The Morning After: Week 3

Out of all the conferences, the Pac-10 had the defining weekend. While Washington and Cal were hammered, the rest of the conference had a great weekend. Even in a loss Arizona State had a great weekend. The Sun Devils were a blocked extra point away from defeating Wisconsin in Madison. The rest of the conference made statements.

- UCLA finally had a breakthrough on offense. The Bruins scored 31 points and actually held the high powered Houston offense to 10 points. Needless to say the Bruins needed this victory. They already lost their first two games and they have to play at Texas next week. Slick Rick needed this victory badly.

- USC continues to win even though the team is on probation for the year. USC struggled though against a win less Minnesota team that lost to South Dakota a weak earlier. I fully expect USC to start losing once conference play starts, but they'll still be a tough team to play.

- Oregon thrashed another non-conference opponent (this time poor Portland State). The Ducks start conference play this week at Arizona State and next week at home against Stanford. I'm the idiot who said the Ducks would miss Jeremiah Masoli and struggle this season. So much for that. It doesn't matter who the Ducks quarterback is when they have LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner at running back. Their match-up in a couple of weeks against Stanford will definitely be a must watch game.

The Morning After: Week 1

Week 1 is almost in the books and one word comes to mind to describe the college football this weekend: sloppy. If there were a sport that needed at least one preseason game, it's college football. There were several offensive line mistakes, false starts, bad snaps, and several defensive break downs. While it's great that college football is back, it wasn't always pretty this weekend. In fact, most of the games were pretty hard on the eyes. I guess the first week of the season is like a preseason game. Hopefully next week the action improves and we won't see as many mistakes.

Here are my observations from the weekend:

I'm Not Buying Michigan: I've been here done that with Michigan last year. They started hot for the season and then collapsed in conference play. I know Denard Robinson ripped apart the UConn defense, 197 rushing yards and 186 passing yards, but we we're here last season with Tate Foricer. Hell, Michigan fans were ready to build a Foricer statue last year until the Michigan State game happened. All I want to see from Michigan this season is consistency. If Robinson and the Michigan offense stay consistent all year the Wolverines will be a tough team to play next season. Right now though, I'm not buying into them even though they looked impressive.

I'm Also Not Buying Notre Dame: Funny, the two teams I'm not buying into after week 1 play each other on week 2. Been there done that also. This year's team feel's different because Brian Kelly is the coach and not Charlie Weis. Still not buying. The Notre Dame defense is still a work in progress and Dayne Crist is learning on the job at quarterback. I still need a couple of weeks watching them before I'll buy in.

The Mourning After: Week 4

It's kind of hard to argue that this college football season is going to end up like the 2007 college football season. After last Saturday when four top-ten team lost(Ole Miss, Miami, Cal, and Penn St.), this season is shaping up to be just like the 2007 season.

Think back to the 2007 season. LSU started the season as the number one ranked team in the nation. LSU lost twice that year and still made it to the national championship game. Remember the controversy over who was going to play them? USC was the most likely choice, but they lost at home to UCLA on the last weekend, thus opening the door for Ohio St. to make their way to the national championship game. The 2007 season also featured many upsets within the top-ten. And so far, the 2009 season is shaping up to be identical to the 2007 season.

Already so far Oklahoma, USC, Cal, Penn St., Ole Miss, and Miami have all lost while being ranked in the top-ten. Injuries will also play out for the rest of the season.

Injuries have already affected both Oklahoma and USC as both teams have lost their starting quarterbacks to injury. Florida may be without Tim Tebow who suffered a concussion against Kentucky this weekend.

Florida though has a bye week, before they have to travel to LSU. Maybe Tebow can recover in time to play that weekend, but he will still be affected by that injury. Head injuries are very serious and Tebow's looked serious as ESPN camera's caught Tebow vomiting on the sideline's on Saturday. Will Tebow be the same after that injury? Who knows. But it has given this season even more intrigue.

Falling Apart?: After a weird offseason in Lubbock which saw Texas Tech almost fire Mike Leach over a contract dispute, the season has become even stranger. Tech allowed Houston to make a 95-yard game-winning touchdown drive. And then things got weird.

On Sunday it was announced that Leach had suspended offensive lineman and captain Brandon Carter. You might recognize Carter as the player who looks like a guitar player for Slipknot. Carter was suspended for undisclosed team reasons. And how was the story broke? You guess it twitter. Here's what Carter tweeted after he was suspended.

"I am not a captain anymore and will not be playing this week. Good luck red raiders ill still be cheering on my family from the stands!!:)."

And according to a tweet by Tech linebacker Marlon Williams, not every player is exactly happy with Tech coach Mike Leach.

"Wondering why I'm still in this meeting room when the head coach can't even be on time to his on [sic] meeting," Williams wrote on his "Kos 39" Twitter account.

Things have quickly fallen apart for Texas Tech. Last week Tech played Texas tough but lost at the end. Then this week they allowed that game winning drive by Houston. And now the players have no faith in their coach. Maybe Tech should have let Leach go after the season? It has become clear that Leach is no longer wanted in Lubbock and he probably doesn't want to be there any longer than he has to be. Either way this isn't going to end well for Mike Leach or Texas Tech.

Danny Hope Should Be Fired Today!: I'm sorry but Purdue coach Danny Hope should have been fired as soon as he walked off the field on Saturday. Purdue was leading Notre Dame late in the 4th quarter. Jimmy Clausen drove the Irish down the field to Purdue's red zone. With no timeouts remaining for Notre Dame, Purdue stopped Notre Dame running back Robert Hughes at the two-yard line with 37 seconds remaining. Then inexplicably Purdue coach Hope called a timeout.

So instead of forcing the Notre Dame offense to hurry up and make a play, Hope called a timeout, stopped the clock, and allowed Notre Dame to adjust their offense. Clausen hit tight end Kyle Rudolph for the game-winning touchdown. Danny Hope should be out of a job because of that decision. As for Notre Dame, what can you say? They had to catch breaks to beat both Michigan State and Purdue in back-to-back weeks. So how's that whole Notre Dame to play in the national championship game working out for Dr. Lou?

Video of the Week: After a controversial interception call by the referee's that ended Indiana's hopes at upsetting Michigan, Bill Lynch lost his mind and threw his gum at the stands. It was truly epic to watch.



Where's the nearest bar?: Dennis Erickson probably drank heavily after his Arizona State team lost to Georgia on Saturday. With the game tied in the remaining minutes of the fourth quarter, Georgia blocked a potential Arizona State game-winning touchdown. Then Georgia drove down the field to set up a game-winning field goal of their own. Georgia kicked the field goal and sent Arizona State packing and Erickson to the nearest bar.

Hit of the week!: Watch Alabama running back Trent Richardson run over a Arkansas defender. The Earth shook after this hit.

The Mourning After: College Football Week 3

It's Monday mourning and people everywhere are still talking about USC's loss to Washington. Everyone is talking about how come USC loses these types of games but they can go on the road to Columbus and beat Ohio State and win the majority of their bowl games. It's real simple, coaching.

For all the negative talk about Jim Tressel never winning the big game, more people need to look at Pete Carroll always losing the little game. Carroll does a tremendous job preparing his team for tough games. That's why USC can go on the road and beat Ohio State in Columbus. But Carroll does a horrendous job preparing his team for games like the Washington one.

Take a look at last year. USC was coming off a commanding win over Ohio State. A lot of people were saying last year that USC could probably make a run at the national title. But coming off that victory against Ohio State, USC had to travel to Oregon State for a ESPN Thursday night game. And everyone knows what happened next.

Now take a look at this year. USC was coming off a very close, but impressive win over Ohio State in Columbus. People were wondering if USC could make a bid for the national title with a Freshman quarterback. But things started to go downhill once that Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley injured his shoulder. There was no way Barkley was going to play on Saturday and USC was also going to be without their heart on defense with Taylor Mays.

