College Football Preview: SEC too good for its own good

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Matt Barkley (pictured above) will have a special year in 2012 as he leads USC back to the pinnacle of college football and takes home the Heisman Trophy.

By Josh Kramer

Opening night for the 2012 edition of College Football is just a week away.  It seems like it was just yesterday that Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide were celebrating on Bourbon Street.  In actuality, it was 227 days ago when Alabama clinched the SEC’s sixth consecutive national championship.  Don’t expect that streak to reach seven though.

Here are my predictions for the season ahead.

ACC Champion: Florida State Seminoles

I along with most people around the country jumped the gun and proclaimed Florida State’s greatness last season.  Will this finally be the year that the Seminoles and their outstanding recruiting classes live up to the hype?  Jimbo Fisher along with the entire city of Tallahassee certainly hope so.  A loaded defense led by Brandon Jenkins, Bjoern Werner, and Xavier Rhodes are ready to roll.  As is their experienced senior quarterback EJ Manuel.  A September 22nd showdown with the reigning ACC Champs Clemson and a visit to Blacksburg for a Thursday night tussle (November 8th) with the always dangerous Virginia Tech Hokies are the two dates to keep in mind at this time.

Big 12 Champion:  Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners are a definite contender to not only win the conference crown, but to take home the whole thing after a very disappointing and injury-riddled 2011. This will be a team that has a chip on its shoulder from start to finish in 2012.  Unfortunately for the Sooners, their schedule does not get serious until their final three games, which features road contests against Big 12 newcomers West Virginia and TCU, and a showdown with in-state rival Oklahoma State.  Also, keep an eye on the Red River Rivalry Game against a dangerous Texas team on October 13th.  Senior quarterback Landry Jones may face more media pressure than any other player in the country not named Matt Barkley.  I have a feeling that the very experienced senior will welcome it as he finishes his Sooner career with a bang.

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Weekly Nickel 2-20-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. The New York Rangers currently possess the best record in the Eastern Conference. Much of the team's success is due in large part to goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (pictured above).

By Josh Kramer

The Garden was simply “Linsane” yesterday as Jeremy Lin led the Knicks to a huge home victory over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks.  Michigan finally exacted some revenge on their bitter rival, Ohio State, handling Sullinger and Co. in Ann Arbor for the first time in a long time (previously had lost 7 straight to the Buckeyes).  And pitchers and catchers began reporting to warm and beautiful cities across the country.  This past week was absolutely wild, but the current week should be some fun too.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

5.  Is it 1994 all over again?  For the first time in a long time, both the Rangers and Knicks are contenders at the same time (granted the Knicks are only 500, but winners of 8 of 9).  The Rangers currently possess the best record in the East, while the Red Wings have been simply unbeatable as of late, winning six straight games, and 23 straight at home.  This week my attention is focused on a marquee matchup in Pittsburgh tomorrow night.

Weekly Nickel 1-30-2012

Photo courtesy of theoldprincetonlanding.com. All eyes will be focused on Indianapolis this week as America gears up for the biggest sporting event of the year.

By Josh Kramer

Yes, this past weekend, no “real” football games (college or professional) were played for the first time since the beginning of September (and no the Pro Bowl is not a real game).  Tennis jumped to the forefront of the sporting stratosphere and rightfully so.  The Djokovic/Nadal 5 hour and 53 minute thriller was a match for the ages, that anybody who had a chance to bear witness will not soon forget.  In addition, the Men’s Australian Open final made up for a Women’s final that was perhaps the worst Grand Slam final of all time.  Last week was great, but you better believe this week will be pretty amazing in its own right.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

Weekly Nickel 1-16-2012

Photo courtesy of latimesblogs.latimes.com. Kobe Bryant (pictured above) has shown no signs of aging after putting up 40+ points for a fourth consecutive game on Saturday. Can he lead the Lakers to a victory in Miami on Thursday?

By Josh Kramer

The clock finally struck midnight on “Tebow Time,” or at least for the time being, and the globe is still spinning.  “Lob City” staked their claim to Los Angeles.  And the 49ers won against an outstanding Saints team in a game that will go down as one of the all-time greats.  The past week, or even the past day for that matter, was classic.  This week should be pretty fun in its own right though.  Here are the events to keep an eye on.

5.  Pitchers and catchers start reporting in 33 days (February 18th for a lot of teams).  MLB baseball is just around the corner.  And the Yankees finally broke their silence on Friday in a big way.  Who else is already very excited for the 2012 baseball season?  Keep an eye this week on what happens with marquee available players such as Prince Fielder, Rick Ankiel, and many more.  Will your favorite team pick up the piece they need to make a deep run in October?

4.  Kobe Bryant has now put up 40 or more points four straight games.  So much for the 33-year-old wearing now.  Any chance he will eclipse his nine-straight games of 40 or more points back in 2002/2003?

College Football Bowl Picks Week 2

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Kellen Moore (pictured above) is looking to cap off his remarkable college career with his 50th victory.

