Past few days haven't been good to me on my NBA picks.
Here are my picks for Friday night:
Cleveland @ Orlando -4.5
Atlanta -3.5 @ Charlotte
Toronto +2 @ Detroit
Oklahoma City -3 @ Boston
LA Clippers -2.5 @ Brooklyn
New York -4 @ Houston
San Antonio -4.5 @ Indiana
LA Lakers +4.5 @ Memphis
New Orleans +5.5 @ Phoenix
Golden State +6.5 @ Denver
Sacramento @ Utah -9
Minnesota @ Portland -1.5
Friday, November 23, 2012
Free Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea
Players getting suspended in college athletics is becoming an almost weekly thing. Sometimes its a lengthy investigation by the NCAA, other times it is quick. There are times they get the punishment right and sometimes wrong.
Lately it seems like the NCAA just picks out the punishment randomly.
On November 6th Indiana University found themselves in the cross hairs of the NCAA. Tom Crean and the men's basketball team was notified freshman Peter Jurkin and Hanner Mosquera-Perea were suspended for nine games.
According to a USA Today story, this ended a 18 month investigation that started in May of 2011. Mark Adams, Indiana Elite AAU coach helped out both Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea finacially.
Adams runs a foundation that helps foreign student-athletes make the move to America. Jurkin is originally from South Sudan and moved to North Carolina. Mosquera-Perea moved to North Carlina like Jurkins but came from Columbia .
Adams and the A-HOPE Foundation helped out both athletes but everything they did was legal. Adams was their coach and the A-HOPE is a non-profit foundation. For Mosquera-Perea, Adams was in the process of becoming his legal guardian.
For most people, there isn't a violation of any kind. There were two kids that came to America and had some support.
The NCAA however said a violation happened.
The reason being, Adams under NCAA rules is a booster at IU. The NCAA said he gave $185 from 1986-1992. In the same USA Today article mentioned above, the largest donation at one time was $30. IU hasn't received a donation from Adams since 1992.
Here comes the the dumbest part of the whole story. According to an Indy Star story, Adams didn't even donate the money, his wife did. She did this so she could get a bumper sticker, so everyone would know where she went to school
To add to an already laughable story, both players weren't even born when the money was donated.
Indiana was upfront with the NCAA and even payed a fine. The amount they paid was decided on a scale by the NCAA. IU even said Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea would pay a fine, again decided by a NCAA scale.
The Hoosiers have been appealing but the nine game suspension still stands.
At UCLA the Bruins were also facing issues with one of their freshman, Shabbaz Muhammad. Muhammad had travel and housing paid for on three unofficial visits to two different schools.
Days later the suspension was lifted and Muhammad was cleared to play. He paid $1,600 which is believed to be the how much he accepted.
Then a story comes out in the LA Times about a boyfriend of a NCAA investigator was rumored to be overheard talking. The person claims the boyfriend said his girlfriend (investigator) had been talking in August about how Muhammad would never play a game in college.
While Muhammad on the surface didn't accept as much as Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea is makes no since while they are sitting out.
It is clear to even someone who hates the Hoosiers (me) these two kids should be playing. IU has two kids who had some help as they moved to America. They didn't get paid for their services or even have things provided for them.
The NCAA has a bone to pick with IU, Tom Crean, Adams or somebody. I can't come up with a reason why both of these players are still suspended or even should have in the first place.
Muhammad on the other hand should have been give a few games suspension. It was clear he received benefits and that is against the rules. If all he got was $1,600 then suspend for 5-10 games and then clear him.
The NCAA is understaffed as it is, wasting their time on investigations like IU is only going to make things harder. Do yourself a favor NCAA, clear Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea and look into real things.
*Information gathered from Indy Star, LA Times, ESPN, USA Today, iuhoosiers.com and a-hope.org*
Here comes the the dumbest part of the whole story. According to an Indy Star story, Adams didn't even donate the money, his wife did. She did this so she could get a bumper sticker, so everyone would know where she went to school
To add to an already laughable story, both players weren't even born when the money was donated.
Indiana was upfront with the NCAA and even payed a fine. The amount they paid was decided on a scale by the NCAA. IU even said Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea would pay a fine, again decided by a NCAA scale.
The Hoosiers have been appealing but the nine game suspension still stands.
At UCLA the Bruins were also facing issues with one of their freshman, Shabbaz Muhammad. Muhammad had travel and housing paid for on three unofficial visits to two different schools.
Days later the suspension was lifted and Muhammad was cleared to play. He paid $1,600 which is believed to be the how much he accepted.
