Before we get to the brass tacks of this past football weekend and a few other items, I'd like to say this: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the readers of this blog. Hopefully all of you have a safe and wonderful holiday season.
That having been said...
Man how about that performance by the Texans and JJ Watt last Sunday? Quite simply, they were better prepared, better coached and played harder than the Baltimore football team who looked like the last thing they wanted was to be at NRG Stadium this past weekend. They still have a shot at the playoffs, but regardless of whether they get in or not, if they beat Jacksonville this Sunday and go 9-7, I consider this a successful season.
I consider it a successful season if 9-7 especially when you think about Andre Johnson being largely invisible, no Foster for large parts of the year, fourth string quarterback and they still might get to the playoffs with a win and some help. O'Brien and Watt have done an amazing job with this team. Oh and by the way, tell me a more deserving candidate than JJ Watt for Most Valuable Player. Tell me a man who is more valuable to his team than JJ Watt is to Houston. Oh but that's right, I forgot, the MVP award always goes to an offensive player. Shame.
Let's be real guys, Seattle's the team to beat, at least through the NFC if they win Sunday and get home field. I'll repeat something that Jim Rome said on his radio show Monday which I wholeheartedly agree with; if you thought that Seattle's 12th Man was obnoxious before, then buckle up because they will be insufferable if they win Sunday and end up with home field. Because honestly, who's going to beat them in that building on the way to the Super Bowl? The Packers are dangerous, I agree, Detroit's got a great defense and the Cowboys are much improved and beat them there already. But Seattle hasn't played this well all season.
Believe it or not, the Broncos have not locked up a first round bye yet, they have to beat the Raiders this Sunday. And even if they survive Sunday and get a first round bye, they are very, very vulnerable to get beat by either Cincinnati or Pittsburgh in round 2 of the playoffs. Peyton Manning may yet get his groove back, but things do not look good right now.
No matter what happens, it's going to be a great Week 17. Three games to decide division championships (AFC North, NFC South and NFC North, plus Seattle can clinch their division also), plus the playoff race will be decided in the AFC, and first round byes in both conferences are up for grabs.
Regarding the beginning of the college bowl season, I've caught what I can of the games so far and I have three observations:
1. Colorado State is going to go downhill fast. Not only did they lose McElwain, they hired Mike Bobo to replace him. I think the SEC East fleeced CSU on these two deals, the first deal being that McElwain is one of the game's elite coaches and that the Gators will put the entire SEC, as well as FSU, on notice. The second part of this is that Bobo has NEVER been a college football head coach in his entire career, and throughout his time as OC at UGA, he came under fire from UGA fans for his (at times) perplexing play calls.
For example, in the Georgia/South Carolina game this year, Georgia was down three points late and got a turnover at the South Carolina 4, first and goal. He called a peculiar first down pass play that fell incomplete, and UGA eventually missed a chip shot field goal and lost by three. He had an All-American running back (Gurley) and chose to throw on first down instead which absolutely baffled me. He has much less resources to work with than he had at UGA, he's head coach for the first time and CSU in the bowl game looked lost without McElwain. They have talent there but I am skeptical that Bobo will do well there.
2. That BYU/Memphis game was a great game...what happened after that game and the fight that ensued, not so much. It's a shame that such a thrilling game had to be tarnished by that fracas at the end of the game.
3. Rakeem Cato capped off a great career at Marshall with a bowl game win over Northern Illinois; as to whether he will be successful in the pro game, it will be interesting to see who takes him if anyone and where. I think he can be successful but mainly as a long-term project type of player.
On basketball real quick, the Big 10 is not very good in that sport this year. Down year it looks like for the Big 10. Just this year, in out of conference play, Big 10 teams have lost to: NJIT (that's New Jersey Institute of Technology, for those unaware), Eastern Michigan, St. Peter's, St. Francis, Central Michigan, Incarnate Word (ugh, that was the ugly loss Nebraska had), North Florida, Eastern Washington and Texas Southern.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 is a very strong conference in basketball this year, 6 (or 7, depending on which poll you prefer) teams in the top 25 so far even though Texas lost to Stanford last night.
On the NBA, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is a special, special player. He proved it against the Rockets last year in the playoffs, but is cementing it even more this year. In the past week, he's outdueled BOTH of last year's Western Conference finalists, scoring 43 against the Spurs last Friday in a triple overtime win, and scoring 40 last night in Oklahoma City against the Thunder in an overtime win there. I don't think he's the BEST point guard in the Association, but I'd put him no worse than fourth or fifth and he will only get better.
Until next time....
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