Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Linebackers

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Jerod Mayo, Rob Ninkovich, Dane Fletcher, Tracy White
NY Giants - Michael Boley, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chase Blackburn, Jacquian Williams

2011 Leaders
Jerod Mayo: 95 tackles
Michael Boley: 93 tackles

There is not a lot of star power amongst the Linebacking units in the Super Bowl. Jerod Mayo and Michael Boley are solid playmakers respectively, but neither are going to be mistaken for All-Pros. Neither team is going to generate much of a pass rush from blitzing LBs. Rob Ninkovich and Mathias Kiwanuka are the best bets to apply pressure on the QBs. If either of these teams can get impact plays from the LBs it will go a long way.

Jerod Mayo and Rob Ninkovich are the 2 mainstays for New England's LBs. Mayo has been a starter since he was drafted in 2008 and had 100+ tackles in each season until this year. Ninkovich is the biggest pass rushing threat. He had 6.5 sacks on the year and has had at least 1 sack in 3 of the last 5 games. Dane Fletcher and Tracy White are little known, and have not contributed much. They will be asked to step it up on the biggest stage of their lives.

The Giants linebackers are lead by Michael Boley and Mathias Kiwanuka. Boley is the leader of the unit. He has been a starter since coming to New York 3 seasons ago. He had his most tackles as a Giant this season and is a key cog in the middle. Kiwanuka has never fully adjusted to being an OLB. He can play DE and fits in well with the NASCAR package the Giants use, but he has the tendency to get beat in coverage a lot. This is a tough matchup for the Giants LBs. They will be asked to help out in holding down Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Neither team overwhelms you with talent at the LB position. These teams won't blitz their LBs too often, and they depend on their D-Line and secondary just as much to make tackles. None of the LBs are going to have a huge impact on the game, but I do like Mayo and Ninkovich slightly more than I do Boley and Kiwanuka. The Pats get the nod here.

Advantage - New England

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Defensive Line

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Vince Wilfork, Mark Anderson, Shaun Ellis, Kyle Love, Gerard Warren
NY Giants - Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty, Linval Joseph

2011 Leaders
Mark Anderson 29 tackls, 10 sacks, 1 TFL
Jason Pierre-Paul 86 tckls, 16.5 sacks, 8 TFL

The defensive lines could play a very prominent part to deciding this game. The Giants D-Line has is capable of being dominant, and they have gotten healthy at the right time. With Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora regaining their health, the G-Men have 3 Defensive Ends that can play at an All-Pro level. The Patriots were able to to hold off the Ravens in the AFC Championship thanks to an outstanding effort from Vince Wilfork. Mark Anderson and Shaun Ellis aren't as quick as they used to be, but can still get to the QB when needed.

Wilfork is a bona fide star at DT for New England. He has been a force throughout his career and is showing no signs of slowing. There are not many defensive lineman in the league that can eat up blockers like Wilfork. To show off some athletic ability, he even picked off 2 passes earlier in the year, which actually lead the team at one point. Next to him on New England's front are quality veterans in Shaun Ellis and Mark Anderson. Ellis and Anderson are nearing the end of their careers and would love to get a Super Bowl ring. This unit cannot afford to let Eli Manning to get too comfortable.

Tom Brady certainly has memories of the Giants defensive line. The G-Men have perhaps the best D-Line in the NFL when healthy. Guess what? They are healthy now. Jason Pierre-Paul was a beast all season, leading the way with 86 tackles and 16.5 sacks. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck have been putting up numbers like that for years. This year was not 1 of those years, but the 2 men battled injuries all season. The Giants have even began using a package in which all of their DEs are on the field at once. The capability of these men to hit Tom Brady could very well decide who takes home the Lombardi Trophy.

The defensive line is probably the best defensive unit for both of these teams. The Giants have a phenomenal defensive front. The Patriots are solid up front but not spectacular. New York has the clear advantage here. The pass rushing ability of the G-Men is what separates them. I love the way Jason Pierre-Paul has played this year, and Tuck and Umenyiora are no slouches either. I expect them to give Brady fits a la Super Bowl XLII.

Adavnatge - NY Giants

Monday, January 30, 2012

NCAA Basketball - 2012 NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 Long Island / Mississippi Valley St.
8 Kansas St. 9 Cal
at Portland
5 Wisconsin 12 Alabama / Notre Dame
4 Murray St. 13 Iona
at Nashville
6 St. Mary's 11 Washington
3 Florida 14 Cleveland St.
at Greensboro
7 UConn 10 Temple
2 North Carolina 15 Bucknell

South Regional - Atlanta

at Pittsburgh
1 Ohio St. 16 Norfolk St.
8 Southern Miss 9 Wichita St.
at Albuquerque
5 Louisville 12 Xavier
4 UNLV 13 Middle Tennessee St.
at Columbus
6 Michigan 11 Arkansas
3 Georgetown 14 Akron
at Albuquerque
7 Harvard 10 New Mexico
2 Baylor 15 Belmont

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 Texas-Arlington / Stony Brook
8 West Virginia 9 Iowa St.
at Portland
5 Indiana 12 Colorado St.
4 Virginia 13 Long Beach St.
at Columbus
6 Mississippi St. 11 Oregon
3 Michigan St. 14 Oral Roberts
at Omaha
7 Gonzaga 10 Memphis
2 Kansas 15 George Mason

West Regional - Phoenix

at Greensboro
1 Duke 16 UNC-Asheville
8 Illinois 9 Seton Hall
at Nashville
5 San Diego St. 12 Minnesota / Wyoming
4 Creighton 13 Nevada
at Louisville
6 Vanderbilt 11 St. Louis
3 Marquette 14 Davidson
at Omaha
7 Florida St. 10 Purdue
2 Missouri 15 Weber St.

