Syracuse Barely Holds Off Depaul While Georgetown Dominates Duke

     It was a very stressful day for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and the rest of the Syracuse faithful, as the No.4 ranked Syracuse Orange (21-1) barely improved to 8-1 in the Big East by holding off the last place DePaul Blue Demons (8-13) 59 to 57 in Chicago, Illinois, Saturday afternoon.  The Blue Demons came out of the gates on fire, as they were shooting over 70% early on in the contest.  Clutch three point shooting and a barrage of dribble drives completely exposed the holes in the Orange two-three zone defense that had up to this point in the year completely confused the rest of the Syracuse opponents. 
        DePaul was led by Guard Will Walker who shot 5 of 12 from downtown and ended up with 21 points on the day.  Walker's sidekick, DePaul forward Mike Stovall also added 9 points to help bust out the DePaul lead to 18 points over the stunned Syracuse Orange that obviously had underestimated their opponent.  However, The Cuse shouldn't have overlooked the Blue Demons, even though their record is below .500, earlier this month they had beaten a tough Marquette Golden Eagles squad that just beat UConn and has played almost everyone tough so far this year.  Nonetheless, the Blue Demons 18 point lead in the first half was brought down to only 4 points at half time, as Kris Joseph came off the bench and once again played like a star, as he kept the crowd out of it for a while, as he dunked over Blue Demon defenders and had a number of layups that DePaul had no answer for on defense.  Iowa State transfer sensation Wesley Johnson also kept the Orange in it, as he put up 16 points on 7 of 15 from the field, and also dished off 7 assists to lead everyone. 

        Even though the SU scoring attack was somewhat balanced, the Orange only ended up with 59 points on the day, a drastic difference from their over 80 point average up until this game.  However, the most important factor in this game was that DePaul couldn't put away the struggling Orange, as SU scratched and clawed to stay within 9 points of the Blue Demons with under 7 minutes left to play.  At that point in the game, the Cuse went on their final run.  Trailing 52-43 with under seven minutes left, Joseph hit a 3-pointer to start the go-ahead run.  Andy Rautins then connected from the outside after DePaul's Michael Bizoukas threw the ball away and then a surprising shot in transition came, as Scoop Jardine buried another 3-pointer, and Johnson tied it at 54 with a one-handed fastbreak dunk over Stovall to completely silence the Chicago crowd.  Jardine then gave the Orange their first lead of the day with a layup that made it 56-54 with 3:37 left, and Joseph converted a layup and hit a free throw to make it 59-54.  The Cuse then played tough defense and continued to pressure the ball in order to squeak out a victory on the road, as Will Walker missed a contested three pointer at the buzzer that would have inevitably caused the stands to be cleared out onto the court.  Nonetheless, it wasn't meant to be, as DePaul hung their heads after a tough game they certainly should have won.

      In a much different manner than Syracuse had, the No.7 Georgetown Hoyas (16-4) used homecourt advantage and even United States President Barack Obama's support in order to completely dominate and embarrass the No.8 Duke Blue Devils that were never really in striking distance of the Hoyas.  The Hoyas won 89 to 77, as the size, strength, and length of the Hoyas was simply too much for the Blue Devils to handle.  This was evident on the offensive end, as the Dukies shot an unimpressive 37% from the field and only 31% from beyond the arc.  However, President Obama must have been overjoyed by the Georgetown effort, as the Hoyas shot an insane 71% from the floor and 46% from downtown to totally control the game and kept all the momentum throughout the entire showing. 

Greg Monroe, Chris Wright, and Austin Freemen were a three headed beast for Georgetown, as they each put up over 20 points and played monster minutes, as between the three players, they played all but 2 minutes on the game.  The lack of depth from the Hoyas played no part in influencing the Hoyas effectiveness, as Duke simply had no answer for Georgetown's Big East style of play.  Nevertheless, a surprising stat was the fact that Duke had 12 offensive rebounds to Georgtown's 1, but it made no difference, as Georgetown shot lights out and really didn't need the offensive rebounds anyway.  Duke also didn't do much with their extra opportunities, as the Duke trio of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Jon Scheyer each put up 17 or more points, yet their field goal percentage was disappointing and not nearly enough to keep the Blue Devils in the game.  The Hoyas tough loss to the Syracuse Orange last week definitely played a role in this game, as the Hoyas came out with a sense of urgency and wanted to put a huge non-conference W on their tournament resume at home.  It's clear that the Big East has put itself at the top of the Power Conference rankings in Men's college basketball, as wins such as this one against highly touted opponents like Duke shows that the depth of the Big East is plentiful and getting stronger year after year.    

 It was a big thumbs up from President Obama and Vice President Biden to the Hoyas, as they proved they have what it takes to remain a top 10 team in the National Rankings.

 Big East Standings

      *Conference Record / Overall Record

1. 3 Villanova 8-0 / 19-1
2. 4 Syracuse 8-1 / 21-1
3. 9 West Virginia 6-2 / 17-3 
4. 17 Pittsburgh 6-2 / 16-4
5. 7 Georgetown 6-3 / 16-4
6. Cincinnati 5-4 / 14-7
7. Louisville 4-4 / 13-8  
8. Notre Dame 4-5 / 15-7
9. Marquette 4-5 / 13-8  
10. Providence 4-5 / 12-9
11. South Florida 3-5 / 13-7
12. Seton Hall 3-5 / 12-7  
13. 19 Connecticut 3-5 / 13-8
14. St. John's 2-6 / 12-8
15. Rutgers 1-8 / 10-11 
16. DePaul 1-8 / 8-13

