Saturday, December 31, 2011

Cats romp a sloppy ASU squad, 68-51

Take that ASU! Cats went into Pac-12 play as the favorites over an inferior ASU Sun Devil basketball squad and the Cats came out victorious with no letdown, whatsoever. ASU is a bad team, but they were awful as they had 13 first half turnovers and only 20 points in 20 minutes. The Cats didn't take advantage of the poor ASU team, but they didn't have to. The defense suffocated the Sun Devils and the offense started picking up late in the first half. The regulars for Arizona excelled (Solomon Hill, Jesse Perry), but the Frosh guards stepped up their game as Nick Johnson put up a few highlight dunks and 14 points against his dad's team and Josiah Turner was a spike in the Sun Devil's side as he came up with 5 steals. Cats go to the Honda Center next Thursday to take on a homeless UCLA Bruins team.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Baylor survives an Alamo shootout, beat Washington 67-56

RG3 didn't put up the stellar stats that we've grown accustomed to see, but he got plenty of support from his teammates. Baylor RB Terrance Ganaway scored 5 TDs as the Bears' offense rolled all night. Keith Price and Chris Polk of Washington didn't go with a whimper, instead they matched every punch Baylor threw at them. Many people thought Baylor would rout the Huskies, which they did on an offensive standpoint, but the Huskies' Price led the Washington offense through the air by throwing 438 yards and 4 TDs. When the score was 60-56, Baylor finally came up with a defensive stop on fourth down to contain the Huskies. When Baylor tried to run the clock down, Ganaway ran for a TD. The Washington offense was stellar as Price outperformed Griffin III, but the defensive struggles of the Dawgs proved to be too great.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Texas downs Cal in the Holiday Bowl, 21-10

If someone told me that David Ash would outperform Zach Maynard before the Holiday Bowl, I wouldn't believe them. I was surprised David Ash got the start. Most people thought that Case McCoy (Colt's little brother) would get the starting nod since he's thrown three times as many TDs than Ash and only half the INTs, but head coach Mack Brown let Ash start instead. Both defenses showed up early in the ballgame as the Longhorn rushing attack was stifled in the first half, while Cal put up only a FG. Texas drew up an end-around where WR Jaxon Shipley (Jordan's little brother) threw a 4-yard TD to Ash. The Golden Bears would finally break out of their offensive slumber as Isi Sofele scored a TD, but Texas would pull away with two more TDs and the Longhorns left with the Holiday Bowl trophy.

Toledo tops Air Force in a wild Military Bowl, 42-41

The Toledo Rockets and Air Force Falcons headed into Wednesday's match-up in the Military Bowl with a victory on their minds. By days end, Toledo emerged victorious as they imposed their passing offense against a run-happy Air Force offense, but the Falcons gave the Rockets everything they could handle in a classic shootout. Air Force's game plan was quickly altered once they fell into a 21-7 hole in a wild display of first quarter offense. Tim Jefferson, the Falcon's option QB, started throwing the ball with efficiency in the last three quarters and the shootout was on. The Falcons tied the game at 21, then Toledo scored a TD, which Air Force answered with a TD of their own. This pattern carried on till there was 1:32 left in the game. Jefferson threw a TD, but Air Force opted to do a trick-play FG option-run, which was fumbled in the end zone and Toledo held on for the victory.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Oregon's new Rose Bowl unis are pretty scary

I understand that a Duck isn't the scariest animal of them all, but these new Nike Pro Combat Uniforms for the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl are frightening. The good guys at Nike have given the Ducks tons of interesting uniforms, but a Darth Vader-esque jersey with wings on the helmet and a big "O" on the back don't seem to fit into the Rose Bowl theme. Look at the Wisconsin Rose Bowl jersey for example. Adidas decided to put a "rosy" pattern on the numbers. There's nothing scary about it, but then again, there doesn't have to be. Perhaps both teams thought that a different jersey would change their previous fortunes in the Bowl (Oregon lost to Ohio St. in 2009 and Wisconsin lost to TCU last year), but only one team can win "The Grand-daddy of them all".

