Happy New Years, almost!

I am really sorry about how short this will be but I have to work tonight and tomorrow. So we are going to be rushing through the next ten games. But I do have something great in the works for ya'll tomorrow. Because of all your constant support, I have the opportunity to start my own college football website. I will have all the information on here later. But first here are your New Years day.

Outback Bowl; Northwestern v. Auburn: People seem to forget quickly that this Northwestern team beat Iowa and Wisconsin. The Wildcats have a potent offense and a good defense. Auburn showed offensive prowess in the beginning of the season, but stumbled late. Northwestern will have all the momentum coming into the game. But when the Big 10 is matched up with the SEC, I always take the SEC. I am taking Auburn, so is Jess, Lys and John. Don't worry Jason will get me his picks.

Capital One Bowl; LSU v. Penn State: Here we have another Big 10-SEC match-up. LSU has a fantastic defense. They will be facing a Penn State running game that is pretty good. But LSU has stopped some good rushing attacks. I am not sure how the LSU offense will fair. The Tigers have had some trouble getting the ball into the hands of their play making receiver Trenton Holladay. The afore mentioned rule applies here though, I am taking LSU. John, Jess, and Lys agree.

Gator Bowl; West Virginia v. Florida State: This will be an emotional game for the Seminoles. It is the final game of Bobby Bowden's career. Florida State is really not as bad as their record shows. They are a fast talented football team with a lot of potential. They will be going up against West Virginia, another fast and talented football team. I am just not sure that Florida State has enough defense to stop West Virginia. Lys and Jess are taking the Florida team, and John is taking West Virginia.

Rose Bowl; Oregon v. Ohio State: Yea!! Finally the first BCS bowl. It should be a good one too. Ohio State has an improving defense. However the Buckeye offense has really struggled reaching it's potential. Especially quarterback, Terelle Pryor, who has looked confused at times. Oregon is led by one of my favorite football players in the country. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is a great leader and so much fun to watch. Oregon's running game is amazing, led by spitfire back LaMichael James. James took over for embattled tailback Lagarrette Blount and filled in nicely. Masoli also gets it done on the ground, and through the air. I am taking Oregon. John and Lys agree, but Jess is taking Ohio State.

Sugar Bowl; Florida v. Cincinnati: A tale of two teams without coaches. This game will pit two of the nation's top offenses against each other, not to mention two of the nations best special teams units. Meaning, unfortunately for Cincinnati, this game will boil down to defense. Florida has one of the best defenses in the nation and Cincinnati doesn't. The Bearcat defense has been almost non-existent over the last few weeks of the season. If Cinci can make this a shoot-out they have a chance. But I think that Florida's defense is just too good. I love this Cincinnati team, but I see them falling short. I am taking Florida. Everyone agrees.

That is the picks for New Year's day. Enjoy your evening and be safe. Live like no one is watching and remember to make your goals for 2010 challenging yet attainable.

P.S. Again I want to thank everyone for the continued support as this adventure has grown. I will be posting on a new website goseecoach.com starting tomorrow. Love it like you have loved this!

Now I am not so sure....

Did everyone see the fantastic finish in the Humanitarian Bowl. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to go for two and the win, but whether it works or not it is always fun to watch. I am impressed with Nebraska's offense. The Cornhusker's have put up 33 points in just under three quarters in this blowout over Arizona. The Pac-10 has looked awful in their bowl appearances. Well tomorrow starts a long row of bowl games. So lets get started.

Armed Forces Bowl; Houston v. Air Force: Houston has one of the most productive passing games seen outside of Lubbock. Case Keenum is setting himself up for a Heisman run next year. Keenum's ability to move in the pocket and make plays with his legs is the most overlooked part of his game. This powerful Houston team does have a problem stopping the run, which doesn't bode well in this game verse Air Force. Air Force has the fourth ranked rushing attack in the nation and can give the Houston defense fits. I am taking Houston. Jess, John and Lys agree. Jason is getting his picks to me later.

Sun Bowl; Oklahoma v. Stanford: After losing Sam Bradford for the season to a shoulder injury Oklahoma became very inconsistent. The Sooner defense is very good. They are ranked in the top 10 in the country in run defense. Oklahoma will need all of it to stop the bulldozer that is Toby Gerhart. Stanford has put it's season on the very broad and capable shoulders of Gerhart who has carried the Cardinal to their first winning season in eight years. This Stanford team has the tough guy attitude of their coach Jim Harbaugh. It is no secret that I love Stanford, and I am taking them over Oklahoma. Lys and John agree, but Jess took the hated Sooners.

Texas Bowl; Mizzou v. Navy: This game is similar to the match-up in the Armed Forces bowl. Missouri is ranked in the top 15 in the nation in passing offense, and Navy is a top ranked running offense. Both teams are coming in feeling like they have something to prove. I like the Blaine Gabbert, and this Missouri Tigers offense. But I believe in Navy. Lys and John agree, but Jess does not.

Insight Bowl; Iowa State v. Minnesota: Both of these teams struggled offensively all year. The Gopher's offensive troubles stem from injuries, especially to Eric Decker. This game might be tough to watch but I am taking Minnesota because they can stop the run. Again John and Lys agree, and Jess took Iowa State.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl; Virginia Tech v. Tennessee: These are two very similar teams. Both have good defenses, both have great tailbacks (although Tennessee has a pair of good backs), and both have inconsistent quarterbacks. I think that Virginia Tech is an overall better team. But I am taking Tennessee. Jess agrees and John and Lys took VT.

I am looking forward to seeing Jason's picks. Live like no one is watching and stay tuned for the kick off of the new decade!

Anoter day!

I am dangerously close to going 0-2 today. That is ok though. The bowl season so far has been a mixture of excitement and unpredictability. But we are now getting in to the meat of the bowl season so get out your knife and fork.

