Tuesday, December 22, 2009

HOLIDAY HOT STOVE - NEW YORK STYLE

Holiday Greetings. Jay from "On The Sportslines" here with a little Holiday Hot Stove - New York style for you.

Around this time of year Santa and MLB GM's have a lot in common. Both are checking their list and checking it twice. Both have the goal of bringing joy to others this season. The difference is that while Santa is checking to see who's been naughty and who's been nice; GM's are checking to see who's still available to fill the holes on their team.

This year's Winter Meetings were productive and so far this off-season there has been a decent amount of activity and player movement either by trade or Free Agent signings. That said, there is still a wide gap between baseball's Haves and Have Nots. Nowhere is that more evident than in my own backyard.

The Yankees (who quite literally play in my backyard of The Bronx) have not stood pat in the aftermath of their 27th World Series title. They identified positions that needed to be addressed, upgraded, changed, what have you and set about making it happen.

They felt a need to upgrade their outfield, so they worked a multi-team deal that got them Curtis Granderson - an All-Star Centerfielder in the prime of his career who can hit, hit for power, run, throw, catch and cover the expansive acreage that is Yankee Stadium's outfield. In exchange they gave up some spare parts at both the Major and Minor league level.

They felt the need to upgrade their starting rotation. They didn't feel Chein Ming Wang would be the same so they let him go. They dabbled in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, but in the end decided to go with a Plan B option and they traded for Javier Vasquez. Vasquez didn't have a great first go around with the Yankees, but that was 5 years ago and since then he is one of only two pitchers with 1,000 innings and 1,000 strikeouts. The other is Johan Santana. He'll eat innings, strike guys out (238 last season - second only to Tim Lincecum) and keep the Yankees in the games he pitches. What more could you want from a 4th starter? The cost? Again, nothing the Yankees couldn't afford to lose. Melky Cabrera? I'll miss the Melk Man, but Granderson took CF away from him. LF? Brett Gardner can handle that. Other options? Well, the Yankees have their eye on super-sub Mark DeRosa who would be a nice addition to the team.

The Yankees also said good-bye to Series MVP Hideki Matsui (who signed with the Angels and should nicely fill the DH role vacated by Vlad Guerrero leaving as a Free Agent) and look like they will let Johnny Damon find employment elsewhere. Both will be missed by the fans, but letting both go are sound baseball decisions. Matsui is on his last legs (literally - his knees have been shot for awhile now) and Damon's spot can be filled by Gardner or another more cost-effective option.

The second go-around for Nick Johnson has me skeptical. When healthy, Johnson had a line-drive, gap-to-gap swing and a slick glove at 1B. But staying off the DL has been a problem for this once-promising pinstripe prospect. He wouldn't have been my first choice as primary DH and back-up 1B, but Brian Cashman has earned my respect so I'm willing to have an open mind about it.

None of these moves broke the bank or cost the Yankees a ton of prized prospects - both of which are things the Yankees have been guilty of in the past - and all have the potential to improve a team that had the best record in baseball last season.

All of this stands in STARK contrast to what's NOT going on in Queens. What has happened to the Mets over the last 2-3 years has been tragic. This is a team loaded with solid players. 3B David Wright, SS Jose Reyes and CF Carlos Beltran are among the best players at their respective positions in all of baseball. Johan Santana is one of the PREMIER starting pitchers in the game and Frankie "K-Rod" Rodriguez is an All-Star closer. Not a bad nucleus to build an annual playoff contender around.

But herein lies the problem. The Mets - namely GM Omar Minaya - don't seem to be doing any building. Look, I'm willing to give the Mets a pass on last season due to the RIDUNKULOUS number of player games lost to injury, but come on Omar, you can't seriously tell me that when you look at your team you can honestly say that if everyone is healthy the NL East is the Mets to lose.

The Mets have holes almost everywhere. Some small, some GAPING. 1B needs a Carlos Delgado in his prime upgrade. Daniel Murphy is a likeable kid with some potential, but he's not the long-term answer there. K-Rod needs a set-up man. JJ Putz seemed to be the answer, but he got hurt and now the Mets have let him go. And in the head-scratching-est move of the off-season, the Mets seemed to sign every Free Agent BACK-UP catcher out there. Sorry Omar, quantity isn't going to give you quality there.

But all of that pales in comparison to the Mets plan to acquire an outfielder with a big bat. What plan you ask? EXACTLY! It's no secret that the Mets are in dire need of a power hitting corner outfielder and this offseason two All-Stars are available. Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are a couple of guys who can give you 25-30 homers and 90-110 RBI. They'll hit somewhere between .280 (Bay) and .315 (Holliday) and play a pretty decent outfield to boot. Both are perfect fits on paper for the Mets.

And yet for some reason only Omar's psychic knows, the Mets have been more passive than Ghandi in their pursuit of these two. News flash Omar, you and the Mets no longer have the luxury of just sitting back and waiting for guys like Bay and Holliday to fall into your lap. You may reside in New York. You may have plenty of Wilpon money to throw around. You may have a nice new ballpark. But you're no longer one of baseball's HAVE's! You have to WIN, or at least be consistently competitive in order to be so arrogant as to just sit back expect the cream of the Free Agent crop to just show up on your doorstep asking to come and play. Sorry, but what's happened to the Mets over the last three years has hurt their property value as a prime neighborhood for A-Listers.

And if that's not bad enough, the Mets - who like most teams, could use another decent starter - didn't even extend an offer to Jason Marquis! Marquis is a decent 3rd or 4th starter who can eat innings and keep your team in games he pitches; and here's the kicker: HE ACTUALLY WANTS TO PLAY IN NEW YORK! For the Mets! As a New Yorker born and raised, it's all he ever wanted. But no, Omar didn't even consider it.

In a nutshell, that's the difference between the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees know how to build a house, keep it in good shape once it's finished and make home improvements when the need arises.

The Mets need to take a few pages out of the Yankees playbook. Houses don't build themselves Omar. Especially when the supposed architect doesn't seem to have a blueprint.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I'm The Rabbi, and I'm the Video Editor of On The Sportslines.

