a tie, so they put both an I, and a P, on the Bucket. The Boilers have almost dominated the series, with winning the matchup 43 times and the Hoosiers only have 24. The bucket has also had a way of disappearing from both campuses, but always ended up showing back up. This matchup will most likely have the same results as previous years. Purdue is coming off a couple tough losses and I think Tiller has been really practicing his boys this week. I think IU will definitely put up a fight but like everyone says," they are a basketball school."

So I guess I lied in the beginning and I will throw out a score. I'm thinking that the score will be Purdue 35, IU 28. It could be a higher scoring game due to the fact that I think both of these teams don't have strong defenses, so there should be a lot of scoring. So when I’m down at Bloomington and us Boilers add another P to the chain. I'll walk up to each IU fan and tell em'. “Don't worry, you are a basketball school, no one expected you to win this.”

More injuries

Along with the Colts, the Vikings may be in trouble too. Adrian Peterson, who is the number one running back in the league and the starting running back from the Vikings, is now out for the season because of an injury to his LCL. The LCL is one of the four ligaments on the knee that helps keep the knee together. People are not to familiar with injuries to the LCL, but people relate more the the term ACL or MCL injuries which are two of the other ligaments located in the same area. Adrian Peterson has ran for over a thousand yards already this year. The Vikings are in serious trouble because their offense struggles to get over 200 yards without Peterson. I think it will be fun to see how their future goes.

Washington Redskins wide receiver Brandon Lloyd is also out all season due to a broken collarbone. Lloyd is not as great of a player as Peterson, but the Redskins signed him to a multi year multi-million dollar contract. He has got into some trouble this season already this season after he missed a team meeting and was not allowed to travel to New York to play the jets. He only has two receptions this season which is pretty after being signed to a multi-million dollar contract. The Redskins are struggling this season because they had to sign someone to replace Lloyd. They signed Jimmy Farris, who is a player that was cut at the end of 2006 preseason. The Redskins still do have some serious talent in Antwaan Randle El, Keenen McCardell, and Reche Caldwell.

Overall I think the NFL has had more injuries this season compared to most. Almost the entire Colts team is on the injured reserve, and you can see star players popping up in the news about how they are hurt and are on the injured list. Kinda weird!

Colts in trouble

The Indianapolis Colts may be in serious trouble. After being plagued by many injuries they lost one of their starting defensive linemen. Dwight Freeny, who is a three time pro-bowler for the Colts is out for the season after he injured his left foot. Simeon Rice has been promoted to take the highest paid defender in the league. During the San Diego game, the Colts were without seven starters and lost four more during the game. The Colt's were a team that could not have been beating because of the massive talent they brought to the field, but now with all of their key players on the injured list, their future could be in big trouble. The rest of the players on the injured list include pro-bowl safety Bob Sanders, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez, line backer Rob Morris, and the list goes on. The Colts are in serious trouble with all this talent sitting on the side lines. I think its a tough call to decide what the Colts future holds because some of the players may return to the field for the post season, although without Freeny or Harrison, the Colts will not go far. Hopefully Harrison will come back from his bruised knee so he can take some of the pressure off of Manning and Wayne. Many people say his presence is not a dramatic change in the game, although it is obvious on the field the way the defense lines up you can tell they do not have to worry about a spectacular catch from Harrison, so they can concentrate more on stopping Wayne.

Heisman Hopefulls

The Heisman is the award that any football player wants to get at least once. It is the most honorable award, but equally as hard to get because there is always so many deserving athletes for this award every year. This upset will obviously be one of the toughest season to pick a Heisman winner. Names that were mentioned at the beginning of the season like Brian Brohm, Ray Rice, Steve Slaton, and John David Booty have totally droped out of the Heisman race. Those athletes have fallen either because their team has been losing, not living up to peoples expectations, and/or injury. Another main reason those names are not talked about anymore is because athletes that were somewhat unknown at preseason have exceeded peoples expectations week in and week out, and those athletes are Tim Tebow and Dennis Dixon.



1) Dennis Dixon 6'4" 200bs from the Oregon Ducks truely came out of no where for his senoir season. He was your average QB for a unranked team last year 2006 with 2,143 passed yards, 12 TDs, and 14 INTs giving him a not good QB rating of 120.68. This year he really came out and so did his team which really helps when you are in the Heisman race. People got first glipse of him when he destroyed Michigan 39-7. His combination of passing and rushing makes him very exciting and very hard for a defense to contain. As of now his stats are great with 2,074 passed yards, 20 TDs, and only 3 INTs, he has a QB rating of 163.10. That makes him one of the most valueable QBs and the front runner for the Heisman.



