Weekend Hangover - Love/Hate Conference Champs

LOVE

- Once a gunslinger, always a gunslinger. Brett Favre takes away the Vikings chance to win it in regulation with a terrible decision to throw it back across his body into the middle of the field, resulting in a pick. In many senses, if this is his last game, it’s very fitting. He took an absolute beating because his line could not protect him, yet he displayed his legendary toughness by limping around, keeping his team close, yet ultimately made the bad interception. And he didn’t get any help from his buttery-fingered teammates – they should have been up 14 at that point without the 4 turnovers before the final pick. Oh, and can we please blame Brad Childress for the “12 men in the huddle” penalty? We just need to make sure he takes some blame.

Was it strange that a running back had over 100 yards and 3 touchdowns, yet he didn’t play a great game and the coach had to be considering benching him at multiple points during the game because of his fumbling? Peterson will never be one of the greats if he can’t stop putting it on the carpet.

Interesting side note: Favre’s last pass as a Packer was the ill-fated interception in OT of the 2007 NFC Championship against the Giants. His last pass as a Jet was an interception against the Dolphins (not counting the double hook and ladder to end the game where he was called for an illegal forward pitch). Could this be his last pass as a Viking? Another interception, in another NFC Championship game. He is consistent if nothing else.

- Peyton Manning is the best quarterback I have ever seen. He made adjustments to the Rex Ryan blitzing scheme, and ate it up. He is the most intelligent, accurate and impressive player in the game today. He didn’t go after Darrelle Revis extensively, but he wasn’t afraid to throw in his direction – including the play where Reggie Wayne shook him after the catch and left him grasping at air. The play that was the epitome of Manning’s game control was a quick-snap running play on 3rd and 5 in the 3rd quarter when the Jets still had 12 men on the field. Manning recognized it and quickly got his team a free first down. He a master of the game the same way Bar Rafaeli is the master of a bikini.

Mark Sanchez also played a tremendous game, and the moment was not too big for him. His only turnover was at the end in desperation time, and he was accurate with the ball, made smart decisions and made up for a running game that was stumped by the Colts defense.

- Not to dislocate my shoulder patting myself on the back……..but there was a certain someone suggesting you make easy money by betting on Pierre Garcon to have the most receiving yards in either game. That’s a nice little 10-1 payday from Uncle Trent. That is…….if gambling were legal.

And I also mentioned last week that I thought the Colts running game was underappreciated…..and Joseph Addai had 3 less yards than Thomas Jones & Shonn Greene combined. The Colts outrushed the Jets, which didn’t seem likely before the game.

- Aside from the football this weekend, there was an amazing ending to the Florida-South Carolina game on Saturday night. South Carolina’s Devon Downey was a monster in the game, including the go-ahead bucket by taking on all 5 Gator defenders. Fast forward to the 7:10 mark of the video. Unfortunately the video cuts off right before the replay where you can read the lips of the South Carolina coach going “No, please don’t go in……Oh no.”

HATE

- As much as the Colts won the game, the Jets did not play well overall. There were way too many penalties, including 3 that gave the Colts first downs. Their defense was not able to intimidate the Colts offense and the Jets offensive line was dominated by the undersized Colts line. While they knew they were underdogs and it was a successful season to get as far as they did, it has to be disheartening to not really come up big in the biggest game.

- I mentioned it above, but it needs to be mentioned in the hate section: The Vikings played awful, with 5 turnovers, countless pentalties and a porous offensive line. Favre took an absolute beating during the game, and yet he was never actually sacked. Despite his bad final interception, Favre was the only reason the Vikings were still in a position to have a shot at winning.

- Speaking of hitting the quarterback, what is the rule about hitting a quarterback after a hand-off? In the Jets game, Sanchez was hit after handing off and no penalty was called. Rex Ryan was more livid than when they ran out of wings at the all-you-can-eat postgame meal. Then in the Vikings game, the Saints were flagged for hitting Favre after he handed off. Why is that a penalty? How does the defender know that it’s not a play action fake? Why can the quarterback block, but the defense can’t hit him? Just seems like a strange rule to me where the league treats the quarterbacks more gentle than if they were playing in the lingerie football league.

- While I’m a fan of instant replay to make sure the correct calls are made, the replays during overtime of the Saints-Vikings game really grinded the game to a halt. Reviewing the spot, then running a dive play and reviewing the spot again just took all the emotion and momentum out of the game. No real solution for it, just a general annoyance.

