Posts Tagged ‘college football’

Idaho Potato Bowl – Akron Zips (+7.5) versus Utah State Aggies

Posted: December 22, 2015 in College football, Football
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This is the first all-time meeting between these schools. Akron is bowling for just the second time ever and they lost their initial appearance, 38-31 (+4) to Memphis in the 2005 Motor City Bowl. Head coach Terry Bowden coached in three bowls while at Auburn, going 2-1 SU/0-3 ATS. This is Utah State’s fifth straight bowl and their third appearance in the Idaho Potato Bowl. In their previous two post season trips here in 2011 and 2012, they went 1-1 SU/ATS & head coach Matt Wells is 2-0 SU/ATS in bowl games.

Utah State entered the season a contender for the Mountain West crown as they returned 15 starters from a 10 win season. 2012 first team WAC quarterback Chuckie Keeton returned, but was again injured versus Washington, but has started the last two games. Kent Myers did well again filling in for him, as they won 3 straight, but have lost four of their last six despite being a favorite in all but one. The Aggies still finished in a four way tie for second in the MW Mountain Division. They held four opponents to either their lowest or second lowest yards on the season and finished with 26 sacks (8.4%).

Akron entered this season with high expectations despite returning just 12 starters. After expected losses to Oklahoma and Pittsburgh to open the season, they then won three of their next four. The Zips were blown out by eventual MAC champ Bowling Green and lost a close gm to Central Michigan, but then won their last four games. Their calling card entering the season was their defense and it lived up to the billing as they held three of their foes to their season low in yards and finished No. 17 in the FBS, holding their foes to 75 yards per game below their average. Over their last four games, Akron averaged 401 yards per game, including 203 (4.5) rushing yards per game, while allowing just 293 yards per game, including 74 (2.7) rushing yards per game in that same span.

Akron quarterback Thomas Woodson came on as the season progressed and led the offense in their four game winning streak to close the season. The Zips haven’t been to a bowl game in 10 years and are excited to be here. Utah State will have the crowd edge as their campus naturally is much closer to Bronco Stadium (258 miles away, Akron 1769). Aggie quarterback Keeeton didn’t play up to his potential in the regular season when he returned from injury, but with extra rest he should be back to his normal All-Conference ways in this game. Utah State needs a win to avoid a losing season, so they will be putting forth a maximum type of effort. In his first two bowl games that Wells coached the total points scored was 35 and 27 points, so look for a low scoring, physical game.

Miami Beach Bowl – USF Bulls (+3) versus WKU Hilltoppers

Posted: December 21, 2015 in College football, Football
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Miami-Beach-BowlThis is the seventh all-time meeting between these schools. Four games took place when both were 1AA members from 1997-2000. In the two meetings as FBS members in 2009-’10, USF won both SU (0-2 ATS). USF leads the series 4-2 SU. This is the second Miami Beach Bowl. USF went to 6 straight bowls (4-2) from 2005-2010, but this is their first since. Head coach Willie Taggert ironically led WKU to their first bowl as their head coach in 2012, but didn’t coach the game (hired by USF) so this will be his first ever bowl game. WKU lost that game in 2012, but Head coach Jeff Brohm led them to a bowl win last year, 49-48 (-3’) over Central Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl, a game they led 49-14 in the fourth quarter.

Things looked bleak early on for USF as they started the season 1-3 and were trying to find an identity on offense (just four returning starters) as they had two new Co-offensive coordinator’s. They then shifted back to more of a pro-style and won three straight before falling to Navy on the road. The Bulls then closed the season with four straight wins, despite being a ‘dog in three and just missed the AAC championship game! Over those final four, they were plus 26 points per game and plus 195 yards per game, while averaging 504 yards per game, including 303 rushing yards per game (5.6). Running Back Marlon Mack finished with eight games over 100 rushing yards.

