Let's Revisit the BCS - Could I Be Wrong

The Cowboys & The Hokies looking good

Ok let me be clear: I AM UNEQUIVOCALLY AN S.E.C MAN. With that said, let me ask the question which is being asked in NCAA/BCS circles around the country: Does Alabama deserve another shot at LSU in the BCS Championship game? Someone made a very good point the other day when they said that Bama had their shot at LSU, AT HOME, and lost. Their kicker nutted up and the man himself, Nick Saban, and his staff was out coached by Les Miles and his staff. They never adjusted to the option and did not prepare their offense with enough versatility to combat the LSU defense. Let's take it a step further and say that Bama did not even make their own conference championship. With that said, how does a team who had the No.1 team in their own house deserve another shot? Why not give another team a shot such as Oklahoma State or Va. Tech? These two teams who are playing in their conference championship and also have one loss.

In my twisted mind I would love to see one of these teams, or even Stanford, in the BCS title game. The reason is that I want to see them get the crap beat out of them by a real team.

There are a lot of SEC haters who do not want to see an all SEC BCS title game. So in a way, a very small way, I would like to see another team get in and get a beating just like other title games that the SEC have dominated over the past 5 years. How would Andrew Luck like to see his receivers blanketed and those big, brutal, fast brothers from LSU bearing down on him. All that pass happy stuff only works in other conferences but not in brother land. Even Arkansas had issues spreading out the LSU defense and throwing. You are ultimately leaving your QB with less blockers to protect their backs. Not a good idea against LSU or Bama for that matter.

Now lets look at reality: The two best teams in the country reside in the SEC West. That's why they should play for the national championship. In addition, who wants to see LSU win by 40 in a championship game vs Oklahoma State? Now that's more crazy than two SEC playing for the title.

The BCS finally have it right - All hail the SEC baby.

Peace

NFL Rakings Week 13

Well, it is definitely go-time in the NFL. With the exception of the Packers, teams are either fighting hard to win their division, or trying to keep pace to slip in as a wild card team. In my opinion, the Packers, barring an Aaron Rogers injury, will lock up the North and home field throughout the playoffs. The magic number is 3 which will give them 14 wins and force the 49ers to win out to get home field and make the Saints completely out of an outside shot of getting the entire playoff run in the dome - which may not be a bad thing. Why? Here is something that some haven't thought about. Rogers and the Packers made that great Superbowl run last year in some very good weather. In fact, the one game they had in bad weather was the NFC Championship against the Bears in which they won 21-14. In that game Rogers was a pedestrian 17 for 30 and the Pack had two turnovers. What really bailed out the Packers was the QB's on the other side of the ball, specifically Jay Cutler. I didn't see the offense clicking in that cold Chicago air. Now take the Pack's performance in their divisional game against the Falcons in the Georgia Dome or the Superbowl game in the Jerry Dome and they were great. Even this year, they've performed well in good weather without really having to play in a bad climate. Now, this is all theory, so don't marry me to it, but I have yet to see the offense perform great in weather like they may see in January at home in Green Bay. Just a thought.

Speaking of thoughts here are a few random ones:

* Ndamukong Suh is a wild dude. I would not like to meet that dude in a back alley. Hell, I wouldn't want to meet him in a crowded, lit area. Brother man has no shame.
* Stevie Johnson is an idiot. There are unwritten codes of behavior amongst pro ballers. If you want to taunt another player, LEAVE ALL PERSONAL BUSINESS OUT OF YOUR TAUNTS AND TRASH TALKS. Johnson broke this code when he mimicked being shot in the leg a la Plaxiglass Burress. Very classless. What's next, dudes acting like two dogs fighting to taunt Michael Vick the next time someone scores on the Eagles?
* Teams are reflections of their coach. Harbaugh (Both), Tomlin, Payton, and Hue Jackson just to name a few, have teams which play hard and have passion. Frazier, Caldwell and Turner are not aggressive and seem timid about their jobs and look how their teams play - soft and weak.

Enough of my thoughts. Here are the week 13 NFL Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers 11-0 - Downright scary how Rogers is playing. The D needs to start playing better because they may have to face a team who can go toe-to-toe with them in the QB position.

2. Baltimore Ravens 8-3 - Something or Somebody just doesn't seem right - can you say Flacco

3. THEE New Orleans Saints 8-3 - Last time I ranked the The Cronk Boys, I said they needed to go on a run and they are on a three game winning streak and keeping one step ahead of the Falcons

4. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3 - BUTT UGLY win against Kansas City and the Palamalu injury could affect this team going forward. The good thing is that they've played the Ravens twice already.

