"Where, Oh Where Will LeBron James Go?" Part I

Rumor has it that LeBron James could leave the Cleveland Cavaliers when his contract expires in 2010. There are many opportunities out there for King James, but which one is right for him? If he wanted, he could stay in Cleveland and hope for better days; he could go to the big stage and play in New York; or he could take a big pay check and go play on a Euroleague Team. There are other options that have been talked about as well, like going to Detroit or New Jersey. One thing is for sure, everyone is waiting for an answer.

An ESPN poll titled, “Which team will LeBron James play for in 2010-11?” has drawn 20,000 votes and the results are in:

New York – 35%
Cleveland – 30%
New Jersey – 14%
Detroit – 11%
Euroleague Team – 11%

According to this poll, people see James playing in New York in 2010 and Cleveland coming in at a close second. The other options seem less likely to the public at the moment. This is just an opinion of 20,000 people and definitely not a bunch of informed experts, but it is interesting nonetheless. The choice comes down to what LeBron James wants and I’ll tell you what he wants: he wants Championships.

Every great athlete is at some point measured by Championship rings and LeBron does not want to have a zero by his name when he is through. In my mind, this will play the biggest role in where he decides to go. He has been quoted as saying, “When I decide to make that decision, you know, it is basically to put me in a position where I feel like I can win multiple championships. If it's staying here, then I will be here. If it's moving elsewhere, then I will have to look at all my options.” It's clear what LeBron James wants and the team that can make that championship a possibility is where he is most likely go.

Stay tuned for PART II in the coming days where I will take a look at three of his more probable options.

Check out Bertman’s fresh sports blog, “Sports Never End” for more great sports info, where sports truly never end.

42-7??? At the Half???

Unbelievably, Oklahoma is absolutely dominating Texas Tech on EVERY front:

• running game
• passing game
• special teams coverage
• offensive line
• defensive line
• wide-receiver coverage (man-to-man and zone)
• scheming
• coaching
• pressure on the quarterback
• protecting the quarterback
• yards after catch
• yards after first contact

And one VERY important aspect of the game not measured with statistics, but always the most influential:

• PASSION

I have seen a lot of football games in my life, but I have never seen a game so unbalanced with two teams so closely matched. Most coaches will tell you that when you're down like Texas Tech is, the only thing you can do is GET BACK TO BASICS.

Everyone needs to do their assignment and do no more. If everyone does their job, they have a chance. If they can dig deep and find a passion that didn't exist in the first half, they have a chance. This Texas Tech team can score a lot and in a hurry, so they have a chance. But they HAVE to play with passion.

We will see if the Red Raiders come out in the second half with any emotion at all. This will truly test their will, their heart, and their character both as individuals and as a team. This is when the real personality of a team is shown...Adversity shows all.

Fundamentals and Passion...That's it. And that's only to have a chance. Good luck.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 13

The semi-snoozer that was Week 12 has come and gone - Now on to Week 13, which is slated to be a hurricane of big games. The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry never ceases to please and the Texas Tech-Oklahoma game looks to be an incredible offensive shoot-out, not to mention all of the bowl game implications.

Without further ado...

#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma 32

Citadel at #4 Florida - 1:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 63 - Citadel 3

#14 Brigham Young at #7 Utah - 6:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Brigham Young 23 - Utah 21

#15 Michigan State at #8 Penn State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 18 - Penn State 17

#9 Boise State at Nevada - 4:05 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 38 - Nevada 21

Michigan at #10 Ohio State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 40 - Michigan 10

Air Force at #16 TCU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 17 - Air Force 10

#17 Ball State at Central Michigan - Friday, 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 32 - Central Michigan 24

Mississippi at #18 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 32 - Mississippi 17

#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Cincinnati 27 - Pittsburgh 20

#21 Oregon State at Arizona - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Arizona 21 - Oregon State 17

North Carolina State at #22 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: North Carolina 31 - North Carolina State 10

#23 Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech - Thursday, 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - Miami (FL) 9

Florida State at #25 Maryland - 7:45 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 24 - Maryland 17

So here's how it shakes down:

• Texas Tech owns their destiny after a HUGE win in Norman
• BYU answers Boise State's (and the BCS Panel's) prayers
• Michigan State pulls out a squeaker in Happy Valley
• Ohio State clinches a Rose Bowl berth (with the PSU loss)
• Cincinnati takes care of business to put them in total control of the Big East
• Arizona gives USC their deserved Rose Bowl shot (a USC-OSU rematch)
• Georgia Tech eliminates Miami from the Top 25 (and puts themselves back in)
• and Maryland continues their schizophrenic persona.