Then a story comes out in the LA Times about a boyfriend of a NCAA investigator was rumored to be overheard talking. The person claims the boyfriend said his girlfriend (investigator) had been talking in August about how Muhammad would never play a game in college.
While Muhammad on the surface didn't accept as much as Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea is makes no since while they are sitting out.
It is clear to even someone who hates the Hoosiers (me) these two kids should be playing. IU has two kids who had some help as they moved to America. They didn't get paid for their services or even have things provided for them.
The NCAA has a bone to pick with IU, Tom Crean, Adams or somebody. I can't come up with a reason why both of these players are still suspended or even should have in the first place.
Muhammad on the other hand should have been give a few games suspension. It was clear he received benefits and that is against the rules. If all he got was $1,600 then suspend for 5-10 games and then clear him.
The NCAA is understaffed as it is, wasting their time on investigations like IU is only going to make things harder. Do yourself a favor NCAA, clear Jurkin and Mosquera-Perea and look into real things.
*Information gathered from Indy Star, LA Times, ESPN, USA Today, iuhoosiers.com and a-hope.org*
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Locker Room Rivals
There isn't much love between The Ohio State University and the school up with at times it being a Cold War mentality. Both teams have sent a good amount of players to the NFL which means there are times rivals become teammates. The hatred for the person goes away but not the school which always makes for interesting times when the two teams meet.
At times there have even been friendly bets between teammates. The picture is Tom Brady who had to wear Mike Vrabel's jersey after losing a bet.
You can bet there has probably been some trash talk in locker rooms that have players from each school. After Saturday the trash talk will continue, except only the winner will be talking.
Here is a list of NFL teams that have at least one player from OSU and the school up north. I would hate to be Charles Woodson and Jake Long. Both are outnumbered 3-1. At least with Woodson he can talk about when he played. Long on the other hand doesn't have much room to talk.
New York Giants
At times there have even been friendly bets between teammates. The picture is Tom Brady who had to wear Mike Vrabel's jersey after losing a bet.
You can bet there has probably been some trash talk in locker rooms that have players from each school. After Saturday the trash talk will continue, except only the winner will be talking.
Here is a list of NFL teams that have at least one player from OSU and the school up north. I would hate to be Charles Woodson and Jake Long. Both are outnumbered 3-1. At least with Woodson he can talk about when he played. Long on the other hand doesn't have much room to talk.
New York Giants
- Jim Cordle (OSU)
- David Baas (UM)
- Stevie Brown (UM)
- Kurt Coleman (OSU)
- Jason Avant (UM)
- Brandon Graham (UM)
- Beanie Wells (OSU)
- Jay Feely (UM)
- Ted Ginn (OSU)
- Alex Boone (OSU)
- Larry Grant (OSU)
- Donte Whitner (OSU)
- Mario Manningham (UM)
- Jonathan Goodwin (UM)
Detroit Lions
- Brian Robiskie (OSU)
- Rob Sims (OSU)
- Jeff Backus (UM)
- Brandon Saine (OSU)
- AJ Hawk (OSU)
- Ryan Pickett (OSU)
- Charles Woodson (UM)
- Brian Hartline (OSU)
- Austin Spitler (OSU)
- Anderson Russell (OSU)
- Jake Long (UM)
- Jake Ballard (OSU)
- Nate Ebner (OSU)
- Tom Brady (UM)
- Zoltan Mesko (UM)
- Santonio Holmes (OSU)
- Nick Mangold (OSU)
- David Harris (UM)
- Nate Clements (OSU)
- Mike Nugent (OSU)
- Leon Hall (UM)
- Mike Adams (OSU)
- Cameron Heyward (OSU)
- Will Allen (OSU)
- Larry Foote (UM)
- LaMarr Woodley (UM)
- DeVier Posey (OSU)
- Tim Jamison (UM)
- Michael Brewster (OSU)
- Chad Henne (UM)
***I will be posting other non OSU stories but not this week. This is my favorite week of the year. ***
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
NBA Picks 11-21
Past two days I have been under .500 but I have a chance to fix that....or make it worse. There are 14 games on the schedule tonight, that is the most since the season started.
