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      Auburn even worse off than originally thought

      September 3, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers head coach Gene Chizik (L) and defensive player of the game Nick Fairley kiss the championship trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game in Glendale, Arizona, January 10, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      If you do a Google search for the phrase “Auburn disrespected” it returns 1,160 results (in 0.16 seconds … Congratulations, Google). The Tigers were the defending national champions, yet came into the season ranked No. 23 in Associated Press poll, which ruffled some feathers down in Alabama.

      This ranking was obviously wrong. Unfortunately for Auburn, not in the direction it was thinking.

      The Tigers looked like a shell of their national-championship selves on Saturday, needing an onside kick and a late rally to defeat Utah State 42-38 at home.

      Everyone knew Auburn would be down with the losses of Cam Newton and Nick Fairley to the NFL, but I don’t think anyone figured it would be this far down. The Tigers were a 24-point favorite against the Aggies, who are better known as that team you sometimes pick to win a couple of games in the NCAA basketball tournament.

      Not only did Utah State nearly upset the defending national champion, it controlled the line of scrimmage against it until the final three minutes, when it was in a prevent defense. The Aggies did whatever they wanted offensively, especially on the ground rushing for more than 200 yards, while Auburn struggled to get anything going in the run game. That doesn’t happen in these games. Normally these early-season close calls are born out of turnovers and big plays, not long, sustained touchdown drives.

      Maybe Utah State is going to be good this year, who knows. It plays in the WAC, and with Boise State gone, maybe it can make a little run. But that’s irrelevant.

      If Auburn has trouble going toe-to-toe with Utah State, imagine how tough it’s going to be when it plays any SEC West opponent? If Utah State runs for 200-plus against Auburn, what will Trent Richardson and Alabama do?

      Yes, there are a ton of new starters for the Tigers, so it’s going to take some time to round into shape. But like I said, today was less about execution and more about losing at the point of attack. Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn have a lot of work to do if Auburn has any thoughts of finishing this season in the top 25.

      College Football, External Sports

      Fade Material: College Football Week 1 Predictions

      September 3, 2011 /
      Oregon Ducks LaMichael James laughs after drawing a personal foul on the Auburn Tigers in the third quarter in the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game in Glendale, Arizona, January 10, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      I woke up today with an extra spring in my step because I knew it was the first Saturday of the 2011 college football season. But what really got me going was knowing I would once again be providing quality fade material for bettors around the world.

      It’s about people helping people, folks.

      No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU, 8:00PM ET
      The last time Jarrett Lee opened a season as a starting quarterback was in 2006…for Brenham High School. LSU was going to have uncertainty at the quarterback position regardless of whether or not Lee or Jordan Jefferson was named the starter. But where the problem comes in is that Jefferson was assumed to be the starter for months. Now, just weeks before the season, they switch to Lee because of Jefferson’s off-field issues. It’s usually unwise to go against the SEC in a non-conference game but I’m not that bright so I’ll assume the risk. I think LSU’s outstanding defense will tire late in the second half after trying to keep up with Darron Thomas and LaMichael James for most of the game. The Tigers’ D figures to be on the field an awful lot tonight.
      THE PICK: OREGON -3

      No. 7 Boise State vs. No. 22 Georgia
      All the talk in this one has revolved around Aaron Murray but I expect Kellen Moore to once again play mistake free. He has all new weapons this year but the Broncos’ offense rarely misses a beat from season to season. Never go against Boise State in their opener or in their bowl game. These types of games might as well be their freaking Super Bowl…
      THE PICK: BOISE STATE -3

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports, Free Picks

      TCU forgets how to play defense

      September 3, 2011 /

      Baylor defeated TCU 50-48 in a thriller last night, finishing with 564 yards in total offense. TCU coach Gary Patterson had harsh words for his defense after the game, singling out the play of his corners, but he needs to look in the mirror as Lee Corso pointed out this morning on ESPN. TCU lost a bunch of players on defense from last year’s tough squad, and Patterson should have known he had weaker corners. He should known he had to play more conservative defense. Instead, he left his corners out there alone on an island and they got torched. Then he had the nerve to call them out after the game. His own arrogance got him in trouble but he won’t admit it.

      College Football, External Sports

      Let’s talk T-Wolves!

      September 2, 2011 /
      Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (L) celebrates a basket with teammate Nikola Pekovic (R) during the second half of the Timberwolves’ NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in the Target Center in Minneapolis, March 7, 2011. Love extended his double-double streak to 51 consecutive games, tying Moses Malone for the NBA’s longest streak of double-doubles since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. Dallas won 108-105. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

      ESPN asked five Minnesota-related questions of its network of NBA bloggers and it’s once again time for me to piggy-back on the proceedings.

