Outback Bowl Preview

Outback Bowl
South Carolina vs Iowa
Thursday, January 1, 11:00am
on ESPN
Raymond James Stadium - Tampa

Why you should watch:

• The first bowl game of the new year
  
• 2 very good defenses against average offenses
  
• SEC vs Big Ten
  
• You get to watch the visor fly off Spurrier's head
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• It's early and you might be hung over or not even awake yet
  
• Not a ton of offense in this game
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
South Carolina:

• 7-5 (4-4)
  
• 5th bowl game in the last 10 years (3-1)
  
• Lost 3 of their last 5 games
  
• 2-3 away from home this season
  

Iowa:

• 8-4 (5-3)
  
• 7th bowl game in last 1o years (3-3)
  
• Won 5 of their last 6 games
  
• 2-3 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
South Carolina:

• Offensively they are mediocre at best. They barely average 20 points a game and do most of that through the air.
  
• They are one of the best pass defenses in the country allowing only 160 yards per game.
  
• LB Eric Norwood is the guy to watch on defense. He has made 13.5 tackles for loss and has 9 sacks to go along with them.
  
• QB Chris Smelley is the key to the offense. If he plays well they should win....if not....it might not be close.
  

Iowa:

• The running game is their bread and butter averaging almost 190 yards per game on the ground.
  
• Defensively they are very strong but a little weak against the pass compared to the run.
  
• RB Shonn Greene is the guy that makes this team go. He has over 1,700 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the year.
• DT Mitch King pretty much lives in the opponents backfield. He has 15.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks from his tackle position.
  

Who Wins:

Iowa....This will be the first of two Big Ten wins on the bowl season. I don't think South Carolina has the skill or talent necessary to keep up with Shonn Greene. And if the Gamecocks line up to stop Greene than you will see Stanzi beat them through the air. Iowa is a very good team that got off to a slow start. I really like Iowa in this game.

2008, What a Year!

2008 was a crazy year in the sports world! There were so many big stories and touching stories that it would be impossible to talk about all of them in one post. If I tried to do that, it would take me 3 hours and you would never be able to get to the bottom because it would just be too long!

I decided that hear on Jumping Offsides, I would do a countdown (I love countdowns) of the top 5 stories of the past year.

I am sure there will be some great stories left off and well, if you would like to tell me what I left off, feel free to leave a comment and I will tell you why it didn't make the countdown.

So, without further ado here is my list of the top 5 stories of 2008 starting with number 5.

5. Jimmie Johnson wins 3rd straight title

• Kyle Busch dominated the Nascar regular season this past year but when it was time to get serious, Jimmie, Chad Knaus and the rest of the 48 turned it on once again. If anyone else would've won the championship, I don't put this story anywhere near the top 5. The fact however is this: In any other sport, a team that won 3 championships in a row would be considered a dynasty. Many sports fans have been reluctant to do this for Johnson and his team but I am not. This team is a dynasty and should be considered one. To beat the best guys in the world 3 years in a row is a huge feat. Whether Nascar is a main stream sport yet or not, this story was big and winning 3 straight titles in anything is a huge huge deal.

4. The Phillies end the drought and win one for Philadelphia

• The World Series itself could be the headline here. The Phillies winning the series was a huge deal but the other half, the Rays could be just as big of a story. Winning the AL East over the Yankees and Red Sox was unbelievable. Then their run through to the World Series was just as amazing. But let's be honest, the Phillies were the much better team and the city of Philadelphia had not had a world champion since 1980. I think that fact alone really added to this story. Cole Hamels was amazing throughout the playoff run. Coming from behind and passing the Mets late in the season and then beating the Brewers, Dodgers and then the Rays and clinching the title at home was an awesome way to bring a title back to Philly.

3. Tiger Woods win the Open on One Leg

• Really? No one knew how bad the injury really was until after the tournament, but for that guy to play through that pain and force an 18 hole playoff and then win the playoff on the 19th was incredible. There really aren't words to describe how good that really was! Those are the best golfers in the world, trying to play their best golf and Tiger beat them with only one working knee. The game is hard enough with all working body parts. He is coming back better then ever in his eyes which is incredible. He could win a major this year by 20 shots but nothing will ever be better then him winning and dealing with all that pain.

2. The Giants beating the Undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl

• The Patriots had beaten the Giants in week 17 and were heading into the playoffs undefeated. The Giants were a wildcard team and really no one thought they had a chance. Then these two teams won their conference and it was really hard for me to think this game was even going to be close. Oh it was and it may have featured the best fourth quarter in Super Bowl history. The play everyone will remember was the Eli avoiding the sack, scrambling out and completed the pass as David Tyree made an incredible catch with Rodney Harrison hanging all over him. Then the touchdown to Plax in the corner of the end zone that put the Giants up 17-14. What a game! What an upset!
  

1. Michael Phelps Wins 8 Golds and Sets a New Olympic Record

• I don't think there is any question here. The summer Olympics featured two amazing athletes. Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps. Usain Bolt proved he was and is easily the fastest man on foot on the planet but in my eyes there was no better story in the sports world this year then Michael Phelps winning all 8 gold medals, which set the Olympic Record and achieving a total of 15 career golds which is also a record. He dominated some of his races but the one I will always remember was the one where he won by about a centimeter and they showed it from underneath in the water. It was truly an amazing performance by Phelps. To be the dominate in some many different races in such a short amount of days. I don't ever expect we will see something like that again. There are no other words then Amazing!

2008 was an amazing year for sports and I am sad to see it go. 2009, I am sure will provide us with other great stories some that probably will compare to these five. There will surely be surprises, some good ones and some bad, but all in all, I expect it to be another great year and we can only hope that it is as good as 2008.

Happy New Year!

Chick-fil-A Bowl Preview

Chick-fil-A Bowl
LSU vs Georgia Tech
Wednesday, December 31, 7:30
on ESPN
Georgia Dome - Atlanta

Why you should watch:

• SEC vs ACC
  
• Georgia Tech's run defense is fun to watch
  
• Either watch this or mingle with people you don't want to talk to at a party
  
• It's Georgia Tech and LSU!
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• You will probably be prepping for a long night of drinking
  
• There isn't a TV at the party
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
LSU:

• 7-5 (3-5)
  
• 9th straight bowl game (6-2)
  
• Lost 3 of their last 4 games
  
• 2-2 away from home this season
  

Georgia Tech:

• 9-3 (5-3)
  
• 12th straight bowl game (5-5); lost last 3
  
• Won 3 of their last 4 games
  
• 3-2 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
LSU:

• There is absolutely nothing to get excited about on the offensive side of the ball. A very pedestrian offense.
  
• They can stop the run but aren't as good against the passing game.
  
• RB Charles Scott has over 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground this season.
  
• DE Rahim Alem is a force on the line. He has 11 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 7 quarterback hurries this season.
  

Georgia Tech:

• They run the ball better than everyone except Navy and Nevada with over 280 yards per game on the ground.
  
• Their strength on the defensive side of the ball is also the run game. They only allow 116 yards per game.
  
• RB Jonathan Dwyer has run for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns.
  
• WR Demaryius Thomas is who they throw to when they throw it. He has 36 receptions for almost 600 yards and 3 touchdowns.
• Defensively they have made 90 tackles for loss this season. Multiple players have made double digit tackles for loss.
  

Who Wins:

Georgia Tech....LSU's strength on defense is (fortunately for them) against the run. But they haven't seen a run offense this good yet. Tech's defense is very aggressive and they will disrupt the Tigers young quarterbacks. Add to all that the fact that this is pretty much a home game for the Jackets and you have your reasons why Tech wins.