Here are my picks:
New Orleans +8 @ Indiana
Philly -4 @ Cleveland
Toronto +2.5 @ Charlotte
Detroit @ Orlando -1.5
LA Clippers +4 @ Oklahoma City
Milwaukee @ Miami -9.5
San Antonio @ Boston -1
Washington +9.5 @ Atlanta
Denver -3.5 @ Minnesota
Chicago @ Houston -1
New York -2.5 @ Dallas
Portland +2 @ Phoenix
LA Lakers -5.5 @ Sacromento
Brooklyn +1.5 @ Golden State
Here are my picks:
New Orleans +8 @ Indiana
Philly -4 @ Cleveland
Toronto +2.5 @ Charlotte
Detroit @ Orlando -1.5
LA Clippers +4 @ Oklahoma City
Milwaukee @ Miami -9.5
San Antonio @ Boston -1
Washington +9.5 @ Atlanta
Denver -3.5 @ Minnesota
Chicago @ Houston -1
New York -2.5 @ Dallas
Portland +2 @ Phoenix
LA Lakers -5.5 @ Sacromento
Brooklyn +1.5 @ Golden State
Welcome to the century club
Tuesday night ESPN and other media outlets informed the world of a basketball player by the name of Jack Taylor. Taylor a 5-foot-10 sophomore playing for Division III Grinnell scored 138 points in one game as his team beat Faith Baptist Bible 179-104.
I posted this on my FB page and one of my followers asked to compare Taylor's performance to other great one game performances.
I will first start with Taylor's record breaking game because nobody has scored more than 138 points in one game. In the first two games of the season for Grinnell , Taylor scored 19 and 28. Then last night he shoots the ball 108 times. I'm pretty sure the coach stole his game plan from an episode of Hey Arnold .
In fact both teams employed this game plan. In the game last night David Larson of Faith Baptist scored 70 points. Any other night he is the star and getting all the love. Not last night.
Scoring lots of points for Grinnell isn't something new however. According to a New York Daily News article, they have led the nation in scoring 17 of the last 19 years and 3-point shooting 15 of the last 19.
Other memorable 100 point games:
So what are some of the other great performances in the history of basketball? I will first start with what is the best in my opinion, Wilt Chamberlin.
On March 2, 1962 Chamberlin set the NBA single game record, scoring 100 points against the New York Knicks.
Not only was the 100 points a recrod but he also set records for field goals, free throws, points in the first quarter (31) and at halftime (59). The most amazing part was the free throwing shooting of Chamberlin. According to NBA.com, Chamberlin was .511 from the line in his career.
Chamberlin also gets credit for playing against professional players. Scoring 100 or more is hard no matter where but I give him more credit.
The next player on the list is Clarance Franklin Francis but most called him Bevo Francis. In 1953 he set the scoring record scoring 116 for Rio Grande College (Ohio). In Francis' record setting game, Rio Grande won 150-85 over Ashland College (Kentucky).
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In the game Francis made 47 field goals and 22 free throws.
It was initially honored by the NCAA as the new record. Then coaches complained the level of competition they were playing. The NCAA then decided to not count it as a record since Ashland was a Junior College. Rio Grande may have been playing a Junior College but Francis did it again a year later. For a player to score more than a 100 points in a game more than once. Give the man some respect.
The following season he scored 113 against Hillsdale, another Junior College but this time the record was allowed.
There was also one more player who scored 100 that didn't count according to the NCAA. Paul Arizin scored 100 for Villanova but like Francis it was against a Junior College.
There is one player that has scored 100 points at the Division I level.
Frank Selvy scored 100 points for Furhman University against Newberry College. Selvy unlike most of the players mentioned could have gone to a bigger school than Furhman. Selvy grew up in Kentucky and all he wanted to do is play for the Wildcats. There was only one problem, he didn't have an offer from them.
He had an offer from Furhman and he took it. Then he played in All-Star game and Adolph Rupp came calling but it was too late.
Scoring for Selvy his entire college career wasn't anything out of the ordinary. His senior year he averaged 41.7 points per game, a record until a man by the name of Pistol Pete came along. It was also in his senior year that he reached the century mark.
The game against Newberry was memorable for a couple reasons for Selvy.
In the same SI article mentioned earlier Selvy said, "This was the first college game my mother saw me play."
In front of his mom for the first time, all Selvy did was score 100 points. At the end of the first quarter he scored 24 points and was on a good pace. In the second quarter the pace slowed down, only scoring 13 and going to halftime with 37.
Following the Hey Arnold method of passing it to one player, by the end of the third he had 63 points. Selvy continued to catch fire in the fourth but with seconds remaining he was two points shy. He threw up a 40-foot shot, if it goes in 100 points. If it doesn't he ends up with 98, remember no 3-point line at this time.
Since I said he scored 100, you know what happened. Selvy made it and ended the game 41-of-66.
