Thursday, January 31, 2013

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Secondary

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore: Cary Williams, Corey Graham, Jimmy Smith, Ed Reed, Bernard Pollard
San Francisco: Tarell Brown, Carlos Rogers, Chris Culliver, Dashon Goldson, Donte Whitner

2012 Leaders
Baltimore: Cary Williams 75 tackles, 4 INT
San Francisco: Dashon Goldson 69 tackles, 3 INT

These secondaries have been on the opposite end of the spectrum throughout the season. San Francisco's has been a top notch unit all season. They've gotten consistent play out of their corners, and All-Pro play out of their safeties. Baltimore's group has been battered and bruised all season, and had inconsistent play because of it.

Baltimore's secondary was ravaged by injury this year. Their best cover man, Ladarius Webb, was lost for the year. Their second best cover man, Jimmy Smith, has been injured as well. Smith is expected back for the Super Bowl, however. In their place, Cary Williams and Corey Graham were asked to step up. Williams was a nice contributor during the regular season. Graham has stepped it up in the postseason. The glue that held the secondary together though was Ed Reed. The all-time great is not what he used to be, but he is still capable of making a game-changing play.

The DBs for the 49ers have been as stellar as ever. They proved to be one of the best secondaries in the NFL last season, and picked up where they left off. Tarell Brown, Carlos Rogers, and Chris Culliver have been solid. Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner have been spectacular. Whitner had his best season as a pro. These men have the task of stopping a red hot Joe Flacco. They are more than capable of living up to the task.

Once again, San Francisco has a clear advantage in the secondary. This defense has been great in every aspect. The secondary has been too. They cover the pass tremendously well, and they are good against the run too. The 49ers will make it difficult for Flacco to keep up his recent hot streak.

Advantage - San Francisco

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Linebackers

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore: Ray Lewis, Dannell Ellerbe, Terrell Suggs, Paul Kruger
San Francisco: Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks

2012 Leaders
Baltimore: Paul Kruger 9 sacks
San Francisco: Aldon Smith 19.5 sacks

The linebacking units in Super Bowl XLVII are loaded with game changers. Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman make up the best inside linebacking duo in the NFL today. On the other side, Ray Lewis is potentially the best inside linebacker in NFL history. Aldon Smith is the best pass rushing linebacker in the NFL today. On the other sideline, Terrell Suggs is one of the best pass rushing linebackers of the past decade. Both of these corps will have something to say about who hoists the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night.

Ray Lewis is one win away from going out on top. Lewis has been the face of the Ravens franchise since he was drafted in 1996. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV and would love nothing more than to get part ways with his second ring. He will need some help from his teammates. Lewis and Suggs are one of the great inside-out duos to play the game. Both have been hampered by injury throughout the year. It is the two lesser know members of the unit that have lead the way this year. Dannell Ellerbe lead the team in tackles, and Paul Kruger lead the team in sacks.

There is playmaker at every spot across the 49ers linebackers. I will say that Ahmad Brooks is solid, and move on from him. Patrick Willis may have taken over for Ray Lewis as the game's best inside linebacker. His teammate right next to him in the middle isn't too shabby either. Navorro Bowman is also an All-Pro. Together they form an unstoppable tackling machine. As if these two weren't dangerous enough, the most freakish pass rusher in the NFL lines up on the outside. Aldon Smith wreaked havoc all season and finished up the year with 19.5 sacks.

There is overwhelming talent at linebacker in this Super Bowl. Baltimore has a sure fire Hall of Famer and an emotional leader in Lewis. Ellerbe has played well all year, and Suggs and Kruger get to the QB with regularity. But this San Francisco unit is down right stacked. Willis, Bowman, and Aldon Smith will all prove why they are considered such a force together.

Advantage - San Francisco

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Defensive Line

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore: Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Haloti Ngata, Arthur Jones, Terrence Cody
San Francisco: Issac Sopoaga, Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Ricky Jean-Francois

2012 Leaders
Baltimore: Haloti Ngata 51 tackles, 5 sacks
San Francisco: Justin Smith 66 tackles, 3 sacks

As stated in the offensive line preview, the battle in the trenches is very intriguing. Both teams have solid offensive lines, but they both have very solid defensive lines as well. The Raven and 49ers employ a 3-4 scheme primarily. Justin Smith and Haloti Ngata are just about the two best 3-4 Defensive Ends you can find in the league. Each has battled the injury bug this year, but are returning to health for the most important game of their lives. They could have a huge impact on Super Bowl XLVII.