Insight Bowl Preview

Insight Bowl
Kansas vs Minnesota
Wednesday, December 31, 5:30
on NFL Network
Sun Devil Stadium - Tempe, Arizona

Why you should watch:

• Kansas passing offense is 8th in the country
  
• Neither team can play a lick of defense
  
• Enjoy a New Year's Eve happy hour with a little football
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• Combined these teams have lost 8 of their last 10 games
  
• Minnesota's offense can't keep up with Kansas and their defense can't stop anyone
  
• It's on the NFL Network and you probably don't get that channel
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Kansas:

• 7-5 (4-4)
  
• 4th bowl game in the last 6 years (2-1)
  
• Lost 4 of their last 6 games
  
• 2-3 away from home this season
  

Minnesota:

• 7-5 (3-5)
  
• 8th bowl game in the last 10 years (3-4)
  
• Lost 4 straight games
  
• 3-2 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Kansas:

• Offensively they throw the ball A LOT! They average over 300 yards passing per game.
  
• Defensively they are bad. They allow over 230 passing yards and 14o rushing yards per game.
  
• QB Todd Reesing is a very good quarterback. He has 3,575 passing yards and 28 touchdowns this season.
  
• WR's Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier have combined for 165 receptions, 2,138 yards, and 19 touchdowns.
• LB James Holt is a force on defense. He has 97 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 1 interception, and 6 forced fumbles.
  

Minnesota:

• Offensively they are just bad. They are average in passing offense and horrible in rushing offense.
  
• Defensively they aren't very good either. They rank 88th against the pass...not good.
  
• If they are passing the ball it is probably to WR Eric Decker. He has 76 receptions for 925 yards and 6 touchdowns this year.
  
• DE Willie VanDeSteeg is worth watching. He has 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks this season.
  

Who Wins:

Kansas....If this game is close I would be really surprised. Offensively Kansas is too strong especially in the passing game for Minnesota to stop. Unless the entire season was just a mirage and the Big 12 isn't that good expect Minnesota to lose by 3 touchdowns here.

Music City Bowl Preview

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Boston College vs Vanderbilt
Wednesday, December 31, 3:30
on ESPN
LP Field - Nashville

Why you should watch:

• Vanderbilt is in their first bowl since 1982
• Boston College has won 8 straight bowl games
• 2 really good defenses
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• 1 really good defenses = little to no scoring
  
• You are surely napping by now in anticipation of a long night
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Boston College:

• 9-4 (5-4)
  
• 10th straight bowl game (8-1); won last 8
  
• Won 4 out of last 5 games (only lose to VaTech in ACC Championship)
  
• 4-2 away from home this season
  

Vanderbilt:

• 6-6 (4-4)
  
• 1st bowl since 1982
  
• Lost 6 of last 7 games
  
• 3-3 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Boston College:

• Offensively they suck. No really they are not in the top half of the country in ANY major category.
  
• Defensively they are really good. The 6th scoring defense, 7th against the run, and 7th in pass efficiency defense. And against the pass they are 25th so not too bad either.
  
• Watch out for LB Mark Herzlich. He is leading the team in tackles with 105. He also has 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 6 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, 7 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 touchdowns. WOW...that's a good season!
  
• RB Montel Harris has rushed for 832 yards and 5 touchdowns. And yes he is really the only offensive weapon worth mentioning.
  

Vanderbilt:

• Offensively they are actually worse than BC. They are easily one of the worst offenses in the FBS.
  
• Defensively they aren't bad. Their weakness though is run defense.
  
• CB D.J. Moore is a ball hawk in the secondary. He has 6 interceptions on the season.
  
• S Ryan Hamilton is probably the best player on the defense. He has 100 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, and 1 touchdown off an interception.

Who Wins:

Boston College....Vanderbilt does have a chance but it isn't a very good one. They would need some turnovers and a very supportive crowd. Fortunately the game is basically a home game. But it won't be enough. Their offense isn't going to score more than 13 points against the Eagles.

Podcast - Episode 14

Monday night Verb and I did our latest podcast. Unfortunately I didn't get it up on the site until last night due to technical difficulties. But it is up now (sidebar) so check it out!

Topics:

• Coaching changes in the NFL (including Shanahan before it was announced)
• A look back at the collapses of the NFL season
• Previewed and picked college bowl games through next Tuesday
• Previewed and picked the Wild Card weekend in the NFL
• We picked our AFC and NFC Champs and Super Bowl winner (surprises!)

Sun Bowl Preview

Brut Sun Bowl
Oregon State vs Pittsburgh
Wednesday, December 31, 2:00
on CBS
Sun Bowl - El Paso, Texas

Why you should watch:

• 2 very good running backs in Rodgers and McCoy
  
• 2 teams coming in that are hot of late
  
• Both teams almost won their respective conferences
• A true neutral site game against solid teams
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• Neither offense is really that good
• Neither of these defenses are much better
• You might be napping in preparation of New Year's Eve festivities
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Oregon State:

• 8-4 (7-2)
  
• 8th bowl game in the last 10 years (5-2); 4-0 in the last 4
  
• Won 6 of their last 7 games
  
• 3-3 away from home this season
  

Pittsburgh:

• 9-3 (5-2)
  
• 6th bowl game in the last 10 years (2-3); 1st game since 2004
  
• Won 4 of their last 5 games
  
• 5-1 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Oregon State:

• Offensively they are actually a passing team. They are the best passing offense in the PAC-10 averaging over 250 yards per game.
  
• Defensively they are a solid team that is better at pass defense than run defense.
  
• RB Jacquizz Rodgers leads the team with 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns.
  
• DE's Slade Norris and Victor Butler have combined for 33.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks between the two of them.
  

Pittsburgh:

• Offensively they are somewhat pathetic. They win games by doing the little things well because they aren't overly good at anything.
  
• Defensively they are average. They are middle of the pack in everything.
  
• RB LeSean McCoy has 1,403 yards and 21 touchdowns this season on the ground.
  
• LB Scott McKillop is all over the field on every play. He has 126 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and an interception this season.
  

Who Wins:

Oregon State....Pittsburgh is over rated. They can't seem to do anything right it seems. Sure they won some games but they played in the Big East. If they are in any other conference (including the Mountain West) they would NOT be bowl eligible. Oregon State was 1 win away from the Rose Bowl. If Pitt wins this game it has more to do with the Beavers feeling snubbed than Pitt doing something right.

The GM Says....

• Denver.....good for you. It was time to let Mike go. He has been a tremendous coach for your franchise but not good enough the past couple of years. His system just isn't working anymore. The small offensive line is getting pushed around and his defensive team is terrible. Go get Bill Cowher. He wants to be GM and you allowed it with Mike. So let Bill come coach and this team WILL make the playoffs next season.
• Buffalo....time will tell. I think you are putting a lot of faith in Jauron. Yeah I know the team was like 5-0 this season but it was just a mirage. The pieces are coming together but you are still a few players away from competing. But I can understand keeping him on.
• Jets....ouch! Bill Cowher doesn't want to coach your team. HAHA! Actually I think the coaching thing would be fine but he is only going to come if you fire your GM which you probably aren't going to do. So now what....you gonna hire Romeo Crennel since the Browns are talking the Mangini. Should we just play musical coaches? Go hard for Steve Spagnola....he will be a difference maker.
• 49ers....excellent decision. Mike Martz and Singletary are not compatible. There was no reason to keep a has been coordinator on the staff. Go out and find an innovative ambitious younger guy to build the offense that he wants. Just give the coaching staff time to turn things around. You can't be firing guys every 2 years and expect to win.

