Friday, December 31, 2010

New Year's Day Bowl Previews

TicketCity Bowl

Texas Tech -9 vs. Northwestern

The TicketCity Bowl makes its debut in Dallas featuring Texas Tech and Northwestern. Texas Tech never seemed to hit their stride in the first year under Tommy Tuberville. Meanwhile, Northwestern looked like a top 25 team until a season-ending injury to All-Big Ten QB Dan Persa. That set the Wildcats way back. Pat Fitzgerald has gone to a Freshman at QB in Evan Watkins. Watkins has struggled in his 2 starts. Texas Tech will look to take advantage of Northwestern's young QB. Taylor Potts will throw the ball all over the field for Tech. Northwestern will remain winless in bowl games since 1949.

Prediction - Texas Tech 34 Northwestern 21

Outback Bowl

Florida -7 vs. Penn St.

There has been speculation in the last week that this could be Joe Paterno's last game as head coach at Penn St. It appears that this is just a rumor, as JoePa and his wife have come out this week and vivaciously proclaimed that he will be back next season. We do know for certain that this will be Urban Meyer's last game as head coach at Florida. Meyer has had a terrific run with the Gators winning 2 national championships. It is unfortunate that he will leave the school following their worst season since he came to Gainesville. Both of these teams simply weren't as talented as they have been in previous years. We all know that JoePa is a master at preparing his teams for bowl games. And Urban Meyer has proven to be every bit as successful tuning up for bowls. Meyer's final season in Gainesville will finish on a sour note though.

Prediction - Penn St. 23 Florida 13

Capital One Bowl

(9) Michigan St. +10 vs. (16) Alabama

This is just 1 of 3 SEC-Big Ten matchups on New Year's Day. It is no secret that the SEC has had the Big Ten's number as of late. The Capital One Bowl is always one of the most entertaining bowl games that doesn't represent the BCS. This year's game invites an overachieving Michigan St. team versus an underachieving Alabama squad. Which team will be most motivated? Michigan St. felt snubbed by the BCS, while Alabama still feels they are the most talented team in the country despite 3 losses. This game isn't about winning for the Big Ten for the Spartans they will want to win to prove they are deserving of being amongst college football's best. This could be 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram last game with the Crimson Tide. Expect Nick Saban and Mark Dantonio to both have their teams ready to play. I don't think Alabama has the most talent in the country, but I do think they are more talented than the Spartans.

Prediction - Alabama 27 Michigan St. 24

Gator Bowl

(21) Mississippi St. -4 vs. Michigan

This will be the third game of the day between SEC and Big Ten teams. Dan Mullen has done a great job turning around the Mississippi St. program and has them playing on New Year's Day. On the other sideline, Rich Rodriguez will be making his first bowl appearance with the Maize and Blue. While the Bulldogs have been on their way up, Michigan is still fighting to return to where they once were. There were bright spots on both teams. Denard Robinson is clearly the best athlete on the field each time he is out there, but QB Chris Relf of Mississippi St. is a duel-threat himself. Relf has a much better defense to help his cause though. The Wolverines have been atrocious defensively and this must change if Rich Rod wants to win this game. I have the SEC taking this 3-game series.

Prediction - Mississippi St. 35 Michigan 30

BCS Games to follow tomorrow

Chick-fil-A Bowl Preview

(20) South Carolina -3 vs. (23) Florida St.

This is 1 of just 4 non-BCS bowls that pairs up 2 ranked teams. Which means it has the potential to be one of the best bowls games prior to New Year's Day. The Ol' Ball Coach gets the opportunity to coach his South Carolina squad against the school from Tallahassee that was once his biggest rival. Jimbo Fisher leads Florida St. into their NCAA-leading 29th consecutive bowl game. In the last 5 years, the Seminoles have not been playing in the bowl games they had become accustomed to. Fisher appears to have them headed in the right direction after his first season at the helm. Each of these teams last played on Championship Saturday, and each failed to bring home a conference title. South Carolina, however fell flat on their face. How will they respond? The key matchups in this game will be the Gamecock running game lead by Marcus Lattimore versus the rush defense of FSU. And who will make bigger plays at QB Stephen Garcia or Christian Ponder?

