Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 609 of 1503)

      2009 College Football Odds: Championship Weekend

      December 2, 2009 /

      Thursday, December 3

      No. 16 Oregon State at No. 7 Oregon, 9:00PM ET
      There’s never been as much at stake in the annual Civil War game between Oregon State and Oregon, with the winner booking a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Beavers blew an opportunity to head to Pasadena last season when they were blown out by Oregon at home. The Beavers haven’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1964, while Oregon hasn’t made the trip to Pasadena since 1994.
      Odds: Oregon –9.5

      Saturday, December 5

      No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama, 4:00PM ET
      No game has as much at stake than this Saturday’s SEC title game in Atlanta. The winner will have the opportunity to play in the BCS title game, while the loser has to pray that Texas is beaten by Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game and that voters favor them over unbeaten TCU or Cincinnati. Can Tim Tebow lead the Gators to another victory over ‘Bama this season or will Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide defense avenge last year’s loss to Florida?
      Odds: Florida -6

      No. 3 Texas vs. No. 22 Nebraska
      It’s pretty simple for Colt McCoy and the Longhorns: Either win and book a trip to the national title game or lose and watch their opportunity to become champions fly out the window. The Big 12 North hasn’t beaten the Big 12 South in the title game since 2003 when Kansas State beat Oklahoma. The last time these two teams met, Texas came away with a 28-25 victory in 2007. Can the Cornhuskers snap the South’s reign over the North?
      Odds: Texas –13.5

      No. 5 Cincinnati at No. 15 Pittsburgh, 12:00PM ET
      West Virginia’s win over the Panthers last Friday took a lot of the intrigue out of this matchup, but with the Big East championship on the line, both teams still have plenty to play for. A BCS berth is also on the line and speculation continues to grow that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is headed for South Bend. Can the Bearcats overcome this one final road challenge and head to a BCS bowl? Or will PITT ruin Cincinnati’s perfect season?
      Odds: Cincinnati -2

      Continue reading »

      College Football

      Will Kelly ditch Cincinnati for Notre Dame before bowl games?

      December 2, 2009 /

      The Chicago Sun Times is speculating that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly could leave the Bearcats in the dust and coach Notre Dame in a bowl game if the two parties come to a contract agreement following the firing of Charlie Weis.

      Backstage speculation is brewing that Kelly might resurrect an old trick and forsake whatever venue the bowl-bound Bearcats earn and instead drop shillelagh to stay through the holidays and beyond in South Bend.

      That means Kelly could stage- manage his first game for the Fighting Irish later this month if they accept a minor bowl bid. The short list of interested committees reportedly includes those from the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit on Dec. 26, the EagleBank Bowl in Washington on Dec. 29, the Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, on Dec. 30 and the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 6.

      ‘I think it could happen again,” said Tom Beck, the longtime Midwestern coach (Notre Dame, Illinois, Marv Levy’s Chicago Blitz) who gave Kelly his first significant college football job at Grand Valley (Mich.) State in 1987. ”There is no question Brian could be facing a real conflict. If Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh this weekend, they go to a BCS game. But Notre Dame, I’m sure, wants to hire and implement as quickly as possible.

      ”The Notre Dame job would be his new long-term challenge. Then there’s the fact he’d be moving to an 80,000-seat stadium from one that seats somewhere around 38,000. And the budgets at the two schools are in no way comparable.”

      This is all just speculation but as the article points out, Kelly has already left one program (Central Michigan) right before its bowl game in order to join a bigger, better job (Cincinnati), so what’s from stopping him from doing it again this year? (Especially now that the bigger, better job is Notre Dame.)

      If Kelly ditched Cincinnati for Notre Dame, he would spawn from the Bobby Petrino and Rich Rodriguez school of thinking in that loyalty means absolutely nothing in college football. He would once again look like the deserter he is, but mid-level schools are always aware that their head coach will be sought after by bigger programs.