Before we get to Part 6 of the bowl preview, a little update. Jahvid Best of California will NOT play in the Poinsettia Bowl, which is in less than a week. I picked Utah before and I sure am not changing that now. No switch of points though.

That being said, hold on to your hats for....

The Rabbi's Bowl Preview Bonanza- Part 6!

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl- Dec 31st
Houston (10-3) Vs. Air Force (7-5)


Why Watch: This is the only one of two rematches this bowl season, and with the high powered offense of Houston and the strong rushing defense of Air Force you’ll thank the Armed Forces people they invited both teams back.

Matchup: Houston put up 460 yards per game through the air this season to be the nations top team in yards per game. That formula was almost BCS-buster worthy too, but there’s always that one team who impresses during the non conference campaign and then falls to the back of the pack. Houston is that team. If they were in the Big 12 south, with wins over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech (the Ok State game when they were Top 5 in the nation), but good things fade. Losses on the road to UTEP and UCF along with a conference title loss to East Carolina sent the Cougars here again. This is Houston’s 5th straight bowl. The Air Force academy is in a bowl for the 3rd straight year. A little disappointing this year at 7-5, all 5 of Air Force’s losses were to bowl teams (including the unholy MWC trilogy of TCU, Utah, and BYU, but the Falcons gave TCU their closest win this year, as they only won by 3). However, all but 1 of Air Force’s wins were against non-bowl teams (the 1 is Wyoming). By the way, Houston won this game last year 34-28, under 252 yards and a TD from their QB Case Keenum and 153 yards on the ground from their running back Bryce Beall.

Who To Watch: Beall and Keenum are back for this game, but we’ll focus on the man who may be playing his last collegiate game in the QB Keenum. 5,449 yards through the air and 43 Touchdowns (against 9 INT’s) may make Keenum a little desirable, you would think. His highest total through the air this year? 559 yards vs. Southern Miss. Only 1 game did Keenum fail to throw for 300 yards this year. So who stops this attack? Maybe you just keep the ball on the ground. Air Force’s one-two running punch of Jared Tew and Asher Clark will try to do that, combined they rushed for over 1500 yards this season.

Prediction: Not as easy, especially since it is a rematch from 2008. All logical signs though point to Houston, and I think they’ll want to finish 11-3. I pick the Cougars and 16 points here, so I’ll take the mid road.

Brut Sun Bowl- Dec 31st
Oklahoma (7-5) Vs. (21)Stanford (8-4)


Why Watch: You rarely get to see 3 people in a game who have rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, but you do here in El Paso.

Matchup: Stanford, making their first bowl appearance in 8 seasons, led by Jim Harbaugh making his first bowl appearance, is very happy to be here. The expectation was just to make a bowl this year. The Cardinal started the season 4-1, albeit against weak competition, and then would closely lose their next 2 against Oregon St and Arizona. Then the world took notice, with a 3 game winning streak. In it they took out Oregon the week after they demolished USC, and then demolished USC themselves the week after. Only a loss to Cal stood between Stanford and the Rose Bowl. Oklahoma is probably a little disappointed to be here. The national title hopes were demolished after a season opening loss to BYU, their conference title hopes were demolished with their 4th loss in 5 years to Texas. Also included were losses to usually Sooner Pinatas Nebraska and Texas Tech. Only a shutout victory against Oklahoma St on rivalry weekend (keeping the Cowboys out of the BCS) is what the Sooners can hang their hat on this season.

Who To Watch: About those 1,000 yard rushers. Both Sooner backs Demarco Murray and Chris Brown went over 1,000 yards in 2008, but each just averaged a little over 700 in 2009. Brown’s graduating, but Murray may be getting ready for a 2010 Heisman run cause he’ll be back next season. Then there’s Stanford back Toby Gerhart, who took the 1,136 yards and 15 TD’s in 2008 and improved it by 600 yards and 11 TD’s in 2009. The 1736 yards and 26 TD’s got Gerhart 22 voters points away from the 2009 Heisman. Against 3 big teams, Oregon, USC, and Notre Dame, Gerhart went for 223, 178, and 205 yards respectively. Wow.

Prediction: I believe Oklahoma would qualify as a big team. Despite Oklahoma rising up in their bowl after their last mediocre season after a title game (2006) and Andrew Luck, Stanford’s QB for most of the year out for this game, I still like Stanford and 17 points.

Texas Bowl- Dec 31st
Navy (8-4) Vs. Missouri (8-4)


Why Watch: It’s your patriotic duty to watch Navy! They meet Missouri for the first time in 48 years in this huge contrast of styles.

Matchup: Obviously as you know if you’re into college football, Navy’s style is running. They do a lot of it, ranking fourth in the nation on the ground. That ground game gave them another list of victims in 2009: Notre Dame (for the 2nd straight year), SMU, Air Force, and Army (knocking them out of bowl contention), and almost Rose Bowl Bound Ohio State. This is the 7th straight bowl for the Midshipmen. This is the 5th straight bowl for Missouri, but there was not as much excitement in the first year of the post- Chase Daniel era. They started the season 4-0, but then lost 4 out of their next 5. The tigers did win their last 3 to get to 8-4, not scoring less than 30 points the final month of the season.

Who To Watch: Chase’s replacement in 2009 was sophmore Blaine Gabbert. Blaine had 23 TD’s and 7 INT’s this season, and threw for 250 yards in 8 of the 12 games this season for the Tigers. He’s possibly on his way to building his own legend. Navy counters, on the ground with quarterback Ricky Dobbs. Yes, the QB was Navy’s leader on the ground this year, adding 24 Touchdowns, and passing some guy named Tebow on the list of all time Rushing TD’s in a career by a QB. Him and Junior Vince Murray will give the Tigers fits to tackle.

Prediction: Not sure. Navy has the recipe to beat a lot of teams, and have been here before, in the Houston Bowl in 2003, losing to Texas Tech. Navy’s played 3 BCS conference teams though in this current run of bowls...and lost all 3. But Missouri’s resume, just plain sucks. I’ll put a huge wimpout 4 on this one with the Tigers.

