Top College Basketball Teams 2013-14
Our Top Teams…
November 2013
Another exciting college basketball season is underway! This should be an incredible season because there are a number of legitimate contenders. You will see some great matchups early in the year, including Michigan State-Kentucky and Kansas-Duke in Chicago early – November 12. That’s four of my top five teams squaring off in one night!
1. 
John Calipari has reloaded big time. He has the top recruiting class in America by far, and this group should be special. Think about it — the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew), Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, James Young, Marcus Lee — WOW! Then add in veterans like Jarrod Polson, Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein to help the youngsters learn the ropes, and Big Blue Nation will be smiling.
2. 
Having Adreian Payne up front, plus a healthy Gary Harris, Keith Appling and Branden Dawson, is enough to believe the Spartans are legit contenders to cut down the nets in April. The Big Ten favorites will be cohesive and deep. Tom Izzo is a master motivator at tournament time and his team should make a deep run in 2014.
3. 
Russ Smith’s decision to return to school gives Rick Pitino an even better chance of going back-to-back. Chane Behanan will be even tougher on the glass. Luke Hancock is more confident after being named Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. I can’t wait to watch Louisville and Kentucky go at it in late December, and don’t forget about Chicago’s very-own Wayne Blackshear.
4. 
Mike Krzyzewski will have a more athletic team that will run, baby, run! Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood are newcomers to watch. Expect more from Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon. The return of Andre Dawkins will provide long-range shooting help.
5. 
The Jayhawks moved up because of one name — Andrew Wiggins. There will be excitement for Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk with the diaper dandy leading the way at the Phog. I expect Perry Ellis to develop into a valuable performer.
For the rest of our list, click here.
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Our 2013 BCS Picks
Who will play for the final BCS championship?
Since everyone has played at least one game, and we do NOT believe in pre-season polls too much, here is our Bowl Matchup predictions.
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Ranking NCAA Football Conferences 2013
Who’s the TOP College football conference?
August 28, 2013
Who? Okay…. we needed a 10th conference…
Louisiana Tech is fun to watch… next
Northern Illinois dominates this conference every year and this year will NOT be any different but the rest of the teams struggle.
There’s Boise State and a bunch of other teams… Next!
Louisville, Cincy and Rutgers are all gonna battle and that makes this conference tough.
It’s all about Clemson and Florida State, but still nothing to sneeze at here.
Right night, it’s hard to imagine any team long-term outperforming The Ohio State this year, even though Wisconsin will try their best to keep things close since they are in the same conference (Leaders). On the other side of the division, Michigan, Nebraska and Northwestern will fight and scratch to the end in order to play the Buckeyes in the championship game December 7 in Indianapolis.
This 10-team league is wide-open with contenders like Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Baylor and Kansas State at the top. Who will prevail? See ya in December…
Right away, when you think Pac-12 you think Stanford and Oregon, which is absolutely correct but don’t sleep on Arizona State and UCLA this season.
As much as we would love to put another conference on top, the reality of it all is we can’t. Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M, etc… would dominate any conference listed below – hands down. Thus, SEC again is the top football conference – PERIOD!
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NCAA Top 10 College Football Poll
2013 College Football pre-season TOP 10
August 15, 2013
Seven months removed from the National Championship, and well, it’s that time again… who will win it all?
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Look out for… Notre Dame, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma State, Texas, Michigan, Nebraska
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2013 USBWA Awards
2013 Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year Trophy
| ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected 14 outstanding players as finalists for its 2013 Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year Trophy presented by Aflac and eight standout freshmen as finalists for the Integris Wayman Tisdale Award.In addition, 20 outstanding female players have been nominated for the 2013 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List. The awards is to be presented to the women’s national player of the year by its namesake at the USBWA women’s awards press conference on April 7 in the interview room of the New Orleans Arena, 3:30 p.m. local time prior to the start of the NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinals, which is a change from the morning breakfast in past seasons.Members of the association’s board of directors chose the finalists and the entire 900-member USBWA will vote on the awards as well as the annual All-America and All-District teams.The recipients are to be announced on Friday, April 5 in Atlanta at a 9:15 a.m. ET press conference and then formally presented at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on Mon., April 15 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men’s Final Four.Following are the finalists for the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year Trophy:
