The Franchises Of The American Football League

Posted by admin | Posted on 28-02-2011

Category : Region V

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The Franchises Of The American Football League

The American Football League was started in 1960 by professional football enthusiasts, many of whom had been denied ownership of National Football League franchises, and was set up to compete against the more established NFL. The league consisted of ten teams, though only eight were in the league from the start, and most of them were placed in cities that had no competing NFL franchise. In the beginning the AFL was not given much respect, but through displaying their on team talent and eventually proving themselves equal on the field, they earned the respect of pro football fans every where. There was decent parity in the league with six of the original eight franchises winning a league title during the AFL’s existence. Many of the teams experienced instability and many experienced long stretches of success, but in the end when it came time for the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, every AFL franchise was brought into the NFL and eventually proved themselves to be worthwhile additions.

The Boston Patriots
The Patriots spent their entire stay in the AFL as the Boston Patriots, not changing to their later and more famous name of the New England Patriots until 1971. During their AFL run, the Patriots called a number of fields their home fields. They started playing games at Nickerson Field and remained their for three years before spending their next six seasons as the football tenant of the famous Fenway Park, they then played their final season as a member of the AFL in Alumni Stadium at Harvard University. Though the Patriots did not win an AFL Championship and in fact finished the decade with a below .500 record, they were an important part of the league and after a long period of struggling have become one of the more successful franchises in the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills won back to back AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 and had a very successful run as members of the AFL. Despite their two championships, the Bills still managed to have a below .500 record over the course of their stay in the AFL. Despite this losing record, the Bills ownership was instrumental in the league being successful. The Bills, playing in War Memorial Stadium, were one of only two original AFL franchises to play their home games in the same stadium every year they were in the league. The Bills would go on to experience some early success in the NFL behind star running back O.J. Simpson, before struggling for a number of years. The Bills made their mark in the NFL in the early 1990′s with four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, although they did not win any of them.

The Cincinnati Bengals
An ownership group led by former Cleveland Browns founder and head coach Paul Brown was awarded an AFL expansion franchise in 1967. With the groundwork for the AFL-NFL merger already having been laid, Brown agreed to have his team join the AFL only after being assured it would be part of the merged league a few seasons later. The Bengals played both of their AFL season home games in Nippert Stadium and compiled a record of 7-20-1 during their two seasons in the league. After becoming part of the NFL, the Bengals would go on to struggle for a number of years before experiencing some success in the 1980′s, culminating in two losing Super Bowl appearances both at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Dallas Texans
The Dallas Texans were one the most successful AFL franchise during the league’s run, winning three championships and going 92-50-5 over ten seasons. Texans’ owner Lamar Hunt was instrumental in the founding of the AFL, which he largely pursued after being denied the chance to own an NFL team. The Texans won the third AFL Championship in a double overtime game against the two time championship winning Houston Oilers. The Texans shared the city of Dallas with their NFL counterpart the Cowboys, and after three seasons including a league championship, the Texans determined that the city couldn’t support two professional football teams. Looking for a team that he could commute to easily from Dallas, owner Lamar Hunt decided on Kansas City, the team would also be renamed the Chiefs. The Dallas Texans were one of two AFL teams to change their mascot (the other being the Titans/Jets) and also one of two AFL teams to change cities (the other being the Chargers). The Chiefs would experience great success in the AFL, eventually winning the final league championship (Super Bowl IV in 1969) before the AFL-NFL merger was completed. The Chiefs would go on to experience moderate success as full members of the NFL, though they would fall short of repeating the league championship winning ways of their AFL days.

The Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were one of the original franchises of the AFL in 1960. They were also the least successful of all of the AFL franchises, winning no championships and compiling a record of 39-97-4 during there years in the American Football League. The Broncos were the only original AFL franchise to not have a winning record during their time in the league. Despite this, the Broncos have gone on to become one of the more successful franchises following the merger of the two leagues. The Broncos first experienced success in the late 1970′s and experienced it again in the 1980′s. Their peak of success came in the late 1990′s when quarterback John Elway led them to two consecutive Super Bowl victories.

The Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers had a great start in the AFL, winning the championship in not only the league’s first year, but in the second year as well. They then lost the championship game in their third season in a double overtime game against the Dallas Texans that was at the time the longest professional football game ever played. The Oilers made a big splash early on by signing Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon out of Louisiana State University and it paid off for them. By the time of the AFL-NFL merger though the Oilers career record in the AFL was just three games over .500 (72-69-4). The Oilers also earned a distinction as the first professional football team to play its home games indoors when they moved into the Astrodome for the 1968 season after playing their home games in two different stadiums up to that point (Jeppesen Stadium from 1960-64 and Rice Stadium from 1965-67). After moving on into the NFL, the Oilers would go on to experience some success in the 1970′s behind running back Earl Campbell, and in the 1980′s behind quarterback Warren Moon, but wouldn’t make it back to a championship game until their loss to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.

The Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the more successful AFL franchises, winning one league champtionship and accumulating the second most victories in the league (behind only Dallas/Kansas City) while compiling a record of 88-51-6. After their first season in the league, the Chargers would move to San Diego where they continue to play today. The Chargers were led by quarterback John Hadl and wide receiver Lance Alworth and were coached their entire ten years in the AFL by hall of famer Sid Gillman. The Chargers would go into the NFL and experience success in the early 1980′s behind quarterback Dan Fouts, and also again in the early 1990′s under head coach Bobby Ross who they would make their first Super Bowl appearance under, only to lose to the San Francisco 49ers. The team would then experience a downturn in their success before rebounding back to become one of the premier teams in the league behind star running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

The Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins joined the AFL as an organization in 1965 when an expansion franchise was awarded to Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas (who would eventually sell his share of the team to Robbie). The Dolphins would play home games during their four years in the AFL in the famous Miami Orange Bowl. The Dolphins record in the AFL was a dismal 15-32-2 and this was corrected in their first year in the NFL when they replaced their head coach with future hall of famer and eventual all time winning head coach Don Shula. The Dolphins would go on to have the first undefeated season by a professional football team in 1972 winning every game all the way through the Super Bowl, a feat that through the 2007 season has yet to be duplicated.

The New York Titans
The New York Titans were one of the original AFL franchises in 1960 and one of only three franchises placed in a city where there was already an NFL franchise. The Titans were respectable during their first two seasons, but after a losing season in 1962 the team’s lack of community support almost saw it go into bankruptcy. The franchise was saved from such a fate by a change of ownership, and with this change of ownership came a change in the team name to the New York Jets. This transition saw other changes being made as well, future hall of famer Weeb Ewbank was hired as head coach and the team eventually moved from the Polo Grounds to Shea Stadium. The second half of the 1960′s saw the Jets experience great success culminating with an AFL Championship in 1969 and a shocking Super Bowl victory (guaranteed by quarterback Joe Namath) over the NFL’s Baltimore Colts. Following their inclusion in the NFL, the Jets would experience a predominantly unsuccessful existence. Though they have had strong teams and made the playoffs from time to time, they have yet to have a chance to win another league championship.

The Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were the last of the original AFL franchises to join the league in 1960. The first few years of the franchise’s existence were truly chaotic, and the circumstances that they entered the league under equaled that. An AFL franchise had been awarded to Minnesota, but after the initial AFL draft the owners of the unnamed Minnesota team instead opted to join the NFL. This left the AFL one team short and set them on the task of finding a replacement ownership group and city. The focus shifted to Oakland, California after the owners of the Chargers insisted on another west coast team being added to the league so it would ease the demands on their travel needs. Once Oakland was welcomed into the league they were awarded the rights to the players that the Minnesota organization had drafted. Oakland played their first four home games that first year at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, after that they received permission to play their last three home games in Candlestick Park also in San Francisco. They would later play games at Frank Youell Field before finally settling in at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. The Raiders would struggle early on both on the field and financially and were actually saved from going out of business by a loan from Ralph Wilson, the owner of the Buffalo Bills. The team’s fortunes turned around in 1963 under new head coach and general manager Al Davis. The Raiders would improve steadily and win the 1967 AFL Championship before moving on and losing Super Bowl II to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. The Raiders would fit right in with the NFL after the merger, winning one Super Bowl in the 1970′s and two in the 1980′s.

The American Football League of the 1960′s was the most successful challenger to the dominance of the National Football League, eventually forcing a merger that in the end made the combined league stronger and even more dominant than it had been. The AFL was innovative and forced the NFL to evolve into a more modern and exciting game. What made the new league a success was that the AFL was competitive in acquiring the players it needed, competitive in attracting the fan base it needed, and in the end when it won two of the first four Super Bowls, it proved itself competitive on the field as well.

Who has not admired the titans of soccer ? What youth has not dreamed of becoming a superstar? Everything you ought to know about kids soccer can be found in this little community. Soccer Mastermind is a site dedicated to the world of Soccer.


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Join the Coach with the Worst Job in College Football with University of Miami Football Tickets

Posted by admin | Posted on 10-02-2011

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Join the Coach with the Worst Job in College Football with University of Miami Football Tickets

Miami football tickets are always hard to find, and that’s because the Hurricanes have been one of the most dominant college football programs in the country over the past 20 – 25 years. Few teams can match the sizzling style of play, intensity and pure intimidation that the ‘Canes bring to the field every time out. Many an opponent has in effect lost the game before it started due to the aura of Miami.

