The Michigan State Spartans and their top flight defense might be all that is standing between Ohio State and a trip to the BCS Championship (I really hope not). It looks like MSU is going to be the top challenger in the Legends division but because they are so weak on offense nothing is guaranteed for this group.
Baylor is about the most exciting thing going in college football this year. Not only are they putting up more than a point per minute on offense but they are winning games and currently sit #8 in the rankings with their perfect record.
Bucs Look For Win #1 Thursday Night – Host Surging Panthers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a sexy sleeper pick before the season started in the NFC but things haven’t gone exactly as planned.
So far Texas Tech has been perfect this season, rising to #10 in the nation – but I don’t think anyone thinks this team is actually deserving of that elite opinion. Things are about to get a lot more difficult for them starting this week with a trip to Oklahoma to face the Sooners.
The Louisville Cardinals have found their way to a No. 8 ranking in the college football polls after an impressive 6-1 start to the 2013 season.
The Boston Red Sox will get their first look since 2008, at the Cardinals, when they host St. Louis in Game 1 of the 2013 World Series on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
The Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals have made it through the first two rounds of the postseason and will square off in the 2013 World Series. Boston will enjoy home field advantage in the Series because some Rangers and Orioles and Twins beat some Rockies and Marlins and Brewers in July (sounds silly when you put it that way, doesn’t it?).
The Week 9 AP Top 25 college football rankings were released on Sunday. A slew of upsets on the weekend led to plenty of movement throughout the rankings, with the exception of Alabama, who is firmly entrenched in the top spot.
The Arkansas State Red Wolves are unbeaten at home this season, and will aim to notch their fourth win of the year on Tuesday, when they host a Ragin’ Cajuns team that is .500 on the road.
There is an SEC tilt on Thursday night but this may be the better of the two games to catch that evening. Marshall is the top dog in the Conference USA East division but East Carolina is breathing down their neck.
Oklahoma State has had back to back solid B12 victories over Kansas State and TCU but they need to keep it going if they are going to stay in the conference race.
The Boise State Broncos haven’t been a dominant force this season, but they do have a respectable 5-2 record entering their contest with the BYU Cougars. The problem is that their starting quarterback will be out with a broken ankle, giving the job to Grant Hedrick.
Eugene, Ore. will be the site of ESPN’s College Gameday for Week 9, and for good reason. The UCLA Bruins may be coming off of a loss to the Stanford Cardinal, but the once-No. 9 team in the country is 5-1 on the year, and they’ve been getting it done on both sides of the ball.
The Stanford Cardinal needed a bounce-back performance last week against the UCLA Bruins, and needless to say, they had just that. They took down the then-No. 9 Bruins by two touchdowns, and they held a dominant offense to just 10 points in the process.
UFC 166 Preview and Picks
The UFC stars will be on display once again this Saturday when UFC 166 takes place in Houston, Texas. A trilogy bout for the Heavyweight title between Cain Velazquez and Junior dos Santos headlines one of the best cards of the year – let’s take a look.
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3
Date: October 19, 2013
Time: 10pm ET/7pm PT
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Broadcast: Pay-per-viewMain Card (on Pay-Per-View):
Cain Velasquez (12-1): -200
Junior dos Santos (16-2): +160UFC Odds From Bovada
Cain Velazquez and Junior dos Santos are in a class by themselves when it comes to Heavyweights in mixed martial arts – there are simply the best on the planet. They will fight for the third time in two years to determine the absolute top dog in the sport. Each brings an unmatched set of strengths to the Octagon Saturday – the trick will be to lure their opponent into their type of fight.
The Champ Cain Velazquez is the best wrestler in the Heavyweight Division – his takedowns, takedown defense and ground control are like no other. He also has arguably the best cardio of any fighter on the UFC roster today and an ever-emerging striking game as demonstrated in his last fight with dos Santos.
Junior dos Santos will be looking to reclaim what he thinks is his – the Heavyweight belt Saturday. He is the most dominant boxer in the division – technically sound on his feet with power to spare. Apparently he has a jiu-jitsu game as well but we have never seen that aspect of his game. Like Velazquez, dos Santos is supremely conditioned and ready to go five rounds Saturday.