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Offensive Line

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Dan Connolly, Logan Mankins, Brian Waters, Matt Light, Nate Solder
NY Giants - David Baas, Chris Snee, Kevin Boothe, David Diehl, Kareem McKenzie

2011 Pro Bowlers
Logan Mankins, Brian Waters

The offensive line for both squads in Super Bowl XLVI are solid. They are both effective run blocking units, but are asked to protect their respective QBs far more often. There is certainly precious cargo to protect in Tom Brady and Eli Manning. The Giants and Patriots each finished in the Top 10 in sacks allowed on the year. New York finished 7th in the league by allowing 28 sacks, while New England ranked 9th by allowing 32 sacks. The Patriots did have both of their Guards named to the Pro Bowl.

New England's line is definitely a good unit if not great. They can run block well with their Pro Bowl Guards, Logan Mankins and Brian Waters. They paved the way for Benjarvus Green-Ellis to reach the end zone 11 times on the ground. And the pass blocking has kept Tom Brady clean for the most part. Mankins, Waters, and company will have their hands full against arguably the best defensive line in the NFL. The big uglies for the Patriots will have their quickness and versatility tested to the max when the Giants use their NASCAR alignment, lining up with 4 Defensive Ends on the field. Tom Brady must remain upright if the Patriots are going to win the franchise's 4th Super Bowl title.

The Giants Offensive Line has continued to progress all season long. Injuries played a role in the unit's poor play early in the year. This lead to New York ranking dead last in rushing offense. But the unit has meshed and has opened up many more holes throughout the Playoffs. They have done a good job protecting Eli all year. The Giants were a pass happy offense and still only allowed Eli to be sacked less than twice a game. New England's pass rush doesn't scare anybody so Eli should be able to keep off the ground. It will be interesting to see if the G-Men can establish a running game though.

Versatility is a key attribute amongst an offensive line. I think the Patriots have a little bit more on their line than the Giants do. They will need to prove this as the Giants Front 4 will be relentless. Though I don't particularly think that New England's offensive line can keep Brady off the ground all game, I do feel they are a better overall unit than the Giants. Look for New England's line to give Brady just enough time to do some damage.

Advantage - New England

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

New England PatriotsNY Giants

New England - Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Chad Ochocinco, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez
NY Giants - Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, Jake Ballard, Travis Beckum

2011 Leaders
Wes Welker 122 rec, 1569 yds, 9 TD
Victor Cruz 82 rec, 1536 yds, 9 TD

Both of the teams playing in Super Bowl XLVI have outstanding playmakers at the Wide Receiver and Tight End positions. New England has a solid veteran presence at WR in Wes Welker, Deion Branch, and Chad Ochocinco, and a deadly combination of TEs in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Giants receiving corps is dominated by rising stars. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have been special this season, and Jake Ballard is a huge target for Eli Manning in the red zone. There is a ton of star power in the passing game on both sidelines. Expect these teams to have big plays through the air.

New England's passing attack has evolved over the years. The last time these teams met in the Super Bowl, they used a vertical passing game that featured big plays to Randy Moss. Moss is long gone from the Patriots, and now they employ an intermediate passing game. That suits Tom Brady just fine. Wes Welker likes to get the ball in space, Deion Branch is the possession guy, and Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez create major mismatches with their versatile skill sets. This gives Tom Terrific options all over the field.

The Giants have also changed their offensive philosophy since Super Bowl XLII. Back then they utilized their ground game much more. Now the G-Men are a pass 1st offense. Victor Cruz came out of nowhere to gain over 1500 yards in the air. His meteoric rise to the upper echelon of NFL Receivers has been a story to watch unfold. Hakeem Nicks became one of the league's top receivers last season, and followed that up with another solid year in 2011. Mario Manningham is as good of a 3rd option as you will find anywhere. And Jake Ballard and his 6'6 frame is a prime target near the end zone. This unit should be licking their chops at the opportunity to go against New England's porous secondary.

It is difficult to choose which team has the advantage here. Both teams will live and die through the air. A lot will depend on how healthy Gronkowski is. Gronk was unbelievable in the regular season, by breaking an NFL record for TEs with 15 TD. He is unstoppable in the red zone and his high ankle sprain is a concern. The Giants' receivers have been great all year, but I like the combo of Welker and the Patriots TEs just a little bit more. I give the Pats a small advantage here.