However, that aura is in a downward cycle, and the piranhas are starting to turn their appetite towards their embattled coach. Larry Coker has done almost nothing but win since he took over for Butch Davis, and fans, students, alumni and boosters are starting to call for his ouster now that the team has gotten off to a bad start and finds itself out of the Top 25 for the first time in years.

There are several reasons, therefore, that of all the “big-time” college football jobs out there, Miami’s is the worst of the lot. No one goes to Miami and is set for life, as is the case for programs like Notre Dame, USC and Nebraska if a winning tradition is established. There are several reasons for this reality, and we’ll examine them below.

Expectations

No school, not even Notre Dame, puts the same level of expectations into their football team that they do at Miami. The Hurricanes have won five national championships, and basically, any year that doesn’t conclude with another national championship trophy is considered a failure. Although the team has always been very good, this all started with Howard Schnellenberger’s teams of the 1980′s and the tradition they established. This tradition was continued with the likes of Jimmy Johnson, who brought home his share of hardware as well.

Fans

Although Miami football tickets are always snapped up, the program is in some ways a victim of its own fervent fans, as this group is always ready to create a loud and intimidating environment, but they’re also quick to turn when things go bad. Simply put, the fans have become spoiled with winning, and any coach who doesn’t meet their expectations is run out of town on a rail. No one cried when Dennis Erickson left for the NFL, and all he did was win a national championship and post the highest winning percentage by a Miami coach in history.

National Disdain

Given all the winning Miami has done and the program’s “bad boy” image, college football fans around the country generally like to watch Miami lose. The team is disliked for its reputation of being brash and over-the-top with its confidence, and the Hurricanes are known to dance on an opposing team’s logo before the start of a road game.

This reputation generally rubs off on the coach, which is why Johnson, Davis, Erickson and now Coker are generally not seen as popular figures. It’s always been an “us against the world” mentality in Coral Gables, so when the Hurricane’s own fan base turns on the coach, he has nowhere to turn for support.

This is why Johnson, Erickson and Davis all left after establishing a winning tradition, and no coach has stayed at Miami for more than six seasons. The coaches burn out, and that’s also an unspoken tradition at Miami. They all know that they have to continue to help pump up demand for Miami football tickets and merchandise, and even a loss or two can drive them to the edge. This is why Miami’s job is the worst in college football, and Larry Coker may be the latest coach to realize just that.

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Get Ready to Handicap Some Football

Posted by admin | Posted on 01-02-2011

Category : Region V

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Get Ready to Handicap Some Football

Now is a perfect time to start football sports handicapping. Sure we are a long way from opening day but there have been many changes to NFL teams everywhere. Now is a good time to look back see which coaches changed teams or just left the game. Players have been traded and their will be teams will completely different styles of play coming this fall.

Before I get started talking about the new coaching changes let me say that in order to consistently win money handicapping football you need to follow a football betting system. Whatever you do this coming season please follow a system based on valid statistics and trends. Do not just bet your favorite teams and bet against the teams you dislike. Alright now let’s talk some about some coaching changes.

Unless you live under a rock you are probably well aware that the Washington Redskins fired Jim Zorn, hired Mike Shanahan and traded for Donovan McNabb. Former Redskin QB Jason Campbell is now an Oakland Raider. This is old news now, some like it, some say doesn’t matter. The one thing is for sure that at the Washington Redskins will get plenty of coverage and are major topic so far of many sports talk shows. Personally, I love this move but what I want to emphasize is since this move has gotten so much media attention we tend to overlook the other coaching changes.

Did you realize that 2 other teams have new coaches as well? Maybe you are aware that the Seattle Seahawks fired Jim Mora replacing him with Pete Carroll from University of Southern California. Most speculated that Carroll would leave college football for the NFL someday so this was not a shocker. It is sad that Jim Mora only got one season as head coach with the Seahawks however the decision to clean house was made as the Seahawks also have a new GM in John Schneider. The life of an NFL coach is not always easy nor is it fair.

The last team to change coaches is the Buffalo Bills. This one you may not be aware of as this is third coach in the last year and you may just not care to follow it anymore. You may recall Dick Jauron was head coach the start of last season. He was fired from that position on November 17, 2009 as the bills were just 3-6 and not looking like a playoff team. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell was named interim head coach. The Bills finished the season 6-10. Fewell was replaced with Chan Gailey. Gailey’s last job was offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was dismissed from that position last August just 2 weeks before opening day. Before that he was the head coach at Georgia Tech. where he went 44-33 before being fired in 2007. Before that you probably remember him most as the Dallas Cowboys head coach. He went 18-14 as Cowboys head coach and was fired at the end of the season in 1999. With some of the well know coaching names out there I was surprised to the Bills hire Gailey. Funny, the Bills seem to always hire either unknown coaches or coaches who are at the end of their career. Bill Cowher would have been an awesome move for the Bills, oh well.

