Rebuilding Mode in Full Swing for Vandy Basketball

Although the college basketball season is still very young, the Vanderbilt Commodores look anything but an NCAA Tournament team at the moment.

It was pretty apparent that this would be a rough season as Vandy (2-3) lost virtually all of their scoring from last season.

Both Jeffery Taylor and Festus Ezeli are currently regular starters for their respective NBA teams.

They also lost Brad Tinsley, John Jenkins, Lance Goulbourne and Steve Tchiengang.

That void that was left behind was illustrated at the fullest when Vandy put up just 33 points against Marist this past week.

So now the question is how long will the Commodores be off the radar?

Right now the Commodores have some nice talent that's lead by point guard Kedren Johnson. Outside of Johnson, the Commodores are still in search of some scorers.

Kyle Fuller has also played much better than last season as he's averaging nearly 13 points per game, but his assists numbers have to improve.

It's still somewhat probable that the Commodores figure out a way to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. After all, the SEC isn't the guantlent of a conference like it is in football.

The recent additions of No.16 Missouri and Texas A&M will certainly pose new challenges to this year's schedule, but don't be surprised if the Commodores get ran out of the gym when they face Middle Tennessee State in a few weeks.

Up next for the Commodores is Villanova in the SEC/Big East challenge. Villanova is also having issues as they've started with losses to La Salle and Columbia.

A win over Villanova at home would do wonders for this team's confidence that is clearly lacking at the moment.

If Kevin Stallings can figure out a way to turn this rebuilding year into another NCAA Tournament appearence, then he deserves a nice extension to his contract.

Vandy's Recent Results

 

(11/10) W vs. Nicholls St., 80-65

(11/16) L vs. Oregon, 74-48

(11/22) L vs. Davidson, 75-62

(11/23) L vs. Marist, 50-33

(11/25) W vs. UTEP, 73-49

Next 3 Up: Villanova, Xavier, Alabama A&M



Extending the Olive Branch to LeBron James

No other star athlete has ever been publicly disliked more than LeBron James.

It could've been said that Barry Bonds held that title, or maybe Alex Rodriguez, but now that title is firmly in LeBron's hands.

Despite the way LeBron buried himself even deeper by mocking Dirk Nowitzki's sickness, making excuses for his poor play in the fourth quarter, and seemingly saying he was superior to the rest of us, I'm going to extend the olive branch to him.

I've never been a fan of James. Not because I think he's a bad player, but because of his attitude. He showed it again in the 2011 NBA Finals.

However, James finally came out and said the right thing. Whether it was scripted or not, he came out and said "I'm not superior to anyone".

He also went on to basically say that his comments may have been misunderstood about saying that at the end of the day fans have to go back to their everyday lives.


Hands down, if James plays the game he's capable of playing, then the Miami Heat win in five or six games.

Instead, the Mavericks win in six claiming their first ever NBA championship.

I'm willing to wipe the slate clean with James and see how he carries himself next season.

His Miami Heat, or I should say Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat, will be back next year to make another run for the title.

The Eastern Conference is very watered down and the Heat's only real obstacles will be the Bulls and maybe the Knicks.

Although James will never be on Michael Jordan's level in my book, he can at least turn his public image around if he quits burying himself with egotistic remarks and lame excuses.

He has way too much talent to not eventually win an NBA championship, so let's wipe the slate clean and see how he acts next season.

Bracketology With A Tennessee Flavor

The college basketball season is already past the midway point, and March Madness is creeping up on us.

Teams are battling it out in the midst of their respective conferences, and the smaller conferences are bidding for that automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

It's been somewhat of a down year for school from Tennessee, but there are some mid-majors that people should be keeping an eye on.

Here's a look at the current standing of the schools fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee (14-7, 4-2 SEC): Meet your jekyll and hyde of the college basketball season. The same team that knocked out Villanova and Pittsburgh also has losses to the likes of Charlotte, Oakland, and College of Charleston. Take out those mysterious losses and you've got yourself a top ten ranking right now. Bruce Pearl is almost through his suspension and it looks like the Vols will make the NCAA Tournament with a respectable seed.
Big Wins: Villanova, Pitt. Big Losses: Charlotte, Charleston, Oakland

