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NFC Divisional Round Recap

AFC Divisional Round Recap



AFC Championship Preview



NFC Championship Preview

Changing Of The Guard? Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook And The Thunder Drop Celtics To 4-8

The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their winning ways on Monday night, dropping the Boston Celtics on the road 97-88. The Thunder (12-2) now own the NBA's best record in the early going after winning their 7th straight contest in Boston's TD Garden. OKC came into the game on a roll, becoming the first team to win 3 games in 3 straight nights and 5 games in 6 days during the NBA's truncated 66 game season post-lockout prior to the game in Boston.

Monday marked the return of Thunder C Kendrick Perkins to Boston for the first time since the former Celtic was traded in the middle of last season. Perkins way a key member of the Celtics during their NBA Championship run in 2008 and has been sorely missed since the deadline-deal last year that sent him to the Thunder in return for F Jeff Green (who unfortunately will miss all of this season after having surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm in December).

Oklahoma City is looking to take the next step this year and now looked poised to make a Title run. OKC's stars were on display against the Celtics as SF Kevin Durant dropped 28 points to go along with 7 rebounds while PG Russell Westbrook added 26 points of his own. Third-year PF Serge Ibaka had 4 blocks in the first half and helped set the tone down low for the Thunder in the early going. To their credit the Celtics mounted a stiff resistance, never allowing Oklahoma City to run away with it and got the score to within 3 at 83-80 with 2:25 remaining in the 4th Quarter. However Westbrook and emerging SG Thabo Sefolosha each drained a pair of 3-pointers during the final two minutes to stymie any Boston comeback attempt.

This game featured two games that are going different directions this year. The Thunder reached the Western Conference Finals last year and are looking to build upon that success with an appearance in the NBA Finals. The Celtics look like the aging group that faltered in last season's playoffs and have stumbled out of the gate this year having lost their last 5 games. Boston's "Big 3" of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen won an NBA title in 2007-08 and again reached the Finals in 2009-10 however their poor start in 2012 may mark the end of this group's run. There is still time for the Celtics to get back in the mix and compete at the highest level but they will be handicapped an arduous schedule where teams will have much less rest than would be afforded them during a regular 82-game season.

NFC Divisional Round: Giants 37 - Packers 20

The New York Giants strode into Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon and simply manhandled the top-seeded 15-1 Green Bay Packers in a  37-20 victory. The Packers had been a wire-to-wire Super Bowl favorite during the course of the season but QB Eli Manning (21/33, 330 yards, 3 TDs) and the Giants were not intimidated. The Giants forced 4 turnovers and sacked MVP candidate QB Aaron Rodgers 4 times as their defense was stifling from start to finish.

The Giants came out and moved the ball on their opening drive but settled for a FG before the Packers answered back with a FG of their own to make it 3-3. The teams would battle back and forth in the first half however it became apparent early that New York had the advantage. After a 66-yard catch-and-run TD pass from Manning to WR Hakeem "The Dream" Nicks, which has been a staple of the Giants offense as of late, the G-Men forced a fumble of the Packers' ensuing drive that somehow was overturned despite video evidence to the contrary. Rodgers lead Green Bay down the field and tied the game 10-10 with a TD pass to FB John Kuhn. The Giants were leading 13-10 shortly before halftime and looked to being running out the clock before RB Ahmad Bradshaw broke a 21-yard run and got out of bounds giving his team a chance for one last heave towards the endzone. Manning tossed up a hail mary that Nicks was able to bring in against his helmet giving New York a 20-10 halftime lead.

The 10 point lead was the biggest second-half deficit Green Bay faced all season and in the second half the Giants surging defense took over the game, the Packers never got closer than 20-13. A Lawrence Tynes 35-yard FG made it 23-13 midway through the 4th before the Giants forced a fumble from RB Ryan Grant on the ensuing Packers drive that resulted in a Mario Manningham 4-yard TD catch to make it 30-13. Rodgers and the Pack benefitted from an iffy rougher-the-passer call and were able to put another TD on the board to make it 30-20 but could not convert an onsides-kick attempt. The Packers could not stop the Giants RBs Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs who scored a game-sealing TD on a 14-yard scamper with 2:36 to put the game on ice at 37-20.

Aaron Rodgers set a new record in the regular season with a passer rating of 122.5 but looked completely out of sorts after not playing a snap of football in 3 weeks. Combine that with a ferocious Giants pass rush and no fewer than 8 dropped passes by Green Bay receivers and you have a recipe for disaster. To put it simply, the Giants were the tougher, more physical team on Sunday. They didn't make big mistakes and took advantage of Green Bay's 31st ranked defense. New York will now travel to San Francisco next Sunday to play for the NFC Conference Championship.

AFC Divisional Round: Ravens 20 - Texans 13

This AFC Divisional matchup pitted the two best defenses remaining in the playoffs against each other which was fully reflected in the Ravens' hard-nosed 20-13 victory over the Texans on Sunday afternoon.

I thought the Texans might pull the weekend's biggest upset in this one riding the momentum of their 31-10 Wild Card Round win over the Cincinnati Bengals and behind their much-improved defense. However it was the equally-vaunted Baltimore defense that won the day. This game looked like it was going to get out of hand early as the Ravens forced a pair of Texan turnovers in the 1st Quarter and jumped out a 17-3 lead. However Houston was able to rebound thanks to the legs of Pro Bowl running back who became the first ever player to eclipse 100 rushing yards against the Ravens defense in a playoff game. The Texans defense did a great job of shutting down Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and the Ravens' offense after the 1st Quarter and allowed to team to close the gap to 17-13 at halftime.

The second half was all defense as neither team was able to put points up until a Billy Cundiff 44-yard FG increased the Baltimore lead to 20-13 with 2:52 remaining on the clock. Rookie QB T.J. Yates was able to move the ball against the Ravens in the 4th Quarter, however Yates also made a pair of bad decisions on throws that resulted in interceptions including one to Ravens All Pro S Ed Reed with less than 2 minutes remaining that sealed their fate. The Ravens were unable to put the Texans away before that final interception and even gave Houston life after they failed to punch it in with Ray Rice on 4th and Goal from inside the Texans' 1-yard line.

Much like the San Francisco 49ers victory on Saturday the Ravens were able to win this one because they won the turnover battle. Then Ravens forced 4 takeaways in this one, the first 2 of which allowed them to build an early lead while the second 2 allowed them to close it out. The Ravens deserve a lot of credit in this one for not giving in to a Texans team that really outplayed them for much of the game following the 1st Quarter. The Ravens didn't turn it over themselves and equally as impressive did not commit a single penalty in the entire contest. The real difference in this game were the mistakes made by the inexperienced Houston Texans and their rookie QB. The Ravens will travel to Foxboro next week to take on a white hot New England Patriots offense and will need to emulate their performance from Sunday's win if they want to have a shot at getting to the Super Bowl.