2013 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY FINALISTS Pos., Player, School, Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown F Anthony Bennett, UNLV, 6-8, 240, Fr., Brampton, Ont. G Trey Burke, Michigan, 6-0, 190, So., Columbus, Ohio G Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse, 6-6, 185, So., Hamilton, Mass. F Doug McDermott, Creighton, 6-8, 225, Jr., Ames, Iowa G Ben McLemore, Kansas, 6-5, 195, Fr., St. Louis, Mo. G Victor Oladipo, Indiana, 6-5, 214, Jr., Upper Marlboro, Md. F Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, 7-0, 238, Jr., Kamloops, B.C. F Mason Plumlee, Duke, 6-10, 235, Sr., Warsaw, Ind. F Otto Porter, Georgetown, 6-8, 205, So., Sikeston, Mo. G Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 225, Fr., Flower Mount, Texas G Russ Smith, Louisville, 6-0, 165, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y. F Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-7, 215, Jr., Fort Wayne, Ind. C Jeff Withey, Kansas, 7-0, 235, Sr., San Diego, Calif. F Cody Zeller, Indiana, 7-0, 240, So., Washington, Ind. Following the list of finalists for the Integris Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award: 2013 INTEGRIS WAYMAN TISDALE AWARD FINALISTS
Pos., No., Player, School, Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown F Anthony Bennett, UNLV, 6-8, 240, Fr., Brampton, Ont. G Jahii Carson, Arizona State, 5-10, 175, Fr., Mesa, Ariz. G Gary Harris, Michigan State, 6-4, 205, Fr., Fishers, Ind. G Ben McLemore, Kansas, 6-5, 195, Fr., St. Louis, Mo. G/F, Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA, 6-6, 225, Fr., Las Vegas, Nev. F Nerlens Noel, Kentucky, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass. G Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, 6-4, 225, Fr., Flower Mound, Texas G Rasheed Sulaimon, Duke, 6-4, 185, Fr., Houston, Texas 2013 ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
G Kayla Alexander, Syracuse, 6-4, Sr., Milton, Ont. G Alex Bentley, Penn State, 5-7, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind. C Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M, 6-4, Jr., Houston, Texas F Gennifer Brandon, California, 6-2, Jr., Sylmar, Calif. G/F Elena Delle Donne, Delaware, 6-5, Sr., Wilmington, Del. G Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame, 5-9, Sr., South Bend, Ind. C Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut, 6-5, Jr., Port Jervis, N.Y. G Kelly Faris, Connecticut, 5-11, Sr., Plainfield, Ind. G Angel Goodrich, Kansas, 5-4, Sr., Tahlequah, Okla. G Chelsea Gray, Duke, 5-11, Jr., Manteca, Calif. C Brittney Griner, Baylor, 6-8, Sr., Houston, Texas F Tianna Hawkins, Maryland, 6-3, Sr., Clinton, Md. G Maggie Lucas, Penn State, 5-10, Jr., Narberth, Pa. G A’dia Matthies, Kentucky, 5-9, Sr., Louisville, Ky. F Kaleena Moaqueda-Lewis, Connecticut, 6-0, So., Anaheim Hills, Calif. F Chiney Oguwmike, Stanford, 6-3, Jr., Cypress, Texas G/F Niveen Rasheed, Princeton, 6-0, Jr., Danville, Calif. G Odyssey Sims, Baylor, 5-8, Jr., Irving, Texas F Alyssa Thomas, Maryland, 6-2, Jr., Harrisburg, Pa. C Elizabeth Williams, Duke, 6-3, So., Virginia Beach, Va. Tickets and sponsorship information for the Men’s is Devon Energy College Basketball Awards are available at collegebasketballawards.com or by contacting Scott Hill (405-749-1515, scott.hill@access-sports.net). The April 15 banquet will also honor Michigan State coach Tom Izzo as the recipient of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award. Awards for NCAA Women’s finalist will be presented April 7 in the interview room of the New Orleans Arena, 3:30 p.m. local time prior to the start of the NCAA Women’s Final Four semifinals, which is a change from the morning breakfast in past seasons. In addition, the coach of the year award will be presented as will the Pat Summitt Most Courgeaous Award. New Marquette women’s assistant coach Tyler Summitt, the son of the former Hall of Fame Tennessee coach, will be one of the presenters of the award given to his mother a year ago for her courageous battle against early onset dementia. Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player. The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year since the 1988-89 season when LSU’s Chris Jackson was the recipient. Last season, Kentucky’s Anthony Davis became the second winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award. Other notable previous winners of the national freshman of the year award include Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Chris Webber. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821. |
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2012 Bowl Season overview
2012 Bowl Season overview…
December 19, 2012
And now the best regular season in sports gives way to the worst postseason in sports. Bowl season is upon us. And it is a mess of unprecedented proportion.
Mark Richt and the Bulldogs are headed to the Capital One Bowl to face Nebraska. (AP) Yeah, the BCS championship game is awesome. Notre Dame vs. Alabama is a sports fan’s dream. And a sports writer’s dream. And a TV executive’s dream, too. The ratings will be absurd.
The Fiesta Bowl is great, too. If not for the night of Nov. 17, Oregon-Kansas State might have been the national championship game. But after that? It’s a joke.
Bowl season is always a mess because the bowl system is a ridiculous, unsatisfying conclusion to the college football season. Bad matchups, long layoffs, too many 6-6 teams, coaching turnover and decisions designed to make money, not sense, shortchange the fans.
Three teams in BCS bowls that aren’t ranked in the AP top 15. Take a bow, Northern Illinois (16th), Louisville (22nd) and Wisconsin (unranked). You don’t have to apologize for appearing in marquee bowls like the Orange, Sugar and Rose – but we don’t have to pretend we’re happy you’re there, either. Who is excited for Florida State-Northern Illinois in the Orange? I mean, other than nobody? NIU must take 17,500 tickets for the game, but its season average attendance is 15,670. Enjoy that vat of red ink you’re diving into, Huskies.