There you have it, the coaching changes for the 2010 NFL season. Not that many change’s this off season but all should have great impacts on their prospective teams. I personally like to pay close attention to teams with new coached to see what changes are being made with the roster and assistant coaches. I expect much change for all 3 teams.

Troy Powers is a 20 year resident of Las Vegas an avid sports better. He does use and fully recommends following a Football Betting System.


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NCAA Football – Oklahoma Sooners defeat Connecticut on Fiesta Bowl 2011

Posted by admin | Posted on 29-01-2011

Category : Region IV

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NCAA Football – Oklahoma Sooners defeat Connecticut on Fiesta Bowl 2011

The University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona is a well-known field for the Oklahoma Sooners. They now the town, they now the locker rooms, they know the tunnel that leads to the field. They have been there a couple of times; they just haven’t been able to win this thing for a long time. As a matter of fact, the last time the Sooners won the Fiesta Bowl was back in 1976 when they defeated Wyoming. That all came to an end on Saturday during the 2011 Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners brought in their A-game into the desert and crushed the UConn Huskies by 48-20. The Sooners offensive was simply brilliant and despite putting on a good fight in their first ever Fiesta Bowls, The Sooners where too much of a team for the Huskies that went home without the title. The Oklahoma Sooners where 5-0 in BCS Bowls before they made their trip to Arizona to face Connecticut, a team that at 8-5 for the season and coming from the Big East, had struggled to pull itself into the 2011 Fiesta Bowl. Taking a look back at what had happened during the previous trips to the BCS Bowls, Oklahoma couldn’t help to get that “here we go again feeling”. Let’s take a quick look at the numbers for a second. In 2009 the Oklahoma Sooners had the privilege to play for the BCS National Championship Bowl against the Florida. The Gator won by 24-14 in this exciting game. The year before that, the Sooners faced WVU in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. The West Virginia Mountaineers put on a baffling 48-28 upset against the Sooners. In 2007 the Sooners will again take a go at the Fiesta Bowl. For the first time in many years, the Sooners would take a chance to win the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, but the Boise State Broncos proved to be a stronger team and defeated the Sooners in an intense 43-42 smack down. Before that it was the 2005 Orange Bowl. The Sooners were playing the USC Trojans and despite holding on a great season record, the No.1 ranked team in the nation, the Trojans, won the game 19-55. In 2004 the Oklahoma Sooners played the Sugar Bowls against LSU. Head Coach Nick Saban and the Tigers took an important 14-21 win over the Sooners. So yes, that was 0-5 for the Sooners in BCS Bowls and that was certainly hurting not only the fans but head coach Bob Stoops as he had been in front of the Sooners every one of those failing years. The Sooners remembered all these games before they played UConn on Saturday. And they made the Huskies pay. The Sooners quarterback, Landry Jones, finally emerged from under the shadow of Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and played out an extraordinary game. He went for a school-bowl record 429 yards completing 34 of 49 for three touchdowns and one interception. It’s got to feel good to finally live to its expectations. In 2007 and 2008 the Sooners arrived to Arizona as the favorite. They left a bit embarrassed and disappointed. This time around, the Sooners took the win back to Norman, Oklahoma where thousands of fans where waiting for them.

Stephen Lars is a prominent sports blogger and currently covers NCAA Football, previews and handicaps for the BetIAS’ Sports Betting Blog . You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.


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Handicapping 2010 NFL Football Season, the Coaching Changes

Posted by admin | Posted on 23-01-2011

Category : Region V

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Handicapping 2010 NFL Football Season, the Coaching Changes

This should be another great year of NFL football as there is much to get excited about. The first things I want to make sure everyone is aware of are the new head coaching changes. First, in Buffalo Chan Gailey in now the head coach. His last football job was offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs but was let go just weeks before the start of the 2009 season. You probably are more familiar with Gailey as the head college football coach for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He was there for 6 seasons and appeared in a bowl game every one of those seasons. He also was the Dallas Cowboys head coach for 2 season from 1998-1999.

He was not the Bills first choice as they really wanted to hire Bill Cowher but settled for Gailey. The Bills have been stagnating for quite some time with not only inconsistency by missing the playoff but also juggling quarterbacks. Good luck to coach Gailey.

Now off to Seattle as the Seahawks have a new coach in Pete Carroll. Gone is Jim Mora and in is former coach of the University of Southern California Trojans. Carroll has been rumored every year to make the move to the NFL and finally he did. The Seahawks were underachievers last season yet still have enough talent to compete in the NFC West Division. Carroll is no stranger as a NFL head coach as he previously was the head coach for the New York Jets and the New England Patriots. It has been awhile since Carroll was in the NFL but he should fit right in with the Seahawks.

