Seantrel Henderson Is A Beast

Seantrel Henderson was the last big name to announce where he was going on National Signing Day for college football. I live in Columbus, OH and I've been hearing about this guy for a few weeks now and all of the local radio hosts were salivating at the chance that he'd be a Buckeye. Well, Henderson threw everyone a curveball tonight and he picked USC.

Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Florida were all in the hunt for the 6'8, 300-pound Offensive Lineman. He's a senior at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. It appeared that the University of Michigan was the early favorite, but he changed his mind more times than you can count on both hands. No one had any idea what college he was going to pick leading up to tonight's live broadcast on CBS College Sports Channel. He is going to be the left-tackle at USC, protecting QB Matt Barkley's blindside for the next few years. I doubt he will redshirt since he already has a professional body and appears to have nice technique. Lane Kiffin has proven that he is a great recruiter, let's see if he can coach all this talent and win championships. Here is the video of Henderson picking USC and another video which is Henderson's junior year highlight reel.

Pete Carroll Is A Smart Hire For Seattle

There are rumors out there that USC's head coach, Pete Carroll, is rumored to be the #1 guy on the list for the Seattle Seahawks head coaching job. It would be a smart move by Seattle and for Carroll, in fact, it could be the perfect situation for both sides. If he takes the job, would it be a sign that USC will be hammered by the NCAA for their multiple infractions?

Pete Carroll isn't new to the NFL, he used to coach the New England Patriots and New York Jets, so you couldn't compare his hire with Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, or Bobby Petrino. Carroll is a known commodity, even though he didn't have a lot of success in the NFL. If Carroll is the next head coach of the Seahawks, I believe that they will be the favorite in the NFC West for years to come. He will probably have general manager duties along with being the head coach, thus he will get to pick his guys. If you ask any player who played for Carroll at USC, they will say that they loved playing for him. He will give the best players a shot to start and will give rookies more of an instant start, if he proves himself in the preseason. Think about all of the great USC players that went to the NFL over the last decade. Don't you think that they might want to play for him again, so Seattle would have an edge in the free agent period. Who knows, maybe they would take less money to play for their former coach.

If Carroll takes the Seattle job, what does that say about the NCAA investigation results for USC? I think it would mean that the NCAA will be laying the hammer down on them. It won't be as bad as the SMU action many years ago, but I would assume that they will vacate wins and more. Also, Joe McKnight declared for the NFL draft today, so bad news keep coming for USC fans.

NCAA Football - Week 5 Betting Picks

Week 4 was a great week and a lot of upsets happened. I went 9-3 last week with my betting picks against the spread for Week 4. This week I have a lot of teams that cover and a few underdogs that I pick to win the game. Here are my college football picks against the spread for Week 5.

I once again leave off the Notre Dame game from my picks. I don't think that they could be in trouble against Washington, but they only play well at home. South Bend could have a decent game going on, but I'm staying away from it.

I want to add another game that I am staying away from and it's taking place in Bloomington, Indiana. Ohio State is going to play Indiana, which was supposed to be bad. They have impressed me a few times this season and I just don't know which way to go in that game. If you would have asked me two months ago about this game, Ohio State would win easily and the line would open up at around -20, but it's a different now and I'm staying away.

Pittsburgh (-6.5) at Louisville (+6.5) - My pick is Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a good team and Louisville didn't even win with the points last week against Utah. Pittsburgh is going to win this game by a few touchdowns, but the over/under could be nice, since this game will have a lot of points.

South Florida (-6.5) at Syracuse (+6.5) - My pick is South Florida

I like this line, since it's under a touchdown. Syracuse have only looked great in flashes and has barely put an entire game together. South Florida and that new quarterback should take care of business in Syracuse.

Northwestern (+7) at Purdue (-7) - My pick is Purdue

Neither of these teams have really impressed me, but Purdue is fairing better than expected. This line open at Purdue -6.5, but has moved. I would get in on this before it moves to -7.5, and a touchdown win would leave you in the loss column.

