Thoughts on the firing of Joe Paterno

            Late Wednesday night, it was announced that the Penn State University Board of Trustees had voted to fire Joe Paterno. Paterno has been a part of the Penn State Football Team for 61 years, and has coached teams to three Big Ten championships and two national championships. After the announcement was made, the Penn State campus erupted in rallies in support of Paterno. There are about 40,000 students that attend the university, and I would guarantee that at least 20,000 were out in full force. They assembled outside Joe Paterno’s house, around Joe Paterno’s statue outside Beaver Stadium, and on one of the main streets on campus.

Students around the Joe Paterno statue

            
            
            As evidenced by the Penn State students nearly rioting last night is how the sides of “against Paterno” and “support Paterno” are divided by age. It seems like nearly everybody over the age of 30 (or people with children) support the firing of Paterno. Everybody under the age of 30 (with no children) support Paterno. I saw several friends (who are under 30 years old) of mine post such things “Joe Paterno gets fire?? Seriously??” and “Penn State messed up big time. When I went to the Indianapolis Star Sports’ page I saw at least 20 people (whose profile pictures indicated they were older than age 30) who all agreed that Penn State did the right thing. I also saw similar “against Paterno” responses on local media’s Facebook pages as well.

            
            I realize that Paterno probably made a mistake, and he even acknowledged that last night. But come on, we all make mistakes. This is a guy that has a sparkling clean record and had never done anything wrong. He messes up once and people treat him like he’s a monster. He has had no criminal charges pressed against him and he probably never will because he followed all legal obligations. His critics are arguing that that is where Paterno failed. Even though he followed all legal obligations, he didn’t follow moral ones.

            
            Here’s how I think the whole situation went down. In 2002, one of the Penn State coaches sees defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky in the shower with one of the boys. That coach then tells Paterno. Paterno tries to shake it off, because he’s friends with Sandusky and he doesn’t believe something like that could ever happen. Paterno tells his superiors anyway and they tell him they’ll look into. Paterno then leaves and goes on with his life and his job as football coach.

            While we’re placing blame on people, why didn’t that coach that initially saw the incident in the Penn State locker-room showers call the police? He should be blamed just as much as Paterno. He reported the incident to his superior, but never contacted the authorities.

           

            Whatever your opinion, Paterno is one of the best college football coaches ever, and probably one of the Top 10 coaches in all American sports. It will be interesting to see how Paterno is remembered in 20 years. Will people remember Paterno for what he did on the field or for what he didn’t do off of it?

Big 10 through Week 10

            Sadly, the biggest news in the Big 10 involves a huge scandal at Penn State University. There are reports that a former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, sexually abused eight boys over a 15 year period. That is bad enough, but the situation gets way worse for Penn State. Sandusky not only abused the children, but he did it on the campus of Penn State, and supposedly even in the football locker room showers. Since the news broke out about this, Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president of business and finance Gary Schultz have both stepped down from their positions. Those two and Sandusky all are pleading innocence, but there is no way that Sandusky is innocent.

            The big question in all of this is what happens to legendary Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno? Paterno has been coach of the Nittany Lions for over 40 years and has won two national championships, three Big Ten championships, and has the most wins of any football coach ever. He is a man that loves football, tradition, and Penn State. He is a guy that refuses to change anything, even while the whole world of college football is changing. That is what is so shocking about the allegations. Did Joe know what was happening?  There is one story that a team manager saw Sandusky in a shower with one of the boys. The manager told Paterno what he saw, and Paterno then told his superiors, just like Paterno is legally obligated to do. But neither Paterno nor his superiors ever contacted the police or pursued the matter.

            Now everybody is calling for Paterno to step down. I’m sorry, but I don’t think he needs to. How many coaches would have pursued that issue? The head coach of a football team has so many different things they have to do; it doesn’t shock me that Paterno never told anybody (besides schools officials) what happened. Paterno did what he was supposed to, so it is not his fault his superiors failed him. How do we know Paterno wasn’t told by his bosses that they looked into the issue and found nothing really happened? How do we know that they didn’t tell him to drop it or he would get fired? I have a lot more questions that I want answered before I believe Joe Paterno should resign.

UPDATE 11/9/2011: Joe Paterno will retire after this season. Paterno made the announcement to his team and coaches this morning in the locker room. He then left in tears.
UPDATE 11/9/2011 at 10:23 p.m.- Joe Paterno has been fired from his head coaching position.

            How about we get to the on-field part of the Big 10? It has been all chaos in the Big 10 as preseason and even midseason favorites have fallen from their divisional leads (Wisconsin and Nebraska). Those have been replaced by team that nobody expected to be in first place (Penn State and Michigan State). Each team (except Northwestern and Indiana) all has three conference games left.

Here is a breakdown of the conference with teams in order of their standings.

Leaders Division

#12 Penn State (8-1, 5-0) - It’s pretty sad that the Nittany Lions success is being completely overshadowed by the sex scandal. The Lions remain the last team that is undefeated in conference play, but would you believe that I am still not buying the Lions? They have yet to beat a ranked opponent, and what’s considered their best win? A 10-7 victory over Illinois or a 13-3 win over Iowa? You have to do better than that. The Lions last three games are against great teams. They start this Saturday against Nebraska, and then hit the road for Ohio State and Wisconsin. All the Lions have to do is beat Ohio State to win the division, but I’m pretty sure they want to win all of them and finish 11-1.