Once again Carroll did a terrible job preparing this team for Washington. He didn't prepare them to play without Barkley or Mays. Carroll didn't prepare them to play against their former offensive coordinator now Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian and their former defensive coordinator Nick Holt. Carroll should have known that both Sarkisian and Holt knew what was coming. Carroll should have done a better job at preparing the defense to play without Mays. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates should have done a better job at preparing Aaron Corp to play on Saturday. But they didn't and now look at them.

USC dropped in the AP 25 all the way down to 12th. Even if they win the rest of their games this season, they will never get a chance at the national title. They will once again have to settle for the Rose Bowl, which isn't that bad, but it's a been there done that for USC once again.

Pete Carroll is one of the best coaches in college football. The man does have two national titles to his resume. Carroll though the last few years has done a terrible job preparing his teams for Pac-10 competition. The rest of the nation might not care about how good the Pac-10 is, but Carroll shouldn't be one of them. He knows that every Pac-10 team plays each other every year. There are no secrets. Other Pac-10 teams know how physical USC is and they know what weakness USC has.

Carroll needs to stop spending so much time Twittering, wondering if Will Ferrell or Snoop Dog will be at Saturday's games and spend more time preparing his team for Pac-10 play. Or the same thing will happen every year and once again USC is standing outside of the national title picture.

Call of the Week: I have to agree with JFein on this one. Sean McDonough is one of the best play-by-play announcers in sports. People forget that McDonough called Joe Carter's home run in the 1993 World Series. Once again this week, McDonough got to call another last minute dramatic call.

With Virginia Tech losing to Nebraska, Tyrod Taylor lead the Hokies down the field. Taylor threw a game-winning touchdown for Virginia Tech. Let McDonough do the rest of the explaining.



Heisman Watch: Each week I will keep you updated on my projected Heisman candidates.
1) Tim Tebow, Florida
2) Jahvid Best, Cal
3) Colt McCoy, Texas

Tebow will continue to stay at the top of the list. As much as I would want to see Jahvid win the Heisman, this award is nothing but a popularity contest. Colt McCoy will also get overlooked because he doesn't put up the same type of numbers that Tebow does or the type of numbers Sam Bradford has put up.

Swagger?: I was wondering if Miami regained their swagger after their Labor Day victory over Florida State. Well after their 24-17 shellacking of Georgia Tech, I'm prepared to say that Miami has their swagger back.

The Hurricanes have to be the most impressive team so far in this college football season. Quarterback Jacory Harris has been getting great protection from his offensive line which has allowed him to make some great throws to his receivers. The offensive line has improved under new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, which has allowed the running game to improve and has allowed Harris to stand in the pocket to make throws.

Miami though still has a tough schedule from here. Next week they play Virginia Tech and the following week at home against a Oklahoma team that should have Sam Bradford back. If Miami wants to send a message to the rest of the college football world, they have to win at least one of those games.

Injuries, Injuries: Three weeks into the season and injuries are already playing a huge part into the season. Injuries have already hurt Oklahoma and USC, with both of their starting quarterbacks missing time. Now injuries have taken a toll on other teams.

South Florida's quarterback Matt Grothe tore his ACL on Saturday and is done for the year. South Florida had a great look at the Big East title, but with Grothe injured South Florida's chances at the Big East has since dimmed.

Also Notre Dame will be without receiver Michael Floyd who broke his collarbone against Michigan State. Jimmy Clausen has improved this year in part to the dangerous deep threat that is Michael Floyd. With Floyd injured the Irish will have one less deep threat.

Fear the Stache!: When Landry Jones had to replace an injured Sam Bradford in the BYU game for Oklahoma, he looked so overmatched that many people thought Oklahoma was done for the year. Well a six touchdown performance on Saturday and Landy Jones has already become a cult figure in Norman, Oklahoma. Jones has his own section of fans who have created T-shirts in honor of his porno stache. FEAR THE STACHE!

Al Groh Alert!: I said last week that somehow Virginia coach Al Groh manages to keep his job. Groh and Virginia always start the year off poorly, but somehow manage to win games late in the season and make a bowl game. Well this year it might not be the case.

Already after losing to William & Mary, Virginia jumped out to a 27-10 lead against a very good Southern Mississippi team. Then Virginia faded in the 2nd half to lose to Southern Miss 34-27. Al Groh may have run out of his nine lives this season.

You decide: A lot of people have been arguing who won this battle. In one corner is Saint Timmy Tebow. In the other corner is Tennessee safety Eric Berry. You decide who won this battle.

The Mourning After

The aftershocks from BYU's win over Oklahoma is still being felt. How long is Sam Bradford out for? Does Bradford regret coming staying in school? Where does this put BYU if they run the tables? Was it a fluke win for BYU?

Boise State is ranked higher than BYU in the standings. Boise State like BYU beat a BCS team in the opening season game. So what happens if both of these teams run the table?

Well since Boise State is ranked higher they would have the better shot at a BCS game. But Boise State's toughest game for the rest of the season is against Tulsa. The WAC is not as tough as the Mountain West, so that gives BYU a chance. The Cougars still play Florida State, Utah, and TCU. If BYU can beat all three of those teams and go undefeated, I wouldn't be surprised if BYU vaulted in front of Boise State in the rankings.

Also where does Oklahoma go from here? Sam Bradford and many key players returned this season to avenge loses to Texas and Florida. I don't think they wanted to start the season with Bradford injured and a loss to BYU. Bradford is suppose to be out 2-4 weeks with the shoulder injury and should return by the time Oklahoma faces off against Texas in mid-October. So where did things go wrong for Oklahoma against BYU?

Coming into the game against BYU, Oklahoma had questions about their offensive line. Those questions were quickly answered in the game. The offensive line for Oklahoma will be their biggest weakness. All game long BYU was able to blow up the line with blitz's forcing Sam Bradford and Landry Jones to hurry up passes. One of those blitz's also lead to Bradford's shoulder injury. Also the offensive line committed several penalties in the game, including a key false start with the Oklahoma in BYU's red zone. The Sooners offensive line will be a big question mark for the rest of the season.

*****

Running Backs, Running Backs: USC might have a true freshman at quarterback in Matt Barkley, but don't expect him to throw the ball a lot. He won't have to throw with all the running backs USC features. Joe McKnight looks a lot bigger with more confidence than he showed in his first two seasons at USC. McKnight ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Now add in Stafon Johnson, Allen Bradford, Marc Tyler, and C.J. Gable and USC will be extremely tough to stop. What a nice way to ease in your true freshman quarterback.

I look bad: I thought going into this season that the ACC had a real chance to take the next step when it came to the National Championship game. Boy was I wrong. The ACC went 4-6 this weekend. The ACC also lost all of their non-conference games against BCS opponents(NC State lost to South Carolina, Virginia Tech to Alabama, Maryland to California, Wake Forest to Baylor). Worst of all though was Duke and Virginia. Duke has an excuse though as they lost to defending national champions Richmond. But Virginia losing to William & Mary, there are no excuses.

Virginia's coach Al Groh has been on the hot seat for what seems like 10 years. And somehow he always manages to make it to a second year. The reason why Groh has always managed to survive at Virginia is because his teams always start off poorly then finish strong. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens again for Virginia.

Who Was More Impressive?: Michigan and Norte Dame both played like last season never happened. Michigan and Norte Dame combined 66-7 against Western Michigan and Nevada respectively. Both offenses looked outstanding and the defenses where even more impressive. Especially Norte Dame's defense. Nevada came into the game with the sixth best rushing offense in the nation and the Norte Dame defense held them to 153 yards on the ground. Both Norte Dame and Michigan face off next week in the Big House.

Uh oh: Ohio State didn't impress anyone with their win over Navy. They let Navy stick around in the game and if Navy didn't get greedy on a late 2-point conversion, the Midshipmen could have sent the game to overtime.

They let Navy run for 186 yards rushing. But that was expected. Navy always leads the nation in rushing yards. The most disturbing stat though was the 156 yards allowed passing by the Ohio State defense. Navy was able to throw the ball at will against the Ohio State defense. This does not bode well for Ohio State as USC comes to town on Saturday. And if the Buckeyes struggled against Navy, what do you expect them to do against USC?