Haloti Ngata is a true star in this league. He often gets overlooked because of future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Ed Reed commanding much of the attention, as well as the brash Terrell Suggs. He should garner a lot more attention though. He can chew u blockers freeing up Suggs and company to get to the QB. He even had five sacks himself on the year. On the other side of the 3-4 alignment is Arthur Jones. Jones is the brother of UFC light heavyweight champion. Arthur would like to become the second champ amongst the family. The man in the middle is Ma'ake Kemoeatu. Kemoeatu lost a lot of weight to get back into the league and steal a starting spot on the Raven D-Line this season.

Joe Flacco wants nothing to do with Justin Smith. Smith is a true force on the D-Line for San Francisco. He has been selected to five straight Pro Bowls. Much like Ngata, Smith is capable of getting to the QB on his own but his specialty is demanding enough attention to allow Aldon Smith to get to the QB. On the opposite end of the line is Ray McDonald. McDonald has come on as the year has progressed and has made plays against the run and pass. Iassac Sopoaga mans the middle of their front. Sopoaga frees up Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman to be one of the best linebacking duos in the NFL.

These defensive lines have playmakers. The 49ers have an annual Pro Bowler in Justin Smith. Baltimore counters with a five time Pro Bowler of their own with Haloti Ngata. San Francisco has the advantage though. The others surrounding Smith are capable of more damage than those surrounding Ngata. Issac Sopoaga and Ray McDonald are no slouches. I expect the 49ers D-Line to create their own pressure and also open up spots for Aldon Smith and company to put heat on Flacco.

Advantage - San Francisco

Monday, January 28, 2013

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Offensive Line

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore: Matt Birk, Marshal Yanda, Kelechi Osemele, Michael Oher, Bryant McKinnie
San Francisco: Jonathan Goodwin, Alex Boone, Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis, Joe Staley

2013 Pro Bowlers
Baltimore: Marshal Yanda
San Francisco: Mike Iupati, Joe Staley

The battle in the trenches will be very interesting in Super Bowl XLVII. Both of these teams have been known for defense, but both have very good offensive lines. Baltimore's line is a bit more finesse but can still punish you. San Francisco's line is mean and nasty and wants to pound you up and down the field. Each line gave up their fair share of sacks this season. The Ravens were 20th in the league in sacks allowed, while the 49ers were 24th. On the flip side, Baltimore was 11th in rushing and San Francisco was 4th. Both teams had a Guard selected to the Pro Bowl. Marshal Yanda was selected for the Ravens. Mike Iupati was joined by Tackle Joe Staley for the 49ers.

Baltimore's line is solid if not spectacular. The best among the Baltimore big men is Marshal Yanda. He was a key component in Ray Rice surpassing 1,000 yards yet again. Michael Oher has been a productive Tackle on the right side, but it is Flacco's blind side that is questionable. It appears that Bryant McKinnie will get the nod there in the Super Bowl. McKinnie has held up well in the postseason, but will be tasked with trying to stop a ferocious 49er pass rush on the outside. Joe Flacco must have time to stretch the field if the Ravens are going to have any chance at bringing home the Lombardi Trophy.

The 49ers have one of the most physically dominating lines in the league. This unit has played extremely well all season. Mike Iupati and Joe Staley have been two of the best in the business at their respective positions. The way the others have come together this year, have really made the San Francisco offense click. They love to use their physicality to run clock and play ground and pound football. The Ravens defense has been playing much better throughout the postseason, so the 49ers will have to bring their A game. It will be intriguing to see whether the aging Ravens D can handle this stout group of big uglies.

Cohesiveness is amongst the best attributes an offensive line can have as a unit. San Francisco certainly has that. They will need to work together to handle the Ravens D, that is playing inspired football under the leadership of the departing Ray Lewis. I think they can. The 49ers have some beasts on their line. the Ravens line is nice, but they aren't as dominant.

