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College Football's 11 Best 11s: Big Day For Ohio State and Alabama

BabyTate — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:36:53 -0500

Saturday was a big day for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Ohio State put their foot on the neck of rival Penn State in Happy Valley, 24-7, to lay claim as the eminent challenger for the Nittany Lions' Big 10 crown.

The Buckeye position was further enhanced by Iowa's dismal performance and 17-10 loss to unranked Northwestern in a game played on the Hawkeyes' home field.

The Iowans lost their quarterback, Ricky Stanzi, to injury early on and did not seem to be the same team who rallied so valiantly in many previous games this season.

Next up for the Hawkeyes? Ohio State in Columbus.

Alabama eased past LSU as expected 24-15, to set up an SEC Title game between the Crimson Tide and the defending BCS champion Florida.

On Saturday, the Gators defeated Vanderbilt by 24 points in Gainesville, 27-3. The prior week Georgia Tech defeated Vanderbilt by 25 points in Nashville, 56-31.

It remains to be seen if the same naysayers over the Yellow Jackets' performance come out of the woodwork concerning Florida's less impressive win this past week.

Two former Alabama football players, who are now head coaches elsewhere, demonstrated the lessons of the masters are not lost on the students.

Mike Riley, an all-star defender for Bear Bryant's 1973 National Championship team, had his Oregon State Beavers ready when they hit the road to take on the high-wire act of the home-standing Bears.

The Beavers punished the Cal linemen, causing several of the big Bears to take themselves out of the game as Oregon State bullied No. 23 California, 31-14.

Mike Riley's troops moved to 6-3 for the season.

This superb disciple of the Bear obviously teaches the same rugged style of football in the great Northwest.

Former Alabama player Dabo Swinney, a member of Gene Stallings' 1992 National Championship squad, apparently learned his lessons just as well.

As Bear Bryant once said "when you got a Ty Cobb you turn him loose." The Clemson coach unleashed his unstoppable force against Florida State.

Dabo's Ty Cobb is one C.J. Spiller, arguably the best high school football player in the state of Florida during his senior season, the same as Tim Tebow's senior year.

An incomparable Florida athlete with Alabama coaching, C.J. is an incredible example of power and speed who demonstrates his superiority over all other players each week.

Spiller, who had set the school record for all-purpose yards in a game with 310 in a win at Miami earlier this year, broke his own standard with 312 yards against Florida State.

The Tigers brutally mauled the Seminoles, 40-24. A painful sight for all who remember when Florida State was, well, Florida State.

What a country.

The 11 Best 11s

Ranking This Week Ranking Last Week

1. Texas 1.

2. Alabama 3.

3. Florida 2.

4. Boise State 4.

5. Texas Christian 6.

6. Georgia Tech 5.

7. Cincinnati 8.

8. Pittsburgh 11.

9. Oregon 7.

10. LSU 10.

11. Iowa 9.

On The Porch: Southern California, Ohio State, Utah, Arizona, Miami (Fla.)

Heisman Hopefuls:

1. Colt McCoy, Texas—The best player on the best team. An effective recipe.

2. Tim Tebow, Florida—Former winner who is the star of the top ranked team.

3. C. J. Spiller, Clemson—The best football player in the country.

4. Jimmy Clausen—Massive talent comparable to former Irish signal caller Joe Montana.

5. Mark Ingram—Effective inside runner for a highly popular team.

Stanford Poses a Big Concern for USC

Paul Peszko — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:19:34 -0500

If today’s events hold true to form next Saturday, USC is likely to suffer its third loss of this season.

Stanford laid 51 points on Oregon, the No. 8 team in the nation, in driving to a 51-42 upset victory. Meanwhile, USC’s lethargic offense, which could only manage 20 points in a 47-20 loss at Oregon last week, regressed even further in the Arizona desert tonight.

Pete Carroll’s erratic offense scored only one touchdown in posting a 14-9 win against a mediocre Sun Devil team.

Matt Barkley, the quarterback that Pete Carroll hailed as the most advanced true freshman quarterback he has ever coached at USC, looked like…well…a true freshman or perhaps just a high school senior. A high school senior with happy feet, jitterbugging back and forth, unable to plant.

Could it be the Trojans will be underdogs at home next week against the Cardinal?

It’s very possible. The Trojan defense, which was adequate tonight against a team without a dominant running back or passer, had been decimated in the previous three games by both.

And the Stanford Cardinal have both.

Stanford’s red-shirt freshman quarterback, Andrew Luck, looked like a seasoned veteran as he threw for 251 yards and two TDs without an interception.

But the big story on the farm today was the Cardinal’s powerful running back, Toby Gerhart. He lugged the ball 38 times and gained a Stanford record 223 yards and three TDs against the Pac-10’s No. 2 defense.

Going into today’s games, Stanford had the No. 2 ranked offense in the conference right behind the Arizona Wildcats. With the power running of Gerhart and the accurate passing of Luck, Stanford should pose much concern for that patchwork USC defense.

While today’s win was an impressive one for the Cardinal, the Trojans, who needed to bounce back impressively from their defeat at Oregon last week, instead managed only an unimpressive dribble against a .500 team that committed four turnovers.

The Trojan offense will have to do much better than that next Saturday. The same goes for the Trojan defense, which gave up 266 yards in the air and allowed the Sun Devils to keep the ball for 33:35.

Arizona State almost had twice as many first downs, 23-12. And once again the Trojans third-down efficiency, a problem all year, went from bad to worse with a pathetic 2-for-13 effort.

Pete Carroll and his staff have also shown a tendency in recent weeks to be outmatched by opposing staffs as far as schemes and adjustments are concerned. Jim Harbaugh will not make it any easier for them as he brings his Cardinal offense into the Coliseum clicking on all cylinders.

Cal Running Back Jahvid Best Seriously Injured In Loss To Oregon State

Bryan Kelly — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:02:36 -0500

Cal running back Jahvid Best was seriously injured in the Golden Bears' loss to Oregon State this evening.

Best lay motionless on the sideline moments after scoring Cal's first touchdown against the Beavers. Medical staff were on hand to treat Best, who suffered a concussion and is capable of moving his extremities.

Best had suffered a concussion in last week's game but was cleared to play this week. He is likely done for the season.

For more on this story, click here. For video of the incident, click here.

And for more on sports, concussions and the toll they take on a player's body, here's an excellent article from the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell.

Ohio State Controls The Championship: A Topsy-Turvy Day In The Big Ten

Kristofer Green — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:38:57 -0500

The Big Ten's topsy-turvy day has come to an end.

No. 4 Iowa saw it's magical run come to an end at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats; Illinois continued its renaissance by holding on to beat the Gophers on the road; Western Michigan was no match for the "oh so close" Spartans; Purdue became the only team to sweep both Ohio State and Michigan this season; and Wisconsin held off a scrappy Indiana team.

Then there was the big game in State College...

No. 16 Ohio State 24, No. 11 Penn State 7

The game of the day was a pseudo elimination game in the Big Ten title race. A hungry Ohio State traveled to Happy Valley to take on a Nittany Lion squad that was desperate to prove all doubters wrong.

Turns out the doubters were partially correct.

Penn State quarterback Darryl Clark, a two year starter, has not played well in big games for the Nits in his tenure.

In fact, Clark really had no signature win on his resume. It was Pat Devlin who lead Penn State to the victory at Ohio State last season after Clark left the game in the third quarter with a concussion with the Buckeyes up 6-3.

For the Buckeye signal caller, this game was about redemption.

Terrelle Pryor, a Pennsylvania native who spurned his home state university to play for the Buckeyes, failed his first test against Penn State in 2008.

It was Pryor's fumble on a 4th-and-1 that set up the Nittany Lions go ahead touchdown. And it was Pryor's last second interception in the endzone that sealed the loss.

The image of Pryor with his head in his hands on the Buckeye bench after the game is hard to forget and a Penn State marketing organization had even printed t-shirts commemorating the moment.

Terrelle Pryor got his redemption and in the process reminded Penn State fans why they wanted him to choose his home state college.

"This was my first time to lead the team and lead the offense and score some touchdowns against another big team," Pryor said. "It felt pretty good to lead the team."

Pryor finished the game with 125 yards passing with two touchdowns and rushed for another 50 yards, including a seven-yard scoring scamper to put the Buckeyes up 7-0 early.

Pryor was helped tremendously by an Ohio State offensive line that has been suspect at times this season. The line didn't allow the Penn State defense to get any pressure on Pryor, keeping him sack free for the first time all season and opened up some nice holes in the running game.

The Buckeyes had 228 yards rushing including good performances from both Brandon Saine, who led all backs with 58 yards and Daniel Herron, who broke off a nice 16-yard run before leaving the game with what appears to be re-aggravation of an ankle injury.

The Ohio State defense did not allow the Nittany Lions to get into any rhythm on offense, allowing Penn State only 201 yards of total offense.

The Buckeye front four got constant pressure on Clark and held running back Evan Royster to only 36 yards on the ground and smothered Clark's receivers (except for Graham Zug seven catches, 96 yards). Cameron Heyward was a beast finishing with two sacks and 11 tackles for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State is now in the drivers seat for their fifth consecutive Big Ten Championship and will "welcome" the Iowa Hawkeyes to the 'Shoe next week for the Big Ten "Championship Game."

Northwestern 17, No. 4 Iowa 10

The magic finally ran out for the Hawkeyes who not only drop their first game of the season, but also lose their quarterback (and 4th quarter comeback machine) Ricky Stanzi with a high ankle sprain.

Initial word out of Iowa City is that Stanzi will be out at least a week meaning the Hawkeyes will travel to Columbus and try to beat the Buckeyes with redshirt freshman quarterback James Vandenberg.

No. 21 Wisconsin 31, Indiana 28

John Clay rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown and Montee Ball added 115 yards and two more scores on the ground as the Badgers held off Hoosier team that hasn't yet learned to close the deal.

The loss was another big blow to Indiana's faint and fading bowl hopes. The Hoosiers have lost three conference games this season by a combined total of seven points and now must win their final two games, at Penn State and home against rival Purdue, to become bowl-eligible.

Purdue 38, Michigan 36

Joey Elliott has done something former NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees, Kyle Orton, and Curtis Painter never did in their careers at Purdue...beat the Wolverines in the Big House. In fact, no Purdue quarterback since Bob Griese in 1966 has accomplished the feat.

Elliott threw for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, leading Purdue to a 38-36 comeback win over the floundering Wolverines. Michigan is now in danger of missing a bowl game for the second straight season. The Wolverines must either beat Wisconsin in Madison or Ohio State at the Big house to get to the six win plateau.

Illinois 35, Minnesota 32

The Illini defense sacked Adam Weber seven times (including four by Clay Nurse) and Jacob Charest threw for 185 yards and a touchdown in relief of an injured Juice Williams to lift a surging Illinois past the hot and cold Gophers.

After throwing for 416 yards and five TDs in a breakout game against Michigan State last week, Weber completed just five of 17 passes for 74 yards with a fumble and a pick six in the first half. He finished 14 of 30 for 221 yards.

Michigan State 49, Western Michigan 14

The Spartans got huge games out of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was 22 of 25 for 353 yards and two touchdowns and seldom used sophomore running back Ashton Leggett, who rushed for 110 yards and four touchdowns.