AFC Divisional Round: Patriots 45 - Broncos 10

The Tim Tebow train was finally derailed on Saturday night as QB Tom Brady and the New England Patriots steamrolled Tebow's Broncos in a 45-10 laugher. I had a feeling that Tebow's magical story came an end last week with the Broncos incredible overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steeler and the Patriots wasted no time in proving that to be the case.

Brady and the Pats' offense set the tone on their opening possession as they ran right through the Denver defense on a drive highlighted by a 43-yard run by TE Aaron Hernandez out of the backfield and a 7-yard TD pass from Brady to WR Wes Welker. The Patriots defense stifled the Tebow-lead offense all day long, starting with a forced fumble by LB Rob Ninkovich (who was the game's defensive MVP, perhaps being motivated after he was posterized on a Tebow TD run in the Week 15 matchup between these two teams). Brady took it right to the Broncos again and hit TE Rob Gronkowski for his second TD of the game giving the Pats a 14-0 lead midway through the 1st.

The Broncos would finally get on the board with a RB Willis McGahee TD run following a rare Brady interception to make it 14-7 early in the 2nd but that would be the end of the good news for Denver in this one. Brady would throw 3 more TDs in the 2nd Quarter, 2 to Gronkowski, and New England had this one wrapped up at halftime with a 35-7 lead. Brady set a record for TD passes in a playoff half with 5 and would tie the record for playoff TDs in a game after he hit Hernandez for his 6th TD on the team's first possession of the 3rd Quarter. The Bronco's incredibly slim comeback chances were erased after that score and the rest of the game was simply a formality as New England cruised to a 45-10 final score.

The Patriots played their best game of the season so far in this contest and will now try to ride that momentum to the Super Bowl next week as the host the Baltimore Ravens, who beat the Houston Texans 20-13 on Sunday, in the AFC Conference Championship. Tom Brady and company will have a much tougher challenge against an experienced Baltimore club lead by former Super Bowl MVP and 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year LB Ray Lewis.

NFC Divisional Round: 49ers 36 - Saints 32

The NFL Playoffs Divisional Round kicked off with an instant-classic Saturday afternoon in San Francisco where Alex Smith and the 49ers took advantage of a number Saints' mistakes to pull off a stunning 4th Quarter victory in the team's first playoff game in a decade. The 49ers have thrived on winning the turnover battle all season long and Saturday was no different as they got 5 takeaways from a red-hot New Orleans team.

QB Drew Brees and the Saints showed they could in fact move the ball against a stout San Francisco defense as they went 78 yards on the opening possession. However S Donte Whitner laid a massive hit on Saints RB Pierre Thomas forcing the game's first turnover and knocking Thomas out of the game, setting the tone for the rest of the contest. The Saints would hand the ball over two more times in the 1st Quarter and all of a sudden San Francisco jumped out to a 17-0 lead behind a pair of TD passes from QB Alex Smith. Brees would battle back in the 2nd with two TDs of his own including a beautiful 25-yard strike to WR Marques Colston that got them back in it before halftime with the score 17-14. It would be a defensive battle for most of the second half and saw the 49ers holding on to a 23-17 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining (despite a 5th New Orleans turnover early in the 3rd inside their on 30 they only resulted in another FG). However the potent Saints offense could not be held in check any longer as RB Darren Sproles gave his team their first lead with a 44-yard catch-and-run for a TD to make it 24-23 with 4:02 remaining.

It was at this point that Alex Smith played the best football of his career. Smith, largely considered to be a bust after being selected number 1 overall 7 years ago, drove his team right down the field with the help of TE Vernon Davis (also considered something of a bust) before Smith retook the lead for his team, scoring on a 28-year QB Keeper up the left sideline on 3rd-and-7 with 2:11 to go. Drew Brees answered right back with a 66-yard TD to TE Jimmy Graham barely 30 seconds later which many (including myself) thought would be the killer blow to the 49ers great season, taking a 32-29 lead. Smith however silenced all of his critics in the final 1:37 of the game by marching right back down the field with the help of another huge completion to Davis of 47 yards with 0:31 left on the clock. Smith then completed his second comeback of the game with a 14-yard TD to Vernon Davis with less than 10 seconds remaining that was a mirror image of the famous Steve Young to Terrell Owens TD against Green Bay in the 1998 playoffs (complete with tears).

I have to tip my cap to Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers. I didn't think they would be able to slow down Drew Brees and the Saints (and was partly correct as Brees passed for 462 yards and 4 TDs). However, as they've done all year long, the 49ers forced 5 turnovers while committing only 1 themselves. I was most impressed with Smith who finally showed all the ability that persuaded the Niners to make him the first overall choice in 2005. After watching this game I think the 49ers will have a real chance to win the NFC Conference Championship game next week if they can continue to play with such tenacity for their coach Jim Harbaugh.

Where Will Free Agent Prince Fielder Land?

Former Milwaukee Brewers 1B Prince Fielder remains the top MLB Free Agent after Albert Pujols signed with the Angels last month. The 27-year old Fielder socked 230 HRs and posted a .282 average in his 6+ seasons with the Brewers. In 2011 he batted .299 with HRs and 120 RBIs helpin the Brewers cruise to an NL Central division crown and has played at least 157 games in all 6 full seasons of his career. Fielder signed a one-year contract with the Brewers worth $15.5 Million prior to the 2011 season but rejected a longer contract extension offer after the team extended NL MVP Ryan Braun in a deal worth $145 Million through the 2020 season. Fielder felt the team was more committed to Braun and elected to file for Free Agency following the conclusion of the season, a move which earned him the ire of the Brewers fan base.

While Fielder is considered to be the top remaining prize of the Free Agent class he has yet to be linked to serious contract talks with another team. The Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are the clubs expected to sign the slugger. The lastest reports saw Fielder meet with a number of high-ranking officials of the Rangers on Friday however team owner Nolan Ryan has reiterated that the talks were only preliminary in nature and it is unknown whether significant progress has been.

ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that the lefty slugger is seeking a 6-year deal worth between $22 and $24 Million a year with an opt-out clause after 3 years which has limited Fielder's suitors to the three teams mentioned above. It is remarkable that a player of Fielder's caliber has gone unsigned for so long and it will interesting to see how the market for him plays out over the coming days or weeks.

Is There Anyone In The World That Doesn't Like Brian Scalabrine?

Had the ever been a player like Brian Scalabrine in the history of the NBA. The White Mamba is a career 3.2 PPG scorer (topping out with a whopping 6.3 a game in 04-05) and has averaged only 13.5 minutes a game over the ten years he's been in the league. Despite this lack of any discernable, NBA-level talent the USC alum had become one of the most beloved players in the NBA over the past few years. Something about being an awkward, clunky ginger with a sense of humor has endeared Scal to basketball fans nationwide. Honestly I think this guy could sit on the bench and never play another minute of an NBA game and still be in the league for close to another decade, he's that awesome. This video says everything there is to know about why we all love this guy.

