Bowl Preview: December 31-January 2

Fifteen games in three days from Toronto to Fort Worth to Pasadena, thirty teams will play their final game of the season and many talented senoirs will be putting on their jerseys for the last time. So, here are my previews, players to watch and predictions for all fifteen games.

Thursday, December 31
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Houston v. Air Force (Fort Worth, 12:00, ESPN)
Case Keenum leads the Cougars into a rematch of the same bowl game from last year. Houston has the #1 passing offense while the Falcons boast the #1 passing defense. Expect Keenum to put up his normal 300 yard game but for the game to be closer than the average fan thinks it will.
Player to watch: James Cleveland, WR, Houston
Keenum needs a main target to hit and to be a decoy so he can hit other receivers. Cleveland is the only Cougar wideout over 100 catches and could a very reliable target Thursday.
Prediction: Houston 48, Air Force 31

SUN BOWL
Oklahoma v. (21)Stanford (El Paso, 2:00, CBS)
The obvious standout of this game will be Cardinal RB Toby Gerhart, who will most likely cause the OU defense problems. But if the Sooner D does stop Gerhart and gets pressure on the quarterback, especially if starter Andrew Luck is unable to play.
Player to watch: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The man who has been overshadowed this season by a more dominant defensive lineman in his own conference, Ndamukong Suh, McCoy is the anchor to the Sooner defense and will be the key to stopping Gerhart.
Prediction: Oklahoma 23, Stanford 21

TEXAS BOWL
Navy v. Missouri (Houston, 3:30, ESPN)
This game features two very different offensive styles in Navy's triple option and Mizzou's spread. Both quarterbacks are skilled in their respective offenses and this game should be a shootout.
Player to watch: Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri
Alexander's return to his home state could be very explosive if Blaine Gabbert finds him early and often to counter the scoring Navy should do.
Prediction: Navy 45, Missouri 42

INSIGHT BOWL
Minnesota v. Iowa State (Tempe, 6:00, NFL Network) Both teams have been marred by injury to star players, for Minnesota it was WR Eric Decker, for the Cyclones QB Austen Arnaud and RB Alexander Robinson. Decker is out for the year but Arnaud and Robinson have returned. Decker's absence has hurt Minnesota and will continue to.
Player to watch: Austen Arnaud, QB, Iowa State
If Arnaud does not turn the ball over, the Cyclones should coast to the victory but if his troubles continue, the Minnesota defense should have a field day.
Prediction: Iowa State 16, Minnesota 13

CHICK FIL-A BOWL
(11)Virginia Tech v. Tennessee (Atlanta, 7:30, ESPN)
The bowl with the best title sponsor ever will be a battle between the Hokies and Vols. Look for Va Tech to run early with Ryan Williams and then look to use the play-fake with Tyrod Taylor if the run works. The Vols will try to do the same thing by running Montario Hardesty as their main weapon on offense. But as so many Hokie games come down to, special teams will be the deciding factor.
Player to watch: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Berry is one of the top defensive backs in the nation and will be a high draft pick in the spring if decides to skip his senior year. Berry will cause havoc among the Hokie receiving corps and should be the defensive MVP.
Prediction: Tennessee 23, Va Tech 21

Friday, January 1
OUTBACK BOWL
Northwestern v. Auburn (Tampa, 11:00 AM, ESPN)
In the beginning of the year many fans would not expect to see this matchup on New Years' Day. Northwestern has surprised many people under coach Pat Fitzgerald and Auburn has been so disappointing this year that they don't deserve the honor of playing in this bowl.
Player to watch: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn
The Tigers chances of winning rely on their senior running back and if has a big game in his last collegiate game then Auburn will win.
Prediction: Auburn 27, Northwestern 13

CAPITAL ONE BOWL
(13)Penn State v. (12)LSU (Orlando, 1:00, ABC)
This is the top non-BCS bowl matchup. Coaching great Joe Paterno leads his Penn State team to yet another New Years' Day bowl goes up against one of the top young coaches in college football in Les Miles. With plenty of talent on the Citrus Bowl field Friday this game is a toss-up.
Player to watch: Citrus Bowl field
There are many players to choose from but the biggest factor in this game will be the field at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The same stadium in which Miami RB Graig Cooper broke his leg and will be out for the 2010 season. Many analysts have made this a big deal due to the number of games being played in such a small timespan, many Florida HS championships were played there.
Prediction: Penn State 16, LSU 9

GATOR BOWL
(16)West Virginia v. Florida State (Jacksonville, 1:00,CBS)
There is one and only one headline going into this game: Bobby Bowden's final game as Florida State head coach. The Seminoles were selected specifically for this bowl for Bowden to coach his last game in Florida. The explosive offense of the Mountaineers will put up a fight but emotions will be running high and there is no way Bowden wants to go out with a loss.
Player to watch: E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State
Manuel will be reason that the Noles succeed on offense. With only a few starts under his belt, inexperience is a concern but the motivation to win Bowden's final game will be enough.
Prediction: Florida State 34, West Virginia 26

ROSE BOWL
(8) Ohio St. v. (7) Oregon (Pasadena, 4:30, ABC)
Both teams are coming off wins against rivals in their respective final games. That is where the similarities end. Oregon's spread offense will cause havoc with the Buckeye defense and Terrelle Pryor needs to show up and give Buckeye fans the performance they have been waiting for for two years.
Player to watch: Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
Buckeye fans are waiting to see which Terrelle Pryor shows up on New Years' Day and they hope it is the person that can control a game with his abilities.
Prediction: Oregon 37, Ohio State 20

SUGAR BOWL
(3) Cincinnati v. (5) Florida (New Orleans, 8:00, FOX)
Unfortuneately for both teams, the two main storylines going into this game involve the head coach position at both schools. Brian Kelly left the Bearcats for Notre Dame and their interim coach is leaving for the Buffalo head coaching position after the game. For the Gators, Urban Meyer's health problems have overshadowed the topic of Tim Tebow's last game.
Player to watch: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Tebow's final collegiate game will be classic Tebow, filled with emotion, especially after Meyer's announcement that he is taking an indefinite leave of absence after the game, and being the toughest man out on the field.
Prediction: Florida 35, Cincinnati 16

Saturday, January 2
INTERNATIONAL BOWL
South Florida v. Northern Illinois (Toronto, 12:00, ESPN2)
In a Big East-MAC matchup, the Bulls have the advantage but watchout if the Huskies do try and pull the upset since they are facing a Florida team in Toronto in January
Player to watch: B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida
Daniels has stepped in to the starting role, after Matt Grothe was hurt early in the season, and has improved in every game.
Prediction: USF 21, N.Illinois 13

PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
South Carolina v. UCONN(Birmingham, 2:00, ESPN)
The coaching matchup in this bowl is one to watch for. Steve Spurrier is one of the best coaches in SEC history and Randy Edsall has brought UCONN to the top level of college football and excelled. The Huskies had a great end to the season by beating Notre Dame and will be motivated to put on a good show in SEC country against the Gamecocks.
Players to watch: Andre Dixon, Jordan Todman, RBs, UCONN
The two-headed rushing attack for the Huskies has given opposing defenses headaches all season and look for these two versatile backs to contribute alot Saturday.
Prediction: South Carolina 24, UCONN 21

COTTON BOWL
(19) Oklahoma State v. Ole Miss(Arlington, 2:00, ESPN)
Both teams have had disappointing seasons and will look to rebound into 2010 with a win to boost morale. For Oklahoma State, the suspension of star wideout Dez Bryant slowed their progression. As for the Rebels, a #4 preseason ranking was too much to live up to after their first loss early in the year against South Carolina.
Player to watch: Dexter McCluster, RB, Ole Miss
The most explosive and versatile offensive player in the nation will take the field at Cowboys Stadium and will give the Cowboys matchup problems all day. McCluster started the year at receiver but is now the starting running back and is very explosive once he touches the ball.
Prediction: Ole Miss 48, Oklahoma St. 27

LIBERTY BOWL
Arkansas v. East Carolina (Memphis, 5:30, ESPN)
The C-USA champions will have plenty to prove to the nation as they take on a talented Razorback team. This game has upset written all over it especially if Arkansas' passing attack is slowed.
Player to watch: Patrick Pinkney, QB, East Carolina
Pinkney's performance will decide how the Pirates fare in this game. With a C-USA title already under his belt, the Liberty Bowl title should be his as well.
Prediction: East Carolina 24, Arkansas 20

ALAMO BOWL

Michigan State v. Texas Tech (San Antonio, 9, ESPN)

This game is marred by controversy whether it be the Spartans suspending eight players for the game or Texas Tech firing head coach Mike Leach this week. Both teams will have to face adversity going into the game and it is hard to predict who will respond better.

Player to watch: Baron Batch, RB, Texas Tech

Batch is the Red Raiders' leading rusher and will help to provide balance to a pass happy offense. Batch can also come out of the backfield to catch screen passes for long gains.