5. San Fran 49ers 9-2 - Tough loss on the road but they need more consistency out of Smith if they are going to beat the Saints, Falcons, or the Packers in a playoff game.

6. New England Pats 8-3 - Brady is on a roll but can the D hold up

7. Dallas Cowboys 8-3 - The Boys are making a push and in the mix for the second seed. Romo is playing smart football and the D continues to get him the ball.

8. Houston Texans 8-3 - If Schuab was playing they would be ranked higher but...........

9. Atlanta Falcons 7-4 - Keeping pace with the Saints and all roads are point to the December 26th showdown vs the Saints in the Dome

10. Oakland Raiders 7-4 - Leading the west but can they hold off the Broncos without DMc Fadden

11. Cincinnati Bengals 7-4 - Without Chad Johnson I can actually cheer for Marvin Lewis. Andy Dalton is pushing Cam for ROY.

12. LSU 12-0 - THE S.E.C.

Anyway, here is my NFL ranking for week 13

Random Crap to Laugh At - Dude is getting down

From Guest Blogger BC - LET THE BOOT WAR BEGIN

Every now and then the D-South Blog with have a guest who may want to share their thoughts on sports, life, or whatever mumbling comes from their mouth.  With the Arkansas Razorbacks believing there is still a shot at a BCS game and the game against #1 LSU nears, the talking between the fans of the two adjoining states has begun. Though BC has no words, he just wanted this posted to show where he stands.

The Difference Between Luck and Skill

For the first time this year I watched a full west coast college game this week as Oregon battled Stanford for not only the inside track for the PAC 12 North championship, but also to keep pace in the hunt to get routed by an SEC school in the BCS championship game. This was the west coasts' version of LSU vs Alabama, but a little weaker of course.

A few things I wanted to check out for myself. First was Andrew Luck. I watched him play against Va Tech in last years Orange Bowl and liked what I saw. I had the privilege to spend time with John Harbarugh a while back and I've always liked what he stood for: tough, physical and committed so i knew Luck would be a mirror image. I liked his skills and the way he was cool in the pocket. I did have some speculation in watching him though. My main issue was that Va Tech had an awful offense. You can not play in a BCS bowl game without a legit QB. Someone who can threaten an opponents defense with his arm. Every team that has won a BCS title has had a QB who could hurt you if you crowded the line of scrimmage with 8 defenders. From Tennessee in 1998 with T Martin, to  Matt Mauck of LSU in 2003 all the way to the beast himself, Cam Newton, last year. I say this because Va Tech's QB Tyrod Taylor was a good athlete and a good passer in spots but Stanford dared him to beat them and he did not respond to the challenge. So what does this have to do with Andrew Luck? Well, in my mind, it tilted the playing field big time. Trust me when I say that a defense gets tired when your offense doesn't convert on third downs - Va Tech was 5-14. Though Taylor threw for over 200 yards he was never a real threat and Stanford broke their will and cruised to a 40-12 victory. Tech is known for a fast and disciplined defense but was off balance with the Cardinal running and passing attack. Given this, Luck looked very good (18-23 287yds and 4 TD's).

What I wanted to see against Oregon was how he would play when the pressure is constantly on him to make plays while going toe-to-toe with an offensive juggernaut. Oregon is not known for it's defense but had a great game plan: put a lot of pressure on Luck and be physical with his receivers (this wouldn't work if they were playing an SEC school). It worked to perfection as Luck had trouble recognizing where the heat was coming from and consistently missed receivers and threw a lot of passes off of his back foot. He was sacked and intercepted and looked very confused. Not exactly what the leading Heisman candidate should look like. Once the Ducks took control of the game, Luck folded like Tom Brady under pressure.

I think that some of these west coast QB's are way too used to hitting wide-open receivers running a bunch of option and hot routes and playing against defenses which are not all that physical nor good. This is why guys like Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart have trouble in the NFL. The pro game may be wide open, but the window to fit a ball is tremendously tighter than college and the time you have to get rid of the football shrinks dramatically. Just look at Mark Sanchez. He definitely has the talent but he is just so used to throwing to wide open receivers in college that he is struggling with the transition.

