Enough With The Sexist Commentary Regarding The UConn Women's Basketball Team

On multiple occasions since the UConn women's basketball team broke the all-time Division I-A record for consecutive wins at 89, breaking the UCLA men team's record of 88, I've heard/read several people compare the two streaks and contend that there is really nothing to compare. On television, that's usually where the commentary stops, but I read some posts in the ESPN message boards last night and as usual, it appears as if people don't fear reaction to the written word as much as they do the spoken word.

I read such comments as: "Come on. If my kid were to break Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak record, would I claim that my kid is as good or better than DiMaggio? Same thing with this. Just because the UConn women's team broke the streak, that doesn't mean they're as good or better than UCLA. If anyone says that, they don't know anything about basketball."

Someone else said, "UConn didn't break UCLA's streak. They're completely different sports. They own the women's record and UCLA owns the men's record. It's as simple as that."

Another said, "What, do you think UConn could beat UCLA? How about if we see the UConn women's team play the men's team and see what happens. Let's see the UConn women's team beat men's teams 89 straight times."

There was more, "The talent isn't even comparable. Women don't like basketball. They like tennis and volleyball, but not basketball. That's a man's game. So, if a coach can recruit well, they can dominate."

I read a few other rotten comments, but those are the ones that stood out for me.

Why? Why must we do this? I don't think many UConn fans are claiming that their women's team could beat UCLA's men's team from way back. But, that doesn't make the streak unimpressive or any less impressive. Back in Wooden's day, there were only a few juggernauts and a bunch of cupcakes, very similar to women's basketball today. How can we dismiss a team, regardless of gender, who won 89 consecutive games? 89? Not 19, not 29, not even 79, but 89 and counting? That's amazing! Think of the discipline and the focus necessary for a team to win 89 straight. Every team, regardless of the sport, has their off games. Nobody is on their game every single time out. Due to this, it's nearly impossible to do what the UConn women's team did (and the UCLA men's team). Let's not compare the two schools in terms of superiority in talent. Let's appreciate the streaks, both of them, for what they are, and cut it out with the sexist commentary. The more of these statements I hear/read, the more credence I have to lend UConn head coach, Geno Auriemma. Perhaps he was spot on with his comments preceding the record-breaking game, unfortunately.

Ralph Friedgen Should Not Have Been Fired

In my opinion, Maryland's move to fire head coach Ralph Friedgen was beyond ridiculous. Let's get a few things straight here. From 1987-2000, Maryland was a combined 55-88 (.385), with two winning seasons and one bowl bid. That's it. In the 14 seasons leading up to the Friedgen-era, the Maryland Terrapins had only 2 winning seasons (14.3%) and 1 bowl bid (7.1%). Under Ralph Friedgen, the 2010 ACC Coach of the Year, the Terps are 74-49 (.602) with 6 winning seasons (60.0%) and 7 bowl berths (70.0%). So, yeah, it makes perfect sense to fire the 3rd winningest coach in school history, the 2010 ACC Coach of the Year and a guy whom improved his club by 6 games from 2009 to 2010 (from 2-10 to 8-4). Yeah, perfect sense indeed. Maryland better hope they have a good coach lined up, or else this move is going to look about as ridiculous as Eli Manning at a press conference without any reporters.

How I Love Those Whom Are Holier Than Thou

Ever know a person whom likes to lecture you with regard to "morals"? You know the person... If you drink a bit too much one night, have a fling, wear something that may be seen as provocative, admit to enjoying a film or song which may be controversial, like to streak around churches on Sunday, etc. and you get that look in return. Yeah, you know what look I'm talking (writing) about. That look that says, "How could you?" or "I'm disappointed in you." or "You're really not who I thought you were." or "I would never do something like that."

The worst part is the lecture. Many of these people have made the same mistakes before, if one wants to refer to them as mistakes, yet they'll lecture as if they're el perfecto. If one is there as a friend, to have a civil discussion with a person they're perhaps worried about, okay, that's fine. But, I honestly don't think anyone has the right to lecture morals to someone else, because you know what? We've all screwed up a time or two or fifty-six, many of the mistakes being very similar to that of others. So, since I've been drunk before, honestly, why should I be lecturing a friend on why they shouldn't have gotten drunk on a certain night and act as if I've never done such a thing? I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Some random person named Jill Alexandria Furlough is not perfect. No one is perfect. So, it's time we all get off our high horses, relax, accept people's flaws, take a shot and follow that up by streaking around a church. Cheers!

The Giants Gave Up Against the Eagles! Yet Another Attempt to Dismiss Vick's On-The-Field Success

I read a blog at lehighvalleylive.com, which shared a comment from a reader with regard to the Eagles/Giants game this past Sunday. It said the following:

giant3 writes:

"Conjure up a new miracle"? I don't know what game you were watching Brad, but the one I was watching showed the Giants gave up! I don't know why or the reasoning for it, but they just stood there and let it happen. The worst was the winning touch down. I saw at least 3 giants players let Jackson run right past them. No effort or a slight sign of first half Giants. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Giants were the better team yesterday, and that the Eagles did not out play the Giants at any given time. I do believe the Giants (for a reason only known to them) stopped playing. (http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/12/meadowlands_miracle_giants_vick.html)

Seriously? The Giants gave up? At home, in a game that would likely decide the NFC East Champion and potentially a spot in the playoffs (possibly a first-round bye)? They gave up? Give me a break! Yeah, and the New York Yankees gave up at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox when they lost the rubber game of a 3-game series, which placed Boston in first place in the A.L. East. Uh-huh.

Did the Giants execute as well in the second half as they did in the first? Well, no. Was the playcalling as good? No. But, was this a result of the New York Giants giving up at home for possibly a spot in the playoffs? I don't think so.

It's true, the Giants were the better team Sunday, for 52 minutes, but last time I checked, it's a 60-minute game, which makes the Eagles' comeback that much more amazing. For a team to find themselves down by three touchdowns after 52 minutes of a 60 minute game and find a way to score four touchdowns in the final 8 minutes en route to a victory? That's incredible!

Look, the fact is the Giants played aggressively on defense all game. As the saying goes, "live by the blitz, die by the blitz." They lived in the first half, but died in the 4th quarter. While Michael Vick wasn't taking off much and using the blitz to his advantage by finding holes and running with the football in the first half, he did this in the 4th quarter. He used that very aggressiveness that worked so well for the Giants for 2.5 quarters against them.

Also, it's common for a team to become a bit complacent when they have a big lead. This doesn't mean that they give up, but coaches may not call plays in the same manner as they did before they got the lead. They may opt to run with the football and chew up clock, to make both the score and the time left as enemies of their opponent. They put the game on their defense, whom was very successful to that point, while the offense does all it can to not turn the ball over and to run time off the clock. This works most of the time, but there are times when the offense will play it conservatively and get stopped on three, four, five consecutive three-and-outs. Due to this, not much time was taken off the clock and if the opposing team's offense starts to click and move the football, this may wind up wearing down your defense, which could in turn lead to some big plays and points.

To go along with the Eagles' unbelievable execution in the final 8 minutes, the two factors I listed above were also factors in the outcome of the game. The New York Giants didn't give up. That claim is completely and utterly ridiculous. They did what a lot of teams/coaches in that predicament do, try to drain the clock and win the football game. Unfortunately for them, Philly ran off 8 minutes which won't be replicated for some time in the NFL, if ever. Giant3 can say all day that the New York Giants are better than the Philadelphia Eagles, but at the end of the day, the Eagles are 2-0 against the Giants this year, beating New York 27-17 at home and 38-31 in New York. People can talk all day about how their team is better than another. That talk doesn't mean a darn thing if they lose the game.

Are Republicans Really Fearful of the Government Seizing Too Much Control? How's This For Irony?

This isn't true in all cases, of course, but more times than not, when talking about the government's role in people's lives, Republicans tend to sway to the side of, "They have too much control!" The Tea Party, a sub-party of angry Republicans, spout those same sentiments fairly regularly.

I find this amusing, because as polls have shown for a while now, Republicans tend to be more "religious," more involved with the church, more regular attenders of church services, etc.

Now, nobody really knows with certainty why religions were created, what the reasons for them were, if any of them are accurate and/or superior to all others, etc. We can have faith that one is accurate and superior, but until we pass, we won't know.

Personally, I've always believed that religion was a tool used by the governments of the world to mold citizens in a certain-like, in hopes that it would provoke fear, especially of authority figures and in turn, bring about a willingness by citizens to allow their leaders to run the show, without many qualms.

Whether or not that theory is true is not all that important. The constant in the equation is the fact that religions all over the world set down rules, guidelines for people to follow and ask for more control over a person's livelihood than our government does. The government may ask for taxes, but religions ask for a person's character, individuality, uniqueness all in the name of "morality" and the after-life. Actually, I should re-phrase that, because religions themselves aren't entirely to blame for this, the religious leaders whom interpret scripture are at fault here as well.

So, how is it philosophically consistent to lambast the government for having too much power over our lives and yet, giving oneself up with no complaints in the name of a religion?

Why I Don't Understand What I Refer To As "The God-Fearing Complex"

I can't tell you how many times I've heard a person tell me with regard to belief in a God or a particular faith, "Well, I figure I might as well, you know? If I believe, what's the worst that can happen? I was wrong? Oh well. If I don't believe and I'm wrong, I'd be a lot worse off, so I might as well believe."

I call that explanation, that thought-process, "The God-Fearing Complex". Most people whom believe in God believe in her/him/it to be benevolent (all-loving), omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful). So, my question then becomes, if this entity is all-knowing, wouldn't he/she/it be able to see right through the seemingly ingenuine faith? It doesn't take much for one to simply say, "I believe" or "I love". It takes much more effort to back up those words than to simply say them. So, if one says to believe in a faith just in case it's true out of the fear of not believing and being punished, would that signify genuine faith? Would this please a higher power enough to say, "Hey, come on in. You 'said' you believed. Welcome to paradise!"?

If I were to tell a woman I loved her, yet did so just out of a fear that I may lose her otherwise or I proposed to her due to this same fear, but no other reason, while she may not realize this at first, the truth would make its presence known after a while and I highly doubt she'd stick around.

If there is a God and he/she/it is not omniscient, then okay, I can see one getting by on saying, "I believe! I swear, I believe!" BUT, if he/she/it does know everything, then I honestly don't see how that's going to fly. Hey, if we're going to go by that philosophy, I have an idea. Let's believe in every religion in the history of man/woman/humankind, JUST IN CASE.

NFL Notes: The Eagles' Comeback, Tebow's First Start, The Playoff Picture and MVP Race

Where do I start? To say that today was a crazy day in the NFL (I suppose it was yesterday...whatever) would be like saying Lyle Lovett is hot. Wait, no, actually, reverse the latter portion of that sentence.

I knew it was going to be a great day of football. I saw all the match-ups a few days ago and yes, I began to drool a little bit. Baltimore (9-4) against New Orleans (10-3)? Philadelphia (9-4) against the NY Giants (9-4) in a battle for the NFC lead? Jacksonville (8-5) and Indianapolis (7-6) for the AFC South lead? Green Bay (8-5) against New England (11-2)? Atlanta (11-2) and NFC West-leading Seattle (6-7)? The NY Jets (9-4) and Pittsburgh (10-3)? Kansas City (8-5) and St. Louis (6-7)? There were seven huge match-ups today and we could even include an eighth, as the game between Houston (5-8) and Tennessee (5-8) was basically an elimination game.

