Deflategate may have Deflated the Game

Photo by NISHANT CHOKSI via The Wall Street Journal

It's taken me awhile to be able to find what I need to say on the matter of the what is known as Deflategate. I've looked at as much as I can and heard all that I could possibly hear. I even spoke about it on my second podcast on the BauerPower Half Hour. But as far as being able to write something about it, well it has not been easy on what I was going to try and say. But finally, I feel good with my opinions and what I need to say. So what do I think about Deflate Gate? I think it has may have just put an asterisk on the history of the NFL.

It was only about a decade or so ago that the NFL had decided to allow teams to be able to prep and use the balls that each of the teams' felt they wanted for the game. Before then, it was pretty much the job of the one team (home team usually) to provide the footballs that were necessary for the game and just hope that each quarterback would be able to play with it. Think about that: NFL teams use to share footballs. So now that brings me to the question: How can we trust that any of what we have seen from the NFL in history is actually based off of talent? Now I am not saying that these players are not skilled or talented in some sort of fashion. It takes a lot to be able to play this game at the professional level. It's just when you hear about something like Deflate Gate or even when the usage of PEDS was coming into play, it makes myself and others suddenly have to feel a strong sense of skepticism about the game that we love to play and/or watch.

At this point in Deflategate, we've heard that the NFL had found that 11 of the 12 balls used by the New England Patriots were deflated by about two pounds from the minimum 12.5 PSI during the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Then sources came out saying that the NFL had discovered that the balls were deflated for the first half of the game, and then suddenly became inflated to correct amount in the second half of the game. Just yesterday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood at the podium during a news conference in order to let everyone know that they are trying to find out who caused it, although they have not yet made a ruling on who is responsible.

Bill Belichick just has to be thinking about what may come
if the Patriots are found guilty in this matter

Even before Goodell's conference, there were a few times that ESPN was saying that the NFL was eyeing a locker room attendant as a "person of interest" in the scandal. And if I am right, I think they even said something about having video tape on him. That I am not 100% sure of yet. But in my own opinion, this has just become ridiculous. Regardless of if this attendant in the locker room did or did not do it, the majority of the punishment should be held to the New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick and all the way up to Robert Kraft. I say Belichick because I do not believe him at all when he is saying that he did not know about this until Monday morning. Come on man! You are the head coach of the Patriots, an organization who is of the highest caliber, and you tell us that you have know idea what is going on with your team? I find this a little hard to believe. I also say Robert Kraft because he the man who owns the organization, which means he should also know what is going on with his team. Plus, Kraft has had trouble before with the last time we had to deal with this being the 2007 New England Patriots being involved in Spygate, where a man was caught video taping the New York Giants' practices for Super Bowl XLII. All we can do now is wait to see if anything will develop after Sunday.

Peyton Manning and other QBs' stats may
always be called into question after this scandal

But again, the thought of the NFL's history I now feel is falling into question. Let's take a look at Peyton Manning; he is currently the NFL's passing touchdowns career record holder with 530 TDs [currently]. But now with Deflategate scandal here, I question how many of those balls maybe were missing a little air from them. What about Brett Farve, who threw 508 passing TDs and held the record before Manning? How many of those gun slinging passes were TDs thanks to a little less PSI? The same can be said about Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, Drew Brees, Joe Montana, and every other quarterback in NFL history. I mean you have to think about it now as even a small amount of 1 PSI can make a difference in how the ball is thrown for a quarterback or any player.

The ball looks like it is fully inflated football, but David Tyree's
catch in Super Bowl XLII just seems quite suspicious now

The lack of PSI can also make the ball easier to catch and handle as well as throw. Remember when I mentioned Spygate in Super Bowl XLII? Probably one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history came when Giants' quarterback Eli Manning escaped being sacked and fired a ball down field that was caught by David Tyree in the back side of his helmet with one hand. I have watched that clip of him making that catch over and over, and I still find myself amazed at how he was able to do so. Perhaps Tyree's catch was benefited from a lack of air being in the ball. What about the NFL's great running backs? I hate to do this to Chicago Bears' legend and one of the greatest running back of all time, but Walter Payton use to hold the ball in a fashion that you would a carry something like a loaf of bread, which could have easily been knocked loose for a fumble. So was he able to carry it so well because the ball was easier to grip due to it being under-inflated? All that can be done now is guess and speculate.

One of the ways Walter Payton
would often would run with ball

The NFL's rich history is a hard one to poke at and tamper with because it was a different time and certain things were only just in their infancy as far as rules, enforcing punishments and fines, and many other movements. I just hate when issues in the realm of Spygate, Deflategate, PEDS use, illegal pads, or whatever the case is that make you have to frown down at teams and the NFL because of the type of thinking that goes, "Well if they are doing it today, then just when did it all start? How far back in history do we have to go to find when it became real?" which just pulls me away from enjoying the game and becoming a more critical monster of the sport that I love and will always love. Maybe one day, the NFL will finds answers to all the issues that still stand in the game. For now, I just want to kick back, relax, and get myself ready for the Super Bowl.

Podcast #2 is here!

https://soundcloud.com/bauerpower14/bauerpower-half-hour-deflategate-and-da-bears

Hey guys! We are back once again with the BauerPower Half Hour for Episode 2 to weigh in on what is happening with the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears! We're still working out a few thing and it may not all be perfect (I did make a couple mistakes while we were talking), but I ask you all to watch it and let me know what you guys think. Big shoutout to my friend Nicole for allowing me to be apart of it once again with more to come in future!

Is LeBron James becoming too much?

Back in 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. With that pick, the Cavaliers selected an 18 year old small forward from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School named LeBron James. After being drafted, James began to send the NBA into shock and awe as he continued to dazzle us with bone crushing dunks, amazing three pointers, and crazy shots that you never thought would go in. For seven years, I had to watch this guy become the greatest player in the NBA and pretty much single handedly destroy my Chicago Bulls.

He spend four years with the Miami Heat where he played along side All-Star players Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, went to four consecutive NBA Finals, and won back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. Now, he's back in Cleveland and he's got something similar going down with the Cavaliers like he did in Miami. The Cavaliers had drafted point guard Kyrie Irving with the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 NBA Draft and has grown into one of the NBA's best point guards. After James had come to Cleveland, the team decided to send their No. 1 overall pick in 2014 NBA Draft in Andrew Wiggins, their No. 1 overall pick in 2013 NBA Draft in Anthony Bennett, and a future first round pick to Minnesota in a three-team trade that included the Philadelphia 76ers in order to acquire forward/center Kevin Love. It's pretty much like taking something, copying it, pasting it, and then doing a little editing.

