American League Predictions

AL EAST

1. Tampa Bay Rays

2. Boston Red Sox (Wildcard)

3. New York Yankees

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central

1. Minnesota Twins

2. Kansas City Royals

3. Cleveland Indians

4. Chicago White Sox

5. Detroit Tigers

AL West

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2. Texas Rangers

3. Oakland A's

4. Seattle Mariners

PLAYOFFS

First Round- Tampa Bay defeats Cleveland, Boston defeats Los Angeles

Second Round- Boston defeats Tampa Bay

They're In It To Win It

Back on December 3rd, the North Carolina Tar Heels hammered the Michigan State Spartans 98-63. That game took place at Ford Field in Detroit, the same location of the National Championship game tomorrow, which just so happens to feature Michigan State against North Carolina.

If critics of the Spartans want to point to that 35 point loss as a reason why Michigan State will not win the National Championship, they better think again. These Spartans are an entirely different team. In their December battle with the Tar Heels, Michigan State center Goran Suton did not play. Point guard Kalin Lucas struggled, scoring only 6 points to go with 5 assists in the game. In fact, the Spartans only had two players score in double-figures, Raymar Morgan and Chris Allen.

Now, the Spartans are rolling on all cylinders. They have Suton back, who has averaged 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds this season. They have the Big Ten Player of the Year in Kalin Lucas, who scored 21 points with 5 assists in Michigan State's Final Four victory over UConn yesterday. The Spartans have also gotten much more consistency from a slew of players, like Morgan (10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Allen (8.5 ppg), guard Durrell Summers (8.5 ppg), forward Delvin Roe (5.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Travis Walton (5.2 ppg, 3.2 apg), and forward Marquise Gray (3.2 ppg). They are a much deeper, and more consistent team than they were in December, and a dangerous threat to a team that most people have already appointed the National Champions in North Carolina.

If that is not enough, Michigan State has the intangibles to pull off the upset. Tom Izzo, the coach of the Spartans, has led Michigan State to the most Final Four appearances this decade. Izzo is tournament-tested and is as tough and cool as any coach in the nation. He will have Michigan State ready for revenge Monday night.

Also, Ford Field is a mere 92 miles away from East Lansing, Michigan State's campus location. If the crowd noise in the Michigan State-UConn game is any indication of how loud it will be on Monday, North Carolina will be facing another very tough obstacle. While most people expect Michigan State to just roll over for North Carolina like they did in December, the Spartans should make this a very entertaining National Championship game at the very least, and they may have just enough momentum, consistency, and toughness to pull the upset.

Bluegrass Is Pretty Green

So for John Calipari, bluegrass is apparently greener than the fields of Memphis , Tennessee . On the outside looking in, the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program is a gem. Kentucky has won the most basketball games of any program in the entire country and their seven National Championships are second only to UCLA. The Wildcats record of 1988-631-1 also gives them the highest winning percentage in the history of college basketball. They have two stars currently on their roster in guard Jodie Meeks (23.7 ppg) and forward Patrick Patterson (17.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg). However, when looking past that, one can see a program that is currently in shambles.

Kentucky had no one else average in double figures besides Meeks and Patterson. The past four seasons, the Wildcats have gone a combined 84-52, reaching the NCAA Tournament in three of those years, but as no higher than a #8 seed. Not even fired coach Billy Gillespie could help Kentucky . Gillespie took just one season to turn the 6-24 UTEP Miners into a 24-8 NCAA Tournament team. Gillespie did the same thing in his three years at Texas A&M, reaching the NCAA Tournament in his final two years with the Aggies, giving the school its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. However, at Kentucky , players refused to buy into Gillespie’s style of play, and because of that, the Wildcats did not play up to their full potential.

