BCS What?

Well, new BCS rankings are out and I've gotta say that I'm actually impressed. Arizona State actually gets some respect, coming in at #4 and it's about time. Sitting at 7-0 they were the quiet undefeated and now they get some props but they are nearly 2 tenths of a point behind LSU. Closing that gap will depend on the next 4 games for the Sun Devils. They've got to host Cal this week, go to Oregon next week, UCLA the week after, and finally host USC. I think they match well with Cal and will be able to control Nate Longshore, but the tougher matchup comes up in Eugene next week. UCLA isn't to be thought of as a gimme game either. The parity in the Pac-10 is really showing and it pisses me off that we can't get many Pac-10 games. I really want to watch this because truth be told, Big Ten games for the most part have kinda been boring this year... BC is facing their first real game this week at #8 Va. Tech. I'm not completely sold on a system that moves you up to #3 for blowing out my BG Falcons and then up to #2 on an idle week, regardless of upsets. But it's hard to argue with Matt Ryan's numbers. Another mystery to me is Kansas up at #9. Yes, they are 7-0 and they're offensive numbers are damn impressive. But if you're first 4 opponents win totals combine to equal yours, I've gotta question your schedule. Kansas State and Colorado were respectable wins and they miss both Texas and Oklahoma out of the B12 South. This week @ Texas A&M will be a real test. Nebraska could jump out of nowhere, but if they make it to 11-0, expect them to get a rude awakening when Chase Daniel and Mizzou come to town to close the season. Am I the only one whose not used to seeing a double-digit ranking next to USC? And here's the dirty little secret that ESPN and the like doesn't want to acknowledge... USC will lose again this year. The rest of the PAC-10 has finally caught up to the Trojans. USF, who our own Armando couldn't stop singing the praises of, are still in the hunt for a BCS bowl and I think that even if they can't pull off the Big East title, they get in on the sympathy at-large bid. Speaking of, does Hawaii's schedule keep them out of the BCS because they can't pick up enough computer points to get in the top 12 or do they get a nod for Colt Brennan's insane passing numbers? More to come later this week and such.

Random Baseball Shtuff...

Following That Sports Guy's posting a couple of days ago, I have to admit that I'm kind of torn about who to root for in the ALCS. If nothing else, the series has produced one hell of a nail-biter, as Boston has battled back from a 3-1 deficit to take the series to the seventh game. At Boston, too. Will the Fenway Fury overcome the faithful of the Tribe Nation? After watching JD Drew do everything but use his bare hands to take the Tribes' pitchers deep, will Dice-K be able to finish them off when facing Jake Westbrook (remember, in his last two post-season starts, he never even made it through the fifth inning)? Will Stephen King be in attendance instead of writing a book better than Lisey's Story? Hey--tune in tonight at 8:07 to find out.

And I'm serious about King. I've read better Sears catalogs than THAT last book of his.

My loyalties on the teams, however, remain divided. Most of my friends are dedicated Tribe fans, and after 20+ years of watching the Tigers come up short, I can more than relate to the general sports frustration of that town. My only stumbling block? They're the ones that pretty much held the Tigers down all season.

The BoSox? My dad's a Tigers fan primarily, but he lived in the Boston area for a while after he emigrated to the US, so he still retains a lingering allegiance to them that he passed on to me, after a fashion. (He also lived in the New York area for a while as well, and claims that he's ALSO likes the Yankees. I really don't know that it's possible to like both teams without some sort of bio-feedback causing catastrophic damage). My stumbling block here? The Sox won it all only a year or two ago.

Once the Tigers were out of it, I have to admit that my remaining objective in baseball--the humiliation and crushing of the Yankees, and watching the Steinbrenners twitch and whine like the little sycophantic money-whores that they are--was delivered to me in grand fashion by the Indians. That, I suppose, means I owe the Tribe my support...I suppose...

In other news, the Yankees offered Joe Torre a one-year salary reduction for him to continue on as manager, which he--wisely--turned down. More details later, perhaps, but I mean, come on, he's the best manager they've had in twenty-odd years, only to be let go because Steinbrenner and Sons forgot to club their domestic servants that day, and instead took out their BS anger on Torre.

Don't get me wrong--I've never been a Yankees fan, and never will be, but I respect Joe Torre the same way I respected Bo Schembechler. They were worthy adversaries, smart team managers, and embodied a sense of professionalism that is, quite frankly, appearing less and less in professional sports today. Torre said that the offer he was given was an insult, and he did absolutely the right thing in walking away with no regrets (he even mentioned, in his press conference, that he's not going to bother going to this office at Yankee Stadium to clear it out). The offer that the Yanks' ownership did make (5 million base, 1 million each in incentives if they made the playoffs, ALCS, and World Series--correct me if I'm wrong) allowed them, through the dependable team president/lickspittle/milker of Hank and Hal, Randy Levine, to say that the team made Torre a generous offer that he walked away from. It was a PR ploy and nothing else.