There you have it. Enjoy this awesome action-packed Saturday and be safe! Cheers!

Ksquared's Sports Quote of the Day

Vince Lombardi is one of the greatest coaches of all time, and though he had a lot of great sayings, some of them very well-known, this one is probably my favorite. It opitimizes his arrogance, competitiveness, optimism, and general outlook on coaching.

"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time."
- Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)

The Path(s) to the NCAA Football National Championship

Every fan of a team in the top 10 still has aspirations of a National Championship; some are delusional, and yet some are justified. Here's a breakdown of how each team could find themselves in Miami come January.

1. Alabama
- Win out the season and beat Florida in the SEC Championship. Most pundits are picking Florida to win that game, and I have to agree with them, but Alabama's still in good position.

2. Texas Tech
- Win in Norman and then wipe the floor with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship...That's it. Easy. Their destiny is in their hands.

3. Texas
- Oklahoma beats Texas Tech and then loses to Oklahoma State...Texas wins out and beats Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. This is not a likely turn of events. Though the Longhorns are ranked above the Sooners, they are not in control of their own destiny, nor are they in good position, as referenced by the above scenario. Texas is an interesting phenomenon at #3.

4. Florida
- Win out the season and beat Alabama in the SEC Championship. Florida actually has a pretty easy path...that is, if you consider King Saban an easy path.

5. Oklahoma
- Beat Texas Tech at home and wipe the floor with Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Sitting at number 5, Oklahoma is actually in pretty good position to jump #3 Texas and has control of their own destiny.

6. USC
- This is where it gets complicated. USC's chances hinge on the Big 12 and SEC falling within their conferences down the stretch, in addition to USC winning out the season. Here are some of the possibilities:

Big 12 Falters #1 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma AND Baylor, Texas loses to Kansas, and Oklahoma loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Falters #2 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma, Texas loses to Kansas, Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Falters #3 - Texas Tech loses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and Texas loses to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.

SEC Falters #1 - Alabama loses to Mississippi State or Auburn and then beats Florida in the SEC Championship AND two of the three Big 12 teams ranked above USC lose one more game.
SEC Falters #2 - Florida loses to South Carolina or Florida State and then beats Alabama in the SEC Championship AND two of the three Big 12 teams ranked above USC lose one more game.

Two words: not likely.

7. Utah, 8. Penn State, 9. Boise State, and 10. Georgia
Three words: not a chance.

And there you have it - A heavyweight fight between the SEC and Big 12. And if everyone beats each other up so bad that no one is left standing, USC has a chance.

Other than that, if I'm #7-#10, I'm just hoping I don't lose to a lesser opponent and fall out of BCS contention...forget the National Championship.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 12

No earth-shattering games this weekend (it's all being saved for next weekend), but there are some games that are closely-matched, which lends itself to a tough week of picks. If I want to hit my .800 goal, this needs to be a big week, so without further ado...

Mississippi State at #1 Alabama - 7:45 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 34 - Mississippi State 10

#3 Texas at Kansas - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 45 - Kansas 28

#25 South Carolina at #4 Florida - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 32 - South Carolina 17

#6 USC at Stanford - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: USC 55 - Stanford 6

#7 Utah at San Diego State - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Utah 30 - San Diego State 17

Indiana at #8 Penn State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 24 - Indiana 17

#9 Boise State at Idaho - 5:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 42 - Idaho 10

#10 Georgia at Auburn - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 31 - Auburn 17

#11 Ohio State at Illinois - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 32 - Illinois 17

#12 Missouri at Iowa State - 6:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 49 - Iowa State 24

#13 Oklahoma State at Colorado - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma State 40 - Colorado 20

#14 Ball State at Miami (OH) - FINAL
What Happened: Ball State 31 - Miami (OH) 16
What It Means: Absolutely nothing, which is why I didn't even bother to pick it. I love this Ball State team, but there isn't a thing anyone can do about that schedule.

