Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
BCS Championship Preview
The Florida Gators are the hottest team in the nation right now. After suffering a loss to Ole Miss, Florida turned it on, winning 9 games in a row. The heart, soul, and energy is provided by Junior QB Tim Tebow. What can you say about him, he's willing to do anything to win the game, whether it's throwing to his receivers or running over a corner. On the season, he has throw for 28 TD's with 2,515 yards. Tebow's main man, Percy Harvin, has caught 7 TD passes this season. In the backfield, Chris Rainey, Jeffery Demps, and Emanuel Moody will look to find holes in the Sooner defense. Lineback Brandon Spikes is an All American who will clog up the holes, applying pressure on Sam Bradford. Florida can make it 2 championships in 3 years with a win over Oklahoma.
The Sooners are led by QB Sam Bradford. On the year, he has a 48 to 6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Missing in the backfield for the Sooners is DeMarco Murray, who will not suit up tonight. Wideout Juaquin Iglesias has been on the receiving end of 10 of Bradford's TD passes. Oklahoma's defense is fine against the run, but it lacks in pass defense. The defense will need to be able to match up with Florida's speed and quickness if they want to win this game. On special teams, they have struggled against stopping the return game. Tonight, they are facing the nation's best return game.
Chris's Pick: Florida, 41-28 Player 2 Watch: LB Brandon Spikes
Flip's Pick: Florida, 48-31 Player 2 Watch: WR Percy Harvin
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Another Buckeye Tragedy
Losing two consecutive National Championships is a real heartbreaker. But the loss last night may be the killer of them all. When Todd Boeckman found Terrelle Pryor in the endzone to get Ohio State within 2 points of Texas, the Buckeyes appeared to have every bit of the momentum. Then, a huge 3 and out for Texas resulted in Ohio State having a chance to pull ahead late. Well Daniel Herron capitalized, scoring a 15 yard TD run, giving the Buckeyes the 21-17 lead with 2:05 left.
Heisman nominee, Colt McCoy had the opportunity to show why Texas deserved a spot in the BCS Championship. On the drive, McCoy stayed calm and composed, a true talent of any NFL QB. Play after play, Texas kept gaining yards. Then came the biggest 4th down attempt in Longhorn history. McCoy threw a bullet to the right, with his receiver landing just on the 1st down mark. The call was made, and Texas had converted the down. At that moment, Ohio State saw flashes of past failures rising. Then, with 16 seconds left, Colt McCoy fired a dagger on a 5 yard slant by Quan Cosby. When catching the ball, Cosby turned upfield, shedding off an Ohio State defender, and bolting towards the endzone, finally diving in for the touchdown. The 26 yard pass was the 14th catch for Cosby on the night, but the one catch that Ohio State will never forget. The TD made all Buckeye fans cringe, failing once again in a bowl game.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Fiesta Bowl Preview
"The" Ohio State State Univesity is looking to end a its miserable bowl history. The Buckeyes have lost consecutive National Championship Games to SEC teams: LSU and Florida. Today, they will give the ball to Freshman Terrelle Pryor. He is a difficult QB to tackle, showing his phenominal mobility. With 152 passing attempts, Pryor has only thrown 4 INT's. Chris "Beanie" Wells has battled injuries this season, still rushing for over 1,00 yards with 8 TD's. Terrelle Pryor is also a running threat, scoring 6 TD's with his legs. Wideout Brian Robiski is a big part of the offense, with Pryor looking for him in key situations. On the season, Robiski has 419 yards with 8 TD's. On the defensive side, Senior LB James Laurinaitis is their heart and soul. Laurinaitis wants to erase his memories of two BCS blowouts. In the secondary, Malcom Jenkins is a quick corner who will look to contain Texas' passing attack. Look for Jenkins on special teams, as he has had big returns for the Buckeyes.
