This weekend there are two great championship games on to decide who will play for the Lombardi Trophy.The Broncos will host The Patriots and The Seahawks will host the 49ers.
AFC Championship Game: Patriots vs Broncos Sunday 3:30 PM
Overview: This will be the fifteenth meeting between Brady and Manning (Brady leads 10-4, 2-1 in the playoffs). the Broncos have home field advantage after the win against the Chargers While The patriots come into the game after a win against the Colts. New England defeated Denver 34-31 in overtime in Week 12.
Running Game Advantage: Patriots
Last week, the Patriots rushed for 234 yards against the Colts defense. Legarrette Blount rushed for 166 yards and four touchdowns. The Patriots not only have Blount, the power back, but they also have two speed backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen who both have performed well in the playoffs in years past. The Broncos counter with Knowshon Moreno, a talented back with big play ability. he rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown last week in a win against San Diego. Denver has been running the ball often and effectively in the past few weeks. It will be necessary for them to be effective in the cold weather where it will be harder to pass the ball.
Passing Game Advantage: Broncos
Peyton Manning has broken many records along the way to this game with his talented receiving core. He threw 55 touchdowns this year to a myriad of talented receivers such as Demaryious Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas. They kill teams by running well designed plays where every receiver is a viable option. While Brady is a future hall of famer, He has not looked as sharp of late. He has not thrown over 200 yards in the past three weeks against average secondaries. Also, he has not had a consistent target all year that has been healthy and productive besides Julian Edelman. Though saying this, TOm Brady is still Tom Brady and can hurt any defense. Look for the Patriots to establish the run early and throw out of play action later.
Defensive Advantage: Patriots
The Patriots have a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but still are very strong. Their two corner backs, Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard are two very good, lock down corners. They will have two hold down the Broncos outside threats to win. The secondary picked off Andrew Luck four times in last weeks win. Luck had only previously thrown nine picks all season. Manning arguably had his worst game of the season (19-36 150 yards 2 TDs 1 INT), so it will be interesting to see how he performs at home this time. The Broncos team has a great rush defense, but their pass defense has been susceptible to giving up a lot of yards against good teams. Brady threw for 344 yards against them in the regular season and is poised to do it again.
Prediction: Patriots 38-35
New England has played in a ton of close games this year and has been tested more. New England looked very sharp both last week and when they played Denver at home in Week 12. If Lagerrette Blount can hold onto the ball and control the clock, this will open the door for Brady to find mismatches in the secondary. Manning will definitely be formidable at home with healthy weapons, but in the end, I don't think his defense is as good as Brady's which is why I believe it will come down to a final drive where Manning is picked off and falls to 10-12 in the playoffs and 4-11 against Brady.
NFC Championship Game: 49ers vs. Seahawks Sunday 6:30 PM
Running Game Advantage: Even
This game features two very tough running backs; Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore. Lynch rushed for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns last week against the Saints. He is one of the toughest backs to bring down at first contact, so he gets lots of extra yards just by keeping his legs moving. He averaged 85 yards per game vs San Francisco's tough rush defense this year. Gore has rushed for 153 yards this postseason against Green bay and Carolina. Both teams have mobile quarterbacks as well. While Russel Wilson is classified more as a pocket passer, he can run effectively too. Colin Kaepernick has been notoriously known for tearing up defenses with his legs when he gets out of the pocket. His rush attempts have been limited this year to prolong his career, but in a game of this magnitude he should be able to cut loose and run.
Passing Game Advantage: Seahawks
Russell Wilson is not the flashiest passer around, but he is very effective. He completed 63% of his passes during the regular season and threw 26 touchdowns. The Seahawks rely heavily on their run game and work around that, which is why Wilson averages the lowest amount of attempts per game (25.8). Even last week against New Orleans he threw for 108 on nine completions (18 attempts 50% completion). this stats might not look great on paper, but he managed the game well and made a huge play to Doug Baldwin which put his team in position to score and win. Kaepernick can be a very streaky passer as well. He can throw the ball extremely well at times to his various big -time targets, but other times he can be very inaccurate. He has only completed 53% of his passes this postseason. He also had 14 turnovers in the regular season which won't be good against Seattle's ball hawking secondary. In his two meetings against Seattle he has completed a mere 49% of his passes and thrown four interceptions to only one touchdown. The crowd will be into it as well, so this game could be a tough game for Kaeperncik passing-wise.
