When the Big 12 season concluded with Oklahoma narrowly defeating Nebraska in the conference championship game, it was a result that had been predicted by many. The process of getting there – including an option offense at Nebraska that for a while looked among the nation’s elite, a bowl berth for Baylor, and a losing [...]
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Guess who brought this one down? Yep, Justin Blackmon (Icon SMI)
Bedlam will decide the Big 12 South champion, as a win puts Oklahoma State alone atop the standings or would put Oklahoma in a three-way tie with OSU and A&M, and the Sooners would likely have the best BCS standing of the three teams.
The offenses should move the ball freely here – Justin Blackmon, Demarco Murray, Brandon Weeden, Landry Jones, Ryan Broyles, and Kendall Hunter are all strong starts in the conference’s final game before the championship.
Texas A&M @ Texas (Thursday night)
Once again, I’d expect a defensive effort here. If their recent win over Nebraska is a blueprint for what that means, Cyrus Gray is a good start for a lot of carries and a decent feed of dumpoff passes. A&M has played better this season, but Texas is fighting for bowl eligibility while A&M has been effectively eliminated from the Big 12 South title race.
Colorado @ Nebraska
Unfortunately for the Buffs, Nebraska’s (and possibly Colorado’s) last game in the Big 12 is also their chance to wrap up the North division, so CU will get the full attack in the teams’ rivalry game. Taylor Martinez’ ankle injury should be fully healed, and the Nebraska trio of Martinez, Helu, and Burkhead ought to pick up a lot of ground yards against a porous defense. However, Rodney Stewart will not find this week as productive as the previous two… expect a blowout here.
Missouri @ Kansas
By the time Missouri plays this game, they’ll already know Nebraska’s result from the previous day, and therefore whether they are playing for the Big 12 North title or not. It hardly matters. The “Border War” is the Tigers’ biggest rivalry, and Kansas is limping into this one after consecutive defeats against ranked opponents that weren’t particularly close. The Jayhawks are 1-6 in conference, with only their furious 4th quarter comeback against Colorado keeping them from an 0-7 mark. Porous defense should help Blaine Gabbert beat his season average, and Michael Egnew remains one of the nation’s most productive TEs. TJ Moe is a decent start this week as well.
Kansas State @ North Texas
Reeling from a 1-4 stretch since their big win over in-state rival Kansas, KSU in classic Bill Snyder fashion will take on the University of North Texas in their final game of the regular season. Daniel Thomas should rebound this week following a poor effort against Colorado. What remains to be seen is who the starting quarterback for Kansas State will be – either way, it’s not somebody you want on your fantasy roster. However, if Coffman plays, WR Aubrey Quarles could top 100 yards and is a decent bet to score.
Houston @ Texas Tech
Texas Tech has been nothing if not unpredictable in the transition year under Tommy Tuberville – since week 4, they haven’t won or lost consecutive games! As they’re following a win over Weber State, perhaps that bodes well for the Houston Cougars, who are seeking bowl eligibility here? Taylor Potts and Lyle Leong are good starts here; Baron Batch is a bit of a gamble, but you figure that in a game against a 5-6 CUSA team, Tech should at the very least punch in a score or two from goalline situations.
According to the local water authority, San Diego averages approximately 9.9 inches per year on the coast. I’m not much of a meteorologist, but I have to feel eight of those nine inches fell this morning here in Coronado, Calif.
Playing through hard rain was probably not what recruits had in mind this weekend when they planned their trip to the San Diego area, but that makes the effort they put into Saturday morning’s session of the Adrenaline High Rollers event even more impressive. The recruits played tough through the sheets of water, showing they had the determination to play the game.
Adrenaline High Rollers brings together 150 top lacrosse players in the west in an all-star format, with players split between 16 teams for a two-day recruiting event. The games take place at Coronado High School (home of the Islanders!) across two fields.
Over 40 recruiters were there today (you can find the list here). NCAA coaches came to scout talent, but they also helped run instructional clinics during in the afternoon, working with the kids despite the pouring rain. Notre Dame assistant (and friend of IL) Gerry Byrne helped coordinate this particular event, placing a special emphasis on making sure players and coaches worked together in an instructive matter. West Coast players don’t get that type of instruction often so its valuable experience.
I floated between the sidelines and the press box today, tracking one half of the participating teams (I’ll track the other half tomorrow). Here are my notes for the day:
This week we’ve got a few more commitments coming from all over the East Coast, including a handful from some top 50 Young Gun juniors.
#46 Young Gun junior Bud Graham, A, Culver Academy (In.) has committed to Hobart. At 6-1, 225 lbs., Graham is a sizable Canadian finisher from inside, putting up 59 goals and 6 assists as a sophomore for the Indiana state champs. He also considered Notre Dame, UMass, Providence, Fairfield and Ohio State. With #17 junior Matt Opsahl, a top-notch dodger, committed to the Statesmen as well, Graham and Opsahl will form a dangerous 1-2 punch.