Spot On

This is one of those things that is incredibly hilarious and incredibly sad at the exact same time. Good work Internet.

Jeff Fisher To Coach St. Louis Rams

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher will return to the NFL next season, joining the much-maligned St. Louis Rams next season. Fisher spent 16 seasons in Tennessee and was the longest tenured head coach in the NFL until he was fired following the 2010 season (due in large part to the fact that he had this f*cking guy as his QB). Fisher took a year off from coaching after he was let go but unlike former coaches John Gruden and Bill Cowher (both currently enjoying success TV careers as analysts) vowed to return to the NFL for the 2012 season. Both the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins vied for Fisher's services.

There was much speculation as to where Fisher would land and it was rumored that Miami, seeing itself in a more desperate situation than St. Louis, was willing to offer more money. However it appears that Fisher's decision to come to St. Louis was based on the structure of the franchise. Despite posting a dismal 2-14 record in 2011 that resulted in the firing of former coach Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams organization offered a much more attractive future than the Dolphins. The Rams already have a franchise QB in the form of Sam Bradford who they selected number 1 overall in 2010 and hold the second overall pick in the upcoming 2012 draft. They also have significantly more cap space with which to improve the team than do the Dolphins but perhaps the most important factor was the fact that Fisher would be able to hire his own GM as the position was vacant in St. Louis.

The Rams had high expectations coming into 2011 after a much improved 2010 where the went 7-9 under Spagnuolo and Bradford. Prior to the season it was expected that they would compete for the NFC West division crown (that is before the 49ers snuck up on everyone) however they appeared to regress significantly as the season played out. The team was hit with major injuries early and often and Bradford did not show the type of improvement and development that was expected of him. The blame fell of Spagnuolo for his inability to prepare his team and the team's failures culminated in his termination at the end of the year. Under Fisher it is not impossible to think that the Rams can make a significant turnaround in 2012 and along with the 49ers and the late-breaking Seattle Seahawks we could see a very competitive NFC West in the next few years which would be remarkable considering in 2010 the Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to win a division with a losing record at 7-9.

Triple Option Radio - Playoff Recap And Predictions

Giants vs. Packers Predictions



Patriots vs. Broncos Predictions



Saints vs. 49ers Predictions



Texans vs. Ravens Predictions

Manny Ramirez Wants Back In The Big Leagues

Former All Star slugger Manny Ramirez saw his career cut short in the early goings last season when he abruptly retired in April following a second failed drug test for PEDs which rather than face a 100-game suspension for his second offense. On paper Ramirez has a sterling career resume with a .312 career average to go along with his 555 HRs and more than 1,800 RBIs. Ramirez will be filing for reinstatement next season with the hope of reducing the suspension he would have to serve down to 50 games. For some reason Manny thinks this will show teams how he's changed since last year.

Ramirez put together a sure-fire Hall of Fame career from 1993-2008 playing for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. Manny hit more than 500 HRs for the two teams and was a key factor in Boston's two World Series victories in 2004 and 2007. However thanks to a slew of events including altercations with fellow Red Sock Kevin Youkilis and 64-year old team traveling secretary Jack McCormick, Ramirez was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline in 2008. After going to the Dodgers he would have a torrid finish to the year being named the NL player of the month for August and leading the Dodgers to the playoffs. However in 2009 it was reported that Ramirez failed a test for PEDs and was forced to sit out 50 games. Ramirez struggled in '09 after the suspension and ended up losing his starting job the next summer after multiple stints on the DL. Manny was let go by the Dodgers in August of 2010 and was picked up off waivers by the Chicago White Sox where he flopped noticeably during the 24 appearances he made for the team, hitting only a single round-tripper. Ramirez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays to begin the 2011 season, however, after his aforementioned second positive test he retired from baseball less than 2 weeks into the year. During this time it was also revealed that Ramirez tested positive during the 2003 survey taken by the MLB before instituting their current drug-suspension policy.

Manny was a 12-time All Star and 9-time Silver Slugger who at one point posted 9 straight seasons of at least 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. His 21 career Grand Slams are 3rd all time and he ranks in the top-20 in most of the significant offensive categories. Given the treatment Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro have received from the Hall of Fame it can be said with a fair amount certainty thay Manny will not be elected when he becomes eligible 5 years after his retirement. The 39-year old Ramirez had hoped to play this winter in the Dominican League but was refused by Major League Baseball because of its affiliation with the Dominican League, a move which prompted Ramirez's application for reinstatement. In my mind it is unlikely that a team will sign Ramirez because little can be expected of him, especially with the Spring Training distractions that are likely to accompany him. He would have to sit out a minimum of 50 games and possibly 100 if he chooses to return to baseball and no one knows at what level he could play considering much of his prolific production of the years can be attributed to PEDs in light of those 3 failed drug tests. Ramirez was also arrested this past September on a charge of domestic battery although that charge was later dropped.

Barry Larkin Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame

Former Cincinnati Reds SS Barry Larkin was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY yesterday after receiving 86% of the vote (75% is required for election). Larkin was the only player on the ballot that was elected this year ahead of Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell and Lee Smith. He will be inducted in July.

Larkin spent his entire 19-year career in Cincinnati where he compiled a career average of .295 with 198 HRs, 960 RBIs, 2,340 hits and 379 stolen bases. Larkin became the first ever SS to hit 30 HRs and steal 30 bases in a season in 1996, a year after he won his only MVP award in 1995. Larking was a 12 time National League All-Star at SS and won 3 Gold Gloves at the position. He was a member of Cincinnati's 1990 World Series winning team managed by Lou Pinella.

Larkin was elected to the Hall in his 3rd year on the ballot after receiving only 52% of the vote in his first attempt. Larkin was likely the last remaining qualified candidate on the ballot that did not have his career tainted by the influence of PEDs. 500 Home Run club members Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro have each failed miserably in Hall of Fame voting over the past few years reflecting the stance taken by the Baseball Writers Association of America who are responsible for ballot voting. Next season will be the most interesting test of Hall of Fame voting in the steroids era as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa will all be eligible for election (Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling and Craig Biggio will also be eligible but they will likely face less scrutiny than the aforementioned trio).

Soccer Analysts Takes A Full Speed Shot To The Dome From A Ball, Shakes It Off Like It Ain't No Thing

British soccer and analyst and former player Martin Keown taking a soccer ball to the head during the pre-game show. I've seen a number of videos like these online and this was one of the best reactions to the situation there's ever been, just shakes it right off and goes right for a sarcastic gesture.

NBA Early Returns: Thunder And Sixers Emerge... Wait The Sixers? Really?