Sunday NightI'll post Part 7...and by then the bowl's will already be in 2010, how sick is that? See you Sunday.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I'm The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines.

No NFL column this week, we'll look at the playoff picture after Week 15 next week. Oh yeah, and as a Giant fan...I don't wanna talk about it.

Now, we continue the path to covering all of this year's Bowl Games with Part 5 of our series....

The Rabbi's Bowl Preview- Part 5!

Champs Sports Bowl- Dec 29th
(15)Miami (9-3) Vs. (25)Wisconsin (9-3)


Why Watch: If you see both teams in bigger bowls in the 2010 bowl season, you’ll be sorry you missed their match up here in the Citrus Bowl.

Matchup: If you could’ve started a season any louder than Miami, you’d break the sound barrier. A memorable win over FSU on Labor Day, plus wins against Georgia Tech and Oklahoma, had people proclaiming Miami is back! Eh, not so fast my friend (credit Lee Corso). Losses to Clemson and North Carolina didn’t set the world on fire, and in Miami’s last 4 victories, only 1 came to a bowl team, and that was the fading fast South Florida ballclub. Wisconsin’s start of their season was grand too, at 5-0, but they were overmatched vs. conference powers Ohio St and Iowa after that start. Add to that, in their 4-3 finish to their season, not one of those 4 wins came against a single bowl team. However, after the doldrums of last season, both Miami and Wisconsin powered back with solid defenses, and Top 40 in the nation offenses to go with it.

Who To Watch: For Miami, their star sophmore QB Jacory Harris is hit or miss. 8 out of his 17 INT’s came in the 3 losses for Tha U, but Harris threw for multiple TD’s in all but those 3 losses in 2009. For Wisconsin, the Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year John Clay is ALL hit. He’s 247 pounds and he is powering. 1400 yards in 2009, and 16 TD’s, with 9 of those Touchdowns coming in the cold months of November and December in the Big 10.

Prediction: Newsflash though. This game is in Florida. The Hurricanes will dictate home crowd and will dictate style, which for them will hopefully be shootout. Miami has the passer, the Badgers don’t. Give me Miami and since I haven’t gone big in a while, give me 25 with it.

Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl- Dec 30th
Bowling Green (7-5) Vs. Idaho (7-5)


Why Watch: On the blue turf of Boise St., you can see a team from Idaho not named Boise St. that has some damned good talent.

Matchup: Ah the Vandals of the University of Idaho. They did go 4-4 in conference this year but, they started the season 5-1, and looked pretty strong offensively. How strong offensively you ask? Try not scoring less than 20 in ANY game this year offensively. However, in all but one of their matchups, they let up more than 20 points, including letting Nevada and Boise State put up 70 and 63 against them late in the season. They also let Utah State score 52 for good measure. This is Vandals first bowl in 11 years and their 2nd as a FBS school On the other side is Bowling Green, who improved by one game from last year’s disappointing 6-6 record under new head coach, Dave Clawson. Bowling Green started 1-4 (with their only win over Troy, they did lose to Boise and Missouri along the way), but finished the year 6-1, with their only loss to eventual MAC champs Central Michigan. The Falcons are bowling for the 2nd time in 3 years.

Who To Watch: Well, with Idaho, it’s gotta be offense. We’ll go with Senior Wideout Max Komar, who went from 0 TD’s in 08 to 10 in ‘09. 8 of those TD’s came in the final 5 weeks. If 10 TD’s is pretty good...try 18. That’s the # of time Bowling Green’s Freddy Barnes went into the end zone this year, 16 receiving and 2 rushing. Barnes caught a TD in each of his last 7 games, 5 of those multi TD affairs. Both teams will go through the air here.

Prediction: This one’s too tough for me. Bowling Green is statistically the better team, but despite playing there once this year (actually both teams have played in Boise), the atmosphere may really be out of both team’s element. I’m gonna go with Idaho here with the lowest possible number, 1.

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl- Dec 30th
(20)Arizona (8-4) Vs. (22)Nebraska (9-4)


Why To Watch: OK, so the prospect of the runners up in two major conferences doesn’t excite you? Then how about seeing the followup for Cornhusker Ndamukong Suh’s 4 sack, 12 tackle Big 12 championship game that made him the first Heisman Defensive finalist in 12 years?

Matchup: Believe it or not, Nebraska’s season could have been a lot better or a whole lot worse. The season ended up at 9-4 with the “phantom 1 second” Big 12 title game as loss #4, but the other 3 losses hurt too. Losing a lead in the final 120 seconds against Va Tech? Ouch. 9-7 loss against Iowa State? Double ouch. Those losses almost are erased by Nebraska’s five game winning streak up to the Big 12 title game that included a championship clincher against Kansas State. Almost. Then there’s Arizona, who had two tough losses against BCS teams (losing at Iowa by 10, and against Oregon by 3 in double OT), and inexplicable losses (Cal and Washington, which were the major dagger to Rose Bowl hopes). However, Arizona established their place in this bowl with 2 gritty wins to end the season, both on the road (Arizona State and the once mighty USC). Both teams are in their 2nd straight bowl this year, hopefully continuing on the road to redemption.

Who To Watch: For Nebraska, surprise!, it’s Mr. Suh. The man who won every post season defensive award known to mankind, had a season to remember. 82 tackles, 12 sacks, 24 QB hurries, 3 blocked kicks, double digit broken up passes. Remember, he was double teamed a lot of the time too, like the Big 12 title game especially. Suh very well could go #1 in the NFL draft in 2010. Oh yeah, Arizona’s here too. They are lead by QB Nick Foles. He can put up gaudy numbers (415 against Stanford, 384 against Washington) or he can manage the game well. He’s only a sophmore, so a bowl like this is a maturing process for the young man.

Prediction: Time for Suh to go out in the um, SuhnSet (I’ll be here all week!). Arizona is another hit or miss team, but so is Nebraska. Both teams can be ugly, but I feel that if both teams play ugly, the Huskers win. The Huskers want to get back on the field after the title game, so I’ll go with them and a strangely confident 15.