Prediction: Texas Tech 38, Michigan State 17

Best of Decade: March Madness

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, provides madness every season with a new mid-major coming to rise after upsets or games that still keep fans sharing memories of how great they were. Along with the upsets and great games, individuals also rise to the occasion and make their draft stock rise and solidify their great college careers.
TOP 10 MARCH MADNESS GAMES OF THE DECADE
10. Vanderbilt 78, Washington St. 74(2OT) 2nd round, 2007
A six versus three matchup that was supposed to be a toss-up became an instant classic with a barrage of threes from the Commodores being the difference.
9. Michigan State 94, Kentucky 88 (2OT) Elite 8,2005
Two traditional powerhouses met up in this matchup with the winner advancing to the Final Four. In the end, Tom Izzo's Spartans took the win but fell short in the Final Four with UNC winning it all.
8. Siena 74, Ohio State 72(2OT), 1st round, 2009
In a game in which many experts predicted an upset, the Saints and Buckeyes put on a show in a game a lot of people did not see because of its afternoon start.
7. Oklahoma State 64, St. Joseph's 62, Elite 8, 2004
The Hawks were flying high in the 03-04 season going undefeated led by Jameer Nelson. But, in the Elite 8, the Hawks hit a road bump in the Cowboys and suffered their only loss of the season.
6. Syracuse 81, Kansas 78, Championship, 2003
This game was highlighted by Kansas' inability to score at the beginning of the second half and was the coming out party for Carmelo Anthony, who is one of the few one-and-done players to make a mark in their school's history before fleeing to the NBA.
5. Louisville 93, West Virginia 85 (OT), Elite 8, 2005
The Cardinals ended the magical run of Kevin Pittsnogle and the three-point shooting Mountaineers. After playing 2 overtimes just two days before, West Virginia ran out of gas in overtime and sent the Cardinals to the Final Four.
4. West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105 (2OT), Sweet 16, 2005
The above mentioned Mountaineers came out on fire and so did the Demon Deacons. In a game that was a shootout from the start, the Mountaineers pulled off the upset in a thrilling sceond overtime.
3. Villanova 78, Pittsburgh 76, Elite 8, 2009
Scottie Reynolds. A name that will haunt Pitt fans for years and a name that will live in Villanova history. At the end of a hard fought game between the Big East rivals, Reynolds drove across the floor after taking the in-bound pass and made a layup with time expiring.
2. Arizona 96, Gonzaga 95 (2OT), 2nd round, 2003
One of the most exciting games in tournament history went back and forth for the last ten minutes of regulation, the first overtime, and the second overtime. By the end of the game everyone watching the game and those in Salt Lake City knew they had just witnessed an instant classic.
1. Kansas 75, Memphis 68, Championship, 2008
Memphis' inability to make free throws kept the Jayhawks in the game during the second half and led to Mario Chalmers' three-pointer to end regulation. Once overtime began, Kansas took the momentum from Chalmers' shot and ran with it to win the 2008 title.

TOP 10 UPSETS OF THE DECADE
10. (12) Manhattan over (5) Florida, 1st round, 2004
9. (13) Bradley over (4) Kansas, 1st round, 2006
8. (13) Vermont over (4) Syracuse, 1st round, 2005
7. (14) Bucknell over (3) Kansas, 1st round, 2005
6. (10) Kent State over (3) Pittsburgh, Sweet 16, 2002
5. (10) Davidson over (3) Wisconsin, Sweet 16, 2008
4. (11) George Mason over (3) UNC, 2nd round, 2006
3. (14) Northwestern St. over (3) Iowa, 1st round, 2005
2. (15) Hampton over (2) Iowa State, 1st round, 2001
1. (11) George Mason over (1) UCONN, Elite 8, 2006

TOP 10 PLAYERS OF THE DECADE
10. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
9. T.J. Ford, Texas
8. J.J. Redick, Duke
7. Stephon Curry, Davidson
6. Kevin Durant, Texas
5. Shane Battier, Duke
4. Emeka Okafor, UCONN
3. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
2. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
1. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Top World Cup Moments of the Decade

Soccer's biggest international competition was played only twice this decade but gave soccer fans some great memories and a headbutt seen around the world.

10. Roy Keane sent home days before 2002 World Cup
Ireland's captain was back home from Korea days before the World Cup. Ireland advanced past the group stage and who knows if they would have gone farther with their captain and emotional leader on the pitch.
9. United States shock run to quarterfinals in 2002.
The American team was thought have a chance at advancing to the group stage but the '02 team did a lot more than that. In the opener, they beat Portugal 3-2, then in the round of 16 beat rivals Mexico 2-0, and then played a great game against Germany that still to this day is controversial.
8. Germany's 8-0 victory over Saudi Arabia
The Germans put a whooping on the Saudis in the group stage and carried that momentum all the way to the final, losing to Brazil.
7. Italy-United States 1-1 draw in 2006
In one of the worst officiated games in recent soccer history, the United States scrapped with the Azzurri for a draw after Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope were sent off for calls that were not even worthy of yellow cards.
6. Klose's 2 goals help Germany open World Cup at home
Miroslav Klose got the 2006 World Cup off to a bang in Germany's 4-1 win over Poland. The Bayern Munich striker hit the opener and third goal for the home side.
5. Brazil wins 2002 World Cup
The 2002 World Cup was filled with unexpected runs deep into the tournament by lower ranked nations but the number one team in the world came through beating Germany 2-0 in the final.
4. Maxi Rodriguez's game winner against Mexico
The goal of the tournament in 2006 advanced Argentina into the quarterfinals. Rodriguez controlled the ball with his chest and sailed the ball into the left corner of the goal in extra time.
3. Shootouts galore in Germany
Four matches in the knockout rounds, including the France-Italy final, went to shootouts. With at least one in each knockout round, the World Cup provided even more excitement with drama a shootout brings.
2. South Korea advances to semifinals
In the biggest shocker of the 2002 World Cup, co-hosts South Korea went on a magical run beating Italy and Spain in the first two knockout rounds before losing to Germany in the semis.
1. Zinedine Zidane headbutts Marco Materazzi
In the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin, Zidane said after the match that Materazzi said something about his sister and that is why his head found Materazzi's chest and ended up in a red card that cost France the World Cup.

Best of Decade- College Bowls

The college football bowl season is one of the most exciting times of every year, and it provides us with games and moments that make players' careers and help rise their draft stock.
TOP 10 BOWL GAMES OF THE DECADE
10. 2005 Hawai'i Bowl: Nevada 49, UCF 48 (OT)
In a shootout that went to overtime, Knights kicker Matt Prater missed the PAT in overtime to give the Wolfpack a win and to send the Knights home on a even longer flight back to Orlando.
9. 2006 Orange Bowl: Penn State 26, Florida State 23 (3OT)
In a matchup of coaching legends, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden, the two teams played a game for the ages won by a Kevin Kelly field goal.
8. 2009 New Mexico Bowl: Wyoming 35, Fresno State 28 (OT)
The most recent game on the list opened the 2009-10 bowl season with a bang. Austyn Carta-Samuels led the Cowboys to a 14 point fourth quarter and with two goalline stands by the defense, Wyoming upset the Bulldogs.
7. 2000 Independence Bowl: Mississippi State 43, Texas A&M 41 (OT)
Snow in Shreveport in December helped make this game memorable. A blocked PAT returned for a safety and a 7-yard Wayne Madkin run gave the Bulldogs the overtime win.
6. 2006 Sugar Bowl: West Virginia 38, Georgia 35
Led by Pat White and Steve Slaton, the Mountaineers gave the Big East their biggest win in conference history. After losing Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College to the ACC, West Virginia raised the Big East's profile to where it is now.
5. 2006 Insight Bowl: Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 41(OT)
In the biggest comeback in bowl history, the Red Raiders led by Graham Harrell, were down by 28 points at halftime and came back to tie the game at 38 and force overtime. In overtime, after a Gophers' field-goal, Shannon Woods ran in to the endzone from 7 yards out and solidified the biggest comeback in college bowl history.
4. 2001 GMAC Bowl: Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 (2OT)
The game featured two future NFL quarterbacks in Byron Leftwich for Marshall and the Pirates' David Garrard. The game in Mobile became the highest scoring bowl game in college football history. Down 38-8 at halftime, the Herd fought back behind Leftwich and won.
3. 2003 Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 31 Miami 24 (2OT)
Ohio State won the national championship on a Maurice Clarett touchdown run that ended the Hurricanes' dominance in college football. The tide of the game changed when Willis McGahee injured his knee in the fourth quarter and took with it the chances of Miami winning.
2. 2006 Rose Bowl: Texas 41, USC 38
Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Steve Smith, Jamaal Charles, Michael Huff. All of these players that are currently in the NFL played in this historic game that gave the Longhorns a national championship, marked by Vince Young's touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
1. 2007 Fiesta Bowl: Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (OT)
Hook and ladder for a touchdown, a wide receiver throwing a touchdown pass, statue of liberty on a two-point conversion to win the game and a marraige proposal. Those all happened in the last minute of the fourth quarter and in overtime that cemented the Broncos' place among college football's elite.

TOP 10 BOWL MOMENTS OF THE DECADE
10. Nebraska beats Northwestern 66-17 in 2000 Alamo
9. Utah beats Pitt for first Mt. West win in BCS Game
8. Joe Paterno v. Bobby Bowden in 2006 Orange
7. Austyn Carta-Samuels leads Wyoming to comeback win.
6. Tebow wins second title with Urban Meyer.
5. Utah beats Alabama in Sugar Bowl.
4. Maurice Clarett's winning touchdown.
3. Boise State "Statue of Liberty" on 2-point conversion.
2. Vince Young's TD run against USC.
1. Boise State Hook and Ladder Touchdown.

Best of Decade- World Series

As with my post about the Super Bowl, the World Series has only had ten series but there have been many moments worthy of talking about.
TOP 10 WORLD SERIES OF THE DECADE
10. 2005: White Sox 4, Astros 0
The White Sox came out of nowhere and the Astros did not come out to play in this lackluster World Series that solidified Ozzie Guillen's hold on the White Sox managerial position.
9. 2006: Cardinals 4, Tigers 1
In another battle of Central Division teams, the Cardinals easily won the World Series behind Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols and MVP David Eckstein.
8. 2007: Red Sox 4, Rockies 0
The Rockies' magical march to the World Series was halted by the complete domination of the Red Sox, one of only two teams to win two titles this decade.
7. 2003: Marlins 4, Yankees 2
This series was marked by Josh Beckett's Game 6 shutout to clinch in Yankee Stadium. This gave the Marlins their second championship in six years after coming into existence ten years before their second title. After this, as is tradition for the Marlins, the fire sale began, again.
6. 2004: Red Sox 4, Cardinals 0
The Red Sox's curse was broken in dominating fashion. After coming back from 3-0 down to beat the Yankees in the ALCS, this series was way too easy for the Sox to win.
5. 2000: Yankees 4, Mets 1
The Subway Series provided lots of intrigue with the cross-town rivals going at it but the Yankees proved to be the better side and brought their 26th title to the Bronx.
4. 2008: Phillies 4, Rays 1
The whole city of Philadelphia rejoiced when Brad Lidge got the final out in the three day Game 5 that finally ended on a strikeout by the perfect Lidge.
3. 2009: Yankees 4, Phillies 2
Title #27 was won by the Yankees in a series that was well worth the hype and it lived up to it with the bats of both teams being predicted to be the deciding factor, but C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, and Mariano Rivera proved to be the headliners in this series.
2. 2002: Angels 4, Giants 3
In one of the two seven-game series of the decade, many stories were headlining the hype going in, Barry Bonds chance to win a title, the hard-throwing phenom known as K-Rod, and of course the Rally Monkey. After being blown out 16-4 in Game 5, the Angels won the two following games to clinch the title.
1. 2001: Diamondbacks 4, Yankees 3
In the first World Series since September 11th, the series was filled with emotion. Byung-Hyun Kim blew two saves at Yankee Stadium in Games 4 and 5. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling earned co-MVPs going 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA combined but this series will be forever remembered by Luis Gonzalez's walk-off single in Game 7.

