Football Friday: Sell High?

Association Football - Transfer Rumors: Arsenal

On football Friday it might be time to come to a harsh reality for Arsenal supporters. Robin Van Persie is on his way out of town. As an Arsenal supporter myself I hope I am wrong. However, as I have been following the Arsenal transfer news I've noticed a startling trend. 

Robin Van Persie was one of the few
things Gunners fans could consistently
cheer about last season

Arsenal had several glaring issues last season. The chiefest among these was a sieve-backline consisting of chronic underachievers Thomas Vermaelen and Per Mertesacker (in their defense they were both injured last season). That solid core is complemented by Laurent Koscielny who is perhaps the most impressive player in Europe on the basis that he's somehow been able to hold down a steady job playing football despite of the collection of poor form he calls a "career" (of course in a interview with Arsenal brass Koscielny could just say, "Hey, I'm not Sébastien Squillaci!"). The point is, the most obvious problem to anyone who watched Arsenal's bipolar campaign of 2011-2012 was its serious need of an improved defense. 

Currently, Arsenal lead the chase
for sought-after striker Olivier Giroud

As Arsenal has went into this off-season with strengthening the defense as a top priority they have made one signing, Lukas Podolski and are being heavily linked with France and Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud. The simple question needs to be, why are Arsenal's two main targets strikers? Before you relegate to being a crazy conspiracy theorist, let me say I do understand Arsenal need another goalscorer. Van Persie scored 37 goals across all competitions for Arsenal last season but the closest scorer after him Theo Walcott with 11. That gap is far too large for consistent form, Arsenal need to invest in another steady source of goals. However, Arsenal is yet to even be linked with solid defender or even a more consistent midfielder. Why should this be? Perhaps someone in charge at Arsenal knows that keeping van Persie around is leaning toward not happening. Two recent news stories have added to my suspicions. Peter Hill-Wood recently said that if someone comes to break the bank for Robin Arsenal won't be able to stay in the bidding. Moreover, van Persie's father Bob van Persie, recently said it would be "impossible" for Robin to move to Manchester City because he would never play for another Premier League club besides Arsenal. He did however say that Real Madrid, "would be a good option" while also admitting, "they are not so much a team as a collection of star names, so he wouldn't really fit in there either."

Peter Hill-Wood can't make
any promises about
 Robin Van Persie

The strange new proposal I've come to is that, perhaps it would be best to let van Persie leave....now that you've recovered from passing out, let's think about these stats. van Persie did indeed lead Arsenal with 37 goals last season but lest we forget, it wasn't that long ago that Robin was an underachiever with knees made of glass. The only reason van Persie had such a great season is that he stayed healthy. At twenty-eight, there is no guarantee that he will stay healthy for long at all. The number one rule in business is to sell high and van Persie's stock will never get higher than it is right now. What if Arsenal were able to move van Persie to Real Madrid for a massive transfer fee? One that could produce the consistency across the pitch the desperately need. Or, even more intriguing, what if Arsenal could turn van Persie into a player-for-player move for someone like Karim Benzema? I know it sounds outlandish, but what is Madrid going to do with Christiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Robin Van Persie. You realistically think there's not going to be an odd-man out in that rotation? (Mostly because European teams are apparently incapable of playing with more than two forwards at a time)

Could selling van Persie net Arsenal
someone like Karim Benzema?

It's clear Arsenal can't keep up with the spending of the Manchester clubs and perhaps not even Chelsea, the thing to do at this crossroads is to figure out how to get the most value out of the current roster and part of that might be moving the superstar. Don't get me wrong, I love Robin Van Persie and I love his commitment to Arsenal but if the Gunners want to actually contend for silver wear anytime soon, this might be the move they need to make.