Part 6 tomorrow my friends, hang tight.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

I'm The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines.

Congrats to Alabama RB Mark Ingram for winning Alabama's first Heisman. It's amazing that the man is the 3rd straight sophomore to win the award, after a sophomore never won it before.

I thought if you looked at stats, it probably should have gone to 2nd place finisher Toby Gerhart. He had more yards this season, and performed well in every single game he played in, while Ingram stumbled against Auburn.

However, 2 things locked up the Heisman for Ingram:

1. The fact that he played the final weekend of the season, while Gerhart didn't. 6% of the voters put their ballots in early this year.

2. The SEC Title game performance, which effectively eliminated Tebow, and the Big 12 title game, which was a terrible enough game for McCoy that it killed his chance then and there. A little better, and McCoy is your Heisman winner.

Now, for what you have been waiting for.....

The Rabbi's Bowl Bonanza Preview- Part 4


Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl- Dec 27th
Kentucky (7-5) Vs. Clemson (8-5)


Why Watch: Again, the Sunday Night Football matchup may be crappy for Week 16, and you’ll get to see a future start on Sunday’s, Clemson QB C.J. Spiller.

Matchup: Exceeded expectations perhaps? Clemson loyalists were tired of picking them to win the ACC Atlantic year after year for fear of disappointment. This year, Clemson and first year full time head coach Dabo Sweeney gave fans a Atlantic Division Championship and were very close to an ACC Title. However, there was that mix of Tiger disappointment, as they lost at reeling South Carolina late in the year and at pitiful Maryland. However, note the 5 losses from Clemson were by an average of less than a touchdown. Kentucky is one of 10 SEC teams going bowling, but they go bowling with a 3-5 conference record. However, all 3 victories were on the road, 2 against bowl teams, and were 6 points away from an undefeated road conference slate. The team that was known in the beginning of the season for giving golden boy Tim Tebow a concussion, finished the season 5-3, with all 3 losses by less than a touchdown. Kentucky looks for a 4th straight bowl victory here.

Who To Watch: How do I love Clemson RB CJ Spiller? Let me count thee ways. Is it the 1100 yards he had rushing this year? Is it the fact that in the ACC title game he had 233 yards on the ground? Maybe it’s the 9 TD’s he had in November and December? The answer to all of those questions is yes. For Kentucky, it’s Randall Cobb. The all everything of Kentucky had 15 TD’s of his own this year, whether it’s in the Wildcat, in normal formation, kickoffs, or punts. He can do it all.

Prediction: I feel like Clemson may be deflated being here, so I’m gonna pick the Wildcats. However, like the upsets before it, I’ll go low on confidence points, and make this one a 10.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl- Dec 28th
Texas A&M (6-6) Vs. Georgia (7-5)


Why Watch: Because it’s two big name programs and two big name coaches, despite expectations not being anywhere near met in 2009.

Matchup: Starting with A & M, they are back in the bowl picture after a year absence. The Aggies, and former NFL head coach Mike Sherman, started the season 3-0 (all against non bowl teams), then would drop their next 3 (all against teams .500 or better), then would go on to win their next 2 (but only one more win after that). A & M wins with one thing: offense. They are in the Top 25 in the nation in both passing and running, even though they did a lot of those stats against some poor defenses. Good thing the Georgia Bulldogs have a poor defense though. At the end of the regular season, Georgia had to fire their defensive coordinator, their Linebackers Coach and their D Ends Coach. Of course, this was after their upset at ACC Champs Georgia Tech. However, 5 losses is the most of Coach Marc Richt’s tenure (including whoppings by rivals Tennessee and Florida), and the Independence Bowl bid is the teams first since 1991.

Who To Watch: When you’re TD-INT ratio is 28/6, I kinda notice that. That’s why Aggie Junior QB Jerrod Johnson gets the spotlight, especially after his 342 yard, 4 TD performance vs Texas. It’s Georgia Bulldogs’ QB Joe Cox’s last game, but he looks to make it count. A 22/14 TD/INT ratio this year is not spectacular, and when you add that 4 out of his last 5 games he passed for under 200 yards, that’s not great either. However, he only had 2 INT’s in his last 4 games, and 12 for the other 8, so Joe Cox is becoming a game manager.

Prediction: Not confident either way here, I like Georgia though cause when A & M played Arkansas this season, they got shellacked. I’ll give the Bulldogs this one with 11.

EagleBank Bowl- Dec 29th
UCLA (6-6) Vs. Temple (9-3)


Why Watch: Temple and bowl don’t go in the same sentence everyday, but when they do, you should watch.

Matchup: Just a few years ago, Temple was kicked OUT of the Big East, but after they were an independent, they moved over to the MAC this year. Good call. Even though they lost their first two games against state rivals (Villanova and Penn St.), Temple responded to win the next 9 in a row, and was one win away from a MAC Title game berth. They lost that game sadly to Ohio on Thanksgiving weekend. After a one year absence, UCLA is back in a bowl. Unlike the other 65 teams that qualified, UCLA had to wait till yesterday to get their spot, when Army lost to Navy. UCLA went 6-6 in 2009, with a 5 game losing streak (all to bowl teams) in the middle of the season. The only win UCLA had against a bowl team this year was back in Week 2 at Tennessee.

Who To Watch: Two defensive stars for UCLA: Pac 10 Defensive MVP Brian Price, and FS Rahim Moore, who has a nation leading 9 INT’s in 2009. For Temple, it’s running back Bernard Pierce. He landed on the first team Freshman All American team, and was the MAC Offensive Freshman of the year. 1,308 yards and 15 TD’s does that for you.

Prediction: I’ll go Temple, not too confident about this one either though, so I’ll add 8 to it.

Tuesday comes Part #5. We will see 4 ranked teams in the next part of the preview, so hang tight!

Friday, December 11, 2009

I am The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines.

What you are about to read now is the 3rd of the 11 part bowl preview bonanza series. This is Part 3 of the spectacular. Geez, when I started this, Brian Kelly was the coach of Cincinnati! Yeah, the memories.....