Defense?: Coming into the season everyone knew Oklahoma State was loaded on offense with Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant, and Kendall Hunter. And everyone knew that if Oklahoma State wanted to show they belong with Texas and Oklahoma in the Big XII that their defense had to show up. And it did against Georgia.

After allowing a opening drive touchdown against Georgia, the Cowboys defense held the Bulldogs to a field goal for the rest of the game. The Cowboys defense also forced two fumbles and held the Bulldogs to 257 total yards on offense.

*****

LOL MOMENT OF THE WEEKEND: There was a lot of hype around Greg Paulus' first start as Syracuse's quarterback. So what happened on his first snap of his college football career? Paulus lined up in shotgun formation and the ball was snapped over his head and recovered by Minnesota. The Golden Gophers would go on to score a touchdown off of that miscue.

Paulus didn't look that bad, but two mistakes hurt him and Syracuse in the game. The fumbled snap and an interception in overtime. Paulus threw a backbreaking interception in overtime which lead Minnesota to kick the game-winning field goal.

*****

Way To Early BCS Projections

National Championship Game: Florida vs. Texas

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Boise State

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Cal

Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Pittsburgh

Sorry but I'm on the Cal bandwagon. The Golden Bears looked very impressive in their revenge game against Maryland. Quarterback Kevin Riley has changed his mechanics and throws the ball with more accuracy. Also the combination of Shane Vareen and Jahvid Best are one of the best in the nation.

The Mourning After: Sloppy Play and Sucker Punches

In what was suppose to be a rite of passage, turned into one of the uglier nights in recent memory. The beginning of the college football season is suppose the greatest time of the year. It's like Christmas three months early. Only one problem though about this Christmas, Scrooge showed up.

I didn't know what to expect from the North Carolina State-South Carolina game, but I didn't expect a 7-3 slopfest. NC State fumbled on their first possession, which lead to a South Carolina touchdown. That would be the only scoring in the game besides a late field goal by NC State. This game made the 1-0 Phillies-Giants game from Tuesday seem exciting. But there was a payoff, the Boise State-Oregon game.

The Broncos-Ducks game was suppose to be an offensive bonanza. Just the opposite happened. The game from the beginning featured fumbles, turnovers, and field goals. But the end of the Boise St.-Oregon game is what everyone will be talking about for a long time.

After the game ended, Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount suckered punched Boise St. defensive lineman Byron Hout. After that Blount hit one of his own teammates, tried to go after Boise St. fans in the stadium and had to be pulled to the locker room by a group of people that included police officers, security personnel, and an Oregon coach. And this was the first game featuring a pregame hand shake between the two teams.

Blount was the player who before the game stated that "Boise St. was owed an ass-whupin" in return for last year's Oregon loss to Boise St. He also talked about how he had to control his emotions during the game. Obviously, Blount failed to control those emotions.

Now the Boise St. player(Byron Hout) is not without blame. He taped Blount on the shoulder and reminded Blount that he didn't back up his words. Hout should and will probably suspended himself. Boise St. coach Chris Petersen said that he would take care of Hout himself. Either way though Blount's actions were deplorable.

Blount should at least be suspended a couple of games if not kicked out of the school completely. He embarrassed himself, his school, and college football. Emotions get to the best of us, I understand that. But your emotions shouldn't get to you to a point where you are throwing haymakers. Oregon has to do something with Blount.

The most disturbing part of the game was the lack of leadership that Oregon showed.

Chip Kelly replaced longtime Oregon coach Mike Belotti in the offseason after Bellotti accepted the schools Athletic Director's role. Kelly gave Oregon fans new hope for their team. Kelly is suppose to be an spread offense guru along the lines with Urban Meyer. And the offensive display in the game showed by Oregon was just pathetic.

Oregon failed to make a first down until midway through the third quarter. Oregon couldn't run the ball, pass the ball, or even block. They came into the game completely unprepared. And their effort was just putrid.

Kelly was also disrespected several times on the sideline during the game. Players scoffed in his face. Another player yelled at him Bellotti undermined Kelly's authority by going to the sidelines and in front of Kelly's entire team, offered advice. I guess their is a difference between being a head coach and a person sitting in a box calling plays.

Kelly still has time to cut his teeth and learn how to become a head coach. But if Oregon shows up like that unprepared against USC, Cal, or Oregon State, then he won't last long in Eugene.

In the end, Blount has to go. Oregon can't afford to have all of this negative attention brought down upon them by Blount. And Hout should also be suspended for provoking Blount.

This was not the way I wanted the college football season to start. And I don't think it's the way the rest of the nation wanted it to start either.

The Mourning After: NFL Draft

(Guy on the Left: Who did we draft? Guy on the Right: Who gives a shit?)

Well the first two rounds of the NFL draft are over. There really wasn't a big shock in the first round. The Raiders choice of Darrius Heyward-Bey is just the Raiders going Raiders. Other than that pick nothing was really surprising.

Crabtree falling to the 49ers at the 10Th pick, wasn't surprising. Besides the Raiders, the other teams in the top 10 weren't in the need for a receiver. Let's break down the rest of the draft.

1. Detroit, Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia: This pick was made the night before the draft. Lions fans weren't really happy with the choice, but they will have to live with it. I am not the biggest Stafford fan, but he does have the size and the arm. If Jim Schwartz is the right coach, Stafford should be fine.

2. St. Louis, Jason Smith, OT, Baylor: The Rams needed a tackle to replace Orlando Pace. Smith is the right choice. He doesn't have the character issues like Andre Smith and he fits the mold of a typical offensive tackle. The Lions should have chosen him.

3. Kansas City, Tyson Jackson, DL, LSU: Jackson shot up the draft board in the last days leading up to the draft. The Chiefs choice of Glenn Dorsey didn't really work out last year. And they choose another LSU tackle? A curious move to say the least.

4. Seattle, Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: This move was quite puzzling. Seattle isn't in need of an linebacker but they choose one anyways. I do think Curry is the only can't miss of the entire draft.

5. New York Jets from Cleveland, Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: The Jets traded up to take Sanchez. I like Sanchez more than I like Stafford. He won't drive you crazy with the type of throws he makes. Questions surrounding Sanchez is. Is he a one year wonder? And he was hurt often in college, how will he hold up in the NFL?

6. Cincinnati, Andre Smith, OL, Alabama: He is perfect fit for the Bengals. Has character issues and he is over weight. What could go wrong with this pick? Kiper said Nick Saban saved his ass by making phone calls after the NFL combine debacle.

7. Oakland, Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland: Here are some quotes from McShay after Goodell announced this pick. “I’m shocked. Shocked.” He also added this: “This has bust written all over it.” He is perfect for the Raiders. He is fast and he can't catch a single ball. Yep, he has bust written all over him.

8. Jacksonville, Eugene Monroe, OL, Virginia: Monroe will definitely give Gerrard the protection he needed. He will also provide run blocking for MJD. A very good pick for the Jags who keep improving their offensive line that was hammered last year with injuries.

9. Green Bay, B.J. Raji, DL, Boston College: A perfect fit for Green Bay. He is a nice space-eater for a week front seven. His play will be appreciated in Green Bay.

10. San Francisco, Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: When the Raiders passed over Crabtree, ESPN showed the Crabtree table giving a sign of relief. Anyways the 49ers finally chose the best player available, instead of drafting for need. He will go along great with Brandon Jones, Isaac Bruce, Arnez Battle, and Josh Morgan. I was really satisfied with this pick.

11. Buffalo, Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn St: The Bills needed either a offensive tackle or a pass rusher. So they went for a pass rusher. The Bills have had bad luck choosing defensive lineman lately, so good luck to Aaron Maybin.

12. Denver, Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia: Philly fans were upset that Moreno went to the Broncos. Denver really didn't need a running back, so they choose one. I guess Josh McDaniels doesn't want to play musical chairs with his running backs like previous coach Mike Shanahan did.