So the question is, now that you've seen Andrew Luck perform when he is consistently pressured and his receivers are being blanketed, is he still a can't miss NFL QB? A lot was revealed about the kid this past Saturday. Yes he is smart, and possesses a strong arm, but as we've learned in the NFL, that will not do it all the time. I'm sure in the pass happy NFL, he more than likely will succeed, but I saw something completely alarming about him Saturday night.

Lastly, is he even the Heisman front runner after the game against Oregon? In the biggest game against a good opponent (for a west coast team) he was awful. The weight was on his shoulders and he failed. On the other hand, my guy for the Heisman, Trent Richardson, carried Alabama in their loss vs #1 LSU. There was no doubt that in the biggest game of the year, he showed up and handled his business against the second best defense in the country.

I really think Luck will turn out to be a good pro but Saturday opened my eyes.

As a side note, everything is setting up perfect for an all SEC BCS Championship - Just as God would want it.

Peace

NFL Rankings Week 10 - Good-bye Heav and Joe

             

Before we begin the rankings for week 10 we want to say goodbye and acknowledge the life of two brothers who just passed away: The overweight lover Heavy D and Smokin' Joe Frazier. The Heavster sang one of my favorite songs 'Black Coffee - No sugar No cream. It was an anthem for the Black Woman in the 90's and basically said there is nothing like a sista. Plus, Heavy was clean cut with no cuss and well respected in the industry because he was just genuine and didn't try to be a gangster or all hard IN SPITE of how tough it was for him growing up.

In the 70's you picked a side in boxing between Ali and Frazier. Frazier was what the street called the people's champ because he was just a boxer - not a promoter, not a smack talker, and not a showboat. All which were monikers given to Ali. As Ali's stand against the Vietnam war became ok and he became more socially accepted, the street began to turn on him and, as we sometimes do, began to stick him Ali with the worst moniker: A Financial Sellout. Given this, the street began to look for another guy who identified with the grit and reality of the street. That man was Joe Frazier. Joe was in over his head when it came down to matching wits with Ali, but in the ring, it was a different subject. Frazier gave Ali some of the worst beatings of his career. Frazier was a fighter first, second and third. He will always be a champ because he carried himself as one.

Both Heavy and Joe will be missed.

Let's get down to the NFL and the top 12 for the week:

1. Green Bay Packers 8-0: Aaron Rodger is officially in his prime. It's unbelievable watching him.
2. Baltimore Ravens 6-2: One thing for sure is that you better strap it on when playing these dudes.
3. San Fran 49ers 7-1: The niners have pretty much wrapped up the west. Amazing what a coach can do.
4. New Orleans Saints 6-3: At some point in time they are going to have to put a 3-4 game run together.
5. NY Giants 6-2: Huge win on the road vs Pats and now they need to string together a few wins to be legit.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-3:They are still a class act along with the Ravens. Losing two to them will bite them.
7. Detroit Lions 6-2: After dropping a couple, the Lions are showing rare maturity.
8. NY Jets 5-3: Watch out, Sexy Rexy has them flying around and playing with the 'Ryan Swag'.
9. Houston Texans 6-3: Even at 6-3 why don't I trust this team?
10. Chicago Bears 5-3: Don't count the Bears out. This could be a great battle for the last wild card spot.
11. New England Pats 5-3: Brady is getting his butt whipped and I'm loving it.
12a. Cincy Bengals 6-2: Good start but they haven't played neither the Ravens nor the Steelers
12b. LSU 9-0: S.E.C - nuff said.

The Biggest Waste of Talent in Sports EVER

Since the day he hit LSU I couldn't stand Shaquita O'Neal. I don't know why. He's just as unlikable as he is likable. That dislike for him followed him all the way through college as he was not even close to being the dominant player he was hyped up to be. That dislike followed him to the Orlando Magic as he got abused by Hakeem the Dream in the NBA finals and to his forced departure to the Lakers. This is where my dislike for him reached a pinnacle. I awed at his size and quickness but was totally turned off by his need to be in the spotlight like a needy child, his need to bully smaller centers such as David Robinson, Pat Ewing, and especially Alonzo Mourning. Most of all I hated that his game never really expanded. Yes he 'developed' a baby hook but other than that, teams still played hack-a-shaq routinely. Why, because he could not step away from the basket and shoot nor could he consistently hit his free throws. He never really improved his game. All the centers mentioned above were not known as jump shooters or deep fade-a-way players coming out of college, BUT they WORKED to develop their games. But all shaquita did was get fatter and more out of shape over the years. Yes he was dominate, but so would most of us if we were that big. Yes his size was his game and you can't fault him from forcing his will but as he got older he had nothing to lean on. He became an irrelevant journeyman who was good for a quote.