Making that game even more enticing is the fact that NIU coach Dave Doeren left the school faster than Kim Kardashian left Kris Humphries. He went from winning the Mid-American Conference championship game Friday night to being announced as the new coach at North Carolina State Saturday afternoon. He won’t be around for the Orange Bowl, with the Huskies promoting offensive coordinator Rod Carey to head coach.
The Florida-Louisville matchup in the Sugar Bowl might yet feature an interim coach of the Cardinals. Charlie Strong reportedly has interviewed for both the Auburn and Tennessee jobs, although he has denied both reports. Even if he’s still coaching Louisville, his team is far less impressive than some that were kicked to the BCS curb – namely Oklahoma.
Then there’s the mockery that the Big Ten has perpetrated all season, culminating with the 8-5 Badgers showing up in the Rose Bowl.
Are you setting the DVR for East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette in the New Orleans Bowl? How about canceling all plans with the significant other because you just can’t miss Rice and Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl? Won’t sit down to Christmas Eve dinner until the Hawaii Bowl between SMU and Fresno State is over? Well, we’re with you. Here are all 35 bowls, ranked from absolute must-see TV to must-see-a-psychiatrist if it’s on your TV:
1. BCS Championship Game (Jan. 7, Miami): Notre Dame (12-0) vs. Alabama (12-1) We’re not going to lie: There’s a good chance this isn’t a shootout. But this should be a great game between two hard-nosed teams with great defenses, and there’s a heck of a lot of history among the two programs, too.
2. Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 3, Glendale, Ariz.): Oregon (11-1) vs. Kansas State (11-1) This is a game of old-school football vs. new-school football. Kansas State will try to pound the ball with quarterback Collin Klein while Oregon will use a bunch of different weapons to keep the Wildcats on their toes.
3. Cotton Bowl (Jan. 4, Arlington, Texas): Texas A&M (10-2) vs. Oklahoma (10-2) It’s not A&M and Texas, but it’s a matchup of former Big 12 rivals. In terms of quarterbacks, one team had a potential Heisman candidate and the other has this year’s probable winner. ]
4. Chick-fil-A (Dec. 31, Atlanta): LSU (10-2) vs. Clemson (10-2) These are two teams that could have been in BCS bowls were it not for ill-timed losses. Even though it’s not a BCS bowl, it’s still one of the best games on the docket. Clemson brings the offense while LSU brings the defense. This one should be fun.
5. Sugar Bowl (Jan. 2, New Orleans): Florida (11-1) vs. Louisville (10-2) This could be a great matchup of agile quarterbacks, but if Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater isn’t healthy, this game could be a blowout.
6. Rose Bowl (Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.): Stanford (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (8-5) If you’re a traditionalist, this game between the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions is gold. Wisconsin comes in after thrashing Nebraska in the Big Ten championship game, while Stanford has been consistently strong all season. [Related: Oregon vs. Kansas State in Fiesta Bowl is intriguing]
7. Holiday (Dec. 27, San Diego): UCLA (9-4) vs. Baylor (7-5) Pac-12 runner-up UCLA should have nice crowd support for this bowl, and it may be a wild game against a Baylor team that ranks first in FBS in total offense and 119th in total defense.
8. Alamo (Dec. 29, San Antonio): Texas (8-4) vs. Oregon State (9-3) Oregon State had one of the best turnarounds in the country going from 3-9 to 9-3 and has been one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season. As for Texas, you never know what you’re going to get or who’s going to be quarterbacking it. Still, this could end up being a great, tightly contested game.
9. Capital One (Jan. 1, Orlando): Georgia (11-2) vs. Nebraska (10-3) This game had the potential to be one of the best of the bowl season, but Nebraska’s lackluster performance against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship might have ruined it. Georgia expended a lot of energy in the SEC title game against Alabama and despite a fantastic season, has no BCS bowl to show for it. This is a poor substitute. (US Presswire)
10. Outback (Jan. 1, Tampa): South Carolina (10-2) vs. Michigan (8-4) Both teams had preseason Heisman Trophy candidates and neither worked out, but both programs remained solid despite adversity. Michigan’s Denard Robinson is one of the more exciting players on the field this bowl season.
11. Orange Bowl (Jan. 1, Miami): Florida State (11-2) vs. Northern Illinois (12-1) Many don’t think NIU deserved a BCS bowl berth and they’re probably right, but the Huskies might be more motivated to play the game than Florida State. Both teams will be missing a coach in this game — NIU head coach Dave Doeren took the N.C. State job while FSU defensive coordinator Mark Stoops took the head-coaching job at Kentucky.
12. Gator (Jan. 1, Jacksonville, Fla.): Northwestern (9-3) vs. Mississippi State (8-4) Northwestern is having an exceptional season while Mississippi State is trying to end on a high note. The Wildcats exceeded expectations and have a chance to win 10 games for the first time since 1995. Mississippi State started 7-0, but won just one game down the stretch.