By Josh Kramer

The first few college bowl games surprisingly went out with a bang. I will be the first to admit that the first week of bowl games were not half bad.  They were actually very good.  Granted the majority of America did not really care about the outcomes, but guys like Tyler Tettleton (OU QB) and Brett Baer (Louisiana-Lafeyette kicker) are now heroes in Athens (Ohio) and Ragin’ Caginville.  I think it is safe to say that Brett Baer might be more beloved than the “Waterboy,” Bobby Boucher (regardless of what mama says). in Lafayette. Two of the three games on Saturday came down to the wire.  The Monday evening game provided a very surprising outcome, as the Thundering Herd “scampered” their way past a decent Florida International team.  Now the fun really begins (sort of) with seven games between today and next Wednesday night.

Thursday:

Arizona State vs Boise State (MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS)

–Broncos by 14

Headline:  Kellen Moore vents his frustrations of missing the National Championship yet again on a struggling Arizona State team.

Week 14 went out with a bang

Photo courtesy of sportsgooru.com. The video game finally ended for Case Keenum (pictured above) and the Houston Cougars in yesterday's Conference USA Title Game.

By Josh Kramer

The final weekend is also commonly referred to as “Championship Weekend.”  Predominantly, the slate is full of conference championships and other games with heavy BCS implications.  Sadly, outside of the Big Ten Title Game in Indianapolis, most of the other games failed to live up to the hype. I know one thing for sure.  I am excited for bowl season.

Game over on the video game

-Yesterday’s Conference USA Title Game had much more BCS implications than normal.  With a victory, Houston would all but ensure a spot in a BCS Game.  The Cougars had simply been dominant all season long, heading into yesterday’s showdown with Southern Mississippi at 12 and 0.  On the year, Houston, led by their fearless quarterback had outscored their opponents an astonishing 632 to 251.  That is an average score of 53 to 21.  Granted, they had not played one ranked team all season long.  Well yesterday, Houston played a ranked foe, and their lack of experience showed.

College Football Week 12: Don’t leave it on the shelve

Photo courtesy of kansas.com. Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein (pictured above) is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in College Football. Look for him to lead Kansas State to a big victory over Texas on Saturday.

By Josh Kramer

Kicking was the name of the game last week in College Football.  Sadly, many top teams did not get the memo, and paid the price in a big way.  The fiasco that is Penn State continues to get worse each day.  And the Stanford Cardinal finally ran out of “Luck” against a Oregon team that is playing outstanding football.  Week 11 was a wild one, but Week 12 is sure to be great in its own right.

Here are the marquee matchups.

Nebraska at Michigan:  Cornhuskers by 3

Headline:  Rex Burkhead turns the “Big House” into his house.

College Football Week 7: Is this heaven

Photo courtesy of yahoo.com. Baylor QB Robert Griffin III (pictured above) has been simply sensational through the first half of the season. Can he lead the Bears over the Aggies in a big time Big 12 matchup?

By Josh Kramer

It is no longer a new season of College Football.  We are at the midway point of the year, and conference play is in full force.  Grab your popcorn because the second half promises to be even more fun than the first half was.

Here are a few things we do know:

-The SEC West is as good as advertised, featuring two major National Championship contenders in LSU and Alabama.

-Andrew Luck was not just lucky in his first couple of seasons under center in Palo Alto.  He truly is the real deal.

-The Russell Wilson experiment appears to not only have major Big Ten Championship implications, but possible National Championship Game implications as well.

-Stephen Garcia is one of the biggest knuckleheads ever to play a snap at the Division 1 College Football level.

-The first official set of BCS Rankings will come out on Sunday.

College Football Week 6: Get your fix

Photo courtesy of dallasobserver.com. Week 6 has a great slate of games, but none are bigger than the Red River Rivalry game.

By Josh Kramer

We are nearly at the halfway marker of the College Football season with conference play in full swing.  The Russell Wilson experiment in Madison has been a crazy success story thus far.  Andrew Luck is living up to all of the hype and more, even making insane one-handed catches as a receiver.  And the SEC seems to be as good as ever.

Here are the marquee matchups.

Oklahoma vs Texas:  Sooners by 14

Weekly Nickel 10-3-2011

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. The NHL season is set to get under way this week and sadly the game's biggest star, Sidney Crosby (pictured above) will be sidelined.

By Josh Kramer

The MLB playoffs are under way and have been a slug fest thus far.  College Football this weekend was defined by blowouts.  And the NFL slate was filled with improbable comeback victories.  Last week was great.  But do not sleep on this upcoming week.

Here are the events to  keep an eye on.

5.  It could be a do or die type of week in terms of NBA action.  Expect to learn more about what the future holds in terms of the 2011/2012 season, Kobe Bryant’s vacation plans, and more.  I have a feeling that we may know whether we are playing half a season or no season at all by weeks end (the chances of a full season are all but finished).

4.  NHL preseason hockey is over.