College Football Week 2 picks

So I know I took last week off, but were ready to roll here in week 2 in which is a monster Saturday in the college football season, Here is 7 of 'em for this week this week, enjoy!!

#7 Oregon at Tennessee- While Tennessee had a good week last week, Oregon just couldn't stop scoring. With all the drama at Rocky Top this summer and some questions on D it will be tough to slow down much less stop a Oregon offense that put up 72 points a week ago. I don't see 72 on the board this week especially in an SEC environment but I do think it will be really difficult for the Vols to hold the Ducks under 30 which they will need to do to win. Rocky Top hangs with 'em but the Ducks offense is to much.
- Oregon 43 Tennessee 28

#23 West Virginia at Marshall- One thing that is certain in this game is neither team really cares for the other at all, an early season rivalry in the battle for West Virginia. Should this game shouldn't be an issue for West Virginia, but being a big rivalry game on the road it could be. West Virginia is very athletic on the offensive side of the ball which Marshall can't be to excited about after dealing with the Buckeye's offense last week. However the Mountaineers have problems on defense which they should be able to hide against a team that had 0 offensive points a week ago in the Horseshoe. However West Virginia's D is no where close to as good as the Buckeyes. Look for the Thundering Heard to thunder out of the gates before fatigue and the speed of the West Virgina offense takes over.
- West Virginia 38 Marshall 20

South Florida at Florida- An instate rivalry that is becoming more substantial with the growth of the Bulls football program. After bloopers everywhere and escaping with a win a week ago Florida better be really careful, because South Florida is a different animal than Miami Ohio. If the same Gator team shows up they will not escape with another W. That being said, is it realistic to think an Urban Meyer squad wont know what to do with a shotgun snap 2 weeks in a row? Uhh no, but I don't think the Gators will be....well the Gators we have come accustomed to. South Florida will give the Gators all they can handle and will be right there in the 4th.
- South Florida 24 Florida 30

#22 Georgia at #24 South Carolina- Georgia in this game without WR A.J. Green is in bigtime trouble!!! South Carolina looked like what people have been expecting for some time from Steve Spuriour. Georgia's D better come to play because they will need to shut down Garcia and the Cocks offense because I don't see them scoring that much without AJ Green against a D that stuffed a good offense in Southern Miss a week ago. South Carolina will be to much for AJ Greenless Georgia
-Georgia 13 South Carolina 28

#12 Miami at Ohio State- This game is just set up to be a thriller, a rematch of a former National Championship and Miami is still feeling the sting from that loss. Ohio State and Terrel Pryor are looking at a title run this year but the Canes would love nothing more than to quiet those hopes on Saturday. Miami a week ago was starting to look like the Miami's of the early 2000's, and I don't see a disappointment in the Shoe this week. Look for a 60 miniute thriller decided by a turnover.
- Miami 27 Ohio State 24

#17 Florida State at #10 Oklahoma- If the Sooners played any more of an opponent they would have gotten beat in week 1. I don't see Oklahoma being as good of a team as they were last year and Florida State has been looking better and better. The narrow escape from a week ago will turn into a loss in front of the home crowd to a Florida State team that is a dark horse, but its just the way they like it!!
- Florida State 31 Oklahoma 21

#18 Penn State vs #1 Alabama- No Mark Ingram no problem for the Crimson Tide, Joe Pa better have his boys in mid season form to have a shot Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Bama is to well rounded to loose at home, and Richardson is a pretty darn good running back in his own right. Julio Jones will have a huge game as Penn State had issues in the secondary week one and Bama should be able to exploit those. I just don't see Joe Pa's boys having the fire power to crash Alabama's party.
- Penn State 13 Alabama 31