LeBron James came up with a new trend: The LeBron Lip

But this year has not been easy for Cleveland's "Big Three" and the team right now have a shocking record of 19-20. 19-20! I mean seriously think about this: a team that consist of three All-Stars, that each have the ability to score 20+ points a game, and were named the favorite to win this year's NBA title are now below .500 and starting to show cracks in the armor.

So what's the point of mentioning all this? Well it's because in my opinion, I think LeBron James is hurting the Cavaliers more so than he is helping them. It's not to say he does not contribute his effort and skills to the game, but there just seems to be a disturbance within this organization that is throwing off the balance. The reason I think it's James that is the problem is what I witnessed on ESPN the morning of Jan. 13: 

LeBron James starts to get into an argument with one of the referees in their game against the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland head coach George Blatt steps in between James and the ref to break up the argument, and then next you know, LeBron pushes or shoves Blatt right to the side.

I understand that they each claimed they were coming to
one another's side, but coach Blatt's face does not not look
like he is trying to protect LeBron. More like shocking surprise

Seriously... James shoved his head coach. Now I could understand the coach doing that to a player to get him out of the argument, but player to the head coach? I think that's a whole other level that should not be approached. To me though, I saw this as a sign that leads me to the thought that maybe LeBron James is one of those players that has a label on him that says, "uncoachable" which I do feel fits his persona. Now I do not know James in any way, shape, or form. I have never talked with him or interviewed (although I'd love to someday) or anything of that sort. However, there was the moment in Miami when LeBron James and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra bumped shoulders into on another instead of one getting out of the way of the other. I remember that analysts picked that video apart in order to speculate if James was possibly butting heads with Spoelstra. The video was eventually downplayed as just "I did not see him" kind of thing, but that could have been cover over our eyes. The same thing happened after this incident between Blatt and James. Both made claims that they were trying to protect the other from getting a foul or something. But Blatt's face on the sidelines seems a little too much like "deer in the headlights" kind of look.

But since LeBron left Cleveland to go to Miami, I've felt that his presence as an athlete and player has slowly begun to decline with the rising of what seems to me is his celebrity status. Honestly, I think that is where LeBron James is at right now; less athlete, more celebrity. Now for those that would agree with me, understand that I do understand that he is not the only one. But when you are considered to be of the greatest athletes of the decades and whose face is on just about every product basketball or sports affiliated, even I would feel like of the top celebrities out there (which he is). But is that the best thing for him? I think about the fact that if James was not putting up 20+ points a game this season, he would probably still make the All-Star game and start. Why? Because he's a big name that just about everyone knows and would bring in the crowds. That is it.

Kyrie Irving rolls his eyes and sighs after LeBron James
tells him that he is going to rip his gear off like Superman

Honestly, I don't see it being what he needs for his career. I mean come on! You are the NBA's top athlete right now, making millions of dollars and this is what you give us? Now I am, by no means, a fan of LeBron James. I respect his game rightfully because he plays it well, but personally, he seems to just be very... egotistically maybe? I really could not say because as I said before, I don't know the guy at all. I'm just going based off what I've seen, heard, heard him say, and so on. I'm also still waiting for him to address the fact that he has not played up to the standards that we know he is capable of playing at for us. Of course he could have and maybe I just did not hear it.

Regardless, I think it has become clear that the Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning to fall apart all over. There are rumors already about where Kevin Love will play next after he [supposedly] opts out of his contract after this season. The same is also being said about LeBron James. There are questions as to whether George Blatt will be in Cleveland next season or even for the remainder of this year because of the fact that he seems to not have the kind of control that this team obviously needs. So much being asked about this team of great players, and yet it's just the halfway point of the season. If I were the owner of the Cavaliers, I would be so embarrassed right now. Not just with the season, but how the organization that I control is being talked about.

Head coach George Blatt and forward Kevin Love discuss
what their future plans are this next offseason

So what do I think will become of the Cleveland Cavaliers' team either during or after this season? Well, I do think LeBron James will stay possibly one more year, just to give the fans of Cleveland one more show before he leaves after that to go to like Los Angeles or New York. For Kevin Love, I think he will probably head for the Lakers, Knicks, or Celtics once this season is all said and done. Kyrie Irving will stay in Cleveland and be the hero that he has truly become for the city and it's fans. Head coach George Blatt will [maybe] get one more year if the team can finish above .500 on the season and then will be replaced after next season when Cleveland probably has another drop-off year. Even though I'm a Chicago Bulls fan, I hope I will be wrong. I know things are not going so well for my Bulls right now, but at least we finally have a team that is sitting on top of the division... for now.

Chicago Bears introduce John Fox

This past Monday, if your anything like me, you watched as the Chicago Bears held a press conference that introduced John Fox as the team's new head coach. He stood up there and answered the questions of the press nice and precise. Of course it was impressive, but I still am in the mind set of this being "so-so" coming off of last season. I felt that way ever since the team announced last Friday that they were hiring Fox as the team's new head coach. Now that is not to say that I don't think John Fox in not a good coach, but I am trying to keep my expectations low on the hiring because the season has not started and we have only just begun the offseason. But if you don't know, then here's some history on his head coaching to fill you in and maybe make things look brighter.

John Fox is the Chicago Bears' 15th head coach in the franchise's history and has developed a reputation of taking team's that have losing records and bringing them to the brink of success. It all first started in Carolina. In 2001, the Carolina Panthers finished with the franchise's worst record of 1-15 and a 15-game losing streak. By next season, Fox was hired as the team's new head coach. In his first year as a head coach, he won his first game that season, which broke the 15-game losing streak, and ended with a record of 7-9. But it was the next season that would solidify his reputation.

John Fox really proved his worth when
he became the head coach of the
Carolina Panthers back in 2002

In 2003, John Fox took the Carolina Panthers to their highest point as the team went on to finish the regular season 11-5 and win the division. In the playoffs, Fox was able to beat the Dallas Cowboys and the team's head coach Bill Parcells in the Wild Card Playoffs, 29-10, then went on to edge out the St. Louis Rams 29-23 in the NFC Division Playoffs, and finally were able to contain the Philadelphia Eagles and their quarterback Donovan McNabb to win the NFC Championship and earn a trip to their first (and only) Superbowl in the franchise's history. Unfortunately, Superbowl XXXVIII did not end well for John Fox and the Panthers as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots drove down the field to set up former kicker Adam Vinatieri for a game winner in order to win it 32-29.