TOP 10 WORLD SERIES MOMENTS OF THE DECADE
10. Boston's sweep in 2007 to win 2nd title in 4 years.
9. Anaheim winning in 2002, popularity of Rally Monkey.
8. Byung-Hyun Kim's collapse in Yankee Stadium twice.
7. Yankees open new stadium with 27th title.
6. Geoff Blum HR in 14th inning of Game 3.
5. Roger Clemens/Mike Piazza bat incident.
4. Beckett shutout to clinch WS in Yankee Stadium
3. Red Sox curse broken.
2. 3-day Game 5 ends with Phillies championship.
1. Luis Gonzalez walk-off single in Game 7 in 2001.

Best of Decade- Super Bowl

After having my face inside of ESPN Almanacs from 2000-2009, I have come up with many best of decade lists. Today, I will start with the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 SUPER BOWLS
There have only been 10 Super Bowls but that is enough to make a list. So here it is.
10. SB XXXV Ravens 34, Giants 7
The Giants simply did not show up and the Ravens led by their defense and Trent Dilfer won easily in the worst Super Bowl of the decade.
9. SB XXXVII Buccaneers 48, Raiders 21
The Bucs played an amazing game with Dexter Jackson winning the MVP with 2 interceptions in the game in which Jon Gruden got revenge on his old team, which was literally old led by Rich Gannon.
8. SB XLI Colts 29, Bears 17
Like the game above at number nine, the Colts were the dominant team in this game and the Bears had no shot from the beginning. This also gave Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy a ring to validate their domination in the AFC.
7. SB XL Steelers 21, Seahawks 10
In a game that was marred by officiating catastophe, if you were rooting for Seattle day. Pittsburgh got one for the thumb and for Jerome Bettis who returned to his hometown of Detroit and won his only ring.
6. SB XXXIX Patriots 24, Eagles 21
Philadelphia finally made it to the Super Bowl and got a superb performance from Terrell Owens but the Patriots dynasty continued with their last of three titles in four years.
5. SB XXXVIII Patriots 32, Panthers 29
This game will always be known for its halftime show (Janet Jackson) more than the game. The game was a contest throughout with the game ending in a familiar scene, Adam Vinatieri with a game-winning field goal.
4. SB XXXVI Patriots 20, Rams 17
In the first Super Bowl after September 11th, it was fitting that the Patriots would win the game. Mostly of all of the nation that was neutral was rooting for New England. The game ended with an Adam Vinatieri game-winning field goal that became a familiar sight throughout the next few years.
3. SB XXXIV Rams 23, Titans 16
In the first Super Bowl of the decade, The Greatest Show on Turf faced a team that needed a Music City Miracle to help them get to the Georgia Dome. The high-powered offense of the Rams did not provide the lasting moment of the game, LB Mike Jones did by tackling Kevin Dyson at the one yard line with time expiring.
2. SB XLII Giants 17, Patriots 14
The Patriots rolled into this game at 18-0, the Giants were by far the underdogs but that did not matter. Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field and hit David Tyree to set up a Lawrence Tynes field goal to win the game.
1. SB XLIII Steelers 27, Cardinals 23
Kurt Warner returned to the Super Bowl on a surprise Arizona team that gave Pittsburgh a good fight but Santonio Holmes stole the show with catch in the back right corner of the endzone scoring the game winning touchdown.

TOP 10 SUPER BOWL MOMENTS
10. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy win their 1st Super Bowl
9. Jerome Bettis wins SB XL in hometown, Detroit
8. Vinatieri GW FG against Panthers
7. Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward TD pass.
6. Dexter Jackson's 2 INT, one for a TD
5. Vinatieri's GW FG against Rams
4. James Harrison INT return
3. David Tyree's catch
2. Mike Jones stops Kevin Dyson at goal line.
1. Santonio Holmes' GW TD catch.

College Bowl Preview (December 28-30)

With six bowl games being played in the next three days from Shreveport to Boise, the next three days will provide college football fans with plenty of excitement. Two bowls (Holiday, Champs Sports) boast games between ranked opponents. Other games will showcase great talents like Case Keenum and Freddie Barnes who are not familiar names to the casual fan but will be at the end of their respective bowl games. So, here are the predictions:

Tuesday, December 28
Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA, 5:00, ESPN2)
Texas A&M v. Georgia
Mark Richt's Bulldogs have struggled this season and were relegated to a trip to Shreveport instead of Tampa or Atlanta. The Bulldogs do have some momentum going into Shreveport after beating Georgia Tech in their final game of the regular season, 30-24. The Aggies are lead by an exciting playmaker in QB Jerrod Johnson, who threw for 342 yards and ran for 97 more in the almost upset of Texas on Thanksgiving.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 34, Georgia 16


Wednesday, December 29
EagleBank Bowl (Washington, DC, 4:30, ESPN)
UCLA v. Temple
Temple is in its first bowl game since the 1979 Garden State Bowl. UCLA got into this bowl by an Army loss to Navy. Temple will have tons more motivation to win than the Bruins. Al Golden has done a tremendous job with the Owls football program and Rick Neuheisel is getting there with the Bruins. But, the Bruins are making their first East Coast trip since 1998 and will not be motivated to play in a game that they should not deserve to be in.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple
PREDICTION: Temple 20, UCLA 6


Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando, 8:00, ESPN)
(15) Miami v. (25) Wisconsin
In the first of two ranked matchups to end the decade, the Hurricanes should have no problem sending the Badgers back to Madison with a loss as long as their run defense stops RB John Clay,who has run for 16 touchdowns this season. Hurricanes' QB Jacory Harris will look to this game to be a springboard into the offseason and into next year in which he could be a Heisman contender.
PLAYER TO WATCH: John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
PREDICTION: Miami 26-23


Wednesday, December 30
Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, 4:30, ESPN)
Bowling Green v. Idaho
The Vandals have the home state advantage and will travel well with a little above 300 miles to travel. To win the game for the home fans from Moscow, the Vandals need travel well against WR Freddie Barnes, who is third in the nation in receiving. QB Tyler Sheehan will have connect with Barnes just like the first 138 times they have this season for the Falcons to pull off the win.
Player to Watch: Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green
Prediction: Bowling Green 45, Idaho 35


Holiday Bowl (San Diego, 8:00, ESPN)
(20) Arizona v. (22) Nebraska
Both teams almost won their respective conferences but losses to Oregon and Texas put them in San Diego in what should be the best matchup before the new year begins. Mike Stoops has probably tapped into his brother Bob's gameplan on how to try and stop Ndamukong Suh from dominating the game. The Arizona coach should not focus on that but the inability of the Huskers' offense to score. If Arizona's offense is able to score 20 points they should beat the Huskers but Nebraska has had almost a month to gameplan against the spread offense of the Wildcats and this game should be a defensive struggle.
Player to Watch: Alex Henery, K/P, Nebraska
Prediction: Nebraska 17, Arizona 13

Upsets Galore in College Hoops

Florida State, USC, Old Dominion, Richmond, and Wichita State. When you think of those five schools you do not really think of a basketball tradition. Well, this weekend those five teams upset teams that have come to be traditional contenders for the NCAA Tournament. But these upsets were not the most exciting thing to watch this weekend in college hoops, one man was and he deserves player of the week honors.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Gordon Hayward, Butler
Hayward's work ethic, not his talent, proved to be his most valued asset on Saturday against Xavier. In a game that had many ups and downs, Hayward stole the show in the last 37 seconds. First, he forced a jump ball on the an in bounds pass which gave Butler possession, then he chased down two offensive rebounds and scored the controversial last basket of the game on a layup. With his performance this weekend, Hayward should be put on the list of Naismith Award nominees, not the stats but for the work ethic that won the 17th ranked Bulldogs the victory.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
(17) Butler 69, Xavier 68
This clash of mid-major teams provided fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse with a thriller that came to an unfortunate ending. The excitement started in the second half with the Musketeers coming out of the half on an 11-0 run. Then, with less a minute left and the game having lead changes on every possession Hayward took over the game. With his steal on the in-bounds pass and two offensive rebounds in the last thrity seconds and scoring the game-winning layup, Hayward showed why he means so much to Brad Stevens' 17th ranked Bulldogs. Xavier should have had a chance to attempt a shot at the buzzer but clock difficulties and an almost ten minute long discussion over the clock ended in a Butler win ruling that had the clock kept running the it would have hit 0.0 and Xavier would not have a chance at attempting a shot.
STAT OF THE WEEK:
Texas- 26 offensive rebounds
In their complete domination of the Tar Heels on Saturday in Cowboys Stadium, Texas' big men combined for these 26 offensive rebounds. Led by Dexter Pittman's 12 boards on the offensive end, the domination of the frontcourt by the Longhorns should worry the rest of the nation, even top ranked Kansas.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
Old Dominion 61, (11) Georgetown 57
The Monarchs took advantage of the Hoyas' slow start and played all around good defense in the second win over Georgetown in the past four years. Survivng two missed three pointers by Austin Freeman in waning moments of the game, Old Dominion went to 7-4 on the season with their CAA schedule looming in the next week or two.