Ohio State (6-3, 3-2) - The Buckeyes have really done a lot better than what I thought they would. They came into this season with a new head coach and a new starting quarterback after an off-season filled with controversy. The Buckeyes shot at a division championship are all but gone, but they can still finish the season strong and get to a good bowl game.  Plus, they’re giving their freshman quarterback Braxton Miller more time to mature and learn the system. Remember that name because you’ll hear a lot more of it in the next few years.

#18 Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2) - The Badgers have to be the best two-loss team in America. Their two defeats were both road games against Michigan State and Ohio State, and both were decided in the last minute of the game. The Badgers could still win the Division, but it would take a lot of pieces to fall into the right place. That is unfortunate for Wisconsin because I believe they are one of the best teams in the Big 10 and one of the Top 15 teams in America.

Illinois (6-3, 2-3) – Oh, how things can change. After my Week 6 review this team was 6-0 and seemed like they could win the division. I figured they could reach 10-0 given their schedule and recent play, but I also said I would not consider them a legit team unless they reached 10-0. Well the Illini flopped big time and have lost their last three games against Ohio State, Purdue, and Penn State. The Ohio State loss wasn’t that shocking, but the Purdue one was. This is when most people realized Illinois was a product of a weak schedule. The Illini’s final three games are against Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Hopefully they’ll get a win against Minnesota and finish with 7 wins.

Purdue (4-5, 2-3) - While we’re on the subject of things I’ve written before, I’ll remind everybody that I had this time predicted to finish 2^nd in the division. Why did I have them there? Well I figured Ohio State would crumble after everything that happened in the off-season. I also figured Penn State would worse than they actually are. The only positive thing about Purdue is that their junior quarterback Caleb TerBush has potential and could be a key factor into Purdue making a bowl game next year. Purdue’s final three games are against Ohio State, Iowa, and Indiana.

Indiana (1-9, 0-6) - Boy there are some great football teams in Indiana, huh? The Hoosiers are abysmal, dismal, and anything else that ends in –mal. I honestly had no idea they would be this bad this year. Seriously, it is a complete embarrassment to Indiana University that this team is this awful. Look at state schools similar to Indiana and compare their success. Heck, even WESTERN KENTUCKY has five wins. Not just Kentucky, Western Kentucky. Come on IU, get it together.

            “The Battle for Old Oaken Bucket” sure will be exciting this year! IU vs. Purdue!

Legends Standings

#17 Michigan State (7-2, 4-1) - The Spartans control their destiny and all they have to do is win their final three games to claim the Legends Division title. After the Spartans beat Michigan and Wisconsin, and they seemed like one of the best teams in the country. Then they went to Nebraska and lost 24-3. Michigan State’s last three games are at Iowa, Indiana, and at Northwestern. The Iowa and Northwestern games will be ones to watch as both teams have the potential to derail Sparty.

#24 Michigan (7-2, 3-2) - The Wolverines have made huge strides in their all-around performance from last year, but they still are not the dominant team they hope to be. Their division title hopes took a hit in their loss to Michigan State, but they were still in contention. Last week they loss to Iowa and now those hopes are all but gone. The Wolverines last three games are at Illinois, then at home for Nebraska and Ohio State. Michigan is good, but I don’t see them winning those last two.

#19 Nebraska (7-2, 3-2) - The new-comer of the Big 10 has been a roller-coaster of success this season. The Cornhuskers started 4-0 and faced a huge matchup against Wisconsin. In that game they were dominated and lost 48-17. All hope was gone for this team, but then they won three straight, including a win over Michigan State. Suddenly people started believing Nebraska could win this division again. They then proceeded to lose to Northwestern last week. The Cornhuskers’ last three games are at Penn State, at Michigan, and against Iowa. If they expect to win those they will need to bring the team that beat Michigan State.

Northwestern (4-5, 2-4)- Before the season started, it was agreed upon by everybody that this team would only go as far as senior quarterback Dan Persa would take them. Well Persa has been injured most of the season and the games he has started in the Wildcats have gone 1-4. His backup, Kain Colter, has taken the reins of this team and has a 2-0 record as a starter. Colter also took over after Persa got injured in the last game against Nebraska and won. You never hear anything about Northwestern, so I’m not sure who will get to start next week against Rice, but I’m thinking it should be Colter.

Minnesota (2-7, 1-4) - The Golden Gophers are the equivalent to the Indiana Hoosiers, a punching bag. This is a team with a new coach and a new system, so they are building for the future.

            It will be very interesting and entertaining to see how the Big 10 plays out. Which two teams will meet in Indianapolis for the inaugural Big 10 Championship Game? Will it be the surprises of the season, Michigan State and Penn State? Or will a team like Nebraska or Ohio State sneak in? I will update this post after each week’s games.