WKU was the favorite to win CUSA as they were the first team in FBS history to have a 4,500 yard passer (Brandon Doughty) and 1,500 yard rusher (Leon Allen) and both returned. Allen was injured and lost for the year versus Louisiana Tech and Anthony Wales took over versus Middle Tennessee and finished with five 100 yard game, while Doughty again threw for over 4,500 yards! Their lone losses were on the road at Indiana & LSU, but they were out-gained by less then 100 yards in each and had the fourth most yards LSU allowed all season! WKU indeed was the CUSA Champ and are No. 10 in the FBS averaging 121 yards per game more then their foes allow and posted the most yards allowed by their opponents in five games.

Both of these teams enter this game playing extremely well. USF figures to have the crowd edge as their campus is just 207 miles away. Against bowl teams WKU is plus 83 yards per game, while USF is minus 25 yards per game, but the Bulls led by a combined score of 82-13 at halftime against Temple and Cincinnati, two solid bowl teams. The Bulls have the edge on defense.

Cure Bowl – San Jose State Spartans (-2.5) versus Georgia State Panthers

Posted: December 18, 2015 in College football, Football
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cure bowl

This is the first all-time meeting between these schools, first ever bowl game for Georgia State (joined FBS two years ago), and the inaugural Cure Bowl. This is just the third bowl game in the last 20 years for San Jose State (first since 2012). Both teams have first time bowl head coaches (Panther’s Trent Miles was 0-1 in the FCS playoffs).

San Jose State was one of three teams to earn a bowl bid despite a losing record. They entered the season as an improved club as they returned 16 starters, 10 on offense, including quarterback Joe Gray. Junior college signee Kenny Potter was in for spring, is a dual threat option, and eventually won the job, but suffered a sprained ankle against Oregon State. He missed two game, but returned versus UNLV and posted three 300 yard passing games and one 100 yard rushing game in the last seven. Tyler Ervin, maybe the best running back you’ve never heard of, had six games over 100 yards, including two over 200, finishing once with 300! The Spartans never won back-to-back games and finished the season losing three of four. San Jose State only allowed 154 passing yards per game (55.5%), but didn’t face many prolific passing offenses and are middle of the pack in terms of their pass defense.

Georgia State is far and away the most surprising team to make a bowl this season. They entered 2015 having never beaten an FBS team and had won just two games in three years and that included a season in the FCS! The Panthers did return 17 starters and it’s extremely ironic that head coach Miles had almost the exact kind of success in his third year at Indiana State that he had this season, with similar records the previous two years! Georgia State began the season 1-4 and then at 2-6, needed to win out to become bowl eligible. After winning three straight, they were a 21 point road ‘dog versus powerful rival Georgia Southern. The Panthers won outright by nearly four touchdowns and are one of the hottest lesser known teams in the country. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle finished the season with seven straight games over 300 yards, including two over 400 in that span!

With the closer proximity, Georgia State would figure to have a sizeable crowd edge, but they rarely got fans in their own venue. My guess is that this will be the smallest crowd of the bowl season. San Jose State is just 5-7, but will still be motivated even though a win will still give them a losing season. The key matchup is San Jose State’s average passing defense against Arbuckle, who has proven he can pass at will against weak pass defenses.

New Orleans Bowl – Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (-2) versus Arkansas State Red Wolves

Posted: December 18, 2015 in College football, Football
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These schools met every year from 1970-1998, but haven’t met since. Louisiana Tech leads the all-time series 25-12 and has won nine of 10. This will be Arkansas State’s second appearance in this bowl (Tech’s first). They lost to Southern Miss, 31-19 (+15.5) in 2005. Head coach Blake Anderson coached his first bowl last year (GoDaddy), a 63-44 (+3) loss to Toledo. Louisiana Tech has been to three bowls in the last seven years (2-1 SU/3-0 ATS), including winning last years Heart of Dallas Bowl, 35-18 (-6.5) over Illinois. Prior to Louisiana Tech, head coach Skip Holtz was 2-3 SU/3-2 ATS in bowls at East Carolina & USF.