#16 North Carolina at Maryland - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: North Carolina 17 - Maryland 16

#17 Brigham Young at Air Force - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Brigham Young 38 - Air Force 28

Boston College at #19 Florida State - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 24 - Boston College 21

Troy at #20 LSU - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: LSU 47 - Troy 7

#22 Cincinnati at Louisville - Friday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Louisville 30 - Cincinnati 28

#23 Tulsa at Houston - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Tulsa 35 - Houston 14

#24 Wake Forest at North Carolina State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Wake Forest 24 - NC State 13

Both the Boston College-Florida State and North Carolina-Maryland games are giving me fits. North Carolina and Maryland are about as even as two teams can be in almost every offensive and defensive category and Boston College's defense is the perfect antithesis to Florida State's offense. North Carolina leads Maryland in one category and it is the most important one: points scored per game, hence my prediction. And I think the young Florida State offense will put together another good game at home to pull out a close one.

Happy weekend watching! Cheers!

Are The 9-0 Tennessee Titans For Real?

I'm going to break this down very simply. Usually, I like to give an opinion one way or another on this team or that, but this time will be different. This time, the facts will tell the story for me.

Let's start with the "weakness" - Offense:
Points/game - 10th
Rush Yards/game - 6th

Now, the fun begins - let's do Special Teams and Intangibles:
Penalty Yards - 12th
Kick Touchbacks - T-5th
Punts inside 20 - T-1st
Avg. Kick Return - 1st

And the clincher - Defense:
Rush Yards/game - 8th
Sacks - 7th
Total Yards/game - 5th
Interceptions - T-2nd
Points/game - 1st

I think we're done here...

Ksquared's Revised College Football Bowl Predictions

New Mexico Bowl:Colorado State vs. Nevada

St. Petersburg Bowl: West Virginia vs. Marshall

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: TCU vs. Arizona

Eagle Bank Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. Navy

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Troy vs. UTEP

San Diego Cty. Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Air Force vs. Hawaii

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Stanford vs. Fresno State

Motor City Bowl: Iowa vs. Central Michigan

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati

Champs Sports: Virginia vs. Northwestern

Emerald Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Oregon State

Independence Bowl: Kansas State vs. Tennessee

PapaJohns.com Bowl: South Florida vs. Kentucky

Valero Alamo Bowl: Illinois vs. Missouri

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: San Jose State vs. Wake Forest

Texas Bowl: Colorado vs. Rice

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: BYU vs. East Carolina

Brut Sun: Nebraska vs. California

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: Maryland vs. Ole Miss

Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Kansas

Chick-fil-a Bowl: North Carolina vs. Auburn

Outback Bowl: Michigan State vs. South Carolina

Capital One Bowl: Ohio State vs. LSU

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Georgia vs. Oklahoma

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Tulsa vs. Vanderbilt

International Bowl: Connecticut vs. Western Michigan

GMAC Bowl: Houston vs. Ball State

Rose Bowl presented by Citi: Penn State vs. USC

Fedex Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Pittsburgh

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Boise State

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Utah

Fedex BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Texas Tech

Notes: Two non-BCS teams in BCS games...Texas Tech, who was ranked 14th in the Preseason Coaches Poll, has a chance to win it all...The Orange Bowl would be a snoozer, so hopefully I'm wrong...Ohio State-LSU would actually be a fun Capital One Bowl and Georgia-Oklahoma would be a sweet Cotton Bowl.

Ksquared's Revised College Football Top 25

Time for a little shuffle, shuffle...

