Well, not that Big Ten Football season is over, its time to start making the picks for Big Ten basketball season for the third straight year. It should be an exciting season as the Badgers are huge favorites to take home the Big Ten title. Here we go with the Picks
Tuesday
Northwestern @ Rutgers: Pick: Northwestern
Iowa @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Illinois @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Maryland @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Wednesday
Penn St @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Minnesota @ Purdue: Pick: Minnesota
Indiana @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Saturday
Minnesota @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Illinois @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Penn St @ Rutgers: Pick:Penn St
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Northwestern: Pick: Wisconsin
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
Big Ten ACC Challenge Predictions
The Big Ten/ACC Challenge has come back around again. To me, this is the start of paying attention to College Basketball. This year's challenge certainly features some great matchups, and the premiere matchup includes my Badgers on Wednesday night. Because both conferences have 14 teams now, the challenge has increased from the traditional 12 games over two nights into 14 games over three nights. Here are my picks for how each game will turn out.
Monday
Nebraska @ Florida St: Nebraska is supposed to be a top five team in the Big Ten and Florida St is considered an ACC cellar dweller. Pick: Nebraska
Rutgers @ Clemson: snooze. Both of these teams will be residing in their respective conferences basements this year. Home court decides this one. Pick: Clemson
Standings Through Night One: ACC: 1 Big Ten: 1
Tuesday
Pitt @ Indiana: Both of these teams are considered middle pack teams that both have the potential to have surprisingly strong or disastrous seasons. This game could swing the pendulum for how their seasons could go. Pick: Indiana
Syracuse @ Michigan: Both of these teams have slightly lower expectations than in years past, but still high. Both are still expected to finish top 5 in the conference, but not compete for a conference title like last year. Pick: Syracuse
Minnesota @ Wake Forest: Minnesota is right smack in the middle of the Big Ten rankings. They have the makeup of a potentially good team, but have several flaws to fix. Wake Forest is just bad, but on home court this could be a tricky game. Pick: Minnesota
Illinois @ Miami: Neither team is expected to do a lot this year, but with both teams still riding undefeated records the winner will certainly feel good about their potential. Pick: Miami
NC State @ Purdue: Three years ago this would have been a great matchup. Now, not so much as both teams have fallen way down. Pick: Purdue
Ohio St @ Louisville: The premiere matchup on Tuesday night features the second best team from each conference. Look for home court to make the difference. Pick: Lousville
Standings Through Night Two: ACC: 3 Big Ten: 3
Wednesday
Michigan St @ Notre Dame: Michigan St will be very good as always, but maybe not quite as good as in years past. Notre Dame is still a question mark. In Michigan this would be a blowout, but on Notre Dames court it should be close. Pick: Michigan St
Virginia Tech @ Penn St: Double snooze. Penn ST is bad as usual, but Vtech might be the worst team between either conference. Pick: Penn St
Iowa @ North Carolina: Iowa is not going to be nearly as good as last year, and UNC is going to be the usual UNC. This one may not be close. Pick: North Carolina
Virginia @ Maryland: Both of these teams are huge question marks. Both are expected to be decent, but both also have the potential to be very good. Home court is the difference. Pick: Maryland
Georgia Tech @ Northwestern: Northwestern is one of the Big Tens worst, as is the usual. Georgia Tech will be very bad also, but I always have a hard time picking Northwestern to win anything. Pick: Georgia tech
Duke @ Wisconsin; Not only the premier matchup of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, possibly the premier matchup of the season through December. Both teams are in the top 5, expect the Kohl Center advantage to be the difference maker in this one. Pick: Wisconsin
Final Standings: ACC: 5 Big Ten: 7
Monday
Nebraska @ Florida St: Nebraska is supposed to be a top five team in the Big Ten and Florida St is considered an ACC cellar dweller. Pick: Nebraska
Rutgers @ Clemson: snooze. Both of these teams will be residing in their respective conferences basements this year. Home court decides this one. Pick: Clemson
Standings Through Night One: ACC: 1 Big Ten: 1
Tuesday
Pitt @ Indiana: Both of these teams are considered middle pack teams that both have the potential to have surprisingly strong or disastrous seasons. This game could swing the pendulum for how their seasons could go. Pick: Indiana
Syracuse @ Michigan: Both of these teams have slightly lower expectations than in years past, but still high. Both are still expected to finish top 5 in the conference, but not compete for a conference title like last year. Pick: Syracuse
Minnesota @ Wake Forest: Minnesota is right smack in the middle of the Big Ten rankings. They have the makeup of a potentially good team, but have several flaws to fix. Wake Forest is just bad, but on home court this could be a tricky game. Pick: Minnesota
Illinois @ Miami: Neither team is expected to do a lot this year, but with both teams still riding undefeated records the winner will certainly feel good about their potential. Pick: Miami
NC State @ Purdue: Three years ago this would have been a great matchup. Now, not so much as both teams have fallen way down. Pick: Purdue
Ohio St @ Louisville: The premiere matchup on Tuesday night features the second best team from each conference. Look for home court to make the difference. Pick: Lousville
Standings Through Night Two: ACC: 3 Big Ten: 3
Wednesday
Michigan St @ Notre Dame: Michigan St will be very good as always, but maybe not quite as good as in years past. Notre Dame is still a question mark. In Michigan this would be a blowout, but on Notre Dames court it should be close. Pick: Michigan St
Virginia Tech @ Penn St: Double snooze. Penn ST is bad as usual, but Vtech might be the worst team between either conference. Pick: Penn St
Iowa @ North Carolina: Iowa is not going to be nearly as good as last year, and UNC is going to be the usual UNC. This one may not be close. Pick: North Carolina
Virginia @ Maryland: Both of these teams are huge question marks. Both are expected to be decent, but both also have the potential to be very good. Home court is the difference. Pick: Maryland
Georgia Tech @ Northwestern: Northwestern is one of the Big Tens worst, as is the usual. Georgia Tech will be very bad also, but I always have a hard time picking Northwestern to win anything. Pick: Georgia tech
Duke @ Wisconsin; Not only the premier matchup of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, possibly the premier matchup of the season through December. Both teams are in the top 5, expect the Kohl Center advantage to be the difference maker in this one. Pick: Wisconsin
Final Standings: ACC: 5 Big Ten: 7
Sunday, November 30, 2014
NCAA Week 15 Picks
Well, we have once again come to Championship Saturday and the finish of what has been one of the best college football seasons ever. It always amazes me how fast these three months go by, as there really is no sports season that I enjoy more than watching the College football season unfold. The only other college football season I recall being more enthralling than this one is 2008. All the people that said turning college football into a playoff system would dilute the excitement of the regular season were dead wrong, it only made it better. Next week we will be previewing the playoffs and also recap my favorite games and moments from this amazing season. One more week to enjoy with an exciting slate of very meaningful games, so lets get to it. I went 4-3 in Picking Big Ten Games this week, and a bad 2-4 outside it.
85-27 Big Ten
41-15 Interconference Big Ten
25-20 Outside Big Ten
Big Ten Championship Game: For the 4th time in the past 5 seasons, the Badgers will be playing their final game for the Big Ten Championship. When you look at the Badgers overall record over the past 10 seasons, it is simply amazing the Badgers have never had a crack at a National Championship. There is no doubt the Badgers have been one of the 5 best teams in the county over the past ten years overall. Look at every amazing team, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio St, Florida St, Oregon, Oklahoma, Georgia, they all have had 2-3 down seasons in the past ten years where they lost 5 or 6 games. When was the Badgers last down season? 2003. They haven't had a single bad season since 2004, not a single other team in the country can lay claim to that. Not one, I looked. Since the beginning of the 2004 season the Badgers have a 70-7 home record, only one of the other 125 other FBS schools can claim a better home record in that span, Oklahoma who is 71-6. It is truly an incredible run for a school who is not considered one of the prestigious schools in the country. Onto this game now, while I cant say I'm sad over the fact JT Barrett wont be playing this game, you are never happy to see a player go down with injury. I really have no idea how Ohio St will play with what amounts to their third string QB. My heart is in this pick a lot, but there is no denying from anyone that the Badgers will have the best player on the field on Saturday, and thats good enough for me. Pick: Wisconsin
SEC Champioship: Alabama Vs Missouri: Pick: Alabama
ACC Championship: Florida St Vs Georgia Tech: Pick: Georgia Tech
Pac-12 Championship: Oregon Vs Arizona: Pick: Oregon
Kansas St Vs Baylor: Pick: Baylor
What happens if Florida St and Alabama both lose? There could be extreme chaos among who makes the playoff. I am picking Florida St to lose because they are way past due for a loss. Assuming all my picks come to fruition my four team playoff would be
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Baylor
The Big 12 doesn't have a championship game, so it has a full slate of regular season games, and with a three way tie going into the last week, the race is very much up in the air. Here's the 3 different scenarios for how each of those 3 teams can lay claim to the Big 12 Championship
Baylor Wins: Baylor Big 12 Champion
Baylor Loses, TCU Wins: TCU Big 12 Champion
Baylor Loses, TCU Loses: Kansas St Big 12 Champion
Here are the final standings for the other 4 conferences, starting with Big 10
West
1. Wisconsin: 7-1
2. Minnesota: 5-3
3. Nebraska: 5-3
4. Iowa: 4-4
5. Illinois: 3-5
6. Northwestern: 3-5
7. Purdue: 1-7
East
1. Ohio St: 8-0
2. Michigan St: 7-1
3. Maryland: 4-4
4. Rutgers: 3-5
5. Michigan: 3-5
6. Penn St: 2-6
7. Indiana: 1-7
SEC
East
1. Missouri: 7-1
2. Georgia: 6-2
3. Florida: 4-4
4. South Carolina: 3-5
5. Tennessee: 3-5
6. Kentucky: 2-6
7. Vanderbilt: 0-8
West
1. Alabama: 7-1
2. Mississippi St: 6-2
3. Ole Miss: 5-3
4. Auburn: 4-4
5. LSU: 4-4
6. Texas A&M: 3-5
7. Arkansas: 2-6
Pac-12
North
1. Oregon: 8-1
2. Stanford: 5-4
3. Washington: 4-5
4. California: 3-6
5. Washington St: 2-7
6. Oregon St: 2-7
South
1. Arizona: 7-2
2. UCLA: 6-3
3. Arizona St: 6-3
4. USC: 6-3
5. Utah: 5-4
6. Colorado: 0-9
ACC
Coastal
1. Georgia Tech: 6-2
2. Duke: 5-3
3. North Carolina: 4-4
4. Pitt: 4-4
5. Miami: 3-5
6. Virginia Tech: 3-5
7. Virginia: 3-5
Atlantic
1. Florida St: 8-0
2. Clemson: 6-2
3. Louisville: 5-3
4. Boston College: 4-4
5. NC State: 3-5
6. Wake Forest: 1-7
7. Syracuse: 1-7
85-27 Big Ten
41-15 Interconference Big Ten
25-20 Outside Big Ten
Big Ten Championship Game: For the 4th time in the past 5 seasons, the Badgers will be playing their final game for the Big Ten Championship. When you look at the Badgers overall record over the past 10 seasons, it is simply amazing the Badgers have never had a crack at a National Championship. There is no doubt the Badgers have been one of the 5 best teams in the county over the past ten years overall. Look at every amazing team, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio St, Florida St, Oregon, Oklahoma, Georgia, they all have had 2-3 down seasons in the past ten years where they lost 5 or 6 games. When was the Badgers last down season? 2003. They haven't had a single bad season since 2004, not a single other team in the country can lay claim to that. Not one, I looked. Since the beginning of the 2004 season the Badgers have a 70-7 home record, only one of the other 125 other FBS schools can claim a better home record in that span, Oklahoma who is 71-6. It is truly an incredible run for a school who is not considered one of the prestigious schools in the country. Onto this game now, while I cant say I'm sad over the fact JT Barrett wont be playing this game, you are never happy to see a player go down with injury. I really have no idea how Ohio St will play with what amounts to their third string QB. My heart is in this pick a lot, but there is no denying from anyone that the Badgers will have the best player on the field on Saturday, and thats good enough for me. Pick: Wisconsin
SEC Champioship: Alabama Vs Missouri: Pick: Alabama
ACC Championship: Florida St Vs Georgia Tech: Pick: Georgia Tech
Pac-12 Championship: Oregon Vs Arizona: Pick: Oregon
Kansas St Vs Baylor: Pick: Baylor
What happens if Florida St and Alabama both lose? There could be extreme chaos among who makes the playoff. I am picking Florida St to lose because they are way past due for a loss. Assuming all my picks come to fruition my four team playoff would be
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. TCU
4. Baylor
The Big 12 doesn't have a championship game, so it has a full slate of regular season games, and with a three way tie going into the last week, the race is very much up in the air. Here's the 3 different scenarios for how each of those 3 teams can lay claim to the Big 12 Championship
Baylor Wins: Baylor Big 12 Champion
Baylor Loses, TCU Wins: TCU Big 12 Champion
Baylor Loses, TCU Loses: Kansas St Big 12 Champion
Here are the final standings for the other 4 conferences, starting with Big 10
West
1. Wisconsin: 7-1
2. Minnesota: 5-3
3. Nebraska: 5-3
4. Iowa: 4-4
5. Illinois: 3-5
6. Northwestern: 3-5
7. Purdue: 1-7
East
1. Ohio St: 8-0
2. Michigan St: 7-1
3. Maryland: 4-4
4. Rutgers: 3-5
5. Michigan: 3-5
6. Penn St: 2-6
7. Indiana: 1-7
SEC
East
1. Missouri: 7-1
2. Georgia: 6-2
3. Florida: 4-4
4. South Carolina: 3-5
5. Tennessee: 3-5
6. Kentucky: 2-6
7. Vanderbilt: 0-8
West
1. Alabama: 7-1
2. Mississippi St: 6-2
3. Ole Miss: 5-3
4. Auburn: 4-4
5. LSU: 4-4
6. Texas A&M: 3-5
7. Arkansas: 2-6
Pac-12
North
1. Oregon: 8-1
2. Stanford: 5-4
3. Washington: 4-5
4. California: 3-6
5. Washington St: 2-7
6. Oregon St: 2-7
South
1. Arizona: 7-2
2. UCLA: 6-3
3. Arizona St: 6-3
4. USC: 6-3
5. Utah: 5-4
6. Colorado: 0-9
ACC
Coastal
1. Georgia Tech: 6-2
2. Duke: 5-3
3. North Carolina: 4-4
4. Pitt: 4-4
5. Miami: 3-5
6. Virginia Tech: 3-5
7. Virginia: 3-5
Atlantic
1. Florida St: 8-0
2. Clemson: 6-2
3. Louisville: 5-3
4. Boston College: 4-4
5. NC State: 3-5
6. Wake Forest: 1-7
7. Syracuse: 1-7
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
NFL Standings/Outlook After Week Twelve
Twelve weeks of the NFL Season are in the books, and there are five amazing weeks left to go. The old saying is don't pay too much attention to the standings until Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving is when the playoff race really starts. The last 5 weeks promise to be as exciting as ever, as I don't recall another season in which so many division races are so close. Only two divisions are really decided, New England and Indy, the other six are completely up for grabs. Here are a look at the divisions and the races
We have three two team races
1. NFC North: Green Bay, Detroit
2. NFC South: Atlanta, New Orleans
3. NFC East: Philly, Dallas
Plus a three team race in the NFC West and AFC West and a wide open four team race in the AFC North.
So with five games left for every team here are the playoff standings in each conference. By the way, the NFC South race is an absolute joke. The 4-7 Atlanta Falcons are in first place! This poor division will consequently inflate the records of the teams in the other three NFC divisions and as such its very likely a 10-6, or maybe even an 11-5 NFC team will be left out of the playoffs.