Toledo (-4.5) at Ball State (+4.5) - My pick is Toledo

I hate to pick against my alma mater, but Ball State is bad. They won against the spread in the Auburn game, but they the Cardinals scored some points in garbage time. Toledo played Purdue well, but laid up a goose egg against Ohio State. Toledo will score points against the bad Ball State defense..

Michigan (+1.5) at Michigan State (-1.5) - My pick is Michigan

I love the Wolverines in this game. This game opened at a pick'em, but moved towards the Spartans. Michigan will bounce back from a rough outing against Indiana.

Central Michigan (-8) at Buffalo (+8) - My pick is Central Michigan

Central Michigan has a star quarterback and should shred the Buffalo defense up. Buffalo has not looked very good at all this season and are much worse than their team from last season. Turner Gill can't work miracles, Central Michigan wins this game easily.

Penn State (-7) at Illinois (+7) - My pick is Penn State

I have had success picking against Illinois all season and I'm not going to stop this week. Penn State is still a good team, they lost to a good Iowa team and Illinois is very, very bad. I still feel that Penn State is a better team than Ohio State and they killed the Illini last weekend.

UNLV (+3.5) at Nevada (-3.5) - My pick is UNLV

Nevada's betting lines are still being swayed by last season's team. They are bad this year and I'm not buying them at home or on the road. UNLV may not be impressive either, but Nevada can't do anything right this year.

Wyoming (+3.5) at Florida Atlantic (-3.5) - My pick is Wyoming

No matter if it is FIU or FAU, both of them stink. Wyoming have looked good so far this season and I think that they travel to Florida Atlantic and take care of business.

Mississippi (-8) at Vanderbilt (+8) - My pick is Mississippi

I was hosed last week when Mississippi played South Carolina. I wasn't sold on the Gamecocks defense, but I'm officially sold, they're good. Mississippi will bounce back against the Commodores and Snead will light them on fire.

Oklahoma (-7.5) at Miami (+7.5) - My pick is Oklahoma

Miami has beaten some over-rated teams and somehow they shot up the rankings. Oklahoma lost a game when their quarterback was injured and the entire was in shock. The Sooners have looked great since and they will smoke the Hurricanes.

USC (-4.5) at California (+4.5) - My pick is USC

It's a shame that Stafon Johnson was injured in a weight room accident, but USC has depth at running back. Joe Mcknight will run all over and Cal could be over-rated after getting smoked by Oregon last week. Give me USC by at least a touchdown.

LSU (+3) at Georgia (-3) - My pick is LSU

Georgia can put up plenty of points, but LSU can stop them a few times this game. Georgia's defense is bad and it will be a shootout. Give me LSU in this high-scoring game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

NCAA Football - Week 4 Betting Picks

I did some research this week and I like a lot of games this week. The games taking place on or around September 26th has some nice bets for you guys out there. Mississippi is barely favored against South Carolina, how can that happen? I know the flu has hit the Rebels, but can that shave a touchdown off the score? See what that line is and what my picks are against the spread for Week 4 of the college football season.

I left Notre Dame off of my picks this week because they are completely unreadable. A different squad appears on the field every week. They lost Malcolm Floyd and Jimmy Clausen has turf toe, they could beat Purdue, but they are favored by 7 points in West Lafayette. I would just stay away from that game, both teams are bound for either a collapse or a big game. That is the riskiest play of the week.

Mississippi (-3) at South Carolina (+3) - My pick is Mississippi

I know that Mississippi said that a lot of the team has flu-like symptoms, but they are a top 5 team. South Carolina have looked a little ugly this season, but I like the Rebels in this game. Out of all of my football picks, I like this one the best. Try to get in early on this game, I think this line will move toward Ole Miss by gameday.

Missouri (-7.5) at Nevada (+7.5) - My pick is Missouri

Nevada looked horrible last week and really haven't played good this year. Missouri has steam-rolled teams and doesn't look like they miss Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin. I like Mizzou a lot in this game.

Wake Forest (-2) at Boston College (+2) - My pick is Wake Forest

Speaking of teams that have looked horrible, I believe BC is in the group. wake Forest has played okay, but I see them winning this game by a field goal to a touchdown in New England.

