Hullabaloo in Houston: Javier Aguirre needs to be suspended

Last night's Gold Cup soccer game between Mexico and Panama ended in a 1-1 tie in Houston. What was more newsworthy was the ridiculous antics of Mexico coach Javier Aguirre. Watch this video below, and tell me if you don't think FIFA needs to suspend Aguirre.

Enough Of the Tim Wakefield Lovefest Already

After the debacle in Milwaukee, Bud Selig turned the All-Star game into an exhibition game with delusions of greater self-importance. A good example of this ridiculous charade comes in the person of Tim Wakefield.

Many in the sports media (including the All-Star selection show on TBS) have mentioned how much a great story the inclusion of Tim Wakefield on the American League roster is. What always gets mentioned is that he is at the top of the American League in wins. What never seems to get mentioned is that his ERA is only slightly above average.

Let's look at his stats.

11-3, 4.31, 61 K/37 BB, 108 2/3 IP (6.4 per start), 8 HR allowed.

Is that really All-Star worthy?

Let's see how many players I can name with better stats than Wakefield (AL with 80+ IP).
The 4 stats are W-L, ERA, GS, & IP. I don't see wins or losses as important, they are merely consequences of circumstance. But I'm including them so I don't get complaints from leaving those useless stats out.

Josh Beckett (10-3, 3.62, 17, 112)
Nick Blackburn (7-4, 2.94, 17, 116.1)
Mark Buehrle (9-2, 3.14, 17, 114.2)
Matt Garza (6-6, 3.70, 17, 109.1)
Zack Greinke (10-5, 2.12, 18, 127.1)
Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.85, 17, 123)
Felix Hernandez (8-3, 2.62, 17, 116.2)
Edwin Jackson (6-4, 2.59, 17, 114.2)
Cliff Lee (4-8, 3.45, 18, 120)
Kevin Millwood (8-6, 3.34, 18, 124)
CC Sabathia (8-5, 3.70, 18, 121.2)
James Shields (6-6, 3.38, 18, 122.2)
Justin Verlander (9-4, 3.59, 18, 115.1)
Jered Weaver (9-3, 3.15, 17, 114.1)

And that's just the pitchers with more innings pitched than Wakefield. And there are 7 with less innings than him that are also more deserving of a spot on the American League All-Star roster. I have nothing against Wakefield personally, but he does not deserve to be on the American League All-Star team.

Apparently this one counts only for sentimentality. And yes, I'm talking to you Joe Maddon if it was your decision to put him on the team.

National Championship Prediction

Unlike last year, I'm actually going to watch the game this year. Both teams have great offenses, but the difference in the game will be the defenses. Oklahoma played in an offense-heavy conference, so the strength of their defense is not 100% relatable to their defense statistics. However, the gap between Florida's defensive numbers and Oklahoma's defensive numbers can not be excused to do to the offense-heavy Big 12 that Oklahoma played in. And that is the reason that I'm going to predict Florida as the winner of this game. Florida will give up points, but in the end will be able to score more points on the Oklahoma defense than Oklahoma can score on Florida's. As with all of my predictions, I could be completely and utterly wrong.

Fiesta Bowl Prediction

Prediction is in bold.

Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)
Ohio State vs. Texas: Aren't we lucky, another meaningless BCS exhibition game. Ohio State started the season with national championship hopes, but had those dashed when they were destroyed by USC earlier in the season. Texas didn't enter the season with such expectations but ended it disappointed after being left out of the Big 12 Championship Game and therefore the National Championship hunt. I'm going to take Texas in this game because of their offense. Ohio State has a good defense but won't be able to stop the Texas offense. Texas will give up points but not enough to lose the game.

Bowl Predictions 1/3

Bowl predictions so far: 15-15

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Saturday January 3

International Bowl (Toronto)
Connecticut vs. Buffalo: Both teams are new to bowls, Buffalo is making its first appearance in a bowl and Connecticut is making its third. Buffalo has gotten to this point by playing in several games decided by three points or less. The Bulls also have a very good turnover margin. However, I think Buffalo's luck is going to change in this game. Buffalo gives up more than 400 yards a game and Connecticut will take advantage of that. Connecticut running back Donald Brown should run all over the Bulls leading to a Huskies victory.