More to come,

XoXo

-Joshua

Dwayne Wade Doesn't Own a Time Machine

Basketball - NBA Finals, Game 1
One game is in the books of the NBA Finals and the Oklahoma City Thunder have taken a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. This wasn't a huge surprise, anyone paying attention should have expected the Thunder to win last night, after the Heat enduring a grueling seven game series with Boston. The narrative of fatigue fit as the Heat lead by as much as 13 but were visibly drained in the 4th quarter and were simply unable to keep up with the young legs of OKC. Here are some take aways from game one.


LeBron James must guard Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant won round one of the
heavyweight fight of the year

Nothing was more apparent last night than the fact that LeBron James is the only player on the Miami Heat who can contain Kevin Durant. Everyone gave valiant efforts in defending the league's scoring champion, but only Lebron has the size, strength and speed to contain Durant. This is especially true in the fourth quarter. Fatigue was certainly a factor last night, but Durant was blowing past everyone in a red jersey during the entire fourth quarter. I understand the strategy of rotating different players onto Durant to conserve James' energy, but he has to be all over him in the closing moments.

Wade scored 19 points and appeared
off his game

Dwayne Wade doesn't own a time machine
The Dwayne Wade of 2006 is long gone. Of course Wade is still a top-20 player in the league, but he's clearly hiding an injury and trying to play through it (at least he had better be or he is struggling severely). The problem is Wade could very well be the tipping point in this series. LeBron is going to draw tons of defensive attention and Wade is going to have to take advantage; it just doesn't look like he can. Hopefully last night Wade mailed it in for the sake of being as close to 100% as he can be for game two or the Heat could be in serious trouble.

The Thunder were +13 with Nick Collison
on the floor and he was effective in
 pestering the Miami offense 

The Thunder are a far more complete team than the Heat
There was plenty to be impressed with watching Oklahoma City play last night, but the subtle take away is the completeness of the team. Every player that came on to the floor contributed in some capacity (Perkins aside), particularly Thabo Sefolosha and Nick Collison. When you are seeing contributions from those guys you know your team is deep and depth a problem the Miami Heat have and cannot fix.


Chris Bosh must be more involved

Chris Bosh had 10 points and
5 rebounds in 34 minutes of work

It's as simple as that. The time for protecting the third member of the big three from injury is over, he has to play. With DWade so off his game Chris Bosh has to step up in a big way. Miami would be well served to spend some possessions pounding the ball to Bosh low and see if they can't influence OKC's defense to cheat towards the post. If they could accomplish that it would open driving lanes for LeBron and create open jump shots. It's no guarantee that this strategy will work, but it's better than throwing up threes all night long.


What Oklahoma City players are saying today: "They can't stop us! We hurt them too many ways, Wade is hurt and their bench is terrible! We came back from thirteen down and our arena is a madhouse! If we stay focused we could sweep this team!"


What Miami Heat players are saying today: "No excuses for last night, we were up by thirteen. We showed in the first half we can play with them, we just ran out of gas from the travel and the Celtics series. We just have to adjust to their playing style, which is way different from Boston's, and we'll be right back in this."


In case you missed it the official Pritchard Report prediction for this series was Miami in 7 games. The predicted winners broke down this way:
Game 1: Oklahoma City
Game 2: Miami
Game 3: Miami
Game 4: Oklahoma City
Game 5: Miami
Game 6: Oklahoma City
Game 7: Miami


More to come,
XoXo
-Joshua


Links:
ESPN Stats and Score from Game 1
ESPN Finals Central

Credit Where it's Due...

Major League Baseball
My apologies for my long absence.


I suppose that's what working on a Master's Thesis does to a person. But now that that terrible chore is complete, it's time to return to the blog.


As I return to the blog I have an observation. It's an observation on the curse of playing in a small market. Well, "curse" might be a strong word. For one fan base the curse is quite a blessing.


Last night the Philadelphia Phillies played the Washington Nationals with Cole Hamels on the hill for Philadelphia. 

