The Texas versus USC national championship game for the ages is now completed. Vince Young has ridden off into the Texas sunset to celebrate with his family and teammates yet another milestone victory for his Texas Longhorns. When I say Young's Longhorns I mean it, he is obviously the life, soul and blood of this team. It is incredible to watch such an amazing athlete and leader in action. In a close national championship there were some players who stood head and shoulders above the greatest.
First of all the incredible Vince Young has to be mentioned. His 467 yards of offense including 200 rushing and 267 passing were some of the most efficient yards I have seen all season. Young calmly took what the offense was willing to give to him throwing underneath to his tight end for the majority of his yards passing and throwing strikes across the middle of the field. Young is a gifted athlete who does not need to step into his throws to get good velocity on them and he made the USC defense pay by stopping on a dime a couple times and making perfect throws. After watching the entire game there were only one or two throws that were inaccurately thrown or poor reads, that is an amazing game for a quarterback. Young's athleticism is even more obvious when he is running with the football his long stride and strong legs allowed him to break a lot of USC tackles. He made every play that was asked of him throughout the game. Mack Brown trusted Young to get the job done at the end of the game and he did.
Another player who really impressed me tonight was Dwayne Jarret. He has a rare combination of size and speed. On a field of athletic giants he was the second best athlete on the field. His touchdown grab in the second half where he broke out of the two Texas tackles and dove into the endzone was an amazing example of strength and determination. Only a Sophomore USC should be happy to be getting Jarret back. His sixteen touchdowns this season set a USC record. That is important when you remember that such greats like Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Williams used to play for the Trojans. Pete Carroll a good evaluator of talent was featuring Jarret the entire second half because he realised that he was the player making the biggest difference in the game. It is hard for a wide receiver to dictate the entire game, but I believe that Jarret will eventually develop into that type of game changing player not only on the collegiate level but later as a pro. Now if he could just learn to throw good option passes.
The combination of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush have been touted as sure fire pros for this entire season. While Bush got some yards, over 170 in what everyone described as a "bad" day, and Leinart threw for 365 yards in the loss it was LenDale White who was the other big game player in the Rose Bowl. White rushed for 124 yards against a Texas defensive front that includes All-American Rodrique Wright. While obviously the USC offensive line was a dominant force, and Texas' too for that matter, White broke tackles and showed excellent vision. It appears that he will have to work on his short yardage running as he was stuffed on one of the key plays of the game in the fourth quarter but he is a strong between the tackles type of running back.
This game was definitely not a defensive struggle by any means. Once the two offenses shook off the cobwebs that developed over a month lnog break they were unstoppable. The one outstanding defensive play was made by Junior Safety Michael Griffin. His incredible athletic interception of Leinart was a game changing play and one of the few actually caused by a defensive player. While Michael Huff and Darnell Bing got more publicity than Griffin he came up with the big play when it mattered.
Overall throughout the Rose Bowl the quality of play was at the exceptional level that was to be expected from two very talented teams. Texas is a young team in general (pun intended) and should continue to develop and be a contender for the National Championship again if Vince Young comes back. It was a great game and a fitting conclusion to the college football season.

I felt like making some predictions for the upcoming NFL Playoffs now that the Bowl Season is winding down with tonight's intriguing matchup of USC and Texas. The game last night was absolutely ridiculous to watch. I was very impressed with two player in particular on the Penn State defensive side of the football in Tamba Hali and Anwar Phillips. Hali has an incredible motor and just kept going and going like the Energizer Bunny on Tuesday night. Phillips on the other hand shut down the Florida State receivers for almost the entire game on his side of the field. One great catch by Gregg Carr in the second overtime prevented him from having a shutout on his side of the field. It was a very impressive performance by a corner. Also of note, Michael Robinson's will to win is incredible. Maybe he is not a quarterback, but he is an exceptional athlete who displayed a lot of heart and desire (think about that conversion on third and two where he carried the linebacker down the field). Florida State will be back next year so VaTech, Miami, Clemson, BC and the rest of the ACC better be prepared. Now onto the NFL predictions. I'm including the lines because I think it would be pretty simple to pick the first round otherwise.

