Upsets a Plenty on a Busy Saturday of College Basketball

I will breakdown the Top 25 teams that were in action on Saturday.

Convincing Wins

#1 Syracuse 78 Providence 55 - The Orange showcased their supremacy once again as they routed the Friars. They host Pittsburgh on Monday.

#4 Baylor 106 Oklahoma State 65 - The Bears offense keeps getting the job done in convincing fashion. They scored 15 three pointers and nearly doubled the Cowboys on the glass.

#15 Louisville 76 Depaul 59 - The Cardinals bounced back nicely from losing two straight. The travel to Marquette next Monday.

#16 Connecticut 67 Notre Dame 53 - UConn was without Ryan Boatright (being investigated by the NCAA). The most impressive thing about the Huskies win was the play of two of their big men, Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi.

#25 Harvard 69 George Washington 48 - The Crimson looked convincing in their final non-conference game. Now, they just have to focus on taking care of business in Ivy League play.

Got the Job Done

#9 Missouri 84 Texas 73 - The Tigers just keep winning. They didn't get frazzled by their first loss of the season to Kansas State. They host Texas A&M on Monday.

#10 Kansas 82 Iowa State 73 - The Jayhawks overcame a sluggish first half to beat the Cyclones. This setups a big Top 10 showdown on Monday when they host the undefeated Baylor Bears.

#14 Murray State 82 Tennessee Tech 74 - The Racers are now off to a school-record 19-0 start. They are 6-0 in OVC play, and their next conference opponent is Morehead State on Wednesday.

#19 Florida 79 South Carolina 65 - The Gators improved to 2-1 in SEC play with a road win over the Gamecocks. Their next game isn't until next Saturday when they host LSU.

#24 Marquette 62 Pittsburgh 57 - The Golden Eagles improved to 3-2 in Big East play, while the Panthers fell to 0-5. Who would have believed Pitt would be struggling this badly right now?

Survived a Scare

#2 Kentucky 65 Tennessee 62 - The Wildcats displayed some poise in a tough road win. The Volunteers showed once again this week that they are much better than their 8-9 record would indicate.

#20 Mississippi State 56 Alabama 52 - Both of these teams want to make the NCAA tournament, so this was a big win for the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide were ranked in the preseason polls, but they need to find an answer to their struggles quickly if they are going to rebound from this loss.

#23 Gonzaga 62 Loyola Marymount 58 - Coming off a blowout loss at St. Mary's, the Zags barely survived a tough win over the Lions. They look to get back to form against San Francisco at home on Thursday.

Upset Victims

Florida State 90 #3 North Carolina 57 - This might be exactly what Florida State needed. The Tar Heels had no answer for the hot shooting Seminoles. The loss was the worst in the Roy Williams era.

Northwestern 81 #7 Michigan State 74 - The Wildcats showed they still have a shot in the Big Ten, as Michigan State's win streak of fifteen games was snapped. The Spartans look to get back on track on Tuesday when they travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.

Iowa 75 #13 Michigan 59 - The Hawkeyes are a tough team to figure out. They have upset two Top 25 teams, but they have also got blown out by two of them.

Oklahoma 82 #18 Kansas State 73 - The Wildcats might be a bit overrated as they now fell to 1-3 in Big 12 play. They will look to recover on Wednesday when they host Texas.

Thriller

#22 San Diego State 69 #12 UNLV 87 - This might be a sign of what is to come in what is a tough Mountain West Conference this year. Aztec guard Jamaal Franklin made the game winning off-balance layup with 0.3 seconds left in the game.

NFL Divisional Round Preview & Predictions

New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers - Saturday, 4:30 PM EST, FOX

This game is a matchup of two dominant opposing forces. The New Orleans Saints offense seems to be operating like a machine. They set records during the regular season and dismantled the Detroit Lions last weekend when they had 626 yards of offense and scored 45 points. Now, they face a San Francisco team that plays hard-nosed defense. The 49ers have taken on the personality of first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, who led them to the playoffs for the first time in nine years. The 49ers offense revolves around Frank Gore running the football. While Gore has been great and quarterback Alex Smith has improved this season, there seems to be no way that the 49ers can win a shootout with the Saints. In order for the 49ers to win, they are going to have to slow down this Saints offense. I think they will do enough to get it done. Prediction: 49ers 20 Saints 17

Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots - Saturday, 8:00 PM EST, CBS

The Denver Broncos pulled-off a shocking overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend. While everyone is talking about quarterback Tim Tebow's performance, it is important to remember that he wasn't the only one who stepped up his game last week. The Broncos' receiving core and defense played very well as well. The defense will have to play very well again if they are going to slow down Tom Brady and the Patriots offense. The Patriots put together another great regular season, however, the team is looking to reverse its playoff fortunes having lost two straight home playoff games. While the Patriots look like the clear favorite on paper, this is not an easy game to pick. The Broncos come into the game riding a lot of momentum. Even though the Patriots won the regular season matchup earlier this year, the Patriots have had the struggles against Denver. Brady has only a 2-6 record against the Broncos. While I am still going to pick the Patriots to win, the one thing we have learned about the Broncos this year is that they are able to do the unexpected. Prediction: Patriots 27 Broncos 24

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens - Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

When you look at these two teams, you wonder if they are one in the same because of their similarities. On offense, they both look to run the football first to open up the field for the passing plays. Both defenses are among the best in the league. The Houston Texans need another great game out of running back Arian Foster. If Foster and backup Ben Tate can open up the field for rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, it will help him greatly as he looks to get the ball to his receivers, especially Andre Johnson. The Baltimore Ravens have an electrifying running back as well in Ray Rice. Rice was dominant in the previous matchup between these teams earlier this season. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco looks to reverse some playoff history of his own. Flacco has struggled with turnovers in the postseason. This could cause a problem as the Houston Texans like to force them and did so last week in their win over the Cincinnati Bengals. I'm giving the slight edge to the Ravens in this matchup based on their home-field advantage and playoff experience. Prediction: Ravens 27 Texans 24

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers - Sunday, 4:30 PM EST, FOX

The reigning Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers finished the regular season 15-1 and earned their first home playoff game in four years. The Packers dynamic offense is of course led by their outstanding quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They also have wide receiver Greg Jennings back from injury. The Packers defense has been the question mark all season. The group has been much maligned throughout the season and do need to play better to improve the team's chance of winning. The New York Giants are playing as confident as any team in the NFL right now. They have won three straight must-win games to get a rematch with the Packers. Two of the key differences for the Giants playing so well is the healthiness of their running backs and defense. Running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs need to play well again to help slow the pace of the game and take pressure off quarterback Eli Manning. The Giants defensive line, led by All-Pro Jason Pierre-Paul, is one of the best in the NFL and will need to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers. The key is that they need to get to him and force him into a sack or a bad throw. They cannot allow him to escape the pressure. I like the Giants to pull the upset in this game. The formula for beating the Packers is keeping the ball out of Rodgers' hands for extended periods of time and slowing him down. I think that the combination of the Giants defensive pressure, running game, and the clutch play of Eli Manning will be enough in this one. Prediction: Giants 24 Packers 23

Canadian Clubs Make Super First Two Overall Picks

Today, the 2012 MLS SuperDraft took place. As you can see, I have copied and pasted the first round picks below. The video links do work if you want to see your favorite team's player in action and/or being interviewed.

First Round

Pick	Club	Player	Note
1		Andrew Wenger (Duke)	Position: D/F WATCH: Wenger in action WATCH: Wenger on joining Montreal
2		Darren Mattocks (Akron)	Position: F WATCH: Mattocks in action WATCH: Mattocks on joining Vancouver
3		Kelyn Rowe (UCLA)	Position: M WATCH: Rowe in action
4		Luis Silva (UC Santa Barbara)	Position: M WATCH: Silva in action WATCH: Silva on joining Toronto
5		Casey Townsend (Maryland)	Position: F WATCH: Townsend in action WATCH: Townsend on joining Chivas
6		Sam Garza (UC Santa Barbara)	Position: F WATCH: Garza in action WATCH: Garza on joining San Jose
7		Nick DeLeon (Louisville)	Position: M WATCH: DeLeon in action WATCH: DeLeon on joining D.C.
8		Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Connecticut)	Position: D WATCH: Jean-Baptiste in action WATCH: Jean-Baptiste on joining Portland
9		Austin Berry (Louisville)	Position: D WATCH: Berry in action WATCH: Berry on joining Chicago
10		Ethan Finlay (Creighton)	Position: F WATCH: Finlay in action WATCH: Finlay on joining Columbus
11		Matt Hedges (North Carolina)	Position: D WATCH: Hedges in action WATCH: Hedges on joining FCD
12	1	Aaron Maund (Notre Dame)	Position: D WATCH: Maund in action
13		Chandler Hoffman (UCLA)	Position: F WATCH: Hoffman in action WATCH: Hoffman on joining Philadelphia
14		Tony Cascio (Connecticut)	Position: M WATCH: Cascio in action WATCH: Cascio on joining Colorado
15		Andrew Duran (Creighton)	Position: D WATCH: Duran in action WATCH: Duran on joining Seattle
16		Dom Dwyer (South Florida)	Position: F WATCH: Dwyer in action WATCH: Dwyer on joining Sporting
17		Enzo Martinez (North Carolina)	Position: M WATCH: Martinez in action WATCH: Martinez on joining RSL
18		Colin Rolfe (Louisville)	Position: F WATCH: Rolfe in action
19		Tommy Meyer (Indiana)	Position: D WATCH: Meyer in action