The NBA season is just a few weeks old but the outlook for the rest of the season is beginning to become clearer. The 2011-2012 season is very unique in that after the lockout the season has been shortened to only 66 games however these games will played over a shorter period of time than a regular NBA season meaning the players are going to be taxed much more so than they normally would giving an edge to younger, deeper teams as the season progresses. Two teams that are poised that have already shown they are poised to take advantage of this situation are the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-2) in the West and amazingly the Philadelphia 76ers (6-2) in the East.

If you are familiar with this blog than you know I jumped on the Thunder bandwagon early last season and rode it with the team all the way to the Western Conference Finals where their youth and experience cost them as they dropped the series to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder and F Kevin Durant look more mature this year and I truly believe they are the best team in the West. C Kendrick Perkins (who was added in the middle of last season) looks to be in the best shape of his life and, along with the addition of other veteran C Nazr Mohammed, it seems the Thunder have the kind of leadership they were lacking at times during last year's playoffs. Durant (23 years old) in fact may finally be taking that step toward becoming the best player in the NBA period that we saw flashes of during the past 2 seasons. The Thunder are deep at every position and their roster is filled with young players who are now seasoned with playoff experience. I predict them winning the West this year, in fact with relative ease.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the early goings this year has been the tremendous play of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers are 6-2 and riding a 5-game win streak highlighted by a series of blowout wins. The Sixers surged in the second half of last season to make the playoffs thanks to a much improved defense under head coach Doug Collins. This year that defense has developed into the best in the league allowing an NBA best 85.1 points per game thanks to the emergence of 7-ft C Spencer Hawes as well as the maturation of guards Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams and the Renaissance of SF Andre Iguodala's career. The Sixers are currently ranked Number 1 in the ESPN Hollinger Power Rankings which are a unique assessment of a team's performance based purely on numbers (including Scoring Margin in which the Sixers rank first at +15.3 points a game, Strength of Schedule and Recent Performance to name a few) that eliminates the subject opinion of analysts for better or worse. It is unlikely that the Sixers will be able to maintain that top position but it is no stretch to say that this team with it's young, deep and talented roster is the clear-cut number 3 team in the East this year behind the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. The 76ers haven't been true contenders in the NBA since the 2001 season where MVP SG Allen Iverson lead to team to the Finals against Shaq, Kobe and the LA Lakers.

Playoff Predictions: AFC Divisional Round Denver Broncos At New England Patriots

This is the game that everyone will be talking about all week because of Tim Tebow. Anyone who is reading this post doesn't need to be told about what a phenomenon Tebow has been this year willing his team to the playoffs and then upsetting the defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers on the first play in overtime with an 80-yd TD pass from Tebow to WR Demaryius Thomas. On the other side you have the number 1 seed team in the AFC in the New England Patriots who went 13-3 this season despite having one of the word pass defenses (yardage-wise) in the NFL thanks in no small part to multiple time MVP and Super Bowl Champion QB Tom Brady.

New England is favored in this game by almost two touchdowns (-13.5) and beat the Broncos in Denver 41-23 just a few short weeks ago. There is really no doubt in my mind that this game is going to have a similar result and were I a betting man I'd almost been inclined to take the Patriots to cover the huge spread. Tim Tebow's first season as a starter has been amazing it has literally been a script for an inspirational Hollywood sports movie: Tebow was pegged as the team's third-string QB by new coach John Fox during the preseason, took over the starting role after and abysmal 1-4 start, turned things around despite his inconsistent play by flourishing in the 4th Quarters and OT of games in en route going 7-1 in his first 8 starts, had things almost completely fall apart and ended on the season on a 3-game losing streak (starting with that loss to NE), had speculation that he might be benched for backup Brady Quinn in the team's first playoff game, and then finally brought everybody back together and pulled off an amazing overtime win against perennial powerhouse Pittsburgh in the Broncos Wild Card matchup. There it is, "4th and God: The Tim Tebow Story" coming 2014 (I can't take credit for the title, that came from ESPN writer Bill Simmons).

However the Broncos aren't going to be able to continue the ride as they travel to New England this weekend. Patriots head coach Bill Bellichick is the best in the business and with two weeks to prepare his team is going to be ready for Tebow. Bellichick's patriots were the team that ended Tebow's 6-game win streak because he figured out how to play the unique QB. New England does have weaknesses in the secondary and Denver did prove they can run the ball against this team as they rushed for 252 yards in the first game between the 2 including 167 in the first quarter alone and lead 16-7. However they were done in by 3 second quarter turnovers that New England converted into 3 scores and Denver never recovered.

Now the biggest reason I think New England is going to win this game is the fact not enough people are going to doubt Tebow this upcoming week. The Broncos showed that could play with the Patriots in their first matchup and Tebow-mania is in full swing after last Sunday. Because of Tebow that Steelers game was the highest rated Wild Card game in 18 years and after the game winning TD Tebow broke the twitter sports record for "tweets per second" with 9,420 which to me is one of the most ridiculous stats I've ever heard but it is very telling. The one thing I've learned from watching Tebow since he was in High School has been that he thrives on doubt which is why I really thought the Broncos had a good chance to beat Pittsburgh last week after their 3-game losing streak that was a serious reality check. Simply put there are too many people thinking Tebow and the Broncos have a serious chance to win this game and I think that will ultimate be what does them in.

Really the only way I see Denver having a chance in this game is if FS Brian Dawkins is able to finally return from a neck injury that has sidelined him. Dawkins (who if you didn't know is my favorite player ever in NFL history) has been the key that sparked Denver's resurgent defense that was just as responsible for Tebow-mania as Tebow himself. Dawkins has been doing the spiritual thing since Timmy was in middle school and amazing was able to inspire the Denver D to victory against the Steelers without even playing. However even the great Weapon-X won't be enough I'm afraid.

Final Score: Patriots 38 - Broncos 27

P.S. You have no idea how painful is sit have to watch Dawk play at so high a level and still be able to be one of the best leaders in sports at the age of 37. I guarantee you is he was playing for the Eagles this year he would have ben directly responsible for a at least 2 more wins and it would be the Eagles and not the Giants that everyone would be afraid of.

Playoff Predictions: AFC Divisional Round Houston Texans At Baltimore Ravens

Of all the games in this week's upcoming Divisional Round, the matchup between the Texans and the Ravens is the one that I don't have a really great feel for. Specifically I don't have a great feel for the Ravens because, while they've look great many times this year, they have had some pretty inexplicable losses including to Tennessee and Jacksonville that were major head-scratchers. Baltimore and Houston played all the way back in Week 6 where the Ravens took care of business 29-14 limiting QB Matt Schaub and holding Pro Bowl RB Arian Foster to under 50 yards rushing. Houston comes into this game down to their third-string rookie T.J. Yates at QB but will have WR Andre Johnson in the lineup who was missing in the Week 6 contest.