College Football through Week 10

           The biggest game in the 2011 season may have failed to live up to all its hype, but it certainly was an entertaining game to watch. #1 LSU defeated Alabama (now ranked #3) 9-6 in a game that was decided in overtime. Three field goals for the LSU Tigers and two for the Alabama Crimson Tide were the only points scored. Everybody knew that these two teams had incredible defenses, but I don’t think anybody expected that neither team would score a touchdown.

            While that was being played, there were two other contests going on that had national championship implications but got lost in the ‘Bama-LSU game coverage. Oklahoma State defeated Kansas State and Arkansas won big time against South Carolina. With Oklahoma State’s win they moved up to #2 in the rankings and #8 Arkansas’s victory showed they could still win the SEC Championship.

            
            It’s been four weeks since I’ve last covered the national college football scene and a lot has changed. Here’s a breakdown of each conference.

-rankings are according to the BCS Rankings.

Atlantic Coast Conference

-teams play eight conference games

Atlantic Division: #9 Clemson (8-1, 5-1), Wake Forest (5-4, 4-2), Florida State (6-3, 4-2), North Carolina State (5-4, 2-3), Boston College (2-7, 1-5), Maryland (2-7, 1-5)

            It has been known for awhile, but the Atlantic Division is Clemson’s to lose. Don’t quote me, but I’m pretty sure if Clemson beats Wake Forest this weekend they clinch the Division title. The Tigers are a good team and deserve their #9 ranking, but they don’t have the talent to beat any of the Top 5 teams.

Coastal Division: #10 Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1), #21 Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2), Virginia (6-3, 3-2), Miami (5-4, 3-3), North Carolina (6-4, 2-4), Duke (3-6, 1-4)

            Can you believe that the Virginia Cavaliers have a shot at winning this division? The chances of that are slim, but it’s possible. The Cavaliers would need Virginia Tech to lose to Georgia Tech this Saturday, and then they would have to beat Virginia Tech on Nov. 26^th. As for Va. Tech and Ga. Tech, the Coastal Division title will likely be decided in their game on Saturday.

            It’s pretty much a given that Clemson will win their division. Whoever wins the Coastal will face Clemson in the ACC Championship.

Big 12

-teams play nine conference games

Standings: #2 Oklahoma State (9-0, 6-0), #6 Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1), #14 Kansas State (7-2, 4-2), #21 Texas (6-2, 3-2), Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3), Baylor (5-3, 2-3), Iowa State (5-4, 2-4), Texas Tech (5-4, 2-4), Missouri (4-5, 2-4), Kansas (2-7, 0-6)

            It’s pretty much a given that either Oklahoma are Oklahoma State will win this conference. It just so happens that these two teams will play each other the last week of the season. Their annual rivalry game is nicknamed “Bedlam”. According to dictionary.com, “bedlam” is defined as a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion. That is exactly what the atmosphere will be like when those two teams meet. There’s a decent chance that Oklahoma State will not only be playing for a conference championship but a shot at a national championship.

            Before I move on to the next conference I have two things to say about the Big 12. First, congrats to the Kansas State Wildcats. Excluding this season, the Wildcats have a combined record of 23-26 since 2007. They have finally hopped off the average train and seem poised to finish this season with ten wins.  Second, the Missouri Tigers announced they will move to the SEC Conference in all sports next July. The Tigers move from a conference where sometimes excelled but were mostly average to a conference where they will be mediocre all the time. So why did the Tigers want to move? Money.

Big East

-teams play seven conference games

Standings: #23 Cincinnati (7-1, 3-0), Louisville (5-4, 3-1), Rutgers (6-3, 3-2), #24 West Virginia (6-3, 2-2), Pittsburgh (4-5, 2-2), Connecticut (4-5, 2-2), Syracuse (5-4, 1-3), South Florida (4-4, 0-4)

            Conference play is still in its infancy in the Big East compared to the other conferences. Nearly every team besides Syracuse and South Florida still has a shot at winning the title. Realistically though, it will come down to the first four teams that are listed. The Cincinnati Bearcats control their own destiny and if they win their final four games they will win the Big East. But if they do lose, any of those other teams will be ready to jump to the top. This will be an interesting conference to watch play out.

Big Ten

-teams play eight conference games

Legends Division Standings: #17 Michigan State (7-2, 4-1), #15 Michigan (7-2, 3-2), #10 Nebraska (7-2, 3-2), Iowa (6-3, 3-2), Northwestern (4-5, 2-4), Minnesota (2-7, 1-4)

Leaders Division Standings: #12 Penn State (8-1, 5-0), Oho State (6-3, 3-2), #20 Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2), Illinois (6-3, 2-3), Purdue (4-5, 2-3), Indiana (1-9, 0-6)

            I’ll have a more in-depth look at the Big Ten and all of its craziness in another post.

Pacific-12 Standings

-teams play nine conference games

North Standings: #4 Stanford (9-0, 7-0), #8 Oregon (8-1, 6-0), Washington (6-3, 4-2), California (5-4, 2-4), Oregon State (2-7, 2-4), Washington State (3-6, 1-5)

            This division is gonna come down to this weekend’s game between the Stanford Cardinal and the Oregon Ducks. Whoever wins will have an easy road to a division championship and then a conference championship. The Cardinal are led by their future NFL quarterback Andrew Luck and the Ducks by their future NFL running back LaMichael James. I know I picked the Ducks to win the Pac-12 but I think the Cardinal are going to win the game and the Pac-12 conference championship.