Texas can say that they deserve to be where Oklahoma is at. But since they are not in the Championship, the Longhorns must face reality and realize that they must show what they got against Ohio State. Heisman nominee Colt McCoy is everything for the Longhorns. He is their leading passer, leading rusher, and the big man on campus. On the season, McCoy has thrown for 3,445 yards with 32 TD's. He also leads the team on the ground, rushing for 576 yards and 10 TD's. Jordan Shipley just fell short of having a 1,000 yard season, but still recorded 11 TD's. Nagurski Trophy winner Brian Orakpo is back from knee injury. Look for him to be applying pressure all night on Terrelle Pryor. On special teams for the Longhorns, Shipley has the ability to break a big return against the Buckeyes. This game could come down to just one play, so be ready for the moment when Shipley or Jenkins breaks through daylight.
Flip's Pick: Texas, 49-30
Flip's Player 2 Watch: WR Jordan Shipley
Chris's Pick: Ohio State, 31-30
Chris's PLayer 2 Watch: LB James Laurinatis
We Have A New #1

Sunday, January 4, 2009
Baltimore Ravens vs Miami Dolphins Preview
The Ravens are riding the backs of their unstoppable defense. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata has proved to be one of the best tackles in the game, while veteren linebacker Ray Lewis continues to be the ultimate intimidator. Safety Ed Reed has really come on lately, forcing tunrovers in almost all of the Ravens games down the stretch. On the other side of the ball, rookie phenom Joe Flacco has made a great turnaround from the beginning of the season, helping to lead his Ravens to the postseason. On the year, Flacco has thrown for 2,971 yards with 14 TD's, completing 60% of his passes. The run game for the Ravens has proven to be tough to stop, just ask the Cowboys. RB Le'Ron McClain has scored 10 TD's with 902 yards, along with Willis McGahee's 671 yards and 7 TD's. Derrick Mason has surpassed 1,000 yards on the season and scored 5 TD's, while Mark Clayton is averaging 17 yards a catch.
Miami went 1-15 last season, making an amazing turnaround, finishing 11-5 this season. The Dolphins can thank the Packers for where they are now. If the Packers didn't trade Brett Favre to the Jets, QB Chad Pennington never would have been a Dolphin. During his great season, Pennington has thrown for 3,653 yards and 19 TD's. He was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year, his 2nd time receiving this award. The Dolphins have introduced the Wildcat formation, with RB Ronnie Brown running for 916 yards and 10 TD's. Despite last season's defense being one of the worst, the defense this season has made a much needed improvement. Linebacker Joey Porter may be Defensive Player of the Year, making the linebacking crew better with his arrival from Pittsburgh.Flip's Pick: Ravens, 31-17
Flip's X Factor: SS Ed Reed
Chris's Pick: Ravens, 21-17
Chris's X Factor: QB Joe Flacco
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals Preview
The Falcons are led by Offensive Rooke of the Year, Matt Ryan. During his rookie campaign, Ryan threw for 3,440 yards with 16 TD's. Matt Ryan has made the fans forget about Mike Vick. Their star free agent, Michael Turner, has ran for 1,699 yards and scored a career high 17 TD's. Matt Ryan has been thrilled to have Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Roddy White catching his passes. White has 88 receptions and 1,382 receiving yards with 7 TD's. Both White and Michael Jenkins are averaging more then 15 yards a reception. On the defensive side, defensive end John Abraham will look to apply pressure on Kurt Warner. Safety Lawyer Milloy has playoff experiance, and he will look to shutdown Arizona's star wideouts.
Arizona has one of the best aerial attacks in the NFL. Veteran QB Kurt Warner has throw for 4,583 yards and 30 TD's. The reason for his success lies in the hands of his star receivers. Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald has 1,431 yards with 12 TD's, and Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin has 1,038 yards with 11 TD's. Despite limited action, Boldin has great statistics in just 12 games played. Running the ball for the Cardinals is rookie Tim Hightower. On the season, he has rushed for 399 yards with 10 TD's. The Cardinals have allowed 221 passing yards a game, while allowing 110 yards rushing per game. Kicker Neil Rackers may be a key factor for the Cardinals, as this game may come down to the wire.What About Utah?