Hitting the century mark has even been done by high school basketball players. The most recent was in 2006 by a female named Epiphanny Prince of Murry Bergtraum High School. Prince ended the game with 113 points, breaking the previous record. That record was 105 points and held by Cheryl Miller.
Prince and any future female is lucky because this record could very easily be untouchable.
Lisa Leslie scored 101 points in the first half. The opponent didn't come out of the locker room after halftime.
The all-time high school record for scoring in one game 135. In 1960 Danny Heater scored 135 as his team won 173-43.
The list of players at every level who have hit the century mark goes on and on. These are just a few but there are many many more.
The question with all this is, should teams really play like this? In most of the games, one team is killing the other.
What is your opinion on should teams keep letting one player score in blowouts?
*information gathered from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Grinnell, New York Times, Yahoo, NBA, YouTube and any other links posted.
I posted this on my FB page and one of my followers asked to compare Taylor's performance to other great one game performances.
I will first start with Taylor's record breaking game because nobody has scored more than 138 points in one game. In the first two games of the season for Grinnell , Taylor scored 19 and 28. Then last night he shoots the ball 108 times. I'm pretty sure the coach stole his game plan from an episode of Hey Arnold .
- Jack Taylor's box score
- Field Goals 52-108
- 3-pointers 27-71
- Free Throws 7-10
In fact both teams employed this game plan. In the game last night David Larson of Faith Baptist scored 70 points. Any other night he is the star and getting all the love. Not last night.
Scoring lots of points for Grinnell isn't something new however. According to a New York Daily News article, they have led the nation in scoring 17 of the last 19 years and 3-point shooting 15 of the last 19.
Other memorable 100 point games:
- Wilt Chamberlin (100)
- Bevo Francis (116,113)
- Paul Arizin (100)
- Frank Selvy (100)
- Epiphanny Prince (113)
- Cheryl Miller (105)
- Lisa Leslie (101)
- Danny Heater (135)
So what are some of the other great performances in the history of basketball? I will first start with what is the best in my opinion, Wilt Chamberlin.
On March 2, 1962 Chamberlin set the NBA single game record, scoring 100 points against the New York Knicks.
- Chamberlin's box score:
- Field goals 36-63
- Free throws 28-32
Not only was the 100 points a recrod but he also set records for field goals, free throws, points in the first quarter (31) and at halftime (59). The most amazing part was the free throwing shooting of Chamberlin. According to NBA.com, Chamberlin was .511 from the line in his career.
Chamberlin also gets credit for playing against professional players. Scoring 100 or more is hard no matter where but I give him more credit.
The next player on the list is Clarance Franklin Francis but most called him Bevo Francis. In 1953 he set the scoring record scoring 116 for Rio Grande College (Ohio). In Francis' record setting game, Rio Grande won 150-85 over Ashland College (Kentucky).
In the game Francis made 47 field goals and 22 free throws.
It was initially honored by the NCAA as the new record. Then coaches complained the level of competition they were playing. The NCAA then decided to not count it as a record since Ashland was a Junior College. Rio Grande may have been playing a Junior College but Francis did it again a year later. For a player to score more than a 100 points in a game more than once. Give the man some respect.
The following season he scored 113 against Hillsdale, another Junior College but this time the record was allowed.
There was also one more player who scored 100 that didn't count according to the NCAA. Paul Arizin scored 100 for Villanova but like Francis it was against a Junior College.
There is one player that has scored 100 points at the Division I level.
Frank Selvy scored 100 points for Furhman University against Newberry College. Selvy unlike most of the players mentioned could have gone to a bigger school than Furhman. Selvy grew up in Kentucky and all he wanted to do is play for the Wildcats. There was only one problem, he didn't have an offer from them.
He had an offer from Furhman and he took it. Then he played in All-Star game and Adolph Rupp came calling but it was too late.
Scoring for Selvy his entire college career wasn't anything out of the ordinary. His senior year he averaged 41.7 points per game, a record until a man by the name of Pistol Pete came along. It was also in his senior year that he reached the century mark.
The game against Newberry was memorable for a couple reasons for Selvy.
In the same SI article mentioned earlier Selvy said, "This was the first college game my mother saw me play."
In front of his mom for the first time, all Selvy did was score 100 points. At the end of the first quarter he scored 24 points and was on a good pace. In the second quarter the pace slowed down, only scoring 13 and going to halftime with 37.
Following the Hey Arnold method of passing it to one player, by the end of the third he had 63 points. Selvy continued to catch fire in the fourth but with seconds remaining he was two points shy. He threw up a 40-foot shot, if it goes in 100 points. If it doesn't he ends up with 98, remember no 3-point line at this time.