Cole Hamels has been great for
the Phillies despite the team
being in last place

Plenty of attention was paid to the game because of the possibility of repercussions from the Hamels vs. Harper incident from a few weeks ago. Anyone who tuned in for a chance at repercussions instead was treated to a terrific pitching display. Hamels was great. He went eight innings, gave up four hits, zero runs, walked three and struck out eight.


An accumulation of outings like this has garnered a lot of attention for Cole Hamels and he has the numbers to back it up. Today ESPN radio was referring to Hamels as one of, if not the, best pitcher in MLB right now. 


This is what happens when you play in a small market. If Hamels is the best pitcher in MLB, let's take a look at his numbers against another pitcher's in a blind resume.


Pitcher A: 62.1 IP, 2.17 ERA, 50 H, 15 ER, 13 BB, 66 SO, 1.01 WHIP, 7-1 record.
Pitcher B: 59.1 IP, 1.97 ERA, 55 H, 13 ER, 12 BB, 38 SO, 1.13 WHIP, 5-1 record.


Can you guess which pitcher is Cole Hamels? Which pitcher is the best pitcher going in MLB? Maybe you can't really tell the difference. Maybe that's my point.


Pitcher A is Cole Hamels, Pitcher B is Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto.


When I heard Hamels referred to as "the best pitcher in MLB" I, as a true homer, thought, "Hey! Cueto is better than Hamels!" Well, turns out I was close to right. In fact I've found the two are basically indistinguishable. There are so factors that make Hamels appear to be superior. Specifically its his nearly double number of strikeouts with 66 versus Cueto's 38. Plus, Cueto's last two outings have been his worst of the young season whilst Hamels pitched a gem last night (he did give up six hits and three runs against Boston on Friday in a Phillies win). 

As is true of all small market fans,
Reds fans should be happy Cueto's
numbers have not attracted more attention

The major point is, this is a bigger commentary on what it means to play in a small market. I've already admitted to being a Reds homer, but I'd go so far as to say that Cueto was the most underrated pitcher in MLB last season. With Hamels and Cueto more or less indistinguishable on the stat line Hamels is the best pitcher in MLB and Cueto is only known to Reds fans and fantasy baseball players. However, those who would call themselves Reds fans should consider Cueto's no-credit curse as a true blessing. With the big teams, specifically the Yankees and Red Sox struggling, it's good that Cueto has a small market blanket covering his ace stuff. 


The point for Reds fans is that as they've been clamoring for a true Ace for the past three or four seasons is that one may finally appearing right before their eyes.


More to Come,
XoXo
-Joshua

9 Days to January

Association Football - Barclay's Premier League - Arsenal
New Year's Day 2012 is now just 9 days away and that of course means that the Football transfer window will open for 31 short days. This is a time for managers to make additions (or subtractions) that will make a push into the second half of the season. 


Though nothing in European Football is ever certain, it appears certain that Arsenal will have to splash the transfer pool for at least one defender. This necessity is mounting as Kieran Gibbs' return from injury now appears to be further off than expected. Currently Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Andre Santos are on the injury list. With the need being clear, here are five defenders Arsenal might realistically consider in January.


1. Wayne Bridge

Bridge's own manager doesn't
want him

The fallen-from-grace defender from Manchester City who is being implored by his own manager to quit the team. As soon as the Gibbs setback was made public the London newspapers were linking Arsenal to Bridge though no official word has come from Arsene Wenger or the club. Bridge has started only one match for City this season without much to show for it. Bridge does present some problems for Arsenal, he is 31 and Arsenal can't be interested in getting older in the back line, particularly with someone whose mobility on the ball has been questioned. Moreover, Wenger has spoken about a loan move during January, not a full transfer, and City are looking to rid themselves of Bridge, they won't want him back to deal with in a few months. However, Bridge is a defender and is available two things that Arsenal are looking for right now...