Illinois (+14) at Ohio State (-14) - My pick is Ohio State

The Buckeyes played very good against Toledo and finally showed me something this year. Illinois is very bad, plus they are either getting hurt or suspended, so morale is low for Illinois. Ohio State has something to prove and will win this game easily.

Pittsburgh (+1) at NC State (-1) - My pick is Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has played very good this year and had a nice win against Navy last week. NC State has also showed some signs, but I like Pitt in this game. The Panthers' offense is up-tempo and will put up points.

Washington State (+45) at USC (-45) - My pick is Washington State

Washington State isn't washington, so don't expect an upset here, but 45 points is awfully high for USC's offense at this point in the year. USC will win this game easily, but I don't see them covering.

Louisville (+14) at Utah (-14) - My pick is Utah

Lousville had a nice showing against Kentucky and Utah's offense flowed against Oregon, but fell short. I like Utah in this game, Louisville was a 14-point dog against a bad Kentucky team. Utah is a better team than Kentucky and will cover.

Colorado State (+15) at BYU (-15) - My pick is BYU

BYU had a bad game against Florida State, but they will bounce back against Colorado State. The Cougars were over-matched by the speed of the Seminoles and Colorado State doesn't have the speed to beat BYU.

Miami (-3) at Virginia Tech (+1) - My pick is Miami

I didn't know what kind of team the Hurricanes were until last week. I am sold on them and they will go into Blacksburg and beat Va Tech. The Hokies caught a lucky pass to squeak by last week, something that won't happen against the Hurricanes.

Minnesota (+2.5) at Northwestern (-2.5) - My pick is Minnesota

Northwestern lost to Syracuse and Minnesota lost to Jahvid Best, oh yeah, I guess the entire California team too. Northwestern will be able to run all over Minnesota and win this game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

How The Big Ten Can Be Relevant Again

Big Ten Football has been disappointing over the last few seasons. They havn't won big games against elite teams in the SEC, Pac-10, or ACC. The offenses are boring and even the defenses are falling behind the other teams across the country. There are a lot of things plaguing the conference and we are going to point out a few ways how Big Ten football can be relevant again.

The last big game the conference won on a national stage was when Ohio State played Michigan as the #1 and #2 teams in the country back in 2006, so a Big Ten had to come out victorious. Since that game, USC has beaten Illinois, Michigan, and Penn State in consecutive Rose Bowls and have also beaten Ohio State twice. USC has owned the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl has turned into a sacrificial ritual of a "good" Big Ten team. It is only one of the things that has turned the public's opinion of the conference upside-down.

They Must Successfully Recruit In The South - The SEC and Big-12 conference has a stranglehold on the most fertile area of high school talent in the nation. Texas and Florida produce elite talent on a yearly basis and schools in the region are at an advantage. It's a lot to ask for the Big Ten to go down there and spend their recruiting dollars on the South when they believe that Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are also a region with great talent. I can't argue against that, the Midwest does produce some fine talent, but they need to expand their search. I know they do attempt to recruit down there, but it appears that a team like Ohio State is settling on the 4th best wide receiver in the state of Ohio, instead of the 7th best wide receiver in Texas, which would probably be better.

A Big Ten Championship Game Is Needed - I know that it is a tradition that Big Ten Football is finished by Thanksgiving, but college football has changed. You played a ten game season back then and now teams are playing twelves game seasons, other conferences are playing games two weeks after the Big Ten has finished. You can have a true winner of the conference and get one more elite game to help your conference winner's BCS chances. It hurts them in the final polls and almost makes the conference forgettable.

Must Schedule More Elite Non-Conference Games - It may save teams money, but playing a handful of games against MAC teams isn't going to get people paying attention to your conference. Ohio State have had a couple home-and-home series the last few years with USC and Texas, it was a step in the right direction. Even though Ohio State went 1-3 in those series, they were marquee games that made the nation take notice of the Big Ten. The Ohio State/Notre Dame series must be re-established. There was some great games between those teams and they are locally a rival. Wisconsin has done a decent job at scheduling tough opponents this season, Fresno State and California, other teams should take notice.