Okay y'all...I'm out for now. Check back later for more random shiznits from your dedicated sports blogging staff here at The Overpass...

::Insert Adjective Here:: Saturday

First of a few of these to come today...
At the half, 1-6 Iowa State leads #5 Oklahoma 7-0 and if the D hadn't had stepped up on the Sooner 9 on a 4th and 2 play, it would be a deeper hole. What the hell is going on in Norman? Regardless of how this comes out, why have the Cyclones been able to stick around?

In another upset shocker, Vanderbilt has gone to the half with #6 South Carolina leading 17-6, SC saving some face before the half, scoring another field goal.

#22 Texas trying to stay in teh Big 12 South race, but looking rough at Baylor, leading towards the half 10-7. The parity in the Big 12 is finally panning out but my question is this. Early in the 2nd quarter on a 4th and goal play, Colt McCoy kept it on an option play. Why the hell is a guy whose coming off of a concussion trying to head it in from 2 out? He's asking for a Trent Green.

Plenty more games to check out later today:
#17 Auburn @ #4 LSU
#15 Florida @ #7 Kentucky
#13 Kansas @ Colorado
#12 California @ UCLA
#24 Texas Tech @ #16 Missouri
#14 USC @ Notre Dame
#25 Michigan @ Illinois
Miami @ Florida State

More to come later, I'll attempt to add my thoughts during the tailgate party and again of halftime of the Ohio @ Toledo game.

It's not easy being Red

Cleveland went up 3-1 in the ALCS last night, shelling Tim Wakefield for a 7-run 5th inning and a final of 7-3. I have been taking shit from all sides, seeing as I'm surrounded by Tribe fans at both jobs. I walked into the office this morning to receive a ""KENNY, KENNY" chant from like 4 people. And I was feeling quite down last night, until I talked to a friend of mine. As a fellow Red Sox fan, she was also disappointed, but she lives outside of Cleveland and put it into perspective for me. It's about time for Cleveland to win something, anything. They got so close with the Cavs this summer and then had everything dashed in a very crushing fashion. Plus, it has been like 53 years since they won the big one. And we did break our dry spell in dramatic fashion 3 years ago. So with that being said, I will still be disappointed when we lose but I will root for the Tribe in the WS. Also, I still think this one will go 6 games and that Cleveland will win it Saturday night in Fenway. C'est la vie. The CFB roundup, tomorrow.

Get Out Yer Brooms!

In dramatic fashion, the Colorado Rockies, that's right the Rockies, are headed to the World Series after a 6-2 win over Arizona last night. This team has won 21 of their last 22 and I hate to be the one to bring this one up, but what are they going to do after they get a lay off. The longest stretch they've been off during this tear is three days and they'll get eight between now and the World Series. Will that affect them? Who knows. I know they'll face a tired AL team because I'm pretty sure that the ALCS will go 6 games, even if my Sox bats have gone pretty cold. That and I want ot see a WS game played with snow falling. That'd be funny.

Who dey?

No, I won't be lamenting over the destruction of the Cincinnati Bengals (although they did fall to 1-4 this afternoon). Today's 'who dey?' belongs to the Colorado Rockies who are a game away from their first World Series in franchise history. That leads me to ask the question that most of the country is asking... who the hell are these guys? Who would have figured that one of the top MVP candidates would come from a team that most people forgot even existed? The Rockies have railed off nine straight wins and twenty of their last twenty-one. Now they can sweep the best team in the National League tomorrow night. And the best part to me is they've done it with the 25th highest total salary in the major leagues. Only 6 teams spend less, and curiously enough, Arizona is one of them, coming in a 26th. I guess there's something that New York and Boston can learn from that. But let's not go there right now. I'm still reeling from last night's loss (If I haven't said anything about it before, I'm a member of Red Sox Nation) and I'm just going to flip back and forth from both games tomorrow night. I do loves me October.

Meanwhile, in Bizarro World...

Greetings, sports fan. At the generous request of our maestro of mayhem, Dan Williams, I'm going to be contributing some random thoughts and mental toaster-waffles to this site so that YOU, our Constant Readers, can either be enlightened, disgusted, or even baffled. Ready? Okay; thanks...I'll do my best to at least make it entertaining.

Those of you that know me are more than aware that I'm a dedicated Detroit Lions fan. Hell, I'm notable in that I'm still willing to admit it, throughout these many years--I even remember the days of Eric Hipple and Billy Sims--without the Lombardi trophy (something that, not surprisingly, makes me good comrades-in-arms, after a fashion, with Cleveland fans, who more than know THAT pain). So I was getting into a good, friendly, but spirited discussion with one of my coworkers--who's from Michigan--about the Lions' passing game/attack. He's a dedicated Dallas Cowboys fan, so after the requisite walks down memory lane about who was better between Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith, we settled into discussing passing games. The long and short of it: I think that the Lions have one of the best passing attacks in the game right now, and he doesn't.