2. Gary Cahill

Bolton won't hang on to
Gary Cahill

With Bolton currently just two points out of last in the Premier League, Gary Cahill is probably wishing he had left in the summer when his name was floated extensively. Arsenal were linked to Cahill in the summer, but Spurs and Chelsea are the current frontrunners for the England international. Nothing would delight Arsenal supporters more that filling a need right from under the nose of two of their most hated rivals. Cahill will have to be a full transfer though, he'll want to be assured he'll be playing Premier League football next season and so far Arsenal have only talked about a loaned defender.


3. Stephen Warnock

At right back, Warnock is exactly the position Arsenal are in need of. Having just played against Warnock and Aston Villa on Wednesday-last he must be fresh in the mind of all who say the game, as he was Villa's most consistent defender on the pitch. Having just turned 30, Warnock would only be a loan move and with Villa now 25 points back of Manchester City in 12th letting Warnock loan to the Emirates doesn't seem outlandish. The only thing that would really stop this move? Not that Warnock is two years in to his four-year Villa contract but that currently Aston Villa have only seven defenders on their squad. By comparison, Arsenal have 13 (most of whom are injured) and Man City have 11.


4. Philippe Senderos

With a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United in their last match, Fulham are spiraling down the table. Senderos has been in and out of an Arsenal shirt during his 8 year career and familiarity with the club could help as he will have to contribute immediately. Senderos is a consistent defender who can play anywhere on the back line and while he probably isn't going to win you a match, he is the type who isn't lose a match for you. Fulham have swayed back and forth between starting and sitting Senderos as he as been an unused sub as often as he has started so it doesn't seem like they would be keen to hang on to him if Arsenal came calling. A loan move here seems like it would go off without a hitch.


5. Michael Ciani

Ciani wasn't a big fan of players
leaving Bordeaux over the summer
but if it got Chamakh back to the
French club, the move could happen

I'll be honest, I know little to nothing about Ciani, but I do know a lot about Arsene Wenger. Because of that I know Wenger is a master at randomly dialing up a transfer from a French club when he needs it. Wenger already has a relationship with Bordeaux and Ciani has recently gone from an every day starter to a hit-and-miss sub, much like Senderos; suggesting he might be available for loan. If Wenger really wanted to make a splash he could transfer Ciani in a player-for-player move sending Marouane Chamakh back to France, as Bordeaux manager Francis Gillot has reportedly been trying to convince Chamakh of that all season. Ciani might be a difficult transfer though, as he was defensive over the topic of teammates who left Bordeaux in the summer. Ciani is also in year two of a four year contract. 


More to come,
XoXo
-Joshua

Welcome to the Jungle

NFL Football - Cincinnati Bengals
Originally, I considered naming this post "The Tragedy of the 2011 Cincinnati Bengals", basically because it sounds more dramatic. But the truth is, it isn't a tragedy, not really anyway. What this season is for the Bengals, more than anything, is exactly what we thought it would be.


Well, those of us who are realistic. Realistic people being those of us who didn't start out this season saying the Bengals would be 0-16 or saying that the Bengals were going to the Super Bowl at 6-2. I began the season saying the Bengals would finish 9-7, when they were 6-2 I said they would finish 9-7, when they lost 4 of 5 heading into this weekend I said they would finish 9-7. 

Andy Dalton and the Bengals might
be just short of the playoffs at 9-7, if that is their
final record.

If there is tragedy to this season it is that 9-7 isn't going to equal playoffs, at least it looks that way with the Bengals needing to win a tricky game against a 7-7 Arizona team and then defeat the Ravens who will probably being playing for a shot at the AFC's #1 seed on New Year's Day. Not only so, but the Jets also need to lose to either the Giants or the Dolphins. Both of those games are losable for the Jets, but New York and Miami have been so inconsistent that they are equally winnable.


The real question is, what do we know about the Bengals headed for the last two games of the regular season? What has this season taught us?


1. Rookies can have success
This hasn't been all the Bengals doing. Cam Newton in Carolina and Christian Ponder in Minnesota have added to Andy Dalton's reality that in this incarnation of the NFL, rookie QBs can win now. The Bengals have added their own flavor to the rookie phenomenon, though, as they also have seen great success with rookie Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden and rookie WR A.J. Green, who appears to be on pace to be one of the next great NFL wide receivers. 

