Big 12 Basketball Preview

The Big 12 is next up on the list of NCAA conferences to preview. This will be an exciting year in the conference as the race should be as competitive as last season. The Big 12 had a great offseason in terms of impact players, as Marcus Smart (college basketball’s top returning player) chose to return to Oklahoma State and Andrew Wiggins (nation’s top recruit) chose to attend Kansas. But the conference will be more than just those guys, so here you go:

Projected Standings

1. Kansas Jayhawks – Kansas was going to be good, and then they added the top recruit in the country (Andrew Wiggins) and the top transfer (Tarik Black). Suddenly, Kansas looks to be the favorite once again in the Big 12. Don’t sleep on Naadir Tharpe and Perry Ellis though, guys coming back that are sure to provide leadership. And Wayne Selden is another freshman that I think will be nearly as good as Wiggins.

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys – Oklahoma State benefitted the most of any team from NBA decisions. Their star Marcus Smart chose to pass on a Top 5 pick and return to college. Le’Bryan Nash and Markel Brown also passed on the draft making this team a juggernaut in the Big 12. They will compete neck and neck with the Jayhawks for the league title.

3. Baylor Bears – Baylor has flown under the radar during the offseason because of the two teams above, but don’t sleep on them. Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson create the best frontcourt in the conference, and they still have Brady Heslip to shoot on the perimeter. The key to their season will be how they replace Pierre Jackson at point guard. If they do that well, they can compete with the big boys.

4. Iowa State Cyclones – Iowa State lost a lot, but they mini reloaded like they have the last couple of years. Ejim and Niang (sweet names) return to the starting lineup, and joining them is DeAndre Kane, a transfer from Marshall that averaged over 15 points per game. Some Juco’s and freshmen will add depth and round out the team making for another middle of the pack competitive Cyclones team.

5. Texas Longhorns – Haven’t been relevant in years, but they have some young talent that could make them semi-dangerous.

6. Kansas State Wildcats – They lost some big time players, but they have some vets with Southwell and Spradling.

7. Texas Tech Red Raiders – Looking for a sleeper in the conference? This team returns a lot of talent and adds a couple guys who can step in and help now. Jaye Crockett is an emerging player.

8. Oklahoma Sooners – After maxing out their talent a year ago, it’s back to the rebuilding table again.

9. West Virginia Mountaineers – Bob Huggins had this program on the rise a couple years ago… now they are a nobody.

10. TCU Horned Frogs – Nearly put them above WVU, but still don’t trust them in a major conference.

Preseason Major Awards

Player of the Year – Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)

Defensive Player of the Year – Michael Cobbins (Oklahoma State)

Freshman of the Year – Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)

Most Improved Player – Isaiah Austin (Baylor)

Coach of the Year – Bill Self (Kansas)

All Big-12 Teams

First Team:

G Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State

G Markel Brown, Oklahoma State

F Andrew Wiggins, Kansas

F Cory Jefferson, Baylor

C Isaiah Austin, Baylor

Second Team:

G Naadir Tharpe, Kansas

G Brady Heslip, Baylor

F DeAndre Kane, Iowa State

F Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State

F Perry Ellis/Tarik Black, Kansas (one of these guys will emerge inside)

Third Team:

G Monte Morris, Iowa State

G Wayne Selden, Kansas

F Melvin Ejim, Iowa State

F Georges Niang, Iowa State

F Michael Cobbins, Oklahoma State

As you can see, the talent is clearly all in the top 4 teams. There is a huge drop-off at that point.

By: The Sports Guys

College Football Saturday 5

Last week was a “blah” week in terms of college football. There weren’t many marquee matchups and there were tons of blowouts. Andrew nearly called UCONN over Michigan (best game of weekend) but Michigan held on. The pick standings are still tight however:

Picks Standings

Greg:               12 – 8

Andrew:         11 – 9

Let’s see what we think about these games, which are bound to be better:

21 Ole Miss at 1 Alabama

Andrew: Alabama – A lot of people are suddenly doubting Alabama as the best team in football and are looking to this game as a possible upset or barometer… That’s just stupid! Instead of doubting Alabama after they beat Texas A&M I became a believer. Beating Manziel on the road could only be done by the very elite. Alabama is clearly the best team in the country and will rape Ole Miss at home. #StatementGame

Greg: Alabama - The Rebels will probably give Alabama a good game, maybe even better than what Texas A&M did in that it should be close throughout. Alabama nearly lost at Ole Miss last year, but the game being in Tuscaloosa this year tips the scales in favor of the Tide.

Andrew:         Alabama 42, Ole Miss 14

Greg:               Alabama 30, Ole Miss 24

23 Wisconsin at 4 Ohio State

Andrew: Ohio State – This is a scary game for Ohio State since they haven’t lost since 2011. It could happen here though, especially with a minor QB controversy brewing (Miller returning). But Urban Meyer will get them through it and they will pull out a close win.