BCS (Bull-Crap System)

The series of BCS bowl games is right around the corner. The five annual bowls features some intriguing match-ups as the #1 LSU Tigers take on the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide in the National Title game, two teams from the same conference and even the same division. Another interesting match-up is the Fiesta Bowl, which features the #3 and #4 teams in the country, OSU Cowboys and Stanford Cardinal. These two games should produce the new #1 and #2 teams in the country, but a true number one would be clear if the winners of these two games played each other to produce a true National Championship in Final Four fashion, after all Oklahoma State barely missed out on a title game berth. The rest of the BCS games don't pack as much punch; the Rose Bowl features the #6 Oregon Ducks against the #9 Wisconsin Badgers, the Orange Bowl features the #14 Clemson Tigers against the #23 West Virginia Mountaineers, and perhaps the worst match up, the Sugar Bowl, features two unworthy "at-large" bids, the #13 Michigan Wolverines against the #17 Virginia Tech Hokies. The Sugar Bowl points out exactly why the BCS system should be eliminated: there are five teams ranked ahead of Michigan and seven ahead of the Hokies that did not recieve a BCS Bowl bid, including the smaller rivals to the Wolverines, the MSU Spartans. Michigan State earned a higher ranking than the Wolverines and won their division, but since they almost nearly won the BIG 10 title game only to come up short, they earn a bid in the Outback Bowl. It seems to me that the only way to resolve the BCS and cure the obvious money factor that prevents smaller schools such as Boise St. or even Michigan State is to establish a top 8 team playoff system. #1 will play #8, #2 will play #7, #3 will play #6, and #4 will play #5 (almost like the seeding for March Madness). More games and more anticipation for a champion and even an upset will make millions of Americans watch a new BCS playoff system. Many schools are left out since larger market college teams may be invited, but more games is more money and even if a school such as Ohio St. is in the top 8 and becomes a true champion, that is equivalent to 3 standard BCS game earnings for the school. The BCS is already open to a top 8 system since the independent Notre Dame is invited to a BCS bowl as long as they finish in the top 8. Just because they don't have a conference, they have more lee-way. I feel that all non-big 6 schools should be treated like Notre Dame if the current BCS system were to stand. Boise St. finished #8 in the AP polls this year, but instead of being chosen for the Sugar Bowl, they were invited to the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl against an inferior ASU team. The current BCS system is flawed since they don't invite rightful college football teams, so the current system of playing five BCS bowl games should be eliminated. With a playoff BCS system, the top 8 college football teams will be invited to play in a seven game tournament, which would eliminate the money factor for college football and produce a true National Champion.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Brees has broken the all-time single season passing record, Saints rout Atlanta 45-16

5087 passing yards in an NFL season is unheard of, that is until today. Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's single season record for most passing yards in an NFL season as he tossed the ball to Darren Sproles to score a TD late in the game, which broke the record. It was all New Orleans on MNF as they routed the Falcons and showed them that the Saints are the cream of the crop in the south as they clinched the NFC South title. It was only fitting for the record to be broken in the Superdome on primetime TV in front of thousands of Saints fans. The record can be set next week, but after the playoffs, will Brees return to New Orleans or will he leave for a bigger team?

Toronto spoils Kyrie Irving's debut, beat the Cavs 104-96

Cleveland spent their first overall pick on a young point guard from Duke rather than a new LeBron. His debut was nothing special, though. The Toronto Raptors came into Cleveland looking for their first win this season, and that came true with a sloppy performance from the first overall pick. Transitions from college to pro are always tough, but when you play a mediocre Toronto team and go 2-12 with only 6 points is no way to woo Cavaliers fans.