Why is John Calipari leaving a great situation at Memphis for the dysfunctional Kentucky Wildcats? Calipari reached the National Championship game last year, and his Memphis Tigers have not lost a Conference USA game for the past three years. Calipari has also recruited three ESPN Top 100 recruits to play at Memphis next season. In comparison, Kentucky has just one lined up. Calipari is leaving stability and success, and taking the huge risk of coaching in the pressure cooker known as Kentucky basketball. Sure, he has the coaching ability to revitalize the Kentucky program and return it to its glory days. However, it will not be easy and Calipari may soon yearn for everything he had at Memphis .

Goodbye, Curt

Curt Schilling has stepped off a Major League mound for the last time. After 216 victories, Schilling decided to call it quits earlier today. Many people debate whether Schilling is Hall-Of-Fame-Worthy but that should not even be a question. In five years, Curt Schilling deserves a plaque in Cooperstown .

Schilling deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame for not only everything he accomplished in the regular season, but also in the postseason. His 216 victories, 3.46 ERA, and3116 strikeouts, put him on the border of Hall of Fame pitcher or just a plain old good pitcher. What pushes Schilling onto the Hall of Fame pitcher side of the border is the way he pitched when October rolled around.

Curt Schilling is arguably the most dominant postseason pitcher of all-time. Schilling finished 11-2 in the postseason, the best record of any pitcher in MLB history with at least 10 decisions. Schilling also had a 2.23 ERA, and 120 strikeouts in 133.1 innings. Not only does Schilling have great numbers, but he was an integral part of three World Series Championship teams (2001 with Arizona , 2004 and 2007 with Boston ).

Curt Schilling will always be remembered as a big game pitcher, a title he earned throughout his 20 Major League seasons. Schilling won four games in the 2001 postseason to give Arizona its first ever World Series title. In 2004, Schilling turned in two of the most heroic performances of all-time, pitching on a loose tendon in his right ankle to win Game 6 of the Red Sox epic 3-0 series comeback against the New York Yankees. Five days later, Schilling won Game 2 of the World Series to help give the Red Sox their first World Series title in 86 years.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame remembers the greatest players to ever play the game of baseball. Curt Schilling has earned the right to be on that list because he was simply a winner. There should be no debate about whether Schilling deserves to have a plaque in Cooperstown . He was not just a good pitcher, he was great. In five years, Schilling should be able to add a Hall of Fame induction onto the list of everything he has accomplished in his baseball career.

Found Their Groove?

With 18:15 remaining in their first round NCAA Tournament game against the American Eagles, the Villanova Wildcats trailed 45-31. From that point on, the Wildcats have gone into another gear, first outscoring American 49-22 to win 80-67, and then dismantling the UCLA Bruins, a Final Four team the past three seasons, 89-69.

The difference between the Villanova Wildcats of the first 21 minutes and 45 seconds of the NCAA Tournament and the Villanova Wildcats through the next 68 minutes and 15 seconds is immense. Villanova settled for jump shots and struggled throughout the first half against American. However, ever since that 45-31 deficit against American, Villanova has attacked the basket, resulting in more high-percentage shots, and turned up the pressure on defense, allowing the Wildcats to create more turnovers. Villanova needs to continue doing those two things in order to beat Duke and Pittsburgh to advance to the Final Four.

With an extremely talented roster and a very good coach in Jay Wright, Villanova has a legitimate shot at reaching the Final Four in Detroit. However, they need to continue working the ball inside to Dante Cunningham (25 points, 7 rebounds against AU, 18 points, 10 rebounds against UCLA), which in turn will create more oppurtunities for Scottie Reynolds (9.5 ppg in Tourney), Dwayne Anderson (17.5 ppg), and Corey Fisher (12 ppg) to contribute. The Wildcats also cannot afford to slack off on defense. With their pressure D, 'Nova has forced 32 turnovers in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Jay Wright's squad is a major threat to Duke and Pittsburgh if it continues to play the same way it has since that 45-31 deficit.

