That's right folks!  Tiger and his new swing lapped the field last NFL playoff weekend by going 4-0 in predicting the games!  It seems that I, XEA76, have developed the perfect system for playoff prognostication perfection.  The XEA Q.C.K.I.Q is the new wave.  It's Broadway Joe, break dancing, and Youtube all rolled into one.  It is the future!  It is brilliant.  (If you don't understand what this formula is, my "TIger Woods" post will explain it in more detail than I will here).

 Plugging this weekend's matchups into the machine will yield a few more upsets than last week's quotient.  In fact, the system calls for all four teams that won last week to win this week, effectively eliminating the top two seeds from each conference.  Here's how it breaks down:

 SATURDAY

 Peyton Manning/Tony Dungy/Adam Vinatieri  @  Steve McNair/Brian Billick/Matt Stover

 McNair has been to a Super Bowl as a player and many feel he should go again this year.  Manning has been to the Super Bowl as a fan and many feel he should be in a commercial during the broadcast.  "Cut that meat!"  Despite McNair's successes and Manning's failures in the playoffs, no one in their right mind should see this as anything but an advantage for the Colts.  Billick has one Super Bowl ring while being shamelessly carried by the side of the ball that he does not coach.  Dungy does not have a Super Bowl ring, but Jon Gruden does being shamelessly carried by the side of the ball that Dungy coached.  Push.  We all know Vinatieri is Mr. Clutch.  We also know that Stover is a very good kicker that makes very good chocolate.  Advantage Colts in this category and overall.

Jeff Garcia/Andy Reid/David Akers  @  Drew Brees/Sean Payton/John Carney/Reggie Bush

 Garcia is not having the year Brees is.  No one is at the QB position.  However, Garcia has started and won a playoff game while Brees never has.  The advantage goes to Brees but it's closer than the experts think (this sentence brought to you by Lee Corso and the College Gameday Show built by the Home Depot.  You can do it.  We can help.)  Andy Reid was a prominent assistant with Mike Holmgren when he led Green Bay to a Super Bowl win.  Sean Payton was a prominent assistant with Bill Parcells during his pathetic-Michael-Jordan-with-the-Wizards-like swan song with the Cowboys.  Advantage Eagles.  David Akers has made a game winning field goal in the playoffs in his career.  Carney may have too but its been so long ago that I can't remember it therefore he receives no credit.  Reggie Bush in no way factors in to the quotient.  I just get excited typing his name!  Eagles win!

SUNDAY

 Matt Hasslebeck/Mike Holmgren/Josh Brown  @  Rex Grossman/Lovie Smith/Robbie Gould

 Rex Grossman vs. . . .who cares.  It's Rex Grossman.  Maybe if it was Chris Leak, or maybe even Danny Wuerffel, maybe advantage Chicago.  It is the Gators' year, but this category still goes to the Seahawks.  BIG!  Super Bowl champion Mike Holmgren vs. a football coach named Lovie?  Seahawks.  Josh Brown vs. a guy who gets confused more often for the World Series of Poker Champion than an NFL player is pretty easy to call as well.  Seahawks again.

Tom Brady/Bill Belichick/Stephen Gostkowski  @  Phillip Rivers/Marty Schottenheimer/Nate Kaeding

 Brady vs. Rivers.  LSU vs. Notre Dame.  U.S. Steel vs. Belgian Steel.  Toyota vs. Ford.  Get the picture?  Belichick vs. Marty Ball is a guy who's made his legacy by winning in the playoffs vs. a guy who's made his legacy by losing in the playoffs.  Often times Belichick wins with the inferior talent while Marty loses with superior talent.  Another land slide for the Pats.  I'll give Kaeding the edge at kicker, but it won't be enough.  You may question the validity of any system that doesn't factor in the NFL MVP in selecting its winner.  However, I would say that you then have a perception problem.  I would question the validity of an MVP that does not factor in to the XEA Q.C.K.I.Q personally, but that's just me! 

