Thursday, November 17, 2011

Tim Tebow is a Winner, Plain and Simple

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis told reporters that he would fight boredom playing against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. He proceeded to bash and ridicule the quarterback.

Now, the game is over. As for Tim Tebow, he did what he has always done best, win football games and glorify God. Tebow led the Broncos on game winning 95 yard drive that was capped by his 20 yard touchdown run with 58 seconds left in the game.

Revis better realize how good Tebow is now because he might look back on this season and realize that he is the very man who might knock his team out of the playoffs. The Jets now have a very unimpressive 5-5 record. They sit a 1 1/2 games back of the New England Patriots in the AFC East. They are also that far back in the AFC Wild Card race as well. There are currently 5 teams ahead of them for those two spots.

It is time for Darrelle Revis to shut his big mouth and start winning games by how he plays on the field, like Tim Tebow does frequently.



Video highlights of the game and written recap can be seen/read here: http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=311117007

College Football Week 12 Preview & Predictions

5. #16 Nebraska @ #18 Michigan - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

The Big Ten Legends Division is down to three contenders with one clear favorite. Both Nebraska and Michigan are 8-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play. They sit a game behind Michigan State who is 8-2 as well, but are 5-1 in conference play. The Spartans play Indiana at home (12:00 PM EST, Big Ten Network). If they win, Michigan is out. Therefore, Michigan needs a win over Nebraska and an Indiana win over Michigan State to stay alive in their pursuit of this year's Big Ten Championship. Nebraska needs either a win over Michigan or an Indiana win over Michigan State. To say there is a lot riding on the outcome of this game, is an understatement. This one should be fun. Prediction: Nebraska 20 Michigan 17

4. #17 Wisconsin @ Illinois - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

Now, it's time to watch what happens in the Big Ten's other division. In the Leaders Division, Wisconsin is in the same position as Michigan and Nebraska. Wisconsin (8-2, 4-2) sits one game behind Penn State (8-2, 5-1). After two heartbreaking losses, the Badgers responded by beating Purdue and Minnesota by a combined margin of 104-30. Illinois started the season 5-0, but upon examining their schedule, that was more or less just an illusion. The Illini have now lost four in a row. Head coach Ron Zook is back on the hot seat. How will his players respond for him? Prediction: Wisconsin 38 Illinois 13

3. #21 Penn State @ Ohio State - 3:30 PM EST, ABC Regional/ESPN/ESPN3

Penn State and Ohio State were once considered to be the epitome of what a football program should be. When these two teams played last year, the game featured the two winningest active coaches in Division I football. The NCAA is still in the midst of an investigation into Ohio State players trading memorabilia for cash and receiving discounted tattoos. Head coach Jim Tressel became history. Penn State is still shell shocked by the Jerry Sandusky scandal that has disgraced and torn apart a tight-knit community. Head coach Joe Paterno was fired and his legendary career is forever tarnished. Saturday there is football to be played. A game that is very important for both teams. Ohio State is bowl eligible, but might have to play a MAC school if they don't win one of their final two games. Penn State still sits in first place in the Big Ten Leaders Division. They control their own fate in their path to the Big Ten Championship Game. Penn State needs to do something they haven't done very much of in the past, win at the Horseshoe. They've only one once in Columbus since joining the Big Ten. This game should feature heavy running approaches and strong defenses. Prediction: Penn State 14 Ohio State 13

2. #5 Oklahoma @ #22 Baylor - 8:00 PM EST, ABC Regional/ESPN3

Without even playing last week, Oklahoma returned to the BCS National Championship picture. Two previously undefeated teams ahead of the Sooners, Stanford and Boise State, both lost. Now, the Sooners have two of their final three games against ranked opponents. If they win out, they definitely have a case for playing in the BCS National Championship Game. Their first game is against Baylor. The ranked Bears will be pumped for this showdown as they have a great chance to beat their rival Oklahoma for the first time ever. Last week, Baylor rallied and survived an overtime bout with Kansas 31-30. With Robert Griffin III at quarterback, the Bears should be able to score against the Sooners defense, but the question is whether or not their defense will be able to do enough to slow down Sooners quarterback Landry Jones. Prediction: Oklahoma 35 Baylor 31

1. SMU @ #11 Houston - 3:30 PM EST

Thanks in large part to Boise State's loss last week and College Gameday's first visit to campus, the spotlight is fully on Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars. Keenum is the NCAA all-time leader in total offense (18,434 yards), passing yards (17,537), and passing touchdowns (144). This Saturday he looks to add two more accomplishments to his resume. He needs seven completions to become the all-time leader in that category. If he passes for 300 yards or more, he will tie former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang's record of 36 games. Additionally, if Houston wins out they will get the automatic bid to a BCS bowl game that Boise State vacated with their loss. SMU has lost three out of their last four, but won against a ranked TCU team earlier this year. Prediction: Houston 70 SMU 21

If you want to learn more about Houston, watch this video preview of their game this Saturday: http://www.cbs.com/sports/video/?pid=BQ83j5A3rSkGt81qEtipkZubz19w_4Uy&vs=Default&play=true

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Friendly Fire: A Look at Some of the Action on 11/15/11

New U.S. Men's National Soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann has taken a lot of heat for how much the team has been struggling. Since Klinsmann took over, had been outscored 5-2 and had a record of 1-4-1. The team dropped to 34th in the latest Fifa rankings and finished last year 6-8-3, their worst record since 1994.