- When will Fox realize that Joe Buck is not their best option for their #1 announcing team. Buck thinks he is bigger than the game or the moment and always tries to overemphasize the moment with his dramatic comments. We know your Dad was a good announcer, Joe, and you sir are no Jack Buck. You have less class than Jack Buck’s cufflink. Joe is a smug little wienie who has no business calling an important game – the play-by-play guy is supposed to tell us what’s happening and leave the analysis and opinions to the color guy who actually knows what he’s talking about. Troy Aikman knows what he’s talking about, so please Joe, just shut up and let him give us the accurate information. And Buck needs knee pads more than Paris Hilton for the way he talks about Favre.

- Wisconsin hoops falling behind by 15 to Penn State in the second half. Yes, they came back to win, just like they did against Michigan, yet it is getting concerning how they keep falling behind these bottom tier teams in the conference – at the Kohl Center. It’s just a matter of time before it burns them, and they won’t be able to come back against the better teams like Michigan State, Purdue or Ohio State (whom they lost to in Columbus).

Degenerate Friday - Conference Championships!!

Before getting to the Conference Championship picks for the weekend, did anyone happen to catch Steven Bardo’s slip while announcing the Indiana-Penn State game last night? He was attempting to “give a lesson” to post players about keeping the ball high, but he instead took a shot at fat girls. “All you big guys and big girls out there, take note.” And of course his broadcasting partner quickly jumped in and reminded him that he meant “post players” and not healthy eaters. Solid.

When looking at the games this weekend, I started looking at movies that were based (in whole or part) in the locations of the games themselves, which meant finding movies based in Indiana or New Orleans. Obviously for Indiana, it was Hoosiers, which has some great parrallels to the AFC Championship game between the Colts & the Jets. The Jets have the brash coach of the underdog, who is probably having the field measured to tell his team that the field is 100 yards in Indy, just like it is in New York.

Aside from Easy Rider being another movie with Dennis Hopper (he was Shooter in Hoosiers and Billy in Easy Rider), it’s based on a motorcycle ride across the country to get to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The other reason is that I found a quote that works for the game, so I’m just going to go for it. Let’s get right to it and see if I can keep improving, from 0-4 in the wildcard round to 2-2 last week, it’s time for a 2-0 weekend.

Standard weekly disclosures – recreational purposes, spreads from the NY Post, home teams in CAPS, etc.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP – Hoosiers quote from George to Coach Dale

“Look, mister, there's... two kinds of dumb, uh... guy that gets naked and runs out in the snow and barks at the moon, and, uh, guy who does the same thing in my living room. First one don't matter, the second one you're kinda forced to deal with.”

COLTS (-7.5) over Jets

Before getting to the game analysis, how great has Chelcie Ross’s career been? In addition to playing opposite of Gene Hackman in Hoosiers, he was also the veteran pitcher, Ed Harris in Major League, the coach in Rudy, and Connie Hilton in Mad Men. Talk about an underrated career. Anyway, the quote applies pretty well to Rex Ryan and the Jets. He’s now doing his barking in the living room of one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game, and now Peyton Manning is forced to deal with him.

I went back and looked at Manning’s stats in games against teams he played in the regular season and replayed in the post season, and didn’t find an real patterns. But the one historical time I did find which had some interesting parallels was in 2004, when the Colts played the Broncos in the final regular season game, and Peyton threw two passes and rested while the Broncos won to secure a playoff spot. Denver then came to Indy and got smoked 49-24 in the playoffs with Peyton throwing for over 450 yards and 4 touchdowns. Intresting tidbit, except that the Jets have the best running game and best defense in the league. However, digging a little deeper, the Broncos had the 4th best rushing offense that season and the 4th best defense in the league. Another parrallel was with the Colt strong offense where they were 1st in passing offense in 2004 and they were second in 2009. The 2004 Colts defense was worse than their 2009 counterparts, ranking 28th in 2004 and 19th this season. So what does this mean? Probably not all that much, but it is a historical pattern where Manning and the Colts rebound strongly against a tough defense and blew the game open on the fast turf in Indy.