Bowl Predictions 1/2

Bowl predictions so far: 15-12

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Friday January 2

Cotton Bowl (Dallas)
Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech: This will be the last Cotton Bowl played in the Cotton Bowl (the game moves to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium next year). Ole Miss has a good defense, giving up less than 300 yards a game. They are most stout at run defense, which isn't that helpful against Texas Tech. The Rebels' pass defense is not nearly as strong, and they give up more passing yards than their opponents average. Tech's defense is not horrible but they do give up more than a few points and yards. Ole Miss will score but won't be able to keep up with Texas Tech. Texas Tech will win its first Cotton Bowl.

Liberty Bowl (Memphis)
East Carolina vs. Kentucky: East Carolina comes into this game off of a somewhat surprise victory over Tulsa, while Kentucky limped into this game with a three-game losing streak and a loss to Tennessee. Kentucky's offense has been anemic with the exception of the loss to Georgia. Backup quarterback Randall Cobb had given the team an offensive spark, but he won't be able to play in this game. Kentucky has a good defense, as does East Carolina. East Carolina's offense is nothing special, but has not struggled as much as Kentucky has this season. This game should be low-scoring, but I'm going to take East Carolina because I think their offense has a better chance of scoring than Kentucky's.

Sugar Bowl (New Orleans)
Utah vs. Alabama: This is the first BCS bowl for Alabama since 2000, when Shaun Alexander was on the team. Utah is looking to repeat previous BCS bowl success. Alabama has won games this season with a combination of a powerful rushing offense and one of the best defenses in the nation. The Alabama rushing offense won't be at 100%, as Andre Smith (a major part of the Alabama offensive line) is suspended for the game. Utah has a good defense although it is certainly not as good as Alabama. The Utes have an above average offense that will be severely tested by the Alabama defense. Utah has faced TCU, which also has one of the best defenses in the nation, and that experience should help them in this game against Alabama. However, I just think the Alabama defense is going to be too much for Utah. Alabama will win by a field goal.

Bowl predictions 1/1

Bowl prediction so far: 10-11. Well, yesterday was absolutely horrible. I was completely shut out, 0-4.

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Thursday January 1

Outback Bowl (Tampa)
Iowa vs. South Carolina: Both teams have good defenses and middling offenses. The two teams finish their season going in opposite directions, South Carolina lost two in a row (although one was to Florida) while Iowa won three in a row including a victory over Penn State. This is a fairly even match up, but I'm going to take Iowa because I think they have the better offense. The margin of victory should be only about three points or so.

Capital One Bowl (Orlando)
Michigan State vs. Georgia: This is a matchup of two third-place finishers in their respective conferences. Michigan State probably went a little bit above expectations for their season, while Georgia definitely finished below expectations. Both defenses have been exposed at times, although neither defense is absolutely dreadful. Michigan State has been carried all year by their running back who accounts for more than 95% of their rushing yards. He has been kept to low yardage numbers against good teams however. I'm taking Georgia because I think their offense will eventually overpower Michigan State's defense. Georgia should win by double digits.

Gator Bowl (Jacksonville)
Clemson vs. Nebraska: Clemson is better than they were during their three game losing streak in the middle of the season while Nebraska has been consistently the same sort of team. Nebraska beat who they should have and lost to the teams that were better than them. Nebraska probably has the best offense that Clemson will face all season. Nebraska's offense will show up against Clemson and should score more than a few points. But I'm going to take Clemson based on the way they finished their season.

Rose Bowl (Pasadena)
Penn State vs. USC: Easily the best game of the day. This is arguably a matchup of the nation's top 2 defenses (USC clearly has the best defense in the country, and Penn State is statistically in the top five). The offense for both teams are pretty good as well. But, based on the defenses this game could easily have less than 40 total points scored in the game. I think it'll be very close, but USC will win by a field goal.

Orange Bowl (Miami)
Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech's defense has been on fire at the end of their season. They also have a running back that has begun to assert himself. Their offense still has problems so there won't be any shock and awe in this game for the Hokies. Both defenses give up less than their opponents average on offense. The offenses of the game are slightly above average but there really isn't an edge between either team in this regard. However, I have more faith in Virginia Tech's defense and special teams so I'm going to pick them.

Bowl Predictions 12/31

Bowl predictions so far: 10-7

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Wednesday December 31

Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth)
Air Force vs. Houston: This is a matchup between a top-five rushing team and a top-five passing team. Both teams are going to put up a lot of points, any defenses stops will be significant. Based on that logic, I'm taking Air Force because they have a little bit better defense than Houston. The final score should be in the 30s at the least.