Louisiana Tech entered the season as the favorite to win the CUSA West, but fell one gm short. After starting the season 1-2, they reeled off three straight wins, then lost as expected at Miss State, then won four straight before falling to Southern Miss in the finale. Former Florida Gator quarterback Jeff Driskel had a resurgence in Ruston, as he finished with six games over 300 passing yards to lead an offense that averages 466 yards per game. Running back Kenneth Dixon entered the season as the schools all-time leading rusher and is nearing 1,000 yards for the third time, despite an injury plagued year. Louisiana Tech has an average rushing defense and faces Arkansas State’s potent rushing offense.

Arkansas State was one of the favorites to win the SBC as they returned a second year head coach for the first time since 2003 and went undefeated in conference play. They enter this game red hot, having won eight straight. Quarterback Fredi Knighten was banged up early, but is healthy and threw for over 300 yards twice in the last three games. Running back Michael Gordon leads a rushing attack that averaged 237 (5.0) yards per game as the Red Wolves averaged 449 total yards per game on the season. Defensively Arkansas State has a top notch secondary as they allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete just 52.7 percent of their passes with a 23-26 ratio.

It’s hard to pick who will have the crowd edge as while Louisiana Tech is closer, Arkansas State’s backers travel well. The Bulldogs are minus 8 yards per game versus bowl teams, but the Red Wolves are minus 74 yards per game against bowl teams. Arkansas State also lost two year starting left tackle Jemar Clark for the year against New Mexico State. Both teams are excited to be in this bowl and there should be a lot of scoring. Arkansas State has played better of late, and Louisiana Tech hasn’t played since November 28th.

Camellia Bowl – Ohio Bobcats (+7.5) versus Appalachian State Mountaineers

Posted: December 17, 2015 in College football, Football
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camellia bowl

This is the first all-time meeting between these schools and just the second Camellia Bowl. This game is played at the historic Cramton Bowl, which is best known as the site of the Blue-Grey Football Classic, played every year from 1938-2001. This is Appalachian State’s first ever bowl game after joining the FBS last year. Head coach Scott Satterfield will also be coaching in his first bowl game. Ohio missed out on a bowl last year after going for five straight years. Head coach Frank Solich is 2-4 SU/ATS in bowls at Ohio and was 3-3 SU/ATS in bowl games at Nebraska.

Appalachian State entered the season off six straight wins to close out last year and had an amazing 20 returning starters. They held undefeated Clemson to their second lowest yards total of the season in their expected loss, then reeled off six straight wins before falling to eventual SBC champ Arkansas State. The Mountaineers then closed the regular season with three straight wins. On the season they held five of their opponents to either their lowest or second lowest yards total and finished No. 15 in the FBS holding their foes to 75 yards per game less then their season average. Offensively they average 471 yards per game, including 269 (5.8) rushing yards per game and were sacked just nine times all season (3.4%)!

It’s been a season of streaks for Ohio, as they’ve won three straight twice and lost three straight once. They entered the season a serious contender for the MAC East title after returning 18 starters, which matched the most here under Solich. It wouldn’t be a complete season if Ohio didn’t have injuries and that happened again as quarterback Derrius Vick has missed the last two games (questionable and they had to move last years leading rusher AJ Ouellette to the defense to start a game at linebacker. They finished the regular season on a three game winning streak and over their last four games have averaged 499 yards per game, including 299 (5.5) rushing yards per game! Defensive back Ian Wells is their lone player to make either first or second team All-Conference honors.

Ohio was playing its best ball down the stretch and will be motivated by being more then a touchdown ‘dog here. The Bobcats have a large edge on special teams, while Appalachian State should have the crowd edge (sold out their initial allotment of tickets). The Mountaineers were plus 77 yards per game versus bowl teams (Ohio was minus 46 yards per game), but the Bobcats upset Marshall, only lost to Minnesota by three, and knocked Northern Illinois out of the MAC Title game.