The win snapped a two-game losing skid and gave Michigan State some momentum heading into the season's final two games, at Purdue next week and then home against Penn State.

The Spartans need one more win to become bowl eligible.

Alabama Defeats LSU 24-15 In A Monumental Battle Of Wills And War Of Attrition

Franklin Crittenden — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:42:17 -0500

Alabama beat LSU 24-15 in a game that could only be described as a monumental battle of wills

Alabama is the SEC Western Division Champion again and will be headed to Atlanta to play the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship game.

In a game that seemed more like a war of attrition, where Alabama and LSU players were helped off the field on almost every big play it began to look like the last man standing would surely win.

That battle was won by Alabama as LSU lost their starting Quarterback, Running Back, two top Linemen, and their best Defensive Back all to injuries.

It seemed as though there was a LSU player laying on the field motionless after almost every big play.

The Crimson Tide survived the game with only minor injuries and for the most part seemed to inflict more punishment on the Tigers than they received as the game wore on.

The days of teams like LSU overpowering Alabama are over, and tonight showed the nation that Alabama has the talent and depth to play with any team in the country.

The win secured Alabama's spot in the SEC Championship Game where they will face the Florida Gators for the second year in a row.

It will be Alabama's seventh trip to the SEC Championship and Florida's tenth.

Alabama and Florida have appear in the SEC Championship Game more than any other SEC schools since the game was first held in 1992.

Alabama can now focus on revenge for last years loss to Florida.

The Gators prevented No.1 ranked Alabama from making their first trip to the BCS Championship Game in 2008 by holding on to defeat Alabama 31-20.

The 2008 game was in doubt until late in the fourth quarter when Tim Tebow engineered a near perfect drive in the closing minutes to clinch the victory.

Florida advanced to the BSC Game in Miami and won the BCS Championship by defeating Oklahoma.

It was Florida's second BCS National Championship and third National Title overall .

If Alabama defeats Florida on Dec 5 in Atlanta they will be playing for their first BCS National Championship and their thirteenth National Championship overall.

Alabama must still face and defeat Mississippi State, Tennessee Chattanooga, and Auburn in order to secure a slot for the BCS Championship.

Florida must still face South Carolina, Florida International and Florida State to fulfill their end on the bargain.

If both SEC teams continue to win it could very well be No.1 verses No.2 in the SEC Championship Game.

The winner of that pivotal match-up would then advance as the SEC representative to the BCS National Championship to be played on Jan.7, 2010 in Anaheim, Ca.

A loss by either team could ruin Florida and Alabama's chances for the trip to California as well as tarnish some of the luster in the upcoming SEC Championship Game on Dec.5.

Alabama is now over the proverbial hump after beating LSU, and must now guard against a letdown next week in Starkville, Ms and three weeks later down in Auburn, Al.

The question remains, will Alabama be able to catch and pass Texas in the BCS standing?

The answer is, not likely if Texas continues to win big.

Regardless of the BCS Standings, as long as Florida and Alabama stay perfect the winner will play for the BCS National Championship and that my friends is a fact.

Who they play in that game could still be up to the voters and fate, but it would now appear it will be the SEC verses the Big 12 again as long as Texas wins out.

A Florida/Alabama verses Texas BCS Championship Game seems to be almost a certainly, but I personally wouldn't be willing to count out teams like Boise State, Cincinnati or TCU until the final whistle blows in December.

Texas Two-Step: Could We Be Looking at The First Dual Heisman?

Dino Nicandros — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:19:14 -0500

The NCAA should seriously consider awarding a dual Heisman Trophy this season.

Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley form perhaps the nation's most dangerous combo and Saturday's 35-3 romp over Central Florida was their best showcase yet.

McCoy went 33 of 42 for 470 yards and two touchdowns, falling just shy of Major Applewhite's single game passing record of 473 yards.

Texas' offense struggled early in the game, but a few timely throws by McCoy got the Horns in rhythm.

McCoy hit James Kirkendoll on a 14 yard touchdown late in the third quarter, and Texas never looked back, scoring 14 points in the fourth to seal the deal.

Texas' win marked the 41st win in Colt McCoy's career. The Texas quarterback is one win short of tying the NCAA record for most wins in a career (held by Georgia's David Greene, 2001-2004).

While McCoy had an amazing career day throwing the ball, the guy he was throwing to stole the show.

Jordan Shipley caught 11 balls for a Texas-record 273 yards and a touchdown. Shipley's best play on the day came on an 88-yard catch and run from the Texas 12-yard line, after the Texas offense had been pinned on the goal line just a play before.

Shipley's remarkable performance ranks second all-time in Big 12 history and was the second best performance of any receiver in college football this season.

Shipley has 75 catches for 1,050 yards on the season, and it is likely he will reach 100 receptions for the second straight season.

On top of his astounding numbers through the air, Shipley has returned two punts for touchdowns, giving him three for his career to go along with a kick return for a touchdown.

The McCoy-Shipley connection has yielded 2,483 yards and 25 touchdowns over four years, and that's with frequent injury to Shipley his freshman season.

Is it so out of the question to give both of these players equal consideration in the Heisman race?

Neither of them would have the numbers they have without the other.

There is rare chemistry between these two roommates.

Being long time friends, they have spent many a summer night just working on timing and they have developed a virtual sixth sense for finding each other on the field.

When defenses have clamped down on the running game, McCoy has often been able to find Shipley weaving in and out of opposing zone defenses.

Though Shipley was limited during the OU game, the fear of him running loose forced the Sooners to double him, leaving guys like Marquise Goodwin wide open for McCoy.

With four games left in the regular season plus the Big 12 title game, this Texas Two-Step has a chance to add to their already prolific history.

While Colt McCoy will likely get most of the credit for Texas' success and will receive some make-up votes after the way last season's Heisman race turned out, Shipley deserves his fair share of the pie.

This really isn't a likely scenario for a multitude of reasons, greatest of which is the fact Alabama's Mark Ingram may be the one hoisting the trophy all by himself.

However, if Texas remains undefeated and cruises to the National Championship game, I say give the Heisman to both of them, for there is not a more valuable or effective combination in the entire country.

If Rich Rodriguez Doesn't Have a Hot Seat Yet He Deserves One

Larry Burton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:18:47 -0500

At Michigan, fans are beginning to tire of the 'wait till next year' talk. There was supposed to be marked improvements on this year's team.

Now it's beginning to look like yet another lonely sit at home post season, another losing record and yet another black eye to the Michigan program.

Can we now go ahead and say it about this year's Michigan team? They suck.

Is it too early to say that the same about the Rodriguez hire also?

So crank up the rumor mill and put him squarely on the coach's hot seat list if he wasn't already.

How many more season will the Michigan administration watch as Rodriguez tries to turn a bull dozier team into a shiny Ferrari?

Unless Rich pulls of absolute miracles against top 20 Wisconsin and Ohio State it could possibly be as soon as this season.

Is anyone doing the math on what Michigan is shelling out to him for each win?

Something must be done before such continued poor showings start heavily affecting recruiting for future teams.

Rich Rod signed a six year contract that pays 2.5 million dollars a year with a four million dollar buyout that reduces $500,000 for each year.

This means if he was fired at the end of this season, Michigan may be on the line to pay out three million dollars. That might buy a lot of time on the hot seat to penny pinching administrators.

I wonder how many times Rich has had to hear his wife Rita tear into him the "I told you we should have never left West Virginia!"

Unfortunately for Rodriguez it's probably as often as he's about to asked about feeling the heat from the hot seat.

Miami Dolphins Promote LB J. D. Folsom; Waive LB William Kershaw

Chris J. Nelson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:46:50 -0500

The Miami Dolphins have made a minor move a day before their Week Nine game against the New England Patriots, promoting rookie linebacker J. D. Folsom from the practice squad while waiving linebacker William Kershaw.

The move, which was first reported Saturday evening on the twitter account of the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero, comes less than two weeks after Kershaw was re-signed by the Dolphins.

Waived in September during final cuts, Kershaw was re-signed by the Dolphins on Oct. 27 after cornerback Will Allen was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn ACL.

Kershaw, who appeared in one game for the Dolphins last season, played in the team's 30-25 victory over the New York Jets in Week Eight, but did not record any statistics.

The Miami's Dolphins' seventh-round pick in 2009, Folsom joins the active roster after spending the first eight weeks of the season on the team's practice squad.

A Gardner-Webb alum, Folsom was a two-time All-Big Sky selection at the collegiate level.

Analysis

This move isn't too surprising, as Kershaw doesn't offer much upside and is pretty limited to special teams. He's played in five games in three pro seasons and had eight stints with six pro teams since going undrafted in 2006.

Though he's a solid special teams player, Kershaw obviously didn't showcase himself enough to stick around, and the Dolphins likely felt they should see if Folsom could at least perform at Kershaw's level.

Folsom will almost certainly be active against New England this weekend, with Dolphins starting inside linebacker Channing Crowder already ruled out with a shoulder injury. The rookie will serve as the team's No. 3 inside linebacker behind starters Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor against the Patriots, but will primarily be limited to special teams.

I personally am interested to see if Folsom gets any snaps on defense. He seems like a pure special teams prospect and certainly is this early in his career, though based on the depth chart he'll be one injury away from serving as an inside linebacker in the team's base 3-4 scheme.

That being the case, it's always possible the Dolphins could opt to use any one of their outside linebackers, such as Charlie Anderson, if a replacement was needed. More than likely we'll see Folsom play kickoffs and punts tomorrow, but nothing more.

Chris J. Nelson is a journalism major at Georgia State University. He operates his own Miami Dolphins web site, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight , and can be followed on Twitter here .

Alabma's Greg McElroy Came Through Like a Champion With Win Over LSU

Larry Burton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:34:07 -0500

19 completions out of 34 attempts do not sound like the kind of stats a QB dreams of during the off season, but that's what Greg McElroy came up with today in the biggest game of the year so far for the Crimson Tide.

274 yards of passing however sounds a little bit better and two touchdown passes sort of put the icing on the cake.

After going so long without a touchdown pas and with underwhelming performances in his last few games; many were beginning to doubt that Greg McElroy could finish the season as the leader he started out being.

Today's game should change all that talk. Today Greg McElroy did something other big names at Alabama didn't do. Stage a forth quarter come back and when the chips were down, become the on field leader that this team needs to make a title run.

With McElroy starting the first half missing wide open receivers and sure handed team mates dropping the balls he did deliver, it would have been easy for McElroy to simply shrink into self pity.

However this is man who never lost as a starter from High School to College and he wasn't about to learn what it felt like today.

"Greg never gets down on himself and always believes he can make the plays we need to win." Saban said about McElroy. "It all comes down to making the right decisions and we all have faith that when the game's on the line that he'll do that."

Given the lack of pass rushing ability from LSU and the pass protection of Alabama's offensive line, it was apparent that this was the perfect game for McElroy to re-ignite not only his own numbers, but of the scoreboard numbers too and that's just what he did.

With a creme puff game ahead in the form of UT Chattanooga, McElroy has the chance to further polish his game for the season ending showdown with Florida.

This game with 452 yards of total offense against a great LSU defense is getting back to the numbers that Alabama was posting when it was taking over from Florida in the rankings.

