Coming off of an exciting week of World Cup qualifiers, it is back to the domestic leagues starting again this weekend. Here is what is in store:
English Premier League (Home team listed first, all times AM unless otherwise noted)
7:45 ET Saturday
Aston Villa v. Chelsea (ESPN2)
Chelsea is top of the table again as they travel to Villa Park, where the hosts look to make strides towards their goal of cracking the top four this season. Villa sit in 7th place with 13 points, 8 back of leader Chelsea, but Chelsea have played one more game.
10:00 ET Saturday
Arsenal v. Birmingham
Everton v. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester Untied v. Bolton Wanderers
United held the lead at the top of the table for a brief moment of time, but a draw to Sunderland last match-day put a swift end to that. With Chelsea away in a tough match to Villa, this could be an opportunity for United to gain some ground on the leaders. Manchester United will be without striker Wayne Rooney, who picked up a calf injury playing against Ukraine last Saturday. Rooney is also doubtful for the midweek Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow. United may also be missing Dimitar Berbatov, whose partner (wife?) gave birth recently. Michael Owen will look to take on the brunt of the striking duties coming off of a groin problem of his own.
Portsmouth v. Tottenham Hotspur (FSC, Delayed)
Stoke City v. West Ham United
Sunderland v. Liverpool (FSC)
Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones have Sunderland off to a solid start in the Premiership, where they have not finished above 15th in the past 8 years. Sunderland will look to take their momentum from a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford two weeks ago and turn it into a win against injury-plagued Liverpool, who have new striker Sotirios Kyrgiakos out with a knee injury and stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando both ruled out due to minor injuries incurred during World Cup Qualifiers.
8:00 ET Sunday
Blackburn Rovers v. Burnley
11:00 ET Sunday
Wigan Athletic v. Manchester City (FSC)
15:00 ET (Also known as 3:00 PM ET) Monday
Fulham v. Hull City (ESPN2)
Scottish Premier League
7:30 ET Saturday
St. Johnstone v Rangers
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Motherwell
Celtic sit one point ahead of Rangers after 7 games of the Scottish Premier League. It will again be a two-horse race this season, so both teams will look to gain maximum points in this weekend’s matches.
Spain’s La Liga
14:00 ET Saturday
Real Madrid v. Valladolid (ESPN360.com)
Madrid will be missing Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be out for up to four weeks after suffering an ankle sprain playing for Portugal last Saturday. Real lost 2-1 at Sevilla in the previous match-day and is now 3 points back of the undefeated Barcelona. Madrid will also be missing Guti, Fernando Gago, Christoph Metzelder, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but will get Lassana Diarra and Alvaro Arbeloa back from injury.
16:00 ET Saturday
Valencia v. Barcelona (GolTV)
Barcelona midfielder Xavi should be fit in time to factor in Saturday’s contest after picking up a knee problem while on duty for Spain. Thierry Henry, however, will be out for about ten days after obtaining a thigh injury in a 3-1 win over Austria on Wednesday. A win for Barcelona would give them a record-setting seven straight wins to start the season.
Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Juventus v. Fiorentina (FSC)
14:45 ET Saturday
Genoa v. Inter Milan
14:45 ET Sunday
AC Milan v. AS Roma
AC Milan are not happy with the lengthy injury to Oguchi Onyewu incurred in the final minutes of the USA’s thrilling qualifier vs. Costa Rica: "I'm very angry because once again the national teams take our players and we have to pay the consequences of injuries," complained Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani on Thursday. "We demand compensation from the American Federation because we cannot pay the salary of a player who cannot play for six months." Note that the quote mainly focuses on the fact that they will have to pay Onyewu, not on the fact that Onyewu won’t be able to play. While this injury will hurt Milan’s depth at the back, Gooch’s non-existent playing time for Milan indicates this will not be a fatal blow to the side. Roma and Milan are floundering in the league, at 8th and 12th respectively after 7 matches, and both teams will see this game as a launching pad back up to the top of the table.