Games To Watch Next Week:
(12) Michigan State @ (2) Texas, Tues. 7, ESPN2
After the Longhorns' big win in Dallas on Saturday they face another tough opponent in Tom Izzo's Spartans whose only loss came to North Carolina.
(25) Mississippi @ (6)West Virginia,Wed, 7:30, ESPN2
The first of two big games this week for the undefeated Mountaineers comes at home to the Rebels on Wednesday. Bob Huggins' squad should not take this game lighlty while looking ahead to their next game.
(6) West Virginia @ Seton Hall, Sat. 3:30, CBS
If the Mountaineers beat Ole Miss on Wednesday, this game will be tough test for the unbeaten Mountaineers team who face a Seton Hall team that just lost their first game on Saturday to Temple and will look to bounce back with a huge conference win if they can pull it off.

College Hoops Weekend Preview

The regular season for college basketball is beginning to heat up with conference play right around the corner, the major programs are getting in a few more games before the new year starts against tough non-conference opponents. This weekend boasts big games in New York City, Los Angeles and Cowboys Stadium.
3 GAMES TO WATCH:
(7) Duke v. (15) Gonzaga 4:00, CBS
Game played @ Madison Square Garden
The Blue Devils make their annual trip to Madison Square Garden for a big non-conference game in their home away from home in New York City. The Blue Devils are 8-1 with their only loss to Wisconsin. Led by the guard play of Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith, both who are averaging over 16 points a game, Coach K's team have consistency in the backcourt to feed Kyle Singler, Brian Zoubek, and Mason Plumlee. On the other bench, coach Mark Few has the Zags poised for another March run which is being led this season by G Matt Bouldin. If the Zags come to play, which they should, expect this to be a great showcase of guard play.
Prediction: Duke 78, Gonzaga 71

(22) Kansas State @ Alabama
Frank Martin's Wildcats have been the surprise team in the nation this season and they face a crucial road test in Tuscaloosa Saturday night. At 9-1, the Wildcats have played a fairly easy schedule with their only loss coming to the Tide's SEC West rival, Ole Miss. The Tide are rolling even after a loss to Purdue last weekend and will look to use their home court advantage. Mikhail Torrance and JaMychal Green will both have to step up to lead the home side to victory.
Prediction: Alabama 62, K-State 49

(10) North Carolina v. (2) Texas 2:00, ESPN
Game played at Cowboys Stadium
Since every other football stadium hosts at least one big game in its bid to host a final four, Jerry Jones has brought a great game to be the first basketball game at the $1 billion stadium. After a heartbreaking loss to John Wall and Kentucky two weeks ago, the Tar Heels rebounded with an easy win over Presbyterian 103-64 in their last game. The Longhorns are rolling through teams but they have not played the caliber of opponents that UNC has. The key to this game will be the depth of each team off the bench. Texas has five players that average ten points a game and the Tar Heels boast only three. For North Carolina to win they must get production from players like Tyler Zeller, Larry Drew II and Will Graves to have a chance at challenging Texas' depth.
Prediction: Texas 71, UNC 65

UPSET ALERT:
(20) Texas Tech @ Wichita State, 8:05
The Red Raiders are off to an undefeated start and will face the first big test of the perfect record in Wichita. The Shockers are 8-1 with their only loss coming to Pitt in November. Wichita State is now one of the mid-majors that teams do not want to schedule because of the great results they have got out of the MVC so give credit to Texas Tech for scheduling this game the home crowd will be too much.
Prediction: Wichita St. 81, Texas Tech 60

As the season draws closer to conference play, we will see who is prepared the most this weekend through these tough non-conference games.

Weekend Bowl Preview

December is always an exciting month for college sports and this weekend is only the start to what will be a great last 12 days of 2009. With college football bowl games starting Saturday, 6 teams have a chance to bring home an early Christmas present by winning their respective bowl games.
College Bowl Preview
The three bowls this weekend(New Mexico, St. Petersburg, and New Orleans) that feature five non-BCS conference and Rutgers from the Big East. Although the matchups might not be as interesting as the bowls after this weekend, some players you might not have heard of have the possibility to shine on a national stage.
Players to Watch:
RB Ryan Matthews, Fresno State
Matthews was one of the many early contenders for the Heisman this season and fell off the radar due to the Bulldogs' 8-4 record and the fact that Boise State stole all the nation's attention that was focused on the WAC.
DE Bruce Miller, UCF
Miller finished fifth in sacks this season in the NCAA and was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Look for Miller to have a tough assignment against the Rutgers' O-Line but he should be able to breakthrough for at least two sacks.
WR Tim Brown, Rutgers
The senior receiver will be QB Tom Savage's main target on Saturday night in St. Petersburg against UCF. If Savage and Brown are able to hook up like they did in the regular season(Brown caught 51 passes for 1,051 yards) then the Scarlet Knights should put an end to their disappointing season with a win.
Predictions:
New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State 45, Wyoming 23
St. Petersburg Bowl: Rutgers 26, UCF 20
New Orleans Bowl:Middle Tenn. State 13, Southern Miss 10

Champions League Group Stage Wrap-Up

The UEFA Champions League group stage is now behind us and there are so many questions that still need answers for the 16 remaining clubs. Also, the group of 8 that are going to the Europa League are no pushovers and are the clear favorites to win that tournament.
Here are the things that we have learned from the group stage.
1. Parody was relevant throughout every group.
In a normal Champions League group stage, teams from Russia, Ukraine, and Romania would be easy wins for European powerhouses like Barcelona, Inter, and Sevilla. This year was not the case, especially in Group F where all four spots in the group were decided on Matchday 6 with Barca and Inter barely sliding through to the knockout round.
2. Spain and England are once again the top nations.
Six of the eight group winners came out of La Liga and the Barclays Premier League in Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Arsenal. It is likely than for the second straight year we will see an England-Spain final.
3. Real Madrid has the capability to play for the title at home.
Madrid's President Florentino Perez's main goal this summer was to acheive another galaticos era at the Bernabeu and it is happening. With the Bernabeu hosting the final in May, Madrid will be more than motivated to play the final at home and have a real home field advantage. Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo are healing from injury right in time for the stretch run in La Liga and the knockout stage in the UCL.
4. France's top 2 clubs will pull a shock upset.
Bordeaux won Group A with 16 points, the most of a group winner, in a group that contained Bayern Munich and Juventus. Lyon was able to top Liverpool in Group E for second place sending the Reds to the Europa League. With the experience of facing quality opponents already in the group stage, both clubs have a good chance at surprising the continent and beating one of the superpowers.
5. The knockout will produce at least superpower tie.
With the likes of Inter, AC Milan, Porto, Lyon, and Bayern Munich in the group of second place teams, all of the eight group winners are hoping for Olympiakos, CSKA Moscow, or Stuttgart. But not all clubs get their wish and there will be at least one maybe even up to 5 major ties in the first knockout stage when the draw is announced on December 18th.
6. With a chance of super ties, an underdog could win this season.
If the chance of all 5 super ties between Europe's biggest clubs comes to fruition, some clubs from smaller leagues could slip through to the final if their luck doesn't run out. Teams that are hoping and praying for this possibility are Stuttgart, Olympiakos, Bordeaux, CSKA Moscow, and Porto.
7. All 8 clubs going to the Europa League have a chance to win that title.
The quality of clubs that finished in third this season surpasses any in recent history. Clubs with storied histories like Juventus, Liverpool, and Marseille, along with disappointing Atletico Madrid go down. Also, newcomers to major European competitions like Rubin Kazan, Unirea Urziceni, Standard Liege, and Wolfsburg could be major threats to the four big clubs going down.

All in all, the UEFA Champions League is shaping up to have the best season in recent memory and could prove brutal to some clubs with the chance of five super ties in the first knockout stage.

Granderson Deal Benefits Tigers Most

On Wednesday night the three-team deal between the Yankees, Diamondbacks, and Tigers was finalized at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. All three teams will improve from the trade, the Yankees get a proven outfielder in Curtis Granderson and the D-Backs get two young starters in Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, but the Tigers are getting away with a big steal in the four players that they received in the deal. The Tigers will definitely challenge the Twins for the AL Central this season again and could possibly be the front runners after picking up these four star prospects.
Austin Jackson, OF, Acquired from Yankees
Jackson was the Yankees' highest rated prospect and has been lighting up the minors for the past two years. Jackson will no doubt take Granderson's spot in the outfield. Although Jackson will not immediately replace the power of Granderson, Jackson's range defensively and speed on the basepaths will more than makeup for his lack of power.
Phil Coke, LHP, Acquired from Yankees
Coke broke out this season in New York becoming the main southpaw in the bullpen for most of the season. The only flaw in Coke's game this season was that he struggled in the postseason. Now with a ring and more experience, if the Tigers make the playoffs in 2010, they can count on Coke to be one of their top lefties.
Max Scherzer, RHP, Acquired from Arizona
Scherzer should take Edwin Jackson's vacated rotation spot. Scherzer has struggled with injuries a little but last season he proved to be a stable part of Arizona's rotation. He went 9-11 with a 4.12 ERA in 30 starts on a losing D-Backs team. Expect Scherzer's win total to go up and the fact that he won't feel pressured at the bottom of the rotation should lead to a breakout season.
Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Acquired from Arizona
The son of former NFL lineman Mark Schlereth, Daniel, like Coke, broke on the major league scene as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. Like Scherzer, Schlereth's numbers will improve greatly in Detroit this season. Last year in 21 games, he went 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA. Between Schlereth and Coke, the Tigers' southpaw situation in the bullpen in solved.

When analysts look back in five years on this trade, the Tigers will be the clear winners. Three of the four players have major league experience and Jackson should adjust fine to playing the outfield every day at Comerica Field in 2010.

Heisman Vote Came Down to Last Game

This weekend proved how entertaining conference championship games can be and how players step up and have career games. Three players this weekend had career games that could have won them the Heisman: Mark Ingram, Ndamukong Suh, and C.J. Spiller. Unfortuneately, Spiller was not invited to New York so he is out of the running for the Heisman Trophy. On Monday night, 5 finalists were named: Ingram, Suh, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Toby Gerhart. Here are my rankings of the top 10 candidates because there is a legitimate case for 10 players maybe even more that could have won college football's most prestigious award.

10. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
STATS: 93 receptions, 1496 yards, 15 TD, 2 rush TD
Tate was one of the few bright spots for the Irish this season and will be lock to go in the first 2 rounds of the draft after declaring to forgo his senior season on Monday.
9. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
STATS: 3325 pass yards, 39 TD 3 INT 64.8% completion rating
Moore would have been higher on the list but the Broncos did not play the quality of teams outside of Oregon and Nevada that many of the main contenders faced.
8. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt
STATS: 1640 rush yards, 16 TD
Lewis was by far the best freshman in the nation and will be a Heisman contender in the next 2-3 years.
7. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
STATS: 2350 pass yards, 26 TD, 62.8% completion
Pike was hurt for a quarter of the season and still put up tremendous numbers. If it wasn't for his injury, Pike might have been visiting New York this weekend with the other Heisman finalists.
6. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
STATS: 1590 total yards, 15 total TD, 1 pass TD
Spiller's performance Saturday night in Tampa was Heisman worthy by running for 233 yards and 4 TD, if Clemson had won there would be no doubt Spiller would be a Heisman finalist instead of Toby Gerhart.
5. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
STATS: 1736 rush yards, 26 TD
Gerhart dominated Pac-10 defenses the whole season but lacks the national exposure that the Cardinal got. Also, with Stanford finishing fourth in the Pac-10, it weakens Gerhart's appeal because all of the other 4 players ahead of him reached a championship game in their respective conferences and although the Pac-10 does not have a championship game, had Stanford won the title outright, Gerhart would have a better chance of winning the Heisman.
4. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
STATS: 3272 total yards, 31 total TD, 65.2% completion
The best college football player this decade, Tebow will finish his career in the Sugar Bowl instead of the BCS National Championship and as a Heisman finalist instead of the winner of the Heisman. If voters judged his overall career compared to the other finalists, Tebow would win hands down. When the winner is announced Saturday night, Archie Griffin will still be the only 2-time Heisman winner.
3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
STATS: 3512 pass yards, 30 total TD, 70.5%completion
McCoy had a very average game versus Nebraska and he needed a game like he had against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving to win the award. But, because of the performances of Suh and Ingram, college football's winningest quarterback will have a national championship to focus on winning after his vacation to New York and thats is. Although, he has a better chance than Tebow to win, McCoy hurt his chances in the Big 12 Championship Game.
2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
STATS: 52 tackles, 11.5 sacks
Suh is the best defensive player in football this season and maybe since Charles Woodson swarmed around Michigan Stadium a decade ago. Suh's performance was SUH-perb against Texas with 12 tackels and 4.5 sacks against the #2 team in the nation. All year long Suh has made players around him better and is truly the most valuable player to his team this season.
1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
STATS: 1542 rush yards, 322 receiving yards, 18 total TD
Ingram won the Heisman trophy in the SEC Championship against Florida. Rebounding from his horrific performance against Auburn, Ingram had 189 total yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Ingram wins this award because he is the best player on the best team in the nation, and traditionally that is who wins the Heisman and this year will be no different.

World Cup Early Bird Preview

Since everyone else in the world that loves soccer as much as I do is writing something or speaking their mind about the 2010 World Cup now that the draw is set, I might as well offer my opinion. First, let me start off by saying the ceremony drug on way too long and the guy announcing made Charlize Theron look like a complete idiot explaining how the draw worked for about 10 minutes.
Now it's time for the group previews/predictions.
Group A
South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
For just barely making the World Cup, France caught a break just like they did against Ireland on Henry's handball. Unfortuneately for the Irish and many soccer fans, France did not get placed in the group of death but instead got a free pass to the knockout round. South Africa will put a fight, obviously, because they are the host nation. Mexico and Uruguay did a good job qualifying but will have trouble against South Africa because the Bafana Bafana's supporters will be out in full force try to will the host country into the knouckout stage, in which every host nation has qualified in World Cup history.
Advancing: France, South Africa
Player to Watch: Karim Benzema, France, F
Benzema's talent was recognized by several European clubs as the hottest forward on the transfer market this summer and he ended up at Real Madrid, expect Benzema to showcase his talents on the world stage and starting over the aging Thierry Henry.

Group B:
Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Argentina struggled to qualify and it wouldn't be surprising if coach Diego Maradona doesn't get to see the World Cup matches from the touchline. Nigeria is playing on their home contient and should put up a good fight. South Korea and Greece are two sides that should be overlooked. Greece won the 2004 Euro and South Korea made the semis as host in the 2002 World Cup. Players from both sides are experienced in high-pressure matches and should prove some trouble to the favorites Argentina.
Advancing: Argentina, South Korea
Player to Watch: Ji-Sung Park, South Korea, M
Park is a big game player. There is a reason Sir Alex Ferguson puts Park in the starting eleven for many crucial Champions League ties at Manchester United. Park is now the captain of the South Korea side and his leadership on and off the field will be the key to his side's advancement this summer.

Group C
England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
The U.S. got off easy this time around. The past two World Cup draw have not been so generous to Bob Bradley's squad. The English are on fire, Fabio Capello has whipped this team into shape and should be considered a favorite to win the whole thing. After their experience in the Confederations Cup this past summer, the U.S. has the confidence to beat soccer powerhouse countries, like England. In the end, the England v. USA tie will decide first place in the group, Algeria and Slovenia have no chance.
Advancing: U.S., England
Player to watch: Darren Bent, England, F
Bent has been on fire in the Barclays Premier League with Sunderland and has been rewarded with call-ups to the national team. If there is a lack of production from Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe, watch for Bent to ignite the team coming off the bench.

Group D:
Germany, Austrailia, Serbia, Ghana
At first glance you may think that the Germans will go through the group fairly easy but if you look at the group harder, it will be a challenge for the Germans. Ghana has a strong midfield led by Chelsea's Michael Essien and Serbia's back line is headed by Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic, both countries will make Germany work as well as the Socceroos who always play with their hearts on their sleeves and this summer it will be no different.
Advancing: Germany, Serbia
Player to watch: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany, M
In every major tournament you watch with Germany in it you can not miss Schweinsteiger, whether it is his name, his bleach blond hair or his aggressiveness that shows as he is all around the pitch for all 90 minutes. In the 2008 Euro final, Schweinsteiger was everywhere and although the Germans ended up on the wrong side of the tie, number 7 for Germany should have been named MOP anyway because of his style of play and this summer in South Africa will be no different.

Group E:
Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
There are few sure things going into major soccer tournaments but one thing you can always count on is the Dutch scoring machine and then they lose their first match in the knockout round because they get a weak draw. The same will probably happen this summer. The scoring machine this time around features Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie, if he recovers from injury in time. The other three nations are fighting for second place and it will be a great battle. Samuel Eto'o will lead Cameroon and possesses a scoring threat that the rest of the group will fear. After the last games are played on June 24th in this group, the Dutch will advance but the other place is a toss-up.
Advancing: Netherlands, Cameroon
Player to watch: Mark van Bommel, Netherlands, M
van Bommel is the oldest man on the Dutch squad and the most experienced. Someone has to feed the Dutch attack the ball and the Bayern Munich captain is the perfect fit. van Bommel can also defend well so that gives the Dutch an advantage since they will face many counterattacks because of their aggresive forwards.

Group F:
Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
If you win the World Cup, the next time around FIFA rewards with a free pass to the knockout round. Coincidence or not, the Azzurri win walk right through this group with 9 points. Paraguay and Slovakia will fight for second place and the opportunity to knockout the Dutch in the second round. New Zealand is only in the World Cup because Austrailia moved to the Asian region and New Zealand was second-best to them in Oceania, so they rightfully qualified.
Advancing: Italy, Paraguay
Player to watch: Giuseppe Rossi, Italy, F
Rossi has been lighting up goals in La Liga with Villarreal over the past couple years and has a chance to earn a mega contract with one of Europe's top clubs with a good performance. With the weak group, Rossi will be given a multitude of chances to excel in this summer's tournament.

Group G:
Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
The Group of Death this summer will be Group G. The talent alone would scare most nations, Brazil boasts Kaka, Ronaldinho, Robinho and many other superstars. Of course the main superstar in this group is Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal but the Ivory Coast boasts a boatload of stars in Europe's big leagues like Drogba, Keita, and the Toure brothers. North Korea has no shot in this group, they just get a nice vacation in South Africa and if their lucky steal a point. The other three teams will fight it out and it is really a toss-up which teams advance.
Advancing: Brazil, Ivory Coast
Player to watch: Nilmar, Brazil, F
Nilmar has come onto the national scene in recent months scoring a hat trick against Chile and scoring the only goal in a friendly against England. Like his Villarreal teammate Rossi, Nilmar will be playing for big contract with a major European club by becoming the breakout star of the tournament.

Group H:
Spain, Switzerland, Chile, Honduras
Spain got lucky with their draw. The 2008 European Champions will have no problem beating the other three teams in Group H because of one man:Fernando Torres. Torres has been a goal-scoring machine for Liverpool in the past two seasons and his consistency makes Spain's chances to advance further very likely. Honduras barely qualified, Chile almost lost their spot due to scandal back home, and the Swiss are as good as the major European powers to be a threat but one of those three must advance.
Advancing: Spain, Honduras
Player to watch: Amado Guevara, Honduras, M
Guevara has shown his toughness to MLS fans while playing with Toronto FC and his playing style will surprise his opponents in the group. Guevara will looking to feed the strike force that could surprise many people in Carlos Costly, David Suazo, and Carlos Pavon

Predictions for rest of tournament:
Round of 16:
France over South Korea
US over Serbia
Paraguay over Netherlands
Brazil over Honduras
Argentina over South Africa
England over Germany
Italy over Cameroon
Ivory Coast over Spain
Quarterfinals:
US over France
Brazil over Paraguay
England over Argentina
Ivory Coast over Italy
Semifinals:
US over Brazil
England over Ivory Coast
Final:
US over England in a rematch of their first game in the tournament.

