Did He Just Say That?

Watching the LSU-Arkansas game, and there was a game break of a Wisconsin highlight. Steve Beuerlein just said, and I quote, "Yea, it will really work in Wisconsin's favor if they can beat that Northwestern team." Really, Steve? Really?

#2 Auburn 28, #11 Alabama 27

I would wait to talk about this until my weekend recap, but good heavens, I cannot wait to bash the Tide in this pathetic performance. They get up 24-0 and for all intensive purposes, this game was over. Then, when they got in the red zone, they decided they did not need touchdowns, but field goals would do fine. It was absolutely pathetic. I am so disappointed in Alabama, and especially Nick Saban. This was the worst 3-quarter performance I have ever seen from a Nick Saban team. It was as if they decided that 24-0 was enough and they did not need to do anything else. You cannot let that happen as a coach, and for that, I am extremely disappointed in Saban. Auburn will now play in the national championship, and they do not even deserve it because they have been outplayed in multiple games this year. Boise, Oregon, and TCU have never been outplayed, not even close. I am so disappointed, have I mentioned that? This was pitiful and Saban, whom I regard as one of the best coaches in the game, is responsible. Also, CBS gave the player of the game award to Cam Newton, good heavens. Has any network ever put together a better Heisman campaign than CBS has for Newton? He was 13 of 20 for 216 and had only 39 rushing yards. McElroy, despite the loss had ridiculously better numbers. What a joke, anyways, Go Gamecocks next week.

Weekend Preview

Since it is more, much more, than just Saturday, here are my predictions for all the big matchups this weekend...

#17 Texas A&M travels to Austin to take on the Longhorns on thanksgiving night. A&M is red hot, winning five straight, and Texas has lost 3 home games to three extremely mediocre teams. However, this is a rivalry game, so you can throw out all the records and stats, this will be a ballgame, trust me on that one, but Aggies will pull it out late. #17 Texas A&M 23, Texas 16

#2 Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa for what is not only their toughest test of their final 2 games, but the toughest test of their season against #11 and defending national champion Alabama. Auburn has struggled on the road, but they also have had 2 weeks to prepare for this game. Bama played on Thursday, but it was against Georgia St, so I guarantee they had been practicing their Auburn gameplan all week. Anyways, Bama at home is the difference here in a close game, maybe the game of the year. #11 Alabama 34, #2 Auburn 28

#21 Arizona travels to Eugene to face the high-flying offense of the #1 Oregon Ducks. Oregon struggled in their last game as someone finally found a way to slow them down. Chip Kelly, though, is one of the best coaches in the business, and he will find a way to turn that around. Arizona has struggled of late, losing 2 straight and 3 of 6. It may be close for a little while, but Oregon pulls away in the second half #1 Oregon 45, #21 Arizona 29

#4 Boise State travels to Reno to play #19 Nevada in its toughest game since early September. The reason Nevada will be able to stay in it is because of their run game. Boise is absolutely the better squad, and in my opinion, THE BEST TEAM IN THE NATION(yea, i said it), but the best team does not always win. Nevada will be able to burn some clock on some touchdown drives with the run game, but it will not quite be enough to knock off Kellen Moore and the Broncos. #4 Boise St 41, #19 Nevada 26

In what is a game with almost definite BCS implications, #12 Arkansas defends its home turf against #5 LSU. The annual battle for the Golden Boot should be fantastic this year, as both teams are very good. LSU has found its stride on offense in recent weeks, and is still playing solid defense, while Arkansas has found their defense and is still playing good offense. I will take Arkansas, simply because I think LSU is very overrated. #12 Arkansas 31, #5 LSU 26

#13 Oklahoma travels to Stillwater to face #9 Oklahoma St is what is almost, almost, a de facto Big 12 South title game. Oklahoma has struggled on the road, while Oklahoma St has been less impressive at home than they have on the road. The Pokes will need Blackmon to have quite a game, and Weeden to not make mistakes, and I think they will get it. #9 Oklahoma St 37, #13 Oklahoma 35

Saturday Recap

I was 2 for 3 on my picks of the big games this weekend, but luckily, I was wrong on the Nebraska game. It was a very good saturday of college football, despite the fact that the top 4 teams were not in action...

#16 Virginia Tech 31, #24 Miami 17... Virginia Tech clinched the ACC Coastal division with this win, and continued their dominance of the Hurricanes. The 'Canes killed themselves, however, more than they were beaten by the Hokies. They had far too many penalties and turnovers, as well as a ton of dropped passes. However, after all that, they still had a chance to win in the 4th when Stephen Morris was picked off in Hokie territory. This Miami team has underachieved all year, and nothing has changed.

#9 Ohio St 20, #20 Iowa 17... The Buckeyes defense played another outstanding game, and somehow Terrelle Pryor was able to lead a game-winning drive in the final minutes. He is a terrible quarterback but somehow keeps winning. Iowa had this game locked up, but the defense again allowed the opponent to beat them in the final minutes, as the Hawkeyes suffered another heartbreak. This puts Ohio St in prime position for an at-large BCS bid, as their final game is against the defensively challenged Michigan Wolverines.

#19 Texas A&M 9, #8 Nebraska 6... This was my kind of football game. Old School, hard-nosed defense was at its finest. Is it safe to say yet that the Wrecking Crew is back?! If they can hold Texas mediocre offense down, I will say that it is time. More importantly, the Aggies, with their 5th straight win, and 2nd in 3 weeks over a top-10 team, stayed somewhat in the hunt for a Big 12 South Title. They need a lot of things to happen, but still, they stayed alive. They need Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma St and somehow jump the Cowboys and get within 1 spot of Oklahoma in the BCS Standings. It is a bigtime long shot considering OSU beat A&M and would be 10-2 to the Aggies 9-3, but still, it is the BCS. Nebraska shot themselves in the foot in this game with penalties, as they had 16 of them for over 140 yards. A&M plays Thursday in Austin against the Horns.

BCS Bowl Predictions:

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs TCU

Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska vs Pitt

Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs Ohio St

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Alabama

BCS Title Game: Boise St vs Oregon

Saturday Preview

It is not a great day in college football as far as the top 4 in the rankings go, but it still offers some solid matchups, 3 of which I will look at an predict today...

