I’m not usually one to make bold predictions, but this is one I just can’t resist. This season will be the one in which a non-BCS school will play in the national championship game, and that team will be the Boise State Broncos. But in order to do so, they will have to do more than just go undefeated. This is because of the new Rose Bowl rule that goes into effect this season that guarantees that a BCS eligible non-BCS school (Boise State) will take the place of a national championship member from the Big Ten. What this means in layman’s terms is that if a team from the Big Ten (possible) or Pac-10 (not possible) qualifies for the national championship game, then a non-BCS team like Boise State will automatically play in the Rose Bowl instead of the national championship game. So basically Boise State needs to go undefeated and hope that Ohio State, or even Iowa, doesn’t qualify to be in the national championship game. The pieces of the puzzle will need to fall perfectly into place for this to actually happen, but I did say it was a BOLD prediction.
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The Red Sox come into Camden Yards tonight for a three-game series against the O’s. The O’s completed a three-game sweep of the Angels on Sunday and held them to just one run in three games. This is an extremely good sign for the O’s considering they usually have a couple double digit losing streaks at the end of the season. But it looks as if Buck Showalter isn’t going to allow his team to lay down this season, which is a very good sign for O’s fans. The Red Sox have been plagued by injuries all season and currently sit seven games behind both the Yankees and Rays in the AL East and Wild Card standings. They missed a chance on gaining ground after losing two of three at the Rays over the weekend. The two teams have split the season series so far, with both teams grabbing six wins each. READ MORE >>> Position: Fullback Analysis: The two-time Pro Bowler took a big step back statistically in 2009 after rushing for a career-high 902 yards on 232 carries and 10 touchdowns in 2008. This was mostly due to the fact that he reverted back to being a full-time fullback instead of a running back, which resulted in him only carrying the ball 46 times for just 180 yards. READ MORE >>> NCAA rules on talking to sports agents A recent report was released declaring that most states seldom enforce laws on sports agents prematurely talking with and/or meeting with NCAA student-athletes. However, these NCAA regulations only apply to the athletes and the schools, not the agents. This means that one of two things needs to happen for the situation to be resolved. Either the agents should be fined and punished for violating the rules or the rules should be done away with completely. It’s not fair that the athletes get punished for talking to agents. They are just kids and, as we all know, kids aren’t the best at making their own decisions. These agents take advantage of the student-athletes’ ignorance of what’s happening and they never ever get in trouble for it. They get slapped on the wrist, but never have there been any licenses revoked or penalties enforced. Instead, the athletes are portrayed as the ones doing something wrong and the schools end up losing scholarships and getting banned from playing in certain games, among other things. The O’s open up a three-game series at U.S. Cellular field tonight against the Chicago White Sox. The two teams met for a four-game series earlier this month at Camden Yards, with the O’s winning three of the four games, all by one run. The O’s are coming off a series split with the AL West-leading Rangers and a 3-4 home stand and are now 12-8 under Buck Showalter. The White Sox come home after six-game road trip where they went 2-4 and slipped further down in the AL Central. They are now 67-57 and five games behind the division-leading Twins. They are still within striking distance of the Twins, though, and need to beat the teams they should beat down the stretch in order to stay in contention. You would think the O’s would fall into this category, but as we have figured out over the last 20 games, these aren’t the same old O’s. Plus, they have held their own at U.S. Cellular Field over the past three seasons, going 7-7. Position: Strong Safety Analysis: The former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl safety, who was released by the team back in April, signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in June to add some depth to their secondary. Hamlin had his best season in his first year with the Cowboys, recording career highs in tackles (102) and interceptions (five) and was rewarded with a six-year contract worth $39 million. The following season wasn’t as successful as Hamlin or the Cowboys had hoped, though, as he didn’t quite live up to his billing. READ MORE >>> Position: Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Analysis: The Ravens signed McClellan as a rookie free agent on May 6, 2010 to add some more depth to their linebackers. In his five-year career at Marshall, McClellan was a three-time captain and appeared in 48 games, starting 42. He redshirted the 2007 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason, but came back the following season with no apparent setbacks. Position: Inside Linebacker Analysis: What else can you say about Ray Lewis? He has been one of the best and most respected middle linebackers since he came into the league. He is one of the most feared linebackers of all time. He is a master motivator that brings out the most in his teammates. Simply put, he’s the man. Now, we all know he has lost a step, which is what usually happens when you play in the NFL for 15 years. But what he lacks in speed and quickness, he makes up for with his knowledge of the game. Position: Linebacker Analysis: Suggs didn’t have the season that he was expected to have after signing his $6.3 million extension last July. He came into training camp last season overweight and out of shape, and coincidence or not, it affected his play in the regular season. I know it sounds strange, but the O’s come into their weekend series with the Rays as Officiating sports at the professional level is probably the least envious and most scrutinized jobs out there. They are mostly recognized for the calls they miss and are rarely praised for the calls they get right. It doesn’t seem fair, but it’s just the way it is. It kind of makes you wonder why people even want to become officials at all. Not only do you have to deal with complaining players and screaming coaches on a daily basis, you also have to make split-second decisions that could change the outcome of history. And now thanks to instant replay, your honest mistakes will forever be on display for the world to watch over and over again. It doesn’t sound like too fun of a job if you ask me. READ MORE >>> Position: Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin is the type of player Ravens’ fans have been waiting for. He is hands-down the biggest name receiver the Ravens have ever had, and he should provide the team with the spark they need to take their offense to the next level. Boldin spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals playing alongside Larry Fitzgerald. READ MORE >>> Defense. It’s the first word that pops into people’s heads when they think of the Baltimore Ravens. Like it or not, the Ravens have never consistently had a dominant offense (by that I mean they’ve never had an offense that’s been in the top 10 for any consistent period of time). Moreover, when their offense has been on the field, it hasn’t really been the most exciting thing to watch. They’ve always been the play solid defense, run first and hope your quarterback doesn’t turn the ball over team. This season, however, may be a bit different. READ MORE >>> After being swept by the Blue Jays, again, the O’s head into Kansas City for a four-game series against the Royals. The teams split their short two-game series when they met in Camden Yards back in mid-May, with both teams grabbing a 4-3 victory. The Royals come into this series looking to finish their seven-game home stand off strong after being swept in three games by the Twins and allowing 36 runs in the process. READ MORE >>> What happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers? It was just two and half years ago that they were under a sea of confetti celebrating their NFL-record sixth Super Bowl title. It seemed as if they had it all. They had a quarterback whose future was as bright as any young player in the league. They had a fresh, young, fiery head coach who had won a Super Bowl title in just his second season. They had the best defense in the league that always made that timely, game-changing play when their backs were against the wall. . . . → Read More: The Demise of the Steelers…. A History Lesson |
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