13. Las Vegas (Dec. 22, Las Vegas): Boise State (10-2) vs. Washington (7-5) Boise State, having narrowly missed out on a BCS bid, is going for a Las Vegas Bowl win for the third straight season against a Washington team that has wins against Stanford and Oregon State.
14. Idaho Potato (Dec. 15, Boise, Idaho): Utah State (10-2) vs. Toledo (9-3) Utah State is a balanced, solid team that does just about everything well. Its only two losses came at Wisconsin and at BYU by five combined points. USU will face a Toledo team that lost two of its last three but is still potent.
15. Military (Dec. 27, Washington, D.C.): San Jose State (10-2) vs. Bowling Green (8-4) San Jose State took Stanford to the wire in a three-point loss, a sign of things to come for the Spartans, and they get a tough test against Bowling Green, which ranks in the top 10 nationally in yards allowed and points allowed.
16. GoDaddy.com (Jan. 6. Mobile, Ala.): Kent State (11-2) vs. Arkansas State (9-3) This is actually a good game if you like offense. Both of these teams can put points on the board early and often, and if you like running backs, Kent State’s Dri Archer is one of the best.
17. Buffalo Wild Wings (Dec. 29, Tempe, Ariz.): TCU (7-5) vs. Michigan State (6-6) TCU fared well for its first season in the Big 12 while Michigan State was a disappointment. Both of these teams had their worst seasons since 2007 and ’09 respectively.
18. New Mexico (Dec. 15, Albuquerque, N.M.): Nevada (7-5) vs. Arizona (7-5) The first matchup of the bowl season should be entertaining. Nevada is 105th in total defense in FBS, but that’s still better than Arizona, which is 116th. Points will be plentiful.
19. Poinsettia (Dec. 20, San Diego): BYU (7-5) vs. San Diego State (9-3) The meeting between a pair of old Mountain West rivals pits a BYU team that rode its strong defense to seven wins against an Aztecs team that won its last seven games.
20. Music City (Dec. 31, Nashville): N.C. State (7-5) vs. Vanderbilt (8-4) Vanderbilt overachieved while N.C. State underachieved and ultimately fired its coach. A win would give Vandy nine wins for the first time since 1982.
21. Pinstripe (Dec. 29, Bronx, N.Y.): Syracuse (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5) Both of these teams are among the best passing programs in the country and both play little defense. That should make for a high-scoring and highly entertaining game.
22. Liberty (Dec. 31, Memphis): Tulsa (10-3) vs. Iowa State (6-6) These two teams played in the season opener and Iowa State came away with a 38-23 win. Tulsa should give the Cyclones a better game this time around.
23. Russell Athletic (Dec. 28, Orlando, Fla.): Rutgers (9-3) vs. Virginia Tech (6-6) The Scarlet Knights are probably disappointed to land here after blowing a chance for a BCS game in the season finale, and Virginia Tech’s whole season has been a disappointment with just six wins.
24. Kraft Fight Hunger (Dec. 29, San Francisco): Navy (7-4) vs. Arizona State (7-5) These programs are moving in two different directions. ASU had a rough second half of the season while Navy thrived after a rough start. Arizona State will need the month to prepare for Navy’s option.
25. Independence (Dec. 28, Shreveport, La.): Louisiana-Monroe (8-4) vs. Ohio (8-4) Lousiana-Monroe, whose upset of Arkansas was a great story early this season, will play in a bowl for the first time in program history. It will face an Ohio team that was ranked for the first time since 1968 at midseason but lost its last three games, all by double digits.
26. Compass (Jan. 5, Birmingham, Ala.): Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Ole Miss (6-6) Both of these teams came on late to make a push to get to six wins and both will be eager to finish with a winning season in the first year for both Pittsburgh coach Paul Chryst and Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
27. Belk (Dec. 27, Charlotte, N.C.): Duke (6-6) vs. Cincinnati (9-3) The Blue Devils are back in a bowl for the first time since 1994, but come in on a four-game losing streak and face a Bearcats team that is 12th in the nation in scoring defense.
28. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (Dec. 21, St. Petersburg, Fla.): Ball State (9-3) vs. UCF (9-4) Ball State was 3-3 before an overtime win sparked a six-game winning streak, and it will face a UCF team that lost a shot at the C-USA title in a heartbreaking overtime loss to Tulsa on Saturday.
29. Hawaii (Dec. 24, Honolulu): SMU (6-6) vs. Fresno State (9-3) Coach Tim DeRuyter’s first season with the Bulldogs resulted in a share of the Mountain West title, and Fresno State will go against an SMU team that got a win in its season finale against Tulsa to get eligible.
30. Sun (Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas): USC (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (6-7) This is not where anyone expected USC to be at the end of the season and playing a team with a losing record is almost insult to injury. USC was supposed to be playing for the national title while Georgia Tech lost in its conference championship game and needed an exemption waiver by the NCAA.