MLS
6:00 PM ET Saturday
New England Revolution v. Chicago Fire (FSC)
The Revolution welcome the Fire in a vital Eastern Conference showdown. There are two games left in the season and the Fire lead the Revolution 41 points to 38 for second place in the East. Only the top two teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs automatically, with 4 other spots allocated to the next 4 best teams regardless of conference, so whichever team comes in third is likely to still sneak into the playoffs, though second place is preferred due to seeding. Also, the Fire are in a heated battle to remain in the top 6 in the league, which would assure them of a place in the U.S. Open Cup in 2010.
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Saturday
SC Freiburg v. Bayern Munich
VfB Stuttgart v. Schalke 04
Werder Bremen v. TSG Hoffenheim
12:30 ET Saturday
Hamburg SV v. Bayer Leverkusen (GolTV)
These two teams are tied atop the table after 8 games in the Bundesliga. It will be a reunion of sorts for Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia, who was the coach of Leverkusen last season when they narrowly missed out on a place in Europe.
Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v. SV Salzburg
After 10 games, Salzburg has 23 points to Austria Vienna’s 20 points in the Austrian Bundesliga. This is a key top-of-the-table clash before both teams take part in mid-week Europa League matches. Salzburg will host Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, while Austria Vienna welcomes German squad Werder Bremen, both formidable opponents.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Can the Blackhawks Win with Huet or Niemi?
Let me preface this by saying I’m not the most intelligent hockey fan, but I’m trying to learn on the fly.
The Chicago Blackhawks have started this season with earning 9 points out of a possible 12 and that’s largely thanks to the incredible offense the Hawks have been able to generate. There is no question that this Hawks team is likely a playoff team once again this season but the real question is can the Hawks make it to and win the Stanley Cup Finals this season with either Cristobal Huet or Antti Niemi between the pipes? Clearly all Hawks fan remember Monday night when Huet and Niemi combined to allow 5 goals in the first period, but the offense was able to battle back and complete the biggest comeback in franchise history. And based on the early results, I think the Hawks will be fine all season with either goaltender in the game. The reason is the offense is just so good and they don’t even have Marian Hossa or Adam Burish yet.
The Hawks are playing a style of hockey that allows them to control the puck far more than their opponents do. This can be seen through the shots per game compared the shots against per game the Hawks have this season. They are averaging an incredible 37.5 shots per game and are allowing just 21.7 shots per. It’s commonsense, a team can’t score unless they have the puck and so far this season the Hawks have been able to hold on to the puck. This style can continue to be effective for the Blackhawks and will be even better when everyone is back healthy. I also think more playing time to Niemi will push Huet to realize that his starting spot wasn’t guaranteed and he needs to work hard to earn any playing time he may receive. I think we’ll see an increase in production from Huet and really the Hawks just need a goalie who is competent and can make a handful of saves because this Blackhawk offense will make sure the defense and goaltender will not face many shots this season.
The Chicago Blackhawks have started this season with earning 9 points out of a possible 12 and that’s largely thanks to the incredible offense the Hawks have been able to generate. There is no question that this Hawks team is likely a playoff team once again this season but the real question is can the Hawks make it to and win the Stanley Cup Finals this season with either Cristobal Huet or Antti Niemi between the pipes? Clearly all Hawks fan remember Monday night when Huet and Niemi combined to allow 5 goals in the first period, but the offense was able to battle back and complete the biggest comeback in franchise history. And based on the early results, I think the Hawks will be fine all season with either goaltender in the game. The reason is the offense is just so good and they don’t even have Marian Hossa or Adam Burish yet.