Washington at Tampa Bay -2 1/2 O/U: 37
I am taking Washington and the point in this game against the Bucs. Joe Gibbs is finally starting to win games his way and I think that mentality will carry over into the postseason. Jon Gruden still is not the most respected game day coach and for good reason. The quarterback matchup also favors Washington with the crafty veteran Mark Brunell who has been here before going against Chris "Daddy's Coattails" Simms. I just do not think that the Bucs, even with NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Carnell Williams, will have enough to beat the Redskins. I'm taking the Redskins and the under.

Jacksonville at New England -7 1/2 O/U: 37
I cannot fathom any way that Jacksonville could win this game in Gillette against the Patriots. Belicheck will have his players prepared to play and the Jaguars will be befuddled on offense no matter who plays quarterback for them. The only thing I wonder if the have enough to possibly cover the spread. Victories by more than a touchdown in the playoffs usually signal a far superior team, I think that is the case in this contest. I'm taking New England minus seven and a half and the over.

Carolina at NY Giants -2 1/2 O/U: 43 1/2
Will the real Carolina Panthers please stand up. The Panthers have the potential to be a Super Bowl winning team but they only seem to put it together every other week. Carolina heads into a volatile situation with the Giants hosting a playoff game for the first time in a long time. Tom Coughlin and the Giants want to have a good showing in this contest and I think that their offense combined with the stouter defensive effort than what the Falcons gave last week will result in a Giants victory. I'm taking NY Giants minus two and a half and the over.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati +3 O/U: 46
I think that this is the most ridiculous line of the weekend. It is possible that Vegas wanted to convince some people to bet on the Bengals in what is probably a pick 'em game (they split the season series). The Steelers seem to be rounding into form and the Bengals have looked lackluster the past two weeks. The loss against the Bills is the only one that conerns me because the loss to the Chiefs included a lot of backups during the game. Carson Palmer is a talented quarterback and Sunday he will get to prove that the rest of the NFL. The Steelers have become a darkhorse Super Bowl pick but I think that the Bengals knock them off in the first round. I'm taking the Bengals plus the three points and the over.

After going 3 for 3 in predicting winners of the New Years Eve Bowls I thought that I should come back and make some more predictions about the remaining bowl games, because it is more fun to have everything on the record. I believe my current record is nine right and five wrong.

 

Iowa vs. Florida:

    I really like Iowa and Coach Ferentz in this one. Urban Meyer may have a dynamic coaching style and have reinvigorated the Florida faithful, but he better do something next year with this team or risk losing his job. Prediction: 31 - 24 Iowa

Texas Tech vs. Alabama:

    Offense versus defense in another classic Cotton Bowl showdown.  Alabama is a good team with a strong defense. While Texas Tech will hang close I think this will be the type of low scoring grind it out game Alabama has played all season. Predicition: 14 - 13 Alabama

 Louisville vs. Virginia Tech

    The Gator Bowl is home to an intriguing matchup. In this game I think Marcus Vick and VaTech coming off that dissapointing loss to Florida State in the ACC Championship game will pull out the victory. While Louisville has some explosive individual players such as Elvis Dumervill I think that Vick and company will be too much. Predicition: 38 - 28 VaTech

Wisconsin vs. Auburn

    Wisconsin and Stocco run an interesting attack that has played well against top competition this season. Yet Auburn who was left out of the National Championship picture last season obviously still has something to prove. In Barry Alvarez's final game I think that Wisconsin gives us a dramatic upset. Prediction: 31 - 24 Wisconsin

 Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

    In a Fiesta Bowl for the ages ND takes on a very talented OSU squad. Most of the talent for the Buckeyes is on the defensive side of the ball where A.J. Hawk and his fearsome linebacking crew plays. They will need all that talent when trying to stop the Notre Dame attack. Brady Quinn, Darius Walker and Jeff Samarzd(i)ja  are a much more balanced offense than the Texas attack OSU contained for much of the game earlier in the season.  On the other side of the ball Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr. represent in my mind two of the most underused weapons in college football today. If either of those two receivers get hot OSU could win. Predicition: 26 - 24 OSU

West Virginia vs. Georgia

    The Nokia Sugar Bowl had to be moved out of New Orleans and will now serve as a virtual home game for the Georgia Bulldogs. Playing in the comfy confines of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta where they took home the SEC Championship Georgia will look to defeat Big East entrant West Virginia. A young but talented bunch WVA should hang in, but Georgia and its home field advantage will be too much for the Mountaineers. Predicition: 35 - 24 Georgia