Persuade Notre Dame To Join The Big Ten - Now that Notre Dame looks to have re-gained a little big of their swagger, the Big Ten may have missed their chance to snatch Notre Dame up. The NBC television contract is probably the major obstacle in this, because the Big Ten has their own network now. The NBC deal would have to expire for the Big Ten to have a shot. It would add one more elite program to the mix. Ohio State has been the only constantly good team over the last six seasons. Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, and even Purdue have all had their ups and downs. There needs to be at least three great teams in the conference for a number of years to earn the respectability the SEC and Big-12 have earned this decade.

More Imagination In Their Offenses - I remember when Joe Tiller took over as head coach at Purdue, you would have thought that he re-invented the wheel. He started throwing the ball all over the place with Drew Brees and they knocked the entire conference for a loop. The conference has prided itself on the power running game, but that offense is stale. They can take a few notes from nearby MAC teams and if the offenses that are taking place in that conference happened in the Big Ten with better players, there is no telling what kind of damage they could do in the BCS.

College Football: What A Weird Day!

I can barely begin to point out all the surprises that happened this week in college football. You had big upsets, teams looking like crap, crappy players looking amazing, and the Big Ten not looking so hot (well, that isn't much of a surprise). Here are the weirdest things that happened today in college football.

- Tate Forcier looked like Fran Tarkenton against Notre Dame. He was passing with precision and even made a guy lose his joke when he faked him out on a touchdown run on 4th and 3. Is Michigan for real or was this just bad clock management by Notre Dame?

- The University of Houston made Oklahoma State look like Big 12 title pretenders. The Cowboys started the game out in a hole and even Dez Bryant's return touchdown couldn't save this team from imploding. This was Houston's biggest win in a long time.

- Northwestern was supposed to be good, but barely sweaking by Eastern Michigan? That isn't going to cut it, they aren't even the good directional Michigan school. They are going to lose a few before the Big Ten season begins, but as bad as some of the Big Ten teams have looked, they could fair well during conference play.

- Speaking of bad Big Ten teams, Michigan State let Central Michigan win this game. Dan Lefevour will be playing in the NFL, but the rest of the Chippewas aren't up to his level. The Spartans shouldn't forget this game or they will be doomed to repeat it.

- Ohio State actually gave USC a game tonight. I thought for sure that USC would roll them in Columbus, but it didn't look like the Trojans' offense could ever get started. I think they were taking the Buckeyes lightly, but OSU's defense brought it's A-game. I still think Ohio State will lose a game or two more this year and USC could be in danger of losing a game to Cal or even Notre Dame in South Bend.

- Oklahoma didn't lose a stride without Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham. I know that they were playing Idaho State, but this could mean that BYU could actually be for real. The Cougars rolled over Tulane today and should move up even more spots up the rankings.

- North Carolina has to be better than this. Butch Davis is a great recruiter and he has had some great recruiting classes since he's been the coach at UNC. They will need to develop these guys into winning games by more than a lucky holding call against Connecticut.

- The Georgia vs. South Carolina game was supposed to be a low-scoring game, since both offenses looked bad in their previous games and both defenses are above-average. Well, they ended up scoring a combined 78 points with Georgia barely hanging on for the victory. I don't think anyone saw this coming.

- Is the MAC good again this year? Bowling Green took Missouir all the way to the wire today and this is coming a week after Mizzou spanked Illinois. Bowling Green wasn't supposed to be that good this year, but this will get people's attention.

- Wasn't this supposed to be the year that Tennessee finally beats UCLA? They have had their number and the Vols lost today against a freshman quarterback. Things won't get any easier as Tim Tebow and the Gators face them next week. I have a feeling that the Lane Kiffin won't be happy with the outcome of that game either.

- I know that Kansas State wasn't going to be great this season. They lost Josh Freeman to the draft, but they are supposed to beat teams like Louisiana-Lafayette. I'm not sure why KSU agreed to play this game on the road, but it bit them in the ass.