            While we’re talking about Stanford, I’d like to voice my displeasure with the so called “experts” that officially rank each team. Stanford is #4 in the country behind #3 Alabama. I know Alabama only lost to LSU by a field goal in overtime, but the Crimson Tide had absolutely NO offense the entire game. Plus they were playing at home. The Tide should have fallen at least behind Stanford. Hopefully Stanford wins this weekend and jumps ‘Bama. I also believe that Stanford is better than #2 Oklahoma State.

South Standings: #21 USC (7-2, 4-2), #19 Arizona State (6-3, 4-2), UCLA (5-4, 4-2), Utah (5-4, 2-4), Colorado (1-9, 0-6)

            The UCLA Bruins, the west coast’s version of Virginia, control their own destiny and if they win out they can win the division. In a division that has not had a clear cut favorite all season; it would not surprise me to see the Bruins win it. They took down tumultuous Arizona State last weekend and have two winnable games before a finale at USC.

            I don’t know why, but I have soft spot in my heart for the UCLA Bruins (maybe because there isn’t much to choose from in the Pac-12 South Division). It would be incredible for the Bruins to finally have a solid accomplishment after a decade of mediocrity.

Southeastern Conference

-teams play eight conference games

East Division Standings: #18 Georgia (7-2, 5-1), #9 South Carolina (7-2, 5-2), Florida (5-4, 3-4), Kentucky (4-5, 1-4), Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-5), Tennessee (4-5, 0-5)

            Well look who is leading the standings. Way back in September the Georgia Bulldogs lost two straight and all hell broke loose. Everybody in the state of Georgia was calling for head coach Mark Richt to be fired. I thought those calls were a little premature, and it appears they were. If the Bulldogs win their next two games against Auburn and Kentucky they will win the East Division. However, if they lose either of those and South Carolina wins next week then South Carolina wins the East. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

West Division Standings: #1 LSU (9-0, 6-0), #3 Alabama (8-1, 5-1), #7 Arkansas (8-1, 4-1), #20 Auburn (6-3, 4-2), Mississippi State (5-4, 1-4), Ole Miss (2-7, 0-6)

            This division was a two-horse race before last weekend, but after LSU beat Alabama, the LSU Tigers move until a solid number one spot. All LSU has to do is win their next two conference games and they’ll clinch the division. Watch out for Arkansas though. The two teams play each other November 25^th in what could be as big of a game as last weekend’s was.

           

           

            I made a lot of predictions before the season, and not many of them are holding true. Shocking right? With just four weeks left in the college football regular season, I will make these predictions.

ACC: Clemson and Georgia Tech will win their respective divisions and play for the conference championship. There Georgia Tech will win

Big 12: Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma to win the conference championship. I hate to predict OSU to play for the national championship because I don’t believe they belong there.

Big East: I said before the season that it would be just as easy to predict this conference champion if  you put all the teams’ names in a hat and drew one out. I’ll go with the current leader Cincinnati to win the conference, but who really knows.

Big 10: This conference is just as hard to predict as the Big East. In the Legends Division, there are four teams that are capable of winning the division. In the Leaders there are three. I’ll go with Michigan State to win the Legends and Ohio State to top Penn State and win the Leaders.

PAC-12: Whoever wins between Stanford and Oregon win the North Division and should eventually win the conference championship. I’ll go with Stanford. In the South, I think it will come down to USC or UCLA. Can you imagine if the two teams meet in the final week, with the winner of the game winning the division? I’ll go with UCLA just because I hate USC.

SEC: I’ll stick with my preseason pick of South Carolina to win the East Division. I’m picking LSU after their win against Alabama to win the West. LSU will beat South Carolina in the conference championship and play for the national championship.

Notre Dame at Wake Forest Preview

            It’s a battle between 5-3 teams Saturday night when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish head to North Carolina to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Demon Deacons hit the zenith of their season after they beat Florida State and moved to 4-1 on the season.  Since then they have snapped back to reality and lost two games, one to Virginia Tech and one to North Carolina. The Deacons have a pretty good offensive passing attack, one that ranks 29^th in the country. Their rushing game ranks 106^th though. The rest of their team leaves a lot to be desired, especially the defense. That defense ranks 55^th in the country in terms of yards given up so the Irish should have no problem moving the ball.

Keys to the Game

Offensive line- Notre Dame’s offensive line was dominant last week against Navy, and has been a solid unit all season long. This line has only given up five sacks all season. #1 LSU has given up seven sacks, # Alabama has given up eight, #3 Oklahoma State has given up 10, and #4 Stanford has given up four. Obviously the Irish offensive line is one of the best in the country, and even I will admit that has been the base for all of Notre Dame’s success. All those big runs by Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood started with the offensive line getting good blocks. All those deep passes by Tommy Rees were created because he had enough time to throw. I am giving credit to the big boys in the trenches that never get the credit they deserve.