Greg: Ohio State - The Badgers and the Buckeyes played a great game last season in which Ohio State ended up coming out on top in spite of only scoring 7 points offensively. This game should be a little different since it is in Columbus, and though I really dislike Ohio State, they should still win this game in Braxton Miller's return from injury.

Andrew:         Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 24

Greg:               Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 24

6 LSU at 9 Georgia

Andrew: LSU – This is definitely the game of the week and by far the toughest game for me to pick. These teams are evenly matched and both have played well this year (for the most part). Georgia has already been in some huge games, but this is the first real test for LSU. People talk about Murray, but it’s Mettenberger that has had the better year and will have the better game. LSU’s defense is just too tough also.

Greg: LSU - At the beginning of the season I thought Aaron Murray would be in the hunt for the Heisman trophy all season long. I was wrong! This game will seal Georgia's fate; as they are too inexperienced on defense, and too unproductive in big games offensively to win a game against LSU. Tigers win.

Andrew:         LSU 30, Georgia 27

Greg:               LSU 35, Georgia 23

14 Oklahoma at 22 Notre Dame

Andrew: Oklahoma – Not really high on either team but Notre Dame just hasn’t been that impressive to me. They seem to play to the level of their opponents, and I think that bites them in the butt this weekend. The Sooners will come into South Bend and walk away victorious.

Greg: Oklahoma - I'm picking against Notre Dame for the first time in “College Football Saturday” history. Even at home, the defense will not be able to stop Blake Bell from running all over them. Sooners win in South Bend.

Andrew:         Oklahoma 21, Notre Dame 17

Greg:               Oklahoma 28, Notre Dame 17

Arizona at 16 Washington

Andrew: Washington – Sneaky good game here between unbeaten Pac-12 teams. But if it comes down to talent, Washington simply has more of it. It also helps that they are at home.

Greg: Washington - The Huskies beat Boise to start the year off and that really impressed me. They will continue to impress as they beat Arizona at home this weekend. Steve Sarkisian has finally gotten this program completely turned around and they will challenge Oregon for the Pac-12 championship this season along with UCLA.

Andrew:         Washington 40, Arizona 30

Greg:               Washington 40, Arizona 32

Enjoy week 5!

By: The Sports Guys

NFL Picks 4

Week 3 was fun stuff. We saw Indy upset San Francisco in a highlight for Greg and I. The best game though was likely Cincinnati over Green Bay. The rookie QB battle was won by Geno Smith in another solid matchup. And we saw Andy Reid return to Philly and pick up a win against his former team. Late game winning TD’s came in the form of Miami over Atlanta and Tennessee over San Diego too. Lastly, Cleveland really didn’t give up on their season, as they went on the road and picked up their first win. Great stuff! Here are the current standings:

Andrew – 324 Points (36-12) – Winner of Week 3

Greg – 297 Points (33-15)

Guest Picker Judson – 289 Points (33-15)

So what’s on tap this week? In two words, EPIC STUFF. Seahawks at Texans, yes please! How about New England at Atlanta, heck yeah! You interested in a MNF showdown of 3-0 teams (Miami and New Orleans)? I am! There is also the epic offensive battle of Philly vs. Denver, and the NFC North showdown of Chicago at Detroit. This is going to be a fun week.

Below are our picks and confidence points for all the games (only 15 this week). Play along in the comment section if you want:

Greg’s Picks

15       San Francisco over St. Louis

14       Indianapolis over Jacksonville

13       Cincinnati over Cleveland

12       Pittsburgh over Minnesota

11       Denver over Philadelphia

10       Chicago over Detroit

9          Washington over Oakland

8          Houston over Seattle

7          Atlanta over New England

6          Kansas City over NYG

5          Arizona over Tampa Bay

4          Tennessee over NYJ

3          San Diego over Dallas

2          Buffalo over Baltimore

1          New Orleans over Miami

Andrew’s Picks

15       Denver over Philadelphia

14       Indianapolis over Jacksonville

13       Kansas City over NYG

12       San Francisco over St. Louis

11       Baltimore over Buffalo

10       Cincinnati over Cleveland

9          Tennessee over NYJ

8          New Orleans over Miami

7          Dallas over San Diego

6          Chicago over Detroit

5          Washington over Oakland

4          Arizona over Tampa Bay     

3          Atlanta over New England

2          Seattle over Houston

1          Minnesota over Pittsburgh

Enjoy week 4!