- Florida State almost loses to Jacksonville State, really? Ryan Perrilloux came back from suspension and almost leads his team past the Seminoles. How would that rank in the all-time worst loses for Bobby Bowden? I would guess that it would have been top 3, not knowing any other loses that would equal that, but he's been coaching for longer than even my dad has been alive, so I'm sure there had to be a few bad ones.

How Ohio State Can Beat USC

It looks like the deck is stacked against Ohio State this weekend. The game is in Columbus, but nearly every analyst, even myself, thinks that USC will win this game. The Trojans have owned this series the last six games and the USC Hall-of-Famers will be in town to intimidate the home crowd. Here are a few things that Ohio State can do if they want to come out victorious.

Stack The Box And Make Matt Barkley Throw - USC is loaded in the backfield and they usually don't fair well against teams who run the ball effectively. If they can stack the box and keep Joe McKnight and C.J. Gable from running the ball, they can force the freshman quarterback to pass the ball. If they can make USC a one-dimensional team, maybe they have a chance.

Unveil The Trick Plays - I know Ohio State isn't known for their trick plays, but if you can pull one off early, you will get their defense guessing. The linebacking corps is young and does not have much in-game college experience. If you can get them to shoot a wrong gap or get them going in an opposite direction, maybe Boom Herron, Brandon Saine, or Jaamal Berry can get into the secondary. Pryor's elusiveness could make a trick play turn into something special. Maybe a halfback pass to Pryor?....Okay, I'm now just speculating.

Put A Laxative In Taylor Mays' Gatorade - The guy is a stud safety and if they want to pass over the top on USC, Mays needs to be out of the game. I don't endorse this action, but if they want any deep passing game, he can't be in the equation.

Put Ray Small's Jersey On Ted Ginn Jr. - Ginn Jr. has a game on Sunday, but you're Ohio State, you have access to airplanes! Ray Small has been a disappointment, since he was supposed to turn into a Ted Ginn clone, but that has not happened. If Small is looking a little bigger on Saturday....I'm just saying.

Damage Ohio Stadium And Demand The Game Is Played In December - I think it's ridiculous that USC never plays a team in cold weather. When Notre Dame plays at USC, it's one of the last games of the year, but when USC visits South Bend, IN, the game is in early October. If USC ever played in the snow, they would lose about two touchdowns off of their average point total.

Those are only a few ways that Ohio State has a legitimate shot at beating USC. I could have written a post on "How USC Can Beat Ohio State," but unfortunately it would be very short and most likely read "Arrive In Columbus, Put On Shoes."

Ohio State vs. USC - Top 5 Previous Meetings

The Ohio State game against USC this weekend will be a star-studded event. The rumor is that some of USC's famous ex-NFL elite will be at hand. The use this technique a lot and I think it intimidates the other team's fans and it's great for recruiting. I wanted post five videos from previous Ohio State vs. USC games here to get people to realize the history behind this game.

The Ohio State University and the University of Southern California have played each other 22 times. USC currently holds the edge with an overall record against the Buckeyes, it currently stands at 12-9-1. The Trojans have won the last six meetings and the last time Ohio State came out victorious was a 42-21 victory in the 1974 Rose Bowl.

Not only has some of the best players from each school's history played each other during their college careers, but Pete Carroll was an assistant at Ohio State in the 80's.

Here are moments from the top 5 Ohio State/USC games in history

Ohio State Football - Rebuilding Year?

I have lived in Columbus, OH for three years and this will be my fourth football season that I will experience here. My first year here was when Ohio State played Michigan as the #1 vs. #2 teams in the country. Since it was a home game, this town was completely nuts. I couldn't even use my cell phone, since so many people crammed into the city for the game. This year's team is by far the worst Ohio State team in the last four season, even if die-hard Buckeye fans won't admit it.