Las Vegas Bowl – Utah Utes (-2.5) vs BYU Cougars

Posted: December 17, 2015 in College football, Football
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las vegas bowl

The Holy War rivalry continues as these schools met every year from 1922-2013 with Utah leading the overall series 54-31-4. Utah has won five of the last six SU, including the last meeting, 20-13 (+6.5) and covered eight of the last ten. This is BYU’s sixth appearance in this bowl (3-2 SU/ATS) but first since 2009. Utah beat Colorado State, 45-10 (-2.5) in this bowl last year and is making their fifth overall appearance (3-1 SU/2-2 ATS). Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is 7-1 SU/6-2 ATS in bowls, while BYU head coach Rocky Mendenhall accepted the head coaching gig at Virginia, but will coach the bowl gm & is 6-4 SU/ATS in those. In head-to-head meetings, Whittingham is 6-3 SU/7-2 ATS.

After three straight 8-5 seasons, a win here would give BYU double-digit wins for the first time since 2011. The Cougars had just five returning starters on defense as they lost five of their top seven tacklers, but Mendenhall showed how valuable he was as they enter with an above average unit. They went 2-2 to open the season despite playing Nebraska, Boise, UCLA, and Michigan (three on the road & ‘dogs in all four) & losing starting quarterback Taysom Hill and starting running back Jamaal Williams. The Cougars then rolled off seven wins in eight games with their lone loss coming in Kansas City versus Missouri.

Utah entered the season full of hope as they had 14 returning starters and five conference home games. This was their best team since joining the P-12 and they were 6-0 and ranked No. 3 before losing at USC. The Utes then won back-to-back games, but closed the season losing two of three. They placed a total of seven players on the first or second All-Conference team with five coming on defense/special teams. A win here would give them a double-digit win season for the first time since 2010, which would also be the first time since joining the P-12 as they finished tied with USC for first place in the South.

BYU was upset that Utah ended the series, but both teams want to win this game badly. BYU was plus 70 yards per game on the season, while Utah was plus 12 yards per game, but versus a tougher schedule. BYU has an edge on offense with Utah running back Devontae Booker out (knee), but the Utes have the edge on defense and special teams. Bookers replacement is Joseph Williams, who’s rushed for over 100 yards in two straight games, was a second team Junior college All-American last year, and has 4.38 speed.

New Mexico Bowl – New Mexico Lobos (+8.5) vs Arizona Wildcats

Posted: December 17, 2015 in College football, Football
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new mexico bowl

These schools have a long history that dates back to 1908. Arizona leads the all-time series 43-20-3. The last meeting was in 2008, a 36-28 (+10.5) New Mexico home win. They met in the Insight.com bowl in 1997, with Arizona winning 20-14 (-9.5). New Mexico has played in this bowl twice, losing to San Jose State 20-12 (-3) in 2006 and beating Nevada 23-0 (-2.5) in 2007, while Arizona won their lone appearance in the bowl 49-48 (-8.5) over Nevada. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez is 2-1 SU/1-2 ATS in bowl games with the Wildcats and was 2-4 SU/1-5 ATS in bowl games at Michigan and West Virginia. This is New Mexico head coach Bob Davie’s first bowl with the Lobos and he was 0-3 SU/ATS at Notre Dame. The two head coaches have one prior meeting in 2001 when Rodriguez was at West Virginia and Davie at Notre Dame with the Fighting Irish winning 34-24 (-12).

New Mexico has assured itself of its first winning season since 2007. Fourth year head coach Davie had to do a major rebuild when he took over a team that finished 1-11 in back-to-back-to-back seasons. New Mexico suffered a lot of attrition last year, but entered this season with 14 returning starters. After starting 3-2, including a win over rival New Mexico State, the Lobos dropped two of three heading into their bye week. Regrouped, they won three of their last 4, despite being the ‘dog in all four, with all three wins as double digit ‘dogs, including beating Boise on the “Blue” as 31 point ‘dogs!