1. Texas Tech - Alabama is playing well, but NOBODY is playing better than the Red Raiders.
2. Florida - They are playing the most balanced football on both sides of the ball than anyone up to this point.
3. Alabama - Many people have them number one, but head-to-head, I don't see even Saban beating Florida or Tech right now.
4. Texas - I can't see them beating any of the top three teams. Funny that their fate rests in the hands of Oklahoma...And yet, if Oklahoma wins, could jump Texas in the BCS standings and take the Big 12 South anyway.
5. Oklahoma - The Sooners are NOT better than Texas, but if they beat Texas Tech, voters will have a hard time not leap-frogging them above Texas.
6. USC - Still playing solid ball, but their offense has not been impressive at all. Just go to the Rose Bowl already.
7. Penn State - This was bound to happen...Cold, rainy weather can kill a spread offense - even a spread HD - and guess what, it's November.
8. Boise State - Top-to-bottom, I truly believe Boise State is better than Utah...Too bad we'll never know.
9. Ohio State - Buckeye fans across the nation will be rooting for Michigan State to do what Ohio State couldn't - beat Penn State. PSU wins, PSU goes to the Rose Bowl, MSU wins, OSU goes to the Rose Bowl...Pretty simple.
10. Utah - Utah definitely has some good wins, but I'm still not convinced they are a top-eschelon team - Michigan and TCU does not a tough schedule make.
11. Oklahoma State - They showed signs of brilliance and I think everyone was rooting for them to make a run...Alas, it was not to be.
12. Georgia - If Georgia had some defense, they would be a heck of lot better...Unfortunately, they don't.
13. Missouri - Same as Georgia.
14. LSU - It is tough to see LSU this far down, but they've earned it. They've lost twice to ranked teams at home.
15. Ball State - After watching a full game of Davis throwing the ball, I have to drink a little of the Dave Letterman kool-aid...This team matches up with almost anybody.
16. Michigan State - Sure you're in the Top 25, but anyone below Ball State should be looking towards next year. Anyone except ACC teams, of course, who are still battling for an Orange Bowl bid.
17. Florida State - Bobby Bowden is back! Now, Florida State fans, it is finally time to start cheering. The Seminoles look like a renewed team right now with a very young offense.
18. Pittsburgh - Which team will show up this week - the team that beat South Florida or the team that lost to Rutgers?
19. North Carolina - Wouldn't a Florida State-North Carolina ACC Championship matchup be great?
20. Cincinnati - What a great story this is...With a win over Pitt, the Bearcats could be looking at a Big East title.
21. TCU - Just 3 points from giving Boise State a clear shot at a BCS bowl bid...And now TCU is on the outside looking in.
22. Brigham Young - BYU is still overrated in most polls, but they are definitely a scoring machine.
23. Virginia Tech - I have to give Mr. Beamer some respect...Virginia tech is playing some good football right now. It's not going to be enough, but they are better than I gave them credit for earlier this season, if it's any consolation.
24. Tulsa - Who else do I put here?
25. South Carolina - and here? There aren't enough teams that are worthy.

And there you have it. Again, note that I never made a pre-season poll and that I pick my Top 25 fresh from the current conference standings alone and who I think would win in head-to-head match-ups. If you disagree, tell me why I'm wrong...I'd love to hear from you.

Coming up next: Ksquared's Week 12 Predictions.

Cheers!

Going Over Ksquared's Week 11 College Football Predictions

Not my best week, by any means, but still solid. More importantly, one team solidified themselves as a true National Title contender (Texas Tech) and another dropped out of the race altogether (Penn State). Oh, and Nick Saban is still God.

#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 32 - LSU 17
What Happened: Alabama 27 - LSU 21 (OT)
What it Means: Miles is losing his reputation as the overtime King and Saban is establishing himself as one of the most talented college coaches of our time. Alabama is now set up for an easy run to the SEC Championship and is he can pull out a victory there (probably against Florida), he will have taken 'Bama to the National Championship game in his SECOND season!

#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma State 30
What Happened: Texas Tech 56 - Oklahoma State 20
What it Means: Texas Tech is legit. I expected them to win, but Oklahoma State is a pretty darn good team and I didn't expect it to be a blowout. When my revised Top 25 comes out in a bit, I have to put them number one, even above God Saban. They just look too dominant on offense. Somebody tell me, who can possibly stop that passing attack?

#3 Penn State at Iowa - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 30 - Iowa 14
What Happened: Iowa 24 - Penn State 23
What it Means: Everyone who is not a Penn State fan can breathe a collective sigh of relief - the chances of seeing a Big Ten team in the National Championship game after Penn State's loss is nearly nil. Barring a loss to Michigan State, Penn State looks like a lock for the Rose Bowl where they will probably get a shot against USC.

Baylor at #4 Texas - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 48 - Baylor 21
What Happened: Texas 45 - Baylor 21
What it Means: Nothing. Ho hum.

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 28 - Vanderbilt 3
What Happened: Florida 42 - Vanderbilt 14
What it Means: Vanderbilt continues to prove how overrated they were at the beginning of the season and Florida continues to win in an impressive fashion. Florida is going to be looking forward to facing Alabama in the SEC Title game...They better not look too far ahead, though, as they've had trouble with Spurrier and South Carolina in the past.

#6 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Texas A&M 21
What Happened: Oklahoma 66 - Texas A&M 28
What it Means: Bob Stoops has no mercy and Oklahoma wants style points. Style points, however, won't matter if they can't take care of business against Texas Tech next week. And, yet again, the game of the century is happening next week. How many "Games of the Century" can there be in two seasons?