13. Washington, Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas: The Redskins finally made a choice that you cannot question. Orakpo will make them forget about the failed Jason Taylor experiment. Just a good choice overall.

14. New Orleans, Malcom Jenkins, CB, Ohio St: The Saints have needed a defensive back for a long time. And Jenkins fits the mold they were looking for. He has the toughness and speed to develop into a great corner. Might even be switched to safety.

15. Houston, Brian Cushing, LB, USC: Cushing is a great run defender. He is also one of the biggest hitters in the draft. His only problem is that he might get exposed in pass coverage which is one of his disadvantages.

16. San Diego, Larry English, LB, N. Illinois: Another reach, but he is a great football player. He isn't an athlete but he a relentless pass-rusher. The Chargers must want to develop English so they don't have to sign Shawne Merriman in a couple of years.

17. Tampa Bay from Cleveland, Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State: New Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris coached Freeman in college. Freeman could be a boom or a bust. He has the size and the strength you look for in an NFL quarterback. But there has been some concerns that he doesn't know how to read an NFL defense. That would be a big concern in my book.

18. Denver, Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee: The Broncos needed to draft for defense and they did when they chose Ayers. He has the size to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He is an excellent pass-rusher, which is what Denver needed.

19. Philadelphia from Cleveland, Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri: Maclin was kind of an surprise pick for the Eagles, but a good pick. Maclin needs to improve his route running but he is one of the best open-field runners in the draft.

20. Detroit, Brando Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma St: The Lions got a great blocking tight end who has the size to block defensive ends. He is also a great possession receiver which the Lions needed badly.

21. Cleveland, Alex Mack, Center, Cal: Cleveland finally made a choice after trading down three times. Mack is a great all-around blocker. I watched his entire career at Cal and no one works harder than him. He has excellent foot work and uses his hands tremendously.

22. Minnesota, Percy Harvin, WR, Florida: Minnesota must like troubled wide receivers. Because this is the second time the Vikings have chosen one in the draft in the last 10 years. Harvin is a great athlete who needs to work on his route running. This pick could be a risky one.

23. Baltimore from New England, Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss: Oher, who was the subject of a great book, fell kind of low in the draft. While he has the size to be an NFL offensive lineman and the footwork, he has problems picking up a new offense. He might need to sit on the sidelines at first.

24. Altanta, Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss: He has problems working against double-teams, but he can get in the backfield and disrupt a running play. He will need to work on his lower-body strength.

25. Miami, Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois: Probably the best all-around corner in the league. Like his brother Vernon though, he has poor work ethics. If he has the same attitude as Vernon, he will be a bust.

26. Green Bay from New England, Clay Matthews, LB, USC: He has the pedigree to play in the NFL. He is also a great run-defender which was an weakness in Green Bay.

27. Indianapolis, Donald Brown, RB, UConn: I was surprised Indy made this choice but they went after the best available instead of need. Brown does read his blocks well, which will take him a long way in the NFL.

28. Buffalo, Eric Wood, Center, Lousiville: I would have chosen Max Unger, but this is a good pick. He has trouble moving sideline-to-sideline , but he has good footwork.

29. NY Giants, Hakeem Nicks, WR, UNC: The Giants needed a tall receiver and they got one. He doesn't have great quickness but he can catch almost everything thrown his way.

30. Tennessee, Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers: Might need time to develop, but could become real effective. He has very deceptive speed and hands.

31. Arizona, Chris Wells, RB, Ohio St: The Cardinals needed a running back and they got one. There is still questions surrounding Wells' foot injury but he has rare speed and size for a running back.

32. Pittsburgh, Ziggy Hood, DL, Missouri: I have no idea who this is, but since Pittsburgh selected him I am sure he will be a first round steal.

Surprise of the Day: Rey Maualuga fell out of the first round and into the second round. There were some character issues surrounding Maualuga coming into the draft which might have hindered his selection. And since Maualuga has character issues, guess what team he went to? That's right Cincinnati!

Only the Raiders: The Raiders reach at number seven for receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. Todd McShay said the Raiders made a big mistake, which makes perfect sense for the Raiders and Al Davis. Al has always liked guys who can run fast and have hands of granite.

Only the Raiders, Part 2: How Raiders is this selection. In the 2nd round the Oakland Raiders selected Mike Mitchell from Ohio. And I am sure you are asking yourselves, who? He is a defensive back from Ohio who wasn't even invited to the combine. Mel Kiper was speechless after this selection. Of course the only reason the Raiders selected this guy is because he ran fast. Once again, how Raiders is this selection?

Day two of the draft is wear all the steals occur. You never know when a team is going to select the next Joe Montana or Tom Brady. It should be fun.

The Mourning After: NCAA Tournament Round 2 Observations

Round 2 finally gave us some excitement. Sure there was really no upsets, and no I won't call Arizona a Cinderella, but there were some edge of your seat finishes.

Like the ending of the Marquette, Missouri game. In the final seconds of the game a Missouri player was fouled which lead to an injury. Missouri used a "pinch" free throw shooter to take the lead.

Then Lazar Hayward became infamous. Down by two with 5.5 seconds left Hayward was in charge of inbounding the ball. Missouri went with their usual full-court press and Hayward hesitated and stepped on the line. He turned the ball over to Missouri erasing Marquette's shot at a last-second shot.

Hayward I am sure is taking a beating from the entire state of Wisconsin right now. But it wasn't all his fault. Missouri was using a stingy full-court defense that wasn't going to allow anything by. Also making a shot in 5.5 seconds is tougher than it looks. For every Christian Laettner and Bryce Drew there is one guy who takes a last-second shot and either airball's it or the ball clanks off the rim. Just ask VCU's Eric Maynor about it.

Hayward did make a crucial mistake, but the odd were against Marquette from even tieing that game.

Here are some more observations:

- Here's an interesting fact. Xavier, who is coached by Sean Miller, will face Pittsburgh in the Sweet 16. Why is this important? Because Miller was the person who passed the ball to Jerome Lane who promptly slammed the ball and broke the backboard. Bill Raftery then unleashed the famous "Send it in, Jerome!"

- The referee's screwed up by not recognizing Western Kentucky coach trying to call a timeout during their game with Gonzaga. The Zags took the lead with 0.9 seconds left, giving the Hilltoppers a chance. W. Kentucky coach Ken McDonald was calling for the timeout but the refs didn't recognize it, and W. Kentucky lost the game. Granted they probably wouldn't have scored 0.9 seconds you have to give them a chance.

- Siena probably put up the toughest fight of the weekend. After beating Ohio St. in two overtimes, they took Louisville down to the wire. If it wasn't for Terrance Williams, Louisville would have lost that game.

- Ty Lawson wins the toughest player of the NCAA tournament so far. Lawson, who is fighting a painful toe injury, was the key reason why the Tar Heels beat LSU on Saturday.

- Why does Oklahoma allow their star player Blake Griffin to get beat up in their games? They allowed Texas to knock him out silly. They allowed a Morgan St. player to give him an armbar. They allowed Michigan players to play Hack-a-Shaq on him. They do nothing about it. I am not saying Griffin needs to respond, because he doesn't. But someone else on that team needs to get some payback for all the cheap shots Griffin has had to take.

- It took almost two games, but Eric Devendorf of Syracuse finally profiled a shot. After Arizona St. was getting closer to Syracuse in the game, Devendorf hit a three to extend the lead. Then Devendorf hit another three to basically put the game out of reach. For his last three Devendorf went all douche with it, and profiled the shot. He can't go the entire tournament without profiling a shot. Wait until he has to face Blake Griffin in the Sweet 16.

- Have to love Duke going crazy after their win over Texas. They realize they play for Duke right? They have been to the Sweet 16 before. But I'd guess I would go crazy too if I haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 2006.

While there really isn't any Cinderella teams in the Sweet 16, and no Arizona doesn't count, there are some great match ups. We should have another fun weekend, with the action kicking off on Thursday.