A Greg McElroy resurrection was forecast for this game and he delivered. For the Alabama fans, it is nice to have him 'back'.

Fedor Emelianenko: Russian Experiment Enters New Phase Against Rogers

Andrew Nuschler — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:26:40 -0500

Once upon a time, being a faithful worshiper at the church of Fedor Emelianenko was easy. In the heyday of PRIDE Fighting Championships (circa 2004-05), the man absolutely dominated the heavyweight division. The 33-year-old sambo expert won the belt from Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in thorough fashion after just two PRIDE fights and that was that.

The hardware never left his formidable waist from until the organization imploded.

Back then, battering Minotauro was no simple thing. Neither was the thrashing the Last Emperor put on Mirko Filipovic. Fedor calls his legendary clash with Cro Cop his hardest fight ever, which I'm sure is wonderful consolation to a Croatian fighter who's never been the same since the unanimous decision went to the Russian.

That "when is this %$&! over" look that we've seen with disturbing frequency since Filipovic arrived in the UFC wasn't always there. You can see it's debut against Fedor—not that anyone can blame Cro Cop after the display he put on in defeat.

Warriors in their prime like Mark Coleman, Mark Hunt, and Kevin Randleman were no match for Emelianenko.

Sadly, that was about four years ago and a funny thing happened on the way to the Kremlin.

The UFC exploded in popularity and the sport of mixed martial arts along with it. However, the burgeoning love affair with the masses passed through a filter controlled by Dana White and company. Millions of new fans became familiar with his darling and little else in the world of MMA.

Consequently, Fedor Emelianenko's reputation and domination began to collect dust.

Regardless of who is to blame for the Last Emperor's throne sitting outside the UFC, there is no disputing that his absence has allowed the skeptics and haters to gather momentum. Although it doesn't have a monopoly, the UFC most certainly has cornered the market on premium mixed martial artistry. Thus, the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet is very much vulnerable to criticism.

His fight slate—once a who's who of the global heavyweight circuit—has become a stable of novelty acts and overmatched ex-bad asses.

Which is why Brett Rogers could mark the dawning of a new day for Fedor Emelianenko.

The Grim has given every impression of being a legitimate fighter. The hombre is LARGE—6'5" and around 265 pounds—and seems to know what to do with his mountainous mass.

Of course, the size differential is nothing new for Emelianenko. At 6'0" and 235 pounds, he's normally the smaller of the two gladiators and it hasn't seemed to matter much to date. Nevertheless, you could argue he's never faced the combination of size, speed, and agility that Rogers may possess.

I say 'may' because the Grim has been done no favors. He's being tossed to the lions without really proving himself against any probative talent. Yes, he's undefeated in 10 contests, but I've only heard of two of his opponents and neither are too impressive.

A fading Andrei Arlovski is his shiniest pelt along with a knockout of (ugh) James Thompson. Hey, if the Colossus showed up to collect on a debt I owed, I'd soil myself. Unfortunately, every single heavyweight in MMA worth a damn seems to be infinitely tougher than I and they've proved it using Thompson's cranium.

So there's really no meaningful sample size by which to accurately judge the Grim. To his credit, the 28-year-old has looked really good against mediocre (at best) competition. That's better than looking average.

And this is a guy on the upside of his career, not the back nine.

Will Brett Rogers have enough to give Fedor Emelianenko his first sincere test since Hunt back in 2006? I have no idea.

But he genuinely seems to have that potential.

At this point in the Last Emperor's reign, it'll have to do.

**www.pva.org**

Heavy Hearts and Heroes Are Real Story at Texas Motor Speedway

Mary Jo Buchanan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:11:44 -0500

While Kyle Busch attempts to win all three races in a weekend and Jimmie Johnson continues to solidify his historic fourth championship in a row run at Texas Motor Speedway, hearts will be heavy and heroes will be on everyone's mind.

Just 178 miles south of the speedway, a massacre took place this week at Fort Hood. A deranged Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik, fired on his comrades, killing thirteen and injuring twenty-eight.

"This was a kick in the gut," General George Casey, the Army Chief of Staff said. His words no doubt summarized the feelings of Americans across the country.

In spite of the carnage, heroes emerged. One of the most prominent has turned out to be a civilian police woman, Officer Kimberly Munley, who shot Malik four times in spite of being shot by him several times, with wounds to her legs and wrist.

"She walked up and basically engaged him," base commander at Fort Hood Lt. General Robert Cone said. "I think, certainly, this could have been far worse."

President Obama ordered that flags be flown at half staff on all federal buildings until next Wednesday, Veteran's Day, in tribute to the victims.

"We don't know all the answers yet," said Obama, who intends to attend the memorial service at the base. "What we do know there are families, friends, and an entire nation grieving right now."

While the President leads the nation in mourning, Eddie Gossage, President of Texas Motor Speedway, struggled with how to best handle the tragedy during the race weekend.

One of the ways the track will do so is to have a moment of silence prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, in remembrance of the fallen soldiers.

All Texas Motor Speedway employees will also wear black armbands during the race to remember those affected. Gossage wanted every one of his staff to do so, saying poignantly, "NASCAR fans bleed red, white and blue."

Along with the Army logo, a remembrance has been painted on the front stretch grass of the speedway. The remembrance reads, "God bless our Fort Hood troops."

NASCAR, as well as its drivers, teams and race tracks, have strong ties to the military, with those serving the country as a major part of the sport's fan base. NASCAR CEO Brian France affirmed this unique relationship.

"Our fans are the people who go out and win wars for this country," France said.

Ryan Newman, whose car is sponsored by the U.S. Army, was deeply affected by the tragedy. "To be here, in the big picture, think about everybody down in Fort Hood with the U.S. Army and their families that are going through some very difficult times," Newman said.

"Big picture here," Newman continued, "We’re racing in Texas but our thoughts and prayers go out to other places as well.”

Newman's boss and team owner Tony Stewart also expressed deep feelings about the tragedy. He has grown to know and appreciate the military, especially the Army, through his teammate's Army sponsorship.

"Obviously, that's something nobody would have dreamed could happen, but it did," Stewart said. "You just think about all the families and wish them the best."

With the tragedy at Fort Hood looming large, the drama of the Cup race, whoever stands in victory lane, is truly put in perspective.

There are more important things in life, even in a die-hard NASCAR fan's life, than who is wearing the Stetson hat and firing off the pistols in celebration at the end of the Dickies 500.

So, this race weekend, instead of focusing on those four most famous words in racing, let us focus on these four words instead.

God bless our soldiers. God bless their families. God bless the U.S.A.

Photo Credit: Raedle/Getty

An Ingeniously Simple Plot

Ryan Flieder — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:07:49 -0500

Let's say you have two teams in your conference highly praised in the preseason. Getting into a bowl game, specifically the BCS Championship, means about $15 million dollars from the bowl system, and countless more from merchandising, TV contracts, and future wealth to be accumulated by getting into the BCS Championship.

If you're in a conference like the Pac-10 or Big-10, you have to play every other team, but if you were in a conference that has two divisions, you could fix the games so that your conference championship was between two undefeated teams.

You wouldn't even have to work that hard. Pick the best team from each division, and simply pay the refs to make sure that team wins.

If you guarantee that your conference championship is between two undefeated teams, you can guarantee that you will have at least one team in the BCS Championship, giving your conference $15 million dollars in BCS money and a large additional sum from merchandising and TV contract revenue.

But let's take this one step further... what if you could get two teams into the BCS Championship?

See, in recent years many one loss-teams and even some two-loss teams have gotten into the BCS Championship. All you would have to do is pay media networks (by giving them lucrative TV contracts) to constantly talk up your conference and look down on the others. This would give the appearance that your conference is obviously superior to all the others, and give the top teams from your conference an extra level of prestige and a sort of "benefit of the doubt" in the rankings.

Then you simply play the waiting game... if other undefeated teams lose and your conference has the only two undefeated teams, you're already set. If another conference has an undefeated team, you can pay off their officials to ensure that the other conference's undefeated team has an embarrassing loss.

So now you're going into your conference championship, and you have the only two respected undefeated teams in the country, ranked No. 1 and No. 2.

If you were to fix the conference championship, simply tell these two teams to fight a very good but very close game, and let the No. 2 team win by less than a field goal, you would probably manage to simply swap the No. 1 and No. 2 teams, both in your conference. The teams would comply as one, it's good for the conference to get two teams into the BCS Championship, and two, the two teams would get a rematch and would be able to play the "real" game on a bigger stage.

What this means is that your conference would not simply get the $15 million for getting one team into the BCS Championship, but you would get DOUBLE that because BOTH of the championship teams are from your conference! Additionally, schools from your conference would get ALL of the merchandising and all of the TV revenue!

And you would FOREVER get to tout that you were the only conference to send two teams to the BCS Championship.

There are a few risks though. The refereeing could get bad if it were getting obvious the games were fixed. In that case, you'd have to come out and publicly denounce some referees and then most likely suspend them to make everyone else think you really care, and then tighten down and threaten to grossly fine or suspend any coaches who speak up about bad refereeing.

You would also need to make sure you have the appearance of moral and ethical unquestionability. For that you would need a player or coach that is one, a VERY devout christian and two, a loved public figure, because if your conference had someone who was that loved and that "pure" then there'd be no way people would assume them to be involved with any dubiousness.

If you could manage to pull that off though, you'd simply need to condescend to anyone who questions what's going on and say everyone else is just a sore loser, or is just whining, or whatever demeaning and condescending remarks completely ignore the issue but attack whoever's pointing out your plan.

You would also need to make sure that nobody institutes a college playoff system. If you were forced to play quality teams from other conferences, you simply would not be able to buy the referees without getting caught. This is all reliant on an exploitable BCS system.

If you were able to pull all this off, you would be guaranteeing your conference about $30 million dollars from the BCS system and all of the merchandising and TV revenue. In a 12 team conference, that's a bare minimum of $2.5 million dollars per school. Hell, even if you spent $6 million dollars to pay off all those referees and make sure nobody makes your plot public, it's still $2 million per school, plus all the additional revenue.

Ya know... it actually sounds kinda do-able.

Chien-Ming Wang: The Arm That Isn't Available…Yet

Jeremiah Graves — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:07:07 -0500

Chien-Ming Wang is a member of the World Champion New York Yankees, for now.

The 29-year-old right-handed starter is eligible for arbitration this winter and the Yankees have until the December 12 deadline to offer him a contract for next season, something that doesn’t appear likely.

Wang, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, made $5 million last season after signing a one-year deal to avoid arbitration and is under team control for two more seasons.

It is largely rumored that the Yankees aren’t expected to offer him a contract, thus making him a free agent.

It is quite a different world for Wang than it was a year and a half ago when he was one of the best starters in baseball.

Heading into play on June 15, 2008, Wang had a career record of 54-20 with a 3.79 ERA. He’d finished second in the 2006 Cy Young voting and had won 19 games twice.

Unfortunately, that would be the end of Wang’s success.

During an inter-league game against the Houston Astros, Wang tore a tendon and a ligament in his right foot while rounding the bases and was lost for the remainder of the year.

When he returned this season, he wasn’t the same pitcher he’d been prior to the injury.