I really can talk about Shaq all day but as I was searching the web and on one of my favorite sites, The Bleacher Report, I cam across this article which looked as though I wrote it - If I had any writing skills.

Check it out. It's a good read

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/924602-kobe-vs-shaq-is-shaq-jealous-of-kobes-legacy-and-career

Saturday November 5th - Even Da Lawd will be watching!!!

Saban vs Miles, Baton Rouge vs Tuscaloosa, Alabama vs Louisiana, #1 vs #2, Purple n Gold vs Crimson and White, Defense vs Defense, ATLETE vs ATLETE. However and wherever you put the match up emphasis, this my friend, is what college football is all about. For you slow-footed, corn eatn northern boys, please take note of big men WITH speed in this game. For you quick, athletic, yet heartless dudes from the left coast, please take note of what you will see in the NFL: big hard, nasty, brothers and white dudes who have the same athleticism as you but with the capacity to not nut-up when its gut check time. In the S.E.C there is both flash and substance baby. Ahh the S.E.C.  on CBS!!!!

As you can tell, I am all ready for the battle royal Saturday night. Plus, we get the added gift from God to have the game on the night we need to turn back the clocks. It will be a good day for the world. 

In my mind, I do not think the game will not live up to the hype. With this many athletes, we are going to see an unbelievable amount of jaw dropping plays from both sides. It could be Trent Richardson or Spencer Ware carrying defenders. Or it may be Tyrann Mathieu  with a strip, recovery and score. Or it could be a D-lineman running down a receiver down field. Add in two head coaches who are big game coaches and there is no way this game will disappoint.

I really have no prediction for this game and no one I would actually like to see win the game. I have the utmost respect for both coaching staffs and how they prepare their position players to play. Both teams are athletic, but I think what is missed is how disciplined both teams are. This is true both offensively and defensively for both teams. This is what separates these two teams from others.

As stated above, though I am not pulling for one team or another, I do want to see Trent Richardson gain over 125 yards and a few touchdowns. It's not that I want him to show up the LSU defense, it's just that I want him to have a big game in thee big game so that he keeps pace with Andrew Luck from Stanford in the race for the Heisman.  I think Luck is good but he is playing in the PAC 12. There's no real competition out there. I think Richardson deserves the Heisman if he has a great game Saturday night. He is the most brutal, nastiest, one-step-and-go runner in the country. It isn't even close. Plus the dude is NFL ready and come to think of it, he was NFL ready coming out of high school - see picture below. That is a man!

A man among boys

Then there is Tyrann Mathieu of LSU. Dude is a beast on defense and plays ball like an SEC player is supposed to - hard, fast and relentless. Of course he is a graduate of the best high school ever created: ST. AUGUSTINE H.S HOME OF THE PURPLE KNIGHTS AND THE MARCHING 100 where men are raised to greater men. Rise sons of the gold and purple, let our swelling chorus sound.........i regress. I want him to have a monster game also. Not only because he is a graduate of where I graduated from, but because i want him to remain in the Heisman mix.

From purple and gold to purple and gold


This is one game that I am going to sit back and enjoy without the rooting for one side or the other. I don't like traveling to games because plainly, I dislike people and rarely does a game live up to the hype, but this game I would love to be at just for the crowd alone. What people do not understand about the SEC, or football in the South all together, is the knowledge of the fans. And this is not just the men, or the older crowd. I'd put my mothers knowledge of the 'game' of football up against anyone. I know she will be sitting right in front of the TV Saturday night just like the rest of the southern football world.

Besides, even God will be watching.

GO Tigers, Rolllll Tide

Hoping for the NBA to cancel the season.

It seems that the NBA owners and NBAPA may reach an agreement soon after a 15 hour 'sit-down' last night. This ruins my dream of a cancelled NBA season. That would be the best year of my sports watching life. Why you ask? BECAUSE I HATE THE NBA!!!!!!!!!! I really do. I cant stand to watch what it is today. It's awful to me. And yes, I am one of those bitter I loved the Jordan years brothers. Yep that's me who loved when players actually hated each other and taking it to the rim meant possible bodily harm. I miss the Pistons D, Charles Oakley, and the Showtime Lakers. And most of all, I do miss watching Jordan who was pissed off at everybody and tried to embarrass anyone who dared to play against him. Now, we have that dude pictured above doing what he does best - crying. You have players now who can't play making tons of cash and being made celebrities. Hit 12 points a game and you can have your own TV show.