Jay Gruden's hiring as Offensive
Coordinator wasn't exciting, but has
been successful

This has, however, turned out exactly as it should in week 15. Andy, AJ and Jay surprised a lot of teams through the first 8-10 weeks of the season but now that we are deep in and other teams have more film on this trio it becomes easier to plan for them. This is nothing they've done wrong, it's just how the NFL works. Plus, we've begun to see a little Tim Tebow in Dalton and Gruden. What I mean by that is that the limitations of having a rookie QB have become more evident. It isn't that Dalton has played poorly, in fact he has played very well. It is that a young QB makes you limited, partly because he's still experiencing the NFL and adjusting and partly because no coordinator, particularly a rookie coordinator is going to open up the play book for a rookie in the depths of a wild card chase.


No one's fault, it's just how the NFL works.


2. The Bengals need a consistent running back.
The limitations of a rookie QB are only exacerbated when your running game is wildly inconsistent. That is the state of Cedric Benson and the Bengals. If you follow the blog, you know that I have never been crazy about Benson, I had hoped the Bengals would look into some free agent running backs in the off season and was floored when I found out they resigned Benson a day before Ahmad Bradshaw was supposed to come for a free agent visit. 

2012 will be Benson's
8th NFL season, a long
career for a RB in this era

Benson's supporters will surely say that he is about to eclipse 1,000 yards on the season so the decision to bring him back was a good one. However, it is Benson's lack of consistency that makes me question him. He will amass 1,000 yards (well, probably, he's 41 shy) but the way he has done it has been ugly. Going down his game log his yards spike and dip, in the last six games - 57, 41, 106, 52, 91, 76 with only 3 TDs to show for it. This inconsistency isn't good for the Bengals and the type of offense they are trying to run. Now, you can argue that this is also just how the NFL works and I understand that the RB position has changed over the last five years but what about the eye-test on Benson? When it's 3rd and 4 and the Bengals come out in a running formation, how confident do you feel that Benson is going to get the 1st down? 

Do the Bengals go with the
speed of LaMichael James
or power of Trent Richardson?

With a complete back like Alabama's Trent Richardson, a power back like Wisconsin's Monte Ball and a speedster like Oregon's LaMichael James (reportedly) entering the draft, I don't know how the Bengals can't be considering where they are heading with Benson. I'm not saying get rid of him, he could be a great two-back, but in this NFL you don't keep piling responsibility onto an 8th year, inconsistent running back; the RB shelf life is short and you have to get younger when you can.


3. Champs stay healthy
Is there much else to say? Sports commentators will always tell you that often it is not the best but rather the healthiest team that wins a championship. The Bengals have won only two of their last six games but that stretch has a seen a rash of injuries on both sides of the ball. You can't win football games if all of your best players aren't playing and practicing, that just the truth. Not an excuse but a reason. I don't know how a team "figures out" how to stay healthy, but if it's possible, that is what the Bengals will need next season.


4. Roll the Wide Receiver dice?

Justin Blackmon looks good in
black and orange, will the
Bengals have a chance to pair
him with AJ Green?

Along with the Bengals' RB issues there is a need for another true WR. The transcendence of AJ Green has only made it more apparent how truly lacking the rest of the corp is. Jordan Shipley's return to the slot next season will help this, but the Bengals need a true #2 WR to balance this offense and create the consistency that is hampering it right now. Currently there are three WRs in Scout's INC. top 32, the highest of which is Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Blackmon has been fairly prolific with only two games where he has less that 70 yards receiving this season and none with less that 50. Add to that only two games without a touchdown. This type of consistency might be what the Bengals need to pair with Green for to form an explosive offense. (say that in your head like a call, "Dalton under center, Blackmon and Shipley to the left Green to the right, Gresham is the tight-end, James the single back"...scary...)