NFC
1. Arizona: 9-2
2. Green Bay: 8-3
3. Philadelphia: 8-3
4. Atlanta: 4-7
5. Dallas: 8-3
6. Seattle: 7-4
7. Detroit: 7-4
8. San Francisco: 7-4
9. Chicago: 5-6
10. New Orleans: 4-7
11. Minneapolis: 4-7
12. St Louis: 4-7
13. Carolina: 3-7-1
14. New York: 3-8
15. Washington: 3-8
16. Tampa Bay: 2-9
AFC
1. New England: 9-2
2.. Denver: 8-3
3. Cincinnati: 7-3-1
4. Indianapolis: 7-4
5. Kansas City: 7-4
6. San Diego: 7-4
7. Baltimore: 7-4
8. Pittsburgh: 7-4
9. Cleveland: 7-4
10. Miami: 6-5
11. Buffalo: 6-5
12. Houston: 5-6
13. Tennessee: 2-9
14. New York: 2-9
15. Jacksonville: 1-10
16. Oakland: 1-10
We have three two team races
1. NFC North: Green Bay, Detroit
2. NFC South: Atlanta, New Orleans
3. NFC East: Philly, Dallas
Plus a three team race in the NFC West and AFC West and a wide open four team race in the AFC North.
So with five games left for every team here are the playoff standings in each conference. By the way, the NFC South race is an absolute joke. The 4-7 Atlanta Falcons are in first place! This poor division will consequently inflate the records of the teams in the other three NFC divisions and as such its very likely a 10-6, or maybe even an 11-5 NFC team will be left out of the playoffs.
NFC
1. Arizona: 9-2
2. Green Bay: 8-3
3. Philadelphia: 8-3
4. Atlanta: 4-7
5. Dallas: 8-3
6. Seattle: 7-4
7. Detroit: 7-4
8. San Francisco: 7-4
9. Chicago: 5-6
10. New Orleans: 4-7
11. Minneapolis: 4-7
12. St Louis: 4-7
13. Carolina: 3-7-1
14. New York: 3-8
15. Washington: 3-8
16. Tampa Bay: 2-9
AFC
1. New England: 9-2
2.. Denver: 8-3
3. Cincinnati: 7-3-1
4. Indianapolis: 7-4
5. Kansas City: 7-4
6. San Diego: 7-4
7. Baltimore: 7-4
8. Pittsburgh: 7-4
9. Cleveland: 7-4
10. Miami: 6-5
11. Buffalo: 6-5
12. Houston: 5-6
13. Tennessee: 2-9
14. New York: 2-9
15. Jacksonville: 1-10
16. Oakland: 1-10
Sunday, November 23, 2014
NCAA Week 14 Picks
I went 4-3 in picking Big Ten games last week, and 2-1 Outside of it. We have approached the final week of the regular season before Championship Saturday. As usual, it is unbelievable to me how fast my favorite time of the year has flown by. This is my third year picking College football on this blog and it is always a blast every year and my favorite thing to do. This years rivalry weekend doesn't have the same amazing matchups we have seen in years past as traditional rivalries such as Auburn-Alabama, FSU-Florida, Ohio St-Michigan, and Oregon-Oregon St dont have the sizzle they usually do. However, games such as Arizona-Arizona St, Georgia-Georgia Tech, and Wisconsin-Minnesota have much more sizzle than in years past. Here are the picks followed by scenarios for conference championshps
81-24 Big Ten
37-12 Interconference Big Ten
23-16 Outside Big Ten
Nebraska @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Minnesota @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Purdue @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Michigan @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Michigan St @ Penn St: Pick: Michigan St
Rutgers @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
As per what has become tradition the past couple years, I will double my outside the Big Ten picks from 3 games to 6 games.
Arizona St @ Arizona: Pick: Arizona St
Arkansas @ Missouri: Pick: Arkansas
Auburn @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Miss St @ Ole Miss: Pick: Miss St
Georgia Tech @ Georgia: Pick: Georgia
Notre Dame @ USC: Pick: USC
Here are the scenarios for each of the Power Five Conferences
Big Ten: The east as was the case last week is officially won by Ohio St. Thanks to Minnesota big upset of Nebraska, the West has turned into a play in game. The winner of the Wisconsin-Minnesota game will win the west and get to take on Ohio State.
ACC: Both Georgia Tech and Florida St have officially clinched their divisions as both take on non-conference rivals this week before their matchup in the ACC Championship.
SEC: Neither division has been clinched going into the final weekend for the first time in a long time. In the east, if Missouri wins, they clinch the east for a second straight season. If they lose, its Georgia. By the way, an average Big 12 team coming into the SEC and winning their division two years in a row really puts a dent into the "SEC IS AMAZING!!!!' argument. But I digress. In the west, if Alabama takes care of business at home against Auburn then they will win the division. if they lose and Mississippi St wins, Miss St wins the division. If they both lose, Alabama wins the division.
Pac-12: Oregon has had their division wrapped up for an eternity, but their opponent has been very much in doubt, though UCLA's win over USC cleared things up a tad. there is currently a three way tie between Arizona St, Arizona, and UCLA. Since Arizona St and Arizona play each other, they can not finish in a three way tie, only two way, so things will come down to head to head. USC is officially eliminated. If UCLA loses then the winner of Arizona St-Arizona wins the division. If UCLA wins, they will win the division since they own the head to head tiebreaker against both Arizona and Arizona St.
Big 12: Unlike the other conferences, the Big 12 has no championship game, so their is two weeks left in its race, instead of just one. Baylor, TCU, and Kansas St are in a 3 way tie currently. With Kansas St and Baylor playing each other it will most likely finish in a two way tie between the winner of that game and TCU. TCU would lose the tiebreaker to Baylor, but win the tiebreaker to Kansas St. In other words Baylor is the one of the three teams that controls their destiny.
Two weeks before the playoff selection, buckle up.
81-24 Big Ten
37-12 Interconference Big Ten
23-16 Outside Big Ten
Nebraska @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Minnesota @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Purdue @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Michigan @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Michigan St @ Penn St: Pick: Michigan St
Rutgers @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
As per what has become tradition the past couple years, I will double my outside the Big Ten picks from 3 games to 6 games.
Arizona St @ Arizona: Pick: Arizona St
Arkansas @ Missouri: Pick: Arkansas
Auburn @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Miss St @ Ole Miss: Pick: Miss St
Georgia Tech @ Georgia: Pick: Georgia
Notre Dame @ USC: Pick: USC
Here are the scenarios for each of the Power Five Conferences
Big Ten: The east as was the case last week is officially won by Ohio St. Thanks to Minnesota big upset of Nebraska, the West has turned into a play in game. The winner of the Wisconsin-Minnesota game will win the west and get to take on Ohio State.
ACC: Both Georgia Tech and Florida St have officially clinched their divisions as both take on non-conference rivals this week before their matchup in the ACC Championship.
SEC: Neither division has been clinched going into the final weekend for the first time in a long time. In the east, if Missouri wins, they clinch the east for a second straight season. If they lose, its Georgia. By the way, an average Big 12 team coming into the SEC and winning their division two years in a row really puts a dent into the "SEC IS AMAZING!!!!' argument. But I digress. In the west, if Alabama takes care of business at home against Auburn then they will win the division. if they lose and Mississippi St wins, Miss St wins the division. If they both lose, Alabama wins the division.
Pac-12: Oregon has had their division wrapped up for an eternity, but their opponent has been very much in doubt, though UCLA's win over USC cleared things up a tad. there is currently a three way tie between Arizona St, Arizona, and UCLA. Since Arizona St and Arizona play each other, they can not finish in a three way tie, only two way, so things will come down to head to head. USC is officially eliminated. If UCLA loses then the winner of Arizona St-Arizona wins the division. If UCLA wins, they will win the division since they own the head to head tiebreaker against both Arizona and Arizona St.
Big 12: Unlike the other conferences, the Big 12 has no championship game, so their is two weeks left in its race, instead of just one. Baylor, TCU, and Kansas St are in a 3 way tie currently. With Kansas St and Baylor playing each other it will most likely finish in a two way tie between the winner of that game and TCU. TCU would lose the tiebreaker to Baylor, but win the tiebreaker to Kansas St. In other words Baylor is the one of the three teams that controls their destiny.
Two weeks before the playoff selection, buckle up.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
NCAA Week 13 Picks
I went 5-0 in interconference Big Ten games, 1-1 in Non conference big ten games, and 2-1 outside the Big Ten
77-21 Big Ten
33-9 Interconference Big Ten
21-15 Outside Big Ten
Penn St @ Illinois: Pick: Penn St
Indiana @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Minnesota @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Northwestern @ Purdue: Pick: Northwestern
Rutgers @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Maryland @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Wisconsin @ Iowa: Pick: Wisconsin
Outside the Big Ten
Ole Miss @ Arkansas: Pick: Ole Miss
USC @ UCLA: Pick: USC
Arizona @ Utah: Pick: Arizona
Big Ten Standings: Both division races are for the most part over even with two weeks left, as Wisconsin Vs Ohio St is pretty much set in stone. Even if Wisconsin loses to Iowa, a victory against Minnesota should be enough to clinch the division for them, and Ohio St will officially clinch with a win against Indiana this week. Wisconsin can officially clinch as well, with a win and a Minnesota loss.
East
1. Ohio St: 6-0
2. Michigan St: 5-1
3. Maryland: 3-3
4. Michigan: 3-3
5. Penn St: 2-4
6. Rutgers: 2-4
7. Indiana: 0-6
West
1. Wisconsin: 5-1
2. Nebraska: 4-2
3. Minnesota: 4-2
4. Iowa: 4-2
5. Northwestern: 2-4
6. Illinois: 1-5
7. Purdue: 1-5
How about the other conferences?
ACC: Florida St has officially clinched their division, the other was made interesting with Dukes upset loss to Virginie Tech. If Duke wins their final two games against North Carolina and Wake Forest, it will be them to challenge Florida St. If they lose either, it will be Georgia Tech.
SEC: In the east its fairly straightforward between Mizzou and Georgia. If Missouri wins their final two games at Tennessee and Vs Arkansas they will win the East, if they lose either, Georgia will win the east. In the west, if Alabama beats Auburn, they will win the west. If they lose to Auburn, Miss St will win the west, if they win their final two games. A three way tie between Ole Miss, Misst st and Bama is possible but not worth getting into because the way Auburn is playing Bama will most likely beat them.
Big 12: The Big 12 is still hazy because they have 3 weeks left in their race instead of 2 like every other conference. Their is currently a 3 way tie between TCU, Baylor and Kansas St. Baylor and Kansas St play each other in the final game. If TCU loses at all that game will be for the conference championship. If TCU wins out and Baylor beats Kansas St, Baylor wins the Big 12. if TCU wins out and Kansas St beats Baylor, TCU wins the Big 12. Kansas St can not win the Big 12 if TCU wins out.
Pac-12: Oregon has officially clinched their division, the other division is wild as their is currently a 4 way tie between USC, UCLA, Arizona and Arizona St. The four way tie is almost assuredly going to finish as a two way tie as USC and UCLA play each other as does Arizona and Arizona St. In that two way tie scenario head to head will will out. here are the 4 scenarios
USC beats UCLA and Arizona beats Arizona St: USC wins division
USC beats UCLA and Arizona St beats Arizona: Arizona St wins division
UCLA beats USC and Arizona beats Arizona St: UCLA wins division (as long as they go on to beat Stanford as well, if they lose to Stanford, Arizona wins division outright in this scenario)
UCLA Beats USC and Arizona St beats Arizona: UCLA wins division again as long as they beat stanford. If they lose Arizona St wins division outright.
Three weeks left, buckle up.
77-21 Big Ten
33-9 Interconference Big Ten
21-15 Outside Big Ten
Penn St @ Illinois: Pick: Penn St
Indiana @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Minnesota @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Northwestern @ Purdue: Pick: Northwestern
Rutgers @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Maryland @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Wisconsin @ Iowa: Pick: Wisconsin
Outside the Big Ten
Ole Miss @ Arkansas: Pick: Ole Miss
USC @ UCLA: Pick: USC
Arizona @ Utah: Pick: Arizona
Big Ten Standings: Both division races are for the most part over even with two weeks left, as Wisconsin Vs Ohio St is pretty much set in stone. Even if Wisconsin loses to Iowa, a victory against Minnesota should be enough to clinch the division for them, and Ohio St will officially clinch with a win against Indiana this week. Wisconsin can officially clinch as well, with a win and a Minnesota loss.
East
1. Ohio St: 6-0
2. Michigan St: 5-1
3. Maryland: 3-3
4. Michigan: 3-3
5. Penn St: 2-4
6. Rutgers: 2-4
7. Indiana: 0-6
West
1. Wisconsin: 5-1
2. Nebraska: 4-2
3. Minnesota: 4-2
4. Iowa: 4-2
5. Northwestern: 2-4
6. Illinois: 1-5
7. Purdue: 1-5
How about the other conferences?
ACC: Florida St has officially clinched their division, the other was made interesting with Dukes upset loss to Virginie Tech. If Duke wins their final two games against North Carolina and Wake Forest, it will be them to challenge Florida St. If they lose either, it will be Georgia Tech.
SEC: In the east its fairly straightforward between Mizzou and Georgia. If Missouri wins their final two games at Tennessee and Vs Arkansas they will win the East, if they lose either, Georgia will win the east. In the west, if Alabama beats Auburn, they will win the west. If they lose to Auburn, Miss St will win the west, if they win their final two games. A three way tie between Ole Miss, Misst st and Bama is possible but not worth getting into because the way Auburn is playing Bama will most likely beat them.
Big 12: The Big 12 is still hazy because they have 3 weeks left in their race instead of 2 like every other conference. Their is currently a 3 way tie between TCU, Baylor and Kansas St. Baylor and Kansas St play each other in the final game. If TCU loses at all that game will be for the conference championship. If TCU wins out and Baylor beats Kansas St, Baylor wins the Big 12. if TCU wins out and Kansas St beats Baylor, TCU wins the Big 12. Kansas St can not win the Big 12 if TCU wins out.
Pac-12: Oregon has officially clinched their division, the other division is wild as their is currently a 4 way tie between USC, UCLA, Arizona and Arizona St. The four way tie is almost assuredly going to finish as a two way tie as USC and UCLA play each other as does Arizona and Arizona St. In that two way tie scenario head to head will will out. here are the 4 scenarios
USC beats UCLA and Arizona beats Arizona St: USC wins division
USC beats UCLA and Arizona St beats Arizona: Arizona St wins division
UCLA beats USC and Arizona beats Arizona St: UCLA wins division (as long as they go on to beat Stanford as well, if they lose to Stanford, Arizona wins division outright in this scenario)
UCLA Beats USC and Arizona St beats Arizona: UCLA wins division again as long as they beat stanford. If they lose Arizona St wins division outright.
Three weeks left, buckle up.
Monday, November 10, 2014
NCAA Week 12 Picks
I went 3-2 in Big Ten games, and 2-1 outside it. Only 3 weeks left until the Conference Championships and there are still some great division races, particularly the Big Ten West and of course SEC West.