Humanitarian Bowl; Idaho v. Bowling Green: This will be another completely offensive game. Both of these teams surprised a lot of the experts by doing as well as they have. Bowling Green has an almost unstoppable passing attack. The Falcons are setting and breaking records right and left. Bowling Green wide receiver Freddie Barnes is four receptions away from setting an NCAA record for receptions in a season. Barnes is also a threat in the running game and punt returns. Idaho also has a potent and balanced offense. Neither of these teams play great defense. Even though Idaho is practically a home team I am taking Bowling Green. John and Jess agree, but Lys and Jason are taking the Vandals.

Holiday Bowl; Nebraska v. Arizona: Another great night game. The Wildcats of Arizona are a quietly dangerous team. They were competitive right down to the wire in the Pac-10 (which hasn't meant much this year in the bowl season). The Wildcat offense is potent, and they have a solid defense. But that sure doesn't mean much against Nebraska and the Blackshirts. The Cornhuskers boast the most dominant player in college football with Ndomakong Suh. Suh has the ability to take over games, just ask the Longhorns. I like Arizona and I believe they will continue to improve, but I believe that Nebraska will win this game. Unfortunately John is the only one that agrees with me.

Let us take a second to talk about Mike Leach. I have to say that I don't think he did anything wrong. This whole situation sounds like an overreaction to a very basic situation. The kid in question is lucky enough to have a high profile father to jump in and cause a ruckus. Live like no on is watching and analyze and interpret.

Extremely Offensive!

I was completely disappointed with the NFL this weekend. The only undefeated team's back-ups lost and my Broncos will probably not make the play-offs. I do have a question, am I the only one in the country who didn't know how bad the Redskins are? In college news, Urban Meyer changed his mind on stepping down, and will now just take a leave of absence. It is unnerving for me, considering I thought it was great initially to see him putting his family ahead of football. I am not sure that this is the message that Urban wants to send, and I am also unsure of how this will affect his recruiting class. I am sure it will be a huge distraction for the media, while other bowl games sneak right under their noses. Speaking of bowl games, Clemson beat Kentucky in a great game. Now let us get to tonight's game (which starts in 2 hours).

Independence Bowl; Georgia v. Texas A&M: Tonights game will be more than just a display of great offenses, it will also contain 2 of the nations worst defenses! Georgia's offense is slightly more impressive, considering they put up the numbers they did in the defensive powerhouse that is the SEC. Aggie quarterback,Jerrod Johnson is extremely athletic, and outrageously confident. He is the leader of an offense that hung over 400 yards and almost 40 points on a texas defense that didn't allow more than 24 points per game the rest of the year. The aggies are 107th in total defense, and georgia might've been worse. A&m will win this game, simply because they kept their defensive coaching staff. Georgia fired 3 of their defensive coaches, that is distraction you just don't need! We are all in agreement here, except Jason who will try to close his gap on the leaders by picking Georgia!

Urban Fall-out!

Umm....ok, wow! Last night Urban Meyer announced that he will be stepping down as the Florida Gators' head coach following the Sugar Bowl. Meyer is in his mid-40's but seems to have some major problems with his heart. The stress of being one of the most successful college football coaches has caused his health to falter. It is a well known fact that Urban Meyer is a balls to the wall coach, and it has apparently caught up to him a lot quicker than he expected. I wish him all the best.

However, the unfortunate situation for Meyer, his family, and the University of Florida, does raise some questions. Not necessarily about Meyer's motives or honesty, but about the direction of Florida's football team. There are some good options for coaches out there that are proven successful at the college level, (the Stoopes brothers for example). Also before the Gators hired Urban Meyer they courted Mike Shanahan, who it just so happens is out of a job. Shanahan has stated that he would like to coach in the NFL, but he is keeping all of his options open. In my humble opinion the best. and most obvious replacement for Urban, is offensive coordinator Charlie Strong. The bad news about Strong, is that he has already signed a letter of intent to coach at Louisville. The good news, is that is not the equivalent of a contract, and that means there is still a chance that Florida could get him back. Florida needs to get an established coach quickly, or some of those top recruits might start to bail. Maybe Tebow will be available.

Music City Bowl; Kentucky v. Clemson: This poses to be a better game than some people think. Kentucky brings a stout defense into Nashville, that has one unfortunate weakness. Kentucky struggles to stop the run. The Wildcats have given up an average of 181 yards per game, that is in the bottom 20 in the nation. That is not a good thing since Clemson is bringing all-purpose machine C.J. Spiller into Nashville with them. This morning Clemson suspended 4 players, for breaking curfew. This unneeded distraction does not bode well for a team that's biggest problem all year has been keeping their focus. Kentucky has a pretty good offense as well. Whether freshman quarterback Morgan Newton gets the start, he won five out of seven starts, or injured junior Mike Hartline comes back, this offense is highly productive. Kentucky's starting quarterback from last year, Randall "Tex" Cobb, has transitioned nicely into a dual threat role as a running back and receiver. However without their best defensive player, linebacker Sam Maxwell is out with a should injury, Kentucky will have a hard time containing C.J. Spiller and the Tiger offense. I am taking Clemson. So is everyone else.

Live like no one is watching and stay off the streets of Gainesville today!

Merry Christmas!

Well the presents are unwrapped, Santa has gone home, and there is an NFL game on the tube. I am really excited that I have moved up to .500 in the bowl picks. It looks like things are turning around for me. Nevada got blown out by SMU last night. The Wolfpack offense was completely ineffective without it's full arsenal of weapons. We have a full array of Saturday bowl games so we need to jump right in.

Little Caesars Bowl; Ohio v. Marshall: Marshall is probably the worst team in a bowl. The Herd have a great running game behind a good running back, Darius Marshall. The passing game started coming around late in the season for Marshall, but they still rely heavily on the running game. Ohio has a pretty good defense, in fact they lead Div I in turnovers. The Bobcats do have problems stopping the run however, which gives a sliver of hope to Marshall. I just think that the overall speed of Ohio will be too much. John is the only one that agrees with me. Jess, Lys, and Jason are taking Marshall.