Kentucky Gets No.1 Disease and Falls to Gamecocks

         What a day for the new No.1 ranked team in the AP and Coaches Poll, as the unranked South Carolina Gamecocks(12-8) shocked the new No.1 Kentucky Wildcats(19-1) to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the season by a score of 68 to 62.  This was the first time in school history the South Carolina Gamecocks have beaten a number 1 ranked team, and it couldn't have come at a better time.  South Carolina was led by Senior Guard Devan Downey who scored 30 points on 9 of 29 shooting from the floor, as he fearlessly attacked the rim again and again against John Wall and company.  There was no doubt that Wall knew he had his hands full with Downey, as Wall played off the ball more in order to allow space and not get beat.  However, Wall needed help in this game, as Calipari pulled up his big men to double team Downey out on the perimeter.  This game was a defensive battle, as both teams defensive strategies were extremely successful, causing each squad to shoot under 40% from the field.  Furthermore, turnovers played a role, as the Wildcats coughed it up 15 times in this one, providing Downey ample opportunities to push the ball up the floor and create fast breaks.  The Cats were kept on their heels, as the Gamecocks used the crowd to further pump themselves up, and further deplete the fight in the new AP No.1 team. 

         It's been the wierdest thing so far this year, but I think Kansas, Texas, and now Kentucky would all tell you that having that number 1 stamp on your back isn't at all easy to defend.  In prior years, the number 1 ranked teams have rolled to victory over unranked opponents, however, this year has been different, as each number 1 team noted above has had it's share of close calls and now Kentucky see's itself defeated.  The pressure of being number 1 may have played a role tonight, as Kentucky's talent is unquestionable, yet their leaders are all Freshman, as Guard John Wall, Forward DeMarcus Cousins, and Guard Erik Bledsoe are each in their first year and don't any experience playing in tough environments on the road.  It will be interesting to see how Kentucky responds in their next matchup against Vanderbilt on January 30th, however, that game will be at home.  It's clear that men's college basketball is wide open this year, as anyone can get beat by a team that puts on the pressure and plays tough defense.  Nice showing from the Gamecocks, and if they keep it up, then they may even get a NCAA tournament bid out of this.

Men's NCAA Top 5 Basketball Teams - Star Videos

AP Top 25  - Videos


1. Kentucky (65) 19-0  - John Wall



2. Kansas 19-1  - Sherron Collins



3. Villanova 18-1  - Scotty Reynolds



4. Syracuse 20-1  - Wesley Johnson



5. Michigan State 18-3  - Kalin Lucas



6. Texas 17-2 

7. Georgetown 15-4

8. Duke 16-3 

9. West Virginia 15-3 

10. Purdue 16-3

11. Kansas State 16-3

12. Brigham Young 20-1 

13. Gonzaga 16-3

14. Tennessee 15-3

15. Temple 17-3 

16. Wisconsin 16-4

17. Pittsburgh 15-4

18. Mississippi 15-4

19. Connecticut 13-6 

20. Ohio State 14-6

21. Vanderbilt 15-3

22. Georgia Tech 14-5

23. New Mexico 18-3

24. Baylor 15-3

25. UAB 17-2

Others Receiving Votes

Florida State 111, Northern Iowa 106, Clemson 103, Wake Forest 98, Butler 69, Mississippi State 42, Texas A&M 29, Oklahoma State 25, Missouri 24, Maryland 22, Cornell 16, Old Dominion 11, Xavier 11, UNLV 6, Northwestern 5, Siena 3, Virginia 3, Saint Mary's 2, Louisiana Tech 2, California 2, Coastal Carolina 1, Harvard 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Clemson 17, Northern Iowa 20, Mississippi State 23.

The Orange Destroy the Hoyas at Home

   The now No.4 ranked Syracuse Orange improved to 7-1 in the Big East and 20-1 overall, as they picked up another solid victory by beating their arch rival No.7 Georgetown Hoyas(15-4) 73 to 56.  This was the tale of two games, as the Hoyas silenced the crowd immediately as they opened the game with a 14 to 0 lead over the hometown Orange.  The 26,508 in the seats must have been extremely surprised to see Georgetown open the game shooting 5 of 6 from the field, as Georgetown Guard Austin Freemen was putting on a show, as he drained 3 shots from beyond the arc in the first 3 minutes of play.  However, this game was just getting started, as The Orange then began to play and were led by their bench in order to fight their way back into the game.  Once again, The Cuse bench was led by Kris Joseph and Scooooop Jardine, as both players shot a combined 9 of 11 from the floor for the game, and put up 24 points.  Joseph and Jardine have continued to impress all year, however, Joseph has really shown how he's becoming a Big East threat in every game.  Joseph's nose for the bucket, strong ball handling, and driving ability is what helped SU cut into the 14 point early Hoyas lead.  Jardine went 4 of 4 from the field, most of which was on fast breaks, as he pushed the ball down the floor and put pressure on the slower Hoyas defense to get back on D and make plays.  The momentum rather quickly began to turn in the Orange's favor, as the fans got into the game and the Orange players were feeding off of the emotion built from the comeback.

          So what allowed for such a turnaround after the first 3 minutes of the game....DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE!  Fifth year Senior Guard and leader Andy Rautins was huge in this game for The Cuse, as he played incredible defense and even had 6 steals to help create fast break opportunities for SU.  Defense has been a staple for The Orange all year and has led them to where they are in the Big East and National standings.  How's this for some defense, Wesley Johnson had 4 blocks and 3 steals, Kris Joseph had a block and 3 steals, Rautins had 6 steals, and Rick Jackson had 3 blocks and even gobbled up a steal.  Another huge factor was the fact that SU completely took Georgetown Sophomore Forward Greg Monroe out of the game, as foul trouble wasn't an issue for the rest of the Hoyas, but Monroe continued to pick up the ticky tack fouls that always go unnoticed.  However, with much of the game left in the second half, Monroe fouled out with an unnecessary screen foul at the top of the arc on Andy Rautins.  It was a nice acting job by Rautins, but still a foul.  Rautins came up with big plays all game, and needed to, as they showed his Dad Leo Rautins in the stands almost as much as they showed Andy.  After not recording a point against Marquette, Rautins scored 15 against the Hoyas and shot 9 of 10 from the free throw line.  This was an incredibly balanced scoring attack from The Cuse tonight, and was no coincidence that SU pulled out a W because of it.  Georgetown simply had no bench and no spark after the first 3 minutes of play.  Georgetown's lack of balance and no clear leader never allowed them to truly scare The Orange, as once the tide started to turn, the Hoyas simply couldn't keep up.