OK, enough reminiscing, it's time for Part 3.

The Rabbi's Bowl Preview Bonanza! Part 3!


Little Caesars Bowl- Dec 26th

Marshall (6-6) Vs. Ohio (9-4)


Why To Watch: This is usually the most boring of the bowls, so I honestly have very little to say. But if you wanna see what Frank Solich is up to, here is where you find out.

Matchup: Solich is the coach of Ohio now, who finished the season 7-2. However, they had a loss to Central Michigan in the MAC title game, but find themselves where the MAC champ usually would be, thanks to the conf champ opting for the GMAC Bowl. Ohio, in their 2nd bowl in 3 years after not making one for almost 3 decades, didn’t lose a game by more than 11 points this year. Marshall, a former member of the MAC, makes a bowl for the first time as a Conference USA participant. However, with a 6-6 record in conference, and a 31 point loss in their finale versus SMU, coach Mark Snyder resigned a day after that game. As of now, no replacement has been named.

Who To Watch: Darius Marshall (ironic) of the Thundering Herd rushed for 1,000 yards for the 2nd season in a row, but improved his TD numbers from 5 last season to 11 this season. Senior QB for the Bobcats, Theo Price, threw for 19 TD’s this season (against 10 INTs), but was fighting a sprained ankle in the loss in the MAC Title game.

Prediction: Easy for me. Marshall is coachless, and is a lot more up and down than Ohio. This seems a little easier here, so I’ll put 22 points down on this one for the Bobcats.

Meineke Car Care Bowl- Dec 26th

(17)Pitt (9-3) Vs. North Carolina (8-4
)

Why to Watch: The coaching matchup: former NFL coaches Dave Wannstedt and Butch Davis (both off the Jimmy Johnson tree) meet up with their very talented college teams.

Matchup: However, both had their ups and downs in 2009. North Carolina especially. Their high point came in a 4 game winning streak late in the season which included a win against conference darling Miami, and wins at BC and Virginia Tech, 2 places where it’s difficult to win at. However, couple that with losses against NC State and Virginia (each with 2 conference wins this year), and this season was a disappointment for UNC, as they find themselves here for the second straight year. Pitt on the other hand...yikes, what could have been. Only a 7 point loss against NC State prevented them from a 9-0 start, but you can’t find a more heartbreaking way to end the season. 3 point loss against West Virginia on a last second field goal first, 1 point loss to lose the conference championship and a BCS spot thanks to a botched extra point and a furious comeback by undefeated Cincinnati. Disappointment usually reigns over at Pitt, but nothing like this year.

Who To Watch: Shady who? Pitt fans got to forget about Mr. LeSean McCoy quickly as freshman Dion Lewis ran for 1,640 yards and 16 TD’s. He will DEFINITELY get some play for Big East POY next preseason. For UNC, their 6th ranked defense in the nation is lead by Defensive End Robert Quinn, who had 11 sacks. It’s UNC’s first All-ACC player at that position since a guy named um....Julius Peppers. I think you know him.

Predicition: Gonna surprise you here. Just when you think UNC is out, they pull you in. I think this is a better position for them, and they impressed me the most in that Va Tech game on a Thursday when they were the underdogs, so give me the Tar Heels, but I’ll only give this one a 5.

Emerald Bowl- Dec 26th

Boston College (8-4) Vs. (24)USC (8-4)


Why Watch: To see a classic matchup between...wait, is that USC in a non major bowl? Does Pete Carroll even know where the Emerald Bowl is?

Matchup: The answer by the way is San Francisco. Tale of an underachiever and an overachiever here. The underachiever here is USC, who had their 7 year conference championship streak ended. What began with a promising start with a win early in the year AT Ohio State took a turn for the worse from there. We saw their usual shocking loss at Washington, but then it fell further. A blowout loss at Oregon, a shocking blowout loss at Stanford, and a loss at home against Arizona, and USC had their second worst year of the Pete Carroll Era. USC has played in the last 4 Rose Bowls, that streak ends here. As for the overachiever, in BC, nothing was expected in the first year post Jeff Jagodzinski. However, they started the year 4-1 and put together a nice resume in '09. However that one loss was against Clemson (in early September) and that was the difference in BC being denied a 3rd straight trip to the ACC title game.

Who To Watch: For BC, it’s running back Montel Harris, who put together FIVE 130 plus yard games in his last six games, including 264 in a win over NC State. For USC, it’s safety Taylor Mays, who despite his injuries early in the year, earned himself an all Pac-10 spot for the second straight year.

Prediction: Not gonna surprise you here. I think USC comes out motivated to prove that this team, while young, will reclaim their Pac-10 throne in 2010. BC does not match up. I’m taken the Trojans and 30 points.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

I am The Rabbi, again, editor of On The Sportslines. While I am doing my bowl bonanza preview, we are gonna try something different for our NFL column this week. I will focus on one issue in the world of football and try to give my thoughts on it. This week: it's the undefeated.

Is it really that hard to go 19-0?

The pursuit of perfection. The last few years, it hasn't seem that hard to at least start. We saw the 05 Colts start their season 13-0 (no Super Bowl or playoff win), the 08 Tennessee Titans start 10-0 (no Super Bowl or playoff win), and of course the 07 New England Patriots begin their campaign 18-0 (and as well all know victim number 16, the Giants rose up to stop the 19-0 bid).

It's almost a burden to be an undefeated team going into December. ESPN starts devoting whole sections of their show to YOUR team, everybody who has seen their teams fail starts to hitch their wagon to you (or go totally against you and wish you failed), all the moves you do get scrutinized, and that's even before you go to the playoffs and try to get the elusive wins number 17, 18, and 19 (and again, just look at New England 2 years ago).

It is 2009, and we only have 16 days until Christmas. Yet, the NFC and AFC each have their own little ratings present. Both teams by the way won a grand total of ZERO playoff games a year ago.