Advantage - New England

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Running Backs

New England PatriotsNew York Giants

New England - Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Stevan Ridley, Danny Woodhead
NY Giants - Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, DJ Ware

2011 Stats
Benjarvus Green-Ellis 667 yds, 3.7 avg, 11 TD
Ahmad Bradshaw 659 yds, 3.9 avg, 9 TD

Both of these teams struggled on the ground last year. Neither of them possessed a RB on their roster that gained over 700 yards rushing. The two-headed monster of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs in the Giants backfield has picked up over the last month, and the Giants offense has been much more balanced because of it. The Patriots were able to run the ball effectively on the Ravens which was surprising. The Patriots' ability to run the ball may have been what allowed them to win last week. Despite the improvement in both teams' running attacks, don't expect earth shattering numbers on the ground during the Super Bowl.

New England's running game has played second fiddle to their marvelous passing game in recent years. Benjarvus Green-Ellis is the team's leading rusher with 667 yards on the season. Green-Ellis is used to keep the defense honest and pound the ball in the end zone. Stevan Ridley has become the backup and gets a handful of carries each game. And Bill Belechick still tries to get creative with Danny Woodhead from time to time. The Patriots ranked 20th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 110 yards a game on the ground. The only reason New England will be running the ball in Super Bowl XLVI is to keep the Giants honest and potentially open up playaction.

The Giants were dreadful on the ground for much of the regular season. They battled injuries in the backfield and on the offensive line that hurt them immensely. Bradshaw and Jacobs have come alive lately though. When they are healthy and on their game, this can be one of the best RB tandems in the league. Bradshaw has big play capability, and Jacobs is a man that is bigger than most Linebackers. The G-Men ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing during the regular season. They will need to run more like they have throughout the postseason if they want to win their 2nd Super Bowl in 5 years.

Neither of these teams are going to dominate on the ground. Neither one of them want to dominate on the ground. They want to run well enough to make the opposing defense respect the run, and pop a big play either by running or on playaction. Despite ranking last in the NFL in rushing, the Giants have more talent in their backfield. The G-Men will probably be a little bit more diligent with the ground game to try and keep Tom Brady off the field. Though I don't expect Bradshaw or Jacobs to garner any Super Bowl MVP support, I think they have more firepower than Benjarvus Green-Ellis and the other Patriots RBs do.

Advantage - NY Giants

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI Preview - Quarterbacks

New England PatriotsNew York Giants

Tom Brady (NE) vs. Eli Manning (NYG)

2011 Stats
Tom Brady 66% comp pct, 5,235 yds, 39 TD, 12 INT
Eli Manning 61% comp pct, 4,933 yds, 29 TD, 16 INT

Tom Brady has been considered one of the NFL's elite Quarterbacks for the last decade. At the beginning of the season, Eli Manning was asked if he was in that same elite status. Eli replied yes and the talking head scoffed at the notion that Eli was elite. Well guess what? Eli Manning is on the verge of winning his 2nd Super Bowl title, which would make him 1 of 3 active QBs with multiple rings. But Tom Brady has 3 and is looking for his 4th, which would make him just 1 of 3 QBs in history with 4 rings. Of course Manning won his 1st Super Bowl over Tom Brady and the Patriots following the 2007 season. You can bet that Brady hasn't forgotten about that night. It should be fun to watch them duel again in the house that Manning built - albeit Eli's brother Peyton.

Tom Brady has been brilliant since the day he became New England's starting QB way back in 2001. This season was no different as he passed for the 2nd highest total amount of yards in NFL history. He also had better than a 3:1 TD to INT ratio. Brady was terrific, in tying another NFL record with 6 TD against Denver in the Divisional round. He struggled a bit with the Ravens last week, but still did enough to allow the Patriots the chance go to the Super Bowl. Simply put, Brady is on a short list of men who could be arguably the best QB in NFL history. A win in Super Bowl XLVI would give Tom Terrific the most postseason wins by any QB to ever play the game.

Eli Manning is finally stepping out of big brother's shadow. He has shown tremendous poise this year in passing for the most 4th Quarter TDs in the league and leading the Giants from 7-7 at one point to the Super Bowl. Eli's magnificence has gotten the Giants to this point. The Giants had to overcome a poor effort from their defense and and a non-existent running game throughout much of the season. That's where Eli helped save their playoff hopes. Now that the defense and the running game are performing well, the G-Men are as formidable as ever. From the start of this season, Eli has been on a mission to silence his critics. It resulted in him passing for almost 5,000 yards and 29 TD. He is definitely moving himself into that elite status. A win on February 5, would allow him to join Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger as the only active QBs with multiple rings. Notice that his older brother Peyton is mentioned in that category.

The way Eli has played this season, it would be easy for me to say that the Giants have the advantage at QB over most teams in the league. But not the one they are playing in Super Bowl XLVI. Truth be told, nobody has an advantage over the Patriots at this position. Tom Brady is without a doubt one of the all-time greats. As good as Eli has been, he is no Brady. New England certainly has an advantage at this position.