Digger Phelps Get's His Groove On

Not much to say about this one, I think the video speaks for itself.  I will say I'm a huge fan of Digger because of his love for the Big East.  The highlighters aren't bad either.  Go Digger, keep it rolling.

Preview to the Superbowl - Saints v. Colts

Syracuse Holds Off The Golden Eagles

      The No.5 Syracuse Orange(19-1) barely held off the pesky Marquette Golden Eagles(11-8) 76 to 71 on Saturday in front of 29,011 fans at the Carrier Dome.  The game was very much back and forth in the first half, as Syracuse struggled to obtain any momentum against the much smaller, but very quick Marquette man-to-man defense.  At one point, the Golden Eagles even led the Orange by 7 and were pushing for more, as Marquette six man Darius Johnson-Odom came off the bench and played 32 minutes and made 3 of 6 from downtown to keep the Orange trailing in the first half.  However, the Orange ended the first half strong, as they went on a 7-0 run to bring the halftime score even at 34-34.   

      The momentum was definitely on the Syracuse side as they opened the second half, as the Orange quickly opened up a lead that they would never give up.  Nonetheless, the Golden Eagles were very successful in completely shutting down Syracuse Senior Guard Andy Rautins, as Rautins was goose egg'd in this one, going 0 for 2 from the field in 36 minutes of play.  The Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson once again stepped up to the plate and homered, as he scored 22 points in 40 minutes of play, while most importantly pulling down 15 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.  Johnson was the most steady force for The Orange, as his clutch rebounds and scores propelled the Orange to a 16 point lead in the second half.  Kris Joseph also played long and strong, as his drives to the bucket led to scores that kept The Cuse lead growing.  Joseph came off the bench to score 14 points and rip down 11 rebounds in 33 minutes.  Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson also showed their size and strength, as they each added 12 points and very much proved their size was too much for the undersized Golden Eagles to handle. 

          With only minutes to play, a few people even started heading for the doors as they assumed the game was well in hand for the Orange, however, this game was far from over.  Boeheim's typical means of allowing the other team to get back in the contest was evident this game, as with 4 minutes remaining in the game the Syracuse guards started to milk the clock and totally took their foot off the pedal.  Marquette responded with some clutch steals and 3 point shooting at this point, as Marquette Guard Maurice Acker shot lights out to go 4 of 5 from three point land, slicing the Syracuse lead down to 6 with less than 2 minutes to play.  40% three point shooting from Marquette was what held them in the game, as the Syracuse lead should have stayed at double digits since The Cuse shot a phenomenal 58% from the field....wow.  Nevertheless, The Orange shot horribly from 3, as they shot 12% and only made one 3 pointer all game, while Marquette made 10 from downtown.  Foul shooting will certainly come into play as the Big East schedule heats up, and that is certainly a week spot for The Orange, however, they were able to shoot 68% from the line to close out the game and have all the SU fans breathe a sigh of relief.  The 3 point shooting and scoring of Rautins will need to return tomorrow night against the Syracuse arch rival Georgetown Hoyas if The Orange wish to continue their winning ways. 

AFC and NFC Championship Preview

    Big time matchups to look for tomorrow:  Darrelle Revis vs. Reggie Wayne

Revis has shut down nearly every top name receiver he has faced this year, however, how will he do against arguably the best hands in the NFL with Reggie Wayne.  Peyton Manning and Wayne have developed a relationship that now rivals that of Manning and Marvin Harrison.  Reggie Wayne has put up monster numbers over the last 5 years and has recorded 100 receptions for 1264 yards and has made catches throughout this season that look like something out of the Harlem Globetrotters show.  Long story short, something's gotta give.  My guess is that the Colts pull this one out in a close game, moreover, I'm taking Wayne on this one.

Other key matchup:  Brett Favre versus Drew Brees

Both Quarterbacks had arguably the most productive and best season's of their careers, as they have led their respective teams to the NFC Championship game.  Drew Brees has thrown for 4,388 passing yards, with 34 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions.  On the other hand, the 40 year old ageless wonder in Favre has thrown for 4202 passing yards with 33 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions....awesome.  This may be the most anticipated playoff matchup since the New England Patriots vs New York Giants Superbowl matchup in which the Patriots were going for the history books.  Even though neither the Saints nor the Vikings are going for perfection, they both have incredibly high expectations and have both had explosive seasons on both sides of the ball.  Overall, I'm taking the Saints in this one, as home field advantage in Nawlins I believe will be too much for the Vikings to overcome.  Simply too many weapons on the Saints, and unfortunately I think Favre will turn over the ball while trying to keep up with the Saints high powered offense.

Uconn Shocks Texas and West Virginia Ousts Ohio State

 

Today was a huge day for the Big East, as No.21 Uconn shocked the now sliding No.1 Texas Longhorns 88 to 74 at home in Connecticut, even though the Longhorns led by 10 in the second half.  This Texas squad had an incredibly tough week, as they lost two very tough road games to the likes of Kansas State and Uconn.  The only remaining undefeated team in Men's Division I college Basketball is now the Calipari led Kentucky Wildcats, as they will undoubtedly move to Number 1 in the country.  Uconn guard and team leader Jerome Dyson put up a career high 32 points and had this to say after the game Saturday, as the Huskies once again played without their head coach and Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun. 