John Fox would rise again and take Carolina back into the playoffs with 11-5 record in 2005 and reached the NFC Championship again, this time against the Seattle Seahawks. This time, the Panthers would find themselves defeated as the Seahawks won 34-14.

From 2002-2010 with the Carolina Panthers, John Fox had a 78-74 career record that included one Superbowl appearance (2003/lost), one NFC Championship(2003), two Division Championships (2003,2008), and three seasons with 10+ wins and playoff appearances (2003, 2005, 2008) . Despite having a decent career in Carolina, the Panthers' organization made the decision to not resign John Fox as the head coach after finishing the 2010 regular season at 2-14.

I didn't take Fox very long before he would be signed to a brand new team; enter the Denver Broncos. in January 2011, Fox was hired as the Denver Broncos new head coach. He was entering the same situation that he been dealt in Carolina as the Broncos had finished the 2010 regular season with a 4-12 record. Once again, Fox would bring the magic to the Broncos in order to help them turn it all around. In his first season in 2011 in Denver, Fox's Broncos started out shaky which lead them to have a 1-4 record in their first five games. In Week 7 game against the Miami Dolphins, Fox decided to make a change at quarterback with Tim Tebow in place of Kyle Orton to start. The change proved effective as Denver went on to win the game 18-15 in overtime. After, the Broncos went on to have a 7-4 record over their last 11 games of the season with a 6-game winning streak in the middle of it and a place in the playoffs. during the playoffs, Fox watched as his Broncos fight hard against the Pittsburgh Steelers and eventually win the game 29-23 in overtime thanks to an 80 yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. But the playoffs ended in the AFC Division Playoff game against the New England Patriots in which they dominated the game 45-10.

John Fox's time with the Denver Broncos was
quite magical as he and Peyton Manning sent
huge waves throughout the NFL in their domination

The next season, John Fox was given the chance to work with former Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning, after acquiring him in free agency after he was not resigned by the Colts. The next two years would be John Fox's finest as a head coach for the Broncos and in his head coaching career as he would coach Manning and the Broncos to back-to-back 13-3 regular season records with two Divisional Championships. After going 13-3 in the 2012 season, the Broncos faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Broncos worked hard but could not win as the Ravens won 38-35 and would eventually go on to win the Superbowl. Fox and Broncos would not be beaten so easy the next time as the 2013 season was one for the books. Denver posted a 13-3 regular season record in which Peyton Manning set records for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55) in a season. Despite having to have open heart surgery during the season, John Fox was there for the Broncos during the playoffs in which they won against the San Diego Chargers 24-17 in AFC Division Playoffs and then watched Manning beat his rival, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, in the AFC Championship 26-16 and earn a second trip to the Superbowl. In Superbowl XLVIII, Denver would face a tough Seattle Seahawks team that had the league's best defense, but many were certain Denver could make it happen. But Fox would not win it this time either as the tone was set from the very first snap of the game which flew by Peyton Manning's head for a safety. The Broncos would go on to lose 43-8, one of the franchise's worst Superbowl losses since Superbowl XXIV(Broncos lost to 49ers 55-10). John Fox proved himself again this past season by getting the Broncos to a 12-4 record in the regular season, only to lose against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

From 2011-2014 with the Denver Broncos, John Fox has had 49-22 career record that included one Superbowl appearance (2013/lost), one AFC Championship (2013), three Divisional Championships (2012, 2013, 2014), and three seasons with 10+ wins and playoff appearances (2012, 2013, 2014). Just a few days after the Broncos' loss in the 2015 playoffs, word was out that John Fox and the Denver Broncos had agreed to mutually part ways with one another.

So there is a brief look at the head coaching career that John Fox has had thus far. Now he comes to the Chicago Bears, whose finished the season with a [dreadfully disappointing] 5-11 record that consisted of inefficient offense and a pathetic shell of a defense. The hope is that John Fox will find a way to be able to turn things around on both sides of the ball, as well as finding the right personnel to surround himself with in a offensive coordinator. I would say defensive coordinator as well, but it looks as if former San Fransisco 49ers' defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will become the Bears' new DC which is a huge upgrade compared to last season where we had Mel Tucker.

It'll take all of that classic John Fox magic to bring the
Chicago Bears back to winning and making the playoffs

During the press conference Monday, Fox was asked about his ability to turn teams around after they have had some bad seasons. Fox responded that his past shows that he has been able to help teams make "good jumps" and finished it with, "I can't predict exactly how fast or when that will happen. I just believe it will which certainly helps give some hope to the fans of Chicago and myself (Wright). As of right now, my expectations are low because it has yet to be seen what will happen in free agency, the draft, and who the offensive coordinator will be. But if they do get the right guys at the right positions, you may feel a smile coming right out of my next story.

Wright, Michael C. "Bears Introduce Coach John Fox." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 19 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Jan. 2015

I did my very first Podcast!

Click link here to listen to the podcast----> BauerPower Half Hour - Ep. 1 w/ Spittin' Out Sports

So awhile back, I was contacted by a friend of mine who liked what they saw on this blog and wanted to see if I was interested in being their very first guest for their new podcast, BauerPower Half Hour, to just talk and chat about what was going on in the sports world. I feel honored that I was chosen to be the first one and want to thank my friend, Nicole Bauer, for giving me this opportunity! I hope you guys like it, go check it out in the link above, and hopefully there will be more chances like these to come in the near future. Keep on reading what I'm spittin' guys!

2015 CFP National Champions

This past Monday has marked the end of college football with the first ever CFP National Championship game over. And who holds onto the trophy? The Ohio State Buckeyes. If you were not able to witness it, Ohio State was able to "literally" run over the Oregon Ducks' defense and contain their highly potent and fast tempo offense in order to win the national title 42-20 despite having turn the ball over four times (3 fumbles, 1 INT) in the game. The Buckeyes have not won a national championship since 2002 with former head coach Jim Tressel.

Now if you read my story prior to the championship game, then you probably know along with the listing what I believed to be the two teams' pros and cons and that I predicted that Ohio State would beat Oregon 49-42 in overtime. After the game, I got the part of Ohio State winning it correct but just not the score. One of the negatives I saw for the Oregon Ducks was that they would go into the game without their two top wide receivers Devon Allen and Darren Carrington. Allen was unable to play because of an injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl against Florida State while Carrington was suspended with another teammate after testing positive for marijuana just days before the game. Although I did not mention him in the previous article, the Ducks were without their top tight end Pharaoh Brown after sustaining an injury with just three games left in the season.