Advantage - New England

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

NBA - Quarter Point

I know we just started the season, but we are already a quarter of the way through the NBA season. For the most part, the teams that we expected to be good have been and the teams we have expected to be bad have been. There have been a few surprises, mainly by high profile teams such as Boston, New York, and the Lakers playing below expectations. I still expect all 3 teams to make the Playoffs though. Here is a look at how the NBA season could play out based on current standings and projections of the rest of the regular season.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic
1. Boston 39-27
2. Philadelphia 37-29
3. New York 35-31
4. New Jersey 22-44
5. Toronto 16-50

Southeast
1. Miami 50-16
2. Orlando 45-21
3. Atlanta 40-26
4. Washington 15-51
5. Charlotte 12-54

Central
1. Chicago 49-17
2. Indiana 36-30
3. Milwaukee 29-37
4. Cleveland 21-45
5. Detroit 20-46

Western Conference

Southwest
1. Dallas 43-23
2. Memphis 41-25
3. San Antonio 39-27
4. Houston 31-35
5. New Orleans 21-45

Northwest
1. Oklahoma City 48-18
2. Denver 37-29
3. Portland 36-30
4. Utah 31-35
5. Minnesota 20-46

Pacific
1. LA Lakers 44-22
2. LA Clippers 42-24
3. Golden St. 29-37
4. Phoenix 28-38
5. Sacramento 21-45

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NCAA Basketball - NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 Long Island/Mississippi Valley St.
8 Illinois 9 Wichita St.
at Portland
5 UNLV 12 Iowa St.
4 Virginia 13 Oral Roberts
at Columbus
6 Louisville 11 Arkansas
3 Michigan St. 14 Nevada
at Albuquerque
7 Gonzaga 10 Cincinnati
2 Baylor 15 Norfolk St.

South Regional - Atlanta

at Omaha
1 Missouri 16 UNC-Asheville
8 Florida St. 9 St. Louis
at Nashville
5 UConn 12 Wyoming
4 Indiana 13 Middle Tennessee St.
at Nashville
6 Wisconsin 11 Xavier
3 Florida 14 Long Beach St.
at Greensboro
7 West Virginia 10 Cal
2 North Carolina 15 George Mason

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 Texas-Arlington/Stony Brook
8 Harvard 9 Purdue
at Portland
5 Michigan 12 Memphis/Oregon
4 Murray St. 13 Iona
at Columbus
6 St. Mary's 11 New Mexico
3 Georgetown 14 Cleveland St.
at Greensboro
7 Vanderbilt 10 Dayton
2 Duke 15 Belmont

West Regional - Phoenix

at Pittsburgh
1 Ohio St. 16 Ball St.
8 Southern Miss 9 Kansas St.
at Albuquerque
5 Creighton 12 BYU/Alabama
4 San Diego St. 13 Davidson
at Louisville
6 Mississippi St. 11 Stanford
3 Marquette 14 Bucknell
at Omaha
7 Seton Hall 10 Temple
2 Kansas 15 Weber St.

**The Final 4 would be East vs. South and Midwest vs. West in New Orleans

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

NFL - NFC Championship Game Preview

NY GiantsSan Francisco 49ers

NY Giants (+2.5) at San Francisco

This is a nice surprise. Not many pegged the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers to square off in the NFC Championship. Most thought that it would be the explosive offenses of Green Bay and New Orleans battling for the NFC's berth in the Super Bowl. But defense prevailed. Well, sort of. The offenses for both of these teams had just as much to do with why they are in this position. The Giants and 49ers have had an epic playoff history with each other, and Sunday we will add 1 more chapter.

Both teams were underdogs in the Divisional round games, but came out on top. The Giants battled back and forth with the 15-1 Packers for most of the 1st Half, before Eli Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks on a Hail Mary to end the half and give the Giants a 10-point lead. In the 2nd Half the defensive front harassed Aaron Rodgers and the Giants won going away, 37-20. San Francisco forced 5 New Orleans turnovers to storm out to a 17-0 lead. The Saints fought their way back to set up and ending for the ages. There were 4 lead changes in the final 5 minutes. San Francisco delivered the last blow though, as Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis with 9 seconds left to give the 49ers the win 36-32. Smith has finally been proving his worth and he now has a chance to be the 1st QB other than Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young to lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl. Eli is trying to cement his spot amongst the NFL's elite QBs and 1-up his older brother by winning his 2nd Super Bowl ring.

With a win, the Giants will play 1 of the last 2 teams they have met in the Super Bowl. They lost to Baltimore in Super Bowl XXXV and beat New England in Super Bowl XLII. The 49ers have their sights set on their 1st Super Bowl in 17 years. Expect another classic between these 2 teams. That seems to be the norm when the Giants and 49ers meet in the postseason. San Francisco's D has been terrific all season, while the Giants D has stepped it up over the course of the last month. This game will be won at the QB position though. Alex Smith has been solid, but he is not anywhere near the upper echelon of NFL QBs. Eli has proved he does belong in that group. He will finally step out of the shadow of his big bro and set up a rematch of Super Bowl XLII with New England.

Prediction - NY Giants 24 San Francisco 19

Ringer's Playoff Record
ATS: 4-4
SU: 4-4

NFL - AFC Championship Preview

Baltimore RavensNew England Patriots

Baltimore (+7.5) at New England

It's no secret that the Ravens like to talk. This week the talk has been amongst each other though. Ed Reed created a buzz when he said that his own QB, Joe Flacco, was rattled against the Houston Texans last week. If Flacco was rattled against a team making their 1st playoff appearance, how will he feel when facing a New England squad that has won 3 Super Bowls in the past decade? This will be another classic battle of offense vs. defense. The Ravens have struggled on the road this year, losing to Seattle, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and San Diego on the road (none of which mad the Playoffs). While New England has been dominant at home, as they proved last week against Denver.