Let's start with the NFC and the New Orleans Saints. 3 years ago, they were the darlings of the NFL going from a 2 win team to a team that was close to a Super Bowl appearance in Miami. Now, the New Orleans Saints are a powerhouse, with a high powered offense that's as good as that team, they are on a pace we haven't seen since the St. Louis Rams and the greatest show on turf a decade ago. The Saints and Drew Brees spread the ball out like no other team has almost ever had in NFL history. There are SIX players on this team with 28 catches or more. That's amazing. Add to that Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell leading a solid running attack, and both could reach the 800 yard level on the ground this season. However, it's the opportunistic defense that makes the Saints what they are right now. They have 23 INT's, that's the most in football. Their give/take number is +15, second in the NFL. They may have a defense that only ranks 18th in giving up yards per game, but that one mistake you make, they take advantage. That's what makes a championship team. They may have had a ton of close games (they've had 4 that could have gone either way), but all of them went in the W column, that's all that matters.

Then there's Indianapolis. The Colts are lead by America's QB Peyton Manning, but America's coach Tony Dungy is gone. Why has this team clicked on all cylinders? I honestly have no idea. Every single year though, the Colts get on a run, whether it be the 9 in row they had to end in 2008, or the 12 in a row they had to begin this season. The Colts have played great games (that Sunday Night Football game at Arizona), and have played close games (Week 1 vs. the Jaguars, Week 2 At The Dolphins, Week 8 vs San Francisco...you get the picture). This team only has 1 true #1 wide receiver, a rookie #2 wide receiver in Pierre Gason (who? yeah.), and a semi-decent rushing attack. What do they do in the end though? They win. They win ugly but they win nevertheless.

Neither of this team is gonna even come close to the stats or the swagger of the 07 Patriots, but why can't they go undefeated. When you see things like the Saints did Sunday against the Redskins, or what happened with the Colts when they hosted the Patriots back in Week 10, the only question I can come up with is...why not? We don't have to have a powerhouse 19-0 team, the Saints may not have the championship defense, the Colts may not have the consistency, but they both have QB's who can win in the end, and personnel that's been there before.

So when you think that it's impossible to go 19-0, talk to me in about 1 month and a half, when we could be preparing for the 18-0 Saints taking on the 18-0 Colts.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

The Rabbi's Bowl Preview Part 2!

Once again, I am Rabbi, the video editor of On The Sportslines.

OK, as I said I'm going 3 at a time with these, and I'm willing to show commitment here. So, as you start your shopping for Christmas, let's look at the bowls that will take you up till Christmas.

By the way, the numbers to your left next to the teams represent their ranking. That ranking is from the last BCS Standings.

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl- Dec 22nd
(18)Oregon State (8-4) Vs. (14)BYU (10-2)


Why Watch: This Tuesday Night Delight will be your first time to see ranked teams in the bowl season, and it’s 2 ranked teams at that.

Matchup: For BYU, it’s a case of deja vu all over again, this is the teams 5th consecutive year playing in this bowl (BYU has a 2-2 record in those games). After a season opening win against than national title hopeful Oklahoma, things were supposed to be different. That changed with a shocking blowout loss at home against FSU and a non competitive game against the team that they want to be now, TCU. However, BYU should be proud, as this was a year where they stayed a Top 25 team from moment 1. Their opponents, Oregon State had some good moments this season (winning at Cal and against Stanford), but the team who took apart USC could not get it together in their 3 biggest games of the season (hosting Cincinnati, going to USC, and the Pac-10 Title Civil War game last week), and find themselves in their 10th straight bowl, but still look to capture the magic of 2001, when the team went to the Fiesta Bowl.

Who To Watch: Not hard here. For BYU it’s Max Hall, who was an early Heisman Hopeful, and although he never match his extremely high expectations, he still finished with 30 TD’s and 3,000 plus yards. For Oregon State, it’s Rodgers. Pick one. Jacquizz had 1,800+ yard rushing and receiving, his brother James had just about 1,300 all purpose yards.

Prediction: Eh, I liked the Beavers play in the Civil War, but I feel like BYU wants to make a statement that TCU can’t in its bowl, and beat a higher up team. BYU wins, and put 14 points on it.


S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia- Dec 23rd
(23)Utah (9-3) Vs. California (8-4)

Why Watch: To see the team that gave Alabama their last loss (that would be Utah) play in the season after their undefeated season.

Matchup: That Utah team was expected to fall back a little after the undefeated 08-09 season, and that’s what they did. They played 3 ranked teams (Oregon, TCU, and BYU) and lost all 3 of them. Utah’s mojo was pretty much weakened by the Oregon game, and destroyed when they had to make the visit to Fort Worth. However, the most damaging of the losses was the BYU won, which they lost in overtime, 26-23. They will try to bounce back from that game against their opponent in Cal. This season, and every Cal season is described like this: lots of hype to start (#6 in the nation after a 3-0 start), hard fall (consecutive losses at Oregon and at home against USC by a combined score of 72-6!), little sliver of hope (wins in consecutive weeks over Arizona and Stanford, dashing each’s Rose Bowl hopes), and the grand finale in which they don’t show up (42-10 loss at Washington! The Circle is complete!). It’s amazing with the talent Cal has every year why they haven’t been to a BCS game by now.

Who to Watch: For Utah, it’s Linebacker Koa Misi, who for the 2nd straight year was an all MWC selection at linebacker. For Cal, hopefully he recovers, it’s Jahvid Best. Another one of the scrum of Heisman candidates when the year started, Best had 1,000 all purpose yards from scrimmage in what was basically 8 games (he got injured early against Oregon State last month, and the concussion kept him out the rest of the year.)

Prediction: Utah has won 8 bowl games in a row. They took care of Alabama last year, should have the motivation to knock off another BCS-conference opponent. Take the Utes with 23 please.


Sheraton Hawaii Bowl- Dec 24th
Nevada (8-4) Vs. SMU (7-5)


Why To Watch: If you only saw Nevada in their season opener versus Notre Dame, you missed a lot of one the highest powered offenses in the nation. Plus, June Jones in coaching in Hawaii again!