#16 Virginia Tech travels to Miami to take on the #24 Hurricanes. As much as I want to pick my 'Canes, who have been playing much better since the injury to Harris, I just cannot do it. Morris will be in as the starter again, but he is a freshman against a Bud Foster defense. The Miami defense has been playing very well of late, but so has the Virginia Tech offense. It should be a very good game. Prediction: #16 Virginia Tech 26, #24 Miami 24

#9 Ohio St travels to Iowa City to take on #20 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are coming off a loss at Northwestern, and Ohio St is coming off a beatdown of Penn St. Ohio St has been playing extremely well since the loss at Wisconsin, but Kirk Ferentz is a very good coach in big games. Stanzi is having a great year and has great receivers to throw to as well as solid backs. However, Ohio St is just much too talented, especially at the skill positions. Prediction: #9 Ohio St 34, #20 Iowa 24

The final game I will look at is #8 Nebraska traveling to College Station and Kyle Field to take on the #19 Texas A&M Aggies. This will be a fascinating game, with two very contrasting styles of play. Nebraska likes to pound the ball and play hard-nosed defense, while the Aggies love to air it out and play so-so defense. However, the Aggies have been committing to the run game lately, which has given them a huge lift. Nebraska's fantastic road offense will be too much for A&M to overcome though, and the Huskers will win. Prediction: #8 Nebraska 31, #19 Texas A&M 21

Marathon Recap

And so, as quickly as it began, the marathon is over. It was a great day filled with everything anyone could have wanted in a 25 hour college basketball marathon. Here is the rundown of the day...

Big Winners: Ohio St- this team showed they are not only among the elite in the conference but are among the top 4 or 5 in the nation as well. they were very impressive yesterday.

St Mary's-They were able to beat a decent Big East team, and showed that, despite the loss of Omar Samhan, they are ready to contend for a WCC title and another trip to the Big Dance.

Louisville-This team showed they are a little bit disrespected getting picked to finish 10th in a so-so Big East. They are very talented, but also very young. They looked great last night but we must continue to follow the young team's progress to see if theyre for real.

San Diego St-You dont just waltz into the Kennel and come out with a victory these days, but that is exactly what SDSU did. They looked great on offense, solid on defense, and are as athletic as any team I have seen this year. They are dangerous

Big Losers: Butler- This team showed how much they miss Gordon Hayward. They are down now to only one true perimeter scorer in Shelvin Mack, and Matt Howard showed that he is still addicted to fouling. They have glaring issues right now.

Florida- Clearly, their guards did not mature at all between last season and now. They have bigtime issues at guard. Their posts are extremely good but with depth and IQ at guard, it wont much matter.

Gonzaga- They have bigtime issues with finding scorers. They have Stephen Gray, but outside of him, they have nobody that has proven they can consistently score the basketball. They have problems they need to solve before they can get back into the elite.

Five things we learned:

1. There are 4 really good teams, and then there is a mess after that. The top 4 teams have already proven that they are really good. However, after those 4, we really do not know who is for real and who is not. The early season tournaments the next few weeks are going to teach us a lot, and I cant wait!

2. Traditional mid-major powers have major competition this year. Gonzaga and Butler are traditionally the best mid-majors, but there are quite a few good mid-majors this year. San Diego St might be the best of all of them. St Mary's proved they should be in the conversation, and we have not even seen Wichita St yet.

3. Freshman stars abound. Jared Sullinger showed that he was possibly the best player on the court against Florida with a double-double. Perry Jones III had a double-double of his own against La Salle, and Louisville whipped Butler with a ton of freshmen. Memphis has a ton of stud freshmen who need to do a little growing up, but they are extremely talented.

4. Staying up for 38 hours is extremely difficult to do. Yes, I did it, but it was not easy. I woke up at 10 am Monday morning and did not sleep again til midnight on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. However, despite the difficulty, I imagine I will probably do it again next year!

5. Outside of the 1 seeds, this March is going to be pure insanity. As I said, parity abounds outside the top 4, and come tournament time, it should be front and center. The tournament is a mere 4 months away, and I cant wait!

Thanks for joining me on this marathon journey! More CBB coming next week with the good early season tournaments kicking off, so look for that. Also, CFB Saturday preview coming on Thursday, cheers.

Final: San Diego St 79, #12 Gonzaga 76

What a game to round out the finale. This was far and away the best game of the entire day. Now, I had said in the preseason that I thought San Diego St was overrated. I can say now that I was very wrong. This team is athletic, everyone can shoot, theyre big, and they are surprisingly under control. The team last year was very out of control but this team does a good job of slowing it down and running a real team game. They hit the offensive glass as good as any team I have seen and are very well coached. Watch out for this team down the road.

As for Gonzaga, they have some obvious issues. They only have one true scorer in Gray, and someone else will need to step up. Most thought that would be Elias Harris, but he had only 2 points last night before exiting with an injury in the middle of the second half. Also, they have rebounding issues bigtime. I'm not sure what the stats were, but it really seemed like San Diego St was getting 2 or 3 chances every time down the court. San Diego St had 22 second chance points, and that is one thing that will kill you if youre Gonzaga. They are still a talented team, but they need to sort out these issues before I can call them elite, because, right now, it looks as if they might be a bit overrated.

Game Predictions: 8 for 13, not what I was hoping for

Final: #2 Michigan St 82, South Carolina 73

Well, the Spartans survived on a night where they really did not look their best. They struggled from the free throw line, and turned the ball over way more than a typical Izzo team does. Kalin Lucas looked like he has recovered well from his achilles injury last year, and he should be fine going forward. This team has every element needed for a deep March run, they just need to improve the free throw shooting and mesh together as a team better, because the chemistry was inconsistent tonight. For stretches, they looked great but then came back with stretches where they did not even look like a top-25 team. We all know that they will get it together by March, though.

Game Predictions: 8 for 12

Final: Louisville 88, #18 Butler 73

Butler did not look great in their first game back on the big stage after their magical run last march. Their offense was Shelvin Mack in the first half, and Matt Howard showed up in the 2nd but it was much too little, much too late. Their defense was awful as well. Given, it seemed as if Louisville could not miss a shot, but still, they were not playing good defense. This team looked like a shell of the team we saw in March. They lost Gordon Hayward, but there is no way a team that made the national championship loses one guy and is this bad. They started off slow last year as well, though, so let's just hope this is another slow start, and not a sign of things to come.