Defensive Advantage: Even
While the Seahawks are well known for having the best secondary in the league, the 49ers defense has one of the top front sevens in the league. The 49ers allowed only 95.9 rushing yards per game while Seattle allowed only 172 passing yards per game. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are poised to contain Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis and control the "big play". Linebackers like Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman along with Justin and Aldon Smith look to bottle up Marshawn Lynch and force Wilson to pass. I don't think you will find two evenly matched defenses anywhere else.
Prediction: Seahawks 23-17
The crowd will play a huge role in this game. If Seattle is able to contain Kaepernick and Gore, they will force the 49ers to throw the ball which is where San Francisco is prone to mistakes. In the end, I believe Seattle has more big plays in them and they will pull off the win.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
A Year in Review
This year in college football was a great one. It was exciting from start to finish and it is safe to say that every week brought new surprises and moments that had every fan on the edge of their seat. Here are my five top games of the 2013-2014 season.
5) Penn State: 43 Michigan: 40 October 12th
This game was a will go down as a great victory in Penn State history. With all the adversity the Nittany Lions faced throughout the past few years, it was good to see them have a statement win against a big time program.The game started out fast with both teams scoring left and right. Michigan, the favorite to win the game, suffered from early turnovers and over 100,000 Penn State fans making it hard to even hear the snap count. The lead was 21-10 Penn State at halftime, but Michigan had several quick, momentum swinging scores in the second half and led 34-27 with under a minute to go. Christian Hackenberg began to drive down the field and completed a hail mary to Allen Robinson on the one with less than thirty seconds left. Hackenberg then scored to send the game to overtime. In OT Penn State failed to score but blocked Michigan’s field goal attempt. In OT #2 the teams traded field goal. In OT #3 Penn State fumbled, but Brandon Gibbons missed a 37 yard kick that would've won the game. He redeemed himself in OT #4 with a field goal. Penn State then got the ball and rather than going for the tie on fourth-and-one Penn State went for it. Later on the drive, Bill Belton punched it in from two yards out to seal a miraculous win for Penn State. This game solidified how good Bill O'brien was as well as how good his depleted team could play when the stakes are high. Overall, it was a great game and a great way to start off the countdown.
4) Clemson: 40 Ohio State: 35 January 3rd Orange Bowl
This game was an explosion of offense. The game showcased two great dual threat quarterbacks, Braxton Miller and Taj Boyd. The game was played just as expected with lots of scoring right from the beginning on long plays. Taj Boyd scored on a 48 yard run but Braxton came right back with a 33 yard touchdown run. Just before the half, with the Tigers up 14-9 Boyd rolled out and tried to float one into the end zone for six, but he was picked off of an amazing one handed catch which kept Clemson at bay at the time. Ohio State trailed 21-9 early in the third quarter but scored 20 unanswered points to go up 29-20 The two teams exchanged touchdowns after that and Ohio State held a 35-34 lead. Clemson then scored to make it 40-35 but it was up to the defense and they stepped up to the plate. They picked off a wounded Braxton Milller twice to secure an Orange Bowl victory. This back and forth contest showcased some future NFL talent. Sammy Watkins won the MVP with 17 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns. While some other bowl games were very low scoring methodical game. This prime time showdown had a ton of speedy offenses and brutal defenses which pounded opposing backs all night. Everyone who viewed this game saw just how talented every player was and how poised each team was after watching the opposing team score time after time. This Orange Bowl will go down as one of the best.
