The Greatest Thursday Ever

Thursday is usually that day you struggle through, knowing that Friday is next, and after that comes Saturday, which means 12+ straight hours of nonstop college football.  But this week, you will not have to wait until Friday, because sports fans, as this might just become THE GREATEST THURSDAY EVER.
You want a game with major college teams?
Done.
You want two of them?
Done.
You want the games to be hard-fought, and feature teams with something on the line?
Done.
You want them to both feature ranked teams?
Done.
You want all four of those teams to be ranked in the top 10?
Done.
You want these game to feature undefeated teams?
Done!
You want these games TO HAVE MAJOR BCS IMPLICATIONS!
DONE!!!

The only thing that would make this night any better would be a monkey rodeo*... Can we get someone on that please? Thanks.

But seriously, Thursday night is about to be everything you asked for, and then some!

At 7:00 pm (EST) #10 Oklahoma (7-1) goes on the road to take on undefeated #7 Baylor (7-0) on FoxSports1. This will be Baylor's first major test of the season, as they begin a stretch where they play 5 straight tough teams to close out the season (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU, and Texas are the other 4).  Baylor has yet to play a ranked team this year, and I am excited to see what they can do on a prime time stage.  Baylor is leading the nation with just under 64 points per game, and 417 passing yards per game. Quarterback Bryce Petty is the man that allows them to do this, but he is accompanied by a great group of wide receivers, and a running back with legit NFL potential in Lache Seastrunk.  You may remember him as the guy who scored a touchdown after pulling a hammy mid-run from last year, but he has turned into a great all around back. Baylor's offense is amazing, but will it hold up against the Sooner's defense? This game will be a great indicator of whether or not Baylor has the ability to make a BCS run this year.

An hour and a half later on ESPN comes what might be an even better matchup, when #3 Oregon (8-0)
travels down to Palo Alto and takes on #5 Stanford (7-1).  This game has the potential to propel Oregon past Florida State in the polls if they win.  This is a classic showdown of two opposite systems colliding, as Oregon's high tempo offense meets Stanford's tough defense and grind-it-out offense.  Heisman candidate Marcus Mariota is leading the way for the Ducks, as he has put up some great numbers thus far this year.  Overall, the winner of this game will be in the drivers seat to win the Pac 12 North, but more importantly for Oregon, this could be their shot at a national title game. Remember last year: Oregon was left out of the national championship game, and Alabama was chosen over them because of a 3 point OT loss to Stanford. This looks to be a game for the ages.

If this doesn't entertain you on a Thursday night, I don't know what will! You might just want to call in sick on Friday so you can have some time to recover! I have never seen a non-Saturday be this important in college football.  I can't wait! Just a reminder: Oklahoma @ Baylor is on FoxSports1 at 7:00 pm (EST) and Oregon @ Stanford is on ESPN at 9:00 (EST).  'Til next time.

*Seriously, "Monkey Rodeo" might just be the greatest thing ever.  Check it out HERE!

2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (Part I)

The best part of the college football season is, unfortunately, the end.  But that awesome time from December 15th to January 7th is the most fun any fan could expect to have.  Here is Part I of my 2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (all times Eastern):

The Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Saturday December 15th, 1:00 pm.
Nevada (7-5) vs Arizona (7-5) - Arizona and Nevada don't have to travel very far to kick off the bowl season.  Arizona has had an up and down year, with great wins against Oklahoma State and USC, but letdowns against Oregon and Arizona State.  In Rich Rodriguez's first year, it seems like there are two different Arizona teams that took the field this year.  It will be interesting to see which one shows up against Nevada, who is no slouch, but has lost 4 of its last 5 games this year. Straight Up Pick: Arizona.

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Saturday December 15th, 4:30 pm.

Toledo (9-3) vs #22 Utah State (10-2) - Utah State comes in riding a 6 game winning streak, with a top notch win against Louisiana Tech.  Their two losses on the year came to BYU and Wisconsin by a combined 5 points.  Toledo's balanced attack will be a tough test for the Utah State defense, as Toledo has a point to prove in the MAC, which has become a surprisingly competitive conference over the last couple of seasons. Straight Up Pick: Utah State.

The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Thursday December 20th, 8:00 pm.
Brigham Young (7-5) vs San Diego State (9-3) - Independent BYU has to travel to play what will be practically a home game for San Diego State. Both teams have had quarterback issues, and will rely on powerful running games in this matchup. Straight Up Pick: San Diego State.

The Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl: Friday December 21st, 7:30 pm.
Ball State (9-3) vs UCF (9-4) - After losing the Conference USA title game to Tulsa, UCF has to face a feisty Ball State team who played very well in the MAC this year. Led by junior quarterback Keith Wenning and a great group of receivers, Ball State will try to keep pace with UCF's dynamic offense. Straight Up Pick: UCF

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Saturday December 22nd, 12:00 pm.
East Carolina (8-4) vs Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) - Both teams are riding 3 game winning streaks into this game, with Louisiana-Lafayette led by their conservative short passing and running game, while East Carolina is content to fling it all over the field with great athletes at all the skill positions. Straight Up Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Macco Las Vegas Bowl: Saturday December 22nd, 3:30 pm.
Washington (7-5) vs #19 Boise State (10-2) - Washington had a nice upset of Oregon State, but has largely disappointed in what was predicted to be a big year for the Huskies.  Meanwhile, Boise State has played a great season, with quarterback Joe Southwick looking better every game. Straight Up Pick: Boise State.