First off, where else would I start but with the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants? Living in Ohio, I was stuck with the Cleveland (5-8) and Cincinnati (2-11) game today. Sure, it ended up being a pretty solid game, but really? A game between two clubs that are a combined 7-19 when all those other great match-ups are going on at the same time? So, I found a way to watch the Eagles/Giants game in its entirety and am I ever glad I did! The feast Philadelphia had at the expense of the Washington Redskins' defense a few weeks back was pretty remarkable, but in my opinion, that effort pales in comparison to what they were able to accomplish today against the Giants.

Let's get something said for starters. Going into the game, both New York and Philadelphia were tied atop the NFC East at 9-4. While the Eagles have already beaten the Giants once this season, due to New York having an edge in tie-breakers, this was basically a battle for the NFC East title. The loser would have a very slim chance at winning the division. Worse yet, the loser would be the 6-seed at best after this week, only if Tampa Bay and Green Bay were to lose and with Tampa facing Detroit, that seemed unlikely. But, looking back on the day, many unlikely events occurred, including how the game between the Giants and Eagles progressed.

The Philadelphia Eagles had beaten the New York Giants five consecutive times going into this game (including the playoffs) and the Giants were determined to put a halt to that streak. For a while, it seemed as if they were going to do that. In the first half, the Giants controlled the clock, holding onto the football for close to 2/3 (20 minutes) of the half. They had their way with the Eagles' secondary, especially on 3rd down. Eli Manning was looking like his brother and receiver Mario Manningham made it appear as if New York wasn't going to miss a beat without slot receiver Steve Smith.

Philly appeared to be headed to halftime down 17-3 and while that score wouldn't please Eagles' fans, for how awful they looked on both sides of the ball and the fact they'd be receiving the ball first in the second half, with a chance to close the gap to one score, they had to be oddly satisfied. However, in the final minute of the half, Vick threw a dart to receiver Jeremy Maclin, which would have gone for a first down, but on his way down, Maclin fumbled the ball and the Giants scooped it up and ran it back inside the Philly 10-yard line. This led to a quick strike from Manning to Hakeem Nicks to put the Giants up 24-3 going into the half. At this point, it appeared to be all but over for the Eagles.

Through the first half on offense, Philadelphia was held to a mere 102 yards on 23 plays (4.4 p/) and that dropped to 100 yards on 26 plays following their first drive of the second half (3.8 p/). The Giants were aggressive defensively for 60 minutes and it did them wonders in the first half. The Eagles' offensive line wasn't holding up and Vick wasn't getting settled in the pocket. This led to one interception and a halftime quarterback rating below 30.0. Partially due to the poor pass protection, the poor playcalling and partly due to the Giants' controlling the clock, the Eagles' offense couldn't find any kind of rhythm in the first half, but how would the Eagles respond in the second half? Would they pack their bags and hope to win their last two against Minnesota and Dallas or would they find a way to sneak back into it?

It appeared to be the former, but with about 5 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, Philly caught a break, as Mario Manningham fumbled the ball at his own 25-yard line and set the Eagles up for their first touchdown, with Michael Vick hitting Jeremy Maclin for a score to close the gap to 24-10. The Eagles' defense stepped up in the second half and appeared to be on the verge of giving their dynamic offense an opportunity to creep back into the game, but with just under 13 minutes left in the game, Vick connected with DeSean Jackson for a long gain, only for Jackson to fumble at his own 47-yard line, which New York recovered. Replay showed that Jackson was touched on the way down and that the ground caused the fumble, so if Eagles' head coach, Andy Reid, had thrown the challenge flag, the call would likely have been overturned, but Reid didn't do that and the Giants scored on their ensuing possession to go up 31-10 with 8:17 left on the clock. It's over, right? That's what I thought too.

On their very next possession, Michael Vick connected with tight end, Brent Celek, for a 65-yard touchdown pass in a 2-play drive that lasted all but 49 seconds and brought the Eagles back within 14 yet again, at 31-17. On the ensuing kickoff, David Akers kicked an onside kick and as can be seen via replay, the Giants players took a step back, as if to anticipate Akers' kicking deep, before they ran to the football. But, that one step was enough to not give them any chance at recovering the ball. Michael Vick showed off his legs, as he galloped for a 35-yard run to set the Eagles' up inside the 10-yard line, before he ran in on a 3rd-and-goal from 5 yards out to close the gap to 7, at 31-24, with 5:28 left on the clock. At this point, the Eagles still had all three timeouts to go along with the two-minute warning, so in essence, four timeouts. The Giants put together a decent drive, as they forced the Eagles to use all three timeouts, but in the end, the Giants were forced to punt the football and Philly took over from their own 12-yard line with 3:01 left in the game. The Giants continued to play aggressive and blitz Vick and he made them pay, with runs of 33 and 22 yards in that drive, which closed with a touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin, his second of the day, which would tie the score at 31-31 with about a minute and a half left. New York got a decent kick return and started the drive at their own 36-yard line. But, three plays later, which ended with a sack, and they had to punt. The Giants allowed the clock to tick down to fourteen seconds, before they called a timeout. Speedster wideout, DeSean Jackson, who had been hampered by an ankle injury, was set to receive the kick, which would likely go out-of-bounds. But, rookie punter, Matt Dodge, received a high snap and without trying to direct the punt, just decided to kick it and a line-drive it was. Jackson was about to catch the ball in stride, but muffed it, before picking it up, moving left and right, before finding a seam up the middle, making a cut and turning on the accelerators. With the help of a great block by receiver Jason Avant, there wasn't anyone that was going to catch Jackson, as he entered the end zone with no time remaining. With the extra point, the Philadelphia Eagles came back from 31-10 down midway in the 4th quarter to stun the New York Giants on their home field 38-31. It was the first time in recorded NFL history that a team scored 28 points in the final 8 minutes to win a game. The 45-point halftime and 59-point game explosion against Washington earlier this season was quite a feat for the Eagles, but as I said at the outset, that accomplishment paled in comparison to the comeback today.

Like I said, this game was literally for the NFC East title and potentially for a playoff spot. While being shut down for two and a half quarters, on the road, against one of the top two or three defenses in the NFC (along with Chicago and Green Bay), for the Eagles to rip off 28 points in the final 8 minutes is beyond incredible. I'm not exaggerating here when I say I've never seen a game, a comeback quite like it.

Let me elaborate some to give a more vivid picture of just how amazing this comeback by the Eagles was. While only tallying 102 yards on 23 plays (4.4 p/) in the first half, the Eagles went for 367 yards on 38 plays (9.7 p/) (includes the punt return). In fact, including the punt return, the Eagles managed to rack up 285 yards in their final 16 plays (17.8 p/). If one doesn't want to include the punt return, the Eagles managed to go for 302 yards on 37 plays in the second half (8.2 p/) and 220 yards in their final 15 plays (14.7). If the Eagles had scored at this clip all game, they would have scored approximately 224 points and accumulated 1,760 yards from scrimmage. Michael Vick would have thrown for 968 yards and 16 touchdowns, while rushing for 752 additional yards and 8 more touchdowns for a total of 1,720 yards and 24 touchdowns in a single game. I know, that would never happen, but it just goes to show how amazing this 4th quarterback for the Eagles was.

In reality again, Vick, who had a 26.6 quarterback rating at the half, finished completing 21 of 35 pass attempts (60.0%) for 242 yards (11.5 ypc and 6.9 ypa), 3 touchdowns and 1 interception for a quarterback rating of 97.6. He also ran the ball 10 times for 130 yards (13.0 ypc) and another score. So, for the game, when Vick and the Eagles' offense were shut down for two and a half quarters, the start quarterback tallied 372 total yards and 4 touchdowns. The effort, the determination and the clutch performances by Vick and the rest of his teammates were simply incredible and yes, while many may claim the Giants lost this game more than the Eagles won it, I can't fully buy into that theory. The Giants didn't turn the ball over in the 4th quarter, committed just 4 penalties in the game for 35 yards and continued to apply pressure to Vick in the pocket late in the game. While they didn't execute as well in the second half as they did in the first, offensively and defensively, I still have to give all the credit in the world to the Eagles for not giving up, for believing they still had a shot when down 31-10 midway in the 4th quarter and executing in the manner they did from that point forward. Like I said, I've never seen a game, a comeback like this before and I doubt I will again for a very long time, if ever. It'll now be interesting to see how both teams react in their final two games. Will the Giants hang their heads and suffer a hangover loss to the Green Bay Packers, whom will likely have Aaron Rodgers back at quarterback? Will the Eagles continue to fly high off this amazing come-from-behind victory en route to a 12-4 season and at worst, a 3-seed in the playoffs? We shall see, but after this game, I'm predicting the Giants to finish 10-6 and the Eagles to finish 12-4 with a 2-seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. At 10-6, the Giants are possibly in as a 6-seed, but they'd then need the Packers to lose their final game in order to secure that (if Green Bay does beat New York next week).

In other news (sort of), Denver Broncos' quarterback and former Heisman-winner, Tim Tebow, got his first NFL start, as the Broncos would eventually lose to the Oakland Raiders by the final score of 39-23. For the game, Tebow completed 8 of 16 pass attempts (50.0%) for 138 yards (17.3 ypc and 8.6 ypa), 1 touchdown and a quarterback rating of 100.5. He also ran the ball 8 times for 78 yards (9.8 ypc) and 1 score. Some other numbers to make note of before evaluating Tebow's performance are that Denver: was 2-12 on 3rd down conversions, had 9 first downs overall and were 0-1 inside the red zone.

It's difficult to get a great sense of a NFL quarterback after his first start, but as I felt about the former Florida quarterback being drafted so high by the Broncos, I had mixed feelings about his first start. One thing I have to give the young quarterback credit for is the fact he didn't turn the ball over. I also have to give kudos to his two big plays in the game, which both resulted in touchdowns. On the other side of things, he was just 8 of 16 throwing the ball, led the Broncos to only 9 first downs and when it came to converting in key situations, the Broncos struggled, going 2-12 (.167) on 3rd downs and 0-1 (.000) in the red zone. Again, it's the man's first start, so I have to give him a partial pass on some of these stats. But, like I wondered going into this game, I wonder the same thing following it. Will Tim Tebow be able to be a consistent, successful NFL quarterback? Will he be able to throw the ball well enough to open up his running game? When defenses have actual tape of him and make adjustments accordingly, how will he then adjust? Tim Tebow is a smart man, is a winner, gives the fullest effort on each play and is a talented athlete, but even with this, I still am hesitant on proclaiming that he is going to be a success at this level. Following the game, I read some Broncos' fans claim he's the next Michael Vick. It's true that both quarterbacks run the ball more than most others in the league, but I still don't see the comparison as being valid. Their running style is completely different. Tebow is built more like a tight end and runs that way. He has decent speed, especially for his position, but he's more prone to running over guys (cornerbacks in particular) than doing what Vick does and breaking to the outside and using his speed to making cuts and avoid defenders. Passing wise, while Vick wasn't the most accurate of throwers in his early days in Atlanta, I still believe he was more accurate than Tebow and with a stronger arm. The fact of the matter is that Tim Tebow was a system-quarterback in college, under head coach Urban Meyer (remember Alex Smith?). These types of quarterbacks generally don't succeed at the next level. Quarterbacks from: Texas Tech (Kliff Kingsbury, Graham Harrell, etc.), Houston (Andre Ware), Florida (Chris Leak, Danny Wuerrfel, Doug Johnson), Utah (Alex Smith), West Virginia (Pat White), etc. aren't typically successful starting quarterbacks in the NFL. They may have fit a certain system in college perfectly, but the NFL is an entirely different game and college-like gimmicks aren't going to function very well in the pros. If Tebow is to be a successful pro, he's going to need some time to mature. He has a great deal to learn and with the right team, I could see him being a decent game manager, who can bust a big play now and then, like Vince Young at Tennessee. Like Tebow, Young is a winner, but doesn't possess the best throwing arm in the league, either with his power or his accuracy, but can make up for it at times with his speed. But, with the Titans, Young found himself in the perfect environment. Tennessee has relied on their running game for a few years, with speedy Chris Johnson in the backfield. They've also relied upon their typically strong defense. That was the make-up to Jeff Fisher's success at Tennessee for the past few years - a strong defense and solid running game. All Vince Young had to do was manage the game, not turn the ball over and when needed, make the big pass or run. I think if Denver improves defensively and establish themselves on the ground, Tebow could play a similar role with the Broncos as Young has done with the Titans. But, Denver will need to make some vast improvements, especially on the defensive side of the ball, in order to make that work. In the end, there's no doubt that I saw some positives from Tebow in this game, yet it didn't erase any of my lingering doubts either.