Not that these dudes are not athletic. The NBA players now a day are so unbelievably gifted. The athleticism and speed of Dwayne Wade is just blinding. Looking at Blake Griffin jump and move is so powerful, yet graceful. But they are playing in a age when you can go to the hole unmolested and just dunk. No one attempts to block a shot or put a forearm to the ribs. These dudes don't want to be 'postorized' or put on sports highlights. They want to be as Le Bron wants to be, 'A global icon'. WTF (excuse my language). No passion, nor desire to be a champion, just being seen and making cash. If they win a championship along the way, then that helps with their marketability.

 The MVP of the all talent/no heart team

Thank God for Kobe. I don't know him, and maybe wouldn't even like him as a person, but for my money, he is the only dude i would watch play basketball - I'm sure I will talk about Kobe and Jordan at some point in the future. If I was blessed with Dwayne Wades athleticism, I would score 25 points a game also. Now what if Wade had Jordan's heart and killer instinct?  And how about a player who defines the term 'wasted talent'' - Shaq O''neal? If I was blessed with his size and athleticism, I'd dunk on everybody also. Have any of you seen Shaq in person? He is huge. Think what he could have been i he stayed his fat azz in shape and dedicated himself to the game? He would be, unquestionably, thee best player in NBA history - BAR NONE!


going, going gone fat


But instead, his out of shape, worthless, wanna rap, can't act, can't talk, butt is out of the league and in need of some serious cash which leads me to why I wanted to see a lockout. I am not a so-called playa hater in the sense that these dudes are getting paid a lot of money and I don't like it. They are making what the market has called for them to make. It's not their fault that the networks are stupid and buys the rights to showcase the bad product. It's also not the players fault that companies pay an enormous amount of cash to show their commercials during games because the fans are so much in need of something, anything, to do that they waste time watching a very bad product. The players are just reaping the benefits of societies stupidity.

What I do have a problem with is the arrogance and self promotion and lack of passion and lack of respect for the game that these dudes exhibit. Most of all I hate the way a lot of them carry themselves off the court. For every Kevin Durant, there are 20 Rasheed Wallace's. For every Grant Hill, there is a Ron Artest. You know the, look at me, I need attention types of players. I know it's been said a million times, but they seem to live as though its their right to play basketball and not an honor.

This is my reason to hope for a season long lockout. First I'd like some of these players to realize that they only play basketball. There is nothing special about what they do. I've always said that an athlete really has no special place in my heart unless i know them personally. They are there to entertain me for the time I am looking at a game and when they are gone, then someone else will  entertain me. Yes, I miss watching Jordan, Magic, and Bird play but I am not going sit here and cry because they no longer play. I use something else to entertain me for the moment and move on. Thus, say if a ball player as special as Kobe tears his knee up. I don't feel much of anything for Kobe because he was there just to entertain me. I don't know him, his family, or his next of kin. My life moves on. Do you think he really cares about a season ticket holder who loses their job and needs to let go their tickets. Do you really think Kobe, or any other player really cares? They don't know you so why should they. Fans have adored athletes so much that the athlete truly thinks that they are special - NOT.

The second reason I would like to see a lockout is that these brothers, IN MY MIND, have a responsibility financially to give back to causes that positively change peoples lives. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that they shouldn't enjoy the money they've made. Please go out and but a nice home and a beautiful car or two, but the crap that I see (Check out D-Wades home (Wade)) and ask yourself, is all this necessary? And this isn't the worse of the offenders. And then there is the spending of my lease favorite player Shaq, who if he was out a job for a year he would be bankrupt. Look at the break down of his finances (Fat Boy). $850,0000 a month expenses? Really?

Latrell Sprewell's foreclosed home - You go boy!

Instead of showing young brothers how to improperly live, and women a false sense of success to measure a man they need to reaize the responsibilty of being a pro athlete. I am not much of a Charles Barkley fan and he is famous for making the most idiotic statement ever on a commercial when he said 'he is not a role model'. Damn skippy Chuck! Not to my kid you aren't. I know his point was to say that a parent should be the role model. You are right big boy, but a lot of these kids have no fathers in their lives and they look to idiots like you as a measure. And what do they see? You drunk, fighting,  and gambling away money because you don't care. They think it's cool. Now here is the worst part Chaz. The white people you are hanging out with entertaining aren't laughing with you, they are really laughing at you.