The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Monday December 24th, 8:00 pm.
Fresno State (9-3) vs Southern Methodist (6-6) - SMU has had an inconsistent year, but started to find their stride winning 2 of their last 3 games.  Fresno State however is one of the most underrated teams in the country, with loses against Oregon, Boise State, and Tulsa.  Fresno State touts the number 12 ranked scoring offense this year, so look for them to put up a lot of points in this one. Straight Up Pick: Fresno State.

The Little Caesars Bowl: Wednesday December 26th, 7:30 pm.
Western Kentucky (7-5) vs Central Michigan (6-6) - After a dramatic upset of Iowa early in the season, Central Michigan went in the tank and lost 4 straight games.  They recovered however, and finished the year on a 3 game winning streak. Western Kentucky has had an okay year across the board, and found themselves in a bowl game for the first time in school history since moving to D1. Straight Up Pick: Western Kentucky.


The Military Bowl: Thursday December 27th, 3:00 pm.
#24 San Jose State (10-2) vs Bowling Green (8-4) - San Jose State brings a top 15 passing offense and a whole lot of momentum into this game.  San Jose State is a team that just finds a way to win games.  Bowling Green will try to stop SJSU's passing with their top 10 defense.  Straight Up Pick: San Jose State.

The Belk Bowl: Thursday December 27th, 6:30 pm.
Cincinnati (9-3) vs Duke (6-6) - The good news for Duke: they made a bowl game.  The bad news for Duke: It's against Cincinnati, who's smash-mouth style will be a tough match for the Blue Devils.  Cincinnati is led by one of the best players with the best name: quarterback Munchie Legaux. Straight Up Pick: Cincinnati.

The Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Thursday December 27th, 9:45 pm.
Baylor (7-5) vs #17 UCLA (9-4) - I will tell you this: lot's of points will be scored.  Both schools boast top ranked offenses, and we are still not sure if Baylor has a defense. UCLA's Brett Hundley will see if he can outgun Baylor's Nick Florence.  Straight Up Pick: UCLA.




More game previews coming in Part II. Enjoy these great games! Til' next time.

Super Bowl and Some Upsets

This has been the craziest last few days in sports. Good thing I am here to straighten it out.

Today, Sunday January 22nd, former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 85 due to complications with lung cancer.  Paterno won 409 career games as a head coach, all of them with Penn State. He is the all time winningest coach in college football history.  He took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships, and over 250 of his players would go on to the NFL. "He will go down as the greatest football coach in the history of the game," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said today.  The circumstances surrounding his death are extremely sad. 

How do I describe this week in college basketball? Exciting? Crazy? Unstable? How ever you say it, it was awesome for any hoops fan, or anyone that loves to watch a good upset.  The first team I would like to highlight is Baylor.  The Bears came into this week 17-0 and ranked #3 with two top ten matchups within  the Big 12. They lost them both. First, an 18 point whooping at #7 Kansas, followed by a 1 point 89-88 loss at home to #5 Missouri.  This gives Kansas 16-3(6-0) the lead in the Big 12, but with a very tough schedule to come, that includes Missouri twice, and Baylor one more. Looks like a great race in the Big 12.  

Duke came into the week with a 45 home court winning streak. That streak is no more.  Thanks to the giant killer Florida State, Duke suffered their first ACC loss at the hands of the Seminoles.  Junior guard Michael Snaer hit a game winning three as time expired to upset the #4 Blue Devils 76-73. A week earlier the 'Noles upset #5 North Carolina 90-57. This is coming from a team that lost to Harvard and Princeton, and lost their first ACC game by 20 to a inconsistent rebuilding Clemson team. But Florida State is 4-1 in the ACC, and might be the hottest team in college hoops right now.  

After Baylor went down, there were two undefeated teams left: number 1 ranked Syracuse and Murray State. Then Syracuse lost.  Playing in a very hostile environment at Notre Dame, the Irish were in control of the game from the start, out hustling Syracuse the whole game. The Orange, playing without their starting center Fab Melo, who was unable to make the trip due to academic issues, were outmatched in the post. Notre Dame is now 12-8 (4-3 in the Big East), and has suffered this year after losing star forward Tim Abromaitis early in the season to an injury.  But this win could spark the Irish, who definitely have to ability to step up this year in the Big East. Syracuse still leads the Big East, however, leaving Murray State as the only undefeated team left in college basketball.

The Super Bowl matchup is set, and I can't wait.  Patriots vs. Giants. The New England Patriots, defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 thanks to a Billy Cundiff missed 32 yard field goal with 11 seconds left to send the game into overtime. This will be Tom Brady's fifth career trip to the Super Bowl.  

It is very difficult to win games when you go 0-12 on 3rd down conversions. The San Francisco 49ers learned this, losing to the red hot New York Giants 20-17 in overtime. Two fumbles on punt returns for the normally turnover free 49ers led to a crucial touchdown and the game winning Lawrence Tynes field goal in overtime. Tynes also kicked a game winning overtime field goal in 2007 to put the Giants in the Super Bowl against the Patriots, which the Giants won. The stage is set for a great, deja-vu, Super Bowl!

The Super Bowl is set, college basketball is on fire, the NBA and the NHL are getting exciting, and I think I can almost smell spring training! 'Til Next Time.