Bowl Preview: BCS and Other Intriguing Bowl Games:

Dec. 31st, Chik-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia) #20 South Carolina versus #23 Florida State

Synopsis: 

Two bowl game selecting rules collide as Rule #1 never pick against the SEC and rule #5 pick the Florida team meet.  Florida State has already proven they can win against football's most prestigious conference as they crushed rival Florida 31-7, but South Carolina also defeated the Gators 36-14.  Both defenses took thrashings in their respected conference championship games, Florida State gave up 44 points and SC gave up 56.  Aside from their shared victories against Florida and Clemson South Carolina has better wins against Alabama and Georgia.  FSU's best wins are versus Miami Florida and Maryland.  Florida State played much better on the road and Christian Ponder is a superior quarterback to Stephen Garcia.

X-Factor:

Alshon Jeffery, the tall, big wideout will be the best player on the field and South Carolina needs to take advantage of his ability.

Prediction: South Carolina 35 over Florida State 23

Jan. 1st Outback Bowl (Tampa, Florida) Florida versus Penn State

Synopsis:

Joe Paterno already announced a desire to return for next year, so this game does not have any of the drama which surrounded Bobby Bowden's Gator Bowl finale last year.  However, there has been a turnover for the Gators with Urban Meyer's unexpected departure.  We will have to see if the Gators are as affected by their head coaching change as Cincinnati was against the Gators last season.  Both teams have been disappointingly mediocre.  John Brantley has impressed no one in 1 A.T.  The Gators' defense will need to be stout because Penn State's defense will not give up much to the surprisingly weak Florida offense.

X-Factor:

Lawrence Marsh, the big defensive tackle will need to be a stopper against Even Royster, Penn State's oustanding runner.

Prediction: Penn State 20 over Florida 13

Jan. 1st Capital One Bowl (Orlando, Florida) #16 Alabama versus #9 Michigan State:

Synopsis:

It is hard to justify Michigan State being better than Alabama.  The Spartans appear to be outclassed in every facet of the game, but it also appeared that way for Sparty against Wisconsin, the most impressive win from either of these teams.  Of course Bama has the returning talent from last year's championship team, but will those guys feel motivated to play in the Capital One Bowl?  MSU can continue to make a mark on the College Football world by beating the Tide, but it will be their toughest test yet.  Michigan State is not in the top 20 for total, rushing, passing, or scoring offense or defense.  Bama is higher than Michigan State in all of those statistics as well as in the top five in scoring and total defense, but Michigan State always finds a way to win ball games.

X-Factor:

Edwin Baker, Sparty's running back will need to be sharp as the Bama defense out matches the Spartan offense at every position on the field.

Prediction: #16 Alabama 34 over #9 Michigan State 14

Jan. 4th Cotton Bowl (Dallas, Texas) #11 LSU versus #17 Texas A&M

Synopsis:

Les Miles once again sees himself outside the BCS and on the hot seat.  His championship in 2007 is losing its luster as LSU hasn't played in a BCS game since.  Unlike the disappointed Tigers, Texas A&M enters with a "We're just happy to be here" mentality.  The Aggies finished a solid 9-3 after a horrendous start which included losses to Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma State.  The Aggies have more quality wins, against Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, and a good Baylor team.  LSU did beat North Carolina and West Virginia out of conference and Bama, but the UNC win looked worse as the season moved on and West Virginia is in the Big East.  This is a game to look forward to between a team that wanted to get more and a team that got more than it wanted.  We'll see if this intangible plays a role in the game.

X-Factor:

Ryan Tannehill, as always it is easy to take a Quarterback, but Tannehill has been the reason for the Aggies' revitalization.  If he plays like he did during the regular season, A&M wins.

Prediction: #11 LSU 31 over #17 Texas A&M 21 

Jan. 1st The Rose Bowl Game (Pasadena, California) #3 TCU versus #5 Wisconsin

Synopsis:

The Badgers are one of the most feared rushing teams in the nation with three backs all garnering over 850 yards and 13 touchdowns: (James White 1,029, 14; John Clay 936, 13; Monte Ball 864, 17).  TCU however has gained the reputation of stopping every team's offense.  They are first in team defense and points against.  Surprisingly, the Horned Frogs are actually higher in rushing yards per game, but many would attribute this to the Mountain West-Big Ten rather than the ability of each team.  This is TCU's real chance to prove they are not an overrated BCS Buster, but a legitimate National Title contender against a legitimate National Title contender.  

X-Factor:

Andy Dalton, it is always easy to pick the quarterback, but Dalton needs to have a great game for the Horned Frogs to score with the Badgers.

Prediction: #5 Wisconsin 31 over #3 TCU 27

Jan. 1st Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona) #7 Oklahoma versus Connecticut

Synopsis:

The Huskies are one of the most surprising and criticized BCS teams ever.  They won an automatic qualifying conference, yet they are getting pelted with harsh reactions.  While the 8-4, unranked Huskies are felt as being undeserving, they did what they had to.  Early season losses to Michigan, Temple, Louisville, and Rutgers never phased UConn and they won their last five conference games.  Oklahoma, however, had been highly ranked for most of the year including being number 1 for a week.  They have wins against Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma State and Florida State.  The Sooners fought to get their BCS bid.  Both teams had to make tough conference runs to get here, although the road through the Big-12 was tougher than that of the Big East.  UConn is not a leader in many major categories, but Oklahoma is one of the best passing teams in the country.

X-Factor:

Ryan Broyles: The Oklahoma wideout much like Alshon Jeffrey will be the best player on the field.  If he makes plays, Oklahoma wins comfortably, but if he struggles, it could be a long, grind-it-out game.

Prediction: #7 Oklahoma 35 over Connecticut 17

Jan. 3rd Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida) #4 Stanford versus #13 Virginia Tech

Synopsis:

Both these teams have flown into Miami under the national radar.  Stanford has been overshadowed by Pac-10 mate Oregon and Va-Tech's two early losses to Boise State and James Madison made people ignore the Hokies.  Now, both teams find themselves in a BCS bowl.  Few players have been playing as well as Va-Tech's quarterback Tyrod Taylor, but one might be Stanford signal-caller Andrew Luck.  The disappearance of Ryan Williams has confused many after being one of the best backs last year, but Darren Evans has re-made his own name rushing for over 800 yards this year.  Meanwhile, Stanford has not been phased by Toby Gerhardt's departure as their rushing attack is still 17th in the country.  Both teams are balanced, so it will be hard for the opposing defenses to keep the scoring low.