Arizona won the Pac- 12 South last year, but only returned 13 starters this year, including just six senior starters. Things worsened when All-American linebacker Scooby Wright was injured (played just two games) and quarterback Anu Solomon missed two full games, including the Territorial Cup loss (concussion). They had five Pac-12 road games, losing four and played 12 straight weeks. After starting 5-2, the Wildcats then dropped four of their last five, with their lone win in that span an upset over Utah in double overtime.

Arizona has faced the much tougher schedule and has more talent. They are missing three of their top four linebackers from the start of the year, but Wright will play here. Even though New Mexico is playing this on their home field, they will be excited for their first bowl since 2007. Versus two mutual opponents, Arizona was plus 64 yards per game and New Mexico was minus 199 yards per game. Over their last four games, New Mexico was playing their best ball of the year.

Bakers Dozen (Thirteen things I know that you should know too)

Posted: June 2, 2015 in Boxing, Browns, Buckeyes, Cavaliers, College football, Football, Indians
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1. The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the NBA Finals for the second time in team history and I’ve got one piece of advice for everyone out there. Enjoy it! No matter the outcome. Enjoy it! Sure I want to see them bring a championship to my city, but in the process of doing so, I’m going to soak in the entire atmosphere that being in the Finals bring. Most of you aren’t going to pay the steep price for playoff tickets (myself included) so do what I’m going to do. Buy a $5 ticket and go watch one of the road games at the Q with 20,000 other fans. While you won’t actually ‘be’ at the game, it’ll create a memory that you won’t forget. And it’s much more affordable!

2. Speaking of the Cavaliers, you know it’s a good thing when President Lincoln is also #AllinCle

3. I shared a video about Cavalier’s center Timofey Mozgov in an earlier blog and now here is a video about JR Smith. Grab a cigar and some cognac.

 

4. The MLB All-Star game is six weeks away and there are two Cleveland Indian position players that are worthy of All-Star consideration.

Second Baseman Jason Kipnis is coming off one of the greatest months in not just team history, but also MLB history and his .340 batting average is second best in the entire American League. He is in the top 10 in the AL in the following categories: Hits (2nd), runs (4th), doubles (3rd), triples (2nd), total bases (4th), on base % (4th), slugging % (9th) and OPS (6th). When it comes to the All-Star voting, however, Kipnis ranks a distant 4th, over 1.5 million votes behind the leader, Jose Altuve, of the Houston Astros.

Left fielder Michael Brantley, who finished third in last years MVP voting, is hitting .302, fifth best among AL outfielders. He is in the top 10 among outfielders in the following categories: Hits (5th), doubles (1st), RBI (4th), walks (4th), on base % (4th), slugging % (7th), and OPS (5th). Brantley is currently 7th in the All-Star voting  among outfielders, over 1 million votes behind 3rd place Alex Gordon of the Royals.

Do what I did and vote for these two as they both deserve to be on the team.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2015/ballot.jsp?tcid=ASG15_mlb_leftrailpromo

5. Speaking of the Tribe, remember when I said that reigning Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber would be just fine? Over his last four starts, Kluber is 3-0 with 50 strikeouts and  miniscule 1.41 ERA. He’s looking every bit like the Cy Young winner that we saw last season.

6. I recently heard there is a remake of one of my all time favorite movies, ‘Point Break.’  No, I’m not joking. Patrick Swayze has to be turning in his grave over this one. Why redo a movie that was already a classic and featured an ex Ohio State quarterback turned FBI agent chasing a group of bank robbing surfers? Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers Anthony Kiedis says in this scene, “That would be a waste of time.”

