Top 25 Upsets Week 3

Here are the Top 25 teams I have getting upset in week 3 of college football.

#10 Louisville defeats #2 Florida State 39-21

Nebraska defeats #22 Oregon 42-29

Texas State defeats #24 Arkansas 50-49

Missouri defeats #16 Georgia 30-23

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World Series Prediction - September

Today is the 1st of September, which means it's time for me to make my monthly World Series prediction. For the past two months I have had the Cubs taking on the Indians. Going over the past month, and looking into September, I feel as though the World Series will look a little different than I had previously predicted.

Now I have the Boston Red Sox taking on the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. The Indians are still one of the top teams in the A.L., but the Red Sox have blown up offensively. I think Big Papi and the rest of the Red Sox will continue that hot streak well into October. The Cubs are still the best team in the N.L. and they have no reason to worry about losing the Central Division.

This would be the ideal series for Major League Baseball. Think about it. Two of the oldest, most revered franchises with two of the worst curses in all of sports. Of course, Boston has already broken their curse. There is also the factor of Theo Epstein, the former GM of the Red Sox, and now the current GM of the Cubs. Sometimes sports have a way of  working out terrific story lines for the big games, and I think this would be the best series for MLB. If both teams stay hot they will be playing for a ring in October, giving us one of the most hyped up World Series in a long time.

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2016 NBA Finals: Game 1 Preview

Tonight we finally get the long-awaited rematch. This might be the most anticipated rematch in the history of sports. Reigning champions, Golden State Warriors, get to defend their title and become the greatest team in NBA history. If Golden State wins the championship it will be quite hard to argue that they aren't. The '95-'96 Chicago Bulls have been considered the greatest team in history mainly because they had the regular season title and won the championship. Plus, they had Michael Jordan. but tonight isn't about the greatest team in history. It is about the NBA Finals that we all wanted last year. This year's Finals aren't going to be LeBron James carrying the team on his shoulders all alone. No, this year it's the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, taking on the Golden State Warriors. This has the potential to go down as one of the greatest NBA Finals ever. Giving that both teams are healthy makes it an instant classic before the ball is even tipped. 

I'm not really into predicting championships that are won by playing in a series. I prefer to go game by game because it gives you a clearer indicator of what can happen the next game. Just for the hell of it, I'll say the Cavaliers win it in 7. Okay, so that was fun, now let's get into previewing Game 1.

Game 1 kicks off the series in Oakland at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have been dominant for the most part and have only lost once in the playoffs. They have only lost three times at home with two of those games coming in the regular season. They have all the pieces to win tonight, the fans, Curry, Kerr, Thompson, and Green. This will be the biggest challenge the Warriors have faced this season. Look for the Warriors to keep their game plan of spreading the floor and going for the long ball. They will need to put Iguodala in the paint for rebounds because if the Warriors don't make their shots they will have a hard time grabbing those offensive rebounds away from the Cavs. Draymond Green will need to keep his cool in this game as well. The Warriors cannot afford to lose him to a stupid flagrant foul. If the Warriors want to win tonight, they will need everyone to be on a collective page.

The Cavaliers are coming off one of the most impressive performances in playoff history, winning 10 in a row. They had a bit of a hiccup against the Raptors, and regardless of how you felt about those two losses, the Raptors are a much better team than they used to be in the past. LeBron will need to let his leadership abilities shine tonight. I'm not saying he will need to take over the game, but he will definitely need to be the guiding force behind the team. With Kyrie and Love both healthy, you can expect the Cavs to make this a very difficult game for the Warriors to win. I think the Cavs need to have LeBron, Love, and Tristan Thompson stay down low and take it Green. Go to work on him, frustrate him, get him to do something stupid. If you can take Green out of the game, then you can focus more on Curry and Clay. Granted Love isn't much of a post guy, but if you can use LeBron in the paint, it opens up Love and Irving for more chances to hit three's.

This will be a very exciting game tonight, and should not disappoint in anyway. I will make this prediction. This will be the highest rated NBA Finals Game 1 in history. Now, for my prediction of the game itself. Look for the Warriors to continue their dominance at home and come away with a victory against the Cavs. The Warriors will take a one game lead in the series, by a score of 111-108.