Advantage - San Francisco

Sunday, January 27, 2013

NCAA Basketball - 2013 NCAA Tournament Projections

Updated: 2/17/13

East Regional - Washington, DC

at Philadelphia
1 Duke 16 Niagara
Notre Dame 9 UNLV
at Austin
Ohio St. 12 Akron
Butler 13 Baylor/St. Mary's
at Kansas City
Memphis 11 Kentucky
Georgetown 14 Valpo
at Auburn Hills
San Diego St. 10 North Carolina
Michigan St. 15 Western Illinois


South Regional - Arlington

at Lexington
Miami 16 Mercer/Charleston Southern
Creighton 9 Illinois
at San Jose
Colorado St. 12 Alabama
Kansas St. 13 Davidson
at Philadelphia
NC State 11 Iowa St.
Syracuse 14 Harvard
at Auburn Hills
Oregon 10 St. Louis
Michigan 15 Long Beach St.


Midwest Regional - Indianapolis

at Dayton
Indiana 16 Southern/Norfolk St.
Colorado 9 Missouri
at San Jose
Oklahoma St. 12 LaSalle
Marquette 13 Virginia/Charlotte
at Kansas City
Minnesota 11 Ole Miss
Kansas 14 Stony Brook
at Dayton
VCU 10 UCLA
Louisville 15 Northeastern


West Regional - Los Angeles

at Lexington
Florida 16 Robert Morris
Oklahoma 9 Wichita St.
at Austin
Pittsburgh 12 Belmont
New Mexico 13 Bucknell
at Salt Lake City
6 Wisconsin 11 Middle Tennessee
Arizona 14 Stephen F Austin
at Salt Lake City
Cincinnati 10 Louisiana Tech
Gonzaga 15 Montana


**The Final Four would feature matchups of East vs. South and Midwest vs. West

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers
Baltimore: Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson
San Francisco: Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Ted Ginn Jr., Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker

2012 Leaders
Baltimore: Anquan Boldin 65 rec, 921 yds, 4 TD
San Francisco: Michael Crabtree 85 rec, 1,105 yds, 9 TD

The Wide Receivers in Super Bowl XLVII may not be the most highly hyped players involved in the game. There are a number of players from this position that could impact the game greatly, however. Baltimore has one of the great WRs of the past decade in Anquan Boldin, and a pair of deep threats in Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones. San Francisco has a rising star in Michael Crabtree, and old veteran in Randy Moss, and a game-changing Tight End in Vernon Davis. There is not a ton of star power in the receiving corps, but expect at least one of the players to play a huge role in the outcome of this game.

Baltimore's passing attack has become more of the focal point of their offense in the past couple years. Joe Flacco loves to get vertical with the ball, and hit Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones with deep passes. Smith is no doubt the most explosive of the group. When Flacco is unable to get the ball downfield, he has one of the game's best safety blankets in the physical Anquan Boldin. Dennis Pitta has also developed into a very safe option. The Ravens have been very efficient in the passing game. The array of options and versatility of the options that Flacco has is one of the primary reasons that the Ravens offense has been able to flourish.

San Francisco has opened up their aerial attack a little bit since Colin Kaepernick took over at QB. When Alex Smith was under center, they were more conservative with a lot of safe passes going to Vernon Davis and to the RBs. Now they look to sling it around more recklessly. This has allowed Michael Crabtree more opportunities. Crabtree has shown what he is capable of since partnering up with Kaepernick. Vernon Davis is still a nice option. And don;t sleep on Randy Moss. I would not be surprised to see him offer up some big plays in his 2nd Super Bowl appearance.

Neither one of these teams have elite players on the outside. There are very good players though, and a number of them that can make big plays. Baltimore's corps is certainly more explosive. The big plays that Torrey Smith can produce gives Baltimore an advantage at this position.