As far as the playoff picture goes, yesterday was huge, not just because it was the third to last game for teams, but because of the critical match-ups that were involved. Chicago (9-4) still has to play Minnesota (5-8) tonight, but even with that, the playoff picture is slowing starting to clear itself up without being crystal clear as of yet.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots, in all likelihood, will be the top seed. They are 12-2 with the second best record being 10-4 with two games left. If the Pats beat either Buffalo (4-10) on the road or Miami (7-7) at home, they'll have the top-seed wrapped up. The second seed is still up for grabs. It will likely be the AFC North Champion, as both Pittsburgh and Baltimore sit at 10-4, with Pittsburgh winning the tie-breaker. Neither team has a rough road ahead, as the Steelers face Carolina (2-10) and at Cleveland (5-9), while the Ravens will take on Cleveland (5-9) on the road and then come home to face Cincinnati (3-11). Cleveland can't be an opponent that either take for granted and neither can Cincinnati, but all four games should be won, which would give the two-seed to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The three- and four-seeds would then be given to the AFC South and West Champions (or vice versa). In the South, Indianapolis and Jacksonville have 8-6 records, with Indy holding the tie-breaker advantage. Tennessee is also not mathematically eliminated, with a 6-8 record. In the West, Kansas City is currently in first place at 9-5, with San Diego a game back at 8-6 and Oakland two back at 7-7. All the other teams: Miami (7-7), Buffalo (4-10), Cleveland (5-9), Cincinnati (3-11), Houston (5-9) and Denver (3-11) are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Let's go back to the AFC South and West. Indianapolis (8-6) closes with a road game in Oakland (7-7) and a home game against Tennessee (6-8). Jacksonville (8-6) finishes with Washington (5-9) at home and Houston (5-9) on the road. Tennessee (6-8) will play Kansas City (9-5) at Arrowhead before taking on Indianapolis (8-6) on the road. This could get interesting. Indianapolis is just 3-4 on the road, while Oakland 5-2 at home. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives and if the Colts should lose that game and Tennessee finds a way to beat Kansas City next week, the Titans could potentially play for the AFC South title in their final game against the Colts in Indy. Jacksonville should win at home against the reeling Washington Redskins, which would move them up to 9-6. Their final game at Houston can't be taken for granted, but is definitely winnable. Of the three teams in the South, Jacksonville has the easiest road. I predict the Jags finish 10-6, Indy splits their two games to finish 9-7 and Tennessee loses both of their games to wind up 6-10. In the West, Kansas City is a perfect 6-0 at home. I don't see any reason why they should stumble next week against Tennessee and if that happens, Oakland will be eliminated from playoff contention and may not come to Arrowhead as motivated for the season finale as they would have otherwise. So, I see KC finishing 11-5, San Diego 10-6 and Oakland 8-8. This would give Kansas City the three-seed and Jacksonville the four-seed. I predict Baltimore will finish 12-4 and the Jets 11-5, to give those two teams the five- and six-seeds. This would set up first-round match-ups between the NY Jets playing at Kansas City and Baltimore going to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. As strange as it may sound, I like both away teams in these match-ups, the Jets and Ravens. This would set up games between the Ravens and Patriots and the Jets and Steelers, in my opinion, the four best teams in the AFC. Baltimore, New York and Pittsburgh present great defenses, while New England relies on Tom Brady and their league-leading scoring offense.

Due to the porous NFC West, the NFC playoff picture is interesting, to say the least. Like New England in the AFC, Atlanta (12-2) pretty much has the top-seed wrapped up in the NFC. If they beat either New Orleans (10-4) or Carolina (2-10) at home, the top-seed will be the Falcons'. Because of that, the two-seed will be either Philadelphia (10-4) or Chicago (9-4). Philly has two home games left, against Minnesota (5-8) and Dallas (5-9). Chicago plays at Minnesota (5-8) tonight, before playing the Jets (10-4) at home next week and closing with Green Bay (8-6) at Lambeau. With those two schedules, I like the Eagles to improve to 12-4 and nab the two-seed, with Chicago finishing 10-6 and attaining the three seed. So, that leaves the four seed to the NFC West Champion. I'd rather not refer to any NFC West team as a champion, but ::sighs::, I suppose it's a given that I must do that in this case, unfortunately. Going into next weekend, all four teams are still mathematically in the playoff picture, with Seattle and St. Louis both at 6-8, San Francisco at 5-9 and Arizona at 4-10. Yes, it's possible at this point that a 6-10 team could make the playoffs. We'll start at the bottom. With Arizona playing Dallas at home next week and at San Francisco the following week, I think the Cardinals will lose both en route to a 4-12 record. San Francisco plays St. Louis on the road and Arizona at home, which could very well result in a 7-9 record. It seems as if the Rams are beginning to reel and I think they'll continue to do so, with San Francisco at home and Seattle on the road. I think they'll lose both games and finish with a 6-10 record. That leaves us with Seattle, who finishes with Tampa Bay (8-6) on the road and St. Louis at home. I like them to split the two to finish 7-9. We're then left in a tie between Seattle and San Francisco. The two split the season series. Next up is their divisional records. I like San Fran to finish 5-1 in the West and Seattle to finish 4-2, which would give the four-seed to the 7-9 San Francisco 49ers. This leaves us two wild card spots between the following contenders: New Orleans (10-4), NY Giants (9-5), Green Bay (8-6) and Tampa Bay (8-6). The Packers have two tough games at home, with the Giants (9-5) and Bears (9-4) going to Lambeau. With Aaron Rodgers coming back, I like Green Bay to close the season at 10-6. Tampa plays Seattle (6-8) at home and New Orleans (10-4) on the road, so I think they'll split those two en route to a 9-7 record, which will leave them out of the playoffs. The Giants play at Green Bay (8-6) before facing Rex Grossman and the Redskins (5-9) to close the season. I like them to beat the 'Skins, but lose to Green Bay in Lambeau to finish the regular season 10-6. Finally, New Orleans squares off against Atlanta (12-2) on the road and Tampa (8-6) at home. The Falcons are very tough to beat at home, so I like the Saints to win one of their last two to finish 11-5. This would give the Saints the five-seed and leave the six for either Green Bay or the NY Giants, whom both finished 10-6. I like the Packers to beat the Giants next week, which would give them the six-seed and leave the Giants out of the playoffs. We'd then be presented with the following match-ups: Green Bay at Chicago and New Orleans at San Francisco. Of course, I'd like anybody facing the NFC West representative, so I'd pick the Saints over the 49ers. The other game isn't so easy for me to predict. I could see it going either way, but am leaning toward Green Bay, which would make the road teams 4-0 in these first round games. If that were to happen, New Orleans would square off against fellow NFC South rival, Atlanta at the Georgia Dome and Green Bay would go to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. I like Philly and Atlanta to win those games, which would make for a NFC Championship consisting of Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles going to the Georgia Dome to face Vick's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, for the right to participate in the Super Bowl. If I had to pick right now, I'd pick the Steelers to face the Patriots in the AFC Championship, with Pittsburgh finding a way to win. I'd also go with the Eagles over the Falcons to present a Pennsylvania Super Bowl.

Now for the MVP talk. As of now, I think there are exactly twenty players that deserve some mention, but only two that I feel have a legitimate shot at the award. I'll count down from 20 to 1:

20. Joe Flacco (QB - Baltimore): 280-451 (62.1%) for 3,395 yards (12.1 ypc and 7.5 ypa), 23 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 94.8. He's also rushed the ball 37 times for 67 yards (1.8 ypc) and 1 touchdown and losing 2 fumbles for a combined 3,462 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 turnovers. After a very sluggish start to the season, Flacco has dramatically improved his efficiency as quarterback to lead the Ravens to a 10-4 record and a likely berth in the playoffs.

19. Jay Cutler (QB - Chicago): 213-344 for 2,697 yards (12.7 ypc and 7.8 ypa), 17 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 88.4. He's also run the ball 43 times for 222 yards (5.2 ypc) and 1 fumble lost for a combined 2,919 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 turnovers. If Cutler struggles again tonight like he did in the snow against New England last week, he will move down and off the board. To this point in the season, he has been a better game manager than he has in the past and has been a factor in the Bears' 9-4 record.

18. DeSean Jackson (WR - Philadelphia): 45 receptions for 1,024 yards (22.8 ypr), 6 touchdowns and 1 lost fumble. He has returned 20 punts for 231 yards (11.6 ypr) and 1 touchdown. In addition, he's run the ball 15 times for 104 yards (6.9 ypc) and 1 touchdown for a combined 1,359 yards on 80 touches (17.0 ypt), 8 touchdowns and 1 turnover. Jackson is arguably the most explosive player in the league and deserves some mention.

17. LeSean McCoy (RB - Philadelphia): 194 carries for 1,036 yards (5.3 ypc), 7 touchdowns and 1 fumble. He's also caught 74 passes for 551 yards (7.4 ypr) and 2 more touchdowns for a combined 1,587 yards on 268 touches (5.9 ypt), 9 touchdowns and 1 lost fumble. When looking at the Eagles' dynamic offense, McCoy is often the guy that's overlooked, but other than Vick, he's played as big of a part in the Eagles' success as anyone. Unlike in past years under Andy Reid, he's provided balance to the offense with his production on the ground.

16. Dwayne Bowe (WR - Kansas City): 61 receptions for 941 yards (15.4 ypr) and 14 touchdowns. He's also carried the ball once for four yards, for a combined 945 yards on 62 touches (15.2 ypt) and 14 touchdowns. Bowe has been a key to Kansas City's success on offense. He may not be as explosive as DeSean Jackson, but is responsible for 14 touchdowns (84 points).

15. Roddy White (WR - Atlanta): 106 receptions for 1,284 yards (12.1 ypr), 8 touchdowns and 1 lost fumble. He's also run the ball once for three yards for a combined 1,287 yards on 107 touches (12.0 ypt) and 8 touchdowns. White leads the league in receptions and has been a major reason for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons' success.