Since I said he scored 100, you know what happened. Selvy made it and ended the game 41-of-66.
Hitting the century mark has even been done by high school basketball players. The most recent was in 2006 by a female named Epiphanny Prince of Murry Bergtraum High School. Prince ended the game with 113 points, breaking the previous record. That record was 105 points and held by Cheryl Miller.
Prince and any future female is lucky because this record could very easily be untouchable.
Lisa Leslie scored 101 points in the first half. The opponent didn't come out of the locker room after halftime.
The all-time high school record for scoring in one game 135. In 1960 Danny Heater scored 135 as his team won 173-43.
The list of players at every level who have hit the century mark goes on and on. These are just a few but there are many many more.
The question with all this is, should teams really play like this? In most of the games, one team is killing the other.
What is your opinion on should teams keep letting one player score in blowouts?
*information gathered from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Grinnell, New York Times, Yahoo, NBA, YouTube and any other links posted.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Video game numbers
Jack Taylor of Division III Grinnell scored 138 points Tuesday night as Grinnell beat Faith Baptist Bible 179-104. I don't care if your opponents name sounds more like a bible study group.
138 points is something people can't put up playing video games.
ESPN needs to just hand him #1 on their Top-10 tomorrow.
138 points is something people can't put up playing video games.
ESPN needs to just hand him #1 on their Top-10 tomorrow.
NBA Picks 11-20
There are only three games tonight so not a ton of action. Here are my picks though:
Toronto +5.5 @ Philly
New York -6 @ New Orleans
Brooklyn @ LA Lakers -6.5
Toronto +5.5 @ Philly
New York -6 @ New Orleans
Brooklyn @ LA Lakers -6.5
Monday, November 19, 2012
Thad does it again
A couple weeks ago people were wondering if OSU basketball coach Thad Matta lost his recruiting touch. The past couple days he has shown people no he hasn't.
A couple days ago OSU fans got a surprising commit from Keita Bates-Diop of Illinois for the 2014 recruiting class. According to Scouts Inc he is 4-star and ranked 27th in the class. OSU fans will be happy to hear he also plays on the same AAU team as former Buckeye Evan Turner.
Well Matta got another commit tonight. Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts tweeted moments ago Jae'Sean Tate has committed to OSU. Tate is a junior out of Pickerington High School Central. Scouts Inc has him ranked as a 4-star and 48th overall.
*Update
Tate confirmed it on his twitter account,
"I know everybody probably know this..but im gonna make it official..I have now committed to play at "THE" Ohio State University!! #gobucks"
A couple days ago OSU fans got a surprising commit from Keita Bates-Diop of Illinois for the 2014 recruiting class. According to Scouts Inc he is 4-star and ranked 27th in the class. OSU fans will be happy to hear he also plays on the same AAU team as former Buckeye Evan Turner.
Well Matta got another commit tonight. Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts tweeted moments ago Jae'Sean Tate has committed to OSU. Tate is a junior out of Pickerington High School Central. Scouts Inc has him ranked as a 4-star and 48th overall.
*Update
Tate confirmed it on his twitter account,
"I know everybody probably know this..but im gonna make it official..I have now committed to play at "THE" Ohio State University!! #gobucks"
Big Ten Expansion
Since you need the internet to read
this, I am going to assume that everyone has heard the news out of the Big Ten
(14). Maryland and Rutgers are leaving the ACC and Big East and joining
the Big Ten.
Like most things in college athletics,
there have been people saying it is a good move by the Big Ten. Others are
saying Jim Delany and the Big Ten are dumb.
I’m here to say the Big Ten did a good
job.
Before bashing Delany for extending this
offer to one or both schools, you have to think of who else they could have
stolen. It’s easy to say you don’t like the schools but the conference was adding two schools. So if you take out Maryland and Rutgers who are you putting in?
Please don’t say Notre Dame, they are
partially in the ACC. If they were 100% independent they weren’t accepting it anyways.
They’ve been asked non-stop and the answer is the same.
If you are looking west for a team,
stop. The Big Ten is moving east, that’s where the money is. When the
conference created the Big Ten Network many people were questioning it. Now it
is the driving factor for teams join. According to SI and Pete Thamel, Maryland is expected to make more $12 million had they stayed.
This brings up my first reason for this
expansion being a good move. The market is there for the Big Ten.
This figure was put together by the New York Times. In 2011 they did a study to find who people root for and where they live. As you can see the New York Market is up for grabs. There is also a good chance the current Big Ten teams will gain more fans in this market if they are on TV more often.