“We’ve got to play for him,” said Dyson, who said Calhoun was proud and excited on the phone after the game. “We know these wins will help him get better, because it will take some of the stress off him having to worry about us, and he can focus on getting himself better.” 

     No.12 West Virginia also added to the hype surrounding the Big East today, as the West Virginia Mountaineers battled back in the second the half to outlast the No.25 Ohio State Buckeyes 71-65.  The Buckeyes led 40 to 28 at the half, but didn't have the same effort in the second half, as Bobby Huggins flipped out on the Mountain men at halftime and they responded after the break to blow out the Buckeyes 43 to 25 in the second half.  Just as was the case for the West Virginia - Syracuse game from earlier this month, the Mountaineers proved they're never out of a game, as three point shooting and a strong defense has proven to be noteworthy throughout the year.  I don't think there's any doubt that at this point in the season the Big East has put up BIG results against the other top conferences.  The Big 12 has received a lot of respect so far this year, with the likes of Kansas and Texas, however, both teams have certainly proven to be beatable, as conference play has shown each team to be far from perfect.  Strong showing for the Big East today, let's hope it's noticed by the selection committee come March.

Wesley Johnson Leads Cuse Over Fighting Irish

   The No.5 Syracuse Orange improved to 18-1 on the year and 5-1 in Big East play as they beat a pesky Notre Dame Fighting Irish(14-5) team 84 to 71 in South Bend, Indiana.  Syracuse completed a very impressive three game Big East road trip, as they beat the likes of Rutgers, West Virginia, and now Notre Dame.  Syracuse was tested in each of the games, although not as much in the Rutgers showing, and needed to overcome the offensive runs and turnover woes that had really hurt their road play in previous years.  However, against Notre Dame tonight, Syracuse shot lights out and showed no signs of letting off the pedal, as Andy Rautins hit 4 three's in the first 10 minutes of the game....u kidding me?  Rautins ended up with 21 points on 5 of 9 shooting from deep, but also turned the ball over a bit more than usual, as he turned it over 5 times during the game.   
      This game was much closer than the end score would indicate, as Notre Dame Forward Luke Harangody beasted his way to his usual huge day against the Orange with 31 points on 13 of 26 from the field.  Harangody physically stuck with the Orange big men, but didn't have the help from the other Fighting Irish big men to keep the Orange off the offensive boards.  The Syracuse height and length on the defensive end completely disrupted the normally solid Notre Dame shooting attack, as the Fighting Irish shot a mere 38% from the field and just 26% from downtown as a team.  However, Forward Tim Abromaitis did put up 26 points and was shooting darts from 3, as he shot 5 of 11 from long range.  Nonetheless, Abromaitis was the Batman with no Robin tonight, as nobody else on the Irish was shooting well from 3 tonight.

       What more can you say about Wesley Johnson?  He's a Junior transfer from Iowa State that now leads the Orange in scoring, is the team emotional leader, and by the way, is a lock for being first team all Big East.  He had the flu the night before the SU v. West Virginia game Saturday, and now lead the Orange in to South Bend to score 22 points and didn't come out of the game at all.  Johnson has somewhat  overshadowed the beloved Jonny Flynn, as he's convinced the Orange faithful that this team has what it takes to make a deep run in March.  You have to love his attitude on the floor, and like Flynn, really looks likes he's having fun out there.  It's definitely feeding over to the rest of the guys, as Kris Joseph, Arinze Onuaku, Andy Rautins, and Scoop Jardine are also playing very well.  Greatly looking forward to the matchup Saturday at the Dome against a solid Marquette team.

The Saints and Colts Press On

The New Orleans Saints returned to mid season form and played like a well oiled machine as they trounced the visiting Arizona Cardinals 45-14 on Saturday to advance to the NFC Division Championship game next week to host either the Minnesota Vikings or Dallas Cowboys.  The Cardinals defense simply couldn't match the Saints superpowered offense, as the Nawlins boys scored touchdowns on five of their six first-half possessions....WOW!  New Orleans star Quarterback Drew Brees simply carved up the Arizona defense throughout the first half to put the game completely out of reach, as he threw 3 touchdowns to the likes of Wide Receiver Marques Colston, Wide Receiver Devery Henderson, and Tight End Jeremy Shockey.  Reggie Bush also showcased his unbelievable athleticism and elusiveness, as he took a punt return 83 yards for the touchdown, while also scoring a TD on the ground with his mere 5 rushes for a huge 84 yards.  The Saints have looked to Reggie for big plays this year and finally got them today, as I'm sure he got the game ball in the locker room afterwards.

       Everyone should not overlook the Saints defense and how they performed this day, as they have often been an afterthought to the Saints high powered passing game.  Nonetheless, the Saints totally disrupted the Arizona Cardinals offense, as Kurt Warner and Co. couldn't stay on the field, as the Cardinals finished 1-for-8 on third downs.  First and foremost, nobody would have thought that Warner wouldn't record a passing touchdown, as both Arizona scores came on the ground to the likes of Chris Wells and Tim Hightower.  This game was a little disappointing for everyone that witnessed the spectacular game between the Cards and the Packers last week, however, Drew Brees and the Saints were just as impressive to watch in the first half.  Turnovers also played a role in this one, as the Saints recovered a fumble and intercepted a Warner pass to put themselves in solid scoring position for the unstoppable Brees led offense.  The Saints were running down hill in this game and there was no getting in their way.  They will certainly be tough to bet against next week no matter who they play.