71-20 Big Ten
28-9 Interconference Big Ten
19-14 Outside Big Ten
Nebraska @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Illinois: Pick: Iowa
Ohio St @ Minnesota: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Michigan St @ Maryland: Pick: Michigan St
Temple @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Northwestern @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Outside the Big Ten
Mississippi St @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Auburn @ Georgia: Pick: Auburn
Florida St @ Miami: Pick: Florida St
Big Ten Standings: The two division races really cleared up this weekend, thanks to Minnesotas and Ohio States wins. Minnesota's win pretty much knocked Iowa out of contention, and even though Minnesota remains tied with Nebraska and Wisconsin, their remaining schedule means they still probably dont have much of a chance at a division title. All of that means this weekends game between Nebraska and Wisconsin basically sets up as a winner take division game. Of course if Wisconsin beats Nebraska and then loses to Iowa, or Minnesota pulls off a shocker to Ohio St, then things could get wild. Ohio States win over Michigan St was basically a winner take all game too. The only way for Michigan St to win their division now is for them to win out and have Ohio St lose two of their last 3 games, an unlikely scenario.
West
1. Nebraska: 4-1
2. Wisconsin: 4-1
3. Minnesota: 4-1
4. Iowa: 3-2
5. Northwestern: 2-4
6. Illinois: 1-4
7. Purdue: 1-5
East
1. Ohio St: 5-0
2. Michigan St: 4-1
3. Maryland: 3-2
4. Michigan: 3-3
5. Penn St: 2-4
6. Rutgers: 1-4
7. Indiana: 0-5
Also a look at the SEC west race. This race which was supposed to be an all time great race had a wrench thrown into it with Texas A&Ms huge upset of Auburn. This pretty much eliminates Auburn and makes the race a little less crazy. The race will get REALLY anticlimactic and disappointing if Mississippi St beats Alabama, as that would practically clinch the division for them with two weeks left still. If Alabama pulls their weight and wins however, it will be a crazy last couple weeks and also leave a sliver of hope for Auburn.
71-20 Big Ten
28-9 Interconference Big Ten
19-14 Outside Big Ten
Nebraska @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Illinois: Pick: Iowa
Ohio St @ Minnesota: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Michigan St @ Maryland: Pick: Michigan St
Temple @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Northwestern @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Outside the Big Ten
Mississippi St @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Auburn @ Georgia: Pick: Auburn
Florida St @ Miami: Pick: Florida St
Big Ten Standings: The two division races really cleared up this weekend, thanks to Minnesotas and Ohio States wins. Minnesota's win pretty much knocked Iowa out of contention, and even though Minnesota remains tied with Nebraska and Wisconsin, their remaining schedule means they still probably dont have much of a chance at a division title. All of that means this weekends game between Nebraska and Wisconsin basically sets up as a winner take division game. Of course if Wisconsin beats Nebraska and then loses to Iowa, or Minnesota pulls off a shocker to Ohio St, then things could get wild. Ohio States win over Michigan St was basically a winner take all game too. The only way for Michigan St to win their division now is for them to win out and have Ohio St lose two of their last 3 games, an unlikely scenario.
West
1. Nebraska: 4-1
2. Wisconsin: 4-1
3. Minnesota: 4-1
4. Iowa: 3-2
5. Northwestern: 2-4
6. Illinois: 1-4
7. Purdue: 1-5
East
1. Ohio St: 5-0
2. Michigan St: 4-1
3. Maryland: 3-2
4. Michigan: 3-3
5. Penn St: 2-4
6. Rutgers: 1-4
7. Indiana: 0-5
Also a look at the SEC west race. This race which was supposed to be an all time great race had a wrench thrown into it with Texas A&Ms huge upset of Auburn. This pretty much eliminates Auburn and makes the race a little less crazy. The race will get REALLY anticlimactic and disappointing if Mississippi St beats Alabama, as that would practically clinch the division for them with two weeks left still. If Alabama pulls their weight and wins however, it will be a crazy last couple weeks and also leave a sliver of hope for Auburn.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
NCAA Week Eleven Picks
Well, here we are. November has arrived and there are two undefeateds left and a bunch of one loss team fighting for their lives every week. There are a ton of great games to look forward to over these next four November Saturdays, including probably the premier big ten matchup of the season as Ohio St travels to Michigan St.
I went 5-1 in the Big Ten and 2-1 outside the Big Ten last week
68-18 Big Ten
25-7 Interconference Big Ten
17-13 Outside Big Ten
Wisconsin @ Purdue: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Indiana: Pick: Penn St
Iowa @ Minnesota: Pick: Iowa
Michigan @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Ohio St @ Michigan St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside Big Ten
Alabama @ LSU: Pick: Alabama
Kansas St @ TCU: Pick: TCU
Baylor @ Oklahoma: Pick: Oklahoma
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Ohio St: 4-0
3. Maryland: 3-2
4. Michigan: 2-3
5. Penn St: 1-4 E
6. Rutgers: 1-4 E
7. Indiana: 0-4 E
West
1. Nebraska: 4-1
2. Iowa: 3-1
3. Wisconsin: 3-1
4. Minnesota: 3-1
5. Northwestern: 2-3
6. Illinois: 1-4
7. Purdue: 1-4
I went 5-1 in the Big Ten and 2-1 outside the Big Ten last week
68-18 Big Ten
25-7 Interconference Big Ten
17-13 Outside Big Ten
Wisconsin @ Purdue: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Indiana: Pick: Penn St
Iowa @ Minnesota: Pick: Iowa
Michigan @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Ohio St @ Michigan St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside Big Ten
Alabama @ LSU: Pick: Alabama
Kansas St @ TCU: Pick: TCU
Baylor @ Oklahoma: Pick: Oklahoma
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Ohio St: 4-0
3. Maryland: 3-2
4. Michigan: 2-3
5. Penn St: 1-4 E
6. Rutgers: 1-4 E
7. Indiana: 0-4 E
West
1. Nebraska: 4-1
2. Iowa: 3-1
3. Wisconsin: 3-1
4. Minnesota: 3-1
5. Northwestern: 2-3
6. Illinois: 1-4
7. Purdue: 1-4
Sunday, October 26, 2014
NCAA Week Ten Picks
Week 10 already? ugh why? I went 5-0 in picking Big Ten games and 1-2 outside it last week
63-17 Big Ten
20-6 Interconference Big Ten
15-12 Outside Big Ten
Wisconsin @ Rutgers: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Maryland @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Purdue @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Indiana @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside the Big Ten
Auburn @ Ole Miss: Pick: Ole Miss
TCU @ West Virginia: Pick: TCU
Arizona @ UCLA: Pick: UCLA
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Ohio St: 3-0
3 Maryland: 2-2
4. Penn St: 1-3
5. Rutgers: 1-3
6. Michigan: 1-3
7. Indiana: 0-3
West
1. Nebraska: 3-1
2. Minnesota: 3-1
3. Iowa: 2-1
4. Wisconsin: 2-1
5. Northwestern: 2-2
6. Purdue: 1-3
7. Illinois: 1-3
63-17 Big Ten
20-6 Interconference Big Ten
15-12 Outside Big Ten
Wisconsin @ Rutgers: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Maryland @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Purdue @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Indiana @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside the Big Ten
Auburn @ Ole Miss: Pick: Ole Miss
TCU @ West Virginia: Pick: TCU
Arizona @ UCLA: Pick: UCLA
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Ohio St: 3-0
3 Maryland: 2-2
4. Penn St: 1-3
5. Rutgers: 1-3
6. Michigan: 1-3
7. Indiana: 0-3
West
1. Nebraska: 3-1
2. Minnesota: 3-1
3. Iowa: 2-1
4. Wisconsin: 2-1
5. Northwestern: 2-2
6. Purdue: 1-3
7. Illinois: 1-3
Friday, October 24, 2014
NCAA Week Nine Picks
I went a perfect 5-0 in picking Big Ten Games last week, and 2-1 outside the Big Ten
58-17 Big Ten
15-6 Interconference Big Ten
14-10 Outside Big Ten
Maryland @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Minnesota @ Illinois: Pick:Illinois
Rutgers @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Michigan @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Ohio St @ Penn St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside Big Ten
Ole Miss @ LSU: Pick: Ole Miss
West Virginia @ Oklahoma St: Pick: Oklahoma St
USC @ Utah Pick: Utah
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 3-0
2. Ohio St: 2-0
3. Maryland: 2-1
4. Rutgers: 1-2
5. Michigan: 1-2
6. Penn St: 1-2
7. Indiana: 0-3
West
1. Minnesota: 3-0
2. Nebraska: 2-1
3. Iowa: 2-1
4. Northwestern: 2-2
5. Wisconsin: 1-1
6. Purdue: 1-3
7. Illinois: 0-3
58-17 Big Ten
15-6 Interconference Big Ten
14-10 Outside Big Ten
Maryland @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Minnesota @ Illinois: Pick:Illinois
Rutgers @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Michigan @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Ohio St @ Penn St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside Big Ten
Ole Miss @ LSU: Pick: Ole Miss
West Virginia @ Oklahoma St: Pick: Oklahoma St
USC @ Utah Pick: Utah
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 3-0
2. Ohio St: 2-0
3. Maryland: 2-1
4. Rutgers: 1-2
5. Michigan: 1-2
6. Penn St: 1-2
7. Indiana: 0-3
West
1. Minnesota: 3-0
2. Nebraska: 2-1
3. Iowa: 2-1
4. Northwestern: 2-2
5. Wisconsin: 1-1
6. Purdue: 1-3
7. Illinois: 0-3
Monday, October 13, 2014
NCAA Week Eight Picks
I went 3-2 in Big Ten games last week, and 1-2 outside the Big Ten
53-17 Big Ten
10-6 Interconference Big Ten
12-9 Outside Big Ten
Iowa @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Purdue @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Michigan St @ Indiana: Pick: Michigan St
Rutgers @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Nebraska @ Northwestern: Pick: Nebraska
Outside Big Ten
Notre Dame @ Florida St: Pick: Florida St
Texas A&M @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Kansas St @ Oklahoma: Pick: Oklahoma
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 2-0
2. Ohio St: 1-0
3. Rutgers: 1-1
4. Maryland: 1-1
5. Michigan: 1-2
6. Penn St: 1-2
7. Indiana: 0-2
West
1. Minnesota: 2-0
2. Iowa: 2-0
3. Northwestern: 2-1
4. Nebraska: 1-1
5. Wisconsin: 1-1
6. Purdue: 1-2
7. Illinois: 0-3
53-17 Big Ten
10-6 Interconference Big Ten
12-9 Outside Big Ten
Iowa @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Purdue @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Michigan St @ Indiana: Pick: Michigan St
Rutgers @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Nebraska @ Northwestern: Pick: Nebraska
Outside Big Ten
Notre Dame @ Florida St: Pick: Florida St
Texas A&M @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Kansas St @ Oklahoma: Pick: Oklahoma
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 2-0
2. Ohio St: 1-0
3. Rutgers: 1-1
4. Maryland: 1-1
5. Michigan: 1-2
6. Penn St: 1-2
7. Indiana: 0-2
West
1. Minnesota: 2-0
2. Iowa: 2-0
3. Northwestern: 2-1
4. Nebraska: 1-1
5. Wisconsin: 1-1
6. Purdue: 1-2
7. Illinois: 0-3
Monday, October 6, 2014
NCAA Week Seven Picks
I went 4-2 in Big Ten Games, and 3-2 in interconference games last week. I went 2-1 Outside the Big Ten.
50-15 Big Ten
7-4 Interconference Big Ten
11-7 Outside Big Ten
Observations from Week Six
1. WHAT A CRAZY WEEK! I can honestly say its been at least 3 years since weve seen a week this insane. Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma, and UCLA all get upset. Plus that crazy Arizona st-USC finish, the great Stanford-Notre Dame game, and Nebraska almost pulling off a massive comeback against Michigan St
2. The aftermath of this week is we now live in a crazy world where Arizona and TCU are in the top 10, and Ole Miss and Mississippi St are in the top 3!
3. UCLA finally caved. They have had one good game all season. Now they play Oregon in a de facto elimination game. Loser is done in October and has to pick up the pieces on a very dissapointing season. Winner stays alive for now.
4. nine undefeateds remain and four of them (TCU, Miss St, Ole Miss and Arizona) are underdogs this weekend. It could be another crazy Saturday coming up.
5. The SEC West race is going to be the craziest division race ever. It already is really. Ever.
6. The Beat goes on for Michigan in a truly disastrous season
Big Ten Picks
Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Indiana @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Northwestern @ Minnesota: Pick: Northwestern
Michigan St @ Purdue: Pick: Michigan St
Penn St @ Michigan: Pick: Penn St
Outside the Big Ten
Auburn @ Mississippi St: Pick: Auburn
Ole Miss @ Texas A&M: Pick: Texas A&M
TCU @ Baylor: Pick: Baylor
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 1-0
2. Ohio St: 1-0
3. Penn St: 1-1
4. Rutgers: 1-1
5. Maryland: 1-1
6. Indiana: 0-1
7. Michigan: 0-2
West
1. Northwestern: 2-0
2. Iowa: 1-0
3. Minnesota: 1-0
4. Nebraska: 1-1
5. Purdue: 1-1
6. Wisconsin: 0-1
7. Illinois: 0-2
50-15 Big Ten
7-4 Interconference Big Ten
11-7 Outside Big Ten
Observations from Week Six
1. WHAT A CRAZY WEEK! I can honestly say its been at least 3 years since weve seen a week this insane. Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma, and UCLA all get upset. Plus that crazy Arizona st-USC finish, the great Stanford-Notre Dame game, and Nebraska almost pulling off a massive comeback against Michigan St
2. The aftermath of this week is we now live in a crazy world where Arizona and TCU are in the top 10, and Ole Miss and Mississippi St are in the top 3!
3. UCLA finally caved. They have had one good game all season. Now they play Oregon in a de facto elimination game. Loser is done in October and has to pick up the pieces on a very dissapointing season. Winner stays alive for now.
4. nine undefeateds remain and four of them (TCU, Miss St, Ole Miss and Arizona) are underdogs this weekend. It could be another crazy Saturday coming up.
5. The SEC West race is going to be the craziest division race ever. It already is really. Ever.
6. The Beat goes on for Michigan in a truly disastrous season
Big Ten Picks
Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Indiana @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Northwestern @ Minnesota: Pick: Northwestern
Michigan St @ Purdue: Pick: Michigan St
Penn St @ Michigan: Pick: Penn St
Outside the Big Ten
Auburn @ Mississippi St: Pick: Auburn
Ole Miss @ Texas A&M: Pick: Texas A&M
TCU @ Baylor: Pick: Baylor
Big Ten Standings
East
1. Michigan St: 1-0
2. Ohio St: 1-0
3. Penn St: 1-1
4. Rutgers: 1-1
5. Maryland: 1-1
6. Indiana: 0-1
7. Michigan: 0-2
West
1. Northwestern: 2-0
2. Iowa: 1-0
3. Minnesota: 1-0
4. Nebraska: 1-1
5. Purdue: 1-1
6. Wisconsin: 0-1
7. Illinois: 0-2
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Its going to be a special sports winter
We just finished off one of the most miserable baseball seasons in my entire life. For the first time since 2006 and just the second time since 1997 neither the Red Sox nor the Brewers made the playoffs. It was a boring summer with neither of those teams in the mix, but my suffering appears as if it may be rewarded, because this could be one of the most special sports winters in my lifetime.
Of course the Packers figure to be in the mix as they have been the last two years, and the Magic have a strong chance to make huge leaps of improvement from the past two years, but those two teams are not the reason why this sports winter should be amazing. The reason would be the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball team.