Don't Sleep On 'Em

One sleeper in this year’s NCAA Tournament has to be the Missouri Tigers. There is a lot to like about Coach Mike Anderson’s squad. The Tigers are the epitome of a team effort in winning games. Only two players, forwards Demare Carrol (16.8 ppg) and Leo Lyons (14.2 ppg) average double figures in points each night. However, Mizzou’s style of pressing throughout the entire game has worn down opponents. The Tigers give up just 66.5 points per game while scoring an average of 81.1 each night.

Missouri will pose a serious threat to Number 1 seed Connecticut and Number 2 seed Memphis in the West regional. For a team that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2002, the Tigers have made serious strides to become an annual contender. Their dream season has featured wins over tournament-bound USC, California , Oklahoma State , Texas , Kansas , and Oklahoma . UConn, who will be without guard AJ Price for the entire tournament, and Memphis , which starts a freshman point guard in Tyreke Evans, need to be ready for the pressing Tigers. If they don’t, they will be watching Mike Anderson’s squad in the Final Four instead of playing in it.

The NLCS

On Thursday night, the National League Championship Series will begin at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Philadelphia Phillies with Derrick Lowe throwing for the Dodgers and Cole Hamels starting for the Phillies. Both of these teams are very hot right now. However, here the advantages each team has.

Catcher: The Phillies catching duo of Chris Coste and Carlos Ruiz is dependable both behind the plate and in the batter's box. However, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin is a budding superstar. He is excellent behind the plate, a very good base runner, and a very good hitter. In the postseason, this has shown. Martin is hitting .308 with a .357 OBP, a .769 SLG, 1 home run, and 5 RBIs. Meanwhile, Ruiz is hitting .071 with a .133 OBP, a .071 SLG, 0 homers, and 0 RBIs. Coste has yet to get an at-bat this postseason for Philadelphia. EDGE: Dodgers

First Base: Both these teams trot out very different players to this position every game. Ryan Howard (.251, 48, 146, .339, .543) of the Phillies is a pure power hitter, bringing along a subpar glove on defense. For the Dodgers, James Loney (.280, 13, 80, .338, .434) delivers little power, but he is a good average hitter and is a very good defensive player. Loney has struggled this postseason after hitting just .214 with a .500 SLG, 0 home runs and 1 RBI. Howard has also struggled this postseason after an unbelievably hot September, as he is hitting just .182 with a .438 OBP, a .273 SLG, o home runs, and 1 RBI. Still, Howard is the much more dangerous hitter and the Dodgers pitchers will certainly be pitching around him this series. EDGE: Phillies

Second Base: Jeff Kent (.280, 12, 59 .327, .418), the Dodgers second baseman, was once a great player, but now his best days are behind him. The Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (.292, 33, 104, .380, .535), the reigning NL MVP, had another excellent season this year. Kent has just one postseason at-bat thus far, and is o for 1. Utley has also struggled, hitting .133 with a .235 OBP, a .200 SLG, o home runs, and 2 RBIs. However, like Howard, he is a very dangerous hitter and the Dodger pitchers will likely pitch around him most of the series. If both Utley and Howard get hot, this series will take a huge turn in favor of the Phils. EDGE: Phillies

Third Base: Neither team sports a lineup changing third baseman. However, Casey Blake (.274, 21, 81, .345, .463) of Los Angeles had a much better season than Philadelphia's Pedro Feliz (.249, 14, 58, .302, .402). This has continued into the playoffs. Feliz is hitting just .233 with a .308 SLG, and 1 RBI. Blake is hitting .273 with a .333 OBP, a .273 SLG, and 2 RBIs. While neither team has a strong third baseman, the Dodgers have the better of the two. EDGE: Dodgers

Shortstop: Both teams have their best all-around player at the shortstop position. After playing in just 36 games during the regular season due to injury, Rafael Furcal is finally back in the lineup for the Dodgers. For the Phillies, Jimmy Rollins (.277, 11, 59, .349, .437) is coming off a year in which he played most of the season hurt. However, when healthy, these two players are two of the best shortstops in baseball. Both have been hot in the postseason, with Rollins hitting .375 with a .412 OBP, a .688 SLG, 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 stolen base, and Furcal hitting .333 with a .467 OBP, a .333 SLG, and 2 RBIs. Rollins however, is a better fielder, which is really all that separates these two players. EDGE: Phillies