Wang started the season by getting shelled in his first three outings. In just six innings pitched, he gave up 23 hits and 23 earned runs.

The Yankees placed him on the disabled list believing that his ineffectiveness was lingering effects of the foot injury.

Upon his return he was used out of the bullpen for a stretch and then returned to the rotation where he continued to struggle with his command.

He was lost for good on July 4 with a capsule tear in his shoulder. He had surgery on July 29 and isn’t expected back in the majors until the middle of next season.

Wang finished this season with 1-6 record to go with a dreadful 9.64 ERA in just twelve games, nine of them starts.

What’s worse is that it seemed as though Wang was finally beginning to get it together before suffering the season-ending shoulder injury.

He’d pitched at least five innings in four straight starts and allowed three or fewer runs in four of his last five starts.

For now, Wang—and 29 other teams—must wait to see whether or not the Yankees let him walk or if they will try to bring him back on a minor league deal.

If the Yankees do decide to let him go, the list of suitors figures to be a lengthy one.

Any team that is willing to invest time into his rehabilitation could probably have the right-hander on short-term, incentive-laden contract.

If the Yankees let him walk, Wang can expect a flurry of phone calls on December 13.

Until then all he can do is wait and bask in the melancholy afterglow of being a World Champion, who was unable to contribute to the effort.

Oregon Ducks Fail to Dig Themselves Out of First-Half Hole

Cameron Jerde — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:05:35 -0500

The picture above can summarize what transpired earlier today in Palo Alto, CA.

That's right, there are now no longer any unbeaten teams in Pac-10 play.

The Stanford Cardinal came out firing early, and dominated the first quarter of play.

That hole would prove too deep for the Ducks to climb out of. However let's not discredit the valiant effort displayed by this Oregon Ducks team.

Even though the Ducks' first drive went three-and-out, even though Stanford running back Toby Gerhart seemingly couldn't be stopped, this Oregon Ducks football team never gave in, never quit, never gave up.

True, it would have been nice for Oregon to have won this game. All Oregon fans would have liked to go undefeated in the Pac-10, en route to a Rose Bowl berth.

But let's look at the bright side. Oregon is still ranked first in the Pac-10, tied with Arizona, one of the most surprising teams in the Pac-10 this season.

Oregon still has three games left to play, two of which are at home. The only away game is the Ducks' match-up with Arizona, and considering if both teams are tied when game time comes, this game will decide the Pac-10.

One other thing that could be overlooked about this game is that there were two penalties that were wrongly called. Two pass interference calls to be exact, that went against the Ducks' freshman cornerback Javes Lewis.

Lewis was nowhere near the receiver on one call. The other call, the Stanford receiver pushed off of Lewis.

Both of these calls, coincidentally, were made on failed third-down conversions, giving the Cardinal free first downs. Both of these calls led to Stanford touchdowns. Take away the blatant incompetency of the officiating, and Oregon would have won by four points.

But even though the Ducks lost, there should not be any reason for concern. Oregon still controlls their destiny in the Pac-10.

Arizona has a tough road ahead of them, as three of their final four games of the season are on the road; at USC, at Cal, and at Arizona State.

And I know that Arizona State has not played well this year, but teams almost always bring out their "A" game for rivalry games.

To win the Pac-10 title outright, the Ducks will have to beat Arizona on the road, and either Arizona State or Oregon State at home.

All three games are winnable, and if the aftermath of Oregon's season-opening loss to Boise State is any indication of how Oregon can rebound after losing a game, then the sky is the limit for the Oregon Ducks.

The season is far from over, and Oregon still remains in the driver's seat for the Rose Bowl.

Let's continue to cheer on our Ducks, and congratulate them on representing their university well, even in defeat.

Déjà Vu All Over Again As Kyle Busch Wins Nationwide Race In Texas

M Brian Ladner — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:53:04 -0500

As Yogi Berra would say, it was déjà vu all over again for Kyle Busch as he took the checkered flag at the NASCAR Nationwide Series O'Reilly Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway.

"Four in a row at Texas, baby!" Busch shouted after crossing the finish line, referring to his fourth straight Nationwide series win at the track.

It was also his eighth NNS victory of the year and his 29th career victory out of 171 starts in the series.

The win also propelled him even further ahead of second-place Carl Edwards in his quest for the Nationwide series championship, increasing his lead to 272 points with two races to go.

By finishing 15th or better next week at Phoenix International Raceway, Busch can lock up his first championship title in a major NASCAR touring series. He can also clinch by finishing 34th or better in the final two races of the season.

The victory was also Busch's second at the Texas Motor Speedway in as many days. Friday night Busch also won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Winstar World Casino 350.

By winning on Saturday, Busch moved one giant leap closer to doing something no other driver has ever done—win races in all three of NASCAR's top three series at the same track in the same weekend.

He came close to completing the weekend trifecta in February of this year when he won both the NCWTS and NNS races on the same day at the Auto Club Speedway and finished third in the Cup race the next day.

On Sunday, Busch will begin the last leg of his latest attempt at the triple from the fifth starting position in the Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

If he completes the weekend sweep at Texas on Sunday, he'll do so with his new crew chief Dave Rogers on the pit box. Rogers replaced Steve Addington as Busch's Cup crew chief after last Sunday's race at Talladega.

"We qualified better than we expected—fifth, so that's cool," Busch said, assessing his chances for the Cup victory.

"The car wasn't bad in practice (Saturday). There were some areas where we felt really good about it; there were some other times when we didn't feel so good about it."

"I like what's going on there. I think we've got about a fifth-to-10th-place car right now, and if we can just hang there throughout the day—make some good changes, make some good adjustments, have Dave learn some things, maybe—that we can be contenders. And if you're contenders at the end of the race, you never know."

This was also Busch's 19th trip to victory lane this year and his 61st career win across all three series.

(Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The Top 10 Greatest Vindication Wins in Sports

Matt King — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:51:33 -0500

Finally, the Yankees have won another World Series. After spending most of the decade coming up short, this one has to feel particularly sweet. And no one on the team is more relieved to have won a world Championship than Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is just one of many athletes who finally got that one big win, that one big accomplishment that vindicated their career. In honor of two of the biggest stars in sports getting theirs this year (more on that to come), here are The 10 Greatest Vindication Wins In Sports.

Begin Slideshow

Penn State Fans Love Cupcakes Just As Much As Joe Paterno

Pete Dymeck — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:46:50 -0500

Penn State was not ready for the physicality that Ohio State brought to the table tonight. Even with a beat up offensive line, the Buckeyes punched Penn State in the mouth and told them to go sit in the corner.

Even with the statistical anomalies favoring Penn State, Ohio State stood on the chest of the Nittany Lion and proclaimed Beaver Stadium as conquered land.

Terrelle Pryor brought with him some cages of crow for every Penn State fan that shut him out for choosing Columbus over State College. He declared "Eat up folks, it only gets worse!"

Meanwhile, Joe Paterno and his staff are hobbling off of the gridiron. They are hobbling not because of the beat down layed upon them by Ohio State, but because their stomach's are full from all of the cupcakes they have eaten... And it showed.

The old motto "to be the best, you have to beat the best" still prevails in college football.

How can any Penn State fan or supporter seriously state that they are as good as Georgia Tech, Miami Fl., Pittsburgh, or Brigham Young? While the cupcakes sure taste good (see Penn State's eight wins) they only come back to hurt you in the end.

If a person eats too many cupcakes throughout life, they end up losing in the long-run. Diabetes sets in, high cholesterol strikes, and obesity occurs. At one point you may have felt great but those cupcakes satisfied you.

If a college football team only competes against cupcakes, they end up not being prepared for what a good football team brings to the table. Strength, speed, endurance, coaching decisions, and intelligence wins out.

Penn State can not continue to play cupcakes and expect to gain respect on a national-stage, especially when you falter in your big games.

The expected response from Penn State fans will be "but we play Alabama the next two seasons." Yes, well, Penn State sneaked that one in on you because during those two seasons, Michigan is off of the schedule.

The typical response to that will be "but Michigan is not as good as they used to be." True, but when the schedule was made, they were still a national powerhouse. So, you remove one loss from your schedule in order to fill it with another and try to claim that you are attempting to schedule big-time games instead of cupcakes.

Don't give me that "well, Temple is 7-2" poppycock either. I am saluting Owls head coach Al Golden for the turn-around down in the streets of North Philadelphia but the fact of the matter remains... where are the real opponents?

Like I said, eating cupcakes is bittersweet. You enjoy the pleasure of adding wins to your resume meanwhile the side effects linger. The side effects of not getting hit by a Florida linebacker or getting chased down by a Texas defensive back hurt you when you go into big games.

Playing better competition makes you better.

Where is the Penn State from the 1950s that scheduled Nebraska even if the Cornhuskers were on top of their game?

Where is the Penn State from the 1960s that faced Missouri, Navy, Oregon, UCLA, and California?

Where is the Penn State from the 1970s that went toe-to-toe with TCU, Tennessee, Stanford, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Kentucky, SMU, Texas A&M, and Nebraska?

Where is the Penn State from the 1980s that went to battle, willingly, with Nebraska, Miami Fl., Alabama, Iowa, Texas, Notre Dame, and Southern Cal?

How about the early 1990s when the Nittany Lions took on Georgia Tech, Texas, Miami Fl., Brigham Young, and Southern Cal?

Penn State was much better off as an independent. The Big Ten was getting weaker and wished to expand to include then-independent Penn State to make it tougher, stronger, more respectable.

It worked from a marketing standpoint since the Big 12 was formed out of the Big 8 and SWC, although it left TCU out in the cold.

Still, the Big Ten is nowhere near as tough as the Big 12 or SEC. Just because the Big Ten has a rich history that preceded the 1990s and after does not mean that the conference gets a pass as a difficult league.

Penn State joined the league of cupcakes, known mostly as the Big Ten in 1993. If you start at 1993 and trace backwards, you will not find a recognized national champion from the Big Ten until 1968 when the Ohio State Buckeyes were crowned national champs by the Associated Press.

Read that again.

From 1968 to 1993, only once was a Big Ten school crowned as national champion.

That means, from 1969 to 1997 when Michigan received a share of the national championship, the Big Ten did not have any national champions.

In the mean time, here are some of the schools not named Alabama, Oklahoma, Miami, and Notre Dame that had won championships while the Big Ten failed to compete with the rest of the country:

Pitt Panthers—1976
Georgia Bulldogs—1980
Clemson Tigers—1981
Brigham Young Cougars—1984
Colorado Buffaloes—1990
Washington Huskies—1991

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of the whining and complaining about respect from Penn State fans and Big Ten fans alike. The only powerhouse on a national stage in the Big Ten is Ohio State and as of late, they have had their bells tolled in BCS games and in regular season games by Southern Cal.

Since 2001, the only big-time programs Penn State has faced were Miami Fl., Nebraska (on a down-slide), and Notre Dame. Those games were during down-years in the Penn State program. The so-called "Dark Times of the Early Century" so-to speak as Penn State did not bounce back onto the scene until 2005.

Since 2005, the Nittany Lions have just 12 regular season losses. During that span, the only non-conference ranked opponent they faced was No. 4 Notre Dame in 2006. Guess what? Penn State lost that game 41-17.