This Lightning team should no doubt be the best Lightning team since the year they won the cup. 5 of the 12 hockey news experts picked the Lightning to go to the Stanley Cup Finals this year. Almost half! The dominant preseason the Lightning just put together did absolutely nothing to dampen expectations, as the Bolts posted a 5-1 record in six games, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 22-7! The Lightning of course have Steven Stamkos and one of the premiere goalies in the league in Ben Bishop. They also had two rookie of the year candidates last year who should make make the jump to premiere NHL players this season in Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. They also signed the top two free agent defensemen available, so the defense should be solid as well. The Bolts should be downright lethal.
After making a final four run last year and losing almost nobody, the Badgers are guaranteed to be in the top 5 in the preseason poll, and will probably even crack the top 3. This is expected to be the best Badgers team of all time and it should be a fun ride, and hopefully another final four.
Winter should be fun this year, so lets leave summer behind.
Of course the Packers figure to be in the mix as they have been the last two years, and the Magic have a strong chance to make huge leaps of improvement from the past two years, but those two teams are not the reason why this sports winter should be amazing. The reason would be the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball team.
This Lightning team should no doubt be the best Lightning team since the year they won the cup. 5 of the 12 hockey news experts picked the Lightning to go to the Stanley Cup Finals this year. Almost half! The dominant preseason the Lightning just put together did absolutely nothing to dampen expectations, as the Bolts posted a 5-1 record in six games, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 22-7! The Lightning of course have Steven Stamkos and one of the premiere goalies in the league in Ben Bishop. They also had two rookie of the year candidates last year who should make make the jump to premiere NHL players this season in Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. They also signed the top two free agent defensemen available, so the defense should be solid as well. The Bolts should be downright lethal.
After making a final four run last year and losing almost nobody, the Badgers are guaranteed to be in the top 5 in the preseason poll, and will probably even crack the top 3. This is expected to be the best Badgers team of all time and it should be a fun ride, and hopefully another final four.
Winter should be fun this year, so lets leave summer behind.
Monday, September 29, 2014
NCAA Week Six Picks
I went 7-2 in picking Big Ten Games, and 3-2 in interconference Big Ten Games. I went 2-1 outside the Big Ten this week.
46-13 Big Ten
4-2 Interconference Big Ten
9-6 Outside Big Ten
Observations for the week
1. September ends with 15 remaining undefeated teams in the power five conferences. Its going to be a great upcoming week as at least 4 of those undefeated teams will fall as we have four games with week with undefeated teams facing each other.
2. Seriously, this upcoming week is going to be amazing. Nebraska-Michigan St, Alabama-Ole Miss, Texas A&M-Mississippi St, Auburn-LSU, Oklahoma-TCU, and Stanford-Notre Dame are the highlights. There are some exciting complementary games as well such as Florida-Tennessee, Arizona St-USC and Baylor-Texas.
3. Michigan is a disaster. Getting throttled to lowly Minnesota at home? unthinkable. What a mess for that program.
4. UCLA FINALLY played to their potential in destroying Arizona St on the road. After a string of uninspiring performances, this week they showed signs of hope that they may be as good as expected.
5. South Carolina has all but bowed out of the SEC picture and the National Championship picture. I am not sure how they continue to get the reputation as being a premier football school when they've never even been to a BCS bowl.
6. Florida St is absolutely not going undefeated this season. it is not going to happen. No way-no how.
Week Six Picks
Purdue @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Ohio St @ Maryland: Pick: Ohio St
North Texas @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Wisconsin @ Northwestern: Pick: Wisconsin
Michigan @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Nebraska @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Outside the Big Ten
Alabama @ Ole Miss: Pick: Alabama
LSU @ Auburn: Pick: Auburn
Stanford @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Its time for the first look at the Big Ten Standings, though there's not really a whole lot to see as of yet.
East Division
1. Maryland: 1-0
2. Penn St: 1-1
3. Michigan St: 0-0
4. Ohio St: 0-0
5. Indiana: 0-1
6. Michigan: 0-1
7. Rutgers: 0-1
West Division
1. Nebraska: 1-0
2. Iowa: 1-0
3. Northwestern: 1-0
4. Minnesota: 1-0
5. Wisconsin: 0-0
6. Illinois: 0-1
7. Purdue: 0-1
All the "experts" criticized the divisions for being unequal, as everybody said the east division was far better than the west division, but so far the west division has a 2-0 record against the east. Something to keep an eye on.
46-13 Big Ten
4-2 Interconference Big Ten
9-6 Outside Big Ten
Observations for the week
1. September ends with 15 remaining undefeated teams in the power five conferences. Its going to be a great upcoming week as at least 4 of those undefeated teams will fall as we have four games with week with undefeated teams facing each other.
2. Seriously, this upcoming week is going to be amazing. Nebraska-Michigan St, Alabama-Ole Miss, Texas A&M-Mississippi St, Auburn-LSU, Oklahoma-TCU, and Stanford-Notre Dame are the highlights. There are some exciting complementary games as well such as Florida-Tennessee, Arizona St-USC and Baylor-Texas.
3. Michigan is a disaster. Getting throttled to lowly Minnesota at home? unthinkable. What a mess for that program.
4. UCLA FINALLY played to their potential in destroying Arizona St on the road. After a string of uninspiring performances, this week they showed signs of hope that they may be as good as expected.
5. South Carolina has all but bowed out of the SEC picture and the National Championship picture. I am not sure how they continue to get the reputation as being a premier football school when they've never even been to a BCS bowl.
6. Florida St is absolutely not going undefeated this season. it is not going to happen. No way-no how.
Week Six Picks
Purdue @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Ohio St @ Maryland: Pick: Ohio St
North Texas @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Wisconsin @ Northwestern: Pick: Wisconsin
Michigan @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Nebraska @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Outside the Big Ten
Alabama @ Ole Miss: Pick: Alabama
LSU @ Auburn: Pick: Auburn
Stanford @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Its time for the first look at the Big Ten Standings, though there's not really a whole lot to see as of yet.
East Division
1. Maryland: 1-0
2. Penn St: 1-1
3. Michigan St: 0-0
4. Ohio St: 0-0
5. Indiana: 0-1
6. Michigan: 0-1
7. Rutgers: 0-1
West Division
1. Nebraska: 1-0
2. Iowa: 1-0
3. Northwestern: 1-0
4. Minnesota: 1-0
5. Wisconsin: 0-0
6. Illinois: 0-1
7. Purdue: 0-1
All the "experts" criticized the divisions for being unequal, as everybody said the east division was far better than the west division, but so far the west division has a 2-0 record against the east. Something to keep an eye on.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
NCAA Week Five Picks
September is about to wrap up already and College Football is about to get serious. I went 10-3 in Big Ten games this year, but really, who saw Indiana beating Missouri? Ha screw you SEC. I also went 3-0 outside the Big Ten.
39-11 Big Ten
1-0 Exclusive Big Ten
7-5 Outside Big Ten
Some Week Four Observations
1. A couple more really good upsets or close calls this week. The aforementioned Indiana, Washington St and Clemson came Oh so close, and Mississippi St layed a beat down on LSU.
2. Oklahoma might be the most impressive team in September. But theyve been the most impressive September team several times before only to scuffle down the stretch.
3. Many don't, but I really do believe Oregon will lose at least one, maybe even two games this year. They are prone to bad stretches due to inexperience, and their defense remains suspect.
4. What I just said about Oregon, I believe the exact same about Alabama.
5. South Carolina continues to be really bad, save for one game against Georgia which has temporarily kept their season alive.
6. Is their any doubt offense is king? Wisconsin set a Big Ten rushing record, Alabama racked up over 600 yards of offense, and several top 25 teams put up 40 or more against good opposition.
7. East Carolina is a good team, and nobody is noticing. A week after beating Virginia Tech, they scored 70 against a previously ranked North Carolina team.
8. My final four remains the same: Bama, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Florida St
Big Ten Picks
South Florida @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Tulane @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Wyoming @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Cincinnati @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Iowa @ Purdue: Pick: Iowa
Northwestern @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Maryland @ Indiana: Pick: Maryland
Minnesota @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Outside the Big Ten
UCLA @ Arizona St: Pick: UCLA
Missouri @ South Carolina: Pick: South Carolina
Stanford @ Washington: Pick: Stanford
39-11 Big Ten
1-0 Exclusive Big Ten
7-5 Outside Big Ten
Some Week Four Observations
1. A couple more really good upsets or close calls this week. The aforementioned Indiana, Washington St and Clemson came Oh so close, and Mississippi St layed a beat down on LSU.
2. Oklahoma might be the most impressive team in September. But theyve been the most impressive September team several times before only to scuffle down the stretch.
3. Many don't, but I really do believe Oregon will lose at least one, maybe even two games this year. They are prone to bad stretches due to inexperience, and their defense remains suspect.
4. What I just said about Oregon, I believe the exact same about Alabama.
5. South Carolina continues to be really bad, save for one game against Georgia which has temporarily kept their season alive.
6. Is their any doubt offense is king? Wisconsin set a Big Ten rushing record, Alabama racked up over 600 yards of offense, and several top 25 teams put up 40 or more against good opposition.
7. East Carolina is a good team, and nobody is noticing. A week after beating Virginia Tech, they scored 70 against a previously ranked North Carolina team.
8. My final four remains the same: Bama, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Florida St
Big Ten Picks
South Florida @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Tulane @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Wyoming @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Cincinnati @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Iowa @ Purdue: Pick: Iowa
Northwestern @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Maryland @ Indiana: Pick: Maryland
Minnesota @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Outside the Big Ten
UCLA @ Arizona St: Pick: UCLA
Missouri @ South Carolina: Pick: South Carolina
Stanford @ Washington: Pick: Stanford
Sunday, September 14, 2014
NCAA Week 4 Picks
I went 8-2 in Picking Big Ten games this week, 1-0 in exclusive Big Ten Games, and 1-2 outside the Big Ten.
29-8 in Big Ten Games
1-0 exclusive Big Ten Games
4-5 Outside Big Ten
Some observations from Week 3
1. I talked about how horrendous last week was for the Big Ten, and this week was pretty much another disaster. Iowa got upset by Iowa State, Indiana lost to Bowling Green, Minnesota got embarrassed by TCU, Illinois got embarrassed by Washington, and Maryland lost to West Virginia.
2. It was the first "upset Saturday" of the year, and considering we hardly got any last year, it was a welcome sight. Among the upsets that changed the landscape were South Carolina beating Georgia, Boston College knocking off USC, East Carolina beating Virginia Tech, and Virginia knocking off Louisville.
3. UCLA continues to be a dissapointment, barely knocking off a Texas team that just got throttles by BYU. Thats 3 close calls now against bad opponents for a team that was supposed to break out this year.
4. Georgia is not done yet, but they may not be able to afford any more losses, and with games against Auburn, Missouri and Florida on the docket yet, that could be very difficult to pull off.
5. My Top 4 after 3 weeks are 1. Oklahoma Vs 4 Alabama and 2 Oregon Vs 3 Florida St
A lot of teams teams had bye weeks or cupcake opponents this week so the observations this week are minimal. Onto next weeks Picks
Big Ten
Iowa @ Pittsburgh: Pick: Pittsburgh
East Michigan @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Bowling Green @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Western Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Southern Illinois @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Maryland @ Syracuse: Pick: Maryland
Utah @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Rutgers @ Navy: Pick: Rutgers
Umass @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
San Jose St @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Texas St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Indiana @ Missouri: Pick: Missouri
Miami @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Outside the Big Ten
Auburn @ Kansas St: Pick: Auburn
Clemson @ Florida St: Pick: Florida St
Florida @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
29-8 in Big Ten Games
1-0 exclusive Big Ten Games
4-5 Outside Big Ten
Some observations from Week 3
1. I talked about how horrendous last week was for the Big Ten, and this week was pretty much another disaster. Iowa got upset by Iowa State, Indiana lost to Bowling Green, Minnesota got embarrassed by TCU, Illinois got embarrassed by Washington, and Maryland lost to West Virginia.
2. It was the first "upset Saturday" of the year, and considering we hardly got any last year, it was a welcome sight. Among the upsets that changed the landscape were South Carolina beating Georgia, Boston College knocking off USC, East Carolina beating Virginia Tech, and Virginia knocking off Louisville.
3. UCLA continues to be a dissapointment, barely knocking off a Texas team that just got throttles by BYU. Thats 3 close calls now against bad opponents for a team that was supposed to break out this year.
4. Georgia is not done yet, but they may not be able to afford any more losses, and with games against Auburn, Missouri and Florida on the docket yet, that could be very difficult to pull off.
5. My Top 4 after 3 weeks are 1. Oklahoma Vs 4 Alabama and 2 Oregon Vs 3 Florida St
A lot of teams teams had bye weeks or cupcake opponents this week so the observations this week are minimal. Onto next weeks Picks
Big Ten
Iowa @ Pittsburgh: Pick: Pittsburgh
East Michigan @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Bowling Green @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Western Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Southern Illinois @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Maryland @ Syracuse: Pick: Maryland
Utah @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Rutgers @ Navy: Pick: Rutgers
Umass @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
San Jose St @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Texas St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Indiana @ Missouri: Pick: Missouri
Miami @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Outside the Big Ten
Auburn @ Kansas St: Pick: Auburn
Clemson @ Florida St: Pick: Florida St
Florida @ Alabama: Pick: Alabama
Sunday, September 7, 2014
NCAA Week 3 Picks
I went 9-4 in picking big ten games last week, 1-2 outside it.
21-6 in Big Ten Games
3-3 Outside Big Ten
Heres some observations after week two
1. A disastrous day for the Big Ten. Maybe one of the most disastrous ever. It was already bad before the night games when Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, and Rutgers all had their struggles against cupcake opponents and Purdue lost by 3 touchdowns to a cupcake opponent. It became downright disastrous when in the night games Michigan St, Ohio St, and Michigan all lost.
2. South Carolina did nothing to reinstall confidence after lasts weeks bad game as they struggled mightily against East Carolina
3. Welcome USC back to national relevance as they grinded out a tough win against Stanford on the road. The win could move them near the top ten and into playoff discussion.
4. UCLA once again looked meager, though this week it was on the defensive side of the ball, giving up 35 points to Memphis. They are 2-0, but this popular playoff pick is starting to look overrated.
5. Is Ole Miss a possible SEC West contender or is Vanderbilt really that bad? I think Vanderbilt is really bad but that doesnt mean Ole Miss wont be in the picture, they are pretty good.
6. On the same note is Notre Dame that good or is Michigan that bad? I think the latter is fully true here, I am not anywhere near ready to put Notre Dame in the playoff discussion yet.
7. Kansas St looked rough against Iowa St. Baylor may be the only challenger to Oklahomas Big 12 supremacy.
8. If the college football season ended after two weeks my playoff picks would be 1. Georgia Vs 4. Oklahoma and 2. Florida St Vs 3. Oregon.
Now to the week 3 picks
West Virginia @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Indiana @ Bowling Green: Pick: Bowling Green
Kent St @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Miami (OH) @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Iowa St @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Minnesota @ TCU: Pick: TCU
Illinois @ Washington: Pick: Washington
Purdue @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Nebraska @ Fresno St: Pick: Nebraska
Penn St @ Rutgers: Pick: Penn St
Outside the Big Ten
Georgia @ South Carolina: Pick: Georgia
UCLA Vs Texas: Pick: UCLA
Louisville @ Virginia: Pick: Louisville
21-6 in Big Ten Games
3-3 Outside Big Ten
Heres some observations after week two
1. A disastrous day for the Big Ten. Maybe one of the most disastrous ever. It was already bad before the night games when Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, and Rutgers all had their struggles against cupcake opponents and Purdue lost by 3 touchdowns to a cupcake opponent. It became downright disastrous when in the night games Michigan St, Ohio St, and Michigan all lost.