A lot of hype will surround Columbus on September 12th. The USC Trojans come here to play Ohio State, but both teams will only be a skeleton of themselves. USC and OSU lost most of their starters and will still be getting used to each other by the time they play. Ohio State is expecting a break-out season from Terelle Pryor, but they will definitely miss Chris Wells. Boom Herron and Brandon Saine will do their best to duplicate the impact Beanie had on move the chains, but it will be a huge task. Pryor may have to use his feet to gain yards, even more than last year. They also lose Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline to graduation/draft, two veteran targets will be missed. Dan Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey will be the go-to receivers and if Ray Small can develop any offensive game, they may start to click by the time Big Ten season begins.

The defensive side of the ball could be the Buckeyes best attribute. I am looking for a big year from safety Kyle Coleman. I'm not saying that 'cause I'm friends with his brother and have met him on many occassions, he's a great safety and is a playmaker. He will have to make plays in the secondary, since Malcolm Jenkins is no longer out there to intercept passes. They won't miss Donald Washington, since he didn't do much in college, but was still drafted early in the NFL Draft. They will miss James Laurenitis and Marcus Freeman from their linebacking corpse. Tyler Moeller, Ross Homan, and Austin Spitler will have to mature in a hurry. Luckily for them, when they play USC, they will be breaking in a new QB.

Ohio State is either a 10-2 or a 9-3 team this year. Their losses will be at the hands of USC and Penn State. The bubble loss could come against Illinois, they had a bad year last season, but Ron Zook has recruited well the last two seasons. You would think that those players will have to mature this season. The Big Ten is down again this year and a 10-2 or 9-3 season could land them in the Rose Bowl, if Penn State is playing for the National Championship. I think Penn State will have a good team, it just depends how down the Big Ten really is. If they lose one game this year, it could knock them down pretty far in the polls and a weak Big Ten schedule would make it hard to make a jump up.

I know that I am going to get grilled by Ohio State fans, since they are extremely rabid and passionate. A 10-2 or 9-3 season wouldn't be a bad season for this team. They are very young and it is something that they could build upon for the 2010-11 season. If Ohio State could pull off a win against USC, then the season could change and they could yet again be vying for a spot in the BCS Championship game. A lot will be determined by the game on September 12th, but which team will fall down to normal expectations and which team will be catapulted into the elite.

It's Been Awhile- Pt. 4

I took a little hiatus from the world of sports/music blogging. I started a new job, been spending time with my girlfriend, and I was just exhausted. I missed the blog and think that I need to update more. I have recently been accepted as a contributor at
Gunaxin and I hope that I will be a great addition there. I will still update this blog often, just Gunaxin will be a place to feed my hunger of writing.

I just want to list some things that I have learned since I've been gone. Just to catch everyone up on what has been confusing and amusing me.

For those wondering why I have a picture of Blake Lively up, well, I don't have many times where I can post a picture of a pretty gal, so I took this chance. I hope you're a little happier now.

- I love Green Day's new album, but I kind of wish they wouldn't to a concept album next time.

- I found out that "Frisky Dingo" will not be coming back, since the studio went under.

- Manchester Orchestra's new album has been in rotation constantly in my head.

- I have came to a conclusion that the Chicago Cubs will not win the World Series this year.

- I cannot remember a season as boring as this past year's NCAA Basketball season.

- I would like to become more of a soccer fan.

- My love for Podcasts has grown. I listen to Dan Patrick, Baseball America, Fantasy Focus, and The B.S. Report religiously....Adam Carolla's podcast has jumped the shark.

- I have become addicted to Twitter. Follow me @ Twitter.com/Sweetbob.

- I hate to admit it, but I do go to PerezHilton.com almost daily.

- I hope the Indiana Pacers pick Eric Maynor and not Gerald Henderson.

- I still think Adam Morrison can have a 10-year career in the NBA.

- I saw the Tim Floyd scandal coming, the guy has always looked like a guy who was one day away from getting fired. He was a desperate man.

- My passion bucket is always full.

- My fantasy baseball teams this year are horrible. I blame Geovany Soto, lack of Pedroia's power, and B.J. Upton.

- Mike Brown will be fired as the coach of the Cavaliers by the end of June.