Advantage - Baltimore

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Running Backs

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers

Baltimore: Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce, Vonta Leach
San Francisco: Frank Gore, LaMichael James, Anthony Dixon

2012 Stats
Ray Rice 1,143 yds, 4.4 avg, 9 TD
Frank Gore 1,214 yds, 4.7 avg, 8 TD

Both of these teams are capable of controlling a game with their running attack. It is the strength of the San Francisco offense. The 49ers possess an aggressive offensive line, and a RB with finesse and power to run through the holes. Frank Gore can do a little bit of everything. He is terrific between the tackles and can get to the outside with his speed. He's even a good option in the passing game coming out of the backfield. Gore is backed up by LaMichael James. James is a burner. He didn't get many touches during the regular season, but his role has been expanded in the postseason. On the other sideline, Baltimore has one of the game's best all-around backs. Ray Rice is a dynamic runner and a great pass catcher for Joe Flacco. Former OC, Cam Cameron, did not use him as often as he should have. It contributed to Cameron being fired, and new OC, Jim Caldwell, has increased Rice's role and his production. When Rice needs a blow, Bernard Pierce enters the game. The rookie from Temple picked up over 500 yards this season in a secondary role.

Baltimore's running game has not been as prominent in their offensive gameplans as in year's past. Some of this can be attributed to Baltimore's ability to get the ball down field with the strong-armed Flacco, and All-Pro caliber receivers in Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin. Some of it can also be attributed to their inexplicable lack of calls to get Ray Rice involved. Rice is widely considered one of the league's best RBs. He reached over 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season. The Ravens aren't afraid to get Bernard Pierce involved either. Pierce actually lead the Ravens in rushing in their AFC Championship win over New England. They will need to make sure they don't abandon the run against San Francisco. A consistent rushing attack could open up playaction opportunities for Flacco to connect deep with one of his explosive receivers.

The heart and soul of the San Francisco offense is their running game. Colin Kaepernick's ability to produce large chunks of yardage from the QB position has gotten most of the attention. But the 49er offense starts with Frank Gore. He is the franchise's all-time leading rusher, and will go down as one of the 49er greats with a big performance in Super Bowl XLVII. He has adjusted to the pistol offense lead by Kaepernick and could breakout against Baltimore. His backup, LaMichael James, is a perfect fit for the pistol and has received more playing time in recent weeks. He is capable of breaking a long run at any time. The 49ers will look to control the ball with their ground game, and win the time of possession.

The team that rushes the ball more effectively, will most likely be in good shape to win the Super Bowl. This is certainly in San Francisco's gameplan. I'm not so sure that it will be in Baltimore's. I have tons of respect for Ray Rice and his playmaking ability. The Ravens tend to forget that he is one the league's best at times though. The 49ers rarely forget about Gore. The 49ers consistency in the running game is what gives them the edge here.

Advantage - San Francisco

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Super Bowl XLVII Preview - Quarterbacks

Baltimore Ravens       San Francisco 49ers
Joe Flacco (Bal) vs. Colin Kaepernick (SF)

2012 Stats
Joe Flacco  60% comp pct, 3,817 yds, 22 TD, 10 INT
Colin Kaepernick  62% comp pct, 1,814 yds, 10 TD, 3 INT

Joe Flacco is the latest QB to consider himself elite, only to have the talking heads scoff at that notion and dissect his every move throughout the year. The last QB to do this was Eli Manning prior to the 2011 season. Eli won the Super Bowl that season. Flacco could be next. To do so, he will have to outduel Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers. Kaepernick burst on the scene late in the year, and has made a tremendous splash this postseason. It should be fun to watch these young men go at it with a chance to cement their spot in NFL history.

Joe Flacco has been widely considered overrated since entering the league. I think that can officially be deemed laughable. He became the first starting QB in NFL history to make the playoffs in each of his first five seasons. He has more road playoff wins than any other QB in NFL history. And all he has done this postseason is throw 8 TDs with no interceptions, and lead multiple 2nd Half comebacks versus all-time greats Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. A win in Super Bowl XLVII will propel Flacco into the upper echelon of NFL QBs playing today.

Colin Kaepernick began the season on the bench. During a Week 10 contest, he was thrust into action when Alex Smith went down with a concussion. He has not relinquished the starting job since. The 49ers were playing well with Smith at the helm, but Kaepernick's explosive playmaking ability has made the offense just as formidable as their nasty defense. He has a rocket arm and is every bit as dangerous with his legs as any QB in the league. From the time Kaepernick took over, San Francisco has been a Super Bowl favorite. Here they are. He is one of the NFL's up and coming stars. A win on February 3rd, would give him star status that seemed unfathomable when the season began.