2. South Carolina did nothing to reinstall confidence after lasts weeks bad game as they struggled mightily against East Carolina
3. Welcome USC back to national relevance as they grinded out a tough win against Stanford on the road. The win could move them near the top ten and into playoff discussion.
4. UCLA once again looked meager, though this week it was on the defensive side of the ball, giving up 35 points to Memphis. They are 2-0, but this popular playoff pick is starting to look overrated.
5. Is Ole Miss a possible SEC West contender or is Vanderbilt really that bad? I think Vanderbilt is really bad but that doesnt mean Ole Miss wont be in the picture, they are pretty good.
6. On the same note is Notre Dame that good or is Michigan that bad? I think the latter is fully true here, I am not anywhere near ready to put Notre Dame in the playoff discussion yet.
7. Kansas St looked rough against Iowa St. Baylor may be the only challenger to Oklahomas Big 12 supremacy.
8. If the college football season ended after two weeks my playoff picks would be 1. Georgia Vs 4. Oklahoma and 2. Florida St Vs 3. Oregon.
Now to the week 3 picks
West Virginia @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Indiana @ Bowling Green: Pick: Bowling Green
Kent St @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Miami (OH) @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Iowa St @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Minnesota @ TCU: Pick: TCU
Illinois @ Washington: Pick: Washington
Purdue @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Nebraska @ Fresno St: Pick: Nebraska
Penn St @ Rutgers: Pick: Penn St
Outside the Big Ten
Georgia @ South Carolina: Pick: Georgia
UCLA Vs Texas: Pick: UCLA
Louisville @ Virginia: Pick: Louisville
Friday, September 5, 2014
2014: Red Sox Ignominy
the year 2013 was a great one for the Red Sox. Every night was highly entertaining theater with different heroes emerging in every game. i wrote a lot last year about how fondly I will always remember last years team, just for being so much darn fun to watch on a nightly basis. 2014, has been the exact opposite. As of this writing, the Red Sox are 61-79, 22 games out of first place. The offense, which finished 1st in MLB in runs scored last year, is 24th this year. The pitching staff, which finished 14th in ERA last season, is 22nd this season. I thought itd be "fun" (call me a masochist) to take a look back at the specific games that made this season the disaster that it was. And there were plenty of game that perfectly showcased just how putrid this team really has been.
1. April 4th Vs Milwaukee Brewers: 6-2 loss. In the home opener, the game was tied 2-2 heading into the 9th innings. These were the types of games the Red Sox thrived on winning dramatically in last year. Right off the bat however, we saw this year would be different. Newly signed Edward Mujica came into the game and imploded, giving up 4 runs in the 9th inning. Mujica was expected to be a solid new addition, but pitched horrendously the first two months of the season, posting a 7.29 ERA through June 4th. Hes been better since, but those first two months were a disaster for him, and this game was the start of that.
2. April 12th @ Yankees: 7-4 loss. John Lackey, one of the Red Sox aces responsible for their amazing season last year, gives up 5(!) home runs in this game to the Yankees en route to a 7-4 loss.
3. April 24th Vs Yankees: 14-5 loss. 14 runs allowed to the Yankees. Enough said. This game was a disaster from start to finish.
4. May 9th @ Rangers. 8-0 loss. The first of several times this season where the Red Sox came so close to being no-hit. Yu Darvish held Boston hitless until there was two outs in the 9th inning when David Ortiz hit a single for the only hit.
5. May 22nd Vs Blue Jays: 7-2 Loss. This game capped off an 0-6 homestand, the longest winless homestand for the Red Sox in nearly 30 years. The Red Sox never lost more than 3 in a row all last season, home or away.
6. May 25th @ Rays: L 8-5. The 10th straight loss for the Red Sox which practically put them in the grave before summer even started.
7. June 30th Vs Cubs: 2-0 Loss. It was Jake Arrietas turn to nearly no-hit the Red Sox, as his bid went into the 8th inning before Stephen Drew finally ended it.
8. July 2nd Vs Cubs: 16-9 loss. Allowing 16 runs and getting swept at home by one of the worst teams in the league should have been the final nail coffin in the season, but that was still to come because a win streak in Mid July kept a bit of hope.
9. July 24th @ Blue Jays: 8-0 Loss. This was the final nail in the coffin. Three straight losses in Toronto were capped off by this one. Losing that three in a row meant once and for all the Red Sox season was lost and they responded by trading away many players.
10. July 28th: Vs Blue Jays: 14-1 loss. Another mauling, and once again it was the Jays doing the job. This was the game that was the final nail in the coffin for Felix Doubront in Boston. Doubront was a high prospect expected to be a great pitcher for years to come, but while he showed flashes of brilliance in 3 seasons, he was wildly inconsistent. Finally, in July he was removed from his starters role and demoted to the bullpen. Doubront was vocal in his dissaproval of this, and in his first game out of the pen, this game, he allowed 6 runs without recording an out, many think on purpose as an act of defiance. On purpose or not, he was traded for practically nothing right after the game to the Cubs.
11. August 9th @ Angels: 5-4 loss. Just a 19 inning loss, nothing particularly excruciating when compared to the others.
12. August 21st Vs Angels: 2-0 loss. It was Chris Shoemaker this time who nearly no hit the Red Sox, Making it to the 8th inning before Will Middlebrooks picked up the only hit of the game for Boston.
13. August 22nd Vs Mariners: 5-3 loss. With a 3-0 lead heading into the 9th inning, it looked like the Sox would pick up a rare win. However Koji Uehara imploded in the 9th, giving up 5 runs, all with 2 outs and a win was not to be. It was the 6th straight loss for Boston.
14. August 30th @ Rays: 7-0 loss. The Red Sox get one hit. it is the 14th time this season the Red Sox record 3 hits or less as a team, a franchise record in the modern era. It happened only twice last season.
So there you have it, the 14 games out of 79 losses that stick out the most as showcasing this teams ineptitude. I am sure there will be more lowlights over these last 23 games before this season mercifully ends.
1. April 4th Vs Milwaukee Brewers: 6-2 loss. In the home opener, the game was tied 2-2 heading into the 9th innings. These were the types of games the Red Sox thrived on winning dramatically in last year. Right off the bat however, we saw this year would be different. Newly signed Edward Mujica came into the game and imploded, giving up 4 runs in the 9th inning. Mujica was expected to be a solid new addition, but pitched horrendously the first two months of the season, posting a 7.29 ERA through June 4th. Hes been better since, but those first two months were a disaster for him, and this game was the start of that.
2. April 12th @ Yankees: 7-4 loss. John Lackey, one of the Red Sox aces responsible for their amazing season last year, gives up 5(!) home runs in this game to the Yankees en route to a 7-4 loss.
3. April 24th Vs Yankees: 14-5 loss. 14 runs allowed to the Yankees. Enough said. This game was a disaster from start to finish.
4. May 9th @ Rangers. 8-0 loss. The first of several times this season where the Red Sox came so close to being no-hit. Yu Darvish held Boston hitless until there was two outs in the 9th inning when David Ortiz hit a single for the only hit.
5. May 22nd Vs Blue Jays: 7-2 Loss. This game capped off an 0-6 homestand, the longest winless homestand for the Red Sox in nearly 30 years. The Red Sox never lost more than 3 in a row all last season, home or away.
6. May 25th @ Rays: L 8-5. The 10th straight loss for the Red Sox which practically put them in the grave before summer even started.
7. June 30th Vs Cubs: 2-0 Loss. It was Jake Arrietas turn to nearly no-hit the Red Sox, as his bid went into the 8th inning before Stephen Drew finally ended it.
8. July 2nd Vs Cubs: 16-9 loss. Allowing 16 runs and getting swept at home by one of the worst teams in the league should have been the final nail coffin in the season, but that was still to come because a win streak in Mid July kept a bit of hope.
9. July 24th @ Blue Jays: 8-0 Loss. This was the final nail in the coffin. Three straight losses in Toronto were capped off by this one. Losing that three in a row meant once and for all the Red Sox season was lost and they responded by trading away many players.
10. July 28th: Vs Blue Jays: 14-1 loss. Another mauling, and once again it was the Jays doing the job. This was the game that was the final nail in the coffin for Felix Doubront in Boston. Doubront was a high prospect expected to be a great pitcher for years to come, but while he showed flashes of brilliance in 3 seasons, he was wildly inconsistent. Finally, in July he was removed from his starters role and demoted to the bullpen. Doubront was vocal in his dissaproval of this, and in his first game out of the pen, this game, he allowed 6 runs without recording an out, many think on purpose as an act of defiance. On purpose or not, he was traded for practically nothing right after the game to the Cubs.
11. August 9th @ Angels: 5-4 loss. Just a 19 inning loss, nothing particularly excruciating when compared to the others.
12. August 21st Vs Angels: 2-0 loss. It was Chris Shoemaker this time who nearly no hit the Red Sox, Making it to the 8th inning before Will Middlebrooks picked up the only hit of the game for Boston.
13. August 22nd Vs Mariners: 5-3 loss. With a 3-0 lead heading into the 9th inning, it looked like the Sox would pick up a rare win. However Koji Uehara imploded in the 9th, giving up 5 runs, all with 2 outs and a win was not to be. It was the 6th straight loss for Boston.
14. August 30th @ Rays: 7-0 loss. The Red Sox get one hit. it is the 14th time this season the Red Sox record 3 hits or less as a team, a franchise record in the modern era. It happened only twice last season.
So there you have it, the 14 games out of 79 losses that stick out the most as showcasing this teams ineptitude. I am sure there will be more lowlights over these last 23 games before this season mercifully ends.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Week One NFL Picks
Another NFL Season is upon us, lets get to the picking
Seahawks Over Packers
Saints over Falcons
Vikings Over Rams
Steelers Over Browns
Eagles Over Jaguars
Jets Over Raiders
Ravens Over Bengals
Bears Over Bills
Texans Over Redskins
Chiefs Over Dolphins
Patriots Over Dolphins
Bucs over Panthers
Cowboys over 49ers
Broncos over Colts
Giants Over Lions
Cardinals Over Chargers
My head says Saints over Seahawks in NFC Championship, Pats over Broncos in AFC Championship
And Saints over the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Seahawks Over Packers
Saints over Falcons
Vikings Over Rams
Steelers Over Browns
Eagles Over Jaguars
Jets Over Raiders
Ravens Over Bengals
Bears Over Bills
Texans Over Redskins
Chiefs Over Dolphins
Patriots Over Dolphins
Bucs over Panthers
Cowboys over 49ers
Broncos over Colts
Giants Over Lions
Cardinals Over Chargers
My head says Saints over Seahawks in NFC Championship, Pats over Broncos in AFC Championship
And Saints over the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Monday, September 1, 2014
NCAA Week Two Picks
I went 12-2 in Big Ten Games and 2-1 outside it in week one. 10 week one observations
1. Texas A&M may be a legitimate SEC West contender.
2. Speaking of that, the SEC West race should be wild this year. There are 5 contenders with only Miss St and Arkansas not being in the mix. Expect no one to escape that meat grinder unscathed, especially if Alabams struggles against a weak WVU team are a true indicator of that team's ability.
3. Florida may be the biggest challenger to Georgia for the SEC East. That is based entirely on how bad South Carolina looked and not at all on how Florida looked since they didnt look like anything.
4. Trendy Pick UCLA looked downright horrendous offensively. I understand this is the first week in a sport without preseason so teams sometimes tend to look less than their best, and the fact UCLA was traveling cross country could also have played a factor, but still, the complete offensive ineptitude is concerning, especially since UCLA will have to put up plenty of points to have any chance of beating Oregon.
5. Three top 25 teams lost opening weekend, and one has, in my opinion, already bowed out of the National Championship race. That team would be Wisconsin, whose schedule is so weak that even running the table from this point forward would probably not be enough. Clemson still has a chance based on the fact Florida St is still on their schedule. South Carolina, by being in the SEC also still has a chance.
6. Speaking of Wisconsin, the last 25 minutes of that game for them was absolutely brutal. Melvin Gordon only getting three second half carries, especially given the situation, with the team being ahead by multiple possessions and having a quarterback who couldnt throw anything, is inexcusable.
7. And speaking of Florida St, things may not be as easy for them as many thought. We have seen in the past some teams fold under the pressure of having the target on their back. Only time will tel if FSU will be one of those teams.
8. The most impressive unranked teams this week were Oklahoma St and Tennessee. A couple of teams worth watching to see if they are actually good teams.
9. Ohio St is probably not a top 5 team without Braxton Miller. They really struggled against Navy, its going to be tough to compete against Michigan St plus a trip into Penn St this year also looms.
10. The Playoff is going to make this College Football more fun than ever. My Playoff prediction after week one is #2Georgia vs #3 Michigan St and #1 Florida St Vs #4 Oklahoma.
Now for the picks
Western Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Western Kentucky @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
McNeese St @ Nebrasa: Pick: Nebraska
Akron @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Central Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Howard @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Northern Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Middle Tennessee @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Ball St @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Maryland @ South Florida: Pick: Maryland
Michigan St @ Oregon: Pick: Michigan St
Michigan @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Virginia Tech @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside the Big Ten
USC @ Stanford: Pick: Stanford
BYU @ Texas: Pick: Texas
Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt: Pick: Ole Miss
1. Texas A&M may be a legitimate SEC West contender.
2. Speaking of that, the SEC West race should be wild this year. There are 5 contenders with only Miss St and Arkansas not being in the mix. Expect no one to escape that meat grinder unscathed, especially if Alabams struggles against a weak WVU team are a true indicator of that team's ability.
3. Florida may be the biggest challenger to Georgia for the SEC East. That is based entirely on how bad South Carolina looked and not at all on how Florida looked since they didnt look like anything.
4. Trendy Pick UCLA looked downright horrendous offensively. I understand this is the first week in a sport without preseason so teams sometimes tend to look less than their best, and the fact UCLA was traveling cross country could also have played a factor, but still, the complete offensive ineptitude is concerning, especially since UCLA will have to put up plenty of points to have any chance of beating Oregon.
5. Three top 25 teams lost opening weekend, and one has, in my opinion, already bowed out of the National Championship race. That team would be Wisconsin, whose schedule is so weak that even running the table from this point forward would probably not be enough. Clemson still has a chance based on the fact Florida St is still on their schedule. South Carolina, by being in the SEC also still has a chance.
6. Speaking of Wisconsin, the last 25 minutes of that game for them was absolutely brutal. Melvin Gordon only getting three second half carries, especially given the situation, with the team being ahead by multiple possessions and having a quarterback who couldnt throw anything, is inexcusable.
7. And speaking of Florida St, things may not be as easy for them as many thought. We have seen in the past some teams fold under the pressure of having the target on their back. Only time will tel if FSU will be one of those teams.
8. The most impressive unranked teams this week were Oklahoma St and Tennessee. A couple of teams worth watching to see if they are actually good teams.
9. Ohio St is probably not a top 5 team without Braxton Miller. They really struggled against Navy, its going to be tough to compete against Michigan St plus a trip into Penn St this year also looms.
10. The Playoff is going to make this College Football more fun than ever. My Playoff prediction after week one is #2Georgia vs #3 Michigan St and #1 Florida St Vs #4 Oklahoma.