 Check back next week as the mother of all scientific formulas looks to go 8-0 and provide you with the Super Bowl matchup.  I'm starting to become concerned that watching the games may become anti-climatic now that the quotient has been developed.  Hope we didn't spoil it for you.

For those that just tuned in, I am the Fox Bloggers NFL Pick 'em champion this year (Mr. NFL organized the league and he talks about it on his site http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/MrNFL.)  That having been said and my dominance being made complete, I'm pulling a Tiger Woods.  I'm changing my swing.  I'm going back to the drawing board in the hopes of coming back even more dominating than I am today.  That is hard to believe, but no one believed Tiger either.  Here is the method to my prognosticating madness:  

I have developed an alphabetically enhanced system known as "XEA's Q.C.K. I.Q."  This obviously stands for the Quarterback, Coach, and Kicker Intelligence Quotent.  In this system, I will pick the winner of each playoff game by evaluating the teams based only on those three individuals.  Quarterbacks and coaches always recieve an enormous amount of credit when teams win.  Couple that with the fact that so many NFL games, especially playoff games, come down to last second field goals, and this system should be "fool-proof", "idiot-proof", "infallable" if you will.  So here it goes.

SATURDAY

Trent Green/ Herman Edwards/ Lawrence Tynes  @  Peyton Manning/ Tony Dungy/ Adam Vinatieri  

This may be the biggest mismatch of the weekend.  The Colts have a clear advantage in each category and should coast to an easy victory.

Tony Romo/ Bill Parcells/ Martin Gramatica  @  Matt Hasselbeck/ Mike Holmgren/ Josh Brown

The defending conference champion Hasselbeck has a huge advantage over the still un-playoff-proven Romo.  Parcells may get a slight advantage in this category, but Holmgren's three Super Bowl appearances and four consecutive playoff berths make it closer than many may think.  Josh Brown set an NFL record this year with four last minute game winning field goals.  That equals a Seahawks victory.

SUNDAY

Chad Pennington/ Eric Mangenius/ Mike "Ted" Nugent  @  Tom Brady/ "Best Dressed" Bill Belichick/ Stephen Gostkowski

Pennington is the NFL Comeback Player of the Year this season.  He'll have to comeback a whole lot farther to be Tom Brady.  I love the Mangenius!!!  I love the Mangenius!!!  I love the Mangenius!!!  (Reread the previous sentence about Pennington and Brady.  The same holds true here.  Belichick is still the king.  What's love got to do with it anyway?)  The Jets attempt to save face in the "K" category, but it's not nearly enough.  Patriots win.

Eli Manning/ Tom Coughlin/ Jay Feely  @  Jeff Garcia/ Andy Reid/ David Akers

At this point I'd favor Jerry Garcia over Eli.  Jeff will certainly get by!  Reid is an advantage for the Eagles against almost anyone.  I can't get those three missed game winning attempts in Seattle from last year out of my mind when I think of Feely.  Big advantage here to the Eagles.

These predictions are completely based upon XEA's Q.C.K.I.Q.  We'll see how it goes this weekend.  This is how weekend two would look based upon the quotent.

Seahawks @ Bears   and   Eagles @ Saints in the NFC

Patriots @ Chargers     and      Colts @ Ravens in the AFC

From there the quotent predicts Seahawks @ Eagles in the NFC title game, and Patriots @ Colts in the AFC game.  

This would then give way to a Seahawks vs. Colts Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts immerging as the World Champions. 

I will monitor this quotent as the playoffs roll on, making new picks based on the quotent if any of the previous predictions prove to be incorrect.  More analysis will be given as each weekend's matchups become official.

(These predictions are simply a strict result of the XEA Q.C.K.I.Q and do not reflect the opinions of XEA himself or any of the countless scientists, environmentalists, and trout fishermen who worked to establish this method.  No anmials were harmed in the establishment of this statistical breakthrough.  We catch and release.)

Thank you so much for saving our national title hopes by defeating USC on December 2.  It is impossible to express how much you've helped our recruiting, public image, and overall legacy as a college football powerhouse by making the impossible happen one short month ago.  You see, we know something that you may not know.  We know that you see the Trojans as a cross-town rival, but we see them as so much more!  They are a program that specializes in shuting up teams that are trying to make national statements.  You don't know what we mean.  Let us explain.