Meineke Car Care Bowl; Pitt v. UNC: This will be the best game of the day. North Carolina has the sixth ranked total defense in the nation. The Tarheels are ninth against the run and 15th against the pass. They will need every bit of that defense to stop Panthers' quarterback Bill Stull, and running back Dion Lewis. Lewis is very possibly the best running back in the country. North Carolina has a pretty good offense. Quarterback T.J. Yates is improving every game. He will have to be running for his life, Pitt's defense has the most sacks in Div-I. I am taking Pitt, everyone is split on this one. Lys and John are taking Pitt, Jess and Jason are taking UNC.

Emerald Bowl; USC v. Boston College: Wow do we really have to pick this game. Both teams have inexperienced quarterbacks. Under all the rebuilding, USC is still USC. Everyone of us agree on this one.

Thanks for all of the positive feedback I have been getting. Keep your eyes peeled for my New Year's Revolution. Live like no one is watching and enjoy your long weekend.

That is that!

Has anyone been watching the Mountain West dominate in bowl games. It started with Wyoming beating Fresno State. This surprising win lead to some more dominant wins. BYU and Utah destroyed their Pac-10 opponents, including BYU beating the second place finisher in the Pac-10, Oregon State. Tonight's game doesn't involve any MWC team, but if it did I would pick 'em.

Hawaii Bowl; Nevada vs. Southern Methodists: On paper this one looks ugly. Nevada is the first DIV. I team to have three 1,000 yard rushers. Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a playmaker, he rushed for 1,160 yards this season, while passing for 1,875. He threw 19 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. Tailback Vai Taua, and utility back Luke Lippincott have both ran for over 1,000 yards as well. Nevada will be going up against a Southern Methodist defense that gave up 28 points per game and over 400 yards. Sounds like a perfect match-up for the Wolf-pack. But that is the great thing about bowl games, you have some mitigating factors. When this season started Mustang coach June Jones dedicated a run to the Hawaii bowl to his good friend, Frank Gansz. At SMU, Jones implemented his high powered spread offense that contributed to his success in Hawaii. The greatest thing for the Mustang offense is that Nevada's pass defense is one step above the worst. They are the second worst pass defense in Div-I. Also the SMU defense will get a little bit of a break because it looks like Nevada will be without 2 of their 3 1,000 yard rushers. Colin Kaepernick is the only one of the three that will be playing. I am taking SMU in the emotional win,John agrees but Jess, Lys, and Jason all think, Nevada will win.

Please enjoy your Christmas. Live like no one is watching and open all the presents you can, no matter who they are addressed to.

These are a few of my favorite things

The best thing about December is that there is football on almost everyday. That makes my life just a little more bearable. I am watching the Las Vegas Bowl now and BYU is simply dominating Oregon State. I really expected the defense of Oregon State to play a little better. Oregon State's cause isn't helped by the fact that their punter is averaging 6 yards per punt. Here's hoping that Oregon State pulls it out and gets me back to .500 in the bowl picks! Crap BYU just scored again! Ok here is tomorrow's game.

Poinsettia Bowl; Utah v. Cal: Both of these teams have to be disappointed with their seasons. Utah was coming off an undefeated season and a big bowl win over Alabama. Cal was ranked sixth in the nation before the wheels fell off. Cal closed it's regular season out with a devastating loss to Washington. Cal is a very inconsistent football team. They have looked great at times this season, but have looked awful a lot as well. Both teams will be looking to establish a running game. Cal is giving up almost 120 yards per game, and Utah's junior Eddie Wide is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. A running game for Cal would appear to be a bit of a problem with star running back Jahvid Best out for the bowl game with concussion symptoms. But his replacement has stepped in nicely, Shane Vereen has totaled 444 yards over the last four games of the season and the Utes' defense is giving up 141 yards rushing per game. Utah has great pass defense and Kevin Riley might be in trouble all day. I am taking Utah, they haven't lost a bowl game in 9 years and I don't think they start now. We are split on this one. Lys and John agree with me, and Jess and Jason are taking Cal.

Live like no one is watching and ignore your family and focus on football. Oh yeah and BYU is blowing out Oregon State!

Already?

It is hard to believe that no fantasy football wasn't the worst thing that happened to me this weekend when it comes to the NFL. No my Broncos had to one up my awful fantasy luck and lose to the Oakland Raiders, yes those Oakland Raiders. So out of respect for my Broncos, I will refrain from talking about the NFL.

In last night's bowl game, Middle Tennessee State beat Southern Miss. The two teams put up some great numbers. I really thought that MTSU would play better defense, it seemed that they only played enough to win. There were a couple of cool things that happened last night that might've gone unnoticed. First, Southern Miss senior running back Damion Fletcher reached 1,000 years for the fourth time in his college career. That is 1,000 yards every year he played college football. He is the ninth player in college football history to achieve this feat, joining my good friend Dontrelle Moore. Second, the last snap of last night's game was taking by MTSU senior quarterback, Michael Cannon. Cannon was replaced this season by sophomore Dwight Dasher. After being benched Cannon took his role as leader and mentor seriously. He helped the athletic Dasher develop as a passer and had a lot to do with the success of the team. MTSU won the bowl game and it was a great one to watch. Now on to tomorrow's game and it is a whopper!

MAACO Bowl; Oregon State v. BYU: I have to calm down about this one or I might actually hyperventilate. It is very rare that we get a game this good this early. At least on paper this looks like a great ball game. This will be a strange one to say the least. Oregon State struggles against physical teams and their defense has been suspect at times. The Beaver defense did play well against Oregon and kept them in that game for a while. BYU strugglest against speedy teams. It is the reason that a mediocre Florida State team demolished the Cougars earlier in the season, and the reason they got beat up by TCU. BYU has the better defense in my opinion, but something tells me that Oregon State will win this game. Jess agrees with my but Lys and John are going against the grain and possibly staging a coup. OK maybe not but they are picking BYU.

I am really excited about tomorrow's bowl game. I am also worried about my Broncos clinging on to the final wildcard spot. Live like no one is watching and let the countdown continue!

Almost too much!

Well the first Saturday of the bowl season has finally wound down. But there was a little more going on than just the first two bowl games in Division I. You knew it was going to be a wild Saturday when the first scheduled game of the day was postponed due to snow. We had multiple overtimes and wild finishes. It was my kind of football day.