Baltimore is favored by more than a touchdown in this game (-7.5) and on paper it looks like the Ravens should easily be the superior team playing at home. Personally though I see this game playing out much closer than the spread and conventional wisdom would dictate. The Texans, both for better and for worse, are a much different team at this point than they were the last time they played in Baltimore. After losing their first two QBs and playing without Johnson for much of the season many analysts and fans alike felt they would fizzle out. However Yates has played as well as anyone could expect by first helping his team finish out the regular season by winning their first ever AFC South Division title and then earning the franchise's first ever playoff victory last week against Cincinnati. With last week's 31-10 win at home Yates became the first rookie QB drafted in the 5th round or later to win a playoff game.

Nevertheless this game is going to come down to the defenses. Baltimore has been defined by their defense ever since the 2000 season when they carried the team their first Super Bowl under the leadership of future HOF LB Ray Lewis. Houston on the other hand did not become a defensive power until this season with the addition of Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips. Phillips has crafted this team into one of the best units in the NFL despite losing Pro Bowler Mario Williams for the season early in the year. It was the Texans' defense that earned the victory last week and I believe that defense is going to step up big again this weekend. When Schaub went down earlier this year the defense came together as a unit knowing it was up to them to carry the franchise for the rest of the season. They are lead by LB Brian Cushing who is an absolute nut (see video below) and I think this team is hot. The Texans run defense was suffocating last week holding the Bengals to only 70 yards on the ground and 1,000 yard rusher Cedric Benson to only 14 yards on 7 carries. I think the Texans are going to focus on taking away Baltimore's biggest threat RB Ray Rice and force QB Joe Flacco to beat their much improved secondary. The Ravens have enjoyed success ever since they made Flacco their starter from day 1 as a rookie in 2008 and while he has generally been successful in both the regular season and the postseason I think he can be very inconsistent when defenses put the onus on him to win the game. This is going to be a low-scoring affair and I think the Texans are riding a big wave of momentum that will carry them. Both running games are going to have trouble in this game and I think the outcome will be determined by only a handful of plays in the passing game. Here I give the advantage to Houston and Yates' ability to get the deep ball to WR Andre Johnson. Look for this game be close in the 4th with a score somewhere in the area of 14-14 before either a Flacco turnover or a Johnson 60-yd pass play shifts the momentum in favor of the Texans.

Final Score: Texans 23 - Ravens 17

Roll Tide Roll: Alabama Defeats LSU 21-0 To Win National Title

Head coach Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide flat out dominated the LSU Tigers 21-0 on Monday night to win their second BCS National Title in 3 years and Saban's 3rd career Championship (the other coming with LSU in 2003). In the first ever rematch of a regular season matchup in BCS history Alabama avenged a 9-6 overtime loss to LSU at home on Nov. 5th in utterly convincing fashion to win the 2012 BCS National Title Game. The Tide defense capped off an historic season with an historic performance by posting the first shutout in BCS history and the first shutout in a National Championship game in 20 years.

The numbers for Alabama against a team that came in to this game undefeated and ranked Number 1 in the Nation were downright staggering. Alabama out-gained LSU 384-92 and did not allow LSU across the 50-yard line until midway through the 4th Quarter. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson and the LSU offense could not get a single thing going all night as Jefferson completed only 11 passes for 53 yards while the Tigers managed only 39 yards rushing as a team on 27 combined carries. LSU's defense held up as best it could and, despite allowing nearly 400 yards, kept themselves in the game by forcing the Crimson Tide into 7 FG attempts before Heisman Trophy Finalist RB Trent Richardson finally broke the plane and sealed the deal with a 34-yard TD scamper up the left side with 04:36 left in the game.

LSU never had a chance in this game because Alabama's defense was simply too good. The Tide came into this game allowing only an NCAA-best 8.8 points and 195 yards a game on defense in what was easily one of the best defensive seasons in the past 25 years. Nick Saban cemented his reputation as the best defensive-minded coaches in NCAA football with his team's performance tonight against an LSU team that average nearly 40 points a game coming in to the contest.

By winning in such dominating fashion Alabama erased any doubt as to who would be this year's unanimous National Champion. Their had been speculation prior to the game that had Alabama won in a very close game similar to the overtime contest between this two in November that the Associated Press (AP) poll might vote either Oklahoma State (who defeated Stanford in the Rose Bowl last week) or LSU as their National Champion resulting in the first split decision since LSU (BCS) and USC (AP) split the Title in 2003. Instead we can all be treated to the chorus of "Roll Tide" until next fall.

Playoff Predictions: NFC Divisional Round New York Giants at Green Bay Packers

Now that Wild Card weekend has come and gone with no major surprises (is anyone actually surprised by Tebow anymore?) we are down to the real Super Bowl contenders with only 8 teams remaining. In my mind the NFL Playoffs get serious in the Divisional Round as the Wild Card Round usually tends to be the culmination of the "pseudo-playoffs" that take place during the final weeks of the regular season after the best teams have already booked their tickets for the playoffs and few spots remain. The teams who compete for these spots are generally the ones who are content with simply making the playoffs and aren't true contenders (for example the 9-7 Bengals and the 8-8 Broncos). In the second playoff week the true battle for the Super Bowl crown begins.

The NFC games next weekend will see the New Orleans Saints (14-3) travel to play the San Francisco 49ers (13-3) on Saturday while the defending champion Green Bay Packers (15-1) will host the surging New York Giants (10-7) on Sunday.

The Packers/Giants game on Sunday looks to me like a carbon copy of the Giants Super Bowl 42 victory of the then 18-0 New England Patriots. The Packers got hot last season after an up-and-down, injury-plagued start before going on a playoff tear and winning the Super Bowl. Riding that wave of momentum the Packers started out 13-0 and finished with the best record in the league despite finishing dead last in defense. The key for the Packers has been their +24 turnover ratio and their prolific offense of course lead by the spectacular play of QB Aaron Rodgers (4,643 yds, 45 TDs, 6 INTs, NFL record 122.5 QB rating). The Giants on the other hand remind me a great deal on not only their 2007 team that got hot in the playoff but also the Packers on last season. The Giants were decimated by injuries this year early but still managed a 6-2 before losing 4 straight but finished with 3-1 record to pull out the NFC crown with a 9-7 record. The G-Men are easily playing their best ball of the year thanks in large part to their defensive line being fully healthy for the first time all year. Their D-Line was what carried them to the Super Bowl in 2007 and they seem to have finally regained the ability to dominate the line of scrimmage like they did 4 years ago which was on display in force during their 24-2 beat-down of the Atlanta Falcons in the first round. In addition to their defense, Eli Manning has played the best football of his career all season long and has truly taken his game to the next level.