 

7. The latest addition to my guilty pleasure.

breds

8. I’m still a beginning smoker but I’m really enjoying it. The latest thing I smoked was St. Louis style ribs. The difference between these and baby backs are the St Louis style has more fat, which provides more flavor. I used apple wood to smoke and they turned out pretty good. I went 5 hours at 250 degrees, which was just a little too long, so I’m going to shorten them up next time.

ribs

9. Okay, back to sports. The College football season is less than 100 days away and the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this season according to the Vegas odds is Ohio State Buckeye running back Ezekiel Elliot. He’s even got his own hype video. Check it out.

 

10. Speaking of college football, we recently wrapped up the 2015 Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine, AKA the college football bible. That also means we’ve released our pre-season All-American teams. Notre Dame led the way with three 1st team All-Americans. To see the entire four team list click the link below.

http://philsteele.com/All_Conference/2015/2015%20Preseason/All-American.html

11. Floyd Mayweather is expected to return to the ring in September and many are wondering who his next opponent or vitctim will be. There has been plenty of talk about England’s Amir Khan getting the next shot at the pound for pound king but after his lackluster performance last week against Chris Algieri, he’ll likely be removed from the discussion. Why not give Miguel Cotto, who fights this weekend on HBO, a rematch? He gave Mayweather a good fight when the two shared the ring in 2012. Here’s his greatest hits for those that aren’t aware of what he brings to the table.

 

12. I haven’t written since the NFL draft took place and heading into the draft I was worried about the incompetence that the Cleveland Browns were likely going to show. Well I was relieved during the first round as I turned to my cousin and brother-in-law, who were with me at the Cleveland Convention Center for the draft party, and told them that this draft proves the team is trying to win games and not sell jersey’s like last season. I think the Browns hit a home run with this draft and will start seeing immediate dividends on the field.

13. Speaking of the Browns, the odds in Vegas have the Browns over/under at 6 1/2 wins. The Browns will win more than six games this season. Those that know me know first hand that I am not a homer in any way, shape, or form so for me to come out and write this is a change in the way that I’ve thought about my hometown team for some time. They won seven games last season, have improved every position group on the roster, and competed with every team in their division last year. Yes, I know the schedule is tougher, but splitting with our division isn’t out of the question and the Browns should be able to beat teams qb’d by the Geno Smith (Jets) and Marcus Mariota/Zach Mettenberger (Titans) while also getting past the 49ers at home in December. That’s seven wins right there.

Baker’s Dozen (Thirteen things I know that you should know too)

Posted: April 30, 2015 in Boxing, Browns, Cavaliers, College football, Football, Indians, Soccer
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1. In last week’s column I wrote that the Cavaliers would bring the city Cleveland its first championship in 50 years. I should of prefaced that by adding, ‘barring injury.’ Now that Kevin Love is done for what appears to be the remainder of the season, the Cavs will more than likely get beaten by the Chicago Bulls in the next round (Yes, the Bulls will get by the Bucks). Fans and media alike have ‘loved’ to pile on Love this season unnecessarily, as those that truly understand the game of basketball were aware of his importance and what his role was with this team.  In his absence, the Cavaliers won’t be able to space the floor as they had been doing, and the open lanes that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving had been accustomed to will be gone. Tristan Thompson was valuable in his role coming off the bench, but his flaws will become much more glaring now that he will be forced to play more minutes. To use a phrase that my former colleague Kenny Roda coined long ago, OIC (only in Cleveland).

2. It’s truly a shame that Kevin Love was taken out by a dude that cannot even grow facial hair, instead opting for the peach fuzz look. In hockey there’s a term for mediocre players that are just put on the ice to get physical with the opposition. They’re called a goon. That’s exactly what Kelly Olynyk is. There’s a difference between setting a hard screen with a push like what Kendrick Perkins did to Jae Crowder and putting a guy in an arm bar and pulling his shoulder out of its socket. Truly a bush league play.

Cavaliers Celtics Basketball

3. For those that are worried about reigning American League Cy Young award winner, Corey Kluber, don’t be. Kluber AKA Klubot will be just fine. Here is a look at his numbers from last April compared to this April.

