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!

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.

The Year of the Stretch Forward

In the last two weeks since my rankings came out, there have been many changes: upsets, shocking victories, and the Chinese New Year.  That's right, on February 10th we officially entered The Year of Snake.  So, in honor of The Year of the Snake, I am naming this college basketball season "The Year of the Stretch Forward".

The stretch forward, or stretch four, is a term used to designate a player that plays at the power forward position, but has skills that are not normally associated with a power forward, namely: the ability to knock down a three pointer. The difference between a traditional forward and a stretch forward is purely on the offensive end. The stretch forward has the ability to play inside and around the perimeter, thus stretching out the defense.  Made popular in the NBA by players like Ryan Anderson, Kevin Love, and Ersan Ilyasova, the stretch forward position, if played correctly, can become a team's most dangerous weapon on offense. Recently however, college teams have began recruiting and developing players to play this role, and for many of them, it is working very well.  I am going to highlight five of the best in the college game at this position, and show the impact they are having on their teams.

Erik Murphy - Florida Gators - 6'10" 238 lbs. 

The senior (pictured right) from South Kingston, Rhode Island is one of the best stretch forwards in the nation.  He is averaging 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game for the 5th ranked Gators.  Murphy, a career 44% three point shooter, is shooting a blazing 50% from 3 this year, making 52 of his 104 attempts from deep.  He is an 83% free throw shooter, and also takes care of the ball: only 1.4 turnovers per game.  Murphy has led Florida to a 21-3 record, and a first place standing in the SEC with an 11-1 conference record. They are in running for a potential 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with ESPN projecting them for one of the four coveted top seeds.  Florida arguably would not be in the situation they are now without Murphy, who has stepped up in a huge way in the last few weeks as Florida's front line has been plagued by injuries   Look for Murphy to lead his Gators deep into the NCAA Tournament this year.

Romero Osby - Oklahoma Sooners - 6'8" 232 lbs.

Osby is making a big name for himself in Norman.  The transfer from Mississippi State has played his last two seasons of eligibility with the Sooners.  Known as a lock-down defender, Osby has improved on offense to become the leading scorer for Oklahoma averaging 14 points per game.  He is shooting 56% from three this year, and grabbing 7 rebounds per game as well.  He doesn't take a lot of threes, but his ability to knock them down is what often opens up lanes for him to drive, which is exactly what he did to score 17 points in Oklahoma's upset win last week over #5 Kansas.  As for the rest of the team, Oklahoma is 16-8 with a 7-5 conference record.  They have quality wins over Kansas, and Oklahoma State; and no bad losses  so far.  They are being projected for an 8 seed in the tournament, and 5-1 or even a 4-2 record to finish out the season should place them safely in the NCAA Tournament. 

Doug McDermott - Creighton Bluejays - 6'8" 225 lbs.

You have to love those coach's sons.  Greg McDermott, Doug's father and Creighton's head coach, has to be pleased with his son's (and his team's) play this year.  Creighton is #1 nationally in 3 point percentage at 43%, and #2 in 3 pointers made per game at 9.3.  Doug McDermott is averaging 22.9 points per game, which is good for 3rd in the nation.  He also adds 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.  Doug has shot 48% from 3 the last two years, and adds an 86% mark from the charity stripe.  He is not afraid to shoot the ball, hoisting 118 attempts so far this year, and making 57 of them.  Doug McDermott went to Ames High School in Ames, Iowa where he was teammates with All-American and now Golden State Warrior, Harrison Barnes.  During McDermott's and Barnes' junior and senior seasons they posted a 53-0 record, and won two state championships.  Now McDermott has led his Creighton team to a 21-6 record, and they have been ranked most of the year.  They have however fallen a bit in conference play in the Missouri Valley Conference  and trail Wichita State by 1 game.  The good news is the Shockers have to travel to Omaha and take on Creighton in the last game of the year on March 2nd.  Both teams are projected to get seed somewhere in the 7-9 range in the NCAA Tournament. 

Ryan Kelly - Duke Blue Devils - 6'11" 230 lbs. 

Senior Ryan Kelly is by far the most valuable player for Duke this year.  He has averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this year to go along with 52% shooting from three.  His defense is incredible: he's known as a shut-down post defender.  He is deadly in transition shooting the three, and is an 80% free throw shooter.  The only problem is that he has been out with a leg injury since January 12th.  This is where you realize just how valuable Kelly is to Duke: they are 15-0 with Kelly, including 3 wins over top 5 teams, and they are 7-3 since then, going 0-2 against ranked teams.  This included a 27 point thrashing they took at Miami.  After losing to Maryland this past weekend, Duke has fallen to #6 in the rankings.  They are still projected for a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but how far they go in that tournament will solely depend on the heath of Ryan Kelly, who is projected to be healthy by the time the tournament starts. 

Kyle Wiltjer - Kentucky Wildcats - 6'10" 239 lbs.

In a season that has been highlighted by disappointments for the defending national champions, Kyle Wiltjer has been a bight spot for Kentucky.  The sophomore from Portland, Oregon has been a great scoring option for the Wildcats, averaging 11.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.  The 41% three point shooter showed up the biggest in Kentucky's most pivotal game of the season against then #16 Ole Miss.  The game was in Oxford, Mississippi, and Wiltjer silenced the crowed with 26 points, including 5 threes.  Kentucky, who is clinging to a tournament spot received more bad news last week, as standout center Nerlens Noel tore his ACL and is out for the season.  In their first game without him, Kentucky suffered a 30 point defeat to Tennessee who is just a .500 SEC team.  Kentucky sits at 17-8 with an 8-4 SEC record.  They will have to prove themselves in their 6 remaining games to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they are currently projected for a 10 seed.  

I can't believe that March Madness is almost here! This has been a crazy year for college basketball, and I'm pretty sure that it will only get crazier from this point on.  I will be releasing the second edition of my Straight Up Index rankings tomorrow.  'Til next time.