Prediction - Florida St. 34 South Carolina 28

Liberty Bowl Preview

(25 UCF +6.5 vs. Georgia

Central Florida heads into the Liberty Bowl searching for the first bowl victory in the program's history. They have made tremendous strides in recent years and come into today's matchup ranked in the top 25. The Knights square off against a Georgia team that had a down year. Mark Richt's club went just 6-6, though they played much better down the stretch. The Bulldogs have a storied history that is drastically different from that of UCF. Georgia ranks fourth in FBS history with 26 bowl wins. UCF hangs its hat on playing sound defense and rushing the ball offensively. They haven't faced an offense as talented as Georgia's all season though. Despite the 6-6 record, QB Aaron Murray had a nice season and it only got better once All-American AJ Green returned to eligibility. Expect the Knights to battle, but come up just short of their first bowl win.

Prediction - Georgia 24 UCF 23

Sun Bowl Preview

Miami -3 vs. Notre Dame

It's the renewal of Catholics vs. Convicts. These once perennial national title contenders and hated rivals, are playing for the first time in 20 years. Nobody could have foreseen that it would be going down in El Paso, Texas. It should be a very competitive contest between 2 evenly matched teams. Albeit the teams are 7-5 and nowhere near contending for a national championship. Miami was ranked in the top 15 to begin the season. They tripped and fell numerous times throughout the year and it cost Randy Shannon his job. It appears that Jacory Harris will be behind center for the Canes. His wildly erratic play contributed to the demise of Miami's lofty preseason expectations. Notre Dame on the other hand finished exactly where many thought they would. Brian Kelly endured a lot in his first year in South Bend. Through it all, the Irish won their final 3 games including wins over a ranked Utah team and arch-nemesis USC. Freshman QB Tommy Rees has been filling in for an injured Dayne Crist. He has done a solid job with the help of star receiver Michael Floyd. The QB play will be important to the outcome of this one. Miami comes in with an interim coach as they await Al Golden's debut and Brian Kelly has a lot to prove. Give me the Irish in a close one.

Prediction - Notre Dame 24 Miami 22

Ringer's Bowl Record
SU: 7-4
ATS: 7-4

Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview

Clemson -6 vs. South Florida

It's ACC versus Big East in this one down in Charlotte. Both of these leagues have been up and down throughout the last decade (though both have been down in more recent years). And both of these teams were up and down throughout this season. Clemson clearly missed the explosiveness of CJ Spiller on offense in 2010 as they went from the verge of a BCS bowl bid last year to barely being bowl eligible this year. They will have to lean on a defense that is lead by the best defensive lineman in college football, Da'Quan Bowers. South Florida played better than what was forecasted in the preseason, but could never gain any consistency throughout the year. Skip Holtz relied on the ground game and a stingy defense in his first year in Tampa. This game will come down to whose offense is able to make a few big plays. I believe it will come down to the wire.

Prediction - South Florida 28 Clemson 26

Ringer's Bowl Record
SU: 7-4
ATS: 7-4

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Holiday Bowl Preview

(18) Nebraska -13.5 vs. Washington

The 2010 Holiday Bowl is a rematch from earlier in the season. Nebraska went to Seattle and spanked Washington on their home field back in September. Will this serve as motivation to the Huskies? Will the Huskers have a letdown after a disappointing loss in the Big 12 Championship? Will Jake Locker make up for an awful performance in the first meeting? These are just some of the questions that will need to be answered in order to decide the outcome of this game. I believe the answers will be yes the Huskies will be motivated to avenge the butt whooping they endured, no the Huskers will not have a letdown, and yes Jake Locker will play better. If all of this is true, the signs point towards this being a much more competitive game than the first one. Washington will hang around for a little bit, but Bo Pellini's squad gets it done at the end of the day.

Prediction - Nebraska 31 Washington 14

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Music City Bowl Preview

North Carolina -1 vs. Tennessee

The Music City Bowl puts 2 teams on display that had very up and down seasons. North Carolina was a preseason favorite to contend for the ACC title. The season couldn't have started worse for the Tar Heels though. Their star-studded defense saw numerous suspensions for the season opener against LSU and UNC started 0-2 out of the gates. Despite 7 players being suspended for the entire season they won 6 of their next 7 before limping to a 7-5 finish. Tennessee was left for dead after beginning the season 2-6. Derek Dooley kept his team playing hard and won the final 4 games on the schedule to get the Vols back to a bowl game in his 1st season in Knoxville. Tennessee is going to need to win the turnover battle in this one. The Vols will keep their close but Butch Davis will lead his team to a 3rd consecutive 8-5 finish.

