COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF : PREDICTIONS

The 1^St College Football Playoff is finally here. All of the built up anticipation since the death of the BCS can finally be released. Will Famous Jameis be enough to override Oregon’s high flying attack? Will Saban bring the trophy back to the state of Alabama. These are all questions that need answers and they will finally be answered Thursday on New Year’s Day! Our thoughts and predictions are as follows!

                                                                    FLORIDA STATE V.S. OREGON

Derrick-

Game 1 features the only team that hasn’t lost a game in 2 years in Florida State and reigning Heisman winner Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks. At first glance, you might think Oregon will win this one easily. I mean they’ve blown out better teams than Florida State has struggled with. They’re fast and have playmakers all over the field. But the one thing Florida State has proven in 2 years is that they simply don’t know how to lose. No matter the venue, the score, or time remaining the Seminoles have found a way to overcome every challenge. Despite all of the off field distractions for this team, they have not been denied…YET. A lot rides on this game. You have the 2 most recent Heisman winners fighting for a chance to play in the national championship, and there’s a very good chance that the quarterback who wins this game will go #1 in the upcoming NFL draft. I think Oregon wins this game A LOT closer than that crazy spread! Jameis will battle but in the end I think Mariota makes one more play..

Oregon 34
Florida State 28

Jalynn-

I think this one will be a high scoring, fast paced, entertaining game. We all know how much pride Jameis Winston has and how he wants to bring Florida State’s “swag” back. There won’t be a bigger stage (including the National Championship game) for him to do just that. You’ll have the newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner vs. last year’s winner, the two top QB prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft possibly making one last effort to prove to scouts that they have what it takes to play at the next level, Florida State finally having a chance to prove they are worthy of some respect and Oregon who needs to get over the hump and finally make it to and win the National Championship game. It should be a lot of fireworks but, in the end, I think Oregon having the advantage of playing on the West Coast will be too much for Florida State.

Oregon 42
Florida State 38

                                                     OHIO STATE V.S. ALABAMA
                                      
Derrick-

The second matchup pits the 2 best coaches in the country (IMO), against each other. They bring with them 2 of college football’s biggest powerhouses. Alabama comes in as a big favorite and they should. They’ve won 3 of the last 5 championships and have 4-5 star recruits all over the field. They have the best receiver in football, and a great defense. While Ohio State comes in with a solid running game, and they have some good playmakers on defense, they also bring a very inexperienced quarterback making only his 2^nd career start. You give a Nick Saban defense this long to prepare for an opponent and that’s a bad mix!! I don’t think see this going well for Urban and the Buckeyes. Alabama is ready to retake the crown and continue being the number 1 college football program in America!

Alabama 27
Ohio State 10

Jalynn-

I see this game going one of two ways, either it will be a barn burner where Ohio State will be this year’s Auburn and come up with a miracle to win the game…. Or Alabama will overwhelm them early and run away with it. I’m leaning more towards the latter. You give Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin a month to prepare for a team that has never seen the likes of Amari Cooper or Blake Sims and playing with their 3^rd String QB, I’ll put my money on them all day, every day, twice a day. I know how impressive Ohio State looked with Jones running the show against Wisconsin, but let’s face facts the kid had to be 3^rd string for a reason. I find it hard to believe that if that’s something he can consistently do, that he would be fine playing behind not one but TWO QB’s. And then you add the fact that he’ll be facing an SEC giant defense led by All-American Safety Landon Collins, yeaaaaaaa it could get ugly.

Or I could be completely wrong and the “Cinderella” story of Ohio State and its QB injury issues could continue…….but I doubt it.

Alabama 34
Ohio State 13

 

So there you have it, a college football fan’s dream. 4 of the best and biggest programs in the land battling for a spot in the championship! Should be a great way to kick off the new year! Enjoy and look forward to the next blog!