14. Jamaal Charles (RB - Kansas City): 203 rushes for 1,303 yards (6.4 ypc), 4 touchdowns and 1 lost fumble. He's also caught 39 passes for 415 yards (10.6 ypr), 1 touchdown and 1 lost fumble for a combined 1,718 yards on 242 touches (7.1 ypt), 5 touchdowns and 2 lost fumbles. Charles is on the way up the leaderboard and if not for his 5:2 touchdown to turnover ratio, he'd be in the top 10.

13. Darren McFadden (RB - Oakland): 212 carries for 1,112 yards (5.2 ypc), 7 touchdowns and 2 lost fumbles. He's also caught 43 passes for 476 yards (11.1 ypr) for 3 touchdowns and 1 lost fumble for a combined 1,588 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 lost fumbles. I'll have to move McFadden down if Oakland doesn't at least finish .500, but he is a huge reason for them being 7-7 and still within range of a playoff bid.

12. Matt Ryan (QB - Atlanta): 320-510 (62.7%) for 3,321 yards (10.4 ypc and 6.5 ypa), 25 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 90.5. He's also run the ball 40 times for 89 yards (2.2 ypc) and 1 lost fumble for a combined 3,410 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 turnovers. Ryan has been a great leader and game manager for the Falcons, who are 12-2 and likely to be the top-seed in the NFC come season's end. But, I don't he's deserving of a top 5 or even top 10 mention at this point. A big reason for Ryan's success has been the Falcons' ground game, which ranks 7th in the league. He's had a fine season, but for the time, I have him just outside the top 10.

11. Peyton Manning (QB - Indianapolis): 407-608 (66.9%) for 4,257 yards (10.5 ypc and 7.0 ypa), 28 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 92.1. He's also run the ball 15 times for -7 yards (-0.5 ypc) for a combined 4,250 yards, 28 touchdowns and 15 turnovers. Surprising, eh? After those three atrocious weeks Manning had a month ago? The Colts have the 32nd ranked rush offense in the league (for the record, there are 32 teams in the league). The team has been put on his shoulders more this season than at any time in his career. He won't win the award this year, but deserves mention.

10. Aaron Rodgers (QB - Green Bay): 268-410 (65.4%) for 3,289 yards (12.3 ypc and 8.0 ypa), 23 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 98.5. He's also rushed the ball 55 times for 309 yards (5.6 ypc), 4 touchdowns and 1 lost fumble for a combined 3,598 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 turnovers. With starting tailback, Ryan Grant, suffering a season-ending injury in the first game of the season, the team, the offense in particular, rested on Rodgers' shoulders and he's responded well. If he had any help in the ground game, his numbers would be even more impressive.

9. Drew Brees (QB - New Orleans): 391-571 (68.5%) for 4,122 yards (10.5 ypc and 7.2 ypa), 31 touchdowns, 19 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 93.5. He's also rushed the ball 16 times for -1 yards (-0.1 ypc) for a combined 4,121 yards, 31 touchdowns and 19 turnovers. What's hurting Brees' chances for a MVP award are his 19 interceptions. The blame can't solely rest with him, though. The Saints rank 26th in rushing offense. Like Rodgers in Green Bay and Manning in Indy, Brees has felt far more pressure in New Orleans than he's used to. Even with the 19 picks, he's led the Saints to a 10-4 record and most likely, a playoff berth.

8. Maurice Jones-Drew (RB - Jacksonville): 299 carries for 1,324 yards (4.4 ypc), 5 touchdowns and 2 lost fumbles. He's also caught 34 passes for 317 yards (9.3 ypr) and 2 touchdowns. Drew has returned 2 punts for 19 yards (9.5 ypr) and 4 kicks for 102 yards (25.5 ypr) for a combined 1,762 yards on 339 touches (5.2 ypt), 7 touchdowns and 2 lost fumbles. Jones-Drew is THE reason Jacksonville is where they are today, tied atop the AFC South, with a decent shot at winning the division and making their way to the playoffs.

7. Troy Polamalu (SS - Pittsburgh): 62 tackles (48 solo, 14 assisted), 10 pass deflections, 1.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 6 interceptions for 101 yards (16.8 ypr) and 1 touchdown. The Steelers are a different beast defensively when Polamalu is playing and healthy. They're a sub-.500 team when he's not active if that says anything.

6. Brian Urlacher (LB - Chicago): 104 tackles (80 solo, 24 assisted), 10 pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception for 0 yards (0.0 ypr). The Chicago Bears are mainly 9-4 and atop the NFC North because of their tenacious defense and the leader of that defense is Brian Urlacher.

5. Clay Matthews (LB - Green Bay): 53 tackles (47 solo, 6 assisted), 4 pass deflections, 12.5 sacks, 1 interception for 62 yards (62.0 ypr) and 1 touchdown. Continuing on my defensive trend here, Matthews has been the most disruptive force in football this year on the defensive side of the ball.

4. Matt Cassell (QB - Kansas City): 227-383 (59.3%) for 2,687 yards (11.8 ypc and 7.0 ypa), 24 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 96.2. He also has 30 carries to his credit for 105 yards (3.5 ypc) for a combined 2,792 yards, 24 touchdowns and 5 turnovers. One of the more (most) underrated MVP candidates, in my opinion, is this guy. What analysts honestly predicted the Kansas City Chiefs to be 9-5 and leading the AFC West, two games away from representing the West in the playoffs with possibly a three-seed? Not many. While Cassell's completion percentage and yardage may not be as gaudy as some other quarterbacks, his near 5:1 ratio of touchdowns:interceptions and his 96.4 rating more than makes up for it. Along with Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe, Cassell has been the primary reason for the Chiefs' success so far this season.

3. Phillip Rivers (QB - San Diego): 309-464 (66.6%) for 4,141 yards (13.4 ypc and 8.9 ypa), 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 105.7. He's also run the ball 27 times for 49 yards (1.8 ypc) and 1 lost fumble for a combined 4,190 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 turnovers. Rivers' numbers look good, but I think some analysts are giving him a bit too much credit for the Chargers' 8-6 record. This isn't a Colts, Saints or Packers' situation. The Chargers are 14th in rushing offense and in the top 5 in every defensive category, which Manning, Brees and Rodgers don't have going for them. Rivers has had a very good season, but at best, I see him as #3 in the MVP race.

2. Tom Brady (QB - New England): 299-449 (66.6%) for 3,561 yards (11.9 ypc and 7.9 ypa), 31 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 109.9. He's also run the ball 28 times for 17 yards (0.6 ypc) and 1 touchdown for a combined 3,578 yards, 32 touchdowns and 4 turnovers. I know I had Brady #1 last week and said it'd likely take a collapse on his part to not win the award. Truth be known, he'll probably win the honor and I'd have no problem with that, but after seeing what happened yesterday, I honestly believe he's not quite as important to his team's success this year as the guy whom I moved up to #1.

1. Michael Vick (QB - Philadelphia): 208-329 (63.2%) for 2,755 yards (13.2 ypc and 8.4 ypa), 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 103.6. He's also run the ball 92 times for 613 yards (6.7 ypc) and 8 touchdowns for a combined 3,368 yards, 28 touchdowns and 5 turnovers. He may have missed a total of 4 games this year, but in the end, that's of no importance to me. If Philly beats Minnesota and Dallas to close the regular season, they will have gone 10-1 in the games Vick both started and finished. For now, they're 8-1 in such games and even though Vick has missed 3 full games and a total of one game between the 1st half against Green Bay and the 2nd half in the Eagles' first meeting with Washington, he ranks: 3rd in quarterback rating, 10th in completion percentage, 18th in passing yards, 2nd in yards per attempt, 14th in passing touchdowns, tied for 5th in interceptions, 11th in pass yards per game (5th actually...as he's played a total of 10 games and not 11), 33rd in rushing yards, 1st in yards per carry, tied for 9th in rushing touchdowns and 26th in rushing yards per game (once again, that ranking should actually be 22nd). In the games that Vick has both started and finished, the Eagles' defense has allowed a total of 217 points (24.1 papg), so Vick has had to lead his team to approximately four touchdowns in order to win the games, which is no easy task. In ten full games, he's averaging 275.5 passing yards and 61.3 rushing yards per game for a combined average of 336.8 yards per game. He's also averaging 2.0 passing touchdowns and 0.8 rushing touchdowns for a combined 2.8 total touchdowns per game. With the Eagles' very average when healthy defense and their sub-par special teams and below average offensive line, Vick has had minimal margin for error this year and is the main reason the Eagles are 10-4 and on their way to, at worst, a three-seed in the playoffs, but a two-seed is likely. Vick, due his four-game absence, may not win the award, but at worst, he should finish second. If he continues on this pace, he should finish with 3,326 passing yards, 736 rushing yards (4,062 total yards), 24 passing touchdowns and 9-10 rushing touchdowns (33-34 total touchdowns) in 12 games of work. If Vick wasn't seen as a MVP-candidate before yesterday's epic comeback against the Giants, that should have gotten doubters' attention. Vick may not win the award, but as far as I see it, he is, at this point in time, the best player in the NFL and the most valuable to his team's success.

My Bowl Picks

As the first games are tomorrow, I won't get into as detailed an analysis as I typically would. I'll list the games by confidence points, from 1 (the least confident pick) to 35 (the most confident pick). I have won bowl pools 3 of the last 6 years, but have to admit, I'm not all too confident this time around. We shall see...

1 - Central Florida (10-3) over Georgia (6-6) in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31, 2010.
Like the scoring would indicate, I'm not the most confident with regard to this pick, unlike many "experts" on ESPN, whom are giving Georgia anywhere from the mid-teens to upper 20's in confidence points. While it's true that Georgia has played much better in recent weeks since star wideout A.J. Green returned to the line-up from suspension, but their defense is still very average and that may be a kind label. Central Florida is not a team to be taken lightly. Their three losses came by a combined 21 points to three bowl teams: North Carolina State (8-4), Kansas State (7-5) and Southern Mississippi (8-4). UCF ranks 24th nationally in points scored (33.8 ppg) and are 12th in points against (18.0 papg). Georgia is likely to score some points, but I like how UCF's offense and defense matches up with Georgia's more than the other way around. It should be close, but I like the Golden Knights to attain their first ever bowl win.

Prediction: Central Florida 24 Georgia 21

Result: Central Florida 10 Georgia 6

2 - Florida International (6-6) over Toledo (8-4) in the Little Caesar's Bowl on Dec. 26, 2010
Toledo may have a bit of a home-field advantage in this one, but in FIU's first bowl game, I look for them to make the most of the opportunity. FIU may have 6 losses, but 4 of them were to non-conference opponents in the major conferences: Rutgers (4-8) 14-19, Texas A&M (9-3) 20-27, Maryland (8-4) 28-42 and Pittsburgh (7-5) 17-44. Toledo, meanwhile, beat Purdue (4-8) 31-20 and got blown out by Arizona (7-5) 2-41. Even though they played in the Sun Belt Conference, which is the weakest in Division I-A, their difficult non-conference I believe prepared FIU more for this game than Toledo's did.