The way Kaepernick has played this postseason, it would be easy for me to say that San Francisco has an advantage at this position. But you can't undervalue what Flacco has brought to the table throughout the last five years of postseason play. Flacco is playing the best football of his career, and has been magnificent during this postseason. As good as Kaepernick has been, Flacco has been every bit as good. The fact that Flacco has been consistently good in the playoffs over the last five years, swings me in his direction.

Advantage - Baltimore

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

2013 NHL Predictions

The puck dropped on the 2013 NHL season this weekend after a long lockout. There will be a lot of action packed into a shortened season. The Pittsburgh Penguins and there young, talented roster are the oddsmakers favorite, with a slew of others not far behind. Below is how I see the season shaking out with my projected playoff teams in bold.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
1. NY Rangers
2. Pittsburgh
3. Philadelphia
4. New Jersey
5. NY Islanders

Northeast Division
1. Boston
2. Ottawa
3. Buffalo
4. Montreal
5. Toronto

Southeast Division
1. Washington
2. Tampa Bay
3. Carolina
4. Florida
5. Winnipeg


Western Conference

Central Division
1. Chicago
2. St. Louis
3. Detroit
4. Nashville
5. Columbus

Northwest Division
1. Vancouver
2. Minnesota
3. Colorado
4. Edmonton
5. Calgary

Pacific Division
1. Los Angeles
2. Phoenix
3. Dallas
4. San Jose
5. Anaheim


Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
1 NY Rangers over 8 Ottawa
4 Pittsburgh over 5 Philadelphia
6 New Jersey over 3 Washington
7 Tampa Bay over 2 Boston

Western Conference Quarterfinals
1 Vancouver over 8 Minnesota
4 St. Louis over 5 Detroit
3 Los Angeles over 6 Nashville
2 Chicago over 7 Phoenix

Eastern Conference Semifinals
1 NY Rangers over 7 Tampa Bay
4 Pittsburgh over 6 New Jersey

Western Conference Semifinals
1 Vancouver over 4 St. Louis
2 Chicago over 3 Los Angeles

Eastern Conference Finals
4 Pittsburgh over 1 NY Rangers

Western Conference Finals
2 Chicago over 1 Vancouver

Stanley Cup Finals
2 Chicago over 4 Pittsburgh

The Chicago Blackhawks will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for the second time in four years!

NCAA Basketball - 2013 NCAA Tournament Projections

East Regional - Washington, DC

at Philadelphia
1 Duke 16 Niagara/Charleston Southern
8 Notre Dame 9 Colorado
at San Jose
5 Missouri 12 Iowa St.
4 Ohio St. 13 Maryland/St. Mary's
at Salt Lake City
6 Cincinnati 11 Wyoming
3 Gonzaga 14 Davidson
at Dayton
7 UCLA 10 Bucknell
2 Indiana 15 Weber St.


South Regional - Arlington

at Kansas City
1 Kansas 16 NC Central/Mercer
8 Ole Miss 9 Georgetown
at San Jose
5 Miami 12 Middle Tennessee
4 Creighton 13 Stephen F Austin
at Auburn Hills
6 Oregon 11 Oklahoma St.
3 Minnesota 14 Harvard
at Philadelphia
7 UNLV 10 Kentucky
2 Syracuse 15 Bryant


Midwest Regional - Indianapolis

at Auburn Hills
1 Michigan 16 Northeastern
8 Colorado St. 9 Baylor
at Austin
5 Wichita St. 12 Memphis
4 NC State 13 Louisiana Tech
at Dayton
6 Marquette 11 Boise St.
3 Butler 14 Valpo
at Lexington
7 Illinois 10 Belmont
2 Florida 15 Albany


West Regional - Los Angeles

at Lexington
1 Louisville 16 Southern
8 Oklahoma 9 North Carolina
at Austin
5 VCU 12 Texas A&M/Iowa
4 New Mexico 13 North Dakota St.
at Kansas City
6 Kansas St. 11 Pittsburgh
3 Michigan St. 14 Akron
at Salt Lake City
7 San Diego St. 10 Wisconsin
2 Arizona 15 Long Beach St.