On the other hand, Louisville looked outstanding. They had their uptempo style working, and had players inside and outside. They were knocking down shots, killing Butler on the offensive glass, and playing great defense. They are still young, and this may have just been one of those nights where everything goes right. We will continue to monitor them as we move into the new year, but if tonight is indicative of how this season will be, they could be in for a great year in Louisville.

Game Predictions: 7 for 11, ouch

Final: #5 Ohio St 93, #10 Florida 75

Wow, how good did Ohio St look in that second half? Good heavens, did I not say this team would be better than last year? They look very good, definitely worthy of their early top 5 ranking. They have the freshman Sullinger who looks absolutely fantastic right now. Although Jimmy Dykes wears me out, he made a good point about Sullinger tonight. He said that Sullinger knows who he is, that he plays down low and does not feel like he needs to play out on the perimeter, which is very rare for a young big man. On top of Sullinger and the other freshman, the PG Aaron Craft, they have the experience needed to have a deep March run. They have Lauderdale, who, teamed up with Sullinger, already gives them more depth down low than they had last year. Finally, they are still able to shoot lights out from beyond the arc. I dare you to find a better shooter in college hoops than Jon Diebler. You cant. Lighty provides the leadership and he is the true, much-needed shooter and slasher, along with the secondary slasher William Buford. This team is ridiculous, and everyone best pay attention to them come March if they can keep this up.

Now, on the flip side, we have Florida. They played an absolutely miserable 2nd half tonight. Their big men tore it up the first half, but did not even get the ball much the 2nd half. We saw that the Florida guards did not grow up any this offseason, shocker. They are still the same old out of control, jack ridiculous shots type players that we got used to last year. Its a shame because they are so talented down low, but without decent guard play, there is no way this team can achieve their full potential. Give them a couple months and we will check back in, but right now, this team is a mess.

Halftime: #10 Florida 41, #5 Ohio St 38

Wow, this is by far the most well-played game of the day. These teams are actually moving the ball with very few turnovers and are making shots. I dont know if there is something wrong with me, but every time I watch Florida I feel like they are one of the top teams in the nation. That remains to be seen but they definitely look good tonight. As for the Buckeyes, I can already tell you that this team will be better than last year's team. Why, you ask? Because they are a much more balanced, unselfish team this year with no Evan Turner. They have a new PG who does not turn it over at the absurd rate that Turner did, and he actually passes the ball. I like this team, and they will contest for the Big Ten title.

Final: #3 Kansas St 73, #24 Virginia Tech 57

This was an absolute dismantling in the second half. As expected and predicted by me, Virginia Tech is clearly overrated. They only have one real scorer and have no depth at any position. This team will not make the NCAA tournament unless someone else can step up and be that #2 scorer that they desperately need. As for Kansas St, they showed me something in the 2nd half. They move the ball well, and, to my surprise, they play well as a team. They have no real selfish players, which is rare for a team of this caliber. I still do not think they are a top 5 team, but they definitely looked like a top-10 or 15 team in the second half today.

Game Predictions: 7 for 9

Tater Taco Count: 12, I am officially done with the tacos, they were great while they lasted

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Halftime: #3 Kansas St 30, #24 Virginia Tech 29

These teams are eerily similar, and neither is overly impressive. They both are far too dependent on one player, Pullen for KSU and Delaney for VT. They are both extremely athletic, especially inside. Neither team is real deep inside and neither team is outstanding at shooting threes, though KSU is definitely better. Kansas St does not look even remotely like the #3 team in the nation, and I know they did not have Pullen that half, but there's no way he makes enough difference to put them among the nation's elite. In my season preview, I said Virginia Tech was overrated, and right now, I believe that I'm right. They just do not have enough scorers and do not have anything resembling a true point guard. They are average at best, and will not beat the elite of the ACC.

Tater Taco Count: 11

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final: #17 Baylor 74, La Salle 64

Baylor definitely has athleticism, there is no denying that. Their low post players are as good as anyone in the country and they are as deep down low as anyone. They are good, but not great yet. They have point guard issues, and are not deep at guard at all. I know Dunn is still suspended and his presence will help, but he is not a point guard, so he solves nothing there. AJ Walton will be forced to play a lot of minutes as their only true PG. On the flip side, this La Salle team really impressed me, with 2 freshman guards. By the time these 2 guys graduate, La Salle will make the NCAA tournament. These guys are too good, and they were even good down low. They just did not have enough athleticism or depth to hang with the Bears down low. They are a solid team and I look for them to do some damage come conference time.

Game Predictions: 6 for 8

Tater Taco Count: 11, only 1 more to go!

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Halftime: #17 Baylor 32, La Salle 29

La Salle actually looks pretty good in the first half. This was not merely a lucky half where Baylor missed some shots and La Salle was able to stay in it with some lucky shots. They actually look like a legitimate team. I'm not saying they are going to make the tournament or anything, but I feel like they could do some damage in the loaded A-10. Baylor, on the other hand, looks just as I imagined they would. They have lots of new guys taking on new roles, and they are out of control and very sloppy. Perry Jones is not getting near enough touches, and they are not able to knock down 3's. Given, they do not have LaceDarius Dunn, and his return will help, but still, I am very unimpressed by their guard play.

Tater Taco Count: 10

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final: Tulsa 83, Oral Roberts 68

I was only able to see the last 1:20 of this game, and that was very miserable, so I dont even want to think about what the rest of the game was like.

Game Predictions: 5 for 7

Tater Taco Count: 10

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final in OT: Northeastern 63, Southern Illinois 62

I didnt get to see the end of it, but it sounds like it was another great finish! I'm back for the day now so its all good.

Game Predictions: 4 for 6

Tater Taco Count: 9

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

FInal: Kent St 62, Robert Morris 59

We got another close one! It's been a nail-better in every marathon game thus far. A complete role reversal in the second half as Kent St found their stroke from beyond the arc. However, it was the defense of the Golden Flashes that won them this game, as they were able to come up with key stops to shut down the Colonials offense in the second half.

Game Predictions: 4 for 5

Tater Taco Count: 6

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Alright, I gotta head to class, be back about 1!

Halftime: Robert Morris 35, Kent St 23

I'll tell you what, Quinnipiac is the early season favorite in the NEC, but Robert Morris is making a case as a legitimate contender as well. This team is dominating one of the projected MAC contenders on both ends of the floor. Right now, this RMU team looks better than the team that almost beat Villanova in the tourney last year. Also, Kent St is really bad, they have a lot of athletes but no real scorers or shooters.

