300 No More?

In a sport where everyone is measured by numbers and statistics, one number that we may not be seeing a lot of is 300, in regards to wins for pitchers. As of today there is one less pitcher with 300 wins as hitters with 500 home runs. These two exclusive clubs are what players can measure themselves against as to whether they can punch their hall of fame tickets. The only problem is that with less and less pitchers staying healthy and getting more than 30 starts a year, the 300 win club will not be growing anytime soon.

Tom Glavine won his 300th game in 2007 to become the 23rd player ever, and 12th since 1941. Also in 2007, three players hit their 500th home runs to keep the lists equal at 23, and Manny Ramirez’s 500th a few weeks back made in 24 total. The main difference will now be seen post-2007 as the 500 Home Run club will continue to climb, where as the 300 Win Club may stay at 23 for a long, long time. In 2008 we already have Manny and there may be another as Gary Sheffield had 480 entering this season. If Randy Johnson doesn’t win 16 games this season, which seems pretty impossible considering he’s already been on the DL we may never see another 300 game winner again. Don’t believe me, then keep reading and check this out.

Between 1888, when the first pitcher reached 300 wins (Pud Galvin), and 1924 there were 11 pitchers to get to 300 wins. There are countless factors as to why more players reached the milestone before the 30’s but two main ones that stick out are the 3 and 4 man rotations and lack of relief pitchers. Most pitchers started over 40 games a season, and ended almost every game they began as relief pitchers were almost non-existent.

A pitcher needs 20 seasons of 15 wins to get to 300, a feat that was for the most part more simple before 1930. Many teams are moving their starting pitchers along slowly in the organization with limitations on innings pitched which leads to less decisions for pitchers before the age of 23. Also we have seen the importance of the "specialized relief pitcher" that leads to pitchers not pitching deep into games like we used to see. Take a look at the last 12 pitchers to reach 300 wins.



The 12 pitchers on that list had an average age of 41.2 years and notched their 300th win in their 19.42 season. That means a pitcher needs over 15 wins a season for more than 19 seasons and start pitching while they are 21 years of age. The closest to 300 wins right now are Randy Johnson who started the season with 284 and is 44 years old. Following on the list of pitchers active this season are Jamie Moyer (230/45), Kenny Rogers (210/43), Pedro Martinez (209/36), John Smoltz (207/41), and Andy Pettite (201/14). All these pitchers are at the end of their careers and not including Pettite and Martinez, may not pitch past this season. As for Martinez, he would need 5 seasons of 15 wins to reach the mark, and Pettite would need 6 seasons of 16 wins, plus another 4 wins.

Beyond those pitchers, most pitchers are averaging around 110 wins at their 30th birthday and would need almost 200 wins after the age of 30 to get to 300. If we ever do see another 300 game winner it will not be for a long time as no active pitcher started this season with total wins between 136-201. While we will be seeing many, many more 500 home-run hitters, it could be 15, 20, maybe more years until another 300 game winner as the MLB moves further away from pitchers finishing games and getting enough starts.

J-E-T-S NO! NO! NO!

Every year when the NFL draft gets near, I like to watch one of my favorite youtube clips which chronicles some of the worst draft selections in Jets history:



Although it is a bit torturous to rehash some of the most embarrassing moments of the franchise I love so dearly, it's worth it every time just to hear Mel Kiper Jr. utter disgustingly, "It's clear the NY Jets just don't know what the draft process is all about".

The draft itself is certainly over hyped, just as the expected production from the players drafted is too high. Thousands of mock drafts, projected trades and college talent evaluations start the day after the superbowl. It's obviously more fun for the bad teams, because they presumably will be getting the "star" talent. But for every Peyton Manning drafted, there is a Ryan Leaf. For every Emmitt Smith, there is a Blair Thomas. Here is a brief history about some of the Jets draft picks over the past 25 years:

Lam Jones over Art Monk
Al Toon over Jerry Rice
Blair Thomas over Emmit Smith
Ken O’Brien over Dan Marino
Kyle Brady over Warren Sapp
Bryan Thomas over Ed Reed

You may be asking yourself who the players on the left side of that list are, while being very impressed with the Hall of Fame players on the right. That doesn’t even take into account that the Jets held the #1 overall pick Peyton Manning's junior year. Peyton decided to go back for one more year, leaving the Jets with MeShawn "Throw Me the Damn Ball" Johnson.