The Packers have been the favorite to win the NFC since before the season began and most everyone still thinks that to be the case. I am not of them. This Packers team reminds of the Giants in 2008 who started the season 11-1 as the defending champs but clearly peaked too early and were done in by their flaws. Although that Giant team finished the season as the number 1 seed they were bounced out of the playoffs in their first game in rather uninspired fashion by the a hot Eagles team 23-11 at home. I think this Packers team also peaked too early this year and despite finishing with an NFL best 15-1 record they will lose to a hot Giants team. The Packers' one loss came at the hand of the KC Chiefs who succeeded by getting lots of pressure on Rodgers with their front 4 causing him to rush his game and become erratic. That game played out much like the 2007 Giants win over the Patriots in which the NFL's best offense was held to 14 points because the Giants got pressure on QB Tom Brady all day long. The Giants' strengths coming into this game are their ability to get after the QB with just their D-Line (Osi, Tuck, JPP = 'nuff said) and their passing attack lead by Manning and WRs Hakeem Nicks (6 rec for 115 and 2 TDs against Atlanta) and breakout star Victor Cruz who set the franchise record for receiving yards this year. The Packers have the worst pass defense in the NFL and Eli Manning has protected the football better this season that at any other point in his career. Look for Rodgers to be on the ground a lot in this game which has proven to greatly diminish his accuracy (he may also be without top WR Greg Jennings in this game, remember the 2008 Giants team lost top WR Plaxico Burress after their 11-1 start). The Giants have also been at their best this year when they are getting huge plays in the passing game from Nicks and Cruz. I can keep going on and on about why I think the Giants will win but more than anything I see momentum and Health being key factors, having TE Jake Ballard back and at full strength paid immediate dividends against Atlanta.

A final note on why I'm picking the Giants to win this game and face New Orleans in the NFC Title Game is that, for everything Aaron Rodgers has accomplished in his career, can you think of any real signature come-from-behind wins when things looked their most bleak? I can't and at the same time can name multiple such 4th Quarter performances from Manning just this season alone. This game is going to be close one way or another and neither team will get more than a 10 point lead. It was barely a month ago that Eli almost took out the Packers and tied the game at 35-35 late before the depleted defense allowed a long pass play in the final minute setting the Pack up for a game-winning FG attempt. This will be different his time with Rodgers being the one who has to try and tie the game late but it will be Eli Manning's final drive of the game that decides the outcome (perhaps even in OT).

Final Score: Giants 30 - Packers 26

Playoff Predictions: NFC Divisional Round New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers

Now that Wild Card weekend has come and gone with no major surprises (is anybody surprised by Tebow anymore?) we are down to the real Super Bowl contenders with only 8 teams remaining. In my mind the NFL Playoffs get serious in the Divisional Round as the Wild Card Round usually tends to be the culmination of the "pseudo-playoffs" that take place during the final weeks of the regular season after the best teams have already booked their tickets for the playoffs and few spots remain. The teams who compete for these spots are generally the ones who are content with simply making the playoffs and aren't true contenders (for example the 9-7 Bengals and the 8-8 Broncos). In the second playoff week the true battle for the Super Bowl crown begins.

The NFC games next weekend will see the New Orleans Saints (14-3) travel to play the San Francisco 49ers (13-3) on Saturday while the defending champion Green Bay Packers (15-1) will host the surging New York Giants (10-7) on Sunday.

The 49ers have been the biggest surprise in the NFL this season as first year head coach Jim Harbaugh produced one of the league's best defenses (with easily the NFL's best run defense that allowed only 77 yards a game and gave up only one single rushing TD all season long that didn't occur until the final game of the season) and revitalized the career of QB Alex Smith by turning him into the best game-manager in the league who threw only 5 INTs all year (the 49ers lead the NFL with a +28 turnover ratio). However despite having their best season since the days of Hall of Fame QB Steve Young they benefitted from a relatively weak schedule and get a lot of good breaks.

The Saints will come into this on a 9-game win streak and in my mind are the hottest in the NFL. There aren't enough superlatives to describe what QB Drew Brees has done this season while setting NFL records by smashing Dan Marino's mark for passing yards in a season, finishing with 5,479 and oh-by-the-way set the season record for passing efficiency by completing 71.2% of his passes. The Saints had the best offense in the NFL this year with the key being their renewed success in the running game which finished 6th overall. Last year they were missing that element which was the biggest reason last season ended with a sour loss to 7-9 Seahawks. When I predicted that the Saints would win the Super Bowl 2 years ago it was because they were playing offense on a truly unstoppable level and were making the plays on defense that you see in every Championship team. To be honest, since the Saints dropped an inexplicable game to the lowly St. Louis Rams in Week 8, the have looked better than they did in 2009. Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton are proven winners and their momentum and experience is going to be far too much for the 49ers to handle. The San Fran defense will keep them in it and I can see this game being close into the 4th Quarter. However the Saints' 9-game winning streak has been defined by their ability to bury teams when it matters which other teams haven't done to the 49ers this year (see the 23-3 lead that the Philadelphia Eagles blew in a 24-23 home loss).

I think the Saints will get an early lead but will have trouble building on it because of the 49ers D will cause a turnover or two (but will end up settling for FGs rather than TDs preventing them from really hurting the Saints) and then Alex Smith and Frank Gore will lead a scoring drive early in the 4th that will close the gap to something within a FG like 21-19. It will be at this point where Brees and the Saints will march down the field on a long TD drive that will take a huge chunk of time off the clock and then cause an Alex Smith turnover on the next drive with the clock running down and pressure mounting.

Final Score: Saints 28 - 49ers 19

NFL Wild Card Saturday: Texans, Saints Cruise

The 2011 postseason kicked off yesterday with the Houston Texans beating the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 in the early game followed by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints taking down the Detroit Lions 45-28 in the nightcap. The games played out in remarkably similar fashion as they saw close, competitive contests in the first half before the home teams took charge in the second half and each had the games pretty much wrapped up by the middle of the 4th Quarter. Both losing teams played hard and showed some of the tenacity that got them into the playoffs but in the end both games really came down to the winning team taking advantage of their opponent's mistakes while the losers failed to do the same.

Drew Brees and the Saints continued to set offensive records as they have been doing all season, this time setting the mark for total yards in a postseason game with 626, featuring 466 passing yards from Brees to go along with 3 TDs. The Lions came out strong in the game, scoring on their first possession and held a 14-10 lead at halftime. However the Saints passing attack would prove too much for the Lions and after taking a 17-14 lead on the opening drive of the second half with a beautiful 41-yd strike from Brees to WR Devery Henderson, never looked back. Lions QB Matt Stafford (380 pass yds, 4 TDs including one rush) and (nearly) unstoppable receiver Calvin Johnson (Megatron became the 3rd wideout in NFL history with over 200 receiving yards and 2 TDs in a playoff game, doing it on 12 catches) gave it their all and got the game as close at 24-21 in the 3rd. However the high-octane Saints got a 17-yd TD run from spark plug Darren Sproles on their next drive (shortly after the Lions secondary dropped their third potential INT) and then intercepted Stafford on the next drive before Brees quickly delivered the kill shot on a 56-yd bomb to a wide open Robert Meachem. I have the Saints going to the Super Bowl this year and they were the superior team last night however Detroit did play well enough to show that they deserved to be there and should be an NFC contender for the foreseeable future as they mature and improve of defense.