      1. Fact or Fiction: Ricky Rubio will be a star.

      Fiction: I think he can be a better than average NBA starter, but by all accounts he hasn’t developed over the last couple of seasons as was expected. His shooting percentage is pretty dreadful, so that inaccuracy will limit his upside. On a positive side, he has great court vision and is a pretty good defender. I don’t see stardom, but I do see starterdom.

      2. Fact or Fiction: Rick Adelman should be the Wolves’ next coach.

      Fact. He’s the best coach available and has had success just about everywhere he’s landed. He’s not going to turn this ship around quickly, but he’ll make the T-Wolves better.

      3. Fact or Fiction: Derrick Williams should start.

      Fact. Let’s see if he can play the 3. If it’s a disaster, then bring him off the bench in a 6th man role and let him build his confidence against the other team’s backups. It’s not like losing a few games early is going to tank the T-Wolves’ season. It’s already tanked.

      4. Fact or Fiction: Michael Beasley has a bright future in Minnesota.

      Fiction. It’s doubtful that he has a bright future anywhere. This is a guy who, at one of these glorified playground games, recently pushed a fan in the face because he couldn’t take the criticism. Maybe he’ll turn it around — you never know. He did post nice numbers on a bad team in 2010-11.

      5. Fact or Fiction: Minny makes the playoffs while K-Love is still there.

      Fiction. I’m not in Love’s head, but I wouldn’t re-sign with a team that is run by David Kahn. So unless the team fires Kahn and brings in a great basketball mind, Love will likely sign elsewhere even though the T-Wolves can (currently) offer the most money.

      External Sports, NBA

      Bradford, Rams could take a step back in 2011

      September 2, 2011 /
      St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford hands the football off to running back Steven Jackson in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on November 21, 2010. Atlanta defeated St. Louis 34-17. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      The Rams make an easy choice for NFC West champions this year, don’t they? They’re like the Almond Joy in a candy bowl that’s also hosting Tootsie Rolls, Spice Drops, and those black and orange-wrapped pieces of awfulness that people hand out at Halloween.

      Coconut? Yeah, I can deal with coconut.

      But while most media members are predicting the Rams to win their division this year, I actually envision them taking a step back. In fact, I think 8-8 would be quite an accomplishment for a team that is definitely on the rise but has some major hurdles to overcome to make the postseason.

      Have you checked out the Rams’ schedule this year? It’s freaking brutal. They open up at home against everyone’s chic pick the Eagles before heading to New York to play the Giants in Week 2. They come back to St. Louis for two home games and while one of those contests is a Week 4 matchup with the Redskins, the other is a Week 3 tilt against the Ravens.

      After they come back from their BYE in Week 5, the Rams travel to Green Bay and Dallas before hosting the Saints in Week 8. So in six of their first seven games they play the entire NFC East, the defending Super Bowl champions, and the team that won it all in 2009 and might be poised to do it again in 2011.

      Thanks, schedule makers!

      Another problem, of course, is the dreaded sophomore jinx for Sam Bradford. In all honesty, I think it’s foolish to believe that all young players are destined for failure in their second seasons, as if life always warns us when we’re about to fall on hard times. But while the jinx itself is a rather juvenile way of looking at the situation, there is something to a quarterback struggling in his second year. The playbook expands, responsibility grows, and now defensive coordinators have 16 or so games to dissect your weaknesses. It’s not a jinx – it’s maturation.

      Bradford had an impressive rookie campaign and I do believe he’ll only get better. But I’m willing to bet he’ll suffer through different kinds of hurdles than he did as a rookie, especially seeing as how he must learn a new offensive system under Josh McDaniels and as expectations continue to rise. (Keep in mind that this is a team that many people believe is a playoff contender, circumstances like a weak division be damned.)

      There are plenty of reasons why some observers have fallen in love with the Rams. The spotlight is on Bradford, but this team has also built an impressive-looking defensive line and acquired one of the most productive safeties in the NFL this offseason in Quintin Mikell. The Rams vastly upgraded the right guard position with the signing of free agent Harvey Dahl (who replaces the highly ineffective Adam Goldberg), and gave Bradford another weapon in Mike Sims-Walker.

      But the schedule stinks, Bradford will suffer more growing pains in his second year and it’ll be interesting to see how long Steven Jackson continues to rumble on as the Rams wear him down to the treads. Outside linebacker, depth in the secondary, and uncertainty at the wide receiver position are three other causes for concern heading into the season.

      So who will win the West? My guess would be the Cardinals, although I don’t write that with much conviction. I just have a hunch it won’t be Bradford and the Rams.

      External Sports, NFL

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