The NFL draft can be fun, exciting, surprising and sometimes excruciating. No matter what the outcome after the draft happens, it provides every team and fan base with the ultimate equalizer: hope.

Even though many of the Jets picks probably won't pan out, you can bet I'll be pumped with the people they chose, talking myself into their "upside" and how they fill a major hole or address important depth. The draft gives fans new players to root for, and occasionally some underdogs who make the team and can become a fan favorite (See: Superbowl Hero WR David Tyree, 6th round pick). For all its faults, the draft serves the common good of getting people fired up to root for their favorite NFL team again. You can count on me firing up that YouTube video, grabbing some chips, beer and plopping on the couch all Saturday to watch the 2008 NFL Draft with my equally pathetic cousin.

On second thought...

J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!

Baseball Boogie

Extra Innings

Some leftover thoughts from today's show, because 1 hour just isn't enough for the world of sports every week. If you haven't listened yet, check out The B Zone, and you can listen to old shows by clicking the Podcast link. Also you can join our group and check out our page under The B Zone.

-If you weren't listening, we discussed the World of Sports as always, but we had a show first today. Our first caller, Tood Weil, called to discuss a little baseball and some surprise teams like his Marlins, and Mark's Orioles. But it is early and things will change, I am sure of it. Don't sweat it Detroit fans.

-I wanted to talk a little about The Masters because Tiger Woods is peaking in his golf career, and is doing things in sports that may never happen again. It is hard to not root for Tiger, as in my opinion it's easy to root for greatness. Tiger Woods is at a level above any other golfer, and although everyone knows he is good, he really is one of a kind. It is Masters week, so a few random thoughts.

-There are 2 great things about The Masters that make it unique and a great tournament.

1. The Champions Dinner- All the players who have won a Green Jacket go to a dinner on the Wednesday before The Masters tee's off and eat together. Only the winners are allowed, and the winner from last year picks the menu, what a great idea. I would love to see a 30 minute ESPN special on what went on at that dinner.
2. The Champions Locker Room- There are 2 separate locker rooms at The Masters, one for the golfers who have won a Green Jacket, and one for all the other golfers. I can not even imagine how great the Champions Locker Room is, and all old winners are allowed in that locker room for the rest of their lives. This idea should flow into other sports somehow.

-You have to pick Tiger Woods this weekend, and I am looking forward to watching him dominate and continue to do things that we have never seen in sports. I am rooting for him to win The Grand Slam this season, and I expect a 5 or 6 shot victory at Augusta.

-Finally, we started a weekly segment on the show, listening to Major League Baseball team's old videos that are a perfect 10 on the unintentional comedy scale. After watching these videos you have to wonder what the marketing people were thinking, and how ridiculous the songs are. This week in honor of the best MLB team right now, the Baltimore Orioles, enjoy Orioles Magic...




Also, from last weeks show we played And We Said Lets Go Mets by Lucas Prata from the 2006 Mets season. A little longer than Orioles Magic, but it is totally worth the watch, as watching the video is 10 times better than just listening to it.
And we say...Lets Go Mets!




Keep reading the blog, and there will be another baseball post later this week, and keep listening to the The B Zone at http://community.hearnewbrunswick.com/ .

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Late March and early April is arguably the best sports time for so many reasons. For me and so many other sports fans, their bracket is shot and they can focus on Major League Baseball. Opening day for MLB is like another holiday for most people, as fans across the country cut out of work early to watch their team's opening game with a chance of this being their year (not including the Marlins, Giants, Orioles or Royals). As a tribute to the 2008 MLB Season I will be giving my MLB predictions and relate each team to a Seinfeld term. So without further ado here is the 2008 MLB Season Preview, Seinfeld Style.

The Senior Circuit

NL East
New York Mets
The Portuguese Waitress- Although none of the players on the Mets are Portuguese, they do have a ridiculous amount of Latino players which could lead to great things. With a lot of them hurt right now, it may be tough for them with the Phils close behind.

Philadelphia Phillies
The Muffin Tops- Without the bottom of a muffin, the muffin just isn't that good. The best lineup in the NL, the muffin top, is nothing without pitching, muffin bottom.