Mizzou routs North Carolina in the Independence Bowl, 41-24

Mizzou ran all over North Carolina in the Independence Bowl as James Franklin and the rest of the Tiger offense rushed for a total 337 yards. The Tar Heels drew first blood, but after their score, it was all Mizzou. James Franklin had a great day on the ground and through the air as the Tigers topped their season with their 8th win in their last season in the Big 12.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Bulls top the Lakers on Christmas Day, 88-87

The Bulls topped the Lakers with a go-ahead Derrick Rose bucket with only 4.8 seconds to go, which capped off an impressive comeback from the Bulls. Down by 10 with about four minutes left in the game, the Bulls began to rally in the Staples center after a poor shooting performance made them lose their once commanding lead. The Bulls led 56-49 at the half, but they surrendered their lead at the start of the fourth quarter. However, once Rose came back in the game, he began the rally and capped it off with a floater to put the Bulls up. The Lakers had a shot, but Kobe was blocked and Chicago walked away with a win.

Heat beat the Mavs in Finals rematch, 105-94

LeBron James came back to Dallas with a vengeance as he put up 37 points against the reigning champs while theHeat cruised to an 11 point victory. Thescore doesn't seem like a rout, but in the first three quarters, the Heat outscored the reigning champs 97-65. In the final quarter, the Heat pulled all their starters and only mnaged to put up 8 more points. This game goes to show that when Miami is hungry and clicking, they can do whatever they want. On the other hand, without Dwyane Wade and LeBron, the Heat won't do much. The Mavericks looked like an aging team as Dirk Nowitzki went a mediocre 6-15 shooting. The NBA better watch out for Miami, they could easily have the best winning percentage in NBA history.

Knicks top the Celtics in the NBA's first game, 106-104

Carmelo Anthony scored 37 points in the first game of the 2011-12 season as the Knicks rallied to beat the Celtics at the Madison Square Garden. New York got out to a big lead, but Boston got the lead thanks to Rajon Rondo's 31 point, 13 assist effort. Melo would lead the Knicks on a 27-17 4th quarter as he scored the go-ahead points off of free throws. Boston had a chance to tie, but Kevin Garnett missed a jumper and New York won the NBA's first game this season.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

So. Miss beats Nevada for the Hawaii Bowl, 24-17

Austin Davis and the So. Miss Golden Eagles sent Larry Fedora out as a winner, too bad their fans couldn't be on hand to witness the bowl win. The Conference USA champs let the Nevada Wolfpack hang in the game, but an Austin Davis TD pass with 6:02 left was enough for the Eagles to hang on at Aloha Stadium.

Early Christmas present, the Lions are in the playoffs

The Lions were in a situation that they haven't experienced since the 90s, they were at the doorstep of the playoffs. All they had to do was win, but their opponent was the red-hot Chargers. San Diego also shared a similar playoff hunt situation and seemed poised to leave mo-town upset. However, Matthew Stafford and the Lions came out hot with guns-blazing. They ripped the Chargers secondary for big yardage and got out to an insurmountable 24-0 lead at the half. The Lions would hold on for a 38-10 win, putting the team in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. With the loss, San Diego is eliminated from the playoff chase.

Patriots climb out of a 17 point hole, beat the Dolphins 27-24

The Patriots clinched a first round bye in dramatic fashion: climbing out of a 17 point hole to the inferior AFC East rival Dolphins. A few Matt Moore orchestrated drives and a poor pass defense from the Patriots left the crowd in Foxborough stunned. The second half was totally different, though. Tom Brady brought the Pats back to lead them to their 12th win and 7th in a row to clinch a first week bye in the playoffs.

Tebow and the Broncos routed by the Bills, 40-14

Has the Tim Tebow magic faded? No one can have a comeback when their down by 26 points, that's for sure. The Broncos had an awful day on defense and Tebow definitely didn't help their cause as he threw 4 INTs. The Bills ended their seven game losing streak by gashing the Broncos run defense as CJ Spiller ran for 111 yards. The Bills defense also held up by heckling Tebow and forcing him to make bad decisions. The Broncos fall to 8-7 with a very important game against the Chiefs next week at Mile High.

