NFL Week 17 Preview & Predictions

Well this is it. Week 17. The playoffs are on the line. Which teams will make it in? In the NFC, the teams are pretty much set. The only open spot is the NFC East division champion. The AFC playoff picture is much more clouded. It was simpler for me to hear it explained. This Associated Press video helps explain it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxNC_VyB-sI&feature=player_embedded.

Here are the games with playoff implications and my predictions as to what I think will happen:

Dallas Cowboys (8-7) @ New York Giants (8-7) - Sunday 8:20 PM EST, NBC

• Breakdown: The Giants are coming off a game they had to win against the Jets, which they won. Quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Victor Cruz are really starting to click. Last week, the Cowboys lost to the Eagles. Tony Romo was injured in that game, but the team says he is ready to play. But how effective will be? If you are a Cowboys fan, you just better hope this game doesn't come down to a field goal attempt with time winding down.
• Prediction: Giants 20 Cowboys 17
• What this would mean: The Giants would be in, the Cowboys would be out

Baltimore Ravens (11-4) @ Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) - Sunday 4:15 PM EST, CBS

• Breakdown: The Baltimore Ravens have already clinched their playoff spot, but don't tell them this game shouldn't be important to them. They need a win Sunday to secure the division title and first-round bye. In the AFC North, divisional pride is a very important thing. Additionally, it is important for the Ravens because their home record is 8-0, while their away record is a lackluster 3-4 entering Sunday. For the Cincinnati Bengals, they know they control their own fate. If they win, there in the playoffs. If they lose, they could still make it, but they don't want to have to think about that. Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has gotten the job done all year, but his team needs him to step up now.
• Prediction: Bengals 20 Ravens 16
• What this would mean: The Ravens and Bengals would get both AFC wild card spots

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) @ Cleveland Browns (4-11) - Sunday 4:15 PM EST, CBS

• Breakdown: As was aforementioned, the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing for the division title. They would like that first-round bye to help heal quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben plans on playing, but how effective will he be and how long will he play. Backup Charlie Batch played well last week. The Cleveland Browns aren't going to give the Steelers' a yard more than they can help, let alone the win. The Browns would love to send their rival Steelers into the playoffs on a sour note and will be coming after Roethlisberger full throttle.
• Prediction: Steelers 20 Browns 6
• What this would mean: Steelers would be in line for the division title and first-round bye if the Ravens lost

Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) @ Denver Broncos (8-7) - Sunday 4:15 PM EST, CBS

• Breakdown: Hey Denver, do you remember Kyle Orton? Well guess what? He is going to be the starting quarterback of the team trying to knock your team out of the playoffs. The Denver Broncos decided to switch starting quarterbacks to Tim Tebow. They decided to give Orton a chance to start elsewhere, so they waived him. What the Broncos didn't expect, was that the Chiefs would claim him and that he would be playing against them with the playoffs on the line. For the Broncos to win, Tebow needs to limit his mistakes, especially turnovers, and the Broncos defense needs to step up and play well again.
• Prediction: Broncos 16 Chiefs 13
• What this would mean: Broncos would win the AFC West

San Diego Chargers (7-8) @ Oakland Raiders (8-7) - Sunday 4:15 PM EST, CBS

• Breakdown: Like the Chiefs, the San Diego Chargers can try to play spoiler to a divisional foe. This season didn't go like the Chargers had planned. It started great with a 4-1 record, but then they lost six games in a row. They simply couldn't recover from the losing streak. The Oakland Raiders have been a streaky team all year. They brought in quarterback Carson Palmer to lead them to the playoffs. Now, they need him to step up and make that happen. The Raiders defense will try and force turnovers, which the Chargers have been susceptible to giving up all year.
• Prediction: Raiders 20 Chargers 10
• What this would mean: The Raiders would be in line for a chance at winning the AFC West title or one of the wild card spots

Tennessee Titans (8-7) @ Houston Texans (10-5) - Sunday 1:00 PM EST, CBS

• Breakdown: The Houston Texans have already clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history. They will focus on getting players healthy and comfortable this week. Star wide receiver Andre Johnson returns to the lineup for the hosts. The Tennessee Titans are still alive for the last wild card spot in the playoffs. They need some help though to set up what would be a rematch with the Texans in the playoffs. If the Titans don't make the playoffs, they don't have anyone to blame but themselves, especially after they lost to the previously winless Indianapolis Colts.
• Prediction: Titans 20 Texans 17
• What this would mean: The Titans would have an outside shot at the last wild card spot

Pesky Piscataway Performance Pulls Upset Win in Double Overtime

Mike Rice is in his second year as the head coach of the Rutgers men's basketball team. In his first head coaching position, Rice led Robert Morris University to three regular season conference championships in three years. Two of the seasons, the Colonials made it to the NCAA tournament. These tournament appearances were the first for the university since 1992.

