NFL Highway, Wild Card Weekend

The NFL highway has turned into a dead end for all but eight teams. What happened in the wonderful world of professional football this weekend?

On Saturday, the Washington Redskins did the expected and laid an egg in the Great Northwest, losing to Seattle, 35-14. The Seahawks returned two interceptions for touchdowns in this game. The Seahawks earned a trip to Mike Holmgren’s former home in Green Bay to face the Packers. Seattle is flying under the radar, but is a team to be reckoned with.

The best game of the weekend was Saturday night in Pittsburgh. There was no snow, only cold weather. Jacksonville won at Heinz Field for the second time in four weeks, 31-29. The Jaguars had a 28-10 lead in the third quarter. Pittsburgh came back with a vengeance, even taking a 29-28 lead before Jacksonville was able to earn a field goal and the victory. The Jags now earn the privilege of a Saturday night game in beautiful Foxboro, Massachusetts against the New England Patriots.

Another road team won on Sunday, as the New York Football Giants flexed their muscle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 24-14 victory. Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes for the Giants. The G-men now get a chance to play the Dallas Cowboys for the third time next Sunday at the stadium with a hole in the roof. The Bucs had the automatic bid from the NFC South, the NFL’s equivalent to the Mid-American Conference. They were promptly dispatched by a team from the greatest division in football, the NFC East, winners of 10 and participants in 18 Super Bowls.

In Sunday’s nightcap, the San Diego Chargers struggled for the first two and a half quarters against the Tennessee Titans. The Chargers finally broke through for two touchdowns, and won their first playoff game in 13 years with a 17-6 win over the Titans. LaDainian Tomlinson was held to 42 yards on 21 carries, but the Chargers were able to win in spite of that. The Chargers move on to a date on Sunday with Peyton Manning and the Colts in Indianapolis.

NFL Picks: Wild Card Weekend

We are now into the money week of the NFL playoffs. This is when the owners and TV networks cash in on the popularity of the league with an extra week of playoffs. The better teams are off this week on byes. It is a tall order to come out of this round of the playoffs and go on to win the Super Bowl, mainly because a winner this week will go on to play a rested, better team on the road. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl two years ago as a wild card, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Nonetheless, there will be some good games this week.

Last Week: 12-4
Season: 170-78

AFC

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (Saturday): These teams last met in December on a snowy day in Pittsburgh. Jacksonville survived a Pittsburgh comeback to win, 29-22. Now, the Steelers are without star RB Willie Parker, and are stumbling to the finish line. The Jags are good enough to make noise in these playoffs. Pick: Jacksonville

Tennessee at San Diego (Sunday): These teams met in November in Nashville, when the Titans gave up a big lead only to lose to the Chargers in overtime. The Chargers started slowly, but finished with the #3 seed in the playoffs. Norv Turner’s job is safe, after all. The Chargers have a habit of losing home playoff games. They win one this week. Pick: San Diego

NFC

Washington at Seattle (Saturday): The Redskins have won their last four games behind backup quarterback Todd Collins, while mourning the death of S Sean Taylor. The Seahawks rolled to another NFC West title. This is the toughest trip in football, with the combination of the Seahawks’ outdoor home field advantage and the long trip to Seattle. Redskins run out of gas. Pick: Seattle

New York Giants at Tampa Bay (Sunday): The Giants gave the mighty Patriots all they wanted for three quarters last week. The Bucs have been in neutral for the last month after clinching the weak NFC South. Tampa Bay puts it together for one game this week, with the return of QB Jeff Garcia. Pick: Tampa Bay

If You're Not First..

"If you're not first, you're last!" - Ricky Bobby

That is the sentiment of a large portion of Sooner Nation, after OU lost its fourth consecutive BCS bowl game Wednesday night. The Sooners were pounded by West Virginia, 48-28. The game shouldn't have been that close. In Norman, it's National Championship or Bust. Right now, it's Bowl Win or Bust.

It's a good thing bowl games are meaningless exhibitions.

The real game is Monday night, when Ohio State plays LSU for the crystal football.

On Frozen Pond

While there were bowl games all over the tube on New Year’s Day, NBC presented a treat. The NHL gave us the Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic. It was an outdoor hockey game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was good stuff.

The game drew over 71,000 spectators in the cold, sleet, and snow of Buffalo, the largest crowd in the history of the NHL. It was great television. At times during the game, attendants had to go out onto the ice and clear freshly fallen snow and ice. Wind and cold were a factor in the game, just as in football. It was a throwback to when players were growing up playing on frozen ponds and backyards. Oh, yeah, Pittsburgh won the game, 3-2 in a shootout. The NHL's new phenom Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal for the Penguins.

The NHL needs things like this to put it back on the map in this country. Outdoor games won’t work all the time, but one game a year, presented as a big event, would be great for the sport.

Bowl Picks, Part 3

Last set: 7-7 (yikes!)
Bowl picks to date: 10-9 (ouch!)
Overall: 192-103

January brings us more bowls, including the vaunted BCS. Here’s hoping these picks are better than the last set.

AT&T Cotton Bowl at Dallas, Missouri vs. Arkansas: Mizzou was hosed by the BCS. Arkansas got a better bowl as a result of their season-ending upset win over LSU. Since then, Arkansas has entered into a coaching transition, having pawned Houston Nutt off on Ole Miss, and stealing Bobby Petrino from the Atlanta Falcons. Reggie Herring is coaching the bowl game for the Hogs, in preparation for his new gig as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. Is that confusing? I thought so. Pick: Missouri

Outback Bowl at Tampa, Tennessee vs. Wisconsin: Tennessee won the SEC East, thanks in part to a win over Georgia in October. This was a slow year in the Big Ten. Nonetheless, there are a lot of cheeseheads in Tampa this week. Go with the SEC in this one. Pick: Tennessee

Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Michigan vs. Florida: Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow leads the mighty Gators against the best of a bunch of Big Ten also-rans in Michigan. Michigan is playing their last game under retiring coach Lloyd Carr. Speed kills. Florida has speed. Pick: Florida