The Hawks are playing a style of hockey that allows them to control the puck far more than their opponents do. This can be seen through the shots per game compared the shots against per game the Hawks have this season. They are averaging an incredible 37.5 shots per game and are allowing just 21.7 shots per. It’s commonsense, a team can’t score unless they have the puck and so far this season the Hawks have been able to hold on to the puck. This style can continue to be effective for the Blackhawks and will be even better when everyone is back healthy. I also think more playing time to Niemi will push Huet to realize that his starting spot wasn’t guaranteed and he needs to work hard to earn any playing time he may receive. I think we’ll see an increase in production from Huet and really the Hawks just need a goalie who is competent and can make a handful of saves because this Blackhawk offense will make sure the defense and goaltender will not face many shots this season.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
World Cup Qualifying Progresses
23 of the 32 teams that will be participating in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa next summer have punched their tickets, with 9 spots up for grabs in key match-ups in mid-November. Here are the teams that have already qualified:
The remaining 9 spots will be decided by playoffs and the final group stage games in Africa. The playoffs are as follows:
UEFA
The teams from Pot A (higher ranked teams) will be randomly drawn against the teams from Pot B (lower ranked teams), and will play home and away legs on November 14 and 18. The decision to rank teams in this manner instead of in a free draw has drawn some criticism, as it seems as if FIFA wants to protect its big name teams (and players, namely Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo) to ensure there is enough public interest in the tournament. Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was particularly upset, claiming, “"Had they stated the rules from day one then that would have been fair on everyone. We deserved to finish second, Russia and Portugal deserved to finish second, so I do not see how it should be different for them and for us. You would just like to think it would be fair for everyone. Why should these teams get preferential treatment? It should be the same for everyone." Still, the playoffs will offer some of the biggest drama the football world will see until the World Cup Finals come around next June.
AFC/Oceania
Bahrain and New Zealand have played the first leg of their two-legged playoff, a 0-0 draw in Bahrain, and the second leg is to come November 14 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. A draw of one or more goals sends Bahrain to its first World Cup in the country’s history via the away goals rule, while a New Zealand win on home soil would send it to its first World Cup since 1982, where they went winless and got outscored 12-2 in three matches. Though neither team will be expected to make much noise next summer, this will still be a racket of a match, with national glory on the line.
CONMEBOL/CONCACAF
In two of the more dramatic regions, a spot in the World Cup will come down to a two-legged playoff between Uruguay and Costa Rica, to be played in Costa Rica on November 14 and Uruguay on November 18. Argentina came within 4 points of needing to qualify via this playoff, needing a 1-0 win at Uruguay on the final match-day of qualifying to help ensure their spot in South Africa. On that same day, Costa Rica was within minutes of qualifying automatically, until a stunning Jonathan Bornstein goal in the 5th minute of extra time gave the USA a draw, and took away two essential points from Costa Rica, sending Honduras to South Africa. These are two fantastic teams with fantastic fan bases that are more passionate about football than anything else.
CAF
In group A, Cameroon leads Gabon 10 points to 9 with one match left each, with Cameroon traveling to Morocco and Gabon traveling to Togo on November 14. Both teams should be favorites to win their respective games, which would ensure Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon a spot in the World Cup.
In Group B, Tunisia leads Nigeria 11 points to 9. The teams are even on goal differential, so a Nigeria win at Kenya and Tunisia draw at Mozambique would send Nigeria to the World Cup. For Tunisia, it is win and you’re in.
In Group C, Algeria leads Egypt 13 points to 10, with the colossal match-up of Algeria at Egypt to come on November 14. Algeria has a +7 GD while Egypt is a +3, so Egypt needs at least 2 goal win. This would give both teams a +5 GD and 9 goals scored. In this case, the group winner and South Africa-bound team would be decided by a random draw or playoff (I hope to God it’s a playoff…). If Egypt wins by more than 3 goals, they are in the World Cup.
Surprise Teams Left Out
Croatia: Highest ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings that will not make it, at 9th.
Czech Republic: A Czech tabloid offered European minnows San Marino a large sum of money if they were to beat Slovenia, which would have allowed the Czechs a chance at qualifying. However, San Marino lost 3-0, wrapping up their qualifying campaign with an 0-0-10 record, getting outscored 47-1.
Bulgaria: The fighting Dimitar Berbatovs finished third behind Italy and Ireland in their group.