Penn State vs. Florida State

    This Florida State is not a vintage Bobby Bowden team, but it does have a chance to salvage a measure of respect fof the season when it plays Joe Paterno and his Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State's defense will be a force in this game and I think that the Lions win this game easily. Prediction: 27 - 10 PSU

Texas vs. USC

    In the biggest game of the year undefeated Texas will take on undefeated USC. ESPN already is running a series pitting USC against the best teams of All-Time. This seems awfully presumptiuous. Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Dwayne Jarrett, LenDale White and the rest of the Trojans offense is pretty unstoppable but the USC defense has made very few plays this season. Going against a talented Texas offense led by the incomparable Vince Young I think that USC will have problems. USC's defense will have problems containing Young all night and I think that the first team to 50 points will win this classic shootout. Predicition: 54 - 48 Texas

 

          Last night Rutgers played in a bowl game for the first time in 27 years. Over that span the large, public school from New Jersey has struggled with a tradition of losing. When Greg Schiano took over the program he vowed to make the Scarlet Knights a competitive program once again.  This year’s bowl game was a stage to prove just that. The Knights entered the Insight Bowl a nine point underdog against an Arizona State team that had been competitive in the Pac-10 all season, and was playing only eight miles from its home stadium. After flying across the country and battling a team bout with the flue, Rutgers played respectably all game.

            I was one person who thought they were going to get blown out, see my earlier post where I predicted a 42 – 21 ASU victory, yet after watching the game I am somewhat impressed by the work Schiano has done. Known for being a defensive minded coach he has definitely started to develop a team that can compete on a national level. Rutgers tied for the national lead in sacks during the regular season and got enough wins to get itself into a bowl game. Further, while there the Knights did nothing to diminish their stature as a young competitive team on the rise.

            There were times this season when the talent differential, especially the gap in athleticism, was still apparent during the Rutgers contests. RU was blown out against conference foe Louisville and obviously did not have the secondary to contain their receivers. Brian Brohm in that contest dismantled them to the tune of 315 yards. Combined with the offensive inefficiency against the Cardinals RU was destroyed 56 – 5. Against ASU it was once again painfully obvious that RU’s young secondary was not athletically or mentally prepared to play against ASU’s incredibly effective offense. Arizona State’s freshman quarterback Rudy Carpenter said that Rutgers ran the simplest defense he had seen all season. Probably because of their youth, and subsequent inexperience, Rutgers relied on getting pressure from their front four, something that did not happen against ASU. Yet, this time the offense did show up, Ryan Hart showed poise in the pocket and made the necessary throws. In the first half Brian Leonard was unstoppable from his fullback position. While some of the key pieces may be graduating, Rutgers seems to have started the ball rolling in the right direction.

            Now the key for Schiano and the Knights is to keep the momentum headed in that direction. There are talented players considering playing at Rutgers. As a talented defensive coach Schiano will find ways to put his players into the right situations. Now he just needs the athletes to run his system. On the offensive side of the ball RU has to hope that Leonard, a junior, does not hear the Siren's Call of the National Football League, although it is difficult for me to figure out where he would play there. Losing key players such as Hart, receiver Tres Moses and defensive end Ryan Neill will hurt, but overall Rutgers is a young team brimming with potential.   

           Next year the Big East will not be so easy. The conference that was devastated by the defections of Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami is now beginning to rebuild. Dave Wannstedt brought the “sissy bug” to Pittsburgh and a wildly ineffective offense, but he is also bringing a recruiting class ranked number five in the nation by Scouts.com to western Pennsylvania. Louisville will have Brohm back and firing next season and South Florida is a fast team with a strong state to recruit in. It will continue to be a difficult road back to respectability for Rutgers, but I think that they took a great step forward.

On Tuesday ESPN conducted one of their incredibly scientific polls on their website about who was the greatest quarterback in NFL history. 101,302 people voted for one of the five options. The voting finished like this: Joe Montana: 54.2%, Dan Marino: 14.9%, John Elway: 13.3%, Johnny Unitas: 9.6%, and Brett Favre: 7.8%. This poll is incredibly strange. Over 54 percent of people polled felt that Joe Montana was the greatest quarterback in NFL history. This is an astounding percentage of voters. I feel that Joe Montana definitely was not the clear cut favorite in the poll and that his large percentage is due to many uninformed voters, probably from California. Therefore I would like to consider the credentials of each so that the general public can be more informed. I will not look at some other deserving candidates, such as Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Bart Starr. Those players were great during their own times and should be studied separately. Although I think that it is possible to rattle off so many talented quarterbacks so quickly goes to show the naiveté of the poll.