Arkansas faced Tommy's Trojans in the opener, hoping to prove last years' 50+ point loss was a fluke.  They faced Nebraska the next week trying to re-establish themselves as a national player.  USC also took on Oregon, California, and Notre Dame in consecutive weeks, trying to prove things like conference supremecy and a shot at the national title.  How did those teams do?  You Bruins know!  A combined score of 180-67!  Not to mention the mighty Wolverines this afternoon.  I know you were almost as tired of hearing them whine about how they should be playing us instead of Florida as we were.  Not anymore.  Some statement they made today huh?

Between us, the only way a team even has a chance against those Carrollers is if they get overconfident.  Take someone for granted.  Look past them, as it were.  Kinda like what happened to you guys.  They came to your house and got beat.  Not because you're so good, with all due respect, but because they were thinking about Glendale.  Obviously they would not have looked past us in the big one, and, as much as I hate to admit it, we don't have the secret to beating them (a.k.a. Vince Young).  Troy is good, but not that good!  (Don't let that last sentence leak.  PLEASE!)  Anyway, thanks again. 

Because of you, we will win our second title in five years.  Because of you, Coach Tressel will add to his legacy as an "unbeatable bowl coach.  Because of you, 2007 will be a great year for us, the mighty scarlett and gray,  THE Ohio State University.  We owe you wonderful warriors of Westwood. 

Forever Greatful,

THE Ohio State Athletic Program

P.S. - Maybe we can do you a "solid" if we meet on the hardwood in April.  Who cares about basketball anyway!  LOL!  

This article was posted in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette this week.  Parents of athletes at all levels please feel free to share your opinions.