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2016 College World Series

*

The 2016 College World Series is set to begin regional play on Friday, and it's looking to be a great tournament. I don't know how many other people fill out brackets for this, but I felt the need to do so. Partly because I like filling out brackets, and also because I feel as though college baseball doesn't get enough love. Here is my bracket for the 2016 College World Series.

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* - This blog was updated on 6/2/2016 with an official bracket. The picks have remained the same as the original bracket.

2016 NFL Wild Card Preview

The NFL Playoffs have finally arrived. This Saturday will kick off the playoffs with the two AFC Wild Card Playoff games, followed by the two NFC Wild Card games on Sunday. I think this will be some of the tightest games played. All of these teams have terrific talent, but each of them have some questions as well. Let's go ahead and look at the games coming up.

AFC Wild Card

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

The Chiefs are the hottest team in the NFL right now coming off of 10 straight wins, and have showed no signs of slowing down. The Chiefs have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. They lost their best player in Jamaal Charles to an ACL tear, and yet they are better than they have been all season. Since losing Charles, the Chiefs have had to look into different plays, and rely more on their passing. Alex Smith is looking like his old self when he was with the 49ers being coached by Jim Harbaugh. They will have to take on the Texans and their monster defense.Texas is 3rd in total defense, and they have J.J. Watt, who is leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5. Houston doesn't have a dynamic offense, so they will have to rely on their defense. I think the Chiefs offense is going to be too much for the Texans defense. I think the Chiefs win by 6 with a score of 19-13.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

This is arguably the most anticipated game of the Wild Card. The Steelers and Bengals are AFC North rivals, and they are not too fond of each other. The Bengals will be without their starting quarterback Andy Dalton, but have done pretty well with backup quarterback A.J. McCarron. Pittsburgh has Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, which is one of the best combinations in the NFL today. I don' think having Dalton out will be that detrimental to the Bengals offense. I think A.J. McCarron will step up in his first postseason start and lead the Bengals to a win over the Steelers. I have the Bengals winning by 2 with a score of 20-18.

NFC Wild Card

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings

The Seattle Seahawks looked completely opposite of a Super Bowl team early in the season, but as of late they have been looking like a team that could go all the way to the big game. Russell Wilson has been on fire, and the offense is going strong as well. Doug Baldwin has been a breath of fresh air for Wilson catching 14 touchdowns. Other than the St. Louis Rams, who they lost to twice, the only other teams the Seahawks have lost to are other playoff teams. Teddy Bridgewater has been looking better this year and is well on his way to doing great things with the Vikings, but it won't be this year. I have the Seahawks winning this one by 5 with a score of 20-15.

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins

Kirk Cousins, where did he come from? Cousins has been looking like what a starting quarterback looks like. Ever since his famous "You like that?" saying after the comeback win against the Tampa Bay Bucs, he has been on point and looking like the Redskins starter of the future. The Green Bay Packers have not looked that good this year. They have had spurts of greatness in the middle of the season, but in the first and last part of the season they have not looked like the Packers that we thought we would see. There is one thing that the Packers have that the Redskins don't, and that is Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers is the only, and I mean only, reason why I am picking them to win this game. I have the Packers winning by 2 with a score of 17-15.

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2016 FCS Championship Preview

This Saturday is looking to become one of the most anticipated FCS Championship games in awhile. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks are going to be playing in their first ever FCS Championship game against the four-time defending champs North Dakota State. The Bison started off the season with a loss at Montana, and later lost to South Dakota. Since that last game they have won eight straight in the dominating fashion that we are used to seeing from the Bison. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks are coming off their best season yet. They have dominated the season against everyone, with only one loss coming from the FBS Auburn Tigers. I think the Gamecocks have what it takes to end the Bisons "Drive for Five." 