            The discussion starts with the winner of the poll, Montana. Montana was a talented quarterback out of Notre Dame, an easy way for players to quickly become overrated. However, unlike some Notre Dame quarterbacks, Rick Mirer comes to mind, Montana starred in the NFL. He was an eight time Pro Bowler and four time Super Bowl champion, including three games in which he was named the Most Valuable Player. He currently ranks ninth in pass attempts, eighth in completions, ninth in passing yards, and seventh in passing touchdowns all-time. In fifteen NFL seasons he completed less than 60 percent of his passes only twice. Once was his rookie season when he only attempted twenty-three passes. The entire decade of the eighties belonged to Joe Montana and his San Francisco 49ers. Although his run was not without quite a bit of help, Montana happened to have the greatest receiver of all-time Jerry Rice catching the majority of his passes and Dwight Clark running routes with him. Roger Craig was a fixture at running back for the Niners. It was not as if Montana had to go about winning championships alone. In 2000 Montana was rightfully inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

            Montana was a very accomplished quarterback when it came to winning championships. If quarterbacks are to be measured by the games they won, then he probably is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. However, if statistics make the man then Dan Marino has a great case for being the greatest in NFL history. Marino was a nine time Pro Bowler. He also currently is the leader in almost every statistical measure of a quarterback. Marino is first in career attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. The Hall of Fame’s website calls Marino the “most prolific passer in NFL history.”  Marino’s greatest failure was his inability to win the Super Bowl. The crowning achievement in any team sport is to win the championship. Marino only reached the title game once, in 1984, during which he was outplayed by Montana and the 49ers. On two later occasions Marino led the Dolphins to the AFC Championship, but he was never able to get another chance at winning a ring. Marino was a first or second team All-Pro eight times and threw for 420 touchdowns, but that inability to win the Super Bowl haunts his record.

            John Elway would be my personal choice for the best quarterback in NFL history. A scrambler with a cannon for an arm Elway combines the best of everything. Elway was a nine time Pro Bowler and two time Super Bowl champion. Some people discredit his work saying that it took the addition of Terrell Davis, a player whose brilliance was all too short, for him to bring a championship to Denver. Yet, Elway played the game in his own brilliant way. Elway finished his Hall of Fame career ranked third in pass attempts, completions and passing yards, as well as fourth in passing touchdowns. I do not understand how the ESPN.com users rated him so low. Maybe it was because brilliance was expected of him; he was the number one overall pick of the esteemed draft class of 1983. Maybe it was because he played in Denver, not exactly the number one media market in the world. Yet, Elway improved as he got older and proved to be a champion in the end. I will have transfixed in my memory forever his helicopter dive against the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. That moment defined what it meant to have a burning desire to win. John Elway to me was definitely the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

            I guess with all that braggadocio on my part it is probably anti-climactic to talk about the final two quarterbacks on the list. Johnny Unitas came from a different era of NFL football. While he was a ten time Pro Bowler and still ranks in the top fifteen of every statistical category many fans discredit his accomplishments because of the era he played in. 1956 – 1973 was not the Golden Age for football that the eighties and nineties were and thus Unitas has been ignored. Unitas was the game winning quarterback of Super Bowl V; he also led his team to NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959. He called his own plays for the most part and was MVP of the league three times. Unitas probably was a great quarterback. I just personally have no way of judging how great he truly was.