• Oregon....impressed. I am impressed with the way you handled Okie State. I know it wasn't a completely dominating performance but it was very good. I thought the Cowboys were the better team and I thought they would win. Maybe if Dez Bryant doesn't get hurt they do but Jeremiah Masoli is the real deal at quarterback...he will be good next year.
• Western Michigan....what?? Where was the offense? You were going up against one of the worst defenses in the entire country and you managed 14 points! I really thought this game would be a much better game to watch but alas the Texas Bowl again fails to fulfill. Good thing you were only on the NFL network and I got to watch the Holiday bowl instead.
• Robert Marve....bye bye! You just did Miami a favor. Jacory Harris out played you all season when he was comfortable. The problem was that he wasn't comfortable most of the season. But with you transferring he can come in as the starter and not have to worry about anything. Miami WILL CONTEND for the ACC Championship next season without you!

• Celtics....do you suck now? All of a sudden you look human and beatable. I got bad news for fans out there....I don't think this is just a road trip slump. I think teams are learning what it takes to beat them and it will continue when they return home. You are still one of the best teams in the league but you better fix whatever ails you or come playoff time you will be in trouble.

• College Basketball.....I guess I should watch now. I haven't really been paying much attention to the college basketball season but apparently I should be. Top teams are losing all over the place as 4 Oklahoma went down yesterday in a blaze to Arkansas. And Purdue lost as well. This after UConn lost the other day. With the exception of North Carolina are there any other great teams out there?

• NHL....I am trying. I am trying to follow the NHL more as I am a huge hockey fan but because the sport is so crappy on TV I find myself not knowing anyone in the Western Conference. I know my Capitals are doing very well having won 9 of 10 but I don't know anything else. But maybe you will get me tomorrow with the Winter Classic. I thought last year's sucked to be honest cause the hockey was terrible but I am hoping the weather cooperates for you tomorrow at Wrigley field.

Armed Forces Bowl Preview

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs Air Force
Wednesday, December 31, 12:00
on ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium - Fort Worth, Texas

Why you should watch:

• The first game of 5 on New Year's Eve
  
• The most explosive offense you haven't seen in Houston
  
• If you aren't at work what else are you going to be doing?
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• You are likely still at work....that sucks
  
• To our West Coast readers....it kicks off just after breakfast
• It's Houston vs Air Force...not really interesting
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Houston:

• 7-5 (6-2)
  
• 4th straight bowl game (0-3); haven't won a bowl since 1980 (0-8)
  
• Won 6 of their last 8 games
  
• 2-5 away from home this season
  

Air Force:

• 8-4 (5-3)
  
• 4th bowl game in last 10 years (1-2)
  
• Lost 2 straight games
  
• 5-1 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Houston:

• Offensively they like to throw the ball. They are the number 2 passing offense in the nation averaging 414 yards per game.
  
• Defensively they suck. They are lower than 90th in just about everything.
  
• QB Case Keenum has thrown for 4,768 yards and 43 touchdowns and has rushed for 5 more touchdowns.
  
• RB Bryce Beall has 1,112 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. He also has 30 receptions for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns.
• DE Philip Hunt is a dominating defensive end. He has 16.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks on the season. Oh and he has forced 3 fumbles.
  

Air Force:

• Offensively they are run the ball....well. They average almost 270 rushing yards per game.
  
• Defensively they are average. Fortunately for them they are better against the pass allowing under 200 yards per game.
  
• RB's Todd Newell, Asher Clark, and Kyle Lumpkin have combined for 1,565 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
  
• DE Jake Paulson has 14 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks this season.

Who Wins:

Air Force....First of all Houston can't win bowl games. They get to them but then they lose. After that you have to look at Houston's defense....and then you realize that they don't have won. Air Force is going to stop them just enough on defense and will score at will against Houston.

Holiday Bowl Preview

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Oklahoma State vs Oregon
Tuesday, December 30, 8:00
on ESPN
Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego

Why you should watch:

• Traditionally one of the best bowl games of the season
  
• 2 of the best rushing offenses in the country
  
• 2 of the highest scoring offenses in the country
• 2 horrible pass defenses
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• You are watching the Texas Bowl shootout on NFL network
  
• That is the only legitimate excuse...TURN ON THE TV!
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Oklahoma State:

• 9-3 (5-3)
  
• 6th bowl game in the last 10 years (3-2)
  
• Lost 3 of their last 5 games (losses to Texas, Texas Tech, and OU)
  
• 3-2 away from home this season
  

Oregon:

• 9-3 (7-2)
  
• 4th straight bowl game (1-2)
  
• Won 5 of their last 6 games
• 4-2 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Oklahoma State:

• They average 256 yards rushing per game which is good for 7th in the country. They also average 233 yards passing.
  
• Defensively they are decent against the run allowing only 124 yards per game. But they are 110th against the pass.
  
• QB Zac Robinson has thrown for 2,735 yards and 24 touchdowns against only 8 picks. He has also rushed 130 times for 508 yards and 7 touchdowns.
• RB Kendall Hunter has 1,518 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns.
• WR Dez Bryant has 74 receptions for 1,313 yards and 18 touchdowns.
  

Oregon:

• Another great running team averaging 278 yards per game and over 200 passing yards per game.
  
• Defensively they are good at stopping the run (119 per game) but against the pass they are weak (108th in the country).
  
• QB Jeremiah Masoli isn't a terrific passing threat with only 1,486 yards and 12 touchdowns but he has also ran for 612 yards and 7 touchdowns.
  
• RB Jeremiah Johnson has ran for 1,082 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.
• RB LeGarrette Blount has 928 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
  

Who Wins:

Oklahoma State....This should be an excellent game but I think the Cowboys ability to pass the ball will end up being the difference. The strengths of both teams are their rushing offenses and rushing defenses. And the weakness for both teams is their pass defense. But the Cowboys pass offense is actually able to attack through the air while the Ducks stick to the ground.

Texas Bowl Preview

Texas Bowl
Western Michigan vs Rice
Tuesday, December 30, 8:00
on NFL Network
Reliant Stadium - Houston

Why you should watch:

• Both offenses average over 300 yards passing a game
  
• Both defenses allow over 250 yards passing a game
  
• Both teams are coming in playing very well late in the season
• I doubt the punters will even dress for this game
• One of the most prolific QB/WR combinations in history with Chase Clement and Jarett Dillard of Rice.
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• It's on the NFL network and you might not get to see it
  
• The Holiday bowl is on ESPN at the same time
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Western Michigan:

• 9-3 (6-2)
  
• 2nd bowl game in the last 10 years (0-1)
  
• Won 3 of their last 4 games (only loss to Ball State)
  
• 3-3 away from home this season
  

Rice:

• 9-3 (7-1)
  
• 2nd bowl game in last 1o years (0-1)
  
• Won 6 straight games
  
• 3-3 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Western Michigan:

• As I mentioned before they like to throw the ball. They are 10th in passing offense with 301 yards per game.
  
• They can stop the run but not the pass. They allow 250 yards per game through the air.
  
• QB Tim Hiller has thrown for 3,527 yards and 34 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions this season.
• WR Jamarko Simmons is the top receiver on the team. He has 98 catches and 1,184 yards on the season with 7 touchdowns.
• RB Brandon West has 8 touchdowns and 970 yards on the year. He averages 5.1 yards per carry.
  

Rice:

• Another team that passes well. They throw for 328 yards per game.
  
• Unfortunately they also allow 274 yards per game through the air and 193 yards on the ground. Probably the worst defense in college football.
  
• QB Chase Clement has thrown for 3812 yards and 41 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions. He has also ran for 621 yards and 11 touchdowns.
  
• WR Jarett Dillard has 79 catches for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns.
• TE James Casey has 104 catches for 1,217 yards and 12 touchdowns.
  

Who Wins:

Rice....This game could end up 77-70 and I am not even kidding about that. The reason I took Rice is that they are +13 in turnover margin where as Western Michigan is -3 this season. I expect Rice to get a few turnovers. I honestly don't think you will see more than 2 punts all game. If you like scoring....watch THIS GAME! I really wish this wasn't on at the same time as the Holiday bowl because everyone should at least see part of this game.

The GM Says....