During the game, the Ducks seem to use some sort of rotating system for their wide receivers in order to make up for the loss of Allen, Carrington, and Brown. For me, I saw this as a chance for Ducks' quarterback Marcus Mariota to prove that he really has an ability to be a quarterback that can make the players around him play better or at least seem better which would tell me that he may have a good career in the NFL. During the first drive of the game, Mariota did what he has down all year in leading Oregon's fast tempo offense down the field to score the first touchdown of the game. I wasn't really surprised as Oregon's offense has been in the Top 5 in points per game. But during the drive, they ran the ball 7 times while only throwing just 4 passes including the touchdown pass. 

Wide receiver #85 Dwayne Stanford is wide open for the catch,
but ultimately could not hold onto the ball

The rest of the game had me thinking that most of Oregon's wide receivers must have had little to almost no game experience. It's not to say that they don't, but from the way they were playing, I found it too hard to believe that they could not catch some of the passes they were thrown. One play I will not forget from that game came in the first quarter when on 3rd and 12, Marcus Mariota threw a deep ball to a wide open receiver, #85 Dwayne Stanford, that could have possibly been about a 50 yard gain to lead to a touchdown to tie the game and instead was dropped because he tried to catch it on the run. When I think about it now, that may have been the defining moment for me that said that the Oregon Ducks would not be able to work their magic. However, Mariota did find success in wide receiver #9 Byron Marshall who finished with 8 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is seen here
putting a good lick on Ducks' QB Marcus Mariota

Out of the 37 passes Marcus Mariota threw, only 24 of them were completed. Now that is still about a 64% completion percentage, but Ohio State's defense knew how to shut down his passing targets while also keeping pressure on him. It's still worth mentioning though that Mariota finished the game with 333 passing yards and two touchdowns and an interception. But the Buckeyes' defense outworked the Oregon Ducks' offense, especially in the red zone after Oregon was unable denied time and time again at the goal line. Buckeye defensive end Joey Bosa was a machine and constant threat on defense in stopping the Oregon offense from advancing while also bringing that swagger and attitude to the team that said, "Give it everything you have and do whatever it takes to make it happen." which was just what they were able to do.

Thanks to their efforts, Ohio State took the momentum set by Bosa and the defense and used it to power themselves passed the Ducks' defense. Certainly, no one has to be happier to win the national title than Buckeyes' quarterback Cardale Jones. Despite some incomplete passes, an interception, and 3 fumbles (one which seemed quite familiar), Jones was able to finished 16 of 23 for 242 yards and a touchdown while also running for 38 yards and another score. 

During the game, OSU QB Cardale Jones pulls
 a "Jameis Winston" as he fumbles the ball in the same way.
Luckily, it did not affect them one bit

What makes Jones such a big story in this is that he was the third string quarterback when star senior quarterback Braxton Miller was the team's starter while freshman QB J.T. Barrett was named as the his backup. During preseason practice though, Braxton Miller injured his shoulder enough that it took him out for the season. This gave Jones a chance to compete with Barrett for the starting job. Eventually, head coach Urban Meyer gave the nod to J.T. Barrett to be the the starting QB. He has an incredible freshman year in which he passed for just over 2,800 yards and scoring 34 TDs with 10 INTs while also rushing for over 900 yards and scoring 11 TDs. With these stats, it's no wonder that he was in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy. Then came the Michigan/Ohio State game where Barrett was suddenly injured while running the ball. The rest of the game was left to Cardale Jones and was a win for the Buckeyes. Jones then proved his worth as a QB when he helped the Buckeyes roll past the Wisconsin Badgers and then stepped up even more again against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl.

OSU running back Ezekiel Elliott may just be one of the best
RBs and players in the country

Of course, no one was more impressive in this game than than Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, who ran 36 times for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns. This is why I said at the beginning that Ohio State "literally" ran over Oregon's defense. The Oregon defense, while fast and swarming, seemed unable to grab hold of and bring down Elliott as he ran for the endzone three times and plowed inside on the goal line during the final minutes. On top of winning the national championship and offensive MVP honors, Elliott set a records for most rushing yards in the national championship game (originally held by Texas QB Vince Young: 200 yards) and most rushing yards in a bowl game by an Ohio State player (originally held by Ohio State RB Raymont Harris: 235 yards). Including this game, Elliott finishes his season with three straight 200+ rushing yard games (Wisconsin, Alabama, Oregon) which puts him over 1,800 rushing yards and 18 TDs while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Since it looks like Ezekiel Elliott will be coming back and assuming that he stays healthy and out of trouble,  I think it is fair to say that he may have a couple accolades coming his way. I think of him as the reincarnation of former OSU running back Maurice Clarett, who was similar in size (6 ft. 220 lbs.), skill (1,237 rush yds/18 TDs/5.6 AVG), and helped the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002 over the Miami Hurricanes. The only difference is: Elliott is coming back.

OSU head coach Urban Meyer waves to the fans
while running back Ezekiel Elliott hold up
the first ever National Championship Trophy

So with that, I want to finish this by saying congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes for winning the university their 8th national championship and the first ever CFP National Championship. As a fan who loves watching the Big Ten Conference games and has grown up in the Midwest, I feel so proud to see a team with a hard nose, grind-it-out personality like OSU destroy a team on the west coast that everyone feels is the "unanimous" champion because of one player. Who knows, maybe you'll get a chance to knock USC down next year. That is if they can get themselves in the rankings again.

2015 CFP National Championship

With the first ever College Football Playoffs Championship to commence in less than an hour and a half, it's clear to me that this may be quite an intense title game to watch. You have two teams matched up in this game that both have incredible talent on both sides of the ball: the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes. So I guess it's time for me to throw in my own two cents on the championship game.

- Oregon Ducks

Positives: I think it's far to say that there are many out there that believe that the Oregon Ducks will be victorious in the championship game because of one man: starting quarterback Marcus Mariota. It's goes without saying that he was, without a doubt, the best college player in Division 1A football in winning the Heisman Trophy. And if you need proof of that, then just take a look at those stats of his.