Prediction: Florida International 31 Toledo 28

Result: Florida International 34 Toledo 32

3 - Illinois (6-6) over Baylor (7-5) in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29, 2010
I seem to be in the minority on this pick, especially with it being basically a home game for Baylor. However, like with the Central Florida/Georgia match-up, I just like how Illinois' offense and defense matches up with Baylor's defense and offense more than the reverse. Illinois' defense got a little sluggish at times down the stretch, but with the break, I think they'll play better in this game. Speaking of defenses, Baylor ranks 83rd in points allowed (29.8 papg), having given up 150 points in their final three games of the regular season (50.0 p/), losing all three by a combined score of 82 - 150 (average of 27.3 - 50.0 = -22.7). Illinois' spread option attack has slowly improved each week with their freshman quarterback and I look for it to give Baylor's defense fits, a defense not used to facing such an offense, playing in the Big XII. So long as Illinois doesn't turn the ball over, I like for them to win this game.

Prediction: Illinois 38 Baylor 31

Result: Illinois 38 Baylor 14

4 - Navy (9-3) over San Diego State (8-4) in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23, 2010
San Diego State appears to be the favorite in this one as well, but there's something I've learned through the years - don't bet against Navy in a bowl game. This is one of the most disciplined teams in the league and even though the Aztecs have some explosive players on offense, it's difficult to utilized those weapons when Navy dominates in the ground game with their option attack, chewing up clock like marijuana addicts chew twinkies.

Prediction: Navy 27 San Diego State 21

Result: San Diego State 35 Navy 14

5 - Northern Illinois (10-3) over Fresno State (8-4) in the Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 18, 2010
This should be referred to as the Pain-in-the-butt Bowl, as neither team seems to fear taking on major conference schools in their non-conference schedule and more times than not, they compete for 60 minutes. Segueing from that, however, Fresno State has struggled in bowl games in recent years and under Pat Hill, the team has prided itself in taking on the big boys, anytime, anywhere. Playing a MAC school like Northern Illinois may decrease the level of motivation for the Bulldogs, which will give a mental edge to the Huskies. If Fresno is focused, flip a coin on this one, but I'm thinking Northern Illinois will get the upper hand.

Prediction: Northern Illinois 31 Fresno State 24

Result: Northern Illinois 40 Fresno State 17

6 - TCU (12-0) over Wisconsin (11-1) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2011
Yet again, I'm going with the underdog. For how many upsets that occurred in last year's bowl season, who can really blame me? Wisconsin is a fine football team, with arguably the best offensive line in all of college football. However, like Boise State and Oklahoma a few years ago, this is TCU's Super Bowl right here. This is their chance to ultimately make it known to the world that they are a legitimate undefeated team and deserved a shot at the national championship. Also, due to last year's sluggish performance against Boise State in TCU's bowl game, especially by quarterback Andy Dalton, I think the Horned Frogs will be especially focused and crisp this time around.

Prediction: TCU 24 Wisconsin 21

Result: TCU 21 Wisconsin 19

7 - Stanford (11-1) over Virginia Tech (11-2) in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, 2011
I could see this game going either way. Along with Wisconsin, Stanford has been arguably the best one-loss team down the stretch of the regular season. Virginia Tech, after losing their first two games of the season, one to Division I-AA James Madison, they have gone 11-0, going unscathed in ACC play, closing things out with a dominating win over Florida State in the ACC Championship Game. To say that both teams are hot going into this game would be like saying the Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series for a while. It's kind of a "Duh" comment. But, even though Virginia Tech's young defense has improved as the season has progressed and their offense has been pretty solid, Stanford is definitely the more solid and balanced of the two teams, much more consistent defensively. The two potential X-factors in this game will be: 1) Jim Harbaugh - there have been rumors of his potentially leaving the school after the game to go to Michigan. Will this play as a distraction for his team? 2) Tyrod Taylor - Playing in the Pac-10 Conference, Stanford has not faced many dual-threat quarterbacks, outside of Eugene, Oregon and that resulted in their only loss of the season. Even then, I think Stanford pulls one out en route to a 12-1 campaign.

Prediction: Stanford 31 Virginia Tech 27

Result: Stanford 40 Virginia Tech 12

8 - Arizona (7-5) over Oklahoma State (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29, 2010
I'm just rolling with these underdogs, aren't I? There's no question about it, Oklahoma State has an explosive offense and of these two teams, they've had the better season. Yet, their reward for a 10-2 campaign is a December 29th date against a 7-5 school? Meanwhile, Arizona comes into this game losers of four straight. They also got embarrassed by Nebraska last year in the Holiday Bowl. Down the stretch of the season, Arizona was banged up all over the place. The long break will give the team some much needed rest and with that time to recuperate, I think Arizona comes into this game wanting it more than Oklahoma State. Let's not forget, when Arizona was healthy, they were a top 15 team, even beating then #9 Iowa. Their defense is one of the top two or three in the Pac-10 and Okie State, while dynamic offensively, aren't very good (to be kind) on defense. I like the Wildcats to upset the Cowboys and end the season on a positive note.

Prediction: Arizona 38 Oklahoma State 31

Result: Oklahoma State 36 Arizona 10

9 - Michigan (7-5) over Mississippi State (8-4) in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1, 2011
I think the outcome of this game will have a lot to do with distraction and motivation. How distracted will the kids from both teams be with regard to their respective coaches. Michigan's Rich Rodriguez may be out the door following this game and MSU's Dan Mullen has been rumored to have been looking around at another head coaching position. With all that in mind, which team will come more prepared, focused and motivated? In answering those questions, I think it will be Michigan. Freak quarterback, Denard Robinson, has been hampered by nagging injuries all year, but now has a chance to heal up for a month before this game. Mississippi State hasn't faced such a weapon this season and that plays into the favor of the Michigan offense. If the Wolverines' defense can stop Mississippi State on even just half of their possessions, I think Michigan will come out victorious.

Prediction: Michigan 35 Mississippi State 31

Result: Mississippi State 52 Michigan 14

10 - Notre Dame (7-5) over Miami (Fla.) (7-5) in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, 2010
Motivation is the key factor in this game. Miami (Fla.) had grand expectations this season, in Randy Shannon's 3rd year with the school. They were picked by many (most) to win the ACC Conference and possibly contend for a national championship. Following an overtime loss to 7-5 South Florida of the Big East to close out the regular season, head coach Randy Shannon got fired and in comes Temple head coach, Al Golden. Notre Dame, meanwhile, finished the season strong onward to this bowl game. With first year head coach, Brian Kelly, at the helm, the Irish appear to be fired up and headed in the right direction, whereas Miami (Fla.) is headed the opposite way. Miami (Fla.) has the speed and talent to win this game, but then again, they had the speed and talent to win all 12 games and they wound up winning just 7 of those.

Prediction: Notre Dame 27 Miami (Fla.) 24

Result: Notre Dame 33 Miami (Fla.) 17

11 - Iowa (7-5) over Missouri (10-2) in the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28, 2010
This game is basically a direct replica of the Arizona/Oklahoma State match-up. Just like in that game, it appears as if the Big XII school, Missouri in this case, got the short end of the deal. Missouri surprised many with their 10-2 season this year, finishing 2nd (behind Nebraska) in the Big XII North. Iowa, on the other hand, was a pre-season Top 10 team and unlike last year, where it seemed every bounce in every close game went their way, just the opposite was true this year, en route to a very disappointing 7-5 record, capped by a loss to Big Ten doormat, Minnesota. Kirk Ferentz always has his team ready to play in the bowl game, though, and he'll want his team to take out their frustration on the Tigers in this one. Iowa has one of the top defenses in the Big Ten and like last year against the option offense of Georgia Tech, they should be able to clamp down on Missouri's offense and score enough points on offense to win.

Prediction: Iowa 27 Missouri 20

Result: Iowa 27 Missouri 24

12 - North Carolina (7-5) over Tennessee (6-6) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, 2010
Like with all the games to this point, this was a toughy, especially with it being a home game for Tennessee. Both clubs have had a rollercoaster season, but the T.J. Yates to Dwight Jones combination will be too much for the Vols to overcome. I like Carolina to cap off what was an amazingly bumpy and emotional year at 8-5.

Prediction: North Carolina 20 Tennessee 17

Result: North Carolina 30 Tennessee 27 2OT

13 - Ohio State (11-1) over Arkansas (10-2) in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, 2011
Yeah, I live around Columbus. I better pick the Buckeyes, right? Eh, not really. I could see this one going either way. Let's not forget, against SEC teams in bowl games, Ohio State is a combined 0-9. If they lose this one, I may never pick OSU against an SEC opponent in a bowl game again. But, I think things will be different this time around. The difference is two things: 1) Arkansas' defense and 2) Terrelle Pryor. Arkansas' has an explosive offense, led by quarterback Ryan Mallett and while their defense has improved significantly this season, they still are a fairly average defense. Also, let's not pretend that the SEC has a presence at quarterback like Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State. So long as he doesn't get sloppy with the football, I like for the Buckeyes to earn their first win against a SEC team in a bowl game.

Prediction: Ohio State 31 Arkansas 24

Result: Ohio State 31 Arkansas 26

14 - Auburn (13-0) over Oregon (12-0) in the National Championship Game on Jan. 10, 2011
Here it is, the big one - the National Title Game. I'll actually be pulling for Oregon. How can one really hate the ducks? That mascot of theirs doing how many push-ups this season? Their speed on the offensive side of the ball? Chip Kelly's attitude? Their 20-some odd uniforms? They're a fun football team. But, like I've said before, I just like how Auburn matches up with Oregon more than vice versa. If Oregon can throw the football consistently, this will be huge for the Ducks, but Darren Thomas wasn't always the most consistent passer this year. Auburn struggles in the secondary, but are fairly solid against the run, which is what Oregon's strength is on offense. This may limit the Ducks' powerful offense just enough. On the other side of the ball, while Oregon is quick on defense, they lack the size to compete with Auburn for a full 60 minutes and by the 4th quarter, Cam Newton and company should wear the defense out. It should be an entertaining affair and I hate to do this, but I'm going with Auburn.

Prediction: Auburn 45 Oregon 35

Result: Auburn 22 Oregon 19

15 - Air Force (8-4) over Georgia Tech (6-6) in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 27, 2010
I hope you like the ground game, as both teams bring the option offense to the table. But, it's uncertain if Georgia Tech starting quarterback, Joshua Nesbitt, will play in the game, which leaves them with back-up Tevin Washington and their offense wasn't nearly as efficient with him under center. Air Force, like the other two academies, are one of the most disciplined teams in the league and they should have no problem pounding the ball against the atrocious Yellow Jackets' defense. Georgia Tech will need to outscore the Falcons in order to win this one and I don't see that happening, especially if Washington is the starting quarterback.

Prediction: Air Force 28 Georgia Tech 21

Result: Air Force 14 Georgia Tech 7

16 - Troy (7-5) over Ohio (8-4) in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 18, 2010
Troy is a solid football program. They're loaded with speed, especially on the offensive side of the ball. They gave one-loss Oklahoma State a run for their money this season, falling 38-41. They also played the runnr-up in the SEC, South Carolina. Ohio, under head coach Frank Solich, had another fine bowl-caliber season in the MAC, but I believe Jerrel Jernigan and the Troy offense will be too much.