I expect the crowd noise to be a difference maker in this game, and while Sanchez has played tremendous in his first two playoff games, he will need to be perfect to keep the Jets close. If the Colts can score early and get a lead, Sanchez will be forced to throw without the comfort of play action, which allows the speedy defense of the Colts (tremendously faster than the Chargers) to tee off on him. The Colts will use jabs and some dink-and-dunk passes to keep the Jets at a comfortable distance for the majority of the game. The half point hook concerns me a little, but I think Manning and Company march on to Miami.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP – Easy Rider quote from Billy (Dennis Hopper)

“Man, everybody got chicken, that's what happened. Hey, we can't even get into like, a second-rate hotel, I mean, a second-rate motel, you dig? They think we're gonna cut their throat or somethin'. They're scared, man.”

SAINTS (-3.5) over Vikings

In theory this should be the most entertaining football game of the entire season. A potent Saints offense against a stout Vikings defense. The most balanced Vikings offense against the opportunistic Saints defense. Darren Sharper gets a shot at his former Packers teammate Brett Favre & his former team, the Vikings. The reason I chose the quote was partially based on the fact that there really aren’t many memorable movies set in New Orelans. And this movie may even be a little bit of a stretch because it’s about the guys taking a motorcycle ride from LA to New Orleans and their encounters along the way. Anyway, it’s also because this is a scary game for degenerates to get involved with. Betting on this game is the equivalent of asking out Mariah Carey, I mean, I guess it looks good, but you know you’re messing with an unstable, and woman who is larger than she appears on television or pictures.

If the crowd noise affects Favre’s ability to check out of plays, it may make Brad Childress the happiest guy in the building, but it will limit his skills at taking advantage of the blitzing Saints defense. That could force him to make rushed and bad decisions, playing right into the hands of New Orleans. Yet as much as everyone kept expecting him to have that melt down game at some point during the season, he never did. So why would we expect him to suddenly go back to his old ways? The Vikings also will likely try to pound the ball with Adrian Peterson, and they should be able to move the ball on the ground against the Saints defense.

The Saints offense is loaded with weapons and Drew Brees and his merry band of receivers will be able to put points on the board. The Vikings defensive line is banged up, which should open up more running lanes for the Saints than have been there against Minnesota all season. If the Saints can establish any running game, it slows down Jarred Allen, which will give Brees enough time to dissect the Vikings secondary. The game will be a shoot out, not Cardinals-Packers level, but will be back and forth and at the end of the day, the Saints explosive offense will be able to put a few more points on the board than Favre and the Packers. We all know what happened the last time the Saints were in the NFC Championship game against an NFC North team (see picture) but this time they get their first trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history.

LAST ADD: Just to throw a prop bet out there to break any ties in case I somehow end up 1-1, take Pierre Garcon to have the most receiving yards at 10-1 odds. With Revis on Wayne, Garcon will be the quick target for Peyton. And after he catches some dinks and dunks, he might have a shot for a deep one, putting him up around 125 yards, which should be enough. The Viking have Rice, but his odds at 5-2 aren’t that appealing. The Saints spread the ball around too much, and the Braylen Edwards will lead the group in yards lost to drops.

Power Rankings - Conference Championship Breakdown

I am extremely impressed by Bruce Pearl. And it’s not just because of his penchant to pose with talented Volunteer fans. It’s not even because he once bought me a beer in the Gasthaus Bar in the union at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee right after he got the head coaching gig there (I was hanging out there with friends, I congratulated him on the job, and wished him luck and he bought me a beer, shook my hand and went back to his friends – very classy). He suspended 4 of his players after an incident involving guns, drugs and alcohol. He dismissed senior Tyler Smith, and has kept senior Brian Williams suspended indefinitely while recently reinstating Melvin Goins and Cameron Tatum. While working with only 6 scholarship players and 3 walk-ons, Pearl rallied his troops for wins over then-top-ranked Kansas, Charlotte, Auburn & Mississippi (and they beat Alabama last night after Goins & Tatum returned). They’ve ascended to #8 in the rankings and are playing great.

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Memo to Jim Calhoun (& it also applies to Urban Meyer): Put your ego in check and hang up the whistle. Your health and being there for your family are much more important than anything you do on the field or court. Calhoun just took a leave of absence from his UConn basketball team for medical reasons supposedly not related to his battle with cancer or past heart issues. Coaches always talk about being smart, teaching their players to be better people, and to think about their teammates. Well, coach, your family is your most important team. Be smart, step down and get healthy. Neither of you needs the money or the fame more than your kids need their fathers.