- Notre Dame will probably go 10-2 this year, the 2 losses will be to USC and whomever they play in a bowl game.

Why Manti Te'o Signed With Notre Dame

Manti Te'o, who is considered to be the best defensive recruiting prospect, decided that he will attened the University of Notre Dame. This is a huge shock to many experts who had him going to either USC or UCLA. There are many reasons why Te'o should have signed with either of those Pac-10 schools, but I will explain one main reason why Manti Te'o signed on to wear a golden helmet during his college career.

There are so many reasons why a top defensive recruit wouldn't choose Notre Dame, especially a guy like Manti Te'o. For starters, he is a devoted Mormon and Notre Dame is one of the large Catholic universities in the U.S. He is so devoted that he wants to go mission work when he turns 19, which could delay his arrival to Notre Dame. Also, Notre Dame hasn't had a decent defense since Chris Zorich and Bobby Taylor were in college. And lastly, Notre Dame seemed to be inches away from firing Charlie Weis and he could be playing for a different coach by the time he is finished with his college career. Those are all huge reasons why Te'o shouldn't have signed with the Irish, but yet he did.

Going into last season, the Irish expected to make some sort of bowl game by the end of the year. I'm not sure if they were thinking that they would end up playing Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl, but it could have been a blessing. Manti Te'o is from Hawaii and I'm 100% sure that he watched the Hawaii Bowl very closely. The Irish looked very polished and made easy work of the Rainbow Warriors, it could be considered that it was their best overall team goal. If the Irish didn't up in the Hawaii Bowl or any bowl game period, they wouldn't have had a shot at Te'o.

USC should have snatched Te'o up very easily. They have a long lineage of Pacific-Rim descendants have very good careers as a Trojan. Troy Polamalu, Junior Seau, and most recently, Rey Maualuga, to name a few, played in huge games and made the USC program what it is today. One negative about playing at USC is that they are extremely stacked at every position. Te'o probably wouldn't have had any trouble breaking into the starting line-up, but at Notre Dame he could start as a freshman.

Congratulations to Notre Dame for landing a top defensive recruit. This speaks a lot about the recruiting skills of Charlie Weis and proves that the Golden Dome can still attract top-flight athletes. If Te'o ends up on campus next season, it could catapult the Irish into a top-25 ranking at some point next season. They were a very young team last year and most of their starters will be back next year. Expect big things in South Bend in 2009, even if they do have two Golic boys.


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2008 Men's College Basketball - All-Name Team

Not everyone can have the last name 'Jordan' or 'Chamberlain', some of us have to go through life with a pretty ridiculous name. Most of these names are pretty rough to grow up with, but some are names you wish you may have, especially if you are named something bland like Joe Smith or Bobby Roberts.

Once again this year the lesser-known Division I teams make up the majority of the list, keep up the good recruiting work.

Woody Payne - G - Detroit
Scoop Jardine - G - Syracuse
Cashmere Wright - G - Cincinnati
Idong Ibok - C - Michigan State
Pawel Kielbasa - F - Chicago State
Chop Tang - F - Wisconsin-Green Bay
Hyman Taylor - C - San Francisco
Beloved Rogers - G - Oral Roberts
Chief Kickingstallionsims - C - Alabama State
King Cannon - F - Central Arkansas
Picasso Simmons - G - Murray State
Tweety Carter - G - Baylor
Lex Mongo - G - Massachusetts
Ookie Clayton - G - Tennessee-Martin

and of course...

Lil' Romeo - G - USC

Speak Before You Think Monday

After a long weekend, it is easy to do or say something that is completely insane. Your mind isn't right on a Monday. You are still thinking about how you should have gotten that blonde's number at the bar or how your team still has a shot at the National Championship, even if you lost a nationally televised game 35-3 (sorry Buckeyes, i live in your territory and I shouldn't be so ill, but it's real talk). Here is a few observations of things people are saying or what they have done without thinking things out clearly.