There are several matchups that will be vital to this game. The Ravens have to generate a pass rush and be able to hit Tom Brady. If Brady is able to sit in the pocket he will pick Baltimore's D apart. The Ravens ranked 4th against the pass this year, but that had very little to do with their pass rush. Expect Terrell Suggs to be blitzing early and often as Baltimore tries to get a few licks on Brady. This means that the safeties must be ready to cover the two-headed monster the Pats have at TE in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. This duo completely ate up the Broncos in the Divisional round. It is essential that Baltimore lives up to their defensive prowess if they want to advance to the Super Bowl for the 1st time since the 2000 season. Offensively, the Ravens must establish a running game with Ray Rice. New England was dreadful against the pass this year, but I'm not sure Baltimore wants to leave the game in Flacco's hands. After all, he could get rattled. Especially since you can be sure that Bill Belechick will throw the kitchen sink at him.

Tom Brady has been his magnificent self all season. He is now just 2 wins away from joining Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as the only QBs to win 4 Super Bowls in NFL history. John Harbaugh and his Ravens team certainly have the swagger to put an end to that run. This isn't the 1st time Belechick and Brady have played in this game. They will find a way to get it done and head to Indy for Super Bowl XLVI.

Prediction - New England 31 Baltimore 20

Ringer's Playoff Record
ATS: 4-4
SU: 4-4

Sunday, January 15, 2012

NCAA Basketball - NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 Long Island
8 Gonzaga 9 Purdue
at Nashville
5 Vanderbilt 12 Marshall
4 Murray St. 13 UMass
at Columbus
6 Mississippi St. 11 Temple
3 Michigan St. 14 Davidson
at Omaha
7 Harvard 10 Cal
2 Kansas 15 Bucknell

South Regional - Atlanta

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 UNC-Asheville
8 Wisconsin 9 Cincinnati
at Portland
5 Virginia 12 Middle Tennessee St.
4 Marquette 13 Iona
at Louisville
6 Illinois 11 Xavier
3 UConn 14 Belmont
at Omaha
7 New Mexico 10 Southern Miss
2 Missouri 15 Akron

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Greensboro
1 Duke 16 Albany/Mississippi Valley St.
8 Alabama 9 West Virginia
at Albuquerque
5 Creighton 12 Arkansas/Colorado St.
4 Louisville 13 Cleveland St.
at Nashville
6 Michigan 11 Texas
3 Georgetown 14 Georgia St.
at Pittsburgh
7 St. Mary's 10 Memphis
2 Ohio St. 15 Oral Roberts

West Regional - Phoenix

at Albuquerque
1 Baylor 16 Texas-Arlington/Norfolk St.
8 Seton Hall 9 Stanford
at Portland
5 Florida 12 BYU/Northwestern
4 UNLV 13 Nevada
at Columbus
6 Kansas St. 11 Wichita St.
3 Indiana 14 Long Beach St.
at Greensboro
7 San Diego St. 10 St. Louis
2 North Carolina 15 Weber St.

* The Final 4 would be East vs. Midwest and South vs. West

NCAA Football - 2012 Pre-Preseason Top 25

It is way too early to be figuring out who is going to be ranked where when we head into the 2012 NCAA Football season in September, but it is still fun to project. Things are certain to change but of we has to forecast the Top 25 for next season, here is what it might look like.

1. LSU - The SEC champs return most of the talent that lead them to a 13-1 record
2. Alabama - The National Champions have what it takes to win their 3rd title in 4 years
3. Oregon - The Ducks could be the biggest threat to end the SEC's streak of titles
4. USC - Matt Barkley returns to school to bring the Trojans back to glory
5. Arkansas - Bobby Petrino is building a perennial contender in Fayetteville
6. Michigan - The Wolverines are relevant again and could be favored to win the Big 10
7. Oklahoma - The Sooners offense will put up points at will
8. South Carolina - The Gamecocks should have a healthy Marcus Lattimore to lead the way
9. Georgia - Aaron Murray will have the Bulldogs contending for another SEC Championship Game
10. Michigan St. - Sparty will be looking for the 1st Rose Bowl appearance since 1988
11. Virginia Tech - The Hokies have a legitimate chance at playing in another BCS bowl game
12. Boise St. - Kellen Moore is gone, but Boise reloads whenever necessary
13. Wisconsin - Montee Ball returns as one of the favorites to win the Heisman
14. Florida St. - FSU underachieved this season, but will have expectations to live up to again
15. Clemson - Sammy Watkins should get some Heisman consideration as a Sophomore
16. Nebraska - The Black Shirts will need to play better for the Huskers to win the Big 10
17. West Virginia - Dana Holgerson's offense will build off of their 70-point Orange Bowl explosion
18. Kansas St. - A lot of talent returns to a team that surprised the country with 10 wins in 2011
19. TCU - Gary Patterson will find life in a BCS conference more difficult, as they move to the Big 12
20. Notre Dame - If the Irish get solid QB play they could reach a BCS bowl
21. Texas - Mack Brown will get the Longhorns back in the Top 25 next season
22. Louisville - As West Virginia departs, the Cards could be favored to win the Big East
23. Washington - The Huskies' offense should be explosive behind Keith Price
24. Auburn - The Tigers have the talent to be ranked higher of they get consistent QB play
25. Georgia Tech - The Rambling Wreck returns the key cogs to their triple option attack