I do think these athletes should realize their place as fiscal role models and show kids how to correctly manage money instead of being the Latrell Sprewell's, the Antoine Walkers, and a countless amount of other 'ballers' who spent their way to bankruptcy even after earning $50-150 million during their careers.

I think that the NBA players ARE over paid for the product that's on the court and the way to punish them is where it hurts which is financially as well as all of the talking heads who make a living during the NBA season. Everybody needs to feel it. The players need to realize it's the owners who hold the cards. Have you seen the net worth of some of these dudes: Charles Dolan (NY Knicks) $3.3 billion, Richard Devos (The Magic) $4.2 billion, Mickey Arison (Miami Heat) $5.9 billion, Paul Allen (Portland Trail Blazers) $13.2 billion, and the list goes on. Do you really think these dudes will not be able to keep the insurance on their 20 cars, or have trouble paying child support like some of these NBA players?



I say lets make these players suffer and learn what an honor it is for them to make millions of dollars just to play basketball. A few years ago Allen Iverson said he may have to sell some cars during the last lockout in the NBA to feed his family. Do you realize that he may have not been joking. How can a man making millions not be able to pay bills? Stupidity and lack of respect for the people who look up to them as examples.

Hopefully I get my dream come true and these dudes learn, but on the other hand, Wall Street hasn't learned their lessons on excess either. But that's a whole other story.

D-South College Football and the BCS

LSU-Alabama-Oklahoma-Oklahoma St. 1, 2, 3, & 4. I think that's a pretty fair ranking by the BCS system. Obviously, since a playoff is out the question, this is about as good as we get. Besides, seeing that the SEC has taken the last 5 championships it really doesn't matter what the rankings are. In fact, let me make a suggestion to the BCS people. Take the SEC champion, no matter what the record, and make that an automatic bid  and everyone else should be fighting for a spot, which leads me to this question. What happens if the next best team is another SEC team. Should two SEC teams play for the BCS title. In a perfect world..........hecks yeah.in fact, I'd take the two best SEC teams and put them up against any team. In fact, we may see that this year with LSU and Alabama.

November 5th 2011 marks the real championship when the #1 LSU Tigers goes on the road to play #2 Alabama. Now, lets look at some scenarios and the implications:

* LSU or Alabama wins, and they will be number one and wins out the rest of their games
* LSU or Alabama wins but they lose a game before the SEC championship.
* LSU or Alabama wins and wins out the regular season, but they lose in the SEC championship

As a caveat, lets assume the loser in the Nov 5th BCS real championship game goes on to win out.

Now lets review what I feel are the 'should be' outcomes.

In the first scenario, the winner goes to the BCS championship game, BUT who do they play? I think Oklahoma and Oklahoma St are good teams, and as I said, I have no issue with them 3rd and 4th in the rankings. BUT, do you really think that either of these teams are better than the loser of the LSU/Bama game? This will be especially dicey if LSU loses and wins out. A team with wins against Oregon (weak coast darling), West Virginia, and one SEC loss to Alabama (who will be #1) will be not allowed to compete for the crystal ball? If Bama loses, the argument doesn't change much.

Either way, if the Nov 5th game is close, especially if it's a classic, and the loser wins out, there is no way they should not replay the game on January 9th, 2012. I  really don't care who comes out of the Big 12 undefeated. There are not two better teams in the country. I can hear Michigan fans belly aching about when they lost to Ohio State in 2006 and didn't get a second shot at the Buckeyes. First of all, it's only the Big 10 and second, the college football world witnessed what happens when you put a Big 10 school up against the speed, depth, darkness and power of the SEC. Going undefeated in the Big 10 does not in any way carry the same weight as doing it in he SEC.
DARKNESS BABY


For the second scenario, if either LSU or Bama wins and then loses a game before the SEC championship and still wins the championship game, I can see one of them being omitted, but in the end, an SEC team would beat either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, or better yet, a Stanford or Wisconsin team - easily.

The third scenario is a possibility, but even then, I still think that whoever it is, either LSU or Bama STILL should be in the championship.

Are you getting the theme? NO MATTER WHO DOES WHAT OR WHO LOSES TO WHO, OR WHAT THE RANKINGS ARE, AN SEC TEAM SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE INCLUDED IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

If the BCS can't get a playoff system, this should be there next goal.