** The Final Four would feature East vs. West and South vs. Midwest

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

NFL - Championship Game Previews

Ringer's Playoff Record
Last Week ATS: 2-2
Last Week SU: 3-1

Playoffs ATS: 5-3
Playoffs SU: 7-1

NFC Championship Game

San Francisco 49ers       Atlanta Falcons
San Francisco (-4.5) at Atlanta

The Atlanta Falcons finally won a playoff game! Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez, and Mike Smith all got over the proverbial hump with the Divisional Playoff victory over Seattle last week. Now can they get into the Super Bowl and bring a title back to a title-hungry city? In order to do so they need to get past the mean and nasty San Francisco 49ers. This is a classic battle of offenses versus defense. Well, sort of. San Francisco is known for their defense, but put up 45 points in a win over Green Bay last week. Atlanta is known for their offense, but has a defense that flies to the ball.

The one thing that has given this Atlanta defense throughout the season is dual-threat QBs. Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, and even Michael Vick had great success picking up chunks of yardage against the Falcons this year. Colin Kaepernick may present the biggest challenge yet for them. Kaepernick is coming off of the ultimate game for a dual-threat QB. He sliced up the Packers for 263 yards through the air and 181 yards on the ground, and was responsible for four TDs. It is essential that the Falcons slow him down if they want to keep their hopes for their first Super Bowl title alive. Offensively, Atlanta must keep Matt Ryan upright and allow him time to connect with his explosive receivers down the field. The San Francisco D is well-rounded and difficult to gain yards on in any aspect. The Falcons will need to stick with what they're good at, and try to move the ball through their passing attack. Expect the 49ers to come up with creative packages to force Ryan into mistakes, much like Seattle did in the 2nd half of last week's contest.

San Francisco has been hungry to to avenge last season's heartbreaking NFC Championship loss all year. This is their chance to redeem themselves. Atlanta has played the role of underdog all year. Despite having the league's best record, not many have considered them legitimate contenders. This may be Kaepernick's first time playing on a stage like this, but there is plenty of experience around him. The 49ers will be ready to play this game and find a way to pull this one and punch their ticket to Super Bowl XLVII.

Prediction - San Francisco 24 Atlanta 22

AFC Championship Game

Baltimore Ravens       New England Patriots
Baltimore (+9) at New England

This is a rematch of an epic AFC Championship from a year ago. Most thought that we would have Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning this week. Instead we get Tom Brady versus Ray Lewis, not a bad consolation. The Ray Lewis farewell tour lasts at least one more week. It wasn't Lewis and the Baltimore D that got the Ravens here though. Joe Flacco threw a bomb to Jacoby Jones in the final minute to force OT against the Broncos last week, a game in which the Ravens obviously went on to win. Last year's game was so good between these teams, that I don't think there's too many people outside of a select few cities that are entirely bummed about them meeting again.

Baltimore and New England won their games in different fashions last week. New England took control of their game against Houston early on, and poured it on in the 3rd quarter to take a 25-point lead at one point. The Texans clawed their way back to make the final score look respectable, but the outcome was never in doubt as the Patriots won 41-28. Baltimore battled back and forth in the brutally cold air at Mile High. The teams traded blows all night, setting up an ending for the ages. Down 35-28 with just 31 seconds to play, Flacco hit Jones on an unthinkable 70-yard strike to knot the game at 35. Following a Peyton Manning interception, Justin Tucker kicked the Ravens into the AFC Championship for the second straight year.

With a win, the Patriots will appear in their seventh Super Bowl in the Brady/Belichick era. They have lost the last two and haven't won a ring since the 2004 season. The Ravens are looking to send their fearless leader out on top. Lewis has been to the mountain top once in his career, but it's been twelve long years. Expect these teams to battle to the end. That has become the norm when they meet. Even when they met during the regular season, Baltimore prevailed 31-30 on a Tucker field goal. New England's offense has been as explosive as ever this season. Baltimore's offense has been clicking as of late. This game will be won by which defense plays better though. The Ravens D has been one of the best in the league for a decade. That is no longer the case. The Patriots D is much improved from a year ago, and has a knack for coming up with big plays when needed. Tom Brady will be terrific again, but the defense will help pave the way to yet another Super Bowl for New England.