When you finish the season undefeated, you usually are the #1. Not in Utah's case. Entering last night's Sugar Bowl matchup against 12-1 Alabama, Utah was against all the odds. Alabama was supposeded to b the faster, stronger, and better team. But it didn't matter to the Utes, they wanted to prove to the world why they were undefeated. Alabama didn't see this coming, just look at Nick Saban's face.
called a timeout, gathering all his players on his sideline. This must have worked, atleast for the 2nd quarter, as Alabama scored 10 points in the 2nd quarter. Going into halftime, Utah held a 21-10 lead. The second half was a great half for the Utes, scoring 10 points, while Alabama only scored 7 points. Utah was victorious, defeating the SEC giant 31-17. QB Brian Johnson was named Most Outstanding player, throwing for a career high 336 yards and 3 TD's.Friday, January 2, 2009
Sugar Bowl Preview
Alabama vs Utah, 8PM on FoxThe Crimson Tide are coming off a tough loss in the SEC Championship Game to the Florida Gators. Alabama was undefeated entering the game with Florida, but blew the lead in the 2nd half. The Tide are led by QB John Parker Wilson, who threw for 1,347 yards and just 6 TD's. Their offense relies on the running game, with Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram. Coffee ran for 1,347 yards and 10 TD's. Mark Ingram scored the most TD's on the ground for Bama, reaching the endzone 12 times. The Crimson Tide have one of the best lines in the nation, but will be without All American left tackle Andre Smith, who was suspended before the Sugar Bowl. Alabama will face a fast paced offense tonight. The Utes run no huddle, a problem that may cause the Tide's defenders to get tired.
Quarteback Brian Johnson has been a real treat for the Utes this season. He threw for 2,636 yards with 24 TD's. Running the ball for the Utes is Matt Asiata, who had 666 rushing yards with 11 TD's. Utah will look to run the ball laterally to force the big Alabama linemen to make plays with their feet. On defense, the Utes has 17 interceptions. All Conference cornerback, Sean Smith, will have primary responsiblity in covering Bama WR Julio Jones. Defensive End Paul Kruger will get a lot attention from the Crimson Tide's line, but he still has the ability to break off of double coverage and get pressure on the QB.Flip's Pick: Utah, 42-35
Flip's Player 2 Watch: QB Brian Johnson
Chris's Pick: Alabama, 28-10
Chris's Player 2 Watch: WR Julio Jones
Cotton Bowl Preview
Texas Tech vs Mississippi at 2PM on FoxThe Red Raiders have one of the most explosive offenses in college football. QB Graham Harrell threw for 4,747 yards with 41 TD's. Harrell's favorite targer is Sophomore WR Michael Crabtree. During the season, Crabtree recorded 18 TD's and 1,135 yards. While the Red Raiders are a pass happy team, they will look to run the ball. RB Baron Batch rushed for 742 yards, while backup RB Shannon Woods scored 12 TD's. The big question for all the Big 12 teams is whether they can defend top teams. The Red Raiders secondary are led by safeties Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet. The two players have combined for 11 interceptions on the season. The kicker for Tech has only attempted 1 field goal longer then 35 yards.
Mississippi QB Jevan Snead, a transfer from Texas, threw for 23 TD passes on the season. Jevan Snead may the 2nd best QB in the SEC, behind Florida's QB Tim Tebow. The RB's for the Rebels are Cordera Eason and Dexter McCluster. Eason led with 644 yards, while McCluster scored 5 TD's on the season. All American lef tackle Michael Oher will help make the running game get going. The leading receiver for the Rebels is Senior Mike Wallace, who had 704 yards and 6 TD's. All-SEC kicker Joshua Shene made 16 of 19 field goals for the Rebels. They are strong on the defensive line, led by All-SEC tackle Peria Jerry. Mississippi gave up 20 points in their last 4 games combined, including shutouts to Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State.Flip's Pick: Texas Tech, 38-24
Chris's Pick: Texas Tech, 42-21
Flip's Player 2 Watch: PR Eric Morris
Chris's Player 2 Watch: QB Graham Harrell
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Orange Bowl Preview
Cincinatti vs Virginia Tech, 8:30 PM on Fox
Rose Bowl Preview
The USC Trojans are led by quarterback Mark Sanchez who threw for 2,794 passing yards with 30 touchdown passes. Sanchez will be looking for his main man Damian Williams. Williams had 707 receiving yards with 8 receiving touchdowns. USC needs to get the passing game going so they can hand it off to Joe McKnight. McKnight had 646 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns. USC has one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the country, so they need the offense to score points. Penn State has a good defense so it will be a tough for USC's offense. If USC's offense can make plays and stop PSU's offense then they will win this game.