The Mourning After: NCAA Tournament Round 1 Observations

Well it took two days for the most of us, to see a really exciting game in the NCAA tournament.

The Siena/Ohio St. game took two overtimes to complete. And Ronald Moore of Siena gets all the credit for Siena's win. Down by 3 in the first overtime, Moore hit a 3-pointer to tie the game and send it to another overtime.

Then Siena was down by 1 with 3.9 seconds left in the second overtime, when Moore hit another 3-pointer from the same exact spot to send Siena to the second round to face Louisville.

Evan Turner of Ohio St. forced a shot and missed, which would have sent the game into another overtime. Ohio st. blew an 11-point 2nd half lead in the game.

Besides this game and a handful of others, the 1st. round of the NCAA tournament was mostly a bust. The games were predictable and slow. Especially in the first day. But the second day saved us, with some exciting games and one almost huge upset.

- It took everything Pittsburgh had to beat 16th seeded East Tennessee State. A 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed but it was that close.

Pitt struggled throughout most of the game. It took them to the final minutes of the game to put ETS down.

What does that say about Pitt? Did they deserve the number 1 seed in the East bracket? Are they overrated? These are all questions Pitt has too ask themselves before their game against Oklahoma St. on Sunday.

- 23 years after Cleveland St. shocked the world, they did it again. They beat Wake Forest 84-69. I don't know about you, but I bet Wake Forest destroyed a lot of brackets tonight.

Norris Cole had a huge game for Cleveland St. scoring 22 points in the game. They caught Wake by surprised and never let their foot off of the peddle.

- North Dakota St. also gave Kansas all they wanted. Kansas barely escaped with the 84-74 game.

The former division II powerhouse, proved they belonged with the defending champions.

- One of the more exciting games was the Oklahoma St, Tennessee game. Bobby Eaton scored a 3-point bucket with 7.2 seconds left to give the Cowboys the win. The Cowboys are extremely athletic and they might give Pitt some major problems.

- I am not calling the Western Kentucky victory over Illinois an upset. W. Kentucky beat Louisville earlier in the year. Also Illinois was ranked way too high. They never deserved the 5 seed. They would have been better off as a 10 seed.

- Both West Virginia and California proved why you should never choose teams in your bracket that relies on three-point shots. Both teams struggled with their shots and both teams where knocked out of the tournament.

- I can't figure out who is going to win the Villanova, UCLA game. Both teams struggled in their 1st. round games.

American gave Nova all they wanted, and VCU was a last-second shot away from beating UCLA. But with these two teams meeting means we will get more Ben Howland going crazy on the UCLA sidelines.

- The Washington, Purdue game will most likely be the most intriguing game tomorrow. Washington had no problems with Mississippi St. And Purdue handled Northern Iowa just fine. These two teams will have an great game tomorrow.

- Also Texas, Duke should also be a fun game. A.J. Abrams of Texas versus Jon Scheyer of Duke. This should be a great match up to watch tomorrow.

- The NCAA tournament sure did Arizona a favor by placing them in a game against Utah. I don't want to hear that Arizona belonged in the tournament. They didn't. St. Mary's would have beat Utah, who should have never been given the 5th seed.

And with Cleveland St. beating Wake Forest, Arizona can make a run to the Sweet 16. Arizona needs to give the NCAA selection committee some sort of gift for the generosity they showed them.

- Taj Gibson of USC was perfect against Boston College. Gibson was 10-for-10 in field goal attempts. USC can make a deep run in the tournament. They have great athletes all-around. Michigan St. will struggle with their athleticism on Sunday.

Hopefully we receive some excitement from the games this weekend. Until then, enjoy the 2nd round games.

The Mourning After: One Week Remaining

College basketball just has one week remaining in the regular season before conference championships begin. The contenders and pretenders are starting to show up in the biggest games.

The final week always provides us a glimpse at what team will make the strongest tournament run. Remember Florida two years ago? They struggled for most of the season and then turned on the afterburners with only a few games remaining. They won the SEC tournament and cruised right to the national championship. This final week is huge to see what team rises and which team falls.

Lets take a look at some of the other highlights for the past weekend.

Kansas is better than predicted: Kansas wasn't expected to be this good this season. They lost their starters from a National Championship team. But Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich have picked up where that team left off. Kansas has only lost one game in the Big 12 and yesterday they avenged that lost by blowing out Missouri. Granted they did play against an Oklahoma team that was playing with Blake Griffin, but they have proved that they have what it takes to compete in the tournament.

Oklahoma missed Blake Griffin: Without Giffin, OU went lost two games to their rivals(Texas and Kansas). OU needs Griffin's energy. His hustle and guts is what powers this team. Without him they are a middle of the pack type of team. I expect an epic showdown between Oklahoma and Kansas in the Big 12 title game.

The Big East has come down to Lousiville and UConn: Both Villanova and Marquette blew their chance to claim a piece of the Big East title. Lousiville and UConn is all what stands at the top right now. Both teams will most likely get a bye in the first round of the Big East tournament.

Clemson basketball is starting to resemble Clemson football: Clemson was on the verge of being the top team in the ACC. Then they lost to both Virginia Tech and Florida St. Clemson football has been known to not to live up to the expectations. Now the basketball team is feeling the same pressure. When they have had their chances they have blown them to teams of a lesser quality.

Duke gets all the calls: During their game against Virginia Tech, Duke player Jon Scheyer was allowed to take three steps then finally call a timeout. The refs didn't call any fouls and shockingly it came during a key stretch of the game. Virginia Tech lost the game and their tournament bubble most likely popped. Just another reason to hate Duke. During the Duke-North Carolina documentary on HBO, Coach K complained that UNC was getting all the calls by the refs. I guess things have turned the other way.

Bubble Watch:

In

Florida St: They punched their ticket for the dance by sweeping their series against Clemson. They are playing with house money right now.

Tennessee: They scored huge by beating Florida yesterday. They have only South Carolina and Alabama next. Unless they play careless, they should be fine.

Dayton: They got their much needed win against Temple. They have already beat Xavier and Marquette this season. If they could beat Xavier again this week, then they should be fine.

St. Mary's: Everyone expected them to struggle without point guard Patty Mils. And they did losing two straight. They though have righted the ship and have won the past five games. And with Mils returning for the WCC tournament, this team will get huge consideration for the tournament.

California: Even though they lost to UCLA at home on Saturday, they did split their series by getting a win over USC.

On the verge:

Texas A&M: The Aggies have won four straight and they do have key wins over LSU, Texas, and Arizona. They still need a win against Missouri.

Providence: A key win against Pittsburgh helped their case. They will need a win though against Villanova to secure a spot in the tournament.

Davidson: Davidson will need to win their league title to get an at-large bid. Their only key win came against West Virginia earlier this year.

Out:

Arizona: While they have played admirably this season, their lost to Washington did them in. They will need to get a win against the Bay Area teams to get in.

Florida: The Gators have struggled down the stretch. They dropped a tough one against Tennessee yesterday and their match up with Kentucky will most likely be a play-in game.

Michigan: Their early season wins against UCLA and Duke will help them. They will need to beat Minnesota to get in.

Virgina Tech: Their heartbreaking loss to Duke heart their case. They will need to make a nice run in the ACC tournament to get considered for a at-large bid.

This should be a fun last week of college basketball. A lot of fates will be on the line this week and it will also set up an epic Championship week.

The Mourning After: The Super Bowl After Thoughts

We we got to witness one of the best Super Bowl's ever. Pittsburgh laid claim to the greatest team in the NFL with a 27-23 thrilling victory. The game itself though was not very exciting until the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter and it seemed like the Arizona Cardinals were done. But Kurt Warner only needed about 4 minutes to drive the Cardinals down the field and hit Larry Fitzgerald for a touchdown to cut the lead in half.