Since that loss, Penn State's non-conference opponents have consisted of Youngstown State, Temple, Florida International, Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, Syracuse, Akron, and Eastern Illinois.

The golden calf of that group is the Oregon State Beavers.

Since 2005, only 12 times have the Nittany Lions faced ranked opponents from inside the Big Ten. They have played 38 Big Ten games during that span.

Is the Big Ten a cupcake conference itself? Aside from the Michigan Wolverines of the Lloyd Carr era and prior, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the re-surging but flimsy Iowa Hawkeyes, yes it is.

Penn State can only blame themselves.

They schedule cupcakes to generate more hype because of the wins. More wins equals more money in college football, so Penn State just keeps the cycle going, not knowing that the Big Ten only invited the Nittany Lions in to the league to help bring back its prestige.

Unknowingly, Penn State obliged, and now is feeling the repercussions.

When Penn State schedules Alabama and Michigan in the same year, or if the add the Georgia Tech's and South Carolina's of the world to the schedule, only then will they regain some respect.

One of these days, a school like Temple is going to march into Penn State and turn Happy Valley upside down.

They say you are what you eat. Well, Penn State is a cupcake compared to the rest of big-time college football because that is the only place where they can get their wins.

Hate it or love it but numbers do not lie.

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Check out Pete Dymeck's blog at BoiledBacon.com . Eat Bacon. Talk Sports.

Road to The Final Four: Irrefutable Statements About The Upcoming Season

Jameson Fleming — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:34:27 -0500

Pretty much the same premise as last year's article: The following statements can be debated, argued, and squabbled over, but in the end the counterarguments against them aren't strong enough to make the statement debatable.

Last year's turned out pretty well...North Carolina was undoubtedly the best, the Big East was insanely strong, Indiana defined terrible, no mid-major league stood out, and the freshman lacked significant impact.

1. When not violating the law, Kansas is the best team in the country.

The Jayhawks have certainly had their issues during the offseason. Players fighting with fellow student-athletes, facebook wars, drunken driving incidents would have Kansas fighting with Binghamton for the top spot of the Fulmer Cup (if basketball had such a version).

If Kansas can ignore the distractions and focus on the hardwood, then this team will be practically unstoppable. Bill Self has himself a collection of talented players that rivals the strength of last year's North Carolina team which steam-rolled to a title during the NCAA Tournament.

Kansas better get its act into gear right now. While the Jayhawks are confidently the best team entering the season, the gap between KU and other teams like Texas, Michigan State, and even Kentucky isn't as wide as North Carolina's gap.

Bill Self's team makes the above statement true because he has a wide variety of superior talent. Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich form the best one-two, inside-outside punch in the nation. Both could easily be All-Americans by the end of the season.

The talent doesn't end with Aldrich and Collins. The Jayhawks are the premiere team in the land because of the support Aldrich and Collins have. Freshman Xavier Henry will start from day one and provide the extra punch KU needs from a swing man.

The rest of the backcourt is loaded with players like Tyshawn Taylor who will eventually be a first round NBA pick when he leaves Lawrence and also incoming freshman Elijah Johnson.

Aldrich also has forwards around him that will take the pressure off him to dominate the paint. Aldrich was looked to for significant contributions last year as forwards Markieff and Marcus Morris developed as freshmen. Now as sophomores, in addition to stud transfer Jeff Withey and freshman Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks' frontcourt shouldn't be as much of a one-man band.

2. The Big 10 is the best in not just the Midwest, but the whole nation...

This one is actually quite debatable, but in the end, the Big 10 will dominant this year.

Yes, the Big 10 brand of basketball is generally somewhat of a snooze fest with those great 37-33 games, but that doesn't mean it can't be the best basketball this year (besides the Pac-10 is quickly catching up in the category of ugly basketball).

It will be undeniable how good the Big 10 really will be this season. Michigan State and Purdue are interchangeable at the top of conference. Both squads bring back the majority of their rosters from excellent teams last season.

The Spartans are missing a few replaceable parts from last year's National Runner-Up team while Purdue returns everybody from a Sweet 16 squad.

After Purdue and Michigan State, there is a cluster of top 25 worthy teams that can really be ordered anywhere from third to sixth.

Ohio State has an All-American in Evan Turner who excelled in his first test at point guard in the Buckeyes first exhibition game. Thad Matta has a stellar starting five that should be thinking Sweet 16.

The Buckeyes' old time rival, Michigan has an outstanding one-two punch with Manny Harris (another potential All-American) and DeShawn Sims. Another year in John Beilein's system means another push towards incredibly efficient basketball.

Minnesota has hit a speed bump in its quest for a Sweet 16 after Devron Bostick and Royce White were suspended indefinitely. But even without those two, the Golden Gophers are still a borderline top 25 team and a threat to overachieve with Tubby Smith, a great x's and o's coach, at the helm.

Illinois should also figure into the mix with reliable point guard Demetri McCamey and the Mike and Mike's, Davis and Tisdale in the frontcourt. The Fighting Illini also have a superbly talented freshman class that should give Illinois a jolt off the bench.

These six teams give the conference the best top six in the entire country and the next two best teams in the league aren't slouches either. Northwestern could make its first ever NCAA Tournament this season behind Kevin Coble while Wisconsin's Bo Ryan coached team lurks in the shadows with great balance.

3. ...and the Atlantic-10 is the conference outside the big six.

So technically the A-10 isn't considered by most as a mid-major because of the amount of money those schools spend on athletics and basketball specifically, but in all reality, the A-10 doesn't fit in with the big six conferences.

You won't see the A-10 put half its team in the tournament like big six conferences do, but you will see on a yearly basis the Atlantic 10 fight with the Missouri Valley Conference, Mountain West Conference, and Conference USA as the best non-big six league.

This year, that fight won't even be close.

The Atlantic 10 is absolutely stacked at the top of the league. Dayton is clearly a top 20 team with high flier Chris Wright leading the way. After the Flyers, parity dominates the upper echelon of the 14 team league.

Typical powerhouse Xavier is taken a slight step back in 2010 with new coach Chris Mack walking the sidelines. The Musketeers should still compete for the second spot in the league and make the NCAA Tournament.

Richmond's Chris Mooney and his Princeton Style offense finally has all the pieces to be a slow, but deadly weapon. The Spiders have two great guards Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez as well as stud center Dan Geriot who's back after missing last season.

La Salle could also make the NCAA Tournament to give the Atlantic 10 at least four tournament teams. The Explorers return all five starters and bring in perhaps the best freshman in the Atlantic 10, Aaric Murray.

The Charlotte 49ers should also be much improved with Boston College transfer Shamari Spears. Duquesne could also contend for an NCAA Tournament berth if they can replace leading scorer Aaron Jackson.

No other mid-major conference has that kind of depth at the top. The Missouri Valley could come close this year with Northern Iowa, Creighton, Illinois State, and Southern Illinois touting solid teams, but those four aren't in the same ballpark as Dayton, Xavier, Richmond, and La Salle.

4. John Wall deserves Player of the Year consideration from day one (well actually day four).

After John Wall serves his two game suspension, he should immediately be considered a player of the year candidate. The situation Wall enters couldn't be more perfect for the most highly touted recruit since Michael Beasley.

For a player that is practically a shoe-in to be the top pick in the 2010 draft, there is no debating how good Wall will be.

He should have a very similar impact to John Calipari's last stud point guard recruit, Derrick Rose. Although Rose later proved to be ineligible, he was a slick point guard that excelled in Calpari's dribble-drive motion offense. Rose had no problems slashing to the basket or getting his teammates involved when defenders sealed his path to the hoop.

Wall is that same kind of point guard who may even be a better scorer than Rose ever was in 2008. With a strong supporting cast around Wall, he should have no issue scoring as opposing defenses won't be able to focus on just stopping him.

Missouri Secondary Has Most Embarrassing Effort This Fan Has Witnessed

Peter Fleischer — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:21:30 -0500

All summer long the Mizzou secondary talked about how their simplified game plan and increased accountability under new defensive coordinator Dave Steckel would improve their horrid pass defense from a year ago.

For a group that talked so much about improvement, and "shocking the world" and showing the country what they could do, the results have been awful.

Hell, if they had admitted they were going to be bad, they'd still be terrible.

Carl Gettis is the perfect microcosm. He talks more trash than anybody on the team, and routinely gets toasted.

I was one of the many who thought Mizzou really had a chance to smoke Baylor this weekend. What an idiot I look like. The stats indicated Missouri should win. But they were disgraced on their home turf.

And there's one reason.

The secondary.

Let's look at the facts here boys.

Blaine Gabbert throws for almost 500 yards and has zero turnovers. Sure, Missouri's one-sided offense is a little too predictable (that's an argument for another day), but when a team rolls up 478 total yards and scores 32, they should win.

The defensive front allowed 39 yards rushing for 1.7 yards per carry. That's Steel Curtain good.

Now comes the good stuff.

The secondary gets roasted for a Baylor school record 433 yards through the air by a freshman who is starting his fourth game. Baylor had scored no more than 10 points all season long, yet drops 40 in CoMo.

What a disgraceful game and effort. I'm not going to get started on why Derrick Washington didn't get enough carries or why we literally saw NONE of the two-back set that Mizzou has been successful with in the last two weeks despite being ahead and in perfect position to run the ball.

The entire Missouri secondary should be embarrassed.

I know I am.

Hey Notre Dame: How'd That One Taste?

Tom Edrington — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:15:41 -0500

How did that one taste, Notre Dame?

Navy 23, Notre Dame 21.

Midshipmen 23, Fighting Irish 21.

Thanks Notre Dame for turning back the clock to my growing-up days at the Naval Academy when the Middies would dominate Notre Dame.

Brought back an instant memory when one of the Middies told me:

"We're thinking about dropping Notre Dame from our schedule—we only play varsity!"

Navy 23, Notre Dame 21.

How'd that one taste, Charlie?

The problem is that Notre Dame doesn't have enough talent. Notre Dame doesn't have enough high school All-Americans. Notre Dame hasn't had enough top five recruiting classes.

How'd it taste, Irish?

You got a solid dose of Navy and you got it at home in front of 80,000 of your fans. That's 80,000 wondering what the heck happened.

"Heart" is what it was all about said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo afterward.

Heart-attack for Irish fans.

Go ahead and tell us Notre Dame isn't over-rated. We dare you.

What a day for the Navy. A sweet return to the glory days of Annapolis.

Navy 23, Notre Dame 21.

Scoreboard.

Someone send Lou Holtz an email and let him know that Notre Dame won't be playing for the national championship.

Sorry Lou.

And Notre Dame—DON'T EVEN THINK about getting rid of Charlie. We former Navy juniors like you just the way you are.

Go Navy!

"Finish!" Maybe All Nick Saban's Yelling Paid off For Alabama VS LSU

Larry Burton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:11:29 -0500

What started as an ugly beginning for Alabama turned into a game where the team that could finish the strongest would walk off the field as a winner.

It became a game of attrition for LSU with players either limping off or being helped off the grass.

For Alabama it became a game of overcoming mistakes and applying more late game heroics.

Alabama had to overcome mistakes and there were plenty of them. Greg McElroy missed wide open receivers, Julio Jones continued his string of games with a 'right in your hands' drop and defensive backs slipped, fell and blew coverages. Then there were the costly stupid penalties, like breaking the huddle with 12 men on the field.