3) Ohio State: 42 Michigan: 41 November 30th
This game has been a rivalry for many years, but this one was special. Ohio State had come into the game at 11-0 while Michigan had stumbled in at 7-4, but a big win at home would have changed the outlook of the whole season for the wolverines. Experts thought there was no way that Michigan could keep up with The Buckeyes high octane offense. Both teams came out firing to start and the teams kept up with each other through the first thirty minutes, as the score was tied 21-21 at half time. The was a fight that broke out mid game which showed just how much the game meant to both teams which led to several ejections. In the third quarter, The Buckeyes scored 14 points which Michigan got right back in the fourth. Tied at 35-35 Ohio State jumped on the back of Carlos Hyde. He totaled 226 rushing yards throughout the whole game, but the most important yard was with under three minutes left, when he scored to give Ohio State a seven point lead. Michigan drove down the field once again and Devin Gardner (451 yards 4 TDs in the game) connected with Devin Funchess for a two yard score. Following the score, Brady Hoke elected to go for two points and the win rather than going to overtime. Devin Gardner was intercepted on the two point conversion which sealed Michigan's fate. Though the upset was not completed, the game was truly something special. The two rivals combined for 1029 offensive yards, 54 first downs, 12 touchdowns and 83 points. The number s were completely insane and the fact that this rivalry is so well documented made this game even more phenomenal.
2) Auburn: 34 Alabama: 28 November 30th Iron Bowl
This rivalry is always a good one, but when the teams are ranked #1 and #4 in the country, the game is just that much more important. There was a ton riding on this game, a possible Heisman trophy, a spot in the SEC Championship and a trip to the National Championship were all on the line. As one would suspect, this game was very well coached. The first quarter only amassed seven points (an Auburn 45 yard touchdown) as both defenses looked strong. As the second quarter began, Alabama began to kick it into second gear. they scored 21 unanswered points and controlled most of the clock. Tre Mason did score to make it 21-14 going into halftime, setting up a second half for the ages. The third quarter mirrored the first quarter as Auburn scored one touchdown which was the only score of the quarter.Nick Marshall did not pass often, but was effective when he did. He connected with C.J. Uzomah for a score that tied the game at 21 going into the fourth. AJ McCarron threw a 99 yard touchdown with Amari Cooper to give the Tide a lead. The score looked to be AJ McCarron's "heisman moment" and looked like it was going to clinch the Tide a victory. The Tigers got one last chance to score, but started their drive with a series of inside runs which confused many. Finally, Marshall pulled the ball back and threw to Sammie Coates who raced to the end zone to tie the game with 32 seconds left. Alabama got the ball and drove through Auurns prevent defense to the 40 yard line which set up a last-second, 57 yard field goal attempt. As the whole state of Alabama held its breath, cade Foster kicked the ball short of the upright which allowed Chris Davis to catch the ball and return it from the back of the endzone. He sprinted past all of Alabama's players into the end zone as time expired. it was considered the most wild finish to a game ever and the fact that a national championship bid and bragging rights to a rivalry game only made the contest that much better.
1) Florida State: 34 Auburn: 31 January 6th BCS National Championship
Many would argue that this years Iron Bowl was a better game, but the fact that this was the National Championship makes it number one. this game pitted two potent offense and strong defenses against each other. Florida State was led by Heisman winner Jameis Winston and a relentless offensive attack. auburn was the king of the comeback with a great rushing attack from Tre Mason and Nick Marshall. The Seminoles were the favorite and Florida State did strike first with a field goal, but Auburn then scored 21 unanswered points and dominated The Seminoles in the process. Jameis was sacked often and was only 5/12 on his first 12 attempts. It looked to be a potential Auburn rout until Florida State scored right before the half to make it 21-10 at the half. Florida State rode their momentum into the second half. they scored 10 straight to cut the lead to one. Auburn than tacked on three more points to make it 24-20. with around four minutes left, many thought this would be Florida State's last chance to win, but the kickoff was returned 100 yards by Levonte Whitfield to give The Seminoles the lead. Auburn came storming back and returned to their usual self on offense and marched down the field. Tre Mason, Heisman finalist, punished the Seminoles defense the whole drive and finished with a 37 yard rumble into the end zone. He finished with 195 yards, the second most rushing yards in a BCS National Championship. Now it was time to see if Winston had one final drive left in him. The drive started with short completions that brought them close to midfield. Jameis Winston then completed a pass to Rashad Greene for four yards, but Greene broke a few tackles and raced inside Auburn territory. With under a minute to play Winston continued the drive in the red zone down to the 2 yard line. With just thirteen seconds left, Winston lobbed a ball to Kelvin Benjamin who hauled it in and gave The Florida State the final lead. The defense held on and Florida State won 34-31. This game was fantastic from start to finish and capped off what was a fantastic season. The showcase of talent was unreal and the game was no short of excellent.