Then the Cardinals defense finally showed up. They forced a safety by the Steelers and received the ball back with good field position. Then Warner hit Fitzgerald for a 64 yard touchdown pass, and the Cardinals made the greatest comeback ever in Super Bowl history. Only one problem, they gave the Steelers too much time.

Ben Roethlisberger drove the team right down the field and hit Santonio Holmes for a perfect touchdown grab. Giving the Cardinals only :35 seconds left. Then Warner dropped back for a pass and fumbled the ball giving the Steelers their sixth Super Bowl win.

The Steelers all season has beat the odds. First they play the toughest schedule in the league and they hung around all season. The schedule probably did more for them than anything. They faced the toughest challenge and it prepared them for the Super Bowl. Here are some other thoughts:

Image Conscience: For a league that is image conscience, they had no problem giving the Super Bowl MVP to a self-proclaimed former drug dealer. Yes Santonio Holmes, won the MVP award. I don't understand this league. They worry about Pacman, Tank, and Chris Henry, but they have no problem handing the Super Bowl MVP award to Tony Montana.

I don't think Mike Tomlin likes the Gatorade bath: I don't think any coach likes the Gatorade bath. They are pointless and stupid and who likes to get a wet-sticky substance poured on them.

That being said, I don't think Mike Tomlin enjoyed it at all. He looked more upset with that, than the Fitzgerald touchdown pass that gave the Cardinals the lead. Once again its pointless, and they need to put an axe through that tradition.

How about them Refs: Once again, the referees are in question during a Steelers Super Bowl win. We all remember the controversy after Super Bowl XL. Well there are a lot of questions again. The Cardinals were penalized 11 times. Three of those calls against Mike Gandy were justified. But there were a lot of head-scratching calls.

Also why didn't the refs review the Warner fumble that ended the game. The calls in the game will once again be questioned for a long time.

Where does Roethlisberger rank? Ben Roethlisberger has now won two Super Bowls in his first five years. While he is not flashy like(Brady or Brees) or has the name like (the Manning brothers) the guy is a winner.

Right now I would rank Roethlisberger ahead of Payton Manning and one spot below Brady. Stats in the NFL mean nothing. If that was true Dan Marino would be the greatest quarterback of all-time. But Big Ben has two rings and the swagger to be in Brady's group.

Quick Thoughts:

- Did anyone see Larry Fitzgerald Sr.? And did you know he is a sportswriter in Minnesota?

- Did you know Kurt Warner used to bag groceries? Neither did I.

- I am still not the biggest Bruce Springsteen fan, but his performance was the best in a while.

- The NBC pre-game show was just terrible. Too many people, and to convoluted.

- I am glad I didn't see that idiot holding the John 3:16 sign during the game.

- Shouldn't Troy Polamalu get lasik surgery by now. He had to leave the game, to get his contact lens fixed.

- James Harrison showed why he was deserving of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

- Ken Whisenhunt and the Cardinals have nothing to be ashamed of. They played their butts off to make it a game and came up short. I became a fan of Whisenhunt after this game.

Next Year's Super Bowl Pick: San Francisco vs. Buffalo, sorry but I have been picking the same teams since 1990 and it will happen one day.

The Mourning After: The Super Bowl Edition

When watching the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, please be on the watch for trash talking. Because we have seen nothing so far to give this Super Bowl any juice. This Super Bowl is already being questioned as the worst one ever. So keep an eye out.

I don't think anything will happen because the coaches from both sides would never let that happen. Plus there is no one with a big mouth on the teams. There are no Joey Porter's, Ray Buchanan's, or Hollywood Henderson's. And with a Super Bowl with little juice we could use one of these guys right now.

As for the Super Bowl I have decided not to pick a winner. During the playoffs all of my picks stunk up the joint and made me realize one thing. I stink at choosing winners. Vegas would love me if I was down there and at one of their sports books. It would be like highway robbery, I would come back home broke and asking for a personnel bailout. So I will not pick a winner, instead we will look at some of the headlines:

- The rescission has hit the Super Bowl. Tickets, merchandise, and memorabilia has taken a hit in Tampa and will never reach the level it hit in Arizona last year. But there is one thing not taking a hit in Tampa, the strip clubs. Some would say the strip club scene in Tampa is better than Vegas. And we all know football players love strip clubs. So if there is a player who stays out to long on Saturday night I don't like there teams chances. There is a laundry list of super bowl players who got caught the night before the big game and there teams all lost:

Stanley Wilson, Cincinnati Bengals, Super Bowl XXIII- Good ole' Stanley was caught using drugs in his hotel room and was suspended for the game. The Outcome: Joe Montana led the 49ers on a 11-play, 92-yard scoring drive to beat the Bengals.

Eugene Robinson, Atlanta Falcons, Super Bowl XXXIII- Eugene was arrested for solicitation and prostitution, we do not need to go into details. The Outcome: Eugene gets burned on a big play by John Elway and Rod Smith as the Falcons lose the game.

Barrett Robins, Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XXXVII- Barrett went missing all week and ended up in a hospital. The Outcome: Rich Gannon was sacked 8 times and picked off 5 times as the Raiders lost.

So the lesson to be learned. If you are a Super Bowl player stay in your hotel room and watch a movie.

- Kurt Warner could become the first quarterback to win two Super Bowls with two different teams.

- The Cardinals actually have more rushing yards in the playoffs than the Steelers. They have more rushing yards simply because they surprised Carolina and Philadelphia by rushing the ball more. But Pittsburgh's usually strong running game has disappeared, putting Ben Roethlisberger in the tough spot. And who do you like more, Kurt Warner or Ben Roethlisberger.

- Arizona is plus-11 in turnovers during the postseason. Warner has just throw two interceptions and has not fumbled. Pittsburgh at times relies on turnovers. During the AFC championship game Baltimore was driving down the field for the go-ahead score. If it wasn't for Troy Polamalu's interception no one knows how that games outcome would have been. And who would you want more, a rookie Joe Flacco or Kurt Warner

I am not saying that Arizona is going to win the game, but we do have to look at them in a different light. Yes they have played the no respect card, but we still have to pay attention to them.

Does A.J. stand for Antagonizing Jerk? Chargers general manager A.J. Smith has looked like a big jerk making fun of his all-pro running back LaDanian Tomlinson. Sure L.T. has dropped production but that doesn't give Smith the right to mock him for wanting to know what his status is with the team. Shame on you, A.J.

Ray Lewis in Dallas: There has been talk that Dallas owner Jerry Jones is thinking about signing Ray Lewis. Can this soap opera get bigger? First a reality show, then they want to sign Ray Lewis. And could Lewis coexist with T.O. Only in Dallas could this possibly happen.

Karma always wins: I have always said running up the score on an opponent is bad karma. Remember last years Patriots team. They ran the score up on a lot of teams, but eventually lost the Super Bowl. Karma! Well karma has struck again. After Covenant beat Dallas Academy 100-0, they fired their coach. Karma! You don't mess with the karma.

Next Week: Super Bowl analysis

The Mourning After: On To The Super Bowl

Well we get a Super Bowl this year. But is it the match up we want. Yes Arizona versus Pittsburgh is not the greatest match up in the world, but we are stuck with it.

There is always a storyline: There is always a storyline for a Super Bowl. Three years ago it was Jerome Bettis returning to Detroit. Two years ago it was two African-American coaches going after the Super Bowl for the first time. Last year it was the perfect Patriots going for all-time greatness.

This year it will be Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt facing off against his former team the Pittsburgh Steelers. This storyline will get ran into the ground like every other one. Whisenhunt was the Steelers offensive coordinator when they won their last Super Bowl. When former Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher left the Steelers it was a forgone conclusion that either Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm would get the job.

Instead the Steelers choose an unknown Mike Tomlin. Whisenhunt and Grimm both left for Arizona. Now they will face off against each other and we will have to hear about this for two weeks.

What happens to Reid-McNabb: Andy Reid and Donavon McNabb's legacy in Philadelphia was already in question, now it's getting hit again.