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My official picks for the Conference Championship games this weekend won’t be made until Degenerate Friday, but it’s time to start breaking the games down. And since Wednesday used to be the day for Power Rankings of the NFL teams during the regular season, I figured the best way to analyze the games was to rank the different components of each team: Coaching, Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Receivers, Defense, & Special Teams. Then we’ll total up the rankings for each team and determine who has the talent edge.

Coaching

(1) Sean Payton, (2) Rex Ryan, (3) Jim Caldwell, (4) Brad Childress
It’s not the most distinguished group of coaches, with a total of 1 playoff win among them before this season (Sean Payton in 2006). Payton gets the nod because of his offensive creativity and the way Gregg Williams has transformed the Saints defense this year. Rex and his big talk have the Jets believing they are the best team in the league and that bravado has completely changed the attitude at their Jersey headquarters. Caldwell is untested, as we have no idea what to expect from him – he has Peyton Manning, so does he really need to do anything? And Brad Childress comes from the Andy Reid School of Choking, so there is no confidence there. If the NFC Championship Game is close at the end, expect to see Childress looking like Jim from American Pie when Shannon Elizabeth is taking care of herself: He has everything in front of him for a grand slam, but he has no idea what to do with it.

Quarterback

(1) Peyton Manning, (2) Brett Favre, (3) Drew Brees, (4) Mark Sanchez
Manning & Favre have combined for 2 Super Bowl titles and 7 league MVP awards. Brees has put up huge regular season numbers, and Sanchez is the rookie who has demonstrated tremendous poise thus far. If Favre can win the Super Bowl, he will be the only quarterback in history to win the Super Bowl with two different teams. If I have the ball, down 5 with two minutes left in the game, I want Manning under center for me – his intelligence, mastery of the offense and calm under pressure are as good as anyone since Joe Montana. Sanchez has played well in the playoffs, but you have to wonder how long he can keep it going. Sanchez is off to a Ryan Phillipe start to his career, with good movies - I Know What You Did Last Summer & Cruel Intentions, etc., tons of adulation, and he gets Reese Witherspoon. We'll see if he crashes back to earth like Phillipe, who hasn't been in a relevant movie since Flags of Our Fathers in 2006.

Runningback

(1) Jets, (2) Colts, (3) Vikings, (4) Saints
Given that the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, you may be surprised to see the Vikings so low, but despite Peterson’s angry style of running, he fumbles too much and has been held in check for 8 consecutive games. It’s hard to say he’s overrated, because he rushed for 1,383 yards and scored 8 TDs. He’s more like Penelope Cruz, because when she’s in the right role, she’s able to put her assets to work. The Jets have the best rushing offense in the league. Thomas Jones has been the most underrated running back in the league for the past 5 years (5 straight seasons of at least 1,100 yards). And rookie Shonn Greene is a battering ram and might be the sturdiest runner left in the playoffs. While Addai is not as explosive as Reggie Bush, he’s more reliable between the tackles and also dangerous as a receiver – did you know that Addai scored 13 TDs this year and had over 1100 total yards?

Receivers

(1) Colts, (2) Saints, (3) Vikings, (4) Jets
This might have been the easiest groups to rank because Reggie Wayne is the best receiver in the playoffs, and Dallas Clark is the best tight end still playing. Add in Pierre Garcon, who is dangerously fast and smart (as evidenced by his strip of Ed Reed last week) and you have the most dynamic group to go with the best quarterback. The Saints have a ton of solid weapons with three guys getting more than 700 yards receiving (Colston, Henderson & Meachem) and weapons like Shockey & Bush. The Vikings receivers have really blossomed receiving passes from Brett Favre as Sidney Rice exploded for over 1300 yards and 8 TDs, and Visanthe Shiancoe had 11 TDs himself. And that doesn’t take into account the dangerous Percy Harvin, who gets involved in receiving, rushing and the kick return game. The Jets are at the bottom of this group because their #1 receiver got called out by his own father for dropping too many passes. I think that’s all you need to know about that.