X-Factor:

Stepfan Taylor, the Stanford running back needs to keep Va-Tech off of Andrew Luck by both running and blocking effectively.

Prediction: #13 Virgina Tech 28 over #4 Stanford 27

Jan 3rd Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana) #6 Ohio State versus #8 Arkansas

Synopsis:

It should be mentioned Ohio State will be at full force as the suspensions to key players will not be enforced until the start of next year.  Even at full strength, it is still up in the air if Ohio State can beat Arkansas (or any SEC team for that matter).  They beat Miami Florida, a fast southern team, but that win got less impressive as the season culminated.  The Pigs made noise in the SEC by nearly defeating the #1 team in the nation at the time, Alabama, scroing 43 points and playing solidly against the current #1 team in the nation Auburn, and knocking Les Miles from the BCS by defeating #5 LSU.  Arkansas has been a dark horse all year, but now the team can show they are forreal by winning a BCS game.  It would behoove Jim Tressel to win another BCS game after beating Oregon last year since he has been in the doghouse for not winning the bowl games.  Ohio State's defense can make stops, but can the offense score enough to beat the SEC?  History says no.

X-Factor:

Cameron Heyward, OSU's stout defensive end will need to play tough and get pressure on Ryan Mallet and force Mallet's hand early in pass plays.

Prediction: #8 Arkansas 27 over #6 Ohio State 17

Jan. 10th National Championship Game (Glendale, Arizona) #1 Auburn versus #2 Oregon 

Synopsis:

People cannot wait for this game.  Two teams that love to score which have big names in the backfields.  Both run the ball as much as possible.  Auburn has the advantage at Quarterback in Heisman winner Cam Newton. but Oregon's main play-maker is running back LaMichael James.  Auburn's defensive front has been outstanding, but the same can be said for Oregon's burly offensive line.  At the end, it may appear the defenses did not show up to Glendale for this game.  In the end, it may be whoever makes the bigger play on defense wins this game.

X-factor:

Darvin Adams: Oregon will be keyed in on stopping Cam Newton and Auburn from running.  The Tigers will need Adams to play like he did against South Carolina in the SEC championship game.

Prediction: #1 Auburn 45 over #2 Oregon 41

Bowl Preview: Lesser Bowls

Dec. 18th, New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, New Mexico) BYU 28 versus UTEP 20
Dec. 18th, Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, Idaho) Northern Illinois 13 versus Fresno State 31
Dec. 18th New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana) Ohio 17 versus Troy 7
Dec. 21st O'Brady's Bowl (St. Petersburgh, Florida) Southern Miss 35 versus Louisville 20
Dec. 22nd Las Veges Bowl (Las Vegas, Nevada) #19 Utah 10 versus #10 Boise State 49
Dec. 23rd Poinsettia Bowl (San Diego, California) Navy 24 versus San Diego State 27
Dec. 24th Hawaii Bowl (Honolulu, Hawaii) #24 Hawaii 31 versus Tulsa 41
Dec. 26th Little Caesar's Bowl (Detroit, Michigan) Florida International 28 versus Toledo 21
Dec. 27th Independence Bowl (Shreveport, Louisiana) Air Force 17 versus Georgia Tech 21
Dec. 28th Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, Florida) #22 West Virginia 24 versus NC State 13
Dec. 28th Insight Bowl (Tempe, Arizona) #12 Missouri 10 versus Iowa 13
Dec. 29th Military Bowl (Washington D.C.) East Carolina 42 versus Maryland 34
Dec. 29th Texas Bowl (Houston, Texas) Illinois 13 versus Baylor 31
Dec. 29th Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, Texas) #14 Oklahoma State 37 versus Arizona 17
Dec. 30th Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas, Texas) Army 20 versus Southern Methodist 21
Dec. 30th Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, New York) Kansas State 20 versus Syracuse 3
Dec. 30th Music City Bowl (Nashville, Tennessee) North Carolina 16 versus Tennessee 17
Dec. 30th Holiday Bowl (San Diego, California) #18 Nebraska 28 versus Washington 6
Dec. 31st Meinke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, North Carolina) South Florida 24 versus Clemson 14
Dec. 31st Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas) Notre Dame 10 versus Miami Florida 21
Dec. 31st Liberty Bowl (Memphis, Tennessee) Georgia 20 versus #25 Central Florida 14
Jan. 1st Ticketcity Bowl (Dallas, Texas) Northwestern 21 versus Texas Tech 42
Jan. 1st Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, Florida) #21 Mississippi State 28 versus Michigan 45
Jan. 6th Godaddy.com Bowl (Mobile, Alabama) Middle Tennessee State 23 versus Miami Ohio 21
Jan. 8th Compass Bowl (Birmingham, Alabama) Pittsburgh 16 versus Kentucky 13
Jan. 9th Fight Hunger Bowl (San Francisco, California) #15 Nevada 31 versus Boston College 10

Picking a Bowl Game:

College's football's bowl season is one of the best times in sports.  Three weeks of college football games culminates in the exciting battle for the title of National Champion.  Many people like to pick the bowl games, or well, most of them.  When picking a bowl game there are many factors to look at and we begin with the first rule of picking a BCS Bowl Game:

(1) Never pick against the SEC, especially in BCS bowl games:  The Southeastern Conference finished a sub-par 5-3 last year, but fear not, they won both their BCS Bowl games.  The SEC has been the best conference in College Football for years.  You may not win every game (although you might) if you always pick with the SEC, but you will be over .500.

(2) Never pick against Utah: The Utes have the most impressive bowl resumès of the past decade, turning in 8 wins and nine straight.  The Utes, however, have to play Boise State in one of the best match-ups this season which sagways perfectly into our next rule...

(3) Never pick against Boise State:  They did lose to TCU two years ago, and while the Broncos are not playing in a BCS Bowl, they do have a high anticipated match-up against Utah.  With the last two rules, the Boise-Utah game is a tough pick.

(4) Always pick against Notre Dame: Even with high valued win against Hawaii last year, Notre Dame has earned zero respect for his lack of the Irish.  Their last true bowl win was against Texas A&M in 1994.  They play Miami Florida this year, which ones again sagways....

(5) Always pick with the Florida team: They went 3-1 last year...

(6) Go against the norm for the Big East: Pitt was the underdog against North Carolina and won, the same can be said for Rutgers against Central Florida, oh and Uconn beating South Carolina was the same deal.  The higher ranked boys from Cincinnati were pummeled by Florida (rule 5)...the exception to this rule,  South Florida who beat a horrible Northern Illinois team, but remember rule 5.