2) Tim Tebow 6'3" 235lbs from Florida Gators is another great QB coming up and he is only a sophomore. His stats are also great with 2,532 passed yards, 23 TDs, and 5 INTs he has a rating of 177.09. His stats are better than Dennis Dixon's, but he still sits closely behind him in the Heisman race. One reason is he is a sophomore and voters always know that can vote for him next year. Second reason is his team has three losts and Heisman winners don't usually come from teams with over two losts. Even though Tim Tebow is better on paper than Dennis Dixon, he has a few things Tim wants; 2 less losts, 2 less interceptions, and #2 ranked team.

GAME OF THE CENTURY...but not really

Duke at Notre Dame looks to set up two of the best teams...with a one and nine record. Funny thing is usual Juggernaut ND is playing this grotesque game on national TV as they always do, on commercial crazy NBC. Notre Dame has been nothing short of a disappointment this season. They lost the winning streak to Navy on their way to losing to both academies they play this year. They have zero offense which results in the defense looking bad having to not only play an enormous amount of plays but also try to make up for the offense's mistakes.

Enough of the negatives, I am going to try to find some positives out of this bunch. Okay, here goes...

They look to have some good, young talent in Golden Tate, who should be on every offensive and special team play as he has made all the offensive highlights this year. Duval Kamara has also looked pretty talented in the games of late. I also believe that if the offense gave the defense any help whatsoever, the D could be a pretty solid unit. Darrin Walls has a ton of talent that is just waiting to be complemented by a whole defense along with fellow CB Raeshon McNeil. It looks as if Sophomore Eric Maust is going to be a pretty solid substitution for preseason All-American punter Geoff Price. Two people I will be sad to see go are D-Lineman Trevor Laws and LB Maurice Crum Jr. They have made pretty much all the big plays this season and have tried their hardest to keep this thing together. James Aldridge is looking to be the star back in what now seems to be an offense with no air attack. Oops, another negative, ahh screw it. Jimmy Clausen has proved to be inconsistent and unable to get to speed with the college game. I just hope QB recruit Dane Crist is ready to go right away. I also disagree with Weis showing disrespect to a junior QB who has paid his dues in Evan Sharpley, maybe there is some sort of back-story I do not know. From what I see, however, Evan is the better QB. It's just that Weis has been Clausen's personal butt buddy ever since his Hollywood entrance to downtown South Bend a couple of Aprils ago. Just my opinion, like I said there could and probably is something I do not know.

So that's that, some musings for the common Notre Dame fan, and some entertainment for the common Notre Dame hater.

Sad weekend

Last weekend was a hard one for me to watch football. I had only one of my picks come true and my two teams didn't come up with a win. The Boilers once again didn't seem like themselves. They just didn't play the football that they were capable of playing. Curtis Painter actually played a decent game on the ground, showing that he was a versatile quarterback, scoring two touchdowns on running plays. Passing he threw for over 300 yards, but still struggled with two picks and only one TD pass. The special teams were a little shaky as well and the defense didn't play like we needed them to. So, the Boilers play IU this weekend at Bloomington, and they really could use the win and come home once again with the Oaken Bucket.

My poor Colts, it's like watching a depleted army go against a whole nation and almost pull out the win, but in the end your reliable sniper, aka Mr. Adam. Misses the "shot" and the whole army gets destroyed. Now, I know that’s a horrible comparison but the Colts have some serious problems. They don't have three of their starting receivers. Last game both tackles went out of the game. Dwight Freeney went out of the game, with what I hope was just a minor sprain or a twists and only brought 17 players for their offense. That’s pathetic. Peyton had a really tough game. He threw 6 intercepts in all. I know it might sound bias because I’m a Colts fan but I got to believe that he threw the majority of those because he didn't have any receivers to catch the ball. Now, given six is a hell of a lot of intercepts, but a couple of those were outstanding catches like the one that Chargers cornerback pulled down. I just hope next weekend vs. the Chiefs we can get some of our starters back and pull out a win.

Heisman Race

As the Heisman race continues, five players begin to stick out. These five players are: Dennis Dixon, Pat White, Mike Hart, Matt Ryan, and Darren McFadden.

1. Dennis Dixon: The quarterback from Oregon over all knows the game. He comes into the games well prepared and executes well. His arm is great as he has thrown for a little over 2000 yards with only 3 picks. He is the kind of quarterback that can throw and also run. He has ran for 549 yards and 8 touchdowns. I do not think he is number one to get the Heisman Trophy, although many do.

