College Football Week 5: Keeping it alive

Photo courtesy of CollegeFootballPerformance.com. Taylor Martinez (pictured above) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers get their first taste of the Big Ten in Camp Randall on Saturday night.

By Josh Kramer

Though it is very hard to believe, we are already four weeks in, and week five begins tonight.  As has been the case for a good few years now, Boise State once again is being brought up in the National Championship Game discussion.  If Kellen and the blue squad win out, will they get an invitation to Bourbon Street?  In addition, Michigan is 4 and 0 for a third consecutive year.  Can Denard and the Big Blue keep it going through a brutal Big Ten schedule?  And lastly, there are two SEC teams that appear to have a great shot of making the National Title Game (Alabama, LSU).  The SEC seems primed to bring home a 6th straight BCS National Championship.

Here are the marquee matchups.

Texas A&M vs Arkansas:  Razorbacks by 3

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Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

Photo courtesy of PigskinBuzz.com. Heavy expectations were placed on the shoulders of second-year starter Sam Bradford (pictured above) and the St. Louis Rams. The first three weeks have not gone as planned for Bradford and the boys.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Week three of the NFL season has come and gone, and football fans were in for a treat. It was a week in which streaks were broken, and games went down to the wire.

Both the Bills and Lions, two of the seasons biggest surprises, have not made the playoffs since 1999. Sunday was another step in that direction as they both improved to 3-0. The Lions won in Minnesota, 26-23, a place where they hadn’t won in 13 years, while the Bills snapped a 15 game losing streak against the Patriots. What makes both of these teams so fun to watch is the fact they play with no fear and think they can beat anybody in the league. Both of them overcame 20 point deficits on Sunday to remain undefeated, and the bandwagon for both of these teams is growing.

Jump on now while you have the chance.

Food for Thought 9-27-2011

Photo courtesy of LakersTopbuzz.com. Derek Fisher (pictured above) is the President of the NBA Players Association. If there is any hope of an NBA season in 2011/2012, we better start seeing more of him along with other NBA player representatives and fast.

By Josh Kramer

We just witnessed the best NFL weekend of the year by far.  College Football was also very exciting.  And we are hitting the end of September, which means the end of the MLB regular season.  There is so much going on and so much to talk about.  Here are the main items that have caught my attention.

Is no news good news?

I have always been a firm believer in the expression, “No news is good news.”  Generally, when one stays out of the news, one is staying out of trouble.  People thirst to read and hear about controversy.  Bad news is what normally engulfs the news in our society.

Well today is the 89th day of the NBA lockout.  And I must say that the second professional sports lockout of the year has been far more quiet than the first.  As you are all more than aware, the NFL experienced the longest lockout in the history of the League, spanning over 136 days.  And for nearly all 136 of the days, there was immense coverage by all of the sporting networks.  That has been far from the case regarding the NBA lockout.  Mainly we have just been hearing about players looking to lock down lavish contracts overseas.  Has all hope been lost on the 2011/2012 NBA season?

Weekly Nickel 9-25-2011

Photo courtesy of PennLive.com. Regardless of the final outcome, Joe Maddon (pictured above) is the AL Manager of the Year. It has been a remarkable run by Tampa.

By Josh Kramer

It is safe to say that this past weekend was the wildest weekend of football thus far this season hands down.  College football was full of nail biters.  And the NFL was full of surprises.  Plus the MLB pennant races continue to heat up as both the Red Sox and Braves do all in their power to survive their monumental September collapses (each up 1 game for the Wild Card at this time).

Here are the events you should keep an eye on.

5.  NHL preseason hockey is alive and well.  Even Sid “The Kid” Crosby has made his long-awaited return to game play (scrimmage).  And with the NBA in dire trouble, the NHL has to be smiling in that they will not have to compete with the National Basketball League for at least part of the season.  After last year’s amazing playoffs, which featured four game 7’s in the first round alone, and an epic Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL popularity could soar to unprecedented heights this year.

Shut the door on Week 4

Photo courtesy of TheWolverineBlog.com. On a day filled with excitement, Michigan QB Denard Robinson (pictured above) stole the show with his legs.