Alabama was winning the war of total offense but losing the battle of points.

Since Nick Saban's arrival there has been one word that Nick Saban has been invoking in every team meeting, one word he yells repeatedly at ever practice and one word that he hopes will epitomize his team at the end of the year.

That word is finish.

With 12 minutes and change left in the forth quarter it was up to the defense to finish the game and stop any further scoring. They did just that and turned the ball back over to the offense with just over 10 minutes to go.

Then two of the people who made some of the earlier mistakes atoned for them. Greg McElroy and Julio Jones instantly went 73 yards for a quick TD and a total momentum change.

In less that a minute LSU lost the lead and turned the emotional fever on to Alabama.

Now it was LSU's turn to make costly mistakes. A running into the kicker penalty moved it to fourth and inches.

Alabama went for it and made it. That allowed Alabama to run both more yardage and more time off the clock, and once again Lee Tiffin came through as he has seemed to do all season to add yet more points and build up a two score lead of nine points.

LSU was finished, just as Nick Saban had wanted. LSU came out and ran a few feeble plays until it was finally intercepted.

Alabama had finished the game in style and though Alabama may have to buy two new headphones for Nick Saban, I think he'll be happy overall with this 24-15 win

Goodbye, Charlie Weis: Football Coach Replacement Wanted at Notre Dame

Dan Scofield — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:05:17 -0500

Charlie Weis was one pain-staking loss to an inferior team away from losing the support of the Notre Dame community and fan base.

That very loss came on Saturday when the Irish played one of their worse collections of four quarters of football during the Weis era, losing to a more disciplined, sound team in the Navy Midshipmen.

Fresh off a blowout win in San Antonio against Washington State and with BCS talks starting to brew, Notre Dame overlooked a Navy team that had proven all year long that it could compete against BCS teams across the nation. Instead of competing in South Bend, they decided it was time to take a win from one of those teams.

Although this loss digs up many new questions, the most appealing one at the time is who will replace Charlie Weis?

My views and opinions are full of extreme optimism. In previous weeks, I also stated I was hanging in regards to supporting Weis, but that could change with just one bad loss.

With three games still left to be played, including a trip to Pittsburgh, a matchup with a good Connecticut team, and a west coast road trip to face a team fresh off an upset victory of Oregon, the Irish will be happy with an 8-4 finish this season, likely earning them a Gator Bowl invitation.

Weis and his team lost to the one team that could change their fate so negatively. With that, almost all of the Weis supporters that were still on his bandwagon have jumped off and started running towards Cincinnati, Gainesville, or elsewhere to find a replacement.

Weis is one of the best recruiters ever to come to Notre Dame. He has brought top talent into South Bend, a tough task with the rigorous academic requirements, consistently for five years.

However, what good is elite talent if all of it cannot be developed?

Saturday, four and five-star players were playing against unranked to two-star players. On paper, Notre Dame would have won this game without any concern as most experts had predictions of the Irish winning by 17 or more.

Instead, Weis' team came out flat and was dominated by a less talented, yet extremely well coached team that consistently executed.

Weis is one of the best offensive coordinators not only in college football, but in any league.

However, there are two sides of the ball. Defense wins football games, which has not been evidenced by Weis and his staff thus far.

Notre Dame fans will now be calling for a coach with college experience that has a history of preparing his teams, making them fundamentally sound, and one that can recruit yet develop that same talent.

The rumors of Brian Kelly to Notre Dame will now begin to heat up, and expect plenty of more fans to begin to support the push for a Kelly-like hire.

Kelly has his Bearcats ranked No. 4 in the country and a team dominating the Big East without any trouble. Not only can he recruit, but he can develop. Not to mention, in all of his previous three coaching gigs, his teams have improved dramatically.

Other rumors calling for the head of Weis will come along with the requests of the hire of a famous Notre Dame alum, Urban Meyer.

Everyone knows whats on Meyer's resume. With experience coaching on the Notre Dame staff already, it only makes sense for his name to be brought up. This is the same guy that called Notre Dame his eventual "dream job".

Other names that could arise include Skip Holtz, Gary Patterson, Nick Saban, and Chris Peterson. Hell, go out and interview Paul Johnson or Ken Niumatalolo.

These are college football coaches.

Weis is a great man and a like able person, especially coming from a Morris County, Jersey guy like myself. He has a great personality, is loved in South Bend, and has a great family who is actively involved in the school community. Not only that, but he is the founder of the Hannah and Friends charity organization dedicated to his young daughter's disease.

However, Weis' luck may have ran out on Saturday.

Friendly advice from one of the previously biggest Charlie Weis supporters in the fan base: pack your office, let Charlie Jr. spend his fours years as a Notre Dame student, run your foundation, go on to have a spectacular career in the NFL as an offensive genius, and leave the door open for the next person in line for a coaching internship in South Bend.

Reality Bites and So Does Duke's Offense In Loss to North Carolina

Mike Kline — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:50:46 -0500

Midnight may have finally chimed for the Cinderella Duke Football team this season.

Another year in the rivalry with North Carolina and another loss. Duke has only won the game one time in the last 19 seasons.

Saturday's loss breaks the Blue Devil's three-game winning streak and most likely ends any hopes they had of planning in the post season.

North Carolina out muscled Duke from the opening kick to the end of the game. If Carolina had any kind of offense themselves they could have put the game away early.

The Blue Devils managed to give the illusion that this game was close, but the fact that they are clearly the worst running team in the country finally caught up with them.

Quarterback Thad Lewis faced pressure and the highly touted Duke passing attack never got off the ground.

Duke's defense was pounded all game by a very physical Tar Heel rushing attack and they had no answer.

Good luck next week against Georgia Tech who likes to run the ball just a bit.

So it is back to the drawing board for the Blue Devils and it doesn't look pretty.

In front of them sits Georgia Tech, the class of the ACC, and Miami, another ranked opponent.

After that awaits Wake Forest in the season finale, and with the way the Deacs have been playing lately that won't be easy either.

Thus the reality of the rest of this season doesn't look too good for Duke. They will be lucky to win one of their remaining three games and will probably fall short of the required seven wins they would need to be bowl eligible.

You have to give the Blue Devils credit, because for at least three weeks Duke fans were not thinking solely about the start of the basketball season.

But following what can only be considered a devastating loss against the Tar Heels, it is game on college basketball.

For Duke football, short of some miracle, it is better luck next year.

Northwestern-Iowa: Give Credit to the Wildcat Defense

Bret Feddern — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:22:32 -0500

The Northwestern Wildcats ended Iowa's winning steak and perfect season today with a 17-10 victory in Iowa City.

Most Hawkeye fans hate the Wildcats, but Iowa plays no-excuse-football and Northwestern won today's game fair and square.

Iowa didn't lose this game because of a Sports Illustrated curse. They didn't lose because of bogus calls by referees or overturned calls by replay officials. And they didn't lose because Ashton and Demi were in attendance.

Iowa lost because the Northwestern defense prevented them from doing anything on offense at all.

The Wildcats stopped the Hawkeyes from their usual big play antics, and forced a few key turnovers. Northwestern capitalized on Iowa mistakes and their defense prevented Iowa from getting back into the game like they have so many times before.

Northwestern came through in this game when it needed to, providing further evidence that Pat Fitzgerald might have Kirk Ferentz figured out.

Iowa had 11 turnovers in the first seven games of the season. In their last two games they have nearly matched that total, with 10 turnovers.

Against Indiana, Iowa committed five interceptions and a fumble. The Hawkeyes committed four in today's game, and Northwestern made the most of those by scoring two touchdowns.

One of those touchdowns came off of the Ricky Stanzi's fumble in the endzone. Adding insult to injury, the same play also forced Stanzi to the sidelines with a high ankle sprain, likely sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season .

Coming into this game, red-shirt freshman James Vanderberg only had three pass attempts on the year. Vanderberg struggled to connect with his receivers, forcing Iowa to run the ball. With Vanderberg in the game for Iowa, Northwestern knew to expect the rushing attack.

The Wildcats held the Hawkeyes to only 65 yards rushing, Iowa's lowest rushing total on the season. True freshman Brandon Wegher was unable to muster any rushing momentum.

Northwestern's Corey Wootton stepped up big in his first game back from injury. His sack of Stanzi forced the fumble in the end-zone that led to the momentum swinging to the Wildcats.

Iowa's defense put on a good performance, holding Northwestern to only 239 total yards. The defensive line put pressure on both of Northwestern's quarterbacks, and the secondary added another interception to their total.

Unfortunately, the defense was unable to put up points this week, which is what they needed to do in order for the Hawkeyes to come back from behind for the ninth time this season.

Iowa has two Big Ten games left, one at Ohio State and one at home against Minnesota. In order to stay in the chase for a conference title, they have a laundry list of injuries to heal and a game plan to figure out.

The road ahead won't be easy for the Hawkeyes.

This article is also featured on IowaHawkeyes.Net , a nerd's blog dedicated to all that is Hawkeye.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Likely Fallout from the Carlos Gomez Trade

Jesse Motiff — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:22:28 -0500

Now that a day has passed, and Brewers' GM Doug Melvin has spoken about it, it's time to figure out what the acquisition of Carlos Gomez means for the Brewers this offseason.

Melvin commented at his press conference yesterday that he received no offers for pitching that he felt was worth trading Hardy for. Gomez fit a need for the Brewers, and he was comfortable enough with the offer to make the deal.

Many fans figured Boston was the destination for Hardy that made the most sense. In fact, Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe confirmed that the Red Sox were in on the discussions for Hardy.

Melvin tried to get Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard, but Boston was only willing to part with Michael Bowden. Buchholz would have stepped right into the rotation behind Yovani Gallardo. Bard would have been a great arm in the bullpen, and he could have been a future closer after Trevor Hoffman left.

While Bowden may not be as well-known as Buchholz or Bard, he's still a very promising pitcher. He was ranked as the number-two prospect in the Red Sox system by Baseball America. Although he struggled in Boston this year, he made 24 starts for Pawtucket and finished with a 4-6 record and an ERA of 3.13. He projected to a number three or four starter in the majors.

While most are in agreement that the Twins got the better end of the trade, even those in the Twins' organization feel that Gomez could still turn into a very good player for the Brewers.

Melvin stated that Gomez coming to Milwaukee means the end of Mike Cameron's time in Milwaukee. Cameron is a free agent, and Melvin feels that money that could go to Cameron would be better served going towards free agent pitching.

Even in the best case scenario, this is a very risky move for Melvin. Cameron will be 37-years old when 2010 begins, but he is also a safe bet for an offense that finished third in the National League. In addition to a very good glove in center field, one could pencil him in for 60-plus extra base hits, 70-plus RBI, and 65-plus runs scored.

Gomez will cover much more ground that Cameron. He also has a very good arm. Melvin is hoping Gomez's great defense will be able to help improve the pitching staff. More importantly, he is also 13-years Cameron's junior. The Brewers were old in a couple positions, but Gomez will only be 24 at the start of next season.

Gomez qualified as a super-two player, meaning he will be eligible for arbitration this winter. It will be the first of four arbitration eligible years for him. He will make only a fraction of the $10 million Cameron made in 2009.

