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www.jgsports.mattstephan.com
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Ohio State vs. Georgia... Why not?
Considering the unpredictability of this college football season, why not have a little more uncharacteristic movement in the top ten of the BSC rankings throughout the last couple weeks of the season?
Just because there are only a couple weeks left in the regular season does not mean anybody has locked anything up concerning bowls, with the exception of Ohio State having secured at least a Rose Bowl birth.
The top seven in the current BSC ranking is as follows:
1. LSU (10-1)
2. Kansas (11-0)
3. West Virginia (9-1)
4. Missouri (10-0)
5. Ohio State (11-1)
6. Arizona State (9-1)
7. Georgia (9-2)
Considering the wackiness of this season, I think it would be fitting and interesting to see Ohio State, a team that thought it's national championship hopes were over when they fell to Illinois two weeks ago, face off against a two-loss Georgia team that is getting better every week.
This game would feature, in my opinion, the two best running backs in the nation not named Darren McFadden: Knowshon Moreno and Chris Wells, who may be the most underrated player in the nation.
The game would also present the nation's top defense in Ohio State (10.6 PPG allowed) and a Georgia team that has held 8 of it's 11 opponents to 20 points or less in regulation this season. This would be smash mouth football at its best and would be a pleasant change from the championship games that USC are in where the defense is nowhere to be found.
Although this is highly improbable, it is probably more possible than you would think. Besides, name one thing that has been predictable this college football season. Here is what has to happen to eliminate the other top seven teams and make my imagination come to life.
Missouri and Kansas play this week. The loser of that game should fall below Ohio State and Georgia. The winner will likely go on to play Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game. For my dream to stay alive, Oklahoma must win that game, which is very possible, and knock the other of the two teams behind UGA and OSU.
Perhaps the toughest thing that has to happen is for West Virginia to fall to Connecticut this weekend. Although this is unlikely, the Huskies will be hungry to get their rare shot at a Big East Championship and an automatic BSC bid.
That leaves only LSU and Arizona State to knock out. Arizona State plays No. 11 USC this week, a very possible loss. Even if they get past the Trojans, a bowl hungry 5-6 Arizona team that has won three straight will be waiting for them.
Kentucky needs to beat Tennessee to put Georgia into the SEC championship game. Although Kentucky is fading, Tennessee is 1-3 on the road this year, so I like the Wildcats as the likely winner at home.
Georgia then beats LSU in Atlanta to send them to New Orleans for a match up with Ohio State to determine college football's national champion. My pick: Georgia-20, Ohio State-17.
Just because there are only a couple weeks left in the regular season does not mean anybody has locked anything up concerning bowls, with the exception of Ohio State having secured at least a Rose Bowl birth.
The top seven in the current BSC ranking is as follows:
1. LSU (10-1)
2. Kansas (11-0)
3. West Virginia (9-1)
4. Missouri (10-0)
5. Ohio State (11-1)
6. Arizona State (9-1)
7. Georgia (9-2)
Considering the wackiness of this season, I think it would be fitting and interesting to see Ohio State, a team that thought it's national championship hopes were over when they fell to Illinois two weeks ago, face off against a two-loss Georgia team that is getting better every week.
This game would feature, in my opinion, the two best running backs in the nation not named Darren McFadden: Knowshon Moreno and Chris Wells, who may be the most underrated player in the nation.
The game would also present the nation's top defense in Ohio State (10.6 PPG allowed) and a Georgia team that has held 8 of it's 11 opponents to 20 points or less in regulation this season. This would be smash mouth football at its best and would be a pleasant change from the championship games that USC are in where the defense is nowhere to be found.
Although this is highly improbable, it is probably more possible than you would think. Besides, name one thing that has been predictable this college football season. Here is what has to happen to eliminate the other top seven teams and make my imagination come to life.
Missouri and Kansas play this week. The loser of that game should fall below Ohio State and Georgia. The winner will likely go on to play Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game. For my dream to stay alive, Oklahoma must win that game, which is very possible, and knock the other of the two teams behind UGA and OSU.
Perhaps the toughest thing that has to happen is for West Virginia to fall to Connecticut this weekend. Although this is unlikely, the Huskies will be hungry to get their rare shot at a Big East Championship and an automatic BSC bid.
That leaves only LSU and Arizona State to knock out. Arizona State plays No. 11 USC this week, a very possible loss. Even if they get past the Trojans, a bowl hungry 5-6 Arizona team that has won three straight will be waiting for them.
Kentucky needs to beat Tennessee to put Georgia into the SEC championship game. Although Kentucky is fading, Tennessee is 1-3 on the road this year, so I like the Wildcats as the likely winner at home.