Prediction: Troy 42 Ohio 31

Result: Troy 48 Ohio 21

17 - BYU (6-6) over UTEP (6-6) in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 18, 2010
After starting the year 1-4, BYU closed the season 5-2, winning 4 of their last 5 (only losses to unbeaten TCU and 10-2 Utah). They scored only 76 points in their first 5 games (15.2 ppg), but have gone on to score 212 points in their final 7 contests (30.3 ppg) and this includes a 3 and 16 point effort against the before-mentioned Horned Frogs and Utes. If one excludes those two games, BYU averaged to score 38.6 points a game in their final 5 wins of the regular season. UTEP had a decent season, but unlike BYU, whom is coming into the game hot, UTEP goes into this game having lost 5 of their last 6. BYU should win this one and finish the season with a winning record.

Prediction: BYU 38 UTEP 24

Result: BYU 52 UTEP 24

18 - Miami (OH) (9-4) over Middle Tennessee (6-6) in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Jan. 6, 2011
Miami (OH) didn't win pretty this year, but as they demonstrated in the MAC Title Game against 10-win Northern Illinois, they just find ways to win, as the won their last 5 games of the regular season. Middle Tennessee won some close games as well, as of their final three victories, two of them came by a single point, one of those against 2-10 Western Kentucky. In the end, I just think Miami (OH) played the tougher schedule and due to that, will be coming into this game more prepared than Middle Tennessee. I like for the Red Hawks to win their 10th game of the season.

Prediction: Miami (OH) 28 Middle Tennessee 17

Result: Miami (OH) 35 Middle Tennessee 21

19 - West Virginia (9-3) over North Carolina State (8-4) in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28, 2010
This should be an entertaining game. On paper, I really like West Virginia in this one. The only question I have is, will the team be focused after their head coaching change? On the other side of the field, Tom O'Brien is enjoying his best season at N.C. State and would love to close the season out with a 9th win in this bowl game. It should be close, but I just don't see it happening. So long as West Virginia hangs on to the football, which they've had problems with at times this year, they should come out on top. Their defense is quite underrated and should do enough to allow their offense to prevail.

Prediction: West Virginia 27 North Carolina State 24

Result: North Carolina State 23 West Virginia 7

20 - SMU (7-6) over Army (6-6) in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 30, 2010
This should be quite an interesting match-up, as it showcases the pass-happy June Jones of SMU against Army and the option. If SMU can take control of the football, they should win this one. Army had their best season for a number of years, but they did not beat a team whom is going to a bowl game this season and let's not leave out, there are 35 games (70 teams) this bowl season. SMU has come a long way since Jones took over as head coach and they should continue to head in the right direction with a win in this game.

Prediction: SMU 31 Army 21

Result: Army 16 SMU 14

21 - LSU (10-2) over Texas A&M (9-3) in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 7, 2011
Texas A&M has been one of the hotter teams in the Big XII over the past month or so and LSU, under Les Miles, continues to find ways to win at game's end. I declined to give LSU much credit during the season due to the lack of dominating wins, but I think I'll finally give in and expect Les Miles to pull another one out of his you know what. LSU is ranked 9th in scoring defense (17.8 ppg), have improved on the offensive side of the ball in the past month of the season and have defeated 6 bowl teams this year. That's enough evidence for me to side with them in what should be a low-scoring affair.

Prediction: LSU 20 Texas A&M 13

Result: LSU 41 Texas A&M 24

22 - Southern Mississippi (8-4) over Louisville (6-6) in the Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl on Dec. 21, 2010
I heard someone at ESPN give Louisville 18 or so confidence points. Why? They were 2-4 against bowl teams, winning against UConn (8-4) and Syracuse (7-5), while also losing to Cincinnati (4-8) and Oregon State (5-7) to go along with those four bowl teams. The Cardinals have improved on the defensive side of the ball quite a bit this season, but don't score very frequently. On the other side of things, Southern Miss brings a very balanced offense to the table, ranking 31st in passing offense, 21st in rushing offense and 15th in scoring offense. They struggled some on defense this year, but as always, are quick on that side of the ball. It should be a tightly-contested game, but I give the edge to Southern Miss.

Prediction: Southern Mississippi 24 Louisville 20

Result: Louisville 31 Southern Mississippi 28

23 - Maryland (8-4) over East Carolina (6-6) in the Military Bowl on Dec. 29, 2010
Maryland could run into a motivation problem in this game, as they finished with a strong 8-4 record in the ACC and are stuck playing a 6-6 Conference-USA club in a bowl game, but Maryland wasn't expected to do much this year, so I don't see that happening. On the other side of things, while East Carolina can score some points, they're coming into the game losing 4 of 5 and allowing, this is not a misprint, 274 points in that time (average of 54.8 per game). I don't care how good an offense is. If you give up almost 8 touchdowns per game, you're not going to win very many.

Prediction: Maryland 45 East Carolina 28

Result: Maryland 51 East Carolina 20

24 - South Carolina (9-4) over Florida State (9-4) in the Chic-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31, 2010
This is an interesting match-up on a number of levels. Firstly, based on their results from this season, it appears as if both teams are headed in the right direction under Steve Spurrier and Jimbo Fisher. Secondly, the two teams, on paper at least, are very similar to one another and seem to match-up very well with each other. On the season, Florida State is 6-4 against bowl-bound teams and South Carolina is 7-4 against such teams. Both teams also rank in the top 40 both offensively and defensively. Lastly, the two clubs were runners-up in their respective conferences, getting pounded in their conference title games, Florida State losing to Virginia Tech 33-44 (wasn't that close) and Carolina getting pounded by Auburn 17-56. So, my first question is, where are the teams' heads? Will both be focused on this bowl game following their horrendous performances in their conference championships? Fortunately for both they and the fans, I think both clubs will be ready to go for this one. Both teams exceeded expectations this season and are on the right track. Based on what I've seen this season, though, I give a bit of an edge to the Gamecocks. The guy to watch out for is standout freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina. Florida State finished the regular season ranked 42nd in rush defense, giving up over 167 yards on the ground per game. Look for Lattimore to get the ball early and often and keep the explosive Florida State offense off the field. As could be seen at times this season (Oklahoma, Virginia Tech), if FSU gets down early, they can have a tendency to press and through this, make mistakes. Look for Carolina to take advantage of this en route to a victory and through that, a 10-win season.

Prediction: South Carolina 27 Florida State 20

Result: Florida State 26 South Carolina 17

25 - Clemson (6-6) over South Florida (7-5) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Dec. 31, 2010
For most other games that present such a match-up, I've typically gone with the South Florida's, but am treating this game differently. What I mean by that is the fact that South Florida comes into this game winning 4 of their last 6, with those two losses being to Connecticut (8-4) and Pittsburgh (7-5) by a combined 10 points. USF plays a lot of such games. This season, the Bulls have had seven contests that were decided by one possession and finished 4-3 in such games. The main reason for this is their defense. Their offense has sputtered at times, finishing 88th in points scored (23.5 ppg), but their defense often times excelled, ranking them 19th in the country in points allowed (19.5 papg). On the other hand, Clemson comes into this game losing 3 of their last 5 and finishing with a disappointing 6-6 record. Like South Florida, however, the Tigers liked the close games, struggled on offense and dominated on defense. The only difference is I think they're a bit better on both sides of the ball and they showed me more in the games they played, even lost, as it was to better competition. In five of their six losses (exception was 7-29 defeat to South Carolina), they lost by a combined 26 points (average of 5.2). Even when including the blow-out loss to the Gamecocks, Clemson lost the six games by a combined 48 points (average of 8.0). All six losses were to bowl teams, as the Tigers finished 3-6 against such clubs. These six losses came against: Auburn (13-0) by 3 in overtime (should've won that one), Miami (Fla.) (7-5) by 9, North Carolina (7-5) by 5, Boston College (7-5) by 6, Florida State (9-4) by 3 and South Carolina (9-4) by 22. So, their six losses came to teams with a combined record of 52-23 (.693). So, while it's true Clemson finished at 6-6, they had arguably one of the toughest schedules in the country this year. Even with the tough schedule, they finished ranked 9th in the country in scoring defense (17.8 papg). When combining their preparation for this game with their difficult schedule and their stout defense matching up with South Florida's inept offense, I like the Tigers to finish the year with a winning record in what should be a defensive slugfest.

Prediction: Clemson 17 South Florida 10

Result: South Florida 31 Clemson 26

26 - Pittsburgh (7-5) over Kentucky (7-5) in the Compass Bowl on Jan. 8, 2011
I initially picked Kentucky in this game, but a lot has happened since then. Firstly, Kentucky's starting quarterback, Mike Hartline, who threw for almost 3,200 yards to go along with 23 touchdowns, will be out for this game due to a suspension. Secondly, this will be Pittsburgh head coach, Dave Wandstedt's, last game. Due to both these factors, I give Pittsburgh a mental and physical advantage going into the game. Also, when looking at the two teams on paper, especially with Hartline out, I have to give the edge to the Panthers as well. Kentucky finished the season 2-5 against bowl teams, while Pitt was 4-5. Also, Kentucky was not known for a staunch defense, finishing 74th in points allowed (28.5 papg) and 31.5 points allowed on average to the seven bowl teams they played. Pitt will pound the ball early and often with the dynamic duo at tailback in Dion Lewis (956 yards and 12 touchdowns) and Ray Graham (832 yards and 8 touchdowns). This is a much better match-up for the Panthers than when the Wildcats have the ball, as Pitt finished the season ranked 22nd in scoring defense (19.8 papg). I look for Pitt to finish the season winning their sixth contest in a span of eight games and Kentucky to finish losing their seventh in ten.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 31 Kentucky 17

Result: Pittsburgh 27 Kentucky 10

27 - Alabama (9-3) over Michigan State (11-1) in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2011
I shouldn't completely discount the Spartans' chances in this game, not so much on account of their being as good as their record would indicate (they're not), but for the pure simple fact that Alabama may not be quite as motivated to win this game as the Spartans will be. Let's not forget, Alabama won the national title last year against Texas and had aspirations of going back-to-back. Three losses later and they're playing in the Capital One Bowl, a fine bowl game, but one which is well below where they had hoped to play. But, I like to compare this Michigan State team as a slight downgrade to the Iowa team from a year ago. Last year, Iowa finished the season at 11-2, getting the lucky bounce almost every game, it seemed, and finding a way, through both luck and skill, to win in the last minute. That's Michigan State this year. Their schedule was kind to them, as they had the fortune of not having to play Ohio State (who would have beaten them) and also of having a rather weak non-conference schedule which included: Western Michigan (6-6) of the MAC, Florida Atlantic (4-8) of the Sun Belt, Division I-AA Northern Colorado and Notre Dame (7-5), whom Michigan State beat on a fake field goal in overtime. They also struggled against Northwestern (7-5), Purdue (4-8) and Penn State (7-5), but found ways to win all three games. Their one loss was an embarrassing 6-37 loss to Iowa (7-5). So, while I give kudos to the Spartans for finishing the season with an excellent 11-1 record, I'd be lying if I said I thought they were a genuine 11-win team. Alabama, on the other hand, played a much tougher schedule, beating: Penn State (7-5) by 21, Arkansas (10-2) by 4, Florida (7-5) by 25, Tennessee (6-6) by 31 and Mississippi State (8-4) by 20. They had a couple hiccups along the way, but I think this team is just too solid on both sides of the ball for Michigan State to handle for a full 60 minutes. On the season, the Tide finished 28th in passing offense, 36th in rushing offense and 21st in scoring offense, while their defense finished 5th in scoring defense (14.1 papg). The speed on the defensive side of the ball will be too much for the Spartans and Alabama will leave Florida with their 10th victory of the season.