(7) Pick against the BCS Buster: Utah won in 2005 against Pitt, but if you use Rule 6, it was expected.  Also, Boise won last year, but that was against TCU which was another BCS Buster which leads us to rule (7B) A BCS Buster can only win against the Big East or another BCS Buster.

(8) Pick against "Big Game" Bob: Bob Stoops is a decent 5-6 in bowl games, but only 2-5 in BCS Bowl Games...and recently he hasn't fared so well, going 0 for his last 5, maybe it's a misnomer or maybe it's Oklahoma, anyway, their game against Uconn is ominous thanks to rules 6 and 8.

(9) Pick against the Heisman Winner: Yes Mark Ingram broke the curse last year, but the record before Ingram...1-9 and Quarterbacks were in the National Championship are 0-5.

(10) #2: Rule 10 is about #2...they are 6-2 in the last 8 National Championships.

Good Luck!!

College Football Week 13:

It's almost over as teams stagger into the final weeks of college football:

-There was only one upset, the Beavers of Oregon State beating USC as Matt Barkley ws injured.
-Boise State stomped Fresno and only Nevada remains for the Broncos who looked poised for a BCS Title Berth.
-Alabama will meet Auburn in the upcoming week to try and end the Tigers awesome season.
-Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will meet in the Bedlam game to decide who will play most likely Nebraska but possibly Missouri in the Big-12 Title Game. 
-LSU barely survived a seesaw game against Ole Miss and will now try to do a little hopping of the Busters in the BCS poll.
-If I hear one more pun on Andrew Luck's last name I may kill myself.
-For the first time ever, Texas is the only Big-12 South team not bowl eligible.

College Football Week 11:

I forgot to mention that week 10 was my bye week, but we're back here, week 11 and looking to get back on track after an excellent BCS article (check it out):

-Natty Bumpo: The biggest news comes from the Big 10 where Northwestern upset Iowa, breaking the awesome 4-way tie atop the conference.  Iowa will need some help and a win against the opportunistic Buckeyes of Ohio State this week to get back to a BCS bowl.

-Buh Bum Bum: All the teams in the top 10 won

-Fighting, Irish:  Notre Dame came up big getting me an UA win and getting one win away from bowl eligibility.

-Va Tech continues to shine, now 6-0 in conference and they keep trying to make it look like they know what I'm talking about.

In conclusion:  The season is coming together, the upcoming Auburn-Alabama game will decide everything for TCU and Boise as well as the overall national championship picture.

BCS Playoff:

While I have blatantly trumpet my disdain for the BCS Busters of College Football, I must concede to idea of a College Football playoff system.  Just two weeks ago or so I echoed the benefits of the current BCS system, but that veiled my want for a playoff because I was giddily preaching against TCU and Boise State.  The idea of a playoff would satisfy all the yayhoos who shout their disgust off the BCS from the rooftops, but moreover, would provide an opportunity for more teams and also give teams who might lose a game another shot.  Honestly, I love the meaningfulness of the regular season in college football, but the BCS has become better known for making mistakes and leaving teams out than for making the right choice.  It is extremely rare to find only two teams who are above the rest.  This season would normally play out that way, but the current love affair with non-BCS conference teams has wreaked another season of whinny from the pro-playoff conglomerate.  On the basis of having to pick a side (because this is America and there is no neutral), I must admit my pro-playoff attitude, but College Football cannot fully shun a meaningful regular season.  Everything must fit together perfectly, but it never will and people will always complain.  The goal (much like playing a zone defense) is to keep the holes in the system small enough that mistakes are minimal and bitchers are minuscule.  Here is my blueprint for a perfect playoff system based on an automatic bid from every conference on the premise of BCS rankings this season and a more basic blueprint for future season (based upon projected results):

#1 Oregon (BCS #1/ Pac-10 Champ) versus #16 Troy* (Sun Belt Champ)
#2 Auburn (BCS #2/SEC Champ) versus #15 Central Florida* (CUSA Champ)
#3 TCU (BCS #3/MWC Champ) versus #14 N. Illinois* (MAC Champ)
#4 Boise State (BCS #4.WAC Champ) versus #13 Pittsburgh* (Big East Champ)
#5 LSU (BCS #5/At-large) versus #12 Missouri (BCS #12.At-large)
#6 Stanford (BCS #6/At-large) versus #11 Virginia Tech (BCS #11/ACC Champ)
#7 Wisconsin (BCS #7/Big Ten Champ) versus #10 Michigan State (BCS #10/At-large)
#8 Nebraska (BCS #8/Big-12 Champ) versus #9 Ohio State (BCS #9/At-large)

*Teams are not in BCS top 16 but receive automatic bid for conference championship.

#1 Oregon advances to play #8 Nebraska
#2 Auburn advances to play #7 Wisconsin
#3 TCU advances to play #6 Stanford
#4 Boise State advances to play #5 LSU __________________________________________
#1 Oregon advances to play #4 Boise State
#2 Auburn advances to play #3 TCU _____________________________________________
#1 Oregon plays #2 Auburn for the National Championship

A Video and a Lesson on Football

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edD5hVLMwnE

A middle school coach developed that, and while it is a little mean to take advantage of the other team's naivety, it still makes for one hell of a YouTube video.  A play that is completely legal and made me proud to be a blogger.  It is what makes watching football played by kids better than the no nonsense stuff of the NFL.  The NFL is most exciting when the team does something out of the ordinary once a season.  The arbitrariness of football at the grade school, high school, and even the college level is what makes it so exciting.  The people out there aren't supposed to be mistake free.  They are not playing to make a salary, but to have fun and to win.  They play at their best at all times.

In Conclusion: The NFL is the worst type of football to watch because the straight-laced, no mistake, no chance football is humdrum and boring.  We like watching mistakes when players aren't the best to offer....like grade school.

College Football Week 9:

Week 9, just seven weeks removed from monster Saturday, produced some excitement as the BCS waters cleared a little for the sake of the BCS-er:

-This was Sparta!: Michigan State couldn't keep the Cinderella story of the season going as Iowa absolutely derailed Sparty in Kinnick Stadium.  The pink lockers were not a welcomed sight as Iowa jumped out to an 30-0 halftime lead....tough to comeback from.  The Hawkeyes finished off MSU winning 37-6.