This Weekend Means Everything For College Football

In the next 3 days, starting tommorrow, the champions of the Pac-10, MAC, C-USA, ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big East will be decided. That leaves only 3 conferences in the Bowl Subdivision with champions already in Ohio State (Big 10), TCU (Mt. West), and Boise State (WAC). If you are a college football fan and can't get excited for this weekend, you shouldn't be a college football fan. The madness and this week's preview begins with the Civil War in Autzen Stadium Thursday night.

GAMES TO WATCH:
(16) Oregon State @ (7) Oregon (9:00, Thurs. , ESPN)
This is by far the biggest matchup in this rivalry ever. The Ducks and Beavers are bitter rivals and will fight it out for the outright Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth. Both teams have lost to only quality teams like Boise State, Stanford, USC, Arizona, and Cincinnati. This should be a great matchup in the loudest stadium in college football, Autzen Stadium. No matter how much talent the Rodgers brother, James and Jacquizz, have they can't drain out the noise coming from every direction of Autzen. The Ducks' home-field advantage is a major attribute to being the favorite on Thursday but their rushing attack is on the same level, if not better, than the Rodgers brothers in Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James. James has stepped right into the void created by LeGarrette Blount after he was suspended by running for 1,310 yards and 11 TD.
PREDICTION:
Autzen Stadium is the loudest stadium in the nation and Oregon State, although well prepared for the crowd noise, will suffer from it and the motivation for Oregon to win this game at home will be too much.
Oregon 34-16

(5) Cincinnati @ (15) Pittsburgh (12:00 Sat. ABC)
This end of the year battle between the Bearcats and Panthers has both teams coming in to the game in different directions. Cincinnati is 11-0 and looking to stay undefeated. The Bearcats are also dealing with the rumors of coach Brian Kelly going to Notre Dame. Pitt is coming off a devastating loss to archrival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl and what better way to bounce back then to beat Cincinnati at home, win the Big East, and got to a BCS bowl, most likely the Orange Bowl, all in one fowl swoop.
PREDICTION:
Pitt has a slight advantage at home and with Dion Lewis in the running game and could capitalize on a little bit of uncertainty in the Bearcats' camp. But, the Bearcats are on a mission and Coach Kelly will have his team ready to play and go 12-0.
Cincinnati 29-19

(3) Texas v. (22) Nebraska (8:00 Sat, ABC)
Game played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Colt McCoy and the Longhorns are in the BCS National Championship Game with a win and McCoy will win the Heisman with a good performance against the Huskers. Nebraska is on a 5-game Big 12 win streak and the Blackshirt defense led by DT Ndamukong Suh has been very impressive during the streak. Texas' defense did give up 39 points to Texas A&M on Thanksgiving but Nebraska does not possess the offense weapons that the Aggies have.
PREDICTION:
Both teams have the drive and talent to win this game but Texas has more than Nebraska does. Colt McCoy will lead his team to victory and win the Heisman Trophy next weekend in New York.
Texas 38-17

(10) Georgia Tech v. Clemson (8:00, Sat., ESPN)
Game being played in Tampa, FL
The ACC title game boasts two teams that faced crushing defeats to their archrivals last weekend and are looking to get back on track. The Yellow Jackets were stopped by Georgia last week at home, while the Tigers lost in Columbia to South Carolina. This game will be all about running the football. The triple option offense that Paul Johnson has instilled at Georgia Tech is working to perfection this season with 3 players rushing for over 500 yards this season. QB Josh Nesbitt and RBs Jonathan Dwyer and Anthony Allen will look to get the option back on track against the Tiger defense. For Clemson, senior RB C.J. Spiller has had yet another impressive season and has scored touchdowns in almost any way possible, rushing, receiving, kick return, punt return and even one passing touchdown. If the Yellow Jacket defense tightens up and stops Spiller, Georgia Tech will easily march into the BCS with the ACC Championship.
PREDICTION:
Spiller will have a decent game but the triple option will be too much for the Clemson defense.
Georgia Tech 31-14

GAME OF THE WEEK:
(1) Florida v. (2) Alabama (4:00,Sat, CBS)
Game played at Georgia Dome in Atlanta
The matchup college football fans have waited for all year is here. Florida and Alabama have been #1 and #2 virtually all season and both teams are ready to settle the score. Urban Meyer's Gators are used to the SEC Championship and playing in big games, especially QB Tim Tebow. Tebow will be looking to go out with a bang but one Gator will not be able to do that. DE Carlos Dunlap has been suspended for the game due to an arrest earlier in the week. This will give Alabama's offensive line an easier time blocking the Gators defensive, but the Gator D is still very strong. Bama needs a huge game out of RBs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Ingram is still hurt from his ankle injury and might not be able to play, Richardson has to step up no matter what the case. QB Greg McElroy will face the most pressure and he will have to hit WR Julio Jones in clutch situations if Jones can get away from Gator CB Joe Haden. In the end, the winner gets the spoils, SEC Champions and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.
PREDICTION:
The Gators are too good to lose this game and will set up the marquee matchup in the title game against Texas. Alabama will fight hard but after 60 minutes, the Gators will prevail.
Florida 20-10

College Football Wrap (November 30)

This weekend in college football showed us inability of the ACC's best teams to defeat their in-state rivals, Toby Gerhart is a beast, Mark Ingram is out of the Heisman race, and Championship Weekend will determine the BCS.
The inability of Georgia Tech and Clemson do defeat their in-state rivals, Georgia and South Carolina, proved that the ACC is still a weak conference. By losing to 2 average SEC teams, the ACC's reputation was bruised. The rushing attack of both teams was supposed to be superior but that failed to occur and now both teams head to Tampa coming off a loss.
Toby Gerhart's 205 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground plus a passing touchdown in the fourth quarter made him the frontrunner for the Heisman. Unfortuneately, Gerhart plays for Stanford, a team that at best will finish 3rd in the Pac-10 and Gerhart will not get the votes he would have gotten if Stanford was in the top 10. But fortuneatly for Gerhart, Mark Ingram had a slip-up in Alabama's game at Auburn.
Ingram ran for only 30 yards and was sidelined with an injury in the Tide's 28-20 victory over their in-state rival. This performance late in the year took a big hit at Ingram's Heisman chances. Ingram needs to have more than a career day to overcome Gerhart, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow to win the biggest award in college football.
Ingram and the Tide will be playing in the most meaningful SEC Championship possibly in the history of the SEC. #1 Florida and #2 Alabama will be playing for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, the loser will most likely get an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl. But that will not be the only meaningful title game affecting the BCS this coming weekend. Starting Thursday with the Civil War between Oregon State and Oregon at Autzen Stadium for the PAC-10 title, the SEC, Big 12, ACC, and Big East will name their champions in the last week of the season.
THIS WEEK'S AWARDS:

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Georgia RBs Washaun Ealey and Caleb King
Against the best rushing team in the nation, Georgia Tech, Ealey and King posted their own impressive numbers combining for 349 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns leading the Bulldogs to a 30-24 upset over (7) Georgia Tech and eliminating the Yellow Jackets from any national title hopes.
BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK:
(23) Houston over Rice 73-14
The Cougars unleashed all their offensive weapons on Rice at home Saturday night. Case Keenum threw for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns and only played a half. In total, 3 Cougar QB's threw for 463 yards and to 14 different receivers. With the win, Houston secured a spot in the C-USA title game by winning the West division.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK:
Stanford over Notre Dame 45-38
The performance of Gerhart along with a gutsy coaching decision made by Jim Harbaugh in the fourth quarter on fourth down having Gerhart throw the ball to Ryan Whalen in the endzone for a touchdown gave the Cardinal all the motivation they needed to to get past the Irish, in what probably will be Charlie Weis' last game as coach. Down 31-30 with 13 minutes to go, the Cardinal propelled by the Gerhart pass went for 2 and made it, then drove down the field after a defensive stop and with 59 seconds left, Gerhart appropriately scored the winning touchdown.
GAME OF THE WEEK:
West Virginia over (9) Pitt 19-16
In the 2009 version of the Backyard Brawl on Friday night in Morgantown, West Virginia kicker Tyler Bitancourt became a name that will resinate in Backyard Brawl history forever. Bitancourt kicked the game-winning field goal for the Mountaineers as time expired and gave the whole state of West Virginia as reason to party that night. The game lived up to the nickname of the rivalry, it was a defensive brawl with 2 big plays as the game only 2 touchdowns, Noel Devine had a 88-yard run for West Virginia and Bill Stull connected with Jonathan Baldwin on a 50-yard pass for the Panthers' only endzone visit. Mixed in to the defensive struggle were 4 field goals by Bitancourt and 3 by Dan Hutchins of Pitt. The Mountaineers got the ball last and Bitancourt connected on a 43-yarder and gave coach Bill Stewart his first signature win in 2 years as head coach.

Look Ahead to Next Week:
Champions will be decided in the Pac-10, MAC, C-USA, Big East, Big 12, SEC and ACC and give fans a clearer view of the BCS picture when all the dust has settled.