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Texas Tech vs. Virginia: UVa has won a bunch of close games this year to land themselves in a New Year’s Day bowl. They haven’t seen anything close to Tech’s offense, however. Tech will sling it around in this one. Pick: Red Raiders

International Bowl at Toronto, Rutgers vs. Ball State: This will be played on Saturday. Ball State was the third MAC team eligible for a bowl game. Rutgers has had a disappointing season. Who would have ever thought a disappointing season would still end in a bowl game for Rutgers? Pick: Scarlet Knights

GMAC Bowl at Mobile, AL, Tulsa vs. Bowling Green: Bowling Green has a lot of tickets to sell to this thing, so they are trying to market tickets to Ohio State fans in nearby New Orleans for the BCS national championship game. On the field, Tulsa should be able to handle the Falcons. Pick: Tulsa

BCS
Rose Bowl at Pasadena, CA, USC vs. Illinois: The biggest farce of a matchup in all of bowldom this season. Illinois is a nice team, but they’re no USC. The Illini was the only Big Ten team outside Ohio State that qualified for a BCS bowl. Therefore, the Rose Bowl took them, because the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten are engaged in an evil plot to control college football. Maybe not evil, but pretty close to it. USC is healthy once again, and looks ready to beat anyone who chooses to mess with them. Trojans win the Sugar Bowl pre-game show. Pick: USC

Sugar Bowl at New Orleans, Georgia vs. Hawaii: OU vs. Boise State, Part II. The upstart underdog from the WAC meets the hottest team in the SEC. Going out on a limb here, but I’m picking the team from the islands. Pick: Hawaii

Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, AZ, Oklahoma vs. West Virginia: Two teams that had a chance to play in the BCS championship game, but lost some inexplicable games among the way. OU sent a player home (Demarcus Granger) for shoplifting, while WVU has been in the midst of a contentious coaching search after Rich Rodriguez bolted for Meatchicken. I’m a homer. This blog always picks the Sooners. Pick: OU

Orange Bowl at Miami, Virginia Tech vs. Kansas: KU has had a great year. Problem is, they only played one good team all year, and lost to Missouri. This big bowl thing is new to them. Tech bounced back from a 41-point whipping by LSU and a gag job against Boston College to win the ACC. Tech represents the ACC well in this one. Pick: Virginia Tech

BCS National Championship Game at New Orleans, Ohio State vs. LSU: Ohio State is the beneficiary of a weak Big Ten, getting through the regular season with only one loss. LSU is the best of a bunch of two-loss teams. Both of the Tigers’ losses were in multiple overtime. Throw in the virtual homefield in the Superdome, and it will be hard for the Buckeyes to get out alive. Plus, it’s the SEC vs. the Big Ten. Pick: LSU

Just Another Night In San Antonio

This Texas A&M fan was caught eating boogers on national TV at the Alamo Bowl last Saturday night. Enjoy...

NFL Highway, Week 17

We are near the end of the highway. Actually, we’ve reached the suburbs, as the playoffs are here, and Super Bowl XLII is the destination.

This week’s trip down NFL Highway:

The Dallas Cowboys appeared Sunday in Washington. Well, sort of. QB Tony Romo only played for a half, and the Cowboys went through the motions as they were pounded by the Washington Redskins, 27-6. The Redskins thus qualify for the playoffs, and get to go to Seattle for a playoff game on Saturday.

The other playoff spot in doubt was in the AFC, where the Tennessee Titans needed to win in Indianapolis to make the playoffs. The Colts had nothing to play for, as their playoff position was locked. Indy benched Peyton Manning in the second quarter, and Vince Young was injured in the second half for the Titans. Kerry Collins came off the bench for the Titans and led them to three second half field goals.

Some other notable NFL happenings:

The Cleveland Browns won on Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers, and finished 10-6. They missed the playoffs, however, on a tiebreaker with the Titans. The Browns blew their chance for control of their own destiny last week in Cincinnati. Still, it was an unexpected big season on the North Coast of Ohio. Now, the Browns must decide whether to keep this season’s star QB Derek Anderson, or this year’s #1 draft pick Brady Quinn.

The Houston Texans earned their franchise record 8th win on Sunday with a 42-28 victory over playoff-bound Jacksonville. This was in spite of a rash of injuries that placed almost 20 players on the injured list. The Texans demonstrated the strength of the AFC South by finishing in last place with an 8-8 record. They were the only team in the division to not make the playoffs.

Also finishing in last place with an 8-8 record are the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-9 winners over Buffalo. With Washington’s win, the Eagles are the only NFC East team to not make the playoffs.

The Miami Dolphins finished an awful season at 1-15. They are guaranteed the top pick in April’s draft. Bill Parcells has been hired to blow up the entire football operation and to rebuild it.

More NFL rumblings later…

A Few People Are Making Money

Scott Reid of the Orange County Register this week produced a great series of articles on the business of college bowls. What a racket!

The bowl system is a method of filling hotel rooms in host cities, and of filling bowl officials’ pockets. A majority of them enjoy a dubious non-profit status as charitable organizations. While the bowls do perform some good work in their communities, their foremost purpose is not charity, but economic development. The bowls also spend an enormous amount of money lobbying government officials and entertaining college administrators.

Most schools actually do not make money on bowl games, after expenses are taken into account. Both Florida and Ohio State ran a combined deficit of $600,000 on last year’s trip to the BCS national championship game. Teams going to lesser bowls are required to sell a certain amount of tickets, and often have to eat large amounts of unsold tickets.

I’m not going to reproduce his articles here, but here are some highlights:

Gary Cavalli, executive director of the San Francisco Bowl Game Association, which puts on the Emerald Bowl. Cavalli received $362,018 in compensation and employee benefits in 2006, accounting for 11 percent of the bowl's budget. The game cleared $271,412. In a filing with the IRS, Cavalli said he works 35 hours a week.

What a gig! The guy gets to live in San Francisco, with a job wining and dining corporate people and college presidents and athletic directors. He’s got it made.