Thursday, January 12, 2012

NFL - Divisional Sunday Preview

Sunday, 1

Houston TexansBaltimore Ravens

Houston (+7.5) at Baltimore

After being on the road for the playoffs each of the last 3 seasons, the Baltimore Ravens finally get to host a playoff game. It will be the 1st time in 5 years. They will host the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon. These teams squared off back in Week 6 in Baltimore. The Ravens won that game 29-14, which contributed to their undefeated record at home this year. Baltimore has been great when at their best, but have been bad at their worst. Judging by the perfect 8-0 record, they have been much better at home. The advantage of home field, and the loss of Pittsburgh last week leads me to believe the Ravens will play inspired football. The upstart Texans will try to avenge their regular season loss and make it to their 1st AFC Championship. Houston's defense has been just as stingy as Baltimore's this year. The addition of Wade Phillips at Defensive Coordinator has paid huge dividends. Offensively, Houston is paced by a strong running attack behind Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Don't expect a lot of points in this game. Both defenses are stout and should dictate this game. The Texans should hang around, but Baltimore remains unbeaten at home this season.

Prediction - Baltimore 21 Houston 16

Sunday, 4:30

NY GiantsGreen Bay Packers

NY Giants (+7.5) at Green Bay

Some think that this Giants team is reminiscent of the 2007 team that got hot late and went on to win the Super Bowl. They were left for dead early in the season when they had injuries that were detrimental to the team. They had their ups and downs throughout the year, but Eli Manning played spectacularly from start to finish. The defense and rushing attack finally caught up to his level of play over the last few weeks. If the Giants are playing well in all aspects then they can certainly beat anyone. The Packers were no doubt the best team in the NFL during the regular season. Aaron Rodgers has been absolutely amazing with 45 TD and just 6 INT on the year. Rodgers is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and could very possibly be the NFL MVP this season. The Giants defensive front will have to contain Rodgers to give the Giants a chance in this one. Green Bay will get Greg Jennings back on the field this week. That means that Rodgers will have too many weapons at his disposal. Their defense has been ridiculed this year, but expect them to make a big play or 2. Ultimately, the Packers will prevail. They have had way too good of a run for it to end here.

Prediction - Green Bay 35 NY Giants 24

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

NFL - Divisional Saturday Preview

Saturday, 4:30

New Orleans SaintsSan Francisco 49ers

New Orleans (-3.5) at San Francisco

This game features the league's most potent offense versus one of the best defenses. Both teams finished the year at 13-3 and have plenty of reason to believe they can play for the Lombardi Trophy. Each team has been amongst the NFL's elite teams all season. The Saints have been a sexy pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but San Francisco played well enough to earn the 2 seed and make sure the Saints would have to come through Candlestick Park. The Saints enter this game on a high, as they scored a TD on 5 straight possessions to start the 2nd Half in a Wild Card victory over Detroit last week 45-28. Jim Harbaugh will have his 49ers team ready to make this into a grinder though. Harbaugh will probably be named Coach of the Year in his 1st NFL season on the sideline, and a trip to the NFC Championship Game and potentially further would make this season even more special. The team that dictates the flow of this game will be moving on. New Orleans wants to score early and often, while San Francisco wants control the ball on the ground and force some turnovers. I like the 49ers defense, but I like Drew Brees and the Saints offense more.

Prediction - New Orleans 28 San Francisco 24

Saturday, 8

Denver BroncosNew England Patriots
Denver (+13.5) at New England

If you have turned on your TV at all this week, you undoubtedly heard something about Tim Tebow. Tebow lead Denver to a thrilling 29-23 OT victory over the defending AFC Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers last week. He proved once again that he is capable of winning games in the NFL, and this time he did it through the air. Tebow threw for 316 yards that included the 80-yard game-winner to Demaryius Thomas. The Broncos went from a 1-4 start to just 1 win away from the AFC Championship. They will travel to Foxborough this week, where the Patriots have only lost 2 games in the last 2 seasons (NY Jets in last year's Divisional Playoffs and NY Giants in Week 9). New England looks primed for another Super Bowl run. They haven't been to the Super Bowl since 2007, but Tom Brady is playing like a QB that has 3 rings. Brady is a living legend, and Tebow could be on his way to becoming one if Denver pulls off another upset. I look for Brady and the Pats to put an end to Tebow Mania this week. Gillette Stadium will be hosting the AFC Championship for the 1st time in 4 years.

Prediction - New England 41 Denver 25

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

NCAA Football - Final Top 25

Is there any doubt that Alabama is #1? Many thought that if the Crimson Tide won on Monday night that there would be a debate between Alabama, LSU, and maybe even Oklahoma State. The Tide left no debate. They thoroughly dominated the team that was the best throughout the regular season, winning 21-0. This is 2 titles in 3 years for Nick Saban and 'Bama, 3 straight for schools in the state of Alabama, and 6 straight for the SEC. Here is a look at how the final Ringer Poll of the year shook out, along with my records for my bowl predictions. Be on the look out later this week for my 2012 Pre-Preseason NCAA Football Rankings.