-This was Columbia!: The Tigers of the Show-me State showed their upset of Oklahoma was simply another stunt in order to assist TCU and Boise State as the overhyped Big-12 continues to beat itself up.  Nebraska fresh off a loss to Texas two weeks ago took out their second straight undefeated opponent, but both were better than projected/suspected.  Now the Big-12 north is in favor of the Corn Huskers despite their loss to Texas.  It looks like the match-up of Oklahoma (3-1)-Nebraska (3-1) we didn't get to see this regular season is going down, but Baylor (4-1 in conference) lurks, waiting for their week 12 game against Oklahoma in Waco


-Va-Tech?:  Remember Virginia Tech?  That team I picked to go 11-1...win the ACC and be really good?  Well they started out 0-2 with losses to Boise and FCS James Madison.  Pollsters have been slwo to forget Va-Tech's early season struggles and the Hokies reeling off six straight wins and landed them at #22 in the country, but for the Hokies now, being 4-0 in conference is all that matters.  Ga-Tech, UNC, and Miami Florida are their next three opponents in the hardest and most important part of Va-Tech's schedule...suddenly my ACC pick is right there, looking to prove me right...yayay!


-Why we love the BCS:  everyone rags on the BCS as being flawed, but there are its good points:
1) Many teams participate in a bowl every year, and many win a bowl, pride baby!
2) Not only one team gets the trophy: Making it to the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight would be cool, but that's all you are....quick, name the Final Four teams from last year (Butler, Duke, Michigan State, West Virginia)....if you did that, good job, the first team was probably Duke, because they won...winners are memorable.  If I asked you who won the Rose Bowl last year, Ohio State.  You could probably name that even quicker than the Final Four teams.  Sugar Bowl? Florida, Orange Bowl? Iowa, Fiesta Bowl? Bosie State, National Champion? Alabama....My point is more teams win and more are remembered, pride baby.
3) Teams get more respect for scheduling and conferences: My favorite part, keeps teams that want to schedule FCS West and FCS Northsouth out of key games because SOS keeps their computer ranking down, allowing 1 loss teams or even other undefeated teams to jump them and get a better bowl spot (especially the BCS National Championship
4) More games: Fans get more for longer, Bowl season is awesome, next best thing to March Madness.
We all love the BCS.

-Oregon-Auburn?  Okay: The two of the more exciting teams to watch would run all over each other's (O-3rd, A-4th in rushing respectively) defenses.  It would be a fun National Championship Game, let's all root for these two guys!

In Conclusion: You win some (Va-Tech) and lose some (Cincinnati)

College Football Week 8:

College Football season is halfway gone, but that doesn't mean the vague picture we had preseason is completely clear.  We do know that only Boise State and TCU are still here, waiting for the BCS schools to lose in their tough conferences where every week is a challenge, no disrespect intended.  I have been bashing Boise's and TCU's conferences for weeks now, but I shouldn't be bashing Boise and TCU.  It may not be popular, but if they take care of business, it is the fault of the AP and USA Today polls for keeping them so high in the polls.  Boise and TCU cannot control that their conferences are not at a BCS level, week 8:

-Boise and TCU: as I eluded to (or talked about) earlier, the BCS "Busters" continue to take care of business against the powerhouses of Air Force and Boise's heart wrenching bye week.  While I joke and poke, remember that Air Force was ranked only last week, so TCU was challenged winning 38-7.

-Auburn won, now #1 since Oklahoma lost

-That's all, sorry about the dilatory arrival of this post plus of upset alerts, I was busy.

Not Another Josh Hamilton Story: A Reds' fan's point of view.

I sit around and watch the Rangers-Yankees play in order to grasp a shot at the World Series.  The futility of the Rangers franchise which almost fell into bankrupt this season and one playoff series win (the Rays, this year) versus the hated Yankees with their hundreds of millions in salaries and billion dollar stadium...not to mention their 27 World Series Titles, but there is something that I wish the Reds had more than anything the Yankees have or have had.....Josh Hamilton.  Every time Hamilton comes to the plate, I instinctively wipe away the tear that always begins to trickle down.  Cincy began the Hamilton comeback when he took him in the Rule 5 Draft.  We were destined to have the story everyone talked about, the best hitter in the league, they say.  Unfortunately, it never happened.  When I saw the headline on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer about Hamilton being traded, I could not believe it.  Along came Edison Volquez, our prize in the trade.  Volquez was an all-star his first season, starting 8-2, and finishing 17-6 with an era of 3.21, nothing to shake a stick at...Hamilton?  He hit 32 home runs and batted in 130.  Most talked about how the trade would work out for both teams equally, oh how we Cincinnatians laugh at that notion now.  Hamilton continues to slug away, hitting another 32 bombs and knocking in 100 RBI's this year.  What about 2010?  In only 89 games he hit 10 homers and knocked in 54 homers, equivalent to 18 home runs and 98 RBI's in a 162 games, a sub-par season by Hamilton's standards.  Oh, woe, how the Reds' have once again doomed us to misery.  Rumors are ripe that Hamilton was picked for the trade over Jay Bruce.  At the time, it was not the worst choice, but looking back, even then Hamilton was the keeper.  You can look at Hamilton's stats in his rookie season with the Reds and see he was better.  I mean you look at it as "He is a druggie, why risk it?"....ummmmmmm wasn't that the point of picking him in the first place?  Hamilton had already proven he had kicked the stuff by making it back in the first place.  The idea of risk-reward is what drives the American investor.  I guess Hamilton's talent wasn't worth the risk...I mean the fact that he was completely clean and proven he was the five-tool player everyone thought he was....wait, shit.  I mean Hamilton's stats for a rookie are astounding.  In 90 games he hit 19 homers and 47 RBI's batting a lowly .292.  It probably didn't help that this season occurred when the Reds were still bad.  Hamilton was a guy who people wanted, he brought fans to the ballpark, called for national attention, and was a great guy.  Everything he has accomplished proves he is better than most, not just as a baseball player but he rests in the 99th percentile in courage and determination.  Now, a Reds fan who can only watch as Hamilton proves himself the best talent in baseball, Hamilton makes me sniffle.

In Conclusion:  Can you imagine the Reds with a viable #4 hitter that Hamilton would provide....Continue to be great, Josh, because that's what Cincinnati needs, more pain and agony knowing we let go of the most talented player in the MLB today...sorry Albert.