Marcus Mariota will need
to be at his best tonight

Marcus Mariota's 2014-15 Stats:

-Passing Yards - 4,121            -Rushing Yards - 731

-Passing TDs - 40                   -Rushing TDs - 15
-INTs - 3                                 -AVG - 5.8
-Compl. % - 68.6

For a quarterback, I got to say that he is probably the most athletic one I  have ever had the pleasure of watching play the game. But these stats are nothing knew to Mariota as he has been doing this since he first got his chance back in 2012. With three years of experience behind him and a career record of 36-4 currently, he seems like the guy that would be primed to win it all after such a magical season for the Ducks and give him an edge in this game. Marcus Mariota's ability to run will also be a big factor in the game today. While freshman running back Royce Freeman is the team's leading rusher and rushing touchdown scorer, Mariota's legs have been a big part of helping Oregon out of some jams whether it be just scrambling out of the pocket to escape pressure or trying his luck to gain some yards and score. His stature also helps him when running as he stands 6'4" and weighs close to 220 lbs.

The other key player to look out for in this game would be the Oregon Ducks' cornerback Troy Hill and the rest of the Ducks' defensive back system. Troy Hill is very talented at shutting down his man and knocking the ball out of the air in those clutch situations of the game. Although he has only intercepted one pass, the rest of the defensive back system has done a great job at stepping up and bringing a team's passing attack to a halt. In this game and against a third string quarterback who is inexperienced and tends to make questionable throws, INTs may become much easier than before.

Negatives: As good as Oregon is and has been all through the college football season, even they have their issues that they'll have to overcome in this game. The biggest and most impacting setback for the Ducks is the loss of their two starting wide receivers Devon Allen and Darren Carrington. The two freshmen wide outs will not be available for the game. Allen is out with an injury that he sustained in the Rose Bowl against Florida State. While Carrington has been suspended for the game after testing positive for marijuana just days ago. Now while Oregon will rotate between the wide receivers they have left, if they do not step up and make big plays and Mariota can not adjust to their skills, then this team will not be victorious.

Without Ifo Ekpre-Olomu starting, the Oregon Ducks' secondary
make have a hard time shutting down the wide outs of OSU

The other issue is the that the team must get a good pass rush up front on the Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones if they are going to win the game. As good as Troy Hill is, the team will be without first team All-American cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu who has been so clutch in his ability to make tackles and knock the ball out of the air. He was lost before the start of the college playoffs due to a serious knee injury. if pressure cannot be established and the defensive backs cannot lock onto their man throughout the entire game, the Buckeyes will come as the champions.

- Ohio State Buckeyes

Positives: While the Oregon Ducks may have the Heisman Trophy winner and a fast paced offense, the Ohio State Buckeyes may have the biggest "Never Say Die" attitude than any other team that is out there. The first big part of this team's ability to continue to succeed is taking a look at their journey. They started the season with Heisman candidate Braxton Miller at quarterback, or at least they were supposed to until he suffered a shoulder injury in preseason practice that was severe enough to put him out for his senior year at Ohio State. This then pushed a battle between freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett and sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones. Ultimately, J.T. Barrett won the job and helped lead Ohio State to an impressive 11-1 record and a spot in the college playoffs. However, in the game against Michigan, Barrett was injured on a run play and was ruled out of the game and the rest of the season.

This brings us to Cardale Jones. He is 6'5" and weighs 250 lbs. and can throw the ball almost a mile plus. In the games against Michigan, Wisconsin, and Alabama, Jones was able to come up with big plays after big plays against each of his moments playing. And despite his size, Jones has shown flashes of graceful athleticism in running the ball along with the ability to power it past defenders up the middle.

But he is not alone in this as he has the support of three excellent wide receivers in Devin Smith, Michael Thomas, and Evan Spencer. As of now, sophomore Michael Thomas leads the Buckeyes in receptions and has been a enormous spark plug when things are looking like it could not be turned around. The man that leads the team in receiving touchdowns in senior Devin Smith with 12 TDs. He has created quite a noise in Columbus since last season and it has not stopped since. The last man is fellow senior Evan Spencer. A fellow Illinois native like me, Spencer's stats do not scream "star receiver" with just 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns, however, he has an elite ability to explode from the snap of the ball and run his routes on spot from the slot position. And we can't forget about the passing touchdown that came against the Alabama Crimson Tide in order to shorten the lead to 21-20 at the half and give the Buckeyes the momentum to win. This game will certainly be a proving point for all three and, could potentially, be of their finest games as a unit with a the loss of Oregon's All-American cornerback.

Ezekiel Elliot is so amazing that he may actually have
a potential national title in his future

The other big factor in this game will be the Ohio State's running back Ezekiel Elliot. He's a 6 ft. 225 lbs. monster at running back and he's just a sophomore. This year has been amazing for him as he's run for over 1,600 yards with 14 touchdowns and averaging 6.9 yards a carry. He reminds me of another running back that wore the scarlet red for the Buckeyes back in day. He ran through, around, and over defenders in the same way that Elliot did. His name was Maurice Clarett. If you don't know his story in college, he came in as a starter as a freshman and helped to lead the Buckeyes to a victory in the 2002 national championship against the Miami Hurricanes. Their size, skill, and potential are all at that point where I just have to say, "the sky's the limit... I think". Ultimately, I think Ezekiel Elliot is going to have a huge game running against the Oregon Ducks' defense so long as the offensive line holds their blocks and Cardale Jones helps to move the ball down the field.

If defensive tackle Michael Bennett is able to stop the run,
the Buckeyes may stand a good chance against the Ducks

For the Buckeyes' defense, their biggest plus in having defensive tackle Michael Bennett. the 6'2" 288 lbs. defensive lineman had a pretty good year as far as D-lineman go. He had 35 total tackles with six sacks and two forced fumbles. He has been a huge key in both stopping the run and getting pressure on the quarterback. This game will be a test for Bennett since Mariota does not seem to be the kind that can sit still in the pocket for too long. But Bennett is known for an explosive first step, quick feet and hands, and has a sound sense of being able to track down the ball carrier.

Despite having athleticism and talent in his arsenal,
Cardale Jones will need to prove he can overcome
the lack of experience mark that is on him

Negatives: Like Oregon, Ohio State will have to overcome a couple issues themselves. The first is in Cardale Jones. While he has had some stellar performances thus far and has shown sparks of talent and athleticism, keep in mind that Jones has only started two games technically and the title game will be his third. The question of whether he has the experience and mature level to handle the pressure is a key question on just how Ohio State will perform. If Jones can keep his nerves down and just have fun out there, I'm sure he will be just fine; however, I think everyone will be looking to see how many bad throws and mistakes he may make in this game. The other issue is the Buckeyes secondary will need to be on key this entire game to make sure that nothing is given up to Marcus Mariota. Even with his star wide outs gone, Mariota has a unique ability to make his team much better by the way uses his athletic skills and intelligent decision making. If the secondary drops their eyes for just a quick second, it could mean the difference between and INT or a TD.