Defense

(1) Jets, (2) Vikings, (3) Colts, (4) Saints
This was another easy ranking, as the Jets have the best defense in the league, the Vikings have the 2nd best rush defense, the Saints are not above 20th in any defensive ranking, and the Colts are in the top ten for scoring defenses. It will be a great chess match between the Jets pressure and Peyton Manning. The Saints have given up a lot of points and a lot of yards, but they are opportunistic, and it will be interesting whether Favre can keep his “Inner Hulk” in check and take what is there.

Special Teams/Kicking

(1) Saints, (2) Vikings, (3) Colts, (4) Jets
The Saints return game with Reggie Bush earns them this top spot as he is a threat to take any kick to the house. The Vikings are highly rated for their reliable kicker in Ryan Longwell. The Colts have a reliable veteran kicker in Matt Stover and a solid return man in Chad Simpson. The Jets have an accurate kicker, but have missed Leon Washington’s dynamic return game for most of the season.

OVERALL TOTALS (Lower is Better):
Jets = 16
Colts = 13

Vikings = 16
Saints = 15

So what does this all mean? Probably nothing. While there is a lot of analysis to still be read and researched before plopping down a mortgage payment at the window, it looks like I’m leaning towards a Colts and Saints Super Bowl. Peyton goes to battle against the team his dad quarterbacked for many years. Then again, it doesn’t look like the gap between the Vikings and Saints is very big, so maybe we’ll have a matchup of two great quarterbacks trying to get their second title.

Thursday Thoughts - Theme Songs for the Final Eight NFL Teams

Before we get to today’s collumn, I have to come clean. I used a performance-enhancing substance all during high school, college, and continue to use it on many Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings to help recover from hangovers. It was Gatorade. What? You don’t think that’s a performance-enhancing substance? Then you didn’t hear The General, Bobby Knight, discussing Mark McGwire. That was the dumbest comment I’ve heard since the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007.

So there are a ton of stories about teams using some cheesey song as their motivational theme song in almost every sports. The 2005 Chicago White Sox used Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” to celebrate their success. The Red Sox use “Sweet Caroline” to rally their crowd before the bottom of the 8th inning every game. And of course, the University of Wisconsin gets the Camp Randall football stadium going crazy at the end of every 3rd quarter by blasting “Jump Around.” Therefore I determined that each of the 8 teams remaining in the NFL Playoffs needs a theme song for the team and their fans to rally around. A few rules: (1) It has to be an old song, (2) it has to be cheesey, and (3) it has to be fitting for this year’s team and playoff run. Starting in the NFC………………

New orleans Saints: Wilson Phillips – “Hold On”
The Saints have just been holding on ever since that Monday night game when they blew out the New England Patriots. They limped to the finish line after winning their first 13 games and they need the motivation of that chubby girl rolling around on the beach reminding them to hold on. And can’t you see Jeremy Shockey belting this out in the locker room? I think they've had complete makeovers and don't look as awkward now, but when they wrote and performed this song, I'm not sure what they were thinking - why is she wearing that hat?

Minnesota Vikings: Bill Withers – “Just the Two of Us”
This one is perfect for Head Coach Brett Favre and his assistant Brad Childress. Well, I guess it also could be Brett & running back Adrian Peterson if we want to keep the focus on the field, but I think it’s a better fit for Chilly & Brett. I mean, the Vikings can only go as far as Favre takes them, and that means they need their coach and quarterback to be on the same page, holding hands and belting out this Bill Withers classic. Did you know Bill Withers also sings “Lean On Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”? Never heard of the guy before, but those are some classic songs. And well, a picture of Bill Withers is pretty dull, so let's not waste our time there. Instead, let's go with a picture of Megan Fox from her recent ads for Armani. I think I'm on my way to buy something Armani immediately. Or maybe just buy a DVD of one of her movies, you know they're on clearance.

Dallas Cowboys: Hootie & The Blowfish – “Hold My Hand”
Even though Hootie is a self-proclaimed Dolphins fan, the opening lyric of this song makes it the rallying cry for the entire Cowboys season. “With a little love, and some tenderness We'll walk upon the water We'll rise above this mess With a little peace, and some harmony We'll take the world together…” The Cowboys have removed the drama of T.O. from their locker room and have focused on a team mentality with Tony Romo spreading the ball all over the field. And since Hootie has transitioned over to country music, the Dallas fans will be comfortable when this song is played in Jerry’s Palace.