Prediction - North Carolina 24 Tennessee 19

Pinstripe Bowl Preview

Kansas St. (Even) vs. Syracuse

This is the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl played at Yankee Stadium. The Syracuse Orange make their return to postseason play by traveling across their home state. Kansas St. leaves the Little Apple of Manhattan, Kansas for the Big Apple. Each team has had a resurgence of once proud programs. Doug Marrone has lead his alma mater out of the basement of a beleaguered Big East and surprised most experts by posting 7 wins. At Kansas State, Bill Snyder is attempting to return the Wildcats to the glory days of his first stint with the program. The Orange will need their stout defense to come to play to pull off a victory. K-State is lead by All-Big 12 RB Daniel Thomas. This game will come down to this key matchup and whether the Syracuse D can stop the K-State rushing attack.

Prediction - Syracuse 21 Kansas St. 19

Armed Forces Bowl Preview

SMU -7 vs. Army

The 2010 Armed Forces Bowl matches up 2 schools that have seen dramatic turnarounds from their football programs in the last couple years. SMU is playing in their 2nd consecutive bowl game for the first time since they went to 3 straight from 1982-1984. Army is making just their 5th bowl appearance in school history and their 1st since 1996. June Jones is beginning to regain the winning culture that SMU once had. The Mustangs have a potent aerial attack lead by QB Kyle Padron. Meanwhile Rich Ellerson has restored an Army program that does most of their work on the ground. SMU has the advantage of playing this game on their home field. I expect the Ponies to make the home crowd happy at the end of the day.

Prediction - SMU 28 Army 17

Ringer's Bowl Record
SU: 4-2
ATS: 4-2

December 29 Bowl Previews

Military Bowl

Maryland -7.5 vs. East Carolina

It has been a strange year in College Park. Ralph Friedgen went from a burning hot seat following a 2-10 season in 2009 to ACC Coach of the Year in 2010. Somehow, that did not save his job. He was forced out by his alma mater and rumor has it the school is looking at Mike Leach to replace him. Coincidentally, the Terps square off against Ruffin McNeil's East Carolina Pirates. McNeil was the interim coach at Texas Tech last bowl season after the bizarre incident involving allegations of Mike Leach locking Adam James up in a secluded room. Aside from that weird turn of events, this game features a Maryland squad that averaged over 30 points a contest versus one of the worst defenses in the nation. The Terps finish off their turnaround season with a bowl victory.

Prediction - Maryland 37 East Carolina 28

Texas Bowl

Baylor -1 vs. Illinois

Expect a lot of points in this one. Baylor lost its final 3 games after starting the season 7-2. This was no fault of the offense. Dynamic QB Robert Griffin and the offense was the main reason that the Bears are appearing in their first bowl game since the 1994 Alamo Bowl. Illinois comes into this game with one of the most potent rushing attacks in the country. Mikel Leshoure leads the Fighting Illini in rushing with over 1,500 yards on the ground. Backup RB Jason Ford and Freshman QB Nathan Scheelhaase are also dangerous weapons with the ball in their hands. Ron Zook has Illinois back in a bowl game for the first time since losing the Rose Bowl following the 2007 season. I think this will come down to the wire.

Prediction - Illinois 42 Baylor 41

Alamo Bowl

(14) Oklahoma St. -5 vs. Arizona

Get ready for the fireworks in this one. The 2010 Alamo Bowl features 2 of the most explosive offenses in college football. The Pokes' offense features outstanding players at the skill positions with QB Brandon Wheden, RB Kendall Hunter, and perhaps the best WR in the country in Biletnikoff winner Justin Blackmon. Arizona comes in losers of 4 straight. QB Nick Foles definitely has the ability to break that skid. The Wildcats will put up points, but Mike Gundy is a man and his team will put up more than 40.