Maryland isn't in the top-10 in the New York market but will allow the Big Ten to get into the D.C market. In an SI article Pete Thamel stated he talked to a television executive who said the Big Ten could make $200 million off this move.
Not only do these future markets watch football, they spend time on the computer reading about it. In the same New York Times article they looked at the Google search traffic. The search looked at people searching, "college football" and where they were located.
Not only do these future markets watch football, they spend time on the computer reading about it. In the same New York Times article they looked at the Google search traffic. The search looked at people searching, "college football" and where they were located.
I will stay under the umbrella of money but go in a different direction. Maryland has a famous alum who can help market the Big Ten on TV, magazines and anywhere you can think. That man is Kevin Plank, the founder of Under Armour.
Under Armour was already in the conference with Northwestern but the money spent on them is nowhere near Maryland. I'm willing to bet this is something the BTN likes, knowing the ad money they can get.
Another reason that makes this a smart move is the talent that comes from New Jersey and Maryland/D.C.
For this I found an article by the USA Today that had a database of every player drafted in the NFL since 1988.
Here are the results for players drafted from each state that has a school in the Big Ten.
- Ohio 258
- Pennsylvania 184
- Michigan 158
- New Jersey 149
- Maryland/DC 117
- Indiana 70
- Minnesota 48
- Iowa 45
- Nebraska 43
I do understand each year Maryland/DC doesn't send a ton of recruits each year but they have a top-10 ratio. According to rivals in 2011, one in every 329 high school players signed a division I FBS scholarship. The state of Ohio was fifth in the country having 144 players sign, with a ratio of 1-to-382.
This move will also help Penn State out a little bit. They will benefit the most on the recruiting side. Things will still be hard for them under the sanctions but help a little bit. Once they get off these sanctions then they can take full advantage.
I know move to what really matters for most fans, competition. Both teams can play football and compete. I don't mean they can hang with OSU, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska every year. They can however stay in the middle of the pack and build their program.
Since 2001 Maryland has gone 5-2 in bowl games, while Rutgers went 5-1. That's more than Purdue (3-3), Indiana (0-1), Northwestern (0-6), Michigan State (2-5), Minnesota (3-4) and Illinois (2-2) have.
Both Maryland and Rutgers have more wins than a couple other teams but I didn't count them for a couple reasons. The main reason being the competition and those teams go bowling on a regular basis.
In the teams I did mention comparing to Maryland and Rutgers, their opponents are similar. They may not be able to compete with the top teams every year but the teams at the bottom of the Big Ten aren't good. Below is a list of the teams that finished in the final AP Poll from 2001 to last year. You will notice Indiana and Northwestern aren't on it.
Years school were ranked in the final AP Poll
Ohio State: 2002-2010
Michigan: 2001-2007, 2011
Wisconsin: 2004-2007, 2009-2011
Nebraska: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009-2011
Penn St: 2002, 2005-2006, 2008-2009
Maryland: 2001-2003, 2010
Iowa: 2002-2004, 2009
Illinois: 2001, 2007-2008
Michigan St: 2010
Purdue: 2003
Rutgers: 2006
Minnesota: 2003
My final reason is the Big Ten wants to be the leader. Conference realignment is happening everywhere. If the Big Ten sits and waits it could end up on the short end. Right now the Big Ten is popular because of money but that could change. If another league made some power moves and then came after a Big Ten school things could get bad.
I applaud the Big Ten for trying to control their own fate.
NBA picks 11-19
Here are my NBA picks for Monday
Indiana -2.5 @ Washington
Milwaukee -5 @ Charlotte
Orlando +10.5 @ Atlanta
Denver @ Memphis -7
Golden State @ Dallas -5.5
LA Clippers +4.5 @ San Antonio
Houston +6.5 @ Utah
I am now 83-54-6 on the season, not great but still in the green which would mean one thing if I was actually betting these games. straight cash
Indiana -2.5 @ Washington
Milwaukee -5 @ Charlotte
Orlando +10.5 @ Atlanta
Denver @ Memphis -7
Golden State @ Dallas -5.5
LA Clippers +4.5 @ San Antonio
Houston +6.5 @ Utah
I am now 83-54-6 on the season, not great but still in the green which would mean one thing if I was actually betting these games. straight cash
Urban's press conference
Here are some note worthy quotes from Urban Meyer's weekly press conference today. I wish I was there, instead I watched it.
- Uniforms for the game will be made public tonight at the "Beat Blue" pep rally at The Union. Helmet will be chrome.
- 2002 National Championship team will be honored on Saturday.