Side note: I'm not going to get into a display of metaphorically pissing all over Matt Millen. His name will probably come up, but, tempting as it is, this post isn't about enacting all of those revenge fantasies that myself and other Detroit fans nurture. Maybe in a later post, though.

Millen's whole philosophy of trying to build the team for the future has focused on receivers, especially in the draft. The past several years have brought us Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, Calvin Johnson, and Roy Williams. Mike Furrey, previously of the St. Louis Rams, came aboard last season to rejoin Mike Martz, Detroit's offensive coordinator. Rounding out this cast of thousands is Shaun McDonald. Although Williams and Rogers have moved on to less-greener pastures, the other four still remain...and honestly, they're working for a quarterback and offensive coordinator who are more than a bit pass-happy.

Several months ago, Millen, when he was explaining why they took Johnson as the pick in the most recent draft (and I wouldn't have minded Joe Thomas, personally, to shore up the line), said that the underlying philosophy and style of play in the NFL has moved to emphasize the passing game. Prior to the advent of the West Coast Offense, the emphasis was on the running game for the bulk of plays, relying on that to test defenses and open up passing lanes for the receivers. Nowadays, though, it's the opposite, so--much as I'm surprised to hear myself say it--but Millen was right. Recognizing that trend, and bringing on Martz as the OC (who loves the passing game so much, I'm STILL convinced that he offers nightly sacrifice to some sort of representation of Bill Walsh), means that Detroit would front-load its offensive firepower. Having Jon Kitna as quarterback isn't necessarily a bad thing, either--he's a veteran with plenty of experience and strength, knows the playbook, and has four good receivers to throw to. The downside? He throws as many picks as he does TD's.

Loading up on receivers means, however, that Detroit's offense has the weapons for good attacks. Williams, while not the tallest receiver, is great for plays-after-the-catch, and is faster than a lot of people give him credit for. Johnson, although still a rookie, has the raw speed, strength, and grip for the style of football that Detroit plays--not to mention that he's tall enough to swipe low-flying airplanes out of the sky (and likens himself to Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, which leads to an automatic Cool rating in my book. Hell, they actually had a side-by-side stat comparison between the two during a game a few weeks back, which has turned into a treasured NFL memory of mine). Furrey and McDonald, while perhaps not as flashy as Johnson or Williams, are great clutch receivers (good for moving the ball downfield, as opposed to purely Red Zone offense)--and get lots of looks from Kitna because defenses are focusing on the first two. Detroit's passing offense is ranked fifth, and all four of them are getting attention spread between them. Check this link for the '07 stats so far--largely because I'm too lazy after a big dinner to rewrite them right now.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/det/stats;_ylt=AiMFHs2h2ckeweVRgmu03pqF2bYF

Combined with the fact that Kitna's throwing an average of 266 yards per game, has a 93 percent quarterback rating, and has 1333 yards to date this season (okay, so I lied about the stats. Sue me.) means that Detroit's passing game is doing SOMETHING right.

Don't get me wrong, though...Detroit's running game is questionable (to the point now where Tatum Bell is asking to be traded away). Kevin Jones is coming off that foot injury that ended his season early last year, Aveion Cason just got re-hired after being cut, and T.J. Duckett won't win any points for grace or fleet-footedness. As one friend of mine put it, he's the poor man's Ron Dayne. Mike Martz is probably keeping his ear close to the ground for head coaching positions. And the fact remains that, while our defense isn't quite as shaky as it was last year, the O-line is still prone to collapsing at all the wrong moments.

But the passing game of Detroit--I say that it's one of the best out there, and has the potential to keep getting even better.

Oh no! Not another one!!!

I know what you're thinking: another sports blog written by some espn.com wannabe whose too damn fat/lazy to actually play the sports they write about. Well, you're right....

But the topic of conversation on every college football fan's mind are the BCS rankings, which should come out tomorrow at 6. There have been so many shakeups at the top of the polls that there is no clear cut number one team this year, unlike years past. At this point last year, we pretty much knew that Ohio State and Florida were going to the BCS title game. The year before that with USC and Texas, the hype started even sooner. Everyone pretty much annoined that matchup from week one. But this year is different. If things continue along this path, and that's a very big if, we may see a BCS title game pitting Boston College against South Florida. USF? What the fuck? I hear you yell at the screen. But it's true. It is very possible that the strength of schedule and quality wins would vault USF over OSU or BC and into that title game. Of course if any of these teams lose we get into the realm of having a one-loss team jump into the argument. As far as I'm concerned if there's and undefeated team and then a one-loss team, there is no argument. So all Sooner fans can cram it. If USF runs the table they deserve the title shot, not you. Just because you're fucking Oklahoma doesn't anoint you championship contenders. You have to earn it like everyone else and let's face it, you lost to a team that compiled two wins last year. But to be fair, as a Buckeye fan, the same can be said of Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, USC, Notre Dame, Florida, and LSU. You gotta earn it, period. 6pm tomorrow. Let the arguing begin.