6th ranked Russia and 10th ranked France will both be involved in nerve-wracking qualifiers to make it to South Africa.
| UEFA (Europe) | AFC (Asia) |
| Denmark | Australia |
| England | Japan |
| Germany | North Korea |
| Italy | South Korea |
| Netherlands | CONMEBOL (South America) |
| Serbia | Argentina |
| Slovakia | Brazil |
| Spain | Chile |
| Switzerland | Paraguay |
| CONCACAF (North America) | CAF (Africa) |
| Honduras | Ghana |
| Mexico | Ivory Coast |
| USA | South Africa (host nation) |
The remaining 9 spots will be decided by playoffs and the final group stage games in Africa. The playoffs are as follows:
UEFA
| Pot A | Pot B |
| France Greece Portugal Russia | Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Ireland Slovenia Ukraine |
The teams from Pot A (higher ranked teams) will be randomly drawn against the teams from Pot B (lower ranked teams), and will play home and away legs on November 14 and 18. The decision to rank teams in this manner instead of in a free draw has drawn some criticism, as it seems as if FIFA wants to protect its big name teams (and players, namely Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo) to ensure there is enough public interest in the tournament. Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was particularly upset, claiming, “"Had they stated the rules from day one then that would have been fair on everyone. We deserved to finish second, Russia and Portugal deserved to finish second, so I do not see how it should be different for them and for us. You would just like to think it would be fair for everyone. Why should these teams get preferential treatment? It should be the same for everyone." Still, the playoffs will offer some of the biggest drama the football world will see until the World Cup Finals come around next June.
AFC/Oceania
Bahrain and New Zealand have played the first leg of their two-legged playoff, a 0-0 draw in Bahrain, and the second leg is to come November 14 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. A draw of one or more goals sends Bahrain to its first World Cup in the country’s history via the away goals rule, while a New Zealand win on home soil would send it to its first World Cup since 1982, where they went winless and got outscored 12-2 in three matches. Though neither team will be expected to make much noise next summer, this will still be a racket of a match, with national glory on the line.
CONMEBOL/CONCACAF
In two of the more dramatic regions, a spot in the World Cup will come down to a two-legged playoff between Uruguay and Costa Rica, to be played in Costa Rica on November 14 and Uruguay on November 18. Argentina came within 4 points of needing to qualify via this playoff, needing a 1-0 win at Uruguay on the final match-day of qualifying to help ensure their spot in South Africa. On that same day, Costa Rica was within minutes of qualifying automatically, until a stunning Jonathan Bornstein goal in the 5th minute of extra time gave the USA a draw, and took away two essential points from Costa Rica, sending Honduras to South Africa. These are two fantastic teams with fantastic fan bases that are more passionate about football than anything else.
CAF
In group A, Cameroon leads Gabon 10 points to 9 with one match left each, with Cameroon traveling to Morocco and Gabon traveling to Togo on November 14. Both teams should be favorites to win their respective games, which would ensure Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon a spot in the World Cup.
In Group B, Tunisia leads Nigeria 11 points to 9. The teams are even on goal differential, so a Nigeria win at Kenya and Tunisia draw at Mozambique would send Nigeria to the World Cup. For Tunisia, it is win and you’re in.
In Group C, Algeria leads Egypt 13 points to 10, with the colossal match-up of Algeria at Egypt to come on November 14. Algeria has a +7 GD while Egypt is a +3, so Egypt needs at least 2 goal win. This would give both teams a +5 GD and 9 goals scored. In this case, the group winner and South Africa-bound team would be decided by a random draw or playoff (I hope to God it’s a playoff…). If Egypt wins by more than 3 goals, they are in the World Cup.
Surprise Teams Left Out
Croatia: Highest ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings that will not make it, at 9th.
Czech Republic: A Czech tabloid offered European minnows San Marino a large sum of money if they were to beat Slovenia, which would have allowed the Czechs a chance at qualifying. However, San Marino lost 3-0, wrapping up their qualifying campaign with an 0-0-10 record, getting outscored 47-1.