Arizona Cardinals: Rod Stewart – “Forever Young”
While another over-the-hill quarterback has gotten the spot light most of the season, now that it’s playoff time, the old man in Arizona deserves the spot light. Kurt Warner is among the best playoff quarterbacks in history, and he proved it again last week against Green Bay. The guy is forever young and has a 9-3 record in the playoffs during his career. His accuracy and command of the offense have been impeccable in the playoffs and are the only reason he’s in the conversation for the Hall of Fame. And I’m trying to avoid making the comparison between his wife’s new hair and Rod Stewart’s hair but you can judge for yourself.

In the AFC………………….

Indianapolis Colts: Kenny Loggins – “Danger Zone”
The Colts entered the Danger Zone when they decided to pass on a shot at a perfect season and rest their starters. And they’re facing a Ravens team that would have beat the Colts in Indy during the regular season if their kicker had made a chip shot field goal. Now they enter the playoffs without the momentum they had built in the first 14 games of the season, and they’re going to need the same motivation that Kenny Loggins provided for Tom Cruise so he could sit on a couple of phone books in the cockpit to see out the front window and become a Top Gun pilot. Can’t you imagine Peyton putting on the aviator sunglasses and singing along?

San Diego Chargers: The Rolling Stones – “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
No matter what the Chargers do, they are always an afterthought relative to the Colts, Saints or Vikings. Yet the Chargers have won 10 straight games and have the most potent offense in the league as the only team to score a minimum of 20 points in every game this season. Phillip Rivers had a tremendous season, but was a distant afterthought in the MVP voting. Norv Turner has been a joke his entire head coaching career in the playoffs so we’ll see if he can change that perception and get the satisfaction of some respect with some playoff success.

New York Jets: R. Kelly – “I Believe I Can Fly”
Coach Rex Ryan really has his team believing they can do absolutely anything. At this point, he’s been right, so if he told them they could fly, there is a pretty good chance at least a handful of them would jump off the roof of the practice facility. The Jets believe they can fly by grinding it out on the ground and occassionally airing it out on play action……before Braylen Edwards drops it. I think it would be worth paying admission to see Rex sing this song to his team in the lcoker room.

Baltimore Ravens: Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
The Ravens have found success by beating the snot out of teams on the ground, similar to the Jets. The Ravens also have the guys on defense with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs that will beat up the offense of opponents. The line that is the most applicable to how the Ravens play from the classic MJ song is “They’ll kick you. They’ll beat you. They’ll tell you its fair.” And we can all agree that seeing Ray Lewis in that awesome red zipper jacket would bring the team together to be able to win the next couple games on the road. And Joe Flacco and Ed Reed would have to be the guys behind Michael who engage in the knife fight…………trying to avoid the easy Ray Lewis knife jokes……….

So there you have it…….and apologies in advance for putting all those songs in your head. They will be there the rest of the day. The Hootie song has stayed with me since I decided to use it……..and I can’t shake it.

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The Knicks claim they lost their game in Oklahoma City the other night because the hotel they stayed in was haunted. The legend is that a woman had an affair with the owner, then jumped from the 10th floor window with their baby in her arms. So of course Eddy Curry stayed on the 10th floor and only slept 2 hours because he spent most of the night in Nate Robinson’s room. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I think the Knicks have more reason to blame the ghosts of Isiah Thomas, Stephon Marbury and Allan Houston for their losses than some ghost in Oklahoma City.

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Last add – please send this along to your family, friends or anyone else that might be entertained by it. I appreciate your support and reading the site regularly. Come back each day for more random ramblings on sports and other topics. Thanks.

Degenerate Friday - Wildcard Weekend!!

Congrats to Alabama on their national championship. I was all set to run another picture or five of Colt McCoy’s girlfriend, but instead you’ll have to deal with a picture of the Alabama elephant. Can anyone explain to me why “Crimson Tide” is equated to an elephant? I mean, the school is in the south, and based on a random sampling of SEC girls (google Florida Gator girls or Tennessee Vols girls, etc.) their fans are nowhere near elephants. Pretty sure the injury to McCoy just adds more questions about his pro potential. Yes, he’s won more games at QB than anyone in history, but what does that mean? Second on that list is David Greene from Georgia and he’s now playing quarterback for……..exactly. I think he’ll be lucky to be drafted in the third round because he reminds too many people of Chris Simms or Major Applewhite. And to the credit of freshman Garrett Gilbert, he settled down and brought the Longhorns back into the game, but was still owned by the Alabama defense when it mattered the most. Mark Ingram is now the 4th guy to win the Heisman and the national championship on an undefeated team, joining Charles Woodson (foreshadowing for later), Tony Dorsett and Matt Leinart.