Now at last the final head coaching change is in the nation’s capital as the Washington Redskins now have Mike Shanahan as their head coach. You had to know that Shanahan was going to coach again and coach soon. He spent 14 seasons as the Denver Broncos head coach and won 2 super bowls. Parlay this with Redskins owner Dan Snyder making key player moves like acquiring Donovan NcNabb should make the Redskins a playoff team this coming season. I am very interested to see how the Redskins perform this season more than any other team. They are definitely committed to making a playoff run and the excitement this brings has my eyes on them.

To wrap things up, there are only 3 head coaching changes for the 2010 season. All are well known head coaches and should have success. As for me I predict the Redskins will not only get tremendous attention this coming season but will win their division. I know its way too early for that talk but the NFL football excitement has begun.

For more insight on handicapping the NFL, be sure to visit my site. Also remember the start of NFL preseason is August 8, 2010 with the Hall of Fame games in Canton, OH.

Troy Powers is a long Las Vegas Sports handicapper who recommends that you follow a football betting system for this 2010 NFL season.


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Running backs to watch for your Weekly Fantasy Football League

Posted by admin | Posted on 19-01-2011

Category : Region V

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Running backs to watch for your Weekly Fantasy Football League

Running backs to watch for your Weekly Fantasy Football League A star running back can be the key to a winning Weekly Fantasy Football team. Knowing who is hot, or who could break out is paramount to your team success. Keep a close watch on these players they may be the difference between winning and losing this season.

1.) Beanie Wells running back-Arizona Cardinals This second year running back had a solid rookie season, but its too bad the Cardinals backfield is crowded with other talented backs. Wells has the most upside of any back on the Cardinals roster and its up to him and the offensive coordinator to realize his vast potential. He rushed for 793 yards in 2009, he can get that in his sleep when healthy. Something all people into NFL betting need to remember.

2.) Michael Turner running back-Atlanta Falcons Unlike Wells, Turner has no competition in terms of natural talent at his position on the Falcons roster. Turner rushed for under 1,000 yards in 2009, but now that he is entering his third year in the Falcons offensive system its time for all the hype about him to come to pass. Turner has been a heck of a complement to star QB Matt Ryan and the 2010 should and it better be the year Turner returns to the form of 2008 when he gained almost 1,700 yards on the ground.

3.) Chester Taylor running back-Chicago Bears With fellow running back Matt Forte taking the brunt of the carries in the Bears offense, Taylor (like he did in Minnesota) could hurt defenses who are more worried about Jay Cutler’s right arm and Forte’s running talents.

4.) Reggie Bush running back-New Orleans Saints It has got to get to Bush to hear the media and fans to already deem him a bust (even back in 2008), the 2010 has to be that platform where Bush shows the world the real Reggie Bush that showed his delicious talents from 1999-2005 at helix High School and the University of Southern California.

5.) Felix Jones running back-Dallas Cowboys This complementary back is already one of the more exciting players in the NFL. When he gets into the open field, see you later pal! Are you ready for some Weekly Fantasy Football action? Head over to www.fantasyfactor.com the home of weekly and daily fantasy sports.

Fantasy factor offers the best weekly fantasy football league around. It is founded by fantasy sports experts and had the best bonuses and prizes over. Play fantasy football now!


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College Football Wrap-Up Week 5 – Only a Baker’s Dozen of Teams Still Remain Undefeated

Posted by admin | Posted on 19-01-2011

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College Football Wrap-Up Week 5 – Only a Baker’s Dozen of Teams Still Remain Undefeated

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

Only 13 among the 120 major teams remain undefeated after the 5th week of a 16-week college football season. They are Florida, Texas, Alabama, LSU, Boise State, Cincinnati, TCU, Iowa, Kansas, Auburn, South Florida, Missouri and Wisconsin.

On the flip side, only 7 teams have yet to win a game–Rice, New Mexico, Eastern Michigan, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky and Miami (OH). So, with tongue in cheek, 20 teams still have perfect records–13 are excellent and 7 are terrible.

Considering that most teams are now playing a 12-game season, we have passed the one-third mark to the finish. Many fans may have thought that Virginia Tech, USC, Ohio State, BYU, Oklahoma and even Mississippi might still be unbeaten. Not so.

The biggest upset of the week belonged to the 123rd-ranked University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners who outlasted and outplayed the 12th-ranked Houston Cougars, 58-41, in a barn-burner of competitive excitement. With the score tied at 17 in the first half, Houston quit too early as UTEP won the 2nd half 41-24.

Coach Mike Price’s Miners could only muster 53 yards of total offense in losing 64-7 to 2nd-ranked Texas last week on-the-road, but arose from the humiliation to amass 581 yards of offense at home. Donald Buckram picked up 262 yards rushing and scored 4 TDs. UTEP really found its mojo in the second half, putting 20 points on the board in the 3rd quarter and 21 in the 4th.