Bulgaria: The fighting Dimitar Berbatovs finished third behind Italy and Ireland in their group.
6th ranked Russia and 10th ranked France will both be involved in nerve-wracking qualifiers to make it to South Africa.
Top 25 College Football Picks
Let’s see how I fare when it comes to picking college football games for this week:
Wednesday Game
Tulsa over Boise State
Thursday Game
South Florida over Cincinnati: South Florida is a good team that will finally get a lot of recognition after Thursday night, if they were at home I’d say Cincinnati pulls it out but on the road on Thursday night it just reeks of an upset.
Saturday Games
Iowa over Wisconsin: The Vegas oddsmakers have the Hawkeyes as at least a 2 ½ point underdog going into Madison, the Hawkeyes defense will step up and stop John Clay and force Scott Tolzien into bad decisions all day, Hawks with the win.
Florida over Arkansas: This game could possibly be closer than the 24 point line Vegas is giving the Gators, but Florida should pull it off.
Alabama over South Carolina: Alabama is just too good for even one of the best Spurrier teams in recent memory to pull the upset.
Texas over Oklahoma: The Red River Shoot Out should be a good one, Texas had to be looking ahead to this game last week when they played Colorado and they’ll hit on all cylinders this weekend and provide an entertaining game with the Sooners.
Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech: Virginia Tech will be able to contain the triple option attack of Georgia Tech and continue to open eyes as they win on the road.
Notre Dame over USC: The Irish actually have a legitimate shot at winning this game this weekend in South Bend. They have as good of an offense as ever and they’ll be going up against one of Pete Carroll’s weaker USC teams. Charlie Weis will get his first signature win for the Irish and start to validate that insane contract that he signed when he “almost beat USC.”
Ohio State over Purdue
Miami over Central Florida
TCU over Colorado St.
Penn State over Minnesota
Nebraska over Texas Tech
Oklahoma State over Missouri
Kansas over Colorado
BYU over San Diego State
Houston over Tulane
Utah over UNLV
Wednesday Game
Tulsa over Boise State
Thursday Game
South Florida over Cincinnati: South Florida is a good team that will finally get a lot of recognition after Thursday night, if they were at home I’d say Cincinnati pulls it out but on the road on Thursday night it just reeks of an upset.
Saturday Games
Iowa over Wisconsin: The Vegas oddsmakers have the Hawkeyes as at least a 2 ½ point underdog going into Madison, the Hawkeyes defense will step up and stop John Clay and force Scott Tolzien into bad decisions all day, Hawks with the win.
Florida over Arkansas: This game could possibly be closer than the 24 point line Vegas is giving the Gators, but Florida should pull it off.
Alabama over South Carolina: Alabama is just too good for even one of the best Spurrier teams in recent memory to pull the upset.
Texas over Oklahoma: The Red River Shoot Out should be a good one, Texas had to be looking ahead to this game last week when they played Colorado and they’ll hit on all cylinders this weekend and provide an entertaining game with the Sooners.
Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech: Virginia Tech will be able to contain the triple option attack of Georgia Tech and continue to open eyes as they win on the road.
Notre Dame over USC: The Irish actually have a legitimate shot at winning this game this weekend in South Bend. They have as good of an offense as ever and they’ll be going up against one of Pete Carroll’s weaker USC teams. Charlie Weis will get his first signature win for the Irish and start to validate that insane contract that he signed when he “almost beat USC.”
Ohio State over Purdue
Miami over Central Florida
TCU over Colorado St.
Penn State over Minnesota
Nebraska over Texas Tech
Oklahoma State over Missouri
Kansas over Colorado
BYU over San Diego State
Houston over Tulane
Utah over UNLV
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Cutler vs. Orton, What Team got the Better Deal?