Coach Rice has been trying to bring that winning success to Piscataway, New Jersey. It has been an uphill climb for the team for the past two decades. The Scarlet Knights' last tournament appearance was in 1991. Their last tournament win dates back to 1983.

The #10 Florida Gators entered the game coming off a big win over in-state rival Florida State. The Gators controlled most of the game and seemed to be set to secure the win tonight when they got their lead up to seven points with 2:49 left in regulation. But the Scarlet Knights refused to give up. The team rallied to tie the score at 66 and even had a shot to win at the buzzer, but it went begging.

The game was headed to overtime. With 31 seconds left in overtime, Gator sophomore Patric Young made two free throws to give his team a three point lead. However, the night belonged to a freshman Scarlet Knight named Eli Carter. Carter came off a screen and made a contested three pointer to tie the score with 22 seconds left. Florida had a chance to win it, but some tough Rutgers defense forced a turnover.

This one had a date with double overtime. In double overtime, the Scarlet Knights gained their largest lead of the night, 82-78, when Carter made a jumper with 1:46 to go. The next possession, Florida freshman Bradley Beal answered with a three pointer. Carter drew the Gators' attention and then kicked out to Myles Mack for three. He made it. Erving Walker responded with a jumper to trim the Rutgers lead to two. Rutgers' next possession ended in a shot clock violation, which gave the Gators the chance to tie the score once more. Walker tried to drive into the lane, but some tough Scarlet Knights defense caused him to take a tough jump shot that rattled off the rim.

That was it. Rutgers had pulled the improbable upset. Freshman Eli Carter finished with a season-high 31 points and demonstrated spectacular, clutch leadership. After the game Carter said, "My teammates had confidence in me. I took the big shot and made it."

Coach Rice had been trying to get his players to buy into his system and believe in it. Tonight, he got the signature, non-conference upset he needed to get his players, community, and fan base to believe in him. The Scarlet Knights might finally be ready to climb out of the Big East cellar.

Game highlights: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7402231

Post-game interview of Coach Rice and Eli Carter: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7402273

Holiday Tournaments Allow Inter-Conference Battles

Momentum? Sure. Conference standings? Negative. Extra Christmas pudding? Go for it.

But holiday hockey tournaments certainly don't appear to hold much weight at first glance. Or second glance for that matter. But one of the most overlooked parts of college hockey during the holidays is the chance for each conference to make a statement for itself.

Much like its older and larger brother, NCAA football, collegiate-level hockey teams often do not get the privilege of playing out-of-conference games until right around the beginning of the new year. When that happens, it gives the conferences a chance to make statements about the quality of teams it hosts. The more well-known conferences play to prove themselves the best; the smaller conferences play for recognition; meanwhile, the middle-of-the-road collaboration of teams goes out to prove it is top-notch and not to be ignored.

During this opening Thursday night, sixteen teams representing five conferences faced off for inter-conference battles on the hockey rink (the exception being UConn and Army, who faced each other as fellow members of the American Hockey Athletic conference).

Below, you will find the scores of all tonight's eight games, along with the conferences each team represents:

      Maine (Hockey East) :      6                 Clarkson (ECAC) : 1
      Michigan State (CCHA) :  3                 Michigan Tech (WCHA): 1
      Lake Superior (CCHA)  :  5                 Vermont (Hockey East) : 3
      R.I.T. (AHA) :   3                                 Ferris State (CCHA) : 0
      U-Mass Lowell (Hockey East) : 7         R.P.I. (ECAC) : 2
      UConn (AHA) : 2                                Army (AHA) : 0
      Michigan (CCHA) : 4                           Boston College (Hockey East) : 2
      St. Cloud State (WCHA) : 4                Western Michigan (CCHA) : 2


Now. Here are the records for each conference thus far in the holiday tournaments:

     American Hockey Athletics (AHA) :                      2-1
     Hockey East:                                                      2-2
     Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA):     3-2
     East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC):                0-2
     Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA):   1-1


At this point, strictly by mathematics, it's very close between the CCHA and AHA conferences. Going by percentages, AHA would lead with 66.7% success at this point in the tournaments. The CCHA would come in second with 60%. However, it should be noted that the CCHA has more overall wins than the AHA (as well as two additional teams playing); and also, two AHA teams played each other, automatically giving the conference a win and loss.

Based on scores and performance by the teams, I'd say the CCHA and Hockey East look to be the best teams out there in the tournaments. As far as championship games go, the CCHA will have both Michigan and Michigan State play each other, guaranteeing a tournament win. Lake Superior will play R.I.T., which hails from the AHA, for the Catamount Cup in Vermont. For Hockey East, both Maine and U-Mass Lowell will be in championship games on Friday night.

Things should get interesting over the weekend, as conferences battle each other in tournament hockey. Which team will come out with the most tournament titles? Who knows.

Just pass the chips, ring-in the end of the world, and catch some holiday hockey.