Here are the offensive linemen on Notre Dame’s roster: Braxton Cave*, Mike Golic Jr., Bruce Heggie, Conor Hanratty, Andrew Nuss, Trevor Robinson*, Chris Watt*, Brad Carrico, Nick Martin, Matt Tansey, Lane Clelland, Taylor Dever*, Matt Hegarty, Christian Lombard, Dennis Mahoney, Zack Martin*, Tate Nichols, and Jordan Prestwood.

*- starters

Pass defense- As I noted in the intro, Wake Forest’s strength is their passing attack. That means it will be up to cornerbacks Gary Gray and Robert Blanton and safeties Harrison Smith, Jamoris Slaughter, and Zeke Motta to stop that attack. Deacons’ quarterback Tanner Smith has a 141.1 on the season and has thrown for 14 touchdowns. Look for Smith to go to his best receiver, Chris Givens.

Special Teams- Notre Dame’s kick return team has been pretty good so far. Return man George Atkinson III has scored two touchdowns on kick offs. While that unit is performing well, the punt return team has been awful all season. In the beginning of the season the biggest problem was punt returners fumbling the ball. Now the biggest problem is the lack of yards they’re getting on return. Notre Dame ranks near the bottom of teams’ net return average and I cannot recount one time when we had a punt return for at least 20 yards. If the Irish expect to be a Top 25 team they have to perform better on special teams.

      This game is very winnable for the Irish. They are a much more talented team that has depth at all positions. If they just go out and play the way they did against Navy than they should have no problem getting their 6^th win of the season.

Predicted score: Notre Dame-35, Wake Forest-14

      For all of you non-Irish fans, be sure to catch #1 LSU at #2 Alabama at 8 p.m. Saturday night. This is the first regular season #1 vs. #2 matchup in years and has been hyped up for almost a month. Whoever wins this will have an easy road to the BCS National Championship. It should be an incredible matchup between great teams, players, and coaches. I’m picking Bama to win 20-17.

NFL Season Reaches Half-Way Point

             Trying to find the biggest story in the NFL through the first eight weeks is pretty difficult. Do you go with the Indianapolis Colts who are 0-8? Or do you go with the Lions, Bills, Bengals, and 49ers all above .500? Or how about the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers demolishing opponents?       

            For me, the biggest story is the San Francisco 49ers and their 6-1 record. There can’t be anybody out there who predicted they would be this good. You could make the argument they play in a weak division, so that’s why their record is so good, but they have only played one divisional opponent so far. In my opinion, all this success falls right onto the shoulders of new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh came from Stanford and had never coached a NFL team before now. Somehow he has turned much maligned quarterback Alex Smith into a winner and leader, which deserves even more praise. The 49ers defense is also playing at a high level as they have held all their opponents to an average of 15 points per game.

- I’ll have a full report on the Colts next week during their bye week.

Here’s a breakdown of each division so far

NFC East

Standings: New York Giants (5-2), Philadelphia Eagles (3-4), Dallas Cowboys (3-4), Washington Redskins (3-4)

            This division is just a hot mess. Coming into the season the Eagles were expected to dominate, but up to now they have been far less than spectacular. The Redskins started the season 3-0 but since then have lost four straight and don’t show any signs of improving. You never know what you’re gonna get with the Cowboys, but I wouldn’t jump ship yet Dallas fans. Excluding last week’s loss to the Eagles the Cowboys have only lost by an average of 3.5 points. So the Giants, who everybody disregards each year, are the ones in first place. It seems like this happens every year. The Cowboys and Eagles are chose as the best teams in the division, but they crumble under all the expectations and the Giants come storming up from nowhere.  

            I think the Redskins are out of the playoff picture.  The Cowboys and Eagles are both close to kissing their chances goodbye too unless they start winning. I didn’t buy into all the Eagles’ preseason hype and I still don’t. Giants will win this division and the Cowboys finish second.

NFC North

Standings: Green Bay Packers (7-0), Detroit Lions (6-2), Chicago Bears (4-3), Minnesota Vikings (2-6)

            In my opinion, the Packers are the best team in the NFL. They returned almost all their starters from last year’s Super Bowl team and are playing better than they did last season. What makes the biggest impact for this team is the presence of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Nobody has had any kind of answer to stop Rodgers this season, and it’s mesmerizing to watch him play. He is definitely in the same class as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees.

            The Lions were the sexy underdog pick (even though it was a pick made by everybody) to make the playoffs and they are on track to do just that. The Lions started off 5-0 and have lost two straight, but they are too talented a team to not keep on winning and make it into the playoffs as a wild card. The Chicago Bears on the other hand don’t seem to have enough talent to be better than the Packers or Lions. But if the Lions keep struggling that would let the Bears slip into a possible wild card position.