Today I called Tom a “supORTON” (Supporter of Kyle Orton, thanks to Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 for that nickname) because he believes that Orton can do anything that Jay Cutler can do and to defend himself he asked me what team had the better record. That got me thinking, would the Bears be undefeated with Kyle Orton still the signal caller in the Windy City? Simple answer is no, because I don’t think Orton has the ability to make the throws late in the fourth quarter that Cutler made against Pittsburgh and Seattle. Do I think that Cutler would be undefeated if he was still with the Broncos? Yes, I do because the offensive weapons in Denver coupled with the offensive mind of Josh McDaniels are just great. But I still think this trade will go down as a great one for both teams. Whether or not Orton is the long-term answer at quarterback for Denver is debatable but with the amount of draft picks the Broncos got and the ability of McDaniels to coach Orton is reason enough to say this deal has worked out for the Broncos already.
Orton was a quarterback in Chicago that didn’t have a pool of talent that matched his skill set. Orton is a quarterback who needs receivers that can catch a short to middle distance pass and then use his strength to break it for a touchdown (look to Brandon Marshall a couple of weeks ago for proof). He didn’t have that in Chicago, he instead had guys who were fast, who needed the ball thrown deep and with accuracy down the field for them to be successful. Receivers like Devin Hester and Mushin Muhammad while in Chicago were not guys who could catch a ball and then use his strength to break tackles and make a big play. He now has the ability to throw the ball to Marshall and Eddie Royal and let them go get the ball and then make a play, Cutler was able to do that but he’s a guy the Bears can stretch the field with now.
Out of Vanderbilt, Cutler was constantly compared to Brett Favre as having the same gunslinger mentality and a strong and accurate arm to match. Now in Chicago, Cutler will be asked to show off the arm at times and throw the ball deep for speedsters like Hester and Johnny Knox. He’s also going to be asked to be the leader for this offense, something I don’t recall seeing with Orton while in Chicago. Cutler has the characteristics of a leader, he’s got that cockiness to him that can rub people the wrong way but it’s something that to me shows that he belongs on the field with the best of the NFL (I compare it to A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox). He certainly needs to learn how to channel that cockiness so he doesn’t appear to be a spoiled baby and so far I think he’s been able to show great maturity in handling the excessive expectations that have been put on him since coming to the Bears.
Overall, this has proved to be a great trade for both teams six weeks into the NFL season and long-term it should be looked upon as a trade that benefited both teams.
Orton was a quarterback in Chicago that didn’t have a pool of talent that matched his skill set. Orton is a quarterback who needs receivers that can catch a short to middle distance pass and then use his strength to break it for a touchdown (look to Brandon Marshall a couple of weeks ago for proof). He didn’t have that in Chicago, he instead had guys who were fast, who needed the ball thrown deep and with accuracy down the field for them to be successful. Receivers like Devin Hester and Mushin Muhammad while in Chicago were not guys who could catch a ball and then use his strength to break tackles and make a big play. He now has the ability to throw the ball to Marshall and Eddie Royal and let them go get the ball and then make a play, Cutler was able to do that but he’s a guy the Bears can stretch the field with now.
Out of Vanderbilt, Cutler was constantly compared to Brett Favre as having the same gunslinger mentality and a strong and accurate arm to match. Now in Chicago, Cutler will be asked to show off the arm at times and throw the ball deep for speedsters like Hester and Johnny Knox. He’s also going to be asked to be the leader for this offense, something I don’t recall seeing with Orton while in Chicago. Cutler has the characteristics of a leader, he’s got that cockiness to him that can rub people the wrong way but it’s something that to me shows that he belongs on the field with the best of the NFL (I compare it to A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox). He certainly needs to learn how to channel that cockiness so he doesn’t appear to be a spoiled baby and so far I think he’s been able to show great maturity in handling the excessive expectations that have been put on him since coming to the Bears.
Overall, this has proved to be a great trade for both teams six weeks into the NFL season and long-term it should be looked upon as a trade that benefited both teams.
Monday, October 12, 2009
My College Football Top 25
Well with the College Football regular season 6 weeks old I figure it's as good of time as any to lay out what I think the top 25 teams in the nation are, here it is:
1. Florida – This is really close between the Gators and Alabama, but there is just so much talent on that Florida team and combined with Tebow’s determination they would probably beat any team on any day.