31. Heart of Dallas (Jan. 1, Dallas): Purdue (6-6) vs. Oklahoma State (7-5) Oklahoma State is unlike any team Purdue has faced this season with its up-tempo style and ability to put points on the board quickly. Purdue will be without its head coach Danny Hope, which might leave the Boilermakers uninspired.
32. Meineke Car Care of Texas (Dec. 28, Houston): Minnesota (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (7-5) Texas Tech is second in the nation in passing offense, but its defense slipped after a great start to the season. Minnesota fattened up its record before conference play, then got bowl eligible despite going 2-6 in Big Ten play.
33. New Orleans (Dec. 22, New Orleans): East Carolina (8-4) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4) East Carolina won five of its last six games, and will be going against a Louisiana-Lafayette team that beat San Diego State in last year’s New Orleans Bowl on a field goal as time expired.
34. Armed Forces (Dec. 29, Fort Worth, Texas): Rice (6-6) vs. Air Force (6-6) Air Force knows this bowl well, as it is the Falcons’ fourth appearance in the game in six years, while Rice is in just its third bowl game since 1961. It’s just hard to get too excited for a game between a pair of .500 teams.
35. Little Caesars Pizza (Dec. 26, Detroit): Western Kentucky (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (6-6) Central Michigan was like the final at-large team to get into the NCAA tournament, with a 6-6 record after a 3-6 start. Western Kentucky was barely in the field, too, losing three straight before a one-point win against North Texas in the finale.
2012-13 College Football Bowl TV Schedule
Note: All times Eastern Time (ET). All games except for the Hyundai Sun Bowl and AT&T Cotton Bowl are also available at WatchESPN.
Gildan New Mexico – Nevada vs. Arizona, University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico Saturday, December 15, 1:00 p.m., ESPN
Famous Idaho Potato – Toledo vs. Utah State, Bronco Stadium, Boise, Idaho, Saturday, December 15, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia – BYU vs. San Diego State, Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California, Thursday, December 20, 8:00 p.m., ESPN
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg – UCF vs. Ball State, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida, Friday, December 21, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
R+L Carriers New Orleans – East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, Saturday, December 22, 12:00 p.m., ESPN
MAACO Las Vegas – Washington vs. Boise State, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday, December 22, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Sheraton Hawaii – Fresno State vs. SMU, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii, Monday, December 24, 8:00 p.m., ESPN
Little Caesars Pizza – Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan, Wednesday, December 26, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman – San Jose State vs. Bowling Green, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., Thursday, December 27, 3:00 p.m., ESPN
Belk – Cincinnati vs. Duke, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina, Thursday, December 27, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Bridgepoint Education Holiday – Baylor vs. UCLA, Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California, Thursday, December 27, 9:45 p.m., ESPN
AdvoCare V100 Independence – Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Independence Stadium, Shreveport, Louisiana, Friday, December 28, 2:00 p.m., ESPN
Russell Athletic – Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech, Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida, Friday, December 28, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Meineke Car Care of Texas – Minnesota vs. Texas Tech, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas, Friday, December 28, 9:00 p.m., ESPN
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces – Rice vs. Air Force, Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, December 29, 11:45 a.m., ESPN
New Era Pinstripe – West Virginia vs. Syracuse, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, Saturday, December 29, 3:15 p.m., ESPN
Kraft Fight Hunger – Navy vs. Arizona State, AT&T Park, San Francisco, California, Saturday, December 29, 4:00 p.m., ESPN2
Valero Alamo – Texas vs. Oregon State, Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, Saturday, December 29, 6:45 p.m., ESPN
Buffalo Wild Wings – TCU vs. Michigan State, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona, Saturday, December 29, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Franklin American Mortgage Music City – North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt, LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee, Monday, December 31, 12:00 p.m., ESPN
Hyundai Sun – USC vs. Georgia Tech, Sun Bowl, El Paso, Texas, Monday, December 31, 2:00 p.m., CBS
AutoZone Liberty – Iowa State vs. Tulsa, Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tennessee, Monday, December 31, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Chick-fil-A – LSU vs. Clemson, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia, Monday, December 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
TaxSlayer.com Gator – Mississippi State vs. Northwestern, Everbank Field, Jacksonville, Florida, Tuesday, January 1, 12:00 p.m., ESPN2
Heart of Dallas – Purdue vs. Oklahoma State, Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, January 1, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU
Outback – South Carolina vs. Michigan, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, Tuesday, January 1, 1:00 p.m., ESPN
Capital One – Georgia vs. Nebraska, Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida, Tuesday, January 1, 1:00 p.m., ABC
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio – Wisconsin vs. Stanford, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, Tuesday, January 1, 5:00 p.m., ESPN
Discover Orange – Northern Illinois vs. Florida State, Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida, Tuesday, January 1, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Allstate Sugar – Louisville vs. Florida, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 2, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Tostitos Fiesta – Oregon vs. Kansas State, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, Thursday, January 3, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
AT&T Cotton – Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, Friday, January 4, 8:00 p.m., FOX
BBVA Compass – Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss, Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama, Saturday, January 5, 1:00 p.m., ESPN
GoDaddy.com – Kent State vs. Arkansas State, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama, Sunday, January 6, 9:00 p.m., ESPN
Discover BCS National Championship – Notre Dame vs. Alabama, Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida, Monday, January 7, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
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2012-13 College Football Bowl Projections
Who will play for the National Championship?