Glory's Last Shot, Preview of the 2010 PGA Championship

The PGA Championship is commonly advertised as "glory's last shot" and it could not be more true than this week, we are still waiting to see if world #1 can win a golf tournament in 201o and this week is his last chance at a 2010 major. After a career worst finish a week ago Tiger has anything and everything but confidence, he hasn't been even close to what we have grown accustom to seeing from him. Tiger though has had an ability to at least tease us for a few days that he may win a major this year. At the Masters we were all waiting for a big run on Sunday and instead we got a 3 putt bogey on 14 ending his chances. At the US Open at Pebble Tiger made the California coastline shake on his back 9 on Saturday bolting into the top 4, then gave us a no show Sunday. At the British Open Tiger started with a solid, seemingly ho hum round of 5 under and hung on during tough playing conditions Friday but was not a factor during the weekend. With that being said I don't even think he's one of the favorites this week, he has yet to prove he can put a solid weekend together much less a tournament.
I do like Sergio Garcia this week, he played very well at the Brigestone Invitational and decent at the Greenbriar Classic. I know he hasn't won a major and since the '07 Open hasn't even been close, but Whistling Straits suits his game, he's fairly long off the tee and a fairly straight driver of the golf ball. Players that do that will make there lives much easier on there approach shots to these multi tiered greens. He also has what I refer to as competitive spunk, when he plays well he has that swagger, and if his putter allows he could hoist the trophy Sunday afternoon. The putter is the big key for him.
I also think we'll hear a lot from Ernie Els this week. He is currently leading in the FedEx Cup points race and has seemed to return to some of his younger glory days. He had a very solid showing at the US Open and had he played well would have won, Els is long and straight, but maybe most importantly he's been there before. The guy knows how to win a major and what it takes mentally to do it. Els has a great chance to have a very strong finish this week and if the putter is as good as the first 63 holes of the US Open he'll probably have another major Sunday afternoon.
For the first time in a while I think the favorite from the American front is not named Phil or Tiger. Instead its Jim Furyk, he to is playing solid golf as of late and coming of a good week at the Brigestone his grinding mentality is perfect for Whistling Straits. Of the tee Furyk is a constant drumbeat almost every time, about 300-315 off the tee right down the middle. He has a great short game and a lot of that is due to his mentality. His irons will be the "factor" for him this week, if he can consistently give himself looks at birdie and avoid unforced errors from the fairway he won't be outside the top 5.
There are also some sleepers that I think deserve being mentioned. I'll start with what may be the obvious, world #2 Phil Mickelson. He said in his press conference yesterday he has had arthritis issues and it was evident during the weekend of the Brigestone Invitational Phil was not Phil. He is also has the tendency like Tiger to spray it just about......well.....anywhere off the tee. I don't think a player like that will be able to survive this week especially one who is struggling with joint pain. Adam Scott is another guy to keep an eye on if he gets his putter performance remotely close to the other 13 clubs in the bag, the swing is there he just has struggled at putting the ball in the hole. Lee Westwood I still feel is not ready to break through to get a major title, he is to inconsistent and he has gone the opposite direction of Sergio in recent weeks and really struggled last week actually withdrawing. A young American that I like a lot is Ricky Fowler, he has a calm demeanor but has a fierce competitive fight in him that will serve him well in majors. He is not only pretty accurate off the tee but he hits it a pretty fair distance as well. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him in contention all week, he's one of those guys that has tons of talent and slides under the radar until he makes a major run at a title, for Fowler that run may very well be this week.
So lets all sit back and watch the final major year and see who will capture glory's last shot, and claim Ryder Cup points as captains will make there selections outside of the top 8 after the PGA tournament. Let the games begin in what is arguably one of the most wide open majors in recent memory.
- Kyle

Let the Madness begin

Ahhh one of the best times of the year to be a sports fan, March Madness, its the time of year where you expect the unexpected and we narrow down the whose in and whose out debate for the big dance. And if that weren't enough we through the 65 best teams in the country and let em play for a national championship! While some confrences are in progress of their conference tournament and others completted it offers opportunity for teams that were mediocre the entire year to make it to the dance. This year there are some familuar faces but ones that are not used to having to win a conference tournament to go dancing. North Carolina is probably at the top of that list, the defending national champs just got romped at arch rival Duke a night ago and are barely above the .500 mark for the year. Another familuar name that may be on the outside looking in is UConn they have played well as of late and many thought they would make it.......that was before a tabacle a night ago, now UConn has to make a major impression on the committe in the Big East tournament. This is also the time of year for the "little guys", there are some very very good basketball teams out there that few have heard about. In the Southern Conference alon there are 4 teams that have had 20+ win seasons. Anyone want to try and name em without lookin it up......yea thats what I thought. To save you the effort I'll tell you: Western Carolina is at 22-10 top wins: at Louisville, College of Charelston; Appalachian State 21-11 top wins: Western Carolina, Wofford; College of Charelston 21-10 top wins: North Carolina and Wofford; and Wofford top wins: Georgia and College of Charelston. Regardless of which one of those teams win the SoCon tourny look for them to win a game or two in the big dance. Winthrop won the Big South yet again and will look for NCAA tourny success something they are not unfamiluar with in recent years. So as we enter tourny time let the underdog surprise and cinderella dance, and lets see how the "big boys" handle the "little guys" Ahhh I love tournament basketball.
-Kyle

Catamounts look to claw there way back to the winning circle

The Catamounts return to the Ramsey Center Saturday in primetime to take on the Davidson Wildcats. Last time the Cats laced it up at home they lost to Appalachian State, and since they suffered a loss Elon on the road leaving the Cataqmounts in their first loosing skid of the year. Jake Robinson has continued his hot play and the Cats will need it again Saturday against a Davidson team who has done nothin but look better and better as the season progresses. This game is huge as far as momentum with the So Con tourny and a ticket to the Big Dance at stake. It is imparitive for the Catamounts to play 40 solid minutes of baskettball, they have played in runs as of late often allowing runs at ends of games as they did both games vs. App State. However Monday it was the opposite after a 23 point first half the Cats had 53 in the second but still comming up short. Western should use the Ramsay Center crowd to their advantage and I'd look for them to come out hot. Davidson will hang around all game and it will ultimatelly be decided in the last 5 miniutes of the game. Western has to be able to finish at a high level in order to end a 2 game skid. That being said I look for the seniors for the Catamounts to close the deal at home and get the Cats back on track.

Catamounts 84 Davidson 78

Let The Games Begin!!

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games have officially kicked off with the remarkable opening ceremony tonight. AND since we live in the great United States of America we should be rooting for our men and women every day. The olympic games are a spectacle not matched in any other sporting event. One of the few times the world's best atheletes get together and compete. Higlighting the American team is snowboarder Shawn White "aka" the flying tomato and speed skater Apollo Ohono. Ohono is the Usain Bolt of the ice and Shawn White does things that a human is just not supposed to be able to do. Ahh and then there is the hocky!!! Yes miracles do occur and with a strong feild all around the USA must bring their "A" game to pull out a gold medal but it can be done. So lets all sit back with our hot cocoa and LET THE GAMES BEGIN AND GO USA!!!!!!