The Texans and Bengals matchup, as I said before, played out in much the same fashion. In a showdown of two rookie QBs, the two teams traded blows in an evenly matched first half before the game turned in the final minute of the first half when Texans' defensive lineman J.J. Watt picked off Cincy QB Andy Dalton and took it 29 yards to the house to break a 10-10 tie. Dalton and the Bengals continued to battle in the 3rd but, much like the Lions, failed to take advantage of a possible interception of Houston rookie T.J. Yates before giving up a 40-yd TD pass from Yates to All-World WR Andre Johnson late in the quarter. Two more Dalton picks in the 4th Quarter and an overpowering 42-yd TD run down the sideline by Pro Bowler Arian Foster sealed the deal and gave the Texans their first playoff victory in the first postseason game in franchise history. The key to Houston's success this year has been their mightily improved Defense orchestrated by new DC Wade Phillips. They will play the Baltimore Ravens next week which should be a great defensive battle. The Texans have been a great success story this year and one can only imagine where they might be if they hadn't lost Pro Bowl starters QB Matt Schaub and OLB Mario Williams to injury for the season. The Bengals were also a surprise after a down 2010 season and the departure of long time QB Carson Palmer that thrust Dalton into the starting role as a rookie. The Bengals have a nice core of young talent lead by Dalton and Pro Bowl rookie WR A.J. Green which bodes well for their future however the team's 8th loss of the season wasn't all that surprising considering all 8 or those loses came at the hands of playoff teams.

Triple Option Radio - What Should The Colts Do With The Number 1 Pick/Professional High School Football?

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Auburn Releases RB Michael Dyer From His Scholarship Following Suspension

Auburn Sophomore and All-SEC Tailback Michael Dyer was released from his scholarship on Friday and is free to transfer, although the release was "conditional" meaning he is prohibited from transferring to certain schools. It has been widely speculated that Dyer, an Arkansas native, will transfer to Arkansas State to follow the Red Wolves new head coach Gus Malzahn who was Dyer's offensive coordinator at Auburn.

Dyer is a supremely talented back who topped 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons (including breaking Bo Jackson's Freshman rushing record) and was named MVP of last year's BCS National Title Game, a performance crowned by an iconic run in the 4th Quarter that put Auburn in position to hit the game-winning FG (see below). After a down year for an extremely young Auburn team in 2011 it appeared for all the world that Dyer and the Tigers were set to rebound in 2012. I suspected Dyer to be a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate and top NFL prospect in 2012 as a Junior next year but he was suspended for unspecified reasons by head coach Gene Chizik before Auburn's 43-23 victory over Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

I was lucky enough to have and inside source who is familiar with both Dyer and Arkansas State who informed me that that running back had a number of ongoing problems with Gene Chizik and wanted to play for Gus Malzahn instead. My source also reported that he wanted to be closer to his elderly grandmother in Arkansas who is ailing and is petitioning the NCAA to for a "hardship waiver" that would allow him to become immediately eligible to play (typically a player must take a red-shirt year after transferring). If granted Dyer would make an immediately impact for the Sun Belt Champion Red Wolves who will finish their season this Sunday against Northern Illinois in the GoDaddy.com Bowl after a 10-2 regular season.

The Title Of This Video Says It All

Russian Hockey Player Nail Yukopov after Russia beat Canada 6-5 to win the World Junior Championship

Jets QB Greg McElroy Sounds Off On Jets Locker Room

New York Jets Rookie 3rd-String QB Greg McElroy aired out some of the team's dirty laundry this week during an interview with a Birmingham, AL radio station (McElroy of course lead Alabama to a National Championship a couple of years ago). Shortly after the Jets implosion to end the season on a 3-game losing streak, reports of in-house unrest and locker room troubles began to surface and were a likely cause for the team's failure to make the playoff this year (including losing to the Giants in Week 16 and thereby knocking the Eagles out of contention). Many reports surrounded WR Santonio Holmes who, after already stirring up trouble by calling out his offensive line earlier in the year, was benched at the end of the team's dismal Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins after getting in multiple fights with teammates and supposedly had also caused trouble during team meetings the week before.

Despite all these rumors most of the Jets clubhouse took the high road when asked about the situation and reiterated the need to keep such things "in house," according to players like much-maligned QB Mark Sanchez. McElroy however was the one Jet who decided he needed to share his feelings about the team's issues. Said McElroy "It's the first time I've ever been around extremely selfish individuals, and I think that's maybe the nature of the NFL... there were people within our locker rom that didn't care whether we won or lost, as long as they got (theirs)."

Regardless of the fact that his statements were probably spot on and probably confirm that Santonio Holmes was the main culprit (remember Holmes only cost the Jets a fifth-round pick in a trade from the Steelers following a series infractions while with Pittsburgh including a 4-game suspension) Greg McElroy just violated the trust of his entire team and has quickly earned the ire of NFL players both active and retired across the board. McElroy is a rookie seventh-round draft pick who spent almost the entire season on injured reserve. He has accomplished nothing in this league whatsoever but decided to throw his entire team under the bus and would not even name names. I always gave McElroy credit for being a smart, savvy player but this is pure idiocy. If you have a problem with guys in your locker room you go and bring it out with them in private, you don't go on some radio in Alabama and sound off.

Greg McElroy is a marginally talented QB at best and succeeded in college because of smart play and the fact that Alabama's passing attack played second-fiddle to Heisman Trophy winning RB Mark Ingram. McElroy's future in the NFL was likely not going to amount to much more than a career backup but now he may not even get that chance. If I am the Jets I am cutting this kid the first chance I get and it will be tough for him to find a new team as his new reputation will far outweigh anything he can contribute to a team.

Of course perhaps I'm wrong here and the Jets locker room can reconcile and rectify the cancerous situation that developed this year as they look toward the future. I guess time will tell.

Introducing Triple Option Radio

Introducing a new project by the former TSN Football Preview team of Matt Sullivan, Jack Abbott and myself. Triple Option Radio is basically a free-flowing chat about what's going on in the sports world. Our leadoff topic is the upcoming NFL Wild Card Weekend:

Saturday's Games:



Sunday's Games:

Michigan Outlasts Virginia Tech To Win Sugar Bowl

The University of Michigan took a major step toward reclaiming its place among the elite college football programs in the nation last night by defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies 23-20 in Overtime to win the Sugar Bowl in front of a nation audience. If anyone has followed Michigan this year than this game unfolded in pretty typical fashion where QB Denard Robinson and the UM offense sputtered here and there but made up for it with some fantastic plays by Robinson (see below) and some miscues by Virginia Tech. The big difference in this game was the Red Zone defense of Michigan as the Wolverines were fairly dominated in the first half but tightened up when it mattered and held Virginia Tech to FGs instead of TDs.