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks have arguably one of the best offenses in the FCS. They are ranked 2nd in total offense, just under Sam Houston State, a team that the Gamecocks held to only 10 points almost a month ago. Jacksonville State is not only a dangerous offensive power, but a dangerous defensive team as well. The Gamecocks are ranked 11th in total defense, and holding Sam Houston State to only 10 points, which has only been done by one other team in McNeese State, is impressive to say the least. The biggest question will be whether or not the Bison can contain the rushing offense of the Gamecocks. The Bison have a really good rushing defense, but I can't see them being able to stop the two-headed beast of Troymaine Pope and Eli Jenkins. I think that the Bison will have the advantage in the passing defense against the Gamecocks, but they will have to find a way to shut down the running game of the Gamecocks.

The North Dakota State Bison are the 3rd best in total defense, so this is not a defense that will be scored on easily. They rank 2nd in 3rd down conversion percentage defense, and that might be the most important defensive state for the Bison. If they can keep the Gamecocks from converting a lot of their 3rd down conversions then they have a strong chance of winning their fifth straight national championship. This is going to be a very tall task as the Gamecocks are looking like an FBS team that could compete against any of the Power 5 conference teams. 

I strongly believe that these are the top two teams in the FCS, and this Saturday we are going to see these two giants go at it. Jacksonville State has the offensive weapons to make this a blowout, but I don't think it will be. I think the North Dakota State Bison have the experience and the ability to keep this a very close game. Ultimately I see the Jacksonville State Gamecocks winning this game by 3 points with a score of 35-32. I can't wait to see this game. It is going to be a classic.

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2015 Season Bowl Game Predictions

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I'm not talking about the holidays, I'm talking about college football bowl season. This is the time when we get to see our favorite teams play one more game for school exposure, and lots of money. I know that sounded a little snarky, but hey it's the truth. What I really like about it is that it's the last time that we get to see big games between two big teams. This is usually the longest blog I post throughout the year, mostly because there are so many bowl games, and if you ask me there are too many bowl games. Nonetheless, they are here and we still watch them, and they probably aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I don't have a great segue for this, so here are my predictions for 2015 season bowl games.

New Mexico Bowl

Arizona vs New Mexico (New Mexico wins 23-22)

Las Vegas Bowl

BYU vs Utah (BYU wins 31-24)

Camellia Bowl

Ohio vs Appalachian State (Appalachian State wins 31-15)

Cure Bowl

San Jose State vs Georgia State (San Jose State wins 22-21)

New Orleans Bowl

Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech (Arkansas State wins 35-32)

Miami Beach Bowl

Western Kentucky vs South Florida (Western Kentucky wins 38-32)

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Akron vs Utah State (Utah State wins 24-23)

Boca Raton Bowl

Temple vs Toledo (Toledo wins 29-27)

Poinsettia Bowl

Boise State vs Northern Illinois (Boise State wins 32-23)

GoDaddy Bowl

Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green (Bowling Green wins 37-35)

Bahamas Bowl

Middle Tennessee vs Western Michigan (Middle Tennessee wins 28-27)

Hawaii Bowl

San Diego State vs Cincinnati (San Diego State wins 25-17)

St. Petersburg Bowl

Connecticut vs Marshall (Marshall wins 27-11)

Sun Bowl

Miami vs Washington State (Washington State wins 26-25)

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Washington vs Southern Mississippi (Southern Mississippi wins 35-30)

Pinstripe Bowl

Indiana vs Duke (Duke wins 25-17)

Independence Bowl

Tulsa vs Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech wins 23-15)

Foster Farms Bowl

UCLA vs Nebraska (UCLA wins 27-24)

Military Bowl

Pittsburgh vs Navy (Navy wins 32-20)

Quick Lane Bowl

Central Michigan vs Minnesota (Central Michigan wins 21-15)

Armed Forces Bowl

California vs Air Force (Air Force wins 28-24)

Russell Athletic Bowl

North Carolina vs Baylor (Baylor wins 42-39)

Arizona Bowl

Nevada vs Colorado State (Colorado State wins 24-20)

Texas Bowl

LSU vs Texas Tech (LSU wins 25-22)

Birmingham Bowl

Auburn vs Memphis (Memphis wins 37-21)

Belk Bowl

North Carolina State vs Mississippi State (Mississippi State wins 27-26)

Music City Bowl

Texas A&M vs Louisville (Texas A&M wins 22-21)