#41 Young Gun junior Kelton Black, M, Calvert Hall (Md.) has committed to Johns Hopkins. Black made the Cardinals’ varsity as a freshman and this past summer, was the leading scorer among midfielders on their Brine Shootout team who won the Session II championship. He’s a very savvy middie with all-around skills, boasting great quickness and a strong shot. Black also considered Virginia, Duke, Maryland and North Carolina. That makes it four commitments already for Calvert Hall’s 2012 class.
10 of the 11 (Penn State didn’t make it due to travel complications) Big Ten schools made the trip to Chicago today to participate in the Big Ten’s annual media day. Media day is that sort of necessary evil where awkward TV shoots and repetitiveinterviews are par for the course. We didn’t make the trip to Chicago but here is a round-up of all the content created at the spectacle.
Novak talks about his BTN promo shoot (above), you can see the first and second takes here. I’m not sure Novak has a future in television but he certainly improved on the second take.
Since the Big Ten only releases a media “top three” (1. Michigan State 2.Ohio State 3.Purdue), AnnArbor.com put together a media poll to rank the teams. Here are their results:
1. Michigan State (10) 120 2. Ohio State (1) 106 3. Illinois 96 4. Purdue 89 5. Wisconsin 79 6. Minnesota 70 7. Northwestern 54 8. Indiana 38 9. Penn State 33 10. Michigan 28 11. Iowa 13
And one final point that I’d like to make is when you look at Michigan, and when you look at what John Beilein has done over his career and you look at his winning percentage over his career, the man is an incredible coach.
This goes back to my days in the Big East and it certainly is now. There might be some preparations that are as hard, but there are none that are harder than getting ready for a John Beilein‑coached team, and I think it’s just a matter of time before that program is back where it needs to be.
I mean, he walked into a situation ‑‑ he didn’t walk into a Big Ten champion. He didn’t walk into a team that was going into NCAA tournaments all the time. He’s had to rebuild it. And I think he’s a phenomenal coach.
As usual there were a ton of strange scores on the scoreboard this week. The NFL always gives us a bunch of upsets we never saw coming, but we rarely see the crooked numbers some of the teams put up Week 7.
Officially it was the highest scoring week in the NFL since 1983. Is this a preview of how life is going to be in the new, less dangerous NFL? Here’s what happened around the league Week 7:
Browns 30 @ Saints 17
Not only did the Browns defeat the Saints in New Orleans as 14 point underdogs, they crushed them by 13. That makes three years in a row the Browns have defeated the reigning Super Bowl champs.
They did it this time was Saint-like creativity and daring on special teams, and two interceptions returned for touchdowns by Browns’ linebacker David Bowens. Drew Brees threw four interceptions total on the day and was completely bewildered by Rob Ryan’s UFO defense.
Browns punter Reggie Hodges added a 68-yard run on a fake, and Josh Cribbs threw a lateral across the field to Eric Wright who returned the ball 50-yards on another punt. Running back Peyton Hillis even completed a crucial pass to Quarterback Colt McCoy to ice the game, and get McCoy his first NFL win.
Bottom line: The Browns played like they had nothing to lose and it paid off. They now get to enjoy their bye-week knowing that any given Sunday, they can beat the likes of the Saints, Patriots, or Jets.
Raiders 59 @ Broncos 14
The Oakland Raiders humiliated their arch rival Broncos in Denver with 508 yards of total offense in the biggest blowout of the season. For those of you keeping score at home, maligned Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels’ resume now includes trading away franchise QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall, choking away a 6-0 start and missing the playoffs, and*NEW - losing to the inept Raiders at home by 45 points. Oh yeah, and trading Peyton Hillis to the Browns for Brady Quinn.
Darren McFadden was a fantasy hero for Oakland in this one, rushing for 165 yards and recording four scores.
Bottom line: Part of the reason the Browns schedule seems so brutal is because they don’t face either the AFC West or NFC West this year. We get the NFC West next year, but won’t see the AFC version again until 2013.
Bills 34 @ Ravens 37, OT
The Bills joined the Browns as double digit dogs on the road this week, and they covered as well. They came up short of the win in overtime however, but still hung an incredible 34 spot on the vaunted Ravens defense in Baltimore.
The Ravens may have been looking to their bye week a little early, but Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick was brilliant with 373 passing yards and should force the league to take notice now. WR Lee Evans scored three times and 7th round wonder Steve Johnson added his fifth score of the young year.
Bottom line: Joe Flacco was able to dig his team out the surprise hole they found themselves the same week Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees could not.
Bengals 32 @ Falcons 39
Touted as a defensive struggle, this game turned into another one of Week 7’s scoring bonanzas. Roddy White shredded a very good Bengals pass defense to the tune of 201 yards and two scores. He also added a two point conversion.