NFC South

Standings: New Orleans (5-3), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3), Atlanta Falcons (4-3), Carolina Panthers (2-5)

            The top three teams all came in with high expectations but all have been pretty lackluster so far. Sure they all have winning records, but none of have played with a sense of dominance. The Falcons finished 14-2 last year but got beat in their first game of the playoffs. They were hoping to at least match that record this year, but so far they have struggled. The Saints finished second in the division last year and also got beat in their first game of the playoffs. It seemed like the Saints had finally gotten their mojo back after the whooping they put on the Colts, but last week they lost to the previously undefeated St. Louis Rams. The Buccaneers showed a lot of promise last year even though they didn’t make the playoffs. This was a popular dark horse pick to win the division, but they have struggled just to be consistently good. The biggest news in Carolina is their rookie quarterback Cam Newton. Newton has so far been an absolute monster racking up huge passing numbers. I had no idea if Newton would succeed in the NFL, but it seems like he will and become an elite quarterback.

            This division is wide-open and the top three teams could all make a run at winning the division. My money is on the Saints though. They have the most experienced coach and quarterback of all the teams.

NFC West

Standings: San Francisco (6-1), Seattle Seahawks (2-5), Arizona Cardinals (1-6), St. Louis Rams (1-6)

            Last year this was the worst division in the NFL. This year it continues to relish that title. The 49ers are the lone exception as they are a great team. The Seahawks won this division last year but have not played at the same level this year. The Cardinals were expected to be better with a new quarterback but they have struggled. The Rams were expected to be the best team in this division with second-year quarterback Sam Bradford, but so far they have not done anything right.

AFC East

Standings: Buffalo Bills (5-2), New England (5-2), New York Jets (4-3), Miami Dolphins (0-7)

            Nobody, and I mean nobody, could have predicted the Bills on top of this division so late into the season. This is the Bills! A team that has 10 wins over the past two seasons is on pace to get 10 this year. The Bills’ two losses were by three points both times and they have a win over the Patriots. This team is legit. As for the Patriots, what is there to say? Tom Brady keeps on doing his thing and they are a contender like always. The Jets are a decent team, but they play in a tough division. I don’t see them making it to the playoffs this year; there are just too many other good teams. The Dolphins are the Colts biggest opponent in the race to get the number one pick in the NFL 2012 Draft. Both teams are shooting for 0-16, and both should get there. My question is what decides a tiebreaker in that situation?

AFC North

Standings: Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2), Cincinnati Bengals (5-2), Baltimore Ravens (5-2), Cleveland Browns (3-4)

            In my opinion, this is currently the best division in the NFL. All teams are still in contention to at least finish second in the division and possibly earn a wild card berth into the playoffs. After the Steelers victory over the Patriots last week, everybody in the media is ready to crown them the “best team in the AFC”. They are a good team, but should I remind everybody that the Ravens beat them 35-7 in week 1? As for the Ravens, their biggest struggle is coming on the offense, in particular Joe Flacco. Flacco has been a solid quarterback the past three seasons for Baltimore, but this season he is really struggling.

            This is the year of surprise teams. Just like the 49ers, Bills, and Lions, the Bengals are above .500 and are proving they deserve to be considered a playoff contender. The Bengals have a win against the Bills and only losses came by a combined seven points.  Staying in Ohio, the Browns are having a better –than- usual season and are giving people in Cleveland something to cheer for. How awesome would it be to see those two teams in the playoffs over the Ravens and Steelers? I doubt that will happen, but you never know.

AFC South

Standings: Houston Texans (5-3), Tennessee Titans (4-3), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6), Indianapolis Colts (0-8)

            Thank god for the Houston Texans, because without them this division would be abysmal. The Texans are playing well on offense and defense, but have stumbled in winnable games against the Saints, Raiders, and Ravens. Their second-half schedule is not bad at all so they should get to at least 10 wins and represent this division in the playoffs. The Titans are puttering along and could sneak into the playoffs but it will take a lot of other teams to lose games. The Jaguars are starting a rookie quarterback and seem to be preparing for the future. It will be interesting to see how long their head coach, Jack Del Rio, lasts before he gets fired. The Colts. Blah. I’ll have a more in-depth story on them next week.

AFC West

Standings: Kansas City Chiefs (4-3), San Diego Chargers (4-3), Oakland Raiders (4-3), Denver Broncos (2-5)

            Where did the Chiefs come from?? This was a team that was left for dead after three straight losses, but they have come thundering back and cemented their place on top of the division with a win over the Chargers last Monday night. The Chargers on the other hand, seem to be the polar opposites of the Chiefs as they are on a two-game losing streak and a tough matchup against the Packers is looming.  The Raiders were doing great and sitting at 4-2 when their starting quarterback got injured. This lead to the team trading for former Bengals’ quarterbacks Carson Palmer. Palmer was pretty disappointing in his first start, but the Raiders are coming off a bye week and hope to bounce back against the Denver Broncos.  As for the Broncos, the only news coming from Denver is some that is divine. The miracle man Tim Tebow finally earned the spot of starting quarterback. So far though, Tebow has been god-awful. Tebow has completed only 46% of his passes in two starts, and has been sacked 13 times. Many experts are saying Tebow is done and will never be a quality NFL quarterback. I hate to do it, but I agree with that. Tebow is an excellent man and an excellent football player, but it will take a lot of practice and time to get him to the level he needs to be at.