2014: 2 W, 3 L, 37 IP, 35 K, 10 BB, 2 HR allowed, 4.14 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

2015: 0 W, 3 L, 34 IP, 36 K, 7 BB, 2 HR allowed, 4.24 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

Nearly an identical start from last season, look for Kluber to start dominating hitters in the near future and hopefully the Tribe will start giving him some run support.

4. One player who could help the Indians with their hitting woes is their top prospect, Francisco Lindor. Current starting shortstop Jose Ramirez is hitting a paltry .186 and the Indians as a team are hitting just .234 which is third worst in the American League. Lindor recently went on a 10-16 stretch and appears to have come out of his own early season slump. He’s hit safely in 10 of his last 14 games. The time is right for Lindor to get promoted to the ‘Big Show.’

5. The NFL draft is here which means it’s the time of year that the Cleveland Browns usually waste their picks on garbage players. There’s a report that the Browns are attempting to move up in the draft to take Oregon quarterback Marcus Marriota. That would be a mistake. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was a great college quarterback, but his talents favor that game, not of the NFL variety. Marriota ran an up-tempo, no huddle, spread option offense taking snaps from the shotgun in college. In the NFL he will be huddling every play, taking snaps from under center, and won’t be able to leave the pocket as frequently as he did at Oregon. He was also injury prone, and while he was never hurt in a major way, that’s sure to change when he’s hit game in and game out by NFL players. This guy has bust written all over him.

6. A lot of Browns fans want to take a wide receiver in the first round. This is another foolish option. The rules in the NFL so highly favor receivers now that an average receiver can be a good receiver while a good receiver can become a great receiver. This was proven just last year when two of the Browns undersized receivers (Andrew Hawkins & Taylor Gabriel) both had successful seasons and proved that they could make plays despite their physical appearance.  There are an abundance of receivers in the college game nowadays that enter the NFL much more ready than previously due to the spread offenses that are being run. The Browns shouldn’t take a receiver in the first or second round when they can still find value in that position later in the draft. It would be a waste of a pick to do so early. Besides, take a look at this years Super Bowl combatants. Neither the Patriots nor the Seahawks have what you would call a playmaking wide receiver. The fact is, you don’t need one to succeed in this day’s NFL. If the Browns are smart (a HUGE if there) and stay where they’re currently sloted to pick in the first round (numbers 12 and 19) they should get NT Danny Shelton, who should be there for them at twelve and if DE Shane Ray falls to them at 19, they should run to the podium and take him.

7. Speaking of Shane Ray, yeah I know he just got pulled over and the officer found weed on him. So what? Marijuana is now legal in over 30 states and will soon be legal in all 50. The majority of NFL players smoke it and it’s really not a big deal. Hell, I’m sure more than half the people reading this column are doing so while puffing on a joint right now. If Ray were a QB, that would be different. You don’t want your quarterback smoking out. But a defensive player that partakes is fine by me. There have been plenty of NFL players that were busted for weed that were among the games elite. Ray has the talent to be among the best DE’s in the league and if other GM’s are afraid to draft him, hopefully Browns GM Ray Farmer won’t be.

8. Another name being thrown out there for the Browns is running back Todd Gurley. That is an absolute joke. If the Browns would draft him, or any other RB in the first or second round, I would seriously consider jumping off the 480 bridge. The NFL is a passing league. The rules are set up for the quarterbacks and receivers to succeed. Running backs are a dime a dozen. There are no ‘featured’ backs anymore with the exception of maybe a few guys. Nearly every team has a RB by committee approach and the Browns should be no different. Why should the browns take a RB that may carry the ball 10-15 times a game in the first or second round? That makes absolutely no sense! And I didn’t even get into the fact that Gurley was hurt twice getting hit by pimple faced college kids. What’s going to happen when he gets hit by grown men? I’ll pass on that option. Besides, the Browns already have two young running backs that complement each other very well.