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOP 5 POINT GUARDS IN THE NBA

The point guard position in today’s NBA is as talented as it’s ever been. It’s faster, more athletic, and much more dynamic. Some point guards are scorers, some are distributors, and some are a combination of the two. Having so many talented players at the position make narrowing down a top 5 list almost impossible. But to me, the top 5 point guards in 2014-2015 season…

My top 5 PG’s

5) John Wall - I recently started to really pay attention to John Wall and I have to admit, I’m a fan. He’s the real deal! He truly makes his team better, looks to get his teammates open shots every time he penetrates, virtually unstoppable in the open court, commands the floor and is a stud on defense. But this was by far the toughest slot to pick. There are so many young, talented PG’s in the league that you can’t really sound absolutely crazy putting anybody here. You have Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Derrick Rose (even though he’s struggling with injuries), Rajon Rondo, Goran Dragic…the list goes on. But in the end, John Wall’s ability to score, put pressure on the defense, distribute and defend, lands him in my top 5.

 4) Chris Paul- CP3 is here more by default than anything. Just from a pure talent and on-court personality standpoint, he has to be in the top 5. But it’s kind of hard to look at his resume and be impressed, given his abilities. He’s had, arguably, the most talented team in the NBA for 3 seasons and hasn’t even made it to the Western Conference finals. At some point, you just have to get it done.

 3) Tony Parker- Now you talk about getting it done, that is exactly what Tony Parker does time and time again. It seems like the only time we show appreciation for what he does is during the playoffs and it’s usually because he’s outplaying all of the PG’s that are discussed during the season. Well Tony, I’m here to give you the credit you deserve and there aren’t too many people in the business that run their team better than you.

 2) Russell Westbrook - Can we all agree that it’s time that Russ gets the same pass for being an aggressive, scoring PG that we give to Derrick Rose? I understand that he’s playing with the 2nd best player on the planet, but it’s not like KD has the mentality to go and take 30 shots a game. He’s just not that guy unless he really has it going, and in which case Russ often defers. He’s by far the best 2-way PG in the league and the best one we’ve seen in a long time. How many PG’s can go get you 25 and 8 and then on the other end and guard your best perimeter player, regardless of position? People can say what they want about Russ, but I will take him on my team any day of the week. By the way, go look at Derrick Rose’s MVP season stats and compare them to Westbrook’s stats this season AND his career stats…..

1) Steph Curry- This was easy for me. When you have what many consider to be the best shooter of all time running your team, averaging 7 or 8 assists per game…..what more can you ask for??? He’s such a threat offensively that I’m willing to overlook his defensive struggles, which happen to be improving after spending the summer playing for Team USA.

-Jalynn

That’s a cool list and all but no way can John Wall be in my top 5 until he can consistently hit a jump shot. And him being good on defense is VASTLY overrated! This the same Wall who let a d league player in Donald Sloan put 31 on em? PG’s score on Wall a lot but he’ll get a couple steals to make people think otherwise. I'll take Mike Conley over Wall any day of the week. Parker is definitely a top 5 PG but I’m strictly judging this season and this season he hasn’t been that, partly because he has been bothered by injuries. As a Kyrie fan, it pains me to not have him on my list and I understand he’s having to make a huge adjustment but he HAS to be more consistent..period. Now let me give you a real top 5!

5) Rajon Rondo – No one knows how to control the pace of a game like Rondo.  He sets guys up and truly makes them better. That’s why Dallas just gave up promising young players as well as draft picks just to have him in uniform. A player with the capability of making you a true contender. For what he lacks in scoring, he makes up for on the defensive end of the floor as well. When healthy you can’t doubt he’s a top 5 PG.

4) Damian Lillard – When I think about players in the league with that Kobe mentality to just kill his opponent I think of Lillard. Only 3 years in and he has already hit a ton of big shots. He’s a go to guy on a team with another All Star in LaMarcus Aldridge. He still plays with a chip on his shoulder from being lightly recruited and no one saying he would make it out of Weber State. Look at him now.

3) Chris Paul – 2 other guys have to be VERY good for me to have CP3 at #3 on my list. I means he’s averaging 18 and 10 this year and still playing great defense on the opposing teams best PG every night. Chris Paul is still the guy to watch when showing young guards how to play the position, and still exciting crowds in Lob City every night.

2) Stephen Curry – Just my opinion, but he is the best shooter this game has ever seen. If he gets an inch just put the points on the board. And this year he’s added the ability to get to the rim and finish even better than last year! Not only that but he makes plays for his teammates and runs the show for the team with the best record in basketball.