First off we must start off with some congratulations. Wisconsin Whitewater won the Stagg Bowl over MT Union College for the Div III National Championship. It was definitely a game worth the wait. The postponement didn't hurt the performance of these two prominent football programs. Once again congratulations to Wisconsin Whitewater.

The first of the two bowl games today was full of surprises and excitement. A young Wyoming team beat a very talented Fresno State team in double overtime. The Cowboys of Wyoming were prepared for the onslaught of Fresno offense. Wyoming played better on defense than anyone expected. Not to mention the Wyoming quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels played lights out. I watched him play in person earlier this year and was astounded at his athletic ability. Wyoming might have set the table to be a force in a very tough Mountain West Conference. In the St. Petersburg bowl, Rutgers dominated for most of the game. I really thought that Central Florida would have looked hungrier than they did. Rutgers brought the wood on defense and shut down a very talented Knights offense. Rutgers linebacker Demaso Munoz ran an onside kick back for the game icing touchdown. It was still a great game and fun to watch!

The NFL also provided us with some drama. The undefeated Saints met the forlorn December Cowboys. But as Wyoming proved earlier in the day, it was the day for Cowboys. The key for today was that Tony Romo played damn near perfect. With all of their talent, the Saints made it a game late after the Cowboys dominated most of the game. But in the end the Cowboys ruined or chance at a perfect Super Bowl match-up, but possibly saved Wade Phillips' job. I know the Cowboys lost last week, but this is not the same Cowboys. Tony Romo hasn't thrown an interception in his las three games.

We must move on to tomorrows bowl game:

New Orleans Bowl; Southern Mississippi v. Middle Tennessee State: This is another great match-up. Both of these teams are almost identical on offense. Both teams have high-powered spreads that can put up points. Unfortunately Southern Miss struggles against tough defenses and Mid Tenn State has a good defense. MTSU is fourth in the country averaging a little over 3 sacks per game. We all know the old cliche; Defense wins championships. I am taking MTSU. So are Lys and John.

Also watch some NFL football tomorrow, even if your fantasy football team didn't make the playoffs. Live like no one is watching.

Let's go bowling!

The Bowl Season gets kicked off tomorrow with the New Mexico Bowl and the St Petersburg Bowl. Can you feel the excitement. Are you starting to salivate. I know I am. The New Mexico Bowl will be great. But before we get into the Div-I bowl games we have some props to distribute and a heads up to the Div III football championship.

For those of you who missed it, top ranked Montana took on third place Villanova for the Div-IAA national championship. This was the second consecutive year Montana has been in the National Championship and the 5th time this decade. Montana set a record by making the play-offs for the 17th straight year. This game ended the same as last year's championship, with the Montana Grizzlies losing. Villanova held off the fierce Grizzly comeback to win their first ever Div. IAA National Championship.

Tomorrow is the 38th playing of the Stagg Bowl, the Div.III National Championship game. It will place two perennial powerhouses head to head. Mount Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater will battle for the top spot. Mount Union has played in twelve of the last 16 Stagg Bowls. These two teams are quite familiar with one another. They have faced off in the last four with Mount Union winning three of those contests. Mount Union is 10 and 2 in the last 12 championship games they have played in. This will be fun to watch because it will be played in heavy snow. Hope you get a chance to see it!

Now on to the two games from the DIV-I:

New Mexico Bowl; Wyoming v. Fresno State: Wyoming unfortunately have bit off more than they can chew. The Cowboys are a young football team with a tough freshman quarterback. But their offense will not be the focal point of this game. Can their defense stop arguably the best back in the NCAA. Fresno State running back, Ryan Mathews lead the nation in rushing yards per game including 235 yards against a very good Boise State defense. If you remember that is the same defense that shut down the high-powered Oregon offense. Wyoming is an emerging team in a very tough Mountain West but I think the running game of Fresno will be just too much. I am taking Fresno State. Lys took Wyoming because she loves cowboys and John took Fresno. (Jess didn't get her picks in by publication time, but I will have them before game time.)

St Petersburg Bowl; Central Florida v. Rutgers: This is a match-up of two very similar teams. Both offenses can put up points but both teams are very inconsistent. UCF has a strong running game and slightly better defense. Rutgers can score a lot of points in a hurry, but freshman quarterback Tom Savage has been known to make big mistakes in key points in the game. This will be a better game than the New Mexico Bowl. I am taking Central Florida, so is Lys. John is taking Rutgers.

Enjoy the start to the bowl season, and if your up sneak a peek at the Div-III championship game. Live like no one is watching, and enjoy your Saturday.

Regretfully.....

Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, passed away last night after falling out of a moving truck bed. This hits me particularly hard. I missed the opportunity to praise Mr. Henry, after I have spent a long time calling him a thug and a waste of a roster space. Something different happened this year with Chris Henry and I conveniently overlooked the chance to prove I was wrong.

From 2006-2008 Chris Henry had been suspended for 14 games. He was a constant distraction and I took advantage of the situation to point out what is wrong with men in professional sports. But at that point Henry was only 23-25 years old. But when he re-signed with the Bengals earlier this year I said nothing. When it was obvious that Chris had changed off the field, avoiding trouble and raising his kids, I said nothing. When his performance on the field lived up to the expectations of his talent, I said nothing.

Chris Henry proved everything that I try to preach to young people. You can change your life with some hard-work, and some personal sacrifice. I am ashamed of myself mostly that, while I am quick to jump on the hate-wagon when these guys mess up, but my words are completely absent when they do the right thing. It is despicable considering i counsel young men to do their best to be positive. It is sad to see the young man pass away. I am not sure of all the details, but Chris Henry was on the right track with his whole life ahead of him. Hopefully his family will be comforted in this moment of sadness. He truly took full advantage of his opportunities, and he changed his life.

Live like no one is watching, and take every opportunity to praise the good, and skip some of the opportunity to tear some down, because you may end up eating crow!

Wait, did I miss something....again?