College Football Week 7:

It's like deja vu all over again.  Week 7 hath continued to make the worst outcome in the history of college football even more likey:

-There's that dang Deja Vu: #1 Ohio State lost to Wisconsin, and it wasn't really even close.  Camp Randall rocked from the word go as the Badgers ran back the opening kickoff and the Buckeyes late charge (similar to a game last week where Alabama made a late charge against South Carolina but was thwarted) but was...darn used my word...uh, shut down by Wisconsin.  Everyone knew the Badgers were talented and honestly may be the best team in the Big-10 if not for a hiccup against still undefeated Michigan State:

-THIS IS EAST LANSING!: The modern day Spartans are still firing on all cylinders.  In the second best conference in the country, Sparty refuses to be phased.  They took down a softer Big-10 opponent (who obliterated Joe Pa and Penn State) in Illinois.  We'll have to keep a close eye on the Spartans as they should pass up the Busters in the BCS poll if they remain undefeated.

-Tigers, Sooners, and Ducks!: Our best hopes to remain undefeated are SEC West dwellers Auburn/LSU/Missouri, Oklahoma, and Oregon.  LSU and Aubrun face off in the marquee game of this week.  Not far behind is the Missouri-Oklahoma match-up.  Oregon has the softest conference and has an unbelievable chance to remain undefeated with their toughest match-up left being the Civil War at the end of the year against Oregon State...we can only hope two of these teams (or Michigan State) can make it through and quell the Buster fire.

-Speaking of Busters: I continue to sagway as I start on the BCS Busters, namely Boise and TCU and their conferences.  Boise State, TCU, and Utah all remained undefeated, but Nevada fell at Hawaii.  Also, a ranked Air Force team lost to the mighty Aztecs of San Diego State.  One of either two positive things can be taken from these losses: 1) the conferences are stronger than the experts suspected and Boise, TCU, and Utah really need to watch out or 2) the conferences are as weak as I suspected and Boise, TCU, and Utah are really going to roll.

-Hey.....Oklahoma State!:  We don't want to downplay the Cowboys.  The only undefeated OSU in college football is Oklahoma and they are ready to be the best in the Big-12 south, but the combined record of every team they play whose mascot is not a Jayhawk?  try 25-6 including playing at Texas and #1 Oklahoma in BEDLAM!

-Speaking of BEDLAM!:  I know the Sooners already showed up in this article, but I have to talk them up.  Oklahoma has played a more than tough schedule this year.  They played against a tough Air Force team, at a tough Cincinnati team, against a top-15lorida State, and versus a top-20 Texas team.  Oklahoma avoids Nebraska for now, but may see them (or Missouri again) in the Big-12 Championship Game, so their schedule does get easier, especially after this week if they can slide past #11 and undefeated Missouri.

In Conclusion: It may be 3 in a row for #1 when Oklahoma plays at Missouri this weekend.  There is no need to think the Sooners cannot win, but it is certainly going to be a fun Week 8 featuring Okla-Mizzou, LSU-Auburn, Air Force-TCU, Michigan State-Northwestern, Wisconsin-Iowa, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Washington-Arizona, and Kansas State Baylor...all fantastic games, Ladies, (gentlemen) I am the first to claim this Contender-Pretender Saturday (heh, cept you Boise)

College Football Week 6:

Phew, a busy week hath produced a late post on week 6, but nonetheless here we go:

-The BCS has got trouble (right here in River City!): Ooops. the BCS is getting itself into the mess it didn't want.  Alabama lost to South Carolina and Ohio State and Oregon have ridiculous schedules looming.  Oklahoma might get through the regular season unscathed, but it is doubtful that LSU and Auburn will.  There is also the issue of the Big-12 Championship game, which may eliminate a title hopeful of either the Sooners or Nebraska.  The BCS's nightmare of TCU and Boise State both going undefeated, and no one else accomplishing it, is on the horizon.  What is a BCS-er to do?  Here are the questions a BCS-er must ask himself/herself:

1) Is a one loss Alabama or SEC team better than TCU and/or Boise State?
2) Is a one loss Ohio State or Oregon better than TCU and/or Boise State?
3) What about if Auburn, LSU, or even Michigan State go undefeated?  Will they leap the Broncos and Horned Frogs who have taken a firm seat on the BCS totem pole's pinnacle?
4) Then there is Utah, if they beat TCU and go undefeated, shouldn't they replace TCU and jump all one loss teams?
5) Nevada is the same as Utah, but in the WAC.
6) Does a 1-loss Boise State or TCU get a BCS berth?

The Road to this years championship is being paved with disaster for the BCS-ers....People talk about a playoff, but the regular season is the playoff.  The College Football regular season means everything, which is what makes it so exciting, but what happens when the formula goes wrong?  Can anyone outside of Idaho and Fort Worth really think a MWC or WAC team deserves the BCS Championship game more than a 1-loss SEC team or 1-loss Big Ten team?  It is another discussion for a later post.

-In other news, Michigan lost, Arizona lost (picked!), and nothing else exciting happened

Even with a sweep, the Reds gave Cincy what it needed:

The Cincinnati Reds appear to be on their way out of the playoffs quickly due to the dominance of Roy Halladay and the ineptitude of Reds' fielding.  The Phillies' were the best team in the National League in the regular season so it is not all that surprising that they should take the Redlegs out so easily.  This season, however, was never about the World Series for Cincinnati.  Many people look at their early exit, stage right, I believe, to be disappointing.  The fans wanted more, they wanted a winner, but the Reds gave Cincy what it needed: Baseball relevance.  Cincinnati has been a baseball town since 1869 and used to be the place for baseball.  Back in the early days, Cincinnati was revered as baseball's center, everyone wanted to play for Cincinnati and Cincinnati always had the best team.  Recently, the MLB has been doomed by the lack of a salary cap which has led to big-market dominance.  Small market teams can sneak up on people, but the playoffs this year are a fine example of the fact that money still wins in the MLB.  Not to mention (but obviously I am going to anyway) the last "small-market" champion was the Florida Marlins in 2003.  Since then, it has been: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Yankees.  It is a sad day when the smallest market on there is St. Louis...sigh.  Back to the Redlegs, it goes without saying that the Reds have been on a mission to return to baseball relevance.  It has shown this season that if the Reds are relevant, the fans will show.  The Reds completed more than they had hoped to at this point.  They most likely won't win the World Series or even make it out of the division round of the playoffs, but the Redlegs made Cincinnati appreciate and even love baseball again.  The Reds have their town back, for a short while.  If they keep the core intact, it is not Utopian to think the Reds can be back to the playoffs next year with a little bit better results.

In Conclusion: Read the article above.