      Putting that aside, I would be intrigued by what Kelly could do for the Irish over the next couple years. The guy has a proven track record of turning programs around (Grand Valley State, CMU, Cincinnati) in a short period of time and he understands how to build a winner on the college level. His offensive system is perfect for college football and he could re-introduce Notre Dame to the fundamentals of the game, which have been lacking over the past couple years.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Football

      Decade Debate: 5 Biggest Quarterback Busts

      December 2, 2009 /

      When fans think of biggest quarterback busts, the first one that usually pops into their heads is Ryan Leaf. But when it’s all said and done, the biggest quarterback draft bust of all-time might have come from this decade. As part of our ongoing Decade Debate series, here is a top 5 ranking of the biggest quarterback draft busts of the past decade, as well as a separate list of two signal callers that might be well on their way to bustville.

      5. Byron Leftwich (Year Drafted: 2003)

      Things didn’t start off poorly for Leftwich. After the Jaguars took him with the seventh overall pick in 2003, Leftwich led them to a 9-7 record in his second year and helped Jacksonville earn a 12-4 record and a playoff berth in his third year before an ankle injury cost him the remaining five games of the season. But after returning from the injury in time to receive a 28-3 beat down from the Patriots in the postseason that year, things went downhill for Leftwich. He suffered another ankle injury in 2006 (one that cost him all but four games of the season) and then he was released in 2007 in favor of David Garrard. He was signed by the Falcons in September of that year, but was a minor disaster and couldn’t hold off Joey Harrington for the starting job. He did win a Super Bowl ring as Ben Roethlisberger’s backup with the Steelers in 2008, but he once again failed as a starter in 2009 after the Bucs signed him in the offseason. Even though he did have some success in the league, Leftwich never lived up to his top-10 billing. His big arm was a hit in college, but his slow release has often doomed him in the NFL and now it appears he’s destined for a life as a backup.

      Continue reading »

      Barstool Debates, NFL

      Woods: “I have let my family down.”

      December 2, 2009 /

      On Wednesday, Tiger Woods published a statement on his website addressing the allegations surrounding his personal life.

      I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

      Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it’s difficult.

      I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

      The Florida Highway Patrol charged Tiger with careless driving and issued him a traffic citation. The fine is $164 and four points on his driving license.

      On top of The National Enquirer report that he had an affair with nightclub manger Rachel Uchitel, two more females have allegedly been linked to Tiger off the course.

      From Contributor Bulletin.com:

      Five days in the making after Tiger Woods was in a car accident. It dominated the internet searches and after that his alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel whose name is the main searches in the search engines for several days. Then came out Joanna Jagoda, Woods former girlfriend.

      The new girl is Jaimee Grubbs who claims that she has 31 months relationship with Tiger Woods. She even has the evidence to prove it through text messages and voice messages. What will be the [sic] next? Will it be Tiger Woods divorce with his wife which will be inevitable because of him who has many mistresses?

      It’s important to keep in mind that these are just rumors and it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to find out that these girls just want their 15 minutes of fame any way they can get it. That said, I doubt Tiger will release any more statements outside of the one above and why should he? It’s a private matter that should be just that: Private.

      n

      Should Tiger’s alleged affairs be made public?
      View Results


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Golf

      Reggie Bush unlikely to be a Saint in 2010?

      December 2, 2009 /

      According to Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports, the Saints won’t bring back Reggie Bush in 2010.

      Speaking of running backs, don’t expect New Orleans running back Reggie Bush, who is due to count for approximately $8 million against the cap next season, to stay with the team. One Saints insider said general manager Mickey Loomis isn’t interested in carrying Bush’s salary, even if there is an uncapped season. Bush’s cap number and secondary importance to the team could create conflict in a locker room where several players, such as wide receiver Marques Colston, are expected to cash in soon.

      This isn’t a complete shock given that Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell have proven they can excel in Sean Payton’s offense. Plus at $8 million, Bush would be rather expensive for a back that can’t run between the tackles.

      What’s interesting is that some team will no doubt overpay for his services because he’s a potential highlight reel. Nobody denies that he’s a great athlete, but he’s going to be overvalued if the Saints do decide to part ways with him after the season.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