            Here were my predictions for the playoffs before the season started:

NFC

-teams are in order of seeding

Packers, Eagles, Falcons, Rams, Giants, Lions

New playoff prediction: Packers, 49ers, Saints, Giants, Lions, Cowboys

            For the new prediction I removed three teams that have yet to live up to preseason expectations, the Eagles, Falcons, and Rams. For the new predictions I’m banking on the Cowboys being better than the Eagles and take second place in their division (That’s going out on a huge limb). I’m also counting on the Lions to be better than the Bears.

AFC

Patriots, Ravens, Chargers, Texans, Steelers, Colts

New playoff prediction: Ravens, Patriots, Texans, Chiefs, Bills, Steelers

            For this prediction I swapped out the Chargers for the Chiefs and the Bills for the Colts. When was the last time somebody switched the Bills for the Colts in a playoff prediction? It’s been at least ten years. The biggest hurdle for the Ravens comes this weekend against the Steelers. If the Ravens win that game they should have no problem getting the number one seed. 

UPDATE 11/6/2011 at 11:56 p.m.- The Ravens beat the Steelers 23-20. The Ravens are now 6-2 and, in my opinion, the best team in the AFC Conference. Although now the Ravens have to prove that position again next week against the surprisingly good Cincinnati Bengals. In the NFC, the Packers beat the Chargers and are now 8-0. If you remember, I picked these two teams to meet in the Super Bowl.

My Notre Dame Gameday Experience

            
            Autumn on the campus of Notre Dame is like the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s a special time that reminds you of why sports are great. Last weekend I went to the Notre Dame vs. Navy game in South Bend. Being at Notre Dame during a home game weekend is a tremendous experience and one that all college football fans should get the chance to see.

            
            On the Friday before the game my girlfriend and I went up to the Notre Dame campus so we could walk down the tunnel and onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium. This was something I had always dreamed about doing since I was a kid. Instead of wearing blue jeans and a “Rudy” jacket though, I had dreamed of wearing a blue jersey and gold helmet (I guess I could have done that, it was Halloween weekend after all). Just like every player and coach before me, I went through the rod-iron gate and into the tunnel that leads into the stadium. On the right I could see the door that lead to the visitors’ locker room, and on the left, the door to the Notre Dame locker room. Above me hung the banners that marked each year the Fighting Irish won the national championship. Looking ahead I could see the goal post, the field, and the inside of the stadium.

            Imagining what that would be like on game day with 80,000 cheering fans and the band playing gave me goose bumps. I walked the final few feet onto the grass and into the stadium and looked around. I looked up to the student section the press box and all the empty seats. Then I looked back up the tunnel I had just come from and saw the giant mural of Jesus who has earned the name “Touchdown Jesus”. That’s what made me realize that I had finally made it onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium. The same field that every Notre Dame home game has been played on for almost a century.

           

            After visiting the stadium, then the Notre Dame bookstore, my girlfriend and I stopped at the brand new Compton Family Ice Arena. This is now the home to the men’s and women’s hockey team, and it is gorgeous. Here are some pics I got:

            When Saturday finally arrived, I woke up to a bright and sunny day that had the appearance of a perfect day for football. My girlfriend and I got to the campus around 10:00 a.m.  to walk around and soak up all the game day sights and sounds.

            Around 12:30 p.m., this perfect day took a ridiculous turn. We had been standing outside the stadium taking pictures of Touchdown Jesus when we started to hear thunder in the distance. Then a large grey cloud starting moving over T.J. (I just made that acronym up by the way) and I realized that standing out in the open probably wasn’t a great idea, so we headed right around the corner to the Joyce Arena (a huge facility used for basketball, volleyball, and all sorts of stuff). Almost as soon as we got there it started hailing! Yes, hailing in October.

The big storm cloud coming over Touchdown Jesus

            
            While being stranded in the Joyce Arena we sat down in the stands of what used to be the hockey arena. There we met an incredibly nice couple from Youngstown, Ohio. What made these two people incredible? They offered my girlfriend and me Fudgerounds!

           

            After the random snowstorm passed we headed back to the stadium to watch the “Player Walk”. Before the Notre Dame players headed into their locker room, the Navy players and coaches did. I’m sure all schools and fans do this, but when all the Navy players stepped off the bus and walked by, everybody cheered and clapped. This was a far different show of affection than what I saw at the Purdue game, when everybody (myself included) booed and gave a few gestures towards the Purdue players.

            The Fighting Irish players and coaches began coming out of the Hesburgh Library (the building that has the giant mural of Touchdown Jesus on it’) and headed towards us. It’s an awesome experience having all those guys walk right in front of you. It’s even more awesome when most of them are taking pictures and videos just like I was!

Waiting for the player walk

            

Head coach Brian Kelly

            Now it was time for us to make our way into the stadium. We walked up to the gate and gave the usher our tickets. He tore them and with smile said, “Welcome to Notre Dame Stadium”. That right there is something all sports facilities should have their ticket takers say, well not the Notre Dame part but at least be appreciative and friendly.