          The Indianapolis Colts beat the Baltimore Ravens 20 to 3 tonight, as the Colts move on to play the winner of the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets game.  The Colts simply made the big plays to win the game in this one, as the Ravens had no answer for the Colts passing game, and the Ravens offense unfortunately couldn't put anything together against Dwight Freeney and company.  The Colts improved to 5-0 all-time against the Ravens at home, while also snapping a three-game losing skid in playoff games following a bye.  In two games against the Colts in the playoffs, the Ravens have not scored a touchdown, and also Baltimore's Joe Flacco has five interceptions in his last three playoff outings. 

       The Ravens reliable rushing attack was held to merely 87 yards on the ground, as Ray Rice's longest rush of over 20 yards ended with a lost fumble right when the Ravens were near the red zone.  The ball was falling in Indy's favor throughout the game, as even a Manning interception to Ravens Safety Ed Reed was knocked out of Reed's hands by Colts Wideout Pierre Garcon.  Reed was deep in Colts territory with the interception return when all of the sudden Garcon came sprinting back in to the play to dive forward and rip his arm in to the side of Reed to jar the ball up to the air.  The Colts then jumped on the loose ball as Colts Tight End Dallas Clark made the recovery.  These plays totally took the wind out of the sails of the Ravens, as Indy was plus 3 on the turnover battle tonight.  Reggie Wayne also joined in on the fun, as he showed why he's a premier Wide Receiver in the NFL, pulling down 8 catches for 63 yards and a hard earned touchdown.  Manning managed the game to perfection and took control of the offense to milk the clock and do enough to easily pull out the victory over a Baltimore team that had completely embarrassed the New England Patriots last week.  Very much looking forward to the games tomorrow and also to the awesome matchups next week.

SU Barely Escapes Against West Virginia

       The No.5 Syracuse Orange improved to 17-1 overall on the year, and 4-1 in Big East play, as they barely escaped Morgantown, West Virginia, with a win 72 to 71 over the No.9 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers.  The crowd was rocking in the beginning of this game to host the first top 10 game between SU and WVU in 50 years in front of 15,271 fans, however, all of the rowdy fans became silent very quickly as The Cuse played their hometown Mountaineers and Bobby Huggins team very tough in the first half.  Overall, The Cuse led throughout the first half, as the stingy SU 2-3 defense totally perplexed the WVU players.  Nonetheless, it took the entire first half for each team to figure each other out and find a way to create high percentage opportunities to score.  This could be seen as the score at half was 26-25 SU, while each team erupted for 46 up and down second half points to make this an extremely exciting game.
       I hate to have to bring this up, but Big East officials Mike Stephens, Wally Rutecki, Jim Haney, called the game extremely tight and must have had a conference call before the game which was focused entirely around calling charge after charge after charge against SU players.  Scoop Jardine was called for a charge twice, one was questionable at best, and the other one was definitely not a charge; maybe just something to appease Bobby Huggins, since he was tearing into the referees throughout the entire game.  I can understand calling the game tight, however, this is Big East ball, so the ticky tack fouls and charges need to be eliminated or at least kept in check, as Andy Rautins fouled out of the game, while Wesley Johnson nearly did with his 4 fouls.
      

Brandon Triche started the game slow with a couple turnovers and some indecisive maneuvering from outside, however, he played tough in the second half and showed everybody his aggressive side.  Maybe Triche just needed to get a little upset in order to play his best, as his unemotional style of play didn't help him early, but his forceful drives showed he has the physical attributes to dominate smaller guards.  Triche turned it around and put up 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field.  He also added 5 assists to those 5 turnovers he had early on.  Triche showed leadership and an ability to rise to the occasion, as he responded to adversity with WVU getting the SU 11 point lead down to 1 with 6 seconds to play.  The Mountaineers went nuts from 3 with under 2 minutes left, as they shot 5 of 7 from three point land, however, their last 3 pointer to try and win the game was from well past half court.  This was a huge road win for The Cuse against a top 10 opponent.  However, West Virginia must be dissapointed they lost out on protecting their home court dominance and getting a top 5 victory on their resume, as they were 30-5 in home games under Huggins.  Big W for the Cuse today, phenomenal game!!

No Let Down by the Cuse in Piscataway

       In a game in which the No.5 Syracuse Orange(16-1) could have easily overlooked the Rutgers Scarlet Knights(9-7), SU played well and kept the pressure on the Scarlet Knights to win in Piscataway, New Jersey, 81 to 65.  This was the first of 3 Big East road games for The Cuse and certainly the easiest of the three, as SU travels to No.9 West Virginia on Saturday and then travels to Notre Dame next week. 
       In tonight's game, Syracuse Senior Guard Andy Rautins led the way with 23 points on 50% shooting from the field and 4 of 10 from three point range.  Rautins had arguably the best pass of his life as he rifled a one handed pass to Brandon Triche for a fast break layup in the middle of the first half.  It was clear in this one that Rautins was not going to allow for a Cuse mid season let down to a far inferior opponent, as he did more that simply shoot well.  Rautins defense, emotion, and passing were just as strong as his shooting this night, as his confidence fed over to his teammates.  A man we don't talk about that often, Mookie Jones, showed his surprisingly sharp shooterlike skills as he hit 3 of 6 from downtown and ended up with 11 points, while Scooooooop Jardine scored 12 off the bench to put the Orange well ahead of the struggling Scarlet Knights.
      The local freshman forward for Rutgers from Henrietta, NY, Dane Miller, shot the ball very well from the floor for the Scarlet Knights, as he went 6 for 12 to score 15 points.  Playing the No.5 ranked team in the country and the storied program of Syracuse didn't intimidate the true freshman forward Miller, as he showed that he's a solid young player, and a force to be reckoned with in Piscataway for years to come. 