Also, the following schools lost their shirts on unsold tickets and bowl expenses:

Northern Illinois, 2006 Poinsettia Bowl: NIU sent 434 people to San Diego, costing the school about $916,800 in expenses. The school's share of the payout was $598,901, leaving NIU with a $317,898 deficit, more than the school spent last year on six of its nine women's sports combined.

Ohio University, 2006 GMAC Bowl: Former Nebraska coach Frank Solich led Ohio to its first bowl appearance since 1968. The celebration in Athens, however, was short-lived. A $277,550 bowl deficit was more than an athletic department already awash in red ink and facing Title IX sanctions could take. The university was forced to dip into general reserve funds to pay the bowl tab and just weeks after the game the school dropped track, swimming and lacrosse, leaving 383 athletes without teams. Ohio spent less than $200,000 annually on the three dropped programs.

And, there's Coach Fran and our friends at Texas A&M:

The Aggies ran up a Texas-sized deficit — $489,978 — in San Diego. A&M's awards expenditures explain some of the red ink. The Aggies spent nearly as much on awards for players and staff — $133,645 — as Florida and Ohio State did combined. Two years earlier, A&M spent $198,395 on awards at the Cotton Bowl.

The bowl system is the biggest crock of bovine excrement out there. I’m no fan of the NCAA and their politically correct, pointy-headed approach. However, a handful of people are holding college football hostage, both politically and financially.

I have no problem with generating large sums of revenue. However, it is not worth it to take a bath on a bowl trip, and to cut athletic programs and scholarships as a result.

Another thought, anathema to proud alumni everywhere: If schools from conferences such as the MAC are going to lose large sums of money on bowl trips, perhaps they should move to the Football Championship Subdivision, where they can play in a less-expensive playoff system and contend for championships.

Links:

Special Report: Price of Success
Special Report: College Football's Money Bowl
Special Report: Having a Party
Special Report: Bowl Calculators in Overdrive

Now, to get ready for that titanic bowl game in Shreveport between 6-6 Colorado and 6-6 Alabama. Because, it's not Pearl Harbor. It's Division I football.

NFL Picks, Week 17

We have made it to the end of the regular season. Several games will be important. Several games will be unimportant. Among the events of the upcoming weekend:

• New England has a chance to become the first team to complete a regular season at 16-0.
• The Tennessee Titans can make the playoffs with a win. The Cleveland Browns’ fate is dependent on the Titans, whether they win or lose this week.
• Washington is in the playoffs with a win. Minnesota can still make the playoffs with a win and a Redskins loss. New Orleans can make the playoffs with a win and losses by Washington and Minnesota.

No game is totally unimportant. These are professionals. Even on the worst teams, guys are playing for their jobs and for future contracts.

On with the picks…

Last week: 10-6
Season: 158-74

Dallas at Washington: The Cowboys have nothing to play for, having clinched the NFC East and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They owe it to themselves to give their starters as much rest as possible. Washington can make the playoffs with a win. Dallas owes it to the Vikings and the league to try to beat the Redskins, and to preserve the integrity of the game. The truth will fall somewhere in the middle. The ‘Skins will most likely be playing starters against Cowboy backups. They ought to win. But, this is a Cowboy homer blog. This blog has picked the Cowboys to win 15 times this year. Make that 16. Pick: Dallas

New England at New York Giants: The bang-to-hype ratio is way out of whack on this game. If the Pats were 14-1, this game would have all the appeal of a lobotomy. Neither team can improve or lose playoff position. Both teams have reason to rest lots of starters Saturday night. But, the Pats are 15-0, and have the chance to finish a perfect regular season Saturday night. Thus, the eyes of the world will be on Giants Stadium Saturday night. The Giants will be preparing for next week’s playoff date in Tampa. Pats win. Pick: New England

Seattle at Atlanta: Seahawks have clinched the third playoff seed in the NFC. They have the next best thing to a bye: a game with the hapless Falcons. Seattle will play lots of backups this week. Pick: Atlanta

New Orleans at Chicago: Rematch of last year’s NFC championship game. This game was scheduled with lots of potential playoff implications. Instead, the Bears are preparing for the off-season, and the Saints have a slight chance at the playoffs. Chicago kicked Green Bay all over the field last week. Look for the Bears to salvage some more pride this week. Pick: Chicago

San Francisco at Cleveland: The Browns need a win this week, but really need a loss by the Titans. Last week, Cleveland blew a golden opportunity to make the playoffs by losing to their rivals in Cincinnati. San Francisco has won two games behind QB Shaun Hill. Cleveland is a different team at home, because Derek Anderson is a much better quarterback at home. Pick: Cleveland

Detroit at Green Bay: Lions finally got win #7 last week. Green Bay lost in a big way last week, ending their chances at home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Now, the Packers are locked into the 2nd seed in the NFC playoffs. Green Bay will be resting starters, but should be able to beat the inconsistent Lions. Pick: Green Bay

Jacksonville at Houston: Jags are 11-4, and are locked into the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs. Regardless, they always have a tough time with the Texans in Houston. The Texans have a chance to go 8-8, the best record in team history. Pick: Houston

Cincinnati at Miami: Yuck. Bad vs. worse. The Bengals got an unexpected win last week against the Browns. The Dolphins played hard and only lost by 21 to the Patriots. A nightmare season comes to an end in Miami. Pick: Cincinnati

Buffalo at Philadelphia: The Eagles can finish 8-8 this season, and would still be in last place in the NFC East. Tough breaks. The Bills can also go 8-8 with a win. Pick: Philly

Carolina at Tampa Bay: Panthers are losing players left and right to injury. Bucs are preparing for the playoffs. Go with the home team. Pick: Tampa Bay

Pittsburgh at Baltimore: Division champion vs. another disappointing team. The season can’t be over soon enough for the Ravens. Pick: Pittsburgh

St. Louis at Arizona: Years ago, this would have been Los Angeles vs. St. Louis. Even earlier than that, it would have been the Cleveland Rams vs. the Chicago Cardinals. The Rams are in a downward spiral, while the Cardinals have been decent behind QB Kurt Warner. The Rams would still like to have Warner. Pick: Arizona