Projected Seed: 7


Vanderbilt (15-5, 3-3 SEC): The Achilles heel for the Commodores has been protecting leads, blowing late leads to the likes of South Carolina and Tennessee. What really helps Vandy right now is the fact that they really don't have an ugly loss outside of Arkansas this past weekend. They also are 3-1 against the AP Top 25 this season. Vandy really needs to get Andre Walker back to finish this season out strong, but they should be in the mix come March.
Big Wins: Marquette, St. Mary's. Big Losses: Arkansas, South Carolina

Projected Seed: 6


Memphis (16-5, 5-2 CUSA): The Tigers might have been the biggest frauds to start the season ranked. Their overall record might look solid, but they lack a quality win on their schedule. They've also struggled to beat the likes of Tennessee State, Austin Peay, and Arkansas State. This team is flirting with the possibility of missing the tournament all together if they don't start winning games in an impressive fashion. A big date with Gonzaga looms in the near future.
Big Wins: UAB. Big Losses: SMU, Marshall

Projected Seed: 12


Belmont (20-4, 12-1 A-Sun): If there's going to be a 2010 Butler team in this year's tournament, Belmont has to at least be mentioned in the conversation. To put it into perspective, Belmost beat Arkansas State by 33 points, the same Arkansas State team that had single-digit losses to Ole Miss and Memphis. There's no reason that Belmont couldn't run the table the rest of the way. They're four losses are to Tennessee twice, Vanderbilt, and arch-rival Lipscomb in a tough environment on the road. This team is dangerous.
Big Wins: None. Big Losses: Lipscomb

Projected seed: 14


Middle Tennessee (10-12, 5-4 Sun Belt): The Blue Raiders have to pretty much win their conference tournament to have any chance. Their overall record is abysmal, and they have too many bad losses to count on one hand. This team has potential, but they're still a few steps away from making the NCAA Tournament for the first team in 22 years.
Big Wins: North Texas. Big Losses: Evansville, Campbell, South Alabama

Projected Seed: None


Austin Peay (14-9, 8-3 OVC): Winning the OVC tournament is the only way the Governors will make the NCAA Tourney, but the probability of that happening is very high. The Governors don't really have any quality wins, but they took Memphis and Oakland to overtime. Remember, Oakland took down Tennessee in the early part of the season. I see the Governors winning their conference tournament only to get the honor of playing a team like Ohio State or Pittsburgh in the first round.
Big Wins: None. Big Losses: Tenn. State, Tenn. Tech

Projected Seed: 16




Take a minute to digest my take on the state of the Tennessee schools. There's still a lot of basketball to be played, and all of this could obviously change.

Out of all of these schools I see Vanderbilt having the potential to go the farthest. The reason I say this is because they've played everyone tough, and only have one ugly loss all season. I'm not counting out Tennessee from making some noise. They're pesky and have the ability to beat anyone in the country, but at the same time lose to almost anyone in the country.

The Titans Should Make Ryan Mallett QB of the Future

It was a rough season all the way around for the Tennessee Titans.

Jeff Fisher barely hung onto his job, Vince Young was shown the door, and the team finished an nasty 6-10.

Now it's time to look ahead three months to the NFL Draft, where it looks like the Titans will take a quarterback at some point.

Some people may be thinking, "wait, I thought we drafted Rusty Smith". Well, unfortunately Smith proved that he still has a great amount of work to do before he'll ever be ready to even be a No.2 quarterback, much less a starter.

There's a lot of potentially great NFL quarterbacks in this upcoming draft class, but Ryan Mallett seems to fit the Titans system the best. Here's some reasons why:

• He's got the great physical makeup of an NFL quarterback (6-foot-6, 238 lbs.)
• Great pocket passer, which is what the Titans have needed
• Prepped to play against tough defense after playing in the SEC
• Rarely makes mistakes: Nearly a career 4 to 1 TD-Interception ratio

Think about all of the issues the Titans have had at the quarterback position over the years. Turning the ball over was a recurring problems, and Vince Young always seemed to struggle with staying in the pocket.

Mallett will almost certainly be around when the Titans get the first pick at 8th overall.

They should take Mallett and let Kerry Collins start at least on more year. Collins has expressed his interest in helping young quarterbacks, and he's done that for both Young and Smith. He could do the same for Mallett.

They're both similar in their styles of play and Mallett could learn a lot about the NFL game from Collins.

Titans fans might have to come to grips with reality and accept that it might take a season or two before the Titans will be relevant again in the AFC.