Houston’s high-powered offense—led by quarterback Case Keenum with 536 passing yards and 5 touchdowns—could not keep up with UTEP on the scoreboard. The loss was the Cougars’ first after scoring 55, 45 and 29 points in their first 3 victories; unfortunately, this was bound to happen because Houston has 11 players on defense, they just don’t play good defense, giving up an average of 32 points per game.

If Houston coach Kevin Sumlin ever decides to hire a good defensive coordinator and recruit some defensive players, Houston will become a much more important player against quality competition.

The second biggest upset saw 17th-ranked Miami (FL) get over last week’s 31-7 away loss to 6th-ranked Virginia Tech by returning home to beat 8th-ranked Oklahoma 21-20. The Hurricanes led 21-17 after 3 quarters and managed to hold the Sooners to a field goal in the last quarter to win.

Unranked Michigan State, which has looked terrible with 3 losses in the last 3 weeks, defended its turf successfully by upending 22nd-ranked Michigan 26-20 in overtime. The loss was the first for the Wolverines, who were behind 10-6 at the half but managed to send the game into OT at 20-20. The Spartans’ true freshman tailback Larry Caper scampered 23 yards, eluding at least 2 tacklers on the way, to score the winning touchdown for Michigan State.

Whoever said it’s so hard to win victories on the road forgot to tell the majority of quality teams. Of the 12 ranked teams playing away games this week, only 3–Oklahoma, Houston and Michigan–lost while 9 won. The winners included:

Third-ranked Alabama beat Kentucky 38-20; 4th-ranked LSU needed two touchdowns in the last 2:53 of the game to nip 18th-ranked Georgia 20-13; and 6th-ranked Virginia Tech managed to get by a 97th-ranked Duke team 34-26, a very unimpressive victory despite being on-the-road. Giving up 26 points to Duke is like taking your sister to the senior prom. Seventh-ranked Southern California ripped apart the 24th-ranked California Bears, 30-3; the Bears seem to fold every season, and sometimes even this early.

Ninth-ranked Ohio State traveled to Indiana and won 33-14. Apparently they still play football at Indiana, but with the Hoosiers, it is sometimes hard to tell. Tenth-ranked Cincinnati got by 150th-ranked and winless (you read it right) Miami of OH, 37-13. Another less than impressive performance by a highly-ranked team. Fifteenth-ranked Penn State beat 85th-ranked Illinois 35-17; at least the Nittany Lions were not playing a 1-AA school this week.

Twenty-first-ranked Mississippi, the most-hyped new “good” team of the season, put down 77th-ranked Vanderbilt, 23-7; the score was 23-7 after the 3rd quarter, both teams decided to walk through the 4th quarter, saving some energy for party-time later. Twenty-fifth-ranked Georgia Tech beat Mississippi State 42-31, showing that Top 25 teams can give up way too many points to an opponent and still win with very little effectiveness on the defensive side of the ball.

Five other ranked teams scored home victories. They included 11th-ranked TCU over 117th-ranked SMU 39-14; 16th-ranked Oregon over inept, hapless 101st-ranked Washington State, 52-6—Oregon led 42-0 at the half, showered early and still won by 46; and 20th-ranked BYU had an unimpressive win over 119th-ranked Utah State 35-17.

Fifth-ranked Boise State notched a ridiculous 34-16 victory over 139th-ranked, 1-AA University of California at Davis (UC Davis), another part of the Broncos’ cream puff (some say powder puff) schedule. The 13th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, who upset 5th-ranked Penn State 21-10 in an away game last week, had the feared letdown and just got by 125th-ranked Arkansas State, 24-21. The Hawkeye defense, apparently plumb tuckered out from their effort at Happy Valley, let Arkansas State score 14 points in the last quarter to make it too close. Without a 4th quarter field goal, Iowa would have gone into overtime.

Three unranked teams went 5-0 in their bid to get into the AP Top 25 Poll. They included Wisconsin on-the-road over Minnesota 31-28, South Florida on-the-road over 95th-ranked Syracuse 34-20, and Auburn over Tennessee 26-22.

Eight other 4-1 unranked teams continued to win. Notre Dame had to go to overtime at home to turn back Washington, 37-30, marking the 3rd consecutive game that the Fighting Irish have won in the last 60 seconds. They don’t call the Irish lucky for nothing. Idaho, ranked 89th, beat visiting Colorado State, ranked 62nd, 31-29. Boston College beat Florida State 28-21 at home.