1) Russell Westbrook – The most dynamic and athletic player I have ever seen at the point guard position. Criticize him all you want, Westbrook is a killer who will do anything to win. If his mid-range game is on, he is un-guardable. He also plays defense and with the passion you want to see out of the best PG in the game.

 

D-Will

 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF : THE REACTION

Now I know this is and will typically be a debate blog, but Jalynn and I wanted to put our differences aside for a moment and just give our quick reactions to the 1^st ever college football playoff. We’ll be back arguing in no time!

Now that the BCS system has been put to rest, college football fans of America were on the edge of their seats awaiting the results of the first ever College Football Playoff rankings. And the results look like this.

Alabama v.s. THE Ohio State University and Oregon v.s. the defending national champions Florida State! But I ask you, was that the right call?

I want to take a second to focus on who DIDN’T get in. My thoughts and prayers go out to the team, fan base, and students of TCU. You know when that pretty girl you’ve had your eye on for awhile tells you that you can take her out this weekend? All week long she’s calling and texting and telling you how much she likes you and the weekend comes and you find out at the last second that she’s out with another guy. That’s how TCU feels right now! Terrible pain, heck, I’ve lived it! How a team can be ranked number 3 in the country, go out and win by 52 points and drop to number 6 is beyond me! If the committee was going to move Baylor ahead of TCU, it should have been done weeks ago to avoid all this.  Like the pretty girl mentioned above, she could have given you a heads up! (But I promise I’m over that). Anyways, we all know Baylor beat TCU in a game when TCU was up 21 in the 4^th quarter, relaxed and allowed Baylor back in to steal the victory. I can’t advocate for Baylor. In last week’s blog, I gave advice to Florida State. Well Baylor, here’s yours. PLAY SOMEBODY!! Don’t schedule Northwestern State, SMU, and Buffalo for your non-conference schedule. You reap what you sow!! My advice to TCU? Well when you’re up 21 in the 4^th quarter, CLOSE THE DEAL.

Enough about who didn’t get in. Florida State has a chance to shut the world up and I am quietly rooting for the Seminoles. I mean come on, aren't we all anxious for another Jameis Winston championship speech?! This year’s expected Heisman winner Marcus Mariota is eager to finally get that elusive championship ring before he heads off to the NFL. In the other matchup, you have in my opinion the 2 best coaches in the land of college football with 2 great traditions and teams. I don’t care what Cardale Jones did last night. A 2^nd start against a Nick Saban defense is a different ballgame. Like or love the new College Football Playoff system, the committee has given us some outstanding matchups to watch New Year’s Day, and there’s nothing better to do as you get over that New Year’s eve hangover than watch college football!

-Derrick

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m happy for the committee. I think in many ways they made up for mistakes they’ve made in previous weeks. They weren’t afraid of the backlash that would be caused by doing the right thing and dropping TCU from a spot that they shouldn’t have had in the first place.

So I can change my stance from the last post a little bit and say, the committee got it right!!……sort of. They were correct in a sense of selecting the best and deserving teams. After reading my last post, you guys know who I believe should be #1. My position on that matter has not changed at all.

But anyway, in the fight for that last spot, of course an argument can be made for Baylor but the statement that Ohio State made by winning their championship game by 60 points (59 if you want to be technical) with their 3RD STRING QUARTERBACK could not simply be ignored. Just think about that, the guy on your roster that probably isn’t on a full scholarship, led your team to an absolute rout of a top 15 team in the country. That is a huge testament to how complete your team is, much more impressive than beating a 2 win Iowa State team by 50. Baylor definitely has a little more of a beef than TCU since they have very similar schedules and Baylor owns the head-to-head. When you look at Baylor’s resume versus Ohio State, the first thing that I think you should evaluate are their losses. Baylor lost to a 7-5 West Virginia team that, other than Baylor, has no other wins that jump out at you. They did hang tough with both TCU and Kansas State, but those were both home games  for WVU so that’s somewhat expected. Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech, who’s 6-6. Nothing impressive about the Hokies whatsoever, but they did catch Ohio State at the right time. 2nd week of the season with a brand new quarterback and 4 new offensive linemen. No excuses, I just don’t think there’s enough separation between West Virginia and Virginia Tech to use those as the barometer. So this is where all of the human elements come into play. The eye-test, team situations, judging the body of work etc. And after last night, I don’t think there’s any question as to which team wins when it comes to those factors. Ohio State, without a doubt, looks like one of the top 4 teams in the country. I hope the Tide has a 6-5” 250lb QB that can flat out move and a pretty good arm to prepare for what’s coming their way in New Orleans. Because if not, they might not get an opportunity to give us the matchup that has evaded us longer than Pacquiao-Mayweather…… Alabama/Oregon.