Now for the picks
Western Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Western Kentucky @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
McNeese St @ Nebrasa: Pick: Nebraska
Akron @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Central Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Howard @ Rutgers: Pick: Rutgers
Northern Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Middle Tennessee @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Ball St @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Maryland @ South Florida: Pick: Maryland
Michigan St @ Oregon: Pick: Michigan St
Michigan @ Notre Dame: Pick: Notre Dame
Virginia Tech @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Outside the Big Ten
USC @ Stanford: Pick: Stanford
BYU @ Texas: Pick: Texas
Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt: Pick: Ole Miss
Monday, August 25, 2014
FOOTBALLS BACK!!!! Week One NCAA Football Picks
It is unbelievable to believe that we have once again reached the most incredible time of the year the other ten months of the year have their moments, but I live for September and October. My favorite time of the year officially begins on the first day of College Football Season and officially ends with the last night of Halloween Horror Nights. The amount of things that make this time of year the best are plentiful. Football, Halloween Horror Nights, cooler weather after months of brutal heat, the length of daylight hours are perfect for someone like me who hates the really long summer days but also doesnt like the really short winter days, all the pumpkin flavored treats hitting the shelves, NHL will start up again, and the MLB Playoffs will take place. Whats not to love? For the 3rd straight year I will be sharing my picks for every Big Ten game and also some of the best games outside the Big Ten. And of course when the NFL makes its return next week, Ill be picking that as well. Here we go with another year! As usual many teams open their season with cupcake opponents, but there are a few toughies this week as well.
Eastern Illinois @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Rutgers @ Washington St: Pick: Washington St
Jacksonville St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Penn St Vs UCF: Pick: UCF
Indiana St @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Northern Iowa @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Appalachian St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Ohio St Vs Navy: Pick: Ohio St
Western Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Youngstown St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
James Madison @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Florida Atlantic @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
California @ Northwestern: Pick: Cal
Wisconsin Vs LSU: Pick: LSU
Outside the Big Ten
Texas A&M @ South Carolina: Pick: South Carolina
Florida St Vs Oklahoma St: Pick: Florida St
Clemson @ Georgia: Pick: Georgia
Eastern Illinois @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Rutgers @ Washington St: Pick: Washington St
Jacksonville St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Penn St Vs UCF: Pick: UCF
Indiana St @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Northern Iowa @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Appalachian St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Ohio St Vs Navy: Pick: Ohio St
Western Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Youngstown St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
James Madison @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Florida Atlantic @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
California @ Northwestern: Pick: Cal
Wisconsin Vs LSU: Pick: LSU
Outside the Big Ten
Texas A&M @ South Carolina: Pick: South Carolina
Florida St Vs Oklahoma St: Pick: Florida St
Clemson @ Georgia: Pick: Georgia
Monday, April 21, 2014
This one hurt: Bolts overcome Habs, but cant overcome refs in 3-2 loss
The Lightning did everything they needed to do to win Sunday night and cut the series lead down to 2-1. For the first time in the series they were not thoroughly outplayed and they deserved to win. They, however, did not win and now face a 3-0 series deficit.
The game started off horribly, as Montreal got on the board just eleven seconds in to take a 1-0 lead. the rest of the game however, would be controlled by the Bolts. Their hard work finally got them a tie game early in the second, off the stick of Ondrej Palat.
Then halfway through the second, it happened. Ondrej Palat put another one in the net, seemingly putting Tampa up 2-1 and giving what could be a momentum changing goal for the entire series. The lead referee however, ruled the goal off, citing goaltender interference. Replay showed very clearly the call was atrocious, as nothing even close to resembling goalie interference took place. But the game remained tied due to the refs incompetence. Predictably, just a few moments later Montreal took a 2-1 lead of their own. Early in the 3rd, they stretched it to 3-1.
The Bolts cut the lead to 3-2 in the 3rd and made a valiant attempt to tie it, even hitting a couple posts, but luck was not on their side this night, and they now face a sweep directly in the eyes.
175 teams have faced a 3-0 series deficit in NHL history, and only 3 have come back to win the series, so the odds are not in the Bolts favor. Not only that, but the effort and energy that would need to be extolled to make such a comeback would virtually guarantee the Bolts would be too worn down to legitimately win in the second round. So the season is all but over. Right now I am just hoping for a win tomorrow to get one more home game out of this season.
The game started off horribly, as Montreal got on the board just eleven seconds in to take a 1-0 lead. the rest of the game however, would be controlled by the Bolts. Their hard work finally got them a tie game early in the second, off the stick of Ondrej Palat.
Then halfway through the second, it happened. Ondrej Palat put another one in the net, seemingly putting Tampa up 2-1 and giving what could be a momentum changing goal for the entire series. The lead referee however, ruled the goal off, citing goaltender interference. Replay showed very clearly the call was atrocious, as nothing even close to resembling goalie interference took place. But the game remained tied due to the refs incompetence. Predictably, just a few moments later Montreal took a 2-1 lead of their own. Early in the 3rd, they stretched it to 3-1.
The Bolts cut the lead to 3-2 in the 3rd and made a valiant attempt to tie it, even hitting a couple posts, but luck was not on their side this night, and they now face a sweep directly in the eyes.
175 teams have faced a 3-0 series deficit in NHL history, and only 3 have come back to win the series, so the odds are not in the Bolts favor. Not only that, but the effort and energy that would need to be extolled to make such a comeback would virtually guarantee the Bolts would be too worn down to legitimately win in the second round. So the season is all but over. Right now I am just hoping for a win tomorrow to get one more home game out of this season.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Habs drub Lightning 4-1 in disastrous outing for Bolts
If you include overtime of game one, the Lightning have played seven period so far in the 2014 playoffs, and only one of them have resembled anything close to the intensity and quality of play a playoff team should be playing with.
The period came in the first period last night. In the first period the Lightning managed eleven shots, played disciplined defense, got good goaltending, and looked much improved from game one. Even though the score remained 0-0, the play was encouraging, as it appeared the team made adjusments and was fully committed to improving upon their poor game one play.
Then they came out for the second period, and immediately regressed back into their game one selves. two minutes into the second period Richard Panik committed a penalty putting Montreal on the power play. It took only seconds into the power play for Montreal to score and take a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later, a terrible breakaway led to another goal and a 2-0 lead. The Lightning were shell shocked, and did practically nothing the rest of the game.
For the final 35 minutes the Bolts played lifeless, without any energy or intensity. The couldnt get a single iota of offensive pressure, as every time they attempted to mount an attack, Montreal stifled them away immediately. Despite this lifeless play, the game remained in reach, at still just 2-0 with ten minutes remaining, as many fans clinged to a shred of hope, hope that seemed unlikely. Finally with 8 minutes left, Brendan Gallagher put everyone out of their misery, offically ending a game that was probably over anyway, making it 3-0. A couple minutes later it was made 4-0 on a hilariously awful goaltending play by goalie Kristers Gudlevskis.
With three minutes left the Bolts were given them a power play, and they pulled their goalie giving them a two man advantage. Thankfully they were spared the embarrassment of not being able to score on a two man advantage, as with less than two minutes left Teddy Purcell found the net to avoid a shutout, making the final score 4-1.
This series is a sweep waiting to happen IF the Lightning dont find urgency immediately. Maybe its Naive hope of a fan, but I still have some optimism they will find that urgency and make this at the very least a competitive series.
There is also the important fact that this is not the first time Montreal has done this. In 2006, 2009, and 2011 they won the first two game on the road in the first round, and all three times they blew that lead and eventually lost the series. Oh yes, and all three of those teams that came back and beat Montreal in that series went on to win the Stanley Cup. Could history repeat itself?
Game three is tomorrow night, it will be interesting to see how the team will respond.
The period came in the first period last night. In the first period the Lightning managed eleven shots, played disciplined defense, got good goaltending, and looked much improved from game one. Even though the score remained 0-0, the play was encouraging, as it appeared the team made adjusments and was fully committed to improving upon their poor game one play.
Then they came out for the second period, and immediately regressed back into their game one selves. two minutes into the second period Richard Panik committed a penalty putting Montreal on the power play. It took only seconds into the power play for Montreal to score and take a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later, a terrible breakaway led to another goal and a 2-0 lead. The Lightning were shell shocked, and did practically nothing the rest of the game.
For the final 35 minutes the Bolts played lifeless, without any energy or intensity. The couldnt get a single iota of offensive pressure, as every time they attempted to mount an attack, Montreal stifled them away immediately. Despite this lifeless play, the game remained in reach, at still just 2-0 with ten minutes remaining, as many fans clinged to a shred of hope, hope that seemed unlikely. Finally with 8 minutes left, Brendan Gallagher put everyone out of their misery, offically ending a game that was probably over anyway, making it 3-0. A couple minutes later it was made 4-0 on a hilariously awful goaltending play by goalie Kristers Gudlevskis.
With three minutes left the Bolts were given them a power play, and they pulled their goalie giving them a two man advantage. Thankfully they were spared the embarrassment of not being able to score on a two man advantage, as with less than two minutes left Teddy Purcell found the net to avoid a shutout, making the final score 4-1.
This series is a sweep waiting to happen IF the Lightning dont find urgency immediately. Maybe its Naive hope of a fan, but I still have some optimism they will find that urgency and make this at the very least a competitive series.
There is also the important fact that this is not the first time Montreal has done this. In 2006, 2009, and 2011 they won the first two game on the road in the first round, and all three times they blew that lead and eventually lost the series. Oh yes, and all three of those teams that came back and beat Montreal in that series went on to win the Stanley Cup. Could history repeat itself?
Game three is tomorrow night, it will be interesting to see how the team will respond.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Bolts fall in Playoff opener 5-4 in Overtime
Excitement was in the air. The forums ice was painted for the playoffs for the first time in three years. The atmosphere inside the Tampa Times Forum was electric as playoff hockey returned to Tampa Bay. And then the puck dropped and the sobering reality set in that this is a young, inexperienced team on the big stage for the first time.
The game started off innocently enough. The two teams both played it safe the first ten minutes, getting a feel for each others style. Finally, a turnover gave the Lightning the first goal of the game off the stick of Nikita Kucherov halfway through the first period. The lead would be short lived however, as just nineteen seconds later Montreal tied it up 1-1. The Lightning from a quality of play standpoint, never recovered.
The game went back and forth the rest of the way. Stamkos put the Bolts on top 2-1 midway through the second, before Montreal came right back and tied it again.
It was the Canadiens turn to take the lead early in the 3rd, before Alex Killorn, another rookie came back and evened it at 3. Montreal responded by taking the lead yet again, before the regulation scoring finally ended with Stamkos knotting it up at 4 with six minutes left.
Overtime was basically dominated by Montreal, and with 1:52 left in the extra session, they finally scored, thanks to a defensive lapse that allowed Stephen Weiss room wide open right in front of the net. The goal felt like only a matter of time the way the Bolts were playing.
The Lightning spent the whole game in Deer in the headlights mode. A bit understandable given all the rookies getting a taste of playoff action. The defense played atrocious and the offense generated little throughout the game. Overall the Bolts were outshot 44-25.
There are several ways to look at this game. First, the Bolts played about as poorly as possible and still almost won. if they tighten it up a bit, they are very capable of winning this series. But scoring 4 goals in 25 shots is a 1 in 6 average. There is no way they score at that clip the whole series, so they absolutely have to find a way to get more shots on net.
On the other hand, if the Bolts play the same way they play last night, it will be an early offseason. There is no way they will come that close to winning playing that way again, it will lead to blowouts and a probable sweep. Game 2 is tomorrow at the forum, and it is truly a must win, as going to Montreal, one of the best home ice advantages in any sport, down 2-0 is basically a death sentence.
The game started off innocently enough. The two teams both played it safe the first ten minutes, getting a feel for each others style. Finally, a turnover gave the Lightning the first goal of the game off the stick of Nikita Kucherov halfway through the first period. The lead would be short lived however, as just nineteen seconds later Montreal tied it up 1-1. The Lightning from a quality of play standpoint, never recovered.
The game went back and forth the rest of the way. Stamkos put the Bolts on top 2-1 midway through the second, before Montreal came right back and tied it again.
It was the Canadiens turn to take the lead early in the 3rd, before Alex Killorn, another rookie came back and evened it at 3. Montreal responded by taking the lead yet again, before the regulation scoring finally ended with Stamkos knotting it up at 4 with six minutes left.
Overtime was basically dominated by Montreal, and with 1:52 left in the extra session, they finally scored, thanks to a defensive lapse that allowed Stephen Weiss room wide open right in front of the net. The goal felt like only a matter of time the way the Bolts were playing.
The Lightning spent the whole game in Deer in the headlights mode. A bit understandable given all the rookies getting a taste of playoff action. The defense played atrocious and the offense generated little throughout the game. Overall the Bolts were outshot 44-25.
There are several ways to look at this game. First, the Bolts played about as poorly as possible and still almost won. if they tighten it up a bit, they are very capable of winning this series. But scoring 4 goals in 25 shots is a 1 in 6 average. There is no way they score at that clip the whole series, so they absolutely have to find a way to get more shots on net.
On the other hand, if the Bolts play the same way they play last night, it will be an early offseason. There is no way they will come that close to winning playing that way again, it will lead to blowouts and a probable sweep. Game 2 is tomorrow at the forum, and it is truly a must win, as going to Montreal, one of the best home ice advantages in any sport, down 2-0 is basically a death sentence.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
MLB Power Rankings After Week Two
30. Arizona Diamondbacks LW: 30
29. Houston Astros LW: 24
28. New York Mets LW: 28
27. Kansas City Royals LW: 18
26. Baltimore Orioles LW; 27
25. San Diego Padres LW; 29
24. Texas Rangers LW: 23
23. Chicago Cubs LW: 20
22. Boston Red Sox LW:22
21. Philadelphia Phillies LW: 10
20. New York Yankees LW:16
19. Cleveland Indians LW: 17
18. St Louis Cardinals LW: 21
17. Colorado Rockies LW: 14
16. Pittsburgh Pirates LW; 8
15. Tampa Bay Rays LW: 3
14. Detroit Tigers LW; 6
13. Cincinnati Reds LW: 19
12. Miami Marlins LW: 1
11. Minnesota Twins LW; 15
10. Chicago White Sox LW; 11
9. Toronto Blue Jays LW: 26
8. Washington Nationals LW; 5
7. San Francisco Giants LW: 4
6. Los Angeles Angels LW; 25
5. Seattle Mariners LW; 2
4. Los Angeles Dodgers LW: 13
3. Atlanta Braves LW: 9
2. Oakland Athletics LW: 12
1. Milwaukee Brewers LW: 7
29. Houston Astros LW: 24
28. New York Mets LW: 28
27. Kansas City Royals LW: 18
26. Baltimore Orioles LW; 27
25. San Diego Padres LW; 29
24. Texas Rangers LW: 23
23. Chicago Cubs LW: 20
22. Boston Red Sox LW:22
21. Philadelphia Phillies LW: 10
20. New York Yankees LW:16
19. Cleveland Indians LW: 17
18. St Louis Cardinals LW: 21
17. Colorado Rockies LW: 14
16. Pittsburgh Pirates LW; 8
15. Tampa Bay Rays LW: 3
14. Detroit Tigers LW; 6
13. Cincinnati Reds LW: 19
12. Miami Marlins LW: 1
11. Minnesota Twins LW; 15
10. Chicago White Sox LW; 11
9. Toronto Blue Jays LW: 26
8. Washington Nationals LW; 5
7. San Francisco Giants LW: 4
6. Los Angeles Angels LW; 25
5. Seattle Mariners LW; 2
4. Los Angeles Dodgers LW: 13
3. Atlanta Braves LW: 9
2. Oakland Athletics LW: 12
1. Milwaukee Brewers LW: 7
NHL 1st round playoffs preview, predictions
The NHL regular season has finally ended, and its playoff time. 11 of the 16 playoff teams are returning from last year. Two of the three worst teams in the league last year are also in it (Lightning, Avalanche.) The Stars return for the first time since 2008, as do the Blue Jackets, who are making only their second appearance in their franchises 12 year history. The Jackets got swept the first time so they are still looking for their first franchise playoff win. Finally, the Flyers return after missing out last year. The Flyers have made 29 straight playoff appearances without winning a championship, a major league sports record. Lets make it 30.