Pittsburgh traveled to Louisville and won 35-10; the Central Michigan Chippewas traveled to Buffalo and beat the 127th-ranked Bulls 20-13; South Carolina won at home over 158th-ranked, in-state rival 1-AA South Carolina State 38-14; and Tulsa traveled to Rice and beat the inept, hapless, winless Owls 27-10. Owls don’t eat rice, they are just apparently called the Rice Owls; maybe they are smart birds who don’t win a lot.

Stanford also beat visiting UCLA 24-16 to go 4-1.

Six Top 25 teams were idle this week—No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Texas, No. 12 Oklahoma State, No. 16 Kansas, No. 23 Missouri and No. 24 Nebraska.

Check out “Ed Bagley’s Top 25 Poll” for Week 5—you get rankings plus humor.
“College Football Wrap-Up – Week 4 – 7 Upsets Turn Top 25 Poll Into a Scramble With Few Survivors”
“College Football – The Sagarin Ratings – What They Are, How to Read Them & What to Do With Them”
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Oklahoma Sooners Football Tickets – See The Most Unexpected Bcs Team Live

Posted by admin | Posted on 14-01-2011

Category : Region IV

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Oklahoma Sooners Football Tickets – See The Most Unexpected Bcs Team Live

Oklahoma Sooners football tickets are always in demand in and around Norman, but the 2006 season carried expectations as low as any season in recent history. The Sooners suffered one crushing loss before the season began, and suffered two more once the season started. However, the Sooners are once again in a BCS bowl game, and almost no one expected this. It’s a credit to the coaching ability of Bob Stoops, and other factors are also responsible for this surprisingly successful season. We’ll examine the reasons for this great season below, and Sooner nation will once again be out in full force in January.

Obstacles Presented

The Sooners seemed to be destined for a disappointing season even before fall practice got into full swing. QB Rhett Bomar, a returning starter and a player many expected to be among the nation’s elite, was kicked off the team after it was discovered that he accepted money for what amounted to a “no-show” job, as it was alleged. Not only did the Sooners apparently lack depth at the position, but given the timing of this potential disaster, the team was basically put in a very difficult position on offense.

Two other serious problems arose during the season. The first was a highly-controversial loss to Oregon, which occurred when officials basically botched a late-game call that all-but handed the Ducks a victory. The Sooners play a challenging non-conference schedule with regularity, and this loss angered everyone from the coach to the president of the university, and it was quietly acknowledged by many that the Sooners had been robbed in that game.

Finally, the Sooners’ superstar, RB Adrian Peterson, was lost to injury when he broke his collarbone diving into the end zone after another of his patented scintillating runs. Peterson was the most feared offensive player in the Big 12, and perhaps the country, and most teams simply don’t overcome a loss like that and continue to win. Although Oklahoma Sooners football tickets are always hard to find, Peterson by himself was the reason many fans came out to see Oklahoma play.

Perseverance

As a credit to the program, each of these obstacles was met and handled with aplomb. New QB Paul Thompson, who had been expected to play WR this season, grew into his new position with what appears to be excellent coaching. Thompson has thrown for almost 2,500 yards and 20 TD’s, and finished the regular season with a QB rating of 144.56. If that isn’t great coaching, then there’s no such thing.

The Sooners also refused to fold after the Oregon debacle, even though they did suffer a tough loss to Texas two weeks later, and were sitting with a mediocre 3-2 record as of October 8. Many teams would simply fold at that point, but all Oklahoma has done since is run the table, including wins over three ranked teams and a Big 12 title. Again, credit needs to go to the coaching staff for this continued focus.

Finally, the loss of Peterson did not ruin the season. New starter Allen Patrick has racked up 700 yards in only about half a season, and he has kept the running game at Oklahoma churning. Included in his body of work are games where he rushed for 173 yards at Texas A&M and 163 yards at Oklahoma State. The result is teams still have to fear Oklahoma’s running game.

Results

The results speak for themselves. Oklahoma finds itself once again in a BCS bowl game with an 11-2 record, and a date with undefeated Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. This is perhaps Stoops’ best coaching job, and Oklahoma Sooners football tickets are going to be impossible to find for yet another big-time bowl game.

Written by Jay Nault, sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/ . StubHub sells Oklahoma Sooners football tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and more to just about any event in the world.


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2010 USC Football Predictions

Posted by admin | Posted on 11-01-2011

Category : Region V

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2010 USC Football Predictions

Pete Carroll had a marvelous nine-year run at the University of Southern California.  During his stay, the program won 83.6 percent of its games (97-19).  With Carroll leaving for the NFL, and with the NCAA cracking down on the program, it will be up to new head coach Lane Kiffin to ensure that USC remains one of college football’s elite.  Kiffin did well at Tennessee a season ago, so there is reason to believe he can do even better with a more talented USC squad.  After failing to win a Pac-1o title for the first time since 2001, and now unable to win a recognized Pac-10 title in 2010 (due to NCAA sanctions), Kiffin should have no problem making sure his team enters the season with a big chip on its shoulder.