The wild-card for Gomez will be his bat. He must raise his career .246 batting average and .292 on-base percentage if he wants to remain a long-term starter for the Brewers. If he struggles this season, Lorenzo Cain should be ready for a shot by 2011.

By trading Hardy and not re-signing Cameron, the Brewers will save anywhere between $10-15 million in 2010. According to Melvin, all that money will be allocated towards starting pitching.

Most of the pitchers out there have been discussed already, and there are several options that could be obtained in a relatively cost-efficient manner. If Melvin can do this, the Gomez trade becomes more appealing.

Melvin could decide to throw a long-term, high-money contract at a pitcher as well. While reading this, Brewer fans are already envisioning another Jeff Suppan-type contract. In no way can he make another mistake like he did with Suppan.

If management is serious about trying to sign Prince Fielder long-term, they need to keep as much money as possible freed up for Fielder. Melvin needs to avoid the impulse of getting into a bidding war against other teams for John Lackey, Jarrod Washburn, and Jason Marquis.

The Brewers could still acquire pitching via trade. Mat Gamel, Angel Salome, and to a lesser degree Brett Lawrie could also be dealt for a controllable, inexpensive starter. While Gamel could get the best return in a trade, Salome may be the most likely dealt. Jonathan Lucroy has passed in on the organizational depth chart and is playing very well in the Arizona Fall League.

Brewer fans may never be happy with the return Doug Melvin received for JJ Hardy. They need to remember that a mid-market baseball team must be creative to remain competitive over the long-term. Carlos Gomez gives Milwaukee a defensive anchor in the outfield that will be cheap for the next four seasons. Now the real offseason will begin for Doug Melvin in his quest to improve the pitching staff.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here .

Minnesota Exercises Michael Cuddyer's 2011 Option

Jeremiah Graves — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:25:05 -0500

The Minnesota Twins announced today that the club has exercised Michael Cuddyer’s 2011 option valued at $10.5 million.

The option is part of the four-year deal Cuddyer signed in 2008. The right fielder will make $8.5 million in 2010, the third year of the $33.5 million pact.

"Obviously, I was excited," Cuddyer said. "This is where I want to be, I've made no secret about that. To know that I'm going to be here at least two more years is gratifying."

Cuddyer, 30, is coming off a career year in which he batted .276 with 32 home runs, 94 RBI, and 73-extra base hits.

The slugging outfielder was a major contributor to the surge that propelled the Twins past the rival Detroit Tigers to win the American League Central pennant.

Cuddyer moved from his customary right field to first base when Justin Morneau was forced from the lineup with a severe back injury in September.

In his new role as starting first baseman, Cuddyer produced hit .282 with eight homers and 24 RBIs, all while delivering clutch hits, seemingly on a nightly basis.

"He's a leader on the field, he's a leader in the clubhouse, and he had a tremendous year,” Twins general manager Bill Smith said. “We're thrilled to pick this up and keep him here at least through 2011."

Cuddyer’s 32 home runs led the Twins this season, but he was also among league leaders in many other categories.

He ranked in the top 10 in the American League in extra-base hits (sixth, 73), total bases (ninth, 306) and home runs (32, 10th). He was also 15th in slugging percentage (.520).

After two injury-plagued and largely-ineffective seasons, Cuddyer was very happy to be such a big part of the Twins success in 2009 and hopes he can continue to contribute in a big way going forward.

"I continue to mature and continue to try to get better, year in and year out," Cuddyer said. "I feel good about myself, personally, but more than that, I feel good about the direction where this team and this organization is heading."

Heisman Talk: Fresno State's Ryan Mathews Deserving of Prestigious Award

Todd Kaufmann — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:51:30 -0500

Ryan Mathews has been the perennial 'Bulldog' for this Fresno State team in 2009. He's run around, through and past defenders all season long, to the tune of 1,316 total rushing yards on the season.

The closest to him at this point is Temple's Bernard Pierce. But here's a incredible fact about these two running backs. Pierce currently has 1,211 total rushing yards on 204 carries, 25 more carries than Mathews (179).

So while he racks up more and more fans every week, why have the critics continued to tell him he's not good enough to be considered for one of the highest prizes in college football? What kind of numbers does he have to put up to get noticed?

If you look at ESPN's Experts Poll , Alabama's Mark Ingram and Clemson's C.J. Spiller are listed in front of Mathews.

Ingram is currently seventh in total rushing yards (1,004), 300 yards fewer than Mathews (1,316) in just 26 fewer carries. Spiller isn't even in the top 30 in rushing, currently with 574 total rushing yards on 113 carries. How does that warrant being above the nation's leading rusher?

If you want an even more impressive number on Mathews, his current 164.5 yards per game average is 29.9 yards per game better than the aforementioned Pierce and 34.5 yards per game better than Marshall's Darius Marshall (129.0).

Mathews was asked about all the hype from Fresno State fans, and the "21 For Heisman" T-Shirts being sold, by Steve Cameron of the Merced Sun-Star and Mathews told him he'd rather not listen to any of it.

"Oh, man, I'm not gettin' into all that," Mathews told Cameron. "That's my mom's deal. She's all over those T-shirts. "I don't know how many she got or what she's doing with them, but I'm staying away."

Said by a young player who doesn't buy into all the hype surrounding himself. Concentrating rather on the team's remaining games and opponents.

"The season's not over. We have a big game coming up at Idaho (Saturday) and more tough ones after that. Hopefully, there will be a bowl game. "This isn't exactly time for me to be thinking about any awards, or what happens next year. I've got to worry about the next play."

Though Mathews wants to keep his concentration on what's in front of him and the games that lie ahead for him and the Bulldogs, he will admit that it's hard to ignore everything going on around him.

"Every time I walk across campus, there will be people who recognize me. They'll say things about hoping I stay another year, or please don't leave. That kind of thing. So I'd be crazy to say I'm ignoring everything. How could you?"

If Mathews doesn't want to talk about all the hype surrounding him, then leave to it to the Fresno State fans and those that have noticed what he's been able to do.

To those fans, there's no question that Mathews should be getting at least a little notice in the Heisman race.

Instead, all of the critics will tell you that because he plays for Fresno State and they play in a small conference void of a good team outside Boise State, he doesn't deserve that kind of attention.

If he's able to run for at least 2,200 yards this season, which is entirely possible, his name will be mentioned in same breath with two of the top running backs in college football history.

Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (2,628) and USC's Marcus Allen (2,342). Not bad company to keep for a running back in a small conference school that sits in the heart of California's Central Valley.

For those fans who use the same old, tired, "he couldn't put up the same numbers in the SEC, Big 10, Big XII or Pac-10," you can save it. The Heisman Trophy Award is given to the best football player in college football for that particular season. Not the best player in the best conference with the best record.

You can argue that all you want, but I'm not going to buy in that "it's the way it is now." It's not what the award was ever meant for, that was until the BCS showed up. Now these "automatic qualifiers" apparently get to tell the other schools that they're not entitled.

Or has college football become so biased that the some computer system, that hasn't watched a single game, decides who wins what award?

Mathews has put up numbers worthy of being in the same conversation as Alabama's Mark Ingram regardless of the fact they play in two different conferences. A player shouldn't be penalized, or awarded, because of the conference they play in.

For now, Mathews will continue to do what he's done all season. He'll put up the numbers, help his team to victory and instead of taking the credit for himself, he'll always tell you that he has the best offensive line in the country.

No offense to you Alabama fans, but I'll take Ryan Mathews on my team any day of the week.

Preview for BNP Paribas Masters, Paris

Nima Naderi — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:36:22 -0500

Tournament Preview:

The final Masters 1000 event of the season will once again host the game's best at the Paris Bercy. The 51st edition of the elite event will showcase 48 of the top players in the world, battling it out for a prestigious Masters 1000 title.

A surprising statistic heading into Paris this year remains that none of the top five seeds have ever captured the title in Bercy.

In fact, there are only four participating former champions in the draw, defending champ Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nikolay Davydenko, Marat Safin, and Tomas Berdych.

Tsonga, who has dropped to the No. 11 position in the rankings, will need to defend his title in order to have a shot at qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour final in London.

Tsonga did suffer a left wrist injury last week in Valencia, forcing the Frenchman to withdraw in the first round.

Davydenko, who all but clinched his London spot with a solid performance in Valencia, will attempt to win the fourth Masters 1000 event of his career, after claiming his third title in Shanghai, China.

The final tournament of torn former No. 1 Safin will also take places this week, with the powerful Russian returning to his most successful Masters 1000 event, claiming the title in 2004, 2002, and 2000.

Berdych, who remains in the top 20 at No. 19, claimed his one and only Masters 1000 title in Paris, defeating Ivan Ljubicic in a five set thriller in 2005. Berdych remains an outside but solid candidate for the title his year.

The tournament, which boasts nine of the top 10 players in the world, lost world No. 6 Andy Roddick earlier in the week due to an ongoing knee injury. Roddick remains hopeful of participating at the Tour finale in London.

World No. 1 Roger Federer leads a deep field which consists of No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal, No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic, No. 4 seed Andy Murray and No. 5 seed Juan Martin del Potro.

The first-prize winner of the event will receive 450,000 euros and 1000 ATP World Tour points.

With the surface at Paris Bercy changing back to a hard court, the results throughout the event should remain more consistent. The previous carpet surface which the event was played on, provided a distinct advantage to a more powerful brand tennis.

With that mind, let's see how the top four seeds will shape up during the official final event of the season.

Federer quarter

Fresh off a glorious run in his native Basel, R-Fed returns to one of the few venues in the which he has not taken home the hardware.

In fact, Federer has yet to reach a semifinal in Bercy, falling in the quarterfinal stage on three occasions. The world No. 1 did not play the event last year, opting to rest a back injury.

Federer, who is undefeated in the quarter against the 11 players present, encounter a lone defeat to countryman and Olympic gold medal partner Stanislas Wawrinka at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this season.

Federer is slated to meet Wawrinka in the third round, with No. 15 seed Gael Monfils being another formidable opponent along the way.

Monfils all but ended his chances at qualifying for the London finale with his loss to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Valencia last week.

Monfils is playing at home however and would like nothing more than to ignite the hometown fans with a productive end to the season.

Marin Cilic, who holds an outside chance at qualifying for London, could face Federer in the quarterfinals.

Cilic would likely have to defeat No. 7 seed Fernando Verdasco in the third round, but with the Spaniard all but qualifying for London with a stellar showing in Valencia last week, a sharp Cilic may be the best candidate for a showdown with Federer.

The top-ranked Swiss holds a week of rest between Paris and London, further exemplifying why he will likely surpass, or at least equal his best-ever quarterfinal finish in Bercy.

Barring a catastrophe of sorts, look for Federer to come out of this quarter with a keen outlook to his first Bercy title.

Pick: Federer

Nadal quarter

Playing in only his third Bercy event, the Spaniard comes into Paris in search of his first title since capturing his fifth straight Barcelona Open crown in the spring.

Nadal, a finalist at the Paris Indoors in 2007, has a tricky quarter which includes defending champ Tsonga, former champ Berdych, Gilles Simon, and countryman Tommy Robredo.

Tsonga would likely provide the stiffest resistance to Nadal claiming his seventh different Masters 1000 title. The Frenchman is playing hurt, but will use the electricity of his home country supporters to advance to the latter stages of the event.