Prediction - New England 26 Baltimore 21

Monday, January 14, 2013

NCAA Basketball - 2013 NCAA 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 were some major shakeups at the top of the polls this week. Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and Wyoming all entered last week undefeated, and all entered this week with a loss under their belt. Louisville is the new #1, but things are sure to change by the time we reach March. Here is a look at how the brackets could look if the season were to end today.

East Regional - Washington, DC

at Philadelphia
1 Duke 16 Southern/Cal St. Fullerton
8 Colorado St. 9 Cincinnati
at San Jose
5 Wichita St. 12 Wisconsin/Iowa St.
4 Missouri 13 North Dakota St.
at Philadelphia
6 Colorado 11 Kentucky
3 Syracuse 14 Davidson
at Lexington
7 Kansas St. 10 Bucknell
2 Indiana 15 Weber St.


South Regional - Arlington

at Kansas City
1 Kansas 16 Northeastern/Charleston Southern
8 UCLA 9 Wyoming
at San Jose
5 Notre Dame 12 Middle Tennessee
4 Illinois 13 Stephen F Austin
at Dayton
6 Miami 11 Arizona St.
3 Florida 14 Harvard
at Salt Lake City
7 Boise St. 10 Georgetown
2 Gonzaga 15 Wright St.


Midwest Regional - Indianapolis

at Lexington
1 Louisville 16 NC Central
8 Oklahoma 9 Ole Miss
at Austin
5 Michigan St. 12 Memphis
4 New Mexico 13 Utah St.
at Dayton
6 San Diego St. 11 Temple
3 NC State 14 Florida Gulf Coast
at Detroit
7 Oregon 10 Belmont
2 Minnesota 15 Stony Brook


West Regional - Los Angeles

at Detroit
1 Michigan 16 Bryant
8 Marquette 9 Oklahoma St.
at Austin
5 Ohio St. 12 North Carolina/Pittsburgh
4 Butler 13 Akron
at Kansas City
6 VCU 11 Texas A&M
3 Creighton 14 Eastern Kentucky
at Salt Lake City
7 UNLV 10 Baylor
2 Arizona 15 Loyola (MD)

*The Final Four would feature East vs. West and South vs. Midwest

2013 NFL Mock Draft

1. Kansas City - Geno Smith  QB/West Virginia
2. Jacksonville - Star Lotulelei  DT/Utah
3. Oakland - Jarvis Jones  LB/Georgia
4. Philadelphia - Luke Joeckel  OT/Texas A&M
5. Detroit - Bjoern Werner  DE/Florida St.
6. Cleveland - Demontre Moore  DE-LB/Texas A&M
7. Arizona - Mike Glennon  QB/NC State
8. Buffalo - Tyler Wilson  QB/Arkansas
9. NY Jets - Barkevious Mingo  DE-LB/LSU
10. Tennessee - Sheldon Richardson  DT/Missouri
11. San Diego - Eric Fisher  OT/Central Michigan
12. Miami - Keenan Allen  WR/Cal
13. Tampa Bay - Dee Milliner  CB/Alabama
14. Carolina - Johnathan Hankins  DT/Ohio St.
15. New Orleans - Manti Te'o  LB/Notre Dame
16. St. Louis - Chance Warmack  G/Alabama
17. Pittsburgh - Jesse Williams  DT/Alabama
18. Dallas - Shariff Floyd  DT/Florida
19. NY Giants - Ezekiel Ansah  DE/BYU
20. Chicago - Lance Johnson  OT/Oklahoma
21. Cincinnati - Sam Montgomery  DE/LSU
22. St. Louis (from Wash) - Eric Reid  S/LSU
23. Minnesota - Cordarrelle Patterson  WR/Tennessee
24. Indianapolis - Xavier Rhodes  CB/Florida St.
25. Seattle - John Jenkins  DT/Georgia
26. Green Bay - Barrett Jones  C/Alabama
27. Houston - Robert Woods  WR/USC
28. Denver - Tyler Eifert  TE/Notre Dame
29. Baltimore - Tavon Austin  WR/West Virginia
30. Atlanta - Zach Ertz  TE/Stanford
31. San Francisco - Dion Jordan  DE/Oregon
32. New England - Matt Elam  S/Florida