#21 California at #7 USC - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: California 24 - USC 21
What Happened: USC 17 - California 3
What it Means: USC's offense is overrated (reference Arizona and California), but they're defense is for real. Cushing and Maualuga are by far the best DB tendem in the league and they will both be playing on Sunday. It's a good thing, too, because the USC offense has sputtered as of late.

#12 TCU at #8 Utah - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 31 - Utah 17
What Happened: Utah 13 - TCU 10
What it Means: I underestimated the Utah defensive front. This team can definitely step it up when it needs to. The TCU defense did it's job, but because the offense couldn't produce, they can wave bye-bye to a BCS bid (and Boise State can wave with them).

Utah State at #10 Boise State - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 35 - Utah State 10
What Happened: Boise State 49 - Utah State 14
What it Means: Nada. Boise State, who may be a better team than Utah, has less quality wins (wins like this one), and will miss out on a BCS bid, even going undefeated.

#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 3
What Happened: Ohio State 45 - Northwestern 10
What it Means: Pryor is not going away any time soon. His first real taste of failure (in football and in college) did nothing but make him stronger. Talk about domination...Ohio State wiped the floor with what looked like a pretty good Northwestern team.

#13 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 38 - Kentucky 13
What Happened: Georgia 42 - Kentucky 38
What it Means: Georgia continues to unimpress. They're defense is like swiss cheese, with holes all over the place. This is a Kentucky team that Florida beat 63-5. Sorry Georgia, maybe next year.

Kansas State at #14 Missouri - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 50 - Kansas State 35
What Happened: Missouri 41 - Kansas State 24
What it Means: As much as Texas' victory over Baylor.

San Diego State at #15 BYU - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 32 - San Diego State 24
What Happened: BYU 41 - San Diego State 12
What it Means: Surprisingly little. BYU already punched it's ticket to obscurity.

Northern Illinois at #17 Ball State - Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 42 - Northern Illinois 21
What Happened: Ball State 45 - Northern Illinois 14
What it Means: In the one game critics truly thought Ball State could lose after beating Indiana, they didn't. They won huge. I think everyone's kind of wondering just how good this team is. We'll never know.

Purdue at #18 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 32 - Purdue 20
What Happened: Michigan State 21 - Purdue 7
What it Means: Michigan State has a bye and one more big game to prove they are deserving of a Top 25 spot and a big bowl bid. However, even if they beat Penn State, they need Ohio State to lose another game, which doesn't seem likely at this point.

#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - North Carolina 13
What Happened: North Carolina 28 - Georgia Tech 7
What it Means: Who knows what the heck anything means in the ACC?!? Georgia Tech looks good, then they look horrible. North Carolina looks horrible, then they look good. Maryland looks horrible, then good, then bad, then great, then amazing, then horrible again. Everyone in this league is schizphrenic. Go ahead, I dare you to predict who goes to the Orange Bowl in January.

Clemson at #22 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 26 - Clemson 17
What Happened: Florida State 41 - Clemson 27
What it Means: Florida State continues to impress, but as stated above, this conference is as unstable as Brittany Spears and FSU has two tough games upcoming which will determine who plays in the ACC Championship. I have to say, a Florida State-North Carolina Championship game would be a good one.

#23 Maryland at Virginia Tech - 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Maryland 34 - Virginia Tech 10
What Happened: Virginia Tech 23 - Maryland 13
What it Means: Anything can happen on any given day in the ACC. My worries with the Terps were put at ease at the start of the game when Scott ran onto the field. And then they got outmuscled for the rest of the game. I give up.

Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 25 - Cincinnati 18
What Happened: Cincinnati 26 - West Virginia 23
What it Means: Cincinnati played a great game and put themselves in a pretty good position in the Big East. The fate of the Bearcats is in their hands and if they can beat Pittsburgh at home in a couple of weeks, they are looking at taking the conference. Kudos to Brian Kelly for making believers out of his squad.

My worst week yet, I went 13-6, bringing my season total to 87-26 (.770). Again, nothing to shake a stick at, but for me to hit my goal of .800, I am really going to have kick some butt next week...and I expect to.

Stay tuned for my revised Top 25 as well as my revised Bowl Projections. Cheers!

Sports Quote of the Day

An anonymous football referee, when asked to describe his job:

"Trying to maintain order during a legalized gang brawl involving 80 toughs with a little whistle, a hanky, and a ton of prayer."