Both teams played hard in the second half and VT came back late to tie it. The game had a rather anticlimactic ending however as the Hokies were the victim of a tough call in OT that took away a touchdown forcing them to settle for a FG which they then missed. From there it was easy for Michigan to run the ball to the middle of the field for 3 plays before kicking the game-winning Field Goal.

The most important thing to take away from this game I feel is that Michigan may finally be on their way to becoming the national power they had been seemingly forever before the fateful 2007 Week 1 loss to FCS opponent Appalachian State. Longtime coach Lloyd Carr war fired after that season and Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia was brought in. Rodriguez attempted to install his Spread Option offense but failed miserably. Many players who came to Michigan to play for Carr transferred, the new offensive scheme didn't take and Michigan stumbled to a horrid 3-9 season in 2008 under R-Rod. Rodriguez would never fully get on track after being the subject of several NCAA violation investigations and a 3 year record of 15-22 he was fired by the University.

This year Michigan brought in Brady Hoke who had enjoyed tremendous success at San Diego State University and who was determined to reinvigorate a defense that had been the bane of Michigan's failures over the past 4 seasons. Under Hoke the Wolverines had the best season since 2006 that was capped off with last night's Sugar Bowl victory and a final record of 11-2 (they also beat rival Ohio State for the first time since 2003).

The Future is bright for Michigan Football which is exactly what the Big 10 conference needs right now after the recent scandal that has hampered perennial power Ohio State. If Denard Robinson and breakout RB Fitzgerald Toussaint, along with the ever-improving Defense, can build upon their 2011 campaign, expect the 2012 Michigan Wolverines to be competing for a National Title.

What Is DeSean Jackson's Future

Anyone who knows me knows that I could write a book in describing the failure that was the Philadelphia Eagles' 2011 season. There is simply way too much frustration and anger pent up about what could have been and I know nobody else really cares anyways. However if you would like a summation of my feelings please check out this video rant after an Eagles loss by esteemed video blogger EatDatP****445 (honestly just watch the first few seconds for the comical value alone, plenty of you have seen me in this state).

One thing I would like to talk about though is the future of embattled WR DeSean Jackson. Jackson has been an embodiment of the team's failure this year. He began the season with a holdout from training camp after he saw the Eagles shell out big bucks for free agents like Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins not too mention locking up QB Michael Vick with a $100 Million deal (although in reality he'll only get paid about $80 Million) while Jackson was still playing on his rookie contract worth a little more than $500,000. Jackson ended his holdout "for the good of the team" and also because he knew the Eagles always play hardball and wouldn't capitulate to his demands for top WR money (specifically the 5-year $50 Million that the NY Jets gave Santonio Homles).

Unfortunately Jackson's displeasure with his contract situation was not something he could compartmentalize and it resonated throughout his play for most of the season. DeSean pretty much came out and said that it was more important for him not to get hurt than to give his all for the team. On numerous occasions he was caught jogging out long routes and shying away from contact (anyone who watched the loss to the Patriots knows what I'm talking about). He also failed to deliver the kind of home-run TDs of the 60+ yard variety that allowed us to overlook his brash arrogance.

However after the Eagles hit rock-bottom with an embarrassing loss to the Seahawks to drop to 4-8 Jackson, along with the rest of the entire organization it seems, rebounded to have a successful 4-0 finish to the year that finished with a 34-10 victory over the Redskins that included a vintage 62-yard Vick to Jackson bomb. Now that the season is over it appears Jackson has tried to acknowledge the error of his ways and has said he would accept the Franchise tag if the Eagles chose to put it on him. The question is now, will the Eagles keep him?

Honestly I think that for all the extracurriculars that come along with DeSean Jackson, the Eagles need to rectify the situation and bring him back. DeSean isn't consistent enough to get paid the kind of money that the top receivers in the NFL get but I think after this season's debacle he may have finally realized that for himself. His ability to stretch the field and change the course of a game in a single play is rivaled only by Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears but even he does not compare when Jackson is at his best. Jackson makes everyone else on the offense better because he demands so much attention and he is the perfect kind of deep-threat for a guy with a cannon like Michael Vick. I believe that resigning Jackson will come down to whether the WR will accept the right price. The Eagles are simply not going to overpay him, they never overpay anybody and because they have another No. 1 caliber receiver in Jeremy Maclin they have some leverage over Jackson. I am hoping that they Franchise Jackson in the short term and then lock him up for 4 years or so (before his legs start to go) at a fair value because I feel they need him to win a Super Bowl next year.

I Hate The BCS But It Does Deserve Credit For Putting The Biggest Stars On The Biggest Stage

Before I start this post I want to make it known that I believe the BCS to be a horribly corrupt system run by a cartel of people who are only concerned with keeping their inordinate amount of power and control on the College Football FBS postseason and National Championship. They spread lies and misinformation in their goal to prevent the implication of a playoff system that would fairly declare a national champion and benefit everyone in collegiate sports financially but would cost them some of their power. If you are wondering why I feel this strongly please check out this book entitled "Death to the BCS," it really opened my eyes.

Having said all that I did find some benefit of the BCS system last night while watching the Rose and Fiesta Bowls sick on my couch. The BCS Bowl games may not always pit the most deserving teams against each other (for example see tonight's 13 Michigan vs. 11 Virginia Tech) but they do at least give America the chance to see the best players in college football do their thing.

The Fiesta Bowl was supposedly a matchup between Stanford and Oklahoma State but in reality it was Stanford QB Andrew Luck against OK State WR Justin Blackmon. Now I know this game came down to a couple of missed FGs by Stanford that cost them the game in overtime but the outcome of this game is going to be largely irrelevant in the future (for instance can you name any winner of the Fiesta Bowl in the last decade off the top of your head right now? The only one I have was when Ohio St beat Miami for the Championship back in 2003). What's going to be remembered about this game is Andrew Luck 27/31 for 347 and 2 TDs and Blackmon going into nothing short of beast mode with 8 catches for 186 and 3 TDs (imagine if these two played together). It's BCS games like this that can vault a player's value by leaps and bounds heading into the NFL Draft, JaMarcus Russell played the best game of his career in the Sugar Bowl before heading to the pros and we all know how that turned out.

In the Rose Bowl Game played earlier in the day we got another incredible game between Oregon and Wisconsin that saw Oregon hang on for a 45-38 win. Not only did we get to see great play out of Wisconsin's Heisman-caliber athletes in QB Russell Wilson and Montee Ball but we also got a preview future Heisman candidate De'Anthony Thomas of Oregon. Thomas is easily one of the fastest players in the country and flashed that speed with a Rose Bowl record 91 yard TD rush early in the game. Thomas has played behind two-time Heisman finalist LaMichael James this year so he hasn't been in the National Spotlight. However going forward to next year I predict De'Anthony Thomas to be one of the most highly touted players in the nation as Oregon looks for that elusive National Championship.