Ryan Mallett's Collegiate Stats

• 69 passing touchdowns
• 8,388 passing yards
• 24 Interceptions
• 140.62 QB rating
• 18-8 record at Arkansas
  

Music City Bowl Looks To Be A Toss Up

The Music City Bowl, which annually pits the ACC against the SEC, looks to be one of the toughest games to figure out in this bowl season.

I'm excited to say I will be attending this game on Thursday evening and I expect to see a game that could come down to the final possession.

With the game being played at LP Field, it should be predominantly loaded with Tennessee fans.

Here's arguments for both teams on why they will win:

Tennessee's argument

Tennessee could have very easily finished the season 7-5 if not for getting hosed by the refs in the LSU game.

This team has finally hit its stride, winning four in row to end the season. Tyler Bray has also given the Vols some stability at quarterback.

The game may be technically on neutral field, but let's get real here. This will basically be like a home game for the Vols.

North Carolina's argument

One thing that leans heavily in North Carolina's favor is the inexperience in their opponent. A lot of these Freshman and Sophomore on Tennessee may come out skidish to start the game.

The Tar Heels will need to jump on them early, much like they did against Florida State back on November 6th.

The biggest weapon for the Tar Heels is easily T.J. Yates at quarterback. You take out his four-interception game against Virginia Tech, and Yates would be considered a quarterback who rarely turns the ball over.

All season long this team has been playing with a chip on their shoulder after dealing with the multiple suspensions. This season probably should've ended in a better bowl game than the Music City Bowl, but it's still impressive that they even got this far with all they had to deal with as a team.

Final Verdict

In the end I see the inexperience of the Vols ( over 50 Freshmen) will hurt them in this game.

The pro-UT crowd will give the Vols a lift that will keep the game interesting all the way to the end. However, North Carolina will find a way to get the win late in the game.

Look for Yates to carry the Tar Heels to a slim victory over Derek Dooley and the Vols.

Final Score: North Carolina 27, Tennessee 24

NFC Takes Over the NFL Power Rankings

Heading into this season the AFC looked like the dominant conference, but the NFC has narrowed the gap with the emergence of the Falcons and the Eagles.

The Patriots (11-2) still hands down have the number-one spot in the rankings. They've made it look easy over the past few weeks.

In fact, the Patriots haven't scored less than 31 points during their current five-game winning streak.

Coming in a distant second is the Steelers (10-3). These guys will be tough to beat in the playoffs whether they win the AFC North or not.

That defense makes this team a contender for the Super Bowl no matter how they look doing it. If the NFL counted for style points then the Steelers wouldn't be as high, but it doesn't.

In third sits the Eagles (9-4). Now I know what you're thinking. How can you put the Eagles ahead of the Falcons, who are 11-2? For the simple fact that the Falcons don't have Michael Vick. This guy single handily makes the Eagles a playoff team. That defense isn't so bad either.

They also lost to Philly head-to-head in Week 6.

As for the Falcons, who come in fourth on the list, they're a product of their schedule in my opinion. I need more from them.

Six wins over the likes of Carolina, San Francisco, Arizona, Cincy, and Cleveland just doesn't make me a believer of them being any higher that No. 4.

With that said, they will be tough to beat at home.

Rounding out the top five list is the Saints (10-3). They've quietly won six in a row after looking like another ordinary NFC team early in the season.

I don't think a 10-3 defending Super Bowl champion has ever received this little of attention, but they're not getting talked about as much.

A huge showdown with the Falcons in Atlanta comes next week. That game is sandwiched between Baltimore and Tampa Bay, which will be no picnic.

Will found out real quick through these final three games if New Orleans is capable of defending their Super Bowl title.

With the dominating win for the Chargers over the Niners tonight, they are as close as you can get to getting in the Top 5.

I still have trouble putting a team in the top five who needs help from other teams to get in the playoffs. If not for their horrible special teams play, they might be No.1 on this list.

The Ravens join them in knocking on the door of the Top 5 after losing a tough game to Steelers the previous week. They'll most likely finish with one of the AFC wildcards.

Bottom Five

28. Detroit (3-10): This team has played tough football all year and they're so much better than the record. They could easily be 5-8 if not for a questionable call in Week 1, and Ndamukong Suh being forced to kick an extra point. Godspeed Detroit.

29. Arizona (4-9): Decimated by injuries, but they have a manageable remaining schedule to try to save face.

30. Denver (3-10): A later coaching change means this team is going nowhere fast. The Broncos have one win since starting 2-2. Enough said.