Everyone knew that the top two prospects were Duke's Andrew Wenger and Akron's Darren Mattocks. With the first overall pick, the Montreal Impact made the safe choice. They chose the versatile Wenger, who played a multitude of positions over his career as a Blue Devil. I like the fact that he can play virtually anywhere, is regarded as a good leader, and should help the Impact right away. However, I like Mattocks more for his upside, which I took more about in just a second.

Following Montreal's selection of Wenger, their Canadian counterpart, the Vancouver Whitecaps made the obvious selection of Darren Mattocks from Akron. Mattocks is a Jamaican who overcame humble beginnings to become a soccer legend in his nation. He claims to have chose collegiate powerhouse Akron because he wanted to get used to play in the cold. Looks like that was a smart decision since he is headed to Vancouver. Mattocks is a maturing player who appears to have all the tools needed to be a star. If Mattocks blooms as nicely as most scouts think, he could not only be the face of the Whitecaps, but one of the best players in the MLS.

It will be interesting to see how Wenger, Mattocks, and the rest of the draft picks will do in their first MLS season. The 2012 MLS season will begin on March 10. The MLS Cup Final is scheduled for December 1. All 323 matches will be aired on live television, so make sure to check out the 19 teams in action and cheer on your favorites.

Cincinnati Reds are Bolstering their Pitching Staff

The Cincinnati Reds have spent this offseason upgrading their pitching staff. The first big move the Reds made was trading for Mat Latos. Everyone knew that the San Diego Padres were asking for a lot for their ace, but no one was sure who would be willing to pay the asking price. The Reds made it happen by trading pitcher Edinson Volquez and three prospects, first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal, and pitcher Brad Boxberger. I like the trade for the Padres. Volquez has shown flashes of greatness, but also has struggled. He has a chance to pan out thanks to a change of scenery. Alonso and Grandal are highly regarded prospects who have a chance to be studs for a Padres team in desperate need of some. I also like the trade for the Reds. They got the best player in a top-quality young pitcher, which was a need the team had. Latos is still young and did well in San Diego, but was always hurt by the Padres anemic offense. He won't have that problem in Cincinnati.

Then, Cincinnati acquired lefty reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs. The Reds seemed to give up a lot (pitcher Travis Wood and two prospects), but this is an immediate upgrade for a bullpen that needed help. The Reds need to have a good season to convince Marshall to sign after the season. Marshall is a free agent after this season, and the Reds gave up too much for a one-year rental.

The Reds weren't done upgrading their bullpen. Today, they found their closer when they signed Ryan Madson to one year deal worth $8.5 million. Madson went 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 32 saves (in 34 chances) in 2011 after becoming the Philadelphia Phillies closer. This is a great sign for the Reds. Madson is a Scott Boras client and was looking for a bigger, long-term deal, but there wasn't any out there because of the deep closer free agent pool this offseason. This way the Reds can evaluate how he does and consider an extension during the season. Madson is known by his changeup, which he controls very well and freezes hitters with. ESPN's Mark Simon illustrated this well in the image below. It is obvious that Madson's change is one of the reasons he has had success as a closer.

Left: Where Ryan Madson threw his changeup (2011)
Right: Where average RHP throws his changeup (2011)

NHL Teams Rising and Falling as They Start 2012

We are ten days into 2012, and the NHL standings show teams on the rise and teams on the fall. I will take look at three of each.