Another weekend went by, and the best thing about it is that it brought us closer to the bowl season. I was somewhat surprised by the Heisman finish, unfortunately it wasn't the pleasant surprise I was hoping for, but we will get to that later. The worst part about my life is that the weekends are crazy busy and I rarely get to speak to you all about them until Tuesday. But here we go. A weekend of sports all wrapped up in a beautiful Hanukkah bow!

Just in case you were wondering what amazing football game that was being played on ESPN before the Heisman presentation. It was the DIV I-AA semifinal between Appalachian State and Montana. It was as good as I expected with Montana pulling out the win. This sets up the Championship game between Montana and Villanova. The number one and number two seed in the playoffs. Funny how playoffs get that accomplished. In Division II Northwest Missouri Bearcats won the National Championship game over Grand Valley State. Navy was also a big winner over the weekend, beating Army in the most fun rivalry game to watch.

Now on to the Heisman. It was no secret that I was rooting for Toby Gerhart, with Ndamukong Suh a close second. I truly believed that everyone in the room that night deserved the Heisman. With all of my rooting I truly expected the award to go to Colt McCoy. He was America's sweetheart, the shunned super star who finally makes good. After he took home almost every available award on Thursday, I thought naturally he would finish off his weekend with a Heisman. But instead Alabama finally got a Heisman winner, the first in their history. Mark Ingram stood up and accepted the award and I was immediately a fan. His gratitude and emotion was so strong. His speech was phenomenal. He was humble and articulate. He understood better than anyone the prestige of the award and the class that it put him in. There is no doubt he deserved and I will not argue with the verdict.

My excitement for the NFL is building, despite the fact that I am forlorn, my fantasy failed to make the play-offs for the 5th year in a row. I am excited about the possibility of two teams going undefeated through-out the regular season and hopefully meeting in the Super Bowl. The '72 Dolphins would be sweating in hopes that the whole thing got cancelled, if both the Colts and the Saints are undefeated in February. I of course couldn't get to excited about this until the Colts finished this weekend's game. My Broncos put up a fight but couldn't mount the comeback. I just hope that Denver can get into the play-offs. The NFL is starting to shake-out and the final reservations for the play-offs are looking more clear. Some things are the same as every December, Dallas can't win, San Diego can't lose. December starts my favorite part of the NFL season, from the stretch through the play-offs we finally get to see what these guys are made of.

Well that is that. Oh yeah, Tiger Woods is taking indefinite time off from golf. Some of his sponsors are bailing and more to follow. But from a sports perspective that is about all that matters. B.J.Penn beat up a guy in UFC 3,000 or whatever. Life is good in sports as the most important few months start. From the college football bowl season and the NFL play-offs right into March Madness and the NBA Finals it is the best time of the year, oh yeah and some holidays. Live like no one is watching and clear your TiVo, just in case your busy.

16 more days until the kick-off of my new website.

Bye-Bye Brian Kelly!

Brian Kelly reported to work today and found that he wasn't going to a BCS bowl game, he didn't have an undefeated team, or a shot at finishing. Brian Kelly is no longer the coach at undefeated Cincinnati, he is now the coach at Notre Dame. And to tell you the truth I am utterly disappointed, both in Brian Kelly and the University of Notre Dame.

Let's start with Brian Kelly. He left Cincinnati for no more than selfish reasons. The unfortunate part of this is that he left these young men just weeks before the biggest game in school history. It is a sticky situation for a college coach and taking his "next job". I understand that there was no other choice for Notre Dame, they needed to fill their vacant coaching position for recruiting purposes. But I think that Kelly could've told his kids from the beginning of the process that he would leave. Which is where I think he handled it wrong. He was shy about it to the media and to the team. He can jerk around the media as much as he wants but he owed his team the respect to be up front with them. It is apparent to me that he didn't do that. The reaction from his players today told the story. These young men felt saddened and stunned.But whoever was interviewing these kids got their cameras on the right person to respond to the situation, Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard. I have said on numerous occasions that Gilyard is one of the best interviews in all of sports. And he says that the city of Cincinnati should not be worried because "we (the team) still got you Cincinnati.

Notre Dame needed a coach, and they got a good one. But they made a big mistake in what kind of coach they hired. The Irish hired a coach that knows a lot about the offense. He has built an almost unstoppable offense at his previous stop in Cincinnati. But the Irish are badly in need of some more top defensive talent. In Wies's tenure at Notre Dame, the Irish recruited one top defensive recruit. Kelly should put recruiting on hold until he hires a defensive coordinator.

I don't live in a fairy tale. I knew that Kelly was going to take this job and knew he had to start now. But it is sad and unnerving to see him leave at such a pivotal moment for a program that he built from scratch. I would've really enjoyed to see him finish this mission all the way to the end. Live like no one is watching and remember, the toughest decisions to make are also the hardest to justify.

Soooo.....Suh, me?

It started as a whisper in the plains of Nebraska after the Cornhuskers started 4-1. In those 5 games a name started forming on the lips of Heisman voters. It was a name very few could pronounce and no one could spell. The man with the impossible name had 32 tackles, 15 of them solo tackles. He had 2 sacks and one interception. That faint whisper heard in the mid-west has now become a violent uproar after the Big 12 championship game. The man with the name had 12 tackles, 10 of them solo and four sacks. This man's name is Ndamukong Suh and he is a Heisman Finalist.

The Heisman Trophy has never been won by a defensive player. ( I know that Charles Woodson won the Heisman as a defensive back. But he was also a return man and played receiver. ) If Suh won the Heisman it would be an epic turn in college football thinking. I am a victim of the same thinking that has kept a defensive player from winning the Heisman. I have argued for players like Toby Gerhart and Kellen Moore. Never once did I give a thought to Suh as a Heisman Trophy candidate. I figured that it was good enough that he sweep all of the defensive awards. But it is not. I learned that in the Big 12 championship game. Suh took over and willed his team. The Blackshirt defense played inspired and there was no question who was leading it. It seemed as if Suh was in on every play. He made a believer out of me and apparently the rest of the nation as well.