Prediction - Oklahoma St. 49 Arizona 38

Ringer's Bowl Record
SU: 2-2
ATS: 2-2

Monday, December 27, 2010

Independence Bowl Preview

Air Force -3 vs. Georgia Tech

This game is the anti-Hawaii Bowl. Don't expect too many passes in this one. These schools boast the top 2 rushing attacks in the country. Each run a triple option offense and that means a lot of running in this game. This bowl has the potential to be one of the quickest games played all year as the clock will continue to tick. Paul Johnson's familiarity with the Air Firce Academy from his days at Navy will play a vital role in the game. Georgia Tech has more athletes and should benefit from Johnson's preparation. Anthony Allen and Roddy Jones will both have big days. Georgia Tech will rebound from a disappointing season and get their first bowl win since the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl.

Prediction - Gerogia Tech 34 Air Force 14

Ringer's Bowl Record
SU: 2-1
ATS: 2-1

NBA Look Ahead to 2011

As we head into 2011 I'd like to take a look at the NBA landscape. Some teams are performing just as we expected while others are playing at a different level than was anticipated - for better or worse. We have teams like San Antonio and New York that are exceeding expectations. The Spurs have remained healthy and young enough to get off to a blistering 26-4 start. While the Knicks have found a dynamic duo in newcomers to the Big Apple, Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudamire, and have also watched players like Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler mature before our eyes. The Orlando Magic went through a terrible 2-8 stretch that caused them to blow up their team and add the likes of Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu. And of course we have the 2 teams that have had all eyes on them in the Lakers and Heat. After a rough 9-8 start the Heat have hit their stride and look like they will be the force we thought they would be. The Lakers have been up and down but have just gotten the return of Andrew Bynum and promise to be right there in the end as they look for another 3-peat.

Below is a look at how I expect the final standings to look like. The projected records are a combination of the teams' current pace based off their winning percentage and my preseason predictions.

East
1. Boston 63-19
2. Miami 62-20
3. Orlando 55-27
4. Chicago 54-28
5. Atlanta 49-33
6. New York 44-38
7. Milwaukee 40-42
8. Philadelphia 33-39
9. Indiana 31-51
10. Charlotte 31-51
11. New Jersey 27-55
12. Cleveland 27-55
13. Washington 26-56
14. Detroit 24-58
15. Toronto 22-60

West
1. Dallas 61-21
2. LA Lakers 60-22
3. San Antonio 59-23
4. Oklahoma City 56-26
5. Utah 53-29
6. Portland 46-36
7. Denver 45-37
8. New Orleans 43-39       
9. Houston 41-41
10. Phoenix 41-41
11. Memphis 36-46
12. LA Clippers 31-51
13. Golden St. 29-53
14. Sacramento 21-61
15. Minnesota 19-63

East Quarters
1 Boston over 8 Philadelphia 4-0
4 Chicago over 5 Atlanta 4-1
3 Orlando over 6 New York 4-2
2 Miami over 7 Milwaukee 4-0

West Quarters
1 Dallas over 8 New Orleans 4-1
5 Utah over 4 Oklahoma City 4-3
3 San Antonio over 6 Portland 4-0
2 LA Lakers over 7 Denver 4-2

East Semis
1 Boston over 4 Chicago 4-2
3 Orlando over Miami 4-3

West Semis
1 Dallas over 5 Utah 4-2
2 LA Lakers over 3 San Antonio 4-3

East Finals
1 Boston over 3 Orlando 4-0

West Finals
1 Dallas over 2 LA Lakers 4-2

NBA Finals
1 Boston over 1 Dallas 4-2

I picked the Celtics to win the NBA title before the season began, and I have not seen anything that would make me change my mind. From top to bottom the Celtics have the best roster in the NBA. If they are able to stay relatively healthy I envision them taking home their 2nd title in 4 years. My apologies to the execs at Disney and Nike, but I don't think this is the year that we see the Lakers and Heat battle for the title.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Hawaii Bowl Preview

(23) Hawaii -10 vs. Tulsa

After a 1-year leave of absence Hawaii returns to the bowl game played on their home field for the 6th time in 9 years. This game features 2 high powered offenses as Tulsa makes their way to the islands. Expect a lot of points in this one. Hawaii's offense was lead by one of the top QB/WR combinations in the country in Bryant Moniz and Greg Salas. Moniz lead an offense that was reminiscent of the days of Colt Brennan. Tulsa is no slouch offensively themselves. The Golden Hurricane averaged over 40 points a game lead by their dual-threat Quarterback GJ Kinne. Often times, teams from the mainland have difficulty adjusting to all the differences that the Hawaiian Islands present. Hawaii has the advantage of playing on their home field. I think the Warriors get to 11 wins with a shootout victory.