My Prediction: So in the end, who wins it? I predict Ohio State to beat the Oregon Ducks 49-42 in overtime.

Chicago lands Saint's Ryan Pace as New GM

As a die hard Chicago Bears fan, I've seen this team at their best and now, I've seen them at their lowest. The times needed to change after the team posted one of the franchise's worst records in history at 5-11. Once the regular season was over, it was just a matter of time before the word would come out as to whether or not head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery would be fired. 

Once Black Monday had come, I kept waiting and waiting for some kind of news to come about that the Bears had fired them, but they would not be the first. The very first came Sunday before Black Monday when former San Francisco 49ers' head coach Jim Harbaugh left the team. I thought it was funny that words such as "step down" and "mutually depart" were being used in order to keep people from crying I guess. The next names were Jet's head coach Rex Ryan along with GM John Idzik and Falcons' head coach Mike Smith. I then stepped away and said, "Well maybe they'll wait for tomorrow" or something along those words.

It was probably around 11:00 AM when I saw on ESPN.com that both Bears' GM Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman had been fired. I actually admit that I applauded and jumped up for joy after seeing that they had dispatched of them both. After about two hours of celebrating, I started think about the next possible candidates for the Bears' head coach. But like many NFL fans, I had no clue who was out there that we could hire as a GM. And then this past Thursday hit and boy was I smiling.

New Chicago Bear's general manager Ryan Pace already getting to work in the office

In case you didn't hear, The Chicago Bears went and signed [now] former New Orleans Saints' Director of Player Personnel Ryan Pace to be the team's new general manager. The moment it was announced that Pace had been hired, the city was once again in a divided stance against the team. The reason? Well at that point, the Bears were thought to wait some time before coming up with a decision on who would be the new GM. Many were speaking about the Kansas City Chiefs' Director of Player Personnel Chris Ballard and how he would fit the bill here in Chicago because he was once a scout for the Bears which meant that he knew the organization and with what he had done with the Chiefs also gave him a thumbs up as well.

Although I no very little on both Ballard and Pace, I can say that I agree with the Bears' decision to go ahead with Pace as the new general manager. Some of you may wonder why that is? It's because he is not in any way, shape, or form tied to the this organization's past. This means that he will have his own perspective and ideas on how to go about the franchise and finding a head coach. I mean don't get me wrong, I like Ballard and everything that could provide also but fresh ideas are what is needed at this point.

The biggest turnoff for many about Ryan Pace is one thing it seems: age. Yes, Pace is only 37 years old which makes him the youngest general manager in the NFL. Quick! Somebody call this kid's parents and tell them that he's too young to be running a NFL franchise! Honestly, does age even matter anymore in situations like these? I mean does it always have to be some old guy with snow white or grey hair at this position? As for his experience, he's been with the New Orleans Saints for over 10 years and has landed the team some pretty promising draft picks as well as being apart of making that franchise into Superbowl champions in 2009. Sounds like this "boy" has a magic touch if you ask me. I also understand the other part which is that the Saints have been on a slump ever since winning the Lombardi. But it was already looking that way as Saints' quarterback Drew Brees has taken so much punishment over his time in New Orleans that it's no wonder his production is going down. Not to mention he only has two targets to go to in receiver Marques Colston and tight end Jimmy Graham, pretty much no efficient running game to work with, and a defense that has been either hurt or inconsistent. All I am trying to say is that these Saints have been marching out since the beginning of the 2012 season.

Ryan Pace during his time
with the New Orleans Saints

So with all that aside, just who is our new GM Ryan Pace? Well he attended Eastern Illinois University and played on the football team from 1995-99 (Fun Fact: Pace was a teammate with Tony Romo) and graduated with a degree in marketing. He them became an intern in the marketing department for the Saints. After being with the Saints for some time, the Saints sent him to the Stanford Business School's Executive Education NFL-Standard Program for Managers (in other words: preparation for future team management). He landed the position of Director of Player Personnel in 2013 and has had two decent years of drafting. In 2013, the Saints drafted safety Kenny Vaccaro, lineman Terron Armstead, defensive lineman John Jenkins, wide receiver Kenny Stills who are all currently starters on the team. This past draft, New Orleans took wide receiver Brandin Cooks, cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste, safety Vinnie Sunseri, and linebacker Ronald Powell who currently are on the team and while may not have been able to have the season they all wanted, are able to bring an impact to the team.

Ryan Pace at the Chicago Bears Press Conference announcing
his hiring as the team's new general manager

So there we have it; Ryan Pace is the Chicago Bears' new general manager. He has already made it known that finding a head coach is the team's top priority. The question now stands: just who will it be that has the honor to put on the hat and hold up the jersey proud as they become the Chicago Bears' new head coach? If you ask me, I think it should be former Buffalo Bills' head coach Doug Marrone. I say that because he is a coach that spends an equal amount of time on both sides of the ball and has that hard nose attitude that we love, adore, and embrace here in the cold and harsh windy city.

"Ref"gate

This past weekend, the fans of the NFL were treated to the delightful tastes of the playoffs. Regardless if your team is in or out, if you love the game of football, you were watching those games being played out. Unfortunately for myself, I had to work on the weekends so I did not get to witness any of the playoff games. Well actually, I did get off and home in time to catch the 2nd half of the Dallas Cowboys/Detroit Lions game where it looked as though the Lions were rolling, and then suddenly, I saw Dallas begin their comeback. I then laid witness to what will probably be the most debated call of this year's playoffs from here on out.

So in case you were not watching or were not able to catch it, I shall do the honors of breaking it down for you: It's the 4th quarter, Detroit is up 20-17 with about 8:25 left in the game , and they have the ball with 3rd and 1 to go on the what appeared to be about the 45 yard line. The play begins and Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped back to look for the open man. After about three or four seconds, Stafford threw to tight end Brandon Pettigrew at around the 30 yard line or so while he was being covered by Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens which eventually ended up being an incomplete pass. But the way the play looks, it seems as though Hitchens is possibly pushing Pettigrew down as the Lions' tight end is trying to catch the pass that is behind Hitchens that he does not see coming, which soon after is followed by a flag that was called as a defensive pass inference.