Prediction: Alabama 24 Michigan State 13

Result: Alabama 49 Michigan State 7

28 - Texas Tech (7-5) over Northwestern (7-5) in the TicketCity Bowl on Jan. 1, 2011
I have to give some props to Northwestern. They may win a lot of close games, but they rarely get blown out. They play hard and compete for 60 minutes, until the clock reads zeroes. But, with stud quarterback, Dan Persa, out for this game with injury, I have a difficult time seeing the Wildcats come out of here with a win. Their defense struggled tremendously in the team's final two regular season games, as well, allowing 118 points in those two games (average of 59.0 ppg). No, that's not a typo. They gave up 48 to Illinois and 70 to Wisconsin. Also, the Wildcats didn't play the world's toughest schedule, as they went 1-4 against bowl teams, their lone win being against Iowa (7-5) by 4. Texas Tech didn't fare the best against quality competition either, as they finished 3-4 against bowl competition, but that's still an improvement. They also showed signs of improvement on both sides of the ball in their final two games. With Dan Persa out, the Red Raiders defense should appear improved (whether that will actually be true or not is highly debatable) and unless Northwestern makes some serious changes on defense before this game, Texas Tech's 34th ranked offense (32.1 ppg) should score more than enough points to come out of this game with a win.

Prediction: Texas Tech 31 Northwestern 21

Result: Texas Tech 45 Northwestern 38

29 - Kansas State (7-5) over Syracuse (7-5) in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 30, 2010
Syracuse is a nice story and will have a home-field advantage in this game, but they are coming into this game losing 3 of their last 4 games, are 2-5 against bowl competition and rank 99th in scoring offense (21.0 ppg). They have been solid defensively, as they ranked 13th in scoring defense (18.1 papg), but that increases to 25.1 points against bowl competition, while averaging to score just 14.1 points in those same games. Kansas State makes me nervous sometimes. An ideal example of that was their final regular season game against North Texas, when the Wildcats won by the final score of 49-41. Their defense wasn't great this year, but their offense, led by stud tailback, Daniel Thomas (1,495 rush yards and 16 touchdowns), will be too much for the porous Syracuse offense to overcome.

Prediction: Kansas State 27 Syracuse 17

Result: Syracuse 36 Kansas State 34

30 - Florida (7-5) over Penn State (7-5) in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 2011
I actually debated this one for a little while initially, as Penn State has improved some after their quarterback switch, but then news broke of Florida head coach, Urban Meyer, retiring after this game. This game now becomes all about the Gators winning one more for their coach. Penn State consistently struggled on offense this year, finishing 52nd in pass offense, 75th in rush offense and 80th in scoring offense (24.6 ppg), while their defense was pretty solid, but not great, ranking 41st (22.6 papg). Also, PSU struggled with bowl competition, going 2-5 against such teams and being outscored by them 131-199 (average of 18.7 - 28.4 = -9.7). Florida had a very difficult schedule, as they faced 10 bowl teams, going 5-5 against such clubs. Even with the tough schedule and the youth on offense, the Gators still managed to finish 48th in scoring offense (29.3 ppg) and 31st in scoring defense (21.1 papg). With their speed, especially on defense, I look for the Gators to dominate Penn State's offensive line and for the offense to do enough to win Urban Meyer's final game.

Prediction: Florida 20 Penn State 10

Result: Florida 37 Penn State 24

31 - Hawaii (10-3) over Tulsa (9-3) in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24, 2010
As usual Tulsa goes into this game knowing how to score a lot of points, but not being too knowledgeable on how to stop the opponent. The Golden Hurricane finished the season ranked 10th in scoring offense (39.7 ppg) and 84th in scoring defense (29.9 papg). They were 3-3, beating: Notre Dame (28-27), UTEP (31-28) and Southern Miss (56-50), while losing to: East Carolina (49-51), Oklahoma State (28-65) and SMU (18-21). Like I said, they know how to score points, but not stop the opposition from scoring. On the other sideline, Hawaii showcases what I feel is quite the underrated or perhaps underappreciated is the more appropriate word, team. After losing two of their first three games, to USC and Colorado, they finished the season 10-1, with their sole loss being to Boise State (11-1). Hawaii doesn't have a dominant defense, but they get the job done more times than not, allowing an average of 22.7 points a game, which ranks them 43rd. On the other side of the ball is where they should dominate Tulsa, however. Tulsa's defense couldn't stop a five-man team composed of four-year olds from scoring 28 points against them, let alone the top ranked passing offense and 9th ranked scoring offense in the country, which Hawaii possesses. With the game being at home, I look for Hawaii to win and win fairly handily.

Prediction: Hawaii 56 Tulsa 35

Result: Tulsa 62 Hawaii 35

32 - Nevada (12-1) over Boston College (7-5) in the Hunger Bowl on Jan. 9, 2011
Credit must be given to the Boston College coaching staff and players for finishing the way they did. At one point this season, BC was 2-5 and had to finish, at worst, 4-1 down the stretch in order to attain a potential bowl bid. They won their final five games to finish the season 7-5. However, they were just 2-5 against bowl competition, with those wins being against Clemson (6-6) by 6 and Syracuse (7-5) by 9. The Golden Eagles' defense is solid. They've allowed 24 or fewer points in all but two games this season, ranking 19th in scoring defense (19.5 papg). But, even with that stout defense, BC's offense makes the Carolina Panthers' offense look good. They finished the year ranked 93rd in pass offense, 87th in rush offense and 109th in scoring offense (18.9 ppg). That's right, even when going 7-5 and allowing just 19.5 points a game, BC's offense averaged to score fewer than that. Nevada didn't have the toughest schedule out there, but did finish 3-1 against bowl teams, with their lone loss being a six-point loss to Hawaii (10-3) on the road. Their defense was often overshadowed by their dynamic offense, but did their job, finishing 36th in scoring defense (22.1 papg). But, where Nevada will showcase their talents are on the offensive side of the ball and dual-threat quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick threw for 2,830 yards and 20 touchdowns this season to go along with 1,184 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. This led to Nevada ranking 3rd in rush yards and 7th in scoring offense (42.6 ppg). BC may be able to hold Nevada under their average, but their offense won't be able to generate enough points to overtake Kaepernick and the Wolfpack offense.

Prediction: Nevada 31 Boston College 17

Result: Nevada 20 Boston College 13

33 - Nebraska (10-3) over Washington (6-6) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30, 2010
Haven't we already seen this before? Earlier this season, in Seattle, Nebraska dominated the Huskies by the score of 56-21. I see no reason why Nebraska shouldn't win again this time around. The only thing that would worry me if I were a Nebraska fan would be the two teams' focus and motivation. As mentioned, Nebraska beat up on Washington by 35 points earlier this season. Washington quarterback, Jake Locker, had a career worst day, completing just 4 of 20 pass attempts. This will be Locker's final game in college and will want to avenge for his awful performance against the Huskers earlier this season. On the other side of things, will Nebraska feel they were shorted by this bowl game? They were runner-up in the Big XII this year, losing a tightly-contested battle against Oklahoma in the conference championship. But, while I see this game as being closer than the first meeting, Nebraska's defense and running game shall prevail in the end.

Prediction: Nebraska 38 Washington 24

Result: Washington 19 Nebraska 7

34 - Oklahoma (11-2) over Connecticut (8-4) in the Fiesta bowl on Jan. 1, 2011
First, I'd like to congratulate UConn for attaining their first BCS bowl game in school history. Now for the downside. While Oklahoma has struggled in BCS games in recent years and they have seen this kind of pairing before, losing to then Cinderella-story, Boise State, in this same game, I don't see that happening this time around. UConn, under Randy Edsall, excels in the fundamentals of football, but at the end of the day, they just lack the speed to compete for 60 minutes against the Sooners. Oklahoma can't take the pesky Huskies for granted, but if they limit UConn's standout tailback, Jordan Toddman, it will be a long evening for the Huskies, as they finished the season ranked 112th in pass offense. Sooners win and win big.

Prediction: Oklahoma 31 Connecticut 10

Result: Oklahoma 48 Connecticut 20

35 - Boise State (11-1) over Utah (10-2) in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 22, 2010
Utah's a good team, but like they showcased against TCU, losing 7-47, they are not an elite football team. Coinciding with that is the fact Boise State is angry and will take that out on their bowl opponent, whomever that was to be. They were a short field goal away from finishing the season unbeaten and going to a BCS bowl game. Quarterback Kellen Moore should have no problem with the Utes defense and the 4th ranked scoring defense in the country (13.6 papg) should be able to limit Utah's offensive output. I like the angry Broncos to win and it shouldn't be close.

Prediction: Boise State 45 Utah 10

Result: Boise State 26 Utah 3

Record: 24-11

Points Earned: 406 (1 + 2 + 3 +5 + 6 +7 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 21 + 23 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 30 + 32 + 34 + 35)

Points Given Up: 224 (4 + 8 + 9 + 19 + 20 + 22 + 24 + 25 + 29 + 31 + 33)

Total Potential Points: 630

Points Left: 0

Best Potential Score: 406

What If the Shake Weight, Kay Jewelers and Cialis Joined Forces to Make a Holiday Commercial?

Personally, I think the shake weight commercials are some of the most unintentionally funny commercials out right now. Cialis is not too far behind in that regard. Kay commercials make me roll my eyes so much that it appears I have a Linda Blair Complex. So, what if these three teams joined forces to make, what I would refer to as, the ultimate holiday commercial? Let's find out, shall we? This story will include two main characters, Bubba and Chastity.

Setting: The two lovebirds are holding hands, smiling, while on the roof of their house, holding antennas during a thunderstorm.

Bubba: So, baby, do you want to do it?

Chastity: Right now? On the roof? Are you crazy?

Bubba: Come on, you told me to take it tonight.

Chastity: Take what?

Bubba: Cialis. Look at me. I'm ready for once.

Chastity: It's 6:30. We've got to leave. You made dinner reservations for 6:45, didn't you?

Bubba: Yeah, at McDonald's. I wanted to make our ten-year wedding anniversary extra special.

Chastity: Well, it takes 10 minutes to get there. Don't you think we should leave about now?

Bubba: Come on, you know I won't take long.

Chastity: You've got that right.

Bubba: Hey, be nice. Remember, I'm taking you out tonight. Hey, what do you have in your left hand?

Chastity: My shake weight.

Bubba: You take that thing with you everywhere you go. ::rolls eyes::. Alright, let's go.

::the two head to McDonald's, where there is no line and only two other tables have been occupied::

Bubba: Where's the service in this damn place? We've been sitting here for over 15 minutes. I called a month ahead of time for reservations. The least they can do is give us proper service. ::yells up to the front:: Hey, where's our waiter at?

McDonald's Employee, Chip: You have to order up here, sir.

::after ordering and finishing their meals, still seated at their table::

Bubba: So, baby, I know you know I've spent a lot of money here tonight, but I think you deserve even more than the happy meal I got you, so I bought you this... ::busts out the gift box with Kay jewelry inside::

Chastity: One second, honey. I have got to finish this.

Bubba: You brought that thing again? Why?

Chastity: ::going at it with the shake weight in slow motion:: You know how much weight I've lost in the past couple weeks? 50 lbs. and it's all because of this.