College Football Week 5:

Week 5 loomed large as the week following the week which came after the week after Monster Saturday.  I continued my unsuccessful upset alert picks(I would like to personally thank Washington for the win this week), yet:

-Oregon is still good: People thought the Ducks were finished this season without Jeremiah Masoli.  They were a perennial top 5 team with Masoli, but I had dropped them to #10 in my Preseason rankings.  The Ducks are now #3 and looking like the best offensive unit in the country.  Oregon may now be the favorite to face Alabama in the BCS Championship Game with Ohio State having a little trouble @ Illinois....Hey if they keep Boise out, why not?

-Bama better be cautious: Auburn has climbed to #8 and LSU has crept to #12.  Already dispatching of #11 Arkansas, the Tide are 1/3 of the way through what looks like the toughest SEC West ever.

-I am guaranteeing 2 wins in upset alert this week, so be ready for that.

-It doesn't get any easier for OSU: Illinois was supposedly the 2nd worst team in the Big-10...My pick looks to be in trouble.

-Denard Robinson is the Heisman favorite: I have preached a vague Heisman race this year, but Michigan's Dreadlocked Dasher has broken away from the pack.  If he continues his ridiculous pace with 1,913 combined rushing (905) and passing (1,008) yards he might save the Wolverines from another embarrassing season and Rich Rod's job.

-The best game this week will be Michigan against Michigan State: It is the biggest rivalry of the week and both teams enter rolling.  MSU is hotter, but the game is at Michigan.  I will put the line at Michigan +3 and 65 points.

In Conclusion: College Football is so much better than the NFL, especially with the flaw that is Fantasy Football....Second in my league in points, but 1-3 due to my 666 points against, which leads by 74...Gah!

Hey The Reds Won

Central Division Champs...meaning the Magic Number is -1.

College Football Week 4:

Ah, College Football has really settled and the picture is forming as most teams are a quarter of the way through the regular season.  Teams have proven themselves, others leave us questioning why one would pick them to win the BCS Championship.  The week after the week after Monster Saturday was entertaining, especially in the afternoon, but once again left me winless in upset alerts...sigh:

-The tide rises, and the tide...uh rolls:  A shout out to my boy J.F. Ploehs with a remix of this line from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but I digress.  Alabama gets another opportunity to wave that finger at people symbolizing "Not today!" as they beat maybe their toughest test this year going into Pig Country and downing Arkansas.

-Trouble the size of Texas: UCLA is now known for beating ranked teams from the state of Texas, beating #23 Houston easily last week and making quick work of the #7 Longhorns of Texas this weeks, in Austin nonetheless.

-Ohio State can win at home: The Bucks (my risky, gutsy, bold pick for NCAA greatness this year) are 4-0 at home....and they still have 4 left, thank God for American and unfair scheduling!

-The Big East is worse than the ACC which is worse than the Big-12 which is suddenly only looking reletively bad: The Big East went 3-4 with victories over powerhouses Colgate, Western Kentucky, and Buffalo....meanwhile, where the "power" rests in the Big East, two time defending champ Cincinnati at least looked good in a loss to Oklahoma (who is in the Big-12 may I remind you!).  Pitt was blown away by a Miami team that was blown away by Ohio State (did I mention I picked them?  Trying to get word out), West Virginia put up a fight in Death Valley losing 20-14 at LSU, and sleeper Rutgers lost 17-13 to limping North Carolina (ACC!).  This will leave the Big East with zero ranked teams as the WAC and Mountain West each have 2...sigh Big East.

-North Carolina State is not the favorite to win the ACC: I would like to correct an ESPN announcer who said NC State is now the ACC favorite....I would still take teams ahead of the #23 Wolfpack..Miami Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech...NC State is deserving of recognition, but not favorite status...personally I disdain all the other teams so I hope they prove me wrong.

-Did I mention Notre Dame is not quite revived?  Okay.

-A big win this week as West Chester tops E Stroudsburg...what is up?

-My sleeper in the WAC (Nevada) is no longer a sleeper, damn you ESPN!!!  (see post #4 Boise State in August for proof)

College Football Week 3:

This was the week following Monster Saturday, but it featured some nice games in its own right.  The Michigan State-Notre Dame ending was the most exciting so far this year, UMass was the latest threat from a FCS team, and the first top 10 loss of the year:

-Notre Dame is not quite there: Brian Kelly cannot bring instant revival to ND, but people are probably not too happy with a 1-2 start.

-Oregon is really good against FCS teams: They have outscored their FCS opponents 141-0 in two games.

-Ryan Mallet reestablished his Heisman Candidacy: against a tough Georgia team, Mallet threw for 380 yards and 3 TD's without a pick.

-Virginia Tech is able to win: They outplayed both of their first two opponents, including FCS James Madison, they pulled away from Ruffin McNeil and East Carolina.

-Fortune still favors the bold: MSU faked a game tying field goal to defeat the Irish, the best game this year. Earning Sparty a spot in the top 25.

-Boise State has some competition in the WAC: it isn't the PAC-10 (or even Mountain West for that matter), but the WAC has two other teams who Boise can lose to, Nevada and Fresno State.

-The SEC is still the class of College Football: #1 Bama, #9 Florida, #10 Arkansas, #12 South Carolina, #15 LSU, #17 Auburn...need I say more?  Okay, all these teams are undefeated.  Unfortunately they have to play each other, the SEC is going to be fun to watch, happy birthday to CBS, who once again will show a bulk of SEC conference games.  (Iowa's loss and Wisconsin's escape dwindle the five-ranked-teams Big-10 chances to ever have the same dominance of the SEC)

In Conclusion: 1/5 of the way through the season, no team has predestination in the BCS or anywhere else, nor is anyone else eliminated, since conference play has yet to really stand up and walk.

REDS MAGIC NUMBER COUNTDOWN!

7

REDS MAGIC NUMBER COUNTDOWN!

STILL 10!!