- The Milwaukee Brewers fired Ned Yost. Really? Before the Brewers hired him, they hadn't had a winning season since dudes named Yount and Molitor were sporting the yellow and blue gear. I know that they imploded last season, but the team was full of rookies, I am not sold that they are used to the long Major League season. You can't make much of an argument that they are tanking again this season, because they haven't been in first place since the beginning of the season. Milwaukee is realizing that they only have Sabathia and Sheets for this one season and they will not be able to sign them, so they must win now. Rickie Weeks has been a disappointment so far and J.J. Hardy is not consistent. The trade talk has already started about Prince Fielder, they realize that they can't win every game with their offense and your #1 starter cannot be Dave Bush or Manny Parra. Fielder is set for abitration soon and he will also grant a huge contract when free agency comes around. The Brewers may still make the playoffs, but now they have to combat the Phillies/Mets, whoever doesn't win the NL East, and Houston. Not a smart move by the upper management in Milwaukee, Yost will get a job next season, either as a manager or a high-profile bench coach.

- Carlos Zambrano is back. I'm a Chicago Cubs, everyone who reads this blog knows this is true. Historically, Zambrano is extremely good on a long rest. He nearly had a no-hitter mid-season this year after he took some time off for injury. He may throw another gem next time out too, but it's too soon to say he is back. Houston evacuated a hurricane and their minds were not 100% on baseball. The game was also played in Milwaukee, which is Wrigley Field North. If you go to any Cubs/Brewers game, the Cubs fans/Brewers fan ratio could learn in Chicago's favor, let alone Houston fans versus Chicago fans. Also, Ted Lilly took a no-hitter today into the 7th inning against Houston and the last few games I watched Lilly pitch, he looked horrible. Zambrano needs his last few starts to be solid for me to be sold.

- Ohio State still has a shot at that National Championship. Even if OSU runs the table in the Big Ten, the best they can do is a birth in the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, if USC loses a game or two, they will meet there. I don't see USC losing any games, but there is a Pac-10 team that usually gives them a close game or beats them (i.e. Stanford, Oregon State). The Buckeyes do have a chance to turn the season around, but that would mean Todd Boeckman would lose his job as starting quarterback. Terrelle Pryor looked pretty good against USC, but it was a too tough of a test for a true freshman to face. Beanie Wells may have made this game closer, but he wouldn't have won the game for Ohio State. Wells would have helped them have some ball control and help manage the clock. The score would have been around 27-10, still an embarassment. Ohio State has no shot at making the BCS Championship game, so I do not want to hear about a slim chance, there is no chance.

- The Minnesota Vikings will still make the playoffs. They are 0-2 and it looks like the NFC North will be very solid this year. I know that they lost to the Packers and Colts, two teams that are playoff caliber, but the way they played in those games didn't look like a playoff team to me. Adrian Peterson should have ran all over Indianapolis, which he did, but never got into the endzone. Tavarius Jackson isn't a starting quarterback in this league, yet. He may be a starter in the future, but with the kind of talent this team has, minus wide-receivers (they really don't have any #1 receiver), they need an establish quarterback to spread the defense and let Peterson run amok. The Bears are better (they play them twice), the Lions can score points, something Minnesota has trouble with (they play them twice, the Packers own them (they play them again), and they play the AFC South (which is one of the best divisions in the league). I would suggest that you look at the remaining schedule of the team before you put them in the playoffs, Mike & Mike.

- Denver Broncos is the best team in the AFC. They have looked impressive so far this season, but they played the Raiders and a San Diego team that haven't found themselves without Shawne Merriman. Eddie Royal has been a huge surprise, Brandon Marshall caught about a million pases this week, and Jay Cutler looks like John Elway. The NFL loves to scheme and take players out of the game, I'm guessing the next few weeks that teams will start pressuring Cutler more and make the young quarterback think faster on his feet. They will have to run the ball more, which may fall into Shanahan's lap, but this core of Denver running backs aren't Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis, it's Selvin Young and a few castoffs from other teams. Denver looks like they will win that division, it looks to be very weak, but they are not the best team in the AFC. They will have to beat New England, Indianapolis, or Pittsburgh to garner that honor.