Is DeSean Jackson a smart
move or a big risk?

The "rolling of the dice" comes when remembering that it is apparent that Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson will not be returning to Philadelphia next season. If Jackson hits the free agent market I think the Bengals need to at least bring him in for an interview to see where his head is at. As I have said in the past, the Bengals cannot afford to bring in a negative influence on Dalton and Green but if Jackson's poor performances and attitude have only been a result of the negativity in Philadelphia and he is willing to renew his work ethic in Cincinnati, he could flourish. Jackson is a big "if" and perhaps even a risk. But the Bengals have had a fairly successful track record of being the haven for want-away players so they might consider adding his skills to the offense.


Blackmon sounds like a better move, brining in another rookie and inducting him into the Gruden-Dalton-Green club before he has a chance to pick up bad habits elsewhere. However, Blackmon will go high in the draft and may be out of the Bengals reach, especially because the RB spot is a much bigger concern, opening the door for a Jackson free agent move. Blackmon will also make the offense less experienced instead of more, which is what you always want. However, if the Eagles slap the franchise tag on to trade Jackson that could complicate the move too, there is no reason to trade away the small fortune the Eagles will surely want. 

For those wondering, if the season
ended tomorrow the Bengals would
draft 21st. Scouts Inc lists Arizona St
ILB Vontaze Burfict as their #21 prospect

I realize this is a "next year" post when the Bengals are still in the wild-card chase. However, one place the Bengals need to get better as a franchise is being aware of their faults and having a plan to address them. The Bengals often know their short-comings but do not begin to prepare to fix them until after the season or even after the Super Bowl when other clubs are already at work. I am only keeping an eye on the future while being in the present. And that eye on the future sees only one word with which the Bengals now need to become obsessed; consistency.


More to come,
XoXo
-Joshua


Links:
ESPN NFL Playoff Machine
Current NFL Standings
Scout's Inc. Top 32 Draft Prospects

Know Who You Are

I'm a big fan of Colin Cowherd. And something Cowherd says all the time is the simple principle of "own your baggage". That is to say, know who you are. I take self-awareness very seriously, I think its a quality that is too rare in our culture. 


I bring all of this up because there is an individual and related group out there who currently are not self-aware and not owning their baggage.


If you've been reading my BCS posts the past few days you know I talking about the Boise State Broncos and their coach Chris Peterson. Peterson, who be sure is a fantastic coach, came out Monday and was extremely critical of the BCS, saying that everyone is sick of the system.


This is not to say I disagree with him. If you've looked, you know I think the BCS is a joke. But let's be clear about something, right now its the system we have and you have to be realistic about how the system works. I called from a mile out that Boise State wasn't going to go to a BCS Bowl, it was obvious. What was their argument? They beat down on an average Georgia team in the first game of the season. Just because Georgia made the SEC championship game and the media played it up for a week like they had a shot to beat LSU doesn't mean they were good. UCLA made the Pac-12 championship game! That's no indication of how good a team is, because don't forget, there are three good teams in the SEC, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas, then Georgia is a distant fourth. Everyone else in the SEC is below average, just like the bottom level of every other conference. It's just that the perception of the SEC is so strong right now you think every team is a juggernaut. Do you really this Ole Miss and Kentucky are any better than Northwestern and Minnesota? 


But this is about Boise, not about the SEC. You can be critical of the system if you want. But you cannot be Boise State and pretend you had a realistic shot. You beat an average team and lost to a team that was average at best. You play a laughable schedule in a laughable league. If you don't go undefeated, you don't get your shot, sorry, that's how it works. 


If feel like I should elaborate, but what's left to be said? Boise didn't do what they had to do. And by the way, I don't want to hear anyone banging on West Virginia or Clemson about them making the BCS and Boise not. I don't think West Virginia is very good, they're very average. But, the one thing I can say about these two schools is they did what we all say we want when we call for a playoff; they did what they had to do on the field. It may not have been pretty and you may not like it, but when these teams got into spots where they knew they had to win a game to get their conference championship and their BCS spot, they did and that is what a playoff spirit is all about. 