Heismans and Reds

One subject that has been taking over ESPN and other sporting networks (such as....uh) is that of Reggie Bush.  Bush was charged with accepting gifts while at USC.  Rumors flared that some of the benefits had actually been given to Bush by the University, but you know how rumors go (I LOVE RUMORS!).  Anyway, Bush decided to forfeit his Heisman Trophy, probably hoping to silence everyone and get this all over with so he can focus on winning games for the New Orleans Saints.  This is simply a prologue to get to the main bullet point of this article.  This is the decision by the Heisman Trophy Trust to keep the 2005 version vacated.  It always seemed odd in the first place, Bush winning the trophy, that is.  The 2004-2005 USC Trojans were thought of as being the greatest College Football team...ever.  They had Bush and Matt Leinart, the winner of the 2004 Heisman.  The Heisman is equivalent to the MVP of the National Football League.  In the context of MVP, the person must be the "Most Valuable Player".  This was not Reggie Bush, nor Matt Leinart.  Both Bush and Leinart were great college players, but the real 2005 Heisman was Vince Young.  The voters made a mistake giving the 2005 Heisman to Bush, and after the Rose Bowl everyone knew it.  God, however, showed favor on the unfortunate voters, and offering the opportunity to give Young the Heisman.   The Trust, unfortunately, has decided they will vacate the title and leave it as such, but why?  What is accomplished by simply vacating to the award?  All that does is leave Bush's name forever connected to the award.  When they could make it Young's title, instead it will always be Bush's title*.  The ungodly asterisk rears its ugly head.  People will forever attach Bush's name to winning the Heisman.  Even those who wanted the award to be given to Young cannot say it "is Vince's award".  It only exacerbates the problem.  No accomplishment is made by vacating the 2005 Heisman.  It is as if an Olympic Runner won the Silver and the Gold medal was vacated, but instead they said, "Yeah, we just aren't going to give it to anyone."  In theory, theoretically, if Bush had not been there to win the Heisman, Vince Young would have won it, correct?  So with Bush out of the running, it belongs ro Vince Young, probably in everyone's eyes but the Heisman Trophy Trust's....qui est de la merde.

Now, to more important business, the Cincinnati Reds.  I have been getting email after email about how I need to write about my hometown boys, and so I will. Quite simply, the Reds are about to be the most shocking team of the 2010 playoffs.  They are the equivalent of the 2008 Rays, making everyone wonder, "Wha?".  MVP Joey Votto will lead the Reds into the playoffs, along with an astoundingly good rotation featuring Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edison Volq-uez, Travis Wood (r), Homer "the Savior" Bailey, and a plethora of young arms.  Here are some fun Reds facts:

-42 comeback wins...3rd in the majors.

-21 wins in their last at-bat...2nd

-53-23 versus losing teams, but a mere 29-39 against winning teams, lem'me change colors, here.

-The Reds lead the NL in hitting, runs, hitting with runners in scoring position and fielding percentage

-They have the least amount of errors in the NL

-The Reds are 42-25 in the divison

-Aroldis Chapman has made eight appearances for 7 and 2/3 innings, racking up a 0.00 era

-The Reds are 12th in the NL in attendance

-The Reds lead the Cardinals in the NL central by 7 1/2 games.

-The Reds have MVP Joey Votto: batting average-.320; HR-34; RBI-104;

-The Reds have Laynce Nix...forearms equivalent to a size 32 waist.

-The Reds are second in batters hit-by-pitch

-The Reds are 13th in the NL in groundballs hit and 2nd in fly balls hit.

REDS MAGIC NUMBER COUNTDOWN!

10!!!!

College Football Week 2:

This was supposedly "Monster Saturday" for College Football.  It was disappointing, due to the lack of anything really exciting happening.  There were upsets (James Madison anyone?), but did anyone really care?  The games people wanted to see (Bama-Penn State, OSU-Maimi Florida, Okla-Florida St.) were victories were the...uh, slim? favorite won by annihilating the opposition.  Nonetheless, there are still things to learn from even a week where people where Mace was disappointed.

-It is still the "Feature Programs":  People like Boise State (some people, ones who don't understand that to go undefeated in the WAC is like beating 8 Washington State-i every year, but I digress) and TCU because they interrupt the power programs....or do they?  The traditional programs have won like the last 30 National Championships.  The most recent one I recall is Auburn being co-champ in '04, and they were not technically the winners.  More officially, thanks to the magic of the internet, I can confirm the most recent non-traditional team to win the National Championship Game was Washington in 1991.  So while people hope to see Boise and TCU in the title game, it is unlikely they get there, much less win.

-You have to play every gam: Virginia Tech lost to James Madison

-Turnovers still hurt you a week later: Miami threw 4 picks against Ohio State and lost, by only 12.  Without the lost opportunities which were handed to OSU, it could've been a different story.

-The ACC is worse than the Big-12, which is bad:  The top of the ACC Hierarchy went 0-4 with UNC idle.  Va-Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Miami Florida all lost.  Congrats, Big-12, you pulled yourself above two power conferences now.

-Denard Robinson is the Heisman favorite: If Michigan can keep winning (relatively unlikely, but their competitions has been nothing to sneeze at) than Robinson deserves some consideration.  He has 885 total yards in two games and single-handily brought joy to Cincinnati fans everywhere by defeating Brian Kelley.

In Conclusion: "Monster Saturday" would've have been so disappointing had it not been the most hyped week of NCAA Football ever.  By the way, I went 0-3 in upset alerts, holy crap.

Upset Alerts

New Upset Alerts are ready for week 2....forgive me for the Oklahoma-Florida State pick...I know it isn't too much of an upset, but I needed a 3rd game.

College Football Week 1:

There is usually very little to learn from Week 1 in College Football when all the "good" teams schedule all the "cupcakes", but there are some things to been learned from Week 1.
What we learned:
-Maybe most importantly we saw that Boise State can at least play one game (like a BCS National Title Game, perhaps?) versus a top five caliber team.  Virginia Tech, my dark horse for this year's BCS National Championship Game, all but handed Boise State a 17-0 lead, but when life hands you lemons, you need to make some goddamn lemonade.

-Almost as importantly, we saw that Boise State is not too good.  Many people are looking at this as an upset where Boise proved they are forreal...they are #3, right?  Boise State didn't play well at all after Va-Tech handed them 17 points with mistakes.  A phantom call and phantom no-call gave Boise the opportunity to go ahead 33-30.  Not to take too much credit away from the Broncos, but if anything, I am less impressed by the Boise.

-The Big-12 is not very good: Texas, my pick for this years National Champion, certainly didn't dominate.  Oklahoma had to hold on against Utah State.  Missouri, thought to be a strong Big-12 team, won by only 10 against Illinois, a Big-10 bottom feeder.  Kansas lost to FCS North Dakota State.  Nebraska looked strong...against #120 Western Kentucky.

-There is no Heisman favorite: Terrelle Pryor?  He looked nice with 247 passing yards, but only rushed for 17 yards.  Mark Ingram...he didn't play.  Case Keenum even?  Under 300 yards passing for the guy is supposed to eclipse 6,000.  What about Ryan Williams?  21 rushes for 44 yards.  Kellen Moore?  only 215 yards.  Moore may come out the winner, thanks to a (cough) big win and 3 TD's to no INT's.