There are thousands of websites that predict and track the Heisman votes. Voters often converse with each other after they vote and these conversations get leaked. The people who know what they are talking about at stiffarmtrophy.com have Suh in the lead. According to Tim Colishaw , a Dallas Morning News sports writer, via a tweet by Jemele Hill, an ESPN contributor and great twitter follow, stiffarmtrophy.com has predicted the Heisman winner the last seven years. That is a pretty big boost of confidence for the defensive tackle from Nebraska.

I still believe that Toby Gerhart deserves the Heisman. But I am amazed at the groundswell of support and votes for the defensive lineman. Make sure you all tune in to the Heisman presentation show, because you may see history. Live like no one is watching and defensive tackles are Heisman candidates too!

BCS minus the C

There are 5 undefeated teams left in the DivI-A and only two of them have a chance to win a BCS national Championship. I really believe that all adds up to playoffs, but hey that is an argument for another post. The real catastrophe here is the way the BCS bowl games were set up. It is unfortunate some of the match-ups we will have to endure and some of the questions that will still be unanswered.

The BCS may have blown it big time this year. Even some of the computer system's biggest supporters are starting to wonder. First of all I must start with a disclaimer. I have never been a fan of the BCS so this post might contain just a small amount of bias. I think the BCS system had to put Texas and Alabama in the National Championship game. Two teams ranked in the top 5 in the country all year and coming from automatic qualifying conferences go undefeated, it seems like a no brainer. But there are three other undefeated teams. Of them, TCU has an impressive resume, Cincinnati is also from a BCS conference, and Boise State has arguably one of the best offenses in the nation. All of them are deserving of at least a shot. (You know like in a playoff.) But that doesn't happen. Instead we get Iowa and Georgia Tech in the game I have dubbed the Boring Bowl. We get a rematch of the Poinsettia Bowl from last year. (Another disclaimer here. This will very likely be the best bowl game of the season. These two teams deserve to be in the BCS hunt, and match-up well. But by matching these two teams against each other the BCS has given itself an out by not allowing them to play automatic conference schools. This is no knock on the game itself but on the motive that is possibly behind it for the BCS.) The National Championship game had better be a good-on or on January 8th all heck might break loose.

I think one of things that the BCS did get right was the Sugar Bowl match-up. Cincinnati and Florida are two great offenses and one great defense. I know that Cincinnati is giving up over 130 yards per game rushing but, as John so aptly pointed out, the Bearcats have a month to sure up and prepare for one team. Both of these offenses can put up a ton of points, and both of them are great on special teams. If Boise and TCU weren't playing for the Underdog of the Year, this might be the best BCS bowl game. Or it could be a blowout.

I could take a ton of shots at the BCS. But I won't. (Mostly because I do it everyday in abundance!) The truth is I am not sure how else, based on the current system, we could've set these games up. The only other option is a playoff. Live like no one is watching, consider the options and choose the one that makes you the most money. Think about it you could very well use this method to pick the National Champion of college football!

UMM.....WOW!

If you missed today's college football, you missed something amazing! There was drama and passion, and even an ass whipping. I can say this, nothing played out the way I thought it would. I know that is a sad admission because some of you hold me in high esteem as an expert. But this week was utter madness and I wouldn't have it any other way. But with all of the excitement, I find myself owing an apology to Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy. He took the team on his back, despite the big day Ingram had, and did his job. I am absolutely astounded at the way this day turned out.

It all started Thursday with the "Civil War". What a precursor to a weekend that game was. Watching the Cincinnati and Pittsburgh game this morning I knew we were in for something special. Even Conference USA got in on the party with a great finish in their championship game. But Cincinnati looked beat against a strong Pitt defense. But as great teams often do, Cinci got it together and came back and won the Big East championship. Not to mention Pitt did something weird on their extra point. There were a lot of missed extra points today. The question is; did Cincinnati do enough to make a stink in the BCS? Second question; will Chip Kelly take the Notre Dame job if the Bearcats do not get into the National Championship game? I can say one thing for sure, when it comes to the BCS we know nothing.

The SEC championship game was a tragedy. Alabama racked up over 400 yards and 30 points on the nation's top defense. Florida looked uninspired for the entire game. I couldn't figure it out. Even down 21 you kept looking for Tebow to will this team to victory. It just never happened. The Gators never got on track. It was sickening, but more sickening is that we may have to see it again. That's right the BCS could still put Florida in the National Championship game.

The Big 12 championship went exactly how Nebraska needed it to. To win this game Nebraska had to dominate on defense and they did. Texas looked awful. Mack Brown said it best after the game, "They just whipped us." If this is what Texas looks like against top notch defenses I definitely don't want to see them against Alabama. Texas caught a couple of breaks late on the last drive. The Nebraska kicker kicks the ball out of bounds on the kickoff. Then on the very next play Jordan Shipley gets horse collared. But the final play where the referees went to the replay booth to put the second back on the clock was huge. The call was right, but McCoy just got lucky! Hopefully Texas played bad enough to get jumped by TCU.

The ACC championship game was another great team. Clemson and Georgia Tech kept answering every score. I truly believe that C.J. Spiller earned Tebow, or McCoy's spot in New York for the Heisman. Georgia Tech won the ACC but not without a fight. It will be interesting to see how they do in their bowl game. Whom ever they play will have a month to prepare for that option offense. Can they dominate with a whole month focused solely on them?

In other news around college football there was some more wildness. Fresno State and Illinois had the most interesting game that any Big 10 team has played this year and was won when an offensive lineman caught a deflected pass and scored the game winning two-point conversion, Cal got destroyed by Washington (yes that Washington), UConn won in the final seconds over USF, and Boise State beat up on New Mexico State to finish undefeated for the second straight year. This will go down as probably the best weekend in college football this season. Jess and I tied in the picks at 6-4. John finished 5-5 and assured he will get his T-shirt for the regular season picks. Lys finished 4-6. I hope you saw it. Live like no one is watching and if you nickname is "Size" you should get to catch more passes.

