Nostalgia Sports: A Sneak Peak

      I've started a new blog in addition to Straight Up Sports.  The new blog, Nostalgia Sports, is an effort to remember more of the past, and to relive the greatest moments in sports history.  I wrote a Welcome Post that goes into a little more detail about what I am trying to achieve with Nostalgia Sports.  You can find the main page HERE, which I highly suggest you add to your favorites! Straight Up Sports will still be the same informative content that you crave, so do not worry!

     To give you a glimpse of what Nostalgia Sports has to offer, here's an excerpt of my most recent post about the 2007 Fiesta Bowl:

"The game started as planned for Boise State, who jumped out to a 21-10 lead at the half, fueled by Oklahoma errors and turnovers.  But Oklahoma would come charging back, to trail only 20-28 with just under 2:00 to play.  After a touchdown, and successful 2-point conversion, the game was tied 28-28 with a 1:12 to go.  Everyone assumed that Boise would run a few plays, give the "two minute drill" a try, and the game would go quietly into overtime.  That didn't happen.

    The Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky tried to throw a long out route on the far sideline, and the receiver never broke to the outside.  The pass was easily picked off for a touchdown, and after the extra point, Boise State was down 35-28.  That was 15 point swing in a matter of seconds.

     It seemed like the dream was over for Boise, and that Oklahoma had just engineered an incredible comeback victory.  After a sack and 2 incomplete passes following the kickoff, Boise State was faced with the worst situation you can be in: down 7 points, it's 4th down and 18, from the 50 yard line, with :18 left on the clock.  It would take a miracle to even force overtime from this point...

     And a miracle it was. The call was a hook and ladder.  A pass across the middle to a crossing wide receiver who makes the catch, and pitches it to another receiver crossing the field in the opposite direction.  The coach asked the backup quarterbacks what to call, and this is the play they came up with.

     It worked perfectly."


To find out what happens, and more, just click HERE to read the rest of the article, which includes pictures and videos from this game.  Thanks for reading! 'Til next time.

First Four Preview

Oh how I have waited for this day! May the glorious thing we call "March Madness" commence.  This post will be my first of many involving the NCAA Tournament as I cover the action every step of the way.  The best thing about college basketball is that every college basketball team has a mathematical shot at being the National Champion.  That number has now been reduced to 68 teams.  The field traditionally used to be a 64 team field, but the NCAA has decided they want to make even more money, so two years ago they expanded the field to 68 and started what they call the "First Four", which is simply 4 play-in games that take place in Dayton a couple of days before the actual tournament starts.  This will be the third year that the First Four has taken place.

Surprisingly, teams have had success out of the First Four.  Virginia Commonwealth made it all the way to the Final Four in 2011 even though they had to play an extra game in the First Four.  The NCAA Selection Committee (The people that decide who is in and who is out) has been very lenient towards teams from smaller conferences over the last few years when deciding which teams will be the last ones in. The trend held strong this year, as none of the teams selected for the First Four are from a major conference.  Here is my preview of the First Four games of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. (All times Eastern)

(16) North Carolina A&T vs (16) Liberty - Tuesday March 19, 6:40 pm
The First Four has two games that take place between 16 seeds, and two games with teams that are seeded somewhere between 11-14.  Unfortunately for the 16 seeds, these games are preparing them for the slaughterhouse: the winner will go on to face a 1 seed.  In the long history of the NCAA Tournament a 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed.  In the case of these teams, they will go on to face the number 1 overall seed, Louisville. Both of these teams had to win their conference tournament to receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina A&T was a relatively darkhorse team out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).  The MEAC had been dominated all season by Norfolk State and North Carolina Central, but both of those teams lost in the early rounds of the conference tournament   North Carolina A&T defeated Morgan State by 3 to secure this spot.  They finished 19-16 on the season with a 8-8 conference record.
The Liberty Flames have to be one of the best stories of March Madness.  They started out their year by losing the first 8 games they played.  Add in a poor conference season, and they were 12-20 heading into their conference tournament.  But they got hot at the right time, rattled off 5 straight wins, and beat heavy favorite Charleston Southern in the Big South conference championship game to clinch a berth in the tournament.  They have a 15-20 record, and went 6-10 in conference.
Straight Up Pick: North Carolina A&T

(16) LIU Brooklyn vs (16) James Madison - Wednesday March 20, 6:40 pm
The other 16 seed matchup features LIU Brooklyn and James Madison.  The winner of this game will go on to face the 1 seeded Indiana Hoosiers. LIU Brooklyn has one of the best point guards in the country, Jason Brickman.  Brickman is averaging an incredible 8.5 assists per game.  He has led the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds to a 20-13 record, and a victory in the Northeast Conference tournament to secure their NCAA Tournament bid.
The Blackbirds will face the James Madison Dukes from the Colonial Athletic Conference.  James Madison won their conference tournament over favorite Northeastern by 13 points.  They have a 20-14 record on the season.
Straight Up Pick: LIU Brooklyn

(11) Saint Mary's vs (11) Middle Tennessee State - Tuesday March 19, 9:10 pm
The first at-large matchup of the tournament features two 11 seeds that many thought would not even make the tournament.  The winner of this game will move on to face 6 seeded Memphis.  The Saint Mary's Gaels have a 27-6 record on the season, and are led by one of the most dynamic players in the country, point guard Matthew Dellavedova.  They played in the West Coast Conference where they had a 14-2 record, with their only two conference losses coming to Gonzaga, who is a 1 seed in the tournament.
Saint Mary's dynamic back court will have a tough task ahead of them, as they take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. MTSU has a 28-5 record, and went 19-1 in the Sun Belt conference.  They were favored to win their conference tournament and get an auto-bid, but lost in the second round to Florida International.  These two teams have not played the toughest schedules in the nation, and it will be very interesting to see how they are perform, each team coming off of a loss in their most recent game.
Straight Up Pick: Saint Mary's

(13) La Salle vs (13) Boise State - Wednesday March 20, 9:10 pm
The final First Four matchup features two of the best bubble teams in the nation.  The winner of this game will move on to face a tough 4 seed, Kansas State. La Salle had a great year in one of the tougher mid-major conferences, the Atlantic 10.  They ended up with a 21-9 record, but lost their last 2 games of the season.  They do hold quality wins over Butler and VCU this year however.
La Salle will face one of the hottest teams in the NCAA Tournament, the Boise State Broncos.  Boise State, out of the Mountain West Conference (the best non-major conference in the nation), finished with a 21-10 record, including winning 5 of their last 7 games.  Regardless of who wins this game, they are poised for a deep tournament run.
Straight Up Pick: Boise State

This was the First Four preview, and was also the first piece of A LOT of great March Madness content that is still to come.  Look for more previews, sleeper picks, and a hot/cold chart that will help you pick your brackets.  I love March, and I hope you do too.  'Til next time.

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.