Using the momentum of calling the national championship game correctly, let’s dig right into the matchups this wildcard weekend for the NFL. No, it doesn’t feel cheap to cash that Bama ticket after the McCoy injury. Tila Tequila should feel cheap for posing for photos a few days after her fiance dies. Gambling winning should never feel cheap – cash that ticket!! I’m feeling good and expecting to go unbeaten throughtout the playoffs. Following last weekend’s 9-0 mark in the early games, why not shoot for the perfect 11-0 record in the playoffs?

BENGALS (-2.5) over Jets

Two trains of thought here: (1) A rookie QB on the road and (2) everyone has bought into the Jets as the click to pick. Even as I type this, I’m losing my conviction in the pick, but I will not waffle. The Bengals are playing horrible, but the teams have almost equally strong run games and strong defenses. The Jets have the top rushing attack, but the Bengals are 9th in the league in rushing. The Jets are 31st in passing and the Bengals are 26th. The difference is that Carson Palmer is capable of making a big play if needed, and he has the receivers in Ochocinco and Coles that will not drop the ball (that’s a shot at you Braylen Edwards). I expect Mark Sanchez tobe as stable as Mariah Carey accepting an acting award when he’s playing on the road in cold, snowy and windy conditions with the Cincy crowd pumped up to try and help the Bengals win their first playoff game in 20 years. I’m also a strong believer that when all of the media and public jumps on one team, go the other way. The Jets ARE built for the playoffs with a great running game and great defense. But like I just said, those are also the strengths of the Bengals.

Eagles (+4) over COWBOYS

Andy Reid is 7-0 in opening round playoff games. Wade Phillips is 0-4 in the playoffs. Romo has never won in the playoffs. There are just too many trends here to ignore. I still do not understand why the Eagles decided not to blitz last weekend, but you can bet they will be bringing as much pressure as The Situation at closing time in the Jersey Shore clubs. The Cowboys still have to overcome the pressure of winning a playoff game (like you haven’t heard a million times they haven’t won a playoff game since 1996), and if the Eagles get an early lead, expect the crowd in Jerry’s Palace to also feel that pressure.

PATRIOTS (-3) over Ravens

Losing Wes Welker will haunt the Patriots in the later rounds against the Chargers or Colts. It will not haunt them as much against the Ravens as Julian Edelmann is a “Mini Me” version of Welker. Ravens supporters will point to the game earlier this season in Foxboro when there were a handful of questionable calls and a dropped pass from Mark Clayton that kept Baltimore from walking out with a victory. However, Brady was not fully healthy and his accuracy was suffering and the Ravens secondary was not in as bad of shape as it is now with a hobbled Ed Reed. Also add in the Patriots are 8-0 at home this year, and 8-0 in the playoffs at home under Belichick/Brady. And the Ravens needed to beat the Lions, Bears and Raiders late in the year just to get to 9-7. That’s enough for me to lay the points with the Pats.

Packers (+1) over CARDINALS

The Cardinals do not match up well with the Packers. They played in the 3rd preseason game (the one where starters play at least until halftime) and the Packers exploded for a 38-10 halftime lead. Then last week, given the Cardinals resting players early, the Packers exploded for a 33-0 lead. The attacking Packers defense can give Warner fits, and having the defensive player of the year in Charles Woodson to shadow Larry Fitzgerald tips the scales even further. Side note: Darrell Revis is a great shut-down corner, but he IS NOT the Defensive Player of the Year. Woodson is a complete player that tackles, covers, blitzes, intercepts and returns INTS to the house. Revis does not do that….yet. Back to the game…..Rodgers will be able to continue to hit big plays on the Cardinals secondary, especially with a banged up Rogers-Cromartie. I want to find a way to temper my expectations for Green Bay in this game and the only thing I can think of is that it is Rodgers first playoff game and the Cardinals have experience and “streak-ability” on their side. That won’t be enough for the Cards and to quote Jay-Z….”It’s on to the next one” for the Packers.