How Michigan State wins the Big Ten...Huh?

As improbable as it sounds, here's how it shakes up:

1. Ohio State wins out and finishes the season 10-2 (7-1)
2. Michigan State wins out, including beating Penn State, and finishes the season 10-2 (7-1)
3. Penn State loses to Michigan State and finishes the season 11-1 (7-1)

And this is where the Big Ten tie-breaker rules come into play. Here's what you need to know:

1. Head-to-head, OSU over MSU, MSU over PSU, and PSU over OSU - No winner
2. Ohio State has played the most FBS (formerly Division II) teams during the season, so they are eliminated from contention
3. Head-to-head with two remaining teams, MSU over PSU - MSU winner
4. MSU is Big Ten Conference Champion

There you have it. Simple, right?

Buckeyes Suspend Player, Father Answers With Unbelievable Immaturity - Like Father Like Son?

I usually don't get opinionated past who I think will win a game and why, but this article sort of got my blood boiling. Here's the article...take a look: Ray Small Suspended and Father Responds.
First of all, Ken Small's accusation that the coaching staff of the Buckeyes are "intentionally blowing his whole career" is just ludicrous. How could Ohio State possibly benefit from doing that? Nothing in Tressel or his coaching staff's history would even hint at something so vicious. And to make an accusation with such enormity, you better have proof to back that up.

Ken, just because you moved from Cleveland to Columbus to be closer to your meal-ticket, I mean, your son, by no means gives you the right to intervene any time you don't think your son is treated fairly, which brings me to my second point.

Part of growing up in this country is gaining autonomy from your parents and making mistakes and learning from them - on your own. Sure, some kids make more mistakes than others and there are times when a child might need to lean on his parents for advice and sometimes financial help, but by becoming involved in the everyday dealings of his son, Ken Small is hindering an important period of Ray's growth.

So here's my bottom-line: Ken Small's irresponsible and offhanded comments are hurting the university because of negative press. Ken Small's comments are hurting the Buckeye football program by becoming a distraction and a nuisance. And finally, and most importantly, Ken Small's comments are hurting his son's growth both as a person and a football player. As a person, Ken is not allowing Ray to take responsibility for his own actions, an important part of growing up, and as a football player, by making this a National storyline, Ken has just given every NFL team a good look at what the Small family is all about and, right or wrong, will reflect badly on Ray's NFL draft resume filed under "character issues."

Hey Ken, who wins here? Real smart. Like father, like son.

Some Quick Notes From Around the College Football World

• Though I have Maryland winning against Virginia Tech this weekend, I have become somewhat doubtful with reports that Da'Rell Scott will not be even close to 100% come Saturday. He is an integral part of keeping the Terps offense balanced and without him churning for tough yards, the Hokies stout defense will have a field day picking off passes in deep coverage. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my pick, hoping the offensive line will step it up just a notch knowing that Scott will need some running roon to be successful.
• Another worrisome pick that comes to mind is my upset of California over the much-touted USC. With Riley out again this week (and it looks like that is the case), if the pick-happy Longshore comes to play, my pick won't jsut be wrong, it will look ridiculous. Longshore has zero turnovers and I maintain my pick (which I am doing), but even one turnover and I think USC takes this game.
• I expect Terelle Pryor and the Buckeyes to respond with resounding confidence against Northwestern this Saturday. Though bye weeks have not been good to them in the past, this week is different...The Buckeyes are pissed (and more unified than ever)...And I do not believe that the same uneasy Pryor we saw two weeks ago will be playing against the Wildcats.

Ksquared vs. Todd McShay - The winner is...

You be the judge...

PRE-GAME
Todd McShay:
"The Longhorns will take care of business in Lubbock for three reasons. First, Orakpo and Kindle will apply more pressure on Harrell than he is accustomed to seeing...
Prediction: Longhorns 41, Red Raiders 31"

Ksquared:
"...As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory.
Texas Tech 47 - Texas 45"

RESULT
Texas Tech 39 - Texas 33

POST-GAME
Todd McShay:
"The most surprising aspect of Saturday night's upset in Lubbock -- at least from my vantage point -- was Texas Tech's dominance in the trenches...The experienced Red Raiders offensive line provided Harrell with Secret Service-like protection..."

Ksquared:
"And so it was, as Tech made it's National Championship hopes a much more realistic possibility."