5) Penn State: 43 Michigan: 40 October 12th
This game was a will go down as a great victory in Penn State history. With all the adversity the Nittany Lions faced throughout the past few years, it was good to see them have a statement win against a big time program.The game started out fast with both teams scoring left and right. Michigan, the favorite to win the game, suffered from early turnovers and over 100,000 Penn State fans making it hard to even hear the snap count. The lead was 21-10 Penn State at halftime, but Michigan had several quick, momentum swinging scores in the second half and led 34-27 with under a minute to go. Christian Hackenberg began to drive down the field and completed a hail mary to Allen Robinson on the one with less than thirty seconds left. Hackenberg then scored to send the game to overtime. In OT Penn State failed to score but blocked Michigan’s field goal attempt. In OT #2 the teams traded field goal. In OT #3 Penn State fumbled, but Brandon Gibbons missed a 37 yard kick that would've won the game. He redeemed himself in OT #4 with a field goal. Penn State then got the ball and rather than going for the tie on fourth-and-one Penn State went for it. Later on the drive, Bill Belton punched it in from two yards out to seal a miraculous win for Penn State. This game solidified how good Bill O'brien was as well as how good his depleted team could play when the stakes are high. Overall, it was a great game and a great way to start off the countdown.
4) Clemson: 40 Ohio State: 35 January 3rd Orange Bowl
This game was an explosion of offense. The game showcased two great dual threat quarterbacks, Braxton Miller and Taj Boyd. The game was played just as expected with lots of scoring right from the beginning on long plays. Taj Boyd scored on a 48 yard run but Braxton came right back with a 33 yard touchdown run. Just before the half, with the Tigers up 14-9 Boyd rolled out and tried to float one into the end zone for six, but he was picked off of an amazing one handed catch which kept Clemson at bay at the time. Ohio State trailed 21-9 early in the third quarter but scored 20 unanswered points to go up 29-20 The two teams exchanged touchdowns after that and Ohio State held a 35-34 lead. Clemson then scored to make it 40-35 but it was up to the defense and they stepped up to the plate. They picked off a wounded Braxton Milller twice to secure an Orange Bowl victory. This back and forth contest showcased some future NFL talent. Sammy Watkins won the MVP with 17 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns. While some other bowl games were very low scoring methodical game. This prime time showdown had a ton of speedy offenses and brutal defenses which pounded opposing backs all night. Everyone who viewed this game saw just how talented every player was and how poised each team was after watching the opposing team score time after time. This Orange Bowl will go down as one of the best.
3) Ohio State: 42 Michigan: 41 November 30th
This game has been a rivalry for many years, but this one was special. Ohio State had come into the game at 11-0 while Michigan had stumbled in at 7-4, but a big win at home would have changed the outlook of the whole season for the wolverines. Experts thought there was no way that Michigan could keep up with The Buckeyes high octane offense. Both teams came out firing to start and the teams kept up with each other through the first thirty minutes, as the score was tied 21-21 at half time. The was a fight that broke out mid game which showed just how much the game meant to both teams which led to several ejections. In the third quarter, The Buckeyes scored 14 points which Michigan got right back in the fourth. Tied at 35-35 Ohio State jumped on the back of Carlos Hyde. He totaled 226 rushing yards throughout the whole game, but the most important yard was with under three minutes left, when he scored to give Ohio State a seven point lead. Michigan drove down the field once again and Devin Gardner (451 yards 4 TDs in the game) connected with Devin Funchess for a two yard score. Following the score, Brady Hoke elected to go for two points and the win rather than going to overtime. Devin Gardner was intercepted on the two point conversion which sealed Michigan's fate. Though the upset was not completed, the game was truly something special. The two rivals combined for 1029 offensive yards, 54 first downs, 12 touchdowns and 83 points. The number s were completely insane and the fact that this rivalry is so well documented made this game even more phenomenal.