Atlanta Braves
Sidler- The team that always comes out of no where when you're not paying attention and slip real close to you and the division lead. If the Mets and Phils don't play well, they may be sidled by the Braves.

Washington Nationals
The tap- What a girl gives the guy when he isn't performing. Or what Manny Acta will be doing a lot when he is pulling a pitcher out of the game after getting bombed.

Florida Marlins
Not that there's anything wrong with that- The Marlins have built up a great team and won a World Series title twice. Each time they firesale and find a way to keep being good. Not this year, but be on the look out in the near future if history tells the truth.

NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Upstairs Invite- It has been 100 years since their last World Series title, and their fans continue to get excited each season, just to be pushed off the ledge at season's end.

Milwaukee Brewers
Close talker- They have some great young hitters, and some great starting pitching but they are a few years away from being great. If the Cubs fail early look for the Brew Crew to make a push.

St. Louis Cardinals
Bizarro Jerry- This could be a weird year for a team that is used to winning a lot. La Russa is a great manager but he has his hands full with this years team. I think Pujols and Wainwright will carry the team, but not that far even in this crappy division.

Cincinnati Reds
The low talker- A team no one really talks about every year, but there is always some expert calling them a sleeper pick. Is this their sleeper year? Probably not and we probably won't even hear about it.

Houston Astros
Must lie situation- This could be an awful season for the 'Stros as it seems as though they have a lot of former HGH or 'Roid users who can't play well. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jay Gibbons in a Houston uni soon.

Pittsburgh Pirates
A Show about Nothing- I legitimately feel bad for anyone who is a Pirates fan. A team with nothing to look forward to.

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
They're real and they're spectacular- With Andruw Jones and a healthy Rafael Furcal leading this young group of great players they could easily make a run in the playoffs. They also have one of the most underrated pitching staffs, and if Brad Penny learns how to pitch in the 2nd half of the season, he will win the Cy Young award.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Master of his Domain- Many experts are picking them in the West, for good reason with Webb and Haren leading the DBacks strong pitching staff. Very similar to the Dodgers with their young players, it should be a great race all season long.

Colorado Rockies
Shmoopie- The team that everyone is sick of hearing about, and is annoying to watch. They needed an imaginable 22 out of 23 wins to make the playoffs, and rode the biggest momentum wave in the playoffs, and all we had to hear was how good they were. I don't think they're that good.

San Diego Padres
Shrinkage- When people get old they get smaller, and this Padres team is getting old, beginning with the ageless wonder Greg Maddux. The Padres play in such a pitcher friendly park that if they stay healthy they may do alright, but their lack of power is a big issue.

San Francisco Giants
In the vault- Easily the worse team in the NL. With all of Bonds's things in the vault and a weird combination of old crappy guys and young rookies without experience it will be a long year in San Fran. :-)

The Junior Circuit

AL East
Boston Red Sox
The 'it' girl- They've won 2 out of the last 4 World Series titles, and they only lost 3 players from last year's team. Picking against them is tough, they are the class of baseball right now, no question about that.

New York Yankees
Yada, yada, yada- Living in the NY area I am already sick hearing about Yankee Stadium and the Yankees. They will have the same season they always have with everyone doubting them and then they do well and make the playoffs. I am bored just writing this paragraph.

Tampa Bay Rays
The switch- Equipped with a new name and a group of young players to be jealous about I am jumping on the Raywagon. They finally will end up in the top 3 of the AL East, which is a good start.

Toronto Blue Jays
It's not you, it's me- Actually for the Jays its the opposite, it's no me, it's you. With the Sox and Yanks ahead of them, they will never be better then 3rd place no matter how hard they try. Sorry Canada, but thanks for trying.

Baltimore Orioles
Assman- Actually it is 'Assmen' when referring to the entire team. Still a few years away from being a legitimate baseball team in the league. Sorry Mark but you are the Assman.

AL Central
Detroit Tigers
Festivus- Who doesn't love the Tigers, for good reason. They are loaded this year and will be partying all the way to the World Series, but will they win? Keep reading.

Chicago White Sox
The Soup Nazi- Referring to their manager Ozzie Guillen, who is crazy and can go off at anytime. They have an older team, but they can all hit well and I think will surprise some teams in the AL, especially the next team on the list.