Tater Taco Count: 6

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final: Stony Brook 51, Monmouth 49

Another close one in the tip-off marathon. Notice I did not say "good" one, because this one was far from good. Maybe it was the early wake-up call for the players, but this was one of the most pathetic basketball games I have ever seen. The only redeeming thing about it is that it was close. I refuse to talk about either of the teams because A) I cant say anything nice and B) Neither of these teams will be anywhere near the tournament so who even cares. Stony Brook, who could not hit a free throw for the first 39 minutes and 35 seconds of this game, hit 3 big ones in the final 25 seconds to give themselves the 2 point lead, which, in this game, proved to be insurmountable. Yes, it was that bad, be happy you were not awake to see it.

Game Predictions: 3 for 4

Tater Taco Count: 6

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Halftime: Monmouth 24, Stony Brook 20

If the score doesnt say enough, here are some first half stats to help the awfulness of this game sink in...

The teams are a combined 0-15 from three

Stony Brook is 2-9(yes, 2 for 9) on FREE THROWS

The teams are a combined 17-54 from the field, and it seems like about a third of those are air balls, yeah, its bad

Tater Taco Count: 5

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final: Hawai'i 65, Central Michigan 62

I snagged me an hour of sleep during the first half of this would-be snoozefest, but woke up at half via alarm and took a cold, invigorating shower, and now I'm feeling great, ready for the long haul to midnight tonight, no doubt. This was actually an entertaining second half. Hawai'i is not nearly as bad as most ESPN experts had them being, and Central Michigan has a lot of potential, no doubt about that. This was perhaps the best finish of the marathon so far, but take heart, it is only the 3rd game! Im going to assume everyone missed it, so heres the rundown of the last few possessions: 55 seconds left, Central Michigan down 63-61, Hawai'i ball. CMU gets the steal and Hawai'i is called for an intentional foul, as the Hawai'i player fouled the CMU player with a clear lane to the bucket. It turned out to be a great play because the CMU guy only hit 1 free throw and Hawai'i was able to hold on the ensuing possession, and got the ball and was able to run a ton of time off the clock, leaving just 5.9 seconds as they went to the line for 2. The Hawai'i guy made 1 of 2, making the score 64-62, and CMU lost the ensuing inbounds pass. They fouled Hawai'i again with 4.2 seconds left, hoping the Warriors would only make 1 of 2 yet again. Shocker, they only made 1. No timeouts for CMU, down by 3. A halfcourt heave by CMU at the buzzer did not fall and Hawai'i escapes on their home floor, 65-62. Whew, intense(ish)

Game Predictions: 2 for 3 (Note to self: Home teams win in this marathon)

Tater Taco Count: 4, but trust me, it will be at least 6 by the time this Monmouth game is over

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final: St Mary's 76, St John's 71

A great game in Moraga, but the Gaels were able to pull it out. St Johns just is not good enough on offense right now to be able to compete. They only have 2 true scorers and one of them was a joke tonight. They are very young and look promising for the future, but right now they are average. St Marys looks like a team that can get themselves back to the NCAA Tournament. I was interested to see them in the post-Omar Samhan era, and they did not disappoint. They still could use some help down low, but their guards are good enough to get them to the tourney, no question. Steindl, Dellavedova, and McConnell are all prolific three-point shooters, and should propel them into March. They were facing an average zone defense tonight, however, and I still need to see them against a good man-to-man team before I am sold. Nonetheless, a good win for the Gaels that could be good on their resume come March. I may take a nap for the Hawaii game, so if there is not a blog post for that game, thats why.

Game Predictions: 2 for 2

Tater Taco Count: 3 going on 4

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Halftime: St John's 31, St Mary's 28

Ah, the beautiful sight of decent basketball. Should be a real good second half. Great to see Lavin back on the sidelines for the Johnnies, and he already got a T! The second half should be interesting, as St Johns has been very effective in that zone, especially toward the end of the half. But, the Red Storm are a team of runs, big time, and St Mary's is consistent, as long as they are knocking down 3's. Should be a great second half!

Tater Taco Count: 2

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Final: #19 Memphis 72, Miami 68

My friend Brady King said it best, "Neither team deserves the win." How true that statement is, because this was one of the ugliest basketball games I have ever seen. It felt like there was a whistle every 20 or so seconds, I mean good heavens. Neither team has any court sense and both teams are out of control. Anyways, I should stop talking about this before I get upset.

Game Predictions: 1 for 1

Tater Taco Count: 1

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

Halftime: #19 Memphis 38, Miami 37

I have my 12 tacos ready (dont judge, I started p90 again, I just got em because I cant be leaving to go get food in the middle of the night), and I have watched one half of the tip-off marathon. The question of the first half: Ugly half of basketball or the ugliest half of basketball? Good heavens, one word to describe this half, THUG. Both these teams are complete thugs and then there's this one Mexican guy with perhaps the worst haircut I have ever seen, and Raftery keeps talking about how good he is, but I dont see it, but maybe I just cant get past the haircut. Ugly, ugly basketball though, I feel as if I'm watching a a game at Rucker Park or something. Both these teams are in the double bonus, and if the refs weren't as lenient as they have been, each team would have about 20 fouls. Playground ball if I've ever seen it.

All that being said, Miami still has a chance and it should be another exciting half coming up!

Tater Taco Count: 0 (only because I had Whataburger at 9, see above statement about not judging)

Dont forget, pace yourself, its a marathon, not a sprint

And so it Begins...

Here are my picks for the Marathon tonight and tomorrow...

Miami @ #19 Memphis- Pick: Memphis 78, Miami 65

St John's @ St Mary's- Pick: St Mary's 65, St John's 63

Central Michigan @ Hawai'i- Pick: Central Michigan 76, Hawai'i 69

Stony Brook @ Monmouth- Pick: Stony Brook 68, Monmouth 55

Robert Morris @ Kent St- Pick: Kent St 65, Robert Morris 58

Northeastern @ Southern Illinois- Pick: Southern Illinois 66, Northeastern 61

Oral Roberts @ Tulsa- Pick: Tulsa 80, Oral Roberts 70

La Salle @ #14 Baylor- Pick: Baylor 83, La Salle 62

#23 Virginia Tech @ #3 Kansas St- Pick: Kansas St 76, Virginia Tech 68

#5 Ohio St @ #11 Florida- Pick: Florida 73, Ohio St 72

#18 Butler @ Louisville- Pick: Butler 65, Louisville 61

South Carolina @ #2 Michigan St- Pick: Michigan St 85, South Carolina 65

San Diego St @ #12 Gonzaga- Pick: Gonzaga 79, San Diego St 77

BCS Projections

The new BCS Rankings came out tonight with Oregon, Auburn, TCU, Boise St, LSU in that order 1-5. Here are my BCS Bowl Predictions...