Holiday Bowl

USC vs Wisconsin (Wisconsin wins 21-16)

Peach Bowl

Houston vs Florida State (Houston wins 35-34)

Orange Bowl

Oklahoma vs Clemson (Oklahoma wins 40-33)

Cotton Bowl

Michigan State vs Alabama (Alabama wins 28-20)

Outback Bowl

Northwestern vs Tennessee (Tennessee wins 28-21)

Citrus Bowl

Michigan vs Florida (Michigan wins 25-21)

Fiesta Bowl

Notre Dame vs Ohio State (Ohio State wins 29-20)

Rose Bowl

Stanford vs Iowa (Stanford wins 31-30)

Sugar Bowl

Oklahoma State vs Mississippi (Mississippi wins 34-29)

TaxSlayer Bowl

Penn State vs Georgia (Georgia wins 20-13)

Liberty Bowl

Kansas State vs Arkansas (Arkansas wins 29-25)

Alamo Bowl

Oregon vs TCU (TCU wins 36-29)

Cactus Bowl

West Virginia vs Arizona State (West Virginia wins 27-18)

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2015 FCS Playoffs: Semifinals

The time has come for the final four of the FCS Playoffs, and so far the playoffs have not been a disappointment. The team I picked to win it all at the beginning, Jacksonville State, are still in it. They will be going against the team that I said in the beginning to be on the look out for, Sam Houston State. Then you have the other game between the four-time defending National Champions North Dakota State and the surprising Richmond Spiders. I don't think many people predicted Richmond to come out like they have, I know I didn't. They will have a very hard time against a team that has been without a doubt the most dominating team in the past five years. I think it's very hard to argue that the Bison are an FCS dynasty. I don't see the Bison continuing their reign of supremacy this year. I still have the Jacksonville State Gamecocks taking the championship. Let's see who I have winning this weekends games.

Richmond at North Dakota State (North Dakota State wins 29-22)

Sam Houston State at Jacksonville State (Jacksonville State wins 33-31)

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2015 FCS Playoffs: Quarterfinals

We are getting closer to the final four of the FCS Playoffs. My pick to win it all, Jacksonville State is still going strong and I don't see them slowing down anytime soon. North Dakota State looks like the team we all expected to see going for its fifth straight National Championship. Illinois State is en route to have a rematch of last year's championship game with North Dakota State, and Sam Houston State is looking like the sleeping giant that I thought they would be. Let's go ahead and take a look at the four games that will be played this weekend and see who I have going to the semifinals.

Richmond at Illinois State (Illinois State wins 29-24)

Charleston Southern at Jacksonville State (Jacksonville State wins 32-21)

Colgate at Sam Houston State (Sam Houston State wins 37-19)

Northern Iowa at North Dakota State (North Dakota State wins 30-22)

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2015 FCS Playoffs: Second Round

The second round of the FCS Playoffs should give us some very exciting games to watch today. One of the most anticipated games will be the rematch between North Dakota State and Montana. The Grizzlies upset the Bison in the first game of the year to ruin the Bison's chance of going undefeated, but it hasn't hurt their run for a fifth straight championship. Another great game will be the one between Missouri Valley foes Illinois State and Western Illinois. The Redbirds are looking to get back to the championship game, but the Leathernecks are wanting to show everyone that they are one of the best teams in the Valley.The first game of today will be between Colonial Athletic Association foes William & Mary and Richmond. Both teams are coming off tremendous seasons and are looking to make a run for the championship. There is also the Southland Conference rivalry between Sam Houston State and McNeese State. I think this one will be very close. Here are my predictions for the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

William & Mary at Richmond (William & Mary win 26-23)

The Citadel at Charleston Southern (The Citadel wins 27-25)

Colgate at James Madison (James Madison wins 39-19)

Western Illinois at Illinois State (Illinois State wins 29-10)

Chattanooga at Jacksonville State (Jacksonville State wins 32-19)

Montana at North Dakota State (North Dakota State wins 30-19)

Sam Houston State at McNeese State (McNeese State wins 24-23)

Northern Iowa at Portland State (Portland State wins 30-27)

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