Cleveland Indians
These pretzels are making me thirsty.- The Indians are a weird team who could be great, or who could be awful it matters which part of the team you talk about. 2 great starting pitchers, and 3 question marks. 3 good hitters, 6 questions marks, and a lot of injuries to boot. I guess it matters how you talk about them to understand the team.

Minnesota Twins
Bad breaker upper- Giving up Santana was inevitable, as the state of Minnesota loses another franchise player to a great team. The city of Minneapolis is used to these bad break ups, but the guys they have left aren't half bad, just watch. The starting pitching on the other hand is half bad and half awful.

Kansas City Royals
Vomit Streak- The Pittsburgh Pirates of the AL, as the fans of KC may want to vomit when they watch their team again.

AL West
Seattle Mariners
Giddyup- The Mariners have the best starting rotation in the Majors and are ready to make it big this year. They do have some questionable hitters, but I think they are all ready to have a great season led by Ichiro who will have a ridiculously good year.

The Angels of Anaheim
Sponge worthy- The Angels are definitely a great team as they show every year, but I just think they are not going to have a great season. Worthy of everyone talking about them being good, but they can't play with the Mariners this season.

Oakland Athletics
Regifting- What the A's do every few years, by building up their farm system with great players then not paying them and trading them. Getting gifts, then regifting them to all the other teams to use in the future. Sucks to be an A's fan right now.

Texas Rangers
The Jerkstore- Not a lot of potential for the Rangers who have a bunch of crappy players who will try and contend in a stacked AL. They may not be jerks, but they do have a lot of bad players.


Playoffs
Opening the Vault

NLDS
Mets over Cubs
Dodgers over Phillies

ALDS
Red Sox over Mariners
Tigers over Yankees

NLCS
Dodgers over Mets

ALCS
Tigers over Red Sox

World Series
Dodgers over Tigers

"Hey, you've been great, I'll see you in the cafeteria!"

CP3 for MVP

It took me awhile, but I've officially jumped on the Chris Paul for MVP bandwagon.


There is a lot of talk that this is Kobe's year (which it probably is),but there is a strong movement for Chris Paul happening before our eyes. That is the eyes of the 12 people who still watch and care about the NBA. Not only does CP3 have his team in 1st place in the ultra-competitive west after a 20 assist, 1 turnover (1 turnover!!!!!!) performance last night, but he is putting in one of the best all around seasons for a point guard ever at the ripe old age of 22. Checkout this table I put together comparing some of the best seasons by the best point guards in the history of the NBA. Keep in mind all of these players are either in the Hall of Fame, or on their way there.



Looking at the average of all those seasons, even with the inflated statistics from the early 70's, Chris Paul compares favorably. He is nearly identical in points and assists, with a better turnover and steal rate. Since the all-star break Paul has been even more amazing. He's averaging 24 points on 54% shooting with 12.5 assists a game with only 2.15 turnovers a game. That's a full turnover and a half better than most of the best seasons of the best PG's ever!

Kobe will probably win the award because he's never won the MVP before, and he really should have one. But Chris Paul could go down as having the best season for a point guard in the history of the game, even without the MVP to show for it.

Yo, how's your bracket?

That is the question on everyone's mind right now, as the wild first and second rounds concluded with some surprises, and hell of a lot of close games. We would like to thank Jon Leonard again for coming on the radio show this week to discuss the bracket, and for all those Jon Leonard fans out there, he will be back very soon.

With 48 games out of the way, the tourney is looking to be another great one, as we still have all four #1 seeds remaining, and 2 out of 4 #2 seeds advancing to the Sweet 16. Here are a few thoughts of mine from the tournament so far.

Looking Good
- First and foremost UNC looks better than advertised. Unquestionably they were the best team of the first weekend, and are deserving of the #1 overall seed. But now the hard part comes for them, with Washington St and the Louisville/Tennessee winner.
- Staying in the East bracket, Louisville is looking worthy of the hype of the final four sleeper tag, but now they face the Volunteers in what should be a great game.
- Stephen Curry is the real deal, and has scored 70 points in two games, and has had huge 2nd halves in both their upset wins. It looks like Davidson is this years George Mason.
- The Lopez twins at Stanford are each contributing what they do best, as Robin has 8 blocks in two games, and Brook Lopez scored 30, including the game winner against Marquette.
- West Virginia beat 2 tough teams in Arizona and Duke, and did so without playing 2 great halves in either game. It does show that a good shooting team can get hot and win.