• Northwestern....so close! You almost really helped the Big Ten's reputation. I would say that you did good and you proved that the Big Ten is better than people think BUT you lost. And at the end of all the bowl games that is the only thing people will care about. They won't care that you controlled the game against Missouri and you slowed down Chase Daniel. They will only care that the Big Ten lost.
• Andre Smith....oops. Apparently you are going pro after this season. From the sound of things you are basically already a pro. You will NOT be playing in the Sugar Bowl on Friday because you allegedly had improper contact with an agent. You need to be more discreet in your conduct big man. But good news for you....Todd McShay says you are the #2 player on the board for the draft. Enjoy your millions!!
• Auburn....pretty good signing. Yesterday you signed Gus Malzahn to run your offense. I like it. He is the guy behind the dynamic Tulsa offense this season and he should get the Auburn offense moving again. But isn't this his third school in like 3 years? Do you think he will stay long? I think he is after a coaching job and this is the next step....but use him for a couple years and get the offense scoring again.

• Roger Goodell....what??? Why move the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl? Do you think more people will tune in if you move it? Don't count on it. It doesn't matter when it is...no one gives a damn. It is a crappy game that players barely want to play in and fans surely don't want to see. Keep the game in Hawaii the weekend after the Super Bowl. If you want to boost ratings do a skills competition the day before and some people will tune in but not many.
• Coaches....watch out. Dick Jauron....you could be next. Guys like Marvin Lewis, Mike Shanahan, Herm Edwards, Jon Gruden, and Jim Zorn.....you all could be fired in the coming weeks. If I were you I would be getting my resume updated and get ready to look for work. Some of you are more likely to be fired than others but all of you should be concerned.

• Baron Davis....stay in LA. You made the decision in the offseason to sign with the Clippers and now you can suck it up and play hard every night for them. You say you want to go back (or that you would be OPEN to returning) to the Warriors but if that is the case why did you leave? Oh because you thought Elton Brand would stay there and you two could win a title....HAHA!! Oh well.

• Hoyas....big win. That is a very big and very good win for the Hoyas last night in Connecticut. UConn was the #2 team in the country and they just LOST on their home floor. Not good. It raises big questions about their team and also strengthens the feelings that the Big East is head and shoulders above the other conferences.

Humanitarian Bowl Preview

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Maryland vs Nevada
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30
on ESPN
Bronco Stadium - Boise, Idaho

Why you should watch:

• Another happy hour while watching college football
  
• The infamous blue turf
  
• Nevada is an incredible offensive team
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• THAT DAMN BLUE TURF.....it is freaking annoying
  
• Two 7-5 teams that have been inconsistent
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Maryland:

• 7-5 (4-4)
  
• 6th bowl game in the last 10 years (3-2)
  
• Lost 2 of their last 3 games
• 1-4 away from home this season including a loss against Middle Tennessee
  

Nevada:

• 7-5 (5-3)
  
• 4th straight bowl game (1-2)
• Lost 3 of their last 4 games (1 loss to Boise St by 7)
  
• 4-2 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Maryland:

• Offensively they are mediocre. They are the 65th rated passing offense....the sad part is...they are 2nd in the ACC.
  
• Defensively they aren't much better with the exception of they don't allow a lot of points.
  
• RB's Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett have combined for 1,381 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
  
• DB Jamari McCollough has half of the team's 8 interceptions this season.
  

Nevada:

• Offensively they are the number 2 rushing offense in the country with 291 yards per game. And they also throw for over 200 yards per game.
  
• Defensively they shut down the running game. They allow only 74.5 yards per game on the ground. But they are the WORST pass defense in the country based on yards allowed.
  
• RB Vai Taua has rushed for 1,420 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
  
• QB Colin Kaepernick has thrown for 2,479 yards and 19 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions this season. He also has 1,115 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.
  

Who Wins:

Nevada....I like Maryland. I think they have a good team and will have a good team for the next few years BUT they don't travel well. The only thing that could upset the Wolfpack here is if Chris Turner, the Terps QB, has a great game against the horrible pass defense of the pack. But I still don't think the Terps can slow down this rushing attack.

What's Your Verb - 12/29

The GM and I put together 4 groups of bowl games for the confidence pool. If you don't know what the JO Confidence Pool is, you should and you should be participating. Either the first set of games ended the Central Michigan/Florida Atlantic game.

Being the casual fan that I am of college football I figured out two things from the first set of games.

1. If you are a casual fan you might as well not worry about the first set of games because you know nothing about the teams and will probably get most of the games wrong. In my case, I actually only got 1 right. South Florida. Yea, that was really bad! I am going to bounce back in a big way here coming up.

2. I think there are some serious problems in South Bend.

Here is why I say there may be some serious problems up there.

I know they won the game 49-21 over a team that was playing at home. I know it wasn't your usual home game being that it was in Hawaii and it could have been taken as a vacation. You know what, they did treat it as a vacation and still won by that much. Really? Why is everyone getting so excited about this win?

Hawaii was horrible this year. They only made a bowl game because they played a bunch of horrible teams at home and won because no one could be focused enough to win there. Ok, so Notre Dame was able to focus enough when a lot of other teams couldn't. That's great! THEY SHOULD HAVE! If you think you a legitimate team in college that shouldn't have been a surprise.

I hear a lot of people saying, "this could be a program changing game" or "this is a turning point for Clausen" or "this should really get Charlie Weis on the right track".

If any of these things are true, then all I know is this, Notre Dame was in much worse shape then most of thought they were.

And, I promise all of you Irish fans this, this is not a turning point for anything. This was Hawaii. It wasn't New Year's Day, it wasn't the BCS.

It proved nothing to me except that Weis and the Irish still have plenty of work to do to get anywhere close to back in the National Spotlight and in the conversation with Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and USC.

Alamo Bowl Preview

Alamo Bowl
Missouri vs Northwestern
Monday, December 29, 8:00
on ESPN
Alamodome - San Antonio

Why you should watch:

• The Alamo Bowl is traditionally a solid game
  
• Is the Big 12 really that dominant? We start to find out now
  
• Chase Daniel
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• I really don't think this will be close
  
• Northwestern is a below average team in just about everything
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Mizzou:

• 9-4 (5-4)
  
• 5th bowl game in the last 10 years (2-2)
  
• Lost 2 straight (won 4 straight before that)
  
• 4-3 away from home this season
  

Northwestern:

• 9-3 (5-3)
  
• 4th bowl game in last 1o years (0-3)
  
• Won 3 of their last 4 games
• 4-1 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Mizzou:

• Obviously this team likes to pass the ball. They average 340 yards per game through the air.
  
• Defensively they are weak but they can stop the run...or teams just throw on them since they can't stop that. They are the 3rd WORST team in passing defense.
  
• QB Chase Daniel is the catalyst for this team. How he goes they go. This season he has 4,135 yards and 37 touchdowns plus 252 yards and 1 touchdown rushing.
• WR Jeremy Maclin has 95 receptions for 1,221 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also has 2 rushing touchdowns and a kick return touchdown.
  

Northwestern:

• They are a poor offensive team that really doesn't do anything well.
  
• Defensively they can stop the run okay but the pass...not so much.
  
• QB C.J. Bacher is the best player on the offense. He has 2,128 yards passing with 14 touchdowns plus 263 yards and 3 more touchdowns rushing.
  
• DE Corey Wootton is the best player on the defense. He has 15 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, and 7 quarterback hurries this season.
  

Who Wins:

Missouri....The only chance Northwestern has to win this game is if Chase Daniel starts throwing interception after interception. And I don't think he does that here. They will actually balance out the offense pretty well since the Wildcats can't really stop anyone doing anything. And even though their pass defense is TERRIBLE Mizzou won't be in any danger in this game.