Minnesota at Denver: The Vikings have done well this season considering they have no passing game and a great running game. They need a win this week and some help from the Cowboys. Denver finds a way to play well this week. Pick: Denver

San Diego at Oakland: The Chargers will be playing lots of players this week. Their backups should be able to beat the Raiders. Pick: San Diego

Kansas City at New York Jets: The Herm Edwards Bowl. Who wins: Herm’s new team, or his old team? Eeny, meeny, miney, moe. Pick: Jets

Tennessee at Indianapolis: The Sunday Night game brings us the Titans’ trip to Indy with a playoff spot on the line. The Colts have nothing to play for. We’ll see lots of Jim Sorgi on Sunday night. Still, the Colts are playing really well, and Peyton Manning will play enough to help the Colts win. Pick: Indy

Beginning of the End of NFL Network?

Late this afternoon, the NFL Network announced that this Saturday night’s game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants would also be seen over the air on both CBS and NBC. This is earthshaking news in the world of TV. This will be the first simulcast of an NFL game since CBS and NBC both televised Super Bowl I.

This is a big deal. The NFL Network has been in not-so-successful negotiations with major cable operators Time Warner, Cablevision, and Charter to get the channel on their systems. Comcast currently carries NFLN, but got a favorable ruling this year from a judge, allowing them to move the channel from a general digital tier to a less-popular sports tier. The majority of NFLN viewers watch the channel on Directv or Dish Network. The cable companies are not willing to pay the NFL 50 cents per subscriber for the channel. It was not a major issue until last season, when the NFL started televising regular season games on NFLN. NFLN sells local broadcast rights to individual games in the home markets of the competing teams (this week, Boston and New York). NFLN does not sell the rights to local stations in surrounding areas that would be interested in the game (this week, for example, Providence, RI). This has millions of fans up in arms. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) have threatened a congressional investigation of the NFL’s TV distribution practices. That was enough to force the NFL to consider alternate distribution methods for Saturday night’s game. The Patriots have a chance to become the first team ever to go 16-0 in a regular season with a win.

The NFL owners have been questioning the success of NFL Network. The league expected to have 50 million subscribers at this point instead of the 35 million it currently has. So, this year, the league put some marquee games (Packers-Cowboys, Patriots-Giants) on the channel and installed Jerry Jones as chairman of the NFL Network committee. Jerry has been out there selling NFL Network to cable companies. The league wants to put pressure on cable operators to carry the channel.

I have satellite, and watch NFL Network regularly. It is not the best channel in the world. They have shows covering the present-day NFL, old NFL Films reruns, and replays of recent games. They will also broadcast the Texas Bowl and the Insight Bowl later this week. It is not the best channel, but it’s not bad.

Cable operators will now have little reason to budge in their war with the NFL. For this reason, I would not be surprised to see NFL Network to go the way of NFL Europe: bye-bye. The NFL can sell the rights to those eight games to an existing cable network and make more money than they would by operating their own network.

Personally, I think it would be a good idea for ESPN to buy NFL Network and merge it with ESPN Classic. ESPN Classic has become a waste of bandwidth, as they have lost rights to a lot of historic sporting events that put it on the map. They show a lot of junk, including World Series of Poker marathons and American Gladiators. They have the distribution that NFL Network desires. It would be a healthy marriage between the NFL and one of its current TV partners. An ESPN Football Channel would be the bomb! I hope someone in Bristol is reading this and passes the idea up to the suits at the Worldwide Leader in Sports. They can even call it ESPN8-the Ocho! Oops, that name has already been used.

The NFL hasn’t become the world’s most successful and profitable sports league by being stupid. They will either make NFL Network a success, or shut it down.

This also has implications for the Big Ten Network. If the cable companies can shut NFL Network down, they can probably do the same with BTN. That won't sit well with school presidents and ADs in the Big Ten, nor will it sit well with adminstrators of other conferences exploring the same thing.

Meanwhile, I’ll be watching Patriots-Giants on Saturday night. It really won’t be much of a game. The Giants have nothing to play for, and will prepare for their playoff game with Tampa Bay. The Pats are trying to make history. I don’t care if they go undefeated, as long as they lose to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XLII.

College Picks: Bowl Picks, Part 2

Last set of bowl picks: 3-2
Overall: 185-96

There are a lot more bowl games set for this week, all of which mean nothing but money for hotels and programming for ESPN and NFL Network. Nonetheless, several coaches and fan bases will end the season happy this week.

Motor City Bowl at Detroit, Purdue vs. Central Michigan: Rematch of a September game in West Lafayette, won 38-24 by Purdue. The Boilermakers have bounced around this season, while the Chippewas got hot in conference play and won the MAC. Purdue would rather be somewhere other than beautiful downtown Detroit, but this is where they are. The Chips made it respectable at the end of the first meeting. They get revenge in the second game. Pick: Central Michigan

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl at San Diego, Arizona State vs. Texas: The Longhorns have reverted to pre-Vince Young form this year, going 9-3 and beating most of the teams they are supposed to beat. The Fighting Sun Devils have rode the coaching of Dennis Erickson to a 10-2 season. Make that 11 wins for ASU. Pick: Arizona State

Champs Sports Bowl at Orlando, Boston College vs. Michigan State: BC ended up here after losing the ACC championship game. Michigan State finished 7-5 playing mediocre Big Ten teams. BC has a history of winning bowl games. They win another one. Pick: Boston College

Texas Bowl at Houston, TCU vs. Houston: Frogs are in their ninth bowl in 10 years, with a disappointing 7-5 record. U of H is in a coaching transition, as Art Briles left to take the Baylor job. The Frogs have more stability right now. Stable is good. Pick: TCU

Emerald Bowl at San Francisco, Maryland vs. Oregon State: This bowl is nuts, literally. Emerald Nuts is the sponsor. Maryland gets to be the ACC team to take a few fans all the way across the country for a second-rate bowl game. Oregon State has shown flashes of brilliance this year. Pick: Oregon State