This bout is pretty tough to call but looking at the last fight, I have to lean Velazquez’s way. He beat dos Santos in absolutely every aspect of that fight and even had the edge in the standup. Velazquez proved that he was a terrific student in that fight and is leaps-and-bounds ahead of the fighter that lost to dos Santos in their first fight. Constant pressure, elite wrestling and adequate striking earns Cain Velazquez the decision win Saturday.
Pick: Cain Velazquez -200
Daniel Cormier (12-0): -600
Roy Nelson (19-8): +400
Undefeated Daniel Cormier puts his streak on the line against the guy that gives fat guys reason to get up in the morning – Roy Nelson. This fight has all the makings of Fight of the Night for sure – two huge grappling practitioners with lethal standup. It could be a classic.
Cormier was an elite college wrestler who added submissions and a terrific standup game to his repertoire. He holds wins over Josh Barnett, Antonio Silva and most recently Frank Mir and looks poised to take that next step toward heavyweight superstardom.
Roy Nelson is a jiu-jitsu Black Belt with and absolutely insane chin and an ability to stand and bang with anyone. He is a tough out for anyone and a good test for a fighter trying to climb the ladder in the UFC.
Cormier is a huge favorite here – he is a B+ fighter while Nelson is a C+/B- fighter. I have to take the all around game of Cormier in this one but make this pick with some reservations. All Nelson needs is one clean shot!
Pick: Daniel Cormier -600
Gilbert Melendez (21-3): -700
Diego Sanchez (24-5): +450
Gilbert Melendez will step into the UFC Octagon for just the second time Saturday – the first being a split decision loss to Ben Henderson. His opponent Saturday is Diego Sanchez – a recent controversial winner against Takanori Gomi at UFC on FUEL 8.
Melendez is an absolutely elite level Lightweight – speed, cardio, wrestling and striking are all solid parts of his game. Melendez has no holes! Sanchez is a tough guy but is a tier or two below Melendez in absolutely every aspect of this fight. [ad-3573245]
Melendez fancies himself a title contender and proves that he is worthy for a shot Saturday!
Pick: Gilbert Melendez -700
Gabriel Gonzaga (15-7): +160
Shawn Jordan (15-4): -200
Another Heavyweight scrap is on tap for the Main Card at UFC 166 when Gabriel Gonzaga takes on striker Shawn Jordan. Gonzaga has had his issues in the UFC in the past but is 3-1 in his recent stint here.
Gonzaga is head-and shoulders above Jordan in terms of ground game and I think that is precisely where this fight ends up – on the mat. Jordan is an OK striker as is Gonzaga but ultimately this fight will be determined by work on the ground. Jordan is a fish out of water in this one!
Pick: Gabriel Gonzaga +160
John Dodson (15-6): -350
Darrell Montague (13-2): +250
Flyweights kick off the Main Card at UFC 166 when one of the best in the world Darrell Montague finally makes his long-awaited Octagon debut. His opponent – another top tier Flyweight John Dodson who has already fought and lost to Demetrious Johnson for the UFC title.
Dodson is one tough dude, able to make anyone’s debut in the UFC less-than-hospitable. Dodson is too fast, too powerful and too hungry to get another title shot to be denied in this one.
Pick: John Dodson -350
Tim Boetsch (16-6): -170 vs. CB Dolloway (13-4): +140
Pick: Tim Boetsch -170
Nate Marquardt (32-12-2): +145 vs. Hector Lombard (32-4-1): -175
Pick: Nate Marquardt +145
Sarah Kaufman (15-2): -220 vs. Jessica Eye (10-1): +175
Pick: Sarah Kaufman -220
George Sotiropoulos (14-5): +135 vs. KJ Noons (11-7): -165
Pick: KJ Noons -165
TJ Waldburger (16-7): +135 vs. Adlan Amagov (12-2-1): -165
Pick: TJ Waldburger +135
Tony Ferguson (13-3): -400 vs. Mike Rio (9-2): +300
Pick: Tony Ferguson -400
Jeremy Larsen (8-4): +160 vs. Andre Fili (12-1): -200
Pick: Andre Fili -200
Dustin Pague (11-8): +130 vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (11-1): -160
Pick: Kyoji Horiguchi -160
The San Diego Chargers showed very well last week in limiting Andrew Luck and the Colts – it was an impressive win. This week they find themselves playing the league’s weakest team in Jacksonville but they are travelling all the way across the country to do so, a situation which is usually a play against, at least in terms of the number.