Georgia then beats LSU in Atlanta to send them to New Orleans for a match up with Ohio State to determine college football's national champion. My pick: Georgia-20, Ohio State-17.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I used to think Stephon Marbury was a good person
After Stephon Marbury saw that he would not be starting against the Suns on Tuesday night, he bolted out the door faster than you can say Starbury. I have never seen a more selfish and cocky player in my entire life.
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"I'm positive all the way around. I'm covered. I'm fine. I feel good. I' m cool. I could walk with my head up," Marbury told ESPN after Wednesday's game against the Clippers.
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Are you kidding me! And we thought Randy Moss was bad for walking off the field with two seconds left in the game. At least he didn't leave the entire stadium before the game even started!
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I used to think Marbury was a good person for selling his basketball shoes cheap so any kid could buy them. Now that I have been reminded that he is scheduled to make 42 million dollars over the next two years, I don't feel quite as compassionate.
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Marbury has been fined $195,000 for the missed game, but how can the team not suspend him for something like this?
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A source told ESPN.com that Marbury is planning to file a grievance over the lost wages. I hope to God this source is incorrect. Seriously, what case could Marbury possibly have to get this money back. He left the stadium and refused to play only because he wasn't starting; that is obviously a finable offense.
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Marbury went on the say that head coach Isiah Thomas has to start him because he has so much "stuff" on him.
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"Isiah has to start me. I've got so much [stuff] on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can [get] me. But I'll [get] him first. You have no idea what I know," Marbury said, according to the Daily News.
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Not only is this guy abandoning his teammates by skipping games when things aren't going his way, but he is also threatening his coach through blackmail. Wow, what a team player.
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Marbury was then asked if he would apologize to his teammates. He said, "I plan to just tell them that this is something that has to do with Isiah and myself."
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No Stephon, this is not something between you and your head coach. You are effecting the entire organization by doing this. You are hurting everyone from your head coach, to your teammates, to the front office, to the fans, to the children that look up to you, and to the entire league as a whole. So much for trying to be a role model.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Ricky Williams Reinstated... who cares?
Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams has been reinstated by the NFL and could play again as soon as week 12 against the Steelers... should we care?
The Dolphins are 0-9 this year and have absolutly zero chance of making the playoffs. Williams may be a better option than Jesse Chapman, but the Doplphins season is lost and "would be" pro-bowl back Ronnie Brown will be ready to go by the start of next season.
Although the Dolphins are 26-17 with Williams and 12-34 without him since they traded for him prior to the 2002 season, Williams has not seen NFL speed for almost two years. He was in the Canadian Football League last year, but the talent is uncomparable to the NFL. Williams did not even make a CFL all-star team (comparable to the NFL's pro-bowl).
Williams would at the very best be the number two back next year behind Ronnie Brown, and no one can be certain that Williams will not test positive for some type of drug for the sixth time since 2004 between now and next season. Williams obviously didn't learned his lesson from his first exit from the NFL as his attempted return to the league was delayed when he tested positive for marijuana last spring.
Williams is also now 30 years old. If he had never left the NFL, this would probably be about the time he started to fade from stardom. With other talented young running backs taking over the league, there will probably be no place for Williams in the future.
So why is this even news anymore that Williams is being reinstated? My prediction is that Williams will be suspended from the NFL again before the kickoff of the 2008 season. If Williams has finally learned that you can't smoke marijuana and play in the NFL at the same time, he may survive another year or two before he has to leave the league on his own. I can assure you one thing: Ricky Williams is a thing of the past.
The Dolphins are 0-9 this year and have absolutly zero chance of making the playoffs. Williams may be a better option than Jesse Chapman, but the Doplphins season is lost and "would be" pro-bowl back Ronnie Brown will be ready to go by the start of next season.
Although the Dolphins are 26-17 with Williams and 12-34 without him since they traded for him prior to the 2002 season, Williams has not seen NFL speed for almost two years. He was in the Canadian Football League last year, but the talent is uncomparable to the NFL. Williams did not even make a CFL all-star team (comparable to the NFL's pro-bowl).
Williams would at the very best be the number two back next year behind Ronnie Brown, and no one can be certain that Williams will not test positive for some type of drug for the sixth time since 2004 between now and next season. Williams obviously didn't learned his lesson from his first exit from the NFL as his attempted return to the league was delayed when he tested positive for marijuana last spring.
Williams is also now 30 years old. If he had never left the NFL, this would probably be about the time he started to fade from stardom. With other talented young running backs taking over the league, there will probably be no place for Williams in the future.
So why is this even news anymore that Williams is being reinstated? My prediction is that Williams will be suspended from the NFL again before the kickoff of the 2008 season. If Williams has finally learned that you can't smoke marijuana and play in the NFL at the same time, he may survive another year or two before he has to leave the league on his own. I can assure you one thing: Ricky Williams is a thing of the past.
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