Coach Klinsmann decided to change his lineup formation. To help make up for a lack of scoring, he changed in to a very offensively minded 4-4-2. On a fog-filled night the U.S. got to test their new lineup in a World Cup rematch with Slovenia. The U.S. attack responded with three goals and some desperate defending and great saves by Tim Howard gave the U.S. a 3-2 victory.

The U.S.'s old coach, Bob Bradley, was in action with his new team as well. Egypt started well against Brasil, but then the Brasilians took over. Brasil had no shortage of good opportunities on the attack. Jonas scored the only two goals of the game and almost had a third in Brasil 2-0 win.

A weakened Uruguay team pulled off a stunning victory in Rome 1-0 over Italy. Uruguay was without four of its best players do to injuries and fatigue. In the 3rd minute, Sebastian Fernandez scored for Uruguay. Despite Italy's large edge in shots and shots on goal, Urugauy did enough to keep them from scoring.

Germany is starting to look like the best team in the world after a convincing 3-0 win over the Netherlands, who is the #2 ranked team in Fifa's current rankings. Prior to this, Germany finished World Cup qualifying with a perfect 10 wins in 10 games. In this friendly, Mirslov Klose scored one goal and had assists on the other two.

The #1 ranked team and defending World Cup Champions, Spain, got all the could ask for and more from Costa Rica. Costa Rica controlled the first half and led 2-0 at the intermission. Spain played better in the second half, but couldn't find the net until David Silva finally scored in the 83rd minute. David Villa added another in the 90th minute to help Spain salvage a 2-2 draw in a game they could have easily lost.

Fifa's current rankings: http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html

Monday, November 14, 2011

ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon

While the college basketball season has already tipped off, ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon began just an hour ago. The marathon features 21 games, 21 conferences, 15 states, and 14 ranked teams. Here are my Top 5 Games to Watch from the marathon.

5. Northern Iowa @ Saint Mary's - 2 AM EST, ESPN/ESPN3
Two mid-major tournament regulars who frequently do some damage. This game will help to give an early expectation as to what to expect from these teams come March.

4. Belmont @ #10 Memphis - Noon EST, ESPN/ESPN3
Belmont is coming off a 30 win season last year. They nearly upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium (lost by one). Memphis is young and unproven. I think the Bruins finish off the upset this time.

3. #6 Duke vs. Michigan State - 7 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

The Blue Devils were definitely tested by Belmont. Michigan State played a tough game against UNC, but just weren't good enough. But will they be good enough to beat Duke? This game should tell us a lot about both teams.

2. #8 Florida vs. #3 Ohio State - 8PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

The Gators bring a deeply talented backcourt, but Ohio State might have the best big man in the country in sophomore Jared Sullinger. The slim-downed Sullinger should be a beast, but how good will the rest of the team be? This is their first true test.

1. #2 Kentucky vs. #11 Kansas - 9PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

Two of the winningest programs in the sports history faceoff on a big stage. Terrence Jones and yet another top rated freshman class lead Kentucky. Kansas point guard Tyshawn Taylor will run the show for the Jayhawks.



Houston, Do We Have a Problem?

The Houston Texans are 7-3, including 3-0 against their weak division and have won four games in a row. Barring a complete meltdown, they should win the AFC South and make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, injuries have dominated their season.

Starting running back Arian Foster, who had a total of 2,220 yards last season, had ten carries in his first four games, due to injury. Thankfully, he is now healthy and has had two 75+ yard touchdown receptions this season. The last running back to do that was Gale Sayers during his rookie season of 1965.

Star wide receiver Andre Johnson is one of the best in the game. Over the past three seasons, he had a total of 4,360 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. He looked to be on pace for another one of those seasons, until he injured his hamstring. He has now missed the past six games, but is expected to return after the team's bye this week.

Former #1 pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, Mario Williams was having a great season. Through five games, he led the team in sacks and was playing well enough to lead the league by the end of the season. Then, he tore his pectoral and his season was over.

Coming off an impressive win over Tampa Bay 37-9 on Sunday, the Texans had to be feeling good. Today, news reports announced that 2010 Pro Bowl MVP quarterback Matt Schaub had suffered a Lisfranc injury. What is that you might ask? It is a joint in the midfoot that is rarely injured, but when it is can be rather serious. Other NFL players that have been affected by this injury include Dwight Freeney, Kevin Jones, and Larry Johnson. Original reports ruled him out for the next several weeks, but a source announced that it is believed he could be done for the season. Houston is on a bye week this week, so Schaub should visit specialists. Stay tuned for more information.

The Texans have proved all season how good their depth is. Now, it is time for former USC star Matt Leinart to prove himself. Leinart was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, but he suffered on and off the field troubles in the desert. After being unemployed last season, Leinart signed a one year contract to be Schaub's backup. Schaub had never missed a game since becoming a Texan, but he will now. This is Leinart's second chance. He has one of the most talented offenses in the league around him. In order to succeed, he must limit his mistakes.

Houston's has had plenty of injury problems this season, but the Texans refuse to give up. They will look to use this week's bye to rest up and heal as they prepare to make a run at the franchise's first ever playoff berth. Houston does have some problems, but don't doubt this Texans team. They could have a playoff run in them.

Article about the Texans' depth (written prior to Schaub's injury): http://bleacherreport.com/articles/932659-houston-texans-depth-a-key-for-a-deep-playoff-run


Houston Chronicle blog post about Matt Leinart becoming the starting quarterback: http://blog.chron.com/sportsjustice/2011/11/what-do-you-have-for-us-matt-leinart-next-man-up-for-texans/