Ringer's Bowl Record
ATS: 23-12
SU: 27-8

1. Alabama (12-1)
2. LSU (13-1)
3. Oklahoma St. (12-1)
4. Arkansas (11-2)
5. Oregon (12-2)
6. Stanford (11-2)
7. Boise St. (12-1)
8. South Carolina (11-2)
9. Michigan (11-2)
10. Wisconsin (11-3)
11. Houston (13-1)
12. Michigan St. (11-3)
13. Baylor (10-3)
14. Oklahoma (10-3)
15. Virginia Tech (11-3)
16. Kansas St. (10-3)
17. TCU (11-3)
18. Georgia (10-4)
19. West Virginia (10-3)
20. Southern Miss (12-2)
21. Clemson (10-4)
22. Florida St. (9-4)
23. Nebraska (9-4)
24. BYU (10-3)
25. Cincinnati (10-3)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

NCAA Basketball - Tournament Projections

We are now heading into the meat of the NCAA Basketball season. Conference play has gotten underway and soon enough we will start talking about "bubble" teams. There are currently 3 teams undefeated (Syracuse, Baylor, and Murray St.) and looking to be the 1st team to head into the Big Dance as so since the 1991 UNLV squad. Here is a look at how the brackets could look if the season were to end today.

East Regional - Boston

at Pittsburgh
1 Syracuse 16 Norfolk St./Lamar
8 Harvard 9 Southern Miss
at Portland
5 Wisconsin 12 Arkansas
4 Virginia 13 Cleveland St.
at Omaha
6 Gonzaga 11 Cincinnati
3 Kansas 14 Davidson
at Columbus
7 Vanderbilt 10 Stanford
2 Michigan St. 15 Oral Roberts

South Regional - Atlanta

at Louisville
1 Kentucky 16 UNC-Asheville/Texas Southern
8 St. Louis 9 Marquette
at Albuquerque
5 Michigan 12 Colorado
4 Louisville 13 Iona
at Columbus
6 San Diego St. 11 Texas
3 Indiana 14 Long Beach St.
at Greensboro
7 St. Mary's 10 Wichita St.
2 Duke 15 Ball St.

Midwest Regional - St. Louis

at Greensboro
1 North Carolina 16 Weber St.
8 Seton Hall 9 Illinois
at Nashville
5 Murray St. 12 Minnesota/Memphis
4 Florida 13 Middle Tennessee
at Louisville
6 Creighton 11 Temple
3 Georgetown 14 Belmont
at Omaha
7 New Mexico 10 Cal
2 Missouri 15 Bucknell

West Regional - Phoenix

at Albuquerque
1 Baylor 16 Albany
8 West Virginia 9 Purdue
at Portland
5 Mississippi St. 12 Northwestern/Northern Iowa
4 UNLV 13 George Mason
at Nashville
6 Kansas St. 11 Dayton
3 UConn 14 Nevada
at Pittsburgh
7 Alabama 10 Xavier
2 Ohio St. 15 Long Island

The Final 4 would feature East vs. West and South vs. Midwest

Saturday, January 7, 2012

2012 NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis - Andrew Luck  QB/Stanford
2. St. Louis - Justin Blackmon  WR/Oklahoma St.
3. Minnesota - Matt Kalil  OT/USC
4. Cleveland - Trent Richardson  RB/Alabama
5. Tampa Bay - Morris Claiborne  CB/LSU
6. Washington - Robert Griffin III  QB/Baylor
7. Jacksonville - Quinton Coples  DE/North Carolina
8. Miami - Riley Reiff  OT/Iowa
9. Carolina - Dre Kirkpatrick  CB/Alabama
10. Buffalo - Johnathan Martin  OT/Stanford
11. Kansas City - Dontari Poe  DT/Memphis
12. Seattle - Devon Still  DT/Penn St.
13. Arizona - David DeCastro  G/Stanford
14. Dallas - Luke Kuechly  LB/Boston College
15. Philadelphia - Alshon Jefferey  WR/South Carolina
16. NY Jets - Courtney Upshaw  LB/Alabama
17. Cincinnati - Janoris Jenkins  CB/North Alabama
18. San Diego - Melvin Ingram  DE/South Carolina
19. Chicago - Mike Adams  OT/Ohio St.
20. Tennessee - Andre Branch  DE/Clemson
21. Denver - Michael Floyd  WR/Notre Dame
22. Cincinnati - Cordy Glenn  G/Georgia
23. NY Giants - Vontaze Burfict  LB/Arizona St.
24. Detroit - Peter Konz  C/Wisconsin
25. Houston - Kendall Wright  WR/Baylor
26. Cleveland - Mohammed Sanu  WR/Rutgers
27. Pittsburgh - Donta Hightower  LB/Alabama
28. San Francisco - Alfonzo Dennard  CB/Nebraska
29. Baltimore - Zach Brown  LB/North Carolina
30. Green Bay - Jerel Worthy  DT/Michigan St.
31. New England - Whitney Mercilus  LB/Illinois
32. New England - Stephon Gilmore  CB/South Carolina