College Football Week 12 Review

With two weeks left in the college football season there are still many questions to be answered and fortuneately for fans most of them will be answered.
QUESTIONS
1. Who will win the SEC?
Right now both Florida and Alabama look strong as they have all year but both can not afford to overlook Florida State and Auburn in rivalry games this week. The team that has the most momentum going into the game should win. Florida's thumping of FIU gave the Gators confidence especially in Tim Tebow's passing game, Tebow threw for 215 and 2 TD in the game. Alabama looked as impressive in a win over Chattanooga. Right now it is a toss-up but we might know a little bit more by how the two teams perform this weekend in rivalry games.
2. Who will the Heisman?
This year's Heisman race is wide open with many players having spectacular seasons. The frontrunners right now are Tebow, Alabama RB Mark Ingram, Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh, Houston QB Case Keenum, and Colt McCoy of Texas.
Of these 6, McCoy should win the award, but don't be surprised if the winner of SEC gets the Heisman winner, both Tebow and Ingram have carried their offenses this season. Gerhart has rolled over Pac-10 defenses this season but with a Stanford loss this past weekend to Cal, his chances went down. If Nebraska somehow pulls off an upset of Texas in the Big 12 Championship, Suh should get a lot of attention. Suh has single handedly improved Nebraska's defense by drawing attention and making the players around him better. Keenum, has put up eye-popping numbers for the Cougars but with the team out of the BCS conversation and barely in the Top 25, Keenum's chances are slim. If this season ended today, McCoy should win the trophy with Tebow, Ingram, and Suh getting invites to New York.
3. Which non-BCS team has the best chance of getting to the BCS National Championship?
TCU. The Horned Frogs are better than Boise State by leaps and bounds. Not only does TCU play in a tougher conference but they have blownout the 2 other ranked teams in the Mountain West, Utah and BYU. On the other hand, the Broncos have had some slip-ups with wins over Tulsa, Fresno State, and UC Davis. Boise's schedule is much easier but they have made it seem like it is tougher, while TCU has played the stronger schedule and dominated their strong opponents.
4. Which undefeated team will lose this week?
None of the 6 undefeateds should lose but if there was one team that could be upset it would be Boise State. The Broncos host Nevada's high-powered offense led by Colin Kaepernick. Nevada is 7-0 in the WAC and could win the conference with a win on the blue turf. The Wolfpack offense has not scored under 30 points in a conference game this season and with Boise's tendency to keep games close, watch out for the Wolf Pack on Friday night.

WEEKLY AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Shane Vereen, RB, Cal
Vereen took advantage of the opportunity he had after Jahvid Best's concussion two weeks ago and ran for 193 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Big Game against Stanford. Vereen outshined Cardinal RB Toby Gerhary with his performance and boosted the Bears to 8-3, 5-3 in the Pac-10.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK:
Temple over Kent State 47-13
The score might not reflect a comeback but the Owls were down 10-9 at the half. Then, in the second half the Owls erupted by scoring 38 unanswered points. With the win, Al Golden's team are 9-2 overall and 7-0 in the MAC with a MAC East showdown with Ohio on Friday and the winner goes to the MAC Championship Game against Central Michigan.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
UConn over Notre Dame 33-30 (2OT)
The Huskies did the unthinkable at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, beat Notre Dame. The biggest win in school history comes after an emotional season for the Huskies that included the death of CB Jasper Howard. This was the first win for the Huskies since Howard's death and they deserved it. After Dave Teggart missed a game-winning field goal at the end of the 4th quarter, the Huskies could hung their heads and gave up, but they did the complete opposite. They kept fighting and in the second overtime after Notre Dame kicked a field goal on their possession, Andre Dixon ran into the endzone from 4 yards out and gave UConn the win.

With all the rivalry and championship games coming up, the next 2 weeks will be the most exciting of a season that needs answers.

Top Men's Hoops Teams Facing Early Challenges

As the college basketball season began, many fans would only expect maybe one or two big upsets but in the past week, 3 of the top 5 teams in the AP poll almost lost.
Monday night, #4 Kentucky needed a John Wall jumper at the buzzer to beat Miami,OH. Then, on Tuesday night #2 Michigan State barely escaped a loss against Gonzaga at the Breslin Center 75-71 and later that night in St. Louis, preseason #1 and heavily favored to win the title, Kansas survived a scare from a rebuilding Memphis squad by 2 points winning 57-55.
These tough games in the early season show fans and coaches what their teams are made of. But so far only those 3 teams in the AP Poll have suffered a threat to their ranking. You would expect these teams to get better, which they will, but with these unlikely scares at the beginning of the year who knows what the rest of the Top 25 will face in the coming weeks.

Top Title Contenders All Boast Potential Heisman Winners

Going into the last 3 weeks of the college football season, there are still 6 undefeated teams contending for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. But, almost a month before the National Championship is given out, the Heisman Trophy will be handed to the nation's best player and all 6 of these teams have a Heisman contender.
1. FLORIDA
Obviously, Florida's Heisman candidate wears #15. Tim Tebow has not been as dominant this year and the award that was his to lose in the preseason is up for grabs with 3 weeks left.
STATS: 64%completion, 1730 pass yards, 22 total touchdowns
WHAT'S LEFT: v. FIU, v. Florida State, SEC title game
2. ALABAMA
RB Mark Ingram has been Alabama's key to winning all season long because of the struggles of QB Greg McElroy. Ingram's running will be one of the things that has to succeed for the Tide to win the SEC title game.
STATS: 1297 rush yds, 13 total TD
WHAT'S LEFT: v. Chattanooga, @ Auburn, SEC title game
3. TEXAS
QB Colt McCoy is looking for his Heisman after playing second-fiddle to good friend Sam Bradford and Tebow. In every game this season, Texas has looked unstoppable thanks mostly to McCoy and his roommate WR Jordan Shipley.
STATS: 72.4completion %, 2628 pass yards, 19 TD, 9 INT
WHAT'S LEFT: vs. Kansas, @ Texas A&M
4. TCU
Quarterback Andy Dalton is considered by many a long shot to win the Heisman, but that is because he does get as much attention as the other players. After leading the Horned Frogs to big wins over Mountain West rivals, BYU and Utah, TCU is on their way to the BCS.
STATS: 2088 pass yards, 17 TD, 4 INT
WHAT'S LEFT: @Wyoming, v. New Mexico
5. CINCINNATI
The Bearcats have emerged as the power program in the Big East thanks to their quarterback tandem of Tony Pike and Zach Collaros. Pike has the better shot at the Heisman since he has played more games, while Collaros has put up the better stats through 3 games.
STATS: Pike, 1649 pass yards, 17 TD. Collaros: 1434 yards, 10 TD
WHAT'S LEFT: v. Illinois, @Pittsburgh
6. BOISE STATE
QB Kellen Moore has lit the stat sheet on fire while going 10-0 this season with the Broncos. The left-handed Moore has led the Broncos to blowouts in almost every game in the weak WAC.
STATS: 2558 pass yards, 32 TD, 3 INT
WHAT'S LEFT: @Utah State, v. Nevada, v. New Mexico State.

PREDICTION
These 7 players may be joined by an outsider like Toby Gerhart of Stanford or Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska, but it is highly likely that an undefeated team will boast the Heisman winner this season.
Heisman Winner: Colt McCoy, Texas
Runner-up: Tim Tebow, Florida
Texas is basically a shoe-in for the BCS National Championship Game and McCoy has been unstoppable.

Red River Rivalry and Showdown in South Bend Marquee Matchups This Week

As most college football fans know by now, the Red River Rivalry between the (20) Oklahoma Sooners and (3) Texas Longhorns occurs this week at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. With a win, Texas should vault back over Alabama into the #2 spot in the polls, with a loss they could have to start over from scratch and win out to have a chance at the Big 12 title game. For the Sooners, the situation is must-win. After losses to BYU and Miami, both without Sam Bradford, Oklahoma is scrambling to keep a spot in the polls. With a win, Bob Stoops' team has a outside chance of reaching the BCS, with a loss the BCS and most likely the Big 12 Championship Game are out of reach. With WR Ryan Broyles returning to the lineup this week, the Sooners are in position to win the game but, Texas QB Colt McCoy will be too much and Texas will continue their march to the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena.
Prediction: Texas 17, Oklahoma 9

OTHER GAMES TO WATCH:
(12) Iowa @ Wisconsin (12:00, ESPN)
Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes are undefeated going into Camp Randall this weekend. With wins over Michigan and Penn State, Iowa's wins are legit, but a win on the road against an underrated Badger team would seal the deal. Wisconsin is coming off a loss in Columbus to Ohio State and the best remedy to get over that loss is a big upset win at home.
Prediction: Iowa 27, Wisconsin 21

(4) Virginia Tech @ (19) Georgia Tech (6:00, ESPN2)
Paul Johnson's triple-option offense has given opposing defenses fits this season, except for Miami and this week against the Hokies. Frank Beamer's team is on a mission to win the ACC and maybe even the national championship this season and will not falter in Atlanta against the option. Ryan Williams is the nation's #5 rusher and will give the Yellow Jacket defense a lot of trouble. Paired with the air attack of Tyrod Taylor and the defense and special teams of the Hokies, they are a complete team this year and no one is stopping them right now.
Prediction: Va Tech 35, Ga Tech 18

(22) South Carolina @ (2) Alabama (7:45, ESPN)
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa will be going crazy Saturday night because it is Alabama's biggest conference game of the year, so far. Steve Spurrier's Gamecock team has been very impressive ever since their win against Ole Miss at home last month. Stephen Garcia has shown maturity and improvement in his game. For the Crimson Tide, Mark Ingram and the entire gorund game is on fire. All Greg McElroy has to do is complete 15-25 passes and they will win. But not this week, McElroy will have to step up and prove to Tide fans that he is capable of winning big games. This game will go down to the wire, but the Tide pull it out in the end on a Leigh Tiffin field goal.
Prediction: Alabama 26, South Carolina 24

UPSET ALERT OF THE WEEK
(6) USC @ (25) Notre Dame (3:30, NBC)
The Showdown in South Bend between the Trojans and the Irish will be a classic. Matt Barkley and Jimmy Clausen need to prove to their respective fan bases that they are for real and they can lead their team to BCS game. In Barkley's case he has already beaten Ohio State in Columbus and with a win in South Bend on Saturday, he could possibly throw his hat in the Heisman race and give USC the edge to win the Pac-10. For Clausen and the Irish its all about winning out and reaching a BCS game. Clausen's main weapon, Golden Tate will continue his amazing streak of receiving games, last game Tate caught over 200 yards. Without the Clausen-Tate combination being stopped, USC has no chance which is why Notre Dame will win.
Prediction: Notre Dame 37, USC 28