Teams on the Rise

1. New York Rangers - The New York Rangers got the come-from-behind win in the Winter Classic and haven't looked back. They are winners of five straight and nine of their last ten. The win streak also gives them the most points of any team in the NHL. Things are going well to say the least for John Tortorella's club right now.

2. San Jose Sharks - The San Jose Sharks have a nice win streak going as well. They've won four in a row and are 8-1-1 in their last ten. The offense is starting to come together for the Sharks, who now lead the Pacific Division. If they can maintain their success, they will be eyeing the best record in the Western Conference.

3. Ottawa Senators - The Ottawa Senators may be overachieving right now, but one can't deny how well the team is playing. They are an impressive 9-2-2 in their last thirteen games. With this streak of great play, the Senators have even pulled themselves into the thick of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

Teams on the Fall

1. Chicago Blackhawks - It is a surprise to see the Chicago Blackhawks on this list, but the team has lost four games in a row. During the losing streak, they have given up sixteen goals. The Blackhawks need to pull it together on defense and in the net. The team has already fallen to third in the Central Division standings.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - Life simply isn't treating the Pittsburgh Penguins very well right now. It appears that Jordan Staal and James Neal will be joining Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in rehab with substantial injuries. The team has lost four in a row and scored only five goals in those games. The question becomes whether or not this team will be able to pull it together and make the playoffs.

3. Minnesota Wild - The Minnesota Wild continue to fall farther and farther as their team's offense continues in its continual drought. The Wild have only won one game in their last twelve. During that stretch, their offense has only managed to score seventeen goals. If this team doesn't find some offense soon, they are going to keep on plummeting.

SEC Rivals Rematch in BCS National Championship

The LSU Tigers dominated every team they played this season, except the Alabama Crimson Tide. LSU outscored the rest of their opponents 491-131. The game earlier this season against Alabama ended in a LSU 9-6 win, even though the Crimson Tide had opportunities to win. The loss seemed to knock Alabama out of the national title picture, but they won the remainder of their games and got some help from other teams. This meant that the Crimson Tide earned a rematch against LSU to determine who would win the BCS National Championship.

As I already mentioned, LSU has dominated opponents so far in their undefeated season. After coming off a suspension, quarterback Jordan Jefferson took over the reigns of the offense from Jarrett Lee. Jefferson is a dual threat and ran for 248 yards. He was one of five Tigers to run for at least that many yards in what is a balanced and deep running attack to say the least. Then, there is the highly-acclaimed LSU defense. They are led in the secondary by two All-American cornerbacks (the first time one team has ever had both), Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne. Mathieu turned in a season so impressive that he was a Heisman finalist and widely considered to be one of the most dynamic all-around players in the country. Honey Badger, which he likes to be referred to as, had two interceptions, six forced fumbles, and is a prolific punt returner, averaging 16.2 yards per return. The secondary definitely benefits from the great pass rush generated by the Tigers that led to 37 sacks. Defensive ends Sam Montgomery (9.0 sacks) and Barkevious Mingo (8.0 sacks) were responsible for much of the pressure.

The Alabama offense clearly relies on their top running back, Heisman finalist Trent Richardson. Richardson ran for 1583 yards and 20 touchdowns, but was held to 89 rushing yards in the first game against LSU. The Crimson Tide will also need quarterback A.J. McCarron to step up his game. McCarron has to be careful with the ball and make good decisions for his team. Alabama's defense has had just as dominant a defense this year as LSU. They are led by two All-American linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower. Upshaw had 8 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss during the season, while Hightower added a team-leading 81 tackles, 9 1/2 of those for a loss, and 3 sacks.

One of the keys for LSU is the play of quarterback Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson has been inconsistent at times this season and still shows some rust from missing the first four games of the season because of suspension. One of the keys for Alabama is finishing off drives. We know field goal kicking helped cost them the win in the last matchup, but the offense needs to do better. The Crimson Tide need to try and find the endzone, or at least set up shorter field goal attempts for their kickers.

While anything is possible, I expect another game dominated by these outstanding defenses. This is a difficult game to pick. Both teams matchup very well, and I expect it to be another close game. While it is difficult to beat a great team twice, I think that LSU gets it done. The Tigers have the difference makers and depth to get the job done. Prediction: LSU 20 Alabama 13