2. Pat White: The West Virginia quarterback is explosive. His speed reminds me a little of Mike Vick along with his passing capability. His performance is what makes the West Virginia offense work. I think the respect that the team gives him, along with his performance is what has given this Junior the position he is in with the race.

3. Mike Hart: The running back from Michigan is a tank. His running style reminds me of Barry Sanders from the Lions because his explosive speed, and his ability to switch directions so quickly. I think either Mike or Darren should win without a doubt.

4. Matt Ryan: The quarterback from Boston College really hasn't impressed me with his performance, although his stats have a different view. Throwing for a little under 3000 yards so far with twenty-one touchdowns is pretty impressive. I do not think he is a big contender in the race because of the flashiness of McFadden and Hart.

5. Darren McFadden: Overall my favorite to win the Heisman, he is a rusher from Arkansas. After his performance against South Carolina last week, his chances improved drastically. He really impresses me with his knowledge of when and how to cut back and forth. I predict he will be in New York holding the trophy.

BCS Mess

The BCS is once again in shambles as the number one team went down 28-21 in The Ohio State University. Not only this but it was to an unranked Illinois team, on top of that they lost at the Horseshoe. So what does this do to the national championship picture? Well, it messes it up pretty bad. The only team that is undefeated from a BCS conference is Kansas and many people would say they are overrated at number four. I don't think you should argue with an undefeated team. Another team that is undefeated is Hawaii who looks to pull a Boise State and shake up the BCS world once again.

Question is, with this wacky of a college football season who deserves to get into the national championship? Lets look at some of the potential candidates...

LSU: They will go to the NC if they win out. They have a big game with Arkansas at the end of the year that will decide their fate. Their only trip up was a game at Kentucky.
Oregon: They look to be set up pretty well today with the loss of OSU. But I think they are depending on Kansas to lose one of their games in order for them to have a chance.
Kansas: If they win out they WILL go to the NC. They have a tough road to get there though. Including a matchup today at Oklahoma State, then a big showdown with Missouri in the last game. If they win those then they will play in the Big 12 Championship which is likely to set them up with an Oklahoma Sooner team.
Speaking of Oklahoma: They have shot as well. They will need some help though. If they do win out it will be against some good opponents as they will meet in the Big 12 Championship as I referred to earlier.
Ohio State: They are down, but not out. This loss today really hurts but look for a good game against Michigan next week. The winner of this game will go to the Rose Bowl, at least. OSU will need a ton of help though.

UPSET Watch

After looking at this weekends schedule and knowing the latest trend is a unseen upset. I see a few games the shout upset. I feel there should be less upsets because teams high up on in the ranking should really have their eyes open and on their guard week in and week out. But I also feel upset are even more likely to happen because all teams weather winning or losing record want to go out with a bang and possible get themselves on the map for next year.

1) The first upset I am calling is kind of a easy one to see and it is California over USC. Both these teams are really going though some rough times. Both at one time were ranked number 2, but were beat by unranked teams in very big upsets. Coming from #2 Cal. dropped three lost in a row leaving themselves unranked and playing for there pride in this game against USC. USC had a embarrassing lost to Stanford when they were #2 going on and having a struggle win against Arizona, then losing against the great Oregon Ducks this season. These teams are very evenly matched with their dominating offenses but I feel Cal. will take this one in a close game with a one possession one so I'm predicting 35-28.

2) The second upset I am calling is a hard one but i can really see it happening is Illnois over Ohio State. Illnois i feel is the third best team in the Big Ten right now. Illnois runs that spread offense that Ohio State have yet to see this year. Ohio State has the best defense in the Big Ten, but with this spread offense Illnois presents Ohio State defense could fall apart. If Ohio State cannot contain this QB and RB combination Illnois will run all over them. Look for this to be a high scoring action packed game. This one will come down the last snap and i predict Illnois 28-24

What a weekend for Big Ten Football.

So this weekend is going to be a fun one in the Big Ten. We have a lot of key match ups and I’m going to go over a couple of them and describe why it will be key for each team to pull out a win.

1) Lets start with my boys in West Lafayette, the boilers. Purdue is coming off a loss and needs to rebound if they still want a shot at another bowl game. They will be playing Michigan State, which has had a so-so season. They are now 5-5 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten conference play. So they are playing for pride now. They probably won't make a bowl game and they won't for sure if they lose this weekend. So both teams have to win this weekend to keep that bowl appearance alive. The prediction on this one would have to be Purdue 27, Michigan State 17.