As for TCU and Baylor, I hope your school Presidents and Athletic Directors are on the phone with all of the Big 12 participants. They should be halfway to the commissioner’s house by now DEMANDING a conference championship game. Because if not, you can get used to this happening time and time again.

-Jalynn

"THE COMMITTEE"

Why the Committee is RIGHT!!!

Since Tuesday around 7:00 pm CST, all I’ve witnessed is FSU fans around the globe whine and complain about yet another slide in the new college football playoff standing.

Well, I have some advice for you FSU fans (advocates)—if you want that shiny (12-0) record to mean something, how about not having to survive to beat (5-6) Oklahoma State. Don’t give up 41 points to NC State, and be thankful the refs blew the biggest call of the game and helped you beat Notre Dame who’s currently snowballing with a 4 game losing streak. Also, how about you instruct “Famous Jameis” to start passing the ball to the guys in the FSU jerseys for a change? And do I even have to mention the late field goal you needed to survive against “Mighty” Boston College.....at home?

But you had another shot to make the people believers again. You had the struggling Florida Gators fresh off of firing their head coach coming to your house. Should have been an easy win and a rise in the standings right? Unfortunately not. “Famous Jameis” decided he wanted to throw 4 passes to the Gators and you escaped with a 5 point victory. And NO!—I do not want to hear you cry about Florida being a rival and that’s why it was close! They were also a rival last year when you beat them by 30!!  Sorry Jimbo, but it is a figure skating contest where style points matter bigtime!

But it’s very simple for you FSU fans and advocates; Win and you’re in!! Throw a party like never before in Tallahassee! You’ll go (12-0) and stay at that #4 spot, when a late Christmas gift will be waiting for you. ROLL TIDE!

 

-Derrick Williams

 

Why the Committee is WRONG!!!

QUICK! Someone reboot the BCS computers, find the old hard drives, flashdrives, floppy disks, ANYTHING to remove the human element from the decision making process. How, in their first year, they can get something so blatantly wrong is absolutely beyond me. This takes overanalyzing to a whole new level.

Let’s just take away names for a second and think logically about this. Ready? Okay, you have Team A. Team A had a schedule that included games against 4 ranked opponents. In those games, Team A went 3-1. Although Team A dominated weaker opponents, against the ranked teams not only did they lose one but they went into OT with an 8-4 team that could arguably not be ranked, won one by 5 and allowed 44 points against another. Impressive, but not a whole lot of “style” there, right?

Now let’s look at Team B. Team B is coming off of an undefeated National Championship season, returning the reigning Heisman trophy winner and most of the starters from a pretty good team. So they followed that up with ANOTHER undefeated regular season. Team B also had 3 wins against ranked opponents, except they don’t have that loss that Team A has. Team B has looked like they’ve had it in cruise control all season and sometimes have fallen behind in games, but at the end of the day when it was time to play at an ELITE level and win the game they’ve done it Every. Single. Time.

If I handed you this scenario and told you that one of these teams will be ranked #1 and one of them would be ranked #4, which would you pick as #1?

Overtime Note: Now I know some people might say, “Well as long as you get in the top 4, that’s all that matters”. I whole-heartedly disagree with this. There is a difference or else they wouldn’t rank the top 4 and they’d choose the matchups at random. Alabama is Alabama, and playing them in the semi-final is a disadvantage for any team. A team that has won 28 games in a row and are the defending National Champions has earned any advantage possible. Now we must ask ourselves this, if Florida State loses to Georgia Tech, do they really deserve to fall out of the top 4? At that point, they have 1 loss like everyone else, and their loss is to a better team than Alabama’s one loss, Ohio State’s one loss, Baylor’s one loss, and just as “good” as Oregon’s loss. But judging from the committee’s message the past 2 weeks, they’re liable to fall out of the top 25 if they lose this weekend.

 

-Jalynn Mitchell