31. Cincy (2-11): Really wanted to put this team dead last because they have zero heart at this point. However, I couldn't because they defeated Carolina head-to-head and managed to hang with the Steelers this past week. Still a horrible team, and T.O. needs his bottle now.

32. Carolina (1-12): We all seen this coming heading into the season. No experienced quarterbacks and no help for Steve Smith. This week against Arizona will probably be their last real opportunity to avoid a one-loss season. The other two come against Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

LeBron Makes His Epic Return to Cleveland Tonight

Possibly the most anticipated regular season game in NBA history occurs tonight in Cleveland at Quicken Loan Arena.

Cavaliers guard Mo Williams compared it to an ex-girlfriend coming to your wedding. In this case the ex-girlfriend ditched you for a super model that ended up not being so attractive. At least not so far.

Going into the season many expected the Heat to be better than their record (11-8), and for the Cavaliers to be worse than their record (7-10).

It's hard to imagine how the passionate Cavaliers fans feel heading into this game, and for a lot of them this will be the equivalent of the Cavs winning a championship if the they pull off the win.

Don't be surprise if that happens tonight. We've already seen a few ordinary teams rise up above their normal selves and get the win. The Grizzlies are the only team with a record below .500 to take down the Heat, which was just less than two weeks ago.

The Heat have gotten every team's best shot this season, and the Cavs are going to multiple that by a 100 to try to bring this win home to the Cleveland fans.

Security will be extremely high compared to a normal game and rightfully so.

I'm hoping to see LeBron fail miserably tonight for making a deal with the devil and doing it in the most classless way possible.

With that said, I hope no one does anything overboard tonight, like threatening LeBron's physical health. We all have to step back and remember this is just a game.

Cleveland fans need to focus all that rage into harming LeBron mentally, but certainly not physically in any way. I'm sure some bonehead will go overboard and I hope that person gets the punishment they will deserve by being an idiot.

Moss Won't Talk Super Bowl, But Seems Ready To Go

Well I officially feel like a six-year-old kid on Christmas Eve as we lead up to Randy Moss's debut in a Tennessee Titans uniform.

We won't know for sure how this acquisition will turn out for the Titans, but we'll get a decent idea after tomorrow's game against the Dolphins.

It may be a week longer before we get the opportunity to see how Vince Young does working with Moss, but Kerry Collins is still very much capable of running the offense effectively. We've already seen that once this season against the Jaguars on Monday Night Football.

Moss made his first official interview as a Titan a few days ago and kept it short and sweet. He really didn't have too much interest in talking Super Bowl. Instead he gave the cliche answer of "taking it one game at a time".

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that answer. I think it's important that Moss stays away from negative publicity during his time in Tennessee. No matter what his stats are, if the Titans are successful then he'll be successful as a future player in the NFL.

Moss isn't a young man anymore and the reality is only one team claimed him. Just one and he's a future Hall of Famer. That blows my mind, but clearly teams were afraid of him starting trouble inside the locker room.

They face the Dolphins tomorrow, a team that can't be taken lightly. Much like the Titans themselves, the Dolphins have suffered some tough losses that should've been wins.

With that said, I see no reason why the Titans don't win this game. They're facing a quarterback in Chad Pennington who hasn't taken a snap since early last season.

Hopefully the simple presence of Moss will open things up more for Chris Johnson. On the defensive side of the ball I just don't see the Titans giving up much to the Dolphins.

Expect another close game but in the end I see a modest stat line for Moss in his debut, but a win by the Titans.

It's Official: Randy Moss is a Titan

You read the title correctly. No need to adjust your computer monitor.

Despite 21 other teams having a shot at Randy Moss on the waiver wire before the Titans, Moss is still the newest addition to the Tennessee Titans.

Saying that I'm completely shocked right now would be an understatement. I never saw this coming.

According to multiple sources, the Titans were the only team to put in a waiver claim for Moss. That's shocking in itself.

So now the question is how Moss fits into this offense that is historically, run first and pass short. With Moss on the roster, we're obviously going to see the Titans go deep more often than we're accustomed to.

Even though Moss has major character issues, it's hard to argue with the move. It's instantly going to free up running room for Chris Johnson, who has struggled finding lanes all season.

It also will allow for my space to work in the middle of the field for guys like Bo Scaife and Damian Williams.