2) Ok so we have the Michigan Wolverines going to the Badgers home in Wisconsin to play another a big game. Michigan once again is at the top of the Big Ten with the Buckeyes, so they must win if they want a chance to play Ohio State, next weekend for the Big Ten title. If they do lose this weekend it’s almost a given that the Buckeyes will repeat as the Big Ten title winners. The Badgers need the win for a respectable Bowl appearance, plus this being the Badgers last home game the seniors should have something to prove by not letting the Wolverines come into their stadium and beat them. I'm thinking the score on this one is going to be a close one and I’m thinking the Badgers will come up with the upset and win 24 to 21.

3) The last match, which could be the biggest of this weekend, would have to be the Ohio State and Illinois game. Ohio State has so much on this game its unreal. They have not only the Big Ten title on the line, but they also have their shot at the National title on this game as well. They have to win out the rest of their games if they want to have a shot at the National title and Illinois is going to be the one to stop that chance. Illinois needs this win because if they do they would now have a shot at sharing the Big Ten title with Michigan and Ohio State. Now it would be slim that this would happen but if everything feel into place they could achieve the title, but first they would have to beat Ohio State. My prediction on this game would have to be Ohio State, 35, Illinois 21.

Colts vs Chargers

Like I have said all year, LT cannot be stopped, only contained. This week San Diego Chargers face the Indianapolis Colts. To be honest, the Colts have a great defense although LT is really a tough runner to stop. He threatens the Colts in more than just one aspect because if they clog up the middle, LT could run around the edges, although if they spread the LB's then he could run straight up the gut. I think the Colts do have enough talent on defense to overpower LT if they can read the play right.
Other than LT, the Chargers have Antonio Gates, which is a hell of a player, although the Colts offense when Marvin is playing is unstoppable. The Chargers were thought of being one of the top five teams in the NFL until they lost to Minnesota although if they beat the Colts they will be back in the race. As everyone knows, the Colts did lose last week which you can look at two ways. Either one, they will throw in the towel and give up on the season, or two, they will be pissed off and out for blood. This is easy to explain which one they will be! With Quarterback Peyton Manning, you know he is going to fire everyone up and make sure they are all on the right page to pull off the win. Every team has hiccup's like the Colts did last week but as long as they can get those out, I think they will be just fine against the Chargers. I see this game being close towards the beginning, but then Peyton will blow the game open.

Instant Explosive

Throughout the NFL you will find a team with a guy who could just take a game over by himself. No, I'm not talking about a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning. I'm talking about a guy who with him and no one else can turn the course of a game around by himself. Guys to the likes of the Bears' Devin Hester, who's game changing kick returns have kept them and won the Bears many games in his early career. Another is Adrian Peterson who seems to make plays by himself either running over people or running through a potential tackler. On the defensive side of the ball you have a guy like Bob Sanders who can, at times, seem like he is everywhere on the defensive side of the ball.

Devin Hester has been a star since he came into the league out of Miami U. He has nine touchdowns in only two years, eight of those coming from his specialty: Returning the football. Some one has joked before that it is ill advised to give Hester a present because he will probably just return it. The guy is a game breaker plain and simple.

Adrian Peterson is another one of those young guys in the league that have made an instant impact. His last game says it all. Just a rookie he broke the single game rushing record with 296 yards against a Charger defense. He made the Chargers look stupid with his breaking of tackles and just pure speed to beat defenders to the end zone. He looks to be on his way to being one of the best RB's ever. Many would argue he is the top RB in the league right now, AS A ROOKIE!

Bob Sanders the only defensive game breaker I have listed can take over a game. His endless game changing plays have turned the 'mo' back to the Colts favor in many games. In only his fourth season he has already racked up 149 solo tackles and three INT's. Another joke I have heard is that "75% of the world is covered by water, the rest is covered by Bob Sanders."

Comical yet true.

The End is Starting to Shape Up

It is officially the half way point of the NFL. The end has come in a less fuzzy view as many teams have shown enough for us to get a clear view of what kind of team they really are. Teams like the Patriots and Colts have shown they are the elite of the elite. A close loss definitely does not count out the Colts from this category as many would argue their loss this past weekend was a late game melt down.

After the two of the elite of the elite there are teams that can both win and lose any given Sunday. Don't get me wrong though these teams know how to win. Dallas and Green Bay rise to the top of this particular category as they have shown week after week that they are both very good at covering up for their flaws. The Steelers, another among this category, showed their muscle on Monday night by obliterating the Ravens on a dingy night Pittsburgh. After the upper echelon of this category leaves a few others in the playoff hunt toward the end of the season.