            With the discussion of Unitas completed I am finally able to bring up the reason I started this discussion. Favre is an eight time Pro Bowler and ranks second behind Marino in every single passing statistical category. Favre also won a Super Bowl against Drew Bledsoe, Bill Parcells and the New England Patriots in 1996. However, in my mind Favre is a creation of hyperbole and the modern media. His consecutive games streak is one that has been completely blown out of proportion. While I am glad that he has been gifted with a remarkably sturdy build and much good fortune, it does not impress me that he stands under center each week. There was a three year stretch from 1994 threw 1998 where Favre was possibly the best quarterback in the league. However, unlike the other quarterbacks on this list Favre never has seemed like a transcendent player. All the media ever talks about is how he throws a ball very hard, which always seemed a little ridiculous to me. This season Favre has unfortunately been placed in a difficult situation. One similar to the one Montana faced when he joined the Chiefs at the end of his career, yet, Montana was able to persevere and lead the Chiefs to the playoffs. This season seems like the farewell tour for Brett Favre, hence the reason ESPN ran the poll and probably the reason he was included. Before we anoint Brett Favre the greatest quarterback in NFL history please take some time to look at the other candidates.

   Favre, Montana, Marino, Unitas and Elway are five incredible quarterbacks who each played the game in their own unique way. They were all talented and had amazing individual talents which made them great. Hopefully next time ESPN makes a list it was be able to include many other great quarterbacks and let us debate the merits of them all.

            Last night Southern Mississippi beat Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl. Today at 2 p.m. I decided that it was worth my time, just for this blog in fact to look up the actual score of the game. If anyone cares the final score was 31 – 19 which dropped Arkansas State to a 6 – 6 record which was inflated by its 5 – 2 inside of the Sun Belt Conference. It is ridiculous that there are so many college football bowls. That is why you will not see any predictions written here for any games that are occurring before Christmas Day. Quite honestly Bowl Games are at least supposed to be important. If Bowl Games are supposed to be a reward for a strong season please do not cheapen it by adding a ridiculous amount of games so that Arkansas State is a deserving member of the club. If you do not think that the current Bowl system cheapens the college football season remember this, BYU, Colorado State, Memphis, Arizona State, Utah, Virginia, Missouri, South Florida, NC State, Kansas and Houston have a chance to join Arkansas State by finishing the season with a .500 record. That sure seems like an amazing accomplishment to me. Alas, with that little rant out of the way, my predictions for the post Christmas Day Bowls.

 Motor City Bowl – Memphis (6 – 5) versus Akron (7 – 5):

            This game should be Memphis’ chance to show off the very talented, and NFL bound, DeAngelo Williams. Against Akron a team that barely survived playing in the MAC. The two teams are complete opposites with Memphis focusing on its rushing attack and Akron throwing the ball for a lot of yards. The Zips needed a clutch performance from wide receiver Domenix Hixon to get past Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship. I expect that Memphis should win this game, although it may be close. Prediction: 28 – 24 Memphis

 Champs Sports Bowl – Clemson (7 – 4) versus Colorado (7 – 5):

            Coming off of the disastrous loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship the Buffalos drew a strong team. Clemson led by the unheralded Charlie Whitehurst definitely has the chance to put up big points against a Colorado team that has looked absolutely lost both times they have been on National Television. I expect that Clemson should run away with this contest. Interim Colorado Coach Mike Hankwitz better start polishing his resume. Prediction: 31 – 17 Clemson

Insight Bowl – Arizona State (6 – 5) versus Rutgers (7 – 4):

            This Arizona State team is stronger than its record indicates. It played LSU tough early in the season and still has a dynamic offense. The ASU offense currently ranks third in the nation in yards and twelfth in points scored. While I would love to see my home state Scarlet Knights pull off an upset I just cannot see it happening in the equivalent of a home game for ASU. Prediction: 42 – 21 ASU

 MPC Computers Bowl – Boise State (9 – 3) versus Boston College (8 – 3):

            Boise State, which got blown out by Georgia early in the season in its only tough game, once again gets to play in the friendly confines of their blue turf field against an unsuspecting foe from a power conference. However, this year is different. Boston College was probably the third best team in the ACC this year, but because of their location is so far north of the majority of the conference they were handed a mediocre choice at best in the bowl game slots. Dan Hawkins, Boise’s Head Coach is headed to Colorado to take over for Gary Barnett and he should be very successful there. I think that Boston College will probably win this one in a close game. Prediction: 31 – 24 Boston College

 MasterCard Alamo Bowl – Michigan (7 – 4) versus Nebraska (7 – 4):

            After a disappointing season for Michigan, which seems to have a lot of those under Lloyd Carr, the Wolverines will be looking for some respect when they head to San Antonio and the Alamo Bowl. It will be a game featuring a team looking for a passing game in Nebraska versus a team in Michigan who already has an established quarterback in Chad Henne. This game could actually hinge on the rushing attack of Michael Hart and Kevin Grady for the Wolverines. It should be a good day for the Maize and Blue. Prediction: 38 – 17 Michigan