FAYETTEVILLE - Parents for Arkansas freshman football players Mitch Mustain, Damian Williams and Ben Cleveland met with Razorbacks Athletic Director Frank Broyles last week to discuss concerns about the direction of the football program.
   Rick Cleveland, Ben's father, confirmed Tuesday that the meeting took place last Thursday in Broyles' office and lasted about an hour. The meeting included Rick Cleveland, Beck Campbell (Mustain's mother), David and Karen Williams, and Broyles.
   The meeting centered on whether Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will get more say in how the offense is run, Rick Cleveland said, and if it will be more passoriented.
   Mustain is a quarterback and Cleveland and Williams are receivers, and all three played for Malzahn at Springdale High School, where they excelled in a Spread, no-huddle offense to help the Bulldogs go 14-0 last season and win the Class AAAAA state championship.
   "The reason for the meeting was very simple," Rick Cleveland said. "We wanted to know what is the direction of Arkansas' football program? Are we eventually going to get to Gus' offense? Or are we going to stay with the way we are at present?"
   In going 10-3 this season and winning the outright SEC West title, Arkansas' offense has been built around sophomore tailbacks Darren McFadden, a consensus All-American who was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last week to Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, and Felix Jones. They are the third duo in SEC history to each rush for 1,000 yards, with McFadden at a school-record 1,558 and Jones at 1,018.
   It was a big bounce-back season for the Razorbacks after they went 5-6 and 4-7 the previous two years to put Coach Houston Nutt's job status in jeopardy.
   Nutt, who hired Malzahn last December to be offensive coordinator and call the plays, was voted SEC Coach of the Year by the media and coaches after the Razorbacks' six-victory improvement.
   "For us, personally, we have nothing against Houston Nutt, nothing against Arkansas' program," Rick Cleveland said. "Every school and its head coach has the full authority to run the offense that they want. That's what they go recruit people for, to run what they're comfortable with.
   "That's not the issue with us. Arkansas has every right to run that and do what they want."
   Cleveland said the issue for the Springdale players and their parents is that the offense isn't what they were led to believe it would be during the recruiting process. After Malzahn was hired, Ben Cleveland and Damian Williams switched their commitments from Florida to Arkansas and Mustain recommitted to Arkansas after reopening his recruiting.
   "With our kids going to Arkansas, it's basically like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole," Rick Cleveland said of the offense. "When Gus came onto the scene, the very first question we would ask was, 'Do you have full control of the offense and do you have full control of the personnel?' Which we were told, 'Yes.'
   "I don't believe Gus lied to us. But as the season has progressed, it's very obvious that this is not Gus Malzahn's offense and Gus does not have full control of the personnel or the play calling.
   "From our perspective - and it's only our perspective - it seems as if you've been sold a bill of goods.
   "We never would have committed here knowing that this was the offense, because we knew our boys wouldn't be happy."
   Rick Cleveland said the response from Broyles was that Nutt continues to be in charge of the team.
   "His exact words were that experts have told us that Coach Malzahn's offense will not work in the SEC and for it to work the quarterback has to run the ball 15 to 18 times a game," Cleveland said. "That made it pretty clear that things are going to stay the way they are and Malzahn's offense is not going to be run here."
   Broyles said Tuesday he had told the parents they needed to meet with Nutt, not him, but he agreed to see them when they showed up at his office anyway.
   "I didn't want to be rude," said Broyles, who declined to discuss any details of the meeting.
   Nutt declined comment Tuesday about the parents' meeting but said he doesn't expect any players to transfer. Malzahn couldn't be reached for comment.
   Rick Cleveland said the parents wanted to meet with Broyles "because he's the one who ultimately controls everything" at Arkansas.
   "Why not go to the person who's totally in charge?" Cleveland said. "It was a very pleasant meeting. There was no confrontation whatsoever."
   Since Malzahn was hired, he and Nutt have said publicly the offense would be a combination of what has worked well at Arkansas in the past with additions brought in by Malzahn and new quarterbacks coach Alex Wood, a former NFL offensive coordinator.
   Malzahn has said the running backs are Arkansas' best players and the team would play to its strengths, and his greatest contribution has been putting together an offense that enables McFadden and Jones to be on the field at the same time.
   The Razorbacks have run numerous trick plays for big gains and excelled in a "Wildcat" package with the versatile McFadden at quarterback.
   Nutt and Malzahn also have said they expect the passing game to continue to progress next season.
   David Williams, Damian's father, declined comment on the meeting and whether his son is considering transferring from Arkansas.
   "To be honest with you, I don't think any of the boys want to transfer. They love Arkansas," Rick Cleveland said. "But as a ballplayer, you want to be used to the best of your abilities."
   Ben Cleveland and Damian Williams each made the SEC All-Freshman Team and are among Arkansas' top six receivers.
   Williams is tied for second on the team with 19 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a score that put Arkansas ahead to stay just before halftime in its SEC West title-clinching 28-14 victory at Mississippi State.
   Cleveland is tied for fourth on the team with 11 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game-tying reception in overtime against Alabama before Jeremy Davis hit the winning extra point in a 24-23 victory.
   Mustain has completed 64 of 122 passes for 853 yards and 10 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. He started eight games, all victories by the Razorbacks, before being replaced by sophomore Casey Dick.
   While the three Springdale freshmen have played key roles in the Razorbacks' season, Rick Cleveland said they anticipated having more impact on the offense.
   "It's a very fluid situation," Cleveland said of whether he expects any of the Springdale players to transfer. "These are 18-year-old kids. One day they want to stay. One day they're upset and want to leave.
   "What the coaching staff has to understand is that they can't keep telling these kids, 'This is going to happen, this is going to happen, this is going to happen,' and it doesn't happen."
   Rick Cleveland said his son and Damian Williams want to play in an offense where they'll catch 60 passes per season.
   J.J. Meadors, with 62 catches in 1995, is the only Razorback with 60 or more catches in a season in the program's history.
   Five SEC players have 60 or more catches this season; three had 60 or more last season.
   "Our boys are used to catching 60 passes a year," Rick Cleveland said. "They want to go to a college where they get the same opportunity. Whether they're good enough to do that or not is a whole different question. They have to earn that.
   "They are team players... but they're saying, 'Hey, I don't know if I'll be happy being in this offense, catching 10 balls a year or 15 and blocking 90 percent of the time.' "

Sorry about the length, but this is a major issue.  I am a high school coach myself.  We deal with this kind of thing all the time.  Here's the deal people.  Parents have the luxury of only having to worry about one member of a team.  Coaches have to worry about what's best for everyone.  Parents' often struggle with this concept.  Surely not all, or even most parents, but there are always some.  I'd like to hear everyone weigh-in on this especially parents.  I have a lot more feelings on this, but for the sake of brevity, I'll respond in the form of comments after some of you speak your minds.