- Urban was asked about Brady Hoke being from Ohio and coaching the school up north. Urban doesn't understand how one could do that.
- Urban told the media if they were going to write a book it should be on Zach Boren.
- Earle Bruce will speak at Senior Tackle.
- CJ Barnett
- Ryan Shazier
- Zach Boren
- Christian Bryant
- Orhian Johnson
- Corey "Philly" Brown
- Carlos Hyde
- Evan Spencer
Special Teams Player of the Week: Philly Brown
The Game
I normally wouldn't write or even talk about something like this so if the unthinkable happens, I'll take the blame. I am going to give you some reasons, not in any special order on why OSU won't lose Saturday.
Seniors: OSU has 22 seniors this year. Their OSU career ends on Saturday. Three seniors come from the defensive line in John Simon, Nathan Williams and Garrett Goebel. The Buckeyes will also say goodbye to Zach Boren. He hasn't put up great numbers but he is one of the vocal leaders. When he leaves the Shoe it will be a good note. Every non-senior will be doing everything they can to let the seniors leave with a win.
Urban Meyer: OSU has him and the team up north doesn't. In rivalry games Meyer has a record of 26-5. Coaching at BGSU for two season he was 3-1 with the only loss coming at Toledo. In two seasons at Utah he was 4-0. Spending five seasons at Florida, Meyer had more losses but also had difficult schedule. He went 19-4 over that span. The only losses came in 2007 and 2010. Of the five losses, four of those came on the road or at a neutral site.
Injury bug: Would it be nice to beat a team with all their weapons on the field? Yes. That's not the case and I don't think any team would ever use it as an excuse. Fitzgerald Toussaint is out for the year with a broken leg. Denard Robinson saw the field last week but is one hit away from being back on the sideline.
The Shoe: Winning on the road in college football is hard. The Shoe at times can be quiet but not in this game. The Shoe is always loud for this game, add the energy Urban Meyer has injected into the program. Good luck to the team up north, you'll need it.
Running game: "I think we need to give him (Carlos Hyde) ball a little bit more," Urban Meyer said after the game against Wisconsin. Hyde ended the game with only 15 carries for 87 yards. You can take it to the bank that Urban and Tom Herman will be getting Hyde the ball. Meyer was also upset with the offensive line. "Usually we are a team that when we block someone, we have a chance to win and I don't feel like we blocked them like we have in past and we have to get back to that especially for this week coming up," Meyer said. I expect Ed Warinner will have his boys ready.
*quotes came from ohiostatebuckeyes.com from after the game against Wisconsin.
Ryan Shazier: Top-20 in the country in total tackles with 110, with 68 solo tackles. Shazier has 14.5 tackles for a loss along with four sacks. When it comes time to make a play Shazier is the man. His interception returned for touchdown against Penn St broke that game open. The play at the goal line against Wisconsin is one that will never be forgotten.
Buckeye Swag/Juice: Urban Meyer has energized this program but so has the staff. What was once a staff stuck in the stone age is now a bunch of coaches creating fires under the players. Bring the juice
Defense: I'm not going to say OSU's defense is the Silver Bullets. They are however improving, with a bend but don't break attitude. In the last four games they given up 13, 23, 14 and 14. In just about every game you play, if you hold your opponent to less than 25 points you have a good chance of winning. Each level of the defense OSU has someone making big plays. John Simon leads the Big Ten in sacks. I've already mentioned Shazier and Bradley Roby leads the country in passes defended with 1.9 a game.
Now it is time for the Buckeyes to back my talk up and keep the humble pie off the menu. Hopefully this is what will be happening after the game
Seniors: OSU has 22 seniors this year. Their OSU career ends on Saturday. Three seniors come from the defensive line in John Simon, Nathan Williams and Garrett Goebel. The Buckeyes will also say goodbye to Zach Boren. He hasn't put up great numbers but he is one of the vocal leaders. When he leaves the Shoe it will be a good note. Every non-senior will be doing everything they can to let the seniors leave with a win.
Urban Meyer: OSU has him and the team up north doesn't. In rivalry games Meyer has a record of 26-5. Coaching at BGSU for two season he was 3-1 with the only loss coming at Toledo. In two seasons at Utah he was 4-0. Spending five seasons at Florida, Meyer had more losses but also had difficult schedule. He went 19-4 over that span. The only losses came in 2007 and 2010. Of the five losses, four of those came on the road or at a neutral site.
Injury bug: Would it be nice to beat a team with all their weapons on the field? Yes. That's not the case and I don't think any team would ever use it as an excuse. Fitzgerald Toussaint is out for the year with a broken leg. Denard Robinson saw the field last week but is one hit away from being back on the sideline.