Giants win the Battle for New York, beat the Jets 29-14

The Giants were visiting their home stadium... If that makes any sense at all. But the Giants showed the Jets who owns the Meadowlands with a convincing win that forces the Jets to win their next game for a shot at the playoffs. Eli Manning and the Giants however, did not make it easy on themselves. They got to a 20-7 lead but let the Jets get back into it. The Jets got the ball back only down by six, but allowed a safety and Amhad Bradshaw punched in a TD that punches a ticket for the Giants in a key NFC East match-up against the Cowboys at Meadowlands for the division crown.

Cards rally falls short, lose to the Bengals 23-16

The Cards came out flat against the Bengals, which was discouraging since both teams were playing a must-win game for their playoff hopes. John Skelton got the start once again with an injured Kevin Kolb sitting out, but the second-year man out of Fordham was pestered all day long. He was sacked five times and threw three picks, putting the Cards in a 23 point hole. The game seemed decided, but when the fourth quarter rolls around, the Cards are unpredictable. They had a quick score from a 30 yard TD to Fitzgerald, putting the game at 23-7. The defense remained stout and Skelton took advantage by tossing another TD to Jeff King. Their two-point conversion attempt failed, but Cedric Benson fumbled the ball, giving the Cards another shot. Down by only a TD, Skelton threw a ball to the Endzone at a wide open Doucet, but the WR slipped and the ball was turned over. Skelton had a last gasp opportunity, but the Card's playoff hopes winded down to a sad and painful end. The season is truly a tail of two tale: the Cards started 1-6, but a mix of Skelton heroics and a stout defense brought the Cards back into the playoff hunt. The team has a lot of potential for next season, but this season is essentially over.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Baylor remains undefeated, beat West Virginia 83-81 OT

The Baylor Bears survived a tough road test against West Virginia, but it took an overtime to finish the Mountaineers. Baylor was picked to do well in preseason polls, but a number of unimpressive wins prevented the team from joining the likes of dominant teams. The test against West Virginia was key for the Bears to move forward, but it didn't come easy. A solid performance by Pierre Jackson was key since a Perry Jones III had a quiet night. Baylor had a seven point lead at the half, but West Virginia came back to tie. Baylor would finish the Mountaineers to improve to 12-0 with a win against a Big East team.

No. 15 Pitt falls to Wagner, 59-54

The Big East continues to lack it's dominance like last year. Pitt's last year in the conference should be used to show the dominance they can bring to the ACC, however they've had a few upsets including a loss to Long Beach State and a loss tonight against the Wagner Seahawks. Solid performances by Nasir Robinson and Ashton Gibbs weren't enough to avoid the upset as Pitt drops to 11-2.

No. 4 Louisville rallies against WKU, win 70-60

The Cards overcame a sluggish start against the visiting Hilltoppers to beat them 70-60. Rick Pitino's bunch was challenged in the first half and fell in an 8 point hole, but rallied to win and advance to a great 12-0. They better be careful during the next week since they will take on the 16th ranked Georgetown Hoyas at the KFC YUM! Center and a date with their instate rivals on New Years' Eve at the Rupp Arena against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Watch out! Barkley is staying one more year

Just when you thought the Pac 12 South was a wide open division, Matt Barkley decides to return for his Senior year. The USC Trojans won the division this year, but couldn't play in the Pac 12 title game or a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. However, next year will see a loaded USC team that features many young stars including their QB and standout receiver, Robert Woods. I think next year's preseason poll will have the Trojans in the top 5 and ahead of the Ducks, but maybe (just maybe) the Cats can put up a show against them next year in Tucson on Oct. 13

A Preview of things to come? NY Rangers beat the Flyers, 4-2

The Winter Classic takes place on Jan. 2 at Citizens Bank Ballpark; a game that will feature the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers. Both teams have been playing good hockey and tonight they met up in the Garden. New York scored 3 goals first and cruised to a 4-2 win, due to a forgettable performance by Ilya Bryzgalov for the Flyers and a solid night for Henrik Lundqvist. Hopefully this isn't just a preview for these to rivals since their "Classic" will be on primetime TV and is less than two weeks away. Can hockey shine again in primetime television?