Papajohns.com Bowl Preview

Papajohns.com Bowl
NC State vs Rutgers
Monday, December 29, 3:00
on ESPN
Legion Field - Birmingham, Alabama

Why you should watch:

• Both teams are playing very well lately
  
• It's the only game on this afternoon
  
• What else are you going to do after work?
• Enjoy happy hour with a little college football
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• You might still be at work when this kicks off....that sucks
  
• To our West Coast readers....you might be at work for the entire game....that really sucks
• Neither of these teams were any good at the beginning of the year
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
NC State:

• 6-6 (4-4)
  
• 6th bowl game in the last 10 years (4-1); 1st since 2005
  
• Won 4 straight games
  
• 2-3 away from home this season (won their last 2)
  

Rutgers:

• 7-5 (5-2)
  
• 4th straight bowl game (2-1)
  
• Won 6 straight games
  
• 2-3 away from home this season (won their last 2)
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
NC State:

• Offensively they are not a strong team. Middle of the road in every major category.
  
• Defensively they are not a strong team. Middle of the road in every major category.
  
• QB Russell Wilson (freshman) has thrown for 16 touchdowns and ONLY 1 interception all season. He is also a running threat with 342 yards on the ground this year.
• LB Nate Irving leads the team in interceptions with 4. He also has 1 sack and 3 passes defensed.
  

Rutgers:

• Offensively they are a passing team. They average 266 yards per game through the air.
  
• Defensively they are good at stopping the pass, allowing only 185 yards per game.
  
• QB Mike Teel makes this offense go. He struggled early in the season but has 1,737 yards and 20 touchdowns in the last 5 games.
  
• WR Kenny Britt has 81 catches for 1,252 yards. He has scored 7 touchdowns.
  

Who Wins:

Rutgers....Both teams are playing very good right now and this should be an interesting game. Wilson gives NC State a chance to win since he doesn't turn the ball over but Rutgers doesn't need turnovers to win. They have only picked off 7 passes all year so a quarterback who doesn't throw picks shouldn't hinder them at all. Teel might throw for 400 yards and 4 touchdowns in his final game.

The GM Says....

• Mike Tomlin...what the hell? You had nothing to gain by playing all your starters in this game. If you had a quarterback like Eli Manning or Kerry Collins who aren't going to put themselves in harms way every week than fine let them play. But you KNOW Big Ben is going to take shots because of his style and because your line sucks. Bad move and it might have cost you. Hopefully Ben can play in two weeks.
• Detroit....Congratulations!! You have created history. You are the ONLY team in the history of the NFL that has gone 0-16. AWESOME!! You have earned yourself the number pick in the 2009 draft which will be filled with uncertainty and will be very costly. That should fix your franchise!!
• Tampa Bay....HAHAHA! The last two weeks you had west coast teams come to your stadium for EARLY games and you couldn't win either. OUCH! You were 9-3 and you needed to basically win ONE game over your final four weeks and you couldn't do it. You lost to Carolina and Atlanta on the road and San Diego and OAKLAND at home. Really....Oakland? Awesome! And Thank You.
• Patriots....that sucks. It couldn't have been a worse Sunday for the New England Patriots. They beat the Bills 13-0 to go 11-5 on the season and MISS THE PLAYOFFS! And then it is reported that Tom Brady might miss the ENTIRE 2009 season because his knee is not healing like it supposed to. Wow...that's a bad weekend.
• Dallas....way to show up. All you needed to do was win. All week you knew that all you needed was a win. You had to go to Philly and win a football game and you were in the playoffs. And then you forgot to show up and lost 44-6. That is great for everyone else in this country! No fan of any other team wanted you anywhere near the playoffs. Enjoy the offseason.
• Brett Favre....go away. You had a terrible season. The Man-genious obviously doesn't respect you since he calls you out in meetings and stuff. Your old. And your shoulder hurts. Just retire. Was this season really worth all the trouble? You aren't going to win with the Jets next year either. Go work on the farm. We all enjoyed watching you play but this season you were more of a joke than a joy to watch.
• San Fran....right move. Mike Singletary will be the coach of the 49ers next season. I thought they should have hired him a few years ago but that's okay cause now he is there. He will get the most out of the players there which should make the 49ers competitive in that division.

• Red Sox....Brad Penny and Josh Bard? Is that how you compete with the evil empire? Penny sucked last season and Bard isn't very good. I know you weren't looking to spend much money with the economy in the tank but wow you didn't even make a splash. Personally though I hope it is only enough to beat the Yankees. Cause after the evil empire I hate you more than any other team not called the Yankees.
• Yankees....how's the economy there? You will be paying your new players Teixera, Burnett, and Sabathia a combined $62 million every season for the next 5 years. Good job. Sabathia is due for a slow down...remember he wasn't very good for the Indians last season....and an injury is possible too. Tex might be worth it. But Burnett is average and isn't worth what you gave him. But I guess you are still making money....but wait aren't you raising ticket prices now? Boy I hope the fans still come watch when they are all unemployed or working at McDonalds.

• Notre Dame....don't get too excited. All I heard at the end of the Hawaii Bowl and since then is that Notre Dame has turned the corner. That win will propel them to a great record in 2009 and they are now a formidable team. HAHAHA!! Really....you beat HAWAII!!! And not a good Hawaii team. The ONLY reason Hawaii was bowl eligible was because they played 7 home games and won 5. They aren't good. That win is not any better than the Navy win. And the Syracuse loss is still terrible!
• Pat White....learn to run routes. I know you had a good game on Saturday where you threw for over 300 yards for the first time in your career. Congratulations. Now learn how to correctly run a post pattern cause you will be mainly a wide receiver in the NFL.

E-A-G-L-E-S....EAGLES!!!!

The title of this should probably be RAIDERS!!! But it makes more sense the way I have it.

I will be honest....I didn't think the Eagles would make it. How many people thought the Raiders would go across the country for a 1:00 game in Florida and beat a team that needed to win to get in? I sure as hell didn't think it was possible.

But I was watching on the computer for the whole game. I was going nuts anytime Oakland scored and when they kicked that last field goal I knew the Eagles would get in.

I guess I also have to give a shout out to the Houston Texans since they had to beat the Bears. But I picked that one so it wasn't as big as Oakland's win.

Now the Eagles are in and I think the NFC is a COMPLETE toss-up. I can see why people argue that the Giants are the favorites but I REALLY don't think they will make the Super Bowl.

Tonight or tomorrow on the podcast Verb and I will discuss all the wild card matchups and make our picks. For those of you that don't listen to the podcast (which you should be doing) we will also post our picks here. Last year I actually picked the first weekend perfectly and then didn't do so good.


Other than the Eagles game though that might have been the most exciting NFL Sunday all season. I am sure a lot of that had to do with what was on the line but even games that didn't matter as much were great to watch. I got to see the Giants/Vikings game which was pretty good and had a good ending. And while I was watching that I was scoreboard watching on the computer for games like Chicago/Houston and Oakland/Tampa.

And you toss in the Jets/Dolphins game and the Panthers/Saints game and the day as a whole was awesome.

I can't remember a week 17 that meant so much. There were 4 divisions on line the line and 2 wild card spots (one in each conference) that needed to be decided.

And now.....the playoffs. And unlike last year....there is NO CLEAR FAVORITE. It is wide open in both conferences. Every team (except MAYBE Arizona) has a good shot at winning the whole thing.

I am excited!

Verb's Blurb's - 12/29

Verb's Blurb's is going to be a column that gives me the chance to write about things that may not be coming from the big 3 sports or in some case's may be coming from there but may not be worthy of an entire post.

It will be things that are note-worthy but may not appeal to all of you fans. Stuff that I see or read or hear about that I think are worth sharing but if you don't see or care about it, I totally understand.

Today will be my first episode of hopefully many to come.

Here goes nothing!