Left Field: Pat Burrell is a very good hitter, but Manny Ramirez is one of the best hitters of all-time. Since being traded to LA in midseason, Ramirez hit .396 with a .489 OBP, a .743 SLG, 17 home runs, and 53 RBIs, all in just 53 games. That is just absolutely unreal. For the season Ramirez hit .332 with a .430 OBP, a .601 SLG, 37 home runs, and 121 RBIs. Burrell had a decent year, hitting .250 with a .367 OBP, a .507 SLG, 33 home runs, and 86 RBIs. In the postseason Burrell is hitting .250 with a .357 OBP, a .750 SLG, 2 home runs, and 4 RBIs. Meanwhile, Ramirez has continued to feast on National League pitching, hitting .500 with a .643 OBP, a 1.100 SLG, 2 home runs, and 3 RBIs. On defense, neither is Gold-Glove caliber, but Manny is very underrated defensively and is actually decent in left field. EDGE: Dodgers

Center Field: This is another area where the Phillies trot out a starter that is very good, and the Dodgers have one with almost equal ability, albeit with much more potential. Philadelphia centerfielder Shane Victorino does everything very well. He hit .293 with a .352 OBP, a .447 SLG, 14 home runs, and 58 RBIs this year, all while swiping 36 bases. Victorino is also an excellent defender and has had a monster postseason, hitting .357 with 1 home run and 5 RBIs. However, Los Angeles centerfielder Matt Kemp does everything just as well. The talented 23-year old hit .290 with a .340 OBP, a .440 SLG, 18 home runs, and 76 RBIs, while stealing 35 bases. Kemp is also an excellent defender, but unlike Victorino, Kemp has struggled this postseason, hitting just .154 with 1 RBI and 5 strikeouts in just 13 at-bats. If I were starting a franchise, I would take Kemp over Victorino, but right now Victorino is playing much better. EDGE: Phillies

Right Field: The Phillies once again trot out a good player at this position, however, Andre Ethier of the Dodgers is having a better year and has been extremely hot since Manny came to LA. Jayson Werth hit .273 with 24 homers, 67 RBIs, a .363 OBP, a .498 SLG this season for the Phillies. Werth has hit very well in the playoffs for the Phillies, with a .313 average, 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 stolen base. Ethier though, has struggled in the playoffs. He still had a better year and is the better hitter, as he hit .305 with 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, a .375 OBP, and a .510 SLG in the regular season. EDGE: Dodgers

Starting Pitching: Four starters will be throwing for each team in this series, and in terms of depth, the Phillies have the better staff. Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09) is one of the best lefties in baseball. He is followed by the talented Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55) and Joe Blanton (9-12, 4.69). 45-year old Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71) is an excellent fourth starter for the Phillies, as he gives them another lefty in the rotation. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14), who is one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball. Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24), a very reliable pitcher, especially in the playoffs, will start Game 1 for the Dodgers Thursday. However, behind him, the Dodgers are a little shaky. Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 3.73) can be very erratic at times and future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux (8-13, 4.23) has certainly seen better days. While the pitching matchups will be equal in Games 1 and 2, in Games 3 and 4 the Phillies will have the advantage with their better depth in the rotation. EDGE: Phillies

Bullpen: Both of these teams have dominant bullpens. The Phillies trot out set-up men Chad Durbin (5-4, 2.87, 17 holds), J.C. Romero (4-4, 2.75, 24 holds), and Ryan Madsen (4-2, 3.05, 17 holds) before they hand the ball to one of baseball's most electric closers in Brad Lidge (2-0, 1.95, 41 saves). The Dodgers though, have better depth in their bullpen. Joe Beimel (5-1, 2.02, 12 holds), Cory Wade (2-1, 2.27, 9 holds), and Chan Ho Park (4-4, 3.40, 5 holds) have all been excellent for Joe Torre throughout the season. Takashi Saito (4-4, 2.18, 18 saves) and Jonathan Broxton (3-5, 3.13, 14 saves) have each been very effective when handling the closer's role this season. Look for Broxton to be the Dodgers closer in this series, which moves Saito in a set-up role, where he can completely shut the door in the 8th inning. EDGE: Dodgers