Won 2 games, but...
- UCLA and Memphis moved on after sweating out wins against Texas A&M and Mississippi State respectively. Memphis's foul shooting obviously was a weakness as it allowed MSU to stay in the game late, and a good team will definitely take advantage of them. UCLA looked good down the stretch against A&M, but they struggled to score points, and that good be a weakness.
- Tennessee and Texas both had trouble late in their 2nd round match ups as they allowed their opponents to come back and almost win.
- Stanford's coach Trent Johnson got thrown out of the game early against Marquette, and he avoided a full year of getting crap for it by being bailed out by the Lopez twins. Note to coaches, do not get thrown out in the tournament, coaches are important in the tourney.
- All the teams who are fouling when winning at the end of the game need a lesson in what to do when winning. A lot of close games in the first 2 rounds won despite their pitiful play at the end of games. Now the teams are better, and won't fade at the end.

Wednesday at 7-8pm look out for a new The B Zone where we will give some MLB predictions, and follow up with our good calls and bad calls in the tourney from last weeks show, because everyone should be accountable for their awful tourney comments.

This is why Duke sucks..

Here's a couple quick videos to checkout before we get started with the Tourney talk on the Wednesday show.

We'll be having a special guest host for Wednesday's March Madness preview. Check it out at Click Radio on Wed. 7-8pm.



Since it's St. Patties Day here is everyone's favorite Irish themed youtube video:

Where the gold at?

Seeds Prediction

With the NCAA Tournament selections being announced in under 1 hour, I figured I would give me predictions, and then come back on Monday with a follow up column. So for now here are my seeding predictions for the Tourney.

#1
UNC
Kansas
Memphis
UCLA

#2
Georgetown
Tennessee
Texas
Wisconsin

#3
Duke
Stanford
Butler
Drake

#4
Xavier
Clemson
Vanderbilt
Pittsburgh

#5
UCONN
Lousiville
Purdue
Davidson

#6
Notre Dame
Indiana
Michigan St.
Washington St.

#7
Gonzaga
Arkansas
BYU
UNLV

#8
West Virginia
Marquette
Kent State
St. Mary's

#9
Oklahoma
Miami (FL)
Mississippi St.
San Diego

#10
USC
Western Kentucky
Texas A&M
Kansas St.

#11
South Alabama
Villanova
Baylor
Temple

#12
Arizona
Illinois St.
Kentucky
Oregon

#13
Georgia
George Mason
Siena
Cal St. Fullerton

#14
Cornell
Boise St.
American
Oral Roberts

#15
UMBC
Winthrop
Austin Peay
Portland St.

#16
Mississippi Valley St.
Mount Saint Mary's
Coppin State
Belmont
UT Arlington

I'll be back Monday to see how I did, and with a little appetizer for the radio show on Wednesday.

Random Quotes

The B Zone blog is back! My esteemed colleague Tim and I are going to try and update the blog every Monday and Friday in conjunction with our new radio show on Wednesdays 7-8pm on http://community.hearnewbrunswick.com/

I don't have much to say before the weekend so here are some some humorous quotes either about sports, or by people in sports:

“We don't need refs, but I guess white guys need something to do.”
--Charles Barkley

"We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. As general manager, I just can't figure out where else to play."
-- Pat Williams, Orlando Magic general manager, on his team's 7-27 record

“He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings.”
-- University of Houston WR Torrin Polk on his coach John Jenkins

"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
--Joe Theismann

"I've won at every level, except college and pro."
--Shaquille O'Neal, on his lack of championships

“They say a tie is like kissing your sister. I guess that is better than kissing your brother.”
-- Lou Holtz

"I'm tellin' ya man, to be able to stroke it like that must be some kind of feeling."
-- Dick Vitale on J.J. Redick's ability to hit 3s

"I'll tell you right now, I'm going to make some mistakes ... I'm not a genius. There are only a couple of coaches in this league that are geniuses, and I'm not one."
-- Jets coach Herman Edwards

"When you're rich, you don't write checks. Straight cash, homey."
-- Randy Moss

"I've got to stop this. My entourages are getting entourages."
-- Jalen Rose, on the trouble finding tickets for everyone when he returns to Detroit

"There are two ways to argue with a woman, and neither of them work."
-- Carlos Boozer after cancelling an interview with a Sports Illustrated reporter because his wife was expecting him home.