The Shoe: Winning on the road in college football is hard. The Shoe at times can be quiet but not in this game. The Shoe is always loud for this game, add the energy Urban Meyer has injected into the program. Good luck to the team up north, you'll need it.
Running game: "I think we need to give him (Carlos Hyde) ball a little bit more," Urban Meyer said after the game against Wisconsin. Hyde ended the game with only 15 carries for 87 yards. You can take it to the bank that Urban and Tom Herman will be getting Hyde the ball. Meyer was also upset with the offensive line. "Usually we are a team that when we block someone, we have a chance to win and I don't feel like we blocked them like we have in past and we have to get back to that especially for this week coming up," Meyer said. I expect Ed Warinner will have his boys ready.
*quotes came from ohiostatebuckeyes.com from after the game against Wisconsin.
Ryan Shazier: Top-20 in the country in total tackles with 110, with 68 solo tackles. Shazier has 14.5 tackles for a loss along with four sacks. When it comes time to make a play Shazier is the man. His interception returned for touchdown against Penn St broke that game open. The play at the goal line against Wisconsin is one that will never be forgotten.
Buckeye Swag/Juice: Urban Meyer has energized this program but so has the staff. What was once a staff stuck in the stone age is now a bunch of coaches creating fires under the players. Bring the juice
- Zach Smith/ Receivers coach: He tweeted, "No matter the records..No matter the rankings..No matter the situation...THIS is ALL that matters...THIS is ALL that will be REMEBERED"
- This OSU team doesn't know how to quit
Defense: I'm not going to say OSU's defense is the Silver Bullets. They are however improving, with a bend but don't break attitude. In the last four games they given up 13, 23, 14 and 14. In just about every game you play, if you hold your opponent to less than 25 points you have a good chance of winning. Each level of the defense OSU has someone making big plays. John Simon leads the Big Ten in sacks. I've already mentioned Shazier and Bradley Roby leads the country in passes defended with 1.9 a game.
Now it is time for the Buckeyes to back my talk up and keep the humble pie off the menu. Hopefully this is what will be happening after the game
Sunday, November 18, 2012
NBA Picks 11-18
Yesterday was a solid day for my picks, going 6-2. The only loses came in the Boston/Toronto game and Chicago/Clippers game.
Here are my picks for Sunday:
Indiana @ New York -7
Orlando @ Toronto -4.5
Cleveland +6.5 @ Philly
Brooklyn -3 @ Sacramento
Golden State +10 @ Oklahoma City
Boston -4 @ Detroit
Chicago @ Portland +1
Houston +7 @ LA Lakers
I hope to have something more than just NBA picks tomorrow.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
NBA Picks 11-17
So my picks yesterday weren’t
great, going 4-4-1. I’d like to be above .500 but as long as I don’t have more
losses than wins I am happy.
Here are my picks for Saturday:
Toronto +7 @ Boston
Utah -3 @ Washington
Dallas +3 @ Cleveland
Memphis +5.5 @ Charlotte
Denver @ San Antonio -6.5
Chicago +6 @ LA Clippers
Miami -7 @ Phoenix
New Orleans +7.5 @ Milwaukee
Friday, November 16, 2012
Welcome
As many of you who know me, I have a
love for sports that can sometimes be called an obsession. For those who haven’t
realized this, you will.
Over the past few months I have had
people ask me if I have a blog. I also had some tell me I should start one….so
here we go.
Odds are everything I will write about will
be sports related. I will however talk about more than just my favorite teams.
If you don’t know who I root for, here you go: The Ohio State University,
Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Indians.
I watch a wide array of other sporting
events, I just don’t have a favorite team.
One thing I know will be constant on my
blog is my daily NBA picks. For the fun of it, I decided I would pick every
game according to the line at the start of the NBA season. So far I have been
doing pretty good….or at least I think it’s good.
Here are my picks for 11-16
Utah @ Philly -1
Dallas +2.5 @ Indiana
Orlando @ Detroit -5
Oklahoma City -6 @ New Orleans
Golden State +4 @ Minnesota
New York +5.5 @ Memphis
Atlanta @ Sacramento +2
Houston +2 @ Portland
Phoenix +9 @ LA Lakers
My current record on the season
is 69-45-4
I don’t think there should be any
legal ramifications from this but just in case. I don’t recommend gambling of
any kind. If you do copy my bets,
let me know. At least then I know someone is reading my blog, just don't blame for if you lose.
And yes, this was typed from my
dad’s couch.
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