The Heisman Trophy is one of the easiest awards to predict.  The only time in my life that I was surprised was when Carson Palmer won it over Larry Johnson.  With that being said, we all know that Troy Smith is going to walk away from tonight's ceremony with the most "hallowed" award in college sports.  So why?  We have three finalists, Troy Smith, Brady Quinn, and Darren McFadden.  All great college players.  Two seniors and one sophomore.  So, why is Troy Smith going to win?  First, let's look at who I would vote for (in case the picture didn't give it away, it's Darren McFadden):

McFADDEN'S STATISTICS RUSHING     

                             G          Att        Yds      TD        Lg         Avg/C   Avg/G

2006                 13         265       1558     14         80         5.9       119.8

 RECEIVING        G          Rec       Yds      TD        Lg         Rec/G   Avg/C   Avg

 2006                 13         11         149       1          70         0.8       13.5      11.5

  PASSING           G          Att        Cmp     Int        Yds      TD        Lg         Pct

  2006                 13         8          6          1          72         3          28         75.0     

KICK RETURNS  G          No.       Yds      TD        Lg         Avg/R   Avg/G    

   2006                 13         8          226       1          92         28.2      17.4

Unfortunately for McFadden, Reggie Bush was last year's winner.  Reggie was probably the most versitile player in college football history.  He was Rocket Ismail, but much better.  McFadden also deserves to be considered in that category with Bush.  Thanks to the famed "Wildcat" formation, McFadden had the unique opportunity to not only run and catch the ball this year, but to run the offense out of the QB position.  He proved to be Arkansas's best player at every position he played.  The great thing about McFadden is that he had his best games against Arkansas's toughest competition.  McFadden's rushing yards and TDs were:  112 and 1 vs. Alabama, 145 and 1 @ Auburn, 219 and 2 @ South Carolina, 181 and 2 vs. Tennessee, 182 and 2 against the nations #1 defense, LSU.  Darren also caught a 70 yard TD vs. Ole Miss that led to that victory, and had a 92 yard kickoff return that won the Mississippi State game.  Darren also entered the year with an injury and played sparringly against USC, which proves his "MVP" status because the Arkansas team was certainly not the same without him as they got drubbed by the Trojans.

Now let's look at the man viewed as the perrenial favorite and certain winner, Troy Smith:

Smith is 199/297 for 2507 yards, 30 TDs and only 5 INTs.  Certainly very good, but Heisman Trophy material?  His supporters will say, don't forget his mobility.  Okay, his rushing stats are:  62 carries for 233 yards and 1 TD.  Not exactly Vince Young is he?  Supporters then will point you to the Michigan game.  Troy had his best game on the biggest stage. Troy was 29/41 for 316 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT.  Great game!  No question.  But does one game a Heisman winner make?

The point is that, once again, the trophy is going to the most recognizable, not best, player on the best team.  Troy Smith is a "great" story, if you think someone that would've been dismissed from the team a few years ago is a great story.  However, the Heisman shouldn't be about a story.  It shouldn't be about a team.  It shouldn't be about NFL value or the popularity of your program (notice the finalist I didn't talk about, this is why).  It should be given to the best football player in America.  Is Darren McFadden the best player in country?  I don't know.  It would be hard to argue against him if you've watched many Arkansas games this year.  I don't know if he's the best football player in the country, but I know he's the best player that has been nominated for the award this year!

(Darren McFadden's stats were gathered from hogwired.com and Troy Smith's from ESPN.com)