MMA - I saw the Forrest Griffin/Rashad Evans fight last night and it was good. I think I am losing interest in the whole cage fighting thing. I thought I was a big fan of Griffin's but last night I watched what probably will be seen as a great fight and I was only slightly entertained. The best part of the night for me was the interview with Griffin afterwards. If you get a chance to see it, its hilarious!

College Basketball - Gonzaga played great against Connecticut and then went out and lost to Portland State. Really? Is Gonzaga overrated? How can this team really be considered a top team in the country when it loses to teams like Portland State. I really thought the Zags were that good but now I really wonder. Mark Few better get his team back together or the Zags might not win their own conference.

NBA - I tried watching the NBA on Christmas and it was a real struggle for me. However, the Celtics had won 19 in a row before then and were off to the best start in franchise history. They went to L.A. and Kobe and the Lakers ended that streak. The interesting thing for me now is whether or not the Celtics can stay on pace to be the best team ever and whether or not they will win 70 games. I do think this year's team is better then last years and that spells trouble for the rest of the league.

Baseball - Mark Teixiera reportedly went to the Yankees and asked if he could play there. The Yankees had reportedly withdrawn their offer. I don't buy any of it. The Yankees have now signed arguably the three best free agents on the market to ridiculous contracts. I think its stupid as I have said before and I hope they lose every game they play!

Nascar - AJ Allmendinger is replacing Elliot Sadler Gillette Evernham racing. I knew Allmendinger was going to get a ride but I did not see this coming at all. In the same report, Ray Evernham may be leaving the organization. I don't know if they are directly related but man, this is a huge change for a team that really hasn't done much since they have started.

Verb's Pick 6 - Week 17

Ok, so I was 3-4 last week. That's not so bad. I'm sure you didn't make very much money but hopefully if you are looking to me for picks, you aren't in desperate need of it so it really didn't hurt you too badly.

This week we have a lot of teams who are resting players and some other teams that are playing for the playoffs. It should make for a very interesting week and tonight's game between San Diego and Denver is even for a division championship.

Miami can play there way in if Chad Pennington can get a win over his old team in New Jersey.

For other teams, a win or a loss today could decided the future for some coaches. If you are a coach on the hot seat you better get your team ready.

Let's get to the picks!

Oakland (+13) @ Tampa Bay

• Ok, so maybe this is a crazy pick because Oakland is that bad and Tampa is playing for the playoffs but I am not saying Oakland will win because they won't. I'm just saying that Oakland will keep this game within 2 touchdowns. I know they are traveling across the country in the wrong direction and all but I really this Oakland will put up a good effort knowing that this may be the Cable guys last game.
• Tampa wins 27-19
  

Dallas @ Philadelphia (-1.5)

• Philadelphia looked horrible last week against Washington. But it's Dallas and it may be for the playoffs and its in Philly. T.O. shot his mouth off again this week this time it was about Roy Williams and how he really hasn't produced much since he came to Dallas. It's the truth but I think T.O. needs to shut his mouth and just play football with how important this game is for this team. I truly believe that if Dallas loses today, which I think is going to happen, Wade Phillips will be fired.
• Philadelphia wins 24-13
  

Chicago (+3) @ Houston Upset Special!

• Chicago is playing for the division. All they need is to win here and the Giants to beat Minnesota and Chicago is in. I know the game is on the road and Houston is a darn good football team but that's a lot for Chicago to be playing for, for them to be underdogs here. I just think the emotion is too much in the Bears favor and I think they win this one by a touchdown.
• Chicago wins 24-17

Jacksonville @ Baltimore (-11) Best Bet!

• Baltimore is playing for the other wildcard spot in this one. Their defense is awesome and I really don't think Jacksonville will score more then 6 points. Joe Flacco will get them at least two touchdowns and if he doesn't the defense will get one for him. I think Balitmore wins big in this one and secures their playoff spot.
• 27-6

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh (-11) Best Bet II!

• Pittsburgh needs to get some momentum back going into the playoffs. They played a bad second half in Tennessee last week so they will look to bounce back a bit in this one. I really though Romeo Crennel had a chance to come back last week but then they lost to Cincy 14-0. I think he is gone, I think he knows he's gone and I think the players know he's gone. That means there isn't much to play for except a higher draft pick in the draft.
  
• Pittsburgh 31-3

and my final pick of the season is...

Washington @ San Francisco (-3)

• Did you expect anything else?
• I know this is a homer pick and I will openly admit that but I am fairly confident that it will work out in my favor. The Niners are playing some good football lately and Singletary just got a contract offer for next season! That's awesome news as far as I am concerned. This team will keep the momentum going as Washington might have played its last good game of the year last week against the Eagles. It's a cross country trip for them and I like the Niners chances in this one.
• San Francisco 23-17.

Extra point Over/Under pick.

• I almost left this out this week because I really wanted the Niners to my last pick of the regular season but I figured this really isn't picking a specific team so it was ok.
• Miami and the Jets line is 42.5. The game will be in the New Jersey and I just don't think this will be a offensive game. I think the two defenses will control the game and I think it will be a very low scoring, playoff like game. I don't think either team gets to 20.
• Take the under as Miami wins 17-13.

Boo Ya! Good Luck this week and enjoy the games!

Independence Bowl Preview

Independence Bowl
Northern Illinois vs Louisiana Tech
Sunday, December 28, 8:15
on ESPN
Independence Stadium - Shreveport, LA

Why you should watch:

• It's a bowl game
  
• 2 really good running teams
  
• There isn't another good reason....sorry
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• Week 17 in the NFL....Denver @ San Diego for the AFC West crown
  
• Seriously it's the MAC vs WAC
• More reasons.....NORTHERN ILLINOIS VS LA TECH!!
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Northern Illinois:

• 6-6 (5-3)
  
• 3rd bowl game in the last 5 years (1-1)
  
• Lost 3 of their last 4 games
• 2-4 away from home this season
  

Louisiana Tech:

• 7-5 (5-3)
  
• 2nd bowl game in last 1o years (lost in 2001)
  
• Won 4 of their last 5 games
• 2-4 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Northern Illinois:

• All they can do on offense is run the ball. 38th ranked run offense...101 in passing.
  
• Defensively they stop the pass better than most. They are 5th in passing defense.
  
• RB's Me'co Brown and Chad Spann, as well as QB Chandler Harnish, have combined for 1,336 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
• DE Larry English has 7 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. He has also forced 3 fumbles.
  

Louisiana Tech:

• Offensively they are a duplicate of N. Illinois. They are 26th in rushing offense and 102nd in passing offense.
  
• The difference between the teams is that La Tech stops the run to the tune of 99 yards per game. But they can't stop the passing attack....good thing N. Illinois doesn't have one.
  
• RB's Daniel Porter and Patrick Jackson have rushed for 1,730 yards and 16 touchdowns. They also have 26 catches for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns.
  
• DB Weldon Brown has 4 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles on the season.
  

Who Wins:

Louisiana Tech....Honestly...who cares? This is easily one of the worst bowl games of the season and considering there is a NFL game on at the same time I don't think many people will watch. The game is in Louisiana which is really the big advantage for Tech. They also stop the run well while Northern Illinois doesn't.

Emerald Bowl Preview

Emerald Bowl
Miami vs California
Saturday, December 27, 8:00
on ESPN
AT&T Park - San Fransisco

Why you should watch:

• A Saturday night bowl game featuring the U
  
• A Pac 10 vs ACC game
  
• No bowl games until Monday
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• Really these teams are questionable bowl teams
  
• Not a whole lot of excitement in this one
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Miami:

• 7-5 (4-4)
  
• 9th bowl game in the last 10 years (6-2)
  
• Lost 2 straight (had won 5 in a row prior to that
  
• 3-3 away from home this season
  

California:

• 8-4 (6-3)
  
• 6th straight bowl game (4-1); won their last 3
  
• Won 4 of their last 6
  
• 1-4 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Miami:

• Offensively this team is not very good. They are below average in everything.
  