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs TCU

Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs Ohio St

Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Alabama

Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska vs Pitt

BCS National Championship: Oregon vs Boise St

The explanation:

If Oregon goes undefeated as the Pac-10 champion, the Rose Bowl is forced to choose a non-AQ team to play the Big Ten Champ, which leaves TCU. The reason I have Boise St jumping TCU this week is for 3 reasons. Virginia Tech just keeps on winning, which is helping Boise's SOS bigtime. Also, Nevada keeps on winning, setting up a huge national TV game in two weeks, in which all voters will get to see Boise beatdown a fellow top-10 team. Finally, Utah got absolutely hammered this week by a terrible Notre Dame team, killing TCU's SOS, along with Baylor who continues to lose, as Baylor was a decent win for TCU but now is merely a so-so win. As for the Fiesta Bowl, they get last choice, which I believe will result in them getting the Big East winner. Alabama will win out, including a win over Auburn and be 10-2, and the Orange Bowl would definitely choose them over an 11-1 Stanford team for a multitude of reasons, leaving Stanford way out and probably in the Holiday Bowl(most likely against A&M, so get ready to watch the Aggie secondary get torn apart by Mr. Luck). Anyways, that is my explanation of my BCS projections, one you will not get anywhere else, so you're welcome!

Don't forget, the ESPN NCAA Hoops Tip-Off Marathon starts tomorrow, Monday night at 11pm! I will be blogging after every half of every game and it's gonna be a party! Hope you join me

The Day in College Football

In what was being billed by some experts as a down week in college football, it turned out to be a very exciting saturday, here's the rundown...

North Carolina looked absolutely horrible for the final 56 minutes of their game at home against Virginia Tech, as the Hokies all but lock up the ACC Coastal division. Final: #20 Virginia Tech 26, North Carolina 10

As predicted, #3 TCU struggled with San Diego St, before finally putting them away. San Diego St made a late run, but this game was really never in doubt, with the Horny Frogs sealin it up in the third quarter. Final: #3 TCU 40, San Diego St 35

#12 Alabama proved that Mississippi St has not quite arrived on the SEC scene yet, as they demolished them at Bryant-Denny tonight. Mississippi St is definitely on the way up, but they have a ways to go to compete with Bama and Auburn. Final: #12 Alabama 30, #19 Mississippi St, 10

You gotta love whenever Northwestern pulls the upset! They are one of the least talented teams in the Big Ten, and they continue to pull off 8 and 9 win seasons year after year. Congratulations to them and to the best coach in the Big Ten (yup, I said it, JoePa was great, but let's face it, his time has passed), Pat Fitzgerald. Final: Northwestern 21, #13 Iowa, 17

Another congratulations to Steve Spurrier, who went through The Swamp and his former team to win South Carolina's first SEC East title. The Gamecocks won in decisive fashion, and proved the Gators have some major issues not just at the QB position. Final: #23 South Carolina 36, #22 Florida 14

Texas A&M travelled to Waco and had a major struggle in the first half, culminating in a terrible play by Terrence Frederick who did not get the ball in the end zone after the blocked field goal. However, some terrible kicking by Baylor, some timely defense by the Aggie defense, and a great game by Cyrus Gray, along with another outstanding performance by Tannehill, led the Aggies to a big win. I predicted a 35-30 Aggie victory, and I was so close! Final: #25 Texas A&M 42, Baylor 30

#2 Auburn survived Georgia at home, but if Georgia's defenders or defensive coordinator were mildly intelligent, they could have won this game. Cam Newton is definitely stoppable, and Alabama will prove that. Also, AJ Green is incredible. Final: #2 Auburn 49, Georgia 31

#1 Oregon survived, in the truest sense of the word, a scare at Cal. The Golden Bears missed a field goal early in the fourth quarter down by 2, and never got another shot at it. They lost by 2 after a previous poor two-point conversion attempt. Chip Kelly, my new favorite coach, wins again because he was able to win another game simply by making an early, unexpected two-point attempt. Final: #1 Oregon 15, Cal 13

It was a great day in college football, and next week is a down week before the greatest day of the year. The friday after Thanksgiving consists of #2 Auburn vs #12 Alabama, #18 Arizona vs #1 Oregon, and #4 Boise St vs #21 Nevada. Now that's college football!

Don't forget, the ESPN College Hoops Tip-off marathon starts Monday at 11 pm! I will be blogging about every game, so if you find yourself awake, feel free to check it out!

Miami 35, Georgia Tech 10

While I'm not quite ready to jump off the Jacory Harris bandwagon, this kid Stephen Morris is looking like a star in the making. While he only threw 18 passes, he completed 10 of them with no picks, and 2 of those incompletions were blatant drops. He has an absolute cannon and he does not have the lapses in judgment that Jacory has.

Also, I'm starting to climb back on the Randy Shannon bandwagon, but there are areas he needs to improve. This team, for whatever reason, does not come to play every week. They do not have the swagger of the old national championship Miami teams. He needs to restore the swag and get this team to come to play every single week if we want to become one of the elite teams in the nation once again.

However, it was a great win today, as we finally committed to running the football and it paid off in a big way as we had 3 guys go for over 60 yards, and had 278 as a team. Not to mention, 4 different players had a rushing touchdown. Also, defensively, we played outstanding. It was kind of the bend but don't break philosophy today, but it worked. Sean Spence and Colin McCarthy are absolutely fantastic. This is a bold statement, but I am going to say that they are the best linebacker duo in all of college football. A great win today for the mighty Hurricanes, now let's get from help from the Heels and get back on track to an ACC title! Go 'Canes and Heels!