With it still unknown how long Kenny Britt will be out for his hamstring injury, this move makes even more sense.

Hopefully the trash of the Patriots and the Vikings will prove to be the Titans' treasure.

The key to this move being a success will depend on whether or not Jeff Fisher can appease Moss, which is something that Brad Childress failed to do with the Vikings.

The Titans still have five division games remaining, including two games each against the Texans and the Colts. Both the Colts and the Texans have high-powered offenses and questionable defenses.

Career Stats for Randy Moss

• 194 games
• 948 receptions (9th all-time)
• 14,778 rec. yards (5th all-time)
• 153 rec. TD's (2nd all-time)
• 76 yards per game (5th all-time)
  

The LeBron Era Starts Off Slow in South Beach

The Celtics have been coined as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA ever since they assembled their own Big Three just a few seasons ago.

They proved that last night by holding the Miami Heat to just nine first quarter points, something that LeBron and company struggled to fight their way out of the rest of the game.

There was way too much one-on-one action going on at the beginning of the game. In fact, LeBron did the best job at trying to get his teammates involved. His unselfishness led to a lot of unforced turnovers, which he pointed out after the game.

Despite not being a big LeBron fan to say the least, I though LeBron played great last night. It almost looked like he was playing for Cleveland all over again, just with different players around him.

In the second half LeBron began to play more of his game and take on the form of the LeBron we all came to know in Cleveland. He began slashing to the basket and putting points on the board while everyone else on the floor were spectators.

He finished with 31 points even after the slow start. His rebound and assist production was down though as he finished with four rebounds and three assists.

Dwyane Wade was almost a non-factor the entire game, and understandably so. He was rusty due to sitting out all but three minutes of the preseason.

Chris Bosh didn't look all that great either if you judge him based on his offensive performance. He still showed how good he is in the rebound department.

It's obviously going to take a few games for LeBron, Wade, and Bosh to learn to play together effectively. They can't all be the players they use to be.

The Celtics proved that they're still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They played smarter from start to finish. This was most likely a preview of a matchup that will most likely happen in this season's Eastern Conference Finals.

It will be interesting to see if LeBron takes on the same approach that he took at the start of last night's game, or will he take on the style of play that he had in Cleveland when he had little help.

What To Expect In Big Ben's Return

Somehow the Steelers managed to not only survive without Ben Roethlisberger, but actually flourish.

They're currently 3-1, with their only loss coming to my preseason Super Bowl favorite, the Baltimore Ravens. The crazy part is the fact that they did most of this with third-string quarterback Charlie Batch.

Now coming off of a bye week they get their franchise quarterback returns to the field after a four-game suspension.

This offense is a lot more dangerous then people give them credit for and Roethlisberger is going to obviously add to that firepower.

Rashard Mendenhall is quickly becoming one of the top running backs in the league, and the wide receivers aren't that bad either with Mike Wallace and Hines Ward.

The Steelers and the Ravens are going to go right down to the wire and the second place team will most likely snatch up one of the wildcards.

As for this weekend Roethlisberger gets a bit of a tune-up game with the Browns coming to town. They have their own questions at quarterback with Colt McCoy getting his first NFL start.

Roethlisberger just has to remember that this team was already a top team without him, so he can't come in and try to do too much. How disastrous would it be if Roethlisberger returns to action and throws a couple picks in a loss?

That's probably not going to happens, but we all know that anything can happen. Just ask the Saints after their loss to Max Hall and the Cardinals last week.

Big Ben's Career Stats

• 127 Passing TD's
• 81 Interceptions
• 91.7 QB Rating
• 19,302 Pass Yards
• 17 Comeback Wins
  

The Doc Is In, And Throws A No-No!

What a way to make your postseason debut! Roy Halladay just became the second pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason.

He was one walk away from pitching his second perfect game of the year to add to that.

Halladay painted the corners the entire game and lead with a first-pitch strike most of the game.

The mind blowing statistics go on and on in this one. Halladay threw just 24 balls out of the 104 total pitches he threw. He also took the count to three balls just three times.

Want more? He also added an RBI to his credit in the second inning.

If Halladay continues to pitch like this then there's no way the Phillies go down to anyone out of the National League or the American League. He pitched that good today.

The Phillies will have the luxury of sending him out on short rest if things get sticky in any of their series as well.