Matchup: It’s SMU’s first bowl since 1994, and the Mustangs look to take full advantage of it. Again, nothing was amazing impressive about the team from Texas in June Jones second season, but they did win 4 out of their last 5 to get to this point. However, their only victory against a bowl team is a 7 point win over eventual Conf Champ East Carolina. For Nevada, the nations 2nd ranked offense and top rushing offense (With 3 1,000 yard rushers!), their non conference season started out horribly at 0-3, but then 8 straight wins were rattled off by the Wolfpack to put them to the brink of a WAC Title. Sadly for them, Boise State pushed them off that brink, and despite only losing by 11, the game was never really that close. Does that linger here? Nevada’s last bowl win WAS the Hawaii bowl 3 years ago.

Who To Watch: For SMU, they would not be here without the efforts of wide out Emmanuel Sanders, who despite having 2 QB’s, still caught 91 balls for 1,200 plus yards. For Nevada, Vai Taua was the leader of the 1,00o yard rushing gang, running for 1,345 yards, and HE MISSED 2 GAMES! He went for at least 95 yards in all of his games this year.

Prediction: The numbers say Nevada, but beware. They lost an early game this season versus Colorado State, so different conference styles might give them trouble. I’m gonna give this one the unlucky 13 points.

Friday! 3 solid bowls for the day after Christmas, including the first non important bowl in what seems like a lifetime for USC.

Monday, December 07, 2009

The Rabbi's Complete Bowl Preview 2009-10!

I'm the Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines. This is one of my favorite times of year. You can say how much the bowl system is only for money, how the bowl system is flawed and how it's ludicrous how it all works, but I say different. Is 33 bowls a bit much? Yeah, probably. But the fact is, 66 teams get to play one more game. A lot, and I mean a lot of players get that one last competitive game to play in their college football careers. Plus, the holidays are a whole lot more fun.

You want a 8 team playoff? Then we're gonna complain about the 9th and 10th team left out. Want a 16 team playoff? Then we'll complain about teams 17 and 18. I want to see college football action late season, not imagine about what could have been. Plus, bowl games make schools money, bowl games get schools recognition. For god sakes, I wish I went to a 1-A school sometimes for the atmosphere. I went to Hofstra, who's president decided this week that college football was too much of a financial burden, so they cut the entire program. That sucks.

So here's how this will work, I'll preview each of the bowls, and at the end I'll give confidence points. Confidence points= how sure I am each team will win. I'll do it from 1-33. I'll try to have these out every couple of days, so you know what you're watching and who you're watching. We're going from first...to the very very last. Since Bowl season is not that far away, let's get started with Part 1.

New Mexico Bowl- Dec 19th
Fresno State (8-4) Vs. Wyoming (6-6)


Why watch: It’s the beginning of the bowl season! You get your fill of college football after 2 weeks...actually forgot about Army/Navy this week so it’s 1 of no actual football!
After that, I got nothing for ya.

The Matchup: Well, the first two New Mexico Bowls featured, well, New Mexico, and the last two featured the perennial pretenders to Boise State’s WAC throne, Fresno State. The Bulldogs, now in their 3rd consecutive bowl, had modest expectations going into the season and beat basically every team they were supposed to on the schedule, only losing to 2 undefeated teams (Boise and Cincinnati), and 2 more talented teams (Nevada and at Wisconsin in 3OT) along the way. Fresno is 19th in the nation in offensive yards per game, having only scored less than 20 once. Meanwhile Wyoming, under first year head coach Dave Christensen, the former off. Coordinator at Missouri, had an up and down season en route to a 6-6 record, needing a last minute field goal against Colorado State to claim bowl eligibility. Despite giving up over 100 points more than they scored, the Cowboys are bowling for the first time in 5 years.

Who to Watch: For Fresno State, Ryan Matthews, who rushed for 100+ yards in all but one of the games he played in. For Wyoming, it’s anyone who is trying to stop Ryan Matthews, cause they probably won’t.

Prediction: Fresno State solidly, but I’m only putting 20 confidence points on it cause sometimes these games cause strange things.

St. Petersberg Bowl- Dec 19th
Central Florida (8-4) Vs. Rutgers (8-4)


Why Watch: To see the darlings of New Jersey in their 5th (yes, I said 5th) straight bowl, as they go on the road, again, versus George O’ Leary’s boys.

The Matchup: The boys of Rutgers wanted to make another trip to Florida for recruiting purposes, and now they got it. The season began about as bad as it could for Rutgers, losing by 32 in a national televised game, at home, to the Cincy Bearcats. The Big East was lost then and there, but the Scarlet Knights semi bounced back. They did lose two more close home games against teams that were just a little better (Pitt and West Virginia), but did win road games in the last seconds with long TD passes (at UCONN). All in all, Rutgers kinda sorta righted the ship, save for an embarrassing 18 point loss at Syracuse 3 weeks ago. UCF will basically be at home for this game, so they’ll bring the crowd. However, the only signature win on their resume this year is a 5 point win against Conf USA division winner Houston late in the season. Although, save for Miami and Texas, two top 15 teams, Central Florida either won or lost by less than a TD in all their games. UCF is winless in their previous 2 bowl games.

Who to Watch: For Rutgers, it’s Tom Savage, who had a 12-6 TD/INT ratio this year, and plays very well for a freshman, although he has freshman moments. For the Golden Knights, it’s sophomore rusher Brynn Harvey, a 1,000 yard rusher with 14 Tds.


Prediction: They have had solid wins on the road this season, so as much as I love Conference USA, I got to go with the boys from Piscataway to win another bowl game, but I’ll only put 9 confidence points on it.

R & L Carriers New Orleans Bowl- Dec 20th
Southern Miss (7-5) Vs. Middle Tennessee (9-3)



Why Watch: Cause both teams are 30th and 31st respectively in the nation in offense. Plus, the Sunday Night Football game that week might be Vikings-Panthers, I think this is a solid alternative.