"I would rather die in an abandoned building, by myself and my family not know anything, than play for him."
-- Shannon Sharpe on Tom Coughlin

"I feel 10 times better than I felt my last season, in terms of passion and fire. I got my dog back, in African-American language, your dog meaning your passion, your fire."
-- Deion Sanders

"I'm tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok."
-- Shaquille O'Neal

"Arousal-control has been an issue for me since the beginning of my career."
-- Bode Miller

"If someone saw me in the shower, they'd never think I was on the juice."
-- Jason Schmidt

"You didn't write a story about my Hall of Fame induction. You guys never report the good stuff that I do."
-- Albert Belle, who has never been inducted into the Hall, on his recent stalking charge

"In some way, Jerome [Bettis] has touched every person on this team."
-- Hines Ward

"They should have focused more on me."
-- Sebastian Telfair of the Portland Trailblazers, giving his opinion of the ESPN documentary "Through the Fire" about ... him

"I may not be a class act, but I'm an American."
-- Ron Artest on wanting to play for the Olympic team

"I had an awful first quarter but I picked it up. To all you single guys out there, it's not how you start the date, it's how you finish the date."
-- Shaquille O'Neal after dropping 30 points in a win over the Knicks on Saturday

"Wells Fargo will contribute $5,000 to the 49ers Foundation to help under-served youth in the Bay Area for every 49ers touchdown scored this season. [Pause] There's going to be a lot of sad kids."
-- Joe Starkey, 49ers radio broadcaster

"By the time we got [to Detroit], it was almost 2 in the morning, because ain't nothing open but hospitals, jails and legs."
-- Jalen Rose

"Bud Light."
-- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter when asked to name his favorite pitcher.

"The sun has been there for 500, 600 years ... "
-- Mets outfielder Mike Cameron, after teammate Carlos Beltran lost a ball in the sun against the Dodgers

"Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never."
-- Rafael Palmeiro, recently suspended for using steroids, in his opening statement to Congress

"You're not going to play for me if you don't put out."
-- Mets manager Willie Randolph

" I like my beers cold and my homosexuals flaming."
--Tim Bozzone

And my personal favorite:

“The only bowl Rutgers is going to is the one I just got off of.”
--Former Boston College star QB Glenn Foley addressing a question posed to him about Rutgers bowl chances after beating the Scarlet Knights 37-20 in 1992

I wasn't really sure how to end my first blog post, so I'll leave Sam Cassell's E.T. like expression as an ending:

The Sony Computer Entertainment of America Bowl Preview Part IV

The final week of the NCAA Season is now upon us, and the higher ups of College Football can not be happy with what's going on in the most recent Bowl games. If the point of the BCS was to determine 1 winner at the end of the season, then this year it may have missed the point. There are a few trends that have been ongoing throughout this Bowl season, that can't be overlooked:

• Trend #1- Teams with interim coaches are having issues. So far 5 of 6 teams that have fired their coach before their bowl game have lost. The only won that won, was Michigan who allowed Lloyd Carr to coach the game. So, teams with interim coaches are 0-5 this Bowl season with West Virginia still to go
• Trend #2- The Big East is 1-2 so far, with West Virginia and Rutgers still to play. South Florida did not show up against Oregon, and UCONN couldn't get past Wake Forest. It is very possible that the Big East will finish the Bowl season 1-4.
• Trend #3- Teams that were snubbed of the BCS Championship Game are winning, and doing it quite convincingly. Missouri didn't even get a BCS bid, and killed Arkansas 38-7, USC handled Illinois easily, and Georgia shut up all the Hawaii lovers, including myself, with a perfect game against the Warriors. Oklahoma is the only team left that was has a legitimate case for a National Championship, and they play tonight.
• Trend #4- The SEC is the dominate conference as they have shown all season, with a record of 6-2. Their only losses were by Arkansas which fell into 2 of the other 3 above mentioned trends, and Florida who was outplayed by the most up and down team ever, Michigan. LSU is the only SEC team left to play, and they are favored to win the National Championship.
• Trend #5- After watching dozens of Bowl games, and 2 BCS games, the final 3 BCS Bowl Games will have a running time of over 4 hours.