            We made our way up to our seats which were right in the middle of the field goal post on the south side of the field (across from the tunnel and student section). It gave a perfect view of the endzone, which ended up being the one the Irish scored most of their points in. The only problem I encountered with the seat is a problem that I could experience anywhere at Notre Dame Stadium. The seating at Notre Dame consists of thousands of thin wooden slabs with the numbers 1-30 painted on them, all the way around the stadium. Only the finest for us loyal fans! Anyway, there was a pretty large man sitting next to me so I was squashed every time I sat down. It was uncomfortable, and I could tell he was uncomfortable, but what can you do?

            
            What made that whole seating arrangement even more miserable was an incident that makes me sometimes despise Notre Dame. There was a family sitting behind us that I would assume consisted of mom, dad, son, daughter, and daughter’s boyfriend. The ENTIRE game I got to listen to the snotty daughter (who was probably 30 years old) go on and on and on and on about everything. First it was the cheerleader’s uniforms, then it was the student section, then it was how she loved being a student but Notre Dame never won, then how she never left early during a game, and then it was she knows the owner of the Sonic Drive-Thru company. On and on and on the entire game she talked. I don’t mind talkers, but she talked with a sense of arrogance and you know she just wanted everybody around her to hear her. Believe me lady, nobody gives a crap.

            Notre Dame is probably the best university in the Midwest, and one of the best in America. It produces a lot of incredible graduates that are changing the world. But it seems like many of the alumni have a real sense of “I’m better than you” attitude. That’s understandable, since they actually went to Notre Dame and many of us fans didn’t.

            It’s important to remember that without us regular Joe fans, there would be no Notre Dame football as we know it today. In the early 20^th century Notre Dame was the best team in the country. The Irish played all over America, from New York City to Chicago to Los Angeles.  Everybody from blue-collar families to middle class citizens fell in love with the “Fighting Irish” and their success. Kind of the same way that Rudy Ruettiger and I did. Notre Dame was the first “America’s Team”.

-How many national championships have Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt, or Stanford won? All are considered to be some of the best in academics, but only Stanford has one national championship.

Part of the awesome half-time show by the Notre Dame Marching Band

           

Apparently the band started a new tradition of playing in the crowd

Tommy Rees leading the offense

End of the game

            
            All in all, my weekend at Notre Dame was spectacular. I don’t get the chance to be around Notre Dame fans a lot, so it was nice to be surrounded by Notre Dame Blue and Gold. I can’t wait until I go again next year!

-I would talk about the game but there isn’t much to say. After all was said and done, Notre Dame defeated Navy 56-14. It was never close and the Irish dominated all aspects of the game. Michael Floyd and Jonas Gray had tremendous days for the offense, while Manti Te’o was the defensive standout. Next up for Notre Dame is Wake Forest Saturday night.

Did I mention it was Halloween weekend?

St. Louis Cardinals

            There are several things I want to get to this week, but the first story I want to cover is the 2011 World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 in a best-of-seven series (as I predicted) to win their 11^th title in franchise history. 
            This World Series was really the first one that I have followed closely and I have watched just about every game. Although it was just my first, I think it has to be considered one of the most exciting ever. After the Rangers took a 3-2 series lead, it forced the Cardinals to win the next two games if they wanted to win the championship. In Game 6, a game that some are calling the best ever, Missouri native David Freese hit a walk-off home run that won the game and forced a Game 7 that would decide it all. In that game the Cardinals took control in the second inning and won 6-2.

            
            There was one immediate question that sprang up almost as soon as the final out was made, what will Albert Pujols do now that the season is over? Pujols is one of the best players currently in the MLB, and one of the best Cardinals ever. This is the final year of his contract and since the season began there has been speculation as to where Pujols will end up. Nobody, except for maybe Albert himself, knows the answer for sure. Word on the street is that Pujols could end up in Chicago or Texas, but you have to believe that St. Louis is still his best option.

            
            That problem has been one the Cardinals front office has been preparing for, but today a new question arose that nobody seems prepared for. Manager Tony La Russa announced his retirement. The 67-year old coach is calling it quits after winning his third World Series. La Russa is easily one of the best coaches in MLB history as he has won over 5,000 games. He will be remembered more for the way he managed every aspect of the game. La Russa worked diligently in every game to get the batter-pitcher matchup he wanted. Sometime this style of “over-managing” would result in heavy criticism towards Tony, but other times it’s praised, like when he won a World Series.

            
            I wish I had this in writing, but I kind of figured that this would be Tony’s last season. Before the season began, the Cardinals traded a lot of their younger players for veterans like Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal. It seemed like the front office was setting La Russa up for a final run at getting a championship, and that’s exactly what happened. La Russa deserves a lot of credit for rallying the team together when they were basically out of the playoff picture.

Tony La Russa on the Budweiser Clydesdales during the parade on Monday

            
            As for the Texas Rangers, I feel their pain. The Rangers lost the World Series last year to the Philadelphia Phillies and lost this year to the Cardinals. What’s another team that’s lost in the championship game the past two years? The Butler Bulldogs basketball team.

Another shot of the parade today, right outside Busch Stadium

Congrats to the St. Louis Cardinals!!! World Series Champs!!!