November 18, 2012
As the season winds down, we thought it would be a perfect time to take a look at bowl projections. There are 35 bowls that need 70 teams this season. Remember, these are early, early estimations but it’s always fun to speculate just where some of these team will land at the end of the season.
NOTE: we will modify these projections as need be with the latest results over the next two weeks.
BOWL |
LOCATION |
TV |
MATCH-UP |
| Rose | Pasadena, Calif. | ESPN | Stanford vs. Nebraska |
| Orange | Miami | ESPN | FSU vs. Louisville |
| Sugar | New Orleans | ESPN | Texas A&M vs. Clemson |
| Fiesta | Glendale, Ariz. | ESPN | Oregon vs. Kansas State |
| BCS Championship | Miami | ESPN | Notre Dame vs. Alabama |
For our entire Bowl Projection list, click here.
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2012-13 NCAA Men’s Basketball TOP 10
Who’s our top dog?
November 13, 2012
It’s that time again folks where we come inside and begin evaluating who’s the best in NCAA basketball. Coming off of a very impressive 2011-12 season where a couple of teams broke out and made a name for themselves (i.e., Norfolk State, Murray State, Ohio and of course, VCU).
1. 
2. Louisville
3. Kentucky
4. Michigan
5. N.C. State
6. Kansas
7. Ohio State
8. Syracuse
9. Duke
10. UCLA
On the fence at the time of this writing…
North Carolina, Arizona, Creighton, Florida, Missouri, Memphis, Michigan State, UNLV, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Baylor, Murray State, VCU, Ohio
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2012-13 NCAA Basketball Things We Think We Know
October 25, 2012
Midnight Madness got started last week which marks the start of the 2012-13 NCAA basketball season. But there’s still four weeks to the first offical game, so we began our debate projections and predictions.
THINGS WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT THE 2012-13 SEASON
1. Nov. 9: That’s the day the season gets underway with Kentucky vs. Maryland in Brooklyn.
2. Missing Shabazz: How many games will UCLA’s talented freshman, Shabazz Muhammad,wind up missing? The NCAA has been digging for months. It could be anywhere from five to 15 games — and if it’s on the high end, would he just go overseas?
3. Is this another “rebuilding year for Kansas? ROTFLMBO!!!!
5. Final season for Syracuse and Pitt in the Big East…
6. Tobacco Road trio: Duke isn’t exactly overwhelming, North Carolina lost four first-rounders and N.C. State brings back nearly everyone – who will stand on top? Right now it looks like the Wolfpack might be the preseason ACC favorites over Duke and UNC.
7. Kentucky reloads… will this help or hurt?
8. Midwest is on the map across the board in the preseason as Indiana hopes to hang another Final Four banner in what’s expected to be Cody Zeller’s final year of school… Yeah we know he’s a sophomore but come on, who stays nowadays?
9. Atlantic 10 is heavily represented in many polls this season. They could potentially have six teams in the NCAA tournament this year
10. West Coast resurrection? Last year no team left of the Central time zone made the Sweet 16. We’ll see…
11. In a word, Louisville. Can Rick Pitino take the spotlight away from freshmen driven Kentucky? Well we will see December 29.
15. Can Syracuse remain as entertaining and watchable this season especially after losing Fab Melo, Dion Waiters, Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph?
16. Can Tom Izzo make it to his seventh Final Four with Michigan State?
17. Mid-Major watch: Can Murray State repeat last season performance as they jumped out to a 23-0 record and won a game in the NCAA tournament? Or will Missouri Valley conference continue to represent like last season as they sent two teams (Creighton, Wichita State) to The Dance last year, and can Illinois State make a run?
23. Larry Brown (72) took over a downtrodden SMU program that’s headed to the Big East in 2013-14. Hhhhmmmm….
24. There’s a new television show only playing at Oklahoma State – (Marcus) Smart and (Le’Bryan) Nash. These are two top-10 prospects in their respective classes coming out of high school. So now people want to know can they play together and get wins?
26. Simply put… Buzz! Marquette coach Buzz Williams hopes to make another quiet run towards New Orleans…. SSSShhhhh
39. Can Northwestern FINALLY break their 75th year in a row of NOT making it to the NCAA dance? This Susan Luci convonent award will stop sooner or later – Right? 42. Harvard showed Northwestern how it’s done ending their 65-year NCAA tourney drought… So can they pick up from last year’s momentum? It’s going to be tough considering starters Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry were both implicated in an academic cheating scandal and will miss the season.