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech – They certainly benefit from playing in the ACC, but in a year where it’s Florida, Alabama, Texas and then everybody else, they’re right there.
5. Iowa – Now I’ll come right out and say I’m probably biased with ranking the Hawkeyes this highly. That being said, I know how this team is capable of playing and the defense and special teams have been outstanding so far and the offense should continue to get better as most Kirk Ferentz teams do.
6. USC
7. Boise State – Being undefeated is worth something, even if you play in the WAC. They’ll be in a BCS game as long as their record stays unblemished.
8. Ohio State
9. Miami
10. TCU – Great defense and a good team, they probably won’t make a BCS bowl if Boise State stays undefeated but they’re a good team.
11. Cincinnati
12. LSU
13. Oregon – Their matchup with USC in two weeks will likely determine the Pac-10 champ. A win against the Trojans could give the Big Ten a new opponent in the Rose Bowl.
14. Penn State
15. Kansas – Undefeated gets you ahead of other schools in your conference.
16. Nebraska
17. Oklahoma State – inconsistency paired with the possible ineligibility of Dez Bryant could put a damper on the Cowboys’ season.
18. BYU – They beat an OU team with great expectations but then got blown out by a bad Florida State team, not sure what BYU can bring to the table.
19. Georgia Tech
20. South Florida – consistent success coupled with Florida State failure could vault USF ahead in terms of Florida schools.
21. South Carolina
22. Notre Dame – People hate on Notre Dame way too much. They’re 4-1, playing respectable schools, the defense still has questions to be answered but a win against USC would legitimize Notre Dame’s season.
23. Houston
24. Utah
25. Pittsburgh
Compare it to the real polls: www.espn.go.com/college-football/rankings
1. Florida – This is really close between the Gators and Alabama, but there is just so much talent on that Florida team and combined with Tebow’s determination they would probably beat any team on any day.
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech – They certainly benefit from playing in the ACC, but in a year where it’s Florida, Alabama, Texas and then everybody else, they’re right there.
5. Iowa – Now I’ll come right out and say I’m probably biased with ranking the Hawkeyes this highly. That being said, I know how this team is capable of playing and the defense and special teams have been outstanding so far and the offense should continue to get better as most Kirk Ferentz teams do.
6. USC
7. Boise State – Being undefeated is worth something, even if you play in the WAC. They’ll be in a BCS game as long as their record stays unblemished.
8. Ohio State
9. Miami
10. TCU – Great defense and a good team, they probably won’t make a BCS bowl if Boise State stays undefeated but they’re a good team.
11. Cincinnati
12. LSU
13. Oregon – Their matchup with USC in two weeks will likely determine the Pac-10 champ. A win against the Trojans could give the Big Ten a new opponent in the Rose Bowl.
14. Penn State
15. Kansas – Undefeated gets you ahead of other schools in your conference.
16. Nebraska
17. Oklahoma State – inconsistency paired with the possible ineligibility of Dez Bryant could put a damper on the Cowboys’ season.
18. BYU – They beat an OU team with great expectations but then got blown out by a bad Florida State team, not sure what BYU can bring to the table.
19. Georgia Tech
20. South Florida – consistent success coupled with Florida State failure could vault USF ahead in terms of Florida schools.
21. South Carolina
22. Notre Dame – People hate on Notre Dame way too much. They’re 4-1, playing respectable schools, the defense still has questions to be answered but a win against USC would legitimize Notre Dame’s season.
23. Houston
24. Utah
25. Pittsburgh
Compare it to the real polls: www.espn.go.com/college-football/rankings
Monday, July 20, 2009
Under 27 MLB Team
Well here's attempt #2 to get IHOB back off the ground and hopefully with Summer somewhat coming to a close we'll have some more time to write up entries.