Leading the way for Joe Pa's Nittany Lions is Junior Quarterback Daryll Clark. Clark threw for 2,319 yards with 17 passing touchdowns. Clark will be looking for the three amigos Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood, and Deon Butler. These receivers have combined for 15 touchdowns. The running back for the Nittany Lions is Evan Royster. Royster has 12 rushing touchdowns on the season. The Nittany Lions will have to score points against USC's tough defense. They will have to keep an eye on the defensive player of the year Rey Maualuga, the leading tackler for USC. If Penn State can control the ball and stop the USC offense, then they will win.My Player 2 Watch- Coach Joe Paterno
Gator Bowl Preview
Clemson vs Nebraska, 1PM on CBS
Nebraska has a great passing game, overshadowed by other Big 12 offenses such as Texas Tech and Oklahoma. QB Joe Ganz has over 3,300 passing yards and 23 TD's. RB Roy Helu has helped the Cornhusker's offense by keeping defenses on their heels. He has 804 yards with 7 TD's. The Cornhuskers' defense has been stellar against the run, only allowing 134 yards per game. They must continue their dominance today against Clemson's thunder and lightning halfbacks. Wideout Nate Swift has 60 catches for 909 yards, expect QB Joe Ganz to look for him in crucial moments.Flip's Pick: Clemson, 38-28
Chris's Pick: Nebraska, 21-14
Flip's Player 2 Watch: RB C.J Spiller
Chris's Playe 2 Watch: Nebraska's D Line
Capital One Bowl Preview

Georgia vs Michigan State, 1PM on ABC
The Bulldogs are led by star halfback Knowshon Moreno. He has rushed for 1,338 yards and 16 TD's. Georgia relies on passing for 65% of its offense. QB Matthew Stafford has over 3,200 yards with 22 TD's. Stafford looks for his two spectacular receivers, A.J Green and Mohamed Massaquoi. Both wideouts have 8 TD's and just over 900 receiving yards. The Bulldogs are 4th in the nation at punt returns, with a returner by committee system. Georgia's pass efficiency defense ranked next to last in the SEC. Today, the defense will need to keep RB Javon Ringer in check, and not allow him to break free.
Senior Javon Ringer is the workhorse of Michigan State's ground attack. Ringer finished the regular season as the nation's leader in carries, tied for 2nd in TD's with 21, and 3rd in yards. Quarterback Brian Hoyer has thrown 4 interceptions and no TD's in his last 3 games. He faces a Georgia defense that has allowed big passing games to QB's in the SEC. The Spartans average 26.2 points per game, ranked 53rd in the nation. Michigan State's defense hasn't faced anyone like Knowshon Moreno during Big Ten play. When the Spartans have played teams like Georgia, such as Ohio State and Penn State, they have been smacked.Flip's Pick: Georgia, 37-24
Chris's Pick: Georgia, 28-17
Flip's Player 2 Watch: RB Knowshon Moreno
Chris's Player 2 Watch: WR A.J Green
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
INSIGHT BOWL PREVIEW
The Golden Gophers need wide receiver Eric Decker to have a big game tonight if they want to win. He had 925 receiving yards with 6 receiving touchdowns. Decker is one of the best receivers in the Big Ten and if he can't get going to night then Minnesota is going to have some problems. If Decker can get open, and start to dominant then they will start to double team him and that will leave other guys wide open. The guy throwing Decker the ball is Adam Weber. Weber threw for 2,585 yards with 14 touchdowns passes. Weber needs to find the open receiver and move around the pocket to make things happen. Minnesota needs to play a great game on defense. Kansas has a good offense and Minnesota needs to force turnovers if they want this game. They need there front four to get in the backfield and force pressure on the quarterback.Chick-Fil-A Bowl Preview
LSU vs Georgia Tech, 7:30PM on ESPN
LSU has not played like Coach Les Miles has wanted them too. Their halfback, Charles Scott, averaged 92.4 rushing yards a game, 4th in the SEC and scored 15 TD's. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson will will need to stay calm, make accurate throws, and avoid any turnovers that could give the Yellow Jackets momentum. LSU wideout Demetrius Byrd has posed a threat for the secondary, expect him to see a lot of attention from Tech's defense. LSU is the defending National Champs, they know how to win bowl games, expect the team to be fired up.SUN BOWL PREVIEW
Leading the attack for the Pitt Panthers is running back LeSean McCoy. LeSean had 1,403 yards rushing on the year with 21 rushing yards. If the Big O-Line can block for McCoy then he will run all over Oregon state. If they can run the ball then they can air it out with quarterback Bill Stull. Stull threw for 2,304 passing yards with 9 touchdown passes. Stull can't make any stupid throws or it will be a long day for the Pitt defense. Pitt's defense will have to play physical going up against a good offense from Oregon state. If they can force three and outs then they are in good shape.