Meineke Car Care Bowl at Charlotte, Connecticut vs. Wake Forest: I got my oil changed at Meineke last week. That has no relevance to this bowl game. UConn has had a great season, finishing second in the Big East. Wake Forest gets to play in a bowl close to home. Pick: Wake Forest

AutoZone Liberty Bowl at Memphis, Mississippi State vs. UCF: Starkville is right down the road from Tupelo, birthplace of Memphis’ own Elvis. UCF won Conference USA, the 14th ranked conference in Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings (Independents and two FCS conferences finished ahead of C-USA). Pick: Mississippi State

Valero Alamo Bowl at San Antonio, Penn State vs. Texas A&M: It feels like it’s been forever since the Ags fired Coach Fran, but it was only a month ago. Gary Darnell is coaching the bowl game. Joe Paterno, or a reasonable facsimile there of, is coaching Penn State. Who knows? Pick: A&M

PetroSun Independence Bowl at Shreveport, Colorado vs. Alabama: These two teams have lost as many games as they have won, as both are 6-6. Colorado has wins over Oklahoma and Nebraska. Alabama lost to Louisiana-Monroe. Pick: Colorado

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Air Force vs. Cal: Cal melted down in the last half of the season to finish 6-6. Air Force should play well in a bowl named in honor of them and the other branches of the military. Pick: Air Force

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl at Boise, Idaho, Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State: The ACC booby prize this year goes to Georgia Tech, as they get a most-expenses paid trip to beautiful Boise, Idaho to play in a bowl named for a truck stop. For the second year in a row, the ACC coach in this game was fired (see Larry Coker, Miami, 2006). The Ramblin’ Wreck’s reward is a date with Fresno State. Pick: Fresno

Brut Sun Bowl at El Paso, South Florida vs. Oregon: Both teams were once ranked #2 in the nation. Oregon has been in free fall since the injury to star QB Dennis Dixon. USF is glad to be on national network TV from the west Texas town of El Paso. Pick: USF

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl at Nashville, Kentucky vs. Florida State: Big Blue Nation invades Nashville once again. FSU is in the midst of scandal, losing 34 players for this game due to an academic scandal. The Noles will be playing with FCS level numbers. Kentucky’s relative depth will wear FSU down and out. Pick: Kentucky

Insight Bowl at Tempe, Arizona, Oklahoma State vs. Indiana: Indiana meets their goal of a bowl game to honor the memory of their late coach Terry Hoeppner. OSU is glad to be in the Big 12, because a 6-6 record got them a bowl game as a result. Pick: Indiana

Merry Christmas

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6, New International Version

Merry Christmas!

NFL Highway, Week 16

The NFL Highway dodged Santa’s sleigh this week, as several teams solidified their plans for January, while others just played out the string.

The Dallas Cowboys visited Carolina and got a 20-13 win. The Cowboys got a scare as star receiver Terrell Owens suffered a sprained ankle, and will be out until the playoffs begin. I was a little alarmed when the NFL Network showed T.O. in the tunnel with the trainer and the real-life Jerry Maguire, agent Drew Rosenhaus. Rosenhaus is the most high-profile agent in the business. He had to be concerned when one of his meal tickets went down. Does T.O. play for the Cowboys, or for Drew Rosenhaus?

The Cowboys also received an early Christmas present from the Chicago Bears. The Bears whipped their archrivals, the Green Bay Packers, 35-7. Brian Urlacher had an 85-yard interception return to ice the game for the Bears. With this result, the Cowboys clinch home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

In a meaningless game, the Indianapolis Colts flexed their muscle and whipped the Houston Texans, 38-15. The Colts played their starters for the first three quarters in an effort to keep them in playing shape before the playoffs. The Texans are 7-8 in spite of their difficulties. They are 0-5 against AFC South Division teams, and 7-3 against the rest of the league.

Poor Cleveland. All the Browns had to do to clinch a playoff spot was to beat the sad-sack Bengals in Cincinnati, but they couldn’t do it. The Bengals won, 19-14. Derek Anderson threw two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions. The Browns must now hope for a Tennessee loss to the Colts next week in order to make the playoffs.

The Titans set themselves up to control their playoff destiny by holding off the New York Jets, 10-6. Tennessee is now 9-6, and plays a Colts team with nothing to play for next week.

In a game that was irrelevant all along, the Detroit Lions broke a long losing streak by handling the Kansas City Chiefs, 25-20. The Lions move to 7-8, guaranteeing for the first time in six years that they will not have 10 or more losses. The Chiefs fall to an awful 4-11.

The team no one wants a part of resides in Jacksonville. The Jaguars cruised to their 11th win with a 49-11 rout of the Oakland Raiders. David Garrard had two touchdown passes and another one rushing for the Jags. The Jaguars clinched the 5th spot in the AFC playoffs, and will play either Pittsburgh or San Diego in the first round.

It’s too little, too late, but the Philadelphia Eagles are making a run in the NFC East. The Eagles followed up their Dallas win with a 39-23 win over the Saints in New Orleans. Donovan McNabb improved his trade value by throwing for 263 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints’ playoff hopes were severely impaired with the loss.

There was a game no one wanted to win on Sunday in Arizona. The Cardinals blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, they were playing the awful Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons handed the game back to the Cardinals, and Arizona won on a field goal in overtime, 30-27. Kurt Warner came up big for the Cardinals, throwing three touchdown passes.

Break up the 49ers! San Francisco got their second win in a row behind quarterback Shaun Hill, holding off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 21-19. The Bucs are playing out the string until the playoffs, where they are guaranteed a meeting with the New York Giants.

It was rainy, snowy, and windy on Sunday in Buffalo. That’s not news in December. The Giants came up big in the elements, gaining a 38-21 win over the Bills to clinch the 5th spot in the NFC playoffs. Ahmad Bradshaw had the longest run from scrimmage in the NFL this year, with an 88-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Bills become one of many 7-8 teams.