Now, after analyzing the footage myself very carefully and examining the photos on the story that you'll find, I have come to the conclusion that there was definitely a defensive pass inference penalty that should have stood against Hitchens as his arms are clearly extended and on Pettigrew in a pushing fashion. Not only that, but Hitchens head does not even move once to try and turn to look at the ball. Therefore, it's a pass interference. Case closed.

Yet the call did not stand as just minutes later (I did say minutes), the referee decided to pick up the flag to say that there was no penalty on the play. Now honestly, I get that it could have gone either way because Pettigrew does seem to somewhat attempt to grab at Anthony Hitchens' facemark. However, even with this call being picked up, why wasn't Dallas Cowboys' Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant not flagged after he had ran out on the field to argue the penalty call with the refs? Seriously, the guy is not out on the field at the moment nor does he even play defense. It should have been a personal foul for player misconduct on Bryant for that stupid move of his out there. Somehow though, the officials did not seem to mind that too much.

After the whole incident, Detroit took a penalty to give their punter room to try and down it behind the 20 only to see him shank the punt and give Dallas great field around about the 35 or 40 yard line. With great field position, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo took advantage of and lead Dallas to the game winning drive to win 24-20 over the Detroit Lions.

But from the moment the game was over, many began to suspect if whether or not the Lions had just been robbed of a chance to move on in the playoffs. But wait, it gets even better here. A couple of days later after the game, pictures and a video from TMZ.com appeared which in which showed the Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones coming off the team party bus with Dean Blandino right behind him. Who is that you say? Oh he just happens to be the man that carry the title of the NFL's Vice President of Officiating. Yea, I said right. This is the NFL's VP of Officiating seen with Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones of the their party bus. Now I never try to jump to conclusions on matters such as this and these pictures and video were all taken back in August, but this is all seeming a little too connected in the dots.

I my own mind, the dots are connecting in this fashion: Jerry Jones invites Blandino onto his party bus to have a fun night out back a few months back, the Cowboys have a great season and make the playoffs, then the play happens in the game against the Lions where a flag is thrown for defensive pass interference and then is picked up minutes later while Dez Bryant, who ran out on the field to argue the call, was not hit with any personal foul for misconduct or anything of the sort, and Dallas eventually is victorious in the end.

The reason I say this is just that it looks too strange for me to just look past it and say, "It's in the past" but there isn't anything that can be done now. It's also worth mentioning that Detroit still could have won the game if they just would have given the ball to Joique Bell on the 4th and 1 to give them the first down. Instead, Lions' head coach Jim Caldwell made a poor decision in taking a penalty to allow his punter room to try and down it behind the 20 yard line. And if you watched the game like I was, then you were probably face palming yourself when you saw him shank the punt in order to give the Cowboys some good field position to make their comeback.

Regardless of the situation or whatever happened, I guess there is no sense dwelling on it. I just hope that the NFL will keep a watchful eye over Jerry Jones and Dallas for awhile as this is supposed "nothing" may have possibly been something or could potentially turn into something. This Sunday, Dallas Cowboys are headed to Green Bay to face off against the fearsome Packers. I'm sure many have heard that Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers is hurting right now from a calf injury. Now I hate the Packers with a passion, but I pray that Rodgers is healthy enough to play at a top level so that he can wipe that smirk off of Jones', Romo's, Murray's, and Bryant's faces. All in all, I see Green Bay beating Dallas 38-28.

It's Sometimes Better just to Say Nothing

Former third string and current starting quarterback, Cardale Jones, of the Ohio State Buckeyes made a statement on Twitter about his thoughts on school and going to class back in 2012.

So while I surfing the web trying to find a something new to write about that no one has heard of, I found this little beauty. Anyone recognize this? If not, it's OK because it came from the third string quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes named Cardale Jones back in 2012. But it's 2014 now and he's technically now the team's starting QB now which helped lead the team to a 42-35 victory against a very aggressive and hard hitting Alabama Crimson Tide in order to put them in the BCS National Championship game. Regardless, take a close look at that tweet of his and think about it. For me, I got to say that I am a little shocked to see it even though I believe it's meant to be in a joking manner.

Now, I admit that I am no fan of going to school and can not wait for the moment when I am out and on my own and I do understand that college and school may not always be for every single person out there. It is always your decision to make whether you want to continue or not. However, if you want to head for the NFL or NBA or whatever sport it may be, your best bet for making a bigger name for selling yourself is going to play at the collegiate level. 

So some of you might be wondering, "Yeah how come I got to go to school when I just want to play sports?" and that's a good question (not really, but I'll answer it). Well for starters, when you play sports in college, you are referred to as a "student athlete" and that means that you are a student of the college who participates in athletics. But the term does not just apply to college, it applies throughout  high school, middle school, and so on. So long as it's a sports activity that is connected through some school, you become a "student athlete". The term means that you must do what a student in going to class and get good grades while also performing on the field or court or whatever it is you play on. Ultimately, it's on the player to remember that he must be able to perform off the court /field and in the classroom in order to keep himself eligible to participate in athletics and also keep whatever scholarship they may possibly have with their team.

Now I understand that Cardale Jones tweeted this out when he was considered just the third string quarterback to starting QB Braxton Miller and backup QB J.T. Barrett, but it still shows an ugly side to college athletics and athletics as a whole overall. Sometimes, it does seem very plausible when you have a good athlete who can be very successful and think that a future in pro sports is possible. Many legendary athletes have come from homes that were not "picture perfect" in one way or another and gone on to have fabulous careers in which they are forever enshrined in the history books, but nowadays, the feeling is turning toward many athletes giving a vibe that athletics will take them all the way while school is just something like a "time filler" if you will. To me, it just seems so wrong that some would value a perfectly good and free education to a highly established university and just concern all their efforts into being the best player they can be so that they can get drafted and make "millions" or so they think.

As for Cardale Jones, I have never met him or talked to him but the kid seems to have been quite a talent on the field. It's when you discover things like this tweet above that scare me to think that a kid like Jones is going to become or is one of these kids that will rely mostly on his athleticism to get him  through life and earn a paycheck. And unfortunately, this is not the era to start thinking in that manner. Nowadays, many players in the world of professional sports are actually becoming very sound in ways and workings of business. But that does not mean that players are not feeling the sting of rejection. 