• Defensively they are very good against the pass allowing only 169 yards per game.
  
• QB Jacory Harris gets the start and will play the whole game after the suspension of Robert Marve for this game. Harris is a dual threat quarterback who can play.
• RB's Graig Cooper and Javarris James have combined for 1.061 yards and 8 touchdowns this season.
  

California:

• Offensively they like to run the ball. They average about 184 yards per game on the ground.
  
• Defensively they are a solid team. Their pass efficiency defense is 5th in the country.
  
• RB Jahvid Best is the leading rushing with 1,394 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averages a disgusting 8 yards per carry.
  
• LB Zack Follett is a defensive force. From the linebacker position he has 8 sacks to lead the team. He also has 19 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 passes broken up.
  

Who Wins:

California....With Marve suspended and Harris taking all the snaps I think the game will actually be a close one. But Cal has been the better team all season and with Miami traveling all the way out to San Fran I think the Bears have a great advantage.

Champs Sports Bowl Preview

Champs Sports Bowl
Wisconsin vs Florida State
Saturday, December 27, 4:30
on ESPN
Citrus Bowl - Orlando

Why you should watch:

• Wisconsin vs FSU...always worth watching
  
• Shouldn't take too long....both teams like to run the ball
  
• A good way to spend a Saturday afternoon....watching the ACC vs Big 10
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• There won't be much offense in this game
  
• Both teams had average years (below average by their standards)
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Wisconsin:

• 7-5 (3-5)
  
• 7th straight bowl game (3-3); played the SEC the last 5 years (2-3)
  
• Won 4 of their last 5 games (lost to Michigan State by 1)
  
• 2-3 away from home this season
  

Florida State:

• 8-4 (5-3)
  
• Something like 27th straight bowl game; 4-6 in their last 10
  
• Lost 3 of their last 5 games
• 4-1 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Wisconsin:

• Can you guess what their offensive strength is....yup....running to the tune of 212 yards per game.
  
• Defensively they are a solid team that does everything well but nothing great.
  
• RB PJ Hill and John Clay have combined for 1,866 yards and 22 touchdowns this season.
• DB Niles Brinkley is the leader in the secondary. He has picked off 4 passes and broken up 9 others this season.
  

Florida State:

• Offensively they are also a running team although not as good as Wisconsin. They average 183 yards per game on the ground.
  
• Defensively they are very good at stopping the pass allowing only 165 yards per game.
  
• RB Antone Smith is the biggest threat on the offense with 753 yards and 14 touchdowns this season carrying the ball.
  
• DE Everette Brown is the best defensive lineman on the team. He has 12 sacks and 3 forced fumbles this season.
  

Who Wins:

Florida State....First of all this game is in Florida so the crowd will be pro Noles. But otherwise these teams are just not in the same level. Wisconsin underachieved mightily this season and I don't think they have turned it around just yet. They have been playing much better late in the season but the month off will hurt them more.

Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview

Meineke Car Care Bowl
West Virginia vs North Carolina
Saturday, December 27, 1:00
on ESPN
Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC

Why you should watch:

• It's a Saturday and it's college football
  
• Last chance to see Pat White play for West Virginia
  
• A good Big East team against a solid ACC team
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• It's the Saturday after Christmas and you might have toys to play with
  
• Neither team has been overly consistent this season and neither scores a lot.
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
West Virginia:

• 8-4 (5-2)
  
• 7th straight bowl game (3-3)
  
• Won 7 of their last 9 games
• 2-3 away from home this season
  

North Carolina:

• 8-4 (4-4)
  
• 5rd bowl game in last 10 years (1-1); first since 2004
  
• Lost 2 of their last 3 games
• 3-2 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
West Virginia:

• No secret here....they run the ball, 217 yards per game. .
  
• Defensively they don't stop the run or pass all the time but they don't let you score, allowing only 15.9 points per game.
  
• QB Pat White threw for 1,510 yards and rushed for 919 this season. He accounted for 26 touchdowns.
• RB Noel Devine ran for 1,228 yards and 3 touchdowns this season. He averages 6.4 yards per carry. He also had 34 receptions for 171 yards.
  

North Carolina:

• Offensively they do nothing well at all. They are 86th in rushing offense and 83rd in passing offense.
  
• Defensively they are average. They can keep you out of the end zone but that is about it.
  
• RB Shaun Draughn is the top running threat for this team. He has801 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season.
  
• S Trimane Goddard is a ball hawk in the secondary. He has 7 interceptions (1 TD) and 5 other passes broken up.
  

Who Wins:

West Virginia....Honestly I don't know how North Carolina actually got to 8 wins this season. They do nothing that well and don't have any real stud players to carry them. West Virginia has played very well in bowl games as of late and I think that continues. Pat White is going to want to go out with a win.

Motor City Bowl Preview

Florida Atlantic vs Central Michigan

Friday, December 26, 7:30
on ESPN
Ford Field - Detroit

Why you should watch:

• It's the only football on today
  
• A ton of offense as neither of these teams play defense
  
• A good prep game for a full Saturday of bowl games
• Dan LeFevour is really fun to watch
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• It's Florida Atlantic
  
• Is a MAC vs Sun Belt matchup really compelling

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Florida Atlantic:

• 6-6 (4-3)
  
• 2nd ever bowl appearance, won last seasons New Orleans bowl
  
• Won 5 of their last 6
  
• 2-5 on the road this season (2 wins by combined 5 points)
  

Central Michigan:

• 8-4 (6-2)
  
• 3rd straight trip to Motor City Bowl, lost to Purdue last season
  
• Won 6 of their last 8 (2 losses by 9 points)
  
• 4-3 away from home this season
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Florida Atlantic:

• Offensively their strength is in the passing game. They average 250 yards passing a game.
  
• Defensively they are terrible, they do nothing well at all.
  
• QB Rusty Smith is the star of this team. He has thrown for 2,918 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. The last 4 games has produced 14 of those touchdowns.
  
• LB Frantz Joseph is the man on defense. He has 141 tackles on the season (almost 50 more than the next player).
  

Central Michigan:

• Offensively they are also a passing team averaging 293 yards per game. They also score in bunches averaging over 30 points per game.
  
• Defensively they are the second WORST passing defense in the country allowing 285 yards per game.
  
• QB Dan LeFevour is the only real player on offense. He has thrown for 2,531 yards and 19 touchdowns this season and is the leading rusher with 536 yards and 6 touchdowns.
  
• WR Antonio Brown has 82 catches and 906 yards receiving on the season. And he has 6 touchdowns.
  

Who Wins:

Central Michigan....They definitely can't stop anyone passing the ball so FAU should get their points but unfortunately for FAU they don't stop anyone either. Add to that the fact that the game is in central Michigan and how poorly FAU has played on the road and everything leads to a Chippewa victory.

Merry Christmas!

To all the readers and fans of Jumping Offsides....

You should spend today listening to our podcast and buying t-shirts from our store. Just kidding. Spend the day with family and do all that stuff tomorrow.

Bowl Season has Begun!

Last night in San Diego the Bowl Season actually kicked off. The 5 games prior to last night were all appetizers to the main course.

What a Game!!

I don't care what teams are involved, it is going to be a touch act to follow. I am not sure if any game will be better. There are possibilities but that was a good game in my opinion.

The player in the picture...Stephen Hodge....is the reason TCU won that game. And no I don't mean that his interception was the clinching play. He had 11 tackles, 3 of them for losses, and a sack and was all over the field on defense and special teams. Easily the most impactful player on the field last night.

A good defensive battle throughout that helped the game live up to the hype. That game was easily the most anticipated game prior to the BCS games and in my opinion it absolutely lived up to it.