      Ultimately, the lack of leadership and the lack of a true scoring attack in Rutgers proved to be the difference in this game, as the long and strong SU defense completely razzled the Rutgers offense.  The Syracuse defense ended up with 18 steals and 5 blocks and turned those plays into SU points on the other end, as the Orange looked to run in this game.  Wesley Johnson had somewhat of a quiet game for his standards, with only 11 points, but still played consistent on both ends of the floor.  Any Cuse fan is counting the days to the top 10 battle Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia, as that will be the toughest test SU has faced thus far.  I'm sure the Orange will show up ready to play, but they'll need to pick up their intensity to get the W on the road.

Record Breaking Playoff Game in Arizona

    In an instant classic in Arizona, the Cardinals outlasted the Green Bay Packers in overtime on an Aaron Rodgers fumble that was returned for a touchdown by the Cardinal defense to win 51 to 45.  This was certainly the best playoff game of the wild card weekend, and most likely will be the best game seen throughout the playoffs.  We all knew this was going to be a much higher scoring game than what we saw last week between these two teams, but I don't think anybody thought that the Cards and the Packers would put up 96 points, 1024 yards, 62 first downs,  and 13 touchdowns.  Now that's a heck of a game!!  And by the way, that 96 points is the most in NFL postseason history.

    The big story in this game were the quarterbacks that were leading the way, as Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Kurt Warner completely carved up the respective defenses mostly throughout the second half, as the Packers put together an absolutely incredible comeback to get back in a game in which early on many I'm sure were ready to flip the channel.  Led by their young star Quarterback, the Packers refused to lie down to the home team Cardinals, as Rodgers threw 4 touchdowns and netted over 400 yards passing.  Tight End Jermichael Finley caught 6 passes for 159 yards, while Wide Receiver Greg Jennings pulled down 8 catches for 130 yards and a TD....unbelievable!!  Jennings also had the catch of the weekend, as he hauled in a one handed left hand catch for a touchdown that for sure hit the highlight reel. 

       On the other hand, the ageless wonder of Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Kurt Warner was on full display Sunday afternoon, as Warner threw for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns, with no INT's.  Warner might want to consider a career hunting after this game, as he was a complete marksman, completing 29 of 33 passes for the third best completion percentage in playoff history, a ridiculous 87.9%.  Furthermore, Warner threw more touchdowns that incompletions and had a god like 154.1 passer rating which is also second highest in playoff history.  Even with star Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin on the sidelines with an injury, there was no stopping the Arizona offense, as Early Doucet and Steve Breaston more than pulled their weight to fill in for the star wideout.  Wideout Doucet had 2 touchdowns on 6 catches for 77 yards, while Breaston hauled in 1 touchdown on 7 receptions for 125 big yards.  Of course pro bowl Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald also joined in on the fun, as Fitzgerald pulled down 6 receptions for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns.

       It became very evident in the fourth quarter of this game that whomever had the ball last was most likely going to win, as each pass happy offense completely had their way with previously strong team defenses.  It was great for NFL fans to watch a game that was so very exciting, as the three other playoff games this weekend were not tightly contested and did not provide the anxiousness and edge of your seat emotions that this game brought to your living room.  It's really too bad that the game had to end on an Aaron Rodgers turnover, as he played an excellent game and has really showed everyone that his skills and knowledge of the game are far beyond his years.  Hopefully we'll see another classic next weekend with the powerhouse matchups that are upcoming, but before we move on we all should tip our cap to what a phenomenal game we were able to see this Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals....well done gentlemen....well done!

The Cuse Roll to Victory over South Florida

      In front of 18,703 fans at the Carrier Dome Sunday, the Syracuse Orange(15-1) once again showed why they're a top 10 team in the country as they beat the South Florida Bulls(10-5) 82 to 65.  This was SU's third Big East game so far, as they improved to 2-1 in Big East play.  The Cuse were in control throughout the entire game, as the inside game for SU was simply too strong for the undersized and undermanned Bulls.  Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson each put up big numbers on offense, as Onuaku threw down 12 points while Jackson's left hand was responsible for 15 hard earned SU points.  SU's major presence down low also led to further offensive opportunities due to offensive rebounds, as Wesley Johnson took advantage to once again put together a huge game for the Orange.  Johnson ended up with 19 points in 37 minutes of play, as it's become clear that as Johnson goes so does the Orange. 
      The lone bright spot for the South Florida Bulls was Dominique Jones, as he was the only South Florida player that could stay with the Cuse.  Jones put up 30 points in 38 minutes, was 3 of 6 from long range, and even was 13 of 17 from the charity strike....are you kidding me?  How about a box and 1 coach?  It didn't make a difference with the overall outcome, but Jones play showed that SU's defense can get broken down to quick passing in the middle and is susceptible to players like Jones that can pierce the lane with a jump stop dribble or a quick drive to the bucket. 

      Brandon Triche also played a more balanced game in this one, as he was 5 of 10 from the field and had 10 points.  Triche's aggressive play led to better opportunities for The Cuse on offense, and further exposed the holes in the Bulls defense, however, Triche went 0 for 3 for behind the arc and also missed all three of his free throws.  Assists also played a role in this one, as Andy Rautins showed how he's become a great passer with phenomenal vision with his 7 assists today.  The Orange were simply too strong, quick, and large for the South Florida Bulls at home today, but it will be interesting to see how The Cuse play on the road over their next three games against Rutgers, West Virginia, and Notre Dame.