By: The Sports Guys

PGA POY

The 2013 PGA Tour season has officially come to a close. The Fedex Cup was a wild ride, one that eventually led to crowning Henrik Stenson the champion (Andrew also beat out Greg as the 2013 "Pick 5" Champ). That suddenly thrust him (Stenson) into POY consideration, but there are so many others that had great seasons. Todays debate: Who should be the 2013 Player of the Year? We'll make the case for six candidates and pick a player below:

Tiger Woods - Woods many times falls victim to his own legacy. Because he didn't win a major people forget how dominant he actually was. In just 16 starts (tied for the least amount of any of these guys), Woods won five times, all at good events (Farmers, Arnold Palmer, Players Championship - The "5th Major", and two WGC tournaments). That means he won essentially 1 of every 3 tournies he entered. He had 8 total top tens (half his tournaments), finished second in the Fedex Cup, and first on the money list (by over 2 million). And at those aforementioned majors, he made every cut and had two top six finishes, including a 4th place at the Masters that he would have taken to a tiebreak minus a historic bad break. His Players Championship was most impressive though as he has historically struggled there. Oh, and he's now ranked #1 in the world by a landslide.

Phil Mickelson - Phil had one of his best years ever, and that's saying something. He again put himself into contention for this award, one that he has never won in his career. The highlight of 2013 for him was his win at the Open Championship, a major he had never won and hadn't had a ton of success at. He also won at the Waste Management Open, and he won on the European Tour too (Scottish Open). He only finished ninth in the Fedex Cup, but he was fourth on the PGA money list, and had seven top ten's. And who could forget his "almost win" at the US Open (yes, another one). He ended up T2, but honestly should have walked away with his first win at the major he wants most. He sits at #3 in the world by the way.

Adam Scott - Obviously, Scott's year was made at The Master's, where he captured his first major. He did it in a playoff, just like Bubba a year ago. He added another win at the first Fedex Cup event, the Barclay's. He had 6 top ten's on the year, finished fourth in the Fedex Cup, six on the money list, and he sits at #2 in the world rankings. But this is a guy who played the majors well, not just winning one, but he finished 3rd at the Open Championship and 5th at the PGA Championship. That's impressive.

Henrik Stenson - As mentioned above, Stenson won the Fedex Cup. He did this by winning 2 of the 4 events, the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tour Championship. He also showed up at the majors, finishing in the Top 21 at all four. This included a solo 2nd and 3rd at the Open Championship and PGA Championship respectively, tournaments he easily could have won with a couple better bounces. In all, he had 8 Top Ten finishes and finished second on the money list. He's also up to #4 in the world. In all honesty, he's been the best player in the world over the last few months and it's showing.

Matt Kuchar - Kuchar was the fifth guy on the official PGA ballet. Like Stenson, he won two quality tournaments (WGC Match Play and The Memorial) and had 8 Top Tens. He ended up finishing sixth in the Fedex Cup and was third on the money list. He sits at 8 in the world rankings also, which is essentially what he was last year. He did decent at the majors finishing in the Top 30 each time, but his only top ten was at The Masters.

Brandt Snedeker - "Sneeeeeeedeker" didn't make the final ballot for the PGA Tour, but he really does need to be considered. Although he finished just 12th on the final Fedex Cup standings, you need to consider he missed a good amount of time this spring due to injury. He won two events: AT&T National and Canadian Open, along with 7 other Top Tens. One of those was at The Masters, and he finished in the Top 20 at two of the other majors. He also finished fifth on the money list this season and climbed into the top ten in the world rankings.

So who do we think should win?

Andrew - Tiger Woods. Most guys on tour don't win five times in their careers, and he did that in just 2013. He was fairly consistent throughout the year too which is why he clearly topped the money list and was second in the Fedex Cup despite not winning a Fedex event. Throw in the fact that he deals with more pressure than any golfer in history and I think that makes his wins even more impressive. I have to admit though, I think he'd trade seasons with Scott or Mickelson in a heartbeat, because those guys won majors and those are what he wants more than anything now.

Greg - Henrik Stenson. He may not have been the best from start to finish, but overall I feel he had the best season and has been the best player over the last few months. His run started at the Scottish Open where he finished 3rd. Then he was 2nd at the Open Championship and the WGC at Firestone. That was followed by a 3rd at the PGA Championship, and of course he then won twice in the Fedex Cup Playoffs, including the Tour Championship. That's simply stunning.

By: The Sports Guys

PS: There isn't a need to break down the Rookie of the Year race, because Jordan Spieth will win in a blowout. And he deserves it.

NFL Power Rankings 3

NFL Power Rankings

After Week 3

NOTE: Previous ranking is noted in the first parenthesis. Current team record noted in the second parenthesis.

1. (1) Denver Broncos (3-0) – Despite no second half TD’s last night, Manning already has thrown 12 on the year. Yes, that’s a record.

2. (2) Seattle Seahawks (3-0) – Russell Wilson finally had himself a good game. I think that gets this passing game going. Jacksonville is always good to get the confidence up.

3. (7) New England Patriots (3-0) – Bad news for the rest of the league: Brady is finally finding chemistry with his new guys, and the real stars are set to return any time. Oh, and their defense is the best it’s been in nearly a decade.