Prediction - Hawaii 47 Tulsa 31

Ringer's Bowl Record
SU: 2-0
ATS: 2-0

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Poinsettia Bowl Preview

San Diego St. -3 vs. Navy

There were not many bigger surprises than San Diego St. this year. Brady Hoke lead Ball St. to an undefeated season a few years back and jumped ship to head to sunny San Diego and take over a struggling Aztec program. He has managed to turn the program around in a short period of time and now has them playing in a bowl game in their own backyard.  They will face a Navy squad that has become accustomed to playing in bowl games. This is the 8th year in a row the Midshipmen have advanced to postseason play, and are 3-4 in the previous 7. Navy's triple option attack can be tough to defend, but San Diego St. has had a couple weeks to prepare and will benefit from playing Air Force earlier in the year. A game that the Aztecs won 27-25. I look for Ryan Lindley and Ronnie Hillman to get things going and cap SDSU's surprising year off with a bowl victory.

Prediction - San Diego St. 40 Navy 21

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Las Vegas Bowl Preview

(10) Boise St. -17 vs. (19) Utah

This game features what many believe have been the best non-AQ schools of the last 5 years. Each team spent time in the top 5 this season. That seems like a long time ago for Utah. They were shredded by a far superior TCU team by 40 at home and followed that up by laying an egg in South Bend and losing to the Irish 28-3. Boise St. was a Kyle Brotzman field goal away from probably playing in the Rose Bowl. Some believe that the Broncos are primed for a let down. I disagree. I think that Boise is far superior in talent to Utah, much like TCU was. Though they might be disappointed to be in Las Vegas instead of Pasadena, I think Chris Petersen will have his team ready to play. Look for the likes of Kellen Moore, Titus Young, and Doug Martin to score early and often. I like Boise to win convincingly.

Prediction - Boise St. 45 Utah 24

Monday, December 20, 2010

2011 NFL Mock Draft

1. Carolina - AJ Green WR/Georgia
2. Cincinnati - Andrew Luck QB/Stanford
3. Detroit - Patrick Peterson CB/LSU
4. Buffalo - Da’Quan Bowers DE/Clemson
5. Denver - Prince Amukamara CB/Nebraska
6. Arizona - Ryan Mallett QB/Arkansas
7. Dallas - Nick Fairley DT/Auburn
8. Cleveland - Julio Jones WR/Alabama
9. Washington - Robert Quinn DE/North Carolina
10. Houston - Marcel Dareus DE/Alabama
11. San Francisco - Cam Newton QB/Auburn
12. Tennessee - Stephen Paea DT/Oregon St.
13. Minnesota - Jake Locker QB/Washington
14. St. Louis - Justin Blackmon WR/Oklahoma St.
15. New England (from Oak) - Janoris Jenkins CB/Florida
16. Miami - Mark Ingram RB/Alabama
17. San Diego - Von Miller LB/Texas A&M
18. Indianapolis - Anthony Costanzo OT/Boston College
19. Tampa Bay - Brandon Harris CB/Miami
20. Green Bay - Akeem Ayers LB/UCLA
21. Seattle - Travis Lewis LB/Oklahoma
22. Jacksonville - Allen Bailey DE/Miami
23. Kansas City - Johnathan Baldwin WR/Pittsburgh
24. Philadelphia - Mike Pouncey G/Florida
25. Chicago - Gabe Carimi OT/Wisconsin
26. NY Jets - Rahim Moore S/UCLA
27. Baltimore - Aaron Williams CB/Texas
28. New Orleans - Cameron Jordan DT/Cal
29. Pittsburgh - Derek Sherrod OT/Mississippi St.
30. Atlanta - Kyle Rudolph TE/Notre Dame
31. NY Giants - Bruce Carter LB/North Carolina
32. New England - Adrian Clayborn DE/Iowa