2) Auburn: 34 Alabama: 28 November 30th Iron Bowl
This rivalry is always a good one, but when the teams are ranked #1 and #4 in the country, the game is just that much more important. There was a ton riding on this game, a possible Heisman trophy, a spot in the SEC Championship and a trip to the National Championship were all on the line. As one would suspect, this game was very well coached. The first quarter only amassed seven points (an Auburn 45 yard touchdown) as both defenses looked strong. As the second quarter began, Alabama began to kick it into second gear. they scored 21 unanswered points and controlled most of the clock. Tre Mason did score to make it 21-14 going into halftime, setting up a second half for the ages. The third quarter mirrored the first quarter as Auburn scored one touchdown which was the only score of the quarter.Nick Marshall did not pass often, but was effective when he did. He connected with C.J. Uzomah for a score that tied the game at 21 going into the fourth. AJ McCarron threw a 99 yard touchdown with Amari Cooper to give the Tide a lead. The score looked to be AJ McCarron's "heisman moment" and looked like it was going to clinch the Tide a victory. The Tigers got one last chance to score, but started their drive with a series of inside runs which confused many. Finally, Marshall pulled the ball back and threw to Sammie Coates who raced to the end zone to tie the game with 32 seconds left. Alabama got the ball and drove through Auurns prevent defense to the 40 yard line which set up a last-second, 57 yard field goal attempt. As the whole state of Alabama held its breath, cade Foster kicked the ball short of the upright which allowed Chris Davis to catch the ball and return it from the back of the endzone. He sprinted past all of Alabama's players into the end zone as time expired. it was considered the most wild finish to a game ever and the fact that a national championship bid and bragging rights to a rivalry game only made the contest that much better.
1) Florida State: 34 Auburn: 31 January 6th BCS National Championship
Many would argue that this years Iron Bowl was a better game, but the fact that this was the National Championship makes it number one. this game pitted two potent offense and strong defenses against each other. Florida State was led by Heisman winner Jameis Winston and a relentless offensive attack. auburn was the king of the comeback with a great rushing attack from Tre Mason and Nick Marshall. The Seminoles were the favorite and Florida State did strike first with a field goal, but Auburn then scored 21 unanswered points and dominated The Seminoles in the process. Jameis was sacked often and was only 5/12 on his first 12 attempts. It looked to be a potential Auburn rout until Florida State scored right before the half to make it 21-10 at the half. Florida State rode their momentum into the second half. they scored 10 straight to cut the lead to one. Auburn than tacked on three more points to make it 24-20. with around four minutes left, many thought this would be Florida State's last chance to win, but the kickoff was returned 100 yards by Levonte Whitfield to give The Seminoles the lead. Auburn came storming back and returned to their usual self on offense and marched down the field. Tre Mason, Heisman finalist, punished the Seminoles defense the whole drive and finished with a 37 yard rumble into the end zone. He finished with 195 yards, the second most rushing yards in a BCS National Championship. Now it was time to see if Winston had one final drive left in him. The drive started with short completions that brought them close to midfield. Jameis Winston then completed a pass to Rashad Greene for four yards, but Greene broke a few tackles and raced inside Auburn territory. With under a minute to play Winston continued the drive in the red zone down to the 2 yard line. With just thirteen seconds left, Winston lobbed a ball to Kelvin Benjamin who hauled it in and gave The Florida State the final lead. The defense held on and Florida State won 34-31. This game was fantastic from start to finish and capped off what was a fantastic season. The showcase of talent was unreal and the game was no short of excellent.
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