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Colts stun the Texans on TNF, 19-16

Everyone wants to win, right? Even if you're willing to pass up a first overall draft pick? Dan Orlovsky had some late game heroics as he beat his former team on Thursday nights with a TD pass to Reggie Wayne with :19 left, giving the Colts their second win of the season... All I can say is Orlovsky is a selfish dude. So what if you have a personal vendetta against a team that released you last year, maybe it's cause you aren't that good! So if you can help out the Colts by losing out and be satisfied by being Lucks back-up when he leads the Colts to glory,that sounds like a pretty good deal! Orlovsky has seriously put his teams position with the first pick in jeopardy, but maybe a team will be impressed by his 244 yards and 1 TD to give him a third spot on their depth chart.

Boise State routs ASU for the Las Vegas Bowl, 56-24

Kellen Moore capped off his stellar career at Boise St. with a bang, but yet again, against an inferior opponent. His 50th win is the most for any QBs career in college football as he passed for 292 yards, however his RB Doug Martin won MVP. The Sun Devils could simply not stop the bleeding from their regular season as they let up big play after big play, including a Doug Martin opening kick-off return TD. By letting up a bunch of TDs to the Broncos, Brock Osweiler saw plenty of time on the field and put up good numbers with the thanks to his top wide receiver, Gerell Robinson. This will probably be the last we see of Boise in the Las Vegas Bowl since they're moving to the wide-spread Big East next year.

Cats maul Bryant to end non-conference play, 100-60

The Wildcats concluded non-conference play with a big win against the Bryant Bulldogs at the McKale center for a 9-4 record. Five wildcats finished in double-figures, including Brendan Lavender who went 6-8 from three-point range for 18 points. All the Cats on the roster saw some playing time against the Bulldogs. Showing offensive muscle like the Cats did last night was extremely important since conference play starts on New Years' Eve against the Sun Devils.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

No. 16 TCU rallies to beat Louisiana Tech, 31-24

Being ranked No. 16 in the country and playing for Poinsettias instead of Roses is sad enough, but it should be more than enough motivation for a team to beat an inferior opponent. The Horned Frogs had no sense of motivation as they had to rally against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for the Poinsettia Bowl. A 42 yard TD toss from Casey Pachall with 5:11 to go was just enough to give the Horned Frogs a win in a bowl they felt unlucky to have, but they should feel lucky to leave with a win.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Arizona starts quick, hold off Oakland, 85-73

Laval Lucas-Perry's return to the McKale center did not go as he wished for two reasons: the Cats ran away with the game and Reggie Hamilton stole the show with a stellar shooting performance for the Oakland Grizzlies. Solomon Hill had a career high 23 points while Kyle Fogg had his 1000th career point. The achievement by Foggy came with his 17 point performance and in doing so, he has become the 46th Wildcat to score 1000 points in a collegiate career. The Cats were previously plagued with slow starts, but got off to q quick start tonight. The Grizzlies tried to crawl back but their sharpshooting only brought them within 4 at the half. Key buckets by Solo, Foggy, Perry, and Johnson put Oakland away for the ninth Arizona basketball win of the season.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Lights Out! Niners shut down the Steelers, 20-3

The Niners showed three things on their MNF beat down against the Steelers: their defense is as stout as any in the league, Roethlisberger needS to get healthy soon for the playoffs, and Candlestick Park is way too old for an NFL team. The defense bottled up an injured Roethlisberger all night. Big Ben seemed out of sorts as he threw three picks in the game. The primetime game was delayed by two power outages, showing America that while Candlestick Park has a rich history of football, it needs to be replaced or renovated for a Niners team that's heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