Matchup: The Eagles rebounded from a 3-3 start to finish 7-5, a game better than last regular season. The difference from this year and last? Um, a better defense, one that may be just a tad bit better than the team that beat Troy last year in this bowl 30-27. (The Sun Belt winner is supposed to go here, but Troy declined for another bowl). That opened the door for Middle Tennessee State. The team is only in it’s 11th year of FBS football, and is going to it’s 2nd bowl (both times because of Troy declining bowls). Middle Tennessee, who’s off coordinator is former Auburn off coordinator/scapegoat Tony Franklin, has a defense to match it’s offense, 1st in the nation in tackles for loss and 4th in the nation in sacks.

Who To Watch: Let's focus on the QB's here. For Southern Miss, it's Martevious Young, who led his team to a 4-2 record (with both losses by 14 points), late in the year, throwing for 200+ yards in 4 of those games. His counterpart is Dwight Dasher, who's thrown for 26 TD's in 09, but be careful, he has 5 multi-INT games this season, but when he's good he's good, all of Mid Ten State's wins he's led his team to 27 or more points.

Prediction: While Southern Miss has the experience, this is a Blue Raiders team from Mid Tennessee that’s won 6 straight. They’re hot, I’ll take them here, but again, too much of an unknown factor, only putting 6 points here.

Don't worry, we get a little juicier with the matchups Wed, including a fun matchup involving 2 ranked teams BEFORE Christmas. See you Wed.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

I'm The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines. This will be a very shortened version of the 10 things that happened in the NFL this week, with a new and full list to come next Monday:

10 Things To Happen Thanksgiving Day Weekend

10. The NFL's Thanksgiving Day games being the biggest bore we have seen in a long while. All 3 games were un-competitive, and the one that should have been the closest game, the Giants and the Broncos, was actually the biggest blowout. The G-Pups 26-6 loss in Denver puts them on life support going into week 13, and the Dallas Cowboys can not only go to 9-3 on the season with a win in NY, but pull the plug on the Giants as well.

9. Whether it's the fact that Jason Campbell is still a good QB (ha) or something else, you can never count the Redskins out. For the second straight week they lose by a field goal or less on the road, this time against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles keep pace with the Dallas Cowboys, and barring any hitches, the two will meet on the final week of the season in Dallas with the NFC East probably on the line.

8. Despite almost 200 yards for Larry Johnson and Bernard Scott, the Cincinnati Bengals prove themselves to be the worst when it comes to facing the worst. The Bengals only beat their in state rivals by 12 points in their two meeting this season, and their three losses make you collectively shake your head. Home to Denver in Week 1 (Denver may not win another road game rest of the year), the loss at Home to Houston Week 6, and the Oakland loss 9 days ago. Detroit's next...watch out!

7. Jacksonville: Bad team that seems good. The Jaguars have been outscored 92-20 in their 3 losses versus the NFC West (ARI at home and the two road games at SEA and SF), and beat a one win Rams team by 3...at home...in overtime. They beat the Titans by 20 at home...and then lose to them by 17 4 weeks later on the road. Their winning record may be a product of a bad schedule.

6. Miami: Good team that seems bad. Sunday was their worst loss of the season, losing by 17 on the road in Buffalo. But A) they never win there and B) the score was tied in the 4th. The Dolphins, despite playing the AFC's Big 3 (NE, IND, SD), have been in almost every game. However, as is in a lot of cases, the year after a team has unexpected success, it gets balanced out with unexpected disappointment.

5. Young-Leinart II ends with Vince Young on top again. The now regular Titans QB took on the backup Cardinal QB in a great one. Leinart wasn't too bad with 220 yards and a steady game that kept his team in till the final gun. Yes, the final gun, when Vince Young would make the last play of the game finding a leaping Kenny Britt (From: Uh, Rutgers), for the game winning TD. VY had a career day, throwing for 389 yards, engineering a 99 yard drive in 2:30 minutes for the win, and oh yeah, winning his 9th straight start. The move that owner Bud Adams demanded earlier should have been done a while ago. At least the Titans, and maybe the Cards too, have solved their QB situation for beyond.

4. Houston sees their season tumble in just three weeks. In three straight divisional games, they have had the lead going into the 4th quarter, and ended up the 4th without the lead and without the W. This one hurts even more than the two games that they lost with Kris Bron FGs cause the Texans had the colts dead to rights in the first half. Up by 17 at one point in the half, up by 13 at halves end. Didn't matter. The Colts continue their winning streak with a 28 point second half, and now the streak is at 20 regular season games, and can tie the streak for longest regular season winning streak this Sunday versus Tennessee, winners of 5 straight.

3. No Ben, no problem! The Steelers and Ravens play another classic thanks to the mastery of one Steeler QB Dennis Dixon, owner of one NFL pass before the game, and Ray Rice, who has taken over the Darren Sproles memorial "Fastest Little Man in the NFL" role with a monster game of 150 All Purpose yards. Yet it was one bad play off of Dixon's hands that cost them the game. Paul Kruger of the Ravens caught that errand Dixon pass, and immediately put his team in FG range. The Ravens finally got one over Pittsburgh, made sure the Steelers didn't get a win without Big Ben, and now the Ravens and Steelers are in 6-5 mediocrity misery together.

2. Who is this team? The Patriots went to 1-4 on the road Monday, with a combination of Drew Brees lighting the secondary up like we're in Rockefeller Center, and the New England Patriots offensive game, becoming offensive in the 2nd half. Only letting Randy Moss get 3 catches, forcing Brady into 2 INT's and making the Patriots try to win the game on the ground? For a banged up Saints secondary, that's the answer to 11-0. Now the Patriots try to regain that late season magic, or their playoff appearance this year might me as meaningless as they thought this game was.

1. Speaking of the Saints, here's a way to keep pressure on an undefeated team: make them have to play for something till the end. The Saints are 11-0, the Vikings are 10-1. They may not lose again this season. For all the talk all the time on should teams put the pedal to the medal for the immortality of pulling a 72 Dolphins, look at it this way: the Saints have to. Just one loss by the Saints, and they will not be controlling their destiny anymore when it comes to home field advantage. What do they want for a possible NFC Title Game on Jan 24th? The friendly confines of the Superdome, or the even louder confines that are not so friendly of the team being helmed by Brett Favre? Thought so. See you next week.