The Miami Dolphins played really, really hard on Sunday. That’s about all you can say for a 1-14 team, as the Dolphins lost to the undefeated New England Patriots, 28-7. The Patriots became the first NFL team to go 15-0. They can complete an undefeated season Saturday night with a win over the New York Giants.

The Baltimore Ravens started rookie Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith at quarterback on Sunday in Seattle. The Seahawks dominated the game, winning 27-6. The Seahawks will be seeded third in the upcoming NFC playoffs.

In the Sunday night extravaganza, the Minnesota Vikings blew a golden opportunity to clinch a playoff spots. Washington came into the Metrodome and kicked the Vikings around, winning 32-21. Clinton Portis scored one touchdown rushing and another one passing for the Redskins. The Skins can clinch a playoff spot next weed with a win over Dallas.

NFL Picks, Week 16

Last week: 9-7
Season: 148-68

Dallas at Carolina: The Cowboys’ second appearance on NFL Network comes against what is becoming an annual rival in the Panthers. Last year’s trip to Charlotte resulted in Tony Romo’s coming out party, as he led the Cowboys on a huge second-half comeback. The Cowboys are coming off an unexpected loss at home to the Eagles. The Panthers have started four quarterbacks this year, but got a win over NFC West leader Seattle last week. It won’t be a blowout, but go with Dallas. Pick: Dallas

Pittsburgh at St. Louis: The Steelers are stumbling toward the finish line, but head into St. Louis to take on a beaten-down and beaten-out Rams team. The Steelers find a cure for their problems, at least for one week. Pick: Pittsburgh

New York Giants at Buffalo: Who does the governor cheer for? Buffalo. The Giants don’t actually play in New York. The Giants lost an unexpected game last week at home to the Redskins. The Bills are out of the playoff hunt, but have been competitive every week they haven’t played the Patriots. Pick: Buffalo

Green Bay at Chicago: The Bears are another team stumbling toward the end of the season. I’d love to see the Bears beat the Pack for the second time this season, but I don’t see that happening. Pick: Green Bay

Cleveland at Cincinnati: Battle of Ohio, Part 2. The last time these teams met, Derek Anderson introduced himself to the NFL world with five touchdown passes, kick-starting an unexpected good season in Cleveland. The Bengals have been a disappointment. This will be a grudge match, but Cleveland is a better team this year. Pick: Cleveland

Kansas City at Detroit: The ultimate irrelevant game. The Chiefs are 4-10 and headed nowhere. The Lions have lost six in a row, and are 6-8, headed nowhere. Look for the Lions to get off the schneid at home. Pick: Detroit

Houston at Indianapolis: The Colts have absolutely nothing to play for. They have clinched the division, cannot lose a first-round bye in the playoffs, but cannot get home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Texans still have a slight chance at a winning season, entering this game at 7-7. Peyton Manning only plays a half, but it’s all the Colts need. Pick: Indy

Oakland at Jacksonville: The Jaguars proved themselves in a big way last week with a win in the snow against Pittsburgh. They now return home to face the Silver and Black. Pick: Jacksonville

Philadelphia at New Orleans: The Eagles came out of nowhere to upset the Cowboys last week. The Saints are still in contention for the last playoff spot in the NFC. Philly won’t be able to put two road wins together in a row. Pick: New Orleans

Atlanta at Arizona: Yuck. The Falcons continue to play out the string. Pick: Arizona

Tampa Bay at San Francisco: The 49ers got a win last week against the mediocre Bengals, and now catch a Buc team preparing for the playoffs. Pick: Tampa Bay

Miami at New England: The ultimate mismatch. The Dolphins nearly came into this one winless, but got their first win of the season last week over the Ravens. The Patriots are still undefeated, and are shooting for the standard set by the 1972 version of the Dolphins: a perfect season. There is a big difference between 1972 and 2007. Pick: New England

Baltimore at Seattle: The Ravens are bad, bad, bad. They have lost eight in a row, including becoming the first victim of the Dolphins. They now take the long flight to Seattle to visit the Seahawks. Pick: Seattle

New York Jets at Tennessee: The Jets are in the midst of a forgettable season. They’ll want to forget this one, as well. Pick: Tennessee

Washington at Minnesota: Huge game with NFC playoff implications. The Vikings’ running game will be too much for the Redskins. Pick: Minnesota

Denver at San Diego: The Chargers are now on a roll, having pulled up their bootstraps for a 9-5 record after a horrific start. LaDainian Tomlinson runs all over the Broncos. Pick: San Diego

College Picks: Bowls, Part 1

The bowl season begins Thursday night. We will be treated to an endless supply of season-ending exhibitions for deserving (and not-so-deserving) college football teams. Some of these games will be good, others will be only good for filling TV time and hotel rooms. Some of these games will be real duds. Some would be regular-season blockbusters, but post-season duds. The only one that really, really matters is the BCS national championship game on January 7 between Ohio State and LSU.

With bowls spread out over a two-week period, the games will be picked in multiple installments. These are picks for this weekend’s games:

Last week (playoff championship games): 2-2
Season: 182-96

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego: Utah vs. Navy
Both teams are 8-4. The Utes have won their last six bowl games. Is Navy becoming Hawaii of the East? They have the Polynesian-American connection working with quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and new coach Ken Niumatololo, the first Polynesian-American head coach in college football. The Midshipmen are proficient at running the option. This will be a good game. It’s hard to go against recent bowl history. Pick: Utah.

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans: Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis
Zzzz. Florida Atlantic is coached by former Miami, Louisville, and Oklahoma (cough, cough) coach Howard Schnellenberger. The Owls upset Troy in the last week of the season to win the Sun Belt championship and earn the bowl bid. Memphis finished in the top half of Conference USA and had 7 wins, putting themselves into their fourth bowl in the last five years. Pick: Memphis.