Saturday Preview

Georgia plays at #2 Auburn, and I believe that the Dawgs will win. This sounds ridiculous, and I have no real evidence that they have a chance, I just think the players are playing for their coach, who is in jeopardy of getting fired. Georgia will win this game! Prediction: Georgia 31, #2 Auburn 28

Penn St will actually put up a fight at #9 Ohio St, but the Buckeyes will pull away late. Prediction: #9 Ohio St 34, Penn St 21

#3 TCU takes on upstart San Diego St at home. While I believe the Aztecs will put up a fight for a half, mostly because TCU will have a slight Utah hangover. TCU runs away in the second half. Prediction: #3 TCU 31, San Diego St 14

#25 Texas A&M travels to Waco to take on Baylor. Finally, an A&M vs Baylor game with some Big 12 South impact. It does not have much, but the Aggies got back into the Big 12 South fight with a win over Oklahoma and have an outside chance to win the South, but they have to get past Baylor first, which I believe they will do, barely. Prediction: #25 Texas A&M 35, Baylor 30

#19 Mississippi St travels to Tuscaloosa to play #12 Alabama. While I am impressed by the quick turnaround Dan Mullen has had in Starkville, they are just a little overrated and Bama should handle them pretty easily. Prediction: #12 Alabama 35, #19 Mississippi St 20

#23 South Carolina travels to Gainesville to play #22 Florida. This game will decide the SEC East, and I believe the home-field advantage will be the difference in a close game. Prediction: #22 Florida 26, #23 South Carolina 23

#1 Oregon travels to Berkeley to play Cal. Cal is very tough at home, and may put up a fight for a quarter or so, but let's face it, this game will be won handily by the Ducks. Prediction: #1 Oregon 48, Cal 21

On a fairly uneventful Saturday, hopefully there will be some close games!

Paying College Players

I think it is funny that the media only picks out certain players to investigate. They have picked on Reggie Bush, a Heisman winner, and now, Cam Newton, a future Heisman winner. If they dont think that nearly every NCAA player is getting paid, they are ignorant. The old saying goes, "If you aint cheatin, you aint tryin' ". I'll tell you what, this is getting ridiculous. You think Mark Ingram isn't getting paid? Who goes from Flint, Michigan to play in Alabama? You think everyone on the Florida team isn't getting paid? And we all know that every North Carolina Tar Heel is getting paid. All Im saying, is that instead of singling out these players, and publicly humiliating a single kid out of the whole, they need to solve the problem entirely. I kind of feel bad for Cam Newton, whether he cheated or not, that he is the only one who has to deal with this on a national level. It is absurd, everyone is doing it, lets branch out our investigation and go after everyone

World-Famous College Basketball Preview

We are on the eve of another promising college basketball season, and there are few things better than this anticipation. Duke is the obvious favorite, but if last year proved anything, it proved that the preseason and pre-tournament favorite does not always pan out, a la Kansas. Another season of Cinderellas and Buzzer-beaters and Gus FREAKING Johnson (is there anything better than listening to Gus and just knowing, ITS MARCH). The tournament is a mere 4 months away! It seems so much further away, but take heart, for it is not. There are a myriad of unbelievable early season tournaments, including, as always, the Maui Invitational, and the very deep Old Spice Classic. It's time for another great college basketball season, and I hope everyone is ready! My coverage of college basketball will not be as in-depth until after the college football season is over, obviously, but I will be covering every single game in the ESPN Tip-off marathon from next monday at 11 pm to Tuesday at 12 pm, epic. It is going to be a great season, and I'm glad to have everyone on board. It's go-time...

I have given 5 aspects of the major conferences, including the favorite, which is self-explanatory. Also, there is the sleeper, which is a team that either can upset the favorite and win the conference, or if there is little chance of that, simply an overlooked team that can come from nowhere and win the tourney. The overrated team is obvious, but it does not mean they will be overrated all year. It simply means they should not be rated so highly to start the season because they have not proven anything yet. The question-mark teams are teams who either lost a lot of talent or have some early season injuries. In both cases, new guys are stepping in and we do not know how they will fare. The best player may not be the player I actually believe will win the conference player of the year, because all that is biased, it is simply the player I believe is the best in the conference, whether he gets recognized or not. So, with that info, enjoy the CBB Preview!

Atlantic-10

Favorite: Temple

Sleeper: St. Louis

Overrated: Xavier

Question Mark: Xavier

Best Player: Juan Fernandez, Temple

ACC

Favorite: Duke

Sleeper: NC State

Overrated: Virginia Tech

Question Mark: Clemson

Best Player: Kyle Singler, Duke

Big 12

Favorite: Kansas St

Sleeper: Iowa St

Overrated: Baylor

Question Mark: Texas A&M

Best Player: Perry Jones, Baylor & Jacob Pullen, Kansas St

Big East

Favorite: Pittsburgh

Sleeper: St John’s

Overrated: Villanova

Question Mark: Marquette

Best Player: Corey Fisher, Villanova

Big Ten

Favorite: Michigan St

Sleeper: Northwestern

Overrated: Purdue

Question Mark: Purdue

Best Player: Kalin Lucas, Michigan St

Mountain West

Favorite: BYU

Sleeper: Colorado St

Overrated: San Diego St

Question Mark: New Mexico

Best Player: Jimmer Fredette, BYU

PAC-10

Favorite: Washington

Sleeper: Washington St

Overrated: Washington

Question Mark: Cal

Best Player: Derrick Williams, Arizona

SEC

Favorite: Kentucky

Sleeper: Georgia

Overrated: Tennessee

Question Mark: Tennessee

Best Player: Travis Leslie, Georgia

Smaller Conferences(Favorite only)

America East: Boston University

Atlantic Sun: Lipscomb

Big Sky: Weber St

Big South: Coastal Carolina

Big West: UC-Santa Barbara

Colonial: Old Dominion

Conference USA: Memphis

Horizon: Butler

Ivy: Princeton

MAAC: Fairfield

MAC: Ohio

MEAC: Morgan St

Missouri Valley: Wichita St

Northeast: Quinnipiac

Ohio Valley: Murray St

Patriot: American

Southern: Wofford

Southland: Stephen F Austin

SWAC: Jackson St

Summit: Oakland

Sun Belt: North Texas

West Coast: Gonzaga

WAC: Utah St

Final Four plus National Champ (according to my preseason bracketology)