No. 10 Marquette slips up at LSU, 67-59

Marquette had the best player with the best name on the court, but they did not have the better team on Monday night as the LSU Tigers bottled up the Golden Eagles and their standout guard, Vander Blue. As one of the few undefeated in the Big East, the slip up should take them down a few spots, but if they go into Big East play, they should be just fine.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Chargers shock the Ravens, 34-14

The Chargers and PhilLip Rivers jumpstarted their season with an impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens. Better late than never, they still have a shot for the playoffs given the Raiders lost earlier today. Joe Flacco showed the nation the formula for beating the Ravens: shut down Ray Rice, sptake a lead, and force him to pass. The Chargers worked that to perfection and looked like a playoff caliber team, however they'll have to be extremely lucky if they're going to make it to the postseason.

Patriots end the Broncos winning streak, 41-23

Tim Tebow hype should die down a bit after the Patriots romped the Broncos, but so should the Denver hype. Denver showed lots of heart and emotion like a college team, but they also committed many mistakes like a college team. That's what you get when you have a college quarterback, but when you play a HOF QB, you're toast. There was no chance for Tebow Time as Bill Belicheck ended the 6-game winning streak with ease.

Cards top the Browns in OT, 20-17

Playing against the Cards must be annoying: they have a stingy blitzing defense, a dangerous punt returner, and a comeback mentality. Thats what the Cards showed against the Browns as John Skelton put up 10 points in the fourth quarter to send the game to OT. Patrick Peterson had a lengthy return and Jay Feely punched in the game-winning FG. After a 1-6 start, the Cards have pushed their way to .500

Guess What!!! The Colts can end the season with a win and Andrew Luck!

Peyton Manning can't play with a broken neck... Curtis Painter was pretty damn bad... Dan Orlovsky is not as bad... But Andrew Luck is pretty damn good. That's how the Colts QB progression looks to be as Dan Orlovsky and Donald Brown led the Colts to their first win of the season against the Tennessee Titans, 27-13. If the Colts can finish the season with only one win, they should draft Andrew Lucknand pull off another Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers QB/mentor combo.

Orton and the Chiefs end the Packers perfection, 19-14

There's nothing more fitting than a former Patriots coach ending the Packers run for perfection. Romeo Crennel made the most of his debut as interim head coach for the Chiefs at Arrowhead. So did starting QB, Kyle Orton. Orton faced the Packers previously this year in a forgettable performance, but the experience proved to be key on Sundays game. The Chiefs contained the Packers for most of the game, but a stout defense held KC to FGs, not TDs. Pack were the first to breakthrough with a TD, but the Chiefs used FGs to hold the lead. Eventually, Taylor Battle punched in a TD and the game was out of reach. On the Packers point of view, if you were to lose a game, it's better to lose it earlier. There's still plenty of time for them to get going again.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Coyotes lose to the Rangers in devastating fashion

It's not often that you see a "buzzer beater" goal, so I'm going to cover this for all it's worth. It sucks. The Coyotes let a 2-1 lead slip through their fingers on home ice as a Brad Richards puck slipped passed goaltender, Mike Smith, with .01 to go on the clock. The Coyotes showed they were a solid team, but failed to get the win as they lost 3-2. The team is in a small slump that they can't afford since they are two points away from being the ninth seed to the third seed in the Western conference.

Rajin' Cajuns top SDSU in the New Orleans Bowl, 32-30

Brett Baer must have had a crazy, emotional game on Saturday night... You probably have never heard of him, though. The Louisiana kicker missed two early point after attempts earlier in the game, but nailed a 50 yard game winner at the gun to give the Rajin' Cajuns an impressive and dramatic bowl win. Ryan Lindley had a solid performances, but Blaine Gauttier outperformed the NFL prospect. I guess ULL is a pretty solid team after all.

