1. Only eight more months until college football season starts. Am I the only one who has started the countdown?

2. I still don’t like Nick Saban at all, but what he has accomplished is truly incredible. In seven years he has two national championships at two schools, and he mixed in a disastrous stint in the NFL in the middle of that.Saban took over a team that was just 7-6 three years ago, and has now had two amazing years in a row. As much as I hate to admit it the guy is solidly the best coach in the country. He also hurts the argument that people use in favor of guys like my beloved program’s Rich Rodriguez – that they need a couple of years to get their systems in place and let their recruits take over the program. Saban didn’t need that time.

Continue reading “10 Random Friday Thoughts”

BCS National Championship
Alabama (-4) vs. Texas
8:30 pm ET

Ten thoughts and questions on this game – the more I think about it the more confused I get:

1. As a Michigan fan I am haunted by the thought of Texas playing in Pasadena. Two years in a row – 2005 and 2006 – Texas won absolutely epic games in he Rose Bowl. They aren’t playing at home, but they will certainly be feeling confident in this building.

Continue reading “BCS National Championship Game Preview”

GMAC Bowl
Central Michigan (-3) vs. Troy
7:00 pm ET

I am a big fan of this game. If you have been reading this blog for any time at all then you know that I am very fond of Central Michigan QB DanLeFevour. He’s one of the most exciting and impressive quarterbacks out there, he has set record after record over his four year career, and he deserves far more credit than he has received. This is his last game, and he and his team will be motivated to send him and his explosive offense out on a high note. Unfortunately, Central Michigan has a problem. They have unofficially become Cincinnati’s farm team. Brian Kelly went to Cincinnati from CMU, and now that he has moved on to greener pastures (that’s debatable) the Bearcats have again gone to the same well and hired CMU coach Butch Jones to helm their project. That means that the Chippewas have an interim coaching situation. That worked out okay for Marshall but was a total disaster for Cincinnati.

Continue reading “GMAC Bowl – So Long, Dan LeFevour”

Orange Bowl
Georgia Tech (-4) vs. Iowa
8:00 pm ET

This game is entirely about just one thing – Iowa’s ability to adjust. Georgia Tech’s offense is truly bizarre. They have never thrown more than 17 passes in a game all year (often fewer), and they run absolutely relentlessly. They don’t just run it up the middle either – they have a million different looks they can throw at a team, and they can do a hundred different things from every formation. Iowa has never seen anything like this because there isn’t much like this, and certainly nothing in the Big Ten. There is lots of running in the Big Ten, but it is far less creative and unique than what Iowa will see here. If the Hawkeyes can handle the offense then they can make this one very interesting. If they can’t, though, then this one will get ugly. The biggest problem that Iowa has is that their offense is lousy, so they aren’t likely going to be able to compete if this one turns into a shootout.

Continue reading “Orange Bowl Preview”

Fiesta Bowl
TCU (-7.5) vs. Boise State
8:00 pm ET

This is the bowl I have been looking forward to more than any other (though I still think it would have been better to have these teams play Cincinnati and Florida instead of each other again). I really haven’t got a good sense of how this one is going to turn out, but I am a bit surprised by the size of the spread. TCU played a significantly tougher schedule overall, but Boise State’s win over Oregon was the most impressive that either team had all year. That perceived slight could be good motivation for Boise State – not that they need it. It’s interesting to note that this is the first time that undefeated teams have played each other in a bowl game without a national championship on the line. Both teams have a lot to offer on both sides of the ball. TCU is brilliant defensively, and very good on offense as well. Boise State is explosive on offense, and showed against Oregon that they can smother on defense as well. Both teams are reasonably healthy, and they are both exceptionally well coached so they are going to be ready for his one. It was a brilliant game last year when the two teams met and TCU got a narrow win, and I expect even more from this one. The best individual matchup I will be keeping my eye on is Boise State QB Kellen Moore against TCU sack machine Jerry Hughes. Moore and the Broncos need to find a way to contain the TCU pass rush if they want to be able to come out on top.

Continue reading “Fiesta Bowl – Game of the Year?”

The NFC only has some seeding issues to determine because the teams to make the playoffs are all set. The AFC on the other hand is as crazy as it has been in years. The four division winners are set except for some minor seeding questions, but the wild card is totally wide open. As you get ready to watch and bet on the games today here’s a cheat sheet to try to clarify the picture a bit.

Baltimore
– Simply, they are in if the win at Oakland in the late afternoon game. If they don’t win that game then they need to wait for the rest of the teams to eliminate themselves in order to make it.

N.Y. Jets
– Like Baltimore, the Jets are in if they win. If they lose they also need to sit back and hope the rest of the teams knock themselves out. They are at home to the Bengals, and Cincinnati will likely be resting players for the playoffs, so for the second straight week the Jets could benefit from their scheduling. If any team can mess this up, though, it’s the Jets.

Denver
– If the Broncos had won one of their last three games then they wouldn’t be in the mess that they are in. Now they need a bunch of help, though they do have the most chances of any team that doesn’t control their own destiny. They play at home against the Chiefs. They should be able to win that one, but they don’t have to – though it would obviously be easier if they did. If they win then they need either Baltimore or the Jets to lose or tie and either Pittsburgh to lose or Houston to win. If both the Ravens and Jets lose then the Broncos are in with a win. If the Broncos lose then they could still get in four different scenarios which all include a Pittsburgh loss. In addition to that they would need loss by Baltimore, Houston, and Jacksonville or the Jets, or from Baltimore, the Jets, and Jacksonville, or from Houston, Jacksonville, and the Jets. Finally, the Broncos have an unlikely longshot possibility – they could get in win or lose if Pittsburgh wins but Baltimore, Miami, the Jets, Jacksonville, and Houston all lose. Confused yet?

Pittsburgh
– The Steelers are eliminated if the lose at Miami. If they win that game then they need losses from either the Jets and Baltimore as well as Denver, or from the Jets or Ravens and Houston.

Houston
– The Texans need to win against the Pats at home. That shouldn’t be to tough if, as expected, the Pats take it easy with their starters. If they win then they either need losses from both the Jets and Ravens, or from one of the two and the Broncos.

Jacksonville
– The Jags are one of two 7-8 teams that are still alive. The obviously need to beat the Browns in Cleveland. If they do that then they still need a lot of help. If Baltimore and the Jets both lose then they also need losses from Denver and Pittsburgh, or Houston and Pittsburgh, or Denver and Houston. If just one of the Jets or Ravens loses then they need Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh all to lose. In other words, if you are a Jacksonville fan don’t plan your playoff trip just yet.

Miami
– The Dolphins can get into the playoffs in one very unlikely scenario – if they win (which means Pittsburgh loses), and the Jets, Ravens, Texans, and Jaguars all lose. They don’t exactly control their own destiny.

The second day of the new year is just as busy as the first one was. The only problem is that the games mostly aren’t as intriguing as yesterday’s were. I’ll take a look at all five games, but I might cut a couple of them short if they aren’t doing it for me.

International Bowl

South Florida (-6.5) vs. Northern Illinois
12:00 pm ET

Continue reading “Bowl Previews – International, Papa Johns, Cotton, Liberty, Alamo”

First, Happy New Year. The last couple of days have given us some great games – most noticeably the Sun Bowl and the unbelievably entertaining Humanitarian Bowl. Hopefully the five games on tap today offer as much. So, just sit back, nurse that hangover, and enjoy the games. Here’s what we have:

Outback Bowl

Auburn (-8.5) vs. Northwestern
11:00 am ET

Continue reading “Happy New Year! – Outback, Gator, Capital One, Rose and Sugar Bowls”

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