Cincinnati was able to climb out of 24-3 deficit by scoring 22 straight points in the span of eight minutes, but a Cedric Benson fumble in the fourth quarter cost them a crucial possession. That turnover led to an easy Michael Turner score and another Falcons’ 14 point lead.
Colt McCoy’s college buddy Jordan Shipley did manage to catch his first NFL touchdown pass.
Bottom line: Do the Browns have a shot at third place in the AFC North? The Bengals also only have two wins, and have yet to play the Dolphins, Saints, Jets, Colts, and Steelers… twice.
Steelers 23 @ Dolphins 22
The NFL might be cracking down on violent hits, but they are still trying their best to make life easy for their sexual deviants. A fourth quarter Ben Roethlisberger fumble was ruled a touchdown, and after the subsequent Dolphins’ challenge, head referee Gene Steratore admitted his crew missed the call but did not possess significant evidence to overturn what was called on the field, even though they realized what they called on the field was wrong. Seriously.
The Steelers were awarded the ball and kicked a field goal to take the final 23-22 lead.
Bottom line: Whether it’s a first down being called on a ball clearly two inches short, or the refs not ejecting James Harrison for punching opposing players in the Super Bowl, or illegally hitting Browns players, the Steelers get all the breaks while the Browns just break.
Jaguars 20 @ Chiefs 42
Jacksonville was asking to get blown out in this one starting back-up QB Todd Bouman, who hadn’t played an NFL game since 2005. The Chiefs returned one of his picks for a score and got two more from wide receiver Dwayne Bowe en route to crushing the Jags.
The win coupled with the San Diego and Denver losses gives the Chiefs an astounding 2 game lead in their division.
Bottom line: The new Arrowhead stadium is fast becoming one of the toughest places to play in the NFL again, and the Chiefs can suddenly score in lots of ways.
Eagles 19 @ Titans 37
The Titans have now blown out their opponents in back to back games and appear to have rediscovered the defense that made them an AFC force just two years ago. Titans WR Kenny Britt was benched for a quarter and still scored three times and racked up 225 receiving yards.
Eagles QB Kevin Kolb struggled enough to make head coach Andy Reid’s decision to start backup Michael Vick after the bye week an easy one. They surrendered a nine point lead despite forcing Titans QB Kerry Collins to turn the ball over three times.
Bottom line: Both teams have two capable QBs in different molds, and will continue to suffer from the highs and lows that come with playing both of them.
Vikings 24 @ Packers 28
The Vikings season is just about down the tubes. Brett Favre threw three interceptions, in the span of seven passes, with one being returned for a touchdown that turned out to be the difference in the game. Afterwards, Vikings’ coach Brad Childress said he contemplated pulling Favre from the game due to his erratic play, but then remembered he doesn’t have the courage to look Brett in the eye.
Lost in Favre’s shower of tears was the power of replay challenges, overturning three Viking touchdowns ruled good on the field. The Packers Aaron Rodgers wasn’t his normal self either, throwing two more interceptions and missing receivers time and time again on sideline timing routes. He was finally better than Favre however, who was seen crying by his locker after the game. Seriously.
Bottom line: Jake Delhomme… err Favre, suffered two fractures in his ankle in Browns’ fashion when a Packers’ defender rolled up on his legs from behind, causing the injury and one of his crucial interceptions.
Giants 41 @ Cowboys 35
The Giants crushed Toni Romo, the Cowboys, and all Super Bowl dreams in Dallas Monday night. Eli Manning threw interceptions deep in his own territory on the Giant’s first two possessions, but was able to weather the storm and guide his team to the 41 point win with four TD throws.
The Cowboys got another punt returned for a touchdown from rookie Dez Bryant, but the air jumped out of the building (or at least turned to boos) after QB Toni Romo was lost in the second quarter with a broken collarbone.
Bottom line: The pregame show included a special message from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. While it was meant to be inspiring, it came off as a desperate attempt to fire up a team and fan base on the edge of collapse. At 1-5 and with Romo out, they’re now officially toast.
Chris Iott at MLive.com (my old stomping grounds) has a nice roundup of Pistons predictions from various media covering the team, and was kind enough to let PistonPowered participate. Although some (Laser) will most assuredly laugh at my 40-42 prediction, I can say with confidence that there is one person who will look worse than me. Take it away, Bill Simonson:
The pressure is on for this team to make the playoffs. The seventh or eighth spot should be easy to secure.
Wow. In fairness to Simonson, though, no one really expects his opinions to be grounded in reason. Or based on strong analytical evidence. Or even vaguely coherent. There are about 37 teams in play for those 7th/8th spots in the East, all of them very evenly matched (read: not very good), so it will be no “easy” task for any team to attain those last spots, including the Pistons.
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