First the New York Giants. They have maybe the best defensive front in the league with both big name players in Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan with two less known individuals on the rise in Notre Dame grad Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka. In addition to this solid Defensive front is a very balanced offensive attack starring QB Eli Manning, RB Brandon Jacobs, and WR Plaxico Burress. The Detroit Lions have also made some noise as I highlighted in an earlier post. Read that and you should be able to find out a good idea of the great things going on in Mo-town. The upstart Tennessee Titans are the final of the 6-2 teams in the league. They have a franchise quarterback in Vince Young that has led them both through his athletic ability and leadership skills. One thing that many people have learned from the Titans is that Lendale White is a prime time running back. His numbers are comparable to those of Reggie Bush.White has 613 rushing yards on the season with 5 TD's to Reggie's 434 yards rushing and 5 overall TD's.

The other teams that look to make some noise come playoff time are the surprising Cleveland Browns, the Jags, the Saints, Redskins, and Bucs. But as we have learned thus far in the college football season, football can provide many upsets and who knows who will have a shot at the championship come late January.

Still number two!!!

I heard one of my buddies today who is a big Bronco's fan that the Colts should be dropped in the rankings because of their loss to the Patriot's on Sunday. That is ridiculous! How could a team that was undefeated coming into the game, all of the sudden drop in ranking because of a late game break down. The Patriot's did not deserve to win that game on Sunday after the poor performance from Brady throwing two interception's and many penalties against them, although I guess the sun shines on a dogs ass too. Also, if you watched the game at you, it is easy to see that since Harrison did not play, it was a lot easier for the Patriot's defense. They stopped the Colts many times because they could concentrate more on Wayne, Gonzalez, and Clark rather than having to put multiple defenders on Harrison. When Harrison heals up and comes off the injured list, I think the game would change drastically. Patriot's really did not impress me on Sunday, although they did get the win. As a Colt fan, we will let them have the win because post-season will be a different story.

The seasons not over yet

So the colts aren't 8-0, it's not so bad. They still lead the AFC south and they still have a promising look on the rest of the season. One of the big reasons why they lost yesterday was the lack of depth that the colts had in their receivers. Addai ended up taking the blunt of the offense on his shoulders, were he went for 112 yards on the ground and another 114 yards receiving. Thanks for the shoulders Joe. The Colts didn't have Marvin Harrison in the game and this really does limit the amount of talent they have on the field. What I mean by this is that with Marvin out of the game Reggie Wayne is now the primary receiver. Wayne's good, but I don't think he is good enough yet to be the primary receiver. Also with Harrison’s absences the Colts now have to rely more on the rookie Gonzalez, and the slot receiver Clark, to come up and be a reliable receivers. Another reason why the Colts didn't win was it seemed as though Peyton was never comfortable the whole game. I mean yea he had his shinning moments, but for the majority of the game he seemed uneasy. Again a big factor of that would have to be the absences of Harrison. Without Harrison on the field the Patriots could play more of a zone defense and didn't really have to key on more then one person. Were if they did have Harrison they would have to worry about not only Harrison but also Wayne.

But like I said in the beginning it's not the end of the world. The colts will still make the playoffs. They will make it to the AFC championship game. The only bad thing is now they probably won't get home field advantage if they end up playing the Pats for the AFC championship. So Colts fans have no fear, still believe in your Colts, just this time around the Colts will have to disappoint the Patriots fans at New England.

Fantasy Football?

Ok so another post about a thing that pisses me off. Fantasy Football, I know all of you are wondering why in the hell would i not like Fantasy Football. You all are saying its just a fun thing to do or it keeps me intested in the other football teams. Now thats alright i guess but the thing that gets me upset with it is that it has completely changed how people have watched the game of football. It has changed the way fans haved watched football because they no longer root for a team. They root for players, and not just players on one team. No, No, they root for certain players on different teams. Again you might be wondering why this is so bad, i feel that you should root for a team. Football is a huge team sport and should never be a single player sport. Now you do have your star athletes that tend to put themselves apart from others, but all in all its a team sport. So when you have people that only care about if one person on the team does well, it really does go against the team aspect of football.

Another reason i don't enjoy fantasy football is that when i did try it for the one year, i found myself not only cheering for the players and not the team. I also found myself at times hoping that a certain player would play well against my favorite team, just so i could get fantasy points. That was actually one of the huge reasons i don't "play" fantasy football any more. Now i could just be blowing smoke out of my behind but fantasy football has changed the ways fans have viewed the game and in a negative way.