Sun Bowl (El Paso)
Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State: Oregon State is without its two most explosive offensive weapons, the Rogers Brothers. Without these two players, Oregon State is a completely different team with a much less powerful offense. And in their last game, they were completely destroyed by Oregon's rushing offense. Pittsburgh has one of the best running backs in the country, something that will cause problems for Oregon State. So, I'm taking Pittsburgh.

Music City Bowl (Nashville)
Boston College vs. Vanderbilt: This game won't be high-scoring as both teams have good defenses. Boston College's offense is slightly above adequate while Vanderbilt's is absolutely atrocious. Vanderbilt will be lucky to score more than 10 points. Vanderbilt's defense will keep them in the game into the second half, but they won't have the offense to stay in it in the fourth quarter.

Insight Bowl (Tempe, Arizona)
Minnesota vs. Kansas: Kansas has faced several of the nation's best offenses this year, and has the stats to reflect that. They also have a good passing attack. At the end of the season, Minnesota's defense got exposed. Look for that trend to continue as Kansas will put up at least five touchdowns.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta)
LSU vs. Georgia Tech: This is a matchup of two teams going in opposite directions. LSU started the season ranked in the top 10, and finished the season with a battered defense and a losing streak. Georgia Tech started unranked with little expectation, and finished the season with two straight victories in which their rushing offense absolutely exploded. I expect that to continue as Georgia Tech will run all over LSU in the Georgia Dome.

Bowl Predictions 12/30

Bowl predictions so far: 9-5

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Tuesday December 30

Humanitarian Bowl (Boise)
Maryland vs. Nevada: This is a matchup of two very different teams. Maryland doesn't win games by putting up lots of yards and points, something that is very characteristic of Nevada. Maryland seems to be fairly disappointed in their bowl game, and don't look too happy about it. I'm going to pick Nevada for two reasons. First, Maryland doesn't want to be there. Second, combine Nevada's above average high powered offense with Maryland's middle of the road defense. Nevada will give up points, but should win the game based on their offense.

Holiday Bowl (San Diego)
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon: Both teams have top 10 rushing offenses and give up significant yards on defense. Both are especially susceptible in their pass defenses. Neither team has any edge in rush defense, so the only area I can find a difference is in pass offense. Oklahoma State has been better at passing offense than Oregon. So based on that, I'm taking Oklahoma State. It should be close and high-scoring.

Texas Bowl (Houston)
Western Michigan vs. Rice: This essentially worked out as a home game at a different stadium for Rice. Rice scores a lot of points on offense and gives up a lot of points on defense. Both have good passing attacks, but Rice probably is a notch or two above that of Western Michigan. Combine that with the location of the game, and I'm going to take Rice.

Bowl picks 12/29

Bowl predictions so far: 7-5

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Monday December 29

Papajohns.com Bowl
Rutgers vs. NC State: Both teams had terrible starts to their seasons, and turned it around with significant winning streaks to end their season. Each team has a blowout win over a good team on its record. I'm going to take Rutgers in this game for two reasons. First, they were more impressive in the way they finished their season than NC State. Secondly, look at the defenses. NC State gives up nearly 390 yards a game, significantly more than opposing offenses average. They are especially weak in the area of pass defense, an area in which Rutgers has excelled this season. On the other hand, Rutgers has a good defense up against the slightly above average offense of NC State. Rutgers should put up at least 30 points. But it will be a blowout.

Alamo Bowl
Northwestern vs. Missouri: Northwestern is anything but unhappy with its nine win season, while Missouri views their season as a clear disappointment. Both teams struggled with the tougher games on their schedules. Missouri's defense got significantly destroyed in three of their four losses. Northwestern was soundly beaten by Ohio State and Michigan State, easily the two best teams on their schedule. Despite Northwestern having good defensive statistics, they did not play well against teams with good offenses (Ohio State and Michigan State). Put that together with Missouri's offense, and you have a recipe for a problem. Northwestern also does not have the offense to keep up with Missouri, and therefore will lose by double digits.

Bowl Picks 12/28

Bowl predictions so far: 7-4

Predictions Are in Bold.

Sunday December 28

Independence Bowl (Shreveport, LA)
Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech: Neither team has a significant win, unless you count Louisiana Tech beating Fresno State (which I don't). I'm picking Northern Illinois because Louisiana Tech has been a shaky team, Exhibit A: they lost to Army.

Bowl picks 12/26-27

After seven bowl games, I'm 4-3 in my bowl predictions.

Predictions are in bold. Games listed in order of start time. Stats via National Championship Issue, unless noted otherwise.