Don't forget how good this pitching staff is either. They have Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt still to pitch in the next two games before Halladay takes the mound again on Friday presumably.

It's also important to know that the Reds numbers-wise are the best hitting team in the NL so Halladay didn't do this to just anybody.

As we all expected, the Phillies look to be in good shape at making their third straight trip to the World Series.

Padres, Giants, and Braves: Only Room For Two

Almost every season there is one or two good teams who don't make the playoffs.

It's going to happen this year in the National League for sure.

Padres

Currently the Padres are imploding by losing to teams like the Cubs and the Dodgers. They need to pretty much win out if they want to win the NL West.

They have a little bit more room for error in the wild card race with the Braves, but it's important to remember that the Braves end their season with a series against the Phillies.

That means bad news for the Padres because the Phillies will most likely rest the strong part of their lineup considering they've already clinched the division.

The Padres need to win out against the Cubs and win at least two of three if they want all that hard work they did over the regular season pay off.

Giants

The Giants sit in the best position to make the playoffs out of these three teams. They've done a great job at taking care of teams they're suppose to beat, like the Diamondbacks. The Giants are in the middle of a three-game series with the D'backs right now.

If the Giants sweep the D'backs then that will put a ton of pressure on the Padres going into their season ending series with the Giants.

Even if somehow the Giants do find a way to lose the division, they still have the wild card to most likely fall back on. They have Lincecum going tonight on short rest to make sure that doesn't happen.

Braves

This team gradually began to fall apart after losing Chipper Jones and now Martin Prado is also out for the season. That's a lot to overcome.

They got a huge win against the Marlins earlier today which puts them two games ahead in the NL wild card standings.

The Braves have to be hoping that the Giants sweep the Padres. If that happens then the Braves are in the playoffs regardless of what they do against the Phillies.

To top it all off the Phillies will most likely rest a good chunk of their star power in their finall series of the regular season.

NL West

1. Giants 89-68
2. Padres 87-70 (2 GB)

NL Wild Card

1. Braves 90-69
2. Padres 87-70 (2 GB)
   

Vick Named Full-Time Starter...At Least For Now

Andy Reid couldn't deny it any longer that Michael Vick gives the Eagles a better chance at winning than Kevin Kolb.

The concussion that Kolb suffered in the opener against the Packers may have been just what Vick needed to finally become a full-time starter in the NFL once again.

However, some people are jumping on the Vick bandwagon just a little too soon.

In all reality Vick has played only six quarters and already some people are crowning him as a player that has completely revived his career. Slow down there sweethearts.

His only full-time game came against the Lions, a team that isn't necessarily the cream of the crop when it comes to NFL defenses.

No disrespect to Vick because he did put up great numbers, throwing for nearly 300 yards and two touchdown passes. Maybe the most important statistic is the fact that he has yet to throw an interception.

Next up for the Eagles is the Jaguars, another team that is in the bottom half of the NFL much like the Lions. Don't be surprised if Vick puts up solid numbers against the Jags, which will have the media salivating over him even more about how he is better than ever.

When it comes to Reid's decision to make Vick the starter after just six quarters makes me believe that he never really had that much faith in Kolb to begin with.

Some of the things that Reid has said this week I put way up on the BS meter:

• "This isn't about Kevin Kolb's play."
• "You're talking about Michael Vick as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now."
• About Kolb, "He's going to be a championship-caliber quarterback."

The last quote may be the biggest BS of them all. Not to say that Kolb won't one day be that kind of a quarterback, but for Reid to say that just doesn't make any sense.

If you believed that then you wouldn't be benching him for a guy that only has one start since 2006, and that was against the Lions.

Also to say that Vick is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. That means he's elevating Vick to be one of the best in the league based on six quarters of action.

Something really strange is going on in Philly and as of right now I'm not sure where this mystery might end up.

Reggie Bush Forfeits Heisman, Still Deserves Respect

Something that hasn't happened in the 75-year history of the Heisman Trophy happened today when Reggie Bush announced that he is forfeiting his Heisman Trophy he won in 2005.

Many expected Bush to have his trophy taken away by the Heisman committee, but very few expected him to voluntarily give his Heisman away.

Bush may have did things in his past to merit this situation, but he deserves at least some respect for giving up the most hallowed trophy in all of college sports.