I'm sure when most you play a sports video game that carries a dynasty option and a fantasy draft option you like to find a way to make the best team possible. I'm no exception so I thought if I could build a MLB team of players all 27 years old or younger what would it look like? Well here's my roster of guys with a backup at each position as well as a starting rotation and closer:
C: Joe Mauer - 26 Years Old
Who wouldn't want a potential batting champ every year behind the plate?
Backup: Matt Wieters - 23 Years Old.
1B: Miguel Cabrera - 26 Years Old
He puts up 30+ Homers and 100+ RBI year in and year out, somehow I still think he flies under the radar to most people.
Backup: Prince Fielder - 25 Years Old
2B: Ian Kinsler - 27 Years Old
2B was hard to find a young stud but Kinsler just sneaks in at 27 years old.
Backup: Aaron Hill - 27 Years Old
3B: Evan Longoria - 24 Years Old
Probably the easiest pick for me when I decided to do this, the man is amazing and could be one of the best 3B ever when he's done.
Backup: Gordon Beckham - 23 Years Old
SS: Hanley Ramirez - 26 Years Old
He can do it all, run, hit and field, he would probably bat leadoff for this squad but it is obviously something he can handle.
Backup: Jose Reyes - 26 Years Old
OF: B.J. Upton - 25, Adam Jones - 24, Justin Upton - 22
These guys are great athletes just ready to break out as future stars in baseball.
Backups: Dexter Fowler - 23, Colby Rasmus - 23, Hunter Pence - 26
SP: Tim Lincecum - 25, David Price - 24, Clayton Kershaw - 21, Cole Hamels - 26, Tommy Hanson - 23
This is a rotation right now that I could throw any one of these guys in game 7 of the World Series and feel confident in my chances to win. It'll be scary when they all hit their primes.
CL: Andrew Bailey - 25
Quite frankly the closers market isn't great for young guys which is understandable because it takes a special make up to close games in Major League Baseball but Bailey as a rookie has stepped up big time for the A's this season.
Congrats to Mark Buehrle for throwing his 2nd no-hitter and this time a Perfect Game.
I'm sure when most you play a sports video game that carries a dynasty option and a fantasy draft option you like to find a way to make the best team possible. I'm no exception so I thought if I could build a MLB team of players all 27 years old or younger what would it look like? Well here's my roster of guys with a backup at each position as well as a starting rotation and closer:
C: Joe Mauer - 26 Years Old
Who wouldn't want a potential batting champ every year behind the plate?
Backup: Matt Wieters - 23 Years Old.
1B: Miguel Cabrera - 26 Years Old
He puts up 30+ Homers and 100+ RBI year in and year out, somehow I still think he flies under the radar to most people.
Backup: Prince Fielder - 25 Years Old
2B: Ian Kinsler - 27 Years Old
2B was hard to find a young stud but Kinsler just sneaks in at 27 years old.
Backup: Aaron Hill - 27 Years Old
3B: Evan Longoria - 24 Years Old
Probably the easiest pick for me when I decided to do this, the man is amazing and could be one of the best 3B ever when he's done.
Backup: Gordon Beckham - 23 Years Old
SS: Hanley Ramirez - 26 Years Old
He can do it all, run, hit and field, he would probably bat leadoff for this squad but it is obviously something he can handle.
Backup: Jose Reyes - 26 Years Old
OF: B.J. Upton - 25, Adam Jones - 24, Justin Upton - 22
These guys are great athletes just ready to break out as future stars in baseball.
Backups: Dexter Fowler - 23, Colby Rasmus - 23, Hunter Pence - 26
SP: Tim Lincecum - 25, David Price - 24, Clayton Kershaw - 21, Cole Hamels - 26, Tommy Hanson - 23
This is a rotation right now that I could throw any one of these guys in game 7 of the World Series and feel confident in my chances to win. It'll be scary when they all hit their primes.
CL: Andrew Bailey - 25
Quite frankly the closers market isn't great for young guys which is understandable because it takes a special make up to close games in Major League Baseball but Bailey as a rookie has stepped up big time for the A's this season.
Congrats to Mark Buehrle for throwing his 2nd no-hitter and this time a Perfect Game.
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