47. Tulsa? Who? We said Tulsa… Can first year coach Danny Manny turn things around?
48. USC hopes to be out of the ER this season as coach Kevin O’Neill bring back Jio Fontain, Dewayne Deadmon and Aaron Fuller, as well as the addition of J.T. Terrell, Eric Wise and Renaldo Wooldridge.
52. Can the Runnin’ Rebels run an entire season instead of the first 20-or-so? On paper they should especially with the additions of Pittsburgh transfer Khem Birch, USC transfer Bryce Jones, top-10 freshman Anthony Bennett, four-star guard Katin Reinhardt and All-American Mike Moser.
53. Bruce Weber has a new address and it’s at Kansas State. So can he get the team to follow his vision?
63. Reaction to refereeing: Nothing enhances the game-watching experience like you chiming in on Twitter about the zebras. It’s always rational, long-sighted and filled with expert opinion. Block/charge calls, the charge circle in general, all the new rules coming to the game. I’m sure we’re in for the most level-headed season yet. Please log in to Twitter and share your opinions as often as possible.
68. The second Monday night in April: Yes, this season’s national title game will be played on the second Monday night in April as opposed to its usual first. Blame the calendar. Tom Crean might get his first national title that night. Rick Pitino or John Calipari could get their second. Or something totally unexpected might culminate in Atlanta. Nobody can say for sure. But the five months spent getting there should be a blast.
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2012 NCAA Football – Week 8
Heart pounding finishes in several contest…
October 2012
Big Ten football isn’t always pretty, but one thing is for sure lack of separation between most of the teams means close, hard-hitting games every week. Week 8 was no different – three games came down to the last or almost last snap: Michigan’s 12-10 win over Michigan State, Nebraska’s 29-28 squeaker over Northwestern, and Ohio State’s improbable 29-22 overtime comeback victory over Purdue. Indiana even went down to the wire in a 31-30 loss to Navy.
Ohio State 29 Purdue 22 OT
Ohio State pulled one out in a game that they should have lost. Braxton Miller was injured on the late in the third quarter and was taken to the hospital. Purdue led 22-14 when Ohio State drove 51 yards to tie the game after the two point conversion. Kenny Guiton came in to relieve Miller and threw a two yard TD pass to tie the game. The loss over-shadowed a good defensive effort by the Purdue defense led by DT Kawann Short. Short is one of the best DT in the country and has now had two good games against good competition. Earlier this year Short had a monster game in a loss to Notre Dame.
Up Next: Ohio State at Penn State, Purdue at Minnesota
Michigan 12 Michigan State 10
Somewhere up above Fielding Yost and Bo Schembechler are smiling as Michigan football recorded their 900th victory. The Wolverines are on a roll after early season losses to Alabama and Notre Dame. This one wasn’t pretty as it was a defensive struggle most of the way. Michigan was down 10-9 with two minutes to play when Denard Robinson drove the ball 36 yards to set-up a Brendan Gibbons 38 yard field goal to win the game. Robinson had 259 yards of offense on the day. The Spartans are reeling offensively when Le’Veon Bell can’t get off running. Bell was held to 68 yards on 28 carries.
Up Next: Michigan at Nebraska, Michigan State at Wisconsin
Nebraska 29, Northwestern 28
There isn’t really anything funny I can say about this matchup as it was actually a great game. Both Nebraska and Northwestern look like teams that will earn above-average bowl games. Nebraska now has an important tie-breaking win that will factor in the much more interesting chase for the Legends Division crown. Up next: Michigan at Nebraska, Iowa at Northwestern
Wisconsin 38, Minnesota 13
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2012 Leaders Division winner Wisconsin Badgers! I know it’s only half way through the Big Ten schedule but seriously, Wisconsin (3-1 in Big Ten play) is the default winner of this division. Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible, Indiana can’t close out games, Purdue is mediocre and Illinois is terrible. Enjoy the trip to Indy, Wisconsin, you are the least terrible!
Up Next: Purdue at Minnesota, Michigan State at Wisconsin
Penn State 38, Iowa 14
Penn State continues to impress despite coming into the year following one of, if not the most, disastrous off-field distractions in sports history. Iowa wasn’t the strongest opponent but the Nittany Lions handled the Hawkeyes fairly easily, almost doubling them up in total offensive yards.
Navy 31, Indiana 30
For weeks it seemed that if Indiana’s defense could contain opponents, the Hoosiers could start winning games. Turns out what’s really keeping the Hoosiers from winning is their inability to finish games. For the third time during their current five game losing streak, the Hoosiers have blown fourth quarter leads, each one in a different way. The Ball State game was a double last-second comeback for both teams that ended in the Cardinals favor. The Michigan State game was controlled by the Hoosiers early, but gradually lost, resulting in a go-ahead score for the Spartans halfway through the fourth quarter. Now the Hoosiers blow a two-score lead in the final six minutes to Navy. The Hoosiers may lose almost every game, but at least they keep us guessing how they will lose it. The only way this team can truly get its confidence back is to beat up on a terrible team. Hello Illinois!
Illinois gets an extra week of practice before they play what looks like their only chance for a Big Ten win this season when it hosts Indiana. I researched, and yes, one of them will leave that weekend having won a Big Ten game, and we’ll be there LIVE.