TCU showed that they really are a great defensive team and Boise showed they can move the ball on anyone given time.

Would either of them competed with the likes of Oklahoma or Texas....no probably not but that doesn't matter.

Thank you to both Boise State and TCU for agreeing to play this game. They didn't have to. Each of them could have gone to a different game and played against weaker opponents just to get a win. But both programs wanted to show everyone that they were good enough and I think both of them showed that.

The only thing I would change is that stupid interactive Tuesday crap on ESPN. If you didn't see it they were allowing people to send in their comments and had a scrolling bar on the top so you could see all the comments from idiotic fans.

I don't have a problem with the idea but most of the fans that sent stuff in were absolute morons and had no business near a computer.

But other than that it was a great kick off to the bowl season.

And by the way....I can't go winless like the Lions in my bowl picks now because I had TCU!

Hawaii Bowl Preview

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii vs Notre Dame
Wednesday December 24, 8:00
on ESPN
Aloha Stadium - Honolulu

Why you should watch:

• Notre Dame could lose again and everyone likes that
  
• Get to see nice warm weather and girls in hula skirts
• Only bowl game for a whole 2 days (no game on Christmas)
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• It's Christmas Eve....you don't have ANYTHING BETTER TO DO?
  
• Really its Hawaii vs Notre Dame....you really interested?
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Hawaii:

• 7-6 (5-3)
  
• 7th bowl game in the last 10 years (4-2); 3-1 in the Hawaii Bowl
  
• Won 3 of their last 4 games
• 5-2 at home this season
  

Notre Dame:

• 6-6
  
• 5th bowl game in last 1o years; haven't won bowl game since 1993
• Lost 4 of their last 5 games
• 2-4 away from home this season (wins against Washington & Navy)
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Hawaii:

• Offensively their strength is in the passing game. They are terrible running the ball.
  
• Defensively they are pretty bad but pass defense is their best category.
  
• QB Greg Alexander missed some time this season but in his last 6 games he has only thrown 2 interceptions while throwing 12 touchdowns.
• They are pretty good at getting pressure on the quarterback and DE David Veikune is a big part of that. He has 8 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 10 qb hurries on the season.
  

Notre Dame:

• Offensively they do nothing really well. They don't score much and they can't run. And their passing game is not very efficient.
  
• Defensively they are actually pretty good defending the pass which is good cause that's what Hawaii does.
  
• WR Golden Tate is probably the best player on this team. He has 52 catches for 903 yards and 7 touchdowns.
  
• RB Armando Allen could have a big game. He is the top running back on the team going up against a poor defense.
  

Who Wins:

Notre Dame....Honestly a lot of the key facts for this game screams Hawaii here. The Irish haven't won a bowl game in 15 years and don't deserve to even be here. Hawaii is playing at home and the Irish have to stay focused while on "vacation" in Hawaii. But I feel like this team is going to show up to prove themselves and Hawaii might actually be worse than Syracuse.

Podcast - Episode 13

Last night Verb and I recorded episode 13 of the podcast which is up now. Just click the link in the sidebar to listen.

Here is what we talked about:

• NFL week 16 and the surprising games
• The Eagles and how they didn't show up against Washington
• The Lions and if they will win a game
• Who is going to make the playoffs
• We agreed that Matt Ryan SHOULD NOT get MVP consideration
• We talked about how boring the bowl season has been so far this season
• Previewed the upcoming bowl games
• A look ahead at an exciting week 17 in the NFL
• How the NFL/NBC/CBS/FOX screwed those of us living in Central Pennsylvania

Next week join us for the playoff preview podcast where we make our picks for the round as well as the Super Bowl.

What's Your Verb? - 12/22

I got Beef!

I know its the offseason and trust me, I think football is way more important right now, but someone has me ticked off!

The Steinbrenner's and Brian Cashman are out of control. I know I should have seen this coming because it happens every year but doesn't a line have to be drawn at some point?

I mean really, they got arguably the two top starting pitchers and now they are talking about getting Manny. That's right, Manny, as in Ramirez, as in the guy who played for Boston for how many years. The guy who quit on his team in Boston. Yea, that Manny.

To see Manny Ramirez play in Pinstripes would make me sick.

It would make me sick for two reason! One, the Yankees obviously have no boundaries. They would obviously go after Varitek if they could. Two, obviously some players don't care about anything but money. That is a subject for another day and maybe I'm expecting too much from Manny but wouldn't you think he would despise the Yankees enough to never want to play there. I don't know.

To me, that would be like Coach K going and coaching Carolina. It just shouldn't happen.

Getting back to the Yankees and their lack of restraint when spending money. I know they didn't make the playoffs last year for the first time in 14 years. So what? That's one year.

Do they really think going and adding this much more to their payroll will help them win.

I don't!

I think they need to start adding pieces and role players. Not the top 5 free agents every year. That's what they do. They look and see who the top 4 or 5 guys are and they offer them outrageous contracts and they get whoever is out there. It's stupid!

They don't have any team chemistry.

Adding Manny Ramirez sure won't help that. I loved the Sabathia signing only because I think he is great. He may struggle in New York only because he doesn't want to really be there but it was worth it to me for them to do that.

I am glad Big Tex hasn't made his decision yet. He is leaving all these teams waiting. I hope he goes to the Nats and is the face of that franchise and helps that team win.

I'm interested to see how long its going to take the Yankees front office to realize spending lots of money doesn't equal championships. Getting the right players does it.

I know Tampa didn't win it all last year, but ask Joe Maddon what its like to have the right players not the highest paid.

It's going to take a long time, I expect, maybe never, but until then I will continue to enjoy the Yankees spending lots of money and getting nothing in return.

Poinsettia Bowl Preview

SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl
Boise St. vs TCU
Tuesday December 23, 8:00
on ESPN
Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego

Why you should watch:

• Boise is undefeated and TCU only lost 2 games, to Utah and Oklahoma
• Both teams are ranked in the top 11 of the final BCS standings
• It is arguably the best non-BCS game on the schedule and is probably better than a couple BCS games
  

Why you shouldn't watch:

• While both teams score a lot they might not score against each other which will result in a low scoring game
  
• Other than that there is no reason, so...WATCH THIS GAME!
  

Streaks and Scheduling Notes:
Boise St:

• 12-0 (8-0)
  
• 7th straight bowl game (3-3)
  
• Best team they beat: Oregon
  

TCU:

• 10-2 (7-1)
  
• 4th straight bowl (3-0), 9th in last 10 years (5-3)
  
• Their only losses were to Top 6 teams Utah and Oklahoma
• Best win: BYU
  

Key Stats, Figures, and Players:
Boise St:

• Offensively they are a good passing team that scores a lot. Their running game is average.
  
• Defensively they are 3rd in the country in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense.
  
• QB Kellen Moore has thrown for 3,264 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 70% of his passes.
  
• WR Jeremy Childs has 65 catches for 741 yards and 7 touchdowns.
• RB Ian Johnson has scored 12 times and WR Austin Pettis has 9 touchdowns.
  

TCU:

• Offensively they are a running team. Their passing offense is below average while their rushing offense is top 15 in the country.
  
• This team wins with defense. They are 1st in rushing defense allowing 48 yards a game, 2nd in scoring defense (10.9) and 9th in passing defense allowing 166 yards.
  
• They are also 2nd in the country with over 3 sacks a game.
  
• DE Jerry Hughes has 14 sacks this season and 16 tackles for loss. He also has 2 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles.
  
• 5 different running backs have over 70 carries this season but none of them have over 500 yards on the season.
  

Who Wins:

TCU....They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, maybe 2nd best behind USC, and they play in a tougher schedule so those numbers mean more than some teams. Boise is a good team that won all their games but the WAC is not a real tough conference and they only beat Oregon out of conference. Also Boise's offense just isn't going to be good enough to outplay TCUs defense.