Keep your eyes peeled for the new fully functional website coming January 1st. Let's change the sports information world! Move over ESPN! Now for the final BUS top 25 of the regular season

1. Alabama
2. TCU
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. Boise
6. Florida
7. Oregon
8. Georgia Tech
9. Ohio State
10. Penn State
11. Virginia Tech
12. Iowa
13. LSU
14. BYU
15. Stanford
16. Miami
17. Pitt
18. Central Michigan
19. Oklahoma State
20. West Virginia
21. Utah
22. Oregon State
23. Houston
24. Arizona
25. Nebraska

Visions of trophies dance in my head!

It is finally here! I am so giddy I can't sleep. I keep getting out of bed and checking my 42 inch HD television to see if it has started yet. It is Championship weekend kiddos! It kicked off with a great one on Thursday. The Oregon and Oregon State showdown was classic with Oregon squeaking out the victory in a barn burner. Tonight Central Michigan won the MAC championship with a win over Ohio. If you haven't seen Dan Lefevour play quarterback, watch him in his bowl game. Lefevour set a record with 148 career touchdowns. That's right not Tim Tebow, not Colt McCoy, Central Michigan Chippewas' quarterback Dan Lefevour. With Saturday approaching we are now down to the nitty gritty!

Cincinnati at Pitt- We start with the Big East Championship game. This is the first time the in it's short history that the Big East has had a single game decide the fate of it's champion. There is a lot on the line in this one, Pitt has a shot at a BCS bowl and Cincinnati has a shot at the National Championship. Pitt has a distinct advantage on defense. The Panthers also have the advantage in the running game. Freshman running back Dion Lewis will have a chance for a big game against this Cinci defense. In their past three wins, the Bearcats have given up and average of 191 yards on the ground per game. But this Cinci defense will be put to the test through the air too. Panther quarterback Brent Stull is surrounded by weapons. The upside is that the Bearcat offense is virtually unstoppable. Tony Pike will be back under center for the Cinci but they will mix in packages for mobile back-up Zach Colaros. Either quarterback will have the security of throwing to Rudy Gilyard, one of the best receivers in the NCAA. If Pitt's defense steps up it could be a long day for the Bearcats. If it turns into a shoot out you had better hold on. Pitt struggles with speedy offenses and that is the reason I am taking Cincinnati. John is tagging along with me but Jess and Lys are taking Pitt.

Florida vs. Alabama- Two of the nation's top defenses will face off for the SEC championship again. Heisman hopeful Mark Ingram will be going up against a very physical defense which has proven to be a problem for the Alabama running back. He had less than stellar performances against Tennessee and Auburn. However the stout Florida defense will be without one of it's best players, Carlos Dunlap. Dunlap was suspended after being arrested for DUI. That is a side note however. Florida's offense has also struggled against physical defenses similar to Alabama's. The conservative style of offense they used to beat Tennessee and LSU may not be the answer against the Tide. Alabama is strong up front and can shut down the quick-hitting running game of Florida. For Florida to win they must shut Ingram down and force quarterback Greg McElroy to beat the Gators' talented defensive secondary. If this becomes a quarterback battle the edge has to go to Tim Tebow and Florida. I am taking Florida along with everyone else.

Texas vs Nebraska- This is the Big 12 championship game. We all know about the drive of Colt McCoy and the athleticism of Jordan Shipley. The Texas offense has an uncanny chemistry. The Longhorn defense is nothing to take lightly either. Nebraska has built a program based on defense and this year is no different. Ndamukong Suh leads the charge on a defense full of passionate kids. What you might not know about Nebraska is that they are ranked 11th in total offense. This is a very complete Cornhusker football team. The offense is lead by two great running backs in Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu. Nebraska quarterback Zack Lee is efficient and smart. This will be a better game than most people expect. I am taking Texas. My supportive teams of experts agree.

Georgia Tech vs. Clemson- The ACC championship game is a rematch of one of the year's wildest match-ups. Heisman hopeful C.J. Spiller has willed this Clemson team to this game. This Clemson team ran all over the place on this YellowJacket defense. Georgia Tech is improving on defense but the opportunities are still there for Clemson to take advantage of mismatches. Both teams are looking to bounce back from losses last week in Rivalry Week. I believe in Josh Nesbitt and Jonathon Dwyer in this triple option of Georgia Tech's. C.J. Spiller will be the X-factor, his play will determine the direction of Clemson. I am taking Georgia Tech. Lys agrees, and Jess took GT even though it ripped her heart out. John is still backing Clemson.

Houston at East Carolina- The Conference USA championship pits a great defense against a great offense. ECU was my favorite underdog last year and Houston is my favorite underdog this year, very convenient right? Cougar quarterback Case Keenum is a heckuva football player. He leads a very high-powered Houston offense into the teeth of arguably on of the best defenses he has faced this year. The Pirates defense has the opportunity to keep this close but I am taking Houston. John and Jess agree but Lys has a weird things for Pirates and took ECU.

We are picking four other games that are not championships games. In the USC at Arizona game I am taking USC. John and Lys agree but Jess took Arizona. In West Virginia at Rutgers, John Jess and I took WVU, Lys took Rutgers. South Florida and UConn square off as well. John and I are taking UConn. Lys and Jess took South Florida. Next up is Cal at Washington. John, Lys, and I are taking Cal, but Jess is picking the upset and taking Washington.

I am super excited about this weekend. If Florida wins and Texas and Cincinnati lose, TCU has a great chance to play for the National Championship. So despite my picks I will be rooting for Pitt and Nebraska! Live like no one is watching and lean toward the outside chance!

Rosey condition!

I couldn't be more excited for tonight's game in Eugene, Oregon. This is a winner take all battle for the Pac-10 title and a birth in the Rose Bowl, not to mention it doesn't involve the USC Trojans. The game kicks off championship weekend and ends the seven years domination of USC on the Pac-10. So here is the break down of tonight's game and the kick-off of what will be a fantastic college football weekend.