9. It’s fight week for one of the most anticipated boxing matches in years. Floyd Mayweather is taking on Manny Pacquiao in a fight that is five years in the making. Some people are discouraged that the fight took so long to take place but the fact of the matter is that the fight will be much more competitive and entertaining now then it would have been had they fought five years ago. Mayweather is a defensive wizard, and he’s spent the majority of his career as a ‘hit and not get hit’ defensive minded fighter. Many of his fights have been lackluster due to the fact that he has simply outboxed his foes with tremendous hand speed and perfect foot work to escape without taking any real damage. Mayweather would have taken Pacquiao to school five years ago. Now though, Mayweather isn’t as fleet a foot as he once was and has taken more and more punches in the ring over the last two years. Pacquiao still has that blazing hand speed and with his non stop aggression and constant punches coming from a variety of angles, has a chance to land some shots on Mayweather. I don’t anticipate an upset here (Mayweather is a heavy betting favorite in Vegas) but I do think these two will offer an entertaining fight that will give the fans their money’s worth ($99 on PPV).

10. My dude Casey Kulas has made it official. It’s the ‘Summer of Brisket!’

https://twitter.com/CaseyKulas/status/592474880030986240

I’m up for the challenge. If you start to smell the smoke in South Lorain, just follow your nose to La Casa De Castro. I’ll probably have enough to share.

11. There are just 126 days until the college football season begins! Pre-order the Phil Steele College Football Preview aka the College football Bible here:

https://www.philsteele.com/store/

12. Shoe pick of the week. I don’t have these but word on the street is these are the shoes that Manny Pacquiao will be wearing during the Mayweather fight.

pac shoes

13. I know most of you reading this don’t like soccer but so what. This is my column and I do. The Columbus Crew are on fire as they’ve outscored their last two opponents by a 7-1 margin! That’s like 118-3 if you were watching football lol. Oh and Kei Kamara is tied for the lead with the most goals in the MLS this season!

Its official: Bowl season is here!

Posted: December 20, 2013 in College football
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35 games in 17 days! It starts with the New Mexico Bowl featuring the Washington State Cougars against the Colorado State Rams and ends with the BCS National Championship featuring the #1 ranked Florida State Seminoles against the #2 ranked Auburn Tigers.

I get it. I’ve heard all the questions surrounding college football bowl games. I’m sure you have to. You probably have said and asked these same things.

“Why are there so many bowl games?” “Who cares about the (insert generic name) bowl?” “These bowl games are pointless.”

And I’m sure that’s not all you’re hearing or all that you’ve asked. The truth is, though, that these games do matter. Well, they matter to the universities, the coaches, the students, and the players. Oh
and let us not forget, they matter to the networks probably more so than anything else.

The smaller bowls, while not nearly as popular, give teams an incentive for a season full of hard work. Not every team can have the realistic goal of winning a national championship. But I guarantee you that every team has a goal of getting to a bowl game, or at least getting six wins, making them bowl eligible.

Getting to a bowl not only provides more exposure for the university, but it also helps the team become better. There are extra practices that benefit the athletes, because practice time with the coaches is limited during the season. Recruiting gets a boost because the teams are now on national television and getting to tell prospective student athletes about postseason play is always exciting.

Plus there are some great storylines that evolve around every single bowl game. Did you know that it had been ten years since the aforementioned Cougars had been to a bowl game? How about the fact that Boise State will not have Chris Petersen manning their sideline for the first time since 2005 after he was hired away by the Washington Huskies.

This is the last game for many of the players. They will never suit up for another football game again. Think about that. A game many have played since they were in pee-wee leagues and this marks the end. Do you really think you’re not going to get a solid effort?

This is football at its finest. This is the moment when many of those playing are still trying to make an impression for themselves and get noticed. This is their final chance to achieve their goal of making it to the next level.

This is Bowl Season!

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