Papajohns.com Bowl at Birmingham: Cincinnati vs. Southern Miss
Cincinnati has had their best season in recent memory, and are currently ranked #20. They face a team in turmoil in Southern Miss, who fired coach Jeff Bower for only going 7-5 consistently. Not too long ago, these two teams were in the same conference. Now, it is a mismatch in favor of the Bearcats. Pick: Cincy

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl at Las Vegas: BYU vs. UCLA
This is a rematch of a game played the second week of the season, won 27-17 by UCLA. The teams have gone in separate directions since, with BYU holding a nine-game winning streak, and UCLA struggling to a 6-6 record. UCLA has since fired coach Karl Dorrell, and is searching for a permanent coach. What was a good matchup in September has become a mismatch in December. What a difference three months makes. Pick: BYU

New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque: Nevada vs. New Mexico
This game proves that anyone that puts up the money can host a bowl game. This is the second year of this bowl, and the Lobos have been in both games. The state tourism department is the sponsor. The game serves two purposes: to be a three-hour commercial for the state of New Mexico, and to give the Lobos an extra game. Pick: New Mexico

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl at Honolulu: Boise State vs. East Carolina
Boise State won’t be in the BCS this year, but they get their second trip to Hawaii in two months. This trip will be more of a vacation than the last one was. East Carolina has had a nice season. They’re no Boise State. Pick: Boise State

What Took Him So Long?

It’s been a long season. The Cowboys won 12 of their first 13 games. The team’s resident head case, Terrell Owens, was happy. He has been a “good boy” and a team player thus far this season. This contributed greatly to the Cowboys’ success thus far this season.

But, just like death and taxes, it is a sure thing that T.O. will say something he shouldn’t. He did just that today, by commenting on his quarterback’s love life. Regarding Tony Romo’s new/old squeeze Jessica Simpson, he said: "Right now, Jessica Simpson is not a fan favorite in this locker room or in Texas Stadium. I think with everything that has happened, and obviously the way Tony played and the comparisons between her and Carrie Underwood, I think a lot of people feel like she's probably taking his focus away. Other than that, she was at the top of my list until last week."

I’ll be the first to say that Romo’s pursuit of women in the music industry has been a distraction. However, T.O. is not the one to be calling him out, and definitely not through the media. I’ve seen T.O. drop more than a few balls thrown his way. Sunday’s performance was a two-way street. Romo hurt his thumb and kept playing. However, T.O. had plenty of chances to make plays.

T.O.: Shut your mouth already. You have a chance to win a ring this year. Don’t blow it.

Coaching Carousel, Part 2

Some more on the Rich Rodriguez to Michigan situation: RichRod showed us two ways not to leave a job. First, he told star recruit Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pa. that he was headed to Michigan, before he informed the athletic director and president of West Virginia. Pryor was considering West Virginia, but he is now considering Michigan. Second, Rodriguez handed his resignation letter to a graduate assistant for delivery to the athletic director. That’s just a really good way to leave a gig. Nice job there, Rich.

Now, to some more coaching changes:

Houston: U of H could have done a lot worse. The Cougars lost Art Briles to Baylor after Briles rebuilt the Cougars’ program into a factor in Conference USA. U of H went out and hired Kevin Sumlin, the passing game coordinator at Oklahoma. Sumlin played at Purdue and has coached all over the country, including at Texas A&M. In 2002, Sumlin became A&M’s offensive coordinator and almost singlehandedly saved R.C. Slocum’s job, and engineered an upset of OU. Bob Stoops was so impressed he hired him for his staff. Sumlin should be able to keep the momentum going on Cullen Boulevard. Oh, yeah, he’s also African-American. That doesn’t hurt at all.

UCLA: The Bruins fired Karl Dorrell after a 6-6 season. The Bruins are looking at NFL coaches, including Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow. UCLA needs to step up the fund-raising, as the Bruins are not known for paying their coaches market value.

Nebraska: Interim AD/King of Nebraska Tom Osborne made the hire that should have been made four years ago, by hiring Bo Pelini as head coach. Pelini was defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Nebraska during the 2003 season. He then spent a year at Oklahoma and the last three years at LSU. Husker Nation is happy with this move. Pelini is a defensive guy, and defense was in short supply this year in Lincoln. He also understands Nebraska football and the Nebraska Way. He has a good pedigree as well: he played at Ohio State and is a graduate of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney High School, alma mater of the Stoops brothers.

SMU: The laughing stock of college football. SMU was the first school to fire their coach, and are in the process of becoming the last school to hire their new coach. Big-dollar alum Gerald J. Ford wasted millions of dollars by giving the school money to build a new stadium. That was the ultimate example of putting lipstick on a pig. Post-death penalty, SMU is a football graveyard. Coaches are doing well by staying away from there. Paul Johnson, in leaving Navy, negotiated with SMU, and was able to use the Mustangs to get a better deal from Georgia Tech. A coach will get this job and be able to live in Highland Park. Problem is, he will have to coach at SMU. By the way, Phil Bennett will land on his feet as a defensive coordinator somewhere.

More coaching changes later…

Coaching Carousel, Part 1 1/2

This isn't a review of a coaching opening or hire. However, there is buzz on the Internet that Nick Saban is not happy at Alabama, and that his agent has made contact with West Virginia.

Saban is a native of the Mountain State, and would be interested in returning home for less than he is making at Alabama, but more than the $1.9 million per year that Rich Rodriguez made before going to Meatchicken.

Such is life when you go 6-6 and lose to Louisiana-Monroe.

Stay tuned. This will get fun and interesting.

NFL Highway, Week 15

There was rain, snow, and sunshine on the NFL highway this weekend. Some more teams were eliminated from playoff contention, a major upset occurred, and a big storm in the northeast affected some games. It’s time to put on the snow tires and head down the NFL highway.

Something not-so-funny happened on the way to home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys lost. The Philadelphia Eagles sucked it up and beat the Cowboys, 10-6. Tony Romo injured his thumb in the third quarter, but played in pain for the rest of the game. The Cowboys could only manage two Nick Folk field goals. The margin would have been wider, but the Eagles’ Brian Westbrook shunned a sure touchdown to down the ball on the one yard line, allowing the Eagles to run out the clock and not give Dallas the ball. Fantasy owners everywhere were cursing or cheering that move. The Cowboys must win the next two games at Carolina and at Washington to avoid a possible playoff trip to Green Bay.