Duke over Ohio St

Michigan St over Kansas St

National Championship: Michigan St over Duke

National Player of the Year: Kyle Singler, Duke

National Coach of the Year: Sidney Lowe, NC State

Notable Early Season Tournaments

Coaches vs Cancer: Pitt, Maryland, Texas, Illinois (Winner: Pitt)

CBE Classic: Duke, Marquette, Kansas St, Gonzaga (Winner: Duke)

Preseason NIT: Villanova, UCLA, Wake Forest, Tennessee, Nevada, George Washington, VCU, Missouri St, Boston U, Winthrop, Pacific, Belmont, Marist, Pepperdine, Hampton, Arkansas St (Winner: Villanova)

Puerto Rico Tip-off: West Virginia, Davidson, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, North Carolina, Hofstra, Minnesota, Western Kentucky (Winner: North Carolina

Paradise Jam: Old Dominion, St Peter's, Clemson, Long Beach St, Seton Hall, Alabama, Xavier, Iowa (Winner: Xavier)

Legends Classic: Georgia Tech, UTEP, Syracuse, Michigan

Maui Invitational: UConn, Wichita St, Michigan St, Chaminade, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Washington, Virginia (Winner: Michigan St)

76 Classic: Virginia Tech, Cal State-Northridge, Oklahoma St, DePaul, Stanford, Murray St, UNLV, Tulsa (Winner: Virginia Tech)

Old Spice Classic: Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Manhattan, Boston College, Notre Dame, Georgia, Temple, Cal (Winner: Temple)

Jimmy V Classic: Kansas vs Memphis, Michigan St vs Syracuse

Diamondhead Classic: Mississippi St, Washington St, Baylor, San Diego, Butler, Utah, Florida St, Hawai'i (Winner: Baylor)

The Day in College Football

Another weekend, more outstanding college football. If you don't think this is the greatest sport on the planet, you've been taking crazy pills! Pure insanity today, pure awesomeness. Here's the rundown:

Michigan 67, Illinois 65 in 3OT... An absolutely absurdly entertaining, defense-optional game in the Big House.

Miami 26, Maryland 20... My 'Canes survive another scare from a mediocre opponent. Jacory didn't play, but Morris made some throws that have me excited about the future.

#7 Nebraska 31, Iowa St 30 in OT... Nebraska looked less-than-stellar, and if Iowa State's holder had any passing skill whatsoever, this would have been a loss for the Huskers.

#17 Oklahoma St 55, #21 Baylor 28... We were all just waiting for Baylor to show us why we don't have faith in them, and they finally did, getting absolutely demolished from start to finish.

#13 Stanford 42, #15 Arizona 17... Andrew Luck, who will eventually be the greatest QB to ever come out of Stanford (bold words, but he won't disappoint), looked fantastic again as the Cardinal rolled, making Oregon look even better.

#18 Arkansas 41, #19 South Carolina 20... Once again, this season has proven to be the season of the SEC West, as the East has looked totally overmatched in nearly every East v West matchup.

Texas A&M 33, #8 Oklahoma 19... I was in attendance as we saw Oklahoma's road woes continue as any hope of a BCS Title Game slipped away against an average Texas A&M offense, but a stingy defense who stopped them on 4th and goal three times.

#4 Boise St 42, Hawai'i 7... Once again, the Broncos took care of business on the smurf turf.

#1 Oregon 53, Washington 16... On a day when their offense wasn't clicking much at all, the Ducks still manage to put up 53, ridiculous.

#2 Auburn 62, Chattanooga 24... Chattanooga showed the flaws in this average Auburn defense that could have it's hands full with Georgia, and is in serious trouble against Bama the day after Thanksgiving.

#3 TCU 47, #5 Utah 7... TCU showed that it is worthy of playing in a BCS Title Game with a beatdown of Utah on their home turf.

#10 LSU 24, #6 Alabama 21... Great calls by the king of clock mismanagement, Les Miles, get LSU a huge win that gets them back in the title hunt if Alabama can now turn around and give them a little help by beating Auburn.

5 things before wrapping up...

1. The team that nobody is talking about: Wisconsin. This team is just winning and hanging around, and ya never know, watch out for the Badgers!

2. Does anybody really want to win the ACC? This conference is a joke, and when teams finally have a chance to get some separation(Florida St, NC State), they lose and make an even bigger mess.

3. This is the first year that I honestly believe the top 2 non-AQs (TCU and Boise St) are as good as the top 2 teams in the BCS rankings. These teams are really good and would strike fear in any opponent.

4. Oregon will not lose in the regular season. They already had their one chance at losing, and beat Stanford handily, and the rest of the PAC-10 is not good enough to pose a threat.

5. Cameron Newton will win the Heisman, no contest.

Projected BCS Bowls(not based on BCS Standings, but on my opinion):

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Stanford

Orange Bowl: Pitt vs Virginia Tech

Fiesta Bowl: Ohio St vs Nebraska

Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs Boise St

BCS Title Game: TCU vs Oregon

How the Undefeateds will fare this weekend...

This weekend poses no threats for #1 and #2, but #3 plays #5 in a big time showdown, so here we go with the predictions

#4 Boise St plays Hawai'i in what should be a very interesting matchup. The Broncos play 2 more games with any chance whatsoever of losing, and this is one of them. However, this is home on the blue turf, and they will not lose Saturday, or possibly ever, on the smurf turf. Boise will win, but it will be closer than a typical Bronco win. Prediction: #4 Boise St 51, Hawai'i 28

The game of the week in the country is #3 TCU at #5 Utah. This is an interesting matchup, being dubbed as what should be a very close game. However, TCU's defense is just too powerful for the Utes, who really have not had a real test all year. The only good common team they have played is Air Force. TCU blew Air Force out with a full squad, while Utah struggled with them without the Falcons' starting fullback. This is a no-brainer, and TCU will take the inside track for non-AQ teams for a possible national championship. Prediction: #3 TCU 31, #5 Utah 17

#2 Auburn plays D-1AA(or FCS) Chattanooga. 'Nuff said. Prediction: #2 Auburn 66, Chattanooga 3

#1 Oregon plays Jake Locker and Washington at home. This will be an absolute cakewalk for the Ducks' offense. Washington may put up some points on the Oregon defense, but when all is said and done, it won't really matter. Prediction: #1 Oregon 59, Washington 23

Rangers Decline Option on Vlad

The Rangers management, namely Chuck and JD, declined the mutual option on Vlad, and will attempt to sign him for less money. We will, however, be forced to pay him a $1 Million buyout charge. Although, ultimately, this seems like it will work out well for both sides. Vlad wants to stay, but it is clear he is not the player he once was. The club seems as if they want him to remain, which hopefully will only be in a limited role.