 Emerald Bowl – Georgia Tech (7 – 4) versus Utah (6 – 5):

            Georgia Tech has been up and down all season. Defeats of Miami and Georgia created a buzz about the program. Calvin Johnson is an amazing wide receiver and Reggie Ball has developed into a quarterback who does not make mistakes. Utah has played well after the departure of Urban Meyer for Florida and squeaked into the postseason, but the party ends here. Prediction: 42 – 14 Georgia Tech

 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl – Oregon (10 – 1) versus Oklahoma (7 – 4):

            This game will be closer than the records indicate. Oregon was upset when the Bowl Championship Series decided to take a two-loss Notre Dame as well as Ohio State as the at large bids instead of the Nike Ducks. The Ducks have played well all season and even led USC at the half before Reggie Bush took over the game. The Holiday Bowl always seems to be close and I do not think this game will be any exception. Expect a healthy Adrian Peterson to carry Oklahoma in this game to an upset. Prediction: 28 – 26 Oklahoma

 ####lord Hotels Music City Bowl – Virginia (6 – 5) versus Minnesota (7 – 4):

            An overrated Virginia team should get dominated by Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have a talented rushing game and I am not convinced that Virginia is prepared to stop the attack. The Gophers are second in the nation in rushing behind Laurence Maroney and Gary Russell. Virginia is not prepared to stop a power running game. Prediction: 38 – 14 Minnesota

 Vitalus Sun Bowl – Northwestern (7 – 4) versus UCLA (9 – 2):

            This should be an incredibly high scoring affair. UCLA and standout quarterback Drew Olsen rank seventh in the nation in points scored. Northwestern with quarterback Brett Basanez ranks seventh in the nation in total yards. It should be an up and down game with both teams scoring points in bunches. Expect the UCLA offense, which also features Mercedes Lewis at tight end and Maurice Drew returning kicks and at running back to win. Prediction: 56 – 42 UCLA

 Independence Bowl – South Carolina (7 – 4) versus Missouri (6 – 5):

            Games like this should not be this late in the year. Prediction: 28 – 14 South Carolina

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl – Miami (9 – 2) versus LSU (10 – 2):

            Two teams that have had strong seasons play in this tight contest. LSU, which lost the SEC Championship Game to Georgia and Miami who lost to Georgia Tech to prevent a bid into the ACC Championship game finished with good rankings which are not really indicative of how they played this season. Miami was an up and down squad carried almost the entire season by their defense. LSU goes as JaMarcus Russell goes. Two strong defenses will battle in a game that should be tight. Prediction: 24 – 21 Miami

Meineke Car Care Bowl – South Florida (6 – 5) versus N.C. State (6 – 5):

            Another game that probably should not exist. South Florida finished 6 – 5 in a weakened Big East and gets to play on New Years Eve, quite ridiculous. Prediction: 35 – 21 N.C. State

 AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Fresno State (8 – 4) versus Tulsa (8 – 4):

            Two mid-major conference teams in Fresno State and Tulsa meet in this New Years Eve clash. Tulsa is a good team with an incredible tight end, Garrett Mills, who was unstoppable this season. The Golden Hurricanes should give Fresno State fits. Both teams have balanced offenses. I think Tulsa will win a close game. Prediction: 34 – 31  Tulsa

 EV1.net Houston Bowl – TCU (10 – 1) versus Iowa State (7 – 4):

            TCU started this college football season off with a big upset over Oklahoma. While we know now that Oklahoma was not quite as good as the preseason prognosticators expected this Iowa State team does seem to resemble something similar. In a down year for the Big 12 Conference no team besides Texas really stood out. TCU should be able to have a solid game with a roaring fan base cheering it on. Prediction: 20 – 10 TCU

    Later I will give my predictions for the Real Bowls. The after New Years Bowls that only accept the highest quality of teams. If your team did not make a Bowl there’s always next year and fifty-six chances to try again.