Here is a part of his statement regarding his forfeiting of the trophy:

"I would like to begin in this effort by turning a negative situation into a positive one by working with the Trustees to establish an educational program which will assist student-athletes and their families avoid some of the mistakes that I made. I am determined to view this event as an opportunity to help others and to advance the values and mission of the Heisman Trophy Trust."

Obviously Bush realizes that he made mistakes and that he needs to put this nightmare behind him and that the best way to do that is to own up to his mistakes.

Even though he is physically giving up the Heisman Trophy, you can't erase the memories of college football fans. He'll always be remembered as the winner that year.

It's like when the NCAA takes wins away from a program that is punished for certain violations. You may be able to erase those victories from the record books, but you can't erase the memories of thousands of fans.

Now the speculation will move to whether or not Vince Young will receive the vacated award. He came in a distant second to Bush in the voting that year.

There's no doubt about it that Young put up Heisman-like numbers that year. However, the award should remain vacant because Young didn't win the award the year that he was eligible.

If Young does win the award thanks to Bush's wrong doings then it could end up opening up a can of worms.

Big Week of College Football Up and Coming

The opening week of college football ended in great fashion with Boise State's thrilling victory over Virginia Tech last night against an enormous crowd that was pro-Virginia Tech.

Looking ahead to the upcoming weekend, all I can say is that it's great to be talking about college football again.

This weekend is loaded with heavyweight matchups with major implications on the rest of the season.

• (12) Miami @ (2) Ohio State
• (17) Florida State @ (10) Oklahoma
• (22) Georgia @ (24) South Carolina
• (18) Penn State @ (1) Alabama
  
• Michigan @ Notre Dame
• (7) Oregon @ Tennessee

Where do I begin here?

There are four games this week between two ranked opponents, with the biggest one being Miami and Ohio State.

These two teams haven't played each other since the controversial 2002 National Championship game when pass interference was called on the Hurricanes and leading to the loss.

I'm sure Boise State will be temporarily Hurricanes fans on Saturday in hopes that they can leap frog Ohio State in the rankings.

It's going to be tough for the Hurricanes to win in Columbus despite all of their talent.

Then of course you have another heavyweight matchup between Florida State and Oklahoma.

The Sooners looked horrible in their win over Utah State in the opening weekend. If they play that way against a much more talented Florida State team then they won't only loss, they'll get embarrassed.

In somewhat of an upset I see Florida State winning this game and exposing Oklahoma as a middle of the road team.

Penn State really has their hands full as they travel to Tuscaloosa this weekend. If Penn State wins then the rankings will be all shook up with TCU and Boise State looming at numbers three and four in the rankings.

There are a few other less meaningful, but still important games this weekend as listed above.

One thing I can say about the Oregon-Tennessee matchup is that the Vols have to figure out a way to not get blown out here. Losing is one thing, but getting embarrassed right on Rocky Top would be devastating for the entire team.

In case you forgot, Oregon is coming off a 72-0 blowout over New Mexico this past weekend. The Ducks probably would've hung 100 on New Mexico if not for the Oregon coaches subing in all the backups after the 59-point lead at halftime.

If the Vols manage to make this an interesting game then it will at least give them confidence going forward.

It should be a great weekend of college football action.

Preview For Minnesota-MTSU Season Opener

The Blue Raiders welcome just the fourth ever team from a BCS conference into Floyd Stadium when Minnesota comes tomorrow night.

The Golden Gophers may be bigger, in fact a lot bigger, at offensive line but they're greatly inexperienced compared to the Blue Raiders.

I would go as far as to make the Blue Raiders the favorite in this game if it wasn't for the unfortunate suspension of Dwight Dasher.

Here's are some things that could hinder Minnesota's chances against MTSU:

• Inexperienced, especially on defense
• On the road, not use to the humid conditions
• Third offensive coordinator in four years

Those three factors are huge for the chances at the mild upset for the Blue Raiders.

What's really going to be the true test for the Blue Raiders is stopping the run. The offensive line is way bigger than the defensive front of the Blue Riaders and Minnesota has a senior quarterback.

Even though the quarterback is experienced, he's dealing with his third offensive coordinator in his collegiate career.

It's tough to win on the road in college football no matter where you're at, but the heat and the noise will test this young Minnesota team.

The three previous times the Blue Raiders have welcomed in a BCS-conference school they have played competitive football, and they should be 2-1 in those games if not for a fourth quarter meltdown against Virginia in 2007.