This year debuts a brand new playoff format, a format that has confused even the most die hard of hockey fans. it is so confusing I will not even attempt to explain it, Im not even sure I could, so lets just look at the matchups and get my predictions.
Boston Bruins (117 points) Vs Detroit Red Wings (93 Points): The Bruins finished with the best record in the NHL for the first time in seventeen season, and their reward is to face the Red Wings, the only team that had a winning record against the Bruins this season and making a sports record 23rd consecutive playoff appearance. The Wings snuck in this year after a hot finish, as that streak was in jeopardy. This could get very hairy for the Bruins, but I think they are to good to get bounced, and the Wings have been too inconsistent this year in my opinion to pull off the upset. Pick: Bruins in 6
Tampa Bay Lightning (101 Points) Vs Montreal Canadiens (100 Points): A year after having the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens were a slight disappointment. A year after a terrible season, the Bolts came out of nowhere to contend. This will be the first time since 2004 the Bolts will have home ice advantage in a playoff series, and in what should be a low scoring, yet entertaining series, home ice will prevail. Pick: Lightning in 7
Penguins (108 Points) Vs Blue Jackets (93 Points): Making just their second postseason appearance in franchise history, the Jackets wont be swept this time around, they have the defensive talent to steal a game or two, but lack the offensive talent to win four. Pick: Penguins in 5
New York Rangers (96 Points) Vs Philadelphia Flyers (94 Points): A battle of former Bolts, Vincent Lecavaliers Flyers Vs Martin St Louis's Rangers. Both teams got off to terrible starts, then got hot and finished with impressive records. As has been the case the past three playoff outings for the Flyers, their lack of goaltending talent will hurt them. Pick: Rangers in 7
Colorado Avalanche (111 Points) Vs Minnesota Wild (98 Points): What an amazing season for the Avs, no one expected them to make the playoffs, let alone win their division. The Wild were a slight dissapointment, as many expected them to break 100 this year. Both teams have great goal tending and defense, but the Avs have superior offense. Minnesota will push this to the limit, but the offensive advantage wins out eventually. Pick: Avalanche in 7
St Louis Blues (111 Points) Vs Chicago Blackhawks (107 Points): Probably the most intriguing series. The Blues made it through February with by far the best record, and best offense in the league. Then out of nowhere, they collapsed, and the offense stopped scoring, eventually finishing the year on a six game losing streak. Meanwhile the Blackhawks, the defending champs, very quietly put together 107 points, flying under the radar the whole season. They didnt light the world on fire like last year, but 107 points is still fantastic. The defending champs is not a good team to face for a scuffling team, and the Stanley cup favorites just a month ago, will face a first round exit. Pick: Hawks in 5
Anaheim Ducks (114 Points) Vs Dallas Stars (91 Points): My big upset pick. The Ducks were dominant through December, and very good from January through April, but not nearly as dominant. The Stars needed to be hot to get in the playoffs, and heres saying they stay hot and pull off the upset. Pick: Stars in 6
San Jose Sharks (111 Points) Vs Los Angeles Kings (100 Points): A fantastic rivalry matchup, and exactly what the NHL was hoping for with their new format. The Kings were another team to put together a solid season under the radar. The big thing here is the Sharks are an offensive machine while the Kings simply arent even close. The Sharks have been upset a lot in the playoffs the past ten years, but this time wont be one of them. Pick: Sharks in 6
In case you want my Stanley Cup pick right away, Its Sharks Vs Bruins with the Sharks pulling it out in 6.
This year debuts a brand new playoff format, a format that has confused even the most die hard of hockey fans. it is so confusing I will not even attempt to explain it, Im not even sure I could, so lets just look at the matchups and get my predictions.
Boston Bruins (117 points) Vs Detroit Red Wings (93 Points): The Bruins finished with the best record in the NHL for the first time in seventeen season, and their reward is to face the Red Wings, the only team that had a winning record against the Bruins this season and making a sports record 23rd consecutive playoff appearance. The Wings snuck in this year after a hot finish, as that streak was in jeopardy. This could get very hairy for the Bruins, but I think they are to good to get bounced, and the Wings have been too inconsistent this year in my opinion to pull off the upset. Pick: Bruins in 6
Tampa Bay Lightning (101 Points) Vs Montreal Canadiens (100 Points): A year after having the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens were a slight disappointment. A year after a terrible season, the Bolts came out of nowhere to contend. This will be the first time since 2004 the Bolts will have home ice advantage in a playoff series, and in what should be a low scoring, yet entertaining series, home ice will prevail. Pick: Lightning in 7
Penguins (108 Points) Vs Blue Jackets (93 Points): Making just their second postseason appearance in franchise history, the Jackets wont be swept this time around, they have the defensive talent to steal a game or two, but lack the offensive talent to win four. Pick: Penguins in 5
New York Rangers (96 Points) Vs Philadelphia Flyers (94 Points): A battle of former Bolts, Vincent Lecavaliers Flyers Vs Martin St Louis's Rangers. Both teams got off to terrible starts, then got hot and finished with impressive records. As has been the case the past three playoff outings for the Flyers, their lack of goaltending talent will hurt them. Pick: Rangers in 7
Colorado Avalanche (111 Points) Vs Minnesota Wild (98 Points): What an amazing season for the Avs, no one expected them to make the playoffs, let alone win their division. The Wild were a slight dissapointment, as many expected them to break 100 this year. Both teams have great goal tending and defense, but the Avs have superior offense. Minnesota will push this to the limit, but the offensive advantage wins out eventually. Pick: Avalanche in 7
St Louis Blues (111 Points) Vs Chicago Blackhawks (107 Points): Probably the most intriguing series. The Blues made it through February with by far the best record, and best offense in the league. Then out of nowhere, they collapsed, and the offense stopped scoring, eventually finishing the year on a six game losing streak. Meanwhile the Blackhawks, the defending champs, very quietly put together 107 points, flying under the radar the whole season. They didnt light the world on fire like last year, but 107 points is still fantastic. The defending champs is not a good team to face for a scuffling team, and the Stanley cup favorites just a month ago, will face a first round exit. Pick: Hawks in 5
Anaheim Ducks (114 Points) Vs Dallas Stars (91 Points): My big upset pick. The Ducks were dominant through December, and very good from January through April, but not nearly as dominant. The Stars needed to be hot to get in the playoffs, and heres saying they stay hot and pull off the upset. Pick: Stars in 6
San Jose Sharks (111 Points) Vs Los Angeles Kings (100 Points): A fantastic rivalry matchup, and exactly what the NHL was hoping for with their new format. The Kings were another team to put together a solid season under the radar. The big thing here is the Sharks are an offensive machine while the Kings simply arent even close. The Sharks have been upset a lot in the playoffs the past ten years, but this time wont be one of them. Pick: Sharks in 6
In case you want my Stanley Cup pick right away, Its Sharks Vs Bruins with the Sharks pulling it out in 6.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
MLB Power rankings After Week One
Every week during this MLB season I will be doing my own power rankings, ranking how I think each team is doing during the season. Since this is only after one week, these rankings will be tough, and many teams that will probably be very good (Red Sox) will be ranked low, while many teams who probably wont be so good but are off to a hot start (Marlins) will be ranked high, for now. Within a few weeks these ranking will straighten themselves out, but for the first three or four weeks they will probably be erratic.
30. Arizona Diamondbacks (2-7)
29. San Diego Padres (2-4)
28. New York Mets (2-4)
27. Baltimore Orioles (2-4)
26. Toronto Blue Jays (3-4)
25.Los Angeles Angels (2-4)
24. Houston Astros (3-3)
23. Texas Rangers (3-3)
22. Boston Red Sox (2-4)
21. St Louis Cardinals (3-3)
20. Chicago Cubs (2-4)
19. Cincinnati Reds (2-4)
18. Kansas City Royals (2-3)
17. Cleveland Indians (3-3)
16. New York Yankees (3-3)
15. Minnesota Twins (3-3)
14. Colorado Rockies (3-4)
13. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-3)
12. Oakland Athletics (3-3)
11. Chicago White Sox (3-3)
10. Philadelphia Phillies (3-3)
9. Atlanta Braves (4-2)
8. Pittsburgh Pirates (4-2)
7. Milwaukee Brewers (4-2)
6. Detroit Tigers (4-1)
5. Washington Nationals (4-2)
4. San Francisco Giants (5-2)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (4-3)
2. Seattle Mariners (4-2)
1. Miami Marlins (5-2)
30. Arizona Diamondbacks (2-7)
29. San Diego Padres (2-4)
28. New York Mets (2-4)
27. Baltimore Orioles (2-4)
26. Toronto Blue Jays (3-4)
25.Los Angeles Angels (2-4)
24. Houston Astros (3-3)
23. Texas Rangers (3-3)
22. Boston Red Sox (2-4)
21. St Louis Cardinals (3-3)
20. Chicago Cubs (2-4)
19. Cincinnati Reds (2-4)
18. Kansas City Royals (2-3)
17. Cleveland Indians (3-3)
16. New York Yankees (3-3)
15. Minnesota Twins (3-3)
14. Colorado Rockies (3-4)
13. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-3)
12. Oakland Athletics (3-3)
11. Chicago White Sox (3-3)
10. Philadelphia Phillies (3-3)
9. Atlanta Braves (4-2)
8. Pittsburgh Pirates (4-2)
7. Milwaukee Brewers (4-2)
6. Detroit Tigers (4-1)
5. Washington Nationals (4-2)
4. San Francisco Giants (5-2)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (4-3)
2. Seattle Mariners (4-2)
1. Miami Marlins (5-2)
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Big Ten Tourney Picks
The Big ten regular season is over after ten thrilling weeks. What a Big Ten season it was with stunning upsets every week and buzzer beats aplenty. The season featured one stunning team in Nebraska picked by everyone to finish 10th-12th ending up finishing 4th in the conference. Now its tourney time, but first lets look at the final standings.
1. Michigan: 15-3
2. Wisconsin: 12-6
3. Michigan St: 12-6
4. Nebraska: 11-7
5. Ohio St: 10-8
6. Iowa: 9-9
7. Minnesota: 8-10
8. Illinois: 7-11
9. Indiana: 7-11
10. Penn St: 6-12
11. Northwestern: 6-12
12. Purdue: 5-13
Here are my tourney picks
Thursday
(5) Ohio St Vs (12) Purdue: Pick: Ohio St
(6) Iowa Vs (11) Northwestern: Pick: Iowa
(7) Minnesota Vs (10) Penn St: Pick: Minnesota
(8) Illinois Vs (9) Indiana: Pick: Illinois
Friday
(1) Michigan Vs (8) Illinois: Pick: Michigan
(2) Wisconsin Vs (7) Minnesota: Pick: Wisconsin
(3) Michigan St Vs (6) Iowa: Pick: Iowa
(4) Nebraska Vs (5) Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Saturday
(1) Michigan Vs (5) Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
(2) Wisconsin Vs (6) Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Sunday
(2) Wisconsin Vs (5) Ohio St: Pick: Wisconsin
1. Michigan: 15-3
2. Wisconsin: 12-6
3. Michigan St: 12-6
4. Nebraska: 11-7
5. Ohio St: 10-8
6. Iowa: 9-9
7. Minnesota: 8-10
8. Illinois: 7-11
9. Indiana: 7-11
10. Penn St: 6-12
11. Northwestern: 6-12
12. Purdue: 5-13
Here are my tourney picks
Thursday
(5) Ohio St Vs (12) Purdue: Pick: Ohio St
(6) Iowa Vs (11) Northwestern: Pick: Iowa
(7) Minnesota Vs (10) Penn St: Pick: Minnesota
(8) Illinois Vs (9) Indiana: Pick: Illinois
Friday
(1) Michigan Vs (8) Illinois: Pick: Michigan
(2) Wisconsin Vs (7) Minnesota: Pick: Wisconsin
(3) Michigan St Vs (6) Iowa: Pick: Iowa
(4) Nebraska Vs (5) Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Saturday
(1) Michigan Vs (5) Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
(2) Wisconsin Vs (6) Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Sunday
(2) Wisconsin Vs (5) Ohio St: Pick: Wisconsin
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Big Ten Week Ten Picks
Another week, another round of crazy results in the Big Ten. This week featured a buzzer beater for Michigan to knock off Purdue, Indiana defeating back to back ranked teams at home, Penn St knocking off Ohio St, and Illinois going into Michigan St and pulling off a win. With a win today, the Badgers also ensured a fourth place finish at worst in the Big Ten. This will be the 13th consecutive year the Badgers have finished in the top four of the Big Ten, a remarkable feat. I went 8-4 last week, putting me at 74-33 on the season.
Tuesday
Michigan @ Illinois: Pick: Michigan
Wednesday
Purdue @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Nebraska @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Thursday
Penn St @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Iowa @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Saturday
Indiana @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Penn St @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Nebraska: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Michigan ST @ Ohio ST: Pick: Michigan St
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 13-3
2. Wisconsin: 11-5
3. Michigan St: 11-5
4. Iowa: 9-7
5. Nebraska: 9-7
6. Ohio St: 9-8
7. Indiana: 7-9
8. Minnesota: 7-10
9. Illinois: 6-10
10. Purdue: 5-11
11. Penn St: 5-11
12. Northwestern: 5-11
Tuesday
Michigan @ Illinois: Pick: Michigan
Wednesday
Purdue @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Nebraska @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Thursday
Penn St @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Iowa @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Saturday
Indiana @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Penn St @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Nebraska: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Michigan ST @ Ohio ST: Pick: Michigan St
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 13-3
2. Wisconsin: 11-5
3. Michigan St: 11-5
4. Iowa: 9-7
5. Nebraska: 9-7
6. Ohio St: 9-8
7. Indiana: 7-9
8. Minnesota: 7-10
9. Illinois: 6-10
10. Purdue: 5-11
11. Penn St: 5-11
12. Northwestern: 5-11
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Big Ten Week Nine Picks
I went 6-3 in picking Big Ten games last week, putting me at 56-29 on the season. Just two weeks left in the season and the race is heating up big time!
Tuesday
Iowa @ Minnesota: Pick: Iowa
Indiana @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Wednesday
Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Michigan
Nebraska @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Thursday
Ohio St @ Penn St: Pick: Ohio St
Iowa @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Saturday
Illinois @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Northwestern @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Minnesota @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Purdue @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Penn St: Pick: Wisconsin
Ohio St @ Indiana: Pick: Ohio St
Big Ten Standings: The Badgers win over Iowa has them firmly in the 3rd spot, While Michigans win over Michigan St has them firmly in the top state. There is a 3 game divide between the six and seven spot, so the top half is really seperating from the bottom half.
1. Michigan: 11-3
2. Michigan St: 10-4
3. Wisconsin: 9-5
4. Iowa: 8-5
5. Ohio St: 9-6
6. Nebraska: 8-6
7. Minnesota: 6-9
8. Indiana: 5-8
9. Purdue: 5-9
10. Northwestern: 5-10
11. Illinois: 4-10
12. Penn St: 4-10
Tuesday
Iowa @ Minnesota: Pick: Iowa
Indiana @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Wednesday
Michigan @ Purdue: Pick: Michigan
Nebraska @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Thursday
Ohio St @ Penn St: Pick: Ohio St
Iowa @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Saturday
Illinois @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Northwestern @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Minnesota @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Purdue @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Penn St: Pick: Wisconsin
Ohio St @ Indiana: Pick: Ohio St
Big Ten Standings: The Badgers win over Iowa has them firmly in the 3rd spot, While Michigans win over Michigan St has them firmly in the top state. There is a 3 game divide between the six and seven spot, so the top half is really seperating from the bottom half.