You know who didn't get it done on the field? Boise State.


Just be real. Know who you are. Own your baggage. That's what its all about.


More to come
XoXo
-Joshua

The Results...

Hmmm...

Good to know a logic based approach to the BCS doesn't work. The final BCS Standings and Bowl games are out, let's see where I was right and where I was wrong.

Called it - National Championship Game

By now, the ESPN personalities have made you feel better about this, but it is what it is. The truth of the matter is there is simply too much money at stake having two SEC schools playing for the National Championship Game to not let it happen. Is it right, no. Is it fair, no. Are they the best two teams, possibly. Either way, the media members called it out two months ago and here it is; end of story.

Wiffed it - Not voting for non-qualifiers

My logic in my BCS projections was voters wouldn't vote for teams that couldn't make BCS games. That was South Carolina and Arkansas because of the two SEC schools in the Championship game. So I thought they would slide a little. It's ironic that a system that isn't interested in doing the right thing did by voting for these teams to move up when the ones above them lost, hooray for selectivity.

Called It - Boise Skipped

There's nothing for me to say about this one, it was plain as day. Kirk Herbstreit wanted to know why Boise didn't get in, I can't believe he was surprised. They lost to a TCU squad they should've walloped and had one quality win over an average Georgia team. The only reason you even cared about Georgia was because the media pretended they had a shot against LSU for a week, which the aware ones among you knew wasn't going to happen. In the end everyone was what we knew they were, Boise, all flash no depth, Georgia, average, LSU, undefeated.

Wiffed it - Kansas State's BCS Bid

Wow, what a punch in the gut for the Wildcats. It's not the K-State is a great team but with where they are ranked and the work they did this season, only losing to the Oklahomas, well, that's just sad. I had two scenarios where they didn't make the BCS but that was only if an AQ TCU team stole the spot from them, this is the epitome of a busted system, particularly when considering my next point

CALLED IT - MICHIGAN MONEY GRAB

I warned you. I did. I heard the whispers, I saw them slinking around down there in the rankings. So now the team from Michigan is headed to a BCS Bowl. Oh, no, no that green and white team you watched play a killer game on Saturday only to lose on a bad call (catch for years) and a dumb play. No, it's that maize and blue team that is apparently really good now because they slapped up on an Ohio State team that would've had a tough time winning the Big East this season. It's the team from Ann Arbor who didn't do anything to prove their worth on Saturday but got to sit at home. THIS is why we hate the BCS, if you didn't think the system was broken before, you should now. Sparty gets bumped to the second tier after a great inaugural Big Ten Championship game and Michigan gets to get up of the recliner to help line the BCS' pockets. Kansas State are playing for peanuts while Michigan gets to puff out its chest and act like its something special. They did nothing to earn this, but then, earnings is what its all about. 

Wiffed it - Baylor

My apologies to Baylor who I know had a strong season. I miscalculated everything about them, they rose to #12, nice job, too bad the #13 team travels better than you.

So there you go, I've had time to complain, you've had time to complain, but let's be positive now. It's still college football and its still a lot to talk about. Here's your full BCS lineup

Orange Bowl (Dec. 31, 12pm ET, ESPN) 23. West Virginia vs. 15. Clemson

Rose Bowl (Jan. 2, 5pm ET, ESPN) 10. Wisconsin vs. 5. Oregon

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 2, 8:30pm ET, ESPN) 4. Stanford vs. 3. Oklahoma State

Sugar Bowl (Jan. 3, 8:30pm ET, ESPN) 13. Michigan vs. 11. Virginia Tech

National Championship Game (Jan. 9, 8:30pm ET, ESPN) 2. Alabama vs. 1 LSU

More to come
XoXo
-Joshua