NLCS Preview

As the uneventful NLDS series concluded, it gave both the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers a chance to rest up for a rematch of last year's NLCS. That is where the similarities stop. This season, the Dodgers have a more potent offense and their starting pitching has improved plus they have home-field advantage this season. The Phillies' season has been plagued by issues in the bullpen as well as in the rotation where last year's World Series MVP, Cole Hamels has had an off year.
So here it is, my preview for the 2009 NLCS:
STARTING ROTATION:
Advantage: Phillies
With the midseason additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia gained two valuable assets to their roster. Add to that, rookie of the year candidate J.A. Happ and Hamels and the Phils have the clear advantage over L.A.'s rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, Hiroki Kuroda, and Randy Wolf.
BULLPEN:
Advantage: Dodgers
The firepower that exists in the Dodgers' bullpen in one to envy. Righthanders Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Bellisario have proved that they are good set-up men to closer Jonathan Broxton, who reaches 100mph consistently. The key in this series will be the lefties in the bullpen, George Sherrill and Hong-Chih Kuo. Lefties are hitting .152 against Kuo and .128 against Sherill this season. Kuo and Sherrill's matchup against Chase Utley and Ryan Howard will be the most important in the series.
CATCHER:
Advantage: Dodgers
Russell Martin has always been one of the most underrated catchers in the National League. The effort Martin puts out during each game shows he plays every game like he means it. Martin is also a key part of the Dodgers' bottom of the lineup. Martin hit .250 with 7 HR and 53 RBI this season and is hitting .275 against lefties this season, which he will see at least two in Lee and Hamels in the series.
INFIELD:
Advantage: Phillies
The Phillies' infield can no doubt produce power but has also improved greatly on defense this season. Ryan Howard has been the bright spot. Howard has only committed 14 errors this season and his fielding percentage went up 2 points to .990. Howard's improvement complements the rest of the infield of Pedro Feliz, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, all three of whom have stellar gloves.
In the offensive categories, the Phillies' infield is far and above much better than the Dodgers. The Phillies' starting infielders have hit 109 HR combined this year compared to the Dodgers' starting infield with 50 combined HR.
On defense and offense the Phillies are far better in the infield.
OUTFIELD:
Advantage: Dodgers
If you think off the top of your head you would think that the Phillies' outfield of Ibanez,Victorino, and Werth are better, but the Dodgers' outfield of Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier will be better in the series.
Manny has a flare for the dramatic and with home-field for the first 2 games, every at-bat for #99 will be extremely loud at Dodger Stadium, Manny feeds off of that and should give the Dodgers extra power in the series. Matt Kemp should have been an all-star this season, Kemp but up a .297 average with 26 HR, 101 RBI, and 34 stolen bases. Kemp is an all around player with speed that makes up for Manny's lack of speed in the left-center gap and he has made just 2 errors the whole season and against lefties he his hitting .362 with 8 HR and 25 RBIs. Ethier, like Manny, has a flare for the dramatic in one series at home this year, he had three-straight walk-off hits and will be a dangerous batter to the mostly right-handed Phillies bullpen. Ethier is hitting .307 at home and this season he hit for 31 HR and 106 RBI. When it comes to late-inning heroics the Dodgers can count on their outfield for the big hits.
BENCH:
Advantage: Dodgers
The Dodgers' bench is stock full of postseason veterans. With Brad Ausmus, Mark Loretta, Jim Thome, and Juan Pierre all on the bench, the Dodgers have players to count on in clutch situations. Pierre is arguably the fastest player left in the playoffs, Loretta and Ausmus are professional hitters and can give the Dodgers a boost in the late innings. And then there is Thome, the former Phillie, who is looking for another ring and he needs to come up with a big hit at least once in this series to validate the Dodgers' trade for him in August.
The Phillies' bench is full of utility players that are past their time. Miguel Cairo, Paul Bako, and Matt Stairs are all 35 or older and aren't that dependable. Eric Bruntlett is not a power hitter, all he does good is bunt. Ben Francisco is the only man on the Philly bench that has a chance to shine and make a name for himself, but that won't happen this year with the overflowing talent in the outfield.
MANAGER:
Advantage: Dodgers
Joe Torre won 4 World Series titles with the Yankees and is now on his way to win ring #1 in Los Angeles. Torre has done a brilliant job in getting his bullpen to perform for the lackluster starting rotation. He also has created a team that if one person goes down, he has someone on the bench that can produce.

PREDICTION:
The Dodgers will win the first two games and the Phils' home field in games 3,4,and 5 will give them the confidence to take two at home, but the Dodgers will pull one out in Philly and clinch in Game 6 to avenge the loss from last year and give Torre a chance to face his former team in the World Series.
DODGERS IN 6

Tebow or No Tebow, Gators Will Face Challenge in Bayou

The decision on rather the best player in the college game will play Saturday for his (1) Florida Gators in Baton Rouge against the (4) LSU Tigers is still to be determined. It would not surprise me if the decision comes an hour or even less before game time to keep Les Miles' team on edge on whether Tim Tebow will start. But the storylines of the most anticipated game of the year so far run much deeper. LSU played a cupcake schedule going into last week's game in Athens against Georgia. The Tigers barely survived the upset and now have the home crowd behind them as they are possibly contending for the #1 ranking in next week's polls with an impressive win.
On the other side of the ball, the Gators are coming off a bye, and a much needed one due to Tebow's injury. Although the public does not know if either Tebow or John Brantley will start, I believe that Urban Meyer already knows that Tebow is good and just does not want to reveal it to the public. Whether or not Tebow plays, the Gators will face the first real threat to their #1 ranking tommorrow night in Baton Rouge.

OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
(3) Alabama @ (20) Ole Miss (3:30 CBS)
The Tide face their first real road test of the season and are fully capable of coming out of Oxford with a win. The confidence QB Greg McElroy has shown throughout the season so far has been far from what people expected. The Rebels are trying to prove themselves to the nation after an upset loss @ South Carolina a few weeks back. Jevan Snead and the Rebels have recovered with wins after the loss but need to win the game on Saturday if they have any chance at contending for the SEC title.
(15) Oklahoma State @ Texas A&M (12:30)
The Aggies are coming off a huge loss at the hands of Arkansas last week in Dallas and Jerrod Johnson and crew are looking for a big win to get their season back on track and have the perfect circumstances for one: Oklahoma State's best player, WR Dez Bryant, was declared ineligible for a rules violation this week by the NCAA and the crowd at Kyle Field will be loud and a distraction, as it always is, for the Big 12 South showdown in College Station.
Wisconsin @ (9) Ohio State (3:30 ABC)
For some strange reason, the Badgers are 5-0, and not ranked. With a win at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Wisconsin will defintely be ranked. With the surprising play of QB Scott Tolzien and the breakout season from RB John Clay, including a 184 yard day at Minnesota last week. For the Buckeyes, the consistency that they have shown since the loss to USC has given their fans hope that they can still make the Rose Bowl this season. There should be no excuse for Terrelle Pryor and the Bucks not to be pumped up for the big game at the Horseshoe.
UPSET ALERT
(17) Auburn @ Arkansas (12:00, ESPN)
Auburn takes their undefeated record and new-found confidence in SEC play after beating Tennessee in Knoxville last weekend, to Fayetteville where Ryan Mallett and his high-powered offense are waiting for them. After their dominant performance in Dallas against Texas A&M last weekend, the Razorbacks have the perfect recipe for spoiling Auburn's 5-0 start.

Postseason Wrap- October 7

The first three games of the 2009 postseason were as impressive as the game the night before that concluded the regular season but it showed fans what to expect during the course of the playoffs.

Phillies 5-1 Rockies
Phillies up 1-0

WHAT WE LEARNED:
Cliff Lee is for real. Although he went into a slump in September after his spectacular results after the trade from the Indians in July, Lee proved to his team and to Philadelphia fans that h should have started Game 1 instead of Cole Hamels. Lee pitched a complete game giving up 6 hits and 1 run, while striking out five.
STAT OF THE GAME:
Every single Phillie in the lineup including Lee had at least one base hit in the game. The 4-5-6 combo of Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez all had 2 hits in the win.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
In Thursday's Game 2, the Phils will throw 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and the Rockies will counter with Aaron Cook. Look for the same lineups from each team but possibly a different outcome, Cook has postseason experience from 2007 and will not be afraid of the crowd at Citizens Bank Park.

Dodgers 5-3 Cardinals
Dodgers up 1-0

WHAT WE LEARNED:
The Dodgers will not pitch to Albert Pujols if there are runners on base. Pujols was intentionally walked by Randy Wolf in his first two at-bats. Joe Torre would obviously have his pitchers face Matt Holliday over Pujols because in the 1st inning he had Wolf walk Pujols to load the bases.
STAT OF THE GAME:
30 runners were left on base combined in the game. In a game that featured 23 hits and 13 walks, you would think the score would be more than 5-3, but not in this case. The teams set a postseason in Game 1 with the 30 LOB.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
Adam Wainwright vs. Clayton Kershaw. This matchup of two of the games best young pitchers will by far be the topic of discussion going into Game 2. Wainwright went 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA this season and is a Cy Young candidate, while Kershaw is coming off a 10-strikeout performance in his last start against Colorado.

Yankees 7-2 Twins
Yankees up 1-0

WHAT WE LEARNED:
Derek Jeter is the captain for a reason. After going down 2-0 in the 3rd, Jeter came back and hit a 2-run homer off of Twins' starter Brian Duensing and the Yankees never looked back. Jeter went 2-for-2, scored 3 runs, and had 2 RBIs
STAT OF THE GAME:
Yankees bullpen: 2.1 IP, 2H, 4 K
When Phil Hughes entered the game in the top of the 7th, Hughes came on and struck out Orlando Cabrera with runners on 2nd and 3rd. After Hughes finished his 2/3 inning of work, Phil Coke came on and got Jason Kubel to line out to Mark Texeira, then Joba Chamberlain got Delmon Young to ground out. Surprisingly, Mariano Rivera came out to pitch the 9th in a non-save situation and closed the game out for the Yanks.
WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
A day off for the Twins. If the Twins have any chance of taking Game 2 at Yankee Stadium, they need to do nothing today and just rest. After the marathon 12-inning game against Detroit on Tuesday, everyone could that Twins had no life in them by the later stage of the game.