All you need to know about the World Series

WHO CARES. It's mid-October and we are starting the World Series. Baseball has really headed south - like mostly all pro sports. There are way too many meaningless games, way too many average players (by MLB standards) getting paid a lot of money, and way too much commercialism - THANKS ESPN.

I don't think I will be watching any of it so if you were looking for some insight to the series go somewhere else.

Peace

NFL Rankings Week 6

The top 5 teams have not changed from the prior week and it's because not only did those teams handle their business, they are also the most consistent teams so far this year. Two teams, Tampa and NY Giants, went on the road and got their butts handed to them. It just shows that these teams are good, but lack that week-in week-out consistency that top teams have. It seems like there is always a lot of shuffling in the bottom half every week because a team has a gawd awful week. To lose is one thing, but to get beat down is a completely different story.



1. Green Bay Packers 5-0 (prv 1): No doubt here. Aaron Rogers has been the second best QB in the league and gets better weekly

2. Detroit Lions 5-0 (prv 2): I can assume we all know they are not Super Bowl ready but at 5-0 they are making huge strides. They continue to remind me of the Cowboys of the early 90's when Jerry and Jimmy was piecing that team together.

3. THEE New Orleans Saints 4-1 (prv 3): The quest to win the NFC South began last week and will continue with a trip to a Tampa team looking to prove themselves.

4. New England Patriots 4-1 (prv 4): Straight up man handled the Jets at the line of scrimmage as well as on the coaching headset. Brady-Welker is working even on Revis Island.

5. Baltimore Ravens 3-1 (prv 5): Hopefully Joe Flacco's issues have been somewhat resolved over the bye.

6. Buffalo Bills 4-1 (prv 9): Big win against the dream team and now their tour through the NFC East continues with a big game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

7. San Diego Chargers 4-1 (prv 10): For some reason, and maybe it's a bias of the west coast, but this team does not impress me though they are very talented.A bye week may actually drop them in the rankings - out of sight, out of mind.

8. San Francisco 49ers 4-1 (prv NR): Who would have thought that Alex Smith would be 4-1, IN THE NFL, not during a strike season playing with scabs?

9. Washington Redskins 4-1 (prv NR): Just like the 49ers, this team is all about coaching. As long as the skins can run the ball effectively, Rex Grossman will play well and the wins will add up.

10. Oakland Raiders 3-2 (prv NR): If you are old school like me, you may have not liked the Raiders in the 1970's but you enjoyed watching them and respected what Al built. The Silver and Black seems they have moved from the 'Committment to Excrement' back to the 'Committment to Excelllence' motto Al created.

11. NY Giants 3-2 (prv 6): Just when you think Eli has turned the corner he drops an egg against Seattle.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-2 (prv  NR): Good to have Tomlin and the boys back in the rankings. Maybe Big Ben plays better hurt.

Others receiving votes:
Tennessee Titans 3-2, Dallas Cowboys 2-2,  Houston Texans 3-2, Tampa Bay Bucs 3-2.

Game of the Week: Buffalo vs NY Giants - though some think the Pats vs  the Boys is the big game because of the star power, but with the Giants needing to keep pace with the Redskins and the Bills needing to continue to prove themselves this will be more hard fought than any other game.

NFL Rankings Week 5

Though it's still early, you can definitely see some signs of who is and who isn't for real and who still have some major question marks and some players who I thought was ready to make the leap are really showing their true colors - see pic below of Mr. Romo
.

1. Green Bay Packers 4-0  (prev 1): Still the class of the league. As the defense improves they will be unbeatable.

2. Detroit Lions 4-0 (prev 2): Great comeback on the road for a young team. Seven of the last 12 games are at home where the crowd will be smelling playoffs.

3. Thee New Orleans Saints 3-1 (prev 3): An uneventful win with an lackluster effort. This will not cut it in the NFC South. The running game must begin to take some pressure off of the best QB in the league (bias opinion of course)

4. New England Patriots 3-1 (prev 5): A very good win against an improved Raiders team with a rowdy crowd backing them. Wes Welker is on an unbelievable pace that will be challenged against the Pats #1 nemesis this week.