With all that being said, here are my predictions for the final group of Bowl Games. After going 7-5 on the New Year's Eve and Day Bowls, my record is now 12-14, and with 5 games to go, I need a good last few games to finish above .500.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
West Virginia vs. Oklahoma
Wed. Jan. 2nd 8pm FOX @Glendale, AZ
This game features 2 teams that have a bone to pick with different people, and are out to prove something. Oklahoma wants to prove they should have been in the BCS Championship Game, and that they also want to get the bad taste out of their mouth from last years Boise St. game. West Virginia on the other hand is out to prove they can come together as one, after their coach Rich Rodriguez left them. Oklahoma will put the game in the hands of their Freshman QB Sam Bradford who threw 34 TDs this season to lead the Sooners. West Virginia will rely on their three headed running monster with Steve Slaton, Pat White, and up and coming Freshman Noel Devine. In the end I will continue to following the aforementioned trends of the Bowl Season. My prediction: Oklahoma 38 West Virginia 27.

Fedex Orange Bowl
Kansas vs. Virginia Tech
Thur. Jan 3rd 8pm FOX @Miami, FL
In my opinion this is the worst of all the BCS Match ups, but both of these teams have something to prove. VA Tech has been overlooked ever since the final BCS standings were put out. In reality they are the #3 ranked team behind Ohio St and LSU, and may be on the cusp of a split National Championship if they win convincingly. Kansas has had a remarkable season, and are out to prove they were the right team chosen for this game, over Missouri. I am sticking to my original opinion, that Kansas is severely overrated. The Hokies have been forgotten a lot this season, but they have a great defense, and coach Frank Beamer will definitely have them ready to go. My prediction: Virginia Tech 31 Kansas 17.

International Bowl
Rutgers vs. Ball State
Sat. Jan 5th 12pm ESPN2 @Toronto, Canada
This bowl is pretty boring for the casual college football fan, but for people in Central Jersey this is a pretty big deal. Rutgers is entering their 3rd straight Bowl, and although they would have liked more than to be in a bowl in Canada, they will be ready to go for this one. Ray Rice is an NFL ready running back, who will put on a show against Ball St. For Ball State, they are led by their QB Nate Davis who passed for over 3300 yards, leading Ball State to a 7-5 record. My prediction: Rutgers 34 Ball State 21.

GMAC Bowl
Bowling Green vs. Tulsa
Sun. Jan. 6th 8pm ESPN @Mobile, AL
If the International Bowl is a boring bowl, this is a snoozefest. For some reason this game is being played the night before the Championship Game, and after the First Round of the NFL Playoffs. I don't know much about this game, but Tulsa has a very explosive offense led by Senior QB Paul Smith, and I'm pretty sure no one is going to be watching this game. My prediction: Tulsa 55 Bowling Green 38.


Allstate BCS National Championship Game
#2 LSU vs. #1 Ohio State
Mon. Jan. 7th 8pm FOX @New Orleans, LA
The only game of the 32 Bowl schedule that matters, and it may not even be against the 2 best teams in the country. Instead of complaining though everyone will be watching the conclusion to a crazy and unpredictable College Football Season. LSU is everyones favorite, and with their physical defense and capable offense they deserve it. LSU has athletes at almost every position, but they will need QB Matt Flynn to lead them them to victory if they are going to win. Ohio St. let up only 2 rushing TDs all season, and if you're into great defensive teams, the Buckeyes are your team. If Beanie Wells can get going for Ohio State, they will have a good chance of taking down the Tigers for the National Championship. I just hope this game is close and watchable, unlike last seasons Championship stinker. Ohio State is looking to not become the 2nd team to lose the BCS Championship Game for 2 straight years, and LSU is looking to continue the SEC's 3-0 record in these games. My prediction: LSU 24 Ohio State 20.


4th and Goal
Finally here are my predictions for the NFL Wild Card Round. Seattle over Washington in a boring low scoring game. Jacksonville over Pittsburgh, with Fred Taylor running for 2 TDs and 150 yards. Giants over Tampa Bay, because I will be rooting for Eli to finally win a playoff game. San Diego over Tennessee, Vince Young just isn't that great, and Tomlinson is.