In the Thursday night NFL Network game, sugar and spice were nice for the Houston Texans. Well, not sugar, but Sage was. Sage Rosenfels ran for one touchdown and threw for two more in a 31-13 win over the Denver Broncos. The Texans are now 7-7, and are two wins away from their first winning season. Of course, they go to Indianapolis next week, so forget about the winning season. Nonetheless, the Texans no longer stink.

In the City by the Bay, the San Francisco 49ers rode the arm and legs of third-team quarterback Shaun Hill to a 20-13 win over the clueless Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were supposed to be pretty good. Instead, they’ve imploded.

There will be no winless team in the NFL this year. The Miami Dolphins finally broke into the win column with a 22-16 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Cleo Lemon threw for 315 yards and a 64-yard touchdown pass to Greg Camarillo to win the game in overtime. The Dolphins showed a lot of pride in coming back from a 13-3 deficit. The Ravens have now lost eight in a row. Both teams look to be on the clock early in the upcoming draft.

Carolina started Matt Moore at QB, the fourth person to fill that role this year. It worked for them, as the Panthers shocked the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks, 13-10. As bad as the Panthers have looked at times, they have six wins this season. The Seahawks are simply trying to keep from getting injured before their first playoff game.

It was a winter wonderland in Cleveland on Sunday. A blizzard moved in from Lake Erie, covering the field and bringing 30 mph winds with it. The field was covered to the point where the officials needed help in finding the 50-yard line. In this game, the first team to score would win. That was the Browns, who used two field goals and a safety to win 8-0. I love watching games played in the snow. That is, on TV in the comfort of my home.

The same storm later hit Pittsburgh, where the Jacksonville Jaguars looked like the cold-weather team in defeating the Steelers, 29-22. The game was played in blowing snow, but they were not blizzard-like conditions like in Cleveland. Instead, it was played on a mixture of snow, mud, and grass. The Steelers find themselves tied for first place in the AFC North with Cleveland at 9-5. The Steelers, however, have the tiebreaker with two wins over the Browns.

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially bad. They slipped to 4-10 with their seventh loss in a row, losing 26-17 to the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs will have a pretty good pick in the first round of next year’s draft. The Titans kept their slim playoff hopes alive at 8-6.

The anticipated blizzard in New England turned into rain. The Patriots played as ugly as the weather, but had enough to beat the New York Jets, 20-10. After the game, Pats coach Bill Belichick shook hands with former protégé and Jets coach Eric Mangini, he of Spygate fame. The Pats now need only two wins for an undefeated season.

Don’t look now, but those are the New Orleans Saints over your shoulder. The Saints got back to 7-7 with a 31-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Drew Brees continues to be the real deal in the Big Easy, throwing for 315 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Saints. Kurt Warner threw three touchdown passes for the Cardinals, who await the return of Matt Leinart next season.

The Brett Favre legend continues. The gunslinger threw two touchdown passes for Green Bay on Sunday, and the Packers handled the St. Louis Rams, 33-14. The Packers clinched a first round bye in the NFC playoffs. The Rams helped their draft position in a forgettable season.

Believe it or not, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had never returned a kickoff for a touchdown in their 32-year history. That changed on Sunday, as Micheal Spurlock returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. The Bucs went on to roll over the hapless Atlanta Falcons, 37-3. The Falcons need help everywhere. The Bucs move toward the playoffs as NFC South champions.

The Indianapolis Colts earned a working vacation on Sunday, defeating the scrappy Oakland Raiders 21-14. The Colts earned the AFC South title and the second seed in the AFC playoffs. Indianapolis has now also won 12 games in a season for an unprecedented five years in a row. The Colts have two meaningless games remaining, followed by a bye week.

If they weren’t already, the Detroit Lions are officially done. The Lions lost their seventh consecutive game in grand style. The San Diego Chargers hung half a hundred on Detroit, winning 51-14. LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles each rushed for two touchdowns for the Chargers. San Diego has clinched the AFC West championship at 9-5. They simply need to win their remaining two games to sew up the #3 playoff spot in the AFC.

The Washington Redskins are like disco in the 70’s: just stayin’ alive. The Redskins went to New York for the Sunday Night extravaganza and handled the New York Football Giants, 22-10. The Redskins also find themselves at 7-7 with slight playoff hopes. The Giants still appear locked into the first NFC wild-card spot at 9-5.

What's In The Water In West Virginia?

Today, West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez told his team he is accepting the head coaching job at Michigan. This is a strange development.

The Mountaineers finished 10-2 this season, and lost a sure-fire chance at the BCS national championship game with a season-ending loss to heavy underdog Pittsburgh. Rodriguez is a West Virginia native and played for the Mountaineers. West Virginia has the strongest, most consistent program in the Big East Conference, placing themselves in contention for BCS bowls every year. The Mountaineers have played for a national championship in the past, and have the potential to play for and win another one. In fact, a case can be made that it is easier to win one at West Virginia coming out of the Big East than to win one at Michigan coming out of the Big Ten.

Michigan has won more games than any school in college football. The Wolverines have one of the blue-blood programs in college football. I am surprised that they went outside of the Michigan circle to find a coach. I am doubly surprised that they got away from the power football philosophy that has defined Michigan. Rodriguez made his mark using the spread offense. It will be interesting to see how the Michigan football culture adapts to the new way of doing things.

If you’re West Virginia, you have to feel betrayed. Rodriguez accepted the Alabama job last year before accepting an enhanced package from West Virginia to stay home. It is hard to figure out what would cause him to listen to other offers just a year later. He may feel that he has done as much with WVU as he can. However, Rodriguez doesn’t seem to be the type that always dreamed of taking Michigan to the Rose Bowl.

Another footnote: This is the second time in less than a year that Michigan has poached West Virginia for a coach. Last spring, the Wolverines hired John Beilein away from Morgantown as men’s basketball coach.

More coaching changes and comments later…