5. Baltimore 3-1 (prev 6): At some point in time Flacco will have to step up. They gave him all the weapons he needs but he still has not made that leap from manager of a game to being the star of the game. That is the difference between 13-3 and a Super Bowl run and 10-6 and a wild card loss

6. N.Y Giants 3-1 (prev 11): New York makes the jump because Eli seems as though he is making the jump from a level 2.5 QB to a 1.5 QB. At some time all of the injuries may catch up to the G-Men.

7. Houston Texans 3-1 (prev 12a): If their defense continues to fight and scratch like they did against the Steelers, they can walk through a weak AFC South.

8. Tennessee Titans 3-1 (prev NR): Who knew Matt Hasselbeck would be as efficient as he has played. Once Mr. Holdout Chris Johnson gets his legs under him the offense will be able to move the ball on anyone.

9. Orchard Park Bills 3-1 (prev 7): Too much publicity for catching a good team on a very bad day. Now teams are getting up to play the Bills and with such a young team, they could struggle in a lot of games.

10. San Diego Chargers 3-1 (prev NR): A quiet start in a weak division. The Chargers must begin beating lesser teams more definitive.

11. Tampa Bay Bucs 3-1 (prev NR): I love Josh Freeman and Raheem Morris and how they just win. At San Fran and then hosting THEE New Orleans Saints will tell us a lot about the Bucs over the next 2 weeks.

12a. Washington Redskins 3-1 (prev NR): In the words of Gomer Pile, 'Surprise Surprise'. One of the best head coaches of our era, Mike Shanahan, has REX GROSSMAN playing smart and with a stingy defense, they could actually be pretty decent this year.

12b. LSU Tigers 5-0 (prev 12b): SEC! Enuff Said. If Bama and LSU wins out, Nov 5th will be the de facto National Championship

Dropped out: Oakland (could be back with a big win on the road vs the Texans): Pittsburgh (Still believing in Tomlin): N.Y Jets (Sanchez): Dallas (Romo)

D-Ssouth' Blog NFL Rankings Week 4

There really is no use putting up no more than 12 teams. What use is it to rank teams like Seattle, KC or Carolina (though I am a big time Cam Newton SEC fan).Even some of the 2-1 teams are not very good. Can you say Cleveland?

I am sure that as the weeks ahead begin to shake out the pretenders from the contenders, we will get a clearer idea of the real big dogs for the season.

So, without further talk, here we go, the debut of the 2011 NFL DSouth rankings.

1. Green Bay Packers 3-0 - So many weapons, great innovative coaching and able to win on the road.

2. Detroit Lions 3-0 - Calvin Johnson is a beast and once a team like this, with a QB so young starts to win they believe the can beat any body. In a since, it reminds me of Dallas of the early 90's

3. Thee New Orleans Saints 2-1 - I realize that the Saints D will give up all the yards in the world but will make a crucial interception, a big sack or cause a fumble at the right time to give the ball to the best QB in the NFL with weapons galore.

4. Dallas Cowboys 2-1 - You may not like Tony Romo but I'm sure he takes his $10 million plus and doesn't care what we think. The Boys are rich with talent and can bang with the best of them.

5. New England Patriots 2-1 - Still has the best coach and the best system in the league. Defense needs some serious pass rushing help and line needs to get more physical.

6. Baltimore Ravens 2-1 - Just a nasty D and if Flacco can actually make some plays, this team could be very dangerous.

7. Buffalo Bills 3-0 - I know they are undefeated, and I know  they had a great come from behind win against the Pats but I am still very cautious to rank them too high. If this were a college, the Bills would be like Clemson. You just can't trust them yet despite the big wins.

8. Da Raiders 2-1 - On here simply because of Darren McFadden. Just as nasty as they come out of the SEC. Big test this week against the Pats.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-1 - Their line better get better real fast or they will be carting Big Ben off the field real soon. People talked about the age of the D early but my favorite coach, Mike Tomlin, got these boys playing well.

10. NY Jets 2-1 - Ugly loss against Oaktown and may have been surprised by the physicality of the Raiders. It will not happen again. With that said, if Mr. Pretty Boy Sanchez doesn't find a pair of marbles and get that West coast, I wanna be Tom Brady, behavior out of him, this team will never reach it's potential.

11. NY Giants 2-1 -  A big win against Philly puts them in good position but until Eli can deliver that type of performance week-in and week-out, they will not be the NFC East champs.

12a. Houston Texans 2-1 - A down year in the AFC South due to the Colts issues makes the Texans the favorite and they have proved that they can score, but the D is still suspect.

12b. LSU TIGERS 4-0 - SEC..........nuff said.