Overall, each team is tied with five edges apiece, a sign of a very enteraining and exciting series coming up. PREDICTION: Phillies in 6

College Football Game of the Week

This week's game of the week on the college gridiron features two top ten teams from college football's best conference, the SEC. On Saturday night at 7:45, the #6 LSU Tigers (2-0, 0-0) will travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the #10 Auburn Tigers (3-0, 1-0). This is a matchup of two of the best defenses in all of college football, so expect an old fashioned low scoring ballgame between these two. This is what to look for in this huge game:

When LSU has the ball: LSU will continue to split time at the quarterback position, playing both Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee. Both have been effective this season, as Hatch is 17 for 31 with 202 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception (113.8 QB rating). The quarterback with the most upside of the two, Lee, is 16 for 28 with 200 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception (133.6 QB rating). Look for LSU to use the sophomore Lee more in this game, as he possesses a better arm and more speed to either run or throw the ball past this speedy Auburn defense.

In their running game, LSU has been very successful this season. Junior Charles Scott has 23 carries for 262 yards (11.4 ypc) and 4 touchdowns to lead all LSU running backs. Scott likely will not find as many holes as he did against Appalachian State and North Texas, so don't look for him to have the game his stats may be suggesting. LSU may also rotate in Keiland Williams, the talented running back who currently has 10 carries for 41 yards.

On defense, Auburn is very stout against both the run and the pass. Led by DB Jerraud Powers (18 tackles, 1 interception), DE Antonio Coleman (12 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks), LB Tray Blackmon (11 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack), LB Merrill Johnson (11 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack), and DT Zach Clayton (3 TFL, 1 sack), the Auburn defense has allowed just 15 points in their three games. They have held opponents to a 1.8 yard per carry average and allowed just 482 yards through the air. Look for them to stifle an LSU offense that is replacing its starting quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, and hasn't faced a major test yet. It could be a long day for the LSU offense.

When Auburn has the ball: The Auburn offense has been absolutely horrible this season. Quarterback Chris Tate is 44 for 75 (58.7 % completed) for 472 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception (113.3 QB rating) has been decent, but Auburn has no receiver above 98 yards. Running the ball has been a little more fruitful for Auburn. Ben Tate has 48 carries for 278 yards (5.8 ypc) and 1 touchdown while backup Brad Lester has 38 carries for 148 (4.2 ypc) and 1 touchdown. However, Auburn will likely be without Lester, who was injured in last week's 3-2 win over Mississippi State. Look for their offense to really struggle moving the ball against a strong LSU defense.

LSU's defense has been extremely good once again this season, even after losing All-America DT Glenn Dorsey. The LSU defensive line is one of the best in all of college football, boasting DT Ricky Jean-Francois (3 tackles), DT Al Woods (4 tackles), DE Tyson Jackson (3 tackles, 1 TFL), and DE Kirston Pittman (3 tackles). The LSU line has helped the Tigers allow just 2.1 yards per carry this season. Safety Harry Coleman leads LSU with 10 tackles. Coleman has teamed with corners Chris Hawkins (8 tackles), Phelon Jones (8 tackles), Jai Eugene (7 tackles), and safety Chad Jones (7 tackles, 0.5 TFL) to give LSU one of the best secondaries in college football. LSU has also gotten very good production from linebackers Perry Riley (7 tackles, 0.5 TFL) and Denny McCray (7 tackles). Look for them to completely shut down the struggling Auburn offense.

Final Prediction: LSU Tigers: 10, Auburn Tigers: 3

Brett Who?