If we can limit the number of games Vlad plays throughout the year, I feel that he will be more fresh for October and thus be more productive. We saw his production tail off after the All-Star Break. He played in 152 games this year, which is far too many. That number needs to be more around, bear with me, 130. That way, we can get more DH opportunities for Josh, who takes a self-inflicted beating in the outfield on a nightly basis. So by limiting Vlad's games, we can pretty much knock out two birds with one stone, in keeping Vlad fresh for October, and also hopefully limiting Josh's injuries going forward.

A Look Back...

Today, I will recall the 10 greatest moments in the Rangers' incredible season...

10. Vlad homers in his return to LA, meaning he has homered against every MLB Franchise.

9. Colby pitches 8 great innings and gets himself 2 RBIs in a win at Milwaukee in the 2nd game of our 11-game win streak.

8. Salty walks it off on opening day against Toronto, unfortunately he did not pan out, but we will always love him for that hit!

7. Colby throws 9 scoreless innings at Seattle vs Cliff Lee, and the Rangers win in 12, 2-0.

6. Cruz hits a 2-run homer in the top of the 14th at Detroit, ending the drought at Comerica. In an interview after, he said, "I was hungry and it was starting to rain." Epic.

5. Matt Treanor pinch-hits in Florida, and the unlikeliest candidate comes through with a 2-run, game-winning triple with the Rangers down to their final out.

4. Cliff Lee pitches a complete game in ALDS Game 5 as the Rangers win 5-1 and clinch their first ever postseason series victory.

3. Rookie closer Neftali Feliz strikes out A-Rod looking to beat the mighty Yankees and send the Rangers to the World FREAKING Series.

2. Michael Young becomes the franchise's all-time hits leader as he drives in two with a single up the middle at Florida.

1. Josh Hamilton scores from second on an infield single in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game, leading to a 10-9 Rangers victory.

It was a great season, and to look back on it with anything other than pure excitement and pride would be a mistake! Rangers fan for life!

Season Over: Giants 3, Rangers 1

Well, it's over. The Giants were simply the better team this series, and you gotta give them credit. We were terrible at the plate and outside of Colby and CJ, awful on the mound too. Who ever thought Cliff would have been our third best starter this series? Crazy. Anyways, it has been a great ride. I have thoroughly enjoyed this season. I will look at 10 bright spots that we can take into next year:

1. Elvis became our legitimate leadoff hitter, and a very good one at that. He also improved his defense very much and has become the best player in our infield.

2. Michael Young got a trip to the Postseason, finally. He did not have a great Postseason, but the man has sacrificed his entire career for this team and you gotta be happy for the guy.

3. CJ Wilson became a solid #1 starter if Cliff moves on. CJ was dominant from April until November, and he looks very good going into next year. Plus, he's the man!

4. Colby Lewis is another top of the rotation guy who can step in the #1 or #2 spot if Cliff moves on. He was great returning from Japan and will hopefully only continue to improve.

5. Nefty Feliz established himself as one of the best closers in baseball, and showed tonight that he can go two innings if needed. We may try him in the rotation, but if it does not work out, I am proud to call him my closer.

6. We received Cliff Lee who almost single-handedly won us the ALDS and dismantled the mighty Yankees in the ALCS, and that alone was worth trading Justin Smoak. Plus, we now have a chance to re-sign Cliff long term and make even more World Series runs in the near future.

7. Mitch Moreland, what can ya say about this guy? He came in mid-season and was nothing short of spectacular. He was our best hitter in the World Series, and was great throughout the postseason. He needs to improve his defense, but he has plenty of time for that.

8. We have a legitimate MVP that makes Girardi and Yankee fans pee themselves, and that's awesome. He did not have a great postseason outside of the Yankee series, but he's still the man and we love Josh.

9. Nellie Cruz established himself as a legitimate power bat in the middle of the lineup, and is definitely someone to be feared. He will hit 40 HRs next year if he can avoid the DL. He also plays fantastic D in right.

10. Finally, we resolved the ownership dilemma. We now have an owner, maybe the best in the Dallas area, that is willing to spend money to make our team better, which is a rarity after Hicks. We love Chuck and Nolan, and JD just keeps doing his thing, and we're gonna be set for years to come.

So, as we move into the offseason, let's dwell on how awesome this season was. Josh scoring from second on a Vlad infield single in the 8th vs Boston to tie the game. Mr. Walk-off, Nellie Cruz, walking it off 5 or 6 times this year. David Murphy single-handedly beating the Yanks in mid-summer. It was a great year, and I am proud of our Rangers. Let's get ready for Opening Day 2011, BTHO Boston!

Game 5 Preview: You gotta BeLEEEEEEEEve!!

Tim Lincecum(3-1, 2.79) vs Cliff Lee(3-1, 2.51)

So, it's game 5. So, we're down 3 games to 1. But, as they say, it ain't over til it's over. We have our best 3 pitchers the next 3 games. Colby has already proven that he is better than Sanchez, so our team should be very confident if we can get it to game 7. If, is they key word there. Cliff is going tonight, and we all know that Cliff is the best postseason pitcher in baseball. He had a bad outing in game 1, but if you don't believe he can win tonight, Tommy will come hit you over the head with a tack hammer 'cause you're a retard. Cliff has been great all postseason and I have no reason to believe he will be anything less than spectacular with his back against the wall and the team's hopes on his back. I'm not worried about Cliff.

The offense must get some early runs to keep the crowd (which has been awful this series) in the game. They gotta give this crowd something to cheer about and give themselves confidence as well. Its time for MVP candidate Josh Hamilton to step up and carry this team on his back. It's time for Vlad Guerrero to realize that he only has maximum 3 more games before he keels over and dies, so he better take advantage. It's time for someone other than Kinsler and Moreland to start getting on base. We can do this, but it is going to take an entire team effort, and it starts with Josh, Mike, and Vlad in the middle. If Cliff can shut the Giants down, we win tonight. But if Cliff gives up more than 3, we can kiss the ring that is so close, goodbye.

Prediction: 4-2(not gonna say who wins, though)