Offense: I expect USC to improve on the 26.5 points per game it averaged in 2009, and I expect it to do so with a dominant running attack. USC ranked No. 4 in the Pac-10 in rushing offense last season, averaging 166.8 yards per game on the ground. While that is a respectable figure, I believe this offense is capable of doing even more damage on the dirt. An offensive line unit which returns plenty of talent will be ready to open up plenty of holes for tailback Allen Bradford. Bradford rushed for 668 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Highly touted freshman Dillon Baxter will provide a nice change of pace. Establishing the running game will allow talented second-year quarterback Matt Barkley to thrive. Barkley threw for 2,735 yards and 15 touchdowns with 14 interceptions in his freshman campaign. The experience he gained in 2009 should allow him to cut down on the mistakes in 2010. Ronald Johnson, who is coming off a 34-catch season, figures to be Barkley’s go-to wide receiver.

Defense: The 2008 USC defense proved to be a tough act to follow as the 2009 version allowed three different opponents to score 36 or more points. In fact, no USC defensive unit allowed that many points in any of the previous three seasons. The good news is that USC still led the Pac-10 in scoring defense last season, and more improvement is expected to be on the way. Defensive guru Monte Kiffin has plenty of talent to work with, especially in the front seven where tackle Jerrell Casey and linebacker Malcolm Smith are players to watch. Smith is the team’s top returning tackler, tallying 72 stops last season. There are some questions in the secondary, but the return of strong cover corner Shareece Wright, who was ineligible in 2009, gives this unit a much-needed boost. All in all, I expect a much more organized and consistent defense in 2010.

Prediction: 1st Pac-10 – I don’t expect motivation to be an issue as this proud program with tons of top tier recruits looks to rebound from a down season by its high standards.  With nothing to play for but bragging rights, USC will make every game count.  Be sure to check out my 2010 PAC 10 football predictions to see how I have the rest of the league playing out.

Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks are here to help you crush the college football odds this season!

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Texas A&m Aggies College Football Tickets Available

Posted by admin | Posted on 29-12-2010

Category : Region IV

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Texas A&m Aggies College Football Tickets Available

Texas A&M University is represented by the Texas A&M Aggies football team, or the Texas Aggies. They are a Division 1 college football team. Since their inception in 1996, the Aggies have competed in the South Division of the Big 12 conference. Their home games have been played at Kyle Field, a stadium with an outdoor seating capacity of 83,002. Their current head coach is former NFL coach Mike Sherman.
From 1894 until 1902, the Aggies were independent from an conference affiliations before they joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1903. This lasted until 1908, wherein they once again became independent from 1909 until 1911. This was an on-off affiliation with the SIAA, until they joined the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1913. From 1915 until 1995, they have been part of the Southwest Conference. From 1996 until the present, they are part of the South Division Big 12 Conference.

Championships and Accomplishments

The Texas A&M Aggies football squad has earned one National championship title and 19 conference titles since their initial joining as a charter member of the Southwest Conference in 1915. Texas A&M recognizes only the national title of 1939, but retroactive polls have awarded them titles in 1917, 1919 and 1927.

Texas A&M Aggies football has become one to mark history, as their 1921 game between the University of Texas was the first ever live, play by play broadcast of a college football game.
The 1980?s and the 1990?s marked as one of the more shining moments in Texas A&M Football history as several of their players went on to become named as part of the All-American squad.

The lone Texas A&M player to have won the prestigious Heisman trophy is John David Crow, who has won the award way back 1957 who has lead the team to an 8-3 record and a stunning Gator bowl berth against Tennessee.

Current Quarterbacks in the Roster
Tommy Dorman, Jerrod Johnson, Stephen McGee, Ryan Tannehill

Texas A&M Recent News

Texas A&M fans are in for their money?s worth as some of the team?s key player are being honored for their achievements in the field. Just recently, A&M junior defensive back Jordan Peterson has been named to the ESPN The Magazine All District 6 Football Team. He has been named by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Being names All District now makes Peterson a candidate for the Academic All American football team. Peterson carries a 3.8 grade point average, while also becoming a two time academic all Big 12 selection. In his three seasons with the Aggies, he has compiled 74 tackles, made four interceptions and broken up 14 other passes. He has been a starter for 17 games with the Aggies.

Another A&M footballer, Cyrus Gray, the A&M Running Back, has just recently earned Big 12 Player of the week honors and a Special Team Player of the Week awards. This is after rolling up a school record of 261 kickoff return yards, and not to mention 98 yard touchdown, the first kick off return score for the during the intense showdown between Oklahoma. Fellow Longhorn Trent Hunter also received a Big 12 Defensive accolade after posting in 17 tackles in his debut against Army last September.

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