1. Michigan: 11-3
2. Michigan St: 10-4
3. Wisconsin: 9-5
4. Iowa: 8-5
5. Ohio St: 9-6
6. Nebraska: 8-6
7. Minnesota: 6-9
8. Indiana: 5-8
9. Purdue: 5-9
10. Northwestern: 5-10
11. Illinois: 4-10
12. Penn St: 4-10
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Big Ten Week Eight Picks
I went 8-3 in picking last week, putting me at 50-26 on the season. The Big Ten season continues to be absolutely wild, as major upsets continue to pile in. This week it was Nebraska going into Michigan State and pulling off the shocker. This Big Ten basketball season has been one of the craziest conference races Ive ever seen, showing the amazing depth in the conference this year. Four weeks left and this has opened up back to a four team race for the top spot, with the Badgers win over Michigan keeping them at an outside chance if they can run the table.
Tuesday
Iowa @ Indiana: Pick: Iowa
Wednesday
Northwestern @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Illinois @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Thursday
Michigan St @ Purdue: Pick: Michigan St
Penn St @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Saturday
Wisconsin @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Minnesota @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Northwestern: Pick: Indiana
Sunday
Purdue @ Nebraska: Pick: Purdue
Michigan St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan St: 10-3
2. Michigan: 10-3
3. Iowa: 8-4
4. Wisconsin: 8-5
5. Ohio St: 7-6
6. Nebraska: 6-6
7. Minnesota: 6-7
8. Purdue: 5-7
9. Northwestern: 5-8
10. Indiana: 4-8
11. Penn St: 4-9
12. Illinois: 3-10
Tuesday
Iowa @ Indiana: Pick: Iowa
Wednesday
Northwestern @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Illinois @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Thursday
Michigan St @ Purdue: Pick: Michigan St
Penn St @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Saturday
Wisconsin @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Minnesota @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Northwestern: Pick: Indiana
Sunday
Purdue @ Nebraska: Pick: Purdue
Michigan St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan St: 10-3
2. Michigan: 10-3
3. Iowa: 8-4
4. Wisconsin: 8-5
5. Ohio St: 7-6
6. Nebraska: 6-6
7. Minnesota: 6-7
8. Purdue: 5-7
9. Northwestern: 5-8
10. Indiana: 4-8
11. Penn St: 4-9
12. Illinois: 3-10
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Big Ten Week Seven Picks
Only four weeks remain in the Big Ten season and the race is heating up. Iowa with a huge win over Michigan has put itself back in title contention. It appears to only be a three team race for that championship between the Spartans, Wolverines, and Hawkeyes. The real exciting race however is the race for the 4th seed. The 4th seed in the Big Ten tournament gets a bye in the first round along with the top 3 teams, and there are a lot of teams muddled together fighting for that 4 spot. Ohio St, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Northwestern are all within one game of each other for that 4th spot, and Indiana is just a game and a half back. I went 7-4 last week in my picks, putting me at 42-23 on the season.
Tuesday
Michigan @ Ohio St: Pick: Michigan
Wednesday
Penn St @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Illinois @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Thursday
Minnesota @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Saturday
Iowa @ Penn St: Pick: Iowa
Indiana @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Ohio St @ Illinois: Pick: Ohio St
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Nebraska @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Minnesota @ Northwestern: Pick: Minnesota
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 9-2
2. Michigan St: 9-2
3. Iowa: 7-4
4. Ohio St: 6-5
5. Wisconsin: 6-5
6. Minnesota: 5-6
7. Northwestern: 5-6
8. Indiana: 4-6
9. Nebraska: 4-6
10. Purdue: 4-7
11. Illinois: 3-8
12. Penn St: 3-8
Tuesday
Michigan @ Ohio St: Pick: Michigan
Wednesday
Penn St @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Illinois @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Thursday
Minnesota @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Saturday
Iowa @ Penn St: Pick: Iowa
Indiana @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Ohio St @ Illinois: Pick: Ohio St
Sunday
Wisconsin @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Nebraska @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Minnesota @ Northwestern: Pick: Minnesota
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 9-2
2. Michigan St: 9-2
3. Iowa: 7-4
4. Ohio St: 6-5
5. Wisconsin: 6-5
6. Minnesota: 5-6
7. Northwestern: 5-6
8. Indiana: 4-6
9. Nebraska: 4-6
10. Purdue: 4-7
11. Illinois: 3-8
12. Penn St: 3-8
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Big Ten Week Six Picks
I went 6-4 last week, putting me at 35-19 on the season. What a wild and crazy Big Ten season this has been, only further proving that the Big Ten is the best conference in the country. Penn St knocking off Ohio St, Northwestern outshining expectations, this conference has 12 solid teams up and down, no complete pushovers. Unfortunately therefore, that means some really good teams are going to fall victims to their meat grinder schedule, and right now my Badgers are one of those teams, as is Ohio St and Indiana. It may be shaping into a two team race between the two Michigan schools for first place but dont rule out Iowa. And look at this, Northwestern, who many experts thought would go 0-18 on conference play, currently sits in fourth place. Craziness in the Big Ten
Tuesday
Wisconsin @ Illinos: Pick: Illinois
Ohio St @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Wednesday
Nebraska @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Minnesota @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Thursday
Penn St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Saturday
Nebraska @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Michigan @ Iowa: Pick: Michigan
Purdue @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Sunday
Michigan St @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Illinois @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 8-1
2. Michigan St: 8-1
3. Iowa: 6-3
4. Northwestern: 5-5
5. Ohio St: 4-5
6. Wisconsin: 4-5
7. Minnesota: 4-5
8. Indiana: 4-5
9. Nebraska: 3-5
10. Purdue: 3-6
11. Penn St: 3-6
12. Illinois: 2-7
Tuesday
Wisconsin @ Illinos: Pick: Illinois
Ohio St @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Wednesday
Nebraska @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Minnesota @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Thursday
Penn St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Saturday
Nebraska @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Michigan @ Iowa: Pick: Michigan
Purdue @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Sunday
Michigan St @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Illinois @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 8-1
2. Michigan St: 8-1
3. Iowa: 6-3
4. Northwestern: 5-5
5. Ohio St: 4-5
6. Wisconsin: 4-5
7. Minnesota: 4-5
8. Indiana: 4-5
9. Nebraska: 3-5
10. Purdue: 3-6
11. Penn St: 3-6
12. Illinois: 2-7
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Big Ten Week Five Picks
I went 7-5 in picks last week, putting me at 29-15 on the season.
Tuesday
Michigan St @ Iowa: Pick: Michigan St
Wednesday
Penn St @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Northwestern @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Thursday
Indiana @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Purdue @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Saturday
Ohio St @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Iowa @ Illinois: Pick: Iowa
Sunday
Purdue @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Michigan @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 7-0
2. Michigan St: 7-1
3. Iowa: 5-2
4. Wisconsin: 4-3
5. Minnesota: 4-4
6. Ohio St: 3-4
7. Indiana: 3-4
8. Purdue: 3-4
9. Northwestern: 3-5
10. Nebraska: 2-5
11. Illinois: 2-6
12. Penn St: 1-6
Tuesday
Michigan St @ Iowa: Pick: Michigan St
Wednesday
Penn St @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Northwestern @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Thursday
Indiana @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Purdue @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Saturday
Ohio St @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Northwestern @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Iowa @ Illinois: Pick: Iowa
Sunday
Purdue @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Michigan @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan: 7-0
2. Michigan St: 7-1
3. Iowa: 5-2
4. Wisconsin: 4-3
5. Minnesota: 4-4
6. Ohio St: 3-4
7. Indiana: 3-4
8. Purdue: 3-4
9. Northwestern: 3-5
10. Nebraska: 2-5
11. Illinois: 2-6
12. Penn St: 1-6
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Big Ten Week Four Picks
I went a medicore 5-5 in week three, putting me at 22-10 on the season.
Monday
Ohio St @ Nebraska: Pick: Ohio St
Tuesday
Indiana @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Purdue @ Northwestern: Pick: Purdue
Wednesday
Wisconsin @ Minnesota: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Michigan: Pick: Iowa
Thursday
Illinois @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Nebraska @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Saturday
Wisconsin @ Purdue: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Northwestern: Pick: Iowa
Michigan @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Sunday
Illinois @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Minnesota @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan St: 6-0
2. Michigan: 5-0
3. Iowa: 4-1
4. Wisconsin: 3-2
5. Purdue: 3-2
6. Minnesota: 3-3
7. Ohio St: 2-3
8. Indiana: 2-3
9. Illinois: 2-4
10. Northwestern: 2-4
11. Nebraska: 0-4
12. Penn St: 0-6
Monday
Ohio St @ Nebraska: Pick: Ohio St
Tuesday
Indiana @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Purdue @ Northwestern: Pick: Purdue
Wednesday
Wisconsin @ Minnesota: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Michigan: Pick: Iowa
Thursday
Illinois @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Nebraska @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Saturday
Wisconsin @ Purdue: Pick: Wisconsin
Iowa @ Northwestern: Pick: Iowa
Michigan @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Sunday
Illinois @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Minnesota @ Nebraska: Pick: Nebraska
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan St: 6-0
2. Michigan: 5-0
3. Iowa: 4-1
4. Wisconsin: 3-2
5. Purdue: 3-2
6. Minnesota: 3-3
7. Ohio St: 2-3
8. Indiana: 2-3
9. Illinois: 2-4
10. Northwestern: 2-4
11. Nebraska: 0-4
12. Penn St: 0-6
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Big Ten Week 3 Picks
I went 7-3 in week two, putting me at 17-5 on the season.
Tuesday
Wisconsin @ Indiana: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Wednesday
Michigan St @ Northwestern: Pick: Michigan St
Purdue @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Thursday
Ohio St @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Saturday
Northwestern @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Michigan @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Michigan St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Sunday
Minnesota @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Wisconsin: 3-0
3. Michigan: 3-0
4. Iowa: 3-1
5. Ohio St: 2-2
6. Illinois: 2-2
7. Minnesota: 2-2
8. Indiana: 1-2
9. Purdue: 1-2
10. Northwestern: 1-3
11. Penn St: 0-4
12. Nebraska: 0-4
Tuesday
Wisconsin @ Indiana: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Wednesday
Michigan St @ Northwestern: Pick: Michigan St
Purdue @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Thursday
Ohio St @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Saturday
Northwestern @ Indiana: Pick: Indiana
Michigan @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Penn St @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Michigan St @ Illinois: Pick: Illinois
Sunday
Minnesota @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Big Ten Standings
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Wisconsin: 3-0
3. Michigan: 3-0
4. Iowa: 3-1
5. Ohio St: 2-2
6. Illinois: 2-2
7. Minnesota: 2-2
8. Indiana: 1-2
9. Purdue: 1-2
10. Northwestern: 1-3
11. Penn St: 0-4
12. Nebraska: 0-4
Thursday, January 9, 2014
NFL Divisional Rond Picks
Well I only went 1-3 in picking wild card games so Im not exactly off to a roaring start in the playoffs
Colts @ Patriots: Pick: Patriots
Saints @ Seahawks: Pick: Saints
49ers @ Panthers: Pick: Panthers
Chargers @ Broncos: Pick: Broncos
Survivor Pick: Lost that too, but Ill take the Patriots in this category for this week.
Colts @ Patriots: Pick: Patriots
Saints @ Seahawks: Pick: Saints
49ers @ Panthers: Pick: Panthers
Chargers @ Broncos: Pick: Broncos
Survivor Pick: Lost that too, but Ill take the Patriots in this category for this week.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Big Ten Week Two Picks
I went 10-2 in the first week of Big Ten Play
Tuesday
Ohio St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Wednesday
Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Minnesota @ Penn St: Pick: Minnesota
Thursday
Northwestern @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Michigan @ Nebraska: Pick: Michigan
Saturday
Indiana @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Minnesota @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Sunday
Nebraska @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Iowa @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Illinois
Big Ten Standings
1. Wisconsin: 2-0
2. Ohio St: 2-0
3. Michigan St: 2-0
4. Illinois: 2-0
5. Michigan: 2-0
6. Iowa: 1-1
7. Minnesota: 1-1
8. Indiana: 0-2
9. Purdue: 0-2
10. Penn St: 0-2
11. Nebraska: 0-2
12. Northwestern: 0-2
Tuesday
Ohio St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Wednesday
Illinois @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Minnesota @ Penn St: Pick: Minnesota
Thursday
Northwestern @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Michigan @ Nebraska: Pick: Michigan
Saturday
Indiana @ Penn St: Pick: Penn St
Minnesota @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Sunday
Nebraska @ Purdue: Pick: Purdue
Iowa @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Illinois @ Northwestern: Pick: Illinois
Big Ten Standings
1. Wisconsin: 2-0
2. Ohio St: 2-0
3. Michigan St: 2-0
4. Illinois: 2-0
5. Michigan: 2-0
6. Iowa: 1-1
7. Minnesota: 1-1
8. Indiana: 0-2
9. Purdue: 0-2
10. Penn St: 0-2
11. Nebraska: 0-2
12. Northwestern: 0-2
Friday, January 3, 2014
NFL Wild Card Picks
I went 13-3 in week 17, putting me at a final record of 157-98 for the regular season, and one tie. Unfortunately that record wasnt good enough to beat any of the ESPN experts this season, although I did tie Marcus Allen and finished just one game back of Mike Golic. 157-98 was also "Americas" record this season in ESPN pick 'em polls. I also finished the regular season with a 15-2 record in survivor picks. Lets get to the playoff picks. In my opinion its going to be a historic weekend in all four games. Ill explain why in my picks
Chiefs @ Colts: Pick: Chiefs. Historic because this will be the first playoff win for the Chiefs since 1993, the longest drought in the NFL. It would also be the first playoff win for the city of Kansas City in any sport since 1993, the longest drought for a city with at least two teams in sports history.
Saints @ Eagles: Pick: Saints. Historic because it will be the first road playoff win in Saints history. They are 0-5 all time on the road in the playoffs.
Chargers @ Bengals: Pick: Bengals. Historic because the Bengals have the second longest drought in the NFL for winning a playoff game. They havent won one since 1994
49ers @ Packers: Pick: Packers. Historic for the bone chilling cold that will go with this game. This looks like it will be the 2nd coldest game in NFL history behind only the famed ice bowl. if this game were being played on Monday, it would be colder than the ice bowl.
Survivor Pick: Survivor starts over in the postseason, all teams are up for grabs. Give me Cincy.
Pick: Bengals
Chiefs @ Colts: Pick: Chiefs. Historic because this will be the first playoff win for the Chiefs since 1993, the longest drought in the NFL. It would also be the first playoff win for the city of Kansas City in any sport since 1993, the longest drought for a city with at least two teams in sports history.
Saints @ Eagles: Pick: Saints. Historic because it will be the first road playoff win in Saints history. They are 0-5 all time on the road in the playoffs.
Chargers @ Bengals: Pick: Bengals. Historic because the Bengals have the second longest drought in the NFL for winning a playoff game. They havent won one since 1994
49ers @ Packers: Pick: Packers. Historic for the bone chilling cold that will go with this game. This looks like it will be the 2nd coldest game in NFL history behind only the famed ice bowl. if this game were being played on Monday, it would be colder than the ice bowl.
Survivor Pick: Survivor starts over in the postseason, all teams are up for grabs. Give me Cincy.
Pick: Bengals
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