NHL - Midseason Report

We have reached the half way point of the NHL season. To this point there have been plenty of surprises. Teams like Florida and Saint Louis appear primed to make it back to the playoffs after a couple seasons of disappointment. But most of the teams that you expected to contend for the Stanley Cup are right there in the thick of things. Competition should start to heat up and there will be some exciting playoff pushes to keep an eye on. Here is a look at how the regular season could end up based on current standings and projections of the rest of the season.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston
2. Philadelphia
3. Washington
4. NY Rangers
5. Pittsburgh
6. Florida
7. New Jersey
8. Buffalo
9. Tampa Bay
10. Toronto
11. Ottawa
12. Montreal
13. Winnipeg
14. Carolina
15. NY Islanders

Western Conference

1. Vancouver
2. San Jose
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Los Angeles
6. St. Louis
7. Minnesota
8. Nashville
9. Dallas
10. Anaheim
11. Colorado
12. Phoenix
13. Calgary
14. Edmonton
15. Columbus

Thursday, January 5, 2012

NFL - Wild Card Sunday Preview

Sunday, 1

Atlanta FalconsNY Giants

Atlanta (+3) at NY Giants

Atlanta will be playing in the playoffs in back to back seasons for the 1st time in franchise history. Despite the success that the Falcons have had since Matt Ryan has been under center and Mike Smith has been on the sideline, the team has yet to win a playoff game with those men. This year they will travel to the Meadowlands where Matty Ice will look to secure his 1st playoff victory. The Giants enter the postseason on a high, after defeating the Cowboys last weekend to win the NFC East crown. They have endured an up and down season, but are up at the moment. One of the keys to the game will be how well the Falcons can keep Matt Ryan protected against the Giants elite pass rush. If Atlanta avoids giving up too many sacks, I see no reason they can't beat the Giants. I picked the Falcons to make it to the NFC Championship in the preseason. I think they get one step closer to that on Sunday. The Giants played their way into the playoffs last week, they will play their way out this week.

Prediction - Atlanta 21 NY Giants 20

Sunday, 4:30

Pittsburgh SteelersDenver Broncos

This may not be the best game of the opening weekend, but it is probably the most hyped. Yes, Tim Tebow is playing. That means the media coverage will be wild. But on top of that he is going against the vaunted Steelers defense. Tebow Mania began when the Broncos rattled off 7 wins in 8 games to put themselves in position to make the playoffs. Since then they have lost 3 straight and Tebow has been dreadful. There are not many that believe that he can fare well against Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers have injury concerns though. Ben Roethlisberger aggravated his high ankle sprain last week and will be nowhere near 100%. Rashard Mendenhall is out for the year with a torn ACL. And Ryan Clark will miss the game due to a blood disorder that acts up when in high altitude. The questions to be answered are whether the Steelers can withstand the injuries and whether Tebow can avoid the mistakes to let the Steelers tee off on him. I believe the answers to be yes Pittsburgh can overcome the injuries, and no Tebow can't avoid mistakes against the Steelers D. Even if Pittsburgh isn't 100%, they should be good enough to end the Broncos season.

Prediction - Pittsburgh 23 Denver 7

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

NFL - Wild Card Saturday Preview

Saturday, 4:30

Cincinnati BengalsHouston Texans

Cincinnati (+3) at Houston

Two teams that are not used to being in the postseason square off in Houston on Saturday. The Houston Texans are making their 1st appearance in the playoffs since joining the league in 2002. Cincinnati is making just their 3rd appearance in the last 20 years. The Texans stormed off to a 10-3 record despite losing 3 of their premier players (Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Mario Williams). They have since lost their last 3 and have no momentum on their side. The Bengals traveled a similar route, beginning the season 6-2 before finishing with a 9-7 record and backing into the playoffs. By virtue of winning the AFC South, Houston will have home field and should have a raucous crowd supporting them at Reliant Stadium. TJ Yates and Andy Dalton will both be starting their 1st postseason starts of their careers. Expect both teams to try to control the ground game. Pro Bowl RB Arian Foster will pace the Texans attack, while the Bengals will counter with Cedric Benson. Ultimately, Foster and his teammate Ben Tate will be able to establish themselves on the ground and lead the Texans to their 1st playoff win in franchise history.

Prediction - Houston 23 Cincinnati 16

Saturday, 8

Detroit LionsNew Orleans Saints

Detroit (+10.5) at New Orleans

This is a matchup of 2 of the most explosive offenses in all of football. Both team feature QBs that broke the 5,000 yard passing mark. The Saints' Drew Brees became the record holder for passing yards in a season at 5,476. The Lions' Matthew Stafford was not too far behind at 5,038. The Saints have rattled off 8 straight wins and have averaged over 41 points a game at home. This includes a 31-17 win over the Lions just a few weeks back. The Lions began the year 5-0, but went just 5-6 in their final 11. This has many wondering whether Detroit has what it takes to compete at this level. In their regular season meeting, Drew Brees was able to expose the Lions' secondary, much like he has every secondary this year. The Lions have the firepower to match New Orleans point for point though. Stafford to Calvin Johnson has become perhaps the most lethal connection in the NFL. The team that forces the other into mistakes will win the game. Remember the Saints Super Bowl run in 2009? That team was predicated on explosive plays on offense and forcing key turnovers on defense. Expect the same from this year's Saints. New Orleans was my preseason pick to win the Super Bowl so I can;t turn against them now.

Prediction - New Orleans 41 Detroit 27