Reid-McNabb have gone to five NFC championship games, lost four of them, reached one Super Bowl that they also lost. Reid-McNabb have both been in Philadelphia for ten years and have had a lot of success, but they have no championships. So what happens to them?

I think they both have to go. McNabb is older and has broken down knees. Reid will always be the conservative coach who abandons the running game to soon. They are really made for each other, so you can't keep one and not the other. So Philadelphia needs to start looking elsewhere.

Crying when your team is driving: This is exactly what happened to Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin. When Arizona was driving down the field during the fourth quarter, Boldin was in the ear of Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Haley told Boldin to simmer down and Boldin yelled back. They had to separate the two and FOX let the entire nation watch.

Boldin has always been jealous of his counterpart Larry Fitzgerald and the jealousy poured out yesterday. Like McNabb-Reid, Boldin has to go after the season.

Defense Always Prevails: Like I said before this is not a match up we all want. But it does have the perfect ingredient. Arizona's Offense vs. Pittsburgh Defense.

Pittsburgh defense is the number one ranked and is playing at a higher level in the playoffs. Always take the defense over the offense. There is a reason why Pittsburgh is already a seven point favorite.

Other Thoughts:

- Tampa Bay had to let go Jon Gruden. The supposedly quarterback guru showed his true colors in Tampa Bay. He never once developed a quarterback while at either Oakland or Tampa Bay. He used old guys who had already developed. Tampa Bay's defense won the Super Bowl for him, much like the Baltimore defense won their Super Bowl. I have no doubt that Gruden will land another job, but he will hate his quarterback there to.

- Has anyone star faded more than Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Last year he was the toast of the NFL and could have had any job he wanted. This year after being out front with the drama in Dallas didn't get the job he wanted. After losing out for the St. Louis job, Garrett will have to spend another year in Dallas. And if he is lucky will get a head coaching job next year, and if not he will be lucky to be a quarterback's coach.

- Julius Peppers-Carolina divorce will not be pretty. Peppers wants out of Carolina, Carolina wants to franchise Peppers. Carolina will hold on to Peppers and try and get a first round pick for him. So Peppers will likely have to wait until the draft to get out of Carolina.

-Joe Flacco has only room to improve and will likely get better.

- At least the Eagles stole DeSean Jackson in the draft.

- Rex Ryan is a good choice for the Jets.

My Super Bowl Pick Right Now: Pittsburgh 21 Arizona 14

The Mourning After: Week 17

The last week of the NFL season didn't disappoint anyone. We had teams choke and rise up from the ashes. Players showed what they were all about and players faltered in the spotlight. Lets take a look at the highlights.

Cowboys and Eagles are two different teams: While the Cowboys lack character and chemistry, while the Eagles are strong in both categories. Andy Reid and Donavan McNabb are like an old married couple. They bicker and fight, but they never leave each others sides and almost always ends up on top. Jerry Jones just never understands this. Teams have to have chemistry and the Cowboys lack in this category. They have me-first players who don't care about each other and that is the reason why they are home right now.

You might not like Phillip Rivers, but you have to respect him: I am not the biggest Phillip Rivers fan, but I respect the hell out of him because of his leadership and play on the field. The Chargers were dead men walking at 4-8. Then Rivers put the team on his shoulders and led them to the AFC West title. His leadership and never giving up is what lead the Chargers to their sudden surge up the NFL power rankings.

Denver might need different leadership: Mike Shanahan has had all the power in Denver for a long time. And since John Elway left, the Broncos have only won one playoff game since then. I have never been a fan of a head coach who is also the General Manager. They see the field one sided and never make the right decisions on the other side. Denver's defense was flat terrible all year long. Their weakness lead to Jay Cutler trying to make ridiculous plays all year long, which lead to turnovers.

Karma Sucks! Just ask the New York Jets. They threw away Chad Pennington in favor of Brett Favre, thinking he was a better fit for the team. Pennington went to Miami and led them to the AFC East. Favre in the meanwhile, self-destructed down the stretch, which led to the firing of Eric Mangini. Karma Baby.

Perfection has a name: Detroit: The Detroit Lions finished the perfect season by going 0-16. I never thought a team could run the tables backwards but I should have expected the Lions to do it. And they didn't fail. The weirdest part about it though, they never caught a break. Teams that are horrible will at least catch a break somewhere. The Lions never caught a break, which led to there perfect season.

Did the 49ers make the right decision?: I wondered if the San Francisco 49ers should keep Mike Singletary as their head coach. Well after yesterday's win, the 49ers kept Singletary are their head coach. I am still conflicted whether or not this was the right decision, but I am in favor of moving on with Singletary.

Quick Hits:

- What happened to Chad Johnson this season?

- Some team will overpay for Matt Cassel, and will pay the price for doing so.

- Did Minnesota really get in the playoffs?

- Matt Ryan for MVP.

- Monte Kiffin is running to his son in Tennessee with his tail in between his legs.

- Can't we reconstruct the playoff format, seriously the Colts, who have a better record, have to play in San Diego who has a worst record.

Playoff picks:

Wild Card

AFC

Indianapolis over San Diego

Miami over Baltimore

NFC

Atlanta over Arizona

Philadelphia over Minnesota

Divisional Round

AFC

Indianapolis over Tennessee

Pittsburgh over Miami

NFC

Carolina over Atlanta

Philadelphia over NY Giants

AFC Championship

Indianapolis over Pittsburgh

NFC Championship

Carolina over Philadelphia

Super Bowl XL III

Indianapolis over Carolina

The Mourning After: The Tim Tebow Edition

There has been a lot of debate whether or not Florida quarterback Tim Tebow will be a solid NFL quarterback. If you seen any of the debate shows on ESPN, I am sure you have seen this topic debate frequently.

Most of the analysis has been negative for Tebow concerning his future in the NFL. He isn't accurate enough or he has a slow release. All these things are true, buts lets take a look at some of the other negatives for Tebow.

He plays in a Urban Meyer Offense: I am a 49ers fan and has seen Alex Smith play a lot. Like Tebow, Smith was an Urban Meyer quarterback. Smith could never figure out an NFL offense. Granted he had numerous offensive coordinators that might have stunted his growth. But Smith could never figure out an offense. In a spread offense, there is usually only one read. In the NFL there are multiple reads and there are hardly any option type plays. Watch the Florida offense, they run an option offense that only looks at one receiver, instead of looking for multiple receivers. This will hurt Tebow in the pros.

He plays behind a Strong offensive line: Tebow plays behind one of the best offensive lines in America. This could damper his NFL career because he has really never felt a real pass rush that he will face in the NFL. Matt Leinhart played behind a great offensive line. Once he got to the NFL the pass rush was to strong and it made him uncomfortable and he threw interceptions or fumbled the ball. A Strong pass rush will confuse Tebow because he doesn't know how to make multiple reads and he can't run the ball on every down.

Don't be fooled by the stats: Tebow is statistical legend because of the spread offense. He isn't the only quarterback in history to wow scouts with his numbers. Look at history and some NFL team will select a quarterback who either threw for numerous yards or ran the ball. They are all over hyped. Tebow is only as good as the people around him. Percy Harvin is one of the best players in the nation. He has a strong tight end with Aaron Hernandez and has other strong receivers in Louis Murphy, Carl Moore, and Riley Cooper. He won't have as much talent around him in the NFL.

Add these factors in with his lack of passing accuracy and weird delivery and Tebow will not be much in the NFL.

Don't get me wrong, he is one of the greatest college players of all-time. What he has done probably won't be accomplished again. But that is all what he is, a great college player.

The Mourning After: Year in Review

There are a lot of great moments that define a year. And 2008 was no different. We witnessed great finals, plays, and players take center stage. We were lucky to see so much great action, so lets take a look back at 2008.

- The New England Patriots headed into Super Bowl XL II undefeated and huge favorites over the New York Giants. One problem though for the Patriots, the Giants defensive line was one of the best units ever. The Patriots went down and the 72 Dolphins rejoiced.