Friday December 26

Motor City Bowl (Detroit)
Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan: Can't you just feel the excitement for this game? This is an example of how the bowl structure is a sham good for college football. Both teams give up a lot of yards and points, neither defense will win any awards. But the difference is in the offense. Florida Atlantic is just slightly a bit above mediocre. FAU averages 25.2 points a game, well under the average that their opponents give up. They average 391.5 yards a game, which is just barely above the average their opponents give up. On the other hand, Central Michigan scores significantly above the average their opponents give up and racks up more yards than their opponents average. Based on that, I'm taking Central Michigan and Dan LeFevour.

Saturday December 27

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte)
West Virginia vs. North Carolina: North Carolina comes into this game after a rough end to their season, see: 41-10 loss to NC State. West Virginia lost two of its last four games as well, but both were close losses to good teams. North Carolina has had trouble with its offense all season. West Virginia has seen somewhat of a drop in its offensive ability, but still has a solid rush offense. Additionally, North Carolina has been below average on defense. This game should be close, but look for West Virginia to win by 7-10 points.

Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando)
Wisconsin vs. Florida State: Wisconsin comes into this game after nearly losing to 1-AA Cal Poly, something I'm sure they want to forget about. Florida State finished the season with a blowout loss to Florida, but Florida did that to a lot of teams. Wisconsin might have the better offense, but Florida State only gives up 291 yards a game. Because of Florida State's defense, I'm taking the Seminoles.

Emerald Bowl (San Francisco)
Miami (FL) vs. California: Miami did not look good in its last two games, losing both. On the other hand, California ended its season with two convincing victories over Stanford (who aren't terrible) and Washington (who are terrible). Miami also has a number of players suspended. Both teams have good defenses, so neither team has an edge there. California has the better offense, an area in which Miami struggled. Miami will keep it close with their defense, but in the end California will win the game based on its rushing offense.

Bowl Picks 12/23-24

Predictions in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

December 23 2008

Poinsettia Bowl
Boise State vs. TCU: I'm sure you've heard it by now, this is the best non-BCS bowl this season. You'll find no disagreement from me. TCU gets most of the hype for its defense, but Boise State's defense averages under 300 yards allowed /per game as well. I don't predict this to be a major shootout, but it should be in the upper 20s. Whichever team's defense plays better will determine the winner. In the end, I like TCU's defense just a tad more than Boise State.

December 24 2008

Hawaii Bowl
Notre Dame at Hawaii: I know this technically is a bowl game, but it's somewhat of a home game for Hawaii. Neither team is very good, needless to say. With the disappointing end to Notre Dame's season, a let down would surprise no one. Even though Hawaii has less talent than Notre Dame, this will be a very close game. In the end, I guess I'm picking Notre Dame (notice the lack of confidence).

Bowl season predictions so far: 2-3

Bowl Picks 12/20-21

Predictions in bold. Games listed in order of start time.

Saturday December 20

Eaglebank Bowl (Washington, DC)
Wake Forest vs. Navy: This is a rematch of a game played earlier in the season in which Navy beat Wake Forest by causing numerous turnovers. The keys to this game are simple: Wake has to avoid turnovers at all costs. The game will hinge on whether Wake can stop Navy's rush offense. If not, they obviously lose. In my opinion, the rematch is a rerun of the regular season game.

New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque)
Colorado State vs. Fresno State: Neither team has beaten anyone of any significance (Fresno beat Rutgers early in the season, but there's no way they would repeat that against a resurgent Rutgers team). And both teams lost by large margins to the good teams they faced. Additionally, Fresno is disappointed in a lackluster 7-5 season. Colorado State's season is nowhere near that sort of disappointment, and they also played in the tougher Mountain West Conference. So, I give a slight edge to Colorado State.

St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida)
Memphis vs. South Florida: Memphis has a horrendous defense, and this is basically a home game for South Florida. I wouldn't expect this to be close, South Florida should roll.

Las Vegas Bowl
BYU vs. Arizona: Easily the best matchup of the day. After starting the season on a hot start, BYU cooled off a bit. However, they still have a very good offense that will put up points. And Arizona is in its first bowl game this century (since 1998). BYU's pass defense is quite a bit shaky, so Arizona should be able to put up points as well. This will be a shootout, but I think Max Hall at quarterback for BYU gives them the edge.

Sunday December 21

New Orleans Bowl
Southern Miss vs. Troy: I'm taking Troy because Southern Miss is not good at all. Southern Miss barely got into a bowl with a victory over SMU, something 11 other teams did as well. I don't think it will be a blowout, but this victory won't be that hard for Troy.