Monday night against the Ravens, with the score 34 – 3, the Aaron Rodgers era began for the Green Bay Packers with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. While the career of the much maligned first round quarterback has already been difficult, the game failed to ease any doubts or su####ions about Rodgers’ viability as a starting quarterback in the National Football League. Ironically playing against the Baltimore Ravens, and the quarterback Rodgers reminds many of Kyle Boller, his career got off to an au####ious start.

Rodgers’ first drop back resulted in a fumble which was recovered by the Ravens. The young quarterback appeared to be baffled by the blitz schemes of the Ravens defense. However, to be fair his washed up mentor, or should I say unwilling veteran teammate, Brett Favre had already thrown three interceptions, including one to the ancient Deion Sanders. Yet, Roders’ fumble left little doubt in my mind that we were seeing a rookie quarterback obviously confused.

Rodgers’ second NFL drive went a little smoother but ended in basically the same result. An interception in the end zone ended any threat of the Packers improving the 41 – 3 score. While the short drive did include four completions it also included two bad throws and at least one play where Rodgers and wide receiver Donald Driver apparently did not understand the play call. Everything looked out of synch, although that is to be expected with a rookie quarterback and the putrid remains of the Green Bay offense going against the Ravens defense.

His third series ended in an unfortunate punt. During the series he looked lost and confused. Another blitz caught him by surprise and on third down he threw outside of the intended receiver and it ended the series. On his final series, Rodgers, who I was beginning to realize has the moves of Kyle Boller exactly, fumbled the ball away into the waiting arms of Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas who returned it for a touchdown to make the final score 48 – 3. The Packers intelligently ran the football on their final play from scrimmage and the game, and Rodgers’ short tenure as the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers ended mercifully.

I was unimpressed to say the least with Rodgers’ debut. He had troubles reading coverage and picking up blitz packages. While he obviously was not supposed to replace Brett Favre and become John Elway, Rodgers could have seemed slightly more competent. Three turnovers in a little over a quarter is not going to help any team win more than one game. The Packers lost the last quarter which Rodgers played 14 – 0 an unimpressive end to a disastrous Packer game. If I was a Packers fan I would not be happy about the future of the team. If Favre returns the Packers maybe will have a chance to make some noise in the suddenly strong NFC North next season. Otherwise next year may be another long cold season Green Bay.

        Schadenfreude is taking pleasure in other people's pain, and a wonderful song in the musical Avenue Q. This sentiment will be the focus of the NFL this weekend when two of the NFL's most downtrodden franchises face off. The Houston Texans pivotal matchup against the Arizona Cardinals will help determine the winner of the Reggie Bush race. My prediction is that the Cardinals will win, Kurt Warner even might look like an alien possessed MVP again against the Texans secondary. The NFL takes a sublime joy in watching the the Texans play each week, constantly overmatched. The Texans are a great uplifting force as teams can say, "At least we are not that bad."

    Speaking of pain, one particular person has had to endure much of it during this season. David Carr, the Texans quarterback is taking a beating. Sacked a ridiculous sixty-one times already this season Carr is getting destroyed by opposing defenses. Although this may be a positive for the Texans, because every play that Carr ends up on his derrier means one less pass attempt for the quarterback with a 77.1 passer rating.

    The situation for the Texans is even more unfortunate because of the fact that owner Bob McNair is such a genuinely nice guy. Every NFL personnel man and owner who comments on McNair babbles about his kindness and love of the game. Maybe they are just flattering him, because he does provide much of the league with at least one, for the lucky teams two, easy wins each year. McNair is obviously not that brilliant of a football mind, Dom Capers was washed up before his first stint with an expansion team ended, and his personnel decisions on the field leave something to be desired, i.e. the Carr pick in the Texans inaugural draft. McNair is trying to right the ship. His new "consultant", which may be the most obvious euphemism for "Coach in Waiting" ever, Dan Reeves is a proven veteran coach, even if he did almost destroy the careers of Mike "Don't call me Michael" Vick and John Elway, two of the most gifted athletes ever in the NFL. His old school approaches would be an atrocious fit for the amazingly gifted Bush.

    Bush could be incredible if put on a turf field with an offensive geniues such as Mike Martz acting as his Head Coach or Offensive Coordinator. I see Bush as the NFL's answer to LeBron James. In fact I think it is possible that Bush could become a special player who some day runs, receives and throws for a hundred yards in one game. Alas, I digress, just please do not pick Reggie Bush!