The Freshmen Star Jacquizz Rodgers will be the got to go today for the Beavers. Rodgers rushed for 1,253 yards and had 11 rushing touchdowns. Rogers will need blocking today if he wants to have a big game. If they can get a running game going then they can air to Sammie Stroughter, and Shane Morales. It will be hard to contain these guys if they get out in the open field. Oregon State will need to contain LeSean McCoy on defense. If they can stop him and make Pitt throw the ball, then they can maybe force a turnover.My Pick: Oregon State 27-17
Flippy's Pick: Pitt 31-30
Player 2 Watch
My Pick: RB Jacquizz Rodger
Flippy's Pick:K Conor Lee
Music City Bowl Preview

Vandy QB Chris Nickson hit 55% of his passes when Vandy was 5-0, but 44% since then. Today, he will need to make accurate throws to avoid hits and sacks. Expect Vanderbilt to bring out different blitz packages and mix up their coverage to confuse QB Dominque Davis. Vandy will be without top sacker Broderick Stewart, who is sidelined with a broken leg. Vandy should have leading rusher Jared Hawkins back for the game, but don't be surprised if you see WR Jamie Graham take some time in the backfield. Vanderbilt basically has a home game today, playing about a mile from their campus.BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL PREVIEW
Houston will look for quarterback Case Keenum to continue his dominant play when he takes on Air Force. Keenum threw for 4,768 passing yards with 43 touchdown passes. Helping Keenum out at the wide receiver positions are Tyron Carrier, and Mark Hafner who have combined for 20 receiving touchdowns and 1,869 receiving yards. Houston's defense is going to have to force turnovers to win this game. We know that there offense is going to score points, but they need to play good defense, or there offense is going to have to score alot of points.
Air Force will need Todd Newell, and Asher Clark to have a big day running the ball. The running backs combined have rushed for 1,125 yards, and have rushed for 9 touchdowns. Air Force is ranked #5 in the run so they will be running the ball alot today. The Falcons defense must play good if they want to win. They are going against the number 1 offense in passing yards and total yards. If Air Force can make some key stops, then they might win this gameTuesday, December 30, 2008
Texas Bowl Preview
Rice vs Western Michigan, 8PMRice has a dominant passing game, led by QB Chase Clement. He threw for 41 TD's and over 3,800 yards. Senior WR Jarett Diller has 19 TD's along with 1,224 receiving yards. Clement and Dillard have connected for 50 career TD's, an NCAA record for a passing duo. Dillard has atleast 2 catches in all of his 48 career games. Chase Clement has also rushed for 11 TD's, proving he's a running threat for opposing defenses. The Owls average 144.4 rushing yards, ranked 61st in the nation. Rice has 14 sacks in their last 6 games, but ranked last in pass defense in Conference USA.
The Western Michigan Broncos will rely on their defense tonight. They ranked 2nd in the MAC at 140.9 yards allowed. Cornerback London Fryar is a 2 time All-MAC performer, and DB Louis Delmas is one of the hardest hitters in the nation. QB Tim Hiller led the MAC with 293.9 yards per game and 34 TD's. The Broncos played terrible in their two key MAC matchups against Central Michigan and Ball State, losing by 10 to Central Michigan and 23 to Ball State.