Marco Chiudinelli, who could face Nadal in the second round, must defeat Nicolas Almagro in round one. Chiudinelli advanced to his first semifinal of the season in Basel last week (lost to Federer).

Chiudinelli will likely be spent by his Switzerland performance, allowing Almagro to have a slight advantage going into their first round encounter.

Berdych, who has defeated Nadal on three occasions (all on hard courts), could pose a significant threat to Nadal in the third round. Berdych has just the kind of game to make a late-season charge and defeat the Spaniard.

Robredo, who is the slated to meet Nadal in the third round, would have to get by Berdych in round two.

Frenchman Simon, who was eliminated from qualifying from the London finale after losing to Mikhail Youzhny in Valenica, remains another hometown hopeful willing to give his all during the last event of the season.

Simon's roadrunner style could challenge Nadal if the pair met in the quarterfinals. Simon is slated to meet Tsonga in the third round, a match which be relished by the Parisian fans.

All in all, Nadal's quarter is by no means a cakewalk. The Spaniard has shown the vulnerability of getting whacked off the court on more than one occasion this season, and in the event that Tsonga is fully healed from his wrist injury, the Frenchman should make a confident charge to defending his title.

With that being said, Nadal seems fit and rested; a claim he has not been able to make at this juncture during previous seasons.

Pick: Nadal

Djokovic quarter

With a new lease on his young career, the Serbian sensation appears to have a clean grasp on his upcoming goals.

Djokovic, who has been in good form since the US Open, will have to be cautious in this section, with the likes of Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Sodering, Tommy Haas, Ivo Karlovic, Feliciano Lopez, and Jeremy Chardy present.

Davydenko has played virtually ever week since the end of the US Open, mounting his charge to finals showing in London.

The Russian can never be counted out of a Masters 1000 event, recently adding the Shanghai crown to his Masters 1000 collection.

Davydenko would have to get through either Soderling or Karlovic to set up a showdown with Djokovic, with both power hitters eager to finish their years off with a flourish.

Soderling is back on Tour after suffering a right elbow injury in Stockholm, while Karlovic, who has lost sixth straight matches on the circuit, dearly needs a few wins to boost his confidence.

Haas, who was recently diagnosed with the swine flu, could face Djokovic in the third round. Haas defeated Djokovic in consecutive events at Halle and Wimbledon this summer.

Lopez, who has gathered some steam in recent weeks, looks to be a better bet of reaching a third round clash with Djokovic.

Lopez could be the surprise story in this quarter, finally exhibiting the level of professionalism required to compete on Tour.

This could very well be the section where chaos reigns through and either Lopez or Karlovic make the semifinals.

Djokovic still remains the favorite, but with an upset having to take place at some point, the Serbian appears to be the prime candidate in taking a fall.

Pick: Karlovic

Murray quarter

Murray was granted little favors in this brutal quadrant. Apart from having Grand Slam champs del Potro and Safin present, Murray will have to combat the likes of Fernando Gonzalez, Radek Stepanek, James Blake, John Isner, and Fabrice Santoro, if he is to make the quarterfinals.

Starting off with Blake or Santoro, Murray will be assured a stern baseline challenge from the get go. Blake, who has plummeted to No. 41 in the world, seems to be in a ninth inning rebuilding mode in his career, via a new coach and ambitions of returning to the top 10.

Blake's forehand can never be counted out, and if he is in the zone, Murray may be in trouble.

Santoro, who has put retirement plans on hold for the moment, opting to play in next years Australian Open, would bring an off speed look to a match up with Scot.

Santoro's soft hands and x-ray anticipation could handcuff Murray in his attempt at capturing his fifth Masters 1000 title.

Stepanek and Gonzalez will be playing with much more to lose than Murray this week. Both players are still in contention to qualify for London, with Gonzalez, who stands at No. 10 in race, needing to win to event in order to book his top eight spot.

Gonzalez has cooled off considerably after reaching the US Open quarterfinals, leaving Stepanek's serve-and-volley game with a better shot at upending Murray.

Three-time winner Marat Safin will close out his famed career with what he hopes is a respectable run in Paris. The Russian opens against a qualifier, with No. 5 seed del Potro waiting in round two.

Del Potro, who remains winless after capturing his maiden Slam title in New York, will look to snap a two-match losing streak against Safin if that match takes place.

Safin does have a chance at stirring up an upset against del Potro, considering the Argentine is still recovering from a wrist injury.

Either way, a Safin-Murray, or del Potro-Murray quarterfinal clash would leave the Paris fans with nothing short of their monies worth.

All in all, Murray will have to get his punch card ready if he is to persevere in this quarter. The Scot displayed fine form in Valencia last week, showing ill effects from his recent left wrist injury.

It remains to be seen what kind of tennis del Potro and Safin bring forth; both power players have exhibited frail form as of late.

However, del Potro may have saved himself for a final push this season, leaving the rest of this quarter in danger of finishing second.

This quarter was truly the toughest to predict, but with that be said, Murray and del Potro remain the true standouts.

Pick: del Potro

Bercy has brought forth many surprise winners over the years, with this year's event capable of producing another first time champion.

Please check back throughout the week for continuing daily coverage from the final Masters 1000 event of season from Paris.

Joe Johnson Tells Atlanta Hawks: Somebody's Rocking the Boat

John Boller — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:30:53 -0500

Sure, it is never fun to lose by 20 points, especially against a division opponent.

But, when the team is 4-1, and you are coming back from your first West Coast road trip of the season, a loss like this is a trap wait waiting to happen.

Unfortunately, the Hawks did fall into the trip, and they did get blown out by 20 against the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.

They are still 4-2 and are averaging 103.8 points a contest, good for seventh in the NBA.

So, why is Joe Johnson complaining?

“I don’t know when we all of a sudden just really became a selfish team,” Johnson said. “Now everybody wants to go one-on-one. It’s me, me, me. It’s crazy, man.”

“Everybody who touches it wants to score,” Johnson said. “I really think guys on this team don’t know their roles, so it’s killing us. And it’s going to continue to kill us.”

I’m sorry; I was unaware that a 4-2 record meant the team is “killing” itself, especially since one of the two losses came after your first road trip.

They have only played six games and have had just one road trip. At this point in the season, can you really pinpoint, or even know what is “killing” your team.

I wish that Johnson had said just who exactly does not know their “role.”

Since he was mostly referring to scoring, and he, Josh Smith, and Jamal Crawford, took 39 of the team’s 83 total shots, I will go ahead and assume he is talking about them, or at least one of them.

Since Crawford is the new kid on the block, I will also assume that Crawford might be the one “killing” the team.

Crawford is in his first year with a group that has been together for at least two seasons. The Hawks are used to point guard Mike Bibby.

Bibby is what most knowledgeable basketball enthusiast would call a true point guard. Basically, he wants to pass before he shoots.

Crawford on the other hand, is pretty much the exact opposite of Bibby. Unlike Bibby, Crawford could also play the shooting guard position because he has all-around scoring ability.

He can shoot from the outside, is able to take the ball to the basket, draw contact and get to the foul line.

He can also play the shooting guard position, Johnson’s position, while he is point guard, and while they (Johnson and Crawford) are on the court at the same time.

In Atlanta’s two losses, Crawford is a combined 11-of-28 from the field, 0-of-9 from the three, and just one assist.

In their first loss of the season at Los Angeles, Johnson had a standout game. He finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Johnson and Bibby each went 3-of-6 from three, Crawford took five 3’s, and made zero.

He also took 14 shoots; two behind Johnson, and four more than Bibby, playing in almost seven minutes longer than Bibby.

In their four wins, the script has been played a little bit differently.

Their first game of the season, Crawford only played 11 minutes and took just three shots. His season began the next game, at home against the Washington Wizards.

In Crawford’s true debut with the Hawks, Atlanta shot a dismal .410 from the field, and 5-of-20 from the 3-pointer.

However, Crawford and Johnson went a combined 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, and the team shot an almost perfect 31-of-34 from the foul line. The Wizards only shot 22 free throws, making 14.

The free-throw line is where the Hawks got their 100-89 win over Washington.

The Hawks then went on their three-game road trip that began with an eight-point loss the Lakers. Fortunately, the Hawks got over their first loss and got ready for their next game at Portland.

It was Crawford’s night in the 97-91 win. The Hawks trailed by 10 points after the first quarter, and Johnson had a cold start.

Crawford came off the bench and ignited the Atlanta offense with 17 first half points. He would get a game-high 27 points, and seven assists. He shot .500 from the field, hit two 3’s, and went 9-of-9 from the foul line.

Bibby had a poor shooting night, going 3-of-10 from the field, 1-of-4 from long range. He and Crawford each played 34 minutes.

Johnson got his shot back in time for the second half and finished with 19 points.

After being a major catalyst for the victory over the Trailblazers, Crawford took the same effort with him to Sacramento; the final game of the road trip.

Crawford and Johnson’s 26 points tied for the team-high, while Crawford and Bibby played in 34 minutes each for the second straight game. And again, Crawford was up and Bibby was down, but a little bit better.

Bibby shot better against the Kings, but didn’t too much for his teammates with only two assists.

Crawford played well again for Atlanta. He scored 26 points and took only 15 shots. Johnson needed 22 shots to get his 26.

It was a close game and Atlanta walked away with just an eight-point victory; and the difference this time, shooting. The Hawks made more than half of their field goals, and the Kings shot a sub-par .417.

So, with the evidence given, what is the verdict? What is “killing” the Hawks?

I don’t think anything is “killing” the Hawks. I do think the addition of Crawford’s style of point guard is tampering with the offensive game-plan a little, but because Crawford is a veteran, and since the team has playoff experience, I am confident that both sides will be fitting nicely together down the road.

It will take some time, but with 76 games left, time is on the Hawks’ side.

Kevin Smith Is Not the Reason For the Detroit Lions' Failures

Ross Maghielse — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:24:07 -0500

Don't blame Kevin Smith for Detroit's offensive ineptitude. He is not at fault.

Yes, his 3.1 yards per carry average is below par, as is his 393 total rushing yards eight games into the season. But there is enough mud to be slung around the Lions locker room so Smith should not bear much, if any blame for the Lions' lack of production.

The talk show hosts who label Smith a bust are too quick to judge. It's only his second season in the NFL. The frustrated fans who post on message boards that Aaron Brown is a better running back are nothing short of incompetent.

Kevin Smith could end up being another Kevin Jones. But to write him off as such this early in his career is unjust.

Other than Calvin Johnson, and hopefully—dare I say potentially—Matthew Stafford, Smith is the most talented offensive weapon Detroit has.

As far as the running game goes, Smith is the only weapon Detroit has. Maurice Morris has been generously labeled as serviceable and nothing more for his entire career. Brown is fast, but far from a complete runner.

Give Smith time to grow. Stafford, Johnson, and Smith could develope into a Manning, James, and Harrison trio. Seriously.

In the meantime, blame the offensive line for not blocking, blame the secondary for following in the footsteps of Chris L. Rucker at Michigan State, or blame the coaching staff for slow development.

There are 40-plus guys in that locker room who should be thrown under the bus before people start trying to run Kevin Smith out of town.