    Unfortuantely the Texans were dealt another blow when former Dallas Cowboy and Miami Dolphin coach and current FOX Sports analyst Jimmy Johnson turned down an offer to become a part of the football operations. Johnson apparently thinks that hanging out with Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw every Sunday makes him smarter, although that probably is a relatively easy task. Yet, the Texans should follow a Johnson draft strategy anyways and trade the "Bush Pick". The team already has a solid running back, Domanick Davis, who should surpass 1,000 yards even with an inept passing game and no-name offensive lineman trying, notice the verb choice, to create him rushing lanes. Instead the pick could be parlayed into a package that could help this organization desperately add to their depth. The Chargers proved with the "Vick Pick" that this is a viable strategy. Trading down works if teams know who to draft later.

    Or, maybe the Texans will draft Bush. Then he might pull a Ki-Jana Carter, blow out his knee and never be heard from again. Everyone will shake their heads and be glad that it did not happen to them. Every week each team in the NFL gets to pat itself on the shoulder and say, "At least we didn't lose to the Houston Texans." Well everyone besides the Browns that is... So check out the Loser Bowl this weekend, you'll feel better about yourself.

This weekend promised to offer some challenges in college basketball. Some of them were in the form of games against higher profile opponents (Tennessee), one was an intense rivalry match-up (the Kentucky versus Louisville contest), one team managed to beat an rebounding program (UCLA) and one featured a Princeton team that was just satisfied to score some points.       

Well for a few teams the weekend went right as planned. Bruce Pearl, Tennessee’s brilliant coach who took over a struggling program at the beginning of the year got his team’s signature pre-season win by going into Austin, Texas and taking out the still incredibly overrated Longhorns. While the Longhorns had two starters out with injuries for most of the game, Brad Buckman their center was injured before the contest and their unimpressive starting point guard Daniel Gibson received a concussion early in the game, it still represented a dramatic improvement for a team that finished last season a disappointing 14 – 17. The Volunteers are still undefeated at 6 – 0 and could be a surprising team in the Southeastern Conference. Texas on the other hand managed to fall flat on their faces again facing some decent competition. Coming off their disastrous loss to Duke in the #1 versus #2 showdown the Longhorns were outscored 48 – 28 in the first half. LaMarcus, I should probably have taken my ridiculous wingspan to the NBA, Aldridge continues to not get enough touches in the paint for the Longhorns.

                In another game occurring simultaneously Kentucky took it to former Coach Rick Pitino in Rupp Arena. Ashley Judd and her fellow Wildcat fans must have been thrilled to see Tubby Smith’s team, which had underperformed finally get a quality victory. For Pitino it was just another representation of the sham of a schedule the Cardinals have played up to this point. When Richmond is the hardest competition your team has played until mid-December you probably need to find some better opponents. Games against Prairie View, Arkansas State, Akron and Chicago State did nothing but artificially boost Louisville’s confidence, egos, and National Ranking. Hopefully in the Big East Conference this year Louisville will show it can actually play basketball against schools that someone has actually heard of.

                UCLA went to Ann Arbor this weekend and defeated a Michigan program that was left just outside of the Top 25 in last week’s polls. The Bruins played a tough basketball game against the Wolverines. The UCLA squad is comprised mainly of freshman and sophomores, at one point during crunch time there were three sophomores and two freshmen on the floor, but all of them are athletically gifted and understand how to play basketball. This game featured two college coaches, Tommy Amaker of Michigan and Ben Howland of UCLA, who after leaving their respective Big East programs have started to turn around programs with storied traditions. UCLA’s 68 – 61 victory represented a quality win for the fourteenth ranked Bruins.

                One final victory this Saturday was not about the final score. Princeton was coming off of tying the collegiate record for fewest points scored in a game during the shot clock era; the Tigers scored 21 against Monmouth. Against a much more talented Wake Forest team the Tigers managed to equal that point total with over five minutes left in the first half during a stretch where they briefly took a 21 – 20 lead over the 16^th ranked Demon Deacons. The young Tiger squad doubled their output getting to 42 by the end of the game. If the team can manage to double it again they will be an offensive powerhouse, although that is highly unlikely.

                This Saturday, as the college football season is winding down, the college basketball season heated up with some tantalizing games. There may be only six bowl games worth watching, more on that later, but there promises to be many competitive college basketball games this winter.