Oregon State at Oregon- This is not a new situation for the Oregon State Beavers. Last year headed into the Oregon "Civil War" the Beavers where in the driver's seat for the Pac-10 championship. A win and they were in. But that was when the wheels fell off for Oregon State. Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks rolled into Corvailles and blew the doors off the Beavers. Masoli and the high powered Oregon offense racked up 65 points and 694 points in total offense. The worst part for Oregon State is that Oregon is the same offense. But the Beavers were missing two key components in the offense that carried them all year. Brothers Jacquizz and James Rodgers were both out with injury. They were the cornerstones for a dominant offense. Both brothers are happy and healthy and Jacquizz is the second leading rusher in the Pac-10. In fact their is a Beaver in the top 2 of every offensive category in the conference. But offense wasn't the problem last year and it won't be the problem tonight. It is defense. Oregon will be able to impose their will on the defense of the Beavers. It will be a shoot out again but I am taking Oregon. Lys, Jess, and John all agree.

There is also an NFL game on tonight. It is the Bills and the Jets, and it is being played in Toronto. The Bills are improving and the Jets seem to be regressing. It will be an interesting match-up. Live like no one is watching and enjoy the early weekend of football!

Wait what happened?

Another sports day was dominated by something that has nothing to do with sports. I don't care that Tiger cheated on his wife or with who. That is his business and doesn't make him any more or less of a golfer. But with the Tiger obsession going nuts, there were some great sports stories that were missed. So as is my duty I am going to give you a few real sports stories.

Roy Jones Jr. is knocked out in the first round: Last night in Sydney Australia 40 year old Roy Jones Jr. was TKO'd in two minutes and two seconds in a bout against Danny Green. Jones was once considered the greatest pound for pound fighter of my life time, but is now a shell of his former self. The fight was embarrassing and sad. I knew he was over the hill, but I thought maybe he might have one more fight left in him. I was wrong.

Floyd Mayweather agrees to terms to fight Manny Pacquio: The hardest part about securing boxing mega-fights is getting the fighters to agree to the money issue. At least part of that is accomplished. This fight is great for boxing from a profit standpoint. The fact is however Pacquio will destroy Mayweather and prove further that boxing is dying.

Allen Iverson agrees to one year contract with Sixers: Allen Iverson signs a one year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and ends his two week retirement. It is great to see Iverson return to place it all started. But after all of the injured play return there will be no place for Iverson again, and he will continue to be unhappy.

Bobby Bowden asks to play his final bowl game in Florida: With his retirement looming, Bobby Bowden has requested that his team be granted the ACC's spot in the Gator Bowl. The ACC will have to make a decision on the coveted spot in the Gator Bowl. I say go ahead and grant Bobby this. The ACC is a basketball conference, this would be a horrible time for them to start taking football seriously.

There were tons of other great headlines on Wednesday. I really want you all to read through the lines and past the nonsense to see them. I mean Gary Patterson is staying at TCU and Ron Artest is chugging Hennessay at half-time. That trumps Tiger's infidelities any day. Live like no one is watching and remember, it is not always our business.

Weekend wrap-up!

The weekend in sports ended with a big bang. I hope that everyone got to see the high powered New Orleans offense and stingy defense destroy the New England Patriots. In a weekend dominated by a Tiger Wood's car crash, there were some great story lines developing. So let's jump right in!

I am finally getting excited about the NFL. As pro football rolls into December this is when the paycheck collectors start playing the game with a sense of something else other than "look at me." The biggest story in the NFL is the two undefeated teams, the Colts and the Saints. This is the latest into the season that we have ever had two undefeated teams. The craziest thing about it is that I don't think either of them will lose. The Steelers and the Ravens played on Sunday and I was extremely impressed with how second year quarterback Dennis Dixon played in relief of Ben Roethlisberger. I can easily say that I have never seen a young quarterback play that well against the dominating Raven's defense. Other than that the NFL didn't have much to offer. As I mentioned a few days ago the Broncos finally got another win, but the downside to that is San Diego is playing lights out. It is going to be a great December.

Just as the NFL heats up, college football is starting to wind down. We are down now to the last two weeks in the regular season, with the only game next week being the Army-Navy game. As the bowl games shape-up the Heisman Race is starting to look jumbled and confusing. I think the leaders out in front now are Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore. Unfortunately for both of these gentlemen will not win. (Maybe Gerhart has an outside chance, but I doubt it.) The reasons being that Stanford didn't win enough and Boise State is not in a "quality conference." Other dark horses are Ndonkong Suh from Nebraska, and "Mount" Cody from Alabama. Both play defensive line and have been as important to their teams, as any other players in the country. But the obvious leaders are Mark Ingram of Alabama, Colt McCoy from Texas, and Tim Tebow of Florida. Tons of Heisman voters and fans have said that if Tebow has a big game against Alabama he might win the Heisman based on that game alone. For me it is Gerhart hands down. This weekend in college football was full of inner-state rivals. The funniest thing about this rivalry weekend was that the underdog won the majority of those games. TCU is in the clubhouse with an undefeated season and a guarantee at a BCS bowl game. Now here is the top 25:

1. Texas
2. TCU
3. Florida
4. Alabama
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
7. Oregon
8. Ohio State
9. Georgia Tech
10. Penn State
11. Virginia Tech
12. Iowa
13. LSU
14. Pitt
15. BYU
16. Oregon State
17. Stanford
18. Miami
19. Houston
20. Central Michigan
21. Cal
22. Oklahoma State
23. Nebraska
24. West Virginia
25. Utah

In other sports headlines two college football teams will have new head coaches prowling the sidelines next year. Notre Dame fired Charlie Weiss and have begun the search for a new coach. Also Florida State head coach, Bobby Bowden, is reportedly ready to announce his retirement. The Seminoles already have their head coach lined up, Jimbo Fisher has been on staff for a while now. In a strange sports headline, former Olympic sprinter, and cheater, Marion Jones has announced that she will try out for the WNBA. Jones was a member of the North Carolina women's basketball team and even drafted into the WNBA in 2003. She has aged slightly and has been in prison for a while. But there is no doubt she is a talented athlete.

Well that is all for today. In the picks this weekend Jess and I tied for the lead at 7-3. John and Lys went a respectful 6-4. The overall standings with 11 games to pick in the regular season go like this:

Lys: 71-61

Jess: 67-43

John:79-43

Nate: 83-49

Live like no one is watching and the countdown begins. 31 days!