4. (8) Chicago Bears (3-0) – It’s unreal how the defense continues to score TD’s (two on Sunday). Cutler also continues to protect the ball. They will be hard to beat if those things continue to happen.

5. (9) New Orleans Saints (3-0) – Jimmy Graham is proving to be a beast game in and game out along with their solid defense. The team is allowing less than 13 points per game thus far.

6. (10) Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) – I bet that win felt great for Andy Reid. Winning at Philly was not only an emotional win though; it was a solid result against a good offensive team.

7. (11) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) – Very impressed with the Bengals in their comeback win over the Packers. Andy Dalton showed he could step it up and the defense made a play when it mattered.

8. (14) Miami Dolphins (3-0) – I’m officially on board now with Miami. Winning at Indy was a nice step, but backing it up with a comeback win against Atlanta sold me. New England won’t run away with the division this season.

9. (5) Green Bay Packers (1-2) – Easily could be 3-0 despite playing a tough schedule so far, but instead they have a losing record. A late fumble cost them this week.

10. (12) Dallas Cowboys (2-1) – Quietly leading the NFC East outright early on in the season. The difference is that they seem like the only team in the division capable of stopping opponents on D and playing with consistency.

11. (15) Indianapolis Colts (2-1) – The single most impressive victory of the week was Indy at San Francisco. Not only did they produce points against an elite defense, but they also shut them down on defense all afternoon.

12. (13) Baltimore Ravens (2-1) – The champs showed up for the first time all year easily taking down Houston. The offense took a step forward, but the defense was incredible allowing only 9 points.

13. (3) Houston Texans (2-1) – Big fall in the rankings here. They have been stagnant on offense recently and their defense is not what I expected. Honestly they are lucky to be 2-1 at this point.

14. (4) San Francisco 49ers (1-2) – What happened to Kaepernick after his opening game (over 400 yards passing)? I know they missed Vernon Sunday and Crabtree is still out, but they look atrocious on that side of the ball.

15. (6) Atlanta Falcons (1-2) – With Jackson and White banged up, and Gonzalez showing his age, the Falcons suddenly are a team without many explosive playmakers. Pretty much explains why they are 0-2 on the road.

16. (18) Detroit Lions (2-1) – Stafford is on pace to set the all-time record for passing yards in a season. Getting Bush healthy again would help even more.

17. (22) Carolina Panthers (1-2) – Cam finally broke out and the defense was incredible again posting a shutout. They have a number of winnable games upcoming to try and get on a roll.

18. (24) Tennessee Titans (2-1) – Only loss to this point was an OT loss to Houston. Jake Locker is maturing and showed us why he was highly selected in the draft on his game-winning final drive.

19. (16) San Diego Chargers (1-2) – The Chargers fell victim to yet another late loss. They must improve holding onto fourth quarter leads.

20. (27) New York Jets (2-1) – Gotta admit that this team is much better than I expected. I’ll also say that this win was all about Geno and the offense and not the defense. The defense was getting penalties left and right trying to blow it.

21. (17) Arizona Cardinals (1-2) – Still haven’t found the right balance on offense. But, they are still tied for second in the division.

22. (19) Buffalo Bills (1-2) – I think this team has to get more out of CJ Spiller to improve… but he got injured and that could spell trouble if it’s serious.

23. (20) Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) – Schedule doesn’t get any easier with Denver the next opponent. It’s put up or shut up time.

24. (21) St. Louis Rams (1-2) – I see consistency issues on both sides of the ball here. Still haven’t looked as good as they did in Week 1.

25. (31) Cleveland Browns (1-2) – So much for giving up this season. Hoyer and Cameron decided they were going to take over, and they did. Don’t know how they will be able to run the ball following their Richardson trade, so I guess they’ll just throw it.

26. (25) Oakland Raiders (1-2) – Pryor’s concussion could be very problematic for a team that already lacks weapons.

27. (23) Minnesota Vikings (0-3) – Home loss to Cleveland is flat out embarrassing. I think this is Ponder’s last season as a starter.

28. (28) Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3) – For the third straight week, they stand pat at 28. The offense finally moved the ball, but five turnovers held them back.

29. (29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) – Three points is no way to hold onto your job (Josh Freeman). Maybe more worrisome is that Doug Martin is invisible right now.

30. (30) Washington Redskins (0-3) – Much better showing this week but it still is a home loss. There is absolutely no way they scramble to make the playoffs like last year.

31. (26) New York Giants (0-3) – After getting shutout by Carolina, I’ve given up hope for this team. They are not the Giants we thought they were.

32. (32) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) – Another blowout loss, but it was against a good team. The bad news is that Blaine is likely going to start again. But that’s good because the team can “Get ready for Teddy” (Teddy Bridgewater).

By: The Sports Guys