- Ohio St. played in a second straight National Championship against an SEC opponent, and where blown out once again. Some things just never change.

- We witnessed one of the greatest NCAA National Championship ever. Kansas was trailing by nine points with two minutes left against Memphis. The Jayhawks stormed back and Mario Chalmers hit a dramatic game-tying three. Kansas would eventually take the championship right out of Memphis's hands.

- Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Olympics, and then everyone realized how big of douche he is after that.

- We witnessed one of the greatest U.S. Open of all-time. On the 18Th green, Tiger Woods sunk an 12-foot punt to force a playoff with fan favorite Rocco Mediate. Tiger would take the Open title, but would be forced to sit out the rest of the year with a busted up leg.

- The Wimbledon finale was also one of the greatest of all-time. Roger Federer was suppose to be unbeatable on grass. Rafael Nadal made the final look easy for the first two sets, then Federer stormed back in the next two sets. Nadal had to finish off Roger in the 5Th set to claim the title and the number one ranking in the world.

- The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers renewed their rivalry in the NBA finals. The Boston Big Three were too much for the soft Lakers. Kobe Bryant is still looking for a title without Shaq.

- The Tampa Bay Rays shocked everyone and made it to the World Series. Once they got there though, the Philadelphia Philies won their first title since 1980, and the first Philadelphia title since 1982.

- Jimmie Johnson dominated NASCAR once again. Some things never change.

- Andruw Jones signed a huge deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. One problem though, he was overweight and became one of the biggest free agent busts of all time.

- Josh Hamilton stole every one's heart with his story of redemption and his home run derby showing at Yankee stadium.

- Roger Clemens took his story to congress only to blame everyone for the Mitchell Report except for himself.

- John Daly was once again a train wreck, like I said nothing changes.

- Brett Favre retired, wanted back, fought the with the Packers, and was finally traded to the New York Jets. Now the Jets and Favre are fighting for a playoff spot.

- Stephen Curry and Davidson stole every one's heart this year in the NCAA tournament.

- We had controversy with the BCS. Do you see a pattern here.

- Donovan McNabb didn't know that there could be ties in the NFL.

- The Lions could be the first team ever to go winless in a 16 game season. We are all praying they finish the year strong and go winless.

- Isiah Thomas and Matt Millen were finally let go from their positions. And the teams are still horrible.

- Kimbo Slice folded faster than the EliteXC.

- Rain delayed the World Series. Bud Selig still has a befuddled look.

- Yankees didn't make it to the playoffs. Hank Steinbrenner's and ESPN heads exploded.

- Dick Vitale is still annoying people.

- Tyler Hansborough and Tim Tebow are still worshiped.

- Donald Trump called A-Rod a choker. Get in line Don.

- Charlie Weis is still not fired.

- Auburn made a surprising hire and infuriated Charles Barkley at the same time.

- Cincinnati Reds batted out of order. Just Dusty Baker going Dusty Baker.

- Manny Ramirez quited on the Red Sox. Just Manny going Manny.

- Al Davis is still alive and kicking. This time he used an over head projector to fire Lane Kiffin.

- The Mets choked again. And Cole Hamels let them know about it.

- Jason Giambi passed around a golden thong to his teammates.

- The Celtics started off red hot and are currently on a 18 game winning streak.

My Favorite Moment: Anthony Kim and the USA team beat down the European team in the Ryder Cup. And of course the Euro's were poor sports and called the American team classless.

The Mourning After

December is looking like it will be an eventful month. College basketball and the NBA are starting to get in the full swing, the NFL is in its stretch run and college football has started their bowl season. The past Saturday had plenty of action in all of the sports.

Kobe Is On Fire, But He Doesn't Have Magic: Kobe Bryant scored 41 points, but the Orlando Magic outscored the Los Angeles Lakers. Dwight Howard sunk his fourth quarter free throws and Jameer Nelson scored 27 points. The Magic has been the quiet good team this season, while the Lakers are great, but they are still soft inside.

Michigan State Has Already Taken Their Beating: Michigan St., like every other team, was hammered by North Carolina. Saturday the Spartans played in front of a hostile crowd in Houston taking on the 5Th ranked Texas Longhorns and sneaked out with a win. Durrell Summers hit a three with 18 seconds left to seal the win.

Upset Alert: Louisville has been kind of a disappointment this year. They already lost at home to a lesser opponent, and now they lost on the road to Minnesota. Rick Pitino met up with friend Tubby Smith, and Tubby got the best of his former boss.

The Glass Slipper Didn't Fit: Gonzaga, a final four pick, lost to UConn in Seattle. UConn had to go into overtime with the Zags to finally put them away. It rained threes in the former home of the Sonics, and UConn proved why they are the 4Th ranked team.

The Early Bowl Games Stink: The early bowl games of the season are usually boring. But the New Mexico Bowl proved to be exciting. Fresno St. was leading Colorado St. with 2 minutes left to play. Then all of the sudden the Bulldogs where down by 10 and the Rams where celebrating. The bowl games won't get interesting until after Christmas.

The Mourning After: Final Weekend of College Football

Barring any sort of computer breakdown, Oklahoma and Florida will meet in the national championship game.

Everyone and their mother will pick Florida over Oklahoma and with good reason. Their win was more impressive.

The Legend Grows: With Alabama taking a four point lead over Florida and controlling most of the clock in the 3Rd quarter. You would think Florida would counter that with quick touchdowns wouldn't you. Wrong. Florida controlled the clock and ate up 5 minutes and scored the game winning touchdown. They added another score to put the game out of Alabama's reach. The Crimson Tide have nothing to hang their heads on. They improved vastly this year and only have room to improve. And with Nick Saban as their coach and lead recruiter, I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the SEC championship game next year.

Will They Get Exposed: Whitlock had a great column today talking about how Missouri's spread offense got exposed by defenses that can get pressure and make open field tackles. He also talked about how Oklahoma could get exposed by Florida. Sam Bradford and the rest of the Big 12 quarterbacks have had great years because of the week defenses in the conference. But if they face a tough defense that can get pressure Bradford might get exposed. He doesn't have the arm strength or accuracy to deal with the pressure. This should be an intriguing matchup.

Their Is Only Room For Improvement: While UCLA lost again to USC, their is only room to improve for this team. A young offensive line and injuries hurt this team this season. If Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow can find a great quarterback look out, the monopoly in LA could end. While the Rose Bowl will get a great matchup between USC and Penn St.

If They Provide It, Then Don't Come: Virginia Tech and Boston College played in the ACC championship yesterday in an half-full Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The ACC championship has been an utter disappointment since its foundation. It doesn't help though that neither Florida St. or Miami haven't played in it. But Florida is just not ACC territory. North Carolina is ACC territory, and hopefully for the ACC when their championship moves to Charlotte in 2010, the stadium will be full.

East Carolina Is Still Relevant: After beating West Virginia and Viriginia Tech in the opening weeks, East Carolina looked like a team heading for a BCS berth. But after a loss to N.C. State the bottom fell out. They eventually recovered and won the Conference USA east division tittle. Yesterday they forced Tulsa into seven turnovers and won the Conference outright.

Player of the Week: While Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford both had great games, Cal running back Jahvid Best had the best day. He ran for 317 yards on 17 caries and four touchdowns, beating a horrible Washington team. While I know the SEC likes to proclaim that they have the fastest players in college, Jahvid Best might be the fastest player in college football.

Going Out In Style: Last week Phil Fulmer lead Tennessee to a win in his last game. So this week it was up to Tyrone Willingham. And good ole Ty definitely went out in style. He watched his team lose 48-7 and give up 300 yards to Best. He won't be missed in Washington.

Heisman Watch:

1. Tim Tebow, Florida

2. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

3. Colt McCoy, Texas

4. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech

5. Javon Ringer, Michigan St.

Bow Projections:

National Championship Game: Florida vs. Oklahoma

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn St.

Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Texas

Fiesta Bowl: Ohio St. vs. Utah

The bowl picks come out today and we will report on it then.