With Brett Favre traded to the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers has wasted little time in making a good first impression on Packers fans. Rodgers has huge shoes to fill, as Favre was a legend in Green Bay, but he has done and excellent job making Packers fans stop regretting the Favre trade and start focusing on this season.

Rodgers has played extremely well in his first two games as the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. The four-year pro from California has thrown for 60 passes, completing 42 (70% completion percentage) for 506 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Rodgers has a QB rating of 117.8, fifth best in the NFL. He has definitely not backed down from extremely high expectations and has made sure the Packers are not going to take a step backward after last season's NFC Championship game loss.

Aaron Rodgers has had an excellent beginning to the newest chapter of his career, the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. He has shown a lot of poise and ability thus far. However, this season is only 2 games old. Can he keep it up? He has a huge test next week against the Dallas Cowboys, a team many consider to be the Super Bowl favorites. If Rodgers can win that game, Green Bay fans can officially resume thinking of themselves as Super Bowl favorites as they did with Favre at the helm last season.

The comparisons will never end for the rest of his career. Aaron Rodgers will likely never escape the shadow that a legend like Brett Favre casts on his shadow. However, if he plays to his potential, he can be accepted as the next great Packers quarterback instead of Brett Favre's replacement. A long trip in the playoffs, something very possible with the talent Green Bay has, would give Rodgers a good start in coming out of Favre's shadow as soon as this season. Does Rodgers have the poise, guts, and talent to get the Pack to the Super Bowl? We will soon find out and this Sunday's game against Dallas will be a telling sign.

O-Verrated

Wow, at least we didn't have to wait for the National Championship Game for this to happen and at least it wasn't by yet another SEC team. This time, it only took until the third week of the college football season to figure out Ohio State was the most overrated team in all of college football. In 2006, Ohio State rolled through a cupcake schedule that featured only two ranked teams, Texas without Vince Young and a Michigan team on the downside. Then when it came down for the Buckeyes to play a team that had actually earned its way to the National Championship Game, the Florida Gators, Ohio State was trounced 41-14.

In 2007, the Buckeyes kept singing the praises of a new year and a fresh start. Ohio State had a slightly harder schedule, played four ranked teams, however each was ranked 19th or lower when the Buckeyes played them. Ohio State lost one game that season, a 28-21 loss to unranked Illinois in their second to last game of the year. Somehow, the Buckeyes still found a way to sneak into the National Title Game once again. They promised a close game and even a win, yet the LSU Tigers dominated them by a score of 38-24.

This season, Ohio State scheduled a game at the Los Angeles Colisseum to face the mighty and top ranked USC Trojans to make sure they wouldn't get wiped out in the National Championship Game again. After being demolished from all angles by the Trojans by a score of 35-3, the Buckeyes dropped from 5th ranked to 13th, a generous ranking considering how poorly the Buckeyes played. On defense, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for 4 touchdowns on a 17 for 28 day, along with his 172 yards passing. Trojan running backs ran for 164 yards on 32 carries, 105 of which came from Joe McKnight on just 12 carries.

On offense, Ohio State struggled in every facet of the game. Quarterback Todd Boeckmann was 14 of 21, but for just 84 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Ohio State ran the ball 34 times for just 71 yards, a 2.1 average. One could make an argument that Ohio State was at a disadvantage because star running back Beanie Wells didn't play because of injury. However, a "top-flight" program should be able to be able to plug a capable backup in to do a decent job. Ohio State, despite its billing as a top-flight program, was unable to bring in an effective running back in place of Wells, cementing itself as a second-tier program.

THE Ohio State Buckeyes, as they refer to themselves as, are THE most overrated team in America. The number 5 team in the nation should have been able to at least put up a fight against USC last week, but the truth is Ohio State was not worth its ranking for yet the third year in a row. At least it didn't take until the final game of the year this season for us to figure it out. By shredding the Buckeye defense and manipulating Ohio State's offense, USC embarrased Ohio State and showed America just how bad Ohio State really is. It's too bad they got so much attention and credit in the first place.