Cowboys still alive for the playoffs, beat the Bucs, 31-15

The Cowboys are still alive for the playoffs as they beat the Tampa Bay Bucs on Saturday Night Football. The Bucs are arguably the most disappointing team in the NFL. I personally picked them to go to the playoffs, but Raheem Morris and the Josh Freeman led Bucs haven't showed maturity. Romo and the Boys got out to two early scores to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. Dallas improves to 8-6 and will win head to the playoffs if they win out.

Cats pay for slow start, lose to Gonzaga, 71-60

Yeah... I don't blame Sean. I'd be pretty pissed if my team was trailing 49-21 at the end of the half. Arizona was just plagued by an awful start as the Zags got out to a 14-0 start. The crowd in the Key Arena and the second chance opportunities for the Zags prevented the Wildcats from making a huge comeback. Arizona clawed back within 6 points, but it wasn't enough as Zona drops to 7-4.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Falcons rip the Jags, 41-14

This game wasn't even close... Matt Ryan and Michael Turner showed why the Falcons will make it to the playoffs on national television. Blaine Gabbert was pestered all night in the Georgia Dome and the game got out of hand too quickly to run the ball with Maurice Jones-Drew. I'm still not sold on the Falcons making a playoff push, but if they can oust New Orleans for home-field advantage, anything can happen in the playoffs, especially in the Georgia Dome.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Seahawks rout the Rams on MNF, 30-13

Beast Mode feasted on the Skittles during the MNF game in this NFC West rivalry. Marshawn Lynch showed America that he is the heart and soul of the Seahawks offense while the rest of the team showed how bad and underachieving the St. Louis Rams are. The match-up was supposed to be the potential division champs against the former division champs, but the Seahawks are no pushover and potentially still alive for the wild card.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

New York Giants top the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East, 37-34

Dallas vs New York always produces a thriller. An eight lead change game with a total of 71 points is nothing short of that. Eli Manning was protected all night as he passed for 400 yards while Brandon Jacobs ran crazy on the Boys. Eli Manning led the Giants to a three point lead, but Tony Romo put ten Cowbaoys at FG position. Dan Bailey must have remembered being iced by his own coach last week, but this week Tom Coughlin iced him and guess what, it worked.

Cards stun the Niners, 21-19

The Cards defense has strung together an impressive slew of performances, including Sundays' win against the rival Niners. Both offenses looked a bit flat, but mostly because the defenses showed up. On the first Cardinals possession, Kevin Kolb lost a fumble and seemed to be concussed, so John Skelton once again stepped in. The Niners consistently had great field position, but the Cards defense held them to FGs. On one attempt, John Harbaugh elected to call a fake FG, but Whisenhunt out did him by throwing a challenge flag before the play was executed. The Cards would then score a 60 yard TD on the next play. Fitzgerald had a great game as he caught six passes for 146 yards including an electrifying TD catch and run. This win ends a 5-game losing streak to the hated Niners.

Tebow time, Broncos stun the Bears in OT, 13-10

Just look at his throwing motion! How in God's great world does a quarterback like this win six games in a row... Oh, it's Tebow. This guy just has a knack for leading his team to victory, especially if the game comes down to the wire. With about two minutes left and down 10-0, Tebow would have a TD toss to Demaryius Thomas and set up a 59 yard FG from Matt Prater. In OT, Matt Prater would hot a 51 yard game winner, but all the credit goes to Tebow. I have to agree that Tebow is finding ways to win and that he should receive some credit, but he's been gifted with a stout Broncos defense that has given him chances to win in the 4th quarter. Next week however, he'll have to take on Brady and the Patriots.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

No. 1 Kentucky fall toss the Hoosiers at the buzzer, 73-72

Indiana returned to prominence in dramatic fashion, beating the most successful college hoops team, ranked No. 1, at the buzzer. That's what the Hoosiers did as Christian Watford's three splashed into the net and Hoosier nation stormed the court. I'm surprised Kentucky slipped up on National Television, but I'm not surprised that Cody Zeller and the Hoosiers showed that much fight. On Monday, Indiana will make their return to the top 25.