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.

Are They For Real?

First, they knocked off unsuspecting No. 17 Virginia Tech. Then they beat No. 8 West Virginia. So were these wins flukes, or are the East Carolina Pirates truly a force to be reckoned with? The answer will lie in whether the Pirates will be able to handle the Tulane Green Wave with the game not in the national spotlight.

It looks like the now number 14 ranked Pirates are for real. They absolutely shut down Heisman candidate Pat White, sophomore sensation Noel Devine, and the rest of the West Virginia offense. The Pirate offense, has looked very good so far. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney has a QB rating of 166.96, and is 41 for 51 (80.4 completion percentage) with 447 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The running game has also looked strong. Jonathan Williams leads the team with 117 yards (4.3 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. Brandon Simmons has 104 yards (3.2 ypc) to give East Carolina a solid 1-2 punch.

East Carolina likely will have no more ranked contests for the rest of the year. However, that does not mean they won't be challenged. They play September 20th at NC State, October 11th at Virginia, and November 20th at UCF, all games which will be a major challenge to a shot at an undefeated season and a BCS bowl game. It looks like the Pirates have the talent to win the rest of their games. However, with their toughest challenges on the road, and the pressure that would come with being undefeated, look for them to falter at least once or twice.

Finished?

When Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 of the NFL season against the Kansas City Chiefs, many felt the New England Patriots season went down with it. However, they may have forgotten about the rest of the Patriots roster, New England's coaching staff, and backup quarterback Matt Cassel. Brady's injury gives this bunch even more motivation to prove the world wrong and win a Super Bowl this season.

Even without Tom Brady, the Patriots still have one of the best and most talented rosters in all of football. Laurence Maroney (835 yards, 4.5 yards per carry in 2007), Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk make up one of the most versatile and deep backfields in the NFL, something that will be vital to New England without Brady. Their receiving core, led by Randy Moss (98 catches, 1493 yards, 23 touchdowns in 2007) and Wes Welker (112 catches, 1175 yards, 8 touchdowns in 2007) is also deep and reliable. On another note, Moss is probably the best receiver in the NFL, giving Cassel a big target to find whenever he will drop back to throw. The Patriots also boast a great offensive line, which features RT Nick Kaczur, LT Matt Light, LT Logan Mankins, RG Ruch Hochstein and C Dan Koppen. The line will give Cassel plenty of time to throw in the pocket.

On defense, the Patriots still should be able to hold teams from scoring enough to win many games, even if their offense struggles a bit. Their huge, strong defensive line features Vince Wilfork (48 tackles in '07), Richard Seymour (23 tackles, 1.5 sacks in '07), and Ty Warren (53 tackles, 4 sacks in '07). The Patriots linebackers are also some of the best in the league. Adalius Thomas (78 tackles, 6.5 sacks in '07) and Mike Vrabel (77 tackles, 12.5 sacks in '07) give both speed around the edge, versatility, and strength from the outside linebacker positions. In the middle, talented rookie Jerod Mayo and 13 -year veteran Tedi Bruschi (92 tackles in '07) give New England a solid and smart tackling machine. While their secondary may struggle a little bit, New England's front 7 give them a chance to shut down any offense.

New England Head Coach Bill Belicheck and his staff are likely one of the best, if not the best coaching staff in the NFL. They come up with so many confusing defensive schemes and ways to motivate players. Don't think for a second that Belicheck won't use the Brady injury as motivation for the rest of the troops. He is a motivational mastermind and the Patriots will not quit, no matter what the situation is. There is no doubt he will have his team ready to play this Sunday against the rival New York Jets.

Finally, doubters should not look past Matt Cassel. Cassel has not made a start since his high school career. He has thrown just 57 career passes in the NFL (35-57, 405 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 85.8 QB rating). However, he did look very impressive coming of the bench in last Sunday's win at Kansas City, completing 13 of 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Cassel could be the second coming of Tom Brady, who went from sixth-round pick at Michigan to future Hall of Fame quarterback. Cassel was a seventh rounder from USC. If he continues to impress, the Patriots may consider themselves very fortunate to have drafted two starting quarterbacks in the sixth round or later during this decade. Cassel has the ability to be a good starter in the NFL and has learned from one of the best of all-time in Brady on how to be a starter. Look for him, as well as the rest of the New England Patriots players and coaching staff to step up and surprise people with a strong season.

456

The streak began on May 15th, 2003. For almost 5 straight seasons and 456 consecutive games, Boston Red Sox fans have flooded Fenway Park to stadium capacity. Now, on September 8th, 2008, the Boston Red Sox will hold the Major League record for consecutive sellouts, beating the Cleveland Indians previous mark of 455 consecutive games, which ended in 2001.