And by a landslide...

Obama...Hope...Promise...American Pride

Politics in a sports blog? Just this once...

This is historic. Though I knew I would be dissapointed if America voted against Obama and for four more years of the same methodologies, what I didn't expect was the immense pride I felt when it was announced that America had voted Obama the next President.

More than relief, for maybe the first time in my life, I felt real and true pride. Pride in front of the rest of the world and pride in the evidence of our equality.

Tomorrow is a new day. We have done our part today.

Thank you America.

"There is a New America every morning when we wake up. It is upon us whether we will it or not." - Adlai E. Stevenson Jr.

Ksquared's Fearless College Football Predictions - Week 11

Here we go again...And before anyone gets up in arms, I know I have not done a recap of my last predictions (I just didn't want to brag too much). My overall record now is 74-20 (.787), which is not quite at my goal of .800.

Texas Tech made my upset of the week happen, but can they sustain their spot in the top 2? They have a couple of tough games in a row, starting with Oklahoma State this week. Alabama also gets it's first test while holding on to the #1 spot and playing at LSU is no easy task.

#1 Alabama at #16 LSU - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Alabama 32 - LSU 17

#9 Oklahoma State at #2 Texas Tech - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas Tech 38 - Oklahoma State 30

#3 Penn State at Iowa - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Penn State 30 - Iowa 14

Baylor at #4 Texas - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Texas 48 - Baylor 21

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida 28 - Vanderbilt 3

#6 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Oklahoma 45 - Texas A&M 21

#21 California at #7 USC - 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: California 24 - USC 21

#12 TCU at #8 Utah - Thursday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: TCU 31 - Utah 17

Utah State at #10 Boise State - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Boise State 35 - Utah State 10

#11 Ohio State at #24 Northwestern - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ohio State 28 - Northwestern 3

#13 Georgia at Kentucky - 12:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia 38 - Kentucky 13

Kansas State at #14 Missouri - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Missouri 50 - Kansas State 35

San Diego State at #15 BYU - 2:00 pm ET
My Prediction: BYU 32 - San Diego State 24

Northern Illinois at #17 Ball State - Wednesday, 8:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Ball State 42 - Northern Illinois 21

Purdue at #18 Michigan State - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Michigan State 32 - Purdue 20

#20 Georgia Tech at #19 North Carolina - 12:00 pm ET
My Prediction: Georgia Tech 17 - North Carolina 13

Clemson at #22 Florida State - 3:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Florida State 26 - Clemson 17

#23 Maryland at Virginia Tech - 7:30 pm ET
My Prediction: Maryland 34 - Virginia Tech 10

Cincinnati at #25 West Virginia - 7:00 pm ET
My Prediction: West Virginia 25 - Cincinnati 18

Taking a closer look at some of the big games, I think Alabama and Texas Tech both do their duty this weekend; Tech winning at home on a high and Bama with great momentum after a solid win the week before.

The big upset of the week is of another USC loss (this time at home, which is almost unheard of), but I just think California is playing well enough to score some points early and take the game. Another semi-upset is Georgia Tech over North Carolina, though some would argue that it isn't too much of an upset. North Carolina just has too many question marks right now.

And there you have it...Have fun, be safe. Cheers!

Texas Tech has done it, Georgia Tech and Maryland in good position, Florida looks incredible

Some news and notes from the wild weekend of college football.

• And I quote a very well-written sports blog, "As it comes down the stretch into the fourth quarter, I expect Tech to be down by a touchdown or so, but their pass-first persona will serve it's purpose perfectly as they pass their way to a come-from-behind victory." And so it was, as Tech made it's National Championship hopes a much more realistic possibility.
• With Georgia Tech's win over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland are in prime position to get into a nice little bowl game. In fact, as predicted in a very intelligent sports blog, Maryland is in great position to take the spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl. At the very least, Maryland is in control of it's own destiny now. Win out the season, and the Terps' struggles early-season are forgotten.
• Florida actually may be the best team in college football right now and if they continue to play well into December, Alabama will be in trouble in the SEC Championship. Florida should be watching the Big 12 situation closely, as a couple losses from one Big 12 team to another would clear the path for them to be back in the National Championship, as predicted in this famous sports blog.

A few shameless plugs and some great predictions...That's what this blog is all about!

Stay tuned for going over this past weekend's predictions and what it means to the BCS layout, as well as the predictions going forward. Cheers!