It leaves me speechless when I see such talented high school basketball players go for a year of college and leave after just one season just because they are convinced that they are good enough to play in the NBA even though they can still be considered a high school student in terms of education. Then there those players that go to the MLB and NHL right after they hit 18 years old in hopes to make it big and only a small percentage of them actually are able to get a chance to flourish and have pro careers. The NFL have it down the best with making a player have to wait at least three years till they are eligible to enter the draft. However, there are those that even still will enter a year early than they maybe should and end up only rating a few years.

Basically, I can understand that this tweet was more than likely just some kind of a joke or way to blow off the steam that builds up in classes. It just worries me that a kid as good as Cardale Jones or possible others may have the perception that school is just a breeding ground and pipeline to the professional sports world (which in reality it is) while they just smile and wave as they walk throughout the campus and halls en route to the big time. It was great to hear though that Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer had approached Jones at that time and told him to "get his act together" and to "stop acting like a clown" when he was outside of the football team (Greenstein). It's just another reminder of how great a coach Meyer is as he's made Cardale Jones into a good looking QB who will play on Jan. 12 for the national title against the Oregon Ducks.

Greenstein, Teddy. "Ohio State's Cardale Jones Is Getting Quite an Education." Chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Jan. 2015. <http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-greenstein-ohio-state-cardale-jones-spt-1231-20141230-column.html>.

New Year, New College Football

It's officially the new year of 2015 and there is so much to be looking forward too, especially if you are a fan of college football. This year is first ever college football playoffs about to commence today with games between the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide vs the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 2 ranked Oregon Ducks vs the No. 3 ranked Florida State Seminoles.

Alabama vs Ohio State

Now, there is no denying that these are very good match-ups when you consider the history of these programs and who is one these teams. When I watch Alabama vs Ohio State, the most intriguing part of the game is watching how Bama's head coach Nick Saban and Buckeyes' head coach Urban Meyer clash in their coaching styles. Both these men are highly regarded as head coaches in college football as they have each been able to win national championships in the past seasons and also produce a number a talented NFL players along with a couple Heisman Trophy winners.

Nick Saban raising the
national title high in the sky

For Saban, his first national championship came with the LSU Tigers in 2003 against the Oklahoma Sooners with a team that consisted of Dwayne Bowe, Joseph Addai, and Matt Flynn. After a two year period in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Saban left to return back to college football with the Tigers' rival Crimson Tide in 2007 and has since won three national championships in 2009, 2011, and 2012 with players like Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, A.J. McCarron, Dre Kilpatrick, Dee Millner, Trent Richardson, and countless others.

Urban Meyer shares the
national title for all to see

As for Meyer, he showed off his ability to succeed when he was the head coach at Utah from 2003-2004 where he turned a plain-looking quarterback named Alex Smith into the eventual No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. After which, he proceeded to head to University of Florida where he made a crafty and shifty quarterback named Tim Tebow into a two-time national champion in 2006 and again in 2008 with players like Aaron Hernandez, Percy Harvin, Carlos Dunlap, Joe Haden and many others as well.

For these two coaches, it will be most interesting to see just how they will play against one another as they both possess teams which have high caliber players on both sides of the ball. My question is if Urban Meyer will allow QB Cardale Jones to let it fly or be more "ground and pound" in running RB Ezekiel Elliot.I also wonder the how Saban will go about his offense when you consider that this Buckeye defense can fly all over the field as if they were heat-seeking missiles or something. All in all, it'll probably be one of the best games of the year just based on who is in control of these two powerhouse teams.

Oregon vs Florida State
On the other side of these college football playoffs is the the game of Oregon vs Florida State, in which the most intriguing part of that game is to watch the past two Heisman Trophy winners, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, go head-to-head against one another to see who is more worthy of playing for the national championship. While both have the ability to play at a high level, both players have different styles of making things happen. It's an argument that is similar to what was being talked about when Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were entering the NFL. This year's Luck is Winston while Mariota is the new RGIII.

One one side of the field, we'll see the 2013 Heisman winner in Jameis Winston. Last year, Winston was able to come out of the gates flying and ended the season with just over 4,000 passing yards and 40 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. While also capturing the Heisman Trophy, Winston was also able to win the national championship with the undefeated 14-0 Florida State Seminoles by defeating the Auburn Tigers 34-31. This season has not been near the type that he had last season as he only has thrown for 3,559 yards with 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions along with a number of allegations that came up throughout the season, but has still been able to lead the Seminoles to 13-0 season thus far.

On the other side of the field will be this year's Heisman winner Marcus Mariota. For Mariota, he's been able to grab the experience as he has started for the Ducks for three years now. His first year in 2012 was his only with current Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Chip Kelly in which he took Oregon to a 12-1 record that was capped off with a win the Fiesta Bowl over Kansas State Wildcats. The next year in 2013, Mariota came out looking as talented as ever, but the Ducks finished with one more loss than last season at 11-2 which ended with a victory in the Alamo Bowl over the Texas Longhorns. Including this season, Mariota has had an amazing career with over 10,000 passing yards, 101 passing touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. His rushing career has also been stellar as he currently has over 2,000 yards with 28 touchdowns. This season so far, Marcus Mariota has thrown a career high in passing yards (3,783), passing touchdowns (38), and rushing touchdowns (14) while also having a career low in interceptions (2).

Although I will definitely enjoy watching these two match up against one another today, I do have to say that I am disappointed in the NCAA for not putting Oregon against Alabama and Ohio State against Florida State. Mostly because the amount of people that would watch a national championship that gave us two Heisman winners would be through the roof. Regardless, this game will without a doubt be the game that determines who will win the national championship. The reason I say that is because both Ohio State and Alabama seem to be lacking something in part of their game that will ultimately be the downfall for either to win the national title. Of course I could be way off on this, but only time will tell if I will come out right or wrong.

Prediction: So now the big questions: Who wins between Bama and OSU? Who wins between Oregon and FSU? Who wins the in the BCS National Championship game. I have a good feeling that Bama's secondary defense will step up their game and prove themselves against Cardale Jones to win. Oregon and FSU will be a close match, but ultimately Jameis Winston has more weapons on his team to work with over Marcus Mariota's Ducks. So with Florida State vs Alabama in the BCS National Championship game, I see a Winston and the Seminoles capturing his second consecutive national title over Alabama 38-20. All that's left now if to order up some Buffalo Wild Wings, gather round the big screen, and watch the games to see who is in and who is out.