For a fan, going to Fenway Park is an addiction. Once you go, you need to go back as soon as possible. It's a must-see for any baseball fan, but tickets are almost impossible to come by because of the loyalty of Red Sox Nation. The park fills up fast because of the quirks that make it the best stadium in baseball. The 96 year old ballpark features the Green Monster, Pesky Pole, Fisk's Pole, the red seat in the right field bleachers, and many more sights for fans who want to really get a picture about baseball history. If Fenway was not such a great ballpark, it would have been replaced a long, long time ago.

One thing Fenway Park gives is extreme home-field advantage. The Red Sox already have a major advantage with their knowledge of how to handle balls hit off the Green Monster, or balls hit into the Fenway Triangle 421 feet away in center field. Also, the team gathers hitters like Mike Lowell for instance, whose swings are tailor-made for Fenway Park. However, the greatest advantage Fenway Park allows if utilized, are the fans. It is a small ballpark, but the fans are right on top of the action, and they make themselves heard. After 456 consecutive sellouts at Fenway, Red Sox Nation has given its team the most loyal fanbase in possibly the world, one of the most knowledgable fan bases in baseball, and finally, the best home-field advantage in all of baseball. Sox fans make it as tough as possible on the visiting team, all while putting all of their support into their hometown Red Sox.

It is important to point out, that during the streak, the Red Sox have had arguably the best five-year run in franchise history. In 2003, the Sox had not won a World Series in 85 years and had not been to the ALCS since 1986. Although they lost a heartbreaker in Game 7 to the hated New York Yankees, the Sox still managed to get to that point. The next year, the Red Sox made their remarkable comeback, winning the ALCS despite being down 3-0 to the Yankees in the series. Even though the Sox were down in the series, the atmosphere at Fenway was as spirited as ever. It allowed the Red Sox players to feed off of the fans and gain the confidence to complete the greatest comeback in the history of sports.

In 2007, the Boston Red Sox won their second World Series Championship in four years, another Championship run that received major contribution from Red Sox Nation. Fan support has grown even more, making Fenway has spirited as ever this season. The Red Sox have no doubt benefitted from all the support. They sit just .5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East, with a chance to take over the lead if they beat Tampa Bay tomorrow night at Fenway. There is no doubt that Fenway Park will enjoy consecutive sellout number 457 tomorrow night, as the streak of Red Sox Nation continues. Only the best fans in the world could pack a ballpark for 456 consecutive games, and Red Sox fans have done it. No matter what, there is always something to play for at Fenway Park.

Look At The Little Guy Cleaning Up

It's about time someone does. For his entire career, almost everyone except Terry Francona, Theo Epstein, and the rest of the Red Sox brass has doubted his abilities and looked the other way. Their reasons? Dustin Pedroia, all 5-foot 9 and 180 lbs. of him, has heard them all. Either he was too small, too weak, too slow, not a good enough defender, his swing was too big, or it was a combination of everything. It is about time somebody has looked his way because Pedroia has officially proved all of his doubters wrong.

The little guy with the big swing is the hottest hitter in baseball now. Ever since becoming the cleanup hitter for the Boston Red Sox on August 30th against the Chicago White Sox, an 8-2 win, Pedroia is hitting .620 with 3 doubles, 3 stolen bases, 2 home runs, 8 runs batted in, and 6 runs scored in 5 games. The little guy has raised his batting average to .333, good enough for the best in the American League and his on-base percentage to .378.

The little guy without any power now has 17 home runs, second-most for second baseman in the American League. He has raised his slugging percentage to .505, also second among AL second baseman. Pedroia has knocked in 76 runs, tied for the most among AL second baseman. To put it simply, Dustin Pedroia has become one of the best all-around hitters in baseball.

For those that thought was too slow and not a good enough defender to play in the Major Leagues, Pedroia has proved them wrong as well. He has a respectable 17 stolen bases this season, and has scored the most runs in the Major Leagues with 110. On defense, Pedroia likely will win a Gold Glove once the season is done. He has made just 6 errors on the season, and owns a .991 fielding percentage, tied for second among AL second baseman.

The little guy that once was an afterthought because well, some people thought he was too slow, too small, too weak, not a good defender, and had too big of a swing, has become a candidate for American League Most Valuable Player. Quite frankly, Pedroia should win. There is no American League player having a better season than Pedroia is. No one plays harder than Pedroia and absolutely no one deserves the AL MVP Award more than this fiery, scrappy second baseman. It is time for MVP voters to start looking at the little guy. It turns out Dustin Pedroia can play.