FINAL OBSERVATION OF THE BIG TEN…
Big Ten football can almost expect these types of games over the final month and a half of the season, with unpredictable results and an exciting league race, especially in the Legends Division. They might not be as sexy or thrilling as watching a national championship contest, or most SEC games, but they will certainly keep Big Ten fans’ hearts pounding. Thus, a specific collision courses are all set for October. 27 in BIG Ten: Michigan and Nebraska! Both teams show grit to survive difficult tests, making their meeting in Lincoln a crucial one for the Legends Division race. With Iowa and Northwestern both losing, the Wolverines and Huskers stand as the top two teams in the division, and they have an intriguing game on tap. Nebraska’s high-scoring offense, which is even more potent at home, will try to top Michigan’s rapidly improving defense. Denard Robinson versus Taylor Martinez is a marquee matchup. In addition, Penn State – Ohio State!!!! Neither can make it to the Big Ten title game, due to sanctions, but they can have the best record in the Leaders conference and might just be the best two teams in the league, not just the division too. They will square off in State College in what should be a highly charged atmosphere. Add in the renewal of the recent rivalry between Wisconsin and Michigan State and a do-or-die Legends game between Northwestern and Iowa, and you can see why the Saturday before Halloween should be scary good.
NOTE: We will be LIVE in Champaign, Illinois for the Indiana – Illinois game!
Tune in next week for our recap!
****OTHER CONTEST ON OUR RADAR****
Notre Dame 17 BYU 14
A battle of great LB’s in this one with Notre Dame’s Manti T’eo and BYU’s Kyle Van Noy. T’eo is a Mormon by faith and spurned going to BYU which still doesn’t sit well in Provo. Both Van Noy and T’eo answered the bell and had interceptions in the game. Notre Dame’s defense is first class but this team isn’t national championship material with this offense. Tyler Eifert is their only passing weapon and it seems they target him on every play. Notre Dame did rush for 279 yards on the ground.
NORTHERN 37, Akron 7
AKRON, Ohio (AP) – Jordan Lynch threw two touchdowns and rushed for two more as Northen Illinois routed Akron 37-7 Saturday in Mid-American Conference action. Lynch finished with 223 yards on 20 of 33 passing and threw touchdown passes of nine and four yards. Northern Illinois (7-1, 4-1) held a 13-7 lead before Lynch’s 15-yard touchdown run gave the Huskies a 20-7 advantage at halftime. After Lynch’s second touchdown pass pushed the lead to 30-7, his second touchdown run, this time a 35-yarder, created the final margin. Lynch, who finished with 131 yards on the ground, has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of the Huskies’ last six games. Akron (1-7, 0-4) struggled to move the ball, gaining just 194 yards on 65 plays from scrimmage.
Northern Illinois has won 16 of its last 17 games. Its last lost was by one point to Iowa in the 2012 season opener.
WEEK 8 FUN FACTS
Interceptions this season of Alabama QB AJ McCarron. He ran his streak of attempts without an interception to 239 in the 44-13 win at Tennessee, extending his school record. He and Louisiana Tech’s Colby Cameron are the only QBs (minimum 15 attempts a game) in FBS not to be intercepted this season.
There are only two unbeatens left in FCS… Cal Poly moved to 7-0 with a 37-25 Big Sky win against Portland State, and Lehigh moved to 8-0 with a 42-19 homecoming win against Bucknell.
Southern Illinois has scored on three consecutive games on a blocked punt in a 38-21 win against Youngstown State. The Salukis, who also scored on a fumble recovery and interception, have won all three of those games.
Savannah State has thirteen (13) consecutive losses and it’s the longest active streak in FCS, before outlasting Edward Waters (Fla.) of the NAIA 42-35. The Tigers had 51 points in their first six games this season.
Harvard had fourteen (14) consecutive wins, longest active streak in all of Division I, before a 39-34 loss at Princeton. The Tigers had 29 points in the fourth quarter, including Quinn Epperly’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson with 13 seconds left.
Southern Methodist scored a school record of 72-points in their 72-42 win against Houston. The Mustangs had nine takeaways, tying a school record for most against an FBS team, converting four into touchdowns.
USC’s Matt Barkley tossed a career record 102 touchdown passes, setting school and Pac-12 records. He had six TD tosses in all Saturday in a 50-6 win against Colorado. Four of them went to Robert Woods, who also set a school record for career receptions and now has 220.
Our TOP 10 
1. Alabama (7-0)
2. Oregon (7-0)
3. Kansas State (7-0)
4. Florida (7-0)
5. Notre Dame (7-0)
6. LSU (7-1)
7. Oregon State (6-0)
8. Oklahoma (5-1)
9. USC (6-1)
10. Georgia (6-1)
Don’t discount… Florida State, South Carolina, Rutgers, Louisville. For a complete list of the BCS Standings, visit http://www.bcsfootball.org/
Our original, pre-season Top 10 can be found by clicking here.
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