**Enjoy the video on Wesley Johnson, hopefully they'll be many more highlights in the remaining games this year.

Jets Outlast Bengals and the Cowboys Embarrass the Eagles

   A week after the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys completely dominated their week 17 opponents by a combined score of 61-0, nothing changed on playoff Saturday, as the New York Jets ousted the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14 and the Dallas Cowboys walked all over the Philadelphia Eagles 34-14.
         The New York Jets were in control throughout the game, as they won the turnover and time of possession battle.  The Bengals had a fumble and Carson Palmer threw an interception to lean the game in the Jets favor.  Shonn Greene, Mark Sanchez and company took advantage of their opportunities as Greene rushed 21 times for 135 yards and a touchdown, while Sanchez was a respectable 12 of 15 for 185 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller.  Greene even exploded for a 39 yard burst that showed his power and speed, as the Bengals had no answer for the Jets rushing attack all day.  As has been the trend throughout the entire year, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis silenced Chad Ocho Cinco and completely took him out of the game.  Ocho Cinco went for a measly 2 catches for 28 yards, as he and the Bengals had absolutely nothing to celebrate in this one.  Even the steady place kicker Shayne Graham missed two field goals from inside 40 yards to eliminate any Bengals momentum in this one.  The only positive on the day for Cincy was the running game of Cedric Benson, as he rushed 21 times for a massive 169 yards and a touchdown, however, the passing game was non-existent for the Bengals to cut off any further scoring opportunities.

          The Dallas Cowboys for the third time this year defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to put them in route to a second round powerhouse matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.  It sounds almost ridiculous to think that the Dallas Cowboys win last night was their first playoff victory since 1996....unbelievable.  Are we talking about the Bills or the Cowboys??  The big difference in this game was the 4 turnovers that the Eagles committed, which ultimately led to Cowboy points and huge momentum.  It didn't take long for the Cowboys to put the game out of reach, as before any Philly fan knew it the game was 27-7.  Felix Jones ran over and around the Eagles defense to rush for 148 yards and a touchdown on only 16 carries, one of which was 73 yards.  Where was the stout Eagles defense in this one....they didn't blitz enough and the Philly corners couldn't contain Miles Austin and Roy Williams.  It was difficult to watch for any Eagles fan, but the Cowboys faithful must have felt like they just won the Superbowl as they dominated their conference rival and won their first playoff game in over 12 seasons.  It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys and Jets fair in their next playoff match up, as emotions ran high in their first playoff game this year. They will need the same intensity and execution next week if they wish for the train to continue to roll.

 

NFL Playoffs Predictions - Opening Weekend

Wild-Card Round (Saturday through Sunday, January 9th through 10th)










AFC Predictions

Saturday, January 9th, 4:30 p.m. ET NBC
New York Jets 17 - Cincinnati Bengals 20

Sunday, January 10th, 1:00 p.m. ET CBS
Baltimore Ravens 24 - New England Patriots 28


NFC Predictions

Saturday, January 9th, 8:00 p.m. ET NBC
Philadelphia Eagles 31 - Dallas Cowboys 28

Sunday, January 10th, 4:40 p.m. ET FOX
Green Bay Packers 27 - Arizona Cardinals 21

The Orange Get Their Groove Back

     The No.7 Syracuse Orange(14-1) once again put together a huge second half to beat the Memphis Tigers(10-4) 74 to 57.  However, the first half was extremely tight, as Memphis guard Roburt Sallie lit it up from downtown hitting 4 of 4.  The Cuse also struggled with turnovers in the first half, as Memphis turned those lose balls into a 6 point lead at one point.  Nonetheless, the turning point in the game was the CLUTCH three pointer by SU guard Andy Rautins to tie up the game 32-32 at the very end of the first half.  The crowd went wild and finally was what the Orange needed to get momentum going into the second half.
      The second half was dominated by The Cuse, as Wesley Johnson put the team on his shoulders for a team high 19 points.  His leadership brought SU out of the funk that had allowed SU to lose to Pitt and only play to a tie in the first half to a bunch of backups at Memphis.  Memphis has been solid this year, however, they lost a lot of pro talent over the last couple years.  Therefore, with Johnson leading the way, other SU players picked up the slack and took control, as Kris Joseph showed why many are really getting pumped with the way he's playing tough this year.  Joseph handles the ball much better than he did last year and is very long on defense.  Joseph's scoring has also picked up considerably, as he put up 15 points off the bench tonight.  Most importantly, the balanced scoring attack of The Cuse once again showed it's presence, as 5 Cuse players scored in double digits. 

      Furthermore, the Syracuse defense picked up and was swarming for the ball, as Arinze Onuaku and company were aggressive and rebounded much better than what we saw last against Pittsburgh.  The one thing I'm definitely looking for going forward is a little more from Brandon Triche, as I didn't notice him at all this game.  Either way, it was a great second half for SU tonight as they outscored the Tigers by 17 to add yet another solid out of conference win this year.   Go Cuse, big W!!

Iowa Takes Down Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl

The No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes (11-2) outlasted No. 9 Georgia Tech (11-3) in the FedEx Orange Bowl Tuesday night to win 24-14, as the stingy Iowa defense took control of the game to hold the Georgia Tech offense to only 156 total yards in the game.  Iowa burst out of the gates with a 14-0 lead early on in the first half due to quarterback Ricky Stanzi throwing 2 phenomenal touchdown passes to Marvin McNutt and Colin Sandeman.  Stanzi was a steady and positive influence for the Iowa offense, as he went 17 of 29 for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns, however, he did toss up a pick that was returned for touchdown at the end of the first quarter. 