This game will be similar in style to the Mississippi State game from last season. The Blue Raiders lost that game in somewhat convincing fashion because the Mississippi State players eventually just overpowered them with their size and strength.

Minnesota is in the bottom half of the Big Ten so the Blue Raiders aren't getting the cream of the crop here.

They're going to commit to the run game. Here's a stat for you: Minnesota is 11-2 in the last two seasons when they rush for at least 100 yards in a game, and 2-11 when they don't.

If the offense can put points on the board consistently and force this Minnesota offense to pass the ball rather than run it up the gut, then the Blue Raiders will have a great chance to win this game.

Coach Caldwell Giving Resurgence To Vandy Football

It was tough and shocking to see Bobby Johnson retire in mid-July. It left a football program that already has so much ground to make up on the rest of the SEC to make up even more ground.

In came Robbie Caldwell, who was the offensive line coach. Many people compare his charm and personality to Bobby Bowden.

The Vandy players have instantly fallen in love with Caldwell as their coach, and the media likes him as well.

Something as simple as his personality may seem like it doesn't mean anything, but it actually means a lot to recruiting. Those results are already starting to show as Vanderbilt has recently received verbal commitments from a few promising prospects at the quarterback position and fittingly at offensive line.

It's always been tough for Vanderbilt coaches to recruit in SEC country with their strict academic standards and their history of being the doormat of the SEC. A guy with Caldwell's southern charm can go a long way for a program that struggles to keep pace in recruiting in the SEC.

Just to give you a taste of Caldwell's track record in recruiting, he recruited both Torry Holt and Earl Bennett, among other talented players.

As much as Bobby Johnson will be missed by Vandy players and fans alike, Caldwell's hire could be a blessing in disguise.

UFC 118: Boxing vs. MMA

It's been a debate ever since the sport of MMA has become relevant in mainstream society. Is the better fighting sport boxing or mixed martial arts?

We'll finally get to see at least a partial answer tonight at UFC 118 in Boston.

It will be a battle of two men who definitely aren't the prime of their careers, with James"Lights Out" Toney crossing over to MMA for the first time to take on seasoned UFC veteran Randy Couture.

Toney has not been shy of talking smack leading up to this fight, but I'm not so sure he realizes what he's got himself into.

Sure, if he connects with one of his signature punches then it could instantly be lights out for Couture, no pun intended.

I can't see Couture being that clumsy. He's going to be smart and try to put the inexperienced Toney on the mat and keep it as far away from a boxing match as possible.

In other words, make Toney beat you from where he's least comfortable. I find it hard to believe that Toney will be anywhere close to effective on the mat or in any area of MMA other than boxing.

Couture is a better wrestler than Toney, better at muay thai, and better at jiu jitzu.

For me personally it's going to be very satisfying if Toney is put on the mat and tapped out, and I can easily see that happening.

This match is somewhat unpredictable thanks to both men being in their 40's, with Couture at age 47 and Toney at age 42.

If Toney manages to win then it will be a tough blow to MMA as a sport, but it won't be a death sentence. People are still going to continue to choose watching MMA events over the more traditional boxing match.

What it's all going to come down to is the amount of experience, or lack thereof, that each fighter possesses. Couture has trained in MMA for somewhere around 13 years whereas Toney took up the sport over the last few months.

Couture wins by submission.

Tale of the Tape

James Toney (USA)

• 72-6-3 (boxing career) 0-0-0 (MMA career)
  
• Age 42
• 5'10''
• 237 lbs.
• 72'' reach

Randy Couture (USA)

• 18-10 (MMA career)
• Age 47
• 6'1''
• 220 lbs.
• 75'' reach
  

NFL Eyeing An 18-Game Season

An 18-game NFL season has been in the works for a while now and it finally looks like it's going to happen in 2012.

This is obviously great for the fan. Two more games of regular season football and the possibility of more rivalry games being scheduled with the two extra games to work with.

There is a downside to this and Carson Palmer said it best by saying that each games loses a little bit of significance by adding two more regular season games.

If the NFL moves to an 18-game schedule then they should cut the preseason down to two games. It's already too long as it is in my mind.

Obviously the players aren't all on board with this and they're going to want more money if this thing pushes through. This could possibly lead to a strike if the NFL is unwilling to meet the players halfway with this new proposition.

A lot needs to be worked out with this idea of an 18-game schedule, but it's definitely fascinating to think about two more football games to watch every season.