By Josh Kramer

The College Football season is about a third of the way in, and I for one have not been disappointed.  Big time players and big time teams have lived up to the hype thus far.  Primetime matchups have turned into classics.  And there is a still a whole lot more of where that came from on the way.  Who cares about conference realignment.  Let’s just enjoy the current system, while we still have it.

Welcome to the Denard Robinson Show

Defensive struggles or offensive excellence?

Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions Weblog. Ndamukong Suh (pictured above) and the Lions defense have played a large part in Detroit's exciting 2 and 0 start.

By Andrew McNeil

Week three of the NFL season approaches and I think it could be one of the defining weeks of the season. The first two weeks of the NFL season have been an offensive explosion, but should it be considered an “offensive explosion” or a “defensive implosion?” As everyone knows, the NFL suffered through a prolonged lockout, which prevented teams from going through with their customary off-season workouts. Offensive players got together and worked on things and it seems to have benefited them, but the defenses are far behind.  Teams such as the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, who have typically been two of the bottom feeders of the NFL have become virtually unstoppable over night. It’s widely known that defenses will be ahead of offenses at the beginning of the season, but this year that has not been the case.

NFL Week 3 Predictions

Photo courtesy of indyposted.com. On this day 10 years ago, Tom Brady (pictured above) came in to replace an injured Drew Bledsoe. And the rest is history.

By Josh Kramer

Every team is done with an eighth of their games at this point and I can safely say that the first two weeks have been anything but predictable.  The Bills, the Redskins, and the Lions are all 2 and 0 (who saw that coming outside of Rex Grossman?).  Little known Harvard-gunslinger Ryan Fitzpatrick is gaining traction around the country, while Cam Newton is living up to all the hype and more.  Plus the Colts may be the worst team in the NFL.  Lastly, on this day ten years ago, little-known Tom Brady subbed in for an injured Drew Bledsoe. Talk about a crazy scenario.  I know that I for one am extremely excited to see what Week 3 has in store.

As has become the tradition, we are once again having “TheSportsKraze Pick’em Challenge.”

The participants this season are as follows:

TheSportsKraze (TSK) (defending champion)-Josh Kramer-Founder/Editor-In-Chief of “TheSportsKraze” and former ESPN intern.

CV3-Chad Vordenberge-An elite high school wide receiver and a very successful business owner.

CB-Craig Baker-A former collegiate baseball player and current special education teacher.

DC-David Clark-A dedicated sports fan who was coached by TheSportsKraze on his fraternity flag football team.  After playing for TheSportsKraze, he has developed a slow but steady motivation to show his coach who the real pick’em champion is.

After Week 2, here is the scoreboard.

CB-21

TSK-23

CV3-22

DC-22

Week 3 Slate:

College Football Week 4: We want some more

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. In order for Arkansas to have a chance at knocking off the Tide, Ronnie Wingo Jr. (pictured above) will have to put up some big numbers on the ground.

By Josh Kramer

We are already nearly a month into the College Football season.  And despite much unrest about what the future of the college athletics landscape will be, the level of play has been outstanding thus far.  Down to the wire finishes.  Upsets.  Big time “Heisman-like” performances.  Angry coaches.  Even Notre Dame finally won a game.  You name it, and College Football has had it.  And want to know the best part?  We have not even hit the prime part of the season.

Here are the marquee matchups.

Arkansas at Alabama:  Crimson Tide by 14

Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

Photo courtesy of nfltouchdown.com. Former Harvard star Ryan Fitzpatrick (pictured above) has the Bills thinking playoffs for the first time since 1999.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Before the season started, if I were to tell you that the Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, and Detroit Lions would all be 2-0 by the beginning of Week 3, you would have thought I was crazy. Yet, here we are, two weeks into the 2011 season and all three of these teams are surprising everyone. Both the Bills and Lions haven’t made the playoffs since 1999, and the fans in Buffalo and Detroit deserve a playoff team, badly. Could this be the year they both do it? We are a long way away from the playoffs, but it’s just a thought to think about.

1. Green Bay Packers (1): 2-0. The Super Bowl champs overcame an early deficit to beat the Panthers in Carolina, forcing four turnovers in the process. Next up for the Packers is a trip to Soldier Field for an NFC Championship game rematch.