The major factor in the Orange Bowl was the lack of a Georgia Tech offense, most notably the absolute disappearance of any type of passing game, and a rushing game that struggled mightily in the first half.  However, Tech did get it together to keep the game close in the second half and pull it to 17-14 early in the 4th quarter.  Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt threw only 9 times and completed 2 passes for a ridiculously low 13 yards.  It was clear this night that the 11th ranked defense in the country (Iowa) completed dominated the 11th ranked offense in Georgia Tech (**Tech averaged 35 points per game but was held to only 14 points, 7 of which was a INT returned for a TD). 

           The Big Ten did well this bowl season to show that they have what it takes to stick with and take down some of the top programs in the other major conferences, as I'm sure this Orange Bowl result opened a lot of eyes...it sure did for mine. 

Texas Tech Rolls without Mike Leach

      In a week filled with controversy surrounding the coaching methods of now former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach, the Texas Tech football team overcame another hurdle as they outlasted Michigan State to win the Valero Alamo Bowl 41-31 under interim coach Ruffin McNeill.  This was one heck of a bowl game, as Tech introduced those that weren't already familiar with two phenomenal quarterbacks.  Tech starting quarterback Taylor Potts, aka "Mountain Man," threw for 384 yards and 2 touchdowns and was even benched after a minor injury for backup Steven Sheffield, aka "Sticks," who came in during the 4th quarter to go 9 for 11, with 88 passing yards and a touchdown to take the lead and ultimately cause the stadium to ERUPT!!  Michigan State was unable to recover after that.



As was the theme throughout the game, every other pass play by Texas Tech was followed by some sort of comment about the recent firing of Mike Leach.  As we now know, Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach on Wednesday, two days after he was suspended by the school as it investigated the treatment of wide receiver Adam James.  James is the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James. 

"I'm very sad to say there's only one person to blame for this and it's Mike Leach," Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance told The Associated Press.

Texas Tech has released a signed, sworn affidavit from an athletic trainer who says former coach Mike Leach instructed him to "lock" receiver Adam James in a dark place and that he disagreed with Leach's treatment of James after the player was diagnosed with a concussion.

Saying he was proud of turning the program around and upping the school's graduation rate, Leach then blasted the groups responsible for his firing.


"Over the past several months there have been individuals in the Texas Tech administration, Board of Regents and booster groups who have dealt in lies and continue to do so," the statement read. "These lies have led to my firing. I steadfastly refuse to deal in any lies and am disappointed that I have not been afforded the opportunity for the truth to be known.  Texas Tech's decision to deal in lies and fabricate a story which led to my firing includes, but is not limited by, the animosity remaining from last year's contract negotiations.  I will not tolerate such retaliatory action.  Additionally, we will pursue all available legal remedies."

At this point it's tough to say whether the firing of Mike Leach was entirely warranted, however, I will say that what he brought to the table at Texas Tech was incredible for that program.  During his time as Texas Tech head coach, he led the team to 10 straight bowl games and nearly a National Championship in 2008.  Texas Tech was a decent program before Leach, but certainly not a national powerhouse.  However, during his time as head coach the offensive numbers for his team all made the front page.  There's no doubt he's old fashioned, and certainly a little quirky, but what do you think, should Leach have been fired for supposedly advising the trainer to put James in a dark place??  As far as I'm concerned, Leach should not have been fired, instead how about a fine or suspension.

The Cuse Get Rocked in the Carrier Dome

     The 5th ranked Syracuse University Men's Basketball team (13-1) lost their first game of the season, as the Pittsburgh Panthers (12-2) came into the Carrier Dome and controlled the game in the second half to beat the Orange 82-72.  Overall, The Cuse played much better in the first half than they did in the second half, however, they were only able to hold a 30-27 lead at the break even after leading by 10 at one point.  The game was very much back and forth throughout the first half, as every SU run was followed by a Panthers bucket to quiet the crowd.  Foul trouble was a big problem for the Orange in this one, as the Carrier Dome fans were kept silent throughout much of the second half as Wesley Johnson had 4 fouls, while Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson both fouled out.  The foul trouble also fed over to diminish the always consistent scoring attack of the Orange, as the only SU starter in double figures was Wesley Johnson with 19 points.  The one lone bright spot for the Cuse was the bench play, as Scoop Jardine put up 15 points and Kris Joseph added 10, as both players played a lot of minutes in this one.
      This season SU has relied on three point shooting from Rautins, Triche, and Johnson, to put together huge runs and emotionally demoralize their opponents on the offensive end.  Clutch shooting had led SU to be the top scoring team in the Big East at over 86 points per game.  However, The Cuse couldn't hit anything is this one, as the Orange were just 1 for 13 from behind the arc.  Most importantly, towards the end of the game, SU was down 15 points with only minutes remaining in the game, nonetheless, even with Andy Rautins not being in foul trouble, Rautins was sitting on the bench.  What's the deal with that Boeheim?? Therefore, it was up to players with very limited experience in a tough fought Big East battle with conference rival Pitt to try and get the job done with leaders such as Arinze Onuaku and Andy Rautins riding pine.  Any SU fan was desperately hoping for an SU comeback, however, between the lack of SU three pointers and the absolutely no "support" from the referrees, the game seemed to be over with even 3 minutes remaining.
       Hat's off to the Panthers today, as they played very well and deserved the win against SU.  Another point of note was the guard play from the Panthers which was stellar and totally outplayed the Orange, as Ashton Gibbs went 6 of 9 from downtown to put up 24 points, while Jermaine Dixon tossed up 21.  The three point shooting from Pitt was the difference in this one, as the Panthers went 10 of 24, to shoot a solid 41% from out deep.  Furthermore, the physical play of the Panthers was something SU had not seen as much of with their non-conference play earlier on this year.  It's clear SU has had two very tough Big East games already this year to the likes of Seton Hall and Pittsburgh, so it'll be interesting to see how SU bounces back in their next game versus another physical and very fast team in Memphis on January 6th.