-There is still hope for FCS teams:  No one against the big time schools, but what about Jacksonville State beating Ole Miss?  That was fun.

-Michigan is reviving: It may not be Ohio State, but Rich Rod gave the University a good reason to keep him around as Michigan dominated a good UConn team in the Big House.  Denard Robinson made a showing for (gasp!) the Heisman.

-You can play better and still lose to a team you are better than:  What in the world am I saying?  Turnovers...turnovers...turnovers.  Va-Tech gave away the ball to Boise State too many times and Navy owned Maryland, but neither could win because of problems keeping possession.

-Having fun is watching big points: Boise State-Va-Tech was no doubt the most hyped match-up of week 1.  It was also the 2nd best game to watch.  The only one better totaled 100 points as East Carolina def. Tulsa 51-49 in a game that featured a scoring drive on every possession in the 4th quarter, 1,117 yards, and 47 points in the 4th quarter alone.

In Conclusion: There is not much to say at this point, everyone who was supposed to win won..hehe, cept you, Ole Miss.

US Open 2010...The Tennis One (a.k.a. The Better One)

The US Open is one of America's more exciting sporting events.  A bracket that 128 players, meaning the champion has to defeat 7 others in the sweltering New York heat during late August and early September.  This year's US Open features one big time watch, Rafael Nadal trying to obtain his career Grand Slam.  Nadal carries in momentum after winning the last two majors, but as always, people are trying to dethrone the world's number one.  What does this year's tournament hold?  Here is my preview:

The Favorite: Roger Federer...the greatest player of the past decade, and maybe of all-time, won the Aussie Open on hard courts this year in straight sets.  He may be getting older, but he proved with a recent win in Cincinnati that he still has something left.  He is still (probably) the better hard court player (this year) between himself and Nadal.

The Dark Horse: Andy Roddick...He has tried to compete competitively at the level he was once at for so long.  He now gets an opportunity to play on what is probably his best surface.  He has a great draw, even with #3 Novak Djokovic in his quarter....Roddick beat Djokovic on a hard surface in Cincinnati.

The Cinderella: John Isner...he has become the new hope for American tennis with Roddick's slow deterioration.  He may not have as much natural ability, but he proved at Wimbledon in his marathon match he has the heart.  Plus, on the hard courts, he has the big serve.

The Quarterfinals: #1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. #10 David Ferrer (ESP)...#2 Roger Federer (SUI) def. #10 Marin Čilić (CRO)...#9 Andy Roddick (USA) def. #3 Novak Djokovic (SRB)...#4 Andy Murray (GBR) def #18 John Isner (USA)


The Semi Finals: #1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. #4 Andy Murray (ENG)....Murray and Nadal were suspected to be the two best players entering this season.  Federer silenced the critics a little with his win in Australia, but Nadal has since brought those critics back to life.  If Murray wants to finally vanquish his own nay sayers in Good Ol' England, he will need to defeat the man with all the momentum and currently the best player in the world...but he won't, bloody hell!

#2 Roger Federer (SUI) def. #9 Andy Roddick (USA)...The Federer-Nadal rivalry has become the grandest in tennis, simply because they are so good and always meet in the finals of majors, but the Federer-Roddick rivalry may have more fuel on its fire.  Roddick and Federer both claim mutual respect, but so do the players from Duke-North Carolina or Yankees-Red Sox (I don't mean to belabor)  Roddick has always been critical of Federer, including his remarks after their great match in the 2009 which included two tie breakers (both won by Rogah!) and a 16-14 final set.  Roddick will, unfortunately, fail to decimate the demons within and Federer will smugly move to the finals...a must watch match here.

AND THE WINNER IS:
Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Roger Federer (SUI)...Rafa gets the nod because Federer is yet to prove he can beat the younger, quicker, more athletic Spaniard.  Federer won this years Aussie Open...against Andy Murray.  Nadal beat Federer on grass (2008, Wimbledon) and Hard Courts (2008 Aussie), finally he will prove he can win in America...oh, this match is, undoubtedly, a 5-set match.

Upset Alerts

Weekly upset alerts are available on the right side of the screen.......I am not predicting these teams to lose, just saying they need to be ready....I will be keeping my record of my Upset Alert, however.

Team Hoyt

Everyone has things that inspire them.  Everyone sees things which make them "wow".  People love to see an athlete do something amazing.  Usain Bolt running a record 100m sprint, LeBron James throwing down a windmill 360 dunk, or Chris Johnson running for 2,006 yards in a season make us shake our heads at their dominating athleticism.  There is something that goes beyond any type of achievement in sports.  No dynasty, no dunk, no rush, no sprint, no "Miami Super Team" deserves the honor and "wow" that Richard Hoyt and his son Rick have earned.  Many people know who they are, but I feel the Hoyts have the right to become the most famous athletes in the world.  Team Hoyt runs, bikes, and swims triathlons, one of the world's most grueling sports.  The Hoyts have never won an event they have competed in.  The Hoyts are 0-958 in their endurance races, including 25 Boston Marathons.......Team Hoyt consists of Dick/Rick Hoyt, a father and son.  Rick is 48 and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy out of the womb because his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, cutting off oxygen flow to his brain.  Dick is 70 and decided at age 37 he wanted to start running.  He ran 5 miles with Rick in a wheelchair ahead of him.  Rick told his father, "Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped."  After this, Dick began training, and team Hoyt has been training ever since.  I would love to keep talking about the Hoyts, but I feel a video would do more than my meager words could ever do to describe the incredible father/son tandem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJMbk9dtpdY

Conference Previews: SEC

SEC	Conf.	Overall
East
Florida	7-1	11-1
Georgia	4-4	8-4
Tennessee	4-4	7-5
Kentucky	3-5	7-5
South Carolina	3-5	6-6
Vanderbilt	0-8	2-10
West	Conf.	Overall
Alabama	7-1	11-1
Arkansas	6-2	10-2
LSU	4-4	8-4
Auburn	4-4	8-4
Ole Miss	3-5	7-5
Mississippi	2-6	5-7

 Alabama over Florida in SEC Championship Game in Atlanta

Conference Previews: PAC-10

Pac-10	Conf.	Overall
Oregon State	8-1	9-3
Oregon	7-2	10-2
USC	6-3	10-3
Washington	6-3	8-4
Stanford	6-3	9-3
Arizona	5-4	7-5
California	3-6	5-7
Arizona State	2-7	4-8
UCLA	2-7	3-9
Washington State	0-9	1-11