Bubba: But, you've hardly eaten these past couple weeks.

Chastity: I know.

Bubba: ...and you had liposuction.

Chastity: I know.

Bubba: So, how could that funny looking thing that vibrates be solely responsible for your weight loss?

Chastity: I just know. It's like, you're a Cubs fan, right?

Bubba: Yeah, you know I am.

Chastity: Well, you know they're going to win the World Series next year, right?

Bubba: Of course.

Chastity: Well, same thing here.

Bubba: So, you have a blind faith in the shake weight? Alright, whatever. Anyway, I'm still ready, baby. It's only been two hours. I still have a couple more to go before I need to call my doctor.

Chastity: Actually, you should probably call the doctor anyway. Until you do so, you might as well not take that Cialis, because you won't be getting anything from me.

Bubba: ::sighs:: Would you at least open this?

Chastity: Okay... ::checks inside the gift box:: Awww, thanks, honey. A lapel pin.

Bubba: Yeah, it cost me 15 big ones.

Chastity: $15,000? Holy crap, honey! How on earth could you afford that?

Bubba: Naw, naw, naw. $15.

Chastity: Oh, okay, well, I think we should go now.

Bubba: Hey, since nothing else will be going on tonight, can I at least have a kiss?

Chastity: Sure. ::quick peck on the forehead::. Alright, cheapo, where'd you park your car?

Bubba: It's a Schwinn.

Chastity: Well, whatever, where is it? It was right here when we went inside, right?

Bubba: Someone must have stolen it.

Chastity: Someone stole our ride, your bicycle, at a McDonald's on our ten-year anniversary?

Bubba: Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. ::calls for a cab and the cab arrives::

Bubba: I don't have any money, but we have this. ::gives him the Kay jewelry::

Cab driver, Jeremiah: Okay, this will do. Hop in.

Chastity: Thanks, honey. You're my hero.

Bubba: I know, herpes and all, I know. ::big kiss::

Every Kiss Begins With Kay...

Make Your Voices Heard Regarding 9/11 First Responders' Bill!

I recommend that everyone read/view this and let their voices be heard by writing the senators whom are holding up the passage of this bill and the mainstream media for seemingly ignoring it altogether. These brave men and women risked their lives on 9/11 and in the days, weeks and months following the attacks. The very least they deserve in return is adequate compensation for health problems related to their heroic acts. The one gift they want for Christmas is the ability to pay their health bills. For the lives they saved and the risks they took on 9/11 and in the months following, it'd be criminal to not afford them at least that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/stewart-911-responders-bill_n_798114.html

The following is a list of all the senators whom either voted nay for the bill or abstained:

Lamar Alexander (R, TN)

John Barrasso (R, WY)

Robert Bennett (R, UT)

Christopher Bond (R, MO)

Scott Brown (R, MA)

Samuel Brownback (R, KS) (abstained)

Jim Bunning (R, KY)

Richard Burr (R, NC)

Saxby Chambliss (R, GA)

Thomas Coburn (R, OK)

Thad Cochran (R, MS)

Susan Collins (R, ME)

Bob Corker (R, TN)

John Cornyn (R, TX)

Michael Crapo (R, ID)

Jim DeMint (R, SC)

John Ensign (R, NV)

Michael Enzi (R, WY)

Lindsey Graham (R, SC)

Charles Grassley (R, IA)

Judd Gregg (R, NH)

Orrin Hatch (R, UT)

Kay Hutchison (R, TX)

James Inhofe (R, OK)

John Isakson (R, GA)

Mike Johanns (R, NE)

Mark Kirk (R, IL)

Jon Kyl (R, AZ)

George LeMieux (R, FL)

Richard Lugar (R, IN)

John McCain (R, AZ)

Mitch McConnell (R, KY)

Lisa Murkowski (R, AK)

Harry Reid (D, NV)

James Risch (R, ID)

Pat Roberts (R, KS)

Jefferson Sessions (R, AL)

Richard Shelby (R, AL)

Olympia Snowe (R, ME)

John Thune (R, SD)

David Vitter (R, LA)

George Voinovich (R, OH)

Roger Wicker (R, MS)

This link provides proof of the senate vote on H.R. 847 James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010:

http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2010/s/269

This next link provides contact information to any member of Congress:

http://www.conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm

The following are e-mail addresses to all the major news networks:

http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=World+News+with+Diane+Sawyer(Diane Sawyer)

nightly@nbc.com (Brian Williams)

evening@cbsnews.com (Katie Couric)

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html (Anderson Cooper, John King and Wolf Blitzer)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/ (Morning Joe, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews)

foxreport@foxnews.com (Shepard Smith)

studiob@foxnews.com (Shepard Smith)

huckmail@foxnews.com (Mike Huckabee)

The Evolution/Devolution of Green Day

I've seen (heard, I suppose is the more appropriate word) it many times, when a band enters a point in their career where they seemingly lose the identity they had which brought them an initial appeal to listeners. In some cases, bands are labeled as "matured," as they transition from a raw, less-produced, perhaps more emotional and personal-style of music to more cliched, overly produced, radio-friendly rock. Often times, I see the term "matured" as synonymous with "monotone," "repetitious" and "business over pleasure".

Two bands that immediately come to mind for me are Linkin Park and Nine Inch Nails. The rap/rock hybrid of the early 2000s played into Linkin Park's hands and they tended to stand out on their own from the rest of the like-minded bands of the time. But, over the last 10 years and with each successive album, they've put much less emphasis on the rap and more on the singing, making them sound more like an everyday rock band and not like what brought them appeal in 2000 with their debut album, "Hybrid Theory". Nine Inch Nails was the God (still is, I suppose) of industrial rock. Between the albums: "Pretty Hate Machine," "Broken," "The Downward Spiral" and "The Fragile," Nine Inch Nails had won over fans and critics alike and were the main inspiration for any industrial rock band to hit the airwaves. However, times have changed for Trent Reznor and company. They followed "The Fragile" up with the album "With Teeth," which I personally liked, but which began to showcase the band's changing of tunes (in both the literal and figurative sense). It played more like an '80s rock album than industrial metal. Then, in even more recent years, the band has become more underground, attempting to intertwine industrial rock with a political message, yet upon hearing these albums, they lack the same bite, the same ferocity, the same vigor as the first four albums. No longer do I hear Linkin Park when listening to their most recent material and no longer do I hear Nine Inch Nails when listening to theirs.

Other bands have the unfortunate temptation of changing with the times. This situation was brought upon many '80s hair bands when the grunge scene hit the airwaves. Bands like Metallica ("Load") and Def Leppard ("Slang"), amongst many others, attempted to alter their style of rock to ride the trend in the music scene and appeal to the same types of people whom were getting into acts such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, etc. This typically doesn't work too well for bands. There were a couple of decent hits along the way, like Metallica's "Until It Sleeps" and "King Nothing," but more times than not, when a long tenured band feels the need to alter their style in order to fit in with the current musical trend, they typically will lose that appeal in which they had built for many years.

Lastly, some bands, for whatever reason, fail to maintain listeners' attention and this is what happened with Green Day. There are many times when a band will go Platinum with one album or even three or four albums, yet perhaps due to one mediocre or sub-par album, which receives minimal airplay, they're forgotten by all but their most hard-core of fans. So, they then feel the need to change things up a bit, whether that be with the personnel of the band or through the music itself.

Most people don't realize this, but Green Day released their first album, "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours," in 1990. It seems that most people see "Dookie" as the punk rock band's debut album, but that, in fact, was their third. They went Platinum in the U.S. with "Kerplunk," their 1992 album. "Dookie" was their big success early in their careers, as that hit Diamond status in the States. Following that break-through, though, the band began to see their sales decrease. In 1995, they released "Insomniac" and went Double-Platinum in the U.S., but it was still an underachievement when compared to "Dookie". This trend continued in 1997 and 2000 with the albums "Nimrod" and "Warning". Both albums hit Platinum in some countries, but their chart positions weren't nearly as impressive, especially with regard to "Warning," which went Gold in the States. So, the band took a bit of a break. The longest duration between albums to that point in their careers was three years, between "Nimrod" (1997) and "Warning" (2000). They took four years before releasing their 2004 album, "American Idiot". This album has gone on to sell almost 6 million copies in the U.S. alone and 14 million worldwide, going platinum in 14 countries: Australia (5x), Austria (2x), Canada (8x), Ireland (8x), Sweden, Switzerland (2x), England (6x), U.S. (5x), New Zealand (4x), Germany (3x), Japan (2x), Denmark (2x), Italy (3x) and Mexico. When all is said and done, this could go on to be Green Day's best-selling album. "Dookie" currently holds a slight edge, selling 16 million copies worldwide, yet the album has been out since 1994. Meanwhile, "American Idiot" has sold only 2 million less copies and has been out for 10 fewer years. In 2009, Green Day released "21st Century Breakdown," which has gone on to be a decent success, but not nearly as much so as its predecessor, "American Idiot". It will likely go Platinum in the U.S. in the near future (997,000 albums sold) and has gone Platinum in 12 countries and Gold in 5 others.

The controversy/debate surrounding the band over the past 6 years isn't so much dealing with their success. It's with regard to how they've attained that through the past two albums. With both "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown," the band has gone to a more epic-style of rock music and lyrically, have gone political, writing two concept albums concerning U.S. politics. Due to their punk rock roots, many have referred to the band as sell-outs. Others have stated that the band was using the wave of anti-Bush rhetoric to their advantage, with "American Idiot" in particular and some will even claim that musicians should stay out of politics.

First off, I can understand the disappointment of some fans, who loved the punk rock version of Green Day. However, in terms of punk rock, Green Day has been devolving for quite some time. Their most genuine punk rock albums are their first two: "1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours" and "Kerplunk". They contained some punk rock elements in "Dookie," "Insomniac" and "Nimrod," but seemed to slowly be moving away from their roots musically. So, while the two most recent albums differ from the rest, I've seen (heard) a gradual alteration in sound leading up to "American Idiot," which, to me, at least, wasn't as surprising as it was to some. So, I can understand the disappointment or anger with some fans who have been listening since the band's debut album in 1990, yet it wasn't that big of a shock.

Secondly, musicians of all stripes have gotten involved with politics and made their voices heard, whether it be at the Grammy's when accepting an award, writing a column or singing a song devoted to a certain cause. From Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." to Edwin Starr's "War" to Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" to John Lennon's "Imagine" to Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" to The Beatles' "Revolution" to U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and beyond, many musicians have been unafraid to sing about political issues of the time. So, why is it not acceptable for some that Green Day sings about political issues of that time? Whether it be the wars overseas, politics in Washington, etc., why do some believe the topic(s) are off-limits for this band?

The fact of the matter is that Green Day saw their sales falling and decided to make a change. Not everyone is happy with the change, but for once, I certainly am. I have always enjoyed Green Day's music. They tended to sing silly songs with catchy hooks, which made them great listening music at parties and in the car with friends. However, from both a musical and lyrical perspective, I believe "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown" to be far and away, their two best albums to this point in their careers. Billie Joe Armstrong has proven that he can write more hard-hitting lyrics than those dealing with drugs and masturbation. He wrote a story for the two most recent albums and powerful ones at that, with the music perfectly accompanying the words and message of the albums. Green Day has gone from being one of the most fun acts in rock to one of the very best.